CHAPTER: 001: The price is right.

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The building’s grounds and impressively large halls were packed, busy enough that even movement outside was often shoulder to shoulder. Some might even call it crowded.

A raid by the Royal Crown had taken place not long ago on the estate of none other than Galeron the Great. His home pillaged and claimed by the kingdom, an enormous sale of his property and possessions was being held. Far and wide, this attracted the attention of many adventuring types, some seeking an easy item for low coin, while others came for just the thrill of the event.

The ground floor of the remote keep had been transformed into a bartering center with items on display and under guard. Outside were thrown together stages, each readying to begin the bidding.

A tall, older fellow stood at one far end of the public auction. He wore long robes, the insides of which were lined with many component pouches. Atop his head was, of course, a large wizard hat. It was all themed to a blue-gray, trims and accents of white and a few modest stains of coffee on his sleeve from many long nights of study and compiling spellbooks. The dolled up and handsome ensemble declared proudly to everyone in this public place that he was, in fact, a practitioner of the arcane.

Or in other words, a wizard. And his name was Merlos.

A near gray beard growing at some length down his front concealed half of his face. Giving it a few strokes, he planned out his next question as he stared shrewdly at the auctioneer.

“I had heard that the beast can talk?” he asked, continuing his questions.

“Oh indeed it can, though, no one understands or speaks its language that we have found... but the handler claims once you get it to talk that it won’t shut up.” The woman, garbed in the uniform of the auction’s staff, folded her hands over her front, happy to answer the questions.

Merlos nodded eagerly to the answer. Earlier he had skimmed the listed items on the auction sale-board, and it had become clear to him which he would be after almost exclusively: a pegasus.

And he did need a new familiar ever since poor Iago met that unsavory end with a dire ape. So why not a steed that could also traverse him across the land? It seemed a flawless idea indeed. Artifacts such as brooms could be dispelled by other wizards, and that turned easy escapes into sudden death. A pegasus would also be less likely to be influenced versus any mundane mount.

But, above all else, he could already envision himself being the envy of mages for leagues around! Such a rare and majestic creature as his familiar would trump any rival wizard’s crow, owl, or toad. The thought of the sleek, proud pegasus carrying him around on adventures while allowing him to wield his magic struck him in a way he rarely felt.

The auctioneer put on an uneasy look as the frumpy wizard before her grinned and began to chuckle to himself. “Sire?”

Merlos brought himself back down to the earth and out of the clouds overhead, clearing his throat.

He queried on, mostly oblivious to any ongoings not in his imagination. “Sorry, where was I? Oh, the pegasus. I am sure it is strong and graceful?” Such were attributes that would be necessary in a purchase like a flying mount.

The woman stared a moment before answering. “It is quite strong, actually. More than you might think. It’s a very smart beast to boot! Keeping her contained has been quite the challenge. Capable of lifting seven times her body weight according to our handler. They had to fetch help just to move it.” She said everything with a smile and a nod.

“Impressive.” The description sounded a little peculiar, but salesfolk always were. Ones working for the government all the more so he would imagine. Nonetheless, the creature was still intriguing. He tried to think back to the last time he had read anything about pegasi. Truthfully, it had been ages, and he had never seen one firsthand. Depictions of them were of course what anyone would expect: lithe, tall, like angelic and noble versions of their land-borne horse cousins.

The Auctioneer nodded encouragingly to the wizard. “Were there any further questions?”

Merlos hummed, trying to think of what things you ask about buying livestock or such things. “Oh, let’s see… How old is it?”

The staff woman made an odd look, as if thinking about it even though she should know. “The mare is still pretty young from what we can tell, but old enough to listen to simple instructions.” She then flipped through a few papers. “They thought she was wild until she spoke up in her gibberish language. To be honest I didn’t even think that pegasi spoke. I would bet that means she’ll be great at learning commands and obedience. Surely better than what you’d expect of your typical draft animal.”

Merlos hummed and stroked his beard as he listened. “That sounds promising. Yes…” He was already picturing himself dive-bombing enemy monsters and bandits from out of the setting sunlight. The decision to make the purchase was nearly made, until he recalled he would have to actually bid on the animal, first.

“Well, I guess that will be all then! I can’t wait to win the creature for myself.” Merlos patted his coin-purse and laughed heartily.

The auctioneer joined in hesitantly as well, and nodded. “Very good, sire.” She looked down at her paperwork and turned to go, stopping as Merlos snagged her sleeve abruptly.

“Oh, wait, I almost forgot. Where can I get a look at this magnificent creature for myself?” His curiosity had well and truly gotten to him already.

The auctioneer smiled curtly, pulling away her sleeve, and gestured aside to one not far off building filled with barred stables. “Its the one at the end,” she replied. “Feel free to have a look, sire. Bidding starts soon.”

Merlos thanked the woman, his attention already zooming in like a telescope. Each stable seemed to hold a selection of strong looking horses for the crowd to mull over. That particular row of stalls appeared full, with the exception of the one near the end mentioned. Hm, the beast must be near the back? Or laying down perhaps? Surely it isn’t restrained...

He did spy in the neighboring stall a beautiful, pale horse nibbling away at some hay, its muscular features shimmering in the scant bits of sunlight going through its bars. A large blanket was draped over its back while it consumed its food idly.

Merlos looked over the creature, then nodded to himself in confidence. That silly woman must have been mixed up. I do believe that is the pegasus. Eager to meet the creature himself, he began to stride quickly to it through the crowd.

Amongst the onlookers Merlos glided through were whole groups of obvious adventurer types; bards, wizards and armed warriors, all of them glancing at the stock that was on display.

However, amidst the many strangers was a familiar face, a wizard half Merlos’ age which he knew all too well, and somehow managed to draw twice his own ire in the magical community: Farlington Wadsworth.

Merlos nearly tripped over his own robe, stopping short. His gnarled hands bunched straight up into barbaric fists. Wadsworth! His eyes widened in recognition and resentment, his beard bristled, and his pointed hat stood on end. Why that incompetent, disgraceful, smug little… What is he doing here!? He quickly looked about, then exited the stables again to hide around the corner. There, he peeked back inside down along the wide aisle.

The rival wizard seemed very interested as he looked over each stall, before taking obvious interest in the paperwork hanging on the one at the end. He wasn’t a bad person per se, just someone who knew how to get on Merlos’ nerves quickly and had no shame in seeking to do so.

Merlos grumbled to himself further, but stood his ground and didn’t approach. “Farlington...” he repeated. Bah, who names their kid that? Honestly! He thought of some good one-liners ahead of time while he was at it.

Meanwhile, Wadsworth read over the sign, chatting with two other grubby looking companions astride himself. All of a sudden he threw his head back in a raucous, irritating laughter that sounded like a mix between a squeaky wheel and a broken flugelhorn. He was joined shortly by his two cronies.

Merlos tightened his grip on the stable door, annoyed already. Still, he stretched his ear out to try and listen in over the background noise of the crowd. He was not eavesdropping, however, certainly. That was beneath him. What he was doing was reconnaissance. After all, you never know what upperhand can be gained from knowledge.

“Well it isn’t what I was expecting,” Wadsworth said to his toadies, still chuckling. “But I do think that this absolutely magnificent pegasus is still just what we’re looking for. Eh, fellows?” Wadsworth’s companions laughed along and agreed wholeheartedly. “It’s settled then! It seems we’ll be buying something out of this cesspool after all.”

Merlos sniffed derisively at the whole exchange. So, he’s got his greedy eyes on my noble steed, does he? He wasted no time, whirling around. Some ways off he spotted the same auctioneer from before, and charged forward.

Snagging the woman’s coat sleeve, again, Merlos loudly pronounced his proposal and well thought out plan. “I will purchase it! How much to have it delivered? The pegasus?” For once, he would have the upper-hand on his juvenile rival.

The auctioneer paused, looking annoyed. “Well, five hundred, if you win the bid,” she said sweetly.

“Oh, but what if—” Merlos was about to make a counter proposal, but was promptly spoken over.

“Sire, that’s the way it is. No exceptions. If you want in on lot six-sixty-five, I highly recommend you grab a bidding wand and take up a spot by the stage.” The woman sighed dismissively, straightening her paperwork and shuffling over to the door to make her own way to the bidding floor. “I wish you good luck. Bye now.”

Merlos grumbled in defeat, before gathering his wits and straightening his robes confidently. “Oh? Your Familiar can throw spears and speak broken draconic?” he whispered to himself, imagining the bragging rights that having the talking Pegasus would fetch him. Especially if he could teach the strange horse common speak. “Well, sirrah, mine can fly and carry an intelligent conversation. Take that!”

A grin split his face, and he couldn’t resist laughing at the mere thought of it.

A couple knights in thick plated armor stopped, caught off guard by the sudden laughter from a half-ragged looking old coot. They each gave Merlos a look like he was three planks short of a finished bridge.

Merlos noticed, and coughed, returning an indignant look. Don’t they know it’s rude to stare? Hmph. He strode past them and through the near doorway, following the auctioneer.

Plucking a white keyhole shaped stick with a number on it on his way in, he took his place amongst the crowd chatting and waited patiently. The auction was well and truly started it seemed, as men and women and stranger things were already placing bids on items.

But the current lot number was no where close to the one Merlos was after. So, he waited.

Over the next hour all manner of magical beasts and artifacts were brought up for all to see and awe over. There was a vorpal sword here, a wand of mystic delight there. Boring, mundane things to be sure. Still, the auctioneer that was on stage, despite his fast speaking, seemed as though he were barely able to keep up with all of the misguided fools purchasing junk.

Finally, Merlos stood up straighter, leaning forward intently as what he had been standing on his feet all day for was announced.

“Lot Six-sixty-five is up. A gray pegasus mare, as seen in the stables. This is no mere beast of burden, friends. Able to carry no less than seven times her body weight and still maintain flight. Listed as capable of talking, and rudimentary weather magic! Alright, let’s begin. Opening bid starts at eight-hundred, do I hear eight-hundred gold pieces?”

Merlos crossed his arms while nodding along to every word the auctioneer spoke. The creature can perform some magic as well? I’ve never heard about pegasi doing that. Amazing! And grey, too? She’ll match my robes. He chuckled. Something tickled his memory, but he ignored it in the face of great success.

A few wands went up into the air for the first bid.

“Eight-fifty? Nine-hundred?” The auctioneer gestured grandly to the air each time bidding wands rose up from the crowd. Surely his arm felt as if it had a barrel strapped to it after doing that all day. “Do I hear two thousand?”

More wands went up to the air. The crowd was quite clearly interested. The bidding war was on!

Merlos waited patiently. There was no sense in flailing his own hand along with the rest of the crowd until things reached a climax.

The amount bidded rose quickly, exceeding the majority of the other bids in mere minutes. Five thousand gold it became, and finally the number of wands began to become fewer and fewer.

Out of the crowd suddenly came a grandly spoken, yet grating and nasally voice. “Good sir! I see your five thousand gold and raise it to seven.” It was Farlington Wadsworth.

Merlos jerked his head over and beamed death at his rival with his stare alone. As if summoned by the ignorant oaf’s voice alone, Merlos quickly threw his own bidding wand up. “Seven thousand and five hundred!” he rebuttled, and in his own grand, commanding tone.

“Eight thousand,” the young wizard snapped back. “Nine,” some other voice said, and in unison both Merlos and Wadsworth shouted, “Ten!”

The auctioneer stared dumbfounded at the two men bidding without him taking any part. He was barely able to keep up as the bids began to stack further and further. At the same time, the crowd all but hushed, taking in the show.

“Twelve thousand and five hundred for the mighty steed!” Merlos declared once again, and throwing up his bidding wand as if casting a spell of fiery immolation. He locked eyes with Wadsworth, and grinned smugly after having jumped the bid by a thousand gold. Surely this young fool doesn’t have the coffers to keep this up? Oh, actually, I hope I do myself… He made sure to not let any doubt show, though. He could always take out a loan or something.

For a moment, Wadsworth stared at him in shock. Then, oddly and annoyingly enough, a smile creased his pointed features.

The auctioneer surveyed the crowd through the silence, then spoke for the first time again in minutes. “Alright folks, Twelve thousand five hundred gold! Do I hear six? Do I hear—”

Answering back, Wadsworth raised his bidding wand once again. “Twelve thousand and eight!” When he looked back to Merlos, he was chuckling, and still grinning.

Merlos put on an infuriated look, and raised his wand again. “Twelve thousand and nine! ”

“Hah, you fool!” Wadsworth declared, still laughing. “No one in their right mind would pay so much for a mere magical creature such as this! You truly are Merlos the maddened!” He faced forward again to the auctioneer, and coolly announced, “Fifteen thousand gold!”

The crowd gasped aloud, confused and amazed by both the theatrics and sheer amount of wizard gold being tossed around.

“Twenty Thousand,” Merlos replied just as calmly, and the crowd gasped again.

Wadsworth’s grin faded slowly, until it seemed calm, strangely calm. He bowed, sitting down. “I concede,” he said to the stage.

“Hah!” Merlos held himself proudly as his opponent backed down, considering how fantastic his new mount would be, traveling with the proud beast on adventures… “Take that!”

The crowd, alive with murmuring and whispering, became a mixture of congratulations and random commotion.

The auctioneer, pale and excited from the commission he would get from this, resumed after a moment. “Lot six-sixty-five, for twenty thousand gold, do I hear twenty thousand one hundred? Twenty thousand one hundred?” It scarcely seemed the crowd was paying him much mind. “Well, lot six-sixty-five for twenty thousand going once… and twice… and sold bidder to 579! That was exciting. Now, your attention again please, our next item is lot Six-sixty-six. A chandelier in several pieces...”

"I win, Wadsworth!" Merlos declared over to the obnoxious youth, only to see he was half swallowed in the crowd. Annoyingly enough, it seemed his victory would have to miss out on gloating.

Still, he beamed happily, having won his auction, and followed an attendee that had moved up to guide him outside and to where he needed to go. Outside was what appeared to be rows of armored wagons, each covered in an impressive number of arcane runes and surrounded by guards.

Unlike the rest of the former lord’s estate, there was a lot of security around the auction rooms and the money, which was primarily made up of humans and dwarves.

Merlos dismissed their presence as routine and was brought to a stop before a short, rather elderly and gangly looking gnome that sat scribbling behind an equally short desk. The gnome, apparently a woman, glanced up above her wire-rimmed glasses, then waved off the attendee after accepting some papers. A little name badge was on her simple uniform of the state, declaring her name was Gneilda.

“How do you do—” Before Merlos could appropriately make introductions he was rudely spoken over.

“Name and bid number,” the gnome flatly requested, before looking back down to her paperwork. Her voice had the quality of stones scraping over bark.

Merlos clamped his mouth shut and blinked, before trying again. “Yes, indeed. I am Merlos, Merlos the Magnificent. And I have just won the—”

“Bid number please,” the gnome grated again in the same voice, not looking up this time.

Merlos bristled, drawing himself to stand straighter. “Of course, Madame. But first, if you would just—”

“Sir, it’s hotter than the seventh layer of hell out here. Bid number, please.” The gnome continued to not look up from her scribbling.

Hot? Honestly, a simple enchantment of endure elements would clear that right up! Hmph, simpletons. Still, Merlos grunted, lip curling. “Six-sixty-five,” he muttered simply in exchange.

A slight hint of a smirk could almost be spotted before vanishing on the state official’s face.

“Was that so hard, deary?” The gnome finally laid down her quill. “Now then, it says here that ye’re winning bid was outrageously monstrous.” She briefly lifted a sheaf of paper, then whistled at the number she saw. “So, are ye’ paying up front or are we coming to collect? I don’t imagine ye’ have all of this hidden underneath those robes of ye’rs, Mr. Wizard.”

Merlos blinked in earnest consternation. “My good madam, I beseech you to leave the contents of my robes out of things. And I am called by Merlos.”

The gnome gave him a wolfish look that was almost invasion. “Suit yourself,” she grated. “So, which is it?”

Merlos huffed, and suppressed the shiver that had crawled up his spine. “I did bring a considerable sum with me within a bag of holding, but you’re earlier assumption was correct. I did not bring nearly that amount. I’m assuming that I’ll make a down payment and you’ll collect the rest from me at my estates?”

The gnome woman, Gneilda, chuckled and shook her head. “No such luck, buster. We’ll deliver ye’re article to ye’ and ye’ll pay the official there. Nothing fancy. Unless ye’re too out of the way, then ye’ll have to come back with it ye’rself.”

Merlos grunted again in acquiescence as the gnome woman went on with pushing his buttons.

“Now, that’s settled, let’s get ye’r information and location.” She again brought her quill to bear.

“Right.” Merlos straightened his hat proudly. “In that case, as I had… begun to say before, I am none other than Merlos the Magnificent! And I would have you bring my steed to my private home.”

The gnome woman stared up with a blank, weary look.

Merlos heaved a blatant sigh. “Hadley’s Hope tower,” he intoned. “The old fort just outside the southern mountain range…”

“Oooh, that dump? I’ve heard about that dilapidated old place.” She began scribbling once more. “Isn’t it haunted? Or was the nearby village claiming it had a troll living there… Well, that certainly isn’t too far for us.”

Merlos balled his hands into fists. Sure, it was a ‘fixer-upper’ but it wasn’t dilapidated! “Ahem, I just recently acquired it. And there is no troll...” He neglected to confirm the truth over much of the former outpost’s condition. “In any case, the state of my home is not a concern. I’ll expect the delivery at the stables out front.”

Gneilda rubbed her chin. “Of course, they’ll have Orloch and his company on it. He’s the closest to ye’ out there.”

“Orloch?” Merlos mouthed quietly. “I’ve heard of Orloch. A captain or some such? Orloch Stonegrip? I believe I know a friend or two of his.”

Gneilda looked up again, then made a slight inclination of her head. “Oh? Yes, that’s him. Needless to say, for such prestigious clients like yourself we make sure their purchases arrive safely. Will you be needing anything further, melord?”

Merlos almost opened his mouth in surprise at the infuriating gnome’s change of tone, but, instead kept his composure. “Not at all, madam. I do believe everything is in order.” He got out so little, he’d forgotten that who you know could change a lot in dealings.

“Almost.” Gneilda then pushed forward a slightly curled parchment with one bony hand. “Just sign here, sire, and the deal’s official. Congratulations on acquiring yourself a...” She looked down again at the bid. “A pegasus?”

Merlos walked away feeling both incredibly relieved to be done with that affair, and once again excited at the notion of owning a mythical beast. So much in fact, he decided to hurry and prepare her new home for her straight away. It was probably a bit late to consider it, but he really didn’t have much of an orderly stable, or one that could house so much as a family of rats, let alone a pegasus.

Knowing this, his next stop was to buy fresh hay for the stables, and to look up a spell or two for tidying things up. But first, he needed to get a bit closer to home.

With a simple flick of a wand produced from his sleeve, Merlos was suddenly standing just outside the town of Hesturbaer, the little hamlet just down the hilly countryside from his sanctum. Having predetermined areas set for translocation was by definition the easiest method of getting around reliably, but it wasn’t really the simplest to set up. Teleportation was anything but simple, after all.

“Ohh, I can hardly wait for that pegasus.” Merlos chuckled, and almost clicked his heels as he entered town, and already thinking about performing the binding ritual for familiars. After losing so many over the years, he had put off binding a seventh. But, seven was a lucky number, so perhaps the time was indeed right.

In any case, there were several reasons for bonding the animal straight away as a familiar, but allowing him to speak with it despite not knowing its language was a big one. He could cast a comprehension spell temporarily, but that wasn’t very convenient. And other perks included magical benefits akin to the creature’s natural strengths, such as perhaps improved hearing, or being able to direct his magic through it. All in all it was going to work out fantastic for him, he was sure.

Still thinking of finding proper research on pegasi, Merlos idly perused the farmer’s market.

Nearby and atop a hay bale, a particularly boisterous salesman was busy shouting to lure in customers, which included a grey robed wizard. “This is the best hay for your livestock to eat, my friends! Got horses? Feed them our fine mix of alfalfa and hay! And crude oats for a low-low price. Just step right up and let us take care of the rest. Kind sir! Do come closer, I beckon you!”

Merlos was drawn to the convenient advertisement, along with a few other customers looking over the board. His eyes scanned the crude listings. Pictograms of the animals and feed type were displayed for the illiterate alongside them.

“This hay, it’s fresh?” Merlos slowly asked someone standing beside the rowdy and fast-talking man. He almost did a double take when he realized this other man looked the same as the first, except for some additional facial hair.

“It certainly is, friend! You’ll want our product for your horse or otherwise! Fresh as the morning air! This isn't the junky hay from the side of the road, oh no. This is the genuine article cleared from a field grown especially for your animals to enjoy!”

Without looking like he was, Merlos glanced at the feed. Truthfully, this was very much out of his expertise, but he tried not to look like a rube all the same.

The first man went on again to the crowd. “That’s right folks, it’s one-hundred percent naturally grown as nature intended under the watchful eye of myself and my brother!”

Merlos nodded along. It looked fresh enough to his eyes, and there didn’t seem to be much of a selection in the small town, anyway. He quickly fetched out some gold coins and paid for both a prompt delivery of the stuff as well as a ride home. He didn’t bother bartering, and simply offered what was likely a generous sum.

As the ground seemed to drift past him underfoot, Merlos briefly considered how much had been spent that day. Twenty thousand gold was no laughing matter, after all. A bit of regret was starting to creep in. That much gold had taken him years to make from hard fought days of adventuring around the world. Still, idle gold was useless gold, and now it had a use.

Despite the matter of currency, Merlos’ eyes followed a bird up into the air, practically seeing himself riding upon a majestic pegasus and maneuvering as the bird did.

His attention was brought back into reality when he notice the cart was not only stopped before his stables, but the pair of men who had just finished unloading the bales of hay were looking at him strangely.

“A ride back into town will cost you,” one said.

“Will you be disembarking?” asked the other.

“Oh, of course. Thank you for the ride, gents,” Merlos replied, hopping off the cart and taking a moment to inspect his purchased hay. Hm, I hope it’s enough. He prodded the base of the hay bales and oats with one slippered foot. How much could one creature eat, anyway?

Behind him, the pair of men rode away, while he looked over everything.

There were a few stout ponies and mules hitched outside, but not inside, because it was horrid and a mess. Those were owned by tenants, who themselves were made up of a handful of dwarves currently renting out the property’s basement and catacombs. They ran a distillery, so it seemed, and came and went almost daily, but that was fine so long as they didn’t miss payments.

Merlos walked past his tenant’s ponies and mules, curious, which in turn nickered at his presence. Past them, the image of his latest acquisition stood there in an empty stall, teasing the wizard with its proud form and the prestige from owning it.

Brimming with excitement again, Merlos turned towards one of the pack animals pulling against its hitch and obviously looking for a treat.

“Hah.” Merlos snapped his fingers and leaned closer to the donkey. “An authentic pegasus. I’ll be the talk of the arcane community and the magic colleges for ages. I wonder what kinds of opportunities that could present…” Images of saucy sorceresses or even accomplished mage ladies started cropping up in his thoughts. He wasn’t too old for that, after all. He still had some years left in him, surely. Perhaps he could even attract a comely new assistant...

But for now, all he needed to do was wait for his pegasus to arrive.

The mule hawed back loudly, still awaiting a treat that hadn’t yet appeared.

“Lud, are ye’ talkin’ to the livestock again?”

Merlos jumped and whirled about, the grin flying off his face. “Wha— What? Who— Oh, Gavlan, good day to you. Talking? Livestock? Oh, uhm.” He looked back at the mule, then began patting its head appreciatively. “Of course I wasn’t talking to them.”

“Right…” The stout dwarf shifted his stance. He was what you would expect from an elder of his mountain kin. A grey beard twice the size of the wizard’s stretched to his knees, and wrinkles almost out-numbering the stars that appeared at night covered his face. Still, the old brewmaster looked the shape and acted like a dwarf a quarter his age, and was the chief employer of the other dwarves staying there. The lot of them used the property as a halfway point to human territory.

“Well, I’ll leave ye’ to your talking to thin-air then, since I don’t see nothin’ else out here. Eh? Haha!” Gavlan slapped his knee, chortling friendly.

Merlos’ eyes only betrayed him a little as they moved shiftily, before he coughed and made to change the subject. “Yes, thin-air… In any case, now that you mention talking to animals, you might be interested to hear about the beast that I just purchased. It’s positively breath taking—”

A distinct biting sensation, teeth included, shot up Merlos’ arm from his hand, and a pained cry escaped him promptly.

The mule released the hand, then made a noise of complaint in response to the human and his failure to produce food. At the same time, Gavlan began laughing harder while Merlos danced away, blowing on his injury and retreating to a safe distance from the cart animal.

Gavlan shook his head, beard shaking from chortles. “Hehe, if you’re as bad with that beast as yeh are a simple donkey, I don’t expect you’ll be having a fun time of things.”

Merlos ceased blowing on his hand and scowled at the mule. “I’ll turn you into a squirrel later, you,” he hissed to the impudent thing. “Gavlan, this is no mere beast, I assure you. But you’ll see, and be amazed, I’m sure!” He straightened his hat and made a proud look.

Gavlan shrugged as his brow raised briefly. “Will I?” he rumbled. “Well, I welcome a bit of excitement. ‘avn’t been able to go with the lads lately and it’s getting boring around here in this dump. Heh, no offense, eh? Hah. So didja get yourself a drake or sumthin’?”

Merlos looked up at his cobblestone ruin of a home and harrumphed. He didn’t mind Gavlan pointing out its condition in the least; it was his home as well. But he did mind just how much needed doing in order to get it suitable to his own image. He had only put it off for, what, three years now? Four?

“No, not a drake, but exciting or not, you will be amazed, I promise you that. I’m even considering adventuring again, as well, as a result.” I’d better, after spending that much. Merlos left the cost of his new pegasus out of the matter and strode with a confident step towards the former outpost’s front gate.

Gavlan snorted and shrugged again, leaning on a stable post. “I’ve seen an awful lot in my days, human. If ye’ can impress me with a mere beast, even if it’s one I ‘aven’t seen before, I’ll give ye’ a keg of my finest. Mark my words on that.” He chuckled again.

Merlos paused, turning back and raising an eyebrow. “Your finest you say? That’s a deal.” He did appreciate a good brew, after all.

Author's Notes:

[9/26/2014 9:29:09 PM] Stormy_Weather: [CUTE HORSE NOISES INTENSIFY]

Hay folks, its my launch of what I hope to be a long and ongiong fic. We're actually writing a few chapters ahead so we can stay on top of continuity and keep the storyline better stabilized. Which means as soon as the one I'm working on is finished, I get to release the next one. Yay!

My thanks to the madverse team for editing and Merlos for co-authoring this. I'm a person who thinks of stuff and fixes things with what I have available rather than a full on writer-editor. So with their help this have been one of those "Mangled story made into something readable" type deals. I'm not very articulate with words and thankfully Merlos has been around me long enough to elaborate on what I've been saying to make this story work.

For those of you curious how it all began, mostly it was from the random bits of roleplay I'd do with a pegasus posing as Merlos Familiar in the skype group and hilarity ensued. I had spent the better part of a year putting this off and procrastinating making a story here. I'm "nervouscited" to see how it turns out in the community, though I doubt it will take off. So for those of you who find this. I hope its a good moment well wasted in time. <3

CHAPTER 002: The unexpected delivery.

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Delivery Day

Merlos stood by idly while awaiting his much anticipated delivery. It was taking entirely too long to arrive, and he was beginning to wonder if he’d mistaken the correct date on his calendar. The day was already getting close to noon, after all. Positively outrageous lack of punctuality, that was. But it was the government, and governments seemed to specialize in being slower than the passing of seasons.

Finally, a large wagon appeared in the distance, rising over a hill upon a dirt road before vanishing again behind another hillock. Not long after, it came around a bend and approached the front gate, creaking and groaning and flanked by several mounted, well armed beings. Indeed, not all of them looked human.

Merlos gave a solitary and simple wave of his hand in greeting to the folks.

The wagon rolled to a stop. In front sat a driver and judging by the uniform, a handler from the auction. Behind them both was a large cage big enough to easily house a draft horse, which rolled along with its contents hidden under a canvas. Likely this was to keep its occupant calm during travel.

The following armed escort rode behind, at the head of which was a steely eyed dwarf in captain’s armor. Presumably, that was Orloch, riding like a knight from a dwarven fairy tale. The stocky chap rested a heavy looking axe across the saddle of his war pony.

Merlos, feeling elated to finally get his prize, approached rather than wait and marched up promptly. “G’day! I take it that my pegasus is back there in that wagon?”

“Hail, wizard.” The accountant looking fellow hopped down from the wagon and gave a slight bow. “You’d be correct. Do you have the gold? The paperwork says you’re paying in full.”

Merlos, rather than banter, simply nodded and opened up a bag of holding at his side. Just like that, several sacks laden with hard earned gold from years of achievements and penny-pinching plonked and crunched into the dirt. “You’re welcome to count every piece. Now! My purchase?”

“Purchase… Oh, of course.” The man stared at the ground with wide-eyed astonishment for a moment longer, before a quick gesture from him had men from the wagon moving forward to do just that and count it all. “Ahem, right this way, m’lord.” Twice as quickly as his men, he shuffled to the back of the wagon.

Merlos followed, smiling broadly over the whole affair. Throwing money around like that always stung, but he was getting something well worth it in return.

“Here you are, sire.” The staffer began pulling back on the tarp.

As the cover was torn away, Merlos looked inside the cage, eager to meet his mighty pale-winged beast and hardly able to maintain his outer calm.

However, upon peering into the wagon, his eyes found but empty air. They drifted lower, and then lower into the great cage, his smile slowly fading until finally drifting away. Far beneath the cage’s vacant space was a little gray figure, curled up as a ball at the very bottom.

Merlos blinked, then rubbed his eyes in disbelief. The diminutive little equine was still there though, and not the elegant pegasus he had purchased. Or the pale white beauty he had seen in the stables!

“What is this?” he whirled around and demanded straight off. “I was sold a Pegasus mare…! A mighty steed, one that can carry seven times her body weight! This is… a little gray whelp! A runt! Why the huge cage? This is false advertising!”

Beyond flustered, and running short of insults, Merlos bristled and straightened up, holding one finger out pointedly to the auction’s delivery man. “It is not wise to trick a wizard!”

The guardsmen, loaders and Orloch all responded to the loud turn that things had taken, watching in varying degrees of confusion, or readiness.

The fellow recoiled back from the outburst in surprise, then looked down at his sheath of papers. “What? Are you sure? But that’s clearly a pegasus mare. Let’s see… grey… sold for twenty thousand gold… Everything looks in order to me.”

As the man spoke, Merlos had a flashback to the auction, to the empty looking stall at the stables. Oh no. The white animal he had seen, it must have indeed been just a horse. The pegasus had been one stall beyond it after all. What have I done?

“And besides,” the man went on. “We’re just delivering her. Your purchase was your business with the auction, and I’m merely the messenger. If there has been some mix up, sire, you will have to take it up at the capitol. But, I’m quite confident there has been no such mistake, as this was the only pegasus there at the auction.”

Merlos’ mouth worked, failing to produce words. Oh god. I spent the remainder of my life savings on this!? “But I wanted something I could ride!” he protested. “This… thing barely amounts to an ankle biter! There must have been some kind of misunderstanding?”

The delivery man responded after a sigh. “I’m sorry, sire. Really. Now, the cage comes with the pegasus, courtesy of the large purchase.” He snapped his fingers, and all too quickly the men that had already carried away Merlos’ gold came over. They lifted the cage at each corner, which was quite clearly incredibly light with the tiny winged thing that was inside, then set it down behind the wagon.

Merlos glanced again inside the cage, a moment of rage boiling in him. “WADSWORTH!” He shouted, shaking balled fists at the sky as it dawned on him why that little sniveling sneak had been smiling all along. He had known.

Meanwhile, the dwarf, his guards, the loading men and the accountant looked at one another in confusion, wary, but merely shrugged.

In the cage, the gray form mumbled something as it uncurled, stretched, and arose drowsily onto its hooves, having been disturbed enough to wake up. It walked to the end of the cage and looked through bleary eyes at one overly loud person, then the next in turn.

When Merlos looked down, he could see that it was indeed a pegasus, if with laughably small wings clasped to its sides. The body was proportioned a bit differently than a horse or pony, with large violet eyes, a more rounded head and a very short muzzle. He thought for a moment to compare it with a pony version of a bulldog considering its features, minus the wrinkles and baggy skin, but resisted to do so. Her pelt was a light gray, her mane and tail were both in an odd tri-color pattern from top to bottom: black, white and a moderate violet. Her hooves were wrapped in white messy fetlocks.

Strangest of all, though, was on her rump… There was a strange kind of brand that appeared to be dyed into the beast’s fur. It looked like it was her natural fur color, but it was in the shape and pattern of keys like that of a musical organ, the sort you see at a cathedral or festival.

How strange, Merlos begrudged to himself. This was not a pegasus as he knew them, surely, and not the celestial creature he had researched so fervently the night before. Perhaps it was some sort of experiment or half-breed? Maybe he could get a refund if he could prove it. That really didn’t seem likely at all.

He stared on at the little gray pegasus before him. After a moment of what was almost a staring contest, she knitted her brow into a glare, then with a boisterous crash bucked the cage’s bars.

“Quiet, you,” Merlos scolded.

She stared back at him with narrowing eyes, and seemed to mutter something. Then, the diminutive pegasus bucked and snorted again, rather than listen, throwing herself into the cage’s sides. It rocked a little, but didn’t come close to toppling over.

She seemed intelligent from where Merlos stood and showed no sign of being okay with where she was.

“I thought that it could talk?” Merlos growsed to the attendant, who was idly chatting with his men as they readied to leave.

“Hm? I dare not comment, m’lord, but she’s quite smart, I can reassure you of that. For half the journey here it almost sounded as if she were singing, though not very well...”

While Merlos’ irritation boiled over, the auction house handler grabbed a rope loop tied to the entrance of the cage. It was attached to a crude leather harness around the pegasus’s body through the bars. He then presented it to the crossed wizard. “I suppose this concludes everything, sire. Enjoy your purchase.”

The man gave a partial nod, then whistled to his men, who hastily boarded the back of the now empty wagon or remounted their horses.

Merlos stood there, holding the rope to the caged animal, a feeling of utter defeat dancing obnoxiously at the back of his mind over everything. He stared at his very expensive miniature pegasus. Meanwhile, the pegasus slowly sat with her back to the cage’s door, her ears pinned while her eyes drifted down to the cage floor.

Merlos, after what felt like ages but was probably mere minutes, finally heaved a sigh. “Well, this was in fact a huge misuse of my time and resources.”

He really hadn’t thought this through, that much was clear to him now, and financial ruin aside there was an unbearable amount of embarrassment present, as well. He was probably already a laughing stock, assuming Wadsworth was privy to this and had spread word. And there was no doubt that was the case.

Merlos studied the creature, and its obvious misery, for a minute more. It seemed to him that they both lacked any luck. At the very least, he had come to a reasonable decision over what to do with his wasted purchase.

An aura of magic tinted at Merlos’ hands as they deftly moved to the flow of his spell, before then pointing at the pegasus in the cage. Sensing something, she turned and blew an angry snort. Her wings flared and she dipped low, as if to challenge him. A slight glow in her eyes let Merlos know when his spell had finished.

“Alright, that’s enough of that behavior. You can understand me for a short time, assuming you are intelligent as they claimed, so I’ll only say this once. I'm letting you go, you silly looking creature. Go be free, or... something." Merlos hissed the last word bitterly.

The mare’s ears suddenly perked as a curious expression crossed her features. She relaxed reluctantly and head tilted a little. Still, she didn’t respond.

Nonetheless, Merlos unlocked and pushed open the cage’s door, motioning lazily with a hand. “Shoo!” he dismissed, not really caring about his lost investment, or at least trying not to.

The pegasus stared at the open door. She then swapped between looking at the wizard indignantly, and the tether he held, which was still looped through the cage’s bars.

“Oh right, sorry.” Merlos only apologized out of habit, and with a quick prestidigitation spell, the harness around the pegasus burned off at each corner and slid onto the ground unceremoniously.

The pegasus looked at the rope wide-eyed. Her shock apparently wore off quickly and she took a few tentative steps out of the cage. She then squatted down a moment, her legs like pent up springs.

Before, the pegasus took off, she glanced from her rope and towards Merlos. “Um, thanks,” she said simply. With a grin, she flapped her wings hard and burst into the air, creating an intense vacuum in her wake.

The intensity flung Merlos’ hat off of his head and split his beard down the middle, leaving it blown past his face to either side. The gust also stirred dust and pebbles up all around, enough to leave him coughing.

“Well then.” Merlos straightened his beard, and watched the shrinking grey form in a mix of irritation, lingering and stinging disappointment—for multiple reasons—as well as humbled acceptance. “At least, perhaps I’ve done something good, by letting it go like this. Hm.” I certainly hadn’t thought through purchasing something already free-willed to be my familiar. Bah, I can’t believe I fell into that trap of assuming everything will serve my needs like a well crafted potion.

Merlos turned to go inside, planning to put the recent debacle out of mind. A good smoke from his pipe to help ease his mind seemed in order. At the very least, that silly creature is not my problem anymore.

Stormy pumped and stretched her wings, relishing the fresh air all around her and the dimming sunlight on her feathers.

It felt great.

Wonderful.

It felt like freedom after being stuck in a smelly basement without explanation for weeks.

Her wings took her in one direction for a bit then spiraled her around towards another, more or less flying her on aimlessly. After so much time in captivity, the surprise of what had just happened almost made her head swim.

Stormy raised her head into the wind, eyes shut. I’m free! I can’t believe I’m really free!

“Whoooo!” she cheered. Her wings tucked in and she did a quick rolling twirl out of sheer happiness, before straightening back out into a glide.

That creature, the only one that spoke Equestrian since I got foal-napped just let me go! I was beginning to think they were all evil. She didn’t understand why he had freed her, but frankly, she didn’t care to figure it out, either. There were other more important things on her mind.

Where to go, where to go? Home. But where is that? Uhm, well I’ll need to get my bearings and look around. So, up some more!

Her wings worked hard and her grin grew as clouds began to soar past. Flying higher and higher brought a chill from the altitude to bite at her hooves. Once hovering about a kilometer or two off the ground, she spun around slowly, letting her eyes drink in the horizon before her. She looked this way and that for familiar landmarks, mountain ranges, rivers, coastlines, something to hint where her home was.

There weren’t any.

Stormy’s grin shrank. Where am I? The thought had a desperate edge to it, sharply contrasting to the happy ones Stormy had gotten after getting airborne again.

The surroundings were a normal enough looking place, not unlike any she’d ever seen before, but still not ringing any bells and very unfamiliar. Minutes passed, and the further up she went, the more her ears drooped again.

Okay, so, I’m not just lost. I’m super lost. Great… Stormy tried to think things through, letting her wings carry her in a glide back down to the ground in a lazy corkscrew. As if things couldn’t get any worse. Uggh. What do to do now…?

While she considered her slim options, which mostly just included hoping she found a town somewhere, she found herself circling above where the figure wearing the weird dress had been.

It kind of looked like a really old, small, and dumpy ruined castle.

Also below her was the cage that the other two legged creatures and creepily quiet animals had held her captive in.

That still grated on her, that she had been sold like a piece of property. Sure, she hadn’t understood a word that had been said, but that much had been obvious to her. The idea of it bothered her a lot. Who would buy or sell a pony? What kind of creature does that!? With a shake of her head, she dispelled the troubling thought and focused back on flying.

While gliding and getting more nervous by the second, despite being free again, she got a good look at the stone structure below her. It almost looked abandoned. The whole place didn’t have a single piece that wasn’t covered in green moss or missing great chunks of stone.

Huh, is this where that old guy lives? Stormy tilted her wings and came around the area just above the tree-line’s height for another pass. Nah, can’t be. This place is a wreck. She fully expected a nice cottage or house to be somewhere nearby, even if she couldn’t see anything but wilderness all around. Well, whatever… I wonder if he’d give me directions?

The thought didn’t seem too outrageous; he’d let her go, after all.

Hey, he’s gotta be a good guy, then. Right? Actually, yeah! I bet he could explain what happened to me, too! Oh wow, I should’ve thought about that sooner. It might have just been hopelessness from a lack of other options, but knocking to get directions seemed as good a plan any.

With that, she sought out a door, and quickly found one still on its hinges at the base of a tall stone tower to one side of the walled mini-castle. As fortune would have it, there was someone outside of it, too, just lounging in a chair.

Stormy grinned, already whooshing downward. Oh, that’s him! Or her, they are wearing a dress… It’d be weird if their mares had beards though. Then again, doesn't Princess Celestia have a beard? I've never seen her with one, but everypony uses it in an expression. She shrugged and gave a simultaneous eye roll, then took the chance to show off, and barrel rolled into a landing right in front of her weird looking savior.

The air swirled as she landed. “Hi mister! I have a question or two if you—”

The strange guy—his voice had been pretty gruff, she decided—lept into the air in surprise.

“Gyahh!” he cried out, while gripping the arms of his chair, seemingly frozen in terror.

“Oh, uh, sorry about that,” Stormy apologized, grinning in a friendly way. Her ears hastily pinned themselves back before perking up again.

The stranger slowly calmed down from his a wide-eyed state. He also seemed to begin studying her, glancing up and down as if she were some sort of puzzle.

Stormy shuffled her hooves. “Uhm, hello?”

She finally got a response.

“Hmph. You again?” The stranger slouched back into his wooden chair as he spoke, and overall didn’t seem that happy to see her. “Why are you back? Did you not comprehend me before? Go on, go away.” He gave a couple dismissive gestures with his hand for effect.

Stormy’s brow wrinkled in confusion and she stared a moment, then ahemed into a hoof. “Y-Yeah, it’s me again.” She took her time speaking and inquired to him with a softly spoken voice, just in case he tried to recapture her or something.

"Hey, mister... uh, well I don't know your name. Anyway, I don't really know where I aaaam right now. Could you point me in the direction of Cloudsdale really quick? Or maybe Canterlot?” She looked around as if either location would suddenly spring up at her passing glance. “I’ll be out of your flavor-saver quick as lightning if you do.”

Her gaze finally rested on the guy’s sullen expression; she reached a hoof behind her head and grinned sheepishly under his scrutiny. Yeesh, what is up with him? “Um, are you okay?” she hastily added.

The creature wearing a frumpy dress answered back, a forced neutrality in his tone. "Not really. And I can’t say I have the slightest idea of what or where you’re talking about. Look, I just set you free, so go do that somewhere else. I want nothing to do with you any longer and plan on trying to forget about today for the next week. At least.” With that, he half sat up, and began to grumpily turn his chair to face a different direction with a clatter.

Is this guy for real? Stormy frowned, feeling a mild pang of annoyance and pondered how this was—if at all—her fault.

After her brief pause, she beat her wings once, zipping over the dirt lawn to get back in front of her only lead towards directions or answers.

“Wait! Come on, please? I really am free thanks to you, and uhh… Well, I have no idea where my home is. Can’t you help me a little? Maybe you have a map or something? I just- Well-”

The stranger seemed to be trying to ignore her while fiddling with some fancy stick he’d produced from his dress. He considered the stick for a moment, then sighed and put it away, only to draw out a different stick. But the second stick was familiar, looking a bit like her grandpa’s churchwarden pipe.

Oh ew, he smokes. Smoke stink in your hair and mane was the worst.

Nonetheless, Stormy took a deep breath to calm down. She brought a hoof to her chin as she considered how to explain her situation. “I’ll just start at the beginning. So there I was on my way home, but I took a little detour to practice a move and some lightning stuff.”

Surprisingly, the weird guy raised an eyebrow then, which stood out since it was the first change yet in his moody expression.

Stormy paused, unsure of what to make of it.

“Go on?” he prompted.

That got a grin out of Stormy. “Sure! You see, the best young flyers competition is coming up! Or, well, it was. That had to have been at least a week ago, now… Anyway, after that I was going to go to my grandmother’s house, she makes great food by the way. You would not believe how good. Especially—”

“Excuse me,” the stranger interrupted, while tapping his weird shaped boot impatiently. “I don’t mean to cut you off, but if you would skip the periphery details I would appreciate that. I am quite the busy man.”

Stormy tilted her head. “The pituitary whatsits?” she asked. What the hay is a ‘man’? Mantis… Mane… Mange… Huh, never heard of a ‘man’ before. “Um, I don’t think I understand you.”

Instead of respond, the man snapped one of those things all the two legged mans had instead of hooves. Doing that made a bright orange spark come out.

Stormy stared in slight confusion as smoke began curling from the tip of his pipe. How’d he do that?

He leaned forward then, his grouchy demeanor rearing its ugly head again as he spoke. “I mean to say, get to the point.”

Stormy shrunk a little, cut out of her thoughts. “Oh. Right, well, after practicing a little, I just suddenly found myself in some big dark basement-slash-dungeon thing before I knew it. I don’t even know how. And there was this creepy guy that I couldn’t understand. And this other creepy guy that was annoying and… he was… and, and-” She sat up and let out high pitched whinny of complaint, suddenly remembering something horrible.

“And those jerks took my violin!” she whined, bouncing up and down in a moment of remorse. The memory still stung, even more so from just how traumatizing waking up in some stranger’s place in a cage was and being given absolutely no explanation as to why.

She resisted a sniffle, and kept in mind that she should ask about all that still.

The man’s stare widened at the increase in volume, but decreased again slowly as he took several healthy puffs from his pipe.

“So that’s all I know. Well, that and I think I got sold into slavery or something. Only you let me go!” Stormy gave a slight smile again. “Thanks for that by the way.”

“Mhmm, quite,” the man mumbled around the stick. He maintained his impatient look of grumpiness.

“Ahem, so, Canterlot, Cloudsdale, uh… Trottingham, do you know where any of those places are? I already tried flying up high to see what’s around me and nothing is familiar. And I flew pretty high up, too.” Stormy pawed the ground without knowing it while she awaited her answer.

The man hesitated a long moment before responding. “I can’t say that I know of any such places as those.”

As a last ditch effort, Stormy thought to add, “Uhm, how about Equestria?”

“I haven't heard of that realm, either.” He was matter-of-fact and airy in his tone. “You must have been taken from a very long way off indeed. It sounds as if magic was involved, as well. Based on your earlier description.”

“Oh. Oh…” Stormy felt a bit of the color drain from her face. He’s never heard of Equestria? Taking a moment to collect herself, she added, “I guess I’m lost then.”

Looking up to the stranger, her eyes shimmered a little, the full harsh reality bearing down on her as she found herself at a loss for words.

The man in a dress watched the pony before him quietly, then smirked. “Well, it does sound like you have quite the journey ahead of you. If it would help, instead of thinking of it as being lost, you could think of it as going on an adventure?”

“Um.” Stormy felt her sense of hopelessness take a backseat for a second, and took a moment to ruminate over the apparent pep-talk. He’s trying reeeally hard to sound deep.

“I guess, but I don’t really want an adventure. I want to go home.” Stormy unfurled her wings enough to wrap them around her front. The act was solely to comfort herself. She took a breath and huffed it out. “Look I appreciate you letting me go, but I can't really go anywhere now that you did.”

The bearded man’s grumpiness seemed to reassert itself, then. “You could fly away and go looking for home further than the immediate vicinity,” he muttered, holding his pipe off to the side.

Stormy frowned, then got serious and lept into the air to fly close in a low hover. “Fine… I just need a few answers before I go and then I won’t take up any more of your time. I figured out that you… you bought me from those other mans. And you sounded pretty upset or something when you saw me. Why did you buy me just to release me? I mean, you did that and believe me, I am thankful, but I don’t think you bought me just to cut me loose and tell me to go home when I have no idea where it is. Is that why you don’t seem to like me at all?”

The dress wearing man stiffened at the accusation and looked elsewhere.

When he spoke, his bitter tone had drained from his voice and was replaced by a more even, maybe even hospitable, one. “Yes, that’s all true,” he began slowly. “I was out bidding a rival wizard, you see. He seemed interested in you as I was, and I couldn’t resist beating him at this. I had also wanted to-” his words died out as he seemed to recall something.

“I wanted to replace my familiar, and I also wanted a mount. My intention was that I would ride upon an impressive winged horse, maybe go adventuring again like old times, and flaunt a bit to my peers.” He harrumphed. “Clearly, in my foolishness and haste, I hadn’t actually seen you until your arrival.”

Stormy had slowly put on a look that was a mix of shock, confusion, and a tinge of interest as the explanation was given. Wizard? He can use unicorn magic? Although the word wizard was really only thrown around in story books where she was from, she recognized it.

The wizard, apparently, didn’t seem to be done talking, so she resisted the urge to interrupt.

“To top it all off, I hadn’t even considered that pegasi…” he paused to stroke his beard. “Or, whatever it is you are, were sapient. You see, familiars tend to be animals that are more than happy to owe their allegiance as long as they’re simply fed.”

“Riiight.” Stormy finally landed again, fluttering down to the ground. “So that was a misunderstanding? Buying me or whatever?” At his nod, she went on. “What about the ones that brought me here? Were the ones keeping me captive a bunch of criminals or something?”

The wizard blinked, as if surprised, then laughed hard. “Hah. Well, some would say that about the government, but no, they weren’t. As I understand it, you were acquired by them from a man’s belongings after his home and property were seized.This was followed swiftly by his arrest as he attempted to flee.”

Stormy wrinkled her brow over the news. “That’s still wrong of them… Why didn’t they release me if they rescued me from… whoever that huge jerk was that foal-napped me?”

“You mean Galeron?” The old wizard reclined back as he proffered the name.

Stormy felt her expression darken some. “That was the man that did this to me?”

The response was slow, but the wizard finally nodded.

“Then yeah, him. If he was arrested for being evil, why did they do the same thing?”

“I think he was arrested for tax evasion, actually.”

Stormy slapped on a glare in response to that and crossed her forehooves.

The bearded man sighed in return, looking from side to side as he continued. “Never mind. Allow me to explain, then… Now, don’t take this the wrong way, but, I guess it would be simplest to say that not all creatures, even ones with free-will, have equal rights in these lands.”

Stormy’s mouth dropped open at that. “You’re kidding me?”

He blinked again, but in a confused seeming way. “Kidding you?” he repeated back. “What do goats have to do with anything?”

Stormy frowned. “I mean, you’re joking, right? About the freedom thing? Uh, jesting? Not being for real?” It really did seem like he was acting out a bad medieval play sometimes with the way he spoke, sort of like the goofy play that got put on during Hearth's Warming.

“Oh, I understand now.” The wizard nodded appreciatively and finally tapped out his pipe, before putting it away. “Sorry, the spell of understanding I had used upon you earlier isn’t perfect, it seems. Nonetheless, I am afraid I’m telling the truth about creatures in this land. Typically, the less similar to elves, men or dwarves a race is in appearance, the less they’re looked upon as equals. In my experience most of the world is that way, depending on who the locals are.”

Stormy didn’t recognize the names of any of those races. “Wow.” She took it all in one bit at a time. “So I’m not just lost, I’m probably not going to get help easily anywhere I go, either.”

She saw a healthy bit of guilt appear on the wizard’s face at that, and it almost made her laugh. That was mostly in response to how desperate everything once again felt. It’s almost like I went from a small cage to a bigger one, she thought to herself.

It didn’t look like the guy in the dress was going to say anything else anytime soon, so Stormy forced herself to work up the nerve to.

“Well… Thank you for your honesty. Anyway, what about that Gallery jerk who foal-napped me in the first place?” She tried hard not to remember that despicable guy. He’d mostly ignored her, but on the rare occasion he had stepped up to her cage, he’d teased her. “You said it sounded like magic was used on me? And earlier, that you could use magic too?”

The wizard nodded once, not at all hiding a proud looking smirk under his beard. “I can indeed, and better than most… As for you, first in one place, a world far away, and then in the captivity of a man not twenty leagues from this doorstep? That sounds like powerful magic or sorcery to me, likely of the conjuration school. Though it may have even been divine in nature.”

Stormy tried not to give away that none of that made sense to her. “Ahhuh… well, why would he do that to me? All he did was keep me in that cage.”

The wizard looked deep in thought for a moment, and when he responded he looked like he was angry to not have an answer. “I cannot say. Likely, he was experimenting, unless he’d meant to summon a miniature pegasus for something.”

“I’m not miniature!” Stormy shouted and looked away, trying to absorb the information. Her outburst was more from frustration and remembering her captivity than over the answers or the jab at her size. She calmed her tone when she continued. “Sorry, and anyway, I’m the normal height for a pony my age thank you very much.”

The wizard raised one thick eyebrow. “And how old would that be?”

Stormy reacted to the question by pulling her head back in surprise.

The wizard, undeterred, puffed from his pipe beneath an interested look. “Forgive the curiosity, but I’ve never encountered your race before, in either stories or legends.”

He leaned forward again, and started doing that thing where he looked like he was studying her.

Stormy paused. She hadn’t actually thought about her being the one out of place, yet. She was too distracted by how weird a world filled with only creatures on two legs was. That is, where only the ones on two legs seemed able to talk. She’d tried shouting to some cows for help earlier, but they hadn’t seemed very bright.

“It’s rude to ask a girl how old she is, you know…” Stormy frowned and sunk her shoulders a bit. “But I’m sixteen. So, you know, not an adult yet. I still go to school and live with my parents.”

The wizard hummed, sitting back again. “Really? For a human that would just about be considered adulthood. Many… uh, girls your age are married by now in my race. Perhaps your kind ages more like dwarves, then.”

Stormy found it hard to believe that somepony could get married at her age. Then again, her grandpa had told her some weird stories about his parents… While thinking on it, she noticed a foreboding kind of sparkle enter the old coot’s eye.

“And it’s just occurred to me,” the wizard went on. “You could tell me all sorts of things about your world! What was it called? Equiltria? Oh, and you mentioned lightning stuff earlier and I’m deeply curious about what you meant. It’s rare to meet beings from other planes. Could you, hm…” He paused to scratch at his beard and blink. “And it seems I haven’t gotten your name yet, either. I’m getting ahead of myself. What are you called by, pegasus?”

The slow change in the stranger’s mood had snuck up on Stormy, and she wasn’t really sure what to think now that he wasn’t simply demanding she just leave right away. Right now he seemed downright genuinely curious, almost desperately so. It reminded her of her science teacher or something.

The change in his attitude did give Stormy a sudden idea, though.

“My name?” she asked, then turned her head away abruptly. “Eh, it isn’t important, since I gotta go.”

Stormy did her best to keep from smirking. “I suppose I could have told you about Equestria, Mr. Wizard. About our magic, our countries, our language… And I’ve never heard about a race of hairless two legged creatures before, so I bet you’d be the first one around here to ever learn about us, too.”

The stranger’s look of greedy interest faded away, replaced by mild shock. “Uhm- You don’t have to leave right away. If you would-” He raised a finger to get a word in, but was ignored.

Stormy hid her smile, and turned a hoof in the air casually. “And you mentioned something about impressing your wizard buddies?” she said absently. “I bet all this information would be way better than showing off a winged horse, huh… Oh well, you said I should go, though, so I really better get flying if I wanna find a way home.”

Stormy turned to go, swishing her tail up defiantly as she did. “Yup, got a long flight ahead of me! Later!”

“W-Wait!” The wizard’s chair clatter as he stood up to stop her. “Ohhh, you’re a conniving rogue, I see. Very well, I apologize for my earlier demeanor and disrespect. I’m just… a twinge broken up over how much I lost when I purchased you is all. I think we could still, however, come to an arrangement, perhaps.”

Stormy couldn’t help but drop the act, snickering. She turned back around with a full on grin. “So that means you’ll help me get home!?” He had magic, so surely he had a way.

The wizard guffawed hard enough to blow out his beard. “Let’s not both get ahead of ourselves. I could look into it, with time… but no promises of results. I’ll tell you upfront so as not to give false hope that I’m not at all currently capable of world travel. I do know of magi and arcanists that have been to other planes, but they are either reclusive, would charge a fortune or both… Nevertheless, let’s start with names, hm? What are you called in your tongue?”

Stormy quirked an eyebrow in response to the weird words thrown around, but her smile stayed plastered to her muzzle. “Well that’s a start. My name’s Stormy Weather! And my special talent is music!” She held up a hoof to Merlos to shake hooves, or in this case… whatever it was he had.

“It is a… pleasure to meet you, Stormy Weather.” With a studious look he accepted the hoof, curling his weird digits around it and giving it a single strong shake. “An interesting name you have, I must say. I wonder what it sounds like without the spell. Also, it is very interesting that you shake hands and- Oh, I’m getting away from myself again.”

The dress wearing wizard straightened, standing a little taller. He already towered over Stormy, so the effect was a little intimidating, even if his pose looked a bit silly.

“I’m called Merlos, Merlos the magnificent,” he continued. “And I am a wizard by craft and of some renown.”

Just like earlier after leaving the cage, Stormy almost couldn’t contain her excitement. I’m gonna go home! Yesyesyes! Her wings gave a cheerful flap, mirroring her raised spirits. “Pleased to meetcha, Mr. Merlos!” she chirped.

Even though he was a complete stranger, and he’d been a bit of a stand-offish jerk earlier, and he smelled like gross pipe-smoke and garlic, she had to actually resist the urge of flying up to hug him.

He made a faint and simple smile in return. “Likewise,” he replied, and sat again in his creaky chair.

Stormy found herself sitting as well, if only to keep her hooves from dancing. Then, the quirky explanation that he’d given about her flying him around came back. She smirked. “So, uh, Merlos. Can whatever deal we work out not include me flying you around? I don't think I’d make a good pony to ride on.” She laughed. “I’m kinda small for yah.” She gave him a half silly, half sheepish grin.

“I know that!” Merlos snapped.

Stormy shuffled back, surprised.

The wizard eased back again into his chair, afterward. “Sorry, I- that business with the auction really has put me on edge.” With that, he took out his pipe again without looking.

Stormy dug a hoof at the dirt. “Oh. Well, uh, out of curiousity, how much exactly was it that you spent on me? Maybe I could help you earn some of it back if I’m stuck here a while.”

Merlos groaned, and placed both of his weird hand things over his face. “I doubt that. It was enough to place me in financial ruin soon if I don’t make more. Twenty thousand gold pieces, all told.”

Stormy’s eyes widened. Then, when she realized he’d said gold and not bits, they widened even further. “Holy jumping sea ponies, batmare! Twenty thousand!?” That’s like, a million bajillion bits or something. She really didn’t know how much that was worth, but it had to be a lot.

Guiltily, a bit of pride swelled in her chest at the thought of being worth so darned much, but it didn’t change the fact that Merlos was probably on the edge of depression as a result.

Merlos let out a despondent sound. “Jumping seal-ponies indeed. I’m a damned fool.”

Stormy muttered softly, “I think you’re a great guy. Not a fool at all.”

Merlos peered up at Stormy for a moment with a stern look. He then rested his head on one hand and an elbow on his knee. “Are you not saying that simply because I freed you?”

“No.” She answered curtly, intending to explain exactly what she meant. Her father had spoken to her about stuff like this once. About someone’s actions and what they meant.

Stormy brushed her mane back with a wing and took a deep breath.

“That’s some of it and adds points, yeah, but there’s more to it than that. I only know about, uhm, wizards from stories, but a wizard is more than using flashy magic. The fact that you have all that power and still let me go, when you probably could have bossed me around like that last guy. At least, I’m assuming you’re not actually really terrible at magic.” The wizard’s brow dropped a quarter of an inch at that, and she pressed on. “So that says a lot about you. On top of that, there’s also the fact I cost you, uhm, all that money. A fool wouldn’t have done anything like just let me go when you did.”

Merlos slowly quirked an eyebrow at Stormy. He had his funny pipe held motionless in front of him, too, yet unlit. He seemed to be just a little bit frozen.

“So yeah. You don’t seem like a bad guy. Right now I feel a little lucky to have bumped into you.” Stormy smiled, finished. When Merlos continued his wordlessness, she coughed and decided to bring something else up.

“Uh, by the way, does this mean I can stay with you, as part of this arrangement? I don’t really have a home or anything right now.” He was a stranger, sure, but it was that or sleep out in the open.

That seemed to snap him out of it.

Merlos shook his head a little, as if he thought he’d misheard. “Stay with- Oh, I hadn’t considered that…” He looked up and over the messy courtyard’s tall stone wall, towards the setting sun. “It’s getting late as well, isn’t it? You’re more than welcome to stay in the stables, certainly. I gave them a good cleaning just yesterday.”

Stormy had been about to thank him, but the words died in her mouth. Instead, she dryly muttered, “The stables? You’re joking.” Her eyes narrowed a little. “Well, I’m not going to lie, I was kind of hoping to get a bedroom or something.” The tower alone certainly looked big enough to have several extra, and that wasn’t even mentioning the rest of the place. “Maybe a couch at the very least?”

Merlos frowned and crossed his arms. “You’re serious?” he half echoed. “Are those normal accommodations for you where you’re from?”

Stormy’s eyebrows climbed her forehead. “Aren’t they for you?” She heaved an exasperated breath. “If it’s really trouble, at least just give me someplace until I can find somewhere else?” To add, as she liked to think of it, convincing to her argument, she said the half-plea with her forehooves together and gave him the sudden full force of her adorably large purple eyes.

“Urg, alright fine, just stop that.” Merlos grimaced and looked away moodily. “I have a spare room somewhere, I’m sure.”

“Whoo!” Stormy whooped in success. “Thanks so much for your generosity! With some time, I could probably build a good cloud home or something else.” She knew nothing about permanent weather building construction, but it couldn’t be that hard, right?

“Cloud what?” Merlos asked the question straight off.

“Um, a home. You know, built out of clouds? Pegasi usually live in them. Not all of us… but most do.”

Merlos blinked at her, as if for the first time seeing something truly bizarre. “Fascinating. You’ll have to tell me more about that, er, Stormy.” He said the name with an amused look. “But, for now, it’s going to start getting cold out here, so perhaps we go inside? We are near the mountains, after all.” He rose, taking a couple steps toward the nearby tall wooden door.

Stormy shrugged and batted a hoof. “Cold-schmold, but sure!” She clambered up the stairs after him, hooves banging loudly on the porch’s wooden boards. “Also, do you have any food? I’m starving.” As if to confirm that, her aching stomach gave a growl.

Merlos hummed, and stroked his beard. “That… depends. I purchased food in preparation for, well, an animal. Not a talking, sapient creature. What exactly is it that you eat?”

Stormy felt her mouth water all of a sudden, and her head filled up with all of the delicious treats she’d been denied for weeks now. In all that time, she’d only been given some awful hay and oats.

“At this point? Anything.”

“Anything?” Merlos repeated, and stopped outside the door. With a finger flick like the one he’d used earlier on his pipe, a lantern hanging by its side burst into orange-yellow life. “Well that seems fortunate, because I have-”

“Oh, but I would kill for some strawberry shortcake.” Stormy licked her lips at the very thought. “Do you have any cake? Or pie? As long as it isn’t hay. I’ve had enough moldy hay for a lifetime, uggh. And what vegetables do you have laying around? I bet I could use your fryer to make something.”

Merlos froze a bit before moving again, taking a few short strides inside the imposing stone building. “I… don’t know what a friar has to do with this. I’ll see what I can find in the larder, though. But moving on, let’s talk about your world, country and-”

Stormy stepped in after him, taking slow and deliberate steps inside the imposing stone building. It was weird and creepy, not elegant or very well crafted like the Equestrian architecture she’d visited in Canterlot on some field trips. But, it seemed polite not to point that stuff out.

Merlos lit a few simple lanterns as he walked and talked, and Stormy blinked a few times to let her eyes adjust to the indoor’s dim lighting. She only half listened to what he was saying.

After a glance around the tower’s entrance, Stormy’s eyes became used to the more darkened interior, and clasping her hooves to the side of her face she suddenly let out a blood curdling scream at what she saw.

CHAPTER 003: The dust.

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Merlos turned about, fully expecting a beholder or worse to have apparated just outside of his home or something. Instead, he looked on as a screaming mare backpedaled outside, her expression of complete revulsion. “What? What is wrong?” He paced back to the door where she was stepping in place while pointing at the entrance.

“That place is filthy!” Stormy cried. She ran her eyes up and down the interior at mounds of dust and junk everywhere. There was mold on the walls and ceilings, and worse stuff she didn’t even want to identify in the corners. “How do you live like this? Its like a monster of pure filth and grime lives in here. Ew! Ew! Ew! I think I’ve got some of it on my faaace!” Her forelegs began wiping themselves over her brow and cheeks, desperate to get off what felt like cobwebs. It then dawned on her that she had only succeeded in getting herself more dirty.

Merlos crossed his arms, just a little offended by her remarks of his very minor lackluster housekeeping. He was more interested that the pegasus was having a similar reaction to the last person that had been to his home, that of a person. When was that, a few years ago? he thought.

“Oh don’t be such a baby,” Merlos stated calmly to his hyperventilating guest. “Now get back here, and if it helps, I’ve considered doing a bit of late spring cleaning soon.”

“Oh, you’ve considered? Great!” Stormy goggled at him. “You’ll need a team of hazmat ponies for just this room!” The little gray pegasus cried out in disgust again as she stepped back inside. “Please tell me it isn’t all this bad?”

Merlos scanned the ceiling as he thought on that briefly. “It’s not as bad as you’re making out at all. As long as we’re on that note, it would be best if you didn’t open any doors that aren’t already open...”

Stormy reared and flailed her forelegs as she backed against a near wall. She tried using her wings to blow the dust away, but that just sent more brown plumes into the air. “Ugh! It’s clinging to my fetlocks!” Her ears pinned back and her nose wrinkled itself. “I’m opening a window to let some of this out!”

“If you would mind not doing that, I’d appreciate it with my acute allergies,” the wizard spat, returning to his scowl. He could tell that his sarcasm went through one of the pegasus’ ears and out the other. “Seriously now, creature from another world or no, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make a mess.”

“Like I could make all this any worse.” Stormy continued her ministrations of disgust and bristled with the realization she was actually breathing the foul dusty surroundings. With a clatter, she flung a nearby shutter open. The shutters clacked loudly against the walls and unsurprisingly, fell onto the ground outside with a bang.

“Now look at what you did. You’re fixing that. And come on, it’s just dust!” Merlos scoffed. “It’s not like it’s harmful.”

Stormy took a deep breath of fresh air before pulling back inside. “That’s what they said about the Hanta virus!” she snapped back. She gave a wary controlled flap of her wings and brought some more dust up, the breeze carrying it outside.

Merlos blinked. “The what?” He wasn’t sure if his spell was flawed or his new guest were simply using alien terms.

Stormy ignored the wizard’s frustration, and pressed against the wall as she warily looked down at the filthy floor. “Never mind…” She covered her muzzle with a gray wing and with the other, began to try and wave more dust out the window. At the same time, she did her best to get lung fulls of fresh air while leaning half outside.

Stormy leaned back in for the briefest of moments. “Please tell me your whole place isn’t all like this? Is this normal for mans to keep such gross homes?” The idea of staying in such a place filled her with a definite dread.

“The term for my people you’re looking for is ‘men’. Or humans.” Merlos could hardly believe the nerve of Stormy. Even if she had a point. “And it is not gross. And yes, it is perfectly normal. Well, I suppose it could stand a little cleaning. Maybe it’s a bit messier than it should be...”

Stormy groaned and flung her head back outside, reluctant to leave the safety of the window’s fresh air.

Merlos, for his part, harrumphed impatiently and looked around at his very slightly cluttered room. I suppose I could organize these spell scrolls at the very least.

The thick sheafs of parchment of half inscribed spells covered most of the usable surfaces in the room, either failed attempts at powerful magics or long forgotten experiments without a use. They were scattered over most of the tables and were all covered in a good, thick layer of dust.

I’ll get to it eventually. His mind made up, he opened a shoddy curtain that led further into his completely livable tower. “Are you finished over there with your brief sabbatical?” he asked.

Stormy, still heaving deep breaths of fresh air from the outside, craned her head around. “Seriously, I think I wasn’t even born the last time you cleaned this room.” She wiped a hoof over the top of the sill and a literal inch of dust peeled off the top. Dust wasn’t supposed to peel, as far as she knew.

Merlos bristled anew. “Well if you change your mind about the stables, then just let me know. Now come along, you big baby, it's a large tower and daylight has waned. If you’re staying here I need to show you around and point out where you may not trespass. My home is not for the ignorant, and I have many experiments that are both delicate and important.”

Of course anything truly dangerous he had under lock and key or otherwise, but many things he’d rather stay unmolested were not guest-proofed. Or pegasus-proofed, for that matter.

Reluctantly, very reluctantly, Stormy hopped down from the window sill to the floor with a thunk. “Yeah, okay…” She hesitated over asking for a cloth to tie over her mouth. I don’t wanna be rude, after all. As she stepped after the taller, two legged being to catch up, she stopped and ughed aloud in disgust at something sitting beside the door.

“Is that- Did that used to be a pumpkin? Oh Celestia, it reeks!” Stormy suppressed a gag, and all but dove out of the room and into the hall. “And I hope none of this dust is Asbestos!”

Merlos stared flatly at the wall as the pegasus scurried past him while making immature sicky noises and, as he saw it, inappropriate complaints. “I’m already starting to pity you less and less,” he mumbled.

The last rays of sunlight glittering through the windows and shutters were faded, leaving only the bright torches and magic lights that Merlos lit with snaps of his fingers as both him and Stormy marched on through the tour. As they walked, they talked, and shared information.

“And this Celestia you mentioned… you say she is the goddess of your sun? Able to raise and lower it at her very whim? You’ve seen this?” Merlos stared in awe as he took slow steps down one narrow corridor.

“Eeeeeh.” Stormy turned her head to the side and batted a hoof. “She’s not a goddess, assuming by that you mean some all powerful creator of stuff and things… I mean, I don’t know for sure, but that’s what I learned in school. She’s an alicorn. A combination of the three pony races. Oh, and yeah I’ve seen her do it plenty of times before. Like, five times, at the Summer Sun Celebration. I even saw her sneeze half way through raising it once, and it stopped right when she did.” A short giggle came out at the memory of the princess stumbling in the air, before demurely asking if anyone had a hanky.

Stopping at a doorway at the back of the tower’s first floor, Merlos turned to goggle at the news. “That is amazing. Your world holds many mysteries, Stormy.”

Stormy giggled slightly, but shrugged. “I guess. It’s alright. I like it, anyway…” She stirred a hoof slowly on the gross looking wooden floor, distant enough in the memory of home to not notice how moldy it was.

Merlos hummed. “Indeed.” He recognized the sight of a despondent companion. While not being the best, what some would call, people person, he could recognize someone struggling with troubles most of the time. “Well then, in here we have a pantry, of sorts, and the larder.”

Stormy picked her head up at what sounded to be food. “The kitchen you mean? Thank goodness, I’m starving!” She trotted in ahead of her host, more than enticed. “Let’s eat and take a- a break…”

The next room they had come across indeed happened to be the kitchen, or at least that seemed to be the case. It was not exactly what Stormy might have pictured. For starters, the door leading in had been covered with a thick beam of wood that acted like a brace. A lot of the doors seemed to have those, strangely.

Must be because this is a castle or something, Stormy thought, unsure of what a castle or a fort really looked like on the inside back in Equestria.

The kitchen, like the few other rooms she had seen inside of, was sparsely decorated with anything beyond a thick layer of dust.

A hairy skeleton of some long dead animal or bird was in the corner, and the room had a stale scent to the air. A small space around a weird stove, amazingly, looked as if it had been cleaned recently. There wasn’t a sink or pipes, though a large number of pots and pans did hang in one corner. Whether clean or dirty, it was really difficult to tell for sure.

Stormy felt her wings, tail and ears all droop as one. There is no way there’s anything edible in here, she thought defeatedly.

At the far wall of the kitchen, Merlos opened a crooked little door. “Over here is where I keep the foodstuffs,” he announced. “Let’s see…”

Almost immediately, vermin and bugs scurried out and into the shadows. A sack of potatoes and a few torn grain sacks dotted the walls. Above those, small containers of milled oats and spices scantily adorned the shelves.

Stormy trotted in and looked around. “So… is this all you have to eat?” she asked, giving a wary look to a few salted slabs of something unfamiliar hanging ominously overhead on a hook.

The wizard crossed his arms indignantly. “Is that all?” he repeated, before adding, “Well, yes, currently. It’s not the kitchen of royalty, but I’ll have you know it suits my needs.” He gave a tug to his beard, looking indignified. “I have been considering getting a chicken coop so I wouldn’t need to buy eggs and poultry so frequently. Taking trips for food gets bothersome.”

Stormy continued her concerted effort to not look grossed out. “I dunno what a pole-tree is, but from the context, I’m not sure I want to know.”

Merlos stared a moment, then hummed. “A poultry is… hm, never mind that for now I think. How about a snack? I have some cheese and dwarven stone-bread over here if you’d like.” He motioned towards a nearby table at that, holding up what looked like leftovers atop a wooden plate. “Oh, and I think it’s still moist. Mm!”

“Uuuh.” I’ve heard of rock candy, but stone-bread? Stormy watched as Merlos picked up what looked like a floppy sponge, topped it with a moldy looking piece of cheese, then ate it without hesitation.

“Delicious,” he finished, wiping his mouth with a sleeve. “I’m not sure about you, but humans can't eat stone-bread without soaking it a bit first.”

After staring at the muddy looking plate, Stormy covered her mouth with a hoof. Okay, not hungry anymore. “Eh, no thanks. I’m good for now…”

“Alright then, let’s move on to-” Merlos stooped his way back into the hall, while Stormy followed quickly, eager to get away from the human’s kitchen. Moldy cheese and weird bread aside, something about it seemed off.

Together they left the kitchen, and from there moved towards a winding stairway that ringed up and around the tower.

Grumpily, Stormy followed after and kept close to her guide. She also kept opening shutters behind his back as they went, hoping to allow the dust a place to escape.

Before climbing the stairs to the next level, Merlos waved to a doorway. “That one leads to a basement and the catacombs, as well as a cliff exit to the river. I’ve got tenants living in there currently so don’t bother them.”

“Uh, gotchyah,” Stormy answered, and stared at the thick door. I can hardly believe anypony else would willingly live here- Ick, spider webs! She flailed at her face for what felt like the dozenth time.

“Come along!” Merlos called back. “Please don’t dawdle. Now, up here we have a former eating area. At least I think it was used for-”

Stormy frowned slightly and hovered up after Merlos, who had apparently already ascended the stairs. For a brief second, she paid momentary attention to glowing stones embedded in the walls. Tiny pebbles casting a faint ivory glow, just enough to illuminate the walk way. The corridor was made of smooth cut near uniform looking stones. It made Stormy wonder who had made the place. Obviously, Merlos wasn’t responsible.

The rest of the tour was much of the same.

The whole time, Stormy continued weaving around junk and random debris scattered amongst the floor, while paying little attention to more than the first couple of words for each room. It was difficult even managing that with how often Merlos got off topic.

Stormy got the feeling he didn’t get out much.

Other than a study and the kitchen, the tower itself was mostly introduced as storage rooms, or nameless rooms that were nailed shut. At least that was how it seemed. It didn’t really feel like a tour was needed, since every place ended with, “and you’re not allowed in here.”

Stormy grimaced at a grime covered window as she floated on past, wondering how much more there was to go. I’m going to have to clean this whole place myself, I just know it… One thing was certain, she really didn’t want to stay there if it meant putting up with the grossness. Chance at getting home or not.

“Now, in regards to this next chamber, it is very important you pay close-”

A tall door made of amber timbers topped the staircase. It was a bit different, because it seemed as if someone had colorfully tie-dyed the edges, and burnt the top.

Stormy raised an eyebrow at this as Merlos opened the door into what she thought she heard him say was the last room. It was well lit unlike the rest of the tower, and was massive, being the only room on that floor.

As Stormy clip-clopped in after him, Merlos closed the door. He began to drone on about this room being the highest point in the tower. “Back when this was an outpost, there would be guards and a great pyre to light in the center. You can see out for hundreds of miles from here-”

While Merlos spoke, Stormy perused with curiosity at the first few interesting things she’d seen since entering the tower. For starters, there were filled bottles ringing half of the room, many of them emitting soft glows or bubbling steam out of their open tops. Mysterious tools and other odd devices hung from the ceiling, and over by a bunch of boring looking bookshelves was a huge telescope!

Ooooh. Stormy’s eyes widened, taking it all in with vested interested.

Merlos continued his speech, having finished pointing out how important it was to obey his rules. “Now, there is also a spell to keep birds and bugs from coming into this area, so I wouldn’t advise trying to fly in or out, unless you desire to imitate a pancake. You see, I keep the majority of my experiments up here, simply because it vents all the noxious fumes out with eas- DON’T TOUCH THAT!”

Stormy, who had been investigating and poking various items in Merlos’ lab, had begun to reach for a bottle to pick it up, just before she had been shouted at. Quickly, she landed and shuffled away from the fragile item.

“S-Sorry,” she said, backpedaling and returning to Merlos’ side.

“What did I just finish saying about not touching anything? Hm?” Merlos stormed over, and readjusted the yet untouched bottle of glowing purple goo. “Perhaps showing you my lab was imprudent of me. If it weren’t for the spell on the walls I wouldn’t have even considered-”

Ears folded back, Stormy listened to Merlos berate her, then move onto lab ‘etiquette’. Whatever that meant.

“Now, uhm, hm. Where was I?” Merlos tapped a finger to his chin, brow folded in thought as he fought to recall his place in the tour.

Stormy, however, saw an opening and spoke up immediately. “You had just finished up explaining everything.” She hoped her smile assisted convincing him of that.

“Ah, right,” Merlos said back, nodding to himself. “Then if you have no questions, I believe that concludes things.”

Stormy raised a hoof, ready to ask a couple. “Well, I was wondering-”

Interrupting her, Merlos clapped his hands together conclusively. “Now then, let’s move on to that information swap we discussed!” Excitement over that topic positively dripped from his voice.

Stormy barely suppressed a heavy groan. Luckily, she was saved by a yawn that cracked her jaw, instead. “Actually, mm’ kinda tired,” she mumbled. All of the rules and other magical things the tall stranger she’d just met had started putting her to sleep harder than History lessons.

“Oh, a pity.” Merlos put on a disappointed look at that. “Well, it can’t be helped then. Let’s see if we can’t find you a room. Hm, now let’s see… There is one there… Yes, that will do.” He motioned for Stormy to follow him. “I have just the spot.”

Stormy perked up slightly at the notion of a bed, then drooped again upon not recalling any such things on the way up. Still, she tried to keep her hopes high while following Merlos back down, who along the way managed to walk headlong into a large spiderweb.

“Gachk-pbbt!” Merlos whipped the hat from atop his head off and proceeded to swat away the web and dust.

Stormy tsked and rolled her eyes. “You knooow, this place really is in dire need of a cleaning-mare’s touch.”

“A what-?” Merlos stopped at the foot of the stairs. Together, the two had clattered back down the tower, floor by floor, until reaching the first one they had started on.

Stormy clambered spryly off the rickety stairs after him. “I meant, I’ll do a little clean up here and there! It’s the least I can do for you letting me stay. Also to get rid of any, ugh, long term health problems from all this dust. Hay, I’ll even clean only where you told me I could go.”

Merlos squinted his eyes at the proposition. “Is this about the dust? Really, it isn’t that bad.”

Stormy stared at him flatly. “Yeeeah, about that. It’s pretty bad.”

“Fine then.” Merlos tugged his beard. “I’ll think about it.”

Stormy laughed in earnest, and shook her head. “Alrighty, that’s good enough for-”

Her words were cut off by a stout humanoid man, bearded and standing nearly at Stormy’s height. The new stranger had appeared from the doorway leading to the ‘offlimits’ basement.

“Baast ia eck urugrosh, khadzull!” he swore and stared with eyes widened. “By the shins o’ me fadder, you weren’t lyin’, lud. That there is definitely somethin’ amazin’. Ahah! Now aren’t’chu just adorable, eh?” He slapped his knee, grinning wide, and strode up to Merlos and the pegasus beside him.

“Ah, Gavlan, good eveni-” The casual words Merlos had been about to impart to his friend died in his throat as yet another dwarf he recognized emerged from the cellar door. “You!? You’re still here? I mean, that is to say, good day to you.”

Orloch, the captain of that area’s guard, strode in as well, still encased in his breastplate and armor from earlier. The black as pitch beard and steely look in his eyes made the quiet in the room seem to double.

This second dwarf spared a brief look to the human greeting him. “G’day,” he returned simply, and in an accent doubly as thick as Gavlan’s. “Brewmaste’, I’ll be takin’ mah leave naow. Been a long day. Please get a hold of me wit’ news’ ‘s soon as yer able.”

Stormy recoiled as the first short humanoid reached out a hand to her—for what reason she didn’t know—but he stopped and spoke back to the guy with the black colored beard.

“Of ‘course, Captain! I’m sure some o’ the lads’ll be happy to help. They’ll have yer problem whipped in no time.” Gavlan chortled, his belly shaking, and paused to take a bite of the large dessert he had held in one massive hand. He spoke around the food. “Ah’m surprised yeh had to come to me at all over such a small thing.”

Orloch shrugged. “Jus’ prefer tah gif first pickin’s to kin when able s’all. Happ’ned to be comin’ this way on business anyway.”

Gavlan laughed harder, nodding with hands on hips. “Right, yeh delivered this little beauty, eh? Now, Merlos, yeh ain’t introduced us yet! Hah, what’s your name there, little fella?” He again reached a hand out towards the curious creature.

Straight away, Stormy flared her wings, ears standing up straight and eyes locked onto the reaching hand of the stranger, apparently named Gavlan. She flared her nostrils and blew a loud snort.

“Oh, tha’ there’s a fiesty one. Eh, old friend? Sure it should be inside with all o’ them fragile expir’ments o’ yours yeh go on about? Hah!” Gavlan again began to prod towards Stormy with one sausage-like finger.

Merlos raised a hand, finally able to get a word in edgewise, before someone yet again spoke over him.

“Oi’ll be goin’ now, brewmaster. It was good catchin’ up wit’ yeh.” Orloch lifted his polished helm from resting atop one of Merlos’ arcanic field distributors, a device renowned for its sensitivity. “Tell yer brother ah said hullo if you see ‘im again this stone’s age.”

Stormy stared on at the weird meet and greet in utter confusion. What are these guys even saaaaying? Sure, she understood the words, but their accent was so incredibly thick it may has well have been gibberish. Waiting, for what she didn’t know, her wings kept open nervously and her tail twitched behind her. Otherwise, she paid a little attention to a sudden, undeniably delicious smell in the air.

Stormy sniffed again, relaxing somewhat. ’Ho Celestia, what is that? It was out of place, considering the tower thus far hadn’t had anything positive smelling yet. She eventually honed in on what she thought was the source; a large chunk of a pie that the first short stranger was waving around in a battered tin.

“Will do, will do. You travel safe now, Captain.” Gavlan clapped the fellow dwarf on the shoulder, showing him to the door.

Stormy took a couple hypnotized steps toward the dessert. Normally she’d protest his rude prodding at her, first, but with a rather beautiful pie being waved around like that, and her stomach still empty, she could hardly break her attention from it.

While the brusque captain took his leave, Merlos noticed where Stormy’s attention had drifted.

“You know, you could always ask for some,” he commented shortly.

Stormy didn’t answer. She simply watched the pie while the dwarf seemed to tease her just by moving it casually, and sniffed at the treat from where she stood, keeping beside Merlos no matter how much her stomach complained. Agonizingly, the dessert had a sweet aroma to it, similar to that of an apple pie, though there was something a little bit off about it.

“So, what was that all about, then?” Merlos watched out the window as Orloch trundled down the dirt path towards the newly cleaned stables.

Gavlan made a relieved sound as he creaked back into a nearby chair. “Ohhh, there’s trouble in parts o’ the realm, same as always.” As he spoke, he raised the pie to his waiting jowls, only to stop, having noticed his audience. “He was askin’ about gettin’ a couple favors to help out escortin’ ‘round the countryside and into the mountains. Guard’s stretched thin,” he finished, now smirking.

Merlos nodded. “Ah, is that all, then. Well, if it’s all the same, I have to see about getting- Excuse her, please, it seems she’s taken an interest in your food.”

What Merlos referred to was the pegasus that was slowly slinking towards Gavlan’s pie, a starved look in her eye and drool slowly dripping from her mouth. The exhausted appearance she had from tiredness added an additional zombie-like quality to her.

“Haha, I see tha’” Gavlan began maneuvering his pie tin about in the air, watching his audience’s uninterruptable focus. “So, what yeh said was true, lud. This is for certain an amazin’ creature. It can’t be no pegasus though, surely. I seen pictures o’ them before, and they weren’t a thing like this beast.”

Stormy heard the word beast uttered in reference to herself, and spared the short ‘man’ with a bulbous nose a dirty look, before swallowing hard, ready to finally ask for his edible looking dessert.

Merlos beat her to the punch. “Oh? Then in that case you’ll be doubly amazed to learn she can speak, as well! Also quite unlike a normal pegasus. Which, if we’re playing fair, would mean I get two kegs of your finest.” He grinned, his bet with the old dwarf from the day before well remembered.

“Bah, there be no such rule where I’m from, you skinflint. And yeh’ll get no such generosity from me. Though, I am a dwarf o’ me word. Yeh’ll getcher keg.” Gavlan laughed. “But, it’s a she, eh? And she can talk, can she? Well little miss, why don’t yeh introduce yourself?”

Stormy blinked, suddenly having both opposing pairs of eyes on her. A mixture of stage fright and hesitation from new surroundings made her pause. Before answering, however, a little spark of mischief and an idea entered her head, and put her more at ease. When you were scared, laughing or a joke helped lighten the mood. The idea tied back to the fact that her speaking seemed out of place and strange.

With that in mind, Stormy blew a mild snort, then simply looked back at the pie; nothing more.

Gavlan raised an eyebrow, and glanced over at Merlos.

Merlos, for his part, scowled. “Hmph. She wouldn’t stop whining earlier about the dust. Stormy, come now, say hello at least. That’s her name, by the way.”

Stormy just barely managed to keep a snicker under wraps.

“Oh, yeh almost had me there, that time.” Gavlan laughed, and began moving the pie up and down, then mocked a fake voice in falsetto. “Oh yah, I could nay be a talkin’ wing-ed horse, Merlos. That ‘ould be downright silly! Jus’ one o’ the two’s enough for me.”

Merlos traded between glaring at Stormy and looking at Gavlan pleadingly. “What? No, really! I swear she can talk!” he said in his defense. “She’s just trying to- to-”

“Suuuure she can, lud,” Gavlan replied between chuckles.

“Go ahead, speak to him.” Merlos encouraged. Stormy took her eyes off the pie and gave a smirk to Merlos for just a brief moment, then nickered lightly.

Gavlan smiled. “Yup, I see she’s quite a talker.”

With more enthusiasm this time, and a hint of impatience, Stormy gave both humanoids another nickering grunt again, to which Merlos slapped a hand over his face.

“Well then, I won’t tease ‘er no longer.” Gavlan promptly set the pie tin down. “Here y’ go little darlin’. Such a well behaved pegasus you’ve got here.”

Stormy’s first instinct was to pick the pie up in her hooves and set it on the nearby table to eat. But, going with the flow, shrugged and leaned full on into the dessert. Oh my gosh, it’s still warm! Mmm, spicy, too. A spicy dessert? Not bad… The delicious treat had her at a loss, but nonetheless, it was as good as a gift from Celestia herself. What is this flavor though?

Merlos sighed despairingly to himself, seeing through his newest tenant’s mischief. “So that’s the way you’re going to play it, hm?” he muttered, then turned back to Gavlan. “Well behaved, really? That is yet to be seen. Oh and don't feed her that sugar-ridden garbage. She'll get fat. Or worse, used to getting hand outs. She's staying here you know and I don't want to put up with some sugar-laden hyperactive monster."

Merlos earned a derisive snort and a glare from Stormy in response to his last comment.

Gavlan reached out to pet Stormy as she ate his dessert. “A monster? She’s so adorable, lud! I look forward to her being around the place. It’s not like you couldn’t use a friend or companion being cooped up in your tower all the time anyways.”

Stormy caught sight of something in her peripherals, and almost squeaked as a meaty, coarse palm encompassed her head, then began stroking her mane lightly. Oh Celestiaaa, her thoughts panicked. A startled squeak muffled its way out of her, just barely suppressed. He’s touching meee. She scrunched her eyes shut, but kept her act up, and told herself it would be worth it later.

Gavlan sighed, and stood up out of his chair abruptly. “Well, I best be goin’, you two. Got some plannin’ t’do with the lads, it seems.”

“Now hold on, what about my keg?” Merlos asked before Gavlan could depart.

Gavlan turned, a look of mock shock on his face, before then grinning broadly. “Oh, tha’? Well, I don’t ‘ave one right now.”

"You what?” Merlos deadpanned. “But you run a brewery down there! How do you not have a spare keg?” he blanched.

Gavlan gave a cheerful shrug. "Aye, but the lads just set sail down the river with everything we had. There was a big order from yer kin at that big port city you humans brag about, Halia.” He chuckled again. “And besides tha’, I didn’t really think yeh were tellin’ the truth, either. Hah.”

Merlos began to scowl, and Gavlan waved a stubby arm his way. “Easy, easy, I’m a dwarf o’ my word. You’ll get yer keg, and I’ll make it a goodin’ too. I’ve just got to contact my cousin in Riverdale to meet the demand this season. On tha’ note, there might even be a lil’ money in it fer ya.”

Merlos stared skeptically, before saying, “I’m listening.” As he did, he stared at the pony eagerly consuming her fill of apple pie. He took a moment to observe how she ate. As hungrily as she seemed to attack the pie, it was rather clean and dainty compared to a dog or how other quadrupeds would consume such a delicate food. For starters, she was chewing.

“Well,” Gavlan went on. “Yeh mentioned adventurin’ again. Orloch as yeh saw were offerin’ me ‘n the lads a bit o’ work. ‘Course if I do that, I’ve got fewer hands on the ol’ river barge. Followin’ me?”

Merlos tilted his head back and slowly responded. “Are you suggesting an escort quest?”

Gavlan grinned again. “Aye! Simple, easy, and honest work. An’ if bandits or worse do give yeh a spot o’ trouble, there’s extra in it. But, here’s the kicker. While yer visitin’ the capitol down there, yeh can think about lookin’ for bigger boars to spear, eh? Haha!”

By that, Merlos understood that he meant ways to make gold. He had been about to refute the notion of drifting for days on end down river on a cramped boat, and worse, alongside and in close quarters with his tenants. But, the proposal did bring to light his earlier considerations of travel, and more.

“Interesting,” Merlos thought to himself. “Well, I do need the coin, certainly-”

No sooner had he finished, than Gavlan hopped and slapped his back roughly. “Tha’s the spirit! Hah! I’ll get you the details soon, then.” His heavy boots hit the wood floor with a thud. “And I’ll be seein’ you ‘round I suspect, Stormy.” He crooned the last bit in a cutesy voice.

Merlos coughed, practically choking from surprise, and doubled over from the shock his body took.

At the same time, and contented from her meal, Stormy looked up just in time to dodge another vigorous petting from Gavlan. She eyed him warily.

“Hehe, good night then.” Gavlan thumped his way back across the musty foyeur, and towards the musty door that led downward, leaving a coughing Merlos and a pegasus with a pie stained muzzle behind him.

As Gavlan walked beyond earshot, Stormy gulped down her last mouthful, then began to sing. “Hello my filly, Hello my pony, Hello my ragtime mare!” She grinned at Merlos viciously.

Merlos, still bent over, grumbled back in response. “Next stop, your room, so when I get annoyed with you I can send you to it. And after today, I suspect you’ll become very intimately familiar with it.”

“Sounds good!” Stormy affirmed cheerfully and innocently, all while lapping her lips a moment to get all the sticky pie goo off them.

Half-hunched over, Merlos led the way toward a back door that had previously been simply ‘off-limits’.

Stormy watched him as he stooped his way down the hall.

Merlos had been stern, gruff, and pretty rough around the edges all in all, for an old guy. But he was accommodating, and an overall okay guy, considering the situation. At least, as far as Stormy could tell.

Oh well, even if I did first show up here in a dungeon, I could have ended up somewhere worse, I guess, Stormy thought, snickering. It could have been dragon world, instead of weird two legged monkey world.

She bowed down to nip the pie tin’s side and placed the treat upon her back; at least there it would be safe from the dust they disturbed.

Stormy stood in the doorway looking at the sight before her.

“Is this the only cleaned room in the tower? Well… as clean as it can be?” she asked, running a hoof along the floor, surprised at the clean spot. She wiped her hoof on a nearby rug and waited for the human to respond.

Merlos, still flustered, glowered back without answering.

“‘Cause, uh, it didn’t seem like any of the other rooms were all that clean. I was hoping to get one I could actually sleep in.” Stormy shuffled slightly from side to side under the taller being’s scrutiny. And I’m still hungry... she thought.

Merlos straightened up with realization. “Oh- Oh I see. Well it’s the best I have on such short notice, I’m afraid.”

With an awkward pause, Merlos watched the pegasi’s fear of dust tendencies before continuing. “Ah well, this is a pretty sizable tower. There are plenty of rooms on the lower few levels to use.” He had corralled the little pony to where some old barracks rooms were. “I was going to house helpstaff here, though I never got around to that... but it should suit you well enough until… you clean it, or some such.”

The room was pretty bad off, but it wasn’t quite uninhabitable. It was very big, though.

Rotten and dilapidated remains of bunk beds and a few nicer, but shoddily kept beds were lined up along the long walls. Footlockers nestled soundly at the foot of each bunk bed, and a large bell hung just off the side of the door. The walls were grimey, old and seemingly had seen much better days. A few doorways led to a smaller room, one of which was a former garderobe, complete with a few rodents scurrying to hide in any crevasse or other hideaway.

The doorway leading to the small room contained a single bed, a desk and a bookshelf with many moldy volumes on its shelves. Its interior had been kept in good condition by a magical artifact, casting a mending spell on the interior, keeping everything clean and well preserved. The room looked as if it were only recently abandoned.

Stormy had drunk in the sight tiredly, but managed to smile after some thought.

“I imagine you’ll want this smaller room since it’s better kept than the rest of the place,” Merlos said, using a mage-hand spell to lift the acceptably clean wool sheet off the bed. “Hmm, strange, no bugs… But at least this room is well kept versus most of the tower. Now before I let you go for the night, I need to lay down a couple more rules.” His tone shifted to a serious and no-nonsense tone.

“No run- err, no galloping around in the hallways, or making lots of loud noise. I keep a peaceful and quiet home.”

Stormy blinked as the wizard carried on about wiping dirty hooves off at the door. She began nodding along without listening, her eyes getting heavy with the wizard somehow getting on a tangent about windows, though there weren’t any within that area itself and blah blah blah...

“Do you understand all of that?” he finally finished, both of his gnarled hands on his hips as he looked sternly down

Stormy, for her part, was doing her best at not passing out from being bored to tears. She stared at Merlos vacantly before snapping into revery. “I- uh, yes.”

“Maybe we should call it a night?” Stormy suggested, a hopeful tone in her voice seeming to draw the wizard out from his expected answer

“Ah, yes… Well I suppose its time we part ways and go to bed. At least a nap to help the day’s events pass by.” The dress wearing man said, reaching under his cap to scratch noisily at his scraggly mane.

Stormy nodded and bowed a little. “Goodnight, mister Merlos, sir,” she mumbled, before hurriedly returning to the room she was shown before.

Merlos grumbled, “Goodnight,” almost imperceptibly while he began to make his way up the stairs and to his own chambers. A room kept clean with simple magics to hide away stains, and of course, animate random cleaning supplies for those areas that were well used.

The darkness surrounded Stormy. Vaguely, she was aware she was dreaming, but in that strange way that wasn’t quite lucid.

Instead it was cold, angry, and somehow left her feeling lonely.

“A-Anypony there?” she asked, glancing upwards to the sky. A tiny blue dot of a star shone down to her. The feeling was so alien to her, because these dreams never quite felt like dreams.

Stormy took slow steps around in her broken dreamscape. Since her arrival a few weeks ago, it’d been like this every time she’d fallen asleep.

A feeling of something cold touched her shoulders, causing her to whirl around and face it. Her eyes widened to that of saucers as she saw a skeleton of a pegasus filly next to her.

“You need to come back, he’s waiting for you.” It said, faded burning coals burning within its eyes. Red embers illuminated its skull with a pink hue while its mandible moved with each word. “I need you…. I want you… I’ve been lonely for so so long, we can be friends… Forever...”

Stormy’s mind let her do the only thing she could do.

Stormy awoke with a start; sweat seemed to soak her bedding. Curling up in a ball, she sobbed quietly. Shivering with the vivid details of the skeleton in her mind. Even Nightmare Night wasn't that scary.

“Alright,” she muttered, “No more dessert before bed…”

Clutching her tail she pet it until her sobs calmed down to occasional sniffles. It was dark in the room, a faint glowing gemstone was the only source of illumination for her and she didn't want to stay in bed any longer.

The pie had teased her belly and now that she had slept she was all the more hungry. It was time to finish the rest off. Both that and her restlessness drew her out of the strange bed.

Nibbling the leftovers down a little at a time, Stormy considered her luck in getting some real food, rather than the ghastly offerings of Merlos’ pantry.

While she could maybe make a basic meal of cooked rolled oats or something from the pantry, plain old grass from outside Merlos’ home honestly seemed a lot more appealing; he did also mention he bought some kind of feed, so she considered checking out the stable too, just in case.

With a shudder she remembered the hanging slabs of what she’d decided was probably… meat, hanging within it. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it had a particular smell and made her shiver when she thought about it. She couldn’t put her hoof on it, but just being near it just bothered her, and she had honestly always thought she was pretty PC.

Letting her eyes linger around the features of her room, Stormy set about to make her bed and neaten her surroundings.

The glowing gem thing that had dimmed bloomed alight as she did.

“Gah!” Stormy shut her eyes. “Okay, that’s bright.” A hoof scrubbed at her eyes to get rid of the sparks in them. Once done, the mildly clean alcove she was in and the filthy rooms beyond it met her.

While she protested the way Merlos kept his home, she felt while she was there she could at least do her part in upkeep for the tower.

Hopefully that stay wouldn’t be for very long.

The tower, while it didn’t seem too large from the outside, seemed rather easy to get lost within. Every floor had been different, and if she was being honest with herself, she had been paying attention a little absently.

“It’s not my fault that guy’s boring…” Nibbling on the last of her pie, Stormy felt the pains of hunger subside for the moment, though she wanted something a little more filling.

She poked her way out of the room, intent to find the kitchen, or the way leading outside. The glowing pebble in the wall seemed to glow a bit brighter than it had earlier, and she surmised it was because it was likely later in the day. It certainly kept the room very well illuminated.

The door exiting her room screeched loudly on rusty hinges as she pushed it open slowly.

Ow! Owowow- Her eyes clapped against her skull. That was loud. Gah, this guy needs to take a seminar on home care. As quietly as she could, she stumbled out into the hall, a flickering lamp hanging on the wall guiding her. Okay… now where was I?

Directly opposite her was another room.

Was that one the kitchen? Stormy wasn’t sure. Only one way to find out.

The other door had a thick brace on it like the kitchen, and it swung off easily enough. The door opened more easily, too.

Contrary to the easy entry, her initial search provided nothing in the way of interesting things to look at or figure out.

It was definitely not the kitchen though.

From what she could make out in the dark, much of the room’s walls were barren. Mostly vacant shelves and a shattered desk seemed almost out of place in the otherwise empty room.

Rather than leave right there, she stepped further in, curiosity getting the best of her. It was dark inside, but her eyes adjusted well to the absence of the hall’s lamplight.

With a bit of exploring, Stormy found all but one drawer of the desk easy to open, but empty. She did take a moment to look over the books left sprawled randomly. She couldn’t make out the words in the dark, but a few pages had crude pictures on them.

Thinking back to the tour, Stormy thought she had recognized some of the lettering and symbols on a few books in the lab. But, she felt reluctant to go in there so soon after being yelled at.

With a sigh, Stormy left the door and exited the room.

With such a big tower and so many places to explore and search, she wanted to get an idea just how big the whole thing was. So, cantering toward the ground level stairs, she poked through and explored the first floor. Leaving most of the sealed doors closed, she came upon another one with a brace. With a bit of work, she managed to open the door and slowly stepped inside.

The room was predictably messy and dusty, with pieces of wood and corroded metal were strewn everywhere in the room.

But once again it wasn’t the kitchen.

Studying bits of floor rubbish, Stormy determined these to be similar to swords and shields she had witnessed on guardponies. Whoa, these are rare. After picking one big metal tool up, it fell apart in her hooves from deterioration alone in the flickering light.

Stormy sniffed around and made a disgusted face. The air was stale in the room and with a glance over she determined that it hadn’t had a window opened or a decent breeze in a great while. Her nose crinkled at the hinted scent of rodents and their leavings somewhere as well, but for the moment she paid it little mind. Nothing that a good cleanup and a mopping wouldn't fix.

Nipping a sword by its handle, she found it in better condition than much of the debris around her and with a few swings, but after just a couple swings a part of it flung away and clattered on the ground.

Stormy winced right away, and perked her ears to listen for Merlos. She wouldn’t think he’d be too happy with her playing around in that room too much.

Then, from behind a door nearby, she heard a clicking sound. In surprise at actually hearing something, she dropped the still good handle of the sword and it clanked on the floor at her hooves.

Stormy searched the shadows, and her eyes picked out a lone door recessed into a stone wall a bit, like a closet. She heard the clacking inside it again.

Her ears flattened back and her eyes kept focused on the door, sniffing the air again she drew slow hesitant hoofsteps towards the door. With each step, the room’s feeling became strangely “heavy” and cold.

“Is somepony there?” she asked quietly.

The clicking happened again and she froze, her heart pounding in her little gray chest. One part of her yearned to ignore it and just go to the kitchen, but her filly’s curiosity often got the better of her.

Stormy took another few steps closer. Tiny alarms inside her told her to run away, to hide, to find a cloud and get comfy in it till mommy came, but there was that curiosity that pulled her closer.

“H-Hello?”

Stormy drew a little closer, and could make out more details. A few pieces of decayed wood seemed visible, possibly once barricading the contents of the door, which in itself was nearly rotten through. Mildew had bored many large gaping holes in the wood.

“Mister M-Merlos? Is that you?”

Tentatively Stormy reached a hoof out and undid a rough latch on the side. Right away, the door noisily swung open on hinges needing lubrication for several centuries. Within the doorway’s shadows, she saw something so terrifying that color drained from her face.

It wasn’t dust or mice this time, either.

She let out a gasp while her flight response had trouble kicking in. Her hooves felt glued to the floor, the dreadful feeling of mortal danger ringing soundly in her mind. As far as her brain was concerned, those feathery things on the sides of her body might as well have not existed.

Four pairs of red glowing eyes, twice her height, fell on her. The doorway was barely large enough for two humans like Merlos to fit within standing shoulder to shoulder, but they leaned over one another in order to all make eye contact.

Stormy’s ears pinned back while her eyes focused into tiny dots.

The clacking started up again as the beings approached the door. They stopped to study her, while Stormy held her breath.

The abominations were a bit like the humans, except they were a bunch of skeletons. That, and their rounded skulls and pointed teeth gave her the impression that they were of a different variety. They were clad in what was likely their final vestments, the clothing now soiled and ragged against their bony bodies. Their eyes glowed a dull red, akin to dull embers in memory of the heat and warmth they once held.

Rasps like pitiful imitations of voices whispered out from their mouths. Each of them seemed to lean closer and closer toward her, then reached out slowly with bony hands grasping like pale claws out of the dark closet.

A strangled scream finally made its way out of Stormy.

Merlos awoke in the early hours of the morning with a start, the motions of swimming making it difficult to make sense of the world. He heard something, faint at first but it was definitely there and getting louder. Crossed thoughts of scolding Stormy worked across his mind while he brought himself to an awoken state. He was certain that he told her not to be so noisy at night.

There was some crashing sound accompanying the screaming. Was it screaming? Yes, definitely screaming. It passed easily into his bedroom.

Merlos rose up off his bed and wandered clumsily to his bedroom door, trying to make sense of why his new house guest would be screaming so much.

He pulled his door open, hearing the erratic sounds of Stormy’s wings and of course, her panicked screams. Peeking at what the commotion was all about he stuck his head out to see a panicking Stormy, flying desperately down the hall and through the air, her legs flailing.

“What is the meaning of this?” he called, his eyes a little bloodshot from his lack of a proper night’s rest.

Stormy, who had sighted her savior, flew at and tackled him in the face. She clutched his head and erratically pointing down the hallway while blubbering incoherently.

Merlos struggled, both to stand and to rip off the pegasus clinging to his face. “Would you get off!?” he fought to shout, still trying to get her plush-like belly fur off his face so he could at least breathe.

Once he had his face-hugger situation under control, and an unwelcome winged pony hanging in his arms, an ear piercing shriek grabbed his attention. The scream wasn’t from Stormy, but from down the hall.

Merlos looked up, eyes stark but serious. “Oh, that’s why you’re upset.”

A small troupe of skeletons were currently shambling down the hallway and toward them both, each clutching old weapons or shields and clad in ragged and rusty armor.

Stormy’s gibberish grew more panicked and less coherent with her mad jabs at the approaching monsters.

“Very well, then.” Merlos unceremoniously dropped Stormy onto the floor with a loud thump, and rolled up his bathrobe’s sleeves.

CHAPTER 004: The skeletons in his closet.

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Merlos stared down the trio of skeletons at the end of his corridor. Stormy shivered behind him, staying as out of sight as she could.

Merlos only had enough time to think bitterly of where exactly his strange guest had found creatures so dangerous, before realizing by their fast approach that he hadn’t the time for deliberating.

Arcane words of power formed in his mind right away, and a deceptively mild glow at his fingertips formed as he pointed at the nearest skeleton. Nearly invisible crescents of air rippled around him, then rushed forward into two of the skeletons, carrying them off their feet and into the wall.

The skeletons shattered, the combination of arcane forces and evocation magics being more than enough to finish off their centuries-long worn and beaten forms. One of the two went completely limp, bits of jagged bones rattling and its red eyes going dark. The other merely came apart comically like a puppet with its strings cut, loose arms and legs bouncing on the stone floor. The second’s still chattering skull bounced and rolled angrily in a tight circle.

Shockingly, and catching Merlos off his guard, the last of the three kept moving, despite the spell. The skeleton’s bony feet clicked faster on the stone floor through its aggressive advance.

Merlos’ brow furrowed in anger. “What the blazes?”

Merlos switched to another spell with one hand, and a spear of fire erupted into being from nothing but the air. Its flames glowed hot, illuminating the hallways with red and orange hues.

With a mighty cry—a mighty cry for him, anyway—he hurled the spear. It struck true in the remaining skeleton’s chest, just before it vanished in a pathetic show of sparks and an unimpressive noise that sounded like frrt.

Merlos stared in disbelief of one of his strongest spells not phasing the skeleton at all. With little time to spare, he caught notice of the likely culprit of how.

A sickly purple glow swayed beneath the skeleton’s unsightly head around its neck.

“Oh, an artifact that disperses magic,” Merlos said in an interested way. It occurred to him that he’d been meaning to get one of those, before becoming aware of the monster again. “I think I need a new plan then. Stormy, what sort of skills do you-”

Merlos had turned to ask his furry companion, only to catch sight of her hindquarters disappearing around the corner in the opposite direction of the skeleton.

“Hey! Come back here! You coward!” He shook a gnarled fist at the pegasus in egress. In that moment he noticed that the skeleton’s steps were no longer getting louder.

Wincing, he turned to face the awful thing, now standing right before him. He could clearly see the steady glow of arcane-magic dispelling amulet, and smell the ancient decay clinging to its bones.

The skeleton raised its clawed hand up high and fiercely swung towards him.

Merlos cursed. “Oh biscuits-”

Stormy flew hard and corkscrewed her way down the hall and around corners, nearly crashing several times as she did. Fear drove her sloppy indoor flying, even after she found the wide basement staircase she’d been told to stay away from. The idea had formed purely out of panic, but in her head, she desperately told herself she had to go and get Merlos’ weird basement roommate.

Not at all wanting to slow down, Stormy rolled to her side and made contact with the wall. Her hooves thumped hard on the timbers and her wings worked faster to keep from falling as she ran.

He has to be able to help! she thought, making regular jumps to avoid the occasional wooden beam. Right!?

The idea seemed sound. It didn’t take a genius to know that the short-mans, or whatever Gavlan’s race was called, were warriors. Stormy had seen them coming to and fro from her pen in the auction, some carrying intimidating weapons, others carrying stranger objects that defied logic. The one that had left earlier, Or-lick or whatever, had been like those guys. Of course, he had left...

Still full of panicked breath, Stormy nearly crashed into a stout wooden door at the bottom of the stairs. She screeched to a halt, stopping just fast enough to thump into the door lightly, but didn’t waste any time. “Hello!? Is anyone in there!?” she yelled, banging with both hooves and praying that someone would answer.

Straight away, surprisingly, someone answered her.

“Och, aye? Who be that at this hour, eh?” the muffled voice return. A series of heavy clunking footsteps followed suit.

Stormy scrunched her muzzle up as it dawned on her that Merlos’ magic voodoo spell must have worn off. She couldn’t make out a word of what she had just heard spoken to her. In fact, now with her panic lessening, she realized she hadn’t understood anything Merlos had been saying at all! Oh crap. That means this guy won’t be able to understand me, either!

Her face froze into yet another expression of panic, just as the heavy door swung open to reveal a short, bulky figure in a funny looking brown vest and a nightcap. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Gavlan, though she supposed that it wouldn’t have mattered much.

“Oh, an’ what in the hell might you be, eh?” the bulky stranger asked. His eyes squinted in question, and his big bristly face-hair bounced as he spoke.

Stormy blinked. “Uuuuhm.” It was true, she hadn’t been able to understand a word he said to her. Still, when she answered, the stout fellow’s eyes widened slightly, even looking beady on his broad face.

Stormy continued. “You can’t understand me, can you?”

The lack of a response and slightly perplexed look from the short-man confirmed her earlier suspicions.

“Oi, Knott, what’s Merlos on about over there?” a slightly more familiar voice yelled.

The first stranger turned his head back warily and answered. “T’ain’t Merlos, yeh daft ol’ codger! Seems like some expir’ment o’ his got loose! It’s speakin’ gibberish!”

Stormy scrunched her face in concentration just as Gavlan, whom she recognized the funny braided face-hair of immediately, stepped into the doorway.

“Oh, it’s you yah sweet lil’ thing! What are yeh lookin’ for, Stormy? Scraps, eh?” He laughed. “Ges, go get me a pie!”

A third voice from back in the room answered Gavlan with a defiant, “Go get it yerself!”

“This thing’s got a name?” Knott muttered to Gavlan. “Stormy’s a funny name fer a beast, isn’t it?”

Stormy groaned in frustration. She didn’t understand their laughing or yelling, though she made a guess that maybe the older looking one named Gavlan just liked her and was happy to see her. She heard a crash from up the stairs behind herself, and began to feel frantic once again.

I don’t care who it is, somepony’s gotta help! Ignoring whatever the short-mans were saying, she reached out and got a mouthful of the first stranger’s clothing, then gave a sharp tug. Later, she would ponder why it tasted of salt and barley.

“What is it yeh want, yeh strange beast?” Knott resisted the odd creature’s insisting tugs, while also stretching out his ear to sound from overhead. “Is it… Aye, I think something’s not right,” he said, stumbling a couple steps from the pegasi’s less than tactful urgings.

With an irritated whinny and another sharp tug, Stormy pulled on his clothing again.

“Must really want that pie...” Gavlan murmured.

“I don’t think tha’s it, uncle,” Knott refuted. “I hear a fight. Upstairs.” He nodded to above their heads.

Stormy finally let his clothing go and pointed up with a hoof frantically while bouncing up and down. Another loud crash and a muffled cry from above seemed to be enough for the stranger, his face screwing up into a relieving sort of scrutiny and worry. “Come oooon, come on!” she whined insistently.

“Right… Lads, grab yer weapons ‘n tools!” Gavlan bellowed. “Seems sommin’s meddlin’ upstairs.” He hefted up a large cudgel from the behind door’s crook.

Chattering voices followed by the thunder of footsteps on wood answered him.

Stormy beamed at their sudden energy. Awesome! It worked, it worked! She began to celebrate, but instead let out a startled sound at almost being trampled over. “Aaah! Guys, chill out! Uhm-!” The basement tenants had all charged out at once, and there was a surprising number of them. Stormy didn’t have time to count. Instead, she was barely able to turn around and start her way back up the stairs ahead of them. “Hey—! Stop pushing!”

A loud, bellowing cry from everypony behind her rushed up the stairs. She ran as best she could, ears folded back against the racket. The stout two-legged strangers surprisingly kept up with her, despite only having two legs rather than four.

Too late, Stormy realized, Oh crap… I’m in front!?

When the basement group of dwarves and one very flustered pegasus burst into the room, they quickly encountered the cause of the disturbance.

Their landlord was there—looking less than well off—while the problem appeared to be a skeleton that was busy hissing, pummeling, and scratching at him. The wizard’s only defense seemed to be a broom.

Merlos noticed his tenants had joined the excruciatingly fun time he was having against the undead scourge in his humble home. “Well!? Do somethi—”

With a sweeping arm the skeleton knocked Merlos to the ground and quickly gave the new group its undivided attention.

“HSSS!”

“Utinni! Utinni!” Stormy cried, and in whatever strange language it was she spoke. She took refuge behind the dwarves and pointed wildly at the approaching skeleton.

The dwarves all quickly funneled into the room, but one acted first, nudging Stormy aside.

“Ohhh, thissun looks fun.” Knott waddled past the little winged horse and hefted an ornate axe, shifting his grip. “Dibs!” he shouted, and rushed forward without hesitation.

Stormy gasped at the stranger’s decision to charge like that, then gasped again when all of his friends just cheered him on rather than help!

The skeleton screeched at the approaching humanoid and swiped at him with both clawed hands.

Knott dodged to the undead horror’s left and squared his feet immediately after. Letting loose a mighty roar that would steal the courage from a minotaur, he turned his axe around to the flat side and swung.

The blow landed true on the skeleton’s mid-section. A cracking sound filled the room, followed by the clattering of the skeleton as it crumpled to the ground, shrieking the whole time.

Cheers went up from the dwarves by the door as Knott spun ‘round, arms raised up for an encore. He wasn’t finished yet though, and transferred both hands back onto his axe as he delivered the finishing blow.

Shocked, Stormy raised a hoof to her muzzle, holding her breath the whole time.

The mighty hammering turned the skeleton’s head into bone-meal with a final crunch.

“Haha, yeh see! Wizard, if yer gonna take on a skelli-ton, ye’ve got to take em down with something blunt un hebby!” Knott gave the broom laying on the floor a little kick. “Yer feather duster won’ be getting anything done.” He laughed again.

Merlos, still prone on the floor, busily stared with aggravation up at his ceiling.

Stormy’s jaw dropped at the sight of the lightning fast violence. “Oh my gosh, it’s over. They did it! That… was- They did- And we’re not dead.” Her gaze was stuck fast to the human skeletons’ remains, now inert and motionless on the ground.

Even with the situation over and done with, her queasy feeling remained, and she finally noticed the light headed sensation she was getting.

Meanwhile, after spending a moment to poke through the skeleton’s ribs, Knott successfully fished out something he’d spotted in the scuffle: a shiny bit of jewelry. The amulet was suspended on a delicate chain of gold and was set in with a ruby. “Ah, spoils of war! You lads’ll have to be quicker next time.” He quickly pocketed the glittering prize. Afterwards, he walked back to the group with a swagger and a charming smile.

Gavlan had long since moved toward Merlos and was busy helping him up, despite his protests.

“I’m fine, thank you very much— Hey, hey! Who said you could take that? And I’ll have you lot know I had everything under control,” Merlos quipped indignantly. “This abomination simply took me by surprise is all.” He crossed his arms, and gave the remains a harsh kick of revenge.

“Aye, maybe, but I’ll be claiming it as my own all the same,” Knott said, turning around with a broad grin. “You know the law of adventurers, eh, Merlos? To the victor goes the spoils!”

Merlos raised a finger up, looking ready to speak his mind and hold nothing back. “My home is not a dungeon to be plundered!”

Knott glanced around himself, then laughed, “Oh? You wouldn’t know tha’ by lookin’ at it.”

The dwarves, those that weren’t already returning below to their hold, broke into an uproar of laughter at this.

Merlos had been about to press the issue, but was left little choice but to be drowned out.

“A beast well slain, brother!” Ges chortled and clapped Knott on the shoulder. “See lads? Told yeh he’d take down whateve’ it was in two moves or less.” Pride was etched upon his sibling’s face from the congratulatory boasting.

Every dwarf present raised another round of cheering, weapons—improvised and otherwise—waving in the air.

Gavlan chortled along at his kin’s bravado, but at least acted somewhat appropriately given the situation. “So, Merlos, what happened up here, eh?”

Merlos, busily looking at the rips in his favorite night robe, grunted angrily. “The undead, that’s what happened! Bah.” His left sleeve was nearly completely torn off. “Blasted things ruined my clothing.”

Gavlan scratched his beard. “Och, well I can see tha’, Merlos. And I knew ye’ had skeletons in yer closet, but this is ridiculous.” He gave the wizard’s side a friendly nudge. “Heh, so these things snuck in?”

Merlos gave him a tired look. At the same time, he snapped his fingers; with a faint glow the remains of the fallen skeletons were whisked off by a sudden breeze and carried out a window. “Very funny, old friend. I can assure you these things did not come from my closet! And I have no idea how they got in. They were chasing Stormy, and I awoke to her leading them to me, and then she fled as I defended her!”

Merlos paused to shoot the pegasus—young or not—a quick glare.

“Aye, well, she fetched us to save yeh, too.” Gavlan poked the wizard’s ribs hard with a finger.

Merlos waved a dismissive hand. “True, I suppose, Now, in any case, I appreciate the assistance, but if you don’t mind I was in the middle of sleeping. The presence of a bunch your rowdy kin up here in the wee hours of the morning puts a damper on that and I’d very much like—”

Although Merlos had his intrusive rescuers’ full attention, the sounds of whimpering and sniffling distracted both him and the rest of the group.

The lot of them looked for the source of the noise, and located it at the far corner of the room as a crouched, light grey form. The sounds of celebration died down.

“Is… Is it crying?” one of the dwarves asked, watching the shivering pegasus. She was hiding under her wings and sobbing softly into her front hooves.

Merlos took in a slow breath… then huffed. With arms already crossing themselves, he prepared a stern little bit of ‘I told you so’ for his guest.

“You’re fine, now knock that off, Stormy.” Merlos didn’t have to wait long to determine Stormy wasn’t calming down. The lack of a reaction to him said that much clearly. He realized she couldn’t understand him, but the fact the fight was over should have been enough to put an end to the hysterics.

Someone else made a move, rather than stand by idly and let Merlos continue to flub sounding concerned.

Ges strode away from the spot beside his brother and slowly approached. “You’re safe now, you’re safe, shhhh,” were his first words. His approach was deadly silent, though the leather armor fitted onto him creaked slightly. A few whips were coiled loosely at his sides in a loop holster, and what looked to be an ice-axe dangling from behind them scraped the wood floor as he kneeled down.

Oh my gosh. I swear I almost died. And Merlos is probably gonna be mad and throw me out and I’ll never get home and then, then— And they killed that thing, I just wanna—! Stormy looked up a little, choking a breath in from surprise at being snuck up on. One of the short-mans was right there in front of her.

“Sshhh, it’s okay now,” Ges repeated. “Tha’ beasty’s gone.”

“She can’t understand you right now,” Merlos intoned impatiently, and rolled his eyes. “She doesn’t speak common, and my enchantment’s worn off.” A quick swat to the back of his head from Gavlan caught him off guard, and the two began trading scowls.

Meanwhile, Ges kept a penetrating stare with the little creature before him, looking as though he peered off into the horizon. Before anyone there noticed, even Stormy, he was stroking her mane gently.

Up close, tears glistened around the miniature winged pony’s eyes. Her wings themselves seemed to be what caused her shaking, wrapped around her like a comforting blanket as they were.

Ges’ efforts calmed her down from hyperventilating quickly. “You’re safe, you’re safe, shhhh,” he repeated. He could see the swelling from minor bruises on her body, likely from flying through doors rather than being attacked by the undead menaces. “She’s had quite the scare, this one. I can tell.”

Stormy shuddered out a limp feeling breath, trying to get control of herself. It struck her as odd that the presence of yet another stranger somehow helped. She had never felt a calming presence from someone like this before; it was like suddenly this short-man—who was also weirdly petting her head like the neighbor’s family dog—was the most trustable individual in the world, and she just let him stroke her. Her eyes looked back into his own, unable to take them away. Those gentle brown eyes, both intense with a thousand yard stare, yet calming and showing a gentle soul within them.

Gavlan had been kinda weird, if tolerable, but if he had tried calming her down like this, she woulda bit him.

Stormy closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, feeling much more relaxed all of a sudden. Huh, so why’s this guy so…

With Merlos’ pegasus, Stormy, successfully calmed and no longer crying—and Ges had to admit that crying wasn’t something he was used to when calming animals—he reached behind himself a moment and cupped a hand with some oats resting in it.

Stormy looked down with a dazed look at the oats, then blinked at them and stuck out her tongue. “Kali-mah…” she groaned in her strange language from before, then leaned against the wall, away from the offered treat.

“Hm, never had a creature say no to food before,” Ges chuckled. “Are you feelin’ better now, eh?” He tried to give her a few more pets, only to be dodged.

“She’s fine now, so all of you stop gawking and shoo,” Merlos said coldly. Ready to just go back to bed and try to get some sleep.

“Have a heart, Merlos,” Gavlan shot, “She jus’ had a frightenin’ encounter with some undead, and that’s about as frightenin’ as it gets. You’d be scared too if ye didn’t have yer skills in magic.”

“For all the good they did me. I’m terribly rusty, bah. But I wonder what that necklace was—” Merlos waved a hand. “Regardless, apples and oranges, Gavlan. And what in the nine hells did that nephew of yours just do to calm her down?”

Gavlan chuckled. “Besides not lookin’ at her like he were goin’ to skin her, yah mean? Well, Ges ’s good with critters like tha’. Call it a gift of his.”

Merlos frowned. “That pegasus is sapient. It’s no more a critter than you or I.”

Gavlan scratched a hand behind his head. “Oh, tha’s right. She was speakin’ some crazy gibberish downstairs, now that I think abou’ it. Hah. That was a surprise, alright.”

“Yes, yes, very surprising.” Merlos rolled his eyes. “I told you she could talk…” he added in a grumble.

“D’ya think there’d be more of ‘em here?” Gavlan asked suddenly, hefting his cudgel again. “The skeletons, or other undead? I don’t mind a little battle, but I’d like t’know if there’d be more of ‘em about.”

“I highly doubt it…” Merlos thought on that. Truth be told, he would have sworn on his life that his home was secure. “I think the amulet that one there was wearing and the runes on those abominations were what resisted my detection spells. If there are more, then they would need a similar set up.”

Gavlan eased back somewhat at the explanation. “Hm, tha’ makes sense. Troubling, too. Well if you’re satisfied, I won’t bother yeh about it.” With that, he leaned in and gave a sly and quite intentionally obnoxious wink. “But next time I’ve got to save yer wrinkly kiester, I think I’ll charge yeh!”

Merlos ignored the subsequent laughter from Gavlan and his remaining brewery employees. Instead, his attention turned to the pegasus sitting in a pile across the room.

She looked terrible; her mane and coat were disheveled and a look of guilt was strewn on her face. She also had trouble looking up towards him, it seemed.

Stormy winced and looked away from the human staring at her. His voice had sounded so angry. As she did, the strange short-man beside her rose to leave. She watched his going, but didn’t stop him, opting instead to watch the excitement conclude.

Merlos shook his head and stifled a yawn, patting it back into his mouth. “Well, if you’re all quite finished basking in my embarrassment, I’d much appreciate it if we all retired for the rest of the night.” He yawned again mid-sentence.

He shooed at the dwarves, the last of them muttering to each other as they thumped back downstairs after helping their ungrateful landlord.

Gavlan stayed, and stood by Merlos’ bedroom door before the wizard could retreat. “And what if worse creatures do show up, Merlos?” he said, leveling a suspicious gaze at the wizard. It clearly spoke that he didn't like staying someplace that housed dangers that could come slit his throat at night.

“If they’re warded like these ones were, we won’t know they’re here until they’ve got their claws on my throat again!” Exasperated, Merlos threw up his hands in a fit of impatience.

“What I mean to say, is you didn’t upset someone, didja?” Gavlan raised one bush-like eyebrow, punctuating the serious question.

Merlos opened his mouth to retort, then closed it just as swiftly and thought on that. “No, of course not,” he finally ventured, thinking hard on whether he had or not. “At least, I don’t think so.”

Gavlan chuckled. “You’re as likeable as a prickle bush filled with fire wasps sometimes, ol’ friend. Mayhaps you insulted someone’s honor by saying they resembled their mount more than their own parents?”

Merlos smirked, and blew out his beard with a laugh. “No, my ventures lately have been entirely without incident. And I’m perfectly likeable when I’m in the company of equals, I’ll have you know.”

“Oh, yaaah, I’m sure yeh certainly are.” Gavlan made a purposefully poor effort at hiding his sarcasm, only to be interrupted by somepony’s approach.

Stormy had cantered over to Merlos. She nosed his calf and softly spoke. “En taro Adun?”

Merlos looked down at her and hummed quietly, wearing a soft scowl. She looked up and pointed into his bedroom.

“Oota goota Solo?” Stormy asked, her voice tinged with hesitance.

Merlos let out a heavy sigh. “What? What do you want now? I still can’t understand you, you know.”

Stormy put on a disgruntled look, cheeks puffed out and expression set with frustration.

Gavlan watched the conversation going nowhere, then gestured at Stormy. “Is there a way that we can ask her if there are more? Don’t yeh know some hocus pocus for that?”

“Hocus pocus he calls it,” Merlos muttered, then sighed and prepared his lingual arts spell. A faint glowing mist left his hand and floated over to Stormy’s calm form.

“I’ve been using this language spell for the time being, which should work until she learns it herself. It essentially translates everything she hears and says,” Merlos took a moment to adjust his shredded nightclothes as he boasted. “One of my own masterfully made creations. You’ll recall it from before I learned how to speak dwar—”

Gavlan waved for Stormy’s attention, who was now getting clued in as to why she could understand them, thanks to Merlos’ explanation. “Over here, little darlin’. Are there anymore skeletons about? Where did they come from?”

“I wasn’t done explaining—” Merlos said, but was spoken over.

Stormy thought a moment. Her mind still catching up with things that have just happened. The image of the skeletons and where she’d found them returned to her, and she shook her head no.

“Nuh uh, just those three,” Stormy answered. She looked down, pawing the floor with a soft clop of her forehoof. “There’s a room back there where I found them in a closet. I’m sorry for looking around! I just got bored, and then I was so scared. They just… I could tell they wanted to hurt me so I ran and got Merlos, and then he just tried to explode them and—”

Gavlan nodded and waved his hands to gesture her to take it easy. “It’s alright. All that stuff is in the past and yer safe now.” He looked up to Merlos a moment, clearly wanting to say more.

Merlos held a hard scowl at Stormy. “Did I not say to not go poking that snout of yours where it doesn’t belong?” After a moment, and a hard look from Gavlan, he added, “And who would have thought I’d have actual skeletons in a closet somewhere. Hm, maybe I do need to seriously consider renovating this place.”

“Yah think, lad?” Gavlan intoned, chuckling a little.

Stormy, relieved to at least understand them again, laughed weakly as well. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.

Merlos frowned again, pointing his scowl at a near wall instead. “It’s fine,” he said simply.

Everything seemingly finished, Gavlan exhaled, blowing his cheeks out tiredly. “It’s late, you two,” he concluded. “Hopefully a much quieter and better night to yeh both. Just scream if more of the undead show up!” He waved over his shoulder as he turned to go.

“That’s not funny, Gavlan.” Stormy’s face melted with worry, despite being able to tell easily that Merlos’ friend was joking.

Gavlan barked a laugh despite that. “Ye’ll be fine. It were pleasant speakin’ to yeh, Stormy!”

Gavlan let his hand off the basement door and Merlos promptly closed it, looking for an absent Stormy a moment later. Merlos found the pegasus exploring around his room, where she was paused at a dilapidated chair and ottoman.

“This looks like a good, safe, secure spot to sleep,” she commented, climbing onto the old worn in furniture. She tread around atop it in a circle a few times, then added, “At least it doesn’t smell like butt.”

“Hey, who said that you could—” Merlos sighed with exasperation.

The little pony curled up in a ball while the Wizard took an indignant look. However, his tired demeanor and the tension between him and the tenant were enough to rob him of his usual cutting retort.

“No more exploring. And I hope you’ve learned a lesson about how dangerous this world can be.” Merlos snatched his night cap from the bed stand, before climbing into his bed and facing away from the intrusive being in his own bedroom.

“I did,” Stormy’s quavering voice answered. “And I’m still really sorry. I didn’t think you’d have dangerous stuff like that lying around…”

Neither did I, Merlos thought, and responded with, “It’s fine. And you only get to stay in here tonight. And because I’m feeling generous. Good night then.” Glancing aside at his nightstand with a few clockwork gizmos deftly whirring away, he blew a puff of air at a nearby glowing sphere, and it dimmed down quickly into pitch black.

Stormy gave a squawk of surprise.

“Quiet! Hey— No, get off of my bed, now!”

Stormy missed her cloud bed.

She gave a long sigh while quietly staring at the wizard’s bed, and ruminating on everything that had happened, like why he hadn’t bothered with a translation spell right away so she could warn him about the skeleton things. She then pondered if his magic was taxing or perhaps the spell—despite how seemingly effortless Merlos made it look—was quite draining.

Stormy rested her chin on a foreleg as she laid there in peace. Despite the shock and already having slept a little, her eyes began to close, the day’s burdens weighing on her.

Whenever she had gotten scared back home, whether because of timberwolves howling or whatever, she had crawled into her parent’s bed. At least, as a filly she had. The last time she’d felt scared enough to do anything like that had been years ago.

She didn’t have her parents bed or even her old house, but Merlos could fling fire around, so that would do in a pinch. That was so crazy… Not scary like I’d think, though.

Just when the world began to fade away—

The loud cacophony of sound she heard next brought her eyes wide, her wings flared open, and she was on her hooves looking around for the source of the noise.

Stormy’s heart beat heavily in her chest, until her eyes settled on the wizard. His mouth opened a little and the sound came again, hitching on occasion and resuming in an unpredictable pattern.

He was snoring, and bad.

“Great.” Stormy scowled at him and curled up, tucking her ears back with her hooves over them.

Almost as if by encouragement, Merlos gasped and snored louder.

Plucking a nearby blanket, Stormy pulled it tightly over her head. The sound was drowned out a bit, but the ottoman underneath her shook with each snore. “Oh my gosh! Safety is not worth this,” she concluded.

Stormy braced herself for one of his erratic breathing snorts in his sleep, but for a moment, everything was peaceful…

She perked up and hovered over to where the wizard lay… He was quiet and eerily still suddenly.

Stormy head tilted at him. Is he dead?

While reaching out a hoof to poke him, a loud and shuddering snort erupted from his face, and spooked her back away.

Stormy lost a few feathers as she dashed away, having a mini-heart attack. Panting a moment, she decided to put away whatever fears she had in sleeping alone for the night.

The bedroom door creaked open, and Stormy muttered to herself, deciding, “I think I’ll take my chances in my room.”

With the stealth only a roguish halfling could appreciate, she flew out of the bedroom that sounded more like a construction yard, and closed the door behind her, the sounds of lumber being sawed and rocks being smashed following close behind.

Author's Notes:

In this chapter, I kinda wanted to give the little bird brained teen a small taste of reality while not completely endangering her, While this story does draw inspiraiton from fantasy stories, tropes, and pathfinder, they by no means hold a "rule" over anything I create. With the very distracting holidays past, and my reacquiring my beloved Access Virus TI done with. I've set my sights on writing for you guys, sharing it with your friends and commenting certain does spur me into writing stuffs.

I wanted to wait a while on having Stormy speak to anyone other than Merlos to create a "Is she really talking" and "That old guy is crazy" kind of story elements to deal with, and have her mercilessly troll Merlos throughout the early portion of this story, but I abandoned it when I considered the upcoming sequences of Events. Its better to have her chat with others now and understand after a translation spell..

CHAPTER 005: Stormy Weather and the Seven Dwarves.

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High up in the sky Stormy lay half asleep atop one hastily patched together monstrosity of cloud. Truly, it was the ugliest, most ramshackle thing that a pegasus had ever created; at least, she certainly thought so.

Stormy knew she wasn’t a weather pony and possessed very little skill or practice at it, but she imagined most foals would probably laugh at just how bad the cloud looked. Point in fact, it barely even supported her weight. Still, it wasn’t her fault that the clouds in Merlos’ stupid world didn’t work right, and anyway, it did get the job done.

The job being a nice, safe place above ground where she could mope undisturbed.

In the distance, the sun had finally risen over the horizon. It was even starting to get hot out.

Come to think of it, the sun here looks kind of weird. After making her cloud, Stormy had spent the morning since the events in the tower watching the sunrise. Can’t put my hoof on why, though… Different or no, she was at least glad the sun was doing its job well enough, unlike the cloud.

It was somewhere around mid-morning and the sun’s rays warmed her back, while the high altitude breeze kept it pleasant. The combination calmed her much in the way it often would when lounging on lazy summer afternoons back in Equestria.

Equestria seemed so far away now. So very very far away.

Stormy rolled over—wings splayed out lazily—and gazed upside-down at the couple hundred meter drop towards the ground.

The lands surrounding Merlos’ derelict property were mostly rocky hills, but not far off down the mountainous area were telltale signs of farmland and homes; she assumed these belonged to more mans.

The hot sun overhead was unlike what Stormy was used to, even going so far as to create visible heat waves hovering over the ground, shimmering as distant water would on the horizon. She wasn’t an earth pony farmer nor even a weather pony in charge of an orchard, but even she could tell the heat was beating the farmlands to a near dead crop. Well, it’s not a desolate place, but it could really use some watering. Whoever’s in charge of the weather here sucks at their job.

Other than the more brown than green vegetation of the area, the only other noteworthy thing to see from her perch were six specks suddenly moving about the stables inside the courtyard. It seemed some people had just exited from the tower.

“Huh, who are they?” After rolling back over, Stormy squinted and leaned out nearly all the way over the edge of her cloud in an effort to get a better look. “Oh, hey, it’s those guys! The short-mans! Uh, shoot, what were their names again?”

Before they could finish, her thoughts were cut off.

Stormy blinked from a sudden change in support beneath her, then gasped as she was pitched out into the air without warning.

“Ah! What the hay?” The distance she fell before her wings caught her was short, and circling back up to her traitorous cloud creation revealed that a sizeable tuft of the shoddy thing had given way under her weight.

“Pft, great,” Stormy mumbled, and watched as water began to drizzle out in a haze from the now compromised cloud’s port side.

She sighed, a hoof on either hip, then glanced down towards her rescuers from the night prior, as well as the scorching rays that they toiled away in.

“Oh, idea!”

With a grin, Stormy swooped around in the air to her cloud, hugged it, then began to push it downward toward the earth. About halfway down she did her best to quiet her wing-beats, somewhat approaching with silence and stealth.

And this oughta do it… Stormy squinted one eye, ensuring the mist exuding from her cloud was right over the heads of the two strangers from the previous night. The other four specks turned out to be more of the strange looking, beast-like ponies they owned.

“What the— Is tha’ rain? Ges, get a load of this. It’s—” The broad shouldered stranger looked upward, astonished.

The more lean of the two interrupted. “What in the name o’ the fathers?” He squinted upward, a hand raised against the sun’s rays, until finally he spotted a silhouette just above the miniature cloud’s edge. A grin split his features. “Oh, it’s you. Hello there! Knott, it’s the strange beastie I calmed down last night.”

Stormy smirked, and proceeded to swoop down, but left the cloud in its position over the two—it wasn’t big enough to rain very hard, after all.

“Hi! I wasn’t able to say anything last night because Merlos’ dumb spell had run out, so I couldn’t understand your language… but I wanted to thank you guys for saving us."

The two short-mans chuckled. The larger of the two even went so far as to slap his knee in delight.

“Oh t’was our pleasure! We dwarves aren’t really known to come runnin’ to the aid o’ others I s’pose, but I personally like to dispel that unfortunate bit o’ reputation as best I can.” The larger of the pair chuckled at that. “Now ah have to ask, is this bi’ o’ respite from the sun your doin’? It’s sure as thunder appreciated.” For emphasis, his hands raked through his hair, spreading the cooling water.

“Yup! That was all me.” Stormy nodded, giving a grinning beam to the friendly… dwarf, as he’d referred to himself.

She continued. “I’m not great at weather stuff, but I can manage the basics. This is the least I can do for what you guys did for me and Merlos last night… Oh, and I’m Stormy Weather! What are your names?” She offered a hoof to the dwarves.

“Ges!” The leaner of the two dwarves said, shaking her hoof.

“Uhhh, guess?” Stormy blinked in confusion at the odd request. “Well, okay. Is your name Sunny Daze? Copper Top? Clear Skies? How many guesses do I get?”

He shook his head. “No, just Ges.”

Stormy raised an eyebrow. But I did? “Uhm, is it Snow Ball? Flash Sentry? Pop Rocks?”

The dwarf sighed—for some reason—and leaned in closer to Stormy, pronouncing his words slowly this time. “No, just Ges.”

Stormy’s wings flapped as a sign of confusion. “But I am!” She turned to the other dwarf, hoping to move on and avoid offending them. “...Okay, who are you?”

"Oh, are we doing the thing? Hah, well he’s not Yu. That's me." From around the corner of the stable, a third dwarf walked outside, followed closely by a fourth and a fifth. “I’m Yu.”

“Now don't you start, I'll get to you in a minute after I guess his name.” Stormy ignored the laughing newcomer and focused on the original dwarves. “Now who are you?”

“I’m not Yu. I’m Knott.” The burliest dwarf thumped a fist to his thick chest proudly.

Stormy deadpanned. “Uhhh…” She stared at him, at a loss for words now. “You’re not… what?”

The dwarf smirked. “No, just Knott.”

“But not what!” Stormy said again, this time more desperately. One of the dwarves scowled at her, while a couple of the others snickered. “What’s so funny?”

“No, I’m Watt.” From behind this dwarf approached two more from the tower, both of whom were looking rather interested in what was going on. That brought the dwarf count up to seven.

The third dwarf chuckled, and clapped one of the others on the shoulder. "You know, Watt, yeh 're actually pretty funny."

The other dwarf laughed back harder. “Oh? But I thought tha’ I was just Watt!”

Stormy stared at the scene of madness as the two dwarves doubled over laughing together.

“Aah!” She held one hoof to either side of her head, before taking a deep breath and calming down. “Okay, wait, stop. Let’s start again. Firstly, you.” She pointed a hoof at a random dwarf. “Name.”

The dwarf nodded politely, holding one hand up to his front. “Yu,” he acknowledged simply.

“Me? Oh, I’m Stormy.” She looked around at the other dwarves, who already began to chuckle again.

“No, I meant that I’m Yu.” The dwarf shook his head.

“What?” Stormy could feel a headache coming on.

“No, I’m Watt,” the other dwarf interjected once again.

Stormy scratched her head with a hoof. “Uh, well you’re a dwarf.” That couldn’t be what he’d meant, she decided. “But… I don’t understand! Who are you!?”

“Yu,” dwarf number three repeated, still grinning.

“Oh Celestia, not this again.” Stormy groaned quietly. “I’m Stormy Weather,” she announced plainly. “That’s my name. Uggh, I think Merlos’ dumb spell is broken…” She tried speaking slowly. “I. Just. Want. Your. Name.”

“But I am tellin’ yah, I’m Watt,” the prior dwarf insisted once again.

“I don't know. I still have to guess!” Stormy couldn’t believe what was happening.

“That's me, Ges.” The calm dwarf from the night before again entered the fray, still chuckling.

Stormy raised an eyebrow, then pointed a hoof at him. “You?” she said.

“No, that's me,” another of the dwarves said for maybe the fifth time.

Stormy instead pointed her hoof at him. “You?” she repeated.

“Yes.” The dwarf grinned widely, then accepted her hovering hoof and shook it daintily in return. “Now yer gettin’ it! I’m Yuno in full. It’s nice to meet you.”

Stormy gaped. “But I don't know you!”

He shrugged. “Well we did just meet, but I'm not so bad.”

“You're not-so-bad? Let me guess, ‘once you know me’.” Stormy mockingly shook her head, just about getting completely fed up with being on the outside of whatever joke was going on.

“That's us!” A dwarf said from behind her.

“Who is?” Stormy growled. Whatever it was, it was painfully obvious the seven figures surrounding her were all in on something.

“Ges and Yuno. That’s us, but we’re all from Clan Hu.” The two dwarves clapped hands on either’s shoulder and laughed.

“I haven’t guessed so I don't know!” Stormy insisted. “Just tell me!”

The burly dwarf from the earlier pair raised his hand and chimed in. “Okay, it’s simple, Stormy. I’m Knott, and over there is Telmi, and this is Yuno.”

Stormy looked at him with complete confusion on her face. “What?”

One of the dwarves from earlier spoke again. “No that's ME. I’m Watt.”

“Uggh!” Stormy gave up with the ones she’d already spoken to and turned to one of the two dwarves that had not yet spoken. “Okay, what's YOUR name?” She could feel sweat dripping down her back now from shear stress alone.

“Ceymi.”

Stormy squinted at him with menace in her eyes. “Yeah, I see you. But what's your name?”

The dwarf from just a moment before stepped back up, still grinning. “No, Watt's MY name!”

Stormy whirled around and shouted, pointing an accusing hoof at the last speaker. She whined in return, “I don’t know it yet! Why can't you guys just tell me your names!?”

“Oh, that's my name again,” one of the dwarves chortled back.

Stormy turned around, both flustered and more confused than before. “What is?”

The Dwarf pointed at one of his Brothers. “No, that's him over. Watt.” He then pointed to himself. “And I’m Telmi.”

She turned to look at the Dwarf the last pointed at. “Okay, you’re who?”

“That’s all of us,” the leaner Dwarf said once again.

“Ugh, I give up.” Stormy turned to the last dwarf there that had yet to speak. “Whatever your name is, tell your friends they're nuts.”

“Tomara,” he replied in a matter of fact tone.

Throwing her hooves into the air, Stormy hovered back a bit. “Fine, I don't care when!”

“We’re all Hu,” one of the original dwarves of the set piped. He shrugged and laughed along with his brethren. “Alright, this is getting old now I think.”

“But isn’t Quick our grandfathe’?” one dwarf laughed.

A loud whinnying cry of anguish echoed over the property.

Stormy fell to her knees and pleaded with them, hooves raised. “Guys, I just want you to tell me what your names are!”

The dwarves, as if some unspoken order had been given, all proceeded to end their laughter and line up in a row.

“I’m Ges Hu!” the first announced.

“Knott Hu,” bellowed the second.

“Yuno Hu,” chortled the third.

“Watt Hu,” introduced the fourth.

“Telmi Hu,” the fifth piped in.

“Ceymi Hu,” intoned the sixth.

“Tomara Hu,” the final dwarf replied. “We’re all brothers, you see. And we’ve got this joke well rehearsed.”

Stormy sat down with a thump. “Oh. I get it now.” A crazed grin cracked her lost expression. “It was a joke, but it was all true?”

“Our parents have a sense of humor that resonated poorly in our keep.” Ceymi nodded sagely as he spoke, evidently in full agreement. “Still, Yuno and Watt there seem to get a real kick out of it even now.”

The two dwarves in the middle grinned, arms wrapped over the other’s shoulder. “Aye!” they said together.

Stormy nodded, giving a sheepish laugh. “I did kinda walk into that one.”

“Alright, what’s all this?” An older sounding voice pierced the air, announcing the arrival of a familiar face.

Gavlan looked up over the top of what looked to be cellar stairs. “Are you lads all lollygaggin’? ‘urry up now! Daylight’s a wastin’!”

Stormy looked up from the elder dwarf at the sky, which judging by the sun’s position barely put the time past morning. “Are you guys going somewhere?”

Knott nodded to Stormy hurriedly, before springing back towards the crates he had been carrying earlier. “We’re packin’ for a trip.”

“Somewhere’s our cousin, actually.” Watt’s laughter was cut short as Gavlan swatted him over the head, then pushed him towards the stables.

“That’s enough out o’ you, lud. Get those ponies loaded so we can move out! I swear, ah’ve always got to make sure you louts all know yer arse from yer left boot! Hah.” Gavlan turned his scowl away from his nephews, and gave Stormy a bright beaming smile. “Mornin’, lass. ‘ow are yeh?”

“Great, Gavlan. Hi again!” Stormy perked up at the mention of a pony and hovered into the stall. “Did they say ponies?” Once there, the beasts within stared at her blankly.

Stormy shrugged and gave talking to them a shot. “Hi there!” she greeted, “Nice day today?”

The other pony nickered at her and she nodded. “Uh-huh… Gotchya.”

Gavlan, following, trundled up beside her. “You understood it?”

Stormy crossed her forelegs. “Nope!” She chuckled, then whispered to Gavlan. “But on the off chance he understood me, I didn’t want to be rude.”

Gavlan oh’ed, then laughed in understanding. “I see then.”

Stormy and Gavlan watched the animals being hitched up to wagons or saddled hurriedly by the other dwarves, who were all suddenly working double-time now that their uncle and boss was present.

Now that all the craziness of the earlier introductions had past, Stormy finally had a moment to think to herself, and being surrounded by her saviors from the night before got her thinking about her host.

Stormy hovered a moment and quietly addressed Gavlan. “Hey… I was just wondering, why is Merlos so angry all the time?”

Gavlan harrumphed at that, but also smiled a little.

Knott spoke up while walking by with a barrel atop either of his shoulders. “The spellslinger? He’s a bit on the salty side, aye, but don’t let his temper get to you! Hah, just keep being friendly and he’ll warm up eventually.” The barrels clunked loudly into the back of the wagon they loaded.

The ponies from up front got a little antsy at this. Stormy noticed, and hovered up to the front immediately. “Hey, it’s alright.” She spoke soothingly to them a moment before returning. She knew what it was like to be spooked by strange loud noises, after all.

Gavlan looked at Stormy with a quirked brow. “Thank yeh, guess I got a bit complacent with havin’ Ges around. These lil’ fellas do tend to spook easy.”

“Well, we have that in common then.” Stormy gave Gavlan a smile, though it was more to herself than anyone. “Anyway, I just feel like I’m causing Merlos trouble. He, uh, spent a lot of money on me, then set me free, so that might explain it. Are you sure it’s not because he thinks it’s my fault? I mean, I said I’d help pay him back!”

She scratched a hoof behind her ear as she said it all out loud. “I dunno, and then there was the skeleton thing… which was kind of my fault because I was wandering around without permission. Maybe I should make that up to him somehow.”

Gavlan guffawed. “Sounds like yer both a little to blame. What lay in a wizard’s tower is his own business, after all, Stormy. Don’t blame yerself for that.” He raked a hand thoughtfully through his beard. “And it don’t seem like Merlos to misplace blame either. Just hang in there, I say.”

Stormy nodded, hopping up and circling into the air. "Yeah, that's it, I'm gonna talk to him right now and make up with him! We'll forgive each other, and everything will be fine!” She felt a lot better saying her plan outloud, like a great weight was lifted off her shoulders. “Oh, there he is."

The presence of a tall man in a brown robe leaving the nearby tower was hard to miss, especially given how loud he quickly became.

"There you are!” Merlos shouted, and spotted Stormy in the same moment as he approached her quickly. “Get over here this instant! I've been looking for you all morning, you... you winged accident waiting to happen!"

Stormy closed her muzzle, the optimism she'd felt just moments ago vanishing like water under the hot sun. "Hey! That was super rude, dude."

Merlos blustered. “Rude like waking a man up in the middle of the night, only to get him attacked by the slavering undead? Bah! You were here one night and nearly got me killed!”

A couple of the dwarves chuckled whilst walking past, one saying, “Oi, that’d be a new record. Good job, Stormy.”

Distracted, Stormy turned to them nervously to try and deflect the joking praise, only for a dark shadow to fall over her a moment later.

While this went on, Merlos came to a stop just before Stormy, and beside the cart.

The ponies there whickered in slight distress at the commotion. Obviously less comfortable around with Merlos drawing near.

Merlos went on. “Now, I’d very much like to begin what we’d agreed upon concerning your world and its magic. After that, maybe I can actually teach you enough about this material plane and its dangers to keep you from getting us killed.”

Stormy frowned at the cart animals, then back to Merlos. “Could you not be so loud? You’re spooking the ponies… And that skeleton thing wasn’t just my fault, you know. I mean, they were in a room in your home after all. And… and that means we share the blame.”

Merlos raised his voice, more hotheaded now than before. “Let Gavlan worry about the other ponies, I’m talking about you!” He began to pace before Stormy, while she noticed Gavlan roll his eyes from behind Merlos. “You shouldn’t have been wandering around at night like that after being warned. Now come hither and share what you’ve promised with me so we can be done with this subject and move on!”

Stormy narrowed her eyes, her foalish pride goading her that it's better to get even than to get mad at this wizard. She zipped up to Merlos’ face. “You want to learn about some of my world’s magic?” she asked rhetorically. “Then I’ll show you some pegasus magic.”

Merlos, refusing to let go of whatever had him in such a mood, fought to get a word in. “Now— Wait, you listen— Hey!”

With a few hard flaps of her wings, Stormy rocketed up next to her cloud. She placed her hooves on it and moved it just over the wizard, compensating for the mild breeze, and she whirled around to buck the cloud with both her hind legs.

“Okay, here it comes!” Stormy then set her mischief into motion. The cloud of course burst open, releasing its full watery payload with the use of her pegasus magic and drenched the wizard underneath.

Merlos blinked upward, only to yelp in terror and surprise as a crack of thunder rang out overhead, which was then followed by a literal five second long torrential downpour upon his head.

“Ha!” Stormy laughed. “Nailed it!” She admired the job she’d done, even if breaking a cloud was a lot easier than putting one together.

Stormy peered down at Merlos, whose had been anger concealed rather well by the raucous laughter of the eight dwarves around the stable. Even the ponies’ whinny seem to sound like laughing at his expense.

“Magic indeed,” Merlos drawled. “Fine, have it your way, then!” He stomped back to his home with water dripping off his cloak. Leaving a shimmering wet trail back to his doorway, which slammed angrily.

Stormy fluttered down to the ground, rolling her eyes. “Oh well, guess that makes us even. I think? Whatever, that was his fault.”

She sat there and grumped a bit more, watching as the dwarves got back to work. With them busy, Merlos angry at her still, and not much else to distract her, she needed something to do.

With a huff, she flew up to a window of the tower, letting herself in to search for where she remembered seeing a lot of books on Merlos’ tour: The library.

Watching the pegasus go, Yuno stopped beside his uncle long enough to chuckle, then say, “I guess you could say, she rained on his parade—”

Gavlan swiftly struck his nephew with a well placed swat to the back of the head.

The walls and halls of the tower were cold in the early mornings, stark stone untouched by sunlight offering little in the way of warmth even in the middle of summer. The coolness would last well until noon, but for a wizard with climate changing magic, that to was easily dealt with.

Merlos groaned and cracked his back for the third time that morning, having awoken at a particularly odd angle after enduring a restless last few hours of sleep. All the same, he’d finished his normal morning routine, until noticing that a certain someone—or perhaps more accurately somepony—seemed missing.

“Wait, it’s too quiet.” Merlos stood there in the hall, steaming mug of tea in hand, and looking about for something he couldn’t recall. “Ohhh, now I remember. That little trans-planar curiosity…” He stood there a moment longer, before shouting, “Where in the blazes is she!? Stormy!”

What started for Merlos as a nervous scouring of his tower—for an admittedly unknown magical creature—ended with trouncing outside after getting hastily changed, only to find his guest joking it up with his tenants, who certainly looked to be busy in their own right.

Intent on setting the trouble-making youngster he now had staying with him straight, Merlos had calmly approached the scene and requested Stormy accompany him back inside where he could keep an eye on her. However, she had not played along, and things turned sour quickly.

After a few hours of introspection—and a fresh change of underclothes and his robe—Merlos was again intent on finding Stormy.

While on the way back outside, the rather anti-climactic sound of a page turning caught Merlos’ attention.

“Hm?” Upon peering into his library, he ascertained the source of the sound. He found Stormy laying on a rug while looking through one of his many books.

“Ah, there you are,” he said, his voice scaring his guest up from her stooped reading position. “What do you think you are doing?”

“I uh uh, well, I uh—” Stormy gulped nervously and pointed at the symbols in the book, last night’s events and his temper well remembered. “I was reading this, uhm, stuff about magic, I guess. There… isn’t a whole lot else to do around here, and I was curious.”

Frowning, Merlos stared in disbelief, then laughed as he moved to replace the volume back on the shelf. “My translation spell doesn’t translate written words.”

“Oh, you’re not upset about something for once? That’s surprising.” Stormy looked at the pages again and then back to the wizard. “Well... I really can still read it, though this is written badly. What is it, something about casting spells?”

Merlos stiffened up at this and marched over indignantly. “Upset at— Stop making things up, and that’s one of my university books on magic, I’ll have you know. Its instruction on the arts are praised throughout the arcane community!”

Stormy rolled her eyes and responded, “Yeah so?”

Merlos balled his fists. “So? So even if you could read it, that spell structure is cutting edge in this realm!” He swiftly bent and snatched up his book, harrumphing.

Stormy looked between the wizard and the book. “It just looks like really old and crude Equestrian to me.”

Merlos scoffed at suggested the notion. “I highly doubt that. Not that it needs repeating, but you can't even speak in my language.”

Stormy put on a smug look. “That may be, Oldy-McOlderson, however, I’ve noticed a lot of things here in this world are a lot like my own… And where we come from, we write in a similar language to that sloppy gibberish in there. Seriously, a foal could write better.”

Merlos frowned and gestured to the book. “I find that hard to believe. This script has been considered the language of the universe for centuries by those who first discovered magic.”

Stormy smirked. “Well, wouldn’t that explain why this might be familiar to me?” At the first sign of Merlos’ skepticism increasing, she continued rather than await an answer. “Hear me out, in school I learned that unicorns, who by the way use a lot of magic, have pretty much always refined parts of our language. Since then this stuff has probably just become something everypony uses on a regular basis in Equestria.”

Merlos stared at Stormy flatly for a long moment. “You’re saying your race uses written arcane design for simple writing?”

Stormy snickered and nodded her head. “Yup! Though a lot simpler and easier to read. But ‘cause we use it so much, and you humans don’t seem to as much, that makes sense. Right?”

“Interesting.” Without hesitation, Merlos fetched Stormy a little piece of chalk and pointed at a blackboard. “Let’s prove it.”

“Uuuh… okay.” Stormy shrugged and nipped the dusty writing utensil, making a face but holding her comments before hovering over to the blackboard.

Merlos began quickly. “Verdimartas theory of thaumaturgy, if you will.”

Stormy stared at him blankly, “Who?” she asked with the nasty white chalk in her lips.

“Verdimartas, every basic magic student knows of him! He’s famous for simplifying our entire system based in Thaumaturgy!” After a moment, he added, “The fundamentals of magic!”

Stormy spat the chalk out and wiped her lips. “That’s unicorn stuff! And I’m not a unicorn or even from this world, geez!”

Merlos studied the pegasus, whom now hovered with her forelegs crossed. “Fine. Then how about a little something about what you do know?”

Stormy sighed and collected the chalk from the ground. After a few minutes of her writing sigils and rune-like words across the board, Merlos was left no choice but to stare at the blackboard in awe.

“This…” He scrutinized every symbol on the chalkboard, from how it was drawn to how it appeared compared to his own designs. While Stormy’s mouth-writing had a loopy and feminine appearance, it was still recognizable at a glance. He knew this basic spell-structure well, as it was similar to one he had worked on before.

“This is a theory on flight magic,” he finally stated.

Stormy’s proud look grew while the aged human looked up and down at the basic theory for flight magic that got taught at her school. “See, I told you I could read and write that stuff.” She spoke with the chalk-piece held at the corner of her mouth, where its foul taste and texture disturbed her the least.

Merlos harrumphed. “I suppose you weren’t lying, unless you learned this quickly from one of my books… But I suppose that’s more far-fetched a thought than your race adapting some qualities of magical script into your written language. What I find odder is that the script is so similar in both our worlds...”

Stormy rolled her eyes. “Are you always this big a skeptic?”

“I’m a man of the sciences, Stormy. Magic is simply chief among them. It wouldn’t do to simply accept things before studying everything in full detail.” Merlos nodded sharply, then jabbed a finger at the blackboard. “Furthermore, while this equation is impressive, it would never work, and seems bloated with unnecessary elements and steps.”

Stormy’s proud look shattered, replaced quickly by one of consternation. “What!? Aw, come on. I had to learn that in the second grade! That’s literally the ground work behind how inn- innadedly… inattley…”

“Innately?” Merlos offered, suppressing a rueful chuckle.

Stormy snorted. “Yeah, that. It’s how pegasus innately use magic to help us fly.”

Merlos harrumphed. “It doesn’t matter, it’s still wrong.” He turned to scowl at the offensive, overly girly spell-script on his chalk, and began erasing it. But he stopped at the last moment, squinting a bit longer at the pattern it held.

“No… surely it could never work like that... Could it? Although… Yes, I see the pattern now. That— this is incredible! It is a theory on flight magic, yet it’s actually quite refined, elegant, like poetry.” Merlos paused to look starkly at his little winged tenant. “I can’t believe a race of beings actually teach this to their young. Would this really work? I wonder—”

“Ah huh.” Rather than graciously accept the comments, Stormy mumbled her own sour note over the writing utensil she’d been given. “How do you write with these? They’re ‘errible! It’s like some ‘orrible dusty-icky-crumbly thing.”

Merlos smiled a bit. “Well, we don’t hold them in our mouths...”

Stormy stared at Merlos with the now soggy stick of foul chalk in her mouth, before spitting it out and hurriedly wiping her muzzle off. “Ugh, I can still taste it.”

Merlos waited patiently for Stormy to finish wiping away the chalk dust. He could see white stains around where it dyed into her fur a bit, and decided to find a better means for her to write with later.

“So there is one thing that has got me thinking.” Stormy began looking at the book and then back to the disgruntled wizard. “Why don’t you need a horn? I thought only Unicorns could cast spells. So how come you and other humans can do it?”

Merlos scowled from the very notion. “Don’t be absurd, you don’t need a silly horn to use magic. Or anything, really. Magical aptitude comes from within, from the mind. The more talented you are the less tools you rely on! Be it a wand, staff… or, uh, horn.” Merlos harrumphed loudly, then put on a haughty grin. “Any halfwit with a brain can cast magic, though in your case I’m beginning to suspect that may be impossible.”

Stormy pondered his words a moment before giving a, “Hey!” She scowled, puffing out her cheeks in offense. “I’m just asking some simple questions, you don’t have to be such a jerk about it!”

“Jerk or not, for someone schooled in such advanced learning on written arcana, it would be easy to speculate that you should know a spell or two to show for such a thing. Even a slow adept can light a candle in the first month without worrying about setting his hair on fire.” As he bragged, Merlos threw up an exaggerated air quote for emphasis.

“Is that why you have none on top of your head?” quipped Stormy. Her grin replaced the one she wiped off the human’s face.

Merlos spoke back in a matter-of-fact tone. “You really don’t have many wizards in your world do you? Most people run when someone insults a wizard by accident.”

Stormy shrugged. “Just in comic books, actually, and usually the wizards are goofy comic relief characters.”

Merlos frowned a bit at that, but merely stared at her while she pondered a little more.

“There is Twilight Sparkle...” Stormy began to say.

“And was she a wizard of comic relief?” Merlos was dry with the retort.

“No, she was an Element of Harmony, and a princess of Friendship. But she is a really really powerful alicorn.”

“A Princess of what?” Merlos reciprocated.

“Er, Friendship,” Stormy replied. “Why, what’s wrong?”

Merlos shook his head. “Nothing, I guess. Well, how powerful is she then?” He managed to keep from smirking or laughing at the pony’s earnest testimony.

Stormy looked up at the ceiling, thinking. “Well, she saved the world many times, beat a spirit of chaos and other powerful beings to submission, and she’s supposed to be a huge nerd.” She shrugged. “I’ll tell you all about the princesses, eventually, but there’s a lot to it. I’m more interested in this magic right now.”

Stormy pointed a hoof at Merlos’ forehead. “If it’s true I don’t need a horn, like you, then how come I can’t cast spells like a unicorn? Or… anypony from where I’m from. Earth ponies and Pegasi just sorta do it.”

“Spell-like abilities aren’t uncommon.” Merlos hummed. “Though it’s unusual that creatures with such would know the magic theory beneath them like yourself, living alongside your spellcasting unicorn brethren may explain that. But why can’t any of you cast spells? Now that’s a good question.”

Stormy watched the human grin a bit to himself, like he was having the time of his life puzzling things out. She didn’t feel the same way, what with her curiosity still eating at her.

Stormy pawed the ground a bit as she spoke up again. “Well, thinking on it, I’ve only seen unicorns, uh, and you I guess, use magic like spells, but never earth ponies or pegasus ponies.”

Merlos nodded along while she spoke, looking more attentive than, well, he ever had.

Stormy brightened at that. It was in that moment that a random idea occurred to her, as well. “Hey, but, what if our worlds are different? Like, you said that no one raises your sun, right? So, what do you think about maybe only unicorns casting spells being true?”

A smirk broke Merlos normally stony expression. “Interesting. Yes, it’s possible you would need a… horn or other conduit to use higher forms of magic. Well, unless your people have some racial deficiency I’m not aware of that prevents ‘ponies’ from using it.”

Stormy stuck her tongue out at him at the last remark, but laughed it off, grinning from certain implications. “Well, barring that, if whatever magic you have here is different or whatever, then that means… I could actually learn to use magic?”

Merlos blinked at her. “I suppose… that might be true.” Somehow, despite the honesty in his reply, he felt as if saying such had been a mistake.

Stormy gained a glimmer in her eye. “Cool.”

Seeking a way to change the subject and distract the suddenly giggling pegasus, Merlos thought hard. “Yes, well, Stormy, I am curious about just what you were doing outside earlier? Before I, ahem, had tried to gain your attention.”

Stormy cast a glance to the window, while he followed her gaze. “Nothing much, I guess.” After a moment, she added, “I did talk to those guys from last night though. They were going somewhere.” The Dwarves had long departed on their journey, and were no longer visible from the tower window’s impressive view on the world.

After a significant pause, Merlos raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

Stormy ruffled her wings. “Well, after you went inside, the Dwarves asked me to let you know you should lighten up. And Gavlan said to wish you a good day.”

Merlos tried not to let any sourness onto his face. He refused to let her earlier childish prank ruin his day.

Stormy cleared her throat, then asked, “Aaanyway, where are they even going? I forgot to ask them.”

“Gavlan is heading out with his nephews to assist the local law enforcement, actually. They tend to do so from time to time.” He stroked his beard as he thought on that, and something else returned to mind shortly after. “Actually that reminds me, Gavlan asked me to give him assistance with escorting their stores of ale downriver. I think I’m accompanying Knott, Ges, and whoever’s on the barge. We’ll be gone for a bit as a result.”

Stormy’s ears twitched at hearing that. Well that’s the first I’ve heard of this. She head tilted over at him. “You’re leaving? For how long?”

Merlos paused at that, the realization he hadn’t considered something rather pertinent suddenly dawning on him.

“Well… it’s a simple guard job to the coast. A few days there, a few days staying, and then a few days back. It will give me a chance to sell some of my scrolls, too.” He began to consider things, concluding slowly. “...So, I’ll be gone a fortnight. Hm.”

Stormy blinked. “You’re going to be gone two weeks?” She sighed. “At least tell me you’ll go shopping first? There is nothing edible in that kitchen of yours. Believe me, I looked this morning.”

Merlos shot her a glare. “I assure you there is plenty that’s edible, not to mention the food you have out in the stables still that I did buy just for you.” He raised a hand to forestall any interruption and continued. “And in any case, I’m not actually sure I wouldn’t rather bring you along just yet…”

Stormy bit back her outburst about eating hay that had been sitting outdoors for who knew how long, and gave her host a confused look. “Oh, you mean I get to come too?”

Merlos frowned at that, just barely not shaking his head in response. He stared hard at the floor, thinking. “Like I said, I’m not sure I’m comfortable bringing you along, either. It will be dangerous—”

Stormy almost awed at hearing what sounded like him thinking of her, before he then said, “And I really don’t want you there to get in the way. Or worse, actually cause trouble of your own in the city.”

Stormy scowled. “Hey!”

“Although.” Merlos hummed. “I suppose I could just disavow any knowledge that I know you were you to get into any serious trouble.”

Stormy’s jaw nearly hit the floor. “You— You big jerk!”

Merlos looked up, suppressing a grin. “But, thinking about it, since you likely couldn’t hope to keep out of trouble for twenty-four hours, let alone two weeks, it’s probably better you stay where I can at least keep an eye on you. Even if there might be danger.”

Stormy hovered up to Merlos’ face and laid her ears back, placing her hooves on her hips as she set about barking out a retort. “If something wants to hurt me while we’re there I’ll just fly away from it. I-I can take care of myself.”

She tried to make herself sound sure of herself. Unfortunately, last night’s events came back to her even as she spoke, adding a slight quaver to her rebuttal. She swallowed hard afterward.

Merlos studied the little pegasus, rubbing his beard before coldly adding, “No, you can’t. Not in this world. You need to learn to protect yourself and learn what’s out there before making a silly assumption like that again.”

“Consider this an ideal opportunity to learn in the stead of a large party. We’re going to the capital of Halia. If you want to learn some spells you can read from my books along the way and I can help you practice.”

“R-Really? You’d help me with that?”

“Yes, it’s going to be a hopefully boring trip anyways. I’ll fetch my books from when I was a young lad. Maybe they’ll give you some possible hope of casting magic. Perhaps with time you’ll pick up some parlor tricks or such.”

Stormy lit up with a renewed energy Merlos hadn’t witnessed before, her ears up and alert with her wings spread wide she bounced excitedly “I get to learn to cast magic?”

Merlos stared incredulously as she whinnied happily and continue bouncing around him like a jack russell terrier on large quantities of haste potion. He studied her while she moved in a way he’d never witnessed a pony, let along any equine move before.

“I get to learn magic! I get to learn magic! I get to learn magic!” she chanted. Leaving a few errant feathers from her improvised dance on the ground.

Merlos allowed the filly to bounce around a moment, before finally clearing his throat.

“Right then,” Merlos began, Stormy stopping her improvised dance number to listen to his next words. “I’ll fetch your distracti— I mean, your books. In addition, you will need a few things for the trip, but I’ll see to that.” He stroked his beard a moment, the grainy sounds filling the air with his pause. “In any case, we’re not apt to leave for several days, but be sure you’re ready for when the barge arrives. You’re going on an adventure soon.”

Stormy sifted through the kitchen looking for a cup for her journey. Stupid Merlos. She frowned, flittering from one cupboard to the next. Why would I need a cup? Oh, I dunno, jerk, to drink out of maybe? Wait, you seriously think that being a pony means I wouldn’t drink out of a cup? Uggh.

She supposed she could cut him a bit of slack, but continuously getting compared to the other ponies and horses he had here was grating on her nerves.

Stormy sighed. “Oh well, I guess that’s not as bad as my lack of a toothbrush right now… and Merlos’ confusion about what that was doesn’t fill me with confidence about getting one at this city— Hello, what have we here?”

After setting down the grimy little cup she’d found, Stormy hovered over toward a peculiar bottle sitting in the far corner of Merlos’ grimy kitchen.

The bottle was oddly shaped, tapering off quickly at the top, and was filled with an orange liquid.

Stormy looked at the label, but it was written in whatever other scripture humans used, so she had no idea what was inside.

“Huh, what is this stuff?”

She missed her saccharine diet of sweets from Equestria; A sodapop fresh from Soda Jerk’s fountain drinks, ice cream, cakes from Tia's Forbidden Desires, donuts from Donut Joe’s. All of them were sugary confections that a young pegasus would eat to their heart’s content. She knew well that she was, as many would call her, a “Sugar fiend.”

And she hadn’t had any sugar in weeks.

The familiarity of the strange liquid was too much for Stormy to resist.

Removing the mysterious fizzy concoction’s stopper, she took a whiff and her eyes widened. "Orange soda?" she commented out-loud. She marveled at the bottle clutched in her hooves, containing something that she had honestly thought she would never see again. At least, certainly not in Merlos’ kitchen.

A grin split Stormy’s face as she leaned in lovingly to nuzzle the funny shaped bottle.

"Who loves Orange soda? Stormy loves orange soda! Is it truuuuuue?" She cradled the strange bottle and cooed to it. "Is it true? Ohyesohyesohyes it's true-ooo! I do I do I do I do-oo!” With the ritual complete, she placed a kiss on the bottle’s top before hefting it to her lips.

Stormy took a good strong gulp. Her eyes widened.

“Whoa. Whoa that’s good!” She smacked her lips. “Not quite orange soda levels of good, but not bad— whoops!” Her hooves slipped on the glass bottle’s slick exterior, sending it hurtling towards the ground.

What happened next to Stormy’s perception were as follows: as she had let go of the mysterious soda bottle, it began to slow down its fall.

“Huh, that’s new.” She blinked at it, dropping down to watch the bottle fall and even caught it with her hooves. “Weird,” she said, but thought no more about the oddity. For some reason her thoughts were picking up speed.

Stormy shrugged and tucked the bottle under her wing, before grinning around herself and remembering the other thing she’d wanted to do that day. “This place is so filthy! I guess I’ll get started on cleaning.”

While passing by a window, she noticed a honeybee fly by it, its wings flapping in slow motion. She shrugged, took another sip from her strange glass bottle and went on a search for a broom. Hm, this could use some ice. Where can I get ice from?

CHAPTER 006: Fallout Equestrian.

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Merlos awoke from his nap feeling rather refreshed for the day, even knowing later he’d be dealing with that mad flying pony house guest of his. He’d successfully gotten her distracted the day before with books about simple magic theory that ought’nt be very dangerous, even for someone like her.

“Well, I suppose I had better go and make sure my home is at the very least still intact.” Chuckling sourly, Merlos rose from bed and made his way to the door.

Scratching his behind absently through his robe, he exited into the hallway outside his bedroom. Immediately, an alien, soapy-like scent hit his nose rather than the usual dank, gritty and dusty one he was used to.

“What in the blazes—?” Merlos stared all around himself, sniffing the air with confusion.

Everything, he noticed, was eerily clean. Metal furnishings shimmered, broken debris no longer cluttered the hallway, and even the exterior of his door’s knob glinted with what must have been a whole day’s worth of polishing.

Feeling a bit nervous, Merlos stepped carefully down the hallway. Have I entered some alternate realm? Surely I didn’t leave my dimensional perforator on. Am I simply dead? The questions came to him unbidden. He wondered what possibly could have happened. Did someone move into my home after my death? He immediately started planning on haunting whoever would have the nerve to do that.

Merlos’ eyes drifted back and forth across his floor. It was shiny. The cobbles looked wet in places and brighter, as if still drying. He never knew the stone under all that rubble and dust was even capable of being polished.

When he got to the first main room at the end of the hallway, however, his curiosity switched immediately to stark confusion, then a mix of worry and anger.

“Where are my things?” Merlos looked around himself. Sure enough, the room was empty.

Almost...

In the midst of the otherwise empty room… was a lone, grey feather sitting on the floor.

Merlos watched the feather for a moment, his ire mounting, before snatching at it angrily. His fist opened up to the reveal the damning evidence of what surely must be the cause of things.

His bellow filled the tower from top to bottom.

“STORMYYYYYYY!”

Merlos continued to shout Stormy’s name as he jogged through the tower searching for her. During this, and amidst coming up with punishments or cross words to have with her, a perturbed thought connected a few dots.

This is happening with far too much regularity for comfort. Merlos scowled as he rounded a corner and descended another flight of stairs.

This time the little transplanar guest had gone too far. While everything from the floors to the ceilings of his tower had, in fact, been cleaned, almost all of the furniture and his property seemed to be missing.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say I’d been robbed… but what thief goes to the trouble to scrub grime out of the crevices afterward? No, this is definitely her doing.

“Stormy?” Merlos shouted again into a room, before moving on to the next. “Where in Weathervane’s name is that blasted— Stormy?”

Merlos stopped fast after nearly passing by the doorway to one unused floor. Normally, it was a large room jam packed with nothing but old crates and benches―a former dining hall perhaps―but now it stood empty with the door slightly ajar.

And sitting in the middle of the room was the pegasus Merlos hunted for so methodically.

“There you are! What is the meaning of all this?” Merlos swept an arm out in a vague gesture toward the far wall. “Was I not clear enough about leaving things as they were? The floors, fine, yes, clean them if you must I’d say, but after everything that’s happened you really dared to do so without asking? Not to mention my things!” He put a hand up to his head to fully illustrate his disbelief. “And for that matter what of my belongings? They’re gone! What have you to say for—”

Merlos stopped fast, noticing suddenly that Stormy didn’t seem to be paying him nor his words any heed whatsoever.

The pegasus seemed to be sitting still and was alert, but she simply stared straight ahead.

Is she paralyzed with fear? Merlos scowled. Well, she better be!

“Stormy, look at me at once. Perhaps there is a major failure of communication between us on some cultural level, but I need answers.” He tried to meet her eyes, but even leaning down the pegasus failed to make eye contact with him. “Stormy?”

Something felt off to Merlos, and he had a hunch that whatever it was tied in to the fact that the pegasus seemed to be… vibrating.

“Stormy, answer me. Now.” Merlos gave the utmost severity to his words.

Slowly, and very shakily, Stormy looked up at the one addressing her. Her eyes were wide and her pupils shrunken while a small, but slightly manic smile was on her muzzle. Her disheveled form―there were soap suds in her frazzled mane―stared at him blankly for a moment.

Merlos raised an eyebrow. “Well? I demand an explanation. A complete one.” He could understand that she would be frightened. Still, whatever had happened, whether she were responsible or not, the amount of shaking she was doing seemed excessive.

After another couple irritatingly long seconds, Stormy opened her mouth slightly, which seemed to allow her teeth to begin chattering noisily. This was punctuated further by the sudden clattering of her hooves against the stonework as she shifted her rigid posture.

“I-I-I-I―” Stormy made an unsuccessful attempt at speaking, instead stammering.

Merlos sighed. “What? ‘I’ what?” He placed his fists on his hips.

“I-have-bees-in-my-teeth,” Stormy eventually managed to blurt out, and in an almost unintelligible garble of highspeed words.

Merlos stared, then shook his head. “Come again?” Did she say bees? Oh, gods, I hate bees. And insects, for that matter.

Stormy kept sitting there, shifting slightly, and looking as if she were struggling to try and move more. Her wings twitched and ruffled continuously. When she finally spoke again, it still almost impossible to understand.

“M-M-Merlos-I’m-sorry-I-didn’t-get-permission-to-clean-first-I-totally-forgot-and-spaced-on-that-so-anyway-I-took-everything-outside-and-then-I-cleaned-everything-in-the-tower-and-oh-my-gosh-this-soda-you-had-in-the-kitchen-was-great!”

Stormy finished by giving a winning smile, although her teeth kept chattering.

Merlos blinked. “What?” He tried his best to process what his ears thought he had just heard. It was as if someone had spoken through a time warping disturbance. “I… think I heard the word clean in all of that.” He looked around again at that. “Which I would say is obvious… but now that I think about it, what isn’t so clear to me is just how you accomplished such a feat.”

The night before he had gone to bed and nothing had been out of its proper place. The dust had caked everything nice and thick, niter grew from the walls, and all of the furniture had been left where it lain for decades, much of it decayed into shambles.

“And in just one night,” Merlos continued, and squinted at his strange visitor while wondering what could be amiss. “Furthermore, why are you acting like thi—”

The words died in his mouth as his eyes came to rest on a peculiarity laying beside Stormy, just behind her tail.

Merlos quickly leaned down past her and snatched up a tall, empty glass bottle with its cork unplugged. He quickly read the label and discerned what it was.

“What is the meaning of this?” he asked calmly, then whirled about on Stormy. “Did you drink this… this entire thing!?” He could feel the rage that had been boiling in him quickly piercing the calm he had managed.

Stormy once again exploded into speech, grinning bigger. “When-did-you-start-speaking-whale, Merlos? You-talk-so-slow! Can-I-learn-whale-too? I-wanna-try-I-wanna-try. Oh-my-gosh-a-fly, look-how slow-its-wings-are-moving.” She stopped speaking again, and paying attention, instead opting to look somewhere above herself, eyes flickering in tight circles at the ceiling with disturbing speed.

“I don’t— What are you saying?” Perturbed, but not yet beaten, Merlos glared at the creature that currently seemed capable of only spitting nonsense at him, and that creature certainly didn’t seem to be finished.

Stormy stood then, her legs dancing as if to some diabolic tune. “Hay-hay-hay-hay, Merlos! Merlos! Hay-hay-hay-why-aren't-you-talking? HAHAHAHA! You're-like-a-statue-from-canterlot.” All the while she talked, she danced from hoof to hoof with her wings suddenly buzzing at an inordinately accelerated rate.

“Stormy, listen to me,” Merlos growled, interrupting. “Molesting my home and cleaning my things without permission is bad enough.” He paused to point to the bottle in his hands. “But drinking this haste potion! No wonder you— You aren’t listening to me, are you?”

Stormy was giggling and bouncing where she stood, but did certainly gave no outward signs of comprehending things.

Merlos managed to take a breath to calm himself once again. It was quite obvious that he would need to be level-headed in order to compensate for the pegasus’ current state.

“Stormy, I want you to try and calm down. Can you do that?” Unfortunately, the moment Merlos posed the question, she was gone. He blinked, and looked around in disbelief. “What in the blazes?”

When he looked around he found Stormy vibrating in another spot, just outside his peripheral vision. Then, just as quick, she suddenly appeared right in front of him again.

Merlos squinted angrily. “Are you paying attention to anything I’m saying?” he asked, doing his best to gain the shaking pegasus’ attention, her hooves tapping on the floor like mad.

Stormy snapped her head up and bent her hooves above her. “I am cute-foalio! I need brushies for my gray coat!”

Merlos connected his right palm hard to his forehead. With that, it was clear that getting through to Stormy in her current state was all but impossible.

“Very well, you just burn off the rest of that elixir, and I’ll see to finding and reappropriating my belongings…” Merlos grumbled to himself as he left the room and the sound of clattering hooves and gibberish behind him.

“And we’ll talk about what I’m to do about you later…”

Merlos found his things quicker than he thought he would.

“Come on, you… blast!” Merlos gave up his struggle against trying to dislodge a rather stubborn cauldron from a mismatched pile of other random objects. Sure, he was using a wand of levitation to move things, not brute force, but it was still trying work nonetheless.

The pile was one of many, all of them positioned haphazardly right outside his tower’s front door in the courtyard. Luckily, the old fort’s interior was large enough that there was actually enough room for all of the junk that Stormy had apparently decided to haul outside.

Merlos wiped away a streak of sweat already forming on his brow. “This is both demeaning and annoying! Surely I have another spell to organize all of this quicker.” He left behind the pile of things and struggled his way up the towers stairs toward his chair.

Afterward, he produced his spellbook from underneath his robes.

“This is by far the most frustrating thing I’ve ever had to do. Now, let’s see what I have… Can’t just teleport everything in this state unorganized as it is… Maybe I could―”

The sound of a small explosion right behind Merlos interrupted his deliberation, and promptly made him tumble forward out of his chair onto the stonework.

“Who dares―!?” Merlos flipped over, wand at the ready in order to face some sudden, deadly threat… and found Stormy hovering casually with a placated smile.

“Of course.” Merlos groaned and replaced his wand. “I don’t suppose you’re coherent yet? And what was that boom?”

“You’re-funny-Merlos. What’s-up!” Stormy giggled, bobbing a little in the air.

Not put off at being ignored, Merlos replied curtly, while also dusting himself off. “Not my spirits, that’s for sure. And what are you doing now?” He hoped for a reasonable answer, but instead the little pegasus disappeared from sight again, and faster than he could track.

“That potion had better run out soon.” Merlos threw up a hand in frustration and turned back to his work, only to jump from Stormy suddenly being there behind him.

“S-Stop that!” Merlos clutched a hand to his heart. He didn’t quite feel like he was going to have a heart-attack, but he did feel as if he should have by then.

Stormy head tilted, her wings buzzing loudly where she hovered. “Stop-what?”

“That!” Merlos growled before explaining further. “The random disappearing and hyperactivity!”

“Ohhhh.” Stormy held a hoof to her chin, wearing a genuine enough look of understanding.

Merlos felt his shoulders relax, and scanned his possesions briefly, trying his best to find furniture that wasn’t irreparably damaged amidst the various piles. “Look, Stormy, please focus. What you did was dangerous! I understand you couldn’t read the label, but under no circumstances should you have imbibed a liquid you weren’t familiar with! Now just look at the mess I have to clean up.”

After levitating a couple tables up with a wand, both of which sagged weakly in the middle, Merlos turned his head back around angrily. “We’re going to have a long talk now about— Where did you go?”

He looked around the courtyard, but once again could see no sign of Stormy anywhere.

“Hi!”

Merlos felt his heart explode up into his chest from both the suddenness, and the close proximity of a voice suddenly in his ear.

“AH!”

“Whoa, calm-down-Merlos! Why-so-uptight?” Stormy grinned from ear to ear, then leaned forward as she sipped from what curiously appeared to be a glass of water with ice clinking inside it.

“Uptight!?” Merlos lowered his hand from clutching the cloth over his heart. “I am no such thing, and you weren’t even listening to— What are you drinking now?” He immediately honed in on what was held in Stormy’s strange alien grip. How a pony could hold anything was mystery enough without considering where she possibly could have gotten ice.

“Just-water-with-ice,” she chirped merrily.

“A cup of ice? And where are you getting this ice from?” Merlos demanded.

Stormy gasped, then put on a look that was far too excited seeming. “Okay-so-after-all-that-work-cleaning-you’re-welcome-by-the-way-I-was-super-thirsty-so-I-wanted-some-ice-cold-water-but-where-could-I-get-ice-from-and-I-was-like, duh! From-the-top-of-the-mountain!”

Stormy finished with a grin, and then was suddenly gone, the tiny flares of mach cone trailing away along with the same sound of thunder from before. Her little glass of water spun slightly atop the stone cobble where it had apparently been left behind.

“The mountain?” Merlos repeated in disbelief, albeit to himself. “The nearest range is miles away!” He realized he was alone, but sure enough, a gray streak returning from the vague direction of the distant mountaintops peeled through the air, then stopped right at his feet.

Stormy placed a chunk of ice as large as her head down, then exhaled a quick breath of air. “Phew! Kinda-heavy. See? Mountain ice!”

The sound of a thundering crash followed, then came a powerful wind followed promptly by dust and small, pelting rocks.

Once the wind had passed, Merlos calmly reached up with both hands, then pulled his beard down from where it had blown up and over his face. “Stormy?” he said calmly.

“Yeah, Merlos?” Stormy grinned up at him, her wings flapping nonstop behind her.

Merlos then cast a spell that froze her in place. It was temporary, but he had briefly considered something more permanent, as well.

“You and I are going to have a little chat.”

Stormy zipped around in the sky, corralling clouds and trying to tighten them up into a nice thunderhead. With difficulty, she was able to infuse some of her magic into the clouds, making them thicken up with her pegasus magic. The clouds themselves, however, were strange and very... loose, or perhaps chaotic was a better word for them; she wasn’t sure.

The cloud thing idea had come from one of her ‘potion-trip’ induced thoughts. This one had been of making it monsoon on top of Merlos’ tower and simply running a squeegee around inside to get it clean. As an added bonus she’d hoped that would maybe also cool the angry wizard off a bit.

Buuut her mind had still been under some mind altering effects of large concentrations of haste potion. She could definitely understand why it hadn’t been a great idea.

For instance, she had no idea where she could get a squeegee from.

“At least I feel like it’s wearing off.”

Most of Merlos’ haste potion had worn out, but Stormy still felt she could still fly in a straight line for days. That had her worried a bit after it had been explained that she’d probably be dead on her hooves for days once it completely wore off.

“I hope I’ll still be okay for that trip we’re going on.” Stormy hummed, mulling that over until her creation at hoof neared completion.

After building up the thundercloud enough to be called a proper one―this one was definitely at least a little better than her earlier makeshift cloud bed―Stormy flopped atop it and sighed merrily. She could feel the crackling of magic inside of the cloud threatening to make her giggle from its tickling.

The dour mood hanging above her like a second storm cloud kept her from enjoying her work, though.

“Well, it’s done. Not sure what I’ll use it for now though… Geez, what was I thinking?” Stormy sighed, staring up at the sky. Merlos is super angry at me… again. Can’t imagine what I can possibly do to make it up to him now, either. I mean, I just cleaned his entire house! Hm, maybe an apology cupcake would work...

Stormy rolled over, back legs kicking idly. “I wish he’d at least let me help him put everything back. Now I just feel bad.”

While continuing to mope, and dread all the nasty things that Merlos had said might happen to her from drinking that entire potion, something caught Stormy’s hearing. “Hm?”

That was when she heard a whistle.

Idly, Stormy peered over the side of her stormcloud and down towards the earth. There, a long ways below, she saw a speck waving up to her.

Curiosity got the better of Stormy, and after fluttering down, she landed before what turned out to be another human. She recognized the human somewhat, too, having seen him during her drug induced hyperness from the morning. He was probably the closest thing Merlos had to a neighbor, she guessed, given that he lived just down the hill.

“Oh, have you been watching me?” Stormy said, half to him and half to herself. She wondered why a human would be watching her stitch together a thundercloud.

The stranger spoke to her. However, he might as well have been gargling water, as Stormy couldn’t understand any of it.

The human, whoever he was, wore loose rags and a wide brimmed hat. Stormy quickly decided that he definitely needed a trip to a tailor or something. Yeesh. The derelicte look was so two seasons ago.

“Oh, just great. That language spell-thingy Merlos cast yesterday wore off… and I didn’t ask him to cast it again before flying away.” Stormy sighed, scratching a sheepish hoof behind her head. She had flipped through several books the day before to try and get an idea of Merlos’ language, but that was difficult when she couldn’t read any of it except for spells, and those weren’t any help.

Unable to guess what the stranger wanted, Stormy simply stated back to him, “I. have. no. idea. what. you. are. saying. but. I. am. Stormy! Nice. to. meet. you!”

The stranger, probably a farmer judging by his pitchfork, rubbed his head for a moment before shaking it. He proceeded to point at the cloud hovering overhead, then to the sorry looking crops that surrounded them both. He finished by pointing to his hand thing, which he bunched up, then used his other hand to wiggle his fingers just beneath it.

Stormy looked at him like he was crazy the whole time, until it dawned on her what he wanted. “Oh! You want me to make it rain! Yeah, I can do that.” She paused and rubbed a hoof under her chin. “Then again, if my Papa told me anything, it’s that if you’re good at something never do it for free.” The farmer blinked at her expectantly, wearing a grin and obviously not understanding.

Stormy shrugged. “Buuut I’ll give you a sample of what I can do!” With a quick flap, she wasted no time, and rocketed up into the air. The energy from the haste potion was noticeably still coursing through her veins, and while she felt a little tired, pushing the storm wasn’t all that taxing.

Now, how high up should this sucker be, exactly? Stormy would have asked the farmer if maybe he knew, but counting out that option all she could do was draw on her limited memories of watching other weather pegasi work, and what she had been taught growing up.

Stormy flew above her cloud a few times to check her “aim”, guesstimating that it was about right. When she got it at the right spot, she yelled, “Here it comes!” and got to work.

She landed atop the cloud then bounced as if it were a giant trampoline in order to ‘wake up’ the rain. Thunder suddenly boomed across the sky, and Lightning arced threateningly, a few bolts spraying up above the cloud in an out of control fashion.

Oh no you don’t! Stormy knew precisely how to fix this. Probably. This is my big chance to show that I know what I’m doing and I’m NOT going to mess it up.

Stormy dived over to the messier part of the cloud and began to weave and knead it with her hooves, ignoring the lightning shooting out and around her face just inches away from her. The last thing she wanted was a nasty shock and a singed mane, but it was less dangerous to her than others.

As Stormy had hoped it would, the lightning stopped thanks to her work, quickly calming back to a steady rumble. “Alright, let’s try that again.”

After bouncing atop it a few times with a few well placed ‘boings’, Stormy heard the steady hiss of the rain beginning to release from below. She kick-launched back into the air, then circled below to witness her hard work pay off.

A grin split her face. Yup, my weather camp instructor would be so proud. Hay, maybe even my parents would be. Then again that seems a little unlikely, given how seriously they take the old weather business back home.

Her hooves outstretched, Stormy sped around the storm while working in a mild rotation to get it moving around the field on a steady wind. The action would act as a sort of automatic watering system which would hopefully cover most of the ground below evenly.

Stormy sighed, watching the cloud float off slowly, then blinked as shouts and cries of glee caught her attention.

Below, the farmer jumped up and down like a crazy person, cheering. Water already welled up in the irrigated paths of his crops’ fields.

Well, he looks happy. After a thought, Stormy flew up high into the air with a growing smile on her muzzle. But this oughta really brighten his day! With her smile at full capacity, she turned around and dove back towards her cloud.

Stormy put her forehooves before her and used a little pegasus magic, ready to do the move she had developed for her own use at the best young flier’s competition.

“For the wonderbolts!” Stormy cried out. Rocketing down like a bullet from the heavens, she tucked her wings in and flared them right as she passed beside the cloud. The move just barely grazed the cloud, and an arc of blue lighting exploded out in a ripple as response.

The sound of cheering stopped its way up to her from the ground, before beginning again a second later.

Stormy landed, watching her cloud with a sidelong look. “Well, how was that?” She grinned and waited a moment for a response from the farmer, before remembering. “Oh, right. Well―” Another rumble sounded off, interrupting. This time it came from her stomach.

The farmer, amidst his grateful seeming expressions, made a look of understanding and chuckled.

Stormy laughed, too. “Geez, Merlos wasn’t kidding. I’m so hungry I could eat a… a… darn, I can never think of something to finish that sentence for some reason. Oh well, I hope he isn’t too angry to feed me.”

Stormy looked up at the farmer to say goodbye. “Well, I gotta go, I… hm?”

The farmer put his hands up to make the one finger gesture, speaking his silly human language, then dashed off towards his house.

“What was that about?” Stormy raised one eyebrow, but waited patiently since he seemed to have wanted that. As the seconds ticked, she could feel for certain that the haste potion was mostly burned out of her system now that she was sitting still. Her wings suddenly felt like lead weights to her.

“Uggh…” Stormy drooped forward. “I’m gonna sleep for a week…”

Then, a smell hit her nose, and suddenly it was like all of her energy returned in a flash.

Stormy looked up and immediately recognized what the farmer brought out. It was most certainly a pie tin! There may have been a language barrier between them, but she certainly did speak pie.

“Oooh! Pie! I love pie!” she said excitedly, while giving happy wing flaps as the farmer brought it over. He offered the pie out to her, to which Stormy gave his arm a friendly nuzzle after accepting it.

“Oooh, thank you. You know I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship!” She giggled, taking a sniff at the pie. “Oooh, cinnamon pumpkin? My, you oomans and dorfs certainly know good pies.”

The farmer pointed at himself and said something a few times. “John Hammond. John Hammond.”

Stormy head tilted, then nodded as she picked up his meaning. “Oh, that’s your name? John Almond?” she repeated back.

The farmer clapped his hands and laughed in delight. He shrugged, then pointed at her.

Stormy, picking up on this as introductions, replied, “Stormy Weather.”

The farmer grinned and repeated the name back to her, but also held his hand out for a hoofshake.

“Alright! Nice to meet you, Mr. Almond! Well, I really oughta go, but thanks for the pie and… What is it?” Stormy, noticing that Mr. Almond was looking over her head, not at her, turned around. As soon as she did she gasped, and nearly dropped her pie.

The sight of her thundercloud roaming away from the fields, and adopting a collision course with Merlos’ tower, immediately filled her with impending dread.

“Uh oh.” Stormy swallowed hard as that cloud sagged into the side of the tower, then ripped open and released its water and lightning in a matter of seconds. The crack of thunder that rolled out over the hills was loud enough to make her ears feel like they’d popped. “Uh, Mr. Almond, I gotta go! Was nice meeting you!”

With a few panicked flaps of her beleaguered wings, Stormy clumsily took back to the skies. “Oh geez, he’s gonna kill me!” She flew a bit further before thinking, He really wouldn’t do that, would he?

“Stoooormy!” yelled a familiar voice in the distance.

Stormy gulped again, and began evaluating whether it might be safer to try striking out on her own.

With her belly full of pie—Stormy had decided it would be best to give Merlos a few minutes to calm down—she stepped tiredly through the stairway threshold and into the tower. She was feeling the pull of the day’s work and play tug at her from all directions.

Then, she noticed Merlos, who was pointing an angry finger at her.

The dress wearing man spoke to her in an angry tone and waved a finger harshly.

Stormy stared at him blankly. Sorry, what? Your spell wore off. I can’t understand you.” She gave him an earnest shrug, still dreading the conversation that had yet to come. Please don’t turn me into a… orange or something! An orange? Geez, I really am tired.

After a momentary squint and groan from Merlos, Stormy felt the familiar fuzziness of his translation spell touching her ears again.

“Where are they?” he demanded with a spookily calm voice.

Stormy stared at him a moment, looking around as if to expect something in plain sight to point out to Merlos.

“Uh, where is what?” she asked back sheepily. Not asking about the thundercloud first thing had caught her by surprise, but she definitely wasn’t complaining.

Merlos’ nostrils flared, as if he were fighting very hard to maintain his calm. “My. Scrolls!” he roared.

“Scrolls?” she repeated back, before scratching her head with a hoof, before a hazy memory of hauling a bunch of dusty paper around by moonlight returned to her. “Ohhhh, the papers. That stuff’s in the stable building,” she answered, gesturing with her free wing outside towards one sunny window.

“The stables?” Merlos began. ‘Why are they all out there? Bring them back in!”

Stormy stifled a yawn. “But I’m tirrred…”

Merlos visibly bristled in response.

“Everything outside is all just broken or rotting furniture, anyway,” she went on, sounding like she was about to pass out on her hooves. “And that paper… sorry ‘scrolls’ were super dusty. You couldn’t have been using any of it, right?”

Merlos exploded. Again. “But it was my furniture in my home!!” He rubbed his face and began again. “Don’t you think you have a responsibility after drinking my potion to—”

“The orange soda?” Stormy had felt a pang of guilt while Merlos prepared his diatribe.

“Orange soda? Orange soda? You little fool! That was a Marathon haste potion! More worryingly you drank it all and are remarkably still alive!” Merlos stormed over to a table and snatched the empty bottle from earlier then waved it at Stormy.

“Yeah, I remember! But I had just wanted to—”

“I put this in my morning tea as a pick me up,” Merlos cut her off, his fury growing with each syllable. “A single drop, mind you, keeps me going for half a day, and you drank it all like some commoner’s ale!” He spat, and caused Stormy to scoot back a little.

If Stormy had been near sleeping before, she was brought to fully-wake. She trembled out of fear from Merlos’ tirade, her tail was tucked under her frame and her ears laid back. Her eyes even shimmered a tad with unshed tears.

“Well, I didn’t know what it was, and a-afterward I only wanted to repay you,” she said.

Merlos groaned, one of his boney hand-things cupping itself over his eyes. He then gestured with the other and started up the stairs. “Just follow me, Stormy.”

Stormy watched him swiftly turn and climb the stairs, not waiting for her. She briefly looked behind herself at the still-open door, before breathing out tensely and following.

They traveled up to the floor where Merlos had his comfortable living space where they eventually went into a room across the hall, now clean from its former contents, The strange glowing stones set into the walls gave the room its only illumination.

Merlos spun around after reaching the corner. The smell of clean water was in the air instead of the moldy decay that had once hung there. “Now, I promise I won’t yell again… but where are the troughs that were in this room?”

Stormy, fretted again, her voice just a squeak. “Um, outside? Behind the stable thing, I think?” She then quickly stammered out, “Oh, but uh, I cleaned them out really good! So don’t worry. They’re sparkling now!”

Stormy grinned, awaiting what would surely be praise for at least something she’d done right.

Merlos clenched his hands into fists, his boney hands creaking. “Those were— Those were expensive potion regents and ingredients! It takes months for those to stew properly, and you cleaned them? They will cost a fortune to fix!”

“H-Hey, you said you wouldn’t yell…” Stormy winced away, ears tucked back.

Merlos puffed his cheeks out, before burying his face in his hands and leaning back against the wall. “Oh, which god— scratch that, which gods did I anger to be saddled with you? Hm?”

Stormy frowned sadly, ashamedly looking at the floor. “I’m sorry for the millionth time… I promise I’ll make it up to you somehow though…”

Merlos rolled his eyes. “What about the jars that were on that shelf there. I don’t suppose there’s any luck that you placed them in the stables as well?”

Stormy blinked, feeling a bit of reprieve with the ease of Merlos’ tone. “Uh, well, I’m pretty sure— That is, I-I think that everything in this room went behind the stable.” She studied him, waiting for what seemed to be inevitable at this point, and cringed the moment he started to look furious again.

“I’ll just bring them back in!” Stormy said, in an effort to keep him calm. That, and she was starting to feel more than happy to flee the angry wizard. “I’ll be right ba— Wha?” She stopped when a blue wall appeared before her in the doorway, cutting off her escape. It swirled with shimmering energies she’d seen from unicorns, and knew it would keep her from getting through the door.

“What do you notice about this room, Stormy?” Merlos grumbled rather solemnly.

“It doesn’t smell like a sewage treatment plant exploded anymore?” Stormy offered, turning around with a nervous grin.

“Funny.” Merlos answered, then gestured to a wall. “There are no windows. Sunlight kills the sensitive fungus that was in those jars! So, don’t bother bringing them back in.”

Stormy cringed again as the wizard once again lost his temper.

“You horrible accident, why did I take you in? You’ve been nothing but a disaster! An orcish warcamp would have at least left most of it all alone. But no! I get a little pegasus who— Who— Oh, forget it.”

The blue wall disappeared.

Fighting her urge to cry, Stormy growled back before she could stop herself, and started to feel herself get angry, too. “This place was a health hazard! I did what I could to help and I’m only sorry I didn’t ask some things, first. I did a lot of effort, perhaps more than I’ve done in my entire life! You could at least go easy on me!”

Merlos scowled, first at her and then at the ground. Then he looked up. “And were you the one responsible for that stormcloud spell that nearly knocked over the tower, earlier?”

Stormy felt her angry look dissipate, and she blinked at Merlos. “Oh, uh— I… yes?” She put on a shaky smile. “Uh, I think I’ll just go and—”

Merlos stared back at her, then, he snapped his fingers.

The little pegasus suddenly disappeared with a soft bamf of sound.

Stormy was instantly whisked to another place by magic. Wherever it was, she landed in some grass and oophed loudly.

“—bring everything back in.” Stormy shouted, nearly scaring the hay out of Knott, who was just about to bite into a sandwich. “What the hay? Where am I?”

Ges—who sat across from his brother—stared wide-eyed while chewing on a frond of grass.

“Well, you don’t see tha’ everyday,” Ges mumbled.

Knott collected the parts of his scattered sandwich, hastily constructing it in accordance to the five second rule. He then looked at Stormy, noticing she was seemingly itching for a fight.

Stormy huffed a bit, wanting to scream and cry at Merlos. She turned to scamper up the tower stairs—apparently Merlos hadn’t sent her that far—when a gruff voice said to her, “Hold yer horses there… er, just hold it. Saying horses in’t offensive, is it?”

Stormy ceased her stomping up the stairs and stopped to look back. She recognized the speaker as being the dwarf, Knott. “Huh?”

Knott shook his head. “Nevermin’, anyway, judgin’ by tha’ flash o’ light, and my need to change my pants later, I think y’ticked off Merlos to th’ point he magicked yeh away just now. Yes?”

Stormy frowned, not answering, then settled for a simple nod.

Ges chuckled, then patted a stump beside his own. “Figured as much. In that case, come sit with us and mellow out. You’re lucky he just sent you away.”

Stormy looked to the other dwarf, her glare returning. “But he—”

Ges shushed and spoke to Stormy, ushering her to come to over. He even reached behind himself and... retrieved some oats, by the looks of it.

“Gah! No oats, please!” Stormy exclaimed, putting up her forehooves while trying not to faceplant into the ground from her exhaustion. “Those things smell all salty and sweaty. But… yeah, fine.”

Still, she sighed and trotted over to take a seat sullenly beside them.

Ges paused, then opted to pet Stormy’s face. “There. Much better than tusslin’, eh? Everythin’’ll be alright now.”

Stormy didn’t push him off this time. She barely had the energy to frown, as matter of fact. She even felt her eyes grow heavy, the fight and will to resist gone. Strangely, she began to think it wasn’t just because she was tired, rather that it was Ges. His voice was like that of an angel calling her to sit next to him.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Stormy mumbled, then yawned hard. She didn’t noticed sliding off the stump from her sitting position, nor did she register curling up into a ball on the ground.

“Aye, when you’re rested up yeh can settle things.” Ges shushed her response, reading her body language and seeing her exhaustion as he chose to simply lull the pegasus to sleep.

“Wish you wouldn’t do that ‘round me. I ‘lready took me afternoon nap.” Knott ate his sandwich in peace while they listened to Stormy's high pitched whinny-snores, stifling his own yawn. “Huh, so you think this ‘as to do with Merlos’ yard sale that he put on?” He looked around at all the furniture and junk that was outside, then shrugged and offered a carrot slice to Ges, who politely turned it down with a wave of his hand.

Ges sighed and sat back up, stretching. “Hm, migh’ be. Think we ought to return that stuff we carried downstairs, then? Or ought we sell it back to him, eh?”

The two brothers stared at each expectantly, then burst out laughing.

When Stormy awoke she felt a lot better. Her limbs were still sore from her impressive workout, but she felt rather good about it. It was strange, as she lay there she recalled being angry at Merlos, but she couldn’t summon up the desire to be once again.

Stormy remained still for some time, perhaps several minutes, before lifting her head up from the improvised mattress of hay and linen she found herself on. Wherever the bed was, it was somewhere cool.

“Finally awake, are yeh? Was beginnin’ to think you’d need a prince to rouse yeh. Hah.”

Stormy’s ears and head shot up, and she looked over to see a squat shape hunched over in a candle lit corner of the room.

“Evenin’, lass,” Knott greeted. He waved with one hand, something clenched in his fist, before looking down to begin scraping it against something else.

“Oh, uh, evenin’? Stormy repeated back, then rubbed her bleary eyes with both hooves. They felt like they each had a pound of sleep-dust in them. “Where am I, Knott? Uhhh, you are Knott, right?” She looked sheepishly at him, unsure a little if she’d gotten the name right; they all kinda looked similar. She was reasonably sure Knott was the biggest dwarf, though.

“Haha, aye, you’re correct.” Knott took a swig of something, then set about working again. “And yeh’re just in mine and my brothers’ residence, below the tower. Figured yeh’d appreciate sleeping in a bed rather’n the wet grass yeh laid down on outside.”

“Oh, thanks…” While looking around at the seven or so beds ringed around the room, Stormy listened to the gentle scrapes Knott made with the stone he ran along the metallic edge of something. The dim lighting of the brother’s basement room was dark that making it out was difficult. “What are yeh doin’— Er, what are you doing over there?”

Chuckling, Knott looked up from where he sat on a tiny three legged wooden stool. A cutlery stone was in his hand and small sword laid across his lap. “Sharpenin’ one o’ me blades. We’ll be traveling south on the river soon. Always best to be prepared… ‘specially of late.”

Knott sighed. “Tough times come and go, but lately they’re ‘specially plum tough.”

Stormy eyed the blade nervously. “Oh… I see. It’ll be safe though, right?” Swords were something she’d only seen on the guards and Canterlot, in books, and maybe once in passing by a store window… It made her uneasy, but somehow, her stomach was still rumbling steadily. She got up off the bed, her legs a bit wobbly under her weight. Now that she thought of it she was terribly thirsty also.

Knott nodded thrice. “Oh, aye, you can be sure o’ that, lass. With Merlos, myself and the others there won’t be a thing on tha’ river we can’t handle.” He chuckled again, running his blade harder on the stone. “Certainly not with Merlos and I.”

After that, Stormy sat awhile, in silence, and just listen and watched Knott work. When her stomach became to much for her to bear, she got up and headed toward the large door across the room to leave.

She thanked Knott and left the basement, cantering up the stairs to make her way to the ground level floor. There, she exited the tower and entered into the courtyard.

Stormy wasn’t familiar with using the side exit, but the view from it always told the main tale of the tower’s past. In the night, the large wall with a broken down section on one side looked spooky, but it still spoke of a successful siege sometime in the past; that was something else she’d only ever heard of in books, fighting and stuff, but here she saw evidence of it firsthoof.

Stones lay in a messy pile, many too big or heavy for her to even consider picking up without help. Much of it was scattered around, some with lichen growing upon it, some with pits of dirt now sprouting weeds. The keep in its heyday had likely been an impressive sight with such formidable walls standing, but those days were long gone.

After cantering through the courtyard, Stormy passed under the archway at the main gate. The portcullis was warped and misshapen, as likely it had seen many exciting battles; she felt intimidated just by passing under it.

Stormy made her way down the path and to the river to sip from it, not wanting to upset Merlos anymore by drinking his potions on accident or eating his foods. She also decided to just eat some of the hay medley he had gotten her. It would have to do for now anyways, as plain and boring as it was.

Stormy just drank for a while, before wading into the river and looking at the messy hobo horse in the moonlit water’s reflection.

She made a face at herself.

Her mane and tail quite clearly needed a really good brushing. Right then she’d even put up with Feather Duster—her family’s maid—and the rough brushing she always used if it’d fix her mane and tail.

Stormy took a few steps further into the water, using it to help sooth her very dirty legs. Twigs and clumps of mud and debris washed out of the gray hair that surrounded her fetlocks. She wanted to get them trimmed terribly. By her parents insistence, she made regular trips to a spa, a ferrier, and of course a barber who would help keep her appearance pristine. Living in Canterlot meant keeping up appearances so neighbor’s wouldn’t get haughty and bothersome; although really they did it anyway, so what was the point?

Stormy sighed, thinking on her life back home. Now, without any of that stuff, she felt a little bit of the memory of her life’s comforts sting at her.

“I don’t wanna think about it!” With little to no ceremony, she jumped further into the waters and began paddling.

The river was rather wide and definitely deep enough to swim in, and Stormy didn't mind the current carrying her as she played in the water a bit. It certainly had to be helping clean out her mane a bit.

It felt good to bathe, the mild itch of her coat now felt soothed and she was certain that she smelled better too. Still, she wished she had a few bottles of her favorite shampoos and conditioners. After making Merlos so mad, she was certain that for now she would just have to let the hope of amenities like soap and a hot bath go...

Nice things like that were just so far away… So very far away.

After drifting a ways downstream, Stormy eventually climbed back onto a bank. There, she flared her wings and gave them a quick preen. Her mother was big on telling her to keep up her wings, and yesterday she seemed to have put them through a lot of work. Once she got them in an okay condition, she broke into a gallop to launch herself into the sky.

After quickly locating Merlos’ tower on the horizon—it being the tallest structure for many miles around and her memory of everything being from a bird’s eye view—she turned towards its direction and flew straight toward it. Even in the dark it was easy to spot.

The ache in Stormy’s wings returned as she flew. Annoyed with the amount of work she was putting into her wings, she beat them with a hummingbird’s buzz as she tried to gain more altitude. She knew how to harness her magic for flight pretty well, but that felt out of sort, too. Instead, she opted to fly close to the ground in case she needed a break on the way back.

Even more tired than before, Stormy landed before the stable. She looked at the fresh bales of hay within beside the junk still deposited near it all.

Inside there were also the other ponies that lived in the stable, and they seemed to eye her with jealousy as she picked at a wire and nibbled at some of the hay.

“Look guys, this stuff is for me, alright? What can I say. Besides, I’m starvvvving.” Stormy’s stomach growled even as she munched.

Inside the strange hay, she found paper bags of stranger olive-drab and tan bars.

Whatever it was, it wasn’t too bad; the alfalfa and clover mixed in made it like eating a protein bar from a GM store. However, it wasn’t all too great, either. The months old molasses and bits of old cut fruit gave her the impression that Merlos obviously wasn’t going to ever eat anything like this himself.

Stormy did eventually share a little with the ponies present, not minding a few friends, even if they held little in common with her. Funnily enough, they too seemed nonplussed by the free food and left their portions on the ground without a single bite taken.

“That bad huh?” Stormy said to them, and nibbled on her own. It was worse than stale hay, but she guessed needed the calories. Her body ached for them.

With a belly full of the foods she curled up by the door and gave her wings a proper preening, knowing full well her mother would bind them up for a day after letting her feathers get into the train-wrecked condition they were currently still in.

Stormy spent quite a bit of time getting her feathers sorted and lapped in place, shedding a few broken ones and even plucking one that had managed to split. Finished, she nickered to herself over having better groomed wings. They were easily the only part of herself that she felt was at all presentable.

She went back to munching on the brick like bars of feed, munching on it quietly before she felt a familiar warming sensation. The translation spell?

“Hi, Merlos.” Stormy greeted, without looking up. She kept nibbling at what was now her fifth brick of the food. Never thought I’d ever be eating bricks… “Your spell hadn’t run out yet.”

“Well I had just cast it earlier today in case you awoke…” an aged voice responded, and was followed by a robed figured stepping into view outside the stables. “And hello, Stormy. You’ve been out for a while.”

Stormy looked up at Merlos, expression flat. “Not really, I slept for a few hours after you sent me away. Soon as I woke up I got some water and had some breakfast.” She began wiggling said bar of breakfast at him, or as she’d decided to call it: Meals Rejected by Equines.

Merlos blinked in surprise at this. “Stormy, that was two days ago. After my tenants found you… well, suffice to say I’ve been checking on you to make sure the worst thing the potion would do is leave you tired and hungry. Too much of any kind of magic can have consequences—”

“Yeahyeah, you already told me…” Stormy nibbled on the bar, masticating in thought. After swallowing, she said, “Huh… I never thought I’d ever sleep for two days.”

“You know, a thank you is considered polite when one is indebted to another. Hmph.” Merlos pulled up a stable stool and sat on it. “Anyway, I’m willing to bet you’ve probably been binge eating and drinking since it wore off. How do you feel?”

Stormy, in a moment of amusement, glanced at her MRE bar. “This is food?” she quipped.

Merlos rubbed his beard, giving a wheezing laugh. “It’s not that bad, is it?”

Stormy pointed at the bars left on the ground by the dwarven ponies. “I tried sharing, you know? They didn’t seem to like it.”

“I paid top coin for that stuff…” Merlos looked at the bar crossly for several quiet moments. “Here, pass me one. I wish to see what that supposed heavenly feed is like.”

Stormy tossed Merlos an untouched bar and surprisingly he really tried in vain to bite into it a few times.

“Is this a brick or animal feed? What is this!? This isn’t food. Not for animals or man.”

Stormy shrugged, smiling. “Well, it’s what you bought for me.”

Merlos sighed and used a levitation spell to move the bar out of Stormy’s hooves.

“Okay… We’re going to Halia tomorrow. There, we’ll do some grocery shopping for you. Until then, you know what’s in my pantry and you’re still welcome to it. I don’t know, however, what to do with...” He tossed his bite-mark ridden bar at the other remaining bags. “That junk, but for now you’re eating something that isn’t going to break your teeth, at least.”

Stormy opened her muzzle to deny any wish to eat what was in the wizard’s pantry, but he continued.

“And… we seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot, so to speak. I mean, if that was obvious enough, and obviously I need to revise some rules, as well.” Merlos straightened up and met Stormy’s eyes starkly. Still, he seemed a far sight more relaxed than he had before “I’m still pretty angry with you for drinking that potion, mind, but you also weren’t really in your right mind while you were under the haste potion’s effects.”

Stormy perked a little at hearing this, but kept quiet while listening.

“So, I believe I will accept some of the blame, but only for placing a potentially dangerous substance in the kitchen… As for the rest… some of my furniture did need to go.” Merlos sighed, turning away to look up and out of the stables at the moon. “But in the future, never mess with my scrolls... or my tapestries… They came with the castle and I thought they were pretty intriguing.”

“Half of them were solid black and fuzzy with mold.” Stormy dead panned.

Merlos scratched at his beard, suddenly wearing a pensive look. “Well, yes. And I left those particular ones in the rather impressive pile of my other articles which you brought outside. Those, I’ve decided I’ll destroy or try to sell… And I brought in the things I want to keep. And... honestly, I’m a little grateful for the cleanup now that it’s all said and done.”

Stormy began to smile. “Aaaand?” she intoned, doing her best to make her voice sound irritating. Oh yeah, I’m milking this for all it’s worth.

Merlos shot a glare at her, but softened in quickly into a mild frown. “And I’m sorry for yelling at you,” he rushed out.

Stormy laughed. “Aww, I forgive you.”

Merlos stood up indignantly, towering over Stormy. “But don’t let it go to your head! You still did a bad thing. You’re a bad, mischievous pegasus!” He jutted a finger at her.

“Hey!” Stormy glared at the appendage, tempted to bite it if she didn’t think it was as filthy as the old human’s tower used to be. “I’m not a dog!”

“Well act like a civilized little pony and I’ll start treating you like one.”

Stormy crossed her forelegs and put on a sour face.

“That’s more like it. Kinda.” Stormy hid her grin, mostly content with how things had gone. “So, you mentioned something about getting new food?”

CHAPTER 007: In the Neigh-vy.

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Stormy lost her place on the page again.

A sigh leaked out of her, kept quiet so Merlos wouldn’t hear. Another stream of idle muttering from across the room had made Stormy lose her spot in the current book she had on loan to read, the same one which she had explicit instructions not to stain, mangle, lose, and absolutely not doodle in under penalty of sleeping outside.

At least, in theory she was supposed to read it; in practice she had quite a bit distracting her.

I wish he would just stop that. Stormy scrunched her eyes shut until the muttering paused, then snuck a peek out of the corner of her eye, careful not to get his attention again and start another argument, which happened like clockwork.

Merlos was seated on the other side of the tower’s bottom floor before a roaring blaze in the large fireplace, and rested upon one of the lounges recently reclaimed from piles upon piles of junk. Stormy laid beside the table on the cool stone floor at the far side of the room, and as long a distance from the cavernous fireplace as she could get. The decimated sack of oats beside her was a testament to the amount of time that they had been sitting there, as well as her boredom.

A rustling of feathers caught Merlos’ own attention.

In an attempt at inconspicuousness, he peeked over his spellbook’s top. He studied Stormy a moment, as if her being relatively quiet was some ploy to get him to drop his guard, only to jerk his book back up upon seeing he too was being watched.

Stormy sighed absently and refocused on the strange passage about stotes and their fur’s magical applications as a material component base. As alien and silly as a lot of what she was glancing over seemed, Merlos insisted it was all very part and parcel to the practice of spellcraft in his world. While she did still think it’d be cool to use magic kind of like a unicorn, she was starting to wonder if it was worth the trouble.

The relative quiet and strange hooman magic aside, the two of them were both merely killing time until they took leave for Halia that afternoon with their dwarven neighbors Knott and Ges.

Alas, Stormy had been reminded bright and early that morning that tensions still ran rather high between herself and Merlos. Merlos had been grumpy until he’d gotten his tea, and only slightly less after that, while Stormy had learned the hard way that her cheerfulness was apparently not welcome right after he’d woken up.

At that very moment, there were other factors aggravating the truce between them, too. As it turned out, cohabitating with someone of the older variety was a complicated matter where indoor temperature was concerned, and was proving a subject doomed to eternal disagreement.

“Stormy,” Merlos began absently, and motioned toward the woodpile. “Put another log on the fire.”

Stormy groaned, and slowly lowered herself to the floor and put her hooves over her head. Not this again.

“Stormy…” Merlos warned.

“Oh, come on! We’re leaving in like an hour and it’s a million degrees in here! I am literally sweating.” Stormy rolled over and pointed to her matted flank. “And not the fake literally, either! I told you, pegasi aren’t the fondest of the heat! Why torture me like this?”

Merlos set his book down onto the side table with a heavy thump. “Now see here, you—”

Stormy refused to let him get a word in. “Just let me read outside until we’re s’posed to go down to the dock, please?”

Merlos shook his head, beard flinging itself side to side. “And risk you damaging it? Or risk you disappearing this close to our departure? No, and you had better get used to remaining in my sight because you won’t be leaving it during this journey, either, and that’s final. You may be a guest here, but this tower and its business are still mine to manage.”

Stormy clamped her ears down hard against her skull and began to grind her teeth. Mismanage, you mean. Maybe if I just ignore him, he’ll—

“Stormy. Log. Now.” Merlos repeated, and folded his arms, which definitely meant he was unwilling to budge whatsoever on the subject.

“Nnno!” Stormy jumped up to all fours and began pacing. “I mean, you’re wearing robes that magically make you comfortable all the time! Why does it even need to be sweltering in here? It makes no sense!”

Merlos turned his nose up at the complaint. “Because we’re about to be traveling on a damp, miserable river for weeks and magic robes or no a warm fire can’t be replicated. Now, a log, if you would.”

“No.” Stormy blew a raspberry, and turned her back to him.

“That’s it!” Merlos’ bushy eyebrows raised half an inch at that, and his beard shifted in a fashion that suggested he was now perturbed. “If it’s too warm in here then I’ll just chill your side of the room a bit for you!” A blue light ignited behind his eyes and he began chanting strange words.

“Good! I like the cold! Fire away, captain… jerk-face!” With a growl, Stormy began to hover and get eye level with Merlos before he could finish whatever he’d started.

Much to both of their surprise the normal goings-on of the tower were interrupted. Both pegasus and wizard stopped cold and looked to the entryway door as a series of loud knocks repeated.

“Now who the devil could that be?” The magic light from Merlos’ eyes faded, and he forced himself from his very comfy chair and shuffled stiffly over the polished stonework to the door.

Stormy’s ears pricked at every one of the knocker’s harsh clangs. “You have a visitor? I recall Knott saying the town thought ogres lived up here and wouldn’t come visit.”

Merlos turned briefly and blustered. “You— it was trolls, and that’s besides the— Look, just stay over there and keep quiet.” He unlatched the large lock assembly and pulled the door open just a crack. His eyes winced closed from the midday sun blaring into his eyes, dazzling him a moment before he could lay eyes on a lone figure.

“Bah, I should have cracked a window or... Oh, it’s you.” Merlos felt Stormy trying to squeeze in around him and he put himself into the doorway, blocking her from seeing who it was. The last thing he wanted was another incident caused by the little pegasus’ tendency to faux pas.

“Who is it?” Stormy asked, only to stumble as a gnarled hand planted itself on her head and held her at a distance. “I wanna see!” She huffed and backed away, unable to make it around the old man’s surprisingly apt agility.

After Merlos’ eyes finally focused on who had disturbed the relative peace of his tower, he felt his anger boil up quickly.

“Merlos!” the man began, his gratingly high pitched voice already assaulting Merlos’ nerves. “How are you on this—” He paused, grinning creepily around the old fort’s ruined courtyard. “—lovely morning?”

Behind Merlos, Stormy hadn’t given up and opted to start hovering near the ceiling back at the center of the room. From there, she could clearly see over Merlos’ shiny bald spot atop his head. She recognized the awful outfit of the man standing there from when she’d first been taken, and recalled with clarity the name of the person that she’d seen wear it: Fartington Hamsworth.

A thin man with gaudy red and gold robes, intricate golden stitching and star embellishments, as well as squiggly runes running down the lapel, stood at the door. On his shoulders were garish, pointed pauldrons sticking up like giant velvet thorns, while heavy jewelry and ornamentation weighed on his figure from the waist on up. The wispy, cliche sparrow’s goatee adorning his chin and shiny black metal cap clinging to his head completed the ensemble. His beady hazel eyes stared into Merlos as their gazes met, and his thin lips parted into a sneering grin, the kind someone makes when they want you to know they’re better than you. Completing his creeptastic visage was a gaunt and crooked crow resting atop his shoulder; its beady red eyes flicking to and fro, studying its surroundings constantly.

“Wadsworth...” Merlos seethed, clenching his fists with the not too distant memory of his rival’s misdeeds from long ago still fresh in his mind. “What is it that you want? Shouldn’t you be busy sucking up to some nobles or undermining someone else’s hard work?”

“My my, Merlos, could it be you’re still... mad at me?” Wadsworth wheezed laughter. “And after you—” He suppressed another nasally snort of laughter. “—got one over on me at the auction?”

Merlos, his glare staying intact, raised an eyebrow. “Your taste in bad humor is only matched by that of your wardrobe, worm.”

“Oh, name calling, scathing,” Wadsworth cackled. “I do so enjoy trading niceties with you, you old has-been you.”

“Caw!” Wadsworth’s crow joined in, hopping left to right as it spoke. “Hello has-been! Has-been!”

“That thing is as annoying as ever.” Merlos huffed, puffing out his beard briefly. “Well I’d rather we skipped these ‘niceties’. I’m busy, so what do you want?”

Wait… Stormy held a hoof up to her chin thoughtfully. Oh, right, it was Farlington Wadsworth. Eh, not that that’s any better. She shrugged, and focused on listening in. Whatever this jerk was here for, she knew it couldn’t be good. What little of him she’d seen before Merlos freed her had been enough to figure that out.

“Charming, as always.” Wadsworth traded his grin for an eerily simple smile. “Straight to business, eh you old coot? Very well. You see, after our unfortunate bidding war over that magical beast, it suddenly dawned on me that you, of all things, had been under the impression that it could be used as... a mount. Probably some form of a late mid-life crisis, hm?”

Stormy frowned as she listened in, but the sudden movement of Merlos’ fist gripping his robes made her hover backward.

Wadsworth chuckled. “I thought to myself: nooo, how could Merlos think that? He’s such an intelligent… eh, wizard. Surely he wouldn’t have made such a grand assumption only to—” He paused to bend over again with laughter. “—only to spend twenty thousand gold on a mistake!”

Merlos frowned. “How did you figure out... Nevermind, what’s your point—”

Stormy, not appreciating hearing this weasel of a hooman’s laughter again, growled out, “Stop laughing at him! I know you! You were there at the dungeon place when I got magicked here! You’re evil!” Her ears pinned back, and she blew an angry snort through her nostrils.

Merlos scowled over his shoulder. “Stormy, upstairs, now.”

“Oh, there she is, and talking sense now, too. Now now, let the little thing stay.” Wadsworth chuckled, narrowing his eyes. He pointed a menacing finger at Stormy. “And what if I was there, creature, hm? Lucky for you things happened the way they did, or you wouldn’t still have such a smart mouth to run.” He spoke in a tone that bordered on threatening, or maybe thinly veiled with some kind of ill-intent.

Stormy blew a raspberry mid-air at the garishly dressed wizard as she flew outside, over Merlos, and jabbed a hoof down at Wadsworth. “Merlos! He was there! Him and that old guy, they were the ones that took me from my home,” she accused. She landed to stamp her forelegs. Making loud clops on the stonework. Her tail flicked behind her in little swats while she got worked up, like when somepony at school would say her flying routing was stupid or lame.

“Spunky little thing, isn’t it?” Wadsworth harrumphed. “You really ought to keep your beast under control, Merlos old boy. I know you’re not much of a wizard but you could at least manage that, hm? Or should I do it for you.”

Stormy growled again, only to look down from glaring at Wadsworth and realize he was pointing a stick at her. A wand, she recalled.

“Stormy,” Merlos said, caution in his voice. “Come away, and go back inside. This isn’t about you.”

“Well, actually it is,” Wadsworth chuckled, bouncing his wand with little flicks in the air. “In a sense.”

“But—!” Stormy struggled, one eye kept on Wadsworth’s stupid cheating wand and one on the grumpy wizard who always bossed her arou— only… Merlos looked awfully worried, and not just in his usual “Oh no my mold!” kind of way.

“But…” Stormy flitted away to Merlos’ side and hid behind his frumpy robes, but didn’t quite go back inside. “He’s why I ended up stuck here… So he’s evil, right?” She settled for an unsure frown at Wadsworth, rather than her previous glare. “Don’t tell me, hoomans don’t get arrested for foalnapping?”

Wadsworth’s eyes widened, only for him to burst only into a raucous, wheezing, and quite annoying laugh. “F-Foalnapping?” The crow sitting on his shoulder seemed to laugh alongside his wheezing with its own cawing.

Surprisingly, and it made Stormy’s blood boil, Merlos bent down at her and chuckled a bit, too. “Not exactly, Stormy. And Wadsworth may be a pain in the neck, slimy, underhanded and insufferable, but he’s not evil... At least, summoning foreign creatures wouldn’t make him so. Incredibly irresponsible and rude to alien intelligences, perhaps, but not evil.”

Wadsworth’s giggling slowed as he caught his breath. “Me, evil? Oh, but I’m the picture of a good samaritan! After all, I was the one who informed the King’s guard of my master’s nefarious misdealings, yes?”

Merlos gave his beard a puff. “Hmph, yes, you did do that. And no doubt you profited from that bit of altruism, too. Hm?”

Wadsworth grinned. “Indeed.”

Stormy growled and stomped a hoof again. “Stop it!” She ceased her aggressive display while she fixed Wadsworth anew with her scowl... “This is serious. Why is what I went through a joke to you guys? Huh?”

Wadsworth addressed his crow, Tiki. “I think I understand why these two get along so well. They both complain endlessly about imagined wrongdoings.”

The crow broke out into cawing as if by a switch at his master’s joke.

Merlos straightened up with a glare. “Imagined? You had better not mean what I think you do, snake.”

“Ah, back to the names, are we?” Wadsworth twirled a finger through his pointed goatee, grinning.

“Now see here—!” Merlos jabbed a finger out at the man, his face filling quickly with bluster.

While the two bickered, Stormy’s mind raced as she tried to recall the mistreatment she had suffered in that grimy basement, and more of the things she tried to forget surfaced. “T-That talking bird, it isn’t really a bird!”

Wadsworth blinked, appearing taken aback, then looked at his shoulder.

The crow’s head swiveled over to look squarely at Stormy.

“Stormy, it’s common for a wizard’s familiar to speak.” Merlos sighed, now once again trying to push Stormy back inside.

“That’s not what I mean! Yeah, that’s weird, but—!”

Merlos grunted and gave up trying to awkwardly force the small equine back indoors. “If you insist on staying out here, Stormy, then do so quietly. Wadsworth, just spit out what you’re here for.”

“I know what I saw, and that stupid crow is a faker,” Stormy spat. “It’s some kind of weird… red monkey thing.”

The crow, Tiki, flew off Wadsworth’s shoulder and landed in front of Stormy with enough force to kick dust up into her face.

“Hey!”

The bird seemed to laugh at her again with its cawing. Its eyes had an insidious red orange glow similar to the burning hearth behind her.

Stormy backed a few steps off; it was a lot bigger and scarier than she remembered. The crow cawed its terrible laugh again then snapped its beak with a few chuffing clicks.

“It seems Tiki doesn’t like your accusations,” Wadsworth crooned.

Stormy flared her wings and brought her head low. Her instincts told her this “bird” was looking for a fight and she didn’t want to give it the upper hoof. With her eyes fixed on the crow, it flitted into the air and began to circle around them.

“Not that this isn’t all amusing, but I agree this is getting old,” Wadsworth said, his voice somehow making it to new levels of annoying as he spoke. “So here is my proposal, Merlos. I will fully compensate your losses on what you wasted on this… accidental purchase of yours. Right now, and no questions asked. You just have to give the pegasus to me forthwith.”

Stormy gasped, recoiling at the merest thought of such a thing happening. She looked up at her host, expression stark with worry. He wouldn’t... she thought resolutely, but still recalled all the trouble he’d caused him since she’d arrived.

Merlos’ eyes narrowed, and he folded his arms slowly. “Though your offer is indeed generous, I must decline.” A slight smirk appeared on his face as Wadsworth’s eyes widened angrily. “She is a free being. As an intelligent creature with an obvious cognition beyond that of a wild animal, I cannot in good conscience, and will not, enslave her.”

Tiki landed back onto Wadsworth shoulder when he leaned forward with a sneer. Since becoming angry, his nasally tone somehow became twice as pronounced. “Is that so? I can’t barter say, twenty-five thousand gold for her? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, Merlos. Don’t be as foolish as with your squandered fortunes.”

Merlos shook his head with a certainty behind his eyes. “No. Not for all the gold in the kingdom’s coffers. Not that I’d deal with you in the first place, anyway. A man like you wouldn’t understand, Farlington.”

“You arrogant old fool.” Wadsworth clenched a fist.

Stormy looked up to give Merlos a smile, touched that this otherwise short tempered wizard, who held great ire for her, would refuse the younger wizard bribing him. She changed her grateful look out for a mirthful smirk directed at Wadsworth, then hopped closer and blew one of her trademarked raspberries.

“There, he said no, you jerks! Now get out of here or else you’ll get what’s coming to—!”

With no warning, Tiki dove like a lightning bolt from Wadsworth’s shoulder and with the spread of its wings took to the air. It swooped low in an unusually eagle-like fashion, its legs in front with talons bared, and raked Stormy’s face.

Stormy, cried out as her vision was obscured by Tiki’s form. Jagged talons hooked into her face and cut painful burning lines from the corners of her eyes to nearly the end of her muzzle. She clutched the wound as red lines formed under her hoof. She listened to the crow fly up and around overhead, cawing loudly.

“Wadsworth!” Merlos shouted, but otherwise made no move.

With a playful expression, Wadsworth held a hand up to cover his mouth. “Oh dear! That sounded like a threat, didn’t it, old friend? As an esteemed member of your arcane council, I do believe I am—”

“Cease your posturing.” Merlos cursed under his breath. “You’ve made your point.” He watched with a detached quiet as Stormy hid behind him once again and did his best to not react to her pained sounds. “Stormy, how are your eye—”

“You’re going to let them get away with that?” Stormy shouted, her voice reverberated in the courtyard. She gestured at the skinny young wizard while he gave a sneer. Her hoof returned to hold the wound to her face.

“Yes, Merlos, are you?” Wadsworth goaded.

Merlos turned a serious stare to Wadsworth. “If you’re finished, I think it’s past time you left, Wadsworth,” he said, all but a little of his normal caustic demeanor held back. “And keep your familiar in check.”

Wadsworth sighed and gave a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. “You are boring and weak to the core, old man. I hadn’t thought mere ridicule and time would have worn you down quite so. Still, it’s now clear even Merlos the Magnificent is beholden to communal exile.” He snapped his fingers, and a magic carpet uncurled from beneath his robes to slide under his feet. “Fine, keep your pet. I just wanted to hear you admit you were wrong again, anyway, for old times sake.”

Wadsworth chortled, and leaned over to give a cutesy little wave towards Stormy. “Bye now, little winged horse thing! And good luck lasting around these parts. Merlos has an awful track record with his pets.”

Merlos moved in front of Stormy as she made to react. “Stormy, ignore him. Let's get those gashes treated before they scar.”

“But—”

Merlos surprised Stormy as he rested a hand on her shoulder, rather than try to push her along as before. It was the first time he’d made any move bordering on consoling. “Stormy, that’s enough. There’s nothing to be done but talk of what has transpired. Now follow me.”

He left then, moving into his tower without looking back.

Stormy looked rapidly between the two hoomans, the former moving towards his tower, and the other giving her one last sneer as he turned to go. She stared at Wadsworth’s retreating form as his crow alighted once again upon his shoulder. Its gravel-voiced caws echoed its cruelty even while they grew more distant.

Stormy’s breathing bordered on hyperventilation. She weighed her options, and the temptation of hurling a rock at the bird crossed her mind. A voice, maybe cowardice or maybe common sense, she didn’t know, told her to just give up and run inside to where it was safe. Her leg trembled a little as she secretly swore vengeance against both the wizard, and his crow.

“This isn’t over…” Her eyes began to fill with tears as she fled, and immediately wished she could take them back as they burned and throbbed against her cuts.

“Stormy, did you say something?” Merlos watched as his little guest raced inside ahead of him, but didn’t answer. He sighed as he shut the door. “I’ll get a healing elixir, then.”

Stormy sat in the corner of the room before the fireplace, trying her hardest to stop crying and to push away the emotion that had welled up inside of her. At the sound of footsteps, she twirled around to find Merlos with a bottle and a ragged ivory coloured cloth.

“Sorry, this isn’t the good stuff. So it’s going to sting.” Merlos poured a little bit of the vial, which Stormy assumed was his healing elixir, onto a clean rag and dabbed it on her cheek and brow.

Stormy flinched back, only to be surprised it only hurt about as much as rubbing alcohol on a scraped knee after a crash landing. She relaxed somewhat.

“So, do you still not think he’s evil?” Stormy begged Merlos while he dabbed away. Her wounds wiped away like oily smudges on glass, though her hair remained damaged and missing in streaks.

“I really don’t like Wadsworth, but as much as I’d like to villainize him for what he did to my reputation, he’s never done anything but be an underhanded pain in the rear.” Merlos spoke in a tone that gave Stormy the impression he wasn’t in the mood to argue. “Wadsworth specializes in furthering his own prestige while cutting down those around him a bit more… mercilessly than is normal in a community of wizards.”

Stormy sniffled and wiped her muzzle with a foreleg. “Alright, fine, but why did you let him and his dumb bird attack me like that?”

Merlos cut her off quickly.

“Stormy, he picks fights with people to make them angry. He enjoys doing everything in his power to start a fight. If you lash out at him, he gets what he wants. All he did was poke a sore spot and banked on you to throw the first punch. Well, technically the second, but mark my words if you make the first move, he’s just going to get away scott-free. You can’t win at his game.” Merlos finished with a grumble, and used the rag’s other side to dry her face.

Stormy met Merlos’ eyes and protested, voice quavering slightly. “B-But he attacked me first, like you said! Why does he get to get away with that? Is he more powerful than you or something?” She was a little irate at how Merlos would defend such a jerk.

Merlos laughed. It was the kind of laugh that had a tiredness to it. “No... At least, not last I saw. But singular magical strength isn’t the only thing to consider, Stormy.”

Stormy snorted, not satisfied. “Then what else is there? Why does a guy like that get to claw the eyes of anypony he wants to?”

Merlos grunted and averted his gaze. “I apologize, I should have seen that coming before you goaded him. As for Wadsworth’s position, he’s royalty. I wouldn’t start a fight with him unless it was truly dire.”

Stormy deadpanned, blinking slowly with tears still trailing down her face. “Seriously?”

Merlos shrugged. “Truly he is, after a fashion. Sixteenth in line to the throne or some nonsense, mind you, though he does like to claim sixth in lesser circles. He’s the type. In anycase, he’s a prominent social figure, spoiled, and rotten to the core. There isn’t much he doesn’t get away with so long as he doesn’t step on the wrong toes. Point in fact, his old tutor recently found that out the hard way.”

“That’s stupid! Your government is stupid! That’s the stupidest thing since stupid came to stupidtown!”

Merlos crossed his arms, frowning. “Isn’t your land governed by a Diarchy?”

Stormy turned away, head raised. “Duh. I know how the government works, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think it’s stupid.” She sagged a moment after. “So he could just get away with anything.”

Merlos shook his head. “Not anything. There are limits even to the pull a man like him can manage. Although... Tiki did also claw a Duke’s son’s eye out and with only slight recompense did he get away with it.”

Stormy shouted. “What!? That’s terrible!”

“Nonetheless, as I said, his familiar leaving a scar like this isn’t retaliation worthy.”

“What if that thing had taken out my eye, huh? Would that not have been retaliation worthy?” she said mockingly.

“No. Eyes can be regrown with some effort,” Merlos said matter-of-factly, and tilted his head to look over her face a moment to observe the injury in its entirety and gave a nod in approval. “There’s no scarring; it healed perfectly. We got to it in time, though there is a bit of a bald spot until your hair grows in.”

Stormy sniffed again at the mention of hair loss. “Right. So you’re just going to let it all go?” Her lip quivered, while she gave him her most heartbroken look, the one she saved for her parents when she really really wanted something.

Merlos paused and sighed. “If that foul fowl touches you again, you are well within your right to return it in kind as it would do to you.” His elderly fist balled his sleeve. “However, Wadsworth’s gotten away with much, Stormy, and he’s not the kind of person who you want to pick a fight with.”

At the mention of it, Stormy flinched from the suggestion that she fight back against that big bird. The idea of fighting at all didn’t appeal to her. At that moment the gravity of the situation dawned on her, and she realized such a fight wouldn’t be like a playground fight. The fights she would get into literally meant risking life and limb. That’s when her ego struck.

“Good! I-I wanna buck that crow into next tuesday!” Stormy shouted with determination.

Merlos smirked, and adopted a sly look. “As a matter of fact, I’ve heard there are actually people who hate Tiki so much as to place a secret bounty on killing it, or so I’ve been told. No one’s claimed it yet, as I imagine no one’s been able to figure out how to get away with killing the thing absent of Wadsworth’s presence.”

Stormy frowned. “I don’t want to kill it…”

Merlos blew out his mustache. “If you get in a fight with Tiki, Stormy, you’d best intend to finish that fight. In any case, what time is it?”

“Not sure that I like the sound of that, Merlos,” Stormy muttered. Still, she took a deep breath, and finally felt like she was regaining her composure. That was until a startled cry from Merlos scared her back into being stressed out once more.

“We’re late! Grab your things you feather-brained nuisance, we were to meet the others at the pier ten minutes ago!”

“Oh! Uh-uh-uh, okay!” Stormy went from zero to sixty suddenly, caught up in her hosts’ sudden haste. She grabbed the makeshift saddlebags the dwarves had helped her whip up in a hurry, making sure to stuff her borrowed book in the top part.

Merlos slung his bag of holding, and raced for the door. “The town Hesturbaer isn’t far, but we no longer have time to dally! I can’t stand not being punctual!”

Stormy sagged, trudging after Merlos out of the tower. “Eck, punctual. I hate it when ponies use that word.” She reflected that those who used words like punctual were always insistent that they get the things they want first, and she had little doubt that Merlos would be any different.

“Hey, stop pushing!” Stormy nearly tripped as Merlos swatted at her again with his staff.

“I’ll stop pushing when you hurry!”

Stormy had been impressed that a guy his age had been able to sprint down the hilly road and keep up with her glide, but now he was just getting annoying.

Together, Merlos and Stormy all but jogged through the mild foot traffic in the town. It wouldn’t have proven to be much of an obstacle at all, were it not for everyone stopping to stare at them as they passed.

Though late, the journey to Hesturbaer wasn’t too far away from Merlos’ home, as on a clear day he could spy it easily from the lofty position of his tower’s top floor.

The portside of the town was a sizable strip of docks placed at a naturally wide point in the river. Many watercraft were docked on either side of each pier, with a small raft moving back and forth from one side of the river to the other, ferrying customers.

Stormy learned from an earlier explanation that the whole operation was used to stage goods from nearby towns to other places downriver and upriver quickly, and with relative safety compared to being moved by road. Apparently bandits were a big issue this far from the hooman kingdom’s capital, but she hoped that she wouldn’t have to see that firsthoof.

Hesturbaer was large enough that the docks were very busy, and sported a sizable inn closeby. Stormy took in just how medieval the whole world must be and could grasp the life that the townspeople had, even rushing by as she was. She couldn’t help but reflect that the technology of this world was leaps and bounds behind that of her home in Equestria.

Stormy frowned even as she spotted the pier at the end of the muddy street. What I wouldn’t give to get to watch TV again or—

Merlos panted relief and finally slowed his pace. “Ah, good. They’re still here. We’re in luck, Stormy. Although, I can’t say I’m surprised much that Captain Tull is behind schedule.”

Stormy stared at the ship they’d stopped in front of, not minding the wizard currently bent over and catching his breath.

The ship was much nicer than she’d expected, to say the least. It was built like an old-fashioned side paddling steamboat, though it was likely state-of-the-art for this world. There were large spaces atop its deck to carry its cargo up and down river, and a magnificent crane stood out from its bow. The crane was rotated from the side and moved a net filled with goods to be lowered into its impressive hold.

Made of metal from bow to stern, the whole thing was quite imposing to Stormy. The scintillating brass fixtures and clean sides gave her assurance that the hoomans weren’t total slobs, at least.

“Wow.” It was an impressive ship to behold, and she wondered if it were meant to be put to sea judging by its size. There weren’t many ships at the port currently, and this one was certainly the biggest.

Merlos stroked his chin a moment, following her gaze. “Yes, its quite the nice vessel, hm? Too bad we’re not riding on that, eh? I’d quite prefer a decent cabin to what we’ll be dealing with.”

Stormy's eyed bugged as she comprehended what she’d heard. “What? Which one then?”

Merlos then pointed a thumb over his shoulder to something that Stormy was already sure would be impossible to give positive descriptions for. To call the thing at the pier anything else than a wreck would have been an insult to all other water vessels.

“You’re kidding. You’re kidding, right?” Stormy looked up hopefully at Merlos, and when he shook his head resolutely, she took flight to get a better look. Surely it wasn’t as bad as it had first seemed.

Once in the air, she confirmed the barge-like flotsam was actually worse.

The craft groaned ominously even as it remained docked at the pier. Half metal scrap and half wood, the frankenstein-esque vessel appeared to have at one time been several different boats, and appeared to have ship parts that had been cut, nailed, and welded on all over. Patched globs of pitch dotted the ship’s hull, plugging holes temporarily. Its whole deck listed to the side a bit, and the only consistent color was the shade of orange-crimson rust at the bow. A garish shack, made from what she would assume to be an outhouse sat at the bow functioning as a wheelhouse.

The boat was clearly far past its time to stay in the water, and appeared to be half held afloat by its own cargo, a few large casks lashed to its hull at the sides.

Still, despite how decrepit the boat looked, dock workers diligently positioned more lashings of barrels onto the ship’s deck, and all the while caused it to groan ominously without end. Needless to say, they looked quite nervous over the affair.

After being in Merlos’ tower, the knowledge that they would set hoof on a vessel in such condition was no longer a big surprise. What was more worrisome was that the wooden deck, while intact compared to the rest of the vessel, still had signs of deterioration that had likely set in before she had been foaled.

Stormy landed back on the dock with an unceremonious thud beside Merlos. She had a bad feeling that she might need a tetanus shot just from looking at the boat for too long. Her hackles raised as a whiff of something hit her nose. “My mark, what is that smell? And how is this barge even staying afloat!”

Merlos rolled his eyes. “Oh, it’s not that bad. Quit your whining!”

Stormy bristled at this. “I am not whining. I am complaining. Would you like to hear whining?”

Merlos looked at her with a no-nonsense glare. “If you start, I will use your tail as a mop to swab the poop deck.”

Stormy shut up promptly and hugged her tail close to herself and quickly looked for something else to preoccupy herself.

Large tun casks, clearly the newest and most cared for items on the craft, towered up over her head. They were certainly big enough for her or even Merlos to use as a small improvised cabin. They were securely lashed to the deck and she found the dwarven brothers double checking the knots.

Wanting to say something that would hopefully not antagonize Merlos, Stormy said, “Oh look! It’s Ges and Knott.”

The brothers merrily laughed away at some story they shared as they worked. Ges then gave Knott a nudge and pointed their way before they waved in unison.

Stormy flew over to greet them more personally, but made a point to not land on the barge’s deck.

“Hello, Ges. Hello, Knott.” Stormy hovered just above the deck. “How can you look so calm on that boat? Aren’t you afraid it’ll sink?”

Knott grinned, the paladin putting a muscular arm over Ges’ shoulder. “We’re both really good swimmers, lass!”

“Natural floaters, really,” Ges laughed and patted his stomach. “Glad to see you both make it in time. We were beginnin’ to wonder.”

Stormy grinned sheepishly, while movement at the ship’s helm caught her eye.

Another humanoid stood at the end of the ship. He was a rather tall, lanky fellow with a poorly kept mane, muttonchops, a pot belly, and pointed ears. A skipper’s hat sat atop his head. He belched loudly and scratched his rear, staring off with what was clearly a drunken haze toward the land.

Stormy wondered if this was some underpaid dock worker… She had to look away as he really didn’t seem like he was going to stop scratching his butt any time soon. An unpleasant crunch sound emanated from his behind.

“So what d’yeh think o’ the boat, lass?” Knott questioned.

“Well it’s certainly, uh...” Stormy forced a smile, but her mind ground to a rusty halt after failing to find a positive description.

“Broken in?” Knott chuckled, and thudded a hand on the guard rail. The guard rail cracked, unsurprisingly, catching him by surprise. The dwarf sheepishly kicked the loose timber off the boatside, whistling.

“Emphasis on broken…” Merlos nodded as he approached the gangway, unperturbed by his companion’s carelessness.

“Ah, Merlos!” Knott hopped upward to thump a hand on the wizard’s shoulder. “You’re late, ol’ friend!”

Merlos harrumphed. “Late? A wizard is never late. Nor is he early.” He gave a knowing smirk to his companions. “He shows up whenever he damn well pleases.”

Knott and Ges erupted into laughter, while Stormy looked around uncertainly with a weak smile, thinking, But he complained the whole way here about being late! Uggh, I don’t get it.

“‘Ey there ya’ll! Welcome aboard the Weiserbud, the most ten… er, tenanxious ship this side o’ the sea! And I’m ‘er cap’n. Cap’n Tull, atcher service.” The lanky hooman Stormy had seen had approached them, and after his introduction offered the very hand he’d scratched his bum with to Merlos, who looked at skeptically, but nonetheless shook it. The lanky Ooman gave an energetic shake back.

Stormy had to fight hard not to burst out laughing.

“You know us, Captain Tull. Still, it’s a delight to be on board again,” Merlos said, and raised an eyebrow. “Are you drunk again?”

“Oh, Merlos! ’S been ah dog’s age tah be sure,” Tull drawled in an accent reserved for certain. “‘N’yup. Drunk as a bugbear what got ‘nto a brewery!”

Merlos sighed. He would be worried were it not for the knowledge they’d be moving at less than five knots.

Tull’s gaze and crook-toothed smile fell to Stormy next, who in her defense did force up her own grin to be nice.

“Well lookie here! Merlos! You got yerself a huntin’ dog finally!” Captain Tull then reached down to pet Stormy’s head, who recoiled behind Merlos quickly.

“Pony,” Stormy corrected.

Tull went bug-eyed, rubbed his eyes with his free hand, then looked at the clay jug in his other hand. “Well Ah’ll be a kobold's uncle! Cletus! Check this here critter out! Merlos’ huntin’ dog can talk! Can ya play dead ‘n roll over little fellah?” Captain Tull asked with a grin, stooped over Stormy, and rested his hands on his knees.

Stormy grumbled to herself, but didn’t respond. Instead, she tried not to breath while he was close.

What popped up from a nearby porthole next nearly scared the life out of Stormy. The figure was a muscular humanoid with green skin, two large tusks protruding from his lips and spoke with a low gravelly voice. “Klee Tusk no care about talky fly horse. Klee Tusk fix boiler!”

Stormy crouched lower behind Merlos. “Oh good gravy. What is that? Nevermind, I don’t care. Just hide me.”

“That’s Klee Tusk, and he’s a half-orc. Be polite.” Merlos tsked at his charge, instead focusing on the newcomer.

Klee Tusk gave what Stormy could only interpret as a spooky smile, before he looked at Merlos with obvious familiarity. “Good see you, Merlos. Long time. Many moons. Try not drown on trip... again.” And the muscular green hooman’s laughter bellowed, causing the ship to rattle. “Ha ha ha!” The ship listed a little when it climbed on deck.

Merlos nodded and greeted the green creature back. “It’s good to cross paths with you, honorable Klee Tusk. We won’t bother you any further.” The green hooman gave a nod and retreated back to his work, which, now that Stormy was aware, sounded like angry WAAAGH screams and loud clunks of metal being beaten against other chunks of metal.

Stormy cleared her throat and finally answered Captain Tull. “I’m Stormy Weather. I don’t do those kind of uh… tricks. But I know some sweet moves to fly around in the sky with.” She hadn’t been able to help bring up her flying. She flared her wings and giving the deck a few pets with an eager hoof.

“Well now that there’s somethin’. Ah talkin’ dog that does flyin’ tricks.” Captain Tull took of his hat and rubbed his bald head as he listened to her.

“Pony,” she said again, but otherwise ignored the comment and looked around the ship. “And I’m not certain if I should kick off or land on this ship, it looks rather… fragile?”

Captain Tull guffawed a moment. “Ah knows it looks like it’ll sink intah the waters any minute, but the Weiserbud is the finest ship tah ever float on this here river. Why, it’s even survived over a doe’s end of battles! I think ah doe’s end’s mo’ than eleventeen… Anywho, she’s even been repaired with parts o’ ships that managed to get stuck when tryin’ to ram it!”

Stormy looked to the others for help, but it was plain to see they didn’t have anything nice to say about the ship either. “Well, that’s… impressive.” She managed a smile that she hoped looked convincing. It’s okay, Stormy, you’ve got wings in case it does sink. She gave them a flap for comfort.

Stormy and Merlos watched the landscape drift by slowly, just beyond their reach.

“I could walk faster than this.” Stormy complained out loud. “I bet I could crawl faster than this.”

The chugging of a steam powered engine ran a side wheel, the gentle slaps and trickles of water became the only thing that seemed to break the otherwise bountiful silence.

“That may be, but can you move all those barrels at this pace?” Merlos quipped back to her.

Stormy squinted at the shore while she considered his words.

“Not really. I guess nopony really does this anymore back home.” She flicked a pebble off the deck with a foreleg and leaned against a railing, which creaked and groaned in protest to her weight. She watched the pebbles journey into the clear water.

It landed with a plop and she watched it sink. The river was incredibly placid, barely disturbing the pebble’s slow tumble to the bottom even in the barge’s wake. Beneath the water’s surface there was also occasionally fish and shrimp-like creatures, as well as bits of metal and broken ceramic containers.

Stormy turned slowly away from the railing and stopped leaning against it. She looked to Merlos, who held his hat at the moment; his gray beard and balding head caught some of the wind that drifted over the land making him look like a tattered old dish towel.

“So when were we going to ea—”

Without warning, a terrible beast leapt out from a nearby crevice, and ran across Stormy’s foreleg.

“Gyah! Rat!” she shouted, leaping into the air with a flail of all her limbs.

“A what?” Merlos asked, expecting a raiding party or something to be lined on the shores, bringing his staff to bear.

Stormy pointed hysterically at the deck. “A rat!” she shouted again. “It’s on you!”

“A RAT!?” Feeling something try to climb up his right leg, Merlos revulsed immediately and kicked his assailant away.

“Quod sit mitti in ignem!” Merlos shouted. After hastily dipping his hand into a satchel, a fireball was slung at the wretched beast. The brief flash of light and a muffled squeak last but a moment.

The deck was scorched slightly, but the rat’s life was snuffed out swiftly by the wizard’s expert aim.

Merlos and Stormy panted a moment, then looked at each other. Their gaze returning to the scorch mark on the deck again.

“Geez, Merlos, you screamed louder than I did, and I’m a girl.” Stormy giggled at the old hooman, who donned an angry look.

“Don’t be ridiculous, you were far louder—”

“Flufflepuff?” Captain Tulls voice rang out, the lanky ooman looking around curiously about the bits and bobs of the ship. “Have you seen mah pet rat? He’s about ye’ big. His name’s Flufflepuff.”

Merlos looked at Stormy and between them was an unspoken understanding that late Flufflepuff had mysteriously disappeared that day by mysterious circumstances.

“Nope, haven’t seen anything like a rat,” Merlos said assuredly.

Tull scratch his hat back, looking confused. “You sure? Ah coulda sworn ah heard ya’ll scream ‘rat’ real loud-like.”

Merlos and Stormy both shook their heads.

“Not at all, what I had screamed was… fat.”

“Fat?” Tull parroted.

Merlos nodded, folding his arms nonchalantly behind his back. “Yes. Stormy’s putting on weight. Anymore and she’ll capsize the ship.”

Stormy scowled up at Merlos. “Hey!”

“Is for horses.” Merlos walked away with that, while Tull resumed his calling out for his pet up and down the barge.

“Yah big jerk,” Stormy muttered, and resumed tossing pebbles into the river. In the midst of suppressing her guilt, she heard Knott’s heavy boots thump up next to her as he peered over the edge at her side.

“Hmmm, someone had a bad time.” Knott said to make conversation, his eyes on the blackened smudge atop the deck.

“May he rest in peace.” Stormy nodded and studied a distant Merlos with a squint. He seemed to be enjoying the mild breeze that carried over the deck. After a moment he seemed to break out of his placid existence and reached into his hat, fetching a quill and pen.

Knott hummed in response. “Din’t mean the cap’n’s pet, lass, tragic as tha’ be. Was actually referin’ to them battle marks you’ve got there on your face.”

Stormy’s eyes widened at their mention, and she in unconsciously reached a hoof up her brow. “Oh, uh, you meant these.” After a shake of her head she lowered her hoof. “There’s not too much to talk about. And it sure wasn’t a battle... Some bird got the drop on me and carved my poor face up. And I didn’t even do anything about it...” She scowled in remembrance and hit the railing with a hoof.

A railing bar flung off into the distance as a result and landed on the shore.

“Oops.” Stormy grunted and put her head down on the railing with a thump

Knott chuckled, but patted Stormy’s shoulder consolingly. “Aye, that sounds like a right bit of trouble to make your blood boil, even after all’s said ‘n done.” He took out a stocky pipe from a pouch on his chest, and gave it a couple taps against his palm. “Now, I’m not abou’ to tell you what you should ‘n shouldn’t do after a traumatic encounter like tha’, Stormy, but there’s only one thing a dwarf’d do.”

Stormy picked her head up from the railing to look at Knott. “What d’ya, uh, I mean what do you mean?”

Knott chuckled, and struck his flint against the railing, lighting his pipe in one smooth motion. “Simple. You need t’ learn how t’ protect yerself from someone that knows how.”

He gave Stormy a wry smirk, then kicked out the railing beside the one Stormy had launched.

CHAPTER 008: A sinking feeling.

View Online

One week later

A week aboard the Weiser Budd crawled by for Merlos and Stormy’s party, much like the barge itself crawled down the river toward its destination: the capital city of Halia, of the nation of Halia, in the province of Halia… The Halians were a very uncreative sort.

Knott braced himself behind his shield just before a force strong as a charging bull slammed against it. “Good good, now really let me ‘ave it with the next one ‘nd don’ let up! Keep that rythm, girl!”

“No problem!” Stormy took a deep breath before striking out with her hind legs. “And, uh, we say ‘filly’ where we’re from. I mean either works but—!”

She oofed loudly as Knott shoved back, sending her sprawling onto the barge’s deck.

“Focus, filly! Mind on the fight at hand! Er, hoof! Haha!”

Merlos watched from a distance as Stormy’s hooves clanged loudly on Knott’s dwarven shield during their spar. Knott and Stormy had been training together daily as a routine all the way downriver, one coaching the other on basic principles of hand to hand combat, or in this case, hand to hoof. In an effort to help Stormy know how to take care of herself, being stranded in another world and all, the Hu brothers had walked her through everything from how to keep her balance in a fight to turning a blow. Currently, they were actually working on the advanced art of delivering an effective blow, a deceptively difficult task in a heated battle.

Merlos huffed and looked back to his scribing. “She ought to be reading her spellbooks…”

It was a long ride south to Halia in the ramshackle boat, and helping the little filly gain experience and confidence gave everyone something interesting to do versus the monotony of the landscape. Although, Klee Tusk’s efforts to teach Stormy how to smash things “gud” with a plank of wood was turned away with polite but firm discourse.

“Ah!” Stormy oofed hard as she slammed again into the deck of the ship after losing her balance.

Knott winced, lowering his shield. “Ooo’. Arrigh’ lass, back up on yer hooves. Square yer stance more or you won’t stay up on yer two— er, four legs after ye’ follow through.”

Clearly, Stormy still had a ways to go.

Merlos grunted from his seat against one of the deck’s few sturdy railings, and put his attention back on his work: attempting to copy down spell-scrolls. A time honored and common tradition of wizards with spare time, copying spells into written words of power required focus, wit, and above all else, quiet. Unfortunately, he lacked that last one. He was having difficulty concentrating his mind enough for the necessary amount of detail, so his quill was currently instead detailing a doodle of Stormy bucking against Knott’s shield in his journal. Beside the picture were several notes taken of her strange alien language and more.

“Well.” Merlos sighed and leaned back to stare p at the sky, the sound of Stormy’s oofs and Knott’s stoic grunts in the background. “At least it’s peacfu—”

An ear-piercing and raucous cry came from Klee Tusk atop the crow’s nest, which was really just a rocking chair nailed onto the shed over the helm at the barge’s center.

“Land ho’!” the orc cried with glee. He jumped from the nest to the barge’s top deck, the floor splintering slightly as he did so.

“We are in the middle of a river.” With a heavy sigh, Merlos looked down again at his half finished fireball scroll and pegasus notes. “There’s land all around us.” Scowling, he gestured to the shore not twenty strides from the Weiser Budd’s portside.

The orc must not have heard Merlos, as he was already jumping from the helm shed’s roof and racing towards the front of the barge.

“Whoo! Land ho’!” Stormy cheered as well, and glided past Merlos, following after Klee Tusk. “Hey, wasn’t there supposed to be a city?”

“We have not yet reached Halia!” Merlos said, voice raised. “And stop saying that, there’s land all aroun—!” He started to bluster, only to give up, knowing better. “I’m surrounded by morons.”

“Hehe, yer jus’ upset we morons ‘ave more fun than ye’.” Knott chuckled and tossed an indignant Merlos up to his feet by his collar. “Come ye’ ol’ codger. We’re goin’ ashore for a spell. It’ll do ye’ good to get off the boat an’ stretch yer scrawny ‘uman legs.”

“My legs are none of your concern,” Merlos griped back. “And if I didn’t go along, you three would start a bar brawl inside of two minutes at an inn, so believe me when I say I don’t need any encouragement.” He straightened his robes indignantly while also stuffing his spell material safely away where it couldn’t be molested by stray, meddling orcs or pegasi.

“I think it’d take even us a’ least three minutes, eh?” Knott guffawed as he spoke.

While the party traded relative niceties, the barge was gently drifting closer toward a ramshackle looking pier at the head of which was an equally ramshackle looking three story building. A large wooden plank that looked to be an old door hung from a sign at the river’s edge declaring the building to be named, appropriately and boringly enough, Riverside Inn in a sloppy font. Just beyond the tall building was a humble hamlet that looked to be built out of sight into the woods’ shadows.

“Hey, Merlos?” Stormy asked, trotting away from Klee Tusk’s strange, happy sounding orcish screaming. “Can you top off my speaking spell? I don’t want to be in the middle of talking to someone at the inn and suddenly switch over to Equestrian.”

Merlos finished tucking his scroll cases into his bag. “Hm, I think not. I’ve been trying to space out its daily use this last week by preparing it less each day. Honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t notice sooner.”

Stormy scowled and crossed her forehooves over her front. “Oh no, I noticed! Everyone was laughing at me for hours this morning!”

The captain, Jethro Thull, laughed an interjection as he sauntered his way into the conversation. “Hehe, yer horse-word for ‘friend’ were doody!”

“N-No! It was ‘dude’! Uggh.” Stormy groaned loudly and turned her back from the guffawing backwoods elf. She hadn’t had much luck on the voyage teaching any of them her language’s words, and almost as little luck learning any of their language on her own. All of which was of course their fault.

Merlos chuckled at the frowning filly’s expense. “Stormy, believe me, it’s far more important that the spells I have prepared daily for this journey remain combat and utility focused. There’s a very good reason we’re here to help guard the boat, remember. Besides, I can almost promise you there’s no one in there you’d want to converse with.”

Stormy nodded, her embarrassment replaced with sullen acceptance. “Yeah, fine, whatever.”

Merlos held up a finger derisively. “None of that sass, now. You know I’m right.” With the expectedly large threat of bandit attack, he would much rather have enough energy to cast a decisive fireball rather than Stormy being capable of hurling snarky remarks in a melee.

“Doesn’t mean I gotta like it.” Stormy huffed and turned away to look at the fast approaching pier.

“Land ho’!” Klee Tusk shouted again, still laughing.

“Stop saying that!” Merlos shouted back.

“Kahn’t make me! WAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!”

“O’ let’m ‘ave his fun, Merlos,” Knott chuckled amidst unhooking and rolling a couple kegs across the deck.

The Weiser Budd clunked up against the dock with a loud crunch. The barge shuddered and gave a metallic groan as bolts and patchwork fasteners across the hull protested the collision.

Stormy warily watched as several of the pier’s planks and one load-bearing post tumbled off into the shallows. She cantered nearer the edge to peek over, ears pinning back from the occasional squeaks of the pier and barge rubbing against one another. “Do we have to pay for that?”

Klee Tusk cackled, a terrifying sound coming from an orc, and hopped over the guardrail. “Only if sum’wun catch us!”

Stormy watched Knott pitch heavy ropes to Klee Tusk, who promptly moored the barge in place. After which, the large orc tore up a loose board from the pier itself and used it as an improvised gangway as space opened up between the boat and dock.

“Okie, we all go to inn now!” Klee Tusk said, charging ahead to lead the way. Two dock workers were forced into leaping off the pier into the shallows or risk a trampling.

Jethro sighed, scratching a filthy hand behind his head. “Gull durnit. I hope he don’t start nothin’. Maybe I shoulda chained him to the deck to keep him outta trouble.”

Knott laughed over his shoulder as he rolled a keg down the makeshift gangplank. “I imagine you’d lose what’s left o’ this boat if ye’ did tha’.”

“Haw! True as the sky is blue. Whelp, if all a’yah’re pleased I’ll take first boat watch.” Jethro popped a cork from a large clay jug he had slung over his back, and proceeded to take a long swig.

Stormy, amidst all the commotion, looked warily at the haphazardly placed gangway plank. When the dwarves began rolling the heavy barrels over onto the dock, she felt her hackles rise in worry. Surprisingly, the board held fast.

After they were finished, Stormy placed a hoof tentatively on the gangway, shuffling back after the end raised up dangerously.

Merlos walked up behind her, nearly tripping over her hesitation. “What’s taking so long?” he demanded.

Stormy spread her wings and gave Merlos a doubtful look. “Good luck,” was all she said, and hovered over to the dock rather than risk the rickety board.

“Hmph. Ges, what are we doing here, again?” Merlos asked.

“Jus’ a pit stop, Merlos. Nothin’ to get your dress in a bunch over.” Ges looked back while rolling the barrel as large as he across the pier.

“Robes. Not. A. Dress,” Merlos replied coldly, each word punctuated by a bounce from the makeshift gangplank.

Stormy cringed as Merlos crossed over, waiting for the board to give up the ghost and snap, but impressively it held through everyone’s weight. “What the?” Curious, she gave the board a light touch, and gasped as it snapped suddenly down the middle. “Ah! Seriously?”

“Stormy! Hurry up and stop dawdling.”

“Says the fella’ wearin’ a dress,” Ges repeated.

“Enough! They’re robes!”

Stormy snickered and filed in behind her group of friends as they headed toward the inn. She stopped short of laughing harder as she caught the glare Merlos was giving her.

“And I’ll thank you for making the distinction clear between a lady’s attire and a wizard’s highly respected uniform.” Merlos’ trademark indignation was nearly palpable as always while he plodded down the hamlet’s muddy street behind the mismatched group ahead of him. “If you just left them out of proceedings altogether I’d thank you twice.”

Ges chuckled, a less raucous sound than his brother’s. “O’ course, o’ course. Well, to answer your question it goes like this: we sell a couple barrels, have a drink, maybe stay the night in an actual bed, then back on the open road! Er, river. Ye’ know?”

Stormy almost snickered again as Merlos’ face lit up at the mention of a bed.

“Hm.” Merlos now looked appreciatively up at the inn as they drew closer. “I suppose that does sound like a good enough plan…” Just shy of entering the establishment, he stopped. “Oh, nearly forgot.”

Stormy was caught by surprise as Merlos turned about, then began affixing something around her neck right where she hovered. “Hey! What the hay, dude?”

Merlos stopped, looking surprised, and then indignant as he put on one of his best looks of agitation. “What’s wrong now?”

Stormy gestured to the rope leash dangling off her front. “Uh, take a guess? What do you think you’re doing putting a collar on me?”

“Oh it’s not a big deal.” Merlos rolled his eyes. “I have had this planned out far in advance. You see, it’s standard for a wizard to leash his familiar indoors for appearances, and frankly I’d rather not bother having to explain to the barkeep your true status as a sapient. Also, we’d have to pay more for lodging if I don’t claim you as my familiar and money’s tight at the moment as you well know. It’s not exactly dignified, but for now at least this works best. Trust me.”

Stormy had felt her face getting redder and angrier the more the grizzled wizard droned about his plan. She pinned her ears back and glared at him.

“So unless you have a better idea—”

“Yeah, I do! How about we discuss plans with Stormy before just implementing them! I mean, didn't you get angry at me for doing this a week ago?” Stormy reached up and grumbled as she pulled the twine off over her head. “I trust you, Merlos, but this is not cool.”

“Hey, you—” Merlos floundered as Stormy tossed his rope into the back of a passing wagon. “That was good silk rope! Come back here, you! Oh, sir, stop for a moment there’s—”

Stormy didn’t listen as she flitted away, following Ges, Knott, and Klee Tusk inside the inn.

The building was filled with all kinds of noise.

As Stormy stood in the entrance to the establishment, the door slamming behind her, the first thing that struck her wasn’t the drab decor, nor was it the out of tune lute music that somebody played amidst the din of conversation.

“Uggh, what’s that smell?” Stormy held a hoof up to cover her nose. Whatever was making the musty and charred smell that had hit her wasn’t apparent. A few patrons nursed their beverage of choice or pitched darts at a dartboard, and while they all looked as if they probably stank, she decided it was better to not think about it any longer. When a few took notice of her and began to stare, she hurriedly ducked her eyes and went on, head lowered.

I mean, maybe wearing a leash wouldn’t be all that embarrassing… Stormy grumbled over the thought, deciding that no, she’d rather get the stares than let Merlos walk all over her.

Stormy took a good look around, letting her eyes drink in the details of the place’s wooden carvings of animals and hunting implements which decorated the walls. The inn’s windows were cloudy with grime, letting diffused light spill in from the outside in speckled and shadowed patterns. She could still see well enough thanks to a couple lit torches and a fire going at the room’s side, but the lighting had an altogether gloomy feel. The gloom was made gloomier by the tinge of smoke in the air, much like that from Merlos’ pipe. Everything had a worn in look, even the patrons, but the floor was clean enough for Stormy to not want to spaz about the inn’s housekeeping.

Stormy spotted Klee and the dwarves already across the room, and started toward them at a quick trot. Knott was busy making a rather exuberant show of clapping his hand together loudly with that of a burly man in an apron, while Klee and Ges set the kegs up on the bar.

A few other oomans and other humanoid races of all shapes and sizes came closer to the bar, likely to see what the hubbub was about.

Stormy stopped to watch with an idle fascination of just how many different looking creatures there were with such a small palette of colors to share between them. She kept it to herself, but she really did have trouble telling a lot of oomanoids apart from each other.

Stormy’s pause became an apparent mistake, as all the commotion building quickly put a solid wall of bodies between her and her party.

“Uh, sir— excuse m— Great.” Stormy sighed, and began to try and squeeze her way through. There was a loud clunking noise somewhere in front of everyone at the bar, and suddenly cheers erupted throughout the building, but she was too short to see what it was. The clunk and the fizzy sound that came afterward seemed to send the throng, which was now all around her, into an immediate frenzy.

“Hey, watch it! Pardon me, coming through. If you could just—” Stormy managed to get total of two steps into the bar crowd, but no further. It was made all the worse by the fact that the majority of the patrons were all twice her height or more.

“This is waaay too crowded,” Stormy said. Fed up, and getting jostled far too much for her liking, she turned to go back and maybe look for a seat at the edge of the room, only to oof loudly as someone stepped in her way.

“Whaaaat have we got here?” a gravelly voice slurred.

Stormy looked up, and up and up. What had bumped into her turned out to be a tall ooman with long golden locks of hair and piercing eyes that had a dangerous look in them. He wore a dull brass colored armor, nicked and scratched with what she assumed was time spent on a battlefield. A morning star, similar to what she had seen in a museum, dangled inches from Stormy’s low-to-the-ground face.

“U-u-u-uhh…” Stormy stuttered blankly in return, too surprised and not at all prepared for such an encounter. The worst thing that could happen came at that precise moment, though, as Merlos' spell chose right then to run out.

“Baa weep grahna weep nini bong?” Stormy clapped her hooves over her muzzle, embarrassed, but it was too late.

The barbaric looking ooman’s eyes widened, then he burst out laughing, shaking and almost doubling over. “Oh, by the gods, this must be my lucky day. From what witch and curse ridden corner of the world did you spawn from, huh?” Grinning, he reached a dirt covered metal glove forward as if to try and poke at her head or ruffle her ears.

While the ooman spoke—Stormy couldn’t understand a word of it now—she tried to back away or find an avenue around the guy, but there were still strangers crowded all around, and worse, several had noticed the commotion and were paying attention, too.

A toothy, black and brown grin surrounded by a thick bristly blonde beard filled Stormy’s vision as the ooman leaned down toward her. Stormy’s muzzle scrunched at the smell of stale alcohol somehow clearing the distance between them.

“‘Ey, are you ignoring me? I said let’s go up to the stage. The boys’d love to get a good show out of you and your gibberish.”

Stormy couldn’t recoil anymore than she already had thanks to the crowd around her. Just as the man’s hand neared to grabbing her foreleg, an even bigger, stockier hand reached out from nowhere to catch his wrist in an iron grip.

Ges’ steely gaze locked with that of the blonde ooman. “Oi, ‘nd what d’yeh think yer doin’, stranger?”

His amused look gone in favor of an angry one at being touched, the ooman ripped his hand free from Knott’s grip. As he did, two more oomans in matching armors came to stand beside him. He traded brief looks with them, then leaned over Ges with a smirk and stated, “Oh, I’m sorry there, wee dwarfy. Were this noisy thing your mount?” The stranger crowed at his own joke, his two companions joining in.

Ges faux chuckled with them, his bushy eyebrows raising appreciatively at the jape. “This here’s my friend, as a matter a’ fact.”

The blonde ooman looked to his side. “A dwarf that knows how to make friends. That’s a new one.” Amidst chuckles, he continued, saying, “You know, if it weren’t for your short beard, I’d think this dump were serving children at the bar now. What do you think boys, in the mood for a bit of dwarf tossin’?”

Stormy scooted back a little, not liking where this is going.

Ges never looked away from the ooman. “See, I thought we could come to an un’erstanding. Now, yer jus’ lucky I din’t bring mah axe, human, or I’d chop yeh down right here like a tall, ugly blonde tree with bad hygiene.” He cracked his left hand’s knuckles, then his right’s.

The blonde ooman’s chin raised, his expression growing dark. “No one threatens us and lives, wee dwarfy.”

“That so? Now I’m shakin’ in me ‘wee’ boots. Or I would be, if ye’ weren’t abou’ as intimidatin’ as a one legged blind goblin.”

Still backing up, Stormy abruptly took notice that the area around them all had suddenly been cleared out. The patrons were all either beginning to gather their things and leave, or cheer on whatever was happening. She took cover on the opposite end of a nearby table along with several others. I got a bad feeling about this, she lamented, peeking around the table’s edge.

The blonde human cracked his neck, visibly itching for the coming fight. “You’re gonna regret saying that.”

“No, but yer gonna regret crossin’ me an’ my friends. We look out for each other, y’see.” Ges gestured behind the blonde human and softly said, “Before you breathe another word, lad, ye’ might want t’ look behind yerself an’ look out for them, too.”

The ooman turned around and his gaze panned up to see the Klee Tusk’s imposing form standing before him.

Klee Tusk—who had been bored out of his mind the last few days—couldn’t have been happier, as could be seen by anyone noticing his ear to ear grin. Listening in, he had approached the oomans, and now he loomed happily over them.

The stranger may have been ready to warn the orc who stood a head taller than him to back off, however, Klee Tusk’s eyes already burned with the impending excitement of battle as his fist rocketed out and across the ooman’s face the moment he’d turned around.

Even as teeth still flew across the room, Klee Tusk happily shouted, “BAR FIIIIIIGHT!”

Stormy watched in awe as Klee Tusk sent the blonde human flying several feet with a single punch into the crowd, then started to wrestle with both of the other two humans across the barroom floor.

All around the inn, cheers, screams, and most of all, laughter, roared to life.

Ges began to lend Klee Tusk a hand with pummeling the two lackeys, seemingly ending the fight before it had begun. Only, the sound of chairs scraping noisily and shouting from across the room announced several more oomans in similar looking armor coming to their companion’s aid.

Oh, this is bad. This is— What the hay? Stormy stared around wide-eyed, suddenly aware that the fighting wasn’t just centered on her friends. All across the inn patrons were suddenly fighting one another for no apparent reason.

Stormy eeped loudly as a stool careened through the air just over her head. “Ah!” She hit the ground, crawling under the table to relative safety to watch the unfolding chaos. What is wrong with this world!? she thought, watching in horror as a pudgy little ooman strangely no taller than her ran up someone’s back to smash a glass bottle over their head.

Stormy winced as she saw Knott shouting from atop the bar and trying to get the fight to stop. When that failed he pushed his way through the throng to get the ooman’s attention, but he seemed all too eager to join the fighting as soon as the first blow was landed on him.

“Are they crazy!? They’re outnumbered five to one!” Stormy began to bite her hooves as the brawl involving her friends and the huge group of blonde oomans became more and more intense, with both sides landing solid blows on one another with increasing frequency. “I gotta find Merlos!”

Stormy scurried out from under the table and galloped towards the inn’s entrance once a clear spot showed itself. Dodging tussling oomans left and right, she managed to reach the door unhurt.

Made it. Panting, Stormy dashed out just in time, hearing a table smashing against the shut door behind her. Once outside, she ran smack dab into someone.

“Watch i—! Stormy?”

When the stars cleared, Stormy found herself staring up into Merlos’ waist long beard.

“Come back, have you? What in heaven’s name is all that noise?” Merlos only got a glimpse of the inn’s interior as the door slammed shut. “And I’ll have you know it took me forever to get my rope back.” He shook the rope under her snout for emphasis. “I had to convince that farmer I wasn’t trying to steal his property and—”

“Korah matah, Korah rahtahmah!” Stormy suddenly became aware of just how fast her blood was pumping and how out of breath she was. Even her expired language spell didn’t slow her down.

“Oh, spell ran out did it?” Merlos stared at Stormy as she tugged on his robes, still speaking a mile a minute in her gibberish sounding language. “Nyohah keelah— Korah rahtahmah! Syadho!! Keelah!! Korah rahtahmah“.

“Alright, now calm yourself.” He quickly waved his hand and cast his remaining daily allotment for the speech spell. “Now, what’s going o—”

“A mean man was bullying me and then Klee Tusk PUNCHED the guy so hard he flew across the room and-I-thought-he-DIED-but-he-didn’t-and-then-more-guys-showed-up-and-then—!”

Stormy paused for a split second to gasp a deep breath.

“Now the whole tavern is all fighting them! Merlos! Do something!” Stormy panted, waiting to see the old ooman wizard spring into action.

Merlos sighed as he turned to stare at the inn’s front door. “They’re actually brawling? Why am I not surprised?”

Stormy blinked in disbelief as Merlos proceeded to lean against the building’s wall and take out his smelly wooden pipe thing from his dress’ sleeve. “What are you doing!?” she exclaimed.

Fumbling with his tobacco and almost dropping it, Merlos looked over in surprise. “...I’m smoking my pipe and waiting for them to finish. What does it look like I’m doing?”

“You aren’t going to help them!?” Stormy looked over with Merlos at a crashing sound as a patron was defenestrated through the inn’s front window in a shower of glass and furniture with an accompanying Wilhelm scream.

Merlos looked down calmly, resuming his smoking. “Nope.”

“Augh!” Stormy hopped over the groaning patron and peeked into the melee still ongoing inside. “But they’re getting beaten to a pulp in there!”

Merlos shrugged. “They’ll be fine. I’m just praying they don’t burn the place down.”

“Fine.” Stormy huffed, her forelegs crossed and a grumpy look upon her face. She then smirked a bit; spreading her wings and taking off in proper Junior Speedsters form. With practiced ease, she stretched out her neck and nipped away Merlos’ hat before the old ooman could so much as look up at what she was doing. She then flew over to the now broken window and tossed it into the chaos inside.

“H-Hey! Why you—” Merlos growled angrily as he marched up to the inn’s door. “Very clever, but we’re talking about all this mischief and disobedience later.”

“Okie dokie lokie! But if anything, this just makes us even again, Merlos.” Stormy announced smugly, and watched intently from the safety of the window as Merlos ducked inside. “Be careful in there!” What he would do to stop the fighting would no doubt be some show of grand magical force, she figured.

Stormy’s jaw dropped as she witnessed Merlos first tap a man standing on his hat on the shoulder, then as he turned around, punched him hard enough across the face to send him spinning into a nearby table.

Stormy covered her eyes with both hooves, wincing. “Okay… didn’t expect that.”

Merlos’ hat perched back upon his head, he began casting what was a clearly a spell. Streaks of wispy air seemed to swirl around his fingertips, then glided up into his mouth and nostrils. When he spoke, Stormy immediately covered her ears with both hooves in surprise.

“Knock it off!” Merlos’ voice suddenly boomed. “You’re all a bunch of reprobates and knob-heads! You haven’t a single functional brain between you all, and the very notion of me wasting my time preventing further concussions on your parts is laughable! Now cease this fighting immedia—!”

Stormy winced again as she saw a stray ale mug whistle out from somewhere in the crowd, and clunk Merlos across the face. The old wizard stood perfectly still with his head canted after the blow the struck.

A dwarven voice guffawed, “Timbeeeeeer!” Merlos then slowly tipped over to collapse on the floor.

The entire inn cheered together.

“Ohhh…” Stormy intoned, watching the calamity inside come to a close. “That had to hurt…”

Merlos winced, holding the ice cubes he’d made with a simple cantrip against the apple-sized bruise he had on his jaw. “I can’t believe you picked a fight with an entire mercenary company.” With his free hand, he did his best to finish his scroll.

Knott shrugged from where he sat leaned against one of the Weiser Budd’s few good railings. “Well, fair enough, but in our defense it did take us about three minutes to start it like I said.”

“We shoulda placed bets,” Ges chimed, and began laughing with his brother. “Good job stepping in though, Merlos. Yeh have our sincere thanks. The lot of them dragged away the unconscious loud-mouth that started everything after your little show-stopper.”

Merlos shook his head in disgust. “Yes, well your little exhibition match cost us our nice warm beds at the inn. A fine example of a paladin you are, Knott.”

Knott ceased his laughter. “Wha’ I kept it above the belt!” He blew out his beard and crossed his arms roughly. “And don’t ye’ go lecturing me on conduct in a fight. I saw ye’ sucker punch that fella’ on yer hat after—”

Stormy sat a ways away from the group, and tuned out the argument unfolding behind her. She paddled her hindlegs in the water lazily where she sat far off at the barge’s rear, the splashing doing a good job of covering their shouts.

She had been astounded to the point of speechlessness after the bar fight. Still, any fear she’d had from being so close to a senseless brawl had quickly and surprisingly faded. “Uggh, I hope I’m not getting used to how crazy everyone here is. Maybe I’m just in shock.” She recalled the incident with Tiki… and the skeletons before that… and with a shudder, her stay in the dungeon when she’d first arrived.

The sound of Merlos muttering something about “reprobates” and “unprincipled degenerates” approached Stormy from behind.

“Hmph, I’d clip my wings for my Joyboy right now,” Stormy muttered angrily.

Merlos looked up from his pacing. “What was that, Stormy?”

Stormy looked around behind herself. “Oh, hey Merlos. Nothing’s wrong, just thinking about… everything that’s happened. I could seriously use a distraction from it.” She sighed and faced out to the passing river waters again.

Merlos tsked. “You’ve got the entirely wrong viewpoint to have of contemplation, Stormy. It is from meditating on our past that we learn from it.”

“Yeah, I know that, but I still don’t want to.” Stormy could feel Merlos’ gaze on her, but she stubbornly avoided making eye contact. “Nevermind, I just can’t help wishing I could keep my mind off things, I guess.”

Merlos hummed. He adjusted his ice pack, wincing as he took a cross legged seat beside Stormy. “That, I can honestly relate to. Unfortunately this boat is only so big and it’s impossible for me to keep my mind on my work with all this company no matter how much ‘wishing’ I do. No offense, of course, you’ve been rather quiet since the inn, actually.”

Stormy chuckled. “Yeah, and none taken.”

“I imagine you aren’t referring to the distractions on the boat though.” As he spoke, Merlos produced parchment and a quill from his robe’s puzzlingly cavernous sleeves and began to doodle. “So, while I’m not the most diplomatic of listeners, if you wish to talk about anything troubling you, don’t hesitate to. I know you’re still getting to know Knott and Ges, as well, but they too will happily lend an ear and their advice. They’re good for more than just teaching basic self defense.”

Stormy considered the old guys’ sentiments, and despite how much she usually reacted to his lecturous tone with indifference, this time it really reminded her of all the adults and teachers she’d left behind back home in Equestria.

“Thanks, Merlos, I will,” Stormy said simply. The smile she gave Merlos was only half from his actual advice.

Merlos nodded smartly, but without looking up from his scroll. “You’re quite welcome.”

The two sat in silence a while, the sound of the water wheels propelling the Weiser Budd through the calm river around them uncharacteristically making the only noise on the normally lively boat for once.

Stormy was staring at the water churned by the barge paddles’ lazy spinning when a question came to her. “So, is this thing running on magic? It’s not coal or wood, because I don’t smell either of those burning.”

Merlos nodded. “Indeed, most observant, Stormy. The ship does make use of a simple magic furnace to produce steam from the water around us. You see, there is a small vat of fire sprites below deck which, when directed correctly by Klee Tusk, react by producing large quantities of heat.”

In response to his nonchalant explanation, Stormy slowly looked over at Merlos, her expression stark. “I see.” After a brief pause, she added, “Is that why he bangs on metal and screams the whole time every few hours? He’s ‘directing’ the sprites?”

Merlos shrugged his knobby shoulders. “Well, I did say it was a simple magic furnace.”

Stormy shook her head and sighed. “That’s kinda mean, isn’t it?”

“A lot of things constitute as mean around here, Stormy. But, if it makes you feel any better, the sprites aren’t being harmed and they have an intelligence equivalent to that of a small bug.”

Stormy grumbled and folded her hooves. “In Equestria something like that would never get used.”

“Yes, well, this isn’t Equestria.” Merlos answered curtly.

The two sat in silence again for a ways down the river, pierced once by Klee Tusk’s screaming, “WAAAAAUGH,” and metal banging below deck, before becoming calm again. A fresh gout of steam poured from the crooked pipe on the barge’s stern.

When Stormy could, she asked Merlos, “So what's a rapper bait? You said that earlier.”

Merlos sighed and corrected her, saying, “Reprobate, or meaning that someone is a rake, a degenerate, or a good-for-nothing.” He leaned against the railing, which bowed out ominously; he sat forward again to keep himself from having an unexpected swim.

Remembering the tavern brawl, Stormy muttered, “No wonder somepony threw a mug at you.”

“Very funny.” Merlos looked up from his doodling, or whatever it was he had been doing most of the time they spent on the boat. He snapped his fingers and a floating sheet of parchment appeared before him and he pulled a quill from his pocket. “Now, unless you’ve more idle chatter, I just completed the scroll I’d been working on.” He then glanced at Stormy with his usual unamused expression. “Since this will be a rather long voyage, let’s talk more about where you came from. We barely scratched the surface of the questions I have notarized for you to answer.”

Stormy sighed and fell back against the boat’s deck to stare up at the sky. “I said I was already bored, not that I wanted to be more bored.”

Merlos harrumphed, as he tended to when getting sassed. “Oh stop that, you’ll be doing us both a favor, you know. And since you’re not reviewing the instruction books I’ve lent you, let’s make good use of our time. Tell me something of your home for my notes. Like, what were you doing before you were taken from your home, in some more detail.”

Stormy perked up, recalling her most recent memories of Equestria. “I remember telling you I was visiting my grandparents in Cloudsdale, preparing for the Best Young Flier's Competition...”

Merlos scrawled it on the parchment. “Yes, I recall you saying something like that. Mmmhm, where would this competition have taken place at?”

Stormy relaxed back again, recalling that fateful day in full detail. “The Rainbow Dash cloudeseum, otherwise known as The Awesome Dome. It’s been held there for the last 19 years.”

Merlos nodded, then paused. “The Awesome Dome?” He deadpanned, and muttered, “You’re joking.”

Stormy put her hooves up in defense and smiled sheepishly. “Nono, that was pretty typical of Rainbow Dash. She was really obsessed with things being cool.”

“Concern with temperature being related to grandeur? Interesting.” Merlos hummed and wrote his last note down.

Stormy suppressed a giggle. “Eh-yeah, something like that. Anyway, she was one of the Elements of Harmony I told you about. And her cloudeseum wasn’t even the most embarrassing sounding national institution founded; Pinkie Pie’s Party Spree Planning Emporium and Fluttershy’s cuddly wuddly animal hospital hold that title.”

Merlos looked up for a moment, blinked twice at Stormy, and went back to taking his notes without a word. “So this competition, ponies in your land come to see this spectacle?”

Stormy grinned. Merlos’ reaction to Equestria’s culture was a typical one, but it never got old. “Yes, unlike the old cloudiseum, which grounded ponies needed magic to walk around on, this one had imbued cloud stone in it so earth ponies and unicorns could walk on it too. The place is massive. Lots of concerts and sporting events take place there.”

Merlos gave his beard a scratch. “Concerts? As in, symphonic?”

Stormy gasped, and hovered up before him, incredulous. “Nonono, yeesh, you go to a theater for that stuff in Canterlot for that snobby stuff. I’m talking about performing pop-artists… Like The Wheatles, Mare-donna, Depeche A-la-Mode, or V.N.V Neigh-tion.”

Merlos adopted a scowl, the sort he made when something Stormy had said sounded like nonsense, but scrawled her recollections onto his scroll nonetheless. “Snobby, huh… So, how do you normally get there?”

Stormy puffed up proudly. “I’d fly there, solo.” She put on a winning smirk. “With my parents usually. Lately on my own or with friends, too.”

Merlos hummed. “Are pegasus children encouraged to roam so free?”

Stormy shrugged. “Why not?”

Merlos barked a laugh. “Monsters, for one. And I imagine if so many of your people can fly so easily that bandits and hit and run raids must be a real nightmare.”

“Yeeeah, not so much.” Stormy rolled her eyes. “Equestria’s pretty… peaceful, and ponies don’t really do that to each other. You still hear about petty crime in the cities sometimes, but honestly it’s pretty safe to go out wherever in the daylight. No monsters near towns, either. So, once we pass flight school and have a magi-tech adapter like a NAVBALL, we’re able to fly pretty much anywhere!”

Merlos gave Stormy a raised brow. “Navball? What is a Navball? That sounds a bit more interesting than the names of your local performers.”

“Hey, those guys are famous!” Stormy sagged where she sat, answering the next bit. “If I had it here I could just show you, but all my stuff was stolen, remember? My violin, my schoolwork, my wallet… I’m so glad I wasn’t wearing my collectors edition wonderbolts cap.”

Merlos nodded. “Well, just do your best to explain this…” he mouthed the word magi-tech that Stormy had used, before saying, “Thing that you mentioned.”

Stormy hummed to herself and thought of how best to explain it, eyes shut. Well, it’s an enchanted item as he would probably understand, but maybe that’s misleading about… As she did, her ears twitched, catching a distant noise beyond the barge’s relatively peaceful movement downriver.

“Huh? What’s that sound?” Stormy looked up and around herself.

Merlos looked up from his notes. “Sound? What sound?”

Stormy took in the surroundings completely, but the same old river and shoreline filled with trees stared back at her. The sound was gone. She shrugged. “I dunno, it was, like, a flag flapping in the wind or something.”

Merlos hummed and stood up, looking to the front of the ship to Knott, who was currently on lookout at the barge’s bow, but had yet to raise any alarm. “It was probably just the trees. Now, about that—”

Stormy kicked off the deck of the ship, “I’m gonna go check it out.” She quickly whisked herself up into the air, ignoring Merlos’ immediate protests from behind to not fly off “willy-nilly”. “I’ll be right back!”

It’s not like you can’t see me clearly or anything. Yeesh. Stormy curved upward into the sky at a sharp angle, rising up over the treetops in moments. Uh oh. From her vantage, she could immediately see what she’d been hearing.

Groups of green oomans, or half-orcs—she had trouble keeping the different names straight in her head—were waving colored flags in a pattern at each other. They were all like Klee Tusk, but even bigger and uglier.

Stormy swallowed hard, spotting the assorted, cruel looking weapons they all seemed to be carrying while moving about quickly. Maybe they’re just guarding a caravan, like us? She put a hoof to her brow and watched for a moment. They wore only pants and red colored runes with handprints on their upper bodies and faces. As she hovered, the green oomans lined the shores and began stringing their bows, and then took aim right at her barge. Orrrr maybe not. Crap baskets.

Stormy shouted down to the barge, “Merlos! There are a bunch of green mans with bows!” As she did, she heard a call from Knott simultaneously yell, “ORC RAIDERS! What are they doin’ this far into Halia? Ges, Thull, getcher bows! Stormy, get below with Klee Tusk! Right now! Stormy? Merlos, where’d she—”

Just then, a shrill chorus like a hundred hungry mosquitos sounded off.

Stormy’s ears focused on their own towards the dark cloud whistling through the air, and her pupils became pinpricks at the sight of so many tiny things hurtling through the air.

“Take cover, lads! Time t’earn our drinkin’ money!” was shouted from below.

“Stormy, get out of the way!” someone else yelled.

Wide eyed, Stormy watched as the cloud quickly became a swarm of sharp shafts and barbed tips. She discovered they weren’t aimed at her but rather into the sky as they began to slow down, reaching their apex and begin their fall towards the barge. She had an idea.

Stormy dashed off to the side as the arrows started towards her friends, who were taking cover behind ale casks. Once hovering in position, she leaned back, mind focused, then pitched forward using both her wings.

The sudden gale of wind caught the arrows in a weather effect and they fell into a useless, chaotic mess on the far riverbank and in the shallows, missing the watercraft entirely.

“Yes!” Stormy shouted, while at the same time noticing from the corner of her eye another cloud launching out of the trees. “Oh no you don’t!” She repeated the same maneuver, swimming through the air in a backstroke to get into position at the missile cloud’s side.

There were shouts from the green oomans below and many of them were pointing up in her direction now. Several of the archers turned to face Stormy and another smaller cloud was quickly loosed.

Stormy took in a deep breath then blew, using her control of the weather to swat away the third cloud of arrows with her right wing, and her left wing to help her dodge the forth cloud. A few seconds later the intercepted arrows fell unsuccessfully towards the right of the barge once again.

Blood curdling cries of protest from green oomans on the shore rose up at the sight of their failed volleys.

Breathing hard, Stormy hovered in place, ready and watching for more, adrenaline pumping through her. Glancing below, she could see her friends all returning fire, each in their own way. Except for Klee Tusk, who was nowhere to be seen.

One of the orcs climbed atop a rock then—the orc was a female with few vestments over her body, feathers tied into her greasy mane, and skulls and bones around her shoulders like a necklace made of cruelty. Under her direction, more orcs sprinted out of the treeline, all of them carrying thin, sleek looking watercraft over their heads. She then shrieked with an earsplitting battlecry that turned Stormy’s blood to ice the instant she heard it. Another cloud of arrows was launched at her command.

“Stormy, get down here this instant!” Merlos’ voice rose from the ground, clearly now using his voice projection spell. “They’re targeting you!”

“I’m a little busy!” Stormy repeated her last maneuver, taking in a deep breath and swiping a wing to send the arrows to the left. This is getting tiring.

Stormy bit her lip, getting worried as she saw the orc lady command another volley to be readied. And she must be the leader.

“WAAAUUUGH!”

An answering battle cry came from the barge’s direction, beneath Stormy. She looked down in time to see a hatch open up at the barge’s center, Klee Tusk sitting atop something that looked suspiciously like Pinkie Pie’s party cannon from the Canterlot Element’s of Harmony museum.

“Whaaat is—” Before Stormy could process what she was looking at, a massive ball of fire exploded out of Klee Tusk’s not-party cannon and screamed across water’s surface. The resulting impact on the shore sent orc archers and boat carriers alike flying. As the fire splashed along the coastline, orcs scrambled out of the bushes and away from their now burning boats.

“Hawhaw! It is good to fight!” Klee Tusk cheered, and a second blast fired even as he cheered, steam shooting up from the river in its wake. “And better to win!”

“There, now get clear, damn you!” Merlos boomed over the cannon’s din.

The green woman again shrieked like a banshee in her horrible ear splitting language, cutting Merlos off.

Suddenly, the tree canopy upriver exploded into dead debris as a pair of large, winged beasts soared up into the sky. The creatures were snake-like, two legged monsters with bat wings extending off their wicked looking bodies. A gnarled group of horns and spines split their vaguely lion-like faces, making them the stuff of a sane person’s nightmares. A heavy looking saddle rested upon their backs, a bridle fitted to its face using grafts and piercings. An axe head attached to the edge of its tail and claws tipped with metal curving out from its feet and wings completed its appearance.

One of the monsters swooped low along the bank, and the orc woman leaped smoothly into the saddle upon its back, while the other was already diving sharply towards the boat.

The riders were almost as terrifying as their beasts. Each held a long crooked lance with one muscled arm. Their saddles had a multitude of brown clay bottles and skulls hanging at their side. The green oomans vestments were what set their intentions to everyone; what at first looked like strange olive colored leather plates, were clearly stretched out ooman faces adorning its body. Some of the faces even had their facial hair still on them.

Stormy’s eyes widened, fear already chilling her spine as she gawked at them, unmoving.

A dwarf voice from below shouted, “Wyvern riders! Two of ‘em right o’erhead!”

With only a few ferocious flaps of its wings, the monstrous cavalry were in the air and closing the distance in seconds. Stormy watched the one that had gone to dive bomb at the ship drop its clay bottles onto the deck, now prickled with a few arrows.

Even as the ship was bathed in flames, Merlos shouted an incantation to shove the burning grease-like substance off the deck.

With the exception of her wing flaps, Stormy stayed paralyzed by the sudden appearance of the things.

“Stormy, snap out of it!”

The sight of the orc woman screaming another battle cry and her mount climbing into the sky filled Stormy’s vision. Her relative safety in the sky had vanished.

“Dodge!” somebody shouted.

“Ah!” After a brief flashback to summer camp and camp counselor Piping Piccolo’s dodgeball tournaments, Stormy turned around in that instant as commanded. She reached her hooves out and flew as fast as her wings could carry her, her muscles burning, while the wyvern rider quickly gained on her, leading with the tip of its lance.

“Why me!? Why-me-why-me-whyme!?” Stormy yawed hard, narrowly avoiding the lance as it whistled by, and heard the unmistakable sound of snapping jaws. “W-W-Woah!” Her body tumbled end over end for a second, the air stream from the winged creature big enough to catch her.

Stormy half sobbed, half panted, her mind racing as she stabilized, and began zooming off without looking in the opposite direction as fast as she could. “She’s faster than me!? How is it faster than me!?” She tried to go even faster, not sure if her fear was sapping her strength or if the giant bat-thing somebody had called a “wyvern” really was just that quick.

“Go away! Go attack Merlos!” she called over her shoulder, peeking just enough to see if it was there again.

“Stormy, look out!”

Stormy looked down at the voice instinctively, and just in time to see the other wyvern fill her vision, its jaws spread wide and reaching for her.

Time seemed to slow down for Stormy. Her wing beats became a million years apart, and she even had time to be aware of her own gasp, the single flap she made to dodge the wyvern, and the fact that the flap would never move her out of the way in time.

Already consigned to her fate, Stormy also had time to see the growing blue light behind the great winged beast lunging for her, and wonder what it was.

A boom filled the sky.

Before Stormy even knew what had happened, she was tumbling in the air again and fighting to regain her balance. A ringing noise was the only sound she could hear. She could still feel the rush of air though, and that told her innate pegasus instincts enough.

“AAAH! AH! Wha—!?” The scent of burning flesh and char filled her nose even as her wings caught her again and the world stopped spinning. “Ow, my ears.” She winced; the boom, whatever it had been, clearly had done some damage to her, too, with its sound alone.

Stormy fought to understand what had happened. As she did, she caught sight of the second wyvern below her, the one that had almost gotten her, falling towards the river, its rider motionless.

“Holy poop.” Stormy stared at the the sight, aghast.

From the barge, large blue orbs of crackling electric balls arced into the air and raced over the water’s surface, the same ones that must have made that blue glow the first time. Once again, they splashed with a familiar crack of thunder against her assailants for a finishing blow, even as they splashed into the water.

Stormy looked at the orbs’ source, and saw Merlos atop the barge’s deck, his eyes aglow with bluish power and his beard flapping in the wind like some kind of banner. He was shouting something up to her, hands cupped, but she couldn’t hear it over the ringing. She gulped, breathing in relief, and even as she did, the ringing still in her ears was pierced by the orc’s screeching banshee of a leader.

Soar! Move upward!

The voice was like a painful echo in her head.

Stormy listened to the voice and moved without thinking, the situation clicking in her thoughts. She flapped hard and went up, instead of diving or dodging to the left or right like her instincts told her to. She flipped upright, and once corrected she saw the first wyvern scream downward in the air, clearly having just missed her after an attack dive. Her eyes locked with its rider, the orc woman, and the rage she felt directed toward her in that moment was more intense than anything she’d felt before.

The wyvern wheeled about in the sky, and was quickly climbing back up into the air towards her.

“Aw, come on!” Stormy was tired, and now her head hurt for some reason, but nonetheless she flung herself backward to flee her chaser. The great beast and its rider once again gained on her.

Hearing another nearby battlecry, Stormy screamed, “How are you fast!?” over her shoulder, and just in time to spot and avoid getting struck by the orc’s lance.

Stormy went full on evasive.

Stormy was feeling particularly overwhelmed as the orc leader began trying to spear her, and all she could do was dodge. Every time she thought she could escape, another weapon appeared out of nowhere and would nearly skewer her or cut her. No matter how hard she tried, the two kept her on the run, narrowly spearing her as she spun, twirled and threw herself to and fro in a less than graceful flight.

Where is Merlos and his magic when I need him!? For whatever reason he wasn’t firing another spell, she couldn’t figure it out while fighting for her life.

She cried as the wyvern swept back and nearly raked her with its claws, its gigantic metal covered talons tickling across her side. She knew if it got any closer, she would be one wing closer to an earth pony. Her pelt stood on end and she turned into a spiral to avoid the roaring jaws of the wyvern coming from her side.

The wyvern careened past her, buying her time.

During this brief respite, Stormy had an idea, and it scared her to no end. Wiping the tears of terror and the wind from her eyes, she gave chase to the remaining wyvern in front of her, rather than flee from it. At least with it in front of her she could keep a better eye on it. She knew now the wyverns could fly faster than her, but their maneuvering seemed lacking. She grinned shakily upon forming the strategy.

“Aha! So that’s your weakness.”

Stormy’s brief moment of pride lasted a second longer, right up until the wyvern flared its wings and turned mid-air as it came to a full on stop right in front of her.

“Ah! Not a weakness!” Stormy gasped, flaring her own wings and narrowly missed being struck by the orc leader’s lance.

The orc screamed something guttural in its language angrily as Stormy beat her wings to increase her distance from them. “Why are you so angry!?” she yelled back in response.

Tired, desperate, and still being chased, Stormy was out of ideas. She just wanted to get away, and to that end she pulled up hard into a steep climb moving as fast as she could. She looked back again at the wyvern, remembering its unbelievable ability to climb so fast despite its size, and was relieved to see herself pulling away this time from the panting beast.

It must be tired. Stormy’s relief didn’t last long, very aware that she, too, was tired. I don’t think I can keep this up. Just quit, you stupid jerks! Her eyes again locked with the orc rider, who in response let out a mighty, “WAAAUUUGGGHHHHH!”

“That’s it!” Stormy’s desperation flashed into flat-out anger, mirroring her opponent’s.

Stormy braked hard and flipped around in the air, but rather than dodge around the rider, she turned into a dive and headed straight towards her. The panting wyvern wasn’t ready, and gave a half-hearted nudge of its horns at her. The orc warchief herself looked surprised, and her lance strike was also too slow.

Stormy dodged both the wyvern and rider alike easily, so easily that it surprised her and she almost didn’t get her legs up in time. At the last second, she put all four of her hooves into the chest of the orc, who let out a gratifying, Augh! Her intentional collision sent the orc tumbling right out of her saddle.

Now falling, Stormy compressed her legs in like springs, and roughly sprung away from the orc’s body.

“I did it! I did i— Ah!” Stormy felt something pull her head back and suddenly found herself in a downward tumble with the orc flailing beside her and holding onto her mane with a death grip. “Hey, let go!”

The orc snarled at her, and began to fight against the rushing wind to ineffectually swipe at her with a glinting steel spike.

“Come on, you lost already, you big sore loser!” Stormy snuck in a blow of her own, landing a hard kick right at the mean lady’s face.

Blood globbed out of her nose, and her grip released as she was kicked away.

“Serves you right!” Stormy grunted, and pulled out of her dive. Just in time too, as moments later she watched the orc splash into the river’s waters at full speed. Her own hooves dragged a little against the water as she glided in toward the barge.

Stormy’s emotions were a blur, but after the sight of her pursuer disappearing beneath the river’s surface, excitement took the forefront. Her hooves clopped loudly on the deck as she made her landing. It wasn’t the graceful touch down she tried for, rather a shaky stagger, but she felt like she played it off well enough.

“Tah-dah! Who’s the mare!? Who? Yeah, me, that’s right! Hah, guys, d-did you see all that!? Oh my gosh I am—”

“Get down, Stormy!” Knott dove from out of nowhere, tackling her to the deck of the barge.

Breathless, Stormy blinked away her shock, looking around. Arrows pin-cushioned the spot where she had landed. “Knott!, you saved me!” She looked gratefully to the dwarf, who was wincing as he sat up, his broad shield already blocking more incoming strikes. Her eyes fell on a pool of blood, and an injury her friend had. “AH! Knott, your knee!”

“What? Ah, tha’s a scratch. Impressive show you put on there! I had trouble concentrating on fending off boarders with all’a tha’ goin’ on.” Knott laughed as he talked like the battle was no big deal, his arms busily turning a weird handle on a weirder t-shaped thing that had a string and a short metal arrow mounted on it.

Stormy’s eyes bugged out as she stared at his wound, only half listening to him. “A scratch! It’s stuck clean through the back of your leg! There’s blood everywhere! Ohmygoshohmygosh! What do I do?” She shut up as Knott roughly—well, it was likely gently for him—took her face with his off hand and he made eye contact.

“It is a scratch, Stormy. Now do what ah say: go to Merlos and keep out of trouble.” As Knott spoke, he set down his stringed weapon and his hands began to glow; after pressing them to his wound, the arrow popped out not a second later. “This fight’s almost over—” Knott rose up and limped past Stormy to cleave his sword into an orc that was just climbing aboard the barge. The orcish arrow that had hobbled his step was clearly still affecting him. “—But not quite yet! We jus’ gotta hold until we're past the danger!” Turning his sword flat, he used it to smack some fingers clutching the rail, causing its orcish owner to yowl in protest.

“But you’re hurt!” Stormy snatched a flower pot off the side of the barge—it was a sorry looking plant barely holding onto life, but she used it to good effect and dropped it upon the orc, knocking it into the river with a loud splash.

“Get tah Merlos!” Knott said more forcefully, hefting up his shield. “Not gonna repeat myself again!”

“R-Right, get to Merlos! Gotcha!” Stormy nodded jerkily this time.

With that, she raced off, and found that the deck of the barge was almost unrecognizable. Arrows sticking up everywhere aside, there were scorch marks all over everything. Ges and Captain Thull were fending off three orcs ringed around them at the boat’s front, while Klee Tusk was madly swinging a tree’s worst nightmare of an axe at an enemy while standing atop his cannon. Ges whirled around with a pair of dwarf size scimitars, slicing the orcs into submission before kicking them through the railing or shouldering them off the vessel.

Altogether, there seemed to be barely any of the dozens of orcs left from the shore that had initiated the battle.

Merlos, however, was nowhere to be seen.

“What the hay, where is he?” Stormy panted, confused as she reached the spot she had last seen him, only to gasp as she felt a hand touch her back, and a following chill run up her spine.

“You’re an idiot, Stormy. You could have died up there!” Merlos’ disembodied voice declared.

Stormy whirled about, ready to yell at him that she knew that, and that she felt like barfing, and a hundred other things, and it all just sort of happened too fast, but the words died in her throat when she didn’t see anyone behind her.

“And furthermore, you disobeyed us completely! You said you’d listen to me in these situations! That was not optional!”

Stormy just said the first explanation she could think of that explained his disembodied voice. “Ah! Merlos died and became a ghost!”

“Oh for the gods’ sakes. Look, I turned invisible after my shield spell ran out.” Merlos sounded rather fed up at this point. More so than usual, that is.

Stormy gasped. “Whoa, cool.”

Merlos spoke over her. “Again, temperature has nothing to do with it. A wizard without defenses is simply asking to become a target, and the others are too busy to aid me.” A screech from overhead drew both their gazes skyward. The riderless wyvern circled there, like a buzzard ready to tear apart a wounded prey. “However, it seems I can no longer afford to gather my arcane resources. Stand back, Stormy, while I deal with this foul beast.”

Stormy watched in awe as Merlos reappeared, his magical veil of invisibility fading away first from his hands—now wreathed in flame—and slowly spread to his body. She looked up at the Wyvern, who suddenly seemed to notice her, and immediately dove towards them and shriek a beastial cry of success.

“Ah!” Stormy jabbed a hoof up at it, as if the wyvern wasn’t perfectly obvious to everyone around her. “It’s coming, it’s coming! Merlos, do your magic thing!”

“No, I was going to stand here and let it devour us all.” Merlos took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. When they opened again, they were alight with a reddish hue and surrounded by licks of flame. “Don’t order me about and stop distracting me! Now stand back, I need perfect concentration for this spell.” With that, he began chanting, and moving his arms and hands in a very precise, practiced series of motions.

"You got it, Merlos. I’ll just cheer you on. Go Merlos! Whoo! Yeah! Cook its butt!" Stormy hovered up and put a hoof around Merlos’ shoulder while using her other to point up at the wyvern.

"What—?" The shroud of power swirling about Merlos suddenly abated and he became quiet, at least until he yelled, “You fool! Get off me!”

Stormy blinked, confused as to why Merlos didn’t cast his spell. "Where's the boom? What happened?" she asked, getting out of his way.

"You happened, you reprobate!" Merlos quipped angrily.

"Hey! You can't say that, jerk! I know what it means now." Stormy protested back, yelling just as loud as Merlos was, all the while growing more panicked as the wyvern got closer.

“Magic requires complete concentration! Unwavering willpower! Focus!” Merlos gestured to and fro, his beard swaying in time with his movements. “Something which you are positively the anti-thesis of!”

“Alright alright! I get the idea, I’m sorry, so just cast another spell! Hurry!” Stormy abandoned her pretense of arguing back, getting terrified as the wyvern was only seconds from reaching them.

“I would but I can’t now! Even if I had another spell powerful enough to outright kill a wyvern, my focus is shattered—!”

A piercing scream from the wyvern in its attack gave them barely enough warning.

"Duck!" Merlos and Stormy screamed together, diving off the barge and into the water.

Not a moment after, Klee Tusk ran into the wyvern's path.

"Goose!" the half-orc yelled, and flung his axe into the beast's open maw. The edge of the axe cleaved through the soft pallet of the wyvern’s mouth and halted just beyond its thick skull. The beast pitched to the side, head dragging along the deck, and fell into a rolling tumble as its wings went limp.

The wyvern slid, lifeless, off the barge and into the river with a loud, unceremonious splash. In moments, the only sign the wyvern had been there was the growing red and brown cloudy plume in the water, and a gleefully laughing half-orc laying on deck with his arm bent the wrong way.

Merlos and Stormy both resurfaced from the river, with Stormy leaping back into the air smoothly, if coughing and sputtering, and Merlos clumsily hauling his sodden robed self up with the help of the barge’s railings.

“Well, I must say,” Merlos half coughed, half spoke, “that couldn’t have been timed any better.” Merlos couldn’t help himself and grinned at the sudden defeat of the last major threat. “Good job there, Klee Tusk.”

“Haw! Was okie. Not Klee Tusk’s best wurk.” Klee Tusk gave his ruined arm a wobble. “Follow through also nawt so good, but next time I stick tha landing better. Maybe not lose my best axe, too.” Grinning, he turned to Stormy, whose eyes were still watching the reddish cloud quickly falling behind them. “Performance by lil’ horse Stormy waz made that look like small pebbles! Good wurk!” With a laugh, he slapped Stormy on the back with his good arm.

“AH!” Stormy screamed, and seemed to be shaken out of a daze. She looked around with a panicked expression at who had hit her, saw Klee Tusk’s broken arm, and screamed again while simultaneously hyperventilating. “AAAAHAHHHH! AH!” Her screaming only seemed to increase as she started to see the bodies of falling orcish raiders still on the barge’s deck, and began running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

“Stormy, calm down! The fight’s over and you’re unharmed! Amazingly.” Merlos waited for Stormy to respond positively, but she just kept on screaming. “And stop running around! You’ll slip.”

“Hm. Me thinkin’ she’s broken.” Klee Tusk scratched a ruddy green hand behind his thick orcish skull.

“Stormy! Is everythin’ alrigh’, lass?” Ges approached, his brother behind him checking bodies, then throwing them overboard. When he didn’t get a response as she ran by him, he turned to Merlos.

“Oh, she’ll be fine. Probably. She’s unharmed, at least. You three worry about yourselves.” Merlos sighed, busily wringing out his robes and paying the pegasus no mind. “Really I’m amazed she waited until the end of the fight to do this. Hmph, wish I had to spell left to dry these...”

Ges’ bushy brow furrowed, and he turned roughly to chase after the hysterical filly.

“What? Do you disagree?” Merlos blustered at Ges’ going, and turned instead to Knott, who paid him no mind. “What did I say?”

Knott looked up for the briefest second from inspecting Klee Tusk’s arm. “Just tha’ usual I think, Merlos, but Ges is right, you could be a bit more sympathetic. Stormy’s sort of reaction’s normal for first timers. It isn’t for everyone.” After making a very unpleasant face, he set about helping Klee Tusk. “I just hope this doesn’t make her terrified of these situations or yeh’ll hafta—”

“BY CELESTIA’S BEARD! Did you guys SEE THAT!? It was amazing! I was amazing! I am so excited and full of adrenaline right now! Ahaha WHOO! Let’s go find an Ursa Minor next! And then—!”

Merlos and Knott shared a brief glance, then rolled their eyes in unison.

Grilka fumed as she pulled herself from the river’s rushing waters.

“BOW!” she screamed immediately.

Dutifully, one of the remaining raiders from her warband tromped forward. “Too far, boss. You’ll never—”

Grilka snatched the large recurve bow from the raider in the same moment that her punch sent him flying for doubting her. She smoothly nocked a dangerous and sickly looking barbed arrow, and sought out her target. Thick sinews drew taught as the arms of the bow strained under her strength. As she held the bow high, her back muscles straining, she bade the arrow to “fall” in place with a silent prayer to her god.

Grilka pointed with her index finger at the nuisance that had ruined what should have been a simple raid. The pesky creature would pay dearly for spotting her ruthless reputation.

“Bye bye, liddle burdy.” She inhaled, the little pony hovering above the barge giving her a clear shot. On her exhaling pause she let the arrow fly, guided by her prayer.

Even as the arms of the bow still vibrated, Grilka screeched a cry of retreat. She stood there just long enough to witness her arrow as it arced into the air, before planting itself unerringly on target in a cloud of feathers.

Three days later.

The river widened more and more as the Weiser Budd went further south, until farm and swampland alike began to line the banks instead of forest. A few houses dotted the landscape, though the closest ones seemed abandoned and swallowed by the river as if they’d been flooded out. On the horizon slowly grew a cityscape, no doubt the aforedescribed capital city of Halia.

Dew clung to the blades of grass and crops, while the peasants living in these lands were already working hard alongside first light. The scene was peaceful, serene, and pleasant so early in the morning. That is, except for the loud peeling whine of what sounded for miles around to be a young adolescent girl. Aboard the miserly barge which the owner of the sound road upon, however, was no young girl.

“Waaahaaahaah!” Stormy cried, her front hooves and her one good wing thrown over her eyes.

“Oh stop your whining!” Merlos burst out, glaring across the barge’s deck at his sobbing companion. “Klee Tusk has it much worse and you don’t see him complaining.”

Klee Tusk hiccuped from nearby, but otherwise didn’t acknowledge his name being spoken.

Stormy sniffed, looking over her shoulder at her poor wing, which was held up in a sling similar to Klee Tusk’s. “T-That’s just cause he got drunk after Knott put his arm in a sling, but I’m too young to dr-hi-hiink!”

Merlos tsked angrily. “That numbing medicine I gave you is far better for you than whatever Klee Tusk’s guzzling, believe me.”

Stormy sniffled harder. “B-But it’s grape flavor-her-heard!”

“It’s not my fault if you won’t drink it like you’re supposed to! Of course your wing is going to keep hurting!” Merlos slapped his book shut harshly and stood, groaning in protest from stress alone. “It’s been three days, Stormy! You have been belly-aching nonstop, and it’s well past time you—”

“Oh, wow! Is that the city?” Stormy gingerly stood up, careful not to jostle her post-battle battle wound, as Knott had been affectionately referring to it.

Merlos sighed and threw his head back. “Yes, that’s Halia, the capital. Hopefully we can find a cleric desperate enough for work that I won’t spend the last contents of my wallet knitting that wing bone of yours.”

Knott harrumphed from where he sat. He was smoking his pipe with his back to Merlos at the boat’s side, one leg dangling lazily over the deck’s edge. “Ungrateful’s what you are, Merlos.”

“Ungrateful?” Merlos squared off against Knott. “I’m being realistic, not ungrateful. A paladin’s magic is merely serviceable on the battlefield, but severe injuries require more. If it makes you feel better, even I couldn’t make a potion or tincture that could do more than merely speed a person's natural healing process. At least, I could not make one without the materials Stormy ruined.

Knott nodded along. “Oh, aye, even the great Merlos could’nay do it. I gotcha.”

“Now stop that—”

“Hey! You said you’d stop bringing that up!” Stormy interjected.

Captain Thull barged his way in, coming between the three with arms raised. “Alright alright! Alla ya’ quit yer belly achin’ and make ready. Tha docks’re a comin’ up and Klee Tusk’s in no condition to get us anchored and unloaded. Ges, get ‘im aboard tha life boat.”

As Klee Tusk himself hiccuped as if to respond to his name, Ges popped up from the hatch leading to the engine. His face and beard were covered in soot, while a pair of ruddy goggles rested over his eyes. “Aye, it would nay kill you all to help out a little.”

Knott sighed and stood. “Happy to help, Cap’n.”

Captain Thull nodded appreciatively and turned to Merlos.

“What? You want me to help too?” Merlos scoffed. “That wasn’t exactly what I was brought on for.” He turned to Ges leading the half-orc to the ship’s edge, finding it odd.

Knott grinned toothily through his beard, interjecting, “Well, ye’ can lend a hand or ye’ can pay for your own stay at the inn, Merlos. If ye’ think your coin purse can handle it.”

“But— Gavlan isn’t paying us until… we get back.” Merlos sighed wearily, feeling trapped and bullied. “Very well. Nonetheless I feel it necessary to point out that’s dirty play, especially for a paladin.”

The barge creaked and groaned noisily as always while coming up to a free jetty with a crane large enough for unloading cargo. A man sporting a distinctive hat with feathers lining its tall brim approached their boat and directed a sneer at the barge—no doubt entirely for its sorry appearance.

“I’ll lend a hoof, too!” Stormy volunteered with a lousy salute.

“I think you’ll be better off sittin’ this out, Stormy. You’d best follow me, too. Just take this rowboat to the pier there.” Ges began leading her to the side of the barge where, strangely, Klee Tusk was drunkenly hopping down into the sad row boat that passed for the barge’s life raft.

“Uh, okay.” Stormy raised an eyebrow at the strange development, but went along with it. “Aren’t we about to dock though— And hey, this boats full of holes from our fight!” Her protest, however, was too late.

“Alright, Ges, get ready to jump! ANCHOR AHOY!” Captain Thull announced, and proceeded to pull a large lever from within’ the barge’s shed. A loud series of ominous wooden crunching and metal popping sounds came from within the ship's hull. Shortly after, several fire sprites exploded out from between the deck boards, showering the boat in sparks and setting the old timbers aflame.

Stormy let out a shriek of surprise, then quickly hopped into the rowboat, holes or no holes.

Not needing any further explanation, Ges lept from the side, leading the land dwelling war ponies into the water with ease thanks to his druidic powers.

Merlos and Knott, meanwhile, stood there mystified, watching as everything unfolded around themselves in abject horror and confusion.

“What’s the meaning of all this?” Merlos started to follow Captain Thull as he walked past him to the barge’s front, chuckling all the way. “What are those noises?”

Knott shrugged, just as shocked. “I think that’d be the ship’s death knell, Merlos. Abandon ship!” The cannonball dive his heavy form made in the bay sent a veritable geyser up into the air.

Merlos, too angry to abandon ship yet, pursued the elf. “Captain, are you listening to me?”

From the safety of the rowboat, Stormy watched while the Weiser Budd, in all of its derelict majesty, broke apart as if all the glue, adhesive tape, and nails throughout the hull had suddenly vanished.

As Thull casually walked to the bow of the mighty Weiser Budd, the ship seemed to come apart behind him like a giant zipper. After a jaunty step onto the dock from the very tip of the barge’s upturning prow, Captain Jethro Thull turned to see the last of his ship break apart within the Halian river bay. He then waved at Merlos as water quickly swamped up his ankles. “Oh no, one o’ me crew didn’t make it off the ship!”

“Damned elf!” Merlos shouted in protest at Jethro, just before losing his balance and splashing into the murky water clumsily. “Not again!” he shouted.

Stormy, receiving no help from the drunken half-orc, rowed over and splashed her tail at Merlos. “Grab my tail, I’ll help pull you in.”

With an annoyed growl, Merlos retorted, “No, I’ll just tip that flotsam raft! I can swim just fine!” He splashed furiously behind Stormy while she floated the rowboat to a nearby pier.

Stormy stared in confusion at the last bit of their ship as it sank beneath the bay’s waters. The little bubbles that surfaced shortly after were the only signs it was ever there at all. “I guess this means we’re not riding back in that boat, huh Merlos?”

Merlos was busily trying his best to clamber up onto the pier, his sodden robes and drooping wizard’s hat weighing him down. He spit a stream of water out and grumpily parted his soaked hair with both hands before answering sullenly. “Very astute, Stormy. Very astute. And let it be known that from this day on, I’m preparing a drying spell no matter the occasion...”

In the bay, kegs of beer began floating up just shy of the surface and dockworkers quickly went into action to retrieve them, tossing nets over the beer tuns and kegs to keep them from floating away. The dock workers then used cranes to lift each great cask onto the pier, and from there into awaiting wagons.

While all this went on, Jethro pulled his hat off his head and placed it over his heart, humming some folksy elven bluegrass tune in memory of the late Weiser Budd. When he finished, he looked to Stormy with a smile and placed his hat back on his head while the formerly sneering dockmaster stared slack jawed at the Wieser Budd’s murky grave.

“Was that supposed to happen?” Stormy gave the empty waters a doubtful look as she trotted up, to which the captain replied only by shushing her.

“Well, it seems an ill fate hath befallen my poor, battle weary vessel, something for which I own a healthy insurance package! And so I’m off!” Captain Thull produced said insurance papers from his pocket, and casually strolled down to the office to make a claim.

Meanwhile, Merlos tantrumed about their voyage’s soggy end, fuming to anyone listening about Captain Thull’s candor.

In the midst of everything, Klee Tusk chortled, saying, “Oi, Merlos, now youse really a washed up wizard! Hawhaw!” In between laughs he took more swigs from his jug.

As Merlos clenched his fists tightly, ready to push the sloshed half-orc into the bay for the remark, the sounds of hooves clambering onto the pier and heavy bootsteps distracted him away from the action.

“Phew, sorry about that Merlos,” Ges said quietly, still calming his huffing warpony. “Had to make that look legit, you know? So you, Stormy and my brother weren’t informed. Well, we didn’t inform Knott because, you know, paladins and insurance fraud don’t mix.”

Merlos shook his head in disgust. “I am bereft of surprise…”

A sopping wet, gauntleted hand broke out of the water and slapped down on the piers edge. “Bwaugh! Ges! What’d yeh do!?”

Ges chuckled, and helped his brother up. “Well, it’s a funny story… but the good news is it’s worth some gold.”

While explanations were given, Stormy left her companions behind in order to look around at the Halian dock district, the hustle and bustle of a daytime city in full swing all around.

Stormy’s gaze first caught on an imposing sight in the distance. She began staring at gleaming towers that reached above the rough-tiled buildings of the docks, making their presence known to anyone within miles. “Oh cool, a castle.”

Stormy immediately wanted to take flight and go get a closer look… but the ache still in her shoulder was a constant reminder that she was going to be grounded for some time yet. Well, it’s not a big loss… they aren’t as colorful or sparkly as the ones from Canterlot, even if they are tall.

Lower to the ground and in the more immediate area, Stormy could see a connecting flea market, warehouses, shops, stalls, and more near the docks.

Among the more interesting of the lot was a fishmonger offering, “Absolutely ill-tempered sea bass, with minimal mutations!”; one ooman selling fine silks, exotically patterned from allegedly Forgotten Realms; a merchant selling Golarion brand accordions; some long eared oomans, like Jethro but cleaner, selling “Ebberonian Skub” and Faerunian marbles; an exotic pet saleswoman hocking gryphon eggs from Azeroth; and lastly a blacksmith from Talislanta offering quality cutlery for chefs.

How can it be forgotten if they know of it? Stormy was in awe at all the neat stuff, and she found herself feeling much like she had on her school trip to the Gryphon lands back in Equestria. Dang, I wish I had some money for souvenirs… She looked back doubtfully at Merlos, who was currently yelling angrily at Captain Thull, and concluded that if she was going to ask then it’d have to be later after he’d calmed down.

“Stormy!” Merlos’ still-angry voice called.

Stormy nearly jumped out of her skin. “Y-Yes?” she stammered, turning about to face him.

Merlos strode past her, not slowing. “I told you a thousand times not to wander once we got here. So stay close! The city is no place for a young… uh, lady to be about on her own. Now, we’re first headed to the inn to dry off and avoid catching cold.”

The rest of their group was a little ways back, now with a couple wagons heavily laden with what looked to be the barrels from their barge. Knott and Ges skillfully guided the team of horses they’d procured through the crowds, while Klee Tusk and Thull sat atop them with the reigns.

With a sigh, and welcoming the thought of their trip’s end, Stormy trotted alongside Merlos, who led the way with wet, squishy sounds coming from his still soaked boots.

Stormy hummed in interest as they kept on down the wide avenue. She quickly notice that, rather than transform into muddy or cobblestone streets, the paths remained constructed of heavy timbers. Stopping at one point to peer below, she could see through a crack that there was several feet of empty air between the planks and filthy water below.

“Much of the old city’s outskirts were submerged by tidal activated decades ago. But, much like nature, civilization always finds a way.”

Stormy looked up to see a smirking Merlos. “So the whole city’s like this?” she asked.

Merlos shook his head. “No all of it. The city’s keep and walled districts were always built upon a high cliff, and have escaped the peasant’s water-logged predicament. Still, it was a rather inconvenient situation getting flooded every year, and so now Halia is like this.”

“Well, it’s neat, but it’s no Canterlot.” Stormy settled in to studying all of the buildings and the occasional opening that lead to a channel filled with smaller boats and people.

As Stormy went on with her party deeper into the city, she began to feel a strange unease. “Huh?” After their few good minutes of walking, an unsettled feeling fell over her, as if she had been spotted by the teacher while passing notes in class.

Stormy looked around nervously, her tail lashing around behind her as she searched. The city streets and various stares from strangers seemed no different here than anywhere else, and so she looked up. Above her, the fluttering of wings from various cooing pigeons and seagulls seemed just as innocuous, but still, something felt wrong.

The group made its way onward, and Stormy continued looking around skittishly as she kept close to Merlos.

“Ohhh, are those half off!?” Merlos, letting the wagons get ahead, paused to look at a stall of potions and elixirs. He picked up one vial with interest, and hurriedly purchased the substance that looked like orange soda…

Stormy stopped with him, and psst’d at Merlos to surreptitiously gain his attention. “Hey, I think we’re being watched,” she whispered. “Like something’s keeping an eye on us.”

Merlos harrumphed, not looking up from his browsing. “Stormy, we’re in a marketplace where beggars, pickpockets, brigands and wary shopkeeps are going to watch every move we make.”

Stormy shook her head vehemently. “No no no! Not like that… It feels like it’s from the sky.”

Merlos harrumphed, not keen on anything except getting indoors and drying his sodden clothes. “Perhaps it’s your nerves acting up, since you can’t fly right now and you’re in a strange place, hm? Relax, there’s no need to be a nervous nelly, Stormy.”

Stormy still looked around them, searching the area and checking above. “R-Right. Kinda like Daring do, moving through the jungle in the Sapphire Stone.” She gulped, and just as she looked away from Merlos, spotted a shadow darting across the ground.

With a gasp, Stormy looked up, only to see a lone black feather twirling aimlessly to the ground. “Then again, Daring was also being stalked by Ahuizotl…”

Merlos gave a noncommittal reply, still wringing water from his robes while browsing. “Yes, yes, Zotl. Always about the Zotls. I’m shopping. On second thought, go bother Knott and Ges.”

Stormy glared at Merlos for a few seconds while he casually browsed another random stall. “Didn’t you just tell me to stay where you could see me and to not wander off?” Her voice took on an edge the more she spoke. “Like, a dozen times a day you’d repeat that to me!”

Merlos made a shooing motion, not looking her way. “I trust you enough to follow everyone else to the inn and stay put. Better you go and get some rest for that broken wing of yours than risk bumping it out here in the streets while I’m running my errand, don’t you think?”

Stormy almost acquiesced, but held fast, squinting in suspicion. “What kind of errand?”

Merlos seemed startled at being asked of the errand’s nature, and quickly hid that fact. He turned to face her. “None of your business, you nosey pegasus! Now go on and catch up to the others.”

Stormy’s scowl softened, until finally she sighed and turned to go.

“Uggh, whatever.” Taking heed of Merlos’ word, but refusing to admit that he had made a good point. Stormy scampered after Ges and the wagons, who seemed to be stopping at the street’s end on the corner before a large, four story building with multiple arched entrances. A hinged sign hanging an area that looked a fair deal like a medieval parking lot for horses proclaimed the building to be, “The Bad Drag Inn”.

“Ah, Stormy, there yeh’re.” Knott waved Stormy over to the stables as she crossed the street. “Why don’tcha head inside with Klee Tusk and get yourself a nice warm meal with this.” He handed her a little pouch that jingled. “We’ll be back in an hour once these kegs get to where they need to go.”

“Fure!” Stormy mumbled around the pouch, and nodded her ascent. She spotted the half-orc, already stumbling his way into the inn. “Come’n Klee Tusk, ‘ait up!”

When she entered the tavern, there was a hint of fish, smoke, barley, and perhaps a hundred others things both foul and pleasant in the air. Dank, moist seeming gray wood beams supported the inn all over, while weary travelers seemed to fill the establishment to the gills. Nearly every table was taken already.

Klee Tusk, unabashedly, loomed over a table with one open seat, around which was seated three grimy looking fellows in flashy tunics. “‘Ello, this last seat taken, friends?”

The three men all returned their own exaggerated grins up at the half-orc. “Nope!” they all declared as one, and one quiveringly added, “We were just leaving!”

As the bar patrons began to scarper off, Klee Tusk raised his good arm. “WAIT!” The three men froze. Gingerly, he plucked the tall, cylindrical hat from the last patron’s head, as well as the little glass eye piece he held. “Okie, thanks for the gift. Now you go.”

Stormy looked with a flat expression as the three oomans tore out of the inn, almost tripping.

“Hehe, now Klee Tusk more sophisticate… Hava’ seat, Stormy!” Klee Tusk chuckled, settling into his newly procured seat. “BAR WENCH, I NEED AAAALE!” he then screamed, and thumped his good arm heartily on the table.

“Won’t they just get like, the police or guards or whatever?” After uncovering her ears, Stormy hurried into the dark corner that the table occupied and quickly put her back to it as she sat. The moment she did sit, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Even with all the raucous sound around her, she felt a million times more relaxed now.

Klee Tusk shrugged. “Then I take guard hats too.” He barked a laugh.

Stormy rolled her eyes. “Riiight, well I’m just glad we’re here finally. I feel like that trip took forev—”

Suddenly, the raucous sound of the ooman inn—that she was sadly starting to get used to—cut off sharply, and was replaced with something, that was for her, unbelievably.

Stormy’s ears pricked to a familiar sound of a violin, singing sweetly. The wood of it sounded so familiar to her ears. Maybe somepony here bought one of grandpa's violins? She had a little doubt about even finding an instrument similar to hers, considering how far backward this world seemed in comparison to her own. Her memories of Canterlot’s neon-lit streets felt centuries ahead of Halia’s rundown, backwards atmosphere.

Still, finding a comparable violin might be possible.

Stormy stood up in her seat, tracking the sound’s location. Her ears twitched, and she turned with sparkles in her eyes towards the stage, where the beautiful sounds were filling the whole establishment more and more. She spied a figure up there sawing away on the instrument as they stepped into a literal limelight.

The mild hiss of the stage’s gas lamps illuminated its patron clearly; within the musician’s hands, was indeed a violin.

“Is that—? It is! Klee Tusk, that’s a violin!”

Klee Tusk stopped chugging his recently procured drink to look up. “Wassat, Stormy?”

“A violin! That’s— It’s an instrument from my world. Do you guys have those here?” As Stormy spoke, she mimed the movements of the sounds she heard in the air out of habit, eyes shut in bliss. “Isn’t it pretty?”

Klee Tusk chuckled, a little taken aback by Stormy’s enthusiasm. “Ohhh. Mebe why they’s playin’ it here?”

“Fair enough.” Stormy chuckled too, staring lovingly up at the sound’s source. Only... she frowned slightly after studying the instrument responsible for said tune more closely—said instrument bore her cutiemark and initials on the bottom.

Stormy gaped, wide eyed. “That’s MY violin!”

Author's Notes:

CASTING CALL! Would you like to see your character added in? we have 3 small spots for the upcoming chapter. These are minor character/roles.
Rules:
1). It must be non-MLP race/D&D/pathfinder compatible race that has a short description; we might need to adjust their appearance to fit them in or cut out a page long description for something used as a mention.
2). 1 character per person may be used. Bring some of your gamer friends into this story, maybe they will have some one to work in?
3.) You must be okay with us doing whatever with the character. This is purely for fun's sake.
As always in my attention whore nature; Please leave a comment or some kind of feedback on this chapter, even if its a "Stormy, you're the worst writer ever." I'd be alright with that. (But I'll prolly have self esteem issues for like, I dunno— A minute?)

CHAPTER 009: One teacher too many pt 1.

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The hustle and bustle of Halia’s city streets was deafening, but Merlos—a wizard of great resolve of spirit, dedication to his craft, and more than a little simple stubbornness, was determined to seek out something that he had wondered about ever since a certain ill-fated purchase he’d made…

Halia was a small city as far as human cities went, and it took him barely the better half of an hour to cross through the jostling crowds of the docks and poorer districts to the inner, calmer areas in Halia’s central walled areas. After some minor molestation from the gateguards, he was granted access, and was then free to peruse the upscale shops and stalls as he pleased.

Within minutes, Merlos found the store he sought. The door to The Nosey Owl bookstore jingled a bell above his head as he shuffled—still half sodden and wet from the Weiser Budd’s tax exploitative fate—his way inside. His eyes surveyed the shelves upon shelves and stacks upon stacks of leatherbound reading material all around him, finding nought but the books in sight.

It was a large building, but so inappropriately packed tight with tomes, manuals, softbacks, hardbacks, handbooks, volumes, encyclopedias, guides, references, journals, and even a section of the ever so deplorable ‘Historical Fiction’ books that the store itself was clearly run by either a hoarder, a crazed person, or worse, an arts scholar. Whichever the case, whosoever was irresponsible enough to own such an establishment was begging for a fire safety fine from whomever issued such things in Halia; that is, of course, assuming that anyone did issue such things in Halia.

Merlos sniffed derisively as he stepped over little piles of books here and there, feeling an uncomfortable familiarity with the disorderly surroundings.

“Hello?” Merlos spoke, his voice stifled in the tightly packed building.

A loud, sawing sound answered him, to which Merlos raised his eyebrows as he turned to find an old, grey haired gnome asleep with his forehead resting atop a stack of wobbling books.

“Honestly, you’re going to hurt your neck doing that.” Merlos hmphed loudly in a half-hearted attempt at waking the fellow up, before dismissing him and walking to the centermost portion of the bookstore. There, he pulled a scroll he’d prepared ahead of time aboard the Weiser Budd and cleared his throat in preparation to unleash its magic.

The arcane words and supernatural sounds that sprang from his voice reverberated around the room, filling it with an otherworldly air. The sound slowly faded from the room and brief silence followed.

All at once, brilliant lights in the form of little glowing lines tipped with arrows in various shades of color raced out from under Merlos’ feet and into the bookstore. The rays zigged and zagged around books and up walls and into shelves, seeking their respective quarries as determined by Merlos with magical fervor.

“Ah, excellent, it worked.” Merlos smiled appreciatively. He wasn’t surprised the spell succeeded, but was nonetheless happy it had, at least in practice if not yet confirmed to have done so in result. “Well, mostly.” One arrow was stuck in what looked like an endless loop, circling itself over and over in a never ending spiral.

Ignoring the solitary, errant arrow, Merlos first followed the magical blue shaded arrows, and began plucking books from shelves and from beneath piles of other written works one by one, stacking them in an arm. Once both his arms were full to the point of wobbling, he deposited them at a miraculously clear table near the front desk, then began to follow the green lines to more books, and then the yellow, and finally the red.

By the end of the search, there were about thirty or so books in total altogether.

Merlos wiped a few beads of sweat from his brow and exhaled at the sight of various books from all manner of authors, topics, genres, languages, races, and countries.

“Well, this is going to be a challenging search,” Merlos mused, thinking of what clues of Stormy’s predicament to look for. “And hopefully this won’t take longer than a couple hours...” He cracked his knuckles, then set about to reading.

For three songs straight, Stormy continued to gape at the person on stage, still disbelieving of the fact that her violin—which she had thought lost to her forever—was actually across the room from herself right there in that very building.

A jovial melody, the type befitting a dock’s tavern setting, came to an end, and the crowd gave the violin player another round of applause, cheers, and a hoisting of drinks that sloshed every other patron’s neighbor. Requests for songs began to be shouted from the mob, and after about a minute the performer began to play one of those songs to the joy of some and the dismay of others.

Stormy finally closed her muzzle and adopted a determined look. “I have got to get my violin back.” She snorted, and her tail began to swish back and forth behind her chair. Being trapped in another world with a bunch of strangers was bad enough, but having lost all of her possessions along the way had made it so much worse. The thought of recovering one was enough to ignite a fiery determination within her.

Having chugged his third mug of ale, Klee Tusk grunted, looking over blearily to the stage. “If Stormy want pretty music box, Klee Tusk will get for her.” He began to rise, somewhat waveringly from his exacerbated state of inebriation, and was promptly pushed back down into his seat by Stormy’s front hooves.

“Nooo, no no no no, no, Klee Tusk.” Stormy took a deep breath and considered how best to convince a drunken, hulking half-orc that it was actually a bad idea to go looking for a fight. “I appreciate you willing to go that far for me, but I think I should just go up and talk to the person first. Okay?” She breathed a sigh of relief when Klee Tusk shrugged, smiling orcishly at her request. “Okay, great. I’ll be right back, so don’t worry about me.”

“Ohhh me no worry ever. That is the secret to long life and great skin!”

Stormy smiled weakly while Klee Tusk slapped the table and roared with laughter before guzzling his fourth mug. Not waiting for another response, she hopped from her chair and moved her way towards the stage. The far end of the bar seemed the best place to wait for the performer with her violin, as the stairs leading offstage were right beside it.

The tavern room was crowded, and Stormy found herself wishing that Knott and Ges had picked a different inn that was farther away from the bustling docks. As a consequence of her distracted wishing, halfway to the stage a serving girl hooman almost tripped over her.

“Sorry!” Stormy called back, meeting the girl’s indignant glare, a glare which quickly turned into surprise after seeing what she’d almost fallen over. “I’m new here, as you can probably tell and— Ow! Alright, now that one was your fault.” She sat and held her tail gingerly in her hooves.

A man leaving the bar had stepped on her tail while pushing back his stool, and goggled down at her with drunken, unfocused eyes. “I haf go’ tuh stop… stop drinkin’ sho musch,” he slurred, and stumbled his way toward the exit.

Stormy sighed, and continued on to an empty stool she’d spotted, her tail pulled protectively against her side. She almost spread her wings in order to flutter up to the tall human furniture’s top, only to wince in remembrance of her broken wing.

“Stupid arrow! Stupid orc!” she cursed, carefully clambering up the stool. She reminded herself that the river battle could have ended much worse, and muttered the hundredth or so thanks to the royal sisters that it hadn’t.

Once seated, Stormy resettled into listening to the violinist. Moments afterward, she gave a small gasp, noticing a detail about the hooman that she’d missed from the room’s back corner. With every spin of her dress was a familiar shape and set of features to the hooman’s legs that Stormy had not yet seen in any of the intelligent races of this world. Perplexingly, the violinist clearly sported unguligrade legs that ended in large brown hooves, though the hooves were much larger than she was used to seeing. Well, large to Stormy, at least. They more closely resembled the hooves belonging to the animals of this world than her own smoother, colorful ones, but they were hooves nonetheless.

Stormy’s eyes widened more every time the hooves danced out from under the spinning fabric, until finally her thoughts began to wonder at just what she was looking at. A human pony hybrid, she mused wonderingly. Nnnno, those hooves look more goatlike… so not a minotaur, either. Still, that raises all kinds of questions I’m not sure I want the answer to. She shrugged, not one to judge others on who they fell in love with.

A tap on Stormy’s shoulder made her jump, and she turned around on her stool shakily. It was just the barkeep.

“Oh my gosh, you scared me.” Stormy gave him a grin, which she was worried to see wasn’t returned. “Uh, I’m underage so I’m not going to order anything. Unless if you have some chocolate milk because that would be awesome.”

The barkeep fixed her with a toothy scowl, speaking through gritted teeth, as if he had some sort of injury or deformity. “We don’t sherve yer kind ‘round here, monshter. Thish ‘ere’sh a shivilized shitty. You’re gunna haf to go wait out in tha’ shtablesh with tha’ resht o’ the beashtsh. Be thankful I even allow you to tha’.”

With her ears pulled back into a hurt look, Stormy’s mouth worked, not sure what to say or how to protest, or if she even should. “I— I— but I’m here with my friends!”

The barkeep turned and spit into a bucket behind the bar before fixing Stormy with a menacing glare. “I don’t repeat myshelf, leasht of all to your ilk! ...Whatever yeh be. Bors! Gurishka! Tossh thish one out into tha’ shtreet!”

Stormy looked over to where the barkeep had turned, and locked eyes with two giant humans with broad, hairy shoulders and more scars on their faces than she could count. “W-Wait! Uh, you’re gonna have to deal with him, first! Klee Tusk! I need a helping hoof over here! Uh oh.”

After looking back to her table, she was devastated to see Klee Tusk face down with a pile of mugs surrounding him. She even thought she could hear him snoring away despite the din of the tavern’s patrons.

Stormy turned back to the barkeep, flashed a smile, then leaped off the stool and away from the approaching bouncers.

“Hey! Get back here, ye’ lil’ wretch!” the man yelled, grasping at Stormy.

Stormy tried to fly at first out of habit, and her wing protested with a jab of pain upon her trying to open it. She had to settle for a leap onto the nearby stage, rather than the glide up to the tavern’s rafters that she had attempted. The ill-planned jump turned into a clumsy sprawl that ended in Stormy sliding on her belly across the stage right towards the performer. Crap! she had time to cover her eyes with her hooves before she slammed into the hooman with her violin.

A second later a woosh of fabric went overhead, rather than Stormy crashing into the performer.

“Huh?” After the crash never came, and a loud thud behind her, Stormy raised her head to see that the hooman must have jumped over her. The hooved stranger smiled down at Stormy, gave her a wink, and turned to face the two brutes now scrambling onto the stage.

“Hey! What’s the big idea, Shamus? Hm? I’m in the middle of a performance here!” The hooved hooman paid no attention to the burly men trying to get to Stormy, and strangely stopped them both in their tracks with her instruments… somehow…

Stormy gasped upon seeing a glint of metal shining beneath each hooman’s chin, and noticed that her violin and its bow weren’t exactly as she remembered them; both pieces had been modified and were now edged with sharp steel.

The barkeep sneered up at the stage. “Dammit, Kilyra, jusht let the boysh do their job, would you?”

The two bouncers gulped, each one hesitant to back away from the steel pressed up under their throats.

Stormy shifted her gaze to the hooman holding her violin. The very pretty hooman, she thought. She hadn’t seen a hooman yet that she’d have called pretty, but this Kilyra clearly put as much effort into her looks as any showy mare from Canterlot.

“Oh, and what job is that? Throwing out the little people who can’t defend themselves, just because they look different?” Kilyra stomped a hoof down, bare inches from Shamus’ face, causing him to flinch back. He looked at it, still sneering, before looking back up to meet her gaze.

“Read my lipsh, Kilyra. We. don’t. Sherve. Monshtersh. You know that! They’re allowed in the shitty, but we don’t have to sherve them!” Behind Shamus, the tavern’s crowd was beginning to get rowdy, some cheering him on, some cheering Kilyra on, but most were just angry that the music had stopped. “They’re beashtsh! Ugly, hideoush beashtsh! And if I sherve one now, word’ll get out and I’ll haf a nightmare on me handsh!”

“Hey, I’m not a beasht, I mean, I’m not a beast! You big bully!” Stormy got up at this point—more than a little angry from all the insults and getting chased—feeling a bit more confident thanks to Kilyra. “I’m a pegasus, and a pretty cute one, too!” She gave her mane a flick, and harrumphed indignantly. “In any case, I don’t even wanna stay in your stupid tavern, I just want my violin back!”

With that, Stormy pointed up at the violin that Kilyra held, who in turned blinked in surprise down at her.

“Your violin?” Kilyra parroted, donning an interested look, to which Stormy nodded vehemently.

“Yup, it’s got my cutie mark on the bottom and my initials, too, if you want proof!” Stormy pointed to her rump, and then to the keyboard plainly but exquisitely carved and painted on the violin’s body. Her initials were on the neck, but they were a bit smaller and harder to see.

Kilyra smiled wanly at the markings on her instrument. “Well, I’ll be…”

Shamus groaned, interrupting. “I don’t care, yah daft beasht! Just get out the Hellsh out of my eshtablishment!” He made as if to swipe at Stormy from where he stood, but Kilyra blocked him with another stomp of her hoof, narrowingly missing his pudgy fingers.

“I have an idea.” Kilyra announced, ignoring Shamus and stealing the initiative. She pulled her instrument weapons back and tapped the bow against her chin, blade pointed out; the bouncers relaxed, but didn’t yet go toward Stormy, instead staring at the violin.

“How about this, Shamus,” she continued, now grinning. “If you want to entertain this crowd yourself, be my guest!” Her voice was loud and projecting, but somehow still smooth as silk and filled with honey as she gestured to her audience, which had steadily become more and more rowdy. “Or… why don’t we kill two birds with one stone? The girl here—” she looked to Stormy to get confirmation of that, to which Stormy nodded with a smile, “—wants her violin back, so instead of ousting her as a patron, let her stay and perform with me as entertainment. She and I will have a music duel, and the winner gets to keep this violin.”

Shamus thumped a fist on the stage and began to protest, but was drowned out by the roar of applause and goading cheers from the crowd behind him. People were already taking bets from the crowd and everyone was now paying rapt attention to the goings on onstage.

“Dammit,” Shamus hissed, and reluctantly gave a sharp gesture to his bouncers to get off the stage. “Fine, but thish ish the lasht time I’ll put up with your shit, Kilyra!” He turned, and stormed off to his bar with his back straight, clearly content to at least get the last word.

Kilyra laughed triumphantly. “Two minutes, boys! Take your bets and then we play!” she announced to the crowd for another round of cheers.

Stormy turned from watching the angry hooman, Shamus, go, and looked up at Kilyra in amazement. “Wow, thank you! That was… really really cool what you just did for me.”

Kilyra mouthed the word cool and chuckled. “Well, we hooved girls gotta stick together.” She sweetened her voice, making it almost mocking. “But don’t thank me yet, as I aim to keep your violin.”

Stormy frowned at that. “Uhm, look, I appreciate you sticking up for me, and I’m grateful… but I’d really rather just have my grandpa’s violin back than play against you for it. It’s kind of really important to me.”

“So important that it somehow came to be in my possession?” Kilyra quirked a smile, and at Stormy’s immediate protest, she laughed. “Now now, I’m sure there were extenuating circumstances beyond your control. I understand, I do, but I’m rather fond of this instrument, you see, so I won’t let it go easily. So, do you accept my conditions, or will you walk away? Surely you don’t lack the confidence in your skills?”

Stormy’s frown deepened ]into its utmost exaggerated form, but she gave an accepting sigh after a moment, nonetheless. “Ffffine, but I don’t have to like it! And I’m gonna kick your butt, too!”

Kilyra flourished a bow, dipping low and coming face to face with Stormy. “That’s the spirit! Let’s introduce ourselves and give this mob a performance they won’t soon forget. I’m Kilyra, just Kilyra, as I’m sure you heard. I’m an adventurer and bard by trade, and I must confess that I’m one of the best in the realm.” She looked down expectantly at Stormy as she straightened.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Stormy puffed out her chest in confidence. “I’m Stormy Weather, a pegasus pony from Equestria! Music’s my special talent, and I’ll admit you were pretty good earlier, but you’re definitely no match for me!”

Kilyra grinned. “Well then, in that case… why don’t you go first?” She held out the violin and bow. “I could use a break, to be honest.”

Stormy almost accepted her instruments immediately, desperate to hold them again… but instead she gulped, eyeing the blades attached to her poor eleventh birthday present from grandpa.

Kilyra quickly ascertained what the trouble was, and in two or three quick motions had the blades popped off from the violin and bow. “Ah, sorry. In my line of work these are necessary much of the time.”

“Uh, thanks.” This time Stormy took her violin back, and looked it over. It was newly polished and seemed well kept. Other than the modifications it now had, the instrument was just as she remembered it. “Alright, let’s do this.”

Kilyra clapped her hands to regain the audience’s attention as she pranced on light hooves to the stage’s back, spinning into a seat waiting there. She leaned forward, and began to pay the utmost amount of attention to the fascinating development in front of her.

After more than a dozen of the books he’d gathered had been searched, Merlos believed he had found something rather promising. Curiously, it had been a book directed to by the red arrowed portion of his searching spell, which indicated a less than likely relevance. At first glance, though, he could see this was what he was searching for.

Merlos turned over the peculiar book in his hands, studying the fine leatherwork of the cover; it had a stitched-in design funnily enough similar, he thought, in a shape akin to Stormy’s own silhouette. The book itself, however, had seen better days, as a familiar divot similar to that of a table leg impression and other considerable wear was evident on its old cover. A standard spell for bookshops had thankfully been cast to preserve the aged and yellowed pages inside, at least.

Merlos rubbed his beard while studying the book’s contents. The writing’s syntax was odd, and seemed to be written by a foreigner in common rather than created by a direct translation of a foreign work.

His gaze rose to the gnome behind the bookstore’s front desk, newly awoken; he was a skinny, short humanoid with thick coke-bottle glasses and excessively flowy silken clothing bound to his body with an embroidered rope sash for a belt. He adjusted his heavily feathered hat—the current style in Halia—periodically while waiting, presumably to itch his scalp.

Not a stranger to making purchases at upscale establishments such as the one he was in, Merlos waited for the gnome to seem at his most distracted. “How much for this tattered tome?” he asked the vendor, who was in the middle of adjusting his hat once more. “I presume by its condition that it makes an excellent prop for a wobbly table.”

The gnome smirked, and gave Merlos a gracious bow of his head, almost losing his hat. “Aye, sir, it is! Such a sad fate for a lonely and unique fantasy book. Ten gold’s all I ask for it.” The vendor looked away, as if not at all concerned with the barter.

Merlos sighed, holding the book out and turning it over lazily in a hand. “Ten gold? I could buy a good horse with that much. I guess it’s bundled with another volume then? Because clearly the condition of this book isn’t even worth two.” He gestured to the neglectful marks upon its cover.

The gnome crossed his arms, not hesitating a moment with his reply. “Eight gold. It’s a unique volume, and is clearly the only book in the store you have any interest in… That was a fancy bit of spellwork you did there to find it, good wizard.”

Merlos tsked under his breath, and hoped it didn’t show. He had thought the old gnome had been asleep and hadn’t seen his spell. He clenched his hands a moment, then gestured again at the book. “Well, you do have a business to run, I suppose. Three gold? And information about the author?”

“Its author sold me that volume about two years ago and my memory isn’t what it used to be… They will be saddened that the very binding fees were barely covered. It’s handwritten and bound with good leather from the tanner.” He began to absently clean his nails with a letter opener. “I can’t in good conscious let it go for less than five gold. That’s my final offer.”

Merlos hmmed and pretended to study the book a moment. “Five it is, then,” he replied, confident the gnome had meant what he said. If it hadn’t been discovered how badly he needed it, he likely could have gotten it for far less. “You mentioned the author still lives?”

“Aye, Molly Williams, I think her name was. She lived north and east, a fortnight’s travel upstream, in the Lost Wood. Can’t say where, exactly… She might even still be alive, too, but no guarantees in that party of the country, I reckon’. Not a place you want to enter without many-a-companion, I warn ye’.”

Merlos paid the gnome his five gold coins, putting the book into one of his sleeves. “Thank you, that is most helpful, and may you find pleasant morrows.”

Merlos took a careful look at the cover before putting it deep into his sleeve. A quick spell whisked it to a simple pocket dimension for safe keeping for later when he had time to read over it. With the desire for a respite from his travels in mind, he decided to finally make his way to the Bad Drag-Inn.

CHAPTER 010: One teacher too many pt 2.

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Stormy’s hooves clattered slightly where she sat on stage. She gulped, barely keeping her forelegs steady as she checked to make sure her violin was tuned properly.

It had been a while since she’d performed in front of a crowd, nevermind one this big and violent or for stakes as serious as her own violin, but she was no stranger to performing in front of crowds, not even one as unfamiliar and with creatures as strange looking as this.

That foreign exchange student year in the Gryphon lands had been a lot less dangerous than this, though. Okay, so, what could I play that hooman sailors would enjoy? Stormy could tell that she needed to make her mind up, and fast, as the normally raucous tavern was quickly quieting down as eyes began to focus on her. They were still loud, of course, but for a tavern it was almost silent. Gah! I should have learned more shanties and less country or classical!

Eyes shut, Stormy wracked her brain, and just as she was thinking of giving up, she decided on something that might just go over perfectly with a bunch of drunks.

Stormy took up her bow and placed the violin under her chin. She could hear a few jokes from the crowd about whether she would actually be able to play anything, which she found incredibly rude, but nonetheless, she began to play.

Without any build up, Stormy’s song began and her foreleg set to sawing her violin at a breakneck pace. The tune leapt to life and filled the common room with music the likes of which set their fists thumping tables and feet stomping the ground. Right away she could see she held the whole building’s attention.

It was almost enough to give her pause, but she quickly leapt into the song’s lyrics.

“A devil went down to Halia, she was lookin' for a soul to steal—” Stormy kept her movements simple, not trying to overdo the performance and trip herself up, but managed to at least scan a menacing, wide-eyed look over the crowd. “—When she came across this young mare sawin' on a fiddle 'n playin' it hot, the Devil jumped upon a hickory stump and said, "Girl, show me what you got!”

The last jeers and laughter from the crowd had faded, and her voice was the only one now in the tavern, commanding the common room entirely. Feeling a bit more confident, Stormy began to pace the stage as she played, walking on hind legs with her eyes out to the audience.

“The mare said, ‘My name's Stormy, and I'm not one to fear, so I'll take your bet; and you're gonna regret 'cause I'm gonna kick your rear!’”

Without the accompanying band music that went to the song, Stormy was mostly focused on improvising a bit of extra fiddle playing. She thought it sounded impressive enough that the crowd ought to give it a pass. It wasn’t like they’d ever heard the song before, anyway.

“The devil opened up her case and she said, ‘I'll start this show—’” The next part of the song was where things started to get really interesting. Stormy readied herself, giving the tavern her best set of crazy eyes to accompany the sinister fiddle player that followed. “—a band of monsters joined in and it sounded a bit like this.”

“When the devil finished, Stormy said, 'Well, you're far from number one! So sit down in that chair right there and let me show you how it's done.'"

The eyes of the crowd lit up and focused on the violin as the song increased in intensity. Stormy jumped and thudded her hooves against the stage, picking up the pace and sawing hard enough that she felt sweat fly from her brow.

“The Devil bowed her head because she knew that she'd been beat, and she laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Stormy's cleat. Stormy said, 'Devil, just come on back if you ever wanna try again. I done told you hun — you son of a gun — I'm the best that's ever been!' And she played.”

When the song was over, Stormy let the final note sing out across the room and fade slowly. She panted from the effort of playing that fast and dancing at the same time, but it had been worth it. It felt good to play again.

The tavern goers exploded as one into whistles, applause, and a great deal of laughter; she could at least tell it was the good kind of disbelieving laughter that a surprised audience might give.

A few dull thuds pinged around Stormy. After a moment of panic, she saw coins of various metals that shimmered with dull light and covered with years of wear and grime scattered around at her hooves. She realized after a moment that they were meant as a compliment of her skill.

Stormy tried thinking of a way to take the coins without losing her composure as she swept them into a pile. A grinning ooman by the stage tossed a large cloth toward her, stained with beer and food drippings, but serviceable. She thanked him, though she couldn’t even hear her own voice in the din, and rounded up the coins carefully before tucking the little improvised purse under her good wing.

Stormy grinned around the common room at the crowd again and bowed as she backed up. She turned to Kilyra, and noted with satisfaction that her eyes were an even mix of appreciation and curiosity.

“Very well played, Stormy. Very, very well played.” Kilyra commented, seeming to regard Stormy in a new light. “But you’re not playing to your audience. Let me show you how to properly bewitch a tavern full of seamen.”

Stormy’s confidence melted a little as she—reluctantly—passed her violin back to Kilyra. The human woman seemed impressed with what she’d seen, but not in the least bit worried. She took a seat on a stool at the back of the stage as Kilyra had, and waited impatiently—she wanted her violin back and now. Stormy noted with unease that the entire tavern was dead silent before Kilyra even took center stage.

Geez, you’d think these guys were in love with her or something. Stormy stuck out her tongue, grossed out by the way the hooman held their attention so easily. After all, she wasn’t so young that their reaction was lost on her.

Kilyra turned and locked eyes with Stormy as she began adjusting the violin’s fine tuning knobs on the tailpiece, running a few open sweeps to check the sound. She smirked, then again faced the crowd.

Stormy puffed out her cheeks into a pout as she realized Kilyra was doing a musician's equivalent of a taunt: taking her grandfather’s violin out of its rightful traditional GDAE tuning and putting it into a bastardized tuning of FCGD.

How dare she! Stormy pinned her ears back and her feathers ruffled, cheeks puffing further.

“Looks like the sea isn’t the only thing that’s salty today, eh boys?” The tavern full of inebriated sailors saw that Kilyra had done something to upset her strange little challenger, though the true reason why Stormy was upset was lost on them. To the sailors, they only saw Stormy get upset at Kilyra tinkering with the violin. One person at the tavern’s back did let out a guffaw louder than the other’s, though.

Seeming satisfied with the tuning, Kilyra hooked a finger at her top and with a light tug, popped a button free. Stormy watched the act with confusion, and nearly fell off her stool when the crowd cheered and whistled twice as loudly as they had even for her performance.

What the hay did she do? She hasn’t even played anything yet! Stormy kinda got it, but she was confused that oomans got that worked up over a little clothing. Must be because they’re usually clothed… Now that’s just playing dirty. She scowled a little, and started to realize that she might have made a biiit of a mistake making this bet with Kilyra.

The crowd quieted again at Kilyra’s slight gesture.

The silence hung for what almost felt like too long a time, and then… music so beautiful and so alluring as to seem unearthly began to play slowly.

“Cruel and cold, like winds on the sea. Will you ever return to me?” The violin’s song was pristine, but it was Kilyra’s haunting yet beautiful voice that truly stood out. “Hear my voice, sing with the tide. My love will never die…”

Stormy stared open mouthed at how clear and powerful that voice was, just like, she thought, the ocean itself. Her eyes flickered to the crowd, and could see that every single one among them was just as entranced. She almost gasped when she saw Klee Tusk sitting up and awake again, eyes glued to the stage.

“Over waves and deep in the blue, I will give up my heart for you. Ten long years, I'll wait go by. My love will never die.” As Kilyra’s serenade of the drunken lot with her dulcet voice seemed to come to a close, the violin’s music and her song fading, she leapt suddenly into a powerful new verse of the song, her voice rising like a roaring tide.

“Come, my love, be one with the sea! Rule with me, for eternity! Drown all dreams, so mercilessly, and leave their souls to me! Play the song, you sang long ago, and wherever the storm may blow!”

Perhaps it was her imagination, but Stormy had the sudden thought that Kilyra really did seem to be calling to the sailors with her song. Having once heard a recording of a siren in a museum, it sounded familiar to what she currently heard… as if there was some real magic behind it. In fact, it probably was real magic. Everyone in the audience was leaning forward, some even standing and taking a step toward the stage itself.

“You will find, the key to my heart, we'll never be apart! Wild and strong, you can't be contained. Never bound nor ever chained! Wounds you caused will never mend, and you will never end!”

Stormy realized that she too was on the edge of her stool, and unable to change her posture even after becoming aware of it. She almost fell when suddenly the song’s intensity faded to pure silence.

Quiet moments ticked by, until Kilyra finally broke the silence slowly with her voice and violin’s return, and once again the song was a calming ripple of ocean waves against the beach. “Cruel and cold, like winds on the sea. Will you ever return to me? Hear my voice, sing with the tide. Our love will never die…”

Stormy sat, waiting for more, but this time the silence endured, even as Kilyra gave a solemn bow to the crowd. Smirking in victory over the dead silence, Stormy began to rise to collect her violin.

As the seconds passed, however, Stormy realized that it wasn’t silence she heard, but that the crowd of burly ooman sailors and dock workers were sniffling and giving each other hugs and pats on the back. Moments later, coins littered the stage in a generous pile near the front as the sad sailors deposited their coin purses’ contents. Others bought extra pints of their beverage of choice to swallow the memories of lost comrades at sea.

Quickly, Stormy realized that this donation from the crowd was several times larger than the one her performance had been given, and a good deal shinier, too.

“Aw, come on! I played my heart out up there!” Stormy groaned and dragged her hooves down her face in exasperation; it was clear now that she had lost.

With a flair, Kilyra used a few arcane gestures and dropped a small satchel. Coins flipped to their sides and noisily rolled into her bag like a hungry army running to the mess for brinner...

Turning to face Stormy, the crowd forgotten, she said, “Give the patrons a bow and come sit with me, Stormy.”

“Oh, uh, sure.” Crestfallen—yet confused by Kilyra’s change in demeanor from pomp and bragging to serene calm—Stormy complied. She gave a courtesy to the audience before exiting the stage with Kilyra, who led the filly back to sit with Klee tusk.

Klee Tusk stared like a grinning fool at Kilyra, namely, at her chest, but she seemed to either be ignoring him or oblivious and her attention was on Stormy as they took their seats.

“So, what else did you want?” Stormy asked, pouting and stirring a hoof on the table.

Kilyra gave her a bemused look. “Come on, kid, don’t be a sore loser. Besides, my opinion of you is high enough at the moment that I’ve got a proposition you just might be interested in.”

Stormy looked up at her for a moment at hearing that. “What do you mean? Like, you’ll still give me back my violin?”

Kilyra smiled wolfishly. “Yes… but I want something in return, too. Can you guess what that is?”

“Uhh…” Stormy stared at the table in thought, but she couldn’t think of anything. “I don’t own a thing in the world right now except what Merlos has given me, soooo…” she trailed off, shrugging at Kilyra.

“I’m at a stage in life where it’s a good idea to start thinking about passing on my skills as a bard, Stormy,” Kilyra intoned wistfully, hailing a tavern girl for a mug of ale at the same time. “Not that I’m old, mind you, but you’re talented enough, interesting enough of a person for my liking, and judging by the company you keep—” she gave a wry look to the half-orc, still grinning at her, “—I’m assuming you’re likely to adventure some yourself. Even if you don’t, you could pass on the knowledge to another, one day, too. So, interested in being my apprentice?” She gave a little, knowing smile and waggled Stormy’s violin in the air for effect.

“Oh, wow.” Stormy was taken aback. She thinks I’m good? She couldn’t keep a silly grin from splitting her face from the praise. And she wants to train me and give me my violin back at the same time? It sounded too good to be true. Realizing that, she adopted a weary look.

“No catch?” Stormy asked carefully. “I just get the violin and you train me in… bard stuff?”

Kilyra nodded. “In so many words, yes. Your training will be to my satisfaction, you’ll do as I say when I say it in so far as apprenticing is concerned, oh, and of course you’ll have to either leave your current group or…” She gave a doubtful look Klee Tusk’s way. “I suppose I could join you. You aren’t in the middle of anything are you?”

“We just finished with our last errand, so no…” Stormy thought on that somewhat, but her eyes lit up after remembering what Merlos had said about finding more people in order to make money from questing. “For that matter, Merlos wanted to recruit in the city so we could take on some high paying jobs, too. Hey, this is way too perfect!” She remembered just how skillfully Kilyra put those brutish hoomans in their place.

“Well then, perhaps this is fate?” Kilyra smirked. “So, do we have a deal?” she probed on, leaning forward with a grin.

Without another thought beyond her last, Stormy stuck out her hoof, grinning. “Deal!” Kilyra gave her hoof a surprised look, then grinned and shook it twice.

“Fantastic! I’ve always had a great intuition where people are concerned, and I can tell that we’re going to get along great, Stormy.” Kilyra produced a violin case as she spoke, gently placing Stormy's property within before just as carefully handing it out to her.

“Yeah, I’ve got the same feeling, too.” Smiling, Stormy cradled her violin case against herself. “And Merlos is gonna be happy, too! Well…” She thought on that, looking up at the ceiling and picturing what Merlos’ actual reaction would be based on what she knew of him. “Actually, he’ll be mad at me for a while and say that me letting you into the group was ‘rash’, but he’s a stuck up old guy that just likes to complain needlessly about stuff when it wasn’t his decision even if it was a good one and he gets over it eventually, soooo, what evs!”

Kiylra broke out into laughter. “Oh, yes, you’ll make a wonderful bard, Stormy.” She downed her mug, then hailed the waitress again, this time ordering food, both for her and the others after Stormy said she was starving.

Still chuckling, Kilyra’s mood was only slightly dampened by some unneeded attention that she’d been doing her best to ignore since sitting. “Hey, the face is up here, tall, green, and ugly. Weren’t you ever taught it’s rude to stare?” Kilyra waved a hand between herself and the drunken half-orc, who had been swaying erratically the entire time, but somehow always managed to keep his eyes affixed to her chest.

The half orc continued to stare, eyes stark and unblinking in his skull as a statue’s. “Klee Tusk think: if he rude right now, then he never want to—hic—be polite again.”

Already bored with the argument brewing, Stormy’s eyes drifted around the bar. The jerk bartender was far too busy to fuss with her presence now that he was sending literal barrels of ale and beer into the Bad Drag-inn’s common room. She stroked her violin case absently, still in disbelief that she’d regained her property. After all she’d been through, it was like being given a hundred birthday presents all at once. Even better than that, it filled her with hope.

A rectangle of light caught Stormy’s attention as the front door banged open, and a raucous trio of short oomans all came in, laughing heartily over a story being regaled by one walking backwards in the lead.

The fat older one gestured to the other dwarves in his wake, whom Stormy recognized as Ges and Knott. “And then she said, I’d buy that for a dollar!”

The three laughed heartily, breaking up into two groups as the lead dwarf left for the counter to order what seemed to be six whole mugs of frothy brew just for himself.

The other two dwarves, who turned out to be Ges and Knott. The two quickly made their way to Stormy’s table the moment the other fellow’s back was turned, slightly huddled as if to avoid being seen.

Ges shook his head, and Knott grumbled, “Thank goodness he’s gone.”

Ges replied, “Yeah, I thought he’d never leave. Quick, shove the excess chairs away just in case, so he won't sit with us.”

The brothers pushed the spare chairs away from the table before piling around Stormy and Kilyra. Several standing patrons helped themselves to the offered chairs.

“Oi, and who’s this you’re sitting with, Stormy?” Knott asked, leaning back and nodding in a welcoming manner to Kilyra, who nodded back and offered a friendly smile.

“A new friend!” Stormy cheered amidst a mouthful of food.

Knott offered a gauntleted hand to Kilyra. “Aye, lass! Yer th’ one on th’ poster outside? Kill-loyrah Biscuit-ray.”

“That’s me, although it’s pronounced ‘Key-lie-rah Bis-klav-ray.’” Kilyra corrected, slowing her name down for his sake. She took his hand and shook it heartily.

“Aye, tha’s what I said,” Knott affirmed matter of factly.

Kilyra questioningly raised an eyebrow, not sure if he was playing a jest.

“Are ye’ sure yer name’s not beautiful?” Ges cut in, leaning over the table toward her as he poured on the charm. Knott rolled his eyes as his brother spoke, choosing to hail a bar-maid as a distraction.

Kilyra’s momentary shock over the flirtation coming from the dwarf lasted only a split second, but that split second was long enough for Stormy to interrupt.

Stormy chimed in, “I’ve been called that a few times before, but I guess it doesn’t count if it’s my mom that said it.”

Not one to begrudge the young on unintentionally taking the wind out of his proverbial sails, Ges leaned over to scruffle Stormy’s ears and cheerfully said, “Och! Lass, yer the cutest thing in this city. Rest assured.”

Stormy couldn’t help but flush from his praise. Her muzzle feeling hot and blushy.

Kilyra, with a single finger brushing under his chin, brought Ges’ attention back to her as she soothingly said, “I know this accent. An Ironkeep dwarf, this far from home? My my, and I thought I had ventured far.”

Ges sputtered a few grunty sounds as he failed his speech check with her.

Knott chortled, shaking his head ad coming to his brother’s rescue. “Good ear... but I’m afraid the Ir’nkeep are a mount’n o’er frommus. Their thunder ale’s a good brew, but it’s not a scratch on the ale of the Stonekeep dwarves!”

Kilyra gave a polite nod, intoning slightly an apology over her mistake.

Stormy broke in. “Wait, so are all dwarf clans named after metals and gems? Like, are there Brasskeep dwarves? Or Diamondkeep dwarves?”

Knott blustered and coughed, while Ges and Kilyra chuckled.

“It’s true, dwarven naming conventions are far too one note.” Ges shrugged. “I’m no historian, but if I had to guess the clans likely named themselves after what they mined fer.”

Stormy hummed, eyes shut. “Ohhh, I get it. So the Stonekeep dwarves are like rock farmers.”

The other three—ignoring Klee Tusk, who had long been snoring away on the table again—stared blankly at Stormy, before bursting out into laughter.

“”Rock farming, that’s a new one!” Ges guffawed, slapping his brother on the back as they both doubled over.

Kilyra laughed over the brim of her ale, shaking her head, while a confused Stormy airplaned her ears and pondered why everyone reacted in such a way. She chuckled along a little just to seem like she too understood.

A barmaid cleared their table of empty mugs and replaced them with metal stouts, pouring from a pitcher of frothy brown liquid. Stormy decided to pass on what this place had to offer, mainly because nothing sounded good or it made her nostrils burn when she stole a whiff of the beverage.

“And what brings you to our company, Kilyra?” Ges said offhandedly, still somewhat giving her his best ‘look’.

Stormy broke in again, waving a hoof in the air frantically. “Oh, oh oh oh! I know!” She cleared her throat, then with a proud look dramatically declared. “Kilyra’s gonna teach me how to be a bard! Oh, and adventure with us all! This is gonna be great. Me, Merlos, Klee Tusk, you and Ges, and Kilyra! Oh, and that other guy… uh, Captain Tool?”

The table was silent except for Klee Tusk’s snores.

Ges coughed. “For one, Tusk and Thull aren’t the adventurin’ sort. They’ve got a business to run.”

Stormy awed aloud.

Knott continued for his brother. “Two, I’ll be headed back north to the tower, meself.” He nudged Ges with an elbow. “Although I think Ges ‘ere were worried about you enough to consider stayin’ behind.”

“Whoo,” Stormy cheered, smiling a little.

Kilyra rolled her eyes.

“And three…” Ges went on, “Isn’t Merlos already teaching ye’?” He scratched a hand through his scraggly beard, adopting a concerned look.

Stormy tilted her head. “Yeah, but why can’t I learn from them both?”

Ges and Knott shared a look, then each made a face as if they knew what was coming next and dreaded it. “Whelp, it’s been a long day, so I think I’ll turn in,” Knott said, chuckling slightly.

“Oh, you’re going to make me play referee?” Ges turned in his seat. “Some paladin you are.”

Stormy didn’t get it. “Turn in? It’s still light out.”

“Am I missing something here?” Kilyra asked plainly.

Knott had already scraped his chair back, waving a hand and cheerfully taking his leave without replying.

Stormy looked over as the Inn’s door opened, the light outside eventually turned from bright to a dimming orange color when finally a familiar grumpy wizard’s figure stepped inside.

Merlos grumbled, looking this way and that, until finally he spied the little pegasus making eye contact with him. “Ah, there you all are.” He wasted no time before taking notice of their new companion, whom he gave a scrutinizing eye. “I am Merlos, Merlos the Magnificent, fair lady. And you are?”

Merlos with a gesture to an unused high back chair, a spell animated the thing to gallop over to their table, giving him something to seat himself comfortably in. The chair scooted him in close before suddenly going inert. He wore a proud, yet none too humble expression as he got settled.

Ges chuckled, wise to the old man’s showing off for the lady.

Cheerfully, Kilyra extended a hand to the tall, wizardly looking man before her. “Kilyra Bisclavret, at your service! Musician, performer, poet, duelist, bard, and your newest teammate.” She gave a nod and a smile to Stormy. “I met Stormy a little bit ago and she—”

Interrupting, Merlos held up a hand to stop her. He turned to Ges. “How bad is it?” he asked.

Ges shrugged, grinning ruefully.

“You know, it’s awfully rude to interrupt someone. Is that your group’s calling card, being rude?” Kilyra nodded to Klee Tusk, who snorted, as if aware he was being mentioned.

Merlos sighed. “I apologize, Ms… Bisclavret, as this is a recurring theme with my ward, Stormy, here. I’m not sure what’s transpired between you and my companions, but you may be rest assured that any agreements or plans made thus far by them are not binding. I have very specific parameters planned for our foray into the adventuring trade, and they’re not subject to change.”

Stormy coughed, stirring a hoof on the table. “Yeahhh, about that, Merlos. You’ll hafta make new parag- uh, pamma… pantameters. See, she had my grandpa’s violin—which is super important to me by the way—and I’ll hate you if you make me give it back. So, to get it from her I challenged her in a musical duel, and lost, but only barely! She said I could still have it if I let her teach me to be a bard because appaaaarently I’m really awesome and stuff, too… Sooo, she’s gotta join our group…” she wilted under Merlos’ stoney gaze, but managed a weak grin.

Merlos had clearly arrived just in time for this conversation. He shook his head. “I’m sorry Ms. Bisclavret, but she’s already learning as my apprentice in the study of magics and the arcane for the time being. I don’t quite understand it, but her race seems to possess outstanding natural magical potential. Other endeavors… would simply be a waste of her time. Perhaps we could come to an agreement over the violin’s price?”

Kilyra shrugged. “Maybe. Got ten thousand gold on you? I enchanted the hell out of it.”

Merlos’ eyes bulged, and he spit out some of his ale. He turned to glare at the now guiltily grinning Stormy.

Kilyra went on. “I didn’t think so. Look, she does need magical training, but her talent is clearly aligned with something other than keeping her nose stuck in moldy tomes. She has the heart and spirit of a bard.”

“My tomes are not moldy.” Merlos bristled, drawing himself to look bigger like a cat would, and clearly getting serious. “And Stormy, here, can read arcane markings with no prior training. Something that takes most acolytes years to master! She’s a natural! She has the makings of a great wizard, and I will not allow her to fall from that path to become some lowly bard! Besides, she’s in my care.”

“Whoa, overbearing there, much, dad?” Kilyra chuckled at Merlos’ sputtering in reply. “Come on, she doesn’t need to waste her time being a boring nerd with nerd magic.” She waved a dismissive hand.

Merlos growled. “You may adventure with us, and teach her some of your… trade, but Stormy is my apprentice, and will be a wizard. I can already sense that she’s on the brink of her first successful spell.”

“That’s nice, but it’s going to be a Bardic spell.” Kilyra said back her eyes locking in with Merlos’. “Her talent is immense and she could easily become a legendary teller of tales and singer of songs. There are people that would sell their soul to have as much talent as she does at forty years of training, let alone as a kid!” She took a sip from her tankard, not letting the bottom break her glare at the wizard’s eyes.

“Poppycock!” Merlos shouted. “Stormy will contribute a million times more to society and the world at large as a properly educated student of the arcane! She would do well to learn all that she can and return home with it to her people!”

Kilyra guffawed, slamming her tankard on the table, and clearing sloshing it with intent to hit Merlos. “Her people will be far more grateful to hear a good few songs, even just one, than the ramblings of a mad man!”

Merlos mouthed the word mad, and Ges made as if to duck beneath table. “She’ll be a Wizard!” he roared. Merlos’ arcane talents may have still been in manifest with the chair, as the furniture supporting him managed to look uncomfortable.

“Bard!” Kilyra shot back, not backing down.

“Wizard!” Merlos said again, standing with fists clenched.

“Bard!” Kilyra stood and slammed a hoof down on the table.

“W—” Merlos looked in shock at where a boot—or at least a foot—would be on any other woman, but his momentary pause lasted but a second. “Wizard!”

“She’d make a fine druid, too, I reckon,” Ges chuckled out, but as funny as he found the interjection he had kept it quiet enough to escape the others’ notice.

“Wizard!” Kilyra shouted, smirking. The argument was now drawing eyes from other tables.

“Bar— Confound you, she will be a Wizard!” Merlos bellowed back, standing up and scraping his chair out.

“Don’t I get a say in this?” Stormy asked worriedly, looking between her mentors.

Merlos and Kilyra together looked her way, and they yelled at her in unison, “No!”

With their attention turned back to each other. Merlos and Kilyra resumed arguing like a married couple. There were some cheers and hoots from the crowded tavern now, and the bouncers had clearly taken notice, watching warily from close by.

Stormy, for her part, however, had seen enough.

Deciding to see what was still open outside, Stormy looked to Ges and gestured to the door, to which he nodded.

Amazingly, it was far quieter outside in the bustling street than it was back inside the tavern with Merlos and Kilyra. Early evening time in Halia now painted everything in a golden red-orange glow, and while some of the vendors were already packed up with their tables, many still lined the streets and called to the crowd just as eagerly as earlier.

Halia had an air of familiarity to it for Stormy. It reminded her of Canterlot in many ways.

Even the rowdy docks had a bit of posh city pride to them, sporting street signs made from semi-precious metals that were magically set into poles. Likely they were for the carriage and cart drivers who would quickly vacate the docks for the better districts.

“So, Stormy, is there anything you’d like to get?” Ges glanced down at her winnings. “That’s a tidy little sum you have there, after all.”

“Weeell, I just ate… but I could eat again.” Stormy licked her lips as she surveyed the stalls closely, until finally they came upon a vendor selling some fruits and veggies. Ges gave Stormy a nudge for her attention, and she looked over.

“Finally, food! Real food.” Ges struggled to keep up as Stormy tore through the crowd

“Excuse me? I'd like to buy some food from you?” Stormy asked, putting on her best manners, and hoping Merlos’ spell won’t run out any time soon.

At first the vendor looked around, confused who said this before looking at Stormy.

“Is this a prank?”

Ges caught up and the Vendor rolled his eyes. “And a Druid...Haha very funny, Let me guess, you’re hungry as a horse?”

“I am! Wow, are you a mind reader?”

“This joke is so old,” he flatly replied. His expression bordering on falling asleep on his feet from irritation.

“Joke?” Stormy shook her head. “I’m just hungry. I have some money. Please?” She fished some coins from the satchel to show seriousness. The coin she nabbed was copper, and very different from the bits she was familiar with back in Equestria.

Stamped on one face was an armored clad human holding an obscenely large warhammer held it in one hand over his head in victory. The inscription surrounding it reading, “In Hoots we trust!”. On the reverse side was stamped an old ooman sitting on a throne. The minting year and the phrase, “In memoriam of King Hadley the VIIIth.”

The vendor scrutinized the coin, before finally acquiescing. After a moment of transaction and the vendor sharing that he would give her a good deal for a bulk buy, Stormy was 10 silver lighter and 2 overloaded saddlebags FULL of fruits and veggies. As soon as their transaction was done, she was munching on a carrot as she walked, eager to observe more of what the oomans had to offer.

Stormy's ears tickled from squeaks scurrying by. She turned to see strange little shapes that had the faces of rats of all things. They carried long poles six times their height, scurrying around and lighting the street lamps of the darkening city.

They were about Stormy’s height and had vestments suited for cold and damp places on, a curved wooden pole with a glowing bucket at its end seemed to be their tool of choice to light the street lamps.

“Quickly! We are falling behind schedule!” a ratfolk’s high pitched voice called out.

“On it, boss!” another called back across the street.

Roaming down a street, which was far enough into the city now to sport cobblestones and dirt rather than noisy wooden planks, Stormy took a look around. She made sure she wasn't too far from The Bad Drag-Inn as she looked into windows and perused the types of shops in the area. She munched on a carrot while looking, slowly eating away stem and all until it disappeared into her muzzle.

“Stormy?” Ges called, a ways back still after stopping to look at a bowyer’s selection.

Stormy turned to answer him, but stopped after she felt a strange, faint, yet familiar tingle. It was very familiar, and unmistakable: it was the same sort of sensation she felt whenever she flew back in Equestria.

Is that—? No… am I really that lucky? That's Equestrian magic!

Galloping towards the source, Stormy found a pawn shop a couple more streets over in an alleyway. What she assumed was the owner was fiercely sweeping dirt out of his shop. Stormy invited herself inside, despite the ooman’s protests that he was closed, and honed in on her prize. It didn’t take very long to find it in a bin marked discount, along with several other torn and dilapidated bags. A pictogram of two copper coins, which she was familiar with already, gave her some clue to its price.

Stormy picked up her wing bag, grinning with joy. It was still sturdy and only a little dirty since she last looked at it. Most of her stuff inside it was long gone, probably distributed across the land, but sewn into the top part was the most valuable part of the bag. The one thing she’d trade all her money for! Other than her grandpa’s violin, that is.

Stormy grinned and took it to the store owner, the NAVBALL inside it pulling at her flight magic to sustain itself. It made her feel a little tired with how much and how strong the pull was. It must have not been charged in a while. The little gadget was what all pegasus in modern Equestria used to guide themselves effortlessly over long distances, among many other handy little features.

“I'd like to buy this.” Stormy said, knowing she had plenty of coins like the ones on the table in the napkin still.

The pawnshop owner rubbed his beard a moment, its scratchy sounds dragging the moment a bit further. “Alright,“ he began, “four coppers. No fey money.”

“What? But it’s marked for two!” Stormy protested.

“And I’m closed. Don’t like it? Take a hike.” The owner set his broom in the corner and crossed his arms.

Stormy grumbled, but fished out the coins. In truth she’d have paid far more, but thankfully the storekeeper seemed too angry to pick up on her desire for her property back.

“Honestly, I was wondering if anyone would buy that useless thing.”

Stormy’s grin widened. “Useless? It is not!” she scoffed. “What did you think it was for?”

“Noone could really wear it. It’s a bit small for the average person, too… Not to mention heavy.” The shopkeeper replied, watching her try to put the bag on.

Stormy fussed with the buckles and straps, sizing it better for herself a bit. Shrugging it on proved difficult, as her broken wing was getting in the way of donning it. “Could you help me with this? My, uh, wing isn’t wanting to work with me.”

The two adjusted and fitted the straps and harness around her wing. With it on her back, Stormy could feel the NAVBALL right where it was supposed to be. She nickered contentedly.

“Never figured it’d be good for quadrupeds. Huh.”

“It’s a wing-bag,” Stormy replied. “Which is a sling style saddlebag that works with a pegasus or a gryphon. It lets us wear a normal saddle bag and keep our wings free and clear.” She wagged her wing—one was still in a sling—a bit to emphasize the amount of freedom she had, taking a moment to fine tune how it strapped to her frame. She took a moment to demonstrate, wearing it like a sling bag that she could slide it around her body from her back. “It makes life easier, but yeah, this one’s pretty heavy. It’s made for an adult mare.”

It was a little bit big for her, but her parents always insisted on buying things a bit big for her to let her grow into them.

Stormy nickered and quickly left the store. She put some fruit and veggies into the wing-bag and ate another carrot as she traveled along. The street was completely empty, she noticed, but it was a smaller side avenue so that made some sense.

With a few more steps, Stormy noticed a short stocky dwarf standing in an alley off to the side.

“Eheh, hey Ges! Sorry about running off like that. I sensed something important to me nearby and kind of took off after it.” Stormy trotted up to him, offering an orange to him. “Apology fruit?”

Ges kept his back to her.

“Ges? Are you mad?” Stormy put her ears back. “I promise I won’t run off again. Uh, can we head back, too? It’s getting dark.”

Ges still didn’t answer, and this prompted Stormy to trot around to his front. “Ges?” She gasped.

Ges’ eyes were blank, the whites showing and his pupils rolled up into the back of his head, but he stood upright with his back rigid in spite of this.

A familiar, laughing caw answered her from deeper within the alley.

Whirling around she laid eyes upon the foul visage of a beady red eyed crow. “Tiki!” Stormy cried, shocked. “What did you do to him!?” She fumed, stamping a hoof threateningly.

“Worry about yourself!” Tiki laughed. “Now, watch as you’re about to be thrown into a Hell the likes of which are beyond even your worst nightmares!”

Stormy groaned, grimacing, but more from the corniness of the talking bird’s taunt than any intimidation. She felt something wobble under her stamped hoof.

Meanwhile, Tiki twirled once, and what looked to be gross wet red yarn strings sprang out from underneath his black feathers. The bird’s form grew until he burst from his plumage as he twisted this way and that, until finally he had transformed into a small, emaciated humanoid shape.

Part-way through his transformation, Tiki was struck in the head with a rock.

“Gah!” Tiki rubbed at his head, a lump forming underneath his wing as it transformed into a gnarled and spiked hand. “I’m not finished yet, you fool!”

“Never wait for the monster to finish transforming!” Stormy cried back, and bucked another rock right at Tiki’s head. “Haven’t you ever watched cartoons!?”

Ready for it this time, Tiki dodged easily. “You’ll regret that…” he hissed as long curled red horns erupted from the top of its head and a lizard-like tail coiled out from behind him. Rubbery bright red skin stretched taught over his bony body as a skull like face with a mouth full of triangular shark like teeth grinned back at Stormy. Thick globules of oozing drool dripped from his lipless face and onto the ground in an ominous sizzle.

“There! Now do you fear me, horse creature!? Stare unto your doom! Stare at the face of death itself! Despair! Fear me!” Tiki cackled and arched his back in triumph.

Stormy tilted her head, sizing up the crazed little red creature that came up maybe half of her leg. “Dude, you are so tiny. I think you got smaller. What the heck are you? A weird red monkey-thing?” She’d seen mutants and stuff in her superhero comics, but this little monster was like something out of a horror movie, and she wasn’t really even allowed to watch those yet.

“S-Silence!” Tiki jabbed a little finger up at her, being less than half her height. “And I’m a devil! An imp, to be precise! Are the horns and red skin not enough of a clue, you bird-brained horse?”

“Whatever! Devil-smevvel.” Stormy rolled her eyes. “If you’re going to be rude about it and insult me then I don’t want an explanation!”

“Shutup, I said! Shutup!” Tiki’s eye twitched.

“Fine! If you’ll do the same. You are actually painful to listen to.” When Tiki spoke, it was unnaturally shrill and painful. Autistic screeching at its worst, Stormy thought in anguish.

Tiki hissed. “Enough quips. It’s time to stop playing games, little pony. Come back to the castle with me! Fulfill your destiny, give us your heart, and surrender your innocence. You belong to us! We need you alive for the ceremony so if you behave, I’ll ensure you make it there unharmed… mostly.” He cackled.

“Oh my gosh, that’s so cliche!” Stormy retorted, and stamped again. “I’m not doing any of that, so you might as well let my friend go, o-or—! Or else!”

“My patience is at its end, and still you dare to oppose me!?” The imp hissed again, like a cat with rabies, and scratched its clawed hands over its body with a noisy skitch skitch sound.

“Uh, yeah? You’re like one eighth my size. I really hope for your sake that isn’t your final form.” Stormy could see little capillaries throbbing in Tiki’s wings a moment before they darkened into a matching bright red wet rubbery appearance. A moment later, and he sprang into the air, somersaulting backwards onto an open, iron strapped gate in the alley.

“Then suffer!” he spit.

“AH!” Stormy had a split second to react as the imp surged forward, darting through the air at her. “I declare dodge on you!” she shouted, and ducked reflexively, hitting the cobblestone ground hard and covering herself with bruises.

“Insolent whelp! You are unarmed, wounded, your friend is in my thrall, and now I have cut off your escape! Surrender and co-op—”

A cobblestone, loosened from her stamping in the road, whumped at the creature’s side.

“Ow! Why you little—” Tiki barely dodged an apple, bucked from the air, before he could finish. “RAH! No more games! No more mercy!” He screeched. With his little red claws, he grabbed a nearby wooden lid leaning against a wall and frisbee threw it at Stormy, who was barely able to dodge it. The lid struck Ges, instead, who merely groaned when it bounced off his face.

Stormy winced. “Sorry, Ges!” Then whirled about and snorted, squaring off against Tiki.

“Fool, you would fight me? ME!?” Tiki charged forward again.

Ready this time, Stormy reared back, then swatted him from the air with a front hoof.

Tiki slammed into the wall, then landed on the ground with a sickly, squishy plop sound.

Stormy winced, again. “Ohhh, dude, are you okay?”

Tiki coughed. “Wobbling as he stood up. “You— you curr!” He whirled about, razor sharp teeth bared in a snarl. “I will flay you alive for that!”

Stormy gasped. “That’s evil!” She then blinked. “Wait, wait, what’s ‘flay’ mean?”

“IT MEANS I’LL RIP OFF YOUR SKIN!”

“Ohhh, gotcha… Yeah, that’s evil.”

“FOOL!” Tiki’s eyes pulsed with a red light, bulging in anger from his face. “I’ll cut off your wings and drag you back if I have to!” he screamed, and a glowing, flaming orb formed in either of his hands.

Stormy gulped. Oh, dear Celestia, time to run! She turned and ran away from Tiki down the clutter filled alley in order to buy time. She couldn’t just escape—Ges was held captive—but maybe remembering some of the training that she’d had could help. Her biggest advantage, flying, was out for sure because she could barely glide, and to be honest, between the massive workout she’d had on the barge and her injury, it wouldn’t even be much of a glide. She couldn’t even hurl more things at him as long as she was running, either.

“Get back here!” Tiki screeched.

Ducking under a sawhorse and around some rickety cylinder shaped trash cans, she ran as fast as her little legs could carry her. The imp was in hot pursuit, knocking the cans and sawhorse over with little effort.

A splash of orange appeared at the corner of Stormy’s eye, and a little ball of fire shrieked past her to burn into the wooden fence at the alley’s end. “Yikes!”

“Yes! Scream! Feel fear! Run! Ahaha-hee!”

“Ges, It would be great if you could wake up now! Come on!” Stormy galloped on, using her good wing to pull things behind her as the little monster chased her through it. “Fight it!” A trashcan here, a pile of strange items there. Any debris to make it harder for Tiki to either grab her or burn her with a fireball. She tried to wait until he got close enough for her to buck him into next week, but the clever monster kept just enough distance of his own. “Please, Ges!”

“Fool, that won’t work! Nothing can break my spell!”

Stormy felt her ribs burning as she pushed herself on. It dawned on her that trying to wear the little red monster wouldn’t work, either. The end of the alley was close, though, and if she could just reach the end with Tiki in pursuit, maybe she could find help from a person, or better yet, a guard.

“Enough of this! Run away if you want,” Tiki said, almost music to Stormy’s ears, but she whirled around to find the imp soaring back to Ges. “But now your friend dies!”

“No!” Stormy screeched to a halt, hesitating. She looked to the alley entrance, just strides away, then back to Ges. Fear panged and welled up in her. What do I do? What do I do? She made a decision.

“Wait! I give up! Just don’t hurt him!” Stormy ran back down the alley, desperate to save her friend.

Tiki looked up, a sharp talon now held up to Ges’ neck. “Good. I see you have brains enough to see reason, after all.” With his off hand, he clicked his talons together, one of which had a small, brass ring on it. A second later and a small, oval portal the size of a dog opened beside him, it’s sinister red glow bathing the entire alleyway in an eerie light. “You will walk through this portal, horse creature, and then I will... release your friend.” He somehow managed to sneer at her, grin, and laugh all at the same time.

Stormy winced, tears forming in her eyes. As she got closer, she looked around for anything, anything at all that could help her.

There was nothing, though.

She couldn’t fly, only had one good wing, and she couldn’t outrun Tiki, so getting close enough to pummel him or escape just wasn’t happening.

Still panting from the fruitless chase, Stormy drew closer, crossing the alleyway to the imp, no longer able to buy any time for Ges or distract the devil any further.

“Alright—” Stormy began, “You win… just don’t hurt my friend.”

Tiki cackle-shrieked in victory. “But of course I win! I am the sinister and horrible devil, Tiki!”

“Oh yes, you’re horrible alright.” Stormy tried to fight the urge to roll her eyes, not wanting to anger Tiki enough to hurt Ges, but she failed. Her failure, however, became a stroke of luck. Looking up, she saw an old banner on a balcony with a few flower pots resting around it.

An idea clicked into place in her head. A scene from a Daring Doo movie where she pulled a tapestry over a pursuing mercenary guard’s head to blind him, and with a right hook sent him to the ground. It’s got to work!

Tiki gave her a fang-toothed sneer. “Soon you won’t be so smart-mouthed, and after we’re through dealing with you and this pathetic mortal plane, your own will be next!”

Stormy was only partly paying attention. Gotta play it cool, she told herself, focusing on her plan rather than Tiki’s bragging.

“Right, so, uh— what does Wadsbreath want me for again?” Stormy smirked, approaching the portal at almost a snail’s pace. “A song and dance? A scrabble competition?

Tiki’s eyes narrowed. “No, you will merely lay down on a ceremonial stone table and be still like a good beast, and we will take care of the rest. Now cross the portal’s threshold or your friend dies now!”

“Okie dokie!” Once Stormy was under the banner, and nice and close to Tiki, she saluted up with her good wing, swiping at the devil.

Tiki screeched and laughed at her in a crow like caw as he dodged back, “You missed me, now your friend will die!”

Stormy looked up, and gasped.

The intended effect she had wanted, to dislodge the banner and cover Tiki with it, them stamp and buck at him just like the heroine in the movie, hadn’t quite happened. Instead, several of the flowerpots weighing it down had been dislodged by the banner being blown off the balcony.

With a loud kersmash, one of the flowerpots made its new home over Tiki’s head, and splatted him into the pavement from Ges’ shoulder. Another one crashed on Ges’ head, but other than a grumble of discomfort, he didn’t seem phased by it.

The portal winked out of existence, leaving the alleyway darkened once more.

“I-I can’t believe that worked! Wow, it was just like in Daring Do in Raiders of the Lost Bark!”

Stormy trotted up to Tiki, ready to attack if he moved or got up to attack her again. “Oooohhh, that is going to hurt. Uh oh.” She gasped again, watching the flower pot a moment as black ooze began to seep out from underneath.

Stormy cringed, part of her iced inside at the sudden realization that she had, in part, murdered the troublesome Tiki. All of that was quickly overwhelmed by not only it being in self-defense, but also how cool it had turned out.

“Well, I had to deal with your shit for months back in that cage, Tiki… and you were really mean to me, and I really don’t miss you... and you probably deserved to die… I think I was going somewhere with this, but I don’t remember where, so, uh, good riddance?”

“Wha-hah? W-Where am I?” Ges mumbled, his eyes rolling back to normal. “Why does my head feel like mother just hit it with a frying pan? Twice?”

“Ges!” Stormy whirled around, tears reforming in her eyes immediately. “You’re alright! Uh, relatively!”

“Stormy? What happened?” Ges rubbed one hand on his eye, which had turned black with a bruise, and another hand on his scalp, which seemed to not be forming a bruise at all despite having taken a harder hit. He looked down, and his eyes widened at the ugly little corpse at his feet.

“Is that— Is that a fiend!?” Ges gasped. His shocked look passed between it and Stormy repeatedly. “Did you defeat this foul creature, Stormy?”

Stormy puffed up her chest in pride. “I don’t know what he is, but yup! I beat him, alright!”

“Stormy Weather the pegasus!” a familiar voice boomed.

Stormy cringed and huddled down reflexively despite being in the middle of her victorious revery. “It wasn’t me! It’s Ges’ fault! I never even knew there was a jar of peanut butter!”

Merlos loomed over the entrance to the alleyway, glaring down at Stormy, Kilyra standing at his side with a bow half drawn. “Oh Ges, you were with her after all. Perhaps my frustration is mispla— What is that?” He walked up to the little shape laying on the darkened cobblestone and gave it a kick. “Is that an imp!?”

Stormy sat up and raised her hooves. “Ok, wait, is Tiki a crow, an imp, a devil, or a fiend? Because if he’s all of those things, I’m calling shenanigans! Pistol whip me if you must!”

Merlos and Kilyra shared confused looks with Ges.

“What do you mean that thing’s Tiki?” Merlos questioned, suspicion in his voice. “You mean to say that—”

Stormy broke in. “Oh yeah, you never believed me! Hah! Proof! Little red unmoving proof!” She poked the body with a hoof, then regretted it when it squished. Black ichor stretched out from the decaying Tiki to her hoof in a long, gooey black strand. “Ew… this had better not stain…”

Without warning, Tiki’s form leaped up, lunging for Stormy’s throat. “I shall have my revenge!” it screeched.

The attack failed to connect as an arrow pierced Tiki’s skull, exiting through the back and embedding itself in a building wall.

Kilyra smirked, shouldering her bow. “Killsteal!” she chirped, laughing at the bug-eyed stares from Merlos, Ges, and most of all, Stormy. “What?”

Stormy screamed, while Merlos yelled, “You almost hit my apprentice!”

“Oh come on, he wasn’t that close to her head.” Kilyra waved a hand dismissively. “And I think you mean my apprentice.”

“Oh don’t start that again, you two,” Ges growled.

A loud thump drew the humanoid’s attention, and upon looking down, they saw what the source was.

Stormy had fainted.

CHAPTER 011: One teacher too many pt 3.

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On the outer edges of Halia’s territory far into the hills and overlooking a sheer cliff lay a looming, massive estate. A series of buildings—the likes of which would take countless man hours both to build and maintain—sat in a crescent layout with the largest and most grand at its center.

Within the opulent manor’s largest bedchamber a human figure slept soundly amidst a legion of silk blankets and goose down pillows, as well as a woman to either side. The man’s features were calm and peaceful. A neatly kept fu-manchu goatee and dark, greasy check-mark shaped eyebrows twitched slightly in the draft coming from the lifeless fireplace at the far end of his bedchamber.

Farlington Wadsworth, Farlington of the Flame to wizards of the realm, and sixteenth in line for the royal throne of the Halian nobility. His dimpled barren head showed signs from his misuse of magic, despite his relatively young age still shy of thirty summers old.

Magic can take a toll on mages, sorcerers and wizards alike, and weathering can form from either great power, or great carelessness.

Suddenly, Wadsworth snapped forward, eyes open wide and bulging. He clutched his belly as pain overtook him.

“Gaahg! W-What?” he gurgled, suddenly beset by the urge to be sick.

Wadsworth knew the unmistakably foul and gut-wrenching sensation; it had to be the death of his familiar. He crawled to the edge of his mattress, eliciting squeaks and surprise from the two women he crawled over; they knew better than to complain. He thumped to the floor and clutched at a chamber pot as he emptied his last meal into it.

“Tiki, you f-fool,” he muttered, before retching again.

Finished, Wadsworth arose to a nearby full sized mirror and waved his hand before it, his reflection rippled away and formed into an inky black abyss.

“Forces of darkness empower me. Show me what’s happened to the dread one, Tiki.”

The image of the alleyway with the deceased imp beginning to disintegrate filled Wadsworth with rage. He clenched his teeth and hands and began to jump and make a sound that was somewhere between whining and growling.

Wadsworth thumped a gangly fist against the wall. “It seems I have severely underestimated Merlos and this pegasus. My necromancy failed, Grilka and her warparty failed, and now Tiki has been dispatched despite being told to keep his distance.”

A woman’s voice piped in from the bed, a hint of helpfulness in her tone. “And don’t forget when you weren’t able to bribe that wizard fellow, either, Master.”

Wadsworth turned slowly, fixing the woman with a little smile as if he had been reminded of something. He gave a little snicker, and matter of factly replied to her, “Oh, I didn’t forget, my beautiful companion. Say, it’s a tad chilly in here. How about I warm the place up a little?” His arm whirled around in a flash, and a beam of red flame stretched from his arm to the speaker.

Smoke rose from the woman’s shoulders, now bereft of a head.

“Clean that up,” he ordered, turning again to sneer at the scrying mirror. “I have more important matters to attend to.”

The other two women—now sitting up on his bed’s mattress—rose up and without hesitation began the task of cleaning up their former companion. Their eyes stared ahead without a hint of personality or thought to their surroundings or actions.

Wadsworth paused to place his skullcap onto his head then strode across the room, speaking to himself once again. “I’ll need to summon Tiki back first… I don’t know how you pulled it off, Merlos, but your luck will soon run out. I have agents everywhere to serve my whim, and I have just the one in mind to send against you next!” He tossed his head back and allowed himself a hearty, villainous chortle. “Ah-haha! Ah-hahahahahaha Ah-hahahahahahaha!”

With a sudden stop and a clearing of his throat, Wadsworth let his features slip into a sinister smile.

A soft knock came at his chamber door. A voice of concern spoke through it.

“Milord? Are you alright? I thought I heard a noise.”

“It was nothing.” Wadsworth walked to the door and opened it a little, speaking to the tired looking maid in her night clothes. “I need to prepare for a ritual. Summon one of my patrons. Spare no expense in getting them here.”

“Who would you like me to bring in, sire?” the woman inquired, the feeling of a night of poor rest falling onto her shoulders once again.

Wadsworth smiled as a plan formed in his head with a trap so devious and clever there was no way Merlos could possibly survive it.

While sound asleep, Stormy dreamed.

Panting, her coat slicked with sweat and her skin burning as if she were in an oven, she tried desperately to blink away the stinging sensation from her eyes and focus on the surroundings.

A peal of thunder boomed around Stormy, causing her to jump in shock as the light all around her became a macabre shade of red.

Dancing in-sync were the silhouettes of hundreds of imp-like figures across the hellish landscape. Chanting of some obscene language that made her ears ache suddenly filled the air.

Stormy looked all around in confusion, not knowing why she was there or what the hay was going on. Just as she was getting her bearings, she was suddenly in a city street, Wadsworth’s villainous form loomed over her with no warning.

A few warrior orcs stood around the street’s center, laughing cruelly at her while Wadsworth sneered and grinned at the same time down his nose at her. Wyverns seemed to swoop down threateningly in the sky, occasionally snatching a dancing imp from a rooftop to tear its form in half with an ear splitting shriek.

Stormy had to escape. She wanted nothing to do with any of this. She turned to gallop down what seemed like a normal street, but it somehow immediately became a maze of metal bars and dungeon walls, the sort that used to be in Wadsworth’s old master’s basement. The further she ran, the taller the bars became, their gates and spikes seeming to blend away into some unknown blurr of a wall.

Wadsworth flew overhead, laughing with his obnoxious, grating voice like a shrill, old man banshee. For some reason he started throwing… what seemed to be ears of corn down at Stormy. As weird and jarring as that was, the events around her never slowed. With a crash, Wadsworth landed in front of her, cracking the stonework beneath his feet, then broke up into dozens of laughing crows who each carried on his insidious cackling.

Stormy shrunk back reflexively in horror as the crows continued on sounding more and more maniacal and unnatural. The distortion made it less and less comprehensible until it was just shrill noise.

The ambient light of her surroundings became a pure red all around her. The ground lost its traction as her hooves slipped and slid wildly under her. Pain shot through her back. In terror, she looked at her wing, and bore witness as her feathers fell off, leaving only bare skinned wings twitching weakling in the red atmosphere.

Stormy shrieked in horror. As she did, loose meaty shreds of flesh sloped away from her wing’s bones. Her other wing was gross and crooked. It flopped around uselessly like a disgusting wet noodle.

“S-Stop it,” Stormy began crying, as she tried to cover her gross form with a boney broken wing.

“Such shaaaaaaaaaaame.” Tiki’s impish voice called to her. “Disgusting filly. We all hate you. Especially your frieeeeeends.”

Merlos and his dwarven tenants ran up as if called. Stormy felt a twinge of hope swell in her.

“He’s right,” the dress-wearing man began. “You’re covered in garbage. I suppose you want to bring that into my home now, don’t you?”

“I’m still cleaner than your kitchen,” she deadpanned, before the ooman and dwarves pulled from their sleeves what looked like rotting tomatoes and cabbages.

“Pelt her!” Kilyra shouted from nowhere.

Wet thumps of food detritus splashed against her soiled body as the imps chorused their laughter.

“You’re never going hooooome,” Wadsworth’s voice echoed, as four of his heads appeared around her and began cackling.

“No! I wanna go home! I wanna go home!”

“Why? They don’t even miss you there, you know.”

Stormy covered her face with her hooves, and suddenly the sounds were gone with an eerie silence.

Taking her hooves from her face and looking around, Stormy found herself surrounded by darkness. She looked up, spotting a faint blue dot hanging in the heavens above. She stared up at it and for a moment she felt like it was looking at her.

“Hello?” Stormy called out to the dot, and with a great speed from so far away, the dot came towards her while the reddish darkness around her began to lighten up into shades of a familiar world.

As the red melted away the nightmarish city was replaced by looming, yet peaceful looking trees.

She knew these trees. Their gloomy visage melted into focus around her as none other than the Everfree Forest. She had only seen them from the air before when she flew over the dangerous and unforgivable place. It was now night time, the buzzes and shrills of cicadas and frogs filled the air, while the strong scents of the non-deciduous forest tickled her nostrils.

Her eyes returned to the sky… and soon a large navy blue blur landed before her.

Stormy’s mouth fell open as she looked upon a creature so resplendent she was at a loss for words, for before her stood Her Royal Majesty of the Night, and she who walks within pony’s dreams. With magnificent wings spread, her regal poise honed with centuries of leadership.

“P-Princess Luna!” Stormy stammered, bowing down and closing her eyes as a soft whimper escaped her. Moments of memories from seeing Luna in Canterlot during big events when Stormy was a foal trickled back to her mind.

The princess stood silently, staring at her. When Stormy opened her eyes to look up upon the Night Princess herself, she found the alicorn wearing a look of... what seemed to be befuddlement mixed with surprise.

“Princess Luna? Your majesty? Are you okay?” Stormy quirked an eyebrow. She was still disoriented from her nightmare, but she’d been broken out of a nightmare once or twice before by Princess Luna, so she was coming to grips with that, at least. Seeing Luna at a loss, however, was far more jarring.

Luna looked away for a moment, a look of confusion played over her features when she looked back. “You look like the picture… Your cutie mark matches… Tell me, are you the one known as Stormy Weather, child of Cumulo Nimbus and Allegria Amati?”

“That’s my mom and dad!” Stormy gave a nod, suppressing the excitement exploding inside her. The princess knows my name! She gave a smile… but this only seemed to pain the Princess of the Night.

“We thought we had lost you months ago. We began to assume the worst, that you had lost your way to the summerlands or perhaps had been taken by some monster or—” Luna cut herself off. “You have met with a terrible fate, haven't you?”

Princess Luna began again with a pair of pumpkin spice lattes each sitting atop a little cafe stool with a table between them. “I beg your forgiveness, Stormy Weather. I know not what you’ve been through, but I require you to remain calm and tell me quickly what your current situation and location are.”

Stormy straightened up, fully prepared to give her princess a full report. “Right! Uhm…” She deflated a bit, at loss at just where to start. So much had happened, after all. “Weeeell, it’s hard to explain…”

The Princess gave her latte a quick sip. “Well, can you tell me where precisely you are in the world? Familiar surroundings, or names of places?”

Stormy followed suit with the Princess and slurped down at the delicious treat. “Oh my Celestia, is this a real pumpkin spice latte!?” She could feel tears streaming down her face from pure joy. “It’s so delicious! I thought I’d never taste anything this good ever again! Oh, Princess, it’s been so horrible where I am, you have no idea! Well, not all bad, because I’ve made some friends that are trying to help me, but—”

Luna clapped her hooves together loudly. “Focus, Stormy! I can feel our link growing tenuous. I think the only reason I’m even able to speak with you now is thanks to the full moon itself. Wherever you are, it is far from Canterlot, and I need information from you if you are to be found!” She stared into Stormy’s eyes expectedly. “Let’s try this, what was the last thing you remember doing before you went missing?”

“Oh!” After another quick sip, Stormy continued. “So, Princess, there I was minding my own business practicing for the best young flyers competition, when suddenly! I was taken from my home by a powerful ooman wizard named Galeron to—and you won’t believe this—another universe! Maybe even another dimension! Reality? Anyway, there are no Equestrian ponies, pegasi, unicorns or anything here at all! I mean, magic is crazy weird here, although my pegasus magic still works, so maybe it isn’t that weird? Anyway! I’m honestly amazed I’m even talking to you right now, assuming you are you and not another demon or something trying to trick me… but, I’m rambling, ahem. Luckily, the local oomans in charge around here took Galeron away and sent him to jail, and after that I got sold to this other wizard named Merlos, but he’s nice and is trying to help me get home along with his kooky friends! Althooough, he’s been pretty bad at it thus far, and there’s also this other wizard named Wadsworth that wants to kill me for some weird world domination reason! Soooo, I’d really like to get back home now, Princess, and I’m ready to get out of here!” Stormy held her hooves outstretched to Princess Luna expectantly and shut her eyes. “So let’s go!”

“A-Another universe?” Luna goggled at Stormy, while also clearly trying to digest everything that had been said. “Oh dear, that would make this an Isekai incident…That explains the hole that is in the canyon.”

Stormy raised an eyebrow. “An ise-what now?”

Luna put a hoof to her mouth and cleared her throat roughly. “Nevermind that, Stormy.”

Once her shocked look from Stormy saying so much without taking a single breath abated, Luna took in a deep breath and composed herself. The signs of pain remaining behind her eyes spoke volumes, though.

“Stormy, first I must tell you to not despair, as all of Equestria itself will help you with all of its resources to get you home safely, but I must regretfully inform you that if you are indeed not on our plane of existence presently… then returning you home is not so simple.” Princess Luna tentatively tapped her front hooves together with uncertainty, not especially looking as regal as one would expect of a princess. “I fear that while I may have browsed a few theories on travel to other worlds, I know of nopony living that has attempted such a thing with success.”

Stormy wilted, sighing. “No, I didn’t think it would be that easy…” She gulped at her pumpkin spice latte, expecting to finish it, but it seemed to be bottomless. She could feel tears of joy welling up in her eyes again in spite of the awful news she’d also been given.

“There there, Stormy, there is still hope. You must not despair!” Princess Luna went on, having misinterpreted the filly’s tears. “Nonetheless, we, that is, I, Princess Celestia, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and anypony else able to help in doing so, will absolutely bring you home.”

Luna grimaced and put a hoof to her brow. “I fear our time grows short, Stormy Weather. You must write down all that you remember as you awaken, as dreams are fleeting for most ponies.” Her form began to grow misty, and her voice distant sounding. The light in the room dimmed and the cafe-table and stools were suddenly gone. “In a month’s time with the next full moon, I will dedicate the night to reaching your mind once again! Stay vigilant, and stay safe, my subject!”

“I will, Princess! And thank you for finding me! Oh, and also the latte!” Stormy paused and thought for a moment while chugging at her unlimited latte some more, savoring the flavor. She then widened her eyes at a haunting realization. Something that she didn’t think about until now that Luna would want to hear.

Tiki had not just threatened Merlos’ world, Terras… but also Equestria.

“AH DEVIL-MONKEY!” Stormy’s eyes shot open to a strange scene around her, she had awoken to find a blanket draped over her up to her withers, laying on a bed with lots of hay under her. Her keen nose told her right away that countless different oomans had slept in that very room. Something there smelled very sweaty… and gross.

“Wha—? Where am I?”

Stormy sat up and looked around; some of Merlos’ things were in the room, as well as a second, much larger bed.

“Oh, I’m not in the alley anymore, so this must be the inn we were staying at. The bed dragon, or whatever. Awww, and Merlos got me a bed of my own. Stormy got up and hopped out of her sleeping place, which turned out to be a small cot with lots of fresh hay piled atop it. “Kind of… although I’m more annoyed that I have to share a room with him than about the smaller bed.”

Realizing she was hungry, Stormy nipped a few strands off the cot and picked a few fruits from her saddlebag.

“Wait… wait wait wait, I was supposed to remember something. Something important…” Stormy pressed a hoof to her head and clamped her eyes shut, groaning in frustration. “Dangit, I can’t remember.”

“Maybe it—” Stormy curled around to look at her bandaged wing, finding the icky smell coming from the bandage. It looked to have been changed, which made sense as it had gotten quite dirty with her tussle with Tiki, but there was some smelly slimy stuff in it. Wait, my wing isn’t hurting anymore?

“Awesome!” Stormy gave her wing a few flexes; it was stiff and didn’t want to move quite normally, but at least it didn’t hurt at all like it had the past week. She let it relax against her body and ate a few more slightly squishy fruit—they really weren’t even half as good as fruit she could get from the Whole Foods in Canterlot—from her saddlebag.

“Well, it still beats raw hay any day,” Stormy chirped, and set about washing up at a big wash basin set in one corner of the room. There was even a fresh towel placed beside it, along with a note. She was able to read it, which meant she must have a new casting of Merlos’ spell active already.

‘Stormy, we’re downstairs in the common room,’ the note read.

“Simple and to the point, that Merlos,” Stormy mused. “Didn’t I want to write something in a note, too? Hm.” The feeling that she’d forgotten something got worse as she washed up with the fresh water, but whatever it was escaped her.

“Dang, it feels super important, too…” Stormy sighed as she felt the familiar pull of magic from her bag syncing with her and she took a moment to adjust a few things like setting it to map as she explored and to bookmark her location.

Finished, the room’s door creaked open at her push and she peeked outside. “Merlos?” she called out, but was greeted with a dank and dark wooden hallway, a few fancy lamps with dimly burning wicks flickering weakly. There was, however, a short, chubby, darkly skinned ooman in a maid’s uniform at the end of the hallway, lazily sweeping the floor.

“No, no Merlos, no…” the ooman maid mumbled, not looking up.

“Oh, uh, thanks.” Stormy decided to wander the rest of the Bad Drag-Inn in search of everyone.

Going down the stairs was a bit of a challenge, as unlike Merlos’ stone stairway, these boards were worn smooth and rather slippery under her hooves.

Stormy longed for her grippy horseshoes that she wore when visiting any large home with slippery halls and stairways. They were cut with a little pattern of some kind of rubbery stuff on the bottom that acted practically like glue on smooth surfaces.

Upon reaching the staircase’s bottom, Stormy found that the large common room was quiet now and most of the tables in the almost-theater sized room were empty. The mass vacancy was a startling contrast to the wall to wall crowd the room had sported the night before. She made her way to her friends—who were easy to pick out—as they had selected a table in the floor’s center and faced the inn’s entrance. The two dwarves, Kilyra, and Merlos were on one side, and a nervous looking adventurer was on the other. They seemed to be going over papers and asking questions to the person.

Stormy stopped a little way off and listened to some of the conversation, which seemed to go south, and the adventurer left, head down in clear disappointment.

Merlos’ stiff posture and bored demeanor implied he’d been up and doing this long enough to get cranky already. Although, with him, that could mean anything from one interview on up.

“Morning, guys,” Stormy said, waving to everyone from the table’s side, and was returned the greeting in turn by everyone in their own personal fashion from the dwarve’s nods and grins to Merlos’ mumbled grunt that really could have been anything.

Kilyra was bright and cheerful with her greeting, flashing a winning smile. “Well, good morning, my apprentice.”

Merlos gave Kilyra a glare, but didn’t take the obvious bait.

Kilyra continued, pretending with perfection to have not noticed. “It’s so good to see you on your hooves after last night. We began the auditions a while ago, but I’ll be honest, it’s not looking good so far.”

Stormy looked at the list held in Merlos’ hand and the tons of names on it and immediately got excited. “Oh! Get somebody with a giant suit of armor! Those are cool. No, wait, a tower shield! I bet I could combo some cool tricks if we got a girl like that on our team.”

Stormy blinked around at her companions, who were all giving her blank stares. She sighed. “Alright, my bad, I know it's current year. I guess a stallion could be using a tower shield, too.”

Merlos harrumphed loudly and spoke over the sound of Kilyra’s giggles. “Stormy, this is very serious! We will bring on someone that is both professional and experienced, as well as a good fit for our team. We have no time for silly jokes. Our lives could very well depend on this decision.”

“A good martial fighter trained in the use of a tower shield would probably be a good pick though,” Kilyra piped in.

Stormy pumped a hoof. “Hah, knew it.”

Merlos rolled his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his pipe hand.

“Oh, and if possible get one named Terrence! I’ve noticed alliteration is a big thing here—”

Ges put a meaty dwarven hand on the filly’s withers, detecting the rise in Merlos’ temperature. “Stormy, let’s just sit and watch while we let Merlos handle this,” he whispered.

Stormy gave her dwarven friend a wink and drew her hoof over her mouth. When the gesture seemed to confuse him, she drew a zipper with the quill and paper at the table.

Satisfied with the newly established quiet, Merlos gestured to the next adventurer waiting on the benches lining the wall. “State your name, class, and what you’ll bring to the group.” He held a sheaf of papers between himself and the interviewee, a pipe in his offhand.

The adventurer facing the party was a raggedy looking elven male, who could easily be a cousin or sibling of Captain Thull judging by his unkempt looks alone. “Mah name is Raz, and ah’m a half elf trickster. Ah’m really good with a sword and Ah has a familiar named Chek’um. Say hello, Chek’um.”

A fuzzy little masked face of a ferret peeked from Raz’s jacket pocket to silently wave a paw. Its near silent dookdook noises drew Stormy’s attention. Looking into its eyes, she saw something more than a mere animal: the warmth of something very intelligent.

Ges held up his hands and shook his head. “Och, lad, we’ve been burned by tricksters before,” he stated, looking to Merlos.

Kilyra chimed in too with a hushed whisper. “And I’m really, really not fond of rats.”

A high pitched voice piped up from his bag, with a tiny fuzzy head wearing a monocle and top hat quickly inquired, “I do say, I am no rat, but a Ferret, or as we call ourselves, lucky space worms.”

Merlos tapped his chin with the tip of his pipe, clearly mulling the details over heavily. “Hm, we’ll keep you in consideration, though the group needs more of a frontline fighter at present. However, since our bard doesn’t seem to like your ferret I may overlook that if better prospects do not arise. Next!”

Stormy awed sadly, waving goodbye to the ferret as Chek’um and Raz the half-elf left.

A robed ooman stepped to the table. His heavily waxed mustache seemed to be his only recognizable facial feature as he was missing both hair and eyebrows. A simple pair of lines were drawn in their stead, and his intense stare made everyone a little uncomfortable. Judging by his robes, he was another practitioner of the arcane as was Merlos.

“State your name, class and what you’ll bring to the group,” Merlos droned, not looking up from his papers.

The ooman cleared his throat briefly, before then launching into a raucous tirade. “Feast your eyes on the ONE! THE ONLY! MAD MAGE R-R-R-REDFLAUR!” Casting a large plume of fire, he took a well practiced dramatic pose. He kept his arms wide as if to hold an invisible world above him.

Stormy hummed, and whispered to Merlos a question. “What’s a mage?”

Merlos whispered back, frowning. “A confused wizard.”

“YEEEEAAAAAH! REDFLAUR! I am THE mage of the flame. Our enemies will feel the buuuuuuuuurrn! The ladies—” Redflaur paused to brow-wiggle with his sharpie-brows. “—will feel the yearn! Take me with you on your quests and I’ll show you who’s the best. Need a wing-man? I’m your guy! Need a fire? I AM the fire! Well look no further friends for I!” He fist pumped the air. “Am the master of the FIRE BLASTER!”

The angry bartender shouted, “No fire magic indoorsh or yer gettin’ thrown out, ya shcurvy ridden bilge rat!”

“APOLOGIES, my good innkeep!”

Stormy pondered if Redflaur’s eyebrows and hair were missing as a result of his pyrotechnics or a style choice… Oomans were so weird sometimes.

Merlos paused, his mouth agape in both shock and confusion as he stammered a moment to try and articulate something.

“Can you do something other than casting fire spells?” Kilyra asked, smirking wryly.

Redflaur bent down, taking Kilyra’s hands in his. “For you, beautiful, I could cast anything… you… wish.” He winked and gave her hand a gentle kiss.

While Kilyra laughed and Stormy made a retching sound, Ges spoke up. “So is that a no?”

“Yeah, pretty much..” The dress wearing ooman answered calmly, then struck a pose. He held up a candle in a holder in one hand and gave it spirit fingers with the other. “But I am also the holder of THE EVERBURNING CANDLE OF NEVYN’RAAL! It illuminates the hallways I walk into from even the deepest magical darkness! What more could you ask for in a companion?”

“Next,” Merlos shouted, sounding very eager to move on.

“Wait! I also carry—” Redflaur pulled a book out, and he held it up so that the covers opened, but the pages kept turning in a buzz. It reminded Stormy of her mother’s Rolodex. “—THE TOME OF INFINITE PAGES! I’ve even been working on a theme song.” Redflaur then began what only a deaf person looking on would call singing. He jabbed at the air with a book in one hand and his lit candle in the other with each syllable. ”REEEDFLAUR! The mage of powerrr! Evil creatures better cowerrr!”

“I said next!” Merlos dismissed again as he leaned over to look eagerly at the benches, irritation crawling into his tone. Stormy tittered a little.

“Very well. Redflaur knows when he’s not wanted. Instead, he’s going to pick up—” He paused again grinning at the group and brow wiggling again. “—some ladies.”

“Just go,” one of the dwarves groaned, both of them facepalming, so Stormy was unable to discern who said it.

Redflaur strode away, his goose stepping march making his departure rather awkward while giving himself a little chant, “Yeah! Redflaur. Yeah!”

Kilyra shrugged at his going. “Say what you will about him, he was confident.”

“Well I’m confident he was an idiot,” Merlos intoned, while furiously scribbling notes. “This is what we get for recruiting in a city…”

Stormy horsewhispered to Merlos behind a hoof. “Have they all been like this?”

“Pretty much,” Merlos replied solemnly. “On a more important note, how’s your wing doing, Stormy?” He gave her a sideways glance, looking at the appendage in question without too much concern on his expression.

“It’s not hurting anymore, thank you.” Stormy replied, feeling unusually warm from Merlos’ concern, for what it was.

Merlos replied gently, which was unusual for him. “Good. Now, if you can be patient with me, we’ve got to conclude these interviews before we can discuss last night’s events.”

Stormy gave a wide-eyed look toward the ceiling. “I’d almost forgotten about last night…” An image of Tiki lunging at her face from a foreleg’s reach away flashed in her mind.

Merlos nodded solemnly. “Well, we’ll talk as soon as we finish the interviews.” He faced the newest adventurer, who was just having a seat. “For now, listen in and pay attention.”

“State your name, class, and what you’ll bring to the group,” Merlos said politely.

A dwarf had taken the mage's place. Clad in a fine vestment of heavy armor plate and a padded leather hood which he swept back after stepping up. The dwarf cut a truly imposing image for someone of his stature. The weapons looming over his shoulders were a hefty double headed warhammer and a cruel looking curved greataxe.

Stormy whistled, and leaned over to Knott. “Hey, how come your equipment doesn’t look that shiny and awesome?”

Knott shot her a glare and didn’t dignify her with a response.

The dwarf adventurer spoke in a deep, dignified voice. “My name is Ragtharn Ironhammer, a warrior and master of many arms and armor. The las’ century I’ve been abou’ these southern lands meeting surfacers and testing me weapons and armor on many a beast. In me youth I worked as a humble smith, but I wish now for grander things and to bring honor to Clan Deephold.” He rubbed at his beard before offering in a quaint tone, “Me friends call me Ragnar.”

Stormy held up a hoof, butting in. “Wait, your clan isn’t named after a rock or precious metal?”

Ragnar’s eyebrow rose, caught completely off guard by the sudden question from the odd little winged horse at the table. “...No?” he answered, uncertain.

Merlos waved off Stormy, who was already pelting Ges with questions he didn’t follow. “Nevermind her, Ragtharn. More importantly, you’re the first promising martial focused adventurer we’ve interviewed all morning. Assuming your skills hold water against our paladin here, you’re in.”

Ragnar hummed, looking between the group seated before him. “Very well, but I do have some concerns before we proceed… How many decades will we be traveling together? And your flyer mentioned you had some very dangerous undertakings in store.” He stroked his beard, peering up at the ceiling in thought before continuing. “With that in mind, do you have a health plan? Dental?” He tapped the table a few times to accentuate his questions. “Where I’m from those are standard, but adventurers here don’t seem to understand the concept of a good employer and employee relationship.”

Once again, Merlos stammered. “D-Dental? Well, no, we don’t, but I’m sure we can find some arrangement to make up for that…? Well, not right away, perhaps. You see, our finances are minimal at present and we’ll need to complete a few quests and collect the rewards before we see any significant gain in that department. As for our groups tenure, we’re not even sure how many adventures we’ll be undertaking yet, let alone adventuring for decades—”

Ragnar sighed, holding up a hand. “I’m afraid I’ve wasted both our times here. I seek a long term team with professional grade financial support, not a one off with minimal backing.” He rose from his chair, and gave them all a deep bow. “Till we meet again, brothers of stone, and surfacers.”

Merlos made as if to get up and go after Ragnar, but Ges stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Let’m go, lad. That there’s a dwarf that’s too good fer us, ‘n he knows it.”

Merlos wilted, while Knott grimaced and crossed his arms.

“Bah, he didn’t seem that good,” Knott groused, producing an oiled rag as he began to polish his axe.

Despite looking rather put out at being rejected by the one promising looking adventurer thus far, Merlos straightened and raised his voice. “Next adventurer, come forward!”

“I already did, sir.”

Merlos raised an eyebrow and looked around, not seeing anyone, then peered down and over the edge of the table.

A diminutive looking reptilian creature stood there, leaning slightly on a gnarled staff and peering up at Merlos and his companions wearily.

“My name be a Suhp'Dei, yam a kobold druid, and yam able to shapeshift into many mighty forms. De alligator around your feet is my companion, and he is also very powerful. Have you questions for us?”

Ges extended a hand to Suhp’dei. “Ach! A fellow keeper of the wilds. A pleasure to make your acquainta—”

“Alligator!?” Merlos shouted, and a loud hiss answered him. In a mad scramble he tipped his chair over backward as well as the table itself.

Shouts and confusion filled the room, mostly from Kilyra and the dwarves trying to calm them down and the lot of them all talking over one another.

“I was just surprised, that’s it! I wasn’t scared at all!” Merlos picked his chair back up and waved off Ges with finality. “Er, where’s the kobold?”

Ges sighed. “Took off as soon as you shouted and caused a ruckus, along with his gator.”

Merlos harrumphed, sitting back down. “He seemed like the flighty, easily scared sort, anyway, and we have no need for that in the group.”

Stormy giggled as she watched Kilyra roll her eyes so hard she thought the ooman might get dizzy.

The next adventurer was already approaching, this time swathed in a great dark cloak that covered him from head to toe, and revealing nothing. His form however, was truly massive and imposing, even larger than Klee-Tusk had he been present.

“Hm. Good day, sir. State your name, class, and what you’ll bring to the group, if you please.” Merlos looked up at the looming figure with his head craned back, both bushy eyebrows raised.

“Is that music?” Stormy said to herself, looking over in time to see a group of people suddenly singing and playing instruments behind the adventurer. Immediately after, the large ooman threw off his cloak, revealing bulging muscles and that he was in fact wearing only a loincloth and a steel mask with a cone on top and horsehair flowing from its tip. The oiled individual struck a bodybuilder’s pose, then somersaulted gracefully through the air and into place atop the table.

“No! It can’t be!” Knott exclaimed, pure dread painting his features.

“Yeeeeeeeees. It is I! The Buffstodian of Halia! With oil slickened body I prostrate myself before you seeking a wonderful adventure. My one desire on the battlefield is to squeeze our enemies between my quivering pecs, and make them yield to us in disgrace! Behold! My! Physique!”

“I am so confused right now,” Stormy said in as monotone a voice as she could manage, hoping to not attract the bizarre human’s attention.

Merlos put his head into his hands, Kilyra took a mental picture, Ges and Knott both buried themselves into their mugs of ale, and Stormy tried hard not to make any sudden movements.

The interviews continued for hours after that, and to much of the same poor results as all of the others that had come before. There were far too many rogues, bards, and magic users, although most of those were far too weak or too strange to consider seriously. A lot of consideration went into making a good adventuring party, clearly. Perhaps too much consideration.

In the muggy heat of the tavern’s indoors, Stormy had begun to wilt. She lay head down on the table now, a pool of sweat forming under her head. “Merlos, just hire the next one to come in the door and let’s call it a day. This is awful.”

Kilyra gently cooled herself with a large folding fan. “How about that big girl with the swords? She seemed nice.”

Merlos grumbled, shuffling through his papers tensely. “She threatened to kill me after I mistakenly referred to her as a man, then kicked Knott in the face for ‘looking at her funny’.”

Kilyra laughed. “Like I said, she seemed nice.”

Ges chugged down a cool mug of punch, fighting to stay hydrated. “Ach, I canne’ believe the state of adventurers these days. There were barely a handful I’d even consider trusting to guard me back, and of them none seemed at all compatible with our group composition.” He shook his head in dismay. “Where are all of the martial fighters? The hedge knights? Clerics?”

Merlos sighed, dropping his sheaf of papers on the table and snatching up his own mug. “I’d be willing to bet with all of these orc incursions lately that most of the sane ones were snatched up by the army and the city guard. Blast, I should have seen that coming. Maybe I could go track down Ragnar and beg him to—”

“Augh!” Stormy broke in, flopping over in her seat to look at the ceiling. “Whatever! I wanna go flying and cool down. It’s like an oven in here and I can’t stand it!”

Merlos harrumphed and blew out his beard. “Come now, it’s not so bad.”

“Yeah, you would say that, Mr. I-have-a-spell-of-endure-elements-cast-at-all-times! It’s a schwajillion degrees right now! Or, it was.” Stormy blinked in confusion, suddenly feeling a slight chill. Great, I better not be getting sick.

Merlos scowled, looking away. “Perhaps we should take a break, then. Noone’s stepped up for a good fifteen minutes, anyway. If the gods of fortune are willing, perhaps we’ll have better luck tomorrow. Perhaps we could talk about you fighting that fiend last nigh—”

The door to the tavern banged open, and a misty cloud dotted with small snowflakes billowed into the room. With the cloud came a pleasant, cooling breeze after the stifling heat from the summer day.

A dainty, sapphire colored slipper stepped out of the mist, followed by a lithe woman’s leg, and finally the slender woman to which it belonged in a stunning, equally sapphire gown.

“I’m not too late for the audition, am I?” The woman’s voice was like morning frost on the tips of leaves in late fall; cool, yet beautiful. She flipped her braided, blonde hair and swept an appraising gaze over the party of adventurers before her.

Merlos’ jaw fell open, while his companions all stared with mixed levels of apprehension at the newcomer.

Taking notice of Merlos, Ges leaned over and pushed his friend’s mouth shut.

“Well?” The woman looked around between the members of Merlos’ group. “This is the right tavern, I hope?” she asked sweetly.

Kilyra noticed Merlos’ wide eyed stare at the comely newcomer and rolled her eyes. “Yup, this is the place, gorgeous, and this old, dusty gentleman here is our fearless leader, Merlos the Musty!” She slapped him hard on the back.

Merlos made a startled sound and scowled at Kilyra, before turning a pleasant smile forward. “Yes, I am Merlos! Merlos the Magnificent, leader of this intrepid band of adventurer’s and a recognized wizard of the Arcanum.”

The woman batted her eyes and leaned forward, hands clasped at her waist. Everyone present watched in abject astonishment as Merlos ate up this blatant show of pandering.

“Oh my, truly, you’re a recognized wizard of the Arcanum? I am blessed to have encountered such a well vetted and experienced leader!”

Stormy turned to Kilyra, mouth agape, and gestured out with both hooves to her side. “Is she for real?” she mouthed.

Kilyra shrugged, grinning.

Merlos, for his part, was dripping ink onto the table with a quill that was paused mid-air.

Knott elbowed his wizardly friend—hard—in the ribs in order to jump start his brain.

“Ahem! Yes! Lucky you are, indeed!” With some difficulty Merlos cleared his throat, his voice cracked as he inquired to the beautiful newcomer, “If you would be so kind, state your name, class and what you’ll bring to the... uh, to the group?”

“Of course, how silly of me to not introduce myself properly.” The beautiful woman bent her waist and made an ever-so-slight bow. “I am Lucifyra Corruptanise, of Ice Crescent Isle. It’s a pleasure to make everyone’s acquaintance. I am a mistress of sorcery and would bring an eager helping hand to all of you. You see, I’m well educated in my craft and powerful, but not as experienced as I’d like to be with real world situations, and felt joining a group like yours would be a great way to hone my craft. I’d be more than happy to demonstrate my prowess in any magic ranked up to the fifth arcane tier.”

“The fifth?” Merlos steepled his hands in front of himself, clearly deep in thought, though of what was no mystery to everyone around him as he looked at the group’s latest recruit up and down.

Kilyra sighed, watching her leader. “Well, looks like you’re hired. Welcome to the team there, Luci!” She leaned forward, grabbed the sorceress’ hand and gave it a good hard few shakes.

Merlos sat up. “What? That’s not for you to decide—!”

“Yeah, but you were totally just about to hire her, weren’t you?” Kilyra grinned, and traded knowing looks with everyone else. “Might as well just skip past all the pleasantries and get on with this, right?”

“I-I suppose, but you should still follow protocol and ask her more about—”

Kilyra butt back in. “Look, Merlos, what are bards experts in?”

“Hmph. Dancing? Singing? Orating? Acting?” Merlos offered. “Being nuisances...”

Stormy looked around, whistling.

“No, tropes. Cliches. We know them like the back of our hands and personally I like to avoid them when possible!” Kilyra flailed her arms enthusiastically. “Or at least cut them short. If you want her in the group and she’s as strong as she says then it’s best we not bicker over the details and let what may come be, or we’re going to be here all night. Besides, compared to everyone else, she’s the obvious choice considering how bad the rest of our options were. Well, the ones we didn’t scare off, anyway. Let's let her join and call it a day before she changes her mind, too.”

Lucifyra quirked an amused eyebrow at the tirade, but by its end nodded appreciatively.

Merlos cleared his throat. “Yes, well, that may be, but… we should still hear everyone else’s thoughts. Ges, Stormy, what do you think?”

Stormy opened her wings a little and gave a pleasant sigh as she cooled down a little bit. “Well, I like the built air conditioning she comes with.” She grinned up at Miss Lucifyra, and was confused when she was ignored. Lucifyra instead kept her gaze focused on Merlos. What the hay, why’s she so gung-ho about him? She scrutinized Merlos, confused.

Ges rubbed his chin, mulling the details over. “Well, if Knott were goin’ with us, he’d bring up that we still could use a martial fighter for the frontline.”

“I’m not goin’, and ah’ll still voice that concern,” Knott chimed in.

“Ahh, a valid concern, sir dwarf. Here’s my response.” Lucifyra held up a hand to the dwarven brothers, grinning. A moment later and her hand was instantly encased in a light blue gauntlet. Rolling mist flowed off her body as it was slowly covered in a bulky yet semi-translucent full plate set of armor. A hilt appeared in her now gauntleted hand and slowly a blade grew in length until it ended inches from Ges’ beard.

“I’m a proficient fighter, you’ll find, my good dwarf, as I quite prefer to rely on my own strength than that of others.” For but a moment her expression was mirth filled, but it quickly flashed back to doe-eyed pleasantness.

Knott squinted his eyes at Luci, and pushed the sword leveled at his brother away with one thick finger. “Tha’s a good mindset to be havin’, to be sure,” he murmured. “You lose points for the sorcery, though.”

“I find a sorcerous blade far more reliable than a metal one, as it is an actual extension of myself.”

“...And I’d say a blade forged by my own hand is very much an extension of myself.”

Just as an awkward silence was beginning to fill the room, and everyone present began to weigh on breaking it, the inn’s door banged open once again.

“A herald of the King of Halia has entered the premises!” a thickly armored guard announced through a visored helm, and immediately she stood to the side.

A richly garbed man in flashy blues and yellows stepped into the building and looked about the room while his nose pointed up at the rafters. “Merlos the Ma- Er, the Magnificent! Ranked one hundred and seventy eighth in the Arcanum. Is he here? In this establishment?”

Everyone turned to look at Merlos. Merlos did a double take between the newcomer and his companions, unable to hide his astonishment. Jerkily, he stood up and answered the herald.

“Er, I am he, oh herald. What tidings are brought to me by the grand throne of Hal—”

The herald stepped forward briskly and waved a hand dismissively. “No pleasantries, please, wizard. This is a matter of royal import. You are hereby commanded to attend the King, post-haste, in the castle.” He ever so briefly surveyed those gathered around Merlos. “Your… band, may go, as well. Here are your papers of passage. Report to the north inner-city gatehouse within the hour and you will be escorted within.”

Merlos stared wide-eyed at the sheaf of papers shoved into his arms, then back up at the herald. “Th-The King?” His expression was joyous one moment, then wary the next. “Is this a prank?”

The herald had already turned to leave and stopped only briefly to give Merlos an impatient huff. “A jest? I fear not. You are one of only five recognized wizards of the Arcanum currently within the capitol. Therefore, you are being summoned on a matter of the utmost importance. The gods save us all. Now, I suggest you make haste…”

With that, the herald withdrew, the inn’s door banging shut behind his guards.

Everyone stayed silent for several seconds, staring in silence at their stunned leader.

“Wow, what a jerk,” Stormy spoke first.

Merlos shot her a glare. “Be that as it may,” he started, and turned a joy-filled look toward what he held in his hands. “We have just been given what could very well be our golden ticket, Stormy.”

Stormy gasped. “That’s riiight, kings are totally loaded!”

Merlos shot her another glare, while Kilyra burst out laughing. “Maybe she should find a rogue to train her,” she joked, giving Stormy a wink.

“No! No, that gag has run its course. We’re past that now.” Merlos sighed. “Alright, Lucifyra, you said you’re interested in joining our party. Are you still?”

Lucifyra again clasped her hands together, leaning forward with a too wide grin. “Oh, but of course!”

Merlos pulled on his robe’s collar a bit, averting his gaze. “Ahem, splendid. And what preparations do you require?”

“Let’s see, my things are still packed and waiting outside with my mare. So, I’m ready to leave when you are!”

Merlos gave her a grateful nod. “Excellent! Then we shall meet you outside post-haste!”

“Wonderful.” Lucifyra curtsied, wearing a self-assured look. “And please, everyone, call me Elsie. That’s what my friends call me.” She turned, smiling, and none too subtly sashayed her way out the door.

As Lucifyra left the building, Knott raised his hand and cast a simple spell, one taught to all paladins the moment after they took their oaths. When Knott gazed at her soul’s aura, it was thankfully as pure and clear as your average person’s… however, he still sensed a faint, but familiar oily sensation of unpleasantness. There was undoubtedly an alien will to harm others present… though it was muddled.

Meanwhile, Stormy and Kilyra turned to Merlos, snickering.

“What?” Merlos asked, frowning at the two amusedly gawking… females.

“You’re ranked one hundred and seventy eighth?” Stormy asked, grinning.

“And could you have fallen any harder for her ‘Oh come hither!’ act, Merlos?” Kilyra said at the same time as Stormy.

Merlos blustered, tossing about his robe's long sleeves. “My rank is very high up in the Arcanum for your information! There are hundreds of wizards! Thousands! If you count the auxiliary… And you, what act do you speak of?”

While Stormy laughed, rolling on the floor, Kilyra rolled her eyes. “Oh please, you really mean to tell me you bought that? She’s clearly got some ulterior motive. Can’t imagine what it could be though considering it’s you we’re talking about.”

“Och, I hate to be that lad, but her aura is a bit… dark—” Knott began, only for Merlos to turn around and fix him with a stare.

“Of all things to bring up in this day of age, you want to bring up her alignment?” Merlos shook his head in disappointment. “You can’t judge a book by its cover. For shame, Knott. She came to us clearly wanting to help in our adventure and you’re getting all judgemental before you’ve even gotten to know her.”

Knott deadpanned. “Look, all I’m sayin’ is tha’ you lot should be careful taking her on.”

Kilyra let a melodic laugh bellow out. “A crush is the best disguise anyone can wear.” Yawning, she leaned and cracked her back in an exaggerated way. “I’m gonna get some bean juice and pumpkin pie to go before this debacle gets started. Anyone else want some?”

Stormy’s ears pricked at that suggestion. “Beans… pumpkins… Why does that seem so fami—” She then remembered something really important. “Oh! Oh! My dream! I completely forgot it. Merlos! I need to tell you about something!”

Having remembered her dream in full, Stormy did her best to quickly inform Merlos of everything that had transpired the night before, as well as her lengthy dream and meeting with Princess Luna. This proved to be a hectic affair, as Merlos was also in a hurry to reach the King and answer his summons. After all, anyone fool enough to make a King wait was just asking for trouble.

And so, hasty goodbyes were traded between everyone and Knott, who stayed behind with plans to return north while the adventuring party led by Merlos would go forth to—hopefully—earn a fortune. After quickly collecting their newest member from the stables, the adventuring party of a talking pony, a laidback druid, a silver tongued bard, a mysterious battle sorceress, and a curmudgeonly wizard set off for the royal castle of Halia.

Along the way to the castle, Stormy found herself wanting a pumpkin spice latte to take the edge off from sitting still at the inn for so long. However, to her dismay, Kilyra informed her that there weren’t any coffee shops. At least, none that they could afford or would be allowed into if they could, anyway. Instead, they settled for trying some “goblin bean juice” flavored with pumpkin from an up and coming goblin street vendor. Stormy was reluctant to admit that the questionable concoction was delicious despite looking like it was sand. At least, she hoped the residents of Halia wouldn’t let a goblin sell something if it was dangerous.

“I never thought I’d be willing to consume anything a goblin of all creatures made, but this is rather palatable,” Merlos remarked. “So, when will you be able to speak with this Princess of dreams again?”

Stormy squinted, thinking hard to remember. “Oh, uh, she said it was a full moon, so I think I’ll have to wait for the next one. At least we can predict when that will be.”

Merlos stroked his beard and then gave Stormy a reassuring head pat. In response, she fussed with her mane a little bit with a grunt.

“Well if she does find a way for you to get home my coin purse will certainly appreciate that.” Merlos laughed as Stormy stuck her tongue out at him. “However, this news changes little for us. I need more gold even if you do find a way home on your own. Not to mention, we’ve got plenty to do in the meantime before the next full moon.” He smiled at Stormy’s returning smirk.

“Yeah…” Stormy intoned, her thoughts focused on a far more pressing and deadly affair than her meeting with Luna. “So, uh, what do we do about Wadsworth sending Tiki after me and almost killing Ges?” She looked at Merlos with fear plain on her face. Now that the fight was well past her, it took everything she had to keep walking through the dizziness she suddenly felt.

Merlos tsked. “If what you said to us is indeed true… and that was Tiki…” Pausing, he frowned deeper and deeper, his face straining in thought.

Stormy raised an eyebrow at him. “Don’t we just tell the guards about what happened and they can arrest him?”

Merlos laughed, shaking his head, and before he stopped Kylira entered the conversation and consoled Stormy, who had adopted a hurt look.

“Stormy, we have no proof that what you say is true other than your word, and, not to sound hurtful, but… they likely won’t believe what you say.”

Merlos gave an exaggerated nod, his beard flailing in the wind. “Indeed! Even with a spell of truth telling, such a grandiose claim will be dismissed outright. Why, they’ll just say that’s what you thought you saw, or that your memories were tampered with, or worse, that we’re all trying to implicate a member of royalty by some cocamamy scheme to—”

“Alright! Alright, I get it…” Stormy groaned, feeling a headache from pure frustration coming on. She always hated stories and RPG videogames when the heroes didn’t have a simple solution. “So what, we can’t do anything? That whole fight was for nothing? We just gotta wait for him to come and get me again?”

“Och, lass, t’weren’t for nothin’. Yeh defeated a major player in this whole debacle, aye?” Ges patted Stormy’s break, giving her an encouraging smile. “And yeh saved my life.”

“Yeeeah.” Stormy stood straighter at that, and smiled back at Ges. “Yeah, I did, didn’t I?”

Merlos waved a hand dismissively. “Please, it was just an imp.”

Kilyra swatted Merlos’ shoulder, earning her a glare which she returned just as hard.

Elsie poorly hid a bemused look as she took this opportunity to enter the discussion from where her mare carried her along at the rear of the group. “So, this Wadsworth fellow… is it safe for us to involve ourselves with the King if he’s also royalty?”

Merlos looked over his shoulder and gave a confident bow of his head towards her. “Rest assured, Elsie, that no challenge is too great for us to overcome. We shall plunge forward bravely and without hesitation!”

“And by that he means that there’s really nothing we can do about it right now, so we’ll proceed as planned. Isn’t that right, Merlos?”

Merlos cleared his throat and leaned slightly on his staff, his shoulders hunching. “Well, it is true that our options in confronting Wadsworth over this are very limited…” His expression grew grim. “If he truly desires Stormy’s being for experimentation, as I had truly hoped was not the case, then our only option would be to convince the King himself, or some other powerful noble, of his wrongdoings and convince him that they warrant punishment. Even then, our benefactor would have to consider the fallout of favor with his or her subjects over the matter…” He leaned down to Stormy to whisper. “Royalty isn’t held to the same laws as the common folk for that very reason. Wadsworth undoubtedly has countless allies throughout the kingdom.”

Stormy stared in disbelief at Merlos. Before she could reply or ask just what the hay he meant, however, he continued.

“Now, we will speak no more of this, and will instead attempt to see to today’s pressing matters. After all, we have an audience with the King himself, and if opportunity presents itself, we may just be able to speak with him on this matter.” Merlos flashed Stormy a wide, toothy grin filled with excitement, the very first she’d ever seen from him. “So, let’s see just what would bring me a Royal summons out of the blue.”

As they drew closer to the castle the traffic became more regulated, complete with checkpoints, long lines, and gated entries. A large stony archway separated the inner city and castle grounds, large enough that the Wiser Budd could have easily slipped into its grand entrance. Several Guards were speckled around the front, some looking bored out of their minds, some rigid like statues, and others hard at work halting those that desired entry.

Merlos curtly addressed his group as they approached the castle’s gate. “Everyone, I want you to be on your best behavior. Especially you, Stormy, and I mean better than any you’ve been on in the past.” He turned to face the little filly. “I mean it. This is the King's court and I can't afford to leave you with a sitter while I see to his summons.”

Stormy put on a smug look and nodded self-assuredly. “Well, I did just talk to a Princess last night, so I’ve got this royal audience thing down.”

Merlos burst out laughing, enough that a few passersby turned to look at him in surprise. “Oh no-ho-ho-ho, Stormy, you’ll be waiting with everyone else outside of the audience chamber.” He continued to chuckle and even wiped a tear from his eye. “Could you imagine bringing you before the King? We’d be thrown in the dungeon for sure!”

Stormy scowled and crossed her forehooves, watching with squinted eyes as Merlos continued to laugh at her. “I’m not that much of a trouble maker…” she mumbled.

Merlos caught his breath, still shaking with some laughter. “Nevertheless, while you’re waiting, be on your best behavior.”

“Aye, no worries, Merlos.” Ges said reassuringly. “I’ll keep an eye on ‘er.”

Kilyra scoffed. “She’s just a little girl, Merlos, get off her back.”

Merlos made a deep sigh. “Just… no loud outbursts or any of your usual excitements. I don’t want us to be thrown out of his majesty’s court because you did something to offend somebody.”

Stormy crossed her forelegs, correcting Kilyra with fuss. “I’m not a little girl, I’m a teenager!”

Merlos shuddered. “Yes, that kind of outburst.”

Elsie chimed a laugh. “My, but you all are quite the entertaining bunch.”

Merlos gave a weak laugh for Elsie, then turned again to Stormy with a frown at the ready. “Bite your tongue if you have to, but please understand by the eleven lords of the Twilight Mountain that the nobility won’t tolerate your usual shenanigans as I do.”

Stormy gave her brightest, yet most sarcastic grin. “Don’t worry, Merlos, I’ll behave.”

Merlos eyed her doubtfully, humming in suspicion. “We shall certainly see, won’t we?”

After crossing the gate’s portcullis—and some rather invasive searching of everyone’s person by the guards—the party moved through various parts of the castle as directed by the guards. Once they had reached a grand set of doors that were apparently the last checkpoint before their destination, another wizard—judging by his gaudy dress—was already there and being searched.

“Ah, Merlos the Mad, you are summoned here, as well?” questioned the tall, bony looking man. He had long and curled pitch black facial hair that Stormy thought made him look quite a bit like a coat rack in hooman form. “It seems the King truly is desperate to take care of his problem if he’s stooped to summoning you here.”

Without missing a beat, Merlos quipped back to the robed person. “The great Savonelli without dice and a bottle in hand? Truly these are remarkable times. Why don't you run along back to the nearest casino and let a respectable wizard take care of things.”

“You, respectable?” the other wizard, Salmonella or something like that, sniffed the air derisively. “I always love your comebacks, Merlos. You do such a quaint job of trying to prop your credibility back up at the end of each one. Did you think of it before setting foot in this room like a pretentious schoolboy?”

Merlos grunted. “No, they just come to me when I’m faced with arrogant louts like yourself.”

Serengeti snorted a laugh, straightening his robes now that his search was finished. “Name calling now? As I said, quaint.”

“Well, if the shoe fits…”

“Tell me, whatever did happen with that last familiar of yours? Was there enough of him left for a funeral or no?”

One of the guards shook his head. “Poor Iago, tragic that one. “

Stormy pinned her ears back at the ominous mention of Merlos’ last familiar that she kept hearing about. She was going to ask for the details when Ges gave her a slight shake of the head.

Merlos raised a finger as if to whip his verbal combatant with his reply. “At least I’m not some insalubrious street magician, unlike some of the Arcanum. I work for a living!” He earned a glare from the guard doing his best to pat him down.

“Are all wizards jerks to each other?” Stormy muttered.

Kilyra nodded with a smirk. “Most men with fragile egos are.”

Ges chuckled. “I think these two get along better than most, to be honest,” he whispered, smirking.

Stormy stifled a giddy whinny-giggle into the crook of her hoof.

Merlos gave an annoyed glance Kilyra’s way, who grinned and waved.

A guard then asked Savonelli, “Anything in your sleeves, sire?”

Savonelli produced a bouquet of fresh flowers, white and purple Lilacs and crysanthenums wrapped in a crinkly paper, they were then offered, “Only a beautiful bouquet for the concerned gentleman.”

The guard blushed a moment and inspected the flowers a moment before offering them back to Savonelli, “Keep them and pass them to someone more deserving.”

While Stormy and Kilyra gasped, covering their mouths and suddenly enraptured by the sudden tone shift in the guards’ frisking the wizard, Savonelli went on.

“At least that rat of a man, Wadsworth, isn’t here.” Savonelli quipped. “I hear he’s been locking elbows with his uncle in castle affairs as of late.”

Both wizards laughed.

“He keeps inviting himself over to my home,” Merlos shared with a sneer.

“Feh, that dump? I’m surprised he even graces it with his boot.” Savonelli waved a hand dismissively.

“Uh, it’s clean now, you’re welcome,” Stormy let slip. “It’s not a biohazard anymore.”

Savonelli raised an eyebrow down at Stormy. “A talking parlor trick? My, what a wonderful gift for the King! What else does it do? Sing while you drink water?”

“Hay, I’ll show you who sings.” Stormy said, feeling her temper start to boil. “You wanna see singing?” She air boxed with her hooves a few times before Savonelli chuckled.

“That’s adorable! Where did you come from, little one?” he asked, clearly amused, but in a way that just rankled Stormy further.

“I’m normal sized, thanks.” Stormy did her best to put on an air of confidence and not let the tall ooman talk down to her, buuut she also did her best not to upset Merlos. “And it’s kind of a long story, but I got summoned here from my world by some jerk and then this other, nicer jerk bought me.” She felt like she did an adequate job.

Merlos shot Stormy another annoyed look while Savonelli burst out with laughter. Stormy grinned, too.

“Knowing Merlos he probably bought you with the expectation of riding you, I’d wager…” Savonelli gave Merlos a smug look. “Why, this one time he was researching a means of substituting his spell components with—”

Merlos raised his hands and stepped between the two. “Alright! That’s enough of that.”

Savonelli, nodded, grinning as though he’d won. “It’s always fun to match your mettle, Merlos, and I’m glad to see your companions hold their own too.” He bowed his head slightly.

Stormy pulled away as an ooman guard inspected under her wings and tail. “Oh, come on, weren’t the last four checkpoints enough?” she barked, pulling her wing back down defensively.

“I check or I get to throw you out,” the guard barked back, not taking any of her guff.

Stormy grumbled under her breath as she lifted her wing for the guard to inspect, getting tired of the guard’s routine. Another wizard came in, this one dressed in purple and gold colours. At seeing Merlos lock eyes with the newcomer, Stormy groaned, knowing that they were about to repeat the same bout of arguing as last time.

Merlos drew himself up. “Madigar the Magicaster. I knew the King was summoning just about any buffoon with an appropriately pointed hat calling himself a wizard, but now this is bordering on being a complete farce of a gathering.”

Stormy rolled her eyes, no longer able to take any more of the ooman’s ostentatious pandering any longer. “Really? I’m going to have to listen to all that all over again?” She face-hoofed and gave an annoyed huff.

Kilyra headshook, whispering quietly to Stormy. “Imagine an entire tavern of this every friday night.”

Stormy’s eyes twitched as she imagined dealing with that every day.

As it turned out, Stormy’s vision of a tavern filled with loud oomans all trying to one up each other’s insults wasn’t terribly far off the mark. Several more wizards showed up and joined the others, until there were five of them in total all in a circled group and all of them speaking at once with raised voices. It got old very fast.

At some point, everyone else accompanying the wizards also seemed to tire of this and together they followed a guard to a nearby waiting room filled with tables and chairs.

The room left to those who accompanied the wizards held a small feast upon one table to give pages, assistants, and other companions a chance to relax and stay out of the way during the wizards’ audience with the King.

In an effort to distract herself, Stormy sniffed at some of the bread, then backed off from it. Something about that bread’s smell bothered her and made her hackles rise. It took her a second to realize it was stuffed with some sort of red cylinder that was probably a meat product.

“Not to your liking, Stormy?” Ges chuckled, patting her on the back as he took a seat. “Never been a fan of meatlump-loaf myself, either.”

Kilyra, meanwhile, entertained herself by hitting on a young guard. Said guard’s face went bright red in response to the things she said, which were just below Stormy’s earshot, but not Elsie’s.

Discreetly, Elsie tsked at Kilyra, gingerly setting down the cup of tea she’d procured herself. “I’m well aware of the pastimes of so-called arteests, but perhaps you could in some small capacity operate with a higher level of decorum? I’d hate for our newly formed group to earn an unsavory reputation.” Pausing, she took a sip of tea. “I have my good name to consider, after all.”

Kilyra narrowed her eyes at Elsie briefly, before barking a loud, room-filling laugh that drew several eyes. “That’s hilarious, new girl. Coming from you, I mean.”

"Whatever are you insinuating?" Elsie raised her cup to take another sip.

"Oh… who knows?" Kilyra thought she saw Elsie’s eyes flicker elsewhere for just a moment. “What do you think I could mean?”

“I really couldn’t say, Kiki,” Elsie murmured, a slight smile appearing on her lips.

”Kiki?” Kilyra echoed gruffly, her demeanor finally shaken from her normal calm. She neglected to notice the guard slink away from her, having begun to be ignored. “I’m only going to say this once, it’s Kilyra, and not anything else. Unless you want that gaudy snowflake shaped staff of yours jammed so far up your—”

Ges and Stormy had been watching the entire trade between the two women from the start, and it was at this moment that Ges decided to try his luck at intervening.

“Ah, ladies, perhaps we ‘ught cool our tempers with—”

“Oh, don’t get so flustered, Kiki,” Elsie responded, talking over Ges’ attempts to assuage. “We’re going to be the best of friends during our travels, you and I!” She clearly meant to keep pressing that button now that she’d found it.

Kilyra’s glare at Elsie deepened. “Oh, my temper’s perfectly cool, Ges,” she intoned, her fist clenched around a chair’s back so tight Ges could hear it creak. “Nothing to worry about. I’m just beginning to have… certain regrets.”

Elsie smiled knowingly at Kilyra. “Let’s just focus on our adventure and getting to know one another better rather than fight like this. It’ll be lots of fun. You’ll see.” Her tone just made Kilyra balk. “Would you fancy some tea, Kiki?”

Kilyra’s eye twitched erratically by the time Elsie was done talking, while Ges continuously tried to get a word in and divert the conversation, to no avail.

Meanwhile, Stormy’s attention had drifted to the table. “Definitely don’t want to get drawn into that…” she mumbled. Her mom’s friends would fight a lot, and the way Kilyra and Elsie had begun to argue sounded just like them.

Stormy hopped into a chair and listened in on a pair of oomans at the table—both were servants of the other wizards—dressed in nice tailored clothing that hung a little loose on their bodies.

“So on me last travel tah Lut Gholein wif Sire Pollenward through the Canyon o’ deh Magi, we run into deh likes of dis wizard named Rick— an’ he polymorphs ‘imself into a pickle. He’s called Pickle Rick. Funniest t’ing I’ve ever seen.”

Stormy rolled her eyes and inspected the food; atop it was a smattering of hors devours which she was a little hesitant to eat, not knowing what anything was. “Geez, is there anything decent to eat here— Oh, bingo!”

There was a single apple sitting in the bottom of a wooden bowl.

“Last one, too. I’m super lucky— Ah!” Stormy was caught by surprise when an ooman bumped into her shoulder.

“What the devil?” A grizzled, portly ooman with a brown beard that covered his front scowled down at Stormy. “Bloody wizard pets. Watch where you’re going!”

Stormy frowned up at the rude man. “Uh, buddy, you bumped into me. How about you go forsooth yourself some manners or something because your mom clearly never taught you any.”

Blustering, the fat ooman turned and walked away. “Well, I never.”

“Hmph, never bathed maybe...” Stormy grumbled quietly, as she then set about finding where her apple had rolled off to. She spotted it by the door, right beside a guard’s foot. “Ah, my precious...”

Stormy’s bad luck, however, continued. Another guard came to relieve the first, kicking the apple out through the door and into the hall. No! Wait! Come back! You’re delicious! She dove after it, sliding out through the doorway across the slick floor.

Just as Stormy was about to nab the fruit as it slowed down, yet another ooman again kicked the fruit and into another room.

Oh, come on! Stormy groaned, and sprinted through the other doorway after her apple. It had better not be bruised!

Finally catching up to the runaway fruit, she exhaled in relief. “Phew, and just before I caused any trouble, too.” She lifted the apple with one wing and took a bite… only to find it was actually a really convincing looking wax apple.

“Bleh! Gross!” Stormy spat out the bite and pitched the now disfigured wax decoration into a nearby bin. “Well that just figures.” Whistling innocently, she opted to put distance between herself and the round black container near the door just in case it wasn’t a bin.

Unaware of where she’d ended up, Stormy followed the sound of voices and trotted further into the huge chamber. “Wow, there’s a lot of people in here, too.” The new room was massive, the small crowd at the far end barely filling a tenth of its space. “Is this the vip room or what?” It was quite an impressive sight, everything sculpted from either white marble or some kind of shiny gray metal she couldn’t put her hoof on. Stepping up to any of the metal, it seemed to react with a slight blue glow to it.

The chamber was daunting as it would easily fit one of Canterlot’s massive private airships inside of it. She paused to let her gaze drift further and further up. The strange metal seemed to run in a grid-like pattern to the ceiling, connecting slabs of marble and the spiral pattern columns which supported the large and lofty roof.

Stormy had never been in Canterlot castle, but she briefly wondered how it would match up.

Stormy wandered around the throne room’s edge, enjoying the feel of the nice velvety carpet with shiny silvery trim. Her eyes drifted from tapestries to large painted artworks of dignified looking oomans in armor and holding chalices or other obvious props a painter asked them to for hours.

Stormy's eyes drifted onto a portrait that got her to almost gasp; there was a picture of Wadsworth! Well, sort of; maybe if he aged forty years, shaved his creepy fu manchu goatee/mustache and trimmed his super long eyebrows. Oh! And he had hair, unlike Wadsworth who kept his head shaved under his skullcap. He was smiling, not the Wadsworth evil scheming smile, but a happy mirthful one. He had a bowl cut mane and full lips, but it was no mistake that this person was related to Wadsworth. Especially with that beaklike nose and sunken narrow brown eyes.

Just as she started to get the urge to draw some funny faces on the paintings, the voices at the end of the chamber again drew her attention as her wandering brought her closer to them. It then occurred to her that these were the same argumentative, bickering voices from earlier… Indeed, there were several wizards quickly trying to get one in over the other, Merlos’ own deep voice definitely among them.

The ooman who Stormy presumed to be the King himself, looked like he was moments from passing out from boredom. He sat upon a throne at the end of the chamber clad in regal attire, from his white and red mantle of exotic furs and soft fabrics, to the weighty padded clothing on his shoulders. Well armed and armored guards flanked the King, their helmet visors up and topped with the large plumage of some unknown bird.

Stormy studied the king a while, remembering Merlos’ words about Wadsworth’s ancestry in relation to royalty. She considered for a moment why someone like Wadsworth would behave the way he does.

These thoughts were interrupted when a loud nasal voice rang from the royal bellman, “Oyez, oyez, oyez! Ladies and Gentleman of the Thaumaturgical community and the best minds of the collegiate, or the next best available, the King has summoned ye all to solve the mystery of an arcane relic of unknown origin. That mystery being that the relic demands questions answered before it shares its secrets yet untold.”

Stormy’s mouth dropped as the “Mysterious arcane relic of unknown origin” was presented for all to behold. She felt her excitement boil up inside as she instantly recognized it!

The bellman continued, “For it asks us a riddle, we have been left in great befuddlement for what it means. Despite the renowned accuracy of Merlos’ translation spell, the King’s scholars are yet unable to provide a worthy answer to the relic. With your help, we hope to perhaps even be bestowed secrets of the universe, for the relic presents its riddles written in elegant forms of magic.”

“Or maybe old Merlos’ much lauded spell isn’t as accurate we thought!” a portly wizard, Gurabond the Grand, intoned boldly. “Perhaps the issue lay with it, and not the King’s scholars?”

The King—who Stormy noticed was the same old man she almost vandalized back in the painting—stroked his thin facial hair and nodded in thought.

Stormy spotted Merlos’ hands ball up into fists, but he didn’t retort.

The crier continued, clearing his throat. “Ahem, please wait to begin your deliberations until I am finished. As I was saying, occasionally the relic has produced a pleasant chime in the early morning hours, likely to draw further attention to the contents within it. The scholars found that it also roughly matches the description of the lost box of Dinklage the Short, or perhaps something from the world of the transdimensional prophet May-gunn Will-I-ams! Now, without further adieu.”

The crier grandly held the device before the wizards. However, the scene was completely spoiled by a cartoonish looking sphinx character on the relic’s front. Beside the Sphinx was a little speech bubble, and beneath it was what Stormy recognized as a digital keyboard of the Equestrian alphabet.

The crier read aloud what the phone sphinx said. “To access what lies inside and to prove what you are worth, solve my riddles three and my secrets you will unearth. Fail too much and you’ll have to wait, as you're not the one with whom I affiliate; What costs nothing, but is worth everything, weighs nothing, but can last a lifetime, that one person can't own, but two or more can share?"

“Why is it giving them the riddles? They should only deal with that if they failed the pattern a bunch.” Stormy muttered. At this point, she was done watching, and scampered over to Merlos to nip his dress, tugging at the foul tasting clothes.

Without looking, Merlos tried to shoo Stormy away as the wizards all at once offered their various answers. Merlos, of course, had a few of his own to offer, but the crier was already crowded. Eventually, the court quieted after the Bellman gave a ring of his bell, calling for silence.

“We will conduct this in a civilized manner and listen to all parties present in order of rank, starting with Hewbert the Harrowed, and ending with Merlos the Ma— Magnificent. If none can immediately solve the relic’s mystery, we will adjourn and reconvene on the ‘morrow.”

Stormy grumbled at being unconsciously shooed away, and again nipped Merlos’ dress, trying to get his attention.

Merlos looked down, very annoyed with Stormy’s insistent tugging, “What is it? I’m very bus— Stormy?” His eyes looked like they were going to fall out of his head for a moment at seeing her. Quickly, he glanced around the throne room. No one seemed to be looking his or Stormy’s way, much to his surprise. “What in the nine Hells are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in the other room! How did you get past the guards?” He put a hand over Stormy’s muzzle as she tried to speak, holding it shut. “Nevermind. I don’t want to know, it’s enough for me just knowing that we aren’t in a prison cell already.”

Stormy grunted around the calloused old hand holding her muzzle shut. “‘ook, ahf knew fwaf ‘at iff.” She pointed accusingly at the little phone, held a loft by the ooman crier.

Merlos raised an eyebrow, then looked at the phone, then very slowly released Stormy.

“I know what it is! That’s my phone! I know all the answers to its riddles, too.”

Merlos almost reached again for her muzzle at her sudden outburst, but instead stopped short. “You what?” He rubbed his beard, stroking it as he considered the situation. With a chuckle, he gave a snide remark, “Of course, it’s always about you, isn’t it? Why am I not surprised?”

Stormy put on a slightly abashed look, but pressed on. “Sorry. Merlos, they took my things when I got here, so that was probably sold at the auction where you bought me.”

Merlos crossed his arms. “Alright, well, we have to wait our turn whatever the case. The other members of the Arcanum hold seniority and we can be expelled for an outburst. The King's time is very important… Also, while that was once your device, it belongs to Halia and the King now, you understand? If they don’t wish to return it don’t press the matter.”

Stormy considered Merlos’ words before giving a nod. “Fine, it can’t help me get home anyways, but you owe me a crystal ball,” she joked, and was surprised when he chuckled and nodded. “Also, we can still solve it and get you some brownie points with the court, right?”

Merlos nodded, smirking. “Undoubtedly. Now, we wait.”

If listening to a bunch of old oomans insult each other was tedious, this was pure torture for Stormy. Every time she’d start to tap, or wiggle, Merlos would gently put a hand atop her head, conveying a silent plea to stop. Which Stormy would look up with a “Are they done yet?” kind of look.

Some wizards tried tilting and hovering the phone in their magic, one even tried some kind of spell where he knocked on it and touched metal keys to it, only to be met without any success. With sunlight now thrown on the other side of the room, the wizards had all given their best guesses and it was finally Merlos’ turn.

Savonelli sighed, his vast array of spells that might have helped exhausted, and held Stormy’s phone out to Merlos. “Alright, I give up. You have a go, Merlos.”

Merlos did not make a showy entrance or introduction. He merely introduced himself and his apprentice, Stormy Weather. Ignoring the few laughs from the room at hearing this, he then said, “If you would do the honors, Stormy.”

“You got it!” Stormy chirped, and fluttered over to accept the phone.

Everyone was suddenly aware of the small, bizarre winged horse-like creature that could speak fluttering around in the throne room, a few jaws dropping open despite having seen all sorts of bizarre sights in their time.

Used to it, Stormy brought up the keyboard.

“Hold on,” the portly wizard, Gurabond, announced. “Why exactly does this thing get a turn?”

Stormy looked up fearfully as the wizard approached her, only for Merlos to step between them.

“It’s my turn, you lout, and I’ll do with it what I want!”

“The Arcanum could have you expelled if you make a mockery of a summons by the King, Merlos!” the portly wizard snapped back, stroking his silken red neckerchief.

“Everypony relaaaax, I got a nat 20.” Stormy replied, trying to soothe Gurabond, who stiffened even more.

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Gurabond asked, as he punctuated each syllable with his hands in double dramatic karate chops.

“I dunno, but it sounds kinda right,” Stormy replied as she tapped the keys one at a time until finally the word “Friendship” had been spelled out on her phone.

The phone chimed, and the sphinx character gave a thumbs up.

“See? Easy-peasy,” Stormy assured everyone around her. “Friendship is magic, after all.”

Merlos shook his head. “Juvenile,” he muttered.

The wizards, all of them now crowded around Stormy—pushing an astounded Gurabond out of the way—and peered intently at the phone’s surface. They all gasped, made disgusted sounds, or tried to make it seem like the answer was obvious and they were totally going to try that next.

Stormy had to suppress her laughter. “What? It makes sense, guys!”

The phone asked the next riddle. “What is the answer to life, the universe, and everything?”

The wizards shouted in excitement, even the littlest victory in all this tedium was worthy of celebration.

Many eyes were on Stormy.

Stormy snickered and rolled her eyes, “Everpony knows this one.” She typed in 42, much to the scoffing and some jeering from the wizards and academic fellows in the room.

Merlos scoffed openly. “Now that one doesn’t even make sense.”

“It’s a reference,” Stormy cackled with laughter. “Anyway, I didn’t want to make them so hard I might not figure them out, so it’s only the last one that’s really important.”

As Merlos crossed his arms and turned away in disgust, he was met by the sight of the King, who had descended his throne and was standing just behind the gaggle of wizards, a bemused smirk on his face. He jerkily bowed, moving aside.

The cartoon sphinx asked its final question. “What’s green, whistles, and hangs on the wall?”

Stormy typed in “Leafy Green” and submitted. “If I wasn’t here, no one would have ever figured this out,” she commented. In the corner, she noticed the symbols for “No Service” and “NAVLINK lost” caught her eye. She took a moment to re-uplink it to her bag’s NAVLINK, and sighed as it indicated it had nothing to update to her maps.

“So that’s it? It’s open now?” Hewbert asked in a grating tone. “Honestly, that was terribly anti-climactic.”

“What’s a Leafy Green?” Savonelli inquired from behind her, sounding confused.

“A filly my parents made me foalsit last summer. She lived next door to me in Canterlot,” Stormy replied, shrugging. “She was a hoof-ful, lemme tell you.”

The crier broke into the center of the group, obviously trying to put space between the wizards and Stormy. “Do you mean to imply this is your relic?” the ooman asked, leaning over as if to scold her.

“Yeah, it’s my cell phone. Or, it used to be mine, but I lost it a little while back… I can show you how to use it…” Stormy began. “This has music from my homeland on it. As well as a few simple games. It’s mostly meant for talking to people far away, or to find your way around, but it won’t work here without any cell phone towers. Anyway, to unlock it normally you just draw a “u” on the little pattern thing, assuming your hands will work with my phone’s touch screen… it was designed for ponies to use, after all.”

A slow applause drew everyone’s attention as Stormy finished her explanation.

The King smiled downward amusedly. “Thank you, Stormy Weather, apprentice of Merlos.” He was a jovial seeming ooman, with a big round belly and a kind look in his eye. His hair was pure white, however, unlike the portrait she’d seen of him, and his face was weathered with age. “I believe you mentioned something about a game?”

At the word “game” the servants attending that King in the hall all stiffened slightly, though no one else seemed to take notice.

Jerkily, Stormy managed to bow. “Ah, thank you, your highness.” Unsure of what to do next, she held the phone off to her side so that the King could also see it. “So, uh, I’ll talk you through how to use it.”

Stormy proceeded to open her simplest app and show it off to the King. “It can get pretty hard, but its fun…” she passed her phone to the king, who immediately became entranced at its marvels. “The game’s simple. Just touch the screen and your little bird there will flap harder and go up. Let go and he’ll stop flapping. You just want to control him like that and avoid the green things.”

“Forget everything you know about mobile games,” Stormy’s phone interrupted dramatically, showing a well known advertisement, “And get ready to raid.” The King stared in awe at the motion picture before his eyes. Truly this device was pure magic to him.

Groaning in frustration, Stormy booped an X in the corner to close the ad as soon as it came up. “Ugh, I cant believe the ads are still on there. Boo! So that’s how you close the ad, oh and the green rods are pipes.” Stormy’s wing feathers puffed up a little.

“Pipes,” the distracted King echoed back, chuckling and occasionally tapping the phone as the cartoonish creature made its way further into the endless field of obstacles. “How intuitive, for this game teaches one patience with this… ad. It truly is a marvel of magic.”

Merlos marveled at the sight of the King laughing uproariously more and more as he was drawn into the game. Stormy was still trying to explain more of the phone’s functions, but it was painfully clear that the King was completely enraptured by the game.

“Oh dear, the King’s found yet another distraction,” a terse voice muttered. “The clerks aren’t going to be happy about that.”

Merlos turned and was surprised to see the other wizards had all been ushered out of the room, and had been replaced by a cadre of knights and a tall, dark-haired and broad-shouldered man at their front. He had a chiseled jaw and an assured, piercing gaze that Merlos recognized immediately.

The King’s hand strolled up to Merlos, his voice melodic in its delivery. “Merlos the Magnificent, I presume? I think this is the first time we’ve met. I am Duke Wellington, the King’s right hand. For assisting His Majesty the King, you have earned the reward.” He gently guided Merlos away from the King as he played the game, Stormy still trying fruitlessly to explain more about it.

“A-Ah, of course. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sir Duke.” Merlos didn’t have the bravery to confess that Wellington had actually met him several times in the past at various functions.

Duke Wellington nodded slightly, his expression unchanging. “I would also like to extend to you an opportunity that his Royal Majesty spoke to me about earlier today.” He gestured to an ornate wooden table, where they then sat. “To put it simply; we need a brilliant mind for the protection of our beloved diplomat, Reginald Thornswallop to the undersea kingdoms bordering our shores! If you accept, we will get you better acquainted with him in the morning.”

Merlos blinked, dumbfounded at the man. “T-Truly? We would be honored!” The sound of gold clinking at the back of his mind was very distracting. “To serve the King in such a capacity is—”

“Well, I think the King’s happy with just that one game.” Stormy happily trotted up, a proud expression on her face. “So, what’s next, Merlos?”

“Blast! Those pipes were impossibly close together.”

Merlos sighed. “As I was saying, we accept, Sir Duke.”

Stormy glanced over, and when she looked into Merlos’ eyes, a cold shiver went down her spine while her mind registered the unsettling smile he wore.

Stormy and Merlos Adventures

by NoisyPegasus

CHAPTER 000: The neat trick.

CHAPTER: 001: The price is right.

CHAPTER 002: The unexpected delivery.

CHAPTER 003: The dust.

CHAPTER 004: The skeletons in his closet.

CHAPTER 005: Stormy Weather and the Seven Dwarves.

CHAPTER 006: Fallout Equestrian.

CHAPTER 007: In the Neigh-vy.

CHAPTER 008: A sinking feeling.

CHAPTER 009: One teacher too many pt 1.

CHAPTER 010: One teacher too many pt 2.

CHAPTER 011: One teacher too many pt 3.