Age of Kings

by A bag of plums

77 - Emerald of Arabia

Emerald awoke to the cheerful sound of a bubbling brook. She sat up in her sleeping roll and stretched, feeling refreshed. The air smelled crisp and moist, and Emerald wasted no time in wriggling out of her bedding and enjoying the feel of her bare feet on the carpet of grass. A few paces away, the designated watchperson, Spectrum Song, snoozed, sitting against a tree with her shortsword in hand.

The former pegasus looked around. Most of her companions were still sleeping in their rolls, so Emerald quietly tiptoed away from them, following the sound of the water. She pushed aside some bushes and saplings, and soon located a clear pool of water, fed by a small waterfall that descended from a cliff above. Kneeling down, Emerald cupped her hands in the pool and brought it to her lips. It was cool and refreshing, with a slightly sweet tang to it that made her want more. She stayed and drank a few more mouthfuls until her thirst was slaked.

It would be a good idea to fill our waterskins here before setting off. Emerald decided.

She stood back up and looked up. This was the side of this grove that faced the mountain. She had thought that it would be drier, more arid than this, but here she was, standing in the middle of a lush jungle. She turned in the opposite direction. A warm breeze ruffled her hair and she put a hand to her chin in thought. Then, a little slower this time, Emerald pushed through the undergrowth away from the mountain.

For the first few minutes, there was nothing but palm trees, fruit-bearing bushes, and green grass. Then suddenly, it all ended, as if a pair of gigantic scissors had snipped it short.

Where the trees ended, there was now a vast expanse of sand. Great dunes of brown and gold rose up high above Emerald like waves on an ocean.

For a moment, Emerald was entranced by the hypnotic beauty of the desert. She could not see past the first few dunes, but in the light of the rising sun, they looked majestic. Emerald had never seen anything like it before in her life.

“Tis an impressive sight, isn’t it?” Light Speckle’s voice came from behind Emerald.

“Definitely,” Emerald agreed, turning to see her friend approach. She too was barefoot and looked as though she had only just awoken. “It’s like the snowy wastes outside the Crystal Empire, only it’s all made of sand.”

“Mhmm,” Light Speckle made a non-committal sound. “You like it now. I don’t think that opinion will stay once we have to go over them.”

Emerald’s mood was not dampened at all. “It won’t be that hard. It’s just sand, right?”

“Well, yes… but it will get hotter as the day goes on. We will have to conserve our water and supplies.”

“Oh.” Emerald had not considered this, not having set foot in or even seen a desert until now. “Then we should get as much water as we can from that spring back there.”

“There’s a spring?” Light Speckle said, pleasantly surprised. “That’s good. I don’t want to be caught out there with no water. We could die of thirst.”

“Aye…” Emerald said quietly. The sun was still low on the eastern horizon, so the two went back to the camp to awaken everyone else.

Jewel Pin and the Apples were up, cooking up something sweet-smelling in a pot over a small cookfire.

“Mornin’, Em, Light Speckle!” Honeygold waved brightly. “You’re just in time for breakfast.”

“What’s cooking?” Emerald sat down on a rock and sniffed.

“Bread pudding and stewed apples,” Apple Bean said, stirring the pot’s contents. “Figured we should use some of our bread and fruit afore it goes bad.”

“Good thinking.” Light Speckle nodded, sitting down as well. “Well, we made it. We’re now in uncharted territory.”

“Uncharted?” Jewel Pin repeated. “So we don’t know where we’re going?”

“That’s not strictly true…” Light Speckle took out one of her books and opened it near the middle. “There is not a lot of contact between Canterlot and Saddle Arabia since they’re so far apart, so we do not have any maps of this land.”

“So we’re lost,” Honeygold concluded.

“No, we aren’t lost,” Light Speckle said patiently. “We know exactly where we are. What we do not know, is which direction the artifact is in.”

“Saddle Arabia’s a big place.” Golden Nugget put a hand to his chin in thought. “Ah don’t think just walkin’ around it hoping to trip over an artifact is a good idea.”

“No, I don’t think so either,” Emerald agreed. “What we need is a guide. Someone who knows the lay of the land and can help us get around in it.”

Light Speckle nodded sagely. “And if we want to find a guide, then the best thing to do is to head for one of the cities. If they have those here.”

The six of them sat there while the stew simmered away in the pot, each of them wondering what Saddle Arabia would be like, and what they might encounter out here. The sun rose higher in the sky, and a warm easterly breeze ruffled the vegetation around them.

“Ah hope we find the artifact soon,” Honeygold said quietly. “Ah don’t want to miss the harvest at Avalon.”

This sentiment was shared by Emerald and the others. More than anything, Emerald wanted things to be at peace so she could focus on her real mission. Her original reason for coming to the human world seemed so far away now. Emerald stared into the depths of the cooking fire, brooding.

“Well, I, for one, am looking forward to seeing what kind of clothes they have in Saddle Arabia,” Jewel Pin said cheerily. “I’ve heard tell of their silks and satins. Light and airy, yet ever so stylish.”

“You didn’t seem that interested in the Prench and Kievan clothes,” Emerald pointed out.

“Yes, well, that was because we were all under the impression that even speaking a word of English would get us all killed,” Jewel Pin replied tetchily. “Seeing as nobody in Saddle Arabia wants to kill us yet, I may as well enjoy their couture.”

“Ah just hope that we’ve bought us some time, going through those tunnels in the mountain,” Apple Bean said as she began ladling out servings of the stew for breakfast. “Ah mean, Sir Morn and his men are going to have a job getting through them tunnels without a map, yeah?”

“I hope so,” Light Speckle said, lying back on the soft grass. “I mean, unless they find another map down there, they might be lost wandering the tunnels forever. That would be nice. Especially if there are more chorts down there.”

“But then Excalibur and the rest of the artifacts would be lost forever too,” Honeygold protested. “And then we’d never be able to fix Canterlot.”

“Honeygold has a point,” Jewel Pin nodded. “The kingdom needs something to rally around. Excalibur has been that something.”

The conversation died out as breakfast was eaten, and soon the rest of the party woke up and came over to have a bite to eat.

Once breakfast was finished, Emerald offered to show everyone where the stream was, so that they could wash their bowls and spoons, as well as refill their waterskins.

“So,” Emerald announced once everyone had been fed and watered. “We made it past the Coltcasus Mountains. I think that the hardest part of the journey is behind us.”

The group took a moment to pat themselves on the back and smile smugly at their achievement.

“But,” Emerald said cautiously. “We are now in uncharted territory. There’s no more road for us to follow."

The party’s mood did not decrease dramatically.

“Tis just sand,” Spectrum said. “We can navigate through a bit of sand.”

“I think you underestimate how big this ‘bit of sand’ really is,” Light Speckle said quietly.

“From what Ah know from my Pa’s stories,” Golden Nugget raised his finger. “It’s going to be right hot out there. We better bring as much water as we can.”

“Agreed,” Nightfall nodded. “We don’t want to risk dehydration out there.”

“Dee-high-what?” Honeygold asked.

“Dying of thirst,” Jewel Pin translated.

“Oh.”

“We also don’t know which direction the artifact is in,” Light Speckle said, taking out Clover the Clever’s journal. “Clover mapped out the temple itself and the landmarks around it, but we have no idea where in the desert it is. That is a problem.”

“If only we had a guide who knew this land,” Jewel Pin sighed before taking a biscuit from her pocket and staring at it forlornly. Then she ate it. “I miss afternoon tea.”

Emerald nodded absently, then did a double take. “What did you just say?”

Jewel Pin looked caught off guard and choked on her biscuit. Coughing out crumbs, the seamstress repeated, “I miss afternoon tea?”

“No, before that,” Emerald prompted.

“Ah, we need someone who knows the land?”

“Yes, that!” Emerald exclaimed. “None of us know this part of the world very well, so the best thing to do is to find somepony who does. That makes sense, right?”

The rest of the party exchanged glances, but slowly began nodding.

“What you say does hold water,” Nightfall agreed. “But where would we find such a person?”

“Maybe we can find one at a town?” Spectrum suggested. “We’ve got plenty of bits, so paying for a guide shouldn’t be impossible.”

“Assuming they even use bits here…” Light Speckle mused to herself. “Still, our bits are made of gold, so there’s that.”

Emerald sat back against a rock and pondered this. While wandering through the desert was hardly a good, strategic option, hunting down a guide would also take time.

In the end, logic won out. Trekking all over the desert would ultimately use up more resources than finding someone who knew where the place they were looking for was.

“Alright,” Emerald conceded. “We will make for a town and try to find a guide. Although we have quite a head start on our pursuers, we must assume that they are still coming after us. We cannot afford to become complacent.”

“Alright!” Spectrum cried brightly. “We’re off on the next part of the quest. Which way do we go?”

Emerald looked around awkwardly. “Well, that’s just it. I’m not sure.”

Light Speckle opened her mouth to say something, but suddenly there was a loud half-roar, half screech, like someone was torturing both an eagle and a lion at the same time. It had come from the mountainside.

The party froze.

“Could that be Sir Morn?” Guard Streak whispered, his hand on his weapon.

“Impossible,” Nightfall whispered back. "Sir Morn would not reveal his location like that. He is learned in matters of strategy."

Thud. Thud. Thud.

It sounded like miniature thunderclaps were coming from the mountain. The screeching roar came again, and through the gaps in the trees, Emerald saw something that she almost couldn't believe.

A huge white shape was circling the mountain peak, almost like a bird. But the proportions and size were all wrong for it to be a bird. That meant the only thing it could be was…

"A… dragon?" Emerald gasped in surprise.

The beast circled around some more, then flapped its wings and flew off in the direction of the desert. The party ran after it, but had to stop once they reached the edge of the sands. The dragon flew onward and disappeared over a sand dune.

There was one last roar, now very distant, and all was as it was before.

The party stood there in stunned silence for a good long time.

“Well,” Light Speckle said slowly. “That’s something I didn’t think I would ever see.”

“I thought you said dragons didn’t exist in this world?” Emerald rubbed her eyes. “Then what was that?”

Something drifted down from the sky, bobbing and twirling on the air currents. It was a single white feather. Emerald held out her palm and caught it, her face still full of wonder.

Spectrum was looking over the dunes with a slow grin forming on her face. She nudged Guard Streak. “Hey, Streak. If that’s a dragon, do you think they’ll make us proper knights if we slay it?”

“You ain’t seriously considerin’ fightin’ that thing are ya?” Honeygold raised both eyebrows at them.

“Why not?” Spectrum tapped the sword strapped to her side. “We’re training to be knights. Dragons are part of the job, are they not?”

“I should like the chance to study one up close,” Nightfall said eagerly. “It could be the discovery of the century!”

Light Speckle looked less enthusiastic. “Well, it’s flown away. I personally do not want to go anywhere near that beast. Our mission is difficult enough without going dragon hunting.”

“Maybe, but it would speed up our knighting process.” Spectrum grinned and brought out her lute. “A hero, a hero, with a warrior’s heart…”

“Won’t do us much good if we don’t have a kingdom to go back to.” Emerald enjoyed Spectrum’s music, but it wasn’t something they could afford to do at the moment. She didn’t know how far behind Morn was, but they needed as much space between them as they could. “And besides, they are not as easy as you think they are.”

“Tis true.” Spectrum put her lute down. “But where do we start?”

Emerald looked out to the sandy expanse again and hummed.

“I will send Gabriel up.” Posey released her eagle into the air. “He may be able to see any nearby settlements from here.”

“We should move on as soon as we can,” Light Speckle advised. “I do not know how vast this desert is, but if we do not move, we risk Morn catching up.”

"That's true," Golden Nugget nodded. "Don't want that to happen after gettin’ all the way here."

“Right…” Emerald shook the haze from her mind and clapped her hands.

The group went back to pack up camp and to refill their water supplies to the brim from the spring. Then they all had a drink for good measure, and gathered at the edge where the grass met the sand.

“Alright,” Nightfall said, shielding her eyes and pointing up into the sky. “The sun is over there, which means that way is east. Which is where we want to go, since the mountain and Canterlot are to the west.”

“You really think that we will come across a town just like that?” Jewel Pin asked skeptically.

“Towns in the desert must have a steady supply of food and water,” Light Speckle reasoned. “Posey, if Gabriel spots any places that have those, could you notify us?”

Posey nodded. “I will.”

Emerald was the first to take a step off the grass and onto the sand. It sank beneath her greaves and to her annoyance, soon seeped inside as she walked, mingling with her toes. It didn’t bother her as much with hooves.

Everyone soon followed behind, beginning their trek through the new landscape in search for a town. It was slow going, and the sun soon rose high above them, beating down with its sweltering heat, making the party sweat profusely. They continued like this until late afternoon, when the sun began to sink behind the Coltcasus Mountains, giving the group some much-needed respite from the scorching rays.

Up above, Gabriel squawked a few times.

“Gabriel sees two towns,” Posey relayed the information. “One small one on the left and another on the right. But they are not close.”

The golden eagle screeched some more, spiralling down to land on Posey’s shoulder.

“Poor thing. You must be exhausted after flying in the sun all day. You can rest now.”

“Shall we make camp here?” Golden Nugget asked.

“Camp? Here?” Jewel Pin lifted a boot and shook it, fine sand cascading out. “I’m not sleeping on sand! Surely we can make it to one of the towns.”

“The nearest town is at least twelve miles over there.” Posey pointed to the north. “And I am not sure about the welcome that we will get if we do make it to that settlement.

“Twelve miles?” Honeygold gasped. “Ah don’t think Ah can go for another one. Sand makes walkin’ so hard. Ah don’t like sand.”

“If it were a monster, I’d kill it.” Spectrum flexed one arm. “But Honeygold is right. The sand has worn out its welcome.”

“Aye,” Emerald agreed, lifting her foot out of the ground. She could feel the grains against her foot; they were coarse and rough, and irritating as well. “We’ll camp at the bottom of this dune. Just a little bit further to go.”

As Emerald looked over the horizon of sand, she wondered just how long she would last before thinking of killing the sand too.

---

Paradise saw the army coming from miles away. In truth, it wasn’t much of an army at all. The usurper king, Morn Dread was at the head of the pack and behind him, followed about thirty or so knights. They had first stopped at the beginning of the gulch, deciding to go through it instead of around through the graves.

Fair enough. I would avoid the graves too. But I suppose that means they’ll be ours for the picking.

Her men had reported a detachment of knights had separated from him, moving off towards the capital. She didn’t know what they were after there, but it couldn’t be anything good.

“Coteau, go around back and get ready for my signal.” Paradise waved a hand to her right.

“Oui, right away.” One of her bandits got up and hurried away through the fog with a few others.

Paradise nocked an arrow in her bow and waited. This was it. She was to stall him from reaching Emerald Edge’s group for as long as she could. If she was lucky, maybe she could even end it right here and now.

For Posey.

It had been too long since she had seen her daughter, and she had lived a life of regrets, afraid her daughter wouldn’t accept her back for what she had become, but now, she would do anything to see her daughter again. To be with her again and hold her in her arms. But it was not this day.

For now, she had to play her part in saving Canterlot.

Paradise continued to survey the soldiers. They were now nearly all inside the gulch, moving at a brisk march through the pass. If they were sneaky, the bandits could pick them off from above with their bows, along with the traps they had set. By now, Coteau and a few of her bandits should already be behind the enemy force, and the rest of her men would be on the sides, ready to set off a little surprise for Morn and his group.

When Morn got close enough that she could see the silver lining on his gold sword, Paradise let out a shrill whistle and pulled her arrow back. They were about to find out why this was called Stoney Gulch.

Small explosions of fire appeared through the fog on both sides of the gulch, loosening the boulders that sat along the edge. As the fell and rolled towards the troop of knights, Paradise released her arrow, sending it flying right for Morn Dread’s head.

Before the arrow could pierce his skull, however, there was suddenly a glow around him and his knights and the arrow stopped and faded away into dust. The falling boulders had also stopped, hovering above them.

“What?”

“Do you not think I know you are out there?” Morn said, his voice just audible enough to Paradise from where she was. He suddenly looked up to where she was, much to her surprise.

The boulders suddenly flew back up the sides of the gulch and Paradise heard the screams of some of her men as the boulders landed. Their screams abruptly cut off after that.

There was a commotion from behind as Coteau’s team engaged the knights from behind, making part of the group turn around.

Paradise tried again, readying another arrow and firing it. This time, the usurper swung his sword, cutting the arrow in half and sending a wave of golden energy at her. Paradise leapt to the side, but the impact of the wave on the ground sent her falling off the side of the gulch and tumbling down towards the bottom. She hit her head on the rocks at the bottom and her vision spun and her ears rang.

“Petty thieves.” Paradise spotted a pair of greaves right in front of her blurry vision. “You get nothing trying to rob the king of Canterlot. And now you will pay the price for your criminal ambition.”

“You are no king.” Paradise pushed herself up. “You have taken the kingship from its rightful owner.”

“Ah, I see you have heard of King Dawn Saber’s demise.” Morn looked at his weapon. “I wonder where that information has come from. Do tell me where you have heard of this.”

“Nowhere,” Paradise answered defiantly.

“Do you see this?” Morn flashed his sword in front of her eyes, then turned around and pointed it down the gulch. “Knights, stand aside.”

Morn’s men, whose eyes glowed gold, all did as he commanded, shifted to the sides of the gulch. Paradise could see Coteau and his men at the beginning of the gulch, still firing their arrows, but when they noticed Morn’s sword lighting up, their eyes widened.

“Run!” Paradise yelled, but it was too late.

A beam of gold fired down the pathway and when it reached the other side, it culminated in a giant white ball, searing its shape into Paradise’s eyes before she fell back and screwed them shut.

When she opened her eyes again, the beginning of Stoney Gulch was now a small crater, and to her horror, her bandits were gone.

“No…”

Morn Dread turned his attention back to her, but buckled on one knee suddenly, using his sword to keep himself upright.

Paradise thought fast. If she stayed here, she would be overwhelmed by either that magic sword or the enemy knights. Morn was still steadying himself and for the moment, was in no shape to pursue. Paradise made her choice.

Picking herself up off the ground, the bandit leader sprinted off through the gulch, dodging a few arrows as she ran. Only when she had left the knights behind in the dust did Paradise slow down and look behind. There was nobody chasing her, though with the plate armor that Morn’s men wore, she would have heard them coming before she could see them.

This kind of foe was beyond her, and she was sure that if she had hesitated, Morn would have killed her.

It was a good thing, then, that he had faltered when he had. Paradise wasn’t clear on the details of just what possessed Morn Dread or what Excalibur’s powers were, but she would take all the openings she could get.

But first, she had to get away from him; she was no match for the usurper king.

“Wherever you are now, Emerald, Posey, I hope you’re close to your goal.”

---

Comments

[MixMassBasher]

Glad Paradise made it out okay. Though its never stated what happened to the knights that fought Morn earlier. Hope they survived or just became mindcontrolled. We've had enough bloodshed from the beginning of this arc.

[Marcthelightspark2004]

Emerald was the first to take a step off the grass and onto the sand. It sank beneath her greaves and to her annoyance, soon seeped inside as she walked, mingling with her toes. It didn’t bother her as much with hooves.

I hate sand. Its course, and rough, and gets everywhere.

[Marcthelightspark2004]

“Aye,” Emerald agreed, lifting her foot out of the ground. She could feel the grains against her foot; they were coarse and rough, and irritating as well. “We’ll camp at the bottom of this dune. Just a little bit further to go.”

And got everywhere

[Marcthelightspark2004]

Wonderful chapter! Glad Paradise got out ok. Hope I see her again later.

10/10

[MoonlightRift]

Hopefully Paradise meets up with the rest.