World at War

by Writing Reaper

Chapter 3 - The Wandering Traveller (Tan)

It was daybreak before Tan Write moved, midnight proving too cold to go any farther. His hoofs ached as he ambled down the dirt road. It had been a month of traveling through the land, yet, he never seemed to get used to the aching. Like his body was set ablaze, it coursed his fibers.

Though, he kept himself occupied, trying to ignore the invasive sensation that clouded him. He focused on the land. Beautiful rolling mounds of grass with oak and pine standing tall, creaking as it bent to the light breeze. A thick mist had rolled in from the previous night, the moisture coating the ground he walked. Vapor tried to blind his senses as he looked ahead, but he could still see the direction he was going with a large mountain, piercing the sky above, leading him.

Even though it was still nights away, the mountain stood tall and clear. Thick sheets of snow caked the top of it as the peak hid in the clouds. The mountain was home to Canterlot. He had to squint just to see the outline of the castle, but even from his distance, he could see the towers of purple and gold. That would be his next stop.

For right now, he would simply relax and listen to nature. The silence. It was always a wonderful thing to have. He wasn’t so lucky in the city, where the booming of voices and carriages barreling down the road made up most of the day. It was one of the many reasons he preferred morning. Mornings were the most silent time in the city, where the partygoers would sleep and the early birds would wake. There was one downside to mornings, it was the cold.

Winter had set much sooner over Equestria than expected. First, the trees laid bare; then, the air grew cold, before the snow fell. It happened swift, quick enough to catch many off guard.

Tan was thankful to have his winter coat. The thick layered cloths protected him from the cold that lingered in the air. But it couldn’t protect everything as the frost bit through his exposed legs and face. His tan coat standing on end with his brown hair clumpy from dry sweat. He shivered a little every time a small breeze blew in the wind.

“Sir!” A voice tore through the air. Tan turned to the source behind him, seeing a stallion concealed in a midnight cloak as he galloped towards him.

“Yes?”

“Do you know the direction to Camp Flower Pot? I have lost my map and don’t know where to find it!” The stallion exclaimed.

Tan cocked his head in confusion. He didn’t know of a camp with this name. “Give me a moment to check my map,” He said as he went through his saddle bag. Shuffling through the few materials, he snatched the map that hid neatly inside, rolled tight with a red ribbon bound.

Unraveling the map, he looked through the colored ink markings that carefully formed the world on the page. Names written throughout most of the areas described the important places. Manehattan, Canterlot, Ponyville, Baltimare, all location that rung out. He looked closer at the smaller scriptures. He saw the camps laid out. Camp Harvest, Camp Horseshoe, Camp Windchime, all that had been formed at the time the map was created. Yet, he saw no Camp Flower Pot.

“I don’t see the camp you speak of. Are you sure it’s here?” Tan asked.

“I’m sure! It formed a week ago and I was given the map for it!” He reassured.

Tan scratched his chin with curiosity at the newly formed camp. “I bought this map from a merchant no less than a fortnight ago. If it’s as recent as you say, then I can’t help sadly.”

The stallion looked down in solemn disappointment. “Darn,” He muttered to himself more than Tan. “I guess I’ll have to find it without a map then.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you getting lost stranger. That wouldn’t be right,” Tan said as he stepped forward towards the stallion who now stood strong.

“I’m sure. Don’t worry about me, I’ll find the camp. I have to!” He suddenly ran off down the dirt trail Tan was going. He only stared in confusion as the stallion vanished under the horizon.

“Weird,” He uttered as he resumed walking down the trail.

Two days passed before Tan approached the mountain, now much larger than before. It loomed over him, forcing him to cock his head up sharply to see the full scale. The mountain itself seem more detailed, he could see the smaller pony-made changes that has accumulated over the years. A large tunnel stood, what he guessed to be, more than twenty hoofs tall with a railroad track going within. As he glanced up, he could see railroad tracks lacing throughout the entire mountain, leading up to the capital.

Canterlot was now much more detailed than before, even at the incredible height it stood. He could easily see the towers and stained-glass windows and the balconies that jutted from them. The mist, still present, tried to hide the beauty, but failed as the city shined passed it. This is the capital, he thought, having never seen it before. He stared in awe for a moment, drinking in the sight in front of him, before he reluctantly moved in the tunnel.

The inner walls had a light sheen of moisture that clung to it. Mud caked the ground he walked on, squishing beneath his step with an occasional clang ringing out when he bumped into the railroad track of metal and wood, muttering words incoherent as he continued. It was dark, so dark that he relied on feeling rather than sight. It made him stick to the edge of the tunnel cautiously, pressing his body against it as he went farther through.

He took careful steps for a long time, he didn’t know how long it was as he edged, all he knew was a light was peeking through the tunnel.

When he made it through the other side, he breathed a cautious sigh of relief. Who knew when the train would pass through those tunnels, he was only happy that he was out. He felt the warm heat of the sun greet his happiness. It felt like hours had passed, maybe he was right, the sun hung lower than before, enough to be noticeable. A smile crested his maw, he didn’t care for the time it took to get through it, he was only happy to be out.

Looking up to the mountainside, he wondered how long it would take to scale it. It seemed like a day’s hike, but it could be even longer as he looked at the steep sections.

The sections made him shiver for a moment, they almost sat like a straight wall at how steep they were. Saving him the risky climb, came to be more railroads that passed with small bridges of stone that curved around the mountain’s steep sections, making it much safer to pass without worry of injury. He wondered briefly if he should take a train and play it safe, but he decided he made it this far, a little more wouldn’t hurt him.

“Hello! You made it!” A familiar voice said from behind. He turned to see the same stallion from before with his hood pulled back.

He was a young lad. His hair was as black as the tunnel Tan was in a moment ago with a coat of silver. Tan could see the black inking on his body, around his cheeks and neck, like long cuts across his features. His eyes of the lightest blue took Tan a little, it was rare to see someone with an eye color like this. He was a handsome pony out of the many that Tan interacted with back in the city.

“Oh, it’s you,” Tan observed. Behind the stallion was a large camp. How did I not see that? He questioned. It was larger than many camps he came across, with large flags carrying a sigil of a cloak and scythe discouraging him. Smoke of a campfire rose high in the air with a distant chatter of ponies talking. “I see you found your camp?”

The stallion laughed. “That I did. I manage to make it yesterday. I assumed you would have crossed paths with me,” He said.

Tan walked up to him with a distrusting view of the camp. The sigil still clear in his vision. The pony seemed to catch notice of it as he traced Tan’s eyes. “Don’t worry,” He reassured, “the sigil is more threatening than the ponies actually are.”

Tan eyed the stallion carefully, studying his actions as he looked at the camp. Something about him seemed to perk for a moment. “Oh, I should introduce myself!” The stallion said suddenly. “My name is Iron Hoof. Nice to meet you.” Iron held a hoof out towards Tan, who shook it gingerly.

“My name is Tan Write. Nice to meet you too, Iron,” He said, giving a light bow of the head.

“Let me show you around the camp Tan, I think you would like it,” Iron suggested. Tan was apprehensive about following him. He didn’t know how safe it would be walking into a camp full of unknown strangers he had never seen. Camps weren’t known for their friendliness. “Trust me, you’ll be fine. The people here are good-hearted,” He calmed. The tension didn’t fare much for Tan, with a gulp, he nodded to Iron.

Walking passed the flags, Tan noticed how much larger the camp was. Dozens of tents with mares and stallions, fillies and colts, all residing in them. He could easily count more than thirty as they passed the tents to a gathering place.

It was large with an equally sized bonfire lit. The heat wafted towards Tan, greeting his fur with warmth he much needed. His eyes rested on the large head piece in the center of the fire, an iron casted pony with a cloak. On its side rested a scythe with a sharp steel blade. The fire waved Tan’s vision as he stared at the figure with a captivated gaze. “I see you noticed the figure in the flames,” Iron remarked.

He looked at Iron with curiosity. “Yes, what is it?”

“It is told to be the embodied form of the Shadow,” Iron said. “Not much is known on the shadow. A lot of the worshipers were hidden and sparse. But recently, a priest and priestess became public with their belief, and many began following.”

Tan shifted as he stepped closer to the flames. Inspecting the iron figure. Its steel blade sharpened and glowed with a light hue of red. “Is the Shadow a sort of god?” He asked.

“From what is told, yes,” Iron replied as he stepped beside Tan. “I only got myself acquainted yesterday, but I have already learned a lot about the Shadow. It is told that the Shadow was born in the beginning of time. When the world was just a baby growing, it took shape of a black wolf and hunted the sick and weak at night. It didn’t do this as a predator feasting on the weak, but as a sign of mercy. It was saving them from the pain, as when they touched the wolf’s soft coat, they would suddenly pass. Soon, believers of the wolf began following it. They believed it was a god of death, bringing the end to everypony it touched.”

Tan shook to the story, fear lining his features. What did I just step into? He thought. “Why believe in a god that brings death?” He questioned.

“Because it is the one thing that happens in life no matter what. You are born and you die. For many here, they believe in the god of life and death. If one brings us life, then one must take it away,” Iron explained.

Tan didn’t understand. For as long as they could remember, the princesses were the only ones to be alive. Hundreds of years with multiple generations seeing only Celestia and Luna. They were the only ones that Tan saw as remotely god. “I don’t mean to offend, but I have a hard time believing.”

“It’s okay, I was like you once as well, skepticism is natural,” Iron said. “Follow me. I know who can explain it better than I can. Knowing me, I probably jumbled my story.”

Wearingly, Tan followed the silver pony deeper into the camp, passing more tents until he approached a tall and massive one.

Woven into the cloth and silk that held it was an intricate portrait of a black stallion moving along a field of flowers towards a hill were a mare sat. She held a harp in her hoof, seemingly playing its tune as the stallion approached.

Iron stepped inside with Tan following closely. It was mostly empty, containing a few wooden tables, all holding an assortment of bowls filled with various herbs and plants. At the far end of the room was a mare draped in a cloak of white. Her crème coat hidden under it.

“Hello, miss Heart,” Iron said with a bow.

The mare turned and saw Iron and Tan. Her face gleamed a smile faintly across her muzzle. “Why, hello Iron. Who is this?” She asked with her eyes on Tan.

“My name is Tan miss, Tan Write,” Tan said with a bow, mimicking Iron.

“Nice to meet you Tan, what are your reasons for being here?” Her question was soft and direct.

Tan looked at her as she handled plants that were in a wooden bowl, taking the leaves off and discarding the root. “I met Iron Hoof when I was making my way towards Canterlot. He departed quickly, but it seems that we met again.”

“Ah,” She was soft in her voice. “Iron, this is your guest, why don’t you show him around the camp?”

Iron smirked at the mare softly. “I brought him here because he was curious about the god, ma’am.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes,” Tan replied to her with a gentle smile.

“So, what do you wish to know?”

Tan straightened and thought on his wording. He carefully chose what he wanted to say. “I’m curious on the Shadow and why you follow it,” He said. “So, I feel the need to ask, if you follow the Shadow as your god, then why not follow the princesses? I mean they are a being that has lived for millennia.”

She smiled as she continued going through her plants. “Tell me something Tan, how long have the princesses of Equestria lived?” She asked.

“Well, the earliest records date back to the times of the millennium war, but really, no one knows for sure. All we know is they are older than history shows, much older than a thousand years, considering nightmare moon,” Tan rambled. Iron watched him patiently while Heart continued her work.

“Iron, tell me, how old is the Shadow?”

“The Shadow is shown to be older than time. Appearing when the world itself was being formed,” He stated with a smirk.

Heart nodded before looking at Tan. “Don’t you see Tan? The Shadow existed before the princesses were even beings, before we were even beings,” She explained. “The Shadow was around before life was birthed onto the land. He was partially responsible for making it happen.”

Tan looked at her curiously. “How so?”

She took a breath for a moment and thought. “The Shadow was a being birthed into the world when it was young. This was before the sun and moon had even formed, before life had been given to the rock that we called our home. He was born in a time when the grounds were ash and the world was showered in darkness and fire. In a time where the rivers were made of lava, and the mountains moved across the land from the winds. He hated the world in its state, he wished for something more. And he did just that. With the lava of the river, he forged a mighty scythe of obsidian and extinguished the river of lava into the clearest waters the world has ever seen. He sowed a hood out of the darkness around him, cloaking himself in a permanent shadow. He used the scythe to cut the wind away and fixate the mountains into a single position. With his full power, he drew the world apart, using the once large mass to create the sun and moon. This had sadly killed him…”

“Killed him?”

Heart stopped briefly from what she was doing, appearing in thought for a moment before continuing without word. “Yes, the strength proved too much and he collapsed. In his dying breath, he wept for the world, and his tears created the rain of water that rid the ash. When the sun rose, still carrying enough magic in it to move, its rays of light shined onto his hood of shadow and disintegrated him,” She finished.

“What happened to him then?”

She turned and smiled. “The Shadows bones that disintegrated left an ash that casted into the grain of the world. Through the ash, it created all life. Ponies, griffons, dragons, and all others, they are all a part of the Shadow,” She said. “After that, the Shadow returned to the realm. No one knows how, but he returned as a wolf.”

Tan was perturbed by her explanation. “But, he is a god of death, so why follow a god that brings nothing but death to his children?”

“He accepted that the life he had created couldn’t live forever, so he took it upon himself to bring death to everyone, making sure none grew too old,” She said. He seemed unsure of her story. She seemed to notice his look as she looked into his eyes with a seriousness that made him fidget. “He didn’t like it or enjoy killing his creations.”

Tan looked at her with a bemused expression. “If he accepted the position, then how does he hate it?”

She laughed at him, smooth and joyous. “You should know this yourself. Even if you don’t like your position in life, you still do it. This was the same story for him. He did it to keep a balance in the world. This was his creation. If no one died, think of what would happen. He hated it, but it was needed,” She said.

Tan thought on her words. She wasn’t wrong, as much as he wished to believe. Overpopulation, famine, war of the world itself, he could go on in his thoughts, but he knew that she was right. With a sigh, he nodded. “I understand what you say, miss.”

She simply continued her work with the plants as she listened. “I know it sounds insane from your perspective, but when I grew up, I learned of this so young in my age. I know how old it is and how deep the roots go. I promise, if you stick around, you will see it too,” She said. “But, I know you must be going, I don’t want to keep you tangled up in stories. Go eat and be with the others. My husband, the priest, will come by shortly and he can more thoroughly show you around.” She waved Tan and Iron off.

They both said their goodbyes and bowed before leaving the tent. It was silent as they walked back to the entrance of the camp. Tan simply thought on what he had all heard. Should I take her up on that promise?

When they stopped in front of the flags, he turned and faced Iron.

“Well, I know you only wanted to visit for a moment and leave,” Iron said. Tan nodded absentmindedly, only muttering in reply. “Are you alright friend?”

Tan shook his head and nodded. “Yes, yes… I’m fine. Sorry,” He blurted.

Iron looked at him with a little bit of concern. “Are you sure? You seem a little… tense,” He laid a hood on Tan.

He thought on the priestess words and story. Even if they were fake to him, many still believed in it. It was a curiosity to him. For all his travel, he focused on going to the cities and places he had never been to. He lived his whole life isolated inside of Manehattan, so to see the outside world is wonderous. Though, coming across a peculiar camp like this didn’t seem like something he had anticipated. And he did admit, it was more tantalizing to see what was happening here than what was going on in Canterlot. Camps come and go all the time, a capital stays for good until destroyed.

Canterlot could wait, he could come to it some other time. His interest wants to see what this religious group has to offer.

Iron seemed like a nice pony, a good head on his shoulders, even with his beliefs. So maybe he would enjoy going through this little adventure of his. As long as those in the camp accepted him that is.

He stared at Iron for a moment before sighing. “I… I think I’m going to stay, see if I really do see something more.”

Iron beamed at the stallion’s words. “That’s great!” He said. “I’ll take you and show you around, introduce you to the locals. I promise it will be wonderful.” He pulled Tan by the hoof, who smiled at the young stallion.

“Alright, alright, don’t rip my hoof off.” He remarked as he followed Iron with a light chortle.

Author's Note:

Chapter 3 is finally done, I hope you guys enjoyed this. It takes a new writing style into consideration, I'm really wondering if I should keep writing like this over what I have been doing for the last two chapters. I guess I will see with the feedback after this. Feel free to tell me what you think of this on. Happy Thanksgiving, and have a wonderful day!