Unexpected Adventure

by WhooshieWoosh

The Wilderness

We made camp for the night in the middle of the grasslands. We found a large dip in the ground with a large tree standing on the edge of one side. We all began setting up our tents and stuff as Glowing Cinders light the fire with a spell. We all gathered around the fire as a large kettle of soup cooked over the flames. Gemlight, my new unicorn follower, remained huddled behind me, as if to avoid everyone else.

"So, Drake. It was Drake, right?"

I turned to Grip and nodded.

"What's your story? I'm inclined to believe you've seem some things given the fancy fighting. Nobody learns how to do that by sitting around eating sweets."

I straightened my coat as I thought about how to respond.

"Not much to tell really. Only notable thing I've really done is rob Princess Celestia."

The minotaur, Cleghorn, stopped sharpening his sword and pointed at me.

"Ah want tah heer that tale boyo."

"If you insist. Basically, while Celestia was giving her speech about outlawing all dragons, I slipped into the Royal treasury and took as much as I could carry. Would have been a clean getaway if it weren't for her magic."

Everyone nodded and grumbled some choice words about the princess at that.

"I take it you guys aren't fond of her either."

Meril chose then to throw in her two bits.

"You can say that again. Why do you think Equestria is so wealthy!? Everyone's too scared of the Solar Diarch to try anything. Why would you attempt to muscle in on some contested lands full of riches when you know if you tick off the ponies too much and their peace-loving princesses, they'll eventually get fed up and turn your entire army to ash."

I whistled.

"She can do that?!"

Grip laughed.

"She controls the sun, she could roast the whole planet if she felt like it. Fortunately, she always tries for peace before resorting to... desperate measures. Of course, before the Griffin Empire signed the treaty we tried to fight back. In order to protect her 'little ponies' she reduced any of our troops who stood against her to ash. She might not like violence, but she is damn good at it."

I shuddered.

"Knew there was something off with that horse."

That got chuckles out of everyone and Glowing Cinders pointed to his rump where an image of a twisting flame sat.

"I got my cutie mark when I accidentally burned down the orphanage I was staying. I hadn't meant to, but things got out of hoof. When Celestia visited to console the other orphans, it came out that my magic had started the blaze." He chuckled and looked at the fire with shining eyes. "She wanted to take my magic 'for my own good.' As if she had the right to take something so close to me that it's branded on me. Long story short I ended up causing a whole lot of fires to get away."

Cleghorn sniffed and sheathed his sword.

"Ah used tah be brewmaster. Made tha damn finest ale ya could buy. One day ah pony who was a competitor ahv mine got killed in hes sleep by some cutpurse looking tah make some bits. Everyone kneew we were rivals ahnd they all blamed me. The guards came ahnd tried ta lock me up, weren't even givin me ah trial, but I wasn't havin it. I sent tha whoole sqad to the hospital and stahrted livin on tha run." He sniffed and rubbed a fist against his eye. "Because Celestia believed her bloody flee-bitten horses over common sense, my life was ruined."

Cinders patted him on the back as he started to cry. Grip shook his head and looked at Gemlight who had started to peek over the log I was sitting on.

"Those ponies have it so good. They get priority over every other species and there's nothing we can do about it. They prance around, getting fat and buying luxuries, while the other nations desperately fight for resources against each other. While in Equestria it's viewed as shocking if a pony has to skip a meal because they don't have anything, in the poorer sections of places like Minos and the Griffin Empire, it's the norm to miss meals because you have no money."

Gemlight poked her head up and sighed.

"Yeah, it sucks having no bits. I lived on the streets before I became a bounty hunter. Nopony would hire the dirty mare and all I had was a cardboard box. All us younger ponies had to stick together to avoid getting snatched by some creeps who wanted a quick roll in the hay. So when those bounty hunters came in, and I saw how loaded bounty hunters were, I asked if I could join up. I've always been handy with some light spells and magic shots, so they took me on." She shrugged before continuing, "I didn't want to hurt anypony, but it was better than the streets."

Dang, even in a world of magic and unicorns, the world's a mess.

I reached down and patted her head. She smiled and rubbed her snout against my hand as I scratched her chin. The scholar from before chose that gap to speak up.

"Pardon for interrupting this touching moment, but we should discuss the map I found before too long."

Grip pointed at her and said.

"Leaflet, she's our information finder."

She nodded and adjusted her glasses.

"Now then, this temple is located in the jungle to the West of here. We will have to cross the plains and skirt the edge of the desert in order to reach it. It should take about, oh, a few weeks to reach it."

Grip sighed and stood to check the soup.

"Why can it never be close."

Leaflet sniffed and put her map back in her bags.

"Because there's a reason these places still have treasure. They're hard to find."

He chuckled dryly as he began ladling some food into bowls for each of us.

"Makes sense, I'd hate to get my treasure stolen by some stinking pony archeologists or by that 'Daring Do' lady."

Everyone devolved into separate conversations as we ate with me talking to Cinders and Leaflet while Gemlight hid behind my back with her soup. Eventually the fire died down and we all retired to out tents. Mine was actually a bit bigger than theirs and a whole lot more durable given it was made by dragons. As I got in I noticed Gemlight beginning to lie down by the fire. I whistled which caught her attention and waved.

"You want to sleep outside or do you want in?"

She hurried over and scurried inside while I closed the flap. She sat down by the foot of my bedroll and smiled at me.

"Thanks. I didn't want to assume."

I shrugged as I began to take my coat off.

"It's fine. For a second I thought it was just because you were scared of me."

"I'm not scared of you."

I looked at her as she tilted her head in confusion.

"You're scared of everyone but the dragon?"

She nodded.

"Honestly, you've been nicer to me than anypony else... ever! You stood up for me and don't yell at me or call me names or hit me like everypony else always has."

I smiled and got into my bedroll before grabbing a book entitled Barrier Arts and opening it.

"Well thanks." I looked her over as she resumed her shivering which I noticed had been going on for a while.

"Cold?"

She nodded and rubbed her forelegs against her chest.

"Well if there's anything I can do to help, just--"

I didn't even finish before she had crawled into my bedroll and snuggled against me with a sigh.

"You're so warm! Is that a dragon thing?"

I laughed and rubbed her ear which got a hum in response.

"I don't know, I'm not an expert on dragons."

She nodded before yawning and leaning her head against my chest, her tail wagging adorably. I shook my head and draped my arm over her shoulders and started petting her as I read. She was a cute little pony, no matter how much she talked.

Comments

[Frost DemonHeart]

Daw

[Lucid Spark]

...
Me: Hey doc, what does the test say?
Doc: Ye got diabeetus. Could you recall when the first 'daaawww' began?
Me: ... Chapter 8...
Doc: Ah. Me too.

[LostArchivist]

8333547
Heh. Seconded!

[Shadowshame]

I wanted to say something but I didn't know what else to say besides this