The ponies of Equestria are in chains, slaves to their gryphon masters. Hope for freedom has been all but crushed, leaving only prayer for their Goddess to protect them. She has heard them, and shall bring her wrath upon the monsters they serve.
For hundreds of years, ponies have served under their gryphon masters, slaves at the complete mercy of their cruel overlords, with no chance of salvation. Earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi alike have lost all but the faintest hope of ever being free, with the only light in their dark and dismal lives being their faith.
She was the first being, a combination of all pony tribes with magic far beyond anything any mortal could hope to comprehend. She created the world and the life that came to call it home, watching over Her creations with joy and pride. Yet She has seen the atrocities being committed against Her children, heard their cries for help and felt the pain they suffered.
And so, for the first time since She created the world, She would speak with one of them, teach them what needed to be done in order to bring salvation to those that needed Her. And to those who would stand against Her will, She would make the mortal realm into a living Tartarus.
For Faust has but one mercy to those who would bring forth the ruin of Her grand design, Oblivion.
These were the three constants in life, the three defining things that everypony lived with and struggled to survive under the cruel wishes of their masters. From the aged and wise to the young and strong, there were no exceptions under the blanket of slavery that held Equestria in its smothering grip. Nopony knew much of what life was like before the gryphons came, only stories and vague concepts had survived after seven hundred years of oppression. After all of this time, there was only one thing that had carried on through the death and suffering, one thing that helped the ponies to keep moving forward and to keep the spark of hope alive in their hearts.
It had been outlawed for so long nopony knew what it was like to worship openly, but it had been passed down from parent to foal in secret and still carried the power to inspire hope in even the darkest of hearts. For She was their goddess, their creator, and some might even dare to dream, their savior. It was in the heart and mind of one young mare, that such a dream lived, carried through her life even as she watched the suffering and pain befalling her kind at the talons of the gryphons.
Her name was Autumn Song, an earth pony who grew up on a farm far from the capital, living with her family under the “care” of their gryphon lord and his followers. To call their life a good one would be a lie, but they were better off than most others if what her mother told her was true. They were fed three times a day, even if it was little more than the scraps from the lord’s feasts, and they had a roof over their heads in the form of the huge barn that they lived in when they were not working the fields. Autumn’s family and three others worked alongside each other to keep the crops healthy, the few pegasi in their number doing what little they could to bring in extra rain during the hot summer months. The only unicorn, a mare called Nova Spark and a year older than Autumn, had been personally selected by the lord to live in his house as a servant instead of ‘wasting her power on dirt pony work’.
Other than that, it was the same thing every day, wake up at the crack of dawn, work the fields after breakfast until the sun was high overhead, stop for lunch, work again until dinner, and then they would be given the rest of the day to do whatever they liked. Autumn would usually use that time to hang out with the few friends she had, although there wasn’t much to do that wouldn’t land them in trouble with the overseers in some way. Autumn had felt the sting of their whips only once as a young filly, and she had sworn that she would never let it happen again.
It was nearing the end of the growing season when something changed. Instead of being allowed to go about as they pleased after work, all of the young mares and stallions had been brought to the manor at the command of the lord himself. None knew what to expect, but the ever-vigilant eyes of the overseers kept their mouths silent as the group of twelve was led through the hallways of the massive building. Autumn had never seen the inside of the manor, always looking at the towering white walls from the fields as she worked. Yet now she and her friends were being given baths, cleaned from ears to tail in ways that she had never imagined possible, until her coat gleamed and her body felt light as a feather from the loss of the dirt and grime that had once covered her body.
For the first time in years, Autumn was able to see her coat as it normally would look, the bright golden brown broken by purest white in patches, her legs nearly blinding as the white socks glowed under the afternoon sun. Her deep auburn mane and tail hung in smooth curls that seemed ready to catch fire, and her bright amber eyes nearly ignited with joy as she walked alongside the others. She didn’t know why they had been summoned, but if they were being cleaned up this much it had to be important.
They were directed into a large chamber by the overseers, the armed and lightly armored gryphons silencing any conversation with a threatening crack of the whip. Nopony had been struck, but the intent was there and the threat very real, so Autumn and the others remained silent as they were lined up against the far wall of the huge room. They were only there for a moment before the doors to the left swung open, revealing the lord of the manor in all of his glory as he walked into the room with a gryphon Autumn had never seen before.
Lord Ravenwing lived up to his name in every possible way, his feathers the purest black while his hindquarters were that of a panther, the light of the room seeming to ripple over his body as his fine silk robes glinted with gold and other rare metals. His violet eyes locked onto each of them as he walked down their line, making the blood run cold in Autumn’s heart when the larger male cast his gaze upon her. Yet for everything she had heard about the lord that ruled over the lands her family called home, the hen that walked beside Ravenwing made her want to run and hide in terror.
The hen only came up to Lord Ravenwing’s chin, but that still meant she stood over all of the ponies by a good half a head. Her feathers were a soft brown while her feline parts resembled that of a leopard, the black spots standing out vividly from her golden fur as her ice blue eyes seemed to peer into Autumn’s very soul. Her clothing was plain in comparison to the lord’s, but it was what was attached to said clothing that made Autumn nearly faint from fright. A curled whip hung from one flank while a collection of chains and shackles hung from the other shoulder. Bolas and other hunting equipment littered every available inch of her body, and all of it looked like it had been recently used, if the smell of blood that came off of her in waves was any indication.
After passing before the line and returning to the center of the room, Ravenwing addressed the group in his deep voice as the hen sat on his left side, “You have been brought here today because you are the best examples of what this land has to offer. You are in the prime of your young lives and have been deemed worthy of being presented to the Royal Slave Master.” He indicated the hen at his side before continuing, “She will decide if any of you are the type of ponies that are needed in the grand capital, where you will then be given over to your new masters to live out the rest of your days. Should any of you fall short of her expectations, then you will return to the fields and continue your work here as you have before. Do not speak, do not move unless told to, or else there will be no mercy given to you. You are here representing my family and its holdings, dishonoring that will make me most displeased.”
Several ponies gulped, their legs locking as they stood a bit straighter at the thought of being killed. Autumn kept her gaze forward as the hen stepped up to the line, inspecting the stallion at the left end for a moment or two before speaking.
“Strong legs and body, color is not too outlandish,” she paused for a second, “construction team for the royal family would work well for you.”
The stallion let out a shaky breath as the hen moved on, her head shaking back and forth as she muttered, “Too skinny, too short, weak legs,” she visibly flinched as she passed by one of the brighter mares, “far too colorful,” on down the line until she came to Autumn.
For a moment the hen stared at her, making Autumn think she had done something wrong. She flinched instinctively as a talon ran through her mane and down the side of her neck, revealing her left eye to the gryphon as she walked around Autumn in a slow circle.
“Strong but not overly muscled,” the hen spoke more to herself but still loud enough for Autumn to hear, “healthy figure and a very unique coat,” Autumn squeaked in surprise and embarrassment as her tail was pushed to the side, revealing her privates to the hen, “still unmated and good foal-bearing hips.” Autumn’s face burned as the hen came back around to her front, a pair of words escaping her beak that sent shivers of terror down her spine, “Royal Concubine.”
Everything faded from Autumn’s reality at those words, the departure of the hen barely registering in her mind as the weight of her doom fell over her shoulders. She had heard of the Royal Harem before, and knew that once a mare was selected, the chances of her living for more than a decade shrunk to nearly zero. It was a fact that everypony knew, because when a mare from the Harem became heavy with foal, whoever had sired it immediately had them killed in order to prevent the birth of an illegitimate heir. Her breathing began to shake, and her vision faded to black as her rump fell to the floor, her mind in shock as she imagined what horrors awaited her at the capital.
Chains were attached to her legs and she was led out of the manor with the other selected ponies, her body moving on its own as her eyes gazed unseeingly at the ground in front of her. She and the others were pushed into a caged cart before the heavy iron door was swung closed, the crash of the lock finally breaking the fog that had come over Autumn’s mind. Her head jerked up as she realized where she was, her friends huddled around her as the wheels of the cart began to move. Looks of pity were sent her way, the gentle rocking of the cart barely registering against the fear that had wrapped itself around her heart.
The chains holding them together made movement nearly impossible, so Autumn did the only thing she could. She laid down and covered her face with her hooves, muffling the sobs that tore from her throat as tears ran down her face. Her life was as good as over, her head already set on the chopping block and waiting for the blade.
“Please,” she whispered through the tears, “protect my family. Keep them safe when I am gone.” She fell silent as one of the guards glanced her way, finishing the prayer in her mind as she bowed her head and closed her eyes, “Mercy unto the innocent, and may Her light guide them to a better tomorrow. Glory to Faust, may She watch over us from the Golden Fields.”
As the sun set over the distant mountains, Autumn fell asleep to the rocking of the wagon, her tear-stained face hidden under her forehooves as her tail curled up against her flank. It was not a restful sleep, and as the light of dawn brought her back to the waking world, another wave of sorrow and fear threatened to overtake her. Yet, just as she was about to start sobbing, she felt a hoof being placed over her own. Autumn turned and saw that the hoof belonged to one of the other mares, a sky blue pegasus with a gold mane and tail. Morning Light’s soft pink eyes met her own, and for a moment Autumn was able to breathe without shaking like a leaf. Autumn couldn’t remember what Morning had been selected for, but she thought it had something to do with the palace. Her friend said nothing, save for offering a kind smile and a gentle nuzzle against the side of Autumn’s face.
It was in that moment, that it came to her. She was going to die if she stayed here. If she entered the palace, she would never leave again. It was as a fresh wave of terror ran through her heart that Autumn came to a decision. She wiped her face to clear the crust left over from her tears, her jaw clenching as she tried to push the darkness of despair to the back of her mind. Her heart clenched at the thought of her family, but she pushed that aside as well as she turned her head to watch the passing hills, the grass waving in the soft wind as the wheels of the wagon and the claws of the guards kicked up a small cloud of dust in their wake.
“I have to escape.” She thought to herself, “Either I die in the wild or get cut down by the guards, but I will not sit by and let them make me into a toy for the Royal Family. I would rather go into Faust’s embrace a free mare, then to carry my unborn child into the afterlife.”
The golden glow of the rising sun flashed through Autumn’s eyes, the fire in her soul hardening her heart like tempered steel. As the guards called a halt to the march for the morning meal, a plan began to form in her mind. Of what little she knew about the lands outside her home, one thing stood out. There was a river between them and the capital, with high banks and freezing waters filled with rocks. The main road crossed this river using a narrow bridge, meaning the guards would have to let the wagon cross by itself without overtaxing the structure. If she could somehow get free, then the river would be her best bet at escaping. Gryphons were notoriously bad swimmers, and given the river’s deadly nature, the hope was that they would assume she had drowned if she managed to make it to the water.
This all under the assumption that she even survived the fall and didn’t freeze to death or get dashed against the rocks. Then again, what did she have to lose? It was either that or death in the capital after years of being used as a pleasure toy by her new masters.
She turned back to Morning Light, smiling in thanks. A nod was the only reply she got, but it was enough to push the last of her fear to the side, at least for now. As the pegasus turned away and curled up by another of the prisoners, Autumn’s head began to spin with thoughts of how she was going to free herself. Her eyes fell to the chains connecting her hooves to the others, her mind working overtime to try and figure out how to get them off. Then, as if by magic, it came to her. Her gaze shifted to the gryphons as they devoured their meal, their beaks tearing into freshly cooked meat before tossing the bones to the side without a care. Several smaller pieces littered the ground near to the wagon, and she watched as some of the younger males started tossing bits at the ponies, laughing when their targets flinched in fear and disgust.
The hen that lead the group growled at the youngsters, making them back off as they returned to the fireside, meaning that there was no one watching the cage as the ponies began to slowly push the bits of bone and other things between the bars. Autumn glanced at the gryphons one last time to make sure they couldn’t see, before picking up a small piece of bone and stuffing it in her mane. The smell of blood nearly made her puke, but she swallowed it down as she checked again to see if she had been caught. None of the others, be they pony or gryphon, seemed to have noticed, and she let out a sigh of relief as she felt the weight of her little acquisition settling between her ears.
It would be hard and would most likely get her killed if she was caught, but there was a glimmer of hope in Autumn’s heart. Now all she had to do was wait for the right moment. Hopefully everything would work out in the end, but until the chains holding her were removed, she would have to be careful. One slip up would mean her death, or worse, so she would be patient. She would wait until the last possible moment to make her move and pray that it would be enough.
Three days was how long it took to reach the river, and in that time Autumn had carefully and dutifully worked on the sliver of bone she had taken from her captors in secret. Each night, she would use her teeth to chip away at it bit by bit until it was small enough to slip into the locks of her chains. She hadn’t dared to try and open the locks for fear of tipping off the guards, but she at least knew it would be possible to try and pick them once the time was right.
The ponies had been kept in their cage for the entirety of that three-day span, meaning there was little choice but to relieve themselves in the corner of the cell and try their best not to stumble into it at night. Still, all of the hard work that had been put into getting them clean had effectively been ruined, their coats once again covered in dirt and dust as clumps of fur hung off of their bodies in sections. It was a miserable experience, but at least the guards made sure to feed them regularly. No one would want a starved slave working in the palace.
The light of dawn was only just past when the bridge came into view around the bend in the road, the thick trees giving way to the sheer cliffs that closed in on either side of the churning waters below. The stone walkway was indeed narrow, as Autumn had heard from stories told to her by some of the ponies who had been given to Lord Ravenwing from other slave owners. She hoped that it would mean that the guards would have to go ahead of or behind the caged cart, leaving the sides open for her to exploit if she could manage to get free of her chains.
Autumn cast a look at the others in the cart, her friends, her family. It hurt her in ways she couldn’t describe, knowing that even if she could free herself, there was no way she could save any of them without getting caught. She sucked in a deep breath as she watched the guards, looking for an opening to pull out her bone pick without being seen. She would only get one shot at this, so she had to make it count.
Like clockwork, the guards on either side of the cart shifted in front of or behind them as they marched onto the bridge, the river churning below them as white rapids crashed between bone-shattering boulders. For a split second, Autumn hesitated, fearing what would happen to her if she did make it to the water. Yet the image of her body, cut to pieces and left to rot with a foal in her belly, drove her forward as she carefully pulled out the sliver of bone from under her mane. Most of the others were too out of it to take notice of her as she slipped the pick into the first lock, and it was only as the lock clicked open that Morning Light even glanced in her direction. Yet that glance was enough to spot the loose chain hanging from Autumn’s foreleg, and a soft gasp escaped her lips before the pegasus could hold it back.
Either the hen was just that paranoid, or she was paying very close attention, because the Royal Slave Master turned her head from the front of the line, and in the split second that her gaze met Autumn’s, everything fell apart.
“Hey!” She squawked as her wings flared wide, “What do you think you’re doing?!”
Panic set in as Autumn frantically worked to free herself from her chains as the guards began to converge on the cart like hungry Timberwolves. The Royal Slave Master slammed into the bars in front of Autumn and reached for her hooves, her claws grasping in an attempt to take the pick from Autumn’s grip.
By now everypony was aware of what was going on, and most of the others were content to step aside to avoid getting torn apart by the enraged gryphons around them. Everypony except Morning Light. The pegasus had taken one look at the Royal Slave Master and lunged as far as her chains would let her, taking a bite out of the hen’s foreleg as she battered the larger female’s head and shoulders with her wings.
“Ah! Get off me you stupid feather duster!” The hen began frantically clawing at Morning Light’s face, leaving deep cuts along her cheeks and muzzle as Autumn frantically worked to get the rest of her chains off.
Finally, the last of the locks popped open, and with a roar of fury, Autumn raced to Morning Light’s defense, spinning on her front hooves as she bucked the Slave Master with all her might. A caw of pain escaped from the hen’s beak as she was flung back, nearly falling over the side of the bridge as her top half hung limply over the edge. Even as the other guards worked to get the door to the cage open, Autumn couldn’t stop herself from tending to Morning, her hooves doing very little to staunch the flow of blood as it ran down her friend’s face and neck.
Her mind was so frantic with worry, that it was only when a gentle hoof came to rest on the side of her own muzzle that Autumn stopped and actually saw Morning’s face. Even with deep cuts and blood dripping onto the cage floor in fat drops, the pegasus was smiling.
Autumn fought back tears as Morning gestured towards the river with a wing, “Go. Get out of here while you still can.”
Autumn ignored the sounds of the guards arguing outside the cage, her focus completely centered on her friend, “But what about you? You’ll die if you stay here.”
Morning shook her head, tears joining the blood running down her cheeks, “My life was over the moment I was selected. I know you didn’t hear it, but I got selected for the Royal Harem as well. At least this way I can do something meaningful with my life.” Their heads spun around as the door to the cage opened, a duo of guards climbing in with their swords drawn, “I’ll hold them off as long as I can. You must go.”
“But –”
“Run!” Morning cried as she charged at the guards, their expressions morphing into shock as the pegasus barreled into them as hard as she could.
Autumn’s hooves worked on their own, her legs bunching and pounding against the cage bars with everything she had. She could only watch helplessly as Morning fought against the larger beings, somehow holding her own for a few moments until the second guard got his weapon into a good striking angle in the cramped conditions. Morning was too preoccupied with the first gryphon to notice the second coming up behind her, the only warning she received was the screech of fury that escaped the tercile’s beak as he impaled her on his sword. Morning gasped as the tip of the sword sprouted from the center of her chest, her gaze traveling down to watch in morbid curiosity even as her life blood poured from the wound. Silence hung over the group for a moment, Morning’s face lighting up with a smile even as the life left her eyes, her head turning to look at Autumn one last time as her body fell limp. It hung from the guard’s blade until he pulled it free, her body landing on the wooden floorboards with a sickening plop as her blood pooled and dripped between the cracks.
Seeing her friend die, doing what little she could to help Autumn escape, ignited a fire in her belly that she never even knew she had. Autumn’s legs burned with fury as she kicked the bars one last time, the metal screaming in defiance as both bars shattered under the impact. Blood flew through the air as Autumn’s hooves cracked under the pressure, but she battled past the pain long enough to charge through the opening she had created.
For a moment, she swore she could hear the Slave Master crying out for her blood, but that was quickly drowned out by the rush of the wind in her ears as she plummeted towards the water below. Rather than watch the approaching rocks, Autumn spun around and turned her gaze upward, hoping that the guards had let her go.
Unfortunately, her luck wasn’t going to hold that long, as a duo of gryphons dove after her, their wings pumping to drive them faster in the hopes of catching her before she hit the bottom. Autumn’s heart began to race even faster as panic overrode her conscious thought, her body pinwheeling in the air as her hooves flailed about in a desperate attempt to keep them at bay for a little longer.
One guard cried out and pulled away as one of her waving hooves impacted his beak straight on, although her actions pushed her directly into the waiting claws of the other guard. His claws wrapped around her barrel and pulled her close, even as his wings fought to get them away from the water that Autumn could hear rushing by beneath them. Thankfully, it seemed that Autumn’s luck had granted her one final favor, because the guard had pulled them belly to belly, leaving his face open to attack as she pulled back her head and bashed her skull into the side of his beak. The guard’s grip loosened for just a split second, but it was enough for Autumn to wiggle herself free, her body dropping into the water even as the guards made one final grab for her trailing tail.
Icy lances of pain ran up and down Autumn’s body as the frigid waters of the river stole the breath from her lungs, her legs locking up in agonizing cramps as her body was tossed about. There was no light except for the white rapids and the deep black of the river’s depths, there was no sounds except for the roar of the water in her ears. All she could feel was the numbing grip of hypothermia as her body cried out for air, and in that moment, Autumn knew that there was nothing she had left to fight with. So, even as her body was dashed against one of the river’s boulders, she let her body relax as much as it could, closing her eyes as the darkness of death began to close in around her.
“Wait for me in the Golden Fields, Morning Light,” she prayed as the last of her air escaped from her lungs, “I will be with you very soon.”
The last thing Autumn felt was the soft and warm embrace of her pegasus friend as her mind faded to black, the frigid water giving way to the golden glow and warmth of the next realm as her lips curled into a small smile. At least now she knew that her friend’s death had been worth the sacrifice. She could die in peace knowing that she was going to see her friend again as a free mare.
“Do not give up so soon, my child.” A soft yet commanding voice echoed through her foggy mind, “You have gone through much to be free of your captors, do not give them the satisfaction of seeing you bend to the first obstacle that befalls you.”
Even as the light grew brighter, Autumn only wished that the voice would go away so she could rest, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to let go. As the warmth permeated her body, pain began to replace the numbing sensation she had come to know. Autumn winced as she tried to move one of her forelegs, the limb sending lances of pain up her spine even as she felt a gentle hoof hold her down.
“Be still, child,” it was the voice from before, although much clearer and closer as the hoof moved to press gently on her chest, “You have been through much, and will need time to heal. Rest now, you are safe here.”
Autumn wanted to fight it, to open her eyes and see who was speaking, but after being apparently dragged from the river and saved from a watery grave, there was nothing left for Autumn to use to stay awake. That same gentle hoof ran through her mane in a soothing manner, a soft, tuneless lullaby carrying her into slumber as her mind finally let go. After everything she had been through, it felt good to let go and allow sleep, true sleep, to claim her.
The first sensation Autumn felt upon returning to the waking world was pain, overwhelming amounts of pain as lightning shot up and down her body. Any movement only seemed to bring more agony to her weakened body, so she stayed as still as possible while using her ears and nose to try and figure out where she was. It certainly wasn’t anywhere like back on the farm, that was for sure. The smells were unlike anything she had encountered before, and the bed she was lying on seemed to have been woven out of soft grass instead of being a pile of loose hay. There was a soft bubbling noise coming from the left, along with the crackle of a fire.
Curious as to where in Faust’s name she had ended up, Autumn opened her eyes and very slowly turned her head. The weak light served to help prevent any extra pain from her already tired mind but was enough to illuminate her surroundings as her gaze wondered around her temporary resting place.
There was no other way to describe her location than alien, because there was absolutely nothing in her field of view that was even remotely familiar, save for maybe the giant metal cauldron that was bubbling away in the center of the room over a bed of hot coals. Everything else was new, unusual, or both as her brain finally began operating at full capacity once again. There were vials and jars of various unidentifiable substances on the shelving around the room, along with what looked like a mixing station and several more shelves of what seemed to be potions of differing sorts. Intermixed between the vials and bottles were large masks made of wood, carved with fine detail and obviously well-kept. Yet the strangest thing about the place Autumn found herself in, was the room itself. The walls were marked with swirls and lines that reminded her of the inside of a tree once it had been cut down, and yet she couldn’t find any seams where boards had been pressed together. It was as if the entire building had been formed from a solid hunk of wood and then fitted with the windows and doorway as an afterthought.
Her inspection would have continued, had her attention not been grabbed by the sound of said door opening, her head spinning fast enough to cause a blinding headache but not fast enough to prevent her from seeing the flashes of gold in the dim light.
As Autumn’s eyes shut automatically in response to the blitz of pain that was pounding at the inside of her head, the only thing she could focus on was the fact that her captor wore gold, which meant they were a noble of some sort and that meant she wasn’t free. She was in some gryphon’s house and she was going to be sent back to the capital as soon as they figured out who she was. Her desperate bid for freedom had been for nothing, Morning Light’s death had been for nothing.
She hadn’t even realized she had been crying until a gentle hoof wiped the tears away, a warm, motherly voice shushing her softly as tender forelegs wrapped around her, “Shh, be still my child, you are safe here. I know you fear those who had chained you, but you are free, and far out of their reach.”
Autumn forced her eyes open, hoping against hope that the mare wasn’t just trying to make her feel better, although her breath hitched in her throat and her eyes widened in shock once she actually got a good look at her savior. Her mane and tail hung down close to the ground, the long strands held together by a duo of large gold beads, leaving only the left half of her face uncovered as her bright green eye watched Autumn carefully. There was more gold around the mare’s neck and right foreleg as well, the hoops hanging somewhat loosely but showing obvious care. And yet, the strangest thing about the mare, was that her coat wasn’t all one color. In fact, her whole body was covered in black and light grey stripes, including her mane and tail. Autumn had never seen anything like this mare before, and for some reason she got the feeling that she wasn’t a pony, at least not a regular earth pony like herself.
The mysterious creature smiled softly, her eye lighting up with amusement at Autumn’s obvious confusion, “My kind are rare in these lands, so I’m not surprised you don’t know what I am. My kind are referred to as zebras, and the land that we call home is very far away, beyond the horizon many times over and across the sea. I came to Equestria to learn more about the plants and creatures of the world, and to continue my training as a shaman, although it has not been an easy journey at times.” Her smile faltered for a second before her cheer returned, “But that is not a tale for today, right now we must focus on your recovery and what you plan to do after.”
Autumn followed the zebra’s gaze down and saw that a good portion of her body was covered in bandages. Her left hind leg was splinted and heavily wrapped in what seemed to be potion-soaked cloth, while her barrel was similarly damp from the slightly glowing blue liquid that dripped from the long strips of cotton. If felt strange, and yet she could practically feel the liquid helping to ease her aches and pains even as she lay there.
A single striped hoof was placed on the bed beside her, catching her attention and drawing it back to her host, “Rest now, we can talk more later once you have regained more of your strength. You have been through much, and it is only a fool who pushes the patience of Thanatos when treading near his domain.”
The last thing Autumn thought of as her eyes fluttered closed again, was who in the buck was Thanatos?
Autumn spent the next couple days learning from her new friend. The zebra shared many things with her in that time, from which plants were safe to eat to what parts of the forest to avoid. She learned that the place she had been carried into by the river was known as the Everfree and was home to many monsters that would make a quick meal out of her if she wasn’t careful. Any yet, Autumn flourished under Sihle’s tutelage, growing stronger from the healthy foods that had been denied to her for most of her life. That combined with her natural earth pony strength meant that there was little she couldn’t face in the forest without needing Sihle’s help. All and all, there was much to be learned from the zebra, although the mare’s belief in multiple guardian spirits grated on the back of Autumn’s mind from time to time.
Unfortunately, Autumn’s luck couldn’t hold out forever, and it was on one of her many solo journeys into the deeper parts of the forest that she ran into trouble. The first warning she received was the sudden silence that fell over the land around her, the second was the foul stench that filled the air as if she had stepped into a pile of rotting plants. The third and final warning was the ominous howl that pierced the sky as the rustling of bushes began to sound off from multiple directions.
Knowing what her pursuers were, and understanding fully that if they caught her it would mean her death, Autumn abandoned the pack that had been filled with mushrooms and other useful herbs, breaking into a sprint as she tried to find a place to hide. A single vial of volatile green liquid flew from her hoof and shattered onto the ground behind her, releasing a cloud of potent irritant that would hopefully slow the Timberwolves down long enough for her to escape. By the sounds of loud yips and cries, at least some of the pack had been caught in her trap, but the baying and snapping jaws at her tail told her she hadn’t gotten them all.
Her breath rushing in her lungs, her eyes wide with panic, Autumn raced for her life through the brush, only ducking into a nearby crevasse at the last second as she rounded a corner against a tall rocky cliff. She pushed herself deeper into the cramped space, hearing the wolves digging at the rock behind her with their claws in an attempt to get to her. Yet the stone held against their wooden appendages, rubbing against her flanks and biting into her fur as she pushed herself deeper into the gap.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, Autumn managed to squeeze her way out of the narrow passage and into a larger cavern, illuminated from above by the sun as it forced its way through the trees and onto the rocky ground before her. The walls of the space were steep and smooth, worn away by years of rain until they were like the glass of her former master’s windows. Within the center of the space, its branches withered and dry from years of neglect, was a single bush that was seemingly barely holding on to the last feeble leaf that hung from its topmost stem.
Autumn looked for another way out of the grotto, but with the smooth sides and only the narrow crevasse behind her, there was no other way to escape her newfound haven. Autumn breathed a sigh of relief, only to freeze in terror as the sound of claws on stone reached her ears from above. Turning her attention back to the forest above the grotto, she spotted more of the Timberwolves slowly working their way over the edges of the walls, their claws digging into the rock as she heard more working at the exit behind her.
Trapped, she knew that in her heart as several of the wolves jumped from the cliffs and shattered upon the ground before her, slowly forming again as the magic that gave them life pulled the rotting bits of wood back into place. Her eyes closed on their own as she curled up into a ball, knowing that at any moment her life would be over. The howls of the wolves echoed around her as it bounced off of the stone walls that would become her grave, and so Autumn did the only thing left for her as she felt the hot breath of one of the monsters wash over her face.
“Please, take me unto thy embrace with honor and peace,” she prayed with all of her might as the wolf pressed her into the ground with one massive paw, its teeth scraping against her neck as it prepared to bite down and end her young life, “for I have nothing left to give to this world. Faust preserve my family and to protect my new friend Sihle as she carries on without me.”
Her mind at peace, her soul ready to join her friends in the Golden Fields, Autumn waited for the wolf to finish her off, but it was not to be. From out of nowhere, a wave of light erupted from in front of her, a wash of heat and hope running through her very soul as the wolves cried out in fear and pain. She could almost hear the wood around her crackling as she kept her eyes tightly closed, praying that whatever new monster this was made her death a quick and painless one. Yet after all was said and done, there was nothing, no sound, no foul scent of rot, nothing.
Autumn opened her eyes very slowly and beheld something that was beyond her imagination. For the bush that had rested in the center of the grotto, was no longer just a dried and withered husk. Flickering in soft dances of light, its colors almost too beautiful to describe, was a fire, somehow clinging to the branches of the old bush but not doing it any harm. Autumn slowly stood up, her hooves shaking from the fear that had been racing through her veins, and slowly turned around, preparing to leave this place and to never return. Yet something drew her gaze back to the flames, the impossible flames that burned without harming the bush, giving off light but no noticeable heat.
Overcome by curiosity, Autumn slowly stepped forward, her mind filled with awe as she carefully lifted a hoof to touch the mystic fire. It was comforting, almost tingling against her fur but causing absolutely no pain as it bent and wavered around her hoof. She pulled her leg back just to be sure she wasn’t imagining it, but her limb was unharmed. Autumn was tempted to try and take some of the flame back with her to show Sihle, but her thoughts were overridden as her ears picked up a soft sound on the edge of her hearing.
“Autumn.”
Her head spun as she tried to pinpoint the location of the voice, but it seemed to come from everywhere at once, a soft breeze washing over her mane and head every time it said her name.
“Autumn.”
Cautious, but sensing no danger from this new voice, Autumn carefully called out, turning to face the rock behind her as her ears swiveled back and forth, “Here I am.”
For a moment there was silence, but then the voice returned, clear and warm as it spoke in an almost ethereal quality, “Do not fear, my child, for the place on which you stand is holy ground. No monster can harm you here, so long as you have faith.”
Autumn slowly turned back to face the bush, the flames growing taller as she quietly asked, “Who are you?”
The flames flickered and danced as the mare’s voice echoed through the air, “I am, that I am.”
“I don’t understand.” Autumn took a hesitant step forward as she tried to figure out what was happening, “Please, tell me who you are.”
“I am the goddess that created this world.” The voice replied, “The one who the ponies have prayed to for untold centuries. The name I have given unto mortal kind by which to call me, is Faust.”
Awe and wonder, those were the emotions that dominated Autumn’s mind as she stared at the flames before her. Faust, the very goddess of creation itself, had come before her and was actually speaking to her! Autumn shook her head, trying to make the images her eyes were seeing go away, and yet no matter what she did, the flames remained.
Overcome with shock, Autumn fell to her stomach, her legs losing the ability to support her as she bowed her head in reverence, “Great Mother, why would you show yourself to one as lowly as I? I am but a simple earth pony, lost and alone in a world that cares not for pony lives.”
The voice chuckled softly, a warm and loving noise that made Autumn’s heart swell with hope and love, “You are far more than what you see in yourself, my little pony. Do not hate the world for actions that have been committed by a single race. That is why I have come down before you, and why you are more than what you believe yourself to be.”
Autumn lifted her head slowly, confusion overtaking her as she stared at the burning bush, whose branches had begun to sprout with new leaves and flower buds, “Me? What would you desire of me?”
The flames took on a much brighter tone, the force of the wind in Autumn’s mane growing stronger as the colors shifted from cooler blues and greens to crimson and sunset oranges, “I have seen the suffering of my children in Equestria, and have heard their cries under the cruel control of the gryphons. So, I have come down to deliver them out of slavery and bring the land back to the glory it once had. A land flowing with milk and honey, where ponies can be free to discover the destinies that I have laid out before them.”
Autumn felt the strength returning to her legs, her body standing slowly as tears rose unbidden in her eyes, “You really mean it? You’ve come to save us, to free us from the chains that we have been bound in for so long?”
“No, my child, I have not.” Autumn’s heart sank like a stone at the Goddess’s words, but was quickly filled with confusion as she continued, “While the faith of my little ponies is still strong, there is only so much I can do. I created the world and all that lives upon it, but it is because I forged the laws of nature that prevents me from interfering on my own. I removed myself from the physical plane so that balance may be maintained. However, that balance has been shifted, and it is my duty as the warden of this world to set it right. Therefore, I shall send a messenger in my stead, a pony of pure heart and peerless faith to deliver my children from their imprisonment.”
Confusion shifted once again to hope in Autumn’s heart, her eyes widening as she walked closer to the flames, “And who will this messenger be? Am I meant to find her?”
The flames flickered slightly from side to side, as if Faust had shaken her head, “No, there is only one who is free to act on my behalf, and that pony is standing before me now.” Autumn’s eyes widened as far as they could go, her pupils nearly expanding to take up her entire gaze as the goddess finished, “Unto the Emperor, I shall send you, Autumn Song.”
“M-M-Me?!?!” Her voice cracked as she stumbled back several paces, “Who am I to speak before the Emperor? How can I possibly lead the other ponies if they won’t even listen to me? I’m a nopony, they’ll never believe me!”
“I shall teach you what to say,” Faust’s voice had taken on a tone that reminded Autumn of her mother when talking to the younger foals when they didn’t understand something, “you need only to heed my words and you shall be triumphant.”
Panic set in as Faust’s words registered in Autumn’s mind, her heart racing in fear as her rump impacted the stone wall behind her. “B-But how can I possibly make any of the gryphons listen? They would only laugh at me and then put me in chains again! I just earned my freedom at the cost of my best friend’s life. I won’t allow her sacrifice to be in vain!” Red-hot fury filled Autumn’s veins as she screamed at the flames, tears running down her face as she fought to keep her voice from cracking, “I will not be chained again, not even if you strike me down here and now! How could I even speak to the emperor when they would never even let me into their court?!”
A wave of heat and wind washed over Autumn’s body as the fire flared brightly, Faust’s voice echoing in her skull as she was bodily tossed against the stone behind her. The wind was knocked from her lungs as she slumped against the wall, her body curling up tightly as terror flooded her heart and soul, “WHO GAVE MORALS SPEECH? WHO MADE THE DEAF, THE MUTE, THE SEEING OR THE BLIND? DID NOT I? NOW GO!”
Autumn shook from mane to tail as she held her hooves over her head, fresh tears of fear running down her face as she sobbed into the dirt. She had angered the very being who had come to save them all, and now she was going to pay for it with damnation.
A gasp escaped Autumn’s lips as her eyes shot open, her body being lifted slowly by the now silver-white flames. She was gently placed on the tips of her hooves as she faced the bush once again, her heart filled with the purest hope and love she could have ever imagined.
“Oh, my sweet child,” Faust’s voice was soft now, soothing and overflowing with calm, tender care, “I shall be with you when you go before the emperor, but the gryphons will not listen.” A column of fire rose slowly, twisting and turning before curling into a knot high above the grotto’s rim, “So I shall stretch out my hoof, and smite them, with all my wonders.”
The ball of fire erupted into the most beautiful display Autumn had ever seen, her mind, body and soul nearly overwhelmed with the sheer majesty of what she was seeing. This wasn’t any ordinary light, no, this was Faust in her true glory, given form in the purest of ways.
“Unto thee, I shall bestow a gift.” Faust’s voice shook with power, but Autumn wasn’t afraid, even as the flames spread to fill every inch of the grotto before slowly condensing into a mass of pure light before her. The fire slowly faded away, revealing a thin, golden hoof bracelet that was adorned with six colorful jewels, “Place this bracelet around thy hoof, Autumn. With it, you shall do my wonders.”
The fire faded away completely as the bracelet was slowly set upon the ground before her, Faust’s voice echoing softly into the distance as fresh tears of joy ran down Autumn’s cheeks. “I shall be with you, Autumn Song, always.”
“Autumn.”
“Autumn.”
Autumn slowly lifted a shaking hoof to her chest, feeling the warmth of Faust’s spirit slowly fade from her being, her breathing shaken but strong as she turned her gaze to the golden bracelet that lay upon the ground before her. Ever so carefully, she reached out and picked it up, cradling it against her chest before lifting it into the sunlight for a closer look.
It was perfectly sized to fit her leg; she could tell just by looking at it. The gold shined in the evening sun while the jewels embedded within seemed to glow with an internal flame, holding an immense power behind their facetted forms. The six gems were evenly spaced around the edge of the bracelet, ranging in colors from the deepest purple to the brightest sky blue and the red of fresh cherries. Autumn slid it over her right hoof, feeling the metal hug her fur as it came to rest just below her fetlock.
Taking one last look at the grotto and smiling softly at the now blooming bush before her, Autumn turned away and left through the tunnel she had come through before. All the way back to Sihle’s home, nothing within the Everfree threatened her, none of the dangerous plants prevented her progress, and it was as if the very trees shifted from her path to allow her safe passage. Her mind was still in a daze after all she had seen and heard, the weight of the gold on her leg reminding her with every step that all of it had been real.
It was a surreal experience that occupied Autumn’s mind even as she walked into Sihle’s hut, her attention only coming back to the waking world as the shaman gasped and nearly tackled the mare in her panic.
“Spirits above, my child, what in the world happened to you?!” Autumn nearly fell backwards as the zebra tilted her head back and from side to side, her hooves digging in slightly as the other mare inspected the bruises and cuts that littered her body, “You look like you got into a battle with a manticore.”
“More like a pack of Timberwolves,” Autumn stated before her mind could catch up with her mouth.
Sihle’s eyes widened even further, her movements growing more frantic as she inspected Autumn from head to tail, “How did you survive?! Even I would be hard pressed to get away from a pack of Timberwolves, and I’ve been living in this forest for over a decade!”
Autumn pushed Sihle away from her to keep from getting tipped bodily onto her back, “Alright, leave me be for a moment. I’m fine, Sihle.” She had to make the zebra back up a second time before she caught sight of the band around her leg.
Sihle’s expression shifted from worry to confusion as she carefully lifted Autumn’s leg and inspected the bracelet with wide eyes, “Where did you get this?” Her gaze snapped to Autumn’s, “You didn’t steal it from a gryphon noble, did you?!”
Autumn rolled her eyes, “As if I would ever get close enough to a noble to even attempt stealing something like this. No,” Autumn’s gaze lowered to her hoof and the godly gift that rested around her leg, “this was a gift.”
Now Sihle’s expression shifted back to confusion, “A gift? Who could possibly give something of such value as a mere gift?”
Autumn matched the skeptical zebra’s gaze with her own, “Faust came before me just as I was about to die. She told me of many things but above all else, She said that I had been chosen to spread her message, and to free my fellow ponies from the chains of slavery.”
Now it was Sihle’s turn to roll her eyes, “Really, child, must you make up such fantastic stories? You could simply tell me the truth and I would believe you.”
Indignation rose in Autumn’s chest, but just as she was opening her mouth to retort with a barbed comment, a very familiar voice seemed to echo in the back of her mind, telling her what she needed to do. Moving almost as if under the spell of another, Autumn turned to face the door, Sihle’s frightened expression catching the corner of her eye but doing nothing to stop her as she walked out into the grove that spread out from the doorway of the zebra’s home. Sihle followed her out, her steps both cautious and measured as her eyes remained locked on Autumn. The earth pony could tell that something was about to happen, but as to what, she had no idea.
Then, from the bushes, a lone Timberwolf stepped out from the shadows and made its way over to the two mares. Autumn felt Sihle try and drag her back into the hut, but her superior strength prevented the zebra from moving her. Finally, Sihle raced into the hut and slammed the door shut, the clatter of vials and other things reaching Autumn’s ears as the wooden wolf drew ever closer.
Yet, Autumn wasn’t afraid for her life as she had been before. All she could feel was peace as the massive hunter stopped before her, towering over her smaller body as its rotting breath washed over her. Sihle had just opened the door and rushed to Autumn’s side when the earth pony placed a hoof in the zebra’s way, the vial that had been gripped in Sihle’s hoof falling to the ground and exploding in a puff of green smoke.
Sihle turned towards Autumn with panic and confusion in equal measure in her gaze but stopped cold when her eyes locked with Autumn’s. She slowly lowered her hoof back to the ground as Autumn stepped forward, her hoof reaching out to gently rub under the wolf’s chin as the light pink gem glowed softly.
“Peace.” Autumn’s voice was both her own and at the same time held a weight that no mere mortal could ever hope to carry, her smile almost mother-like as the gem began to glow brighter, “You no longer have to live in suffering, not anymore.” Autumn’s smile grew as the gem flared brightly, “HEAL.”
Before their eyes, the Timberwolf slowly began to change, the rotting wood and leaves that made up its body slowly fell to the forest floor, making way for fresh plant life that grew in to replace the lost weight. Autumn kept her hoof against the wolf’s chin as the pink jewel slowly faded once more, the transformation slowing with the dimming light as the last of the dead leaves were replaced with new growth. Once it was done, Autumn’s mind seemed to come back to itself, her eyes widening in shock as she fell back on her haunches and held her hooves before her eyes.
“D-Did I just do that?” The words shook in her mouth as she tried to comprehend what had just happened.
“Ngamadlozi.” Sihle managed to say as her jaw slowly rose from its place on the ground, “You – You purified it of the dark magic that makes it what it is, yet it still stands here before us instead of falling apart.” The shaman turned to face Autumn fully as she bowed her head and bent her front legs, “Forgive me for my foolishness, Omkhulu, I did not understand that a Great Spirit was standing before me. Truly I am unworthy to be in your presence.”
Autumn’s eyes widened as she stood up, pulling her friend into a hug before the zebra could react, “Please don’t start that with me, Sihle. I don’t have any idea what I just did, and I am almost certain that it was Faust’s doing that allowed for this miracle, not me.” She pushed Sihle back just enough so they could lock gazes, “She told me that I am to be Her messenger, the one who shall make the ponies and gryphons of Equestria see what needs to be done in Her image. I am not a great spirit or whatever you just called me. I am a mortal pony who happens to have the blessing of the Divine Creator. Please,” Autumn felt tears growing in her eyes as Sihle backed up a step or two, “I don’t want you to fear me after all that you have done to help me learn since you saved my life.”
The zebra didn’t answer for a moment, but Autumn’s hope rose as a soft smile began to take form on Sihle’s muzzle, “Very well, child, I shall do my best to remember that you are still the same young mare I pulled from the river. Divine powers or not, you are my ward, and it would be foolish of me to fear a mare who can barely keep herself out of trouble.”
Autumn’s cheeks puffed up in a pout, “Well you don’t need to treat me like I’m a foal, I’m twenty-three summers old.”
Now Sihle’s smile returned full force, and with a hint of mirth, “Ah, but I am nearly twice that and therefore know much more about the world than you do. Grown in body you may be, there is still much that you need to learn.” Her gaze traveled to the band around Autumn’s leg, “Starting with how that gift of your actually works and what you need to do with it.”
Autumn lifted her leg, although her next words were interrupted by a wet piece of bark the size of her hoof rubbing up against the side of her neck. With a yelp, Autumn fell over on her side as she realized that the changed Timberwolf hadn’t left and was now standing over her with its long leaf tongue lolling out of its mouth. Before she could voice her shock, the wolf began to lick all over her face and upper body, muffling her cries and making her movements ineffectual as it covered her in sweet-smelling sap. Finally, Sihle seemed to take pity on the poor mare, after she had managed to stop rolling on the ground laughing and pulled the panting and tail-wagging beast off of Autumn.
Autumn managed to pull herself off of the ground, although she could feel her fur sticking to itself and nearly everything else as she pried herself into a standing position. Her expression was one of tried patience as Sihle rubbed the wolf’s belly, making soft cooing noises as the hulking monster lay on its back, wagging its tail with enough force to make a small windstorm as a hind leg kicked wildly in the air.
Autumn let out a long-suffering sigh as her lips curled into a smile, a glob of sap falling from her mane onto the tip of her muzzle, “You know he’s going to make a mess of your garden if you don’t stop that, right?”
Sihle paused in her motions, seeming to take note of the wolf’s proximity to her herb garden for the first time and the rather windswept status most of the taller shoots had taken on.
Sihle let out a sigh of her own as she climbed off the beast, her smile matching Autumn’s as the wolf climbed to its paws, “Ah, but you are going to be the one who takes care of him, after all, it was your doing that made him as he is. It would be a sad thing indeed to see such a miracle go to waste, don’t you think?”
Autumn rolled her eyes, “Whatever you say, although I’m not really sure what to do with him. He can’t live in the forest anymore, and he certainly won’t fit inside the hut with us.”
“We shall think of something.” Sihle replied as she petted the wolf on the side of his neck, “In the meantime, I believe he needs a name. A creature such as him should have something to distinguish himself from the others, don’t you agree?”
Autumn paused for a moment, her mind spinning with possibilities as her gaze travelled over the wolf’s body. Yet, all of it came to a halt as she spotted a single pattern in the wood that made up the top of the wolf’s muzzle and head. Almost as if it had been carved into the very grain of the bark, was a flowing image of a flame. In fact, if it hadn’t been part of the wolf before her, Autumn could have sworn that it was the same fire she had seen when Faust had come down before her.
Autumn smiled wider as she spoke, “His name shall be Ner Tamid, the Eternal Flame.
Together, Autumn and Sihle attempted to learn more about the powers that the bracelet seemed to hold, but even after four days of trying dozens of different tests, there was still nothing either mare could do to activate it. Even the pink gem, which had somehow transformed Ner from his corrupted self into a whole and healthy creature, remained inert. Finally, at their wits’ end and having run out of ideas, Autumn and Sihle gave up trying to force the bracelet to reveal its powers. There had been one thing that had crossed both of their minds at one point, but both agreed that a gift as powerful as this would reject the misuse of its power if they attempted to trick it into working. Harming themselves in order to require the healing magic the pink jewel held was both abhorrent in nature and went against everything they both held dear to heart.
Thus, Autumn prepared to leave the safety of her new home, while also learning more about how Ner seemed to function since he no longer sustained himself off dark magic. The massive plant-wolf seemed to now hold to the same rules that normal magical plants did, drinking fresh water from the nearby river and sunning himself in the clearing outside Sihle’s hut when the weather permitted. His loyalty to her was near absolute, even going so far as to defy Sihle when they gave him opposing orders. Sihle stated that it was because of Autumn’s magic that had allowed him to be reborn in the first place that forged this extreme loyalty, although her explanation did nothing to stop Autumn’s heart from stopping every time the wolf managed to tackle her from behind and playfully nibble at the base of her neck. Loyal or not, she was still a prey animal in the instinctive sense and being pinned and ‘bitten’ by a huge predator did nothing good for her peace of mind while she had so much else to worry about.
Finally, the time had come. Autumn had completed all the preparations she could for her voyage beyond the safety of the Everfree Forest, although there was still one thing left to do before she and Ner departed. Tears ran down the mare’s cheeks as she hugged her mentor firmly, her forelegs wrapped around Sihle’s shoulders as the zebra returned the gesture with one of her own. The zebra’s smile was proud and at the same time sad, knowing that it may be many moons before she would see her student again, if ever.
“You will do fine on your own,” Sihle shushed the sobbing mare gently as she pulled away, “the spirits are your allies and you have the gifts of a goddess to keep you safe.” She chuckled softly as Ner leaned down and licked up Autumn’s tears, forcing a giggle from the distraught earth pony’s lips as she wiped the sap from her cheeks, “Although with our leafy friend at your side I doubt you will need them unless the situation turns truly dire.”
Autumn nodded, sniffing loudly as she cleaned the last of the sap from her fur, “I know, Sihle, but it still feels like I’m leaving my home all over again. There is so much I don’t know about the world, and so many things that could go wrong.”
The zebra smiled as she placed a hoof on Autumn’s chest, “You will find the way, as sure as the sun rises and sets, your path will carry you to the destiny you were meant to find. Trust in yourself, trust in the goddess you hold in your heart, and above all else, trust in your fellow ponies to stand strong while you work towards their freedom. It has been hundreds of years since your homeland was taken from you, it will not matter if they must wait a few years more for their salvation.”
Autumn nodded, knowing that the other mare was right, even though there was a knot of nerves coiled tight in the center of her chest. She was ready to go, and the only thing that was currently holding her back were her own fears of the unknown. Squaring her jaw and holding her head high, Autumn managed to share a smile one last time with her mentor and friend before turning around and walking away. Ner fallowed closely at her left side while Sihle called farewell from her doorstep, bringing a single tear to Autumn’s eyes as the duo entered the shade beneath the thick forest canopy.
Sihle did not know the location of the capital city, although in her brief travels to the edge of the forest she had managed to locate a village on the western border. It was a small town with only a few hundred residents by her estimations, which would allow for Autumn to hopefully sneak in and out without being noticed. All Autumn needed was a map and perhaps a disguise, given the simple brown cloak Sihle had given her did very little to hide her rather unique features. She had food enough to last a week or more if she was careful and knew how to forage for more if she had to. Thus, with Ner padding along by her side, Autumn ventured into the unknown for the first time since she left her home, her heart set and her mind clear with the mission she had been given.
It took up to the end of that first day for Autumn to reach the edge of the forest, although that worked in her favor as it would be much easier to work at night instead of having to evade the gryphon citizens during the day. She directed Ner to remain at the forest’s perimeter while she went ahead, knowing that the wolf was not exactly the stealthiest of creatures. She could call for him if needed, but the less attention she drew to herself, the better, unless she wanted to have her face posted on every wanted board in the region. She had seen other escaped slaves’ wanted posters at her home from time to time, usually with rather large sums of gold for their return. However, one fact that had always sent shivers down her spine was that the posters had a line at the very bottom in bold letters, right under the reward value.
‘WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE’
Autumn knew that there were bounty hunters that had come to the farm at times looking for escaped slaves, and from the reek of blood that seemed to cling to them like a second skin, there wasn’t much likelihood that their prey managed to return home in one piece. Autumn hoped to avoid detection for as long as possible, but with as little understanding of the outside world as she possessed, it was only a matter of time until she was noticed. Her only hope was that when the time came, she would have the strength to protect herself.
Working her way from the forest up to the first row of houses, Autumn took a moment to inspect her surroundings while tilting her ears this way and that. The last thing she needed was to have a late-night adventurer stumble upon her by mistake. When she was satisfied that she was alone, Autumn continued into the alley between two houses, her movements slowing with each step until she was literally crawling from shadow to shadow. Her body hugged the ground while avoiding the circles of light that surrounded the scattered street posts, moving from bush to bush and wall to darkness-covered wall. Autumn had a general idea of what she was looking for but having never been outside her home on the farm, her lack of knowledge was beginning to show, and it was starting to frustrate the poor mare. She needed a map, and she knew that it would likely be found in a library or the town hall, but as to where she could find said buildings and what they looked like was beyond her scope of understanding.
It took Autumn most of the night to finally locate what she thought was the library, if the sign out front with an open book was any indication, by which point her nerves had been stretched to near breaking and she could feel the fur on the back of her neck rising in fear with every passing second. She was running out of time, and without a map she couldn’t find her way to the capital, let alone know where to go once she left the vicinity of the Everfree. Autumn slipped into an alley next to the library to catch her breath for a moment, her heart slowing from its frantic racing as she focused her mind.
“You can do this.” She whispered to herself, “Just get in, grab a map, and get out. No trouble.”
Taking a quick glance around her to make sure she was still alone, Autumn picked herself up and slipped out of the alley, working her way across the open road until she could press herself against the library’s wall. She knew the front door would most likely be locked, so she hoped that at least one of the windows had been left open by mistake. Stealth wouldn’t really mean much if she had to kick in the front door of the building, alerting half the village to her presence in the process.
Working her way from one window to the next, Autumn slowly pressed each one upward with a hoof, hoping to find one that wasn’t locked. However, her luck didn’t seem to be on her side at that time, because she completed a circle around the entire building without finding a single open window. Frustrated, and knowing that she had to go soon if she wanted to reach the safety of the forest by dawn, Autumn kicked a small stone before turning back the way she had come.
She had only taken a few steps when the sound of an opening door reached her ears, her head snapping up in panic as she turned towards the sound. Off to her left, where a previously dark alley had sat between two buildings, was now a shaft of light that spilled out of an open door. Autumn’s breath caught in her throat as a gryphon stepped into the opening, casting a shadow against the far wall, before picking up a large bundle and tossing it onto the ground outside the dwelling. It looked like an overly large sack full of grain, but it turned out to be much worse once the tie keeping the sack closed slipped undone.
Autumn gasped as a single taloned hand appeared from the interior of the sack, the light from the doorway leaving no question in the mare’s mind as to what it was attached to. The larger gryphon did nothing as the talon gripped the dirt between the sack and the doorway, digging divots in the soil as the owner attempted to move. The entire scene passed by in front of Autumn’s eyes, the mare frozen in place as the rest of the limb came into sight, followed slowly by the battered and bruised face of a young hen. Autumn was close enough that the cuts on her face and her swollen eye were easy to see, along with the bend in the gryphon’s upper foreleg that was not supposed to be there.
Finally, the poor thing lost what little strength she seemed to possess, her head falling limp against the ground with only half of her body free from the sack. Her claws reached for the other gryphon for a moment before falling still as well, the larger male huffing in finality before closing the door once again. The light from the interior went out shortly after as the resident presumably went back to sleep, leaving the young hen alone in the alley, her breathing rasping in Autumn’s ears as soft sobbing could be heard in the darkness.
Autumn’s first instinct was to run. There was no reason she had to do anything and if the gryphon inside the house came back out, she would be discovered for sure. And yet, as the sobbing hen grew quiet, Autumn felt her heart go out to the poor creature. She didn’t know her, didn’t know what had caused her to end up like this or if there was anything that could be done, but she knew what it was like to feel helpless. Autumn waited for a moment longer, just to be sure that the male wasn’t going to come back, before slipping from the shadows and making her way up to the sack containing the beaten hen.
As she came closer, the smell of sick and blood assaulted her nose, forcing her to cover her muzzle with a hoof as she stepped up to the hen. Now that she had a better look, she could tell that the gryphon had been like this for a long time, if the old scars on her body and face were anything to go by. The feathers on her upper body were uneven and dirty, and the little bit of fur that was visible was also matted with large clumps clinging to her sides. Her other forelimb hung limp beside her, the shoulder joint obviously dislocated while the extended arm was definitely broken just above the elbow. Autumn could see the hen’s eyes were open, but she was either in too much pain or too weak to notice the earth pony’s presence. All she did was stare at the door she had been thrown out of, her breathing rough and shallow as she lay there with only half of her body out of the sack.
While a large part of Autumn’s mind told her to leave the hen and get out of the village as fast as she could, there was a voice that told her this wasn’t a coincidence. Why would the other gryphon have done all of this and then leave her out in the cold to die, when Autumn just happened to be in the area to witness the event and could do something about it? Autumn had heard about divine intervention before from the tales her mother had told her as a filly, but this was the first time she had actually thought about it as something real. Here she was, in the perfect position to help one of her greatest enemies or walk away and let the hen die without doing anything. It was a choice she knew the obvious answer to, but there was still a part of her that said this was a once in a lifetime decision. She could walk away now, or she could break the cycle of suffering that had been perpetuated between her kind and the gryphons for hundreds of years.
She could save one of her enemies and show mercy where the hen’s own species had failed to do the same.
A growl escaped her muzzle as she shook her head, fighting against her better judgement as she paced back and forth. She knew doing anything with the hen could easily come back to very literally bite her in the plot, but if she didn’t help then it was obvious that the hen wouldn’t last until morning. Stomping a hoof to settle her mind, Autumn turned to face the hen, walking up to the battered gryphon and reaching down with her mouth to bite the edge of the sack. The smell of blood and other things nearly made her gag, but she fought through the reflex and blinked several times to clear the tears from her vision.
With a mighty heave, and a soft moan of pain from the hen, Autumn lifted the gryphon’s front half up and over her withers. She grunted as the larger creature’s weight fell limply on her back, her claws dragging in the dirt on either side of her barrel while her lower half trailed behind Autumn’s tail. It wasn’t easy to move like that, but at least the hen wasn’t trying to shift around while Autumn took step after strained step. Even with her earth pony strength, it was a struggle to move with any kind of speed as she worked her way back out of the village and into the Everfree once again. Ner met her at the edge with a happy bark, although his panting shifted into a concerned whine as he sniffed at the battered and bloody gryphon hanging off Autumn’s back.
Autumn pet the lupine gently as she worked just a bit further into the forest, hoping to avoid detection should someone come looking after dawn. She didn’t think it was likely, but better safe then sorry. “Come on, Ner, let’s see if there is anything we can do for her.”
The hulking plant-wolf whined again but followed obediently as she led him further into the forest, stopping at a clearing nearby as she gently slid the gryphon off her back and to the soft grass. Autumn noticed that the sack had slid off the hen’s body at some point in the journey, revealing that while dirty, the soft gold fur and black spots of her hind end were still distinguishable. This paired well with the dark golden-brown feathers that covered her upper half, her beak a soft banana yellow against the green grass she rested in. And yet, her striking coloration was marred by the dozens of scars that covered her back and the leading edges of her wings, working up her neck and across her face in a jigsaw of grey lines and wider masses of scar tissue. That, combined with the obvious broken bones and other injuries that were scattered around her body, told Autumn all she needed to know concerning the type of life the hen had lived.
The hen’s eyes had closed at some point as well, leaving only her weak and rattled breathing as a sign that she was still alive. Autumn knew some healing techniques thanks to Sihle’s teachings, but there was nothing that could be done for the hen in her current condition. Autumn glanced down at the pink jewel that glinted in the moonlight on her leg, letting out a sigh as she carefully placed the corresponding hoof on the hen’s side, closing her eyes as she prayed.
“Please, Faust, give me the power to save this ailing soul.” Autumn knew that every other attempt to activate the gem had failed, but this time there was a reason for its use. She only hoped that it would work this time when it mattered most, “Help me save one who has suffered just as much as any pony, one who deserves your kindness and mercy even more than I.”
Autumn opened her eyes and smiled as the gem began to glow, the light traveling down her hoof and into the gryphon’s body. The wounds and bruising that covered her flanks slowly began to fade, her legs shifting back into position as the scars that littered her coat disappeared one by one. It took several minutes, far longer than the transformation that had changed Ner, but the end result was more than worth it as the light faded back into the jewel.
Laying in the grass, her breathing slow and peaceful as she slept, was a clean, healthy, and as much as Autumn was loathed to admit it, beautiful young hen. Autumn was never very good at telling how old a gryphon was, but if she had to guess, the hen before her wasn’t much older than herself, if not the same age. Even so, there was a swelling of emotion in her chest as she beheld the healed gryphon before her, and she allowed a tear to run down her face as she held a hoof to her chest. Autumn lifted her gaze to the star-covered sky, a smile gracing her lips as she whispered softly into the gentle night breeze.
“Thank you.”
Returning her gaze to the hen, she noticed that the gryphon was shivering in the cold. The smile faded from Autumn’s face as she realized that she only had one blanket, and she wasn’t about to sleep in the cold just to keep the hen from freezing. Glancing at her saddlebags, she debated for a moment about what to do, before letting out a sigh of resignation. She pulled out the simple brown blanket that she had received from Sihle as part of her supplies and walked over to the hen as Ner lay down in the center of the clearing. The plant-wolf rested his head on his front paws, his body facing the duo as Autumn pulled the blanket over both herself and the hen.
It felt both right and at the same time terrifying to be resting so close to a gryphon, but as the hen’s shivering settled, she allowed herself to lay against the larger female’s side as she closed her eyes. The soft beat of the hen’s heart and the now smooth breathing of her lungs soon lulled Autumn into a half-sleep state, quickly fading into true sleep as the warmth under the blanket rose to a comfortable level.
Autumn didn’t feel it as she lay next to her companion, but in her own slumber, the hen wrapped her forelegs around Autumn’s barrel, resting her chin in the earth pony’s mane as her lower half curled up and around Autumn’s body. Ner simply observed them while keeping watch, his glowing green eyes slowly overtaken by the rising light of dawn.
