The Enchanter

by My name is R

2 Arrival

After their conversation with Antiquorum, Starswirl dropped the sound barrier and teleported himself and Somnambula back to the ledge where Stone Seeker was waiting for them.

"I am glad to see that you have returned safely. Have you discovered anything useful?" asked Stone.

"Yes," said Starswirl. "We found the secret of how Sombra controls the dragon. He has a magic scepter which has the ability to command dragons. If we can take it the dragon will no longer serve him. With the dragon out of the way I think Somnambula and I can take Sombra. Do you believe that the villagers can subdue the taken?"

"Hmm. I think we can, but only if we make sure to strike as one. We will have to coordinate carefully, to avoid raising suspicion. When will you take the scepter."

"Well since he keeps it with him, I was planning on taking it when he leaves the keep," said Starswirl. "When will that be?"

"He will be overseeing the executions, that will probably be the easiest time to strike," answered Stone. "But to save the prisoners we will have to get the timing right. It will be close but I think we can pull it off."

"Yes," said Starswirl. "I think we have the beginnings of a plan. We shall carefully spread word to revolt at the execution, after we steal the staff. The first thing they should do is stop the executions. We'll also see what the best method of stealing the staff is."

"Very well," said Stone. "Let's go into the village, but watch out for patrols. If they see us outside the village, farms, or quarry, they'll detain us for questioning."

---

As they walked further into the valley they slowly got a clearer view of the village. It was a small settlement made almost entirely of stone, with farmland surrounding it. Nearby there was an area that looked like somepony had been making all the stone flat and a large lake.

"What is that place for?" asked Starswirl, pointing.

"Which place?" said Stone Seeker, looking at Starswirl.

"The place with all the worked stone."

"Oh, that's the quarry. It's where all our stone comes from. We use it to build just about everything here."

"Why?" asked Starswirl.

"Because we like the stone," replied Stone. "It makes us feel relaxed. And it's not like it's hard to find around here." He gestured around at the rocky, lightly forested valley.

"Do you do anything with your trees?" asked Somnambula.

"Yes. We use them to make our furniture, as well as our doors. Those are more important to be light, since they move."

"And what do you grow in your fields?" she asked.

"Mostly potatoes, since they grow well up here. We grow carrots in the northern field."

---

"Alright, are you both ready," asked Stone Seeker, as he glanced back at his new allies. They had decided it would help them blend in if Starswirl and Somnambula wore simple burlap coats to obscure their features. Such coats were somewhat common in the village for keeping warm.

"I believe so," said Starswirl. Somnambula nodded her head in agreement.

"Ok then, just follow me and we should be able to get to the forepony's house. He was trying to keep things together when I left. Hopefully he hasn't been caught."

And so, the trio made their way through the streets in the pre-dawn glow. They didn't meet anypony before they arrived at a house that had two stories, making it the tallest building they had seen today. Stone opened the door and led them inside without so much as a knock. Inside was a spacious room with two couches sitting on opposite sides of a grey wooden table with a candle and tinder box resting on it. In the back right corner was a staircase leading up to the second floor. On the left side of the room was an empty fireplace, with a simple cloth lying in front of it and a stack of pale grey-brown wood beside it.

After they had all entered Stone turned to his companions and held a hoof to his mouth. then he called out, "Hello? Are you home? I need to discuss work with you."

"I'll be right down," called a voice from upstairs. "I wasn't expecting to see you this morning. What brings you here so early?"

"I found success earlier than anticipated. I believe that I found the blind seams for our next project."

"Really? So soon?" the voice responded as it's owner began to enter the trio's sight. It was an aged purple earth pony. "Ah, it would appear so, this is great news." He then strode over to the fireplace and lifted a corner of the rug to reveal a hidden trapdoor. He opened the door and motioned them to enter with a wave of his hoof. Stone led the way, with Starswirl and Somnambula following close behind. After they were all inside, the forepony lit the candle and held its metal tray in his mouth. Then he followed them down and closed the door behind them.

"Alright," he said after setting the candle on a small table in the center of the room. "Now we may speak freely. I assume Stone has filled you in on our situation?"

They were in a small basement with stone walls and floor, and a low stone roof. It had a small table, two bookshelves, and a writing desk. All were made of the same grey wood.

"Yes," said Starswirl. "In fact I have formulated a plan that should solve all your problems, if we do it right."

"Really?" the forepony replied. "Overnight you found a solution to the problems we've been struggling with for weeks. What is it, just ask the Dark Wizard and his pet dragon to go away? Maybe sing them a song, see if they feel bad about what they've done? Or did you bring an army of friends that are going to help?"

"Well the first one was half right," said Somnambula. "We asked the dragon to stop helping Sombra."

Author's Note:

Sites used for research include:
Plant natural for what crops are grown in the mountains.
Sciencing and Quarries and Beyond for how quarries work.
Jake's Nature Blog and Something Official Looking for which trees to use for lumber.
And finally, Wikipedia for fire making, among other things.

Comments

[My name is R]

Alright, is there anything you're looking forward to seeing? I am deciding the specifics of what happens next chapter. Anything you want to happen today? (In universe)
Edit 2/23/21: I am no longer looking for answers to this question. You still can answer, it just probably won't be included.
Also sorry for the wait. Real life got hectic for a little while, then the power cut out for a week, and I had a slight case of writer's block. All of those have been dealt with and I feel confident I can maintain my schedule.
(Which is at least 1 chapter a month by the way. I plan on having chapter 3 up by the end of March.)

[SparklingTwilight]

Much appreciation for listing the sources for ideas in your author's notes!

[My name is R]

10889354
You’re welcome.
Should I keep putting these in my later works? I hadn’t been sure if I should keep doing that or not.

[SparklingTwilight]

10889397
* Obviously, if it's not fun for you to add them, then don't do so on my behalf.
* Assuming it's a fun or neutral task: I think it adds something and it demonstrates a level of care in the work you produce.
* Also, if you find it helpful for retracing your references in the future, then go for it.

[My name is R]

10889404
I do like showing the level of research I put into these. I think I will continue using them.
Also, thank you for your comment. It’s nice to know people are enjoying my work, and especially when they have specific points I can use to improve.