We're Storytellers of Sorts

by Madame Hellspawn

Chapter II: Vlines

Twilight hugged her parents, both with tears in their eyes but smiling, congratulating their daughter no doubt. Noteworthy hugged his wife and son, Sparkler kissed who I assumed to be her lover and went their separate ways. Even Lyra had someone she was saying goodbye to. I looked around in vain hope that somebody, anybody, would come looking for me.

I watched from the deck of one of the hippogriff ships, workers pacing around readying the vessel for travel. One by one, ponies boarded the ship via a ramp, walking around the workers and setting themselves on the edge of the bowed deck and resting themselves on the edge of the thick wooden railing. Thankfully, the deck was wide enough to fit most of us simultaneously. Other ponies had made their peace and entered the box-like structure on the rear end of the ship. Twilight boarded last, smiling after waving goodbye to her parents. Cheers roared all around this section of Horseshoe Bay in one ear splitting wave. I found myself waving too, though at nobody in particular.

“You ready for this?” Twilight beamed with pure innocence and happiness. “Ooh, I’m so excited!”

“Me too.” I smiled. “It’s a new opportunity for us. A chance to learn something new. I know you’d just love that.”

“Think of all the opportunities we’ll have!” Twilight started walking into the ornate hub protruding from the rear of the ship. It was dark and filled mostly with tables and a sweet aroma that permeated the salt-filled air. To the rear was a set of steep steps that led to the other areas of the ship. “We’ll have so much knowledge to add to The Encyclopedia!”

“Well, of course,” I said. “It’s a new land.”

We made our way to the lower deck and claimed our beds. Next to the rectangular window, very similar to the one in my room in Canterlot. I placed my bags on the bottom bunk before Twilight could drop hers. She frowned and raised an eyebrow. Instead she levitated her bags and slung it on a broad hook. I felt myself flush and my ears flopped.

“I guess the bottom bunk is yours then?”

“I’m sorry. Here, I’ll move.”

“No! No, Trixie, it’s fine.” Twilight pat me on the back. “I’m just teasing. I’m used to top bunk.”

“Right.” I grinned. “Of course.”

The first day on our journey was fraught with a strange kind of paranoia. I could not blame the ponies. They had never seen a hippogriff before and we knew next to nothing about them. They were accommodating though; polite enough to sneak comments about us behind our backs in their native tongue.

Twilight spent most of her time with majority of the ponies hanging around the center around the mast. My guess is that they were afraid of The Captain who stood on his rear hooves and watched the seas carry us through the waters. Ponies like me who were not a fan of big crowds took to the lower deck’s bedding area lit by candles hanging from the support beams. It was like a perpetual night in the lower deck.

I met with Lyra who was not that bad of a pony. When we spoke to each other she did most of the talking, but I did not mind. It was a nice break from the educational conversations Twilight and I often shared. She told me stories of her misadventures in initiate training with Sparkler, the time she shot magic darts at her teacher when she was a filly and her boring duties as a Royal Guard.

“I’m doing a lot of talking,” Lyra spoke through a smile. She polished the hoof guard of her golden armor. “What about you? You got anything? Stories, jokes?”

I thought for a moment. “I don’t really have anything worth talking about.”

“C’mon, there’s gotta be something.”

I thought again. “Well, when I was younger I used to want to be a magician.”

Lyra chuckled. “Really?”

“Yeah,” I found myself smirking. “I would gather all the ponies I knew around the block at Canterlot and put on a stupid little show. Fillies and colts all watched as I did my thing, throwing sparks here, pulling colorful rags out of some poor colt’s ear. For a while I knew how to do the old bunny out of a hat trick. I’d do it all the time.”

“What happened?” Lyra raised an eyebrow.

“I must have cast the wrong spell or something,” I started to smirk. “I used one colt as a volunteer for...something. Instead of actually doing what I wanted, his tail raised and next thing I know, he’s farting out arcane sparks all over the block.”

“No way!” Lyra burst out laughing. “How old were you? I wish I could have done that!”

“Eight,” I said through soft chuckles. I remember the flustered expression of the fat brown pegasus as he frantically hopped around the street and sidewalk, the kids all laughing. “He didn’t deserve it, but the neighborhood had a good laugh for about a week. You know how Canterlot is. Give it about a week and the commotion dies down eventually.”

We spent the entire first day just talking and laughing.

Day two was a little more productive. Twilight suggested getting to know the crew, starting with The Captain. Several other ponies had the same idea and were well ahead of us in terms of getting to know the crew, but none had the gall of meeting the captain.

He introduced himself as Captain Thorntail and he had been commanding this transport vessel for over fifteen years, though most of his endeavors took him to Griffonstone. From what Twilight and I could understand from his broken Equestrian, Nijo had hired him on behalf of The Emperor of Cystera, offering him lots of coin to partake in this trip. Unfortunately that was all Captain Thorntail wished to divulge. Any questions about his homeland was met with a grunt and shrug. Either he did not want to give anything away or he could not understand the question.

“We should see if the other hippogriffs on this ship can tell us anything,” Twilight suggested.

I nodded and followed close behind.

To say the least, the workers were a little apprehensive and expecting us to disrespect them in some form or another, but I of course let Twilight do the talking while I sat behind her and took notes on what I thought was important, but looking back at my notes, there was nothing useful besides how pretty the trees were and how good the food was. We all experienced the food and I can agree that the food was savory, but soup would start to get old after a while.

Twilight had wanted to speak with the Hippogriffs in the middle deck, but the captain had made it clear they were not to be bothered while the oars were manned. No matter how much Twilight had insisted The Captain remained steadfast. No talking to anyone in the middle decks. Before we were forced to leave, I caught a glimpse of the sailors.

They looked abysmal.

I caught some sort of sickness for the next few days. I lost track of time while I lay in bed writhing and trying not to puke despite Lyra bringing me a bucket. It was not just me that was sick; about four other ponies were starting to catch something. I doubted the lethality, but every time I threw up I got the impression that I would nap and wind up staying asleep. At most, it was incredible sea sickness.

“Jeez, you look like shit,” Lyra said simply working with her fellow guard trying to get the sick food and whatever else would help us feel better. I managed a smile at the small jest.

“Hope you feel better Trixie.” Sparkler said in a hushed whisper. That was the only real interaction I had with her since she had been appointed as Twilight’s personal guard. I wondered if she truly liked her job. Even in the presence of Twilight, Sparkler hardly spoke a word, often resorting to grunts and the occasional ‘mmhmm’ when addressed.

“Thanks,” I managed. My eyes were heavy and I just wanted to get off the damned boat. The constant rocking made my head spin and my legs were thin noodles every time Twilight tried to help me get up and around. I felt myself get hot when Twilight looked at me. The way her face contorted and her nose scrunched. I hated it.

But Twilight held my hoof through it and in a couple of days I was able to walk more than five steps without puking my guts out. I spent most of my time on the deck, watching the waves with The Captain, silently admiring the the beauty the South Celestial Sea had to offer. The breeze crept between each strand of fur and each strand of my mane and for a moment the dizziness vanished.

Tonight was the last night we would be on this ship. A part of me was glad to finally be off this damned thing in the morning, but another part of me did not want to abandon my friend. Friends. It was a restless night for everyone. The Captain had gone to sleep, probably because he did not want to be a part of any more interviews. All of the ponies except for Twilight and myself were sitting around on the deck surrounding the central mast, taking in the sweet air of Cystera. To my left was the land we had all been so anxious to see.

Green. There was a lot of it. The trees stood tall and blossomed with beautiful green sparsely growing leaves. The darkness of the forest left a lot to the imagination, but mine was tame at the moment. Luna had blessed us with a beautiful night and there was no way I could completely ruin it besides being subject to my own thoughts.

“I shouldn’t have come,” I say silently to myself staring out into the peaceful moonlit waters. The ship rocked and creaked as the waves carried us east. The breeze made my fur stand on edge and sent chills through my whole body. The sea salt in the air made my stomach churn slightly, but there was nothing in my system that my body could force overboard. The bobbing and bouncing swayed my saddle packs softly against my ribs.

“Did you say something?” Twilight asked. Her eyes held genuine care.

“No,” I lied. “Just thinking.”

“I’m glad you decided to come,” Twilight put a hoof on my back. “Would have been hard trying to catalogue and record everything on my own.”

We chuckled together for the first time since this trip started. It was nice. Later, when Sparkler and Lyra had joined us, we reviewed our plans for our arrival. There would be hippogriffs at the docks, each wielding a banner of sorts with the symbols of their respective clans. Twilight and I had been given the clan Asteria, whose symbol was that of a black flower with seven petals on a white background. We did not know who would be holding the banner and we did not know exactly how to greet him or her. We figured it would be best to just bow our heads or shake hooves and claws upon meeting, although we hoped desperately that either would not upset the ambassador.

“Let’s hope they’re as peaceful as they say they are,” Sparkler said with slight frown.

“Lighten up, Sparks,” Lyra remarked. “Think about it this way; if they wanted us dead, they’d have either killed us at Canterlot or killed us in our sleep!”

I turned my head and glared at the unicorn. She lowered her head and forced a wide grin while releasing an equally forced chuckle. “Um...Forget I said that.”

“I suppose she’s right though,” Twilight reassured. “We’re obviously held with some degree of care. Just look at how they helped nurse the sick back to health.”

I nodded slowly in agreement. The hippogriffs were equipped with a versatile set of skills. If harming others was one of them, they had not made that clear. The most they had done was speak behind our backs, but even then, when we saw the workers later on during the day most held seemingly natural smiles.

When the sun rose we had entered what Captain Thorntail had called Vlinesport. There were no docks per se, there was just a marble staircase that met the water, small vessels hovering dangerously close to them, hippogriffs and griffons alike stepping off the wood and onto the marble stairs. Some just flapped their wings and planted themselves atop the stairs. Beyond the stairs was a white wall and a large circular opening and beyond that were what I assumed to be merchants, fishermen and civilians in general who were perusing wares. The trees had been used to shield the town behind the wall from any exterior view. Were it not for the walls of the town, I would have thought the forests went on forever.

Overlooking the town perched on what I presumed to be an artificial hill of stone was a towering fortress of grand proportions. I envied the hippogriff’s magnificent architecture. The eaves of the roofing spread out incrementally smaller the higher the structure stretched, sloped at roughly the same angle.

Along the top of the steps were several hippogriffs, each holding a thin banner waving in the wind each with a special insignia and sets of symbols underneath. Ponies began to gather on the deck gasping and taking in the surrounding environment. The air was fresh, full of pleasant aromas of foreign fruits, trees and plants. As our vessels made their approach towards the steps, Captain Thorntail emerged from the lower decks of the ship a small smile stretched on his beak.

“Welcome!” His voice boomed over the commotion caused by us flabbergasted ponies. “Welcome to Cystera!”

A small ramp was lifted from the dark wooden deck of the ship to the stone stairs. This was it. Our first steps in a new, alien land. Twilight had giddily hopped as the ponies formed a single file line, beginning to eagerly step off the vessel.

“I can’t believe we’re here!” She blurted. “What kind of trees do you think those are? What is the local wildlife like? What if Lord Asteria doesn’t like us?”

“Twilight, please,” I interjected. “Why do you think we’re here?”

“Right.” Twilight’s face burned slightly and her ears fell.

Sparkler and Lyra cantered their way out of the central hub of the ship, blades sheathed and saddle packs bobbing as they made their approach. Silently they stood behind us, Sparkler to the left and Lyra to the right. I felt it strange how they shadowed Twilight and myself but hardly said a word. When they did speak, it was amongst themselves in hushed tones. Other Royal Guards emerged and took a spot beside their respective companions.

Hippogriffs had gathered around to watch as each pony stepped off the docks and onto the stone ground. Their eyes widened at the sight of us, backing away as each pony began to spread out and distance themselves, taking in more of the land. As the Royal Guards unloaded, the hippogriffs backed away, some shielding their children in hopes we were not invaders. The armor clad ponies attempted to smile despite their normally stone-faced expressions. The natives relaxed and began approaching the guards with their blades sheathed, but refused to advance on the pegasi holding polearms with their wings.

As Twilight, Lyra, Sparkler and I began our ascent off the rocking vessel, more hippogriffs began to crowd around. Children kept their eyes trained on us, eyes skipping along from pony to pony, tugging at their parent’s robes and speaking at a breakneck pace what I assumed to be questions about us. Had the concept of a pony really been so foreign to a race who was half of one? The closer I came to foreign grounds, the more I pondered that question.

I recoiled at how deceivingly wet the cobblestone was despite its dry appearance. Thankfully, I was not the only pony who felt this as several others, including Sparkler, raised an eyebrow as they took their first steps onto foreign stone. Three steps onto the ground and I was met with a tug at my tail. Instinctively, I turned and was met with a bright eyed short and stout owl hippogriff. His tiny claws were still gripping my tail despite the way his brow raised, curving upward and he pouted about as best any being with a beak could.

“Well hello there.” I tried to go for a gentle tone. Instead, my voice squeaked and I cleared my throat, ready to present myself again in a less pitiful manner. However, before I could speak again, the child darted away yelping as if I had just threatened his life and the life of his parents, who stood close to the ramp. Their child screeched and cried, but both laughed and gave me an apologetic smile.

I smirked and turned to Twilight. Sparkler stood in front of her fending off a swarm of little ones who mistook Sparkler’s warnings and hoof shaking as a playful gesture. The minors chirped and laughed, clinging to Sparkler’s hoof and rubbing her gleaming golden armor. Twilight tried to garner their attention, but the erratic movement of Sparkler trying to frantically get the children away from her just encouraged them even more. The way her brow furrowed and grit her teeth should have given them a hint.

“Huh.” Lyra tapped her chin with the tip of her hoof guard. I gestured toward the wall and we both maneuvered past clusters of ponies and inquisitive hippogriffs into a space as clear as possible from any of the local riff raff. I had noticed the hippogriffs holding banners and standing on their rear legs had moved back closer to the town walls and were speaking amongst each other, giggling like students passing a rumor in a classroom.

“I wonder why she’s getting all the attention.” Lyra wondered out loud.

“Must be the colors,” I replied. Lyra pursed her lips and her brow lifted. A part of me wanted to slap myself in the face. “They might find her colors… More appealing to look at.”

“And what the heck is that supposed to mean?” Lyra held a hoof to her chest in a matter-of-factly manner. She gently pounded her breastplate. “I think the gold of my armor really brings out my eyes. If anything, it should be me the kids want to play with.”

“Soft spot for children?”

“Eh, kinda.” Lyra stared at Sparkler who had freed herself from the clutches of the young hippogriffs and backed away, hiding behind Twilight. The purple unicorn happily greeted the younglings, if you counted asking them twenty one questions as a greeting. “I mean I won’t go out of my way to greet them, but it would be nice to be noticed. Sparkler’s nice, but it’s kinda obvious she’d probably kill them if given the opportunity.”

I nodded in agreement. Twilight may have proven to be a more amiable pony than I, but I often suspected her of tipping the local younglings and making them follow me around Canterlot like I was somebody worth caring about, like a celebrity of some kind. Even when we walked together, the children had followed me rather than Twilight.

Thankfully, I had not been given the same misfortune this time around. Twilight held her own however and soon all her talk managed to bore the young hippogriffs, who started to disperse and bother other ponies and their personal guards. Sparkler emerged from behind Twilight, clearing her throat and muttering something to her. Both had found Lyra and I standing and watching, chuckling among ourselves.

“I-I think it’s time we, uh,” Sparkler stammered. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I think we should find our representative.”

“Looked like you were having fun over there.” Lyra teased, grinning. Sparkler’s only response was a scowl.

“She’s right,” Twilight interjected. “Let’s get back on track.”

Finding our representative was not hard. All we had to do was look to our right, at the ambassadors and find which one was carrying our flag. The one holding the banner of Clan Asteria was a bright eyed and small compared to his burly and taller companions. His beak was small, but still featured that signature curve at the tip. Despite his small frame, the ambassador’s wings had grown lengthy, the feathers reaching beyond his flank. He was primarily a light brown hue with black spots covering the base of the feathers on his body, starting from the bottom of his neck.

We made our approach, my mind racing nervously hoping he would say the first words and Twilight or myself would not wind up making fools of ourselves.

“Greetings!” The hippogriff smiled, his small beak twisting to its best attempt at a smile. He bowed his head slowly. “I am a representative of the Asteria Clan. You are Twilight and Trixie, yes? And these are your personal guards?”

“That’s us,” I bobbed my head in Twilight’s direction.

“It is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance! I am Ikeda Redquill.” He raised his head and met my gaze. I took note of how fluent he was in Equestrian; he spoke at a moderate pace, just fast enough to hold my attention with a smooth and young voice. “I see you know our nobori. Our banner.”

“We have…” Twilight finally turned to Redquill and took a good look at him. “We’ve been told very limited things about your clan unfortunately. Your banner was one of them.”

“Well, you are here to learn.” Redquill nodded. “Lucky for you two, unlike most of your compatriots, we have only a ten minute journey to meet the lord of my clan. He would gladly answer any questions you have. As will I.”

He turned around and gestured towards the grand palace resting atop the hill overlooking the whole harbor. It stood on a stone foundation as if to boost its already massive height. From our current distance, the layers of tiled roof plates seemed to reach all the way to the clouds. I have to admit that I was completely threatened by the sheer immensity of the structure. It was like I was looking at alabaster cubes bordered with smooth wood stacked on top of each other, getting smaller the higher the palace stretched out. Along the top of the fortress, hippogriffs soared and circled around, occasionally landing and resting on the balcony at the summit.

My Canterlot pride wavered, knowing that the hippogriffs had hundreds, if not, thousands of fortresses like that scattered in Cystera’s various regions if what Nijo’s information held any truth..

I looked at Twilight again. She hopped excitedly on her hooves a smile beaming on her face. I shared the gesture; not the hopping, rather just the smiling. I was excited. My fears had been put to rest for now, but so far, we were met with nothing but kindness so the chances of those anxieties returning were meager at best.

“We’re going up there?!” Twilight beamed. “Please lead the way!”

“As you wish,” Redquill accepted, turning around and beginning through the circular opening of the wall.

The town was deceivingly large, detracting from its modest exterior. Multiple dirt paths led through a maze of buildings, all with similar architecture and covered by the tall trees that grew nearby. The architecture followed that of the fortress atop the hill. Wooden support beams framing almost paper-thin walls, sloped tiled roofs and elevated, although not as extreme as the grand overlooking castle. The walls slid open by the village’s children and adults, revealing a single large room with almost nothing inside. I did not mean to snoop or poke my head in where it did not belong, but every time a door slid open, I took notice of how empty the homes seemed.

There were wooden stands where vendors sold wares; fish, fishing supplies, wood, pottery, the list goes on. Workers flew boxes around, unloading from cargo ships no doubt, and rested them in various spots beside shop owners who quickly tossed the workers a few coins for their troubles. Women wore dresses of a velveteen, shining material with designs of various birds or scenery beautifully and seamlessly stitched into the dress. They held bags full of goods and whispered among each other as Twilight, Lyra, Sparkler and I passed them.

I took a quick glance at Twilight as we followed Ambassador Redquill. She stared in all directions, taking in the grand architecture. One look in her eyes and you can see there were a million questions she could ask. Unfortunately when we met the lord of the Asteria Clan, those questions would probably all come out in one single breath and we may wind up being frowned upon because of her possible clamorous presentation.

Another quick glance at Lyra and Sparkler showed the two were taking in the sights, much like Twilight. Sparkler tried to keep her focus on the buildings and the merchants trying to ignore the questioning stares of the townsfolk. Lyra, however, embraced the townsfolk. She smiled and raised her hoof, lightly waving hoping someone would return the gesture.

A wide set of cobblestone steps began at the end of the town, hidden by foliage. Redquill turned to us as if to make sure we were still following him. “Be mindful of where you step, especially the higher we go. It’s a long way up and a very long way down.”

Despite being a Canterlot pony, I hated climbing stairs. These steps seemed to go on for an eternity. Every time I assumed we had reached the midpoint, I looked up, past the leaves and long behold, the palace had come closer by mere inches.

Lyra panted heavily and occasionally whispered to herself; “How much longer?”

Sparkler, despite her stern appearance, took breaths at a normal pace, but her breaths were heavy and she frequently let out a long, exasperated sigh. Both guards wiped sweat from their brow, but followed behind Twilight and I without much complaining.

“So,” Twilight managed through breaths. “Is this your clan’s capital?”

“Goodness no!” Redquill’s wings unfurled and quickly folded back. “This is the home of Lord Attis, vassal of the Asteria Clan.”

Vassal. The word made my ear twitch. The steps began to turn and the view of the town at the bottom was blocked by the stone foundation of the castle.

“Cystera is split into a multitude of regions controlled by different kazoku. Families. We are in Lord Attis’ lands, Vlines. Lord Asteria holds control of several provinces with the capital being Borea. My lord wished to arrive here himself as he was very eager to meet the two who would chronicle the history of his home and family.”

Redquill paused. “Perhaps somebody else can explain better than I.”

“Interesting,” Twilight muttered.

We had reached the top of the steps after what felt like forever and were met a grand vista in front of us and studded gates to the right; the entrance to the palace. Ahead were rolling hills of forests and a neat dirt path untouched by grass or any other vegetation. A wooden bridge was constructed, arching over the continuously flowing river just enough to allow boats to float underneath. The trees rolled with the wind and for a moment, I wished we could stay.

Two massive hippogriff statues stood sentry outside of the gates, their faces twisted into a war cry. They donned armor almost reminiscent of dragon scales; plates of stone in rows that conformed to the contour of the body. The fine details showed the small plates were held together via rope and underneath was a layer of...something. I assumed it to be leather. The shoulders were protected by a large, solid plate of armor, constructed similarly to the cuirass. The armor took the shape of a skirt as it got closer to the rear legs, still made of armor plating held together by the rope. Their forearms were covered up with smooth gauntlets of what I could guess would be leather.

Redquill knocked on the gate. “Now, don’t be alarmed by the guards. Unless you or your guards do anything deemed threatening to the lords’ safety, they will mind themselves.”

Sparkler let out a grunt, causing my ear to twitch.

The gate opened revealing an open, gravel filled courtyard surrounded by a wooden platform, stretching out towards the base of the fortress. The gravel consisted of thousands of small pebbles that had all been raked into an intricate swirling design around a central plot of dirt, grass and a single tree in its infancy. Several hippogriffs stood silently and still, equipped with the same armor as the statues standing outside. The metal plates held a glossy indigo hue on top of a black fabric underneath. Like the Royal Guards of Canterlot, these guards held the same stone-faced glare into nothing.

Just before the spindly tree in the center of the courtyard was...a mare! I would have mistook her for an alicorn of sorts because of her height and slender frame. She could have been one underneath the azure robes she donned with beautiful designs of doves and falling leaves, hiding her possibly magnificent wings. Her silver coat and light purple eyes reminded me of Princess Celestia, or what she would have looked like if her colorful mane was replaced with flowing cerulean braids. A horn parted her sleek mane, sharp at the tip like a spear.

In her arcane grasp was a wooden rake that parted the sand-like gravel. Her hooves hovered above the ground as to not destroy her handiwork. She raised her rake and set it upon the dirt and took several steps back, creating more arcane steps under her hooves and levitating herself higher. She tilted her head and her mouth curved upwards. Her eyes took notice of Redquill and she turned her whole slender frame towards us. She elegantly stepped down from her artificial platforms until her hooves clopped against the cool surface of the wood.

“Oh Celestia!” I blurted before the unicorn had the chance to speak. “Another pony! I didn’t think there would be any around here.”

The slender gaunt mare raised an eyebrow and let a smirk creep on her face. “Yes, I am a pony much like yourself, although you’d be wise to keep thoughts like that to yourself.”

“Oh, right.” I looked over at Redquill and Twilight. Both let out a light chuckle. “I meant no offense.”

“Ī nda yo,” Redquill said simply, bowing his head slightly. “No hard feelings.”

The majestic unicorn stepped forward, placing her one hoof directly in front of the other. “I am Sapphire Dream. You can call me Sapphire. Or Dream, I suppose. Either one works.”

“It’s a pleasure,” Twilight extended a hoof. Sapphire raised her eyebrow again and Twilight planted her hoof back on the ground. She curtsied instead and the approving smile returned to Sapphire’s face. “What is a unicorn doing all the way out here, if I may be so bold?”

“I serve as my lord’s Sorcerer.” Sapphire explained. She gestured for Twilight and I to follow. I looked behind me to make sure Lyra and Sparkler were still there. They had been completely quiet, though Lyra had opened her mouth and pursed her lips periodically. We followed, but my eyes found themselves drifting towards Sapphire’s dress, though more specifically, the flank region. I averted my gaze when Sapphire turned her head as if she were a mother making sure her children were still following. I hoped she had not noticed. “I nurse my lord’s family into good health, I manage an apothecary and I offer wisdom and guidance whenever I can. It’s a very demanding position I admit, but my lord has ways of rewarding excellence.”

Our hooves echoed through the beautiful courtyard while Sapphire spoke her duties and the generosity and the grace of Lord Asteria. I imagined a tall, steadfast man, his beak shining and perfectly preened grey feathers. Despite his daunting appearance, he would have all the traits Sapphire had been describing.

Sapphire stopped before a set of sliding doors, painted with a serene illustration of the town we had just left behind. They were framed by pieces of dark wood with the central painted material being a cloth of some sorts. Roaring laughter boomed from inside followed by a rough coarse voice speaking in a tongue neither Twilight nor I could understand. Sapphire turned to us and tapped a hoof on her chin.

“Now,” Sapphire paused briefly. “When addressing Lord Asteria, he does not care about formalities too much. Simply address him as, ‘Lord’, ‘Lord Asteria’, ‘My Lord’. You get the idea.”

The gaunt mare reached a hoof out to open the door, but slammed her hoof back on the ground, turning to us again. “Oh! And please do mind yourselves around him and his family! They know very little Equestrian, except for their eldest son. Lord Asteria is a very tolerant man, but he does not take kindly to—”

“Sapphire,” Redquill interrupted. “They understand. They will learn. Is that not why they have come?”

“I suppose,” Sapphire responded, biting her lip. “Okay.”

She placed a hoof in a little indent on the door and slid it to the side. The floor was smooth to the touch and our steps made no sound, like they had been absorbed by the paper-thin fabric covering the tiled wood. The room was vast and spacious, however it was devoid of any real furniture.

In the center was a small oak table about a foot off the ground. Shining cups of water lay untended, but two hippogriffs sat, an elder facing the door and a younger one sitting to his left. There were two cushions, empty directly in front of both hosts.

The eldest was broad and towering despite the fact he was sitting on his haunches. His feathers were grey and remained well groomed except for his wings which were terribly faded and messy. Despite his immense size, the elder moved slow and calmly, using his dusty, aging talons to place his cup gently back on the table. His beak extended outward and curved down towards the tip, cracking and fading on several spots.

The younger one was no different in some regard. He was just as broad, though not as imposing as the elder. His feathers held a blue hue to them and were neatly groomed with no imperfections. His talons and beak were devoid of any aging and cracks and he moved more sporadically and quicker than his elder.

The elder’s tired golden eyes met mine and for a moment my heart stopped and my stomach dropped. For a moment I felt I was not welcome.

He spoke, though I could not understand any of what he said. Immediately, Redquill had bowed, returned a phrase and left, closing the door behind him. I looked at Twilight for any indication of what to do, then Sparkler, then Lyra. Each seemed just as lost as I was.

The elder spoke again, this time gesturing at Twilight and myself in a motion that I assumed meant to sit down around the table. I looked at Sapphire who still managed that sweet smile.

“Please,” She nodded her head towards the cushion on the floor beside the table. “Take a seat.”

We did as we were commanded. I took the spot directly across from the younger hippogriff who stared at me inquisitively. I had done the same, noting the scar running across his chest, starting from the bottom of his neck and hiding underneath a flurry of feathers the further down the scar had run. Twilight took her seat across from the elder, eyeballing all parties in the room and holding a nervous grin. Lyra and Sparkler stood at attention beside the doors acting as if this were their own palace to defend. They exchanged glances between each other visibly unsure of what their roles were.

The elder began to speak in his native tongue, shifting glances from Twilight and myself. His voice was rough, deep, and gravelly. The words came blindingly fast and we sat with the utmost confusion. I felt my brow start to wrinkle as I tried to understand what was being spoken and my lip quivered, but I stopped myself from speaking. I made out only two words, which just so happened to be ‘Twilight’ and ‘Trixie’ but that was the extent of it. Asteria was said, but whether or not he had given his first name remained a mystery. It was clear who he was.

“Lord Asteria welcomes you to Cystera,” Sapphire translated when the old lord had finished his lengthy speech. “He would like to introduce himself as Kiso Asteria, although customs dictate you would be referring to him as...Well, I already went over that. This is his second eldest son—”

“Soma,” The young boy smiled. “I can speak Jibun no tame.”

Sapphire smirked. “Yes, I suppose you can.”

Soma turned to Twilight and I, beaming with delight. “I’ve never met ponies before! I’d very much like to know more about your―”

“Please.” Lord Asteria raised a talon. “Have water.”

Twilight and I did as we were commanded, although the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was not an order but rather a gesture of hospitality. I sipped until half the cup was about half empty. The water was warm and there was a pleasant aftertaste. Was it honey?. I placed my cup gently on the table as if it had come down any harder the whole thing would have shattered.

Twilight, probably under her anxiety’s influence downed the whole cup and dropped it on the table. “We’ve been really eager to meet you. We’ve heard nothing but good things about you, I can promise you that.”

Relax Twilight, I thought to myself. “There is much we wish to learn. About Cystera and the people. And your family of course.”

Sapphire translated, chuckling as she did so. The sentence seemed longer than it should have been, but then again; I knew nothing about the hippogriff’s language. Lord Asteria chortled and spoke again, his rough voice sounding more and more exasperated the more he spoke.

“We both can benefit from such an interesting exchange of knowledge,” Sapphire translated. “There is much we can learn from each other. For now, My Lord is tired and requires rest. He has waited anxiously for your arrival and we must continue this conversation later today if you don’t mind. Shall I escort you and your guards to your quarters?”

“Sure,” I said. Lord Asteria and his son smiled as Twilight and I stood. We had bowed and said our thanks before following Sapphire once again.

---

Cystera

Cystera is an island nation located in the seas to the southeast of Griffonstone. Much like feudal Equestria, the Cysteran government works as a hierarchy of positions with the emperor spearheading and leading the populace. Underneath the emperor was a powerful military leader labelled the shogun. All the royal families and nobility answered to the shogun rather than the emperor, who many viewed as a religious leader. Those who ruled the various provinces of Cystera were given the titles of daimyo….

More information to come....

~Trixie Lulamoon

Comments

[RTStephens]

A very curious take on the characters. Twilight is certainly recognizable but Trixie has a strikingly different personality. I look forward to how these two interact in this new world. Lyra and Sparkler are also fun additions.

Lots of worldbuilding going on and we've only just started. Amusing to see the parallels that Cystera has with what I'm assuming is feudal Japan.

Defiantly keeping my my eyes on this one!

[Madame Hellspawn]

7795087
Thanks!

I have story reasons for making Trixie a bit different and yeah, Cystera takes inspiration from feudal Japan.
I'll be trying my best with this one!