//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: The Crown of Eques // by PTBonesbeard //------------------------------// On the far edge of Crown, perched high on the peninsula over looking the icy, wave swept, ancient ruins of Los Monokeros, stood the University of Magnus. There, nestled on her favorite stone couch of velveteen cushions, in a windowed alcove of the arcanum, lounged a blue unicorn. Night Wishes was bundled up in a pink bathrobe and blue slippers. Sipping at a mug of warm mulled wine to buffer from the chill radiating from the window glass around her. She levitated a history book named, (Second age of Equis) before her. A treat she enjoyed after a long day of studying magical rhetoric and spell theory. "Year 1234 of the second age, The ponies of Crown stood upon the precipice of extinction. Few scant colonies clung to life. The unicorns dug ever deeper into Equis. Subsisting on fungus and what ever they could grow with their magic. One can only imagine what twisted atrocities they performed beneath the ground in their dark stone cathedrals. What games the mushrooms played on their darkening, cracking minds. The pegasi became secluded bands. Scavenging the frozen dead, raiding and pillaging each other, and posing an unending threat to their ground bound neighbors. The earth ponies were forced to scratch a living from the frozen ground. Many threw themselves to the unicorn's mercy in contracts of slavery, or fall into cannibalism of their dead. And so, those who had refused to flee south to warmer climates, became trapped in a downward spiral. The unrelenting Windigos galloping over their heads, bringing down continuous blasts of freezing wind and snow." Night Wishes shuddered at the thought of those dark barbaric days of past history. Pausing a minute before continuing her reading, she looked out the window facing the sea at what she hoped was the last snow of the winter season. One last chilling blast before spring rains swept the cold away. The winds outside howled in protest as it threw snowflakes at the window pane. Shivering, she took another sip from her mug and returned to the tome before her. "Till at last there happened a moot of like minded ponies. A gathering upon Gallops Hill that had not happened since Platinum, Puddinghead, and Hurricane had parted ways in a huff, over two hundred years ago. Together, they prayed to the gods to grant them aid. To help them push back the uncontrollable Windigos that ravished their homeland. And then, amongst them there was found three ponies who kindled between them a fire of kinship. Nova of the unicorns, Windcaller of the pegasi, and Sands of the earth ponies. Together they played a song called Herald of Rainbow, and summoned forth the Rainbow Warrior. A being that was capable of rolling back the Windigo's cold front. And so, the three Heralds galloped forth, rekindleing kinship across the land. With the Rainbow Warrior leading the charge, the Windigos lost their power and were driven back all the way to the peak of Pinnacle Mountain. There, the three Heralds came muzzle to muzzle with the King of Windigos. For three days and three nights the Rainbow Warrior fought the Windigo King with all of Crown watching. All their hopes and fears hanging in the balance at the outcome of the fateful battle. Upon the dawn of the fourth day, the Rainbow Warrior landed a devastating strike on the King. But before a final blow could be done, the Windigo King lashed out at the three Heralds and slew them, shattering the Rainbow Warrior into three pieces. Weakened from the long struggle, he and his surviving kin retreated into the endless void. Vowing to one day return to finish his freezing gallop across Equis. So, with high spirits, but heavy harts, the ponies of Crown honored the fallen Heralds. Burying each with a piece of the Rainbow Warrior and setting a guard of Cazador Knights upon their resting places. To ensure that when the day comes, when the Windigo King returns, new Heralds can be found and reassemble the Rainbow Warrior. To save Crown once again." Outside another howl interrupted Night Wishes's reading. looking out the window she caught sight of a blue, ethereal, equine shape galloping thru the shroud of snow. Setting down her mug and book on the window sill, she stood and squinted at the ghost like apparition. It reared it's head back and shook it's mane. Raining gusts of snow flakes into the air. Night Wishes couldn't believe it. She rubbed at her eyes and looked again. The way it pranced about in the air high above the crashing waves was other worldly. Then, as if sensing her gaze, the form turned and locked eyes with her. It's twin jewels shone with an evil cold light as it charged the window. Night Wishes was thrown back as a freezing blast passed thru the window glass as if it wasn't there. Tossing her, cushions and all to the floor and freezing her to the bone. She stared in astonishment as it watched her thru the undamaged window. With a great snort, the glass frosted over. Without thinking, Night Wishes telekinetically covered herself in the scattered cushions. The monster give a baleful whinny before turning and galloping out of sight. "Windigo!" she whispered in quiet fear. As if the very name would summon it back. 'I must tell the Arch Mage!' she thought Bursting from her cushion fortification, Wishes bolted thru the maze of bookshelves. As she blasted past the librarian's desk, the brown and white minotaur shushing her angrily. "Sorry Leather bound!" she apologized, shooting out the double doors and negligently allowing them to bang shut behind her. Continuing down the hall, she took a hard right turn before reaching the main auditorium to head in the direction of the Arch Mage's quarters. But too her surprise, the mulled wine she had drank a few moments earlier was working it's mischief, and her legs suddenly were incapable of recovering in a dignified manner after the turn. Losing control, Wishes spun and was suddenly clothes lined by a stack of levitating books. As she lay sprawled on the floor, waiting for her eyes to stop rolling, she heard a high pitched voice address her. "Well well well. if it isn't our resident perpetual bed mane." said the aquamarine filly standing over her. She wore the university uniform of her rank. The small brimmed, pointed hat and matching cape denoting her as a Junior Adept apprentice. The star badge and silver crescent pin on her chest signifying her mastery of spell casting and rune scribery. "Swirly pop." Wishes muttered to herself as she collected her hooves under her. Night Wishes did not have bedmane. It's just, her hair was very curly. It didn't matter how long she grew out her mane, or how much she brushed it, it just always curled into a nest. "You know it's against the rules to go running through the halls. Just because you're the Arch Mage's personal pupil doesn't exempt you from the rules!" Swirly pop paused in her admonishment to look Night Wishes over as she recovered from her spill. "Are you wearing a bath robe? Where's your uniform!?" "Ugh." groaned Wishes in a huff. "To what esteemed occasion do we owe an extra dose of bitchy today?" "Bu! B! b!!!" Swirly pop stuttered. Her face flashing bright red in a expression of shock and offence. "How even dare you!" she shouted. Thrusting her forehead up against Wishes's in a way of challenge. However, it lost all it's intimidating points as she stood two hooves shorter than Wishes. "I'm not the one treating the hallway like it's a pinball arena!" "I'm sorry! But I'm in a hurry to speak to my master about an emergency situation!" Wishes shouted back. Pushing down at the shorter unicorn. The bases of their horns grinding on one another's. "Oh! Well that makes it all, Just, FINE!" retorts Swirly as she stubbornly pushes back not gaining much progress. Night Wishes can't help but chuckle to herself when she notices Swirly's hooves fail to gain any traction as they begin to slide on the polished marble flooring. "If you weren't the Mage's favorite pupil I'll, I'd..." "You'd what?" Wishes challenged. pushing her longer legged advantage. Causing her opponent to slide back a few inches. Swirly pop didn't rise to the challenge, so it devolved into them making growling horse noises at each other. Suddenly their attention was drawn away from each other by a crunching sound. Turning, they both see a unicorn colt novice watching them while munching on some pretzels. "What?" he asked at their combined glares. "It's not often I get to see a good mare fight." "Buzz off Doorstop!" they yell in unison. With a disappointed sound he gets up and walks off. After he leaves, the two look at each other than look away with a snort. "Just look at this mess you made." said Swirly pop in frustration. "Eight hours of studying and writing out notes, and now I'm going to spend the rest of the evening sorting these back into order." A pang of gilt came over Night Wishes as she looked over the scattered books and paperwork littering the floor. "I'm sorry." she apologized with a sigh. "You're right. I shouldn't have been running in the hall, and I should've watched where I was going. This is all my fault." "Yeah." muttered Swirly pop as she sat down and started picking up books and papers, looking them over, and placing them in neat little stacks. Stooping, Wishes lit her horn and joined her. Picking up and floating them over for her to take and shuffle into order. After a minute sorting, Swirly gave her a questioning look and asked, "So, what was it you said you were in a hurry to do?" "I was reading a book about the Rainbow Warrior an saw a Windigo outside and thought Master should know." "A Windi-who?" Swirly asked with a confused look. "A Wind-igo. You know, A magical beast that shoots ice and snow. That, freezes..." Suddenly her explanation falters as the panicked urgency rushes back. "Scheisse!" In a flash the scattered papers form into a stack and thrust into Swirly's surprised hooves. "I gotta tell Wyvern Wax! I'msorryhere'syourbooksbye!" With that, Night Wishes gallops down the hall to the spiral staircase leading up to the Arch Mage's quarters. At the top of the tower, high above the main auditorium, Wyvern Wax sat at his work table. The maroon old stallion carefully adjusted the burner beneath a bubbling flask. He watched as the steam travelled up a pipe to a coil. With a slight twinkle from his tall horn, the coil frosted over and the beaker beneath it caught the drops condensing out. Levitating a quill and paper, he began jotting down notes, muttering his thoughts as he did so. Just then, his pupil burst thru the doors huffing and puffing out panicked words. "Master, Wyvern, Wax! Outside, monster!" "Miz Nighttime Wishes!" he scolded without turning, cutting her off mid-sentence. "What have I told you about bursting into pony's rooms without knocking first?!" "But master! Emergency! there's a Windi-." "Ah ah ah." he cut her off again. "Emergencies are no excuse for disrespecting pony privacy! Try again." With a sparkle from his horn, Wishes finds herself facing the outside of his chamber doors. She blinks a few times before her confusion turns to frustration, then simmers to anger. She hated when he teleported her without warning. She raised her forehoof angrily to smash the doors open again, but then paused to think. 'He's not going to listen to a word I say till I play along.' Throwing a blanket over her anger, she knocked on the door none too gently. "Who is it?" came a reply. She did a little prance of anger before biting her tongue and grinding her teeth before addressing her master formally. "Adept superior Night, Time, Wishes, requesting an audience with Arch Mage Wyvern Redwax, PLEASE." "Ah! Night Wishes. Come in. I always have time for my most faithful pupil." Biting back what she wants to say, knowing it would get her results antithetical to her goals, she enters the Arch Mage's quarters. "And how might I be of assistance to my dear student? Need help defining a word perhaps? Or maybe there's a spell you can't quite wrap your horn around, hm?" Turning his attention to her, the probably fake smile on his muzzle wilting at the sight of her attire. "Where is your uniform?" Spotting his horn beginning to sparkle, she instantly fires a counter spell causing a small puff of smoke to pop between them. "NO! No teleporting me away!" she snaps. Jabbing her hoof in his direction. "This is important!" she finishes with a stomp. Reaching up and brushing his horn with the sleeve of his richly adorned mage's robe, he turns back to his work table and flips open a book as she goes on. "There is a Windigo! right, out, side!" "I know." he answered nonchalantly. "That's right! A Windigo!" she proclaimed, starting to pace agitatedly. "And if that's true, it means the Windigo King is returning! And if the Windigo King is back, then all of Crown is... wait. WHAT?!" she stops in surprise. "What do you mean, you know?!" "It's been circling the Los Monokeros ruins for the past three days now." he answered evenly. Seemingly ignoring the flustered filly's astonished look. "You really should get off campus for once in your life." "Bu! du! fu!" she sputtered, flailing her forehooves in the air. "Don't you think you should do something?!" Wyvern Wax hummed as he gave his silvery beard a thoughtful stroke and stared up at the rafters, then answered with a flat, "No" "Why not?!" "I'm very busy." he answered. Gesturing with his hoof at his work station cluttered with chemistry apparatus, books, and notes. "Busy." Wishes echoed as her eye began to twitch. "Busy?" she asked. her face reddening. "Windigos are galloping across Crown, freezing ponies to death, and the single most powerful unicorn in the land can't be bothered to help, because he's BUSY!" Steam puffing from her ears like a teakettle. "My dear student. When you've been alive for as long as I have, you will come to realize that ponies die every day. It's the cycle of life. Night Wishes, ponies are born, they live, they reproduce, they die. It never changes." "It's going to be a little hard to do that in subzero temperatures!" "But not impossible. You seem to be knowledgeable on the Windigos and the long winter. You are native to Crown. A living testament to pony survival. Ask yourself, what (Deus ex machina) saved the pony race before?" The question caused her to pause in her fuming to contemplate his metaphysical question. "Master. The definition of Deus ex machina IS, the Unexpected event, saving a seemingly hopeless situation. How then can you expect the unexpected to save Crown when the only time it's going to happen is when it's unexpected?!" Wyvern Wax stopped his work to turn back and ponder her quandary. "From what I read," she went on, Projecting her memory from the book she had been reading up on the wall. "it didn't happen till three ponies, spontaneously I might add, came together and produced the Rainbow Warrior. Don't you think you should at least use the spell to summon the Rainbow Warrior?" "My dear pupil." he began with a shake of his head. "This is not in my ability to perform such a spell. As you can see, this summoning is based on "magister magus," (Singing magic)." he stated. pointing out the (Herald of Rainbow). "And as you well know, I've never delved to deep into the art. But rest assured I know exactly the pony with the knowledge and skills capable of preforming this task." "Oh thank the gods!" Wishes sighs with relief. Extinguishing her projection spell. "For a moment there I thought you didn't have any plan or even care for solving the problem." "Night Wishes, there is almost nothing outside of my knowledge that can't be solved." he finishes, Turning back to his work table. Expecting him to go on, she sits and waits, but slowly comes to realize he's acting like he's forgotten she was even there. "Master?" "Yes student?" he answers. Glancing over his back. "Just for my own peace of mind." she asks. Scratching at her curly mane. "Who is this mystery pony on who's future hopes and dreams all of Crown rests?" "That would be You." There's the sound of shattering glass as her eyes go wide and pupils shrink. "Me!!!" she shouts in astonishment. "Why me?! I'm-" "An experienced linguist." he cut in. Finishing for her. "Fluent in Old Pone-ish and Griffon-ies. Both written and spoken." "Y-Yes." she stammered. "But I've never been outside the university. It's dangerous out there. I'm just-" "Adept in Alteration, Destruction, Enchantment, and Restoration." "Well, yes." she concedes with a look of embarrassment at his praise. "Also, a skilled apothecary who can mix a most delightful mulled wine." he finishes with a flourish of his hoof. Her unspilled mug appearing in it, which he promptly downs. "Hmm." he muses, looking down into the empty vessel before floating it over too her hoof. "But this one has gone cold. You really should make another." "Of course it's good." she says. Tossing the mug away. "I know what tastes good. But you can't expect me to do this on my own?! This is big! I mean really Big!" "Well, you seem to be the only pony around who seems to care enough to do anything." "But I-" "Now now student, ever since your dear aged mother, Scorpan rest her soul, placed your care in my hooves at the doorstep those Fifteen years ago, I have taught and raised you personally. I have given you the tools and skills to use them to be a great mage. And honestly, I am most impressed with your progress. Within seven years of diligent study, you have surpassed the skills of all the students of similar age." Wishes looked down at her hooves as she shuffled them. Her self doubt crumbling under his praise. "Tho," he mused, stroking his beard as he looks over her clothes. "a bathrobe and slippers are hardly appropriate attire for the amount of travel you are about to embark on. I hope it at least means you remembered to take a bath today." Her eyes darted back and forth guiltily as she checked her scent ward spell. She had ment to visit the washroom later this week. She loathed to admit to anypony casting a spell to coverup any funk was quicker then spending an hour in the washroom every morning. A bad habit Wishes had neglected to reel in. Besides, sitting around studying most of the day didn't really work up a sweat. "Oh well. I guess it will make you more appreciative for the convenience of the University's facilities." he went on. His horn lighting up as he began to list off the items she would need for the trip. Each one popping into the air above her. "Let's see. First off, your hat, robe, cape, blanket, haversack of provisions, saddle bags," As the list got longer, Wishes's fear of the menacing cloud of supplies grew. "Boots And scarf." As the list came to a close, just as she expected, the pile came down on her head. "You don't expect me to carry all this?" she asked, poking her head out and giving it a shake. "If you pack it properly, you'll be fine." he answered, as a changing screen dropped down between them. He returned to his work table and began to write out a letter. "So, if I'm going to find these three Heralds, what exactly should I be looking for?" she asks. Beginning to organizing items piled around her. Packing up the supplies and getting changed into her uniform. "Oh you know the usual, Bleeding heart types that care more about others then their own wellbeing. Often ones that absolutely drive themselves into the ground without somepony to protect them from their own stupidity." he goes on, finishing up and signing the letter. Taking a wax stick, he drips on a glob before stamping it with his seal. "We are, talking about sane ponies, right?" she asks. Poking her head around the blind to glare at her master's back. "You tell me." he says. Glancing back at her as she pulls back out of sight. Fixing her cape and draping the scarf over her withers. "Which is the more sane, staying hear in safety? Or going out there to try to fix the problem?" "That's funny." she answered. Pushing away the screen. Now dressed head to tail in her formal Adept superior university uniform. The high collar of her cape mere inches from the brim of her hat, with addition of the winter scarf and boots, obscures all of her save her horn and the line from her brow to her muzzle. "I thought you always say there is no try?" "Ha ha. My dear student." Wyvern Wax says with enthusiastic applause. "I do believe that I am rubbing off on you." she just narrows her eyes sardonically. "Good! Now you look like a proper mage. You won't be needing this anymore." Floating over her discarded pink robe and slippers. Suddenly cocking his eye and wrinkleing his muzzle as it leaves the range of her stink ward. There's a sudden flash of fire and the clothes incinerate. "My robe!" Wishes shouts in surprise as she watches their ashes crumble to a black and gray pile. "Master?!" "Calm yourself Night time wishes, they are in a better place now. Besides," he goes on, waving off her complaint and stepping up to her with a serious tone. "on the quest you are about to embark upon you will have to give up much more important things then warm wine, pink robes, and fuzzy slippers. Out there you will hold the power of life in one hoof, and death in the other. A book can teach you how to cast a spell, or draw a rune. But it can't tell you morality or right from wrong. When the time comes to make a snap decision, when seconds are the difference between helping or hurting, punishment or reward, your instincts and how you deal with those consequences are what will define you as a pony. All action creates an opposite reaction." "I, I'll try not to let you down master." "No my dear Wishes. Don't let yourself down. And no matter what happens to you out there, I will always love you like your dear mother loved you. Which reminds me. Reaching out with his telekinesis, he pulled out a piece of jewelry on a choker and floated it up to her. It was a one by one and a half inch oval domed disc of jet black onyx inlaid with a silver crescent moon. The band it was affixed to was a ribbon of black silk, trimmed with dark blue lace. "This belonged to your mother. She wanted you to have it when you were old enough." "It's beautiful." She turned it about in her magic and observed how the silver crescent glisten in the light. "Tell me what you think of it." 'Hmm,' Carefully probing it with her magic, she felt it resonate with a theurgy presence. "Well, besides it's beautifully fine craftsmanship, it seems to have a high level enchantment." Closing her eyes, she casts a mote inquisitary spell and numerous bands of interwoven lights appear in her mind. "Woe! It has a whole host of enchantments." Concentrating on the individual ribbons she picks out several that seem to have knotted themselves around the central band creating designs she had never seen before in the more common enchantments she was used to. "Hard to say what most of them are off hoof. But it seems that the more obvious ones are like protection magic." Looking closer, she attempts to push apart the bands but they pulse in response, resisting her intrusion. Not wanting to risk destroying the enchantment array, she opens her eyes and lets go of her analysis spell. "It's like no enchantment combination I've ever seen before. It seems that the onyx conduit has been filled to it's capacity." "Indeed." Wyvern Wax agreed as he stroked his silvery beard. "Clearly this ornament was made by the ancient lunar unicorn clan. When I received it from your mother, I looked it over and found that one of the bands, a sort of motic signature tracker had been deliberately broken. I think your mother was trying to hide from whomever it had been synced with. With some effort, I've reworked it to sync with my own motic signature. So as long as you keep it with you, I should be able to track your progress." "Now that that's taken care of. Here is your letter of recommendation to the Jerall of Gallops Hill and a ticket for the stagecoach." He said as he hoofed over the documents. "Recommendation?" she asked buckling on her mother's heirloom. "Why do I need a letter of recommendation if I'm just visiting the town?" "Well technically, according to university bylaws, in order for me to continue to give you University funding, while at the same time allow you to abandon your studies, you must become an official representative of Magnus university. And as such, in order for you to travel freely between holds to do said job, you must present yourself to the Jarl and give official notice as to your intentions in such duties." "So, politics." said Wishes. already beginning to regret going along with her master's scheme. "Precisely. Now off you go. And know, the university is behind you one hundred percent. Oh! And as you may have already guessed, you can consider yourself to be officially, expelled." Her eyes pop wide in surprise and in a sparkle, she finds herself standing right outside the university gates. "What?!" she shouts and as if to confirm her fears, the iron gates of the university behind her slam shut with a loud clang. * * * Seated at the entrance of old Los Monokeros, sheltering from the blowing snow storm in the once grand gateway to the now ruined city, huddled Bronze Spear. The solitary guard watched the only road now that lead in or out of the Magnus university. leaning on his spear, the light brown pony huddled as close as he could to the burning brazier for warmth. Suddenly he noticed another pony entering the archway a few pony-lengths away. Looking over, he gave a startled cry as he nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of her grumpy expression. "Ah!" The old buck fumbled his spear as he tumbled off his straw stuffed cushion and onto his back. "Wow. If I had known you were this jumpy Bronze, I don't think I would feel quite so safe in the university." Blinking, he then realized it was just the Arch Mage's pupil. "Oh! it's just you Miz Nighttime Wishes." he said with relief as he collected himself. "For a moment there, I thought you were, um, ah, nevermind. What are you doing out here? I've never seen you this far off campus." "Master has sent me on a quest over in Gallop's hold." she answered with a huff as she joined him by the fire. "Gods! It's cold out here." she muttered. Her horn sparkled as she cast a warming spell over herself and her shivering host. "Heh heh. It sure is." the Earth pony answered. pulling his cloak in around himself to not let her little gift go to waste. "I can't wait till winter packs up for the year." "That remains to be seen." she muttered cryptically. "There's a Windigo out roaming the ruins." she answered at his quizzical eyebrow. "Oh." Bronze Spear looked out towards the sea, out beyond the dark silhouette of the university before asking. "Should we be concerned?" "Not according to the Arch Mage." she sighed. "That's why he kicked me out. To go find a way to get rid of it." But not wanting to talk about university politics, she redirected the conversation. "Who did you think I was when I came over?" "Well, as soon as I saw that face you were making, I thought," he made that sudden suspicious pause again before going on. "Heh. Well, seeing as you're older now and leaving the university, I suppose it's ok to talk about it now." "Talk about what?" "Your mother. With that angry grumpy look you had, it reminded me of when I first saw her coming up the road." The guard took on a bit of a fearful, sad look as he stared into the fire and told his story. "It was snowing like this when she came up to my post here. Grumbling and growling like a pissed bull. o OO o "Hold it right there Lady. No one enters the university grounds without invitation from the Arch Mage." I said. standing in the gateway. "Out of my way mud pony!" she commanded, making to walk past me. But I held my spear out to block her. "I said no one enters without permission from the Arch Mage." "I'm here to see the Arch Mage you moron!" Her horn glowed, but then fizzled and popped as she moaned and put a hoof to her head. At that I guessed she must've been on the edge of mana burn. "Hey lady, are you ok?" "I said MOVE!" She yelled. Her horn flaring and a huge wave of magical force slammed me against the wall. It took me a few seconds to recover but by the time I did, she was already across the threshold and out at the bridge over the city ruins. I approached her cautiously. She was leaning up against the fore pillar hacking something fierce. As I got closer I heard a foal's crying coming from the bundle on her back. "There there Wishes." she cooed between coughs. "Just a few more hoofsteps and you'll be safe." "Lady. you're not looking so good. What's wrong? Maybe I can help?" "Stay back!" she snapped. Her horn flared and I braced myself but it just fizzled out as she retched and blood spattered the ground. "I'm going to see, Wyvern, Red Wax, if it's the last thing, I do. Don't, get in my way!" "Lady! Calm down. You're killing yourself. Please let me help you." "You can't, help me. Wyvern Wax. He's the key to my daughter's future." she muttered back. Sliding along the masonry. "I can take you to the Apothecary. Anypony can see you're mana burning hard." Reaching out, I tried to help her but she slapped my hoof away. "Don't touch me! What does a mud pony know about mana burning?" The foal on her back began to cry again. Ignoring me, she tried to trot on but stumbled and collapsed to the ground. I stood by and waited for her to try getting up again. But she didn't stir. Just panted raggedly. "Come on." I finally insisted. Nudging under her and sliding her across my back. "let's get you to the Apothecary and that foal of your's some place warm." "Don't, touch, me." she groaned but didn't resist. "Is the Arch Mage expecting you?" I asked as we crossed the span over the ruins. "Probably." she mumbled. And apparently she was right, because when we approached the gate he was there waiting. "Greetings Azure Moon. To what reason would the Queen of the Lunar Rim grace our humble halls." o OO o "She then began to rant and curse in another language. Practically throwing herself from my back." Bronze said as he placed two new logs onto the fire. "They began to argue back and forth. I don't know what they said, but apparently she tried to make him sign a blood oath to take care of you. And you can imagine how well that went over with the Arch Mage." "Mm-hmm" Wishes affirmed. "He never liked being told to do anything. How did he know my mother?" "He's the Arch Mage." Bronze answered with a shrug. "It's his job to know things I figure." A sudden regret welled up inside her for not investigating about her mother sooner. "What happened next?" "Well, they argued till your mother collapsed again. The university did everything they could to save her, but regardless, she was so far burned out, that a few days later, she died. And as soon as you were able to walk, the Arch Mage took you into his care." "Hm I wish I had asked him to tell me more about her. I always got the impression that my mother and him were in some way related. Do you know?" "Miz Nighttime Wishes, I'm just a humble guard." "Please." she asked. Putting her hooves together. "Is there anything else you can tell me about her?" "I'm sorry. But all I know is that she entered the university, and never left. The best pony to ask is your master." Her countenance sank as she turned back to the fire. "The reason I never said anything was, whenever the subject of Azure Moon came up, the Arch Mage got paranoid. When I pressed him about it, he told me he didn't want you to grow up being known as the abandoned orphan filly. Said you deserved to get as normal a upbringing as possible. Not weighed down by the past failings of your parents." "I can't imagine my mother being so nasty to you." She thought of her mother's picture she had seen long ago when she first started her magical studies. She remembered that Master told her that she had been an experienced mage, and that Wishes could be just as great if she stuck to her studies. Those dower eyes, yet hopeful smile spoke of a mare of charm and wit. After all, hadn't she spent all she had to get wishes to the university? "Your mother was not unique in her disposition toward earth ponies." Bronze said with a wave. "But that word she used, mud-, you know. Isn't that a slur?" "It is common enough to ignore. Being one of very few in town has taught me that. The majority race in most any town sees the (others) as inferior in some way or another." "Then why stay?" "Miz Nighttime Wishes." he addressed her formally. Standing up straight with a proud look on his face. "I am a guardian of Los Monokeros. As my father before me. And his father. My great grandfather stood here, right here the day of the Great Ruination. Even as the city of Los Monokeros crumbled into the sea, he stood his ground and refused to abandon his post. And damned if I ever mar his legacy and abandoned my duty to the city and all within it's walls." "You're conviction is honorable." she said with an appreciative stomping of her hooves. Bronze Spear gave a salute then returned to his seat. "Weather they like it or not, I'm part of this city. And nothing they may say will keep me from it." "Why do ponies have to be so nasty to eachother? Sure, every now and again I have an argument with my classmates," she said, thinking back to her recent run-in with Swirly Pop. "but I never hold it against them. It just seems silly to me that some ponies would keep lists of infractions against them." "Well I'm afraid outside of the university you'll find plenty of ponies willing to debate you on that." he replies with a nicker. "Believe me. Out there, you will be judged as being everything they hate about unicorns. And expect you to do the same." Wishes scrunched up her muzzle at him. Bronze Spear just nodded in assurance. "The Arch Mage doesn't allow that sort of talk around campus because he believes it to be counterproductive to the University's purpose." "Well I hope their stupid grudges don't cause to much interference with my quest." she said, glaring at the fire. "What is it you plan to do in Gallop's hold?" "Apparently I need to find three ponies there and teach them to perform a summoning ritual, so they can destroy the Windigos. With some luck, I hope to have this mess wrapped up by the end of the year. "Huh." he said. Furrowing his brow. "You sure can make a complicated method sound simple." "Because it is that simple." she replies with a confident grin." Like with any spell, all you need is the proper ingredients, a willing conduit, and a little determination." He just stares at her with a doubtful look. His own life experience countering her youthful optimism. "Oh don't look at me like that. Do you really think if it was that complicated, Master would be sending a half trained mage to do it instead of going himself?" Bronze Spear didn't answer. He just forced an encouraging grin. His ingrained trust of the Arch Mage's leadership warring with his knowledge of the real world. "Ok. Best of luck to you. But if you're traveling to Gallops Hill, you'd best get going. It's a three day trip by hoof. And the sun starts setting in an hour." "Oh I won't have to worry about that. Master gave me a coach ticket." she said as she patted her saddle bag. "But I really should get going. Thank you for telling me what you could about my mother Bronze Spear. I suppose I'll have to ask Master to tell me more when I get back." With a wave goodbye, Night Wishes sets off across the small town of new Monokeros. New Monokeros was made up of a scattering of tall, white plastered houses with the traditional round towers jutting out of their tops and sides, reaching to the skies in the old unicorn architectural style. They hugged the old wall that still stood at the edge of the collapsed cliff, as if loathed to leave the lost city of their origin. Wishes knew from what she had read that, after the Great Ruination of Los Monokeros, the refugees had constructed hasty shelters from salvage of the old city. So the town, instead of orderly laid out blocks and streets, sat willy-nilly. With crooked, winding alleys connecting them to the road inland. Over time, they had upgraded the buildings to more resemble their old homes. Though finding themselves short on reusable stone blocks, they instead constructed them from fresh timber and covered them in plaster to hide the humbler wood beams and planking. But as she trotted it's main street, looking up at the white, snow swept buildings, the books on unicorn architecture didn't do them justice. Passing through the gateway of the ill-maintained palisade surrounding the town, she found the coach stable on her left. Trotting to the door, she knocked before recasting her warming spell as the wind swept the snow around her. Piling it up on ether side of the cobblestone road and any vacant nook it could find. Having received no response, she knocked again harder before trying the hoof latch. "We're closed!" Shouted a voice from within. "How can you be closed? It's not even sundown yet." she yelled back, pounding on the door. "Coach travel is suspended till the storm passes. We're closed!" "As representative of the University, I order you to open this door!" "Alright! Alright!" came a reply. Followed by angry muttering as the door clicked and opened. Pushing her way inside she shook herself so the warm building couldn't soak her from the melting snow. "Aw come on!" growled the yellow unicorn that had opened the door. Brushing the snow that had hit him off his evening robe. Before he could launch into further complaints, Wishes had the letter and coach ticket floating out in front of his muzzle. "I am here on a quest from Arch Mage Wyvern Redwax. I need to get to Gallops Hill as soon as possible. "The Arch Mage? Really?" he whined. looking over the ticket wearily. "Gallops Hill? Tonight?" "Yes tonight. There's a monster out there, flying around the ruins creating the snowstorm. My master is sending me to Gallops Hill to find a solution to get rid of it. "Huh. I guess that would explain the weird weather for the past few days." he said with a resigned sigh. "Alright, wait here. I'll go get the puller hitched up. Should only be a few minutes." After much grumbling and complaining, the coach was made ready and Night Wishes climbed inside. The coach, though sparsely decorated as most typical of unicorn carriages, was lacquered in a drab brown. The bench seats inside had adequate cushioning, but the windows laked any glass. So Wishes pulled the thick curtains closed as best she could before settling in for the long ride hubward. As the night closed in around her bumping, jostling ride, she light a lantern and hung it beside her on the wall. In the swinging, flickering light, she began rummaging through her packed bags to find something that would alleviate her boredom. "I know I saw a book in this mess he gave me." she murmured to herself. "Aha!" she exclaimed. Pulling out her leather bound saviour from her boredom. "Wait. The hay is this?!" she said. Looking over the front of the book. The good thing was it wasn't a book she remembered reading before. But, it looked like a foal's book with large sparkling letters and three cartoonishly happy pony faces adorning the cover. Opening it up, she flipped through the pages. Sure enough, every page was written with large spaced out words, accompanied by colorful pictures. Every character was drawn with exaggerated smiles or frowns, and look, there was even some pop-up interactive bits. Lowering the book, she scowled into the distance. Snapping it closed, Night Wishes reads the title. A Hearth's Warming Tale. by L Faust. 'I should probably just try to get some sleep.' she thinks to herself. But a particularly sudden jolt and sway of the coach reassures her she's not going to sleep easy. Giving one final huff of resistance, she reopens the book to the first page an begins to read as she's carried into the night through the vail of snow. * Level up * Magica increased +10 Perk added (Adept University dropout). Able to cast all elemental spells at Adept level. You're diligent studies before your sudden expulsion has grated you competence and power in a wide variety of spellwork. Debuff added (Sedentary life). Stamina -50 Your cushy life in the university has caused you to neglect any physical training. You suffer -3 to any strangth or endurance checks. "Buck! Traveling is going to be a real pain in the plot, isn't it?"