Equestria Quest

by Violently Irrelevant

Ch. 3 - Bloodmane Keep

The mighty ruin of Bloodmane keep lies silent. Disturbingly so, as the road towards it has been completely mute. The unnatural silence this close to the keep is different though. It is like the sounds of the forest behind you have resumed but is now filtered through some invisible wall. You and Sunset have spent what feels like far too long scouting about the place, looking for guards and traps alike. It seems that whoever or whatever resides in the ruin is not one for making its presence known besides the haunting atmosphere. There hasn't been a single visible movement on the overgrown grounds around the structure.

You motion for Shimmer to follow and rush the last few paces towards a section of the wall as quietly as you can. You press your back against the ancient stonework and watch Sunset do the same, only with a stance more befitting a unicorn. While scouting, you have both agreed on some different points of entry and ways to escape. Best have more than one route out if things go bad. On the same notion, if things go your way, you probably need a quick getaway anyhow.

The towers of the keep have long since crumbled. They stand now like jagged, hollow trees, clawing against the sky like their wooden brethren of the forest. You press through a large but still uncomfortable crack in the outer wall. Inside, you stop and look around the ruined yard. No sentries or activity here either. You proceed with caution, not knowing if this place is trapped or not.

Shimmer follows you closely, making even less noise than you. Her hooves do not click or clop against the overgrown cobble in the courtyard. You advance, blade in hand, swiftly across the open space. You skilfully duck behind cover until you are close to the entrance itself. Broken gates of oak stand wide open, worn down by weather and wind. Moss grows on the ancient wood and it is obvious that the gate was broken down with purpose, so many years ago.

You stalk up to the splintering wood and peek inside. Holes in the great structure and the lack of trees overhead gives daylight a chance to cast long shadows inside. The once great hall beyond the gates is ravaged by both time and waves of invaders, from battles and plunderings past. There is surprisingly little growth inside. The floors are mostly covered in fallen debris and rubble of the keep itself. There are clear signs of some habitation here, however how recent it is, you cannot tell.

Looking back for Shimmer, you find her right next to you. You didn't even hear her approach. You motion for her to follow and she gives you a look of "no, really?". Apparently your slow approach to the empty courtyard has her on edge. You dismiss the look and proceed with the same caution as before. There are many large rooms still intact but most of them are open to weather and wind. There seems to have been a few bandit strongholds here back in the day but so far no signs of any sinister necromancy or dark magic.

The more half-collapsed hallways and empty great halls you explore, the more you begin to feel that the evil aura hanging over the place is imaginary. If you hadn't encountered all those strange things on the way here, you could believe this place was abandoned. As you tear through some side-chamber, possibly once a kitchen, it suddenly strikes you. Of course it would seem abandoned, of course it does not show obvious signs of evil. This whole ruin is a secret, a trap, something to lure you in by looking innocent. Somewhere, the horrors are lurking. More than likely somewhere dark.

You stop and look to Sunset.

"This whole place is empty, it is the protective outwards face. We need to find a cellar, perhaps a dungeon. Therein, evil will dwell."

Sunset raises an eyebrow as she listens but then nods. She knew this surprising luck couldn't last. You two continue your sweep of the rubble and check closely for grates, gates and trapdoors. Eventually, in a fairly intact hallway next to the main hall, you find a rusted, steel-clad door slightly ajar by a dark staircase. It is obvious there has been more traffic down here than in other parts of the ruin. You curse the lack of light but tell Shimmer to keep her magic flare to a minimum. There is light from above to see enough of the room at the bottom of the stairs.

You take some time for your eyes to get adjusted to the gloom and draw your dagger in your offhand. As Sunset comes down the stairs, you have already secured the room. You step over to her and whisper.

"There's a faint scent of burning, there must be lit torches here somewhere. Proceed with caution."

On the other hand, undead beasts don't light torches, so that's a good sign. You feel Shimmer brush up against your side in the nearly pitch-black. You proceed ahead with her close, using the faint outlines of things to navigate. Slowly turning a corner, you nearly trip as you are met with more stairs. You steady yourself and feel with a booted foot to make sure what is beneath you is not a long drop.

Stiffly working your way down the stairs takes both time and focus. After a few painfully slow steps, your way is dimly illuminated from behind. Sunset's horn is glowing very faintly, it is obvious she means for the both of you to get down the unknown number of stairs some time today. You memorize the length and depth of the stairs just in case and then take point. The air down here is musty and smells like a catacomb. It is also obviously inhabited, judging by the smell of a greasy cooking-fire along with the more dry scent of torches. You stop at the bottom of the stairs to survey and just as you thought, up ahead is the dancing orange glow of contained fire.

Sunset notices this as well and lets her magic light fade away. You both advance slowly towards the bend at the end of the hallway, passing a few empty, barred cells. This place was once a dungeon, or some place to hold prisoners for other sinister purposes. Judging by the size of the keep itself, these underground tunnels could stretch out far in a maze-like fashion. You hope that is not the case.

Passing a few more cells and what appears to be a guard-post, you find the source of the light. Smouldering coals in an old scorched brazier gives the stone hallway a dim glow of orange fire-light. The brazier is helped by a row of torches further down the hallway where the way forks off into two alcoves with closed doors. Inching along the hallway, you make sure there are no traps before examining each door. They are facing each other on either side of the hallway and both look newer and sturdier than the rest of the ancient decay you have found so far. You listen carefully for a moment and then turn to Sunset with a whisper.

"I can't hear a thing and the air in here's too close to smell where ever that cooking fire comes from."

Shimmer looks at you in disbelief for a moment, the fact that you managed to pick up on the scent of burnt grease to begin with is beyond her.

"So you want a second opinion on which door we stumble through?"

You nod slowly and sheathe your sword, keeping your dagger handy.

"Situations like this could always use a bit of female intuition."

You grin for her, not knowing if she indeed possesses some special power that might guide the way this time. If listening and smelling has failed, what will take its place? Magic? Luck? You watch closely as Shimmer examines both doors, not unlike you did. She decides on one of them and you nod for her, laying your hand on the rough iron handle. She takes a stance right behind you and you pull the black ring. The door opens easy enough to reveal an extensive hall with a low ceiling, sparsely lit with fading torches. The foundation and bowels of the keep, built for sturdiness and space alike. You take a careful step into the vast room and yet again draw your blade.

No real obstacles so far, no guards or creatures. No indication of where to go either. The eerie feeling of walking further and further into a trap tingles down your spine. Reassurance comes in the form of the ever-vigilant unicorn behind you. You easily convince yourself that whatever horrors lurk in the shadows are nothing against your combined strength. You advance further into the gloom and do your best to stick to cover as much as possible. There are plenty of pillars but the walls have disappeared in the darkness behind. You have to focus on certain spots to stay oriented. There are some crates and barrels, containers who have long since been ransacked of their supplies. Now they stand like empty, moaning mouths in the unending shadow.

A moment of tense wandering and you finally see a wall up ahead. It appears to be a corner of the wide space. You spot the unmistakable shine of better-lit torches. With them comes the sinister shadows of someone or something standing guard. You look to Sunset but she has already noticed what you are heading towards. The two of you make way as silent as possible, just as before, staying low until you can find a good position to observe. Hidden behind a stack of crates just at the edge of the torchlight, you spy for a moment upon the two by the door. Ragged cloth over what looks to be bone and perhaps some sagging, decayed flesh. Two undead ponies. Not even a challenge for the two of you. You hesitate at the thought, last time you rushed headlong into a fight with these undead, you nearly got overwhelmed. Shimmer notices your hesitation and whispers.

"We can be clever about this, I'll distract them, draw them away from their post. You engage and I hang back unseen, on the ready."

You answer with a nod while looking over to map out a path for your attack. Sunset quickly springs into action after you've agreed to the plan. With a flick of magic, she causes just the right amount of racket in the shadows to the right of the bony sentries. You take your cue as they begin scrambling over there. You dash into the firelight and quickly flank them. A low slash of your blade takes the legs right out from under the one closest to you. Before the second one can react, you plant your dagger into the first one's skull. The grotesque shape hisses but stays still.

You step to the side and sink into a guarded position as the undead equine charges straight at you. You have learned not to underestimate the strength of their small frame, undead or no. Just before impact, you side-step and bring both of your blades down over the back of the thing. It tumbles across the dusty stone floor and collapses into a pile. You look around with a wild eye, any more movement, any noise? The dark surrounding is eerily quiet. You calm down and sheathe your dagger. Poking the remains of your adversaries with the tip of your blade, you identify the remains. Some poor earth ponies that are so far gone they cannot be surely identified, not even by their marks. You spend a short moment in quiet contemplation of how these unfortunate souls came to guard this damned place.

After the short moment of silence and with Shimmer joining you, you turn your attention to the door. She offers no thought to the slain and instead fixes her examining gaze on the sturdy-looking door. You hang back and observe as she gets in close, horn aglow.

"There is some kind of magic seal on this door, it does not appear to be a trap... Perhaps some kind of alarm. I'll try dispelling it."

You nod your agreeance for her, she knows what she is doing. You have no real business meddling with magic. Her glittering spark finds its way into the handle and its rough lock as well as around the edges of the door. Her magic roots around in a similar manner to a thief with a lock-pick. Precise work that keeps her completely focused. Your ears perk up as take note of a soft fizzing sound, almost like a fuse. With a sweeping motion, you sheathe your weapons and start off forward. Sunset has reacted as well and begun to step back. In another sweep, you grasp the unicorn and begin pulling her back. She starts speaking but is cut off by a loud snapping noise, like a huge lash cracking. The door explodes , half of it flinging open, half of it evaporizing in a cloud of sparkling dust. Both of you are flung back, dazed and momentarily blinded. You scramble and stagger to your feet, blindly trying to find Sunset. She is close, you grab her and try to hoist her to her hooves but she is limp, knocked out. More noise alerts you, the clattering of hooves against stone and the unmistakable sounds of the undead.

You blink slowly and try to regain a fighting stance along with your dazed senses. Your head is swimming and there is a warm trickle of what is more than likely blood running down your face. The dim light of the dungeon assaults your senses hard as you slowly regain sight. You are nearly caught open-handed as the first undead monstrosity is upon you. You swing like an angry drunk and clock the walking carcass on the side of the head. This hardly even bothers it in its relentless hunger. You stand to one knee and tear your dagger from its sheath, slicing upward. The attack from the undead comes simultaneously, a ragged hoof pummels into your chest. Dagger bites decayed flesh as you are knocked back, tearing up a horrendous reave in the neck of your enemy. A mortal would be stunned by the wound but the monster before you hardly even bleeds. Dark ichor oozing slowly from the edges of the gash.

Sinister pinpricks of faintly glowing eyes behind your assailant tells of more trouble to come. You do what you can to steady yourself before lunging forward, slamming your short blade upwards under the creature's chin. It spasms violently once, then goes limp. You are out of breath and still disoriented but the attack does not stop with one enemy down. You clumsily draw your sword and nearly trip over Shimmer as you take one step back. The undead abominations are not clever enough to circle any greater distance around you and definitely not tactical enough to jump you at a moment when your guard is down. Thanks to this, you manage to steady yourself just enough for the next snarling corpse's attack. It is impossible to tell whether it is an advantage or not to be bigger than these creatures. Their unholy strength makes up for whatever the pony stature would lack.

You dodge frantically to avoid blows while doing what you can to stand between them and the fallen unicorn behind you. It is just a matter of time before the next blow hits its mark. You are battered by gnarled hooves. Fending them off with sword and dagger, you take the opportunity to lop off enemy limbs when you can. These undead are more ferocious than the usual faded corpses. Perhaps it is because they are so close to their necromantic source. You grit your teeth and swing like you are chopping down reeds, mentally thanking the gods that these creatures have no fangs or claws.

You must have cut through twenty of the beasts before the flow of undead through the ragged hole finally begin to thin out. The ground around you is littered by gnarled limbs and uncomfortably twitching bodies. A faint aura of sickly green emanates like a creeping din from the pile of slain undead. You turn to push parts of a slain enemy away from the still unconscious Sunset, only to have to swing around and cleave another attacker. Your body has nearly reached its limit. You are battered, bruised and bleeding nearly all over. The wound in your arm now a forgotten bother. You grab Shimmer with one arm, your sore muscles screaming in protest, even at her slight weight. You then haul her over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Grace and care will have to wait, it is time to get out of this exposed position.

You debate with yourself in thought for a brief moment while your sword becomes more and more unwieldy in your tired hand. The argument is between going back to the shadows and hoping to remain undetected for a short rest or to push on and rely on even more luck that the undead won't come in greater numbers. You fend off stray attackers while stumbling over the broken bodies of those that came before. A quick decision and you step through the ragged hole left by the exploded door. You look around, trying to get your bearings. You left none of the undead at your back but there are no guarantees they will not come from other parts of the dungeon. With no options of making a barricade, you carry on forward. The hallway within is lit with a fairly fresh torch every ten paces or so, a clear upgrade from earlier. The sounds of the undead seem to echo everywhere but with a certain muffle, as if announcing they are not quite close or perhaps even pursuing you at all.

It seems that taking the path straight ahead to danger left you without undead hounding you for the moment. You silently praise the gods and ask for more luck as you reach the end of the hallway. The fairly well-lit hall beyond looks like just another storage room but there are no supplies, crates or barrels. An old wooden cart stands haphazardly placed in one corner and one of the long walls is lined with multiple tables. A far cry from what was once a torture chamber or perhaps some kind of smithy. Given the necromantic nature of things, you guess this is some kind of body-handling room. Thankfully, whatever the undead minions have been dragging around is currently absent. You walk over to the tables and pick out the cleanest one to carefully lay Sunset on. You examine her, she has a few cuts and bruises and her breathing is a bit shallow. However it is obvious you shielded her from the worst of the blast. You quickly clean her off with some drinking water and patch her up with the last of the bandages. Trying to rouse her will have to wait, she can rest as well as rest goes while being unconscious. First-aid for yourself is a stretch, all out of bandages and quite the difficulty to clean the wounds on your head. You do what you can and sit down as comfortably as possible. Bleeding is something of a daily occurrence in your line of work and this day's quest is nowhere near done. You meditate on it all as well as you can manage with one eye open. A weary hand on the hilt of your sword.

An unknown amount of time passes. You sit in a silent daze, listening to every little snap and scrape, getting an idea of your surrounding by sound and scent. Death all around, the murky, musty smell of the dungeon mingles with the sharp odour of corpses. It is probable that the smell is wandering to and fro on shuffling legs in these dark halls. Your semi-trance is broken by a soft voice behind you.

"What happened? You're a mess..."

You turn slowly and painfully and give Sunset a coy grin.

"The magical lock on the door-"

Her face quickly becomes a grimace of terror and shame. Obviously, she remembers. She interrupts you.

"Oh, Anon, you're bleeding because of my mistake!"

You keep your slack grin and shrug lightly.

"We're not dead. Besides, bleeding is my sworn duty."

She smiles through the shame and shuffles off the table, righting herself to her usual graceful posture.

"How long was I out? I'm sore all over..."

You slowly begin to rise, your body protesting every inch of the way.

"I don't know, this place plays tricks on my sense of time. We should press on."

Shimmer nods slowly and takes a step closer. Your eyes meet and there is a moment of silence before you notice her horn glowing. Your head swims as if the explosion was just seconds ago, then it clears up somewhat. The strange feeling of wounds closing ripples across your skin. Magical healing is not permanent and drains the caster. Between jump-starting that dire bear, mending her own horn and your cuts, Sunset is going to have a serious strain on her. When the silent moment of healing is over, you both check your gear and search for another door.

There is only one way that is not the way back, a door standing ajar at the other end of the room. You proceed with caution yet again, you have seen enough of traps for one day. As you continue through dark hallways, Sunset keeps very close to you in a way that feels different from before. You have surely earned a good deal of compassion and trust. Having the watchful unicorn around gives you extra strength to carry on.

You both come to a stop after passing a few trash-littered rooms and hallways, all in murky half-light from slowly sizzling braziers. Ahead is a cage of thick, crooked bars. Beyond the cage is a double gate, without a doubt leading to the deeper dungeon. The gates stand halfway open, spilling out light from the brilliantly lit room inside. The twisted bars give off long shadows that creep against you like ghostly fingers on the floor. You and Shimmer exchange a glance and then proceed toward what is obviously more danger.

You stay in the shadows at the edge of the light that is spilling into the hallway. A decent position to spy into the well-lit room. The space inside is not very large but bears ten times the detail of all rooms you passed so far. In the middle gapes a great passage, descending into some unknown depth with large steps. Iron fencing runs around the passage and divides the room with long, sharp metal pikes. You have a hard time judging if the metal bars and fencing is built to keep someone out or something in. The stonework of the walls hold strange runes and the large blazing torches that light the room are set in intricate metal sconces.

Among crates, coffins and sacks a few hooded shapes lumber about. Larger than the average pony and wrapped in ragged cloth from head to hoof. The stained cloth is likely for to keep their decaying bodies intact rather than clothed. They seem wholly unaware of your presence and completely uninterested in the tasks of each other. Some kind of mindless workforce without a doubt. Shimmer pokes your side and whispers.

"I've got the nagging, uncomfortable feeling that what we seek is down that hellish passage..."

You nod for her while keeping your eyes on the movements of the ragged shapes among the supplies. Could you sneak around them? Does stealth still matter with all the racket you caused earlier? If there is some kind of organized defense, these beings do not seem to be part of it. Perhaps the alarm only alerted the undead you slayed right away. Perhaps it is all just wishful thinking.

"Do we put them out of their misery?"

You look to Sunset as you finally decide to whisper back. She shakes her head slowly.

"Leaving them in peace will make this place look untouched."

You nod again. It is risky but could prove very effective for avoiding pursuers. The mess you made isn't going to remain undiscovered forever. You move a little bit closer, picking up a small pebble from the floor. You throw the small stone into the well-lit room, it clatters against the iron fencing and stone floor. The large undead do not react at all. You throw another, making even more noise. Still no reaction, one of them starts pushing a crate and shuffles right past where the stone landed. You creep even closer, entering the light. The ragged ones do not seem to have any visible eyes nor do they actively smell their way around. It could be magic, it could be a trick. Blade in hand, you stalk up to the closest one. With a careful, breathless move, you touch its back with the tip of your sword. Prodding and poking it lightly causes no reaction.

Shimmer watches in horror as you step up next to the large, shuffling pony-shape. A moment later, her expression changes as she joins you. Her voice is the faintest whisper.

"I thought recklessness was off the agenda for today."

You nod to her with a thoughtful look on your face, then proceed slowly towards the large staircase. The dark, yawning abyss in the middle of all this light.

"Feels like time has run away from us, recklessness is back on the menu."

You sniff the air, as if to try to revive your earlier prowess with figuring out your surroundings. The overwhelming scent is pure death. Shimmer steps up next to you once more after examining one of the shuffling workers a bit closer.

"I am no medical expert but I'm pretty sure these beings... They are multiple ponies... Sweet, merciful Celestia... I'm going to have nightmares for a month."

The way she says it makes you smile. She remains so calm, collected and matter-of-factly in the face of this utter madness.

You stand before the descent to another dark hell. Far underground flickers a small light. The voice from your dream echoes in your head. No time to waste now, there is a pony down there somewhere who has been suffering through days of captivity, perhaps even torture. Another glance to Shimmer and you take a purposeful stride down the stone steps. Darkness soon envelops you both.

The descent feels endless. Thick stairs press ever downward through the increasingly cold murk of the underground. It is hard to tell how recently built the structure around you is. While the keep is ancient and showing all signs of it, this stair and its yawning top-room seem a later addition. Although if it has been there a few years or multiple decades, you cannot tell. The both of you climb downward at a surprisingly steady pace. Best to get back into hallways and chambers, places where you can more easily defend yourselves. Getting attacked on an open staircase would more than likely spell disaster. The brilliant glow of the room above has long since been defeated by the darkness. The torches that flicker in the abyss below gives you more and more dim illumination. The desperate firelight reaches up the stairs as if in an attempt to escape.

At the final step of the stairs, you reach out and take one of the torches off the wall. Source of light in one hand, blade in the other, you begin exploring the space at the bottom of the stairs. Shimmer stops dead in her tracks and hisses out a warning for you to stop. You freeze, the next few moments are spent in paranoia, looking around for a would-be assailant. The attack never comes, you look to Sunset with an expression of confusion. Caught off guard by her next action, you are tackled to the floor by the yellow unicorn. You start to whisper something but she props a hoof against your mouth, silencing you. You see nothing, you hear nothing. The only thing you notice is Sunset's eyes darting back and forth down the passageway. Is something playing a trick on her mind? More magic traps? It seems unlikely that a supply-route such as this would be trapped.

A long, strange moment passes. Shimmer looks down to you and gives a sigh of relief. Her relieved expression soon changes to a blush and brief panic. She realizes that not only did she tackle you to the floor; she has been laying on top of you for quite some time. You hold back a chuckle as she scrambles to her hooves. You get up slowly and look around.

"What was that?"

You speak with a hushed tone and give Shimmer time to answer. She remains quiet at first, composing herself. When she speaks, she manages rather well to put on a calm face.

"There is some ethereal force patrolling these halls, unseen eyes... If I didn't know better, I'd say they are ghosts..."

She looks as if she is expecting you to laugh at her. You do not. Invisible enemies is something to be taken seriously. Besides, if there is such a thing around, you must be close to your goal.

"We must be close, keep a sharp eye and..."

You let your words trail off as you look around again. One dark passage or another, where to go comes down to luck yet again. Sunset sees you hesitate and takes point herself.

"It's this way."

She sounds entirely certain as she starts off down the hallway. You have no idea if it is magic or female intuition this time around either.

You follow the unicorn in silence, wondering about her sudden change in character. The apprehension for whatever unholy dangers await seems replaced by a strange nervousness. You look down to her as you match her steps. She glances up to you every now and then and quickly averts her eyes as she notices you looking. After a moment of walking in what begins to feel like awkward silence, you finally question her.

"Are you alright, Sunset? There seems to be something on your mind."

She stops, does not look at you and does not speak. This is a strange time and place for this kind of problem. You are about to reach out and touch her head when she turns to you with a pained expression.

"I'm sorry, Anon... I can't..."

Before she can finish her sentence, something springs out of the darkness ahead. A bony figure, dressed in torn black garments, silent as the grave but surprisingly quick. You only barely manage to push Sunset out of the way before the clawed horror slashes at you both. Shimmer yelps, you exclaim in pain and rage, your blade clatters against the floor. It is the second time in a short while someone knocks you down and lands on top. This time is much less pleasant than last.

You fend off claws and sharp fangs with increasingly bleeding arms and hands. Gloves and leather bracers do little against direct hits. You try beating the creature back to get a chance to grasp your sword or dagger but the creature is relentless. Your waning strength is hanging by its last thread when the creature is hit by a devastating blow from the side. You see its twisted jaw first separate, then shatter. The side of its head is entirely pulverized in an instant by yellow hooves. Your attacker slumps to the side, necromantic flare fading in its eyes. Sunset's lovely visage hovers above you as you rasp for breath. Your entire body aches, even the parts that did not get slashed or bitten. Your vision blurs and at first you fear that you may have been poisoned. This slowly but surely clears up as Shimmer helps you up into a slumped sitting.

"Anon..."

You look at her in a daze as she speaks and then trails off. You breathe deep and slow while looking down to your bleeding arms and hands. Painstakingly, you begin to coax your gloves off.

"Need to staunch the bleeding..."

You murmur the words, barely audible. Sunset looks on, handfallen. Or hooffallen as it were. A few moments of grunting and swearing, you manage to undo enough of your gear to free a sleeve of your tunic. A quick but shaky stroke of your dagger later and you rip loose some dirty cloth. Not the optimal material for bandages but with nothing else at hand, it will have to do. Shimmer restlessly watches you fumble for a moment, then starts to assist you with her magic. You try to protest her straining herself any more but she does not listen. The cuts on your hands disappear in a warm glow of magic. The wounds close before your eyes and when you look to Sunset, she looks like she has taken a beating herself.

You both sit panting for a short moment. She blinks very slowly and tries to control her breathing while you fidget with strips of tunic. You wrap your mangled arms as best as you can and tighten the cloth by pulling with your teeth. An excruciatingly short moment of rest later, you stagger to your feet. You give Sunset a grim smile before speaking, this time with all the voice you can muster.

"Next time we won't fall for that trick... Now, you seem to know where we're going, lead on, fair lady."

Shimmer gives you a pained smile back and is about to say something but quite obviously stops herself. You watch in silence as the unicorn takes a deep breath and steels herself. Something weighs on her. You do not know what but you are not interested in prying. You sweep up your blade with a less-than-graceful movement. For the weight in your hand, you are thankful that Sunset did not hold back on healing your fingers.

You command your ragged form forward and fall in next to a very concerned-looking Shimmer. You want to tell her its all scratches and bruises, you want to tell her you are invincible. Although, you do not want to lie too blatantly. You say nothing and put on a brave face. The darkness presses in around you once again, the hallway seems to go on forever. It is wide and sparsely lit, there are a few doors and passages leading off to the sides but Shimmer leads on, ever forward.

You come to a stop as Sunset suddenly jerks to the side. Expecting the worst, you nearly lash out at the darkness, even with no clear target. You are halted by a few hushed words from Sunset.

"She is here."

It takes you a moment to understand what she means. You look around the large, dark hallway, there are no doors, no archways or trapdoors. Sunset is already poking around the walls, as if looking for something. Does she magically sense your target, this Twilight Sparkle that you heard in your cosmic dream? You stand dumbfounded for a while as Shimmer rushes back and forth. She stops, taps the wall and looks to you with a wild glint in her eye.

"Behind here... In the wall, I don't know..."

You shuffle over and examine the wall. No hidden buttons or devices as far as you can tell. Looking along the length of the corridor, you see something in the not-so-far distance. By a lonely torch is what looks like shadowed metal grating or perhaps thin bars. This supposed passage is almost impossible to spot from a distance, even in the light of the torch.

"Sunset... By the torch, there."

You point as your words draw her out of her frantic search. She squints and starts off towards the goal not previously in her field of vision or thought. You try to match her steps as she hurries along the wall. She is like a pony possessed. She halts by the black iron bars that partially block and partially hide a surprisingly wide doorway. You fall in behind her with your sword at the ready and a critical eye to every shadow. Quite the task when every shadow is long, dark and flickering in the fire-light. Shimmer examines the bars and finds that the metal gate is not locked. She glances to you and then proceeds to enter the darkness beyond. Slow and careful for her currently excited state but not slow and careful enough in your mind. You do not tell or halt her. You simply follow along and suppress the feelings of paranoia for another ambush.

Behind the bars is a short passage that would be completely dark if it wasn't for that the next door within is ajar. The next room has the same half-light that has been the same for most rooms in this damned place. You both stop by the door, hidden in the murky shadows to peer into the space beyond. The room bends off into the direction Sunset sensed you need to go. Along the entire length of the room are barred cells, the opposite wall adorned in a vast array of chains and other rough devices for shackling someone. This place is obviously a prison. This one looks operational, all the other jailing equipment you have seen so far has been disused for some time.

Proceeding through the bleak room, you find the cells empty. If not in this horrible, dark place, where is Twilight Sparkle kept? You would not even wish your enemies incarceration in this hole. Sunset does not even slow down to look closer into the empty cells. She still has some mysterious, magical sense of where to go. She hurries through the room and then stops dead in her tracks over by the far wall. Where the cells end, a set of stairs is located. You are already so deep underground that the discovery of another way further down makes you a bit jittery. This place seems to stretch on forever under earth and stone. You breathe in sharply and put on a grim face as you gaze into another dark, yawning maw. The stairs like ugly, flat teeth in a mocking smile. Sunset stands silent and stares into the void for a moment. She then looks up to you with the same intense fire in her eyes as before.

"There is a surge of strange powers unknown to me down in that pit. That is where she must be."

You grit your teeth while nodding. Strange powers does not sound all too pleasant, especially in your weakened state. You fill your lungs with a deep breath of the stale dungeon air and then step forth, downwards yet again.

Comments

[TheRandomHero80]

How? How does this story only have 11 likes? I'm so engrossed in this story it's unbelievable.

[Violently Irrelevant]

6005411
I blame that there ain't enough tags or whatever. Also, no sex or brutal violence, that usually makes people just browse on instead of look into it.
Thanks for the kind words, this story may take long to get somewhere but more is coming!

[Zac9087]

so is this dead?