The Legacy of the Elements
Chapter 2: Generosity
Fenix had once again stumbled into the horrid city of earth and unicorns. The city was known as Huean, an ancient word in unicorn runes translated to English. It was supposed to mean peace, but Fenix had never seen it that way.
The lower city was, naturally, designed for earth ponies being the lower of the three species. The middle city was for a mixed sort, lesser unicorns and higher earth ponies mingled about in the streets. Even though they were almost equals, there had always been fighting between the two. And finally, the upper city. Specifically for unicorns only, the posh ponies walked around its brightly lit streets and clean surroundings. The tower where the government situated itself rose above all of these classes, with the emperor: Red "Fear" Strike sitting upon the throne.
He was not a benevolent ruler. Often harsh with words and a short temper, he was seen by all ponies to be a tyrant and a childish stallion. Though that was the case, he destroyed all who stood against him with force and brutal strategy, and was now on a winning streak against the Griffins. Many hated him. Most feared him.
For Fenix, he was indifferent. He was a rogue, a lone pony. He stood outside of politics and communities, only to keep moving. His occupation was to slay Dragons, the most hated creature on the face of the planet. And he was good. He was a legend to the city dwellers and even a horror story to the Dragon children. Though he was mortal and just. Fenix had always worn a set of golden armor which shown homages to the sun; a sun carved into the shoulder blades to harness a shawl over his lower back. The armor itself was in shape to a phoenix , listing as the face plate and three burning phoenix feathers implanted into the back of the helm. Carvings placed along the face plate gave it a sense of dignity and grace, truly a moving work of art.
Now Fenix stood by the opened gate entering into the lower city. With some goods to sell and food to purchase, he walked into the main street silently. In a blinding flash of light, a phoenix materialized by the smoke emanating from the three phoenix feathers in his helm. The burning bird rested upon the stallions back, purring a growl from the depth of it's throat.
"Hello Philomena." The stallion warmly greeted the phoenix.
Philomena cawed, making a couple nearby ponies turn their heads. Fenix turned back to find something else flash before him. A mare, maybe only just over the age of being called a filly, shot past his vision. And another following the former's lead. Fenix turned his creaking head to look after them, observing two dressed mares running through stands and causing commotion. Confused, Fenix looked what they had been running from to find three guards looking angry as they charged.
Maybe I should... With not much time to think about it, Fenix lifted the winched bottom of the face plate and blew out fire. The guards ran straight into the stream of flame, quickly all three yelping in pain as they turned and scattered from where they came.
Fenix chuckled as he watched the three guards turn tail and run for their lives. Fenix turned about and started to trot in the direction of the two mares to see what the matter was. I have time. Nothing eventful happens until next week. Why not try to enjoy my life once in awhile?
=-=-=-=-=
Celestia and Luna had woken early despite the night's rude awakening. Soon, they had crossed the plain and came unto the cities farming grounds where the both sat to plan their entrance.
Celestia peaked over the cloth hangers, seeing guards posted at the main entrance and a couple farmer ponies about the crops. Sitting back down, Celestia thought critically.
"Alright. We can't go in through the main entrance. They've never seen us, and it would be odd for two unicorns enter through the lower city...I hope that traveler was right. If what he told us was wrong, we could come to trouble."
The one pony that had treated the sisters with respect told them of the city. Being an earth pony, he was strictly kept in the lower city. He left the empire to live off the land, coming to the sisters shed late at night. He was the only source of knowledge to the out side world to the sisters, and trust was about the only thing they could offer towards his words.
"What do you mean unicorns sister?" Luna lifted her wings to signify they had both wings and a horn.
Celestia craned her neck to look at the clothes that hung behind her, pulling down two hooded cloaks for Luna and herself. Donning the gear, Luna realized what Celestia meant. Their wings were hidden under the cloaks, so they only seemed to be unicorns.
Looking around the farmland, Celestia looked at the wall surrounding the city. Going all the way up to the middle city, it was a black obsidian color. Intimidating nonetheless.
"Okay, we go through that window see? Once we're in we try to see if we can find anything about our suitor." Celestia gave Luna her plan who nodded.
They approached a small window on the side of the city wall, levitating each other up to the sill. Looking down they observed the bustling market below them, a river of ponies coming and going to buy goods from the stands. Celestia looked to the frightened Luna before she hopped off the sill and onto a cargo box, jumping down to the ground. She turned around and beckoned her sister with a hoof. Luna peered around nervously before following her sisters lead, reaching the ground in time before someone noticed them.
The two sisters walked down the marketplace, in awe of the variety of ponies and the loud noise of conversation coming all around them. Behind Celestia, a low growl made her turn her head.
Luna was peering down at her belly, poking at it with a hoof. "Sister, I'm hungry."
Celestia felt a little off edge. "Great, we didn't have time to prepare for this."
Celestia sat and thought of a way to acquire food, looking around to give her a hint, stopping her gaze at a small fruit stand. Smiling a little, Celestia walked over to the counter and eyeballed an apple, staring at her reflection in the polished red. Licking her lips, she levitated the fruit up to her face, reflecting on her own hunger.
"Hey! You need to pay for that!" A stallion called out to the young mare, making her jump and drop the apple back into the basket.
"Oh um....I don't have any..." Celestia blanked, never having to trade much except items.
"...Money?" The stallion finished.
The pink mare nodded. "No, I don't have any money."
The stallion chuckled, walking over to the bushel of apples and gave Celestia a warm smile.
"Too bad." The smile faded and he pulled the basket away from the frowning mare. Looking back, she saw her sister giving her a sad and pleading look to keep trying.
Celestia looked around before she tried anything, and ducked behind the counter. Reaching up, she shoveled a couple of apples into her bag and ducked back out into the market place. Celestia walked over to her sister with a smug smile, digging out her food and handing it to her, who eagerly took it in her hooves. A loud crash shook the ground behind Celestia and the same stallion before was tangled up in his own product.
"HEY! YOU GET BACK HERE!" The stallion was pointing directly at the two sisters.
Guards seemed to show everywhere, sporting armor and mean looks.
"Get them!"
Celestia pulled Luna by the leg as they started to run. Through the market place was screams and dodging ponies as two cloaked mares raced by, guards following them all the way. Celestia almost stopped as her bag started to vibrate violently, pulsing in a heavy crimson red as they passed the main entrance. The two alicorns kept running through the market, until Celestia broke right into an alleyway, her sister following her in.
I hope we lost them Celestia thought as she rested against the damp brick wall of the alley. A heavy set of clanking sounded from around the corner, making the two alicorn's fine fur stand on end. Luna shied next to her sister behind a garbage pail as the clanking grew closer, and a shadow broke around the wall. Who it was terrified the sisters, a tall stallion donned in golden armor with an adult phoenix perched proudly on his shoulder.
"Are you two all right?" The stallion spoke. His voice was like warm water bubbling over smooth rocks stuck in a river, a comforting tone of contempt and curiosity made the sisters fur lie flat. Luna peered at her sister, who shook her head back. Luna ignored her sisters silent plea and creeped from behind the garbage pail, her head down in defense.
Luna stood in front of the stallion and nodded with shyness. Celestia stood up and addressed the lone pony.
"Yes, we are fine. Thank you for helping us." Celestia guessed the stallion had done something to the guards, but was still wary about him. Under his charm and warm vibe, something did not seem right about him. Something chaotic and ready to burst at a moments notice; and it felt devastating.
The stallion nodded, looking behind him at the river of ponies. He looked to the shy sisters and nodded again.
"Why don't we talk at the pub over there?" He pointed at a small building, which Celestia could tell was full of ponies by the commotion.
Celestia gave the stallion a glare as she answered. "Sure."
=-=-=-=-=
"So...what are your names?"
The trio of ponies sat a small table inside of the warmly lit pub full of hardy laughs and the clinks of glass of table. Neither of the sisters had felt comfortable sitting inside of the small place when they were both used to being in large open spaces. A young mare came to the table and talked to the stallion for a minute before Celestia had answered him.
"I am Celestia, and this is my sister Luna." She said, pointing her hoof in turn to the names.
Their escort nodded. "Lovely names."
Luna looked up curiously at him. "What's your name?"
He paused for a minute, his face plate hiding his expression as he stared off into the distance. Studying him, Celestia noticed that the phoenix that had stood by him was now gone. She decided to not ask.
"My name is Fenix, I slay dragons for a living and have a pet phoenix whose name is Philomena."
As he said his phoenix's name, a large flash of flame whipped out from a small chamber on his breast plate; the same phoenix from before staring directly at Celestia with a daunting severity in it's eyes. Luna had let her jaw drop but smiled in awe at the small demonstration the bird had given, but her sister just stared back at the bird with a threatening smolder.
"Sorry partner." Fenix had corrected himself when Philomena cawed.
The mare came back and placed a glass of brown liquid on the table, walking off when Fenix had put five gold bits on her tray.
"What is that on her flank?" Luna asked when the waitress had left.
Fenix craned his neck at the dark blue mare. "That's a cutie mark. Do you not know what that is?"
Both sisters shook there heads, confused of what it was.
"Basically, it's what that pony's special talent is, something that they use to define who they are for what they do."
After an hour, Celestia had taken the charge of the conversation, telling Fenix about themselves cautiously, wary of what this pony would do to them. She left out the crystals and the gods message, telling him how dragons had chased them from their home and how they decided to come to the city to start again.
Fenix chuckled after she finished telling him how she stole food from the stand, as they were in need of food.
"Yeah, I've bartered with that guy, he's a real hard ass."
Luna rose an eye brow at Fenix's phrasing. "Hard-ass?"
He snorted a bit at how childish it sounded from the small filly. "You know, someone whose mean and isn't very thoughtful of how people feel."
Celestia felt lost and dove into her thoughts and speculations over their situation. Stuck in a large city with a stranger, little to no food, wanted by guards for theft, and no closer to finding their next suitor.
Fenix lifted his face plate and threw the last of his drink inside, swallowing it down with ease. Looking back down, he peered at Celestia.
"Uh, I don't mean to alarm you miss, but your bag is glowing something fierce."
Celestia glared at the armored stallion, looking down at her bag which pulsed a familiar crimson red, fading in and out even faster than before. Slowly, she took out the red crystal, staring at it in awe. Then in one second it flew from her hoof and buried it'self into Fenix armor. The stallion seemed to panic a little, feeling his hoof around the chest plate as red light beamed all around him and blinding Celestia and Luna.
The light was too much as it consumed their vision and they passed out, along with a still confused and panicky Fenix whose head fell to the table.
=-=-=-=-=
Rejoice for I have finally finished a chapter. And so continues the story.
So i'm trying to set a schedule for publishing and will soon set something in concrete. Tell me what you think so far, about how the series is panning out so far. I do realize i need to work on my style and structure, but i will get better.
Thanks for reading!