45- Reforged
Bound By Scales- Reforged
When I woke up, I did not find myself in the hollow or anywhere else that would put me in danger, but instead, I found myself in the mindscape once more. Only this time, I felt myself at a loss of breath and still sore and in pain from what happened earlier. It all happened so quickly that I wasn’t able to actually defend myself. In a way, I felt helpless. Everything that I have learned, everything that I had at my disposal. All of my strength had no effect against Zero and Mikhail. Just what happened?
“We need to talk.”
Just as immediate as me waking up here, I turned around and found Chroma standing right behind me in his human form. However, this time, he didn’t seem calm like the last time. In fact, the expression on his face looked the exact opposite of such. “After everything that you have gone through so far and all the foes you’ve overcome, this one puts you at the closest to death,” he told me, walking around me as he continued to speak. “And after watching your… attempt to fight back, all that did was show me how much you still have to learn and how much you need to change.”
Without warning, I felt one of his hands go through my chest. Grabbing hold of something and yanking it out. As he did, an orb of energy began to float in his hand as he looked back at me. “And in order to make room, there is something you must give up.”
“W-what the hell is that?” I asked, looking back at him with a raised eyebrow as I had one hand over the spot of my chest that he just impaled.
“This is what I call a skill sphere. It’s how I’m able to see all the abilities, powers, and tools that you have at your disposal,” He told me, swiping a hand over it. Images of everything that I have learned and obtained began to take form. From my dragon arms to the abilities that I have learned. But after looking at some of them in particular, he used his other hand to grab hold of them as those abilities took the form of small orbs. “However, these ones you do not need anymore.”
It only took me a few seconds to realize that the ones that he held in his outstretched hand were that of the powers that I had obtained from Grand Master Caex. The grandmaster dragon from when I first visited Connor’s world. But before I could be able to say anything or tell Chroma not to do it, he crushed them in his hands. “Before you say anything, let me say my piece,” he snarled. “I have watched your battles. Watched how you fight. And now I have determined the flaws that prevent you from being able to grow. The flaws that prevent you from actually being able to hold your own against the one with the Moonstone.”
“W-what’s that?”
“First, you might have used your dragon arms before to win fights against that of aspects, but for all other battles, you constantly use the abilities and weapons that you gained from others,” He told me. “If you are to succeed in future battles, you need to fight with a weapon you can call your own instead of heavily relying on the tools of a nameless. You can still control energy and you can summon the weapons that you have, but I removed all of the techniques that Caex taught you. I know that he was an important figure to you, but in order for you to be able to stand up to the new threats you face, you need to focus on your own growth.”
After he said this, he had all the images of each of my powers return to the skill sphere as he held it in his hands. “Secondly, your other biggest flaw is more of a personal one. So let me ask you a question now… What do you fight for?”
For a moment, I honestly wasn’t sure if this was supposed to be a trick question or if he wanted for me to actually answer it. But after a bit, I let out a small breath and began to speak. “I fight… for the Obsidian Hollow and the people in there who can’t defend themselves. For Revaan, for those who are close to me, my friends, and for Chroma.”
Hold on… was he snickering? What the hell-? “Ken, there’s no point in fighting for someone who’s been long dead.”
“No no, not that,” I shook my head now, realizing the mistake in what I was saying as I looked back at him. “Chroma is the name of my hoard branch-”
Before I could speak anymore, the snickering from before changed to a downright serious glare as he looked back at me “Let me stop you right there,” Chroma corrected me. “Ken, you don’t have a hoard. And frankly, you don’t need one. The only reason why I see that you’re keeping that around is because you don’t want to let go of the first displaced you ever met. If you really had a hoard, then you would see anything and anyone around you as nothing more than possessions. And by the ancestors, I know for a fact that isn’t you.”
I… was at a loss for words. Even if I didn’t want to admit it… he was right. Even after she fell to the void, part of me wanted to not just keep her memory alive, but her dream alive too. Part of me did not want to let go of that, even though it was something that I needed to.
After what felt like almost a minute of silence, I finally looked back to Chroma now. “I’m… I’m sorry. I feel as if I not only let you down, but I let down everyone who counted on me. I do not want that to happen again.”
“I know how it feels to lose someone that’s close to you. I lost many who were close to me the same way,” I heard him speak to me. “But trying to keep their memory alive? That only works for so long. You need to be able to change, to adapt and overcome… and if you are ready, I can tell you how.”
Nodding my head, a new question began to form in the back of my mind as I looked back to him. “What must I do?”
I could see a grin on Chroma’s face as he looked back at me. Almost as if he was waiting for me to say that. “To best explain it, allow me to show you something first,” Taking the sphere in his palm, he had his other hand slash down the middle. Causing the singular sphere to split into two separate ones like if a stage magician split a playing card into two other cards. The one on the right was silver in color while the other was green as Chroma began to speak once more, pointing to each sphere individually. “Everything that you have at your disposal is split into these two spheres. The first is your equipment sphere, which contains all your weapons and tools. Physical ones that you can channel your power into. The second one is your power sphere. It contains all the abilities you have as well as the different pulses you obtained from defeating the aspects of Nightmare.”
With a twist of Chroma’s wrist, the second sphere turned into green smoke as the first one began to float above his other hand. Projections of each of the different weapons I had obtained were then seen. All five of my dragon arms, Hawkmoon, the different arrows… but something was off. “Now, what do you see that isn’t here?”
After looking at it again, the answer became obvious. “My sword and my bow.”
“Exactly,” Now the projections began to disappear as the sphere turned into smoke as well. “Don’t get me wrong, both of them are good weapons. However, in their current state and because of the many times that you have used them before, they’ve been taking so much damage to the point that if you even tried using them against the last opponent you faced, she would shatter them in half.”
Well geez, thanks for the brutal honesty there. “Can’t I just have them repaired?”
“In their state, no. If somepony tried to repair them the way that they are now, they’ll do more harm than good I’m afraid,” Chroma’s words didn’t quite settle well with me. I mean, heck. My sword and bow were the first ever weapons that I actually held in my hands. Given to me when Revaan and I first met upon arriving here. “But there is one possibility.”
Hearing that gave me a slight bit of hope now. But a few seconds later, I begin to think that there’s some kind of catch. “What is it?”
“There’s a place in the dragonlands that only the dragon lords know. A workshop that is known for being the birthplace of the bloodstone scepter. If you take them there, the forge master can take what you have and reforge it into something greater. Something personalized to you,” He explained. “But… before you immediately try going to find the Dovah Forge, there is something else you must learn.”
“Something… else?” I now asked, sounding a bit puzzled.
“The importance of the dragon language,” When I first heard that, I wasn’t quite sure what he meant. Sure, I can be able to decipher what some words mean, but how could language help me make sure I don’t get my ass handed to me and dropped off nearby death’s door again? “In our culture, our language is more than just words. It’s a representation of our will and the power we possess. Each of the names for your Dragon Arms have a meaning to them and a reason for their name because it represented who they were in life. If you want the forgemaster to be able to craft you a weapon, you think to think of a name for it that represents not just you, but your partnership with Revaan.”
As he said that, things began to slowly make sense. Norok meant ferocity, Ruvaak Iiz meant black ice, Denek Sil meant Sacred Earth, Velstrun stood for Windstorm and lastly, Sulvulaan meant Dusk. But… what could possibly represent both Revaan and I? “If you want to know where to start, there are books on our language in the archives,” As he said this, he reformed the sphere that he originally yanked out of me and now shoved it back in with the same amount of force. “That’s all I can do for now. I can’t hold your hand every step of the way, so you have to figure out the rest on your own. To prepare yourself for whatever comes next. Though, take some time to rest. You’re going to be sore when you wake up.”
Though, I didn’t want to leave just yet. Not until I asked one last question. “H-how would I know if I’m… ready though?”
As Chroma changed back to the form of the dragon he was, all he said was one last thing. “You won’t… like I said, you have to figure it out on your own.”
When I was able to open my eyes and finally wake back up again, I found myself lying in the chambers where I would normally sleep. I still wore some of my old clothes from when I was out, my shirt having tears and blood stains all over it, and bandages covered the chest area where Zero shoved her sword into my chest. Everything was quiet as I slowly began to rise up from the bed and have my feet be on solid ground again.
Though, as I was about to find out, rising from my slumber did not go unnoticed. “K-ken!” As I turned around, I felt something jump on top of my shoulder as I noticed my father sitting on my shoulder. A relieved expression on his face as he looked back at me. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re awake. We’ve been worried sick about you.”
“S-sorry, Dad… “ I spoke lightly, rubbing a hand to my palm as I looked back at him. “I…”
“Easy there. Revaan filled us in on what happened after he brought you back. You’ve been out for quite a while,” Dad told me, before looking as if something just dawned on him as he raised a finger. “Speaking of which, there was somepony who was waiting for you back outside. Wait right there.”
Just like that, he quickly flew to the door and went out of the room. I was still trying to wrap my head around a few things and be aware of my surroundings after being out for so long, but when I heard the door open again, I saw that dad was not alone. Somepony else was with him. And she was just as shocked and relieved as he was… I think. “P-pinkis?”
“Nah, Rarifruit took her out to destress. You getting hurt is going to be the norm from now on, isn’t it?” The voice belonged to none other that Fluttershout, who looked almost uninterested.
I just shook my head in response to her question. “N-normally, this kind of thing doesn’t happen. Revaan and I are always careful wherever we go but… this one caught us both off guard,” I explained to her, before trying to get off the bed. “I-i’m sorry for stressing her out like that-”
“Hey, take it easy,” I now heard dad tell me as he flew over to my shoulder and tried to get me to sit back down. “You shouldn’t push yourself to walk just yet. You’ve been out for a while.”
Honestly, when I heard that, I blinked and stopped what I was doing before looking back at both of them. “W-what? H-how long was I… out for?”
At first, Dad looked like he was going to tell me, but then turned towards Fluttershout. “Would you like me to tell him or would you like to do the honors?”
“Oh, please, you do. I’m not the best with these kinda things.” Why did it feel like she was toying with me? Fluttershout had this cocky smirk on her face, too. I was really having trouble trying to determine what was happening right now.
Of course, that was also when dad turned around and let out a deep sigh. “Ken, you’ve been out for nearly two days. Even Revaan was concerned for you.” Wow… that’s a first. Normally, Revaan isn’t the kind of dragon to demonstrate anything like that. So hearing that made me think I must’ve startled him or something. Then again, we were attacked by a dragon that was his grandfather of all things.
“You’re lucky you’re alive, there was a lot of blood.” Fluttershout stated like it didn’t mean much. Of course, in my mind, something like that definitely meant a lot. Especially if you consider how much effort it took for everyone else to keep me alive.
“T-thanks,” I said, letting out a sigh as I straightened myself up. “I’m… grateful for everything you guys did. I really appreciate it.”
“At least you’re not going anywhere for awhile now, kid.” I heard Dad say to me as he rested himself on my head. Of course, what he said soon had me remember what Chroma told me not that long ago when I was in the mindscape.
“… Well, actually…”
“Oh no…”
“I… had a bit of a discussion with my displacer while I was out. He wasn’t too thrilled with what happened either,” I tried simplifying everything that Chroma said, while looking back at dad. “And he told me that some of the weapons I have right now aren’t going to help me if this happens again-”
“Uh… what’s a displacer?” Oh right, I forgot. He doesn’t know… well, crap.
“They’re who brought you here. Though there are random events.”
“Well, to summarize, he gave up his life as a displacer to displace me and now his soul is a part of mine,” I explained. “Now, if I can get back to it, he told me that if I wanted to make sure that my sword and bow don’t shatter on impact next time I need to rely on them, I need to take them to the dragon lands to be reforged.”
“But you just… got up though,” He then said, almost as if he was trying to convince me not to do anything. “Surely you’re going to take some time though in order to rest up, right?”
“Dad, I’ve been out for nearly two days and you’re telling me that I need to rest?” I asked him, briefly looking to Fluttershout for a moment before looking back at him. “If anything, aside from… well… not dying or bleeding out, I think i’ve had enough rest.”
“I think the bandages on you tell a much different story,” I heard dad deadpan as I look back at him.
“Look, all I need to do is just find a forge that only the dragon lords know, bring my stuff, get it reforged and then come back. You’ll even get the chance to meet Ember and we’ll be back in time before anyone gets worried,” I told him, trying to at least convince him that I was not somehow insane and actually have him go along with what I was telling him.
“Okay, but here’s a question for you. How do you plan on getting there without Revaan? It’s almost dawn and aside from us, most of the hollow is asleep-” Of course, upon him saying that, the three of us heard a motion from the room nearby as the doors opened. And ironically, it was Revaan that stepped through. “Oh… hello.”
“Good morning to you as well,” He grumbled, before turning to look at me as he let out a sigh. “Glad to see that you are awake, Ken,” For a moment, I thought that he was glaring at dad as he rested on my shoulder. That and the fact that I could feel the fur on his body standing up on end. “There’s a lot that we’ll need to fill you in on.”
“Hey Revaan. Sorry if this sounds like I’m cutting things short, but there’s something I gotta do and I’m going to need a ride over there,” I told him, shortly before looking back at Fluttershout. “I’ll try to be back in time before breakfast in the very least. Can you make sure that nopony freaks out if they see that I’m missing?”
“You’re makin’ me freak. The hell are you going?” Fluttershout let out a disgruntled huff.
“The dragon lands,” I told her simply, “According to my displacer, there’s an ancient forge hidden in the dragon lands that only the dragon lords know the location of.”
“Hold on,” Revaan now spoke up, cocking an eyebrow. “Do you mean the Dovah Forge? That’s mostly seen as a myth amongst dragons. Why there?”
“To put it bluntly, he told me that if I don’t reforge my blade and bow, they’ll break if we run into Zero and Mikhail again and I don’t think either of us want that to happen,” I explained to him. “If we go see Ember, she might know where it is and we can be able to get it fixed up. I’m not trying to do anything that would overdo it, but I think this is necessary.”
“Oh no… not this again,” I now heard Dad interject as he looked back at me. “The last time you two wandered off anywhere, you were left for dead. And now you want to go somewhere just mere minutes after waking up! I don’t think we should let you two go alone anywhere without-.”
Hunh. Well, since you put it that way. “Alright. We’ll take you with us.”
“Wait, what?” He blinked, almost falling off my shoulder. “That’s not what I-”
“What do you think Revaan?” I now turned to him as I walked over. “You fine with having one more come along?”
“I guess,” He shrugged.
“Don’t I get a say in this!?”
Ignoring the outburst, I let out a small sigh before looking back at him as I held onto him by using two of my fingers to pinch the back of his neck. Even though part of me didn’t want to really admit it, there was one thing he was right about in that moment. There was no point in leaving immediately to go do anything if you are barely just coming back around. “Dad, I think you already said plenty right now. Besides, I’m not going to be leaving right this minute. You did say it was almost dawn, so it would be easier for us to get around if we were actually able to see where we're going.”
“That would be beneficial,” I heard Revaan agree with me. “Not to mention that there’s something else you probably need right now.”
Of course, the answer to that question came when I heard a low grumble come from my stomach. “Fair point…”
Waiting for dawn to come took almost an hour and in that time, I needed to do a few things beforehand. The first thing was cleaning myself up and getting some new clothes. To be honest, after being out for two days, I rather not smell like that of a dead carcass and have my clothes stink of my own blood. Rarity could probably patch it up if I ask her, but right now, I think the last thing I would want to do is show up out of nowhere and be like ‘Guess what!? I’m not dead!!’. Especially since I did not know how Applejack would take all of this. For all I know, she could be de-stressing with her friends just like how Pinkis was with Rarifruit right about now.
After getting cleaned up and changed, the second thing that needed to be done was eat. After realizing that I was on an empty stomach for two days, I was beyond thankful to find that there were still a lot of leftover apple dishes that Applejack brought over from last time she was at Sweet Apple Acres. Sure, apple slices and apple pie didn’t really qualify as breakfast, but if you were me in that position, anything goes.
As I was eating though, that was when Revaan and Dad gave me a bit of an explanation as to what had happened after I was out cold. Turns out, Zero and Mikhail were more problematic that I thought. According to what Pinkis told them, both of them were involved in a group called ‘The Dark Brotherhood’, a cult like group of assassins and cut-throats that worshipped a being called Sithis. What’s worse was that they were not just recruiting displaced from other worlds, but those ‘listeners’ also recruit local inhabitants from the world they’re in to join them.
In this case, Zero was the listener, and she had already started recruiting locals into her ranks. How many was still unknown, but what we did know at the moment was that two of them consisted of a pony that knew Rainbow Dash called Lightning Dust and the brother of King Thorax.
Oddly enough, this also tied in to one other factor. Pinkis told Revaan that the only thing that we could perhaps do right now, given the circumstances, was to get me strong enough without alerting the Brotherhood of what I was doing. Which explained why Revaan actually was in favor of going to the Dovah Forge. This would be seen as a ‘first step’ into getting strong enough so that I could, in the very least, be able to hold my own against her the next time we end up meeting each other.
Though, learning about the Dark Brotherhood did not put my mind at ease. If anything, it made me a little more worried. Because if all of the individuals that Zero happened to recruit were just as strong as she was… then how would I be able to protect those I care about from harm? How would I protect my family, friends and those who I love?
I needed to set this all aside though. Finding the forge was a more pressing matter that needed to be attended to first. It wouldn’t do me much good to get my caught up in ‘what-if’ possibilities and distract me from what I needed to do right now.
One of the last things that I wanted to make sure and do though, based on what Chroma told me, was understand a bit of the dragon language. Something that Revaan helped me out a bit while I was finishing up my breakfast and also as we were preparing to head out. Not all of them, but a few of the basics. Something to, in the very least, have me be a little bit familiar with everything and not stand out like some guy who doesn’t really belong here. I asked if there was some kind of dictionary so I could easily look through it and determine what certain words would mean in dragon, but unfortunately, that did not exist.
Eventually though, we were all prepared to head out. Though, as we did, that was when someone else found out we were awake. That being Shayne and Aurox. Their greeting of hello consisted of Shayne sucker punching me in the face and then getting on my case for scaring Pinkis and everyone else that found me in the Hollow when Revaan brought me back. And that was before we had to tell her that we needed to head to the dragon lands to go find the dovah forge. And personally, she had the same reaction that Fluttershout did. But assumed that if this was for the better, then the least that she could do was cover for us while we were gone.
Our flight over to the dragon lands did not entirely fair any better though. Mostly because we normally didn’t have a third person decide to tag along with us while traveling by flight. And during most of the trip, dad was holding onto me for dear life like I was the handlebars of a roller coaster. Gripping onto my shoulders tightly throughout the trip. He didn’t even speak while we were on route to the dragon lands, even though Revaan and I were having a conversation by ourselves. I wanted to find out more about where we were going and such considering the fact that the only things I knew about the dragons were their code of honor, the dragon lords, and the gauntlet of fire. Nothing much aside from those three.
Though, there wasn’t really a lot that he could tell me. The history of the dragons was just as long and old as the history of ponykind and Equus as a whole. Of course, the history of the dragons was less… peaceful then that of ponykind because of there being some dragon lords that were seen as the ‘stains’ of their legacy. Those who had their own personal interests and desires come first instead of the interests of the dragons as a whole.
Eventually though, we were approaching our destination. And with it, the downward nosedive towards the surface. Something that dad was not anticipating because upon landing. “You okay there, dad?” I asked, hopping off of Revaan as I landed onto solid ground.
“Y-yeah just… gimme a moment,” He said, before coughing and sounding like he had something caught in his throat. “Oh man, I feel like I lost my breakfast with that one.”
“Some feel that when diving towards the surface for the first time. You’ll get used to it,” Revaan then spoke up as I felt dad place himself back on my shoulders. From where we were standing, we could see what appeared to look like a village or town of sorts. Which, in my mind, was where Ember and the rest of the dragons resided. After all, there were some dragons that were standing out in the open that I remembered seeing during the Gauntlet of Fire. Though, it also looked as if they had a dragon standing guard in front of where I thought Ember would be.
“Alright, looks like it's time to go say hello.”
“You two will,” Wait what?
As I turned around to look back at him, I just found Revaan sitting down as he looked back at me. “Remember, this whole thing is supposed to help you in the long run. Besides, if I follow you in there, it's just going to end up attracting more attention. Given our recent encounter with Zero, I think attention is the last thing that you want right now.”
Fair enough, I guess. It would be a bit odd not having you there to help, but if that is what you think the best course of action should be, then who am I to argue with that? “Okay, but if I do need you for anything, I’ll let you know.”
With that, the dragon nodded as I turned around and began to make my way down towards the village. Trying to act normally as I entered and began to around. Of course, normal would not be the best way to describe it. Upon first approach, I noticed the sign that had two words. Dovah Lumnaar. Which, in dragon, translated to ‘Dragon Valley’. At first, I thought the name sounded a bit unoriginal. But given how Applejack and her friends lived in Ponyville, I just let that one slide.
Stepping in the village itself was another thing. Mostly because while I was walking to the back of the valley, I could hear all the other dragons talking. Not just the ones who saw me at the Gauntlet of Fire, but also the ones who kind of took notice to dad being on my shoulder. And he seemed generally confused by them. Especially when some of the young hatchlings were giggling and pointing at him, to which, all he did was give them a friendly wave back.
“The young ones seem nice,” He muttered.
“Do you… even realize what they’re calling you?” I asked, walking up the small hill that lead to the back of the village.
“No, why?”
Oh boy. Guess I have to break the news to him… unfortunately. “Do you remember what usagi means back home?”
Wait for it… wait for it- “Oh, come on! Seriously!?!” And there it is.
“To be fair, your ears do make you look like a rabbit because of how big they are.” I chuckled. “Of course, why would they think you’re that if you have wings and a tail?”
“Don’t start please. I think me being called a rabbit is the equivalent of you getting called Kenny.” Please don’t remind me. I rather not have the image of Hunter and his brothers talking about that during the Campaign of Carnage stuck inside my head again.
“Hold it right there,” Hang on now… this is new. It’s that dragon that I saw standing outside of where I thought Ember was. He sounded like he was around Revaan’s age and his scales were the same color of a low burning fire as I looked back at him. “State your business for coming to Dovah Lumnaar, outsider.”
“I wish to speak with the dragon lord,” I politely asked him. “Would she happen to be here now?”
“What makes you think I’m going to answer that question for you and the pint size pet rabbit that’s on your shoulder?” He boldly asked. “The dragon lord has more important matters to deal with than to-”
“Sear, that’s enough,” At that point, I looked past Mr. Smoky drake and saw Ember come out from the structure that was behind him. Holding the bloodstone scepter as she looked back towards him. “This is the Scalebound I told you about. The one from the Gauntlet of Fire.”
The dragon’s attitude immediately changed after hearing that, especially when I lifted up my dragon arm for him to see. “Well, looks like I owe you an apology,” He said, before placing his claw over his chest in a clenched fist in a salute that made me think of the same one used by the military in Attack on Titan. “It’s an honor to meet you. My names Searing Flames, or Sear for short. I’m the royal advisor and bodyguard to the Dragon Lord.”
“Apology accepted,” I told him, “But you might need to apologize to him as well.” In that moment, I turned to dad, only to realize that he was staring at Ember. Like he was in some kind of trance. Well, there was only one way to fix this.
FLICK!
“Ow! Hey, what’s the big deal!?”
“It… speaks?” Both Ember and Sear looked back at me in shock, trying to process everything for a moment as I let out a sigh.
“Yeah, it’s a long story and honestly, I don’t have the time to try to fully give you an in depth explanation of it, so let me just get straight to the point as to why I’m here,” I told both of them as I placed both hands in my pockets. “I’ve come seeking for your help. There’s something I’m looking for in the dragon lands and from the limited amount of information I know about it, only a dragon lord would know where it is.”
Both Ember and Sear looked back at me when I said that, a bit surprised by that. “What is it that you are looking for? Is it a gemstone? The mines are rather close by.”
“No no,” I shook my head, realizing a small mistake I made when speaking just now. “Sorry, I messed up. It’s not a thing that I’m looking for. It’s a place,” In that moment, I took the blade that I had strapped to my back and held it out to them. Letting them see the wear and tear on the sword before placing it back. “I’m looking for the Dovah Forge.”
Hearing that was a bit of a shock at first to both of the dragons that I was talking too and they had some questions as to why. Of course, under normal circumstances, I would tell the whole story to Ember. But given that Sear is here and I don’t entirely trust him at this point, I kept the explanation simple. Saying that if the sword and bow that I had were to be fixed anywhere else, it would do more harm than good.
The two of them seemed to take it in stride though. In fact, Ember was looking back at me with a smile on her face. “If it's the forge you seek, then let me assist you.”
“Would that be wise, lord Ember?” Sear now asked. “You know what would happen the first time that a new Dragon Lord goes there, right?”
I blinked for a moment, looking at her for a moment as she let out a sigh. “I’m aware, Sear. And I will do my best to overcome the challenges I face. Can you watch over things in the Valley while I’m gone?”
“And don’t mind Revaan. He’s just around the outskirts of the valley and letting me take care of this on my own. He means no harm.” I added on, which lead to the advisor nodding his head, saying one last thing before walking inside.
“Very well, if that’s what you wish Lord Ember.”
“So what is it that happens the first time a dragon lord approaches the forge?” I asked Ember as I began to follow her through the dragon lands. She was gliding her air with her wings while I was using my dragon arm to grapple along the edges of nearby ravines to catch up with her.
“Every time a new dragon lord is crowned, they are to journey to the Dovah Forge and undergo a test by the forge master who resides there,” She explained. “I know the location because my father went there when I was young, but I don’t know the kind of test that would be in store for us.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Dad now chimed in.
“Each test is different for each dragon lord and it depends on who they are personally,” She replied back, flying alongside me now as I was walking along the ravine. “For example, one who sees themselves as a warrior might be given a test to prove their strength against the toughest of opponents. While for those who are more like that of a scholar, they would be given a test to see the amount of knowledge that they have. No two tests are the same and each test is based on our kind’s culture. It is rather important in becoming a dragon lord.”
“So, in a sense, to truly be a dragon lord, you needed to not only win the Gauntlet of fire… but to also pass the test by the forge master?” I asked, summarizing everything I knew so far into the question and waited for Ember’s response.
“Correct,” She nodded her head. “Passing the forge master’s test shows that the next dragon lord can be able to keep our kinds most important secrets safe from those who attempt to do us harm. It shows that the next dragon lord can be trustworthy and that they have integrity and honor. Especially since we are now trying to have better relations with other species thanks to the help of Princess Twilight, Spike and the rest of her friends.”
That part made sense the more that I thought about it. Based on Spike’s participation in the gauntlet of fire, the fact that the changelings are no longer the most hated species in Equestria and a few others things Twilight tells me every now and then, things were indeed looking better. Of course though, while dad was hearing this, he just stared at both of us. Dumbfounded by what he was hearing.
At one point though, Ember stopped flying and landed on the ground. Looking back to me first before looking back towards dad. “I’m sorry if this sounds a bit abrupt, but who is the half-pint companion that’s on your shoulder? I believe this is the first time I’ve seen him.”
At the sound of being called ‘half-pint’, Dad almost looked like he was going to leap off my shoulder and give Ember a piece of his mind. Looking back at him for a moment with an expression that said ‘don’t even think about it’, I looked back at Ember and let out a sigh. “Would you believe me if I told you that he was my father?”
At first, Ember looked back at my father, before turning to me and giving off a light chuckle. A sign that she didn’t quite believe me. But after a few seconds, she began to give off a completely different kind of tune. “Oh my stars, you’re being serious. But… how are you-?”
“What? How am I small?” Dad now asked.
“I was going to ask how you aren’t similar to that of your son, but yeah, let’s go with that.” The dragon lord replied.
“Well, honestly, the last thing I remember back home was buying a stuffed doll for my niece since she was upset that Ken had gone missing back home,” He began to explain. “Next thing I know, I wake up as the creature of the doll that I bought for her. Everything else though is something I’m still trying to wrap my head around.”
“We’ve been trying to slowly have him understand everything around him, but it's a bit of a learning process,” I replied back. “Mostly because everyone else in my family is mostly still the same.”
“Mostly?” The dragoness now asked me.
That just had me let out a sigh, before looking at my dad as he looked back towards the dragoness. “My wife is some kind of gladiator person now, my sister in law is the owner of a bar and a walking innuendo, my brother in law shouts so much to the point that shouting is how he normally speaks and my niece thinks I’m some kind of bad guy and that I’m the reason for Ken ending up here in the first place. That and explosive tea parties.”
All that did was cause Ember to look back at me with a wide eyed stare. Caught off guard by what I said. “Your family’s weird.”
“You have no idea.” I sighed, just as I turned my head to see something off in the distance that looked… out of the ordinary. From far away, you would think that you would be looking at a volcano that was in the distance. But upon getting closer, we soon noticed that the side of the volcanic mountain took the form of a giant door. With several locks along the front of it.
Which, lead to Ember smiling a bit. “Alright. We’re here.”
“Wait, seriously? That’s where the forge is?! In a volcano!?” Dad responded.
“Why of course. You would need extreme heat in order to melt the most durable of materials before you can start forging,” Ember insisted. “Besides, who else would you know that would actually want to go to a volcano. Many species just stay away.”
Fair point. However, before I could say anything, that was when the bloodstone scepter began to glow. And with it, we began to see something else glow on the door. At first, it looked like a series of symbols. But after a few seconds, I soon began to realize that these were actually words.
Welcome Dragon Lord,
Scalebound and Little Dragon.
Please tell me your names.
Well, that definitely came out of nowhere.
“Hey, can either of you tell me what it’s saying? I’m having trouble understanding it,” I heard Dad ask me.
“I’m more confused by the format,” Ember then told both of us. “This is the first time I’ve seen a message like this.”
I raised an eyebrow, looking back at her with my left hand in my pocket. “You haven’t seen a haiku before?”
Now it was her turn to look at me with a raised eyebrow. “What’s a haiku?”
“It’s a form of traditional poetry back where Ken and I are from,” Honestly, I don’t know what’s stranger. The fact that Dad’s explaining it… or that he’s surprisingly calm about random haiku’s appearing in front of stone doors to ancient forges. “What does it say though?”
I told him the translation, though, he wasn’t so thrilled about being referred to as the ‘little’ dragon of all things. But setting that part aside, each of us said our names aloud. Presumably because the forgemaster was on the other side of the door and could hear us. Shortly afterwards though, we got another haiku in response. This time though, based on the words that were given, I could safely assume that this was the test.
Three Seals hold the door,
Each one behind a riddle
Solve to pass the test.
“What’s it saying now?” Dad asked again.
“There are three seals on the door and to open them, I think we need to solve a series of riddles.” I told him.
“This must be the latter of the two tests I mentioned before,” Ember spoke up now. “A test of knowledge.”
“Alright, that sounds simple enough,” Dad spoke again, before realizing something. “Though, what do you think the riddles are about?”
The dragon lord shrugged as she looked back at my father and I. “To be honest, I don’t know. Remember, the tests for each lord are different. So, we’ll have to wait and see what the first one is before making any guesses.”
Right on cue, the words that were originally there faded and the first of three round symbols on the door began to glow. That was followed shortly by the first riddle and right away, things seemed to be a bit puzzling.
By gold, power gained
By gold, power vanished
The lord Avarice
I repeated the riddle/haiku out loud so that Dad could understand what Ember and I were seeing, but the hard part now was trying to make sense of it. I wasn’t sure if this was referring to a person or some kind of object and Dad also seemed to be rather confused by it too. We were going to ask Ember if she happened to know what it could possibly mean, but it looked as if she was lost in thought.
When we did hear her speak though, what she said really confused the both of us. “Fafni.”
“Um… speaking?”
“Fafni. That’s the answer,” She replied back to us. “Fafni was an old dragon lord. However, he’s one that my kind would rather forget. When he became the dragon lord, he was not fascinated by gems, but by gold. It drove him mad to the point that over time, he began to see everything he had and everyone that knew him as his possessions.”
“Okay, I guess that makes sense for the first and third line,” Dad commented. “How does that work for the second one though?”
“It about how he died,” I’m sorry, what now? “Fafni did not die on the battlefield or because of old age. He was killed by his mate, Marigold. Remember, he saw other dragons as nothing but possessions, so when she refused him ordering her to do something he wanted, he saw that as an act of rebellion. And in turn, he tried to discipline her. In defense, she took a letter opener that was a gift from Princess Platinum and stabbed him in the heart. With his death, Marigold became the next dragon lord and worked to undo all the damage that Fafni caused during his reign. His corruption and being overwhelmed by greed is the reason why all of us are careful when it comes to it. Because we don’t want any other dragon becoming another Fafni.”
Damn… that’s brutal. I was not familiar with dragon history, but I did not expect my first taste of it to be about a dragon lord being consumed by greed and getting murdered by the dragon he forced to be his mate. The more that I thought on it, the more it almost made me think that it was something straight out of Game of Thrones.
Back to the present though, after Ember declared her answer, the first lock began to retract from the door and disappear. With the next one glowing in the center as the riddle that coincided with it also changed too. There a short message in between the previous riddle and the next one congratulating us on solving the first puzzle, but not long afterwards did the second one soon show itself.
Deceitful Youngling
Usurper at the hearth feast
Young ruler, no heart
Again, another one that I couldn’t understand. When I said it, the words confused dad. Especially with the second part. He originally thought that it was a clue involving some kind of festive feast that would be thrown during the holidays, but we could not really pin down anything other then that.
But once again, Ember had an answer. “Scales.”
Both of us looked back at her in confusion. Though personally, I was more confused than my father. “Is that the name of a dragon or the name of something in particular?”
“It’s the name of a dragon from a story told to our young during Hearth’s Warming.”
“Hearth’s wha-?”
I looked to dad in that moment, interjecting before he could finish. “Think this world’s version of Christmas.”
“Hunh… seems legit,” He replied back before turning to Ember. “Apologies for interrupting, keep going.” With that, the dragon lord continued. Telling us the story of Scales. A young dragon who lived alone in the wilderness until one evening, she was invited by the dragon lord to a feast with his family and friends. But instead of seeing it as a time of celebration, she saw it more as an opportunity. Using the feast and the dragon lords kindness to take the bloodstone scepter from him and become the usurper of the dragon lord’s throne, throwing the dragon lord out into the cold.
Through that though, only question came to my mind. How does this qualify at all as a children’s story?! I wouldn’t even want to tell my kids this and that is saying something! It doesn’t even have a happy ending and ends with a dragon lord getting kicked out like a tenant getting evicted out of an apartment.
Moving on from that though, the second lock began to disappear like the first one and now the lock for the third one was beginning to reveal itself. The words taking form in front of the door and wiping away the ones that were there previously.
However, when the words began to take form, it felt as if my blood began to freeze and a shiver was sent down my spine. I knew who this was, even before the riddle was finished showing itself.
Scales as white as snow.
A bond shared between two souls
Dragon and Rider.
“Well, you know what this one might be?” Dad asked Ember. But instead of the usual response that she would give, the dragon lord instead shook her head.
“No actually… There aren’t any previous dragon lords that have had a partner like what this one describes. The only one I could think of, based on the context, is-”
“Mikhail.”
Both Ember and Dad stopped talking the moment I said that, stepping forward to approach the door, which didn’t seem to budge at all after saying my first guess. I felt dad get off of my shoulder as I walked towards it. Wondering if there was some kind of alternate answer to the question.
Then, it hit me.
“Then you’ll stay out of my affairs after you tell the Princesses that Zero and Michael have returned.”
Of course! That’s why it didn’t work. They would only know this dragon by the name that it had before. Not by the name it went by now. Damn it, why did I not think of that earlier?
“The answer is Michael.”
Upon first saying that, I heard Ember retort back. Thinking that I was crazy and that I can’t just be making random guesses like that. But it was shortly after I said my answer that the third lock began to retract from the door. And with it, both stone slabs began to open. Alongside one final message.
Congratulations.
You finished and passed my test,
Welcome to the Forge.
On the way in, we felt a rising wave of heat as well as hearing the sound of metal clanging against stone. Several plaques hung above our heads once we began to walk down a hallway as the door closed behind us with phrases such as ‘bound by flame’ and ‘death before dishonor’ emblazoned in the dragon language. Not to mention that multiple different weapons and portraits of dragons were seen on display in the hallway. I wasn’t quite sure what that meant at first, but when I realized that Torch was in the last portrait, I began to piece together that this hallway was seen as the ‘hall of lords’. One that was dedicated to show all the previous dragon lords and the different weapons that the forge had made for them over the years.
Then, we got to the forge itself. And with it, the forge master. They seemed to be busy with hammering alongside the edges of some metal together, before breathing out a plume of flame to overheat the materials before bending it into shape. They soon noticed our presence though when they heard our footsteps on the way in, turning around and using their tail to drop the metal into what looked to have water inside as the metal let off steam. The dragoness herself had darkened red and black scales that looked like the color of black iron, with spines around the back of her head that looked similar to that of Ember. However, these ones were the color of what looked like molten metal as she took off a pair of goggles that she wore over her crimson eyes. “Well done, all of you. To be honest, I was a bit unsure if my test was too difficult for a group of younglings like yourself. But you seemed to prove me wrong.”
“You’re the forge master?” I asked the dragoness, a bit surprised by the sudden change in tune.
“Indeed I am. My name is Ignacia, forge master and warden of the Dovah Forge,” She replied back, looking specifically towards me now. “I already know who you are, but what I would like to know is why have you come to seek me out. I would understand why Ember would come, but you… You are a different story.”
Well, I guess it's time to explain my predicament to her. “I am in need of your services as a blacksmith,” I told her, getting out both the sword that I had as well as my bow before looking back at her, setting them on the ground in front of her claws. “I have faced numerous foes with these before, but now I am beginning to notice that they are wearing down and close to breaking. I was told that trying to mend the weapons at an ordinary smith would do more harm than good, so that’s why I came here.”
Ignacia took a moment to look towards both of the weapons that I set before her, going as far as to test the durability of the weapons by tapping it at particular points with her claws. And after a few moments, she looked back to me. “So, you want to have both of these weapons reforged? Is that right?”
I nodded in response, while also preparing to say something else. But before I could, that was when the forgemaster interjected. “Alright, then it is settled! If you have the trust of a dragon lord, then you have mine as well. I’ll reforge these for you, but there is something that you need to do while I’m working.”
“Something… for me to do?” I asked.
“Indeed,” She told me. “You need to think of a name for both of them. Normally, I would ask for my customers to provide the materials needed for what they want me to make, but since I have a lot of extra materials from the last customers that I had, I can use what I have.”
So that’s what Chroma was referring too. Well, unfortunately, I was only able to read a few of the words on the way here, but I think I can be able to make this work.
If I can think over the sound of metal clanging so loudly that my eardrums are going to burst. God, I’m regretting not bringing my headphones along for this.
After an hour or so of what sounded like the auditory equivalent of a pounding migraine, the noise finally began to dissipate as I looked back at her. Ember had left earlier in order to return back to Dovah Lumnaar. Leaving dad and I by ourselves as we looked back to Ignacia. Who seemed to be rather overjoyed by all of this.
“There!! It’s DONE!!” She proclaimed, the shout having enough force to almost knock dad off of my shoulder as I looked back at her. “Two of my most finest works yet!”
At first glance, I could definitely say that both the newly reforged blade and the bow looked downright impressive. This new blade was longer than the one I had before, but had a sturdy grip and a hand guard where the hilt would meet the blade. Something that a lot of the previous weapons I had seriously lacked. A fire colored gem was in the center of the hilt and the end of the grip looked to be capped off with some kind of darkened metal that was the same color of the blade.
As for the bow, it looked much different than before. The edges of the bow were sturdier and more compact, while the grip for where my hand would be was wrapped in leather. The darkened wood that was used in this piece began to shine a bit with the light from the flames around the forge as I looked back towards Ignacia. “This… was way beyond what I originally expected. I’m really grateful for this.”
“Don’t go thanking me just yet, we haven’t even gotten to the best part,” Ignacia smirked, folding her arms. “Have you decided what the names will be?”
All I did was nod my head as I looked back to her. Before she prompted me to pick up the weapon and then say its name. First, I picked up the sword. “Revak Gron!” The blade immediately began to glow in response to my voice as the gem in the hilt began to glow. The forge master’s grin only getting bigger as I looked back at her. The words that I spoke meant ‘Sacred Bond’ and I chose the name because I wanted to have a weapon that represented the bond that I shared with Revaan. And this seemed like the perfect fit.
Of course, it was after I had chosen its name that Ignacia told me another mechanic that comes with weapons she crafts. Saying the name allows its wielder to summon it upon command. This was demonstrated when I had placed the blade on my back, only for it to disappear and then subsequently reappear when I said its name when I was looking for it. Hey, don’t blame me. I just got the weapon, I didn’t want to lose it in front of the dragon that made this for me!
Next was the bow, which I had a different name for. Sulkren. It was a combination of Sul, the dragon word for day, and Kren, the dragon word for break. Combining the two created the word ‘daybreak’, which I thought would be suitable considering that one of my dragon weapons, Sulvulaan, means Dusk. And like with Revak Gron, I can be able to summon this one too by saying its name.
Of course, the properties of the weapon were only secondary compared to what Ignacia seemed to be really focused on. The materials. She was talking for a bit about all the richest metals used in creating the weapons, though, it was as I summoned Revak Gron again, she said one thing that caught me by surprised. “And would you look at that. Seems like the affinity stone is working just perfectly.”
“Infinity Stone?” Really dad?
“No no no, not infinity. Affinity! Seriously, who makes a gem based on a sideways eight?” She chuckled. “Affinity Stones are ornaments that are placed on special weapons that I create that look like gems. Hell, the bloodstone in the bloodstone scepter is one such stone.”
“And how is that important?” Again dad, really? She’s trying to explain it to us here.
“Well, each stone has a particular power or trait that makes it stand out. For example, the bloodstone scepter allows for the dragon lord to send out a call to all dragons to answer their summons. Yours is much different though, and I believe that once you actually start practicing with your newfound weapon, you’ll soon learn what it can exactly do.” Alright, that definitely seemed helpful. But before I could say anything else, that was when Ignacia spoke again. “Now, you won’t need to worry about any of those weapons breaking on you. They were enhanced with the strongest materials in Equestria. Especially Sulkren.”
“Really? What’s it made out of?”
“Oh ho ho… Only the finest lumber there is! It’s made of mahogany!” Wait… what? “Mahogany…”
“Uh…” Oh no, I know that look. Dad, you kind of dig yourself in a little too deep to be trying to back out now. “If everything’s done here, can we please-”
“SILENCE!!!” Okay, that time he actually flew off my shoulder and bounced on the floor like a squeaky toy. “This isn’t just any mahogany though! It is the same mahogany that one can only find from the trees within the Kirin Grove by the peaks of peril! So physically strong that not even a burning nirik can cause the whole forest to set on fire! I couldn’t even cut it down and instead have to pull it out from the roots to get it here!! That and it’s very expensive.”
“O… kay then,” I let out a sigh, before looking back at her. “Thank you very much for your services, Ignacia. I really appreciate all the help, but I think my father and I should get going.”
“Your welcome, young one. Be safe out there,” I heard her speak as I picked dad up off the floor and set him on my shoulder. “Come back anytime if you need something else. Better yet, bring your dragon! I bet I can make a full suit of armor for him! That will be definitely a challenge for one such as me!”
All I did was nod my head as I looked back at her, before heading back through the hall of lords again and towards the exit. As I stepped outside, I happened to find Revaan waiting for us as he looked back at me.
“How did it go?” The dragon asked, noticing that the weapons I had on my back were gone.
“Better than I expected,” I told him, summoning Revak Gron to show him before dismissing it. “For now though, let’s go back to the hollow. I think it would be better if we stayed low for the rest of the day.”
“That I can agree with you on.” Dad mumbled, before I got back up on Revaan’s back as he took off into the sky. Hopefully, the ride back will be much smoother than earlier.
End Chapter 45
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Question before I read this does the main character have actual personality. As in he isn't just one emotion (like always happy, angry, or blaming his unfortunate past) and actually has likes and dislikes. Example he may like pears but dislike blueberry muffins
9510097
He does have emotion to him. There are things that he likes, dislikes, cares for and so on. Why?
9510108
Most displaced stories have cardboard characters with different abilities
Well, this was interesting. Having Ken grow on his own terms is a good thing.
Didn't that get canceled?
9510237
It did. But rumor has it that Nintendo might be bringing it back. I still do the story though regardless
9510217
Indeed. It's part of the reason why I wanted to do this and I felt that it was necessary.
9510445
Yeah. Still though, his father talked that Forge Master into explaining unneccesary stuff.
9510477
True, but its also a demonstration of Ignacia's character. She's a blacksmith at heart and is extremely proud when it comes to everything that she crafts. Including going onto tangents in regards to the materials of particular 'works' that she has made and snapping at those that try to interrupt her. After all, with being the blacksmith of the dragon lords, she's got a reputation to maintain because they expect her to produce results.
As for Ken's father, I thought it would be best for him to be included because if you were a parent in that position, you would want to make sure that your child doesn't get himself hurt again. Of course, getting dragged into a trip he did not ask for would make him a bit... cranky.
9510795
Really
9510851
Yeah, it's kind of hard to explain, but some chapters farther in cover what exactly happens. Though, it would be better to understand it from a blog that Zinnia's author posted themselves from a long while back
https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/696303/delta-guardian-and-heart-of-the-dragon
9510862
Thank you
9510958
No problem. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask and I'll answer them the best I can
9510801
True and true.
9510985
Thank you
9510996
Of course, more of some of the things that were either mentioned or discussed in here would be covered in other future chapters. For example, the abilities that he can do with his new weapons as well as the affinity stone in Revak Gron.
Though, there are a few unique references that I put in here. I'm curious to know if you happened to find all of them
9511161
I’m not sure if I’ll be able to.
9511317
Well, some are simple, but one of the ones that I actually liked personally is one of the dragon lords referred too in the test, Fafni. I did him based on Fafnir from Norse Mythos
9511421
Huh, I see.
9525824
It honestly might of been better if she was adapted into this story seeing as her own is cancelled