His big leather wings carried him easily, catching the air currents. He pierced through the clouds, their wet coldness caressing his skin, feeling the freedom of flying.
He had enough of big cities and the choking air of advanced civilization. The air above Equestria was so full of magic that it made his lungs hurt, Gryphon peaks were too crowded and the jungle air was very moistly, plus it rained every day!
“A change would be good.” – he thought for himself few days ago and set on a trip to the far away icy lands.
“Everything is so white and beautiful here! The untamed wildness of nature, untouched by magic!” – That thought came in his mind, while flying without a direction, without a purpose, except the sole feeling of the refreshing cold and clean arctic air.
Something interesting caught his eye, so he landed. A polar bear was standing in front of him, frightened to death. He observed it for a while, but then a light pain in his limbs reminded, that after days of flying a rest is needed.
“I guess I should search for a shelter.” – With that in mind he took off, the wind from his powerful wings set the bear flying for a few meters.
Three hours later a big icy cavern came to sight.
“This will do!” – One loud roar emptied the cave from other beings and he hopped in. Sleep came easily.
When he woke up, he had no idea how much time had passed, maybe a week or two, it didn’t mattered. The sky was clear, not a single cloud staining its pureness – a perfect weather for a flight. He stretched his huge wings once again and let the wind carry him to wherever it wanted.
Many hours later the landscape started slowly to change into a hilly plain, on some places covered with icy pinnacles. The smell of an upcoming storm was filling the air. On the horizon huge, almost black clouds were coming his way.
“Not that I can’t fly through it, but it will be such a paaaaiiin!” – he whined – “Mmm, that thing there must be a cave, if I’m not mistaken. If it’s big enough it might do the job!” – he flew towards the entrance and landed inside.
The inside of the cave was from polished ice, slippery and cold. As he was laying again, he gave the exit a last glance, then closed his eyes. Soon the sound of howling wind reached his ears.
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*Clip-clop, clip-clop* - What was that? The sound of hooves? Maybe his ears were pulling pranks on him…
*Clip-clop, clip-clop* - Wait! There it was again! No mistaking it, something was in the cave… and had hooves.
“I know, that deeper in this cave our soldiers have hidden resources in case of emergency. We can find them and wait for the storm to be over, how about it Kostya?”
A pony! And it got company. His eye popped wide open. So it was male, very tall for pony standards, standing with its back towards him and talking to a demon hound. Oops the hound spotted him or his eye at least.
“Kostya? What is it? Why are you looking at me with those scared eyes? Don’t tell me there is something behi…” – The pony quickly turned around. Oh, great! Now the little male also saw him. – “What the…!” – “Mmm, aristocratic muzzle features and that soft gray color, a beauty indeed! Yet above all, those azure eyes are the cherry on the top of the cake, such pure blue can be rarely seen!” – thought he, while the little male pony panicked at the sight in front of it.
And then, like a lightning from clear skies, the small male tried to attack with some strange mechanical claws attached to its hooves, the hound following it closely. He reacted in the last moment, using levitation and throwing both of them in the middle of the cave’s airspace.
“Whoa! That was a close one! Aren’t ponies supposed to be cute little herbivores, eating daisies all day, somewhere in the grasslands?” – His deep, growling voice echoed through the cave.
“Not when you attack our home! I’ll kill you before you reach the North-East Castle or die trying!” – “Now that’s some determination! North-East Castle, huh… Oh! That Castle! Yes, yes, I remember now!” – As those thoughts ran through the giant’s mind, his eye’s pupil pulsed once at the sudden realization. That castle was at war with his kin from centuries! He could clearly imagine what horror scenarios were running through the little pony’s head, a giant dragon attacking his precious home, burning it to the ground. What a nightmare.
He then turned his attention back to the little male:
“What’s your name pony?” – asked the dragon with his deep voice.
“What do you care?”
“Heh, talking about rough character!” – The dragon grinned – “Well, it was a bit impolite of me to ask, without first introducing myself, anyway. My name is Luduan, but you most probably know me as The sky lion, one of the ever bored Giants. Now, your name, please.”
To be continue…