Senshi had been wise to move pluck from the second level to the first. At least until the foal could get his feet under him. And be a bit more stable. 

Yet the dark stallion hadn't gone up to the surface yet. Rather he kept Pluck on the first level. That way the small colt could get used to the dungeon and all that happens here. Besides, it was nicer here. No shame in letting Pluck enjoy it. 

The pair had been going at a slow speed down a very old trail. Senshi was always watching for anything that could harm the little foal he had come to look after. Beside the stallion trotted Ann, the faithful bloodhound always on alert should she need to jump into action. 

Senshi glanced over at Pluck. The small colt was busy bouncing after what seemed to be a very large moth. His little ears flicked forward as he tried to keep up with the fluttering bug. Beside the colt, slinking ever so gracefully, was Noodle. A massive green snake. Senshi wasn't sure why Noodle had bonded to Pluck. But he had, and now they had an extra set of eyes to watch the colt. 

“Pluck, stay on the path.” Senshi rumbled, moving over towards the colt to nudge him back into the old cobblestone walkway. Pluck let out a small grunt, bucking his back end up in a playful giggle before looking over at Senshi. “Ok pap!” He giggled before bouncing back into the middle of the cobblestone path. Senshi gave a half amused rumble before shaking his bearded head. Papa…when did he ever think he would be called that? And yet, the name stirred something deep in his chest. a warm fuzzy feeling that made him almost sick. It was a new feeling, new and somewhat frightening. Senshi flicked his ears as he watched Pluck trot over to a rather oversized fern plant. The colt's ears wiggled as he nibbled at it. 

“Papa look!” He laughed while pulling on the plant. Senshi stopped, and Ann moved towards Pluck to get a good smell at what the colt had found. Even Noodle seemed to want to check it out. 

Upon looking closer Senshi was pleased to find nothing dangerous, but rather a smaller stone path. This one is just as old as the one he walked. “Should we check it out?” He asked while leaning down to Pluck’s level. The colt looked excitedly at Senshi before bobbing his head. Pluck smashed his muzzle into Senshi's bread, before pushing past some of the ferns. The older stallion chuckled, before following behind. 

The road was narrow at first. Only allowing for one Courser at a time if they were fully grown. Plant life had taken over most of it. Roots breaking up the stonework and moss covering most of the stone walls. Senshi slowly picked his way around vines and fallen rocks. Pluck trotted ahead, having more fun than anything else. While the older horse kept a watchful eye out, to Pluck this was simply a little game. 

Slowly the old road started to widen again, and the road merged with another. 

Senshi glanced around, his ears flicking up. This was familiar. The road was large, wide enough for Coursers to walk side by side with ease. The walls of the dungeon were old, and roughly carved out of the natural stone. The deeper into the undergrowth they walked, the more Senshi realized where they were going. ,and why it felt so familiar. Slowly the tall grass gave way, and the small group found themselves in a cavern. The stallion gave a rumble, as in the middle of this carven stood a pyramid. The stones are older than time itself. Plants and moss clung to it, and at the top? Something glittering. 

“Modhor..” he whispered, realizing that by some luck, Pluck had found a road that took them back to the rock giant he had found what felt like so long ago. 

Pluck let out a giggle as he started to dart forward, clearly wanting to go play around the strange stones. “Wait.” Senshi rumbled, holding out a leg to stop the foal. “Watch this.” 

He stepped forward and looked upwards. At the ancient moss and vines. At the glowing flowers that seemed to be so high in the air. 

“Modhor! I've returned!” Senshi called out, watching the rocks for any movement. At first nothing seemed to happen,and Senshi was rather convinced he was going to have to climb up to his knee again, or simply kick the rocks. But then Ann let out a growl, and Pluck gave a squeal, ducking behind the hound and Noodle. Slowly the rocks begin to move. The earth shook, moss and vines shifted and fell. And a face appeared in the stone. Two large emeralds slowly came into view. Senshi stepped back, as the old rock giant came back to life. The sound of stones grinding on each other echoed around the room. 

The giant looked downward, seeing the Coursers and other animals. There was a moment of confusion,before the face shifted. “Little Courser…you still have no knight.” A deep voice rumbled. So deep it shook Senshi's bones for a moment. The dark stallion gave a snort as he shook his bearded head. “I have not. But I have found much.” Slowly Modhor took in the sight before him. “You have found another?” He rumbled. 

Senshi glanced behind him, at Pluck who was watching with wide Lavender eyes. The black stallion nodded, before beckoning the foal closer. “I have, I found him in the dungeon. On the second level.” the old rock giant frowned and raised an eyebrow. “You found him there? Alone?” He rumbled softly before shifting. Moss, vibes, and all manner of plant life started to shift and fall as the giant moved to get a closer look. “I named him Pluck.” Senshi rumbled, leaning down to nuzzle the foal. “He won't hurt you. I promise.” The stallion rumbled as Pluck looked on with big eyes. The colt's ears flicked forward then back again. 

“He seems young to be down there.” Modhor mused, eyeing the colt. “He is lucky you have found him. Tell me Senshi, have you come here to give me more bad news?” 

Senshi flicked his ears back with a soft sigh. “No, but I do bring news of the world.” 

-

Pluck watches as his papa talked with the large rock thing. It was so big, far bigger than anything he had seen in his short new life. And scary! Oh so scary!! The colt shifted away from the talking adults. His attention pulled elsewhere as he had really no understanding of what they talked about. The foal trotted off towards the back wall. Around the massive rock giant, and into a space of tall grass, moss and ferns. His little ears flicked forward as he looked around. So many strange things to be found! 

He sniffed a large flower, and past that pawed at a very strange stack of rocks. At first the heavy moss covered rocks did nothing. But with a bit of pushing Pluck was able to get them to shift. The rocks scattered as Pluck flicked his tail. Pleased with himself. He glanced over his shoulder. He could see his papa talking with the large rock giant still. The adults seemed well into their conversation. The voice of the rock giant echoed off the walls and made his little bones hum. 

But that was neither here nor there. For Pluck had found something. Under the rocks a small wooden chest caught his eyes. The red colt shifted on his little hooves. What was that? Something in the back of his mind said it was familiar. But he had never seen this box before. The box was strange, made of an old pale wood. Small detailed carvings on the side depicted Coursers running. And on top of them was something even stranger. Long looking things, with limbs and odd armor. Some held swords, and some held banners. Those he knew about, but Pluck was unsure what the strange things in the Coursers could be? 

The colt snorted, before slowly judging the box. There was a fine clasp on the front. The hinges are long broken to time. The box popped open without any problem. Pluck jumped slightly as it did so. Skittering back just enough to get the attention of both Ann and Noodle. The hound and large snake came over to see what was going on. Ann wagged her tail before nudging Pluck. As if trying to push him away from the box. But that wasn't fair! He found this first!! Pluck gave a grumble before nosing past Ann. Noodle sat close to the strange box. A strange box hidden under a stalk of rocks. 

Pluck narrowed his eyes before he looked inside. The box was lined with the softest looking fabric he had ever seen. A soft purple color that would have matched his eyes. But what caught the foal's attention was what sat inside the best I fabric. A crown. 

The crown was golden in color. Beautiful bands of metal that swirled and twisted into each other in intricate patterns. Skillfully crafted golden leaves hung from the sides. And in the middle of this crown sat a beautiful gemstone. Pluck had never seen anything like it before. The stone was a soft white, yet every time he shifted his head it would flicker with soft blue and pink. 

From the sides of this crown hung delicate golden chains. Some were laced with small blue crystals that caught the light above. 

Pluck felt something shift in his chest again. This felt familiar too…but why? He had never seen this before in his life. But something deep in his soul told him otherwise. Something felt the need to reach out and touch the crown. Pluck shifted his long legs before he reached down and picked it up. With some wiggling and help from Noodle the too big crown sat on its head. The golden chains looping around his cheeks. The colt blinked, and for a moment he felt something inside him humming. 

Pluck suddenly felt his world shifting. Inside his eyes he saw a pair of stranger hooves. Not fully hooves but like that of those funny things on the box. He watched as they reached forward and closed the box with the crown in it. As the box was hidden under the stones. He saw the large rock giant, he felt something twisting in his gut. Sorrow? Fear? Pain? 

Suddenly pain flashed in his mind, and Pluck let out a screech. The colt went backwards, backpedaling away from the box and dropping the crown from his head. Pain flared up his side in a phantom clawing grasp. 

-

Senshi had been telling Modhor about how he had stumbled upon Pluck, how strange it had been and how his mind felt restless these days, when he heard a pluck screeching. The conversation died. 

A sudden tightness filled the stallion’s chest, and he spun around on his hooves. 

 The black stallion was faster on his hooves than he even understood. He was already bounding towards where Pluck's cries came from. His sickle at the ready. He came to a slamming stop as he almost crashed into Pluck. The colt was shaking his head wildly, eyes wide with fear and tears as he backed away from something. At first Senshi thought he had been hurt. 

Relief mixed with fear in his chest. Had something hurt him in a different way? 

Senshi dropped his sickle, before getting to Pluck's level. The colt had spun around and buried his head into Senshi's chest. Whimpering about something he had seen. 

“Papa! It hurts!” He wailed, while Senshi did his best to nuzzle the small colt. “It's alright, I'm here. What happened?” He rumbled, trying to talk past the sudden feeling of his chest being squeezed. Senshi nuzzled Pluck, trying to help sooth the shaking foal. “you're ok.” He rumbled again, feeling Pluck trying to melt into him. 

Modhor had shifted, leaning over the pair to see what had happened. The large rock giant frowned before his voice spoke in a rough tone. “What was he doing there! He should not have touched that!” 

Senshi snapped his head around, shifting so Pluck was behind him safely. 

“Why didn't you warn me that something here could hurt him! By the old ones, what was that!!” He bellowed back, a sudden rage building up in his chest. It was like that screech of Pluck's,plus the colt's painful crying, had lit a fire in the stallion's chest. A sudden burning rage that he was not even sure he was capable of having. 

“He could have been hurt!” Senshi snorted, his hoof slamming into the ground. Modhor seemed almost taken back by Senshi's rage. The old rock giant shook his head before waving a hand towards them. “See for yourself.” He grumbled. Senshi turned ,before looking into the grass. He saw a small wooden box that showed Coursers and possibly humans. He saw the soft fabric and the crown. The golden crown lay on the ground. Flung off by Pluck in his panic. 

Senshi snorted before leaning down to sniff it. The smell was old, and musty. And yet? There was an undertone of the trees, the sky, and of water. “What is it?” He rumbled. “A crown.” The giant offered. Senshi pinned his ears. “I know-” he snapped, before cutting himself off and taking a deep breath. The stallion pulled Pluck closer. “What's so special about it?” 

The giant was quiet for a moment before speaking. “Do you remember when we last met? I told you of a young elf who had come here looking for something?” Senshi nodded. “That young elf was looking for a place to hide the crown. Time has not been kind to my mind. I don't remember who it belonged to, or why he hid it. But it was very important to him…” 

Senshi flattened his ears before stepping forward. Pluck gave a whine as the black stallion nudged the crown. Nothing happened. Slowly he moved it back into the box. And looked at Modhor. “And you've been watching it since that day?” The giant nodded his head. “I promised him I would keep it safe.” Senshi glanced at the box. 

“What now?” 

Modhor looked away. His large green eyes closed as he seemed to think. When he opened them again, Senshi felt as if there was something more he was not being told. “take it. Take it with you and the little one. I believe you'll have better use of it then I do now…” Senshi looked down at the box, before shifting into his pack. 

He shifted his body so that Pluck could still nuzzle into him. 

“It's ok, it's not gonna hurt you.” He rumbled. Pluck gave a soft whine before looking up at Senshi. His large lavender eyes were wide. Tears still spilling out of them and down his muzzle. “Scary papa.” The colt whined softly. Senshi felt his heart twist as if he had just been stabbed by a three point dagger. “ I know little one. Come on, papa’s got you “ 

Pluck was still so small, and thus Senshi was able to use one of his blankets to make a sling. He would often carry Pluck in it when the colt needed to rest while traveling. 

Once Pluck was safe and sound, and Noodle was now overly comfortable on his back once again, Senshi looked to Modhor. 

“We'll be back another time. Take care..” he rumbled. The giant seemed to understand what Senshi was meaning. He wanted to get Pluck out of there. Senshi turned, calling Ann to follow. Slowly they made their way out of the carven, leaving Modhor to return to the stone as before. 

Senshi glanced at Pluck, who seemly had started to fall asleep. Tear stains matted his soft fur under his eyes.The stallion thought back to that crown. Whatever it was, it had affected Pluck in a bad way. 

Senshi knew he had to return home. He needed answers.