Chapter Five
Visage
The gentle, distant rumble of moving water and pattering rain on the tent’s roof nearly overwhelmed the crackling of a fire outside, and once again a protective wing and foreleg shielded me from the nightly cold beneath a blanket. Slow breaths blew on my ears, and a pillow lay beneath my head, plusher and more comfortable than anything I’d ever had at Cloud Loft or Neighvarro.
Night Cloud scarcely stirred as I lifted her leg off me, crawled from under her wing, and stepped off the padded mat as lightly as I could on stiff, aching legs. I tugged the blanket up to her neck again and backed away, staring at her in the minimal firelight.
I shivered and exited the tent, looking left and right at the quiet camp.
-Blitz can show you to the latrine. She’s straight east, near the river.-
I spun around to catch Ivy watching from her own mat at the rear of the tent.
-Breakfast’s in two hours.-
-Um… thanks.-
-No exploring this time.- She tilted her head toward Night Cloud. -Consider it a favor to her, and the rest of us.-
I nodded to her, and trotted west, drawing the brief attention of a bay-coated stallion in tan barding and caparison standing guard at the corner of the tent. I stopped a couple meters in front of him to look. He wore a battle saddle with a sleek machine gun connected to a rounded rectangular ammo drum on his back, and a helmet with a clear visor across his eyes and cloth covers for his ears. Three golden, circular studs stood out in a triangle on the center of his peytral.
It was a simpler and vastly more economical version of Night Cloud’s coat of plates; perhaps even mass-produced, matched with a short caparison to make a uniform, and fitted with rails and fixed structural points to which the battle saddle attached. Reinforced cables wound from the back of the helmet, under a cover on the crinet, and into a battery and motor hub behind the stallion’s withers, and the gun rested at a sharp angle, aimed purposefully at the ground on its stabilizing mount.
Another stallion stood guard at the rear corner of the tent, facing south, and a unicorn mare at the opposite, front corner. One of her ears flicked toward me. The sleekly armored boots on her hooves gleamed in the firelight.
A metallic clink came from closer to me. Wellspring tapped his boot on the lowered gun barrel, smiling down at me, and whispered, “Maybe when you’re older.”
I snorted and looked down at his boots; the thin steel plating covered only the front of his cannon and hoof. “I built an aetheric plasma cannon. Top that.” Mouth suddenly dry, I broke into a trot and made my way west through the surrounding tents.
I found Blitz walking along a ridge, clad in a stone-grey caparison that covered her legs, and looked almost like a dress. Her mane and tail glowed dimly and drifted in the air behind her, and I had a strong urge to give her a proper brushing.
She turned to me in the early morning gloom and waved her wing. -Good morning, Crystal. You look a little stiff; sleep well?-
-Yeah, I’m just sore. Where’s the latrine?-
She chortled, levitated me the final few meters, and set me on her back. -Opposite side of the camp, actually.- She pulled a small blanket out of her saddlebags and draped it over me, then pivoted and broke into a smooth trot, covering ground casually at a pace twice that of my fastest gallop.
-My father used to carry me like this… doubt he’d recognize me now. Bigger than the biggest stallions, and I’m not even the same color anymore.-
-Because of, um… that potion, right? The one that made you an alicorn?-
-Yes.-
She passed by the outer tents and crossed the entire camp in a matter of seconds, and her hooves thudded briefly on the packed dirt of a road before carrying us down a slight incline to an immense boulder rising five or six meters into the dark. It must have been a thousand tons or more.
-What color were you before?-
-Sable, like my mother… well, it was sort of purplish sable, so really, I’m just a bit more intense purple now. Whatever. Here we go, just around this rock.-
She set me down near the boulder, and a lamp staked into the dirt lit up yellow-white as she waved her wing in front of it. A small spark cell was held to the stake with a wire wrapped twice around it.
-Watch your step. And, uh, might want to hold your breath. Kick some dirt over when—
-Blitz, I know what a latrine is. I’ve been on the ground near Cloud Loft plenty of times. We didn’t exactly have great plumbing.-
-Right, fair.-
I took her breathing advice as I trotted around the boulder, and another staked lamp lit up on the far side, revealing a shallow ditch recently dug in the earth. I vacated the second lamp’s malodorous premises as quickly as possible.
-So, what color was Night Cloud? Red, like that part around her nose?-
-Yep, blood bay, the Palomino tribes call it, and she had the cutest black socks. A pity those disappeared after the spell. The transformation, ah… it follows a template of sorts, but sometimes it misses a spot here and there. I wish I could have kept her wholly as she was, but… ah, well. Nothing to be done about it now.-
I grinned as Blitz lifted me onto her back again and started back for the camp. -Well, she’s still friggin’ drop-dead-gorgeous—I mean, I um…-
-Oh, I know exactly what you mean.- Blitz glanced back at me, slowing as she turned away from the tents and toward the rise near the river where I’d found her. -She tells me you kissed her yesterday. And said some things that made quite an impression on her… and she thinks you’re very brave for doing it.-
-You’re, um… you’re not mad, are you?-
She let out deep, gentle chuckle. -Relax, kiddo. I only adopted her, and she was already an adult when I did; she’s her own mare. Whatever she decides about you is her business, not mine. That said… please keep in mind, she needs time to process things; one of those things being you. I imagine she’s fine with some snuggling, but no more ambush smooching, all right? You ask her first, from now on; you look at her, and see if she wants that. I understand why you did it the first time. I’ve been there—but do any more of that without her say-so… and we may have a problem.-
I sighed and tapped my hoof on her back. -I get it. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.-
-It’s okay. You don’t need to apologize to me, and based on what she told me, I doubt she wants an apology, either… just do as I ask, please. Respect her boundaries. Got that, young filly?-
I nodded. -Yes, Ma’am.-
-Thank you. Good talk.-
She stopped at the top of the rise, and we looked out at the rumbling water beyond it. My breath caught in my throat. I clutched onto her shoulders tightly and jerked my head away from the steep drop-off. The opposite shore was at least a hundred meters distant.
-That’s… a really big river.-
-We have another month until the rainy season begins. The Stonewalk will grow wider yet.-
Far beyond the opposite shoreline, the cultivated plains seemed to stretch farther than they should, for the hills sloped gently toward an indistinct, looming band of darkness rising from the earth. A few gaps in the distant cloud cover revealed the snowcapped mountains and woodlands. To the northwest, the dark earth grew pale and grey above the tree line.
I twisted to my right and squinted at the dull hills to the east. Their craggy ridges stretched slightly west of due north. -Where does the river start?-
-Just north of Compass Lake, in the mountains.- Blitz glanced back at me again as she turned away from the ridge and strode lightly along a path between the tents. -Bellenast is built on its south shore. Feeds the whole valley. It’s hard to tell at night, but you’ll see all the green for yourself come sunrise. The mountains, too… no matter how many times I see them, they’re still beautiful.-
-I like mountains.-
-You might not like them so much if you were stuck outside on one. Or in the Forest of Leota.-
Is it dangerous there?-
-Sometimes. The Leota is uncontrolled territory. Rather, it is under the control of independent clans. Some small gangs, some bigger tribes, anarchists, vigilantes… not to mention wild beasts. Manticores, bone wyrms, chimaeras, all manner of vile things.-
Blitz looked back at me. She sighed and stroked a glowing mote of telekinesis along my chin. -Crystal… Bellenast is a wonderful city. Not perfect… I’ve seen that for myself, but still… soon, you’ll have your own room again, a nice, soft bed, plentiful food, and clean water, free of radiation… all the amenities you had at Cloud Loft and far more, I’d wager. We have the Guard; we take care of our own. You won’t need to worry about—about being shot, or being eaten by flying serpents every time you step out your front door. -
-Thanks for that lovely mental image.- I shuddered. -So… um… do you think there’s a place Eagle and I could start working?-
-Maybe. He could be a contractor for the city, I suppose, or the Guard. His knowledge of armor and armament is similar in scope to yours, correct? Machine repair, electrical stuff?-
Um… kind of. There’s a lot of overlap with ‘electrical stuff’ and electrothaumics. Why?-
-Well… the Bellenastian Guard has a few of the old power armor suits from the Compass Lake tower station, and some arcane cannons, as well. We keep the suits around for emergencies, but most of the guns have been retired. They’re costly to operate and difficult to repair in the field. Not really worth the effort most of the time. Eagle might need to branch out.-
-Well, he could be an electrician, sort of. Or maybe a teacher. He’s great at math. He taught me a lot, way better than school at Neighvarro did.-
-An electrician, huh? What level of ‘sort of’ are we talking about, here?-
-He designed the control systems for my shielding talismans. Oh, and he made his plasma cannon failsafes, like the emergency shutoff and cooling controllers. Wired them all himself. And he did a lot of the repair work on the generators and heliostats at Cloud Loft, and the power lines inside.-
-Interesting. I can think of a few places he could work. Heliostats, you say?-
-Yeah. For the terrace gardens, and heating, lighting. They’re really cool!-
-That kind of expertise would practically guarantee him a job for the city.- Blitz smirked and faced forward again. Zephyr’s wings need time to heal, though, so she’ll be ground-bound for a while longer. What did she do at Cloud Loft?-
-She’s a cosmetologist.-
-Hmm.- Blitz’s wings shifted slightly, and the mare glanced over her shoulder again. Pardon my ignorance, but what exactly is that? I know I’ve heard the term before, but the meaning eludes me.-
Blinking, I toyed with her mane with a forehoof. -You know, a stylist? Beautician? She does makeovers.-
-Ah! That.-
-Yeah, mane trimming, styling, coat cleaning and trimming, hoof filing, the works. A few ponies at Cloud Loft made all her supplies, too. Have you ever used potash soap?-
-I have, as a matter of fact. She and Night Cloud ought to get along well.- She winked. -I might be able to help her get a job at the Palace, or one of the salons in the city. Royalty—and publicity—have their perks.-
I grinned. -So, why didn’t you tell us who you really were straight away… Princess Blizziera?-
-I did. Remember? Hello! I’m Blitz. I’m freakishly tall, I enjoy frequenting bars, fine restaurants, and the occasional brothel, I have a penchant for kicking things, I love books and guns, and I am a firm believer of the art of superior firepower.-
-You know what I mean.-
-Yes, yes.- She sighed and, lifting her foreleg up in front of her chest, struck a dramatic pose. -Woe is me, for my carefully planned surprise is ruined.- She tossed her drifting mane over her shoulder. -So much for that idea.- She spun about and started down the hill, cantering away from the river and back toward the campground. -And please, don’t call me ‘Blizziera.’ My mother calls me that. And Ivy.-
I giggled as her faintly luminescent mane flowed over me in the rushing air and trailed across my back, tickling me. -So you think I wasn’t surprised?-
-Okay, granted, the look on your face was pretty good, but not nearly as good as it would have been had I shown you to the throne room, introduced you to the King, and said, ‘Meet my little brother.’-
She slowed to an easy walk as she entered the camp, taking care not to step on saddlebags or collide with the few armored, patrolling guardsponies, each of whom nodded to her as she passed. I looked down at the sleeping mats and lean-tos and fire pits scattered around the line of loaded wagons at the center of our camp. Next to the white tent twice the size of any other was cream-yellow one.
The swaths of Blitz’s deep violet mane flowed on either side of my head, obscuring my vision and causing my hide to tingle. -Is your mane so… floaty… because it’s magically charged, or something?-
-Sort of. It’s been doing that for about fifteen years now, anytime I’ve sucked up a lot of radiation.- Blitz deviated from her path and opened a sealed box in the back of a nearby wagon. She levitated a thin loaf of bread and a canteen from within the container, and then gave them to me as she resumed walking. -Not first class dining, but it’s fresh from last evening’s batch. I disinfected the canteen for you. Keep it; it’s yours now.-
-Thanks.- I chewed a hearty mouthful of the brittle-crusted bread. -At Cloud Loft Peak, first class dining usually involved something from the valley, like rabbit.-
-You ate rabbits?-
-Um… yeah?- I tensed and clutched her shoulders as a full-body shudder threatened to shake me from her back.
-Yuck.-
-It tastes fine, and it’s a good source of protein.-
-It’s revolting! All slimy and bloody.-
I raised an eyebrow. -What, did you try it raw?-
Blitz shuddered violently again and made a gagging noise. -You have to cook it. It’s inefficient.-
-How does—
She whipped her head around and stared at me. Her rose eyes reflected distant spots of firelight behind us. -You don’t have to cook celery. Radishes. Carrots.-
-Those are great with chicken, and rabbit.-
She groaned softly and shook her head. -This is something you put in your mouth on a regular basis?-
-Not chicken. Eggs are way better. But rabbit? Definitely.-
She stuck her tongue out once more. -For once, I’m going to play the role of dainty royalty and be disgusted. So… what, do the pegasi hunt them, or something?-
-All the time. Eagle brought a boar back from the woods with his hunting party once; it was almost as big as him.-
-Boar… no thanks. What are the woods over there like? Lots of pines?-
-Nothing but pines; they’re really pretty in the winter. They kinda cut out on the western side of the range. I saw a couple rivers when we were flying over here. We had to fly really far south to avoid this really big, irradiated crater. It looked like a giant cyclone system, just sitting over the middle. There was a ton of lightning everywhere.-
-I know the one. Megaspell. Big one, too.-
I sat up on my haunches, kneading my hooves into her withers. -You’ve been there? Near Cloud Loft?-
-I’d have to see it on a map to say for certain, but I don’t think so. I went exploring around the west side of the blast zone a little more than two years ago, while Night Cloud was in school. Wanted to see what the area was like. Supercharged myself on radiation and blew up a few bone worms hiding in one of the ruins. Had a fun time. I had no idea know there was an Enclave presence that far south. I just knew to stay below the cloud curtain or risk being zapped, especially near those towers. Ivy taught me that back in Equestria.-
I laid my head down on her withers again. -That place looked like a huge battleground. There were lots of wrecked gun chariots and transport carriages on the ground outside Cloud Loft’s safe zone.-
-A safe zone?-
-Yeah. Cloud Loft is surrounded by other mountains. It’s in the middle of the range. There are a few hundred square kilometers of fenced-in safe zones in the main valley. Safe as in… not irradiated, mostly, and empty.-
-Ah. I suppose the forests and hills act as buffers to anyone who tries to approach the valley, then?-
-Um… I guess. There are a couple little villages in the hills, really tiny ones, but we never had much contact with them. I don’t think they’ve ever sent anyone to meet us. There aren’t any usable trails up to the entrances, anyway. They were blasted off the mountains a long, long time ago.-
-Ever see any manticores in the woods?-
-Um… no, but Eagle killed one once.-
-Hah! Did he bring that back and roast it for dinner?-
-No; it was way too big. I don’t think anyone would eat that, anyway. Besides, most of our weapons would start fires, so the hunting parties try to go after anything small enough to kill with traps. Birds and rabbits, mostly. We catch salmon from the river sometimes, too. Eagle ran into the manticore while they were going after another boar. The manticore jumped the thing right before Eagle did.-
-Sounds like that was an exciting day.- Blitz laughed quietly, gave me a perplexed smile, and turned back to the river. She levitated a small telescope from her saddlebags and peered at the far shore. -Even out in the deserts, like at Cliffside, we grow wherever we can. The only meat you’ll find in most places is fish.-
-Well, we have to survive somehow, don’t we? Cloud Loft isn’t near an S.P.P. tower, so we have to grow stuff in hydroponic rooms and terraces. That’s what the heliostats are for, putting sunlight inside, keeping those rooms at the right temperature year-round. Sometimes, crops go bad, or an irrigation pipe breaks and floods a terrace, or one of the tracking motors goes out, and then we don’t have as much power until you can fix it… you get the idea. Eagle says nothing too major has happened in the last ten years, but even when everything’s great, we still need more than what we can grow up on the summit. We have to hunt and forage. Quail’s a luxury. Chickens are friggin’ priceless.-
-A quirk in the wasteland, but a delicacy to Enclavers. Interesting. I never thought about it from that perspective… I suppose it’s a minor miracle you three are reasonably well-fed. Another shudder traveled down her back. -But it’s still weird.-
-Have you seen someone eat a snake before? That’s weird.-
-There’s an image I did not want in my head.- Blitz stuck her tongue out. -I can’t stand snakes.-
I stifled a snicker by stuffing my mouth with more bread. -Couldn’t you stomp them to death?-
-Maybe. Unfortunately, phobias tend to preclude rational thought.-
-So you’re afraid of snakes?-
-Depends on the species and proximity of the snake in question. Do they make me squirm? Absolutely. Reptiles freak me out; anything cold-blooded gives me the willies, but snakes are the worst. I happened to step too close to one once, and it bit me before I knew it was there, same as Night Cloud. That thing moved so fast I couldn’t see it. I didn’t feel the bite until after its fangs came out. Imagine something crawling through your veins and trying to shut your body down, and you can’t do anything about it except hope that someone can help you, and you’ll know what the word ‘venom’ instills in me.-
I frowned at my loaf of bread; almost half of it was gone. -When was that?-
-Last spring.- She glanced uneasily at the ground ahead of her. -It was an awful day. Fortunately for me, Ivy recognized the species, and we had an antidote available. Unfortunately for the snake, she trapped it in a sack.
-Why?-
-Antivenom production. She delivered it to my mother’s hospital later that day. Even one snake can help. You milk the snake for venom, inject it into pigs. The pigs develop antibodies to the venom, then those are extracted and purified for use as injections, or transfusions. That’s what we gave Night Cloud yesterday. She probably would have been fine without it, but no sense in taking chances.-
Blitz shivered again and adjusted part of her clothing; something metallic on her neck caught the light from a nearby campfire. -It’s somewhat ironic; balefire radiation and Taint have given rise to all kinds of dangers, but out at the fringes, common animals still account for more injuries than just about anything else.-
-Huh.-
I scooted forward, reached around her neck, and pulled aside the right half of her caparison’s split front. The cloth-of-gold trim of the powder blue blouse underneath it was embroidered with twin rows of white, silk flowers; between the two rows of flowers, tucked under the blouse’s border, was a silver chain necklace. Her necklace’s delicate pendant hung just above a crisscrossing tie of string that held the front of the collar together, and under the collar was a partially concealed belt of black cloth attached to a small, metal ring.
-What’s this?- I prodded the lump under her garment.
Blitz chuckled softly and unfastened the ties on her collar. -See for yourself.-
I lifted the edge of the collar and peered at Blitz’s hidden attire. The bands of silk that encircled the base of her neck joined together five rings of blued steel. Within each ring was a silver disc, and on each disc was a set of grasping, silver talons that held a ruby gemstone. Etched into the each of the silver panels were concentric rings of elegant, flowing script.
-Do you like it?-
“Do I like it?” I whispered. -Blitz, this is gorgeous!-
-My brother had it made for me a few months ago, the last time I was in Bellenast. Unfortunately, I left the city unannounced, so he couldn’t give it to me in person. A month later, he received word of my little misadventure with… uh…-
-What?-
-I had an unexpected growth spurt, courtesy of excessive radiation.-
-Oh… Night Cloud said you asked her not to talk about that.-
-Well, you’ll hear about it in the news eventually, anyway… long story short, I went to a, um… pleasure house, to have some fun, and someone tried to have me assassinated. That, um… well, it scared the piss out of me at first, then it just pissed me off, so… I skipped town, found the most irradiated place I could, sulked for a few days, and let my frustrations out on a bunch of boulders.-
-That sounds… stressful.
-You have no idea. Ivy stayed behind in the city for nearly the entire month to try to convince the courts not to file a warrant for my arrest on account of… um… excessive damages I caused to a certain brothel. Said damages may or may not have involved blowing out a wall… and one case of defenestration.-
-Whatever that is, it sounds dirty.-
Blitz snorted and covered her mouth with her wingtip to muffle a giggle. -No, sweetheart, it means throwing someone through a window, and it is quite cathartic. Anyway… Ivy gave the tailor my new measurements, they adjusted it, then she brought it downriver and delivered it to me at Cliffside. My brother ensorcelled the necklace himself, including the protective ward matrices bound to the rubies. He’s quite the skilled enchanter.-
-Wards? What kind?-
-Um… let’s see… one to interfere with scrying spells, one to prevent telekinesis, except my own, from unlatching the necklace, one to allow me to absorb radiation without excess growth—Ivy asked Mirago and Claraby for that one, specifically; it’s the most complex—one to prevent magic siphoning, and one to… ah… prevent possession, demonic or otherwise.-
I snorted. -Demonic possession? Do demons even exist?-
Blitz shrugged her wings and glanced back at me. -Dunno. Equestria was a wild, dangerous place before the war, never mind what balefire and taint have done since. If you ask me, any demon with half a brain is probably hiding far away from ponykind.- She looked ahead again and telekinetically adjusted her rifle’s position on her side. -Mirago insisted on it. If I run into a demon someday, and it tries to possess me, I guess I’ll be thankful.-
I let go of the collar and rubbed my hoof over the hydrophobic material of her cloak. -Well, it really is pretty… and you’re friggin’ gorgeous, I hope you know that.-
-Um… thanks.- Blitz fell silent for several seconds; she glanced back at me as I finished the loaf of bread. -Does your leg hurt?-
-Still a little sore, but I think it’s fine.-
Blitz smiled. -Good, good… I wish Night’s barding were complete, but I can hardly expect her to wear it all the time, anyway… and as good as it is, money can’t buy everything, least of all true safety.-
I toyed with her mane; the faint light coming from her violet hair made distorted reflections on her crinet. -So, you know that blue metal on my armor? The peytral? Think anyone can make some more of that?-
-Hmm… I’d need to know what it is, first. Or, better yet, what kind of equipment was used to forge it. There are many skilled metallurgists in Bellenast; one of them might have some insight.-
It’s called ‘Noctium.’ Carbide said it’s a titanium alloy. The rest of the suit looks like steel alloys, maybe some aluminium and titanium.-
-And what would you do with this metal, if you had more of it?-
-I want to make Night Cloud a suit of power armor. Her barding doesn’t cover her entire body—I mean, with a good shield talisman, it’s not as bad if you have gaps in the plate, but if you have a working amplification matrix, like the one in Eagle’s and Zephyr’s suits, you can add more armor without worrying as much about weight!-
Blitz snorted and glanced back at me, smirking. Ambitious of you. If someone in Bellenast could make a suit of power armor for my daughter, you’d better believe I’d pay for it. I had to settle for something slightly more practical. Crystal… I’m glad that you’ve taken such a liking to her. Truly, I am. I’m glad that you want her to be safe. She wants the same for you, after all, and I want it for you both. If you wish for her safety… then you both should stay in Bellenast. Live there. Thrive there.-
-But please… don’t cloud your mind with thoughts of gallivanting around the wastes, in a machine of war or not. She doesn’t want that kind of life… and neither should you. Eagle and Zephyr certainly don’t want you to live that life.-
I scowled and thumped my hooves on her shoulders. -I just… don’t want her to be hurt again.-
-Nor do I, Crystal… nor do I.- A violet swath stroked with gentle pressure along my jawline, and the alicorn chortled. -If you live a normal life in Bellenast, you won’t need to worry about wearing armor and carrying weapons around everywhere you go. That is why you, Eagle, and Zephyr chose to come to Bellenast, is it not? For a new life, not in danger, but in safety? Night Cloud doesn’t need power armor to cross a street in Bellenast. Neither do you, nor do Eagle and Zephyr.-
-Yeah… but why doesn’t she have greaves? Cuisses, greaves, boots? If she did, that snake wouldn’t have been able to bite her at all, and she wouldn’t have freaked out and fallen on me. Your guards have boots, so why doesn’t she?-
-My guards are all fully-grown ponies, Crystal. Night Cloud is not. She can wear the main set with some extra padding underneath until she fills out a bit, but the leggings have to wait until her measurements stop changing.- I frowned and rested my head on her neck, gazing in silence at the flowing, transfixing texture of her mane. -And if you must know… that barding is all bespoke, from forging to enchantment, and Sir Martensite was waiting to make the leggings last, specifically for that reason. I commissioned him to make it last year, and he still might wind up doing it all over from scratch, anyway. He’s never satisfied with his work, and Night grew a bit more than I expected. Measurements were off.-
Blitz sighed, smiling back at me. -I have the same problem now. It’s a little tricky to make anything fit properly after radiation makes you grow by a couple hundred kilos.-
-Yeah, yeah, I get it.- I thumped my hooves on her neck, grumbling wordlessly. -Are you on patrol for the whole night?-
-Nah, and I’m not even on patrol. My guards do that. I’m just restless… why don’t we play a little game while we wait for sunrise? If you feel up to it, that is…-
-What kind of game?-
-Nothing terribly strenuous; although, it might give you a headache eventually. I call it ‘Teach Your Friend to Make a Magic Shield.’ I’m talking about a physical barrier far superior to any barding. The work of Twilight Sparkle herself. I’ll lay down the basics, duo-cast it for you, so you can get a feel for it, and you can practice. I’d like you to be prepared, if… if someone should try to hurt you again. What do you say?-
-Oh. Well… okay.- I grinned. -Sure!-
The familiar rumble of the Stonewalk river made a relaxing backdrop to yet another evening of crackling campfires, chirping crickets, and chattering caravaneers gathered around a short row of cooking pots full of bubbling soups. Hidden amongst the more mundane sounds of ponies tired from a long day’s march were the cheery whistles, pleasant singing, and mirthful laughter.
“Relaxing, isn’t it?”
High above the noises of a sedate campground on the list of things worthy of my attention was the gentle voice of a cobalt alicorn sitting next to me atop a flat, pleasantly warm bluff of granite several meters above the riverbank.
“Mmm-hmm…” I nodded, smiling up at her while her forehooves worked sorcery on my back.
“Did you know many other unicorns in the Enclave?”
“A few at Neighvarro. Why?”
“Just curious… what about at Cloud Loft?”
“There were only two of us. We never really talked much.”
“Oh? Why?”
I chuckled. “She owns a bakery, and I spent most of my time in the workshop, fixing things, rebuilding thaumoelectric converters and guns and stuff. She, um… I think she thought I was weird.”
“Sweetheart, everyone is a little bit weird… what’s her name?”
“Cinnamon Crème. Sort of a reddish brown, um… well, cinnamon coat and a blonde mane, and she’s about as tall Eagle, but… bigger, so she’s a giant to me. She has twins! Ruby Glitter and Spring Chime; they’re seven this year. I always thought Cinnamon was really attractive…”
“Mmm… so you like wings… and someone big… I wonder if that’s because I can carry you easily.”
“Um… I, um… I guess, yeah? What’s wrong with that?”
She giggled and murmured, “Nothing, sweetheart… just making an observation.”
“Are all—” I groaned as she kneaded around my shoulder blades, and then said weakly, “Are all alicorns really big? Like, um… the ones from Equestria? How many of you are there?”
“Hmm…” Air gusted over my back as the mare shrugged her wings, and she murmured, “I didn’t see many of the others during my brief trip in and out of Maripony; I was unconscious most of the time. As for how many of us there are? I really have no idea. Blitz doesn’t talk about them much… what about you, sweetheart? Are all Neighvarro unicorns so, ah… petite, and delicate?”
I lowered my head. “I’m not that delicate… am I?” I gasped as she prodded another sore spot. “Ow…”
“As a flower, baby.” She murmured, “And rather fluffy. I suppose having pegasus parents may have done that for you.”
“Maybe,” I muttered. “I never met them… can’t even remember their friggin’ names. My foster dad—my last one, I mean, in Neighvarro, he had my birth record, but… I only ever looked at it once, when I was really little. I don’t think I even want to know now, honestly… you’re lucky. Blitz seems like a friggin’ great mom.”
“Mmm… I’m grateful to have her support, and… I’m glad I could make her happy.” Night Cloud took her hooves off my back and lay down, stretching her wing out to cover me. “Crystal, I have a proposal for you.”
“Um… okay.” I tentatively nuzzled the side of her neck; she smiled and glanced down at me. “What is it?”
“The schools in Bellenast… they teach classes about history, literature, arithmetic—and many other things, tradecrafts. There are also several courses on advanced magic available. Would you like to enroll once you’ve settled in?”
“No thanks,” I muttered. “I don’t like school.”
“Don’t count your eggs before they’re in the pudding. You might enjoy it.”
“You know, I never understood that phrase until I moved to Cloud Loft. Neighvarro doesn’t have any chickens. Compared to literally anything at Cloud Loft, Neighvarro food is garbage.”
“Well, maybe I can change your mind…”
I sneezed several times and shook my head as Blitz and I passed beneath a gateway arch in the weathered, granite wall that marked the end of the dirt path.
“I hate being sick.”
“Eh, couple more days, and you’ll be a picture of health.”
“Ugh…”
A broad road of smooth cobblestones and worn, granite slabs led to the town ahead of us and continued up the length of an immense, stone bridge that sloped upward and ended at the top of a cliff. From the pointed roof of a multistory building on the left side of the road rose a slender, spindly radio tower of bright metal and a chimney. The building across the street sported only a stone chimney that spewed a narrow column of pale smoke into the sky.
Power lines snaked among the many rooftops, and a low, seemingly decorative wall of sandstone blocks surrounded the town. “So… Cliffside has electricity… this place does, too… is every town here wired up like this?”
Blitz shook her head. “Not all of them, but we’re working on it. Why?”
“Mmm… just wond—gyaaah!” I jolted backward as a buzzing wasp flew past my face. I shot a jet of emerald fire from my horn in reflex, but missed my erratic target. The buzz faded and my nerves calmed as the insect flitted off to our left and disappeared behind the wagon. “Grrrrrrrgh… I hate wasps. Friggin’… buzzing… stinging, nasty little insects!”
“Oooh, condescending and imperious,” said Blitz, smirking back at me. “I like it.”
“What?!”
“You’re afraid of bugs, aren’t you?” I glared and thumped my hooves on her back. “Crystal’s afraid of bu-u-uuugs!”
“Shut up.”
“I’m a princess. You shut up!”
“No!”
“Yeah, didn’t think that’d work.”
Night Cloud took a pair of food-laden plates from a stallion behind the counter across the diner and walked back to our table. The enticing aromas wafting out from the kitchen made my mouth water. She sat down next to me and placed our lunches on the dark, scuffed table. On each of the earthenware plates were a small loaf of bread, a mysterious, yellow wedge, a mound of roasted carrots, mushrooms, and turnips, a corn cob, and a fillet of fish drizzled with a tangy-smelling sauce.
I jerked my eyes away from the delectable sight as she set a jangling pouch next to my plate. “What’s that?”
“Five hundred bits, mostly in silver—those are twenty bits apiece.”
“What? Why? I mean… what did I…”
“Because Blitz felt like it, I guess. I’m just the delivery mare.”
“Oh. Well… um…” I levitated the coin purse toward my saddlebags, grinning. “Um… thanks.” I bit into the tender fish fillet and chewed slowly. I opened the pouch and peered into it briefly; light glinted off the jumbled pile of silver. “Do they really call this place Granite Bridge?”
“Well, there is a bridge, and it is made of granite…”
I floated the suspicious wedge up to my nose and sniffed, then bit off a piece. “Well… it’s… descriptive, I guess.” I pointed my hoof at the floating wedge of mystery food and said, “What is this? It’s really good.”
“It’s cheese; made from sheep’s milk. You’re telling me you’ve never had cheese before?”
“You should have seen her face the first time she tried rabbit,” said Eagle as he approached us from the end of the table “On the scary ground, out in the forest. She loved it. Carnivore in a fluffy little package.” He lifted a plate stacked with sliced potatoes and carrots from his back and set it on the table. He leaned over and whispered, “When you’re done, go to the market with Zephyr.”
“Why?” I mumbled around a mouthful of the delectable and miraculous creation that was cheese.
“She found something earlier. It’s right up your alley, trust me.”
15 Spring’s Waking 1741
There are hardly any pegasi in this town. It’s unnerving. Grow up surrounded by clouds and wings and almost no horns, and what seems weirder down on the ground? The lack of wings, not the abundance of horns.
Some of them give me funny looks; my leg looks weird, I guess. Blitz attracts way more attention. Some ponies bow, some just stay out of her way. They almost look scared.
Ponies are staring at Night Cloud and me. I don’t like this place anymore.
“There it is,” said Zephyr, “Authentic Ministry of Arcane Science original. What do you think?”
I propped my forehooves on the counter and squinted at the boxy weapon on the wall rack. “Wow.”
“Yep,” said the yellow mare behind open-air market stall. “An aetheric projection rifle, Series Seven. Don’t see too many of ‘em. A pony coming through here dropped it off ‘bout five months back; dead weight, he called it, and I’d say he’s right about that. The thing won’t shoot. Salvageable, I’d wager, but not a soul’s been interested in it yet. Nothing it can do that a Peregrine won’t do just as good, and more reliable, too. I figured I’d hang onto it a year; thought someone oughtta like it as a hobby project or something. Never thought that’d be a young filly such as yourself.”
“Hmph.” My teeth grinded together. “Dead weight my tail,” I muttered. I stretched my hind legs and leaned forward as the merchant lifted the battered gun down from the wall with a deft hoof and set it in front of me. “How much?”
“Hmm…” The gangly mare leaned her head on her hoof and tongued her cheek as she peered at me from beneath the rim of her white sunhat. “I’m gonna say… hundred forty bits, considering the sorry state of the darned thing. Hundred eighty, and I’ll throw in some spare parts and cleaning supplies. Should make gettin’ it working again a mite easier.”
I floated seven silver coins out of the pouch in my saddlebags and pushed them across the counter. “Just the gun, please.”
“All-righty then.” The mare dropped the currency out of sight under the counter. “Done and done. Good luck with it. I never had much.”
“Thanks,” I murmured as I spun the gun slowly in my emerald-green magic. The gun’s focusing crystal array was fractured and scorched, the battery port was corroded, and the metal body and grip, though intact, were scuffed and covered with numerous dents and jagged scratches.
“A pleasure. Thanks fer stoppin’ by. Come back soon, or send your friends over. I got guns, barding, ammo, and more trinkets ‘n souvenirs than you can count, come from Sentinel Point to Stretch Summit so long as bandits don’t find their way into the trade routes and muck things up too much. Again, thanks, and come back soon.”
“You’re welcome.”
I searched for a place to work as Zephyr and I trotted away from the merchant. As I looked up from the aged and abused rifle in my grasp, I stopped and stared at the great landmark that was Granite Bridge’s namesake. Three broad arches of tannish-pink granite held an ancient, flat bridge that could allow four wagons to pass abreast. Huge sections of the fifty-meter span looked newer, as if it had been partially rebuilt several times. At the bridge’s far end, in the middle of the road, was simple, cubic block of solid marble, atop which stood a gleaming, bronze effigy of a rearing unicorn stallion; the statue’s ruby eyes gleamed fiery red in the sunlight.
“What are you thinking?” Zephyr said.
“Hmm… that I could make those rubies into a really good pair of rechargeable spark cells.”
“Only you would gouge out a statue’s eyes to make spark cells, Crystal. Only you.”
“Well, they’re not doing any good up there.” A neat and orderly spread of docks jutted from the low bank opposite us, and small watercraft bobbed gently in their moorings. “You know, I thought the first boats I ever saw would be more… impressive.”
“Mmm… they do the job. Sometimes, that’s all you need.”
“Yeah… what do you think they do with them?”
“You’re asking me?” she muttered, scoffing. “I don’t know. Cargo, and fishing, I guess.”
“Blitz said most ponies here don’t even eat any meat, except fish sometimes… that’s weird.”
“Maybe they just go out on the river for fun… this is all new for me, too, Crystal. I think a lot of places were like this before the war. Long before everybody toted guns everywhere. Probably before we even had guns.”
I turned the neglected aetheric rifle over in my magic. “Kinda weird to think there was a time we didn’t have guns…”
“Hah! Well, ponies and zebras weren’t always trying to wipe each other out… these ponies are just… they’re living, Crystal. Not surviving. They’re not hanging on by a thread. They have plenty of food, they can just go to a market and buy things. Look at that gun. That mare called it a hobby project! At Cloud Loft, that would be an invaluable hunting tool… if you ask me, the Enclave look like the real losers here. I think they always have been… I just couldn’t see that until a little while ago.”
I nickered and said, “The Enclave practically forced us out of our own home, and we never had a say in the matter. They are definitely losers. Jerks.” I strode into a pleasantly secluded alley between two stores made entirely of muddy-yellow bricks. The table and low bench nestled between some crates and barrels stored in the alleyway were unoccupied. “Perfect.”
Zephyr trotted after me, then hopped onto the squat bench and sat on her haunches as I floated my saddlebags and the broken gun onto the table, and I began to lay my precious few tools out in organized groups.
She looked me in the eye warily for a few seconds and said, “No say in the matter, huh? I think we had plenty.”
My magic faltered, and my tools fell onto the table. Zephyr closed the distance between us and put her foreleg around me, then lowered her head and said gently in my ear, “Don’t let that absolute farce of a trial tell you otherwise… forget about those scumbags. I know it’s been rough, but we’re better off now. And I know you’re happier. You’ve been spending a lot of time with Night Cloud… and she likes you, too, unless I’m reading things very wrong.” She patted my side gently. “Try not to set her mane on fire on your first date. You wouldn’t want a repeat of Meadow Gale, would you?”
“Are you ever going to let that go?”
My ears flicked toward the alley’s opening as a pebble bounced across the dirt. A flowing, violet tail and a sable-purple hoof disappeared around the corner.
Zephyr glanced toward the alley entrance and murmured, “See something?”
“Just someone passing by.” I smiled briefly as Blitz’s dirt-crunching hoofsteps quickly faded.
“Well…” Zephyr leaned back from me and pointed at my half-assembled weapon once more. “Come on. Working magic, remember?”
I leaned on her side again and committed my magic to removing the rifle’s outer cover piece by piece. “Hey, um… what do you think we’re going to do in Bellenast? Jobs, I mean. I asked Blitz about it yesterday, and she said she might be able to help a bit. She said, um… there might be a job for you at the palace.”
“Hmm…” Zephyr toyed with my mane while I worked, and she murmured, “I don’t know if I want to throw myself in with any palace just yet… I was styling manes long before I picked up a beam rifle. I’d like to see this Gilded Bell place Night Cloud keeps talking about. I mean, I’d love to open a salon of my own, but that would take a lot of money. More than we have right now.”
“Mmm-hmm… I wish we could have brought Eagle’s tools along. Start a workshop.” I levitated a worn, bleached-white brush from my saddlebags and used it to clean the accumulated dust, grit, and scattered clumps of old hair from the weapon’s electrothaumic capacitors and minute talisman arrays.
Next, I removed the rifle’s cracked focusing crystal from the end of the boxy barrel and pushed that of my pistol onto the frame in its stead. Lastly, I did the same with the rifle’s primary matrix cylinder, a mass of copper coils, machined brass, and cut gemstones. The smaller cylinder from my pistol fit in the empty compartment in the core of the rifle with room to spare, and I bridged the gap between the rear of the brass tube and the power conduit with a spring-loaded brace and a thick, heavy length of twisted copper wire. I sealed the core and replaced the brass cover pieces.
“It’s a Series Six, by the way,” I muttered. “Series Sevens and Eights don’t have Canter Mountain Dynamics thaumoelectric supercapacitors.”
“And what does that mean? Remember, I’m a stylist, baby. Eagle’s the techie.”
“They’re less efficient,” I muttered, “But more reliable. They can catch fire if you set the cell-to-capacitor discharge frequency too high. Just means you need a lower cyclic rate… but my pistol matrix core has a frequency limiter, anyway, so that’ll never happen.” I rubbed my foreleg on the tarnished brass body cover. “Nice patina… Zephyr, what about me? What can I do? You heard that mare: Nobody wants aetheric guns here. I can’t make a job fixing something nobody wants to buy in the first place, darn it…”
Zephyr sighed and held my hoof. She watched as I levitated the charred, rugged rifle and inspected it from every angle. “You could finish your armor designs, and Eagle could help you build the rest of those upgrades into his suit. Then market the designs. Seems like something the Bellenastian Guard could use along this fringe area to the west; the forest is a nasty place, apparently.”
“Mmph… yeah. Maybe… not good enough, though.”
“Not good enough?” Zephyr leaned forward to lower her head to my level. “Not good enough? Tartarus, Crystal, did you see what that giant doombot shot me with? I’d be dead without you. Your upgrades saved my hide.”
“And you almost did die. It’s not good enough… and I want to make one for Night Cloud.” I slotted one of my spark batteries from my saddlebags into the refurbished gun; a tiny indicator light inside the weapon lit. “My notes will help, but I want to build a completely new suit. A better one. I mean, I’d need to start with a working matrix and undersuit…”
“A new suit?” Zephyr leaned back again and rubbed my shoulder gently. “Baby, be realistic… where are you going to find a working suit that would even fit her?”
I flicked the rifle’s safety switch and replaced the metal panel over the diagnostic lights carefully. “I don’t even know if an amplifier matrix would work for her. She’s really big, and they don’t scale up so well… but if I could rebuild a matrix into her barding, configure it for contact shields…”
“You know…” My ears flicked toward the sweet, familiar voice at the alley’s opening. Blitz leaned against the wall of the store. “I already spent every favor I had on that barding, and it isn’t even finished yet. Now you want to outdo me? That isn’t very sporting of you.” Then she pointed her wing at the table. “What is that hideous thing?”
“An Aetheric Projection Rifle!” I donned my saddlebags and secured the rifle to them with a strap as I stuffed the scrap parts and my tools into my pockets. I giggled and said, “I put my thermoaetheric matrix cylinder in it, so it won’t disintegrate anything.”
“Huh. Just don’t let it explode, ‘kay?” As she came nearer and inspected the weapon, she said, “Zephyr, a transport chariot is coming here tomorrow morning. I want you, Eagle, and Crystal on it with Night Cloud. You’ll fly the rest of the way to Bellenast.”
“Why?” said Zephyr, abruptly squeezing me with her wing, “What’s happened?”
“Nothing yet, but…” Blitz flicked her wings out slightly and turned halfway to the alley entrance. “That group of supposed bandits, moving through the Leota? They’re not just bandits. They’re radicals from the Kekalo Empire… they’ve been specifically avoiding our border guards, and I have a sneaking suspicion this is the same group that sent that assassin.”
“What assassin?” said Zephyr, frowning up at the much larger mare. “When did that happen?”
“It was a few months ago. It’s why I left Bellenast, but—never mind that. Not important right now.” Pursing her lips, she said, “Look, bottom line is, I don’t want you four in the line of fire if a bunch of would-be assassins tries their luck again; I mean no disrespect, but you’re all a liability in a fight, even Eagle. Fancy armor and cannons don’t equal training. My guards don’t need civilians in the way when it’s time to rally.”
Zephyr leaned on the table and chuckled. “You don’t need to tell me twice. I don’t think my suit will ever work again, anyway.”
“I can fix it, Zephyr, I swear!”
“Crystal, that’s a tall order even for you. As far as I’m concerned, you should use what you can salvage as spare parts for Eagle’s suit… or you could use it to make one for Night Cloud, like you want. And before you get any ideas about playing gun for hire, I’m with Blitz on this one. You’ll be safe in Bellenast.”
I stomped again and muttered, “I’m not a friggin’ helpless foal…”
“Hey, hey…” Blitz put one wingtip on each of our shoulders, and looked down first at me and then at Zephyr, who bristled at the gesture. She leaned toward me, laid her hoof on my withers, and spoke softly in my ear. “You may not be a foal,” said Blitz as she wrapped her wing around me, “But neither are you yet a grown mare. I just want you where you’ll be safe. Zephyr, Night Cloud can show you where you’ll be staying tonight. I’d like to talk to Crystal for a bit, if that’s all right with you. It’s just, ah… about Night Cloud.”
“Yeah,” said Zephyr, rubbing her brow, “Sure, just…”
“I won’t be long. On my honor as Princess.”
My view of the market thoroughfare bobbed gently about as Blitz strode through the evening crowd and wagon traffic unimpeded; ponies dodged hastily out of her way and eyed the alicorn warily as we passed by, some peered at us in curiosity, and a few others bowed their heads. None stepped closer to us than a couple meters, and the racket of cheerful voices and clamoring patrons grew oddly muted around us, only to resume at equal volume after our passing.
Jewelry and baubles were on display all around, dresses and hats of all shapes hung next to barding and sets of panniers on wire ponnequins, and ceramic dishes and pots stood on rolling shelves aplenty. Quilts and rugs hung on racks and flapped in the brisk breeze, a farrier’s hammer struck with a shrill ringing, and an ever-present smell of baking bread and pastries tantalized my nostrils.
A steady line of ponies entered from the north gate of the town and continued across the great bridge spanning the Stonewalk River. A low rumble of thunder rolled across the market, and several ponies looked to the clouds in worry. As if a switch had been thrown, half the stalls and wagons along the street began to close as their owners sought to escape the oncoming rain. A great shadow came from the north, and the surprisingly chill breeze picked up close behind the thunder and blanket of cloud cover.
As we passed out of sight of the bustling market, I stared dully at the ancient gun bobbing on Blitz’s withers and telekinetically bent its warped control rail back into shape. Raindrops began to speckle my coat.
“You really don’t like being told what you have to do, huh?”
“No.” I gazed at the back of Blitz’s neck while she paused.
“… or being told you’re helpless.”
I whacked my tail on her back. “I’m not helpless.”
“No, you certainly aren’t… you have some fancy weapons, I’ll grant you that… but that isn’t the same thing as being truly prepared to fight.” She looked up to a clock tower atop a grand, granite building at the end of the thoroughfare, nearly a hundred meters distant. Five o’clock was a few minutes away.
“I’m always worried about Night Cloud… I know that she is able to fight… I’ve seen her practice enough. But… she holds to the ideal that there is always a way out. A peaceful way out. I’ve tried to convince her to be more aggressive, when the situation calls for it, but it’s hard to tell if I’ve had any influence on her.”
“Night Cloud? Aggressive?” I shook my head. Blitz glanced back at me again and made her way toward an elevated platform joined to the clock tower. “I can’t see it.”
“Hmph. Guess you’ve mostly seen her girly side. One time last year, she beat the crap out of a stallion at school for being too touchy after class.” The regally attired mare giggled. “I was so proud of her. I bought her those saddlebags as celebration.”
I snickered and squeezed her shoulders. “You celebrated her beating someone up?”
“Pshhh. Yeah, you bet I did. The cretin was totally copping a feel on her. Lecherous mongrel. He deserved every hoofprint… listen to me ramble—anyway, kiddo…” She ruffled my name and said, “My point is that you should be prepared to fight when you need to… but that doesn’t mean you should put yourself in a bind you can avoid. I’m sending you and Night to Bellenast not because I think you’re helpless, nor because I want to confine you… I’m sending you because…”
Slowing her pace, Blitz said, “Because I know you like Night Cloud quite a lot… and I want you to have the chance to know her better. I want to protect you, as best as I can. I want you to be safe.” She glanced around as she came to a large gap in the crowd. “Hold on.”
I tensed. “I don’t like flying.”
She spread her wings and leapt. I closed my eyes and gripped her firmly as the abrupt acceleration and rush of moisture-laden air pressed me down on her back and tore at my mane and tail. I looked past her neck briefly and beheld a nauseating view of the hundreds of timber and shingle rooftops that spread out on both sides of the Stonewalk River.
No sooner had she taken us to the sky than she began to glide toward the roof of the castle-like building. Our brief surge upward into the drizzle had dampened my coat considerably.
Blitz landed at a trot on the granite roofing and approached the low wall at the edge. A single stairwell access occupied the roof, and square turrets stood at each corner. Blitz ascended the stairs to the turret on our left and stood by the wall. From my perch on her back, I had a perfect view of the entire market road and the plains beyond the river town.
“See those ponies stationed at the gatehouse?”
Blitz pointed along the main road perpendicular to the market thoroughfare, and I followed her hoof to the squat building at the south end of town.
“Barely.”
“Heh… those ponies are members of the Bellenastian Guard. They’re the first line of defense against any gangs or warlords that want to tear down what the ponies of Granite Bridge have built for themselves. There are more around the valley, patrolling the roads… and at our borders, along the Leota Fringe and the Corsair Hills, and even far to the south, at Cliffside and Sentinel Point. The uniform of the Guard holds fast at every town in this kingdom.”
The alicorn levitated me off her back and set me against her chest, hugging me. She nuzzled between my ears and murmured, “There is no safer place to be than Bellenast… and I’m glad to welcome you here, to your new home…”
“Mmm… but?” I leaned on her neck and looked to the middle of the town as a white and cobalt shape flew along the street and hovered near the entrance of an opulent, domed building of pink marble that was at odds with the surrounding architecture. A long, black mane and tail trailed behind the figure as she soared down the street in the opposite direction and glided to a cantering landing in front of a store.
Blitz chuckled. “I don’t want you to be scared… but I don’t want to lie to you, either. You, Zephyr, or Eagle. I am scared, Crystal. Someone tried to poison me four months ago, now the same ponies who set that up might be back to try again, and I still don’t know why… and it’s Night Cloud that lets me stay calm about that. Night Cloud, and Ivy, and Mirago, and Claraby… and you, and Eagle, and Zephyr. My friends, ponies I love, and want to protect… Night Cloud is… she’s everything to me.”
The enormous sable-purple mare nuzzled my withers and whispered, “And now you’re worming your way into my life, you little rascal… a friend to my daughter is a friend to me.”
A shadow streaked across the rooftop, and wings flapped quickly nearby, blasting wind through my mane. Ivory Point landed a few meters away and trotted up to us. Just behind her, a second pegasus in a grey caparison and battered, wide-brimmed hat landed. Under the caparison was a polished, but heavily scratched steel peytral and cuirass. Several of the dents looked like they had come from bullets.
“Princess,” said Ivory Point in a surprisingly high voice, “Sorry to interrupt.”
“It’s fine, Ivory.” Blitz stood up and faced the two ponies, and she held her wing over me to shield me from the drizzling rain. “What is it?”
Ivory Point spun to bow her head to the blue roan stallion, and said, “Sir Shale Silhouette, Order of Seekers.”
The old stallion stepped forward and inclined his head. “Your Highness.”
Blitz nodded. “Sir Shale. Didn’t you retire? Four, five years ago?”
“I thought this important enough to crawl out again.” The stallion glanced once down at me; his yellow eyes stood out on his grey-speckled roan snout, like lanterns in the shadow under his hat, and his voice was deep and gritty. “This morning, I saw a young stallion in Bellenast, in the Market District. He was asking around about you, and Lady Ivaline… the old stories, and her whereabouts.”
“Just random strangers?” said Blitz. “Nobody in particular?”
“Indeed. He was careful to avoid the major intersections; stayed out of the Palace District. I tailed him as long as I could, but I’m not as sly as I used to be, I’m sorry to say. He lost me down a side road. Teleported, I think; I heard a strong wind, and there was a bit of dust swirling around, just like when you’ve done it. He couldn’t have run to the end of the street that quickly. I informed Watch Captain Bellows, and he assigned Ivory to escort me.”
“Keep it nice and quiet,” murmured Blitz. “That’s Bellows…” Blitz looked to her side at the sound of yet more flapping wings, and Night Cloud landed on the rooftop.
She strode over and levitated me onto her back. “Blitz, what’s going on?”
“Just a moment,” murmured Blitz. “And what did he look like? Any notable, clothing? Barding?”
“Spotted dun, orange mane, green eyes. His mark looked like a meteor shower, and he had a yellow sash, decorated with copper rings and beads; jade, I think. Besides that, he looked like just any other traveler. No barding, no weapons, clean, well-groomed. I doubt he’s a common vagabond, but he could have passed for one. Looked to be enjoying the sights. And the sash covered it up, mostly, but there was a mark on his breast. All I saw was a bit of blue.”
Blitz nodded again. “If he’s skilled enough to teleport, he hardly needs weapons to do harm.”
“Gundagára,” said Night Cloud. Blitz and Shale Silhouette both looked at her. “Um… the Gundagára tribe. Their mark is a crescent moon and a blue three-point star, the constellation… and they make sashes like that, as part of their rites. Their territory is southwest of the Réklat lands, across the Rín Belína. We trade with them. Um… who is it we’re talking about?”
“Well,” said Blitz, sighing, “That tells us where he comes from, but not why he’s nosing around…”
“Oh,” mumbled Night Cloud. “Well… sorry for interrupting.”
“No, thanks a bunch. That gives us something specific to look out for. There aren’t many San Palomino ponies in the valley, certainly not many from any one tribe… Night, ah—go take Crystal to the bunk house, or the diner, or—go shopping or something. I don’t know, have fun. And please, take Wellspring and Polyrhythm. I don’t want you going anywhere alone right now.”
Night Cloud nuzzled Blitz’s neck and stepped away. “Fine… don’t stay out in the rain too long.”
She spread her wings and jumped over the rooftop wall, and glided down to the street with me on her back. She landed hind hooves first and set down carefully, holding onto me with her magic.
“Sorry, sweetheart,” she said, breaking into a trot through the thinning crowd. “I know you don’t like flying.”
“It’s fine,” I mumbled, clinging to her back and neck. “Um… where are we going?”
“Somewhere warm and out of the rain.”
“Awesome.”
