The Pointed Woodsmaster

by The Real Darkness

Closer

He stared at Celestia until she closed his jaw.

"You move the sun and moon and stars?!" He pointed to the night sky.

Celestia wouldn't show it and she sure wouldn't acknowledge it, but she was enjoying this kind of attention from him. He was someone who didn't see her as a ruler and protector after all.

"Mmmhm," she hummed in response, "my sister was intially in charge of the night and would move the moon with me, but..."

Arctus went back inside, opening drawer after drawer until he found a quill, some ink and paper. He began drawing on it, "so, we've done a lot of observations on the night sky and the sun to ensure we can use them as accurate traveling guides," he spoke while his fingers went about on the paper, abandoning the quill altogether. As advanced as Aeternia was, he was stubborn and refused to write with modern utensils. He preferred charcoal, so he was fingerpainting with ink and sometimes his nails, putting down the most up to date model of astronomy that he had seen.

"In my world, Loke, we suspect that the Sun is massive and constantly giving light from its fire and moves on its own, but not always in a predictable way. It will slowly set in a counterclockwise motion, moving from west to the south to the east to the north and do it all over again during the span of a year, slowly making progress. Unless you've been paying attention to it, you can't use it as a reliable method to travel," he explained at length, Celestia captively listening and looking at the drawing he made.

"So...your Sun moves...on its own?" She confirmed, a little in disbelief.

"I guess that seems weird to someon-pony who's moved the Sun all her life," he painted the last night sky he could remember, "so, we have four moons that move much more reliably and using them and the placement of the stars, travel gets much easier without compasses or maps."

"I can change our night sky every night, but I typically keep the sun rising and setting in the same spot."

"I guess I've noticed that, it became something that guided me when I was first here," Arctus, finished with his diagram flung the remaining ink off the balcony and wiped his finger of it onto his hose.

"Guided by fate to the Princess of the Day," she smiled, holding her head high.

"Are you teasing me?" He asked.

"I guess I am."

"You just remember I'm not one of your subjects, I'm an equal."

"That's what I like about you, but are you sure you're an equal? I move the Sun after all."

"I see compliments should be given to you sparingly," he smiled, "was there anything I could help Equestria with?" He asked, changing topics.

"Actually, yes. There's been an issue, something I thought we could handle fine, but has become an issue," Celestia's attitude changed quickly, "an envoy came to me an informed me of his brother's treachery and plan to steal magic from Equestria, he's already begun so. A frontier town that was being built was drained of magic, all the ponies there are in a crippled state."

Arctus went into the room again and began equipping his weapons and tools once more, "Celestia...do you have any large arrows?"

"Large arrows? Can you specify?"

"Thick wooden shaft, about as large as an iron fence post, the head itself had four edges, jagged, looks a lot like a fishing spear."

"We don't, but I can see about getting them made. What do you use them for?"

"I know Equestria is full of magical creatures and some of those aren't nice, the large arrows assist with the bigger monsters," Arctus explained, "where did this envoy's brother go?"

"He's called Lord Tirek and last my scouts reported is that he is headed to Ponyville, that growing town near the Everfr-your forest."

Arctus drew his spear, hefting it in his grip as he pointed the business end down, "what's he look like?"

"A red centaur with horns and please don't kill him, we intend to lock him up in Tartarus, we may be able to change his mind and we don't want to just sadden his brother."

Arctus looked to the alicorn, "I've never captured someone before, but I'll see what I can do," he explained, "do the guards have maces?" Celestia lit her horn up.

"I've already called one up for you. You know he might be very powerful by now, right?" She lowered her head to look him in his steely green eyes.

"You've seen what just one arrow and an imbue spell did to your sister's beam of magic. I'll be fine," the door quickly opened and a guard came in carrying a mace with a rounded head, a spike at the top. Arctus grabbed the handle, the guard letting it go out of his mouth and he swung it a couple times, "hefty."

And he slotted it into the same spot where his hatchet hung from, "I'm off, I'll head to Ponyville and meet him in the outskirts there."

"He's going after Tirek?! Some of our best soldiers lost to him!" The guard who was still in the room spoke up.

"That's true, but Arctus is a Master Scout," Celestia defended him.

"You can't expect someone who observes and hides to have a better chance than they!"

"I'm a Master Scout of Aeternia-."

"He's impressive, I appreciate your concern, Guard Stonewall, but a Scout from where he is from means an entirely different field operation," Celestia hugged Arctus again and he patted her back with a hand, "go and be safe."

Arctus walked to the balcony, "I'm your trump card, Stonewall," and he leapt, rubbing the wards on his boots as he did and he began running down the tower and then later our of Canterlot.

---

It wasn't too long before he arrived in Ponyville from his sprint and the moment he did, the residents of the town locked up from his presence, making a big show of it as well. He drew his spear and began heading to the western outskirts, the predicted approach of the red centaur.

He didn't wait long until he saw him either, his shape was large on the horizon. It was Tirek, not only from the red hue, but the arms and hands gave it away. His horns were large with a ball of orange and red magic swirling and sparking between them.

Arctus made an approach at him, putting his spear away and drawing his bow, pulling two arrows into place. Just two or so minutes and they met, close enough to see each other's eyes.

"Lord Tirek, Equestria declares you a threat."

"Good! I'm here to suck it dry of all its magic!" He bellowed and reached to him, attempting to take the magic from the Master Scout.

"You'll find that I'm from another world, your rules don't apply. If you want to continue your conquest, I'm gonna have to lie dead at your feet."

"You take the words from my mouth, feeble creature, if you will not bow and submit you will die," a laser shot at Arctus from the horns of the tyrant.

"Kerai sunaikinti!" A spell he was well versed in. One of the two arrows hit the magical beam, stopping far before it reached him, the second swooped under and tagged the centaur, sinking into his skin.

Arctus but his bow away and drew out his new mace and gladius, rushing to the centaur who could only manage a magic bolt here or there, nothing a great as what he just released.

"What did you do to me?!"

He knocked the bolts away with the gladius, "took away some of what you stole," he approached and swung the mace at him, the centaur, still full of all kinds of pony magic was built like a wall and barely flinched at the impact, the gladius he swung managed to cut his skin but not as deep as it should have.

"Even without magic, I'm more than enough for you to handle!" His fist met Arctus' face and the Master Scout still stood, nose broken and only his head flung back, "what...are you?"

"A human, Master Scout Arctus," he dropped the gladius and mace, drawing his spear and ducking under the centaur's arm that swung for another punch, driving the head into his chest, not too deep, but the magic weapon easily cut his hide, "I don't fold like the ponies do."

He drew back and slashed at multiple parts of the centaur, leaping over him with the rounded butt of the spear making harmless contact against his shoulder. The legendary weapon made contact with the back of his head, cutting and slinging blood about. The spear found its home again on the warrior's back.

"How are you able to injure me?!" A ball of magic formed in between his horns again during his turn about to face Arctus,

His hand stretched to the ground, "plienas karka savininkas," the mace flung to him, hitting the centaur in the back of his head and interrupting his destructive casting.

Adapting to a situation was expected and this was no different. If a mace couldn't hurt him, he'd make the spot where he was hitting vulnerable. So the Scout leapt at him again, pounding the mace exceptionally hard at the wounds on his chest and arms.

"Celestia!" He shouted as loud as he could, having jumped and grabbed a horn, swinging the centaur to the ground on his side, a heel drove into Tirek's head wound before he pounded the mace. The destructive centaur was screeching in pain, "Celestia!"

He pounded again and the centaur was knocked out, Celestia had just then teleported down to him, as expected they were observing his battle.

"Arctus! Are you okay?!" She rushed, his face bloody from the broken nose he had received.

"Nothing new, where did you want to imprison him? Our task is not-."

"Tartarus," she teleported the unconscious centaur away, "and the guards waiting there will wheel him in. Your nose looks awful."

Arctus wasn't sure how it looked, but Celestia could see the blue and black on it, it was swelling and crooked. She paid plenty enough attention to know when he looked right and when he didn't, even down to his expressions. This was so far away from any semi-healthy look he had coming back to Canterlot, "let's get you to a hospital."

"You don't have healing magic?" Celestia shook her head.

"I don't think it would work well on you, it's intricately designed for pony bodies."

Arctus gathered his gladius and sheathed it once more, putting weapons away all across his body, despite the small skirmish, he knew he wasn't performing where he typically could in combat, that much was evident.

Turns out Equestria did have foes that could potentially rival him.

Celestia walked with him back to Ponyville, where the citizens did come outside upon seeing her, but kept their distance upon seeing him, "how...how good is medicine in Equestria?" Arctus was hesitant to ask, trauma care was the main kind of care given in Aeternia, given most could be healed away with magic or alchemy.

"Top notch, I think. Does Aeternia rely heavily on their magic arts?"

"We do, of course we have some who still practice older ways of healing, but they don't perform on any patients."

"Well, we're here so you can find out for yourself," she stood in front of the large building for a second before trotting inside, Arctus to her left.

"Welcome to..." the nurse at the reception desk went quiet for several seconds, "Princess!" And bowed to Celestia, "what can I help you with?"

"My dearest friend, Arctus, was wounded out in a battle. I was hoping you might be able to help him, I know his physiology is different, but maybe there is something you can do."

"Of course! We'll get sompo-," before the nurse could finish a doctor rushed from the patient rooms.

"Come come, Princess and..."

"Arctus."

"Right, Arctus," he motioned for them to follow and they went right to an examination room, "what's the matter, Princess?"

Celestia pointed her hoof to his nose, "look," she was getting a little fed up with everypony addressing her and not him, "for all intents, Arctus is a citizen of Equestria, directly serving under me," he looked to her a bit shocked, "I'd appreciate it if you addressed him."

In a flurry of sweat the physician looked to him, "broken muzzle?"

"Nose. Broken nose, I've seen the old ways of fixing one so I hope you can figure out where my bones are."

He nodded, "let's get a quick x-ray and get you fixed."

---

An hour or so later, the bones and cartilage in his nose was back in the proper places, or close enough to them. The entire time he visited, they kept making weird mentions to different creatures that Arctus' body resembled, mostly primates.

"Celestia...if you could, please do that more often."

"Hmm? Do what exactly?" She stopped moving along and turned to face him.

Arctus turned as well, full attention and posture directed to a conversant meant respect, at least in Equestria, "stick up for me in conversations. I don't know how to really engage with anyone let alone with anypony outside of intimidation and storytelling. I come off too fierce for most ponies to even speak to me."

And she laughed, whether at him or not, she was having a chu-.

"I'm not making fun of you, just...it fills me with joy that I can impact your life in such a simple way and that you'd ask a favor of me."

The Master Scout began walking again, nudging her along as the supports and temporary glues stuck further into place on his nose, "you have some places with more prowess than me and socializing is one of them."

"You remember when you were such a stoic hermit in the Everfree Forest?"

"My forest, don't go forgetting."

"Okay, your forest."

"I do remember...it was simpler, but not as...fun? Enjoyable," Arctus found his word.

Celestia smirked as she bumped into him, guiding the human to the train station, "it doesn't seem like six or so hundred moons since Luna came screaming into the castle about some psychopath pinning her to the ground by her hair and threatening to kill her."

Celestia began to depress, visibly. Arctus wrapped an open arm around her neck and slammed her side into his while tey still walked.

"Th-thanks."

"I guess this is the closest to how Scouts showed love for each other...it was mostly out of seeing a brother or sister after years apart."

"What's it feel like when they come back?"

"Like coming home, Celestia. Like coming home."

"I-I look forward to it."

"She's returning? I can't wait for a match against her, she had some audacity in combat."

"She...she's destined to return. I didn't banish her permanently."

"I'll be there with you to welcome her back."

Celestia sighed as they stepped onto the train platform, "she'll be back as the transformed Nightmare Moon."

"You can bet your ass I'll be there to make sure Luna comes back," he peered into her soft eyes, "you can bet your front damn teeth, too."

She hugged him and squeezed him tight, "I don't think you can do that."

"Then I'll fight Nightmare Moon until she gives up."

"You...you can definitely do that," tears left her eyes before the scout hugged her back, petting her mane.

"Come on, there's Canterlot to get back to."

---

Arctus visited the armory, three guards present, two outside the stone building and one inside with him, an officer.

"Lieutenant Silver Spike, these weapons definitely seem newer," he walked to a rack of swords, picking up a spath and taking off his gladius with the worn belt attached to the sheath and equipped the new spatha to his side, "and definitely like I could apply them in more ways."

"Well, to be fair, it's been eight or nine hundred moons since you've updated your armory. How about that spear? Don't you want something more polished?"

"Silver Spike," he dropped the rank. None of the citizens were comfortable with him, but the guards were, to the point that they'd even relax a little more knowing he was close, "the spear I have has seen me through a battle with Luna, the Glacegere, Tirek. It's a special spear, I'm sure you know."

"Oooooh, so that isn't all your magic doing that fancy stuff?"

"My spear is specially forged with magma that's been enchanted since Aeternia's birth. It's a very unique spear, all Scout weapons are unique, that's what can give us an advantage because not a single one of us fights the same."

"I see, we need to get you into our practice ring some time."

"I can maybe instruct you al how to fight a bit better in duels, but I'm no good with your formations, except for testing your fortitude and will in those...phalanxes you call them."

And a thought dawned on Arctus, he used to use more in combat, sure he had ten giant arrows on him now and the same bow, maintenanced to keep its power, but he did more.

"Hey, Silver Spike."

"Yeah, Arctus?"

"Can you put a request in to the blacksmiths?" Arctus took off the leather glove on his left hand he made himself so long ago.

"Sure, whatcha need?" He handed him his glove.

"Ask them to cover this with heavy scale mail, like thicker plates than normal. That kind of thing is called a cestus, I'll be there to inspect it later of course. Can you also run something by the fletchers? Bodkin arrows."

"Bod...kin arrows?" Silver Spike tilted his head and Arctus' eyes pinpointed the top of his helmet.

He took the helmet off the lieutenant and point to the triangular spike at the top, "arrowheads like this, but a longer, slimmer. They'll know they nailed the design when it gets through mail and chain incredibly easy."

"Aeternia must have be a warzone."

"It was because of our strength and weapons that it wasn't, Silver Spike."

Arctus walked out of the armory along with him and they walked about the front of the castle together, "you hear that rumor?"

"The one about me?"

"Yeah, they say you're Celestia's consort, any truth to that?"

"We have a very friendly informal relationship, but I don't think she sees me that way, nor do I her. She's very pleasant company though, and fun."

"Sounds like that's got some fine print in it."

"She's the only per-pony who sees me as someone who isn't a warborn monster but as a unique individual."

"What makes you think the guards and soldiers do? Or me?"

Arctus threw a quick punch, nailing him in his side, not causing too much damage, "you all relax around me, like the best fighter, bred for battle is here. It's what's become expected of me here, I know my stints to my forest don't help, but it's obvious and might not change for a while."

"Well, you just keep an open mind...having a coltfriend around might really make both of you happy and that's something we'd both like to see."

They reached the gate, "I'm grabbing some food, go to the smiths and the fletchers and be gone with that nonsense," Arctus left out the front gates of the castle, making his way to the city. There was a restaurant that provided some vegetarian options curated to what his body needs and set aside, cooked, and seasoned all of it for him to come by every lunch and devour it for the next three or four hours as a feast.

Comments

[temp129]

Excellent as usual!