A harsh, cold wind whipped across the cliffside as Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack descended the narrow, zigzagging path towards the gates of Mistral City, staying wary of the sheer drop beside them. Twilight pulled her cloak tight around her with magic, letting the wind shear off, which gave her some comfort. As they drew closer, noise from the bustling city properly came into view. There was a cacophony of harsh noises and mechanical clangs, giving context to the plumes of smoke that rose and concealed the city’s massive center tower and platform that towered high above the wall. Twilight knew the amount of fresh air inside would be very limited, so she tried to savor every breath as the details of the gate and the outer walls became clearer.
“What do we do ‘bout this?” Applejack asked, fighting the howling winds. She motioned to a pair of guards that stood on both sides of the massive, wrought iron gate. They ran behind a large mound of snow and huddled. Applejack peered from behind the packed snow and watched the guards stand at attention. “Those Ventians know that we’re comin’... and we can’t exactly sneak in there with that giant wall blocking our way.”
“Perhaps Twilight could simply teleport us in?” Rarity suggested. “It doesn’t seem that hard to get by.”
“I don’t think so,” Twilight said, still exhausted from their trip over. “Considering that we’re the only ones out here, those guards will be watching our every move; we have to be discrete. Second of all, this is a walled city, so we’ll be better off if we’re seen entering like everypony else.” She peeked her head up and looked over at the still stationary guards, checking to see if they were watching. “As long as we keep a low profile and hide our cutie marks, we shouldn’t come off as suspicious.”
“How do ya suppose we do that?” Applejack asked. “I ain’t shavin’ mah flank.”
“Back before Applebloom found her friends, she wanted me to give her her cutie mark before her time. What resulted was only a temporary mark, but if I can invert the spell matrix, I may be able to invert the effects as well. It should be able to remove ours for a short time.”
“Apple Bloom did that? The nerve a’ that girl. Don’t she know how to be patient?” She sighed, then looked up at Twilight with a worried look on her face. “Not that I’m doubting you or nothing, Twi', but the last time you tried a spell you were unsure of we wound up out here to fix it.”
“This is different. Only Grizwald spells can cause deviations if I get them wrong. If this one fails, it’ll just fizzle out, no harm done.” Both Rarity and Applejack looked at her, appearing to be more inclined to bolt than allow the purple unicorn near them with her magic. Twilight sighed. “Of course, I’ll try it on myself first.” She frowned as her friends both breathed a sigh of relief.
Twilight’s horn glowed a bright purple as she prepared the experimental spell. She released the energy in a small burst and in only a few moments, the cutie mark that branded her haunches disappeared in a small flash. Twilight lifted her cloak to inspect them closer, noticing her cutie marks were completely gone without a trace, only purple fur left in its place. She smiled at her success, but she was unsure of how long the spell’s effects would last. The longevity of the original had been but a few fleeting moments; she could only hope that it would last long enough to get past the guards.
“I can hardly believe that worked,” Rarity said, inspecting Twilight’s blanked haunches. “I thought it would surely be harder to do than that.”
“How long is it supposed to last?” Applejack asked.
“I’m not sure. I haven’t tried this before,” Twilight explained.
“What happens if it wears off before we reach the gate?”
“We improvise.” Twilight smiled nervously.
Quickly, Twilight erased any trace of the other two ponies’ markings before turning around to face the looming wall ahead. With a gulp, she trotted out from behind the snow bank and towards the gates, taking slow and deep breaths. Even with her friends with her, she was still nervous about approaching a Ventian after all she had seen and heard thus far. Even after a lifetime devoted to study, she was left grasping at straws when it came to the Ventian people. She hadn’t come across them ever before, even while studying outlying equine cultures. It was as though they had simply been written out of history.
As if on cue, the two armored ponies snapped to attention, watching carefully as the Equestrians approached. Beads of sweat trickled down Twilight’s brow as one of them, a unicorn, stepped forward. He was dressed in obsidian and silver armor with no symbol whatsoever, simply a blank spot where the commander of the mercenaries’ sigil had been inset.
“What business have you in Mistral City, unicorns?” the guard asked as Applejack, and Rarity caught up to Twilight and stood by her side. The sounds of creatures of all sorts had made themselves clearer, and to threatened to drown out the guard’s voice. “From whence do you hail?”
“From the south,” Twilight blurted out instinctively. The map that Luna had given her was hopelessly specific to Equestria and Ventia, most of the surrounding nations left in tiny print at the edges, which Twilight had naturally glossed over. “We’re from Carse.” It sounded right. At least it did to her. She studied the guard’s face closely, watching a smile grow across his snow-caked face.
“I’ve been to Carse before. It’s really a nice country. Do any of you know a pony named Katt? I’ve never met a filly that baked a better papaya roll.” The blush on his face was easily seen through the snow, making Twilight slightly unnerved yet relieved. Every sign leading up to Mistral City had signaled mortal danger, ranging from the Ventian lord’s mercenaries to the pack of griffins that had assaulted them as they passed through the mountains. Never in her wildest imagination did she think that she would be greeted by a young stallion talking about papaya rolls.
“I haven’t, but she sounds like a very lovely girl,” Rarity chimed in, buttering up the guard as only she knew how. “Do you have a thing for her, perhaps?” The guard’s face flushed an even deeper red as she asked this.
“Well... maybe... What are you three doing out here in a hellhole like this?” He hurried to regain his composure, wiping the blush off his face. “Carse couldn’t have gone under that quickly, could it? Times are tough, but that would be ridiculous.”
“We’re explorers,” Twilight explained, the guard nodding attentively at her every word. “We heard a lot about Mistral City, so we decided to take a look.” The other, more ornery-looking pegasus simply snorted and sat down on a wooden stool, rolling his eyes. “I’m a scholar by trade, and I wanted to see the city for myself.”
“Explorers, huh?” The tan pegasus looked at them with narrow eyes. “You look a little too well fed to be explorers.”
“Excuse me?” Rarity asked with a fiery bite. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“I-I’m sorry, he just meant that it doesn’t look like you’re starving, that’s all... Oh, I get it now. You’re dignitaries, aren’t you? Your accent isn’t very common in Carse... but that and your tones sound a lot like their ruling class if you ask me.”
Twilight breathed a small sigh of relief before her lips curled up in a smile. “Well, the government didn’t want anyone to know about our arrival.”
“I see. This has to do with Lord Salkie’s rotten food export just last week, doesn’t it? News must travel fast to get to Carse so quickly. Normally it takes at least a week and a half for shipments to get there.” Twilight was surprised, knowing that news could travel instantaneously in Equestria due to pegasi and dragonfire being the primary modes of long distance communication. The scholar in her wanted to press the guard for information about the Ventian postal system, but she suppressed the urge and simply nodded along with him. “Well, I won’t keep you then. I’ll open the gate for you.”
He turned away and walked up to the stone archway that surrounded the metal gate and pressed his hoof against one of the stones. A green light emerged from his hoof before the entire gate was enveloped by light itself. With a cacophony of screeching metal that swallowed the sound of the rest of the city, the gate slowly rose. It made a large metallic thunk as it stopped, the green energy fading as the guard removed his hoof from the stone. He trotted back to the three mares, looking pleased with himself. “It’s been awhile since I’ve done that.”
“Thank you very much,” Twilight said with a small smile. She had walked only a couple steps when the guard stopped her with a hoof. Panic shot up her spine as she looked at him, the guard motioning for her to lean closer.
“Just between us, there are rumors that there are Equestrians either coming here or have already gotten into the city. The lords have been scrambling to make sure they aren’t blamed for this, so be careful about what you say around them if you see them. You and your friends’ coats are a little colorful to be from around here, so some guards may suspect you immediately. Don’t tell anyone that I told you this.” He glanced at the other guard who was busy looking out through the gate. “Good luck. Lord Salkie isn’t known for his small temper. Just head down the road to the upper level entrance and you should find them up there.” He took his hoof off of her and stepped back, gesturing towards the gate. Applejack and Rarity walked up to Twilight’s side as they trotted past the guard house.
Twilight was ecstatic, but slightly confused. Not one peek under their cloaks and they were let through the gate. Is no pony supposed to know about us coming?
“And don’t let that dirtpony servant touch anything, y’hear?” The pegasus called out.
Applejack made to respond, her face contorted in anger, but Rarity halted her with a look, successfully corralling her back into line as they passed beneath the massive gate.
From the inside, the wall looked to about hundred feet thick, made completely of limestone and iron girders. A small pathway was built into its side with stairs leading up into the wall’s interior. Twilight shook her head, wondering what could be so dangerous in such a desolate, frozen wasteland that they would need guards posted at all times in addition to such fortifications. She looked up, noticing a pair watching them from above with spears in hoof. The guards’ heads moved as the three walked on, monitoring their every step. She ducked her head nervously as they passed into the city proper.
All of the clanging and haze began to make sense as she entered. A stream of ponies, small dragons, and griffons passed in front of the gate, a few of them stopping to watch the three enter. The streets were overflowing with merchants and blacksmiths, selling an impressive array of craftworks and other goods to their well-appointed patrons.
Smoke rose from the rooftop chimneys and wafted through the air from the brick and wooden homes that lined the straight path before them. Small wintergreens made their homes near the doors of the merchants in small clay pots. Curious, Twilight broke away from her friends and walked up to one of the merchants, watching him bring a hammer down on glowing red steel, sending a cascade of orange sparks to the cobblestone below. Weapon blacksmiths were rare in Equestria and especially in Ponyville.
“Like what you see?” the blacksmith asked, setting the hammer down and wiping the sweat from his brow. He submerged the hot steel into a vat of water, sending a large plume of steam skyward before taking it out to showcase to onlookers. A faint glow still shone from the wide blade, its edge smooth and sharp. It was formed of a pewter-colored metal that glimmered in the sun and glare from the fallen snow.
“It’s quite impressive,” Twilight said, several others nodding along in agreement.
“Smithing’s been my family’s trade ‘fer generations. There’re dozens of old family secrets are poured into each one of my blades. Some of them go back hundreds, if not thousands of years.” He paused with a thoughtful chuckle. “My grandpa always said that our lineage has been doing this even before the Frozen Ages.”
“Before? When did it start?” Twilight asked, the blacksmith turning to face her with a confused look.
“No one really knows when, miss. Some say it was a freak chance of nature, while others a punishment for the dead land. I’ve always believed that it has always been this way.” He showcased the leading edge of the blade, holding it for all to see. “You heard me right, skills honed since before the Frozen Ages. Only the gold for such a magnificent—”
Punishment for the dead land? What does that mean? Twilight wondered quietly, tuning out the blacksmith’s sales pitch.
Before she could find the words to press him further, Twilight was hurried out of the way and thrust into the back of the crowd. The blacksmith silently prepared another sheet of metal to put into the fire while the ponies and a dragon filled in, blocking her view.
With a sigh, she forged ahead, catching up to her friends as they soaked up the city’s culture. Up ahead were several homes painted white and cream, nearly blending in with the white-gray slush that coated the ground. Twilight didn’t mind the slush as it at least didn’t feel like needles pressing into her hooves as she walked through it.
With the upper level approaching, Applejack glanced over at the bushels of fresh berries in front of a shop while Rarity preoccupied herself with reclaiming the signature swoops and curls of her mane and tail, trying to make herself presentable as they walked towards the city’s central tower. Twilight slowed down from her brisk pace, letting her friends keep up before an odor shot up her nose, making it wrinkle in revulsion.
With nothing else on her mind, she turned her head every which way, trying to locate the source of the pungent stench. She looked between a pair of houses and spotted two guards standing with spears, much like the ones on top of the wall. One wore a red and silver dragonscale armor while the other the standard black and gray. A silver, gilded dragon was perched on the guard’s chest as an insignia. Twilight quickly broke her gaze with the pair, attempting to look inconspicuous as she trotted quickly away down the road.
The smell only gained strength as the straight and narrow path led them to the edge of the upper platform. It was roughly thirty or so stories above the ground, a flat disk that snow seemed to be able to pass right through. Its underbelly appeared to be in shadow, yet light touched the ground underneath as if nothing were there.
As it started to snow again, most, if not all, of the shopkeepers closed up and moved inside while others went inside the immaculate homes that lined the street towards the center, leaving the three alone and shivering. Loud clangs and commotion could still be heard from beyond the houses, leaving Twilight to wonder what was beyond the guards’ barricade. Before she could try to investigate, however, she was eyed by one soldier whose eyes locked onto hers. Averting her gaze, Twilight tore up the middle of the path until she nearly reached the upper platform’s edge.
Just ahead was a lone soldier guarding a set of stairs. A small buzzing sound began to swell and drown out the rest of the city noise as they approached. Upon further investigation, the stairwell was blocked off by a soft green light, much like the one the guard had used to raise the gate. Twilight looked up and kept her eyes on the lip of the disc as she pass underneath. After a single step into its range, a look of confusion washed over her.
The whole upper level had disappeared!
“Look,” Twilight said to Applejack and Rarity, nudging them. When she looked over, they were already staring upward at the empty void. A small flurry of snow and gray clouds were the only things she could see.
If it disappears when you come near it, how can ponies walk on it?
She looked back down at the green energy, her mind hastily forming a conclusion. It was enchanted. A hundred questions came to her mind before she was caught by Rarity’s hoof, stopping her just in front of the humming force field. Rarity smiled sweetly as they faced the guard, nudging Twilight to do the same.
“Passes,” the guard said, sitting forward in his chair to get a closer look. Twilight glanced at her friends, each of their faces showing their own brand of confusion.
“Uh, passes? We were never told about that,” Twilight explained, her hooves tapping with nerves as the guard stared up at her with his sunken eyes. “We have something important to see up there, so if you could please let us through-”
“Can you afford them or not?” the sentry interrupted, tapping the butt of his spear on the ground.
“Exactly how much are these passes?” Rarity asked, stepping forward. She reached for her saddlebag, but swiped only air, only now remembering that it was lost during the griffin attack. Rarity began to play with her hair instinctively, trying to fake that that was what she was trying to do in the first place.
“100,000 gold pieces a piece,” the guard put it bluntly. Twilight reeled back, but then tried to compose herself in the hope of appearing as if the price hadn’t phased her. “Are you buying any, or are we done here?”
“What do we do, y’all? We can’t give him bits,” Applejack whispered, leading Twilight and Rarity back away from the guard. “And those lords would have a better chance of finding out about us if we’re up there with them. What if the book ain’t even there and we’re being led into a trap?”
“We can’t afford to take any chances,” Twilight agreed. “Ask first, then act after. We shouldn’t rush into anything here.”
“Y’all know where there’s a library ‘round here?” Applejack hollered, watching the guard snap back to attention after becoming entranced with his spear play. “We don’t have any money for ya, but any information would be much appreciated.”
The sunken-eyed soldier laughed before getting to his hooves. “Finding anything other than scum down here would be a miracle in and of itself. If you really can’t afford it, I’d be happy to show you out.”
Suddenly, Twilight was knocked off balance by the push of a soldier and fell into the snow. She looked up and saw two guards west who had blocked the alleyway stepping aside, clearing out a path.
“Stop it!” Twilight cried out, looking back at her assailant before being struck across the face with a sheathed sword. She felt a bruise already beginning to burn on her cheek as she was pushed forward, stumbling into the alley. The soldier jammed the sword in the back of her neck and pushed her into the snow. She broke the fall of Rarity as she crashed unceremoniously on top of her while Applejack was at least able to keep her footing and turned to yell something that Twilight couldn’t quite make out as her ears buzzed painfully. Rarity quickly shook off her daze and rolled off of Twilight, extending a hoof to help her friend back onto her hooves. As the adrenaline wore off and her daze subsided, the stench from before reared its ugly head once more, sending her reeling.
The slush that had littered the ground in the alley had turned into solidly packed snow with pieces of trash sticking out along the walls. It wasn’t white, but a coal black, peppered with the white of the recent snowfall. Twilight pushed forward down the long alley, leaving the relative warmth of the strip behind as frigid air funneled through it. With her hooves left completely unprotected, she tore off a piece of her cloak and magically formed a rough set of boots, covering most, if not all, of her hooves.
Rarity followed suit, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of doing the work that she was best at. Taking some thread out from the cloak, she used a small piece of scrap metal from the ground and fashioned it into a needle to sew the new boots. She hummed and smiled as she worked on the scrap of cloak, something Twilight hadn’t seen her do for quite some time. Twilight felt a small respite from the cold that they had trudged through, watching the fashionista lose herself in her work.
The feeling was fleeting as a sharp pain in her side flared up, causing her to hunch over. She became fully lucid at that point, tending to her wound before scanning her surroundings once more to see the grime and filth that coated the walls of the alley. She approached it and took a whiff, wrenching in repulsion as she forced herself away.
What is this? she asked herself, stepping closer to run her hoof through it and inspect the black, grainy substance.
“What are you doing?” Applejack asked Twilight as Rarity finally finished her makeshift boots.
“The whole hallway is covered with this... dust...” She looked up and noticed the array of smokestacks that stood on top of the high, flat-looking roof. Upon closer inspection, it crumbled in her hoof, releasing the smell of rank sulfur into the air. “We’re right next to a factory. But, I didn’t see where that house ended.” She looked back down the alley and saw that the house never stopped. “What is this then? Ash?” They walked along a wall that bled ash and exhaled smoke. “It’s fake... but why?”
“What would they gain from faking a house in front of a factory? It don’t make much sense,” Applejack asked, inspecting the wall of ash herself.
It was warm, Twilight could tell as she ran her hoof over it. She brushed some of the ash off, revealing white and yellow cinders still burning behind the ash.
“This is steel!” Twilight exclaimed. She brushed off more, seeing the entire wall looking the same way. “It’s a steel mill... What do they need so much steel for?”
“I don’t know, but why would they hide this from the outside? It don’t seem right.”
“I’m not sure.” Twilight put a hoof to her chin in thought as she looked up into the void that the vanished upper level left. “I think the bigger question is what is so important in the upper tier to place such high security and cost on such a large part of the city. Not even Canterlot is this highly guarded. I don’t think you could even fly up there if you tried to.”
“Why do you say that?” Rarity asked.
“Didn’t you notice that once we went below the disc that it disappeared? It appears to have an enchantment on it that made it vanish when we passed underneath. If they need a guard to let somepony through, I’m sure it works above as well. That green barrier is most likely the only entrance that enables you to reach it at all.”
Applejack looked to the sky as well, watching the snow fall through as if nothing were above them. “So how do they get any fresh water up there? The snow passes right through.”
“We can worry about that later. We still haven’t seen what’s at the end of the alley, so let’s keep focused on what’s down here for now,” Twilight said, Applejack and Rarity nodding in agreement.
With their sights focused on their surroundings,the walk through the alley seemed to be shorter than Twilight had thought. Stopping for a moment, she bent down and wiped some soot from the snow before placing a hoof full of pristine snow against her face to reduce the swelling on her cheek. A factory whistle and the laughter of children funneled through the alley as they stood mere steps from the exit. Several kids ran by, Twilight taking notice of their slag- and dirt-covered faces and ragged clothing. She trotted into the street proper and froze, unable to process the sight.
Ramshackle housing lined the winding streets as families huddled outside next to oil lanterns, holding their hooves out for warmth. The dust that had caked onto their flesh made most appear older, and hoofwoven garments laid over their ragged bodies. The children swung back around, giving the Equestrians another chance to see that their rib cages were prominent on their shriveled bodies. A stallion in his middle ages began to violently hack and cough, a similarly aged mare putting her foreleg around him to comfort him.
“This is terrible,” Twilight said, breaking the trio’s silence.
“I think we know why that upper level is so well-protected now,” Applejack chimed in, stepping back to let a family covered in dirt-caked rags with scraggy, unkempt manes pass by her. “What kinda fancy pants lord would be down here in the slums?”
Applejack’s comment made Twilight’s mind work overtime to make sense of everything before coming to a conclusion. “They have a feudal caste system.” With a turn of her head, she saw a soldier in navy and silver armor turn the corner with a sword still in its sheath. His face had a slightly plump quality to it and, compared to the ponies around them, he seemed rather well-off. Quickly, Twilight ran her hooves through Rarity’s hair, messing it up to let it fall in loose strands before stripping her of her necklace and stuffing it into her bag.
“What in Celestia’s name was that for?” Rarity hissed, trying to fix up her hair again. “I just got it cleaned up, and what are you doing with my necklace?”
“Look at everypony around you. If we don’t want to be caught by guards, we need to be incognito. Keep your hair down, but at least make it presentable,” Twilight said, realizing that all the ponies in the streets were earthy colors while they were bright and colorful and, worst of all, clean by comparison. “And don’t mention anything about back home.” Rarity simply nodded as she simply untangled her hair.
“I hope it doesn’t all look like this,” Rarity said as they started walking down the street.
Suddenly, a piercing whistle blew from the mill, causing the three to cover their ears. The shrill tone didn’t seem to affect the others as most of the males stood and marched into the building without a word. Twilight caught a glimpse of their eyes, sunken in with dark circles underneath as soot seemed to be melded into the skin around it. She wished Rarity was talking about the grime like she would have normally, but, no, she meant the people with their defeated gazes, and Twilight couldn’t agree more.
Luna had been right about Mistral City. The moniker of City of the Damned felt like an understatement to her now.
“What’s the plan?” Applejack asked as the whistling finally ceased. The remaining ponies in the streets silently went back to their businesses as the soldier walked by. He gave them only a cursory glance before continuing his patrol. “Where do we even start?”
“I don’t know,” Twilight admitted, already sick of hearing the words out of her mouth. Down the road she could see a line of stallions and a few mares heading towards the outer wall, marching two to a row. Most held pickaxes in their mouths and wore helmets with with spotlights on the front. She could hear murmurs amongst them, even over the constant, growing noise of the factories. “I think we should take a look around. Watch ponies to try blending in better.”
“Blend in? With them? I hardly think I can look the part in so short a time,” Rarity said, looking the ponies over. “Still... we have to hurry. I shudder to think what Fluttershy could be going through right now.”
“Don’t worry. I’m planning on speaking with her tonight. Worst case, we’ll force our way to wherever the book is and get them out of there. For now, we’re going to be discrete.” Twilight scooped up another hoof full of snow and pressed it against in her cheek. The swelling was minimal, but the her cheek still stung. “Walk around and pay attention to what ponies are doing. I’m sure we’ll come up with something.”
The three resumed their trek down the road, staying relatively silent as they kept their eyes focused on the small groups of ponies remaining outside. The streets were quiet outside of the intermittent clangs and whirrs emanating from the factories, making it hard for them to walk by unnoticed. Houses and shops that they passed by all looked the same, each of them cobbled together from various types of wood and metal. A couple inside one of the shops waved through a window, catching Twilight’s eye, one appearing to be surprisingly clean and free of the soot that caked everything else. Several woven baskets with thatched lids were stacked in front of the shack and a small evergreen stood flanking the doorway. With nopony else to base their investigation on, Twilight broke off and entered the shop.
The interior looked much like Zipporah’s shop in Wheatown, only smaller and stuffier. The walls reflected the haphazardly constructed look of the exterior but were reinforced with steel beams that ran from the wooden floor to the low ceiling. Behind the counter was an assortment of dried fruits and grains, hoofwoven clothing, barrels of ale and cider, and even a few wooden and steel toys to Twilight’s surprise.
A furred, but homely mare stood expectantly behind the counter, smiling at Twilight as she trotted closer; she was illuminated only by a small lantern whose flame flickered in the draft that blew through the shop. A mat with red trim covered the floor that clashed with the navy and silver banner hanging on the back wall, emblazoned with a silver eagle in the center.
“Welcome to our store, newcomer!” she said, her voice rough but sweet. “I hope the whistle didn’t scare you too much.”
“Thanks,” Twilight said, wishing that they didn’t come across so obviously green.
“So, where do you come from? It’s hard to believe that anyone could come all the way to Mistral without any money. Most creatures freeze to death before they ever even get close. Y‘know, it had been so long since I’d heard what the gates sound like when they open, I thought something horrible was happening!”
Applejack and Rarity walked in behind Twilight as she thought about how to respond. “Why do you think that we have no money? This isn’t where the guards send everypony?”
The shopkeeper laughed. “They sent you here, didn’t they? The Steel District’s under Lord Balan himself. If you even had a cent to your name, they would’ve sent you to at least the mining or textile districts. Who knows, maybe even a cultural district if you caught ‘em in a good mood.” Her husband took his gaze away from the front window, walked behind the counter and sat down. “Plus that nasty gash on your face shows it pretty well.”
“When we were forced through the alley... the house that was on the main road just merged with the factory behind it. Why would they fake that?”
“No one who really cares about us in the lower level actually comes to Mistral. They probably had to make the entrance presentable to not scare off potential visitors or allies. It’s a callous thing for them to do, but unfortunately it works.”
“That’s horrible,” Rarity interjected. “So that blacksmith that we saw... was he fake as well?”
“It was probably one the government hired to perform for the King’s Alley folk. Liars and cheats, all of them. Not like the hard working folk down here... lack of money and all.”
“If nopony has any money, then why would you keep your shop here?” Twilight asked, perplexed.
“This has been my family’s business for generations. I’m not about to pack up and head out. There’s too much history here for us to just leave.”
“But... why would you call us over then? You think we’re broke, right?”
“Can’t a pony say ‘hi’ to her new neighbors? I’m sure you’ll get enough money to move to a better district at some point; you look like you have good heads on your shoulders.”
“We have money, but it just isn’t usable here,” Twilight interrupted before the shopkeeper had the chance to get out the welcome baskets.
“Honey, we’ve seen every currency in the entire continent pass through here at least twice,” her husband chimed in, his words filtered through a bushy gray beard. “Whatever you have should be good enough.”
Twilight gulped. She had said too much, and just outside were guards which could easily come in and capture them. The cold and her weariness had stretched her mentality thin.
“We aren’t from the continent. We’re sailors,” she lied, watching for their reactions.
The shopkeeper simply smirked. “You don’t need to lie to us. I know sailors when I meet them. If you really don’t want to talk about where you’re from, I can understand. I’m sure I can trade whatever you have with some of our reserves.”
“How much would this give us?” Twilight dug into her bag, pulling out one bit and placing it on the counter. The shopkeeper grabbed the bit and held it close to inspect it. A bit was just a flat piece of gold without any country or city name pressed into its surface, so Twilight had no misgivings about giving one up.
“Hmm. I haven’t seen anything like this before.” She paused a moment to bite down on the coin. “It looks to be genuine metal though...” She began to mutter to herself, something about alloys and karat weights. “The best I can do is tell you to head further into the city. We can’t put this to any use here, but I’m sure there are places that can.”
“Where? Do you have a map?” She took the bit back and put it away.
“Sure. It’s the only thing except for flour and grain that our lousy government will give us for free. They use some type of special paper for it too, one that I know doesn’t come from around here. Head west from the bank towards the Calwyns’ district. That family is richer and more lenient about certain... transactions than the Balans are.” She slid over a folded sheet of paper. Light shined off the map as if it was coated in some sort of resin, and the drawing inside was color-coordinated between districts. Magnified areas of the map were pushed into the corners, allowing Twilight to read the names of places too small on the larger map.
“The Calwyns... what are their colors?” she asked, now extremely glad that she had taken the shopkeeper’s invitation.
“They hold the crimson and silver.” Twilight began to sweat from nerves. “Dragons are their sigil, and there’s even a rumor that they are dragons themselves. No one can be a lord unless they are a unicorn though, so I wouldn’t put much stock in that,” the shopkeeper finished, smiling blithely at Twilight’s apparent apprehension.
“Thank you so much,” she said, trying to stay calm. “Is there by chance anywhere else we could trade these in?”
“You’d die of starvation afore you got there. Besides, the Calwyns’ district is rumored to be where a few of the richest folk stay... the ones that aren’t allowed into King’s Alley at least. You should have a better time there than anywhere else.”
"Thank you for your help," Twilight said, folding up the map and placing it inside her pack. The shopkeeper bent down and rummaged through a pile of what appeared to be damaged merchandise. Twilight stuck her head over the counter to see what she was looking for, but was thrown back as the homely mare sprang back up and placed several items on the table.
“For your travels,” she said, spreading the items across the counter. Three pairs of worn boots, a new pack, several pieces of flatbread and two canteens filled with water laid out before them. A warm, yet sly looking smile grew on her face as the three looked over their new provisions.
“What's all this for? Y’all just givin’ this to us?” Applejack asked, perplexed.
“Of course. You'll need all this to make it to the Calwyns' district with ease,” the shopkeeper stated. However, as Twilight made to accept the goods, the shopkeeper drew them back a bit, a strange grin gracing her face. “But I do require a small, but modest fee.”
“What is it?” Twilight asked warily, watching the shop keeper lean in close to them.
“I want to know where you came from.”
“You just said that you didn't care!” Twilight retaliated, slamming her hooves on the counter. “Why ask now?”
“Security in the Calwyns' district has been ramped up as of late, and you three seemed awfully keen on not setting hoof there." She patted one of the boots. "Does Rissen worry you so much that you can't tell me where where you’re from?”
There was that name again.
Rissen...
The lord that the griffons’ leader had promised to deliver them to.
The one that sent a battalion of mercenaries to hunt them down.
If he had heightened security in the district... and every other district was several day's walk away... we have no choice...
Twilight caught her eyes darting back and forth in thought and quickly looked down to concentrate on the items, trying not to appear worried.
“I won't tell a soul,” the shopkeeper promised.
“First, tell me if there's a library in their district. We're looking for a book to help bring our friends home.”
“From what I've heard, yes. You definitely won't find one here though unless you look in the right places. Lord Balan has always been too drunk and too stupid to give us anything of worth.”
Twilight sighed, her mind racing to come up with what to do if the shopkeepers attacked them when, or if, she told them. “I'm worried about what would happen to you two more than anything.”
“Oh? Well, no one pays attention to anything that goes on around here anyway. Thieves, murderers and other scoundrels pass through unnoticed until they reach one of the other districts. Even if they were reported, the guards are too pampered and out of shape to do any real work.” She laughed, making Twilight wonder if it would actually be safer in the dragons’ den than staying where they were. She turned to Applejack who just sternly nodded her head.
“W-we're from Equestria.”
Silence filled the shop quickly as her words hung in the air. Without a word, the mare pushed the items towards them, forcing them straight into Twilight's chest. She gestured her head to the left as she stepped back from the counter. Her husband walked through the door on the left side of the shop, his boots clomping down on wood as he went down a flight of stairs.
“Keep yourselves hidden as much as possible. Let no one in red and silver speak with you,” the mare ordered with an intense look on her face.
“T-thank you,” Twilight said, grabbing the supplies and placing them inside of the new bag. “We'll be careful.”
“Remember, you have friends here. Don’t forget that,” she said, placing a hoof to her lips before blowing out the lantern on the counter. "Travel safe."
“We will.”
They walked out from the shop into sheets of snow falling from the sky, being by the frozen crystals as they heard the tumblers of the lock on the door turn behind them. It was hard to see what was in front of them, providing them with better cover than they could have hoped for. The wind was weak: just one more blessing as they descended into Rissen's territory. She passed the new bag, the Element of Generosity, and a quartet of boots over to Rarity, as well as a set to Applejack. Twilight slipped off her makeshift boots and slipped into the new ones, her hooves already feeling warmer as they provided much more of a barrier than the canvas ever could. She tossed them to the side of the road, thinking that perhaps one of the families could use them later.
“What was all that about?” Rarity asked as Twilight unfolded the map. The snow slid straight off, alleviating her fears that it might be ruined in the snowstorm. “What friends? What does that mean?”
“I don’t know, but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough,” Twilight said as she charted a course to Rissen's district. The route wound through the back alleys, keeping them off of the main road. “It shouldn't take more than a few hours to reach it. Their district extends surprisingly far south.” She folded up the map and tucked it away. “I suggest eat something while we still have the chance.”
After walking for a few moments, they found a spot between two houses where the snow was stopped by one house's large chimneys. They sat down and opened Twilight's bag, taking out the remaining apples and water they had left. She picked one of the apples up, noticing brown spots covering half of it. With her mouth already parched and her throat dry, she bit into it and grimaced at the taste of overripe fruit. She took a few more bites before tossing it away.
“Hey! Don't just throw food away!” Applejack reproached her, picking the apple up from the ground and using the fresh snow to clean it off. We don't have any money, and you're tossin' perfectly good apples?”
Twilight simply sighed, taking a large swig of water to rid herself of the taste. The water was half frozen and had ice chunks floating in it, but she gulped it down regardless, pressing the bits of ice against the inside of her still sore cheek, before taking a small bit out of the flat bread. It tasted surprisingly sweet for such old looking bread, and it was oddly soft as well. She savored the taste as she ran her hoof over the route again, trying to keep every turn and straightaway in mind before they headed off. After downing another swig of water, she rose and packed away the rest of the food. “Are we ready?”
“I'll be just a second, darling," Rarity said, carefully lacing up her boots. “Well... they are not very stylish, but I guess they’ll have to do for now.” She stood as Applejack did, looking behind her to see the streets still empty of life. Rarity glanced over the peeling sides of her boots, a grimace forming on her face. “Once we finally find a place to settle, I will fix them up so they are at least presentable.” She paused and looked over them again. “These may take some work, mind you,” she muttered darkly. “Lead the way, Twilight.”
The maze of alleys stretched through the district like a grid, allowing them to run through with little chance of being spotted. Houses and other buildings provided perfect cover for them from both the wind and prying eyes. Chutes for the denizens to toss their trash were mounted every few feet, explaining the countless piles of litter strewn across the ground.
After they had traveled a dozen or so blocks by alley, the noise of the steel mills began to subside, only to be replaced by the sound of chatter and even laughter, throwing Twilight off. The contrast between the people's banter ahead and the ones in the Steel District was like night and day, giving Twilight some hope that not all of Mistral City would be as soul-crushing as Lord Balan’s slums.
Soon, they reached a crossing, forcing them into the streets. Houses along the street appeared uniform with nicely painted railings encircling their balconies. Most had an upper level from which intricate tapestries and banners hung, illuminated by the wrought-iron lamps that lined the street. A multitude of ponies were outside, conversing and working while kids played in the freshly fallen snow, their faces vibrant and youthful.
Twilight glanced up at one of the lampposts to find a banner declaring it to be the Textile District.
Several griffons flew by overhead, prompting Twilight to duck back into the alley. On closer inspection, she noticed that they had small, wiry bodies that slipped peacefully through the air. They were much smaller than Blackwing’s griffins, allowing Twilight a brief sigh of relief. With a nod, they continued their run through the streets under the cover of still falling snow.
The backstreets wound much more severely in the new district, much like a spider's web in its intricacy of turns and connecting alleys. Twilight had to consult the map several times as disputes on which way to go erupted amongst the trio. The constant sound of snow crunching between their hooves was a constant companion as the buildings they passed had become fancier and more structurally sound while the streets grew considerably louder.
“Why are we going this way?” Rarity asked, tiphoofing around freshly tossed out garbage. “We’ve been going through nothing but trash; I’m not going through any more.”
“Because its north, just like the map says,” Applejack argued, striding past Rarity and Twilight.
“Is that even the right way? There could be a dead end down there!” Rarity huffed, running back to Twilight to check the map.
“I looked at that map myself; I know where I’m goin’!”
“Ha! See, we can go around it! I refuse to run through anymore muck.”
“We’re escapin’’ from some lord that wants us killed, and you’ve got time to be fussy?” Applejack asked, stomping her hoof down.
“Be quiet!” Twilight yelled softly, making her friends stop follow her directions once more, but not without a sharp glance shared between them as they waited for Twilight to pass.
By the time their quarrels had finally subsided, they slowed their pace considerably to catch their breath. The air in the district was surprisingly clean, allowing Twilight to relax without fear of headache, coughing, or feeling worse than before.
After hours of constant movement within the alleys, even more commotion could be heard coming from the streets as the sky began to grow dark. Twilight opened up the map and figured out where they were, realizing that they were on the cusp of the straightaway that led into the Calwyns' district. She took out her flask and drank heavily from it, preparing herself for anything once they crossed the threshold. She pointed it out to Applejack and Rarity who steeled their nerves as well. Twilight took a deep breath before moving forward at a considerable speed, seeing red and silver banners hanging on the taller buildings as she made her final turn.
Unlike Balan's district, the alleyways were clean. The walls that had separated them from the buildings had completely disappeared. A significant amount of snow was moved out from the alleys, revealing the stone pathway that they were now walking on top of. The cross sections of the alley were higher in number, making them have to stop to survey the area more carefully.
They had passed through several such intersections when she found herself staring up at something that she never expected to see: an armored pony riding atop a feral dragon headed straight for them in the cross section.
Twilight motioned her friends forward, sprinting for the end of the alley before the dragon knight could turn to hunt them down. “This way!” She looked behind them, watching as the dragon peeked its head into the alley, took a whiff of the air, and began bounding towards them at incredible speed.
It opened its massive jaws and lunged forward, missing Rarity’s tail by a scant few inches. Quickly, Twilight's horn glowed with a purple light as she turned to face the beast. She shifted the snow from the roof tops, causing it to crash to the ground and stall the dragon from heading further. She stumbled back into a sprint before it burst through the bank, swiping at Rarity once more and dragging her to the ground with a frustrated roar.
“Get off of me!” Rarity screamed, blasting the dragon off with magic. It tumbled through the snow, whipping off its rider before getting back up with a snarl. Rarity scrambled to her hooves just as the dragon lunged forward, the soldier calling for it to return. Applejack raced forward and rammed into it with her shoulder, knocking it back to the ground sliding on the snow. A plume of fire wildly erupted from its mouth, charring the walls and melting the snow around it.
“Run!” Twilight called out then charged down the alley, looking for a way out. Ahead was yet another intersection, just far enough to stop and plan their escape.
“What now?” Rarity asked, panting. They stopped as they reached the crossing, looking down the different paths to find a way out. Twilight turned back, watching the soldier mount the dragon once more, his longsword in mouth.
“There!” Applejack cried out, pointing to Twilight’s right. Down the short path was a multitude of creatures walking down what looked like a main road while the other two led to more back alleyways. “We oughta be able to lose it in those crowds.”
Twilight and Rarity simply nodded before bolting down to the main road, hearing the low rumbling roar of the soldier’s mount get louder and echo through limestone maze. The sound of chattering of the townsfolk grew, drowning out the dragon’s cries as they ran. Moments later they burst out from the alleys into the open, quickly vanishing into the crowd.
On the side of the road packed, a gathering of creatures crowded in front of a regally-appointed, ornate-looking building painted in royal crimson and silver. Twilight heard them shout angerly as countless guards in dragonscale armor pointed their weapons at the rowdier civilians. She weaved through the stream of ponies and dragons and trotted to the outside of the furious crowd
Twilight caught her breath before the sound of the crowd's uproar turned everything into a mishmash of sound. Before she could even begin take in what was happening, she was shoved and slammed into other ponies. She looked behind her and saw the dragon come out from the alley, sniffing the air before walking along the road, seemingly giving up on the scent with a disappointed snarl as the knight yelled out something that couldn’t penetrate the noise of the crowd. She breathed a sigh of relief before a stallion dressed in a royal-red coat with silver trimming crested a high platform from which he could be seen above the crowd. Twilight looked around her noticing both of her friends weren’t with her. She peered between the enraged ponies, but they were nowhere to be found. A diminutive, black dragon perched on his shoulder as he raised his hoof in the air as to demand silence.
“Do not be alarmed, citizens. This was the punishment that Lord Calwyn saw fit for a crime that was unforgivable. If your deeds are not as heinous as this scoundrel's were, you shall receive his mercy."
Twilight shoved ponies out of the way, trying to get close to the front of the crowd. The crowd booed and began to throw rocks and snow at the officer as well as something to his right that was just out of view. She nudged past the remaining ponies then stopped, standing frozen in horror at what had been set up on the stage. Her body began to shake with nerves while she felt her stomach turn, her mind pleading and screaming for her to run away.
A stallion's lifeless body hung from the gallows, flesh torn and bloodied by the whip, the word TRAITOR branded on his chest. As the body twisted under the crowd’s onslaught, Twilight could see three deep gashes in his haunches dripped with still fresh blood that fell onto the snow, staining it with a deep crimson hue.
Three cuts... exactly where a cutie mark would’ve been.