Câlin’s father

She ran up the steps, ever going upwards until she reached the dark hallway. His call for her had never been so strong, never been so demanding, it had never been so… ecstatic.  The stone steps had been anything but smooth but recently the hallway had gotten even worse. Bones were lying everywhere, bones of the creatures He had killed because they did not meet his expectations. She had to walk carefully to be sure she didn’t fall, but she wanted to go as fast as possible as well. He didn’t like to wait.

The hallway seemed longer every time she had to go through it, and she walked even faster to make sure he would not be disappointed in her.

When she reached His door she told the password to the blind creatures that had seemed even larger than the last time she had been there, and that had not been a long time ago. The door opened for her, and slowly she stepped into the darkness. She had trouble not to gag when the smell filled her nose. Death and rot greeted her, but it was her duty to report to him, so she moved forward.

“My lord. You called for me.” She stated. She learned not to make it a question. Yet He hit her anyway. His whip felt as if it burned on her soft coat, but she had to endure it.
“You are late!” He roared, making the ground shiver.
“I came as fast as possible, my Lord. Why have You called for me?” She asked on her knees.
“Because she found it. My daughter, she just touched the queen’s crown.” He said, his voice filled with envy and pride.

“C… Câlin? She found the Queen’s Crown?” She asked in disbelief. She had been searching for it, the other had been searching for it, and they hadn’t found as much as a trace of it, but now a little girl found it?
“She did. I don’t know why, I don’t know where she is, but I felt her touch it. It couldn’t have been anything else. So get her, and go find Câlin. Persuade Câlin to give us the crown.” He ordered.

“Get… her?” She was surprised they had to do this together. The last time they had had to do that was… so long ago. Yet she should not have asked. The ground shook with his anger and she almost fell even before he hit her again.
“You will do as I say! That’s why you’re here, the only reason you are alive! Now go get her, and go find Câlin. She is in the dungeon.” He hit her again, and the rope of his whip touched her face. It took her considerable trouble not to yell, but she managed to stay quiet and endure that which she most likely deserved anyway.

“I will go find her.” She stated, and she turned around to leave the room. Yet she stopped hallway to the door. She sensed there was something else He wanted to say to her, but for some reason He was doubting whether it was a good idea to say it or not.
 “My Lord…?” She whispered, immediately getting hit once again.
“Silent.” He roared. A few moments passed before he spoke again.
“I want you to watch her. Be careful what you say. Don’t tell her it’s the crown you’re after. Tell her you are just looking for Câlin. Avoid making her see or touch the crown. Now make haste.”

She rushed out of the room after she had heard his message. She heard His guards close the door behind her as she trotted through the hallway, heading back towards the stairs. So she was in the dungeon once again… She seemed to spend more and more time out there. He must have His reasons for putting her there. Was she punished? She could not see why, but then again, they didn’t spend much time together anyway. He did not want them to speak a lot, so they didn’t.

She emerged at the stairs again, leading her down, away from the high slopes of the mountain. Through a window she could see clouds were taking over the sky, something that always pleased her. The long stairs finally let her go, but instead of going out she opened a wooden door that led her deep into the mountain. She did not like to go there, but He ordered her to. The walls were damp, and she could hear water drop in several corners. She knew His creatures were silently breeding there, ever reproducing but also feasting on each other’s bodies as if they were food.

The sound of her hoofs on the stone stairs was reflected by the dark walls. A torch lit up the stairs here and there, but most of them had died out a long time ago. She did not like the sound of the creatures walking by her, but she took comfort in the fact that they would never hurt her unless He ordered them to, but He had bigger plans for her now. To find Câlin and take the crown… For a moment she wondered why she should not take Câlin, as well. That had been her duty before she found Illuvia and the crown she had made. Why did he let it go now? Was it because Twinkle Star was with her now?

But it was not her place to question his orders. She only should obey; that was the only goal in her life and the only thing that should matter. As she got deeper into the mountains it became colder and even darker. She knew there was light at the end of the stairs, but she could not see it yet. To think that she spend so much time here…
“Who goes there?” A deep voice barked. She stopped walking but did not say anything; instead, she released a bit of her powers.
“Oh, my lady. What brings you here?” The guard said as he felt her powers.
“Her. I am here to take her on a journey. His orders.”

“Her? But I do not think she is up to that yet.” The guard said doubtfully.
“It were His orders. If He thinks she is fit, she is fit. Now bring me to her.” She commanded, knowing fully well that the guard would later be punished for his doubts. She could not see him in the darkness but she felt his presence in front of him. The guard of the dungeon was not just one of the creatures. He was a pony, just like she was, but he had lived in the dungeon for so long he probably had forgotten what the sun looked like.

She heard his hoofs going down the stairs and she followed the sound of them. After so much darkness the light of the two torches at the bottom of the stairs almost blinded her. The bars of the dark cells were black of dirt and blood. Two creatures with hideous deformed wings were sitting at a table, drinking and playing what seemed like a game with stones. They were supposed to guard the prisoners, but they were doing a lousy job. She knew they would soon be food for the young ones.

Behind the bars were some of the creatures. A woman, she saw, dressed in little clothes, hiding against the dark wall.

In other cells there were ponies, all females, beaten and used for His purposes. They were mere sacrifices to his ultimate plan that soon would be set in motion. Not only did he have the crown of Illuvia, he would soon have the Queen’s Crown. The pony guard stopped in one of the cells in the back, where little light of the torches still reached them. He took out his keychain and searched for the right key. The door opened, making an awful noise as if it had not been opened in years.
 “Here she is.” The guard announced when the door was open, and he stepped back.

She walked towards the door, and she noticed some kind of wooden bed with her lying on it. Her golden hair was flowing over the sides as if it was a river of light captured by the darkness. Her coat seemed to shine all by itself, but she cared little for that.
“I am here on His orders.” She announced.
“I already know.” Her soft voice said, but she did not seem to act on it.
“Well? We got to go now. We have to get that crown and bring it back to Him.” She pressed, but she seemed unimpressed. She did not move at all, except breath more heavily.

“Is she ill?” She asked the guard.
“I told you. She is not ready yet. He had to seal her once again. It’s becoming too frequent lately. It takes time for her to recover.” The guard said as if he found it silly that she had not thought of this herself. So she had been sealed again… That wasn’t strange, after what she had said the other day. It was ironic, his strongest weapon was the hardest to control. Yet, orders were orders, and she had to come. She did not want to waste any more time standing here.

“He ordered it. You will come now.” She demanded, wondering if it even was her place to talk to her like this. Yet it seemed to have effect, for she moved. She began to sit up in her bed, facing the wall.
“Right. I will come.” She whispered, and faced the two ponies standing on the other side of the bars. Her eyes were red, and she looked really tired. She was not well at all. But He ordered her to come, and He knew what was best.

She got off the wooden bed and stood a little wiggly on her feet, trying to get her balance. She took a few steps and then apparently she decided she was able to walk again, for she took her last few steps without hesitation.
“There. I’m done. We can go.”
“Good.” She walked away and she heard the other two following her. When they reached the bottom of the steps, she turned around and nodded at the guard.
“Thank you.” She said, and he nodded back, but did not say anything.

She led her up the stairs, through the darkness that seemed tighter than ever. All the way they did not speak, and she was pretty confident it was going to be like that for the most of their journey. There was simply nothing to talk about. When they reached the door to the outside world, she realized it was only morning still. The stone of the mountain felt wet, as if they knew a rainstorm was coming soon. She would have given it to them if only she did not have company. She might control the rain, but she knew she would be no match for her.

When they were both outside and the door was closed, all they had to do was to decide where to go first. “The new Friendship Lands.” She decided. It was very unlikely the crown had been found there, but it would be where it would return. It was easily their safest bet and she was pretty sure that it would be what Twinkle Star would do. She would bring the crown to what she thought was its rightful owner, her mother, especially now that the crown of the heir had been gone for so long.
“You’re too easy, Twinkle Star…” She whispered as she began to walk down the stony road that would lead her away from the mountains.

“What is your name?” the voice behind her suddenly asked. She sighed and looked at the golden pony. She was way too skinny, she noticed now, and she looked like she had not been taking a very good care of herself. But even then, there was something about her…
 “I don’t have one. Neither have you. You know that.” She replied.
“Right.”
 “We’re His servants that are all that matters. We will do as He wishes. So don’t ask silly questions about names. Got that?” She did not reply, but she knew her message had gotten trough.

She began to see why he wanted them to travel together. It was not that he thought they could not do this on their own, but he did not trust her alone. She thought too much, and if there was one he could not allow to think it was her. Because she was the only one with the power to give him what he desired, even though she was skinny and ill. And now she had to be protected from herself, and that was her job. She knew it well. She understood now. But her main task was to find Câlin and get the crown and bring it back to him. After that, everything would change…