Upheaval: Reckoning
Chapter 10: Fangs and Scales
To a citizen of Ophidus, Ervain Reis could not be further from an ideal home. As the northernmost of the empire's settlements, it was more an outpost, and an invasion stage, than a proper home. The streets were a chaotic mass of soldiers slithering about, vendors selling their wares, and slavers herding their ponies to the nearest bidding stall. It was only to be expected given that it was so close to the pandemonium that was Equestria.
Hassyth surveyed it all from his manor’s balcony with an impatient sneer. Despite the time he had already spent here, he was never going to get used to the rabble, or the smell of so many unwashed ponies milling about in the open. Ervain Reis would always be a prison to a noble coatl.
Of course, whenever Hassyth’s thoughts strayed towards that subject, he only needed to glance back to the sad state of his manor to remember that he was barely a coatl noble. He was down to this one manor at the borders of the empire, a dozen servants, a couple dozen pony slaves, and two concubines. It was a far cry from his time in the capital, where he was among the very elite of the emperor’s tribe. That was not so long ago, but even a mere decade of misery in this city made the best of times seem a mere dream.
A sudden draft, and the whistle of something flying past mere inches from his face, shattered Hassyth's reverie. With an angry hiss, he unfurled his wings, and unleashed his magic, covering himself with a crackling barrier of protective force. He looked behind him, and found a quivering arrow stuck to the wooden floor. ‘Sniper,’ he thought. He cast another spell, and the arrow glowed. A thin trail of light extended from its fletched end, tracing its path through the air. Hassyth followed the trail only to find it go on and on to the late noon sky. He squinted at the distance, and noticed something. It looked like a pegasus, but it was so far away that it was barely more than a dot. A second later, and it was gone.
‘So Equestria has decided to send assassins after me?’ Hassyth thought. That didn't make sense. He had lost his place of importance a long time ago. Equestria had little to gain with his death. He looked back to the arrow, and noticed the twist of paper tied to the shaft. A pair of cards were attached next to it. Telekinetically, he separated the paper from the shaft, and took a look.
Hassyth of the Coatl tribe,
Greetings. I apologize for the rather rude method of message delivery. I would meet you myself, but I am pressed with important matters. I hope you understand.
I have done a bit of research lately, and came upon your name. You have a past as colorful as your wings, and I understand that you have gone down in the world these past years. Attached to this message are a couple of photographs that you are certain to find very interesting. If you wish to pursue this matter, signal my agent in your area through a flare spell. Longstride will coordinate with your plans.
Sincerely,
Black Rose
Hassyth crumpled the note, and tossed it aside. He knew nothing of the name, only that it was Equestrian. The offer was a bit intriguing, though. He took the photographs and looked. “Scarlet Rabbit!” he hissed. The red coat and the darker red mane were unmistakable, as were the facial features, and the wings. It was his prize racer, still alive and healthy. He trembled with excitement. Scarlet Rabbit's loss was the highlight of that disastrous pony raid on his holdings. He had lost a great deal of resources, and the greatest source of his income. To think that the Equestrian Legion now benefited from his most valuable racer! They had likely messed with its conditioning. Already, he imagined reacquiring it, and resetting the proper training. It would corner the races once more, and his fortune would return.
“The brave hunter Nasihihyth ignored the warnings of his fellows, and chased after the strange scarlet rabbit. Through brushes, woods, and rivers, he pursued the creature. For days he could not stop in his chase until he finally ran it down. With a loud hiss of joy, he raised the animal. It was then that Nasihihyth looked around, and discovered that the creature had led him far away from any known trails. He was tired, hungry, without supplies, and lost. The hunter cursed at his folly, and was never seen again.”
Hassyth laughed inwardly as he remembered the old bedtime story of his grandmother. He was no foolish hunter, the rivals of his unbeatable racer were. He was a determined noble who was merely reacquiring his possessions. He put the first photograph aside, and looked at the other one. Acquiring Scarlet Rabbit was more than enough for him to consider working with this “Longstride”. What else could be there?
The next one was of another pegasus: a light blue mare. He could tell from its sleek build, and well-developed wings that this one would be a good flyer as well. It was still young, and easily trainable if he could get her to a proper racing stable. Its mane quickly grabbed his attention. This one had the most fascinating mane he had seen among pegasi. “Coatl coloration!” he exclaimed. He looked to his own rainbow-colored wings, then back to the photograph. This was a valuable find indeed. Never mind its potential as a racer, if he could present a fine pegasus specimen with the colors of the Coatl tribe before Emperor Sesyth, he would surely be rewarded with a fortune that not even Scarlet Rabbit could acquire after a lifetime of winning races. He imagined bringing it to the palace on that day, and having it bow obediently before the emperor. Better yet, if he could train it to dance to “Pride of the Ophidites”, his fortune was assured.
“Hashymissa!” Hassyth called out. His majordomo slithered into his chambers. Hashymissa was Scarlet Rabbit’s trainer, and was responsible for all his pony slaves. Typical of vipren, she was adept in slavery, inflitration, and, above all else, cruelty.
“You called, master?” Hashymissa hissed.
“I have an important mission for you, something that may take you to Equestria itself.”
“That is a truly perilous mission indeed, master.”
Hassyth nodded. Equestria was a dangerous place filled with vigilant pony legionnaires eager to kill any ophidite who dared to trespass. “I have heard the scouts,” he said. “Equestria is dealing with matters by its other borders. If there was ever a time to infiltrate, it would be now.” He looked down his balcony again. Ervain Reis was marshaling its own troops for a raid on Equestria itself. If it wasn't for the growing crisis of the Crocodilian Rebellions closer to the capital, Ophidus would be launching an all-out assault on its northern neighbor. “Bring eight of our best slaves with you. You are to capture these ponies alive.” He tossed the photographs at Hashymissa, who grabbed it with her hands.
With that, Hasyth looked up to the steadily darkening sky, and fired a flare spell.