Pathfinder

by The Sumareian

Initiation

The wind whipped trough Taliels hair, with it a slight salty odor from the sea. "This is the last sunrise before my whole life changes." he said to himself as he leaned away from the guard rails on the balcony connected to his room. He looked at his rather spartan room, everything was bare save for the armor stand which held his his hunting armor and bow. He walked towards it knowing that he would be wearing this armor.

He picked up his glove its soft worn leather, he turned it to look at the metal token that started the wrist guard he looked and saw his clans emblem. along with his families coat of arms. a wolf howling towards a black moon. Taliel looked at the carvings underneath the wolf. Taliel rider and master of Ember the fourth pup. He remembered his companion he turned his head towards his bed. At the foot of the bed lay Ember, her snow white coat only broken by the black marking on her forehead, the markings shifting every couple seconds.

Taliel turned back to his armor as he prepared for the day he would become a full fledged member of his clan. As he put his glove on his hands he paused and looked at his forearm, the black tattoo that spanned the gap between his wrist and elbow was his mark, the mark that made him different from his entire family. "Son, it is almost time for the hunt." His father called out from behind the fabric that covered the door way. "Yes father we will be ready shortly." he called back as he pointed his hand to Ember. the tattoo on his arm started glowing. he nudged his hand up to the side causing a small gust of wind to ruffle Embers fur.

She jumped with a yelp, as she head darted around the room. he couldn't help but laugh a little. The wolfs eyes finally setting on him she stared stalking forward.

" Oh come on Ember, that was just some harmless air." Taliel smiled as his familiar took an annoyed nibble at his leg. He laughed once more as she looked up at him as if nothing happened. her tail wagging, Taliel reached into his pocket to produce a small piece of dried deer meat.

"Ah..Ah..Ah. First things first." He said raising a finger to his pet. She rolled her eyes as she trotted of to her kennel, and returned a minute later a black leather harness strapped to her chest. "Good girl." He tossed the treat. Rolling your eyes that's new. he thought as he put on the rest of his armor. As he finished adjusting his gloves he grabbed his bow he looked at it is smooth black wood, he smiled at the fact that this bow had been with him since he was but three years old.That was seventeen years ago the same year I got Ember. He looked to his companion she yawned at him.

"Brother, wouldn't want you to miss your own induction into the clan." Vidrain burst into his room. Taliel looked at his brother, it was almost like staring in a mirror save for the fact that his brothers eyes were a bright yellow, when compared to his intense violet. "Weren't you late to yours brother, because of that maid servant." he snickered. "Hey, just because Humans are starting to become a minority in our society doesn't make it a taboo or anything." his brother shrugged. "And besides You were the only one to find out."

"Me and the grand elder, you remember what he said right?" Taliel looked at his brother his face contorting to memory. "Humans and the Indri cant mix because cross breeding and blah blah blah..." Vidrian looked to his brother, almost as if the previous exchange had never happened. "Brother good luck, and remember aim for the heart." he glanced at Ember. "And Ember keep him safe okay." She looked at Vidrian and nodded. "Smart pup there, one day she'll make a fine mount.... when she gets big enough that is."

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"Taliel O'Carish of house black forest. you stand where your ancestors have stood centuries before, on the first step of your duty as a member of the great clans." the grand elder announced to the gathering crowd in the courtyard. Ember shifted on her paws she looked nervous. Taliel whistled quietly drawing the attention of the nervous wolf back to him. "Do you Taliel wish to be part of the clan? To know no enemy accept for the ruinous powers of the taint?" the elder turned to him.

"Yes." Taliel looked at the crowd his father smiled back, his mother shed a single tear of joy. "Taliel of house Black forest your task is simple you must hunt and kill a creature of the taint, or never return." The elder placed a quiver of arrows in his hands. " With these arrows I will strike down the great foe." Taliel swore a glimmer of determination in his eye.

"Then go Pathfinder and stem the tide." the crowd all shouted as he started off to the wilderness. The forest just outside the small hamlet surrounding him.

Ember looked around sniffing the air. "Let me guess you smell another wolf." Taliel said as he watched the pup sit down and start to array her ears. he knelt down drawing an arrow. "What is it." he glanced around. Only three hours into the forest and we found one, this doesn't make sense.he thought as Ember started to paw at the ground. a low growl coming from her.

"Damnit Ember, what are you doing." Taliel said as he finally noticed that all the birds were silent. his mark on his arm started to throb with a unfamiliar tingle. A strange almost guttural cry filled the air. "Shit, Ember come her girl." he snapped his fingers to the wolf, who started to dig more frantically.

All was silent Ember had paused looking to her master, Taliel had drawn his bow, the mark on his arm started to glow a faint blue. "Ember get in my pack." he whispered as he glanced around. A rustling in the bush snapped both their attentions at once. A massive paw appeared from the bush, the flesh that held it together was grey and rancid, a blue pus oozed out from a strange sphincter on its leg.

Ember looked at the foul thing as it stepped out. So its a razorback. Taliel thought seeing the dripping spikes all over its body. It snarled and looked around its eyes resting on Taliel. His bow now pointed at the creatures face, he drew what power he could to form a swirling orb of air behind the arrow.

Aim for the heart, but if you must kill the bloody thing put an arrow right in between its eyes. He remembered his father telling that to his brother before his first hunt.

There was a brief pause. Time seemed to have made an exception as they looked eyes beast and man locked in a struggle for survival. Ember looked in between the two the beast towering over the duo.

Taliel was the first to move as he released the arrow. it struck the beast in the eye, as it reared back in pain several of its spine shot towards him. sticking in his leg and arm he felt the fire of a thousand forges enter his veins. he pulled out the spine closest to his heart its sickly green toxin dripping out of the end. He glanced up to the creature who was recovering. he focused all the power he could into his now free hand, as he gripped the bow in his left. Ember sprang on the beast biting and clawing at its face, it staggered back on its hind legs.

One chance before this poison... Shit. his vision started to blur as he stood a swirling orb of air in his hand. Each step seeming to weigh him down. The beast grabbed Ember and tossed her to the ground, Taliel stepped in front of the creature. "Nobody tosses my wolf." He panted as he forced the orb into the creatures chest, blasting both of them back

A wave of blue light filled Taliels vision as the creature cried out in pain. He was blasted back. the last thing he saw was the creature being swallowed by the light, it expanded and started to pull him towards it. he yelled as the orb sucked him into its gaping maw.

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Celestia looked over the foyer, numerous palace workers milling about. All preparing for the grand galloping gala, she sighed remembering the this would be Twilight's first one, she only hoped it wouldn't end up being a disaster, and after what happened last year with the griffon ambassador. she shuddered at the thought.

"Sister does something bother thou?" Luna placing a hoof on her shoulder. Celestia perked up trying her best to put on her confident face.

"No Luna , it's just that..." she trailed off as she saw one of the waiter ponies trip over himself. " I...I hope that nothing worse could happen today." Luna looked at her sister a little perplexed.

"Does thou not celebrate this gala every year, tis nothing more then nerves." She nudged her sister reassuringly. She looked at her sister, she was right every year even before the Nightmare Moon incident they had hosted the gala. Come on Celestia you lead one of the greatest kingdoms in the history of ponykind you can host a disasterproof gala.

"Sister, we must inform thee that we wont be present for the festivities, some of this modern pony culture still befuddles us, and we still must commence with the studying." Luna backed away from her sister slightly.

Both of them knew that she needed to grasp all the social changes since her banishment, like the fact that dueling for entertainment was now frowned upon. Celestia still needed to write those guards an apology letter.All she could do was give her sister the don't worry about it smile.

"Then we are off, we must find out the purpose of theses vestments called socks, we shall see thou in the morn sister." Luna flew up the stairs excitedly. Celestia giggled at her sisters enthusiasm, turning to look out the window that overlooked the palace gardens, she sighed hopping that nothing could ruin her prized pupils first gala. Suddenly a blue flash lit the sky just outside the city, she glanced around wondering if anypony had seen it. Doesn't look like anypony saw it.

She looked back to where the flash had originated. Reaching out with her magic she tried to sense what was happening, she saw a small crater near the middle was what looked like a dog, and two strange creatures, as she focused on one she saw it had two legs and looked armed with some sort of projectile weapon.

The other some type of twisted lion if she could guess right though the spines on its body got her to wondering if that was what it really was. The spined creature started to move, pushing her mind even further she tried to communicate with it, he efforts were met by some form of nonsensical babbling and hisses,though malice and rage seemed to drip from is every thought.

She pulled out of its mind refocusing back on the crater the spined creature scampered off into the forest. She reached into the mind of the other strange creature, he was unconscious she knew this because his thoughts were eerily silent. Delving into its memories she saw the spined creature attack him and his smaller companion, and a strange blue orb swallowing them. 'Wake up.' she projected her thoughts to the creature who started to stir.

"Princess... Princess." Celestia was snapped out of her trance when one of her servants jabbed her in the side, She turned her head to the grey stallion he shrank back slightly. "Princess the guest are arriving." he whimpered.

Celestia looked to the door to see some of the noble and rich ponies start to enter the foyer. And so it begins. she thought as the first few ponies started to form a line to be greeted by the princess. she tossed on her best friendly face she could.

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'Wake up.'

Taliel felt his whole body ache as he cracked his eyes, he tried to process what happened, remembering the beast he perked up pulling a dagger from his boot. though something told him the foul creature was long gone.

'Good your awake now I must ask you something What are you?' Taliel looked around for the source of the voice, it sounded too calm. He saw nothing around him except for the smoldering crater he had awoken in and a small lump of white stained with blotches of grey and red.

"Ember!" he shouted as he threw his dagger to the ground, as he staggered to his pet wolf. He fell to his knees next to her, her breathing was shallow, Taliel reached out to stroke her side, she lifted her head weakly and tried to smile at her master. "It's alright girl, you'll be fine I promise." he glanced around trying to find a familiar landmark, but he paused when he saw the lights of the city.

'I asked you a question. What are you?' the voice asked again this time a little more sternly. "I am Taliel O'Carish of the house black forest.member of the Indiri people " he looked around. Where the hell is that voice coming from? he wondered as he started to look for his pack.

"Come on Ember I got to put you in my pack for a little bit okay." He picked up the wounded wolf and gently deposited her in his pack her head poking out of the open top. she whimpered slightly as she tried to make herself comfortable in his pack. The city should have someone who can help. he thought as he started to walk to the city.

As he started to the city the voice came back. 'Sneak through the city and go to the palace, you cant miss it it's the really large building overlooking the city.'

Taliel took stock of what he had." So seven deer nuggets... make that six." he said as he offered one to Ember. "My bow with.... fifty arrows, two daggers and my water bladder." He looked at the trees their thick branches able to hold his weight, he pulled out his dagger and dug into the bark as he started to climb.

I think I'll take the high road into the city. he thought as he started to jump and swing from branch to branch as he headed towards the city....

Comments

[Celestias Paladin]

Well interesting start... two thing that bug me though, first its Foyer not Fayer, foyer is some kind of lobby, fayer is some weird language word for fire.Second, I would think Celestia would have alerted the Guard about the unexpected guests.

[The Sumareian]

1451902

Don't get me wrong other ponies saw it, It's just that she wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. (A little surprising considering shes a god and all.)

Edit and the foyer is fixed sorry bout that.