Honour Bound

by Astral Star and Company

Chapter 5: A New Start

You have done so well, little Mira. You have suffered so much already, but know this. Above the most violent storm, is the clearest of skies. All you need is the courage to ascend. Have no fear, for I will be with you, until you rise above the earth, and fly among the stars.

But for now, wake up, and see my first gift to you…

I uttered a long groan as I awoke. I felt cold, and uncomfortable. I felt like I’d been lying here for days. Opening my bleary eyes, I could make out the blurred shape of a single candle, suspended from a sandstone roof. I heard a sound like a soft, distant dripping like the echo from a well all around me. The place smelt of citrus fruit and wet stones. Looking around, I could see I was in a small room, covered in an assortment of coloured bottles and tools, resting on four walls of shelves. There were only two doors, one at my feet, and another behind my head, both were sand dried an rickety as could be.

“Ah you’re awake,” came an old, gravelly tone

I shifted my neck left to see and elderly changeling approach, hidden behind a high backed chair. His carapace was covered in blemishes and his eyes were a milky grey colour, as was his sparse strands of mane and tail.

“Name’s Dust,” he said pleasantly “And what might be yours,”

I gave him a snort in reply

“Can’t talk?” he didn’t sound surprised “Shame, I’d love to talk to a new face some time soon, ah well. Here, let me undo the straps. Sorry I had to bind ya and all, but no matter how much sedative I gave you, ya kept thrashing and screaming like a fish outta water,”

Only then did I look down at myself. I was tied down on a sandstone slab belly up. What disturbed me so were the lack of markings on myself, despite the severe beating I took earlier. Every inch of my shell was clean and polished to a sheen, like I was made of a single black gemstone.

“Like it?” Dust continued, undoing the various straps on my legs “It took a while, but I managed to get you back in fighting shape. Rose came by a couple days ago with you slung over her shoulder. At first I didn’t know what to think. She explained how you put up a fight in her stead. T’was mighty brave of ya, taking down three adolescent thugs. Anyways, I had ya sedated on this here table, but as I said, ya wouldn’t stay still, hence the straps,”

He scratched his chin “Ya took quite a beating. I’ve had my fair share of grisly sights but you really looked banged up. Bones broken, exoskeleton chipped, lenses shattered, various cuts, plenty of internal bleeding and this,” He showed me a jagged, broken piece of stone “I believe is an arrow head, embedded in your hind leg,”

I grimaced at the sight of it. That arrow could’ve cost me much more than a couple cuts and bruises.

“T’was a good thing it wasn’t infected. At the rate I’ve seen your body heal it over I’d say it’s been inside you for a couple days. Yer lucky that Rose brought you here to me, you’d be knee deep in trouble by now if she didn’t,”

I heard another set of hoof steps approach. I turned right to see the young nymph I saved from before trot up to me, a jubilant smile on her face.

“Hiya!” she smiled

“Speak of the devil. Would’ja be a dear and undo his arms for me? There’s a good girl. Now anyways, according to Rose, you saved her from a trio of thugs, am I right?”

I threw him a questioning look, but Rose seemed to answer for me.

“He sure did!”

“Then I have you to thank,” Dust nodded “She’s all I have left, and I’d hate to lose another. After her parents were lost in the war...” he trailed off, lost in past memories no doubt, but recovered soon enough “Anyway, you have my gratitude. You seem like the decent type, so stay as long as you want, she means more to me than any amount of silver,”

By that time, my binds were undone, I managed to hop off the table and face them properly. Despite being a half-head shorter than me, Rose seemed about the same age, but she carried a confidence and vigour I have never seen in a changeling before. Dust towered over both of us, but was no soldier. He looked tired, but maintained a weary yet sincere smile on his face.

“You can stand? Good, we have much to discuss,”

I shot him an annoyed look. I could barely understand half of what he said, let alone answer him.

“Ah that’s right,” he said looking sheepish “I guess it can wait, t’ill we get ‘round to teaching ya,”

BOOM

A sound like cracking rock split through the air, filling the room with the roar of air. On instinct, I leapt beneath an empty shelf, scanning left to right for the threat.

Dust let out a mild chuckle “There’s nothing to worry about lad. Rose, show our guest outside. You’d want to see this for yourself,”

The nymph couldn’t get any giddier as she hopped to the nearest door.

“C’mon! You might miss it!” she cheered, beckoning me urgently

I grumbled in reply and strode after her. The door opened up to a plain, sandy balcony, bordered by rough, wind-weathered posts as a railing and a dry, weathered shelter across the roof and over the door. Above, the sky was grey and heavy under a blanket of clouds. There was a smell in the air, unlike anything I’ve ever smelt before. It was clean and clear, it was fresh and soothing, easing the aches in my throat.

Then, the first drops fell.

A low rumble accompanied the first few. The sky seemed to cry gentle tears as water rained down from on high. Somewhere behind me, Rose was laughing. A sweet, innocent sound that sent my heart a flutter. Below, changelings of all shapes, sizes, colours and ages streamed out onto the streets, jostling with pots and jugs, eager for the impending downpour.

Dust approached unnoticed. Letting out a deep sigh of relief, he said “Whaddaya think?”

Rose was the first to answer

“I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“I doubt you’d ever,” he laughed “It hasn’t happened here since I was your age,”

He strode over, putting a gentle hoof over Rose’s head while she enthusiastically returned the embrace.

“What about you lad?” he said to me “What do you think?”

I raised an eye brow at him.

“Heh, sorry,” he smiled “Old habits and all that,”

Soon the rain progressed from a gentle shower to a pounding flood. Changelings quickly rushed back into their homes as the road was blanketed in ankle deep water. We headed inside too, before the combined wind and rain threatened to sicken us. Rose hopped in first, shaking herself dry before bouncing into another room. Dust put a coarse towel over himself to remove the excess water before wringing it into a nearby basin.

I could see the logic, even with the recent flood there was no use in forgetting old habits. Taking a coarse towel for myself, I followed his example.

“Well aren’t you a smart lad?” Dust grinned “C’mon, let’s get you a place to rest,”

I followed him through the cosy little sandstone house until we arrived at the bedrooms. Three mats were laid down around a square room, devoid of any furnishing, other than a small green candle and a coffee table piled high with rags. Rose was curled contently on her own mat. Her mass of pink hair obscuring most of her from our vision.

“Sleeping like a baby,” Dust muttered. He trotted to a second mat, the farthest from the wall but closest to the open window, lending an unobscured view of the surrounding landscape.

“This one’s yours,” he said, indicating the rough, woven mat, then settled down on his own. “You might’ve been out for the whole time, but I sure am beat,”

I gave him a nod in acknowledgment and lay down myself. The mat wasn’t nearly as soft as my bed back home, but it was nice. The present company helped too. It was comforting to know that I’m with others I could trust, there was a certain warmth to it. Dust wasn’t a bad changeling. Even if he wished me harm, I doubt he would’ve spent so much time and energy into healing me. Rose on the other hoof, she was an odd one. There was a certain energy about her, something raw and powerful, yet natural not unlike the girl herself.

“Sleep tight son, we’ve got a big day tomorrow,”

With heavy eyelids I complied and drifted off to sleep.

(\^/)

I must’ve been dreaming now, but it all felt so real. I was in a cave, illuminated by azure crystals and permeated by the sound of flowing water. Before me was the mare from before, the one from the well. She was tall, almost twice Dust’s height but had an aura of serenity and grace. Her fur was a pale blue and her eyes paler still. Her long mane was a soft azure and drifted about the place as if underwater.

As soon as I saw her she spread her wings and bowed deeply, her horn tapping the floor.

“I knew you would come,” she smiled “You always do,”

As always, I could understand her clearly as she understood me. Before I could reply though, a shadow rushed over me, and went right through as if I didn’t exist. I balked in surprise at the sudden cold and stumbled sideways. When I recovered I paced around the new figure.

He was tall, taller even than the blue mare behind me. He was thin too, but frail like a walking corpse. A cloak made of black water covered his body, but piercing blue eyes and a long jagged horn penetrated the gloom beneath his cloak.

“You know why I am here,” he said in a voice like crumbling rock

The mare didn’t flinch in his intimidating presence, but responded evenly.

“You know what I will say,”

They stood at an impasse, like a silent exchange was being made. Not before long, the stallion huffed in amusement.

“Your time grows short. Not long until you are due,”

The azure mare nodded numbly “He is the one, I am sure of it,”

“You meddle with unseen forces,” he allowed a humourless chuckle “If he becomes like the others before…”

“He will succeed,” she assured him, meeting his steady gaze “I am sure of it,”

“I hope so, for you sake…”

As quickly as It appeared, everything faded away, like a reflection in a rippling pond.

(\^/)

“Hey? You awake?”

I looked around, and saw Rose standing over me, shaking me awake. The moon cast a steady blue light over the room. Dust still lay asleep, indicated by the low grating of his snores.

“Oh good,” Rose whispered “C’mon, let’s get moving,”

She half-ran to the door and beckoned me urgently. I silently made my way to join her in the hallway, but she instantly darted off further, beckoning me again. I rolled my eyes impatiently and strode towards her, keeping a steady pace while keeping up with the energetic nymph. Soon enough, we were back in the room where I awoke the first time. Dim blue light cast an eerie glow across the various bottles and flasks about the place.

Rose had a large stick in her mouth and appeared to be trying to pry stones from the floor. With a final grunt of frustration, she cast the stick away and illuminated her horn with a soft pink glow. An even square of sandstone lifted itself off the ground and deposited itself against the back wall without so much as a sound. Hoof to her lips, she descended into the new hole in the floor. Reluctantly, I followed suit.

I climbed a small ladder of dried wood down to another, hidden room. Rose stood below, carefully manoeuvring the stone back into its position. As it took up its place, Rose brightened the glow of her horn until the whole room was lit in magenta light. I didn’t see the reason why it had to be hidden. There was nothing down here but chairs, tables, books, chalk and blackboards. I flipped through a book experimentally. It was thin and supple, with brightly coloured images on every page. The second book I chose was filled with that black scrawl they called writing.

I turned to see Rose writing twisted shapes on a large blackboard, leaning against the back wall. She lit a candle for light, held a piece of chalk with her magic and muttered incoherently to herself as she did. Seeming engrossed in her task, I took the chance to mull over my limited knowledge.

“Oookay!” she said finally “Let’s get down to business!”

She withdrew a small wooden rod from her hair and poked me harmlessly with it.

“What do you know?”

I regarded her quizzically. Just what was she up to? The nymph might as well ask the question to herself.

“Hold on,” she mumbled “How about this? Can you tell me what this is?”

In her hooves were a couple familiar glinting circles

“S-s-s-ilv-e-e-r-r,” I uttered carefully

“Great job!” she beamed “So you’re not totally mute after all,”

I never was. I was smart enough to know what other changelings talked about when they were holding it, and after a while I could figure out the objects name. I never really put much effort into trying to say it. After all, a good hiss and growl was all I needed on the streets.

Rose went back to the blackboard and pointed her stick and one of the shapes.

“Can you tell me what this is?”

I scratched my head. I knew it was a letter, I’ve seen enough writing to know that, but it was really never enough. I shrugged helplessly.

“Hm, speech needs some work,” Rose muttered “Reading’s no good… How about writing?”

She thrust a piece of chalk into my hooves and looked at me expectantly. I looked at her funny, but she seemed to ignore it. Conceding the point, I went ahead and copied the letter she showed me on the floor, with apparently pleasing results.

“Not bad. Hoof coordination is pretty good for someone on the streets. How about magic?”

Rose levelled her head at a nearby chair and lit her horn. The same pink light weaved around the chair and it slowly floated off the ground. After a brief pause, she let go of the chair, letting it clatter on the floor.

“Now your turn!”

I looked doubtfully at her. Never once in my life had I successfully done magic and believe me, I’ve tried a lot. With a sigh of resignation, I turned to a nearby chair and poured all my willpower into it. As expected, the chair stayed stubbornly glued to the ground.

“I wasn’t expecting too much,” Rose conceded “But, everyone’s got to start somewhere, am I right?”

I shrugged, there was a lot I don’t know, even I knew that.

She pondered the idea some more, then finally.

“I know! I can teach you!” She beamed

This’ll take a while.

Author's Note:

Ugh, that took way longer than it should've. Anyway, here it is.