Night came much too soon for my liking. As Luna lifted the moon into the sky, I climbed out of bed and secured my chosen arsenal. The plan was a simple one: go in under the effects of the cloak, save any pony I found inside, and lead them out before whoever our foe was knew I was there. Even I didn't have much faith in it going so perfectly, but if I stopped now, I was going to lose my nerve.
I couldn't stand the thought of two innocent foals becoming the victims of some monster... and I'll admit that guilt pushed me to find Stroke as well. I slid out of the inn quietly, pausing to re-orientate myself with Onyx's map and slipped toward the edge of town. Even with the cloak, I moved carefully and quietly, every nerve alive and every sense heightened. It felt like every shadow was a cloaked figure coming to strike me down and every noise was death approaching.
I made it into the encroaching woods and slid on my night-eye goggles, squinting as the world lit up and the darkness receded into a low light. My hammering heart was an unsteady rhythm to push me forward and my breathing felt much too loud. I had a lot of ground to cover and not much time if Onyx's time table held true. Of course, that was assuming that I could even find this cave that the colt told me abou-
Oh, hello gravity. I didn't see you there on the other side of that bush. I fell down a steep incline and scrambled to catch myself as I rolled. I wasn't sure how far I went, but my first instinct was to check my gear and make sure nothing had come lose during the fall. Everything was accounted for, but then I became dimly aware of a flickering light somewhere ahead of me.
Sliding forward as quietly as I could, I went prone and peered through a bush in front of me. I noticed that the light was coming from an opening in a nearby hill and a wobbling figure staggered in the fire's glow. If the cloak was anything to go by, I'd found my destination. I looked back at my flank with a scowl and whispered, “Buck you too.”
Somehow, the pony hadn't heard my fall... in fact it sounded like he was singing drunkenly. The off key notes eventually drew the attention of another cloaked figure that hurried into the light and seemed to be speaking rapidly. Drawing my cloak tight around myself, I slid forward, staying in their peripheral. Sneaking close enough, I caught the tail end of the conversation.
“...who cares,” asked the drunken sod, “when the night reaches its zenith, she will drink the blood of her chosen and lead us into the eternal night. One stupid guard isn't going to stop that even if he was foolish enough to come here.”
His companion, another stallion, reached over with a hoof and took something from the former. I assumed his poison of choice, “This is no time to get sloppy,” chided the sober one, “Royal Guards don't mess around. If we want the ritual to go off without a hitch, everypony needs to be doing their job. Yours is to keep watch and make sure we're not discovered.”
Drunky snorted, “As if. Didn't you hear? The other one is as green as it gets and scared pissless. He ain't coming out here for anything. My thinkin' is that he'll wait for reinforcements before moving and Top Shot has it out for the stallion. He'll be dead before dawn.”
“Regardless, nothing can be allowed to stop the ceremony. On top of that, they'll be here for the foals just after, so we need to be sure everything is ready. That means there's nopony out here to watch your sorry flank if you get jumped and don't sound the alarm. Keep your eyes open,” he flicked his hoof sideways and I heard a liquid hit the ground, “and lay off this swill.”
Drunky had a few choice words for his companion, but the wiser stallion ignored him, retreating into the cave. So, in being dumb enough to come out here I'd dodged a bolt from this “Top Shot” pony. I wasn't sure if I should be happy about that or not. Either way, that wasn't my priority at the moment.
It was comically easy to slip past the lookout between my cloak and his inebriation. Entering into the cave proper, I adjusted my goggles and looked around. The interior of the cave was dark, but a small light at the back drew me closer. A wall had been knocked down in the back and poking my head in revealed that the cave had been connected to a mine shaft of some kind. I groaned inwardly as I realized that I had three options: a path to my left and right with one more going forward.
Spotting movement to my right, I caught sight of the more sober pony walking quickly toward the furthest end of the way. This one seemed to be checking up on others, so maybe he would lead me to where I needed to go? Slinking forward, I hurried after him as fast as I dared. The weakness of the cloak is that if somepony where to be actively looking for me they'd pierce the illusion and this stallion seemed to be tense and alert.
Despite that, he was apparently on a mission as he continued to march past several openings. I was doing my best to mentally map the route, but realized very quickly that I didn't have the brain power for it, cursing myself. I was in it deep now. My unknowing guide finally broke off from the main path down a side shaft and I was forced to pause as he came upon another pony who seemed to be standing guard. Someone really needed to tell groups like the guard and these cultists that matching uniforms were really annoying.
Huddling up against the wall, just in case, I tilted my ears to catch the conversation...
“Hail, Nightborne.” Greeted the pony who'd been standing guard, giving my guide a small bow. So, he was higher up on the ladder than this stallion. It would make sense that he would be more invested in whatever they had going on. I wasn't sure if Nightborne was a name or a title considering the reverence it was given when said aloud.
Either way, “Nightborne” simple gave a curt nod, “Is all in readiness? Our... ally will be along after the ceremony to collect them.” My ears perked up. Could they be talking about the foalnapped ponies? With any luck, I'd be able to round up both the foals and Silent Stroke in one go... well, any good luck.
The guard nodded, “Yes, Nightborne. His delivery will be prepared for him by the time the ritual is complete,” there was a deep pause, before the guard sighed, “how long must we keep up this charade? That old fool is going too far this time.” The change in tone made me curious.
Nightborne chuckled, “Let the old stallion have his moment. If he wants to believe that the thestral's blood will bring back his 'immortal queen' and rid us of the nuisance at the same time, it's no skin off our bones. We're almost done with this town anyways and then we'll be rid of him.”
Thestral's blood? Stroke! What were these crazy ponies doing to him? It must have something to do with this “ritual” they'd been talking about. I was going to have to move fast because it sounded like my partner was in real danger. I shook my head, focusing. One problem at a time.
Nightborne didn't keep me waiting long as he came back and I pressed up tight against the wall. I didn't dare breath as he slowed just in front of me, his ears flicking slowly from side to side. I could hear my heartbeat quickening. Had he discovered me? I couldn't afford to be caught just yet. I brought one hoof slowly to the sheath on the opposite foreleg, hovering just over the dagger there.
I could swear that the blade shivered in delight...
A second ticked by. Then another. Just when I was sure that I was going to have to do something drastic, a soft clack of stone on stone echoed from somewhere within the mine. Nightborne gave a start before shaking his head and striding away. I waited until he was long gone before letting out a sigh of relief.
Stepping into the hallway once more, I crept toward the lone watchpony and wondered just what I was going to do. Sure, I'd been drilled in basic take-downs, but it was different in practice and I had never been a violent pony. I looked at my opponent, sizing him up.
He was... barely out of foalhood. Sweet Celestia, he still had such a young look to him except for his eyes. His eyes were the kind that had experienced something that haunted him to this day. I couldn't bring myself to strike him. Suppressing a sound of displeasure, I lifting up onto my hindhooves and shimmied past the stallion as quietly as I could.
The passage that he was guarding lead to a circular room. At one point, other paths had lead out of the room but had collapsed at some point, leaving only one way out. Off to one side I noticed what appeared to be a chamber pot and wrinkled my nose in disgust, but the other thing I noticed is what held my attention.
Two foals, Buck Wild and Misty Trails, huddled together at the center of the room. Their eyes were bloodshot from tears shed and both of them looked haggered. Quickly, I pulled off my my Hoofring of Silence, activating the enchantment in the doorway so that I could speak with them privately.
When I drew back my hood, the foals gasped and huddled closer to one another, staring at me fearfully. I sat on my haunches, smiling reassuringly at them, “Hey, I'm here to help,” I said softly, “Buck and Misty, right?” Their ears perked at their names, a small sparkle of hope appearing in their eyes.
“How'd you know our names, mister?” Buck asked.
I continued to smile as I sorted through bag, “Your mother is really worried about the two of you. Lone Star and her sent out a message to the Royal Guard to come find you and the others. Is anypony else here with you?”
Misty answered me this time with a soft shake of her head, “It was just us for a while, but they brought in this scary looking pegasus that looked kind've like a bat.”
I nodded, “That's my buddy, Silent Stroke. Do you know where they took him?” I finally found what I was looking for, fishing out the teleportation amulet.
Misty shook her head, “He got into a fight with a couple of them, but they hurt him real bad,” tears were appearing in her eyes, “why are they doing this? We never hurt anypony!” she was verging on hysterics, but Buck stepped in, wrapping his hooves around his sister.
He looked up at me with a determined look, “You're a Royal Guard, mister,” I nodded, “then... you're gonna make the bad ponies pay, right?”
I couldn't dash his hopes, no matter how much I felt that fate was cheating by making a foal ask that question. Hey, I wasn't exactly lying when I told him I would. I'd already sent a message to the lieutenant and she would bring down the hoof of law on these psychos. For now I was content to help them escape and find Stroke.
Gathering the two together, I looped the amulet string around them both. Thankfully, the enchantment would activate on anypony wearing it, so when I activated the amulet with the mental picture of Misty's room they vanished in a flash of light. That would make their mother's night, I'm sure.
Retrieving my ring, I put my hood back up and stealthed past the guard again. I chuckled inwardly at the look I imagined would be on his face when he realized the foals were gone. In the meantime, I needed to find Stroke... before something bad happened to him...