The Start of a New Age

by Lord-Luzar

Yet I've learned not to trust dreams

The Start of A New Age

By Lord-Luzar

---

Opening his eyes Zephyr was met with greenery that he had not expected, his sight mostly filling up with trees. He didn’t recognize them to be trees from a jungle, and mostly pictured them from the park back home. Truly sizing up the range of deciduous trees, he was quickly overwhelmed by the vast numbers surrounding him, most being covered in green leaves. Few passed the color scheme, and they either were dark green or light green. Now seeing that he stood upright, he slightly questioned the fact that he awoke already on his feet in the middle of some type of forest.

Now looking around, he saw a dark-blue water amassed in a large lake to his right. The lake itself seemed to have no end as Zephyr could not find the end though it had a width. Said width being approximately 100 feet in size. Trailing his eyes over a small stream that ran upwards, he noticed that the ground looked far too lush. Everything was either just shades green, brown or blue and that didn’t settle well with Zephyr.

Taking his eyes away from the ground and peering upwards, he noticed as to why the water was such a dark shade. The night was in full-swing, stars dotting the sky while a crescent moon stood still in the middle of the sky. Many constellations were painted across the sky shining brighter than before, irking his curiosity to another level. Suddenly a shout yelled out and Zephyr turned to look upstream, noticing that it came from said direction. The ground seemed to rumble lightly until turning into something similar to a small earthquake, and he soon saw the cause.

A pony with a streaked dark-purple and burgundy mane and a lighter purple coat ran down the stream with pinprick sized pupils, and Zephyr struggled to see the color of the pupils. Yet a spear flew through the air and nearly ripped through her side, but a rock she tripped over sent her tumbling to the side, narrowly avoiding the bronze-tipped spear. The mare got up with a wheeze and pushed her lungs to another level as her eyes stayed the same size. Another spear landed at her back legs, nearly tearing through them but she had already left.

A bolt flew through the air and impacted the tree with a thick ‘thwump’ which seemed to startle the mare even more. She rushed towards Zephyr who in turn stood still, amazed but what he was currently watching. After snapping out of his daze, Zephyr realized that the mare had run through him. Turning forwards once more he saw an arrow head straight at his face before passing through himself, while he shrieked in reply.

Hearing the cry of the mare behind him, he didn’t dare turn around. Still looking forward Zephyr noticed many ponies, mostly stallions, dressed in ornate bronze armor and iron armor while rushing towards him likely to the mare behind him. Yet everything froze, no bushes swayed in the wind, the ripples ceased to move and no breath came from the statuesque ponies.

Watching the familiar form of Seraph appear from nothing surprised Zephyr, and he let out a scream to relieve his own surprise. The mare seemed to scowl, but he couldn’t see behind her mask. She stopped in front of two soldiers holding crossbows fitted for their equine form before standing straight.

Zephyr stood still in confusion but shook as Seraph’s voice somehow echoed in the wide area around them, “Hello once again, Zephyr...I suppose you are quite surprised to see such a scene play out before you?”

He merely nodded in return, “W-What is this place?”

His voice still stuttered in confusion and fear, still seeing the arrowhead fly through his head, “Why you are in the dreamscape of course! Who would think differently?”

“Obviously me…” Zephyr muttered in a tired tone.

He was surprised to hear the large mare outwardly sigh before sitting on her rear while lifting a foreleg skywards, “This is my memory of older times while honor and the thirst for adventure still graced the land...but so far I’ve come to see that these times have passed.”

Her downtrodden look made the boy raise a brow but lowered it in fear of being seen, “Yet you have not seen much of the world so far, perhaps travelling will provide you with more answers?” Zephyr attempted, staring into her powerful gaze with more confidence that he believed he had.

“That is a statement meant to not be spoken from such a young soul...what have you been taught, young Zephyr?” Seraph asked in pure curiosity.

“I would rather not speak of it, it wasn’t my proudest time, likely the longest so far though.” He spoke, a piercing stare of his own trying to swim into the orange glow that stared back at him.

“Though I have grown used to getting what I want for the longest of times, I can still respect the wishes of others, young Zephyr.”

“You spoke of this being your memory...from what I’ve watched so far the mare behind me is you, correct?” He asked, watching as her barrel rose with a deep breath from Seraph.

“This is true, and as you called it, it was not one of my proudest moments, when I was far younger than how I stand before you. Yet this is a prime example of what you will not become, as I see great potential in you...something so young.” Seraph answered, while Zephyr could practically feel her smile beneath the mask.

“Yet, why me? Why train someone like me, so different from the world, from what you’re used to?” Zephyr tried to stop the questions, but they flowed like the sea’s forever raging waves.

“Your potential is unmatched, and what I see in you I have not seen in longer than millennia, yet my reasons will be revealed in time...once you are ready.” Aside from the last comment, Zephyr saw sense in her words, though going back to the last comment and thinking about it worried the boy.

“May we get to the main reason as to why you are here?” Zephyr asked.

“You are the first to be so blunt with me since my ascension to the throne, and it is a fresh beginning to something completely different that this world is used to. But to as to why you are here is about your training, as we still need to test if you can hold a sword at all before you can dexterously swing around a sword.” Seraph explained and Zephyr nodded in return.

A sword ‘popped’ into existence in front of Zephyr and instead of reaching to grab it, he watched it fall onto the ground. Seraph looked at him in her own interested stare while he examined the sword, tracing a finger over the sharp edge of the sword. The sword itself was about two feet long in all, a small sword but fitting for Zephyr’s own form. Gripping the hilt and bottom of the end of the blade, he pulled with his legs and arms, trying as hard as he could but all that resulted was the resistance provided by the unwavering metal.

Seraph stared at the scene in mild amusement while watching the boy’s infuriation intensify, but made the sword disappear from sight. He fell on his posterior and sighed in contempt before looking up at the larger figure that had grown closer.

“I suppose this is a sign, hm?”

“Certainly, it is a sign to move forward, to break the barriers!” Seraph proudly announced, sitting down once more and blazing her orange orbs into Zephyr’s own.

“I believe you merely need some training and discipline...with those two you might be able to wield a sword, yet it will get complex.” Her words made the boy smile in turn, nodding to her in acceptance.

“Yet how will I train...secrecy is our only barrier for now,” Zephyr looked at the ground in contemplation.

A hoof made his head move towards the masked muzzle, “That is my special talent...full control over the dreamscape, thus providing the experience you learn in the dreamscape fully to your own physical body, including physical, mental, magical and spiritual experience.”

“So for now we will work on your physical training, first starting with strength training.” Seraph said making the boy stand up to his full height in confidence.

“I’m ready.”

---

Zariel sighed in total defeat as he watched the backside of Ordo start his trek up the stairwell before looking at the fire in wonder, “How can you burn so brightly, knowing of the pain you could bring?”

The fire merely licked at the bricks in earnest, attempting to break free from their protective prowess. They didn’t respond, instead continuing to crackle with a righteous vigor so Zariel leaned his head back on the end of the recliner. Zephyr is a smart boy, he thought, but I believe that he shouldn’t be caught up in all of this, he doesn’t deserve the consequences.

Yet, Zariel looked up in thought, if I sleep on it it’ll likely come easier tomorrow.

So now standing up and looking at the fire in hope Zariel merely said in a low tone, “Don’t burn down the house.”

Turning from the recliner and walking around the perimeter of the decorated rugm Zariel silently admired all the reading material. He wondered as to who would collect such a large foundation of knowledge in a simple house in the middle of nowhere, but his question would likely never be answered. Walking down the 20 feet worth of corridor, Zariel stood before the stairwell with a yearning hope radiating from his body, wanting the well-needed rest awaiting him in the last empty room.

Stepping past the third room, Zariel heard something odd sounding from the inside of the room. Slightly creaking the door open Zariel saw something inside that made his eyes grow to pinpricks. Stormchaser stood on the bed above a sleeping Zephyr with sharp fangs while a green wall of flame erupted around him. A black equine figure took his place and instead stood an insect-like creature with chitin molded around its body with holes around its hooves. Instead of foliage around the wings, Zariel saw the wings found on a pesky fly or mosquito, the transparent appearance making dread wash in his face. A disfigured and curved horn with smaller holes filled in it was atop the creatures head, and blue orbs completely filled the sockets for the creatures eyes.

Reacting immediately after taking in the sight, Zariel let his magic erupt in full, the black aura coursing into his hand forming the familiar blade he had used so many times before. With the precision of Bruce Lee the ping-pong nunchuk champion, Zariel flung the dagger at the creature's throat hoping that the chitin wasn’t hard as rock. The impact was gruesome but definite, the creature's demise being ensured. A small spray of green ichor flew around the room and impacted on the woken Zephyr, causing him to blink in surprise.

Willing himself to not throw yet another dagger, Zariel looked at the boy and told him in a low tone, “You will not speak of this to anyone...now help me get rid of the body.”

The boy grimly nodded in return, pushing his way out of the bed before hearing the lifeless body fall onto the floor. Grimacing as he began to drag the creature's body, he quickly checked that no trail followed. The ichor seemed to have stopped moments ago, and now only the figure of the lifeless creature was dragged across the floor. Zariel led him outside and brought him far away from the hidden house before helping him through the body over a cliff and into awaiting bushes. Zephyr didn’t stay to hear the impact, and silently walked back to the house with a blank expression on his face.

Deciding to sleep on what he had witnessed, Zephyr came back to his room and saw the green ichor on the floor and slightly on his sheets. Thats when his stomach reacted in a vile way, urging him to find the nearest source to relieve his suffering. Leaving the house and releasing the bile into the nearest bush, which happened to be ten feet away, did not suit the boy well but he soon realized something, a dark thought entering his mind at that very moment.

This was now his life...this, would be what he was ultimately being taught. And for the moment, Zephyr couldn't contemplate whether such an end was befitting or not, but a creeping voice in the back of his head said otherwise.

And now as Zephyr trudged back inside and upstairs, before sliding into bed, all he could think about was the surprised look on the creature muzzle, formerly known as Stormchaser.

Author's Note:

Too tired to really think of anything, so I'll just say goodnight and be done with it.

Comments

[Krazyfan1]

great chapter as usual
keep up the good work