The Forgotten Queen

Chapter 4

Dig Site: 200km west of Mintaka, UTR

The car pulled up to a large excavation pit dug near the side of granite colored mountain. The UTR was a mountainous nation and as such it’s cites were far apart from each other, connected by rail lines. The region had very little cultivatable land and densely packed cities, making the rest of the country a mixture of craggy mountains, plains and desert. Such conditions made the minotaurs a hardy, shrewd and crafty sort of people. The workers attending the dig site were surprisingly varied. A mixture of diamond dogs, minotaurs and a few earth ponies all suited for heavy labor. The entire pit was overseen by a contingent of rifle toting UTR soldiers. Col. Tyco signaled a petty officer over to the car. One of the guards opened the door letting Hoity and Trixie out.

The petty officer saluted. “Comrade Colonel Tyco what do you require?”

“Are my quarters set up yet sergeant?”

“Yes, sir as you requested sir.”

“Excellent. Would you mind telling the cook to whip up some refreshments for our guests? They aren’t used to the harsh climate around here.”

“Right away sir. The usual for you as well sir?”

“Yes, if you wouldn’t mind. Keep up the good work.”

The slightly smaller minotaur sergeant trotted off to a large red tent, while Tyco led the two ponies to a larger grey tent nearby. The inside of the tent was surprisingly cooler than the outside. Hoity noted that there were some cooling fans suspended on poles, circulating the air. A small wooden table with four metal chairs sat in the middle of the room. Tyco unfurled a map and laid it flat on top of the table. He waved his hand for the ponies to take a seat.

“Here we are Mr. Toity, dig site 5409. What you saw down in the pit was two months’ worth of excavation work. The only reason we knew anything was here, was because a traveling band of nomads found some pottery shards nearby. From what I can tell, the building down there was built right into the mountain. It seems to be some kind of temple or crypt, I don’t really know.”

Hoity cleared his throat. “Your workers haven’t unsealed the door yet, have they?”

“Of course not. We have no idea what kind of traps might be lurking behind it.”

“Good, you seemed to have disciplined your workers well.”

“Yes, well the pay is good and it also helps that we have armed guards on the premise.”

The sergeant returned with a plate full of assorted pastries and three glasses of lemonade. Trixie nearly gulped hers down, while Hoity nursed his. Tyco shot him an inquisitive look, Hoity replying with a shrug.

Tyco bellowed with laughter. “Be careful Ms. Trixie, if you drink that too fast you’ll choke.”

Finding herself the center of attention, Trixie let out a sharp squeak while her cheeks flushed red. She finished the rest of her drink with a careful slurp and set the glass down on the table.

“Hehe sorry, I was really thirsty.”

“It’s not a problem. I know that you ponies aren’t used to the heat.”

Hoity took a look at the map. “Colonel, it says here in the margin that the door might possibly be enchanted?”

“Yeah, we had a team of unicorns come in about a week ago to take a look at it. They said it was a magical lock of some sort. I’d use an explosive charge to open it, but we have no idea what’s in there or how thick the wall is. The safe bet would be to try using magic first.”

“Trixie is an accomplished magician, I’m confident she’ll be able to get it open.”

“Mr. Toity, I think it would be best if only you and Ms. Trixie enter the ruins. I’ll keep some guards posted outside, but I don’t think we’d be of much use to either of you.”

“Agreed. I appreciate that you’ve been so accommodating Colonel, but you are correct. I’ve been exploring ruins for years and Trixie can ward of all sorts of danger with her magic.”

Colonel Tyco led the two ponies to the bottom of the excavation pit. Before them were a pair of large alabaster doors that seemed to have been carved from the very foundations of the mountain itself. They were adorned with carvings of minotaurs, pegasai, unicorns and even a few changelings. The door’s most interesting feature was the large eye in the center. The eye was inlaid with gold and had a small hole in the middle.

Trixie could feel the door radiating with magic, it felt ancient, and unlike any she had felt previously. She scanned the door trying to find any hexes or traps but found that there was only a single sealing spell. While it was only a sealing spell, it was an extremely complicated one. Whoever had made the spell wanted nothing to get in or out. Trixie was about to use a spell to try and unlock it, when Hoity gently put his hoof on her shoulder.

“Hold on Trixie, I think there might be some writing on the door. It looks like an ancient dialect of…Taurian? I studied this particular subset years ago. It says: Inside these hallowed walls lies the essence of our lady. A warning to all who seek our lady’s wisdom, the guardian awaits to judge your trial. Those who wish to enter need only humble themselves and channel the power of life.”

“Hoity what does all that mean?”

“Excuse me Trixie, not now I’m trying to figure this out. Hmm this lock seems a bit familiar. Now where have I seen this before? OF COURSE! This looks similar to the vault that houses the elements in Canterlot.”

“What does that have to do with anything…?”

“Trixie I want you to listen very carefully, do exactly as I say. Go up to the lock and place your horn inside. Once you’ve done that, concentrate some magic into your horn.”

Trixie trotted up to the door, sliding her horn into the slot. She kept going until she heard a sharp click. With her eyes closed she concentrated some magic into her horn. Trixie could feel the lock resonating, mixing its own arcane magic with hers. The doors began to glow a shade of pale blue, opening with a loud hiss. Those standing in front of the doors were assaulted by a wave of ambient magic and stale air. Once the dust settled, Trixie sat on the ground panting in exhaustion.

“That…was…intense.”

“Trixie are you going to be alright?”

Trixie took a deep breath. “I-I think so, just give me a moment. Opening that door was…like having a part of me ripped away. I’m not really sure you would understand Hoity.”

“Alas I am but a mere earthpony, but take as much time as you need to rest. You’re going to need every ounce of strength you can muster.”

Once Trixie regained her strength the pair made their way into the ruins. One would assume that a structure as old as this one would have been completely dark inside, but such was not the case. The entire building lit up with eerie blue flames originating from sliver torches lined against the walls. Trixie suspected that they must have been enchanted, only to activate when living creatures came near them. Hoity in the meantime was admiring the beautifully preserved frescos lining the walls. Many of them depicted minotaurs from various walks of life such as farmers, nobles and artisans. One common theme seemed to bind all of them together; a large golden eye hovered above, raining golden beams of light.

Trixie seemed to notice the reoccurring motif as well, stroking her chin in contemplation. She was also wondering why they hadn’t run into any traps yet. Her thought process was interrupted when she slammed into yet another door. Rubbing her nose, she observed that the door was black colored likely made from some type of granite or obsidian. The golden eye was on this door as well but there was no keyhole, there was however a rune underneath the door.

“Hoity did you happen to notice that strange eye symbol everywhere? I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“Ah yes, I noticed it as well. I believe it’s a symbol of some ancient religion, predating even Luna and Celestia. I’ve only ever seen such a symbol in a few ruins near Gryphania. They were positively ancient, dating back at least eleven thousand years. If the same symbol exists here, then we might have stumbled upon something extraordinary.”

“There’s another door, but I can’t seem to find a way to open it. It doesn’t have a keyhole, but there is a rune do you think that might open it?”

Hoity shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure. Perhaps you could try activating your magic while standing on the rune.”

“Alright, I’ll give it a try.”

Trixie stood on top of the rune, it began to glow a faint green tint once her entire body was inside of it. Swallowing hard, she allowed magic to flow around her body and into the ground below. The rune responded by glowing even brighter. They eye on the door also lit up in response, however it did not open. Trixie stepped off the rune, confused as to why it did not yield to her. The ground shook almost as if in response to her thoughts. A few moments later the quaking stopped accompanied by a loud grinding noise, sounding like stone moving against stone.

Trixie let out a yelp of terror, falling flat on her rump as she observed a hulking stone golem standing near the door. Its eyes glowed red, as if made from rubies. The golem’s body was made of dark colored granite and took the form of a minotaur. It appeared to be at least ten meters tall, wielding a large metal axe.

The golem made a snorting noise and glared at Trixie. It just stood there doing nothing more than observing. Without warning its eyes glowed brighter as a wave of magic spread across the room. Trixie and Hoity flinched, but found that they were unharmed. Both ponies were surprised when the golem spoke in a deep, gravelly voice.

“Hail ponies. Is it the treasure that you seek?”

Trixie paled. “Um…yes we wish to enter that room.”

“I am its guardian. For thousands of years have I stood vigil, only allowing those worthy past this door. Flee now if you lack to courage to continue, otherwise prepare for my test.”

Hoity stepped forward. “Honorable guardian, we accept your test. Name your terms.”

The golem gave a slight bow. “As you wish earthen one. You need only defeat me in combat; either one or both of you may participate. It matters not how you choose to fight, victory is the only condition.”

“Trixie ready your magic, this will be a difficult fight. I’ll try and distract him while you cast the spells.”

The golem slammed his giant axe into the ground where Hoity had been standing just moments before. It left a sizable gouge in what had to have been solid granite. Thanking Celestia for having quick reflexes, Hoity ran to the other side of the room finding an ancient spear mounted on the wall. He grabbed it in his teeth, signaling Trixie to start conjuring. With a metallic grunt the golem lumbered towards Hoity, raising it’s for another swing. Before it could connect, Trixie fired a sapphire blast of magic at the golem’s leg. Rather than cry out in pain it merely turned its head around to find the offending source of magic.

The golem turned around and with a surprising amount of speed, hurtled a stony fist at Trixie. The magical mare quickly erected a barrier spell to take the brunt of the punch. The barrier succeeded but was dissolved only a second afterward. She staggered back a few steps, trying to recover from the fierce blow. Trixie’s eyes shrank to pinpricks when she noticed that Hoity had used the distraction to climb up on top of the golem’s back. Screwing her eyes in concentration, Trixie unleashed another savage blast, but this time it hit the golem straight in the chest. The mechanical monster nearly fell over backwards from the blow.

While not taken out of the fight, the blast had done quite a bit of damage to the golem’s chest. A circular scorch mark was now visible on the monster’s chest. Trixie surmised that it was at least a few centimeters deep, this meant that the golem could be hurt with magic. The showmare’s victory was short-lived, as the creature swung its axe once again. Trixie teleported just before it could connect, however this time the axe buried itself into a column. The golem struggled to dislodge the axe; while it was distracted Hoity jammed the spear into one of its eyes. The guardian let out a deep groaning noise as its eye socket began to erupt in ruby colored sparks.

With as much strength as she could muster, Trixie concentrated as much magic as she could into her horn. Her eyes began to glow a soft shade of white as she unleashed a stream of fire out of her horn straight at the golem’s chest. She had aimed the beam precisely at the spot where she hit before, hoping it would serve to cripple the guardian. The stream hit its mark and within moments the golem’s chest became molten slag while flames erupted out of its back. The golem fell to the ground, screaming in primal terror. Hoity took the opportunity to hop onto the golem’s shoulder, and with roar of his own he kicked the monster’s head as hard as he could. If Hoity had been a pegasus or a unicorn the kick would have done little damage, but he had earthpony magic on his side. The kick completely obliterated the entire right side of the golem’s head, bringing it crashing down on to the floor.

Trixie let out a squeal of joy, running over to Hoity and crushing him with a hug. After a few seconds she realized what she had done and quickly let go with a slight blush creeping across her cheeks. Hoity collapsed on the ground trying to recover his strength.

“Excellent job Trixie, we showed that golem whose boss.”

“Yeah we certainly did, but I had no idea you could kick that hard. That was solid granite!”

“One of the perks of being an earthpony I suppose. Anyway, are you alright? You look positively exhausted.”

“I just need a few minutes to catch my breath. I don’t usually cast so many powerful spells in such a short period of time. I’m not Twilight Sparkle after all…”

“Point taken, dear. Now how in blazes are we supposed to open the door?”

The golem’s body began to shudder as it became enveloped in a ruby red glow of magic. In a single bright flash the magic transferred itself to the door. Hoity and Trixie heard a loud click and then the door slowly opened, revealing a rather tiny room. The interior of the room was remarkably plain, with no decorations of any kind. The only thing inside was a silver pedestal with a small, spherical object sitting on top of it. Hoity trotted up to the pedestal with a huge grin on his face. The object was a solid gold eyeball with a diamond serving as the iris, and a small piece of onyx as the pupil. It was shaped like a slit, like one would find with dragons.

Hoity licked his lips. “Finally after all these years, IT’S MINE!”

The sound of hooves clacking against stone interrupted Hoity’s moment of triumph. He turned around to see what could possibly be disturbing him. His jaw dropped when he saw Colonel Tyco and an entire contingent of guards standing behind him. Tyco snapped his finger and the guards pointed their rifles at the two ponies.

“Mr. Toity I’m afraid I can’t let you leave with that.”

“Colonel what is the meaning of this?!” Hoity growled.

Tyco waggled his finger. “Chairman Silverhide has commanded me to have that wretched thing destroyed. It is far too dangerous to remain intact. You see Mr. Toity; our people have decided to discard magic from our lives. The age of fear and superstition is over. That relic you hold in your hoof is part of that long, lost age. It impedes progress, and besides I can’t let you filthy Equestrians get your grubby little hooves on such powerful magic.”

“How dare you! I have worked far too long to obtain this relic. How can you betray me like this, even after I spent millions of bits on your little revolution? Is this how I am to be paid back, with a knife in the back?”

Tyco chuckled. “Yes, I suppose it’s true that we couldn’t have raised enough arms to start the revolution without your generous contribution. However, this is an entirely different matter. Normally I wouldn’t have even offered you a chance to surrender and spare your lives, the reason I do so is because of what you gave to my people. Now, surrender peacefully and go back to your estate.”

“I will do no such thing! You have no idea what this relic means; to destroy it would be a tragedy against life itself. Not even being dragged through the depths of Tartarus would make give this up. Do your worst!”

“Hmm I see that you have a strong will. Perhaps if I cannot break you, then I shall take out my frustration on your…companion?”

“Wait…you mean Trixie. No, leave her out of this. I only hired her to help me obtain the eye. She has nothing to do with our conflict.”

Tyco walked over to Trixie and pulled out a silver colored revolver, pointing it at her. “Life’s a bitch. Give me the eye or she dies, plain and simple.”

Hoity grit his teeth. “I…don’t…”

“You have three seconds Mr. Toity. ONE…TWO…THREE!”

A loud shot rang in the small stone chamber. Hoity looked on in horror as he saw Trixie lying on the floor in a puddle of her own blood. She had been shot in the chest; the blow wasn’t immediately fatal so she was still conscious struggling to breathe with labored gulps of air.

“Guards seize the eye and put this…whelp out of his misery. See you in Tartarus Mr. Toity.”

Hoity cradled Trixie withering form in his arms. “Trixie…just hang on I’ll get you to a hospital and everything will be ok.”

“Hoity I feel so tired. Yes sleep…would be so…wonderful.”

Hot tears stung Hoity’s eyes, as he fought to control his anger. With a primal howl of rage he let out all of his hatred and anguish, both at himself and the world. His cry thundered across the room, momentarily stunning all of the guards. They couldn’t believe such a sound could come from a pony. Little did they know how right they were.

Hoity’s irises pulsed with magical energy and became completely green. Tendrils of dark magic leaked out from the sides of his eyes, while the black colored aura surrounded his body. A transformation was about to begin. The first thing to change was his teeth. Gone were the flat, dull teeth of a herbivore in their place grew sharpened canines. The bones in his body began to snap and pop as they grew in length. A pair of leathery bat wings erupted from his back. Fore hooves transformed into five digited razor sharp claws.

The guards looked on in horror at the monstrosity that stood before them. It was five meters tall, with a wingspan that could rival Princess Celestia’s. The fur on its body was oddly the same dark grey it had been before as well retaining its swirled black and white mane. The creature was bipedal standing on two large hooves, not unlike a minotaur. Its entire body was clad with taunt, rippling muscles no doubt meant to tear victims apart. The worst part was the eyes. They were large red, pools of death. Gone were the circular pupils of a pony, replaced by draconian slits.

The creature spoke in a deep, rumbling tone almost akin to a dragon. “I will rend your flesh from bone, mortals. Consider this an honor, I haven’t taken my beast form in centuries. I shall enjoy this.”

Tyco fired his revolver at the beast. “Fire at will you fools! Kill it before it gets any closer!”

A barrage of bullets flew through the air, some bullets ricocheted off of the stone walls, creating sparks. Other bullets, however found their mark. The beast staggered for just a moment, then its eyes flashed red. The creature had indeed been hit by several bullets, but they appeared to be lodged in its torso. The bullets wedged themselves out clattering against the floor.

Hoity bellowed with laugher. “You think mortal weapons can kill me? Nice try, but now it’s my turn.”

Hoity flapped his powerful wings, launching himself at a group of ten soldiers. Grabbing two of them by the neck he tossed them into a nearby column, snapping their spines. One soldier tried to club him with the butt of his rifle, however it was intercepted by Hoity’s jaws clamping down on it. The rifle broke in half, leaving the soldier defenseless. Hoity grinned, then tore open the poor soldier’s neck, spraying dark red blood all over the floor. A few soldiers dropped their guns trying to flee for their lives. Upon seeing this, Hoity threw some loose pieces of granite at them. They barely made it to the door before their skulls were crushed by the flying projectiles.

All that was left was Tyco. He crawled across the floor towards a wall, still clutching his revolver. As Hoity lumbered towards him, he fired his remaining four shots into Hoity’s chest but it was useless.

Hoity licked one of his claws. “Any last words mortal?”

“You killed all of them! All of my men. Its freaks like you that made my people cowardly ball-lickers. I won’t give you the satisfaction demon, I am not afraid.”

“You should be. I am far more ancient and power than you could possibly imagine. You could have avoided this, you could have just given me the eye. But…no you chose to be difficult. Now, you must suffer.”

Hoity grabbed Tyco by the waist and tore him in half, tossing the pieces across the room. He walked over to Trixie, noticing that she had lost a considerable amount of blood. It was a long shot, but he would try and save her. Putting on the gentlest smile he could muster he ran his fingers through her mane, in an attempt to calm the dying mare.

Trixie felt cold, so very cold. She barely had the energy to even breathe. Maybe it was her eyes playing tricks on her, maybe it was the loss of so much blood but she swore she saw a monster walking towards her. It was fearsome yes, but it looked at her with sadness not anger. Trixie was surprised when the beast started to stroke her mane. She offered a weak smile before surrendering herself to sweet oblivion.