45: New Magic
Hunter groaned as his magic flowed around him. He had been trying to call on the Magic of the Netherworld on his own for the past three hours. Gnarl was busy with the task of finding a home for the filly they had taken in when they had arrested her family and that was a task he did not wish to interrupt. He closed his eyes and reached out once more with his senses. He could sense the magic as it flowed easily around and over him. The warmth of his natural aura flowed easily over and under his skin as it grew in strength. He could sense the evil that his line carried in the back of his mind as it also was a part of him, a part that he chose to acknowledge, but not use. His heartbeat steadily within his chest as his hooves gripped the stone and metal floor of the throne room.
He could hear Dezhara and Wrath off to the side of the throne behind him. His ears flicked to hear them for several seconds before he refocused on the magic he was trying to reach out to. He opened his eyes as he sent his own magic out to search for the magic of the Netherworld once more. He waited for the response and he was disappointed as nothing came back to him.
“By the Netherworld.” He growled and leaned back on his hind legs. “It should not be this difficult. I am the Overlord of the Netherworld and it answers my command. I can command the Netherworld itself to shift and move by my command but I cannot find the magic that lives within it.”
His words stung even as he spoke them to himself, not expecting an answer from the minion and the dire wolf that were in the room with him. He refused to fail at anything that he set out to do and so far he was failing with his chosen task. His shoulders sagged as his head lowered to be level with his chest. His aura faded to nothing as he shook his head in frustration. The Overlord's eyes closed once more as he breathed deeply and released the breath. He opened his eyes after a minute of silence and he spun for the throne.
“Little one?”
Hunter nearly jumped out of his skin as he looked back to the front of the room to see Sorkeno’s golden snout in the doorway. He sighed and shook his head as he made for the dragon.
“Yes?”
“What are you doing?” The dragon asked him, his voice calm and soothing.
“I am trying to command the Netherworld's magic.” He replied.
The dragon looked uncertain for several seconds before a slight grin tugged at his mouth. “And you are sending waves of magic through the Netherworld itself to accomplish what?”
Hunter groaned and put his forehead against the smooth scales of the dragon's jaw. “I am trying to find the magic itself. I cannot command it if I can’t find it.”
Sorkeno made an agreeing noise as he seemed to be considering what had been explained. “It has eluded you for this long?”
“Yes. It's becoming more aggravating by the minute.” Hunter admitted as he shifted and leaned his shoulder against the dragon's jaw. “I can’t seem to locate it. I can command the Netherworld to do anything I wish it to do but I can’t find the magic that pulses within it.”
“It refuses to answer you?” Sorkeno questioned. “Are you not connected to it?”
“I am connected to the Netherworld, I am its master and its Overlord. But… its magic is out of my grasp.” Hunter groaned and ran his hoof over his face.
Sorkeno pushed gently against him to comfort him and the Overlord said nothing in reply to the dragon’s comforting warmth. “Perhaps you are trying too hard?”
“I have been using varying amounts of magic from the most gentle I can manage to the most forceful,” Hunter argued. “Explain how that is too hard?”
Sorkeno closed his eyes and pushed Hunter away from him. “Perhaps you should seek help with it?”
“I am trying to accomplish it without Gnarl. We are still trying to find a suitable family for the filly we have in our custody after the arrest of her family. I tasked him with that and I do not wish to distract him from it. That filly needs to be in a safe place.”
Sorkeno nodded as the Overlord began to pace. “Perhaps this is a case where he is needed for this task more than the one he is on.” Sorkeno reasoned. “I am certain that the filly will be fine for the afternoon while you are in need of him as your adviser.”
“Hmm.”
“Come with me. We will discuss this further in private.” Sorkeno advised and Hunter jumped to his snout and climbed over his scales to his usual place.
Sorkeno leaned back and free-fell off the side of the Netherworld Tower and his wings stayed pinned to his sides as Hunter held tightly to the golden scales. Hunter watched as the Netherworld stretched out under them and he felt Sorkeno’s wings snap out and he felt the shift in the dragon’s body as he angled upward. The Overlord said nothing as his hooves were notched in the niches in the dragon's scales. He looked past the dragon’s horns and he could see the balcony outside of his quarters as it grew in size the closer they got to it. He held tightly as the dragon angled and dug his claws into the side of the stones and he heaved his long body up onto the balcony and settled in place. He lowered his head and Hunter slid from his place and then jumped to the balcony.
The dragon raised his head and he laid down on the balcony now that Hunter was no longer on his head or at his paws. The Overlord was silent as he looked out over the Netherworld ahead of him. He could see the walls as they shifted and lava flowed freely in places. His skin trembled as he rolled his shoulders and he saw Sorkeno look down at him and the dragon opened his mouth to speak further.
“You are looking to connect to something that is already yours, true?”
“In a way, yes.” Hunter agreed.
The dragon raise done paw and held it out ahead of them. “Treat it as if it is already a part of your magic. You have many magics at your disposal. You have your own, ours, the dark magic, and you are looking for another to add to that.”
“True.”
“Why?”
“I want what is mine,” Hunter replied.
Sorkeno’s paw made a fist and he looked down at the Overlord who looked sheepishly back at him.
“Not the answer you were looking for?” Hunter asked him.
“You have many traits little one. Patience is not one of them.” Sorkeno gently teased as he put his paw back down. “Do you recall when you were learning to use the magic within you? Your Unicorn magic?”
“Yes?”
“Do you recall what Kaiana told you when you were having trouble controlling it?”
Hunter stiffened at the mention of her name but he focused on his own memories to answer the question he had been asked. “Umm… shit hang on.” He replied and focused on recalling what she had advised him in the early years of using his innate magic. “She told me to allow it to lead the way and to follow it to the place that it lives within me.”
“Use that now,” Sorkeno advised as his eyes narrowed slightly, wisdom reflected within them.
“I have used every method I can think of already.” He argued gently.
Sorkeno gave a short shake of his head. “I think you have forgotten one.”
Hunter opened his mouth to speak further when the sound of claws on stone caught his attention and both of them turned to look as a minion raced up to him, a scroll in his claws.
“Master!” The minion shrieked as it held out the scroll and Hunter took it from him.
Hunter’s magic gripped the scroll and he read over the contents and his brow furrowed as his magic incinerated the scroll. “Odd.”
“What is it little one?”
“One of the Chimeras refuses to eat.”
“Is that so tragic that you need to be aware of it?”
“It’s not that it’s tragic, it’s which one,” Hunter explained and the dragon tilted his head as he went on. “The chimera I was going to buy is one that I have been keeping an eye on.”
“I see.” Sorkeno righted his head as he understood what had been said. “And why do you think she is refusing to eat?”
“Could be any number of reasons. She doesn’t like the meat, her stall is dirty, etc. But at the same time, I can’t help but wonder if it is something else.”
“Such as?”
Hunter leaned back on his heels and looked at the dragon. “It might be that she is looking for me.”
“Oh?”
“I am the alpha to her. The last I saw her was a couple of weeks ago but when I was around her she and I found out who was the lead and it was not her.”
“She might be waiting for the alpha to come to her.” Sorkeno reasoned. “You should check on her.”
“Why?”
“She has bonded to you as the little black has done. I may not know Chimeras well but I can tell when there is a bond in place.” Hunter grimaced as the dragon went on. “Do you think you would be able to train her?”
“What?!”
“You can use her,” Sorkeno replied.
“It’s a Chimera, not a dire wolf,” Hunter argued.
“I understand that. But think of it little one. What better to wade into battle with than a monster like that?”
Hunter groused and shook his head. “I was nearly torn to shreds by one of her kind.” Hunter began.
“That’s true.” Sorkeno interrupted. “Has this one shown any desire to attack you?”
Hunter looked away from him and then back to the dragon. “No. She attacked another that tried last time I was around her.”
“Did she?” Sorkeno’s voice showed a hint of surprise. “Use her then. She is already yours in a way. Why did you choose her originally?”
Hunter looked at the ground. “I chose her for the intelligence I saw in her. She was not a dumb animal. She’s an animal that’s true but there was something… more to her.”
“Then teach her.” Sorkeno urged. “Go to her now and feed her that creates a deeper bond with you as more than just the alpha to her. You bring what she needs and you provide for her as the alpha and the one who stands above her in power.”
“It’s a Chimera,” Hunter growled.
Sorkeno looked at him, his eyes tall and wisdom reflected in them as he nudged the stallion. “You are not the scared stallion you once were. You have become something that she will respect and defer to. Even alone she would not be able to harm you and I am certain she knows it. Use her intelligence to your advantage and give her a task. You have a dire wolf at your back, why not a Chimera that all things fear?”
Hunter said nothing as the dragon finished speaking and he felt an involuntary shudder go through him at the thought of the Chimera not being caged. He understood the dragon's reasoning and it had its merits, but he hesitated all the same. He had managed to not flinch the last few times he had been around them. The last uncaged Chimera he had been around having been eaten by the baby dragons. Granted that one had been severely lame in the front and he had the dragons to watch over him. He nearly shuddered and closed his eyes.
“Last time I was around them uncaged was the one that the babies killed,” Hunter replied.
“Then allow her to be uncaged and I will stand to watch over you.” Sorkeno reasoned to him. “She will not harm you.”
“How are you so certain?”
“I know.”
Hunter wanted to argue further as Gnarl came around the corner and he drew their attention.
“Master?” Gnarl spoke as he neared them. “Greetings Lord Dragon.”
“Greetings Gnarl,” Sorkeno replied. “Think on what I have said little one. Do not let your past with Chimeras in general blind you to the chances that this one has to give.”
Sorkeno nuzzled him and moved forward and his body slid off the balcony and his wings opened to carry him away from the stallion. Hunter said nothing in response to his departure but he looked to the Minion Master. He sighed and moved to face his advisor.
“Yes, Gnarl?”
“I believe I have found a suitable placement for the filly as you had requested.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, a family within the Empire is looking to adopt or at least foster her for the time being while her family’s status is evaluated by you.”
Hunter said nothing for several seconds before he gave a silent nod of his head and he looked back the way the dragon had flown. “Good. That is one issue resolved for the time being. How is she doing with Silk and Soft Touch?”
“She appears to have adjusted well to the maids and their routine. I believe they enjoy her company but it is clear that she needs a more stable environment.” Gnarl replied.
“Good that will allow them to go back to their normal duties with the Tower. When can we have her moved?” He asked.
“I have arranged for them to be moved to her new place tomorrow. If I may…”
“Go ahead.”
“She has been asking for you.”
“What?”
“She keeps asking for Alie.” The minion went on. “Despite telling her that you are not here she is fixated on that name you used.”
“It’s not the name that’s she’s fixated on,” Hunter said to him. “She’s fixated on the pony itself. She is in for a shock if she were to see me now.”
“I agree. If you think it would be of benefit to her…”
“No. There is no benefit to appearing before her as a pony that is not real. If it comes down to get her to move as we need her to then perhaps, but at the moment it is not needed. We will send Soft Touch with her when she is sent to the Empire. She knows the mare and that will keep her stable.”
“Understood.” Gnarl agreed and bowed his head in agreement. “I also have a question for you Great Master.”
Hunter said nothing in response and simply looked at the waiting minion.
“There was a great deal of magic being used earlier and the blues were in a near frenzy over it. Might I ask what was going on?”
Hunter looked at him and then to the Netherworld around him. He had not considered what the use of that much magic would do to the minions themselves. The blues were much more magically inclined and were sensitive to magical fluctuations. When he thought about it he was not shocked that they had reacted to the amount he was using.
“That’s a fair question,” Hunter admitted. “I was reaching out to the Netherworld magic and seeing if I was able to command it.”
Gnarl said nothing for several seconds as he stared at the black Unicorn before he finally blinked and shook his head. “The Netherworld magic is not so easily commanded, My Lord.”
“I noticed.” Hunter snapped.
Gnarl managed not to flinch at the stallion's tone. “It is not meant to be reached out to in that way. It is to be felt and cannot be reached by force.”
“So it needs a gentler touch?”
“Not really. It needs to be commanded but the way it is brought about is much simpler. I can instruct you on its mechanics when you wish.”
Hunter said nothing for several seconds as he considered the Magic of the Netherworld and he was torn between not bothering with it if it was such a pain to reach. But at the same time, he knew that having it at his command could only add to the strength that he had at his disposal. He sighed and nodded to the Minion Master and motioned for him to lead the way. The Minion bowed low and wobbled back the way he had come with the stallion on his heels.
Hunter looked up as the Heart of the Netherworld looked ahead of him. He knew enough about the place to know not to mess with it. The magic that kept the Netherworld alive pulsed within the Heart and he had made it his goal in life to preserve and leave it alone. His red eyes scanned the pillars of stone that loomed ahead of him. Each pillar was easily three ponies wide and infinitely tall. Lava pulsed through the stones and gems and crystals glowed from with the pillars. Beyond them, an even larger pillar stood in the center of the others. It was as dark as night and no gems or lava pulsed over its smooth surface. Hunter had been here before but he tended to leave it to its own devices since it did not need his interference to operate to preserve the Netherworld.
“Why am I here?” Hunter asked the minion who looked back at him.
“The Heart holds the Magic of the Netherworld. To command it you must commune with the Heart itself.”
“Are you kidding?” Hunter growled. “You told me to respect this place and leave it alone when I was a foal. I remember you bringing me here to see it so I would know where it was and avoid it.”
“I am aware of what I said, Master,” Gnarl assured him as they stopped in front of the dark pillar. “You were young and the magic of this place would have overwhelmed you at that age. It is the reason I did not teach you how to command it then.”
“It could have killed me then?”
“Correct. The magic alone would have broken not only your body but your mind. I was correct when I told you not to trifle with it and credit to you, you never did.” Gnarl said to him.
“Okay. Now, what do I do?”
“You must figure out how to communicate with the Heart itself that is something I cannot teach you. Your Lord father had his methods but I know that each method is different for each Overlord. Your grandfather had his way and it was vastly different from your great grandfather before him.”
“So it's trial and error and hope I don’t destabilize the Netherworld doing it.”
Gnarl looked nervously at the stallion before he nodded. Hunter looked up to where the ceiling would have been if there was one that he could see. He approached the pillar carefully and he stopped a bare foot from its smooth surface. His mind went over methods that he had heard of and he reached out a hoof and set it gently on the smooth surface.
“Okay. Here we go.” He whispered to himself and closed his eyes to focus on what he was trying to do.
His mind reached out to the pillar ahead of him and he removed his hoof when the Netherworld around him shifted. Behind him, he heard a soft gasp and he looked back to see Gnarl looking even more nervous.
“Okay wrong method.” Hunter groaned and he saw Gnarl nod almost frantically in reply. “Okay let’s redo that.”
Hunter set his hoof back in place and he leaned forward to place the tip of his horn against the smooth surface. The pillar shuddered and he pulled back immediately. He looked over his shoulder to Gnarl and the minion was watching him intently. He reared up and set both hooves in place on the pillar and a deep breath pulled from him as he focused on the magic that he was certain he should be able to feel by proximity alone.
The longer he stood the less he felt from the stones around him. As the Overlord he was innately in tune with the Dark Tower. He could sense the power that came from it in a way he was not able to clearly explain to anypony. But the longer he stood the less he felt and he heaved a deep sigh as he pushed off the stone and looked over his shoulder.
“Master?”
“The longer I stand here the less in tune I feel like I am with the Dark Tower itself.”
Gnarl looked thoughtful as he considered what had been said. “That is true. The Heart is the center of your domain and the power it holds pushes away all others. So that makes sense that your other magic would be growing dull when around it.” Gnarl informed him.
“Oh.” Hunter quipped and turned back to the pillar.
He considered what he had been told and his horn lit with his aura as Gnarl yelped in a warning. The ground heaved and Hunter was thrown backward as the stones reacted to the magic he used. His horn went dormant as he rolled to his hooves.
“So no magic at all can be used around it?”
“Correct. It tends to react badly in response, My Lord.”
“I see that,” Hunter replied and he sighed in frustration. “Now wha…”
“Master?”
Hunter said nothing as his thoughts fell on what Kaiana had taught him so many years ago. ‘Let it lead me…’ He walked up to the Heart and started to set his hoof on the stones when he looked up at his horn. The horn was still as no magic flowed through it and he leaned forward till the tip once more touched the Heart. The pillar seemed to shudder once more and he focused on using his horn as a conduit. He went still and time began to tick past him as he waited for the Heart to respond further to him.
“Okay… You lead the way and I will follow you.” He whispered to the Heart as he waited.
Minutes ticked past him as he began to feel a tremble going through the Heart. He started to pull back when the ripple spread not through the Netherworld but into his horn and then onto his body. His armor tensed around his body as he remained still. The tremble coursed over him and he could feel it slowly growing in strength as he stood still. His heartbeat steadily within him and he started to reach out but paused as the pillar grew warm and he felt something within him seemed to click into place. The Overlord waited as magic began to flow back into him through his horn from the Heart itself. He closed his eyes and focused on the magic that he was now able to feel and it began to rush through him. He didn’t see the aura of darkness and lightning that began to build around him.
Gnarl backed up several steps as the lightning lashed around the area and bit deep into the ground. He could see that his Master did not move from his place as the Heart seemed to be growing in power and violence. He watched closely for any of the lightning or dark aura to go near the Overlord but it seemed to be staying away from him completely. The dark aura was growing in strength as it began to flow over the ground and Gnarl coughed as it came near him. He backed up further as the aura seemed to poison the air. He started to call out in alarm when the aura seemed to begin to flow back the way it had come.
“Master.” He whispered and watched the black Unicorn even closer, searching for any sign of distress.
At first, he was alarmed but as the time began to flow past him he was suddenly more certain that the Heart was reacting to the magic within the Overlord. Which included the darkness his line carried. While it was not commonly used it was still there and it lived within the Unicorn. He watched closely and the lightning lashed the groundless and he watched as the dark aura flowed swiftly back to the stallion. He knew that the Heart had been born of the wishes of the first of Hunter’s line. He felt that the Heart was a personification of his wishes for his future line. If he looked at it from that aspect then the actions of the Heart were normal. He had seen the other Overlords before Hunter takes the Netherworld Magic under their control but it had been a much tamer action compared to now. His eyes stayed glued to the Overlord and he watched as the Heart began to shift and turn. His eyes went wide as it seemed to lean over the Master and then flow back into place.
Hunter felt something push back against his mind and he pushed his mind to let it happen. Something seemed to click into place for him and he could feel the power as it bubbled under the surface of the Netherworld itself. He had always known there was power to be had from it but it had never occurred to him to take it. His own power had always been enough for him to succeed in his endeavors. Everything around him went silent and his ears flicked as the sound of claws on stone caught his ear and he opened one eye to find Gnarl at his side. He pulled his horn away from the pillar and he looked down at the minion, who wore a look of what could almost be called concern.
“Master?”
“Yes?”
“How are you?”
Hunter did not immediately respond as he looked around them and he could see furrows in the stone and he found that he did not know the cause. He knew that they had not been there before but he was not sure what had happened. He looked up at the smooth pillar and it seemed unchanged from when he had first arrived. His red eyes glowed brightly as he considered his surroundings and he finally looked at the minion more closely.
“I think I’m fine.” He replied. “What happened here though?” He asked as he pointed behind him.
Gnarl looked unsure of how to reply as the stallion spun on his heel to look more closely at the ground. “When you were communing with the Heart lightning lashed the ground and a dark mist covered the ground.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, Great One. You did not hear it?”
“I don’t recall hearing it. Even though it happened right behind me I don’t remember the sound of the stones breaking.” Hunter admitted with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Can you feel the Netherworld more than before?” Gnarls voice was insistent as he questioned his Lord.
Hunter fell quiet as he looked around him. He was not sure how to explain to Gnarl how he felt. He felt more in tune with the Netherworld itself. His senses could reach further and he could almost feel the Netherworld in a literal sense versus a metaphysical sense. His red eyes glowed as he settled for looking at the minion and simply nodding versus trying to explain.
“Then it was worth your time?”
“Yes, it was worth the time it took to accomplish. Now I have it at my command as well.”
“May I ask you something, My Lord?”
“Go ahead.”
“What prompted you to decide to bring the Netherworld to further heel?”
Hunter paused as he had been about to walk away from the pillar and leave the area. He looked over his shoulder to the Heart and he sighed. He had not been prompted by anything that he could easily explain. He looked at the Advisor and chose to try to explain his reasoning to some extent.
“It’s just a strange feeling.”
“Meaning?”
“I’m not sure how to explain it. It’s like something in the back of my mind needling me to act. I’m not sure what it is or even if it’s real but this seems to have helped.”
Gnarl looked at him closely for several seconds before he nodded. “Your Lord father was famous for his sparks of intuition. Even when it flew in the face of common sense he would follow that feeling that drove him onward. Your Lady mother often teased him for it but even she agreed that it had its place. You might even call it an instinct but it is more commonly called intuition.”
“Hmm.” Hunter made a noise in reply as he tried to focus on what had driven him to gain the Netherworlds Magic. “It’s just something in the back of my mind. Like that feeling when someone is talking about you behind your back. Maybe that is not as clear as I am trying to make it.”
“I understand it well enough Master. You are acting to preserve the Netherworld and your kingdom. Adding the Netherworld Magic to your arsenal can only be a good thing. It is good that you have gained power over it.”
“Is it?”
“Yes, my Lord. Now come with me. We have things to discuss.” Gnarl said and began to lead the stallion away from the Heart and back to Throne Room.
Hunter said nothing as he fell in behind the minion. He paused for a moment and looked back to the pillar Heart behind him before he gave a light snort and fell in behind his Advisor.
“The Netherworld Magic can reach far into the world around it. I believe now it would even be able to reach into Equestria itself if it were needed.” Gnarl said to him.
“Oh?”
“Yes, when the Netherworld was first molded it had been soaking in the magic of the world around it for eons possibly so the power it wields is considerable. As time has passed I believe that power has only continued to grow. You could even use it to protect the young Princess.”
Hunter stopped in his tracks and groaned loudly. “This again?”
“Again my Lord a suitable mare must be protected for your line to go on. The Princess is that suitable mare and she must be protected and treated well.”
Hunter growled and put his head back as his eyes closed in annoyance. “Right.”
“Do not think we have not noticed how you favor her Master,” Gnarl said back to him as he also stopped and looked over his shoulder at the suffering stallion.
“I do not… What in the world makes you think that?”
Gnarl gave him a simple look and Hunter had the feeling that he was being treated as a foal for several seconds. “Really Master? You are not as subtle as you think you are. The mare was the only one near you upon the passing of Kaiana. You left a minion for her alone to communicate with you and you answer her summons should the need arise. You give her gifts that you know she will enjoy, I may be an old minion but I know when one is engaging in courting a member of the opposite sex.”
Hunter’s eyes went wide as he brought his head down and stared at the old minion. “I… No.”
Hunter began to walk forward and Gnarl once more fixed him with a withering look as he neared him and walked quickly past the minion. He heard the minion give a long-suffering sigh and the sound of claws began to echo behind him. The Overlords mind went over what had been said and he realized that the minion was right. He had been courting her in a somewhat odd manner but not in a way that should have been that obvious. He was horrified that even the minions may have noticed. He breathed deeply and tried not to groan as he led the minion away from the Heart.
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Happy to see more of this one. Very excited to see where it goes.
This was a refreshing update to see. Can't wait for more.
As Colin Clive once said, "It's alive! Alive!"
HOLY SHIT ITS ALIVE! Welp time to murder the new chapter with my reading skills and speed.
Glad to see this back, and trust me, I know how you feel with delays.
Woo, it's back!
Don't worry about delays, it happens to everyone.
yay you and this story is alive.
I would love to see Hunter become a Alicorn and put Celestia in her place...
Hearbeat should be two words
It's hilarious everyone realized he was courting her except for him.