Fire, Brimstone and Pony Hooves

by Oddling

4 - Old Blood

Author's Note:

This chapter is dedicated to reaching over 10,000 total views *woot!*

I never thought I'd get this many. You guys rock and thank you for liking so much of my work, it's made me smile like an idiot many times since I started releasing chapters. Look forward to the next chapter of this little tale. I'll be writing/releasing it for the 20k mark or for the next story that reaches 500 views. Enjoy the read guys.

“Hmm…” I hummed as I examined the ancient hieroglyphs carved into the wall. I recognized a few symbols here and there, but most of it was simply old gibberish to me – and even then, I doubted what I could comprehend was accurate. My gaze traveled down and to my left as I looked to Crystal. “So… from what I can gather of these texts, this is supposed to be an old tomb to contain an ancient relic of dark magic, right?” I asked. Though it had taken me a few weeks, learning the written language of the equines had brought me far in my understanding of their history. The symbols on the wall, though old, still held some similarities to their current writings.

A pretty little giggle escaped from Crystal’s lips and she brought a hoof up to try and stay composed. “Well, you’re not too far off. The glyphs actually say that this was a shrine dedicated to Princess Luna. It was one of her vaults where she kept some of her more dangerous weapons, which I find slightly odd. This is the first time I’ve heard about the princesses having used any form of weaponry. I mean the Elements of Harmony aren’t really considered anything more than ancient magical artifacts capable of banishing evil. What would have required either princess to have a need for something more… lethal?” she wondered.

I also found myself wondering what such powerful beings would require weapons for in such a peaceful world. I looked back to the obsidian wall. “Another thing to consider is what buried this place so far beneath the ground. This is almost as deep as my prison was. Unless they purposely dug this far down, it would have taken considerable magic to cover this place – and we don’t know how large it is, either. I’m leaning toward this place being buried through. I can feel the power that moved the earth in the soil around us,” I said while I looked around once more.

There really must have been a tremendous amount of magic used on this place. I had no way of knowing how long ago it had happened, but I did know that if you gathered the residual remains you could cause a large enough explosion to decimate two angelic battalions (or an army of humans three thousand strong). I found myself smiling at the thought.

“What’s so funny?” I heard Crystal ask.

“Heh, nothing really,” I replied with a gentle shake of my head. “I was just remembering something from my past. It was related to how much magic is saturated in the soil here. We should be careful not to use too much of our own power. There’s a chance all this left over magic might react to a spark… though it would seem that telekinesis is still safe.”

Crystal smiled mischievously as she looked my way. “You’re such a worry wart sometimes. It would take a more powerful spell, one strong enough to blow open a hole in the wall, in order to set off that much magic,” she said.

I let a playful sigh slip through my nostrils as I looked to her. “It doesn’t hurt to be cautious when you’re the bodyguard, Lady Crystal. Besides, you can’t blame me for feeling a little on edge… this is the first time I’ve been around this much powerful magic.”

Well… that was only partly true, but I had tried to forget that one experience when I encountered the ponies back in Ponyville. Given what I had currently encountered in this world, that one purple Alicorn had been the strongest creature I’ve had the misfortune of meeting. Though the magic currently surrounding us was on a large scale, as far as destructive potential went, that Alicorn’s power vastly outweighed it. I had little doubt that if she used her magic for anything else, Twilight Sparkle would be capable of mass destruction that would make any demon cry with envy.

In any case, that was in the past. I set my attention back to the task at hand and lifted a pick in my magic. I eyed the red aura around the handle again. That blood red hue was such a wonderful color. My mind shifted slightly as I recalled the days spent getting used to using my magic. It had come as a shock one day when I had sneezed. I still curse that damn flower for what it did to me after Lady Memory used it to tickle my nose in her attempt to wake me up that morning. That fluffy pink flower was one of the things that I learned did not agree with my new body, and the resulting reaction left me sneezing up a storm for about an hour. Each sneeze sent sparks of my magic flying out which gave random effects to whatever the magic hit. I will admit that when a tree came to life and started a song and dance about a knotty pine falling in love with a beaver it made me laugh a bit.

As it turned out, my horns, though not the same as a unicorn’s, were capable of gathering and channeling my inner energies. I later found out that, although it appeared to be the same kind of magic as Crystal’s, my magic was vastly different in its properties… you could say that that was the only good thing that came from visiting one Twilight Sparkle. The young Princess of Magic helped me to learn that my ‘magic’ was actually an entirely new and fascinating form of magical energy – still capable of spell casting, but also not connected to their world in any way.

That news had come as a double-edged knife; I could use magic/energy like the ponies of Equestria, but it was at a larger cost than for them. Where ponies would absorb and replenish their own magical pools by absorbing it from their surroundings or eating, I had to do so in my own unique way. Turns out that since I was not a native entity to their world, I was not able to naturally assimilate with their world’s magical energies. So yes, as you might have already guessed, I refueled by boning one (or more) of the natives. On the plus side, at least my two partners were more enthusiastic about the idea than I had initially expected.

I lifted the pick above my head and looked to Crystal. “So where shall I begin excavating?”

Crystal looked around the wall for a moment. She took her time inspecting our surroundings before looking to me with an answer. “We should probably try to lengthen this tunnel. I know that you’re strong enough to power your way through this wall, but I think it would be wasted effort. Let’s try to uncover a door. Try digging further down the right side, if you don’t mind.”

I smiled. “I’ll never mind anything you request of me,” I replied smoothly.

A faint blush filled Crystal’s cheeks before she nuzzled into my neck, inhaling my scent. “You shouldn’t say things like that… you know how easily I get flushed when you do that,” she whispered.

A gentle laugh sent vibrations through my neck as I returned her nuzzling. “I know, but I can’t apologize for it. You’ve grown on me in a way I never expected… and I can’t help but cherish every moment of it. It is my duty, after all, to ensure your happiness in any way I am able.”

A slow sigh escaped Crystal’s lips before she kissed my neck softly. “Maybe later… you might feel invigorated afterwards, but it leaves us feeling so drained that I fear I’d be stuck down here with an irresistibly ravishing stallion and I’d never want to leave again. Do you want me to stay and lend you a hoof with this, though?”

“That’s alright,” I chuckled as I pulled away to smile for her. “I’m sure that Lady Memory would like your company up top. Besides, I’d hate to let you get covered in dirt… not that I mind the idea of bathing with you.”

“Oh, you’re such a tease!” she said as she swatted at me with her hoof playfully.

“Only for the two of you,” I replied and leaned in to peck her cheek. Crystal swiftly turned her head so that our lips met instead.

Once our little parting kiss had reached its end, Crystal was on her way out while I was left to resume digging. I watched as she went, until she turned to follow the tunnel up toward the exit. With her tantalizing figure out of sight, I was finally able to resume a calmer demeanor. I refused to show it, but things had been getting harder for me to absorb energy from Memory and Crystal as of late. I suspected it might have had something to do with the magic in the soil around this place, or maybe it was from the thing that called out to me from the heart of the buried shrine.

I wasn’t entirely sure, but I did have a feeling that there was something familiar waiting for me in this place. One might call it a gut feeling… but in any case, I had a job to do. I lifted the pick just a pinch higher and drove it into the soil as I began another bout of digging.

~~***~~

Some time later, roughly two hours if my estimation was anything to go by, I finally came across something. A section of the wall seemed to sink inward and, as I dug further, it became apparent that it was the beginnings of an archway. I smiled triumphantly. Lady Crystal had been right about it being easier to locate a doorway. With a few more swings of my pick, the remaining packed dirt gave way and fell into the rest of the structure.

A familiar chill surged forth from within the building, rushing past me and out through the tunnel. I inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the air. “Blood?” I whispered curiously.

I slowly walked forth, my hooves gently clopping on the stone floor, while my eyes adjusted to the darkness within that was hardly even touched by the luminescent crystals that lined the tunnel walls behind me. As I stepped into the shrine, I couldn’t help but feel that I was being watched. There’s something in here… I thought as I looked around.

The entrance to the shrine was barren, with only a pair of pots standing atop pedestals on either side of me. The rest of the hallway looked like it was carved from the same kind of obsidian as the wall outside, but some of the markings reflected light to form strange patterns. In a mere instant, my mind froze as realization dawned on me. I could read those symbols… they were written in Hell’s language.

Needless to say, I was shocked. It took a few long seconds, but I eventually managed to pull my mind back into sufficient functionality and I began to read the words upon the walls…

Damned is He, the one whose blade stained our great legacy. Be warned, all who proceed further into the shadow. His weapon, Blood Thirst, rests in this tomb. Only the worthy shall be allowed to witness its glory… and only the chosen shall live to tell the tale. Turn back now, or suffer a fate worse than death.

My eyes widened as my heart beat relentlessly within my chest. My weapon was here. It finally made sense. The call, Blood Thirst’s beckoning… it was drawing me in. The eyes I felt upon me were that of the sword’s… it was too late for me to turn back, my own weapon was hunting me. Every fiber of my being focused on what was coming. The hairs of my mane began to stand on end as I let my energy prime in my horns. I steadied my breathing to slow my heartbeat… and I waited.

Seconds passed. The air grew slowly colder and before long I could see the mist of my breath on each exhale. My blade was hungry… thirsty, it had probably been sealed away down here for nearly as long as I had been imprisoned. A fear the likes of which I had not felt in a very long time began to snake its slimy tendrils around my heart. Though I was only partially aware of it, I started to grin in anticipation of the impending attack.

For a brief moment, I recalled the first day I had made my bond with Blood Thirst. Unlike the weapons of Earth, forged metals that had been enchanted with powerful magic, or the heavenly blades of holy light crafted by the Angels, a demon’s weapon was born. In order to gain your own weapon, you had to fight and defeat an opponent that far exceeded your own power and strength. Once your foe had been beaten into submission or killed, you would then proceed with a ritual as old as Hell itself and bind their soul to you. From that moment on… their very essence would be yours to command and their body would change into a weapon that matched you on the deepest of levels. Blood Thirst was my weapon… the embodiment of my battle-born desires made manifest. A blade made from my own blood and the blood of my enemies.

My moment of reverie came to a swift end as I heard the first sound come from within the darkness… the dripping of liquid, of blood. My eyes then locked onto the floating orb of crimson as it slowly moved into the opening at the end of the hallway. I became instantly aware of just how hungry my old weapon had become when I noticed how dark and dull it looked. Under normal conditions, the blood that made up my weapon would have been bright and vibrant – signifying just how fresh my latest kill had been. The near black coloration of Blood Thirst told me that I was about to go head to head with something on its last leg. Blood Thirst was dying and desperate for anything to save its own existence.

Pity filled my heart for the briefest of moments. I knew how it had suffered down here for I had endured the same fate, but I thought that maybe our old bond would let it recognize me. My focus on my magic wavered… and Blood thirst instantly shifted into the form of a long sword as it lunged for me. I barely managed to dodge the swing, the blade’s tip slicing right through my shoulder.

The serrated edge of Blood Thirst ripped through my flesh, sending an intense pain into the wound as my blood gushed forth. I grit my teeth to stifle my yell as I continued to move around. Like its owner, Blood Thirst did not stop just because it landed a successful hit. It followed through with another swing that nearly tore open my face as I jumped away from it. I was reminded just how lucky I was as I felt the spray of my own blood splatter across my muzzle.

Any doubt I had about fighting against my old battle companion died in an instant and I backpedaled swiftly to put space between Blood Thirst and me. My opponent moved quickly to close in for another strike just as I lit my horns with a charge of power. There was no way I could fight such a fierce weapon on my own, but I still had enough energy stored up for a fight. Blood Thirst recognized the movements of a caster and reacted by splitting into three blades.

Just as I had expected, the separate swords moved around me to hit me in my blind and weak spots, and I used the movement to my advantage. I had a fifty-fifty chance at success as I let loose my stored power to attack the blade coming from behind me. Lightning sparked off of my horns and lashed out at the rear blade, landing an impressively accurate hit – one of the benefits of how magic works in this world, I suppose.

The blade exploded in a burst of slick dark blood, coating me with its cold gooey substance. I cursed under my breath as I dodged the remaining two blades. The one from my side cut into my left hind leg as I tried to escape, though I managed to avoid the real blade from the front. I should have known better that to assume my weapon would treat me like any other foe.

Pain burst from my leg as I landed a few feet away. The second blade started to coarse through my blood stream to kill me from within. My sword had managed to beat me… but I was not about to let it continue to exist if I could not live to stop it. I lunged forward and bit down on the bloody blade as I unleashed as much of my power as possible into my very being. I didn’t care where the power went, only that it built up uncontrollably. Blood Thirst instantly recognized the method and I finally heard its eerie voice whisper, “Ye…rok…”

I growled and bit down on the blade harder and the room lit up from something. “Blood Thirst… do you still honor our bond?” I asked with amplified thought. For the briefest of moments I was surprised that I could still do that. It had been one of the more amusing things to do when you first encountered humans. They would revere you instantly for being able to speak through power alone. It must have been due to the simple fact that something terrifying could speak without the need to move its mouth.

The blood between my clenched teeth quivered and rippled as it slowly lost its blade-like shape. The icy blood within me stopped moving toward my heart as well, which caused a distinctly unpleasant sensation as the flow of blood slowed down, but did not stop completely. I knew that there was still a chance to save both of us, but only if Blood Thirst was able and willing to listen.

“You know what I am willing to do. We’ve been in this exact situation before… the only difference is that I’m not doing this to appease my lord for glory. We’ve also suffered for far longer than what was acceptable. We were once partners, inseparable and unstoppable… So tell me, do you still honor that bond?”

Comments

[JazzyWaffles]

Not seeing his meeting with Twilight feels like I was cheated out of something.