Falconers and the Tomb of Aminus

by MadDonut

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Alternate Universe, Human, Thriller, Adventure
Length: 6294

Falconers are sent on a mission to go retrieve lost Stolen White Magic from a long lost Hexer fortress. Along the way they are trailed by unsavory guest and have a few runins with monsters which is no problem since monster hunting is a falconers job.

A Falconer is a monster hunter. These hunters were established ever since the great rising. From the great rising came monsters. Vicious in attitude and bloodthirsty by nature. The ponies then had almost no way of protecting themselves as they had primitive weapons and tools for defense. Carridian the great valley became endangered with slow destruction and decay but when this era took it also gave.
With monsters also came Unicorns and Pegasi birthed from normal earth ponies. What the Unicorns did was create complex tools and advanced weaponry to combat the monsters. What the Pegisi did was keep watch in the light of day and the dead of night for any creatures that wander too close along with their sporadic acts of destruction.
Monsters got fought back to almost extinction when groups of Falconers consisting of each type of pony fought to the death with them. After the end of the era of the great rising and the end of the magic era which lead to the destruction of two of the three nations at the hands of vicious beast called majins did Falconers become ever so more relevant.
Falconers are monsters hunters not warriors. Warriors were meant to fight wars and spring up to defend their nation. But with the absence of national conflict Warriors have disbanded themselves leaving only Falconers to protect all of Noriphmy not only from monsters but bandits and thieves. A warrior's job that is.
Now fifty years after the end of the Magic Era, Falconer team Vendetta lead by Igneous and accommodated by Mace, Kara, and Joel will receive a mission that would lead them far beyond the borders of Noriphmy and deep into the lands of Carridian.
Joel not exactly being one of this world will have to experience a life all to foreign to him.

If you do happen to like this story I will have you know that the rest of it is on Fanfiction under the same name and title. I use it more as a beta were as in FimFiction will be a more polished, finnished story. You will see more chapters uploaded there for a while but that is because I am still working on it mostly. They will get the final version first then FimFiction next.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2016-04-05 00:43:06 UTC

Chapter 3 The Hexer Fortress

Chapter 3

It was quiet and peaceful down here. The room was a long hall that was lightened by yellow rocks in the ceiling that glowed with no end. This place had never been disturbed never had a sound in fifty years till now, when five Falconers slid out of wide crack in the wall and crashed in a heap against in the center of the long hallway. “To be fair,” Joel said, “Mace pushed the button.”

“Why would it just be in the middle of the room?” Mace said, “That seems like they want people to try to steal their magic.”

Hilliph got up on his hoofs and said, “Kara said that the thieves passage is laden with traps. If any pony can get through this they must be deserving of it then.”

Igneous struggled to his feet and said, “Too bad were Thieves now.”

“Were saving Carridian,” Kara said, “not leading it to destruction.”

Hilliph took a look down the hall. Not to far from where they were there seemed to be an opening into a much bigger room. “Did you read enough of that book to know what our trials will be.”

“Hard.” She answered. “It said that they were for the best. Although it shouldn’t be long there very dangerous.”

“Thats some stellar writing.” Joel said. “Just who wrote it? No infact just who came down here, did a whole bunch of trials and lived to write about it. You think he would give a walk through at least.”

“A Hexer wrote it, and I am the only one in this group who can read it. It's not exactly easy Joel.”

Igneous pushed passed them both and said, “Stop arguing,” as he walked down the hall he levitated his shield off his back and unsheathed a sword and pointed it forward resting it atop the shield. “Let's just get finish the job before the Gekies get here.”

“I wouldn’t be the first to walk down a long hall buried underneath an ancient temple that has been long since abandoned by mystical ponies Igneous,” Joel said as Igneous walk further down the hall alone.

“And just why do you say…” he was cut off when an Axe from the ceiling swing down just in front of Igneous head almost cutting him. He jumped back and withdrew his weapons.

“Because,” Joel said as he walked up next to Igneous, “It's such a cliche.” He armed his crossbows and fired one normal arrow down the length of the hall. It came to life as spikes darts and sawblades protruded from the wall and fell back in again. “Yep,” he said nodding, “Apparently they have sensors.” Igneous looked dumbfounded with his mouth wide open in aw. “Mace!” Joel called back to the three who were standing further back.

“Aye, what.”

“You're the swiftest of us. Maybe you can make it through and find a way to deactivate these traps.”

Mace took a look down the hall and said, “I got a good look. It's got a nice pattern, and we can cheat it.” He ran forward and jumped passed the first axe that almost hit Igneous fired an arrow forward baiting the spikes and sawblades out before he had even reached them. As they retreated back into the wall he easily ran past ducked under the darts and was on the other end.

Hilliph asked, “Do you see a lever that will neutralize these traps?”

“I wonder if they have trap doors.” Joel said as they waited.

“Got it!” Mace said from down. “This room is really big.” he said. There was a loud crack in that came from within the walls as something shifted within them it went from one trap to the next as clicking sounds reverberated from them. But it didn’t stop were the first trap began instead the shifting sound kept going down until it reached the very back.

“I have a bad feeling about this.” Hilliph said.

“You just said it.” Joel said. There was a loud boom and then the sound of rushing water coming from far down the hall.

“I don't like this,” Igneous said as he began to backed away.

Music: (The Emperor's Tomb OST Laboratory)

As all four of stood there they saw huge amounts of water rushing their way ready to flush them out of the hallway they were in. “Run!!!” Kara shouted.

They didn’t wait a second longer. On a dime turned and ran as fast as they could. Mace was shouting for them to hurry as they ran down the long hallway. Just as they had reached the threshold they dove out to the sides as the water exploded outwards. Kara had taken off and flown upwards and dug her claws into the wall resting herself.

Joel looked at the massive cylinder shaped room and saw that there was no other way but up. There was one huge pillar surrounded by many smaller ones snaking its way around it. “Turn it off Mace,” Igneous shouted over the roaring water as it had already begun to rise.

He put all his weight on the lever trying to pull it back again, “I can't,” he answered .

“We need to go up,” Hilliph shouted. They all gathered near the lowest platform which was only big enough to only allow one of them to standing on it. As the water raised faster Hilliph jumped onto it, then jumped to the next, and the next followed by Igneous then Mace as they each jumped from one platform to the next slightly higher platform.

“I'll see if I can shut it down.” She flew upwards ahead of the others.

“Don't fall or you will drown,” Igneous said, “our equipment is too heavy it will drag us to the bottom.” The kept jumping from one to the next as fast as they could.

“Thanks for the exposition,” Joel shouted as he followed behind. The water wasn’t rising fast but then there was another loud boom and from all around the room water started to pour out of the ceilings like a waterfall letting it spill to the waters below. “Keep moving.” Joel shouted, They were staying ahead of the rising water, and even as they had a good start it wouldn’t be long before it caught up.

Kara had flown to the top and landed on top of the massive cylinder that stood in the middle of the massive room. There was a stone bridge that led to another hallway but it was covered by an iron gate, and so she couldn’t do anything other than wait.

They were about halfway up when Joel started to hear a sound coming from within the massive stone structure. It sounded as if water was filling up on the inside much faster than on the outside. He then noticed that there were holes in the central pillar that would spray pressurized water at them knocking them off their platforms. “Guys watch out for the water.”

Hilliph was just about to jump to the next platform when it got sprayed by water at high velocity that would have easily sent him falling to the waters below. “Igneous use your shield.” he yelled as he summoned a black shield protecting his right side.

Igneous took his shield and had it protect Mace instead of himself. Joel noticed that steam shot out just before the water came giving ample warning. He shouted, “watch for the steam guys.” The water was now in full gear really kicking it now as it rose at an unreasonable rate.

Kara saw as the gate began to open on its own, and hoping that on the other side that there would be some way to stop the water, she flew right on in as fast as she could.

Igneous saw steam quickly spray out and he moved his shield to cover himself just as water shot out producing a deafening clang against it. They were almost to the top and the water level was getting closer and closer. As Joel was waiting for Mace to jump to the next platform he saw steam quickly shoot out of the hole just next to him. He had no choice but to jump back one to avoid getting blown off.

Igneous, Hilliph and Mace all heaved themselves up onto the final ledge and when Hilliph didn’t see Joel he shouted over the roaring thunder, “Where is he?”

Mace looking back answered, “He was just behind me.”

After he recovered and jumped to the next, and as he did he could feel the water nipping at his hoofs with each jump. The others have already made it to the top but he was just a four more platforms down. Every time he jumped the water had gotten higher making the next one even harder. As he was on the last platform the water had gotten chest high and he would have missed the last jump to the central pillar if Hilliph had summoned a hooked spear and grabbing Joel by the armor on his back and heaving him up with the strength of his magic.  “Thank you Hilliph,” he said through gasp.

Kara had flown down the tunnel to a small room that had one lever in the middle. She landed just in front of it and pulled it hopping the water level would stop rising. There was a grinding noise and she turned to see that the entrance to the room was beginning to be closed off by a large vertical stone door. “No, no, NO!” she yelled. She tried to push the lever back but it did nothing. Just as the stone door was about to close, a shield, Igneouses shield stopped it from shutting them out and Mace and Igneous slid right on under.

Hilliph and Joel ran passed the bridge as fast as they could down the long hallway. They had fallen behind a little and the rushing water was beginning to fill the tunnel. Joel saw that Mace and Igneous were at the very end using his shield to keep the stone door from closing and trapping them in the hallway and drowning.

“Hurry!” Yelled Igneous as his shield began to morph and bend to the weight of the stone door.

Joel was pounding the ground as he tried to stay ahead of the water. It was already swallowing up most of their legs and Joel almost lost his balance as he trudged through, but just as the shield was about to give out they dove right through the thin gap between the door and the ground just before the shield snapped and gave way to the weight of the door.

Every pony stayed silent for a moment as they could hear the water on the other side of the stone door build up. That was a close call for all involved and they were lucky to have not suffered any casualties.

As everyone caught their breath, Igneous picked up what remained of his shield. It had been snapped in half and was now useless. He threw it to the side. Kara saw him and said, “Don't worry Igneous. The Hexers have an amory i'm sure you can find another shield in.”

“Not one that I made.” He looked at the jagged crack where the shield had broken and threw it against the wall.

“Igneous.” Kara snapped.

            He stood at the entrance to the next long hallway that served as the only way out and said, “We are getting our macguffin, finishing the mission and getting out of here. I won't spend all night underground.”

Intermission

There were slight changes in the chapter and that's about it. I didn’t know if I was going to do the music thing but it's just a lot of fun in my opinion and when you get the right music it's even better.

There shouldn’t be any more from this Act but in the next there is  one from the same OST track later on in the story.

Part 2

An arrow flew straight down the hallway but nothing happened. “This hallway looks clear,” Mace said as he looked down it. They could hear the faint sounds of even more rushing water.

“Still does not mean there isn’t something waiting. It could be a different kind of trap,” Igneous said.

“Why don't I just fly down it then,” Kara said from behind. “If an arrow didn’t trigger a trap then I shouldn't if I just don't touch anything.”

“No,” Igneous said shaking his head. “If we're going to get across were all going together. Were not making the same mistake.”

Hilliph walked up to the entrance of the long hallway and said, “Let's just see if we can find these ‘traps’.” He levitated one of his long swords out and bashed the wall with the hilt a few times till a rock fell from it. “This should do,” he said as he threw it using his magic. It arced down the hallway till it landed somewhere in the middle.

For a moment they waited but nothing happened, “Welp,” Joel said, “looks like this one is clear after all.”

He took a few steps forward, “Joel don’t…” Igneous was about to stop him but then the floor just in under Joel disappeared and he fell into darkness. “NO!!!” He shouted as he was helpless to do anything.

Acting quickly Kara dove down into the pit after Joel. She flew under his falling body and opened up her wings taking the weight of both of them. They slowed down considerably but still crashed to the floor at a high speed in a heep. “Dammit Joel,” Kara said as she tried to crawl out from under him.

“This doesn’t normally happen.” he said. He jumped off and as he took a few steps away he felt something hard break just beneath his hoofs with a loud snap. “What was that?” he said.

From above Mace shouted, “Guys? Are you alive?” He was peering over the edge trying to see through the darkness.

“Sadly,” she answers back. She looked around the dark pit they had fallen into and didn’t see any way up for Joel. She looked over to Joel and said, “wait here and don't do anything stupid please.” She began to fly up but as she did the trap door suddenly closed trapping them down in the darkness together.

“Kara!” Igneous shouted as he began to bash the floor with the hilts of his swords.

“Stand back Igneous,” Mace said as he loaded an explosive arrow ready to shoot the ground.

Hilliph stopped him and said, “Don’t, you may cause them to be harmed by the explosion alone.”

Igneous looked up and said, “What do you think we should do? We can’t leave a Falconer behind.”

Hilliph’s horn glowed and he levitated a wooden flask out of his bag and said, “Let me take care of this.” The cork flew off and he spilled a liquid on the ground and as it sat there the floor beneath it began to erode away.

After a minute there was a metal on rock sound and they saw a claw protrude from the ground, “Guys?” Kara said looking through the small hole.

“Kara,” Igneous said as he ran to where the hole in the ground was, “Are you and Joel alright?”

“Yes we're fine. Can you not get the door open?” she asked.

Igneous looked back to see Mace pouncing on the ground with his hoofs roughly were Joel stepped trying and open up the trap floor, “Yea I think it's not going to open,” Igneous answered.

Kara scratched at the hole again hoping that she could somehow make it big enuff for her self to fit through, “Damn this isn’t going to work.” she said. She called down to Joel and asked, “Is there a way out of here?”

“I don't know it's really really dark.” he said as he ran his hoofs across the wall trying to find a doorway or some way out.

Igneous withdrew a sword and hit one of the glowing crystals on the roof causing a decent sized chunks to break from it. “Try this,” he said as he dropped it down to him.

Now that the chamber was lit Kara and Joel could clearly see where they were. It was a vastly empty stone room with nothing except a few cobwebs and a bone skeleton of some other pony who happened to fall into the same trap. Joel picked it up with his mouth and looked around with it near one of the walls he just went over was a break in the wall that was just big enuff for them to maybe through, “I think I found a way out.” He poked his head through and saw that it lead to another room much different looking. It had what looked like prison cells with iron bars and chains. “Yep we got our way out.”

“We can’t split up,” Igneous said.

“Right now we don’t have much of a choice Igneous,” she said. “Just take the book with you. The next room isn’t a trap, I already read about it.”

“Just watch your step.”

“I’ll be fine,” she said before she flew down to were Joel was leaving Hilliph, Mace and Igneous behind.

Mace said, “I wouldn't worry Igneous. Karra can handle herself.”

Igneous looked back down the hall to the next room and said, “I’m worried that your little trainee might get her killed.”

He chuckled and said, “That boy needs some work. I’ll see to it he is back in shape by the time this missions done.”

Hilliph walked ahead of them and said, “This ‘mission’ just might take longer than you expect. I wouldn’t start making plans just yet Mace.” They walked to the end of the of the hallway and to the opening of there next trail. As they looked they saw that there nothing but a server with a pool far below where water was draining down into a vortex. “I'm assuming this is where the water from the last room is going,” Hilliph commented.

There was a ledge at the far end of the room but there was no way to reach it. No platforms nothing. “How are we supposed to get over there?” Mace asked.

“Can't you just use a string shot Mace?” Igneous replied.

He shook his head and said, “There's nothing for it to bury itself into Igneous. Everything's rock.” He kicked a rock down with his hoof and watched it fall into the spinning vortex below. No doubt if they fell they would be lost forever.

Hilliph’s horn glowed and a two black tower shields that were the same in shape but different in design. “This is going to be dangerous.” he said.

“What's the plan?” Mace asked.

Kara had crawled through the crack Joel had discovered recently. As she crawled out they found themselves on the inside of a cell room. Joel spat the rock on the ground and said, “that taste bad. How are we supposed to get out of this?” He asked as he walked up to the cell door. He looked at the metal work and at the bolts that held the framework in place.

She flew up to the corner and started using the her claws to scratch at the rivets. “This isn't going to work.” After a fruitless effort she sat herself down next to Joel and began to think.

A minute passed by and Joel sprang up saying, “I have an idea.” He pressed his chest button with his hoof and his crossbows sprang up. He switched his shot to an explosive arrow and reloaded his shot. “This might be a little dangerous,” He put his hoof over the lever and pushed down very hard followed by two quick pushes and the arrow popped out of the flight grove onto the ground. He did this a second time and then he took them both and shoved them between the metal door frame and the wall it was attached to.

“You're going to blow us up?” she asked as she watch him work.

“Nope.” he responded as he switched both crossbows to a string shot. “I'm going to cause a controlled explosion.” He popped the string shots out of their flight groves and attached the hooks to the shafts of the explosive arrows. He flicked his ears back giving the rope some slack and he began to back himself out through the hole in the wall. “Your might wanna go first,” he said to Kara.

“Exactly how are you going to make them explode,” she asked as she squeezed herself through to the next room.

“When I pull on the string shots they will snap the tips of the explosive arrows off causing the explosion. Want me to explain how the door is supposed to fall off.”

“Let's just find out way out of here.”

He crawled through and sighed, “Just cover your ears.” He then raised his ears and Jerked his body sideways pulling on the arrows. There was a deafening boom along with a tremor that shook both Joel and Kara. After Joel’s vision straitened and his hearing came back he said, “I cannot believe I shot one of these near Igneouses face.” He said as he slowly stumbled back to his hoofs. “I had those things in my mouth.” He looked at the wall that separated them from the explosion and he saw that there was a huge blast mark that cracked the entire wall.

After Kara pulled herself up she looked at the wall and said, “I think only one was needed.”

“For once I agree with you.” They crawled back through the crack in the wall and found that not only did the doors get blasted off but also the cell in front of them and the two next to them as well. Joel walked out of the cell and looked down both ways of the hall they were in, “Do you know which way leads out?”

“I don’t,” she answered, “I wonder how the others are doing.”

Igneous called over the edge, “Are you alright Hilliph?” He looked down to see that he was hanging down near the waters vortex but he was still alright.

“I'm fine!” he shouted. “Just pull me back up.”

Igneous looked back to Mace who planted his hoofs down as he held Hilliph by one of his string shot arrows. “Pull him up.”

Mace started to back up and he asked, “What was that? It nearly got Hilliph killed just then.”

“I’m sure Joel set off that explosion. He is the only other one here other than you who could have.”

“I'm sure he had a good reason,” he replied.

After Mace finally pulled Hilliph back over the ledge Hilliph said, “That explosion broke my concentration.” He summoned the same two tower shields and place them over the open air again. “Maybe this time we won't have any disturbances.” He stepped onto the first shield and it wavered a bit over the open air.

“Do you wanna take a minute Hilliph?” Mace asked, “You can take the time to catch your breath.”

He laughed and said, “I may be old but i'm not a feeble old stallion.”

“Alright doc, you're the expert.” Mace gave him a little slack so that he could make the next step. Hilliph then rotated the shield around to the front of him so that he could take another step. His eyes were closed as he tried to drown out all distractions so that he could make it across. He repeated the process over and over till he finally made it across and to the other end. He let his shields disappear and he turned to face the others. “are you coming?”

Igneous hooked himself up to Mace making sure that he would not come unfastened. “This is going to hurt. Isn’t it?”

Mace twisted his chest button to were it looked the crossbows in its current place and said, “It depends on how hard you hit the wall Igneous.”

“I hate doing this with you.”

“Personally I think it never gets old.” He inched himself closer to the edge and peered down over what they were about to swing over. “Just remember,” he began, “there is nothing to fear but fear its-” he was cut off when the very edge of the ledge he was standing on collapsed beneath causing him to fall prematurely. The slack caught up to Igneous and he got yanked over the edge head first along with Mace and together they slammed into the wall on the opposite side. Mace took quite the hit to the head and body and pretty much all over.

“Damit Mace!” Igneous shouted. Apparently the wall gave Igneous a beating as well despite the armor he wore. “I said to watch your step!”

Mace planted his hooves against the wall trying to regain his composure. “I could not have know that Igneous.

“Are you alright down there?” Hilliph said from above.

“As much as we're going to be,” Igneous answered. He didn’t like to just hang there doing nothing but the way his armor harnessed him almost prevented him from being useful in the slightest. All he could do was hang there as Hilliph and Mace did all the work.

Kara and Joel had found their way out of what must have been the prison cells. The hall  they were in opened up into a wider room were in the middle there was a statue made of stone that had a pony, an Earth pony who was heavily armored standing boldly with what looked like chains wrapped around the entirety of its body. It didn’t seem as if he minded but as if they were meant to be there. “Who is this?” Joel asked as he slowly walked up to it. “Was he an infamous criminal or something?”

Kara flew up to the statues head which by comparison was much bigger to Karas in scale. “I’ve read stories about him in books,” she said as she put her hoof on the snout of the statue. “He is Ashur the gate keeper of the Hexer fortress. He guarded all of the Hexers magic, books, weapons and everything.”

Joel walked around the side and asked, “Why is he in chains?”

“There his weapons. He was one of the only ones who could wield a chained weapon.”

“I thought you would need to be a Unicorn,” Joel said as he walked around to the back of it.

“Not when you're a Hexer Joel,” she answered.

Joel was wondering why there would be a single room with nothing but a statue in the middle of what must have been there dungen. Looked at the ground and saw that there were scratch marks going backwards. “I think this gatekeeper is keeping something hidden.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

Joel ran around to the front of it and said, “Look for something that seems out of place. Normally it would be something like a switch or lever.” He looked the statue up and down to see if anything wasn’t symmetrical with its counterpart.

“Is it this?” Kara asked as she straightened one of the cuffs that were attached to the chain. There was a clicking noise and the rock statue began to slowly move backwards revealing a hidden stairway.

Joel looked down and said, “Just like I said. I knew there was something.”

Kara landed at the side of Joel and asked, “How did you know that.”

“Um... Telhish Menishin (Television/TV),” he answered, “He had a ton of stories to tell.” He walked down the flight of stairs making sure to kick the glowing rock down with him illuminating the passageway. When they reached the bottom there was a door with a little plaque on it with words that Joel couldn’t read. “What does this say Kara?” She looked at it for a few moments taking her time to decipher the words and symbols, but then she appeared to freeze. Joel noticed this and asked “Are you alright? What does it say?”

She turned to him and said, “I think we just found the magic of Noriphmy.”

The room they were now in was almost bare and about as big as the one just up the stairs, but instead of the statue of Ashur there was three pedestals opposite side of the room. The middle one was taller than the two on either side of it, and the right one was the only one holding an object that was round and completely black that it looked as if it could never reflect light off of it. “Is that it?” Joel asked as he walked up to it fascinated by its look.

“Yes,” Kara answered. “But where are the others?”

“Others? How many should there be?” He touched it with his hoof.

“Three,” Kara turned and saw what he was about to unknowingly do and and shouted, “Don’t Joel!”

“What?” he said but instantly the black ball ejected a blade from within it that cut Joel's front leg causing a superficial injury that still drew blood. He jumped back bleeding from his leg, and the blade retracted itself back into the black orb.

“Joel you insipid fool. How could you?” she shouted as Joel retreated away from the black sphere that had just attacked him.

“What i do? ‘It’ started it,” he said as his leg slowly bleed. It wasn’t a serious injury and would no doubt heal.

“Do you not have the slightest clue how Hexer magic works?” she shouted in annoyance.

“Honestly I don't even know how most of this world works.” the black orb slowly rose from its pedestal and floated over to were Joel was. “Hey, whoa wait what is it doing now.” he said as he backed himself into a corner trying to stay away from what just attacked him a few seconds ago. It got closer and nearer to his face but he couldn’t move unless he wanted to run into it, “Kara help me here.”

“Dammit Joel. Just why. Why Joel.”

“Kara this thing is going to kill me.” he said as he tried to kick it away.

She walked up to Joel and knocked the black orb away with her bladed wings and held her claws to Joel's face and said, “It's not going to kill you Joel. It's bound to you now. You have bounded it dammit. Do you understand what you did?” She turned away and started to storm up back up the stairs.

Joel watched her in confusion and as he did the orb came back and harmlessly bounced off his face. He swatted it away and ran after Kara picking up the glowing rock on his way out, “Kara wait. What do you mean it's bound to me?” he said through his teeth with the rock in his mouth. As he ran up the stairs the orb followed closely behind. It was like having an imprinted duckling. He spat the rock out and said, “Stop. What do you mean?” he said when he reached the top.

She turned and said, “You seriously don't get it, do you?”

“I don't even know who Noriphmy is, what a Hexer is or even who Aminus is.” the orb again bounced off the back of its head as it caught up to him and Joel simply ignored it.

She looked at him with angered eyes and said, “where are you from? Who are you?”

How do you answer a question like? “I… I just, I'm just not from here Kara. I can’t explain it. Please can you just help me? What is this thing?” It was now hovering next to his face just floating there.

Kara thought for a moment then said, “That ‘thing’ is the stolen magic of Noriphmy.” She didn’t look at him when she said that, “He was the stallion who saved Carridian from the Majins and Aminus the black dragon.”

“What exactly is stolen magic?”

“Its Magic in a physical form. Although much weaker and less powerful it's still a useful tool.” She took a breath and and looked up to the ceiling with tears in her eyes, “I was going to take that magic Joel. I was going to bind it to me.” She shook her head and said, “I studied magic most my life. Most said I was crazy because I was a pegasus and that it was a pointless fruitless endeavor. My sister was about the only one who supported me. She sent me books every now and again that she would find out on her journeys. Technically she was breaking the law because she should have been sending them to the capital, but Kohlagin Sirvidian allowed it”

“But you said if you're a Hexer it doesn’t matter. Any type of pony could use magic.”

“You're right Joel. It doesn’t matter but I'm not a Hexer. Stolen magic can be used by any pony as long as it is bound to you by blood. The very thing you did just then.” She turned and began to walk down the hallway.

Joel ran after her and when he caught up he said, “why don't you just take it then? I don't need it Kara. I don't want it.”

She let out a weak laugh, “The only way I could take it from you was if I killed you first.”

“That doesn’t seem like something you wouldn’t do,” he joked. “I’ve known you for a week now. Believe me.”

“I wouldn’t kill you Joel. Not even for the most powerful dark magic in Carridian,” she obviously meant the very thing Joel now had following him. “If I met you on the mountain and you had this magic I would, believe me. But you're apart of team Vendetta, and a Falconer never harms their own.”

“I'm sorry Kara, I didn’t mean to screw up. If it weren't for me we wouldn’t be down here.”

She looked at him and said, “If it weren't for you we would not have found Noriphmy’s dark magic.”

The thought that Joel now had dark magic kinda worried him, “so um this magic. Will it corrupt me or something?”

“You truly are mentally inept Joel,” she said. “Magic is a tool. Something the Hexers used constantly. Dark magic was only used for self defence. Light magic influences the physical form causing them to be capable of doing things impossible if it weren't for it in the first place.”

“What about Alchemy? I saw Hilliph use some to catch that spy.”

“Hilliph wasn’t using pure alchemy. He was blood binding the elements so he could have control over them. Alchemy is control over elements without the need to blood bind. With pure Alchemy you can change landscapes and move mountains.” The kept walking down the hall and they passed the cells they had blown up, “it's exactly what Aminus would have done.”

“Who is Aminus?”

“He was a dragon with black scales, no mouth but he still spoke with a thunderous voice. He had entrancing eyes and was believed to see the future.”

“That's what they all say befor there defeated,” Joel said as they rounded the corner.

“He certainly didn’t see Noriphmy,” she took a deep breath. “I just wish I could have been alive when he fought Aminus. They said the white flames that shown on his face were the brightest and most pure thing anypony had ever seen, the most absolutely breathtaking sight ever. Just something so magistrum about it, and some just thought he was a god.”

“I would believe it.”

“Manny did. But he wasn’t a god. This magic proves that he died.” Joel thought that was kind of depressing. You accomplish so much in life and the time comes it just ends, “So after he defeated Aminus and killed all the majins…”

“Margins?”

“Majins,” she corrected, “Majins were essentially monsters except they could wield magic to devastating effects. This is where Hexers got there magic, by killing Majins.”

“Wasn’t Aminus a Margin then? He was a monster.”

“Aminus was a monster but he was not a Majin. Nobody exactly knows what a Majin is except that unlike monsters they have no blood.” They found a flight of stairs that looked as if it led out of where they were.

“Kara,” Joel said. “I'm really sorry for binding this black magic. I didn’t know it was so important to you.”

“It's not your fault. My intentions were not exactly pure in heart. I just wanted it just so I could say that I have it.”

“But I don't even know how to use it.”

She smiled and said, “I’ll teach you. I know more about Hexers and there magic than anypony. Even Hilliph.”

“Let's just get out of here first,” They ran up the stairs and up to the door and opened it. They were in a balcony in a massive room that looked as if a war had taken place there. There were cracks in the walls burn marks chains and a whole a wall that looked as if it had been blasted through.

There was an explosion on the far end and Joel saw Igneous and Mace jump out of a smoke cloud were as Igneous shouted at Mace, “Deploy yourself.” Doing as he was told Mace pushed his chest button and his crossbows sprang up beside him. There was the sound of a huge door opening beyond the smoke screen and Igneous drew two of his four swords.