Brightly Lit 2: Pharos

by Penalt

Chapter 34: Cold Front

< ALERT FOR NORTH SLAVE REGION, INCLUDING WEKWEETI - WHATI - BEHCHOKO >

Issued August 2 at 3:20AM MDT

An out of season cold front is descending from the high arctic bringing unseasonable cold temperatures and high winds. While the temperature will be moderate compared to winter lows there will be significant wind chill, at times extreme.

Watch for cold related symptoms: Such as shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour change in fingers and toes.

Cover up, frostbite can occur within minutes.

Check with Environment Canada - Yellowknife for further details.

---

Joe Nitsiza chuckled to himself as he listened to the broadcast over the radio while he worked. Life in the Canadian north was always a challenge but there were always certain rules to how the seasons worked. Sure there could be some cold spells in summer, even almost down to freezing, but never below it and certainly not cold enough to issue a frostbite warning.

The seasoned hunter started up his ATV and trundled along the trail toward the next section of his trapline. Hunting was a great way to build up food stocks for the winter and with the ruinous prices for shipping things “North of 60” every little bit helped to keep the budget running during the lean winter months.

Getting off the trusty, but old and rusty machine, Joe walked behind a stand of black spruce to check the trap he had placed there. Empty, again. This time with the bait removed. Something was tempting fate, but the trapper was more than happy to replace the bait on the trap. Eventually, whatever was feeding would slip up, and if not, then the animal deserved their meal for dancing with death.

A faint wind ruffled the man’s hair as he busied himself reapplying the bait and making sure the trap was in good order. The sounds of life were all around him in the lake studded taiga of the northern woods, as animals of all sorts got on with the business of living during the short summer season.

Straightening from his work, Joe was about to return to his ATV when he felt the wind at his back pick up with a sudden gust. He frowned a bit at the thought that maybe those guys in the weather office weren’t completely crazy. A thought that was interrupted by full blown shock, as the wind picked up again with a burst of cold like a knife that drove straight through the light shirt he was wearing.

The trapper turned, facing into the wind, and in doing so saw for the first time the grey line of the out of season storm that was bearing down on him. Joe turned back and began to stride quickly toward his vehicle. He was ill-equipped to be out in freezing temperatures and high winds, but the small cabin that he used during the season wasn’t too far away and it was stocked with gear of all kinds.

Reaching the ATV, Joe threw on the hooded vest he had brought with him just in case and set off with a roar, goosing the off-road vehicle into the fastest ground speed he dared use on the rough trail. As he charged along, he could still feel the wind hitting his back, sinking its icy talons into him through the protective layer of the down vest, telling him that the wind was moving faster than he was.

Joe wasn’t really worried though, not until the first flakes of snow blew past him.

Snow. In August.

The trapper increased his speed to a reckless rate now, hoping against hope to outrun the storm, to make it to his cabin which had both warm clothing and a wood stove. He was both knowledgeable and experienced here in his home woods, knowing every twist and turn of the trail, which enabled him to stave off what should have been inevitable for several minutes. But you can’t outrun the wind.

As the weather front blew over him it brought with it both a chilling intensity and a wave of blowing snow that immediately ruined Joe’s vision of the trail. The hunter did his best to slow down and keep moving, but all he managed to do was prevent his crash from being more than a bruising experience.

Joe began to shiver, both from the shock of the crash and the rapidly dropping temperature all around him. Visibility was down to a handful of meters in any direction and things were looking progressively worse as a quick check of the ATV showed that it was in no condition to keep going without some repairs. Repairs that the growing layer of snow on the ground told Joe he didn’t have time to make if he wanted to try to make it to his cabin on foot.

However, there was one bright spot of hope as Joe recognized the stump of a tree along the side of what he could see of the trail. It was the stump of a tree he himself had cut down last week in order to lay in some firewood for the cabin, which meant that he was barely half a kilometer away from safety. Joe made the decision to abandon his vehicle and use the trail as a guide to get him to the cabin. All he carried with him was the bolt action rifle he never ventured into the woods without, as you never leave a weapon out in the weather if you can help it.

Closing his arms in tight around himself in an attempt to retain as much heat as possible, Joe plunged into the now howling blizzard. Despite his actions he could feel the cold sinking into him with every step, sapping away at his strength and the will to push on through the storm. The trapper was however, a man of the north country, used to pitting his will and wits against the harsh elements of this unforgiving land and coming out on top every time.

Even so, Joe Nitsiza was on the last dregs of his endurance when the dark form of the cabin finally loomed out of the storm. Gasping in relief, he staggered up the few steps of the one room shack and pulled open the door, and even though the temperature in the cabin was very cold, getting out of the wind and snow was almost like stepping into a warm bath.

Closing the door, Joe quickly busied himself with first pulling out a thick parka from a storage box under the cabin’s single bed and throwing it over his shivering body. It would take time for the garment to have a positive effect, but in the meantime it meant that Joe wouldn’t sink further into hypothermia.

That done, the trapper snatched up some of the kindling he had already prepared in a small hod by his wood stove and began to lay a fire. Kneeling down in front of the metal box, he was almost about to strike a thick match to the thin shavings of wood when Joe heard a voice from behind him.

“And just what do you think you are doing?” said the voice, rich and deep in the tones of someone used to giving commands and having them obeyed. Such was the power of the voice that it momentarily froze Joe in place.

“I asked you what do you think you are doing?” repeated the voice. Turning, match still held in one hand, Joe saw one of the strangest things he had ever seen. There, in the middle of the small cabin, with no indication at all how it had gotten there was a small, dark grey pony, with black speckles in his mane and tail.

“What… what the hell are you?” Joe asked, brain trying to process the bizarre image in front of him. He had heard some of the stories from down south about a town full of ponies in BC, but had dismissed them as singularly unimportant.

“I… am your king,” the pony replied. “My name is Ash Heart and you will bow to me.”

“What the f—” began Joe, trying to shake off the sudden lethargic cold invading his brain.

“I. Am. Your. King,” repeated the pony, as his horn lit with a darkness so deep it made everything around it glow in comparison.

Joe felt frozen in place, unable to move or think as the cabin door opened to reveal a man in military gear, utterly coated in ice and snow.

“My King,” began the man somehow, through a face covered in a sheet of ice. “Lord Wind says we must keep moving.”

“One moment,” Ash Heart replied, before turning his attention back to Joe. “This man is a local and knows the area.”

Joe couldn’t think anymore. Some part of what awareness remained could see his thoughts, his feelings, his demands to wonder what was going on, but all of it was walled off behind the sheet of ice that had grown in his mind. What remained and moved was just as blank as the ice on a lake in winter, and just as impenetrable.

“Slave,” asked his king in that same rich voice. “What is the closest settlement?”

“Whati,” the creature that had been Joe Natsiza replied.

“How many people live there?” Ash Heart asked, using a trifle of his power to bring his newest soldier to their feet.

“About 500,” the ice soldier answered in a frozen voice.

“Excellent,” stated Ash Heart, “Inform the wind— Lord Wind, that we will be using this ‘Whati’ as a test for our clash against the ponies. Have him shift our storm to the north.”

Neither soldier said anything, only nodding as they relayed their message on the icy winds that now blew in and around the trappers cabin. A moment later and the cabin was empty and exposed to the elements, with no sign that anything living had been there.

---

< ALERT FOR CENTRAL BC COAST INCLUDING BELLA BELLA - BELLA COOLA - HARTLEY BAY >

Issued August 5 at 6:20AM PDT

A special weather statement has been issued regarding the out of season Arctic Outflow storm that has swept down from the high arctic over the past few days. This weather system has brought with it high winds and low temperatures resulting in Winter Storm advisories along its path. While the system has to date defied predictive models it should impact the above areas in the next 12 to 24 hours before blowing out to sea.

Residents of these areas are advised to make preparations consistent with normal winter storms.

Expect temperatures 20 to 30 degrees below seasonal lows with winds in excess of 80 kmh.

For further information contact Environment Canada - Haida Gwaii

---

There was a cool nip in the morning air as Foxfire sipped at her morning tea, a soft weight against her chest reminding her of last night’s failure to reach Princess Luna in the dream realm, again. Rios had been more than willing to lend the unicorn the talisman so that she could try to speak to the dreamwalker again, but it seemed that the princess was unwilling or unable to speak to Foxfire again.

Foxfire shook her head, banishing the sudden thought that Luna was deliberately avoiding her in the land of dreams. It was far more likely that the two ponies would only be able to communicate during the times of the full moon, or that Luna was simply too exhausted to try to reach Foxfire again. The American had been very clear when he had described the amount of effort it took the alicorn to breach the dimensional barriers, and Foxfire had seen for herself just how hard Luna pushed herself to make those fleeting contacts.

Sighing, the white mare lifted the pendant off of her head and laid it on her kitchen counter. Sleep had not come easily that night either, and even her dreams had been troubled by nightmares of her being ensnared by the Umbral again. Of her becoming its mount again, or worse, joining with it of her own free will and once more reveling in the feel of power and domination over others.

Foxfire had taken Luna’s advice to heart, even though doing so had caused her to relive things she would have much rather forgotten, but she agreed with the Equestrian. Protecting against the rise of Nytefyre was a prudent course of action, because even if the witch didn’t want to truly believe it, she was currently the most powerful magic user on earth and if she fell to darkness again the consequences could be catastrophic.

To that end, she and Medevac had sat down and worked out a drug cocktail that would both render Foxfire unconscious and keep her that way until she could be contained, if it became necessary. The two mares had also brought Windweaver and Mayor Montcalm into the “End of Nyte” club, as the medical mare had named the little group.

Windweaver because of her ability to control winds and breezes was a serious match for Foxfire’s magic, and Mayor Montcalm for his ability to call in forces that could make the decision of how best to contain a megalomaniacal mage… or to put her down.

A firm knock on Foxfire’s back door shattered the unicorn’s grim musings and a glance at the clock told the pony that her students were on time. Giving her cup a quick rinse, the unicorn trotted across her kitchen and tugged open her door. As expected, three young women stood there, much changed since the previous week when they had arrived.

Gone were the dark leather clothing and clunky boots, having been replaced by more moderate gear that moved and breathed better on individuals who were spending a lot of time walking around, as well as weighing much less. Despite the changes though, some things still remained the same.

Summer still wore her ankh pendant and remained the definite leader of the trio, while Char continued to wear her collar with its dangling rings which Foxfire noticed acted like worry stones for both young women. Anytime either of them were nervous or deep in thought, the dangling bits of metal would be rubbed between thumb and forefinger till whatever was concerning either woman went away.

Chilly on the other hand, had completely reworked her wardrobe and had been wearing nothing but jeans and button up shirts of light flannel ever since the three had returned from their camping trip with the kids. Which had been very successful, with all of the requested herbs being found and returned in a little over 24 hours. Ever since then Foxfire had been trying to figure out some way to gauge their aptitude for magic and witchcraft, as well as how to train them.

She couldn’t simply use what she had done with either Shield Maiden or Iron Hoof either. Both young ponies were still very much children and while Iron Hoof was Foxfire’s actual apprentice, Foxfire had been teaching the young boy for years in the ways of the wilderness, while Shield Maiden’s was a natural talent that the unicorn had simply nurtured into being.

Neither approach would work with Foxfire’s trio of students, all of whom were women grown and had been living lives far away from nature, until they heard the call of magic and had decided that it was something they had to have in their lives. Foxfire knew from bitter experience though, that just wanting something wasn’t enough on its own, and that while some skills could be trained, there almost always had to be an underlying aptitude for someone to truly excel in something new.

Which is where her plans for today fit in.

“Miss—Mrs. Foxfire,” Summer began, remembering that Foxfire had forbade her students to call her “Mistress” just in time. “We’re here for our first lesson.”

“Today isn’t about a lesson so much as it is an introduction,” Foxfire said, levitating over a pair of saddlebags with its accompanying tack. “Today we are going to go out to one of my favorite places in the woods and I’m going to let you touch Equestrian magic.”

The eyes of all three women went wide at that.

“Is there anything any of you need before we go?” Foxfire asked, after letting the moment of silence stretch out.

All three women shook their heads in the negative with Summer adding, “I’ve got water bottles with me and Char and Chilly have lunches with them.”

“Good thinking. Shall we?” the unicorn asked the three women, who replied with murmurs of agreement.

Pleased with her students’ preparations, Foxfire trotted out of her house and down her back porch stairs, where three day packs rested on the ground. The unicorn took a moment to make sure that the back door of her house was closed behind the group before leaving her yard and heading up the gravel back alley toward the end of her block, her students falling in behind her.

As the small group reached the point where gravel met asphalt, Foxfire was not surprised to see the warm colours of Pumpkin Spice lounging against the wall of one of her neighbor’s garage. With a toss of her horned head, Foxfire waved over the guardian pegasus.

“Nice day for a walk,” Lieutenant Ram, Brightly Protective Detail, Joint Task Force 2 (detached) commented, as she casually approached.

“We’re heading into the woods to do some witch work. You would probably find it boring,” Foxfire replied, in a tone that made it clear she was bantering. “Why don’t you find a cloud to nap on.”

“Well, seeing as I’m stuck with fur and feathers as long as my principles are rocking the four wheel drive look, I figured I may as well stick with you and your minions,” Ram tossed back, before continuing in a more serious tone with, “Considering the weather forecast I’m actually a little surprised you are heading out.”

“Forecast? Last night it said it was going to be clear and sunny for the next week. Something change?” Foxfire asked, her bantering tone dropping to a more serious one.

“I’ll say,” said the guardian, with a very equine snort. “But apparently there’s been this big cold front sweeping down from the north. They say a whole town near Yellowknife got frozen out entirely.”

“But… It's August!” protested Chilly. “I mean… can it get that cold in August, in the arctic? It’s warm there in the summer, right?”

“I’ve been up there, and usually it’s pretty warm up this time of year,” Ram answered. “Going below freezing almost never happens. Going to forty or fifty below like it did a couple of days ago? Never heard of. Caught a lot of people unawares and out in the open. Lot of people missing.”

“Wait, that cold? And people are missing? And it’s headed this way?” Foxfire demanded.

The unicorn wasn’t sure what exactly it was about the combination of events that were setting off alarms in her head, but something was definitely wrong. Back and forth the unicorn began to pace, thinking about why Pumpkin Spice’s news had set her on edge so much. What was it about an out of season cold front and it headed for Brightly that…

“Oh Goddess,” breathed Foxfire, turning quickly to Ram and demanding, “Where are the kids?”

Mercy Ram was an experienced soldier and as such knew the value of intelligence and planning, but she had also seen the power of otherwise unquantifiable feelings and hunches. Sometimes facts added up in strange ways for some people that produced results far beyond what could be reasonably expected. Or to put it another way, some people could add two plus two and actually get five.

“All points, location check on your principles,” Ram said into her ever present radio.

“Shield Maiden and Iron Hoof are with Iron Heart at his garage,” came the first reply.

“Crusaders and Skylark are at the school field,” was the second reply on the heels of the first.

“Darter and Thunder are at the Harding farm,“ replied the third group. There was a long pause that made everyone’s pulse beat faster before the last team called in.

“Windweaver is sewing at home. Permission to not be used as a mannequin while protecting the principle?” plaintively asked a male voice.

“I only poked you with a needle once,” Windweaver’s voice could be heard saying from the other end. “I thought all you soldier types could handle a little pain?”

“As long as it doesn’t interfere with protecting the principle, permission denied,” commanded Pumpkin Spice, fighting down a smirk . A smirk that died entirely as she saw that the check-in had done nothing to remove the worried look on Foxfire’s face. “All points, this is Command. Go to Readiness Level Two and remain on alert. Foxfire has a twitchy tail about our incoming weather.”

“Everyone’s okay, Foxfire,” Ram assured the unicorn. “But as you’ve heard, I put everybody on alert just in case something crazy is on its way. IS something crazy on its way?”

Foxfire rapidly paced back and forth as her students looked on with worried faces. This pony was a far cry from the self-assured mother and teacher of the mystic arts they had been expecting today. After several minutes of watching Foxfire wear a groove into the gravel Pumpkin Spice had had enough.

“Foxfire! What’s happening?” Ram demanded, grabbing her principle by the shoulders and looking directly into her eyes. “What’s going on?”

“I can’t be sure, but I think we’ve got to get to Mayor Montcalm and sound a general alert to the whole town,” Foxfire stated firmly, and out of nowhere the Seed of Fire blazed into sudden existence, the golden bronze falchion instantly grasped in the unicorn’s magic before it could touch the ground.

Ram kept the fear and adrenaline out of her voice and her eyes, but she was far less experienced at controlling her ears, which flattened themselves against her head in readiness for a fight. She knew that Foxfire kept her sword tucked away because it was such a dangerous weapon, but that it would appear on its own to defend its mistress if she felt threatened, which she obviously did.

“Right, let’s go,” Ram responded, nodding in agreement. “But first tell me why.”

“Because, unless I’m very mistaken,” the unicorn paused, her face twisting wryly. “Something wicked, this way comes.”

Comments

[Prismfire Productions]

Oh shit

[Aremna]

Confrontation time…Foxfire and ice. Wonder how this one will turn out.

[redandready45]

Oh boy. You succeeded in making an ice spirit from a land of ponies and friendship genuinely creepy.

[TomRedlion]

Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Cool scary kids movie from my early teen years. Nice reference.
Why do I suddenly feel all old and decrepit???

[Penalt]

11510720
Yup, it's been in Harry Potter, sung by the choir in "Prisoner of Azkaban". It's also a quote from Macbeth.

“By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes. Open, locks, Whoever knocks!”

[A.P.O.N.I.]

11511082
"By the pricking of my... Well, my apprentices' thumbs, anyway..."

[keroko]

With no alicorns to back them up this time, one wonders how well the defences are going to hold. Knights of the Round, assemble!