A lone covered wagon travelled rapidly down the snow-covered mountain path. Inside was a large group of people who were barely able to fit in the wagon. Aside from the driver, the occupants were two Aquarian spies, two “engineers from Greeton,” two ponies and two adolescent girls. The inside was a little cramped.
After a few minutes of silence, Cliff was the first to break the silence, “Hey, you gonna introduce me to these fine young ladies?”
Nel began by introducing Tynave and Farleen, her subordinates. Twilight introduced herself along with Sophia and Peppita.
“Which one of you is Lyra’s superior?” Nel asked.
“That would be me, in the sense of our mission,” Twilight explained. “I’m not in charge of her like she isn’t in charge of me. I just have her to make sure Fayt and Cliff don’t get into too much trouble. Her methods are at her discretion.”
“Heh, having all these women around me, can’t complain at all,” Cliff commented.
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Is he…?” she telepathically communicated to Lyra.
“Yep, he’s definitely that kind of person,” Lyra judged. “This is going to be an interesting adventure, to say the least.”
“Aquaria is ruled by the Holy Mother of the Church of Apris,” Nel explained. “We employ many more women than Airyglyph.”
“The Church of Apris?” Fayt asked. Tynave explained that the church of the Sun God Apris was led by the Holy Mother who doubled as the nation’s ruler.
“So it’s a theocracy?” Fayt concluded.
“So your country’s packed with temple maidens? Now I have to visit your country,” Cliff said. That earned him an eye roll from everyone.
“Nel, could you answer my question now?” Fayt inquired. “What technology do you want from us?”
Nel wanted to inquire about the validity of Cliff and Lyra’s Greeton engineer story, but she had a feeling that she was going to get nowhere with that explanation. Thanks to Lyra’s intervention, she had lost any negotiating power she might have had with the engineers if she had rescued them herself. She knew that something didn’t add up with their story but her country desperately needed their assistance in resisting Airyglyph’s bid for conquest.
She hated the situation she was in, but she had no choice but to go along with it for now.
“We have a…special project that we need to complete before Airyglyph begins their push into our lands. Our engineers are in need of outside assistance in order to find a solution to a problem they are having with it.”
“And you are hoping that Airyglyph doesn’t know about your project since you aren’t even telling us any more about it?” Lyra asked.
“Well…”
“Chances are, they already know about it and the problems that your engineers are facing,” Lyra continued. “I hope your country isn’t arrogant enough to think that Airyglyph spies couldn’t infiltrate your kingdom.”
For a moment, Nel had thought that enemy spies couldn’t infiltrate Aquios, Aquaria’s capitol, but thought better of it. Aquaria couldn’t afford to underestimate the enemy. She didn’t know whether they knew about the weapon or not, but regardless, her mission was to get Fayt and Cliff to Aquios.
“I see your point, but this changes nothing for us. Right now, my mission is to get us out of Airyglyph territory.”
Fayt thought about the project Nel mentioned. It wasn’t hard to figure out that the project involved a weapon. He concluded that Aquaria wanted him to finish the construction of their weapon that they intended to be their trump card against Airyglyph.
This was a problem as Fayt couldn’t bring himself to complete the weapon as that would be the same as being responsible for the many lives that would be lost as a result of the use of it. Even more worrisome is whether or not he would wind up violating the UP3.
“I wrote the UP3, Fayt,” Twilight informed telepathically.
This startled Fayt from his thoughts as he quickly looked at the purple mare.
“Look away, I don’t want the Aquarians to catch on about my telepathy.”
Fayt looked back at Nel who raised an eyebrow when she noticed Fayt’s strange behavior.
“What do you mean ‘You wrote the UP3’? That law has been around for centuries,” Fayt thought, hoping that Twilight could read it.
“I’ve been around for a very long time, Fayt. I’m technically one of the Federation’s founders. I’m pretty sure completing existing weapons is fine as long as it doesn’t require any concepts that transcend their level of technology.”
“Even so, completing it would be the same as using it to hurt lots of people.”
“That’s something you’ll have to figure out on your own. I can’t tell you whether you should or shouldn’t do something.”
Fayt’s attention returned to Nel once Twilight cut the link. He noticed her using what little space was left in the wagon to place a map on the floor. She explained the current political climate between the two nations. Apparently, the nations were friendly with one another until a few years ago when Airyglyph abruptly invaded Aquaria and ravaged the border town of Arias.
“Still, the war has not been one-sided,” Nel said. “We may lack military power, but we do have Runology. I noticed that Fayt knows some Runology, when he infused fire into his sword.”
“Sounds like this planet discovered Symbology at some point,” Lyra communicated to Twilight.
“At least we have more freedom to use our spells here,” Twilight added.
As Nel explained the basic concept of Runology, Fayt and Cliff muttered that Runology was a lot like Symbology. Nel heard them and asked about it. Lyra quickly explained that some countries in Greeton refer to Runology as Symbology, emphasizing that the two are the same thing.
Nel accepted the explanation then explained that the reason Aquaria couldn’t use Runology effectively was because there were too few who were capable of using it.
This brought the subject to the weapon. Apparently, the weapon was designed to use the energies invoked by Runology to use as ammunition. To Lyra and Twilight, it appeared that the Aquarians might have invented an energy cannon.
“Nel, I can’t do it. I can’t be a part in creating a weapon that will kill many people,” Fayt said.
“Have you no sympathy for our plight?” Nel growled. “People are dying, energy weapon or no. Without our new weapon, Airyglyph will ultimately win. At best our people will be enslaved, at worst, wiped out.”
“But…”
“Miss Nel?” Sophia spoke. When Nel looked at the girl who had spoken up for the first time, Sophia continued. “I doubt you’re going to convince him to cooperate right away. We still have plenty of time to get to Aquios. Instead of begging him for help, show him what’s at stake. I can guarantee you that he is very stubborn when it comes to his beliefs. Those beliefs can lead him to do stupid things.”
“Hey!”
Sophia ignored Fayt, “Not long ago, he was about to do something really stupid when he thought he was trying to help. When he got like that, I had to knock him out and carry him away.”
“You’re never gonna let me live that down, are you?”
“Nope,” Sophia stated cheerfully. “The point is, you need to try to get to know him better. Show him the beautiful country that Airyglyph is trying to destroy with fire and warfare.”
“Sophia…”
“I had to say something since you two were about to get into a heated argument.” Sophia then had a devious smirk on her face. “Unless of course the relationship between you two deepened so quickly.”
Fayt and Nel blushed before Fayt shouted, “S-stop saying stupid things!”
“What he said,” Nel added.
“That girl is scary,” Tynave thought.
“Guys, we have company!” Farleen shouted. “I think it’s the Dragon Brigade!”
“They’ve caught up with us?” Nel cursed. “We were so close to Kirlsa, too!”
“Whaddya wanna do? Fight?” Cliff offered.
“No, there are too many of them to take on ourselves, even with Lyra’s skills.”
Lyra begged to differ, but decided to go along with Nel’s sentiment since there was no point in going all out yet.
“Lady Nel, It would be best to slip off and find shelter in the rocks,” Tynave suggested. “Farleen and I will lure them away.”
“What?! That’s too risky! You’ll–” Fayt protested before Sophia cut him off.
“Try not to die. You don’t want to make Nel sad, do you?”
“We’ll be fine! We’ve lost their kind before,” Farleen said.
“Let’s go, everyone,” Nel ordered.
Fayt tried to stop Nel to protest further but Sophia grabbed his arm and jumped out of the wagon with him. Cliff, Nel, Twilight, Lyra and Peppita followed. Acting quickly, they hid themselves among the shadows of the tall rock formations along the mountain trail.
A few moments later, a number of black-armored knights riding sleek dark grey dragons covered in barding flew past them, chasing the wagon.
“Dragons?! This world is starting to feel like a human version of Equus,” Lyra thought to herself.
“The Dragon Brigade,” Nel muttered. “I expected them to show up sooner or later. It goes to show how important you are to them.”
“The Dragon Brigade?” Cliff inquired.
“Yes, they’re one of Airyglyph’s three military branches. They are knights riding powerful air dragons. The other two branches are the Black Brigade, elite warriors wearing heavy armor, and the Storm Brigade, knights who ride the swiftest lums into combat.”
Once the dragon riders were away from their position, Nel walked out from the shadows. “Let’s go, while Tynave distracts them, we can go through Kirlsa and enter Aquaria territory.”
This didn’t sit well with Fayt. He refused to stand by while others sacrificed themselves on his account. “Wait a moment, we can’t just go and leave Tynave and Farleen to their fates.”
“I agree that there’s an extremely good chance that they’ll be caught,” Nel said. “But there’s nothing we can do about that. They knew the dangers of the mission when they accepted it. They would have left me behind as well if I became a burden to them.”
“Mission!? These are people’s lives we’re talking about!” Fayt shouted.
“Fayt, quit being an idiot and remember the situation we’re in,” Sophia ordered. “We are in no position to be doing anything for them and you trying to be a hero isn’t helping anyone right now.”
“Sophia? You too?”
“Grow up, Fayt. A soldier’s purpose is to defend their country and give their lives for it if necessary. I won’t have you insult their honor by making their distraction meaningless.” Sophia walked east with Cliff following her. Defeated, Fayt followed behind with Nel, the ponies and Peppita bringing up the rear.
Nel was taken aback by what Sophia said to Fayt. She had expected to have another argument with the annoying engineer from Greeton, but when the girl put him in his place, she couldn’t help but feel some respect for her.
The group traveled eastward along the snow covered mountain path. Lyra could tell who had more resistance to the cold and who didn’t. Tough as they were, Peppita and Cliff couldn’t tough out the cold forever. Fayt and Nel were visibly holding themselves to keep warm a little longer. Sophia was either really good at hiding her discomfort or she really was resistant to the cold. Thanks to their fur, spells and barrier, Twilight and Lyra were safe from the frigid winds.
Thankfully, there were some foes along the road that helped the group to ignore the cold and keep the blood flowing.
Bogle bandits appeared to ambush the travelers. Peppita used her cape to grab a Bogle and use him as a flail to mercilessly bash another. She then tossed him off the mountain.
Things got interesting when the Bogles began sending giant wasps after the group. The wasps were about the size of their heads. Twilight analyzed the Bogles and wasps and informed everyone that the wasps were vulnerable to the cold while the bandits could not handle electricity well.
Lyra tackled some of the larger Bogles with a Storm Charge which electrocuted them to death. Twilight, Sophia and Nel worked together and showered any wasps they came across with Ice Needles.
Among other foes they encountered along the way were more slimes. The variation of slime that they encountered this time, however, were composed of a silvery substance.
The new slimes used the same tactics as the ones from the aqueducts so they were wary of their attempts to fling parts of themselves to poison the group. Fayt and Cliff worked together to deal with them.
Peppita offered her support by performing one of her Symbology dances to strengthen the others and make their attacks more effective.
As they drew closer to Kirlsa, Fayt suddenly fell to one knee and held his head with one hand.
“Fayt?” Nel lowered herself to eye level with him to check on him.
“I’m fine, I’m just a little dizzy,” he defended.
Everyone watched him with concern as he slowly got back to his feet and started moving again at a more sluggish pace.
“What do you think caused that?” Lyra communicated.
“Hmm…I’m not sure,” Twilight responded. “It can’t be regular fatigue, he’s been fighting as hard as the rest of us.”
“Any guesses?”
“It could be related to his power beginning to manifest, but it could also be a number of other things. Maybe he got poisoned with something that can’t be purged by Antidote? Maybe he received a concussion recently? It could also be that he is the most out of shape out of all of us. Who knows.”
“This coming from Princess Twilight ‘hardly gets out much’ Sparkle?” Lyra snarked.
“Hush you. I’ll have you know that I do find time to get plenty of exercise.”
The pace the group traveled slowed because of Fayt’s sudden bout with fatigue, but the group finally managed to reach Kirlsa.
“This is Kirlsa,” Nel informed. “If we can get through this town, we’ll be in Aquaria.”
Fayt found a nearby spot to rest a moment.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Nel asked.
“I said I’m fine,” Fayt defended. “I’m not a baby, geez.”
“Someone’s cranky,” Sophia mumbled. “Think we can afford a night at a nearby inn? I don’t think we’ll make much progress with Fayt in the condition he’s in.”
“C’mon, Sophia, now you’re–” Fayt was cut off when he felt a menacing aura coming from Sophia. His basic instinct told him to shut up and do what she says. He wasn’t sure if it was the fatigue, but for a moment, he thought her amber eyes began to glow.
“What about those guys chasing us?” Cliff asked.
“We’ll be fine as long as Tynave and Farleen succeeded in leading them off,” Nel said.
Nel led everyone to the nearby inn that had a wagon next to it. Inside, Nel checked everyone in. Luckily, the innkeeper wasn’t in an attentive mood so he failed to notice the ponies.
Once they were in their assigned rooms, Nel headed downstairs, saying that there was something she needed to do. “You guys can wander the town if you like, just don’t do anything conspicuous. We are still in Airyglyph territory and Kirlsa is the main base of operations for the Storm Brigade.”
After Nel walked off, Peppita followed, saying that she wanted to try out street performing.
Fayt wanted to walk around and explore the town, but a glare from Sophia put a stop to that idea. She wasn’t about to allow Fayt to walk around, fatigued as he was. In the end, he simply turned in early.
Meanwhile, Lyra decided to explore the town herself. She activated her Shadow Walk and left the inn. The view of Kirlsa really hit home that it was a mining town. She noticed pipes moving between buildings which were likely used to transport heat throughout the town. The buildings were composed of stone, wood and bricks. The town reeked of industry and the nearby mine provided ore for the forges…
…or so she thought as some gossip from the townsfolk mentioned how the flow of ore from the mine dried up a long time ago so the caverns were now used as a tunnel to get to another mine in the mountains. However, with the mines losing their annual yield, the miners and blacksmiths that used to live in this town have mostly left to seek better opportunities.
More gossip mentioned the mansion in town being the home and headquarters of the Storm Brigade and its captain, the elderly Count Woltar. Lyra had a feeling that the old man she saw at the castle was Woltar.
Lyra’s stealthy exploration led her to a tunnel at the southwestern edge of town. The tunnel was gated off with numerous warning signs. While Lyra could have just walked away, there was a familiar feeling coming from the tunnel; something magical.
Something Equestrian.
Lyra called to Twilight through the psychic link. “Hey Twi, I’m looking at a gated off tunnel and it has a bunch of warning signs on it. The weird thing is that I’m sensing Equestrian magic at work down there. Know anything about it?”
Twilight sighed through the link. “I knew we would come across one of them sooner or later. This planet is not some random planet we came across. This planet has secrets that I keep hidden, even from my employees. I went to great lengths to keep Elicoor II as inconspicuous as possible from the public and my employees.
“To answer your question Lyra, that passage leads to one of my top secret projects. I can’t elaborate any further.”
Lyra nodded and walked away, headed for another part of town.
She checked out the cemetery at the northwestern part of town. There she saw Nel talking to someone in a white and dark grey robe with red bordering.
While Lyra knew that it was rude to eavesdrop on another’s conversation, she felt the need to listen in on the off chance that the matter would eventually become something that would get her involved. Using her enhanced hearing, she listened in.
“...according to our latest information,” said the informant.
“I see…they’re up to the same nasty tricks as always,” Nel muttered. “Is it the Dragon Brigade?”
“No, it’s the Black Brigade. Of course, the Dragon Brigade is backing them up.”
“I see. Good work.”
“Whatever you do, please don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. You know they plan to use them to lure you and the engineers into a trap.”
“I know. I will focus on the mission and bring those two to Aquaria.”
While she said that, Lyra could feel a great sense of anxiety coming from Nel. Based on that, it wasn’t hard to put the pieces together. She figured that it was bound to happen. However, her mission was to make sure Fayt didn’t get into too much trouble. If the circumstances called for it, she would help the Aquarian spy though.
For now, she returned to the inn, meeting Peppita along the way who carried a hat full of fol. Lyra chuckled and shook her head.
A few minutes after Lyra and Peppita returned, Nel returned to the inn as well.
The sun began to set, and Nel informed everyone that they should get some rest because tomorrow they would be travelling through the Kirlsa Caverns. Their next destination would be the border town of Arias.
Nel mentioned that the wilderness east of Kirlsa would be faster but it was also easier to ambush them there. The Kirlsa Caverns would be a safer bet, even if the place had a monster infestation and the mine shafts were a little unstable so cave-ins were possible.
Nel received a few deadpan looks from Sophia, Lyra and Twilight, feeling that she needed to refigure her priority list of what was dangerous. They said nothing about that though.
With tomorrow’s plans figured, everyone picked a bunk bed, covered themselves in their blankets, placed their heads on their pillows and soon drifted off to sleep.