A Glimmer of Truth book 2: From Ages Past
In a time long forgotten to history, a hero of immense strength existed. She had been born in a village several miles north of the earth pony Capitol of RorikSteed. Her father had been given a word of a vision that the local seer had been given the night of his daughter's birth. A mare with a mane of gold and armor as black as night bearing a ceremonial two-hoofed Greatsword. In the vision, this mare was fated to battle a great evil from the world beyond.
Most that had lived during this time had passed on to legend. They were to be the founding heroes and villains for the world of Equestria. Many that existed had done so during the hard times that came before the peace that was brought into the land by Celestia and her sister Luna. There were also tales of Monsters and those that hunted them. One such Monster hunter was a mare named Trixie of Rivia. She and Gormlaith had crossed paths a few times but they never really talked much outside of sharing a mug of ale at the inns that dotted the land.
Gormlaith as a warrior was well known in her tribe to be brash and stubborn on more than one occasion. She wasn't the most level-headed mare in the village. She had be found with one of the other guard mares the other night. The excuse was that she had too much to drink and was just staying with her until she was well enough to go home. The story would of worked out better if she hadn't been found with her face buried in the mare's flank making " indiscrete" noises that sounded too much like orgasmic moans.
They were persuaded to stay apart for a time. Her family had told her that she could see her friend again after her service in the village militia was done. That was Six years ago. And her time was almost up. She was excited to be able to see her again. She just hoped that she hadn't moved on. It would have been awkward to come across with another mare or even Stallion.
Gormlaith never believed much in prophecy until her family was dragged into a feud with a nearby clan. They had always been agrarian in their values. Most of her family had always been farmers. She was the first of her tribe to become more of a warrior than a farmpony. She felt the call of the gods when it came to protecting her family from looming danger. She had always been the strongest with a greatsword. Most of the training she received had come from her father and grandfather. They had both fought in Clan wars and both survived dangerous encounters. They had earned their chance at peace.
Now it was her turn to do the same. She'd uncover a plot that turn their world upside down and her descendant would have to pick up the sword and finish what she started this day. There was a ploy to enslave all ponykind to the whims of a Daedric Prince. One that was reviled among their kind. His name was Molag Bal and he was not to be taken lightly.
"I can see her now,", The village seer spoke in an ominous yet calm tone,"She stares down a fallen king." Her words did little to inspire hope among those gathered, the village Chieftain included.
She continued on with her far-seeing," This evil is wrought in the form of a Death Dealer, a being of immense power and blood lust,", That last part put a chill into the Chieftains heart.
There was something familiar about that last part he thought. More than just being recounted as part of the Seer's vision. He remembered a story that the previous chief, his father, had told him. That over a generation ago there was a bloody battle against a monstrous foe. This enemy had been adept at the forbidden art of A'Loch Dillan, better known as Necromancy.
This foe had raised legions of the undead to serve his dark will. It was said that after the battle was won, at great cost to those involved, that the Dark villain had been sealed away never to be seen or heard from again. A mysterious being in the form of a lavender alicorn had cast a banishing spell on him, hoping to seal him away for all eternity. This mysterious alicorn was said to have disappeared in a blinding flash of white light.
Before vanishing she had uttered a solemn phrase," Upon a Star's falling Light, The Shadow King shall fade, but with even the Glimmer of evil, The King shall return to have his reign."
The seer of the village at the time was a unicorn mare named Gusty. She was a wandering battlemage with the ability to see glimpses of the future. The earth pony chieftain allowed her to stay with them until the end of her days. The tale was considered a myth used to frighten the smallest of foals. But the chief never doubted that there was the smallest hint of Truth to it. He also remembered the name that Gusty had heard this being utter before disappearing.
Starlight Glimmer.
She could feel the rush of air flowing through her golden mane. Gormlaith Golden Apple was one of the strongest warriors in her clan and the boldest one of her family overall. She could taste the fear that was coming from her prey, a small looking dragon hatchling. She bought her blade down upon her foe with lightning speed that even the Old Gods would have been envious of.
She looked up to see another dragon gliding overhead. The beast bellowed a roar that would make most earth ponies piss themselves out of fear. Not her, she was ready for another challenge. It was so invigorating, dragon-slaying. Most of her foes had already been slain in the months leading up to where she was now. She was ready for another bloodletting. There were a few in her village that were scared that she'd cross over to dark territory some day.
That day had not yet come. And she prayed it never would. She braced herself as the dragon landed in front of her. Instead of spewing fire though, it spoke to her. In an all too familiar tongue, she had learned about while visiting the Unicorn Kingdom.
The ancient language of Dovah'Zul.
"You dare enter our Territory and kill our younglings Ponah?", She couldn't tell it was truly angry or despairing. The emotions in its voice concealed themselves from her ears.
"Yer encroaching on our lands, I only did what was needed to defend Earth Pony lands and villages,", She said in a tone of consternation. She didn't have to explain herself to this thing. Even if it was big enough to swallow her whole. There were worse fates than that when it came to dealing with Dragon Customs.
"You will not have to worry young pony,", The dragon hissed,", We are leaving this forsaken realm for better climates", and with that they flew off for what would later be known as the Dragon lands, far to the northern edges of later day Equestria.
"That felt easier than it looked,", she muttered under her breath. She still had that feeling though that something was about to creep up on her. She turned to see another earth pony, his armor was rented and broken, staggering towards her. Gormlaith reached her forehooves out and caught him before he crashed onto the ground in front of her.
She recognized him from a nearby village, His name was Daring Dashwood. He was covered in blood and tear marks. He looked up to see who it was that had softened his landing.
"Gor... Gormlaith.. you have to .. have to get word to your chieftain,", he could bare get another word out before he started to cough up more blood. It was all he could to retain his grasp on this world. Daring could feel the call of the ancestors, ready to guide his soul to the afterlife. He had to warn her before succumbing to it.
"What happened to ya'll Daring?", he would hear the worry that was seeping into her voice as she looked at him sorrowfully.
What happened was something out of a nightmare.
They came out of the ether, like some long-forgotten horror. They appeared out of the mist, bearing nightmarish armor and weapons. He watched as their most powerful warriors were felled by these monsters like wheat being culled before the chaff.
"Our village was attacked,", he said, blood spurting up as he did," They were clad in black armor that seemed to pulse red in areas,", she could tell she was going to lose him soon. She did her best to comfort him before he passed onto the All Maker and the afterlife. Gormlaith could only sob internally as one of the bravest ponies she had known since she was a filly, lay in her hooves dying.
"You dont mean..", she trailed off realizing what he was describing.
"Im sorry Gormlaith... They bore the sigil of the Daedric Lord and Prince of Domination,", She felt his right hoof clutch her shoulder as he pulled himself closer to her ear.
"Molag Bal", Dashwood's body went limp as his spirit left his body. Gormlaith could only sit stunned and in silence at she had just heard. She had been taught that anypony that trusted a Daedric Lord was a fool. They treated mortals like her as pawns. As something to praise or punish as they deemed necessary. Molag Bal was the worst of them.
It had been rumored that the queen of Unicornia, Princess Chroma, had been one of the first Unicorn's to make a pact with the Daedric Lord. It was one of the worst mistakes of her life. He beguiled her long enough to entrance the mare, with which he not only raped her, he also turned her daughter Princess Platinum into one of the first Vamponies. This was still at a time in the history of their world that stories like that were considered myths and legends.
As Gormlaith stay there with his body, she got the sense that his spirit was a rest now as a slight breeze of air flew through her. Daring was at last with their ancestors. She found a branch of dead wood nearby and fashioned a shovel out of and a half slanted piece of rock nearby. She buried him as befitting their customs.
As old earth pony legends went: From the earth we came, so be it to the earth we return upon death.
It was one of their most sacred customs that had been passed down to each clan and member of her family. She could feel it in her bones, the sounds of battle were calling her now. Something that only she could sense. She had always been told by her father that she was blessed with this gift because of the old gods.
It was the call of the Heathen Horns.
Gormlaith could feel it in her blood. She ran towards the sound of clattering armor just in time to see the banners that were flying over the battlefield. They were the banners of the Bloodcursed clan. Bodies littered the ground still clutching their weapons and shields. Blood soaked the ground where their bodies had fallen. Swords and axes were scattered everywhere.
As the remaining forces scattered after the bloodshed, Gormlaith slowly clawed her way over a mound of bodies to get a better view of who the Bloodcursed leader was. A single mare, clad in what looked Daedric armor, pulled her claymore from the foe she just slayed with it. She was a lavender colored unicorn with what looked like some kind of bowl cut for a mane. A single crimson streak ran through her blackened mane.
Before Gormlaith could gain another breath, the mare teleported in front of her. She grabbed the earth pony mare with her magic and pulled her into the air.
"Where in Tartarus did you come from ,", the mare spat at Gormlaith. Fear started to creep into her heart when she realized just who it was that was now asking her that question.
The mare in front of Gormlaith was none other Twilight Bludcursed. She was a unicorn Warlord that was well known for making false pacts with opposing villages and then slaughtering them all in the middle of the night. The last earth pony envoy that had been sent to negotiate a truce had been tortured and then magically Flayed alive.
Twilight was also known to be alluring to both mares and stallions. She was adept at using magic and manipulation to put herself and her clan on top of the political order.
"Look,", Gormlaith told her," I ain't here to fight you, i came to warn you of what's going on,", She wanted to say more, but something in Twilight's eyes told her she already knew. There was a cold honesty in those violet irises. There was something else though.
Twilight was hiding the fact that she was lonely. She used fear and intimidation to keep others at a hoofs length. There was a part of her that wanted to reach out, but she didn't know how. So she kept herself isolated to avoid that kind of pain.
"Oh, i know that the Daedric Invasion has begun,", she said calmly," My forces already stormed three of the Enemies Oblivion gates." She looked Golden Apple in the eyes before a wicked smile stretched across her face. "We slaughtered them before they could even raise their weapons. If all goes well and according to the plans I've set forth," she paused for a moment.
"Coldharbour will be mine, and Molag Bal will lie dead at my hooves."
Of course, that was quite the bold statement coming from something as mere and puny as a unicorn. Twilight knew in the short term that she was nothing compared to a Daedric god like him. She had to keep up appearance until she could secure an alternate magika source to empower herself with if she wanted to match levels with Molag Bal. She didn't want to look weak in front of her troops, or this earth pony that was in front of her.
A dozen pervasive thoughts ran through her mind when it came to figuring out what to do with this mare. She wondered how long her mind fight her if she used an enthralling spell on her. She always did love how pointless it was when they finally came under her control, losing what ounce of free will they had left. She decided to hold off for now. She'd be disappointed to see how much of a contrast her own descendant would be from her. It would have been enough to make her vomit to be honest.
"If you have something important to say then out with it,", She spat out those words like a venomous cloud. She really did have a short temperament at times. Twilight really needed to work on her social skills someday.