The Chronicles of Soulby Soviet_MinisterChaptersProlgue...1. Westwards to Stremana...2. The Farmer's Tale...3. Friend of the Enemy...4. The Southern Voyage...Prolgue...Hello. I am Soul Storm, Supreme Wizard to the Court of King Aegis, Sovereign Ruler of the four Kingdoms of Equestria. It is now fully one month since the King's messenger Pegasi came to my abode late that night and the letter he bore rests beside me now - a heartfelt plea from the stallion I have come to regard as Lord, Master and true friend. On learning of the King's failing health I rushed immediately to his side, taking with me a few herbal preperations to ease his pain. I arrived early the following morning and as I sat down beside the Unicorn, he summoned what remained of his once considerable strength to grip my hoof. 'You must do this for me,' was all he said, and as I looked deep into his tired eyes he repeated this one sentence many times over, growing more delirious as the hours passed and the terrible illness slowly claimed his mind. My heart was heavy as I gave him the assurance he sought, not because I was reluctant to grant his dying wish or because I feared for my own life but because the mission his letter had described was almost certainly doomed to failure. The enormity of the task was beyond his comprehension and yet it had to be attempted for the sake of our little ponies. It was late afternoon when I eventually left the King's chamber, bidding my friend farewell in the almost certain knowledge that I would never see him alive again. As I trotted back along a dark corridor towards the main part of the castle, my head hung in sorrow, a courtier suddenly appeared from a side passage and ushered me into a small, dimly lit antechamber. On the desk before us lay a finely embossed gold casket. The courtier slowly removed the lid and, with the utmost reverance, eased the mighty tome out of the deep red cushioned lining of the casket and passed it to me. The King had not exaggerated. The book in which I was to record my journey and upon which I made this entry was indeed beautiful and very strong. My friend had made sure that whatever misfortunes befell us in the months ahead, this great book would be equal to the rigours of the quest. Gently, with my magic, I released the gold clasp that sealed the book and began to turn the pages, each of which was fashioned from the finest parchment. As I neared the back cover I motioned to the courtier to avert his eyes, for if the King had indeed made the legendary Blueblood Amulet available to me then it would surely be secreted here. I myself had not seen the Amulet since the Battle of Herbverion which took place some one hundred years ago, but as my hoof fell on the final page of the book I recognised the unmistakable turquoise glow of the stone beneath. I turned the leaf and once again found myself entranced by the Amulet's beauty. A small velvet-lined recess had been created within the hard cover of the book and it was here that the Amulet rested, retained by an ornate metal brace. A soft, gently pulsing light emanated from the centre of the stone, briefly illuminating the darkened room. For a few moments I allowed my mind to travel back through the distant past, recalling the various myths and legends in which the Amulet was alleged to have played its part. Though many of the stories were apocryphal, I knew from my own experiences that the Amulet's power was beyond doubt. I knew too that it had been the servant of masters both good and evil, and that the responsibility associated with being its temporary guardian was therefore considerable. As I closed the book and replaced it in the casket the courtier once again returned to face me, bidding me good fortune as he gave me a specially crafted leather saddle bag in which to carry the book. I thanked him before quietly taking my leave and making my way back through the shadowy corridors to the main gate. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day One, The day of our departure dawned bright and clear. A thin mist hung over the vast natural harbour which rings the port of Alliandra way below my clifftop home and from a small window in the corner of the room I could see the last of the provisions being loaded onto the four ships the King had provided for us. By noon it was high tide and the strong easterly breeze that sweeps down the valley from the Griffon mountains at this time of year was set to carry us on our way. I read the King's letter one more time before placing it carefully in the opening pages of the book and I resolved that it will never leave my side. \----------// 'My Dear Soul Storm, Many are the tribulations that I have endured throughout my long reign over the Equestrian Kingdoms, yet your unfailing guidance and friendship have sustained me, just as they sustained my Father during his rule and his Father before him. Your powers are indeed formidable and your knowledge unsurpassed. My friend, were you able to resolve my health now that it is fading I know that you would do so. I know also that a Wizard's magic, however great, may not disturb the natural order of life and death, and so I accept my fate. It pains me to tell you that I am growing weaker by the hour and I fear that the end of my earthly days will not be long in coming. My greatest regret is that there is one more thing I must ask of you, Soul Storm, before I depart this world. This task is so daunting that I can scarcely bring myself to set down the words upon this page and the very idea that I should have to ask it of one who has served me so well brings me close to tears. Please try to find it in your heart to forgive me, for I know of no one else who could attempt such a mission. You will have heard, I am sure, about a fearsome malevolence which is rising in our world. Many a long year has passed without threat from the dragons which reside in the Equestrian Kingdoms save for their occasional attacks on our livestock, but something has changed. Our villages are under siege and many of our subjects have been taken by these terrible beasts. I am not given to understand why the dragons have turned against us, but my dying wish is that I should rid my ponies of this appauling curse. There have been rumours that the exiled wizard, Septimus, has set himself against us and is commanding the dragons with evil intent. History records a similar event one thousand years ago when the wrath of the dragons was visited upon the world but few survived to speak of that cataclysm and how it came to pass. All that I can tell you is that it came to be known as 'The Dragon Storm'. And so, Soul Storm, what I must ask of you is this; I will put at your disposal one hundred of my fiercest warrior ponies, four ships and all the necessary provisions for the journey if you will seek out these dragons and destroy them. The Blueblood Amulet, which has been held securely in the castle vaults since the reign of my Great-Grandfather, will of course be made available to you should you accept the commission. It cannot protect you from serious harm but the eye of Blueblood, preserved in the centre of the Amulet, has many properties which are well known to you. It is my wish that my son, Agorius, accompany you on the journey despite the dangers you will undoubtedly face for he has much to learn before he is worthy of my title. He is headstrong, and such is the spirit of youth, but he has always shown great interest in your teachings and I believe your guidance will help him win the respect of our fellow ponies. Had my health not failed me, I would have waited longer before intiating Agorius but my hoof has been forced. I hope you agree that he is ready and trust that you will protect him as best you can during your travels together. In time he will make a great king. Of this, I am sure. Lastly, I must ask you to document your expedition and gather such artifacts as you deem relevant for it is possible that, should your mission fail, there will be others who are brave enough to meet the challenge and follow in your hoofsteps. Their chances of success are poor but the knowledge you have acquired on your travels will serve them well, echoing through the centuries as a testament to your efforts and those of the courageous individuals who aided you. As I write this, a master craftspony is working through the night to create a book of great strength and rare beauty according to my design. You must keep it with you at all times since it contains a small compartment which provides for the safekeeping of the Amulet. An abundance of parchment leaves on which you can make your entries forms the main body of the tome, which will henceforth be known as 'The Chronicles of Soul'. I wish you good fortune, and need not remind you of the urgency of the task which awaits you. Your very great friend, Aegis Agorius Sovereign Ruler of the Four Kingdoms of Equestria.' \----------// When the knock at my door finally came I was standing on a terrace looking out at the ocean and trying to imagine the battles that lay ahead. The arrival of the porters shook my reverie and I led them through to an area where a large wooden crate had been assembled containing almost all the knowledge, materials and equipment I have gathered over these past three hundred years. As I watched the unsteady progress of the porters down the steep track towards the harbour I prayed that the crate would be safely delivered to the scenes of these dreadful encounters, for there cannot be the faintest hope of victory without it. When the time came for me to leave I placed the book in the specially made saddle bag that hung loosely over my back, threw on my dark cloak and started down the path towards the ships. Mindful of missing the turning tide, we departed almost immediately. 1. Westwards to Stremana...Day Three For the first three days we have made good progress under sail. Having nothing of particular importance to record during the intial stages of our journey, the artists onboard our vessel today amused themselves by making sketches of some of their fellow crew members and giving imaginary names to the seabirds which followed in our wake. It had been decided to head west because word had reached us shortly before our departure of renewed and increasingly violent activity in the Third Kingdom of Equestria. There could be no doubt that the dragon attacks, once confused to livestock and occasional assaults on lone individuals who had strayed too far into the hills, had increased greatly in both magnitude and number. The latest incident had reportedly occurred in the step hills of the Lilarrean Mountains, a relatively low area, where an old man had been slain as he farmed his crops. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Four The winds that have carried us so far in the first few days have now blown themselves out and our ships are becalmed. We are making some progress thanks to the efforts of our oarsponies but the mood has grown noticably darker as, for the first time, the ponies begin to contemplate their fate. At around noon there was a brief moment of levity when we were hailed by on of the other ships. It appeared that they had discovered a stowaway in the grain store - a mare of about sixteen who gave her name as 'Amalai'. She was winched across to our vessel and when I questioned her she explained that she'd overheard on of the warriors talking about our mission back at the port and was unable to resist the adventure. We both knew that it was too late to turn back and the mare seemed likable enough, so I told her she can earn her passage by serving as my assistant until we make landfall. We were passing between a series of small islands at dusk when I first heard the lookout's cry. The stallion pointed his hoof to a patch of sea in the middle distance where the water's surface was boiling angrily. Dark clouds swirled in the sky above and although it was unlike anything I have ever seen before, I knew instinctively that something evil was about to rise from the depths. The ship's sails began to snap back and forth, cracking loudly as viscous gusts ripped into the canvas. Across the water I could hear agitated cries from our compatriots on the other vessels and there could be no doubt that they were right to be afraid. Experienced seafarers one and all, they knew that the whole Pegasi race themselves, for all their strength and speed, could never conjure up a storm such as this within the few short minutes that had passed. By now the water immediately ahead of us was heaving ominously and great plumes of spray were being hurled into the air where the waves pounded a jagged rocky outcrop on our starboard side. I looked up and was momentarily awestruck by the sky above us. Never before have I seen the elements exhibit such fury and yet there was a terrible beauty to the black clouds which spiralled overhead, twisting and turning in on themselves as lightning bolts slashed through their dark, seething forms. I swiftly trotted below deck in the full knowledge that the oppurtunity for preparing our defence against this threat would be brief indeed. The ship began to pitch violently as I rifled through a great trunk seeking the equipment I would need. Hurrying back through a corridor I found Agorius emerging from his cabin and, with all the sternness I could muster, bade the stallion prince return to the relative safety of his bunk. Back on the main deck the scene that greeted me was one of chaos. It was as dark as night by now and the crew worked furiously to secure all the loose objects and strip the sails. Returning to the bow of the mighty vessel I found my worst fears confirmed. A dark funnel of cloud was slowly descending from the center of the maelstrom and within it something unspeakable was beginning to take shape. Out of the corner of my blue eyes I could see Amalai cowering on her haunches in a small storage compartment at the side of the deck and I ordered her below. She was too terrified to move, however, and I had not the time to escort her, so I turned my attention to the contents of the small cloth bag I'd retrieved from the trunk. In front of me a low plinth provided just enough space for the ritual I would have to perform. I cursed the stiffness of my ageing hooves as I fought to undo the bag's drawstring and release the nine flattish pebbles contained within. Eventually they spilled out, bouncing off one another and skidding of the foam-flecked wooden surface of the plinth. To form the Sacred Circle and generate the energy required, the outer ring of eight stones must all be touching each other and the ninth must be placed in the very center, something that became harder and harder to achieve as the conditions progressively worsened. Once I nearly had the formation, but the ship was struck by a great wave that shook her to the core, sending the stones tumbling across the deck. At that moment we crested another huge and as we plunged downwards into the relative calm of the watery canyon between the peaks I made another desperate attempt to complete the pattern. After failing again I realised that it was only by beaching on the lee side of the approaching land mass that we would be able to find a stable base on which to perform the ceremony and a few moments later, skilfully guided by our Captain, we found our vessel heaving itself into a shingle bay and rolling onto its side. Amalai decided to break cover, finding in herself a renewed courage as the unicorn galloped from the shadows to assist me. In the darkness we could search the island only by the light of the brief but intense lightning flashes and by the time we'd located a suitable vantage point our foe was fully formed, its immense bulk towering over us like the embodiment of evil itself. A grotesque head, half dragon and half serpent, jutted foward from the main column of swirling wind and water on a barbed and scaly neck. At the sides its claws were clearly visible, but most terrifying of all was the creature's cry, a guttural scream which melded with the ocean's roar to produce a noise of such extreme ferocity that it shook the ground on which we stood. The leading vessel was now no more than a few seconds away from the base of the tornado. It was impossible for me to determine whether this fearsome apparition was merely composed of the elements or whether it had somehow metamorphosed into flesh and blood, thereby acquiring the ability to attack in the manner of other beasts. Either way, we were all in grave danger since the tornado itself would surely tear our vessels to shreds even if the monster could not. The outer ring of pebbles was ready and as I dropped the ninth stone into place it was immediately apparant that the alignment had been perfect. A powerful white light, like a miniature lightning bolt, raced around the outer ring, bathing the stones in its glow. Amalai stood to one side of me, her look of terror now having given way to one of sheer wonderment as the strange light illuminated her purple coat. A second later the ring of energy arched into the center pebble just as I knew it would and I recognised this as the moment to strike. Without hesitation, I touched the tip of my horn to the central stone and felt the familiar jolt as the supernatural power coursed through its length. My horn acts as a conducter and it was crucial that my aim was true if we were to avoid any appalling fate. For a brief but agonising moment nothing happened. Then, the tip suddenly flashed with bright light. My horn kicked again and as I raised it skywards an intense flash streaked up through the darkness, piercing the gloom. The victorious cries of our fellow ponies could be heard above the din of the ocean as the energy stream found its target and a second later the sky appeared to burst open as the creature itself exploded with cataclysmic force, raining debris all around. So violent was the blast that we were all thrown off our legs and as the pebbles scattered once again I found myself unable to prevent atleast two of them from boucing across the rock surface and dopping into the ocean, where they would remain beyond use for all time. Our crew ponies were jubilant, but I was not so sure that the danger had passed. The tornado that had spawned the monster now appeared to be dissipating and spiralling into the ocean, but as the seas around us calmed I began to feel more uneasy than ever. No more than a couple of minutes had passed before the ocean was completely still again, the tornado having blown itself out. Still the dark clouds loomed overhead, circling with less urgency than before but maintaining their threat of evil. A cry from a crew pony onboard the leading vessel, The Verana, heralded the peril we were about to face. We could not make out the stallion's words at first, but shortly afterwards our ears were assailed by the roar of the phenomenon that had so alarmed him. Not three leagues distant, at the point where the tornado had disappeared, an enormous whirlpool had formed in the oceans surface. I watched with horror as The Verana banked sharply into the revolving wall of water and embarked on its final, desperate journey. Our oarsponies, along with those of the other vessels, immediately rushed below decks and set about the task of turning the ships around. If a similar fate was to be avoided our other ships would need to put a good stretch of clear water between themselves and this gaping maw in the ocean's surface as quickly as possible. As our own vessel pushed back through the surf and came about I could see only the tip of The Verana's main mast, now making its third circuit of the thunderous whirlpool. She appeared to be moving faster and faster in the ever tightening funnel of water and there was absolutely nothing I could do to save those on board. I watched with several other crew members as she disappeared from view, dragged down into the unimaginable darkness of the ocean's depths. Gradually, the roar subsided and the skies at last began to clear. For now, at least, we were safe. We took a new bearing and collected a few items that we found floating near the point where The Verana had been taken down before resuming our journey, assisted by the light easterly wind which now filled our sails. Exhausted and deeply saddened by the day's events, I had not intended to make further entries in the journal tonight but, as I sit here now, the page in front of me lit only by the faint glow of a candle, my mind begins to travel back to the distant past. Many years ago, a Unicorn Wizard named Septimus, whose powers were at least the equal of my own, served alongside me in the Court of our ruler Aegis Agorius. There was peace throughout the four Kingdoms during that period and he worked with me harmoniously for quite some time before beginning to grow resentful of my friendship with the King. In truth, Aegis extended no favours to me that he would not have extended to my colleague. But, as time went by and Septimus' imaginings took hold, he slowly withdrew his services, ultimately making only ocassional appearances at the King's court. A few months later I was approached by one of Septimus' apprentices who'd become fearful of her master's wrath after interrupting him in the midst of a dark ritual. I confronted Septimus in the expectation that some kind of misunderstanding had occured, but he was defiant when I questioned him, aggressively and somewhat mysteriously declaring himself answerable only to an authority higher than my own. So when, shortly afterwards, the apprentice suddenly disappeared I had no alternative but to tell the King what I knew. Septimus was duly summoned and a dreadful argument ensued, the culmination of which was the King's decision to banish Septimus to one of the Northen Islands. Unable to exile Septimus against his wishes, Aegis was forced to enlist my help in carrying out the deed, an act that further enraged Septimus and confirmed his sense of betrayal. And now we have come to this. The King made mention of Septimus in his letter and in the light of today's events I can be sure that his suspicions were well founded. The creature that attacked us today could have been the work of none other than Septimus himself. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Six We have made good progress for the last two days, but the mood on board has been solemn. This morning we sighted Sparken Island on the far horizon. Its craggy cliffs rose sharply out of an otherwise featureless ocean and its peaks reached skywards like the gnarled legs of a drowning stallion. Most of those on board knew it to be the place where Septimus now resided and they stared fixedly at its forbidding profile as we passed by. The Captain of our vessel later reported to me that he had noticed a marked change in the shape of Sparken Island since he was last in these waters. The rocky peaks had now been joined by a cluster of colossal towers, darker even than the grey granite that sorrounded them, and were forced to conclude that Septimus had built a fortress on the island. Briefly, the thought occurred to me that we could divert nothwards and seek Septimus himself, rather than pursue the great beasts he now appeared to command, but on reflection I realised how foolhardy this course of action would have been. The waters around Sparken Island are extremely perilous at this time of year and were we to make landfall successfully and find our quarry in residence, we would have been confronting Septimus at the height of his powers. The rest of the day passed without incident and I spent several hours demonstrating simple magic to young Agorius. Like his father, he shows great determination and strength of character but he has very little instinctive feeling for the Ways of Wizardry. It frustrates him so but I try to explain that the qualities he does possess will one day make him a truly worthy King, which I know to be true. There is something different about the young mare, though. She is usually a fiery little waif but she spent all afternoon sitting on her haunches, watching Agorius and I without uttering a single word. I could sense her understanding, however, and when I shot an occasional glance in her direction she met my eyes with a look that spoke to me of the wisdom of centuries. 2. The Farmer's Tale...Day Seven We reached safe harbor in the Third Kingdom at about midday today and much of the afternoon was spent unloading the vessels. Stremana is a bustling port and our arrival appeared to cause much excitement amongst the local townsponies, all of whom were most hospitable to our crew. I dined well at a nearby Inn and retired early, relived to be on dry land once again. Late at night there came a knock at my door and I immeditaely recognised the Captain of one of our ships. The young earth pony stallion who accompanied him I had never seen before, but he was introduced to me as Blueberry Bubble, a rock farmer who had recently witnessed a fatal attack by a fearsome, two-headed monstrocity of a dragon. Over the years he had seen this same creature on numerous occasions, but always at a great distance high up in the mountains. I learned that he and his family had worked a smallholding in the lowlands for many years, making a modest living by selling their produce in the town's market once a week. With a tremulous voice, he described to me the terrible events that had overtaken them one afternoon in the Autumn of last year. He'd been rocking a field at the head of the valley when a great shadow swept over him. Looking up, he'd been horrified to see what he assumed to be the Beast of Sadd-legremanaca circling low overhead. Tearfully, he explained to me how he'd desperately tried to warn his family of the danger as they toiled in the neighbouring fields, but that his voice had been carried away on the breeze. According to his account the dragon had banked sharply, swooping so low over his head that the great gust from its wings sent him flying off his legs. Terrified, he'd lain face down in the soil for a few moments, and when he raised his head he beheld a sight so terrible that it will, I fear, stay with him until the end of his days. The creature had landed nearby, pinning a farmer to the ground with one of its enormous talons. Blueberry had immediately recognised the victim as his father and rushed on his hooves to his aid, joining others who had quickly improvised weapons from their working tools. There was nothing to be done, however, since the beast was all but oblivious to their efforts. It would not be distracted from its prey, whose writhing and screaming brought it no release from the unrelenting grip of the dragon's claws. Again and again the creature's two heads lunged downwards, ripping great chunks of bloody flesh from the elderly pony's body, and only occasionally did they snake sideways, snarling and threatening to strike at those who baited the creature with hoes and scythes. In desperation, Blueberry had run straight at the beast, driving a fence post forcefully into the side of one of its mouths. With a terrible cry, it leapt upwards, beating the air powerfully with its wings and creating dust clouds of such density that the ponies were left temporarily blinded and gasping for breath. As the air cleared the dragon could be sen heading back towards its mountain lair, the lifeless body of Blueberry's father still dangling in its grip. Blueberry sobbed openly as he neared the end of his sorry tale. He had not returned to the farm since the attack and lived instead with friends in the port, still unable to accept the sad fact of his father's death and his failure to prevent it. When at last I asked him whether there was anypony take us to the scene of the struggle his reaction initially surprised me. 'I shall escort you myself at first light,' was all he said, and after a moment I understood just why it was so important to him. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Eight Blueberry Bubble was as good as his word, and our small army of ponies and heavy weapons left Stremana early this morning, making only slow progress in the grey mist of dawn. I also have my suspicions that many of our company were suffering from an excess of revelry last night, since their faces were entirely bereft of good cheer. By mid-morning we were all well inland but recent rain had caused a considerable softening of the ground. It proved extremely difficult to move the heavier equipment along the already deteriorating tracks and at one point the soldiers nearly exhausted themselves trying to dislodge the giant crossbow from a mud bank where it was stuck fast. When a team of thirty ponies failed to wrench it free the decision was taken to dismantle it, and so we incurred a further delay. It was almost dark when we finally reached Blueberry's smallholding, so we pitched camp and resolved to begin our inspection of the area in the morning. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Nine The grey mist that has dogged our journey since we left Stremana had lifted by the time we woke this morning and the clear sky that greeted us appeared to raise everypony's spirits. Blueberry led us to the area where the attack had taken place, but it would not have been difficult to locate even without his help, since signs of the struggle were all around. The broken implements which the family had used in their futile attempts to fight off the creature lay where they were dropped and despite the rains there were still traces of the old stallion's blood in the dampened soil. Adjacent to this discoloured patch of earth lay the fence post that Blueberry had employed in his last desperate assault on the creature. We bowed our heads respectfully as he retrieved the post and retired to a mossy bank, before sitting down on his haunches and burying his face into himself. It was only then that we felt it right to begin a close examination of the site. Our hope is that by learning as much as we can about these beasts and their behaviour we will greatly improve our chances of destroying them in battle. Before long one of our team uncovered a a broken tooth in the damp soil. It was almost certainly dislodged by Blueberry's final blow and when we showed the tooth to him, he nodded in recognition. He allowed himself a half smile since our discovery did at least prove that he was able to inflict some kind of retaliatory injury on the dragon before it took flight. Unable to find any further specimens worth including in the journal after a thorough search of the area, our artists were forced to make speculative sketches illustrating the creature's method of attack based on Blueberry's detailed account of the incident and the teeth marks they found on some of the wooden implements. On that point, I have to say that I've been most impressed by the abilities of the artists whom the King assigned to our mission. Although their respective specialities vary considerably, they all work quickly and accurately whether drawing from life or imagination and I have no doubt that their contributions to the journal will provide more informative record of our encounters than any of my written accounts could do. By nightfall, we had learned all we could from the site so it just remained for us to perform a simple ceremony marking the passing of Blueberry's father. At my request one of the artists carved the old stallion's name on the fence post his son had used in his attempts to save him and this was duly erected on a low ridge overlooking the smallholding. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Ten With the coming of dawn we bade farewell to Blueberry but not before he had indicated to us the area of mountains where he presumed the creature's lair to be. He had motioned to a jagged outcrop of rock in the high peaks and provided a crude map on which a series of loosely interconnected tracks were drawn. These tracks, if they still existed and were yet passable, would lead us to the Beast of Sadd-legremanaca. We pressed onwards as quickly as we could, intent on gaining as much height as possible before fading light marked the end of another day. This evening we made camp at the entrance to Grimodorcus Canyon, a natural geological formation of outstanding scale and grandeur. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Eleven Our intention had been to resume the climb at first light but we awoke to fierce winds that delayed the dismantling of the tents and hampered our every movement. It was apparent from the way that canyon's walls had been croded that such winds were a common occurrence in these parts but this knowledge did nothing to lessen our discomfort as we struggled to maintain our place in the difficult terrain. When at last the gusts subsided we were able to gain a little more height, but the path grew more and more tortuous as the hours passed, snaking back and forth as it slowly ascended the canyon wall. Greatly fatigued, we eventually sighted a small plateau just ahead of us and planned to rest there awhile, but tragedy overtook us before we reached it. I heard a sharp cry from one of the pony warriors near the back of the group and looked over my shoulder in an effort to identify the cause of his pain. He was quite some way distant from me and my view back down the path was partially obscured by the rest of our entourage. Intermittent glimpses revealed a figure flailing about in a frantic attempt to beat off a small winged creature resembling a vampire fruit-bat. At first his predicament was the cause of some mirth amongst the other warriors. Here was a man of great strength and courage on a mission to slay dragons, struggling to defend himself against the most insignificant of creatures. Only when he screamed, clutched his eye and fell heavily to the ground did the laughter begin to fade. I suddenly realised that the animal we had all assumed to be a bat was in reality something far more sinister and dangerous. Dragonets are the piranhas of the dragon world, highly aggresive and extremely powerful for their size. I had seen them only once before but knew from that encounter just how deadly they can be, savaging their victims in a mad frenzy of tooth and claw. Some were no larger than the span of a stallions hoof, but when they attack in great swarm, as is their habbit, there is no creature large or powerful enough to withstand the vicious onslaught. A few ponies galloped to the fallen warrior's aid but by now I could hear other cries coming from within the group. Raised swords sliced the air but were too unwieldy to strike effectively at the creatures that reeled overhead, squawking and cackling with what sounded like malevolent glee. The main body of the swarm would not be far behind and I hurriedly scanned the gloomy recesses of the vast gorge in an effort to ascertain the probable direction of the attack. My gaze quickly fell upon a swirling black cloud further along the canyon and although I had known it was coming, the sight of the swarm made me sick to my stomach. It appeared to move slowly at first, swelling a little and then receding, like a plague of locusts in flight. Parts of the cloud seemed to push outwards from time to time, giving rise to the impression that the swarm might have been one huge amorphous creature, which in a way it was. The cacophony of shrieks reached us a few seconds later, amplified and echoed by the great stone walls which barred our escape. I knew it was within my power to protect our army from this foe, but only if everypony was to cooperate fully and swiftly with my instructions and trust me implicitly. In normal circumstances it would have been impossible to make myself heard above the rising crescendo, so I filled my lungs with air, drew deeply on my powers and, in a voice which rang out like thunder, bellowed my instructions to the group behind me. 'Stand absolutely still and restrain the equipment as best you can!' By the time my command had reached the pony's ears, the swarm was almost upon us and the noise had risen to a pitch of such extreme intensity that many of the ponies in the army simply dropped to the ground with their hooves clasped tightly over their ears. I clambered onto the wagon in which Agorius and Amalai had been riding and, seeing the fear in their faces, bade them lie down in the back before covering them with rough blankets. The swarm was at my back when I sweeped my horn through the air, describing an arc that contained the entire army. The words I spoke as I did so have been known to me for many a long year, an incantation empowers a Wizards horn and creates an invisible protective shell of limited strength and stability but considerable size. If there is too much movement amongst those sheltering within, then the integrity of the bubble is undermined. It may grow weak in places or even dissolve altogether, hence my order to the soldiers. At best, it will hold its form for a few precious minutes and provide a shield strong enough to repel small objects or animals. A galloping stallion would have sufficient mass to penetrate it but a dragonet, even diving from a great height, would not. The invisible ceiling above our heads also served to mute the creature's cries, so I was able to repeat my order to the soldiers, imploring them to stand firm even as the dragonets began the first wave of their attacks. A few of the ponies amongst the crowd could not help recoiling as, one after another, the creatures either glanced off the unseen barrier or crashed straight into it with a bone-breaking crunch, sending blood and bone flying in all directions. Those whose shallow angle of approach had allowed them a second chance merely circled the canyon and repeated the manoeuvre with even greater force until they too had either killed themselves or worn themselves out in their attempts to pierce it. Of even greater threat were the few dragonets trapped within, most of which had arrived before I was able to raise the protective dome. They had now been joined by a couple which had managed through where the thickness of the shield had been compromised by a few select ponies' panick-striken attempts to flee the scene. I estimated there to be about six of them in total and on finding themselves imprisoned they seemed intent on inflicting as much injury as possible on their captors. In addition to their needle-like teeth and claws, which are sharp enough to tear through thick leather, the dragonet has another weapon that is even more formiddable. Like the scorpion, to which it is related, it has a raised tail with a deadly sting. a successful strike will render a pony paralysed in minutes and result in an excruciating death over the following few hours. I know of no cure and my magic is powerless to extract the venom from the victim's bloodstream once it had taken hold. As the shield gradually dissipated and most of these last few demented creatures took flight, one of them, its wing too badly damaged to allow it to escape, attached itself to the scalp of an unfortunate stallion just a short distance from where I was standing. With a defiant shriek it buried its sting deep in the Earth stallion's neck before dropping back to the ground. Another stallion, a dewinged Pegasus, immediately pinned it to the earth with a shortsword and crushed its skull with his hind hoof, sending barin matter and skull shards all over the ground and up the pony's leg. But, his actions served no other purpose beyond revenge. The stricken stallion warrior had already fell face first into the dirt beneath him, a low, mournful groan emitting from his mouth. Jubilant in victory and obviously much relieved to be safe once again, some of those who had not witnessed this last attack began a spontaneous round of applause. I was forced to silence them as we lifted the injured soldier off the ground and, with the utmost care, lowered him slowly into one of the pony-drawn wagons that accompanied us. We reached the plateau not long afterwards but his condition was deteriorating rapidly. A temporary camp was set up and we made the warrior as comfortable as we could but I knew the end would not be long in coming. Less than two hours after the initial attack we had committed his body to the grave, marking his resting place with a large pile of granite slabs. (The Dragonet) 'From our examination of the Dragonet, it was apparant that this species has a greater power to weight ratio than almost any other living thing. In flight it is capable of changing direction very quickly, but its attacks are typified by steep, high-speed dives during which the wings are pinned back against the body, presumably to reduce wing resistance. Although not particularly large, both the claws and the teeth are remarkably sharp, enabling them to rip through the toughest materials with ease, and if Nature has created a more aggresive creature we have yet to discover it. Most remarkable of all is the Dragonet's tail, which has a barbed tip very similar to that of the scorpion. The contraction of the muscle tissue around the venom sac results in rapid expulsion of the liquid and we noted that these pulses continue even after the creature was put to death, indicating that the sting reflex acts independently of the brain's commands.' We proceeded on our way, eyes still focused on the sky ahead lest there be a repeat of this dreadful incident. By dusk we were nearing the upper reaches of the canyon and although most of the ponies were keen to be free of its confines, there could be no doubt that the walls afforded a degree of shelter from the elements. It was therefore decided that we would pitch camp for the night under a broad overhang near the point where the rising path finally breached the top of the near-verticle cliffs. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Twelve This morning I was awakened by a cry from one of our pony scouts. He had risen early with the intention of planning a route that would ensure our safe passage and was eager to show me what he had found. I took with me a telescope and the two of us clambered up a steep slope to a vantage point that yielded a spectacular view of the Arrean Peaks. The scout motioned towards a natural gully that had formed between two rocky outcrops and, although it was difficult to establish the scale at this distance, clearly some kind of giant nest had been constructed within this relatively sheltered area. The true size of it became more apparant as I panned across the rock face with the telescope. It was not unlike the sort of eyrie an eagle would create for itself but, instead of small branches and twigs, this nest was made up of what appeared to be fully mature pine trees. It had to be the beast of Sadd-legremanaca's lair although, judging by the width of the nest, which would scarcely have been spanned by seven of our wagons laid end to end, the creature itself was likely to be rather larger than any of us had anticipated. There was no sign of life but we felt very exposed on the open ridge, so we wasted no time in returning to camp. Once again I had cause to refer to Blueberry's map, which despite certain inaccuracies had served us well thus far, bringing us to the head of the canyon in only three days. As I traced the various paths with my hoof it quickly became apparant that we had in truth reached journey's end. The track we were using would climb higher but it would take us no nearer to the beast's lair than our current position, veering to the right instead and snaking up through another pass to a different part of the mountains. We were as near to the nest as it was possible to get and yet it was still well beyond the reach of our weaponry. Even the huge wooden Madagan crossbow we had brought with us had barely half the range we would need and would serve only to provoke an attack. I summoned the captain and we considered our options 3. Friend of the Enemy...Day Twelve-Afternoon My meeting with Captain Rosemary was barely underway when we were suddenly interrupted by a strange noise outside the tent. we looked out to see multiple of our ponies pointing down the canyon and speaking in whispers. The sound we had heard was the wing beat of the Beast of Sadd-legremanaca, big lazy strokes that lifted its great bulk ever higher and almost drowned out the desperate cries of the tiny figure that dangled from the beast's talons. Yet another victim that was beyond my help. I ordered everypony to return to the safety of the overhang and they obeyed most readily. As we watched from the shadows the creature glided past without seeing us and I was later informed by the scout that it had returned to the nest and made short work of its meal. It was obvious to me that our only hope of destroying the creature was to bring it within range of our weapons and the Captain agreed. We would position a catapault such that it would hurl boulders into the far wall of the canyon and on hearing these great crashed the creature would surely venture out to investigate their source. Only then would we unleash the lance from the giant crossbow, which would remain hidden in the darkest recesses of the overhang. The plan was immediately put into action but we repeatedly failed to provoke the beast. Some of the boulders thudded uselessly into soft earth and the loud cracks generated by those that struck the rock face were too similar to the sounds produced by a nearby glacier to attract any attention. Reluctantly, I came to the conclusion that pony bait would be required to lure the creature from its lair and since my skills afford me some protection from attack it seemed only right that I should be the one to offer myself up. After checking that everything was ready I again ascended the ridge I had climbed earlier. The dragon was still on the nest and both its heads were pointed in my general direction but at first it failed to notice me. Only when I performed a simple spell which created a shimmering arc of green light in the air above me did the great heads slowly rise from the edge of the nest. A few moments later the creature was airborne, bearing down on me at a speed that caught me off my guard. I was still a short distance away from the point where the path drops below the ridge when the dragon made its first pass, swooping low and creating a downdraft of such force that it sent me tumbling across the rocks. By the time the dragon had made a curcuit of the canyon, however, I was limping towards the relative safety of the overhang, confident by now that it would move in for the kill. Instead, it made several high-speed dives at the area where we were hiding, each time peeling off at the last moment with a terrifying cry. Evidently, the creature was too suspicious to effect a landing and it began to seem increasingly unlikely that we would get the clear shot we needed. Suddenly, from somewhere behind me, a figure darted out of the darkness. It was the young stallion Agorius, and he was moving so fast that I had no chance of intercepting him. A second later he had cleared the protective canopy of the overhang and reached an open section of the path, where he was in full view of the creature. Mindful of my promise to the King, I immediately galloped after the young stallion and threw him to the ground, covering his body with my own. Raising my head a second later, I was horrified to see a pair of giant talons gripping an outcrop of rock just a short distance ahead of us. The creature was so close that we could smell its rank odour and even feel its hot breath on the backs of our necks. Agorius strained to see but I forced his head down with my hoof and with my free foreleg I gave the signal to fire. The great lance passed so low over our heads that we felt the rush of its slipstream, but before we could react it had struck home, driving deep into the dragon's underbelly with a resounding thump. Tempered many times over in the King's own foundries, the metal tip had been designed to penetrate the scales and lodge firmly in the soft tissue underneath, before releasing a potent toxin into the creature's bloodstream. The sheer force of the impact caused the beast to reel backwards, slipping off the path and dropping into clear air with a scream which echoed throughout the gorge. A cheer went up and everypony rushed forward to the edge of the precipice, whereupon we were rewarded with the sight of the dragon going through its death throes on the canyon floor far below. As I retire tonight I draw some comfort from the day's events, for although there are many such encounters ahead of us, we have at least proved ourselves equal to the challenge. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Thirteen Late last night, Amalai came to my tent and roused me from my slumber with a warning that I did not at first comprehend. Her expression was deeply troubled and her eyes darted from side to side as she spoke, her words delivered in a nervous whisper... 'I felt a voice! I felt a voice!' When I tried to correct her, suggesting that she might have heard a voice, she insisted that I was wrong and went to tell me that the voce she'd felt was that of Captain Silva, one of the highest ranking ponies in our batallion. As she calmed down I began to understand a little more, and when she revealed that the voice had been recounting our every moment over the last three days, I suddenly grasped the true significance of her words. I reached over and lifted the journal out of its sling, before swiftly turning to the back page and finding the Amulet gone. Certain by now that we had a traitor in our midst, I rushed out of the tent and woke two of the most dependable guards. Together, we stormed Silva's tent and found him sitting on his haunches with the Amulet hovering in front of him, its concentric rings revolving about themselves while the central stone glowed brightly. He appeared not to even notice our dramatic entrance, continuing instead with his detailed account of the dragon's violent death earlier in the day. The old stallion's report was delivered in a dull, impassive monotone but as he spoke not once did his lips move, and he undoubtedly would have continued thus had he not been roughly assailed by one of the guards. As the trance broke he suddenly started, as if waking from a deep sleep, and at the same moment the Amulet snapped shut with a brilliant flash, before dropping to the ground. The guards dragged him outside and when I crouched to pick up the Amulet I noticed a piece of parchment lying nearby, which upon closer examination confirmed my gravest suspicions. Written in a spidery font that I instantly recognised as that of Septimus, the page consisted of notes and diagrams, which, if carefully followed, would enable even a laypony to avail himself of the Amulet's most basic function, this being the conveyance of telepathic communications. Whether Septimus had promised the Captain great wealth for acting as his spy or whether dark magic had been employed to secure his loyalty I could not determine, but this morning Silva was subjected to a rigorous interrogation which revealed much about his master's plans. As the Captain gradually gave up his secrets I began to realise just how seriously I had underestimated Septimus, not just in terms of his desire for vengeance but also for his overwhelming determination to return to the seat of power. Naively perhaps, I had originally thought that the 'turning' of the dragons was merely an act of defiance - a means of spiting the ailing King and preventing him from going peacefully to his grave. It now seemed that his true motives were far darker than any of us could hve imagined. Under considerable duress from the guards, Silva explained that the aggresive behavior of the dragons under Septimus' influence was simply a diversion, designed to draw me away from the Palace on a long and difficult mission at the time when the King himself was growing weak. Clearly his intentions were to return to the Palace in my absence and seize the power he considered rightfully his. I will probably never know what led Septimus into the ways of darkness all those years ago but I find it hard to attribute his corruption to a simple matter of jealousy. I strongly suspect that he somehow made contact with the Dark Dragon of Demonarchy and was unable to resist the lure of its power. The spirit of Demonarchy is pure evil and had it been raised by Septimus, whether accidently or deliberately, it would have inexorably poisoned his soul. Such conjecture is pointless now, however, for although Septimus may well have grown very powerful during his years of life in exile, we cannot countenance the idea of returning to confron him until our tasks are completed. We have many battles yet to fight. Carefully, we began our descent of the canyon wall, retracing the steps we'd taken in recent days. Flanked by two guards and with his legs loosely bound together, as to not allow anything faster than walking, Silva trailed behind us with his head bowed low in shame. As I slowly trotted along the path, my thoughts returned to the previous night and Amalai's visit to my tent. So intent had I been on understanding her urgent message that the significance of her precise words slipped my mind. If she had indeed felt the Captain's voice rather than heard it then there could be no doubt that she had the gift. With appropriate guidance and tuition she had the potential to become a great Sorceress. Suddenly my reverie was shaken by a shout from the back of the group. Turning swiftly, I was just in time to see Captain Silva quickly sprint across the path, despite the binding method, and leap to certain death. Perhaps understandably, the guards made only a token attempt to stop him. We reached the canyon floor soon after sunrise this morning and I immediately dispatched a small team to gather specimens from the dragon's carcass. They rejoined us several hours later, bringing with them a number of interesting samples which I deemed worthy of inclusion in the book. On the way back they had also pased the mutilated corpse of Captain Silva, his flesh gashed and split in many areas. Despite his injuries, they noted a strange symbol which had appeared on the Captain's flank where the cutie mark was supposed to be, and made a quick sketch of it to show me upon their return. I had never seen its like before but the motif strongly suggested to me that the Captain had indeed fallen prey to the powers of dark magic and that this was Septimus' way of marking his pony. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Sixteen It has taken just two days to journey all the way back to the port of Stremana and we found ourselves feted upon our return. The townsfolk had re-stocked the vessels during our absence, adding many gifts of their own in an effort to make the next stage of our voyage as comfortable as possible. We set sail early the next day, immediately heading towards a complex archipelago that would lead us to the Southern Kingdom. 4. The Southern Voyage...Day Nineteen This afternoon I felt that the time was right to speak to Agorius about what had happened in the canyon and the conversation turned in due course to the responsibilities he would ultimately have to face as the future King. I praised him for the bravery he had displayed on the high pass just a couple of days ago and conceded that we probably would have missed our best chance had he not revealed himself to the beast at that point, but I had also to admonish him for his recklessness. I explained that a Sovereign must never endanger himself so and he accepted my warning with good grace. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Twenty-One Our course through these islands has been plotted by our chief navigator and its complexity is dictated by the need to avoid the treacherous currents for which thses waters are noted. This evening, as we passed through a narrow channel between two jagged peaks, the night sky was briefly illuminated by a flash of orange light. The lookout summoned me to the main deck and together we awaited for a repetition of this strange phenomenon. Several minutes passed before it happened again but this time there could be no mistaking the two giant tongues of flame which roared out of the darkness towards us. Clearly visible behind them, high up in the mountains, was a dragon of immense size. Our vessel had just passed under a rocky causeway when the jets of fire came again, shattering the bridge into hundreds of superheated boulders which threw off great plumes of steam as they plunged into the icy waters behind us. It's quite possible that the commotion caused by the collapse of the causeaway led the creature to believe it had found its target for it made no further attacks on our ships last night. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Twenty-Four We have remained extremely vigilant for the last two days and this afternoon, as our ships rounded a particularly hazardous group of islands, Agorius spotted the creature again, gliding so low over the water that its wing tips sometimes skimmed the tops of the waves. At a distance its appearance was not dissimilar to that of a giant seabird. From time to time we saw its head dip into the water an as we watched it became apparant that it was feeding by plucking porpoises from just below the surface. When at last it noticed our ships the beast turned and headed straight for us, beating its enormous wings a couple of times to increase its speed. The crews scattered as it made its first pass, coming in fast and low before peeling off in a great arc just a short distance from our vessel. It climbed a little and made a wide circuit of the ocean before attacking again, this time beginning the approach with a steep dive that further increased its velocity. Two enormous blasts of flame roared out of the dragon's mouth as it reeled away a second time. The fire licked at the upper reaches of the rigging but our luck held and the fire failed to take hold. The navigator galloped to my side and suggested we take cover amongst the relatively sheltered but fast-flowing channels which run between the islands. Despite the risks involved, I could see that this would represent our best chance to turn the situation to our advantage, so we signalled all the vessels to follow us into a craggy inlet that was looming over our starboard side. The dragon was making another wide circuit as we made our dash for cover but the sound of its roar came drifting across the water and echoed threateningly through the canyon walls that now rose steeply on either side. The current that seized us as soon as we left the open ocean was simply astounding and before long we were hurtling along on colossal mounds of rolling water. Once or twice the waves broke over the deck but they did nothing to impede our rapid progress as we barrelled down the gorge. As the seas became yet higher and faster so it became more and more difficult to steer a course down the middle of the channel. The Captain fought with the ship's tiller as he endeavoured to prevent a collision with the canyon walls and every so often we were forced to veer off sharply to avoid the enormous standing waves which threatened to stop the ship dead or drag it under. We saw nothing of the dragon itself for the next few minutes but its shadow flashed across the ship's deck several times and its roar, which was amplified and echoed by the island's cliffs, had now become a perpetual cacophony. Without warning the ship entered an especially turbulent patch of water and immediately began a slow rotation. Our Earth Pony Captain was powerless to prevent this disastrous manoeuvre and we soon found ourselves at the mercy of huge waves that came thundering into the side of the vessel, but under the relentless force of the current the spin continued and a few moments later we were facing forwards again, moving faster than ever. Suddenly I was thrown violently to the deck. Our ship had plunged into a deep trough of turning water and our passage through the canyon had come to a shuddering and wet halt. So vast was this inverted wave that it swallowed the entire ship, holding her fast in a precarious position and exerting tremendous force on her timber frame, which groaned under the strain. As the tumultuous waters surged past on either side of us the ship's crew struggled to maintain their positions on the badly sloping deck. The first of the other vessels hurled past us, closely shadowed by the dragon itself. Her crew were so busy trying to deal with the various fires that had broken out on deck that they barely even noticed our dire predicament, and were therefore unable to assist us in any way. We were momentarily awestruck by the sheer size of the beast as it flew overhead, its great wings almost spanning the width of the gorge. I knew that we might never escape our fate but at least we had at our disposal the means to injure this terrible beast and possibly even slay it. Alone amongst the various ships, ours has a large deck-mounted ballister, which, though difficult to arm, is extremely powerful. The only advantage afforded by the incline of the ship's deck was that the ballister was pointing skywards, perfectly positioned to repel an attack from the air. Struggling to make myself heard above the rushing water, I ordered the crew to make ready the weapon by filling the huge pan at the back of its lever arm with a sackload of spiked iron balls. Several minutes passed before they had completed their task. Our Captain, his red coat soaked along with everypony else's, climbed to the top of our main mast and reported that one of our vessels appeared to be stuck fast on a rocky outcrop further up the channel. From what he could see, the dragon was making repeated attacks on their ship but was hampered by the confines of the canyon walls. Eventually it gave up its assault on the others and turned its attention to us, presumably considering our vessel to be an easier target. To his credit, our Captain remained at the top of the mast as the monster bore down on us, readying himself to give the signal to fire. When his arm came down the dragon still couldn't be seen by those of us down on deck but the crew trusted his judgement and the catapult was duly fired, propelling its deadly hail high into the air. At exactly the same moment, the dragon appeared above the ship, moving very fast and virtually filling the sky above us with its enormous bulk. Some of the missiles went astray but a great many collided with the creature's underbelly, embedding themselves in the flesh or opening up bloody gashes in the skin's surface where they had caught only a glancing blow. Some of the spiked balls punched straight through the wing membrane, leaving ragged holes which were almost certain to affect the dragon's stability in flight. An agonising shriek escaped its mouth as it banked away sharply and disappeared from view. Our desperation ensured that feelings of triumph were far from our minds but as the Captain came climbing down through the rigging I could see from his face that he had not given up hope of escape. Hurriedly, he explained that the other vessel had now drifted free of the rock and would be passing us very soon. If we could get a line to it and their crew of hard-working stallions could secure it swiftly enough there was just a chance that the momentum of the other ship would haul us clear. The Captain seized a crossbow from the armoury and quickly attached it to a mini-mount that he'd fitted to his back. He quickly tied a length of twine to the arrow's shaft, just ahead of the flights. As he again ascended the rigging, weapon mounted, I tied the other end of the twine to the strongest piece of rope I could find on deck, hoping that there would be sufficient length in its coils to reach the other vessel. Even as I completed the knot it was ripped violently from my mouth, with which I was tying the trusty knot. The Captain had fired the crossbow and from his exultant cries I guessed that the arrow had found its mark. Unable to see what was happening above our line of sight, those of us on deck could only watch and wait as the rope swiftly ran out. A heavy iron cleat, to which the rope was attached, was all that remained once the coils were gone and as the rope snapped taut, the bolts that attached the cleat to the deck shifted visibly in their mountings. For a second I thought they would give way but instead it was the ship's railing that collapsed, crushed by the tremendous tension in the rope. At first our ship rolled to one side alarmingly but then, in a heaving action which felt as if she were tearing apart, she broke free of the standing wave and was carried swiftly back into the main current. Just a short distance further on the channel widened a little and the waters calmed before delivering us to the open ocean once again, where we found the other ships waiting. Amazingly, there was no loss of life as a result of this encounter but several ponies sustained burns and the damage to one of the vessels was considerable. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Twenty-Eight The last three days have passed without further incident but my sense of unease returned as we made landfall in the South Kingdom tonight. Our plan was to spend a night of relative comfort at nearby Icarus Castle but soon after we began unloading the ships it became apparant that we were in grave danger. The dragon that had stalked us since we left Stremana appeared again, perching on a clifftop high above the bay and belching fiery threats which lit up the landscape around us. There was no time to ready any of the heavy weaponry, so a few light arms were snatched from the ship's armoury and we took cover where we could. Visibly scarred by the injuries our catapult had inflicted earlier in the week and perhaps a little more cautious than before, the dragon waited several minutes before mounting its attack. Instead of launching itself mid-air as we'd expected, the creature simply slid off the ridge, dislodging what appeared to be its nest as it did so. Two huge eggs tumbled out and exploded on the rocks below while the monster itself half flew and half scrambled down the mountainside, dragging one of its wings awkwardly behind it. We now knew that we had severely disabled the creature but this thought provided little comfort as, screaming furiously, it fought its way across a rocky escarpment towards us. Some of our party panicked and fled, hoping to out-pace the dragon in a frantic gallop across open grassland to the security of the castle. Although unable to fly, the creature was putting its good wing to effective use with great thrashing movements and these powerful downstrokes enabled the beast to spring forward in gigantic bounds. On landing, its talons would lock firmly into the ravines that criss-crossed the escarpment and it would stabilize itself briefly before the next strenuous leap. In the event, it was these narrow gullies, most of them no wider than a mature stallion's body, that not only provided shelter for those who remained but also gave me my one opportunity to slay the beast. I left Agorius and Amalai where they hid and after instructing nearby ponies to shield them as best they could I picked up a crossbow and clambered out onto the escarpment. The dragon had stopped a little way off and was driving its snout forcefully into one of the ravines in an effort to get at those who sheltered within but on seeing me emerge from hiding it snarled viciously, spat a ball of flame high into the air and took a great leap in my direction. As it approached I threw myself into another of the rock fissures and lay there with crossbow at the ready, waiting for the huge head to appear above me. Slowly it came into view and a second later the jaws were upon me, crashing against the narrow opening of the ravine with astounding force. Try as it might, the creature cimply couldn't force its huge snout far enough into the gully to reach me and frustration was driving it into a fury. So frenzied was the attack that its teeth splintered on the surrounding rocks and its gums tore open, spilling cold, black blood onto my face. With its rough tongue it probed the inner recesses of the ravine but the slavering form never quite gained sufficient purchase to lever my body out of the hole. The blasts of hot, damp air that issued from the monster's nostrils reeked of death itself but I was meerly thankful for the fact that it hadn't occured to the beast to spit fireballs into the fissure. Twice more the head lunged forwards before I had the angle I needed, but when at last I had a clear view up into the roof of the creature's mouth I hesitated not, firing the bolt straight away. The effect was so sudden and dramatic that there could be no doubt - the bolt had penetrated the underside of the brain, resulting in instant death. The huge body slumped to the ground, trapping me in the ravine and it was only when some of the pony warriors had cut away part of the carcass that I was able to climb out. Exhausted, we decided to delay further unloading of the vessels until tomorrow morning and went straight to the castle, where a celebratory feast, comprising of dragon steaks, was enjoyed.
Prolgue...Hello. I am Soul Storm, Supreme Wizard to the Court of King Aegis, Sovereign Ruler of the four Kingdoms of Equestria. It is now fully one month since the King's messenger Pegasi came to my abode late that night and the letter he bore rests beside me now - a heartfelt plea from the stallion I have come to regard as Lord, Master and true friend. On learning of the King's failing health I rushed immediately to his side, taking with me a few herbal preperations to ease his pain. I arrived early the following morning and as I sat down beside the Unicorn, he summoned what remained of his once considerable strength to grip my hoof. 'You must do this for me,' was all he said, and as I looked deep into his tired eyes he repeated this one sentence many times over, growing more delirious as the hours passed and the terrible illness slowly claimed his mind. My heart was heavy as I gave him the assurance he sought, not because I was reluctant to grant his dying wish or because I feared for my own life but because the mission his letter had described was almost certainly doomed to failure. The enormity of the task was beyond his comprehension and yet it had to be attempted for the sake of our little ponies. It was late afternoon when I eventually left the King's chamber, bidding my friend farewell in the almost certain knowledge that I would never see him alive again. As I trotted back along a dark corridor towards the main part of the castle, my head hung in sorrow, a courtier suddenly appeared from a side passage and ushered me into a small, dimly lit antechamber. On the desk before us lay a finely embossed gold casket. The courtier slowly removed the lid and, with the utmost reverance, eased the mighty tome out of the deep red cushioned lining of the casket and passed it to me. The King had not exaggerated. The book in which I was to record my journey and upon which I made this entry was indeed beautiful and very strong. My friend had made sure that whatever misfortunes befell us in the months ahead, this great book would be equal to the rigours of the quest. Gently, with my magic, I released the gold clasp that sealed the book and began to turn the pages, each of which was fashioned from the finest parchment. As I neared the back cover I motioned to the courtier to avert his eyes, for if the King had indeed made the legendary Blueblood Amulet available to me then it would surely be secreted here. I myself had not seen the Amulet since the Battle of Herbverion which took place some one hundred years ago, but as my hoof fell on the final page of the book I recognised the unmistakable turquoise glow of the stone beneath. I turned the leaf and once again found myself entranced by the Amulet's beauty. A small velvet-lined recess had been created within the hard cover of the book and it was here that the Amulet rested, retained by an ornate metal brace. A soft, gently pulsing light emanated from the centre of the stone, briefly illuminating the darkened room. For a few moments I allowed my mind to travel back through the distant past, recalling the various myths and legends in which the Amulet was alleged to have played its part. Though many of the stories were apocryphal, I knew from my own experiences that the Amulet's power was beyond doubt. I knew too that it had been the servant of masters both good and evil, and that the responsibility associated with being its temporary guardian was therefore considerable. As I closed the book and replaced it in the casket the courtier once again returned to face me, bidding me good fortune as he gave me a specially crafted leather saddle bag in which to carry the book. I thanked him before quietly taking my leave and making my way back through the shadowy corridors to the main gate. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day One, The day of our departure dawned bright and clear. A thin mist hung over the vast natural harbour which rings the port of Alliandra way below my clifftop home and from a small window in the corner of the room I could see the last of the provisions being loaded onto the four ships the King had provided for us. By noon it was high tide and the strong easterly breeze that sweeps down the valley from the Griffon mountains at this time of year was set to carry us on our way. I read the King's letter one more time before placing it carefully in the opening pages of the book and I resolved that it will never leave my side. \----------// 'My Dear Soul Storm, Many are the tribulations that I have endured throughout my long reign over the Equestrian Kingdoms, yet your unfailing guidance and friendship have sustained me, just as they sustained my Father during his rule and his Father before him. Your powers are indeed formidable and your knowledge unsurpassed. My friend, were you able to resolve my health now that it is fading I know that you would do so. I know also that a Wizard's magic, however great, may not disturb the natural order of life and death, and so I accept my fate. It pains me to tell you that I am growing weaker by the hour and I fear that the end of my earthly days will not be long in coming. My greatest regret is that there is one more thing I must ask of you, Soul Storm, before I depart this world. This task is so daunting that I can scarcely bring myself to set down the words upon this page and the very idea that I should have to ask it of one who has served me so well brings me close to tears. Please try to find it in your heart to forgive me, for I know of no one else who could attempt such a mission. You will have heard, I am sure, about a fearsome malevolence which is rising in our world. Many a long year has passed without threat from the dragons which reside in the Equestrian Kingdoms save for their occasional attacks on our livestock, but something has changed. Our villages are under siege and many of our subjects have been taken by these terrible beasts. I am not given to understand why the dragons have turned against us, but my dying wish is that I should rid my ponies of this appauling curse. There have been rumours that the exiled wizard, Septimus, has set himself against us and is commanding the dragons with evil intent. History records a similar event one thousand years ago when the wrath of the dragons was visited upon the world but few survived to speak of that cataclysm and how it came to pass. All that I can tell you is that it came to be known as 'The Dragon Storm'. And so, Soul Storm, what I must ask of you is this; I will put at your disposal one hundred of my fiercest warrior ponies, four ships and all the necessary provisions for the journey if you will seek out these dragons and destroy them. The Blueblood Amulet, which has been held securely in the castle vaults since the reign of my Great-Grandfather, will of course be made available to you should you accept the commission. It cannot protect you from serious harm but the eye of Blueblood, preserved in the centre of the Amulet, has many properties which are well known to you. It is my wish that my son, Agorius, accompany you on the journey despite the dangers you will undoubtedly face for he has much to learn before he is worthy of my title. He is headstrong, and such is the spirit of youth, but he has always shown great interest in your teachings and I believe your guidance will help him win the respect of our fellow ponies. Had my health not failed me, I would have waited longer before intiating Agorius but my hoof has been forced. I hope you agree that he is ready and trust that you will protect him as best you can during your travels together. In time he will make a great king. Of this, I am sure. Lastly, I must ask you to document your expedition and gather such artifacts as you deem relevant for it is possible that, should your mission fail, there will be others who are brave enough to meet the challenge and follow in your hoofsteps. Their chances of success are poor but the knowledge you have acquired on your travels will serve them well, echoing through the centuries as a testament to your efforts and those of the courageous individuals who aided you. As I write this, a master craftspony is working through the night to create a book of great strength and rare beauty according to my design. You must keep it with you at all times since it contains a small compartment which provides for the safekeeping of the Amulet. An abundance of parchment leaves on which you can make your entries forms the main body of the tome, which will henceforth be known as 'The Chronicles of Soul'. I wish you good fortune, and need not remind you of the urgency of the task which awaits you. Your very great friend, Aegis Agorius Sovereign Ruler of the Four Kingdoms of Equestria.' \----------// When the knock at my door finally came I was standing on a terrace looking out at the ocean and trying to imagine the battles that lay ahead. The arrival of the porters shook my reverie and I led them through to an area where a large wooden crate had been assembled containing almost all the knowledge, materials and equipment I have gathered over these past three hundred years. As I watched the unsteady progress of the porters down the steep track towards the harbour I prayed that the crate would be safely delivered to the scenes of these dreadful encounters, for there cannot be the faintest hope of victory without it. When the time came for me to leave I placed the book in the specially made saddle bag that hung loosely over my back, threw on my dark cloak and started down the path towards the ships. Mindful of missing the turning tide, we departed almost immediately.
1. Westwards to Stremana...Day Three For the first three days we have made good progress under sail. Having nothing of particular importance to record during the intial stages of our journey, the artists onboard our vessel today amused themselves by making sketches of some of their fellow crew members and giving imaginary names to the seabirds which followed in our wake. It had been decided to head west because word had reached us shortly before our departure of renewed and increasingly violent activity in the Third Kingdom of Equestria. There could be no doubt that the dragon attacks, once confused to livestock and occasional assaults on lone individuals who had strayed too far into the hills, had increased greatly in both magnitude and number. The latest incident had reportedly occurred in the step hills of the Lilarrean Mountains, a relatively low area, where an old man had been slain as he farmed his crops. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Four The winds that have carried us so far in the first few days have now blown themselves out and our ships are becalmed. We are making some progress thanks to the efforts of our oarsponies but the mood has grown noticably darker as, for the first time, the ponies begin to contemplate their fate. At around noon there was a brief moment of levity when we were hailed by on of the other ships. It appeared that they had discovered a stowaway in the grain store - a mare of about sixteen who gave her name as 'Amalai'. She was winched across to our vessel and when I questioned her she explained that she'd overheard on of the warriors talking about our mission back at the port and was unable to resist the adventure. We both knew that it was too late to turn back and the mare seemed likable enough, so I told her she can earn her passage by serving as my assistant until we make landfall. We were passing between a series of small islands at dusk when I first heard the lookout's cry. The stallion pointed his hoof to a patch of sea in the middle distance where the water's surface was boiling angrily. Dark clouds swirled in the sky above and although it was unlike anything I have ever seen before, I knew instinctively that something evil was about to rise from the depths. The ship's sails began to snap back and forth, cracking loudly as viscous gusts ripped into the canvas. Across the water I could hear agitated cries from our compatriots on the other vessels and there could be no doubt that they were right to be afraid. Experienced seafarers one and all, they knew that the whole Pegasi race themselves, for all their strength and speed, could never conjure up a storm such as this within the few short minutes that had passed. By now the water immediately ahead of us was heaving ominously and great plumes of spray were being hurled into the air where the waves pounded a jagged rocky outcrop on our starboard side. I looked up and was momentarily awestruck by the sky above us. Never before have I seen the elements exhibit such fury and yet there was a terrible beauty to the black clouds which spiralled overhead, twisting and turning in on themselves as lightning bolts slashed through their dark, seething forms. I swiftly trotted below deck in the full knowledge that the oppurtunity for preparing our defence against this threat would be brief indeed. The ship began to pitch violently as I rifled through a great trunk seeking the equipment I would need. Hurrying back through a corridor I found Agorius emerging from his cabin and, with all the sternness I could muster, bade the stallion prince return to the relative safety of his bunk. Back on the main deck the scene that greeted me was one of chaos. It was as dark as night by now and the crew worked furiously to secure all the loose objects and strip the sails. Returning to the bow of the mighty vessel I found my worst fears confirmed. A dark funnel of cloud was slowly descending from the center of the maelstrom and within it something unspeakable was beginning to take shape. Out of the corner of my blue eyes I could see Amalai cowering on her haunches in a small storage compartment at the side of the deck and I ordered her below. She was too terrified to move, however, and I had not the time to escort her, so I turned my attention to the contents of the small cloth bag I'd retrieved from the trunk. In front of me a low plinth provided just enough space for the ritual I would have to perform. I cursed the stiffness of my ageing hooves as I fought to undo the bag's drawstring and release the nine flattish pebbles contained within. Eventually they spilled out, bouncing off one another and skidding of the foam-flecked wooden surface of the plinth. To form the Sacred Circle and generate the energy required, the outer ring of eight stones must all be touching each other and the ninth must be placed in the very center, something that became harder and harder to achieve as the conditions progressively worsened. Once I nearly had the formation, but the ship was struck by a great wave that shook her to the core, sending the stones tumbling across the deck. At that moment we crested another huge and as we plunged downwards into the relative calm of the watery canyon between the peaks I made another desperate attempt to complete the pattern. After failing again I realised that it was only by beaching on the lee side of the approaching land mass that we would be able to find a stable base on which to perform the ceremony and a few moments later, skilfully guided by our Captain, we found our vessel heaving itself into a shingle bay and rolling onto its side. Amalai decided to break cover, finding in herself a renewed courage as the unicorn galloped from the shadows to assist me. In the darkness we could search the island only by the light of the brief but intense lightning flashes and by the time we'd located a suitable vantage point our foe was fully formed, its immense bulk towering over us like the embodiment of evil itself. A grotesque head, half dragon and half serpent, jutted foward from the main column of swirling wind and water on a barbed and scaly neck. At the sides its claws were clearly visible, but most terrifying of all was the creature's cry, a guttural scream which melded with the ocean's roar to produce a noise of such extreme ferocity that it shook the ground on which we stood. The leading vessel was now no more than a few seconds away from the base of the tornado. It was impossible for me to determine whether this fearsome apparition was merely composed of the elements or whether it had somehow metamorphosed into flesh and blood, thereby acquiring the ability to attack in the manner of other beasts. Either way, we were all in grave danger since the tornado itself would surely tear our vessels to shreds even if the monster could not. The outer ring of pebbles was ready and as I dropped the ninth stone into place it was immediately apparant that the alignment had been perfect. A powerful white light, like a miniature lightning bolt, raced around the outer ring, bathing the stones in its glow. Amalai stood to one side of me, her look of terror now having given way to one of sheer wonderment as the strange light illuminated her purple coat. A second later the ring of energy arched into the center pebble just as I knew it would and I recognised this as the moment to strike. Without hesitation, I touched the tip of my horn to the central stone and felt the familiar jolt as the supernatural power coursed through its length. My horn acts as a conducter and it was crucial that my aim was true if we were to avoid any appalling fate. For a brief but agonising moment nothing happened. Then, the tip suddenly flashed with bright light. My horn kicked again and as I raised it skywards an intense flash streaked up through the darkness, piercing the gloom. The victorious cries of our fellow ponies could be heard above the din of the ocean as the energy stream found its target and a second later the sky appeared to burst open as the creature itself exploded with cataclysmic force, raining debris all around. So violent was the blast that we were all thrown off our legs and as the pebbles scattered once again I found myself unable to prevent atleast two of them from boucing across the rock surface and dopping into the ocean, where they would remain beyond use for all time. Our crew ponies were jubilant, but I was not so sure that the danger had passed. The tornado that had spawned the monster now appeared to be dissipating and spiralling into the ocean, but as the seas around us calmed I began to feel more uneasy than ever. No more than a couple of minutes had passed before the ocean was completely still again, the tornado having blown itself out. Still the dark clouds loomed overhead, circling with less urgency than before but maintaining their threat of evil. A cry from a crew pony onboard the leading vessel, The Verana, heralded the peril we were about to face. We could not make out the stallion's words at first, but shortly afterwards our ears were assailed by the roar of the phenomenon that had so alarmed him. Not three leagues distant, at the point where the tornado had disappeared, an enormous whirlpool had formed in the oceans surface. I watched with horror as The Verana banked sharply into the revolving wall of water and embarked on its final, desperate journey. Our oarsponies, along with those of the other vessels, immediately rushed below decks and set about the task of turning the ships around. If a similar fate was to be avoided our other ships would need to put a good stretch of clear water between themselves and this gaping maw in the ocean's surface as quickly as possible. As our own vessel pushed back through the surf and came about I could see only the tip of The Verana's main mast, now making its third circuit of the thunderous whirlpool. She appeared to be moving faster and faster in the ever tightening funnel of water and there was absolutely nothing I could do to save those on board. I watched with several other crew members as she disappeared from view, dragged down into the unimaginable darkness of the ocean's depths. Gradually, the roar subsided and the skies at last began to clear. For now, at least, we were safe. We took a new bearing and collected a few items that we found floating near the point where The Verana had been taken down before resuming our journey, assisted by the light easterly wind which now filled our sails. Exhausted and deeply saddened by the day's events, I had not intended to make further entries in the journal tonight but, as I sit here now, the page in front of me lit only by the faint glow of a candle, my mind begins to travel back to the distant past. Many years ago, a Unicorn Wizard named Septimus, whose powers were at least the equal of my own, served alongside me in the Court of our ruler Aegis Agorius. There was peace throughout the four Kingdoms during that period and he worked with me harmoniously for quite some time before beginning to grow resentful of my friendship with the King. In truth, Aegis extended no favours to me that he would not have extended to my colleague. But, as time went by and Septimus' imaginings took hold, he slowly withdrew his services, ultimately making only ocassional appearances at the King's court. A few months later I was approached by one of Septimus' apprentices who'd become fearful of her master's wrath after interrupting him in the midst of a dark ritual. I confronted Septimus in the expectation that some kind of misunderstanding had occured, but he was defiant when I questioned him, aggressively and somewhat mysteriously declaring himself answerable only to an authority higher than my own. So when, shortly afterwards, the apprentice suddenly disappeared I had no alternative but to tell the King what I knew. Septimus was duly summoned and a dreadful argument ensued, the culmination of which was the King's decision to banish Septimus to one of the Northen Islands. Unable to exile Septimus against his wishes, Aegis was forced to enlist my help in carrying out the deed, an act that further enraged Septimus and confirmed his sense of betrayal. And now we have come to this. The King made mention of Septimus in his letter and in the light of today's events I can be sure that his suspicions were well founded. The creature that attacked us today could have been the work of none other than Septimus himself. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Six We have made good progress for the last two days, but the mood on board has been solemn. This morning we sighted Sparken Island on the far horizon. Its craggy cliffs rose sharply out of an otherwise featureless ocean and its peaks reached skywards like the gnarled legs of a drowning stallion. Most of those on board knew it to be the place where Septimus now resided and they stared fixedly at its forbidding profile as we passed by. The Captain of our vessel later reported to me that he had noticed a marked change in the shape of Sparken Island since he was last in these waters. The rocky peaks had now been joined by a cluster of colossal towers, darker even than the grey granite that sorrounded them, and were forced to conclude that Septimus had built a fortress on the island. Briefly, the thought occurred to me that we could divert nothwards and seek Septimus himself, rather than pursue the great beasts he now appeared to command, but on reflection I realised how foolhardy this course of action would have been. The waters around Sparken Island are extremely perilous at this time of year and were we to make landfall successfully and find our quarry in residence, we would have been confronting Septimus at the height of his powers. The rest of the day passed without incident and I spent several hours demonstrating simple magic to young Agorius. Like his father, he shows great determination and strength of character but he has very little instinctive feeling for the Ways of Wizardry. It frustrates him so but I try to explain that the qualities he does possess will one day make him a truly worthy King, which I know to be true. There is something different about the young mare, though. She is usually a fiery little waif but she spent all afternoon sitting on her haunches, watching Agorius and I without uttering a single word. I could sense her understanding, however, and when I shot an occasional glance in her direction she met my eyes with a look that spoke to me of the wisdom of centuries.
2. The Farmer's Tale...Day Seven We reached safe harbor in the Third Kingdom at about midday today and much of the afternoon was spent unloading the vessels. Stremana is a bustling port and our arrival appeared to cause much excitement amongst the local townsponies, all of whom were most hospitable to our crew. I dined well at a nearby Inn and retired early, relived to be on dry land once again. Late at night there came a knock at my door and I immeditaely recognised the Captain of one of our ships. The young earth pony stallion who accompanied him I had never seen before, but he was introduced to me as Blueberry Bubble, a rock farmer who had recently witnessed a fatal attack by a fearsome, two-headed monstrocity of a dragon. Over the years he had seen this same creature on numerous occasions, but always at a great distance high up in the mountains. I learned that he and his family had worked a smallholding in the lowlands for many years, making a modest living by selling their produce in the town's market once a week. With a tremulous voice, he described to me the terrible events that had overtaken them one afternoon in the Autumn of last year. He'd been rocking a field at the head of the valley when a great shadow swept over him. Looking up, he'd been horrified to see what he assumed to be the Beast of Sadd-legremanaca circling low overhead. Tearfully, he explained to me how he'd desperately tried to warn his family of the danger as they toiled in the neighbouring fields, but that his voice had been carried away on the breeze. According to his account the dragon had banked sharply, swooping so low over his head that the great gust from its wings sent him flying off his legs. Terrified, he'd lain face down in the soil for a few moments, and when he raised his head he beheld a sight so terrible that it will, I fear, stay with him until the end of his days. The creature had landed nearby, pinning a farmer to the ground with one of its enormous talons. Blueberry had immediately recognised the victim as his father and rushed on his hooves to his aid, joining others who had quickly improvised weapons from their working tools. There was nothing to be done, however, since the beast was all but oblivious to their efforts. It would not be distracted from its prey, whose writhing and screaming brought it no release from the unrelenting grip of the dragon's claws. Again and again the creature's two heads lunged downwards, ripping great chunks of bloody flesh from the elderly pony's body, and only occasionally did they snake sideways, snarling and threatening to strike at those who baited the creature with hoes and scythes. In desperation, Blueberry had run straight at the beast, driving a fence post forcefully into the side of one of its mouths. With a terrible cry, it leapt upwards, beating the air powerfully with its wings and creating dust clouds of such density that the ponies were left temporarily blinded and gasping for breath. As the air cleared the dragon could be sen heading back towards its mountain lair, the lifeless body of Blueberry's father still dangling in its grip. Blueberry sobbed openly as he neared the end of his sorry tale. He had not returned to the farm since the attack and lived instead with friends in the port, still unable to accept the sad fact of his father's death and his failure to prevent it. When at last I asked him whether there was anypony take us to the scene of the struggle his reaction initially surprised me. 'I shall escort you myself at first light,' was all he said, and after a moment I understood just why it was so important to him. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Eight Blueberry Bubble was as good as his word, and our small army of ponies and heavy weapons left Stremana early this morning, making only slow progress in the grey mist of dawn. I also have my suspicions that many of our company were suffering from an excess of revelry last night, since their faces were entirely bereft of good cheer. By mid-morning we were all well inland but recent rain had caused a considerable softening of the ground. It proved extremely difficult to move the heavier equipment along the already deteriorating tracks and at one point the soldiers nearly exhausted themselves trying to dislodge the giant crossbow from a mud bank where it was stuck fast. When a team of thirty ponies failed to wrench it free the decision was taken to dismantle it, and so we incurred a further delay. It was almost dark when we finally reached Blueberry's smallholding, so we pitched camp and resolved to begin our inspection of the area in the morning. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Nine The grey mist that has dogged our journey since we left Stremana had lifted by the time we woke this morning and the clear sky that greeted us appeared to raise everypony's spirits. Blueberry led us to the area where the attack had taken place, but it would not have been difficult to locate even without his help, since signs of the struggle were all around. The broken implements which the family had used in their futile attempts to fight off the creature lay where they were dropped and despite the rains there were still traces of the old stallion's blood in the dampened soil. Adjacent to this discoloured patch of earth lay the fence post that Blueberry had employed in his last desperate assault on the creature. We bowed our heads respectfully as he retrieved the post and retired to a mossy bank, before sitting down on his haunches and burying his face into himself. It was only then that we felt it right to begin a close examination of the site. Our hope is that by learning as much as we can about these beasts and their behaviour we will greatly improve our chances of destroying them in battle. Before long one of our team uncovered a a broken tooth in the damp soil. It was almost certainly dislodged by Blueberry's final blow and when we showed the tooth to him, he nodded in recognition. He allowed himself a half smile since our discovery did at least prove that he was able to inflict some kind of retaliatory injury on the dragon before it took flight. Unable to find any further specimens worth including in the journal after a thorough search of the area, our artists were forced to make speculative sketches illustrating the creature's method of attack based on Blueberry's detailed account of the incident and the teeth marks they found on some of the wooden implements. On that point, I have to say that I've been most impressed by the abilities of the artists whom the King assigned to our mission. Although their respective specialities vary considerably, they all work quickly and accurately whether drawing from life or imagination and I have no doubt that their contributions to the journal will provide more informative record of our encounters than any of my written accounts could do. By nightfall, we had learned all we could from the site so it just remained for us to perform a simple ceremony marking the passing of Blueberry's father. At my request one of the artists carved the old stallion's name on the fence post his son had used in his attempts to save him and this was duly erected on a low ridge overlooking the smallholding. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Ten With the coming of dawn we bade farewell to Blueberry but not before he had indicated to us the area of mountains where he presumed the creature's lair to be. He had motioned to a jagged outcrop of rock in the high peaks and provided a crude map on which a series of loosely interconnected tracks were drawn. These tracks, if they still existed and were yet passable, would lead us to the Beast of Sadd-legremanaca. We pressed onwards as quickly as we could, intent on gaining as much height as possible before fading light marked the end of another day. This evening we made camp at the entrance to Grimodorcus Canyon, a natural geological formation of outstanding scale and grandeur. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Eleven Our intention had been to resume the climb at first light but we awoke to fierce winds that delayed the dismantling of the tents and hampered our every movement. It was apparent from the way that canyon's walls had been croded that such winds were a common occurrence in these parts but this knowledge did nothing to lessen our discomfort as we struggled to maintain our place in the difficult terrain. When at last the gusts subsided we were able to gain a little more height, but the path grew more and more tortuous as the hours passed, snaking back and forth as it slowly ascended the canyon wall. Greatly fatigued, we eventually sighted a small plateau just ahead of us and planned to rest there awhile, but tragedy overtook us before we reached it. I heard a sharp cry from one of the pony warriors near the back of the group and looked over my shoulder in an effort to identify the cause of his pain. He was quite some way distant from me and my view back down the path was partially obscured by the rest of our entourage. Intermittent glimpses revealed a figure flailing about in a frantic attempt to beat off a small winged creature resembling a vampire fruit-bat. At first his predicament was the cause of some mirth amongst the other warriors. Here was a man of great strength and courage on a mission to slay dragons, struggling to defend himself against the most insignificant of creatures. Only when he screamed, clutched his eye and fell heavily to the ground did the laughter begin to fade. I suddenly realised that the animal we had all assumed to be a bat was in reality something far more sinister and dangerous. Dragonets are the piranhas of the dragon world, highly aggresive and extremely powerful for their size. I had seen them only once before but knew from that encounter just how deadly they can be, savaging their victims in a mad frenzy of tooth and claw. Some were no larger than the span of a stallions hoof, but when they attack in great swarm, as is their habbit, there is no creature large or powerful enough to withstand the vicious onslaught. A few ponies galloped to the fallen warrior's aid but by now I could hear other cries coming from within the group. Raised swords sliced the air but were too unwieldy to strike effectively at the creatures that reeled overhead, squawking and cackling with what sounded like malevolent glee. The main body of the swarm would not be far behind and I hurriedly scanned the gloomy recesses of the vast gorge in an effort to ascertain the probable direction of the attack. My gaze quickly fell upon a swirling black cloud further along the canyon and although I had known it was coming, the sight of the swarm made me sick to my stomach. It appeared to move slowly at first, swelling a little and then receding, like a plague of locusts in flight. Parts of the cloud seemed to push outwards from time to time, giving rise to the impression that the swarm might have been one huge amorphous creature, which in a way it was. The cacophony of shrieks reached us a few seconds later, amplified and echoed by the great stone walls which barred our escape. I knew it was within my power to protect our army from this foe, but only if everypony was to cooperate fully and swiftly with my instructions and trust me implicitly. In normal circumstances it would have been impossible to make myself heard above the rising crescendo, so I filled my lungs with air, drew deeply on my powers and, in a voice which rang out like thunder, bellowed my instructions to the group behind me. 'Stand absolutely still and restrain the equipment as best you can!' By the time my command had reached the pony's ears, the swarm was almost upon us and the noise had risen to a pitch of such extreme intensity that many of the ponies in the army simply dropped to the ground with their hooves clasped tightly over their ears. I clambered onto the wagon in which Agorius and Amalai had been riding and, seeing the fear in their faces, bade them lie down in the back before covering them with rough blankets. The swarm was at my back when I sweeped my horn through the air, describing an arc that contained the entire army. The words I spoke as I did so have been known to me for many a long year, an incantation empowers a Wizards horn and creates an invisible protective shell of limited strength and stability but considerable size. If there is too much movement amongst those sheltering within, then the integrity of the bubble is undermined. It may grow weak in places or even dissolve altogether, hence my order to the soldiers. At best, it will hold its form for a few precious minutes and provide a shield strong enough to repel small objects or animals. A galloping stallion would have sufficient mass to penetrate it but a dragonet, even diving from a great height, would not. The invisible ceiling above our heads also served to mute the creature's cries, so I was able to repeat my order to the soldiers, imploring them to stand firm even as the dragonets began the first wave of their attacks. A few of the ponies amongst the crowd could not help recoiling as, one after another, the creatures either glanced off the unseen barrier or crashed straight into it with a bone-breaking crunch, sending blood and bone flying in all directions. Those whose shallow angle of approach had allowed them a second chance merely circled the canyon and repeated the manoeuvre with even greater force until they too had either killed themselves or worn themselves out in their attempts to pierce it. Of even greater threat were the few dragonets trapped within, most of which had arrived before I was able to raise the protective dome. They had now been joined by a couple which had managed through where the thickness of the shield had been compromised by a few select ponies' panick-striken attempts to flee the scene. I estimated there to be about six of them in total and on finding themselves imprisoned they seemed intent on inflicting as much injury as possible on their captors. In addition to their needle-like teeth and claws, which are sharp enough to tear through thick leather, the dragonet has another weapon that is even more formiddable. Like the scorpion, to which it is related, it has a raised tail with a deadly sting. a successful strike will render a pony paralysed in minutes and result in an excruciating death over the following few hours. I know of no cure and my magic is powerless to extract the venom from the victim's bloodstream once it had taken hold. As the shield gradually dissipated and most of these last few demented creatures took flight, one of them, its wing too badly damaged to allow it to escape, attached itself to the scalp of an unfortunate stallion just a short distance from where I was standing. With a defiant shriek it buried its sting deep in the Earth stallion's neck before dropping back to the ground. Another stallion, a dewinged Pegasus, immediately pinned it to the earth with a shortsword and crushed its skull with his hind hoof, sending barin matter and skull shards all over the ground and up the pony's leg. But, his actions served no other purpose beyond revenge. The stricken stallion warrior had already fell face first into the dirt beneath him, a low, mournful groan emitting from his mouth. Jubilant in victory and obviously much relieved to be safe once again, some of those who had not witnessed this last attack began a spontaneous round of applause. I was forced to silence them as we lifted the injured soldier off the ground and, with the utmost care, lowered him slowly into one of the pony-drawn wagons that accompanied us. We reached the plateau not long afterwards but his condition was deteriorating rapidly. A temporary camp was set up and we made the warrior as comfortable as we could but I knew the end would not be long in coming. Less than two hours after the initial attack we had committed his body to the grave, marking his resting place with a large pile of granite slabs. (The Dragonet) 'From our examination of the Dragonet, it was apparant that this species has a greater power to weight ratio than almost any other living thing. In flight it is capable of changing direction very quickly, but its attacks are typified by steep, high-speed dives during which the wings are pinned back against the body, presumably to reduce wing resistance. Although not particularly large, both the claws and the teeth are remarkably sharp, enabling them to rip through the toughest materials with ease, and if Nature has created a more aggresive creature we have yet to discover it. Most remarkable of all is the Dragonet's tail, which has a barbed tip very similar to that of the scorpion. The contraction of the muscle tissue around the venom sac results in rapid expulsion of the liquid and we noted that these pulses continue even after the creature was put to death, indicating that the sting reflex acts independently of the brain's commands.' We proceeded on our way, eyes still focused on the sky ahead lest there be a repeat of this dreadful incident. By dusk we were nearing the upper reaches of the canyon and although most of the ponies were keen to be free of its confines, there could be no doubt that the walls afforded a degree of shelter from the elements. It was therefore decided that we would pitch camp for the night under a broad overhang near the point where the rising path finally breached the top of the near-verticle cliffs. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Twelve This morning I was awakened by a cry from one of our pony scouts. He had risen early with the intention of planning a route that would ensure our safe passage and was eager to show me what he had found. I took with me a telescope and the two of us clambered up a steep slope to a vantage point that yielded a spectacular view of the Arrean Peaks. The scout motioned towards a natural gully that had formed between two rocky outcrops and, although it was difficult to establish the scale at this distance, clearly some kind of giant nest had been constructed within this relatively sheltered area. The true size of it became more apparant as I panned across the rock face with the telescope. It was not unlike the sort of eyrie an eagle would create for itself but, instead of small branches and twigs, this nest was made up of what appeared to be fully mature pine trees. It had to be the beast of Sadd-legremanaca's lair although, judging by the width of the nest, which would scarcely have been spanned by seven of our wagons laid end to end, the creature itself was likely to be rather larger than any of us had anticipated. There was no sign of life but we felt very exposed on the open ridge, so we wasted no time in returning to camp. Once again I had cause to refer to Blueberry's map, which despite certain inaccuracies had served us well thus far, bringing us to the head of the canyon in only three days. As I traced the various paths with my hoof it quickly became apparant that we had in truth reached journey's end. The track we were using would climb higher but it would take us no nearer to the beast's lair than our current position, veering to the right instead and snaking up through another pass to a different part of the mountains. We were as near to the nest as it was possible to get and yet it was still well beyond the reach of our weaponry. Even the huge wooden Madagan crossbow we had brought with us had barely half the range we would need and would serve only to provoke an attack. I summoned the captain and we considered our options
3. Friend of the Enemy...Day Twelve-Afternoon My meeting with Captain Rosemary was barely underway when we were suddenly interrupted by a strange noise outside the tent. we looked out to see multiple of our ponies pointing down the canyon and speaking in whispers. The sound we had heard was the wing beat of the Beast of Sadd-legremanaca, big lazy strokes that lifted its great bulk ever higher and almost drowned out the desperate cries of the tiny figure that dangled from the beast's talons. Yet another victim that was beyond my help. I ordered everypony to return to the safety of the overhang and they obeyed most readily. As we watched from the shadows the creature glided past without seeing us and I was later informed by the scout that it had returned to the nest and made short work of its meal. It was obvious to me that our only hope of destroying the creature was to bring it within range of our weapons and the Captain agreed. We would position a catapault such that it would hurl boulders into the far wall of the canyon and on hearing these great crashed the creature would surely venture out to investigate their source. Only then would we unleash the lance from the giant crossbow, which would remain hidden in the darkest recesses of the overhang. The plan was immediately put into action but we repeatedly failed to provoke the beast. Some of the boulders thudded uselessly into soft earth and the loud cracks generated by those that struck the rock face were too similar to the sounds produced by a nearby glacier to attract any attention. Reluctantly, I came to the conclusion that pony bait would be required to lure the creature from its lair and since my skills afford me some protection from attack it seemed only right that I should be the one to offer myself up. After checking that everything was ready I again ascended the ridge I had climbed earlier. The dragon was still on the nest and both its heads were pointed in my general direction but at first it failed to notice me. Only when I performed a simple spell which created a shimmering arc of green light in the air above me did the great heads slowly rise from the edge of the nest. A few moments later the creature was airborne, bearing down on me at a speed that caught me off my guard. I was still a short distance away from the point where the path drops below the ridge when the dragon made its first pass, swooping low and creating a downdraft of such force that it sent me tumbling across the rocks. By the time the dragon had made a curcuit of the canyon, however, I was limping towards the relative safety of the overhang, confident by now that it would move in for the kill. Instead, it made several high-speed dives at the area where we were hiding, each time peeling off at the last moment with a terrifying cry. Evidently, the creature was too suspicious to effect a landing and it began to seem increasingly unlikely that we would get the clear shot we needed. Suddenly, from somewhere behind me, a figure darted out of the darkness. It was the young stallion Agorius, and he was moving so fast that I had no chance of intercepting him. A second later he had cleared the protective canopy of the overhang and reached an open section of the path, where he was in full view of the creature. Mindful of my promise to the King, I immediately galloped after the young stallion and threw him to the ground, covering his body with my own. Raising my head a second later, I was horrified to see a pair of giant talons gripping an outcrop of rock just a short distance ahead of us. The creature was so close that we could smell its rank odour and even feel its hot breath on the backs of our necks. Agorius strained to see but I forced his head down with my hoof and with my free foreleg I gave the signal to fire. The great lance passed so low over our heads that we felt the rush of its slipstream, but before we could react it had struck home, driving deep into the dragon's underbelly with a resounding thump. Tempered many times over in the King's own foundries, the metal tip had been designed to penetrate the scales and lodge firmly in the soft tissue underneath, before releasing a potent toxin into the creature's bloodstream. The sheer force of the impact caused the beast to reel backwards, slipping off the path and dropping into clear air with a scream which echoed throughout the gorge. A cheer went up and everypony rushed forward to the edge of the precipice, whereupon we were rewarded with the sight of the dragon going through its death throes on the canyon floor far below. As I retire tonight I draw some comfort from the day's events, for although there are many such encounters ahead of us, we have at least proved ourselves equal to the challenge. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Thirteen Late last night, Amalai came to my tent and roused me from my slumber with a warning that I did not at first comprehend. Her expression was deeply troubled and her eyes darted from side to side as she spoke, her words delivered in a nervous whisper... 'I felt a voice! I felt a voice!' When I tried to correct her, suggesting that she might have heard a voice, she insisted that I was wrong and went to tell me that the voce she'd felt was that of Captain Silva, one of the highest ranking ponies in our batallion. As she calmed down I began to understand a little more, and when she revealed that the voice had been recounting our every moment over the last three days, I suddenly grasped the true significance of her words. I reached over and lifted the journal out of its sling, before swiftly turning to the back page and finding the Amulet gone. Certain by now that we had a traitor in our midst, I rushed out of the tent and woke two of the most dependable guards. Together, we stormed Silva's tent and found him sitting on his haunches with the Amulet hovering in front of him, its concentric rings revolving about themselves while the central stone glowed brightly. He appeared not to even notice our dramatic entrance, continuing instead with his detailed account of the dragon's violent death earlier in the day. The old stallion's report was delivered in a dull, impassive monotone but as he spoke not once did his lips move, and he undoubtedly would have continued thus had he not been roughly assailed by one of the guards. As the trance broke he suddenly started, as if waking from a deep sleep, and at the same moment the Amulet snapped shut with a brilliant flash, before dropping to the ground. The guards dragged him outside and when I crouched to pick up the Amulet I noticed a piece of parchment lying nearby, which upon closer examination confirmed my gravest suspicions. Written in a spidery font that I instantly recognised as that of Septimus, the page consisted of notes and diagrams, which, if carefully followed, would enable even a laypony to avail himself of the Amulet's most basic function, this being the conveyance of telepathic communications. Whether Septimus had promised the Captain great wealth for acting as his spy or whether dark magic had been employed to secure his loyalty I could not determine, but this morning Silva was subjected to a rigorous interrogation which revealed much about his master's plans. As the Captain gradually gave up his secrets I began to realise just how seriously I had underestimated Septimus, not just in terms of his desire for vengeance but also for his overwhelming determination to return to the seat of power. Naively perhaps, I had originally thought that the 'turning' of the dragons was merely an act of defiance - a means of spiting the ailing King and preventing him from going peacefully to his grave. It now seemed that his true motives were far darker than any of us could hve imagined. Under considerable duress from the guards, Silva explained that the aggresive behavior of the dragons under Septimus' influence was simply a diversion, designed to draw me away from the Palace on a long and difficult mission at the time when the King himself was growing weak. Clearly his intentions were to return to the Palace in my absence and seize the power he considered rightfully his. I will probably never know what led Septimus into the ways of darkness all those years ago but I find it hard to attribute his corruption to a simple matter of jealousy. I strongly suspect that he somehow made contact with the Dark Dragon of Demonarchy and was unable to resist the lure of its power. The spirit of Demonarchy is pure evil and had it been raised by Septimus, whether accidently or deliberately, it would have inexorably poisoned his soul. Such conjecture is pointless now, however, for although Septimus may well have grown very powerful during his years of life in exile, we cannot countenance the idea of returning to confron him until our tasks are completed. We have many battles yet to fight. Carefully, we began our descent of the canyon wall, retracing the steps we'd taken in recent days. Flanked by two guards and with his legs loosely bound together, as to not allow anything faster than walking, Silva trailed behind us with his head bowed low in shame. As I slowly trotted along the path, my thoughts returned to the previous night and Amalai's visit to my tent. So intent had I been on understanding her urgent message that the significance of her precise words slipped my mind. If she had indeed felt the Captain's voice rather than heard it then there could be no doubt that she had the gift. With appropriate guidance and tuition she had the potential to become a great Sorceress. Suddenly my reverie was shaken by a shout from the back of the group. Turning swiftly, I was just in time to see Captain Silva quickly sprint across the path, despite the binding method, and leap to certain death. Perhaps understandably, the guards made only a token attempt to stop him. We reached the canyon floor soon after sunrise this morning and I immediately dispatched a small team to gather specimens from the dragon's carcass. They rejoined us several hours later, bringing with them a number of interesting samples which I deemed worthy of inclusion in the book. On the way back they had also pased the mutilated corpse of Captain Silva, his flesh gashed and split in many areas. Despite his injuries, they noted a strange symbol which had appeared on the Captain's flank where the cutie mark was supposed to be, and made a quick sketch of it to show me upon their return. I had never seen its like before but the motif strongly suggested to me that the Captain had indeed fallen prey to the powers of dark magic and that this was Septimus' way of marking his pony. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Sixteen It has taken just two days to journey all the way back to the port of Stremana and we found ourselves feted upon our return. The townsfolk had re-stocked the vessels during our absence, adding many gifts of their own in an effort to make the next stage of our voyage as comfortable as possible. We set sail early the next day, immediately heading towards a complex archipelago that would lead us to the Southern Kingdom.
4. The Southern Voyage...Day Nineteen This afternoon I felt that the time was right to speak to Agorius about what had happened in the canyon and the conversation turned in due course to the responsibilities he would ultimately have to face as the future King. I praised him for the bravery he had displayed on the high pass just a couple of days ago and conceded that we probably would have missed our best chance had he not revealed himself to the beast at that point, but I had also to admonish him for his recklessness. I explained that a Sovereign must never endanger himself so and he accepted my warning with good grace. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Twenty-One Our course through these islands has been plotted by our chief navigator and its complexity is dictated by the need to avoid the treacherous currents for which thses waters are noted. This evening, as we passed through a narrow channel between two jagged peaks, the night sky was briefly illuminated by a flash of orange light. The lookout summoned me to the main deck and together we awaited for a repetition of this strange phenomenon. Several minutes passed before it happened again but this time there could be no mistaking the two giant tongues of flame which roared out of the darkness towards us. Clearly visible behind them, high up in the mountains, was a dragon of immense size. Our vessel had just passed under a rocky causeway when the jets of fire came again, shattering the bridge into hundreds of superheated boulders which threw off great plumes of steam as they plunged into the icy waters behind us. It's quite possible that the commotion caused by the collapse of the causeaway led the creature to believe it had found its target for it made no further attacks on our ships last night. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Twenty-Four We have remained extremely vigilant for the last two days and this afternoon, as our ships rounded a particularly hazardous group of islands, Agorius spotted the creature again, gliding so low over the water that its wing tips sometimes skimmed the tops of the waves. At a distance its appearance was not dissimilar to that of a giant seabird. From time to time we saw its head dip into the water an as we watched it became apparant that it was feeding by plucking porpoises from just below the surface. When at last it noticed our ships the beast turned and headed straight for us, beating its enormous wings a couple of times to increase its speed. The crews scattered as it made its first pass, coming in fast and low before peeling off in a great arc just a short distance from our vessel. It climbed a little and made a wide circuit of the ocean before attacking again, this time beginning the approach with a steep dive that further increased its velocity. Two enormous blasts of flame roared out of the dragon's mouth as it reeled away a second time. The fire licked at the upper reaches of the rigging but our luck held and the fire failed to take hold. The navigator galloped to my side and suggested we take cover amongst the relatively sheltered but fast-flowing channels which run between the islands. Despite the risks involved, I could see that this would represent our best chance to turn the situation to our advantage, so we signalled all the vessels to follow us into a craggy inlet that was looming over our starboard side. The dragon was making another wide circuit as we made our dash for cover but the sound of its roar came drifting across the water and echoed threateningly through the canyon walls that now rose steeply on either side. The current that seized us as soon as we left the open ocean was simply astounding and before long we were hurtling along on colossal mounds of rolling water. Once or twice the waves broke over the deck but they did nothing to impede our rapid progress as we barrelled down the gorge. As the seas became yet higher and faster so it became more and more difficult to steer a course down the middle of the channel. The Captain fought with the ship's tiller as he endeavoured to prevent a collision with the canyon walls and every so often we were forced to veer off sharply to avoid the enormous standing waves which threatened to stop the ship dead or drag it under. We saw nothing of the dragon itself for the next few minutes but its shadow flashed across the ship's deck several times and its roar, which was amplified and echoed by the island's cliffs, had now become a perpetual cacophony. Without warning the ship entered an especially turbulent patch of water and immediately began a slow rotation. Our Earth Pony Captain was powerless to prevent this disastrous manoeuvre and we soon found ourselves at the mercy of huge waves that came thundering into the side of the vessel, but under the relentless force of the current the spin continued and a few moments later we were facing forwards again, moving faster than ever. Suddenly I was thrown violently to the deck. Our ship had plunged into a deep trough of turning water and our passage through the canyon had come to a shuddering and wet halt. So vast was this inverted wave that it swallowed the entire ship, holding her fast in a precarious position and exerting tremendous force on her timber frame, which groaned under the strain. As the tumultuous waters surged past on either side of us the ship's crew struggled to maintain their positions on the badly sloping deck. The first of the other vessels hurled past us, closely shadowed by the dragon itself. Her crew were so busy trying to deal with the various fires that had broken out on deck that they barely even noticed our dire predicament, and were therefore unable to assist us in any way. We were momentarily awestruck by the sheer size of the beast as it flew overhead, its great wings almost spanning the width of the gorge. I knew that we might never escape our fate but at least we had at our disposal the means to injure this terrible beast and possibly even slay it. Alone amongst the various ships, ours has a large deck-mounted ballister, which, though difficult to arm, is extremely powerful. The only advantage afforded by the incline of the ship's deck was that the ballister was pointing skywards, perfectly positioned to repel an attack from the air. Struggling to make myself heard above the rushing water, I ordered the crew to make ready the weapon by filling the huge pan at the back of its lever arm with a sackload of spiked iron balls. Several minutes passed before they had completed their task. Our Captain, his red coat soaked along with everypony else's, climbed to the top of our main mast and reported that one of our vessels appeared to be stuck fast on a rocky outcrop further up the channel. From what he could see, the dragon was making repeated attacks on their ship but was hampered by the confines of the canyon walls. Eventually it gave up its assault on the others and turned its attention to us, presumably considering our vessel to be an easier target. To his credit, our Captain remained at the top of the mast as the monster bore down on us, readying himself to give the signal to fire. When his arm came down the dragon still couldn't be seen by those of us down on deck but the crew trusted his judgement and the catapult was duly fired, propelling its deadly hail high into the air. At exactly the same moment, the dragon appeared above the ship, moving very fast and virtually filling the sky above us with its enormous bulk. Some of the missiles went astray but a great many collided with the creature's underbelly, embedding themselves in the flesh or opening up bloody gashes in the skin's surface where they had caught only a glancing blow. Some of the spiked balls punched straight through the wing membrane, leaving ragged holes which were almost certain to affect the dragon's stability in flight. An agonising shriek escaped its mouth as it banked away sharply and disappeared from view. Our desperation ensured that feelings of triumph were far from our minds but as the Captain came climbing down through the rigging I could see from his face that he had not given up hope of escape. Hurriedly, he explained that the other vessel had now drifted free of the rock and would be passing us very soon. If we could get a line to it and their crew of hard-working stallions could secure it swiftly enough there was just a chance that the momentum of the other ship would haul us clear. The Captain seized a crossbow from the armoury and quickly attached it to a mini-mount that he'd fitted to his back. He quickly tied a length of twine to the arrow's shaft, just ahead of the flights. As he again ascended the rigging, weapon mounted, I tied the other end of the twine to the strongest piece of rope I could find on deck, hoping that there would be sufficient length in its coils to reach the other vessel. Even as I completed the knot it was ripped violently from my mouth, with which I was tying the trusty knot. The Captain had fired the crossbow and from his exultant cries I guessed that the arrow had found its mark. Unable to see what was happening above our line of sight, those of us on deck could only watch and wait as the rope swiftly ran out. A heavy iron cleat, to which the rope was attached, was all that remained once the coils were gone and as the rope snapped taut, the bolts that attached the cleat to the deck shifted visibly in their mountings. For a second I thought they would give way but instead it was the ship's railing that collapsed, crushed by the tremendous tension in the rope. At first our ship rolled to one side alarmingly but then, in a heaving action which felt as if she were tearing apart, she broke free of the standing wave and was carried swiftly back into the main current. Just a short distance further on the channel widened a little and the waters calmed before delivering us to the open ocean once again, where we found the other ships waiting. Amazingly, there was no loss of life as a result of this encounter but several ponies sustained burns and the damage to one of the vessels was considerable. *-----*-----*-----*-----*-----* Day Twenty-Eight The last three days have passed without further incident but my sense of unease returned as we made landfall in the South Kingdom tonight. Our plan was to spend a night of relative comfort at nearby Icarus Castle but soon after we began unloading the ships it became apparant that we were in grave danger. The dragon that had stalked us since we left Stremana appeared again, perching on a clifftop high above the bay and belching fiery threats which lit up the landscape around us. There was no time to ready any of the heavy weaponry, so a few light arms were snatched from the ship's armoury and we took cover where we could. Visibly scarred by the injuries our catapult had inflicted earlier in the week and perhaps a little more cautious than before, the dragon waited several minutes before mounting its attack. Instead of launching itself mid-air as we'd expected, the creature simply slid off the ridge, dislodging what appeared to be its nest as it did so. Two huge eggs tumbled out and exploded on the rocks below while the monster itself half flew and half scrambled down the mountainside, dragging one of its wings awkwardly behind it. We now knew that we had severely disabled the creature but this thought provided little comfort as, screaming furiously, it fought its way across a rocky escarpment towards us. Some of our party panicked and fled, hoping to out-pace the dragon in a frantic gallop across open grassland to the security of the castle. Although unable to fly, the creature was putting its good wing to effective use with great thrashing movements and these powerful downstrokes enabled the beast to spring forward in gigantic bounds. On landing, its talons would lock firmly into the ravines that criss-crossed the escarpment and it would stabilize itself briefly before the next strenuous leap. In the event, it was these narrow gullies, most of them no wider than a mature stallion's body, that not only provided shelter for those who remained but also gave me my one opportunity to slay the beast. I left Agorius and Amalai where they hid and after instructing nearby ponies to shield them as best they could I picked up a crossbow and clambered out onto the escarpment. The dragon had stopped a little way off and was driving its snout forcefully into one of the ravines in an effort to get at those who sheltered within but on seeing me emerge from hiding it snarled viciously, spat a ball of flame high into the air and took a great leap in my direction. As it approached I threw myself into another of the rock fissures and lay there with crossbow at the ready, waiting for the huge head to appear above me. Slowly it came into view and a second later the jaws were upon me, crashing against the narrow opening of the ravine with astounding force. Try as it might, the creature cimply couldn't force its huge snout far enough into the gully to reach me and frustration was driving it into a fury. So frenzied was the attack that its teeth splintered on the surrounding rocks and its gums tore open, spilling cold, black blood onto my face. With its rough tongue it probed the inner recesses of the ravine but the slavering form never quite gained sufficient purchase to lever my body out of the hole. The blasts of hot, damp air that issued from the monster's nostrils reeked of death itself but I was meerly thankful for the fact that it hadn't occured to the beast to spit fireballs into the fissure. Twice more the head lunged forwards before I had the angle I needed, but when at last I had a clear view up into the roof of the creature's mouth I hesitated not, firing the bolt straight away. The effect was so sudden and dramatic that there could be no doubt - the bolt had penetrated the underside of the brain, resulting in instant death. The huge body slumped to the ground, trapping me in the ravine and it was only when some of the pony warriors had cut away part of the carcass that I was able to climb out. Exhausted, we decided to delay further unloading of the vessels until tomorrow morning and went straight to the castle, where a celebratory feast, comprising of dragon steaks, was enjoyed.
