The Lord of Ragnarok

Mini Chapter 5 - Relocation

Timidus P.O.V.

The Grasslands and forests have always been our home. I've heard of our kind settling in cities, and I suppose our village was close to one. But I know we feel more at home while roaming over the grassland, or venturing into the darkened forests. But I don't feel free, and I don't feel at home. I feel as if the weight of the world has closed in around my throat. I had been a simple mare before meeting my husband. I helped gather the food and various necessities we needed, and I resided myself to being someone who would never know the yolk called leadership around my neck.

After his death it is my voice that all of them turn to. I'm not a strong mare, not a warrior, or a doctor, I'm a baker, a food gatherer, and soon to be a mother. Leading is different, and that difference is frightening. I watched as Ventum Celeri returns to the larger group. There were only a few winged members of our group, and his speed is, I dare say, unmatched by the others. He knelt before me, and I felt uncomfortable with the display of reference. After all, I remembered when he was a colt and he would dip the ends of my mane into some ink! Now, now he treated me as if I were my husband.

"Queen Timidus, I see a place, about a day's trot from here. It does not have the banner we have been avoiding, but rather, it appears to have a red banner, with a gold gryphon inside of it. While I am but a humble scout I believe it would be a worthwhile venture to seek help from them," he said as he pointed toward the direction.

He was right of course. We needed to find help. It was foalish to want to avoid any settlement other than the Temple my husband spoke of. I didn't have the luxury of being foalish anymore. I had to become a leader, a queen, and I needed to lead my people into safety. Once that was done, I wasn't sure what would happen, but I could only guess that the yolk of leadership would be removed from my neck. I suppose that I could go back to being a simple baker, but even that wouldn't truly be so. I carried the heir to my husband's legacy, and I carried the the heir to the throne of an empire I have never seen.

For now my role is simple. Keep my people moving, find the temple, and seek refuge for all of us. Elude the forces that seek us harm and keep the herd together. Maybe, just maybe, if we can secure the assistance of this temple, we can return to our village in peace. And maybe, word will have come of what has happened to my stallion…

All in all I understood the truth of what was at stake. Our freedom, and our way of life, but more importantly to me was the life I wanted for my foal. I needed to know that my foal would have the ability to grow into the leader he, or she, was destined to be. All I could do for the time being was keep moving. Keep all of us moving. So, following Ventum Celesti's directions, we moved toward the village he spoke of. Getting near it I realized it wasn't so much a village as it was a large city. Shops and Businesses lined the street we walked on, and I found myself feeling more and more uncertain. I saw two females, one a snake woman, and the other looked human, standing at a stall. I didn't know them, I could only surmise how they would react, but I could wait no longer. I asked Ventum Celesti to accompany me, if for nothing else than support, and I neared them.

"E..Excuse me, I hate to interrupt, but would either of you know where to find the Temple of Celestia Sol?"

The snake woman looked at me, and I realized she was a viper woman. Her golden eyes studied me, and I could see the way her purple scales shined in the light. She coiled herself up, becoming just a little taller than myself, and looked into my eyes.

"How do you know of the temple?" she asked.

I swallowed my nerves, "My husband… King Sombra the Magnificent, told me to seek it out. I.. I must find it for all of my people. He said to find either his sister Mistress Marevelous, or a Lord Mannulus there."

I saw her swallow, "Lord Sombra the Magnificent is here? Where is he? Is he in danger?" she asked.

I shook my head, "He was fighting invaders that wished us harm," I said as tears began to fall, "He bought us time, all of us, including our unborn foal, so that we could escape. I lost contact with him, I… I think that he's dead."

My words struck her, and she looked dumbfounded. For several seconds she did not speak, and then she looked at me. "Are you sure?" she asked.

I nodded, "I am. We heard it as we left, a dragon was with whoever was attacking," I said as the sobs began to shake my voice, "He…"

I felt Ventum Celesti's hand touch my shoulder, "Queen Timidus, it's okay, I will tell, if you want me to."

I nodded, and I closed my eyes as he began, "One of our scouts had seen an army approaching. King Sombra the Magnificent went out to face them. I don't know how long it was exactly, but it seemed after only a few minutes the dragon arrived. Queen Timidus gave the order that King Sombra the Magnificent said to escape. She told us that he said to go to a temple called the Temple of Celestia Sol, and that we should be safe there," he bowed his head, "We had believed that he would catch up to us. After all, I had seen him personally take down great beasts on his own, but he did not. After the first four days, we realized that he must be dead."

I looked at the Viper woman and she bowed her head, "I see, we will take you to the temple, while you are in our care no harm shall befall any of you. Tell me, do you know the name of the dragon that slayed him?" she asked.

I nodded, "I heard it through the spell my husband used to contact us, He is called Anok the Destroyer."

She nodded, "Very well. We shall learn of this Anok the Destroyer, and his hiding place. I promise you, he will pay dearly for what he has done."

She turned toward her companion, "Maxine, please contact Lord Mannulus immediately. Inform him of what we have learned, and inform him that we will bring Lord Sombra the Magnificent's servants, and chosen queen, to him. Afterward, ask if he wishes for us to continue to learn about the Kingdom here, or if we should prepare to hunt a dragon."

I watched her companion, Maxine, as she removed a scroll from her handbag. She wrote a few lines, closed her eyes, and then I saw a bright light engulf her. For a moment I saw her fully, and I could see a set of transparent wings on her back. Her long elvish ears, and youthful face looked in contrast to the sophisticated woman that stood there a moment ago. She then disappeared completely. None around us noticed, and the viper woman waved it off.

"Worry not, we have cast an illusion spell. To everyone else outside of the three of us here it will appear that we are still talking, and that she is standing behind me."

I nodded, and watched as the light shimmered again. This time she appeared with one of our kind. Much like myself, and my husband, he was a unicorn. One of his eyes had been replaced by a green jewel, and I could see burned marks all over his body. Places that looked like writing, and how painful they appeared to be. He gave me a slight bow of respect.

"I am Lord Mannulus, head of the Temple of Celestia Sol, Leader of those inside, and regent of the surrounding lands. Sombra the Magnificent was my dear friend, and you madam, are welcomed to enter the Temple with your entire community. We shall do all we can to keep you safe and comfortable."

I saw the viper woman turn toward him, "Sire, Do you wish for us to lead them to the temple?" she asked.

He shook his head, "No, simply lead them outside of the city. Once there I will open a portal for all of them to cross into the temple with no problem."

A small shimmer rippled around us, and I noticed that he was dressed differently. Yellow goggles covered his eyes, a long coat with a hood was over his face, and a scarf covered his muzzle. To many he would seem more approachable in this disguise, but after seeing his true form I found it to be off putting. Regardless I followed him toward the edge of the city, and once there I felt the energy of untold power surround a small area. My eyes beheld a darkish vortex open, and I stumbled back as I admired the power radiating from it. The amount of it rivaled my husband's own power, and I looked toward Lord Mannulus.

"Come, There is much to do, and so little time to do it in," he said.

Stepping into the Temple I was in awe at how large it was. The vast rooms seemed to be decorated by various banners, and one was something I had seen on my husband's rear end once. A trio of Red and black crystals, shooting up together, in a tight formation that somehow fit him. Seeing the formation here, I understood that this had, at one time, been his home. I noticed a statue moved into place, and I looked at my husband's form in shiny black armor. The statue looked almost as if it was going to step off of the pedestal, and I couldn't help but be drawn to it.

I walked over to it, and I looked at the regal way the statue stood.

"You did it," I whispered to black onyx that made the statue, "You saved all of us, and I am so proud of you, but I'm so scared and angry too. We were supposed to be together for the rest of our lives, and you're gone now."

I felt a touch and looked toward another winged of our kind. She was cyan, a rainbow colored mane and tail adorned her, and she looked at the statue with me.

"Lord Mannulus said that you and Lord Sombra the Magnificent were married, is that right?" she asked.

I nodded, "We were, still am," I sighed, "I will never find anyone else like him. I don't want anyone else."

She smiled, "I understand. In many ways he was like my father," she replied, "And he became even more so after my parents were killed," she looked at the statue, "Which is why we're going after the ones that did this, and we are going to make sure that they will never do this again."

She led me over to Lord Mannulus, and he asked if I would hold out my arm. I did and he chanted a few words. I felt a magic cover me, and suddenly I felt the presence of my husband, or a portion of his power. An odd feeling came from my rump, and I looked at him. He pulled a small mirror from what looked like a miniature portal, and handed it to me. I moved it to see my rump, and there, on it was the same mark that had been on my husband's rump.

"You are welcomed to go everywhere Sombra the Magnificent was allowed to go, and you may stay in his room, if you wish. As for his belongings, there are some that can not leave the Temple, but the rest will go to you, and to his foal."