The Frost Chronicles: Book 2: Shadow of the Storm

CHAPTER 8
City of Dragon's

My friends and I stood dumbfounded as the group of dragons surrounded us, pointing their rifle’s at us, I quickly turned to see Luna pull her hood over her head, and the other ponies drop what they were doing.

“Since you’re clearly deaf, I’ll repeat myself. This is Silver Claw territory, state your business! Or I’ll have my boys here shoot you dead!” he said in a threatening tone. I turned to look at my friends, and they all motioned for me to talk to them, I just groaned and stepped forward, clearing my throat and beginning to speak.

“My…my name is Frost Fall, there are my friends. We represent the Order of the Night Rangers. Our ship is having engine troubles, but we were on our way to speak with your clan leader, were looking for a friend, we have a reliable tip that says he’s a part of your clan” I said in the most confident tone I could muster. The leader of the dragon squad chuckled lightly, and lowered his rifle.

“Is that right? Well, I don’t know who gave you that tip, but they should have warned you, that our leader doesn't take to kindly to ponies” he said as the other dragons chuckled lightly. I cleared my throat, feeling the slightest amount of swear trickle down my face, “well…our ship is in need of repairs, surely dragons wouldn't turn down helpless travelers, especially if we are miles from your territory border” I said in hopes that they wouldn't shoot me on the spot.

I watched as the squad leader frowned at me slightly, he shrugged his shoulders and raised his arm. “Stand down boys, he has a point” he said as they all lowered my weapons. The leader took a few steps towards me and lowered down to my eyes level, an uneasy smile on his face, “very well then, I’ll take you to our leader. But I can’t guarantee that he will want to speak with you, and even if he does, I would watch what you say, or he might just roast you on the spot” he said with a sly smile, I could feel myself gulp nervously at the enormous dragon before me.

I cleared my throat and raised my hoof, “lead the way…” I said with a nervous smile. The squad leader smiled and began walking the other way, while Iron Star turned to the crew. “Alright boys, let’s get what we need and set out!” he yelled, as all my friends walked up to me. “Yeah…you guys were such a big help!” I said with a sarcastic tone, but River walked up and kissed me on the cheek, “why? You were doing fine on your own” she said with the flick of her tail, as she started walking away. I stood there for a moment, I groaned and followed her, mumbling what she said with an agitated tone.
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Not long after we set out with the small dragon squad, we saw what appeared to be a large crater in the distance, but we saw varying amounts of dragons flying into the crater. As we walked, I noticed Luna had been very quiet most of the time, I stepped back to see her looking down in sorrow, “hey, what happened back there? You just put your hood on and stayed quiet” I said to her.

She raised her head slightly to look at me, “dragons live for long periods of time, sometimes multiple centuries. Luckily these dragons are fairly young, but if they were to recognize me, then it would end badly. When we speak to their leader, I think it would be best if you start the talking” she said with a concerned look. I frowned slightly but I nodded as we started our ascension up the hillside, which slowly grew deeper as we neared the top.

The path began to twist and turn as we neared a large door, where two dragons stood guard, each dressed in heavy metallic armor. The squad leader stopped and pulled something out of his bag, “we need to speak with the chief, these ponies want to speak with him, they say it’s of the greatest importance” he said with a slight mocking tone, as he handed the guard a small card.

The guard looked at it and then at the young dragon, “very well then, I trust your scouting mission went well otherwise? Go right in, we’ll ring ahead to let him know their coming” he said and walked off. We waited as a loud screeching sound rang out, as the large metal door began to slide open, revealing a short tunnel that lead into the crater. The squad leader motioned for us to follow, and we quickly walked through the tunnel, we had to cover our eyes to shield the light away as we came out.

We all gasped as our eyes fell on to one of the most magnificent spots either of us had ever seen. Far in the past, this place must have been the sight of a large meteor crash, but now…it stood as a thriving city. The large crater had been turned into a city of dragons, makeshift stone buildings have been built into the sides of the crater. The center was filled with small shops where we could see all sorts of dragons of various sizes and colors walking around, going thought their daily lives.

All though the crater was not as big as we expected, but since ponies were naturally smaller than dragons, it seemed much bigger to us, but for them, it was a comfortable home for the large creatures. At the far end of the crater we saw a large house, which was carved into the side of the crater, where dragons constantly flew in and out of. In the sky above us, dragons came and went from the city, some of them that walked on two feet, or all fours.

My friends and I all stared in amazement, even Luna seemed surprised by the immense city around us. “Wow…this is amazing! I always thought that dragons merely lives in caves” I said as I looked across the crater. The squad leader chuckled and looked down at me, “many ponies like you used to think that, but our kind have thrived over the past century. Under our chief’s leadership, we have thrived, and spread our knowledge and wealth to the other clans, allowing them to share in the new age of our civilization. Our leader, although he is young by dragon standards, is very brave and wise” he said with a smile on his face.

He turned to the rest of us, “alright, we’ll be taking you to his palace, stay close and don’t stray from us, some dragons are more hostile to ponies than others” he said as we started along the path that lead into the city of Dragons.
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As we made our way through the small city, we noticed that the squad leader made it pretty clear that he wanted the other dragon’s to know that we were here. As we walked along the path, we noticed some dragons looked shocked and confused to see us, while others looked like they might have wanted to tear us apart. Young dragons, about as tall as us and shorter, watched us with great interest before being led off by their parents of teachers.

Despite all that, most of the dragon seemed content to go about their daily lives, and although they seemed curious as to why we were here, they knew better than to interfere. We walked after the young dragon as we made our way up to the chief’s stone palace, which was rather small compared to castle’s like the one in New Canterlot.

As we approached the large door, we saw two other dragon guards, standing outside the door, each of them holding pole arms, much bigger than Dusts. As we got closer to the door, they stepped in front, “Whiplash, what do you think you are doing!? Why did you bring them here?” one of the guards demanded, the squad leader, now known as Whiplash, stopped and said in a straight tone. “it’s alright boys, the gate keepers said they would ring ahead, I think the chief is expecting them” he said with a smile.

The two guards exchanged looks and nodded, they calmly stepped to the side and pushed the door open. Whiplash smiled and motioned for us to follow, what we saw next was amazing to all of us.

The entire main hall was decorated with beautiful rugs, paintings of vast landscapes hung from the walls, and a large chandelier hung from the ceiling. “Wow, this place looks nicer on the inside, but why does the chief have all the nicer things?” I asked the dragon. He looked back and chuckled, “as I said before, our clan is very wealthy, many of the more common dragons in our clan live very prosperous lives. The chief makes sure to evenly distribute the goods to the clan, keeping what remains for himself, but that doesn't stop him from purchasing fine decorations from the other clans” he said as we walked down the main hall, were another large door was waiting for us.

As we got closer to it, Whiplash stopped and turned to us, a serious look on his face. “Bit of advice, be honest with our chief. You all seem like nice ponies, it would be a shame for something…unfortunate to happen to you” he said with a slight grin. We all exchanged worried looks as he turned and pushed the doors open.

The main throne room looked much like the rest of the palace, large marble columns held the room up from collapse. But our interest was more on the tall dragon sitting on the throne, at the far end of the room. The majority of his scales were purple, but the scales on his chest, stomach, and lower were a greenish color, but the spikes on his head were a slightly darker green. He leaned forward and watched us enter, his eyes narrowed slightly as he studied our faces, sending a sense of unease though our bodies. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous or scared at the sight of the mighty dragon leader. We all noticed the female dragon at his side, who had blue scales and a concerned expression on her face.

As we got towards the middle of the room, Whiplash stopped and got down on one knee, giving the dragon a respectful bow. “Greetings Lord Spike, I brought our new…visitors with me, they wished to speak with you” he said, with a calm yet firm tone. We watched as the leader dragon stood up, his wings extending out behind him, he raised his claw and motioned to the squad leader.

“Thank you Whiplash, that will be all for now, leave us” he said in a surprisingly calm tone. Whiplash looked up at him and nodded, before standing up and making his way back to the door, but not before flashing us a worried glance. We all turned to see the dragon walked down the steps from his throne and stand before us, he calmly folded his arms behind his back.

“So…my officer’s tell me that you seek an audience with me. As you can see, normally ponies don’t come here very often. Tell me what your names are?” he said with a firm tone, but his voice came off as more gentle then any of us thought. I gulped as I stepped forward, his eyes immediately focused on me, I took a deep breath and cleared my throat, and gave a respectful bow. “My…my name is Frost Fall, your Lordship. I represent an organization known as the Night Ranger’s, as I’m sure you know, our ship has been having engine troubles, we wished to have an audience with you, but we were found by your scouting party” I said with as calm as a tone I could muster, hoping he wouldn't incinerate me on the spot.

I calmly stood up to see him smile slightly, “yes I have heard of your predicament. I have heard of your little organization, you intend to remove Red Spear from power and restore Equestria to it’s former glory. While I must admit it is a noble feat, but it is foolish and a waste of your time. But you see, most ponies don’t come here seeking an audience with me, so I will hear what you have to say, but I would keep it quick, my patience with ponies is…questionable” he said with the same calm tone, but with a hint of venom that made me shiver all over.

I cleared my throat and spoke as clear as I could. “With all due respect Lord Spike, it’s true that some may call it a hopeless effort, but we fight to save our kingdom and those we love, and restore balance to our home. I’m sure a leader such as yourself can understand the importance of bringing order?” I asked him. He eyes me suspiciously, and opened his mouth to speak. “Yes…while I do agree with your cause, what does it have to do with you walking into my hall?” he asked in a calm tone that hinted on irritation.

I looked back at my friends, but they simply looked at me with worried expressions, I turned to River who simply gave me an uncertain look, I sighed and turned to him. “While we have managed to outlast the king’s grip, we have never been able to deal a deadly blow to his regime. We have come here…seeking your help” I said in a slower tone, and I was half expecting for him to burn all of us…he didn't.

We watched as his feature’s tightened slightly, and a small frown appeared on his face. “So…you've come all this way, flying into my territory, and walking into my throne room…just to ask for my help?” he said with a frown on his face.

I stood my ground and nodded my head, a hopeful look on my face. After a moment he smiled and chuckled lightly, before folding his wings back down and pointing at me, which only made me feel more nervous. “Well…I must admit you are a rather brave, young unicorn. But if you've come this far, just to merely ask me a question, then you should know…I no longer hold an allegiance’s to Equestria” he said with a frown. I instantly felt my heart drop, as another hope that I had for stopping the king was dashed.

Since I didn't reply at first, he continued, “You should have known that the events leading to Equestria’s downfall, are what made me leave. While I respect your commitment to those you care about, I think we are done here…” he said as he lifted his claw up. But before I could say anything, I saw Luna step up and speak out, “maybe you do not remember those events as clearly as I do” said with a confident tone. Spike instantly froze and lowered his arm, “and you claim to know them better? Who are you to doubt my recollection of those events?” he demanded in a cold tone, anger starting to form in his eyes.

Luna stood there for a moment, “because I remember those events just as well as you do, as for who I am…I guess you could say I am a…old friend” she said the last part as she reached up and removed her hood. We all cringed and looked at Spike, who looked as if he had seen a ghost, his scales seemed to pale lightly, his eyes widened in shock. But after a moment, they returned to their normal angered look.

“Well…this is certainly a twist. I never thought I would see you of all ponies here…Princess Luna. Or maybe it’s just Luna now, last time I checked you’re no longer a leading figure in your own kingdom” he said in a mocking tone, but Luna kept her calm gaze on him. “You remember those events just as well as I do, and yet you still refuse to see the truth” she said in a confident tone. Spike narrowed his eyes at her, as he took a threatening step forward, but Luna remained strong and firm.

“You have a lot of nerve to claim that we are still friends. But you were the one that ruined that friendship” he said in a tone seething with anger. Much to our surprise, Luna smiled slightly, “maybe in your eyes. But we still have something in common. We were both close to Twilight Sparkle” she said with a smile, but that disappeared as Spike’s eyes filled with anger.

He spoke out, only this time, his voice was quivering slightly. “You come into my hall…and yet you dare speak her name as if nothing happened. Maybe you forgot, but it was you who sent her to her death!” he shouted, as she stared into his anger filled eyes, but I was pretty sure I could see the slightest hint of sorrow behind that anger. Luna lowered her head slightly, the look in her eyes said that she wanted to tell him that we had found her, which Twilight was alive, but something told me he wouldn't believe her.

“You and I both know…that is not what happened. We were friends once, Twilight was family to me as well, and I felt unimaginable sorrow when I learned of her untimely demise. But you are not the only one who lost a loved one. Tell me, would Twilight want you to keep this petty grudge of yours” she said in a calm tone, as all the memories of her past confrontation with Spike rushed back to her, and we could all see the pain it brought her.

Spike looked as if he was ready to explode, but he managed to control his voice to an angered hiss. “You dare claim to know what she would have wanted. Enough of this! Guards, escort these ponies to the border, and make sure they never come back!” he yelled as he turned his back on us. We all turned in panic to see the throne room door fly open, and multiple groups of armored guards walk in.

As they began to file us out, Luna broke past them and spoke up again. “Spike, I implore you to see reason! Twilight chose to go to Canterlot and fight the king, she and all her friends. All these years…you've let your blind hatred and sorrow keep you from thinking clearly. Ask yourself this, would I ever put Twilight into a condition that I thought she wouldn't succeed in? you weren't the only one to loose somepony you cared about. Shining Armor, Cadence, Aurora…and you. I just hope you can think about that” she said as two guards pushed towards us.

As we were pushed out of the room, I saw Spike look over at the dragoness that stood by his throne, a look of concern and disbelief on her face. Before we moved past the door, we heard him yell out.

“WAIT!”

The guards instantly stopped and turned to him. He quickly turned around and walked over to Luna, who looked back at him with an expression that none of us could read. He sighed sadly and looked at her, the faintest hint of anger still in his eyes. “I’ll allow you and your friends to stay here…until such a time as your ship is repaired” he said quietly to her, but he then looked towards his guards.

“Guards, escort them to the spare rooms upstairs, they are not to be treated as prisoners, and send out a repair team to repair their ship” he said with a stern look. We all looked to see Luna smile at him and stand up straight, as we were lead from the room. But as I glanced back, I was sure I saw a look of sorrow in Lord Spike’s eye.