The smell of incense and chamomile wafted through the air, scenting the room in a sort of frilly way. Cavalier disliked it. It was meant to put one at ease, and he hated being at ease. To him, it was the same as being complacent. And in his line of work, being complacent meant being dead. Being dead was something he was not particularly fond of. However, Princess Celestia's chambers always smelt of tea and lavender incense, so he had to deal with it.
The armored stallion sat on a red velvet cushion in front of a large, crackling fireplace. He sat directly opposite another cushion which a certain princess of the sun had taken residence upon. She was sipping out of a tiny white cup that bore her cutie mark, a blazing sun. He could smell the scent of the liquid oozing from the piece of porcelain. How her majesty could stand the stuff he'd never know. He had his own cup, untouched. He thought about drinking just a few sips so as not to appear rude, but as he leaned in to drink some, his nostrils warned him that it would be a bad idea. As much as he thought not drinking would be rude, Cavalier was also very sure that gagging would be even more so.
“Hello again, marshal. I thank you for coming on such short notice,” Princess Celestia said, her soothing voice easing his frayed nerves. Nopony else ever had that effect on him. It was like her very presence could allow you to think more clearly, and her voice washed over him like running water.
“Of course, your highness,” Cavalier said in a gruff voice, “I came as soon as I could.”
“And I thank you for that. There are some very pressing matters I would like to discuss,” the monarch said, taking another delicate sip from her cup, “It involves the lord of Cicero, duke Puissant.”
“I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the place, or the duke.”
Princess Celestia seemed genuinely surprised. “You mean to say you've never heard of Cicero?”
Cavalier shook his head. “No, your grace. This is the first I've heard of it.”
“I suppose that is not too far-fetched. Cicero is a city to the north, just at the border of Equestrian territory. They used to be a part of the Crystal Empire, a long time ago. Much like Roam, they were merely an outpost at the far-flung reaches of the empire. Now, it is a bustling city filled with all sorts of inhabitants.
“As for why I have called you here, I have a new task for you, marshal. Cicero has recently been hit by a string of... murders. They have all been political, as the evidence would suggest. I would like you to go to Cicero and investigate. The duke fears for his life.”
“I'm sorry your highness, but...” Cavalier started, somewhat hesitant with his next words, “should this not be a job for the duke's soldiers? If they're a republic, I don't see how this involves us.”
Celestia nodded, as if she knew exactly what he would say. “Puissant's guards have been trying to apprehend the culprit for well over three months now, with no success. Even his famed inquisitors have been met with only questions and no answers. The duke lacks anyone suited for the job. Therefore, I offered the services of Equestria.” Celestia stood from her cushion and trotted to her balcony, the white drapes flowing around her. Cavalier stood as well and followed her out. From their vantage point, the two overlooked the entirety of Canterlot and far beyond. Cavalier saw the Everfree forest stretching far to the south. Nearby was the small village of Ponyville. The horizon was dotted with several mountains, painted blackish-brown against the fading orange of the sky as the sun set in the distance.
“You see, the duke is a staunch ally of ours. He is an old friend, regardless of whichever territory he belongs to. You could say this job is a favor.”
Cavalier understood. Protecting your friends was important. He could agree with that. “But that's not all there is to it, is it.”
“No, you are right. There is more,” Celestia's voice took on a far more serious tone. “If the duke falls prey to this unknown assassin, then many lives would be threatened. Puissant is heir-less. This means that if he were to die, then the seat of Cicero would go to his sister. I know his sister, and what she's like. Hellia despises Luna and I. She believes we lord our control of the sun and moon over all others. She is wrong. But that would not stop her from gathering allies to attack us. She would not win, but many lives would be lost. I cannot allow this to happen.”
“Alright, I believe I now understand the importance of this,” Cavalier said, watching the ponies of Canterlot scurry about. “But princess, if I may? Why me? I'm no detective. I'm a soldier. I'd probably have just as much luck as the duke's men.”
Celestia smiled at this, and turned her eyes to him. “You have too little faith in your own abilities, marshal. I know you are up to this task. I would not have chosen you for this mission if I did not believe there was another more suited to the job.”
Cavalier was struck dumb by the comment. The princess really had that much faith in him? He knew he was highly esteemed, but not this much. He had always viewed Celestia as sort of a second mother, and praise from her was worth more than all the gold in the world to him.
“I- thank you, princess. I promise I won't let you down.”
“I know you won't. Now, everything else you need to know is in your orders. Commander Ebonsteel will have them ready for you. Good luck, field marshal.”
Cavalier cantered briskly through the empty back streets of Canterlot. The moon had risen in the short time between his departure from the castle and now. It emanated a cool glow, lighting his way in the dark alleyway. He was almost to the sky barracks by now, where Commander Ebonsteel was waiting with his documents. He turned the corner and came upon just what he was looking for. The pale white walls reflected the moon's shimmering light, giving the whole building a ghost-like appearance. He trotted up to the front gate, where a pair of Luna's own Sarosian soldiers, their bat-like wings folded neatly against their cold gray armor. As he approached, they took notice of his armor and stood even straighter than before, if that was even possible. He nodded at them both as they pushed open the doors for him. Rank certainly did have its privileges.
The sky barracks was where the majority of the pegasi and Sarosian guards took residence in. It was also where the royal guard sky chariots were, which was the reason why he was here. The train didn't travel all the way to Cicero. He passed a pair of pegasi soldiers, who saluted immediately upon seeing him. He returned the gesture loosely, and continued on his way. He managed to find the stairs up to the roof, where Commander Ebonsteel most likely was. He plodded up the flight of stairs, passing a Sarosian on the way. He must not have ever seen a unicorn in the sky barracks, because he gave Cavalier a curious look as he passed by.
Eventually, the marshal arrived at the door to the roof. He pushed it open and stepped out into the cool night air. As expected, Ebonsteel stood off in the distance next to a pair of Sarosians, strapping themselves into the harnesses of a black sky chariot. He stuck out like a sore hoof, being a white-coated pegasi amongst an assortment of grey and blue sarosians.
“Good to see you again Steel,” Cavalier called out as he approached. Ebonsteel glanced to his right, and spotting Cavalier, smiled.
“Ah, Cav, you old diamond dog! It's good to see you again. How's the leg doing?” He replied, giving the marshal a firm hoof shake.
“The tendons are still a little sensitive.”
“What are you talking about, tendons? That thing's made of metal and magic. There are no tendons anymore.”
“It was a joke, Ebon.”
“Oh.”
They stood in silence as the two bat-esque ponies finished harnessing themselves. One was a somewhat large chap with an eye patch, whilst the other was a much more lithe mare who seemed out of place as a long-distance chariot puller. The big fellow glanced over at them and nodded as affirmation that the two were ready for takeoff.
“Well my friend, I wish you luck in your endeavor. I hear Cicero is not what it once was these days. Oh, almost forgot, bugger all. Here's all the intel you'll need, bundled up into one neat little package. You can thank me for that later.” Ebonsteel withdrew a large, slightly yellow scroll from the folds of his cloak and hoofed it over to Cavalier. The marshal took a brief look at it before stowing it in his saddlebag.
“Thanks, might make for some good light reading on the way,” Cavalier said, trotting towards the sky chariot. “Anyway, I better be off. Don't want to keep the psychopaths waiting, now do we?”
“Ha, no, that we don't,” Ebonsteel chuckled, taking a step back. “Good luck mate, I'm sure you'll have an interesting tale or two when you get back.”
“Yeah, if I come back,” Cavalier snorted, “we'll see. Goodbye, Ebon.”
The two sarosians took that as their cue to leave, unfurling their wings and galloping towards the edge of a wall. At the last possible moment when it seemed like they weren't picking up enough speed and they would all plummet helplessly to their deaths, the chariot picked up off the stone and began treading air, held aloft somewhat magically by the two ponies dragging it behind them.
He personally had no clue how far Cicero was from Canterlot or how long the ride would take, so he settled in and unraveled the roll of parchment.
Dear Cavalier,
Within the confines of this scroll is what little knowledge we have acquired concerning the recent assassinations of political figures in the northern city of Cicero. Herein is also several key details of its ruler, Duke Puissant, and many other prominent ponies that it might be wise to watch for reasons quite obvious.
First of all, Cicero is highly renowned for having an extremely low crime rate, mostly due to the duke's veritable small army of enforcers known quite simply as the Inquisitors. They are brutal, efficient, and highly loyal to their leaders. You may recognize some of their tactics and thought-processes as being similar to our own here in Canterlot. While many of their means would not be tolerable, this does not mean that their way of thinking might be altogether abandoned and mistrusted. There is still much we might learn from them, if not combat and defense-wise. They answer only to the duke himself and their commander, who happens to be Puissant's sister, Hellia. If I have not already spoken to you about Hellia's disposition to Equestria as a whole in person, than I shall state it here. She would like nothing more than to see Luna and I dethroned and her own rule begin. I have seen many would-be tyrants become blind to all else but their lust for personal power. Hellia has the makings of such a tyrant. And in her position of power within Cicero's intrigues, I would suggest you watch your step around her, and do not rule her out among your potential suspects.
Besides the inquisitors, there is still the common city guard. Unlike the prestigious ranks of the inquisitors, the guard recruits straight from the populace. They are heavily funded by the nobility and the duke, but I would still be cautious when dealing with them. They are notorious for being easily bribed, and whomever is committing these heinous acts will no doubt be able to place the guards within their pocket. You have been warned. As for the nobility themselves, I would recommend keeping an eye on any you come across that might be harboring an ulterior motive. Many of them would stand to gain from the elimination of other nobles, or even the duke himself. But I am certain I do not need to tell you of all ponies about the dangers of fraternizing with high-born, do I?
The common folk are the ones you should be the least worried about. Under Puissant's rule, the ponies of Cicero have enjoyed a time of prosperity, and many of them would be at a severe disadvantage were he to be removed from power, especially at a time such as now. Do not be afraid to rely on beggars as a source of information. They are the eyes and ears of the city. Carry a few extra coins though, as they will no doubt attempt to wrangle as many bits as they can out of you.
There is also the matter of Duke Puissant himself. If he is still the same pony as I remember all those years ago, he is actually very likeable in a somewhat neurotic way. His charm is undeniable, but be wary of him all the same. He was sometimes known to fly into a rage if things did not go perfectly to his plans. I can only hope he has grown out of this as the years have gone by. Nevertheless, be cautious around him, for he is rather unpredictable.
As for the assassin or assassins, I would first look for motive. If the motivation is personal, merely look to who would gain from each individual death. That should be your first clue. If the answer to that question appears inconclusive, then ask around. Be warned, this killer has eliminated at least seven members of the local senate in the past three weeks, the elected officials that decide on smaller matters that are too trivial for the duke's attention. One piece of advice. Be a detective. Get into trouble. Go looking in the places you would least expect.
And one more thing. I would recommend acquiring a partner. Someone who you know you can trust. One who would be familiar with the terrain would be best. One who could most certainly point you in the right direction. Other than that, I have no more advice. I trust you to accomplish your mission with the utmost capability, Sir Cavalier.
With warmest regards,
Princess Celestia
Cavalier finished the scroll with a reaffirming nod to nopony in particular. If anything, he now had the groundwork to build from in his investigation. Contrary to popular belief, this would not be his first rodeo, so to speak. From what he could tell, he wouldn't have to worry about criminals in Cicero over-much. Moreover, he would have to keep a look out for the authorities. It would certainly keep him on the tips of his hooves, that was for sure.
Finding a partner though, that might be the tricky part. It was true, an extra set of eyes and hooves always did come in handy. In fact, he couldn't remember a time when somepony didn't have his back. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be a trustworthy soul in Cicero that had access to the upper-echelons of the societal ladder. He'd have to look elsewhere.
Finding that the short read had not exhausted his time on the chariot, Cavalier decided to entertain himself with a small puzzle box that he just could not conquer, even after years of attempted solving.
Cavalier had worked endlessly on that puzzle box, mix-matching different parts in a vain attempt at unlocking the blasted thing's secrets, although he secretly delighted in the challenge it gave him. As his grandfather often told him, a sharp mind is the key to survival. However, his long-sought-after mastery of the cube would have to wait, as just off in the distance, beyond shadow and fog, he saw the vaguest outline of a looming city-scape, with the ocean glistening under the moonlight directly to its left. It could only be one thing. His destination, the city of Cicero.
As the vapor parted, it allowed him a much grander view of the city itself. The city looked to be cobbled out of sandstone, and the bright lights emanating from the massive structures gave it all a surreal feeling, somewhat akin to Canterlot's own brilliant array of lights. His sky chariot made for the tallest of the towering buildings, to what he could only assume to be Puissant's castle. It seems that they had finally made it. While he was not particularly keen on greeting the denizens, it was an unfortunate inevitability. The yellowish-brown stone of the tower met wheel, and the three Equestrians touched down in Cicero.
There were several ponies standing watch, spread out on the terrace. Their pointed helmets shadowed their faces from view, and they each clutched a massive spear. Judging from the red tabbards that adorned them, Cavalier assumed these to be the inquisitors he had heard about. Which meant that he had been expected. Cavalier jumped out of the sky chariot and proceeded towards the stairs leading up to the entrance. An inquisitor stepped in his path. His spear sat at an aggressive angle on his shoulder, as if he might attack the marshal at any given moment. The darkness of the night shrouded the majority of his face, but he seemed almost angry.
“Stop right there. State your name and business here,” the stallion said in a gruff voice. Several other inquisitors took a few tentative steps forward. Cavalier noticed their positioning. They were surrounding him.
“I am Sir Cavalier, marshal of Equestria. I have been sent at the behest of Princess Celestia to look into a string of recent murders. I would appreciate it if you told your lord Puissant that I have arrived.”
“I was not told of any of this,” the inquisitor hissed.
“I'm sorry, but it's not my problem if your superiors think that's above your pay grade.”
“Why you–” the inquisitor began, but was suddenly interrupted.
“Sergeant, stand down!” a voice barked from the top of the stairs. The inquisitor before Cavalier noticeably flinched, and backed away from the marshal. “All of you, disperse. This knight is a guest of Duke Puissant, and I will not have you treating guests in such a foul manner.”
“Y-yes, captain,” the sergeant stammered out.
The pony that the voice belonged to descended the stairs at a surprising speed, the clank of armor sounding with each step. Out of the shadow stepped a mare clad in massive steel armor. Her ember mane partially covered one of her emerald eyes, which looked out at him with a burning intensity.
“Now, allow me to welcome you to Cicero properly. My name is Hellia, commander of the inquisitor forces here in Cicero, and sister of Duke Puissant. I am assuming that you are the investigator sent her from Canterlot, yes?”
Cavalier nodded. “Yes, I am. Sir Cavalier, marshal of Equestria. I understand that you've been having trouble with an assassin?”
Hellia scoffed. “'trouble' would be an overstatement. Seven members of the senate have been killed recently, but we'll find this rogue in due time. Forgive me sir knight, but I think your presence here is rather pointless.”
“And what makes you say that?” Cavalier said, arching an eyebrow.
“Beg pardon, but I really don't need some foreign investigator getting in our way. You'd only slow us down.”
“I see.” One of the sarosians stepped up next to Cavalier.
“Sorry to interrupt sir, but will you be needing anything else before we depart?” she asked.
“No, thank you. I'll be fine from here on out,” he answered, glancing at her.
“Alright then, if that's what you...” her voice trailed off, as if she were otherwise preoccupied with something else. “Is that–?” she said before one of her wings flapped up surprisingly in front of Cavalier's face.
“What are you–” he started to say, before a steel tipped bolt sliced through her wing, stopping a mere half-inch in front of the knight's unprotected face. The sarosian screamed in pain before dropping to the ground. Cavalier turned his attention to where she had been looking not moments before, and he spotted a shadowy figure on the roof of the tower. Its profile matched that of an equine shape, although enshrouded by a cloak. Upon being spotted, the figure disappeared behind a nearby statue of a gargoyle.
“Bloody Tartarus!” Captain Hellia cursed, “sergeant, gather everyone you can! Find that pony! I don't care if you have to turn the whole castle over, I want that assassin found!”
“Yes, captain!” the inquisitor responded. “Alright everypony, you heard the lady!! Let's move!” Almost every guard galloped into the castle, save one that stayed at Hellia's gesture.
“You there. Take these three to the hospital wing,” she said, gesturing at Cavalier and the two sarosians. “She's in need of medical attention badly.”
It was true. The mare was clutching her leathery wing tightly. There was a thick trickle of blood seeping from the wound the arrow had left.
“I'm f-fine. I can manage,” she said, trying to put on a brave face.
“No, you're not,” her fellow sarosian said. “We've been over this before. You're not invincible, despite what you may believe. Now come on, I'll carry you there.”
“No,” Cavalier said, stepping in. “I'll do it. I need you to get back to Canterlot. Tell the Princess what just transpired. She needs to be ready to send assistance at the drop of a hat.” The eye-patched stallion seemed hesitant at leaving his comrade behind, but he decided that it probably wasn't best to argue with a marshal, so he nodded and took off into the air in the direction of Canterlot. Cavalier looked back to the mare lying on the ground. “Come here, I'll carry you there.” He stooped down to his knees and lifted her up and onto his back, careful not to touch her wing. “Alright, let's go.”
A full gallop and twenty minutes later, Cavalier found himself in a pristine white room, watching over the bat-winged equine resting in one of the many beds in the infirmary. Her wing was heavily bandaged, tinged slightly red.
“I don't see why I have to be put up in this bed for two days,” she complained, prodding the wing with a hoof. “It was just one arrow. It didn't even hurt that much. This is stupid.”
“Complain all you want, it won't get you anywhere,” Cavalier said.
“Yeah, I know. But still. I hate being cooped up.”
“I'll bet,” Cavalier chuckled. “Say, what's your name?” The sarosian seemed surprised.
“My name? It's Eventide. Why?”
“Well Eventide, you remind me of another pony. She acted a lot like you did. Hated being stuck in one place for too long. Always wanted to be out flying. I just thought it was a funny coincidence.”
“What was her name?” Eventide asked.
“It's ironic, really. Her name was Sunbeam, sort of an antonym to your own, don't you think?”
Eventide was surprised, to say the least. Yes, it was a very coincidental antonym, she thought. But that's all it probably was. A coincidence.
“You speak of her in the past tense. Did something happen?” Eventide asked quite curiously. Something was nagging at her to find out what happened to this mare. Cavalier's face suddenly took on a very somber look.
“It's a... very long story. I'll tell you about it some other time.” Needless to say, Eventide was very disappointed at this response. It seemed that her curiosity would have to be satiated another time. “Now, if you're all settled here, I'll need to be seeing Duke Puissant. Don't want to keep him waiting. I'll come visit you soon, see how you're doing.” Eventide nodded. It seemed the sensible thing to do, especially after what just transpired. As Cavalier made his way to the door, he suddenly stopped.
“I'm sorry, how rude of me. I never even thanked you for saving my life, did I?” Eventide shook her head. It was true, she had saved his life. While she wanted to capitalize on that fact during the entire conversation, she thought it would have also been rude to mention it. “It's just that, well... When you've been in enough life or death situations as I have, you tend to forget the little things like politeness. In either case, thank you Eventide, for saving my life.”
“Think nothing of it, sir,” she said with a smile. “Just doing my job.” Cavalier nodded in agreement, and departed through the door, passing a nurse on his way out.
“Was that your friend?” she asked Eventide, placing a plate of food on the bedside table.
“No, not a friend,” the sarosian answered, “well, not a friend yet.”
Cavalier cantered briskly through the halls of Duke Puissant's fortress. He had only stopped for directions to the main hall once and the servant hadn't really given him high-quality directions, and so he had soon found himself somewhat lost. Thankfully, another servant, this one much more helpful, managed to point him in the right way. He moved quickly up to a large set of double doors, hewn from oak and fitted in iron castings. A pair of inquisitors barred the way with their massive spears. However, upon seeing his golden armor iconic to Celestia's warriors, they seemed to be put more on edge, but they parted for him nonetheless.
As the twin oak doors slowly groaned apart, Cavalier could faintly make out the sound of voices arguing. One male, one female. There was a sort of impassioned bitterness in the tone of the female, whilst the male had a clamorous authoritative sound to it, as if its speaker was used to getting what he wanted, when he wanted. It turned out that the two voices belonged to the captain of the inquisitors Hellia, and her brother Puissant, respectively. They seemed to be arguing about Cavalier, which didn't surprise him very much.
“...telling you, he shouldn't be here. We don't need her interference,” Hellia said, venom dripping in her voice. She stood nearby Puissant's throne, a menacing grimace on her face.
“And I'm telling you, if Princess Celestia is concerned about the rising situation here, then by all means, let her send a single knight. What's one more pair of eyes on the search?” Puissant said, lounging back in his throne, looking quite agitated.
“There is no situation, as you would put it,” Hellia countered, “my inquisitors and I have this whole assailant business firmly in hoof. We'll catch the culprit soon enough. Why, no doubt my troops are currently on the tail of the attacker as we speak, after their most recent attempt on that knight's life.”
“Dear sister, you seem to forget who wears the crown,” Puissant said, his voice rising with discernible anger. “If I say we are going to allow this emissary from Equestria into our city, then we will do just that.”
“And you, dear brother, seem to forget just who is in charge of your protection,” Hellia said, her own voice becoming distressed with anger. “This knight just poses another possible security risk, another anomaly on the grid.”
“You've become much too paranoid sister, it's not healthy for you. And besides, I believe our guest would like to speak with us.”
Both of them turned their attention to Cavalier, who stood several feet away, rather awkwardly. Deciding it best to show proper respect in a foreign land, he bowed.
“Oh, stand up, stand up. I can't be bothered with all that bowing business,” Puissant said, waving Cavalier up. “I deal with that day in, day out. It's really quite tiresome. Now, welcome sir knight, welcome. I hope I can at least give you a better reception than the one you received on the landing terrace.”
“I haven't been shot at yet, so there's an improvement already,” Cavalier joked, standing up straight.
Puissant laughed. “Ha, I like him already! Now, as you've no doubt heard, we've been recently struck with a series of rather ghastly attacks, presumably all orchestrated by a single assassin. I am under the impression that you have been sent to deal with the situation, yes?”
“And I've told you, there is no 'situation,'” Hellia interjected, casting a glance at the duke.
“Oh really? One pony murdering in cold blood seven different senators all in a matter of weeks? I'd say that warrants the term 'situation,' if you ask me,” Puissant retorted, glaring daggers at her. “This stallion will stay here to perform his investigation. That is the final say on the matter. Now, sir... what did you say your name was again?”
“I didn't. My name is Sir Cavalier, marshal in Princess Celestia's retinue,” the gold-clad pony answered, nodding his head.
“Oh-ho! Cavalier, is it? My goodness, we've got a real celebrity here! Aren't you that same fellow who quelled a group of dragons not too long ago? Yes, I'm sure of it in fact. Well, good on you, fair knight. That was the talk of the city for a while. 'Single knight takes on twenty blood-thirsty dragons and lives to tell the tale.' Mighty fine show.” Cavalier smiled. Ponies tended to exaggerate.
“I'm sorry to disappoint you, my lord, but it wasn't twenty. It was more like five. And a few of them weren't all that blood-thirsty. Just a bit miffed, that's all.”
“Ah, but you killed them, didn't you?” Cavalier's smile slowly turned to a frown. Blood-shed always left a sour taste in his mouth.
“Only one. He was the leader. Fiery fellow he was. Powerful temper.”
“Well, the truth isn't exactly what I imagined, but still. Good on you sir knight. Taking on five dragons. It's an honor to meet a real-life dragonslayer. You will be welcome in these halls anytime. However, if you'll permit me to change the subject, I understand one of your compatriots is in the infirmary?”
Cavalier nodded and was about to speak, but Hellia answered for him.
“Yes, one of the night brigade. Those bat-looking ones, you remember,” she said with an air of indifference.
“You don't say? Well, that's an interesting tid-bit. Hasn't been a sarosian in these walls in decades. Be nice to meet him.”
“Her,” Hellia corrected.
“Right, yes. Her.”
“Apologies for interrupting, but it's very late. Is there somewhere I could stay for the time being?” Cavalier interceded.
“Hmm?” Puissant mumbled. “Oh, yes! Of course, Sir Cavalier. You must be exhausted from your flight. I'll be sure to have one of the help show you to one of our guest suites. Is there anything in particular you'd like?” Cavalier thought about it for a moment.
“Do you have anything with a study? I'll need somewhere to write.”
“Of course, of course, anything you like. As I have already said before, you are an honored guest, and you shall be treated as one! Oh, and one more thing,” Puissant added, as Cavalier started to turn away. “Remember to always take two steps to the left, and try to look at it from a different angle.”
Both Hellia and Cavalier looked rather confused at this remark. Puissant smiled.
“You'll know what I mean.”