Chapter 1: From Death to Harmony
Chapter 1: From Death to Harmony
In the endless ocean of ash and stone that make up the floor of the Dead Kingdom, two beings made their way to a special surprise one had in store for the other.
“What is it you wish to show me?” the taller one asked, impatience seeping from his voice. Still walking, he turned to face his companion after not receiving an answer. With his gaze focused on his adoptive father, the traveler noticed something was definitely off, but for the undead life of him, he couldn’t put his finger on what. Taking a closer look at his friend, he began to notice more slight changes. His long, white beard and hair seemed to shine brighter than he remembered. The green glow emitted by the many crystals adorning his robes shown a healthier color than usual, as did the large hourglass tied into his hair. His red robes seem new and finely tailored. His horns gleam, as if they had been polished. And finally, there was a smile plastered onto his little, goat-like face.
In his hand, he held a small, saxophone-shaped pipe, which he brought up to his smiling face. Taking a small puff, he tapped his pipe a few times before exhaling and looking up at his tall friend with a mischievous grin. “Ah! But you see, my son, that’s the point of a surprise. What fun is there in simply telling you.” he chuckled.
“You know, Ostegoth, if you weren’t such a likable guy, that crypticness of yours would have caused your demise long ago.”
“And where would you be without my guidance?”
“I’d still be alive, for starters.”
“Are you complaining about how your life has turned out? Do you regret the things of which you have done?” Ostegoth kept walking for a moment before realizing his son had stopped walking in favor of starring at the ground. Concerned, he turned to face him, “Is something wrong, David?”
“Don’t call me that!” the other yelled, yet never taking his gaze off the ground. “I refuse to answer to that damned name!”
Ostegoth stood silent for a moment, merely watching the being he called David. David had decided to wear his full Necromancer armor, which always slightly unnerved the old merchant. Each piece had been magically enchanted to enhance his abilities: the cowl to boost his magic, the robes to boost his defense, the gloves to boost his strength, the boots to boost his resistance, and the talisman to give him the ability to regenerate. The dark, evil-looking ensemble, at first glance, didn’t appear to belong on him. To the unknowing, he looked as though he were an average human, though ‘average’ is a stretch. Pale, white skin; tall, six foot four and two-thirds, to be exact; shoulder length, blood red hair; slim but muscular; flawless skin, free of any blemish or scar; and appeared to be in his mid-twenties. Most would call him handsome; in fact, the young man had turned the heads of angels, demons, and everything in-between. Yet he has never experienced love, for one reason.
His eyes…
Or lack of them.
Both eye sockets were empty. Only an eerie darkness and a pale ghostly green light the size of a marble glowing in the center of each void like hole. People often say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Because of this, none dare to look into his eyes for fear of what they might see. Ostegoth himself has felt fear of David more than once, and the guilt of it tortures him to no end. After all…
…what kind of father should fear his own son?
“Why?”
The young man balled his fists, yet still focused on the sand, “I have forsaken that name. David was my name in life. In death, I had no name. But now, in resurrection, I am Dravigoth, The Lich King.” Dravigoth finally looked up to meet his father’s gaze, “Don’t call me David. That’s not who I am anymore.”
The merchant sighed and took another puff from his pipe. He frowned before speaking, “You know as well as I do…that we have had this discussion before. The same trigger. The same question. The same answer. Haven’t you had enough of this repetition?”
“Well, if you’re tired of this discussion, then maybe you should stop calling me David.”
“Then you still haven’t learned your lesson, hmm?”
“And there it is!” he pointed at Ostegoth. “Ever since I met you, ever since you adopted me, you have been trying to get me to learn these lessons you seem to think I need! And for what!? I still haven’t learned anything and you never tell me what it is I’m supposed to learn! All you say when I ask is ‘What fun is there in simply telling you?’ What point is there in not telling me if I keep failing to learn!?” Finished with his episode, he looked to his father while panting heavily.
Ostegoth emotionlessly stared at the Lich King for a moment, speaking after his breathing started to calm down, “Feel better?”
“…”
“…”
“…Yeah. Yeah, I’m good now.” He closed the gap between himself and his father, and hugged the old man. “Sorry Dad.” Ostegoth simply patted his son on the head, an act of comfort that words couldn’t compare to.
“So shall we continue?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Five minutes pass in silence as the two make their way through the sands. The silence is broken when Ostegoth decides they need a change of subject. “So…”
“Hmm?”
“I know it’s not like me to pry… but how was your meeting with The Lord of Bones?”
“Ugh! Him! You know he still hates me, right?”
“The ruler of the dead hating an immortal? I can imagine.” he chuckled.
“Not funny. Anyway, I managed to cut a deal with him. A trade.”
This slightly worried Ostegoth. Though he taught Dravigoth many skills in the merchant’s trade, one does not simply cut a deal with The Lord of Bones.
“What was lost? What was gained? And was it worth it?”
“Technically, nothing was lost, just information given.”
“What information?”
“A complete and detailed map of The Soul Arbiter’s Maze.”
“Hmm… very well then. What did you ask for in return?”
“Nothing.” It is a very rare, almost unheard of occasion where Ostegoth would want to smack his son. But more often than not, he would give him the benefit of the doubt.
“Why?”
“I didn’t get the chance.” he smirked, delight flowing from his face. “As soon as he saw the map, he made me an offer so good; you would’ve smacked me if I passed it up.”
“The Lord of Bones made you an offer!?” the merchant was shocked, to say the least. “What could he have possibly offered you? He hates you; I find it hard to believe that he would give you anything worthwhile.”
“Your confidence in my people skills is overwhelming, Dad.” he deadpanned. “I got a new minion.”
Another one? he thought. “Don’t you already have an entire army? Why another?”
“I may have an army, but now I have a general.”
“Well you have been trying to find someone worthy of that title. Alright, you’ve got me curious, who is it? Have I heard of them?”
“Oh, I don’t doubt it.” he chuckled. “The Master of Blades.”
“Draven!?”
“Yep.”
“Impossible! Draven is one of his strongest warriors, he would never hand him over to anyone.”
“If you’ll remember, The Soul Arbiter was one of his greatest enemies; and even one hundred and thirty-eight years after his defeat at the hands of the pale rider Death, the maze itself still holds interest in the dead king’s eyes.”
“Hmm. I’m proud of you.” Ostegoth smiled.
Dravigoth was taken aback, before a small smile crept onto his face, “Thank you, Father.”
“We’re here.”
Dravigoth was so enveloped in the conversation that he hadn’t noticed how much time had passed. He looked around and… well he wasn’t exactly impressed. “The Tree?” he turned to his father to see him smiling and puffing his pipe, “So where is the surprise? The Forge Lands, Lostlight, or Shadow’s Edge?”
“No, my son. We are here.” he smirked.
They stared at each other for a moment, before Dravigoth burst out laughing. “You must be losing your mind, old man! The Tree of Life is not a place, but a portal. A tree in every world, though different, connects the realms to each other. And this world’s version, The Tree of Death, is no exception. It’s not where a journey ends, but where it begins.”
“Take a look around. Tell me… what is different?”
Dravigoth sighed. He didn’t understand what his father was going on about, but he walked all the way here, so he might as well humor him.
3 Hours Later.
“I don’t see it!” He had been standing at the Tree for three hours and still nothing! It wasn’t hard to guess he was pissed.
“Would you like to use a lifeline?” Ostegoth loudly chuckled.
Just then, Dravigoth got a brilliant idea, “Yeah! I’d like to phone a friend!” He drove his right hand into a small pouch on his right side and his left went to uncap a small urn attached to his left side. As he reached into the urn, he pulled his right hand from his pouch holding a skull nearly twice the size of the bag it came from. He held out the skull before dropping it and crushing it under his boot. He pulled his left hand from the urn and sprinkled some green glowing ash on the shattered skull fragments. Resealing the urn, he raised his right hand over the mess on the ground; both had acquired the same ghostly green glow while his hand also had green rings surrounding its aura. He balled his fist, rotated it clockwise so his palm was facing the sky, opened his hand, and shot it upward. “Watcher!”
The pile erupted, swallowing Dravigoth in a huge cloud of green smoke. As the smoke cleared, a new figure floated before him. A ghost in the form of a sprite; a legless specter with no mouth and six eyes. Green smoke flowed from his waist, stopping as it reached the ground. The Watcher opened his eyes and looked at his master, “You called?”
“I’ve been starring at this tree for three hours. Have a look to see if you can find something that I missed, something different.”
The spite placed his right hand on his chest and bowed, “Yes Master.” He turned to the Tree to get a good look. He moved his head to the right, then the left, and back again. Watcher turned to his master and pointed to one of the three active portals.
“The Forge Lands’ portal?”
“No. There is something hidden behind the portal. Some kind of magic I don’t recognize. Whatever it is, it reeks of purity and happiness. Ugh!”
Dravigoth turned to his father with a hopeful smile, who silently nodded. He shot his fists into the air, “Yes!” he cheered. “Alright Watcher, you can go now. Thanks.” With a wave of his glowing hand, a bright, pale green portal appeared on the ground under The Watcher.
“Master.” The Watcher called, causing Dravigoth to look at him with a curious expression. “Before I go, I was wondering… why summon me via ritual? Your powers have grown beyond the point where simply saying my name would call me forth. The ritual you use is time consuming and, forgive me for saying this but, rather flashy. Why use it, it doesn’t make any sense.”
Dravigoth shrugged, “What fun is there in making sense?” Suddenly, his eyes shot wide open from realization of what he said. He turned, ever so slowly, to look at Ostegoth with a bemused expression. His father’s smirk had grown and developed a look of triumph. “I hate you. So much.”
Sensing his master’s mood change so drastically, The Watcher hastily made his exit.
Ignoring his servant’s wise decision, Dravigoth sourly made his way to behind the Forge Lands portal. Ostegoth, now following close behind, smirking all the while, began to sense the energy the Watcher mentioned. “Can you sense it?” No reply. “Dravigoth?” Still nothing. “David!”
“I heard you.” he said softly.
Something was wrong. Ostegoth called his son David and got no reaction. He hurriedly walked to be in front of Dravigoth and looked at his face. He appeared to be in some kind of trance, drawn to this energy like a moth to the flame.
“Son?”
“Yeah, Dad. I’m fine, just… overwhelmed.” Dravigoth stared in wide-eyed awe of what was before him and his father.
Another portal, but one that is different from the rest. While the others were dark blue pools swirling with light blue energy, this portal’s pool contained all six colors of the rainbow while the swirling energy was a pure alabaster.
“Impressive, isn’t it?” this question broke Dravigoth from his trance. He turned to face Ostegoth, to see him with a reminiscent smile on his face while look toward the portal, as if recalling a fond memory.
“Father, what is this magic I feel?”
Now facing each other, the old man puffed his pipe, “Surprise.”
“…What?”
“Your surprise.” he gestured to the portal. “A portal to a place you have never been; a world untouched by Corruption. I am sending you on an adventure… to a land that will prove a challenge even for you. This will challenge your heart as well as your body and mind… for after you pass through this portal, it will close, trapping you there until your journey ends. You do not have to go, but if you do… you may ask questions of this world, though some questions… I shall refuse to answer.” He paused to take another puff, “However, I shall give you this for free… this land’s name is… Equestria. Accept or decline? The choice is yours.”
Dravigoth took a brief moment to think, A new world, a new challenge, and new magic? Grinning mischievously, he raised his hand and balled his fist, “I accept!”
“Very well. Now… ask your questions.”
“If you remember correctly, I already asked. What is this magic?”
“Harmony.”
“Harmony?”
“Yes, Harmony. This magic fills the very air in Equestria. It has a purifying quality… and is the reason it was unaffected by Corruption.”
“Where do I start this journey?”
“Once through the portal, you will emerge in the Everfree Forest. From there… head east and make your way to the city of Canterlot, a white city perched on the side of a mountain’s peak. Reach the castle and speak with the land’s ruler, Princess Celestia, the goddess of the Sun. Use my name... and she’ll know you are a friend. But be warned! Harm any of her subjects… and you will suffer. With her magic, she raises and lowers the Sun and Moon each day and night, and has for over one thousand years… ever since she was forced to banish her poor sister Luna to the Moon.”
“How will I know what to do after I find her?”
“Trust her judgment. Earn her favor and she will point you in the right direction.”
“This Princess Celestia seems rather fearsome, what can I expect of her subjects and the creatures of her realm?”
“Of the creatures, I will let you find out for yourself. Of her subjects, she rules over the Ponies, of which there are four races. Earth Ponies are intuned with the earth beneath their hooves and use brute strength as a weapon. Pegasus Ponies can fly at incredible speeds, walk on clouds, and can even bend the weather to their will. Unicorn Ponies use magic for both combat and everyday life. The ponies are fairly similar to your old species… picture humans with equine features such as tails, fur coats, muzzles, and hooves in place of feet. Anthropomorphic, I believe is the term you humans would use. These three races appear similar, but have unmistakable characteristics. Earthers are the average ponies. Pegasai are Earthers with wings. And Unicorns-“
“Are Earthers with horns?”
“Indeed.”
“And what of the fourth race?”
“To the extent of my knowledge… Princess Celestia and her niece Cadence are the only members of this race, the Alicorn Ponies. Alicorns are Earthers with horns and wings. They have the strength of an Earther, the flight of a Pegasus, and the magic of a Unicorn.” Yet another puff. “Despite all this… the Ponies are a peaceful and friendly people, but they are suspicious and fearful of anything different and unknown. If you still have that hood of yours, you should use it. And until you speak with the princess, only use your magic in dire emergencies. In Equestria, your magic would be labeled as evil and forbidden. I’ll answer one last question… or is that everything you wish to know?”
“No… no, I have one more question.” His hollow eyes narrowed, “How do you know all this?”
“Hmmm? Do you remember fifteen years ago?”
“A lot happened fifteen years ago, old man. But the only time when we were apart for longer than a few days was when I stayed in The Soul Arbiter’s Maze for three years to make my map.”
“Exactly. Five months after you entered, I stumbled upon this very same portal. I ventured through it… in hopes of finding new clients. At first, the Ponies were terrified of me and were quick to call the guard. I told them of my trade and they contacted the princess. After speaking to her, we conducted business… she was particularly interested in my potions and talismans, but frowned upon my weapons and armor; though her guard’s captain was more than pleased with the weapons that I presented him. I was trapped for… about a month, which I quickly discovered after returning here that I am free to come and go as I please in Equestria. I have been there several times… and supplied weapons to all of Canterlot’s Royal Guard. Unfortunately, my last visit was a week before you emerged from the maze.” A puff and tap of the pipe, followed by a heavy sigh, “Now my son… it is time to depart.”
Dravigoth started to slowly walk towards the portal, but stopped to look back at his father. “I won’t be gone long.” He smiled and resumed his trek to the portal. He stopped once more, standing a foot from the portal, about to pass through.
“Before you go…” His son didn’t turn, hummed instead to show he was listening, “There are two things you need to know. The first and most important is that you’re more famous than you know.”
“I could do without the riddles, Father.”
“They know of you Dravigoth. The Corpse Commander, the Undead Undertaker, the Dreaded Demise, the Savage Sin… These and many more of your names are scattered throughout the myths and legends that are inspiration to some of the Ponies’ worst nightmares. The very utterance of your name will send them into a panic. I remember a tale about a poor, stupid stallion that tried to prank others by claiming to be you… we he saw the guards coming he believed to be under arrest. They didn’t hesitate when they killed him.”
“Interesting story. Sad, but interesting. What’s your point?”
Ostegoth sighed, “My point is… that I hereby forbid the use of your name.” He smirked, “You are to be known as David. And there is no room for argument! You are to give no evidence of your true identity. Is this understood?”
Dravigoth wanted to object, but he knew his father just wanted him to be safe. A foolish sentiment, but it was important to Ostegoth. Just a parent worried for their child. David smiled warmly, “Understood.”
The merchant nodded, “The second… while I was last there, I met two adorable little foals, children. One was the princess’ personal student, her name was Twilight Sparkle. The other is named Shining Armor, Twilight’s older brother. They are both Unicorns and are no doubt full-grown by now. If by any chance you encounter them in your travels, tell them… Uncle OG says hello.”
“I will if I get the chance.”
“Goodbye, my son. I hope you find happiness in Equestria.”
Dravigoth sighed heavily, “Do you honestly believe that I will find happiness?”
“Yes, I think so… but what do I know? I am but a simple merchant.”
Laughing, Dravigoth raised his right hand and reached out to the portal. “And no… I don’t regret any of it.” From the point of contact, the energy rapidly flowed over his arm and encased his body. “Bye, Dad!” He shouted before being forcefully pulled through the portal.
Ostegoth stood there alone, starring at the space previously occupied by the portal his son went into, which collapsed shortly after. “Watch over him… Tia.”