//------------------------------// // 90 - Wine, Women, and a Prince // Story: Age of Kings // by A bag of plums //------------------------------// “Are you here to slay the dragon?” Emerald blinked twice. The other young woman looked at her expectantly, holding the shield in her hands in front of herself.  While she had expected to have to contend with the dragon, Emerald’s primary objective was not to seek a foe here. They had only come here for water and a place to rest. She also had this faint feeling in the back of her mind that told her to be very careful around this person. “Um, no,” Emerald shook her head. “No, I’m not.” The other woman seemed to relax, dropping the shield into the sand. “Well, that’s just fine then! My name is Celdri. I’m here on holiday.” “Hol-Holiday?” Emerald asked. It wasn’t a word she was familiar with. “What is that?” “You know, a vacation,” Celdri said lightly. She went behind the rock formation where there was a large white and gold tent set up. Reaching inside, she took out a bottle of wine and two golden chalices. “It’s tradition for the host to offer the guest a drink, isn’t it?” She poured out some of the crimson liquid into the goblets and handed one to Emerald. The spymaster reached out and took the chalice rather reluctantly. She wasn’t here to celebrate or even have a ‘holiday’. She needed water for Posey and the rest of her group and then they needed to get the artifact fast, but seeing as this was this woman’s custom or something, perhaps just one drink will do. The last thing she wanted to do was offend someone out here. “Cheers,” Celdri clinked her chalice against Emerald’s before quaffing the wine in one gulp. Emerald took a sip of her own beverage. It was sweet and bubbly, with a faint tangy aftertaste. All in all, a very good wine. “Are you sure it is quite safe here?” Emerald asked once she had drunk about half the contents of her cup. “What if the dragon comes back?” “Oh, I’m quite sure the dragon won’t be bothering you,” Celdri flapped her hand at Emerald. “After all, you’re not here to hunt it, so it won’t hunt you. What brings you all the way out here in the first place, if you’re not in the monster slaying business?” “Um, do you mind if I go get the rest of my friends first?” The former pegasus asked meekly. This Celdri was clearly in a chatty mood. “We came here looking for water on our quest.” Emerald stepped out into the open, where she could spot the rest of the questors waiting atop a sand dune. She waved her arms above her head, signalling them to come closer. They began their approach once they saw Emerald’s all clear, with Jewel Pin breaking into a sprint when she saw the cup in her hand. “Water!” She all but yanked it from Emerald’s hand and swallowed its contents. “What-what is this? Tis delicious and exquisite!” “Um, wine?” Emerald shrugged. “Why, that is not something you find out in the wild all that often.” Jewel Pin wiped her mouth. “Now, what do we have here?” “I met someone who says she’s here on holi-day?” Emerald’s tongue tried to form the unfamiliar word. “She gave me the wine.” “Look at all the bushes and trees!” Light Speckle exclaimed, looking at the plants growing around the oasis. “We will be able to replenish our stock with fruits and greens. Wonderful.” “Now, where is the host?” Jewel Pin licked her lips. “I should like to… introduce myself.” As if on cue, Celdri slipped out from behind the rock formation, carrying a basket in one hand and two more bottles of wine in the other. “Always happy to meet some locals,” she said after introducing herself. “Building trust is one of the cornerstones of doing good business. Not that I am here on business,” She added airily as she poured out more wine for the group. “She thinks we’re locals here?” Spectrum asked her fellow squire. Guard Streak could only shrug. Apple Bean helped Posey off the camel. “Y’all get started without me, Ah’m going to take Posey down to the water and see if we can’t improve her condition.” “I’ll go too,” Light Speckle volunteered. Celdri watched them go down to the waterside. “You have an injured party member,” she said matter of factly. “That we do.” Emerald sighed. “She got hurt defending me.” The host of the group unpacked some honey cakes and some kind of strange food that looked like thinly cut meat wedged between two slices of bread, and trimmed into triangles. After pouring more wine, they sat around a flat rock in the shadow of some palm trees and rested. “I might be here on holiday, but I still have to represent my company well,” Celdri informed Emerald and her friends. “So, what brings you out here to this oasis? You said you were on a quest of some kind.” “There is an artifact out here we hope to find.” Emerald didn’t want to give away too much information. “Something that could help us.” “Oh? Are you in some kind of trouble?” “You could say that, yes.” “And you are searching this wide desert for this artifact?” Celdri passed Honeygold a cake. “Do you have any clues as to where it might be?” “It’s in a temple somewhere in the White Desert,” Spectrum piped up. “Other than that, no clue.” Jewel Pin had picked up one of the triangle bread foods and in no time, she was stuffing them down her face. To Emerald’s astonishment, Celdri never seemed to run out of them, no matter how many Jewel Pin was consuming. Emerald figured they must be good. She didn’t have any herself, for obvious reasons, but she was glad to know there were still generous humans out here in such desolate landscapes. “I don’t suppose you know anything about it?” Emerald asked their host. Celdri put down her wine goblet and regarded Emerald seriously. “I might. Tell me first, what do you intend to do once you have this artifact? Sell it for money, perhaps? Financial motivation?” Emerald sighed. “We need to take the kingdom back from a usurper.” “Oh, a noble and selfless quest then,” Emerald couldn’t tell whether Celdri was mocking her or not. “Well, I couldn’t care less what people do in this land, so long as they don’t disturb my holiday. As for temples, I believe I passed one on my way to this spot. It was a few dozen leagues over yonder,” Celdri pointed toward the northwest, at a patch of sand that looked just like the rest of the White Desert. “Mayhap your artifact is in there.” “Wait, you came from that direction?” Guard Streak asked curiously. “I didn’t know there were any kingdoms over that way.” Celdri looked slightly amused. “It is not quite a kingdom, no. I did spend a lot of time exploring the desert before settling on this spot. Isolated and quiet, you see.” “You must have been here a long time,” Jewel Pin commented. Celdri’s expression grew even more amused. “Scarcely. Only a bit over a month.” There was a brief distraction in the form of Apple Bean, Light Speckle, and Posey returning from water’s edge. The archer looked a little better, with more color in her face than before, but she was having difficulty walking and breathing. They needed to find that artifact as quickly as possible. King Aldilu mentioned it could heal. Emerald just hoped it could get Posey fully back on her feet. “That looks quite painful,” Celdri commented at Posey’s bandaged abdomen. “Have you been trekking about with that wound all this time?” “We have no choice.” Emerald looked at her friend with sad eyes. Posey was only this way because she had failed to see the knights’ had a new weapon. As spymaster, she shouldn’t have become complacent on things like this. “The artifact could save her. Thank you for your hospitality, Celdri, but I am afraid we must make haste before tis too late.” Celdri seemed to contemplate something internally for a moment, then shook her head and drained the last of the wine from her chalice. “Well then, let me help you restock your supplies. You said you needed to refill your water, yes?” Going down to the waterside, Emerald and her party set about refilling their waterskins and washing off some of the sand that had stuck to them on their journey. Emerald would have liked a full on bath, but there was no time for one. As she rose up from the water, her foot bumped into something. It was a Saddle Arabian helmet, almost completely buried in the white sand. This being the second piece of armor she had found in the sand in recent memory, Emerald picked it up and examined it. The metal was cracked and warped, as if it had been exposed to high heat in a short amount of time.  Emerald put the partially melted helmet back down, the feeling of unease growing in the pit of her stomach. A lot of people seemed to have been killed here and this Celdri was just camping out and having her holiday thing on this spot? Something was telling her this human wasn’t what she seemed. The former pegasus looked up at the sky. It was getting close to evening, and it was best to move at night, though that wasn’t something that they had adhered to on this leg of the journey. She looked back at the group as they clustered around the camel, fussing about with the food and water. The mages had picked a lot of fruit from the trees and bushes to replenish their dwindling supply of bread, and they would have no shortage of water for a while. Celdri stood a small distance away, swaying back and forth like a tree in a breeze. She seemed to be completely at ease, watching Emerald’s friends with a placid smile on her face. In the dry desert wind, the sash around her upper body flapped behind her almost like a pair of wings. With more food and water packed, Emerald went back to thank Celdri before setting off again.  “I suppose we’ll be leaving now,” Emerald said to their host. “Thank you for your help and kindness. The temple was over that way, yes?” Emerald pointed. “That’s right,” Celdri nodded. “I wish you all the best of luck on your quest. If I’m still here on the return trip, maybe we can drink a toast to your victory.” “Victory is far from our hands.” Emerald looked into the distance. The artifact was but one small step to reclaiming Canterlot. “Ah, well. Nothing worth doing is easy,” Celdri said sagely. “Still, good fortune to you. You’ll probably need it.” “That we will.” Emerald nodded and accepted a handshake from her. “You have a pleasant time on rest of your… holuhday.” “Oh, I think I will. Goodbye, Emerald Edge.” It took them a while to get out of sight of the oasis, but by the time night fell they were a good distance away. They went on for a good portion of the night, and only when the children began to nod off did Emerald declare that it was time to set up camp and rest. Without a guide, everything around them looked the same and they didn’t know how far they walked since leaving the oasis. There was still no sign of any temples, but Emerald hoped they were at least close by now. “I miss those triangular goodies Celdri had already…” Jewel Pin grabbed for the air as though she was reaching for something. “I can still picture them.” As it was, Posey’s condition began to worsen again. They used some of their precious water boiling and cleaning bandages so that they could be used again. Emerald was disheartened to see the brave and skilled archer in such a pitiful condition. Gabriel soared above them, voicing his agreement, or at least, Emerald thought he did. “Just leave me…” Posey coughed. “I’m slowing you down… I’ve done… my part, Em. I got you this far.” “Ain’t gonna happen, Posey.” Apple Bean patted the archer’s head. “You’re gettin’ through this.” “We’ll get you back on your feet, Posey.” Emerald nodded to her. “You have my word. I made a promise to your mother. I expect to keep it.” Posey seemed as though she was about to protest, but at that moment there was a shout from Nightfall Gleam, who had her spyglass out and was looking around. “Emerald! Everyone! There’s someone on a horse approaching from the south!” Emerald was bolt upright in an instant. “Is it Morn?” “I don’t think so,” Nightfall squinted into her eyepiece. “I do not see Excalibur on the rider… riders! There are two of them on the horse.” “Well, we ought to be a match for two people if they should turn out to be enemies,” Spectrum drew her weapon and swung it from left to right. Emerald knew there was the possibility of that horse just being a couple of local humans, but with everything that was going on, it was a little hard to accept. The rest of the party followed suit, drawing their weapons and arranging themselves in a rough circle around the camel and Posey. Soon they saw a plume of rising sand as the horse and it's riders drew closer. Emerald tensed. Who could possibly be riding around like this? It seemed too much of a coincidence that they should meet like this. Either the riders were looking for them, or were also searching for the temple. “They are gaining!” Light Speckle turned to check again. “Can we identify them?” Nightfall shook her head. “They’re wearing scarves and cloaks. The horse looks to be of good stock, though. That’s a war-horse. Saddle Arabian breed!” “Now how would a mage know anythin’ about them horses?” Golden Nugget asked. “Is this really the time?” “Whether time or no, they have quite the powerful horse,” Apple Bean talked over them. “They shall overtake us.” Emerald unsheathed her weapon and kept it at the ready. Should it be Morn or one of his followers, they had to dispatch them before they could go back to alert him of their location. As they got closer and closer, she could tell one was male and one was female, but apart from that, their cloaks whipped about their faces and kept their identity from being shown. Before they knew it, the horse was pulling up to a stop in front of them, and the two riders dismounted. “What do you want?” Emerald challenged as the two strangers got closer. The man’s eyes gazed out furiously from his hood and face scarf, and he reached up and tore it off. “You!” Prince Sombra exclaimed angrily. Emerald was just as quick to shoot back. “Sombra!” she hissed. “And Parisa!” The court dancer skipped along behind the prince, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the air. “Remember me? I remember you! I remember each and every one of you!” Emerald leapt right off the sand and onto Sombra, knocking him to the ground. She lifted her right arm and activated her hidden blade, madness in her eyes. “You took everything from me!” “I did?!” The prince spat back. “You brought them here! You took the kingdom from me! You took my father from me!” “What!?” Emerald retorted. “What are you talking about, you usurper?” Sombra planted a foot under her and kicked her off, then rolled backwards onto his knees, sword already in hand. The rest of Emerald’s friends raised their weapons, but took no steps to engage. “You brought the usurper to us. Because of your actions, my father now lies dead and my kingdom has been taken!” Sombra pointed his sword at Emerald. “You deserve to die for what you have done!” But then as quickly as he had raised his weapon, he placed it back in its scabbard, much to Emerald’s confusion. “But as much as I want your head… I first need your help.” Sombra muttered something under his breath. “You came to us to stop that king. We want the same thing. Will you agree to a temporary truce until Masyaf has been retaken?” “Truce? Like I would ally myself with the likes of you! You took my world from me! It was you! You are the reason I am here!” Emerald tried to lunge at him again, but her friends held her back. “Stop! He needs to die! I have to kill him! He took everything from me!” “Believe me, I do not want to do this either. But the king of Canterlot is your enemy, as he is mine. Allying myself with you gives us both a better chance of toppling him,” Sombra grunted and turned back to his horse. “The entire city has fallen to King Morn Dread. Even my own men and women have taken leave of their senses and now fight for him. It is not natural; Parisa and I barely got out of there alive.” “Prince Sombra said that we need to get to a temple so that he may receive the power to take the kingdom back!” Parisa said happily and leapt around the group. “We should ally ourselves! We can kill two birds with one scone!” “See! See!” Spectrum suddenly threw her arms into the air and everyone turned to look at her. “I told you the saying is scones!” Sombra shook his head in disgust and got back onto his horse. “I will deal with you troublemakers in time. But first, I must reach the temple and receive the blessings of the djinn. It is my birthright.” “Jin?” Honeygold repeated. “What’s that? More monsters or magic?” Sombra didn’t bother elaborating, but Parisa sidled over behind Honeygold and whispered, “Djinn are mystical spirits that inhabit the desert and watch over the Saddle Arabian royal family. They’re very secretive and are said to be able to grant wishes! Isn’t that exciting?” Honeygold’s eyes brightened at the idea of what Parisa had just told her. Emerald, on the other hand, was a lot less impressed. “We’ll let Sombra do with what he wants with the djinn. We’re after the artifact. We cannot stand against Morn without it.” “I suppose this means that the trial is postponed indefinitely?” Parisa asked, twirling on the spot. Sombra looked unimpressed. “For now. I still intend to see you Canterlotians answer for the death of my father.” “We did not kill your father!” Spectrum said hotly. “If you had not led that mad king to Masyaf, my father would still be alive,” Sombra said venomously. “Now the lives of hundreds of thousands of people are at risk. It falls on your heads!” Emerald wanted to protest more, but she couldn’t find fault with that. It was true. If they hadn’t come all the way here, perhaps Morn wouldn’t have as well. And this Sombra did make some sense, usurper or no. But like the prince himself said, she would deal with him later. “We shall deal with that when it comes to us,” Light Speckle said. “But for now, I think our interests align. We need to get to the temple and we need to take back our kingdoms.” “Wooo, New friends!” Parisa gave both Spectrum and Honeygold a squeeze. “I always like making new friends. Do you? We are going to be the best of friends!” “Very well.” Sombra warily eyed Emerald before adjusting his sword-belt. “Then I shall lead us to the temple. By the looks of it, your friend is not in good shape. I would take heed to follow my instructions, should I be you.” Emerald felt a retort on the tip of her tongue, but swallowed it for Posey’s sake. Without manticore blood, the vital ingredient for healing magic, they couldn’t ensure her survival. She had to make sure the archer survived, or she wouldn’t know how to live with herself even if they did manage to save Canterlot. “Very well,” Emerald conceded begrudgingly. “We will do it your way for now. But I am watching you.” “And I you,” Sombra scowled back.  Parisa looked at both of them with a slowly diminishing smile on her face.  “Sooooo… should we get going now?”