When the three of them went up to the next floor, they found out that the others had already left. Going up another level, they found the had landed near a small fort in the desert. Getting off the ship, they were greeted by a large, bipedal creature. He had thick white and black fur, black armor, and a stone gray mask. A sword hung at his side, and a light blue logo was on his pauldron. A large medal hung on his chest, a red ribbon connected to a golden circle. The circle had the same logo on it as in his pauldron, only much smaller and gold.
"Welcome, welcome. I am Major Ralph, of the great Storm Kings army. Please allow me the pleasure of explaining the mission." When all of the mercenaries were standing in front of him, he drew his sword, a long straight bladed longsword. He then began to run the tip through the sand.
When he finished, Void peaked over Stormcracker 's shoulders to get a good look at it. It was a very simple map; a long squiggly line connecting two dots. When the major sheathed his sword, he continued to speak. "We, are at the dot closest to you, this outpost. The other dot is the final destination. Your job is to transport a very precious cargo to the final destination."
Gerald said, "And what is this cargo?"
Ralph replied, "That is none of your concern. Just make sure that the package gets to where it's going."
Zabartha asked, "and that is.....where?"
The major then said in a overly snobby voice, "To the fortress of my lord, the Storm King. He rules the southlands with an iron fist. If this package fails to reach him, then you will lose much more then you payment. This way."
With that, they walked off toward the base. Void thought as she walked, going over what she knew. She figured that 'Stormbucks' was invented by the Storm King. She had heard he was a warlord that had taken over a massive area of the southlands. Beyond that, she knew very little. No one really liked to talk about it, and she had assumed that the Storm King was some from far off land.
When she got closer, she began to look over the fort. It was made of thick, high stone wall, marked with towers and patrolled by more guards. low stone buildings made up the inside, with most being likely barracks. A few stood out though; a storehouse, a mess hall, an infirmary, and what looked like a.....merchandise stand? Sure enough, a large market stall was set up, full of cheap toys like at a Power Ponies convention. Toys, plushies, plates, books, posters, even what looked like comic books.
However they bypassed all of that. Instead, they once more exited the fort, this time on a platform. They were at a train station, much like the one in Canterlot. However, this one was all but deserted, save for two guards and a large, red box. The guards were wearing similar armor to the Major, but less ornate and with no medals. As opposed to swords, they were armed with shields and long, two pronged spears. The box was very decorative, made of gold and red velvet.
The major said, "Whatever happens, you are not to open this box. Understand?" He pointed at the box, and the tone of his voice was dead serious.Must be very important to not want us to know what it is. I wonder what it is.
She had no time to think about it, as the guards picked it up, and everyone began to move again. Next to her, she heard tempest say, "That's it? That, is what we were hired to protect?"
Stormcracker said, "Who cares..."
His twin, finished for him, "...as long as we get payed?"
They then boarded the train, and Void internally gasped. It was one of the nicest train cars she had ever seen. It was akin to something a canterlot noble would own. The chairs were plush, and covered in ornate coverings. A silver and Crystal chandelier hung on the middle of the cart, and the Windows were made of real glass. A red carpet covered the floor, with another one, this one green with yellow trim, ran down the isle.
The storm guards laid the crate in the middle, and then went to take up guard positions by the door to a cargo car. Major Ralph sat down in one of the seats, gesturing for the mercenaries to get on with it. So, cold bit gathered up them all by the crate.
"All right now. We will divide ourselves up. Tempest, you, Zabartha and the rookie will stay here with the major and the guards. Twins, you two will go up to guard the engine. Rest of you, follow me. "
With that, all of the group that hasn't been named all followed him. Tempest went over toward the northern door, while Void and Zabartha sat down near the opposite entrance. After a few minutes, the train lurched and began to move. It was much faster then trains back in equestria, and seemed to be less bumpy too. Our of the blue, Zabartha asked, "So, what do you think is in the box?"
She thought about it. It was a very important question. What exactly was the need of mercenaries to move cargo? What could be so dangerous that it would need them. She had seen Major Ralph and Cold Bit talk about something, but was unable to make out what they said. It did bother her, as it was a very important question. Was it a one-of-a-kind gem? A magic artifact?
She voiced her conclusion to the zebra. "Whatever it is, it better be worth all of this effort."
" Here, here, " he replied. After this, all was quiet for a long time.
Then, she noticed that the window was open, and thought, Should I? You know what, the hell With it! She then removed her Pith hat, and stuck her head out of the window.
She was consumed by the sensation. Her bandanna covered her lower face, as she wasn't sure if the speed could be a problem with the hole in her cheek. But on what she could feel, it felt absolutely incredible. The wind, the coolness, the waving of her cropped short mane; it was the closest she had come to flying in a long time. In fact, it seemed to taunt her. The sensation of flying, but not the ability to swirve duck and dive? She couldn't imagine a worse kind of hell. She soon stuck her head back inside, feeling both content and saddened at the same time.
It was a little while later, and still nothing. She was beginning to get a bored feeling, Her eyelids getting heavy. Zabartha had already followed her intention, and was contently snoring next to her. She was now wondering the limit of this. Suddenly, a loud ringing noise came through the car. Zabartha snapped awake, yelling something in some native language. Tempest got on guard, and the guards readied their spears. Major Ralph stood, drawing his sword. He yelled, "They're here!"
Void and Zabartha too got ready, drawing their knives and getting up from their seats. Ralph yelled again, "Protect the cargo!" The two storm creatures move from their post at the doors, slowly walking toward the cargo. Suddenly, a blur shot into the room from the windows, knocking both the guards to the ground.
The assailants were all hippogriffs, all varied in color and size. They wore ornate gold colored helmets, chest plates, and gauntlets, with cyan plums and decor. They had simple short swords grasped in their claws, and all had looks of bloody murder in their eyes. more came in threw more windows, the car doors, and the now unprotected south connected tunnel. Then, as one, they charged.