There was an uncomfortable silence as Tristan considered the implications of what Lore had just said. On one hand he thought that there was no way the dreams he was having could be related, but on the other, considering all the crazy things he had been through in the last month or so, he had a feeling they would somehow be related anyway.
“...But why would he want to talk to me about it? I’m no dream interpreter, or whatever you call those wackos,” Tristan said uncertainly.
“I haven’t a clue, but he’s been rather insistent. He wanted it to be in private, as well...truthfully I’m rather skeptical of the whole thing, but he’s been cooperative so far, and hasn’t given us any reason to deny his request. So, will you?” Lore responded.
“Well...I guess I will; I suppose I’ll be in close contact with him for a while, so it’d sure be awkward for me to refuse...” Tristan finally agreed.
“Very well then, I’ll take you to him. Oh, and before I do that, I suppose I should tell you the new protocols as far as your freedom goes,” Lore said. “You’re to be allowed access to all of the public parts of the castle alone if you wish, though not the restricted areas without accompaniment, save for this specific part that houses your room and Krik’s. You can also wander freely about the town, but I recommend that you don’t.”
“Why not? I’d like to get outside the castle every now and then, you know. This place is nice enough, but a guy can go a little stir-crazy,” Tristan questioned.
“It’s simply the ponies. While there has been a public decree regarding you, very few ponies are going to be welcoming of you, given the reputation rift spawn have. While it shouldn’t be too much of a problem for most, there may be some that would become violent if they thought they could get away with it...” Lore responded.
“Lovely. Well, I guess that makes you my chaperone, then? I’ve gotta get out from time to time, so you’ll just have to accompany me. That work?” Tristan asked.
“I have more imp-...” Lore began, stopping mid-word as he looked like he was thinking about something. “You know what, yes. You’ve been very cooperative so far, and you deserve it.”
Tristan stood stunned for a moment, before shaking his head a few times. “Right, I guess you are going to be trying to improve...good on you, Lore. Also, I’ve been meaning to ask. What am I supposed to be doing, anyway? Like, am I supposed to just sit here in the castle doing nothing? Just being a leech for my whole life?” he asked.
“I suppose that’s up to you. I haven’t been told anything regarding employment; I suppose it’s not really out of the question...did you have something in mind? What’s your special talent?” Lore responded.
“Special talent? Well, I was in school for business, but I don’t really see that happening here. One thing that I think would be really cool to learn, that I didn’t even know existed until I came here, is magic. Think you could teach me how to do some of that stuff you do?” Tristan questioned.
“Ah, well, you see...it just doesn’t work that way, I’m afraid. Only unicorns can actively cast magic,” Lore answered awkwardly. “Sorry. You can’t just give something the ability to cast magic, it’s innate, and focused through the horn.”
“I see...well, that sucks. But I digress, I believe we had something to do...where’s Krik?” Tristan queried, crestfallen.
“I’ll take you to him; he’s not far,” Lore answered, beckoning Tristan to join him. Tristan’s legs grudgingly obliged, and they made their way down the hallway to a room quite near Tristan’s. Tristan looked expectantly at Lore, who turned to the door and gave three short knocks.
“Oh, so you knock for him? I see how it is,” Tristan pouted.
“Grow a deadly stinger and I might knock for you too,” Lore responded with a smirk. They heard a call from inside and Lore magically opened the door, letting Tristan inside. However, he did not enter the room, and shut the door quickly behind Tristan.
Inside of the room, next to a very unconventional bed that looked more like a dog basket than anything, stood Krik. Tristan felt an automatic fear course through his subconscious at the ant-like creature in front of him and his heart began to race, but he consciously quelled his fears.
“Err, hey again. You...wanted to talk to me?” Tristan meekly asked, finding it hard to make eye contact with Krik’s strange, beady black eyes.
“Yes, I believe that you would be best suited to assist me in this rather sensitive matter. Please, take a seat,” Krik answered, his voice once again completely unsuited for his form, being far too pleasant and deep.
Tristan awkwardly looked around and spied a chair, which he promptly sat on. The whole situation was making him feel like a small child again, called to the principal’s office for some wrongdoing.
“There are a few questions that I would like addressed before we attend to the matter at hand, if you find that agreeable,” Krik began. Tristan waited a moment, thinking it to be rhetorical, but eventually gave a nod of assent. “Very well. Firstly, I would like you to tell me what you know of the ponies. Be truthful, for I am not one you wish to lie to.”
“Well...where do I begin? It’s kinda a broad subject...” Tristan asserted.
“Specifically, how have they treated you? What do you know of their society, and would you consider it just and lawful? Do you believe them to be unsavory creatures? I understand you are in a place similar to my own, and as such you should have valuable insight,” Krik responded patiently.
“Well, they’ve treated me...well, that’s kinda a mixed bag, actually. My first contact involved them trying to kill me...and my second and third contact involved me almost killing some of them! I can kinda understand why they might have done that, but that doesn’t change the fact that they attacked me unprovoked,” Tristan began.
“Some of them are just assholes. I’ve met a good few of those...but there were some others...” Tristan trailed off, thinking of Motley, Iron, and Nightingale specifically. “They certainly aren’t all bad. I think they’re just scared, really. Scared enough to take a shot at anything that moved, before being provoked. My analytical side can understand that precautions needed to be taken if what they’ve told me is true, but it still doesn’t sit right with me,” Tristan finished.
Krik, who had been listening attentively, gave Tristan a nod. “Yes, I thought as much. They are not inherently chaotic, nor evil, but they lack the grace and single-mindedness of the formians. That is why...these dreams are troublesome.”
“Right, the dreams. I don’t suppose they involved a deep, roaring voice telling you to do stuff, did they?” Tristan asked jokingly, despite the seriousness of the question.
Krik stood silent for a moment, his antennae swiveling about but the rest of his body still. “I merely wished for counsel, but are you telling me that you know of such dreams?” he finally asked.
“Well, yeah, actually. Since I got injured, I started having them...but just to make sure we’re talking about the same thing here, what did the voice command you to do?” Tristan queried.
“...Things I would not do normally. Harming innocents without reason, and usurping rightful authority. Such thoughts are punishable by death in the hive,” Krik responded solemnly.
“Just the thoughts? How could they punish you for just thinking something?” Tristan questioned.
“Ah, yes. I don’t believe you know much of my kind, do you?” Krik began, seemingly distracted from his melancholy. “You see, every formian, from the lowest worker to the queen herself, is constantly connected by the hive mind. In battle it is the ultimate tactical tool, as we each communicate instantly and seamlessly.”
“Yeah, that does sound pretty useful! Can’t you ever turn it off, though?” Tristan asked, fascinated.
“No, from the moment we are born to the moment we die we are connected. At least...that is the way it should be. That is a primary factor in why I felt the need to speak with someone, actually. Being alone is not something any formian should ever have to go through,” Krik responded sadly.
“Oh, right...err...” Tristan said, thinking of something to change the subject. “So...what do you want to do about this dream stuff, anyway? I don’t think telling Lore about it would be a very good idea.”
“Those were my thoughts as well, which is why I specifically requested to speak to you. Seeing as your situation closely mirrors my own, I decided that you would be the best to approach about such a matter. To one such as myself, a dream like that is disturbing, to say the least. Knowing that you share it honestly does provide me some comfort, however. It means it is not of my own doing, but that of an outside force,” Krik pondered.
“An outside force? Are you suggesting-” Tristan was startled by a sudden rapping on the door.
“Are you two almost finished in there? There’s someone else here to see you, Tristan,” Lore’s voice came through the door.
Tristan looked to Krik, who gave him a nod, and yelled his consent for the door to be opened. When it did Lore stepped in, followed by Nightingale.
“Nightingale! So you did stop by!” Tristan cried happily, the thoughts he had been stewing in forgotten for a moment.
“Of course I did, dearie! They wouldn’t let you have any visitors except for Lore at the hospital, despite my being a nurse, but I was worried about you,” Nightingale said cheerily, fluttering over to give Tristan a hug. “It must be hard not having many friends here, so I just had to stop by. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Oh no, ‘course not! It really is nice to see a friendly face...” Tristan responded. “Anyway, I’m doing alright, as you can see, but that thing sure did a number on me. I’m just glad to be on my feet again. That was the most boring week I’ve ever experienced...I can’t tell which was worse, the boredom or the initial crushing.”
At that Nightingale looked genuinely horrified. “H-hey! That was a joke, sarcasm, ok?” Tristan sputtered.
“You shouldn’t joke about things like that, dearie...but anyway,” she began, coming back to her normal demeanor. “I do have a lot of work to get to, but I wanted to stop by and say hello. I’ll just leave you boys to it, then,” Nightingale said, leaving the room as the others bade goodbye.
“Heh...women, am I right?” Tristan said jokingly to no one in particular.
“You should know that your...dark sense of humor won’t usually be well-received,” Lore responded. “It’s not just mares; it’s most ponies.”
“Oh come on, it wasn’t dark at all. But anyway...did you need something, Lore?” Tristan said, glancing over to Krik who had been patiently waiting.
“No, I just came by to bring Nightingale. She honestly wouldn’t stop pestering me about you. Something or another about everyone needing friends; I honestly didn’t listen to most of it,” Lore said without a hint of joviality.
“Uh huh...well, Krik and I were talking, so could you just, y’know...leave?” Tristan said, making overt motions towards the door.
“Fine, fine. I have things to attend to, anyway,” Lore responded, promptly leaving the room without a goodbye.
“Now, where were we?” Tristan said, turning back to Krik.
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They continued their talk for several hours, until the sun finally set and gave way to night. Tristan learned a great deal about Krik, finding his society to be primarily militaristic in nature, with very little individual expression. The subject of the strange dreams did not come up again, though Tristan couldn’t help but continue thinking about it.
The next three days were spent back in physical therapy, just as before, with Lore. Krik was present for much of the time, given that Lore was now charged with watching over both of them. It was not until the morning of the fourth day that the routine was interrupted.
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“Wake up, wake up! Make yourself presentable, we’ve been called to see the princess!” Lore yelled into Tristan’s room, instantly rousing him. “Move, move, quickly!” he shouted again, immediately leaving, while Tristan sat up confused in his bed.
Damn Lore, can’t wake a guy like normal...wait, did he say princess?
The realization of what Lore said sunk in and Tristan’s muscles all sprung into action at once as he leapt from his bed. He hurriedly brushed his teeth and hair and shaved with the straight razor he was given, managing to cut himself a few times even though he had been using it since he began staying there. After attending to his duties in the restroom he hastily donned his clothes and waited for Lore to return.
It didn’t take long for him to do so, bursting through the door and beckoning Tristan to follow him. Lore’s mane was somewhat disheveled and his gaze was darting, which told Tristan that he really didn’t want to upset him. Upon entering the hallway he saw Krik, wearing nothing but his ornate bronze helmet as usual, and they went on their way.
“Uh, Lore...might wanna tidy yourself up a bit. I know it’s the princess and all but she seemed reasonable enough last time; there’s no need to get so worked up,” Tristan offered as they hastily made their way through the halls to the throne room.
Lore looked almost insulted, but stopped for a moment and tidied himself up nonetheless. The trio finally entered into the throne room to see Celestia, flanked by guards, sitting upon her throne. Lore immediately bowed, with Tristan quickly following suit, though Krik didn’t.
“Please, rise” Celestia began in her regal, even tone. “I have called you three here for a very important reason. Equestria has something to request of you.”
Speaking as the whole of Equestria, eh? Monarchs...or diarches, as it is.
She paused for a moment to allow them to interject if they wished to, continuing after a few moments. “In recent times it has been no secret that diplomatic relations with foreign nations have been somewhat strained. Many blame Equestria for the rifts, as it was our portal network that caused them. One nation that has been affected rather severely, Zebrica, has heard of the two of you,” she said, turning her gaze to Tristan and Krik. “Their ambassador has requested that you visit Zebrica, to show that not all rift spawn are mindless beasts. If you do so there may be hope of saving further intelligent rift spawn that would otherwise be slain with the rest.”
Tristan looked hesitantly at Krik to gauge his reaction to the proposal, finding that his eyes were still locked firmly on the princess. Celestia seemed to be waiting for either of them to say something, but he was at a loss at what to do.
Sounds like it could just be some sort of trap, but she doesn’t seem stupid enough to let that happen...but really, I don’t want to go on another adventure. I need some time to rest, and I’m going to get it!
“Isn’t this a bit sudden? And why would we wish to go? Would we be getting paid for this or the like?” Tristan finally asked, making sure to not look at Lore lest he get the evil eye.
“So, you wish for further compensation in addition to staying here in the castle for free?” Celestia began in an almost harsh tone, causing Tristan to instantly regret his question. “Of course something could be worked out,” she continued, her tone abruptly changing and a small smile creeping onto her lips at the sight of Tristan’s confused face. “Though, I am unsure of what you would desire. Would bits suffice?”
Tristan thought over the idea for a moment, but before he could respond Lore began to speak. “If I may, princess, I have a suggestion,” he began, looking to Celestia for permission to continue, which she gave with a nod. “Tristan stated earlier that he has interest in learning how to use magic. While he couldn’t cast magic as a unicorn, the alchemy that the zebras practice can produce magical potions, without the need for inherent magical aptitude. I propose that, in exchange for his cooperation, he be allowed to learn from them, at your decree,” he offered, sweating nervously but maintaining his composure in speech.
“Do you find that to be agreeable?” Celestia asked, turning again to Tristan.
Alchemy, eh? Mixing up potions of all sorts...healing, mana, haste, all the good stuff...well, at least their real world equivalents. Would that make me like a shaman or something? I’ve gotta admit, that does sound pretty awesome...
After a few moments of deliberation he finally spoke. “If you can make that happen, and make sure that I don’t get gored, dismembered, sliced, punctured, or otherwise seriously injured again, I’ll do it.”
Celestia gave a nod and turned her attention to Krik. “And what would you ask in return, Krik?” she asked kindly.
“Nothing but the chance to hasten my trip back home. It sounds like these Zebras may have insight unto my plight, if they are plagued by these rifts as well” he answered neutrally.
“Very well. Krik, Tristan, I trust you can find your ways back to your rooms?” Celestia responded, at which Tristan vigorously shook his head negatory at the thought of the winding passages and Krik sedately shook his affirmative.
“Ah, well...I’ll just follow you, then,” Tristan said awkwardly, turning and following Krik as they were dismissed, while Lore and Celestia discussed logistics.
Krik seemed to know his way around the hallways quite well, as he never paused at any junction and kept moving silently forward. Some guards and civilians gave them wary looks but none approached them, and before long they found their way back to their rooms.
“So...” Tristan began, as they stood by his door. “Looks like we’re going to be off again, eh? Hope it goes better than last time...”
“From what Lore has told me your previous journey was perilous by nature, was it not?” Krik asked, to which Tristan slowly nodded. “This is simply a march from point A to point B; there’s nothing inherently dangerous about it. Even if it was to be hazardous, I shall be accompanying you, and I’ve slain beasts far greater than the one we encountered in that forest,” he finished, sounding as unreadable as always.
“Heh...guess you’re right. But hey, you go from the life of a student, where the only action you see is in video games and movies, to getting gored, stabbed, and crushed within a short period of time...it’s bound to make a guy a bit hesitant, don’t you think?” Tristan agreed, shrugging off another feeling that told him to run from the ant monster in front of him.
“No, I cannot say that I do think as such, but you are no formian. I wish you peace of mind, nonetheless,” Krik responded.
“Mmm...well, see you in a bit, Krik, I think I need a bit of time to myself...” Tristan said, waving Krik goodbye as he marched off. With that Tristan entered his room and laid himself upon his bed, musing on his future.
Several hours later Lore finally came to see Tristan, bringing him out of his thoughts. With him he brought Tristan’s dinner, along with a large pack that was covered in all manner of pockets.
“Got something for you here; I think you’ll enjoy it,” Lore said, hefting the pack onto Tristan’s bed.
“Huh...well, what is it?” Tristan asked incredulously.
“Well, your impromptu decision to take up alchemy got me thinking...” Lore began.
“Yeah, about that. Think you could have given me a bit of warning? I’ve thought about it, and it really does sound pretty cool, but I generally like to think about what I’m going to commit to before I commit to it, y’know?” Tristan interjected.
“Sorry about that,” Lore said with a hint of remorse, staring directly at the ground. “I didn’t know what the meeting was about either, you know. The idea for alchemy just came to me, and I suspected you would enjoy it.”
When Tristan didn’t respond Lore continued. “Anyway, before I get to your little gift, let me tell you a little bit about alchemy here in Equestria,” Lore began anew, settling down into his lecturing tone of voice.
“You see, it used to be a fairly common practice, with earth ponies and pegasi practicing it frequently, and even unicorns practicing it, though less often. This was before the three races united, of course,” Lore began, holding up a hoof as Tristan was about to ask a question. “That’s another story; perhaps I’ll take you to the annual Hearth’s Warming play this coming winter. As I was saying, potions were created for all manner of things, from healing, to augmentation, to poison. This all fell out of practice when the races united, as unicorns could create all of those effects without the need for reagents.”
“While ponies rarely practice it any more other races still do, with zebras being the chief practitioners. Since you wanted to be able to use magic, but you can’t yourself, you can at least try to simulate the effects with potions. What I brought you is a starter kit of sorts, with the basic equipment and some common reagents, along with a small guide. What do you think?” Lore finished expectantly.
Tristan said nothing, turning to the pack and rummaging around in it for a moment. Each pocket contained a different reagent, usually a herb, and the main bag included a pestle and mortar, along with the book, plenty of glass vials, several measuring spoons of varying sizes, and a small jug of water.
“Yeah...yeah, this stuff looks like it’ll do fine. Thanks, Lore. I really do appreciate it, you know,” Tristan finally responded with a smile.
Finally got something to do! Bet my friends back home would be jealous of me, at least as far as the alchemy is concerned. Can’t let myself just waste away idling forever, and I can’t let Lore just boss me around forever either. This will give me something I can maybe even support myself with...
Lore looked at Tristan for a moment, giving him a chance to continue speaking. “You are going to need to be careful with that, you know. I pulled a lot of strings to let you have that, since some of the things you could make would be poisons. I’m going to be trusting you with this, alright?” he finally asserted.
“I know, and I really do appreciate it. You’re turning out to be a pretty good guy, Lore...well...you have your moments, at least,” Tristan assured him, flipping open the small hardbound book, which had a picture of a bubbling flask on it.
“I’ll see about having a desk brought in for you to work on. Until then, I have quite a bit of work to do, mostly involving our next little venture. Sleep well, Tristan,” Lore said, ignoring Tristan’s comment and trotting out of the room.
Alright, so, Alchemy 101...let’s see here...
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It took a total of two days for the preparations for their trip to be made. Part of their journey was to be by an unfinished train line to Zebrica, while the rest was to be on foot. Noble was assigned to guard them again, as they would be on the open road for a while and he was already familiar with the circumstances surrounding Tristan and Krik.
Tristan spent the time waiting studying his book and creating potions, though he didn’t trust any of them enough to actually try drinking or otherwise applying them. Lore assured him that they could be analyzed in Zebrica to see how well they were made, so he was content to simply store away his creations and use color as an indicator as to whether or not he did well.
Other than the occasional visit from Krik, Lore, or Nightingale, Tristan was alone for the entire time. He found himself missing his friends and family more each day, but refused to allow himself to wallow in his memories, as he knew he wouldn’t like the outcome. The troublesome dreams persisted, but he felt that he was growing numb to them, and didn’t pay them any special heed.
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The day of departure dawned and Tristan had just finished packing his bags, making sure to keep his potions of dubious volatility away from anything important, when Lore came to check up on him. Having had ample time to prepare, Lore wasn’t nearly as haggard as he tended to be around deadlines, though it seemed he wasn’t going to let that get in the way of his impatience.
“The train station is fifteen minutes away and our train leaves in an hour; why aren’t you ready yet?” Lore said, tapping his hoof on the ground.
“Almost done, just let me get this pack on...” Tristan replied, hefting his large packs onto his back with a grunt. “You sure we can’t just wear our armor on the way? It’s not that uncomfortable...”
“The last thing I want to do is have a rift spawn, harmless or not, walking through the streets of Canterlot armed and armored,” Lore responded, exasperated.
“Whatever...just let me check here...alchemy kit, backpack, bedroll, combat gear...yep, got everything. Alright, let’s get moving,” Tristan said, checking off the packs on his back.
With that the two left the room, finding Krik already outside. They made their way out of the castle, stepping into the fresh air of Canterlot. Tristan had the urge to wander off and see the city a little bit but knew such an idea was foolish, instead following Lore as he hastily brought them to the crowded train station.
“Noble should already be onboard; we’ve got the rear car to ourselves. Just keep your packs with you; we won’t have them checked with the civilians.” Lore instructed as they finally reached the station. The train was painted in several garishly bright colors, and surrounded by droves of ponies all waiting to board.
Lore led them around the crowd, which seemed a great deal more afraid of Krik than of Tristan, and to the rear car. Sure enough, Noble was waiting right outside it. He gave a small nod to Tristan as he caught his eye and then boarded, at which the others followed. The interior of the car was lined with what looked like crosses between benches and cushions, obviously meant for ponies to be able to sit naturally on.
Krik immediately took a seat, folding his long spindly legs beneath him and intently staring outside the window at the waiting ponies. Noble and Lore began a conversation about how things were going to happen, talking about provisions for the journey and the accommodations for the nights. Tristan had the urge to say something to Noble regarding Keen but couldn’t find a time to say it where it would seem natural, and so did the same as Krik.
The train started moving after a moderate wait, and Tristan watched as Canterlot slowly fell to the horizon. The whole time he kept thinking about whether or not he made the right decision agreeing to help, but he knew he was in too deep to bail out now. His continued self-affirmations that there was nothing that could really go wrong helped a bit, but didn’t wholly quell his misgivings that had developed after how well his last outing went. Noble and Lore finished their conversation and took their respective seats, neither looking like they were in the mood for conversation.
Tristan found himself lying on the cushion of his seat, nodding away. The gentle bumps of the train along the tracks were comforting, reminding him of his time among technology in his life before Equestria, and they slowly lulled him into a light slumber. He didn’t check what the others were doing, and he didn’t care; he just wanted to rest in peace before his next adventure.
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A sharp jolt of the train woke Tristan from his slumber, his eyes groggily opening to see that the sun was almost ready to set. He yawned and stretched, sitting upright and looking outside the window. “Dang...I was out for a while, wasn’t I? These cushions are more comfortable than I thought...” he commented to no one in particular.
There was no response, and so he looked back to see Noble and Krik staring out of their own windows, while Lore slumbered peacefully. “Hey, Noble...” Tristan said quietly, looking over to him.
Noble turned his head to look at him, his expression stoic and unreadable. “I just wanted to say...y’know...sorry. I know you and Keen went way back, and it was defending me and Lore that-” Tristan began, only to be interrupted by Noble.
“Don’t you worry about that,” he began. “We knew what we were getting into, and we both volunteered. Sometimes...sometimes good ponies die. Just one of those facts of life. No sense beatin’ ourselves up over it,” he finished, sounding as if he had rehearsed the whole thing.
“Yeah, well...sorry all the same. He was a good pony,” Tristan responded. Noble regarded him for a moment before giving him a nod and turning back to his window. Tristan stared at Noble for a moment longer before letting out a sigh and turning back to his own.
Well, at least that’s over with...poor guy. I’m glad he’s not bitter or resentful or anything, but still...ah, well, he knows what he’s doing. Big guy like that doesn’t need anyone worrying about him.
The rest of the ride was in complete silence as they regarded the scenery outside, which had changed from green rolling hills to what looked like a savannah, with tall grass and dotted trees that looked nothing like the type he had seen previously. Towards nightfall the scenery gradually changed once more, as the trees became more and more numerous, until it looked like they were in the beginning of a tropical rainforest.
The train finally halted a short distance into the rainforest, coming to station in a small town cut into the forest. Noble woke Lore and they all got off, and Tristan noticed that there were only about five others leaving the train other than them.
Huh...we must have made some more stops when I was sleeping. Anyway, rainforest, should have guessed. I wonder if they have malaria here...if they do, and it’s called marelaria, something is going to get punched. I don’t know what, but something.
Lore issued out a few instructions and got the others following him, bringing them to a fairly large inn. He went inside to check their accommodations, eventually leading them all up to their respective rooms. The inn seemed to be completely empty save for the receptionist, who didn’t even glance up at them as they made their way through.
Tristan had a room to himself, and though he had been sleeping for hours already, found that he had little trouble getting right back to sleep. Thoughts of being gored by jaguars and crushed by elephants filled his mind as he drifted off once more into slumber.
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Tristan awoke the next morning without prompting, finding that no matter how hard he attempted to go back to sleep he was unable. He eventually gave up and elected to stare outside the window and observe the scenery outside until the others called on him.
What I wouldn’t give for a computer with some games right now...or even a good book. Strange how often I end up being bored when this is really the most interesting time of my life so far...
The sun had not yet breached the horizon and the cloudless night overhead illuminated the forest around the town, though beneath the canopy of the trees little light strained through. He could faintly hear the sounds of all sorts of animals, from the chirping of birds, to the buzzing of insects, to a single roar in the distance that sounded like some great cat.
He stood there gazing through his window until the sun finally peeked over the horizon. As if on cue Lore opened Tristan’s door and called for him to get ready, which he did, putting on his armor this time.
Alright then, into the rainforest...this should be...fun. Bitten by thousands of insects, kept awake at night by a multitude of noises, and drenched by pouring rain. I can see why they’re building a railroad through this, screw nature.
After his morning routine he hefted his packs onto his back, groaning as its full weight strained his muscles. He joined the others breakfasting in the lobby, where the receptionist was still getting over the shock of having a giant ant creature and now what seemed to be a mostly hairless ape walking around like they belonged there. Little time was wasted and they were off quickly, with Lore consulting a map and leading them to a wide road cut through the forest.
The walk wasn’t nearly as unpleasant as what Tristan had envisioned, as there were far fewer insects than he had expected and it wasn’t currently raining. The road was well maintained, which seemed to be a miracle given the dense growth on either side of it, but Tristan just chalked it up to magic and thought little of it.
They passed few other travellers on the road, those being another small group and a long trading convoy. Tristan noted that his legs were taking the journey much better than any he had made previously, likely because of just how often he had been walking in recent weeks. The first day ended without any troubles, and they camped on the side of the road in a circular clearing that adjoined the path. The night was as loud as expected but Tristan was so exhausted from the trek that it hardly hampered his sleeping at all.
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The next morning came with the threat of a storm. Dark clouds enveloped the horizon and slowly inched forward, though Lore insisted that they still needed to continue. While Lore had the responsibility for the group and Krik and Noble were both hardened warriors and so didn’t mind the rain, Tristan wanted nothing to do with it. That didn’t stop them from forcing him onwards, though.
“Dammit, we’re going to get drenched...why couldn’t we have gotten a carriage, or something? I mean, we’re sent on this mission by the princess, of all ponies...why don’t we have a bigger budget? It’s like when the hero of a game is tasked with saving all of existence or something, and shopkeepers still make him pay crazy amounts of money to buy necessary gear,” Tristan whined, the others all ignoring him as they continued onward. “Fine, be that way...but wait up a second, I need to go take care of some business,” he said, making sure the others halted before venturing off in the undergrowth in search of a place to relieve himself in private.
Off of the path the difference in ambiance was jarring. So little light got through the forest canopy that it gave the illusion of night, and the undergrowth of fungi and decaying plant matter made walking difficult. After attending to his business he made his way back to the path, when he noticed something odd. While he could still hear things in the distance, all of the sounds of the forest had silenced around him, which sent all his hairs on edge.
Shit, shit, shit! There’s like a jaguar or something just waiting to pounce on me, isn’t there? Just gotta take this nice and slowly...get back to the trail without making too much noise...c’mon Tristan, you can do this...
He tried to make as little noise as possible as he crept back to the path, not daring to look behind him for fear of seeing a predator. What surprised him was that the danger lay not in the forest, but on the path itself.
“Yeah, you heard me, drop the fucking hammer!” an unfamiliar shrill voice yelled from the direction of the others. “Yeah, good, you know what’s best for you...Swift! Get me that damn ring already!”
Tristan’s heart skipped a beat as he halted for a moment, listening in on what was happening. “But what about the ant thing, boss? I think it’s one of them spawns!” another voice said, somewhat gruffer and deeper than the other.
“You fucking idiot, Swift. Why the fuck would a rift spawn be travelling with ponies? And speaking gryphish, too? Actually...how do you all know gryphish, anyway?” the higher voice demanded.
“We’re simply a group of translators, we mean you no harm. Now if you could just take that knife away from my-” Lore’s voice answered, the distress badly hidden in his voice, before being cut off.
“Yeah, like fuck you are, bet you expect me to believe that guard is just a translator too? And that big...ant...thing? Swift, go get the cage, and don’t screw it up this time!” the higher voice shrieked, at which Lore fell silent. Tristan took the moment to get on his hands and knees and edge closer, keeping himself hidden from view.
He finally edged close enough to see what was happening, his head mostly inside of some undergrowth. A single creature, which he could gather was a gryphon, had Lore held with a wicked looking knife to his throat. Noble and Krik were both just standing side by side, with Noble’s hammer on the ground, looking on at the gryphon. The second unfamiliar voice wasn’t present, and a small metal ring of some sort was fitted securely over Lore’s horn.
Crap, what the Hell is going on? Looks like Lore is a hostage...what do those guys want with him? Looks like they don’t know about me, so I guess I could always get away...no, no that’s not an option. No way I’m going to abandon them out here to their fates. But what am I supposed to do?
A few moments passed in silence as the gryphon kept nervously shifting his gaze between Lore, Krik, and Noble. Neither Noble nor Krik dared to make a move, lest Lore’s neck be sliced. Eventually some noises could be heard in the bush on the opposite side of the path from Tristan and another gryphon, this one larger than the other, came through dragging a large cage on big treaded wheels.
“Hey, you didn’t mess anything up this time, good for you!” the smaller gryphon sarcastically remarked. “Alright, you two, into the cage! Nice and easy, no sudden movements, or your buddy here dies!”
The larger gryphon reached into a bag that hung on his waist and unlocked a heavy steel lock on the cage, and Noble and Krik just stood there for a moment. “Did I fucking stutter? Get in the cage!” the gryphon shouted, pressing the knife closer to Lore’s neck, eliciting a small whimper of pain and a drop of blood.
At that the two obliged, slowly clamoring into the cage. The smaller gryphon edged closer to the cage himself, until he threw Lore in at the exact moment as the other swung the door shut and immediately locked it. Krik didn’t waste any time lunging forward as Lore was flung into the cage, but he wasn’t quite fast enough to make his attack before the door was secured.
“Got some fight in you, huh? Well don’t even bother tryin’ to get out of that cage, that’s enchanted steel! Wasn’t cheap, but hey, you lot will fetch a pretty good price!” the leading gryphon snidely remarked. “Alright, back to camp, Swift, before any other travellers come by. Hurry it up!”
Swift grunted his agreement and hooked himself back onto a harness, pulling the cage through the thick undergrowth with little difficulty. The smaller gryphon look around for a moment, spat once on the ground, and followed the other into the forest.
Tristan waited a moment to see if either would come back, finally emerging at about the same time as the animals started up their racket once more. He checked where they went off into the forest and found that the cage made tracks that were incredibly easy to follow, and so knew that he would have no difficulty tracking them.
Ok, need a plan, need a plan...I know I can’t just fight those two on my own. There’s no way I could pickpocket the big one, and if I got caught trying they’d just kill me or throw me in with the others. That leaves only one option...
He took off his pack, rummaging around until he found his alchemy book. After flipping through the pages a good bit he found one potion that looked like it would suffice: a heavy sleeping draught.
Alright, pinch of blood moss, teaspoon of ground willow root, and one moon flower petal...let’s see here...
Further rummaging around in his alchemy pack produced the willow root and a dried moon flower petal, but it seemed he was out of blood moss. After checking his pack again to make absolutely sure, he went to the index of his book to look it up.
Hmm...”Blood moss is a hardy strain, growing in almost every area of the world. It is characterized primarily by its distinct color: a deep crimson, as blood. Common uses include...” Alright then, seems it’s common. Better keep an eye out, and if I don’t find it I’ll just have to think of something else.
Tristan grabbed Noble’s hammer from where it lay on the ground and placed it in his pack, took a deep breath, and trudged into the wilderness, following the obvious tracks made by the cage. He knew that there were all sorts of animals around him, some of which that may have been hostile, but he couldn’t bring himself to worry about that too much with his friends in danger. His progress was slow twofold, as the undergrowth hampered his movement and he kept looking for the moss.
After a full half hour of walking he finally had a stroke of luck, spying a red amidst the green of the undergrowth, clinging to a tree. Sure enough, it matched the description of blood moss. He took out a vial of water and his alchemy equipment and carefully followed the instructions on the spot, mixing the liquid from a red, to a reddish brown, and finally to a crystal clear colorless liquid, as the book described. With his new potion in hand he continued his trek, still going quite slowly so that he wouldn’t be caught if he caught up to them.
It didn’t take long before he heard voices anew. Not far ahead of him was a clearing, with a small campsite housing the two gryphons and their cage. In the center of the camp, with two logs for sitting on either end, was a pot cooking over a fire. From the pot came the delicious scent of cooking meat, which Tristan hadn’t had the pleasure of smelling for far too long.
Neither the gryphons nor the captives noticed Tristan as he stealthily edged his way to the camp’s perimeter while lying prone. From that point he waited and watched, trying to find the perfect moment to slip the potion into something they were going to eat or drink. The gryphons talked little, usually only doing so to throw an insult or taunt to the captives, or to talk about plans for selling them.
Tristan’s legs were starting to go numb and he was contemplating just charging in when something finally happened. “Hey, there’s a monkey! Get it!” the smaller gryphon yelled to the larger, who stupidly gazed towards the ground. “No, in the trees you retard! Dammit, don’t let it get away, that could be our breakfast!”
The two gryphons lunged into the foliage, the smaller yelling out several more choice swears as they gave chase to their prospective meal. Tristan jumped at the opportunity, literally, and ran to the cooking pot. He made sure to shush the others with a finger over his mouth, lest they give him away, and poured the entire contents of his vial into the stew. He then ran back to his hiding space and hunkered back down to wait.
It didn’t take long for the gryphons to return, the smaller chewing out the bigger for apparently making him lose their quarry. They argued for a while before eventually drawing up some stew from the pot and sitting down to eat it. Tristan watched with anticipation as they greedily downed their bowls, hardly pausing to taste their food. Within a minute they were both unconscious.
Tristan waited a moment to see if they would quickly recover, warily emerging from his hiding place when they didn’t. He came to the larger who had fallen asleep on his pack and drew his sword, making sure he would be ready to kill the gryphon if he woke up when Tristan moved him. He didn’t, however, and Tristan produced the key from the small bag.
“What was that you used? Are they just asleep?” Lore inquired from the cage.
“Yeah, sleeping potion from that book you gave me. Here, let me let you out...” Tristan responded, going to the cage and unlocking it, freeing the others.
“You did well,” Noble commented, clapping Tristan on his back after he got out.
“Thanks, oh, and I believe this is yours,” Tristan replied, producing Noble’s hammer from his pack. “Figured you might-” he said, stopping as he heard gurgling coming from behind him. He whirled around, having no idea what to expect, and found Krik with his stinger still in the neck of the larger gryphon, and a small pool of blood forming around the neck of the smaller.
“Woah, Krik, what the Hell?” Tristan cried out in surprise.
“What?” Krik returned, sounding like he genuinely didn’t know what Tristan meant.
“You just...killed them!” Tristan clarified, somewhat disgusted at the now somewhat large pool of blood.
“I get doing that if there was no alternative but...we did have a cage for them,” Noble added neutrally.
“If you expect me to allow those who imprison me in such a way to live, perhaps we should simply part ways,” Krik replied indignantly.
“No, no, it’s not that, it’s just...well, it doesn’t matter. The deed is done, and the forest will take care of the rest,” Lore chimed in.
After staring awkwardly at Krik for a moment longer Tristan looted the camp and the gryphons. Most of the things they had were of no use to him, except for a large money pouch overflowing with gold coins.
“Hey...Lore...since I saved you guys and all, I get to keep whatever I loot here, right?” Tristan slowly asked, unable to keep a grin off his face despite the deaths he just witnessed.
“I suppose we owe you that much at least, yes. Why? Did you find something?” Lore responded casually.
Tristan showed him the large bag of coins, at which Lore’s jaw literally dropped. “That’s...that’s a lot of money! They had all that on them?” he asked incredulously.
“Yeah, how much could this buy me?” Tristan asked, giddy.
Lore didn’t answer, going over to the smaller gryphon and producing a small metal rod from the gryphon’s pack, which he tapped to the ring on his horn. The ring split in two and fell off, and Lore grabbed the coin bag with his magic and hefted it up.
“My, this really is a lot...you could buy yourself a small house with this in Canterlot! If you went with a smaller town, you might even be able to afford a large one!” Lore exclaimed, placing the pouch pack in Tristan’s waiting hand.
“A house? Are you serious? If I hadn’t just been instrumental in the deaths of two sentient beings this would be one of the best days I’ve ever had!” Tristan said happily. “I was about due for some good luck, wasn’t I?”