Chapter 1
In which we meet the hero of our tale.
Nestled in the foothills of Canterlot Mountain, there lay a small village by the name of Dale. Dale was not an important village, nor was it famous for any one thing or another. In fact, as pony settlements went, it was highly unremarkable. Nonetheless, it is where our story begins. On the outskirts of Dale, near a stream, sat a solitary home and forge. This was the home of Dale's resident blacksmith, an old earth pony stallion by the name of Iron Gauntlet. Iron Gauntlet was, as most earth ponies are, very hard working. The blacksmith was quite a gruff stallion, both in appearance, and manner. His tough and scarred hide was a very unassuming dull gray, which was complimented by a coal-black mane. He liked it this way. It drew very little attention to him, and he was content to be the background. His nephew however, was quite the opposite.
The small home's other resident, a young unicorn stallion by the name Steele Breaker, couldn't be more unlike his uncle. A clean, near reflective silver coat with a jet black mane, Steele longed for adventure, and a chance to see the world outside of Dale. Unfortunately, his uncle had need of his aide with the forge. So, that's what Steele did. His uncle would craft tools and other things for the town, and Steele would sell them in the village's small market. They turned a decent profit, and it kept food on the table and fire in the hearth. Occasionally, Gauntlet would get an order in from one of the nearby settlements, and would go deliver it himself, often being gone for several days. On these occasions, Steele would go out into the yard with a sword left to him by his parents, and practice on a dummy he had put together from whatever he could find. Currently, it possessed a broken iron chest piece for a body, a wooden bucket for a head, and rotted wooden tool handles made up the frame.
Steele was currently beating this dummy senseless, as Gauntlet was off making a delivery to the newest settlement of Manehattan. He had no idea if he was any good or not, as he had nothing to compare his skill to, but the very same sword he held in his magic also adorned his flank, so he couldn't be that bad. He did however, need to work on his awareness. As he stood practicing, Steel's one and only friend trotted up to him. A red unicorn mare by the name of Ember Blaze. Her mane was black, as much from natural color as the constant singing it received from her pyromancing, and streaked with a deep, smoke gray. She was quite the gifted fire mage, and her skill would only improve as time went on. Currently however, she was in need of a good conversation.
"Hey Steele, how have you been?" Ember waited for a response from her friend, but none came. "Steele?" Silence. In the zone it seemed... oh well, best leave him be and come back later right? Hardly. Ember was not so forgiving. "HEY STEELE!!"
"Gah!" Steele lost his concentration mid up-swing, sending his sword flying up into the air. A moment later it fell back down, burying itself in the ground a few hooves away almost up to the cross-guard. "Sheesh Ember, you could get somepony hurt doing that!" He trotted over to his hilted sword, and grabbed the opal-encrusted hilt in his magic. He wrenched it free from the soft earth, and cleaned the blade of mud. Ember was chuckling all the while.
"Well," she began, still fighting giggles. "I wouldn't do it if it didn't work so well all the time. Seriously, you need to loosen up. You're always so tense, acting like we could be attacked any moment or something." She moved back a bit and sat down as Steele started back up with his sword.
"We could, hyah! You never know Ember. Hah! I mean, we're right on the frontier! That's why, hyah! That's why I train all the time! If you can call it that anyways." He stabbed his steel blade through the chest plate, leaving it there as he turned to go and sit with Ember.
"Seriously Steele? Equestria has been at peace for close to one-hundred years now. It will likely stay that way for one-hundred more. Take it easy."
"Take it easy? Is that what you call what you do all day?" He motioned to her singed mane, to drive the point home about her constant research into fire magic.
"Oh please, you know that what I do is completely different! It's no easy task getting into Starswirl's school. I have to have every basic and intermediate spell in my field down, as well as create a new one. I'd like to see YOU do that mister hack-n-slash!" She poked him playfully in the shoulder, smirking.
"Well," Steele retorted. "I'm not exactly super skilled in magic transformation, just in control. Hence the sword on my flank. Not sure why you have a fireball though, you're pretty terrible with those spells of yours." Ember gawked at him in mock offense, holding a hoof crossed over her chest.
"How dare you! I'll have you know I'm the best fire mage in all the town of Dale!"
"That's because you're the only fire mage in Dale silly." Ember harrumphed at this, only to begin laughing after a few moments. Such was their friendship.
"Yeah yeah, say what you like Steele, but who do they have light the pyre for Hearth's Warming every year? Eh?" Steele began laughing along with his friend, always happy to have her company. He kept telling himself that one of these days he'd bring her some flowers or something. Whatever ponies considered acceptable courtship rituals. He could never find the time though, and by time he meant courage. He thought about saying something then and there. Just looking at her as she stared off over the fields, a light wind blowing her mane about. Little singed bits actually broke off every now and then, and he gave a soft chuckle at this. His favorite part though were her eyes. Bright, pure orange irises that danced in the afternoon light, like they were made of the very flame she was so proficient with. She was beautiful.
"You know Steele," she spoke, breaking his concentration. "If you're so in love with your swordplay, why not join the guard? You'd probably do very well for yourself. And they could use a stallion like you." Steele hummed in agreement.
"I've considered it many times," he said. "But I always tell myself that my uncle needs me more. I honestly don't know what he'd do without me." He chuckled a bit at the thought: his uncle never really being able to do anything for himself. He was great with a hammer and anvil, a stove however, not so much. Back when Steele first started living with his uncle, around five, his aunt was still alive as well. He only ever knew her as 'Aunt Holly', but sweet Celestia could that mare cook. She taught him quite a bit as he grew up, but she passed a few years ago, so now it was up to him to keep his uncle from starving to death. Among other things. His gaze shifted downward. So many of his family gone... it was only him and Gauntlet now. His parents had passed many years ago, or so he'd been told.
When he started living with Gauntlet and Aunt Holly, it was because his father and mother had to leave the country for a few months, and couldn't bring him along. His father, a diplomat by the name of Silver Tongue, had to travel to the Gryphon Clans to work out some trade deals. His mother, Opal Heart, was a respected noble in the Canterlot Elite. Her voice held a lot of weight in the clans, something to do with her saving a gryphon hatchling, who happened to be the son of a Clan's head. He knew that they had made it. His mother had written several letters to him, nearly one every other day. Telling him what the gryphons were like, the places, the things they had. She told him about the grand Holds the gryphons had constructed, huge cities surrounded by massive stone walls. Each one flying a different flag. That was Silver's mission you see, to unite the Clans as one, strengthening not only the gryphons themselves, but their diplomatic ties with Equestria as well. It would have been quite the game changer in politics if Steele understood correctly. But, one day, the letters stopped. A week later, they had heard about a great Civil War that had broken out among the Clans. Each clan battling to gain supremacy over the others. As far as Steele knew, those wars still raged. He never heard from his parents again.
"Yeah, I suppose you do have a point there. I mean, you're Uncle is a great blacksmith, but Sisters forbid he has to provide his own meals. I've had his cooking before. Couldn't get the taste out for a whole week!" Steele and Ember both erupted into laughter again, remembering old times. They did this for hours, nearly every other day. Just sitting and talking about nothing. It was a great way to wind down their days, both constantly busy in one way or another. Eventually, Celestia's Sun began to fall behind the tree line of the Everfree Forest. To the North, one could just make out Luna's moon peeking from behind Canterlot Mountain. There was rumor that The Sisters were planning to build a new palace upon the face of Equestria's most magnificent landmark, but it was only hearsay. Ember decided she had best get home before night was fully upon them. Though it may be the seat of the Royal Castle, The Everfree was dangerous at night, and travelers were wise not to traverse it alone.
"Well Ember, I suppose it's goodbye and goodnight for today. Same time tomorrow?" Ember looked at Steele from where she stood, and nodded.
"Of course, see you tomorrow Steele. Now, I better hurry before the night life kicks off. Goodnight." She trotted away, her horn lighting up in order to provide her with some light as she walked the path back to town. It wasn't far, only a few hundred pony-lengths to the town proper, but ti was always best not to linger in Everfree. Steele sat and watched as she left, her light disappearing into the dense foliage of the forest. He stared out to the north, watching Luna's Moon slowly rise up as the orange sky began to fade to deep purple. He always liked to watch the moon rise. It felt relaxing for some reason, as if all of his worries were being lifted from him.
Steele stood, and turned to head inside his uncle's home. Wresting his sword from the target dummy, he began slowly marching back to the safety of the hearth. As he walked however, he heard a rustling in a nearby bush. He turned his head, lighting his horn so he could see better. Sword at the ready, he crept toward the noise. Rustling again, slight left. He focused his light, making it brighter, and shining it exactly on the bush the noise was coming from. He took another tentative step forward, swallowing hard. There could be anything in that bush, a Timber wolf? Cockatrice? Perhaps some form of large snake? He really hated snakes. He sent his sword out, and prodded the shrub. In doing so, he coaxed the bush's occupant out of hiding. Out hopped a small brown rabbit, nose twitching and ears raised.
Dang it Steele... way to over react. Mentally face-hoofing himself for getting worked up over a rabbit, Steele finished his trek to the small home. As the door shut, a green flash erupted from that small, unassuming rabbit. It was engulfed in green flame, revealing the form of a creature most sinister. It's wings buzzed, and it flew off into the night.
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Steele floated his sword of to a weapon rack hanging on a nearby wall, and gazed around the small wooden home that housed him and his uncle. Just beyond the front door was their living and dining area. In it sat an old, round wooden table, with four chairs snug up against it at regular intervals. To the left was the kitchen, and the rest of the home beyond that. A wash basin sat on the right wall of the kitchen, with a stone fireplace on the left. Several cabinets lined the walls, along with hooks holding various pots, pans, and food sacks. Steele pulled down one of the larger pots, filled it with water, and set it in the fireplace, lighting a match as he did so. Tossing the lit match into the logs sitting in the hearth, he began to pull several vegetables out of their sacks, placing them on a counter. Steele began chopping away as the water began to boil in the pot, adding a bit of cooking oil and some seasoning, he moved the chopped vegetables into the pot, and began to stir. Soup was a staple of his and Gauntlet's diet, mostly because it was all Gauntlet ever wanted to eat. He said it reminded him of his mother.
After a while, the soup was nearly ready, so Steele pulled two bowls from one of the cabinets. Testing his creation and deeming it ready, Steele filled one bowl, then the other, and moved the pot off of the fire. He knew Gauntlet could be home at any moment, and he'd want to eat almost immediately. In fact, Steele could hear the creaking of wagon wheels coming from the north. He went to the door and saw Gauntlet down the road, hauling an empty cart behind him. He rushed out to assist his uncle with putting their wagon away.
"Ah, Steele, give your old uncle a hoof with this here cart, would ya boy?" Gauntlet's gruff voice called out as Steele cantered over. Using is magic to pull the cart off of his uncle and onto himself, Steele fell in stride next to the old stallion.
"Good evening uncle. How was your trip?" His uncle merely snorted in response. "Wow... that bad huh? What happened?"
"Those settler ponies... I swear to Celestia, you'd have thought they were trying to rob me! I arrive at their 'humble' little village, tired from a long journey, cart loaded with tools and weapons for them, and they try to haggle me down from our pre-agreed upon price! Said my work was shoddy and the tools were dull and not worth the trouble. Pah! They wouldn't know good craftponyship if it reared up and bit 'em on the flank! Took me nearly an hour to get a fair deal. We finally decided to go fifteen bits per item and a free night at the town inn. Cheap bastards the lot of 'em." Steele cocked an eyebrow, surprised at the price.
"Only fifteen? Didn't they promise nearly thirty? I'm surprised you went for that uncle, you're usually more adamant. Not losing your edge are you?" His uncle gave him a sideways glare, and Steele bit back a bit of laughter.
"Not on your life boy. Normally I would have been, but I was tired, and once I saw the prices at that inn, it would have been nearly a clean swap either way. Still, we made some good coin, 450 bits is a decent haul. Minus 50 or so for travel expenses." Gauntlet sniffed the air as they neared the forge and shed. "You make supper already?"
"That I did uncle. Soup, the usual stuff." Steele lifted the cart off his back, and set the harness gently on the ground. His uncle placed a couple boards behind the wheels to keep it from rolling back down the hill. They both turned and headed for the house, with Steele closing the shed doors behind them.
"Atta boy Steele, you know just how to get me unwound at the end of a long journey. Just like your Aunt did, Sisters rest her soul." Steele and Gauntlet sat at the dining room table and ate their meal, Gauntlet going into a bit more detail about his trip to Manehatten. Apparently the settlement was doing rather well for itself, with the population steadily growing. In fact, as Gauntlet was on his way out of the area he came across a fellow blacksmith who was moving to the new town. While it meant there wasn't much chance of more work out there, it was a good sign for the ponies out there. They would likely thrive, especially the way Gauntlet described the area. Lots of fertile land, the coast practically on their doorstep. While it would be rough their first few years as it always went with frontier towns, Steele expected it'd grow to be one of Equestria's largest cities if it was allowed to by her neighbors.
After they had finished their meal, Gauntlet bid Steele a good night, then turned in. The old stallion rounded the corner into his room, shutting the door behind him. Steele let out a slow sigh, placing the two bowls into the wash basin. He looked over at the now empty pot, deciding to deal with it tomorrow before he went to the market in the morning. It was going to be another long day tomorrow, as it always was when Gauntlet was in town. He wasn't complaining by any means, but the monotony got boring. Still, it was a decent and honest living, and it was nice to talk to ponies in the market.
Steele moved down the hall past his uncle's room to his own. Much like everything else, it wasn't very special. A small bed on the left wall, a dresser on the right, and a single window on the back wall, facing south into the forest. On his dresser, there sat two things: a painting of him and his parents, and a necklace his mother had given him before they left. It was a silver chain with a single opal at the bottom, it was oval in shape, and only a half inch wide. He floated the necklace over, gazing at it in his magic. Slipping it over his head, the small jewel fit rather snugly against his breast fitting just between his two collar bones. He lay on his bed, reaching out with his magic again, he grabbed the painting and floated it in front of his face. He stared up at his younger self, sitting calmly in-between his parents. The artist had done a good job, capturing quite well the likeness of the three ponies. Steele actually remembered that day, having to sit still for nearly an hour while the artist painted them. As soon as the mare had finished, he made a beeline for the nearest colt's room. He chuckled, nearly having wet himself on the way over. He would give anything to go back to those days. Everything was so much happier then. Sighing, Steele set the portrait aside and fell into a dreamless sleep.
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Steele awoke slowly, his room still dark. Strange, he thought, I don't usually wake up until sunrise. After he gained full control of his functions though, he knew why his body had woke him up. Smoke. Maybe Gauntlet had woken up early and tried to cook himself something? Steele laughed aloud at that thought. Standing, he walked out of his room and called down the hall.
"Uncle? Not trying to cook again are you?" Steele heard sarcastic laughter coming from his uncle's room.
"Very funny boy. No, I'm not trying to cook, the damn town's on fire. So, if you're done cracking jokes, we need to get over there and do what we can to help." Instantly Steele's expression changed. He hurried down the hall, rounding the corner into the kitchen just as his uncle came out of his room. Steele looked back at the old stallion, and quirked an eyebrow at what he was wearing.
"Er... Gauntlet? What's with the get-up?" His uncle looked at him through the eye slats in a helmet. It was a simple thing, made from his uncle's namesake. The stallion also wore a breastplate, and greaves on his front hooves. They looked weighted, as if they were designed just as much for attack as they were for defense.
"Saw something flying around the town from my window. Lot's of green flame. The town isn't just on fire, it's under attack. Grab your sword boy. We're in for a fight." Steele gulped. He figured he was good with his sword, but he'd never used it in any real fights. Time to see what he was made of he guessed. He grabbed his sword and ran out the front door and to the right, Iron Gauntlet right behind him. Whatever happened, this was going to be a long day.