Sacrifice: Part Two

After three years of training and intense study of the Spellbook of Starswirl the Bearded, Marina Wildheart, Duchess of Ponyville and leader of the Dragon Knights, was finally ready to begin her quest to restore the Dragoon order to its former glory and stop the Darklords from attacking Equestria again. She learned all she could from the pages of the Spellbook, but much of the script had faded with the passage of time. Few words remained to guide Marina on her journey.

From what Marina had learned recently, Princess Luna, now Nightmare Moon, had risen from death and was possessed by the Darklords’ evil god. The civil war that the Darklords were waging would be coming to a close once Nightmare Moon had taken care of the more influential Darklords. Once they were handled, she would be able to take complete control of the immense resources at their disposal, and thus be able to launch an all out war on Equestria, and the rest of the world. Marina knew she had to act quickly and with secrecy, for her life and the future of Equestria depended on her success. The only thing stopping the Duchess was the lack of direction. Thankfully, there were powers that wanted to aid her; whether they did it for her people or themselves, Marina would not know for sure.

…

Silence accented by the sounds of night insects outside ruled the little room shared by the two lovers. Phantom’s snores echoed softly, mirrored by Marina’s soft breaths. The only thing that signified anything out of the ordinary was Marina’s twitching leg, the one that had been pierced by Darklord Haakon’s magical sword. Inside of her mind, she was anything but calm.

Marina’s dream world was one of constantly shifting locations and scenes, one minute a sprawling labyrinth, the next, a barren wasteland littered with strange contraptions that smoked and sparked with electricity. As she traversed her mind, one thing was constant: an eclipse of the sun that masked the world in a shadowed light. In the distance was a familiar light of rainbow colors that shifted from one to another in various hues and shades.

Marina cantered closer and closer to the light source, though it seemed to shift into a small structure, slowly growing until it became a massive glass castle that almost filled the horizon as far as she could see. Strange flying creatures resembling spiked manta rays filled the skies above the castle’s ramparts, screams echoing in their passing. Guarding the front gate of the castle were a pair of tall, shifting blobs that had multiple mouths, even at the ends of their arms and the tree trunk looking bottom halves of their bodies, each mouth engulfed in multicolored flames that flickered with iridescent light. They snarled fiery growls at the appearance of the chocolate mare, but did not move to stop her approach. Their heads tilted as if listening to an unheard voice upon the wind, and they stood aside to allow her to pass.

Inside, the castle was a completely different structure. The halls were tiny, barely allowing Marina to navigate them without getting stuck. Pictures of various hellscapes were placed at uneven intervals along the walls. Doors opened and closed randomly, all of them seeming to lead into vastly different buildings. One even led to an underwater cave.

After what seemed like several hours, the twisting and constantly changing castle ended at a single small door that was made of solid sapphire. It opened on its own, showing a room with walls made of closely packed trees, and a grassy area in the middle for the floor. Marina noticed the only object in the room was a gold framed mirror standing in the middle of it. Turning around, the hallway she had came from was now gone, replaced by a thick bramble of bushes and trees. A strange feeling filled her, and Marina entered the room just as the door was closing and smacked her flank, pushing her into the room and knocking her onto her muzzle.

She rubbed her nose to make the pain go away and stood up shakily. As the mirror was the only focal point in the room, Marina walked up to it and peered deep within. At first she saw nothing, but gradually a form grew into focus, showing herself, but what she saw shocked her.

The mirror showed a version of herself covered in blood and scars, her eyes glowing red with power that poured out of them like the sun. A pair of great skeletal wings had grown from her back, seeming to be webbed by the stitched together cutie marks of several ponies, thankfully of nopony she recognised. Perhaps the worst part was her skin: it was melted in many places, as if she was not able to keep her composure, and showed bone and hollows beneath.

Marina screamed in horror at the awful visage in the mirror. In her panic, she struck it with a hoof and the glass shattered and swirled around into a small tornado centered on the frame. Eventually the tornado of glass coalesced into the image of a tall blue alicorn with long flowing hair that resembled the shimmering night sky; Princess Luna, who had died over a thousand years ago to empower the Sommerswerd with the ability to kill her hated enemies, the Darklords.

“Interesting choice of action, young one. You seem to be able to see through illusions rather well. Or at least know how to break the spells. I’m impressed.” the blue alicorn said as she sat down and peered at Marina with curious eyes. “Or...maybe you were just scared. Hard to tell sometimes.”

“P-princess Luna?! Why did you do that? How are you even here?” Marina stammered, not sure if what she saw was real or not. “Are you even the Princess?”

“Yes, it is I! Princess Luna! You should know by now. You’ve had my...presence inside of you before. I would have thought you’d recognize my energy.” Luna stated, the expression in her eyes almost seeming hurt. “The only reason I’m able to be here is because the sword is so close to you, I can enter your dreams. I just wish it wasn’t so limited. I miss the days of old when I gave all ponies both good and bad dreams. Such fun it was.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to sound rude, Princess. It’s just that...I was shocked. I’m sorry if I offended.” Marina bowed low to the Princess, and Luna merely snorted in disdain at the display of submission.

“Nay, bow not to me, my loyal subject. You of all ponies need not show me reverence.” Luna said, her voice almost deafening in the tiny room. “I do not have much time I’m afraid, so listen carefully. You wish to truly destroy our enemies, yes?”

Marina nodded her head in agreement, but she didn’t get a chance to speak before the Princess started again: “Then you must find the Elements of Harmony. Only they can give you the power you need. I only know the location of one of them, courtesy of some...acquaintances: the Element of Kindness, last hidden in the ancient city of Varetta, far to the south of Canterlot. Once you find it, you will be drawn to the others, as they all seek to reunite.” Luna smiled softly at the chocolate mare, her eyes drawn to the ruined cutie mark on her flank. “And I know you wish to get revenge on the Darklords, as do I. I humbly request to accompany you on this mission. Please hurry. There is much blood to be drawn.”

At that, Marina’s vision swam with nightmare shapes and twirling horrors merging and contorting. The anger from the Princess was tangible in this dream land, the world that she called her own. However strongly Marina did not like how emotional the Princess was, she could not deny how powerful she was, nor the reasoning behind such emotions.

…

Marina felt vibrations within her body, small at first, then becoming more violent. The images of Marina’s protector and the strange shifting landscape of her mind shattered suddenly as she awoke with a gasp. Phantom Wing sat, holding Marina in his arms, his beak inches away from her muzzle. He released a sigh of relief and gently laid her down on the bedding.

“What…? What’s wrong?” Marina groggily asked as she held her hoof to her face to block the light from the rising sun.

“Nothing now, Marina. But you had stopped breathing for a good ten minutes before I woke you up. Scared me half to death. And you know that isn’t easy.” he said, his eyes searching Marina’s. “Something happened in your sleep, didn’t it? I can see your emotions plain as day.”

Marina blushed and assured him everything was fine. She quickly explained what she learned, and Phantom immediately started plans to find the Element.

“I don’t know how much stock to put into dreams, but you are a special pony. If Princess Luna said to go find the first Element in Varetta, we will go there. She is the Princess of Dreams, so I believe her even if she is long dead.” Phantom’s gaze softened and he stood up to gather their gear. “It is dawn now. Take some time to get ready, but we will have to go soon now that we have a clue of where to start.”

…

The courtyard of the Dragoon Monastery was strangely silent the morning Marina and Phantom Wing began their quest. Though the recruits and knights of the rebuilt order were all assembled in the courtyard to wish them farewell, none had the words to say to give comfort. The mission would be perilous, if not suicide for any living pony. Marina wouldn’t have that problem. A blanket of frost sparkled on the battlements and the air was crisp and clear as the two warriors were escorted down the steep hill track that disappeared into the Fryelund Forest. Marina looked back to see the tall grey towers of her stronghold silhouetted against the sky. She said a silent farewell before entering the densely packed trees. She did not look back again.

Their first stop on the way to Varetta was Ponyville. It had been destroyed in the attack on Equestria over four years ago, but now it bustled with activity again. The original village circle had been taken down to be used as resources for more buildings. The layout was more organized and easier to branch off from if needed. The land had been gifted to Marina when she was made a Duchess by Princess Celestia. The fact that Marina used the land to give homeless ponies a place to live and work meant that she was rather popular around the country as a kind soul who cared for other ponies over herself.

As always happened when she entered the village, the villagers gathered around to give gifts or just wanted to give thanks to the mare who gave them a second chance. Phantom Wing was smiling wryly at Marina’s discomfort as she begged for normalcy.

“Please, no gifts. I don’t deserve anything from you ponies. I gave the land to you for free, I just pay the taxes. You own it, as far as I’m concerned.” She said as she looked shyly from face to eager face.

“Oh, but you do deserve the love these ponies give you, Duchess. They are here because of you, and they have lives now because of you.” the mayor of the town, a light brown mare with grey hair and glasses on the bridge of her muzzle, walked forward and bowed her head in respect. “You are rightfully the owner of the land, and we like to give back to you what we earn...I believe I’ve explained this before.”

“Yes, yes, a tithe, but it doesn’t mean that I have to like it. I just don’t want to have all of this formality from anypony in Ponyville.” Marina glanced around and smiled brightly at everypony. “Besides, you all know by now that I’m not even from around here. I am just visiting. One day I’ll...I’ll go home again. But my love for you all will never fade. I gave you all a chance to live again for yourselves, not for me.”

Suddenly a small group of colts and fillies ran from around a house nearby and hurried to Marina’s side. They all carried flowers and placed them at her hooves in a show of friendship. The sight of their loving faces made her tear up, and she had to wipe at her eyes before listening to what they wanted to say.

“Miss Marina, we wanted to give you these flowers as thanks. We don’t really know what happened when we were younger, but our parents are happy because of you.” The lead earth pony filly was tiny, but her personality was huge. Her bright green coat nearly matched her hair, and she couldn’t have been more than seven or eight years old. “They always thank you for what we have and stuff. Well, my daddy can’t thank you. Mommy said he went with you and didn’t come back.”

The mother of the filly, a pegasus who had a pink coat and the light green mane of her daughter, came up and gently tried to bring the filly to her side, but she refused. The filly’s eyes shone with love still, and she approached the chocolate mare with reverence and sadness at the same time. Marina’s eyes opened wide as she realized who she was talking about: Dart, the stallion who died defending her from rabid war-cats.

“I know something bad happened to him, but I don’t think it was your fault. H-he wrote a letter before he left and mommy reads it to me every night.” The filly kept up a brave face as she spoke. “I-I keep imagining he is out there helping you to fight those bad guys that made our family lose our home, a-and maybe that someday he’ll come home. It’s silly, I know.”

“Oh, y-you...oh gods, what have I done? I should have never let him come along. I didn’t know he had a child!” Marina shut her eyes to try and stem the flow of tears, but failed miserably. The filly seemed like she too was on the brink of tears, but her resolve was firm. She waited until the tears stopped and Marina got herself under control again.

“I knew you weren’t a bad pony, Duchess. That’s why I don’t blame you for what happened. I may be young, but...well, I’m not stupid.” her ears flattened a little, and her mother, who introduced herself as Shana, spoke up.

“I’m sorry if this brings bad memories, Duchess. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be, and from your face, I can tell you saw his...end. I just want to know one thing. How did it happen?” The mare’s eyes were dry. It was clear she had long cried all of her tears, and just wanted answers. Marina took a shaky breath before she answered.

“W-well, he died protecting me from some beasts. He...h-he protected me a-and I wasn’t fast enough to repay the favor.” Marina’s voice was barely audible, her grief still strong even after all the years that had passed. She silently cursed herself for being made of magic, which was emotionally charged, and tried to continue. “I b-blame myself everyday for all of those brave ponies who died, many of whom were sons, daughters, husbands and wives of you all. I-I will forever carry them with me, and t-they won’t ever fade, as long as I’m here.”

The villagers looked on, many in tears as they thought of their loved ones and their fates. Several of the ponies in attendance were her own soldiers, who had been so injured they couldn’t continue serving her. They stepped forward and saluted the chocolate mare, her tear-blurred eyes not sure how to take in what they saw. She gently reached a hoof to the blue stone triangle that hung from her neck.

“I-I had my necklace enchanted before I left home, and their souls are right here, with me, always. I hope to one day be able to bring them back.” Marina gulped and readied herself for the barrage of insults and cries of shock she was sure was going to come her way. “I know it’s evil magic, but I had to do something! I couldn’t bear what would happen if they died and their souls stayed in evil places, or had been stolen by the enemy. I know you will probably all hate me, but I will make it up to you. I promise.”

Instead of curses and rage, the ponies around her simply came forward and somehow they all enveloped her in a giant hug, which Phantom kept well away from. The love from them made Marina confused and as they let go and returned to their circle, she returned her gaze to the filly who spoke earlier that was pulling on her cloak with her teeth.

“If you have daddy with you, then that means he really is fighting the bad guys still! I knew it! So, maybe someday we can see them again?” Her innocent eyes glinted with faith and love, which Marina still felt she didn’t deserve, and her heart ached for everypony there. “We can have families again. It wouldn’t be evil if you were the one doing the magic, Duchess. You are too good for that. Only the ponies with evil in their heart make the magic evil.”

Marina could not think of any way to answer, so she simply nodded and hugged the filly with all her love. Her heart ached too much to stay, so she quietly excused herself and slowly walked to the highway with Phantom Wing by her side. The ponies of the town walked with her until she got to the edge of town, all of them waving goodbye and shouting thanks and other words of encouragement to her. Marina requested her soldier escorts to take leave and just visit their families. She did not want to lose anymore ponies.

The long trip south was not without incident. On Raider’s Road, the highway between Canterlot and the province of Ruanon, Marina and Phantom were confronted by a ragged outlaw band. They demanded gold but instead received a harsh lesson in the powers of the unicorn knight and her griffin guard. The bandits fled in confusion, leaving ten of their number dead on the highway. After that encounter, they were given wide berth by all the other unsavory characters of the bleak and desolate region.

In Ruanon, Marina was greeted with a hero’s welcome by the lord of the land, Baron Vanalund. He and his people would never forget the debt they owed Marina, for it was her courage that had saved them from destruction at the hooves of an evil renegade warlord, Barraka. Marina was made so welcome by the Ruanese ponies that her quest was in danger of being forgotten in the endless rounds of banquets and celebrations held in her honor. However, she could not neglect her duty, and the time soon came to leave the mining town and venture south once more.

Marina was eager to avoid the Maakengorge, where she had battled the evil warlord who had nearly succeeded in enslaving the entire population of the province, and the long detour to the free city-state of Casiorn was a far better prospect than a visit to the ghost-city of Maaken. Gradually, the fertile plain of southern Ruanon gave way to the sparse vegetation on the borders of the Dry Main, near to Vassagonia. There, like a jewel rising out of the desert, lay the city-state of Casiorn. The couple’s stay in the City of Merchants was a brief but profitable one; a bit of luck helped by Marina’s skills gave a profitable win at the gambling house of the Silver Sage. With the gold earnings, Phantom and herself replenished supplies for their travel to the next stop, Quarlen.

…

A week later, they arrived safely at the outskirts of Quarlen and, in the evening twilight, found themselves gazing upon the fortified wall that surrounded the river town. To reach Varetta they had to cross the river - and only there, at Quarlen, was there a bridge that spanned the fast-flowing waters of the River Quarl. The highway divided as it approached the town wall, for there were two gates that provided access to its east side.

“Seems like there’s much more traffic going to the north gate.” Phantom Wing spoke as he chewed on a piece of jerky. “Merchants frequent it, judging from the tracks driven into the road. Could be worth the wait if the guards are used to dealing with others.”

Marina nodded and headed in the direction of the northern gate. A peasant wagon and a merchant caravan bearing the toa-tree emblem of Casiorn were waiting in front of the town gate. Marina and Phantom stopped and waited in line as the great door of rust-red iron slowly creaked open. A guard appeared and gestured to the wagon and caravan to enter, but the guard stopped them.

“Town levy is three bits each, strangers. Pay or turn away.” His face clearly betrayed the fact that he was extorting them. Phantom puffed out his chest, marched forward and put his beak against the guard’s helmet.

“I wouldn’t try to squeeze money from us, “friend”.” Phantom said menacingly. He felt the need to shed blood well up inside of him, but he kept himself in check. “We have fought the most elite of the Darklords’ forces, and my friend here killed a Darklord personally. It would be very unwise to try anything funny.”

“B-but it’s only a few bits! You wouldn’t kill anyone for trying to make a living, right?” the guard stammered, his sneering face instantly turning to a scared expression. “M-my friends would…”

Phantom placed a clawed finger over the guard’s mouth to quiet him. He gently placed six bits on the guard’s helmet and backed away with a smile on his face, chuckling to himself at how easy it was to intimidate ponies.

“W-welcome t-to Quarlen, friends. P-please enjoy your stay!” The guard hurried to wave them in, then shakily ordered the gate to close. Marina scolded Phantom with a stern look, but the griffin’s grin did not budge. His shrug clearly showed he enjoyed living up to his people’s fearsome reputation.

They entered a wide street where black iron lanterns swung above the doors of shops and houses, their oily black smoke staining the walls and adding a pall of gloom to the darkening sky. The street descended towards the River Quarl, where flatboats were moored at the rich merchant wharves. Quarlen stood at the most northerly point on the river that could be navigated by boat and barge, and it was here that the river met the caravan routes to Casiorn and the Wildlands, so ensuring the future of the town.

At the approach to a wide stone bridge, Marina saw an impressive-looking bar with a painted shield hanging above the courtyard gate proudly displaying its name: The Barrel Bridge Tavern.

The courtyard was beautiful, full of all sorts of fruit trees lining the path to the tavern’s door. It was crowded, despite the early hour, and a roaring fire blazed in its great stone hearth. The smell of food made Marina’s mouth water, reminding her she had not eaten that day. Her stomach growled softly and the blush that suffused her cheeks made Phantom chuckle to himself. He stared at the chocolate mare with feelings he knew as love welling up inside. Phantom knew she wasn’t a living pony, but he loved her all the same. He glanced at the wound on her flank from her fight with Darklord Haakon for what seemed like the thousandth time this year. The magical blade seemed like it had interfered with her own magical regeneration abilities, and the melted flesh had not returned. The distortion of her cutie mark on that side was the only obvious evidence of anything wrong, though at certain angles one could see the distinct difference of thickness between her two hindlegs. Other than a slight shine when the light hit that area, it did not look out of the ordinary. When covered it looked normal.

He snapped out of his thoughts when Marina moved towards a table near a corner: one that was laid for dinner and offered a clear view of the hall. A serving mare soon appeared with a platter laden with various foods, even meats that Phantom licked his lips at, the mare stacking generous helpings on the plates before the two travelers.

“Two bits each, if you please.” the unicorn servant said, presenting an open bag to the two. They paid and settled down to the feast. While they were eating, the innkeeper approached the table. He was a fat, squat individual with small, piggish eyes.

“Why hello there, travelers! I hope the food is to your liking?” The stallion shifted nervously from one hoof to the other, as if he was uncomfortable in their presence, which was very likely given Phantom was the only griffin they had seen in the region since they had arrived. “You’ll be wanting a room, I take it?”

Marina finished a mouthful of food before nodding her reply. “You are in luck, friends!” he answered, obviously relieved they were paying guests. “We have one room left - Room 17. I hope you don’t mind sharing.”

He produced a plain iron key from his apron pocket and set it down beside the mare’s plate. “That’ll be 3 bits, ma’am - in advance.” Marina paid the innkeeper and slipped the key into her saddlebag.

Suddenly, there was a mighty crash as the hall door was slammed shut. Into the tavern strode a black-browed young unicorn lordling, wearing a flamboyant costume of ebony and gold that accented his white fur and black mane. He made a ceremonious display of removing his velvet cloak and pompously demanded food and wine, and it took three serving mares and the innkeeper to see to his wishes. His manner was so insulting that Marina was not surprised to see the many scars that disfigured his young pale blue face. He must continually provoke fights and duels, she thought.

The lordling chose to sit at a table already occupied by a mare in a star-patterned purple cloak and matching pointy hat, who obviously just wanted to eat her dinner in peace. Within seconds there was a thunderous outburst of foul language. The lordling grabbed the mare’s throat with his magic, lifted her from her seat, and hauled her to the floor.

“You sniveling toad, how dare you sit with me!” he bellowed.

Bewildered and frightened, the mare tried to fumble an apology, but to no avail. The lording kicked back his chair and towered over her, his sword pulled from its scabbard. The tavern crowd viewed the scene with relish, like spectators at a Vassagonian arena, for the lordling clearly intended to kill the mare.

Phantom Wing looked at Marina with an eager expression, and she merely had to nod her head for him to act. The griffin looked around and saw one of the chairs the lording kicked over in his rage. He quickly seized the chair and threw it, striking the sword. The blade came down, splintering wood instead of bone. He sauntered slowly over to the lordling, a battle-hungry grin creeping over his features.

“Curse you, you damned featherbrain!” the lordling shouted as he noticed who had attacked him. “I am Roark, highborn of Amory. How dare you interfere with my sport?”

He feigned withdrawal but Phantom was not taken in by his street-brawl tactics. As his sword cut the air in a vicious backhanded slash, the griffin was ready to parry the blow. The tavern crowd cheered in anticipation of a good fight.

Roark swung his sword as it reflected off of Phantom’s armored forearm, aiming for a slice to the head. Phantom anticipated such a move, deftly ducking underneath his swing and opening a few new cuts on Roark’s face in retaliation. The attack caught the lordling even more off guard, allowing the griffin to close quickly. He grabbed Roark by his collar, lifted him high in the air, and slammed him into the floor, leaving a pony-shaped indent in the cracked wood.

Trembling with pain and fury, the wounded lordling slowly got back to his hooves and staggered back towards the door. “I shall have your life for this - mark my words!” he shouted.

The mocking cheer of the crowd echoed in his wake as he turned and disappeared into the night. Marina had already began to help up the mare in the cape when Phantom had sufficiently distracted her attacker. The light blue fur of the mare nearly shone in the darkened interior of the inn.

“Trixie thanks you, friends.” said the mare as Marina helped her to her feet. “She is forever in your debt.”

“Are you possessed or something?” Phantom Wing asked, subtly referring to Trixie’s third person speech.

“Trixie is not possessed, no. She simply prefers to remind everypony - and griffin, in your case - of who she is, and how Great and Powerful she is.” Her smile seemed a tad bit forced, but Phantom did not question it. He merely nodded his head and waved the two mares over to the table Trixie had been thrown from. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is the best magician in all of Equestria, and soon to be known throughout the world! That unprovoked attack was clearly a case of jealousy at Trixie’s magical superiority. She is currently on her way to the city of Varetta to wow the crowds with her amazing talents.”

Marina’s eyes obviously betrayed her; the boastful mare was quick to note her sudden interest in the word “Varetta”.

“You wouldn’t happen to know anything of the Element of Kindness, do you?” Marina asked softly, trying not to garner too much attention from nearby tables.

“‘Tis but a legend. Some say it contained great power; others say its power existed only in the minds of those who craved to own it. Whatever the truth may be, Trixie is sure it has been lost for hundreds of years.” she replied, her eyes fixed on Marina with a cautious stare.

“I see. Well, it’s obvious you know more than you let on. I have no choice but to tell you my true identity. I am the leader of the Dragon Knights and Duchess of Ponyville, Marina Wildheart.” Her voice barely carried over to Trixie’s ears, but her eyes opened with such surprise that the chocolate mare could have sworn her eyes would pop out of her head.

“Wildheart?” she whispered incredulously. “Trixie should have known by your griffin bodyguard and your...unique appearance. Please, accept her…I mean, my, apologies. I had thought you sought the Elements for less than honorable reasons.”

Trixie talked at great length, using her particular brand of embellishments, about the legend of the Element of Kindness. The two travelers learned that it had remained in Varetta after Starswirl had become the leader of the Dragon Knights and helped hide the Elements from those who would use them for war. It had been set into the throne of Lyris in the Tower of the King. Hundreds of years ago, during a bloody war, it had been stolen by a Salonese prince called Kaskor. He set the stone upon a gold scepter and used it in battle to inspire his fanatical followers and crush his foes. He believed it made him invulnerable, but it had not been so - he was killed on his royal barge during a battle at Rhem, and the Element of Kindness was lost when the gold scepter fell into the depths of the River Storn. There were many accounts of the scepter having been found, but they had always proved to be either untrue or simply fanciful. It was said that whoever wielded the Element was able to sway entire nations to their cause. For that reason alone it was often sought by evil or unscrupulous warlords, and many pursued the quest, all without success.

“Trixie knows not where the Element is, but she does know a certain pony in Varetta who claims to know its exact location. If she could get an escort to the city, she can take you to her.” Trixie’s arrogant speech pattern could not hide her pleading look, and Marina quickly agreed to escort her. They then arranged to meet back up in the tavern’s courtyard at dawn.

Phantom led the way up the stairs to their room, which turned out to be a shabby single room with a hay bed that barely had room for one pony, let alone a pony and a griffin.

“Good enough to sleep in, I suppose.” Phantom muttered as he eyed the shabby accommodations. “You can have the bed. I’ll just sleep on the floor.”

“Oh, so that’s how it is, huh?” Marina’s half-lidded eyes bore into Phantom as she sidled up to him and smooched the tip of his beak. “And here I was hoping to have a nice romantic evening with you all to myself.”

“Heh, well I do like the sound of that. But the bed is not really to my liking.” His low voice rumbled softly and Marina felt its vibrations tingle inside of her body. She growled playfully, pushing Phantom down onto the bed, a tender embrace meeting her as she slowly lowered herself onto him. “Ok, we’ll make do…”

…

“A glorious day to bask in Celestia’s light!” Trixie cheerfully stated, pointing up at the cloudless sky with her slender oaken staff held in her magical grip. “There is an inn that Trixie knows well on the trail: the Halfway Inn. Trixie believes we should reach it by nightfall.”

“Trixie, if you don’t start talking in first person like a normal pony, we will leave you behind as soon as we are able.” Phantom said sternly, his irritation at her speech very clear in his tone.

“Trixie...I mean, I will do as you wish...for now, at least.” Her stance stiffened slightly at the glare of the griffin, and she grinned sheepishly. “You certainly dislike jokes, don’t you?”

Phantom Wing said nothing in response, but instead started walking. Marina said farewell to the innkeeper and his daughters and urged Trixie to follow closely on the narrow street that led to the west gatehouse. By midmorning the group was travelling across gentle hills crested with yellow-leaved trees. The hilltops were shrouded with mist, but occasional rays of sunshine broke through to lighten the lush green fields below. Time passed swiftly as Trixie recounted the histories and legends of the area. Marina learned that the rich and fertile kingdoms bordering the River Storn had a wild and turbulent past, swept by wars, divided by empires, split by national rivalries and the ambitions of petty princes who preyed upon one another and the rest of the populace. Battles were fought, lives were lost and the land was pillaged with grim regularity - only the mercenaries and the crows seemed to prosper from the continual conflicts.

It was mid-afternoon when the group caught sight of a small village on the road ahead. There were many wagons parked at the side of the highway, and a crowd had gathered in a field nearby. As they walked past, Marina noticed a large placard nailed to one of the wagons: Archery Tournament. Entrance Fee: three bits. First Prize: The Blessed Bow of Luna.

The name of the prize made Marina stop and stare, her mouth agape in surprise. She was shaken out of her thoughts when Trixie touched her shoulder and shook her head when the chocolate mare noticed her presence.

“Tis not the real thing, my friend. I have seen many such tourneys claim the same prize, or ones like it. Only Princess Celestia would truly know where Princess Luna’s arms and armor lie.” Her smile was truthful, and Marina looked back once at the sign before moving on down the road. She thought of how useful a bow would be, especially if she ran into a full scale conflict like the battle at Ruanon.

Less than a mile from the village, the road descended into a narrow valley where a castle, part of which had fallen into ruin, was set on a rock shelf beneath a mossy precipice.

“Castle Taunor. It’s a place of pilgrimage for many ponies; the water from its spa has been said to heal wounds and cure sickness.” Trixie said, shielding her eyes from the glare of the afternoon sun. Her horn glowed softly and she brought out a small glass jar from her saddlebag and offered it to Marina. “Trixie assumes you will be heading into danger. Best to be prepared, no?”

“I suppose it won’t hurt to take a look. Could find something interesting while I’m there.” Marina thought about it a little more while staring at the narrow, steep, and slippery stone steps leading up to the castle. “On second thought, I don’t think it would be a good idea. The way that path looks, it would take much too long to reach it, and we don’t have much time on our hooves.”

Trixie nodded and placed the jar back in her pack, not seeming to mind Marina’s decline of her offer, as the short conversation provided a small break in walking. She started humming a tune when the group returned to the main path and continued on the way to Varetta, Marina humming along after she became familiar with the melody. After a while, Marina asked about the hummed tune; Trixie responded by saying it was a lullaby from her mother, who she had lost when she was a filly. It comforted her when on the road. The silence that fell was thick as all three of the party contemplated their own pasts.

Beyond the Taunor valley, the highway twisted and climbed across wooded hillsides, often plunging into narrow valleys where bubbling, trout-laden streams wound their way southwards to the Quarl. Butterflies gathered in clouds above clumps of sweet-smelling flowers bordering the road, and the constant twittering of bird song added a sense of tranquility to the beautiful countryside.

“It comforts me to know there is still one part of Lyris where war and death are but words on the wind.” Trixie said, her eyes gladly taking in the sights of anything that wasn’t about war. “Seems like only yesterday when I was in Equestria, where I didn’t have to fear for my life just going to visit friends.”

The highway passed the ruins of a monastery and then descended steeply towards some log huts, clustered in a semicircle at the approach to a stone bridge. A tall gate, flanked by two mighty towers of stone, commanded the access to the bridge.

“That, my friends, is the Denka gate.” Trixie said. “The toll is 3 bits to cross the bridge, unless, of course, the gatekeeper is one of your greatest admirers.” She gave a sly wink and smiled. “This may take awhile - the Great and Powerful Trixie’s performances are rather flashy, and the guards here are often very bored. They will want to stay entertained as long as possible.”

Trixie pointed out two of the log huts where wooden signs, carved in the shapes of an ale tankard and a loaf of bread, hung above doors. “The best ale and bread in the entire country. Mention Trixie’s name and you’ll be treated like a princess. Even you, Mr Grouchy-feathers.”

Phantom Wing frowned at her statement, but his hunger and thirst were almost overwhelming, and the prospect of free refreshment was very tempting.

“Well, we may as well take some time for a break if your show is going to take a while. Come on, love. Let’s go get some food.” Marina gently nudged her husband in the ribs and smiled cheerily, her own stomach clearly voicing its annoyance. He nodded and smiled, following after his beloved with a watchful eye on her swaying tail. His focus on Marina dulled his alertness, and he failed to see that nopony was around, when the huts should have had ponies going in and out of them regularly at that time of day.

Inside the hut, the couple was greeted by the mouth-watering smell of freshly baked bread. Pyramids of loaves were stacked high in hampers and trays of pies, flans, cakes, and biscuits covered the counter. There was nopony there, but an open door revealed another room at the back of the hut.

“Hello? Is anypony here?” Marina softly called, hoping that she wasn’t disturbing anypony who wanted to be alone. There was no reply. Marina walked around the counter and peered into the back room, but that was also deserted. Her suspicion was aroused when she noticed that the oven door and the back door to the hut were both wide open. A rocking chair was lying on its side, and there was other evidence of recent struggle. She was about to search the room when she heard a faint cry for help. It was Trixie - she was in trouble.

Phantom led the way out of the hut in time to see their traveling companion struggling with six armored ponies. They had her surrounded, and her attempts at resistance were futile. A blow from a mace knocked her unconscious, and she limply fell to the ground. A moment later, all but one of the attackers galloped across the bridge with their captive draped over one of their backs. The remaining assailant, a warrior swathed head to hoof in black and gold armor, raised a crossbow and took aim as Marina and Phantom ran towards him.

As she heard the click of the crossbow trigger, Marina threw herself to the ground to avoid the deadly missile. The bolt grazed her scalp, and embedded itself in the side of the log hut, narrowly missing Phantom as he charged past her towards the warrior. The warrior discarded his empty weapon and wheeled about in order to follow the others across the bridge.

The warrior galloped off, his cloak billowing from his shoulders like huge black wings as he sped across the bridge. Marina focused her power to create a long, arrow shaped spike from her body and readied it in her telekinetic grip, taking careful aim - she would have no second chance.

The spike was on target, but the distance prevented it from penetrating the thick metal plates of armor that protected the warrior’s neck. She watched with dismay as it glanced away and disappeared over the parapet of the bridge. Without further delay, Marina started running after Phantom to catch up and pursue the kidnappers before they vanished from sight.

The chase took the duo into the heart of the Varettian Hills. Soon the highway dipped and twisted, plunging into the valleys and hollows carved by fast-flowing streams, and climbed through the dense woodland that clung precariously to every precipice and crag. Marina often lost sight of the warriors, but her innate skills of reading auras and Phantom’s tracking and hunting abilities enabled them to follow their trail with ease. It was not until they reached a tiny village perched on the edge of a tree-lined crag that their trail became indistinct. However, Phantom noticed that at the far side of the village, a stony hill track branched from the main highway and ascended into the trees.

“They could have gone up that trail, though the village may be an ambush place. Best be cautious.” he warned, noting that Marina seemed not all that surprised by the change of circumstance. “I suppose you’re going to use your fancy magic to find them?”

“I’m going to try. Just watch, love.” Marina answered with a slight smile, then closed her eyes to focus on the task at hand. She focused her inner sight on both the hill path and the highway to search for any recent tracks. To her surprise she discovered that neither route had been used by anypony in at least three hours. It could mean only one thing - their targets were hiding somewhere in the village. She repeated her findings to Phantom and he nodded in reply.

“Well, if they are back there, we’d be stupid to head into an ambush. Let’s wait in the forest till they show up again.” Phantom said, Marina nodding her approval of the plan. They did not have to wait very long for the riders to appear. As soon as they think their pursuers had gone, they emerged in single file from the back of a derelict cottage and drew themselves into a circle in the middle of the village. Although they were out of earshot, Marina could tell that they were having a heated argument. Suddenly, they broke the circle and galloped towards her. Trixie was still lying unconscious across the back of the rear warrior.

Marina focused her power to create more spikes to send at the ponynappers. Her ambush caught the enemy by surprise, making them panic and fly in all directions. At such close range, one of her spikes pierced the chainmailed chest of the warrior who had Trixie on his back and killed him instantly. As he tumbled to the ground, Marina and Phantom broke cover, exploding through the bushes, Phantom scooping up the unconscious mare with a grunt and placing her on his own back. Angry shouts echoed in their wake as Marina took off along the highway with the unicorn and Phantom by her side.

Her immediate peril stopped her from dwelling too much on the reason why the warriors would try and abduct Trixie. However, it did occur to her that she was neither wealthy nor powerful, regardless of what she claimed over and over, and so was a poor prospect for a rich ransom.

As they reached the bottom of the wooded crag, a stone church and graveyard loomed into view at a point where the highway turned sharply to the west. Blocking the road was a scar-faced young unicorn. His eyes, set in a white and disfigured face, burned with a cold dark glow. Marina recognized him immediately. It was Roark, the lordling Phantom had taught a lesson to at the Barrel Bridge Tavern.

Suddenly, the armored warriors from earlier appeared and spread out in a semicircle to surround the chocolate mare and her friends.

“We have a debt to settle, Equestrian dog,” hissed Roark, his lips drawn back from his teeth in a contemptuous sneer. “I demand payment in full!”

Madness flashed in his glaring eyes as he removed an amulet from around his neck and held it high in the air. “Come, all powerful master of decay! I summon thee from the Warp! Make these insolent fools pay for their slight upon your faithful servant!”

Marina’s flesh prickled with dread at the sound of Roark’s terrible invocation, and she cast her eyes around her for an escape route. Only the churchyard offered a way past Roark and his soldiers, but as she ran through the stone gateway, the mare was suddenly frozen in terror by what she saw before her.

Above the church, a whirlpool of darkness was taking form, casting a tomb-like chill on everything beneath. Frost crystallized on the grass and flowers, and a terrible sound filled the air as the earth began to shake. Cracks appeared in the ground beneath the mare and suddenly a score of fleshless hooves burst through the frozen soil to swipe at her frost-covered legs. Shrieking with terror, she reared up and fell backwards into the waiting hooves of the waking dead.

Marina struggled to fight back against the rising undead creatures, but her chocolate body was freezing slowly. The only thing she could do was unsheath her Sommerswerd and wave it at her attackers in a wide arc as far as her mental grip could reach. The flames from the magical sword did nothing to thaw her body, and frost crept slowly up her torso towards her head.

Phantom noticed his wife in danger and, gently placing his unconscious passenger in an empty area by a tree, rushed over to defend her at all costs. His roar of fury echoed through the area, and he effortlessly sliced through the zombie ponies. He hacked his way to his beloved’s side, grabbing her and placing her upon his back.

From her makeshift mount, Marina was able to take down the undead like a scythe through wheat, and the combined might of their attack was overwhelming. As they destroyed the last of the fleshless skeletons, Marina saw that the struggle had spread beyond the wall of the churchyard. From the depths of an open crypt, a shambling mass of zombies were hurtling themselves at the armored warriors, taking them down by sheer weight of numbers. Roark’s summoning had gone horribly out of control; no living creature was safe from the terror he had unleashed.

Such is the risk of dealing with daemons, a voice in Marina’s head echoed. She paused to figure out who it was, but became distracted by the cries for help.

The lordling turned and galloped away in a blind panic, leaving his followers to their grisly deaths. As he disappeared, the swirling funnel of darkness slowly faded, and the undead staggered and fell, crumbling into dust, which was carried away on the evening breeze. Marina looked over to where Phantom had placed their ally and noticed something was wrong.

“Trixie!” Marina cried as she limped over to Trixie with the help of Phantom. The blue mare lay mortally wounded upon the ground, her throat torn by one of the undead monsters. “ No no no no...please, don’t die! I don’t want to lose another friend!”

As Marina cradled her ally’s head in her hooves and Phantom gently held gauze on the wound to try and stop the bleeding, Trixie’s eyes flickered open and she forced a whisper from her blood-flecked lips: “Brass...Street….”

She didn’t finish the sentence before her eyes went wide and her gasps for air and wet gargles were all that escaped her. Marina looked up at Phantom, her eyes pleading for help, but his expression was one of regret and sorrow. Marina closed her eyes, focusing her power to flow from her horn into the body of her friend, tapping into the power gifted to her by Princess Luna when she had been possessed. Trixie’s body convulsed with the increased power of the healing energy, and her shoulders trembled as she forced herself to whisper once more: “Brass Street...Varetta...find the sages…”

A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of her muzzle as her eyes flickered and closed. She was dead. Tears fell upon Trixie’s cheeks, her body shaking from Marina’s heavy sobs. Phantom had to pull Trixie’s body out of Marina’s grasp and set about making a grave in the graveyard where she was slain. Once she was buried, Marina and Phantom Wing stood in front of the grave in silence for half an hour until the chocolate mare could calm herself enough to speak.

“I-I know we didn’t know her well, even though she talked about herself nonstop the entire trip. But I thought of her as a friend, and I hope she is in a better place now…” Marina’s lip trembled, but she kept her composure. “I swear on all the gods above that I will get revenge. That bastard will pay for this.”

“Agreed.” Phantom said solemnly, his eyes showing that he also wanted to get his revenge. He rested a hand upon his heart and bent his head in reverence to not only Trixie, but the rest of the ponies who had been disturbed by Roark’s foul magic as well. He said a prayer in the ancient language of his people, and his words echoed in the silence. As the prayer ended, a howl was heard on the wind, and both of them stiffened reflexively. They relaxed once they realized it was just a timberwolf, and Phantom led the way towards the highway to Varetta. “Come on. We don’t want Trixie’s death to be for naught if we are too late finding the Element.”

…

It was nearly dark when Marina and Phantom caught sight of a tavern on the road ahead. Two guttering torches set into rust brackets illuminated the sign nailed above the door: The Halfway Inn.

Marina recognized the name of the tavern that Trixie spoke of that morning, and it grieved her that she was not there to accompany them. Distant thunder rumbled through the hills as they entered the welcoming warmth of the taproom. The tavern was alive with the chatter of merchants, the clink of glasses, and the crackle of a blazing fire. The center of the room was dominated by a small stage on which a conjurer was performing his tricks to the delight of the customers. Marina was in no mood to watch others have fun, and so approached the bar to ask for a room for the night.

“Looks like y’made is ‘ere jus’ in time,” said the cheerful innkeeper, pointing to a rain-streaked window pane. “It’s goin’ t’be a rough night t’night, no mistakin’.”

“So it seems. We would like one room, please.” Marina requested gently, discovering a room for the night was two bits. She gladly paid for a room, and climbed the stairs to the room at the top of the tavern. They slept deeply and at dawn rose from the hay bed to shiver in the fresh breeze whistling though a cracked window pane. Marina saw that Phantom was staring out the window suspiciously.

“What do you see, love?” she asked, hoping the answer wasn’t anything bad.

“Nothing that I can see right now...but I just have a feeling we were being watched. Either way, we can’t stay here, so let’s hurry and go.” Marina nodded in agreement and helped pack up their things, leaving the inn as soon as possible.

The air was sweet with the smell of wet grass. The sun rose above the trees to the east, and mist steamed from the hills on either side of the highway. By noon they reached a small village, where brightly decorated cottages lined a cobblestoned square. The small market in the square had mostly locally grown produce for sale, among other things like hoof crafted clothing. Marina purchased some food and an extra cloak for herself, while Phantom stood by, watchful as always. They moved on after less than ten minutes, hoping to make up their time lost by galloping for short durations.

It was late afternoon when Marina caught her first breath-taking glimpse of Varetta. Built on a massive plateau, the city had stood for hundreds of years. The walls and buildings were immense, constructed from blood-red rock and crowded together in complicated splendor. Great stone dragons writhed along the battlements, their coiled tails entangling the gatehouses and portals of the outer wall, and spirals of smoke rose from the mouths of angry-faced gargoyles, crouching like spies on top of the roofs and towers that filled the sky.

The sun had set by the time Marina and Phantom reached the east gate. The red-coated guards offered no challenge, and they passed into the wide streets of the magnificent city, to arrive eventually at a quadrangle. A pillar of red stone indicated the names of the streets that led away from the square: North - Helin Way, West - Coachcourse, South - Flute Street.

“Gods, I hate this. Why isn’t there ever an easy way to go through cities?” Marina complained, looking at Phantom as if he would know exactly where to go. He simply shrugged and studied the streets surrounding. “Fine, let’s go...west. Going straight seems to work sometimes.”

The couple walked between ranks of carved stone idols, whose mouths held flickering torches, which illuminated the broad avenue. Mercenaries of all races and nationalities packed the street, talking, boasting, or simply dozing in the shadows. At the end of the street, they arrived at a junction where a unicorn mare in filthy rags sat nursing a crying foal. As they passed, she held out a grimy hoof and begged for bits to feed her hungry baby.

Marina thought of herself in the mare’s hooves, and handed a bit to her. It was almost in her grasp when a stallion appeared as if from nowhere. He slapped her grubby hoof with a studded gauntlet and bellowed: “Begone, ye thievin’ hag!”

The poor mare’s eyes flashed angrily as she nursed her bruised hoof.

“By what right do you have to stop her from asking for money?” Marina asked, anger rising within her. The stallion grasped the beggar by the crook of her elbow and uncovered the arm cradled around the foal. In her telekinetic grip was a hat pin with which she pricked the baby’s skin to make him cry.

“You’ll be beggin’ in the streets yourself before dawn if you be taken in b’likes o’ her.” he said.

The mare pulled free from his grasp, cursed, and disappeared among the scruffy crown of mercenaries wandering the street.

“Who d’you serve?” asked the stallion, his brutal face framed by a closely cropped red beard, “or d’you come in search of a captain, eh?”

“A captain for what? Is there a war?” Phantom asked the pony, obviously interested as he himself was a mercenary by trade. The two travelers learned that the stallion’s name was Redbeard and that he hailed from Soren, a town to the west of Varetta. He was sergeant-at-arms to a captain of mercenaries and had recently returned from battle against the Magadorians. He offered to take them to meet his captain who, he said, was the best soldier he had ever had the good fortune to serve under. “Well, I suppose we haven’t a reason why we couldn’t at least talk to your captain…”

Marina looked at Phantom with surprise. She was unsure of whether or not to get themselves involved in civil wars when their goal was to find the Elements. Regardless, Phantom had agreed for them, and it was extremely difficult to change his mind when set. She sighed and followed Redbeard to a tavern that looked more like a banqueting hall than a city alehouse. The Inn of the Crossed Swords was the largest and noisiest tavern Marina had ever seen. A constant flow of soldiers poured in and out of its cathedral-like doors and it looked like it could hold an army of ponies.

“Ale for my friends!” Redbeard boomed as soon as he stepped inside the hall, and immediately an inn-girl hurried to obey his command. He pointed to a table across the hall and said with a cheerful voice: “There he is - come and meet the captain.”

Captain Revan was an imposing stallion, tall, muscular, with a strong-jawed face, unmarked by battle or disease. His blond mane was cropped close to his head, and likewise, his beard and moustache were trimmed close to his tan coat. Marina and Phantom were invited to join his company, and as the mare drank her ale, she listened to their proud talk of war, of victories, of loot, and wages - but never of defeat.

The captain and his men had grown tired of the war in the north. Prince Janveal of Helin was close to ruin, having sold all he owned to pay for a war against Baron Maghao of Karkaste that he could not hope to win. The prince’s troops were demoralized and his mercenaries deserted him at the first opportunity. Marina learned that the captain was recruiting soldiers for a campaign in the south. The war between Salony and Slovia had reached boiling point, and there was much gold to be had in the service of the Salonese Prince Ewevin while he besieged the city of Tekaro.

“You both seem to be skillful warriors, especially you, Sir Phantom.” said the captain, his steel-blue eyes cold and unblinking. “Why not join my company? I have need of fighters, and I pay with gold, not promises. We leave for Tekaro at dawn - will you ride with us?”

“Unfortunately, we come to Varetta on other business, captain.” Phantom reluctantly said, glancing at Marina as if to say he really wanted to go, but would stay with her as long as she needed him. After all, that was why they gotten married.

“What business is there for a warrior other than war?” retorted the captain, to the raucous delight of his men. Marina finished her ale and bade the captain and his company goodnight. “If you change your mind, join us at Soren. We sail the river from there in two days’ time.”

Marina’s thoughts returned to her quest and to Trixie’s dying words. The  mare she was taking her to meet lived on Brass Street, but in a city the size of Varetta it could take days to find the right street. She decided to try and find out where it was from someone in the tavern and looked around the massive hall in search of a likely source of information.

She found the tavern-keeper breaking up a fight between two drunken soldiers. His solution to their argument was short and sweet: grabbing the two stallions by their necks, he slammed their heads together with such force that the crack echoed above the deafening clamor of the hall.

“Excuse me, sir? We need directions to Brass Street.” Marina asked as soon as she was sure the bartender was done with his enforcement of order.

“Brass Street?” he replied, his face lined in thought. “Yes, I know it well. Here, I’ll show you.” The big stallion produced a greasy piece of paper from his pocket on which he scrawled the directions to Brass Street. Marina saw that it was located on the far side of the city, close to the west wall. She accepted the paper and the tavern-keeper accepted her thanks before returning to the crowd to sort out another scuffle in his own inimitable way.

Phantom walked to the bar and arranged a room for the night. He chose a room with a hot bath, a commodity he longed for after the trip to Varetta. He paid for the room and escorted Marina through the rough crowd to it.

The room was a disappointment. For five bits, he was expecting some degree of luxury, but the small and shabby accommodation he found left much to be desired. Steam rising from an open-topped barrel in a corner of the room clouded the air. At first, he thought it must be some form of heating, until he discovered it was full of soapy water and realized that it was, in fact, their hot bath. The meager luxuries of Varetta did not come cheaply.

The couple bathed, Marina waiting until the water was much cooler, before settling down to a good night’s rest, but in the middle of the night they were awoken by a bright light. A shooting star of sun-like brilliance arced over the city, shedding a rainbow of color across the drab room. Marina watched as the star slowly faded and then settled down to sleep once more. It seemed as if she had only just closed her eyes when the loud and loathsome clang of the tavern bell filled her ears.

“All awake, all awake! A new day dawns, my fine brave lads!” As the voice of the tavern-keeper echoed through the inn, Marina gathered her gear and set off on her search for Brass Street.

As they travelled west along a wide avenue of weathered red stone, Marina took in the early morning sights of the magnificent city. Window shutters slammed open as Varettian ponies awoke to a new day and smells of breakfast and freshly ground coffee wafted from shop doorways.

At the center of the city, they crossed a square paved with crystal slabs and passed beneath an archway of polished green stone. Stately halls and public buildings gave way to dust-worn shops and a park full of glistening flowers with huge leaves of red, gold, and pink. Beyond the park, a street paved with white gravel led to a fortified tower, the tallest in the city. It was the Tower of the King and it marked the entrance to Brass Street.

Turning into Brass Street, the sound of bubbling water and quiet chanting drifted towards Marina on the still air. Old stallions in brown robes, their heads covered by hoods, glided silently across the white graveled path. The couple entered the enclosed courtyard of a grand building, a hall of learning. Suddenly, a tingle ran the length of Marina’s horn as she sensed they were close to their goal.

At the door to the hall, there was a sign that indicated the location of three chambers: the observatory, the library, and the temple. Marina led the way to the observatory, intrigued by the star from the night before and wanted to ask about it.

The door clicked shut behind Phantom as he followed Marina inside. It took a few seconds for their eyes to grow accustomed to the dimly lit interior, but the room appeared to be the antechamber of a larger hall. Following the faint sound of voices, they passed through an archway, along a corridor, and into the main hall. Gathered about a circular table, a group of familiar mares were pouring over books, star charts, and astral maps, engrossed in discussion. Globes of blue-white fire hung motionless in the air above them to illuminate their work. They did not see the chocolate mare approach until she was close to the steel table. Their reaction to her sudden appearance was as if they saw a ghost. There were yelps of shock and startled expressions, until they realized who it was and they calmed down.

“Oh, thank goodness it’s you guys. I’m terribly sorry we didn’t expect you.” Fluttershy apologized profusely, her yellow coat and pink hair a stark contrast to the simple blue robes she wore.

“I should have known Pinkie would be right about this. If only she were correct about other things…” Rarity said, obviously upset about something. Her white coat and purple hair matching perfectly with her exquisite dress of sapphire and gold.

“Oh, I know lots of things, girls. I just sometimes get them mixed up. I already apologized, didn’t I?” Pinkie Pie said, her blush showing clearly on her pink fur. She had been the only one to remain calm and collected compared to the other two mares at the sudden appearance of Marina. “Anyway, we are super duper glad that you made it!”

“What are you girls doing here? Shouldn’t you be in Canterlot?” Marina asked, her eyes hoping they were actually seeing what they saw. Secretly she hoped they weren’t changelings, but she was sure she would know by now, after all of her training.

“Silly filly, you know we wanted to help you and you didn’t say goodbye when you left. We just had to hurry down here as fast as possible!” Pinkie’s bubbly personality was a stark contrast to her friends, but she seemed to be at home among the astronomical aparati.

“Just don’t ask for details. You wouldn’t believe the trouble we got through to get here, especially so fast.” Rarity spoke up. She glared at Pinkie until her glare was broken by a small smile and chuckle at how innocent Pinkie was acting. “Ok, I’ll forgive you for now, Pinkie. So, you two lovebirds, how was your trip?”

“Well, let’s just say we had another we wanted to bring, but she didn’t make it.” At this, Marina looked away from the mares, not wanting to think about recent events. The gasp from Pinkie was a little too loud in the quiet room.

“I knew it! I knew something had gone wrong! My Pinkie Sense is always right! I had asked a friend to come to Varetta to help you guys if she crossed your path...I won’t ask, but I’m sure it was pretty bad.” Pinkie’s normal bubblegum hair flattened and dulled, her emotions clear as day. Her emotions became worse when Marina told the mares how they lost their companion, and they all had tears in their eyes. It was clear that Trixie had been a friend, and her loss was felt deeply. “I...I suppose the stars were right. We had tried to get you help to find the Elements, but there was a lot in our way. The other sages in this city, they all think you are after the Elements for bad reasons. They are being big meanie heads.”

Suddenly, her words were cut short by the beating of hooves against the observatory door: somepony must have told the other sages they were there.

“Give them to us!” shouted a chorus of angry voices.

“Oh no! We have to leave, now!” Rarity exclaimed, and she ushered Marina and Phantom into a smaller room. A hidden catch was pulled, and a secret panel opened to reveal a passage. As they followed the mares into the darkness, Phantom heard the door to the observatory splinter and break.

The passage led to a vaulted cellar, as cold and as silent as a tomb. Rarity talked with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, who then hurried off towards a distant portal. As they disappeared into the dark, she returned to the couple’s side, her face somber but composed.

“The Element of Kindness is hidden in the crypt of the cathedral of Tekaro. This key will unlock the tomb in which it lies. It took me a long time to find the location of it, and this key is one of a kind. Please don’t lose it.” Rarity produced a small silver key from a hidden compartment in her sleeve and gave it to Marina, who gratefully accepted it.

“Don’t worry about our safety; we will be fine. Those maniacs out there wouldn’t dare harm those of the royal court.” Rarity said, the sparkle in her eyes telling of much power held underneath the glamorous exterior of their friend. “When the observatory clock strikes midnight, enter the portal and follow the passage to the end. It passes beneath the city wall, and will enable you to avoid detection. You are welcome to take any items in the vault here. I assure you they won’t be missed. Oh, and the Princess is somewhat upset at you. You should have told us, you know. Things would have been much easier than you are making them.”

“I’m sorry, Rarity. I...I just didn’t want anypony else to get involved, especially any of you. The dreams I’ve had...they don’t paint a pretty picture for anypony who helps me.” Marina’s melancholy mood was not helped by the cold. Phantom stood by her side, and Rarity frowned a little before responding.

“I think I understand. But you must know that we all care for your safety, even if you aren’t as vulnerable as the rest of us. I know you can take a lot of punishment, but your mental well being is just as important. I can tell that this all is wearing you out.” Rarity smiled slightly and took Marina into her forelegs in a hug. “Please, be careful. I don’t want to lose another friend.”

“Neither do I. That is why I didn’t tell any of you.” Marina felt the sadness well up again, but her eyes remained dry. “I promise, it won’t happen again.”

Rarity nodded her understanding and let Marina out of the rather fierce hug. She wiped her eyes and headed back into the portal to help Pinkie and Fluttershy.

Phantom scrounged up supplies from the cellar while they waited. Among the miscellaneous items necessary for travel, he found food for both of them, including dried meats. He had to have Marina hold onto the meat so that he didn’t eat all of it. Phantom collected all of the supplies, together with the key, and settled down with Marina for the long wait till midnight. Of course, the wait wasn’t all unexciting, but that story was for another time.

…

When the observatory clock struck twelve, Marina and Phantom entered the portal and followed a dry stone passageway until they arrived at an iron door. It opened with a grating squeal and a gust of damp, earthy air, mixed with a strange sweetness, billowed out. Before them, a narrow stone stairway twisted away into the darkness. They were forced to tread carefully on the green and slippery steps. At the bottom of the stair a rough-hewn tunnel disappeared to the west. They pressed on and eventually arrived at another iron door. The door opened to a small copse of trees close to a highway junction, well away from the city walls. In the light of the moon Marina could see a signpost that indicated two destinations: Amory and Soren.

“Amory was where that jack-ass of a noble was from, yes?” Phantom mused, staring at the sign thoughtfully.

“Yes, and Soren was where the captain had said to meet him and his soldiers to sail to Tekaro. Seems like you’ll get your wish to fight fulfilled, Phantom.” Marina looked at him with a mix of concern and love. “Just promise me that you’ll be ok?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I haven’t lived for so long as a soldier without picking up tricks here and there. I may not have your fancy magic skills, but a griffin is a force in and of itself.” he said, laughing gently and stretching after the long wait in the cellar. “Let’s get going to Soren, then. Don’t want to keep the captain waiting.”

The couple began the long walk down the highway. The night passed without sleep; the howling wind of the Varettian Plain was their only companion as they travelled the long, straight, moonlit highway to Soren. When dawn finally broke they found themselves on the outskirts of a small and undistinguished hamlet of half-timbered buildings - whose only unusual feature was a bronze statue of a roguish-looking young stallion that stood in front of the blacksmith’s shop.

Intrigued, Marina approached the statue and stared up at it. The weather-worn plaque bolted to the base of the statue said that it was a true likeness of Vynar Jupe, who had led a band of robbers that preyed on travellers, especially merchants. His many crimes, including murder, did not prevent him from becoming popular, for he was resourceful and daring, and never plundered the inhabitants of the hamlet, where he himself had been born. His exploits, and those of a score of his gang, were ended by the executioner’s axe after trial at Amory.

There was a slit in the base of the statue through which coins could be dropped. The plaque went on to say that anypony who paid homage to the statue of Vynar Jupe would be protected by his spirit from robbers and highwaymen.

“Ironic, no?” Phantom chuckled after reading the plaque. “A robber who killed people like yourself, whose spirit protects from robbers.”

“Ironic indeed. I would have thought about giving money, but since he preyed on merchants, I changed my mind.” Marina frowned and turned from the statue. She led the way out of the hamlet, not wishing to look back, as she was sure her emotions would flare and the statue would be rubble in short time.

Shortly before noon, Marina and Phantom Wing passed through a deserted village. The burnt-out ruins of cottages and farmsteads dotted the landscape like charred skeletons - the unmistakable signs of war. A mile or two farther along the highway, they came across a church. A pony, his clothes ragged and covered with mud, was moving amongst the gravestones, staggering like a wounded carrion crow. As they reached the church gate, he saw Marina and cried out pitifully for help.

Marina noticed that the stallion’s clothes and mane were streaked with blood. Her initial instinct was to use her powers to heal his wounds, but as he reached the church gate she suddenly realized that he was not wounded at all. The red stains did not have the faint aura of life that blood carried; his injuries were fake. She told Phantom of her observation, and he reacted immediately.

“Stop right there!” Phantom ordered, his claws ready to shred. “Come any closer and you will pay with your life.”

Suddenly, a dozen grim-faced robbers sprung up from behind the churchyard wall. The wounded pony straightened himself and unsheathed a rusty scimitar, an evil cackle issuing from around his mouth-grip.

The robbers vaulted the stone wall and ran full speed at the duo of warriors, brandishing their tarnished weapons.

The bandit by the gate who had pretended to be hurt lunged at Marina, but instead of flesh, the sword struck thin air, and he was impaled by one of his allies when they too missed the mare. The bandit who killed the first was struck down by a swift kick from Marina. She was knocked off balance by the third bandit, and her head spun. She instinctively hardened her skin, immobilizing herself. The bandit then swung his sword, thinking the mare was easy prey. His blade got stuck in the hardened chocolate, and he payed for his insolence by being impaled by spikes that burst from her body.

Phantom was being swarmed by a second group. One got in a lucky strike and added a cut above his shoulder. He ignored the sting of the wound and blocked another’s rusty sickle with an armored claw, simultaneously pulling the holder into the way of the one who struck the griffin, bowling them both over. He finished them both off quickly before turning to block two more swords in both hands.

While he was fighting, Marina recovered from her attack, fending off one enemy with a spinning spear strike to the temple, knocking out her opponent instantly. She picked up the body and used it as a shield to block another sword strike, her next opponent in sight as the limp body fell in a shower of hot blood. His face still showed shock when Marina pierced his heart with her spear. The five remaining robbers were quickly massacred by Phantom Wing’s battlelust.

Marina wiped her weapon off on the cloak of a dead grave robber and turned him over with the tip of her hoof. Several graves bore the signs of the grave robbers’ labor; freshly-dug soil was heaped high and coffin lids lay shattered and discarded everywhere. The weapons they had used were old and pitted with rust and obviously acquired, like the rest of their booty, from graves and tombs. Marina scoffed in disgust and stormed away from the grisly scene, Phantom following after cleaning himself up. His minor wound he did not bother bandaging.

They were exhausted from travelling all night and the recent fight, but Marina knew they had to press on if they were to reach the town of Soren by nightfall. They came to a shallow stream, which crossed the highway, and they stopped briefly at a ford to wash and rest. Beside the ford stood a signpost pointing to the west: Soren - 25 miles.

…

Night had fallen by the time Marina and Phantom Wing reached the river town of Soren, and the sky was clear and full of stars that sparkled with icy splendor. They walked down the main street towards the quay where a score of river ships lay docked at the town. Their signal lamps, shimmering red and green from the mast-tops, reflected upon the cold, dark waters of the river Storn.

A board standing beside the gangplank to a large transport caravel caught the mare’s eye. On it were chalked the prices of passage to four destinations, the only one of import being Tekaro; it had been crossed out and had words scribbled beside it: “Cancelled due to war.”

“Wasn’t that mercenary captain supposed to be here?” Marina asked Phantom.

“Yes, but there’s no sign of any rowdy drunken soldiers anywhere.” he answered, looking at his map of the area. “Regardless of whether he is here or not, we need sleep. Let’s find a place.”

Marina nodded and walked down the quay. Lack of sleep and fatigue from the long journey clouded her mind. A quayside tavern displayed a sign promising the most comfortable beds in the city. That was all she needed to be persuaded to enter its doors.

Loud and raucous laughter greeted the couple’s tired ears as they entered the Stornside Tavern. A motley throng of drinkers, over-dressed and over-armed, were propped up the bar along the back wall. Suddenly a voice called out over the din of the tavern and Marina raised her weary eyes. It was Captain Revan, from the tavern in Varetta.

“Well met, friends!” Revan cried, and slapped Marina enthusiastically on the shoulder. “So you’ve changed your minds. You have come to join my band of fearless fighters.” Before either of them could reply, a foaming tankard was thrust at the both of them.

“To the battle and a full purse!” the captain shouted, and his toast was echoed by a score of drunken voices. The captain and his men were bound for Eula aboard the riverboat that left at midnight. He offered Marina and Phantom Wing both free passage if they joined him.

“Count us in, captain.” Phantom said, his tiredness not showing on his enthusiastic face. He gave Marina a sly wink on the side that went unnoticed by the captain. “We would love to come with you and join in on glorious battle.”

Marina smiled and nodded, hoping that they didn’t actually get caught up in the battle. They were escorted to the ship and given a tiny cabin at the bow with an equally tiny bunk, but it was at least comfortable. Phantom fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, while Marina had to use Phantom as her bed, the latter not minding one bit.

…

Marina and Phantom awoke an hour after dawn and peered out of the circular porthole at the shadowy river bank. Drizzle obscured all detail and the sky was tinged with grey. As day approached, the river mist grew thicker and whiter. The couple went up on deck to join Captain Revan at the rail, who stood alone, the back of his leather cloak soaked by the cold drizzle. He nodded a welcome and and pointed to the Cener Mountains now hidden in the mist.

“This foul weather robs us of landmarks, but by my reckoning we should be in Luyen by noon.” the captain said, a look of irritation on his face. Marina stared through the grey, damp air and pulled her cloak closely around her shoulders.

“Look out! There’s a boom across the river!” Phantom suddenly shouted. His keen eyesight revealed a line of dark shapes in front of the ship. It was a line of logs chained together: a boom, meant to stop or wreck a boat.

The helmspony desperately spun the ship’s wheel, but it was too late to avoid a collision. The screech of twisted metal and splintering wood tore through the silence as the Kazonara swung broadside-on into the chained logs. Marina braced herself and hung on tightly as the boat lurched and rocked back and forth, Phantom Wing grasping the railing and holding on to his wife’s foreleg to keep her from losing her grip. He silently thanked the gods that she wasn’t wearing the gauntlets he had given her for a wedding gift. Would have made it much harder to hold on to her.

“What the hell is going on?!” cried the captain. He turned to yell at the helmspony: “Jaffrey, are you blind, boy?!”

As the words left his lips, a grapnel and rope dropped from the sky and bit into the ship’s rail. More followed and, through the mist, Marina could make out the shapes of longboats approaching.

“River pirates!” shouted Jaffrey the helmspony. “Prepare to repel boarders!”

Further along the deck, one of the captain’s soldiers was felled by a thrown knife. His comrades tried to go to his aid, but the pirates were already pouring over the side and he was trampled underhoof.

“Battle order!” bellowed Captain Revan and immediately his men responded, linking shields and holding their ground. Phantom Wing charged towards a swarm of grim-faced pirates who were boarding close by. One of their number, a lean stallion with only one ear and a muzzle split almost in two, smiled at Marina with anticipation, his lips drawn back from his teeth and his eyes wide with excitement. He obviously relished the thought of ending her life.

Marina smiled back at the pirate as she focused a small portion of her power to create an arrow shaped spike from her body and floated it next to her. The riverboat was still rocking violently from the collision, throwing her off balance. The chocolate mare raised her arrow, took aim at her target’s chest, and tried to anticipate the shift of the deck as she prepared to fire.

The makeshift arrow flew straight and true through the air. The pirate screamed and fell with the arrow embedded so deeply into his chest that only a tiny portion of its length could be seen. Marina telekinetically pulled the bloody arrow from his chest, and at this sight, his comrades froze in their tracks, their eyes wide with fear. As she moved forward, they scattered and ran.

Leaping over the dead bodies, Marina fought her way across the deck to where Phantom Wing was in combat with five pirates. While he attacked with his bladed claws, he parried enemy cutlasses with his armored sleeve-shields that he had hidden under his traveler's clothing. He fought with cool determination, making light work of the battle-clumsy pirates. Then a war-horn heralded the arrival of a new and formidable wave of attackers. Marina anticipated Phantom’s danger and rushed to protect his back from the snarling, mad-eyed pirate berserkers.

Phantom didn’t have to look to know his beloved was behind him, moving in perfect rhythm with his own movements. Their dance of death was a sight to behold, and the berserkers fell as fast as they charged, Marina’s spear and Phantom’s claws making short work of them.

The tide of battle had turned in the couple’s favor. The pirates had come in search of easy plunder, but the defenders’ furious resistance had broken their nerve. The pirates fled from the decks, scrambling into the longboats to escape. Phantom followed them, his battlelust almost tangible in the chill morning air, hewing at them with his claws. He cut his way to the ship’s rail and grabbed the pirate leader by his neck. He rammed the stallion’s head against the mainmast, once, twice, three times, with a rage that split the timber and the pirate’s leather-clad skull.

“Ha!” Captain Revan cried gleefully. “I’ve always said river pirates had no head for a fight!”

The battle ended as swiftly as it began, with the surviving pirate raiders melting away like phantoms into the fog. There were few casualties amongst the mercenaries, but the boat’s crew had been decimated. The pirate berserkers trapped them below decks and slaughtered them - only one had escaped their murderous blades.

“Looks like I went a bit overboard…” Phantom said coolly as he surveyed the grisly scene around him. He inspected the cracked mast and smiled almost lovingly at the damage done.

“I don’t think you were that bad. You just wanted to defend the ship. And get revenge I suppose. After all, they did try to kill me.” Marina looked over her shoulder as she was tending to the wounded soldiers and the one crewmember who was in bad need of a real doctor.

“Can’t argue with that logic, love. Though maybe I should calm down the violence a tad bit.” Phantom stated, grunting slightly as he picked up the dead pirates and hurled them overboard with little respect. “Though I can’t help but to think that maybe you are getting used to it.”

“Please don’t joke about that.” Marina said, bandaging the last wounded soldier and turning to face the proud, strong griffin. “I...I just…”

Phantom chuckled and placed a claw on her muzzle to shush her, then embraced the mare he loved, the mare returning the gesture as hard as she could. “I was just teasing, Marina. Don’t take it personally. I know you don’t like the killing, and if we could do all of this by just walking down the road with no trouble whatsoever, I know you would. But we do what we must, for the sake of the innocent.”

Marina said nothing as she buried her head in his soft feathers. She didn’t have to say anything. But she was worried all the same. She didn’t want to admit, even to herself, that the killing was becoming easier as the years dragged on. She was worried that she would lose who she was. Lose the purity of sense and purpose that she started out with. She hoped that Phantom was right.

The captain took command as the rest of the soldiers calmed down from their own adrenaline highs, marshaling repairs and overseeing the burial of the dead. As the bodies sunk beneath the dark waters, the Kazonara emerged from the mist to the welcoming sight of Luyen.

Luyen, the city of flowers and wine, greeted the crew with the sight of its towers, timbered houses, and fortified perimeter walls silhouetted against the sky. It lay in the shadow of the Ceners, at a dangerous bend where the fast-flowing Storn undercut the sheer slopes of Mount Prindar.

The captain docked at the Luyen quay for provisions, and as his men busied themselves with a myriad of duties and tasks, Marina and Phantom accompanied him on a visit to the apothecary.

The entrance to the famed establishment was marked by a huge stone jar, creaking on its chains. The shop was vast, and full of things that stirred Marina’s curiosity. Towers of containered liquids, mountains of coarse-grained powder, and forests of roots and herbs crowded the bleached wooden shelves. The captain sought medicines of strength and healing in readiness for the battle ahead, and the herbmaster’s eyes widened with delight when he read the captain’s list - they were his most expensive preparations.

Marina stood in the back of the shop waiting for Captain Revan’s orders to be made. Her eyes absently scanned the shelves, looking but not really seeing. Phantom stood near her, a watchful eye on every area of the shop.

“Still worried about what we might find in Tekaro?” he said, his talons clicking on the stone floor in impatience of having to wait so long.

“Not really, no. I’m still upset about Trixie. She had such promise, and we gave her our word to escort her safely to Varetta. How could we have failed so badly?” Marina looked up at Phantom, and he stopped his lookout to stare into her eyes. “I failed her, and I can’t ever forgive myself.”

“No, you didn’t fail her. You tried your best, and with the way things went, I don’t think either of us could have saved her.” His gaze penetrated deep to Marina’s chocolatey core, and she shivered at how vulnerable that made her feel. “If anything, it was I who failed her. You could barely move, and I chose to help you instead of staying by Trixie’s side. Maybe it is I who needs to feel remorse. Well, more than I do normally when someone dies.”

“But…” Marina stopped talking as Phantom gave her a hard look.

“No buts. It is in the past now. There is much more to be worried about than one pony. If we don’t find what we need, everypony will suffer.” He stopped his speech when Captain Revan called for the two of them. “We’ll continue this later. Come on, little miss mopey.”

The couple helped the captain to carry his purchases, which filled two large wooden boxes. As they staggered from the apothecary, he told Marina he was anxious to return to the boat without delay. His men were good soldiers but poor sailors - he feared that without his watchful eye and stern command they would forget their work and drink themselves into a stupor. His fears were unfounded, for upon their return to the quay the Kazonara was fitted out and ready to sail.

“Cast off,” boomed the captain, enjoying the novelty of his new riverboat command. “We’ll make Rhem by nightfall.” The captain was as good as his word. As dusk settled over the Storn, the ship sailed into the horseshoe harbor at Rhem.

The city was choked with ponies; mercenaries from the north and west, weapon merchants from the east, and the ragged refugees from the war-torn south. Captain Revan ordered the soldiers to sleep aboard the Kazonara that night, forbidding them to go ashore, for Prince Balonn of Rioma and his mercenary knights were encamped inside the city wall. A bitter and long-standing rivalry existed between the two companies, and the captain wisely wished to avoid any confrontation.

Rumor had it that a number of the Stornlands’ most powerful princess were gathered in Rhem to plot the defeat of the Slovians. However, the captain believed it was more likely that the robber-barons were conspiring against each other to steal the riches of Tekaro for themselves.

The ship set sail at first light. Marina bid farewell to the slender twin-towers of the Rhem citadel, which overshadowed the city quay. The Storn flowed southwards through steep-sided fields of vines, arranged in endless straight rows like waves of a green sea. The weather was warm, and Marina spent the day on the deck with Phantom watching the traffic of refugees heading along the highway and the strange gigantic toads, which Phantom identified as Sloats, at work, pulling riverboats and barges upstream.

“What is wrong, Marina?” Captain Revan asked as he finished giving orders to his men. He noticed the mare’s distraught expression and demeanor. “You look rather upset.”

“She will be fine, captain.” Phantom Wing answered for his wife. “She gets like this when she sees ponies in trouble and she can’t do anything to help them. She has a bit of a...uh, hero complex, I suppose is the phrase. She shoulders the burdens of the world when she knows she doesn’t have to.”

Marina stared out at the ponies filing down the road, not saying a thing. She knew Phantom was right; that she did put too much of a load on herself. She knew the world wasn’t fair, just as she knew that there would always be others like her who helped selflessly and gave much to aid those who could not help themselves. It did not cheer her up though. She wanted so badly to just dive overboard and give everything she had to those poor ponies who had lost everything. Captain Revan and Phantom Wing simply stood by her side, not needing to speak to let her know that they were there for her.

It was late afternoon when the town of Eula was sighted in the distance. Phantom and his wife gathered up their gear and rode into Eula at Captain Revan’s side, a banner emblazoned with a flaming battle-axe fluttering overhead. The town had been turned into a huge army encampment; its people had long since fled to the north, abandoning their homes and livestock to the gold-hungry soldiers. Ponies from a dozen nations rubbed shoulders with warriors of other races, united by common greed. The captain turned to the south, where the highway was clogged with foot soldiers. As Marina caught her first glimpse of Tekaro, burning beneath a pall of black smoke, her heart sank. That was where the Element of Kindness lay, in a city under siege from an army of ten thousand fighting ponies. The irony of the situation made her nervousness show; Phantom gently placed a claw upon her shoulder and squeezed. She smiled at him in silent thanks, their eyes exchanging words that did need to be said.

As they approached a tangle of siege-works at the bank of the River Quarl, the captain pointed to an encampment in a field to the left where a blue flag with a gold eagle fluttered in the soot-laden air.

“Prince Ewevin’s standard.” Captain Revan said. “The time has come to meet our paymaster.”

Marina did not like playing the part of mercenary and planning on leaving the ponies here to their fates, but if she was to gain the Element, she had to do what was necessary. She collected her courage and followed.

Over an hour passed while the captain was holding a conference with the Prince. His news was met with mixed feelings by his travel-weary soldiers.

“We ride into battle tonight.” he said, his voice firm and unwavering. “We are to lead an attack across the bridge to break the city gate, which is greatly weakened at the moment. We must attack tonight if the enemy are to be prevented from making good their repairs.”

Many of the mercenaries, battle-hardened veterans of countless wars, could not hide their fear that the attack was suicidal. The gate was heavily defended by archers and could not be taken without a great loss of life.

“Each stallion will be paid a thousand bits.” Captain Revan declared, hoping to change their minds with the promise of gold, but few were impressed; what use was money if they were killed in the assault? “Those who wish to fight can stay by my side.” he bellowed, his steel-blue eyes blazing with anger. “Those who will not fight can go.”

Marina and Phantom Wing both looked at each other knowingly. Marina never wanted to fight if she could help it, and Phantom would never abandon his wife for gold, especially in such a stupid waste of life. Their shared feelings gave them no room for doubt. They left the captain without saying a word. Only a fool would order his soldiers into a suicide attack.

The couple walked along a muddy path running the length of a ridge that overlooked a great stone bridge. High stone walls and a fortified gatehouse rose steeply from the river bank, and the only access to the city was across the bridge.

Marina stared at the battlements of Tekaro with growing despair, for they bristled with archers and cauldrons of molten lead. The burnt-out hulks of siege towers and the bodies of dead soldiers lay strewn in heaps before the battered city gate. From where she stood she could see the cathedral spire silhouetted in the glow of innumerable fires in the center of Tekaro.

“Stupid war…” Marina muttered, partly to herself, partly to Phantom. “We could be in and out of there in an hour with the Element in hoof if we didn’t have to play soldier.”

“I wasn’t playing.” Phantom said, his smile telling Marina that he was mostly kidding. “Though I’m sure we can find another way in. It will probably not be pleasant, but anything is better than death.”

They continued walking down the path, past tents overflowing with the wounded from many failed assaults over the bridge. The path ended at the point where the Rivers Storn and Quarl converged in a V-shaped bank. Engineers and carpenters were busy at work constructing pontoons for floating bridges, which looked like enclosed rowing boats and were more than likely going to be used to cross the river further downstream.

Phantom stopped suddenly and pointed across the water at the wall. Marina stared at where he was pointing and saw a dark shadow like the entrance to a cave at the base of the city wall. After concentrating for a few moments, she found she could make out the dull criss-cross of metal bars. It was a sewer outfall.

Marina approached a few of the engineers and asked them about the sewer entrance.

“That would be the “Hell-hole” lass.” said one of the ponies. “When the siege began, Prince Ewevin sent ten peasants in there to find out where it led. When they never came back out, he sent in ten of his soldiers. None have been seen since!”

Another stallion, splitting a log with an axe, overheard the conversation. “We’ve heard noises in the “Hell-hole” late at night...horrible noises.” He drew a hoof across his neck before returning to his work.

“Would there be any way we could borrow a boat? We’ll be right back. And if not, you can just row over and get the boat back.” Marina asked the first engineer, fluttering her eyes alluringly. None of them were willing to part with a pontoon. If any went missing, they would each receive one hundred lashes as punishment for their negligence. They kept a watchful eye on the mare until she left the camp.

Grumbling quietly to herself, Marina went back to Phantom who was still standing at the edge of the river. He looked over his shoulder with a look of concern.

“So, no boat?” Phantom said, frowning slightly at Marina’s nod. He sighed and resigned himself to a long, cold swim. “This may complicate things. I know you can’t really swim. Should be fine if you hold onto my back and don’t let go.”

Marina climbed onto Phantom’s back and held onto his neck as tight as she dared to. The duo slowly entered the freezing cold water. It sapped Phantom’s strength, and he found it increasingly harder to swim against the strong converging river currents, especially with his wife on his back. A few times Marina nearly slipped into the water with the powerful strokes of the griffin’s forelimbs battling the current straining her grip. Eventually, they reached the rocky bank, and staggered ashore near the sewer outfall.

After Marina dried Phantom’s feathers with her magic, they rested some more before approaching the grating. There was a gaping hole in the crisscrossed bars, large enough for them both to pass through with ease. The fetid water that was combed by the grill contained all manner of filth, a veritable feast for rats and vermin.

“There is something wrong here.” Phantom spoke up after they had waded deeper into the tunnel. “There should be all kinds of insects and rodents. I can’t smell any nearby at all. Matter of fact, this place seems to be devoid of all life.”

“What do you think that means?” Marina asked as she focused on not stepping in too much of the filth.

“I don’t know for sure. Can’t be good, whatever it is.” He looked around for a way to get out of the water, but the circular chutes in the ceiling that were at regular intervals were far too small and slippery to climb. Fifteen minutes after entering the sewer, they arrived at what looked like a major junction where two new channels flowed into the main tunnel.

Marina cursed under her breath: she had forgotten to pick up a map of the city when they were at the last port. It would have proven useful as a guide of where to head next. Her sixth sense did not seem to be able to give her any clues, and so she decided to keep going straight.

A hundred yards along the passage was a flight of stone steps on the right side that ascended to a stone trapdoor set flush with the ceiling. Marina climbed the steps and investigated the door. She beckoned Phantom to her side to help push. The trapdoor was heavy and stiff, but their combined strength gradually broke the seal of rust. Inch by inch they forced it open to reveal at last the cobblestone city square. Across the square, directly ahead, was the cathedral of Tekaro. As the square was teeming with guards, Marina was forced to quickly close the hatch to avoid being detected.

The quick glance of the cathedral filled her with hope. She estimated that the cathedral was approximately two hundred yards due east. As the mare and her husband descended the steps and continued through the passage, she prayed that the sewer would give access to the crypt. They pressed on diligently, counting the steps along the sewer until reaching a narrow vault a little over one hundred and fifty yards from the previous junction. An iron ladder, its rungs pitted with rust, rose out of the water to an arched stone door. Beneath the door, the sewer continued into the darkness.

“That seems promising.” Phantom said, his voice echoing in the dark tunnel. “No harm in finding out what is behind the door. Besides, I’m getting sick of this water.”

Curiosity also getting the best of Marina, she followed Phantom up the ladder. The door was old and decayed, the hinges packed with dirt. Phantom stood to the side so that Marina could use her telekinetic power on the door. She focused on agitating the particles of dirt that wedged the door shut. Gradually the stone began to vibrate, and cracks appeared around the jamb as the dirt began to crumble.

The old stone door creaked slowly open, and as the dust settled, the couple found themselves staring into the crypt of Tekaro Cathedral. Stepping into the chill, stale air, Marina’s heart began to pound in her chest; the Element of Kindness was there - she could feel it.

Beams of ashen moonlight filtered into the crypt, illuminating a line of somber granite tombs that lay like sleeping giants under the earth. Clutching the key given to her by Rarity within her magical grip, she examined them one by one for the lock that guarded the legendary stone.

She found a lock that did not meet any resistance to the key, but she was suddenly distracted as Phantom shouted a warning to her. A large creature was advancing through the still open sewer door.

A huge lumbering monster stalked straight towards the mare. It was over ten feet high with thick, twisted, hairy limbs and eight-fingered hands tipped by razor-sharp talons. Baleful, monstrous eyes protruded from yellow slits in its glistening head, and a long reptilian tail whipped behind it. Its hideous and peculiar gibbering filled the moonlit crypt as it drew nearer and nearer.

Trembling with fear, Marina showered the creature with several spikes that burst from her body, but they all bounced off its armored head and clattered against the crypt wall. Her eyes wide, she prepared for close combat as the creature moved in to strike. The hideous creature gurgled with anger and sprung forward to attack, its claws raking the air where the mare’s head had been a split second before Phantom tackled her out of the way.

Marina watched in horror as the creature picked Phantom up and hurled him at the wall, the limp body of her lover crashing to the ground and landing in a heap. She could tell he was still breathing, but just barely. For some reason, this being wanted Marina to die, and was intent on getting its way.

Not knowing what else to do, Marina focused on her enchanted stone necklace, drawing out several spirits of those she had witnessed dying before her. To her dismay, the spirit of Trixie was the first to appear, though she looked strange without her cape and wizard’s hat. Trixie smiled at her friend and took up a battle stance in front of the creature as more spirits were summoned forth, Marina’s emotional state making her lose control of her power.

The next few spirits were of her slain recruits, including Dart, lost several years ago to the same warcats that now stood by them, shoulder to shoulder to guard their mistress. The arrayed spirits were wreathed in ethereal flames, their bodies glowing in the darkness of the crypt. The earth ponies and pegasi held flaming swords in their muzzles, while the unicorns, Trixie included, had spells charging and ready to let fly. The next few seconds were a flurry of motion, every spirit moving in tandem around the evil creature and slicing through its thick armored plates effortlessly.

Nothing the monster could do would hurt the spirits, its talons swiping as if through thin air. Soon the crypt floor was crawling with the severed remains of the monster, which still writhed blindly forward with maniacal intent. Spider-like, a severed hand climbed Marina’s hind leg and embedded its talons in her flesh. As she fought to free herself, the torn pieces of the creature’s body gathered themselves together for another attack.

“Marina, open the door! We can only keep it at bay; the Element can stop it!” Trixie’s voice echoed both within the crypt and the chocolate mare’s mind. As the gathered spirits formed a line between the monster and their friend, Marina rushed over to the tomb and unlocked it.

As the door creaked open, a sun-like radiance poured out from the tomb and flooded the crypt with golden light, its searing intensity paralysing the monster. Grasping the stone with her magic, her senses reeled with newfound wisdom and strength. Instinctively, she unsheathed her spear and struck the creature at the base of its hideous skull. It shrieked and died instantly.

Before Marina’s eyes the monster’s skin rippled as if a wave was washing beneath its skin. Suddenly a criss-cross of wrinkles appeared, and layers of transparent bone peeled and fell from its shell-like skull. Its body became hunched, shrinking and folding by the second, until all that was left was a film of dust on the floor of the crypt. Time had at last caught up to the ancient terror.

As the golden light began to fade, Marina stared at the object of her quest - the Element of Harmony. But all that she held in her magical grip was a hollow sphere of glass, transparent and unremarkable to look at.

Her quest had succeeded, for the power of the Element had been transfused into her body and mind. Its strength and wisdom was now part of her, and the transfusion signaled the beginning of a new and deadly quest: to gather all of the Elements, and use their power to stop the Darklords for good.

“Well, that was fun! The Great and Powerful Trixie knew death could not hold her back!” Trixie said boastfully, her body shimmering with power. Most of the other spirits had already faded away back to their slumber, but Trixie and Dart stayed a moment longer to speak to their friend.

“I agree that it was enjoyable to get some sort of revenge. Death does tend to put a damper on your day.” Dart said as he stared at his commander with respect clear on his face. “I know you mean well, commander. I will stay by your side for as long as I am able. Before I go, I want to thank you for helping my family. They seemed at peace when you showed them the amulet. Nice little piece of jewelry by the way.”

Trixie smiled at her new ally as he faded slowly away, waving a hoof as his essence drifted back into the necklace. Trixie then slowly approached Phantom Wing and poured a small portion of her magic into him before she too faded back to the ether. Phantom’s groans of pain were enough to snap Marina completely out of her daze and she rushed over to him, helping him to his feet.

“What happened?” the griffin quietly said, holding his ribs tenderly and wincing in pain. “I feel like I ran into a tree going full speed down a hill.”

“You’ll be fine, love.” Marina assured him softly, nuzzling his shoulder and neck gently. “We had some help and now that monster is gone.”

She then showed Phantom the Element of Harmony, spent of its power for now. His shock was soon replaced by joy and fear. Joy for his wife’s courage and skill, but fear for what he knew would come as she came closer and closer to her goal of challenging the Darklords directly. They carefully made their way out of the sewers and began the long journey back home. There were a lot of preparations to do for their journey to come, and a very long talk with Celestia once they returned to Canterlot.