Andromalius and Celestia entered the Astrological Tower through one of its broken windows. The room they've got inside was round and had two large bookcases. The books were ruined, they couldn't be opened without removing the ice first, and doing it would cause the books to either break, rot or burn, depending on how would the ice was removed.

There was dust everywhere. But no signs of living creatures so far.

"No one has ventured here before." Celestia spoke warily, looking around. "It is far too dangerous to travel here because of the cold. In fact, even your flames should have been extinguished!"

"This temperature is fifty below zero, right?" Andromalius replied. "There are far worse temperatures on the Earth. The record of the lowest is something about eighty. And humans survived nonetheless.

"And I can't exactly feel any kind of temperature, unless its source is very close to me. I don't know, but maybe my skin is too thick or something like that. Don't forget the hellfire. I use it, yet I don't know what it can and what it cannot do."

"You are the most powerful mage as of now, Andromalius." Celestia spoke. She and Andromalius descended the stairs, the horns of both equines glowing bright enough to light the way. The stone stairs were still intact, albeit some cracks could be seen.

"With proper education, I believe anypony could learn such spells. What you need is an understanding of things, why they happen." Andromalius explained. "I know how things work, and that is how I made the spells work. In fact, I can teach you if you want."

"I do think it will be needed." Celestia nodded. "I see that the knowledge mustn't be restricted. It is time for the progress to come, it can serve ponydom good."

"Anything can." the hell stallion added. "It is not the nature of spells, it's how you use them—"

Suddenly, a rustle came from down below. Andromalius stopped and looked into the darkness. Celestia narrowed her eyes, standing in a battle stance.

None of them knew what could be hiding in the ancient ruins. It could be everything from rats to ancient spirits of evil. The more a place is abandoned, the more dangerous it becomes. It is the law of things that cannot be broken.

The dead silence fell, only the sounds of breaths could be heard. Both hearts raced, the adrenaline was in the equines' veins, flowing fast. The smell of danger was in the air, poisoning it.

"Stay on guard." Andromalius spoke quietly. "Follow me, watch the floor and ceiling. If something happens, do not hesitate to say."

Celestia nodded. Andromalius started walking slowly, watching his step. He scanned the area for any danger, yet he could see none. However, he felt cold. It was not the temperature, it was a feeling deep inside his soul. Something immaterial was not right.

After what seemed like an eternity of descending, they have finally reached the bottom of the tower. There was no one there, only dusty old brick walls. Scattered books, broken glass, ancient papers were also scattered around as if a whirlwind went through the place.

"This place starts to frighten me." Celestia whispered, her voice echoed eerily through the empty corridors that lied ahead.

"Maybe we should go back, then?" Andromalius suggested.

"I must know what hides here, so far away from Equestria." she declined his offer, shaking her head. Andromalius slowly nodded in acknowledgment, then continued to move down the hall.

The bottom of the Astrological Tower was rather big: a long, tall hall was there, and by both sides of it doors made of old oak stood, most of the doors closed. Strangely, there were no windows.

There was an eerie blue light coming from behind one of the closed doors, and that one was at the end of the hall. Slowly, Andromalius and Celestia moved there, preparing for anything that could be hiding there.

Faint whispers could be heard, yet none of the two could make out the exact words. A couple loud sniffs were heard, then the eerie light disappeared. Seconds later, the door closed with a loud thud that echoed through the dark.

"Innana, you here?" Andromalius thought.

"Yes, my lord."" the succubus replied in a moment.

"What can be hidden here, in this city?"

"Anything. Unicorns are adept at magic, after all."

"Alright... And where have you been? I haven't heard from you for quite a while."

"I will explain later, okay?" Inanna answered nervously. "I have a lot of things going on in the Hell."

Andromalius nodded to himself, then moved closer to the fallen door. He felt despair and fear coming from behind the empty doorway. A cold crept under his skin, making its way to his very soul.

"I don't like this." Celestia muttered, her horn pointed at the doorway.

Andromalius moved closer and closer, he could see something behind the doorway.

Stepping outside the building, he was shocked by what he saw.

The whole city of Hornguard wasn't frozen into the ice as one would expect. Instead, it was just hidden deep underneath in a frozen cavern that tons of ice made through the ages. A teal-colored half-spherical magical barrier surrounded the city, keeping the ice at bay.

Many houses stood in the city, they all looked rundown and abandoned. Glass windows were broken, walls cracked, wood dried. The prevailing colors of the city were death-white, icy-blue and gray. The grass dried a long time ago, dead trees grew from the frozen earth, ugly and twisted. No living creature could be seen in the city.

There was a large and tall tower right in the city's center. It was surrounded by a wall of black bricks, and the ghostly-green fog sipped from behind the walls. A flame of teal burned on top of the tower, illuminating the area with its eerie glow.

But the one thing that shocked Andromalius wasn't the architecture.

Hundreds of silent ghosts were walking through the city like their lives haven't ended.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpzQG0EiKtM

Author's Notes:

A premise of a much bigger chapter! I have plans for the city of Hornguard.

Well, I now return to the previous chapters and try to fix all grammar mistakes and other similar things that I've made. The plotline will not be changed, don't worry about that.

I leave you in waiting