The Sixth King

Standing a few trees away was a black, hard-shelled creature. It appeared vaguely equine, but had several differences. Firstly, it had wings and a horn; the wings were vaguely insect-like and the horn was the same material as the rest of the body. In its legs and horn there were conspicuous gaps, as though pieces had been removed from the body. The species name - changeling - flitted through my mind as I turned to face it.

Before I could finish turning, its eyes turned deep red and it spoke. “What are you, and why do you wander Chrysalis’s woods?” The voice was odd, and had an echoing quality. While it was apparently supposed to be threatening, I simply stared impassively.

My name is Azrael, and of thine ownership of this land I was not aware. Thou art Chrysalis?

Mine own words echoed as well, but slightly distorted.

The changeling stared at me for a moment, as though incredulous I could address it informally. A moment before it spoke, I heard its words echo in my mind gently.

"This body is but that of a worker, controlled--"

Through thy hive mind by the queen, which thou art?

Again looking slightly shocked, this time probably at being interrupted, the queen said, "Yes. Chrysalis is my name, and you trespass. Leave at once."

I wish nothing but to wander, changeling. At dawn thou shalt not find me here still. I was somewhat annoyed with this being, and so tried to step around it. The changeling stepped in front of me, the action preceded by an intent for the drone to do that.

“And why do you think you can?”

Because I mean no harm. Thou hast no reason for my detainment.

“You trespass onto my lands, and expect to be allowed to continue?”

At this point, I was irritated. Yes, I do. Move, changeling, or I will not keep my peace.

I realize, in hindsight, that I truly had no right to be there, but at the time I was confused and annoyed with having just lost my memories and waking up in a new body. At the time, I was still getting used to my life. I do not wish to hurt thy worker, changeling queen. Only to walk. As I said, I will be gone by dawn.

The changeling hesitated before saying, “Fine. For now, you may wander my lands. Should you do any harm to my workers, I will stop at nothing to extract revenge.”

A fair deal. Until morn, Chrysalis.

“I expect to speak to you tomorrow. Return to this spot at sundown.”

With that, the drone’s eyes turned blue again and it continued on its path. Before it left my sight, it turned its head to catch another glance, a puzzled expression on its face.

What troubles you?

She froze and hesitated, before deciding to ignore me and continue walking.

I dredged a spell from my memory to block out the hive and cast it around us. When I did, she froze again. Thy queen cannot hear you. Please, speak.

She began galloping away, desperate to return to the hive mind. I released my magic and allowed her to rejoin it, and she slowed to a quick trot. This time, she did not turn around. I had guessed wrong what bothered her.

I continued my wandering until dawn began to break. Nothing significant happened for the rest of the night. True to my word, teleported back to Eir’s house. By the time I had gotten there, I noticed something: While there was much information about what happened around me, nothing about what was. I could tell that people stood up or spoke, but any static details about them, except for the vaguest. However, I recalled that when I focused on them, I could tell much more -- everything that could be discerned from the outside, it seemed. Their thoughts and emotions remained invisible, though expressions were easy enough to decode that it was hardly a problem to tell how they felt.

A few minutes after I arrived, Eir walked into my room.

“Hmm, so you were honest.”

I do not lie if unnecessary.

“It would seem so. Anyway, we need to talk.”

She turned around and walked down the stairs, clearly expecting me to follow. I did, and a moment later she was sitting in the same chair as when I arrived. I again stood before her, curious as to what she would say.

“Do you know why you were brought here?”

I was somewhat taken off-guard. I was expecting questions about who I was, from where I came, and so on. However, this?

No, I do not.

“There… there was a prophecy. It was made three thousand years ago, to the day. It said that a soul would be pulled from another world to serve this one.” She hesitated before continuing to say, “I am part of the gryphon clan which owns these lands. Every other generation we send someone to keep this area clean and secure. For over ten thousand years we’ve been the neutral party when there were disputes between other gryphon clans or other species, and so when the prophecy was made, we were chosen to keep it safe.”

She smiled grimly before going on. “It’s voluntary, and means that you barely interact with others. From a young age I was trained to have mental fortitude and I was taught many games I could play to entertain myself so I wouldn’t go mad with loneliness. For about four years I was able to enjoy the company of my predecessor until she passed away. I made friends with an exiled soldier from the nearby hive, and he lives here sometimes. Right now, he’s out hunting, but he’ll be back soon. I’ll introduce you when he’s back.

“Anyway, I need to show you the prophecy. Follow me.”

As she walked to another door, across from the stairway, she passed the idols and bowed her head to each, pausing before them and stating their names.

“Source. Father of all gods, the wielder of energy, and the First King.”

“Matter. Son of Source and father to Death, and the Second King.”

“Earth. Son of Matter, father of Hate and , King of Asgard, and the Third King.”

“Hate. Son of Earth, father to War, wielder of the Hammer of Lightning, and the Fourth King.”

“War. Son of Grim, father to Death, wielder of Deceipt, and the Fifth King.”

“Death. Son of Sickness, father to none, wielder of the Scythe, and the Sixth King.”

I noticed that the slot for the final idol was empty. I noted that I would need to ask about it at some point. However, she walked past them, and we arrived in a room with many, many scrolls in shelves lining the walls. On a pedestal to the right was another one, with gold inlays on the cover. I assumed this was the prophecy, and stood by as Eir opened it.

She took a small object from around her neck and held it to the side of the scroll, in an indentation seemingly made for it. The stone glowed for a moment, and the scroll opened with a small click. She said, “Only the Keeper of the Clearing or the Prophet may open this scroll. It contains every Prophecy made, and each is to be used when needed and not before. The Keepers and Prophets are trusted to hold the knowledge safe from others.”

I made a mental note to ask more about her religion in the future; it seemed very interesting. She scanned through the scroll before putting it down, such that only a single prophecy was visible. She gestured to me to come over and said, “Read it.”

In the third millenium from this shall the Sixth King come, where the Scythe was found. From another world shall a soul be taken, that he may serve this world as the King of Death. No heirs shall he leave, but Chaos yet shall be postponed. Be ready and wary when his time comes.

The rest of the passage described the circumstances of the Sixth King's arrival -- during war and famine amongst the world's races -- and that he must earn his throne before he could ascend to it. I turned to Eir.

Why didst thou showest this to me? Thou thinkest that the soul is me? That I am the Sixth King? I was confused, as at the time I had no knowledge of her religion and their faith in the Prophets. I also knew none of what I had been foretold to do.

“You came when and where the Prophet said you would. You can hold the Scythe without dying. Anything else it touches dies instantly, even through cloth or metal, even if held with magic.” Before she continued, she took out a different scroll and handed it to me. “I’ve gathered all of the prophecies you can see in here. They’ve either already been fulfilled or don’t have to do with you.”  Then, she pulled out a second one and gave it to me. “This is a scroll prepared for you by the Prophet for your arrival. It contains everything you need to know. I’d recommend reading this first, actually. I haven’t opened it, as the Prophet left specific instructions that none were to do so until the Sixth King himself.”

With both of the scrolls tucked under one arm, I said, I thank thee. I would leave now.

“Go ahead.” Just before I left the room, she jerked her head up. “Oh! We need to get you a house built. I’d recommend finding a place where you are okay with living for... a very long time.”

Very well.

Assuming Eir needed nothing else, I walked out of the house’s back door, scrolls in hand. After a few minutes of wandering, I came upon a small lake, fed by a waterfall. Near to the waterfall a small clearing showed, and I decided on a rare whim that it would be the site of my home. I walked to it and memorized the location, relative to Eir’s house.

 After a moment of glancing around the clearing, I decided to leave the scrolls on a rock near the center of the clearing. I accessed my knowledge and enchanted the scrolls so none but I could pick them up, then put a small magical shield above them to protect them from weather. I did not notice any drain on my energy, as my knowledge told me was normal when casting magic; however, at the time, I thought it was simply because the spells were extremely simple.

As I walked forward, I noticed the forest becoming thicker. An animal - manticore - roared some distance away and I felt as though I should be afraid or, at the least, worried, but I felt nothing, apart from a pity that some creature would lose its life to that beast one day.

However, when I heard it, I still tensed up. With a thought, I twisted the world into the shape I desired and moved myself from where I was to the origin of the roar. To my shock, I saw a massive manticore, facing a group of three equines - pony. While they reminded me of the changeling, they were different in many ways. First amongst these was that their coats were bright colors -- while the changelings are entirely black and chitinous, the ponies were covered in colored fur. Additionally, these ponies only had wings, a horn, or neither, instead of both. The last difference I could tell at a glance was that there were no holes in either the extremities or the wings of the ponies.

Before them stood the manticore. It appeared ready to charge, but before it could, I sent a tiny twitch of power to cut its spine, just low enough to leave it alive, but high enough that it was paralyzed. The three ponies - One stallion and two mares - stared as it slumped to the ground, seemingly unconscious. I cut off it’s ability to growl and stepped through the trees.

For what reason do you wander here? The forest is unsafe.

The unicorn amongst them, a mare with a brilliant white coat and light pink mane, stepped forward. “We wished to explore the forest in hopes of finding herbs.” Her companions nodded quickly, as though scared I would harm them.

None of you have cause to fear me unless you strike. What are your names?

The stallion -- earth stallion, as he has no wings nor horn - answered first. His coat was a light brown - chestnut - and had a dark brown mane. “I’m th-- Starswirl.” Something about him seemed off, though I would not place it for years.

The pegasus glanced at him, apparently startled, before shrugging slightly. She answered next. Her mane was a light blue and her coat a deep indigo. “I am  called Luna.” On her flank was emblazoned a white moon.

The unicorn answered last. “And I am Celestia. Who are you?”

I am unsure. Prophecy dictates I shall be the Sixth in the Line of Kings, the King of Death. I think I shall change my name many times over my life. I thought for a moment, before deciding on the name I would use.

Call me Azrael.

Celestia stared at me for a moment. “The Sixth King? Do… Have you read the prophecies about you?”

As of yet, I have not, and I should not. Knowing one’s life before it comes to pass can be a terrible curse. ‘Tis able to drive the strongest insane and brings the greatest low. I should not bring such a fate upon myself.

It was Starswirl who replied. “We need to have a chat, you and I. Meet me at my house tomorrow sometime; you’ve got things to be doing right about now.” He raised a hoof and pointed to the setting sun. I recalled my promise to the changeling queen, and nodded.

Indeed I do. I turned around and began to walk away. You may wish to return home. The manticore will be healed in an hour. As I spoke, I manipulated the world and delayed the effects for the time I stated. I calmed the manticore’s troubled mind with assurances that the spell would act as I promised, and left it food since I had denied it a meal. Celestia stared as I worked this magic in the blink of an eye and, with no noticeable effect on my energy, I walked back into the forest. Once I was out of site, I twisted the world again and stepped through to the clearing I had chosen. Looking through my knowledge, I found a technique to mark a location so I could easily find it using magic, instead of relying on memory alone. I set the ward there and felt the location burn slightly brighter to my magical senses, and the area glowed faintly with mundane light.

I recalled the place where I had first seen the changeling and teleported there, set a ward, and teleported to my room in Eir’s house, where I set a third ward. I still had some time left, so I went to find Eir.

She was sitting in her kitchen at a table, across from a changeling. The changeling, I presumed, was the exile whom Eir had mentioned. He had scars, crossed and covering much of his face and body. His horn was broken in half, and his wings were nothing but nubs. I could only imagine the pain through which he had gone. Within moment, Eir noticed me and called me over.

“Azrael, this is Xor. Exiled changeling from Chrysalis’ hive. Xor, this is Azrael, the Sixth in the Line of Kings. Friendly enough, but don’t touch his Scythe.”

Greetings, Xor. I would extend my hand but I know not if it would harm.

He stared for a moment, before asking, “You… don’t know? How old are you?”

I came into this world yesterday. I lived a life before that on another, though my memories of that time are lost.

“Eh, good enough. I’d welcome you to the household, but Eir beats me to it every time.” The gryphon glared at him, which he ignored. “You hungry at all?”

No. I must go for now, as I agreed to meet Chrysalis tonight. She found me on her lands and allowed me to explore them if I would talk to her at sundown.

Xor stared. “You… you trespassed onto Chrysalis’ lands and she granted you an audience for it? We would just kill trespassers on sight!”

I had not known the borders, and made as much clear when I spoke to her. The sun was very nearly set, and I needed to meet with the queen. If thou shalt excuse me, I needs must go now. With that, I teleported away, to the spot where I agreed to meet.