//------------------------------// // Chapter VI – Eyes Hidden Around // Story: Journey with a Batpony // by Gulheru //------------------------------// “I have told you twice already, I didn't see anything suspicious!” Deep Mist’s voice was filled with irritation as it cut through the sound of gaining wind. “I would have notified you otherwise, Maednoc Wentr!” “But kiropt was sent! Me and Twilight, we both saw it!” Midnight pointed out once more, causing his companion to exhale. “Bogine, I believe you!” he declared with more volume than ultimately necessary, irked by this prolonging conversation. “The only extraordinary thing I recall from hacdias was Crescent Steel’s thunderous snoring! Kirwe, I have no idea how they can sleep through it!” Midnight’s response was a loud, vicious hiss, his lips twitching somewhat furiously. “You do understand how serious this is, right?” he shook his head and Deep Mist replied with a roll of his eyes. “Tac! For the last time, tac! But could we focus on flying now? We want to be at Ambyit as soon as possible!” Twilight was listening to her entourage’s conversation with undivided interest. Tension between her companions escalated rather quickly, as Midnight was pressing the topic with zealous conviction. He wished to converse in Equestrian for the sake of the mare, in case Deep Mist really did spot anything unusual, but he seemed as surprised about the situation as the other two ponies. Though even then he preferred to focus on tonight’s journey rather than chasing suspicions. “Were the weather reports so troubling?” Twilight asked after a moment and the grey-maned batpony turned his head. “There is a chance of snegyice starting hacnoc and you really don’t want to experience that, Knaze,” he pointed out. Midnight felt obliged to nod. “True, our snowstorms can get rather vicious. And this chariot does not seem well prepared for those. But you might want to grab a cloak or two from your bag, Twilight. It is getting colder,” he advised, staring towards the mountains. The mare did not have to be told twice, she felt rather chilly already. She was, however, well prepared for even the most ridiculous of frigid temperatures. She even had a warm, violet hooded cloak placed just on the top of her belongings, for easy retrieval. She was never that keen on buying garments, valuing the practicality of clothing rather than chic... and for which she was chastised frequently by Rarity. But this time her ensemble was not only to be expedient, but also regal enough to meet the importance of this quest. Which is exactly why she spent a whole day in Canterlot, trying to find a cloak heavy enough to provide protection from cold and still appearing more than a piece of thick, colored rag. At least this one was a well-sewn, masterfully cut and embroidered piece of thick, colored rag. When she took her latest buy out and wrapped herself in the violet material, she felt its embrace warming her up in an instant. It felt especially satisfying and relaxing, she had to conclude. For a moment, she really despised not having a cup of hot chocolate with her. Maybe she should have packed a thermos full of it? She did quickly berate herself for such thoughts. What was she, a spoiled royal out of a sudden? No, she was a delegate to a distant, foreign land and that role had to go along with discomfort at least sometimes. Chocolate would be nice though... “Are you not cold?” Twilight felt like asking her companions and, amongst all the talk about intrigue, it came up as a nice change of pace. After all, they were getting closer and closer to the Tramplevanian Alps and the weather became according. It wasn't a sudden switch, but Twilight spotted a change of temperature taking its place only after an hour or so of flight. As the terrain began rising ever so gently, the colder wind from the east gained in strength, bringing with itself biting strikes of frigid, mountain air. Right now a steady current was assaulting the chariot, but it seemed like the batponies were not really affected by its volume, or temperature. “No, this is quite comfortable for us,” Midnight assured in response to Twilight’s question and Deep Mist cackled loudly. “Both ia and Maednoc Wentr are from Glacyianeble Lanyic, so we can withstand cold quite nicely,” he declared, taking a deep breath of air and exhaling. “Feels like dom, no?” he asked Midnight, who smirked at that remark. “That place you mentioned... ‘Glacyanibl...' no, ‘Glacyianeble...’?” Twilight tried to tackle the word she just heard, desperately avoiding twisting her tongue. Midnight turned his head around, raising his eyebrows so that they disappeared under his helmet. The mare continued in her efforts. “Gla-cyia-ne-ble-la-nyic?” she managed to brave through the term, causing the batpony’s jaw to hang loose. “Did I say it right?” Twilight asked, witnessing Midnight’s awe. “That was nearly perfect!” he judged, turning to his comrade. “I didn't teach her that name! Did you hear that?” “Tac, I did. Impredu,” Deep Mist didn't react quite as visibly, but there was a note of curiosity in his voice. “Are you benu at learning other tongues, Knaze?” Twilight felt abashed by her companions’ sudden praise. “I... am not certain, actually. I know some dialects used in ancient literature, but I've never tried foreign languages and especially Noctraliyar before, if that’s what you’re asking about...” “Well, looks like you will be doing just fine, at least in speech!” Midnight concluded. “If I knew that when I was teaching you the basics, I would have gone a lot further. Do you still remember the numerals?” Twilight closed her eyes for a moment before reciting with relative ease. “Edn, dwo, tri, kwitr, piat, sek, sem, osim, nowim, desat.” “Nice! Ha!” Midnight declared, further showing his amazement, while Deep Mist simply nodded. “Convincing. You are gifted, Knaze,” he said, turning his head and attention back to the route. Before he did, however, Twilight spotted a sudden tension in his expression. Not finding a particular reason for it, she returned to a question she wished to ask a moment ago. “So... Glacyianeblelanyic is where exactly?” Midnight chuckled heartily. “Those are two words, actually, Glacyianeble and Lanyic, and they mean ‘Frozenfog Range’,” he clarified and the mare rolled her eyes. “Oh, of course, where the Mountain of Midnight is! But does this mean the Mountain of Mist is somewhere near?” she inquired and Deep Mist decided to reply. “Tac, our Rodini share a border. But my home is further east." “Our two Iugi are the Northern of the Seven and the weather up there is a bit harsher than the rest of Noctraliya,” Midnight added causing his comrade to glance at him with a smirk. “You are sitting in your cozy tabulri, while we are actually doing something, Maednoc Wentr, so don’t you dare complaining about cold,” he pointed out, to what Midnight cackled. “The only reason you are so often outside, getting your wings frostbitten, is that you are trying to spy on us ever so often!” “...maybe,” Deep Mist concluded and the two shared a chuckle. Twilight, however, let out a long sigh at the mentioned topic. It must have been quite profound, for Midnight's playful smile turned to a deep frown. Deep Mist spotted this change of atmosphere and addressed the mare after a particularly long and thoughtful inhale. “Knaze, I know you are concerned about that mysterious kiropt and we can relate,” he pointed to Midnight and himself. “We also feel uneasy with Occultani being around.” Hearing Deep Mist’s words, the other batpony lost his composure in an instant. He flapped his wings a couple of times, as he felt pushed out of his rhythm, and his eyes widened so much it appeared like his eyeballs were about to pop out of his skull. “Altu Opar... Are you being serious right now?” he queried with disbelief and only after a moment of staring did he continue. “You surely don’t expect—” he wished to denounce his companion’s words, but the other stallion shook his head, his face adamant. “Who else did you expect it to be, Maednoc Wentr? Some local informant in garniz?” Deep Mist asked back, providing the answer after a little pause. “No. We are talking about spying on Knaze. She is an important delegate, first diplomat to ever enter Noctraliya.” Midnight became silent, closing his mouth and blinking a few times, like he was trying to cope with what he heard, as he could not deny Deep Mist’s logic. The only sound for a while was the gaining wind, as it kept striking the chariot again and again. Twilight, having only a vague idea about the nature of the conversation, finally spoke up. “What... no, who are you exactly talking about...?” she asked, causing both of the batponies to turn their heads at her. Deep Mist beckoned Midnight to keep his eyes on the flight path while he began explaining. “Knaze, Occultani are another of our elite forces.” “Other than the Nightguard, you mean?” “Tac,” the stallion replied. “Noctraliya does not rely on only one military formation. We are the absolute best, yes, but the Nocferrat is like your Regiferrat...” “The Royal Guard, you mean.” “Yes, exactly. A highly-trained fighting force, capable of military operations of various kinds and a representative unit at that. I would say we are barbenu... ‘better’, than Regiferrat in our work, but that’s not my intent now, to brag,” he declared, although his tone did not indicate in any way his reluctance to boast. “In short, we do the fighting, we do the clashing, we do the representing. But the work of the Occultani is of different nature. They operate from the darkness.” “But who are they?” the mare couldn't stop herself from trying to hurry Deep Mist. “Their name comes from Eldu Noctraliyar,” Midnight cut in suddenly. “It literally means ‘Those whose eyes are hidden’.” “They are spies, saboteurs, assassins. They watch from the deepest shadows. When we, Nocferratani, let the Light of Neskaza Lunee... reflect in our armors, they serve Bogine where that Light does not reach,” Deep Mist explained carefully, his tone a mixture of praise and anxiety. Twilight did not reply to those discoveries. She was staring at an unspecified point in the distance, locked in thoughts. The batpony continued, undeterred. “Each Rodine has a contingent of Occultani. They answer directly to the haspadr, serving as operatives, but they are often... ‘lent’ I guess the word would be, to the entire Cowene, to secure the interests of Noctraliya when the haspadri agree on that.” “I see...” Twilight finally managed to respond after almost a minute of perfect stillness. “Do you fear them?” she presented a question, resulting in a shudder going through both the batponies. “We fear nothing and nopony!” Midnight shouted loudly, with unstirred conviction. He stared back at Twilight with a surprising amount of exasperation. Witnessing her perturbed expression, however, his eyes calmed down in but one blink. “Forgive me, Twilight...” he said, his voice soft despite the volume he needed to be louder than the wind. “It’s a-alright. I didn't want to put your courage into question,” the mare replied in accordance with the truth, a little anxious at his reaction. “We are not offended,” Deep Mist assured, glancing at his comrade who exhaled, abashed. “Maednoc Wentr is prideful, as I mentioned yesternight,“ he pointed out, Midnight lowering his head in embarrassment, returning to keeping the chariot on course. “However, we tend to be cautious around Occultani. Their expertise is second to none and, since they are a secret force, you can rarely ‘see them coming’, I think the Equestrian expression is.” “I understand now,” Twilight replied. “Also,” Midnight spoke up rather faintly, trying to erase the bad impression from a moment ago, “they are the only noctrali that can go over their caste affiliation.” “Oh? As in – they pose as members of another caste?” the mare asked, highly intrigued. “No, no, that would be against the tradition!” the stallion quickly denied. “Do you recall me mentioning that a noctral usually only learns about his own role and cannot possess specialized knowledge and skills meant for other castes?” “Yes, I remember that very well,” Twilight assured him. She also remembered how surprised and confounded she was by that revelation, but she did not wish to accentuate that right now. “Well, Occultani can be of the priesthood, or fruittenders, or caretakers, but they actually can train and possess skills necessary to fulfill their role, like tactics, information gathering, advanced combat techniques. And those are restricted to the corresponding roles from our caste, the warriors,” Midnight concluded, pointing at himself and Deep Mist. “Ah, so I trust that this access to knowledge above the usual, societal role is what makes them... arise caution?” Twilight asked, trying to avoid saying anything that could be synonymic to “fear”. “Indeed,” Deep Mist responded. “We value ipia, but if we can expect them to be really anypony...” he left his sentence as it was. It was enough to understand the implication. “And... you expect one of those... Oc-cultani to have sent that bat and the message?” Twilight queried, stammering only a bit on the term. “It wouldn't be a surprise. If one of haspadri desires to keep oci on you, Knaze, I can’t see a better way of doing so,” Deep Mist concluded. “The fact that you witnessed kiropt is pretty lucky, though. None of the local noctrali would have seen it at this hour. We usually avoid going outside when Sewira Solee stares down on the World, you know.” “But Twilight woke up earlier and I went out seeking her,” Midnight pointed out, nodding. “It was a stroke of luck, nothing more.” “Yes...” Deep Mist agreed, yet gave a long look towards his comrade, with a note of accusation in it. “Still, stupid of the Occultan not to take such a possibility into consideration,” he judged, his eyes growing cold and his voice becoming censuring. “Do you have any experience in espionage Deep Mist?” the mare inquired, hearing the seriousness of his opinion. “You are of the Mist Family, what would you do in a situation like that?” The asked batpony didn't respond for a moment, instead thinking intensively. Midnight glanced at his companion with curiosity. “I have some training, as a wampir of my Rodine, yes. And I would think that a... ‘neutral’ course of action would have been better. Sending the message alongside normal post, perhaps pointing out to Zurawine that it is a personal pism to closest relatives. That wouldn't stand out from other letters,” Deep Mist shared his opinion, his voice calm and calculating. “Whoever that Occultan at the garniz was, he fell victim to his own eagerness.” Midnight replied to his comrade’s statements with an approving exhale, while Twilight presented another question. “Can we be followed right now?” “Nye, I doubt it. I would bet that there will be another one of Occultani waiting at Ambyit, instead. And if that’s the case, we shall be more careful,” Deep Mist assured and the other stallion nodded profoundly, glancing back. In Midnight’s eyes Twilight witnessed the promise from yesterday being renewed with even greater conviction. It calmed her down a lot as she smiled at the batpony. The peaks of the mountains grew even closer, the snow on them shining faintly with moonlight, but the vague illumination of the night was forbidding Twilight from assessing how fast the chariot was actually moving. The small lights of hamlets below ceased to appear a long time ago, the last of farms and orchards left firmly behind the travelers, making room for gradually rising, forested hills. The gales of wind were becoming more profound, making Twilight subconsciously lower in her seat, as she tried to shield herself better from the howling force. Midnight and Deep Mist were resisting those attacks quite impressively, their powerful, leathery wings keeping the level of flight stable and as calm as it was possible in the worsening weather. Twilight couldn't lie to herself. Flying in near darkness in atmospheric conditions like those? It filled her with a good measure of fear. “Have you ever flown like this, Twilight?” Midnight shouted back at one point, his voice cutting above the wind. “I don’t think so!” she responded, trying to be louder than the gale. “Are we far from the Border?” “We need another hour!” Deep Mist immediately reacted to this assessment. “We shall have to do better, Maednoc Wentr. Look to the left!” Midnight turned his head and, whatever he saw, it caused his muzzle to tense up as he cursed under his breath. “What’s going on?” Twilight shouted. She too glanced to the north, trying to spot anything traitorous in the sky, but the night was not helpful in this task. “We have a snowstorm incoming, faster than expected!” Midnight replied urgently and only after his words, did the mare discerned the threat. A portion of the sky that had remarkably no stars on it. After trying to focus her eyes even more, Twilight finally witnessed a cloud-like shape, slowly rolling in their direction. And, from their altitude, she could tell that they would end up right below it, if they were to cross paths with it. “Hang tight, Twilight, we will need to speed up!” Midnight shouted vehemently, giving his comrade a nod of his head. They both reached for their helmets, or rather the firm leather straps hidden below the steel, and tied them vigorously under their chins. In the meantime Twilight sat herself more firmly down, ready to grab onto the chariot’s frame if necessary. She also checked if her bags were properly secured. “Ready!” she shouted to her entourage, only guessing what they had planned. After all, did she not experience a rather dare-devilish maneuver only yesterday? Midnight did a quick gesture with his hoof and Deep Mist responded with one of his own. At first, Twilight could not spot anything occurring, but soon enough did she realize that the two fliers’ wings began to synchronize. Deep Mist was steadily changing his pace, so that in a mere few moments, both the batponies achieved one rhythm. Their steady pace caused the chariot to gain more and more momentum, as the two pairs of leathery wings worked like clockwork, synchronized to the absolute perfection. Twilight felt awed by the level of coordination between the stallions, but they were far from done in their maneuvers. Midnight gave out a short, unspecified shout and both him and Deep Mist lowered their heads and placed their legs as parallel alongside their bodies as it was possible. The strokes of their wings became even more forceful, drafting wide arches with their movement. The mare could actually feel, amongst the strong wind, the air being rippled by the steady, powerful moves. It was a unique sight to watch for Twilight, from scientific perspective. It appeared that the leathery wings of batponies could produce a lot more force that the feathered pegasi wings, depending nearly solely on muscle strength rather than covering. When the mare had asked Midnight about them for the first time, he mentioned noctrali being faster than the fliers of Equestria, but only now did Twilight truly realize by how much. And, more importantly, why. Batponies never possessed the comfort of weather control. They didn't have any real assurance that their calm, moonlit night shall not turn into a vicious storm. They had to adapt, or face being bested by the mountains. They had to know exactly how to utilize the full capabilities of their webbed wings and rely on aerodynamics. And adapt they did, as Midnight was right now a prime example of unrelenting, physical wingpower. It was ultimately an eye-opening sight. A portion of Twilight’s brain pointed out that she formed her findings about the noctrali while constantly staring at Midnight’s and only Midnight’s wings. However she was still sore at that part of her mind after its yesterday’s uprising, so she wasn't going to listen to those snarky remarks. After ten minutes of this intense example of forceful flying, Twilight felt something landing on her head and wetting her mane. She reached with her hoof, discovering that it was indeed snow. However, unlike the snowfall Equestria usually experienced when the weather teams gathered clouds and Winter was to be brought upon the land, this wasn't but a beautiful, like hoofmade, cold star that adorned the mare’s head. What Twilight spotted melting in her hoof was an entire clump of white residue, without shape or form, consisting of a significant number of rough, irregular snowflakes. Memories brought her back to hers and her friends’ escapade to the Crystal Empire, where they were greeted by a rough blizzard. And, judging by the size of this particular cluster, this one was going to be a quite profound one if they were not to reach the Border quickly. “How are we doing?!” Twilight shouted as the wind was desperately attempting to silence her. Midnight yelled something back, but the mare could not discern what it exactly was. The tone of it was strained, however, causing worry to mount gradually in her. She put on her violet hood, trying to cover herself as best as she could from the snowfall. She could guess what was the main factor influencing the travel now – the chariot itself. No matter how resplendent it appeared and how ornate it was, it clearly wasn't meant for travelling during a growing snowstorm. Twilight could feel the force of the wind assaulting the transport with more determination. As much as her entourage attempted to compensate for it, she could feel that they were deterred by their golden burden. The snow finally decided to begin its full assault. Until now, Twilight could at least attempt to spot something in the moonlit night, but when the sky became darkened by clouds and the snowfall grew denser, she didn't have even a glimpse of chance of discerning what their location was. She covered herself better with the cloak, hoping to withstand the howling, frigid wind, but even with the aid of the cloth she felt the constant gales chilling her to the bone. She wasn't even sure if her retinue was capable of seeing anything. Even their eyes must have had trouble piercing through the veil of snow, especially now, when the Moon and stars disappeared behind the thick layer of clouds. Twilight was until now only “quite concerned”, but she felt that an appropriate qualification of her feelings right now would be “Magic-Kindergarten distressed”. Again, a portion of Twilight’s brain decided to activate and remind her, that Midnight promised her she would be safe. Which actually managed to change the assessment of the situation from “Magic-Kindergarten distressed” to “still concerned, but promised something by Midnight”. She never knew she had an anxiety level named like that... A particularly strong gust of wind hit the chariot from the left side. Twilight barely managed to grab onto the frame, avoiding falling out of her seat. Deep Mist took the full strength of the strike, trying to compensate for it the best he could, but the sheer force of the storm was enough for him to lose his pacing. Midnight spotted his friend’s struggle and pressed hardly to the left, attempting to stay on course to the best of his abilities. For a moment, Twilight was certain that the full extent of the force of the wind affecting the flight was braced by the stallion, although she could now barely see even her escort. “Altu Opar, edn, dwo, edn, dwo!” she somehow heard Midnight’s shouts. The other batpony began furiously flapping his wings, attempting to regain the rhythm. Midnight kept shouting on the top of his lungs. “Edn, dwo, edn, dwo!” Twilight was still grasping the chariot’s frame with her whole strength, multiplied by the worry. She felt that the transport began tilting to the right, as the gale found its way underneath the chariot in an attempt to flip it over. And that wasn't the only danger right now. Despite the omnipresent snow and darkness of the night, she caught a glimpse of a rocky wall passing just to her right – the granite side of one of the mountains. That peak had surprising velocity. Of course, it wasn't really the mountain moving by itself! Twilight chastised herself for this moment of illogical thinking, but it seemed to be entirely justifiable at that time. Shining Armor told her once what were the exact military safety procedures during flying, but even without that knowledge she could form an opinion – rocky slopes this close were, well, too close for any, even infinitesimal comfort. The mare was a breath away from taking immediate action. She already began assessing how much magic would she need to use to disperse the clouds and clear the skies, but she spotted something among the snowfall, even though it surprised even her. Four small points of light, forming a square straight ahead of the chariot. Whatever those were, they were approaching with astonishing speed. Another gust of wind caused a series of snowflakes to flank the protection of Twilight’s hood and assault her eyes in throngs of clumped, icy needles. She responded to this attack with furious rubbing of her muzzle, trying to get rid of the sensation and the attackers, but suddenly felt that no more snowflakes did charge at her. The wind also ceased its vicious campaign and withdrew. She opened her eyes, witnessing that they seem to have flown into some sort of carved tunnel, with its walls marked on left and right with small, simple lanterns. Using those as points of reference, Twilight had to conclude that they had achieved, by Equestrian standards, “ludicrous speed”. A few seconds later, the chariot entered a vast, natural cave. Midnight and Deep Mist suddenly stopped flapping their wings and stretched them widely, trying to slow down in but a few moments. The surface of the cave was but a meter or two below and so did the descent take only a second. When they made their touchdown on the rocky surface, both batponies tried planting their hoofshoes in the ground, causing a remarkable and ear-piercing screech of steel against stone. Twilight felt the force of the landing, causing her to be pulled forward, but the stallions' attempts at a reasonable breaking did their job, she had to conclude, as at first she was prepared to be almost flung from the chariot. She could only imagine how straining for their legs this action must have been. After full stop was achieved, Midnight quickly took off his harness and turned to face Twilight, taking a step towards her. “Twilight, are you alright?” his voice was oozing worry. “Y-yes. Yes, I am...” she replied, surprised at her low volume. “Thank Neskaza Lunee...” the batpony supplicated, sitting down in relief. “I apologize deeply. We don’t usually have to force this maneuver, especially during transport...” he began explaining, panting heavily. Twilight realized that he looked utterly drained, his wings shaking from exhaustion and she could swear she could hear his heart pounding inside his cuirass. Deep Mist took off his harness and knelt down on the ground, breathing even louder than Midnight. “What... what Maednoc Wentr... meant to say... is that... this piece of... sunscorched... junk...” He attempted to angrily kick the chariot with his hind leg, yet it resulted in but a small, faint, metallic clang. “...nearly killed us...” he spurted out, resting his head on the stone floor. Twilight felt horrible out of a sudden. It wasn't by her choice that she was granted this chariot for travel. It was a customary for Equestrian Royalty to move around officially in such means of transport, but even this, smallest of all chariots, did not have the aerodynamics to tackle storms. “But it didn't...” Midnight replied to his comrade’s words, undoing the leather strap of his helmet. When he took it off, Twilight was surprised that a waterfall did not flow from underneath, considering the batpony’s cobalt mane was literally plastered to his scalp with sweat. “Nothing can stop Nocferrat!” he declared loudly with all the might of his fatigued pride, the echo caring his voice around. It caused Twilight to finally realize where they have landed exactly. This spacious cavern was grand enough to house not only Twilight’s transport, but at least two dozen more of similar size, with enough room for the whole number of them to maneuver. Cobblestone paved the entirety of the floor, and large support columns, some of which being truly enormous natural formations, towered at least twelve meters high. A significant number of lanterns, each containing a lit candle, were hung by the ceiling, filling the whole place in an eerie glow, which must have meant that the cavern appeared well lit for the batponies. Twilight had to conclude that the grotto must have served as an important landing zone, as two carved corridors, wide enough for two chariots to fit alongside one another, were leading out of it. The one behind the mare, through which the group must have flown a moment earlier, and one corresponding one on the other side of the cave which was probably also heading outside. Aside from the way it was formed, the cave housed a surprising amount of crates, racks, harnesses and even a solid crane, all prepared for incoming transports, as Twilight deliberated. “It certainly seems so!” another voice resounded in the cavern, its accent thick and rough, replying to Midnight's earlier words. Twilight turned her head around, searching for the pony it belonged to. A group of seven batponies was quickly approaching her. The mare was surprised she did not hear nor see them earlier, but her focusing on her companions must have caused her to miss the strong sound of hoofshoes, and the considerable amount of equipment laying around did obscure the squad's advance. These batponies differed from her entourage, as none of them possessed heavy armor, instead brandishing jerkins made of dark, possibly reinforced leather and simple, sallet helmets. They still possessed the signature claws as their weaponry, but Twilight could swear that those appeared less embellished and more mundane than the ones used by the Nightguard. The stallion leading this group was far more elaborately equipped. He was the only approaching pony not to wear a helmet, instead possessing a cape, long and grandiose, the style of which Twilight had already witnessed on Commander Ardent Fang. If she didn't know who she was dealing with, she could have sworn that it was actually him trotting towards her, although in a younger and slightly altered version of himself. This batpony’s mane did not show signs of grey hairs, being dark brownish instead of black, and his physique appeared less imposing, albeit still mighty impressive. This similarity could mean but one thing - it was General Adamant Fang getting closer, having his bright, golden eyes fixed firmly on the mare. “We greet you cordially, Princess Twilight Sparkle!” he bowed his head quite deeply, with a pleasant grin revealing his nearly white teeth. “We didn't expect you to make the flight tonight, however! The weather reports weren't positive,” he remarked, finally stopping in front of the mare and granting her a salute, with the group behind him doing the same in unison with their officer. “General Adamant Fang of the Ambyit, at your service. Forgive the lack of a more proper welcoming committee, Princess. Only an hour or so ago we had received the bat that you shall be taking the voyage tonight after all.” “I do not mind, General,” Twilight assured, although she did not hear any sound of real abashment in the batpony’s voice other than the politely required one. “I am grateful to be granted this honor and enter the borders of your domain. It is an important step in the history of our nations,” she exclaimed, having this greeting formulated in her head in an instant. “Neskaza Lunee welae tuu noc illum,” she added on top of it, watching the General’s mouth widening in a smile. “I welae Neskaza Lunee,” he begun. He, his troops and Twilight’s companions all lowered their heads, making the mare really close to copying the move herself. “...illum tueu noc tez, Knaze Crepuscle Iskre,” Adamant Fang finished and gave the mare the first opportunity to hear her own name in the batpony language. It had an intriguing ring to it, Twilight had to conclude. But Adamant Fang wasn’t through with his response. “May She guide you when you choose not to follow and may She make you see when you keep your eyes shut to Her truth.” As much as those words sounded warm and cordial, there was something behind them that caused Twilight’s heart to stop for a brief moment. That wasn't only a wish of good fortune from a deity, nor was it an empty phrase to throw at an expected guest. These sentences were backed by something Twilight recognized in Midnight some time ago and what sparked her interest, even if she did not really pursue the topic that much. Faith. She knew well from her interviews that the batpony religion was inspiring many aspects of their lives, which was an utterly captivating aspect of their culture to study further. However, after hearing the words which had come out of Adamant Fang’s mouth, a realization struck Twilight hard. A religion with strict dogmas and, quite likely, present from the very start of batponies’ history as a community, forming over thousands of years and keeping them connected through great perils, such religion would have to make a visible... distinction. A line that Twilight just now felt separating her from her hosts. She was a non-believer for them. A heathen. An infidel. She had never realized that earlier. Not in Ponyville and not even in Hollow Shades, when Sunfall Ordain was her host. Midnight told Twilight once when they conversed about religion of the noctrali: “You stay with your way, I shall stay with mine." He claimed this to be the best solution. One that would make everything fine. Yes, perhaps between the two of them! N-not that there was a ‘two of them’, silly brain! But now Twilight felt like a large portion of her confidence has decided to go up in flames, quite likely on a mental stake of sorts. Adamant Fang did not seem to spot that his guest became suddenly distressed by his honest words. “It is a marvelous night indeed, to host you! And to guest our finest alongside you,” the General literally boomed, staring at the Nightguardians. “It must have been Peraure of a flight!” he exclaimed, spotting their exhaustion. The two replied with an official salute, but none of the parties did appear inferior in this exchange of military receptions. “Benu conwen, tribun! Tac, to bide.” Deep Mist answered with a tone of fraternal respect between warriors, despite his overwhelming fatigue. “Ferratani Altu Opar i Maednoc Wentr, tribun.” “Well met, indeed! I will have some refreshments prepared for you,” the officer declared with a grin. “But let us converse in the language of our honored guest. Make the Princess feel welcome!” he proposed, glancing back at Twilight, who, still under the influence of yet another of recent mind storms, had not registered his words at first. “Oh! T-thank you, General,” she spurted out, giving Adamant Fang a nervous smile. He spotted that something was amiss from this exchange and furrowed his brow. “Ah, I would forget my fangs tonight!” He patted himself on the forehead and the mare suspected that he used a figure of speech right there. “You must be equally, if not more, exhausted after this flight than the two guardians! Please, Princess, allow me to lead you to your quarters.” He stepped to the side, extending his foreleg as the entourage behind him created a espalier for her to pass. “Everything was prepared in advance. I am also ready to provide you with a set of drier clothes, if you’d wish to change,” he offered with genuine politeness. This made Twilight ultimately realize that she was, in fact, soaked as much as her two companions. Although not in sweat. Did the cloak she wore failed her in its protective task? She glanced at her back, witnessing whole clumps of snow melting in the, quite warm as she had to assess, interior of the cave. The sheer volume of snowflakes have managed to turn the cloth into a humid towel. To the mare’s great discomfort. “You are too generous, General. I do possess ensembles of my own and as much as I am moved by the offer, I must decline,” Twilight emphasized, trying to sound as polite as she could. Adamant Fang laughed cordially. “Very well, Princess, but you will have to convince my wife too, if she shall see you like this. And that might be a diplomatic mission of its own magnitude!” the batpony stated, his eyes shining with amusement. Twilight was stunned by the fact that Adamant Fang’s Equestrian, despite the thick accent and wrong intonation, was so convincing. If more batponies were to speak like this in Noctraliya, then avoiding bumping into the language barrier would be a lot easier. “Please, Princess...” the General invited her once more to cross amongst the warriors towards a distant passage leading from the landing cavern. Twilight stared back, glancing at Midnight who gave her a reassuring nod, as Deep Mist was already taking her luggage. She passed in between the warriors, glancing left and right, witnessing prideful and immovable gazes, locked in place due to discipline. She also spotted that their leather jerkins were actually hiding proper chainmail underneath. Adamant Fang followed Twilight closely right after gesturing to his troops to aid the Nightguardians with the mare’s belongings, taking into consideration their weariness. The passage they have taken was not unlike the ones Twilight witnessed in Hollow Shades, although a lot wider, prepared to have transports led through it, for distribution in the fortress, as the mare believed. The corridor was paved with cobblestone, in which the wheels of carts managed to carve steady, concaved lines. There were more lanterns here than in the smaller outpost, so Twilight at least had a chance of avoiding stumbling in utter darkness. “I hope our weather did not discourage you from further travel, Princess. I know you are unused to unstable climate patterns,” Adamant Fang wished to engage in small talk, for, as of now, the only sound present was the steady rhythm of warriors’ hooves, marching behind Twilight, the General and the two Nightguardians. “It is quite a new experience, a severe blizzard like this. But it only adds to the joy and elation I feel, visiting your lands,” the mare responded, hoping that a warm, friendly, but still quite confident approach would be as effective with Adamant Fang as it was with his brother. For now, she managed to make the former laugh heartily. “I was prepared to hear complaints piled upon complaints. No offence, Princess,” he added with calm politeness. “We find Equestrians to be quite finicky and disapproving when it comes to weather.” “Oh, I assure you, General, we are not that finicky,” Twilight replied immediately, ready and wishing to cure any misconceptions the batpony might have had. “I sure hope so! But centuries of manipulating weather has to leave you a bit lazy...” he jested, giving the mare a grin. Then he pulled his head back, sighing. “Misuse breeds woe!” he exclaimed to himself, causing Twilight to glance at him with curiosity. His words sounded like a quotation and the tone of his voice might have indicated that it was some sort of religious or traditional precept. Wait, was he still talking about Equestrians? Twilight’s formulating question became cut off by the General’s inquiry towards Midnight and Deep Mist. “How’s my dear brother doing, guardians? Is he giving you a hard time?” The two warriors exchanged glances before Deep Mist replied. “He is our hetman, our opinion on him shall always take this into consideration, tribun.” “And he is my brother. My opinion on him has been taking that into consideration for a long, long time!” Adamant Fang accentuated with amusement, but also nodded in an expression of understanding. “Say what your conscience allows you to.” Midnight smirked at the General. “He is the best officer we could ask for. Sympathetic when necessary, strict when he can.” This assessment caused a chuckle from the officer. “Sounds like him, yes. Is this his doing?” he gazed at the receding signs of Deep Mist’s shiner. The warrior coughed. “Nye, tribun, it’s not,” he answered as tenaciously as he could, considering his bruise. Twilight, who looked behind to bear witness to this exchange, caught a glance from Deep Mist towards Midnight. It was but a split second occurrence, but it grasped the mare’s attention. She never did ask what caused this mark on the batpony... “Well, I wouldn’t be surprised, for once!” Adamant Fang did state in the meantime. “He was always a bit despotic,” he pointed out, giving a jesting stare towards Twilight, who replied with a polite grin and nod. Though it was weird for her, to hear such revelations during an official visit. Perhaps this fraternal rivalry was running quite deep. She could began guessing why. Adamant Fang appeared a lot more candid and moderate in comparison to his, as the mare knew, strict and iron-hoofed sibling. The corridor finally came to an end, with the exit guarded by two more local warriors. They granted the group a salute, letting Twilight enter another of the spacious caverns. This one, however, a lot more lively than the landing one. If this place was to be on the outside, the mare would call it a courtyard of this bastion, with the walls of the cave acting like the surrounding buildings. The corridor leading to the landing cavern was positioned slightly above the ground level of the grotto, allowing Twilight to see the entirety of the place from the top of this regularly carved slope. However, the first thought that occurred to her when she laid her eyes on the place was that of an interior of an anthill. Countless tunnels were leading from this cavern, some of them simple and plain, akin to boreholes, others wide and spacious, marked with high, carved arches. It didn't say much for batpony architecture, though, as the rest of the cavern did not have too many signs of hoofwork, instead using natural crevices and rock formations, sometimes backed by wooden supports. As far as the “ants” of this place were considered, Twilight felt absolutely stunned by what she saw. The entire floor of the cavern was occupied by warriors, mares and stallions, all in leather, chainmail and steel, standing in an organized, square formation. At least two hundred pairs of glistening eyes, reflecting the light of lanterns hanging on the ceiling and sides of the cave, all focused on her with their slit irises. Everypony was still, everypony was stoic and fierce alike. Adamant Fang stopped for a moment, smiling contently at his troops before addressing the mare. “I might have told a little lie back there, Princess, but I did not wish to ruin the surprise,” he stated, standing right in front of the mare. “Allow me to be the first to greet you officially in the lands blessed by the Goddess. Welcome to Noctraliya, Princess Twilight Sparkle!” he exclaimed, saluting. The entire gathering followed the gesture of their General in unison, causing the deafening noise of metal and steel to fill the chamber. All but one pair of wings in the cavern, Twilight's, became extended, causing a gust of wind to sweep through the place. It even made the lanterns all the way at the rocky ceiling to wobble back and forth. Midnight and Deep Mist joined in this grandeur greeting of the first ever ambassador in the lands of batponies. Twilight did not anticipate the very magnitude of this reception, despite being aware of the uniqueness of her visit. She could only stand, petrified, in the midst of a foreign race, two hundred plus sets of eyes staring right at her, ferocity and pride locked in them firmly, throngs of sharp claws flickering in the light of the moving lanterns and a terrifying multitude of glistening fangs, seemingly threatening her with their presence. Twilight, for a split second, felt like her self-confidence would give in and crumble, feeling the incredulous weight this greeting did put on her shoulders.