Chapter 15: Comforts on the Sea
Morning came and went for the passengers of the blackwagon as it continued to make its watery voyage. The waters were a bit rougher today than it was yesterday, but it was at least manageable to navigate so long as Twilight kept her focus on the steering. Eventually, the wagon approached a narrow passageway made by two large, rocky bluffs on both sides. After confirming with Tariq that this was the path that they needed to take, Twilight carefully steered into the rocky hallway. The wagon only barely managed to fit in between the two bluff and even then, it was still a close call. One could easily reach out their hand or hoof from the side of the deck and feel the wet and slimy texture of the cliffs. The alicorn played it smart and moved the wagon slowly and avoided any sudden movements. Applejack and Jodariel were on both the left and right sides of the wagon to make sure that it didn’t get too close to either side. One wrong move and they could risk crashing into one of the walls and cause a breach in the hull. The situation was quite tense, Twilight was determined to keep her collective calm and sail onward. After half an hour of slowly creeping forward, the wagon finally reached the end of the rocky corridor and was freed from the tight confines. What Twilight saw next almost took her breath away.
After the miserable slog through the Flagging Hands, the alicorn hardly expected the Downside to be any better further along in the journey. So, it was to her great surprise when the sun finally revealed itself in the sky in an intensity that she hadn’t witnessed since back in Jomuer Valley. Although, when her eyes finally adjusted, Twilight saw a landscape that was far different from the dry environ of the Valley. All around in front of her, far as the eye could see, was a vast expanse of blue, crystal-clear water. The alicorn could see countless shimmers and sparkles in the calm waters, no doubt caused by the bright sunlight. The purple pony began to look around and saw there were multiple islets scattered around, only unlike the cramp, claustrophobic feeling of the Wyrm Gulf, they were all evenly spaced out across the expansive area. The islets were made up of burnt-orange sand along with tall, periwinkle trees that looked like furry puffballs on sticks. All-in-all, the landscape was beautiful, and Twilight was certain that they had reached the Sea of Solis.
The Nightwings and other ponies had similar reactions to the Sea as Twilight had. The alicorn then decide to try and make landfall to one of the islets in the hopes of gaining a better sense of direction in such a large body of water. As the blackwagon approached the shore, Twilight was once again surprised when she felt the vehicle jump a bit. It appeared that the outer deck and under hull of the wagon had folded inward into the hidden compartments from which they came from, with the mast and sail also detracted inside the roof. In the span of a few seconds, the blackwagon had converted back into its original land-based form. Twilight was still confused as to how Pinkie and Bertrude managed to accomplish this but again decided that it was best to leave well alone. The wagon made a full stop on the sandy beach of the islet and all of its passengers exited outside. Despite the intense sunlight, the air was at a comfortably warm temperature thanks to a refreshing sea breeze.
“By the Scribes! The sea, I didn’t know it was so beautiful!” Mae said excitedly as she looked at the blue water. She then turned her attention to the sand and grabbed a handful of it to let it run through her sand. “And, this sand? It feels so warm and nice on my hands and feet!” The sheltered girl then knelt and began to play more in the orange sand.
“Come on now, sugarcube,” Applejack slightly scolded her. “I know that this place is real nice, but let’s not let get all sandy like that. Now come on, why don’t we have ya have yer feet wade in the water.”
Mae’s eyes lit up once again and immediately got up to follow the orange mare to the water. When she put her feet in the water, the girl couldn’t help but giggle at how cold and weird it felt. The alicorn smiled at the moon-touched girl’s merriment and was also glad to see that everybody was enjoying the pleasant atmosphere that the Sea provided…well, almost everybody. Twilight looked back to the blackwagon with immense worry, as she knew that there was still one Nightwing still inside confined to his bunk. Despite the purple mare’s best wishes, Hedwyn’s condition had only gotten worse after their little chat last night. His seasickness had worsened to a point where he was unable to get out his bed. As much as she wanted to stay beside him, Tariq insisted that he would look after him while she focused on steering the wagon out of the Gulf. But now that they had made it safely to the Sea, Twilight’s focus shifted entirely back onto her sick friend.
“Hraaah-hoooom?” Ti’zo cooed as he landed on top of Twilight’s head and looked over to where she was looking. Though she couldn’t understand him like Tariq or Fluttershy, Twilight knew that the little creature was also worried for the Nomad.
“He requires further rest, Ti’zo.” Tariq answered his worried coos. “All we can do is wish him a swift recovery.”
“When will Mister Hedwyn get better?” Mae asked with worried as she returned from the water. “I have never seen someone that sick before without…well…”
The atmosphere became tense with the morbid implications that the moon-touched girl had made. Thankfully, Rainbow Dash was quick to try and lighten the mood. “Aw, don’t worry about it, Mae. Hed’s tough as nails! It’s gonna take a lot more than some namby-pamby seasickness to take him out!”
The pegasus’s bravado seemed to have worked as Mae and the rest of the group didn’t look as down trotted as before. And while Twilight did look hopeful on the outside, she still felt some worry for the Nomad on the inside. She would have to make sure to check on Hedwyn one they were back on the water heading towards the right direction. Speaking of which, Tariq went to the alicorn to talk about their next course of action. “Madame Twilight, may I trouble you to take a look towards the east?”
Twilight looked to where the minstrel was pointing and saw what he was referring to. The not-so fare off distance to the west, Twilight could make out the shape of something very large. If she squinted hard enough, she could tell that is was some sort of large shipwreck with the front of the boat pointing upward towards the sky. She also saw that there was something wrapped around the wreckage, but she couldn’t make out the finer details as to what it was. “Is that…the Hulk of Ores?” Twilight guessed as to what she was seeing.
“Very good, Madame Twilight,” Tariq answered. “Judging by the distance from where we are now, we should be able to reach the Celestial Landmark by the evening if we make haste immediately. Just in time for the next Rite. However, from here we will have to diverge from Bertrude’s instructions. Consult with your companions about which course to take and we can be off.”
Twilight then looked back to the distance and noticed that there was a long strip of land in between them and the Hulk of Ores. She saw that the middle was far too rocky for the wagon to traverse through safely, which left the choice of either going left or right. When the purple mare decided to ask the group about an opinion of which direction to take, Ti’zo suddenly got excited and gestured over to the right. According to Fluttershy’s translation, the Imp was very familiar with that spot which was locally known as the Fathomless Trench. Despite its somewhat ominous namesake, the area was well known for teeming with fish and other sea life. Ti’zo suggested that they could catch some of those fish not only for a tasty treat for himself, but perhaps also to sell at the Slug Market. Seeing no flaw in the Imp’s logic, Twilight decided that the wagon take the route south towards the Trench on their way to the Hulk of Ores. After no objections were stated from the group, everybody got back on the wagon to begin the next leg of the journey.
When they all got back on, Twilight politely asked if Applejack wouldn’t mind steering for a little while. The country pony had no problem with the request and went over to the controls. Just like that, the wagon started up once again and its nautical equipment appeared once again once it hit the water. As everybody went about with their individual tasks, Twilight only had one thing in mind. The alicorn went over to Hedwyn’s bunk to check his condition. However, her worry only grew when she saw the state the Nomad was in. He was much paler than was last night and she could see that he was slightly shivering in his bunk, clear indication that he was in the midst of a fever. He was still asleep with a wet towel draped across his forehead, but she really wondered how well it was helping. After taking a closer look, Twilight noticed that he was still wearing the blue, cloth bandana that he always wore. While she wasn’t the most medically inclined, Twilight doubted that the tied-up piece of cloth would feel pleasant in his current condition. She slowly lifted up her hoof to remove the cloth in hopes of making the Nomad more comfortable.
“You need not worry, Madame Twilight.” Twilight jumped a bit and quickly turned around to see that it was Tariq who had interrupted her.
“I’m sorry!” she immediately apologized. “I just wanted to check on him and make sure he was comfortable, and…” Twilight trailed off in her rambling and sighed. “I’m really worry, Tariq. He looks really sick now and he’s not showing any signs of improvement. I was in really bad condition when I arrived in this world, and Hedwyn was the first one to help me and nurse my wounds and hunger.” Twilight rubbed at the bandages on her front hooves reminiscing on how she and the Nomad first met. “Now he needs help and all I can do is just sit back helplessly and do nothing for him. Even if I did remember any healing spells off the top of my head, I would still be somewhat hesitant to use them because I don’t know how they would affect a human. I just…I just feel useless right now.”
The minstrel said nothing and had let the alicorn vent out her worries. Once it appeared that she was done, he was quick to offer her comfort. “I believe you are just seeing the situation as more severe than it actual is, Madame Twilight. The fever that Hedwyn has now is quite small compared to some of the other cases I have witnessed. The only thing really afflicting him is severe fatigue combined with his seasickness. All he really requires is rest and he will back on his feet. Quite possibly by tonight, if I am correct.” He then knelt down and placed his hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “I understand your worry for him, Twilight. If I am to be honest, seeing such concern puts me more at peace with your status as Reader for the Nightwings. Such a compassionate heart with dedication to move forward is exactly what a triumvirate needs to achieve victory in the Rites. With that said, Hedwyn will be fine. I have very high confidence in it.”
The minstrel’s hopeful words did help calm her down a bit. In the short time she had known him, Tariq was always deadest on his convictions and rarely ever faltered in them in times of duress. Therefore, the alicorn had no reason doubt his belief in Hedwyn’s recovery. She supposed that it would probably be better to be hopeful about the situation rather than to be bleak about it. Twilight gave a small smile and nodded to the Lone Minstrel as he stood back up. She was about to thank him when suddenly a ringing noise began to emanate followed by Pinkie Pie’s laughter. “You might want to go what that is about.” Tariq suggested. “Do not worry, I will keep an eye on Hedwyn until then.”
Though she was still hesitant to leave the Nomad’s side, Twilight agreed and headed over to the ringing. The purple mare crossed the room and saw what exactly Pinkie was doing over near the door. The party pony was excitedly ringing the big, brass nautical bell that was hanging beside the doorway. “Pinkie,” Twilight spoke over the ringing. “what are you doing?”
Pinkie stopped the ringing and looked to her friend. “Um, ringing the bell? Duh.”
That didn’t really give Twilight anything to go on. “Well, why are you ringing the bell?” she asked, trying to be more specific.
“Well, I’m kinda super, duper bored right now. So, I thought that I would ring this super fun bell for awhile to see if that takes away my boredom!” She then began another short round of ringing before she stopped again. “Eh, still nothing yet, but I’ll keep trying! Besides, pointlessly ringing a bell is super fun!” The pink mare then went back to ringing the bell at a constant rate yet again. After a few more seconds of Pinkie ringing the bell, both of the ponies were caught by surprise when Rukey suddenly appeared before them.
“Oh, you just keep right on ringing that bell, Pinks! Keep at it!” he shouted at them. Despite the encouraging claim, Twilight knew that the Cur was quite annoyed by the party pony’s shenanigans based on the irritated features on his face and the sarcasm dripping from his voice.
“Hi, Rukey!” Pinkie greeted cheerfully. “Did you happen to hear my ringing? Isn’t it just so fun to constantly ring it?!”
Seeing how the pink mare wasn’t taking the hint, Rukey continued on. “Oh yeah, suuuper fun there, Pinks. I really can imagine a better pastime than to ring the bell that we use for nautical emergencies and signaling meal time. And I know for a fact that it’s not even meal time. But hey, I’m really starting to enjoy the constant ring sound. Even though now it doesn’t mean ANYTHING to me or ANYBODY anymore!” The outraged sarcasm in Rukey’s voice was clear as day now and would be nearly impossible for anybody to miss. Unfortunately, Rukey was speaking to Pinkie Pie.
“Well that’s great!” Pinkie obliviously said to the Cur. She kept on her smile until her expression suddenly switched to one of realization. “Wait a minute. I think I know what you’re getting at now!” The growing relief on Rukey’s face instantly vanished at the pink mare’s next sentence. “Do you want a go at ringing the bell, Rukey?”
Twilight saw Rukey’s left eye twitch a little and then he took a long sigh. “You know what, Pinks? Maybe I will get a crack at that bell. Ringing that thing all day and night must be pretty good exercise for ya, right?! And hey, it’s pretty good training for my ears too! Did you two happen to know Did you happen to know that we Curs have super sensitive hearing compared to other species?” Both of the mare shook their heads at having prior knowledge of the fact, but then recoiled back when the Cur shouted again. “WELL NOT ANYMORE, I DON’T! I’m practically deaf now thanks to all that ringing. So, thank you, Pinks! Thanks for taking away one of my precious senses that probably need to survive in the Downside! Are you two happy now?!”
Both of the ponies were speechless to the Cur. It appeared that Pinkie had finally caught on and had on a look of guilt on her face. Before either of them could begin to apologize for potentially crippling the Cur, his sour expression instantly switched to jovialness one. “He he he! I’m just kiddin’ ya, you two!” he chuckled. “Takes a lot more than a flimsy old bell to take out my hearing! Just wanted to play a little trick on you guys. Gotta learn to laugh sometimes, right?” The Cur then trotted out onto the deck while humming a happy little tune.
While Twilight was still perplexed at what had just happened, Pinkie started to giggle again. “Oh, I see now! Rukey was just pulling a little prank on us. That was so silly of him!” The pink mare giggled some more at the trick the Cur pulled on them and then let out a satisfied sigh. “Welp,” she said after a long pause. “Back to business! This old bell isn’t going to ring itself!”
Pinkie only managed to ring the bell again for a few more seconds before Rukey popped in the doorway again. “Okay, stop it, Pinks.” he said with complete seriousness. “It’s really bugging me. Please?” And just like that, the Cur disappeared again.
“Pinkie,” Twilight advised her friend. “I think it’d be best if you stop ringing the bell now. Rukey asked you politely this time.”
“Awwww.” the baker said as she looked down in defeat. She then looked back at the bell. “Maybe just one more tiny ding?”
“Pinkie.” The alicorn chastised her friend before she could get the idea. The pink mare only stared directly at her as she slowly lifted her hoof towards the bell. “Pinkie.” Twilight repeated again. The pink hoof was half way to the bell now, ever so close to ringing it again. The purple mare gave her friend one final warning. “Don’t do it, Pinkie. You heard wha-“
Twilight couldn’t finish her thought as Pinkie’s hoof swiftly reached for the bell and gave it a few more dings. The alicorn was about to reprimand her but was interrupted when Rukey appeared once again. However, he didn’t even speak to the ponies as he wordless trotted to the bell and reached up to yank the metal clapper inside. The Cur then took the small piece of metal and threw it overboard where it landed and sunk into the Sea. Rukey looked to the ponies one more time and huffed before he went back outside. Pinkie tried to tap against the bell, only for it to let out near-silent clank. “Oh, phooey,” she sighed. “There go the days upon days I would’ve spent ringing the bell non-stop.” Her downtrodden state didn’t last long, however, as she quickly perked up and put on her usual smile. “Oh well! Guess I’ll just find some other menial, no purpose activity to keep myself occupied with! La la la!”
The party pony then merrily bounced off to somewhere else in the wagon. Twilight simply rolled her eyes and chuckled to herself at the shenanigans with the bell. Though she did have to admit, it was probably for the best that Rukey silenced the bell. She could only imagine how the constant ringing would drive the rest of the group crazy. As much as she loved the pink mare, sometimes Pinkie’s craziness could be a little too much. Even still, the party pony’s pros outweighed her cons, as she couldn’t really that anybody would stay mad at her forever. Twilight then decided to head out onto the deck to get some fresh air as the blackwagon sailed on.
Musical Cue Continued - Strange Voyage
It was about mid afternoon by the time the wagon had made it to the Fathomless Trench. The vehicle made landfall on a long strip of beach and stopped so that Rukey and Hedwyn could tend to the drive imps. Jodariel and Applejack were double checking the wheels for any damage, while Pinkie had dragged Rainbow Dash with her to build sandcastles with Mae. That left Twilight, Tariq, Fluttershy and Ti’zo to wander over to the shore to get a better look at the trench. Unlike the mucky waters of the Wyrm Gulf, the waters here at the Sea were quite clear and gave a rather pretty shimmer thanks to the sunlight. It was transparent to the point where Twilight could almost make out the seafloor. Of course, this stopped being the case when she looked over to the large, dark crevice under the water, which she assumed must have been the Trench. While Twilight was looking over the water, Ti’zo was letting out an excited series of chirps.
“Um, if you two don’t mind,” Fluttershy politely said to Twilight and Tariq. “I’m going to just fly over the water to keep an eye on Ti’zo while he’s fishing.” When the pair nodded at the yellow mare, she turned her attention to the Imp. “Are you ready now, Ti’zo?”
“Scraah-HAAAA!” Ti’zo yelled as he dove into the water and began swimming towards deeper waters.
“Oh dear. Ti’zo, please be careful down there!” Fluttershy warned the Imp and then flew up just a meter from the surface of the water.
The alicorn watched as the shy pegasus hovered over the water in an attempt to keep track of Ti’zo swimming deep in the water. She then followed the pegasus’s gaze down to the water to see if she could find the Imp herself. However, while she could see him swimming in the water, she also saw something else in the corner of her eye. She tried to focus in on whatever it was, but it was both too deep in the water and moving at an quicken pace. As she looked closer, she did see that there were more of those wriggling shapes along with the first one she found. She first thought that they were just fish, but there was just something off about them that the purple mare couldn’t place her hoof on.
“You see them too, yes?” Twilight looked back to see that the minstrel was talking to her. It would appear that he had also saw what she had seen deep in the Sea. “Those shapes in the water down there. Some of them have to be Wyrms.”
“Wyrms?” Twilight asked in confusion.
“They are an amphibious species that reign from an undersea regime known as the Sea-Dominion.” Tariq explained. “Despite their small stature, they are a warrior race that are natural born masters of tactics and warfare. I understand that once they had completely conquered their own waters, they went on land to seek new wars to fight in. That was when the Commonwealth reached out to them allowed them to fight for some of their wars.”
“Wait,” the alicorn said, not completely understanding. “Why would they decided to fight in wars for the Commonwealth? Doesn’t really seem logical to risk their lives like that for another country’s outside conflict. Did the Commonwealth pay them with money or land in return?”
“No,” Tariq said, shaking her head. “they received no such compensation from the Commonwealth. The Wyrms fight for only two things: honor and glory. Despite their lust for war, they do not wage it for the sole purpose of conflict. I cannot say that I completely understand myself, but I believe that it may be due to a sense of purpose. To defeat their foes in fair and honorable combat must give them meaning in life. Otherwise, their entire species would continue on to hide under the waves while the world moved on without them. The Commonwealth simply capitalized on this need to be noticed, giving them a disposable army for their wars. Unfortunately, that also means they were put under the Commonwealth’s jurisdiction, making them eligible for exile to the Downside for any crimes they would commit.” The two of them looked downward again see that the mysterious shapes were no longer there. “For whatever the reason, the fact remains that the Wyrms are much more capable than they appear. They must make worthy adversaries.”
Twilight had to agree with the minstrel there. Though she hadn’t met one of these Wyrms as of yet, but she made a mental note not to underestimate them. She couldn’t help but wonder what exactly a Wyrm would bring to the Rites. Her thoughts wandered off again as looked up to see that Fluttershy was still hovering above the water looking out for Ti’zo. It was then the alicorn realized that had once again found herself alone with the minstrel. Not only that, she also realized that he had again taught her an important detail about this world that would most definitely assist her in the future. From his theory to finding her friends, the history of the Greater Titans and now information of another native species of this world, Twilight had to admit that the Lone Minstrel was a well of helpful knowledge ever since he had joined the traveling group. As she thought more about it, she then realized that maybe it was finally time to speak up her appreciation. “Um, Tariq?” the alicorn asked. “Mind if I say something?”
“By all means, Madame Twilight.” he politely responded.
Twilight shuffled one of her hooves in the sand, trying to structure her words. “I just want to say…thank you, for everything so far. You’ve really been a big help. Ever since you joined us back in the Valley, you’ve been really informative about how everything works here.”
“There is no need to thank me for that.” The minstrel answered. “It is expected that a stranger of another world wouldn’t have any knowledge of this. My role in this could easily be filled by one of the other Nightwings.”
“Oh, it’s not that I don’t appreciate the others!” Twilight quickly corrected herself. “Hedwyn, Jodariel and Rukey were really helpful the first day I arrived here. It’s just that…maybe it’s your calm demeanor that helps me take in all of this new information.” She sighed as another thought popped into her head. “Besides, that’s not the only thing that I appreciate. I…well, I’m also thankful for the emotional support that you’ve been providing me. Back in the Flagging Hands with the…that burial mound and now just recently with Hedwyn, I guess I almost lost my nerves. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m not really sure where I would be right now without your help.”
The Lone Minstrel looked down to the alicorn again with those calm, focused eyes. “Doubt is a natural obstacle that we all must overcome eventually, and I believe that it will hardly be the last time you face it either. Yet, I find that seeking the solace of others helps greatly in overcoming that doubt. That is simply just one of my duties as your guide on this journey. My destiny is tied with the Nightwings, which means that it is now tied to you until you return to your world. It is my pleasure to help you whenever you might need my guidance and support. The journey is still long, but I still have belief that you can continue it in stride. So long as you continue to stand by with your friends.”
Twilight shared the small smile that grew on the minstrel’s face. Once again, Tariq had made her feel more at ease with the bizarre situation she was in, only this time it was slightly different. Coming across more and more of her friends had definitely help her in coping with the harshness of the Downside. While it was true that Rarity, Spike and Starlight were still missing, it only provided the purple mare more motivation to keep going. Not to mention the new companions she was making in the Downside helping her along the way as well. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that maybe some things never changed no matter what world Twilight was in. Like how having friends at her side always seemed to make her stronger.
The alicorn and minstrel were then caught by surprise when Ti’zo suddenly resurfaced from the water. The small creature excitedly fluttered over to the pair while holding something with his feet. Fluttershy then followed behind to see the prize that Ti’zo caught. “Skrrrriiii!” he chirped to Twilight.
Fluttershy then translated for the Imp. “It looks like Ti’zo caught a fish called a Frothsea Flounder”
Twilight gave an uncomfortable look at the fish, seeing how it was slowly dying of suffocation from lack of water. Being a natural-born herbivore, Twilight cringed at the thought of using the fish for food. She briefly remembered how Gallus and Sliverstream had once asked to add fish to the cafeteria menu to the school. She politely denied them the request, seeing how they were the only meat-eaters attending the school and didn’t want to make the rest of the student body uncomfortable. Still though, she had to wonder if the timid pegasus was okay with all this. “Um, Fluttershy?” she asked her friend. “Are you sure you’re…okay with Ti’zo fishing?”
“Oh, well,” Fluttershy began. “normally I’m against using fish for such things. I’ve been working on getting the predators over at the animal sanctuary on a vegetarian diet for a while now. But I understand that Ti’zo and the other drive imps need to have meat for their diet. Though I’m sure that they would absolutely love one of my vegan cookies! I just hope that the fish don’t suffer too much”
“Skree-hee.” Ti’zo chirped out to the alicorn.
“Oh, um, now he’s saying that the fish is a gift to you.” the yellow mare translated.
Twilight winced at the fish again. As much as she appreciated the Imp’s kind gesture, she hardly wanted to hold on to the still-wriggling fish. “Oh, thank you, Ti’zo. Why don’t you do me a favor and go give it to Rukey. He’ll know where to keep it so that it stays fresh.” The small creature chirped in agreement and fluttered his way back to the wagon. Twilight let out a sigh of relief, thankful that she avoided the problem without hurting the Imp’s feelings. While she had no appetite for the fish, perhaps it would fetch a decent price at the Slug Market. The alicorn then looked to the sky and saw that it was becoming late in the afternoon. “We should get going now if we want to make it to the Rite by tonight.”
“I agree.” Said the minstrel. “Best we gather the others and make our way onto the waters again.”
The minstrel, alicorn and pegasus made their way back to the wagon. Applejack informed them that the vehicle was checked, and all set to go once again. After the farmer gathered Rainbow, Pinkie and Mae from their sandcastle-building, everybody began to pile into the blackwagon and settle in. All expect for Jodariel, who stood tall and stoic near the entrance. Before the minstrel and alicorn could climb aboard, the Demon halted them first. “Reader,” she said. “I would wish to speak to you in private. It will not take long, I assure you.”
Twilight was a bit perplexed by this sudden summons, but a reassuring look from Tariq gave her no reason to disobey. She nodded and then asked the minstrel to tell Applejack to get the wagon started. The alicorn and Demon then walked a short distance from the wagon for the requested privacy. For a moment, both of them just looked out to the Sea and saw the red and orange shimmers from the afternoon sun dance across the surface. Deciding to cut to the chase, Twilight spoke first. “So, what to do want to talk about?”
Still standing tall and arms folded, Jodariel glanced over to the pony. “Hedwyn,” she states plainly. “he is beginning to recover from his illness. However, its sudden onset serves as a reminder, I believe.”
“A reminder?” Twilight asked as to what she was referring to. “Has something like this happen before with him?”
The Demon remained silent and let out a long sigh. “You have noticed my clasp.” She said plainly. Twilight tilted her head until Jodariel gestured to the bronze clasp that held together her cape. The identical clasp that was on Hedwyn’s person as well. The purple mare was a bit surprised by her fast deduction of that particular knowledge. “I am not blind, Reader. I already knew that you made the connection a while back. I simply felt no need to speak it until now.” The large woman paused and then gave a huff. “During my career in the military, I took a brief hiatus from my service where I dedicated my time to somewhere else. An orphanage for children who lost their parents to war.”
Twilight was then reminded of the story she heard from last night. “The war with the Harps.” she thought out loud.
The Demon gave her a questioning look. “You already know about those feathered monstrosities?”
Twilight flinched for a second as she remembered that Hedwyn had made her promise not to discuss their conversation last night with the others, as well as him mentioning Jodariel’s unapologetic distain towards the Harps. She thought quick to make up a harmless white lie to cover her tracks. “Um…Tariq told me about it earlier. I just wanted to learn more about this world to prepare myself in the future.” she said as convincingly as possible.
The Demon still gave the alicorn a suspicious look, but she eventually brushed it aside. “Those winged scum killed his parents when he was still very young, and he came into my care. I have known Hedwyn ever since that day. Even now, I hesitate to say that he’s grown. He acquired the most of my attention in those days. Though he didn’t gain it from a desire to cause mischief, but rather from a drive and spirit that I was once all too familiar with.” Twilight could have sworn that she saw a ghost of a small spread on Jodariel’s lips, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. “Nevertheless, there are such things that even I would never say to him directly. For instance, I struggle with his confidence at times. Whether he leads us to our freedom or to our doom, I am ambivalent.”
While Twilight wanted to spring to the defense of the Nomad’s character immediately, she slowly realized that there were at least tiny bits of truth to Jodariel’s claim. Hedwyn was certainly the type that always looks straight ahead when reaching for a goal. The only problem with those types is that they sometimes tend to notice the outside variables that attack them from the sides in pursuit of that goal. Still though, Twilight still believed that Hedwyn wasn’t that narrow-minded. “Try to give him a bit more credit.” she advised. “He just trying to think for the best for all of us.”
“I know he wants the best for us.” the Demon countered. “But I also know that he can sometimes be in over his head. When times remind me of his mortal weakness, I end up having to consider what should happen should we become separate…permanently.” Jodariel trailed off of for a while. “What I mean is…Nrgh.” She grunted in frustration, clearly having a difficult time speaking her feelings.
Thankfully, Twilight already had an idea of what the Demon was talking about. Jodariel clearly had a maternal fondness for the Nomad, evident by their long history and her deep concern for his well-being. And while the alicorn was also concerned for him, she could only imagine how taxing it was for the woman. Twilight began to think as to what she could say to reassure her when she remembered her talk with Tariq. Perhaps it would be beneficial to spread some of the minstrel’s wisdom with a small touch of her own mixed in. “I’m worried about him too, Jodariel,” she began. “he saved my life and I’ll never forget that kindness. So of course, I want to make sure he stays safe, just like you. But remember he’s not alone. We have Rukey, Mae, Tariq, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to help us look out for him. We’re a team now, and that means that we help each other when we need it. I know if we work together, we’ll all get back to our respective homes. And I can also imagine the smile on Hedwyn’s face when you two step out of the Downside together.”
The Demon was silent for a moment, but Twilight could see the frustration fading from her face. What remain was a much calmer expression, akin to somebody who was surer of their situation. “Perhaps you are correct, Reader.” Jodariel finally said. “There are strengths in numbers, this much is clear.” She then turned to fully face the alicorn now. “Be eased in knowing that I am fully pledged now to this quest of ours. And your dedication our collective freedom is quite visible as well. If you are willing to fight for me, I will fight for you. That is my code.”
Twilight gave a warm smile to the Demon. Behind her stoic and rough exterior, it was clear that she was somebody who care for those who stood by her. The pony gave her a nod, wordlessly agreeing to the promise to look out for Hedwyn, the others and each other on their path to freedom. “Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?” she asked, seeing if there was anything else she could help with.
“No,” she replied. “I only required to lighten the burden of my thoughts. I thank you for listening, Reader. Best not dawdle any longer before the sun lowers more. I will return to the wagon and check Hedwyn’s condition. I will see you there.” Jodariel then left, leave the pony alone on the beach.
Twilight looked to the horizon one more time to admire the beauty of the afternoon sun reflecting on the Sea. The sight combined with the warm feeling of helping Jodariel with her doubts made her feel a bit more confident for the immediate future. As much as she wanted to dwell more on this feeling, she knew that she had to leave if the Nightwings wanted to make it to the Rite. With her head held high, Twilight Sparkle trotted to the blackwagon and stepped inside. With everybody safely aboard, the wagon started up once again and left the small beach. The Nightwings and ponies made their way east to the slowly-approaching Hulk of Ores.