Other Duties As Required

by Hiver

Chapter 12

I checked the prices on the list and entered it into the register, "And fifteen for the potatoes puts us at a total of fifty three bits," I said with a smile.

She smiled back, her bat wings shifting slightly on her back, "Oh, any chance I could have some of those raisins as well?" she asked, pointing high on the shelf behind me.

"These?" I asked and reared up, grabbing one of the small bags with my other hoof put onto the lower shelf, "One or more?" I asked, glancing back at her.

"One should be enough, thank you," she said with a smile, "How much is that?"

"An even fifty five," I said after entering it, "Anything else I can do for you?"

She brushed a hoof through her mane, "Oh, no, I think that's all I can afford for now. You're new here? Haven't seen you before.

"Arrived this morning," I said, "Names Night Wind. Iron Brand was kind enough to give me a chance."

"Silver Arrow," she introduced herself and held out her hoof.

I reached across the counter and touched it with mine, "A pleasure."

She smiled and then started to count out the bits on the counter, "Come alone or with family?"

"Oh, just me," I said and scooped the bits into the register, "No family."

"I'm sorry."

I shook my head, "It's alright," I said with a small smile.

She nodded and started to pack her things away into her bag, "Well, welcome to Nocturnis. I'm sure things will go much better for you here. It can be difficult, but we like our town."

"Seems nice so far," I agreed.

"Oh, I should get going. Thank you so much for your help," she said before she left, giving me a final smile before leaving.

Well, at least everypony was so friendly. That's always nice to see, especially to a newcomer.

Iron Brand exited from the back, carrying a basket to restock the shelves behind the counter, "Was that Silver Arrow I heard?"

"Yep, seemed nice," I said and looked at the shelves, "That's the sixth bag of raisins I sold so far. Are they very popular?"

"I usually sell that many a week," he commented with a smirk, "Local fillies checking out the new colt, making you stretch for them."

Oh.

I felt the inside of my ears turn a bit red.

"And on that note," he said and started to remove the raisins from the shelf, replacing them with what looked to be more expensive sewing thread spools.

Well, merchant is going to merchant I guess.

Also, do we really have that much of a lack of stallions around? Or is it just that I'm new? Sure, the form Midnight gave the transformation was on the nice looking side of average, but I wasn't that pretty.

The door opened and a unicorn wearing solar guard armor entered.

I turned to him with a smile, "Welcome, sir, how can I help you?" I asked.

"Pipe tobacco, please," he said, stopping by the counter, "Seventy bits worth."

"Of course," I agreed and looked at Iron Brand. He barely glanced at me before nodding towards the back.

Heading around into the back room, it didn't take me too long to find what I was looking for. Finding the weight and pricing chart on the wall next to it, I weighed out and packaged the right amount before returning.

"Sorry for the wait," I said and put the pack on the counter, "I'm brand new, still learning."

"Eh, it's alright," the guard said and counted out the bits, "Thanks."

I nodded, "Welcome back," I said and took the bits as he floated the pack into his bag on his way out.

The door closed behind him and Iron Brand scowled at the door, "Damn sunners think they own the place," he grumbled before going back to stocking the shelf.

I raised an eyebrow, "Sunners?"

He nodded, "Sun ponies. The Equestrians. Everything has gone downhill since they put up that damn base to keep an eye on us. They do nothing but cause trouble. Not enough they made us hide for thousands of years."

"...He seemed nice enough. And he did buy seventy bits of tobacco."

Iron snorted, "Nice now. Then something will happen, ponies will panic and they'll blame us for it. Tried to kill our Prince, they did. Couldn't stand us bats getting anything."

"I thought that was a random madpony."

Iron shook his head, "So they say. Don't buy it, more were involved. I know how things work."

"I'm not sure Princess Celestia woul-"

He looked at me, "I don't want to imply the Princesses know something about it," he said and sighed, "...Never done anything for me until Prince Page arrived. Used to hate the stupid bint. But Prince Page loves them, so I guess they have to be decent enough sorts so I likely was wrong about that. Don't mean other ponies weren't involved. You know how we'd been treated."

"...Yeah," I admitted, glancing down, "But there are a lot of ponies here that's not bats."

Iron shook his head, putting his hoof on my shoulder, "It's not the same. The ponies here may be bats or they may not be. They're our friends and neighbors. It's not about tribes, it's about some ponies not being able to stand anypony that's not like them."

"He seemed alright though."

Iron nodded, "But what is he really here for? Training? Or because the Equestrians don't trust us and put a base of sunnies close enough to do something about it if necessary? The Princesses might not even know about that plan."

I frowned but the door opened and Fluttershy poked her head inside,

"Hi, I'm back!" she said with a smile, "How have things been going?"

"Well enough," Iron Brand told her with a nod, "He'll do for now," he said and opened the register, counting out thirty bits onto the counter, "For your work today," he told me, "Come back tonight at dusk."

"Yes boss," I agreed with a nod, getting my bag before scooping the bits into it before I looked at Fluttershy, "Where next?"

She smiled at me, "Now, I'll show you around the usual landmarks."

Comments

[Black--Soul]

"One should be enough, thank you," she said with a smile, "How much is that?"

She was totally checking out the goods

She smiled and then started to count out the bits on the counter, "Come alone or with family?"

Fishing for a stud ♡

"I usually sell that many a week," he commented with a smirk, "Local fillies checking out the new colt, making you stretch for them."

He-hee-heee!

He looked at me, "I don't want to imply the Princesses know something about it," he said and sighed, "...Never done anything for me until Prince Page arrived. Used to hate the stupid bint. But Prince Page loves them, so I guess they have to be decent enough sorts so I likely was wrong about that. Don't mean other ponies weren't involved. You know how we'd been treated."

The stallion is unfortunately right, the reason they are so far away from Canterlot. Assassins are not cheap and usually don't go for to high risk operations.
- Arrival and departure are controlled
- Two weeks just to get there or away
- High value target in a already isolated and well guarded place
- A hole military on call if problems come around...

4 Comments in a row look a bit mutch but testing out the readers likes here.

Come on everyone, try to come up with some fun filler for in between chapters ♡

[Black--Soul]

Male Thestrals are like:
(｢•-•)｢ ʷʱʸ?

The female Thestrals are like:
ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
That how it is...

The Thestrals stallions are in general like:
ʕಠᴥಠʔ
Are you pulling my hoove?

The one mare pulling the hoove of the stallion stops and tells them honestly:
(ಥ﹏ಥ)/)
To precious not to do, it was irresistible...

The Thestral stallions are all like:
♡♡♡♡♡¯\_(ツ)_/¯♡♡♡♡♡
Yeah... we know...

[Black--Soul]

She smiled at me, "Now, I'll show you around the usual landmarks."

This will be fun...

Jobs to get rich as a Thestral stallion in Nocturnis:
- Barkeeper with nuzzling when ever a drink is bought
- Pole dancer
- Lap Dancer
- Fully body massage with benefits
- Snuggel companion
- Breeding stud
- Cookie seller with benefits

Jobs to get fat as a Changeling in Nocturnis:
- Male Thestral in general
- Stud of the village
- Pony yoga instructor while going around as a Thestral stallion

[Black--Soul]

Blank Page should release monthly a exotic photo collections alongside his fellow stallions. Photo Finish might be the perfect mare for the job or someone like her.
They be swimming in bits

Are bicorns are thing in this story? Would be a nice addition to Nocturnis...

[Rammy]

"And on that note," he said and started to remove the raisins from the shelf, replacing them with what looked to be more expensive sewing thread spools.

[Asolem2]

"I usually sell that many a week," he commented with a smirk, "Local fillies checking out the new colt, making you stretch for them."

Yeah, figured that out the moment she asked for something high up on tge shelves.
You know make him stretch out a bit, maybe cause him to instincually extend his wings a little to make balancing easier

Iron nodded, "But what is he really here for? Training? Or because the Equestrians don't trust us and put a base of sunnies close enough to do something about it if necessary? The Princesses might not even know about that plan."

Hmmm, if this kind of thinking is widespread it's gonna become a problem eventually

[Silent Wing]

You know, the thought that the base may be infiltrated by a rasistic group of sunners, who only wait for an oportunity to strike at the thestral population is a fair concern. Hope it doesn't come to that, but I wouldn't be surprised by it. In addition to that, I am still not in favour of that base.

And in all honesty, I think Nocturnis declearing it's independence from Equestria would still be for the best.

[Silent Wing]

11849977

Blank Page should release monthly a exotic photo collections alongside his fellow stallions.

So you want him to basicly create a Thestral version of Playboy/Playcolt?

[windy_prance]

"Well enough," Iron Brand told her with a nod, "He'll do for now,"

...THE NEXT DAY...

Iron Brand: Hey Night! I need you to go clean the display windows.

Night Wind: Yes sir.

Iron Brand: Wait! *placing glow crystals spotlighting the windows* There...so you can see better!

Night Wind: Umm ok. Thank you sir.

*Night Wind starts cleaning but then notices four blushing mares stopping to look at him discreetly*

Night Wind:

Iron Brand: And stretch your wings wide when getting the cobwebs in the upper corners!

Night Wind:

[Black--Soul]

11850083
Bingo
11850039
Thestrals sure are clever cookies

[Black--Soul]

11850087
Meanwhile Chrysalis disguised as Thorax is selling tickets to the stallion show and is feeding off their lust of the mares armed with binoculars.

[drFraud]

Ya know, the distrust should be expected given everything that bats went through, but if the Equestrian base is separated from the town it will only make the matters worse.
Perhaps forcing the guards to mingle among the populace, preferably in local armour, would make things overall better long-term. It will also serve as a sieve to see which of them should be sent back and which can be trusted more.

[origami]

11850083
If it's stallions modeling, it would be Playgirl/Playmare

[Herald of Opera]

It's not about tribes, it's about some ponies not being able to stand anypony that's not like them.

The lack of self-awareness would be amusing if I didn't know that real people were exactly this stupid.

[BierKeks]

11850192
"Just because i'm paranoid doesn't meant they arent after me!"

He just might be right. That's the sad thing.

[Totally Not A Pony]

11850463
But is he looking out for the right “them”?

Be kind of a shame if, for example, the obvious “outsider” guards were actually mostly on the level and the real ponies plotting against Nocturnis (assuming any eventually turn up) turned out to be some small but determined faction among “their own”...possibly even including a bunch of thestrals who have put on rose-colored glasses and are now actually pining for Old Equestria despite having had to hide their real identities there all their lives. It’s probably still all they knew before the big exodus into Hostile Jungle Country, after all.

[DoctorWhoooves]

Not all sunners are bad but I could see a situation where at least one of the higher up day guards might have some of the lower enlisted causing trouble… like being drunk and disorderly, causing property damage, et cetera.

[More Dakka]

11850192

You're not paranoid if 'they' are actually out to get you, and the 'they' in this instance ('Sunners') isn't a catch all term for none bats, but for the bigots that have kept the bats in hiding for centuries.

Naysay was not some rando off the street, he was a bigwig in the Equestrian education system and he shot page with a crossbow issued to the Royal guard. And now there's a guard presence in their village which is the perfect avenue for bigots like Naysay to go in, cause trouble, and then blame the victims. It's a tactic as old as time.

[shadow wolf1573]

Nice

[jimerjam]

11850083
Yes

[Kevin Lee]

11849969

- Barkeeper with nuzzling when ever a drink is bought
- Pole dancer
- Lap Dancer
- Fully body massage with benefits
- Snuggel companion
- Breeding stud
- Cookie seller with benefits

Um.... I think you've got 5 repetitive items in that list.

- Male Thestral in general
- Stud of the village
- Pony yoga instructor while going around as a Thestral stallion

And ALL of those are repetitive.