The Dark Mirror Saga: Book 1: The Tale of the Last Caribou

Land. I couldn’t believe it even as I was on my knees, touching the sand and soil and grass of a new land. It had escaped me that the everlasting cold I was so used to had died down several days prior to our arrival. The weather wasn’t warm, not entirely at least, but it wasn’t hellishly cold; chilly and gentle at worst and a blazing inferno compared to even the warmest days in our homeland.

It was the first time I saw plants, trees, and grass not covered in snow or frozen to the bone. The smell of the ocean was even different; salty, fresh, and full of life. Half the armada had disembarked by now and Gunne had selected a large grassland for us to stage a camp. Wood was being cut down for fire, a nearby river was visited for fresh water, fishing, and several scouts were scouring the forest for any edible fruits, roots, bark, and anything else they could get their hands on.

Most ships would be eventually destroyed and their materials salvaged for early construction. Everyone had silently decided that, until we knew more about this land, we would establish our initial base here until a certain hoofhold could be obtained. Preferably not through conquest in case this land was inhabited. At least, that’s what I thought at first.

“My King,” a young voice called. It was still jarring to be called as such. Me, a King shouldering the weight and responsibilities of the survival of my species? To forge a new path away from our outdated, perverse ways. It was so surreal to me yet I liked the feeling of actually being respected for once. I turned around only to find a young stag, a calf essentially, but a quick messenger and promising warrior. “Lord Storm requests your presence for a very important matter. He did not tell me what it was, just that it was urgent.”

I stood up and dropped the grass I was grasping so firmly. “Where is he?”

“Follow me, my King. This way,” I followed the young stag for several minutes, not stopping once as I advanced through ranks upon ranks of stags unloading ship after ship. Strong females were dragging carriages filled with goods while a stag cracked a whip, the sound of several cows moaning in pleasure as they were fucked also reached my ears.

Not even a day after our arrival and they’re celebrating already, I thought with tiredness. Still, as I advanced, everyone stopped their work to let me pass undisturbed, often giving thanks to me or calling me out by name or title. I arrived soon afterward to a large tent sitting atop a small hill that overlooked the beach we had landed upon, the growing camp, and the increasing area of bustling activity. “You may go,” I dismissed the young stag once we arrived. He vowed and left, leaving me to ponder what could the Master of Runecraft want with me so soon.

I entered the tent and found, to my surprise, all those that had elected me as King. “What is the meaning of this reunion, Storm? Why wasn’t I informed about this meeting?”

“Apologies, my King, this wasn’t an official reunion until this very instant. We agreed that we needed your attention before we could continue,” Vestri replied, bowing humbly. “What began as a simple discussion eroded into a full-blown debate, you see.”

“About?” I asked, walking to the middle of the group. Everyone moved back around me, creating a small circle and giving me the space I needed to walk, turn, and address anyone at any time easily.

“The formation of your council and those stags that will stand at your side to be your advisers, sword, shield, and armor,” Storm finished, robbing Vestri the honor of finishing his explanation. “That is why we need your opinion on the matter, my King. Who do you wish to stand next to you? Who among us, your faithful servants, do you wish to trust and elevate with authority to make your will a reality?”

“So soon?” I barked at them. “There are more important things to do, our survival still isn’t assured. We don’t even have a solid hold on this land; we don’t know what else walks upon it. There certainly are more crucial subjects to deal with over petty squabbles of power and position!” I half-shouted at them, scolding them for their stupid power play and thirst for power.

“But my King, the rest of our people need a stable pillar to rely upon! If we continue without a unified government, we could splinter or even suffer a civil war over conflicting ideas,” Ivangri said. His words rang so true at the time. Now I know those threats would never happen. Damn me. Damn me!

I hummed, mulling over those possibilities. After ten seconds of hard thinking, I finally replied. “I will not be as stupid as Svarndagr. I will not create a large, efficient council filled with ambitious, corrupt officials. My Council shall only contain eight core members and I will only have two advisors. My Left Hand, charged with civil duties and civil development that need my attention. And my Right Hand, charged with matters of economy and warfare that needs my direct attention.”

“The King has spoken and we obey,” everyone muttered at the same time.

I blinked in confusion. Why did they accept it so easily, without fighting for more? Was it because of the circumstances or were they trying to gain my favor? Of course, it was nothing of the sort. They cornered me right then and there into selecting my council from between their numbers. I never knew if they had planned this or if they agreed to shackle me with their manipulations early on.

“Right… For the members of my council. Master of Runecraft, Storm. The Beast Master, Hrathr. Master of Commerce, Thror. Master of Whispers, Fauber. Master of Arts, Thramm. Master of Steel, Durnir. Master of Bloodlines, Anvari. Finally, Warmaster, Svenn,” I could see several were displeased by my quick selection. But really, there were no stags more capable than them in those areas. And I certainly wasn’t going to let a brute like Oksho near any place of real influence.

What a fool I was.

“My right hand shall be… Vestri,” I looked at the tall, muscular but intelligent stag and nodded to him. Truly, what other choice did I have? Out of all the generals and military advisors at Svarndagr's side, only he survived. I had no concept of military tactics beyond small raids. A warrior fights in battles, a general leads those warriors to victory. And he made a good job keeping up clean records and expenses low.

“And my left hand shall be… Gunne,” not a moment passed after I uttered the name of my best friend before everyone exploded into a fit of demands against my choice. “SILENCE!” I shouted and they obeyed, though they still grumbled, displeased. “My decision is final!”

“With all due respect, my King… Gunne is unfit for such a role,” Ivangri said, speaking for all. “Setting aside his reputation and his… unfortunate circumstances, he isn’t a noble nor educated in the field of large-scale planning. Not to mention matters of judicial nature, civil unrest, and other such modalities. We… understand your relationship with him and I would welcome him into a pivotal role within your inner group, but to give him such an important title? The people would begin to think anyone could do the work us nobles do. There would be more petitioners demanding a chance to prove their skills only to fail miserably and bring ruination upon us. Please, my King, reconsider your decision, for the betterment and the survival of our species.”

Damn him. Damn him! DAMN HIM!

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“DAMN YOU, IVANGRI!” Dainn shouted with fury, his blue eyes blazing with hatred. “I should have never listened to him, Twilight… or Vestri, or any other of those parasites,” he said a moment later, his words still burning with hatred. “I always assumed Svarndagr was merely pissing on the members of his council. ‘Soft-spoken fools, little better than vermin’ he used to call them. But as much as he hated them, he couldn’t replace them. The nobility ensured that only they could fulfill the roles needed to run a nation. Education, wealth, status, titles… they hoarded everything to ensure their dominance. If they fell, our society would fall into a civil war or worse. And I fell for their trap from the very start.”

“I… know how you feel, Dainn,” Twilight gulped, feeling a strange sense of solidarity over that particular hurdle she had to face. “Nobles are often selfish bullies that like to stand above others and remind everyone how special they are. But more often than not, the roles they play are too important for anyone else to fill unless they do something truly stupid or reprehensible. I am, however, fortunate that most pony nobles I know are honorable and just,” of course, that included her family since they were, technically speaking, minor nobles before their ascension into roles of power.

“Hmmm, I wonder if you’ll still think that after I tell you which pony nobles of this world bent the knee to me in secret before the invasion began?” he asked, but then sighed. “Or perhaps that was my fault as well? Maybe your world is much different than this one. I don’t know. For your sake, I hope it is.”

“Putting those disturbing thoughts aside, you seem to really hate that Ivangri fellow. What did he do?” She asked, trying to help the stag clear his mind a little and let his emotions die down.

“The better question is what didn’t he do? Ivangri was your average stag in both strength and stature. He was, also, a lying, cheating, bastard with a silver tongue so sharp that it could rival Discord before he… that’s for later. Ivangri was also the lowest sort of scum alive. By the time I uncovered his perversions, it was far, far too late to do anything about it. Most stags only punished a female when it was needed. Not Ivangri. He was a sadist through and through. He couldn’t climax without inflicting pain and suffering. He marveled in it, desired to inflict as much as possible, and cared not if he broke his victims or not,” Dainn fell silent for a moment. “The number of females he broke, that I uncovered at least, numbered the four digits, Twilight. He was a fucking monster.”

Twilight wanted to throw up again, but there was nothing left in her stomach to evict. Hilst her hatred toward Dainn had diminished to the point she pitied the stag, her hatred for the caribou species as a whole only increased with every new horror that entered her ears. “Did he… kill them?”

“Sometimes, yes. He truly didn’t care if his victims lived or died. But he did his best to keep them alive… just for his sick sense of pleasure and to prolong their suffering that much more,” even Dainn, in his deathly state, managed to show so much repugnance that it almost made him look alive.

“Why… why would you surround-- no, I’m-... I’m sorry. You said they deceived you,” Twilight remarked, feeling nauseous.

“Deceived? Yes. But I was a weak fool, at least at the start. I was more afraid of causing a civil war or projecting weakness to what remained of my people to do anything more than nod at worst and achieve a slightly less horrible compromise,” he sighed, shaking his head tiredly.

“How long did it take before you discovered you weren’t alone in this land? Speaking of which, where did you land?” Twilight asked, trying to get the story to move along as her internal clock warned her it was getting uncomfortably late in the human world.

“Near Lindisbarne. Does it exist in your world?” He asked softly.

“No. Never heard of that place.”

“And the Crystal Empire? Princess Cadance?”

“Yes,” Twilight dryly, her disgust for the caribou only increased at the mention of the Crystal Empire and of her sister-in-law. Just imagining what happened to them in this dimension or what became of the prosperous empire boiled her blood.

“Then… I presume you are connecting the dots and have already deduced where Lindisbarne was closely adjacent to,” Dainn sighed, gripping his cane tightly before continuing with his tale.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The forest had served us well, providing timber, coal, and goods to help us build solid walls, watchtowers, handles, tools, and other materials. We were low on raw materials and there were no nearby deposits of iron or other precious metals other than bronze. We had to do with clay, marble, and a stunningly high quantity of high-quality granite. It wasn’t ideal and stags were unwilling to melt down their weapons or armor to be turned into nails or other essential tools.

Logistically speaking, we were in an impending disaster if we couldn’t get our hands on ores and iron. But other matters had been dealt with. Food was being grown steadily, the forest provided nicely as did the ocean with a rich harvest of algae, fish, and several types of roots, fruits, and grasses. Even the small game provided meat and leather.

But there were… other problems I wasn’t expecting to emerge so rapidly. After the formation of my council, the noble houses had claimed their own small territories and had reformed; reclaiming their authority and rights over the lowly serfs, surviving slaves, and labour-whores.

Was it a sign that the first buildings that were completed after the storage and blacksmith were a pair of brothels, a dairy farm, and rape stocks? I paid it no mind in the midst of so many other things that needed my attention. I was in the middle of planning out the location of latrines when Gunne came rushing into my tent. I couldn’t give him any important role in my council nor even in my inner group, but I was able to make him my personal messenger, at least for the moment. “Yes? I’m busy right now, Gunne. This better be--”

“Strangers! We’ve spotted strangers! Not caribou!” He stammers before falling to his knees.

The latrines could wait as I stood to my hooves and rushed out of my tent. The camp was in frantic activity as the rumors of new arrivals reached them. How was it that I learned about them so late? I asked myself, unable to grasp the answer then. I made it to the main gates where Ivangri, Vestri, Storm, and Svenn were waiting for me. They all bowed at my arrival and pointed at the distance where a small group of twenty or so individuals were walking towards the gates of our camp.

“What are they, my King? Do you have any idea?” Vestri asked, intrigued.

“I do not know, but they are bipedal like us… no antlers and… my stars, are those three flying!?” I asked, stunned, when I saw three of them spread their wings and take to the sky to hover over their compatriots. Now that they were within discernable visual range, I couldn’t help but gawk at them; my eyes examining them from head to hooves. Some figures were slightly bigger than the bulk of the group. They had long, bushy tails, disparate manes, and their coats were so colorful that my eyes hurt. Pink, blue, yellow, green, red, purple. It was like watching a parade of a rainbow made flesh.

My advisers were mumbling but I didn’t hear them. There was something within me that felt repulsed at the sight of such creatures. I couldn’t explain it, but it was there. And when they were close enough, I had to put a hand on Ivangri’s shoulder to prevent him from blowing a casket when most of our visitors were females. Fifteen females and five males in total.

One of the flying ones approached and landed, looking around while she was dressed in armor and looking stern yet friendly.

“Well, howdy there folks. It seems our reports were right about an unknown group causing a fuss all the way here,” she said with a gentle smile. “Mind telling me who and what you are, friends?”

Ivangri and Svenn were about to speak out but I beat them to it, my heart rushing like crazy for the first time in many, many years with something that wasn’t fear. “I greet you, stranger, to our encampment. Hornvik Encampment, to be precise. My species is called Caribou. What, pray tell, are you? My name is Dainn. King Dainn.”

“KING!?” The female signaled something to her fellows to drop to a knee, and they did. Despite our just meeting, they showed respect and openness. “My apologies, your Majesty. My name is Striding Star and I’m the Captain of the Guard of Lindisbarne. We’re happy to meet you on behalf of ponykind, Equestria, and in the name of Princess Celestia.”

“Captain!?” I heard Ivangri hissed in a muttered tone. The rest of my companions were equally disgusted, but at least waited for my orders to do or say anything.

“Please, all of you, raise. It is… good to meet you, ponies,” I said, eyeing the wings of Striding Star, the horns of some of her companions, and the lack of those features in others. “Excuse me for asking, but could you explain to me why you have wings, they have horns, and they have none?”

“Oh, of course, your Majesty,” Striding Star replied, smiling. “I’m a pegasus, a flying pony like my two companions here. The ones with horns are unicorns, magic casters. And the rest are earth ponies, strong and nature-tuned ponies. You said you were caribou? I’ve never heard of your species before. Have you come across the sea?”

“Unfortunately, yes. A calamity struck our homeland and we had to leave,” I replied, leaving out that we were mere survivors or that we had any other intentions in mind. At least, for now, diplomacy was my best option. “We didn’t know this land was inhabited.”

“Oh no, we ain’t implying you gotta leave or anything of the sort. Equestria is big and we welcome you with open arms! I’m sure that once the Princesses know about you and your people we will be able to help you out,” she bowed once more. “Now, I’m sorry to say but we can’t stay any longer. Our orders were to see if the reports about unknown arrivals were correct. They obviously are and we have to report back immediately. Your Majesty, gentlecolts,” with a curt nod, the group turned around and marched down the path they came.

We all waited in stunned silence until the group was long gone, far away from hearing any disturbance. Ivangri was the first to explode in anger.

“A FEMALE IN COMMAND!?” He raged, stomping the ground angrily. “T-The audacity! The nerve! The disrespect! She--- all of those females turned their backs on US!”

“Didn’t you hear her words!? The ones with horns can do magic! MAGIC! Females are in control of magic! HERESY! UNACCEPTABLE!” Storm joined in, almost foaming at the mouth.

“PRINCESSES! T-That means… oh great ancestors, are they a matriarchal society!?” Svenn said weakly, his legs almost giving out at the mere thought that such a horror story could be true.

“Fuck that! Did you see how many of them were in that group! All of them had armor. They were warriors! A mockery! A scandal! There must be more females than males in their wretched society!” Ivangri said.

“L-Let’s not jump to such conclusions… my king, what shall we do? This is a disaster waiting to happen!” Vestri finally gave his opinion, but I barely heard it.

The feeling I felt was stronger by the time Striding Star left; my mind was jumping with possibilities. Could I do it? Could I truly engage in diplomacy rather than the sword with a new species? One that stretched a hand in aid? One that didn’t even suspect we were an invasion force and took my explanation at face value?

“MY KING!”

Ivangri’s shout cut off my line of thought and I turned to him as he looked at me pleadingly. I glanced around me and every stag present was doing the same, begging for an answer from their king. I gathered my courage and spoke up. “We will pursue diplomatic relationships with these ponies,” I began, a hint of a smile on my lips. “This is a golden chance for our civilization to start anew, reforge ourselves and rid ourselves from the Cycle forevermore.”

“NO!” Svenn called out in a near panic attack. “My King, please! Do not do something so foolish! They will enslave us! Their males didn’t utter a single word! It is… IT IS UNNATURAL!” He growled. “A female should never be in such a position of power! Males rule, females obey and the balance of nature is kept!”

“Laws change and shift. Who’s to say they enslave their males?” I asked, trying to use logic to dissuade them. “We have only met and you are ready to go into war against a species that has offered us aid? Are you that blinded and stupid or are you just ignorant?” I sighed. “How many of them are there? How vast is their territory? Who are their leaders? Are there more species to worry about? How powerful is their magic? What can they do? Have any of you considered any of these questions?”

“It doesn’t matter, my King! They are FEMALES!” Ivangri spat with disgust. “Lowly, worthless, birthing cattle! That’s all they are! They can’t be allowed to rule or possess any power that we, as males, cannot control or possess! Male Superiority demands action!”

“And I demand patience!” I countered, turning to the irate stag. “Wasn’t I treated and seen as a female? I know many of you saw me as such and yet, here I am, a stag and a King by your decision!” I pointed a finger at Ivangri and then at me. “I am not siding with Striding Star or the ponies, but there is a reason I am King: to make the best decisions possible for the survival of our species! Attacking these ponies is not the best decision! We have to prevent the Cycle from happening again, at any cost! So what if we have to tolerate their strange ways for a few years?”

I took a deep breath, and pointed at the road the ponies had left. “And if their rulers, females, can rule such a land the same way a male that was seen as female, then so can they!”

“You cannot be serious, my King! They will be the ruination of us all if we don’t do anything!” Storm interjected. “Magic… such power cannot be left loose upon the unworthy hands of idiotic females. What if they have their stallions enslaved? What if they use their magic to do the same to us?” He snarled. “Our cows have never known the use of magic since birth and they don’t need it. They are proof that only males can handle such power. Any female wielding magic, no matter how small, is a disaster waiting to happen. And the worst… the worst was that these ponies are divided into castes. There are proud, captured, enslaved males without magic… I shudder at the thought of what horrible fates they must endure under the unjust rule of females.”

“What enslavement? I did not see shackles nor chains on the stallions that came with the group. They wore the same equipment, the same weapons, and showed the same disposition as the females. You, Svenn and Vestri, more than anyone should’ve been aware of what I saw in their display: honor, respect, and cordiality. They were dutiful, true soldiers of their nation. They should be respected as fellow warriors.”

“Let’s say we push for diplomacy, my King,” Ivangri began, his voice calm and calculative. “They will see how the power of Male Superiority is absolute. They will witness how our females are happy and submissive. Their females will treat us as monsters,” he scoffed the word, “merely for doing what a male is entitled to do: anything he pleases to a lowly female. Surely, their males will beg us to free them, to join us! Their females will not relent on their misguided ways, but we can teach them… or…”

“Or?” I replied. Why did I entertain the bastard? Why was I so damn gullible back then?

“Or they ‘liberate’ our females and put shackles around our necks. Are you willing to risk such an outcome, my King?”

My blood turned to ice and I opened my mouth to retort. That was the best outcome in my mind! It would mean that our ways would be destroyed and a new caribou civilization would emerge, one free of the Cycle, even. I desperately wanted to say that… but I couldn’t. Something grasped my throat and prevented me from speaking. My head was filled with visions of Striding Star impaling me. I shook those thoughts aside, knowing they were born from untrue fears. Right?

“Send several scouting parties,” came the order from my mouth as my heart pounded against my chest. “Find this… Lindisbarne they mentioned. Spy how they live, gather information, and report to me in two weeks. I will make my final decision then,” I glared at all of them, “and Gunne shall lead them, personally. I trust no one else to not make a completely fake or biased report. If something happens to him, anything at all, I swear upon Yggdras itself that I will not be responsible for my next actions.”

Surprisingly, or rather unsurprisingly, Ivangri was the first to bow. “Of course, my King. That is all we ask: that you see their lies for what they are. Male Superiority cannot be denied.”

“We shall see,” I sighed.

“Hmmm… my King, may I prepare something just in case?” Storm asked.

“Depends. What is it?”

“It is a rune I was working on before the collapse. The magic is complicated to explain, but in short it allows a male to understand Male Superiority better and makes females more docile and receptive to their role. It is all theoretical, but with your permission, I shall resume my research.”

I wanted to say no. I wasn’t aware he was working on something so horrific. I truly, deeply wanted to say no… but I couldn’t. I merely nodded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“And that doomed us all,” Dainn exhaled tiredly.

“What did you do?” Twilight asked, glaring at him. These ponies weren’t her people, but they were still living beings. She was starting to open the gates of something truly repugnant, and likely something she’d come to regret ever hearing at some point in her life. Not if it helps me prevent this from ever happening in my world or the human world, she thought, resolute to discover the whole truth.

“We attacked Lindisbarne,” Dainn replied as guilt reflected in his blue, icy eyes. “We--”

“Wait, I… I need to go. I will come back soon, but I have to go. My friends must be worried sick. I’ve been here for three, maybe four hours. They’ll think I’ve gone missing and I don’t want them finding--” she shut her mouth at the last moment, “--something they wouldn’t like. Will you be here when I return?”

“I don’t know. My schedule is full and I have so many things to do,” Dainn replied with dry sarcasm.

“.....right, sorry,” Twilight spread her wings, her cheeks blushing slightly. “I’ll be back, I promise!” And with a flap of her wings, she was gone.

“Please… be back soon,” Dainn muttered seconds after Twilight was gone. He looked around and shivered. “Loneliness is worse after cherishing companionship again after so, so long…,” he turned around and left through the darkest, most intact hallway for several minutes until he reached a mostly intact room. A fireplace was there, one that hadn’t been lit in ages, a pile of dusty cushions and a half-rotten away bed, a shattered mirror, and an old, cracked pedestal holding a bluish discolored bag. It was open, revealing a soft, golden glow from within it; emitting ethereally and illuminating slightly the otherwise featureless room. He sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the bag for what felt like ages until he found his voice again. “You were right… after all this time, you were right. You know? I regret so many things. But you? You’re my greatest regret. I should’ve fought more. I should’ve--- doesn’t matter now. What’s done is done, nothing can change that.”

Silence reigned for what felt like hours before Dainn found his voice again. “I’m truly happy that this new Twilight comes from another Equestria. That means that you’re alive or… another version of you. I guess… I guess that’s enough,” he chuckled. “You are the worst partner ever. You never talk back,” he chuckled again, louder. Then louder. And louder.

As he fell forward and onto his knees, his eyes watering with fresh tears, he tossed his cane aside; the remnants of his old warhammer, and covered his face with his withered hands, bawling and weeping openly. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry!” He cried for hours, days. He didn’t care. The tears would never stop flowing, he wouldn’t tire, he wouldn’t die no matter what he did, tried, or didn’t do.

And as he cried, through a blurred vision of tears, his gaze set upon on an old piece of wood resting at the base of a dusty, forgotten pedestal. The wood that had no signs of decay despite being splintered and old, but on it a single inscription could be read. A single word.

It read “UNLESS”.