Dark Ponies: The Fragility of Souls

Hours or possibly even minutes later, I trotted out of the small house, straps of leather bound together to form a makeshift saddlebag. Like a normal saddlebag it was slung over my back, thick pouches resting against my flank to hold all manner of useful things I would find in this world. Unlike most other standard saddlebags, however, it strapped tightly underneath my body, holding it securely against me. Along these thick straps were further adjustable straps that allowed me to store my weapons when they were unneeded. The final thin strap of leather was tied loosely around my neck. Threaded upon this was the effigy Strowen had gifted me. It seemed to have no real use to me, yet it seemed to comfort me and served to remind me of my goal.

I shut the door behind me; muting the cackles of the other firekeepers and plunging myself back into a softer darkness before turning to face the small hollow I was stood in. The first thing I noticed was an archway constructed of the groaning trunks of many great trees, their bark withered and peeling. I could barely see into the archway, noting one small twist in the path that lay beyond, framed by what must have been an impressive forest before age withered it into a grove of husks.

However, before I ventured forwards, I felt myself drawn to a pile of human bones through which an old rusted sword was impaled. Curious, I moved towards it, my magic sparkling on the belt that held my newly acquired staff. As I got nearer, the pull this strange object had on me grew exponentially, feeling as if it would tear me apart if I did not touch the hilt on the sword. As if in a trance, my hoof moved of its own volition, slowly closing the gap between myself and the sword. When my hoof was hovering delicately above the hilt, the crumbling bones suddenly flared with a great burst of heat, knocking me back, startled. The flames roared violently as I withdrew before settling into a gently flickering. Curious once more, I moved back towards the fire, gasping in surprised delight as the flames seemed to warm my soul.

I rested for as short a time as I dared, restoring my strength before standing back up, facing the withered tree arch once more. Magic playing gently at the straps surrounding my staff, I stepped forwards, a dreadful chill immediately settling deeply in my body, my fur standing erect as I shivered violently. It warmed me enough to enable me to push forwards, trotting as quickly as I dared through the twisting path, eventually emerging in a thin yet open area, patches of long grass scattered throughout the area, possibly hiding deadly falls from those careless enough to not check.

I could not see any other living creature, my eyes darting around the area, drinking in the situation I was in. Scattered around the edge of the expanse of rock I was stood upon were multiple large trees, their insides hollowed out, large gates constructed of a thick white fog obscuring their insides. Further down, the path twisted suddenly, a withered husk of a tree barely holding on to ground separated from me via a drop that would plunge those who missed their step straight into a murky black water, the force of the fall likely enough to instantly end the poor soul’s life. At the end of the split path, there was a sheer cliff wall composed of solid stone, one small crack similar in size to the arch I had used to enter this area letting in a thin shaft of light.

I decided to ignore the white fog as they were unlikely to hold any answers to any of my questions. Seeing no hostiles between myself and that crack, I galloped forwards, swerving to avoid breaks in the ground. I almost managed to run straight off the cliff in my haste, but I managed to teleport at the last moment, tumbling to a stop in order to calm down and regain control of my breathing before setting off again at a slower pace.

It did not take too long to get to the cliff face. As I got closer, the area warmed slowly, urging me to press forwards. I stopped before the crack, looking up as I realised that what I thought was a relatively small crevice was in fact a large split in the rock, stretching far above me and winding seemingly endlessly before me. My hoof tingled warmly as I carefully stepped forwards, the sensation racing through my body. Unsheathing my dagger with my magic, I started to gallop again. My lithe body flashed through the stony walls, my magic leaving a short glowing trail behind my dagger as I held it out in front of me. As I ran, the warmth that flowed through me grew hotter and hotter, eventually peaking in an extraordinary climax of brilliance as I burst out of the cave into a golden light, the sheer brightness of everything blinding me as I swerved to a stop, collapsing in a heap of sparkling amethyst fur, the dagger clattering to the golden stones in front of me, its immaculate blade reflecting the same harsh golden light.