Camaraderie is Sorcery

by FireOfTheNorth

Chapter 4:10.1 - The Boys

Chapter 4:10.1 – The Boys

Spike ran through the streets of Ponieville, tightly holding a bundle of scrolls in his arms. In the years since he and Twilight had moved to Ponieville, every part of him had lengthened, including his legs and tail, and he was able to move at a good clip, no longer waddling as he ran. His tail whipped behind him as he diverted into an alley, avoiding the ponies cobbling the town’s main street, under Mayor Mare’s orders. She was determined to make Ponieville into a true town, but it was still far from Cant’r Laht. Taking side streets, Spike made his way to the square in front of Golden Oak’s laboratory. He narrowly avoided running into Big McIntosh hauling a cart of produce, managing to spin out of the way without dropping any scrolls. The dragonling hurried across the square without any more near-collisions and used his tail to open the door to his and Twilight’s home. He very nearly threw all the scrolls onto the floor just inside the door, but then thought better of it and dropped them in a stack next to it instead. It wasn’t where Twilight would want them, but he was in a hurry.

On the move again, Spike ran out of the laboratory and headed toward the river. He needed to reach Twilight to tell her what he’d learned while picking up her scrolls. There was a rumor passing through Ponieville that there was another dragon nearby, a dragonet who’d been seen in the Everfree. He desperately longed to speak with another dragon about their more typical draconic life and to learn about the homeland he’d never seen, but he wasn’t going to go alone, not after what had happened the last time he’d tried to talk with other dragons. While he was no longer a hatchling—he’d grown taller, and his scales were developing and hardening—he still had no wings and rather unimpressive fire breath, leaving him vulnerable if the strange dragonet were to have ill intentions.

Carts had been parked on the nearest bridge, blocking his passage over the Equestry River, but he jumped up onto the railing and crossed anyway. Now that the western walls had been completed, Ponieville’s palisade had been torn down, but parts of it had been reconstructed on the eastern bank of the river where the town’s wall was still underway. Spike scurried between the wooden gates, disturbing the ponies standing in the way chewing the fat, and took off for the Saddle Arabian camp. The tents were more spread out than when the Saddle Arabians had first arrived on the east bank of the Equestry River at Twilight Sparkle’s invitation. This was both because there were more of them here now, other exiles finding their way to the sultana’s court after learning of it, and because of the planned construction.

Anticipating a windfall from the Prince of the City’s lands, Twilight had gone ahead and taken out considerable loans to fund the construction of more permanent housing for the Saddle Arabians. These tall equines were used to living in a scorching desert, and though autumn was only beginning to take hold of Equestria, they were already struggling to cope with the lower temperatures. They couldn’t stay in tents through the Equestrian winter; Twilight wouldn't be able to return them to Saddle Arabia before then, so they needed homes to live in. Skeletons of the proposed structures were clustered near the heart of the camp, where Spike would find Twilight, involved in the nitty-gritty as she wished to be. The cottages of Ponieville would have been easy enough to build, but their style was not to the Saddle Arabians’ liking. They liked to live close together, with their homes all abutting and overlapping, blending together into a labyrinthine structure. Twilight was trying to figure out a way to incorporate their desires into buildings that could be practically constructed using the materials and techniques at hoof, but so far, she’d had only lackluster success.

When Spike found Twilight Sparkle, she wasn’t alone. That in itself wasn’t peculiar, but her company was. With her was Shazira, the Saddle Arabian magus with whom Twilight had struck up a friendship during her stay on the sandy peninsula and who had become her contact in the Saddle Arabian exile community. They had been working together to mastermind how to keep the Saddle Arabians warm and dry throughout the coming winter, so her presence was expected. The six other ponies with her were the surprise. Spike had met three of them before: Penumbra Redallion, Amaranth Eeethok, and Solth de Perth—collectively, the Cant’r Laht 2^nd Mage Cadre. The other three were a mystery, but all had the distinctive look of sorceresses about them: robes, strange accoutrements, and haughty expressions. They were having an animated discussion when Spike arrived.

“Twilight! Twilight!” Spike called as he ran up to the group, drawing the attention of all eight magic-users.

“Excuse me for a moment,” Twilight told the others as she trotted out of the group to speak to Spike.

“Be quick about it, Twilight Sparkle,” one of the unknown sorceresses, a mare with a white and gray mane, said imperiously. “Every second is precious.”

“What is it, Spike?” Twilight asked. “I am afraid I will need to leave very soon.”

“What? Why?” Spike asked.

“The White Procession is raiding the Grittish Isles,” Twilight spoke quickly. “We may have a chance to learn more about them, but we need to leave right away before they vanish through their portals. Did you have something you wanted to tell me?”

The White Procession was such a serious thing, it left Spike unsure how to proceed. The otherworldly raiders had been attacking Equus for millennia, and nopony had ever been able to learn anything about them besides what one saw when they arrived. They left nothing behind, and there was no way to track where they came from. Compared to the possibility of changing that, Spike’s desire to speak to another dragon seemed feeble.

“There’s a dragonet in the Everfree Forest. I was hoping we could go speak to him, so I could learn more about dragons,” Spike went ahead anyway. At least Twilight would know his wish.

“Oh, Spike, I wish we could, but …” Twilight said, then bit her lip and looked around, “Ream! Baldavin!”

Twilight’s guards were nearby, attempting to communicate with some Saddle Arabians, but they hurried straight over when they heard her call.

“Your Highness?” Baldavin said as the two of them bowed.

“I need you to take Spike into the Everfree Forest. Keep him safe. He will explain the rest,” Twilight said, speaking quickly as the sorceress from before cleared her throat loudly.

“Of … course … your Highness,” Baldavin said hesitantly, having never received such an order from her before.

“Thank you,” Twilight said, before turning to rejoin her fellow sorceresses. “I am ready. Let us go.”

Three portals split the air, and the nearby Saddle Arabians whinnied in alarm as snow blew through them. The Cant’r Laht 2^nd Mage Cadre passed through one, Twilight and Shazira through another, and the rest through the third. Ream sighed deeply as Twilight Sparkle vanished out of sight.

“So, young master Spike, what is it we are to do?” Baldavin asked, and the dragonling turned back to face the stallions.

***

Before they could set out into the Everfree, they needed to pack supplies for the journey, which meant returning to Golden Oak’s laboratory for Spike, and Ream and Baldavin to their lodgings. It was unclear from the rumors just how far into the Everfree Forest the dragonet was, and there was no guarantee they’d find them before nightfall. Even drained of monsters, the Everfree could be a perilous place simply due to the twisted growth of its trees that made navigation difficult. Spike was certain they could find their way out if he climbed up to the forest canopy, but that wouldn’t help them in locating the dragon they were searching for.

Spike led the way, followed by Ream and Baldavin. It was strange for him to be leading, both because of how much younger he was than the two stallions following him and because he’d never been in such a position before. Whenever he’d been with Ream and Baldavin before, all three of them had been following Twilight. Now, however, they were following his lead while keeping an eye out for his safety. Not that there was much to threaten him between Golden Oak’s laboratory and the Everfree Forest; past Ponieville’s rising walls (progress accelerating on their construction thanks to the Saddle Arabians), there were just rolling hills covered by fields and copses, and then the lumberjack camps.

Since the Everfree’s monsters had boiled out at the start of the year, ponies previously too frightened to attempt cutting down its trees had commenced with logging operations. Already a large band of stumps and disturbed earth been cleared as the loggers pressed onward. There was high demand for the wood as Ponieville expanded, especially for the Saddle Arabians’ new homes, and the loggers here were making a tidy living. There was still the occasional monster attack since the Everfree wasn’t totally safe yet, but the loggers could afford to send Hunters to deal with the problem. There were already a few Hunter tents on the outskirts of the camps for those who had come to supplement Rainbow Dash’s efforts. The sounds of saws and axes were prevalent as Spike walked through the camp and neared the new border of the Everfree Forest.

“Look, it’s another one,” a logger pointed out to his comrade as Spike walked past.

“Excuse me!” Spike called out as the logger’s friend tried to explain to him who Spike was, “You’ve seen the other dragon?”

“Why, you tryin’ t’ meet up?” the logger said antagonistically as he rose from the stump he’d been resting on. “We don’t need no more o’ you lizards getting’ t’gether t’ burn our ‘omes down.”

“Careful,” Ream warned as he advanced to stand alongside Spike, “This dragonling is son of the dragonlord Ingrirtireth.”

“A royal lizard, then,” the logger said, remaining unfriendly, though he’d surely heard the name before.

“He’s also the personal page to Crown Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Ream added, which had the desired effect using Ingrirtireth’s name hadn’t.

“Oh, I …” the logger said as he blanched.

“I tried to warn you,” his friend told him as he pushed him back to his stump. “Sorry, you wanted to know about the other dragon? We saw him a couple days ago, flying over the forest. Uh, green scales, black spines. About half again as tall as you. Anything else?”

“Do you know where he landed?” Spike asked.

“You got me. For all I know, he flew straight to the White Mountains,” the logger said.

“Thanks,” Spike said, before shooting the other logger what he thought was a terrifying look.

Spike turned to the nearby row of trees that marked the new border of the Everfree Forest. There was still an ominous air about the place, but if he wanted to speak to another dragon, he’d have to brave it.

“Having second thoughts, young master Spike?” Baldavin asked, seeing his hesitation to enter the forest.

“Nope. Let’s go,” Spike said as he led the way between the trees.

***

Despite the monster exodus from the Everfree, the forest was still far from empty. Spike, Ream, and Baldavin saw plenty of wildlife as they traveled, only now it was more of the mundane variety. Rabbits, owls, squirrels, and the like all moved about freely now that they didn’t have to worry so much about being devoured by otherworldly beasts. There were still monsters in the Everfree, to be sure, but most of those were very large and lived at the center of the forest instead of the fringes. If Rainbow Dash hadn’t been busy, they might have brought her along to deal with the more dangerous beasts, but Ream and Baldavin would have to suffice. They were both soldiers of Cant’r Laht, and they’d at least be able to stall monsters long enough for Spike to escape.

They remained vigilant as they trekked deeper into the Everfree Forest and stood guard when Spike climbed a tree from time to time to search for any signs of the dragonet breaking through the leaves. So far, he hadn’t had any success. The Everfree Forest was vast, nearly filling the Equestry Valley, and they could easily wander for days and never even get close to the dragonet. Spike was trying to lead well but was realizing that he didn’t really have a plan for how to find the dragonet. He wasn’t Twilight Sparkle, who could use sorcery to search (though even she would find it difficult to do so within the Everfree). He was starting to lose faith and consider returning home, when there was a rustle in the undergrowth ahead.

“Young master Spike,” Baldavin said as he beckoned for Spike to get behind him and drew his sword.

Ream already had his out, and the two of them stood between Spike and whatever was disturbing the forest. The bushes parted as a zebra jumped out and faced down the stallions.

“What is it you are doing here?” the zebra asked, and Spike recognized her voice.

“Zecor?” he asked as he stepped out from behind Ream and Baldavin, who had sheathed their swords.

“Spike, it is you, and … the guards of Twilight Sparkle,” Zecor said as her expression softened. “I do not doubt your intentions, but my question remains the same. Why is it you have come here?”

“We’re looking for a dragonet. Have you seen him?” Spike asked.

“One like you, yes?” Zecor said, puzzled by the distinction between dragonlings, dragonets, and dragons. “I have seen him flying around.”

“I don’t suppose you’ve seen him land anywhere?” Spike asked hopefully.

“Northeast seven leagues,” Zecor said as she pointed with a hoof. “He has bedded down there the last three nights.”

“Really?” Spike said excitedly.

“I observed him, but dared not get too close,” Zecor said with a slow nod. “Some of the moon worshipers’ hexes remain on the way. I have marked them, but be wary.”

“Thanks, Zecor!” Spike said as he charged off into the forest. “C’mon, let’s go!”

***

Daylight was dwindling by the time the trio reached the spot Zecor had spoken about, but there was no sign of the dragonet. The place in question was a small clearing bordered on one end by a stream and on the other by an outcropping of rock that formed a natural, cave-like overhang. It was a good spot to camp, but even after waiting and searching from atop the rock and the nearby treetops, Spike didn’t see the dragonet. Perhaps it was because they had arrived or because the dragonet had chosen to move on, but he was a no-show.

As the sun sank below the horizon and stars came out, Spike, Ream, and Baldavin sat around a campfire. While Spike had watched the skies for the dragonet, the stallions had pitched camp, knowing they would not be returning to Ponieville that night. Baldavin had also done some hunting at his behest, though he’d had to travel some distance away in order to bag the quail that Spike was now devouring. The dragonet had done some hunting of his own over the past few days, and the local game had either been eaten already or scared off. Ream looked a bit uneasy as Spike finished the roast bird, throwing the bones to join the pile left by the dragonet who’d preceded them. He knew that the dragonling was partial to meat when he could get it, and that he needed it for proper growth, but it was still an unpleasant sight for an herbivore to see flesh devoured.

“It’s a beautiful night sky tonight,” Ream said as he looked up to take his mind off Spike licking the grease from his wickedly sharp teeth.

“Luna must be in a fine mood,” Spike said as he lay back to also take in the starscape.

“Indeed, young master Spike,” Baldavin said as he also admired the thousands of glittering points scattered across the canopy above.

“You know, you don’t have to call me that, at least not every time,” Spike said as he sat back up, “Or call Twilight ‘Your Highness’ all the time.”

“Forgive me, but … at least for Mistress Twilight, I’m afraid I must,” Baldavin said, “She is a princess, an alicorn, certainly. But above all else, she has earned it.”

Baldavin turned his gaze from the stars above to their campfire. He’d stripped off his helmet and set it with his saddlebags, but he was still wearing mail under his tabard in case something should emerge from the forest and attack them suddenly; the firelight turned its links to gold. His white coat also seemed engoldened by the light, and the scars on his neck and face from past scrapes stood out in stark contrast where they parted the hair. His black mane was also distinct from the rest of his face, especially combed back over his crest. The edges were beginning to recede and the hair on his jaw was rough and unkempt, showing the first signs of age. Baldavin was older than Twilight by over a decade, though younger than her father, yet he showed weathering that the Cant’r Laht sorcerer did not. The flames of the fire reflected in his thoughtful eyes as he stared into the blaze.

“I’ve served many different masters in my time as a guardstallion,” Baldavin said as he continued to stare into the fire. “I called them by their titles, too, at least to their faces. It didn’t mean anything, just part of the job. ‘Yes, ser.’ ‘Yes, m’lady.’ I was a useful tool, and as a tool I didn’t question what I was being used for or why. The nobles of Cant’r Laht need us for more than just standing at their gates to keep out the riffraff.

“I don’t know why or how I ended up as a guard at Cant’r Laht Castle. I wasn’t hired to protect Celestia, that’s for certain. How could anyone seriously think Celestia needed protection she didn’t already have with her sorcery? It was more of the same. Then, I was sent off with you and Twilight Sparkle to Ponieville,” Baldavin said, turning at last look at Spike, “I figured it would be more of the same again, though perhaps there was a chance my services would actually be needed as a guard now that I was outside of Cant’r Laht. I didn’t know what to make of Twilight Sparkle, personal protégé of Celestia. She seemed so much like any other Cant’r Laht sorceress at first: haughty, superior, standoffish. Even after she settled in and began to change, she kept us at a distance. I understood no sorceress of her caliber truly needs protection, and so I resigned myself to her negligence; I turned to drink and mares as I always have.”

“Then … things changed again,” Baldavin said as he looked back up. “Truly, Twilight Sparkle needs no guards to protect her, now more than ever, but she called us back to fulfill our duties, nonetheless. She has ponies she cares about, and if we cannot protect her, we can protect them. She’s made me want to protect them. She has grand plans, and while I cannot be privy to every detail, I am included more than I ever was and in more ways. I used to regret being sent to Ponieville, and even considered it a punishment. Now, there is nowhere I would rather be so long as I can continue to serve Mistress Twilight.”

Across the fire, Ream made a noise.

“Something to say, Ream?” Baldavin asked accusatorially.

“No, it’s just that … I feel the same,” Ream said.

The younger of the two guards released a long breath as he too stared contemplatively at the fire. Ream had also removed his helmet and saddlebags but kept his mail. His coat was already yellow, and so unaffected by the light of the fire. Ream’s mane was brown, thick, and lustrous, and he kept it oiled and tied off next to his neck. Spike watched him as he thought for a while before speaking.

“I know why I joined Celestia’s guard,” he said as he looked to Spike. “I wanted renown, to make a reputation for myself. When I got the news I was assigned to Twilight Sparkle, at first I thought it was the perfect opportunity, but when I learned we’d be staying in Ponieville … well, I thought it was a death sentence for my hopes. There’s no opportunity here to make a name for myself that matters, so I despaired. I hated Twilight for a while, for keeping me here doing nothing when I’d rather be anywhere else. ‘How dare she deny me my dream,’ I thought, and ‘how just like a Cant’r Laht sorceress.’ I wasn’t wrong.

“She was a Cant’r Laht sorceress,” Ream said firmly. “Then, like you said, Baldavin, she changed. Maybe she always had a good heart—I don’t know, I can’t speak personally, and you would know best, Spike—but she didn’t show it at first. But … she’s not the mare she once was. A change has come over Twilight Sparkle, and one that has made my assignment to serve her not only bearable, but laudable. She seeks to help both here and across Equestria and beyond. I thought in her service I had no opportunity to earn renown, but now it seems inevitable. She is ascending fast, and I just want to be along for the ride.”

“Wow, I had no idea,” Spike said, looking at both Ream and Baldavin. “I mean, I’ve seen you around the past few years, but I guess I never really thought about it, or how Twilight was reaching out to you more. I know she appreciates your help.”

“We want to be even more helpful to her,” Baldavin said earnestly, looking to Ream for confirmation that they were still on the same page, “I would speak to her personally, but perhaps you might have a better chance at convincing her. Whether she knows it or not, Mistress Twilight is accumulating a household. The Brave Companions, the Saddle Arabians, she’s tied herself to them; and a pony in her position will be expected to provide for and protect them. She needs a household guard composed of more than just Ream and me. We can take care of assembling such a force and commanding it, but she is the one who must give the orders. She has no lands or seat or court yet, but if Grand Duchess mi Amore Cadenza is any indication, she soon will, and she’ll need to be prepared. She has to begin thinking like a ruler. It’s not something I could ever tell her, but perhaps you can.”

“I’ll think about it,” Spike said as he pondered the idea.

Everything Baldavin was saying made sense to him, but how would Twilight take it? The guardstallion was right, she would probably receive the advice better from Spike than them; but he was also right about Twilight changing, so maybe she’d agree immediately. It was strange to think of the mare who’d raised him and whom he’d worked alongside his whole life as a princess and a future ruler, but it was something he—and especially she—would have to get accustomed to.

***

The next morning, the trio set out early in search of the dragonet. Now that they’d located where he’d been, it was easier to find signs of where he’d gone. They wandered for a bit, chasing down places where he’d descended through the trees in the last few days, but eventually found a path of signs that led north and tracked him down. It was before midday when they came upon the dragonet and approached him cautiously. He’d managed to find another clearing and was laid back on a rock, wings outstretched, sunning himself. He was as the logger had described, covered in green scales (a lighter patch on his chest) with long, curved, black spines running from the top of his head to the tip of his long tail. Ream and Baldavin, even with their horns, would come up only to his jaw, and Spike only to his shoulders.

“Spike, how do you wish to proceed?” Baldavin whispered to him.

“I think … I’ll introduce myself,” Spike said, and he took a step forward before pausing. “The two of you had better come with.”

Spike stepped out into the clearing, followed closely by his companions. Though the dragonet must have heard the clinking of the guards’ mail by now, he gave no indication and continued baking on the stone. Though he didn’t look it, Spike wondered if he might be asleep.

“Hello there, my name is Spaaku,” Spike introduced himself, using the more dragon-like version of his name.

“Hey, I’m Öster,” the dragonet said as he opened an eye, took in Spike and his two guards, and closed it again. “There a reason you came all the way out here?”

“Well, I was wondering what you’re doing here, for one. But more than that, I want to learn about being a dragon and about Tyrannus,” Spike said.

The dragonet opened both eyes and considered the hopeful dragonling before patting the stone next to him.

“I’m having a look around. Tyrannus is too small for all the dragons there, and I wanted to check out some other places, see if I can find a good spot to live and build a hoard once I choose my clan,” Öster explained as Spike scrambled up onto the stone with him.

“You get to choose a clan?” Spike asked as he lay down next to Öster and started sunning himself as well.

“Sure I do,” Öster said matter-of-factly as he waved a claw idly. “Every dragon chooses when they reach adulthood. My father’s Kaladornkhara and my mother is Mustétirmal, so I could join Clan Dorn like my dad and be Österdornkhara or I could join my mother’s clan if I wanted to be Östertirmal. Clan Tir is really something.”

“Hey, I’m part of Clan Tir!” Spike said as he puzzled out the draconic naming convention, “Or … I will be if I choose my father’s clan.”

Just from this brief exchange, Spike realized just how little he knew about dragon culture. He was always aware just how lacking he was in knowledge of his people, but the fact that he didn’t even know what names meant until a random dragonet in the Everfree Forest told him drove the point home that he knew even less than he thought he did. He also realized that he had no idea what clan his mother was from, or even what her name was. Like all things about dragons, it didn’t matter much in his everyday life, and the only reason he knew his father’s name was because of how infamous he was. Still, he wished he knew something, anything, about the dragon who’d laid his egg.

“Clan Tir’s a good clan,” Öster said appreciatively as he continued to lay back with his eyes closed, twitching his wings slightly to keep the membrane from sticking to the stone. “I’m really thinking about joining. Ingrirtireth is probably the greatest dragonlord to ever exist.”

“What’s he like?” Spike asked, hesitant to learn about his terrifying father but still wanting to know all the same.

“They say he’s as big as a mountain and his wingbeats can whip up hurricanes. He has a hoard beyond measure and breath that can boil away seas. The air from his nostrils alone can strip the flesh from ponies, and he can devour full-grown dragons in a single bite. He has a thousand names, all of them earned. Kingeater. The Living Flame. Destructor of Realms. King of Scorched Bones. Fire Eternal,” Öster praised Ingrirtireth while Spike listened, terrified of the feats his father was apparently capable of. “Of course, I’ve never seen him myself. I don’t live anywhere near Ingrirtireth’s dragonhold. I’ve been in the southern forests of the island till now, preying on ships from and to Saddle Arabia.

“What’s it like there?” Spike asked, eager to move the discussion away from Dragonlord Ingrirtireth.

“Fine, I guess. There’s plenty to hunt, but it’s nothing like the mountains or the lava plains at Tyrannus’s heart,” Öster said. “The powerful dragons live there, though, and they don’t like you getting too close unless they summon you.”

“So, I have to ask,” Spike said as he sat up, “The wings; when do I get them?”

A growl sounded from the forest nearby, and Ream and Baldavin turned to face the potential threat, drawing their swords. Öster suddenly moved more and faster than Spike had seen him move the entire time he’d been here, grabbing Spike with his arms and clutching him to his chest.

“Hey, what’re you doing!” Spike shouted as Ream and Baldavin heard the scuffle and turned around.

“Just like you couldn’t pass up the opportunity to come find me, I can’t pass up an opportunity like this,” Öster said as he held Spike between him and the guards. “You’re Ingrirtireth’s son, and I’m sure he’ll be very grateful to see you back home in Tyrannus.”

“Put him down!” Ream demanded through his sword’s hilt as he and Baldavin tried to advance from separate directions. They were at an extreme disadvantage, both in speed and elevation, but that wasn’t going to stop them from doing everything they could to save Spike.

“Not likely,” Öster said as he spread his wings wide. “This little dragonling is my ticket to Clan Tir, and no pony is going to take him from me.”

Spike was held tightly and couldn’t move most of his body much, but his tail was free, and he whipped it around to strike the joint where Öster’s wing met his body. The dragonet flinched at the strike, and his arms budged just a little. Spike took advantage of the moment to jerk his head back, striking Öster’s jaw with his skull, and the arms loosened enough that he was able to force them open. Spike scrambled down from the stone and Öster lunged for him, but Ream and Baldavin rushed in to block.

Öster batted aside their blades, but while he tried to bowl his way past Baldavin, Ream spun around and bucked him hard with his armored hooves. The dragonet tumbled over the stone before crawling on all fours across the top and launching into the air. Spike was still trying to put some distance between them, but he looked back in time to see Öster swooping down and ducked. Öster’s dive missed and he landed near the edge of the clearing, turning to face Spike, who’d retrieved his backpack from where he’d dropped it to join the dragonet on the rock. He threw the bag aside, pulling a flail from it as he did so.

“Really? A pony weapon?” Öster asked derisively as Spike gave the flail a few practice swings.

Öster brandished his fangs, claws, and tail spikes before charging at the trio. The dragonet jumped over Ream’s swing and batted the back of his helmet with a claw as he passed, knocking it askew. As he landed, Spike ducked under his other claw and swung the flail into Öster’s back. The elder dragon stumbled forward at the strike, but quickly recovered and turned in time to avoid a slash of Baldavin’s sword. Öster lunged toward Spike, but a helmetless Ream jumped in the way and the dragonet’s claw closed around his sword instead. He tried to pull it from Ream’s jaws, but the guard held the blade tightly and Öster was forced to give up and release it. His scales were more developed than Spike’s, but even he couldn’t hold onto a sword’s blade indefinitely without hurting himself.

Baldavin swung at the back of Öster’s head, but he used his wings to somersault out of harm’s way. Spike swung his flail at Öster, but the dragonet stayed out of the way and disengaged from the trio. Staying just above the ground, he circled around the group before shooting toward Spike. His claws were ready, and he expected Spike to dodge under him like last time, but instead the dragonling stood his ground. Baldavin jumped in the way to intercept Öster’s claws at the last moment, and the points broke through his chainmail and scored lines into his shoulder. Baldavin had not stopped Öster’s charge, but he’d slowed him enough to allow Spike to deal a truly devastating blow. The dragonling swung his flail into Öster’s back again, though this time the spiked ball at the end cut through the dragonet’s wing membrane before cracking off one of his spines.

Öster yelled in frustration and pain as he flapped unevenly upwards, out of the range of his opponents’ weapons. After glaring at them for several long seconds, he decided further injury wasn’t worth the risk to kidnap Spike, and he flew off. The ponies and dragonling below didn’t let down their guards immediately in case it was a trap, but eventually it became apparent that Öster didn’t intend to return.

“Looks like we did it,” Baldavin said as he lowered his sword.

“Baldavin, are you alright?” Spike asked as he looked at the blood seeping through the mail from the fresh wound.

“I’ll be fine once I get it wrapped up,” Baldavin assured him. “What’s one more scar?”

“Say, you’re pretty good with that flail,” Ream commented as Baldavin began stripping off his armor to bind his wound.

“Twilight’s brother Shining Armor gave me some lessons when we were still in Cant’r Laht,” Spike said as he looked at the shreds of wing on the flail’s head and the spine sitting in the grass nearby. “I’ve practiced a little in Ponieville, ever since Twilight had me fight a gryphon for her.”

“Really?” Ream asked incredulously as Spike mentioned the gryphon.

“It was a ritual fight, so I probably was never really in danger of dying,” Spike admitted. “Although, I would’ve never had to fight if she’d brought along help like she was supposed to. … I’ll talk to Twilight, put in a good word for the two of you and your ideas.”

“Thank you, Spike,” Baldavin said, clapping Spike on the back with an armored hoof and nearly knocking him over after he finished binding his wound. “Ready to head back home?”

“Yeah,” Spike said as he glanced back at the rock where he’d had at least a few short minutes with another dragon to learn about his kind and the place he’d come from. “Let’s get back to Ponieville.”

Comments

[TasermonsPartner]

Heh, when you mentioned " the boys", I thought it might be an intro into Spike, Mac, and possibly Discord forming their guys' night.

Still, this was a nice short side-story of a chapter about several of the often overlooked side-characters.

Poor Spike though. He doesn't fit in with dragons, and most ponies will never really accept him into their culture, no matter how much he acts like them. Since he's really dragon royalty on "exchange" to Celestia (even if his father did relinquish his claim on Spike...for some strange reason), and, essentially, a kind-of honored hostage, he'll never really form a familial bond with Twilight, even if she looks beyond her studies and her own prejudices to realize he could very well considered as such by her on a personal level. Cadance seems to mostly ignore him, despite the fact she probably has the most first-hoof experience to help him, and Celestia is essentially using him as a political toy, as rulers in this time frame are apt to do, I suppose.

He seems to be forever stuck as just Twilight's page, at least for next few centuries/millennia, until he matures enough that he might replace his father.

Still, this chapter does reveal some of his growth and character development since the start of the story, and also Twilight's as well, with Ream and Baldavin talking about how much she's changed since they've been assigned to her, and how grateful they are to serve her now(even if she still just mostly ignores them). Maybe this will lead to changes further on that will benefit them all, Twilight included.

[FireOfTheNorth]

11612442

Poor Spike though. He doesn't fit in with dragons, and most ponies will never really accept him into their culture, no matter how much he acts like them. Since he's really dragon royalty on "exchange" to Celestia (even if his father did relinquish his claim on Spike...for some strange reason) ...

When Ingrirtireth facilitated Chrysalis's ploy to replace Celestia, he allowed "Cadence" to return without requesting Spike's return, since he still had the actual Cadence as a hostage. Once Chrysalis's plan failed and Cadence found her way back to Equestria anyway, though, he couldn't reverse his decision without revealing his complicity in the plot. He hasn't totally given up his claim on Spike, but without a hostage of his own, it does mean he has less leverage to request his return. It's something I hope to explore more, especially when we get to Spike's opportunity to become a dragonlord himself in season 6. For the moment, Spike is kind of stuck living among ponies, not that he usually minds, but he definitely has that itch to know more about who he came from. I hope to include more side-stories to let Spike learn more about dragon culture, especially once he has Ember as a connection to Tyrannus.

Still, this chapter does reveal some of his growth and character development since the start of the story, and also Twilight's as well, with Ream and Baldavin talking about how much she's changed since they've been assigned to her, and how grateful they are to serve her now(even if she still just mostly ignores them). Maybe this will lead to changes further on that will benefit them all, Twilight included.

Oh, I have plans.

Also, thanks in general for your comments. It's really motivating to read them and see that you're picking up the ideas I'm trying to get across.

[hamster wizard]

I was getting a bit worried that this chapter would end with Ream or Baldavin's death just based on the way it was going. Seeing two supporting characters get the spotlight on them suddenly and then having a fight without the main cast around felt like it could've turned sour quickly. Instead we get a bit more dragon lore and a chance for Spike to shine which is always appreciated.