The Final Journey

by Arathus

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Human
Length: 5509

Struggle of a dark mage and old, retired warrior to save Equestria or plunge it into darkness.

Call to arms reaches a dark mage ready and waiting. He enters Equestria, seemingly seeking nothing more than its destruction. Allied with daemons of the world’s past, he sets out to bring his plans to life. Surely there must be a brave knight to stop the evil schemes, and save the day yet again, as it always happens.

There, however, are no knights to be found, only a retired warrior who has seen far too much in his life, forced to embark on a journey he wishes to call his last. When Death himself crosses the paths of the living and borders of morality are uneven, who will prevail in the end?

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-05-10 06:51:17 UTC

Prologue: Wishes and Demands

„Not another step.” Luna walked from behind her throne. It was painted in shades of blue, as to oppose Celestia’s yellow and gold. The thrones stood on equal level, two parts of the whole representing a balance in the pony nation.

“Did you really expect me to sit idly by, while they all bask in your precious light?” Her pupils shrank, the anger in her voice apparent. She glared at the unseen opponent, before trotting up to the balcony.

“There can only be one princess in Equestria, and that princess, WILL BE ME!” she screamed, lifting up on her hind legs, and falling down forcefully, smashing part of the balcony.  Shadow behind her grew and enveloped nearly the whole wall. A crack travelled upwards, following the shadow and breaking a hole, where once was a window. It allowed to see clearly what came next.

Luna rose to the sky with the moon. It covered the sun, extinguishing the day, and bringing the night. She turned into a swirling orb of energy, radiating with reddish light and heat. The castle around her was crumbling in on itself. Black magic soared back and forth across the hall. In a moment, world reshaped for worse.

From the orb emerged a pony much different, than the one that entered it. Her coat was darker than the night itself, her pupils were narrow, cat-like, and she had some twisted kind of canine teeth, clearly useless for a vegetarian diet. Her mad laugh echoed across the empty hall.

She launched a bolt of magic into the direction of the roof, tearing a great part of it, and letting the rubble fall on the floor with a loud crush. Celestia flew upwards, ready for battle. She had to dodge another surge of magic, this time directed straight at her. Another part of the roof broke off, revealing the moon shining high in the sky.

Surprisingly quiet sound of golden horseshoes setting on the ground was heard before utter silence enveloped the room. No one interrupted it for what seemed like eternity.

“Luna, I will not fight you. You must lower the moon! It is your duty!”

“Luna?” The black daemon glared at the white princess. “I am Nightmare Moon. I have but one royal duty now. To destroy you!” She shouted, taking into the air. A burst of magic was flung in Celestia’s direction. The alicorn had to take off into the air to dodge the missile. She flew out of the hall, Nightmare followed her soon.

He didn’t come here to see that, did he? It was good to know that the story has ended well, though. Or has it?

He left the crumbling hall, his old, patched up coat catching dust from the rubble around. He hoped the hall wouldn’t crumble in around him. Behind the corner stood a very old car painted in a bit faded blue. He entered it, remembering to smash the door forcefully. The keys clicked in the ignition switch and the engine rumbled, surprisingly, at the first attempt. He pushed the pedal harshly, making the car growl louder in response. In a second, he was gone.

Celestia rose from the ground, the moon travelling obediently with her. The cycle had to continue, even with only her to bring both night and day. The freezing wind had to howl, as if the world wasn’t cold enough without her sister.

She walked down the stairs, careful not to slip. The guards bowed before her as she passed the corridors. A few supporting stares were directed her way. The ponies were at loss for words, and she was glad they remained quiet. No words were needed.

A few ponies were still working on the destructions in the throne room. She thanked them, and sent them to their homes for the night, before continuing to her chambers. After lying on the pillow herself, she quietly wished she would fall asleep at least this time. The weariness of the recent events hit her, and she drifted off.

Celestia stood in a corridor. Green carpet covered the floor beneath her, elaborate, golden patterns encrusted in its threads. The walls around her were also in that strange, dull shade of green. Celestia moved forward, passing countless amounts of doors. They weren’t meant for her. She spotted a sign hanging from the ceiling, "Event corridor – The final journey".

At last, Celestia found her door, behind waited a black void. She stepped through, to find that the floor was, in fact, solid. The door disappeared behind her as she closed it. Upon turning around, she saw a human in an old, patched up coat. He was leaning on what she could only assume was a steel cart painted blue. He opened the door, inviting her in. “Care for a ride, your highness?”

She complied, taking a seat. The cart appeared a bit too small for her on the outside, but she found out it was spacious enough on the inside. The situation breached the levels of bizarreness, and, for the sake of sanity, it was considerably wiser to simply react instead of analysing it.

The human locked the door with a loud slam, and took the place beside her. He put a key into a keyhole. Upon turning the key, the engine grumbled. Self propelled cart! Perhaps that was the future of the ponykind. “Sorry for making you appear in the corridor! Things like that tend to happen sometimes!” the man said, raising his voice over the loud sound of the engine.

Without the point of reference, Celestia couldn’t tell if they were speeding through the void, or the cart simply decided to growl louder. It was incredible, how every sound of the machine seemed to indicate it was choking, dying, and yet it still worked. She didn’t think the man would so willingly sell the mystery of the cart, though.

In a second, the world shifted around them, and they were speeding through Equestria. Celestia clung on to her seat desperately, the speed the cart travelled in was enormous, every crash would probably be fatal, or at least very painful. Too bad the driver decided to speed through a forest. Forest full of thick trees, where every slightest mistake would end in a very close encounter with the timber.

Thankfully, the ride ended quickly on a forest clearing, with a pond in the middle of it almost surreally reflecting moonlight. The man opened the door beside her, and she left the cart on shaky legs. She trotted nearer the pond, spotting a few purple nightshades growing by the edge. Her sigh was quiet and heavy, as the memories returned to her. Nightshade was Luna’s favourite flower. The water in the pond reflected the moon in the sky, with the head-shaped pattern visible on it clearly.

Celestia could hear the man closing the door behind her. The sound seemed a bit dull, as if the door wasn’t closed properly. Upon turning around, she saw the man opening the door again, and kicking it forcefully to close it properly this time. Celestia gave him a supportive smile, when he looked at her.

“You break your back for the government your whole life, end up with the old big Fiat, and you’re happy you have a car at all. All hail Brezhnev!” The princess didn’t understand anything of what the man said, but he didn’t seem to mind. He looked at the moon. “What do you know of what happened to your sister?”

Celestia regarded him, before also turning her gaze heavenward. “I had to do this. I had to strike her down with the elements. She gave me no choice.”

“Do you think she died?” he asked. Celestia regarded him, finding no answers in his expression.

“I...” she cut for a moment, looking to the ground, struggling to find the words. “I hope not, I would wish to know if it happened.”

“Wouldn’t you wish for her to die? You would have the throne only for yourself.” He still evaded meeting her eyes.

Celestia glared at the man with anger. “What are you thinking!” she snapped. “I would give up the throne for her to return!” The man put his hand on her shoulder, looking her deep in the eye this time.

“She will return. You, however, cannot wield the elements anymore, not without consequences. In a thousand years from now, you must find the new element of magic and send her to the village nearest to your old castle. That is when your sister will return and be freed from the darkness within her.” His voice was gentle, but firm. Celestia nodded. She understood. She would have to wait a thousand lonely years for her sister. She would wait five times more if needed.

The man picked up a nightshade flower, and stuck it in her hair, smiling a bit tiredly. “When you wake up, you’ll still have that flower in your hair. Remember what I’ve said.” The poisonous scent of the flower didn’t hurt her. It was pleasantly sweet. The man entered his car, turned on its loud engine, and drove off into the night. Celestia was left alone, standing beside the pond.

She looked at the moon for the last time, as the dream faded.

Nearly a thousand years didn’t pass by swiftly. Wars shook the land, but the ponykind prevailed, led by the lone princess. Her sister was mourned quietly, and forgotten in time. The world progressed, striving away from bloodshed. Celestia finally managed to create the wonderland she and Luna fought for, to reach their goal. There was but one thing to wait for.

The time was near.

Celestia looked at the Ponyville, remembering it prosper throughout the recent years. The Apple family, the changes in the world’s order. A pair of guards stood silently behind her. Her steps were heavy, as she turned and walked away from the window. The guards followed behind her, she could sense their worry, and straightened herself to look more presentable.

The time was near.

She reached for the sun to confirm that the hour was just right. Steady trot led her to the medical wing of the castle. Not willing to impose, she left the guards at the entrance, noting the empathy in their eyes. No matter how straight and falsely happy she kept herself, they could tell the truth anyway.

The time was near, but would the destiny be kind enough?

She knocked at the right door. No one stopped her from visiting, no one would dare to. Without waiting for an answer, she opened it, spotting an unicorn mare lying in the bed, with a stallion sitting by its side. His head had fallen on the mare’s chest, his eyes were closed, breathing slow and steady.

Celestia paid more attention to the mare on the bed. She was awake, her beautiful blue eyes open and fixated on the princess, beaming with happiness and energy. She shushed, covering her lips with a hoof before motioning to the stallion with a bright smile. Celestia smiled back, though a bit less vibrantly, before lighting up her horn. “He won’t wake up so easily now, we can talk,” she said.

The mare straightened herself in the bed, making sure the stallion’s head was resting comfortably at her lap before leaning on the pillow. “How are things? Did the meetings go well?”

Celestia nodded, smiling at the mare. “You know how diplomats are. Would’ve bored myself to death if they had forced me to endure another second.” She rolled her eyes. “How are you feeling?”

The mare winced at the mention of the diplomats, but smiled a minute later. “I’ve been feeling well lately. A bit light, truth to be said, as if I could fly away at any second.” She flapped her forehooves in the air. “It’s a shame I don’t have wings.”

“How is he coping?” Celestia asked, nodding to the stallion.

“He’s been staying up all night, so our sleeping patterns don’t work well with each other.” She giggled, though her smile faded. “He’s been taking this a bit more heavily than me, I think. He just can’t believe I’ll be up and about in a few days. I can’t cheer him up. Maybe you can manage to talk him out of this once he is awake.”

Celestia nodded. “I’ll try to.” Her horn glowed. “The spell will wear out in a few minutes. I think you would wish to talk to him first.” She smiled at the mare before trotting up to the door. “Keep well,” she said upon leaving.

“You too,” sounded from behind her, as she left the room. She sent the guards away upon crossing the border of the medical wing. Let the high treason happen, she wasn’t in the mood to be followed today.

Her hooves had unconsciously taken her to the garden. Celestia knew her personal garden well, especially since most of the oldest trees she planted herself after moving the capital to Canterlot. The old castle that soon became a part of the Everfree Forest, was no longer a good place to live, especially with so many heart-wrenching memories resting within.

Celestia wasn’t that surprised to see a man standing quietly beside a pool, leaning on one of the trees, and looking at the still water. The old car was standing nearby, waiting to be used. Getting another ride would be exactly what the princes needed now. She stood beside the man, waiting to be acknowledged. She didn’t need to wait long the man pointed at his car.

“I need to talk to you. Jump in.” Celestia didn’t need to be told twice. Upon seating himself too, the man turned the key. The car choked a bit, but the engine didn’t respond. “’Fiat 125p, the most durable thing in the entire universe.’ Apparently the warranty runs out after a few millennia.” The  man didn’t smile. He turned the key again, and this time the engine did start.

Celestia closely examined the radio, the windows and all the buttons, careful not to touch anything. She then settled on gazing out the window, at the castle fading further into the distance. “Nice castle you have there!” The man yelled over the sound of the engine before realisation dawned in his eyes. He clicked his fingers, and the sound of the engine was blocked off. “You wouldn’t want the trade unions here.” The joke sounded a bit forced.

“You’re here for a reason,” noticed Celestia. “You aren’t so eager to visit me lately.”

The man nodded, not looking her in the eye. “I never wished to impose...” He scratched his neck ”And yes, I came here for a reason–”

“It’s about that mare, isn’t it? About my student? I believe she is the Element of Magic, she is brilliant and has enough talent to become one. Am I right?” Celestia smiled eagerly, interrupting the man.

He nodded again, an uneasy expression on his face. “Yes, It’s about her.”

Celestia’s smile faded, and in its place, a worried frown appeared. “It’s something else, isn’t it?”

The man sighed. Instead of focusing on the road ahead, he looked Celestia in the eye. “The illness she is stricken with has not been understood by your medicine yet. That’s why the doctors think it’s a simple fever.”

Celestia cast her eyes toward the ground, staying silent for a while. “How much time?” she whispered, her breaths heavy and deep.

“A few days.” The man focused on the road again, even though he didn’t need to – the path was straight and clear. “I wanted to ask you...” He didn’t finish the sentence, waiting for Celestia’s response. He received none. “In these few days she will suffer. I can take her away right now before the symptoms appear, if you allow me to do so.“

Celestia glared at the man with anger, she could see him shudder for a second under her gaze. He didn’t dare to look her in the eye, though. “You can save her, can’t you. Merely a click of your fingers is all it would take.”

The man sighed heavily before shaking his head. “I simply can’t. The world doesn’t work like that.”

Celestia’s glare withered in time, until she gave in. “Take her then. I don’t want her to suffer too long. Will she have time to say her goodbyes?”  The man nodded again before making a sharp turn in the general direction of Canterlot.

The man walked beside Celestia through the medical wing. She kept herself straight, and looked as regal as ever. There was, however, something imperceptible in her step or eyes that betrayed her true state. Only a good observer would spot it. To the others, the princess remained the same beacon of stoicism they had come to know and love.

Celestia opened the door to see the mare lying in her bed, happily chatting with the stallion sitting beside her. They noticed the princess, and smiled nearly instantly, welcoming her. She reciprocated the welcome with a bit less enthusiasm. The man behind the princess slipped in before the door closed, and remained in the background.

Celestia bit back a sigh. “I’m afraid the illness you are stricken with is not what we have expected it to be.”

The smiles of the couple faded quickly. The stallion frowned and sighed, before directing his hopeful gaze upon the princess. “Can you cure her?” Celestia could see in his eyes that with the little question he put on trial all his world stood on, the whole sense of his life.

“We are looking for...” Celestia was stopped by a hand gently placed on her shoulder. “No, I’m afraid we cannot cure the disease.” She looked at the couple forlornly. “I’m sorry.”

The stallion withered in a moment, his world shattered into tiny, unsalvageable pieces. He silently turned to his mare and wrapped his forelegs around her, holding her close with all the strength he had left. “How is that possible? I am feeling well,” she said. “And how much time before I...”

“A few days,” said Celestia, her voice bordering whisper, though she kept it steady with much effort. “The symptoms involve very severe pain. The best solution would be to...” Her voice cracked. “To perform euthanasia before they appear.” She kept the tears out of her eyes well, though she could hardly breathe steadily.

The mare had already stained her own cheeks, and the stallion’s coat with the salty liquid. “I can stay as long as you wish me to do so,” she said to the stallion.

He pulled back from the embrace and looked at her with eyes as tear-stained as hers. “I couldn’t stand to watch you suffer,” he said determinedly, before lying the mare in the bed, though still holding her hoof. He looked to Princess Celestia expectedly, before returning his gaze to the mare.

She looked the stallion in the eyes, before placing a hoof on his cheek and smiling sadly. “Don’t worry, I’ll be happy there.” She pointed at the sky beyond the window. “I’ll be waiting for you.” She pulled the stallion into a lasting kiss. When they pulled back, the mare urged Celestia nearer with a wave of her hoof. The princess walked to the edge of the bed, and embraced the smaller frame of the unicorn. No one needed to break the silence. When Celestia pulled back, she cast a glance toward the man behind her.

He stood there patiently, trying his best to support her with a sad smile. He then walked up to the bed and was immediately noticed by the mare who looked at him curiously. “I thought you would be a pony,” she said. The stallion followed her gaze, but to no avail.

“Well, not everything is as we expect it.” The man’s voice didn’t indicate amusement nor irony, simply knowledge tinged with a kind smile. He held out a hand before him, right within the reach of the mare. “May I ask for your hoof?” She placed her hoof within the hand of the man. He gently lifted her off the bed, while her body stayed, and slowly grew colder.

Within a second, the man was holding an ethereal mare in his hands. She smiled sadly at both at the princess and the stallion before being carried away in a gentle embrace. “So, you are Death?” the mare asked almost rhetorically. The man nodded absentmindedly, carrying her outside, into the castle gardens. She didn’t object being carried.

The man seated the unicorn in the car before entering himself. He immediately expected a question about the machinery, its fuel, anything but what the mare actually asked. “How does it feel to be Death?”

The car grumbled, but he blocked it out. He would need to answer sooner or later, path to Heaven was a long one. “It is a work, not exactly easy, but not overly hard.” He switched the gear and the pair sped through dimensions. “Sometimes I am tearing people away from their families.”  Bottom of the sea, rainbow-coloured corridor and green jungle sped before them at increasing speeds. “Though some are waiting for me with longing, having lost their reasons to live. I sometimes must refuse...

There’s one thing before the end of your road.” They came to a stop on a green field. “Do you see that hill over there.” The man pointed at a green hill nearby. A cottage radiating with tranquillity stood there, and in that place did the mare decide to direct her steps. “Someone wishes to see you there.”

She stopped dead in her tracks, as if remembering something, and turned around. “Is he nice?”

Death looked at the cottage for a while, before turning to the mare. “He is very lonely. Though I suppose he might be somewhat nice.” The mare continued her road a bit more confidently having been reassured by the man.

The sound of a car door closing brought some sense of finality. Celestia was sitting on a pillow beside her window, gazing at the moon. On its surface was still visible the gray silhouette. She looked back, as the sound of heavy shoes resonated through the halls.

“It is time, Celestia. Are you ready?” Asked the man, taking place next to her.

“A thousand years has passed, and I wish to see her as much as on the first day. But... I don’t know if I’m ready.” The man looked her in the eye, before sitting beside her. The pillow was big enough for both of them.

“Why is that?” he asked.

“I’m afraid.” She paused for a moment, and sighed. “I am afraid of what she will do when she returns. I deserve her vengeance after what I have done to her, but I...” The man put a hand on her shoulder, cutting her off. He once again looked her in the eye.

“This is not your fault, Celestia. You love you sister with all of your heart. Don’t fear what is about to come. It will be worse for only a while before you regain your sister.” He smiled gently and supportively. His eyes were in dark shade of gray. They seemed endless, one could lose his way in them forever.

Celestia broke the eye contact and sighed deeply. “I am ready.” The man stood up, the princess followed right behind him.

He rose his hand, and cracked his fingers. “The spell will take hold in a few minutes. Prepare yourself.”

The man made a few steps into the corridor. “Wait!” Celestia called after him. He turned around to see her look at him with pleading, desperate eyes. “Would you mind staying with me? I don’t want to be alone when it happens.”

The man walked up to the princess, putting a hand over her shoulder. “I will stand beside you the whole time, if you wish so.” The silence stretched for long minutes. They stood there together, waiting for the inevitable.

Celestia shifted slightly, as something came upon her mind. “When my time comes,” she asked, “will you take me away too?”

The man knelt in front of her to be on the same level and looked her in the eye. “When the time comes, I will take your hoof, and guide you to the other side.” He smiled genuinely.

“Thank you,” Celestia whispered.

The stars united over the moon, the silhouette on it disappeared. Nightmare appeared before them, her gaze filled with hatred. “You have nowhere to run now, Celestia. Face what you have done.“ The princess stole a glance at the man standing a few steps from her. He offered a supportive smile, though sighed heavily when she turned her gaze away.

Celestia fixed her eyes on Nightmare Moon without saying a word. The dark horn glowed brightly, as a powerful spell took hold. Upon the sun waiting below the horizon, a gray silhouette was embedded. The man closed his eyes for a second, taking another deep sigh.

Nightmare searched closely around the room. She spotted a piece of paper, and examined it, before calling out, “Aha!” The paper was thrown to the ground. “A festive in Ponyville. A brilliant way to introduce my return to my beloved subjects.” She turned into a dark blue cloud before shooting off into the night.

Nightmare failed to notice the nightshade flower resting beside the piece of paper. The man picked it up, noting how it had withstood a thousand years without withering. He could still smell its sweet scent.

He looked out into the night, at Ponyville. He knew Nightmare would fall, and that this chapter would end well. The story was far from over, though.

Hooves struck the frozen ground, as the chilling cold made the messenger shiver slightly. He should’ve taken a warm coat, not that windy cloak with him. His destination was thankfully already visible in the distance. He sped up the horse.

Day seemed to never come in this world, and yet it wasn’t cold enough to become an icicle. No plants, or animals were ever visible here. With the display at the sky, the messenger didn’t wish for the night to end, though. Colourful auroras rimmed the heavens, as thousands stars and galaxies lit the night. Two huge moons stood out, each one adorned by a belt of stardust. An occasional comet crossed the sky from time to time.

The messenger dismounted, walking up to the door of a cottage. It was the only brightly lit object around, besides the sky. He knocked lightly twice. A calm call telling him to come inside was heard. The door opened with a slight creak, as the messenger stepped inside. He remembered to close the door, as the cold wind rushed past him into the warm interior.

On one of the armchairs standing beside the fire, sat a man. He was dressed in thick, black cloak, very durable trousers, and a pair of quite heavy shoes. He was ready for a long travel. What was most unusual about him, was his age. Not the medium amount of creases, neither his dark hair showed it clearly. In his eyes and expression, though, one could tell that the man was much older, than he looked like. He nodded to the armchair beside him, and the messenger took it eagerly, sinking his tired body into the cushion.

“So the old wolf wants my help. Hopefully it is something of importance.” The man smirked slightly.

The messenger nodded, at a loss of words for a second. “He requires your presence at the Outpost as soon as possible. He mentioned danger, one you might be familiar with.”

The man’s smile disappeared. “Now that’s a new one. Maybe he does have a point this time.” They left the cottage and the man simply closed the door, it had no lock at all. The snow fell around them, the storm seemingly coming out of nowhere in a span of minutes. The man rose his hand, clicked his fingers, and called out into the storm.

A black horse galloped out of the blizzard, and stopped right before them. The man tapped the horse’s side, smiling warmly. “How long has it been, my friend? A decade or two? Far too long, I think.” The messenger left them alone, to fetch his own ride. He noticed a strange, crystal-like  symbol on the edge of the man’s cloak, a remainder of some untold tale.

When the messenger returned, the man was still talking to the animal. “We’re going to war, buddy. Just one last time, I hope you have it in you. I hope I have it in me–”

“Can we go now?” the messenger asked, breaking his monologue. “The cold is killing me.” He shivered, before tapping the white mare beneath him. “Her too.”

The man mounted his horse. “Let us waste no time, then.” They shot off through the storm.

The mage looked through the window, at the mountains far away. The horizon was devoid of colour, trees, grass and the sky were in different shades of grey. The air seemed to be filled with calm silence, as he took a deep breath.

He remembered the rainforest behind the mountains, the only place that opposed the lack of colour. Inside it stood a fortress, the place of hiding for those who opposed him. They fought for food with the violent predators, and prayed they would live another day. Soldiers patrolled the area around the forest, there was no escape from it. The renegades had traded quiet life within the city walls for freedom. The mage had all the power to find, and kill, or enslave them all. He wasn’t going to, though. Let them thrive in their freedom, let them choke with it.

Sound of metal slamming a wooden door interrupted his thoughts. “You may come inside,” said the mage.  A living stash of heavy armour opened the door, and walked in, making surprisingly almost no sound besides gentle thuds.

The mage regarded the creature. It consisted of mostly the dark metal armour, from the blackness inside the helmet, two red lights lustrated the world. It had a lighter plate, with an inscription on it Property of Sorcerer. The most interesting part of its equipment, though, were its shoes. They were armoured, of course, but they were also covered in plush pink fur, an addition helping stifle the annoying noise they made while walking. The mage named Sorcerer couldn’t help, but grin at his creation.

“He calls, master,” said an empty voice from within the armour.

“Prepare the horses, then,” answered the mage, already making his way to the door.

“I have already done so, master.” The mage silently cursed programming all of these metal golems to address him as the “master.”

“Thank you.” The mage made a few steps through the hall. “They’re at the eastern entrance, are they not?”

“Yes, master.” He’ll have to reprogram them sometime. He must reprogram them sometime for the sake of his sanity.

Sorcerer made his way through the corridors, and doors, passing a few guards on his way. Another golem waited for him at the gate, this one dressed in much lighter leather armour. He was able to travel long distances from the castle thanks to the crystals he carried along his belt. Even that had its limitations, though. Sorcerer wordlessly greeted the golem with a nod, and mounted his horse.

As they sped through the gray landscape, mage looked once again to the castle. Recalling his life in the recent time from a second perspective, he noticed how unnatural it felt. No sentient creature occupied the castle, only mindless golems to talk to. He was glad something was about to change. After turning his gaze away, he noted that the trip was already over.

Before them stood an old chapel, transformed slightly to fit the environment. It had once served as a place of worship, though not anymore. Sorcerer could feel the dark magic emanating from this desecrated place. He dismounted, and walked up to the entrance. He turned to the golem before entering, but couldn’t find the words for a second.

“Get back to the castle before your crystals run dry!” he called at last. “And hold on there when I’m gone, all right?” The golem saluted before riding off, no expression showed on its face. It wasn’t capable of emotions.

The mage pushed the big, old doors open. Inside, an empty altar waited for him. He passed the rows of seats before standing in front of it. An old, dusty golden goblet was what drew his attention. He took his dagger out from behind the bosom of his robe, and drew blood from his wrist. Every drop fell straight into the goblet. When nothing happened for a minute, Sorcerer grinned before turning his gaze heavenwards. “You want me to bleed out, don’t you.” He turned into a black cloud and disappeared a few seconds later.