• Published 3rd May 2012
  • 4,110 Views, 230 Comments

Artemis - gcsmith



The story of Artemis, an average young adult and his adventures of Equestria.

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Chapter 11 - The Lord

Well here it is you prayed or wished loudly enough so here it is, Its not long but its a mood setter. But beware for something Wicked this way comes.

Smoke and steam coiled around the chamber, the smell of coal and and the sound of metal on metal filled the air. The chamber was large, easily large enough to fit the Royal Canterlot palace and then some. The walls and the floor were cluttered with anvils and forges of various sizes, ponies at work at each one. The forges were fed with molten metal from a large furnace that hang in the air connected to the roof of the chamber, and which took up the vast majority of the free room left.

Large steel doors at one end of the chamber opened and figure of pure dusk entered the room. The figure descended a flight of stairs into the chamber, its very presence causing a trail of shadow in its wake.

The figure approached a large brown stallion who appeared to be in control down here.
The Stallion stood proud and tall above the other ponies who toiled in the hot environment. his armour which appeared as white as bone stood out in the half gloom.

“Toil harder you cretins!” The stallion shouted. “The lord demands his arms and they will taste blood soon, I do not think he would care it was yours they spilled, so toil harder!”

The figure of shadow approached the Stallion, its footfalls ringing out like thunder.
“General, I see you have not lost your touch with the slave folk.” it said. its voice slick with sycophantic pleasure.

Hearing himself mentioned the General turned round to see who dared interrupt him during such a crucial part of operation. Upon seeing the shadowy figure before him, he prostrated himself low to ground.
“Ah my Lord, welcome. I trust you see everything is as to your liking?”

“We shall see Tellus, we shall see.” the shadowy figures dark green eyes burned into the stallions soul and made him quiver, first names were never a good thing with the Lord.

“Production rates?” the Lord asked Tellus.

“50,000 blades; 10,000 bows; 100,000 bolts and 5,000 suits a day my Lord.” he answered, never once breaking contact with those cruel green eyes. The lord believed the breaking of eye contact a sign of cowardice, and cowardice was punished ever so severely here.

“Good Tellus, good. Keep it up. It seems your existence is not a disappointment to me.” The General let out a sigh of relief, “Not Yet.”

Tellus flinched, the Lord always cut into him more than the others. Still he had a job to do and he would not fail the Lord, he looked at his armour, and the remains of the last pony in his position who had failed the Lord. Failure was definitely not an option.

The Lord studied Tellus for a few precious moments, causing beads of sweat to form on the generals face, before retreating back up the steps and out of the chamber, the doors closing behind him. Tellus did not rise up until he was sure the Lord had gone, as soon as he was, he returned to yelling at the ponies “Work faster fools, or your bones shall join my armour.”

The Lord traveled the halls and chambers of his domain, nay prison with contempt. Still, he chuckled to himself, there was hope. If his plan could work, and with the years of planning there was little chance of failure, then soon he would be free to wreak a vengeance on those who had wronged him. Those fools who had stood in his way would perish, as would their children and their children’s children. None would escape his wrath.

Still, there was much work to be done, and if it was to work he would have to lend a personal hoof to the situation. It would not be easy and would take most of what scant power he could retrieve over the years. But soon, very soon he would be free. He could feel it in his very being.

Eventually the Lord reached his private chambers, a series of guards snapping to attention as he arrived. It approached the doors and with a flick of magic they swung open for it and the Lord went inside shutting and locking the doors behind itself.

The Lord looked around his chamber, the grandeur of black marble meeting his gaze and he felt anger rising up inside him. Those Ponies would pay extra for having the gall to taunt it with such glory in exile. Still the room served its purposes the Lord supposed.

The figure of shadow moved over to the single wooden object in the room, the only reminder of the Lord’s true home, a simple perch. Upon which sat a raven.

The Lord approached the raven, “I assume you have some good news to tell me Entrol? My wrath is easily aroused this night.”

The raven left its perch and fell towards the floor, its form shift as it did so until hooves landed with a clatter on the black marble and before the lord stood a wizened cloaked pony, its left foreleg clutching a stave.

“My lord, I bring you not good news.” the cloaked figure wheezed, “For I bring you the greatest news possible. I bring you the news you have craved since our interment began. A who-man has stepped foot in Eequestria.”

The Lord’s eyes lit up like fireworks and he gripped Entrol’s stave, his hoof shifting as it went becoming a claw which nearly broke the stave in two.
“Is it true?,” the hooded form of Entrol nodded, “then that means?”

“That the prophesy is on its course my Lord.”

“Excellent, then soon we shall be free. But one problem still remains.”

“Yes my Lord?”

The shadowy form of the Lord shifted again, it’s body changing to sharp edges and spikes as it’s anger took control, “The second part of the prophecy, will not our end come from that beast as well as our freedom.” the Lord spat.

Entrol giggled, it was a high pitched laugh like that of a mare or one you would receive off a clown at a circus. “I have a perfectly delicious plan my Lord, one which will involve the very breaking of Celestia and the elements themselves.”

The Lord smiled and laughed, his manic insane laughter joining the girlish giggles of Entrol. “My dear Entrol, this is joyous news indeed, if what you say can come to pass, then you shall be rewarded beyond any other.” The form of the Lord shifted again as joy began to overtake the anger it had previously felt and it took the form of a mighty Alicorn. “And,” he cackled again. “The Reign of Chaos will be Eternal.”