The City of Spires
Trixie and her friends had slept well that night, having been provided with guest beds in the palace. So, when they set out the next morning, the element bearers were all well rested and ready to begin the search for a legendary bottled army.
Kuleler Sehri translated to the City of Spires in Equestrian and was half a day away from Al-Astianna by train. As such, they were rattling their way south and east in the armored train again. A quick look out the window told Trixie that the tracks were following the flow of a wide river. Not quite as wide as the one that ran through Neigh Orleans, admittedly, but respectable in its own right. The variety in the Naqahn landscape kept throwing Trixie for a loop. She kept expecting to see a vast desert when she looked out the window, or at the landscapes around the cities.
But Derin had been nestled comfortably among hills that, while bare, had hardly been desert and Al-Astianna was surrounded by farmland and greenery that wouldn’t have looked out of place around Ponyville. Turning away from the landscape, she leaned back against the padded seat.
Her friends were scattered about the car, each passing the time in their own way. Lyra and Ditzy had taken over the center table with a chess set from the palace. The pair were more picking at the game than seriously playing, while chatting about the more normal topics. Carrot Top was reading in her seat, while Raindrops just lazed in hers.
Meanwhile, Cheerilee had perched herself in a seat next to Parlak and was hitting the camel with a hundred questions about their destination.
“So, why is it called the City of Spires?”
“All the temples. Kuleler Sehri is one of the legendary cities of The Prophet’s birth.”
Ditzy looked up from her and Lyra’s game. “One of?”
“Ah...yes, well,” Parlak mumbled, rubbing his forehead. “There is some...debate among the camel kingdoms about where he was born, which has caused some...issues in the past. Foolishness, in my opinion.”
Cheerilee tapped a hoof to her chin. “What kind of issues?”
“Let us call it disagreements on matters of philosophy and leave it at that. The point is that Sehri has more temples than any other city in Naqah.”
“And where is this antiques dealer in the city?” Raindrops asked.
“The great souqs. They’re a sprawling collection of market shops, just below the two largest of the city’s temples. Once we arrive, we’ll check in with the local garrison and then go find our dealer.”
Carrot Top looked up from her book with a soft gasp. “The garrison? Why?”
“Grev,” Parlak said, idly rubbing his chin. “If he has tried to enter the city, there’s a chance the local guard might have noticed something and not understood what they were seeing. If we manage to capture him, this could end before it has the chance to go much further.”
Trixie frowned. “Are you sure? I mean, Kindle is still here. He could still try to go for it.”
“I suppose he could try...but without Grev’s forces, he would be at a distinct disadvantage. No knowledge of the country or local language.”
“...Point taken.”
“Just relax for now. It’ll be a few more hours until we arrive.”
Everyone lapsed back into their own diversions as the train rolled on, the landscape rushing past as the miles melted away. The train continued to follow the river for the first few hours, before breaking west and crossing it at a wide iron bridge. Here the train tracks began to snake its way through gentle hills, many marked with date orchards. It was after another hour of this leg of the journey, that Trixie looked out the window again.
“Hey! There it is!”
There was a rush of hooves as her friends squeezed in next to her to get a view of their destination.
Kuleler Sehri was surrounded by walls, thick, slab like and the color of sandstone. But it was the minarets that, even from this distance, that more easily caught the eye. It seemed a veritable forest of stone towers, capped with domes of various shapes and colors, loomed over the other buildings and the walls. But the city seemed to spill beyond the original constraints of the settlement, small collections of stone structures radiating outward from the walls. Little towns built at the edge of a large city.
Camels looked up as they passed through, the armored train interrupting their daily routines, if only for a moment or two. But as quickly as they looked up, they turned their attention back to their tasks or moved away from the tracks. Trixie hazarded a guess that this wasn’t the first troop train they had seen in recent days.
But the small towns were quickly left behind. Passing through a hole in the defensive wall, the train followed a straight shot of track for a few minutes more, before coming to the train station.
Element Bearers and Naqahn alike filed out of the private car, blinking back the bright sunlight as they stepped onto the platform. The first thing that stood out to Trixie and her friends were the extra guards that stood at either end of the platform, spears within easy hoof reach. Before they could finish processing that, they noticed another camel that stood near dead center of the platform. He alternated between chanting and shouting at those who stepped from the train, brandishing charms and other jewelry.
Parlak ignored both, striding straight for the steps that lead down into the train station itself. Trixie and her friends followed, sparing a glance at the old merchant as they passed.
“What was his deal?” Raindrops asked.
“Selling charms of devotion to pilgrims. You’ll find that Sehri has many merchants and shops that cater to those who follow the pillars,” Parlak answered, calmly leading the way through the train station crowds. Occasionally dropping back into Naqahn, he’d call out to those around him. The effect was almost like a ship bursting through waves, the crowd just parting before him. “Yangin’s shop is in the souq that caters to more normal shopping.”
The streets were just as crowded as the train station, so he continued to lead the way, following a path that he was obviously already familiar with. Eventually, after passing many hotels and restaurants, they came to a sturdy looking two story square building.
“If you can give me just a few minutes. I’ll aim to make this quick.”
“Go ahead,” Cheerilee smiled. “We’ll wait right here.”
Nodding, Parlak disappeared into the guard station, leaving the Element Bearers alone on the street. They stepped a little closer to the building, to get more out the press of camels and the occasional pony that passed.
“I wonder what this Yangin is like. Do you think she’s personally interested in this stuff? Or is it just a job?” Lyra mused, glancing up at the minarete dominated skyline.
“Interested, I hope." Carrot Top said. "If it's just about bits, then I’d be afraid about Grev and Corona just bribing her for the information.”
“I’m kind of wondering if she actually has the thing,” Raindrops said, glancing at another camel that strode into the guard station.
“Why?” Trixie asked.
“Just thinking it's a possibility. She’s a dealer in antiques. Maybe she decided to grab it for herself?”
“That’s kind of a jump, don’t you think?” Ditzy asked.
Raindrops shrugged in response. “Maybe. Maybe not. We don’t really know anything about her. I wouldn’t rule it out.”
“Well, we’ll find out as soon-” Trixie began.
An explosion of noise erupted from the building, several creatures shouting at once. Blinking, Trixie looked towards the door, the rest of her friends following suit.
“Should we see what’s wrong?” Ditzy asked.
“I’m not sure, really. It is a guard station. What could be going wrong in there?” Cheerilee asked, biting her lip.
Parlak burst back through the door, a folded up map between his teeth. Five guards were right behind him, followed in turn by the camel Raindrops had seen enter the building a moment ago. Eyes falling on Trixie, Parlak shoved the map into her hooves.
“We got a tip on Grev’s location. The opportunity is now!”
“What about Yangin?”
“I marked the locations of her shop and this guard station on the map. I will have to trust you six to find her and get the information.”
Setting her jaw in determination, Trixie just nodded. Parlak nodded back, before turning, shouting to the guards and tearing off into the crowd. They dutifully followed with the informant taking up the rear.
“Well,” Trixie said, brandishing the map in her aura, “let’s go find ourselves an antiques dealer!”
- - - -
The great market of Kuleler Sehri were a dazzling array of sights, smells and sounds. Shop owners and customers alike barked out offers and counter offers, the familiar pattern of a market familiar in any language. While religious items weren’t the subjects being sold, the market did exist in the shadow of two truly massive temples. The five minarets that framed the domed buildings seemed constantly visible, no matter where the six mares wandered through the market streets. And wander was proving to become quite the accurate term.
“Sun above! Is this a market or a maze?” Trixie exclaimed, throwing her hooves into the air.
The press of camels and few native ponies choking the intersection barely paid Trixie any heed, more concerned with their own business at the near constant drone of market noise.
In theory, the market (or souq, in Naqhan) was mostly open air, much like the small farmer’s market back in Ponyville. In reality, it’s collection of tents and stalls had to share the neighborhood with residences and those few permanent shops owned and built by the most successful traders. The end result was- as Trixie had cursed- a true maze of commerce. From their immediate position, they could make out two different grain merchants, a spice trader, a pair of rug merchants, a jeweler and clothing vendor.
Carrot Top took a deep breath, letting the mixed scents of spice and grain fill her nose. “Mmm. Love that smell though. Equestria or Naqah, markets always smell the same.”
“Ponies are ponies. Even when they’re camels, or buffalo,” Cheerilee nodded succinctly.
Ditzy hummed, looking up from the map Parlak had provided, slowly looking at each of the streets and then up at the spires. “That spire on the right...what’s it near?”
Raindrops eyed it for a moment. “From our position...it looks like it's right over that spice market straight ahead.”
“I think her place should be three more blocks ahead and then two right. Or…,” she turned the map to the right, scrunching up her face in annoyance. “It’s immediately to the right and then three more blocks ahead.”
“Shouldn’t your mailmare skills be able to figure it out?” Trixie said, giving a deadpan eyebrow raise.
“Maybe if I could read the street names,” Ditzy frowned, her good eye scanning their surroundings again. “Or if any of these streets were marked.”
“They could be marked and we’re just not seeing them,” Carrot Top pointed out.
“Either way, I’m going by spacial reference and the map alone.”
“Two equally possible directions…,” Trixie frowned.
“And we don’t know how long Parlak will be gone, assuming he has found Grev,” Raindrops added, angrily pawing the ground.
“We split up then. Lyra, Raindrops and I will go that way,” Cheerilee said with a determined nod, pointing straight ahead. “And then Trixie, you, Carrot Top and Ditzy can take the other direction. We’ll meet back at this intersection.”
“Alright,” Trixie frowned after thinking for a minute. “But be careful. Don’t take any undue risks, okay?”
“Promise,” Cheerilee smiled.
Nodding again, Trixie broke off with Ditzy and Carrot Top, quickly vanishing into the crowd. Cheerilee struck off the other way with Lyra and Raindrops.
Lyra eyed one of the minaretes as they moved forward again. “You know, Parlak’s comments last night got me thinking. I do wonder if there’s some kind of connection between the Elements and their philosophy. The traits sound pretty close.”
“Maybe? Not even Luna entirely understands how the Elements actually work. Maybe it’s all expressions of some central force? The Elements and what this Prophet taught may have been inspired by the same source?” Cheerilee said.
“I’d have to look into the legends of The Prophet more first, I suppose,” Lyra shrugged. “It’s just...odd, really.”
Cheerilee gave a contemplative “hrm” before voicing another thought. “I’d say that the precedent is there. Pony magic by tribe acts very much the same. Magic follows rules, as I’m sure Twilight could go on about in length.”
“But those are all things that there are a lot of,” Raindrops countered. “However many hundreds of thousands of pegasi there are on the planet, our magic works the same. As far as we know, there’s only one set of Elements in the world.”
Lyra contemplated aloud, “Didn’t Twilight try to make another set of bearers?”
“Picking new bearers isn’t the same as making new Elements though,” Cheerilee commented. “There’s still only one set...in this universe,” she quickly amended.
Lyra hummed to herself, a few half notes escaping her lips. A possible song start, maybe? Either way, it was something to consider at the very least.
Raindrops grunted, her jaw set. “I hope Parlak’s informant was right. It’d be nice for something to go easy for once.”
“Even if he has found Grev, that doesn’t mean Kindle couldn’t show up though,” Cheerilee pointed out. “I bet he’s not as well known around here. Could probably slip in if he was careful enough. We should keep our eyes open all the same.”
A grunt and nod was Raindrops’ only response as they finally began to approach a large stone building that looked like it might be Yangin’s abode. Tucked at the end of the tunnel like street, it was the collection of furniture and knick knacks that almost seemed to be spilling out of the windows and onto the street that probably gave it away.
On second glance, however they could see that the stone building was actually at the back of the property and what they thought were other shops were actually part of it. Wooden shelves had been arranged to form improvised exterior walls. Other shelves, tables and even rugs were arranged in small clusters or ordered rows, inside that perimeter, stuffed to overflowing with nick-knacks and antiques.
“It looks like you could start a museum!” Lyra gaped.
“We’re going to find out that she’s keeping it in her sock drawer,” Raindrops said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Won’t know till we ask!” Cheerilee smiled, trotting a bit faster through the rows and towards the building.
Cantering to catch up, her friends reached Cheerilee just as she knocked on the closed front door. For a few moments, all was quiet. But then a bell chime rang out as the door swung open. With a frightening speed, they were set upon by a blurr of sandy brown and multi-colored fabric. The store owner was a camel, as was almost expected at this point. Her face, bright and animated at the thought of sales, was framed by a long and dark mane which was in turn wrapped in a series of veils, their various colors forming a near fashion rainbow. Her light brown coat- while neatly brushed- couldn’t have stood out more from the checkerboard of equally vibrant colors that was a second set of shawls draped over her hump.
“Welcome! Welcome, to Yangin’s Desert Palace of Treasures! How can I be your humble servant today?” She said, smiling so wide that it threatened to spill off the edges of her face.
Cheerilee smiled warmly, taking the lead. “Hello! My name is Cheerilee, and this is Raindrops and Lyra.”
“My, truly a caravan of Equestrians has come to my humble store. Tell me what treasures you seek and the humble Yangin shall provide.”
“We were looking for something called the Army-”
“Yes! Of course!”
Before Ditzy could correct, or explain further, Yangin was off like a shot, zipping between them and disappearing into the collection of shelves. Soon the sounds of scraping floated from between them, eliciting some confused glances from the three mares, each one wondering what those sounds could be.
The answer turned out to be armoire. Yangin pushed it ahead of her, seemingly oblivious to the fine layer of dust that had settled upon it, most likely from years of being tucked back in the corner of the shop. Still, despite the layer of gray, some of former glory managed to peek through as it was obviously carved from rare wood.
“This is what you need! The Armoire of Infinite Glories. Once owned by the cursed emir of-”
“Uhh, while it does look nice, that’s not what we were looking for,” Lyra said. “It’s the Army of-”
“Ahh, yes. Of course the fine lady doesn’t want an armoire. How is she supposed to take it back to Equestria? No, no. An army though, I have just the thing.”
Again, she vanished into the shelves, only to reappear from another direction. This time, a collection of small glittering statues- half gold, half silver- and matching checkered board was balanced on her hoof.
“The Glittering Army! This animated chess set-”
An angry stomp of Raindrops’ hoof stopped the sales pitch this time. “We don’t want an animated chess set! If you’d let us finish, we could tell you what we want!”
“Are you sure? It really is animated.” Still smiling, she waved a hoof towards the pieces. ”Go on, show the nice mare what you can do.” One of the pawn figures on the golden side trotted forward a space, slipped into a bow and then straightened again before freezing once more. “See! And I promise you, it won’t break.”
“Well, while it does look nice, it’s not what we’re looking for,” Cheerilee frowned, taking a step forward. “Look, we were told that you might know where the Army of Smoke and Fire is. Have you heard of it, or not?”
The manic and cheerful energy that had infused Yangin since their arrival left her face in an instant. Now, a steely anger that could match Raindrops’ worst moods filled her intense, golden eyes.
“Only fools and tyrants seek that item. Whichever you are, I care not. But,” her hoof pointed back down the street, “you have one minute to vacate my store before I call the city guard on you.”
But Cheerilee stood her ground, taking a step forward to match Yangin’s glare. “We’re trying to find it to stop a tyrant from getting her hooves on it.”
Idly spinning the chessboard, Yangin snorted. “No creature knows where it is.”
“Except you,” Lyra raised an eyebrow. “You did just threaten to throw us out. Seems like an extreme reaction if you didn’t know anything.”
“And if I do?”
“Then you’re in danger! Corona wants the Army and the alliance it can buy! She won’t stop just because you don’t want to talk. Please. She’s taken hostages in the past,” Lyra said.
Yangin regarded Lyra carefully, the frown on her face thinning slightly. The mint green mare blinked at the gaze. It almost seemed like the camel’s eyes had glowed for a moment, but on a second look, it was just her intense glare.
“Your concern is...appreciated. But you will find nothing here and neither will Cor-”
The sound of fresh hoof falls entered the “floor” of the shop, Yangin and the Element Bearers looking towards them at the same time. A young camel girl- perhaps no older than seven or eight years old- was at the front of the new group of arrivals that wound their way towards them. She looked quite pleased with herself, head held high and grinning wide.
At first, the collection of seven camels behind her looked to be a group of simple clothed traders. But then their cloaks were thrown back, revealing who had actually come to the shop. Kindle flared his wings, golden armor glittering in the morning Naqhan sun, as he stood on the right side of the group. The rest were camels, all dressed in loose fitting white shirts and matching sabers on the sides, save for one.
Like Parlak, he wore a jacket of dark blue. But his was more intricate, with a collection of medals across his breast, and intricate silver embroidery running each sleeve. A thin mustache marked his face, and like his fellows, he had a sword on his side. Unlike them though, he also had a collection of items strapped to that same belt. Two ornate hoof anklets, and two bottles- one made of colored glass, the other plain- all hung from the loop.
The lead camel calmly plucked a platinum coin from a separate pouch, pressing it into the young camel’s hoof. Her eyes grew even wider at her sudden riches, and with a word of presumed thanks, she rushed off into the market again.
“Now,” the camel said, eyeing the Element Bearers and Yangin, “I’m in the market for an army.”
- - - -
Parlak hated Kuleler Sehri’s walls. Like many things in Naqah, they were a remnant from the era of the old caliphs and like many of the other things that line of decedent and decrepit rulers had left behind, Parlak thought they were an eyesore. Thick, ponderous, slabs of sand colored stone that had been summoned from the earth by jinn to protect the holy city.
But the protection that had served it well at the time had become a bane as the city’s population grew. Buildings had become cramped and squeezed, streets narrow and winding as the builders struggled to build more and more within the walls.
If there was one good thing about the walls, they did make it easier to control the flow of traffic into the city, through the five towering gates built into them. Named after the five virtues of the Pillars, they were arranged mostly along the cardinal directions. Charity and Mirth were on the north end, facing the mountain pass. Truth faced south, while Benevolence was to the east, and Integrity to the west.
Parlak was currently racing towards Benevolence, though he knew that he wouldn’t draw near it. Instead, he and his guards turned north, plunging into the collection of warehouses that served the rail line. Even as he galloped along though, a nagging voice in the back of his head questioned the wisdom of letting the Element Bearers seek Yangin themselves. He was taking a chance that this tip was true.
Yet, Grev was a hooves on kind of camel and wouldn’t trust something so delicate as an alliance with the Tyrant Sun to subordinates. He would try to sneak into the city. Parlak had become sure of that the moment he had heard of this antiques dealer, which was something that would need to be investigated more thoroughly later. It was simple logic, really. If Miss Yangin even had a clue where the Army of Smoke and Fire was, she might also known about other ancient jinn.
Filing that whole problem in the back of his mind for now, he turned his attention to the rows of warehouses before him.
“Which one?” he asked his impromptu informant without looking back, switching back to his native tongue.
“Two rows down and to the right,” he answered with a great surety, “That was where I saw Emir Grev and the strange flaming pegasus.”
Grev and Kindle. A chance to deal the rebels and Corona a serious blow at the same time.
“Stay here,” he said to the informant.
His mind set on the task before him, Parlak advanced down the street, glancing at the towering warehouses that pressed in all around his group. Occasionally, workers from those warehouses looked up as they passed, anxiety clear on their features. The tension was thick in the air, a feeling that he was quite familiar with. The deep breath before the chaos of battle.
They approached the particular area now, the crowds of warehouse workers beginning to thin. Moving into a four way intersection, Parlak frowned at the few cloaked camels milling about in the shadows of the buildings….
He paused giving the cloaked figures a second look. Despite said cloaks being made out of the white, breathable cotton that was used so often in Naqahn clothing, it was distinctly out of place in their surroundings. The cloaks also hung strangely on some of their figures, far too long and sinuous to be camels.
With a resigned sigh, Parlak rested a hoof upon the hilt of his saber, the reality of the situation playing through his mind. Grev had most likely been in the city for a little while already, most likely no longer than a day. Just enough time to set up a safe house and make contact with any local supporters at any rate. And in his eagerness to strike, he had walked right into an ambush.
A twinkle of sunlight flashed from the roof of one of the warehouses. That was, apparently, the signal. The cloaks were tossed back, revealing sinuous reptilian forms covered in flame colored scales. The salamanders- four of them- advanced, carrying scimitars and crude shields formed from beaten brass.
But it was the heavy beat of wings that made Parlak take a step back, drawing his blade as he went. The creature that swooped towards him looked like it might have once been a griffin. The leonine hindquarters were unmistakable. It was the front end that stood out as strange, the red and orange feathers making it resemble a pheonix more than an eagle.
That color scheme and the golden armor pointed to it being another minion of Corona’s and the deep, angry screech clearly conveyed hostile intent. One off the talons whistled through the air, the tip of the claws just barely dragging across Parlak’s forehead. Gritting his teeth, Parlak took a wide step to shift his position. The momentum of the dive carried the griffin onwards and he landed with a loud thud in the middle of the guards.
Their spears came in in a flurry of strikes, but the griffin fought like an unleashed sandstorm. Grabbing the half of the first one, he gave a sharp yank and swing, throwing the guard into two of his fellows. The stabs of the last two guards impacted off the golden armor, the bucking, thrashing movements of their attacker making it hard to accurately strike.
Jumping forward, Parlak grit his teeth slamming the full of his weight into the griffin. A rattle from the collision of flesh and bone on enchanted metal sent a bone shaking rattle through his body, from hoof tip to the roots of his teeth. The tackled had been enough though the griffin was ejected from the circle of guards, Parlak charging after. Swinging his sword down at the fallen griffin, he winced again as he crossed his forelegs before him, and the edge impacted into the golden gauntlets he wore. The griffin kicked out with a hind leg, catching Parlak on the underside of the neck. Hacking and coughing, he stumbled away, giving the griffin an opening to get up.
Glaring through watering eyes, Parlak watched the salamanders slither up along either side of the griffin.
“And...who,” he panted, “did Corona decide to send down to Naqah?”
“You may call me Terrorwing! And you will watch your tongue speaking to me!”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Parlak couldn’t resist a smirk. “I see. Did she choose that name from the Equestrian funny pages for you?”
Terrorwing sputtered for a moment, taking a half step back. The salamanders at his side exchanged glances, one of them stifling the urge to chuckle. Terrorwing quickly recovered, clacking his beak in a display of both anger and dominance.
“You will show me respect!”
Parlak rubbed his chin with the back of his free hoof, grinning cheekily as his own guards fell into position next to him. “Terrorwing, Terrorwing. No, that’s far too long. I think I’ll call you…Terry.”
Terrorwing let loose an almighty screech of rage, throwing himself right for Parlak. Bracing himself, he hoped that the Element Bearers were having better luck.
- - - -
“If you will all remain calm, this will be over quickly.”
Cheerilee fixed the lead camel with a cool stare. No one had yet moved from their positions, though it was clearly obvious that the soldiers wished to. Their hooves kept wandering towards their weapons, obviously preparing for a fight. But the lead camel was keeping his cool, radiating an authority of command.
“You must be Emir Grev.”
He gave a curt nod in response, before answering in Equestrian. “Emir Ofkeli Grev. I would...request, that you address me properly, Dame Cheerilee of Equestria. But allow me to welcome you to Naqah.”
“Wow, it was almost like we were having a normal conversation for a moment,” Cheerilee smirked.
“War is an ugly enough business as is. Now,” his eyes swung to Mukemmel, who was still standing defiant in the middle of the isle, “Miss Yangin. I am to understand there is a book in your possession. Perhaps five inches by seven, embossed with an elemental rune upon the cover.”
“What of it, emir?”
“I would like to purchase it.” Pulling a pouch from his belt, Grev gave it a slight shake, letting the coins jingle-jangle in his grip. “One hundred platinum coins. More than a fair amount.”
“And if that is not sufficient in and of itself, Queen Celestia is more than happy to match that amount.” Kindle added with a charming smile.
“With all due respect to the emir’s deep graciousness, and that of Equestria’s ‘queen’,” Yangin said, throwing herself into an over exaggerated bow, “that book is not for sale. Now, would everybody kindly get out of my shop!”
“Are you quite sure about that? I could raise the price another hundred.”
“I am quite sure. Get out!”
“Mmm. My apologies then.”
Acting on some pre-arranged signal, Grev’s soldiers split up, running into the aisles and rows. The sounds of crashes and clangs filled the air as they began to rummage through Yangin’s wares. Kindle gave a slight bow to Raindrops, before turning and running to join them.
Raindrops crouched down, preparing to charge after him. But Cheerilee sprang over her friend’s back, taking up the chase first.
“I got Kindle!” she called back to Raindrops, “How about you show the good emir out?”
Rolling his eyes Grev stepped forward, smoothly drawing his curved saber from it’s scabbard and lowering it at the rest of the bearers.
“As this is not your country, I will offer you one chance to leave. What I do, I do for the best of my nation.”
“So do we!” Lyra fired back.
Nodding, Grev raised his blade in a salute. “Very well.”
With a few steps, he was upon them, blade flashing through the air in a glittering arc. Lyra rolled to the side and Raindrops jumped forward with a cry of her own. Flapping her wings furiously, she unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks at Grev’s head. But the emir was like a snake, moving his saber to block each strike with unnerving accuracy.
Lyra kept running to the left, sliding to a stop at the base of one of the exterior wall shelves. She raised her namesake instrument, hooves racing across the strings as she plucked both notes and magic from the lyre. Horn glowing, she sent the magic coiling around Raindrops and her limbs. While the spell began to settle in on her friend, Lyra smirked and shifted her playing, moving to a lighter, faster and more upbeat tune. The speed of the song was transferred to the spell and then to Raindrops.
With the boost to her speed, Raindrops’ strikes began to slip past Grev’s saber, catching him in the jaw a few times before he realized what had happened. Gritting his teeth Grev snapped his head forward in a headbut. Flaring her wings, Raindrops swooped to the right and then forward, shooting past Grev and his follow up swing.
Shooting an angry glare Lyra’s way Grev turned and charged back after Raindrops. She spun around to face the noble, gritting her teeth as the sword came in again. Flicking her wings, she propelled herself back, a hoof reaching- almost instinctively- towards one of the shelves. Snatching something up, she swung it back at Grev.
A loud clang tore through the air, sword striking...a wooden flute? Raindrops blinked, staring at the musical instrument that had just blocked a sword strike. Grev seemed just as confused at its sturdy nature as she was.
“If you break it, you buy it! That’s enchanted ironwood!” Yangin said, striding into the rows of her wares.
Smirking ever so slightly, Raindrops unleashed a second flurry of punches with her free hoof, now charged with uncharacteristic speed. She swung with the flute too, aiming it at the sword, forcing Grev to focus at least part of his attention on holding it. He now realed back, his free hoof clutching at a growing welt on his forehead.
“By the Prophet!” Yangin shouted. She was sticking to the soldiers and having picked up a rug beater from one of her many piles, was setting to beating them out of her store like so many floor coverings. “Leave my goods alone! Be gone you honorless dogs!”
The troopers didn’t do much more than gripe as they continued to search the shelves, apparently unconcerned about the rug based danger.
The rolling scuffle that was Cheerilee and Kindle suddenly broke apart as Cheerilee was caught by a lucky kicked away. The school teacher turned hero crashed into one of the many shelves, before scrambling to her hooves. One of the many effects piled atop the stack wavered back and forth, before toppling off and smashing against the floor.
“No!” Yangin wailed, “That was a priceless antique! The Lantern of the Shah of Maghrib!”
“Maghrib doesn’t have a shah!” Cheerilee grit her teeth, glancing down at the shards. “And I can see the ‘Made in Xiaomaguo’ mark!”
“Well, not everything can be a priceless antique…”
Rolling her eyes, Cheerilee snatched one of the pieces off the floor as Kindle charged. The metal cracked across the pegasus’ face, throwing his charge off just enough for her to side step and deliver a strong buck to his side, throwing him to the ground.
Preparing to press her attack, Raindrops pulled back a hoof for a special strike. Her knowledge and skill in the Iron Hoof martial art had been growing in recent months, fueled by a need to prepare for Corona and her minions. But she was quite sure that her skills would be just as useful against an annoying camel duke.
Grev took advantage of the wind up, however and snapped his head forward again. Cursing to herself for falling for that attack a second time Raindrops flapped her wings, soaring a little higher. It gave Grev all the opening he needed, however. A hoof reached for the ornate glass bottle, and something came flowing out.
It was a few globs of water at first, but the individual globules quickly turned into a small river that twisted and twirled through the air, coming to a stop directly before Raindrops. The water then pulled inwards, forming itself into a vaguely bird like shape.
“Crud,” Raindrops hissed.
“Jinn!” Cheerilee shouted.
“Muzisyen al!” Grev bellowed, pointing at Lyra. The water hawk twisted through the air diving towards the unicorn. Lyra whickered in surprise, running back towards the entrance, the jinn hot on her tail.
To the continued chorus of wares being cast to the ground, Raindrops charged again, hoof aimed for her opponent’s head. A breath away from her target, Grev twisted into a rapid spin, blade lashing out like the heads of a hydra. Cursing, she yanked the flute in the way, another clang ringing through the market.
But a stab of pain erupted in Raindrop’s barrel as Grev punched her right in the gut. Doubling over the flute topped from her hooves, her eyes watering from the pain. But before Grev could follow up on his strike, a burst of sound screamed through the air, catching him in the side. The force of Lyra’s spell sent him stumbling into one of the tables, upending it and sending its contents smashing to the ground.
Grinning at her success, Lyra yelped again, the water jinn pouncing on her. The rushing waves coiled around her her body, taking care to engulf her legs and horn. With a crackling-snap, it turned from water to ice. She struggled against the chilling embrace only to find herself stuck in place.
“You are all backing the wrong side of this war,” Grev said as he pushed himself upright.
Raindrops bristled. “We are? You’re the one who sided with the Tyrant Sun!”
“She is the true quee--” Kindle’s declaration was cut off by a brass serving tray, propelled with great accuracy by Cheerilee from her new perch atop an upended set of shelves.
“Ah, yes. Such insightful political commentary from the weather pony,” Grev said. His voice remained even and measured but Raindrops didn’t miss the twitch that ran through the camel’s right eye. “You still have one chance to surrender. You will be treated fairly as prisoners of war and released as soon as this conflict ends.”
“Which conflict?” Raindrops, sneered. “The one in Naqah or Equestria? Since you’re so eager to throw in with a mad alicorn!”
“Celestia has a better measure of this world and the threats in it than either Luna or that babbling fool Pirinc. Do you even understand the nature of those ‘reforms’ he’s passed? They’ll lead this nation to ruin!”
“And you think Corona is better?” Lyra shouted, continuing to struggle against the ice.
“As I said. She understands the nature of this world better than most. Dragons, monsters, the ghuls that lurk in our mountains. Order, stability, a strong hoof to protect your citizens. That’s what’s needed. Not idealistic reforms that are the equivalent of sticking one's head in the sand.”
Cheerilee snorted. “Oh, please.”
“Of course one of Luna’s knights would disagree,” Grev sighed deeply.
“I disagree, not because I’m a knight.” she growled back. Picking up a wooden box from her toppled perch, Cheerilee idly passed it from hoof to hoof.
“Why then?”
“Because we’ve heard it all before. And it was just as pathetic then as now, you sorry excuse for a military dictator!”
She pitched the box at Grev with all her strength, not stopping to see if it connected, pouncing on Kindle as he got back up. Grev coiled to step aside from the box, only for Raindrops to swoop in with the flute whacking it against the back of his neck. Distracted by the strike, Cheerilee’s improvised weapon cracked off of the side of Grev’s head, popping open at the impact.
A fetlock anklet clattered to the ground at his hooves. Cast from platinum, three small gems were set into its front, one red, one green, and one sky blue.
“ENOUGH!”
Everypony’s head snapped to Yangin. The sheer rage of the shout had been surprising, having rattled many items on the shelves that hadn’t been toppled in the fight, but it was nothing compared to the shock at the change that had overtaken the shopkeep.
Her light brown coat had given way to one the color of polished brass, almost giving her the appearance of some statue come to life. But it was the change to her mane and tail that sent involuntary shudders through Raindrop’s body, a sensation that she was sure her friends shared. They were now flickering, animate fire, so much resembling Corona’s. Eyes lit up with fury, she had one hoof extended towards the fallen anklet.
“She’s a jinn too?” Cheerilee gaped.
Grev’s sword lashed out, blocking Yangin’s hoof.
“Bogucu Yangin.” Grev said, expression steely.
The stone answered Yangin’s call with a flick of her hoof, rising up like a wave and throwing Grev across the open floor. Impacting into one of the shelves near the entrance, he dropped like a stone. Yangin’s glare remained focused on Grev, a chorus of snaps and pops- like wood burning in a campfire- heralded a swirling cone of fire forming around her hind quarters.
“Charcoal.”
Grev bolted.
Yangin chased.
Raindrops, Cheerilee and Lyra hit the ground, Kindle and the rest of the emir’s small squad forgotten. While Grev had galloped through the opening gap in the exterior shelf-wall, Yangin smashed right through it. Splinters of wood, shards of antiques unlucky enough to be in her path and dust (perhaps summoned by Yangin herself) billowed outwards both spilling into the street and sweeping back onto the shop floor.
From her position near the front of the now quite wrecked shop, Lyra could barely pick out the forms of her friends in the dust. The small jinn fell back into water, wheeling away through the air and shooting through the dust cloud. The camels went next, either in an attempt to get away or catch up with their commander. Finally, there was a brilliant flash of gold and red that managed to peek through the dust. Kindle rapidly flew away, and Lyra could almost swear she could make out a book clutched in his hooves.
Wincing at the panicked shouts coming from the streets outside, Lyra scrambled towards her friends. “Is everypony okay?!”
“My stomach hurts,” Raindrops grunted, standing up. “But otherwise, I’m okay.”
The dust cloud was abating now, but not before it left a fine layer on everypony’s coats.
“I think Kindle got a book,” Cheerilee said, reaching down for platinum anklet. “But we got this!” The gold and jewels of the anklet twinkled in her grip. “This is what sent her off the deep end.”
Frowning, Lyra quickly cast, examining it on an arcane level. “Powerfully magical, that’s for sure….Ah!” she perked up, clapping her hooves together. “It’s like that bottle! It’s her bound item. All the old legends of jinn feature them being bound to items to be controlled.”
Raindrops began to pace through the rubble, angrily flaring her wings. “Grev recognized her. Yangin means fire...but what about the rest of it?”
“Choking.”
A shadow loomed over them. Jumping away from it, the three mares whirled about to stare at the still very angry looking, and still crackling with flame, jinn. Floating forward, her now solid white eyed glare roamed over the group. Stopping at Cheerilee, she snorted and extended her hoof.
“My name is Choking Fire and I would like that back.”
Biting her lip, Cheerilee eyed her wearily. “What was that book they took?”
Yangin huffed, crossing her forelegs in annoyance. “It was a mage’s journal. I imagine that Grev will use it to deduce the location of the Army of Smoke and Fire that you wanted so badly.”
“So you do know something about it!”
“Know something- I watched the thing get made, you little twit!”
“Why didn’t you tell us when we asked about it?” Lyra asked.
“Oh, and tell a bunch of random ponies where to find the powerful, mayhem inducing item. Wonderful idea.”
“But it’s like we said, we’re here to stop somepony worse from getting it!” Raindrops said.
Yangin now faced Raindrops, who glared right back at the jinn.
“I am aware of Celestia or Corona or whatever you Equestrians call her.” Yangin said, waving her hoof towards the empty street. “But I’m rather sure that your Princess Luna will be able to deal with a bunch of subpar bound jinn.” She then turned back towards Cheerilee. “Now, give me back my anklet!”
Cheerilee didn’t.
“You watched it get made...do you know where it is currently?”
“Cheerilee, what are you doing?” Raindrops frowned.
“Yangin,” Cheerilee asked again, ignoring her friend. “Answer me. Do you know where it is right now.”
“Yes,” Yangin growled through clenched teeth.
Cheerilee didn’t take her eyes off of Yangin, a half frown, half wince settling on her muzzle. Raindrops and Lyra frowned, both equally unsure what their friend was thinking. But the answer to that became obvious when Cheerilee calmly, almost with a sense of resignation, snapped the anklet around her fetlock.
“Take us to it.”
Yangin looked about ready to explode. Face locked into a snarl, the flames of her mane and tail erupted with a fresh round of violent energy. But as angry as she looked, her voice was almost worse, having become very quiet.
“You will come to regret this, my little pony. I promise you that.”
“Maybe,” Cheerilee responded, with a shrug. “But I’ve already had a mad alicorn try to kill me. I’ll do what I have to.”
“Cheerilee! This is nuts! You’re basically forcing her into slavery!” Raindrops said.
She had practically shouted that, her body shaking slightly in anger. She couldn’t believe that she had just seen her friend basically foalnap a jinn!
“I’m not going to keep her! Just until we destroy the Army of Smoke and Fire. Then I’ll let her go.”
A raucous burst of laughter escaped Yangin’s lips, the jinn almost doubling over. “By The Prophet!” she gasped between rounds of chortles. “It sounds like you actually mean that!”
“I do!”
Yangin stared at Cheerilee for a moment before breaking out into another round of laughter, this time with a distinctly mocking undertone to it.
“I’m being serious!”
“No. What you’re doing is lying to yourself. You’re saying that you’ll let the power go, because that lets you still feel good about yourself. But then something will happen. Something that’ll give enough justification to your tiny little mind to hang onto me.”
“That’s not going to happen. Once we destroy the Army of Smoke and Fire, I’ll let you go.”
Lyra, who had been quiet for the last few minutes, spoke up. “What about Corona? It would be nice to have a powerful jinn on our side to fight her.”
Yangin motioned towards Raindrops, letting that speak for itself.
“Lyra!” Raindrops gasped.
“What? It’s true!”
“We have the Elements of Harmony! You two can’t seriously be considering this.”
“I just want to keep Corona from getting another tool to attack us with. And since I doubt that I’ll be able to find Grev and the book in a city he knows better than me, Yangin here is our only other option! I intend to keep my word.” Cheerilee said.
Yangin snorted. “Sure you will. You’ll keep me, you’ll keep the army, all in the name of fighting off Corona. Just like what always happens.”
Further argument from Cheerilee was cut off by a raised hoof from Lyra. “We can stay here and argue all day, but I think we should find the others.”
“...Right. Come on.”
- - - -
The Prophet take whoever made the griffin.
Front end of a predatory bird. Hind quarters of a great cat. One of the few races in the world where five of their six ends were pointy. As Parlak circled the possibly self proclaimed Terrorwing, looking for an opening, he did thank The Prophet that their race hadn’t been gifted with a stinging tail to make it six out of six.
He bled from a half dozen small cuts and gashes, each one inflicted by those pointy talons of Terrorwing’s. The griffin had the strength advantage, but Parlak had more training and combat experience. It was that fact that had saved him so far. All around him, the salamanders continued to battle against his guards. Though they looked distinctly less eager about the fight than their griffin commander. They poked and jabbed half heartedly, more focused on keeping themselves from behind harmed.
Terrorwing suddenly charged again, jerking to the left as Parlak swung at him again. Kicking off, he impacted into Parlak’s side, grabbing him by the hump. Using his grip as leverage, Terrorwing pulled himself close. Close enough to whisper in Parlak’s ear.
“You know, Naqah can still walk away from this.”
“...Pardon?”
“Just give us the Element Bearers and the Army. Then we’ll leave you alone.”
Parlak couldn’t quite believe those words had just flowed from Terrorwing’s beak, like he was somehow completely ignorant of reality. He chuckled, shaking his head slightly.
“My, you really are new at the whole covert negotiations thing aren’t you? Your queen teaching you how to be more than a rabid dog?”
Terrorwing growled, digging the tip of his claws just a little deeper into Parlak’s flesh. He grinned through the pain, if only to hide the wince.
“Understand something Terry. We didn’t start this conflict, at least...not with you. But now that your queen has decided to get involved?”
Camels were, as an unfortunate quirk of birth, somewhat large and gangly looking compared to some of the other races on Cissanthema, especially compared to ponies. Being grappled by multiple attackers, or tripped was something that had long been prepared for in Naqahn army training. Training that Parlak now fell back on, sharply rolled towards Terrorwing. Slamming body and bulk against Terrorwing, the griffin was smashed off the ground. Parlak smiled as he felt the claws come loose and as he continued the roll and came back to his hooves, stomped down on the unprotected underside of the griffin’s barrel.
“I fully intend to help the Equestrians run you and your friends to ground!” he finished at Terrorwing’s grunt of pain.
He felt the rush of wind across his coat before he saw the jinn. A small and simple wind jinn, rushing towards the battle. Parlak reached for his sword, preparing for the worse. But the jinn said one word in Equestrian.
“FLEE!”
Terrorwing kicked out with a snarl, Parlak scrambling back from the clawed paw. Flipping over, he threw himself into the air with a flurry of wing beats, shooting between two of the warehouses. The salamanders didn’t need any convincing either. As one they backed away from their attackers, one of their number placing its hands on the ground. The stone parted like water under salamander magic and the serpentine creatures dove below ground. Just as quickly as it had began, the battle was over.
“Sir, shall we pursue?” one of the guards asked.
“Forget them,” Parlak said, smoothly falling back into command mode. “This was an ambush designed to split us up. I want the Element Bearers found and I want them found now! I don’t care if you have to mobilize every guard in the city!”
The guard winced, glancing at his commander's wounds. “Sir, your wounds-”
“Will be irrelevant, if the only mares that can oppose Grev’s new allies are captured or worse! Find! Them!”
The guards scattered like a school of disturbed fish. Parlak sighed, sliding his sword neatly back into its scabbard, before heading back towards where he had told the Element Bearers to meet him at. He just hoped they would be able to meet him there. Of one thing he was sure. He had made a potentially grave mistake here today. He would not make the same mistake again.
- - - -
It was a dour mood that hung over the heads of Cheerilee, Lyra and Raindrops as they approached the guard station, annoyed jinn in tow. Yangin had returned to her normal camel appearance and had served as a local guide, tersely telling them which way to turn and which streets to take. Trixie and the others weren’t waiting at the intersection and, after some debate, it was decided to see if they had returned to the guard station on their own. If they hadn’t, at least they’d be able to get some more help looking for them.
Lyra’s ears were still pulled back as she walked in silence, her frustration at the situation quite evident to all. Cheerilee and Raindrops had stayed quiet during the trip as well, but now as they drew close to the guard station Cheerilee spoke up.
“I’ll explain everything to Parlak.”
Lyra shrugged. “Okay.”
Frowning, Cheerilee pushed on, ignoring the nagging sensation that Yangin was glaring daggers at the back of her head. Taking the steps two at a time, she was already looking around for their camel guide. The few guards that were mulling around inside looked up as she entered, simply pointing to a different room.
Trotting into the room, Yangin broke off for the corner, while Cheerilee, Lyra and Raindrops walked up to the the sturdy looking desk Parlak sat behind. Working at a telegraph, he tapped away with an almost frightening speed, fresh bandages covering some of his body. Finishing off his series of taps with a final slam, he looked up at them.
“Where’s the rest of your friends?
“We got split up,” Cheerilee began.
“Cheerilee!”
Trixie, Ditzy and Carrot Top came rushing into the room now, a pair of guards behind them. Waving a hoof at them, Parlak made a comment in Naqahn and they backed out of the room with a salute.
Trixie stared at him and his bandages. “What happened to you?”
“Ambush. It seems that Corona committed more than just Kindle to her joint venture. I met salamanders and a griffin named Terrorwing.”
“Great. Was really looking forward to seeing him again,” Raindrops sighed.
“Did you have any luck with Yangin?”
“Yeah...about that-” Cheerilee began.
But Yangin cut her off, almost leaping to answer the question.“Your rebel emir got away with the only physical record of where the Army of Smoke and Fire is. And your guests have opted to force me to lead the way.”
Parlak glanced at her, then back at the Element Bearers, his eyes falling on the jeweled anklet clasped around Cheerilee’s legs. Frowning deeply, one of his hooves slowly strayed to his sword’s hilt. “I...see.”
Ditzy looked at her friend frowning. “What’s he talking about?”
“She’s a jinn,” Cheerilee explained holding out her leg. “I’m having her lead us there.”
“Wait,” Trixie said, rubbing her chin. “I don’t remember everything Princess Luna taught me about non-pony magic, but I thought that jinn only existed when actively being supported by a caster. Bound items are for focusing the magic. Without a caster, they just...fall apart into elemental chaos.”
“Generally, yes,” Parlak frowned, shooting a sideways glance at Yangin. “Though, there are...exceptions.”
“Oh, come now, don’t be shy,” the jinn said, chuckling, a bitter empty chuckle. “Go ahead and tell them about all the nice things Naqah did in the past.”
Standing up, Parlak now turned to regard Yangin fully. “Is that supposed to intimidate me? They are from Equestria and I would suspect that they can tell the difference between a corrupt government of the past and one of the present.”
“Umm...can we have some context here?” Carrot Top asked.
Parlak and Yangin glared at each other, but he answered even while maintaining that glare. “Back before we had sultans, we had caliphs. I will spare you the exacting details of how that ties to The Prophet and his successors,” he almost sighed, through a grimace at that. “The important point is that one of those caliphs, the one who was destined to be the last, decided that the way jinn had been used for centuries wasn’t good enough. Jinn needed to be better.”
“Smarter, faster, stronger, independant!” Yangin said, now picking up the story, the mocking tone now in full force. “All because your country needed to be richer and grander!”
“Which worked out really well, when those very jinn they created rebelled, and threw down the caliphate.”
“Which let your sultans take up their more enlightened, secular rule. And here we are today! A big happy family!”
“Uhh...right,” Trixie said, shooting nervous glances between the two. “Maybe we should focus on finding the Army?”
“Good idea!” Yangin said, suddenly very cheerful. “The sooner we find it, the sooner we can all go our separate ways, assuming that frosting mane over there doesn’t decide to keep me!”
Cheerilee ran a hoof through her mane. “Frosting mane?”
“Where do we go, Yangin?” Lyra asked.
Looking at Lyra, her expression calmed a bit. “We should take a train to the town of Van, to the south east. It’s the best starting point for a journey into the mountains.”
“The mountains? Its hidden there?”
“In a manner of speaking. The Army of Smoke and Fire is in Naqah’s old capital. The one that was abandoned after my kin and I overthrew that dithering fool of a caliph.”
Parlak rubbed his forehead. “Fantastic.”
“This is a problem?” Carrot Top asked.
“Well...its like she says. The old capital was abandoned. It could barely be supplied by a small army of jinn back in the day because of how remote it was. And if we’re going into the mountains, that means we might have to deal with the ghuls.”
“If it’s what we have to do, then it’s what we have to do. We can’t let Corona get the Army of Smoke and Fire.” Trixie said.
Yangin’s grin was wide and a perhaps a little unsettling. “Prepare yourselves then. This is going to be a wild trip.”
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Those darn dragons, always hoarding significant religious and historical artifacts for their own material wealth!
I liked this chapter. It was neat to see how it evolved from the first draft you had posted on the writing workshop.
Also digging that Cheerilee made such a ballsy move, forcing Yangin to help them against her will. That's gonna be an interesting conflict.
Wonder how others will react to the morally ambiguous actions of Cheerilee here.
I actually like her being the practical one...
Great. Weirdness and moral ambiguity. It's an episode of the Venture Brothers.
Well if you didn't want you book to be stolen by a dragon you shouldn't have left it in a place it could get stolen or been strong enough to protect it
any way all dragons know that the whole world should belong to them its just unfortunate that lesser races happen to live in some of it.
Anyway nice appearance of terry, it might be fun if terry actually means something unflattering in griffish
I'm starting to like this story more and more. Cheerilee really stole the spotlights in this chapter. I love Yangin sarcastic personality. Also I noticed again with call backs to other stories. Only this time you did it correct in my book. You gave both mentions to other dimensions and Twilight attempt. But you kept the vague enough that only those whom read the stories know what your referring too. That is how call back are done correctly. You connect your story with previous events without spoiling the story for your readers whom still have to read them or stories that still have their ending needed to be finished. You did a very good job here. Have a muffin.
6240011
When in doubt, Trixie can always count on booze!
6242720
You have Emeral to thank for giving me the idea of Cheerilee going for the pragmatic decision of forcing Yangin to come. It solved a few problems that existed in the fic before hand.
6242767
Oh, that is totally going to come up.
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Go team pony!
6243424
I'll admit, the main reason I have Terrorwing getting so bent out of shape over the Terry nickname is because the first person we hear use that name is Gilda. I figured it was a lot like the "Dropsy" moniker she stuck Raindrops with.
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Thanks!
Mmmmm. Muffins.
Now that's an interesting development. She's a jinn?
Holy crap, Cheerilee, I kind of can't believe you did that.
I guess this will be the counter example for Yangin, the first master who will (presumably) let her go.
So the salamanders are stone swimmers? Could they spring up under someone with basically zero warning? That seems really dangerous if true.
Would that be the librarian dragon recently revealed in Climbing the Mountain 2 to have been sleeping in Nulpar for the last few centuries? Given that Max is working with her to establish her horde as a non-lending research library, it occurs to me that someone might actually be able to go check.
Nice job, Cheerilee. Really nice... *Slow clap of sarcasm*
A book 7 by 5. That comes to a aspect-ratio of about 1.4. Do the camels know that if they make paper in the ratio of 1:√2 allows one to make 2 sheets of paper out of 1 sheet with the same aspect-ratio as the parent sheet:
ISO 216