Unrelenting Voice and Soulby Shadow-walker19Chapters1. A path of Fate2. The Path Unclear.3. To prepare!4. Calm before the storm5. The silence that cuts1. A path of Fate"Hi uful wah pogaas Dovahkiin, I can sense there is much on your mind. Tell me, what troubles you wuth fahdon." Paarthurnax bellowed while he stands proud on an ancient Dovah Shrine. "Uful los ni fos dovahkiin praag" "Yes, I am aware of that old friend." The Dragonborn replied with a deep rumbling voice that was filled with doubt while he stands on the edge of The Throat of the World looking down at High Hrothgar. His long black hair and beard weave with the wind that blows over the peak of the mountain, he stands tall and proud with his muscled build covered with traditional Nordic armor, he could snap a Khajiit in half with ease. And on his back, a Nordic Greatsword crafted by skilled smiths and balanced to suit his body. "But what is there for me to accomplish, after my victory in Sovngarde against Alduin, the death of Miraak and the victory of the Stormcloaks. All these events make my mind restless, as I do not know what to do." "Krongrah, yes. Victory." Paarthurnax said as he steps down from the shrine and onto the stone ground, near the rift in time. "You did what you had to do to save the realm of Tamriel, but perhaps your fate lies elsewhere." The Dragonborn turned his head to look over his shoulder at the elder dragon with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean?" He asked as he turned his entire body towards the dragon. "Tiid, time is merely an illusion." The elder dragon circled around the Dragonborn keeping his eyes on him at all times. "Just like Alduin, trapped in a loop of time. To break the cycle, a Thu'um, shout is needed." Paarthurnax stopped right in front of the Nord as he uses his Thu'um to carve nordic runes into the stone floor of the mountain. The more the Nord looked at it, the more he started to understand what they meant. 'Gaar', unleash. 'Ginun', space. 'Gevoth', connect. "Gaar Ginun Gevoth..." The Nord said a few times as he looked at the elder dragon in confusion. "Let me share my knowledge with you, so you may understand." With that the dragon mentally connected the with the Dragonborn and poured the knowledge of the Thu'um into his mind. "Nii los drehlaan. Now Dovahkiin, use your shout to begin a journey anew. Guur Dovahkiin, may we meet in another time." With those final words the elder dragon flew up into the sky releasing a rumbling roar as he lands back on the shrine. The Nord thought for a moment, grasping the knowledge that was shared and form them into a powerful Thu'um. With a deep breath his eyes start to glow a pale blue as the Dragonborn roared into the sky, "GAAR.... GINUN.... GEVOTH!" The moment the Thu'um came in effect the once clouded peak was now clear as the sun shone onto the Nord who disappeared in a bright flash of light. The powerful Dragonborn was no more on Tamriel, while his vision was blocked by the blinding light, even for such a short period of time, he felt solid ground under his feet. Attempting to open his eyes he felt rather fatigued. But his mind was soon brought back to reality as when his sight returned he found himself no longer on the Throat of the World, but rather in a bright looking room. "Where in the name of Akatosh am I..." He asked himself as he looked around trying to figure out where he was. The more he looked around the more confused he became, the windows of the rather large room were decorated with creatures that closely resembled equines, but the ones that roam Tamriel are much larger. But he had no time to inspect all the windows because the giant doors were opened showing a large group of armored equines with their spears pointed straight at him. "By the nine divines.... Where did that Thu'um sent me." He asked himself as he pulled his two handed sword from its sheath and took on a battle stance. The larger equine that was standing at the back of the group wearing purple and another color and appeared to order something in an unknown tongue as the army of armored equines started to march towards him. "Stop where you are!" He barked at the group but they remained unmoved. "I'm warning you, one step closer and I will be forced to fight you." His stance was solid and his eyes burned with determination. The group of equines don't appear to back down as they keep their steady advance towards him "I will not say this once more, Halt your advance!" He roared at the top of his lungs as the group suddenly stopped dead in their tracks. He finally thought he got through to their emotionless exterior, but his victory was short lived as four purple orbs of energy flew towards his location. He hastily sheathed his sword as silver orbs appear within his hands, as he pushed his hands forwards a ward appeared in front of him absorbing the orbs of energy as soon after the ward fails. "I don't have the magica to keep the ward up." He whispered to himself as he once more takes hold of his trusted blade as he noticed that the equines were advancing once more. "If you are not going to stop, I shall force you to lay down your weapons!" He took a deep breath as his eyes began to glow. "Zun Haal Viik!" He released the Thu'um as it ripples through the air, as it reached the group of equines all the spears and swords were ripped from their mouths, hooves and levitation auras. With looks of surprise they franticly reached for their weapons. Once they finally got their weapons within their grasp, they only found an empty spot where the Dragonborn once stood and a broken window. In the forest below the city on the mountain stands a soaking wet man. "That is the last time I jump from such a height." He said as he shook his head to clear some of the water from his long black hair. "Now that I think about it, at Bard's Leap Summit I said the same thing." With a groan he looks up at the city above him. "Is this what Paarthurnax meant with starting a journey anew." It's been a while since he last saw a forest with such green trees, sure Skyrim has her fair share of forests, but they are never this green. For what appeared hours the Nord wandered along the path that seemed to lead to nowhere, and after a few hours of wandering along the path he concluded that he was lost. "Just my luck." He said with annoyance dripping like venom. "Laas Yah Nir." He whispered the Thu'um as red wisps began to pop up in his view, some were small and some where a bit bigger, though some were wise to avoid any contact with him. But alas, he needed to eat something or he would starve in an unknown forest. So with survival in mind he pulled an enchanted dagger from the little sheath on his armor. "Bless Talos for the enchanted blade, makes hunting much easier." He told himself as he watched the wisps disappear as the thu'um wore off, but the locations of the wisps is still within his mind. He crouched down to avoid being spotted by the animals, the dagger was enchanted with a special enchant which grants a painless death for the animal. He may be a warrior and the Dragonborn, but that doesn't mean he doesn't grand wildlife a swift passage to the eternal plains. But back to the task at hand, he was getting quite hungry as his stomach aches for some meat and ale to wash it down with. He gently parted the bushes and found a small path leading somewhere. If he remembered correctly one of the larger wisps was just a few hundred meters down this path. Standing up from his crouched position he wandered along the path, while secretly waiting for his energy to recharge. Author's Note Hello everyone, and thank you for reading. This idea has been roaming within my brain for a long time and I finally found it about time to write it down on paper. Feel free to ask some things if they are unclear and be sure to leave a comment on how I can improve some things. 2. The Path Unclear.Back up at the castle the captain of the royal guard returned to the throne room with a frustrated look on his muzzle. For him to let such a creature escape will not fall well with the Princess. As he walked his walk of shame he reached the giant double doors that lead into the throne room where the Princesses are waiting for his report. The guards at the doors nodded at their captain and opened the door for him, allowing entrance. Shining Armor released a small but heavy sigh as he trotted forward, approaching the pair of stairs that lead to the two thrones. "Ah, welcome back captain." Greeted the solar princess. "How did you fare against the intruder?" Shining bowed before his princess and spoke. "I am sorry princess, the intruder escaped through one of the memory windows." He raised his head to look at the princess. He waited for the scowling but it never came, only a small frown but he felt like it was not aimed at him. "How did he managed to get away? I send a whole platoon with you to secure the intruder and bring it to me." Celestia asked with slight confusion within her voice. "I'm not entirely sure princess." Shining said. "We were advancing on it as it spoke in an unknown language, I ordered four of our unicorns to sent out a bolt of sleeping magic but it sheathed its sword and within seconds a pair of silver orbs appeared in its claw? I'm not sure what they were but he summoned a barrier which absorbed the magic without any trouble." Celestia looked at Shining Armor with slightly wide eyes. "Tell me more captain, how did the creature escape." "Of course princess." He replied. "After that it drew its greatsword once more but its eyes started to glow, like a pale bluish color. It took a deep breath and roared out three unknown words, but what really shocked me was the effect those words had. Once it roared those words a wave of blue energy was sent towards us and when it hit all our weapons were ripped from our hooves, mouths and magic! I think during the chaos within the platoon he jumped through one of the memory windows and into the lake beneath Canterlot. For when we looked at the spot where the creature was we saw nothing but a broken window." Shining finished his explanation and awaited the princesses reaction. The frown on her muzzle was still present but it looked like she was deep in thought, then a thought entered Celestia's mind. One that might spell trouble for her subjects. "Captain," She started. "Gather a small group of your men and take the train towards Ponyville, I have this feeling nagging within my mind that this creature will seek refuge and the path that leads through the Everfree Forest leads towards Ponyville and the old castle. I want you to go to Ponyville and keep an eye out while I send another platoon to the old castle." Celestia ordered to which Shining Armor gave a salute and a bow before running of towards the barracks to gather his personal squad to pay the little village of Ponyville a visit. Down within the forest the Dovahkiin was still following the path he came across with his dagger still within his hand. He grumbled in annoyance for his hunger was starting to bother him quite a bit. But luck was finally on his side as the bushes on his left started to rustle, he quickly crouched down to avoid scaring it off. "Laas Yah Nir." He whispered once more as several rather large red wisps appear just beyond the bush. "That can't be good." He told himself as he slowly backed away from the bush, unsheathing his greatsword. That moment several rather hungry looking wolves emerged, only they were nothing like the wolves he has known from Skyrim. They were made out of wood for some reason and their eyes glow a sickly green much like the Spriggan's but these wolves hold more blood thirst within their eyes than he's ever seen. The wolves slowly walked towards the Nord snarling and growling menacingly. "Come get some you overgrown bush." He taunted and watched the wolves carefully, especially since he sees a green goop drip form their wooden fangs which indicate they are poisonous. After a few tense minutes of staring at each other awaiting the actions of either parties, but he noticed that the wolves were growing impatient and it didn't take long for one of the younger mutts to pounce at the Nord. "Big Mistake." He growled as he reared himself and thrusts his blade into the leaping wolf as the enchantment burned the wood turning it partly to ash. The wolf landed a few meters behind him and yelped and whined as it licked its burned chest. "Vulnerable to fire huh?" He said to himself as a smirk grows on his face as an idea came to mind. While the wolves were looking increasingly angry and pounced at him with great speed, he took a deep breath as his eyes start to glow red as small trails of smoke rose from his mouth. As he gathered enough energy he roared out his thu'um! "Yol Toor Shul!" Soon the wave of dragon fire washed over the wooden wolves. The howls of agony died out as they were incinerated in mere seconds. Only piles of ash remained and the whines behind him continued. He sheathed his sword and turned around to face the wounded beast, it looked at him with fear. He slowly walked towards the wounded wolf, it tries to crawl away from him but he whispered with a soothing voice. "Kaan Drem Ov." A gentle wave of the thu'um washed over the wolf as it slowly calmed down. "I had no intention to kill your kin, but their will to kill forced my hand." The wolf whined in response but looked at him with understanding. "Quite intelligent are you not?" He opened a small pouch which was located on his belt and took out a small vial filled with a red liquid. "Open your maw, and don't you dare to bite." He warned the wolf who complied and opened its maw. He leaned closer and poured a bit of the potion within the maw as the wolf hacks and gags lightly. "Heh, it's not the most tasty brew I know but it should heal your chest soon." The wolf looked down at his burned and blackened chest as the wood starts to heal. "Feeling better?" he asks as the wolf wags its tail happily which he found quite out of character from how it was about a few minutes ago. "Glad to see that. Now shoo, I bet your pack will be awaiting your return." He stood back up along with the wooden wolf who looked at him for a few more seconds and then rushed off in some random direction which presumably leads towards the pack and its alpha. "Now then, to return to finding food, my stomach can't handle another thu'um." He commented and then spotted a rabbit hopping carefree across the path. 'Thank you divines.' He thought and quickly took hold of his dagger. Author's Note Hello once again, I'm sorry for the length of the chapter and the speed it progresses. I promise that I will try to make the chapters longer. Once again thank you for reading and stay tuned for more Dragonborn action! 3. To prepare!After his lovely meal that casually hopped passed and a quick nap in one of the trees along the small path he set out once more with no clear goal within his mind. After his encounter with the equines and the knowledge that they can and will use magic intrigued him. Surely has seen many Khajiit and Argonian's use magic of sorts but the this was something entirely new. All the while his mind was trying to find logic in the fact that those Equines could conjure powerful magic's, he failed to notice that he was approaching a rather shaky looking bridge that was nearly falling apart. While he kept on walking still lost within his thoughts he only noticed the bridge when he set a single plated boot on the wood which easily broke in two pulling the Nord from his thoughts as he stumbles for a moment but moved his weight behind him, causing him to fall on his back. "By my own beard!" He yelped as he felt the hilt of his greatsword poke his neck. "That was to close." He mumbled and walks closer to the edge looking down the cliff. Sure enough he noticed the bottom of the cliff but it would have killed him easily if he were to fall from such a height with his armor still on. He blinked a few times as he tries to think of a way to get across. He noticed that while the wood is rotten to its core the ropes on the other hand are still quite durable. "Right, if I just crawl along the ropes I might get across." He told himself as the day was turning into night, clearly not wanting to stay out in the middle of the forest he did his best to make it across. He started with slowly getting a grip on the ropes as he pulled himself across as careful as possible. "What I'd give to have dragon wings instead of blood...." He thought out loud as he was slowly approaching the other side, and with a swift motion he launches himself high enough to take hold of the edge of the cliff and with a burst of strength he hauls himself up as he lands on the ground with a metallic thud. "That took... *pant* at least ten life.... *pant* times from my immortal soul." He grunted as he lifts himself off the ground, dusting off some dirt that found its way onto his armor. "I'm too old for this." Once he caught his breath he ventured forwards along the path way as he soon stood eye to eye with old stone ruins. "Huh, never noticed this here." He wondered as he looked down and saw a wooden draw bridge it looked way more stable than the bridge behind him. With his curiosity peaked he entered the ruins, but kept a close eye on his surroundings. In Skyrim, many ruins were either trapped or filled with undead, spiders or necromancers who would gladly slice, dice and puncture a dragonborn. He continued forth as he entered a large courtroom with in the back standing two decent sized thrones. One held the sigil of the sun and was partly destroyed, while the other holding the sigil of the moon was almost undamaged. Many thoughts went through his mind as he took in the destruction of the place. 'Even Nords would not ruin their buildings to such a state.' He thought as he walked towards one of the walls, gently pulling his gauntlet across its surface he noticed the battle scars on it. It became clear that a massive battle had taken place here within this very room, and the use of magic was also clearly visible. Many scorch marks litter the walls and floor along with deep gashes. Wanting to see more of the castle he left the courtroom for now and ventured deeper into the unknown ruins. Back at the castle, Shining Armor finally gathered his squad and was ready to be deployed to Ponyville to keep an eye out of the escaped intruder of the castle. With him was his trusted short sword which was kept in a black hilt on his side. He inspected his armor once more to make sure it was tightly secure with no chance of coming loose. "First-Lieutenant Radiant Glory reporting for duty sir!" Called out a feminine voice from behind Shining. He turned his head to look at the pony behind him and spotted his first-lieutenant Radiant Glory. She was the second in command of the White company which were Shining Armor's personal Knights. "The others have been prepared and are ready for deployment sir!" She said. Shining saluted her. "At ease First-Lieutenant." He said as she physically relaxed. "Splendid, I have the chariots prepped in about five minutes. Gather the rest of the company and bring them here for a briefing." He ordered as Radiant Glory saluted him. "Yes sir!" She replied and trotted off to get the rest of the company. It took her a good three minutes to gather everypony for the briefing as all six lined up before Shining Armor and saluted in union. "Entire White company present sir, ready for briefing!" Glory said as the entire company added their "Yes sir!". Shining scans the row of knights and looked at them with a proud look on his muzzle. "Alright listen up everypony!" He called out, "As you may have known the intruder of this morning has evaded capture which brought shame to us as a unit! The creature escaped by breaking one of the memory windows within the main ballroom and into the lake beneath the city!" All the ponies were listening carefully to his words. "Now, our princess Celestia fears for the safety of the ponies in Ponyville since this creature holds powerful magic and is armed to the teeth! Now it comes to us to go to Ponyville and secure the area and capture the creature should it come to us! But a word of warning to all of you, should you see the creature do not, and I can't stress this enough. Do. Not! Engage it alone! Am I clear!" The entire company burst out with their "Yes sir!" once again as Shining nods in approval. "Alright everypony, the chariots are ready for departure. A quick head count before we get on with it!" He yelled as he looks at each other ponies in the line. "Bronze Shield?" He called out, to which a rather large dark brown earth pony stallion answered with a "Sir!". Bronze Shield sees himself as the tank of the company, he is not slim or agile, but his strong build and large bones he can take quite the beating. "Swift Lance!" He called next, as a white coated pegasus mare answered. "Sir!". She was the scout so to say of the company, along with her best friend Light Hoof they are the eyes and ears of Armor should he be out of their range. "Radiant Glory!" He called out as the unicorn mare answered in kind. "Here sir!". Radiant is a unicorn much like Armor, only she is more focused on the offensive side of the magic school. Her control over fire based magic is quite remarkable, which is why she was chosen to be his second in command. "Light Hoof!" Was the next name on his list as a pale white earth pony stallion answered in reply. "Sir!". Light Hoof is the other member of the scouting party within the company. He does his name proud has it is hard to heard him coming as he moves around lightly and nimble which makes his a slippery bugger at times. "Black Hoof!" He called as a coal black earth pony stallion replied. "Sir!". Black Hoof is, as you may have guessed is the brother to Light Hoof but got the fathers side of the family, for he finds his passion at the forge and the anvil. So he was chosen as the Smith of the Company, he does maintenance to the armor and weapons. "Last, Mystic Wind!" He called out as the last pony in the line, a forest green unicorn mare replied to his call. "Present sir!". Mystic is the medic of the company, her studies to the anatomy of ponies has given her a great understanding of treating wounds and other injuries, along with a great understanding of poisons and possible infections. "Good!" Shining exclaimed as he makes his way towards one of the chariots. "Now that you know the situation we are in, it is time to prove our metal by capturing the creature! Now get your flanks into gear, we're leaving within the minute!" The company saluted and hauled their flanks into the chariots which were pulled by a pair Royal Guard pegasi. Once they were all onboard the chariot took to the air towards the village of Ponyville. Author's Note Another chapter, which is slightly longer but not by much. I enjoy writing this alot! The question is, what will our Nord do to avoid capture or possible detection? Stay tuned! 4. Calm before the stormIn the castle ruins, the dragonborn was still exploring several rooms. From time to time he would have to duck, jump or say completely still as he triggered some traps. Luckily for him the traps were mostly harmless and only threw him off the path. Now he was making his way through a narrow pathway which was lit up by some torches on the walls, but what kind of spooked him was the fact that those torches were hold up by hooves. Metal hooves. "Well then... I'm sure I saw a pair of stairs somewhere around here. But those damned traps keep me throwing off track!" He partly yelled in frustration. His irritation growing with each minute that passed he finally lost his temper after one of the traps dropped him off back in the main courtroom. He picked up a single marble block with ease and smashed it through the left wall, creating a hole which revealed a pair of stairs. "Now, that's certainly interesting." He said as he calmed down ever so slightly, but his mood had grown dark over the hours that has passed since his arrival within the castle. The annoyed dragonborn made his way to the pair of stairs and ascended it, getting quite curious what might be at the top. Once more at the Canterlot castle, a lone soul sleeps silently within her bed. Her room covered with midnight blue curtains, an enchanted ceiling which portraits a deep galaxy with several swirling solar systems and stars as far as the eye can see. The systems were moving ever so slowly giving them a relaxing effect once you stare at them long enough. This very room belongs to the sister of Celestia, known as Luna. She is the complete counterpart of Celestia, both literally and figuratively. While Celestia holds a link with the celestial body known as the sun, Luna has a strong link with the moon which is part of her domain and once served as her prison. Luna was a kind ruler of the night, but misunderstood. Since she gained the nickname 'Nightmare Moon' the ponies of Equestria are still somewhat fearful of her presence. While trying to improve her reputation with the ponies, she gained the friendship of the young student that Celestia is training. It was only a start, but it helped her regain some of her confidence that was nowhere to be found until recently. But it was the time of the day where she would sleep through the afternoon till it was time to raise her moon into the sky, yet it was around three o'clock in the afternoon as she was awoken by a few knocks on her door. Her ears twitch lightly as she wakes up with a groan to express her annoyance. "What does thee want with us." She asked as she turned around in her bed to face the door, sitting up straight while the covers still hang on her face. The doors open as a Thestral Night Guard walks in a bows before his princess. "Greetings to your highness, I was asked by her majesty Celestia to fetch you and bring you to the throne room. Something has occurred this morning and she wants to enlighten you on the subject." The guard said with a deep voice. "Yes, we were somewhat aware of the event that played in the ballroom. It was hard not to hear such a earthshaking roar." Luna replied with her blanked still partly covering her head, making it look like she was wearing a hooded robe. "Alright, we shall follow thou but only because we art curious to what creature can make such a noise. If it were a dragon he would have been captured." Luna gently raises from her bed and stretches herself as some of her joins pop which causes her to release a pleasant sigh. Once she was wearing her royal garments she nodded towards her guard which bowed before her and lead her through the halls of the castle towards the courtroom where Celestia was awaiting her arrival. It took the princess of the night and the guard a good ten minutes to move themselves towards their destination. During the entire walk, none of them said a word to each other, that was until they arrived at the main doors which lead into the courtroom. The Solar guards looked at the princess of the night and bowed before her. "Her highness Princess Celestia awaits your arrival Princess Luna." He spoke in a neutral tone, which wasn't strange considering. But Luna heard a tinge of hate at his lips but did not call out to him, for she could care less. The massive doors open, making way to a giant courtroom filled with decorations and a long red carpet on the floor leading to the stairs on which the thrones stand upon. Without sharing a glance with the guards Luna approached her sister who was sitting on one most right throne which had a sun carved into it at the very top of the backboard of the chair. The opening of the doors gained Celestia's attention as she looked up from her paper work and at her little sister who walks towards her. She drops her quill and paper and trotted down the small stairs and greeted her sister in kind. "Good afternoon dear sister of mine." She said and pulled Luna into a loving hug. "I apologies for calling you out here during your sleep, but I found it necessary to include you on this matter." "Good afternoon to you too Tia, and thou art forgiven for we were aware that something was amiss. Since no normal creature can roar like it did." Luna responded. "Did the guard capture this being or did they not?" The face on Celestia's muzzle hardens as she motions towards Luna to follow her back towards her throne. She sat down once more as a heavy sigh escaped her muzzle. "Sadly, the creature escaped by jumping through one of the memory windows and into the lake beneath Canterlot. At first I sent Shining Armor after it the moment I felt its presence, but it is strong. Really strong." Luna's muzzle took on a look of surprise, it was unheard of a creature to defeat the captain of the royal solar guard. "How did this creature defeat your captain sister, it must have incredible power to avoid capture." "Exactly my thoughts sister." Celestia responded. "From the report that Shining Armor personally told me, it used some kind of magic to deflect four tier II seductive bolts with ease. And when Shining ordered the platoon to subdue the creature with force it used, according to Shinings point of view, a yell or shout of sort which ripped the weapons from his levitation aura as well as from hooves and mouths, scattering them all across the hall. And once the entire platoon was in disarray it escaped." Luna was completely baffled by the report as her mouth was hanging agape. "Surely tis creature had aid from another source!" She exclaimed, clearly not believing that a single creature could escape an entire platoon of military grade Solar Guards. Celestia winched lightly at the volume of Luna's voice as she waved her hoof at her lightly. "So did I, but when I searched for the creature below he was alone and none of the guards noticed anything strange about it other than its armor, weapons and magic." Deep in thought Luna looked at Celestia with a curious expression. "You found the creature below the city?" She asked tilting her head to the side. "I did, though the moment it walked deeper into the city it passed the range of my magic, completely disappearing." Luna nodded in response, knowing that her sister is powerful. But even an Alicorn has limits, even if they are few. "So what now sister?" She asked. "Surely you will look for the creature and capture it, or a panic might occur among the nearby villages." "I did sister," Celestia replied. "I sent Shining Armor and his White Company towards Ponyville to provide reconnaissance around the Everfree should the creature still be there. As for why I asked you here is to sent one of your groups towards our old castle. Before the creature fell out of my range it was on the old path that leads to the Castle of the Royal Sisters." Luna ponders on the question. Surely her guards are swift, cunning and above all really good in stealth missions. "Of course sister, we will sent Crimson Moon and his platoon towards the castle." "Thank you lulu, I knew I could count on you. Though be sure to enlighten Crimson on the strength of the creature, it should not be underestimated." Celestia said in thanks and as a warning. She stood up from her throne and lovingly nuzzled Luna in the neck. Deep inside, Celestia was somewhat glad to see her sister beside her and eager to show her worth to all of Equestria even if the other ponies might not be ready just yet. Then a thought suddenly entered her mind. "Oh my, I need to sent word to Twilight about the arrival of the guards. She might be able to assist them in the search." With a nod Luna descended the stairs and turned to face her sister once more. "Of course sister, we shall now brief Crimson Moon of the mission. They will be ready in thirty minutes." Celestia nodded in reply and sat down on her throne once more, with her thoughts lingering towards the strange creature and what its purpose is with the kingdom of Equestria. She released a sigh, not letting her worries carry her thoughts to a place where they should not go. All she can do, is hoping that it is found. The Nord's curiosity has brought him up a long flight of spiral stairs which almost seem to go on forever, but luckily for him he would soon reach the top. When he reached the top his breath was stuck between his lungs and his mouth, for before him was a sight which baffled him somewhat. He stands before a completely decorated bedroom, with everything a bedroom requires. A desk, several large bookcases and a queen sized bed. He had seen quite a few large beds in his time when he would visit a noble, but this was something else entirely. But what surprised him the most is that while the castle lies mostly in ruin, this room was void of any damage or signs of age. He approached the desk and carefully places his plated gauntlet on its maple wooden frame. "This surely is some work of art." He mutters under his breath as he follows the lines of the desk till he was standing before a one of the large bookcases which was filled with many tomes and scrolls. He carefully removes a book from one of the shelves and opens it on a random page. Sadly, the thing he feared the most was confirmed by what is written in the book. The fact that he can't read any of it, because it is written in an unknown language which somewhat resemble runes but from an unknown origin. "Well that is certainly a shame, but that would explain why the equines within the lifted city didn't understand me." His thoughts raced on how he could possibly fix this issue, before he or any of the equines do something they might regret. He carefully placed the book back on the shelf and eyed the bed with a curious glance. It looked sturdy and really soft. "Beats a bedroll or some hay and a blanked." He commented as he removed one of the gauntlets and placed his bare hand on the Mattress gently pushing down onto it. He watched in amazement as his hand nearly vanishes into it. The temptation became too much as the events of the day took their toll on his body, as a wave of tiredness washed over him like a warm bath in one of the springs that could be found in Skyrim. He attempts to press a yawn back but failed to do so as he felt his eyes closing on him automatically. "I guess a nap won't hurt no one..." He said as he starts to remove the heavy Nordic armor and sword. He stars with his gauntlets, followed by the sabaton's which earned a somewhat blissful moan as his feet came free from their steel prisons. he then took off his chest armor followed by the belt and leg armor until he was only wearing his cloth underwear and his hair covered chest exposed to the fresh air. Feeling more drowsy than ever before he sat on the edge of the bed. Looking around the bedroom once more he laid down entirely as his body fully succumbed to sleep, sending him into a peaceful slumber for once in his entire existence. Author's Note I'm sure a lot of you know how it feels when you take off your work shoes or any pair of shoes for that matter after a long walk or work day. Let me tell you, it feels just like heaven kissed my feet. Anyway, new chapter here to build up for the coming chapters. Of course I'm not going to reveal much because I'm a total dick. Right! Thanks again for reading, until next time guys, cya! 5. The silence that cutsThe night gave way for the morning to arrive. The forest was quite since most creatures were asleep. Even the birds were silent in the early morning which came to a lovely surprise to the Nord who only just awoke from the sun that shone through the windows to the side of the room. He sat up straight and stretched out his limbs earning a few pops from his joints as he breathed a sigh of bliss. Once he was fully dressed he set out to find a meal for the early morning. "Perhaps a fox or wolf, though I think those wooden wolves aren't edible since they are made out of wood after all. And I haven't seen any normal wolves around either." But before he could even cross the wobbly bridge a sound of wings gained his attention. His senses on high alert, he ducked behind a heap of fallen marble blocks which were likely from the wall behind him. Once he was behind concealment he carefully peaked his head just past the blocks to see a small group of leathery winged equines approaching the castle. As he looked closer he noticed they were looking for something, or someone in this case since their ears were moving from side to side while their eyes were scanning the tree line. "They caught up with me..." He breathed, keeping his voice as low as possible. Luckily for him he had his sword with him. "Curses, how to avoid them without getting seen." He watched the group carefully descended to the ground as they landed at his side of the bridge. A blood red maned stallion was leading the small group. They were wearing a dark colored set of armor which almost fitted them perfectly. He could hear some sounds, he knew they were talking since their mouths were moving, but only typical equine sounds were heard. He cursed his luck since it would have been nice to be able to understand them. Crimson Moon and his platoon of Lunar guards were tasked to find the creature that evaded capture by the Solar guards, which was something he found greatly amusing. But he had no time to voice his amusement since they had a mission to complete. They have been scanning the entire Everfree Forest since the early rise of the moon to make sure the creature was not roaming around. They purposely avoided the old castle ruins to evade possible detection if the creature was awake. But their task was nearly complete for only the castle remained to be searched. "Alright everypony, touch down in front of the castle." He called out towards the others who all responded with a "Yes, sir." as they slowly descended to the ground. Once on the ground they all surrounded Crimson to hear his plan of action. Crimson looked at the four thestrals as he cleared his throat lightly. "Alright listen up everypony." He started. "We have been chosen by our mistress of the night, princess Luna, to seek out and capture an escaped creature which was caught intruding on castle grounds. As many of you have heard, the Solar guards failed to apprehend said creature, allowing it to escape into the forest. The princess suspects that the creature is most likely somewhere within the ruins of the castle, hiding from our sight." The four around him listened carefully, with their full attention aimed at Crimson, while they failed to notice the Nord looking at them just past the pile of stone. "Princess Luna gave me a warning. This creature is not to be underestimated, for the Solar guard did such in the Ballroom. It is powerful enough to absorb tier two sleeping magic with a single barrier of sorts and then proceeds to disarm every guard within the room with one. Single. Roar." Crimson explained as some of the ponies looked rather surprised. "So we are asked to find it, catch it and bring it back to Canterlot for questioning. Are we clear on that?" He asked the ponies who nodded in response. "Good!" Crimson turned around and faced the entrance to the castle, all the while he was still unaware of the Nord cursing his luck behind the same pile of stone where he has been the past five minutes. The Nord was starting to sweat a little since it was only a matter of time before they will find him. And simply leaving wasn't an option either since these equines were smart enough to leave one of their mates outside to keep an eye out should attempt to make a run for it. Then a thought came to mind. 'Perhaps this Thu'um might be helpful for once.' He thought as he weighted his chances of fooling the equine. If he is able to avoid being detected it was worth a shot. With his idea in mind, he collected his breath as his eyes glowed once more as he opened his mouth, as only a whisper is heard. "Zul Mey Gut." He called out in a hushed almost silent voice as the Thu'um came in effect a moment later. "Hey pumped up troll fart!" Yelled out an unknown voice directly to the left of the equine who turned his right ear to locate the source of the voice. But the equine remained unmoved, which was bad news for the Nord. 'Why didn't it work!' He cried out in his mind only to mentally slap himself as he remembered that they both spoke different tongues, so perhaps him talking sounds like grunting or making raspberries, all he cared about was that it didn't work. Now his options were limited and it wasn't looking good for our Dragonborn. His mind raging with thoughts on how to avoid being caught. Fighting wouldn't help for it will only worsen his already terrible reputation with these equines, for accidentally killing one of them would probably result in him being executed. He had to think of something fast, for time was running low. The only thing that he could do was to fight and win without killing them and make a run for it after they were defeated. 'Alright, here goes nothing. Better to go down in a glorious battle than going down like a coward.' He took hold of his greatsword and pulled it from its sheath, slowly rising to his normal height. The sound of metal being pulled across a surface caught the attention of the single equine that was guarding the entrance. His eyes deflated at the sight of the towering Nord and quickly turned his head around and yelled out something that only sounded like frightened neighs to the Nord. Soon the other four, including Crimson Moon, arrived at the entrance with a worried look on their faces which soon turned to one of determination as they saw the Nord standing before them with his sword drawn. The tension was high and it could be felt miles away from the group. This was going to be either victory or defeat. And not a second later the Nord charged. Author's Note Heya guys! Short chapter this time in preparation to the fight that is going to happen in the next chapter. Hope you enjoy the cliffhanger and see you all next time!
1. A path of Fate"Hi uful wah pogaas Dovahkiin, I can sense there is much on your mind. Tell me, what troubles you wuth fahdon." Paarthurnax bellowed while he stands proud on an ancient Dovah Shrine. "Uful los ni fos dovahkiin praag" "Yes, I am aware of that old friend." The Dragonborn replied with a deep rumbling voice that was filled with doubt while he stands on the edge of The Throat of the World looking down at High Hrothgar. His long black hair and beard weave with the wind that blows over the peak of the mountain, he stands tall and proud with his muscled build covered with traditional Nordic armor, he could snap a Khajiit in half with ease. And on his back, a Nordic Greatsword crafted by skilled smiths and balanced to suit his body. "But what is there for me to accomplish, after my victory in Sovngarde against Alduin, the death of Miraak and the victory of the Stormcloaks. All these events make my mind restless, as I do not know what to do." "Krongrah, yes. Victory." Paarthurnax said as he steps down from the shrine and onto the stone ground, near the rift in time. "You did what you had to do to save the realm of Tamriel, but perhaps your fate lies elsewhere." The Dragonborn turned his head to look over his shoulder at the elder dragon with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean?" He asked as he turned his entire body towards the dragon. "Tiid, time is merely an illusion." The elder dragon circled around the Dragonborn keeping his eyes on him at all times. "Just like Alduin, trapped in a loop of time. To break the cycle, a Thu'um, shout is needed." Paarthurnax stopped right in front of the Nord as he uses his Thu'um to carve nordic runes into the stone floor of the mountain. The more the Nord looked at it, the more he started to understand what they meant. 'Gaar', unleash. 'Ginun', space. 'Gevoth', connect. "Gaar Ginun Gevoth..." The Nord said a few times as he looked at the elder dragon in confusion. "Let me share my knowledge with you, so you may understand." With that the dragon mentally connected the with the Dragonborn and poured the knowledge of the Thu'um into his mind. "Nii los drehlaan. Now Dovahkiin, use your shout to begin a journey anew. Guur Dovahkiin, may we meet in another time." With those final words the elder dragon flew up into the sky releasing a rumbling roar as he lands back on the shrine. The Nord thought for a moment, grasping the knowledge that was shared and form them into a powerful Thu'um. With a deep breath his eyes start to glow a pale blue as the Dragonborn roared into the sky, "GAAR.... GINUN.... GEVOTH!" The moment the Thu'um came in effect the once clouded peak was now clear as the sun shone onto the Nord who disappeared in a bright flash of light. The powerful Dragonborn was no more on Tamriel, while his vision was blocked by the blinding light, even for such a short period of time, he felt solid ground under his feet. Attempting to open his eyes he felt rather fatigued. But his mind was soon brought back to reality as when his sight returned he found himself no longer on the Throat of the World, but rather in a bright looking room. "Where in the name of Akatosh am I..." He asked himself as he looked around trying to figure out where he was. The more he looked around the more confused he became, the windows of the rather large room were decorated with creatures that closely resembled equines, but the ones that roam Tamriel are much larger. But he had no time to inspect all the windows because the giant doors were opened showing a large group of armored equines with their spears pointed straight at him. "By the nine divines.... Where did that Thu'um sent me." He asked himself as he pulled his two handed sword from its sheath and took on a battle stance. The larger equine that was standing at the back of the group wearing purple and another color and appeared to order something in an unknown tongue as the army of armored equines started to march towards him. "Stop where you are!" He barked at the group but they remained unmoved. "I'm warning you, one step closer and I will be forced to fight you." His stance was solid and his eyes burned with determination. The group of equines don't appear to back down as they keep their steady advance towards him "I will not say this once more, Halt your advance!" He roared at the top of his lungs as the group suddenly stopped dead in their tracks. He finally thought he got through to their emotionless exterior, but his victory was short lived as four purple orbs of energy flew towards his location. He hastily sheathed his sword as silver orbs appear within his hands, as he pushed his hands forwards a ward appeared in front of him absorbing the orbs of energy as soon after the ward fails. "I don't have the magica to keep the ward up." He whispered to himself as he once more takes hold of his trusted blade as he noticed that the equines were advancing once more. "If you are not going to stop, I shall force you to lay down your weapons!" He took a deep breath as his eyes began to glow. "Zun Haal Viik!" He released the Thu'um as it ripples through the air, as it reached the group of equines all the spears and swords were ripped from their mouths, hooves and levitation auras. With looks of surprise they franticly reached for their weapons. Once they finally got their weapons within their grasp, they only found an empty spot where the Dragonborn once stood and a broken window. In the forest below the city on the mountain stands a soaking wet man. "That is the last time I jump from such a height." He said as he shook his head to clear some of the water from his long black hair. "Now that I think about it, at Bard's Leap Summit I said the same thing." With a groan he looks up at the city above him. "Is this what Paarthurnax meant with starting a journey anew." It's been a while since he last saw a forest with such green trees, sure Skyrim has her fair share of forests, but they are never this green. For what appeared hours the Nord wandered along the path that seemed to lead to nowhere, and after a few hours of wandering along the path he concluded that he was lost. "Just my luck." He said with annoyance dripping like venom. "Laas Yah Nir." He whispered the Thu'um as red wisps began to pop up in his view, some were small and some where a bit bigger, though some were wise to avoid any contact with him. But alas, he needed to eat something or he would starve in an unknown forest. So with survival in mind he pulled an enchanted dagger from the little sheath on his armor. "Bless Talos for the enchanted blade, makes hunting much easier." He told himself as he watched the wisps disappear as the thu'um wore off, but the locations of the wisps is still within his mind. He crouched down to avoid being spotted by the animals, the dagger was enchanted with a special enchant which grants a painless death for the animal. He may be a warrior and the Dragonborn, but that doesn't mean he doesn't grand wildlife a swift passage to the eternal plains. But back to the task at hand, he was getting quite hungry as his stomach aches for some meat and ale to wash it down with. He gently parted the bushes and found a small path leading somewhere. If he remembered correctly one of the larger wisps was just a few hundred meters down this path. Standing up from his crouched position he wandered along the path, while secretly waiting for his energy to recharge. Author's Note Hello everyone, and thank you for reading. This idea has been roaming within my brain for a long time and I finally found it about time to write it down on paper. Feel free to ask some things if they are unclear and be sure to leave a comment on how I can improve some things.
2. The Path Unclear.Back up at the castle the captain of the royal guard returned to the throne room with a frustrated look on his muzzle. For him to let such a creature escape will not fall well with the Princess. As he walked his walk of shame he reached the giant double doors that lead into the throne room where the Princesses are waiting for his report. The guards at the doors nodded at their captain and opened the door for him, allowing entrance. Shining Armor released a small but heavy sigh as he trotted forward, approaching the pair of stairs that lead to the two thrones. "Ah, welcome back captain." Greeted the solar princess. "How did you fare against the intruder?" Shining bowed before his princess and spoke. "I am sorry princess, the intruder escaped through one of the memory windows." He raised his head to look at the princess. He waited for the scowling but it never came, only a small frown but he felt like it was not aimed at him. "How did he managed to get away? I send a whole platoon with you to secure the intruder and bring it to me." Celestia asked with slight confusion within her voice. "I'm not entirely sure princess." Shining said. "We were advancing on it as it spoke in an unknown language, I ordered four of our unicorns to sent out a bolt of sleeping magic but it sheathed its sword and within seconds a pair of silver orbs appeared in its claw? I'm not sure what they were but he summoned a barrier which absorbed the magic without any trouble." Celestia looked at Shining Armor with slightly wide eyes. "Tell me more captain, how did the creature escape." "Of course princess." He replied. "After that it drew its greatsword once more but its eyes started to glow, like a pale bluish color. It took a deep breath and roared out three unknown words, but what really shocked me was the effect those words had. Once it roared those words a wave of blue energy was sent towards us and when it hit all our weapons were ripped from our hooves, mouths and magic! I think during the chaos within the platoon he jumped through one of the memory windows and into the lake beneath Canterlot. For when we looked at the spot where the creature was we saw nothing but a broken window." Shining finished his explanation and awaited the princesses reaction. The frown on her muzzle was still present but it looked like she was deep in thought, then a thought entered Celestia's mind. One that might spell trouble for her subjects. "Captain," She started. "Gather a small group of your men and take the train towards Ponyville, I have this feeling nagging within my mind that this creature will seek refuge and the path that leads through the Everfree Forest leads towards Ponyville and the old castle. I want you to go to Ponyville and keep an eye out while I send another platoon to the old castle." Celestia ordered to which Shining Armor gave a salute and a bow before running of towards the barracks to gather his personal squad to pay the little village of Ponyville a visit. Down within the forest the Dovahkiin was still following the path he came across with his dagger still within his hand. He grumbled in annoyance for his hunger was starting to bother him quite a bit. But luck was finally on his side as the bushes on his left started to rustle, he quickly crouched down to avoid scaring it off. "Laas Yah Nir." He whispered once more as several rather large red wisps appear just beyond the bush. "That can't be good." He told himself as he slowly backed away from the bush, unsheathing his greatsword. That moment several rather hungry looking wolves emerged, only they were nothing like the wolves he has known from Skyrim. They were made out of wood for some reason and their eyes glow a sickly green much like the Spriggan's but these wolves hold more blood thirst within their eyes than he's ever seen. The wolves slowly walked towards the Nord snarling and growling menacingly. "Come get some you overgrown bush." He taunted and watched the wolves carefully, especially since he sees a green goop drip form their wooden fangs which indicate they are poisonous. After a few tense minutes of staring at each other awaiting the actions of either parties, but he noticed that the wolves were growing impatient and it didn't take long for one of the younger mutts to pounce at the Nord. "Big Mistake." He growled as he reared himself and thrusts his blade into the leaping wolf as the enchantment burned the wood turning it partly to ash. The wolf landed a few meters behind him and yelped and whined as it licked its burned chest. "Vulnerable to fire huh?" He said to himself as a smirk grows on his face as an idea came to mind. While the wolves were looking increasingly angry and pounced at him with great speed, he took a deep breath as his eyes start to glow red as small trails of smoke rose from his mouth. As he gathered enough energy he roared out his thu'um! "Yol Toor Shul!" Soon the wave of dragon fire washed over the wooden wolves. The howls of agony died out as they were incinerated in mere seconds. Only piles of ash remained and the whines behind him continued. He sheathed his sword and turned around to face the wounded beast, it looked at him with fear. He slowly walked towards the wounded wolf, it tries to crawl away from him but he whispered with a soothing voice. "Kaan Drem Ov." A gentle wave of the thu'um washed over the wolf as it slowly calmed down. "I had no intention to kill your kin, but their will to kill forced my hand." The wolf whined in response but looked at him with understanding. "Quite intelligent are you not?" He opened a small pouch which was located on his belt and took out a small vial filled with a red liquid. "Open your maw, and don't you dare to bite." He warned the wolf who complied and opened its maw. He leaned closer and poured a bit of the potion within the maw as the wolf hacks and gags lightly. "Heh, it's not the most tasty brew I know but it should heal your chest soon." The wolf looked down at his burned and blackened chest as the wood starts to heal. "Feeling better?" he asks as the wolf wags its tail happily which he found quite out of character from how it was about a few minutes ago. "Glad to see that. Now shoo, I bet your pack will be awaiting your return." He stood back up along with the wooden wolf who looked at him for a few more seconds and then rushed off in some random direction which presumably leads towards the pack and its alpha. "Now then, to return to finding food, my stomach can't handle another thu'um." He commented and then spotted a rabbit hopping carefree across the path. 'Thank you divines.' He thought and quickly took hold of his dagger. Author's Note Hello once again, I'm sorry for the length of the chapter and the speed it progresses. I promise that I will try to make the chapters longer. Once again thank you for reading and stay tuned for more Dragonborn action!
3. To prepare!After his lovely meal that casually hopped passed and a quick nap in one of the trees along the small path he set out once more with no clear goal within his mind. After his encounter with the equines and the knowledge that they can and will use magic intrigued him. Surely has seen many Khajiit and Argonian's use magic of sorts but the this was something entirely new. All the while his mind was trying to find logic in the fact that those Equines could conjure powerful magic's, he failed to notice that he was approaching a rather shaky looking bridge that was nearly falling apart. While he kept on walking still lost within his thoughts he only noticed the bridge when he set a single plated boot on the wood which easily broke in two pulling the Nord from his thoughts as he stumbles for a moment but moved his weight behind him, causing him to fall on his back. "By my own beard!" He yelped as he felt the hilt of his greatsword poke his neck. "That was to close." He mumbled and walks closer to the edge looking down the cliff. Sure enough he noticed the bottom of the cliff but it would have killed him easily if he were to fall from such a height with his armor still on. He blinked a few times as he tries to think of a way to get across. He noticed that while the wood is rotten to its core the ropes on the other hand are still quite durable. "Right, if I just crawl along the ropes I might get across." He told himself as the day was turning into night, clearly not wanting to stay out in the middle of the forest he did his best to make it across. He started with slowly getting a grip on the ropes as he pulled himself across as careful as possible. "What I'd give to have dragon wings instead of blood...." He thought out loud as he was slowly approaching the other side, and with a swift motion he launches himself high enough to take hold of the edge of the cliff and with a burst of strength he hauls himself up as he lands on the ground with a metallic thud. "That took... *pant* at least ten life.... *pant* times from my immortal soul." He grunted as he lifts himself off the ground, dusting off some dirt that found its way onto his armor. "I'm too old for this." Once he caught his breath he ventured forwards along the path way as he soon stood eye to eye with old stone ruins. "Huh, never noticed this here." He wondered as he looked down and saw a wooden draw bridge it looked way more stable than the bridge behind him. With his curiosity peaked he entered the ruins, but kept a close eye on his surroundings. In Skyrim, many ruins were either trapped or filled with undead, spiders or necromancers who would gladly slice, dice and puncture a dragonborn. He continued forth as he entered a large courtroom with in the back standing two decent sized thrones. One held the sigil of the sun and was partly destroyed, while the other holding the sigil of the moon was almost undamaged. Many thoughts went through his mind as he took in the destruction of the place. 'Even Nords would not ruin their buildings to such a state.' He thought as he walked towards one of the walls, gently pulling his gauntlet across its surface he noticed the battle scars on it. It became clear that a massive battle had taken place here within this very room, and the use of magic was also clearly visible. Many scorch marks litter the walls and floor along with deep gashes. Wanting to see more of the castle he left the courtroom for now and ventured deeper into the unknown ruins. Back at the castle, Shining Armor finally gathered his squad and was ready to be deployed to Ponyville to keep an eye out of the escaped intruder of the castle. With him was his trusted short sword which was kept in a black hilt on his side. He inspected his armor once more to make sure it was tightly secure with no chance of coming loose. "First-Lieutenant Radiant Glory reporting for duty sir!" Called out a feminine voice from behind Shining. He turned his head to look at the pony behind him and spotted his first-lieutenant Radiant Glory. She was the second in command of the White company which were Shining Armor's personal Knights. "The others have been prepared and are ready for deployment sir!" She said. Shining saluted her. "At ease First-Lieutenant." He said as she physically relaxed. "Splendid, I have the chariots prepped in about five minutes. Gather the rest of the company and bring them here for a briefing." He ordered as Radiant Glory saluted him. "Yes sir!" She replied and trotted off to get the rest of the company. It took her a good three minutes to gather everypony for the briefing as all six lined up before Shining Armor and saluted in union. "Entire White company present sir, ready for briefing!" Glory said as the entire company added their "Yes sir!". Shining scans the row of knights and looked at them with a proud look on his muzzle. "Alright listen up everypony!" He called out, "As you may have known the intruder of this morning has evaded capture which brought shame to us as a unit! The creature escaped by breaking one of the memory windows within the main ballroom and into the lake beneath the city!" All the ponies were listening carefully to his words. "Now, our princess Celestia fears for the safety of the ponies in Ponyville since this creature holds powerful magic and is armed to the teeth! Now it comes to us to go to Ponyville and secure the area and capture the creature should it come to us! But a word of warning to all of you, should you see the creature do not, and I can't stress this enough. Do. Not! Engage it alone! Am I clear!" The entire company burst out with their "Yes sir!" once again as Shining nods in approval. "Alright everypony, the chariots are ready for departure. A quick head count before we get on with it!" He yelled as he looks at each other ponies in the line. "Bronze Shield?" He called out, to which a rather large dark brown earth pony stallion answered with a "Sir!". Bronze Shield sees himself as the tank of the company, he is not slim or agile, but his strong build and large bones he can take quite the beating. "Swift Lance!" He called next, as a white coated pegasus mare answered. "Sir!". She was the scout so to say of the company, along with her best friend Light Hoof they are the eyes and ears of Armor should he be out of their range. "Radiant Glory!" He called out as the unicorn mare answered in kind. "Here sir!". Radiant is a unicorn much like Armor, only she is more focused on the offensive side of the magic school. Her control over fire based magic is quite remarkable, which is why she was chosen to be his second in command. "Light Hoof!" Was the next name on his list as a pale white earth pony stallion answered in reply. "Sir!". Light Hoof is the other member of the scouting party within the company. He does his name proud has it is hard to heard him coming as he moves around lightly and nimble which makes his a slippery bugger at times. "Black Hoof!" He called as a coal black earth pony stallion replied. "Sir!". Black Hoof is, as you may have guessed is the brother to Light Hoof but got the fathers side of the family, for he finds his passion at the forge and the anvil. So he was chosen as the Smith of the Company, he does maintenance to the armor and weapons. "Last, Mystic Wind!" He called out as the last pony in the line, a forest green unicorn mare replied to his call. "Present sir!". Mystic is the medic of the company, her studies to the anatomy of ponies has given her a great understanding of treating wounds and other injuries, along with a great understanding of poisons and possible infections. "Good!" Shining exclaimed as he makes his way towards one of the chariots. "Now that you know the situation we are in, it is time to prove our metal by capturing the creature! Now get your flanks into gear, we're leaving within the minute!" The company saluted and hauled their flanks into the chariots which were pulled by a pair Royal Guard pegasi. Once they were all onboard the chariot took to the air towards the village of Ponyville. Author's Note Another chapter, which is slightly longer but not by much. I enjoy writing this alot! The question is, what will our Nord do to avoid capture or possible detection? Stay tuned!
4. Calm before the stormIn the castle ruins, the dragonborn was still exploring several rooms. From time to time he would have to duck, jump or say completely still as he triggered some traps. Luckily for him the traps were mostly harmless and only threw him off the path. Now he was making his way through a narrow pathway which was lit up by some torches on the walls, but what kind of spooked him was the fact that those torches were hold up by hooves. Metal hooves. "Well then... I'm sure I saw a pair of stairs somewhere around here. But those damned traps keep me throwing off track!" He partly yelled in frustration. His irritation growing with each minute that passed he finally lost his temper after one of the traps dropped him off back in the main courtroom. He picked up a single marble block with ease and smashed it through the left wall, creating a hole which revealed a pair of stairs. "Now, that's certainly interesting." He said as he calmed down ever so slightly, but his mood had grown dark over the hours that has passed since his arrival within the castle. The annoyed dragonborn made his way to the pair of stairs and ascended it, getting quite curious what might be at the top. Once more at the Canterlot castle, a lone soul sleeps silently within her bed. Her room covered with midnight blue curtains, an enchanted ceiling which portraits a deep galaxy with several swirling solar systems and stars as far as the eye can see. The systems were moving ever so slowly giving them a relaxing effect once you stare at them long enough. This very room belongs to the sister of Celestia, known as Luna. She is the complete counterpart of Celestia, both literally and figuratively. While Celestia holds a link with the celestial body known as the sun, Luna has a strong link with the moon which is part of her domain and once served as her prison. Luna was a kind ruler of the night, but misunderstood. Since she gained the nickname 'Nightmare Moon' the ponies of Equestria are still somewhat fearful of her presence. While trying to improve her reputation with the ponies, she gained the friendship of the young student that Celestia is training. It was only a start, but it helped her regain some of her confidence that was nowhere to be found until recently. But it was the time of the day where she would sleep through the afternoon till it was time to raise her moon into the sky, yet it was around three o'clock in the afternoon as she was awoken by a few knocks on her door. Her ears twitch lightly as she wakes up with a groan to express her annoyance. "What does thee want with us." She asked as she turned around in her bed to face the door, sitting up straight while the covers still hang on her face. The doors open as a Thestral Night Guard walks in a bows before his princess. "Greetings to your highness, I was asked by her majesty Celestia to fetch you and bring you to the throne room. Something has occurred this morning and she wants to enlighten you on the subject." The guard said with a deep voice. "Yes, we were somewhat aware of the event that played in the ballroom. It was hard not to hear such a earthshaking roar." Luna replied with her blanked still partly covering her head, making it look like she was wearing a hooded robe. "Alright, we shall follow thou but only because we art curious to what creature can make such a noise. If it were a dragon he would have been captured." Luna gently raises from her bed and stretches herself as some of her joins pop which causes her to release a pleasant sigh. Once she was wearing her royal garments she nodded towards her guard which bowed before her and lead her through the halls of the castle towards the courtroom where Celestia was awaiting her arrival. It took the princess of the night and the guard a good ten minutes to move themselves towards their destination. During the entire walk, none of them said a word to each other, that was until they arrived at the main doors which lead into the courtroom. The Solar guards looked at the princess of the night and bowed before her. "Her highness Princess Celestia awaits your arrival Princess Luna." He spoke in a neutral tone, which wasn't strange considering. But Luna heard a tinge of hate at his lips but did not call out to him, for she could care less. The massive doors open, making way to a giant courtroom filled with decorations and a long red carpet on the floor leading to the stairs on which the thrones stand upon. Without sharing a glance with the guards Luna approached her sister who was sitting on one most right throne which had a sun carved into it at the very top of the backboard of the chair. The opening of the doors gained Celestia's attention as she looked up from her paper work and at her little sister who walks towards her. She drops her quill and paper and trotted down the small stairs and greeted her sister in kind. "Good afternoon dear sister of mine." She said and pulled Luna into a loving hug. "I apologies for calling you out here during your sleep, but I found it necessary to include you on this matter." "Good afternoon to you too Tia, and thou art forgiven for we were aware that something was amiss. Since no normal creature can roar like it did." Luna responded. "Did the guard capture this being or did they not?" The face on Celestia's muzzle hardens as she motions towards Luna to follow her back towards her throne. She sat down once more as a heavy sigh escaped her muzzle. "Sadly, the creature escaped by jumping through one of the memory windows and into the lake beneath Canterlot. At first I sent Shining Armor after it the moment I felt its presence, but it is strong. Really strong." Luna's muzzle took on a look of surprise, it was unheard of a creature to defeat the captain of the royal solar guard. "How did this creature defeat your captain sister, it must have incredible power to avoid capture." "Exactly my thoughts sister." Celestia responded. "From the report that Shining Armor personally told me, it used some kind of magic to deflect four tier II seductive bolts with ease. And when Shining ordered the platoon to subdue the creature with force it used, according to Shinings point of view, a yell or shout of sort which ripped the weapons from his levitation aura as well as from hooves and mouths, scattering them all across the hall. And once the entire platoon was in disarray it escaped." Luna was completely baffled by the report as her mouth was hanging agape. "Surely tis creature had aid from another source!" She exclaimed, clearly not believing that a single creature could escape an entire platoon of military grade Solar Guards. Celestia winched lightly at the volume of Luna's voice as she waved her hoof at her lightly. "So did I, but when I searched for the creature below he was alone and none of the guards noticed anything strange about it other than its armor, weapons and magic." Deep in thought Luna looked at Celestia with a curious expression. "You found the creature below the city?" She asked tilting her head to the side. "I did, though the moment it walked deeper into the city it passed the range of my magic, completely disappearing." Luna nodded in response, knowing that her sister is powerful. But even an Alicorn has limits, even if they are few. "So what now sister?" She asked. "Surely you will look for the creature and capture it, or a panic might occur among the nearby villages." "I did sister," Celestia replied. "I sent Shining Armor and his White Company towards Ponyville to provide reconnaissance around the Everfree should the creature still be there. As for why I asked you here is to sent one of your groups towards our old castle. Before the creature fell out of my range it was on the old path that leads to the Castle of the Royal Sisters." Luna ponders on the question. Surely her guards are swift, cunning and above all really good in stealth missions. "Of course sister, we will sent Crimson Moon and his platoon towards the castle." "Thank you lulu, I knew I could count on you. Though be sure to enlighten Crimson on the strength of the creature, it should not be underestimated." Celestia said in thanks and as a warning. She stood up from her throne and lovingly nuzzled Luna in the neck. Deep inside, Celestia was somewhat glad to see her sister beside her and eager to show her worth to all of Equestria even if the other ponies might not be ready just yet. Then a thought suddenly entered her mind. "Oh my, I need to sent word to Twilight about the arrival of the guards. She might be able to assist them in the search." With a nod Luna descended the stairs and turned to face her sister once more. "Of course sister, we shall now brief Crimson Moon of the mission. They will be ready in thirty minutes." Celestia nodded in reply and sat down on her throne once more, with her thoughts lingering towards the strange creature and what its purpose is with the kingdom of Equestria. She released a sigh, not letting her worries carry her thoughts to a place where they should not go. All she can do, is hoping that it is found. The Nord's curiosity has brought him up a long flight of spiral stairs which almost seem to go on forever, but luckily for him he would soon reach the top. When he reached the top his breath was stuck between his lungs and his mouth, for before him was a sight which baffled him somewhat. He stands before a completely decorated bedroom, with everything a bedroom requires. A desk, several large bookcases and a queen sized bed. He had seen quite a few large beds in his time when he would visit a noble, but this was something else entirely. But what surprised him the most is that while the castle lies mostly in ruin, this room was void of any damage or signs of age. He approached the desk and carefully places his plated gauntlet on its maple wooden frame. "This surely is some work of art." He mutters under his breath as he follows the lines of the desk till he was standing before a one of the large bookcases which was filled with many tomes and scrolls. He carefully removes a book from one of the shelves and opens it on a random page. Sadly, the thing he feared the most was confirmed by what is written in the book. The fact that he can't read any of it, because it is written in an unknown language which somewhat resemble runes but from an unknown origin. "Well that is certainly a shame, but that would explain why the equines within the lifted city didn't understand me." His thoughts raced on how he could possibly fix this issue, before he or any of the equines do something they might regret. He carefully placed the book back on the shelf and eyed the bed with a curious glance. It looked sturdy and really soft. "Beats a bedroll or some hay and a blanked." He commented as he removed one of the gauntlets and placed his bare hand on the Mattress gently pushing down onto it. He watched in amazement as his hand nearly vanishes into it. The temptation became too much as the events of the day took their toll on his body, as a wave of tiredness washed over him like a warm bath in one of the springs that could be found in Skyrim. He attempts to press a yawn back but failed to do so as he felt his eyes closing on him automatically. "I guess a nap won't hurt no one..." He said as he starts to remove the heavy Nordic armor and sword. He stars with his gauntlets, followed by the sabaton's which earned a somewhat blissful moan as his feet came free from their steel prisons. he then took off his chest armor followed by the belt and leg armor until he was only wearing his cloth underwear and his hair covered chest exposed to the fresh air. Feeling more drowsy than ever before he sat on the edge of the bed. Looking around the bedroom once more he laid down entirely as his body fully succumbed to sleep, sending him into a peaceful slumber for once in his entire existence. Author's Note I'm sure a lot of you know how it feels when you take off your work shoes or any pair of shoes for that matter after a long walk or work day. Let me tell you, it feels just like heaven kissed my feet. Anyway, new chapter here to build up for the coming chapters. Of course I'm not going to reveal much because I'm a total dick. Right! Thanks again for reading, until next time guys, cya!
5. The silence that cutsThe night gave way for the morning to arrive. The forest was quite since most creatures were asleep. Even the birds were silent in the early morning which came to a lovely surprise to the Nord who only just awoke from the sun that shone through the windows to the side of the room. He sat up straight and stretched out his limbs earning a few pops from his joints as he breathed a sigh of bliss. Once he was fully dressed he set out to find a meal for the early morning. "Perhaps a fox or wolf, though I think those wooden wolves aren't edible since they are made out of wood after all. And I haven't seen any normal wolves around either." But before he could even cross the wobbly bridge a sound of wings gained his attention. His senses on high alert, he ducked behind a heap of fallen marble blocks which were likely from the wall behind him. Once he was behind concealment he carefully peaked his head just past the blocks to see a small group of leathery winged equines approaching the castle. As he looked closer he noticed they were looking for something, or someone in this case since their ears were moving from side to side while their eyes were scanning the tree line. "They caught up with me..." He breathed, keeping his voice as low as possible. Luckily for him he had his sword with him. "Curses, how to avoid them without getting seen." He watched the group carefully descended to the ground as they landed at his side of the bridge. A blood red maned stallion was leading the small group. They were wearing a dark colored set of armor which almost fitted them perfectly. He could hear some sounds, he knew they were talking since their mouths were moving, but only typical equine sounds were heard. He cursed his luck since it would have been nice to be able to understand them. Crimson Moon and his platoon of Lunar guards were tasked to find the creature that evaded capture by the Solar guards, which was something he found greatly amusing. But he had no time to voice his amusement since they had a mission to complete. They have been scanning the entire Everfree Forest since the early rise of the moon to make sure the creature was not roaming around. They purposely avoided the old castle ruins to evade possible detection if the creature was awake. But their task was nearly complete for only the castle remained to be searched. "Alright everypony, touch down in front of the castle." He called out towards the others who all responded with a "Yes, sir." as they slowly descended to the ground. Once on the ground they all surrounded Crimson to hear his plan of action. Crimson looked at the four thestrals as he cleared his throat lightly. "Alright listen up everypony." He started. "We have been chosen by our mistress of the night, princess Luna, to seek out and capture an escaped creature which was caught intruding on castle grounds. As many of you have heard, the Solar guards failed to apprehend said creature, allowing it to escape into the forest. The princess suspects that the creature is most likely somewhere within the ruins of the castle, hiding from our sight." The four around him listened carefully, with their full attention aimed at Crimson, while they failed to notice the Nord looking at them just past the pile of stone. "Princess Luna gave me a warning. This creature is not to be underestimated, for the Solar guard did such in the Ballroom. It is powerful enough to absorb tier two sleeping magic with a single barrier of sorts and then proceeds to disarm every guard within the room with one. Single. Roar." Crimson explained as some of the ponies looked rather surprised. "So we are asked to find it, catch it and bring it back to Canterlot for questioning. Are we clear on that?" He asked the ponies who nodded in response. "Good!" Crimson turned around and faced the entrance to the castle, all the while he was still unaware of the Nord cursing his luck behind the same pile of stone where he has been the past five minutes. The Nord was starting to sweat a little since it was only a matter of time before they will find him. And simply leaving wasn't an option either since these equines were smart enough to leave one of their mates outside to keep an eye out should attempt to make a run for it. Then a thought came to mind. 'Perhaps this Thu'um might be helpful for once.' He thought as he weighted his chances of fooling the equine. If he is able to avoid being detected it was worth a shot. With his idea in mind, he collected his breath as his eyes glowed once more as he opened his mouth, as only a whisper is heard. "Zul Mey Gut." He called out in a hushed almost silent voice as the Thu'um came in effect a moment later. "Hey pumped up troll fart!" Yelled out an unknown voice directly to the left of the equine who turned his right ear to locate the source of the voice. But the equine remained unmoved, which was bad news for the Nord. 'Why didn't it work!' He cried out in his mind only to mentally slap himself as he remembered that they both spoke different tongues, so perhaps him talking sounds like grunting or making raspberries, all he cared about was that it didn't work. Now his options were limited and it wasn't looking good for our Dragonborn. His mind raging with thoughts on how to avoid being caught. Fighting wouldn't help for it will only worsen his already terrible reputation with these equines, for accidentally killing one of them would probably result in him being executed. He had to think of something fast, for time was running low. The only thing that he could do was to fight and win without killing them and make a run for it after they were defeated. 'Alright, here goes nothing. Better to go down in a glorious battle than going down like a coward.' He took hold of his greatsword and pulled it from its sheath, slowly rising to his normal height. The sound of metal being pulled across a surface caught the attention of the single equine that was guarding the entrance. His eyes deflated at the sight of the towering Nord and quickly turned his head around and yelled out something that only sounded like frightened neighs to the Nord. Soon the other four, including Crimson Moon, arrived at the entrance with a worried look on their faces which soon turned to one of determination as they saw the Nord standing before them with his sword drawn. The tension was high and it could be felt miles away from the group. This was going to be either victory or defeat. And not a second later the Nord charged. Author's Note Heya guys! Short chapter this time in preparation to the fight that is going to happen in the next chapter. Hope you enjoy the cliffhanger and see you all next time!
