//------------------------------//
// 41 - Savage Land 
// Story: Mending Light 
// by Kiromancer 
//------------------------------//

When the winds finally died down, it was hard to believe the storm had actually come to an end. By that point, we'd been cramped in the cave for hours. Night had fallen, and clouds still lingered in the sky, blotting out the moon. In the pitch dark, Starshadow had been adamant that continuing our journey was not an option.

The next morning, we stepped out of the cave to a sight that made my stomach sink. It was all wrong. The desert, the Badlands, it was all exactly the same as it had been. When Ponyville had an all-day storm scheduled, the next day the grass was wet, the streets had puddles, and there was an effect. There was change. Here was this utterly alien world that could create such a monstrous storm, then utterly rejected any effects. 

Maybe it was just the weather worker in me, but I found it unnerving.

Starshadow took the lead across the dunes. As if in contrast to the stormy weather and cloudy night, today the skies were clear, and the sun burnt fiercely. The temperature swelled to the extreme, and our journey was interrupted by frequent stops for water and rest, though there was no escape from the heat. 

Soon, the hard rock and sand began to change into broken, bone-white plates. I couldn't have imagined that the Badlands could possibly become more inhospitable until I gazed out upon the salt flats.

"Are you sure about this, Star?" Dusky gazed out across the emptiness as we took another break, passing the water skin before pressing forward once more. "This place doesn't seem very defensible." 

Star nodded. "I know it may not look it, but this is one of the safest routes I know, simply because it is more dangerous for the monsters than for us."

I took a drink, then passed the water skin back to Dusky. "It is?" The whole place sent a shiver through me, it whispered death. "How?"

"This region is filled with deadly pitfalls. Pitfalls that have been marked out by our expert cartographers. However, the monsters are either unaware or unable to utilize our markers. As such, the majority of species have learned not to enter the Ghostly Fields." Star turned away from the salt flats to gaze back at us. "Those foolish enough to do so are very unlikely to reach us."

"Oh." The salt flats were death. Anything that entered died, thus making it safe to travel. That idea didn't make me any less nervous.

Dusky shook her head, looking out towards the mountains in the distance. "Okay, that's.... fair enough, I guess. But what about creatures that don't care about the quagmires?"

"That is somewhat more problematic." Star took a moment to consider, then sighed. "While we currently lack the benefit of an archer, I am confident that, between my horn and your wings, the fliers of this region would regret attacking us."

Dusky frowned, and her eyes darted over to me. "I don't know. Do you really think we could take on a garuda?"

Garuda? I had some basic knowledge of creatures in the Everfree, but not what might be lurking out beyond the borders of Equestria.

A massive bird that resides in the mountains. Bellerophon contributed. Pack hunters. Were we to encounter a full murder of garuda, you would likely be torn apart more quickly than you could imagine.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Comforting...

Star shook her head, turning towards the mountains out east. "One would not dare come this close to the Wyvern Peaks. The wyverns might be smaller, but they are fiercely territorial of their airspace and would not hesitate to mob a garuda. Conversely, easier prey is found on and around the base of the mountains. At worst, we might attract the attention of one or two errant hunters. Of course, were we to try going through the Peaks themselves, it would be a different story. Incidentally, it is for this reason that, if we wanted to go around the Ghostly Fields, we would also have to go around the Peaks—a one-hundred-mile lateral journey."

Dusky nodded slowly, watching the mountains as if able to see the creatures waiting, wyverns or garuda or worse. "Okay. Sorry for doubting you, Star. I just had to be sure haste wasn't getting the better of us. Lead on."

Star smiled and began her march into the flats, heading towards a distant post upon which a colored flag, the first marker along the path, hung. I hesitated, that same feeling rising in my gut that this was a threshold I was never meant to cross. 

As she stepped into line behind Star, Dusky turned her head towards me. I glanced up, meeting her eyes, and and she smiled just slightly. I gave the barest nod, and moved forward behind her.

We moved from marker to marker, crossing the flats via a strange zig-zag path that avoided unseen dangers where the flats would give way, dropping a pony into a deadly, inescapable fate. Hour after hour we continued, seemingly making no progress, but Star continued to trust the markers.

The ground suddenly shook , like somepony had taken a hammer and pounded the earth beneath our hooves. Dusky glanced back towards me, her eyes scanning the plains, but there was no signs of anything coming. Star continued to walk.

A second tremor struck, and then more, like a giant invisible dragon was stalking us. We'd all stopped, trying to locate the source, but with nothing in sight. 

In a flash, Dusky turned to run towards Star, shouting out to me, "Night! Help me get Star into the a—!"

I didn't even have time to react as the earth beneath us shattered, the once solid path cracking and falling away. I frantically flapped my wings, expecting to see the ground give way to a thick soup of primordial saltwater which would cling and pull anything unfortunate enough to fall into a slow, merciless death. 

Instead, I saw a massive tunnel rushing towards me, hard white stalactites and stalagmites lining the entrance and a vile stench that surrounded me. 

Bellerophon shouted. That's no cave. It's a mouth. Move! Move!

My mind rushed to make my body move but I was frozen in horror, watching the moments before my death as if it were happening to someone else. The jaws of the creature closed around me in slow motion, yet the only thing I could think was to tell Dusky I was sorry. I didn't want to die, and as death embraced me, there was nothing I could do.

The pony in front of me darted away, expertly turning his wings to dive out the side of the mouth as it closed, trapping me inside. As the creature fell away, the shock of it all took a moment for me to register that I was still there, sitting in the air, even as the teeth passed through me.

Damned fool. Bellerophon's voice was harsh. Bulettes will eat a pony whole if they catch you like that.

I... I... c-couldn't help it... If he heard my reply, he made no response. I tried to see where everypony was. Against the colorless plains, Dusky's dark coat was easy to find as she hovered carefully, Starshadow had found purchase on her back at some point, so at least they were both safe for now. Between us was the bulette, a large beast with scaly dragon-like legs and massive plated scales along its back. The head was all mouth, so much so that it was hard to believe the creature was made to do anything except eat.

Star yelled something, but as was so often the case when Bellerophon took control, it was hard to distinguish anything unless I focused on it. The bulette reared up and began to swipe at Dusky, but Star's horn exploded into a blinding light, sending the beast stumbling backwards.

Bellerophon took advantage of the sudden opening, lunging with his hoofblade extended. He began to slash at the beast, though the blade didn't seem to have much effect. It swiped a claw at him, and he moved as if he had foreseen the strike, stopping to sit upon the claw and stab downward into it as best he could through the thick scales.

Dusky was struggling with Star on her back. I watched her steer her flight towards the last marker we'd walked from, making little more than a controlled crash into the ground. I wanted to rush to her aid, but couldn't do much in this state. Bellerophon seemed to anticipate my desire, as he darted in and out, distracting the bulette to keep it from pursuing after Dusky.

He did his best to keep it occupied, and as it finally grew tired of his darting, he pulled back. He pushed hard to gain distance before his wings folded and he dived forward with enough force to stab the hoofblade deep between the bulette's plates. It roared and spun, but Bellerophon was too quick, weaving under its leg as the Bulette attempted to stomp the source of its pain.

What Bellerophon didn't account for was the tail. As he skid to a halt behind it, the bulette's thick tail swung like a blackjack, catching him in the head and throwing him across the salt flats. 

Bellerophon landed on his side, and there was almost a vacuum there, a point where I could step back in and take control. 

Don't. Came Bellerophon's voice. I can... I can deal with this pain better than you. If only for this fight. I'm sorry.

I hesitated as I watched him working to push himself back upright, then sighed. Alright.

Dusky ran past him, blade mounted upon her wing. I futilely called out to her, but there was no way for her to hear me. It seemed like suicide to me, but she was trying to do the same thing for Bellerophon he'd done for her. Distraction.

The bulette snapped out, hoping for an easy meal once again, but Dusky was already spinning away, slashing at its mouth, where the scales were far less dense. One of her strikes drew blood, but only truly succeeded in getting the bulette's attention focused entirely upon her. She jumped back and stopped attempting to attack, merely focusing on dodging away from the beast's strikes and keeping herself alive.

Bellerophon finally rose up to his hooves, and behind him came Starshadow, apparently recovered from the fall from Dusky's back. They conversed a moment, then Bellerophon nodded and took flight. Dusky seemed exhausted, losing ground in her desperate bid to stay ahead of the bulette. Not a moment too soon, Bellerophon returned to the fray, this time slashing at the bulette's eyes. It snapped at him, and he spun, kicking off the top of it's jaw to propel him higher, but stayed directly in front of it to draw its ire.

Starshadow had armed herself with her own hoofblade, and her horn burned bright, with red flames dancing across the hoofblade as she ran up to Dusky. She pointed to Dusky, then to the bulette. 

As the creature rose up to strike at Bellerophon, I saw the plan. They were going to pierce into the exposed belly while it stood to strike above. It was dangerous, but we were fast running out of options. Dusky was already getting tired, and Bellerophon and Starshadow had both taken damage. I had no other answer. All I could do was pray.

Star raised up her hoof, blade pointed towards the beast, and began to shout. The blade grew brighter, the red flames shifting to a brilliant green that nearly outshone the sun. With the blade wreathed in flame, Starshadow clung to Dusky's back, all while Bellerophon continued to bear down upon the bulette's head, slashing at its eyes and mouth, a hundred cuts that did little but enrage the monster further.

Dusky kept out of the creatures sight, coming in to make one pass, but aborting at the last moment. Then, a second pass, and this time, she committed. Weaving into position with Star mounted upon her back, Dusky made her dive. 

The blade thrust out, the green flame flaring out as it met the creature's scales. With a sickening sound, the belly scales began to melt and tear away, and Star thrust harder as the resistance fell apart. The bulette's roar was far less ferocious than before, rising and then falling to a whimper as it staggered back.

Dusky pulled away and dove to escape the coming retaliation, but instead, the beast fell back, collapsing to the ground with a quaking thud. She settled down a relatively safe distance from the beast, and Starshadow dismounted, while from above, Bellerophon came in for a landing besides them.

If the creature is not dead... Bellerophon's errant thought cut through the air. He glanced at Dusky and Star, and the three all took a careful stance, ready to move immediately if the bulette stirred once again. A cloud of dust rose up from where it had fallen, and refused to dissipate.

The lingering dust slowly settled, and within the broken crater lay the Bulette, its head bent to the side, mouth open and eyes lifeless. It was dead.

With almost a sigh of relief, Bellerophon pulled away, and I was in my body once more. It was like I'd been struck by a wagon. Outside the body, while Bellerophon had been in control, there was no feeling. Now, it was the full rush of adrenaline, stress and pain from the battle all at once. I barely managed to stammer out. "Wh-where did that come from?!"

"Yeah, what the hell, Star?" Dusky tilted her head, looking just as exhausted as I must have. "I thought you said monsters don't come out this way."

With the monster clearly dead, Star began to trot towards its corpse. "They usually do not. It is very curious to find a bulette out here. Normally, they linger closer to the border between the wastes and the farmlands, making themselves a nuisance against easier targets."

"Nuisance?" Dusky moved to catch up and walk alongside her. "Star, in case you didn't notice, that 'bulette' thing just about pancaked all of us."

My hooves felt like lead, but I pushed myself to follow after the two of them. My whole body felt heavy, like I hadn't slept in weeks.

"I am aware." Starshadow continued her march. "It caught us off guard and in a small group, which—I might add—is a bit of a feat. The bulette’s tunneling capabilities make it somewhat stealthy, but they are of limited help when it comes to the quagmires out here. I am surprised it did not fall into one sooner. In any event, it would stand no chance against a standard hunting party."

"R-really?" I blanched. Standard hunting party. What could possibly be standard about anything that had just happened? "Does that mean that life in Ostfriesen is always like this?"

"For everypony? No. For knights and their apprentices? Yes." 

I stopped walking. Knights and their apprentices. Had I really thought this was what I wanted? How anypony could ever want this kind of life was beyond me. I'd only watched as Bellerophon had done the fighting, and I had wished I could be as far away as possible. "Th-this is what I signed up for?"

Star knelt, examining the mouth of the bulette, but she rose back up as I asked my question, turning to glance back at me. "If your strength were to advance that far, perhaps. We train protectors, not fodder."

She turned back to the bulette, and began to saw into the flesh in the bulette's mouth. Blood and meat peeled off as she worked to cut through the beast's jaw. The exhaustion, the pain, the smell, the blood, it all hit me at once, and my stomach revolted. I turned away just in time as my stomach emptied out onto the salt flats. I felt even sicker, embarrassed and ill and ready to vomit once again, but struggling to hold it back.

Dusky's wing draped over my back as she stepped alongside me. She was looking away from the bulette as well, calling back to Star. "Ugh. Is that... is that really necessary?"

Star nodded. "Yes. We cannot bring the whole thing with us, so a tooth will have to do."

"What, like a bounty?" Dusky pursed her lips, focusing.

"Correct. As I said, bulettes are a consistent nuisance. As such, it is quite likely we can use it to fund a significant portion of our resupply."

I backed away from where I'd thrown up, glancing towards the mountains, to the sky, anywhere I could except the corpse and Starshadow.

Dusky sighed. "How far are we going to have to lug that thing?"

"Not far. If you look carefully, you should be able to see Fort Rhenish."

Dusky turned and stared out into the distance. "Huh. Well, that's a sight for sore eyes."

I shakily followed her gaze, doing my best to force a smile as I looked out towards the distant shadow. "Y-yeah. I can't wait."

"Well," Starshadow's grim work complete, she moved back to the path once more, "then let us proceed." 

---

Nearly three hours of nerve-wracking travel and we finally arrived at the destination. There were no further incidents after we left the Bulette corpse behind, but the tooth that Starshadow magically pulled behind us was warning enough that even along the safe paths, we were far from invincible.

Dusky was on high alert, and even Star seemed to have an air of extra precaution as we went. One such encounter was nearly the death of us. A second would be catastrophic.

As if crossing an invisible line, there was a moment where all concern washed from Starshadow's face. "A scout has spotted us. Should anything else happen from here on out, we will have a lance of knights upon us in an instant."

I glanced up to the sky, spotting a bulkier than average silhouette of a pegasus gliding along our path. Were they to dive down towards town, it was a sure thing that they would get there in no time at all.

Star had named this outpost Fort Rhenish, the first sign of the Ostfriesen border. Set well out from the verdant nexus of the country, this fort and many others like it were the real power of Ostfriesen. From here, the knights, adventurers, and militia rallied to keep the greater threats of the Badlands from encroaching deeper into the heart of their nation. It was an oasis of safety in the midst of this harsh land.

As it came into view, it was clear that Fort Rhenish was a far cry from even the most rural of Equestrian cities. Surrounded by a large wooden fence, each log ending in a sharpened pike upward, the town within was small, but felt like it would withstand any disaster. Indeed, the Badlands had likely thrown the worst at this structure, and seen it and the ponies within prevail time and time again.

The ponies inside were a varied lot, all carrying themselves in a way that instantly made me connect them to Merri and Star. They all had a bearing of competence in their stance that made me feel so small. The similarities ended there, however. Each of the Ostfriesens was decorated head to tail in vivid colors and bright designs. From sand battered cloaks to thick barding, no two ponies wore the same gear. It was as though each were trying to outdo the other, and no one cared to stop when they reached the ceiling of common taste. Many wore feathers, scales, even bones, like medals. Glancing back at the tooth Starshadow carried behind us, I realized that was almost certainly what they were.

Coming in the front gate, a pale orange pony wearing silver armor polished so bright I could see my reflection in it held up a hoof. "Hail, travelers. What brings you to Fort Rhenish?"

Starshadow immediately rose up. "I am Dame Solanum, Knight of Ostfriesen. We have come via Fort Westphalian. We had not intended to travel so far, but got sidetracked in the salt flats." She motioned the other knight's gaze towards the tooth.

"I am Dame Ignia." The knight bowed, then turned to examine the tooth. "Odd for them to strike out in the salt flats, eh? Impressive that you were able to defeat it with your... apprentices?"

Star turned back towards Dusky and I, shooting us a quick warning glance. "Yes. Both quite skilled, but green. I doubt I could have killed the Bulette without their assistance. For now, I am taking the beast's appearance as a sign to get lodging for the night. We can head back on the morrow."

Ignia measured out the tooth as Star explained, and at last took the tooth and carried it around the corner. She returned moments later with a jingling sack. "Current bounty is three hundred sovereigns a head on bulettes, plus fifty bonus for killing a young adult before mating season. I trust this acceptable."

"Very. I only need enough for housing for the three of us, and to resupply our rations."

"Bulettes have been encroaching intensely the past month or so. They're nothing compared to a rampant grim drake or if a bebilith comes down from the mountains, but if their population gets too big, word from the magistrate is they're going to raise it to five hundred and let the adventurers cull them down."

Star nodded thoughtfully. "I shall have to keep an ear to the ground if that happens. It would be excellent practice for my apprentices. Thank you, Dame Ignia."

"Fare thee well, Dame Solanum."

We continued on into the fort, and Starshadow breathed a sigh of relief. "That went well. I had wondered how I would pass you off to them, but this shall play in our favor."

Dusky seemed antsy, as if she were somehow more nervous now that we were in town than before. "Three-hundred sovereigns sounds like quite a bit."

Star glanced at the satchel. "It is quite reasonable. Not enough to live on, but enough for what we need."

For my part, I was simply trying my best to keep one hoof in front of the other for as long as I could. Sensory overload was one way to describe it, everything was so utterly alien, even the things I took for granted in Equestria as commonplace were completely upside down here. 

At least the inn seemed familiar, another great wooden structure which, aside from the colorful attire of the clientele, I could almost pretend was the Lusty Seapony. A small bar, tables, a hearth in the corner, it seemed like home. 

A light green unicorn moved from table to table, her intricate black uniform and white apron made her stand out from the other vibrantly attired ponies. She smiled as she noticed us enter, raising a hoof to push the glasses set upon her nose into place. "Welcome to the Unfettered Ale. If you're here for a meal, take a seat and I'll be with you in a moment. If you're here for a room, go speak to Hollow at the bar." She moved past us, cleaning some leftover plates and steins before disappearing into a rear room, returning only moments later to continue cleaning.

Star nodded, heading towards the bar and addressing the silvery pony, who sat behind it. "We require lodging for the night. Two rooms, if possible. One for myself, and one for my apprentices."

I raised an eyebrow at Star, but she shot a warning glance back, and I held my tongue.

"Two rooms, Dame, that's easy enough." His horn glowed a faint yellow as he lifted two small keys out from behind the desk. "Standard quarters, would be a-hundred-and-sixty sovereigns for the night."

"Acceptable." Star lifted the coins from the purse she'd been given, sorting it quickly and exchanging it with the innkeeper, then turned back towards Dusky and I. "We shall settle into the rooms first. Food can come afterwards."

Towards the rear of the open dining area, an archway led into a small hallway with nearly a dozen doors lining one side. Checking the keys, Starshadow opened one of the doors. "I know what you must be thinking, but this works best for our purpose." 

"You know this place better than we do. The sooner we're rested and resupplied, the faster we can find Merriweather." Dusky stepped forward, taking the keys before we entered the room. She carefully closed the door once the three of us were inside. 

To call the room spartan was generous. It was practically empty, with only a single simple wooden chair, a plain desk, and two flat wooden boxes packed with straw for beds. Compared to the glaringly bright outfits the Ostfriesen's wore, I had expected something brighter. I walked over to one of the beds and sat on my haunches, feeling all my exhaustion from the journey wash over me.

"You two should rest. I will find whatever supplies I can, and also inquire about any activity that may be a lead to the Descendants of the Justicar." Star glanced at me. "Bellerophon had no knowledge of his descendants, yet this group must have taken that name for a reason."

Dusky narrowed her eyes. "If it was only known to the royal bloodline..."

"Then, it is entirely possible that this conspiracy goes deep." Star bit her lip. "But I shall be content if we find Merri before becoming involved."

"We'll find her, Star." Dusky stepped forward and gave Star a hug. "Just be careful out there."

Starshadow returned Dusky's hug, managing a smile. "I shall. Now, rest." She slipped back out the door, leaving us alone.

The room was silent as I sat upon the hard floor. Dusky shrugged off her bag, then stepped over towards me and hugged. "You doing alright?"

I couldn't hold it back any longer. As Dusky hugged me tight, I leaned in and sobbed. "N-no. I'm... I'm sorry, Dusky... I'm... I'm just so scared."

She squeezed even tighter. "After what we saw today? The dangers in this land? You'd be a foal not to be."

I wrapped my hooves around her, resting my head against hers. "W-what do we do now? What can we do?"

Her head settled against mine. "We wait. And hope that Merriweather hasn't gotten herself into anything too dangerous."

With a sniff, I squeezed. "I never wanted this, Dusky. None of it. Th-this is never what I thought it would be. H-heroism. Knighthood. It's all falling apart... and it's all my fault."

She took a deep breath, still holding tight. "No, this whole thing is bigger than we could have imagined. These are machinations that began before we were even born. I… I’ve worried more than once that we’re in over our heads."

"I was so excited, t-to become stronger, to do my part..."

"Don't undersell yourself." She nuzzled against my cheek. "I need you just as much as you need me."

My cheeks burned. Dusky had never lied to me, and had no reason to lie now. It was staggering to believe, because I knew just how much I needed her right now. "I just... I just d-don't want to be alone."

"You're not."

I paused, considering those words. She needed me as much as I needed her. I looked up to meet her eyes. "Neither are you."

We hugged a moment longer, then slowly disentangled, exhausted, bruised, terrified, but not alone. Never alone. We moved to one of the straw beds, and fell into a deep sleep.