The Last Duke
-A Day Before Happenstance-
A sudden blare of noises reverberates all around me, the faint scent of paint and leaves, the quint squeaks of wooden furniture present in the mix as I struggled to leave my mess of a bed.
I glanced through the slightly ajar windows on my left side, only for my eyes to bear witness to a crowd of stallions, mares both adult and old with foals teetering alongside chanting a celebration with joy and excitement.
Forming at the base of the Castle of the Two Sisters, the crowd seemed to stand at reason, postures of seriousness to only then chant the names of the special day today represented "Inquiry. Acceptance. Selection" said in sequence, each having a moment to be said by each participant within the crowd.
My form began to twist to a groggy posture, soon having chills as I struggled to stretched my joints and muscles, I trotted away with its struggles of maintaining an attitude befitting for the wondrous occasion of today's specialty, from my bedframe to the washroom for my bathtub as I readied to prepare a nice, cold wash for a work day.
The 'Inquiry. Acceptance. Selection' or IAS occurs on the 7th day of the month of every 4 months, it details the allowance for a selected group of ponies chosen at random of having their inquiries granted by the Diarchy of Equestria.
The special requests would be handled by the many enterprises whom manages certain aspects of the kingdom's economy, I am one of them, my enterprise is specialized in construction and excavation.
My role had been crucial in the road networking system employed to connecting to settlements across the known, unknown frontiers and plateaus around, centered to lead backwards to the Everfree settlement.
"Its going to be a very long day" I muttered under the guise of the falling pours of water hammering my mane, "Sir, are you bathing?" spoke Roll,
Whom functions as the primary and only helper of employment within my abode. "Yes, I'm hoping the sound of running water would imply that I am Butler".
Though I would utter my servants personal name in times of normal circumstances. Today however, restricts that very ability as from dawn to dusk am I relegated to speak with formality and not familiarity, of which is an oath made personally myself to disassociate normality and specialty, especially special occasions.
My name is Concrete Lime, this was a name I had been bestowed upon discovering my talents for construction and excavation.
This had occurred back at the outskirts of North 13 Outpost, what would later be known as Pan Bermanedino, I had originally fulfilled an occupation of economics and administration of logistics. However, I had opted for the more physically demanding portion of the job market for the bits are bi-weekly paid.
Which was substantially more hopeful than a boring and mentally demanding job of an accountant assistant, reasons being for one, pay and second, opportunities. The bits earned would be saved for my prior future goals of owning a paper mill.
This changed when I was tasked with fixing a run down section of the railway connecting the main lumber works to the pontoon shipbuilding works which were logged with Geo Logs from the previous wind storm yesternight. Back then, we hadn't fully established pegasi weather stations across the southern hemisphere, which made for sporadic weather events to occur every few times a year.
I was made to do the 3-mile stretch of rail that had the most presence of Geo Logs concentrated. Geo Logs are ancient wooden debris with a transmutation element which made susceptible to housing gemstones, unfortunately making them a hassle in removal works.
The whole structure is at risk of buckling from the immense gnash the geo logs had impaled the rail's foundations. I was exasperated upon having not improve the overall situation with a hand in pulleys and carts.
"The pieces of debris aren't moving an inch even" I spoke, strain from all the heavy pulling. The lodged debris in-between the rail and foundations are in quite a precarious spot, the angle making them more probable to destroying the rail line than dislodging it from the rail lines.
Pulleys were meant only for carrying merchandise from lower ground to higher ground. However, the issue present is the weight league limits of the pulley construct and it couldn't handle the geo logs debris pieces and fragments.
If I can't remove the debris with the available tools, I would just have to dig out some parts of the lodged spots and build upon the gnashed foundation layers using those very same logs, to further alleviate the stressed rail line. Finally, chunk out the parts where it over consolidate across the affected area.
"For the Everfree sake...the crowd is most unrelenting in attempts of outvoicing one another!" I said, "Time is less now as of now I must hurry, wouldn't want to miss breakfast. The occasions schedule would not allow a duration of rest and eat".
hah, I hoped I has arrived a moments time before the Sisters. However, this circumstance became false, once the familiar sounds of cluttered utensils has made itself known. Was when I'd arrived at the castle lobby, It was evident the occasion for a lengthy session of consumption has past for some time.
Everypony had left for the venue, having dine their brunch already, I quickly grabbed a set of slices, of cream-sliced sandwiches and galloped toward the venue scheduled.
As I drew near proximity to the halls leading to the auditorium of Speakers of Harmony, I heard the last statement spoken by both Sister Celestia, Sister Luna say, "...may the choosing of individuals commenced". Upon arriving, I had narrowly directed myself away from the Speakers of Harmony auditorium, towards the opening ceremony venue.
Booths for the submission of inquiries are located in the adjacent, repurposed ballroom to the auditorium, to which sits in the far corner my booth. Albeit, smaller in size and area compared to the other bustling tents sprawled about the floors of the ballroom situated.
That may be due to how little few ponies ever consulted on matters concerning construction or excavation, considering few ever have the incentives to splurge they're small fortune on things best left for public services to handle. A business of which I'm responsible for. As the Sisters embellished themselves by small talk with nobles and friends, both mentors and compatriots alike.
The crowd cheered and waited abated for the selection process to follow through to their assigned number cards, with a shower of trumpets. 50 ponies will be chosen from the 1,760 populace numbers of Everfree settlement, it may seem unfair to have only 50 selected out of the other 1,710 potential cases.
Worry little as the event holds a system that with every missed chance, the next time would be considerably higher for those whom had they're issues presented missed.
For a considerable amount of time afterward I waited for somepony to stumble upon my kiosk for an inquiry concerning an issue correlating to ore mining problems to the issue of the construction of the planned railway to make connections to their planned stopping points.
If the Sisters chooses to push through with myself and House Plymouth's council members idea of the project proposal to begin operating in place across the plateau of Equestrian Soil.
What was presumably a large crowd of potential candidates for inquiry depositors came dwindling to a small splinters of ponies wandering about, finding in places which suites their problems best solved. One was caught eyeing my booth, to which I returned with a motion gesture.
"Good evening, Sir Stallion. How may I be of service?", "Good evening, Sir..." he gestured on what hints to my name, "Concrete" I replied, with a small smirk.
I waited momentarily for the stallion to continue "Sir Concrete, may I wish for your consultation on a small leakage crack of mineral oil in the Color Drop Fields".
Ecstatic, for somepony had finally decided to ask for help personally, and not a proposal sent through official government channels. I backed away to equip myself with the proper stationaries with the clipboard side-by-side, and proceeded to write his number card of 13 into the appropriate slot.
Scheduling the appointment to be handled for the available time of next week. For time is needed to reserve a spot in my tight schedule and contacting the specialized team of ponies necessary for inspectors, evaluators, and repair-ponies.
The event finished with evening light dimmed to a purple hue, how gorgeous was the night, however more awe was the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon. The stars emblazon across the skies makes one truly certain how wondrous of Diarchy goddesses are, Sister Celestia and Sister Luna. We were also blessed with the notion that we could call out themselves of their personal names in times permitted either for time having seen each other was distant or for matters truly grave.
"Concrete, you're home" Roll spoke with tinge hint of tire from the duties of maintaining a small mansion
whereas I resigned for the night. "Roll, could you interest yourself in making a jug of orange lemon juice". "Right away-", "and do pour for three cups. Two for me and One for yourself".
I gestured myself to lead away to the small set of seats and a small rectangular table. After a brief moment, Roll came out with two filled cups of chilled orange lemon juice, to which the third presumably did finished during the delivery process of stated beverages.
I for drank one before making my to the washroom to place the 2nd cup of orange lemon juice on the adjacent counter where belonging several childhood heirlooms, both for achievements made during and after gaining his cutie-mark.
I need a bath and I need my sleep, I trotted past Roll. I squeezed the handle and let loose of the stream of cold water brush my lemon coat and my messy grey mane soaked, I let out a grunt upon the droplets making contact to my eyes through my brow, came it ended. In earnest wore my simple wardrobe clothing and slipped into the covers of my bed, I whistled till the darkness came for my vision subsided into a dream.
The streets were quiet and the buildings hollow, without a soul on site other than the mumblings of sounds coming from within my basement, I peeked beyond the veil of my doorway to the entrance of my house, where it was there left decayed.
Foreboding for someone to me whom has a duty for restoration, building and excavation, the walls cracked and the windows grinded to sand and came shine of light, a figure with appendages of many species and a head of a dragon. Whoever the figure may be, it sends a chilling message which it chuckled soon right after, "Are you willing to wait?".