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A Fanged Saviour7,542 words
The Wardens Oath8,825 words
Founding of the Clans11,889 words

Founding of the Clans

We will purge our old ideals and traditions as we begin anew. Now, while our minds are open and yearning for new insight, we will remould them and fill them with the truth of our destiny.
For we are destined not only to be different from those in the past, but also better.

- Nomad speaking to his kin.

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Twilight felt the soft rays of light filtering down through the ice. They caressed her face with gentle laps of warmth, tussled her mane, gently pried open her fluttering eyelids. With a long yawn the small alicorn rose and pushed off the pelt she had used, again, as her blanket. She had at first thought to not bother with it but when the temperature dropped she had quickly changed her mind.

Shaking off the morning grogginess the mare sat up and glanced over to her companion. The Volken was still sleeping his head resting upon his forelegs. She could vaguely see the rise and fall of his form. His soft shaggy coat seemed to reflect the light that shimmered down onto it.

A smile graced her lips as she watched him for a little while, her mind still waking up. A low groan from her stomach soon redirected her attention. Turning her gaze away from Prophet, Twilight stretched and began to rummage around for some left over plants to eat. Twilight found nothing worth eating except for a few petals left over from the night before, her stomach eagerly hungering for them.

After quickly eating the few petals left Twilight felt the urge to breathe fresh air. Moving back over to the tunnel Twilight cast any other look at the Volken who, unsurprisingly, was still slumbering away. After climbing back up the little passageway she heard the wind bustle for a few moments before she popped her head outside. The instant her face was exposed she felt the cold slap her hard.

"Brr." Twilight shuddered.

While the air was cold and fierce, the actual sky was clear. Great swaths of sunlight burned brightly across the great blue canvas, painting the morning in a sea of rich gold and pink hues. Twilight let out a joyous smile as she watched the sun finish cresting the horizon, the cold forgotten as she gazed at the glowing orb.

Ever since her transformation into an alicorn her eyes had changed dramatically. The normal pony could not look on the sun for long without hurting themselves, but as an alicorn Twilight could look for as long as she wanted. She could see the very lines of magic that swirled about the orb, its colour indescribable as the magic that kept the world bathed in light twisted and pulsed.

Twilight would have sat there a lot longer if not for the cold that now started to cause her back to ache. Frowning the mare flickered her wings again, the action eliciting a sharp grunt of pain. The tender limbs were nowhere near ready for flight but a quick inspection showed they were healing faster than expected.

"Prophets healing spell must of helped a bit." Twilight mused as she rubbed the left wing gingerly. Thinking back to the Volken still snoozing away down below Twilight turned her gaze back up to the sun. "Mhm, better wake him up."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight stood over the sleeping predator, his form now twisted leaving him to lie on his side. Prophet's mouth had parted to reveal his sharp silver teeth to gleam in the sunlight. For the last few minutes she had tried verbal methods of waking that ranged from gently whispering, to angry whispering, to desperate whispering.

Twilight was now stuck in a dire situation, her logical side was simply screaming at her to just call his name loudly, but the other more sensible instinctual side was screaming to leave him alone. Finally she decided on physical methods of waking him, namely prodding him. Of course that had been ten minutes ago. She was still unsure on the correct way to prod him. Her hoof trembled a little as she carefully moved closer.

"Prophet?" She whispered feebly trying to draw attention. "It's time to get up..."

*Grrr*

Twilight's hoof shot back in a flash as the purple mare's instincts kicked in. Darting back she did the only thing she could think of, dive under the pelt and hide. It was only after a few minutes of blind panic that she realized Prophet was still sleeping. Feeling like a silly little filly, she roused and stomped over to poke him in the ribs.

*GRRR*

After emerging from the pelt a second time Twilight decided against waking her new scary friend. "Maybe he'll wake up if I make some noise." She grumbled idly to herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was unusual, he was wrapped in a deep slumber, the shapeless void covering him in a dreamless state. Normally Prophet was a light sleeper, his ingrained hunter training not allowing to much rest lest it make him slothful. A few hours at most was all that was needed to really sate him. Still the last few days had significantly drained him. So much so that he was awoken rather rudely by a purple hoof prodding him in the back of the head.

"Uwah?" Prophet grunted his eyes flickered open. Turning over as his eyes opened he took note of a purple blur shifting awkwardly in his vision. It resolved to show Twilight looking very embarrassed.

"Twilight?" Prophet shook his head quickly in an attempt to clear his gaze. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, well, I just thought maybe it was time to get going." Twilight shuffled her hooves about nervously.

Prophet sat up and stretched, his back popping as he arched it. Flecking his wings around he cast a look about the cave noting it was really bright inside.

"What time is it?" He asked still shaking off the deep sleep.

"Uh I think it's about midday..." Twilight trailed off.

"Midday!" Prophet barked, his mind quickly waking up now. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"I'm sorry!" Twilight fell down onto her belly, her fore-hooves covering her head. "I wanted to but every time I went to wake you...you started...growling at me..."

Prophet watched the little pony shake a little as she explained that her first attempt at waking him resulted in a rather lengthy trip back under the blanket in fear that he was about to pounce on her. His first thought was to clock the silly thing round the head, until further images of a crying mare clouded his mind. Instead his next thought and action was to start laughing.

"It's not funny!" Twilight shouted, her form upright with a red stained face turned away in a pout. "I was really scared!"

"Why?" Prophet continued with a chortle. "I already told you that I wouldn't hurt you!"

"Hmph!"

"Nevermind, come on then Twilight." Prophet turned around and began to pack his things. "Help me pack and then we'll be off. May as well get going as soon as we can, it's not to far to then end of the plains..."

*Grouuu*

"...there are quite a lot of plants there too." Prophet smirked as he watched the pony clutch her belly in embarrassment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had taken a while to pack the various tools and trinkets that the cave stored. Twilight was straddled with an assortment of small bags and bundles filled with various plants that Prophet had darted out to collect an hour earlier. She had eaten quickly noting that Prophet had forgone his own meal. As the last of the bags were filled and placed she turned around to see her companion standing in the middle of the cave.

"Are you ready?" Prophet asked, eyes shimmering with a strange edge.

"Uh, I think so." Twilight mumbled, mentally running a check-list of various things she thought were necessary.

"Good. So let's get some ground rules down first." Prophet started his voice carried by the empty lair.

"Ok." Twilight replied standing directly across from her guide.

"First, don't eat anything without my permission." Prophet said trotting around the mare as she stood in place, head swivelling to keep track of the Volken. "There are a lot of plants we will see on the journey and quite a few are very poisonous."

Twilight let out a solemn gulp as she thought over what the term "Very Poisonous" could entail. "Ok. Don't eat anything, got it."

"Good." Prophet nodded in satisfaction. "In most cases the plants will just give you belly ache but some could kill you, so be careful."

Prophet now twisted around and padded to sit in front of her. "Second, if you have to go the toilet be sure to bury what you leave behind."

Twilight flushed as she heard this remark. "Really now Prophet-"

"I'm being serious Twilight." Prophet snarled. "These rules are important, many bandits and outcasts are here in the northern wastes. Leaving things that can be tracked is bad for our health."

"Ok!" Twilight stammered her head nodding vigorously as the flush rapidly drained away.

Prophet rose to stand nose to nose with her. The closeness of the situation making Twilight very nervous. She could smell his breath, a scent of copper and metal, something she had not expected. His mismatched eyes felt as if they were boring holes in her as his face contorted into a snarl.

"Third, if you see anything out of place, a shadow, a blur on the horizon or anything like that..." Prophet leaned in even closer as he pressed his forehead to hers. "...tell me. Understand?"

"Yes Prophet."

In an instant his face returned to the usual blank indifference as he pulled back. "I'm sorry for shouting but I'm just making sure you remember this. This place is dangerous but as long as you follow those rules this will be an easy trip."

Twilight merely nodded hoping he was being truthful. She turned around making her way to the exit her ears swivelled to take note of the Volken following her. As she reached the exit she turned again to find Prophet glancing over his form, clearly checking he had everything, before padding forward and moving past her. As he did his body stopped and his head flicked over to her.

"Oh! Another thing to remember." He said as her ears perked to listen. "If we encounter any other Volken and they offer you a glass of Vodka, it's in your best interest to drink it."

"What is it?" Twilight asked her gaze locking with Prophet's as curiosity began to burn within her.

"V-Vodka? You know the alcoholic drink?" Prophet sputtered as his face filled with confusion.

"You drink alcohol!" Twilight balked. "Why?"

"...You're kidding." Prophet's face lost the confused look to become a mask of pure shock. "...Ponies don't drink?"

"Not alcohol! It's poisonous!" Twilight said bringing a hoof to her chest in a gesture of horror.

"Don't you think you're being a little extreme?" Prophet snorted as a new look of amusement danced across his features.

"No!" Twilight stomped her hoof down and adopted her lecture tone. "Alcohol is a type of liquid used in the manufacture of many explosives and medicines, but when ingested causes severe neurological problems. Alongside this it also can cause kidney damage and can destroy your liver! Anypony that thinks drinking alcohol is a good idea is clearly stupid!"

"..."

"Twilight I tell you this now for your own safety. I'll except insults from you as I know that you are not knowledgeable of my culture. However if you ever repeat that to another Volken they will lynch you...Ok?"

"...Ok..."

*Sigh*

"Let's just get going."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They set off just after midday, the winds that had run through the plains earlier had now eased up to become rather gentle. At first Twilight had made good progress moving quite well through the snow and ice. However after a time the cold was quick to seep into her bones, especially the injured wings. Prophet had found an easy solution to the problem. He took the pelt and quickly tore off a section big enough to cover the mares back. The haphazard cloak may not of been to comfortable to carry but Twilight was very much in favour of suffering that than the bitter cold.

Prophet had set a fast pace leading ahead of Twilight by about a pony length. The predator padded through the snow occasionally making odd turns to avoid something Twilight couldn't see. His own packs bumped and rattled against his fur, the small collection of cloths fluttering in the breeze.

The couple travelled in relative silence. The wind may have eased up but it was still difficult to make out speech. Twilight followed Prophet with an unexpected feeling of excitement. A whole new world was about to be explored with a new friend. Of course as the day wore on Twilight noted how the "new world" mainly consisted of great empty plains of white snow and brittle ice.

"You seem disgruntled." Prophet said dropping back to allow his voice to be heard. "What's wrong?"

"Oh!" Twilight jumped as he spoke. "N-Nothing."

Prophet merely gazed ahead unmoving from his current position. Twilight meekly attempted to pull ahead only to find that the Volken could keep any pace she set.

"Ugh, fine." She muttered, huffing a little in annoyance and a little from the workout she was undergoing. "I just was really excited about this trip, seeing a whole new place, then finding nothing but endless white."

"Ah I see, well give it about an hour and you'll surely change your tune." Prophet said with a smirk. The Volken pulled ahead again leaving Twilight confused.

"What'd that mean?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Huff*

"Keep up Twilight, we're nearly there!"

*Puff*

"I'm...trying!"

Twilight was stumbling forward with a great amount of effort. Prophet had settled on a rock that appeared to be the start of a decline in the land. Twilight had noticed some time ago that the horizon had disappeared. Her mind pictured a slow ramp down toward the land below. Remembering Prophets earlier words about plants she also pictured a place of trees and green.

"R-Right I'm...here." She gasped coming up behind the hunter.

Prophet merely glanced back and smiled a devilish smile. With a flick of his head he called her over, the Volken moving to allow her to sit alongside him. Twilight grunted as she climbed the rock, her cloak discarded to ease her burden. As she crested the edge of the rock the mare felt her entire stomach twist in fear. The rock was on the edge of a cliff that dropped to depths that could not be seen due to mist that covered the ground. Twilight yelped and clung to Prophet as he burst into a series of bellowing laughs.

The view off the rock was astounding. A huge vista of snowy peaks that cleared away the clouds, the cragged spires reaching almost as high as the cliff they stood on. Down below the mountains were deep emerald green trees that had been sprinkled with snow. Had it not been for the incredibly precarious position she was in Twilight would have been awed.

"Eee, that was good. Haven't laughed like that in-"

"Can we please talk about this while not sat on THE EDGE OF A CLIFF!" Twilight interrupted.

"Oh be quiet." Prophet sniggered. "I've got you so what are you worried about."

"Please..." Twilight pleaded drawing closer to his chest. "I don't like heights."

*Sigh*

"Ok, Ok." Prophet relented gently handing her back down to the ground. Twilight quickly grabbed the cloak and moved away from the rock.

"Wait come here." Prophet called to the retreating mare. She turned around to look at him incredulously.

"Why? I'm not going over there! What if the cliff breaks?" Twilight shouted still backing away.

"Twilight these cliffs have been here for over five thousand years! They aren't breaking any time soon."

Still unsure of the Volken, especially after the prank he just pulled Twilight elected to do the sensible thing and stay where she was. Rolling his eyes Prophet padded over to her.

"Twilight the cliffs go on for miles in either direction. There is no food up here and the whole trip down by paw will take over a day." Prophet put a paw to her shoulder. "Come here." He said in a much sterner voice.

Whimpering a little Twilight followed him over to the edge again. "O-Ok, so if it's going to take so long what are we going to do? I can't fly and you can't carry me."

*Grr*

"Twilight." Prophet growled while turning to give her an annoyed look. "Be quiet."

Her muzzle clamped shut at the tone in his voice, her body trembling a little. No matter how much he had helped her the natural desire to far away from something that had as many teeth as he did was overpowering.

"S-Sorry." She mumbled. Twilight waited with her eyes downcast until the sudden feeling of magic began to permeate the air. Looking up she saw great strands of blue and green energy wrap around Prophet's hind legs, his body rising into the air. Only after a moment did she realize what he was doing.

"No w-"

With a great rush of energy she was again lifted into the air, her body becoming a cascade of glittering purple dust. The cliff jumped away from underneath her as she rose high into the sky. The clouds shifted and left swirls in their wake, the shimmering energy parting the very fabric of the world as she moved up. The same feeling of pure ecstasy coursed through her soul, the very edges of her mind blurring with pleasure. With a brief lull at the apex of the jump Twilight felt her mind drift down. The effects were coming to a close and all to quickly her mind was shot down past the edge of the cliffs. Her body was reconstructed at the base where sections of clear blue water pooled under the massive heights of above.

"...ait..." Twilight finished as she tumbled over to land painfully on her side.

"Twilight!" Prophet padded over in a rush to see to the mare. "What's wrong?"

Meekly pawing at the air, her hoof connected with his face. "You've got to teach me that."

That was all she uttered before passing out.

"Черт возьми, не снова."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The crackle of something burning was echoing in her sleep, the smell of potatoes and greens filled her senses as the mare fought to shake off the void her mind was cloaked in. Opening her eyes she saw a orange blur of fire, tongues of flame licking the inky darkness around. Looking around Twilight saw she was in a clearing of trees. Huge pines towered high above hiding the sky in the murky depths of their branches.

"Mheh..." She groaned as she licked her dry lips. "Wha?"

"Evening." A male voice rumbled out from behind the fire. "Sleep well?"

Twilight slowly pulled herself up into a hunched position as she let out a deep yawn. Her body trembled a little from the cold so she scooted closer to the blaze. Settling her gaze on the direction of the voice she found Prophet tending to a small pot that lay over the fire.

"What happened?" Twilight asked blearily. "Where are we?"

"First, you passed out. I'm sorry it must be something to do with my teleporting skills, I'm not the best at it." Prophet said.

Oh...I don't know about that... Twilight thought sheepishly to herself.

"Next we are still at the base of the cliffs, we weren't going to go to far anyway so I found us a good place to set up camp." The Volken finished.

"Oh." Was all Twilight could muster. She noted the slight edge to his voice as if something was causing him pain. "Are you Ok?"

"Mhm." Prophet grunted keeping his gaze locked on the pot.

"Um Ok." Twilight said deciding to leave it be. She sat for a moment before taking a depth intake of breath catching the scent of something delicious. "What is in that?"

"Soup. I've found a few plants, potatoes to be exact." Prophet picked up a bowl and poured the contents of the pot into it. "You want some?"

*Gruu*

"Hehe, yes please." Twilight said eagerly taking the bowl and ignoring the sounds of her grumbling belly. Examinng the bowl Twilight found it contained a simple soup, a warm brown colour, flecks of green littering the liquid.

"Potato soup is my favourite non-meat based meal." Prophet grinned spooning a mouthful with a flick of magic. "Some prefer fancy things but I always like the simple nature of good honest soup."

"Mhm." Twilight agreed as she poured some of the delicious food down her throat. "Tasty."

They ate in silence, the only other sounds being the persistent crackle of the fire. After a time Twilight finished her meal and laid down. Despite her forced rest earlier her mind and body was still tired from the whole trip so far. Watching the Volken she noted he was grooming himself again. Lifting a foreleg to her nose Twilight took a intake of her own scent.

"Bleh!" She choked as her own stench filled her nostrils. "I smell awful."

"Go take a wash then." Prophet stated his paw pointing down a bank toward the pools of water nearby.

"Uh, are you sure it's safe?" Twilight uttered standing up and looking where Prophet indicated.

"Yeah I can't sense anything else but us, besides if you get in trouble just shout. I'll hear you down there." Prophet went back to grooming himself as the mare began trotting down to the riverbank.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight wandered down the path while her eyes roamed over the clear blue waters. The shimming fluid rippled and danced about as the falls from the wall tumbled down into the lake. Her breath was taken away as she watched the moonlight play with the colours of the water.

"Wow." Twilight shivered. Edging closer to the water Twilight placed a hoof timidly into the liquid only to retract in a moment later.

"Brr!"

The water was as cold as ice. Her whole body began to tremble again as the warmth of the fire was rapidly leaving her body. Shaking all over the mare began to turn around, no amount of stink was worth jumping in that pool. She trotted back until she was almost back to the warm fire. As she rounded the last hill her nose detected the her own stench again.

"Ouu." Twilight grumbled. "I can't stay like this..."

Her face began to turn cherry red as her mind began to image what Prophet was thinking. She knew Volken had much better senses of smell, to him she must smell like a garbage can. Setting her face into a grimiace Twilight forced herself to trot back to the river.

"Whew!" Twilight called to herself. "You can do this just jump in and start scrubbing!"

Looking down at the rippling water she took a deep breath. "Ok, One..."

"...Two..."

"...Three!"

With the final call she leapt high into the water with an almighty splash. The instant her body sank into the icy depths she regretted her choice. Yelping the young alicorn scrambled about desperately trying to pull herself out of the water. Twilight felt all her muscles begin to lock up with a constant shivering making it difficult to move. As panic moved in she breached the surface.

"Help!" Twilight sputtered choking on the freezing water.

Looking around in a state of distress she found Prophet sat on the embankment. His face pulled into a really strange expression.

"H-Help!" She tried again.

Why won't he help me! Her mind screamed.

With a sudden start the Volken began to laugh. His chest throbbed with energy as he fell backwards in hysterics.

Huh! What is he doing! She thought as fear began sinking in. I'm going to die!

"Puh-Please!" Twilight begged her body scrambling trying to get closer to the bank.

"Bwah-haha-haha-ha!" The Volken continued placing a paw to his chest. "Wh-What are you doing! Just stand up!"

What! How can I just...Oh.

With a sudden moment of clarity she forced her hooves down. Pushing up she found that the water was merely waist deep.

"HaHaHa-Ha!" Prophet continued falling over and pawing at the air.

Twilight just stood in the water staring at her own reflection with a pained expression. She noted that even in the darkness she could see the crimson blush covering her face.

"Ok! Fine! Big laugh!" She snorted turning around and trying to walk off only to wander deeper into the lake.

"W-Wait, haa, haa, whew." Prophet breathed his body settling down. Pulling himself up she noted that his muzzle was twisting into strange positions as he desperately tried to keep himself from laughing again. "I-I meant just rub yourself d-down! If you want an actual bath let me cast a heat spell on you...Pfft Bwah-haha!"

Twilight contemplated just storming back up into camp and letting him deal with her stink, which admittedly was probably lessened now anyway. Taking a moment she turned back and stomped up to him, keeping her gaze firmly locked off to the side.

Holding his sides and snorting the Prophet let his wings unfurl as the green fire of magic seeped from his eye. The emerald swirl of power washed over her. In an instant the cold was gone only to be replaced with a gentle warmth. Twilight let out a sigh of relief as her head flopped forward to leave her chin resting on her chest.

*Snort*

"...T-There."

"Thanks."

Twilight spun on the spot and trotted deeper into the lake until her body was completely submerged, leaving only her head visible. Turning back she found the Volken had left with his form becoming a shadow that stalked back to the glow in the distance.

"S-Stupid." She growled.

Looking at the wall again she pushed that embarrassing scene from her mind as she began to paddle about. It had been a long time since she had swam. The last time had been with Pinkie Pie in the summer before her coronation. She felt a frown form as she thought of the fluffy pink baker.

I wonder what she is doing now?

Does she miss me?

Twilight shook her head vigorously. "Don't think like that. You'll be back home soon."

Paddling back to the shallows the purple mare lifted herself up until she was stood knee deep in the water. With a gentle start the mare began to scrub down her legs and belly. Her hooves rhythmically massaging sore muscles and joints. The heat spell Prophet had cast was tainting the water a slight green.

"Phew." Twilight sighed dreamily.

Her body enjoyed the sensation of warm water and being clean. As she finished scrubbing herself her hooves began to tenderly touch her back, careful not to jostle the wings to much. They were always sore but even with the bout in the water her body was not registering much pain, just discomfort. Her happiness tempered off slightly as she raised a hoof to gentle examine her horn.

"Ow." She yelped as she brought the limb away. The cracked appendage was still very tender, causing a lightning bolt of pain to shoot through her head. Her own reflection was to dark to make out the damage but her mind began to run wild with what the scaring might look like. That and the memoires of how she damaged it in the first place began to play back but she quickly shoved them away.

No time for that now. She thought.

Taking a deep breath she plunged her head under the water and began to scrub her mane with her hooves, remaining careful not to accidentally bang her horn.

"Bwah!" Twilight gasped as her head shot up from under the now emerald water. "He-he, much better!"

She stood for a moment enjoying the feeling before her mind wandered to the subject of her companion. Laying down in the water she submerged most of her body again.

I wonder how his species works? He mentioned Clans, I wonder if there is a ruling Clan? Her mind pondered.

I should ask him! This is the best opportunity to learn more about Volken!

With a grunt Twilight lifted herself up and onto the bank. Shaking the excess water free she began to trot up to the camp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prophet had padded back with his breast still trying to contain the laughter it so desperately wanted to release. Still as he encroached on the camp the sudden thought of his ward wandering off into the deep end and being sucked away by the current began to swirl in his mind.

"Mhm, better keep an eye on her." Prophet murmured dejectedly.

Prophet had known females and no matter what species they all hated it when they were observed bathing. A thing he had found most annoying in his life. Creatures were mostly naked in all societies, except for the Minotaur's, and even then they were still mostly naked. However the moment they enter a bath it suddenly becomes taboo to stay in the same room as them!

Letting out a derisive snort the predator gathered the energy from his form and swirled it around himself. As the magic swept over him his body slowly dissolved into a flash of blue fire. An instant later he was invisible and melding into the bushes. He found the purple mare paddling deep in the lake. He lowered his head down onto his paws as he watched over Twilight.

The little mare's body was submerged leaving only her head exposed. Her movements were slow and weak clearly demonstrating that Twilight was still perilously frail. Prophet flicked his ears as he distinctly heard her mutter something. The waterfalls covered the actual words however and he nestled his head back down.

Twilight paddled back to the shallows. Her body gently left the confines of the water as she stopped knee high. Prophet felt something in his back begin to itch as he found his gaze locked on her. The moonlight danced about her head as droplets of water slipped off her form. Her body was not that muscular but her hind legs were well toned, little rivulets of water tumbled down them. Her mane clung to her swan like neck as flecks of water nestled in her eyelashes.

Prophet couldn't breathe as he watched the mare begin to scrub herself down. Her hooves gently rubbed at her legs and body, caressing each section until she seemed satisfied. His back itched, his breathing hitched and he couldn't move. The image of a beautiful Volken female overlaid the image before his eyes.

"красивый." He whispered before he slapped himself hard.

Shaking off the itchy feeling as best as he could the hunter shot out from his hiding place. Prophet dashed back to camp, falling over in the process on a twist of branches.

"Глупо!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight felt her ears flicker as the sounds of her hooves clicking on stone gave off a muted echo. The bath had been good, the feeling of being truly clean was very refreshing. As she trotted she slowed to run a hoof through her mane that sagged against her coat. She let out a sad sigh at the fact she had no shampoo or soap to really spruce up her mane or coat but at least she didn't smell any more.

Twilight entered the ring of the camp site. The fire had lowered its blaze to a simmer, hot coals giving off an angry red glare. She shook herself over to free the last vestiges of water from her form before moving over to the fire.

"Whew!" Twilight chirped. "Much better!"

Her gaze settled on the Volken who sat off to the side his own eyes fixed upon the fire. He wore an angry scowl and merely grunted at her presence. Twilight raised her hooves to allow some heat to enter while shuffling around to become comfortable.

Casting the brooding male out of her mind for the moment Twilight took a moment to look at the forest that surrounded them. Twilight had seen pine trees before but these were truly something else. Her inner geek gushed at the history these trees must have witnessed. Each one stood tall with great trunks, their bark a mix of deep earthly brown and emerald green. Twilight looked back to the lake, the blue water had been something to behold as well.

*Sigh*

"It's really beautiful here..." Twilight sighed wistfully.

"Mhm." Prophet grunted in reply. Twilight looked back to her companion and found him still staring at the fire-pit.

"Um, are you Ok?" Twilight asked, frowning at his sudden shift in mood.

"Fine."

"Oh, good." She replied. Taking a breath Twilight rubbed her hooves together before tucking them underneath her.

Mhm, Should I ask now?

He seems mad...maybe I should wait-

"How did you get here?" Prophet asked suddenly his frown fading.

"Huh?" Twilight jerked a little not expecting the Volken to speak. "O-Oh, um..."

Her mind cast itself back to remember the night of her arrival here in this frozen place. Twilight felt a slight tremor in her chest as the memories flooded back.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want too." Prophet called while poking the fire.

"No!" Twilight stammered. "No, it's fine. You see Princess Celestia had called me to Canterlot...you know who Princess Celestia-"

"Yes Twilight." The Volken interuppted with a roll of his eyes.

"...Right of course. Anyway I arrived in the city and she greeted me at the train station."

"Train station?" Prophet asked. Twilight froze a moment her mind clanging to a stop. She looked up to see Prophet holding a perplexed look on his muzzle.

"Uh it's like a carriage but it works by using steam to power an engine that pushes itself along." Twilight explained. "Volken don't have trains?"

"Oh probably but I have been in the north for a long time." Prophet said with a flourish of his paw.

"But trains have been around for-"

"A long long time Twilight." Prophet stated ending that line of thought.

"...Right. So Princess greeted me and asked me to help her with a magical test." Twilight continued. "You see we have been trying to come up with a way of creating a device called "Emergency Teleport Matrix Controller" or ETMC."

Twilight shuffled around to free her fore legs and gesture to the fire. "A lot of ponies in remote areas have poor emergency services. If a fire breaks out or a pony gets hurt it can take a long time for anypony to help."

"So you were developing a system to teleport help to outlying areas to save lives." Prophet said in understanding.

"Yes!" Twilight gushed. "It was going to be so useful."

"Till it dropped you here?" Prophet grinned with a degree of smarminess.

"Hmph." Twilight snorted looking away as she began tucking her legs back underneath herself. "We'll get it to work."

"I'm sure you will." Prophet said. Twilight flicked her head back to see the Volken with a more sincere look. "But you still didn't say how you actually got here."

"...A friend of mine...broke something." Twilight said her ears wilting back. "They were messing around with a few levers and turned it on when it wasn't ready. The power started to get out of control so I locked the place down...but I could not do that without being inside of the machine."

"I see..." Prophet spoke. "Do you blame your friend?"

"What? No!" Twilight barked with an incredulous look. "It was an accident."

"Fair enough." Prophet nodded leaving the matter be.

Twilight let out another sigh as she watched the fire crackle away. The Volken poked it a few more times trying to entice more heat out of the smouldering coals. As he did so Twilight remembered her earlier thoughts during the bath.

"Prophet?" Twilight called.

"What?" The Volken replied.

"Oh well, um, while I was bathing I just thought maybe you could tell me more about the Volken?" She asked in a timid manner.

"Hmph." Prophet snorted chucking the stick into the fire causing a few sparks to fly. "I suppose so. What do you want to know?"

"You talked about Clans..." Twilight started looking at him with a hopeful gaze.

*Sigh*

"Почему бы не начать с чем-то легким?" The Volken muttered irritably in his own tongue. Prophet rose from his position to begin stretching. As his back arched Twilight spotted the coiled muscles flex. A strange sensation ran through her as she watched in a daze, the one side of her mind instantly worried for her safety while the other felt a giddy warmth form on her cheeks. Her eyes never left him as he padded around the fire to sit next to her. She looked at him with a frown as he settled down next to her.

Tucking himself into a similar position as her Prophet left one foreleg free. Extending a razor sharp claw the Volken started to draw on the ground in front of them both. Twilight watched with morbid fascination as the deadly thing wrought crude symbols in the ground. The first was a shield with a bird on it, the next was a sword cutting a piece of ribbon, the third was a claw and the last was a hammer with a vine like thing wrapped around it. Once he had drawn the shapes he retracted the claw and put his paw back to the first one.

"There are fours Clans. The first is the Shield Eagle, the wardens of the land." Prophet said with a serious tone. Each name he called out moved his paw across the symbols. "The next is Night Bear, the crusaders of the father. Then Snow Raven, the minds of our society and finally Stone Viper, the builders of all."

Prophet seemed to hesitate for a moment before drawing a fifth symbol. The shape took the form of a broken axe, its break in the centre of the handle and along the edge of the blade.

"Aside from the Clans there is the group who live life of the bandit or pirate. While they don't really have a symbol we use this to denote criminals." Prophet said turning to Twilight who nodded in understanding.

"Fascinating." Twilight whispered her starry eyed gaze sweeping back and forth over the crudely drawn symbols. "I wish I had my note book..."

"Don't fret to much." Prophet chuckled. "If you want me to re-cap any of this when we get to your home I'll tell you again."

"Really!" Twilight burst her body shaking with glee.

"S-Sure." Prophet said leaning back slightly.

"Oh this is so exciting!" Twilight giggled. "So how do they interact?"

"It's a simple process on paper." Prophet nodded toward the symbols again. "The wardens protect the land while the crusaders protect the borders. The merchants of snow raven buy and sell commerce while creating new inventions. All the while Stone Viper builds new homes, farms or towns. Each and every Volken belongs to one clan or another."

"Amazing." Twilight sighed dreamily. "Its like a perfect balance of harmony. Each of you work for the betterment of your race."

"Mhm." Prophet grunted.

"So how did they come about?" Twilight asked.

"Ah well that's a long story." Prophet replied. "I suppose it started when the Great Hunter Seph left this world with his beloved. When the couple departed for the beyond they left behind all the children they had created thus far, scattering them about the land in the process."

"These Volken were stronger and more powerful than any other. The blood of two gods coursed through their veins as the children began to explore the world and find their place. Once they got settled they started to draw other Volken to them and created, well I suppose you could call them proto-clans." He levered his paw onto the first symbol. "When they met each other things were tense but eventually they came to an understanding and the true Clans were born to cope with the nature of the Volken race."

"Huh did they not know each other anyway?" Twilight asked puzzled.

"No." Prophet replied shaking his head. "The method of creating demi-gods is strange Twilight. The Great Hunter Seph and The Matron bore each child in secret and gave them to smaller Volken to raise. Only journeying to visit every so often."

"Why?"

"Who knows." Prophet shrugged. "The whims of the gods are not for us to predict."

"Oh."

"Anyway the first of these great hunters who ruled the early Shield Eagle Clan was known as The Hawk." Prophet stated looking to his companion. "The Hawk was a kind and benevolent ruler who stood by his charges. He believed that a warrior with honour was destined to protect the weak and helpless from threats. As such he formed the Code of the Wardens based on the Code that the Great Hunter Seph laid down with The Matron."

"Yes I remember." Twilight giggled. "A Code to protect life."

"Mhm, not quite." Prophet replied with a shake of his head. "The Code of the Great Hunter was designed to protect Our lives. By not taking more than we needed then we secured our land and lives. By not taking from those who bore the mark of sentience we secured our minds."

"Oh..." Twilight said frowning.

"The Hawk however believed as you do, that all life is precious and encouraged his warriors to eat non-meat based meals when they could." Prophet said looking back at the symbols. "Of course they still ate meat just only when they really needed to, a Volken can go a long time without meat if we eat healthy and filling plants."

Twilight nodded her head fervently, her ears flicking as she absorbed all the information like her life depended on it. It brought a smile to Prophet's face as he found himself enjoying the act of teaching another.

It has been a while. He thought.

"As a Great Hunter himself The Hawk's magical power was unfathomable to the normal Volken mage along with his wisdom. He developed the Code of the Warden to protect his own kin." Prophet then placed a paw on the next symbol. "Then he met with his brother, Psycho."

"P-Psycho?" Twilight stammered wilting back a bit. "Was he evil?"

"Ha!" Prophet let out a barking laugh at that remark. "No, Psycho just liked to be called dangerious things. He had many names in that vein but in the end everyvolk settled on Psycho."

"He was at odds with The Hawk due to the fact Psycho had developed his own Code from the teachings of their father." Prophet began to snigger to himself as he continued. "They would never admit it but they were so close in their own philosophies that it rankled them to think that they were alike."

"What do you mean?" Twilight probed.

He's talking like he knew them? She thought in the back of her mind.

"Psycho believed that a warrior was born to battle and challenge himself." Prophet stated moving his foreleg forward to flex the muscles in the limb. Twilight watched with an embarrassed fascination but Prophet didn't notice the red hue adorning her cheeks again. "By training every day and by battling fearsome foes a Volken became more like the Great Hunter and it was said Psycho was the one who missed the love of his father the most."

Prophet let out a wistful sigh and looked down at the symbols for a moment. Just as Twilight went to prompt him the hunter carried on.

"In any case Psycho and his ilk believed that if you fought something weaker than you then you were just lowering your honour, an unacceptable idea to them." Prophet turned to look at the purple mare. "So while they did not hurt the weaker Volken they didn't really help them like the Wardens did."

"I see." Twilight murmured. "That's not so bad then."

"No it was a reasonable life for them. Psycho still had the wisdom of his father and while blunt and crude did rule fairly, looking after his towns quite well in fact."

"So why did he fight with The Hawk?" Twilight asked feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"Like I said the Codes were different and each believed the other was wrong and they should follow their own ideas." Prophet said seriously. "Anyway, as they butted heads over various things they bumped into thier sister."

"The third Great Hunter, Jester." Prophet placed a paw onto the third symbol. "She had her own Code based which advocated the idea of making friends with many beings and sharing wealth and commerce with many Volken."

"She was a merchant?" Twilight asked.

"Yes and a damn good one!" Prophet replied with a chuckle. "While she was not as able as a warrior, her mind was faster than any arrow and sharper than any knife."

Prophet tucked his paw away and shuffled a bit. "Her Code encouraged Volken to make their mark on the world by trade and the idea of finding a way to survive without the harming of species that were valuable. So you could say she was a scientist as well."

"She sounds wonderful." Twilight gushed.

"She was something..." Prophet sighed. Twilight flickered her ears as she cast her gaze on him. Prophet noted the confused look and quickly stumbled over his words. "I mean that's what the history books say!"

"..." Twilight opted to merely remain silent as the Volken let out a cough and carried on.

"So, yes, Jester." Prophet unfurled a wing to point at each symbol in turn. "The Hawk, Psycho and Jester. They all met with varying attitudes about how the Volken should continue as a species."

"Attitudes?" Twilight asked.

"Well The Hawk wanted to remain isolated and look after their own borders while waiting for the time to join the Great Hunter. Psycho wanted to venture out and challenge other beings to war and determine if they were worthy of following their father. While Jester wanted to trade knowledge and wealth to find a way to reach their parents."

Prophet used his free wing to place a single feather on the last symbol. "War was going to occur, each side was easily matched to each other. Psycho had scores of warriors while The Hawk had mighty forts and Jester had large amounts of high grade weapons and armour."

"Wow..." Twilight whispered with a slight tremor of awe.

"If they had fought I fear my race would have died out." Prophet huffed sadly.

"Why didn't they?" Twilight gently whispered.

"He came." Prophet pointed at the last symbol again. "You see a lot of Volken were not under any banner with many of my race left to fend for themselves as the skirmishes began to break out. So when a Great Hunter larger than any other wandered out of the frozen north bearing no banner or hold. Well many flocked to him and sought his aid."

"Who was it?" Twilight asked.

"His name was Nomad." Prophet uttered drawing his back. "He was the largest of the Great Hunters and the most powerful. He was found wandering the outlying lands of the north. A small village of Volken saw him destroy an Ursa that crossed his path."

"He killed an Ursa Major?!" Twilight balked staring at the last symbol with a degree of awe.

"It was said so." Prophet huffed. "Such an act was not uncommon, all the other Great Hunters were capable of doing this but this particular tribe had never seen any of the Great Hunters. After the titanic battle they approached and began to prey to the nameless Volken."

"When asked for his name he merely shrugged and went to leave." Prophet let out a small chuckle. "One Volken would not let him leave however, as the he had battled the creature he had inadvertently broken somevolk's house. This one female demanded he stay and repair the damage."

"Really?" Twilight stated with a smile.

"Yes and he did!" Prophet laughed. "The Great Hunter built the female a palace if the story is to be believed. While he built this for the female news reached the town of the battle that was approaching. The Volken whom the townsfolk had named Nomad heard of this and after building the house left promptly in the direction of the main lands."

Prophet paused here as he rose up from the ground. Twilight fluttered her wings a bit watching the Volken pad around the fire-pit. Her mind churned with the amount of new information she was absorbing. The despairing thought of not having a notepad drew its ugly head yet again as she let out a huff.

The Volken disappeared into the forest for a few moments, returning with a bundle of sticks in his maw. Tossing the bundle into the burning flames he then padded back to her, flopping onto the ground lazily beside her again. His side pressed against hers as he scuffed about getting comfortable.

"Mhm, that's better." He mumbled. "Don't know about you but I was getting cold."

"..." Prophet turned his head and found the purple alicorn looking away, a strange expression on her face.

"Twilight?"

"Hm? O-Oh yes, cold." The mare coughed. "S-So what happened to Nomad?"

"Heh, after arriving in the south Nomad had gathered quite the following. The townsfolk of the first village had followed him and spread word of his benevolence to the lesser Volken. By the time he had reached his kin a veritable army followed in his wake."

"Was there a battle?"

"Not between my race only between the Great Hunters. Nomad called the meeting of all the Great Hunters and declared that if one did not appear before him then he would count them as an enemy of the Matron, thus becoming his enemy."

"None of them wanted the others to gain the favour of another Great Hunter so they all appeared at the appointed time. Nomad spoke to them and announced that they war could be allowed to start, so he challenged them all to a game of their choosing."

"A game?"

"Yes, each Great Hunter would pick a game and if they lost it then they would defer to his ruling. Psycho was the first to go and merely called for a game of strength, three rounds starting with a marathon around the southern lands, followed by the lifting of many mighty weights, ending with a duel."

"Nomad agreed to the terms and the pair set off around a course assigned by Psycho. The pair ran non-stop for a day and a night, travelling so fast no other Volken could even spy them as the wind howled in their passing."

"Wow..."

"Mhm, they say that because Psycho himself believed that no other Volken could match his strength, he deliberately slowed to give the other a sporting attempt. Unknown to him Nomad had already passed him and was leaving nothing to chance. By the time Psycho had returned Nomad was already preparing for the next round of the game."

"I bet he was angry."

"Oh yes, Psycho howled in rage thinking the other Volken was mocking him. He raced forward to the weights and chose the largest had slew it over his back."

"What did they use for weights?"

"Boulders. One as tall as this tree and as wide as four rested upon his back. Psycho screamed and thrashed in agony as he turned to the other Great Hunters to prove his strength. However he then spied Nomad, his back held All the other weights and he held then without a shimmer of pain or effort."

"That's...ridiculous!" Twilight shouted flailing her hooves. "You expect me to believe that?"

"Your Princess moves the sun and the heavens..." Prophet snorted. "Believe what you want."

"S-Sorry, but the Princess uses magic!"

"So do the Great Hunters." Prophet said rolling his eyes. "Do you think Celestia pushes the sun with her hooves? Both Psycho and Nomad were using magic to lift the weights on their backs. After placing them they used all their magic to power their own muscles in the bodies. By using magic to give them maximum strength they could carry the load."

"Oh."

"Nomad had shown that his magical power outdid Psychos. Both in speed and strength, the only thing the warrior had left was combat."

*Whimper*

"Was it bad?" Twilight sniffled.

"Yes. The ring was drawn in the sand by Jester, who had offered to act as a referee. Once the howl was given both charged at each other, tearing, biting and clawing. Psycho knew battle well and used his knowledge to his advantage keeping the stronger Volken out of range. Using the magic he had Psycho drew large sharp swords from the ground and slashed at his foe. It seemed that for all his strength Nomad's knowledge of combat was limited."

"Oh..."

"I said it seemed. After a few minutes Nomad was thrown to the ground as Psycho laughed heavily. Thinking he had won the Great Hunter turned his back on his foe. Just as Jester was about to call the victor Psycho was tossed into the air. Nomad had summoned a monumental font of magic and blasted his foe into the air."

"As Psycho landed and recovered he found the other Volken stood before him completely unharmed. Psycho was taken aback for he had seen the blood and wound. Psycho launched another attack again cutting down his brother, only for him to stand again and again."

"How awful..."

"Psycho began to succumb to something that had never afflicted him before."

"What?"

"Fear. The Great Hunter had never before encountered a foe he could not beat in single combat. It was then that Nomad declared that he was finished humouring his brother and began to attack with new found vigour."

"It was then that the Great Hunters saw their newly found brother in a new light. You see Twilight this Great Hunter had lived beyond the great walls we lie beneath tonight. He had lived a life of battle since he was a cub, fighting the eldritch monsters that live far beyond the edges of the map."

"Is that...Is that why you were there?"

"No, and I am not talking about that tonight." Prophet snarled startling the little alicorn.

"S-Sorry."

"Mhm, regardless when Psycho learned this he was left lying in a pool of his own blood, his wings torn off and his magical font destroyed with much of his body."

*Sniffle*

"As Psycho's body began to die Nomad cast another spell of pure power and revived his brother, repairing the damage to his fallen brother. Nomad then embraced Psycho and wept, surprised everyvolk there."

"He cried?" Twilight said incredulous.

"He was his brother Twilight." Prophet stated flatly. "No matter what his beliefs were Nomad loved his kin. They just didn't know it then."

"Psycho had never had anyvolk cry for his safety or even show him love and kinship before. The warrior who followed him feared him and respected him but did not love him. Psycho may have been fixed physically but his mind crumbled as the fact that he had fought his own brother with the intent to kill him sank in."

"Psycho was said to have wept himself, casting himself to the floor and begging forgiveness from his brother and father for his foolishness. The scene was thought to have brought all of the Volken there to tears as they watched the brothers embrace."

"..."

"Twilight?"

"S-Sorry that was just really sad." Twilight mumbled.

"Mhm." Prophet grunted before continuing. "After all was said and done Psycho submitted to his brothers ruling, swearing alongside to never raise a paw to kin again. Nomad was happy of the agreement and turned to the next contestant, Jester. She had been moved by what had occurred but still could not give up her ideals of expansion. She begged him to let her taken control and lead the Volken. Nomad did not move however and declared that she could if she bested him in her own game."

"What did she choose?"

"Well Jester was no match for him in strength and magical aptitude so she challenged him to a game of knowledge and philosophy. They were going to attempt to create a useful invention that would benefit the entire race."

"Huh that's not what I expected." Twilight murmured.

"It was an odd challenge, the host of Volken that had so far watched this were all warriors with only a few villagers that had followed Nomad. Of course he accepted, Jester was said to have grinned mischievously and strode off to her tent leaving her brother outside. For his part Nomad suddenly closed his eyes and remained perfectly still."

"He didn't invent anything?"

"I didn't say that." Prophet smirked. "Jester was said to have banished all from her tent and spent two whole days constantly designing something, the banging of metal to metal echoing the clearing with her form spending little time in the night to eat and sleep. Nomad never moved from his place and never said a word, even when Psycho questioned him."

"It was said The Hawk had done little so far, not even speaking to his new brother aside from the agreement to the challenge. It was said then as he watched the new brother, his eyes ever sharp that he spoke to Psycho and declared that Nomad had already won this contest with his sister."

"So it was the day came when both were due to show what they had created. Jester left her tent, grinning with a triumphant smirk. For she had also watched her new brother and noted his lack of movement. Jester had made the fatal mistake of marking it down as stupidity. As the others gathered she showed her newest creation, a new type of armour that was light and hard, not even Psycho could pierce its plating."

"Armour?" Twilight asked. "Didn't they already have that?"

"Yes to a degree." Prophet nodded. "But this was something new to most of Psycho's warriors. She argued that if they went to expand then the race needed a new way to protect themselves from hostile species. All the others, including Psycho agreed with her assessment and went to hail the victor. Only The Hawk turned to his brother and asked what Nomad had to show for himself."

"He beat her didn't he."

"Hehe, Nomad finally opened his eyes and turned to The Hawk. With a smile the Great Hunter asked his brother for a sheet of blank cloth and black paint. The Hawk complied and summoned servants to deliver the materials. Jester was said to have looked confused and worried as she watched the Great Hunter take the brush in his maw and began to paint strange symbols on the cloth."

Prophet unfurled his wing once more and cleared the four Clan symbols on the floor. His wing wrote a series of small symbols in turn.

А Б В Г Д Е Ж Ѕ Z З И
І К Л М Н О П Ҁ Р С Т
Ȣ Ѹ Ф Х Ѿ Ц Ч Ш Щ Ъ Ы Ь
Ѣ Ꙗ Ѥ Ю Ѧ Ѫ Ѩ Ѭ Ѡ Ѻ Ѯ
Ѱ Ѳ Ѵ

By the end Twilight's eyes were hungrily devouring the image before her. "It's an alphabet..."

"Yes Twilight, you see my people then communicated orally, all information was passed down from parent to cub. Jester watched him paint the symbols and once complete he lifted the banner high into the sky so all may see his work. Then he sounded each and every symbol out so all may know his work."

"What happened then?"

"Jester fell to her knees in shock. Her own mind had never thought to create something so simple and yet so important. Nomad argued that armour and arms would always be improved or discarded, the language and history of our race must never face the same problem. By writing it down we would learn from the mistakes of our past and consistently improve our future."

"His sister, disgusted with her own invention cast it aside. Nomad approached her and wrapped her in a loving embrace, speaking softly in her ears. What was said is not known but when he released his sister Jester was ready to bend her knee to his rule."

"Amazing."

"Mhm, the greatest invention ever to occur to my race. We still use the original script Nomad wrote down that day. Some consider it to be holy..."

"That's so wonderful!"

"Heh, anyway now it was The Hawk's turn. He spoke little and asked only for a game of wits."

"Wits?"

"Yes, both agreed to a board-game. It was known as Flags. Very similar to chess I believe."

"They decided the fate of your race by a chess game?"

"Ha! Yeah but you are looking at it like a game, both Volken knew the true purpose." Prophet sniggered. "It was used then by generals to teach them tactics and strategy. The Hawk believed that if Nomad could best him in this game then he was fit to rule the land. Nomad understood that and gave it everything he had. After a week of playing in silence neither side had made any head way."

"As they played The Hawk began to speak. He questioned the validity of his brothers intent, whether he was prepared to rule this land. At this remark Nomad raised a brow to his brother pausing his turn." Prophet coughed before lowering his pitch.

"Do you believe that I want to rule brother?" Prophet intimated. "Do you not see how badly I would rule?"

"He sounded like that?" Twilight asked with a giggle.

"Hmph! Forgive me for trying to add a little to the story." Prophet grumbled feeling a blush crawl across his skin. "A-Anyway! The Hawk frowned and asked him what his intentions were if he didn't want to rule."

"Nomad responded that he was trying to secure his race. Because one day, they were all going to pass on from this world and only a fool would leave behind his children without guidance. With that said he placed a piece on the board, winning the game."

Prophet shuffled about, yawning and stretching his wings while he moved. Twilight watched the Volken's mouth extend with its sharp silver teeth bore to the world. She would have shuddered if not for the fact that him yawning had set her off.

"Mhm, sorry." Prophet apologized, shaking himself then carrying on with the tale. "So as I was saying, Nomad bested his brother leaving The Hawk baffled. The cryptic remark threw everything he had thought about his new brother out of the window as he looked down to see the game was over, with his loss apparent. As he looked back to the other Volken he found Nomad stood over him ready to speak once more."

Prophet coughed drawing a paw to his chest as his tone dropped and he began to speak in a chant. His eyes took over a glossy look as the hunter sighed deeply before letting out his voice.

"Four, Nomad proclaimed, will be the foundation
Upon which our true society will be built."

"Labourers to till the land, to do the tasks:
They shall have our undying gratitude,
For they are the muscle behind us all."

"Merchants to buy and sell with fairness:
They shall have our commerce and respect,
For they are the bones upon which we are built."

"Scientists to create and discover:
They shall have our awe and our attention,
For they are the mind of our society."

"And last, the Hunters who will protect:
They shall have our cooperation and worship,
For they are the blood and soul of us all."

Tears began to spill down the Volkens cheeks as he spoke these words with fervent devotion. Twilight felt herself shake as she listened to the conviction that echoed in the hunter's voice.

"With that Nomad declared all to be equals, with each having his and her place within the new society of the Volken. With that our race had purpose, reason, rhyme. Nomad had shown that we were all brothers and sisters, that without each other we would all fall into blackness, that when the day came for the Great Hunters to leave following Seph and The Matron we would still have what they made for us..."

Prophet seemed to sag as he began to cry quietly, his wings flourished about his body as each sob racked his chest. Twilight herself felt a great welling of emotion as she watched helplessly. With a degree of effort the broken mare lifted a tattered wing and draped it over Prophet's back, stilling him instantly.

Sighing he brought a paw to his face and wiped away the tears. "Sorry, this story always hurts to tell."

"Why?" Twilight whispered gently.

"It...It just does..." Prophet said choking slightly "E-Enough now, it's late."

With a sudden burst of energy Prophet stood up and padded away from her. "It's going to be an early rise tomorrow, these hills are filled with dangerous beasts and we must stay to long or they will begin to track us down."

"Beasts?" Twilight stammered clearing her eyes.

"Ah don't fear tonight, I've placed wards." Prophet corrected. "No beast will come close to the camp but they will not stay that way if we remain here any longer than a few days."

Twilight nodded her head letting out a deep yawn as she settled down. The fire was now a smouldering ruin but its heat was still surrounding her. Twilight's mind raced over the facts she had learned this night but after a few minutes her eyes clamped shut as a deep sleep took over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Keep up Blaze!"

"I'm trying."

"Well your trying is pathetic!"

*Grr*

"Don't! Growl at me boy..."

"..."

*Sniff, Sniff*

"We any closer?

"Yeah...were closer..."

Author's Note:

Yoski,

So I'm back. The last few months have been torture and misery as the last of my university course had to be handed in. Which I had not got anywhere near completion.

Anyway, all done now and I got my degree with a merit so I'm all super happy, excited and ready for some more writing. I'm going to be slapping a blog post up with my current progression ideas, but those who don't want to read that then here is what is happening.

Prophet's story will be put on hold for a while, as I try and complete two-three stories that are almost finished. I am getting sick of looking at them and knowing that they have like one-two chapters each before they are done.