Voyage

by Comrade Bagel Muffin

Roi

Around the capital city were large Quartz walls that glistened and sparkled in the late morning sun. The every forty meters along the top of the wall there were towers. Escutcheon had heard about the capital of Tivi from students from the university that had visited the city for their classes or were originally from the capital city which shared it's name with the country whose capital it was. The streets were paved with a white wash all around the city. All of the buildings were made with the highest grade stone and wood. It wasn't as grand as Canterlot, but Escutcheon certainly thought that it gave the capitol city of Equestria a run for its money. The guard took them down the streets and grand boulevards to the Palace of the Tivi royalty. A large alabaster building with highlights of bismuth. The palace was in the middle of the city, with a wall of Marble around it, They walked though the one of the gates of the outer palace wall by one of the main boulevards of the city.

"Wow this city is amazing!" Dusk looked around the palace complex. She looked over her shoulder to Escutcheon behind her. "How aren't you excited by all of these amazing buildings?"

"They're nice, but they're not like the Palace of The Two Sisters." Escutcheon answered. He looked around at the palace and it's walls and towers. "Don't get me wrong this place is amazing and awe inspiring, but it doesn't have a certain gravitas to it. This place it's like it's trying to hard to be awesome."

"I don't know about that. This place is pretty awesome." Dusk looked back at the grand palace as she rode Turkeylegs into the building. She took in everything. In floors were black marble. The walls and pillars were well decorated everything was ornate and well detailed. The guard lead them to a pair of gigantic double doors of dark spruce.

"It'll be a moment before the crown hears your appeal." The guard looked at the group. "Would you be kind enough to put three of these on." The stallion offered Escutcheon three restraint rings. His tone told him that he wasn't allowed to refu"se the request.

"What why does he need to put those on." Dusk's voice was immediately defensive. Her eyes narrowed on the guard. "Escutcheon just teleport us away." Three guards looked up at the two of them.

"It's okay Dusk. It's okay." Escutcheon put his hoof on her shoulder. "Just put them on." He said calmly. The three restraint rings were slid on to his horn. Immediately he could feel his magic being cut. It wasn't like a burn out. It was like something was actively redirecting the flow of his magic. He took a deep breath, and gave Dusk a weary smile.

"This is completely stupid we're innocent and they all know it." Dusk frowned. "We should have just left."

"You appealed to the crown, and now the crown will hear your appeal." The guard pushed open the door with his off grey magic. The door opened up into a great thrown room. That was designed to seem more imposing than awe inspiring. They were lead toward a great polished bismuth throne on which sat a white aged stallion.

"Escutcheon, Dusk, and Professor Atlas. Appealing to the crown" A pony in armor announced. Escutcheon wasn't sure if his coat color was natural or if the armor was enchanted like the guard armor in Equestria. Escutcheon slid off of Turkeylegs' back and knelt low. Dusk grumbled to herself but did the same. Atlas following behind the two of them did the once he had caught up. Turkeylegs tilted it's head and walked up to the two of them putting itself between them and the crowd that had gathered around.

"Rise." The king raised his hoof. "Escutcheon, I've not heard about you until last night and from what I've heard from my most faithful of guards is that you are a powerful unicorn that has not once but twice helped the ponies of my domain. For this I thank you."

"Then you can let him take those rings off of his horn," Dusk said standing up.

"I'm afraid not." The king answered. "While I do admit that from what I've heard he has been good to my people his will toward me and my kingdom can not be so easily determined." The king stood up. "I've received reports that you came with a large company of bats that have now settled in the boarder DMZ." He stood up.

"My colony is a peaceful people. We don't want anything to do with war or conflict." Dusk spoke up again.

"And I've heard that you've already toppled a kingdom to the east."

"That was a kingdom built upon oppression and slavery!" Dusk screamed taking a step toward the throne. The guards moved into halt her advance. "You're lucky that he stopped it when he did or eventually that thing would have eventually come for you and your kingdom."

"And now that I see you face to face I'm impressed that a unicorn so powerful that: he has the magical reserves to teleport a prison wagon of four and it's entire unit from our northern coast to here, who has toppled a power mad storm cloud, defeated a dragon and his army of cultist,saved countless Tivi foals, and had the power that when wearing two restraint rings could still use his magic, chooses to be silent and let his fillyfriend do all the talking.

"F-f-fillyfriend." Dusk stammered her cheeks glowing pink. The king only smiled.

"All though I admit she seems to have spirit enough for the two of you."

"King Awe, I promise you I am no spy. I only want to go home."

"Yes, this home of yours is the most impressive part about you. What is it called again?"

"Equestria." Escutcheon answered as Dusk took a few steps back to his side. The king locked eyes with the colt, not breaking his gaze.

"I believe you." He nodded.

"You do?" Dusk and Escutcheon asked in unison. The king nodded before returning to his bismuth throne.

"Yes and now I have one request to ask of you." He took a deep breath. "I need a everybody to leave everybody except you and you." He pointed to the ruby red unicorn stallion with a beard. The warden nodded. "You may stay as well Dusk, and professor of course you may stay." After the room was cleared the king spoke again. "I need something of you, and in exchange I'll give you a boat and crew to take you across the ocean."

"What do you need?" Escutcheon asked.

"I need you the two of you to deliver a letter to the king of Slo."