//------------------------------//
// Lesson One 
// Story: My Little Viking: Steel Is Magic 
// by Laarsgaard 
//------------------------------//

	I sat down on an odd wooden chair that had a back. Before me was an odd shaped table with a small jar, a large piece of parchment and an odd feather. I looked up at Twilight who stood in front of some odd black rock that was encased in wood. There were odd looking runes scribbled on the rock. Some were familiar, Gebo and Hagalaz were there, but most were just odd symbols.

Twilight used her weird magic to pick up some stick which she used to tap the rock with. She talked at me for a second. I just stared at her unblinking. She smiled nervously and tapped the stick again. She used it to point to the first rune on the rock.

“A” she said. I continued to stare at her. I had no idea what she wanted me to do. She tapped the stick again and repeated herself “A”. I nodded in comprehension. She raised a hoof and circled it in the air as if telling me to come on. I raised my eyebrow at her. She groaned.

“A!” and then she went off on a rant with her nonsense language. Her anger was rather impressive. I sighed out my nose.

“A.” I muttered. Twilight picked up her ears. She tapped the stick again. “A.” I said, louder this time. Twilight smiled triumphantly. She moved the stick to the next rune and tapped again.

“B.” she said. 

“B.” I repeated. Her smile stayed on her face.

We went through the whole set of runes twice over. Once we had finished the second ‘Z’ Twilight came over to the table. She lifted the feather and dipped it into the small jar. It came out covered a dark and dripping liquid that smelled odd. She held the feather over the parchment and wrote down an ‘A’ for me to see. She then placed the feather into my hand and pointed to the parchment and then to the rock with the funny looking runes. I gripped the feather. She wanted me to scribe the runes on the parchment. This wouldn’t be too difficult.

It took me five minutes to finally put down all of Twilight’s funny runes and some of them didn’t even look right. I stared down at the parchment and I felt anger rise up in me. I felt something touch my shoulder. I looked up and Twilight stood over me smiling.

For the first time I felt some assurance from one of these oddly bright colored horses. She made the same circling motion again with her hoof. I got the signal and I delved into writing down these odd runes again. This time I took more time and most of them came out as near perfect as I could get them. I looked up at Twilight for some approval. She was still smiling and nodded. I smiled at her.

It was odd to smile again. If almost felt like I was accepting my fate too easily. The smile left my face as my thoughts reached back to my home and my family. They would be having my funeral by now. Burning the corpse that wasn’t there of a man who wasn’t dead. My heart began to weigh down inside me.

Twilight placed her hoof on my shoulder again. I shrugged it off and stood from the table. Twilight looked up at me worriedly. I moved past her back to my cushion. I slipped under the blanket and pulled it up to my chin.

Twilight snorted. I felt the blanket being pulled from me. I turned ready to yell at Twilight but she had me in the air using her magic. I glared down at this odd purple horse. She matched my fury as she held me there. She placed me on the floor. I continued to glare at her as she walked away.

Twilight called up to her room. The little dragon poked its head over the edge and spoke back at Twilight. They had a quick exchange. Twilight shot me one last look and then walked out of the front door.

I looked up at the dragon. Its scales were purple and it had a green crest. While they were speaking I could make out familiar sounds but the whole language was still odd to me.

The dragon started making its way down the stairs. I backed away from it as fast as I could. I saw my axe still imbedded in the wood of the table near the window. I ran for it and pulled the blade free. I turned to face the dragon. I know Celestia said not to harm it, but I wasn’t just going to let this dragon be around me and not be armed.

The dragon stared at me as it slowly crept down the stairs. I continued to back away until my back hit a wall. My hand was white knuckled gripped around the haft of my axe as I used the wall to circle farther and farther away from the dragon.

The dragon held up one of its clawed hands. Gripped there was a scroll. The dragon walked over to my sleeping place and set the scroll down. It turned to me and backed away back up the stairs. The dragon disappeared over lip of the stairs. I lowered my axe. I kept my eyes on the stairs as I cautiously made my way to my bed.

I set my axe down and lifted the scroll then broke the seal. There were two rolled up inside. One I could read and the other was covered in the odd runes that Twilight had me write down. I could make out the individual ones but as words they were confusing.

I looked at the other one I could read. 


Ol,
I have something I need to speak with you about. The other letter I’m sending I need you to give to Twilight so she knows to bring you here to the capital. Don’t worry I think that the assignment I have in mind for you will hopefully interest you.

-Celestia



I put the letter down. I heard the door open. I turned to see Twilight walk back in followed by a white horse with a purple mane. I noticed, for the first time, that there were markings on their flanks. Twilight had a pink star and the white horse had a picture of three blue gems. I lifted the letter that was for her. She cocked her head oddly and walked over. She took the letter from me and began to read it.

Twilight smiled and exclaimed something. She turned to the white horse and spoke rapidly. The two began speaking rapidly with excitement and I had no idea what they were excited for. We were just going to see some up jumped princess who had no really power, she was just some other noble lord who would lose all their power when it came down to cold steel.

I sat back down at the table and began to copy down the odd runes Twilight gave me. Twilight set her hoof on my hand. I looked up. She shook her head and pointed to the white horse. I stood, not sure what to do. The white horse used her magic to pull out an odd yellow rope. Twilight looked at me. I felt confusion and right behind that, anger. What did these strange horses want from me?

Twilight used her magic to pull my limbs apart. I looked at her angrily. She shied away somewhat ashamed. The white horse came in and began holding the yellow rope up to my limbs. Quickly the white on looked at all my limbs and chest and belly then backed away. Twilight set me down. I glared at them both and turned back to my cushion. I lay down in my covers and closed my eyes.

Twilight again shook me awake. I turned on her and snarled but this time she wasn’t backing down. I rolled my eyes and stepped up. The white horse had quickly fled from the odd house and I hoped her to never return, dealing with Twilight was more than enough.

Twilight held up the letter that I had received from the princess, I shrugged. She rolled her eyes at me. She got up and opened the door and pointed outside. I realized that she wanted me to get ready to leave. I looked down at my bloodstained clothes.

“What should I do?” I asked angrily, knowing full well she wouldn’t understand me. Twilight just stared at me confused. I sat at the edge of the cushion for a few minutes when the white horse came back in carrying a few sets of clothes in front of her. 

They all looked interesting but uncomfortable. She set them all down on the table I had been writing on. Twilight looked at me and pointed at the clothes. I stood and picked up one of the shirts. It was made of some odd woolen fabric that was actually rather pleasant. I put down the shirt and pulled mine off which was somewhat difficult with one arm. With my shirt off I looked at my stump. It was surrounded by bruise blackened flesh but it appeared to be larger as if swollen. Twilight stepped forward and prodded the swollen area. She smiled with satisfaction and stepped back. I pulled on the other shirt. It had both sleeves, I still didn’t believe that my arm would come back, but wishful thinking never hurt anyone.

I began to pull off my trousers and both of the girls turned and flung their hooves up in front of their faces embarrassed. I pretended to not notice and pulled my pants off. I picked up one of the pairs of pants. It seemed to be made of the same material. I pulled them on and tested some movement in them. They were loose and comfortable. All in all I was pleasantly surprised. I looked at the white horse.

“Thank you.” I said. She nodded her head pretending to understand what I had said. Twilight held up a hoof under the white horses chin.

“Rarity.” She said. 

“Rarity.” I repeated. The white horse smiled. Twilight nodded her approval. She turned and began walking out of the door. She looked back over her shoulder looking at me expectantly. I nodded and followed her out of the door.