Mystery of the Draconics

Chapters

History
New Partners
Preparations
Stories
Finding Information
Of Fear and Nightmares
Not Alone
The Beast's Den
Treasure Trove
The Puzzle Contest
The Warrior's Test
The Meeting Assured
The Gryphon's Gambit
Royal Request
Journal of a Mad Druid

History

Chapter One

History

My name is Wanderwing. I am one of the few surviving members of my once great race. Although trained, no, bred for war, it was the end of the war which began our downfall. Once the great battle is over and the enemy vanquished those you created to fight them are suddenly the scariest things around. But to tell the story of my life I must start at the beginning, at the creation of my race, the birth of the draconics. My knowledge is incomplete but I know these stories are true, they must be or I would not even exist.

Long ago the world was not peaceful as it is today. Great wars were waged as the world’s balance constantly shifted. Great armies took to the field as ponies have not seen for an age. Unicorns hastily experimented to create more powerful destructive magical spells. The pegasi grew arrogant due to their ability to control the weather. The Earth ponies became withdrawn from both the other races, seeking to protect their own lives. The war between the unicorns and pegasi raged for years until no one could even remember what had started the fighting. Many thought the War would not end and believed the two were destined to destroy each other. Then as happens from time to time a larger, far more lethal threat arose. The Gryphons of the eastern mountains had grown tired of barely surviving and coveted the lands now known as Equestria.

They attacked without mercy as the unicorns and pegasi distracted one another. Many lives were lost as the gryphons forced back the ponies. It was then that the princess returned. After a terrible tragedy long ago she had vanished. Some said she had destroyed her beloved sister in order to save the rest of us. We know now that this was not the case as Luna, the younger of the two alicorn sisters, has since returned to us. The elder sister Celestia had vanished as well, only a tear stained note was found. “How could I ever do that to Luna? I must leave, I am unfit to rule you my beloved little ponies.” This was the extent of her message. After many years in hiding she had returned. She was most disappointed when she heard how the races had been warring and how they had withdrawn into themselves. “I heard the gryphons had attacked and many ponies had been killed, I realized then that I should have never left, knowing you all needed my help I returned immediately,” the princess had said. Seeing within her the traits of all three races the groups knew they had to unite under her banner if anypony was to survive this war.

The gryphons were terrifying to behold in combat. Far heavier than pegasi and armed with lethal claws and a razor sharp beak, they were far more suited to combat than a pegasi was. Thankfully the gryphons had no means of casting magic as effectively as unicorns or the war would surely have been lost. With Celestia’s aid the gryphon’s advance was halted, but they could not be driven back. The earth ponies, even with their great talent for growing, could not grow enough food to support us all. We had to devise a method to force them back farther, maybe even back into their mountains. It was at this point a very old earth pony approached Celestia, claiming to be from an ancient order of ponies known as the Druids.

He said that they were a group of ponies who had become so attuned to nature they could shape it almost as if magic. Such things were though laughable to most but Celestia knew that this order could help. The old one brought forth a tome, an ancient forgotten relic, and within it was the secret to creating something new, something powerful. By using this spell combining the druidic magic of the earth ponies, the arcane magic of the unicorns, and some dragon blood, into a very young or unborn Pegasus foal, a new type of pony was created. My ancestors the draconics were created this way. Although the effects manifested differently in each subject most were given the sharp eyes of the dragons, wings became leathery and batlike, teeth grew very sharp and hooftips also grew sharp and strong as any claw or talon.

A few, who would rise in the ranks very quickly, could even breathe short bursts of fire. The fire breathers were the most effective in combat. Singed feathers do not hold one off the ground very well. Even the greatest among them could not keep this sort of combat for long however. A fire burst of longer than ten seconds, more than long enough to bring down an average gryphon, would bring even the strongest to a state of unconsciousness. Other powers are also rumored to exist but details have been lost to the ages.

Now with these new warriors the scales of war began to tip. The gryphons were pushed back but great losses were still felt on both sides. The Gryphon’s leader, a powerful male by the name Gren Steelfeather, may have been brash but he was no fool. Negotiations were opened with Celestia.

Celestia, being the kind and forgiving princess that she was, only wanted peace and understood that the gryphons could not survive with only their barren mountains. She agreed to give a portion of the lands on the eastern edge of Equestria to the gryphons and so the peace was reached. Life began to return to normal, or at least as normal as things can be in Equestria.

The life of the three tribes was however drastically changed. War had taught them that when they were divided the tribes were weak. Together the three tribes worked toward a better future, knowledge was shared freely between the three. Working together the pegasi and the earth ponies developed advanced farming and famine was no longer a threat. Unicorns began planning and improving the cities of all three and space was no longer an issue. Peace flourished and the land prospered. Without any great threat the ponies began to be afraid of those bred for war.

My people, the draconics, attempted to lead normal lives and be like other ponies. Many however refused to accept us, some began to fear and even hate us just for being as we are. Stories began to spread that our tongues were forked and we could not be trusted. Our eyes were pointed as dragon’s eyes and fear of us was spread simply for our differences. The silhouette of our batlike wings against the sky became a cue to hide and we were shunned by all. A fire started in an earth pony city and the draconics were blamed. It was later discovered to have been an accidental spell misfire but the story had already been told.

As fear spread wider a few among us were killed, the authorities claimed it was an accident but those who attacked them claimed self defense as their only motive. This sentiment had spread too far; even the foals among us were feared. A great meeting was called and the leaders of our clans. Not much is known about these clans or what exactly occurred at this great meeting. All that is known is that we agreed to flee, to go into hiding, to don disguises and live our lives in fear of discovery. We all scattered to the winds and hid.

That was many years ago then, long before my birth. I was born a mere nineteen years ago. I have grown tired of fear, tired of hiding. I want to show Equestria, no show the world, that my race can do great things; however to do that I must first find the lost history of our people. Without this knowledge any claims I were to make could be seen as lies or attempts to gain trust so I could betray it. I know that if I can find the truth and find a way to get others to see it I can free my race from our tyranny, the tyranny under fear.

New Partners

Mystery of the Draconics

Chapter Two

New Partners

When I was born nineteen years ago my family had already been in hiding for four generations. We had learned to hide among the pegasi, but we still feared discovery constantly. From very young I was taught that I must hide who I am, what I am, to keep myself and my family safe. This was the only way of life I knew so I never really questioned it. The eyes, the eyes were always the hardest to hide. My kind has traditionally asked for aid from a few select unicorns for enchantments on objects it wouldn’t seem odd for us to be carrying. I was given a pendant with the symbol of the house of royal alicorns emblazoned on it. I wore it nearly every moment of everyday.

The wings were also difficult but one of my ancestors solved that problem. He took bird feathers and weaved them together with fabric. He called them Feather-Folds, they were made to clasp under and behind the wing. This allowed us to hide our batlike, leathery wings to blend in with the normal pegasi. Normal was a word I quickly grew to despise, I hated that we were seen as different. Sometimes, as every young foal occasionally does, I would become angry and resentful. I had even hated my own being because “normal” was all I could ever strive to be.

It is at this point I look up to the three ponies I had been talking to. They were each shining specimens of each race. The Pegasus was streamlined and looked like she could give me a run for my money in a fight, the unicorn simply gave off an, almost, aura of magic and intelligence, and the stallion earth pony was large, muscular, and covered in armor and his face had more than a few scars.

The pegasus seemed a bit bored but the unicorn and large earth pony seemed interested. I knew that wouldn’t do, I needed both of them. Looking across to the pegasus who called herself Falling Star I asked her, “Sorry am I boring you?” She responded with, “I just don’t see what this has to do with the three of us.”

“I am getting to that but just for you I will skip ahead a bit and just tell you why you are here. I need one of each of the pure pony races and as it turns out you are the best mercenaries of each,” I said.

“Really?” she said, “Race is the reason for this, I knew this would be a waste of time, hell you just told us you are a member of a race that we know to be extinct.”

Falling Star did not seem she would cooperate unless I could show her I was serious. I pulled my hood up and glanced around the room, seeing the place was mostly empty I reached to my pendant and dropped it on the table for just a second, just long enough for them to see my eyes flash back to their draconic shape. After I had replaced my pendant around my neck I shot to Falling Star, “Believe me yet?” She nodded but seemed a bit paler.

“Okay but even if you are a…draconic why would you need each of the three races? What could possibly have such specific requirements?” The unicorn, calling himself Brightflare asked inquisitively.

I responded with, “There is a certain door, in a certain long unexplored crypt beneath an abandoned Druid convent. I believe some remnant of the history for which I am searching may be hidden behind it.”

“A worthy pursuit,” stated the large earth pony whose name I did not know. He came from a group of mercenaries, whom called themselves the Shieldstallions, his origin was unknown and I knew little about him other than that he was rumored to be the toughest old soldier who ever lived.

I laughingly responded with, “I am glad you approve.”

“I can tell you are anxious to know how and when I intend to pay you. I need very little of the other treasure this tomb is sure to hold, I would only keep ten percent as well as anything I found to be of historic importance to my purposes. That leaves thirty percent of any treasure found for each of you.” I said, noticing Star beginning to become interested again. Perhaps that rumor was true as well, I heard from a drunken pony in a pub who said he had hired her once, he said she had an almost unnatural attraction to jewelry and other finery. Perhaps I could use this to my advantage.

“I also found evidence that a very rare gemstone is also contained within, it is believed to be contained by some sort of puzzle, and I propose a contest the first to solve the puzzle wins and keeps the gem.” I watched as I spoke and saw each of the group’s eyes light up at different points in my speech. Star’s lit at the words “rare gemstone,” Brightflare’s at the word puzzle, and the Shieldstallion’s at the word contest.

Each of them looked like they loved the idea but then the Shieldstallion looked up to me and said, “My policy is that I usually need to be paid in advance. The first payment is generally around 500 bits, but I like the feel of this job, and I like the idea of the contest and it has been a long time since I have felt the urge to dive in like this. Just this once an exception is in order.” The other two nodded in agreement and so the deal was struck. We would be together, find our way through the crypt, and split the treasure.

I then realized I still had not mentioned the risks. “I should warn you though, my information tells me the crypt is full of traps and a few ponies passing by have heard strange sounds coming from that ancient hallowed ground, I know it isn’t in my best interest but I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t let you know.”

“Wanderwing, do you really think we thought there was no risk? What kind of mercenaries would we be if we couldn’t handle a fight or two?” Shield asked. “Traps shouldn’t be much of a problem, they are a … specialty of mine.” said Brightflare, eyes sparkling.

“Ok then,” I said, “We meet back here in three days. I need time to make a few preparations, get in a bit of last minute combat practice and see if I can find any more information about the crypt.”

The three nodded and we went our separate ways.

I sat there in that back room of the inn for a few moments and then said, “That spell won’t fool me; I know you’re there.” A small shimmer in a corner of the room and a unicorn, now revealed, cursed under his breath. He charged straight for the door and I could not stop him in time, as he fled the inn I chased him with all my speed, but once our chase led outside he teleported. Just before he did he turned back and said, “We know you now, we will come for you.” Then he vanished, I flew around the area for over an hour but I could not find him. I knew something like this could have happened but I couldn’t have gone into the crypt alone.

I was tired from the pursuit and decided rest would be a more wise decision than going to practice. I went back to the room I had rented and slept for the night. As usual I built a barricade against the door, my self-defense instincts ignited by another new threat.

As I slept I had strange dreams, I saw faces I did not recognize and heard voices I could not understand. I prayed my search would not be fruitless. I had to redeem my ancestors, prove their innocence or I would be forever tormented by the past.

I saw war, battle, pain, fear, and hate. Blood, rage and death all around, then the battles stopped, all grew quiet. Then a voice, dripping with fear and hate, “You are monsters, and that is all you will ever be.” Other voices joined the first, I tried to speak, to argue against them, show them I was more, that I could do good things. I couldn’t speak. Whenever I tried a rope would appear and tighten around me. During these dreams I always thought I would die but instead I would wake up, dripping sweat and often screaming.

I woke up the next morning restless as usual. I put the furniture back where it was when I arrived and prepared to head out. On my way through the common room I passed the owner, Warmhearth, and tossed her a bag with the weeks rent in it. Warmhearth is one of the few ponies I have trusted with my secret. She knew I was a draconic and she was willing to ignore the bit of oddity I have. Some ponies find paranoia unsettling but Warmhearth always saw the best in everypony and was even willing to overlook the occasional missed rent or bar tab.

As I headed out to buy supplies I started thinking of my past again. I may not have had the most “normal” foalhood but that doesn’t mean it was an unhappy one. Before I got my cutie mark I was able to blend in pretty easily, small wings are easier to cover and before I learned to fly I could always keep them folded. I had a few friends but I was never particularly close to anypony.

I found that I had a knack for history, most especially myths and stories. I also constantly read an old riddle book I had found in the attic of my family’s home. I got my mark as soon as I solved the first riddle. I fought the riddle for days but I figured it out in the end. I still remembered the words, “What eats all things including whoever holds it, grows as it is fed and never stops hungering?” I thought about it for a long time and tried a lot of different answers but I never looked at the answers or asked for help.

I read a bunch of different books as I thought and I was reading one about dragons when the answer came to me, greed! Of course it was greed, not many things can consume endlessly and still continue to expand but greed, like a dragons hoard, which only wants more no matter how many gems or how much gold is added to it. Greed tears away at the spirit and will never leave you alone.

That was when I got my mark, a dragon eye across the cover of a book. We had to change my medallion so it would remove the eye and leave only the dust covered book as my mark. It returns to the eye only when I remove the medallion.
It was then I knew that discovering history and solving its mysteries was my purpose. When I got a bit older I began to question my parents and was shocked to discover they didn’t know much about our kind’s past at all. They were born into hiding the same way I was, but they did have a few stories they had been told by their grandparents. I realize how odd that must sound, two groups of individuals in hiding finding each other and both figuring out they have the same secret, but it happened and so here I am.

There was one story that my father’s parents had found an old book and they were supposed to protect it. I had never told them about the book I had found in our attic or the riddles I had solved. Naturally hearing that this book may be quite important I reluctantly brought the book to my parents, fearing they would take it from me. My mother and father argued about what should be done, father saying we should hide the book away and continue to protect it, and mother saying I should be allowed to keep it because I had found my mark through it.

In the end my mother won the debate and I was allowed to keep the book. I continued solving the riddles but now I wondered if they were even riddles at all, perhaps they were clues to the forgotten past of my race.

Preparations

Mystery of the Draconics

Chapter 3

Preparations

I walked into the nearby town of Neighton to buy the supplies we would need for our journey. I got some dried fruits and vegetables, I don’t hate meat but contrary to the old rumors my kind do not need to eat it to survive. I bought rope, torches and few other various pieces of exploration equipment. I paid for my purchases and made my way into the forest just outside of town. A month ago I found a hidden cave at the center of the forest. I discovered a larger cavern on the inside which I used for my battle practice.

I had set up a few practice dummies including one metal mannequin I had bought from a nearby clothier. Every day I could find the time I came back to that cave to practice fighting. The world was not safe for someone like me. I set my bags down and got to work.

I bucked and kicked at the nonmetal mannequins for hours, losing myself in my thoughts. Soon after my body began to tire and I decided to move to my specialty. I had attached feathers I had found to the edges of the metal mannequin. I braced myself and drew in as much breath as I could. Focusing and pressing with all my strength I began to practice short fire bursts.

As I practiced I thought back to when I first discovered this talent. Had I been born in another time, it would have marked me as a warrior, to be respected and feared. In this time however only the fear remained.
It was back in my foalhood. I had just started attending school in the town we were living in at the time. I had made friends with a young pegasus named Cerulean Feather. He was not much of a flyer and had had more than a few crash landings. During one such crash a rock sent flying by the crash struck a larger colt from our class. This colt insulted him to his face calling him an idiot and a klutz. Not one to back down, Feathers, as I called him, turned back to him and called him a weakling for not being able to dust off being hit with a pebble.

The bully jumped at him and started kicking at his head. Feathers was losing, badly. I couldn’t stand to see one of my friends hurt and I panicked. I ran up to the bully and yelled, but I didn’t yell sound, a burst of flame came instead. It singed off half his feathers and set his mane aflame. He screamed in shock and pain and ran away. Thankfully a nearby weather pony had a raincloud and put him out before any permanent damage was done.

But my secret was out. Even my friend, whom I had done this to save, saw me as a monster, a freak. It wasn’t long before guards had been informed. We had to leave our lives, and abandon our home, where we had lived since I was born, and it was all my fault. My parents told me I shouldn’t feel bad, my heart had been in the right place, but I never could see past that. I tried to visit the bully in the hospital once before we left but as soon as he saw me he started screaming saying, “He’s back, he’s going to kill me!”

I ran and jumped out a window and flew off tears streaming from my eyes.

The feathers had at this point all burned off the statue. I then decided it would be a good time to see how long I could hold the flame now. This is the hardest part of my training. Nopony had ever been recorded as managing over thirty seconds of sustained fire. My personal record at the time had been twelve seconds. That is about long enough to burn halfway through a tree. That day I was determined to push myself farther, I didn’t know what I would find in the crypt but I needed to be ready for it, no matter what. Focusing my thoughts at the center off my rage and my pain I drew a deep breath. I held it for just a moment before beginning to blow. The orange and green flames burned hot and bright, casting bizarre shadows and eerie lights through the cave.

At five seconds I began to feel the fatigue that comes with this ability. At ten I began to feel the effects of the heat, sweating and growing very thirsty. I had reached my record of twelve seconds but I thought I could hold on longer. On I pushed, thinking of my hate and the rage; I had made it to fifteen seconds. It is at this point my lungs began to give up. I stopped myself before burning myself. Shortly after my vision began to fade and I blacked out.

A few hours later I woke up, lying on the floor and covered in sweat. I looked up at the mannequin and was shocked to see it had warped. My flames weren’t strong enough to melt it but they had been enough to expand the metal and its contraction back to its original shape had cracked it through. I quickly dunked my head in the barrel of water I had brought with me and gulped a few mouthfuls. Walking back to the exit of the cave I picked up my bags and began my flight back to the inn. It had already grown dark and the streets were nearly deserted.

I used the front entrance and went up to the bar. Warmhearth was there tending the bar as usual. The place was empty tonight so I sat down and ordered a drink. Warmhearth said, “You aren’t looking so good Wander, hope you aren’t doing anything too reckless.” I answered tiredly, “I just overdid it in training today.” She asked, “Why do you keep it up? Why not just relax? Or find a hobby?”

“I just can’t, you are gonna think I am crazy but I’ll let you in on a little secret, I have… nightmares, horrible nightmares. I have seen terrible atrocities, and my ancestors have spoken to me.”

“You are right, that is crazy, you sure you aren’t hurt? Do you need a doctor?” she asked in a worrying tone.

“No,” I said, “I am fine, I swear, but these dreams tell me I need to find the truth, so that’s what I am going to do.”

“Well I know I can’t change your mind, but I will give you some advice, just be careful. The past isn’t worth dying for.” Warmhearth said.

“I will try my best not to get hurt.” I said then finished my drink. “Thanks again for the room, and the drink. Here you go,” I pass her five bits but she waves me away. “Just go get some sleep.” She says, laughing while she turns away to go close up for the night.

Not one to take charity I left the bits on the counter and headed up to my room. After closing the blinds and doing a quick search of the room, as always, and finding it empty I took off my pendant and looked at my eyes in the mirror. Still sharp and dangerous, the same when I checked my teeth. I thought to myself, what am I doing? Even if ponies could know I was like them they would still fear and revile me just the same.
I thought back, remembering that bully’s eyes as he was sure I had come to kill him. I barricaded the door put my medallion back on. I crawled into bed, still exhausted from my earlier training, and knew the dreams would come again tonight.

The nightmares are as varied as they are vivid. Occasionally they were gory blood baths, sometimes twisted torture chambers, huge monsters you can’t run from, and sometimes there is NOTHING, just floating in a void. Those are the scariest dreams of all. I am all that exists there was nothing before me and there will be nothing after me and I am alone, to drift though nothing forever unable to even control my direction.

Positive dreams are very rare for me and they are often just ploys to lower my guard. One moment running through a beautiful forest, then the sun goes down but the moon doesn’t rise and there are flashing eyes in the dark.
But back to positive dreams, I think everypony has the flying dreams at some point during their lives, flying through the air, carefree, in control, and truly free. I too have this dream. But my happiest dream is being with my family as we all uncloak and uncover ourselves and walk down the streets. Nopony attacks us, nopony screams, nopony chases us with pitchforks and torches. We just walk down the street calmly and a few ponies even wave to us. I see my old classmates and they are all glad to see me, even the one I hurt.

That night my dream felt secretive, almost covert. It felt like a hushed meeting of an underground group something trying to spread information without being suspicious. I saw a building that looked something like a town hall. I entered it knowing it was where I was meant to go. I found within it a meeting, a massive gathering of draconics like myself.

They were all arguing, I couldn’t figure out what about, but they kept pointing outside as if talking about the town. A large scarred male with a patch over one eye and visible scars branching out from it screamed at the table at the front of the room. It was plain he was one of the leaders and the other leaders were not taking his side.

I didn’t know what any of this was supposed to mean but suddenly every eye in the building spun to face me. They all spoke in unison, like a mad choir. “Show the truth, redeem us, and make us free. You MUST. Until the truth is known you will never be safe, you will always be hunted. Now awake, the evil ones come for you, awake, quickly. You must prepare, the cult seeks your doom, and the doom of us all.” I spoke desperate to know before I was brought back from sleep, “What cult? Who are the evil ones? Why me?”

At that moment I awoke, alone in my room, with just as few answers as I had before I went to sleep and a hundred more questions. I looked out the window through the blinds and saw that dawn would be coming soon. I got up and moved all the furniture to their original places. “I need to go take a shower.” I said to myself thinking it would help me clear my head. “Just one more night, tomorrow I meet the others and we set out for the crypt. I just hope I find the answers there, and hopefully not by way of my death at the hooves of this…cult.”

Stories

Chapter 4

Stories

One day remained before I was to meet the others and lead them to the old convent. I figured now would be a good time to go back over what information I had uncovered. I knew that each major clan of the draconics had a book. My family had somehow retained ours, the scholar’s tome. The same book I had carried since foalhood contained many secrets.

I didn’t know that each book had a test before it could be read. In my foalhood I found it and assumed it was a book of riddles. In a sense I was right. The book was enchanted; it would only reveal its information to somepony who could solve its riddles. I am quite thankful the first riddle was the simplest or I may have given up and never found out any of this.

Just a year ago I figured out the last riddle. I will never forget it for as long as I live. I spent countless sleepless nights pondering the words. “What holds more value than gems or gold, more danger than a dragon’s maw? What is that which you may always obtain but never have enough of? Ponies, gryphons, dragons, and all beings have given their lives in search of it. Some find it and few share it. This is the strongest of powers, the key to all things.”

I thought the answer was simple, love was everywhere, and everyone searched for it. It is as dangerous as anything but is most definitely worth it. I thought the answer as clearly as I could and waited for its usual response.

Upon finding the solution to each previous riddle a small eye, like the one adorning the cover, would appear next to it upon the page. Try as I might I could not make the eye for this final riddle appear. I don’t know why it was so important to me. I was so close, I couldn’t stop now.

I could not dedicate my entire life to the book of course. I was traveling, as I always am, looking for a place to call my own, at least for a while. I had skirted around the edge of Canterlot never entering the city itself. The guards had a reputation for being thorough and I was very distrustful of the royal sisters and those that served them. I had to stop for supplies in the nearby town of Ponyville.

Imagine my surprise to find a town that willingly welcomed new arrivals. I was still in my disguise, my trust still nowhere near strong enough to consider revealing myself. A strange pink pony was there, Pinkie I believe she said her name was, offered to throw me a party. I got the feeling this was something she always did but I didn’t need any attention at the moment so I just asked her to skip the party because I was shy. She agreed but seemed downcast, she still welcomed me though, asked me my name, which I gave willingly, and asked me why I was in town.

When she heard I needed food she immediately pointed me towards Sugarcube Corner and told me it was the best place in town. I stopped in and bought what I needed, but as I walked out I saw a library not far away. I had some free time and I decided to stop by. A purple mare was inside and seemed right at home in the place. She seemed the type who knew quite a bit, I felt like she knew every book in the library cover to cover. Twilight, as she called herself, was interested when I told her about the book of riddles. She looked through the first few pages and somehow she knew the answers to most of the riddles. She told me she had learned a lot of what she knew from Princess Celestia herself.

Naturally I was stunned. Why was the princess’s favorite student living in this small town? I didn’t know but I knew I had to get out of there fast. If she had learned from Celestia and the rumors that Celestia hated my kind were true than I was in serious danger. I knew I had to be careful; discovery could lead to my death. She kept turning the pages and finally came to the last riddle. “Why doesn’t this one have a star next to it?” she asked. I said “I don’t know the answer to that one yet.” She laughed and said, “Think about it, it’s simpler than you are making it.” She pointed to all the books around her and said, “What is in all these books? What so many want and no matter how much there is it is never enough?”

I was dumbfounded; of course, the answer was right in front of me all along. The answer was knowledge. The second the thought crossed my mind a star glowed on the edge of the page, and the words all vanished. New words began to appear.

“By Celestia, what is happening?” Twilight gasped. The spell sent a burst of magic through the room that rattled the shelves. My amulet, with the symbol of the royal sisters on it, the only thing changing my mark and masking my eyes sparked and the spell faded from it, shorted out by the magic.

As the book’s spell ended and the rooms light returned to normal, Twilight glanced at me and saw my eyes. I braced myself for the scream but it didn’t come. She only looked at the pendant around my neck and asked “Hey was that a concealment spell? Why did you hide your eyes from me? What else are you hiding?” I thought quickly but knew I wouldn’t be able to lie my way out of this, then I thought back, she hasn’t done anything to make me think she would hate my kind, what harm would there be in her knowing?

My paranoia won out though and I just said, “My eyes have always been like this but ever since the Nightmare Moon incident ponies have been afraid of me for it. I got a unicorn to put a spell on this pendant to hide them. I am sorry for hiding that from you but I didn’t want to scare you.” Not entirely true but not an outright lie either.

“I have heard of the spell I think I have it in one of my books, wait here a moment.” She said before trotting off to another part of the library. I knew I should just take my book and run but for some reason I felt like I should let her help me.
No time to run now, she was already walking back. “Ok this spell seems simple enough, the Bright Eyes spell. Hmm that’s odd; the name of the spellmaker is inked out.” She cast it on the pendant and put it back around my neck. I checked my reflection and saw my eyes returned to the average rounded irises most ponies have. “There we go, good as new, now let’s see about this book,” she said, a bit of a sparkle in her eye.

“Thank you for all your help,” I said. I grabbed the book off the table and said, “Sorry for being so rude but I really must be going.” I rushed towards the door, she called after me to stop but I was already out the door. I pulled my cloak tight so it would hide my cutie mark; the spell she had cast had only affected my eyes.

I took flight, weighted down by my bags and disguise, and flew into the nearby woods. I didn’t want to be found so the woods seemed a natural place to hide. Little did I know these were no mere woods, this was the Everfree Forest itself! As I flew over the forest canopy I looked down, hoping to find a place to hide out for the night. The canopy became clear enough right before the mouth of a large cave.

I entered the cave cautiously, hoping to find it unoccupied. I had no such luck that night, I found an Ursa Major to be living in that cave, and as if that weren’t enough it was a mother. An Ursa protecting her cub is one of the most powerful forces on this planet so I quietly fled the cave, praying I would be left unnoticed.

I flew off again, beginning to doubt I would find a place to sleep that night when I saw a cloud bank up ahead. Draconics, while not being pegasi are still able to stand on clouds, and any flyer that has lived on the wing long enough knows that they can be a comfortable enough bed, provided a storm isn’t brewing.

A few days flight later I was clear of the forest. Even if that young mare had sent guards after me I doubt they would bother to track me over the width of the forest. I settled down in a tree in the middle of a meadow to the book.
I had no idea what the book would contain but to have enchanted a book not to reveal its secrets it must be information of incomparable value, or it could be that an old unicorn was very paranoid and kept either their spells or their most private thoughts within it. Thankfully this book was only encoded into riddles and didn’t contain any lethal curse.
The first few pages didn’t seem to make much sense, but then I noticed something written in very neat script at the top of the page. “Author List,” it said. That’s what it was; these must be the names of the authors.
I couldn’t help but notice two blank pages following that one both topped in the same extravagant script. Did that mean the book was unfinished? I had no idea at the time.

The next page was a cover page which depicted a draconic standing in candlelight, a scroll in hoof, intently studying a dragon egg. The next page seemed to be a mission statement of some kind.

“This is the Tome of Scholars, our clan believes knowledge should be held above all else. This is the culmination of our work. Much information has been lost and it must be found. If you are a draconic from our clan then congratulations on completing your test, it is now your duty to record all that you learn within these pages. The book has been enchanted to expand as needed. We hope that one day history shall be made clear and all will be explained, but until such time as this occurs we all will suffer. The other clan’s tomes must be found. Read on and see what you may learn. Good luck, and fear not the shadow.”

Naturally I was more than a little intrigued. I knew little of our race’s past. I had to know more.
I flipped a few pages and found a wealth of information on things I had never even thought about. Some of it I could see little point in knowing but I found a few drawings of incredible machines, recipes for useful potions, and even a few spells.
Moving on from that I found some of the most interesting stories I have ever read. Armies, glorious battle, of great heroes and victories, they were stories from Gryphon Wars of the past. The years wore on, the war didn’t end and the glory all gave way to the grief that wars bring.

Then there were shorter entries of peaceful times, after the war had ended, draconics living normal lives for as long as they could. The entries were less enthralling. I read on, and the stories become sadder. This is where I learned why I grew up in hiding.

The bottom of one page was even bloodstained, the last ink stroke dragging off the bottom of the page. It was messily written and hard to read but I could clearly make out what the last word said, “Why?”

The next entry was from written by the son of the previous author, and was clearly from at the least months later. He wrote of angry mobs forming. Draconics were being blamed for horrible things. A meeting of the clans was called. He worried that his family would be scattered. The book clearly changed hooves several times after this meeting.

Then the knowledge all turned to concealment. Ways to hide the draconic eyes. The original schematics and the different steps of development of the feather-flaps were contained in the next section. The first few ideas were grisly ones; one draconic even stitched the flaps to his wings. Then one of us had the idea of having them wrap completely around the wing, this would become the feather-flaps my family has used for as long as I could remember.

Then I began seeing names I recognized. My grandfather, the one who found the book and vowed to protect it had several entries. He had made it his purpose to try and find the links to the other clans. He found clues, but the clues always just led to more clues. One day he followed one of these clues to an old cave that became his tomb, or at least that’s what my grandmother, who wrote the next entry, said. Tears dotted the page as she wrote that she was with foal.

“I have already lost my husband to this search; I will not lose my foal as well. I have decided to lock the book away and hide it in the attic. The enchantment my husband, my dear Quickwit, managed to break will be reset by my greatest companion, a powerful unicorn, and if she can alter it farther to make it truly unreadable I shall have her do so. I will raise my foal and steer him away from this mad search. I can’t lose him to. This shall be, if I succeed, the last entry in this book, damn the knowledge, it isn’t worth this.”

I turned the page and found the next one blank but as I touched it with my foreleg it cut my skin and drew a drop of my blood. The stain crawled over the pages back to the start and formed my name on the next line on the list of authors. My name appeared in the same flowing script as the others, and despite the warnings and even knowing my grandmother had gone through so much and my grandfather had died on this quest himself, I couldn’t just stop. I had to know more, I had to find the truth.

It was that night the first of the nightmares came. I still have the same one sometimes. I see from my grandfather Quickwit’s eyes him running toward something on a pedestal. He triggers a switch with his hoof and set off some sort of mechanism. The cave starts to collapse and he turns to my grandmother and yells for her to run. He moves to follow as well but his leg is caught. She doesn’t want to leave him but he forces her to leave. Screaming at her to escape to live, for the foal if not for herself, the ground begins to crack. Eyes full of tears she turns from him, “I’m sorry!” and runs for the exit. He calls after her, “Don’t be sorry, you are alive, that’s all that matters to me,” I hear her weeping as she leaves but then I hear my grandfather sigh. “I don’t want you to die for me, live for me!”

The exit collapses behind her and then he sets his face in a determined expression, he struggles for hours but then it is clear he can’t free himself. He looks at the floor in front of him and sees another trap. “I won’t sit here and starve to death, if nothing else, my death shall be my own.” A tear rolls down his cheek as he stomps his other hoof on the button in front of him. It is at this point that spikes shoot from the wall to his left. He is hit by too many to count but at least his death is quick.
Is this really a dream, or was I somehow seeing the memories of those who came before me? I was unsure but somehow it all felt truthful and I decided it must be some sort of magic. I didn’t know if it was the tome itself or the stories that had caused it but my drive to know the whole truth was strengthened.

Finding Information

Chapter 5

Finding Information

I had found within that ancient tome a clue about the Druids. One of the first entries mentioned them as the ones who performed the ritual to create the first draconics. Clearly this ancient order held information I needed. I have spent several years now traveling through Equestria and its surrounding lands. In all of my travels few if any knew anything about the order of Druids or if they did they weren’t keen on sharing the information.

This went on for a long time, I would travel to a new town and talk to as many ponies as I could and find nothing. For dozens of towns and cities this went on.

Any story seeker such as me knows pubs and bars are excellent places to pick up a new tale or two. Whenever I travel near one I nearly always stop in and talk to ponies. Alcohol usually frees ponies of inhibition, making them much more eager to share stories and information.

I found an old stallion in a pub on one of the borderlands between Equestria and the Gryphon Provinces. He was sitting in a corner alone. I find those who sit alone in pubs tend to have stories to tell. As it turns out my instincts were right. At first he was cold and closed off. I started talking to him and offered to trade him a drink for a bit of conversation.

A few drinks later I knew more about him than I had needed to know. I then steered the conversation to my search. He had heard stories that the Druids used to have an old convent outside of a small town a few days travel west. He seemed a little unsettled by my enthusiasm about the druids and it is possible I may have been talking a bit louder than I should have been.

I adjusted myself and tried to redirect his attention elsewhere by sharing one of my own stories. I have read many books in my life and talked to many well-traveled ponies so there were lots of stories to choose from. I decided a quick comedy would be the best way to end a drunken night of story sharing.

I recounted the tale of the Prince and the Mirror, a story somepony wrote to insult Prince Blueblood. I know a strange number of stories written or told to insult him but never having met him myself I reserve judgment. Soon the old stallion is banging on the table and laughing loudly as the tale reaches its climax as the prince falls in love with his own reflection.

At this point the loudness from my one pony audience had attracted the attention of a few others, and one of these new arrivals asked me to tell another story but this request was from a mare who wanted a tale of romance. I spun a yarn of love lost, friendships earned and the leading character’s deeds of valor.

Bits had begun piling on the table, ponies drunk or otherwise, loved a good story. A good storyteller can make hundreds of bits in a night if he only knows the right stories to woo and audience. This is how I made my living whenever I could.

The pub began to close after a few more stories and I made myself scarce. Having found the information I needed and made a profit as well I decided to set out for the town the old one had mentioned. It was there I found Warmhearth’s inn and chose to stay there while I searched the surrounding area.

I looked through the nearby forest, an exhausting, mostly fruitless task. But it was at the center of the forest that I found the cave. I spent some of the bits I had made getting a few small pieces of furniture to make it habitable should I need to hide out for a few days.

I bought the mannequins and began practicing again, all the while continuing my search of the nearby land. A few kilometers outside the town, past the town hall and just behind the graveyard there was an old building, nopony seemed to live there so I checked the door. Finding it unlocked I went inside.

It looked like some kind of church. I went farther inside and saw a mosaic taking up the center of the floor. The outer ring was decorated in what appeared to be thorn covered brambles. At the center in a triangle shape was a hoof print, a pair of feathered wings, and a unicorn’s horn.

I opened my tome and checked the information I had on the Druids, a drawing not unlike the mosaic was the symbol the Druids are known to have used. I had found it, the convent the old stallion had spoken of. At the back of the room there was a heavy door, forcing it open I saw there were stairs descending into catacombs beneath it.

I didn’t get much farther than that. At the base of the stairs there was a chamber that looked to be the site of some sort of ritual. I looked at the walls and found them covered in strange symbols. I found a partial list of druidic script in the book but I could only translate pieces of the text.

“The three tribes and the created must be brought together.”
“Blood has always been shed and ever shall it be.”
“The treasure is yours to gain”
“Nothing is free, all treasure especially the rarest of gems have a test, or a cost.”
Those were the only coherent sentences I could work out.

On the other end of the chamber, opposite the stairs, was a gigantic metal door with the same picture as the mosaic upstairs with one alteration, a dragon’s eye at the center of the triangle.

It was at this point I remembered my grandfather, and how his carelessness had cost him his life. I backed out of the room very slowly and decided to come back with help.

I returned to the inn and began sending messages to nearby mercenaries. The practice of being a sell-sword had never been outlawed in Equestria although their business is limited. More mercenary groups are based in Equestria but bring their business elsewhere.

Having done as much travelling as I had, I had met many ponies. I happened to have formed a contact with a member of the Shieldstallions who would pass my message along to his commander.

Only a few unicorns offer themselves as freelance mages or guides. I knew little about this practice but thankfully my contact in the Shieldstallions knew of an explorer going by the name Brightflare and sent an offer on to him.

Finding a mercenary pegasus was easy enough, they have a habit of advertising in skywriting after all. It wasn’t long before I saw one that seemed to fit my plan. “Falling Star’s Treasure Recovery Service” I had to fly my fastest to follow her until she stopped so I could set up a meeting.

I had not told any of the mercenaries about each other before the meeting I had with all of them.

I hoped I had learned enough, and that these mercenaries would be strong enough for the task before us. I didn’t know what to expect, anything could be down in those catacombs. I only hoped I hadn’t lead anyone to their deaths.

Of Fear and Nightmares

Chapter 6

Of Fears and Nightmares

The day had come. I was a bit late but I met my mercenary squad outside the inn.

“We thought you weren’t going to show,” Falling Star said, “Brightflare thought you had scammed us.”

“I never said that,” Brightflare hissed angrily.

I passed each of them their payment and quickly looked over their battle gear. The Shieldstallion was clearly the best prepared. He had a set of the armor the royal guards wear, but it was clearly old and battle scarred. He also lived up to his squads name with a large shield strapped to his left foreleg, he carried no weapons that I could see but then I noticed what was at the end of his right foreleg. It was a pointed horseshoe; this too had definitely seen battle before.

Brightflare carried nothing but his saddlebags, and curiously enough, a bag of pebbles. When I asked him why he carried the pebbles he simply said, as though it should be obvious, “I can use them to trigger traps without us needing to step on them first of course.”

Lastly my eyes turned to Falling Star. She wore a cloak with wing holes not unlike my own. She had a knife in a sheath at her side with a mouth grip. Tied to her other side there were six identical smaller knives meant for throwing.

They all seemed better prepared for this than I am. I stood in my disguise, Feather-folds, pendant and cloak, grateful to have somepony to watch my back. I was still unsure if my trust in them was misplaced.

“So are we going to get going or are we just going to stand around all day?” Falling Star shouted, clearly bored with waiting for me. “It’s bad enough that we can’t just fly there so can we just get walking already?”

“Calm down girl, the treasure isn’t going anywhere.” Brightflare said.

“Ha! That shows how little you know. Treasure hunter rule number one, you have to find it first. Anyone who gets there before you can get it out before you are there.” Falling Star shot back, getting a little confrontational.

“How am I supposed to know about your stupid rules? I am here in case of traps; I only care about treasure until I am paid.” Brightflare shouted.

“Okay, I am going to give you a few tips, right now. You do not insult my rules, you do not mock me, and you do NOT underestimate me. If you do you might just end up with a knife in your back, do you understand me, weakling?” Star yelled with a glint in her eye.

Brightflare’s horn began to glow and it was clear things were about to get out of hand. Thankfully the Shieldstallion spoke up, “Do you two think you could maybe have this fight after we finish this job. As much as I could use your share of the treasure I can’t use magic or fly so we still need you both. Everypony just calm down and back off, got it?”

We all kept walking and things got quiet. I started talking to the Shieldstallion to pass the time. “So, Shieldstallion, you definitely look like you’ve been in command before, did you serve in the Equestrian Guard or something?”

“Yeah, I don’t like to talk about that much, but I did serve, got up to being a captain too before I got out. Oh, you can call me Stoic by the way, that’s the codename the Shields gave me,” he answered.

“Okay, Stoic, that is an interesting name, did you pick it out or was it assigned to you?” I asked, I can take a hint and it seems clear that I should steer clear of his military past.

“That’s a bit of a story in itself actually. When you start off in the Shields everypony just calls you recruit or grunt. Your officer can decide you’ve earned a name if something special happens while you are out on assignment. You see the scar that curves down my right foreleg? We were clearing out a cave of some diamond dogs; they had been raiding a nearby town and we were paid by the townsfolk to get rid of them. We thought we had cleared the place out and we had turned to leave, I heard one of my fellow recruits scream from around the corner. I had taken off my shield and it would have taken too long to put it on again so I rushed around the corner to help him as fast as I could,” Stoic paused here to drink from his canteen.

I was enthralled, this stallion had seen quite a bit in his life. He may not have wanted to talk at first but his story was spellbinding. “Well what happened next, come on Stoic don’t keep me in suspense.” I said excitedly.

“Hold on kid, you need to learn some patience,” Stoic admonished me, “Okay so there I was, rushing around the corner to save a friend and I saw a diamond dog that had a dagger in his paw and was slicing toward this other recruit. I threw myself into the path, shoving him out of the way, the blade dragged up and around my left leg, but I moved fast and hit that diamond dog right in the eye with this,” he gestured to horseshoe like weapon attached to his leg, “We didn’t have a medic and had to walk back to our base a few miles away before they could patch me up, I got the name because the whole walk back, even though I was dripping blood and carrying my gear I never complained or even said a word.”

“Wow, you are as tough as you look after all,” I said jokingly. “I hope you won’t need to do that again, but from what Brightflare told me he knows a bit of healing magic so you won’t have to be stoic for very long.”

“Pft, I know more than just a bit of healing magic, I can fix a broken leg in about 20 seconds,” Brightflare said in a haughty tone, “The only reason I’m not a doctor is because I never had the bits for the school.”

Stoic and I shared a quick glance. It took all we had to keep from laughing at how easily we had offended him. “I am sorry Brightflare, I meant no offense.” I said hoping to avoid yet another argument.

The church was just coming into view up ahead. The outside was made from a gray stone that may once have held a shine but had been faded by year after year of rain and wind. Despite the ivy crawling up the walls all the stained glass was intact and just as stunning as it was the day it was made. I wondered if they had some sort of magic sustaining them, I raised this point to Brightflare and he simply said, “It would be a very simple spell, glass holds energy well.”

Each window seemed hoofcrafted and appeared to each be piece of a story. There was a foal lost in the woods in the first. The second had a patch of brambles rising up around the foal. The foal, an earth pony somehow began to glow, and the brambles didn’t cut him but he seemed to control them. The fourth panel showed the foal older and with a cutie mark, brambles and thorns wrapped around a staff.

The fifth and final window showed a now adult earth pony talking to a large group of robed and hooded ponies in a forest clearing. He now held the staff pictured on his flank, the thorns on it seemed alive and flowing even in the window.

Brightflare gazed up at the windows and said, “If we were looking for druids we have certainly come to the right place.” I just nodded silently and pointed at the front door.

It was still unlocked so we walked right into the main chamber. Falling Star got right to work searching the place. She grabbed one of the gold candlesticks of the wall and not finding much else turned to glare at me. “You said there would be TREASURE, not just beaten up old junk!”

“We haven’t gotten there yet; we need to head into the catacombs first. Come on, follow me.” I said walking towards the door at the back of the room.

The stairs were a tight fit. Stoic almost had to leave his shield behind just to get through. Reaching the bottom of the stairs we arrived in the chamber with the massive door. Brightflare examined the door and the patterns on the floor.
“I don’t like the looks of this; we need to perform a ritual to open the door. It looks simple enough but it still won’t be pleasant and I don’t know what else it will do besides opening the door.” Brightflare said, clearly in his element during this kind of work.

He pointed to three circles in a triangle around a fourth at the center. “I need you to go stand on the middle circle Wanderwing and face the door. Okay now I need to be in the bottom right corner, Stoic move to the left back circle. Miss Star, move to the front circle, between Wander and the door please. Now comes the unpleasant bit, blood. We each need to bleed within our circles, that’s what the line you translated from the wall meant Wander.”

I glanced at Stoic and saw he was already jabbing his unscarred leg with his own weapon a few drops of blood leaked from the wound and the circle he was standing in began to glow.

“You better not be wrong about this Flare.” Star said before she cut just above her hoof, her knife was sharp and passed through with little effort. I asked her for one of her throwing knives and it thudded into the ground at my hooves. I grasped it between my teeth and cut my front left leg; I winced slightly and passed the knife back.

Brightflare cast a kind of slicing spell, hitting his front right leg. Now all four circles were glowing and the symbol on the door began to shine
.
“Nopony move! Not a muscle, I need to say the spell before we can leave the circles, you don’t want to know what happens if I don’t,” Brightflare shouted.

Falling Star froze; she had been just a moment from stepping onto the floor. “Maybe a little warning before something like that next time?” she spat.

Brightflare began a strange chant; it must have been the opening spell for the door. “The three are as one, here until they’ve won. By horn, hoof, and wing, the blood of all we bring. The path is blocked, sealed in rock. Open the seal, and secrets reveal.” He repeated this five times and the glow of his horn brightened each time.

A crack appeared in the center of the door, as it swung away from us into the dark room beyond. Brightflare said, “Okay we should all be able to move now.” He tentatively moved a hoof outside the circle and walked forward.

“So Brightflare, quick question, what exactly would have happened if we had moved off the circles during the spell?” I asked in a hushed tone.

“The magic would have gone haywire, without the circles to contain it using ponies as ingredients in spells is incredibly dangerous and unstable,” Brightflare said, “It likely would have killed us all.”

“And you didn’t think to share this information with us before we started the spell? In the future I think we would all appreciate a warning. Now then feel like putting that healing magic you were bragging about to work?” Stoic said.

“Sure,” Brightflare said walking over to each of us and touching each of the edges of our wounds, making quick stitching motions with his horn, “This should patch the cuts up. Sorry about the spell, I forget not all of you are as familiar with magic as I am.”

“Apology accepted,” I said. I inspected the cut on my leg and found not even a scratch. There was barely a red mark. My coat having blood droplets on it was the only clue I had been cut at all. I wiped the blood away on the edge of my cloak. I guess he really was a healer after all.

“Okay, now then let’s get on with it; there is treasure to be found!” Falling Star said, lighting a torch. “Wait what is that?” We looked through the doorway and found only reflections staring back at us.

“There is no way it’s a dead end…it just can’t be,” I said, “No, this has to be another test.” It was then I realized something. I had my pendant on but in the mirror my eyes still showed their natural state, and my wings were torn. Looking at the others reflections I saw that none of them were perfectly reflected either.

Stoic’s reflection’s coat seemed tear streaked, and at least partly bloodstained. Falling Star’s reflection was wearing a strange dress; it looked like a torn wedding gown. Brightflare’s was the strangest of all; his reflection’s horn would glow for a moment, and then sputter out, and then he would stomp the ground in frustration.

“What could any of this mean?” Stoic said, “Why would we see ourselves differently? What kind of spell is this?”

Then a clue appeared, words flashed through my mind, “Mirror of Fears” I saw this image clear as day in my mind. I must have spoken them aloud as well because at that moment the others looked over to me, seeming confused. “That’s what this is,” I said, “It’s a mirror that shows our fears, and the worst moments of our pasts. I don’t know what yours mean but I know mine, it is one of my nightmares.”

Stoic suddenly seemed quite shaken. “W-What do we need to do to get past it?” he asked. Falling Star shifted uncomfortably from hoof to hoof, looking very much like she would like to fly off and get as far from here as she possibly could.

“I suppose we could try breaking it. Do you still have that bag of rocks Flare?” He passed me one and I held it tightly, I flung it as hard as I could at the mirror and waited for the crack, but no noise occurred. The rock had vanished.

Brightflare gasped and said, “Could it be that simple? Are we just supposed to walk through it? Is the mere sight of our fears supposed to drive us out of here with our tails between our legs? I think not,” He said, but I noticed a slight quiver in his voice and he didn’t move towards the mirror.

Despite my fears, I decided I would walk through. “If I pass through unharmed I will throw the stone back through. Since we didn’t hear it land its possible it blocks sound. If I do not signal within three hours you should leave, I know you wouldn’t get paid then but I am not ordering any of you to come after me. It is possible this is simply a trap or there could be nothing on the other side at all,” I spoke quickly, as if my voice might break at any moment.

No going back now, I thought to myself, let’s see what’s in store for me. I ran at the mirror not trusting myself enough to walk slowly. The feeling of passing through mirrored glass is a strange one, like walking through a wet curtain of some strange fabric. This feeling ended after a second and I looked around.

Shocked I found myself within my own nightmare. No, it is another test I thought, I must need to beat it to get though. I looked back, hoping, praying the mirror would still be there. I saw only an empty street.

I looked around and then realized I remembered this nightmare. It started simply; I would walk into this town. I kept walking and the houses became scorched and burned as I moved through. Then I would hear the screaming, the houses burning and the townsfolk with it. Then suddenly it all froze, and all the ponies that were not trapped would put the fire out. All those touched by the fire would be dead but there would be survivors.

The survivors would turn to me and call me a monster, and blame me for this disaster. Then they all turn fierce, almost beastlike, and they would rush at me. I could never stop myself, I always fought them. I killed so many, so many just trying to defend their homes, and avenge their families.

Then they would overwhelm me, and I would be tied up and brought to this terrible room, I knew it was in the palace, where I would be horribly tortured, and my wings would be torn and bloodied. It always ended the same way, the princess would come, and she would look down at me and say, “So monster, you have been beaten and broken, and now you will die.”

I scream that I am not a monster but then I remember the battle, I had killed so many, and I begin to weep. I beg for death and she gives it. Then I would wake up.

This nightmare had always been the same. I knew I had to change its outcome. I didn’t know how but I knew I needed to. Then the idea hit me. I always died in the dream, but maybe I could change it. I had to resist the urge to fight those who attacked me. I could be proven innocent, and maybe just maybe I could save a few lives.

I didn’t will myself to begin moving but I began to move anyway. I found that if I struggled my hardest I could resist the will that pulled at the dream. I saw the flames begin and spread. I tried to flap my wings to go help fight the flames but I found it too great a task.

I managed to move to one of the engulfed houses and break open one of the doors. I found just inside the door, not a pony in need of help but an angry pony, one of those who would form the mob. I screamed and ran but again couldn’t control myself. I watched in horror as my mouth opened and I nearly began to breathe the flames.
I heard a pair of voices in my mind; one was the voice of Quickwit, recognized from my living his memories. The other was a gravelly, bellowing voice. The gravelly voice spoke in harsh tones, “Do it, kill him, save yourself. Be the monster they all fear, make them fear you more, control them.”

Quickwit spoke hastily but kindly, “Wander I know you can hear me. We’ve never met but I’ve always been here for you, I know you can beat this, you aren’t a monster. Just because that is what they see doesn’t mean that’s all you can be. What you are and who you are are completely different things. Don’t do this.”

“Give in, they all hate you, no one wants you, not the princess in the castle, not the mare in the library, not even the innkeeper. If they hate you, why not give them a reason? The world despises you, why not return the favor? Burn, kill, destroy, or control any who would oppose you. You and the other Draconics could rule them all. Even the selfish princesses could not stop a full army of draconics. Trust me, I know what’s best for you,” the dark voice said.

My mind struggled, I was so very torn. The hatred was so very strong, so strong. Maybe I did deserve better, maybe they should all pay. We were stronger why should we not rule?

Then I remembered the face of the foal I had fought. A bully he may have been but not more than a petty foal. I thought of Twilight’s kindness despite not having known me. I thought of how accepting Warmhearth had been. I couldn’t give in. I couldn't betray the.

I felt it now, my link back to myself, I screamed, “NO! Just because we are stronger doesn’t mean we should control others. We should all live as equals. They may see us as monsters but I will never let them make me into one. I will not kill those who fear me; I will not burn the innocent. I would rather die myself than kill an innocent pony. The beast may exist but he will not win. IT WILL NEVER CONTROL ME!”

I thought the dream would end then but it didn’t. The mob still came. Only this time they were not angry. I was not tied up; I had been a rescuer not a destroyer. I was brought to a chamber of the palace again but this time I was not tortured. I was greeted by the princess and she thanked me for all I had done.

As soon as she finished thanking me the world began to blur and fade. The colors ran together and edges blended. Everything went gray. Then I was back. I had passed through the mirror. I looked back at my reflection and saw only myself.

I looked around quickly and found the rock. I thought it would be best to warn them of what they may face. I wrote a quick message on a piece of parchment from my bags and wrapped it around the rock. “The mirror will force you to face your fears. Be careful!” I threw the bundled rock back through and hoped it hadn’t hit anyone. I curled up to rest and began to wait for the others.

Not Alone

Mystery of the Draconics

Chapter 7

Not Alone

It is at this point that my story pauses, and other stories take its place. I shall skip over the time after the mirror when I heard these stories. I am still not completely sure of their honesty save for Stoic’s but I must include them for completeness’s sake.

The rock with my message came through the mirror and landed in the circle I had stood on for the ritual. The three had been waiting nearly an hour.

“Ah, so he made it through after all. What’s this say then? ‘The mirror will force you to face your fears. Be careful,’ it seems this mirror is more than just a doorway then.” Stoic said, picking up the rock and unfolding my message.

“What do you think he means by face your fears? All I see in the mirror is a spell failing, I’m not afraid of that, I will go next.” Brightflare said with an arrogant tone.

Falling Star looked to Stoic and rolled her eyes, “Good luck then Brightflare, see you on the other side. We will go in, one an hour, from now on. We should all be on the other side within three hours. Try not to get yourself killed.”

“Good luck Brightflare, and don’t underestimate any foe, even if it’s just a mirror. I think there is more to this than we’ve seen,” Stoic said warily.

“I will be fine. Wander made it through, how bad could it be?” Brightflare said; although he was shaking a little, according to Falling Star. He trotted up to the mirror and passed straight through the glass.

When we were talking later he described his sensation much differently than mine. He told me his passage through the mirror was like being dipped in freezing water then thrown into the wind.

He was in an operating room, he was meant to use the final spell to stich the laceration closed. He would attempt to channel his magic to use the simple stitch spell he had used on us after the ritual, but the magic would always fail, sometimes catastrophically. He said that in one of the reoccurrences of this dream the spell failed and became a slice instead of a stitch, bringing a painful and deadly end to the procedure.

He, although he did not want to admit it, had known this would be his fear, this nightmare. He had had this dream a thousand times. He would word the spell differently, vary the amount of force behind it, but he could never get the spell right, the patient always died, and left him wishing he had died instead.

He failed to defeat his nightmare, three times. The cruel spell of the mirror restarted the dream each time. On his fourth attempt he realized something. He was not alone, even in the operating room. There were at least three other doctors and a nurse there. He had been too arrogant, too self-assured to even consider them.

There had been others watching, through the glass as he performed the procedure, those he knew would judge him. He thought that if he couldn’t do this they would judge him as unfit to be a doctor, and he could never help ponies the way he wanted to.

He wrestled with these thoughts in his mind but then realized, it doesn’t matter if he is the one to save them. They just need to be saved. He begged the other doctors to help and they took over and readily stitched the cut closed.

The patient, a young filly, woke up a few hours later and thanked the doctors who operated on her. She even called Brightflare over and gave him a little kiss on his cheek. Brightflare couldn’t remember anything that had ever made him happier, not a single memory in his whole life even came close. He knew this was the right path, the way he had to live his life, devoted to saving others with no regard for personal glory. That was when his dream faded and he walked out of the back of the mirror.

We sat down and began to talk, not even about the mirror, just about life; we agreed to hold the stories until we were all together. He told me he expected the others to come through within the next few hours. I curled up with a blanket I had thought to bring, and took a nap.

I was woken up by the sound of Stoic trudging slowly out of the mirror. I then noticed something, he was crying. A stallion who is called Stoic, one of the strongest earth ponies who I had met, was weeping in front of me. I tried to comfort him, to ask what he had seen, but he refused to say anything. He would just glance back at the mirror, and his eyes would tear up again. It was not until quite some time after this I was able to get him to tell me what had happened.

I had no knowledge of this at the time but Stoic had been a father once. He had lost his son in a battle with some bandits years ago, back when he was serving in the Equestrian Guard. I couldn’t get him to say much, but through the tears I could make out a few things. “I couldn’t save him, he died to save me, it was all my fault. Why couldn’t I just give in? We did what we came to do. Why couldn’t I save him? She hates me now, they all hate me, and they should.”

“Stoic, you need to calm down, I know the mirror is awful but we need you at your best. Whatever you saw wasn’t real, it’s a nightmare, nothing more.” Brightflare said, shaken by the strong earth pony’s distraught nature.

“YOU ARE WRONG! It was real, I didn’t have a nightmare, I relived a memory. Everything I saw was real. My son is dead, it is my fault, and my wife hates me,” Stoic yelled, startling me with his sudden burst of noise. “I will finish this job, but give me a moment to rest. We need to wait for Falling Star anyway.”

“Take what time you need, Star isn’t due for another half hour at least anyway. Rest while you can,” I said, praying he would be ready to move on when the time came. I had grown quite tired of waiting. Stoic curled up and just seemed to give out. He wouldn’t wake back up but he was still breathing, his ordeal had exhausted him.
Little did I know, but we wouldn’t get the rest we needed, Stoic’s angry voice had awakened something. They were coming for us.

I had begun to drift off again when I heard something that jolted me awake. I could hear a low growling, and a sound of creaking wood. In that moment I knew something was wrong. I should have known Stoic’s calls would awaken something. I never would have guessed there would be timberwolves in these tunnels. Maybe I should have realized Druids would have a few creatures of the forest around.

Timberwolves are wolf shaped, but are made from wood and vines. Not much was originally known about them and many considered them beings of myth. What little that is known about them came from a mare who helped found the town of Ponyville. I made a few contributions as well, after I learned a few things.

At that moment three of the timberwolves rushed up the tunnel in front of us, and another from the passageway on the left. Normally I would have suggested running down the path to the right and attempting to lose the creatures in the tunnels. That wasn’t an option however; we still needed to wait for Falling Star or she might be taken by surprise by the wolves.
A few of these wolves looked young, with fresh leaves and the wood still green and moist with life. Others seemed old, their bodies dried out and creaking as they moved. Their growls sounded just as if they were normal wolves but they moved with greater speed and strength.

I glared at the one closest to me, not wanting to make the first move. Its maw opened and even from this distance I could smell its rank breath. The smell of a compost heap mixed with rotten meat wafted from its jaws. The vines around its legs tensed as if they were tendons as it prepared to pounce. It let loose an echoing howl, with something not entirely animal in it, something that seemed older, almost eldritch in nature.

Stoic was still down for the count. He seemed to have lost consciousness shortly after we stopped talking; his ordeal in the mirror must have exhausted him. “Brightflare, I hope you are ready to defend yourself. These timberwolves don’t look too friendly.” I said, glancing to him quickly.

“Don’t worry about that, I know just the spell for this, they may be fast but they are still made of wood.” Brightflare said. He focused on the wolf on our right and his horn began to glow. His eyes flashed and a fireball appeared just in front of the wolf, singeing its maw, causing pain but no permanent damage. “Damn!” Brightflare swore, “I won’t miss this time!”

“Nice, but maybe focus on them a bit more, we don’t want to bring these tunnels down,” I said, “Okay now let’s see how strong these wolves really are.”

“Yeah, yeah I know what I am doing,” he said before casting again. This time he hit the wolf right in the chest, it began whimpering as it caught alight. It burned much quicker than I would have expected. in timberwolves, much like most wood, the wood becomes much more combustible with age. These wolves must have been ancient, which made them vulnerable.

Spotting this weakness, I moved closer to the two wolves on my left. I sucked in a deep breath and prepared myself. Waiting for them to rush me I got closer and closer. I was only two or three meters away when they leapt at me. Right before they hit me I released the flame.

My breath burned, hot and shining. The two wolves were startled, but had already begun to leap. They couldn’t stop in time and jumped into the flames. Unfortunately I had miscalculated; the one on the left was still young, its wood still green and full of life. I had time to dodge backwards but had to stop my fire. The two wolves who were still alive howled with rage at the loss of two members of their pack.

The one who had touched my flame but had not been destroyed had still been heavily singed. It made a low grumbling sound whenever it moved and was not as strong as it could have been. The two wolves split from each other, one charging me and the other running at Brightflare. Thankfully the weakened one chose to target me.

I decided it was time to put my training to the test; I turned around and bucked out with both back legs. The pointed tips of my hooves drove into the creature’s chest, not deep enough to kill but enough to gravely wound. The beasts jaw snapped out at my leg catching me just above the ankle. I cried out and roared, reflexively sending out more flames. This time it was enough to stop the beast but I had clipped myself with the flame. The smell of burned hair joined the scent of burning wood and ash. I had singed my own flank and my leg, but I would heal.

I looked over to Brightflare to see if he was still okay but found he was already dusting ash off himself. “Hey Brightflare, nice work, you get hit at all?” I said.

“No, I am fine. The last one got close but I stopped him just in time. Are you alright?” He answered.

“Nothing too bad, I managed to burn myself though, I need to be more careful. Being a draconic doesn’t make me fireproof. You have any spells for burns?” I asked.

“Spells for burns are simple enough, let me take a look at it,” he said walking over to me. “It’s a good thing you didn’t have your cloak on, it would have caught for sure. Okay hold still I am going to try and soothe it.”

I froze not wanting to mess up his focus, medical spells can be dangerous. He closed his eyes tightly and cast his spell. The edges of the burn seemed to heal just a bit but then stopped, he poured more energy into the spell but it wouldn’t close.

“Ah, I see. Your breath counts as dragonfire, which burns differently from normal flame. I don’t have a spell for that type of burn. Sorry but I can’t help you. Not with magic at least, I have some bandages and maybe a healing cream in my packs. Let me go get that for you,” Brightflare said, dashing off to his bag.

He found his bandages and cream then came back. He began quickly and clinically wrapping my burns in the cream coated bandages. “You know, forget what Falling Star said, you’d make one hell of a doctor Brightflare,” I said, the cream swiftly soothing my pain.

“Thank you Wanderwing, I think that’s what I want, if I make enough money from this job I am out of this mercenary business. I want to help ponies, and being a doctor will let me do that,” Brightflare said, “Ever since I was little, I wanted to be like the doctors I saw. I wanted to be the best doctor in the world. My family never had much though and I wound up working tirelessly just to get by.”

“You can still be a great doctor, you still WILL be one. I bet you will get right into school when we get back.” I said, trying to reassure him. He sighed and just said, “I hope you are right, thanks again.”

Stoic began to stir in the corner. Groaning, he stood up and shook his head. “Okay, feeling a little better now, what was all that noise? And what happened to your leg Wander?”

“We had a little run in with some timberwolves. We fought them off but I do not know if there are more ahead in those tunnels,” I said. “Hopefully we won’t see any more before Star gets out here.”

“A girl like that, tough as nails, makes you wonder. What do you think she is afraid of?” Stoic asked. “Hopefully she makes it through all right.”

“I am sure she will be fine,” I said, “Let’s just keep our eyes peeled in case any more wolves decide to attack.”

We stood watching each entrance, and began to wait, time seeming to slow to a crawl. After some time Star stomped out of the mirror.

“Yeah, that was…different. Now then, let’s go get our hooves on some treasure,” Falling Star said, maybe a little too quickly.

“Wait, aren’t you going to say what was in there?” Brightflare asked, “Your reflection was in a wedding dress, why?” Falling Star glared at the ground but Flare didn’t let up. “Come on, tell us. What did you see? Or is the big bad treasure hunter immune to fear?” Star shifted her angry gaze onto Brightflare, but still he badgered her.

She was clearly becoming agitated so I tried to get Flare to stop. “Brightflare, if she doesn’t want to talk about what she saw, than she doesn’t need to. Maybe you should back off a bit.” I said, beginning to sweat a bit.
Brightflare responded, “Fine,” then he murmured under his breath, “What kind of mare has her worst fear in a wedding dress anyway?”

“The kind who is going to kick your worthless flank if you don’t shut up!” Falling Star shouted. “What do you have against me anyway? I’ve never done a thing to you! Fine, you really want to know what I saw in there? I saw the only pony I have ever loved die. Happy you stinking mule?”

Brightflare dropped his eyes to the floor. He looked like he was going to say something unpleasant back, but thought better of it. He settled for just apologizing.

“Okay, are we done?” Stoic asked, “Good, now, do you need to rest before we move out Star?”

Falling Star shook her head and said, “Let’s just get going, we can’t hang around here all night.” She seemed to have calmed down as she focused on the task at hoof.

“So, we can finally move on, now we just need to pick which direction to head in. I think we should head straight, and if we come to any bends we should leave marks so we don’t get lost down here.” I said, thinking about how awful it would be to be trapped underground.

“I can cut arrows into the floor pointing back to the mirror, that should do the trick,” Star said, “Did I miss anything while you guys were out here?”

“These two fought off a pack of timberwolves that came out of these tunnels,” Stoic said, “I guess they are tougher than they look.”

“Got to say Wander, I’m impressed, didn’t take you as a fighter. Okay, enough small talk, let’s get walking,” Star said, winking at me.

“Thanks Star,” I said, blushing though you couldn’t tell through my black coat, “But Brightflare deserves some credit too, that was a nice fire nova spell.”

“That’s enough patting ourselves on the back; let’s get moving before anything else shows up,” Stoic said.
We began walking through the tunnel’s entrance, lighting a torch so we could see where we were going. We walked in silence for a few hundred steps, the only noise the sound of our hooves clacking against the stone floor and the crackling of the torch.

After a few dozen more steps I noticed the ground change beneath us. The floor and walls ceased to be stone and seemed to be dirt. The tunnel narrowed slightly and began to look more like something natural than something pieced together by the hard work of ponies.

Stoic moved up to the front and told us single file would be best, the tunnel seemed to narrow even more ahead. “I don’t want us separated in here and I don’t want to be too big to get through the tunnel to get you out if something goes wrong.”

“Okay,” I said, “I will keep an eye out behind us, making sure nothing takes us by surprise.”

After a short, tense few minutes of walking, we began to see an end to the tunnel. For some reason the end seemed to give off an eerie green light. I had a bad feeling, but we couldn’t just turn back and give up now. I took a few deep breaths and just kept moving forward, trying not to think about what lay ahead of us. At least I wasn’t here alone.

The Beast's Den

Mystery of the Draconics

Chapter 8

The Beast’s Den

We continued walking, the light getting brighter as we moved forward. Soon we didn’t even need the torches to see anymore. Suddenly the tunnel stopped narrowing, and we reached a rounded chamber. The roof towered above us, almost appearing to be a sky. We stood stunned; it was hard to believe what we were seeing.

We moved cautiously out of the tunnel into the chamber. Seeing the trees this far underground seemed impossible. Stoic said, “How do you think all this got down here? Do you suppose the druids did this?”

“I suppose that’s the only explanation.” I said, “But this seems like it would take a huge amount of power to manage. What do you think Brightflare?”

“I’m not positive. I want to look around a bit before I make any judgments.” Brightflare said.

Somehow, there seemed to be a grove underground. The green glow we had been seeing came from the ceiling above us; it shimmered, as if some sort of magic powered it. There were trees around the edges and at the center one group of trees stood bent. They seemed to have been shaped into some sort of den.

“Okay,” Brightflare said, “I suppose whatever built that den could have carved out this cave, which would explain why the tunnel leading to it was dirt instead of stone. But as for why it would come down here, or the light and the somehow surviving plants, which would take either a huge amount of energy or a long complex ritual, maybe even both.”

My mind returned to the Timberwolves we faced earlier and I realized we may have a problem. Then the rumbling started. A strange sound, akin to a tree being yanked up from the soil, echoed through the grove. A sound of growling swiftly followed. It was then a huge timberwolf lumbered slowly out of the entrance to the den.

“By Celestia’s mane…” Stoic said, his words trailing off.

I was equally shocked, the beast stood at a height that dwarfed even Stoic. Then I noticed something even more peculiar. Around the beast’s heavily vined neck there seemed to be some sort of collar. It was huge, and seemed quite ornate. Then the thought of how the druid in the windows had seemed to control the plants came back to me, was it possible the druids had found a way to tame timberwolves?

The idea seemed unfeasible; timberwolves had been feared ever since the first rumors of their existence were spread. I shook my head to clear it; there would be time to think about this after we were safe.

“This thing might be too strong for us; I think it might be time for a retreat,” I said quickly beginning to back towards the tunnel, not taking my eyes off the huge wolf. Things are never that simple though, as the tunnel we came through began to echo with growls and the baying of more timberwolves.

“Well horse-feathers, it looks like we’re in real trouble now,” Falling Star said, “Well, I hope you boys have enjoyed this because things are starting to look pretty grim. Got any more bright ideas Wander?”

“I just might,” I said, mind working overtime, “Brightflare, do you think you could put a shield spell at the end of the tunnel? One just strong enough to hold back the one or two wolves who could fit through at a time?”

“Yeah, I think I can manage something like that,” Brightflare said, quickly beginning another incantation. “It is going to keep me a bit distracted though. Do you three think you can handle the big one?”

“I don’t think we have much of a choice,” Stoic said. The creature had begun to speed up, as if it had only been sleeping before we got there. It faced towards us, rage in its eyes as it caught our scent. I had a strange feeling that this creature as very old, but that time had only made it more cunning.

Its eyes shined with the strange light all timberwolves seemed to contain. Falling Star had been thinking of a way to fight this beast as soon as she saw it; she was a much more careful planner than any of us had known at the time. “I think I have an idea,” Star said as she drew one of her throwing knives. “I am going to need one of you two to distract it, I think Wander should go, he should be able to fly fast enough to escape if things go wrong.”

“Okay I’m on it,” I said, quickly unclasping the feather flaps, and removing the pendant. I would need every advantage I could get during this fight and I certainly didn’t need to be slowed down.

“Okay just try and keep it facing towards you and focused!” Star called as I took off.

I flapped around the creatures head, breathing a quick burst of flame to draw its attention. It whipped its head forward with a speed that seemed impossible for its size and I only barely managed to roll out of the way. The jaws snapped shut only inches from my wings.

I quickly snapped out of the roll and dived low, the creature following my movements. I heard a thin whizzing sound, followed by a thump and a terrible pained roar from the timberwolf.

I looked at the creature’s face and saw the handle of one of Star’s knives sticking out of its left eye. I heard Star yell with the sound of success in her voice, and saw her pump a hoof in the air. Suddenly I didn’t seem very important to the wolf as its verdant blood dripped from its wound. Its howling intensified and it charged towards where Stoic and Star were still standing.

Stoic said, “Great throw Star, think you can manage another?”

“I have five more knives to throw but I’m not sure I could hit its eye when it’s this mad.” Star said, “It’s moving and thrashing around too much.” she answered.

“Okay then, I guess it’s my turn.” Stoic said, fire burning in his eyes.

He moved forward to meet the wolf’s charge, and with an astounding amount of force smashed the creature to the side with his shield. It turned the beast’s charge but didn’t stop it, causing the heavy creature to skid and fall. “Take that you overgrown lawn ornament!” He yelled, “This one’s for Courage!” He screamed with a newfound hatred and leapt atop the monster.

He began slamming his pointed horseshoe into the creature. Again and again it smashed into the wood, tearing deep gashes in the barkflesh. More green blood and sap poured from its wounds but the creature was far from done.
It began to rise and Stoic had to leap down to avoid being crushed as the creature rolled to clear him off. It howled again, but it was a different pitch than before, now tainted with pain and perhaps even fear. It swiped at Stoic with its sharp claws, too smart to try biting at him, it knew of his weapon now and feared it getting too close to its face.

While the creature was distracted I had been preparing myself for an attack run. I flew above the creature, its one-eyed gaze locked on to Stoic. The creature was still made of wood, and at upon its back there were several bushes, a few of which seemed old and dry. This would make them a perfect target for my flames.

“Stoic, move back!” I yelled before I began my dive. The creature swiveled toward me just in time for me to hit it with my flame breath as I flew above it. It howled with agony as the bush caught fire and the flames burned at its face.
It was then Brightflare yelled up to me, “Nice shot, but we need to hurry this up, those noises it’s making are really ticking these smaller ones off. I can’t hold this shield forever.”

“We are doing the best we can, try and hold out a little longer, I think this beast is on the ropes,” I called back. I was getting pretty winded and I didn’t have the power for another breath strike so soon so I landed back by Star who had moved to flank the creature.

“Nice work flyboy, we might actually beat this thing, here help me hit it with some more of my knives, maybe we can finish it off,” Falling Star said, setting two of her knives at my hooves.

Stoic had the creature’s attention again, and was ducking and weaving through every blow like a dancer despite his heavy armor and shield. He struck out at the creature whenever he saw an opening but it was clear this fight would go on for a long time if things stayed like this.

Star said, “Don’t aim at the neck, that collar looks metal, try and hit the wolf’s face or if you can’t manage that, right in the shoulders of the front paws. If it can’t move those than Stoic can probably get the final blow much easier.”

“Okay, I’ll take left you take right, that sound good to you Star?” I asked.

“Sure,” Star said, “Now let’s do this, I want to see what this thing’s guarding.”

I flew around to the creature’s other side and landed as quickly as I could. Both Stoic and the creature had begun to slow, the two powerhouses both tiring. As the creature swung his claws caught the edges of Stoic’s shield, tearing the straps and sending it flying off of his foreleg. This unbalanced Stoic, the creature noticing this moved with his paw to strike at him and that’s when I saw an opening, on the creature’s left shoulder. It was one of the gouges Stoic had caused earlier, and I could see a vine rippling and pulsating just beneath it.

I knew if I could hit this vine I could stop the attack, and if I couldn’t Stoic would get hurt, probably even die. Things seemed to slow down, my heart racing in my chest. I clenched the knife tightly between my teeth, and tossed my head, sending it flying. I thought for a second that it had gone wide, that I would watch a stallion who pledged to help me die, but then another satisfying thump sound and a sudden creaking of wood.

At the same moment as I had launched my knife Star had thrown hers, both of us striking the two front legs in the space of moments.

The creature thumped to the ground, still alive but unable to move. It still tried to lash out with its mighty jaws, although even if it had killed us I doubt it would have survived anyway.

Its howls and bellows had turned to whimpers as it found itself unable to move. I began to feel pity for the beast, it was just defending its territory, being as an animal always is. “Stoic, can you put this thing out of its misery, please?” I said, wanting the moment to pass as quickly as possible.

I looked away as he thumped his horseshoe cleanly between its eyes. The creature whimpered once more and became still. Suddenly with a strange sound, it began to change. The wolfish features melted away, muzzle and head withdrawing back into its body. The core of the body stretched taller, becoming a trunk and branches.

“Guys, I could use a little help over here!” Brightflare called. “Wait, that’s odd, they seem to be slowing down.” Flare’s body was drenched in sweat; he had been holding the spell for far too long. The beasts behind the clear blue wall began making a strange noise, and then fled back up the tunnel.

Stoic grabbed his shield from the ground and slung it across his back. “I think we need to get out of here, we are all exhausted and we need to rest.”

“Yeah but,” Brightflare started pausing for breath, “Those things… just ran back up the tunnel, and that’s the way we used to get in.”

“Yeah, but the tunnel is narrow remember? I think we could get through if we walk together and only need to fight one or two at a time.” Stoic said.

“Give me a moment; I need to go get my knives.” Star said, still seeming quite energetic, “I don’t really want to wait but I can see you are all pretty beat, think there are a few more rooms back at your inn Wander?”

“Yeah, I am sure there are, let’s just get out of here for now. I can’t wait to come back tomorrow, I bet there is some great stuff down here,” I said. I hated that we had to leave but our ordeal had drained us all.

Star gathered her knives and we began our trek back through the tunnels. We heard a few timberwolves as we got to the mirror chamber, but they must have run down the side passages when they heard us coming.

“Okay, let’s all head through together, hopefully its easier going back than it was going through,” Brightflare said.
We passed through the mirror as if it wasn’t even there. We climbed the stairs slowly, our ears drooping with tiredness. We walked all the way back to town without incident, and mostly without talking. I think we all thought of this retreat as a small defeat. We arrived back at the inn, coming in through the pub entrance, and surprisingly found Warmhearth still awake sitting behind the bar.

The place was empty as it was long past midnight. “Warmhearth,” I said, “I think we are going to need three more rooms, and a few stiff drinks.”

“Here are the room keys, got just enough for you. Hold on while I go get a barrel of that special cider opened up.” Warmhearth said kindly.

Brightflare declined cider when it was offered him and simply went to his room. He said he was too tired to hang around in the bar and I believed him, spell work like the kind of stuff he managed that day takes huge amounts of energy.

Falling Star, Stoic, and I sat at the bar and drank until our heads got foggy. Warmhearth sat with us and had a few drinks as well. She listened to our stories with an awed expression. We avoided talking about the mirror; it was an uncomfortable topic for each of us.

“Oh, Wander I almost forgot, a few hooded folks were here, asking questions about a black pegasus with a book cutie-mark. I didn’t tell them I knew you, but I told them I’d give a message if I saw you. They said they had information for you, something about the Druids you had been talking about. I’m not sure you can trust them, but they left me an address for you to meet them at, one week from now. They definitely knew you, but I’m not sure if they know about your, condition.” Warmhearth said seeming uncomfortable. “I don’t even think one of them was a pony at all, he had a beak, and a lion’s tail. He was a gryphon, and not a small one.”

“Well Wanderwing, that sounds pretty shady to me,” Stoic said, words slurring just a bit, “Well if you need to go, I’ve got your back, I like your style kid.”

“Thanks Stoic, but I need to think this over first. Thanks for the message Warmhearth. I think it’s about time for me to head to sleep. I’ll meet you all here in the morning; do not leave for the church without me.” I said.

Falling Star said, “That sounds like a pretty good idea. Come on lets walk up together.” We both headed for the stairs, Stoic calling up behind us, “Maybe I’ll do the same soon, but I don’t think one more glass of cider could hurt.”

Falling Star and I parted at the top of the stairs to head to our separate rooms, “You know Wanderwing, I’m impressed. You did good work down there today. I can’t wait to find that treasure tomorrow, goodnight.” Falling Star said.

“Goodnight to you too, and thanks for the compliment.” I answered before heading into my room.

For the first time in a long time I collapsed to my bed, after barricading the door as always, and slept soundly. Not a single nightmare in my head. All I felt was excitement for tomorrow, and a strange flutter of happiness thinking of Star’s compliment.

Treasure Trove

Mystery of the Draconics

Chapter 9

Treasure Trove

I awoke at dawn, feeling refreshed and ready for anything. I made myself a quick breakfast and began getting ready to return to the catacombs. I knew going back would be dangerous but I had to make the work I had done worthwhile.

I tried to avoid thinking about what Warmhearth said last night but my mind kept coming back to the mysterious gryphon. I knew it would probably be a trap, but at least I know Stoic can help me out if things get ugly.

I met up with the others down at the bar. Brightflare and Falling Star looked very well rested. Stoic however kept clutching at his head and groaning. “Okay, I got my shield strap fixed; let’s get going,” Stoic said.

We headed out of town back to the church again. We headed back into the basement and back through the same tunnel as we took the day before. Falling Star said, “I can’t wait to see what is down here, with the fight out of the way this should be easy enough.”

“Let’s hope so,” Brightflare said, “We have been lucky so far.”

We walked into the grove and found it quiet. Walking around the edges of the grove we found no other exits. Searching most of the grove we found nothing. The variety of plants was incredible; there were trees both evergreen and deciduous. Some bore fruit while others flowered throughout the grove.

“This is all amazing! The Druids must have mastered some sort of growth magic to manage all of this,” I said.

Brightflare nodded in agreement and said, “It must have been incredibly complex, I would love to see the spell work that went into all of this.”

“Yeah, yeah, the plants are nice and all but where is all the gold? Where are the jewels?” Falling Star asked, clearly growing frustrated.

“Don’t worry Star there are still plenty of tunnels down here, plus there is still the den to search,” Stoic said.

“Good idea Stoic, there has to be something in there,” I said. On the way to the den’s entrance we stopped at the tree the great wolf had become. I noticed its branches were bare and it seemed almost dead. This was far from the case however as I found out when I touched the trunk.

“Incredible,” I said my mane standing up, “It feels charged. I think this might be a Zap Apple tree!” I quickly stepped away from it, happy to have not been fried.

I took a look at the collar. I found it was made of a bronze-like metal, it was written on in the same runes from the walls back in the ritual chamber.

I would have stopped to translate them but Falling Star cleared her throat behind me, wanting me to hurry up. “Oh, yes, I suppose we should get going, there will be time for this later,” I said, and crept toward the entrance to the domed den.

Frightened of what I may find inside I moved slowly through the opening into a chamber, just tall enough for the huge wolf to stand in. What we found was not treasure, but strange oval pods rooted to the ground. They were scattered about in various sizes some as small as a hoofball, others nearly my height.

The taller ones were translucent, showing what looked to be a small timberwolf pup in each one. I suddenly realized what we had walked into. This dome wasn’t just a den. It was a nursery. I noticed a bed at the back end of the dome, and around it there were old bushes growing around it, crushed down as if a great creature had laid upon them curled around the old pony sized bed.

There was an old cabinet beside the bed, and in opening it I found an old journal, unadorned and simple. I grabbed the book and put it in my bag, “This might have some of the answers I am looking for. At the least it will tell me how the Druids tamed and lived among these creatures. Now we should search quickly then get out of here before the pods hatch.”

“Okay Wander,” Stoic said. “Everypony pick a direction and search, after this we will go try one of the other tunnels.”

“On it,” Brightflare and Falling Star said in unison. We all split up and searched the ground, weaving through the patches of orbs. We came up mostly empty hooved, as the floor was simply dirt layered over old bones. We did find a few simple trinkets, a bracelet and a brooch.

“I’ve waited long enough, I’m taking these two.” Falling Star said.

They were fairly simple pieces of the same bronze metal the collar was, so nopony bothered to argue over them. We left the room of pods and headed back to the mirror chamber.

“Well, I guess it’s time to pick another path. I vote left,” Brightflare said.

“I have no problem with that,” I said. We began walking down the new tunnel. This one was made of the same stone as the mirror chamber and was edged in ornate columns.

“Now all this looks promising,” I said, eyes glittering with excitement, “Look at these pillars, they look as if they were all carved by hoof, and each has these same bramble-like carvings around the tops and bottoms.”

“Yes, these Druids clearly had a bit of a thorn fixation,” Brightflare said, “And they definitely wanted to make an impression.”

As we reached a straight point in the tunnel after a sharp left curve we found there were eight doors, four in each wall, and the tunnel continued forward after them.

“It’s almost like a street, and these doors set in the sides seem like houses,” Stoic said, “They all appear disused though, check the doors maybe there are valuables inside.”

We each checked door after door and found most of them locked, as we all noticed this Falling Star brought out a small pouch from her saddlebags. “It’s a good thing I learned to pick locks, or we might miss some things. You two check the unlocked two doors, I will unlock these six. I should be done by the time you search them. Brightflare, you stay with me and hold a light spell; I need to be able to see what I am doing.”

“Okay,” I said and moved to the first unlocked door. I opened it and found out why the door was unlocked. The room inside was quite small. It was just a closet, brooms and cleaning supplies stacked against the back wall. I gave the room a once over anyway just to be sure but found nothing of interest.

I walked back out in to the wide tunnel, “There is nothing worth anything in there, how about you Stoic?”

“Not a thing. It turns out that was the Druid’s latrine,” Stoic answered.

“All that is in here is a broom closet. No real wonder why they are unlocked, but it definitely looks as though some Druids lived down here. Let’s hope these locked doors have something better behind them,” I said.

“Well I have this first one opened if you want to take a look. I’ll start working on the others now,” Falling Star said as she moved down to her second door.

I stood aside and allowed Stoic to open the door. Peering inside and still watchful of traps we found what seemed to simply be a bedroom. It was walled in stone with no windows. The bed was just a cot from the wall, but had a small layer of cushion on it. There was a lantern beside the bed and a table in one corner. On the table we found a set of silverware and a silver bowl.

The rest of the room was bare and had no decoration or personal touch. We went through each of the rooms as Star unlocked them, finding all but the last identical. In the last room we found a kitchen and a small servant’s quarters.

We took all the silverware; although it was simple it would still sell. We all groaned at our very low amount of treasure. It almost appeared that we had wasted our time and risked our lives for nothing.

Moving farther down the tunnel it turned right once again, and abruptly ended at a larger more ornate door. “Hopefully this is the treasury,” Star said, quickly getting her lock picks back out.

“Wait Star; let me check if they thought to enchant this lock first, we don’t need our only lock pick expert getting hurt.” Brightflare said. He probed at the lock with magic and found it was indeed enchanted; attempting to unlock the door without the proper key would electrocute the offending pony.

“Okay, I think I can hold back the enchantment while you pick the lock,” He said, horn beginning to glow. I took a torch and held it so Falling Star could see what she was doing.

Watching as she expertly manipulated the complex tumblers within the lock I made a quick mental note that I should probably learn to do it as well. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she focused, the lock was more complicated than she had thought.

“Almost got it,” she whispered, “Almost…” The lock clicked as it opened. “All right!” She yelled breaking into a shining grin, “Now let’s see what we’ve got here.”

We opened the door; it was wide enough we could walk through two at a time. We entered the room and all gasped. The edges of the room were surrounded in treasure! There were pedestals holding several of the more valuable pieces.

“Forget everything I said, this trip was so worth the time,” Falling Star said, jaw hanging open in disbelief.

I looked down at the ground and swore. “We aren’t done yet, look, between us and the treasure, there are a bunch of tiles. They may not look like much but I’d bet anything more than a few are traps.”

Each tile was about the size of one of Stoic’s hooves, and each had a symbol on it. I took great care in not allowing the door to close behind us; we might need to run out if certain traps were set off.

“I hope you still have that bag of rocks Brightflare. We might need to set off a few of these to learn the pattern.” I said and began to study the tiles. I found each had a shape on them.

There were some that seemed obvious, a few clearly had arrows on them and in levitating a rock on to one we found that an arrow shot out of the wall with enough force to pierce a pony, even an armored one.

A few others were more complicated, the obvious choice of a safe tile, a horseshoe, turned out to be a red herring, as when one was pressed a piece of the ceiling dropped, and was then lifted back up by a chain in some sort of winch.

There was one symbol I chose to ignore, a skull with a strange shape behind it. I noticed strange vents at parts of the ceiling and realized that the shape may just be a gas cloud. I stood glaring at the tiles for what seemed like an age.

I noticed there was a pattern, an order the tiles always followed. This should have been the key to unraveling this puzzle and I knew it. Then I realized I was over thinking this, Falling Star and I could just fly over the tiles. I said this and my friends all groaned. We had all forgotten this detail.

Brightflare thought a moment and then said, “Wait, they would have thought of that, let me try something first.” He attempted to teleport across, a complex spell but one he could handle. He disappeared and reappeared outside the door. “Okay, that didn’t work, now lets’ try the flying option.”

Stoic said, “That might not be such a good idea either.” He threw one of the stones at the height we would fly and a spell struck the stone with a fireball.

“Yeah. Good call Stoic, let me get back to work on these tiles,” I said, rolling my eyes at how I thought this could be simplified.

Then I noticed something, the pattern had one change in each cycle. At one point in the first cycle closest to us, there was an acorn on one of the tiles. At the point there should have been an acorn there was instead a mound of dirt. After the next cycle a sprouting plant was in its place. Then it was a sapling, a tree, a flowering tree, a fruiting tree, and a withering tree after that.

Druids certainly seemed to have a love of plants. “Okay Bright, set a rock on this acorn patterned tile please,” I said. He did so and we found that nothing happened. “And now the mound of dirt, then the sprouting plant, then the sapling.” He complied and none set off a trap.

“Okay, that’s that problem solved then. Pull all the rocks back; you definitely don’t want to trip while we do this.” I carefully stepped onto the acorn tile and brought one hoof across to the next tile in the safe sequence. The path was jagged and turned sharply so we went one at a time.

It took some time but we all managed to cross the perilous patch of the floor.

Looking around, free from the fear of traps I noticed that this room was made of gray stone but it seemed harder than the stone used in the hallways. It was magically reinforced; there would be no teleporting in or out of this room, even trying it while inside could prove dangerous. I also elected not to fly as it was possible the fireball spell continued over this area as well.

The pedestals were all set in a white stone with the exception of an area that gave off an aura of malice. Those pedestals were all pitch black as if carved from obsidian. They were all arranged in neat rows and columns and between them extra treasure lay forgotten on the stone floor.

After our quick observation we began to walk among the pedestals. A quick magical sweep from Brightflare showed that all of the pedestals and the treasure scattered between them was free of enchantment, and free of traps.

The objects upon the pedestals however were a different story. Many of them seemed to have magical properties. A few objects had tags on them outlining their effects. They were mostly minor enchantments, pendants that give off light, an ever burning lantern, a cloak that made one harder to see, objects that would be both valuable and practical.

On the black pedestals there were a few objects that seemed malevolent and nearly evil. On one pedestal sat a skull, its eye sockets seemed to watch you as you moved despite their emptiness. There was an area to one side of the chamber, with black tagged artifacts on pedestals. A few even seemed to have cages erected around them.

I quickly grabbed the ever burning lantern; I knew it would be very useful. The others began scooping the treasure off the ground. I grabbed a few coins and a bit of jewelry from the ground. Falling Star’s eyes seemed to travel quickly to the larger items, knowing they may hold greater value.

It wasn’t long before our bags were nearly full. Each of us saved a bit of room in case the other path also had some sort of treasure within it.

“So Wanderwing, this all turned out much better than I expected,” Falling Star said, “But I haven’t seen that gem you talked about. Do you think it could be down the other path?”

“If I had to guess it would be there, yes. All the objects in the cages are too cursed or hexed to move so we may as well go try that other path,” I answered. “Oh, I found a little something over here for you.” I pointed to a set of knives on one of the pedestals just a short distance from the cursed section.

“Wow, I’ve heard of these, but I never thought I’d find a set! They are called Dragon’s Claws. As the name states, they are made from the claws of a dragon. It is near impossible to make these, but once made they can pierce nearly any armor, and most magic won’t even stop them. They are probably worth more than half the treasure in here combined, and you want me to take them?” Falling Star asked. “There has to be a catch.”

“No, I swear, there is no catch. Except maybe, I may have another job for you. It’s not going to be for some time,” I said, thinking of the cave my grandfather was lost in.

“Well, if the treasure stays this good I am definitely willing to work for you again. Besides, I’m beginning to enjoy your company,” Falling Star said with a wink.

Stoic cleared his throat awkwardly, “There will be time for flirting later, maybe you haven’t noticed but Brightflare moved over to the cursed section about three minutes ago.”

“Well maybe he saw something he liked,” I said. “Still, we should try and find him.”

We all moved together into the cursed section, which now seemed larger than I had thought. It continued into a small alcove off of the side of the rectangular room. We travelled quickly and it wasn’t long until we had Brightflare in sight.

“Hey Brightflare!” Stoic called, “You can’t just run off like that, and what are you doing over there? This stuff looks dangerous.”

“I know, but I saw something. I want it. So I am going to take it,” Brightflare said. There was something a little off about his voice. He was staring into one of the cages. I ran up alongside him and quickly read the tag aloud so Stoic and Falling Star could hear me as well.

“‘Warning, Class Five cursed object, do not touch. Cage contains an urn. The urn’s contents are unknown as most of those who came into contact with the urn itself began muttering about conspiracies. They would quickly turn violent and very protective of it. Unicorns seem especially vulnerable to this object’s effects. Effects seem to manifest as possession,‘ Oh horse-feathers,” I said turning back to Brightflare. “Hey Flare, buddy, are you in there?”

His pupils were large and looked almost empty. He stared blankly at the urn in the cage.

“Stoic, I think we need to get him out of here. Now! This is about to get out of hoof,” I said, panic creeping into my voice.

“Okay, I think I know just how to take care of this,” Stoic said. He hit Brightflare over the head and slung him across his back. “Hey don’t look at me like that, we do not need him having a magical freak out. I think if we get him away from that thing he will be fine.”

“Yeah, that seems like a good idea,” Falling Star said, “We can always come back for the treasure later.”

We moved back toward the entrance, our loot and an unconscious Brightflare in tow. Falling Star and I crossed quickly one after the other. Stoic getting across would be the difficult part. He was sweating a bit, carrying all his armor, treasure, his shield and now Brightflare, and all Brightflare’s treasure, was beginning to take its toll on him.

He carefully stepped one hoof at a time across the pattern of safe squares. His brown coat quickly became coated with sweat. Stoic knew that dropping anything on the tiles or misplacing a hoof could spell death for him, and us as well.

After a few tense moments of waiting Stoic reached the other side and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He threw Brightflare’s bags across my back and said, “Okay, from now on you carry the extra stuff.”

I nodded and we took a few minutes to regain our strength. I took out some of the food I had brought with us and we each ate some. After about ten minutes time Brightflare began to stir. “What… happened? Where are we?” He shook his head to clear it and then looked as if that was a terrible idea. I passed him some food and water. After a few minutes of eating and drinking he seemed to focus again. “The last thing I remember we were in that treasure room. How did we get back out here? And why does my head feel like it got hit by a train?”

Falling Star looked over at him and said, “It was either the creepy cursed artifact, or it was from when Stoic punched you in the head. As for how we got back here, Stoic carried you out. Now since you are the medic I suppose it’s best if you get healed up.”

“No, I’m fine, but what was that artifact? All I can remember is that I wanted it, so desperately. Or maybe it wanted me,” Brightflare said, looking thoroughly unsettled. “I think we should move on, I want to be as far away from that thing as possible.”

“Good plan,” I said, “There is only one tunnel left to travel; let’s see if that gem is down there. Be on guard though, if I’ve learned anything about Druids from all this it’s that they were very protective of their secrets.”

“Okay, let’s get moving.” Stoic said. We all walked on towards the mirror chamber.

The Puzzle Contest

Mystery of the Draconics

Chapter 10

The Puzzle Contest

We backtracked through the tunnel back to the now familiar mirror chamber. The heavy set stone bricks were still a marvel to behold. It must have taken years to build all of this I thought. Even with the help of magic and whatever else the Druids had learned it would take nearly a town full of strong ponies to build this place, and yet somehow we had only found living space for around seven ponies.

I needed to find out more about these Druids. I hoped the journal I found in the beast den would be able to answer my questions but I doubted it would be anywhere near complete. I shook my head to focus my thoughts as we moved into the unfamiliar territory of the third tunnel.

“Brightflare, keep that light spell up, we don’t know what we might be walking into.” I said, lighting a torch as well. This tunnel was longer than the others. It curved slowly to the right and sloped downwards deeper into the earth. The walls remained the same heavy bricks of stone for the first half hour of walking. After that they turned to a wood-like material, but it seemed just as hard as the stone.

As we moved on our sense of unease grew. From what I understand, pegasi, as a rule, have no love of being underground. I have never had that problem, but then I suppose that’s the dragon in me. I looked to Falling Star and noticed her eyes were shifting a lot more than usual. I walked a little closer to her and gave her my best reassuring grin.

She laughed and said, “You know, if you are trying to comfort somepony, it might be best not to flash those sharp fangs of yours. Thanks for the sentiment though.”

I probably should have thought of that. I had my pendant off and in my bag; it wouldn’t be hiding my teeth or eyes. I laughed to and said, “Yeah, you are probably right,” I shrugged, “I am not quite used to being undisguised. I’ve been hiding for so long it feels natural now.”

Brightflare looked down the tunnel, squinting at something in the distance. “I think I see something reflecting some light down there.” He said, “We must be almost at the end of the tunnel.”

“Good, now we should probably be as quiet as possible, light hoofsteps, and keep talking to a whisper, we don’t want to warn anything that might be down there that we are coming,” I said dropping my voice to a low murmur. I did not want a repeat of the first timberwolves we met down here.

We moved as quickly and as quietly as we could down the remainder of the tunnel. I snuffed out the torch and whispered to Brightflare to dim his light spell. As it turned out the glint of light Brightflare had seen was from part of the frame of a double door set in the wall at the tunnel’s end.

The door still stood closed, and a quick check showed it was locked. Brightflare searched the lock for enchantments as he had done on the treasure trove’s door. I knew something was wrong right away. His face fell into a deep frown then a grimace.

He whispered, “This lock was heavily enchanted; nothing I couldn’t have handled, but it is broken now, the enchantment and the lock both. The tumblers have all been melted into place. Someone must have set off the enchantment. It looks to have been a powerful fire spell, set to trigger if somepony tried to open the lock with picks.”

Falling Star moved to inspect the lock herself and nodded in agreement, but then she grinned. “I think I have an idea,” she said. She grasped the handle of one of the Dragon Claw knives between her teeth and quickly jabbed the point of the curved blade into the keyhole of the door.

The knife took little force to pierce the lock. The metal had grown brittle after the superheating magic of the anti-lock picking enchantment faded. Falling Star then pulled the knife free with almost no effort and sheathed it. “Just like I thought, these really are genuine Dragon Claw knives. Even metal barely stands a chance,” she said before pushing the door open with a hoof.

Stoic still seemed a little shocked the short curved blades he had passed over in the treasure trove were so effective. His mouth gaped open almost as wide as the door.

We moved through it and then I knew why this particular area was so deep underground. It was a library, an incredible library! There were shelves of books, some so old they were only scrolls. A few seemed to have crumbled with age but more than a few were still in pristine condition.

I gaped in awe at the imposing shelves before me. The mass of knowledge contained in this chamber shined to me the way a gleaming pile of treasure shines before the eyes of a dragon. Then I noticed that there was a raised platform in the center of the room. I galloped toward it, forgetting the very idea that this place could be trapped. I was extremely lucky there weren’t any, for during that brazen run I was completely vulnerable, lost in the thought of all this knowledge.

I stopped as I reached the stairs leading up onto the platform. I stood looking cautiously up the stairs and nearly quivering with anticipation for a minute or two. I had remembered where we were, and my nervousness returned.

We each inspected the staircase, and finding it clear of any traps the four of us could detect, began to climb it. As we reached the top I saw upon a wide stone table something that made my eyes blur for a moment, blocking out everything else. It was incredible; the tome sitting on the table looked nearly identical to my own.

The book was bound in the same dark brown leather and had a draconic eye on the cover. The only difference was the color of the gemstone-like eye. While my tome had a purple amethyst colored eye across its cover, this eye shined with a brilliant ruby red eye. In the same looping silver script as on my own cover the words “Tome of the Warriors,” glimmered upon this one.

“Wow Wander, that book looks just like yours,” Stoic said, “Maybe that has a few more of your answers?”

“Yes Stoic you are probably right. I’ll take this,” I said depositing the book in my saddlebag beside the journal, “Now let’s take a look at this thing.”

The second object on the table proved just as interesting a find as my tome. It was a large cube set at the exact center of the table. It seemed to be topped in patterned panels that could be turned. I assumed this was the test the wall writing back in the ritual room had mentioned, and that the greatest of the druid treasures would be contained within it.

“Now my companions it seems we have come to our contest!” I said, “Should we draw straws to decide who tries first?”

“That sounds as fair a method as any,” spoke Brightflare. I reached into my saddlebags and broke four lengths off a few pieces of hay I had brought as a light snack. I dropped the four pieces in the hood of my cloak, and we each reached in and grabbed a piece.

“Whoever has the longest straw goes first and the shortest last.” Stoic said.

We each took a piece and I cursed. “Damn,” I said my straw was just about an inch long. Falling Star had the longest piece, then Stoic and then Brightflare.

“Great!” Falling Star said, “Let me at that puzzle.” She ran over to the puzzle. She began turning the pieces immediately. She gave no thought to each move she made and never seemed to think ahead to the next. We waited for her to give up, but I knew it would be a long time. She was not the type to just give up easily. I passed a few pieces of fruit around and curled up in my cloak, patiently waiting my turn.

Nearly an hour passed as Falling Star just kept turning the pieces. Her increasing frustration only heightened the speed at which she moved the pieces. After another hour she flung her hooves up in anger. “I just can’t figure this damned thing out… I give up, it’s your turn now Stoic.”

“Okay, now let me just see here. These pieces all seem like they fit together but maybe spinning them isn’t the right way to go. Maybe the sides have a keyhole or you can just pry up the lid, and the puzzle is just a distraction.” Stoic said. He inspected the sides of the box and even attempted to lift it from the table. That however held no reward as it appeared as if the box had been melded into the surface of the table itself.

“So, that didn’t work let me try this then,” he said, and he began trying to pry up one of the corner pieces. Brightflare was worried he would break the puzzle but somehow, even before Stoic’s tremendous strength, the puzzle and the box were unharmed.

“It seems I am beaten as well, I submit. Brightflare, may you fare better.” Stoic said politely to Brightflare before stepping aside.

“At last, it is my turn! I will beat this puzzle my way, with magic!” Brightflare said. He prepared the same magic detection spell he had used earlier but focused it much more. He cast the spell on each panel but found nothing particularly magical about the panels themselves. “Curious…the panels are simple but the carvings upon them are ornate. Perhaps if I try and send the spell deeper into the box I could detect the cube’s inner workings.”

As it turned out this was a very bad idea. The Druids had found ways of spell proofing their treasury and it appeared they put this to effective use within the box. Brightflare’s magic reached in and touched the barriers only to be sharply rebounded against him. Brightflare grunted and was knocked down.

We helped him to his feet but it seemed his pride was getting the better of him. His horn gleamed with magic as he prepared a stronger spell in his rage. Then he remembered that if his slight spell had that large a rebound, his strongest could very well kill him.

“Though I loathe admitting it Wanderwing, I cannot best this test. It is time for you to solve this.” Brightflare said.

I decided that before starting to work on this puzzle it would be a good idea to look at all the pieces separately before assembling them into their greater whole. I looked carefully at each panel, finding a piece of an image on each one, with one exception; a single panel was completely blank. I began rotating the panels one by one starting with the edges.

The others waited silently as I worked. They had learned that I could usually figure these puzzles out. They watched as my hooves moved, adjusting each panel with careful thought.

I found the outer edges had a near circular pattern on them, ringed with the Druid’s favored brambles. Thankfully the vines were not separated; they led from panel to panel, easily lining up with each other. They formed convoluted knots within the inner panels.

The blank piece was in the exact center I had decided to leave it as the last panel I would attempt to solve. The other pieces lined up, the ornate carvings showing a staff with all the brambles tangled around it. Of course! The carving was of the leader’s personal crest. I reached the second last panel and I heard something click into place.

I thought I had solved it, but things are never that simple. The middle panel slid up, showing that it too could be turned. I turned the square to the left, and there was a cranking sound. The squares began to withdraw from the center, and drew down along the edges. They split and separated, revealing the sparkling gem within.

It was a perfect sphere, a beautiful specimen. There was no way this gem could be carved with a chisel. Only nature or magic could create such a perfect jewel. It was an incredible cat’s-eye ruby, the likes of which I had never seen.

I gazed into the gem, near hypnotized by its amazing color and shape. I reached into the box to grab it and found it strangely warm.

“Looks like you win the gem Wanderwing,” Stoic said, “No matter though; I think this trip was quite worthwhile.”

“Agreed Stoic,” Falling Star said, “Maybe we can all work together again sometime.”

“I am going to be pretty busy with my studies to be a doctor,” Brightflare said, “But this was quite interesting, it could be fun to give it another go.”

“Let’s get back outside before we start our goodbyes,” I said, dropping my prize into my bag. We all began to walk towards the exit, and I was shaking with anticipation to read the two books I had recovered from the Druid catacombs. I would also come back to see if the library held any important scrolls or tomes another day.

We reached the mirror chamber without incident and then I remembered an important detail. We couldn’t just leave this place open so anyone could walk in, there were still timberwolves down here somewhere not to mention all the dangerous artifacts and traps.

“Is there any way we could seal this door without making it impossible for me to get down here?” I asked Brightflare.

“I believe I know a camouflage spell that could work. I will make it look like the stairs collapsed and the tunnels filled with boulders. You could still walk right through it but ponies rarely run at rock walls.” Brightflare said, “It’s a complex spell but I can manage it.”

“Excellent. That should work Brightflare, thank you.” I said, grateful we could reduce the danger to the town.

“It’s not a problem, you know I don’t want these ponies getting hurt either,” Brightflare said.

Brightflare cast the spell, causing a blinding flash of light. When the light faded it appeared that the tunnel had filled with boulders. It looked as if something had collapsed the entire passageway. I tested it by running through the boulders, Brightflare was right; it felt like there was nothing there. “Perfect!” I said.

We headed outside and said our goodbyes. “It has been excellent working with you all; I hope it was all worth it.” I said.

“Absolutely. If you ever need my help again I am sure you can find me at the Canterlot Medical Academy,” Brightflare said, nodding earnestly. “I am sure all of this treasure will be more than enough to cover it. If you ever get hurt near Canterlot, I can patch you right up. That goes for you and Falling Star too, Stoic. I must be off now, see you all some other time.”

He waved and walked off along the road, quick to be on his way and eager to get to his dream.

Falling Star looked at her knives, and her bag of treasure, then back to Stoic and I. “It’s been fun guys. I need to get going I think I need a bit of R&R after this one. I’m sure you will need my help again too, if you are ever in Cloudsdale look me up, alright?” She blushed, and quickly gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, and whispered, “Keep in touch flyboy.”

“I...I… I will,” I stuttered, shocked at her sudden behavior. She flew off with her usual elegant grace, leaving me standing stunned with Stoic.

“What you don’t have anything to say,” I asked Stoic. He laughed for a moment and said, “I may have been a little bit drunk but I never forget a promise, I said I’d help you with your little gryphon problem remember?”

“Really? I thought you forgot about that. Well the meeting isn’t supposed to be for a few more days, what are you going to do until then?” I asked.

“I’ll hang around town for a while; I need a little rest before another fight,” he answered. “I’ll just charge the inn onto your tab okay?”

“That’s fine,” I said, “I am going to be studying these two books for the next few days but I can’t neglect my training, I will probably be at the inn only to sleep.”

“Speaking of sleep, it’s starting to sound like a good idea. Let’s head back to the inn, eh? Maybe Miss Warmhearth has another barrel of that cider around,” Stoic said.

We moved back into town and found the inn’s bar crowded with ponies. I quickly threw my pendant on, cursing my forgetfulness. Thankfully nopony seemed to notice. I quickly moved to Warmhearth and let her know I made it back out okay.

I headed up to my room with a quick nod to Stoic and barricaded myself in as usual. I opened my bag and looked at my take from our little adventure. I had several hundred, possibly thousand bits of treasure, an ever burning lantern, a Druid’s journal, and most of all, a priceless tome. I needed to know what the tome said.

If I started reading now, though, I would definitely not get any sleep tonight. It would be better if I took care of this in the morning.

((Okay. So that’s the end of chapter 10. I am sorry it took so long to finish up and I hope it was worth it. A whole lot of answers are coming up in the next chapter. Don’t worry though it won’t just be a big info-dump. I would like to thank anyone who has been reading this up to now. I also have a request for any interested artists who happen to read this. I am in desperate need of cover art. I would love to hear from you, you can send me a message or comment on Fimfiction, or on tumblr at http://askwanderwing.tumblr.com/ . Thank you for your time.))

The Warrior's Test

Mystery of the Draconics

Chapter 11

The Warrior’s Test

That night was a very strange one; I had many dreams. Most were fairly positive and filled with wonder. I couldn’t wait to see what those books held, and now I had an entire library of information to go back to. Several were of a more…*cough* personal nature, involving Falling Star, and I won’t get into that now.

There were also a few dreams that felt more like warnings than anything else. I was reminded that none of the Draconic Tomes came without a test, and somehow I doubted the Druid’s puzzle box counted for the Tome of the Warriors. I knew that combat would be involved, a bit obvious really, and the word “Duel” flashed through my mind.

I woke up at dawn, crept out of the inn as I often do, and flew off to my cave in the forest. If I was going to have a duel I certainly wasn’t going to let myself get out of practice. I got to the cave but found I couldn’t focus on training with the books calling to me from my bag.

I walked over to the table in the corner I had set my bag on and opened it. I grabbed the Tome of the Warriors, my thirst for knowledge too great to ignore. As I opened it a small flash burst from the pages. I looked ahead through the book and found every page after the first few empty.

Just like my book the first pages were host to an author list. The list was much longer however; this book had clearly changed hooves much more often. I turned the pages past the author list, and found much like the picture within the Scholar tome a beautifully artistic picture of a draconic clad in ornate battle armor standing strong before a charging line of shadowy figures, a sword clenched in his teeth.

I turned the page once again and reached the mission statement page. I noted it was also written in the same looping script as both covers. This reaffirmed my theory that the tomes came from the same source, and likely the same craftspony.

The page read, “This is the Tome of the Warriors, our clan values strength and survival above all. All who hold this book are honor bound to entrust within it their training methods, and any combat tactics they learn. The book will grow as it is needed. This book can not be passed simply through inheritance or theft, those who attempt this shall still face a test. The previous holder of the book will appear to you, this holds true even if the previous holder has left this existence. To use the book you must defeat the previous owner in single combat. Through this method only the strongest shall hold the book for long. Holding the other tomes may increase your chances but without strength all else is meaningless. To begin the duel, should you have crave its secrets but have not earned them, gaze into the eye on the cover and speak these words, ‘I claim the trial of single combat, I shall face you honorably but on my own terms as is the challenger’s right. No escape shall be permitted, none can flee this fight. Stand and speak.’ At the end of the words you must say the name of the last holder; you can find it as the most recent entry upon the author list.”

This wasn’t going to be an easy fight. Anypony who had earned this book could study it and learn from the techniques of dozens of great warriors before them. These techniques could obviously help me grow stronger; maybe even teach me something entirely new. I live for knowledge after all, and any knowledge helps. I would need to risk myself to earn it though. I turned the page back to the most recent author, and found that the last holder was named simply enough. Their name was Whirling Winds.

Excellent, another pony who could fly would put us on even ground, as it were. It also meant I would be allowed to fly during the duel. The terms needed to be fair after all. I had a quick drink and a light meal, and then went outside to decide on my terms.

I was not any sort of weapons specialist by any means. I usually just relied on my own hooves and when necessary my flames. The thought occurred to me then, what if unlike me, the pony I was fighting was not a draconic? I would then not be permitted my flames during the duel. I realized then my weapons skills were far too limited, if I won the duel however I was positive I would find tips on a few different fighting styles.

I sighed and stood up. There was no point in putting it off any longer. I flipped the book back to its cover and gazed into its ruby eye. I took a deep breath and spoke the words, “I claim the trial of single combat, I shall face you honorably but on my own terms as is the challenger’s right. No escape shall be permitted, none can flee this fight. Stand and speak, Whirling Winds!”

“To whom do I owe the pleasure?” A feminine voice called from the book.

“I am Wanderwing, and I seek the knowledge your tome holds,” I answered. A light flashed brightly in front of me. When the light faded a strange image appeared across the book from me. She stood just a few inches shorter than me and looked quite muscular, though she was definitely not a draconic; her wings had feathers. The thing that made her image strange, though, was that it did not appear solid. I could see objects on the other side of her, as if she had half faded from this world.

“Greetings Wanderwing, I can see you are puzzled so I will explain a few things,” she said, “I earned this tome through honest single combat against a draconic like you. But when I was investigating the Druids, one of them took me by surprise and to my dismay I was killed. He stabbed me in the back! That damned COWARD!” she screamed the last word, clearly frustrated at the circumstances of her death.

“The book held my image, and would not allow one who had earned it through treachery to learn its secrets. He hid it away from the other Druids, convinced he could make it work; he had long envied the Druid’s elder council and hoped to become strong enough to earn a place among them. Then when the convent he lived in was abandoned he gave up on the tome after he had spent nearly ten years wrestling for its secrets. He left it in the library and there it sat, for so very long, until you found it,” she went on, “Which brings us to you, brave draconic. I trust you have read the page about the test?”

“Yes I have, I know I must beat you in single combat but I also know that I can choose the terms of this duel. I would like to select the weapon of bare hooves, flight permitted, and naturally I will not use my flames as you cannot use them yourself,” I answered.

She looked me up and down, and walked around me in a circle. She said, “Are you sure about that? No weapons at all?” she laughed, “I like you kid, fine then, so the fight continues either until one of us speaks the words ‘I concede this fight, you have bested my might’ or until one of us is too battered to even speak. The magic of the tome doesn’t render me invincible; I am still just as vulnerable as if I were flesh, blood, and bone.”

“And you fly just as fast as you did in life?” I asked, she nodded and answered, “Don’t think that makes it easier Wanderwing, I was always one heck of a flyer.”

I walked inside, set the book on the table and came back outside. She stood away from me a few steps, and asked, “Are you ready challenger?” I nodded in response, “Okay, let the duel begin!” she said.

Both of us sprung forward from the ground, and shot upwards. We reached the height of the tops of the trees just as we reached each other. Quick, sharp blows were traded, each of us ducking and dodging as we circled each other. I felt the sharp tip of my right hoof scratch along one of her ribs but just as quickly she struck the side of my muzzle with a deceptive amount of force.

Blinking from the pain, I spun away from her, retreating from her to regain my flight pattern. There was enough time to build up a run of speed but not for long, she darted straight for me with an incredible speed. By rolling to the side I dodged her advance, and she couldn’t stop or turn fast enough to reach me.

I flew up above her and dove down, aiming to strike between her wings, a blow that would easily defeat your average pegasus. She anticipated this however and made the one move I never would have expected, she stopped flapping her wings and flattened them against her body, falling even faster than my dive. Her wings pulled her up mere inches from the ground and returned her back to an even height with me.

I couldn’t let her get me on the defensive or I simply couldn’t beat her, somehow as a pegasus she was even faster than me, and she hit harder too. She laughed and called “Well you didn’t expect this to be easy did you?”

“Of course not, I can’t wait to learn how you got this fast. I guess I’ll know once I beat you!” I answered. Dashing straight at her, one hoof extended, I intended to strike her in the rib I had scratched in the first struggle, wanting to end this fight as quickly as possible. Somehow, though, my attack didn’t connect. It was as if a force had swept it aside.

“What… how?!” I stammered. That moment left me far to exposed, and Winds drove a hoof into my gut, spun quickly and bucked my side. As I fell I began coughing up blood, but somehow I managed to keep my descent slow. All I could think of was how she had blocked that attack. She didn’t even touch me or seem to move, it was as if my hoof moved to avoid her.

My hooves touched down, but before I even had a minute to recover Whirling Winds had swept around again, coming in to deliver the finishing blow. That was when I saw it; it was hard to see before because of her transparency, but her wings were moving differently than mine. They seemed to have a wider swinging circle of movement. Jumping backwards I began to take off again.

Normally in a fight my stamina outlasts a pegasus, but I doubted that would apply here. Slowed as I was by my wounds, I couldn’t hope to fly fast enough to catch her by surprise. Looking back to her wings again, I realized how she had blocked my strike, and it was that she hadn’t. She had incredible control of the wind during flight; she had learned to manipulate the tiny whirlwinds formed by her wing movements! She merely changed my course using her precise control!

I grinned through my pained expression, as a plan began to form in my mind. She dashed right towards me, but this time I knew what she was doing. I shifted my wing movements to try and match hers, and my flight was eased. I clearly hadn’t mastered it but it could be just the boost I needed.

With what small wind control I had, I managed to slow her attack just enough for me to squirm out of its way. Countering with a strike of my own, I hit her in the same spot as my first attack. She gasped and I heard her rib crack, and the pointed tip of my hoof cut into the skin around it. She bled a shimmering fluid, a whitish substance I couldn’t identify.

“Looks like you are a fast learner, Wanderwing. Nopony else has picked up on my method before, but let’s see how you handle this,” she gasped through the pain. Her wings flapped even faster, the small air movements she manipulated becoming larger until they were clearly visible. “Time to show you why they call me Whirling Winds!” she yelled.

She turned quickly, first to one side then to the other, and both of the small cyclones sped toward me with an impossible speed. Copying her dive I barely managed to avoid the first but the second swooped downwards and caught me anyway. Around and around I spun, the force nearly tearing my wings.

I was screaming at this point, I am not ashamed to admit it, but it also thrilled me. Unbeknownst to Miss Whirling Winds, my favorite type of weather to fly in is windstorms; this was not my first cyclone ride. This would be very difficult to time but if I pulled it off I might just be able to win this duel here and now.

I noted her position each time the wind pulled me past her. It appeared she wasn’t moving; she was preparing another larger cyclone to catch me while I was trapped. A stronger storm than this one would pose a serious threat. I didn’t have much time, so I worked quickly. Instead of fighting the wind, I joined with it adding my power to its own. Using this influence I was able to syphon some speed from the cyclone into my own flight. Using this boost of speed and power I moved down the cyclone and upon reaching the bottom I was reaching my top speed. I would swing out at just the right angle and use all this extra force I would strike her from the sky.

Finally I broke free, bringing all the force with me in a drill like movement. Becoming almost a cyclone in my own right I drove both my front hooves towards her. She tried to sweep my attack away again but this time I was too fast. The attack toward the ribs was merely a feint, at the last moment I redirected the attack and stuck her left wing at full force.

She screamed in pain as the spirit equivalent of bones shattered in her wing. She began an extremely uncontrollable dive and crashed into the ground. Landing beside her I ran over to where she laid. She groaned and tried to stand but found she couldn’t. “Well Wanderwing, *cough* *cough* it looks like you beat me. It’s a shame you didn’t try your fire, the cyclones work so much better to redirect flames.”

“So then you will concede?” I asked, hoping to see her pain end as quickly as possible. Truly the book’s enchantment was also a curse; to hold a being long dead within it for so very long. When it is finally released, it is still not free and is doomed to fight, and doomed also to only to feel pain from it.

“Yes, I hate to say these words for I know that like the book holder before me, they will be my last. My space in the book will now be held for you, I concede this fight, you have bested my might,” she said. The moment she stopped talking she gave a sigh of relief as the pain faded. Then she followed it, disappearing into whatever lies beyond this plane.

“Sleep well, Whirling Winds,” I said. It took a minute for me to realize, but I then noticed that unlike her wounds, mine hadn’t faded in the least. I would need to walk back to the inn where Warmhearth would have the supplies I needed. Going back into the cave, I clasped my feather folds over my tired wings, wrapped my cloak around myself and hung my pendant over my neck. I put the two books back into my bag and turned to walk back. There would be plenty of time to read them while I rested.

I limped my way back through the forest, fighting through the growing pain in my side and my stomach. I had often taken flight for granted in life, but knew flying was more likely to worsen my injuries. It took me much longer to walk back to the inn than it had to fly to my cave. By the time I had reached the inn I could barely stand from the pain.

Shambling in through the back entrance I looked in through the door to the bar. Thankfully only Warmhearth and Stoic were there, sharing a few drinks and a conversation. I stepped through the door and they both gasped at the sight of me limping and coughing blood.

“Wanderwing, is that you? By unholy Tartarus what happened to you?” Stoic asked, shock and then a mix of concern and rage flashed across his face in rapid succession.

I coughed again and said, “Duel… fought a pegasus, damn strong one.”

Warmhearth took my cloak from me and assessed the damage. She had Stoic lock up the door and the two supported me as I moved into the back room. Warmhearth gently laid her hooves on the three areas where I was hit. Then when I pulled back from her she ran off to find one of the town’s doctors.

I coughed again and then blacked out.

The Meeting Assured

Mystery of the Draconics

Chapter 13

The Meeting Assured

I slept easily through the night, my body deciding rest would be the simplest way for me to heal. This proved true as I awakened feeling like a whole new stallion, ready to take on whatever the world had to throw at me. I got out of bed and stretched a bit. I wasn’t quite at my best yet; there were still twinges in my side if I stretched too far or bent the wrong way. Regardless, I would still be able to start out with at least the basics in the Tome of the Warriors.

I put on my disguise and ate a light breakfast. I was really lucky my wings had not been damaged in the duel. A draconic’s tome was sure to have plenty of flight related training, after all. I walked out of the inn and through town, keeping a low profile as best I could. I headed off into the woods in the direction of the cave I had claimed. Reaching the clearing around it, I found something surprising; the ground was marred in places with hoof marks, as well as a set of paws and claws, denoting a gryphon’s presence.

While it seemed there was nopony here now, the previous day somepony had clearly visited. Of course, the duel wasn’t exactly quiet or subtle, so somepony was sure to have noticed it. The gryphon Warmhearth had warned me about apparently hadn’t left town, and I was still set to meet them tomorrow. This was still a rookie mistake; I should have found a place farther away for the duel. Then again, how could I have known I would be fighting tornadoes?

The damage had already been done, but there would be no harm in making sure there was nopony staking out the place before I went inside. I flew quickly in between the trees and flew the perimeter of the clearing, but found nothing. After a short time I entered my cave, where I looked and found that while it was clear others had been here, nothing was broken. It seems that perhaps I have misjudged these ponies and the gryphon. That or they were simply trying to make me think they were reasonable.

I didn’t feel quite as safe here as I had in the past. Some ponies knew where it was now, and knew that I visited the area. I never got rid of the cracked metal mannequin from my fire practice. That left few options to any who found it, either a draconic had been there or an actual dragon, and I think it would have been much clearer had there been an actual dragon roaming this place.

I was unfortunately short on other options for places to practice. I should at least try a few things from the book before I run home like a scared filly. I opened the Tome of the Warriors and this time found the first entry page filled, but those after it were still blank. It seems I would need to master one tactic before moving on to the next.

The entry was faded, as if it had been written very long ago. The hoofwriting was not ornate or beautiful, merely functional. Simplistic as it was, I still found its contents intriguing. The first few pages were easy enough, simple studies of comparisons between draconic flight speed and patterns as compared to your standard pegasus.

Passing quickly through the basics, things like simple stretches meant to encourage muscle strength and streamline the body, I got to more complicated topics. One such topic was a way to increase the heat of the flames I can breathe, with the cost of the length of time that I can hold them and another that would allow me to train to hold a flame longer.

Each time I would complete an exercise, the book would somehow know of it, and reveal the next section. This continued to advance my theory that an extremely powerful spell caster must have helped the draconics create these tomes. This book however had clearly changed hooves much more often than mine. There were a few entries lasting only a page or two, and others spanning dozens.

In the longer entries there was often more information about the ponies writing it. Everything from records of battles they fought in, victories, defeats, glory and shame, all represented. There were tactics on commanding other soldiers, tactics of warfare and a few records of horrible acts of violence committed during the times of the gryphon wars. I found this last part quite disturbing, but then, most of these authors had not been proud of their acts. Most did them to prevent future bloodshed, or to try and stop the fighting using fear. In most cases this did not end well, and the tome would change hooves once more shortly after.

It appeared however that despite being a draconic tome it had been possessed by at least one gryphon. It appeared he had befriended one of my kind after the end of the gryphon war. He was called Moltclaw, and despite his name was a powerful fighter. He would fight his enemies with everything available to him, even learning a way to hold his wings so he could strike with them, without hurting himself. I obviously wouldn’t be able to learn his clawed fighting style, but the wing strikes I could learn. It would be foolish to attempt this so soon after the duel, my injuries were still in recovery, after all. I decided to stop here for the day.

There was not much time left before I was scheduled to meet up with the mysterious gryphon. I chose to return to the inn, hoping to meet Stoic there so we could form a plan. I had trained in my feather-flaps, so I simply covered myself in my cloak and began walking back to the inn, letting my wings rest after the training. I passed a few ponies who greeted me kindly as most do in this land. Every grin and wave filling me with hope, but at the same time my anxiety told me that if they knew how I really looked they would run in fear.

I thought back over all I had learned in the past week. I had learned more about the ways of the druids, including several of their most important secrets. I found enough wealth to keep me alive and well fed for some time to come. I had found a way to increase my training farther than I ever had before.

There was one thing more important than any of that, though. I had made allies, with trust forged in combat and mutual respect, who I could count on. I had a stalwart and strong ally ready to help me in any physical battle. I knew that should I ever be injured or need help in matters of magic, I could not hope for a better friend than Brightflare. Then there is Falling Star… my mind blurs at the thought of her, but nopony is more prepared than her to scoff in the face of danger.

I wished they had all been able to stay with me, but with just Stoic and I, we could still be a formidable force. If this gryphon wished me harm, we wouldn’t make it easy for him. After dealing with them I would likely have to leave again, though, and I loathed the idea of losing Warmhearth. She has been a great friend to me. If I needed to I would run, but if by any means I could avoid it, I would.

Lost as I was in my thoughts I nearly walked right past the door to the inn. I gently pushed the door open and moved inside. Unlike previous visits, the room was crowded with ponies. I gently pushed my way through the throng of ponies, trying to avoid spilling any of their drinks. It seemed there was another showpony in town. Her voice held the room in her thrall, and even I couldn’t resist swaying with the beat. I made my way up to the bar and greeted Warmhearth.

“Hello Warmhearth, quite a night for business isn’t it?” I asked.

“Yes, absolutely, Stoic asked me to tell you when you got here, you can find him upstairs in the room on the right, he want to talk to you about something,” she answered quickly before she was called away by an impatient customer.

“Thanks Warm, I’ll go right up, good luck with this crowd,” I called after her. I then quickly headed through the door to the backroom and up the stairs. With a knock, Stoic called me in. He was looking over a map of the area, with the place we had been asked to meet with the gryphon circled.

He spoke quickly, immediately getting to the point. “I have looked over the place we agree to meet, and I don’t see a way to be sure it isn’t a trap. I am not sure you should meet up with them at all; it’s too risky.”

Once again his old military connections were obvious. Though he tried to appear calm it was clear he had spent several hours trying to decide on the right tactics with which to approach this meeting.

“Yes Stoic, it probably is a trap, but if we don’t meet them I will never find out why they want to meet with me, and also how they found me. I know black isn’t the most common of coat colors, but they shouldn’t have been able to find me just from that. I’m afraid this meeting needs to happen. This is true now more than ever, my cave has been found, there is clear evidence as to my draconic nature there. They could reveal my secret which could endanger all who have helped me. We can’t allow that to happen. ” I said, shaking my head.

“I figured you would say something like that,” Stoic said, his face quickly turning to a sly grin, “So I already thought up the least risky plan. We will show up two hours before we were told to meet, then we will have the advantage. The building only has two entrances so we will be able to keep track of both quite easily. They picked the meeting spot well, there is no one living in or around this building, which means no one will tell the guards if they hear anything, or be in danger should a fight break out. I can’t do any more without having some clue as to their intentions.”

I thought quickly over Stoic’s plan, and his method of turning the tables on the trap seemed like an excellent idea. “Okay Stoic, this should work. Now, do we have an exit strategy?”

“Yes, there are windows on each side of the ground floor, just the right height to jump out of. If anything bad happens, we split up, I will run to the north window, and you to the south. The north window is close to another building, to which I have obtained the keys. I can hide there, but you are on your own. You will need to fly, and fly fast. I’ve seen gryphons who can keep up with the most talented of pegasi. I hope you get some rest tonight, you are going to need it.”

“Great work Stoic. I’ll get to sleep early, I want to be ready tomorrow. You know, you are pretty good at this, just how high ranked were you, back in your military days?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

“I knew I’d have to talk about this if I went into tactics.” Stoic said, with a rather dour expression. “I had reached the rank of Staff Sergeant. I was in charge of training the younger recruits and control of a unit. I was good at it too; I had risen in the ranks faster than nearly any other officer had. I was on the fast track to becoming one of Celestia’s greatest generals. Then the greatest thing in my life happened.”

“What was it Stoic, what could be so great it could pull you off that path?” I asked.

“I fell head over hooves for one of my soldiers. This is generally frowned upon, but we were young and in love. She was only two years younger than me, and she was called Silvershield. We saw each other whenever we could get away from our duties, it wasn’t long before things got a little crazy. We found out I was going to be a father and we had to ask for leave. Celestia has a soft spot for love stories, and we both secured several years of family leave, but I was made to promise to return to my rank at the end of that allotted time.”

“That seems as great a reason to stop as any, but why then are you so unwilling to talk about it?” I questioned. Fatherhood was an acceptable reason to leave, and if he was meant to go back anyway, why was he working for a mercenary company?

“Because that isn’t the end of the story… but that’s for another time. I’ve answered your questions, now it’s time for you to answer one of mine,” Stoic said. “What is it you plan to do after this? Sell the treasure you found and then just return to looking for more secrets? What drives you to throw yourself into danger’s path as you do?”

“You know that Stoic; I need to prove that my people aren’t monsters. I want my people to be able to reveal themselves. I don’t expect you to understand, you have never had to hide what you are. I search for knowledge and secrets because it is all I have. I can’t be with my family for fear of endangering them. I can’t lay down roots and start a new life because I am so scared, so scared that ponies will see me as a monster again. I can’t stop until the truth is known.” I said, speaking vehemently, almost as if I were possessed.

“And if you can never prove it?” Stoic asked. “What if the evidence eludes you, and you are left running? I would like to offer you an alternative. I could try and pull some strings, get you accepted as a mercenary with the Shieldstallions. You are a strong fighter, and we could use more ponies like you.”

I was shocked, and for a moment, I considered the idea. If I joined with an organization, they may be able to protect me. Or, I could draw attention to them, make them more vulnerable… No, I couldn’t accept. “I thank you for your kind offer, but I can not take you up on it. If you will excuse me, I need to get to sleep… we have a big day tomorrow.”

Stoic stomped his hoof, seeming frustrated. “You are so stubborn! Why can’t you just take the easy way? Ugh, fine then, go get some sleep. We can talk more tomorrow.”

“Alright, goodnight then Stoic,” I said.

He grumbled in response. As I left I heard him mumble under his breath, “He is too much like Courage.”

I had no idea what this could mean, but I just shrugged it off and headed back to my room. My usual routine of barricading my door and removing my disguise soon complete, I curled up on my bed. I knew the dreams would come again tonight, though. I sighed and let the darkness take me.

Just as I expected my night was full of dreams. They were…unpleasant, to say the least. I was on trial, where I sat at the defendants table, and was alone. I was accused of the burning of an Earth pony village. Innocent though I was the evidence all stood against me. Despite my claims I was found guilty and the jury demanded my death, the court quick to agree. The only fitting punishment, it was agreed, was for me to burn as the village had burned. Dragonfire seared my flesh. I felt everything as my mane and fur burned away, I was burned to the bone. Every moment of pain, every iota of suffering filled my mind.

Then the scene changed again, and I saw the one who had truly burned the village. A mad unicorn cackling in the nearby trees laughed as I burned. I knew somehow he had gotten away with things like this before and that he would go unstopped for a long while unless someone stopped him.

This was my goal, I knew. I would find the truth, and reveal it to the world. Regardless of the cost to myself, the world would know. Madness is not found within a single race. I knew that the events in my nightmares often occurred in the past, but if I could change things then history would not be allowed to repeat itself.

The Gryphon's Gambit

Mystery of the Draconics

Chapter 14

Gryphon’s Gambit

I was awakened early by the sound of Stoic pounding on my bedroom door. I rubbed my arm across my face and shook my head, trying to clear my head. “Come on kid, we need to get going, we want to be there before they are! Get your lazy flank up!” Stoic called through the door.

“I’m up Stoic; I’ll be down in a few minutes.” I answered. I looked out the window and saw that dawn had yet to arrive. I grumbled to myself, “How does a stallion so old have so much energy? It’s incredible.” I quickly disassembled my barricade and returned all the furniture to their proper places.

The room in order I put on my cloak and hurried out the door and down the stairs. I found Stoic at the bar downstairs talking to Warmhearth. I walked in but tried not to interfere with their conversation. “I am just telling you, you need to be careful Stoic, you’re strong but you aren’t as young as you used to be.” Warmhearth said.

“I know that, and I promise I’ll be careful.” Stoic answered, trying his best to be reassuring. “We need to head out now, but I promise I’ll come back to you. Okay?”

At that moment, when he said those words, I saw Stoic as he must have been once. He was not the old warhorse in aging armor he now is, he was the young warrior. He was the stallion who could command a battlefield by his presence alone with his armor shining in the sun.

“I trust you,” Warmhearth said nuzzling Stoic’s side, “But still, keep safe, please.”

Stoic turned to me and said, “Well let’s get going lad; we’ve got work to do.”

We both pulled up our hoods and headed out the door. The sun had still not risen but the meeting was for noon, at least we would have all the time we needed to scope out the place. The sky was dark with clouds. It appeared there would be a storm that night.

As we arrived at the address Stoic looked over to me and began going over the plan again. He would hide behind the stacked crates in the corner, allowing me to appear alone. The gryphon and his companions were unlikely to be aware that I had backup. We couldn’t jump to conclusions though; I had to hear why they were looking for me. They knew about my secret and I didn’t want to need to run away again, especially with a near complete library down in the Druid’s chambers to research.

“If we are lucky there won’t be more than just a few ponies with the gryphon,” Stoic said, “We can probably handle it if there are only two with him, but any more than that and we should make escape our top priority.”

“That’s when we jump out the windows, right?” I asked. Stoic nodded. “Okay, let’s head inside.”

The inside was a little bit on the dark side, but that was to our advantage. It would keep them from noticing Stoic. We found a few crates and stacked them in a position that would leave no way for Stoic to be seen from any entrance or window.

We agreed upon a signal to cue Stoic to emerge from behind the crates. I would drag my hoof across the floor three times. The sharpened tips of my hooves would ensure this would make enough noise for Stoic to hear it. Stoic walked back behind the crates and I took up my post in the center of the room, watching the front door.

I wasn’t sure if wearing my disguise was the right choice, but without know the true intentions of these ponies and gryphon, I would rather be disguised than not. Even if they knew about my talent for fire breath, at least I could continue fooling them about my appearance. I kept my pendant on to disguise my eyes, they were the secret I was least comfortable with giving away.

Time passed and the hour of our meeting drew closer, and just as I had expected a storm began. The slow tapping sound of drops on the roof grew quicker, and soon it was apparent that the rain had grown quite heavy. The steady rhythm made my eyelids feel heavy but I was determined to concentrate on the matter at hand, it wouldn’t be long now before the gryphon arrived.

The door swung open and no less than five hooded figures entered the warehouse. They fanned out with the four smaller figures still seeming to guard the larger. Then with an almost creepy level of coordination they all dropped their hoods at once. There were among them two pegasi, a unicorn and an earth pony. The gryphon stood at the front, and much to my surprise he was wearing a pendant similar to my own in appearance, but his featured the darker alicorn more prominently.

He opened his beak and began speaking. I thought it was odd he had no accent, he sounded as if he’d been living among ponies for most, if not all, of his life.

“Ah, you must be Wanderwing,” He said, almost friendly, “You are not an easy pegasus to find, then again…you aren’t most pegasi are you? That’s right I know you secret.”

I glared at him, but refused to acknowledge I knew what he meant. “Oh, and just what secret is that?”

“Your draconic blood may be hidden to some, but it hasn’t escaped my notice, or the notice of my employer. I have been sent by somepony very powerful to find you. The Celestial Sisters have some questions they believe you can answer.”

“What would the royal sisters want with me?” I asked, nearly to stunned to speak.

“I’m not allowed to tell you that,” he said, “I was simply told to find you and convince you to come back with me to Canterlot. I have however been authorized to use force if it is necessary, but I deplore violence and would much rather you come willingly.”

I sighed; it didn’t look like there would be an easy way out of this one. “You don’t leave me many options. I suppose I will have to.” I quickly dragged my hoof across the floor three times, and Stoic and I both ran for the windows.

Now it was the gryphon’s turn to sigh. “Ugh, would you mind catching them please Trip?” The unicorn in his group began to channel magic through his horn. Before we even made it to the windows we were both caught in a complicated snare spell. I struggled in vain against the force holding my hooves to the ground. Stoic managed another slow shaking step forward but then was stuck as well.

“I knew this wouldn’t go smoothly,” said the Earth pony, “Maybe we should torch the inn, I bet that would change their minds pretty quick.”

“An interesting idea… I abhor violence but if we have no other choice then it may work. What do you think, Wanderwing? Stoic? Would you sacrifice those you care about, just to deny a peaceful offer?” The gryphon asked.

“NO!” yelled Stoic and began struggling even harder against the magic holding him.

“Okay,” I said, “you’ve made your point, I’ll come with you, it’s clear I can’t escape this time. But let my friend here go, he has nothing to do with this.”

Stoic then spoke up again, “Wander if you think I’m just going to walk away when you need me more than ever you aren’t as smart as I thought, if you are going I’m going with you.”

“Surprisingly loyal for a mercenary,” the gryphon said, “Okay then, let’s get going. We have a carriage waiting outside, you can let them go now Trip, they should be fine, but keep an eye on them just in case.”

“You’ve got it boss.” The unicorn called Trip answered. He spoke quickly but not harshly, as if even his words were bait for a trap. “Come on, let’s get moving.”

We were led outside to find an extremely stately carriage awaiting us. Stoic and I exchanged nervous glances and moved inside. The gryphon, unicorn, and earth pony joined us inside while the two pegasi joined the pull team. I was surprised we could all fit inside; some form of enchantment must have been used to expand its space.

The carriage began to move, and before long it was flying. We sat in silence for a few minutes, but then the gryphon looked across to me and began to speak. “I am sure you have some questions, but I must ask you to allow me to explain before you ask. I am a loyal servant of the Celestial Sisters, I have been sent to collect you by the younger of the two. Apparently Princess Luna has a few questions about what you know about the Druid order, and the remainder of the Draconic ponies.”

I nodded and said, “Pardon my ignorance, but I wonder why exactly the Princess of the Moon cares about my kind, let alone me. How did you even find out about me? And why are the Druids so important? They are supposed to be wiped out.”

“I do not know, I am just the messenger, the Princess only tells me what I need to know. I guess even being among the most loyal I’m still under suspicion.” The gryphon, whose name I still did not know said with a sigh.

Stoic, who had grown tired of sitting quietly said, “Just what should we call you anyway? Other than your unicorn friend there we haven’t been introduced.”

“Ah yes, where are my manners?” He said, shaking his beaked head, “I am Goldbeak. I was born in Canterlot, and raised among the nobles there. I became a vassal of the Princesses, and I have served them for many years. These others are my escort, mercenaries not unlike yourself who I keep on retainer to protect me during my endeavors.”

He pointed a claw to each of his partners in turn, “The unicorn you have already met is Trip, and he specializes in trap magic, containment, and things like that. The earth pony beside him is Hardhoof, I’m sure you can guess what he is good at. Its good you choose not to fight us, or you’d surely have been out like a light.”

“The two pegasi outside are a pair of siblings, the Twin Winds, as they have been called. The brother happens to be an accomplished medic, and the sister can find just about anyone, given a few clues. No one knows their true names, just the group name they go by. They also have a strange habit of finishing each other’s sentences.”

“Now we have a long flight ahead of us, I suggest you get some rest while you can, you are sure to be busy once we arrive.” He ceased talking and simply sat looking out the window of the door we came in.

Hours passed, and Stoic eventually managed to fall asleep, I could never sleep in such close quarters with others, so I waited and thought. I was extremely worried about meeting the Princesses who had been built up for most of my life as powerful ponies who would harm me if they knew who I was, and yet all others seemed assured they were kind and gentle rulers.

I looked down at the pendant I always wore, that symbolized loyalty to the sisters, and I wondered if I had been living in fear for no reason. I couldn’t be sure, I had to meet them…I had many questions to ask.

After many hours of sitting in silence we arrived in Canterlot, the carriage touched down and the door swung open. Stoic awoke with a start and grumbled something unintelligible.

Goldbeak spoke once again, “We must get you to the audience chambers, let’s get moving.”

I gulped and we began walking into the imposing castle carved into the mountain. The place would be beautiful under any other circumstance, but as fearful as I was it seemed looming, and intimidating.

I would have to keep moving forward…and hope for the best.

Royal Request

Mystery of the Draconics
Chapter 15 Royal Request

We walked through the high ceilinged hallways, through numerous sets of guards in the standard intimidating gold armor. The guards all seemed to know and recognize Goldbeak, but most seemed to look down at me, like they were trying to dissect me with their sight.

We reached a set of tall doors painted a dark blue, the color of night sky and even dotted with small stars. Goldbeak asked the two guards in dark armor to open the door; they nodded and pulled the doors aside. Goldbeak nodded inside and said, “Her majesty will be in to see you shortly, I suggest you try and be as polite as possible. Answer her questions as directly as you can, and don’t lie to her,” he winked, “She always knows.”

I headed inside and sat down at the table in the center of the room, it was covered in scrolls and texts, some of which looked to be older than I was. I looked around the room; it looked as though it had spent a long time in disuse and had only recently begun to be used again. I thought over everything that had happened in the last few days. It seemed as though everything had spiraled out of control. I finally catch a break and find more clues about my people and suddenly there is a cult of druids! Then, as if that weren't enough, I get captured by the princesses I had spent my entire life hiding from.

The door at the back of the room opened suddenly and a pony taller than any I’d ever seen walked through. Her mane sparkled with magic and an image of the night sky flickered through it. I had heard stories of the beauty and majesty of the royal sisters, but none lived up to seeing them face to face. She brought no guards with her and yet I had no doubt she could stop me with a thought if I tried to attack her or escape.

“So, you are this draconic I have been told about,” she said in a voice the belied her power and age. She spoke gently as if to a foal. “Wanderwing is what they call you, correct? You may call me Princess Luna.”

I bowed and said, “That is my name. Now if I may be so bold, why have you summoned me, and why can you see through my pendant’s magic?”

She laughed, not mockingly but with a beautiful ringing, and said, “I am an alicorn and a master of illusion magic; a spell on a basic charm holds no power over me. But it is a familiar spell work… ah Twilight Sparkle did this! However did you meet her? Oh, now I am asking you questions before I finish answering yours. I summoned you here to ask for your assistance, and also… to ask for your forgiveness.”

I cocked my head slightly in confusion. “You haven’t wronged me, not personally anyway. Whatever could you be sorry about?”

Suddenly she appeared sad, nearly distraught with sorrow. “Young one, it was I who created the spell that caused your birth to be mixed with dragon’s blood. In a dark time in my life I misused my power in a bid for supremacy over my sister… for that I am eternally sorry.”

I felt a dark rage burn within me for a moment, but was able to suppress it. Seeing somepony so powerful willing to admit they had done wrong spoke of an even greater strength of character than the wrong they’d done. “While not all my kind may forgive you, I at least am willing to forgive; we all make mistakes and while you may have created the spell you are not the one who cast it on yet unborn foals... Back to your reason for calling me here, whatever could a being as powerful as you need my help with?”

She straightened and her face returned to its original regal and businesslike manner, “You have found several of the tomes of the draconic clans already?” I nodded slowly. “I would like for you to find the rest as well as discover the source of the resurgence of the Cult of the Thorned Hoof, or as you have taken to calling them, The Druids. As to why I can not handle this myself; my sister has ruled this land alone for a thousand years in my absence but even we have our limits, she must rest and recover and I must rule in her place until then. The Cult of the Thorned Hoof has caused damage to Equestria before and can not be ignored. If you agree to do this I shall offer you access to the royal coffers and free reign to do as you must until such time as you have completed this task. Also… should you succeed you may even find a place among the court of Canterlot as my servant Goldbeak has. But I must first know your story so far. And please don’t lie to me; I’ve seen your dreams young one.”

I almost accepted immediately. The idea that I could be treated as an equal in this place was a dream come true, and the fact the gryphon Goldbeak already was treated so well was proof that it could happen. I had no idea what she meant by having “seen my dreams,” but I had no doubt she would see through my deception, much like she already had. I sighed and laid the pendant and my books across the table and told her much the same story I have told here already. At the end of my tale she nodded and spoke once more, “Your story is an interesting one, but I can assure you; you are wrong in at least one instance. Unless you attempt to harm my subjects neither I nor my sister would ever have harmed you. Your partners you found for the Druid catacombs would likely be wonderful allies for your next mission, should you choose to accept my offer.”

I had thought about it for all the time it had taken me to tell my story, and I saw no other option than to accept the princess’s generous offer. As for re-recruiting my companions I had no doubt Stoic would join me should I ask him. Falling Star was up in the air but access to the royal coffers may just pique her interest. As for Brightflare, I wasn’t sure, but maybe if I could get the princess to get one of her royal physicians to teach him the strongest medical magic then perhaps he would agree.

“Hmm,” I said, “You may be right there Princess, but Brightflare’s dream was his education, do you suppose you could have one of you royal doctors teach him their spells? That’s the only way I can see that he would join us. If you can add that to your previous offer I will gladly accept this task.”

“That can be arranged, Wanderwing, then the bargain is struck? I believe deals are in this time sealed with a hoofshake?” She offered her hoof and I shook it gently not wanting to offend her. She smiled, clearly excited at having mastered another modern custom. “Now then your companion is relaxing a few rooms over, he seemed a bit worried about you, maybe you should go check up on him? I will have a guard escort the two of you to guest rooms in the castle for the night and you can send out letters to those you need to. You have a lot of work to get started on tomorrow.”

“Thank you, your majesty, I will do my best,” I said and bowed deeply.

“I know you will young one, I know you will,” Luna said before walking back out the door she had entered through. I swept my books back into my bag, and looked down at my pendant, unsure whether to wear it or not. I decided I shouldn’t hide myself while I was here, as a show of good faith.

That night, for the first time in as long as I could remember I didn’t barricade my door and yet still had good dreams.

Journal of a Mad Druid

Mystery of the Draconics

Chapter 12

Journal of a Mad Druid

Suddenly I awoke with a start. Starting to sit up swiftly revealed itself to be a mistake. I groaned and immediately lay back down. There were aches across most of my body, pain centers throbbing in my side and stomach. My mind was blurred by the pain but my instincts had to find out what was happening. I looked around the room and found that I was in a familiar setting; that at least was something to be thankful for.

I had been moved up to my room at the inn while I was unconscious. My wounds had been bandaged, and the healing process was sped up a bit by some sort of magic. This meant I had to have been healed by a doctor; healing magic for cracked bones was advanced stuff. Somepony would need to be medically trained.

Nopony in town knew I was a draconic, and I didn’t have my feather-flaps on, my leathery wings were exposed. My pendant was handing on the bedpost so my eyes showed themselves in their naturally draconic shape. Somepony knew my secret and I do not share that sort of information lightly; I need a certain amount of trust. A sense of worry was developing heavily in my mind. Just then, I heard the sound of approaching hoofsteps from beyond my door.

The doorway swung open admitting a large figure. Stoic walked into my room and looked me over. “So, you are starting to look a little better. Want to tell me exactly how you wound up in a life or death duel? I don’t think that kind of thing just happens around here.”

“Well Stoic,” I said, “You remember the books we got from the catacombs? Specifically the Tome of the Warriors?” He nodded and I continued, “Well the book is part of a set of tomes made by, or for, several clans of draconics. Every one of these books supposedly has a special enchantment on it so you can’t read it unless you pass its test. It just so happens that the test of the Tome of the Warriors is a duel with the previous owner.”

“Wait; there is no way you could have found the previous owner. The catacombs had been sealed for decades, how could the pony who left it there still be around, let alone this close to where they had left it?” he asked.

“No, she was long dead,” I answered.

Stoic seemed flustered, “How could she duel, let alone hurt you if she was dead?”

“She was dead, but the book’s enchantment held an imprint of her being, perhaps even her very soul, within the gem set in its cover. I fought that imprint. It took her form, talked as she talked, and fought as she fought,” I explained, “The battle was difficult, and although I did beat her, it was more luck than anything else. If she had struck a moment sooner I doubt I would be here right now.”

Stoic nodded his head, deep in thought, “Well that’s good news right? You own the book now, fair and square, but I think you may be overlooking something. Doesn’t that mean that if you die your soul will be trapped in the gem as well? That seems a heavy price to pay.”

“Yes it is Stoic. However, I need as much information as I can gather if I am to change the way ponies view my people. For that I am willing to pay any price. I don’t want myself or others to be forced to hide any longer; we will be free,” I said, a fire burning in my eyes.

“I don’t doubt that for a moment,” Stoic replied, “With determination like yours I bet you could sway plenty of hearts and minds. But first, you need to heal up… Also, don’t worry about your secret; the doctor has been very well paid for his… discreetness.”

“Thanks for that Stoic,” I said, nodding appreciatively.

“Don’t thank me,” Stoic let out a chuckle, “Warmhearth is the one you should thank. That’s one hell of a mare you have on your side. I think she is a real firecracker too. Maybe I should ask her out sometime… what do you think lad?”

“Fine by me Stoic, but you treat her right, okay? She has been very good to me; I’d hate to see her hurt,” I said laughing a bit, but stopping as the movement shook my injured side. “Talk to you later Stoic, and good luck.” He left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

Now then, I thought, perhaps it is time to finally claim my rewards. Reaching into the saddlebag beside my bed, I withdrew the Druid’s journal from it. I had decided to wait before reading the tome of the warrior’s as it would undoubtedly make me wish I could be out training.

Opening the journal I found that the entry at the beginning was not signed, in fact there seemed to be no name in any of the first few pages. “Oh well, I suppose I will just need to read without knowing my author,” I said aloud and began to read.

Dear journal,
I have heard stories of the druids, ever mysterious in their ways. I have found a way to join them. I finally left that claustrophobic city and moved into this incredible underground convent. Somehow underground I feel freer and more at peace than I ever was back in Old Hoovesdale. I have seen such incredible, amazing things, things I can’t even explain. I need to stop writing for now; it’s time for my first class. Oh I just can’t wait!

The next journal entry seemed a bit sloppier written, as if the writer was very tired as they penned it.

Who would have though they expect us to tame timberwolves? It’s crazy, and yet that stallion managed it. I do not think it was a good start. I didn’t do very well, I panicked and ran away. I will keep trying though. I choose to see it as a reason to work hard, to get as good at it as I can.

The entry after that was much cleaner, the author had clearly rested through the night and was able to focus better.

This is all so amazing I am beginning to wonder if it’s too good to be true. Living as an earth pony my whole life, watching those around me control magic or fly, I never thought I could go as far as they could. This place though gives me a way to do just that. Not to say there are no unicorns or pegasi among our numbers, but there are definitely fewer. Here the Earth Ponies are the majority. Here we are strong, and we can be equals. I’ve started talking to the two elder members that are stationed here. They told me that when druids join the order they spend a few months, or even years here, learning how to better commune with nature and use the abilities that make us so special. Every year in the month of Hay, the leader comes here and tests the students and decides their assignments, whether to change between this place and another coven, or to stay here and keep learning.

So, that explained the library then, the church had been a training ground for Druids long ago. Very interesting, I thought as I read on.

Today I saw something I would have thought impossible. We were working on the garden outside the church that is the coven’s entryway. It is tiring work but simple enough. When suddenly I noticed something; somehow as my hooves dug through the soil I began to sense something. It was like I had developed a connection into the very ground itself. I could feel the life in and around it. I could feel the worms digging beneath it, and the grass growing atop it. I think I might finally have a clue to my special talent. I can’t wait to see how strong I can make this connection. That cutie mark is as good as mine.

What? The pony who was writing this journal was a child? Living without their parents in a Druidic compound? This was very different from what I had expected. I thought ponies, full grown adults, would need to choose to join the druids. This meant that either this child had willingly been passed over by their parents or they had been coerced into joining.

The entries continued, becoming less frequent as time went on, but describing great leaps in the abilities the author presented, I read a few more, and after a few months of entries there was a very excited passage.

I finally did it! I’ve got my cutie mark! I can hardly believe it. We were working with the timberwolves again today, and I have finally gotten over the fear of them I had when I first came here. It was time for some of the pods that had been carried from the Everfree forest to hatch, giving birth to a brand new batch of timberwolf cubs. Each student got to pick one pod to hatch, and we would be in charge of taking care of the cub. The braver students picked the largest pods, wanting to show the teachers how great they are. I was going to pick one of the smaller ones when I felt a tug. The same strange tugging feeling I got when we were gardening that day. But it was also a different sensation, a kind of call, like something wanted me to find it. I searched through the pile of timberwolf pods, each one filled with the same greenish fluid. At the very bottom of the pile there was one that was different. Still rather small at about the size of a hoofball, there was one filled with a light purple instead of green. I had no idea what this meant but when I asked one of the teachers they seemed shocked. “It’s a future den mother’s pod. They are very rare and fragile; it’s incredible it even survived the trip here,” she had said.

A few hours later they all started hatching and a small pup crawled from each. Their vines were green with new growth. Mine hatched as well and out came the future den mother. She didn’t look much different, but when she growled all the other pups froze. I patted her on the head gently with one of my hooves and she calmed and made the slight purring sound a timberwolf makes when it is happy. Then one of the other students, a unicorn named Greenhorn, pointed at my flank from across the room. I looked back to see what was the matter and saw the purple pod had appeared as my cutie mark. The teachers say this means I am meant for great things as a Druid, I could be really important! Oh I am just so excited.

I woke up this morning and found that my timberwolf, who I’ve decided to name Gaea after an earth spirit I read about in the library, has grown much faster than the others. She is already as tall as me, almost half as tall as the teachers. She still obeys me perfectly though; it is almost as if she sees me as her mother. I have done so much research on the topic but I can not find a single case in which a den mother has imprinted on a filly like me, they usually need to be caged and controlled. I am beginning to think it won’t always need to be that way. There is just a moth before the leader comes. I have learned that he is the stallion who founded the order; he has lived to an incredible age, and his power and connection to the heart of the forest have only grown with his wisdom. Some say he can grow an entire forest if he wills it. I do not know how such a thing is possible, but then again I can communicate with timberwolves, so who am I to say what is or isn’t possible?

Who was this founder? What was the name of this ancient stallion of incredible power? Who could he be? Why has he escaped any sort of public history or knowledge? I was given far more questions than answers by this journal. The thought crossed my mind that perhaps I could be just a little out of my league. I would worry about that later; there were more entries to read now.

This is wonderful! The teachers all say I am progressing at a great pace. I am leaving all the other students behind, and our headmistress is going to begin giving me private classes. She says I have great potential, that I could surpass even her one day, maybe even someday soon.

I began my advanced classes today. They had decided it was time to let me know a secret. The druid order had long ago discovered something very powerful, a kind of magic, an ancient kind of long forgotten magic, which all races of pony were capable of learning to control. They then told me that I would be able to use this magic, that I was some sort of prodigy. Channeled through the hooves instead of a horn, this magic allowed direct contact with the natural force that resides within all things. Using this magic you could restore life to dying crops, stop droughts, and even cause plants to grow in places they should not be able to. This seems impossible but I know it is true. I can use it after all. I started with a dead rosebush and finished with it in full bloom, thorns and all. These are the greatest classes yet.

That’s impossible. I’ve heard stories of the connection druids could develop with nature but to call it a school of magic was insane, almost heretical. And yet, did it not explain the strange green glow of the ceiling in the underground grove? The strange variety of plants there, the timberwolves flourishing in a place that could likely provide very little to no food at all, all of it could be explained through this magic. I would need to ask for help on this research, perhaps call in a magic specialist. I read on hoping for more answers.

Great news; I’ve progressed so far that when Mr. Brambleheart, our leader, came to check on how our studies were progressing he decided that I should travel with him for a while. He says he want to retire someday. Nopony lives forever after all; I think he wants me to become his replacement when the time comes. I won’t be around here for a few months; this will be my last entry for a while. I know Gaea will miss me but she will wait until I get back. She’s a good girl, and will obey the teachers here.

There were a few blank pages here, but none were damaged. After that entries began again, seemingly the same hoofwriting but different somehow, more developed perhaps.

Oh my, after these three long years my journal is still right where I left it. Hello my old friend, it is good to write in these pages again. I have returned after studying abroad with Brambleheart to be the new headmistress at this old training center. I am still set to take his place should his age finally overcome him, but I doubt this will happen any time soon. Just as my younger self predicted, Gaea waited well for me, and oh how she has grown. She is nearly at the right age for her to begin the den mothering process for which she was born, but certain requirements must be met first. A den mother requires a den after all.

Construction began today, unlike the construction of our ancient church however we will not need to bribe diamond dogs or get any other outside help to build the den. I will use my influence over Gaea to control the other timberwolves into digging out the old dead end tunnel and carving out a sky-bowl type structure. This will take some time but is not the hard part of this project. I will need all the skill Brambleheart taught me, as well as to borrow from the energy of the best students here, after I teach them of course, to use the false sky spell. This will supply a limitless amount of light just as nourishing as that of the sun for the brood to feed from. Timberwolves need sunlight to reproduce, they can survive without it if fed through other means but that process requires it, and we cannot simply have a brood of timberwolves sauntering around so near to the village outside. I also have had a collar crafted by one of the craftsponies from the main base back in Everfree for Gaea. It will have her name on it in our runes, and also it will be enchanted to grow as she does. I hope she likes it.

The construction of the den’s structure is complete. However, the cave is still barren and I have underestimated the supply of magic I will need to cast the false sky spell. I have found an easy…if unsavory method to use to fertilize the soil within it, though. I’ve always found graveyards to be a waste of room; why waste the resources when you could help the land grow by simply burying the bodies where they are needed? I’m sure no pony will miss a few.

I think a few of the other ponies stationed here are beginning to doubt me. They say I’m mad, and stealing the dead is wrong even if you use it to improve the land. That’s just fine then, I don’t need them, I’ll move my bed into the middle of the den with Gaea, I won’t need to worry about what they think then.

Ha, HA, I knew I would find a way to do it; I’ve managed the false sky spell. I just had to borrow a little life force for the magic, normal plants would usually be enough but this is one of the greatest spells in the Druidic school of magic. I can create some energy myself without having any negative effects from it but sometimes we need to use a bit of something, or somepony else’s energy for the strongest ones. Brambleheart doesn’t know yet but I think I’ve worked out his little secret. I took all the timberwolves except for Gaea into the chamber, and all of the students, even the other teachers. I began casting the spell, draining their energy as well as my own, and the ceiling began to glow and give off that healthy nourishing light. I used some of my own energy to grow different plants and trees including a dome for myself and Gaea to sleep in shaped from trees over my bed at the center. I stopped, satisfied with the spell work. The other ponies were drained, not dead but very tired. The timberwolves were not so lucky; the spell had drained all of their energy.

The spell has worked, I slept with Gaea curled around me last night and awoke to the sound of her scratching at the ground. She birthed several of the pods and lovingly piled dirt around them. My mission had been a success and soon I would even be able to replace the small loss I caused. The others are mad at me for what I’ve done… A druid’s best companion is their timberwolf, after all. What can they do to me though? My Gaea will protect me. They are all simply jealous of the power I wield and will settle in time. And if not, there is always dear Brambleheart’s greatest spell I could use. Speaking of, I have heard he is coming by again soon, I can’t wait to see what he thinks of what I’ve accomplished. I hope I’ve done you proud master.

He says he loves what I’ve done, but knows the others are not ready for this kind of magic. He is moving the training post, and making this simply a research station for my magic, and a vault of powerful items. He is forcing me to leave with them; I am the best teacher he has and still I am his next in line. I refused him though, saying I could not abandon Gaea. He threatened me then, for the first time not simply making me feel special, but making me feel like I should rule. I refused him, denied his request and said I wished only to be alone with my work. They left me here with Gaea, all alone just the two of us, but not for long, her brood will hatch soon, and I’ll have a whole pack to serve me.

Only one entry was left after that one. It was short, and spattered with dirt.

He said I could lead…but couldn’t just leave me alone. He must have told the villagers I took their dead. They are coming for me. I’m not sure the spell door will hold them back long, I need to try and stop them, and they can’t be allowed to harm my children! I would sooner die.

That was the end of the journal of the mad druid.

The sun had moved through the sky and night had nearly arrived. Shortly after I finished the journal Warmhearth brought me in some soup for dinner. “Don’t think this is free, it’s all still going on your tab. Just because you are a nice colt doesn’t mean I don’t have a business to run,” she said, still innocently joking. “Now if you will excuse me I need to be going, I’ve got somewhere to be.”

“Thanks Warmhearth,” I said, a grin forming on my face, “Stoic finally got around to asking you out then?”

“Maybe, but that’s none of your business is it?” she replied with a bit of a huff. She left the room and I curled up to sleep. My last thought was that I hoped I would be well enough tomorrow to get back to training.