Evershade Dominion

Just as the heart yearns for love, the spirit yearns for peace.

January 12th, 2004 10:17 A.M.

Diamond Castle, Utopia

The castle stood glimmering in the center of Prualst, the capital city, portraying the beauty and safety this country could offer. Pathetic.

When I was younger I dreamt of the days I would see this castle in its glory, but little did I know that it would become my most dreaded nightmare. Every time I saw this monstrosity shining in the sunlight I could only think of the family that sold me off without second thought. It reminded me of the dishonor dealt to my father and the years of my wasted life.

Many would call it a symbol of peace and hope, where as I can only see it as a symbol  of the despair it brought me.

“It’s been a little over ten years since you’ve been within 300 meters of this place, hasn’t it?” Milo chimed as he stood next to me, trying to read my face unsuccessfully. I let out a low growl of anger at the sight.

“I’d rather of kept that distance for another decade, this castle is nothing but a grotesque fallacy of protection and serenity.” I stated harshly as I pushed myself forward and through the doors and into the foyer.

I heard Milo say something from behind me but I ignored it as I continued towards my destination. The interior of the castle had been redecorated since the last time I traveled its halls. The walls were decorated with Utopian banners with a large variety of potted fauna under each one. The floor still played the same trick as it did ten years ago to make it look like the floor was the wide open sky with clouds and an artificial sun to light the room.

The walls were cut out of white marble imbued with runes to protect against various siege weapons and spells. It also had a spell in place to make it look like it was diamond, but for the trained eye you could easily see through the illusion.

Luckily for me, the layout of the castle hadn’t changed in the slightest. I climbed the stairs in front of me, towards the large set of doors that lead into the great hall which in turn lead to the throne room. As I went to open the doors the two large statues to each side came to life and blocked my path.

“I told you to wait Lio-” I cut Milo off as I cut through the stone with my sword. The perks of having a sword forged in the flames of Mount Kyro and having it imbued with runes from Grandmaster, was the fact the sword was stronger than diamond with the capability to cut through stone like butter. The runes superheat the sword so they replicate the flames they were forged in, giving it this ability.

I peeked over my shoulder to see a shocked Milo. “Those were supposed to be able to withstand a nuke!” he exclaimed as I shook my head and sheathed my sword, proceeding through the doors and to the throne room. I heard a slew of voices coming from behind the throne room doors, suffice to say I ignored them as I shoved them open.

There was a large gathering of various creatures, each of which looked to be the dukes and duchesses of Utopia. The room fell deathly silent, much so that you could hear my boots scrunching on the floor beneath me a mile away. I walked up the aisle towards the throne where the Queen sat staring at me with an air of arrogance about her. It infuriated me but I kept my body in check, I didn’t want to lose out on 500K bits for wanting to hit her.

There was murmuring among the royals but they were quickly silenced by the Queen as she held her hand up. Our beloved Queen is a pristine white unicorn with spring green eyes that seemed to stare deep into ones soul. There were a few guards in the room that quickly surrounded me as I exited out the front end of the aisle.

I quickly recognized her, albeit she resembled her mother greatly. This wasn’t the queen everyone thought she was, but in fact the princess who I had become a “friend” of mine when I was forced into the Utopian Military. I smiled at her as she quickly realized that I had seen that she wasn’t who the court thought she was.

“The court is adjourned for now, please return to your homes until tomorrow when court is once again in session.” she announced with an emotionless expression. “Guards, stand down and let him pass.” she proceeded. They followed her command and lowered their weapons and parting for me to walk up to her.

“But your majesty! This peasant should be sent to the dungeon for coming in here during a session! I demand he be sent to the dungeons!” a duchesses exclaimed in anger, followed by a slew of other dukes and duchesses calling for my capture. I half-turned to them but before I could say anything the Queen put her hand on my shoulder and shook her head.

I responded my jerking my arm away from her, glaring at the duchess who started it proceeding to unsheath my sword. “We are here per request thy ungrateful cur, we are not privy to whom thou dost think we are but we shall not allow thee to continue to harm our name.” I slowly approached her as she started to back away.

“That is enough Lost Solstice.” The Queen said with a flat tone that meant she was serious. the faces of the dukes and duchesses turned to shock at the mention of my name. It was all the reaction I needed to sheathe my sword.

The duchess I was approaching looked on in horror at me. “Remember our name well duchess, for it will be the final one thy ears doth hear in a fortnight's time.” I warned her with a low growl. I could hear her scramble away when I turned back to the Queen.

She stood in front of the throne, staring down at me in disappointment. The dukes and duchesses left without another word in silent worry. “Guards, please send for reinforcements in case our guest tries anything funny.” she ordered to the guard to the left of her throne. He turned to her and bowed his head in acknowledgement before making a hasty exit.

“Still as cautious as ever your grace.” I mocked her. Her glare hardened, almost as if she was trying to melt my head.

“Do not address me so rudely you peasant.” she retorted quickly. I could tell she wasn’t in the mood for joking but it didn’t stop me from pressing it on.

“Oh yes your highness or should I say Princess? Which one suits you better, I wonder?” I pulled the hair at the end of my chin in false wonder. She continued to glare down at me. “Tell me, what ever happened to the Queen? Has she fallen ill?” I probed as she started walking down to me.

“How dare you ev-” I cut her off by placing a sword to her throat. I glared down at her.

“How dare you call me here, you are for one disgracing your country by calling upon a mercenary and secondly you are dishonoring your family name. Drop the act of the high and mighty Queen, Princess, and come back down to Equus with the rest of us.” I growled as the few guards in the room surrounded me with weapons drawn at my throat.

“I suggest you put your weapon away peasant, or I will find another that will take this contract.” She stated cockily as she smiled at me as if she won. Much to her dismay I gave her a crooked smile.

“Thou must be jesting, we care not for pleasantries. T’would do us no greater pleasure than to see thy blood spilt across the sky for what thou hast done here today.” I stated with anger heavy in my voice. “We shall sheathe our weapon in the condition that thou dost drop formalities and come down to the level thou hast imposed upon us peasants.”

She took a moment to think about it. “Why should I?” She asked cockily. “I have you where I could easily kill you and yet you still speak to me that way?”

I closed my eyes and started concentrating the magical flow of each of the guards around me into a central point outside of the throne room. When I opened my eyes, each of them popped away into the great hall and their weapons and armor clattered to the ground. She stared at me in horror. “Come. Down. To. Equus. Christine.” I growled as she backed away from me, trying to regain her composure.

“H-how did you… you c-can’t use magic?!” She stammered out completely stunned. I laughed at her before finally sheathing my sword.

“Observant as always Christine, you’re right it isn’t magic. What is made to look like magic is actually science at work, one of the many tools of my trade to be precise.” she looked at me shocked.

“That’s against the law!” she exclaimed. I shook my head and sighed.

“Seriously Christine, you think I give a flying ---- about the law? I’ve killed countless people for my own gain, you also know its against the law to hire mercenaries unless its a time of crisis.” She went to rebut against it but I interrupted, “An official time of crisis. One that has been reported nationwide with ports shut down and martial law declared.”

“But my mother has been thrown in an Equestrian Dungeon!” She finally got to the point of having me come there. What annoyance she had caused me turned to anger.

I stood silent as the smile left my face and was replaced with a flat expression of anger. I wanted to laugh at her capture but something else was found in its place, something of anger not at her but towards Equestria. “Where is this Dungeon?” I asked through clenched teeth.

“Will you accept thi-”

“Tell me where the ---- SHE IS!” I exploded in anger; surprising her with my rage.

“C-c-canterlot, but I do-” I did an about face and was about to run through the grand doors as I felt her arms wrap around me. “Don’t! Please! Not without help!” She exclaimed changing from her high and mighty self to the scared little girl I knew so long ago.

I felt her breathing on my back heavily, slowly her low whining turned into crying. “Christine,” I said waiting for a response but got nothing but muffled weeping, “ we hate thine mother and this forsaken country with every fiber of our being. But we shall not allow another to destroy it because this is our home, and we did once have a love for it. Wipe thine tears and stand up tall for the country is in need of thee now.”

“Thou may hast changed just as we have, but we know thou art not truly ready to rule. Keep the demands simple and the country strong, let not a soul know of who thy art except a select few that thou may trust. The ones we shall take upon this contract will be of the ones we have worked alongside in days long past. We shall be waiting at the Dystopian Terminals, they should pack heavy as this winter will last longer than those of previous years.”

We stood in silence as the words hung in the air. As the doors started opening from the outside she let go of me and regained her posture, telling the guards to allow me passage to Dystopia. As I walked down the stairs into the Castle Foyer, Milo and a pegasus were talking. As they saw me they gave me an uneasy smile. I stopped between the two, looking at them both with malice.

“We leave in two days time, you had better come prepared Milo as you will be getting no rest until we return. Get the rest of them as well, retired or not, we will need them.” I growled to him, proceeding to exit the castle.