New Era

by Atlantean

Chapter Six

They had left just before dawn, three in all. Ocellus had learned of a few ways down into the canyon through old tomes and scrolls. Even with this knowledge, it would still be a perilous descent. With narrow paths, rock slides, strong winds, and whatever may have in the darkness.

Twilight would never have given Ocellus leave to retrieve the idol, however, King Highever had misled Twilight in believing that they were heading toward Archbarrow. Which was not a whole lie as they would be near the small town.

Still Twilight hadn't wanted Ocellus to leave the safety of the palace till the matter of the attempt on her life was resolved. However, Twilight had relented once she thought the matter over.

Caecus had seen to acquiring the ropes, touches, food, and various other items that could be of use. Titan carried most of the items, which he didn't seem to notice. Every now and then they would stop, and Caecus would use a spell to keep the pain in leg at bay.

Over the last few days, Ocellus had started to pay closer attention when she was around Caecus. The way his eyes would flash to a solid color when his mood changed, how he seemed taller at times, and the present aroma that seemed to follow Caecus, which Ocellus could place. Then there was that medallion with the bright red ruby that he never took off, which would make Ocellus's mind to her study of rubies.

Ahead was a fork in the road, one path lead to Archbarrow, the other to Rocklake. However, they would take neither of the road, instead headed to a place known as White Rose Rock. It was a strange choice that Caecus made, as it was out of the way when five paths down into the canyon were closer. "So why couldn't we have used the other paths?" Ocellus asked as they walked.

Caecus was silent for a time, as they walked. "White roses are a good omen." He said, seeming half in thought.

"Really?"

"Aye, they were the namesake of an Eldling Queen who lived long before the founding of Equestria. It said she was wise and gentle, always guiding her subjects, so it's believed that white roses are her leading us toward our goals." Caecus replied.

"Wait, I thought the Eldlings were a myth, but you make it sound like you believe they are real."

"Well... even myth has a bit of truth in it." Caecus paused for a moment. "May I inquire something in regards to changelings?"

Ocellus ready herself for a large number of questions. "Okay."

"I heard many tales of how changelings raise their young. Some say you hatched from eggs all laid by a changeling queen, then raised by soldiers or workers, who teach you to fight, hive maintenance, and infiltration. Others would have it believed that your young replace that of ponies foal in order to feed and grow stronger." Caecus said.

"Well... we are taught those things by older season changelings in those areas, but there were also Love Collector, and some hives had a slaver class. As for the queen being the mother of us all that is untrue, as is the egg thing. So we do have mothers and fathers, and siblings." Ocellus gathers herself for the next part. knowing that many hives do in fact take the young of other races. "And some hives... do take the young of other races."

Caecus seemed to think over what he heard as they passed into a wooded area. "Interesting, nay wonder they would have called you Umbraspawn in the old tongue, however, I'm unsure if that name works for your hive..."

"Then what name do you think is fitting?" Ocellus asked curiously as they passed through a rough step on the old path.

"I... I'm not sure... maybe Luxspawn or Amarespawn, but that something for the priests and scholars to debate." Caecus replied as White Rose Rock came into sight. It was a fairly large boulder with wild white roses all around it, some had even started to grow up the side of the rock. Not far from the White Rose Rock was the edge of the canyon.

The canyon was a place of darkness and despair, where even light didn't illuminate. Ocellus could feel at the thought of descending into the darkness of the canyon. She could hear the howl of the wind that ran through the canyon, and now and then imagine the icy chill of it. She took a step back, trying to calm herself.

Ocellus focused on the roses and the rock while Titan and Caecus looked for the path nearby. Near White Rose Rock was peaceful and one could be forgiven for forgetting that one-hundred feet away was a frightful place. There was a path that leads up to the rock but was heavily overgrown. It was strange to Ocellus that the closer she got to bolder the more at ease she felt.

After about an hour Caecus and Titan had returned form looking over the path. "I don't like it, it has the stench of death." Ocellus heard Titan say as they walked up to her.

"What do you mean?" Ocellus asked.

"Lass, that canyon reeks of foul things, it nay a wonder that idol has never been retrieved, only a fool would risk a try." Titan cast a look toward the canyon.

"Well as it happens we have three fools right here." Caecus hid his unease well, but Ocellus could see a hit of it in his eyes. "Now, if what I learned is right it will take a few hours to reach the bottom, then about a day to reach where the idol fell, would you agree that is about right Ocellus?"

Ocellus bit her lip, she had gone over the maps a few times, but as there was little on the canyon floor it was hard to say. "That sounds about right... well if there are no surprises. Such as Quarry eels or something unknown."

"True, for now, let rest and start down the path in an hour," Caecus replied.

After they had rested the group started down the path. The path at first wasn't as bad as Ocellus would have thought, being wide and well lit. However, as they got lower the sense of dread started to grow, the path narrowed, the wind threatened to blow her off the side. Then there was the darkness that seemed to grow even with nothing blocking the light from above.

Even so often the path would become so narrow they needed to hug the wall, which was difficult for Titan with his size. Still, they didn't stop to rest until they had reached the canyon floor.

The canyon floor was a dreary place, where nothing seemed to grow and the bones of creatures that had fallen laid scattered about. Some seemed to have been chewed on, while others had decayed with age. On one set of bones, they passed was rusted armor. Ocellus knew the style of armor as belonging to the reign of King Glover.

It wasn't till it grew too dark to count that the group stopped for the night. "By chance are changelings gifted with fire magic? As we seem to have a lack of wood to start a non-magical fire." Caecus asked.

"Not normal."

"So a cold meal and colder night it is... well still better Tor," Titan commented as he set to preparing the camp.

"Have a little faith for a warm meal at least," Caecus replied.

Ocellus had started to unpack her camping supplies, and the bit of food she had brought when she took note of Caecus casting small beams of light from his horn into a cooking pot. Slowly the aroma of cooked herbs filled the air. Ocellus went over to Caecus and looked to see what he was cooking as did Titan.

Ocellus could feel the heat coming for the pot as Caecus counted to cast a short burst of light on the food. Each time he would wait, till it cold off a bit before casting another. It took him longer to cook to the meal then a fire would have, but it tested the small, even if a few prices were a bit on the burnt side.

Afterward, each settled in for some rest. Ocellus tossed and turned at every sound in the dark. Unable to try and sleep any longer she sat up and looked around. Titan was fast asleep, and Caecus was sitting on a rock near the edge of the small camp. Ocellus silently got up and went over to where Caecus was.

As she got near she could hear Caecus humming to himself, while he wrote in a small journal. "Titan is an odd sleeper, the storm lord could be singing a mighty tempest and the whole camp could be blown away and he would sleep through it all, but he hears the sound of a trumpet and he up before you can say a word," Caecus said not glancing toward Ocellus.

Ocellus wasn't sure if that was true, so she kept to voice low. "The Storm Lord, is that another title the Strom King had?"

Caecus smiled and chuckled to himself. "Nay, the Storm Lord is the son of the Emperor Primarch of the Stella Empire, but I'm sure the Storm Lord laughed anytime he heard somepony call themselves the Storm King."

Ocellus had read some of the Stella Empire, and their Emperor who is more myth than fact. "Have you ever seen the Emperor of the Stella Empire?"

"Nay, all I know is that he sings in his watery halls of gold and gems and upon his throne made from the crowns of hundred kings. His son on the other hoof sailors have seen, the lucky ones at a distance then unlucky ones had their ships torn to pieces in the midst of battle, sings and winds." Caecus kept writing the whole time he spoke.

Ocellus wasn't sure if she wanted to know if it was true that the Stella Empire was ruled by sirens, but she couldn't think of many races known for that kind of singing. "So there..."

"Sirens, aye and one of the reasons there are two kinds of the common tongue." Caecus closed his journal. "However let not dwell on lands far off, tell me how did you come to be the student of Princess Twilight?"

"I ask myself that more than a few times; it could have been how easily I learn things or the hours I spent pouring over ancient tomes. " Ocellus thought for a bit. "But I may never know why she chose me."

Caecus was lost in thought for a time. "Maybe one day you will learn why." He said after a few minutes of silence.

"Maybe, or she could have me learn the reason on my own." Ocellus replied looking into the darkness of the canyon. She wondered how long it would take to find the idol, doubtless, it would stand out but still, it could have been buried by rocks and mud by now.

“She wouldn’t be the first to do so.” Caecus seemed amused as he stood, " but let not dwell on it, for I need some rest before dawn."

The next day they set out just as the sun rose in the sky, and spent the better part of the day climbing over rocks, long-dead trees, with a break now and then. Ocellus could tell that it was taking its toll on Caecus, he seemed to fall behind every so often.

At midday, they neared their goal. "We'll rest here for a bit and afterward if we are lucky we'll find the idol and be on our way back to Griffinstone," Caecus said as he found a place to rest. Titan dropped the begs he carried and did likewise.

Ocellus sat for a bit alone, but having a question on her mind went over to Caecus. "May I ask you something?"

"Aye, what's on your mind?"

"What... what do you plan on doing with the idol once you have it?" Ocellus asked.

Caecus tapped his hoof on the ground. "The idol itself is of no importance to me, only what it holds. So it will either end up being a gift to Count Firewing for his aid in a few matters, or my father may give it to Princess Twilight or one of those blasted hairs of Glover that show up at count now and then." Caecus had a clear disdain in his voice for the hairs.

Ocellus recalled Gallus saying something about the hairs, but Caecus had clearly seen a few. "You sound like you dislike them, any reason?"

Titan laughed upon hearing the question. "Only good one of the lot is Baroness Hightower."

Caecus shook his head, seeming amused at the commit. "Well put Titan, the rest are a pack of wolves." He stood and glanced ahead then toward Ocellus. "Are you ready to find what we came for?"

"Yes." Ocellus replied as she stood.

The bones of the great monster that stole laid about the ground. It was darker here than in other places in the canyon duo rocks that jutted out far above. Caecus used the magic to light the area around them, revealing rocks large and small, along with a glimmer of gold. The idol rested on the rocks.

It was dinged and cover in dust and mud but it still shone the light form Caecus's horn. Titan remained back as Caecus and Ocellus went toward the idol. While the Idol was lovely Ocellus couldn't understand how it would bring a kingdom glory and ruin.

So simple yet, there something about that unsetting. Ocellus found herself staring at the gem held within the idol.

Caecus carefully lifted the idol and looked it over, then with his magic began to turn the gem till it was removed. After Caecus had the gem he dropped the idol and started to channel magic into the gem.

Ocellus knew the feeling of arcane, elemental and chaos magic, but none of them was what she felt here. Yet, there was something familiar about it almost changeling like, but ancient. She could taste the sweet hint of love; and as absurd as it seemed to Ocellus she couldn't help but compare Caecus's magic to changeling magic.

After a few moments, the gem lit up casting light onto the canyon wall. Ocellus could right away it was an ancient map of Equestria; as only the oldest towns or cities were marked. Yet what surprised her was that long-dead hives, and ruins of a bygone era had been mapped. How old was this map, and more importantly who had made it?

At the top of the map was a place that glowed and shined. Near to the point was Crystal City, which piqued her interest. "Can I ask what this leads to?"

Caecus just stared at the point and was silent. It seemed like they stood there for hours but at last, Caecus sighed. "The Heart of Wisdom."

Ocellus thought for a moment if she should inquire more on what the 'Heart of Wisdom' was, but thought it wiser to wait. She needed to read about the history and myths of the Crystal Empire before she asked more. For now, however, they had a walk back to Griffonstone.

Author's Note:

Well, here chapter six at long last. I hope everyone has enjoyed the story up till now.