“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, STOP IT, STOP IIIIT! IT BURNS, IT BURNS! CAP, HELP MEEEE!” Lix screamed as the skeleton seared a mark into her flesh.

The others tried to do something, to move, to help, but they could not. The skeleton had cast some spell, and they were all left motionless, unable to do anything. They were helpless, like a young child surrounded by wolves.

The skeleton bore no face, but they could all feel the smile it wore as it dragged a bony, flaming finger along Lix’s shoulder.

“It’s been so long since I’ve heard such screams…” They felt the grin grow. “...Let’s see how high you can go, hm?” The purple flames on it’s finger grew in intensity, and the skeleton pressed it’s finger more firmly into Lix’s feathered hide. Already most of the feathers on her right shoulder were burned off, and with pain literally searing into her nervous system, she unwillingly complied with the skeleton - no, the monster’s - wish and screamed so high her throat burned.

Lix thrashed, trying to push the skeleton off, to make it stop it’s act of evil, but her thrashing did nothing, and it looked as if the skeleton hadn’t even noticed.

“How cute,” it chuckled darkly. “I really do adore it when toys try to fight back.” Lix felt tears stream down her cheeks as the skeleton continued it’s gruesome work, and she continued to scream and sob. Finally, the skeleton released her, letting her fall to the floor bodily and sob to her heart’s content. “There we are, now everyone will know that you are mine.”

True to his word, there was an archaic and ornate symbol of a horned skull with a blade stabbed through it’s maw on her shoulder now, still sizzling with the scent of charred flesh.

The monster turned its gaze to the rest of the crew. “Hmhmhm, so many new toys to play with, and on the very day I reawaken. I almost feel as if I should thank that damnable Goat.” He, if it’s voice was any indication, seemed to roam his gaze across them all. “Now...before I begin the inevitable joy of playing with you all, tell me, what are you doing here? What year is it? Why are you here?”

Celaeno growled despite her fear. “Why should we tell you anything?”

The skeleton rolled his eyes. “Well, if you won’t willingly, then you will unwillingly.” He scanned her up and down. “If I had to guess, you are all pirates, so that explains the why and the what. The year, well...” He raised a hand. “[Charm Species.]” After that, Celaeno’s invisible bonds seemed to disappear, and she could move again.

Celaeno’s eyes had glossed over as well, and she gained an almost dopey smile. “Sorry, friend, what did you want to know again?”

“C-Captain? What’s come over you?!” Boyle cried, shocked.

Celaeno gave him a look. “Oi, pipe down, I’m just talking to a friend.”

The skeleton smiled. “Indeed. Now, what year is it?”

Celaeno laughed. “What, have you been living under a rock? You’re so silly.” Everyone in the room went cold at her words, and the skeleton’s eyes blazed brighter, but she didn’t seem to notice and carried on. “156 A.W.C.”

“That...” The skeleton paused at that. ‘I don’t recognize that year at all… Obviously an age or two after my fall, though.’ He shook his head. “A.W.C? Could you elaborate on that?”

Celaeno rolled her eyes. “156 After World Council. You don’t know anything, do you-?” A burst of flame to her arm stopped her cold and she screamed, the previous spell fizzling out.

“Speak to me like that again and I will give you far more pain, pheasant,” the skeleton hissed. “I am Grave Lord Bolverkr, and I will NOT be spoken to in such a manner.” He flicked a finger up, the floor coming up over her with a brief flash of red lightning to create bonds of black zircon. The same happened to the rest of Celaeno’s crew, all of them now held in place by the material on top of the previous spell. Bolverkr, as he called himself, turned around. “Now stay here. I have a call to make.”

With that, he walked towards a wall and flicked his hand to the side, seeming to make it move out of the way with that same red lightning and thus revealing a room behind it. Bolverkr walked down the now revealed hall towards a chamber that bore a massive, flat expanse of writhing black shadows.

“Of course that damned Goat would block this off as well,” He growled, before taking a breath. After, he belted out in a thunderous voice, “Govey Lah Al!” Instantly, the shadows dispersed, and a massive pool of water was revealed. Bolverkr smiled, and spoke aloud. “Invictus, I summon thee! Honor our ancient pact, and heed my voice!”

At first, nothing happened. But after a minute of waiting, just long enough for the skeleton to wonder if something had managed to seal his ally away as well, it started to ripple. The water turned black as night slowly, as if a heavy fog was settling inside of the pond. Piercing red eyes loomed from out of the darkness, staring at the skeleton.

“It seems that someone has finally awakened, I see,” A loud, deep voice came from the lake. Despite the giant rumble it had, the water itself wasn’t disturbed a bit, keeping it’s re-calmed reflective surface.

“No thanks to the rebel Goat, yes,” Bolverkr scowled, before shaking his head. “But enough of that. Tell me, what has happened since I’ve been gone? How long have I been gone?”

“You have been gone many a moon, old friend. Much has happened. Your memory has slipped from the minds of all but the oldest of beings, overshadowed by that rebel goat you must hate so. Not even a tale of your existence remains, outside of what little may have brought someone to finally awaken you from your slumber. Time is not the easiest to track in my distorted world, but I would estimate ten to twenty thousand years have passed.” A pause, ss if the form inside the abyssal deep was shifting.

“A council has formed, governing all but my dragon lands, for we do not respect the strength of a Group, as you well know, only that of the Individual strong enough to bring it together… and they have yet to come close to besting me, even outside my realm. The devastation to your legend is so great, that even your own reserve forces have gone, the magic binding them to this realm fading without you there to power it. I am sure you have noticed the lack of magical binds tethered to your soul, yes?”

Bolverkr frowned. “I have. All those soldiers gone…” He sighed. “I suppose I have work to do, then. Has anything else happened recently?”

The voice was so annoyed, its frown was evident as it spoke. “War comes again, old Friend, disturbing my peaceful rest. A pony of Shadows has taken an Empire of Crystal under its command, warring with those it has not yet enslaved in a pale imitation of your own conquering. The Changelings have a new, worse, queen, who’s new brood employ tactics barely worthy of the word ‘stealth’ to take villages of anything with the capacity to love and drain them dry, not even making the most of their kills.” The being in the water said, giving his old companion a moment to digest the information.

Bolverkr hummed, cupping his bony chin. “I see… Continue, please.”

“They also fight an oddly pastel colored King, Thorax. He tried to settle it peacefully, but the new Changeling King has recently resorted to violence if only to protect his own hungerless subjects of the Old Brood. The rebel Goat has constructed monstrous beings, some pale imitations of some of my own minions. Two ponies that had ruled for a - comparatively, to the mortals - long time control the Sun and Moon, but have recently retired for the Suns pupil, a mare named Twilight. The new queen, despite the insistence of the ponies on calling her princess, tied heavily to the harmonic Magics of the ponies, is having… difficulty managing the war, but managing to hold out for now. It does not help that a cult has resurrected the corrupted form of the Moon-tied pony, and the Nightmare and her loyalists seek to shroud the world in eternal dark.”

Bolverkr’s ‘eyes’ seemed to disappear for a moment as he hummed. After a long moment, the purple flames reappeared. “It seems I have much to do, then, old friend.” He lowered his hand from his chin. “However, if I am to honor our pact, and bathe the world in blood so that it may be quieted, I will require troops. Do you think you can provide a small force?”

He heard chuckling. “I thought you would never ask,” The voice rumbled. The red gaze then vanished, and a whirlpool soon appeared in the water. Yet it did not decrease in size, no, instead many odd forms flew out of the portal like demons escaping hell. Some were purple creatures that seemed to only be a head with two floating hands, some appeared to be possessed items and things like teapots and trees. The ghostly figures looked to their temporary master, awaiting orders.

Bolverkr chuckled himself. “Thank you, my dear Invictus.” He looked to his new forces. “You five, go ahead and have some fun with the birds out there. When you are done, tell me everything you pull from their minds.” He looked to the rest of them. “The rest of you, leave this tomb, search for any means of leaving it, as well as for any other pirates, and report back to me if you find anything.”

The ghosts and creatures of darkness chuckled, gleefully filling out their orders as they rushed around the skeleton but never through. The five the skeleton had ordered to go after the pirates he had captured were different from the dozens it had sent to find an exit, different in color and sense of strength.

One looked like a ball with arms and legs and pointy eyes, a devilish and mischievous smile on its face, half of which were covered with it’s large red eyes.

The next looked like a discarded doll brought to life, full of stitches and with button-like eyes.

The third was a floating golden witch-like ghost, with elaborate tufts on its head that looked like a witch’s hat and three spheres in the upper portion of its body. Parts of its lower body extended beyond the others, making it look like it wore a tattered cloak.

Number four was an odd thing, looking like a little teapot, with some creature living inside of it.

Last but not least was what appeared to be a primarily black creature somewhat resembling a cyclops, yet also a genie. Its cylindrical head was a light gray with a single eye that bore a yellow iris and a red pupil. Its eyelid resembled a smiling mouth, with its red eye being a tongue, a mockery of a face if ever there was one. There was a yellow band near the top of its head, and a short, yellow antenna with a disc-shaped tip extending from on top, like a wicked djinn’s hat. Six flat projections extend from the base of its neck and surround its head, resembling an upturned collar.

The creature had well-developed arms with two yellow bands near its wrists and large, gray hands, making it apparent that, ghostly or not, it could and likely would crush a skull like a grape. On the front of its torso were two almond-shaped markings, and on its back were two circular markings. Both sets of markings resembled eyes. A yellow band encircled its body, zigzagging along the front and forming a long curve around the back, giving the ghastly creature what seemed to be a secondary maw A wispy tail replaced what would be feet, confirming that it was, in some way, not of this world.

When they reached the five pirates, they found them all struggling to break their bonds of black zircon, and one on the ground, talons clutching a burning symbol - one that even they recognized - the symbol of their new master. If the tales their old master told them were true, then they could not end or break her mind...at least, not until their new master said so.

The ghosts cackled as they approached the bound pirates, eyes glowing with eerie energy. The five pirates noticed these apparitions and turned pale.

“Wh-What the fuck are those things?!?” Boyle cried, struggling more in his bonds.

“Don’t ask me!” Mullet shot back.

“Just shut up!” Celaeno ordered, before trying to gnaw at the black zircon holding her arms down. Sweat poured down her brow, and finding the ghosts only getting closer, gave up and looked to Spittle. “Spittle! Get us out of here!”

Squabble squawked in agreement.

Spittle, biting back a sob at the still fresh pain in her shoulder, shakily got to her talons and tried to walk over to her crew. She was stopped by the first ghost, the apparition putting its hands on her head and sending energy into her mind. She soon fell asleep, shortly followed by the rest of her crew. Three of them focused on pitting their mental energies against the pirates, the last two defending in case someone somehow got past the many others who’d left to assault them here.

The once venerated crew of Celaeno now slumbered fitfully in their bonds, all as the numerous ghastly creatures searched their minds with reckless abandon. Some of the captive pirates twitched, as if something vital in their minds had been tampered with. Some drooled.

But they remained asleep.

Soon the creatures had the information needed, going back to the master they had been lent to to inform him of their discoveries. When they arrived, they found him formulating plans with himself over the reflective pool of silvery black.

His hand and the pool constantly flickered with red lightning, as the pool itself shifted into various shapes and forms, almost all of which looked like old fortresses and castles.

“What have you found, my dear miscreants?” He asked without even looking at them. One came forwards, and gently sent the information into their temporary masters’ mind.

Bolverkr hummed, pausing in his work. “I see...so they come from an entire nation of pirates… Interesting.” He shifted the pool once again, this time into the shape of what seemed to be a massive cannon. As he did, the five ghastly creatures could feel his delight. “Ah, good, so one of my weapons remains intact.” He lowered his hand, the pool returning to normal as he put both hands behind his back. “Come.” He said, walking past them.

The servants followed, cackling in glee as they felt the malevolent intent in their new master. As they walked and made it to the chamber that once held their master captive, where the pirates remained, he gestured to said pirates.

“Grab them, if you would, my friends. I’d like to have them for further questioning,” he said, snapping his fingers and causing the zircon to recede from the pirates. “Be mindful of the one with my brand. I sense she still has spirit.”

The ghosts decided to possess the others, leaving all but the cyclops, who carried the branded parrot over it’s shoulders after the master as they marched. Since they were all asleep still, even Lix did not struggle in the cyclop’s arms. The other ghosts soon returned, another one telling the master of their progress with the outside pirates.

Bolverkr hummed, stroking his bony chin. “Hm. I see. Only one ship…” He lowered his hand from his chin. “Good work. Now, fall in line with the rest. I wish to see what is outside for myself.”

The ghosts seemed to form a cloud of malevolent energy around him as he exited, giving him a more intimidating air as he marched towards the ship. A face or eye would occasionally glow in the haze, threatening anyone who saw the army he had to command.

As they walked through the tomb, out of nowhere all of the weapons that had been imbedded in the walls suddenly flew towards him and his new minions.

“Hm,” Bolverkr mused as he snapped his fingers, turning all of the weapons into ash with red lightning. “I suppose that was to be expected. That damn Goat was always thorough if nothing else.” The ghosts could feel their master’s pleasure. “But it seems my earlier deduction was correct. He spent far too much energy and resources just trying to contain me alone. Traps were an afterthought.” He chuckled darkly. “The fool.” He waved for them to continue on. “Come. Let’s see if he had any further traps. I could use some more fun.” He said as he continued onward, now ascending the stairs.

One ghost went ahead, coming back shortly after and informing the master that there were indeed traps ahead, but not telling him what as it felt he would be more amused with the surprise of what they were.

And it was right, as it could feel him smile at it. It was even pleasantly surprised when it felt him pat it’s head affectionately.

“Such a good spirit, thinking of your master in such a way,” He removed his hand. “Expect a reward in the future, young one.” He told it, before continuing onwards. The spirit cackled in glee, floating around his head happily.

Soon they reached the next room, where Bolverkr stopped to admire the relief on the nearby wall. “Hm. Intriguing. It seems the Goat saw fit to make a relief.” Then, out of nowhere, the relief started to shift, before the entirety of it turned into needles and shot towards Bolverkr.

In response, he snapped his fingers, and all of the needles became dust on the floor. “Hmph. He at least knew me well enough to know I’d admire the relief. I’m almost impressed.” He turned back the way he was going, but held up a hand to halt his minions. “Wait there, if you would.”

As they did, he stopped in the midst of the chamber and simply waited. He didn’t have to wait long, however, as soon after a massive, shadowy figure in the shape of a goat appeared before him, let out a bleat of a warcry, and made to stomp on him.

Bolverkr simply held a hand up and stopped the shadowy hoof in its tracks. “Something tells me you are the last line of defense. How droll.” He raised a hand and swiped it, uttering the words, “[Astral Smite,]” as he did. To his surprise, however, when the ensuing onslaught of white magical needles hit the shadowy construct, it made several holes in it...but then swiftly reconstituted.

“Hm. Interesting,” He mused, jumping back as the goat shot a blast of dark red magic at him from its mouth. “A higher level for certain, then. It seems he wasn’t as weakened as I initially thought.” Another blast, which he easily dodged. “Very well then,” he raised a hand again. “[Maximize Magic: Astral Smite.]” This time, a greater volume of magical needles shot from his hand, and at much greater velocity.

This, once again, made several holes in the construct as it roared in pain, but Bolverkr wasn’t done. Before it could regenerate fully, he roared out, “Krii Lun Aus!” causing a wave of purple energy to shoot out towards the creature, enveloping it in the energy, which swiftly ate away at it if the way it stumbled and bleated in pain was any indication.

To retaliate, it once more tried to send a blast of red magic at him, but he jumped above it, and raised his hand once more. “[Triplet Maximize Magic: Superior Astral Blades!]” he shouted, swiping his hand three times. Each time created waves of magic that split the opposing construct into three.

As it staggered and tried and failed to regenerate, Bolverkr landed, and soon after, it let out a warbling cry as it exploded with a wave of black and gold magic. In response, Bolverkr threw up a hand with a flicker of crimson electricity, causing the floor to rise with the motion and protect himself and his new minions. The wave obliterated much of the floor, pillars and walls, until the remaining dregs of the guardian were finally consumed by the purple aura.

Bolverkr hummed as he dusted himself off, the impromptu wall turning to dust with another flicker of crimson lightning. “Well, that was certainly entertaining.” He turned on his heel, beginning to march confidently through the chamber and towards the exit. “Come come, we have much to do.” He said, motioning with two fingers for his minions to follow.

They eagerly did, some of the ghosts pausing a second to gather lingering spirit energy from the shadow creature before they followed as well.

As they reached the next staircase and soon after ascended it, they finally came out into the light of the sun, with a veritable sea of clouds around them. Looking around, they could see that they were evidently on a floating island, one that was very, very old.

Bolverkr paid it little mind, however, marching towards the sizable airship docked straight ahead. After boarding it, he smiled as he saw the numerous sleeping pirates all over the deck, and likely all over the ship.

“I see that you all took initiative and put these weaklings to sleep. Good. Expect your own rewards in the future,” he told the other five ghosts around him that weren’t carrying the pirates. The ghosts chuckled with glee at the promise of rewards, looking between one another and cackling. “However,” he began. “This vessel requires a crew to man it if we are to leave this prison.”

The ghosts, in response, went into their captives, the ones not already possessing something to exist anyway. The crew jerked a bit, as if fighting the ghosts, but in the end they lost. The crew rose with menacing red eyes, bowing to the new captain of their vessel.

They could feel Bolverkr’s smirk, despite the fact he could not actually do so. “Well done. As promised, your rewards I shall now grant you.” Bolverkr turned to face them, putting his hands behind his back. “You may now do with these bodies as you see fit, so long as you keep them alive long enough for us to reach our destination.”

Cackling with glee in their new forms, the ghosts used the memories their victims had to go about readying the ship.

Watching them for a short whole with his ever present smirk of satisfaction, Bolverkr soon turned to walk towards the captain’s cabin. After entering it, he took note of how lavish it was. A red, velvet carpet covered the floorboards, and weapon racks lined the walls as much as trophies did. The bed nearby sat in a corner of the room, and a quick use of his racial skill allowed him to see that the mattress and pillow were made of magically shaped clouds.

Entirely useless to him, but a good thought nonetheless. The sheets were made from the skins and furs of various rare creatures, something he certainly approved of.

Sconces with candles in them were interspersed on the walls, between the trophies and myriad weapons, all glowing with blue, magical flames.

Looking towards the desk, he found maps scattered about it’s mahogany surface, a single candle sitting to the side, unlit.

Bolverkr hummed as he walked over and sat in the captain’s seat, the chair luxuriously comfortable with plush velvet cushioning and an ebony wood frame.

He minded little, however. At least, for the moment. As of current, his mind was more focused on what had recently occurred. ’The seal was obviously broken due to one of them. Which means that despite their greed, they have pure hearts.’ He snorted. “The damn Goat knew how rare it is to find pure-hearted spelunkers.” Looking out the window as the scenery began to speed by, he gained a smile, despite not being able to truly do so. “An odd thing, to still be pure of heart even with such greed. A pirate’s life is not exactly made for the pure, after all.” He shook his head, looking to the maps on the desk, and smiling as he recongized many of the locations still, even if many more were new to him.. “Well, the wait has been long, Grogar.” He looked back out of the windows in the back of the room, eyes blazing brighter.

"But I will rise again, and you shall fall.”

Author's Note

Give a big hand to my co-author and one of my best friends, Rezas! He wrote the ghosts and Invictus, and will continue to for some time, among other things. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I do apologize for the long wait!

Thanks for reading!

-Timeless