The Equine Scrolls: SkyFiM

by FireOfTheNorth

Chapter 30: Giants Above, Death Below

Chapter XXX: Giants Above, Death Below
“Remember we’re both hoofed, at the end of each leg.”

After Steadfast managed to stop laughing at the unfortunate predicament we had gotten ourselves in, he helped to chip Mephalda and me apart. Though being a bit cold, she was none the worse for wear after being frozen solid, and soon we were able to depart Snowtip Barrow. The sun had already set by the time we made it to Whitetrot, so we slept in Breezehome for the remainder of the night before heading up to see Faniar in the morning.

“Back already?” he asked as we entered his study, which was even more covered in papers than usual, “That was certainly fast. I take it you were successful?”

“In finding a Word of Power: yes. In getting closer to finding how to stop Alduin: not really,” I responded, “In fact, he was there yesterday, resurrecting another dragon.”

“That’s not good,” Faniar said, sweeping parchment off his desk to reveal the dragonstone, “He must be nearly finished by now.”

“So, how do we stop him?” Steadfast asked.

“Hmm, there may be a clue in this Draugr ruin I’ve been looking at. According to my research, it used to contain a records room, maybe even holding the secret to Alduin’s eventual defeat. Breakneck Cavern, built in the mountains between here and Foalkreath. I’ll mark it on your map.”

“Thanks Faniar,” I called as we left, “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

◊◊◊ ◊◊◊ ◊◊◊

It wasn’t too far to Breakneck Cavern, only a quick jaunt across the wind-swept plains. Clouds were piling overhead as we neared our destination, pushed into place by pegasi.

“Looks like a storm,” Steadfast commented as the sun was blocked out.

“Rain by the looks of it,” Mephalda elaborated, surveying the clouds, “One last downpour before winter.”

“Then I guess we had better get to Breakneck Cavern as soon as possible,” I said.

Now that we were nearing the mountains, I could see some sort of settlement built at its base. I was about to mention it to my friends when a roar suddenly shook the world. Looking over my shoulder, I saw a dragon gliding over the plains. It didn’t seem to be focused on us; instead it flapped toward the settlement I saw ahead.

I didn’t know anything about the settlement, but I rushed forward all the same. This dragon wasn’t going to slaughter ponies when I was around. Spears flew up from the enclosure at the dragon, some sticking in its flesh, but most bouncing away harmlessly. The dragon blasted the ground with fire just before I skidded around the rough wall of boulders and tree trunks.

Inside were creatures I’d never seen before. They were far larger than ponies, and much bulkier as well, their horned heads protruding from the front of their hairy bodies. The rough enclosure was filled with cylindrical tents clustered around a massive bonfire.

“Buffalo,” Steadfast gave a name to the creatures, “To think they have a whole settlement this close to Whitetrot.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Well,” he explained, “Buffalo tend to have a real problem with attacking farmers, or else extorting them for food. I can’t believe nopony from Whitetrot ever found this place.”

“I think we’d best put all petty concerns aside for now,” Mephalda said, “And help them out. The dragons are everyone’s problem after all.”

“She’s right,” I told Steadfast, “And once the dragon is dead, hopefully they’ll be a bit more open to peaceful discussion.”

I quickly ducked down as the dragon swooped over our heads, tearing a chunk out of the buffalos’ wall. I shot lightning at the beast as it retreated, sending sparks skittering along its scaly hide but little else. More spears thrown by the buffalo bounced off it as it swung back around toward us.

<KRII!> I Shouted as it passed overhead, hurting it with my very words.

Marked for death, the dragon crashed into the ground, whipping around to face me. The remaining buffalo charged it, but were quickly thrown aside by the lizard’s massive tail. I quickly galloped out of the way as the dragon shot fire in my direction. Steadfast headed the other way and Mephalda shot up into the sky.

As my pegasus friend’s arrows began to embed themselves in the dragon’s head, I rushed toward it, summoning a flame atronach as I went. Pulling out Calcion’s Cleaver just before I reached the beast, I slammed the blade into its side, cutting straight through the scaly armor. Giving a jerk, the dragon threw me aside, the Cleaver still buried in its flesh.

As I ran to retrieve my sword, I found myself standing face to face with the dragon. Twin jets of flame billowed through its nostrils on either side of me, singing my tail as it whipped around in the tempest stirred up by the dragon’s breath.

<<FEIM~ZII!!>> I Shouted as it opened its mouth.

Its jaws snapped against nothing as I transitioned into an ethereal form. Steadfast suddenly jumped through me, smashing the dragon’s snout into the ground with his warhammer. I ran over to where my sword was still embedded in the dragon’s side while it pursued Steadfast. Anxious to get the Cleaver back, I waited until my Shout wore off. When it finally did, I found myself unable to grab it.

I hadn’t been paying attention to my surroundings and, as the dragon chased after Steadfast, its wing had come sweeping around toward me. As I reached out for my sword I was picked up by the wing’s leading edge and was sent sliding down the membrane. To halt my slide, I pulled out the Axe of Whitetrot, hooking it through the wing and lighting the membrane on fire. It took several tries before I got it to hold, near the wing’s trailing edge.

The dragon’s wing was now filled with holes burned during my slide, and it was not at all happy about that. Flaring its wings, I found myself launched into the air. As I reached the highest point, Mephalda caught me, carrying me away from the dragon. After dropping me off, she took off back into the sky, and I charged back into the fray.

As the dragon made to snap up Steadfast in its teeth, he slammed his warhammer into the side of its face, knocking it out of the way. As it did so, it impacted with my atronach, putting an end to the random fireballs it had been throwing its way. I slid under its neck as the head flipped around, cutting a gouge with my axe as I did. Now back on the other side of the dragon, I pulled out Calcion’s Cleaver and clambered onto its back.

Instead of trying to shake me off, this dragon rolled over, intent on crushing me beneath its sizeable bulk. I tried to launch myself off, but failed, and my body cried out in agony as the massive lizard rolled over on top of me. Once it was off again, I quickly bent my armor back into shape as best I could. The Griffin craftsmanship had help up well, that was for sure. I was bruised badly and a few of my bones were possibly cracked, but if I had been wearing my steel armor I’d be red paste instead.

Still, this battle had to end soon. I saw my chance as one of the buffalo’s spears stuck in the dragon’s eye, giving me an opening. Galloping forward, I jumped onto the dragon’s back again, this time climbing up its neck until I was on top of its bucking head. Stabbing both my blades into its skull seemed to do the trick, and the dragon soon seized its struggling, lying still.

I was barely off before its body combusted, and it shared all its memories (unwillingly) with me. No sooner had I allowed them to meld with my own than I found myself looking at the business end of a buffalo’s spear. Looking around, I could see Mephalda and Steadfast were being similarly threatened.

But we hadn’t been attacked yet, so I had hope. I sheathed my own weapons, hoping the act would be reciprocated. The bison continued to threaten us with our weapons, until another that appeared to be the leader strode forward. He was the largest buffalo of the group, and upon his head was a headdress composed of feather from all kinds of winged creatures, from eagles and falcons to griffins and pegasi.

“I am Chief Thundering Plains, leader of this tribe,” he introduced himself, “Why did you ponies come here?”

“We’re on our way to a ruin up the mountain actually,” I offered when neither Mephalda or Steadfast seemed forthcoming with the information, “We saw a dragon was attacking you, and thought you might need help.”

“Help?” the buffalo asked, “Ponies who’ve come to help?”

“Right,” I said, “So, can we go now?”

“Ponies never come to help,” the chief spoke, “Only to destroy, to tell us our land does not belong to us. You have not come to do that?”

“Of course not. Why would we do that?”

“Why would other ponies want to do that?”

“Because you attack us,” Steadfast cut in.

“We attack because you attack us,” the buffalo replied.

“Huh, so you’re saying if we stopped attacking you, you’d stop attacking us?”

“And if we stopped attacking you ponies, we bison would be left alone?”

“Maybe,” Steadfast said hesitantly, “Maybe our people were fighting over nothing the whole time.”

“I think you may be right, small one,” the chief replied, “Perhaps the time for fighting is over. If we stop our attacks on the ponies, they may leave us in peace. This is something I am willing to try. Our raiding parties will no longer attack the ponies.”

“Small one?” Steadfast asked indignantly.

“Just let it go,” Mephalda told him, “Anypony would be little to him.”

“Ponies!” Thundering Plains addressed us, “I thank you for coming here, though you did not tell me your names.”

“I’m Sapphire, this is Steadfast, and this is Mephalda.”

“I have you three to thank for showing us that our fight with your kind is pointless. I hope you will spread the news to the others, so that this bloodshed may stop. You three will always be welcome here, and will have my tribe’s help if it is needed.”

“Thanks,” I told him, though I had no idea for what I could use their help, “Right now though, do you have any good ideas on how to get up this mountain?”

◊◊◊ ◊◊◊ ◊◊◊

With Thundering Plains’s, help we soon found our way to Breakneck Cavern’s entrance. Mephalda was correct in her observation that a final rainstorm was on its way. As we neared the Draugr ruin’s entrance, large wet drops began to fall from the sky.

Breakneck Cavern’s entryway wasn’t nearly as impressive as most of the other Draugr ruins I’d seen. In fact, there was hardly an entryway at all. A few standing stones around a cave entrance and an arch inscribed with draconic placed just inside were the only clues that there was a Draugr ruin here at all.

As the rain began to fall more heavily, we rushed inside. Lighting a torch, I led the way into the cave. At the back of the cave a heavy iron door was set into the stone. With a push, it opened onto a hallway like any other I’d seen in Draugr ruins. Seeing none of the undead guardians around, we stepped inside.

Breakneck Cavern was eerily quiet, and the silence itself seemed to press in on us as we traveled farther down the passage. A door at the far end opened onto a room where Draugr milled about aimlessly. Though the room was fairly narrow where we entered, I could see that above there was another, larger space. Rickety wooden bridges crisscrossed the canyon-like enclosure we’d entered, allowing the Draugr up above to cross over our heads.

Wheezing out something incomprehensible, one of the Draugr in the lower passage noticed our entrance and charged forward. A blast of lightning from my horn sent it flying, crashing into another of the undead warriors. With a snarl, the other Draugr turned on us. Arrows began raining down from up above as those on the upper level drew their bows.

As Mephalda flapped up to take on the Draugr above, Steadfast and I charged forward into the horde below. Swinging his hammer, Steadfast smashed the first to come at us back into its tomb. Drawing Calcion’s Cleaver, I slit the throat of the next Draugr I came across.

I found my next swing blocked by a Draugr with a greatsword grasped in its mouth. Pulling my sword back, I swung at the zombie again and found myself once again blocked. Several more times I tried to break through to the Draugr without success, until it went on the offensive instead.

Moving the massive sword at a speed far faster than a living pony could without hurting themselves, the Draugr swung at my forelegs. Jumping back to keep my legs intact, I launched a fireball at the zombie. Rotten flesh sizzled and popped, but the Draugr kept coming at me.

Pulling out my war axe to augment my sword, I pushed against my enemy’s greatsword, pinning it in place. Gradually, I forced my opponent’s blade into the ground and followed up with a swing to the neck that caused the light in the Draugr’s eyes to flicker out and its corpse to return to rest.

Jumping over my defeated opponent, I charged toward where Steadfast was holding back two Draugr with his warhammer. As I neared them, one turned to face me, blocking my sword’s swing with a battleaxe. I followed up with a swing from my war axe, sending fire creeping down the haft. I also managed to hook my axe’s blade around my opponent’s and attempted to force it out of my sword’s path.

As I began to force it down, the Draugr suddenly jerked its head, sending the Axe of Whitetrot flying out of my magical grasp. I barely had time to block as the battleaxe came back down at me. Again the Draugr swung at me, this time at my legs. I was able to nick its side with my sword, but didn’t jump in time and lost my footing. Unable to get my sword up in time to block, I was hit across the back by my enemy’s axe.

<<FO~KRAH!!>> I Shouted as the Draugr raised its battleaxe for a strike on my neck.

With the Draugr frozen solid, I had plenty of time to get to my hooves. Retrieving my war axe from where it had stuck in a bridge, lighting it on fire, I plunged both blades into the block of ice. Fire and lightning both whipped around within the ice, ultimately killing the undead pony trapped within.

Rushing down the canyon, I caught up to Steadfast, where he was busy crushing yet another Draugr into the ground. Calcion’s Cleaver spinning, I knocked another Draugr out for the count. As I did so, another tried to charge me from behind, and was soon turned to cinders at a blast of fire from my horn.

We finally reached a staircase leading to the upper level, which was guarded by several Draugr looking down on us. Even with Steadfast and me together we would be at a disadvantage in this fight, where the zombies had the high ground.

<<<FUS~RO~DAH!!!>>> I Shouted as we closed in, knocking the Draugr down.

Now we had the height advantage and were able to take out four of them before they could even recover and drag themselves off the ground. At the top of the stairs one of the Draugr was beginning to pick itself up and was able to block my sword swing with a war axe. I nearly stumbled forward into the blade as they drew back suddenly and would’ve cut my face open on it had Steadfast not suddenly knocked it off the stairs with a swing of his warhammer.

“Thanks,” I told him.

“Don’t thank me yet,” he said, ducking down as an arrow flew over his head, burying itself in the pillar behind him.

Dodging the fire from the Draugr archers, we made our way across the upper room to an opening that was clearly an exit on the other side of the chasm we’d just run down. The last arrow fired at us suddenly went wide as the archer firing it was assassinated by Mephalda, its corpse falling from the bridge it was standing on.

“How much farther do you think we have to go?” Steadfast asked as he helped push open the towering stone doors that led out of our current room.

Once we stepped through, it was evident why this place was called Breakneck Cavern. Through the doorway was an expansive cavern stretching off into the distance. From where we’d emerged there was a zigzagging path leading down to where a narrow stone bridge crossed a chasm with a dizzying drop. On the other side a path zigzagged back up to another door like the one we’d emerged from.

“Quite a ways by the looks of it,” I replied to Steadfast’s question as I pointed to the door on the far side, “Unless that’s our destination.”

“Only one way to find out,” he responded, heading down the path.

A few Draugr stood in our way as we traveled down to the bridge, but they were all dealt with fairly swiftly, either with shots from Mephalda’s bow or strikes from Steadfast’s or my weapons. Before we knew it, we were nearing the bridge, where a far more fearsome defense was being mounted.

Once the Draugr had noticed our advance, most of the ones near the bridge had flocked to our end of the chasm. A dozen or so of the walking corpses were prepared to stop us, led by a Draugr in more elaborate battle attire than most, a helmet with wickedly long horns upon its head.

<YOL!> it Shouted, breathing fire at us as we came in range.

<<FO~KRAH!!>> I quickly responded, my ice meeting the Draugr’s fire in midair before evaporating into steam.

Keeping its glowing eyes focused on me, the lead Draugr drew a sword from its back and led the charge of undead. To my left, Mephalda began emptying her quiver of arrows into the approaching mass of bodies. To my right, Steadfast charged ahead, hammer swinging.

I tried to stand my ground as the lead Draugr attacked me, but found myself pushed back by its sword strike. Calcion’s Cleaver screamed as the blades separated, leaving sparks dancing along the Draugr’s sword. Spinning the ancient earth pony sword in my magic, I went for a strike on the zombie’s neck. My strike came short as its own blade blocked, throwing mine back.

When it came to swordplay, it seemed this Draugr might have me beat, but while it had to focus all its power through its sword, I could use my magic to cast additional spells. I took advantage of this to send lightning from my horn into the zombie’s face. As it blocked my spell with its sword, causing the ancient steel to absorb it instead, I swept Calcion’s Cleaver around to take out its forelegs.

As I did so, however, I opened myself up to attack and the Draugr brought its sword up toward my chest. Cutting off the flow of lightning, I pulled out the Axe of Whitetrot to block. The Draugr’s next swing I blocked with my sword instead, freeing up my axe to once again swing toward my enemy’s legs.

This time I managed to hook the blade around one of its rotting fetlocks, and I tripped it up, flipping the zombie onto its back. As I moved in to strike with my sword, the Draugr spit its weapon out of its mouth.

<<FUS~RO!!>> it Shouted, suddenly throwing me back.

I found myself skidding on my back across the floor, dropping my weapons as I slid. Before I could get up, I found myself pinned by the Draugr, its sword raised for a killing stroke.

<FEIM!> I Shouted as the weapon came down at me, sinking through my new ethereal form and causing a slight tingling sensation.

Crawling out from under the Draugr, I rushed around to where my weapons had fallen and snatched them up as I returned to physical form. I held both my blades in front of me in a block as the Draugr slammed into me. Pushing it away, I managed to hook my war axe around my enemy’s blade. With a twist I disarmed it, and slashed my sword through its chest before it could Shout out of its predicament.

As it slid to the floor, I surveyed the scene around me. Nearer to the bridge, Steadfast and Mephalda were finishing up the rest of the Draugr. I rushed over to join them as Steadfast knocked the last one into the chasm.

“Do you think it’s safe to cross?” I asked as I surveyed the narrow stone bridge.

“Only one way to find out,” Steadfast said, closing his eyes and taking the first step.

When the stone didn’t give out immediately, he continued on. When he was about halfway, I joined him, Mephalda hovering over our heads, ready to help us up if we slipped. Now I knew where the “Breakneck” part of Breakneck Cavern came from at least. Though I tried not to look down, when I did all I could see was the inky blackness that swallowed up all light far before the bottom was reached. Trying to focus ahead of me, I accidently made a bad step, my hoof slipping off the bridge.

“Help!” I called out as I began to slide of the edge.

Steadfast had almost reached the far edge of the chasm, but came galloping back as he heard my cry. Both he and Mephalda grabbed ahold of my forelegs as I began to fall and dragged me up onto the bridge.

“That was a close one,” Steadfast commented, “I thought we were going to lose you.”

Suddenly the stone beneath us began to creak alarmingly, evidently not built to hold the weight of three ponies simultaneously.

“Go!” I urged Steadfast on as the stone began to crack beneath our hooves.

The back half of the bridge collapsed immediately, falling down into the blackness below. The span we were on began to fall apart in pieces, those suspended farthest over the chasm falling first. Being in the back, I was in the most jeopardy, and found myself lifted into the air by Mephalda. Carefully she directed me around Steadfast until we were on the far side of the chasm.

“Come on!” I encouraged him as he galloped toward us, the bridge falling to pieces behind him.

I could see there was no way he was going to make it in time and did probably the most foolish thing I could’ve. As the stone gave out beneath his hooves at the same moment Mephalda deposited me on the ground, I launched myself over the chasm.

I just barely managed to grab Steadfast’s forelegs as he fell, only now we were both falling. Luckily, Mephalda was there to grab my hindlegs to keep us from falling all the way to our deaths. Slowly, she dragged us up over the edge until we were all out of jeopardy.

“Sapphire,” Steadfast said through heavy breaths, “You are one crazy mare.”

“What else was I going to do, just let you fall?” I replied, “Besides, you would’ve done the same for me.”

My earth pony companion pondered that a moment before conceding my point.

“You two are both crazy,” Mephalda said.

“But in a good way,” she added as we turned to look at her, “It makes things exciting at least.”

“Well, hopefully we can avoid any more excitement for today,” I said, looking up at our destination, “Though I doubt it.”

◊◊◊ ◊◊◊ ◊◊◊

Thankfully, only a few Draugr were there to stop us as we climbed up to the door on this side of the chasm. All of us were feeling just a bit worn out after our harrowing experiences, first with the dragon, and then the bridge. A wave of relief washed over me as we opened the massive stone door.

Inside was the record room we’d been searching for. At least, I assumed that was what the room was. Shelves lined the walls filled with scrolls whose writing had faded to be incomprehensible ages ago. What shelves didn’t hold scrolls held books also ruined by the ravages of time.

We’d found our destination, but finding any clues on how to defeat Alduin could prove to be a much harder task. Most everything the records room contained was next to useless, or else written in Draconic. Anything that was at least somewhat readable we added to our saddlebags anyway, hoping that Faniar could translate it into Equine once he had his hooves on it.

Wandering thought the cobwebs, I soon found that this ancient library was more than just a single room. Spiral stairs led upward to a whole new level, and above it another level. Still our search proved mostly fruitless, yielding nothing that would help us in the immediate future.

In the center of the top room was a pedestal, on which sat a dusty book that seemed unhurt by the ravages of time. Blowing the dust off the cover, I saw the same symbol of a flaming hoofprint I’d seen on other spell tomes throughout Horizon, though this one seemed to be of an older style. “Ice Spike” was printed on the cover in fancy letters.

Flipping open the cover, I allowed the knowledge of this new spell to seep into my mind. As the pages flipped by under their own power, frost began to form on the cover until the book shattered into a flurry of snowflakes, each glowing bright with magical energy.

It wasn’t exactly what we were looking for, but this new spell might be handy in the future at least.

“Hey, check this out,” Steadfast called from behind one of the shelves filling the room.

Trotting over to where he was standing, I took a look at what he’d found. Sweeping the cobwebs off the wall revealed a mural in the same style as the ones we’d found in other Draugr ruins. Like the ones we’d found in the dragon barrow with Faniar, this one appeared to show the history of the dragons. Following it through revealed the same carvings as before, all the way up to Alduin’s return. Unfortunately, there was nothing new to be seen, only the same prophecy from the barrow.

At the end, however, was a slab of smooth stone with an inscription in Draconic instead of a carving. As I’d hoped, a single word stood out for me and began burning with blue fire. Soon I was absorbing knowledge of the air as the dragons knew. I knew everything about SU, especially how to use it to make my weapon strikes faster, knowledge passed on through the memories of the dragon I’d killed at the buffalo settlement.

<SU!> I Shouted as a practice, drawing my weapons and swinging them around faster than I possibly could’ve before.

“Well,” Steadfast said, “I don’t know about defeating Alduin, “But the Draugr better watch out now.”

“Come on,” I said, sheathing my blades, “Let’s get back to Faniar with these records before our saddlebags get any heavier.”

Level Up
Health: 200 Stamina: 190 Magicka: 210
New Perk: Clean as a Whistle [Light Weapons] -- When you are able to get a substantial swing behind your weapons they will do twice the damage. The chance of decapitation is also double.
Dragon Soul collected
Word of Power learned: SU -- Air; Elemental Fury – This Thu’um imbues your weapons with the speed of the wind, allowing for faster strikes.
New Spell learned: Ice Spike -- Using your magic you can now craft solid spikes of ice out of the air and send them flying at your opponents.
Friendship gained: Chief Thundering Plains -- The leader of the Whitetrot Buffalo Tribe, Chief Thundering Plains commands respect from every bison in Horizon. If called upon in your time of need, he will gladly lead his people in a stampede to crush your enemies.
New Quest: In the Depths of Equus -- Continue to learn locations of Draugr ruins from Faniar and search for more Words of Power.

Comments

[Constellation]

Well, that was a great chapter, I like how they are all getting stronger with each new chapter, and Buffalo in place of giants, that was a cool idea.

Well good job, and keep up the good work, I can't wait to read the next chapter.

[Wolf Wytch]