//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: The Alicorn's Pride // by JuyUnseen //------------------------------// Chapter 8 Treeflame When the meeting adjourned at midday, three things happened. The first was that River headed home to think and plan her moves for the next day. The second was a mere coincidence, and it was at that very moment that the travelers to the north noticed the town of Deadrocks on the horizon. The third important thing that happened was that Greathoof began his own plot for the next day. He thought quickly as he paced the empty council chamber, doing his best to concoct a scheme to for the coming meeting. He would have to reveal what was happening in the griffin lands, that much was assured, but how to go about this without getting executed? After a time he decided that to do that he would need help. How do I do this? He thought to himself, How do I pull this off without ruining everything. He paced the length of the stone room at least fifty times before it hit him, the simplest, most blunt way of going about this. He smiled inwardly. He knew that this plan would work, the only problem would be timing. He quickly produced a pen from his bags and with it a blank scroll. The words made their way onto the page quickly, but he wasn’t attempting to be eloquent with this letter. He finished his hasty letter and opened the window nearest to him with his magic. “Step one down.” He muttered as he focused the magic in his horn on the letter. The scroll began to glow a soft green, and then it began to burn and sublimate into smoke. The smoke spiraled and swirled before, as if taken up in a gust of wind, flew out the window into the open air. Greathoof heaved a sigh of relief as he began to pack his things. He stood up once his bag was full and looked around the room one last time before turning and galloping off towards his home. ----- Far to the southeast, a great fire was raging. The fuel for this inferno had once been a griffin town, but it was now reduced to rubble. The fire radiated heat onto the alicorn soldiers who ringed the town. The alicorns had been watching the fire for some time now, but as time passed many had chosen to back away and prepare their tents for the night. Among the tents, one stood out. It was smaller than all the others, smaller and green. The emerald green tent all but glowed among the tan tents that housed the rest of the army, but the tent didn’t house an alicorn soldier. It housed a young dragon. Treeflame was a deep blue dragon. She stood three feet tall when walking on all fours, and five and a half feet if she stood on her hind legs. Her wings were eight feet wide when fully spread, and each wind sported a single claw at the joint. Treeflame hid in her tent, the fire outside scared her. She, being a creature of flame, could almost fee, the bodies burning inside when she stood too close. She huddled on the floor of her green tent, claws slowly running across her forelegs feeling for her scars. At her wrists she lacked scales. Instead she had long scars where ropes had once dug into her. She was not here of her own accord, she had been taken. Three years ago, when she was little more than a hatchling an alicorn had stolen her in the night. She had no idea at the time why she had been taken, but had learned that her purpose here was simple. She was to act as a messenger. She was to send a receive messages from the red alicorn that had stolen her away. In fact, tonight was one of the nights that she would do her job. A telltale pressure began to build in her stomach as the scroll arrived, and one belch later the scroll was in her hands. “What could he be planning,” General Vice murmured, “Send five fastest soldiers to Trottington. Give them orders to arrive tonight or not at all.” He read the letter aloud slowly as he tried to decipher what Greathoof could need soldiers for. “What does it matter why he needs us?” asked a lithe, dangerous looking alicorn, “Just send me on my way and I can get there by nightfall.” “The letter calls for five of you,” Vice responded, “As it stands, I only count one.” “I can get my men together quickly.” The soldier replied bluntly, “Do you really want to keep ‘Hoof waiting?” The general grumbled at this. “Fine. How many men do you have that can make the trip in time?” The soldier’s face fell a little at this. “Four,” He responded slowly, “Including me…” “Four?” “Yes…” “You expect him to be satisfied with four when he specifically calls for five?” Vice asked slowly. “Well I…” the soldier began. “I could make the trip.” A new voice entered the conversation. The two alicorns turned their heads slowly to get a look at who had spoken. They were face to face with a blue dragon. “I could make it in a few hours if I had to.” Treeflame said eagerly. The soldier looked a General Vice pleadingly. “Dragons are fast fliers.” He said with an edge of sheepishness to his voice. The General looked over the two slowly before sighing. “Fine. Fine go, but you,” He said to Treeflame, “Send my reply scroll before you leave.” The blue dragon nodded eagerly and waited as the alicorn wrote out a letter back to his leader. He passed her the letter, which she took and doused in green flame. “There, it’s on its way.” She said happily. “Good,” The general sighed, “Now go, both of you.” The two of them left the large tent as Vice turned back to his table covered in maps, much like the one residing in Scar’s chamber. --- Celestia woke to the sound of arguing. Two of the combatants in the verbal battle sounded distinctly canine, while the third had a far less growly voice. She slowly got up from her bed and trotted into the main room of the inn to be greeted with the sight of the innkeeper facing down two of the wolves from the previous night. The wolves looked up upon her arrival. “There she is. Now hand her over Greywings and we leave in peace.” The larger of the two growled. “For the third time; no. I’m not handing over a customer to you just because Mange demands it.” The grey innkeeper retorted. “I’m sorry, do you want to get on Mange’s bad side?” the second wolf hissed. “You know what?” Greywings began, “Fine take her. You can have her, if you go home to Mange and ask him who gave him food when he showed up in town as a pathetic half-starved pup. Ask him who gave him a room. If it wasn’t for my generosity, he wouldn’t be alive to order you pathetic fleabags around now would he?” The smaller of the two wolves let out a deep, angry growl at this and took a step forward only to receive a hoof to the face. “Go home.” Greywings hissed, and the wolves obeyed. “Wow… thank you.” Celestia whispered from the doorway. The older stallion turned and smiled. “If you’re in my inn, you’re under my protection.” He said warmly, “no thanks are needed. Besides, you guys are on some journey right? I wouldn’t want it so suddenly end here in the middle of nowhere.” “You stood up to wolves for somepony you don’t even know, I think that sort of thing does, in fact, deserve thanks.” Celestia joked, “I mean really, if there’s anything I can do…” Her voice trailed off. “Anything huh?” He chuckled, “Well I hate to ask the same question a third time… or does this make it four times now… anyway, you think you could tell me exactly what it is you’re up to? I know it’s secret and all, but curiosity keeps getting the best of me.” Celestia sighed, wondering how best to apologize for her inability to answer the question when another voice spoke up. “Aw, go ahead and tell him.” Cliff was awake now, and had obviously heard the fighting, “If the captain gets mad then I’ll take the heat for you. Secrets are no good anyway, they just leave people confused and unsatisfied.” Celestia sighed. “Okay,” She began, “It all started a few weeks ago when Luna showed up at our front door…” --- Treeflame hadn’t felt so free in a long time. She soared over the wastes alongside the four alicorns. “You look like you’re having fun.” One of the soldiers grumbled. She shrugged smugly in response and continued enjoying her freedom. They had been flying for a few hours now and had covered quite a lot of distance in a relatively short time. Treeflame felt like she could keep this up for hours, but the strain was beginning to show on the alicorns. She smiled inwardly. She had real stamina for someone who had been in captivity for so long, enough to outfly these alicorns any day. “Let’s land.” The leader of the group called out as soon as a river came into sight. The group seemed to heave a sigh of relief as they began their descent towards the inviting shores. Treeflame shrugged and few alongside them, not tired in the least. Once they landed, two of the four alicorn collapsed on the cool, wet earth, this sort of place was a rarity in the wastelands and was to be treasured where it could be found. The group landed by another wasteland rarity, a tree. It wasn’t in good condition, but it was a tree all the same. Treeflame sat on the bank, thinking. This is my chance, she thought, my one shot at getting out of here for good. She looked around, doing her best to formulate a plan. Her gaze stopped on the tree between her and the rest of the group. She smirked, Well well well… I suppose it’s time to make good on my name. she took a step back, away from her target and released a green globule of liquid fire from her mouth. The tree caught almost instantly and in the seconds of confusion that the building inferno gleaned her she pumped her wings once and was aloft in moments. The soldiers watched helplessly as their captive, and more importantly, their fifth part member flew away in the midday sun. “Greathoof is going to kill us…” muttered one of the fatigued soldiers. His companions nodded slowly in agreement. --- “And that’s how we ended up here.” Celestia finished her story. Greywings looked impressed. “This really is a big mission isn’t it?” He asked slowly, the sheer magnitude of what was going on outside his small town only now beginning to register with him. “Yeah, it kinda’ is.” Cliff agreed. “Well then, I’m now more glad than ever that I helped you.” He said happily, but he soon sighed again. “A new war huh? The last one was what… ten years ago? Fifteen? Why can’t the borders remain peaceful?” Celestia shrugged at this, she felt the same. “I don’t know… but I know that this one needs to be stopped as soon as possible. I really hope that finding the Flame Orb will help…” I suppose you’re going to need to head out as soon as the other wake up right?” the kind innkeeper asked. “Yes.” Sothe’s voice came from the door to the bedroom, “I’m getting our stuff together as we speak.” Celestia blushed at the sound of her mate’s voice. “I thought you were…” She began. “Asleep?” He finished for her, “No, I woke up the same time Cliff did.” “If you were awake then why’d you let her spill your secrets?” Greywings called back. “Because, you helped us so you deserve to know.” Sothe replied simply “C’mon Luna. Wake up.” He prodded the sleeping blue mare. “We need to get going.” Celestia sighed and headed back into the bedroom. “If you want to wake her you need to play to her interests.” She giggled a moment before leaning down to her sister’s ear and whispering, “Luna look, a dragon.” The effect was instantaneous. “WHERE!?!?” Luna jolted up out of bed and looked around the room frantically. The others laughed. The day seemed to be off to a good start. Author note: Oaky, I know this chapter feels like it ends too quickly, but if I was to continue i'd get into so much exposition that it'd become unreadable, but i promise to get the next one out fast. Also, I think I may have the lowedst views to comments ratio on the site. I don't know what to make of that...