private The Elements

[P-Jay 1,987]

caliber narrowed his eyes. "bridgekeeper, why cant we ask questions?" he asked quietly. "it only seems fair that we ask questions in return."

 

this was unexpected. and fighting a dragon, even with flight, was gonna be hard.

 

i mean, sure, he's fought an ursa minor, and came out on top, but a dragon is a huge step from that.

[LordSwinton 759]

"Well, do you guard the passage to untold riches and treasure? Or be imprisoned here for all eternity? Or left to rot here for a thousand years with absolutely no company?!" He bellowed and the world seem to tremble. "For you, what is the air speed velocity of an unladden swallow?"

[LordSwinton 759]

"Ah, but that's for a European swallow. What about the African swallow?" The dragon scratched his scaly head and cleared his throat.

 

"But that's another question." Starchase quickly cut in. "Can we go now?!"

 

"Very well," the gatekeeper stood aside, almost like he was shifting the ground. "The road to the Empire is paved with great riches, do be careful and not give in to temptation." He spoke in a monotonous voice.

 

The bridge was deadly dangerous, it was a rocky path the connected two inner mountain caves, it was old and much of the path had worn off and crumbled away.

 

"Come one!" Flipnote waved to the group as he darted ahead of them. The winding tunnel ultimately led to a dead end, a wall of solid crystal. No doubt a false wall to deter potential travellers.

 

"What now?!" Starchase pushed at the wall. It wouldn't budge. "Someone cleave it in half." He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

Edited June 30, 2015 by Swinton

[AmberDust 1,118]

Amber gazed at her comerades with a stern look of disapproval as they trotted on past the gatekeeper dragon. Didn't they listen to the Dragon's rhyme? About the bridge of death, and being on the wrong side and whatnot? Not to mention common courtesy--this poor thing must have been sitting down here for ages waiting for somepony to show up, and to just brush him off seemed like such a shame. She shook her head before trotting up to the dragon.

Amber cleared her throat, then tapped the beasts taloned hands gently with her hoof to get his attention.

"It's blue," she said quietly with a smile, trying not to be heard by her fellow ponies. She looked up into the dragon's huge, reptillian eyes.

"Thank you for your help--I hope my friends didn't offend you." she continued, offering her cutest smile in an attempt to gain his favour once more.

"Its just that they're very worried about our friend, Arcing, and they want to get to him as soon as possible. Do you think you could help us out? Please?" she added hopefully. He seemed like a reasonable dragon, so it couldn't hurt to try a little kindness.

Edited July 1, 2015 by AmberDust

[LordSwinton 759]

The usually lazy beast squeezed himself into the small tunnel. He was like a compacted dragon sausage, wiggling his way in.

 

"That shouldn't be there," He was about to scratch his chin before he realized it was physically impossible. He reached over the group and tapped on the blockade. To his surprise it didn't shatter. He wiggled back out and went to his stash. "The one time I need something but don't have." He murmured to himself as he dug through the mountain of bits and gems. He thought he had some magical sword somewhere. Though he'd probably used it as a toothpick or something and discarded into the Gorge of Eternal Peril.

 

"Sorry to say I seem to have run out of pointy things." He called outas he wiggled back in. His wings were feeling rather tender. "You're free to come over and take a peak if anything tickles your fancy, take it and be on your way." It wasn't like he earned his horde. They were all 'gifts' from dim witted nobles of the past who wished to cross. Nobody had ever had to turn back though.

 

He hoisted them up to cave he kept his treasure. To say it was a palace of riches old be a an understatement. If it was shiny, he had it.

[AmberDust 1,118]

"Wow," Amber said, eyes wide as we was lifted up onto the hoard of gems and other relics. A broad grin stretched across her face.

"Some of these artefacts must be hundreds of years old," she exclaimed, rooting through the pile. "And we can really take whatever we want? Thank you so much, mister...sorry, what was your name?" she asked, still smiling.

[LordSwinton 759]

"Don't mind if I do." Starchase surveyed the golden landscape. Flipnote was content to flit about, soaking in the treasure. "There's so much gold." He caught a glimpse at his own reflection in the shiny platter. Kicking it away in favor of prettier objects, he nudged around the piles.

 

"I am simply known as Bridgekeeper," The dragon shrugged. "As far as I can remember, that has been my name." He slunk off to his nest and circled it a few times before curling in it.

[P-Jay 1,987]

caliber didnt really show much attention to the gold. "while this is nice and all, our friend is still in danger." he said, annoyed. "we gotta come up with some sort of plan."

 

he was a little miffed some treasure caught his friends eyes, and that they were looking about. hell, arcing''s life was on the line!!

[LordSwinton 759]

(Not posting is killing me!)

 

"Take all the time you need, Lektra." Starchase laughed as he muzzled around some gold bits and picked up some jewels. He was a sucker for jems, precious stones. "What are you picking up,Caliber? Amber?" He asked as he sorted through another pile of treasure as the bridgekeeper rested in his own nest, looking rather dopey and sad.

Edited July 7, 2015 by Swinton

[P-Jay 1,987]

"nothing." caliber said, in response to starchase's question. "i dont have any use for these gems. that, and im already pretty wealthy. AND im an alicorn now, remember? we're royalty. we have no need to just...pillage this loot. we're rich enough as it is."

 

he looked at the dragon. "do you think you can break that door down?" he asked, "the one made of gems?"

[LordSwinton 759]

"I would if I could, I reassure you." He looked up from his curled up ball position and looked at Caliber before dropping his head down again. "What is your friend doing?" He motioned to Lektra, working away.

 

Starchase found the biggest jemstone, it was a lovely blue, probably expensive by the looks of it. He took it over to Amber, suspending it in the air with his magic, his magical aurora making it looks as though the jewel was glowing.

Edited July 10, 2015 by Swinton

[AmberDust 1,118]

"Ooh," Amber said, as the blue jewel floated into her field of vision, distracting her from an old wall-hanging she had been occupied with. She gazed at it searchingly.

"What's this, Starchase?" she asked, grinning at the floating jewel. It occured to her suddenly that the gem's colour and general shape matched her cutie mark to a "T".

"Are you trying to find a stone to match my cutie mark?" she asked. "You might be surprised at how difficult it is," she added with a smile.

[LordSwinton 759]

By then Lektra had finished with her drill and there was a small hole in the wall for them to pass through. The bridgekeeper managed to help expand it by punching the fractured wall.

 

On the other side was an equally dark corridor but the walls and floors were reflective and clearly chiseled out by hoof. And at the end was another staircase that led to a well furnished room through its marble fireplace.

[P-Jay 1,987]

"lets go!!" caliber said, running head-first into the hole made in the gemstone.

 

"hold on, friend! im coming!" he said.

 

(well, iv posted, and unfortunately, there wasn't a lot for me to post. and ill try to post more often, but these dang forums wont tell me when someone posts here...ill just review it manually.)

[LordSwinton 759]

Starchase tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge. He flung himself against it, ramming it. But it just refused to open.

 

"It's locked," He sighed as he gave up and sat his plot down on a comfortable chair. "How does one lock a wooden door?" He stared emptily at the blue jem he had hauled all the way with them.

[AmberDust 1,118]

Amber smiled gratefully at he gatekeeper and mouthed a "thank you", then followed her friends into the dark corridor...

 

"If we can get past a stone wall, we can get past a wooden door," Amber said, trotting through the tight opening. She nudged past Starchase and put her hooves up on the door, trying to see through the keyhole.

Then, she knocked.

"Can't hurt to try," she said to the room at large.

[LordSwinton 759]

The other side of the door was dark. A guard going through his usual rounds were spooked by the thumping noises. It seemed to come from one of the sealed doors. He fumbled around with his ring of keys and picked out the right one. Slowly he slotted it into the keyhole and opened the door.

 

(BTW Flipnote is staying with the dragon in case we need backup later. Might come in handy.)

[P-Jay 1,987]

caliber burst through the door the moment it started to open.

 

his sword was already out, and pointed at whoever it was he just pinned to the ground.

 

caliber looked at him for a moment, before jumping off, and sheathing his sword. "well?" he asked the others, "where do we go? we need to save our friend!"

[LordSwinton 759]

"How would we know where he is?" Starchase hopped off his chair. "They probably saw us coming from a mile away. I know I heard something down there and it sure wasn't the dragon." He felt rather uneasy about it now.

 

"HELP! HELP! I'M BEING OPPRESSED!" The guard began to make a break for freedom. "INTRUDERS!"

 

(Do you kill him?)

[P-Jay 1,987]

caliber snarled, as the guard started to sounded the alarm.

 

he caught up to him, swept him off his feet, and once again pinned him with his sword dangerously close to the guard's neck.

 

"be quiet, or ill slice your vocal cords. and miss." he said quietly. 

 

(if he doesn't shaddup.)

[LordSwinton 759]

He didn't. A guard has to defend his castle and he screamed to warn his fellow guards till his dying breath and his body went slack. The light in his eyes gone cold and his blood went still. His blood ran a river through the cracks between the stone floor, leaking from his wound, slivering away.

 

"Great, now how are we suppose to find our way?" Starchase stood by the door. "We could've used with a guide. But he's dead. Great move, Caliber."

[P-Jay 1,987]

caliber simply moved the dead body to where no-one would trip over it.

 

"he wouldn't shut up! and if theres anything i know, its that you have to silence anyone who starts to sound the alarm, or you'll end up having to kill an entire fortress! trust me, i know!"

 

he shook the blood off his sword with a quick twitch-like motion. and it looked like he had done that many times before.

[AmberDust 1,118]

Amber caught her shaking breath as she watched the life slowly drain from the guard. As Caliber pushed his motionless body aside, Amber's eyes remained locked on the bleeding wound. She couldn't stop herself imagining the guard's life up to this point...

"Let's try and lay low," she managed, choking on her own voice.

[LordSwinton 759]

"We can't just go around and bust open every doors we see until we find Storm, can we?!" Starchase tried to avoid the pooling puddle of blood still leaking about the whole place. "What now? Anypody know a good tracking spell?" He was exasperated, staring the at the group with big eyes.

[P-Jay 1,987]

"i could do that, actually." caliber said suddenly. "quite literally, that could make for a great distraction. i look for him using my method, and you all go find him the smart way."

 

he smiled weakly. "ill be fine, dont worry. ill cause a ruckus, and you all look for him!" he grinned. "is that a great plan, or what?"