Chapters A thunderous boom echoed from the imposing iron door. The large iron beam barring the door groaned as it was berated from the other side. The chains crossed in front of the door jangled gleefully with the pounding of the enemy. Dust and dirt rained down from the edges, filling the air with the dull powder as it rained listlessly downward.
The door was an ancient monument forged of thick black iron. Etched onto the door was a scene from an ancient battle long past. Equines of all races pushed back the shadows and sealed them inside this very cave. Even time could not mar its beauty or tarnish its grandeur. Etched onto it was a single passage;
“Through me the way to the suffering city.
Through me the way to everlasting pain.
Through me the way that runs among the Lost.
Justice urged on our exalted Celestia.
Divine Power made me.
The Supreme Wisdom and the Primal Love.
Nothing was made before me but eternal things, And I endure eternally.
Abandon all hope - You Who Enter Here”
Steel-plated soldiers were positioned around the massive door embedded into the mountain, all in deadly silence, listening to the echoes of the thundering assault.
They were stationed on a large island in the sea south of Equestria. This inhospitable land was once known as Howlrokin. White mountain peaks rose from the sea like a giant set of teeth, as light of the midday sun shone down onto them. Nothing, not even weeds or rodents, would dare to survive in this barren land.
The encampment was designed not only to protect Equestria, but the entire world. A single, well-armed platoon was posted there by order of Princess Celestia to guard the door. It was their sworn duty to ensure the door remained closed at all cost. If they should fail, the dark creatures sealed within would be free once more.
Commander Steelwing stepped closer to the gate. He was a proud and strong pegasus with a light grey coat. His mane and tail were both black and cut short in the military fashion. Embossed upon his flank was an image of a winged steel shield.
"They're really going at it this month," he joked. He made sure to speak loudly enough for the soldiers to hear him over the booming echoes and rattling chains.
A private-ranked pegasus approached the commander. "Sir, is it really true that they force ponies to slave away in their mines?" He gulped audibly, "And that they rub pegasi wings to satisfy their sick fetishes?"
“How long have you been here, private?” sighed Steelwing.
“15 days, sir,” he replied sharply.
"Looks like you've already picked up on those rumors," Steelwing continued, "but I have commanded this encampment for a year now." He flared his wings proudly and boasted, "This door has stood for a thousand years and it will stand for a thousand more! THEY ARE NOT GETTING THROUGH ON MY WATCH!"
As if in response to the commander's words, two more thuds rocked the iron door, as if two heavy objects were thrown against it.
"See there, private? This is a marvel of the Ancient Equestrian blacksmiths!" Steelwing proclaimed, proud of his people's accomplishment.
Then, as if in defiance of the ancient blacksmiths, the door buckled against the mightiest blow thus far. The iron beam barring the door bent slightly and thin cracks appeared across the door. Smoke billowed from the small cracks in the metal.
“What the hell was that, sir?” cried a soldier in disbelief.
“How..." Steelwing couldn't even articulate his disbelief, then the door exploded outward.
Purple flames licked around the shattered remains of the door. Shattered iron shards ripped through the soldiers, shredding them to bloody pieces. One piece struck Steelwing's right wing, fracturing his bones in several places. Before he could even register the pain, another shard struck his head. The blow forced him to the ground and only his extensive training kept him from losing consciousness.
Shadows burst forth from the destroyed entryway. They surrounded the entire battlefield, shrouding it in darkness. Only their pure white eyes pierced the veil of shadow. Several shadowy figures detached themselves from the circling mass and leaped out with flashing claws and teeth.
The earth ponies fell by claw and fang. Several pegasi attempted to fly away, but they were knocked down as more shadows leaped onto them from the tall cliffs which surrounded the encampment. The remaining forces crowded together forming a ring around their commander. Then the unicorns summoned their magic. They created a barrier of vicious flames that surrounded the platoon, keeping the shadows out.
The remaining platoon encircled their commander, hoping he could come up with some great plan to save them all.
“Sir, what do we do!?” asked the trembling sergeant.
The commander, teetering on the edge of consciousness, forced himself to give an order straight out of textbook training, “The main goal is to get somepony out of here. We must get a message to Celestia in Canterlot.”
“Now THAT would be quite the feat,” growled a disembodied voice from the shadows.
"SHOW YOURSELF!" ordered Steelwing. Without a physical being to identify, he scanned the shadows fervently, wary of any movement.
"Of course that would be the kind thing to do, but then again I don't care much for pleasantries. But if you insist..."
One of the shadows separated from the swirling mass. It strolled straight through the wall of roaring flames. The fire simply parted to allow passage for the beast.
The soldiers gaped in disbelief. They couldn't fathom a creature that could simply walk through such powerful magic unfazed.
A brave unicorn charged his horn and launched a ball of energy at the approaching shadow. Surprisingly, it shattered just before impact and passed harmlessly around the shadow.
"Nothing should have the power to dispel magic that strong!" exclaimed Steelwing, who was still fighting to remain conscious. More shadows prowled uninhibited through the flames.
Then as if to announce their return, the shadow that had approached them howled, his howl dispersed the shadows that kept their enemy hidden.
Steelwing blinked his eyes to regain focus. When his vision cleared, he saw a figure that would haunt his nightmares.
A wolf, larger than any pony, sauntered in front of the platoon. His bristly fur was black as shadows, except for his dark grey underbelly which clashed against his fur in a wave pattern. His eyes glinted in the light of the flames, revealing vicious red stripes across his black irises. Plated iron armor etched with pulsating purple lines covered his body, and adorning his head was a simple crown circlet made from something that looked suspiciously like polished bone.
“Hello, PO-ny,” cheered the wolf as his eyes locked with the commander
“Demon!” spat Steelwing.
The wolf roared with a crackling laughter which echoed through the devastated encampment. Limp bodies of the dead laid scattered across the ground, staining the white stone with pools of blood. The smell of death and smoke was heavy in the air.
"We are not the demons here, pony. We are the WOLFKRINE!" howled the wolf. The shadowy figures echoed his howl, dispelling the shadows that hid them. Each wolf was as black as night, and they wore armor like their leader.
“And I am King Versailles,” sneered the king as all the wolves fell silent.
"Let us go! We have no means to harm you. Attacking the defenseless is dishonorable," demanded Steelwing.
"Honor is a weakness which we rid ourselves of long ago. Especially after your kind forced us underground centuries ago. As for letting you go..." he flashed the commander a toothy grin, "I intend to, after this." He gestured to his followers, "Keep the pegasi and the commander alive. Do what you will with the others."
The wolves dove into their slaughter. The rest of the fight was a blur of claws and teeth smashing against hooves and swords. The platoon was no match for the ferocious wolves. Although the king intended for more Pegasi to remain alive, only two remained, excluding Steelwing.
The king waved a paw and motioned to the pegasi to leave. They took to the air and flew as fast as they could. One of wolves' eyes glowed white. A spear lying beside a unicorn corpse levitated in a white aura.
“Captain, how many pegasi does it take to send a message?” the king asked the wolf with the glowing eyes.
“One,” answered the wolf, as he smirked and sent the spear flying toward its target.
Despite the agonizing pain in his broken wing, Steelwing snapped his head around to watch as a pegasus plummeted to the ground. It was the same private he had comforted earlier. Hatred welled up within Steelwing. Pure rage burned in his heart and mind.
“You… bastard! They were fleeing!” Steelwing screamed and spat at the king.
Before the king could reply, an unarmored wolf crept from behind the broken door. He stepped tentatively toward the light.
"Stop, you fool!" shouted one of the wolves. He froze in his tracks just before reaching the rays of sunlight touching the ground.
"The light could kill you if you are not protected by our armor," explained the king in a calm tone, "But why are you here, Wolfkin? Rebellion in the lower zones? The wealthy complaining about taxes? Trivial matters like that?"
“Your son sent me to ask you if the armor and Mithrilian explosives had worked as designed.”
The king ran up to the wolf and struck him down with a paw. He then stood menacingly over the messenger.
“What did you say?" the king snarled accusingly. The messenger cringed in fear. He knew that he had made a terrible mistake mentioning his son.
"S-sorry, sire! M-my deepest apologies! Please allow me to rephrase." He paused to think. "The royal engineer asks if Your Majesty is enjoying his new equipment."
“Yes, compliments to the engineer for focusing and improving our powers,” the king replied sarcastically.
Inspecting his armored claw, he continued, “Wolfkin, grab the commander and give him to the royal engineer. He will see if we can exploit any weaknesses that the pegasi may have, and once we have acquired full knowledge of each of the equine races our march can begin!” the King shouted triumphantly to his troops as he shifted his murderous gaze onto Steelwing.
King Versailles strode up to Steelwing. The pegasus blinked as the wolf raised a gleaming armored paw. He braced for the impact, but with one swipe the commander crashed to the ground and his vision faded to black.
Chapter one: The Royal Engineer
Steelwing began to stir from his forced slumber. He attempted to open his eyes, but he found that his vision was obscured by a foggy haze. Relying on his remaining senses, he noticed that the air smelled heavily of copper, precious metals, with a faint stench of burnt paper.
After several attempts to open his mouth, the commander realized that his muzzle was bound with a coarse rope. His legs and left wing were likewise bound; however, he couldn't even feel his right wing. The realization made him jump and he frantically twisted his head to catch a glimpse at the unresponsive appendage. Fortunately, it was still attached to his body, and it was stretched out on a small stone table next to him.
The cuts on his wing had been crudely stitched, but the bones had been properly set. With any luck it would heal with only slight scarring. He may be stuck in a realm of barbarians, but at least they keep their prisoners healthy... to a point.
As his vision cleared, he scanned the room thoroughly. It was a large room, but countless stacks of papers littered the floor, leaving only a small open area. The small area remaining was dominated by a desk, which was overflowing with files, stationary, blueprints for complex machines, and a large mechanical apparatus containing various magnifying glasses.
Stretching his neck to get a full look of the room, he saw that behind him was a pegasus skeleton, and it looked fresh. Continuing his investigation, he noticed an iron door over his right shoulder. It was the only way in or out of this room. They only way he could escape.
The walls were made of smooth grey stone, and what could be seen of the floor was covered in grey stone tiles with iron squares embedded in each tile. A gas powered chandelier bathed the room in warm light.
He heard shuffling behind one of the piles of documents, and he closed his eyes to pretend that he was still unconscious. He heard the gentle padding of paws on the cold tile, followed by the scratch of quill on paper and the soft clacking of the mechanical magnifying glass.
Steelwing cracked open an eye to observe the being who had disturbed the room's ominous silence. An unarmored wolf sat at the desk with his back turned to the injured pegasus. Physically, he looked no different from any of the other wolves, though he was a bit smaller than the king. He was only about the size of a large pony.
Steelwing's eyes burned with rage. The desecrated body behind him filled him with hatred. These wolves had no respect and no honor. It was no wonder that Celestia had banished their kind to dwell in this hole.
He imagined several fitting ends for the wolf, but he was interrupted as the iron door swung open. Steelwing closed his eyes and pretended to be unconscious once again.
He heard the rustle of paper and metal scraping on stone. "Father," he heard the wolf say, but he stopped as a solid thud echoed through the closed chamber.
“I told you never to call me that again, Castor,” growled the second wolf. Steelwing instantly recognised the voice of King Versailles.
The wolf known as Castor whimpered “I- I am so sorry, sire. I forgot my place my place.”
“It is forgiven,” huffed the king. He continued, “do you have anything to report about the equine?”
“I made a report and had it sent to the war room already. It details the pegasus anatomy and physiology, thanks to the help of that pegasus behind the prisoner,” Castor stated.
“So we no longer need the commander?” The air whipped around Steelwing and he felt the clasp of the king's armored claw at his throat.
“STOP!” Castor yelled desperately.
“Why? I thought you were done with your report, hence we no longer require him,” the king queried curiously.
“No, I need a living pegasus so that i could do more tests, like measuring wing speed and aerodynamics,” Castor reasoned calmy.
“Then send him down, make him fly,” the king spoke sharply.
“Sire, his wing is broken,” Castor continued to reason.
“Then he is of no use to us, we have our intelligence provided by the former equine encampment, he has nothing to offer us.” He tightened his grip on Steelwing's throat.
“No! It will only be a week before he can fly again, and it would be unwise to waste an opportunity to study more of this creature,” desperation began to creep back into Castor’s speech.
“Ok then. Since the rest of his body is not faulty, send him to the gladiatorial arena. We will see if this pup can fight for his life,” the king sneered. He released his grip on Steelwing’s throat.
Defeated, Castor continued, “It will be done, my lord. Now about me going to the surface to….”
“I decided to give that job to your brother. You still have the business of our machines to deal with,” he stated coldly.
There was silence for a moment, then Steelwing heard footsteps and the slamming of a door.
Castor muttered to himself, “...of course Silas gets to landscape the surface first. The ungrateful little...”
Steelwing heard the quill scratching on paper once again. He opened his eyes carefully and the wolf said, "I know that you are awake. I can feel your eyes trying to burn through my back. I know because that happens to me a lot."
He turned around to face the commander. His eyes were light grey, but cracks of sapphire blue ran through them. They were peculiar eyes.
“Feel lucky that you get to stay alive... for now.” A trace of sorrow crept into his voice. Steelwing watched as he left the room. Apparently, Castor cut the flow of gas on his way out. The chandelier dimmed and eventually sputtered out, plunging the room into darkness
Castor took only three steps out of the room before he realised he had been cast out of his own workshop. By a prisoner who only looked at him. Shame washed over him as he decided to go back to his room to sleep. On the way there, he saw his younger brother walking straight towards him. As Silas approached, Castor cursed his luck. He smiled sarcastically to greet him.
“Congratulations, brother. You have the glory to survey the land that once was ours,” Castor said with all the fake sincerity possible.
“Dispense with the pleasantries, brother,” Silas said contemptuously, “I heard that you angered father again. When will you learn that you can’t call him ‘daddy’ any more?” he continued snidely, “And your mom isn’t here to protect you anymore.”
“I never needed her to protect me. I can look after myself,” Castor said defiantly.
“Oh, but you can’t. You're just a half-blooded royal. You’re a bastard, no better than the scum living in the lower levels,” Silas barked.
“And yet, oh brother, whenever you are tested against me I come out the alpha. I may be a half-blood, but at least I am not a pup like you. So go run back to that little hole you crawled out of and stay there until you can become something even vaguely resembling a royal,” Castor stated. Proudly ignoring his brothers words.
Seeing that this conversation was going nowhere, Silas turned to leave, but spoke once more, “There will be a day Castor, mark my words, when Versailles’ wrath cannot be stopped. On that day I will be the one chosen to cut off your head,” and with that he strode off down the corridor of gothic stone arches, illuminated by purple Mithrilian lamps.
Standing there in solitary silence Castor thought deeply about what Silas had said. Maybe there would be a day when his father will want him dead, but for now he needed to make sure that he was valuable. He needed to ensure that he was an important asset to the king's plans both now and in the future. Sadly that meant that the prisoner must be sent to the arena. An Arena drenched in the blood and suffering of thousands of wolves. All vying to fight, to win, to survive.
View Online
Chapter Two: A message received and a Descent into Howlrokin
It was a cold night in the glorious city of Canterlot, and the castle was bathed in glistening moonlight. Thousands slept in the comfortable protection of their princess, oblivious to the massacre that had transpired on Howlrokin. They slept, ignorant of the coming storm and of the enemy that they would soon dread.
Stillness permeated the hallways of Canterlot castle, interrupted only by the gentle tread of the night guards' patrols. Celestia was in her room, reading one of the numerous letters sent by her favorite student. She had been awake for hours. An unnatural chill ran down her spine, but she could not fathom why. A heavy pounding on her door pulled her from her reading.
“You may enter,” she said regally.
The door swung open, admitting a stallion with a white coat and a three toned blue mane
“Shining Armour, what are you doing here? Why have you come from the Crystal Empire?” Celestia was truly surprised at the sudden unannounced arrival of Shining, the Captain of the Royal Guard.
“Princess, I came as soon as I heard.” He looked devastated, with bags under his eyes and his mane messed up.
“Heard what, Shining, what has happened?” Celestia said as fear and urgency crept into her voice.
“The Wolfkrine are back.” As much as he didn't want to believe it, he knew those words were the truth.
Celestia was stunned. The lords of shadow had returned, and she must act quickly if she were to prevent their darkness from spreading.
“Captain, awaken all guards and prepare them to defend the southern border. Assemble a war council and place Equestria on high alert. I must speak with my sister." Shining saluted quickly and ran down the hall to tend to his duties. Celestia teleported just outside of her sister's chambers.
Celestia swung the door open without bothering to knock. Luna was stunned at the sudden interruption to her nightly preening, but Luna could sense her sister’s distress.
“Sister, what is troubling your mind? Pray tell,” she said nobly.
“Lulu, do you remember an ancient race known as the Wolfkrine?” Celestia asked.
Luna thought hard. She vaguely remembered them, even after her millennium of imprisonment.
"They were those arrogant wolves who always boasted of their technological superiority, correct? Whatever happened to them?" she queried
“Oh sister, I have a lot to fill you in on, and I have a mission that you must complete….”
=======================================================================
The faint light from the chandelier slowly brightened, warming the cold stones with its flames. Steelwing had spent all night trying to loosen the the ropes that secured him, but they would not budge. He turned his head as the door groaned open and Caster skulked into the room.
Steelwing quickly looked away, refusing to look at his captor's face. Suddenly he felt his bindings slacken and fall to the floor. He saw that the rope had been slashed by the wolf's claws. His relief was short lived as a thick rope noose was thrown around his neck and tightened, almost to the point of choking him.
"Come now, pony. It is time for you to fight for your life," Castor said nonchalantly. He tugged on his end of the rope, dragging Steelwing across the room. Steelwing fought as best he could, but he quickly realized that he could not win this battle.
As Castor led Steelwing out of his workshop, he frantically gleaned every detail he could from his surroundings. If he was ever to escape, then he would need all the information he could get. As they moved through the underground fortress, the only things he noticed were the eerie purple lamps and the imposing gothic archways that they illuminated. The lamps unnerved Steelwing. Something about them felt unnatural, something malevolent.
After walking down the monotonously repetitive hallway, Castor led him through a large doorway framed chiseled from beautiful granite. As they walked through, his eyes widened at the display before him.
There were flowers all over the underground chamber, but they were not normal plants. Each petal was made from some sort of delicate crystal. He was being led through a crystal garden. Sadly, like other gardens, it was not without the pestering insects that nipped at Steelwing as he walked by.
The gardens soon ended and the passage opened up into a massive cavern, large enough to fit an entire city. Grand buildings with towering spires reached up impossibly high, as if to pierce through the very mountain. Alas, the ceiling was lost to their sight. The only things visible aside from the city itself were tiny glistening crystals embedded in the rock, which painted the cavern as if it were an eternal starry night.
Castor paraded Steelwing down the city streets. The pups looked on the pair with curious eyes as the adults looked on them with disgust and contempt. When Steelwing tripped on an uneven stone, the crowd jeered, taunted, cursed, and spat at him. He felt like a criminal being led to his execution.
As they exited the city, Castor led his charge to a deep recession dug from the cavern wall. At the end was a deep vertical shaft with four rusty chains trailing away into the darkness. A single wolf stood guard. As Castor approached, he saluted and said, "Royal Engineer," he glanced quickly at Steelwing, "where are you taking this scum?”
"Just bringing him down to the arena for a little wholesome family fun," Caster said, rolling his eyes.
The guard chuckled as he pulled a lever on the cavern wall. The chains became taut and the clanging of iron gears echoed from the hole.
A small iron cage rose up from the hole. It was rusty and worn from its long term of service. Castor quickly lit a lantern inside the cage and pulled Steeling unceremoniously inside. He then flipped a second lever and the cage descended into the dark abyss.
As the rusty cage descended, rocks ground roughly against the metal sides. Soon a light slipped into the dark tunnel, displaying another city similar to the one above them. Except that this one looked dirtier and smaller than the grand city above. Castor explained as they continued down, leaving the dirty city behind.
Castor's gaze locked on the floor of their steel cage as he explained quietly, "This level houses the middle class. Most are pitiless merchants who prey on the weak and the desperate, but offer very little in return."
Light crept in as another level rose up to meet them, but this time it was tainted with thick smoke. Steelwing could barely see the crumbling buildings through the heady smoke laced with herbs and toxins. While not much could be seen, Steelwing heard plenty. A breaking bottle, a crying female voice, the gentle rattling of dice.
Castor inhaled a small whiff of the thick smoke, then shook his head slowly. "This is the place where wolves go to immerse themselves in selfishness and lust. Many good souls have died here in tainted bliss," he sighed.
The cage ground to a stop as they approached their destination. Steelwing looked over a vast cavern with numerous coliseums scattered around. Raucous cheers and agonizing screams filled his ears.
“...And this is where money passes hands, where bets are placed on flesh and where flesh is taken as debt...It is also the place of judgement. Prove your worth, or fail and suffer in agony," he said grimly as he made eye contact with Steelwing for the first time since the tour started. He led the pegasus out into the cavern, leading him to his trial by blood.