Chapter 1
Dire Situation
The sun shined bright on the sleepy town of Ponyville; a charming little hamlet with a rustic feel about it. The townsfolk were friendly, the prices weren’t too high and there were always a smile to be found. Despite it’s looks, it frequented from the creatures of the Everfree Forest, a very old and dangerous forest that had a variety of monstrous creatures dwelling behind the green foliage. The town was accustomed to the occasional timber wolf or manticore, but now new bands of creatures have moved in. Goblin raids have become a common occurrence and the towns folk had started to take up arms and fortify walls against the invaders.
The towns people were doing their best, but they were far from soldiers and the horde of goblins were relentless. Many of the townsfolk had taken up arms with shovels, axes and other sharp or blunt farm equipment. The local blacksmith had also made several shields and swords, but very few people knew how to properly use them. They did the best they could, but the waves were becoming more frequent. Princess Twilight Sparkle a woman with dark indigo hair with a stripe of magenta running through it was sick with heavy thoughts as she tapped her finger against her desk.
Her lavender colored wings shifted as she stood up from her chair and paced around the room. She could see the medical tents from her window. Many people were injured in the last raid, thankfully no one was killed, but quite a few were bedridden and would be for some time. Twilight didn’t want to see any more people injured or worse while she stayed in her castle and watched from afar. She decided to take action.
She walked over to a large standing mirror and waved her hands. A lavender colored aura encompassed them as the mirror’s shiny surface that rippled like a stone was thrown into a calm lake. Soon, the image of a man with wavy blue hair that went down to the base of his neck that contrasted his dark blue dress uniform that had several campaign ribbons and medals pinned to it.
“Hello?” The man said.
“Shining? It’s Twilight.” A smile spread across the soldier’s face.
“Twiley! It’s been too long.” He said in a sweet tone.
“Shining, I’m an adult now. Must you really keep treating me like a kid?” She said with a chuckle.
“It’s my job to.” Twilight rolled her eyes and shook her head at her brother’s vain attempt at humor. “So what’s up?”
“Shining I know what you said about the Royal Guard being stretched thin, but we need guards.” There was a heavy sigh over the mirror and the captain rubbed his face. It might not have been clear to the untrained eye, but Twilight could see the exhaustion in those crystal blue orbs.
“I wish I could help you Twi. I really, really do, but my hands are tied. There’s barely enough soldiers on our borders, and with the Changeling peace situation,” He trailed off for a moment as he bit his lip. “we can’t let our guard down.” Twilight let out a disappointed groan at the words. Ever since the failed invasion two years ago, finding her had been an around the clock event.
Recently, a large portion of her hive defected and wanted to help the Royal Guard bring her to justice for the atrocities she’s committed. Needless to say, many were skeptical about this uneasy alliance and kept Changelings at arm’s reach.“Hang on a second,” Twilight heard what sounded like shuffling papers as he walked away from the mirror’s view. “There’s a new batch of guards that will finish training in three weeks. I could grease a few palms and see if I could get some of them stationed there.”
“Shining, we need experienced soldiers who know what they’re doing. This is a small town with mostly merchants and famers that can barely hold a sword straight and the goblins aren’t going to wait around for them to get better!” She stammered. The young scholar took a few deep breaths and calmed down. “I’m sorry. I just want to protect my home.”
“I know how you feel. It’s tough not being able to do anything.” There was a long pause before the man sighed. “I may not be able to do anything, but I may know someone who might.” He walked out of range from the mirror and Twilight heard papers shuffling. He came back into view with a few papers in hand. “Have you considered hiring sell swords?”
“Mercenaries?” She had heard that thee were militant group out in the world that would protect caravans and small villages, provided they had enough coin to pay them with. “How can I trust people who only care about money?”
“The royal guard has used them in the past to handle things we don’t have time for, mostly tracking bandits and dealing with aggressive wildlife.” He said as he looked down at the papers. “Most mercenaries are former members of the guard or constables anyway.” Twilight rubbed her face with her hand and sighed.“There’s one band that I’ve had dealings with in the past. They’re a bit of a motley crew, but their rap sheet is quite impressive.”
Twilight weighed her options; she could either hope the local populace learn quickly or hire a bunch of mercenaries that she knows nothing about. She looked out her window and her eyes absentmindedly drifted towards the Everfree Forest and then to the medical tent where some of the town’s finest were being treated for their wounds. She let out a sigh and looked at her brother’s image.
“What’s this mercenary band’s name?” She asked.
“They're called The Iron Crows.” He said as he read the name off the paper.
“How do I get in touch with these Iron Crows? I doubt they have a mailing address.” She said as she crossed her arms under her chest.
“Leave that to me.” He then pulled out a pocket watch and bit his lip.“Sorry Twilight, but I need to address the brass.” Twilight nodded and wished him luck before she cut the connection and the image in the mirror was her own. She gazed out the window once again hoping she’d made the right decision.