Fallen Valkyrie

The Lamia was not amused by Flearia words, and at this point she was starting to lose her finaly amounts of patient. She ignored Flearia at frst, and insted she started to slowly slither around our litle adventurers, and with evry inch she moved, she started to in circle our adventurers with her dark scaled lower body. Even so she was taller then twice the size of an pony creature, there was no sound as she moved her body acrose the flore. Evry twist of her lower body, thet allowed her to move, was made elegantly with almost no trouble, so by looks of it her lower body could break a bone or two if it got wraped around something as simple as an creature from Equestria. But luckly by looks of it, this Lamia did not inted to kill our adventruers, yet, so her scaled lower body was still on a distance from them. Lamia noticed one of this three pony like creatures, made couple of steps back, and her frst toughts were thet this pink one, was probably the one who will spil who or what they are. She contineu to slither as she opened her mouth to speak with the same voice as before "So you are still sticking thet you are normal creature, huh?" Lamia slithered for couple of moments in complite silence and then contineu to speak, with litle weeker voice then before, change in tone of voice was probably because she started to trust claims of Flearia and Indus for some rereasobut she was probably not conplitly sure if they are realy what they claim to be. She continued "If you are realy claiming thet you are 'ponys from Equestria' why dont you tell me how creatures as simple as you gained access to this place?"

"Oh my!" The creature said in mocking voice, as she placed one of her hands on her forehead "And here I tought you were Kamala's from second dimension. Thank you so much for clearing thet up." Her face did not have anny expresion as she speaked, she was obiusly mocking Induses answer. After she finished mocking Indus, she stood up from the chair she was siting on. Because her lower body was like the snaiks, she did not had anny legs but even so her lower body suported her elegantly. In her stending position, she was more then twice the hight of our litle adventurers. She placed her hands behaind her back and raised her head up high, and looked at our adventurers from the bottom of her eyes. She opened her moth to speak, and by doing so our heroes onces again seen her sharp fangs. Her voice lost all emotion it had moments ago when she mocked Indus, but even so even like this it had dignity in it "This is the lest time I will ask. WHO.....ARE....YOU?!" This creature was probably the guardian of this relm our heroes ended up in, an by what she said earlyer she had some kaid of ability to see the past and the future of evryone except of our litle adventurers. And this probably put her on guard as she does not know who are our heroes, or what there true form was. So she probably wanted more then just specie they are, as look could be easly changed with simple magic spell.

After entering the crack, our trio did not made not even five steps before they found them selfs on complitly diferent islan. Unlike one they were on moments ago, this islan was quait big, and it was seperated on three parts. From the place they found them selfs there were three paths they could go. Right path and left path looked quait the same. They were long stretches of stone road, with couple of empty doorways. But the third path, one in front of them, looked quait diferent. Frst, unlike with other two, it had couple of steps as it was litle lower then the platform they were curently stending on. After thos two steps, it was like they entered an big room. This room was wide couple of meters, and on the edge were litle walls, probably to prevent creatures to fall off into the black emptyness thet was belove the island they were curently stending on. On the other side of this 'room' there was an wall with an beautifull, but litle torned tapestry. Under this tapestry, in front of the wall, there were four chairs, but only one was in use. In this chair, there was an strange creatur siting. This creature had the upper body of some kaid of humanoid creature and the lower body of a snake. Lower body of this interesting creaure, was quait long, but because most of it was next to the small wall on the edge, it did not take much of a 'room' space. The scales on this creature were dark grey color, and were covered with soft white cloth. On the upper body, this creature also weared white cloth, but it was quait thicker then the botom part. Head of this creature was decorated with blood red curled hair. Creature opened it's mouth to speak in beautifuly soft female voice thet resebled the voice there Princess had back in Equestria "Welcome to lest relm travelers. I would offer you to sit, but I am wary of your intentions..." her voice become menacing as she continued "...I can see a lot of things thet are yet about to happen, but for some reason your past is clouded to me, and your future is a mistery. So..." she shoved sharp fangs on the corner of her mouth "...what are you?"

"If thet is all, we should probably move out." Mare started "I will lead you to the meeting point and then I will need to return to my duty." And with thet this cloaked mare, lead our heroes out of this tavern, true the empty streets and out of this town of ghosts. A day passed, and at the noon of the next day mare lead our heroes to the small houae in the midle of no were. But unlike with the town they just left, here tbere were around 15 ponys thet were in full body armor with there wepons ready. This ponys were mainly equped with wepons for close combat but mixed in were could of ponys with ranged wepons. All this ponys were probably the mercenaris thet mare said Rytlock will bring with him. Mare smailed to the could of mercenaris and then told our heroes to enter the small house because this "Rytlock" person will be waiting for them here. As our heroes entered the small house they were greeted with an quait, but menacing "Welcome". And if our heroes would look towered the place were the voice was coming from. They would notice an changleing. He was wearing an armor, thet was black as his skin so it was hard to notice it on frst look, he had green mane and tail and on his sidethere was just an sword shaft. He contineu to speak in same voice as before "I expected thet you will be biger. What can a small fry like you do if we get atack?"

Mare sighed as she belived there woupd not be more questions, and then continued in normal voice "Leader is Rytlock Brimstone, and no there will also be his mercenaries." She then looked down at the flore and closed her eyes for a moment and after opening them again she looked back at Ticktock "Around 17 of them and then four of you will make 21 ponys in total in this caravan. Woulsld thet be all?"

"Ah!" Mare said happyly "It is located on the edge of 'Maguuma Wastes' in the southern part of Dry top valley." she finished with a smaile "But do not wory about direction, caravan leader will know his way to the town. This wont be his frst trip there." She looked at Ticktock onces more and asked "Will thet be all you wanted to know?"

"You will be escorting caravan filled with food to the small mineing town on the far south." Mare said right after Blizzard finished talking, this was probably only part she prepared to talk about on this 'meeting'. Mare continued "And reason for this is bandits. We think they have a base some were around thet there, but we can spare anny agents to investigate this problem so we can just ask some one to guard the goods." Mare coughed and then continued "So.....will you assist us?"

Mare looked away from Ticktock after he asked his question, and contineu to answer to this simple question in higher pitch voice then before "Dangerous...I would not call it 'Dangerous'..." She coughed and continued "...It is just a litle and simple escort job.." final part of her sentance she said much more quaiter in hopes our heroes would not hear it "...to the other side of the continent."

"Army?" Mare said questionably and just moments after coughed onces and repeated the same word witch much more confidents "Army! Yes...sort of. Do not wory about this 'witch' , she is not able to do apsolutly annything....I think." After thet, she looked at the other pony thet said yes, with his own free will "Thet's the spirite." After thet her eyes looked at the remaining ponys at the table, as she waited to hear will they say yes like the frst two did, or will they say no to this offer to help the world they live in.

Imp historian looked at Flearia as she complained thet she would not be able to reach this crack. "Wory not." Imp said to Flearia as crack quickly expanded, and in just momemts air cracked inaf thet even this Imp, thet was smaller then our litle adventurers, pass true the crack by just walking true it. "Can we hury now, or is there some other problem?"

Sudeenly one loud thunder could be heard ecoing in the far distance of this endless darkness. And mear moments small part of air it self cracked, and reviled bright white light coming from inside if it. Small imp historian aimed his look towered the crack and with voice full of unbelife started "She is already calling for you?" then like something clicked inside of his litle red head, he contineu with much more confidance "Mistresses is calling for you, come on.." he claped twice as he jumped of the chair and moved towered the white crack in hopes of hurying our litle adventurers "...move. As you know, she got all the time she wants, but still if I were you I would not like to keep HER waiting."

"Asteral plains?" Creature said almost desapionted "By the Quill thet lests a billion words, you ended up here without even knowing what this place is? Today's youth is desapointing." After thet he sighed and continued "You have come to a place to witch the stars it self come to die. This place existe before evry begining, and will stend long after the final end. And you currently stend in a small space right after the 'Tick' and moments before the 'Tack'. " Small creature chuckled as he returned to his chair next to the telescope and after he sat he continued "Some may call this 'Final end' but I like to look at it as 'The frst begining'."

Creature looked at Indus questionably "No calculation?" after it, he prosseded to pull of his glasses and clean them. And as he returned them on his head he continued "You are eder brave individual,or a complate fool. And as I see you here, I would go for the fool." After thet he proceded to list to Induses question, and after thet he siged "No, I am just a simple historian, thet is a search of a salvation. Now you should probably get countrable, as we got biger problems then you here. So it may take years before you get summoned."

Our heroes, one by one, joined the mare at her table. "Allright...sooo...." the mare started "..you all came here because you wanted to help....Thet is great..." mare's voice was insicure, and she often tok litle pauses. By looks of it she was probably not prepared for this 'meeting' "....So, as I said in the message, we do need litle bit of helpying hooves....We lost many fild adventurers after Scarlet atacked, so we would wish for you to join our litle ranks just for a month or two. You wont have to do anny dificult jobs.....so what do you say, are you with us?" Mare finiahed with the smaile aimed towered our heroes.

At the sound of Indus voice the small red creature quickly raised his head and to look at our litle adventurers with questionable face. "Pardon you indeed." He said whayl jumping down fron the chair, thet was quait big for him, and after his feet have struck the flore he pulled pair of big glases from his pocket and placed him on his head, probably to see our litle adventurers beter. "There are wery small number of creature, if anny, thet come this far with there own free will. So what went wrong? Did you forgot to calculate in something? I would bet you miss calculated place were Dweyna will be at this moment.Hmmmm...she is in the tread house if I am not mistaken."

Flearia lit up the white match in hopes of creating silver fire, but plan did not gone as anticipated. Insted of the sliver fire, with this white match, Flearia created small white one. This fire was almost as whiteas snow outside, but unlike snow, it was much brighter. And before our litle adventurers could do annything, this small fire growed fester then even pegasus could fly. And so, because of pore choise they made, this white fire frst blinded them, and moments later swallowed them. But it was strange, they did not feel anny burning on there skin, or anny other pain for thet matter. Did this happen so fest, thetthey did not even have time to react before they crossed into the land of the dead? If they are to open there eyes, they would noticed they are not in thet beautifull and empty cave anny more, they were now stending on stone bricks, the ceiling of the cave was replaced by long stertcher of pure darknes with litle lights here and there thet resembld the starts, but they were too few to look like night sky back in Equestria. And if they were to look closer they would noticed thet they were not even stensing on a planet, but on one realy small island of bricks, i was so small thet they would need maybie a minute to walk from one side of this island to the other. And unlike anny normal island, back on Equestria, there was no water around them, it was just nothingness in all in evry way. Up, down, left and right around this litle island was nothing but pure darkness with small light far, far in the distance. They were litaraly no were, so now it was the tike to look at this small brick island they appered on. As they looked around, they would noticed mountains of books evry were, and if they would to pick up one they would see thet it they were in lauguage they never seen before. On the other side of this island was one big telescope, it was so big thet it would probably not fit into the cave they were in moments ago. Next to this telescope was table and a chair, thet compered to this teleskop looked like toys, and in the chair there was siting an small red, two leged creature. This creature was quait well dresed, but even so, his face was not what would one call beautifull. But thet aside, by looks of it he was writing something in one of the many books thet were owerflowing the table, and its suroundings, and by looks of it he did not noticed our litle adventurers appering on his island.

And so as some of our heroes meet for te frst time, and others reunited, doors of this small but now not quait empty tavern opened. And as soon as door opened wide, an low desapointed voice could be heared from the pony thet was about to enter "O dear, this is all?" , after our heroes heard thet they could see an Unicorn dressed in black robes, thet by looks of it were not quait new. This unicorn looked around the room one more time, to be sure he did not nissed annyone. But no she did not, onli this four came. After one lest 'O dear' she proceded with quait loud voice "Anny one who is here fore the meeting of the heroes please come to closer, others please leave." And after thet she walked and sat at one table closest to her.

Our dear Indus walked true the cold, snowy white forest for a litle while before finding entrance to one strange cave. If Indus was to look closer, he would notice an small fire iznaide the cave, and if he was to enter he would find rest of his team in here.

Nothing unusual happened, there were many guguardst not a single one of them noticed an invisible Unicorn passing by them. And just in moments Indus was outside of the town, and by looks of it safe from guards, for now at list. And just as he left the town invisiblity potion lost it's efect. It was a shame thet this strong wepon expaired, but it was quait usefull. And now Indus could contineu to folow Summers arrow in the sky until he find's rest of his team.

Because the gate Indus was hopeing to use was one Summer almost got caught and because of thet this gate was much havely guarded then others. There were no guards snoozing, like when Flearia was leaving this strange Deamon ponys town not long before Summer did. But even with all this guards, Indus wont have hard time leaving if he was carefull inaf, it was because invisiblity potion he used not long ago, was still in efect. Hopefully it wont expaire until he left the town.

Summer made an small fire in hope of warming up the unconcious friend. But it also help her see much deep inside the cave then before. This small and warm light sourse allowed our two litle lucky adventurers an constant source of light and litle by litle dark inside the cave lost to the light of Summer's fire and got lit up. Litle by litle, inch by inch, millimeter by millimeter darkness shrinked until there was noting of it left. And then finaly our two litle tomb raiders from acrose the big blue sea could see an empty cave, it was filled with small probably un edible mushroms, some green moss on the walls of it and litle puddles of water, probably just melted snow. They were lucky it was just there imagination thet something watched them.

Two of our adventurers entered an dark and empty cave thet was nearby. On the first glance, this cave looked like a good cover from snow and cold wind, but then again this cave was quait dark and our two litle lucky adventurers could not seen much deeper then light from the outside allowed em to. And there could be felt an strange fealing like something was watching them from this dark and empty cave, but they would not know if there was something there until they some how lighted up more of the cave. If Indus was to look at the sky, he would notice an strange arrow thet Summer left not long ago. This probably ment something, as she would not boather making one with out a reason.

Summer left strange cloaked pony, without even trying to listen what, or more importently with who, it was talking to. Irra and Flearia were out in the snow in midle of the forest, it was not wery easy to find a safe place out here, but luvly there was a cave near by, so maybie, if it was empty, it could be perfect place to wait for Flearia to awake again. Back inside the tavern, Indus found his way to cloaked pony's room. There was no one in the room, and the window was open. This cloaked pony probably escaped true it some were. It was safe to say, Inuds had all the time in the world to investigate and look for clues. But there was not much he could find here, cloaked pony, by looks of it, tok this room not long ago so room was still clean. And onli strange thing he could find were lot of blank white paper scatered around the room. He probably left in a hury when he left so many of them. But interstingly inaf, if he looked litle more, he would find an strange box of matches, with onli two matches. One black and one white one. Probably best thing to do with this strange matches would be to show them to Flearia and Summer before doing annything with mire with them.

Indus tok the invisibility potion and gone back into the tavern, by looks of it he realy did not had anny plan of action and was heavily improvising. He listen frst listen to conversasion about him, and then he seen tavern keeper apologize to this group for all the trouble Indus made to them. He listen to litle more of there conversation, but realy there was not much of usefull information he could get from couple of drunk deamon's. But in there conversation came up cloaked pony, and how un usual it was, they also mention place of its room upstairs. Also in there conversation came an strange pony with fire red hair, she was here couple of hours ago. She picked up couple of stuf, mainly oil for her lantern, and left the city on the south gate. They said there was a big castel a day walk in thet way. Cloaked pony walked for a litle big more before stoped and looked around for one lest time. Probably to see if annyone is around as he was sure no one folowed him. And after he made sure he is alone he made an small camp. This looked like a normal camp, for ths cold snowy day. But after he set up the tent and placed all its wepons in it, he proceed to light up an fire in the midle of it's camp. But unlike normal red fire, this cloaked pony made an silvery fire. And after couple moments after he started to talk to it. But Summer was litle too far to hear it's voice so if she wished to hear what this strange pony was telling to he fire, she would have to get closer and risk gdting found out.

Indus left the inn without learning annything new, it is a shame he did not come prepared for this... Guards shased after Summer a litle, but onces she was behaind the clouds they gave up the case. But this did not gone with out consequences. Guards were now fully awake and ready for annything. All the Guards with the bow's were ready to fire at moment notice at annything and annyone, on ground guards were much more observent and will probably take anny suspisous itmen from anny pony thet is preparing to leave or enter the city. Also the guards thet originaly started to chase Summer, probably noticed the arow she made.... Cloaked pony thet Summer chased quickly left the town, it used the diversion thet Summer made on the oposit side of the city to leave. It quickly moved from an rof to rof and finaly jumped down in to the soft white snow. After moving away from the city and into the forest, cloak pony slowed down and cheked it's wepons. Probably to see if it left something back in the tavern. And moments after it contineu to move deeper into the east forest.