//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4, The First Mission, Part 2. 
// Story: Meta Gamer in Equestria: The Blight of Bane. 
// by reflective vagrant 
//------------------------------//

I seemed to be unfocused when Fluttershy called to me at some unknown point in our trek.  Her voice brought me to attention.  "Are you feeling alright, Moss?"
I had failed to mask my nerves and she had seen me shaking.  Well, shaking more than I normally would while holding a shield that was tall enough to guard my shins and shoulders at the same time.
I finally decided to stop holding the shield actively on my arm and sling it over top my pack to give my arm a break and try to form my words.   Even if it didn't use strength in the game, my arm was starting to hurt.  The pace they could travel at was surprisingly fast for creatures so small.  This was the first time I had to keep up with their normal pace for an extended period while carrying pretty much everything I owned on my back.  I could manage it, but it pushed me out of my comfort zone.
I glanced at her worried face before putting my eyes back to the path and deciding to press on my amulet.
"I don't like the idea of killing another sentient being," I answered with a slight huff, "but you're at war and they probably aren't going to just sit and talk.  A fight might be inevitable."
She lowered her head in apology.
"I'm sorry.  They're your kind, or at least closely related.  I can only imagine.  I should have been more sensitive."
I hopped up a small break of earth in the path, slipped and slammed on my knees.   The spot I landed on had soft soil and a firm layer of moss at the top, so I was unharmed.  It was still embarrassing, though.
Fluttershy gently jumped up and easily landed the two foot ridge that I had tripped over as I saw Tempest shake her head and continue on as I got back to my feet.
I got my footing, continued the trek and corrected her, "It's not that they are my kind, but that they are sentient.  I don't bear a whole lot of good feeling towards my own race.  Blood is-"


I forced the words to die in my throat.   The full version of the phrase I was going to say was "The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb," to imply that blood relations shouldn't be a significant reason for loyalties.  But I remembered that these ponies had a past of gods invading their lands.  I had to be careful with any proverbs or other words of wisdom that came from my faith.  I could only imagine what the Fey thought of a god if they thought so poorly of celestials.


"Blood is very little to me.  I try to respect all life, if I can.  I've had to fight to defend myself against animals in the past, and I'd do it again.  But sentient life is more complicated.  It's worth more in theory, and generally I'd save one of your kind over an animal if I had to choose.  Yet, at the same time, sentient life is supposed to be held to a higher standard.  We should be better than..."
I paused my words, pulled my flint knife from my belt, tied it to my walking stick and lifted the finished spear for her to see.
"...Than turning on each other and killing on a whim for small gains.  It's when we fail at this, when we take the easy way out, we start down a path that makes us greater monsters than any rabid beast could ever be."
Fluttershy cocked her head and tried to process this.
"So you're afraid of them?"
I closed my eyes and let out a quiet huff.  "...Yea. I'm... afraid of them."
It was so much more complicated than just being afraid.  It was like revisiting a piece of yourself that you wanted to stay buried.  I was sure I would feel better if I could just come out and say it, but I had trouble finding the words, much less words I wasn't afraid to say to them.  How couldn't she misunderstand what I was saying when I sounded like little more than an idiot bumbling through his own thoughts?
Fluttershy gave me a comforting "I'm here for you" expression with a pinch of not fully understanding.  She then went up to the front of the group and started chatting with the Speaker about something.
Meanwhile, Scraps slowed down enough to hang back with me.  For some reason, while he seemed to have the same casual walking speed as me normally, he had little trouble keeping up with the ponies.
"Friend Moss still have talk time on speak stone?"  He asked, seeing if he could squeeze in a small chat on the same charge that I used with Fluttershy.  With the limited time on each charge on my amulet, we had learned to have my two way conversations requiring more than gestures from me to come in bursts at the cottage where possible.
"What did you need?"  I asked to test it.
"Moss wanted favor, Moss call Moss name Scraps asked to not call Moss when Moss asked for favor.  Scraps understand Moss need favor very much to bring up name that make Moss upset.  What favor Moss need?"
My mood picked up again at the second chance I had to ask him.
"I don't know if you can understand, but Fluttershy has done a lot for me.  She took me in despite the stigma of looking like those that want to fight ponies.  She was supportive with me when I was released, and patient with explaining each and every custom as many different ways she needed to until I understood them.  She fought tooth and hoof when I was being openly persecuted, at one point literally."
My time was limited, but I needed to drive home the point.  "She has shown me almost nothing but kindness, and I've grown to care for her."
Scraps nodded. "Fluttershy is big sister to Moss, like..."
At first, I thought he was going to compare Fluttershy to Tempest, being our respective RRE officers.  But then he paused, stopping in the middle of the trek to shed a tear and press a paw up to his vest.
"Like Scraps once had big brother.  Big brother Nicknack do many same things for Scraps that Moss say Fluttershy do for Moss."
We started up again to catch up with the group, knowing we were understanding each other.
I gestured to myself then Fluttershy and finally down the path as I spoke.
"Well, if it gets too dangerous or if something happens to me, please take-"	I could see the tilt of his head as I finished, giving me the cue that the translator had died off. "-Fluttershy, and get her back to Ponyville with the guards to protect her."
He looked at the places I had gestured.
"Take big sister of Moss, Fluttershy, and put Fluttershy in village?  Safe spot?" He guessed multiple interpretations of what he thought I said as the amulet's outgoing translation faded.
I quickly did a gesture with my hand with a single finger extended, then a thumbs up, and then two fingers extended, followed by another thumbs up, indicating both guesses were right.





After we kept traveling for a little bit, the Speaker told us to stop in the middle of a part in the path that was straight as an arrow.  We didn't seem to be anywhere special, but he insisted we stand in some seemingly random spot.  Once we got into position, he turned to the side of the path and called out in a tone that seemed to flex and wobble that made it laced with some power, it was so eerie.


"Father Gatekeeper. I return and I ask for passage for our guests."


All of  a sudden, the path we were on bent backwards into a moderate curve, and before us lay a village intended for people roughly the size of the Speaker, built into trees and a the cliff side of an isolated strut of earth sticking upwards that wasn't there before.  We found ourselves standing just within an intricately placed pattern of small, carved stones embedded into the trodden earth of the path.
"Oh, my!"  Fluttershy exclaimed with glee, "This village is beautiful.  It reminds me of the breezie village."
Tempest stomped her hoof just loud enough to get everyone's attention again.  "Yes, but what are we doing here?  We need to keep traveling to get to Zecora's hut."
"There is no need for you to fear.  For as you can see, I am right here."
I turned to see Zecora walking up the path behind us.
The Speaker gestured us into the village. "I apologize for not telling you earlier, but it would have only complicated matters with you not believing me.  We have been traveling far longer than you realize.   About ten to twelve times more time has passed than what you likely felt pass as we traveled.  It is a side effect of our defenses against the intruders.  It is a difficulty for those that haven't entered our village before, and is unavoidable without shutting down the entire web that is keeping us safe.  We are not on the path to the shaman's hut.  We are already in the heart of what you would call Far Everfree."
I looked up and saw the sun setting at the horizon when it felt it should have still been much higher in the sky.  I also found my arm felt well rested from not carrying my shield on it anymore.
"Scraps!"  I heard Tempest call out, "Don't take or touch anything without permission!  I don't care how interesting it is!  Now is not the time!"
Scraps was well hidden behind one of the trees, with only his paw reaching around to pluck a bit of bio-luminescent mushroom, when he suddenly jumped out of his cover in shock and bolted back to her side.  I didn't even notice he had left our side.
I did notice that while the village was well maintained, it was completely empty besides us.  With an amulet press, and a signal to Tempest to show I'd need topped off again soon to keep it strong, I asked,  "Where is everybody?  The place looks deserted."
The Speaker gave a bemused smirk.  "Of course it does to you.  I am called the Speaker for a reason.  The Fey hide themselves well.  You won't see any Fey here besides me."
Tempest took a look around, then back at the Speaker and pointed to a section of trees.  "I see two tiny Fey peeking from the window of the second building of the third tree that way, and one slightly larger than you hiding among the roots of the tree nearest to the far mound."
We all looked at those locations, but saw nothing.
The Speaker shook his head, still keeping his grin.  "Nice try.  But I can tell you are lying."
Tempest didn't seemed phased in the slightest. "The two in the window have very delicate wings akin to a dragonfly in texture, but shaped more like a butterfly's wings, and the one in the roots has a gimp left hoof."
I could see the grin on the Speaker's face fade into genuine shock.
"But if its any consolation,"  Tempest stated with a grin of her own, "Those were the only ones I saw on an immediate search and I'm sure your population is higher than the ones I see.  Several dozen by the looks of the village.  Your kind are indeed good at hiding."
"Yes, good at hiding the Fey are, even the lame," Zecora called out when the air got thick.  "But little protection that will provide if the village is touched by war's flame."
She gestured us to follow her towards the center of the village, "But now they face enemies with resolve and magic that lets them tire not.  So the beast-kin and friends, the Speaker has brought."
A rustling of wind pushed through the village.   The Speaker seemed to be focused on it as we walked, almost making faces as if he were in an argument.
"What's wrong?" Fluttershy asked.
The Speaker held up his hand and the rustling stopped.  "They do not approve of me bringing outsiders besides the Beast-kin here.  I'm trying to reason with them, but they will not have it."
My fist clenched as I processed this.  A stubborn family was one of the biggest roadblocks I had in my life back on Earth before I came to Equis.  They thought they knew me, but never tried to slow down and understand my view fully.  I had to play nice as long as I depended on them for anything even when I felt they were utterly wrong on something.
He may share some of their bias, but the Speaker was at least willing to listen.  He wasn't going to win this argument, though.  I had to step in.  As an outsider I could be bold where he couldn't, at least in this particular situation.
I leaned down and asked, "Can they understand my words?"
After a confused look, he gave me a nod.  I immediately stood up and looked around.
"Listen up!  Beggars can't be choosers!  You asked for me and I had no obligation to come!  I have to have these ponies with me right now!  It's a package deal!"
I spun around slowly after I did this, and added one more thing after they had a moment to process.  "If you want them to leave, so be it.  This is your territory.  But if they leave, I leave with them."
A pause fell for several seconds, followed by a brief rustling of leaves.  The Speaker gave a few more odd expressions as he did before, though this time less frustrated.  At one point he pointed to Tempest's horn.
Finally, he turned to me and spoke formally as he did when I first saw him.  "Very well, Beast-kin.  It is unfair for us to ask for your aid and not expect conditions.  But know this:  We do not make any guarantee for their safety if they stay.  We also do not trust them, and we will act swiftly against them if we smell treachery."
I looked down as he said this.  I could tell by the flex of his tone he wanted a confirmation of their conditions being met too.  But I had no right to speak for the others in that regard.
I turned around and called to them, "I can't make that call fo..."
My voice failed me when I saw them all stepping forward without hesitation.
"I'm with you on this, Moss,"  Fluttershy called with the same unshaken determination.
"Equestria has a stake in this too. I'll take the risk,"  Tempest answered the Fey.
"Scraps go where boss Tempest go."  Scraps gave a brief glance towards Fluttershy and gave me a nod.
It wasn't all that epic, but it helped me feel better about turning back around and answering the Speaker.
"It looks like we have an understanding then."
"Then come with me.  I will direct you to the rest of the forces."
"Rest of forces?" Scraps asked as we started moving again,  "Scraps thought Fey have no fighters."
"The Fey cannot fight in the traditional sense, at least not at a significant level without taking heavy losses.  The servants of our surrogate mother have sent a brave that has been doing his best to slow them, but the poisons he has used in his traps don't seem to affect them anymore and he cannot battle them head on without help.  We just can't seem to isolate a small enough chunk of them for a single brave to take on."
By the time the Speaker was finished explaining, we had gone to the far side of the strut of earth to see a familiar face a bit further along, whittling away at a piece of wood.
"Speaks with Talons?"  I called out in surprise, "I haven't seen you since you guided me to town!"
The black feathered face of the griffin before me grew shocked with a slack beak when he heard my voice in a legible form.
"Beast-kin,"  He called as he approached me, "You have learned the pony tongue, and you even learned my name, at least how the ponies speak it."
"Kinda sorta.  I've only learned a small number of words and still can't say them right."  I gestured to my amulet.  "The amulet helps fill the gaps."
As he came close, I became worried and backed off a few steps, calling out, "You aren't going to make me stand there and exchange blows again, are you?"
He shook his head, "Though I could evoke the rite, now is not the time.  You could simply cheat again, anyway."
"Ahem!"  Tempest called out, "Its nice to see that we're on good terms, but could we please get to business?  I want to know what the crow knows about the situation."
The griffin looked at Tempest with a very stoic and unreadable face.  With a strong intake of breath, he spoke coldly, but calmly to her.  "I am a long way from my homeland, and so I must remind myself that I must forgive local ignorance about my tribe."
He came right up to her, invading her personal space, but she refused to back down.  "But know that I am a griffin of the Raven-blood Tribe.  Do not call us crows.  There are no such things as crow griffins."
He raised his talon to within inches of her face, though not pointed towards it, and brought forth a pitch black wing from his other side to match.  "This is raven power you see before you. Not quite as mighty as the eagle power my ancestors had forsaken, but not as prone to the temptations of greed either, and still far more powerful than any crow.  Be sure to remember it from here on out."
I drew two things from watching them.  One: I was grateful I wasn't the one pulling a slip of the tongue and insulting someone this time and that I had the language barrier keeping me from doing it back then.  And two:  Judging by the "I'm not backing down" look on Tempest's face, I wasn't the only one on her list of who she hated the guts of but still had to work with anymore.