Escape into Exile (Pt1|Ch1)

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It would be a lie to say that I was well versed in the art of prayer. As that much was true, I was unsure if I should take some sort of posture or not. Pondering this for a moment, I realized that I was wasting time.

Ah, to Oblivion with formalities, I reasoned.

“Dread father...” I began, hands relaxed at my sides. I paused in thought for a moment before continuing, “...if it is your will that tonight of all nights I am brought to the void, then so be it. However, I ask of you your blessing so that I may make the best of this night. Help my blades find their way through the flesh of my enemies, help my arrows find the hearts of my enemies, and help my movement become unheard by my enemies so that I may represent you and our family this night, dread father.

“Help me so that I may send many a soul to the void in your name, for I am your blade, your arrow, your tool. I am your instrument of death, I have been since the day of my initiation and that will never change no matter how many worlds I must cross. Know that no matter where I am, be it Skyrim or Equestria, I represent you in all that I do. Until my dying day, and beyond, I live solely to serve.

“So help me serve, dread father. Grant me your dark blessing so that I may kill in your name, as your instrument of destruction, as your blade and as your arrow. I live to serve, so help me serve!

“In your name, hail Sithis!” I finished.

Silence echoed around the room. If I was expecting something spectacular then I didn’t get it. I stood in the silence a while, unsure if Sithis had granted me his blessing or not, could he even hear my prayer?

As I stood amongst the crowd of silence, my mind wandered back to how this had started. How a simple dark brother had broken a sacred rule and been banished to some world of friendship and magic, and how even in this new world, said dark brother continued to serve his dread father, Sithis...

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Part I: Recuperation and Acceptance

Chapter One: Escape into Exile

Tenet five... my mind began to quote.

My hand latched onto a low-laying tree branch, grabbing on tight and helping to bring myself to a gasping halt. Panting for air and sweating like a pig despite the cool night air, I reached into the pack on my back, digging around for another stamina potion.

...Never kill a Dark Brother or Dark Sister. To do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis, my mind finished.

Tenets be damned! I mentally spat back, The bastard deserved it, he deserved to die!

Really? Well who died and made you dictator of right and wrong?

My fingers found the flask that I was looking for, cutting off any other mental combat. I brought the potion to my mouth, biting off the cork and downing the cool, flavorless green liquid.

The effect was near-instantaneous, the fire in my legs eased into nothingness and my racing heart slowed back to a more natural speed. Without further ado, I sped off into the forest again, knowing that my pursuers could not be far behind. The trees grabbed at me with their scratching leaves, as if trying to aid my family and Sithis in my capture.

Former family, my mind corrected me.

Under normal circumstances, it was easy to lose pursuers. A quick slip into the shadows or a dive into a dark alleyway was usually enough to throw off the everyday guard or bandit. However, these weren’t normal circumstances. I was running from the very people who had taught me almost everything that I knew about stealth; slipping into the shadows now would be like slipping one of my own knives into my back, poison and all.

So without anything better to do, I ran.

And what do you plan on doing once you run out of stamina potions? My mind inquired, You can’t run forever, you know.

I can die trying! I retorted, pushing a piney branch out of my face.

The forest suddenly lifted up to a set of rolling plains. I didn’t for a second consider stopping as the short grasses were silently tread into the ground beneath my boots. Back in the forest, the trees would help stop my former family from gaining line of sight, but here in the open I had no such luxury. I was certain that the darkness wouldn’t help much either, all it took was a simple detect life spell and I’d be lit up like a torch.

From there, all it took was a single well placed arrow and I would be a dead argonian. But so long as I kept moving, the chance of getting shot was reduced.

It’s not all that hard to hit a running target when you shoot from behind, My mind commented, You should know, having done it plenty of times.

They have to stop and catch their breath if they want to get a clear shot off, I retorted, by then I’ll be out of range.

However, that was not necessarily the case.

Something heavy hit me in the right shoulder, almost sending me sprawling to the ground. The burning sensation of pain told me that the head of the arrow had penetrated my armor and was jabbing into my flesh.

“Fornication,” I spat, sending a silent plea to whatever deities were listening that my enchantments had stopped any poison. From the fact that I didn’t drop dead, the gods had heard my prayers and were smiling upon me.

Two more arrows chased after me, but both went wide and buried themselves in the dirt a few paces in front of me.

Either they’re getting frantic or you’re out of range, my mind observed.

Quiet, I growled back, no more distractions!

Ahead, blackness flew into infinity. There was no horizon as far as I could see, nothing. The land before me was as featureless as the void that I might soon be joining.

And as if on cue, a feature appeared. A hole opened up in the clouds above and moonlight from one of Nirn’s two moons shone onto a single spot in the darkness. The plot of land that it revealed was smooth and reflected the moonlight off of it.

That’s no plot of land, that’s a lake! I realized.

Seeing salvation in sight, I put on an extra burst of energy and made a beeline for the lake. If I could get to it, and the water was deep enough, I may just be able to lose my pursuers. Seeing that I was the only argonian in the Dark Brotherhood, none of my former family would be able to follow me if I decided to escape into the water.

It was apparent that my family also became aware of the lake as arrows started to rain down again. It was no matter that they were out of range, they simply filled the air with arrows and hoped to hit me. Yet they had no such luck.

Arrows fell around me, off to the side, in front of me, behind me, everywhere besides in me as I made the final set of steps and dove into the lake. In hindsight, it was probably a bad idea to simply dive in blind, but hitting some rocks was the least of my concern at that moment.

To say that the water was cold would be an understatement, to say that it was near the freezing point would be accurate. No matter the case, it bit into my scaled body with the intensity of a thousand needles and a blast of adrenaline racked my body as I pulled toward the bottom.

Perhaps diving into a freezing lake was not the best idea, Aram. You seem to have only swapped one fate for another, My mind observed.

I was already too cold to reply.

An arrow sank past my cheek, as if racing me to the bottom. I paid it no mind, I was too deep for any arrow to have an effect on me.

So what’s the plan, Aram? My mind asked, You don’t expect to simply lay down and freeze to death, do you?

My fingers, toes, and the tip of my tail were already numb and the rest of me was quickly following. Down here I was dead unless there was some cave below the water with a pocket of air where I could dry off within. Even then, it wasn’t a sure thing.

The moonlight streaming into the water gave very little illumination, barely touching the muck-covered bottom of the lake. Yet I knew that my eyes did not deceive me when a black splotch against a black background came into sight.

Is that...I wondered.

It was. Clawing my way through the frigid water, I made my way to the small cave. Perhaps if I could find a pocket of air with a dry alcove, I might be able to escape both my former family and my own demise!

I pushed onwards and into the cave.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Meanwhile, on the surface...

Positioned around the lake, most of the members of the Dark Brotherhood stood silently waiting. Their utter silence and serene postures betrayed the feeling of the calm before a storm. The group watched the ghostly life source of their former brother in the cold water below. After a few moments, the life source faded. A few of the assassins threw glances towards a dark sister questioningly.

The dark sister, eyes closed tight in concentration, frowned as the life force faded. She opened her eyes and recast the life detection spell, but it showed nothing of her former brother, Aram Falíe.

Thrice more, she cast the spell and thrice more she detected nothing.

“Is he..?” One of the dark brothers next to her asked.

The dark sister nodded, “He is dead.”

And with that, the opening in the clouds snapped shut, plunging the land of Skyrim into darkness once more.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Back underwater...

The cold had sapped all feeling from most of my limbs and tail, as well as the tip of my nose. My stomach had taken on a sickened feeling and hunger was starting to gnaw at my belly.

You’re feeling the onset of hypothermia, my mind stated.

So what? I replied apathetically, still clawing my way through the water.

Don’t you find it odd that, despite everything, Sithis has allowed you to escape? Knowing the dread father, he would have wanted you dead by a poisoned arrow or a dagger in the back, not a relatively painless death from freezing.

I, frankly, didn’t care.

Oh, well if you don’t care all that much, then what do you think about the fact that you’re moving faster than you can swim? Something is pulling you deeper into this cave, Aram.

A puzzled expression crossed my face and I stopped swimming for a moment. Despite the fact that I had stopped pulling myself through the water, I continued moving forwards. Something was dragging me deeper into the cave!

This is Sithis’ doing! I realized with trepidation.

I began to swim towards one of the cave walls, hoping to find something and hold on. Death by cold was better than whatever Sithis was guiding me towards.

I swam frantically towards the wall above me, hoping that I could find some purchase on it and stop myself from being pulled to my doom. After a few strokes, I was sure that I was about to reach the cave wall, except there wasn’t one.

My head burst up out of the water of a river. I blinked away the water in my eyes with sheer confusion. Two riverbanks flanked the river, barely discernable trees lined them in the darkness of the night.

What...in...oblivion..? I wondered, my mind drawing a blank. I had just been underwater in a cave, yet now I was being carried swiftly down a river? It didn’t compute.

Perhaps, had my mind not been so confused by the hypothermia and fact of where I now was, I might have heard the steadily growing roar and felt the steadily increasing speed of the water. As it was, I realized all too late that I was headed towards what was probably an untimely doom in the form of a waterfall.

As I was carried over the falls, I knew that this had to be Sithis’ doing. He had lured me into the cave and sent me down a stream. Now I was falling down a waterfall with Divines knew what laying at the bottom. Perhaps there was no bottom and I would be doomed to fall forever into a never-ending pit.

This idea was blasted away as my body was thrown against the rocks hiding at the bottom of the falls, shielded by white froth. The numbness was profound enough to suck away the pain in my limbs, but as my breath was knocked out from the impact I felt something snap in my chest.

I was a rag doll for the falls to play with for a few moments longer before being discarded. The water felt warmer here, but I was uncertain as to whether or not that meant that I was only colder or that the water was, in fact, warmer. Either way it didn’t matter.

The river slowed down a notch now that the waterfall was past.

What next, Sithis? I wondered, hoping that he could hear me, A bottomless pit after another set of falls? Spikes at the end of the falls? A cottage atop a short hill...My steadily fading vision cleared as a small cottage further up the river came into view.

I watched the cottage for a time before I realized that I was no longer moving. The river had become too shallow to continue carrying me and had deposited me like a gift a ways away from the cottage.

It’s do or die, Aram. Get up! My mind growled, Move, you fool!

I placed my numbed hands on the riverbed and pushed up. I made it a foot off the ground before collapsing again.

Get up, damn you! You’re going to die here, get up!

I tried again, this time rocking back to a kneeling position that quickly turned into a seated position as I fell back. Even in the darkness I could see that my right leg was at an odd angle, yet there was no pain due to the numbing chill of the water.

To oblivion with you! Get up!

Ever so slowly, I made my way to my feet and began taking stumbling steps towards the cottage. My feet splashed noisily through the water and I collapsed again, energy fading from my limbs.

My mind was fuzzy now and I heard nothing of my thoughts, only desires. The desires for warmth, for escape, for life. I placed a hand against my chest, which was still sensitive enough to feel the pain there.

Pushing up with my legs, I got up once again, finding strength where there shouldn’t have been any. Step after step, I made my way out of the shallow water and up the hill. The cold night air bit into my sopping armor, no doubt trying to hamper my escape to the cottage.

Before I knew it, the cottage was before me. I raised a hand to knock, but instead opted to simply collapse against the door as darkness swallowed me up.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Unknown amount of time later...

“Those who shirk their duties will get an extra beating, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Grelod,” We all replied with voices as downcast as our looks, not meeting her Hagraven-like gaze.

“And one more thing!” Grelod continued, “I will hear no more talk of adoptions! None of you riff-raff is getting adopted. Ever! Nobody needs you, nobody wants you,” The sound of footsteps stopped in the doorway to the room, I paid whoever it was no mind, my boots were more interesting, “That, my darlings, is why you’re here. Why you will always be here, until the day you come of age and get thrown into that wide, horrible world,” From my upper peripherals, I saw Grelod fold her arms, “Now, what do you all say?”

“We love you, Grelod. Thank you for your kindness,” We all chorused in our sad little voices. I knew better than to keep quiet, Grelod might have been ancient, but she had eyes and ears like a hawk. I had learned that lesson the hard way.

“That’s better. Now scurry off, my little guttersnipes,” The lot of us made way as Grelod walked up to the doorway and past the person standing in it. I finally had a chance to look at the backside of the person as they turned to Grelod, “What do you want?” She asked, “You have no business being here!”

Not saying a word, whoever it was drew a wicked looking knife and drove it into Grelod’s chest. She gasped as the knife was pulled from her chest and she collapsed into a pool of her own blood, dead.

All of our eyes widened in shock. We all knew that Aventus had plans, but we never thought that said plans would come to fruition.

Near the back of the room, Constance, Grelod’s assistant, stifled a gasp of shock.

The assassin’s head snapped around, his eyes narrowing as they locked onto her.

“I cannot best you!” Constance cried, trying to pull farther into the corner, away from the assassin.

On the flipside, us children had crowded around the assassin, our savior, and Grelod’s corpse. Our smiles were complemented with our exclamations of glee. Grelod the kind was finally dead! No more would we be treated poorly by her hand!

I lifted my gaze to the face of the assassin, a smile crossing my reptilian features.

Yet when I met the assassin’s gaze, I was met with a skeletal head with two black pits that bored into my soul. My heart froze in my chest as the creature slipped out two words from its bony face.

“Aram...” It hissed, “...Falíe...”

0 . o . 0

I sat up quickly with a gasp, eyes wide and searching. They only found purchase, however, on what appeared to be the interior of a bedroom.

In a second, pain in my chest caught up with my sharp movement and I clenched my teeth in pain, falling back into the bed.

“Fornication,” I muttered as the pain slowly but surely subsided.

Once the pain was down to a dull throbbing, I tried sitting up again, this time more slowly. I supported myself with my hands as I took in my surroundings. The room had the general look of a bedroom, with wardrobes and a small fireplace and chimney.

Odd, I commented mentally. I had expected to awaken inside of a jail cell. Dark Brotherhood armor wasn’t easily mistaken for anything else, so the fact that I was not imprisoned was odd.

This cottage did seem rather secluded, perhaps whoever lives here doesn’t know about the Dark Brotherhood. Bah, what does it matter? Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

I still wasn’t so sure, was this another ploy by Sithis?

What does it matter? My mind asked, You’re warm, dry, and very much alive. If Sithis wanted you dead, you’d be dead.

This thought brought a sudden dread to my stomach, what could Sithis want if not my life? Endless torture perhaps? Perhaps doomed to never join the void..?

Perhaps you should stop worrying and find a way to escape this cottage, scaring yourself with thoughts of the dread father are only going to make things worse.

I let out a sigh, knowing that my mind was right, escape first and find out Sithis’ plans later. My eyes scoured over the room again before I set them on myself to see how I was faring. A set of bandages wrapped around the right side of my chest, a gentle poke to that area, which incited pain, told me that I had at least one or two broken ribs.

My right shoulder supported a single large bandage. The bandage was white and clean, meaning that someone had changed it at some point during my unconsciousness. My right shoulder was stiff and a bit painful to move, but still very much usable.

Pulling away the sheets over my lower body revealed two annoying facts. One, that there was a large white cocoon-like sheath around my right leg, betraying the fact that it was likely broken. And two, that I was wearing only the bandages and the cast.

Done with my self-examination, I looked over the room again, trying to find any useful detail that I may have missed.

My pack! I noticed happily, spotting my pack at the foot of the bed, laying over a trunk.

Leaning forwards and taking care not to injure myself, I got closer to my pack. I frowned when I noticed a small, parchment-thin square resting atop it. Reaching out, I picked it up and looked it over. The...thing, for lack of a better word, was a light shade of pink with a trio of ovals with little tails coming down. Two of said ovals were blue while a third was yellow.

I set it aside for later and opened up my pack, examining the contents. The main pocket, where I kept my different alchemy agents and potions, was a mess of broken glass and gooey substances. I didn’t dare reach my hand in, knowing that just touching some of the poisons I had in there was enough to do some damage.

Fishing around in the other pockets, I found what I did and didn’t have. There was no sign of my weapons or Dark Brotherhood armor, however I did find a set of clean undergarments and got them on; my map was wet, but salvageable; my compass had been smashed and was no longer of any use; what food I had was ruined, though I did find a single bottle of unopened and undamaged nord mead, which made me very happy; my coin purse was still there, and it felt like nothing had been taken from it; and, finally, the few books that I had were all wet and destroyed beyond repair.

“Fornication,” I cursed again as I slipped the ruined books back into my ruined pack.

My eyes were drawn to the pinkish thing and I picked it up again. As I turned the thing over in my hands, trying to understand what it was, it unfolded slightly. I flipped it around and opened it up, perhaps it was a letter of some sort?

As it opened up, something popped from nowhere, causing me to drop the letter as I startled.

The letter landed on the bedsheets in front of me, some sort of pastry sitting atop it.

How in Oblivion..? I wondered, How did that...pastry fit in the letter?

What does the letter say would be a better question, My mind stated.

I picked up the pastry, which had a pink frosting with small multi-colored shavings atop, and set it aside before looking at the letter’s contents.

Get well soon!

Your newest, bestest friend,

Pinkie Pie

P.S. Enjoy the cupcake!

My frown deepened, furthering the proof that I was utterly confused.

“What?” I wondered aloud.

Before any other single thought could form in my head, the sound of steps came from behind the door opposite my side of the room. From the sound of it, they were wearing some sort of metallic boots.

Guards! My mind hissed, Hide!

I flung back the covers and twisted my legs over the side of the bed. Hopping to my feet caused my head to sway violently. I took a step forwards, bringing my injured right leg forwards. Unfortunately for me, however, I wasn’t used to either the weight of the cocoon splint nor the inability to bend my right leg.

This led to me falling flat on my face and sending tearing pain through my entire body.

“Fornication,” I spat out through teeth gritted in pain.

It was at this time that the door opened. I expected to see some guards rush in, weapons drawn and ready, but instead got something else.

Through the door, with a roll of bandages balanced on her head and a bowl of steaming broth on her back, came a pegasus. A pegasus with a yellow coat and a pink mane.

Revelations (Pt1|Ch2)

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Chapter Two: Revelations

What in the unholy name of Sithis? I wondered through my pain, staring into the teal eyes of the creature.

It appears to be a pegasus, My mind stated.

Obviously! But...they are creatures of legend! Of myth!

So were dragons nigh on fifteen years ago.

But...

“A-are you alright?” The creature that was the topic of our mental debate inquired, bringing me back to the physical world. The pegasus quickly trotted up to me, being careful not to lose control of the bandages or bowl of broth.

Her face bore a worried expression and it struck me that I couldn’t remember the last time I had seen someone worried, worried about my well-being anyways. As I realized this, it dredged up an old memory, something stowed away in the back of my mind. A memory of a time when someone was worried about my well-being...

0 . o . 0

There was a smell in the air...It was a smell of comfort and warmth, safety and respite, a smell that was a blatant opposite of the the cold wastes of Eastmarch that lay just outside. Despite the fact that I hadn’t been around this smell in a long, long time, it was as ingrained into my memory as if I were still in the early days of my childhood.

It was the smell of home.

There was pain as well, but, as with the setting of the memory, it was distorted. I knew that there was pain, yet where or why had been muddled by the years that had passed. The young Aram Falíe, the young me, looked up from the wound with teary eyes and found worried set of caring eyes staring comfortingly down into his.

The eyes of...a mother...

0 . o . 0

“Can...can you talk?” The pegasus asked, sending the memory to Oblivion.

I blinked several times, clearing my head, before meeting the creature’s eyes again. Echoes of the memories reverberated in my head as I searched those eyes for any form of deception. The pegasus seemed to grow uncomfortable under my scrutinizing gaze, but I could not find any form of deceit in her eyes...at least for now.

“Yes,” I replied hoarsely, my throat dry as a bone.

The pegasus shied away at the sound of my voice, but didn’t break into an all-out retreat.

“So, um, are...are you okay?” She asked again, “It sounded like you hit the floor pretty hard when you fell out of bed.”

“I’m fine,” I lied with a short groan. I planted my left hand firmly on the ground and pushed up, aiming to get back on my feet without hurting myself too badly.

“Oh, here. Let me...” the pegasus began, stepping in to help.

“No,” I growled, causing her to shy away again, this time looking frightened, “I don’t need your help.”

“Okay,” she mumbled back.

Continuing, I bent my left knee, careful to try and not to lose my balance. I couldn’t use either of my right limbs as one was injured and the other immobile, and this made it much harder to get up. The fact that I was tired didn’t help either.

I was perhaps a foot off the ground when my balance began to falter. Seeing this and against my reassurance of not needing it, the pegasus hopped to my right side to give me support. As much as I wanted to refuse it, I bit back my retorts and accepted the help, soon ending back up on my feet.

Without her help, I hobbled back to the bed and took a seat on the edge, facing the pegasus again.

“Here,” She offered the bowl of broth, using her wings to lift it from her back, “This has plenty of herbal ingredients that should help you get better faster.”

I looked to the bowl, then the creature wielding it. The smell of the steaming concoction reached my nostrils and my stomach petitioned for me to take the bowl, letting me know how very hungry I was with a loud retort.

“Thank you,” I thanked flatly, taking the offered food.

“You're welcome,” the pegasus replied, smiling.

Out of habit, I waved my left hand over the steaming bowl, watching the ring on my...

Damnit, where’s my ring? I growled mentally, a scowl crossing my face.

Probably with the rest of your belongings...or did you not notice that the rest of your armor and weapons were missing? My mind replied.

“Is...is something wrong?” The pegasus asked, looking as if whatever was wrong were her fault.

“Yes,” I replied, “Where’s my weapons and armor?"

This was apparently not a good question to ask.

“W-w-weapons?” She asked, eyes growing wide and pupils shrinking as she moved a few steps away, “W-w-why would you need...need your w-weapons? You wouldn’t h-hurt anypony...r-right?”

I frowned at her use of the word ‘anypony’, but made no comment on it.

“I’d never hurt anyone,” I half-lied reassuringly, unless they do something to warrant it, I didn’t say, “The reason that I want my weapons and armor back is because I don’t like it when people take my belongings.”

“Well...o-okay,” She replied, mostly reassured, “But let me clean your bandages first...and finish your broth, okay?”

I weighed my choices for a moment. If there was one thing I hated, it was people...or creatures...that I didn’t know or trust touching me, doing medicinal work especially. Then again, this creature didn’t look threatening, and I hadn’t spotted deceit in those eyes.

“Fine,” I growled, “But be quick...what’s the nearest settlement?”

I raised the bowl to my lips and swirled some of the broth in my mouth before swallowing. As far as I could tell, there were no poisons in it.

The pegasus’ hooves were gentle as they worked the bandages on my chest, matching her voice as she answered my question, “Ponyville is closest...but you should probably rest up and get better before you go anywhere.”

Ponyville? I wondered, eyeing suspiciously over my bowl.

We can find out more once she gives you your weapons and armor back.

Fine, I conceded unhappily, being careful to keep an eye on my...savior? Captor?

How about helper, you ungrateful bastard.

No matter the title, I kept a watchful eye on the pegasus as I finished the broth. It was good and although it wasn’t much, it did take a bite out of my hunger.

I remembered back over everything I knew about the fauna of Skyrim and Tamriel. Certainly we had horses and other equines, but pegasi were completely unheard of outside of old story books. There were rumors of unicorns down in Cyrodiil, but I had my doubts about them. Still though...dragons had been nothing but legend until a while back, perhaps pegasi were as well..?

“There, all done,” The pegasus said with a kind smile, taking a step back.

Bringing myself out of my thoughts, I looked at her, then to my chest where a new set of bandages were now in place.

“Hm,” I commented, then returned my gaze to her, “So where are my weapons and armor?”

She flinched at the word ‘weapon,’ but my reassurance of peacefulness kept her from reacting as she had the first time I had used the word.

“Th-they’re downstairs. You should get some rest and I’ll go get them for you, okay?”

Again I looked over my choices before bartering with the deal, “I’ll rest after you bring them up.”

“But...you really need to rest, mister...” She trailed off, unsure as how to address me. She looked at me as if I might offer her my name, I wouldn’t.

“My name isn’t important, get me my weapons back and I’ll get more rest,” I said rather harshly.

“Okay,” She mumbled, cringing at my words and trotting off towards the door.

Quite a timid creature, isn’t she.

That or good at hiding her deception until the last second, I replied.

You’re just paranoid, you idiot. This creature means you no harm, yet you treat her as you would any potential threat, My mind chastised.

You're not paranoid enough! And I’m not to be blamed, look at that she-demon Babette for Sithis’ sake! I snapped back, mentally shuddering at the thought of the deceptive creature of the night.

Ah, Babette, My mind teased, I thought that you’d miss her the most.

A growl was all I replied with.

The sound of hoofall, not bootfall I now realized, came back up the stairs. As I listened, my years of sneaking around and relying on my ears as much as my eyes told me that there was more than one creature coming back up. Normally, I had experience with only two-legged creatures and the two additional legs added threw me off. From what I could guess, there were anywhere from two to three creatures returning.

My heartbeat quickened and thoughts of betrayal were not absent from my mind, but I held my ground, watching the door with an intense gaze.

It opened and the yellow pegasus trotted in, looking uneasy when I glared at her from my seat on the bed. I grew suspicious when I noted that she had none of my belongings with her and grew startled when I saw that they were floating up the stairs behind her, encased in a magenta glow.

What in the unholy name of Sithis..? I wondered for the second time that day.

The second set of hoofsteps ended as my floating belongings found their way into the room. They moved to my right, the opposite direction as the pegasus, and revealed a creature that froze me in place.

A purple unicorn.

Adrenaline numbing the pain, I hopped to my feet, taking a defensive position next to the bed, baring my teeth at the threat. My eyes snapped from the unicorn to the pegasus, who appeared to be alarmed. They locked back onto the unicorn, who had fixed me with a confused and...slightly frightened look?

“Um...hi?” The unicorn said.

Of everything that the unicorn could have done, of the countless things that I had counted on it doing, greeting me was the last thing I expected.

From what I knew, unicorns were vicious creatures, whose hides were resistant to both magic and mundane weapons. They were quick as lightning and openly hostile to all creatures, attacking even if unprovoked and unmolested. The creature could have chosen to charge me, could have chosen to attack and that I was prepared for. But talking? Much less a greeting? It did not compute.

“Um...th-this is my friend,” the pegasus stuttered, drawing my attention away for a moment.

“Yes,” the unicorn said, glancing at her friend for a moment, she cleared her throat, “My name is Twilight Sparkle,” she said in a friendly tone, taking a step forwards before rethinking the decision.

I answered with silence, mind still trying to reboot after the confusion of the situation.

“Uhh,” She replied to my silence, glancing to her friend as if for support, “So...what’s your name?” She prompted.

“That...” I shook my head to clear it, lowering my defenses only slightly as the adrenaline left me shaky and with a dull ache, “That isn’t important. Not your concern.”

Bummed that she hadn’t gotten an answer, but happy to have gotten a reply, the unicorn said, “Oh...well, then what should I call you? I mean I have to call you something, right?”

“Whatever you want,” I spared my belongings, which were still floating off to the unicorn, Twilight Sparkle’s, side, a glance, “Just give me my belongings back.”

Twilight looked at her friend once before looking back to me.

“Well, okay,” She said. The objects began floating towards me and my gaze flickered from them to the unicorn. With what I assumed was some form of magic, Twilight placed my belongings on the bed.

Keeping her in my peripheral vision, I limped over and sorted through what she had placed on the bed. I picked up my armor and examined it for damage, surprised when I found that it looked as good as new.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of having my friend Rarity fix up your clothes,” Twilight commented happily.

Damnit, I cursed. Any time that my armor got damaged, I either had one of my family fix it up or just made the repairs myself. I did this for the sole reason that it was free, having someone else offer a service always cost something.

“What do I owe her?” I grumbled annoyedly, looking back at Twilight.

The purple pony frowned in confusion, “You don’t owe her anything, Rarity fixed it up for you free of charge...though she did ask me to find out what they were made from, she’s never worked with cloth like that before.”

Free of charge?

There might be a concealed motive, and what kind of name is Rarity?

I don’t know, I replied, “It’s leather, enchanted.”

“L-leather...as...as in...” Twilight took a step back, “...m-made from...”

They must not like the idea of species like them being used to make your armor, My mind observed with a chuckle of dark humor.

“Yes,” I replied bluntly, “From the hides of other animals.”

“Oh...my...” The pegasus mumbled, staring at the armor as if it was going to jump from my grasp and eat her. Twilight looked a little bit green in the face.

I looked back to my belongings, setting the armor back down. The leggings would never fit me with the damned cast on my leg, but the rest might.

“I...think I’ll be going now,” Twilight said before trotting down the stairs.

“I’ll come with you...if you don’t mind, that is,” the pegasus added, following after her friend.

Sparing them a final glance, I sifted through the pile on the bed, procuring my gloves and sliding both on. A tingling sensation ran through my hands as the enchantment took effect. After these, I slipped my ring onto a finger on my left hand, flexing my fingers.

From here I pulled my ebony bow from the pile, taking a stance and experimentally pulling back the bowstring.

Pain cut into my right arm and my fingers released the string, dry-firing the weapon.

“Fornication,” I grumbled, setting the bow down and rubbing my arm, I wouldn’t be shooting anyone with my bow any time soon, a pity.

After recovering, I checked the rest of my gear. My boots were in fine condition and my twin daedric knives were flawless as the day I had finished forging them. My matching ebony arrows, thirty in all, were all fine.

I took a bunch of the black arrows and waved my left hand over them, noting that the green gemstone on my ring didn’t react.

Fornication, the poison got washed off!

So make more, my mind replied.

How? I grumbled back, I didn’t memorize every aspect of every damned plant and bug and my journal was ruined by the water! Angry, I got to my feet and turned, eyes finding a small bookshelf, Damnit, those were poisoned with one of my best batches! Now all ruined!

Perhaps our caretaker has something on the local plants. It would make sense for a healer to have such things.

Hmm, I silently agreed, still fuming a bit, before heading towards the bookshelf.

Annoyingly, there weren’t any chairs around the room so I would either have to make my way back and forth from the bookshelf to the bed or stand to read.

I’ve spent Sithis knows how long laying down sleeping, standing a while won’t be the death of me, I reasoned as I reached for the first book on the shelf. The spine beheld no title and neither did the cover.

I flipped to the first page and grumbled a curse, the writing was in another language. From what I could tell, not even the letters matched up with anything I knew.

Looking through a few other books yielded similar results, nothing was in any dialect I knew.

As I set the final book back on the shelf, there was the sound of a magical discharge behind me.

I whirled around, dropping to a fighting stance again as my eyes sought out an attacker.

Yet there wasn’t one.

There was, however, a book laying on the bed.

I scanned over the room again before approaching the bed, keeping my head on a swivel in case this was some sort of trap.

When I reached my destination unscathed and unmolested, I only slightly let my guard down and took a closer look at the book. The cover was black leather and worn to a great degree. The paper pages looked in similar bad shape.

Who summoned this? I wondered.

Who? ‘Why’ is a more suitable question, I think. Better to know your enemy’s intentions than his face, My mind commented.

Then you can’t kill him...if you don’t know his face, I argued.

True, but do we know that an enemy sent this?

I considered that for a moment, wondering whether or not I should take the book and open it. I had been searching for a book when this one was summoned, so perhaps whatever had sent it had sent it to help me?

Reaching out, I took the book in my hands, examining it. My ring didn’t light up, confirming that there was no form of poison on the book.

My examinations showed no discernible form of evil intent and I, carefully, opened it.

And the world dropped away before me...

0 . o . 0

...Standing in a featureless abyss of darkness and clothed in robes of shadow, I looked around. Being in a featureless abyss, I could discern nothing specific. Everything was uniform, everything was the same, nothing was unique.

My pain and my wounds were gone, but I cursed the fact that I had no weapons at my disposal. I was already dropping into a fighting stance for what felt like the hundredth time today as whatever was happening begun. My head was on a swivel as I tried to look everywhere at once, making sure that any attacker didn’t get me with my back turned.

Could one of my former family members have discovered my location? Sent some sort of summoning spell in that book to bring me here...wherever this was?

It took no longer to get my answer.

“My...child...” A powerful voice spoke. It was the voice of a being that had all the time in the world, if not more. It was a voice that I somehow knew was never asked to repeat itself as it made itself perfectly clear the first time. It was a voice that was dark, yet it felt as if the speaker was smiling.

I startled, turning round to face where the voice had come from, yet saw nothing but more of the nothingness.

Staring and not speaking, I squinted against the darkness, my eyes trying to find purchase on something and failing. The voice said nothing more, for now, and silence bombarded my ears for a time. I began to consider calling out after a while, but the voice began again.

“You...do...not...greet...your...father..?” The voice asked, its tone showing a hint of bitter disappointment.

“You are he?” I asked, unsure, “My father?”

There was another long bout of silence.

“I...am...” The voice replied, “...not...of...your...blood,...but...of...the...blood...of...the... innocent...”

“Sithis,” I breathed, eyes growing wide.

The realization of who I was speaking to hit me harder than a giant could, fear filled my veins with ice as the next words spilled across the void.

“And...you...show...DISRESPECT..!” The void rumbled as if a massive creature had shaken it, forcing me to my knees.

Remaining at my knees, but keeping my body upright, I pleaded for his pardon, “Apologies, dread father. I mean no disrespect...I simply didn’t know!”

Silence reigned once more, longer this time than the last. Longer and longer, silence remained until it infected me to speak so as not to lose my sanity.

“S-so you have seen fit to let me enter...your void?” I asked, hope brightening my voice.

“No...” Came the reply, rather shortly compared to previous times, “This...is...but...a...purgatory...” The dread lord continued, “...a...plane...of...existence... between...this...one...and...the...next...”

My face fell slightly at this.

“You...have...disappointed...me...my...child...You...have...silenced...my...listener...and...a...fellow...brother...You...have...broken...my...fifth...tenet..!”

“What would you have of me...dread father?” I asked, again to fill an over-encumbering silence. I knew to dare not talk back or defend my actions against him, lest I invoke his wrath.

More of said silence followed, yet I dared not speak, for I knew that the dread father was thinking, considering what to do with me.

“I...have...plans...for...you,...my...little...argonian...” His voice eventually rumbled. “...as...of...now...your...soul...is...unworthy...of...the...void...” The smile seemed to return to the voice as he continued, “…But…fulfill…my…wishes,…my…plan,…and…you…will…be…rewarded...” The smile deepened further, “...with...the...love...of...your...family...”

I frowned at this, confused and even suspicious.

“But I broke the fifth tenet, they’d have my head on a platter...”

“You...shall...see...”

Silence took over once more as I waited for the dread father to detail his plans to me, a seemingly innumerable amount of time passed before I dared voice my question.

“So what are your plans, my father?”

“I...would...see...my...unholy...light...extended...to...this...land,..Equestria...” Came a rather quick reply, “...when...soon...you...sleep...again...a...visitor...shall...enter...your...dreams...to... provide...more...details...”

“But...Equestria? What’s Equestria, is...is this land not Skyrim?” I asked.

If the dread lord laughed, I felt as if he would have at that point in time, yet a being as he did not laugh, ever, I got a reply that was filled with a sort of malicious pleasure.

“You...are...slow...to...see,...my...child...For...your...actions...in...the...plane...of...Mundus...I...have...banished...you...to...another...To...this...plane...”

“W-what?!” I exclaimed. No reply came as I felt myself being dragged downwards.

“Do...not...fail...me...again...my...child...” Was the last thing I heard before my entire body was engulfed in darkness.

0 . o . 0

I found myself falling and I hit the floor with a loud thud and an equally loud curse.

By this rate, your new friends might think that you’re a glutton for pain, My mind observed, hitting the ground so many times and all.

Growling back as pain coursed through me again, I heard hurried hoofsteps coming back up the stairs before the door opened.

“Are you okay?” The yellow pegasus asked worriedly, rushing over, “Did you fall over again?”

“I’m fine,” I lied for a second time that day, rubbing the back of my head.

Trying to sit up was painful, so I decided to relax on the floor a while while the pegasus hovered over me. My quick escape to Sithis’ purgatory replayed in my head and I turned towards the pegasus, the rare emotion of trepidation barely touching my words.

“What...what do you call this land?”

“Well...Equestria,” she replied, somewhat puzzled.

Starting to regret killing the listener yet, Aram? My mind asked.

Three Little Fillies (Pt1|Ch3)

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Chapter Three: Three Little Fillies

“I...I need a breath of fresh air,” I said, pushing myself to my feet faster than I should have, causing my head to swim. Making my way over to the bed with a hand at my forehead, I grabbed my belt. I double checked my twin knives and slipped the belt around my waist, buckling it in front.

“Would you like me to open some windows?” The pegasus replied, hopping over to a window and opening it. She repeated the action on another window before turning back to my retreating form, “Oh...um, where are you going?”

“Get some fresh air,” I replied, limping towards the door, “Outside.”

Don’t you think putting on a bit more clothing is a good idea before going out? My mind asked.

All I have is my armor, one of the most recognizable sets of armor in all Tamriel...

Except that we aren’t in Tamriel, My mind cut in.

Just shut-up, I replied, I need...I need some alone time.

“But you really need to get your rest so you can get better!” The pegasus exclaimed from behind me.

I didn’t bless her with a reply, instead making my careful way down the stairs in silence. She followed me down, right behind me every step.

“Please come back,” she tried again.

“No,” I replied, “I’m going out to get some fresh air.”

“I can open more windows in your room if you like,” the pegasus tempted.

At the bottom of the stairs now, I spied Twilight eyeing me curiously past a book held in that magenta glow. I glared back at her as I made my way towards the door, my right palm against the pommel of my right knife just in case.

“Is everything okay, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked, switching her gaze from me to the pegasus.

And we finally have a name for that one, My mind commented.

“Oh...well, I guess so...” Fluttershy replied, stopping a few feet from the bottom of the stairs, “...but he really should be getting some rest.”

Twilight looked over at me as I opened the door and stepped out, if she said anything then I missed it.

Outside, cold air bit at me like a wolf. It wasn’t the worst I’d ever felt; being in the middle of the Sea of Ghosts with only my armor was still at the top, but it was still uncomfortable. Fortunately enough, the sun had risen and my black scales began to absorb the sun’s heat.

I stared over the surroundings as I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with fresh air.

A single path led away from the cottage, towards what appeared to be the town, Ponyville as Fluttershy had called it. Towns always spelled unease for me and despite the fact that I was no longer in Tamriel, this one felt no different.

A wild assortment of animals frolicked around the general area, few sparing me any look and those that did only briefly doing so. I was surprised that none of them fled as wild animals usually do.

Perhaps they’re tamed? My mind offered.

This many animals? I replied, I doubt it.

I moved up the river, away from the bridge and cottage. Limping alongside the bank of the river until I found a flat spot in the grass, I took an awkward seat. Out of habit, I drew my left knife and stabbed it into the ground behind and off to the side of me, placing my hand next to it and using my left arm as a support to lean on. This way my left hand could be used as support and still be near my weapon in case I needed it.

I looked back at the house and saw that Fluttershy was standing just outside her door, fixing me with a worried look. I turned back and ignored her, staring at the water as it rushed by, an occasional leaf being carried like a small boat downstream. The constant effect that the crystal clear substance gave had a trance-like effect that drew me away from the world, letting me alone with only my thoughts.

Now I can think, I thought, reviewing the talk with Sithis again, going over every little detail in my head. The part about the visitor confused me, not in the sense of what to do, which was clear, but in whom the visitor’s identity would be.

In the times of old, back before the Brotherhood’s steady decline until recent years, a speaker would visit a potential brother or sister in their sleep when they showed potential. So did that mean that there were already Dark Brotherhood members in Equestria?

Then again, if that were the case then why did Sithis need me to spread his unholy light? Couldn’t the present family members do it themselves?

Seems to me you should be taking our friend Fluttershy’s advice and have a little nap, see about this ‘Visitor,’ My mind said, Then you’ll know for sure who it is.

No, I replied.

Well why not? Bringing the dread father’s unholy light to a whole new land? You being the bearer of this light? I’m certain most of our former family would give their right hands for such and honor.

True, I conceded, but I don’t like being manipulated against my will...

Well maybe you should have... My mind cut in, only to have me do the same back.

Yes, killing the Listener was not the best thing I could have done, and this is fair punishment. Perhaps I deserve to be manipulated against my will for my heresy, but that doesn’t mean that I have to go along with it like one of these many leaves! I gestured towards yet another leaf being carried downstream with my right hand, then went back to fingering the pommel of my right knife.

The sound of grass being quietly tread underfoot reached my ears and I snapped back to reality, turning. My left hand went to my left knife as my eyes met Twilight’s.

She froze for a second, giving an awkward smile, before taking another few steps closer and plopping down on the grass, facing the water as I was.

“Counting the leaves as they go by?” She asked in a friendly tone.

I offered only silence for a count of ten before replying with, “No. Thinking.”

“About what?”

“Nothing that concerns you,” I replied, not taking my gaze from her, “What do you want?”

“Well I just wanted a little polite conversation; maybe get to know you better,” she replied defensively, “I mean, for instance, what are you? Fluttershy says that you aren’t a dragon, but if that's the case then I don’t know what...”

“A dragon?” I growled, turning towards her with fire in my eyes and a memory taking my vision...

0 . o . 0

“Hey, lizard!” called a voice behind me.

I took a sip of my drink, hoping that the bastard would go back to his own drink and knowing that wasn’t going to happen. Locking eyes with the table I was sitting at, I took another sip from my dirty mug.

Clumsy footsteps hurried over to the table and the maker of the steps crashed into the table I was sitting at, intoxicated with drink. The foul smell of his breath berated me as the man spoke again.

“I’m talkin’ a’ you, lizard!” The man slurred, I didn’t need to look at him to tell that he was a nord. I took another sip of my drink, still holding onto the false hope that he’d go away.

“What you doin’ in Windhelm, lizard? You some kinda spy like them greyskins? Or maybe some a priest with that fancy black robe?”

You could say that we are...a priest of Sithis! My mind said.

“No, Rolff,” Another voice said, this one to my front right, opposite the first man, “He ain’t a spy fer the greyskins, he’s a spy fer the dragons!”

The two foul-smelling bastards found this very quite hilarious, seeing as they were overcome with laughter for some time. I looked into my mug before turning slightly to look around the room. The few other late night patrons seemed to engrossed in their drinks, the lone bard playing a quiet tune on a flute.

My twin knives were stuck deep in my pack, already bloodied not a few hours ago, and my bow wouldn’t do the trick at this range. I shouldn’t have stopped for a drink, not in Windhelm.

But you did, and now you have to deal with these whoresons, my mind commented.

I looked down into my mug, seeing that there wasn’t much drink left.

Waste not, want not, I thought, drinking down the rest in a big gulp.

“That’s it, ain’t it, lizard, yer a stinkin spy fer them dragons! Heh, maybe you’re some kinda dragon...”

My mug retorted by connecting with the side of the brute’s head, the wood splintering as it made impact. To deal with the other ugly son of a bitch, I stood and thrust the table at him, hitting him in the gut and sending him backwards with his friend.

The first to go down was the first to begin getting up.

“I’ll kill you, you filthy...”

My reply cut him off as I stomped on his hand and he let out a cry. I retorted then with a kick to the head and another stomp to the gut to keep him down. Stepping over him, I planted my fist into the second man’s forehead, putting him back down on the ground. As a final touch, I planted my left foot just below the joint of his right leg and delivered a harsh kick to the joint, dislocating his leg and causing him to cry out in pain.

“Fornicating nord drunks,” I hissed.

Turning to go, I happened to look up at the rest of the room again. The music had stopped and all eyes were on me. Two of the patrons had risen from their seats and looked ready to draw their weapons if the need be.

I glared back at those who gave me the same treatment before moving towards the stairs and descending them.

“What’s going on up there?” The barmaid asked as I came down, all eyes looking towards the stairs.

“Couple of drunks,” I replied, pushing my way past the door and into the frigid cold of Eastmarch...

0 . o . 0

“What in Sithis’s name makes you think I’m a fornicating dragon!” I growled angrily. There was no more ignoring racist bastards, this pony wasn’t going to get the chance to walk away quietly, I'd had it.

Calm down, Aram. I’m sure...

No, you be quiet! I had enough insults from those filthy nords, I’m not going to be insulted by a talking unicorn!

Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but I wasn’t finished, “Does it look like I have wings? Do I look like I’m the size of a damned building?”

Ready to attack, I stared at Twilight, who appeared, of all things, confused.

“I’m sorry if I offended you,” she said, leaning away slightly, “That wasn’t my intention, it’s just that some of the dragons I’ve seen don’t have wings, some aren’t even all that big. I think that even some of them might confuse you for one of their own if you ever met one.”

I continued to glare at her, unable think of anything to reply with. Much like when she didn’t attack me in the cottage, I was caught off guard. I’d never had someone concede wrongdoing, only push even harder once they knew it got under my scales.

See, she didn’t know any better.

Be quiet.

In an attempt to fill the silence, Twilight continued, “So...what are you exactly? I can’t say I’ve read about anything like you in any of my books.”

“It doesn’t matter what I am,” I replied, still angry but calming down.

Twilight made a confused look for a second before asking, “Why not?”

“Because I say so,” I explained.

“Well why do you say so? Do you have a secret or something?” Twilight asked, annoyance rising.

“I don’t need to tell you.”

“But...ugh!” Twilight groaned, “Just...can you tell me anything about you?”

“No,” I replied, anger at her insistence growing, “I want to be by myself. Now go away,” My eyes stuck to her a moment longer before I turned back to the running water to be alone with my thoughts. My hand remaining on the hilt of my left knife; I doubted that Twilight was of any threat to me but I’ve been wrong before.

Annoyed mutterings under her breath, Twilight gave up and left after a few more seconds, trotting off towards Fluttershy’s cottage. As she retreated, a question of my own entered my head and I turned back towards Twilight.

“Wait,” I said, halting her in her tracks.

“Yes?” Twilight replied, turning her head back towards me.

“You have not heard of men, mer,” I asked, "or betmer?"

“I...can’t say I have,” she admitted, “Is that what you are?”

I struggled over an answer for a second before replying, “Betmer, yes. But men, elves, orsimer, khajiit, argonian, none of these are words you’re familiar with?”

Twilight squinted in thought for a set of seconds before shaking her head, “No. Can you tell me, by any chance, what those words mean? I’m always up for learning new things, for instance there was this one time...”

“Creatures of my homeland, Tamriel,” I cut her off, simply wanting her gone now, “I’ve told you enough. Now leave me in peace.”

With that, I turned my head back towards the water.

For a short time, Twilight stared at me, unsure of whether or not to push for more information. Having dealt with asking me questions already, she eventually came to the conclusion to not push any further, at least for now, and she headed back up the hill towards the cottage.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Fluttershy’s cottage...

“Fluttershy, you’ll be okay alone with...well whatever he is?” Twilight asked.

“Hm? Oh yes, I think I’ll be quite fine. With some tender, loving care he should be right as rain in no time,” Fluttershy smiled, the smile faded and she added, “Well...so long as I can get him to rest and take some medicine if he gets sick.”

“I mean...” Twilight threw a glance towards the door and lowered her voice, “What I mean is...do you think it’s safe? He looks dangerous and he’s none too friendly to us ponies. I have to get back to the library for now, but I might be able to start a shift with our other friends so that at least one of them is here in case he tries something.”

“Plenty of creatures look scary, Twilight,” Fluttershy reasoned, going about her daily feeding routine to the animals that had remained inside the cottage, making sure that the sick creatures got their share, “But that doesn’t make them bad. I’m sure our friend outside is just grumpy or scared, he’s probably still in pain too.

“All he needs is a little kindness,” Fluttershy turned to her friend, “and with some rest, I’m sure he’ll be in a much better mood...do you remember when we had to go searching for the Elements of Harmony? That poor manticore who had a thorn in his paw...”

Twilight chuckled nostalgically, “I do. I guess if there’s one pony who I can trust to take care of a...whatever he is, it’s you, Fluttershy.”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Back outside, bushes giving a clear view of a certain argonian...

The event of a black-scaled creature turning up outside of Fluttershy’s cottage hadn’t been kept a secret from the Ponyville populace, it simply didn’t register much interest for the most part. It had been the topic of comment for a few days and the reason for the creation of a certain cupcake, but aside from a very small group, it wasn’t very interesting.

But about that small group...

The three young heroines had been tracking the monster for days now. They’d finally caught a glimpse of the fabled creature as it rested by a stream and were now observing it. Although their rations of celery sticks (with peanut butter) and juice boxes was running short, they dared not risk heading back to town lest they lose sight of the great beast...well at least not until their elders came looking for them.

“Anythin’ yet?” Apple Bloom asked, looking back towards her flank.

“No, sorry Apple Bloom, nothing,” Scootaloo answered, “How about me?”

“No,” Apple Bloom confirmed sadly.

“Has he done anything yet?” Sweetie Belle asked, poised to take notes on the monster’s behavior via crayon and construction paper.

The two lookouts went back to peeking through the bush that was currently their cover.

“Nope, still hasn’t moved a muscle,” Scootaloo reported.

“Maybe we ought to move closer,” Apple Bloom reasoned, “Get a better look at him.”

Scootaloo nodded in agreement, not living up to being a chicken.

“Well I guess,” Sweetie Belle agreed, tucking her crayon behind her ear and getting up.

With that, the two lookouts lifted their bushy cover and began to discreetly inch up closer to their target. Of course, in this case, discreetly was a rather subjective term.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Riverbank...

From my top peripheral, something moved, distracting me from my thinking. I looked up and could have sworn that I saw a small bush move. Squinting suspiciously, I glared at the bush and the rest of the area before looking back to the river.

I let my mind calm, sorting through the many thoughts as I got back into a meditative state of...

Another flicker of movement drew me out of my trance and again I looked up.

I wasn’t entirely sure, but I could have sworn that the small bush I had spotted earlier had moved. I fixed the bush with a look, daring it to move.

Did you see it move? I inquired.

Can’t say I did, my mind replied, But unless you’re losing it, I can’t see why a bush would move.

Examining it told me that the bush was too small to hide an average-sized, based on the ones I had seen so far, pony. That either meant that the bush wasn’t moving or it was being moved by something else.

I turned around and searched the area behind me, making certain that the bush wasn’t a distraction for someone to slip a dagger into my back. From the look of things, it wasn’t. I looked back at the bush to see that it was sitting where it had been the last time I’d looked at it.

It took some time, but eventually I set my gaze back on the flowing water. This time, however, I waited with a clear mind instead of trying to meditate, keeping the bush in my upper peripherals.

I waited a time and, to my unease, there was movement in my upper vision. This time I only moved my eyes, flickering them up so as not to move my head. Now I had a clear view of the bush, which was moving at a slow pace towards and to the right of me.

Watching the bush as discreetly as I could, I found both my knives with each of my hands, setting a palm on each hilt. I cursed myself for not bringing my bow. Then again, with my right arm the way it was, I wasn’t so sure it would be of any help in the first place.

Further study of the bush gave me a look at what appeared to be small legs at the bottom of it, two sets of what looked like four. I couldn’t be sure at the distance and angle, but it was a good guess as any.

Steadying my breathing, I calmed my heart and waited to see what was going to happen.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

The bush...

The small trio of grand adventurer’s hearts were racing. Just recently, the great monster that they were deftly stalking had almost spotted them. The first time they had almost certainly been seen, but the other time they had been ready and were able to get down without causing any noticeable alarm.

Two pairs of eyes watched carefully through the brush, on edge for any sign of movement from their target.

“Has he moved at all?” Sweetie Belle whispered, not daring to make much noise for fear of alerting the beast.

“Negative,” replied Scootaloo, “He’s still staring at the water.”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Back on the riverbank...

The sound of a door opening behind me drew my attention from the moving bush and back towards the cottage. The bush dropped the second I moved my head, turning back into a normal bush. I noted that the bush was now only a series of yards across the riverbank from me.

My gaze found Fluttershy, now outside of her cottage. The animals I had seen earlier gathered around her as she took to feeding them.

So they are tamed, this Fluttershy must have quite a way with animals.

Indeed, I agreed, turning to find the bush a yard closer than before. I glared at it for a few seconds, swearing that I could see two sets of eyes staring back at me, before looking back at the water and watching it from my peripherals.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

The bush again...

The monster went back to looking at the water and the three crusaders gave a collective sigh of relief. The black-scaled monster that was now no more than a set of yards away still hadn’t noticed them.

The added player of Fluttershy on the board made things slightly more difficult. They would have to watch two different creatures if they wanted to keep their disguise. That said, the trio decided to wait out Fluttershy’s stay. Hopefully she’d either go back inside, go into town, or...

...or head towards the monster!

“Uh-oh,” Commented Scootaloo.

“What?” Squeaked Sweetie Belle.

“Fluttershy’s headin’ towards the monster!” Apple Bloom whispered in reply, “We gotta do somethin’ before it gobbles her up!”

“But what?” Scootaloo asked.

Apple Bloom pondered for a moment before an idea popped into her head.

“Listen up, y’all. Here’s what we’re gonna do...”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Riverbank again...

I chanced a glance back at Fluttershy, seeing her headed my way. Keeping eye contact caused her to look away from my eyes, but keep coming towards me.

“What is it?” I asked her.

Fluttershy halted a yard or two away, “Oh...well, um...I was wondering if you were...”

“Charge!” Interrupted a young voice, causing me to snap my head around.

The bush exploded as three small ponies charged from it. Each galloped forwards full tilt and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to get up in time to stop them from...tripping over a rock and splashing into the water of the river.

Fluttershy hopped back with an “Eep!” of fright while I stared at the rather comical spectacle before me, a ghost of a smile crossing my face.

“Fluttershy! Watch out!” An orange pegasus called, getting to her hooves and pointing one at me, “The monster’s gonna eat you!”

“Oh my, where’d you three...” Fluttershy’s eyes grew wider as she registered what the smaller pegasus had just said, “M-m-m-monster!? Where?”

“Right there!” Squeaked a small white unicorn, adding her hoof to the first pointed at me.

“Don’t ya see him?” A yellow pony with neither horn nor wings asked.

Fluttershy traced the hoof to the source, meeting my eyes for a moment before looking back at my three would-be assailants.

“B-but he’s not a monster...” she said, slightly dumbfounded and very much confused, “...He’s a...well, a...”

“I’m an argonian,” I addressed the three younglings with a smile, who upon making their way over to my side of the riverbank had shook themselves dry.

“What’s that?” The pegasus asked, tapping the side of her head to get some unwanted water from her ear.

I threw a glance at Fluttershy, who looked just as curious as the three younger ones.

She’d find out eventually anyways, My mind commented, Just tell the little ones.

“We’re reptilians from a land called Argonia, or Black Marsh,” I replied, turning towards the three little ponies. Guessing their next question, I continued, “It’s a land that’s very far away from here.”

“Oh,” The yellow pony said, “So yer not a monster?”

I shook my head.

“So you don’t want to eat Fluttershy?” The pegasus asked, aiming a hoof at the pegasus in question.

“No,” I chuckled, “I don’t want to eat Fluttershy, I don’t eat meat.”

You eat fish, My mind put in.

Fish aren’t meat, shut-up.

“Aww,” the three chorused, all looking downtrodden.

I stared confusedly at the downcast trio, what did I say to make them sad?

“I guess we won’t get a monster hunting cutie mark, then,” the pegasus said.

“What’s a cutie mark?” I asked, trying to change the subject. I hated seeing sorrowful children. This was a time of joy and discovery, one last breath before the real world hit them with full force. A time that I had far too little of before the real world struck me...

0 . o . 0

Flame and smoke in the cold Eastmarch air, heat in front of me with cold at my back...

0 . o . 0

I shook my head, not wanting any memories now.

The trio perked up at my question.

“Ya don’t know what a cutie mark is?” The yellow one asked.

“No,” I replied, looking interested more for their sake than my own, “What is it?”

“It’s a mark you get on your flank when you find your special talent,” the unicorn replied, pointing to her own flank.

“Yeah,” agreed the pegasus, “Everypony else in our class already has their cutie mark, but no matter what, we never get ours.”

“But that’s why we’re...” the yellow one began.

“The Cutie Mark Crusaders!” The trio yelled, almost knocking me onto my back.

“I see,” I said, rubbing an ear.

“I bet you didn’t see us sneaking up on you!” The pegasus boasted proudly, “We were super-duper sneaky!”

“You’re right, I didn’t,” I lied for their sake, “You three were very sneaky.”

“Hey!” the unicorn cried, “Maybe our special talents have to do with sneaking!”

“Yeah!” the pegasus agreed, “We could be spies!”

“Or...maybe secret agents!” the yellow one said.

“Or saboteurs!” the unicorn chimed in.

Or assassins! My mind added, causing me to flinch, a memory of the assassin at the orphanage...the splash of blood...the sight of Grelod collapsing into a pool of her own blood...the day I knew my destiny...

“What’s a sabotoor?” the pegasus asked, confused as her yellow friend.

“A saboteur,” the unicorn corrected before explaining rather smartly, “Is somepony who commits sabotage.”

“Oh...wait, what’s sabotage?”

The unicorn went on to explain what sabotage was, but I wasn’t listening as Fluttershy got my attention.

“So, um...are you hungry? I could make you another nice warm bowl of broth if you’d like,” She offered quietly with a smile.

Maybe she’s going to put poison in it, My mind teased.

Shut-up, I replied, “Yes.”

Where are your manners? Can I hear a...

“Thank you,” I added before my mind could finish. Fluttershy, having taken my order, turned to leave.

I was more looking for please, but that works too, I guess.

“Play nicely, you three,” Fluttershy requested as she left, “Mister...argonian isn’t feeling his best now.”

“Okay, Fluttershy,” The Cutie Mark Crusaders chorused cheerfully, looking like a trio of little angels for a moment.

“So what are your names?” I asked, looking over the three little ponies.

“Ah’m Apple Bloom,” the yellow one answered.

“My name’s Scootaloo,” the pegasus replied.

“I’m Sweetie Belle,” the unicorn squeaked.

“So what’s your name, mister?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I’m Aram Falíe,” I said.

Sweet Dreams (Pt1|Ch4)

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Chapter Four: Sweet Dreams

Their voices slowly fading to the calming sound of rushing water, the Cutie Mark Crusaders departed. The three were a rushing waterfall of different ideas centered around the art of stealth, each proposing different ways of obtaining a cutie mark in that area of expertise.

Ah, the ignorant bliss of children, my mind commented as I smiled pleasantly, nodding in reply, Seems the children here aren’t all that different from those in Skyrim, that’s hopefully for the better.

But enough of this, where were we before our little interruption? Calming down after the racist unicorn and coming to terms with where you are?

My smile faded, Thank you for reminding me, I grumbled back.

The sound of hoofsteps crunching over grass reached my ears and I snapped my head around, catching sight of Fluttershy, a steaming bowl atop her back. She froze up under my glare, startled by the suddenness of my reaction.

“Um, I brought you some more broth,” she said, bolstering her courage and coming closer to offer the food as she had the last time.

“Thank you,” I said without conviction. The warmth of the broth seeped into my hands as I took it from the grip of her wings.

“You’re welcome,” Fluttershy replied, rather happily despite my tone.

I turned back towards the river, bringing the bowl to my lips to...

“Oh, uh, you should probably let it cool off a bit,” Fluttershy warned quietly, “It’s still very hot, it might burn your tongue.”

Burn your tongue? My mind inquired, chuckling, Better watch out for that, Aram, I’ve heard burnt tongues can be very deadly!

“Hm,” I grunted in reply, ignoring my mind for the moment.

“So...I hope you don’t mind me asking,” Fluttershy said after a moment, “But, um, what exactly do argonians eat? Are...are you...carnivorous?”

Oh, argonians just love to eat horses! My mind answered in silence, eat them up by the dozens, they do!

Carnivorous? I wondered, ignoring my mind again. “What?” I asked, turning and flinching as a slight pain cut into my chest.

“If you don’t want to talk about that then that’s perfectly fine,” Fluttershy replied quickly, sounding as if she had said something that was completely out of place, “It would just be nice to know what I can and can’t give you for food.”

I frowned a second before replying, “I...don’t know what carnivorous means.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy said, now looking surprised, “...it, um, means a creature whose diet primarily relies on...well,” she glanced at the ground, giving it a little kick, “meat.”

“I don’t eat meat,” I replied truthfully.

But you do eat fish!

Fish aren’t meat, shut-up! I snapped.

“Oh, good,” Fluttershy said, looking rather relieved, “So what do you eat, then?”

I weighed my answer for a second before replying, “You don’t happen to have any mead, do you?”

That’s the first thing that you ask about? Mead? my mind inquired.

I’ve only got one bottle left! I retorted.

Well I told you to grab more back at the sanctuary, but you didn’t listen. You grabbed more of your poisons instead, and look how that turned out!

I had planned to get more an an inn, I replied, then turning from my internal conflict to my external one.

“Meat?” Fluttershy asked, startled again, “But I thought you said...”

“No, mead,” I corrected, “Not meat, mead.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy replied, trying to hide behind her mane again, slightly embarrassed, “I...don’t know what that is...” She trailed off.

Damnit, I grumbled, just my luck...or lack thereof.

Maybe there’s mead elsewhere, if not then you’ve a one-of-a-kind beverage! You could make thousands of septims off it!

Switching back to Fluttershy, I said, “Nevermind, then. How about apples? Do you know what those are?”

Fluttershy nodded, “Oh yes, I have plenty of apples...I could go get you one if you’d like,” She offered, taking a step back towards the cottage, “I’ve got red ones, green ones, I think I might even still have a zap apple or two left.”

“That would be welcome...” I replied, struggling with the next words for a second, “Thank you.”

See, now you’re getting the hang of it! Though what in oblivion are zap apples?

How should I know?

“You’re welcome,” Fluttershy smiled happily, “I’ll be right back,” she started to trot off, but turned after a few steps, “Would you like me to get you a blanket? To keep you warm?”

“No, I’m fine,” I replied, turning back towards the river.

Aram...

“But the offer is appreciated,” I added flatly.

Fluttershy’s hoofsteps picked back up again as she trotted back towards her cottage, leaving me in relative silence again with the rushing water.

Hopefully we won’t be interrupted now.

Agreed, I replied, taking a deep breath and letting it out to start myself into a meditative state.

You really should be nicer to Fluttershy, seeing how she’s going out of her way to make sure that you’re okay and all.

She doesn’t have to...

And yet she still does...

I...I began before finding a loss of words, unable to come up with a decent excuse.

What? Still don’t trust her? My mind asked doubtfully.

Maybe, I replied.

That’s a poor lie if ever I heard one, My mind retorted, don’t think that I didn’t notice you not going for your knives when you noticed it was Fluttershy behind you. Nor did you check for poisons in the broth that she gave you. You aren’t going to fool me that easily, Aram.

Reminded of the broth, I grumbled to myself and took a sip, feeling it warm my body.

See! My mind said.

Fine, I replied, drinking more of the broth, maybe I have come to trust her...mostly, but how could anyone not? She’s absolutely weak! Afraid of her own shadow, I’d reckon. She hasn’t any guts to show unless it’s through a knife!

I hope you’re not suggesting...

No, that was only for example, I cut in, she’s useful, an asset.

And nice...

Yeah, well we’ve both been wrong about people before. You can’t possibly expect me to open up to her after the short time span that I’ve actually known her. She’s an asset now, maybe an ally in the near future, I’ve made far too many mistakes opening up to people before.

But that’s just it! My mind replied, She’s a talking pegasus, not a person! You may know a thing or two about people, but this creature is entirely different!

All the more reason to show caution, then. Perhaps pegasi are deceitful, bottom-feeding scum. Maybe they’re worse than the nords!

Or maybe you’re being paranoid...well a bit too paranoid to be correct. More paranoid than is healthy or normal for you, My mind countered.

Maybe you aren’t being paranoid enough!

Would Sithis really send you into the hands of a deceitful bottom-feeder? Didn’t he make it clear that he wants you to spearhead a new Dark Brotherhood in this land? Why put you into the hands...or hooves in this case...of a creature that you couldn’t trust? Tell me that, Aram.

I was unable to come up with a decent reply, and found my face turning into a snarl of annoyance.

See, you get my point. And I’m not asking you to open up to her, just be nicer, show her a bit of the kindness that she’s showing you...but on the note of our dread father, let’s change the subject, shall we?

I took another gulp of the broth before taking in my surroundings again to make certain that there was nothing lurking about to get me. As far as I could tell, there wasn’t.

The sound of a door opening behind me and a look in its direction told me that Fluttershy was heading back towards me. She stopped to check up on a few of her animals on the way down before finally reaching me.

“I brought you an apple,” she said upon reaching me, offering a juicy green apple with a hoof.

“Thank you,” I said, taking the apple and examining it in my hand.

Watch out, it might burn your tongue!

“I could, um, get you a different one if you don’t like that one,” Fluttershy said, looking as if she had done something wrong again.

I glanced back at her, “No, it’s fine,” I said, taking a crunchy bite from the fruit. I was surprised at how good the apple was, pausing a moment to savor the taste of the bite I had taken. It was a perfect balance of sweet and sour, the texture giving a pleasant feel to the whole thing.

To put it bluntly, it was the best apple I’d ever tasted.

“By Sithis,” I commented after I swallowed the first bite.

“What?” Fluttershy asked, still behind me.

“Nothing,” I replied a bit too quickly, throwing her a glance, “Did...you want something?” I asked, taking another bite of the apple and mentally kicking myself for almost showing a weakness.

Putting her in the spotlight had its predicted effect, causing Fluttershy to shrink down a bit, using her mane as a shield once more.

“W-well, if it’s okay with you can I, um...ask you something?” She asked.

“What is it?” I replied.

“Did...” Fluttershy began, bolstering her courage, “Did I do something to upset you?”

Taking another bite from the apple, I frowned, “Why do you ask?”

“Well, you just don’t seem very happy when I get near you,” She replied, “At first I thought you were just grumpy from your wounds, most creatures can be very agitated when they’re hurt, but then the Cutie Mark Crusaders came by and you seemed a lot more happy...” She trailed off and I could feel her questioning eyes burning into my back, likely pain in them.

“You did nothing wrong,” I replied, “Don’t worry.”

“But...then why..?” She began to ask before I cut her off.

“I think that I would prefer to be alone now,” I said, giving her a look before returning my gaze to the rushing water.

That was rude.

Shut-up, I told her to leave in as nice a way as possible, I replied, that’s a very...personal subject that she was delving into. One that I’m not willing to tell her.

Yet?

I didn’t reply.

Well then, about this visitor in your sleep, my mind began.

Looking behind me, I saw Fluttershy off tending her other animals. I turned back around and examined the exotic white meat of the apple still in my hand. I took another bite from the green orb of fruit, savoring the taste.

You know the Brotherhood’s history. Back in the times when they were in their prime, around the Oblivion Crisis especially, a potential candidate would be visited by a Speaker as they slept. Perhaps this is what Sithis meant, perhaps there are others of our order already here in Equestria.

I pondered that as I took another bite from the apple, Then why did Sithis ask for me to spread his unholy light? Are the others not worthy or willing? If that were the case then why would they help Sithis in the first place?

Well how in the Dread Lord’s name am I supposed to know? Why don’t you just go to sleep and find out for yourself? Considering the circumstances, you could certainly use as much rest as you can get.

Looking down at the extend of my injuries, I was forced to agree, I still don’t like being anyone’s puppet.

Well you going to sleep is going to happen eventually, My mind reasoned, might as well bite the broadhead and say “let’s get this over with.”

I let out what was a combination of a sigh and a grumble, glancing down at my apple to see it was mostly gone by now. The white meat of the fruit gleamed back at me as I took another bite.

Let me finish my apple first.

0 . o . 0

“Oh, here, let me get the door for you,” Fluttershy said, hopping and gliding from a small group of animals she had finished with to me. With a kind smile, she held the door open with a hoof.

“Thank you,” I grumbled, I could have gotten it myself.

Oh, be quiet.

“You’re welcome,” Fluttershy replied, “Are you going to go rest now?” She asked as I passed through the door.

“Yes,” I replied, not pausing.

“Oh, good,” she smiled, “Well, sweet dreams, then. I hope you start feeling better soon.”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

...

Walking was, for some reason, difficult and clumsy. My legs felt as if they were made of lead as I made my way down the stairs. My vision was equally impaired as I could not seem to open my eyes enough to see clearly as I fumbled down to the ground floor of the cottage.

It was likely only through luck that I made it down without falling over and tumbling down the stairway.

Once I was finally downstairs, my heart grew heavy in my chest as fear filled it with its poison...yet I could not see what the cause of this was.

Looking around, everything was as it should be: the furniture wasn’t overturned or damaged to imply a break-in, the same went for the windows, which I couldn’t see out of, the walls were similarly undamaged, and Fluttershy was sitting calmly in the middle of the room, alone...

“How are you feeling?” she asked, watching me with an odd intensity.

I looked down at myself, seeing that all my wounds were gone and that I was wearing my armor. Wishing to give her the affirmative, I looked back up at her and tried to speak, only to have the words choke my throat and withhold themselves from the world.

Fluttershy offered no more speech as I touched my throat and tried again, finding the words choking me once more. Seeing as speech was futile, I simply nodded to her.

Fluttershy offered no reply, continuing to stare at me with that intense gaze...

No, not intense gaze, I realized, but that look that had reminded me of the memory of a caring mother. The look of kindness, to settle for a terminology.

And yet, the fear remained. It pulsated in my chest like some worm that was squeezing itself around my heart and lungs. I glanced around again, touching a finger to the knives at my belt in an effort to comfort myself.

Looking behind me revealed the door that led outside, to freedom and hopefully away from the fear...and yet...

I looked back at Fluttershy, she had yet to move from her spot on the floor. Was it her that I was fearing? Was she the monster that I knew was somewhere nearby? Did I dare turn my back on her to open the door? Dare to show her a weakness that an enemy could exploit and use against me?

But that was crazy, Fluttershy was no monster, she couldn’t be. She had tended to my wounds and cared for me...

Like so many others...before...a voice echoed in my head.

No, this was different! Fluttershy was a timid little creature, pathetic by my standards, even if she was the monster I could easily deal with her. She was smaller than me an at a disadvantage when it came to weapons. Even if, by some stretch of fate, Fluttershy was the monster, I’d be able to easily deal with her.

I turned to open the door...and I was wrong.

Something wrapped around my neck, pulling me back and dashing me backwards across the floor. I tried to hop to my feet, but found my attempts befuddled by an utter lack of balance, as if I were insanely drunk.

The pressure in my heart tightened as Fluttershy stomped down on my chest, forcing me down to the ground.

I brought back my left fist and threw two quick jabs to her snout, hoping to force her back. Yet my attacks had no effect on the pegasus and I brought my fist back to deal another blow, swinging at her again. Before it could impact her, Fluttershy brought up a hoof and caught my attack.

I swung my right fist at her, hoping to knock her away, but she caught this fist with her other hoof. I glared up at Fluttershy, trying to overpower her with my greater strength, yet she held steadfast as if she were a mountain and I the tiniest ant.

She looked into my eyes and slowly shook her head, chastising me for being foolish enough to attack her.

I snapped at her with my jaws, hoping that needle-sharp teeth would be more effective than fists. My jaws only caught what felt like a thick lock of hair, which I quickly found slithering down my throat, making it all the more difficult to...

0 . o . 0

...I collapsed into a bed of grass, gasping for air as if I’d been holding my breath for a long time. Everything was suddenly crystal clear, the restrictions to my limbs and sight gone in an instant.

It...it was a dream...I realized, coughing a few times and pushing myself to a seated position, seeing that I was still in my armor with my wounds healed, But...what does that make all this?

Looking around, I found myself sitting amid a plain of rolling, grassy hills that stretched as far as the eye could see. They ended at a sky-blue horizon that led upwards to an equally blue and cloudless sky. Despite the fact that it was rather bright out, I could neither find the sun, nor shadows.

“An apt question, my little argonian,” A voice replied from behind me.

My head whipped around, but only the rolling grassy plains met my sight. I hopped to my feet and drew my knives, feeling as the hilts fit perfectly into my hands, keeping low and alert for any sign of attack.

“That was quite the dream you were having, Aram Falíe,” the voice taunted, behind me again.

I swiveled around, but still saw nothing of the speaker.

There was a chuckle, “Still behind you,” the voice came again, still behind me.

My head snapped around and I could swear that I caught a glimpse of something flying above and behind me in my peripherals.

“What do you want?” I asked, still trying to see the speaker as I slowly turned around.

“Why, you of course,” The voice said, “Didn’t your dear old Sithis tell you that I was coming? That someone would visit you in your dreams?”

“He did...” I admitted, squinting with suspicion, eyes flickering about for any sign of trouble, “So who are you? Sithis said that you’d be able to provide me with more details on spreading his unholy light to this world.”

“Hmm,” the voice pondered, “Well...I suppose that I could just tell you plain and simple, but where’s the fun in that?”

“What?” I asked, growing a bit agitated, “You’d better not be telling me that you won’t help!”

“Oh, I’m not saying that,” the voice said dismissively, “I’ll give you what you seek, but I’ll give it to you my way, okay?”

“No,” I replied, grip tightening on the hilts of my knives, “Tell me what I need to know, my way...” I whirled around, but still found no glimpse of the source of the voice, “...I’ve no time for petty games and petty voices in my dreams. Tell me what I need to know or I’ll find you, send you to the void, and start the Dark Brotherhood by myself,” I hissed.

A deathly silence fell over the landscape. My eyes flickered about and I kept my head on a swivel, turning at random as I prepared for some sort of attack.

I flinched as laughter filled the air around me, bombarding me from all sides. The skies took on a dark tone as the voice began again, “Have you any clue who I am, mortal? Do you have any idea at all who you dare to threaten?”

Lightning and thunder clashed as dark and foreboding clouds moved in, materializing from nowhere. The ground around me began to tremble and the lush green grass shriveled up and died all around me.

Rancorous laughter filled the landscape again and a massive crack splintered across the landscape. Like a snake, it dodged back and forth towards me, cutting in between my feet when it reached me.

“Fornication!” I cursed, hopping away as the ground split apart, a massive rift tearing itself into the land. As the laughter, lightning, and thunder continued, the area around the rift began to give way, forcing me to make a hasty retreat before I fell into the rift’s dark depths.

Massive, black crystalline formations began to rip up from below the earth, slowly rising in sizes ranging from grass to monoliths. It was one of these smaller ones that seemed to snap at my foot, flinging me to the ground with a grunt.

I rolled over and quickly began to scoot away from the ever-increasing maw before me. A quick yelp escaped me as my back hit something hard and immobile, a glance back told me that it was another of the ebony-black crystals.

There was no time to react as the growing maw...froze before my feet, the rumble dieing with the lightning and thunder.

My heart rate began to slow again, my breathing calming down as I sat with my back against the crystal. Another deathly silence fell over the land as I got back on my feet, glaring around for the source of the voice again, still to no avail.

The silence continued to pound in my ears as I cautiously looked down into the massive crevisse in the ground. I could see nothing of the bottom but pitch blackness.

“This is no petty dream, mortal. This is my plane of purgatory and you are but a simple guest here, pulled from your dreams for our little chat,” the voice said, startling me as it filled the silence. To my continued annoyance, the voice was still behind me.

I remained silent, biting back any words that tried to surface themselves.

“Now listen and listen well, my little argonian. I’ve two riddles for you and I’ll only say them once, now...

When you have seen your third dawn,

three shall come, young and strong.

Teach them what of shadow you know,

and see your Dark Brotherhood grow.

Once they are ready, you shall know,

a father’s unholy light is ready to glow...”

I mumbled the words back to myself a few times, memorizing the lines for later. After running them through my head a few times, I opened my mouth to speak.

“Before you ask, no. I’m not giving you any further hints. You’ll just have to figure it out by yourself.”

“Sithis told me that you would help me start the Dark Brotherhood here in Equestria, not taunt me with stupid riddles,” I grumbled, not even bothering to look for the ever-so-elusive source of the voice anymore.

“Sithis only told me to help you,” the voice reasoned tauntingly, “he never told me how I had to help you.

“I’m still fulfilling my side of the bargain, all you need to do is make sense of it all!” The voice laughed again, the owner of the voice obviously enjoying this game with a sick sort of pleasure.

“You mentioned two riddles, if memory serves me,” I said sourly. The first riddle seemed to make sense to me. I’d be visited by a trio of initiates to train in the art of shadows, once their training would complete it would be time to set forth and bring Sithis’s unholy light to Equestria. Rather straightforwards when some sense could be made of it.

“Ah yes,” the voice said, stopping the laughter.

“First travel to where regal sisters preside,

and go to where creatures of stone reside.

Look for the creature that does most resemble,

your dread lord, whom makes many tremble.

Once this creature you seek has been found,

speak your name and it shall be bound.”

“What?” I inquired, committing the words to memory as before, “What is that supposed to mean? Regal sisters? Stone creatures? None of that makes any sense!” I growled.

“Oh, what fun is there in making sense?” the voice asked, “I’ve upheld my side of the bargain, giving you the details that you need, now all you need to do is make sense of them!” it reasoned.

“How!?” I asked, eyeing the now desolate landscape before me.

“Sometimes all it takes is a little...push!” the voice exclaimed. At the final word, something slammed into my back, throwing me forwards and into the darkness of the crevasse below. I hardly had any time to scream as...

0 . o . 0

...My eyes snapped open and I was awake, lying in the bed that Fluttershy was providing. Darkness blanketed everything and I had no way of telling how long I had been asleep, though it must’ve been a while, seeing how dark it was now as compared to when I went to sleep. I put a hand to my chest, feeling the bandages still in place over my scales, reminding me of my injuries and killing any hope of them somehow being healed by the dream.

I scowled and rolled over, knowing that I’d not be able to find sleep again this night.

Sweet dreams, huh? My mind inquired, keeping me company.

I thought over everything that taken place, the nightmare with Fluttershy, the voice of the unknown voice in its purgatory, and the riddles that were thankfully still in my memory. I made note to set them on paper as soon as possible lest I forget them.

“Sweet dreams, my scaly backside,” I replied aloud.

Of Magics and Maniacs (Pt1|Ch5)

View Online

Chapter Five: Of Magics and Maniacs

“Damned candle,” I cursed the wax and wick formation in front of me.

Don’t blame the candle, it’s your own damn fault. You should’ve paid more attention to that spellbook.

Be quiet, I snapped back, face beholding a snarl.

Night was still showing no signs of abating, its darkness blanketing everything. I had tried to judge the time of night by looking at the stars and moon, but both were unknown to me. However, were I to guess, I would say that it had been at least two hours since the dream and the riddler in them. This passage of time had worn my patience thin and I was forced to get out of the bed and find something to do.

Stumbling around in the darkness of the room had given me my solution: get some light. After some searching, I’d found a few wax candles in one of the drawers, but had been unable to find a lighting source for them.

My tinderbox had been in the same area as my poisons and I wasn’t reaching through that cesspool of poison and shattered flasks for anything in my life. A search around the room turned up no way of lighting the candle and that left me with only one option: magic.

Glaring at the candle as if it were my arch-nemesis, I tried again.

I held my hands like a dome over the candle, staring at the candlewick and drowning all else out, putting every last septim of my focus into it. Once I had ridden my world of all other distractions, I began thinking about fire. Not something large, a massive ball or a stream of fire for example, just something tiny, a spark.

From here, I began to imagine the spark forming at the tip of the wick, pulling in heat from the surrounding air and bursting into flame. Like every time before this, I felt as my body pulled magicka from the world around me, channeling it through my arms and into the palms of my hands. Bending the magicka to my will, I focused it all out of my palms, converting it from magical energy into heat energy.

And nothing happened.

“Fornicating candle!” I growled, growing angry at the fact that despite my best effort, the candle remained unlit, What do I have to do for you to light!

Upon my thinking this, a sudden discharge of power zapped from my palms, startling me enough to make me flinch away. There was a quiet pop and the candle came to life as the wick burst into a tiny flame.

There we are! I mentally grumbled, taking the candle and using it to light a few others.

Maybe you should have paid more attention to that spellbook, my mind chastised, It would have saved so much time if you could light fires with at least some level of aptitude.

Be quiet, it’s lit now, isn’t it? I replied, moving towards the bookshelf and wielding one of the candles for light.

I set the candle down on a shelf and pulled out a book at random. Flipping through the pages reminded me that everything was written in a different language. Nevertheless, I searched through the books, having nothing better to do, until I found what I was looking for: something with blank pages.

Hiding behind a few of the books was a small journal, similar to the few that now lay ruined in my pack. The writing in this one appeared to be written with a hand, though I had no idea how something that didn’t posses hands could have written it.

I flipped through the pages until I reached wherever the writer had last left off, tearing out one of the pages before replacing the journal and taking the page and the candle back to the bed.

Aren’t you forgetting something? my mind inquired, or do you plan to conjure up a quill and ink from the depths of Oblivion?

The neutral mask that I wore turned to a frown of annoyance as I took a seat on the edge of the bed.

“Damnit,” I grumbled, glaring around for a quill and inkwell. With any luck, I might be able to find one somewhere in...

“Whatcha looking for?” A cheery voice asked from above.

To say that I was startled by hearing a voice above me after so much silence and no knowledge that someone had snuck up on me was an understatement.

I hopped forwards, off the bed and away from the assailant, drawing my knives with speed honed by skill. Unfortunately, I was still unaccustomed to the cast around my leg, it threw me off balance and I quickly found myself on the ground again, pain lancing through my body like a poison.

“Fornication!” I spat through clenched teeth, rolling painfully onto my back, eyes squeezed shut as the pain assailed me.

“Is what you’re looking for...on the floor?” The cheery voice spoke again, there was a giggle, “Hey, that rhymed! Looking for...on the floor!” The voice repeated in a sing-song voice.

What in the unholy name of Sithis? my mind inquired, beating me to it.

My scaly eyelids snapped open, eyes locking onto...

“What in the unholy name of Sithis?” I wondered aloud.

Hanging from the ceiling and clad in a tight-fitting black suit with some sort of metallic apparatus strapped to its forehead was, of all possible things, a small pink horse.

The creature giggled again, “I’m a pony, silly, that’s what.”

Getting my priorities straight, I found my knives, grabbing them and pointing the one in my right grip at the creature. Sitting up only increased the unabated pain, forcing me to use my left arm for support.

“What are you doing here?” I growled threateningly.

“Well,” the creature began, there was an audible pop and the creature fell from its perch on the ceiling. It paused a moment in the air, righting itself before landing on the bed, “I couldn’t sleep and I got a rumbly tummy and an itchy nose. That, of course, that meant that one of my friends also couldn’t sleep! So I went on a search to find who it was that also couldn't sleep. I went down the list of all my friends and when I came here looking for you and Fluttershy, I found you!

“And then you said, ‘Damnit,’” the creature continued, deepening her voice as she quoted me, “which really isn’t a nice word. So then I asked, ‘whatcha looking for?’ since it looked like you were looking for something important, like enemy intelligence or something,” the creature looked left to right, as if searching the room for a hidden enemy, “Then you did this totally awesome dive to the floor, saying ‘fornication!’ which also isn’t a very nice word, you know. And then I asked if what you were looking for was on the floor, which rhymes,” she giggled, “Then you said ‘What in the unholy name of Sithis?’” she kept going, again deepening her voice as she quoted me, “Then I told you I was a pony and you asked what I was doing here and that’s where we are now!”

Through the black outfit the creature put on a massive smile, eyes lighting up.

What? my mind asked, mirroring my utter confusion.

“Oh, I also brought my new suction-cup horseshoes,” the creature said, lifting a hoof to show off the device, “they’re the latest addition to my spy outfit! They really work, too!”

“Who...are you?” I asked, not entirely sure that asking this creature questions was healthy for my sanity.

“I’m Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie replied with glee, “Didn’t you get my ‘get well’ card and the cupcake? I didn’t really know what kind of cupcakes you like, so I kinda sorta had to guess which one to give you,” Pinkie rattled on, “I was gonna send you a big box of all sorts, but Fluttershy said that it might not be good for you, which is kinda loco in the cocoa if you ask me,” Pinkie said, pointing to her head and swirling her eyes, “A cupcake, or cupcakes, is a sure way to make anypony feel better!”

I replied with silence, not sure what else was appropriate.

“Hey, so what were you looking for?” Pinkie asked, looking around the room from the bed again, “Was it...a lolipop!” She exclaimed, reaching behind her and procuring a stick with a multi-colored disc atop it.

“That’s...it’s none of your concern,” I replied, shaking my head. I pushed myself painfully to my feet, muttering a few curses as the pain shot through my body again.

You really need to stop falling out of bed, Aram, my mind said.

Shut-up, I replied.

“But it totally is my concern!” Pinkie countered, “You need help finding something and I’m gonna help you find it because that’s what friends are for!”

“Who ever said we were friends?” I asked coldly, knives still held ready in my hands.

“Me, silly!” Pinkie reasoned, if such a thing as this creature reasoning was possible, “I’m friends with everypony in Ponyville and you’re no exception!” Her happy demeanor was stolen by a more pondering one, “Though I still haven’t thrown you a party yet...”

“I don’t know you,” I growled, angry at this bizarre creature already, “Now get out so I can find a quill and..!” I stopped abruptly, mentally kicking myself for divulging the information.

“A quill? Is that what you’re looking for?” Pinkie asked, “Why didn’t you say so?”

Breaking the laws of physics, Pinkie zipped over to the fireplace at the opposite side of the room. She examined if for a moment, poking at her chin with a hoof, before reaching out, pulling one of the bricks from its place, and reaching into the cavity that it had left.

“Aha!” she exclaimed, pulling her hoof from the hole, a quill and an inkwell in her grasp. She trotted happily back to the bed, placing both items on it, the quill dipped in the inkwell, “I’ve got plenty of quills and inkwells stashed all over Ponyville,” she explained as if it were common knowledge, “In case of a writing emergency.”

My eyes shifted slowly from Pinkie to the inkwell and back, again at a loss of words as this creature proved to continue its randomness.

“Oh...” I said.

“You’re welcome,” Pinkie said with unparalleled cheer, “So...were you gonna write something or tickle somepony’s nose?” She asked, going into a fit of giggles as if someone was tickling her nose, “if it’s tickling somepony’s nose, then I know just the pony to do it to!”

“It’s not your concern,” I growled, limping to the bed. I sheathed my right knife traded it for the inky quill, always making sure that Pinkie was within my field of view in case she tried something. Ready, I held the quill paused above the paper, ready to write.

I thought back to the two riddles, bringing them back from the depths of my mind so I could write them...

“Ooh, those look really scary!” Pinkie said, eyeing my knives.

“Be quiet,” I snapped, glaring over at the pink pony.

“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie complied, drawing a hoof across her closed mouth and then pantomiming a series of of actions, none of which I could decipher.

Just when you thought that talking, friendly, racist unicorns were something to gawk at... my mind commented.

I reached back into my memories, drawing forth the two riddles that I had committed to my mind. As I scribbled out the first one, I reassessed the meaning.

‘When you have seen your third dawn, three shall come, young and strong...’ Translated, if I were to guess, that meant that in three days time I’d be visited by three initiates. The last part thankfully provided that they would be both of relative youth and vitality.

‘Teach them what of shadow you know, and see your Dark Brotherhood grow...’ This obviously meant that I was to teach them what I knew about the art of stealth. I pondered on this a moment. I was no teacher, but pressed I could hopefully be of some use as one.

“Whatcha writing?” Pinkie asked curiously.

“Nothing that concerns you,” I growled back, going back to the final line of the first riddle before a sudden thought struck me.

My eyes found the ‘get well’ card, as Pinkie had called it, still laying where I’d left it the day before. It had been written in a language that I knew, much unlike the books that I had looked through and the journal I had taken the page from. I latched my gaze onto Pinkie, who was staring back at me with a happy intensity.

“How...” I paused, unsure how and if I should continue.

“How what?” Pinkie asked, “How to make cupcakes? That’s easy: all you gotta do is take a cup of flour and add it to the mix..!”

“No,” I growled, cutting off her increasingly annoying speech and wondering if simply killing her was a good idea. It would certainly shut her up, but getting rid of the body might prove difficult, seeing the condition I was in, “How do you know my language? The card you gave me isn’t written in your dialect.”

Perhaps she’s some shapeshifting Daedra. Maybe Equestria is one of the planes of Oblivion and this creature has visited Nirn once or twice, my mind suggested.

“I dunno, when I wrote it, it just came out like that,” Pinkie replied with a shrug, “But did you like the cupcake it came with?” she smiled brightly again.

I debated answering her for a mere second before going back to the final line of the first riddle.

‘Once they are ready, you shall know, a father’s unholy light is ready to glow...’ This final part implied that once their training was complete, we would be ready to do Sithis’ bidding. My quill and thoughts paused here, a tingling sensation running through my grip on my left knife. I spared the weapon a glance and a ghost of a smile before delving back into my mind to get the second riddle.

‘First travel to where regal sisters preside, and go to where creatures of stone reside...’ I frowned at this one, focusing back on Pinkie for a moment to ensure she wasn’t planning anything, she wasn’t...at least as far as I could tell.

Back to the riddle, I hadn’t the first clue what this meant. Regal sisters preside? Creatures of stone? I’d seen a few storm atronachs in my day, they appeared to be made of stone...and lightning. Then again, it was a riddle, so perhaps something to do with a stone-like creature? I’d seen mudcrabs blend almost perfectly into their surroundings, taking on the appearance of rocks before, but that made no sense at all. How would a mudcrab be able to help me?

I gave a low growl, unable to make sense of the line as I moved onto the next.

‘Look for the creature that does most resemble, your dread lord, whom makes many tremble...’ This part meant to look for something similar to Sithis. Perhaps a deity here that shared some traits with him...I liked the sound of that, another ghost of a smile crossing my features. This would hopefully be the easiest part of the riddle, seeing as a creature with a semblance of Sithis would be rather easy to find.

“What’s so funny?” Pinkie asked, interrupting me yet again, “Is it a funny joke?”

“It’s nothing,” I snapped, smile fading as I glared at her, “Why are you still here? You’ve served your purpose and I want to be alone.”

“Aww,” Pinkie whined, looking upset, “But I totally had this awesome slumber party planned out! We were gonna play board games and tell ghost stories! Like the tale...of the headless horse!”

“What?” I inquired, utterly confused again on account of the pink creature, “No. I’ve no time for your petty games and I’ve no more patience for your presence,” I lowered my voice a tad, narrowing my eyes just slightly, “Now get out of here before I make you.”

My right hand moved away from the paper, towards my right knife as my left hand tightened on the hilt of my left one in what I hoped looked threatening enough to Pinkie.

“Well...” Pinkie trailed off, pondering again, “I suppose we could have the party another time. A party of two just isn’t as fun as a party of three...or more. Plus, Fluttershy did say that you needed your rest, and making a sick friend feel better is just as good as a party for one,” Pinkie let out a sigh, “Well, okay, we’ll do it your way,” she perked up again, “but just be sure to let me know when you’re feeling better so I can throw you that party I owe you! Okay?”

“Fine,” I conceded with a grumble, “Now for Sithis’ sake, get out.”

“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie replied with a smile, hopping over to a window, opening it, and leaping out with a final wave and a smile, “It was nice getting to talk to you..!” she called out, voice fading as, presumably, she fell.

I made my way around the bed and to the window, closing it after looking out and finding no sign of Pinkie.

Making my way back, I pulled the final line from my memory, committing it to the paper once I had gotten back to the other side of the bed.

“Once this creature you seek has been found, speak your name and it shall be bound...”

“Hm,” I said, thinking. Once I’d found the creature of stone, who was similar to Sithis, I was to speak my name. This would bind me in some way, but to the creature? Or was it the creature that was being bound? None of the second riddle made much sense in the first place, why should the ending have been any different?

What does it matter? You understand the first riddle, which tells you that you’ll need to train some initiates in three days time. Do that and then focus on finding this creature, my mind suggested.

Fine I replied, folding the piece of paper and sliding it into one of my gloves after I’d ensured that the ink was dry. Finished with that, I took a seat at the edge of the bed, now unsure of what I could do to pass the time...

To Forgive a Fiend (Pt1|Ch6)

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Chapter Six: To Forgive a Fiend

For better or for worse, the rest of the night went on without incident.

Despite being in a foreign language, the books I had at my disposal kept me occupied for what I hoped was a few hours. Upon finishing the last one, merely skimming over the pages, I got up and limped to the window. Looking out revealed that darkness still lay across the land, and I was forced to find something else to do.

Sitting upon the bed, I drew my knives and inspected them. The twin blades were as flawless as the day I’d finished forging them and would remain that way long after I’d joined the void. I drew a ghost of a smile upon my face, wondering at what would become of the weapons after I was gone. Who might come across them and for what purposes would the weapons be used?

My ebony bow may have held a couple of small nicks from when I’d been forced to use it to block an attack from a far stronger opponent. However, the string was taut and the limbs as sturdy as ever. Ebony wasn’t on par when compared to weapons forged with the hearts of daedra, but it wasn’t far from it.

I spat a quiet curse as I found out that I still couldn’t bring the string back to my ear on account of my injured arm. For my own sake, I hoped I wouldn’t be forced into combat any time soon.

The arrows at my disposal, I scowled over. The river had wiped them clean of poisons and with my pack the mess it was, I had no more at my disposal. Seeing as my list of what plants made the best poisons was kept with them, I’d need to start from scratch.

It wasn’t to say that the ebony arrows weren’t deadly within their own right, nor was I a novice when it came to archery, just that I enjoyed making sure that a target stayed dead. Poisons provided that insurance.

Speaking of my pack, I checked the pockets again, nothing was out of place and I busied myself with counting the coins I had. In the end, I came up with fifty septims, meaning that none had been stolen.

I considered drinking down some of the mead I still had with me, though ultimately decided against it until I could make sure that this land had a sufficient substitute. Inspecting the bottle proved that my luck was holding, the glass was unscathed and the cork secure, the whole thing heavy with the alcoholic treat.

Done with this, I went over my armor again, finding it brand new thanks to the creature known as Rarity. The right legging and boot still didn’t fit for obvious reasons and seeing as the armor was a one-piece suit, a few released strings at the back allowing someone to step into the armor, I wouldn’t be using it for some time.

Well it’s not as if the locals are that fond of clothing anyways, I grumbled to myself.

By now the candles I had lit were dull or dead and, though it was still dark, the single moon had moved a great deal through the sky.

How odd it is for there to be only one moon, my mind remarked as I gazed at the single white, pockmarked orb.

It will take some getting used to, I admitted, hoping that it would be as easy to track and tell time with as Secunda and Masser were. I’d hopefully be able to learn soon if I was to serve Sithis here.

The moon had moved a sliver more towards the horizon when I finally stopped gazing at it. I turned back to the bed and went over my gear once more, finding everything to be just as it had been prior.

Trying to salvage the situation just a bit, I took ten of my arrows and dipped the black tips into the mess in my pack. All ten caused my ring to glow, telling me that they were poisoned, though with what toxins, I had no idea.

Seeing that I had about as many healing potions as I did poisonous ones, the arrows could be coated with a mixture of both good and bad, potentially negating some of their poisonous effects.

Hopefully we’ll get a chance to see just how well these work soon, I thought with a ghost smile, looking over one of the glistening, black tips. Careful not to be too forceful around my injured ribs, I strapped the quiver to my bare back, taking my bow and pulling it over my head, letting it rest like a bandolier across my body. Sure, I couldn’t use it without much pain to my arm, but the familiar feel was comforting to me, empowering.

No longer having anything better to do, I took a seat on the soft bed and closed my eyes, calming myself as I let everything around me fade from existence...

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Fluttershy’s cottage, downstairs...

Beams of light, courtesy of the rising sun, shone through one of the windows in Fluttershy’s cottage. The golden rays landed on the sleeping face of the cottage’s owner, prodding her from her sleep on the couch.

“Morning already?” Fluttershy asked no one in particular. Blinking the sleep from her eyes and blessing the world with a long yawn, Fluttershy hopped down from the couch, stretching her legs and wings as she surveyed the main room of her cottage.

Trotting to the kitchen for a nice hot cup of tea, Fluttershy spared the stairs leading to her bedroom a glance and a thought. Could argonians drink tea? She knew that they liked apples and mead, whatever that was, but was tea a valid part of their diet?

Deciding that it couldn’t hurt to offer him a cup, she procured two small teacups from a drawer, setting them out. That settled, she brought out her teapot, filling it with water and setting it on a small magical stove, poking a button and watching as a flame flickered into life below the pot, tickling at its underbelly.

Humming a happy tune, she browsed her collection of herbs used for tea with a hoof, trying to find something that she thought that her argonian patient would enjoy. She quickly selected a sweeter-flavored one. Seeing as he enjoyed apples, perhaps he had a sweet tooth?

Closing the cupboard, Fluttershy turned around and nearly dropped the ingredients she was carrying as she jerked back in fright, the argonian standing a few feet away from her. She hadn’t heard him approach, obviously.

He spared her a neutral look with his black-on-gold eyes before plucking an apple from a fruit bowl on the counter. Fluttershy took note that he wore his black bow like a bandolier, the body around his front with the string at his back.

Once recovered, Fluttershy remembered the reason that there were two cups out today instead of just one.

“I was wondering if I could interest you in a nice, hot cup of tea?” Fluttershy inquired, pointing with a hoof towards the heating teapot, “I mean, if argonians drink tea..?”

Her most recent patient looked to where she was pointing and sized up the teapot, assessing it with his eyes before turning back to Fluttershy, “I...thank you...yes,” he said, appearing to struggle a bit with the words. He bit into the apple, a bit of tension leaving him as he did so.

“You’re welcome,” Fluttershy replied, happy that argonians could drink tea, “Though, um, do you like a certain type of tea?” she turned towards her cupboard, “I’ve got plenty of ingredients to choose from if you’ve got a favorite.”

He spared the cupboard a glance, there was a moment of barely noticeable struggle. His jaw tightened a bit, his eyes losing focus for a split second.

“I...haven’t had tea before,” he finally admitted, taking another crunchy, succulent bite from the apple.

“Oh,” Fluttershy replied, “Well this is, um, one of my personal favorites,” she continued, holding up the two tea packets in her hooves, trotting over to the counter with the two teacups, “If you don’t like it, I can make you a different one,” she offered.

The teapot spoke up, trying to get some attention as it let off a whistle. The argonian snapped his head in its direction, body tensing slightly and lowering just a bit.

“The, uh, the water’s boiling,” Fluttershy explained, giving an awkward smile when he looked at her. Turning to the teapot, she poured the hot water into the two cups and added the twin bags after.

Grabbing one cup with her teeth and the other with a hoof. She turned and placed both on a small wooden table in the middle of the kitchen, the one in her hoof getting pushed closer to the argonian.

Wisps of hot steam curled up off the surfaces of the two cups as the packets, doing their thing, began to color the water as it absorbed the ingredients within.

“Oh, don’t drink it just yet,” Fluttershy warned as the argonian reached for his own cup, “It’s still very hot.” more out of habit than emphasis, she gave her own cup a gentle blow, disrupting the snakes of steam as they curled up off the liquid.

The argonian picked up his cup and turned to go, revealing a full quiver of arrows on his back.

“Um...where are you going?” Fluttershy inquired, cringing as he froze and quickly adding, “I mean, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to...”

“Outside,” he replied, glancing back at her as he spoke.

Stumbling to the kitchen doorway, he made his way for the door.

“Oh, wait!” Fluttershy called out, rushing around the table and to the doorway before the argonian could leave...

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Same place, different point of view...

I stopped at Fluttershy’s call, looking back at her again as she followed me into the living room.

“What?” I asked.

Fluttershy moved past me, stopping off to the side of the door and grabbing an oddly shaped stick. Stick in hoof, she turned back to me, offering it.

“I made you a crutch,” she explained, my eyes flicked to the crutch, lingering there a moment, “...to, uh, help you walk,” she continued as it grew apparent that I wasn’t taking the offering, “You really shouldn’t be putting much pressure on your leg if you want it to get better. It should also make it easier to walk with the cast.”

“I’m fine,” I replied, “...but the gesture is appreciated.”

Getting the hang of it, I see, my mind commented.

That taken care of, I turned to the door, reaching out to open...

“But...but you’re not okay...or fine,” Fluttershy protested, “Your femur bone is broken. You really shouldn’t be going around like this so much, you might injure it more!”

I stared into those two care-ridden eyes again, breaking eye contact first as another flash of memory threatened to come forward.

“I’ve had worse,” I lied, coming up with a better excuse as I did so, “You never treated an argonian before, I know more than you do about my species.”

Aram, just take the crutch. She’s trying to help you. Humor her, you ungrateful...

Be quiet, I replied, cutting off my mind.

“Oh,” Fluttershy replied, looking away and shrinking down a bit again, “W-well I guess that makes sense. But if you do need it, I’ll leave it by the door, okay?”

“Hm,” I grunted, opening the door and stepping out into the chilly morning’s light. The low sun sparkled off the drops of dew that coated almost everything. The bright blue sky was almost completely barren of the white wisps of clouds. I enjoyed the beautiful view for a moment before a weight in my right hand reminded me of the tea Fluttershy had given me.

I looked down at the darkly colored liquid as it let off more swirls of steam. The khajiit caravans that traveled Skyrim, stopping at all the major cities, sold tea, but I’d never sampled the stuff.

Though I knew someone who had. The man loved tea about as much as I loved mead, Ave...

0 . o . 0

...A tightness in my right arm and fingers reminded me that my bow was still drawn, the knocked arrow ready to sink its teeth into warm flesh. Yet I couldn’t find the will to release it, horror and uncertainty ruling my mind with unbreakable reins, my heart pounding in my throat.

“Aram! Help me! Shoot him!” a voice of a brother, still familiar over the years, called from my left, reminding me of my dilemma.

Yet despite this, my gaze drifted to the right, right to my prize. A prize that was escaping. My aim shifted right as I lined up the shot...

...and the tightness in my right arm was no more as the voice of a brother let out a cry of pain...

0 . o . 0

“Damnit!” I growled through clenched teeth, letting go of the cup of tea and clutching my skull, trying to banish the fleeing memory as it left a wake of head-splitting pain, “Get out of my head! It wasn’t my fault!”

Yes it was Aram! my mind snapped back with venom, You could have saved him, but you didn’t!

“He should have been able to save himself!” I snarled back, not caring that I was speaking aloud, hands squeezing into my skull, “Now get out of my head!”

That’s a pathetic excuse if ever I heard one, you worm! my mind retorted, You went and let him die! And for what? A few filthy septims, coated with his own blood, spilled by you!

The door to Fluttershy’s cottage shot open behind me, the cottage’s worried owner being the instigator.

“What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked, a bit frantic as she tried to find the source of some problem, “What were you yelling about?”

“Nothing!” I snapped, anger fueling my words, “Nothing.”

She recoiled at my tone, “I’m...I’m sorry,” she said, “I didn’t mean to pry, I was just worried that...”

“No!” I snapped, rage still coursing through my veins, needing release and locking onto the first sentient creature I could find, “By Sithis, you are intolerable! Apologizing for every little damned thing that you do and worrying over me like you’re my mother...” Flames. Cold. Fear. I gripped my head, turning and growling as I banished the memory from my thoughts, cursing myself for making the connection, “You’re not!” I yelled, unleashing all the pent up rage in my system, “I’m not some child, I can take care of myself without you! I don’t need your fornicating help, you...freak!”

I snapped my head around, eyes boring into Fluttershy, lip raised in a snarl of anger. She stared back, mortified, mouth open just slightly.

“You wouldn’t last a day in Skyrim!” I shouted.

I searched for more words, but found none. I oriented my head forwards and hobbled down to the woods, not looking back as rage coursed through my body.

Halfway to the forest, I threw an angry look behind me, finding the door to Fluttershy’s cottage closed. It looked like most of the animals had disappeared, those that remained almost looked as if they were, of all things, glaring at me.

“Wouldn’t last a day in Tamriel,” I grumbled to myself.

This isn’t Tamriel, my mind replied, Nice going back there. Better hope that you can find bed and board elsewhere now.

Shut-up, I growled back, Someone needed to talk sense into that yellow buffoon. Now either be quiet or help me find ingredients, hopefully the ones here aren’t too different from Skyrim.

Okay, you ungrateful idiot. Just remember, jarrin root has very beneficial alchemical properties, especially when you eat it!

I glowered back at my mind, not deeming a reply necessary as I made my way into the forest. The light around me died down as the trees strangled it off, the accusing eyes of animals glaring at my back the whole way.

0 . o . 0

It didn’t take long to find a plant, seeing as I was in a forest.

The small, darkly-colored mushroom lay in a moist patch at the base of a tree. I glared warily around, scanning for any sign of danger in the foreboding forest.

Unable to bend my right knee, I slowly took a seat on the ground, right leg outstretched with the mushrooms to the right. When settled, I Leaned forwards and waved my left hand over the top of one of the mushrooms. Another ghost of a smile lit my face as the gem inset in my ring glowed, the mushroom was poisonous.

Were I a novice, the examination would have ended there. I’d take the mushroom and try to see exactly what type of poison it was by either testing it on myself or mixing it with other poisons. However, I was far from a novice and I knew a few things when it came to mushrooms.

I plucked the mushroom from the earth, examining it. Like any other mushroom, it had small gills on the underbelly of the cap, these would hopefully contain spores. The stalk was a lighter shade than the deathly black cap.

Holding it by the stalk, I transferred it from my right to my left hand. With deftness acquired by experience, I ran my thumb along the gills, tickling a few spores onto the back of my finger.

I set the mushroom aside and waved my left hand over my right, the ring staying as it was. The spores were not poisonous, then. An interesting fact that was shared by quite a few of Skyrim’s more deadly flora.

I licked the spores off my finger, finding them tasteless and swallowing, waiting for an effect. In a few seconds, a blast of energy rushed through me. I felt rejuvenated, like I could run a few miles if I hadn’t had a broken leg. The spores might be useful in a stamina potion, then.

Next, I snapped the cap from the stalk, finding this to also be non-poisonous.

Well at least the cap is poisonous, so there’s a start, I thought a tad bitterly.

Eating the stalk gave me the not-so-familiar feeling of my mind being let open. I could feel a humming, magical energy in the air as it swirled around me, a tingling sensation in my fingers and spine, though it was incredibly weak. So much that I almost didn’t feel any of it at all.

So a weak magical enhancing effect, not useful at all, I frowned.

Unless you need to light another candle, my mind said, Or you could just try harder in the future and actually cast that spark spell right.

To Oblivion with you, I replied, discarding the half-eaten stem and picking up the cap again.

I eyed the cap warily, considering whether or not to see what type of poison it actually was. I’d learned the hard way that finding alchemical effects by eating plants was as rewarding as it was dangerous. Pop something like a nirnroot in your mouth and you’d be puking with a belly full of pain for a few hours.

I took a whiff of the cap, closing my eyes and finding that it gave off no smell. A lick also proved rather ineffective. Surprising, as most poisons were bitter or sour-tasting. This did, however, mean that the cap could be slipped into any soup and the eater would be none the wiser if they drank the soup.

Or broth, kinda like the stuff Fluttershy gave you before you bit her head off, my mind said.

I scowled, She had it coming. Someone needed to tell her that she was weak, needed to stand up for her damn self and stop apologizing for every Sithis damned little thing! I snapped back.

Again enforcing your own beliefs onto others, Aram? That worked so well with the Listener, didn’t it?

It did! Now I’m going to be more than just a pawn in Sithis’ plan. I am to head the new Dark Brotherhood here in Equestria! I replied smartly, happy with the silence that followed.

Looking over the cap again, I decided to just sample it, a small bite to see if I could detect what form of poison the cap held.

The cap had a thick texture, that much I could instantly tell from the small nibble. Again, the cap was tasteless and I swallowed the small bite, preparing for the worst.

And then the worst came...

My vision darkened, shadows creeping forth and hiding monsters as my heart rate quickened, my breath growing short. I dropped the rest of the cap, fear forcing itself upon me like an ocean on a small boat.

My eyes darted around, finding stalking creatures in every little shadow, just waiting to attack me at the slightest provocation.

“Aram Falíe!” A voice growled, my gaze snapping around to the sound of the voice.

A demon stood a ways away, smoke pouring off its sickly-purple flesh, thick horns protruding every which way from its body. Its hellish eyes glared down at me, twin fires of pure wrath as the demon approached.

“No!” I wheezed, heart rate increasing again as fear encompassed my entire being. I scooted backwards as the demon approached, no doubt intent on wiping me off the face of Equestria, lifting me from the ground and ripping me limb from limb or disemboweling me with one of its many horns.

“I thought I would find you here,” the demon grumbled again, still approaching. Thick ichor oozed from its mouth, hissing as it splattered onto the ground. A darkly purple tail swung behind the demon, the strands made of serpents that hissed at me with sharp fangs and red eyes.

“No!” I wheezed again, short of breath as the rapidity of my breathing increased once more, “Stay away from me! Go away!”

The demon paused, contemplating my demise, “What?” it asked, the tail going limp, the creature shrinking as the shadows of my vision dropped away. My heart rate and breathing slowed, my horrified expression turning a bit confused as the demon’s horns, all but one at least, disappeared into its purple body. Twilight Sparkle continued to give me an odd look, “No, I’m not going away, not until I get some answers!”

I shook my head to clear it, the remaining vestiges of fear finally dying.

Well that was a rather potent fear-inductor, my mind commented.

I know, I replied, focusing on Twilight, affixing her with a glare.

The unicorn stood a few feet away, glaring at me as if I were a criminal...which I technically was, considering murder was illegal.

Wait a moment, did she just say your name?

“First off...” Twilight began, freezing as she took note of the discarded cap of the black mushroom. That odd, purplish aura engulfed the mushroom as it was brought to her face, the glare that she held faded with a look of confusion and worry, “Wait, did you just eat this!?”

My gaze flicked to the cap for a second, “Yes,” I replied.

“What? Why? This is a very potent hallucinogenic fungus! Why in the wide world of Equestria would you eat a plant that you find just lying around?” Twilight inquired, incredulous, “It could have been poisonous! It could have killed you!”

“That’s not your concern,” I replied, getting to my feet with a bit of effort. My eyes met her’s again as I stood, the incredulous look on her face changing back to the one of anger.

“Maybe not, but do you know what is my concern?” she growled.

I remained silent, returning the glare that she gave me.

“When I go to Fluttershy’s cottage and find her crying!” Twilight answered her own question. Her stance grew hostile, her center of mass lowering, horn pointed at me in a threatening manner, “What did you do to her!?”

I drew my knives at the suddenly hostile unicorn, growling as I took a defensive stance, knives held before me and ready should she try anything.

“What do you do to her!” Twilight repeated through clenched teeth, her horn taking on a glow.

There was a familiar tingle in the air around me, the feel of the magic being drawn to a source to be discharged in the form of a spell. In an effort to dodge the imminent attack, I leapt to my left, tucking my body into a roll and crying out in pain as my injured ribs protested, sending me falling to the ground, belly up and jaw clenched as I felt the now-familiar feel of pain coursing through my body again.

“Fornication!” I spat, squeezing my eyes shut.

There was a tingling in the air again, but the pain held me in place as Twilight no doubt readied to finish me off.

Yet instead of a lightning bolt or fireball, a grip encased my body, firm, but not in such a way that it amplified my pain. My guts churned and a sense of vertigo gripped me as I felt gravity reverse and opened my eyes. Two purple ones glared back at me through a purple haze.

I glared back and tried to slash at Twilight’s face, gouge out an eye or score a lucky hit to the jugular, but something held my arm back, kept me from my goal.

“What did you do to Fluttershy!” Twilight yelled in my face, her warm breath tickling at my nose, “You tell me or...or I’ll report you to the royal guard and have you banished! Or locked up! Or...banished and then locked up in the place that you get banished to! You got that, mister?” she growled, nose poking mine.

I think that she actually means it, my mind pointed out, adding, It might be hard to enforce Sithis’ will if you’re locked up in a place far away from here. I say you just suck it up and start talking.

Since when were you my forniating conscience? I growled back.

Since I killed him because his beliefs didn’t correlate with my own, my mind replied, Just do as she says, get it over with.

“Well!?” Twilight asked in my silence.

“Fine!” I snapped, “I yelled at her.”

“Why?” Twilight asked, “What’d she ever do to you?”

Yeah, besides give you a room and some pretty good medicinal treatment.

Quiet, I snapped back, “Someone needed to get her to stop apologizing over every little Sithis-damned thing! So I took the liberty of doing so.”

Twilight glared back at me, eyes searching mine and mine hers. After a few seconds, she gave a nod, “You’re going to apologize to her,” Twilight stated, “Got that?”

I glared back, silently wishing to wring her neck.

“Fine,” I spat, But I won’t mean it, the yellow little bitch deserved it!

So say that to her face.

Twilight gave a quick nod, “Good,” she said, turning and trotting off back towards the cottage. My stomach gave another lurch as I floated after her, flailing my arms as my body threatened to spin around in mid-flight.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Just outside Fluttershy’s cottage...

Twilight held onto a steely silence as she ascended the hill to the cottage, having bore a lack of speech ever since we started off. I glared at her as I was guided behind her, the purple haze still filtering my gaze.

Twilight paused before the door, shooting me a glare before turning back and knocking.

“Who is it?” a quiet, shaky voice asked from inside, muffled into a nigh-inaudible state by the door.

“It’s me,” Twilight replied, “I’ve brought someone who has something he’d like to say to you.”

I don’t think that ‘like’ is the best word to describe how our friend here feels, my mind commented.

I gave a mental growl in reply, continuing to glare at Twilight as she opened the door and both of us went inside, only one of us going by free will.

Fluttershy looked up as the two of us entered, eyes red with shed tears as she rested on the lone couch in the room, a group of animals had gathered around her, the group glared at me as I was brought in. Fluttershy bit her lip as our eyes met, uncertainty and worry staring back at me through the twin, teal orbs.

Twilight accelerated me forwards, my stomach dropping into the rest of my guts before she righted me and set me on the couch next to Fluttershy, my sense of gravity being warped again with a sickening lurch.

I spat Twilight a glare as she stood a few feet from the couch, glaring back at me and jerking her head towards Fluttershy. I gave a sigh and looked over at the pegasus, our eyes met again and locked there for a few seconds. Black-on-gold looking into teal-on-white, an annoyed glare staring into an innocent gaze.

“I...” I began, searching for words grew hard now that I actually needed to say them. My eyes broke contact as I considered what to say. Then again, I didn’t mean a word of it. What did it matter what I said? I set my jaw, locking my eyes back onto Fluttershy’s as she waited patiently, “I was...a bit too quick in...when I yelled at you. I was angry and I shouldn’t have done that, I’m sorry,” I grumbled, glaring over at Twilight once I was finished.

From the look of it, neither she nor the animals around the couch didn’t buy it. I scowled as she opened her mouth and...

...two furry hooves wrapped around me, a warm body pulling itself closer, infinitely gentle against my injured sides. My gaze was peeled from Twilight and given to Fluttershy as she embraced me, her muzzle nuzzled gently into my right side as her forelegs wrapped around my stomach and back, not able to connect on the opposite side, but not trying to in the first place. I swore it was just my imagination, but the dull ache from my earlier fall drained away as she wrapped me in a warm, loving embrace.

“I forgive you,” she said, sincerity ruling her voice.

A Walk in the Woods (Pt1|Ch7)

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Chapter Seven: A Walk in the Woods

“You do?” I asked, my eyes widening slightly in surprise.

Fluttershy released me, leaning away to look into my face without having to strain her head, “Why wouldn’t I?” she asked, a bit taken aback, “Everypony makes mistakes sometimes. Besides, what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t forgive my other friends?

“After all, friends forgive friends.”

I was quiet for a second, “Friends forgive friends...” I parroted.

“Friends forgive friends,” Fluttershy asserted with a smile...

“Friends forgive friends, it’s what we do,”

Fluttershy embraced me again as she started to sing, her gentle grasp light like a feather on my chest, filling it with a pleasant warmth.

“Friends forgive friends, and I forgive you.”

I could have sworn that I felt regretful when she released me again, pointing a hoof down towards the floor towards two squirrels.

“If you’re willing to apologize,”

“When you just made a mistake.”

The first squirrel approached the second, who appeared sad. It tapped its fellow on the shoulder, chittering something back while avoiding the sad eyes of the second creature.

“Then who am I to criticize,”

“And not say that it’s okay?”

The second squirrel smiled, wiping its nose with a paw and giving its friend a hug, chittering something in reply. The first returned the smile, hugging the other back.

“Because friends forgive friends, it’s what we do,”

I turned back to Fluttershy and she to me, meeting my uncertain frown with a bright smile.

“Friends forgive friends, and I forgive you.”

Fluttershy took off, swooping over to the door and opening it. She gestured with a hoof for me to follow and I complied, Twilight right on my tail with the other critters.

“If you said something you didn’t mean,”

“And you’d like to take it back.”

The day was in full bloom, bright and sunny with a newfound warmth to it all. Fluttershy trotted down the dirt path, stopping by a series of bird houses nestled in a skinny tree.

“An apology will wash all wounds clean,”

“And set a friendship back on track.”

She held up a hoof and a brightly colored blue jay landed on it. She gave the bird a gentle, loving nuzzle, turning towards me. The bird left her and hovered in front of me for a second, smiling before it flew off.

“Because friends forgive friends, it’s what we do,”

I didn’t flinch or try to pull away as Fluttershy flitted back to me and gave me another hug. My arms, at my sides, twitched, trying to pull themselves upwards towards Fluttershy and return the hug. I held them back...half-heartedly.

“Friends forgive friends, and I forgive you.”

Fluttershy let go again and took to the sky, trails of songbirds singing after her and all of the animals present heading towards the spot where she was landing. Twilight and I followed.

“If you’re feeling sorry because you”

“Upset one of your friends.”

Fluttershy looked over all the happy animals present, her tone like that of a loving mother giving some advice. Twilight and I stopped at the edge of the ring of animals, listening in as if part of the crowd.

“Chances are all you have to do,”

“Is say sorry to make amends.”

My eyes flickered to Twilight for a moment, her body looked at ease, but her face showed a subdued uncertainty. Fluttershy rose slowly into the air, the colorful songbirds flying like ribbons around her in entrancing patterns, the light playing off her fur beautifully.

“Friends forgive friends, it’s what we do,”

“Friends forgive friends, and I forgive you.”

Fluttershy hovered in the air, the low sun making a halo around her head. The multi-colored birds raced around her with their song, creating a cacophony of color and sound as they filled the air around her.

“Friends forgive friends, it’s what we do!”

“Friends forgive friends, and I-I-I-I for-give yo-o-o-ou!”

And with the suddenness that had borne it, everything snapped back to normal. The animals around her dispersed in every direction as if nothing had happened. The bright smile Fluttershy wore faded back to an equally kind, but less bright version.

“I...I mean we are friends, right?” Fluttershy asked, descending slowly to the ground and trotting slowly up to me. She fixed me with an inquiring look, hoping to confirm her belief.

“I...” I began, halting as I considered what she’d asked.

Are...we? I wondered. Fluttershy had taken me into her own home, cared for me and helped to fix my wounds. She’d done more for me than anyone back in Skyrim ever had...or at least than the majority had. And yet...

You didn’t seem to have a problem lying to her face a few moments ago, my mind pointed out.

That was... I began, thought process dying as I couldn't find a word to use.

Different? How so? You didn’t mean your apology, but you don’t know whether or not the creature that you lied to is your friend?

“Yes, of course we’re friends,” I said, for once not entirely sure whether or not I was lying. I tried to put on a smile, but felt my face warp into a grimace.

“Oh, good,” Fluttershy said, her smile brightening a bit.

“Do you mind if I...borrow our friend here for a moment?” Twilight asked, an underlying edge to the friendly mask that her tone wore.

“Well I guess,” Fluttershy replied, backpedalling almost immediately afterwards, “I mean, if that’s okay with him,” she looked to me for confirmation. I spared Twilight a glance.

“I see no harm in it,” I admitted, and if I turn out to be wrong then it’s not like I can’t handle it, I didn’t say, fingers tingling by my knives.

“Oh, well okay then,” Fluttershy said, smile brightening again, “You two have fun, then. I need to go make sure all my animal friends are okay,” she started to go and Twilight turned on me, only to freeze as Fluttershy turned back, “Before I go, is there anything I can get you? Are you hungry?” she asked.

I shook my head, “I’m fine...thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Fluttershy smiled, taking to the air and heading back towards her cottage.

Twilight waited to make sure that Fluttershy was really going before she turned towards me again.

“Fluttershy accepted your apology. So while I didn’t entirely buy it, for her sake I won’t call horseapples,” she growled quietly, trying to look as menacing as a pony could, “but if you ever hurt one of my friends again, I won’t be giving you any warnings. You got that, Mister Falíe?”

“So long as they don’t start anything, I won’t have to finish it,” I growled back, voice as icy as the winds of Eastmarch. I turned to head back to the forest when I remembered something, “You know my name,” I observed as I turned back to Twilight, a hand twitching by its respective knife.

So? What’s the big deal? my mind asked.

How does she know my name? I haven’t told anyone, or thing, my name since I got here, I replied, eyeing Twilight warily.

What? Do you think she’s a daedra or something? Maybe she read your mind?

Maybe, I replied.

“I do,” she replied, “The cutie mark crusaders came to Golden Oaks library yesterday looking for a book on sabotage and said that someone named Aram Falíe had given them the idea of getting a sabotage cutie mark!”

I couldn’t help but give a ghost of a smile, “Children and their games,” I muttered, a flash of something berating my vision for but a moment.

“Children and their games!? Are you crazy!?” Twilight yelled, almost instantly realizing the volume she’d just used, she cringed and looked back towards the cottage. Fortunately for her, Fluttershy was nowhere in sight, “Ponies could’ve gotten hurt if they tried something like that!” she growled in a quiet voice, “Why on earth did you reinforce an idea like that?”

My smile turned into an annoyed growl at her words, “They’re children for Sithis’ sake! What are they going to do? Children have overactive imaginations, what harm is there in letting them try out their fantasies?”

“What harm is there!?” Twilight snapped back, voice raising just a bit again, “They were trying to get cutie marks in sa-bo-tage!” she sounded out as if it’d make me understand better. It didn’t, “Do you have any idea what that means?”

“That they’ll play around like children do in their games! Perhaps get under the feet of careless adults!” I growled back, “You’re insane to think that those three younglings could cause any major harm.”

“I’m insane!?” Twilight exclaimed, taken aback for a second, “You don’t know these fillies like I do, mister Falíe! Just last week they tried to get cutie marks in cow herding and almost destroyed Ponyville with the ensuing stampede!” she continued, looking away for a second and muttering, “again...”

I gave a small snort of disgust.

Sometimes I wonder if the elderly are blinder than the children that they sire, I grumbled mentally, I’ve wasted enough time on this fool, let her believe what lies she wants to, she’s wasted enough of my time with her babble.

I turned away from Twilight, still glaring at her over my shoulder as I made my way back towards the forest, still intent on learning about the local flora.

“Where are you going?” Twilight asked, anger still sitting in her voice.

“That’s not your concern,” I replied, taking my gaze from her once I’d stumbled a ways away, one hand lingering near its respective knife.

“Ugh! ‘It’s not your concern’!” she mimicked me, “You know what? Fine, it’s not my concern! Go have fun eating fearcap mushrooms in one of the most dangerous forests in Equestria!”

I didn’t bother with a reply, not looking back as I headed back into the forest. Had I decided to look back I probably would have seen Twilight contemplate something with a fierce scowl and, right as I disappeared from sight, give a sigh of defeat and follow after me into the twilight darkness of the Everfree forest.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

The Everfree Forest...

The same group of fearcap mushrooms that I’d found earlier bid me good day as I passed them by, following the same path that I had taken into the forest earlier. Again the gnarled tree branches and leaves strangled the light entering the forest, choking it down to a semi-darkness.

Whether it was by my presence or not, few sounds met my ears. There were no calls of wild animals as they hunted and were hunted, no breeze to tug at the leaves and their branches, no gurgling of a thin stream that pierced through the soft soil underfoot.

I pulled a branch out of my way as I pushed onwards and my eyes caught onto a field of blue between two trees ahead. Continuing onwards and between the two trees, I came across a large field of blue flowers.

“Wow,” I commented, scanning over the large bed. With this many at my disposal I’d have no shortage of whatever effects they possessed.

As with before, I slowly settled down into a seated position before the mass of blue flowers and waved my hand over one of them. My ring lit up brightly, bringing a ghost of a smile to my face.

Now we’re talking! I thought, reaching out to...

“I would not do that if I were you. Touch, that is, those leaves of blue.”

I flinched at the sudden addition of a voice behind me, leaping to my feet and twisting around. Again my cast threw me off balance, but I threw out my arms and steadied myself before drawing my knives. I gave a quick exhale of relief that I hadn’t ended up kissing the ground again.

Well it took you long enough to finally get the hang of fighting with a cast, my mind commented, I ignored it for now.

My eyes locked onto the source of the rhyming voice. It was a pony-looking creature wearing a darkly colored robe. Its face was held by shadow, out of which two glowing eyes regarded me. I stared back at the creature, waiting for it to make the first move. For a time the creature stood still, happy to just watch me as I watched it.

Almost a minute ticked by before the creature’s stance relaxed. It reached up and pulled back its hood, revealing a striped face and intelligent blue eyes.

“Many creatures I’ve seen in my travels afar. Yet I can’t place a name to the one that you are,” her eyes flicked to my twin knives and she took a few steps forwards, eyes scanning over me with curiosity, “either way, you’ve nothing to fear from me,” she halted a few paces away, still out of slashing distance, “unless you are not friendly.”

I remained silent and sized her up. She was no larger than any of the other ponies I’d seen here, though the stripes part and the lack of bright colors was an interesting contrast. Aside from the robes she wore a series of rings around her neck and one foreleg, both of her ears also sported golden jewelry.

Well it looks like some of these creatures do wear clothing after all, my mind noted.

As to any weapons I was sure that the robe could easily hide something, but as far as I could tell there were not any suspicious shapes poking through it. This, of course, was no sure assurance that she was completely unarmed.

“Whether or not I’m friendly is based off of whether or not you are,” I said, not letting my guard down.

The creature was silent for a moment, eyeing me up and down again, “Fair enough, I do suppose. A simple question, though, I wish to propose. You are a stranger here, you must agree. So what do you seek in the great Everfree?”

“That’s not your concern,” I replied, flexing my fingers as they rested by my sides, “now I ask that you leave.”

The creature raised an eyebrow, “If you wish for me to leave you be, tell what it is you seek to me.”

An animal cried out far off in the ensuing, steely silence that followed as I considered my options. I didn’t dare attack her here and now, not knowing what I was up against...

Even then, what can a crippled argonian stand up against anyways? my mind taunted, just tell her that you’re here for knowledge or something, what’s she gonna do?

That’s exactly what I don’t know, fool! I snapped back.

So you have a better idea? Just stand here and try to see who can hold their tongue the longest?

Annoyed that I wasn’t able to instantly come up with a response, I went over my options again. An all out attack was certainly not going to happen. Additionally, it wasn’t as if I was going to be running anywhere any time soon.

My eyes flicked quickly to my cast, Infernal object, I growled mentally, though without it my leg wouldn’t heal right, I admitted with a mental sigh, a flash of yellow and pink, of teal eyes, zipped across my vision for a fraction of an instant. I stored the thoughts away and brought my gaze back to the real world.

The creature continued her quiet look, waiting for my reply.

“Knowledge,” I admitted.

“Knowledge? Hm, I would ask for proof, but in your words, I do hear the truth,” the creature replied, eyes looking over me once more as if re-evaluating. Her gaze turned to the blue bed of flowers, “Much of local flora, do I know. Far much more, though, can I show.”

Had my ears had the capability, they would have perked up at this.

So she’s an alchemist, then? my mind commented.

I glanced away from her for a moment, eyeing the blue flowers before my gaze returned to the creature, “what’s the price of knowledge around here?”

The creature’s eyes found mine once again, a hint of confusion crossed her face and her voice was taken aback when she replied: “Of bits and baubles I do not require. All that I ask is you listen and desire.”

“Desire what?” I inquired, do these creatures fear currency for some reason? First that Rarity creature fixes my armor for free and now this?

A poor argonian questions not having to pay for something? Just when I thought I’d seen it all…oh, and you forgot Fluttershy giving you free room and board, you ungrateful idiot.

Oh, to Oblivion with you! I snarled back.

“Desire the knowledge that I bestow,” the creature replied, ending my mental battle, “So that mentally, you may grow,” her head swiveled back to the blue flowers, “You almost did touch poison joke. Its leaves of blue are not a joke.”

My stance relaxed just a bit, my eyes following hers to the flowers, “What sort of potions and poisons can you use them for?” I inquired.

“Very few tonics and brews there may be, for to cultivate this plant is hard, you see,” she replied, turning her body to the bed of plants and gesturing me closer.

And so began our lesson.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Later that day...

Zecora, as she called herself, was well versed in the art of alchemy. So much at times that I found myself annoyed at the fact that she knew better than I did. Of the many things she went over as the sun traced a path through the sky, a few stood out to me in particular.

One such plant, drakesbeard, was a blood red moss that was used as a powerful spice. However, if ground into a fine dust it created a powerful irritant that sent me into a sneezing fit and stung my eyes like a fiery set of needles. Additionally, if it was ground into a paste it could be used to, albeit painfully, staunch the bleeding of wounds.

A young root from one of the many trees of the forest bled a sweet, golden liquid that Zecora confirmed had very powerful painkilling properties both when consumed or rubbed on anything from burns to cuts.

A small, black and white mushroom called skullstalk was highly toxic. The cap was smaller than the width of my little finger, meaning spotting it was difficult. It had no taste or smell, something that I took Zecora’s word for, meaning it could be slipped into food without the taster’s knowledge, something that brought a ghost of a smile to my lips.

A reed that grew in stagnant green water that stank of death tasted equally foul, but Zecora assured me that the colorless fluid excreted when one chewed on it was a powerful anti-toxin. The reed itself, however, was toxic if swallowed...or ground into a paste and set into a weeping wound.

Darkness was fast approaching as Zecora led me back to a small hut, a satchel that she’d given me filled to the bursting point with a mass of different alchemical goodies. She halted a set of yards from her home, crickets already singing quietly in the brush around us, and turned to me, eyes ever-inquisitive.

“The bow that you wear is of ebony, this I can see. And the knives at your sides, they are equally deadly,” she commented, “neither are tools I would often see, that someone like a herbalist would carry.”

I remained silent.

“I ask one last thing before I bid you adieu. That thing is simply: what is it you do?” her gaze burned into mine as the sun shed an orange light through the swaying, evil trees, “do not think to lie to me, for a thing I shan't fall for is mere trickery.”

I considered for a moment. Zecora was certainly a helpful creature, but so were most of the alchemists of Skyrim, and I wouldn’t be caught dead telling one of them I was an assassin. That said, telling her was out of the question.

But it still wouldn’t a good idea lie to her, my mind warned, to have her suspicious of you wouldn’t be a very smart thing to have.

I gave a conceding frown in response and considered for a moment, “I help others with certain problems that they have...with each other usually,” I replied, coming half-way with the truth.

Her eyes traced from my eyes to my weapons again, no doubt noting as my fingers twitched by my knives, but otherwise remained relaxed at my sides. They flickered back to me once more, her face an unreadable mask as her eyes judged me.

“The truth you speak, no matter how weak,” she admitted, “I trust you to have a good night. Be sure that you do not let the bedbugs bite.” she turned from me and headed to her hut, leaving me on my own.

I watched her for a moment before deciding to take the risk and turn my back on her to set out through the forest...and instantly realized that I had no idea where I was going.

Zecora had taken me along a winding path through the forest, one that I had not paid attention to in light of everything that she’d told me of the plant life. I grumbled a curse at myself before Zecora’s rhyming voice stepped in behind me.

“If you should find you’ve lost your way, then know you’ve a guide not far away,” I turned back towards her as she indicated off to my right, “while perhaps you were distracted by my tale, I have long noticed that you’ve picked up a tail.”

I frowned at the use of the same word twice, something that she’d yet to do, but a crashing of brushes where she’d indicated sent a shot of adrenaline through my system. My hands fell to my knives in a heartbeat as something purple leaped out and…

“Wait, you knew I was following him all this time?” Twilight asked, surprise with a hint of annoyance licking at her features, “and you didn’t say anything?”

Zecora chuckled, “Your study of him from the dark was intense. I did not wish to interrupt your reconnaissance. But now many things there are that I must do, chief among them I know is a stew,” the mysterious creature continued, trotting the rest of the way to her hut and, without another word, entering and closing the door behind her.

I turned to Twilight with a growl.

“You were following me?”

Bleeding in the Firelight (Pt1|Ch8)

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Chapter Eight: Bleeding in the Firelight

“Why!?” I demanded, taking a menacing step forwards, hands gripping my sheathed knives. My black-on-gold eyes burned into her accusingly.

Twilight didn’t back down, her face twisting into a scowl.

“Because you didn’t want to tell me what you were doing out here!” she snapped back, “if all you came here for was to learn about plants why didn’t you just tell me? The way that you kept telling me: ‘oh, it’s not your concern!’ made me think you were performing necromancy out here or something!”

Aram can hardly light a candle with magic, I wouldn’t be worried too much about something like necromancy.

Quiet, you! I growled back, then to Twilight, “I didn’t tell you because it’s not your concern what I do out here.”

“I...what...what is with you?” she inquired, annoyance levels clearly rising as her brow furrowed even deeper into a scowl.

I don’t know, but it’s really annoying, isn’t it?

I said: shut-up! I glared back at Twilight, “There’s nothing wrong with me.”

If you don’t count the insanity part, my mind added. I didn’t bother with a retort.

“So why didn’t you just tell me that all you were doing out here was collecting plants!?” she indicated with a hoof to the satchel, “I would’ve left you alone. Hay! I could’ve even helped you if you’d asked nicely, but no! Why!?”

“I didn’t tell you because it wasn’t your concern,” I replied with a chill to my voice.

“But...I...you..!” Twilight began, she turned away with an annoyed groan, “Celestia’s horn, you’re unbearable!”

He tries to be.

Oh, go to Oblivion! I snapped back.

“You know what? Fine. I officially don’t care anymore!” Twilight said, making her way through the brush and away from Zecora’s hut. Seeing as how I had no other options, I followed in silence, “I thought that maybe I could learn a thing or two about an alien creature that landed on Fluttershy’s front porch, but no! Instead he hurts one of my friend’s feelings, tells a few fillies to go sabotage stuff, and won’t tell me anything about himself...” she paused mid-gripe, “...well besides some names from his homeland…” I tuned her out as she continued on her rant, making her way noisily through the forest.

A windless chill pierced through the endless trees, far from the harsh nip of Skyrim’s unparallelled cold but still enough to be discomforting. No more light penetrated from the long-gone sun, though a glance through the canopy showed occasional twinkling stars above. The quiet song of the crickets had...I frowned...the crickets had grown quiet.

A twig cried out as it was tread underfoot behind me.

I spun around, wavering only slightly as I drew my knives and formed as solid a stance as I could with my right leg in a cast. Squinting against the dark I scanned over the forest behind me. Evil trees, cast in shadow, stood like silent soldiers amongst darker brush.

“...and then I waste almost an entire day following you through the Everfree forest…” Twilight continued, oblivious.

“Quiet!” I snapped in a low voice, just loud enough that she’d be able to hear.

“...thinking that...what?” Twilight grumbled back, her head swiveled around as she came to a halt, eyes finding my aggressive stance. Her angry expression was replaced with one of confusion, “Um, what are you doing?”

“Quiet!” I hissed through my teeth, eyes not leaving the forest in front of me.

A bout of silence took the stage. My ears strained to hear another sound, anything that might give me an updated location of whoever, or whatever, was following us. Twigs didn’t snap by themselves.

“There’s nothing out there, mister Falíe,” Twilight said, stifling a yawn, “Oh, excuse me. Let’s get moving, it’s late and I’m tired.”

“The crickets have stopped chirping,” I retorted, “I heard a noise behind me, something’s following us.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and trotted over to me, “The crickets probably stopped because they heard you coming,” she came to a halt by my side, “you just heard a squirrel or something.”

I remained silent.

Twilight made an annoyed noise, “Here, I’ll cast a quick light spell to show you that there’s nothing out there,” she frowned in concentration, a glow on her horn brightening and better illuminating her lightly strained expression.

“Why weren’t you doing that earlier?” I growled under my breath.

“The magical concentration of the Everfree forest is very low, it’s far harder to cast spells here than it normally is,” Twilight muttered, the glow brightening enough to make me shield my eyes.

Suddenly, the light detached from her horn, rising up above my head and shining down on the area around us. At first my eyes found nothing but trees and dense brush, but then the forest began to move and a pack of figures took shape.

Dark, wooden forms flinched as the light revealed them, lurking not more than fifteen paces behind us. Their eyes glowed dully, wooden limbs creaking like trees dancing quietly on the wind.

“Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!” Twilight mumbled from next to me, fear oozed from her voice, “Timberwolves! Run!” she turned and dashed off through the forest. The light around us died instantly, leaving me in an even darker-than-before haze.

“Fornication!” I spat, squeezing my eyes shut and taking a few steps back to try to improve my night vision faster. Wolves could see better in the dark than I could, hopefully this meant that it would take them longer to readjust as well.

There was a sudden crashing of bushes from behind me and I whirled around, knives ready to slash at...

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Twilight cried out, worried, her horn glowing dully. She came to a stop before me, “I forgot that you can’t run with that leg brace.”

“Hm,” I grumbled, turning around to face whatever it was that was lurking beyond the haze of darkness, “What are those things?” I growled.

“Timberwolves,” Twilight explained, “in laymare’s terms: magical hybrids of plant and wolf. They prey on the creatures of the Everfree,” she gulped, “alongside a few other nasty things.”

The glow of Twilight's horn increased to the intensity of a small torch, giving us a ring of light that reached out at least three yards. Into this light the timberwolves slunk. The creatures maintained their distance, forming a circle near the edge of the glow. I counted at least eight total.

I hope these things are enough like the ones back in Skyrim, I thought to myself, having tangled with plenty of the creatures in the vast woods of my homeland. Travelling along the roads took too long, and having to face the occasional pack of wolves wasn’t a great enough threat to turn me off from it.

One of the timberwolves feinted towards me with a snarl and a snap of jaws. I met the creature’s snarl with one of my own, baring my sharp teeth with a hiss that made Twilight jump.

The timberwolves spread out just outside the light, encircling us, their glowing eyes searching for an opening and their dripping jaws opened, fangs bared and ready. A stench of rotting wood and flesh met my nostrils, the smell making my stomach churn.

“Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!” Twilight worried, fearful eyes searching and her voice seeping with panic. She turned as the timberwolves spread out behind me, covering my back, “C’mon, Twilight, think!”

“You’re a mage, use a fire spell if they’re made of wood,” I replied.

“Use a fire spell in the middle of the forest!? Are you crazy?” Twilight cried, “oh wait, of course you...augh!” her voice turned into a cry as one of the wolves lunged at her, she knocked it back with a telekinetic shove. The timberwolf bounced off a tree and was instantly back on its feet, snarling and as enraged as ever.

The closest one to me lunged at my throat with jaws wide open. Expecting the move, I met the creature’s jaw with my gloved, right fist. Pain leaped up my arm as I brought the creature to a midair halt and drove my left blade deep into its throat with a grunt.

The blade bit into the wooden flesh with a crunch, meeting only slightly more resistance than fur and muscle would have provided. The force of the creature’s jaw flickered as it gave a pained yelp, more of its foul breath berating my face. I drew my blade from the wound with a war cry and shoved backwards with my right fist, sending the timberwolf sprawling. It thrashed in pain for a few short seconds before laying still and crumbling into a pile of wooden refuse.

Odd way to die, my mind commented, I wonder if they make good firewood…

Without hesitation I brought both knives to bear for the next attack, my arm and chest’s complaining going ignored. I bared my teeth at the remaining timberwolves, lashing my tail and snarling again.

Teach them that you aren’t worth the trouble and they’ll leave you alone, I told myself, eyes flicking between the creatures as they continued to watch from a distance.

A flash of movement from the corner of my left eye told me the direction of my next attacker. I turned and struck with my left blade, using the attacking timberwolf’s forwards momentum to drive my blade past the hilt into the creature’s chest. It thrashed against the impaling object, teeth snapping at my snarling face before it grew still and crumbled into small wooden pieces like its previous friend.

I drew back again as another timberwolf made use of an opening and latched onto my upper right leg, pulling with a growl as it tried to yank me off balance. I countered with a downwards strike to the creature’s snout with the hilt of my right knife, dislodging it and making it retreat a few steps before I could finish the job with a lethal blow.

“Come on, you bunch of fornicating wooden mongrels!” I yelled, taking a menacing step forwards and slashing with both my weapons. The three creatures paying attention to me hopped away from my attack, but failed to make an all out retreat.

Relentless wooden sons of bitches, aren’t they?

Quiet!

The creatures continued to watch from a short distance, glowing eyes scanning for an opening and snarling mouths hungry for a meal.

Two of them lunged at once this time, one charging low and left, one jumping high and right. I spat a quick curse and slashed at the left one’s face. It dodged and, as my arm passed, latched onto my left wrist and yanked hard, pulling me off balance. The second timberwolf smashed into my side, the pain of my injured ribs only knocking me over harder.

The left timberwolf continued to pull painfully at my left arm as I hit the ground, the right timberwolf’s gaping jaws headed for my neck. I brought my right arm around and inserted it between the creature’s neck and my own, keeping it at bay as it slobbered and snapped at my face with vicious snarls. More of its gag-inducing breath was blown into my face and I felt my stomach rise to my throat in protest.

I choked back the urge to throw up and yanked my left arm, knowing I had to get free before the third creature decided to step in and finish the job. The movement pulled my limb from the left timberwolf’s jaws before it could do any further damage, but the creature latched back onto my gloved hand, teeth trying to pierce the hardened leather with vigor.

“Fornicating wolf!” I yelled, shoving with all the strength in my right arm and knocking the timberwolf trying to get past it away.

With that arm free, I rolled left and drove my right blade downwards and into the left timberwolf’s skull. It crumbled to splinters without a sound, sharp teeth relinquishing my gloved hand.

Knowing that the right would be trying to perform a counterattack any second, I rolled onto my back and stabbed blindly forwards, meeting resistance as my blades found the underbelly of the leaping beast in midair.

I brought my outstretched arms to my left, sending the timberwolf sprawling and whimpering as I rolled over and finished it off with a thrust through the throat, silencing it before it could cry out again.

I got to my feet, a few wounds on my left arm weeping slow tears of blood and my entire right side afire with pain. My vision flickered and my balance left me for a split second, threatening to throw me to the ground. I gritted my teeth and caught myself, shaking my head to clear it.

Damnit, if these things keep up then I might as well have died going down that waterfall, I mentally growled, gritting my teeth against the pain.

A flash of light erupted from behind me as Twilight repelled two leaping timberwolves at once. I considered for a moment turning and slashing out one of her legs. With any luck I’d be able to escape while the wolves feasted on her. I took a fraction of a second and let my eyes flicker to the pony behind me, noticing her rigid stance and the wild swiveling of her head between targets. Three of the wolves still watched her while only one remained in front of me. She’d never know what hit her…

But you’d never know how to get back in this darkness, my mind reminded me, and you know that you won’t be able to run with that cast on. Certainly some of the wolves will go for her, but you’re injured just as well. They’ll be on you before you can make it a hundred paces.

I gave an annoyed grumble, eyes flicking back to my single opponent as it...collapsed into a pile of glowing wood chips?

Well that was easy, my mind said.

“Gah! Oh no, no, no!” Twilight cried out. She took a step back, a hind leg bumping into my left one and making her flinch. I turned to find that her attackers had similarly appeared to die, their remains glowing...and moving.

My eyes snapped back to my foe, noting as the glowing wooden debris began to slowly float towards a growing pile a few yards off to our left side. A quick glance told me that the remains of my previously defeated foes were also joining the growing pile of what appeared to be…

“They’re combining themselves!” Twilight exclaimed. Her legs were quaking in fear, her wide eyes giving her the look of a creature frozen in terror.

If I’m going to ditch her then now’s the time! I realized, making ready to escape.

Escape in which direction? Or have you already forgotten that you don’t know the way, you fool! My mind chastised.

“Damnit,” I growled, flexing my fingers along the hilts of my knives.

Everything from long branches to small wooded chips swirled in the glowing pile before me, forming the torso of a giant wolf. Seeing as Twilight would be of no help, I stepped forwards to finish the job once again with my blades.

But there was a sudden lurch as a massive head with two glowing eyes was thrust from the growing mass of wooden debris, a thick leg following, the impact of it hitting the ground jarring my teeth. The large jaws snapped at me, forcing me to stumble back a pace as a blast of its sickly breath flew into my face.

Your bow, you fool! You won’t be able to get close enough to that thing without it eating you whole! my mind cried.

My arm, idiot! I snapped back.

Forget your pain, you weakling! It’s your only chance!

I sheathed my knives and drew my bow up and over my head, the grip fitting nicely in the scaly palm of my hand. I reached back and selected an arrow with my right hand, bringing it around and knocking it to my bow.

The ring on my left hand glowed dully from underneath the pitch black tip, telling me that the arrow of choice was one of the ones I’d poisoned with the goop of my pack.

As good a time as any to see how well this works, I thought to myself.

Another massive wooden paw slammed into the ground, having burst from the growing wooden behemoth before me. The creature’s head lifted and howled into the air as a testament to its unsated bloodlust. Twilight’s ears snapped flat across her skull at the unholy noise.

Without hesitation, I tried to draw the bowstring back to my ear, teeth gritted against the ensuing pain that stabbed into my right arm and chest. I was able to draw it back halfway before my struggling arm failed, the bow sliding back to a knocked position.

A tail sprouted like a tree from the large timberwolf’s backside.

My eyes flickered over to Twilight, her horn still glowing dully as she remained frozen in fear, eyes wide and pupils shrunk to the size of pinpricks. My mind flew back to earlier in the day when she’d shown the ability to carry me around like a floating sack of cabbages.

“Pull my hand back to my ear!” I growled, right arm struggling against the weight of the bowstring as I tried to pull it back again.

“Wh-what?” Twilight asked, turning her fearful eyes to me.

“Pull my hand back, you fool!” I snapped, arm quivering as the muscles threatened to fail me again, “Quickly! With your thrice-damned magic!”

A magenta glow swallowed my right hand and I felt a weight aid me in drawing the bow back to my ear. Twilight’s face knitted with concentration. A third leg sprouted from the congealed mass of timberwolf parts, the massive creature standing almost fifteen feet tall, a sight that sent a single shiver of fear through my hardened heart. The creature took a stumbling step forwards, the stub of its final leg starting to take form.

“That’s far enough, hold my arm there,” I growled to Twilight.

I lined up the shot, sighting down the arrow and waiting for the tingling sensation in the back of my mind that would tell me the best time to…

You’re not wearing your hood, you fool! My mind snapped, Its enchantments won’t aid you now!

The fourth and final leg sprouted to the ground, sending up a small burst of debris as it impacted the forest floor. In that same instant, I let the readied arrow fly, my fingers slipping from the tight bowstring.

The black arrow flew like a creature spat from the deep bowels of Oblivion, travelling the short distance and impacting with a sickening crunch in the massive timberwolf’s chest. It burrowed deep, the wooden hide no match for the nigh unbreakable arrow’s razor sharp tip.

The timberwolf’s glowing eyes grew wide with a sudden fright, looking down at the injury as bubbling sap began to dribble from the wound. An instant later the timberwolf collapsed forwards, smashing face-first into the ground and sending a wave of wooden debris scattering in every direction. Twilight and I shielded our faces from the blast, a few small sticks bouncing off my head and chest lightly.

Before either of us had a second to react, again the pieces took on a haunting glow, separating into eight smaller piles that quickly took the shape of the eight timberwolves. I spat a curse and reached for another arrow as...the creatures fled with whimpers and cries into the darkness of the forest.

Thank Sithis! I thought, exhaling a sigh of relief as the sound of the fleeing timberwolves died off into the distance.

Well that was certainly fun! my mind exclaimed.

Shut-up, I retorted, taking a few limping steps forwards and picking my fired arrow up. I slung my bow back over my head, wincing a bit as I let it rest on my chest. My ring glowed dully as I waved the arrow past my left hand, letting me know that it would at least remain poisoned for a second shot.

I slid it back into my quiver as I turned back to Twilight, who was staring with a sort of dumbfounded awe in the direction of the fleeing timberwolves. Her eyes found mine as I approached.

“Wow. That was...impressive. I wasn’t sure we were going to make it out of that,” she began awkwardly, she let out a sigh of relief, “Sorry again for running off earlier.”

“Don’t do it again,” I replied with a frown, crossing my arms before me.

Twilight returned my frown with an annoyed look on her face, “Look, mister Falíe, it’s not like I did it to purposefully leave you to those timberwolves,” she gestured with a hoof off into the forest as she trotted a few steps closer to me, “I said I was sorry and while I may not expect you to accept an apology seeing as how you’re oh so happy to make them, Fluttershy was willing to accept yours after you yelled at her.”

I only yelled at Fluttershy, you almost got me killed… The words formed in my head, only to be interrupted.

Oh, be quiet, you! my mind interrupted, she obviously didn’t mean to leave you behind so just shut-up and accept her apology.

She almost got me..!

Accept the apology, Aram. It was her that helped you draw that bow back. Without her you’d be dead.

I gave an annoyed grumble, holding out for a few moments before letting out an annoyed breath.

“Fine,” I began, glaring down at her, “I forgive you…”

See, now? Was that so hard to… my mind began.

“...just don’t do it again,” I finished.

My mind gave a mental sigh, I suppose that that’s good enough...for you.

Some of the annoyance left Twilight’s face, and a small smile formed at her lips, “I don’t think you have to worry about that. So long as I can help it, I won’t be following you into dangerous forests any time soon,” she said, giving a small giggle.

“Good,” I replied, “now can we go?”

“Oh. Yeah, let’s get back to Ponyville,” she said, her eyes leaving me as she turned, but quickly returning as they latched onto my left hand, “Wait, are you okay?” she asked, the light of her horn increasing as she more closely examined me, her eyes grew wide, “You’re bleeding!”

My eyes followed hers, finding a small red river slithering down from my left wrist and dripping from the fingers of my glove. She grabbed my hand with her magic, pulling the injury closer to her face.

“I’m fine,” I growled back, pulling my arm from her magical grip.

“You’re bleeding,” she repeated, tone telling me that it wasn’t up for debate. Her eyes turned to my face, “you should stop the bleeding before it gets any worse. I’m willing to guide you out of here, but if you collapse from blood loss then I’m not carrying you.”

“You’re a mage,” I countered, “I’d expect you to know a healing spell or two.”

“Yes, I know a couple of healing spells, but they wouldn’t work on you,” she said, eyes flicking from mine to the wound again, “I don’t know your anatomy well enough. If you were a pony it’d be rather easy to stop the bleeding, but I wouldn’t know the first thing about healing an argonian. At most I can cast a spell to apply pressure to it to slow down the bleeding, but you’re going to need to find a way to stop it the bleeding before we go any further.”

Just use some of that drakesbeard that Zecora gave you, my mind put in, see how well it works.

“Fine,” I said, sitting down and wincing at my multiple injuries. Twilight nodded and her horn’s light increased a tad for a second. A glow encompassed the wound, a sudden feeling of pressure telling me that she’d cast the spell. I pulled the satchel from my belt, opening the drawstring, “get a fire going.”

“We’re in the middle of the woods,” Twilight began tiredly, gesturing with a hoof to all the trees around us, “if we light a fire here we run the risk of…”

“Clear a spot on the ground and surround it with rocks. It doesn’t need to be big, just enough to give me some light,” I cut in, “unless of course you’d like to keep casting that light in a place where there isn’t much magicka to draw from,” I added.

Twilight crossed her eyes, looking up to her glowing horn, “Point taken.”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Everfree forest, minutes later...

A small fire cast a mild warmth as I ground a bit of the red moss into a paste. Twilight had been kind enough to find a two stones that served as a good enough mortar and pestle for my needs. Most of my pain had been reduced to nothing with the painkilling liquid from the small root. I’d shared some with twilight when she showed me a bloodless mark on a forehoof from when one of the timberwolves had got in a hit.

Twilight’s eyes reflected the dancing flames as she lay down on the other side of the fire with her head rested on her hooves, watching me as the stones clinked rhythmically together with my work. The crickets had started up their song once more, their dull raspings the only noise aside from the crackling of the flames as they consumed a meal of wood.

“So…” Twilight began, earning a quick glance of my eyes as I worked.

I remained silent.

Twilight cleared her throat, “What’s the land where you come from like?” she asked.

I continued my silence.

Oh, come on, Aram. Give her a bone, you ass! my mind complained, if it weren’t for her, those timberwolves would’ve eaten you alive. There’s no way you could’ve faced all eight alone, much less finished the last one off with that arrow.

I wouldn’t have needed to if not for her loud mouth attracting them, I replied.

Bullshit, my mind retorted, The following part aside, she’s been very nice to you. The least you can do is answer a few questions.

Will it make you shut-up?

Yes, my mind replied.

Fine, then, I thought back. I didn’t take my eyes from my work as I replied, “Skyrim’s cold.”

“Oh,” Twilight replied, perking up as I replied, her previously lowered ears now erect with interest, “Colder than Equestria or…”

“It depends on where you are,” I interrupted, the flames flickering in my upper peripherals as I continued to grind the moss into a paste, “More southwards? No. More northwards? Yes.”

“So do most of the different races there live together in harmony?” Twilight asked, her tail flicking as she readjusted it behind her…

0 . o . 0

Fire at my front, cold at my back, the former reflects in my young eyes as tears and smoke stings them…

...“What do you want?” Grelod asks, “You have no business being here!” The assassin drives a knife through her chest…

...“The emperor’s dead! They’re pulling their troops back to Cyrodiil! The war’s finally over!” They cheer in victory, mugs of mead clink together at my back...

...“You’ll make a fine pair of boots, argonian..!” the bandit cries. I retort by loosing an arrow at him, he drops with a gurgle and lays still...

…“So many refuse to trade with us,” the Khajiit merchant says as I count out what I owe her, passing it over and shouldering my pack, “They think us nothing but thieves and smugglers. I am glad to see that you are not such a one.”...

…“Aram! Help me! Shoot him!” a brother I love cries as I refuse to save...

0 . o . 0

I shook my head to stop the trail of memories, realizing that I’d stopped grinding the drakesbeard into paste. Twilight stared at me inquisitively across the small blaze.

“No...” I began, the rhythmic tapping of the stones starting back up again, “I...sometimes yes...but mostly not.”

“Oh,” Twilight replied, a hint of sadness to her voice, “Did you...did you have a lot of friends and family in Skyrim?”

I turned my glaring eyes on her across the fire as way of reply, stones clinking as they made work of the paste. Small bits stuck to the pestle, almost ready.

“Too personal? Sorry,” she replied back.

I continued grinding the moss for a short time, finding that it was finally in a pasty state. I scooped it off the small, flat stone and smeared it across the wound at my wrist, Twilight released her spell, eyes inquisitive as she watched. As the red paste made contact, a burning sensation assailed my arm, making me give a short hiss of pain and clench my jaw.

After a short minute, the pain grew to a dull throbbing, though no more blood leaked past the wound. I tossed away the two stones I’d been using and got slowly to my feet.

“Let’s go,” I said, gesturing for Twilight to lead the way. She trapped the fire in a magenta bubble, strangling it away before she turned to go, leaving the forest in darkness once more.

Interrupted Nightmares (Pt1|Ch9)

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Chapter Nine: Interrupted Nightmares

Pulling a branch from my face, the forest died away, revealing the small hill that Fluttershy’s cottage rested on. A starry night laid above the cottage and the windows of the first floor glowed yellow with light. Odd, I’d expect Fluttershy to be asleep this time of night.

A crisp nighttime chill permeated the air as crickets sang quietly in the grass and brush around us. Twilight and I ascended the hill in silence, neither of us wary enough to be interested in conversation. A dull ache had returned to my wounds, the pain killing liquid of the root having dulled as we made our way from the forest. The drakesbeard paste had grown dry, a few small cracks splitting the impromptu bandage. Despite this, however, no blood leaked through.

Twilight let out an exhale and halted, turning to me as I passed. I spared her a glance as I continued past her up the hill, not bothering to stop my stumbling limp as she spoke up.

“Well, there’s Fluttershy’s cottage. I’ve got to get back to the Library. Spike’s probably worried sick,” she paused, a frown creasing her face as a thought struck her, “or eating all the ice cream in the fridge with me gone...either way, good night.” She turned to leave, heading back towards the lights of what I assumed was Ponyville a ways away.

I didn’t bother with a reply, sparing her night darkened form a glance as she trotted off. The sound of a door opening drew my eyes back towards the cottage. I squinted against the bright light that the ajar door let loose, spotting Fluttershy as she rushed forwards with a flurry of wings.

“Oh my goodness!” Fluttershy’s subdued voice greeted me, her wide, teal eyes worried, “Where’ve you been!?”

I flinched as she embraced me, expecting pain. To my pleasant surprise, none came, the pressure from her forehooves only giving off a pleasant warmth to my aching midsection.

She held the pose for a few seconds. Even if I’d had the energy to lift my arms and accept the embrace I was not sure that I would have. She pulled back a foot, hovering before me so she could look me in the eye without having to strain her neck.

“You’ve been gone for most of the day! I got so worried, I…” she froze mid-complaint, noticing the ruined state of my bandages, “What happened to your bandages, they’re all messed up, I…” again she stopped, this time looking away from me with downcast eyes. The look sent a flicker of something through me, too fast and fleeting for me to pinpoint, “but...you’re probably fine...aren’t you?”

I sighed, struggling for a moment before caving in, “I’m...not,” I admitted, “I could use some help.”

Aram… my mind said.

“Please,” I added.

There we go!

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Fluttershy’s cottage...

“It’s still a little hot,” Fluttershy said, trotting out of the kitchen and to the couch where I was sitting, a steaming bowl and a series of clean bandages, rags, and healing ointments resting on her back, “So I’d let it sit a while before you drink it.”

She used her wings to set the bowl on a table at one end of the couch before trotting over and hopping up next to me, setting the bandages and ointments in front of her. The inside of her cottage was pleasant, a warm fireplace not drowning the place too sharply in either light or heat. None of the animals that normally populated the place were present, all probably asleep at this time of night.

She reached up with gentle hooves, eyes glued to the dirtied mass of cloth that barely clung to my right shoulder, and slowly peeled it back. She set it aside and selected a clean rag, dabbing some fluid onto the rag and eyeing the arrow wound in my shoulder.

“This is healing very nicely,” she commented, wiping away a bit of grime I’d gotten on it from the fight with the timberwolves, “um...at this point I probably don’t need to bandage it, but I will just to make sure, okay?”

Her eyes met mine and I gave a quick nod. That settled, she rewrapped the wound with a new bandage.

“So, um, how did this happen?” she asked, dabbing more ointment on a rag and setting her eyes on my chest, “if you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

“Timberwolves,” I replied flatly, watching her work.

“Timberwolves!?” she exclaimed as she met my eyes with her own widened pair, halting in her healing for a second, “What happened?”

“It was nothing interesting,” I waved her off dismissively, “They stalked us, we fought them off, they ran away with their tails between their legs.”

“Well...o-okay,” she replied, though her tone told me that she wasn’t convinced that it was merely nothing. She turned back to my shoulder, assessing the wound as she wiped away more grime. Once finished, her hooves lightly moved across my chest, the broken ribs not complaining under her soft pressure, “Twilight didn’t get hurt too, did she?”

“Not badly,” I said, glancing away as I thought back over the battle, “nothing she wasn’t able to handle.”

“Oh...good,” Fluttershy replied. She set the dirtied rag off to the side and examined my chest, feeling with her soft hooves, “the timberwolves...they didn’t hurt your ribs too badly did they?”

I shook my head as she took a new bandage and rewrapped my broken ribs, the bandages hugging them as Fluttershy herself would have. She scooted back a short ways, her eyes looking over my body for more wounds.

“What else is hurt?” she asked, her lips frowning with worry at the sight of my left hand, “Oh my. What happened to your left foreleg...arm, I mean,” she corrected. She held out a hoof, “here, let me see.”

Hesitating for a split second, I relinquished my left arm for her inspection.

“Timberwolf bit me,” I explained, “I used drakesbeard paste to stop the bleeding.”

“Hm,” she replied with a somewhat unhappy frown, prodding the wound carefully with a hoof, “I...um...really don’t like drakesbeard all that much,” she explained, letting my arm go and getting a large wad of bandages, “it’s good for stopping bleeding, but it’s not very good at healing a wound. Let me see again, please,” she held out her hoof again and again I gave her my arm.

Ooh, more interesting information! my mind commented.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

Fluttershy paused, looking to me, “Oh, well, um, it smothers the wound and doesn’t let it heal very well. It’s okay to use it if you don’t have much else, but make sure that you don’t use it as a complete substitute as it can lead to infections,” she turned back to the wound, “oh, and this is probably going to hurt. Sorry.”

“What do you mean..?” I began, only to be cut off as Fluttershy used a hoof to pry away the dried drakesbeard paste, letting a fiery sting leech into the wound.

Wincing and hissing in pain, I gritted my sharp teeth, trying not to pull my arm back as the wound began to weep a stream of red tears again. Fluttershy tugged my left glove off a few inches to better treat the wound, the slip of paper I’d written the riddles on slipped out and fell to the floor. I ignored it for now in light of the burning pain.

I clenched my right hand into a fist as Fluttershy poured what looked and felt like warm water over the wound and wiped away a few lingering traces of the impromptu bandage. The wound cleaned, Fluttershy then wrapped a thick bandage over the it, applying pressure as she wrapped the bandage around a few times and then tied it off, the stinging pain fading slowly.

“There, all better,” Fluttershy said, smiling up at me warmly. I met her motherly eyes with my own, the corners of my mouth twitching as if to try and emulate the action. Before they could I pulled my eyes from hers, mouth remaining neutral as I distracted myself with the bandaged wound.

“Thank you,” I said, pulling the glove tight again. My eyes fell from the wound to the slip of paper that had fallen from the glove. I reached down and picked it back up. Fluttershy looked at it curiously as I unfolded it, revealing some of the words within.

First travel to where regal sisters preside
and go to where creatures…

“You’re welcome,” Fluttershy replied with quiet cheer, distracting me before I could read more, “Um...what’s that?”

“Nothing,” I replied neutrally, tucking it back away in my glove, “Just...just a riddle.”

“Oh. Well, anyways I’m glad that you’re okay,” she said, hugging me briefly again, “You’re lucky those timberwolves didn’t do more damage, I’ve...well,” she glanced away, biting her lip, “I...can’t save most p-animals that get attacked...by timberwolves,” she met my eyes again, something hidden in their quiet depths, “so I’m glad that you didn’t get hurt very badly.”

“As am I,” I replied, “...thanks again.”

“You’re welcome again,” Fluttershy replied with a subdued smile. She let out a quiet yawn, covering her mouth with a hoof as she did so, “anyways, your soup has probably cooled off by now. You can take it upstairs with you if you’d like, I’ll come up and get the bowl in the morning.”

A quick flash of confusion lit my face, only unseen by the pony due to the fact that she had turned to pick up the assortment of dirtied bandages and soiled rags.

Wait, she’s letting me keep the bed upstairs even after my outburst earlier today? I wondered with a confliction of emotions.

She forgave you, didn’t she? my mind replied, though personally I think that she should make you sleep outside at least one night.

I didn’t bother replying to my mind, instead giving one to Fluttershy, “Thank you,” I said again.

“You’re welcome,” Fluttershy said, hopping off the couch and heading to the kitchen to dispose of the medical refuse. I rose as well, taking my bowl and heading slowly for the stairs, “good night!” she called quietly after me.

I froze at the bottom of the stairs for a single second, eyes glued to the ascending steps in front of me.

“You…you too,” I replied, before beginning my slow ascent.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

...

I stood in a darkened forest, though the details of the forest eluded me, all a mass of blurred colors and movements. A series of yards away sat Fluttershy, sitting calmly and quietly in the middle of it all with her back to me...

She was in danger...and it disturbed me.

Not so much because she was in trouble, but the fact that me knowing she was sent a chill through my stomach. Knowledge like this should not have disturbed me, not this much at least.

She was a healer, that was all. I’d spent plenty of time with healers before. My days as a bounty hunter, and some of my days as an assassin after that, had sometimes left me with injuries beyond my capabilities to heal and I required help from other sources.

Some welcomed me with a smile, reminding me to praise the Nine as they bandaged wounds or gave me bitter potions. Others welcomed my coin with neutrality and fewer still refused to help an argonian as he stood bleeding at their doorstep. But none of them I spared a fleeting glance once their services were rendered...

Yet now the pony sitting a ways away from me was in an unknown peril that sent a chill through my gut. It was something that was not familiar, something that should not have been.

Once my wounds were healed, again I would leave her without a fleeting glance…

Wouldn't I..?

There was a movement of shadow through the forest and the dread in my heart increased. The danger was approaching...

I pondered for a moment, standing still, cloaked in shadow with the familiar feeling of my bow in my hand. I’d need to use it to defend Fluttershy from whatever the shadow in the forest was that stalked her…

No! I would use it to defend myself. Wait and watch, the shadow would show itself when it went after her. Once I knew what it was I would either run, engage, or remain hidden as the situation dictated. No matter what, she...didn’t...matter..!

But she did and so I grew disturbed, haunted to the deepest reaches of my mind. Again there was a flicker of shadow, closer this time to Fluttershy before the blurry mess of trees hid it again from view. My hazy eyes searched like those of a sabrecat. An arrow as black as night was clasped in my right hand.

No one warranted my defense! Not unless paid by coin..!

Or if they were her.

No! Not if they were her! She was a healer, no more! Again the shadow appeared, fast moving and silent as it drew ever closer to the oblivious and unmoving Fluttershy...

Except that wasn’t true...

It was! My bow was ready, arrow drawn to my ear in an instant. The weapon knew its hiding target...

It was not...

“Stop it!” I choked out, the thick air strangling my breath, my fingers clenching and unclenching around my drawn bow and arrow. I wanted to dig my fingers into my skull and tear out the thoughts raging within it, but they refused to release the readied weapon in front of me.

My heart filled with dread as again the creature appeared, rushing straight towards Fluttershy, growing more and more solid as it made its way towards her. Its frame was large and black, four legs reminding me of a wolf...

I didn’t know what it was, shooting now could spell my doom until I knew where to hit it, blindly firing would only…

But Fluttershy! The thing would kill her if I didn’t act now!

“I don’t care!” I yelled, fingers releasing the bowstring, flinging the black arrow...

And everything cleared away like a dense fog. My bow poofed into black smoke, the flying arrow fading as well. The blurry forest morphed to blackness, Fluttershy’s form dispersing into shadow, the fear fleeing from my chest.

I frowned as I looked around, taking in the sudden, black void with confusion as a sudden thought hit me.

“This is a dream,” I wondered aloud.

“Twas nightmare to be precise,” a powerful, female voice spoke up. Slow, clopping hoofsteps echoed as if off a marble floor in front of me.

My head snapped forwards again, towards the direction that the unknown monster had been charging from. I reached for my knives but found nothing besides a weightless cloak of shadow clothing me. My eyes snapped to an approaching creature as she came to a halt a few yards away, an inquisitive look on her long face.

The horse, as it was far larger than any pony I’d yet to see, wore a coat that was a deep, dark blue. Her piercing eyes were a more moderate color and her mane, which sparkled like the night sky and flowed on invisible winds, was in the middle grounds of the two colors. I noticed with suspicious eyes that she bore both the horn of a unicorn and the wings of a pegasus.

“Though we have cleared it from your mind as is our duty as the guardian of dreams.”

“Who are you?” I demanded with menace, “What are you doing here?”

The creature didn’t even bat a curious eye at my tone, “Of you we would ask the same thing, mortal,” she replied evenly, “A fortnight ago, we came across a sleeping mind that was not that of one of our normal subjects, your mind. A deep slumber kept our presence at bay until times most recent and, even then, we had trouble gaining access to your nightmares,” her frown deepened, “which you have had exclusively since you began your stay here…” she trailed off.

I remained silent.

“Wait, this is a dream,” I realized aloud, “what does this creature matter, she’s just a…”

“...figment of your imagination?” she finished my train of spoken thought, a single brow raised, “we should think not. Where from your mind do you think that our form was sired?” she drew closer at a slow trot, I held my ground and lowered my stance.

When she spoke again, her voice blasted forth with greatly increased volume, the force of it testing my fighting stance, almost throwing me off balance.

"We are Princess Luna of Equestria! Sister to Princess Celestia of Equestria and governess of the moon and stars!" she came to a halt much closer to me, her voice dropping back to a more normal volume, “as well as guardian of the world’s dreams.

“So we ask only once more, mortal: who are you? And do not think to lie,” her eyes narrowed menacingly, “we will know if you do.”

I glared back into her cold, blue eyes as she stared back into my own golden pair, her expression dead serious, her gaze level with my own.

“This is a dream, there is nothing that you can do to me,” I retorted, voice retaining its earlier menace.

“Perhaps not. But we know that you reside in the care of the healer Fluttershy and we may send in the Royal Guard to escort you to our throne if you prove uncooperative. There, we assure you, we will be able to extract whatever information that we desire.”

My glare remained steady as I weighed my choices. On the chance that this Princess was only a figment of my mind it wouldn’t matter what I told her as she wasn’t real...but on the off-chance that she and her threat were real…

My train of thought was derailed as something that Luna had said clicked with something else in my mind, Sister to Princess Celestia of Equestria… her words rang back in my head, followed by a line from one of my riddles, First travel to where regal sisters preside…

Regal sisters. And Luna had called herself sister to yet another princess! I turned my gaze from my thoughts, setting them on the ever-patient Luna again. If she and this Princess Celestia were the regal sisters from the riddle then perhaps getting on their bad side wasn’t such a good idea...at least for now.

“I am Aram Falíe,” I finally said, dropping the menace from my voice and standing tall, “I come from the province of Skyrim.”

Luna frowned, remaining silent for a few moments as she judged my words before speaking, “Either you are a master at the art of lying, or we have not heard of this place that you speak of, Aram Falíe of Skyrim. Hm,” she gave a thin, appreciating smile, “in either case, we welcome you to Equestria and have noticed that you’ve befriended powerful ponies in the town of Ponyville.”

Now it was my turn to frown in confusion. I had?

“We can only assume that by the fact that you exited the Everfree forest with the mage Twilight Sparkle, and now rest in the care of the healer Fluttershy, that you have formed a friendship with them,” she explained to my confused expression, “both hold positions of relative power as bearers of the Elements of Harmony.”

Friendship might not be a choice word, I thought, ...at least for Twilight, I amended, Though what are these Elements of Harmony? I paused in my thoughts with a quick frown before turning back to Luna.

“That I have,” I replied, neutrally, crossing my arms, “What of it?”

“Nothing,” Luna replied, face neutral again, “We merely wished to make conversation...as well as confirm that this was the case.

“But we did not come here for such trivial things, Aram Falíe of Skyrim. As guardian of dreams, it is our duty to deal with our subject’s nightmares.”

“I’m not one of your subjects,” I replied, uncrossing my arms and letting them rest at my sides, “I don’t need your help.”

“A fair enough claim,” Luna admitted, a curiousness to her face again, “though we still find it noteworthy that nothing but nightmares have plagued your dreaming thoughts,” she replied, tone implying a question.

I frowned, thinking over my past few days of consciousness. The Princess’ words were true. Though blurred as past dreams were, I could remember nothing pleasant plaguing them...ever. Thinking back to times even before I’d slain the listener and been sent here, the few times that I could recall, I could still not remember at all when my dreams had been pleasant.

Turning my eyes away from my thoughts, I met Luna’s blue pair again, “What of it?” I inquired.

“Tis abnormal for nothing but nightmares to plague one’s dreams,” Luna replied, tone still curious, “to help you remedy whatever it is that causes your nightmares is our duty as the Princess of the night.”

“I don’t need your help,” I replied, “there are certainly others that require your help.”

“You do not want our help despite the fact that you do need it,” Luna corrected, a short pause punctuating her speech, “and we are assisting many others, watching even more. We have but one physical form, but there are few limits when it comes to an alicorn’s magical abilities...” Luna’s brow furrowed in concentration for an instant before relaxing again, “The young dragon named Spike, for instance, is stricken with his own nightmare. We note that he oftens suffers from these after gorging himself on a modern treat known as: iced cream.”

I remained silent.

“Whatever the case, we are not required to help you face your inner fears and rid your nighttime respite of the horrors that plague it,” she began to retreat on silent hooves, not breaking eye contact as she met a wall of shadow behind her, fading into it as if into thick smoke, “We would bid you pleasant dreams, Aram Falíe of Skyrim,” she began again, only her head remaining unswallowed by the darkness she was fading into, “but we know that that would be useless…

0 . o . 0

...My eyes snapped open and I was awake, staring up at a ceiling painted with the dull light of dawn. Quiet chirps arose from my window as songbirds made morning music.

“What a bizarre dream,” I muttered to myself before pushing the blankets off my still form. I threw my legs over the side of the bed, my injured right leg carefully so I didn’t bang the cast against anything.

To my surprise, the dream remained steadfast in my mind, something that made me frown, considering the possible implications for a moment.

“Or...was it a dream at all?”

After considering for a moment longer, I realized that there was only one way to find out.

The Hut in the Woods (Pt1|Ch10)

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Chapter Ten: the Hut in the Woods

My cast thumped quietly as I made my way down the stairs, empty bowl of soup from last night clutched in my hand. No other noise graced the sleeping cottage.

Dull light seeped through the windows of the ground floor of Fluttershy’s cottage. Not the warm yellow light of the sun, but the bluish hue that foretold of the celestial ball of fire’s coming. I noted quietly that Fluttershy still lay asleep, laying on the couch, her butter yellow side rising and falling with the peaceful rhythm of sleep.

Pausing, I considered for a moment waking her to find out if the dream I’d had had any truth to it. Luna had mentioned Fluttershy and some elements of harmony in the dream, if I confirmed this to be true, I confirmed that the visit wasn’t merely a dream.

Yes, because waking her now would be such a nice thing to do, wouldn’t it? my mind inquired sarcastically.

Fine, I replied, I’ll ask her later.

I limped past her, trying to make as little noise as possible with the hard cast around my leg. Making my way into the kitchen, I set my bowl down on a low countertop and looked around for something to eat.

My stomach gurgled as I spied a fruit bowl, the few gleaming apples resting in it beckoning me. Obliging, I made my way over and picked one of the lush-looking green apples from it.

I wonder where she gets those things from, they’re damned good, my mind commented as I gave the apple a quick once-over, habit making me wave my left hand over its surface. The gem of my ring remained dull and unlit, only confirming what I already knew.

I’ll ask her when she wakes up, I replied, taking a crunchy bite from the delectable fruit and finding it to be just as good as the others I’d had.

My stomach gurgled for more so I grabbed another apple from the fruit bowl in my left hand and looked around to see what else there was to eat. A few other oddities resided in the fruit bowl, none of which I recognized. Moving my eyes onwards I spied a loaf of bread.

Setting the right apple in my mouth to hold it for a moment, I drew my right knife and sliced off a chunk, taking it with me as I headed back out of the kitchen and, quietly, passed through the front door.

A fresh, morning chill greeted me, a trail of songbirds singing as they danced and flittered around the cottage. No clouds littered the dull blue sky as I made my way down the hill. The sun was just now peeking over the horizon, preparing to shed its warmth down upon the land.

So what’s first on the list today, Aram? my mind asked as I took another bite from the apple.

I want to test my aim, I replied, making my way down the hill, I need to make sure that I can still hit something with some degree of accuracy, pausing before the stream, I examined my surroundings, looking for a good target as I ate away at the green orb in my hand, my acolytes are coming tomorrow, I need to be in my best shape if I’m to teach them. Last night proved I can still fend off a few wolves, now I need to make sure I can still hit something with my bow.

Be in you best shape? How’s that cast feel? my mind inquired as I spotted a small stump many yards away at the edge of the Everfree forest.

The best shape that I can be in all other things considered, I retorted annoyedly.

My target found, I set my food on the grass at my feet before taking a solid stance and unslinging my bow from across my chest. Gripping the bow firmly, I reached back for an arrow with my other hand. As I brought it around and knocked it, my ring remained dull.

Good, don’t want to waste any of that poison, I mentally commented.

Pulling back, I tested the strength of my injured arm. The muscles began to complain as I got a bit over the halfway point, making me grit my teeth as my arm was engulfed in fiery pain. The pain intensified as I continued to pull back, my arm spasming and shaking my aim around.

My strength gave out before I could get to the three quarter point and I released the string, sending the arrow zipping off towards the stump. It fell short and to one side by a great many yards as I bent over with pain, cursing under my breath as I set my bow aside to massage the injured arm.

So the muscles still require healing, not much you can do about that but rest and try not to use them much, my mind commented, drawing your bow, for example, is not among the things that you should be doing.

Be quiet, I have an idea, I replied with annoyance, setting down my bow and reaching with my left hand to the small satchel at my side. Fishing around blindly, I found one of the young roots I’d collected and brought it out.

Bringing it to my mouth, I bit a small piece of one end off, spitting it away as I pressed the root to my injured right arm and gave it a squeeze, bringing tears of the painkilling liquid to bear. I dabbed them across my right shoulder and down my arm, feeling a chilling numbness take over as the liquid took effect.

Grabbing my bow again, I stood once more. Assuming my stance once more, I drew another unpoisoned arrow and knocked it before trying to draw the bow back.

It came with ease, the pain of my right arm suppressed. A few mild spasms wracked my aim as I drew back and a feeling of weakness made it a bit hard, but I was otherwise able to get it back to my ear. Sighting down the black shaft of the arrow I judged the distance and adjusted, giving a quick glance to the swaying branches of trees to get a picture of the wind I adjusted once more.

I filled my lungs with a large breath and exhaled slowly until the tip of the arrow rested right where I wanted it to be. Then I let my fingers slip from around the bowstring.

The arrow zipped forth, arcing across the distance and thwacking solidly into the stump’s dead center. A ghost of a smile crossed my face as I let my arms relax at my sides.

Good, then, that’s settled, my mind commented as I started the trek to retrieve the projectiles.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Fluttershy’s cottage...

Fluttershy rubbed a sleepy eye with a hoof as she entered the kitchen, trotting over to a cupboard and opening it. She produced a single teacup, her other forehoof hovering over a second. A slightly upset look took her face as she remembered what had happened the last time she’d offered Aram a cup of tea.

With a sigh she closed the cupboard, setting her chosen cup down on the countertop in front of her and noting with a curious expression the soup bowl sitting there. She glanced around the kitchen, remembering how the quiet argonian had been able to enter silently the day before, but discovered only that she was alone.

“He must’ve already gotten up, then,” she said quietly to herself, selecting her teakettle with a wing and taking the soup bowl with a hoof. She trotted over to the sink, filling the teakettle and setting the bowl down in the washbasin for later cleaning.

The pegasus set the water to boil and then turned from the kitchen, trotting over to the living room and quietly up the stairs to her bedroom. Cracking the door open, she peeked in to see if this was where her most recent patient was.

“Hello?” she inquired, pushing the door open more to get a better glimpse at the room and not spotting him, “Hm, maybe he went outside?” she wondered aloud, closing the door and heading back down the stairs.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Just outside Fluttershy’s cottage...

I opened the door, pushing inwards and feeling the door slam into something solid. A startled squeak from the other side told me what said object was, a yellow hoof coming around and opening the door all the way. I relaxed, having initially jerked back with a hand dropping to a knife.

“Ow,” said Fluttershy, rubbing her nose with the other hoof. A spark of surprise lit her face for a moment as she saw me, “oh, I, um, was wondering where you’d gone.”

“Just outside,” I answered, limping past her. She closed the door behind me, turning to face me.

Excuse me? I think that: sorry for just slamming a door into your face would be a far better thing to say, don’t you think? my mind interjected.

“Sorry about that,” I added, gesturing to Fluttershy’s face as she closed the door.

Much better!

“It’s okay, you didn’t know I was here,” Fluttershy accepted with a forgiving smile, her face lit up as she remembered something, “oh, also, I just wanted to let you know that I’m going on a morning picnic with my friend Rarity. Is there, um, anything you’d like me to get for you before I go?”

And there’s that Rarity character again, my mind noted with me.

“No thank you,” I replied. Taking in the room I noted a few piles of animal feed strewn about the floor, a vast array of different animals gobbling it down. A few of them gave me varying looks before I turned back to Fluttershy, “I’m fine.”

“Oh, okay,” Fluttershy smiled again, “I just wanted to make sure before I left.” She turned to the door and lifted a hoof to the handle before I stopped her with a question.

“Actually, I had a question,” I stated, staring down at her.

Her hoof retracted as she turned to look back up at me, “Oh? What is it?”

“Do you know of a creature named Luna?” I inquired.

“Do you mean Princess Luna?” Fluttershy asked.

And so a piece of the puzzle clicks into place! my mind commented.

“Yes,” I replied, “And she has a sister named Celestia?”

Fluttershy nodded, “Yes, they’re the co-rulers of Equestria.”

So that wasn’t just a dream, then, I thought, frowning in thought, that would mean that the regal sisters are them. That only leaves where they preside and where this creature of stone is…

“Um, if you want, Twilight might be able to get you an audience with them. I could ask if you’d like?” she suggested, though a tidbit of anxiety crossed her features.

My eyes flicked to Fluttershy as I considered for a moment, letting her simmer under the intensity of my gaze. Twilight could get me an audience with them? Then again Luna had mentioned that they were powerful ponies.

It could be a good way to find out about the creatures of stone, my mind put in, The leaders of a land should know about those who inhabit it.

Yes, I admitted, glancing down at my cast, though if the specific creature I’m to find resembles Sithis then I doubt that asking them for help would be wise. I may not know all there is to know about this land, but I doubt that something like assassination is highly tolerated. I’m in no shape to be running from guards at this point in time.

Fair enough, my mind replied, and the riddle said that you were supposed to train your acolytes before you searched for this creature anyways.

“No thanks,” I said to Fluttershy, relieving the bit of anxiety in her stance.

“Oh, okay. Though feel free to let me know if you change your mind,” she replied with a smile.

You can count on that, my mind commented, I said nothing.

Fluttershy turned to the door, lifting a hoof to it before hesitating. She pulled the appendage back a bit, throwing me an anxious glance that I returned with a frown. Fluttershy appeared to struggle with something for a moment before she looked up at me again, “I...well, um,” she stuttered, “Would...you like to come too?” she finally asked, “to the picnic, that is? I could introduce you to Rarity. She’s the one who fixed your, um…” a mildly disturbed look that she tried to suppress crossed her face, “...armor.”

Looking down at Fluttershy I considered for a moment, but only for that single moment.

“No,” I replied flatly, then added, “No thank you,” before my mind could berate me for not doing so.

“Oh, well, um, are you sure you don’t want to come?” Fluttershy asked, only looking a little uncomfortable in doing so, “I mean, I’m sure Rarity wouldn’t mind if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“No,” I repeated, “I have other things planned.”

Like what? My mind asked doubtfully. I replied with silence.

“Oh, sorry,” Fluttershy apologized with a slight cringe, “I didn’t know. So are you sure you don’t need anything before I go? I could make you something quick for breakfast if you’d like?”

“No thanks,” I replied, “I already ate.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy said, tone sounding a bit apologetic, “Well, I should be back around lunch-time. I know that you really don’t want to, but please try to get some rest today, okay? You’ll get better faster that way.”

“Okay,” I lied.

“Thank you,” she said, giving me a smile. Another flash of a childhood memory fluttered through my mind, too brief for even a glimpse, “I guess I’ll see you later, then.”

I replied with a nod and a quick grimace that was meant to be a smile. Fluttershy made her way out the door, closing it gently behind her. She made her way down a path towards what I assumed was Ponyville as I stared out a window after her, disappearing behind some lush green hills.

So what now, then? my mind inquired, How about that rest Fluttershy wanted you to get?

I had planned on harvesting some more ingredients from the Everfree forest, I replied, throwing a quick glance at the varying mass of animals also in the room. The pile of feed Fluttershy had given them had dwindled, most of the animals that had been eating it now gone, I need to start testing them to see if there are any other effects that Zecora didn’t mention. If I’m going to be teaching anything about alchemy I’d best know what to make the best poisons from. The sooner I can fulfill Sithis’ wishes and get back to Skyrim, the better.

Without further ado I made my way outside. The sun had risen a sliver in the sky, more songbirds singing scriptless choruses as they danced on the winds. A few rabbits and other small creatures meandered about the field, I paid them no mind as I turned towards the forest with ingredients on my mind.

As the shadows shed by the trees covered me, I slid the satchel Zecora had given me from my waist, loosening the drawstrings and eyeing the contents. It usually wasn’t a good idea to keep a vast assortment of different ingredients together due to the risk of cross-contamination, but there was little I could do to fix that now.

Retying it and attaching it to my belt again, I began to scour the forest for plants to use.

Following the route of my previous treks brought me to the small batch of fearcap mushrooms I’d discovered yesterday. I gathered up most of them, removing the spores from the last few and spreading them across the ground. The spores would be important for stamina potions, but the caps were even more valuable and I’d be getting more of them faster if I grew more.

Thinking a little too long term, Aram? my mind inquired, Do you really think it will take that long to be done here? With the training?

Who knows? I replied, It might.

Moving slowly from tree to tree, I dug around their bases with my knifes until I found a few worthy roots and added them to my satchel as well.

An abundance of the reeds that grew in smelling, swampy water drew me in their direction next. Wrinkling my nose at the putrid waters I gripped one at its base and pulled, making sure not to break the skin nor tear it at the roots. Zecora had assured me that damaging it in one of these ways was the fastest way to lose the anti-toxin it secreted.

Gathering only two more due to their unseemly lengths, another plant captured my attention. Taking care, I slid the three reeds into my quiver, making certain that the heads of my arrows wouldn’t damage them before proceeding to the new plant.

It reminded me of a grass pod of Skyrim, albeit much, much bigger and with a glowing pod head. The plant had a lengthy stem with a few sharpish leaves at odd intervals. The pod head, normally a splatter of green and red, gave off a light glow. Almost unnoticeable in the semi-darkness of the forest, the glow reminded me of the nighttime torchbugs of Skyrim.

The reeds around me crashed violently about as I moved closer to this new plant. Once close enough, I waved my left hand up the plant’s entire length. My ring stayed dull along the length of the stem, though glowed dully as I passed the occasional sharp leaves, giving me another ghost of a smile. The glowing pod also proved to be non-poisonous.

Curious, I brushed a gloved finger against the glowing pod. There was a flash of movement as it exploded at my touch.

“Fornication!” I spat, leaping away and bringing up my hands to shield my face.

Specks of yellow flew in every direction as I crashed backwards through reeds, landing painfully on my back. I could feel my quiver pressing uncomfortably between my shoulder blades, the mucky ground wet against my scales.

“What in Sithis’ name!” I exclaimed, getting painfully to my feet and glaring at the now exploded glowing pod. The stem appeared untouched, the only difference being the now missing pod at the top.

Perhaps touching things that you don’t know about isn’t the best idea, my mind commented.

How was I to know it would do that!? I demanded, adrenaline fading and my heartbeat returning to normal. Making sure I was alright I gave myself a quick once-over. There was no pain anywhere aside from a dull ache from my fall. Looking over my arms and legs startled me as I noticed something strange about my left arm, right below where the glove met scale.

What in the unholy name of Sithis! I mentally cried out.

Most of my entire forearm was now glowing with the same light of the glowing pod.

Well that’s not good, my mind put in.

I didn’t bother with a reply, shaking my arm to try to get whatever was on it off. The dull glow remained. I tried brushing the glow off on my side, only for the glow to spread to wherever I brushed it.

“Agh! Bastard!” I swore, trying to wipe it away with my other gloved hand. The glow failed to spread, but didn’t come off either, “What is this infernal glow?” I wondered, turning to the water.

Trying not to brush the glow to any other parts of my skin, I brought myself to a seated position at the water’s edge. I dunked my left arm in to where the glow ended, scrubbing with my right and bringing it back up. It was still glowing.

At least it wasn’t a poison bloom plant, my mind reassured, drawing forth a memory of my short time with the Dawnguard…

0 . o . 0

“You don’t want to go near that one,” Agmaer warns me as I eye the odd flower. I glare back over my shoulder at him, a look he doesn’t catch in the darkness of Darkfall passage.

Stupid nord, I mentally growl, doesn’t know anything. I turn back to the flower, a set of yards away. Its dark colors scream that it is poisonous, beckon me to go see what it is.

“Are you seeing anything yet, Beleval?” Agmaer calls out to the Bosmer woman.

Noting that he isn’t watching me, not that I’d care if he were, I quietly make my way over to the flower.

“Nothing!” she calls back, eyeing the ground, “No prints, no droppings, no nothing!”

The nord gives an annoyed sigh, “I’m starting to think that this ‘invading family of falmer’ are just another case of Hakar being Hakar,” Agmaer mumbles to himself, arms crossed, “I wish he’d just stayed in Rorikstead. Dawnguard would do better without him.”

As I near the flower, its web-like fronds open, as if beckoning me.

“Hey! Aram! Isran warned us to stay away from those plants!” the nord calls from my back.

“I’ll be careful,” I spit back, tail giving a single lash of annoyance.

I don’t know, Aram, my mind warns, It might not be a good idea if Isran…

Before my mind can finish, the flower of the plant detonates, spewing bitter-tasting gas into the air. I stumble back, coughing, vision blurring as it stings my eyes…

0 . o . 0

Perhaps Zecora knows of a cure? my mind commented, drawing me from the memory.

Obviously, I growled, looking around, But it isn’t as if I know where she is!

Maybe you should try licking it off, my mind suggested unhelpfully.

Shut up, I replied, giving my left arm another glare.

Remembering that the leaves had made my ring glow, I tore a few off and dumped them into my satchel along with everything else before making my noisy way out of the army of reeds.

Fluttershy might also know what to do, I thought, the reeds now behind me, Though she said that she’d be away for a while.

Well then just hope it doesn’t kill you for the next few hours and you should be fine. At least it doesn’t appear to stick to clothing, just bare flesh.

So far, I replied, eyeing my left glove suspiciously for any signs of glowing.

Opting to continue on despite my newfound glow, at least until it started showing dangerous signs, I trekked further through the brush, constantly listening and looking for danger. So far the forest had continued its safe sounds. Animals chattered, squawked, and squelched in the distance, telling me that there were no major predators in the general area.

The wind as well continued to scratch through the branches and leaves of the sickly trees growing about the forest.

More drakesbeard was added to my satchel as I spied bits of it clinging to the trees I passed by, filling it almost to its full capacity. I made sure not to crush anything down, lest I increase the chance of cross-contamination.

Time to head back, then? my mind inquired.

Not just yet, I replied, scanning over the forest around me with careful eyes, I’d like to find more skullstalk mushrooms. They’ll certainly come in handy for any poison I wish to make.

It took a while, but eventually a few bits of black and white shone through the sharp leaves of a small bush. Lifting away the bush revealed a small set of skullstalks sitting in the bush’s shade. I plucked them from the ground and added them to my satchel.

Now I’m ready, I thought.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Edge of the Everfree Forest...

It wasn’t hard finding my way back to where I’d entered the Everfree forest. I’d made certain to keep an eye on my path and not make the same mistake I’d made with Zecora.

By now the sun was high in the sky, the day in full bloom. The temperature, as with the days previous, was only a little bit chilly and not a single cloud had wandered the sky.

Entering Fluttershy’s cottage, I scrounged around in the kitchen until I’d found a serviceable mortar and pestle. The thick, wooden bowl and large serving spoon would have to do for now. Munching on another apple, I took my tools to the living room and took a seat on the couch. The annoying glow of my arm met my eyes once more, turning my face sour for a moment.

The glow hadn’t changed at all, which was both good and bad. Good because a lack of any pain or irritation meant that it was hopefully harmless. Bad because, simply put, my arm wasn’t supposed to glow. Hopefully Fluttershy would know what to do when she returned around lunch.

Everything else accomplished, I set to testing my different gathered ingredients.

The makeshift mortar and pestle would suffice for simple potions and testing, but they were nothing compared to the alchemical lab I’d used back at the sanctuary. I would simply have to make do until I could acquire something better.

Testing with the fearcap mushrooms showed that their fear-inducing poison lay in a liquid secreted when pressure was applied to the cap.It was probably a defense mechanism to keep animals at bay. Dry, the cap appeared to be devoid of any effects at all. I cursed the fact I had no flasks to store the liquid before moving on.

Thinking for a moment, I created another batch of drakesbeard paste. This time, however, I used the painkilling liquid of the young root to wet it. The liquid stayed with the paste, creating something that would both stop bleeding and numb the pain of a wound. Consigning the recipe to memory, I decided to put it to paper later.

There was no way I was going to test the skullstalk mushrooms, already knowing their highly dangerous nature, and the caps were too small for me to retrieve their spores without special tools. When separated, the stalks appeared to be poisonous as well and knowing that the fungus was known as skullstalk I didn’t risk a self-test.

Before I could continue further, a knock erupted from the door. Setting everything aside, my hands dropped to their respective knives as my suspicious eyes latched onto the door.

Maybe Fluttershy returned early? My mind proposed.

Maybe… I replied, standing and limping to the door, ...maybe not.

Oh, you’re too paranoid, my mind commented.

You’re not paranoid enough, I retorted, lifting two fingers from my left knife’s hilt and gripping the door knob with them. Preparing myself, I twisted sharply and yanked the door open, knifes at the ready as I glared down at…

Three startled cries met my ears as the cutie mark crusaders leapt back from my undoubtedly frightening form. Their eyes grew wide, ears pressing against their skulls as they huddled together.

Oh no! You’re outnumbered! Run! my mind teased.

Giving a mental growl as a reply, I quickly sheathed my weapons and greeted the three younglings with a smile. Their scared expressions, which made me want to kick myself in the head for causing, faded fast as they recognized me.

“Oh, hi there, mister Falíe!” Applebloom greeted me with a nervous smile, “You scared us there for a moment.”

“Sorry,” I apologized.

“It’s okay,” Scootaloo chimed in, “We were just wondering if Fluttershy was home?”

“No,” I replied, “She said that she’d be gone until lunch.”

“Aww,” the three chorused sadly, looking forlornly at the ground…

0 . o . 0

“Do I make myself clear!?” the old crone demands.

“Yes, Grelod,” I reply sadly, keeping my eyes on my boots…

0 . o . 0

I gave my head a quick shake, dislodging the memory from my sight.

“Why do you need to see her?” I inquired, regaining their attention, as I wondered if there was a way I could help. The three perked up at my question.

“We were just going to ask if she could take us into the Everfree forest,” Sweetie Belle replied.

“Yeah! We’re going to try out being Cutie Mark Crusaders castle explorers!” Scootaloo exclaimed, wings buzzing excitedly, “We heard about this cool old castle in the Everfree forest and we want to explore it!”

“But after our last trip to the Everfree forest as Cutie Mark Crusaders chicken rescuers, we need to have ‘adult supervision from a responsible adult’,” Applebloom said the last part in an annoyed tone, “We were gonna ask Sweetie Belle’s sister, Rarity, but she said she was having a breakfast picnic with friends.”

“Who has a picnic for breakfast anyways?” Sweetie Belle wondered aloud, annoyed.

“I know, right?” Apple Bloom seconded, looking to her friend for a moment, “anyways, we tried practically everywhere else. My sister couldn’t do it, neither could Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, or any of the others.”

“Fluttershy was the last pony on our list,” Sweetie Belle said with a sigh, ears drooping in defeat.

I frowned at their predicament, unhappy that they were unhappy, as I tried to think of a way to help...

“Hey! I know!” Scootaloo said, perking up once more. She turned to me with a pointing hoof, “Do you count as a responsible adult? Can you supervise us in the Everfree forest?”

The three looked up to me with expectant eyes, wide and bright with childhood innocence. I didn’t hesitate.

“I don’t see why not,” I replied, a small smile still on my face.

Shall I list the reasons? My mind asked.

Shut-up, I replied.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

The Everfree Forest...

“So where is this castle?” I asked as the four of us made our way through a wide game trail cut through the brush. The three trotted a few steps ahead of me, Apple Bloom in the lead, all with expressions of sheer determination.

“Well we’re not entirely sure,” Apple Bloom replied with a glance back to me, “So we’re gonna head over to Zecora’s place first to see if she knows.”

“And you know where Zecora lives?” I asked, just making sure.

“Yep,” the little pony replied, “It’s just down this here trail, not much further if I remember right.”

A noteworthy trail to memorize, then, I thought to myself, throwing a quick glance back over my shoulder to ensure that I had the path set in my memory.

“Oh yeah,” Apple Bloom continued, “She’s a zebra, by the way, so don’t get scared or nothing that she looks or talks funny.”

“I’ll make sure not to,” I replied with a flash of a smile at the thought of me being afraid of Zecora.

What’s a zebra? my mind wondered.

Whatever Zecora is, I replied.

Oh, well I never would have guessed that, you smart-ass! my mind exclaimed sarcastically.

I don’t know what it is any more than you do, I countered defensively.

The three younglings speeding up their steps drew me away from my inner dialogue and I spotted the hut that Zecora called home. None of the lights that had been on the last time I’d seen it were on, but I assumed that was due to the fact it was still daytime.

“Hey, Zecora! You home?” Scootaloo exclaimed, rapping at the door with a hoof. With a quiet creaking sound the door slid open as the little pegasus’ hoof made contact, causing her to hop back a step, startled.

The inside of the hut was nearly pitch black, harsh shapes in the nigh-impregnable darkness the only things visible.

The crusaders shared uneasy glances with each other, the forest growing very quiet all of a sudden. Whether it had been quiet all along or not I was uncertain. My hands found their knives as I scanned the area.

The forest isn’t usually this quiet… I noted with caution.

“Z-zecora?” Sweetie Belle called uneasily into the darkness of the hut.

Silence replied promptly.

“Zecora? Are you in there?” Apple Bloom tried, taking a few cautious steps forwards, her forelegs now on the threshold of the entrance, the darkness sucking at her face. Again there was no reply.

Apple Bloom glanced back at her friends and me, a questioning look on her face.

“Maybe she’s not home?” Sweetie Belle put in, an underlying tone of fear in her young voice.

“Or maybe she got ponynapped!” Scootaloo exclaimed, striding forwards with purpose in her step, “Let’s head inside and see if we can find any clues. Maybe there’s a ransom note!”

“Ponynapped?” Sweetie Belle squeaked, a doubtful expression on her face, “Really, Scootaloo? I think you’ve been reading too many of Rainbow Dash’s Daring Do books.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Scootaloo countered with a roll of her eyes, moving past Apple Bloom, “C’mon, Apple Bloom let’s look for clues!”

“Right behind ya, Scoots!” Apple Bloom replied, both ponies disappearing into the darkness of the hut.

“Are you sure they should be going in there like that?” Sweetie Belle asked, turning to me.

“So long as they play safely and don’t break anything they should be fine,” I replied.

“Oh, well I dunno. I really don’t think that we should be going in uninvited,” Sweetie Belle warned, her face shifting uneasily despite my words.

Perhaps letting them trespass so blatantly isn’t the best idea, my mind agreed, uncertain as the young unicorn.

I was under the impression that they already know Zecora, they should be fine, I dismissed, still keeping a wary eye out on the forest. Everything remained quiet, no distant animals calling out in fear or hunger as they should have been.

“C’mon Sweetie Belle! Now look who’s being a chicken!” Scootaloo replied teasingly from the darkness, giggling playfully and making clucking chicken noises…

0 . o . 0

...We play in the backyard, children chasing each other around with happy squeals and cries of delight. A shadow falls over us and we stop as one, joy turns to fear as eyes fall on the old crone.

“What did I say about keeping it down, you rabid little bastards..!”

0 . o . 0

...I shake my head, lip curling into a quick snarl.

She got what she deserved in the end, I comforted to myself.

“I’m not a chicken,” Sweetie Belle retorted, a look of determination on her face as she trotted purposefully into the dark hut. I gave another quick glance to the surrounding forest, looking for something out of the ordinary. Gnarled trees swayed slowly on a silent breeze, little light penetrating their sick looking canopy. Brush stood still and a twilit darkness stretched beyond.

I turned and headed in after the younglings, not spotting a pair of glowing eyes that narrowed as I disappeared into the dark hut.

Author's Notes:

Finally got this one out, whew. Sorry for the delay and the promising that it'd be out before next Christmas, things didn't go as planned.

Everything from work, to the DayZ Standalone dropping (which I do recommend to anyone who either played the mod or is interested in realism and zombies), to my non-pony fiction, to the infernal OOC moment that forced me to change almost everything (Aram was originally supposed to say yes to the picnic idea, which is so OOC that I don't know what the flying tits I was smoking when I thought it up) helped make my writing go slow as molasses.

I hope to Sithis that school doesn't interfere too much with all this, but I know it probably will. We'll see.

In the mean time enjoy the story. Next chapter should be the last chapter of part one and that means that things are about to get interesting!

Third Dawn (Pt1|Ch11)

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Chapter Eleven: Third Dawn

Things began to take shape as my eyes adjusted to the darkness of the hut. The place was moderately sized with what appeared to be only a single other room. Large tribal masks glared down at me from the walls, as if angry at my trespassing. I returned their glaring faces with my own silent snarl before turning my eyes to the rest of the room.

I froze at the sight of a mass of shelves with an even greater mass of ingredients littering them. Roots, mosses, leaves, fungi, plants, colorful bottles of all shapes and sizes. The sight was any alchemist’s wet dream.

So enthralled by the many ingredients that I didn’t notice a sudden silhouette that appeared in the frame of the open door. The unhappy words of the shape’s owner made me and the three fillies jump.

“What are you doing inside my hut? I do not remember saying that in you could strut!” Zecora demanded, trotting in and pulling back the hood of her cloak. The odd glow of her eyes died, though they remained unhappily narrowed. I let my hands rest by their appropriate knives a second longer as Zecora held my unsmiling look.

“Hi, Zecora!” Apple Bloom greeted with an apologetic, guilty smile, “Sorry we sorta came in uninvited.”

“Yeah, the door was unlocked,” Scootaloo added, pointing a hoof towards the still-open door, “We, uh, thought you mighta gotten ponynapped.”

Zecora kept my gaze for a moment longer, narrowed eyes harboring suspicion. After a moment, she turned to the younger pony, face calming. She began to trot around the room, stopping at candles. Mysteriously, she paused at each one, engulfing the wick with her hoofs. There was a sharp click and the candles ignited.

“No harm is done, my little one,” Zecora replied, “I assume, though, that you have come with a question? Or perhaps for an herb or spice that is in my possession?” she gestured with a sweep of her hoof around the room. Her eyes flicked knowingly to the glow on my left arm and side.

“Oh, well actually yes we did,” Apple Bloom replied, happy to get to the point, “Y’see, we’re tryin’ to get our cutie marks in castle explorin’, so we thought we’d go and explore that old castle here in the Everfree forest.”

“Only we don’t exactly know where it is,” Scootaloo chimed in. By now Zecora had lit a vast array of candles placed about the room. She closed the door to her hut, a warm glow now lighting the place up.

“So we came here to ask you!” Sweetie Belle finished, the three sharing a beaming smile aimed at Zecora.

She turned from their smiling faces to my emotionless frown. I remained silent.

“Away from that castle I think you should stay. Many odd noises I heard from it the other day,” Zecora replied to the crusader’s inquiry.

“What sort of noises?” Scootaloo asked as Zecora trotted to a corner and slid a set of saddlebags off her back.

“I fear that, perhaps, a beast has made itself a new nest. To disturb it now would be foolish, this I can attest,” Zecora replied, eyes finding her shelves, scanning over them and brightening as she spotted a particular bottle, “Timberwolves, maybe, I would not be surprised. Going near whatever the case would not be wise.”

“Oh,” Scootaloo said, the faces of the crusaders falling. I kept my gaze on Zecora, not wanting to see their sad faces.

“You have taken on an interesting glow, I see,” Zecora said, turning to me and pointing to my left arm and side with a hoof, “did you perhaps come here for this to show me?”

“I thought that was normal,” Apple Bloom commented, the three crusaders now eyeing me with curious eyes as well.

“That depends on if you’ve got a cure for it, water didn’t work,” I replied evenly, eyes flicking to the bottle she’d grabbed, “It also depends on how much it costs.”

“I am not surprised it did not wash off with water. The glow is oil based, to remove it is harder,” Zecora replied knowingly. She glanced to the bottle in her hoof before offering it forwards, “A simple brew, I shall give to you.”

“How much?” Hesitating only for a moment, I took the bottle she was holding out. A fizzing liquid washed around through the half-opaque glass of it.

“From you I shan’t ask for payment in coin or favor. To not help others in need gives my mouth a bad flavor,” Zecora replied.

I held her gaze for a moment, trying to find some sort of deception in her eyes, some form of veiled malice. I found nothing, “Thank you. Do I drink it or rub it on the affected areas?” I asked.

“The next time you bathe bring it to the tub. It will come right off, just be sure to scrub,” Zecora replied, turning and trotting over to her saddlebags. I checked the cork stopper in the bottle, making sure it was tight, before sliding it neck-first through a loose part of my belt, “I would wash that clothing too, if I was you. Until it touches flesh the oil will not show. If you touch soiled cloth, again you skin will glow.”

You could use a bath anyways, my mind commented, you probably smell terrible.

Shut-up, I replied, noting in the back of my mind that I probably could use one.

“Well I guess this means we won’t be gettin’ our cutie marks in castle explorin’ after all,” Apple Bloom moaned, the three crusaders looking downtrodden in sad unison.

“Perhaps I could take you three there another time,” I reassured them with a small smile, Maybe I’ll have my acolytes clear out that castle as part of their training, I thought.

“Really!?” the three exclaimed, zipping to my feet and gazing up with a speed that threw me off guard.

“Yes,” I promised, taking a small step back as I again flashed them a small smile.

“Perhaps it is wise then that to Ponyville you return. If you’ll excuse me, there’s a brew I must churn,” Zecora said, digging around in her saddlebags.

“Oh, well bye, Zecora!” Applebloom said, trotting out the door.

“Yeah, see you later!” Scootaloo chimed in as she followed her friend.

“Bye!” Sweetie Belle added last, giving Zecora a wave before disappearing as well.

I turned from Zecora, heading for the door when she spoke.

“One thing I must ask before you go. You seem a different person when a child’s face does show?” Zecora inquired with a curious tone, the feeling of her eyes digging into my back as I faced the door.

Pausing, I continued to face the open door, remaining silent for a moment…

0 . o . 0

“Waste of a good septim,” I mutter into my drink.

“A waste?” he turns to me, incredulous, “Aram, we weren’t any different from her at that age. Lost, hungry, without anyone to help and guide us through the hardships of life...”

0 . o . 0

I shook the memory from my head before it turned ugly, setting my focus on Zecora to help keep it at bay. She stared back, awaiting my reply with a mysterious look.

“Children deserve nothing less,” I replied before heading after the three younglings.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Edge of the Everfree forest...

The trip back was as uneventful as the trip there. Despite this, I still kept my eyes and ears open for peculiar sights and sounds, or a lack thereof. My hands hung by the hilts of my knives just in case.

The crusaders chatted animatedly together, already planning on new ways to get their cutie marks. I was glad to see that the setback of not being able to explore the castle hadn’t fazed them. No matter what, the children always seemed to bounce back.

We parted ways as the forest let up, trading goodbyes as the trees gave way to the grassy hills around Fluttershy’s cottage. The sun had risen in the sky, near its peak now, as I headed up the path to the cottage.

First things first, I need to get this stuff off me, I mentally growled down at the two glowing spots on my body, Maybe there’s some hot springs nearby I could use.

Like the ones back in Eastmarch you used to visit with… my mind began.

Quiet! I snapped back before the thought could finish, I don’t want any... A cry for help, a fleeing quarry, a fateful decision…“Damnit!” I growled, squeezing my eyes closed and unconsciously striking out with my right fist.

The blow fell with a thump on Fluttershy’s door, her cottage now before me atop the small hill. I gritted my teeth at the pain that raced up my right arm, thankful that it drew away my unwanted memories.

“Oh! Coming!” Fluttershy’s voice came from within the cottage. Muffled noises made their way to the door before it swung open, revealing Fluttershy. A mass of feed lay behind her, a group of eating animals amassed around it. She smiled at the sight of me, “Oh, there you are! I was just about to come looking for you.”

A quizzical look crossed my face at the statement, Why? I wondered, before speaking my earlier query, “Are there any hot springs or bodies of water nearby I could use for bathing?” I asked.

“Well...sort of,” Fluttershy replied, a tad confused. She stepped back, allowing me to enter before closing the door behind her, “But, um, I could just draw you a bath. I...think my tub should be able to fit you, if you’d like,” she continued, noticing my annoying glow as I turned to her, “Oh, you must’ve run into a glow-trap pod out there,” she looked back up at me, “You’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” I confirmed with a nod.

“Good,” Fluttershy smiled. She began to trot off, “Well I’ll go draw you a bath, then. Though water won’t get rid of the glow, you’ll need…”

“I know. Zecora gave me a mixture,” I cut in, tapping the flask attached through my belt.

“Oh, that was nice of her,” Fluttershy said with a small smile, “I’ll go get your bath ready, then.”

0 . o . 0

Fluttershy had left after filling a short porcelain tub with warm water, taking my gloves to wash separately. If there was any of the glow-trap oil on them I didn’t want it coming back the next time I slid them on. Lest they become soaked and soggy, she’d also removed my bandages, revealing that my wounds were healing nicely. My cast, however, she declined to remove, mentioning some sap she used to make the thing waterproof.

Ensuring that the door was closed, as it was annoyingly barren of a lock, I disrobed quickly. Making sure that my knives were within my reach should I need them, I slipped into the small tub. It was a somewhat tight fit, but the water was soothingly warm, reminiscent of the hot springs I was used to using in the southern reaches of Eastmarch. They were larger and far less crowded than the bathhouses in the cities. I hadn’t visited them in some time, not since Aven…

No, I told myself, not wanting to think about the man I called brother, knowing what memories it would bring up...

0 . o . 0

The decision is mine to make, an arrow waiting nocked upon the string of my bow. The prize is getting away as he calls out for help...

0 . o . 0

I clenched my needle-sharp teeth, balling my fists with a growl as I banished the memory to Oblivion.

Deal with it, you made a mistake that got him killed. You could have chosen to…

“To Oblivion with you!” I spat back.

“What was that?” I heard Fluttershy’s voice mumble from somewhere beyond the door.

“Nothing that con…nothing important!” I called back, reaching over to grab the flask from the floor beside the tub. Uncorking it, I poured it over my arm and chest, scrubbing at the glow to get my mind off its bitter thoughts. To my relief, the glow-trap pod oil came off easily, fading into the warm water of the tub.

I gave a quiet sigh of relief, glad to have that taken care of.

There was a quiet knock on the washroom door, Fluttershy’s voice coming shortly after, “You mind if I come in?”

My head snapped to the door, “Yes, I do mind,” I replied quickly, trying not to sound too harsh, “What do you want?”

“Oh, I was just wondering if you’d like me to make you something to eat?” her voice replied back, pausing for a moment as if in thought, “Do, um, argonians eat sandwiches?” she finally asked.

Sand witches? I wondered with a confused frown, “What?”

My sentiments exactly, my mind concurred.

“Oh, um,” she stuttered under my questioning tone, “Well, it’s, um, pretty much two pieces of bread with...stuff inside, fruits and veggies...usually.”

“And it’s called a sand witch?” I asked, face turning to a simple frown, Odd name for such a thing.

“Um, yes,” Fluttershy said, “Would you like one?”

I considered for a moment, my stomach lightly heavy with hunger, “Yes,” I said, “please.” If I don’t like it I can always grab a few more of those apples.

“Okay, then,” Fluttershy replied with some added cheer to her voice, “it should be ready by the time you get out.”

0 . o . 0

I allowed myself the pleasantry of the warm water for a short while longer, soaking up the glorious warmth until the water had almost grown tepid. Slipping out, I quickly dried off and redressed—if putting on a belt and undergarment could be called such a thing—before making my way to the cottage living room.

Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen, a few of the cottage’s animal inhabitants resting or playing about here and there. The pile of feed I’d noticed earlier was now gone. Fluttershy’s head poked around the doorway to the kitchen, her eyes finding mine, and a kind smile sprouted on her face.

“You can, um, come in here to eat if you’d like,” she suggested before her head disappeared once more.

I frowned, standing where I was. This room was fine, no reason to…

Just go in there, you fool, my mind cut in, or I’ll keep bothering you until you do.

With a resigned sigh I limped over to the kitchen doorway, heading in.

Fluttershy stood on her hind legs at the counter, slicing up an assortment of vegetables with a knife. Four pieces of thinly cut bread lay off to one side, two apiece laying on two porcelain plates.

Fluttershy flashed me a quick smile before returning to her chopping. I grabbed another apple from the fruit bowl, taking a crunchy bite of the delightful fruit.

“Oh, um, you can eat all this stuff, right?” Fluttershy inquired, gesturing to the assortment of vegetables before her.

I gave a quick glance over everything. Chopped carrots, diced lettuce, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and celery. I gave a nod, Not to say I ate any of that stuff in Skyrim, I thought to myself.

Humming a quiet tune to herself, Fluttershy piled the a helping of the assorted veggies onto one of the slices of bread per plate. With a smaller knife, she smeared a small dose of milky sauce onto the other slice and then set it atop the other, creating what was apparently called a sand witch.

I don’t get it, my mind commented, it doesn't have anything to do with either sand or witches.

Hopefully it’ll at least taste decent, I replied, finishing my apple as Fluttershy placed both plates on the small table in the center of the kitchen. She gestured for me to have my seat opposite her, taking her own and picking up her sand witch with her hooves.

She ate at her food slowly, taking small, nibbling bites. I looked down at the odd food item, picking it up and taking a small bite myself. The food offered little resistance against my needle-sharp teeth, a concoction of flavors and textures meeting my tongue as I chewed. It was decent, certainly not as good as apples or mead, even fish, but rather tasty within its own right.

“You like it?” Fluttershy asked with a small smile, food paused before her.

“Yes,” I replied simply, taking another bite, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied with a smile, resuming her eating.

A few bites later, an inquiry found its way into my head, “Will I be able to take this cast off soon?” I voiced it.

“Hm?” Fluttershy asked, swallowing her food, “Oh, your cast. I think a day or two more at the soonest, depending on how well it’s coming along. You’ll want to do some light exercises with your leg so the muscles don’t atrophy too much, but nothing too strenuous,” she finished with a small smile, “The same should be true for your other injuries,” she continued, gesturing to my chest and arm with a hoof, “just light exercises to get everything back in shape.”

Good to know, I thought to myself, eyeing the cast with a hidden annoyance, this thing’s going to make it impossible to teach my acolytes anything useful when it comes to fighting or sneaking.

Which you still won’t be teaching them for a week after everything comes off? my mind put in, more a statement than a question, You’ll be adhering to the light exercises regimen, correct?

She’s being over-cautious, I should be fine, I retorted as I took another bite.

“So, um, I saw Twilight earlier today,” Fluttershy began in a conversational tone, ending my internal debate.

I paused briefly in my chewing, glancing to the pegasus at the mention of the unicorn’s name. The purple pony was annoying with her constant inquiries and irritating ideals.

She probably thinks the same of you, my mind said.

Be quiet, I replied, swallowing.

“She said that you don’t, well, come from anywhere around here. I guess that’d explain why I’ve never heard of an argonian before,” she continued, trying to make conversation.

And why I’ve never seen a talking horse, I replied in my mind, otherwise remaining silent.

“Um, so, she said it’s called Skyrim?” Fluttershy continued, a bit put off by my silence, “It sounds kind of like a place pegasi would live.”

“There’s no pegasi there,” I replied simply.

“I know,” Fluttershy said, “Twilight told me.”

I gave the pegasus a suspecting glance over my lunch, What else? I wondered, That horn-headed bitch better not be using Fluttershy to get information from me… I thought with a scowl, remembering her questioning last night.

Fluttershy remained silent herself for a short time, enjoying her lunch. I took the time to dig into my sand witch further, finishing most of it off before Fluttershy spoke up once more.

“So, um,” she began quietly, “Did...or, do you know how to get back?”

The question made me pause once more, remembering Sithis’ words to me…

“But...fulfill...my...wishes,...my...plan,...and...you...will...be...rewarded...with...the...love...of...your...family...”

“Not that I want you push you to leave or anything,” she said with a kind smile, “I was just…”

“No, I don’t,” I lied, flashing her a quick attempt at a reassuring smile that came out as hardly more than a grimace, “But it doesn’t matter.”

“But why not? Won’t someone miss you? I know my family and friends would miss me a whole lot if I went missing,” Fluttershy replied, looking shocked at my words.

“Mine don’t,” I retorted, my tone gaining a slightly annoyed edge at her continued pestering, They’re the whole reason I’m here in the first place. I didn’t say.

Fluttershy seemed taken aback at this, “B-but, why? Don’t you think your parents miss you? My parents would be horrified if I went missing. D-don’t you think they care about you?”

I met her eyes, fists clenching and unclenching, a scowl crossing my face. It wasn’t aimed at her…

0 . o . 0

Tears and ashes mingling in the snow that burns my bare feet. Filthy fornicating whoreson racist nord bastards..!

0 . o . 0

“My parents are dead,” I said with a chill to my voice, the words turning Fluttershy’s curious face into one of shock and sorrow.

“Oh, I...I’m sorry,” she said with sincerity, her eyes boring into me with care. She reached across the small table to put a comforting hoof on my arm, I let it remain there, “Do you, um, want to talk about it?”

“No,” I said, probably with more venom than was needed, “Why in Sithis’ name would I?”

She’s just trying to show that she cares about you, Aram.

The roads to damnation are paved with good intentions, I mentally retorted with a snarl.

Quoting lines from that priest? What was it you said about the Nine Divines all that time ago? ‘To Oblivion with them’, was it?

Shut-up! I replied with a mental growl.

“Oh, well, sometimes talking about the things that hurt us with friends helps us feel better,” Fluttershy replied, flinching at my tone, “it usually helps me, at least, to get it off my chest. Keeping stuff in like that isn’t always best when you’ve got a willing friend. I-I should know.”

“I got over it a long time ago,” I snapped, not bothering to consider whether or not it was a lie. Not stopping to consider the sudden weight in my chest.

“Oh,” Fluttershy said, finally retracting her hoof, “I’m sorry if I was too prying.”

I grunted as way of accepting her apology, finishing my food and standing from the table, “Thank you for the sand witch.”

“You’re welcome, I’m glad you liked it,” Fluttershy said, some of the cheer in her voice sounding forced past some of her remaining sorrow, “Can I get you anything else, or..?”

“I’m fine,” I replied, “I think I’m going to go rest up a while…” When you have seen your third dawn...three shall come, young and strong… the words echoed in my head, “I’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”

“Oh, okay,” Fluttershy said with a smile, no doubt happy that I was finally accepting her request to rest more.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

...

It was a simple enough contract, reminding me somewhat of my bounty hunting days. The target had gone into hiding with a group of bandits based out in a cave. The parameters were lax: anything in the cave was fair game and we were to eliminate the target by any means necessary. No bonus, but that was no surprise, that bastard of a listener always kept those ones for himself anyways.

We, as I had been assigned a partner for this kill, were in the middle of the cave already, sneaking down the dark tunnels and either dodging or killing any stray bandit guard that got in the way.

I had the lead, my body kept low to the dark ground, daedric knives in my hands as my heart pounded gently in my chest. The cramped tunnel we were currently traversing suddenly lifted into a gargantuan room, a few bandits standing idle a ways away. Despite the distance, I instantly knew that one of them, standing in the middle, was our target.

“That’s him,” I said, the whispered words feeling cumbersome as they dropped from my tongue.

Silence replied.

I turned my head, annoyed at a lack of response, only to find that my partner was nowhere to be seen. Shadows had taken their place, swallowing them and the rest of the cavern tunnel behind me.

Frowning with a hint of dread licking at my heart, I searched around, scrutinizing the shadows around me for any hint of them. I spotted nothing.

Mouthing a quiet curse, lest I risk being heard, I turned back to the large cavern the tunnel had led to. Startlingly, a guard was headed my way, oblivious to my presence if his gait and emotionless face said anything. My heart pounding, I scanned over his body for a target, eyes landing on his neck and grip around my weapons tightening. None of the other guards appeared to be looking my way, but one cry from this one, any excess noise, and they would be onto me.

Heart continuing its frenzied dance, I waited for the opportune moment to strike.

Five yards...four...three...two of them...

The second he drew near enough, I lashed out with my knifes. The dark blades swished silently through the air. The first I put through a slit in the side of his breastplate, penetrating one lung to stop any cries. The second, in tandem with the first, bit deep into the side of his throat. Warmth coated my hands as growing red smears appeared where my knifes met flesh.

Yet instead of letting out a whimpering gurgle and collapsing into the shadows, the guard let out a hoarse cry as if I had merely startled him, alerting the others in the great cavern. I pulled my knifes clean, turning and sprinting back down the tunnel, my cover blown, escape was my only option. I’d need to get out of the cave, find a set of shadows to hide in, and wait for the target with my bow.

From nowhere a guard appeared in the tunnel ahead. A hood filled with blinding shadow covered his head, his armor vaguely familiar as the swords clutched in each hand. Not stopping, I slashed at his throat once I drew near, but the man was faster, he always was. His blade was nothing but a blur as it shot forwards like lightning, striking me in the chest. It slid through my armor and into me with ease. Weakness sucked the life from my limbs as I fell to my knees, the world fading to blackness around the man and me so that the two of us stood in a black abyss.

A growing warmth sprung up in my chest where the blade had stabbed me. My breaths grew short as I found it hard to breathe, likely a pierced lung. I tried to get up, counter and kill the man, but my limbs felt like thick lead, immobile as mountains.

The hooded man stared at me, content to stand there, watching me as if I were no more interesting than an oddly shaped rock or bug. Glaring back into the abyss-dark hood as I tried to force my body into action, sucking in painful, short breaths, something in my mind clicked. The armor and the weapons told me who the man was. Even though the man’s face was cloaked with the shadow of the hood, I became aware of what lay underneath.

“No,” I choked out with disbelief, my tongue swollen in my throat.

Deaf to my word, the man let his blades fall to the blackness of the ground as he knelt before me. His hands, moving in slow motion, hooking into the blackness of hood and lifting it away to reveal his face.

“N…” I tried to say again, my swollen throat unwilling to let me speak.

The man’s skin was a light tone, the general shape of his face told me the man was of a nordic descent with some traces of imperial blood. His expression was harsh, cool brown eyes regarding me with a demanding look. His lips parted, a single, demanding word lifting from his lips.

“Why?”...

0 . o . 0

My eyes fluttered open and I was awake, the dream lifting into nothingness. I lay still for a time, the pain and guilt washing over me like a fading stream of water until it, like the dream, faded from my memory.

“Not my fault,” I muttered at the ceiling, mouth twisted into a sour look.

Knowing I wouldn’t be getting back to sleep, I threw my legs over the side of the bed, cast thumping loudly against the cold floor. Wondering at the time, I lifted my gaze to the window to check the moo...three dark shapes stared back at me, their outlines flinching as if startled. In an instant I drew one of my knives, the same movement carrying me forwards to grab the leftmost figure.

Soft, furry flesh yielded little resistance to my naked hand, the figure giving a yelp of pain and surprise. Two other startled cries of different pitch sound off as I pulled my hostage away, pressing my knife to where their neck should have been. The other two made to move towards me.

“Move and I kill your friend! Who are you!” I growled, quickly glancing over the rest of the room to find no others present Could be more in the shadows, keep your guard up! I warned myself, “Speak!”

“Oh crap!” a voice, male by the sound of it, stuttered as he and his other accomplice halted, “W-w-we don’t want any trouble. We...we just…”

By his voice, the speaker would be little trouble. The stuttering fear giving away the lack of experience...unless he was faking the fright to get my guard down, it wouldn’t work, “Who sent you?” I demanded. I threw my eyes about the room again, all was still dark, my adjusting eyes found nothing but the three figures.

“I...what..?” the male continued to stutter, “Um...we…”

“The creature of stone! The creature of stone!” my hostage, a female by the voice, frantically cried, pain lacing her voice, “We were told we’d find Aram something-or-other here! Something about some new job! Training!”

I froze, snarling face turning quizzical. The creature of stone? Throwing a glance to the bedroom window I noted it was still rather dark outside, hardly the dawn yet. But if she knew about the creature of stone...

“Aram what!?” I growled, loosening my grip only a little on my hostage.

“I don’t remember!” she replied, “Some fancy hard-to-remember name! We were…”

“Falíe,” the third figure spoke, feminine but with a deeper voice than my hostage.

“Yeah, Falíe! Aram Falíe!” my hostage cried out, lightly squirming in my grip as if uncertain to remain still or try to flee.

I grew quiet again, letting silence fill the room once more. My hostage shifted her footing in my grip, her breathing quickened with adrenaline. By now my vision had fully adapted to the light.

The male appeared to be a whitish unicorn, his mane a silvery color that seemed to shimmer in the dull light. He was sweating like a waterfall, fearful eyes looking from mine to my hostage. My hostage had a much darker complexion, her mane jet black. Two feathered wings brushed against my sides agitatedly. The second female, the deeper-voiced one, was a larger pony with neither horns or wings, her coloration was brownish. Her sparkling green eyes stared at me wearily, her stance aggressive and ready, the only threat in the room...

“So...um...are you..?” the male voice trailed off from the darkness, derailing my train of thought.

“I’m Aram Falíe,” I confirmed, not moving.

“I was gonna...uh...ask if you were g-gonna let go of my friend?” the unicorn replied with an quick and uncomfortable smile, gesturing with a hoof to the pegasus in my grip.

I hesitated only for a moment before releasing her and taking a careful step back...if they were sent here for other means…

I’m sure they aren’t, you paranoid bastard, my mind put in, You’re too paranoid.

You’re not paranoid enough, I snapped back, watching as the pegasus turned about, massaging her neck with a pained look.

“You okay?” the unicorn asked the pegasus, stepping towards her with a worried tone.

“Yeah, I’m good,” the pegasus replied, then to me with a crooked smile, her glimmering golden eyes flickering briefly to my cast, “You’re damn fast for a cripple.”

“It’s just broken,” I replied flatly, looking over the three ponies as they stared back at me, “So you’re the ones sent by the creature of stone? My acolytes?”

Looks like it, three of them, my mind put in.

“Provided you’re who you say you are,” the pegasus replied, glancing to her comrades, “Yeah, that’s us.”

Then first things first… “So what’re your names?” I asked.

End of Part I

First Impressions (Pt2 | Ch1)

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And so truly began my service to Sithis in this land of peace and harmony. So truly began the events that led to this night. I traced a finger up the sheath of one of my knives, feeling the hard leather through my glove. The weapon seemed to call to me, wanting out, wanting blood. With any luck, it would have plenty soon enough.

The silence remained as my prayer to Sithis echoed through the halls of my mind. Perhaps he couldn’t hear me after all, perhaps he was shunning me and my blight. He had not spoken to me since that night in Fluttershy’s cottage, so very long ago. Had I failed him? How could I have? He had asked me to bring his unholy light to this realm and I had. He had asked me to train my acolytes into skilled assassins and I had. He had asked and I had delivered unto this land the blood he so desired...and at a cost.

Yet no reply came.

I looked about me, eyeing the cold stone walls of my room with a sigh. Perhaps His silence was a sign for us to stay and flee as I had told them, that I shouldn’t have been swayed by talk of vengeance...yet the others were right, we had a shot to end this ordeal in one quick move if only we acted fast enough.

They’re right, Aram, my mind put in, He may leave you alone as you say or he might hunt you down, who can know?

They name it vengeance. We do not kill out of vengeance, I recited in my head.

Let them name it what they will. It’s insurance that this family survives, that no more of us die, my mind countered, perhaps you are content to living like a rat on the run again, the rest of them aren’t. They may leave you if you don’t do this.

And why do you think I’m doing this? I retorted, letting out a quick snort of annoyance.

There was a knock at my door, rousing me from my internal debate.

“Aram?” a voice came through the thick wood.

The voice reminded me of that fateful night, the night that my acolytes came to me. That single pivotal night that led up to this very moment, my jaw tightened as I remembered...

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Part II: Hail Sithis

Chapter One: First Impressions

I sized up the three ponies before me.

Farthest to the left was the one without wings or a horn, a female by her voice. Her eyes were green like apples, bright as the fruit, and narrowed at me. Even if she was of the fairer sex, she stood a full head taller than the other two, her dark brown body ripe with muscles. A stripe of white ran through her otherwise chocolate mane.

Next to her was the unicorn, a male and skinnier than her. Fear shone through his steel grey eyes, beads of sweat breaking out upon his grey-white coat in spite of the night’s chill. His mane glimmered silver in the moonlight that shone down into the room. His fretful eyes darted from me to his comrades and a taste of bile touched my tongue at the sight of his fear.

Tearing my eyes from him, I settled them on the last of the three: the pegasus. Her dark grey coat reminded me of a storm, brilliant yellow eyes flashing like lightning. Her face beheld a slight grin, eyes drinking me in like some exotic, mysterious creature. Her jet black mane blended well with the darkness as she brushed it aside with a hoof.

“Rainy Day,” the pegasus named herself with a grin, “or just Rain, for short.”

“Cream, family Chocolate,” the large one with neither wings nor horn rumbled with a thick accent, standing tall and proud, “Call me Choc.”

I turned my gaze to last of the three, the unicorn, who still seemed a tad frightened. If he turned out to be a coward of some sort, I didn’t know what I’d be able to do with him.

“Oh, me,” he said, realizing that I was staring at him. My jaw tightened as he floundered, “I-I’m Moonbeam. Just Moonbeam.”

“Rain, Choc, Moonbeam,” I said, committing their faces to memory as I turned to each, “Okay.”

The three of them stared back.

I frowned.

Well? my mind inquired.

Quiet. I wasn’t prepared for this, I glanced towards the window. Moonlight streamed through at a nearly horizontal line, they came early.

“So…” Moonbeam began awkwardly, “Aram Falíe, right? What kind of a name is that?”

I glared down at the craven unicorn, “What?” I asked.

“Oh, well, just…” he stumbled over his words, glancing away, “I’ve never heard a name like that before.”

I imagine not, I didn’t say.

“So we’re here. What’re you training us on?” Rain put in, a hint of impatience in her voice, “the creature of stone mentioned a job, one that would ‘benefit our talents’.” To emphasize, she turned slightly and gestured to her flank with a wing. A silvery dagger with a splash of crimson at the tip lay across it. Her eyes darted down to my own weapons, “Hopefully that means what I think it means.”

“I’m to train you to be assassins,” I confirmed, “to serve our dread father, Sithis.”

The ponies gave me confused looks, sharing them amongst themselves. Frowning for a moment, I considered my words and elaborated. I had a decent understanding of our dread father, perhaps I wasn't the best versed to teach them of Him, but I was all there was.

“Sithis is the birthed incarnate of Padomay, the god of chaos and change,” I began, remembering what I’d read and heard, putting it to my tongue, “We name him our father, for we are his children to do his bidding. It is in his name that we kill, sending the souls of the lives we end to His everlasting presence, the void,” I watched their expressions in the darkness as I spoke of the dread lord. Each appeared slightly perturbed, Moonbeam most so, though there was a gleam of interest in Rain’s eyes, “When we kill it is for Sithis and He alone,” I continued, injecting some of my own ideals into the lesson, “If a threat can be avoided you will avoid it. Shadows and stealth will do you better than daggers and bows. When we kill it will not be for vengeance, never for fun or some thrill of sport, only for Sithis.”

Unless he’s the listener, my mind put in.

Quiet! I snapped back.

“So…” Rain put in during my brief internal quarrel, “he’s, like, a spirit or something?”

Spirit? I gave a mental snort, “Sithis is no mere spirit. He is our god. Others may pray and offer up meat and mead, coins and flesh to their own deities, but not us. Our offerings to the dread lord are the blood and souls of those we slay…” I paused, considering a moment, “You do understand the concept of a god, do you not?” I asked, “An all-powerful being, immortal, omnipotent, capable of feats far greater than that of mere mortals.”

“So...like the princesses?” Moonbeam inquired.

Princesses? Like the one in your dream? Luna, was it? my mind inquired.

I’m wondering the same thing… I replied, “Princesses?” I asked, looking between the three.

“Celestia and Luna, the rulers of Equestria,” Rain put in, confirming my suspicions, “They’re alicorns: ponies with both horns and wings. With their magic they move the sun and moon through the sky.”

And visit dreams, it would seem, I thought. As my eyes lifted to follow her hoof, the moon began to dip below the horizon, the sky beginning to take on the glow of dawn.

Being powerful enough to move the heavens themselves? I wondered, hiding the sudden burst of surprise that splashed across my face with a scowl, They could make very powerful enemies indeed… I stored the information away for later.

“Yes, close enough.” I drew my eyes back to my acolytes and continued, “Understand: we are not murderers, we are assassins. We do not run about slaying to and fro like madmen, our kills are quick, clean, and above all: precise.”

Letting that sink in for a moment, I felt myself growing more comfortable with this teaching process, perhaps it wasn’t so hard after all.

“You mentioned talents,” I changed the subject, hoping to gauge each pony in turn, “what talents do each of you have? What are your skills?”

“I’m good with this,” Rain spoke up immediately, grinning as she held up a silvery dagger, “and these,” she turned her head to one wall, snapping out one of her wings sharply. A trio of small throwing knives thunked into the wall. Turning back to me, she splayed out the other wing, showing three more blades hidden amongst the feathers, “plus, I know how to keep to the shadows when I need to.”

Promising, my mind commented.

We shall see, I thought, jotting down mental notes on her.

She fluttered over to retrieve her throwing blades, I turned my gaze to Moonbeam.

He flinched at the intensity of my stare...or maybe because he was a coward.

“Oh, um, me,” he began, “Um, yeah, well I’m a decent enchanter and they haven’t yet made a lock I haven’t been able to pick,” he forced a smile as I let my gaze bore into him, “I’m not bad as a pickpocket either.”

How can you pick pockets when you don’t wear clothes? I kept to myself, “What sort of spells can you cast?” I asked, unconvinced of his worth.

“Oh, well I can enchant things and I’m not so bad at telekinesis either,” Moonbeam replied, his forced smile faltering.

Worthless as an assassin so far, I mentally grumbled before speaking, “What about combat magic? Illusionary magic? Alteration magic? Any sort of useful magic?”

“I...well...not much of that. I mean, I guess I’m more of a sneaky sorta stallion than a fighter...sorry,” his smile broke as he cast his eyes to the floor, glancing up at me as if he were a kicked dog.

“He is good at making things,” Choc put in with her odd accent, looking at me with an intense look of her own. I returned it in kind, but she didn’t flinch away.

She’s no coward, that’s for sure, I noted the somewhat defiant tone of her voice, “And what are you good at?”

“Breaking things,” she replied simply.

“Choc’s a good fighter,” Moonbeam put in, flinching as I looked to him, “Um, sh-she used to do fights back in Stalliongrad. She was quite good, I don’t think she ever lost a fight,” Choc let out a huff of air, chest puffed out, as if daring me to challenge her, “That’s one of the reasons Rain and I picked her up a while back.”

A good skillset, though she doesn’t look like someone capable of stealth, I eyed her powerful, but large frame.

“How many people have you killed?” I asked, eyes still on Moonbeam. Again he flinched and again I marked him as a worthless coward. How had Sithis sent such a miserable excuse of an acolyte to me?

Moonbeam blanched as he spoke, “Well...n-none, actually. I usually just sneak past ponies,” he paused for a moment, “I knocked out a guard...once.”

Annoyed, I turned to Choc.

“Five,” she said, “two were fighting, accident. Crippled many.”

“She was good in the arenas,” Moonbeam put in unhelpfully.

Only five? I wondered, or three, ignoring the two accidents. It’s still better than the craven unicorn.

Finally, I turned to Rain.

“Seventeen,” she replied, glancing away for a moment, “Why? How many have you killed?” she continued, sounding like she wanted a change of subject all of a sudden.

The question made me stop and think for a moment. Could I put an actual number on the list of those I had sent to their graves and, at least later on, to Sithis? I remembered my first kill, a few after that, but then each seemed to blur into the other. Bandits and highwaymen and raiders and rapers and thieves until I joined the Dark Brotherhood and added the blood of the innocent to that list.

“It doesn’t matter,” I replied, “more than a hundred most likely.”

A hush fell over the room as all eyes found me. Moonbeam’s ears darted back against his skull as his tail tucked behind him. Choc’s gruff facade faded as she blinked in surprise, sizing me up again. Rain’s jaw dropped in shock, wings twitching outwards before she collected herself. I’d expected reactions, but the number seemed to really throw the ponies off.

“A hundred?” Rain picked her jaw back up off the floor as she spoke.

“About that many,” I replied, Seventeen is better than three, at least, “I lost track over the years.”

“A hundred?” Rain asked with a hint of doubt as she eyed me up and down, “How long have you been doing this? How old are you?”

The question surprised me, forcing me to think for another moment. It had been the beginning of Sun’s Dusk, the two hundred sixteenth year of the fourth era when I left Skyrim. I frowned as I calculated and answered: “Since I was sixteen or seventeen...and I’ve seen twenty seven years pass since my birth.”

Rain started to say something when the bedroom door creaked open, drawing all eyes to it. My hands relaxed away from my knives as I spotted Fluttershy poking her head in.

“Is everything okay up here?” she asked, blinking blearily into the darkness, “I thought I heard…”

There was a flash of movement from the corner of my eye and I swiveled about as my hands found my knives again, ready for an attack. But before I could complete the turn, a dark shape lunged past me on a whisper of wind.

A pained cry came from the door as Rain slammed it against Fluttershy’s head, knocking her to the floor in a daze. Biting down on her mane, she yanked Fluttershy into the room and pressed a blade to her throat with a wild gleam in her eye.

“Release her!” I snarled, not realizing I had a drawn arrow pointed at Rain’s head until my right arm flared in pain.

Rain’s eyes darted up, widening in surprise at the sight of me aiming at her. She spat the dagger into a hoof as she stood over Fluttershy, not willing to let her up just yet, “Wh-what?” she stammered.

Great first impressions, Aram! my mind commented.

Shut-up, I snapped back.

I let the arrow fall back to its knocked position and lowered my bow, lessening the glare of my gaze.

“Release her,” I stated, toning my voice down as I jerked my head towards Fluttershy, “Look at her, does she look like a threat to you?”

Didn’t you think she was a threat a short while ago when you awoke beaten and battered in her home? my mind inquired.

I didn’t attack her, I mentally replied with a snarl, otherwise ignoring my mind.

“I…” Rain stated, looking from Fluttershy to me with a worried expression, “b-but she…”

“Wh-who are th-these p-p-ponies?” Fluttershy whimpered from the floor, looking ready to wet herself as she vibrated with terror.

I paused, considering an answer for a moment. There was no way in Oblivion I was telling her the truth of the matter, I’d have to kill her if I did. At the same time, what excuse could I use? It wouldn’t make sense to call them friends, she’d know I was lying...

“Bodyguards,” Choc rumbled from behind me.

“Y-yes, we’re mister Falíe’s bodyguards,” Moonbeam put in with a stutter, still clearly vexed from my near-killing of Rain.

“Yeah, uh, sorry,” Rain said, finally stepping away from Fluttershy. She slunk back into a dark corner, as if trying to hide in the shadows, “thought you were, um…” she trailed off, mumbling something towards a wall.

“It-it’s o-okay,” Fluttershy stuttered quietly from the floor. I considered approaching to help her up, but she got to her own hooves before I could act, “I-I just heard v-voices…” she gulped down her fright, taking a calming breath as she continued to tremble lightly.

“I was just getting to know them,” I commented, wanting to be rid of her, “I’m fine, you can go back to sleep, Fluttershy. Everything’s okay.”

“I...um...oh, yes,” Fluttershy replied, rubbing her head with a hoof, “But...but...why do you need b-bodyguards?”

Throwing a quick glance at Choc and Moonbeam, I only got a shrug from the latter.

“I’ll explain in the morning,” I said, opening the door and gesturing for her to head down, “Don’t worry, I’m not in any danger, I’m fine.”

“I...are you sure?” she asked, looking up at me with bright, wide eyes that swam with care, “I-I could always get help if you ever needed it.”

“I’m fine, Fluttershy,” I repeated, not unkindly, “I’m sorry my bodyguard attacked you, try to go back to bed,” I ushered her down, listening to the descending clop of hooves over hardwood. I kept listening until I could hear no more, making certain the door was closed.

My jaw tightened as I turned to Rain, a bit surprised and perhaps a little impressed when it took me a moment to spot her. Her dark colors blended well with the dark corner she’d slunk to, but I knew the shadows better.

“What was that!?” I snapped, gesturing to the door.

“I’m sorry,” Rain apologized, sulking back in the shadows. Her bright eyes flashed dully as they found my own, “She startled me, I...thought she was a threat!”

“How did she strike you as threatening?” I demanded, keeping my voice down so as not to bring the yellow pegasus back up, “Was she armed in any manner? Did it look as if she were spying? What possessed you to attack her!?”

Easy, Aram! She said she was sorry.

Shut-up! I snapped back.

“I-I don’t know!” Rain snapped back, voice raising, “I said I was sorry, what more do you want!?”

Capable acolytes that I can damn well trust! I mentally snarled.

“Look, it was an accident, surely…” Moonbeam but in.

“Be quiet,” I snapped, irritated. I wheeled away, tearing my eyes from the three of them, “all of you! Be quiet!”

At the very least they listened to that command, silence falling across the room. Dawn’s light crept up across the floorboards, spilling steadily into the room as a new day came into being. Somewhere outside a rooster called at the sunrise, crying that the world begin to awaken from its slumber.

I needed a moment of quiet, a moment to calm myself and think. Sithis had given me a mission, this creature of stone had given me a riddle, these ponies had given me my acolytes. Things were coming together and unravelling at the same time. Yes, I had my acolytes but they were all sub par. Choc was a brawler, likely incapable of stealth. Moonbeam was a craven unicorn with no knowledge of offensive magic. Rain seemed a good choice, but lacked discipline and perception.

A sigh of annoyance escaped me, the last piece of the first riddle playing back through my head.

...Once they are ready, you shall know a father’s unholy light is ready to glow…

Once they are ready... I recited in my head. Perhaps the riddle hadn’t been so simple as I’d thought after all. It was quite clear to me that they weren’t ready, not yet, but that was the point of it all.

“Fornication,” I muttered.

“Wh-what was that?” Moonbeam stuttered from behind me.

A mental sigh escaped me as I turned, looking over the three ponies and standing tall. None of them were ideal, I could already name flaws with each of them, and it would be my job to fix those flaws.

That, and there was one final thing about the Dark Brotherhood I’d neglected to mention.

“I said earlier that we are not murderers,” I spoke, letting my eyes trace over the three before me, earning each of their gazes, “neither are we bandits, highwaymen, or thieves…” my eyes landed with purpose on Moonbeam, he gulped as I continued, “...there are a set of laws that govern us: the five tenets. They are as follows:

“Tenet one: never dishonor the Night Mother.” Upon speaking it, I realized I hadn’t educated them on the Night Mother either, though would such a thing matter if she was in Skyrim? “She is the bride of Sithis, and it is to her that those wishing for us to spill blood pray to,” I gave a brief explanation, then continued.

“Tenet two: never betray the Dark Brotherhood,” again my eyes played over the three, “this should go without saying. Do not divulge our secrets, whether they be dead drops, names of our members, targets we plan to kill, or any other form of important information.

“Tenet three: never disobey or refuse to carry out an order from a Dark Brotherhood superior. I am your superior and you will obey my orders, suffice to say.

“Tenet four,” again my eyes briefly found Moonbeam, “never steal from a dark brother or sister. We will become a family of sorts, bound by the blood of those we send to Sithis. Should you be caught stealing, I will add your blood to that sent to Sithis,” I hissed.

“Tenet five...”

Your personal favorite! my mind put in.

I remained silent, mentally.

“...never kill a dark brother or sister. We are a family. You would not betray your family, deceive them, or steal from them. If these tenets are not clear, speak now, for I will tolerate no breakage of them.”

My three acolytes looked at each other, then back to me.

They remained silent.

“To break any of these five tenets is to invoke the wrath of Sithis himself, something that none of you would surely enjoy,” I continued, drawing to a close, “his wrath will test you, consume you, likely even kill you...”

As you can attest from experience, my mind commented.

Shut-up, I mentally grumbled, speaking: “Are there any questions?”

Again my acolytes glanced amongst themselves. Rain, with a quick flash of pearly-white teeth that contrasted against her darker coat, grinned as she looked to me.

“When do we start?” she asked.

Sanctuary (Pt2|Ch2)

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Chapter Two: Sanctuary

I sat as comfortably as I could with my cast amid the foliage of the Everfree forest.

Beams of morning light struck down through the treetops, choked by the gnarled branches above. The sun was an intruder into the otherwise forsaken forest. Silence rebounded around me, making the scene otherwise peaceful. It almost felt like home.

There was a soft rasp of wet leaves underfoot, off behind and to my left a ways.

Almost.

I kept up my facade of ignorance, letting the would-be assassin think they were still safe.

Silence fell again.

My stomach gurgled at me, so I settled it with a crunchy bite from one of the delectable apples Fluttershy had offered me. I savored the sour-sweetness of the fruit even as I listened for more hints of movement.

Which one is it, do you think? my mind inquired.

Whoever it is, they’re already dead, I gave a mental shrug, finishing the apple with a few more bites, Were this not an exercise, I’d have already put an arrow through their heart and escaped. If they’re to kill in the name of Sithis they must be better than this.

The next time it sounded as if my hunter had brushed too hard against a small bush, a whisper of leaves over flesh. It was a few steps closer this time.

At least they managed a few unheard steps.

Any fool can do that, I retorted.

You really ought to give credit where it’s due, Aram, my mind retorted, they may not be perfect, but your merry little band of talking undersized horses is far from worthless.

A squelch of mud, this time.

Standing suddenly, I turned and hurled the apple core towards where I heard the sound. My aim was true as it thunked off Moonbeam’s chest, making him hop back a step with a startled whinny.

“You’re dead,” I growled, crossing my arms with a disappointed scowl, Yet again, Moonbeam proves the fool.

“I know, I know!” Moonbeam replied, looking flustered and a little afraid as he failed to meet my eyes, “I’m sorry, I was just trying to focus on you and the ground, and…”

“Don’t apologize,” I retorted, rubbing my arm lightly. The throw had inflamed a touch of pain in my chest, but at least it had struck its mark, “You’re dead. Dead acolytes don’t get to apologize.”

Moonbeam shut his mouth, stance uncertain as he stared back at me, eyes darting to my own before dropping away.

“Send the next one,” I ordered, pausing for a moment before adding with a clipped tone, “Plan your steps ahead next time, then watch me as you move. Don’t try to do both at once, you’ll fail.”

“I...yes, okay...s-sorry!” he replied, turning and cantering back through the brush.

“The dead don’t apologize,” I growled as he fled, turning and sitting back down on my fallen log.

Silence descended again.

0 . o . 0

I was inspecting my clawed nails when I heard the next pony coming. As with before, I kept up my ignorant appearance as I listened, disappointed yet again.

The crunch of a twig had come from off to my right this time. At least that meant this one wasn’t so stupid as to approach from the same direction, but beyond that…

There was another snap of a twig, too soon after the first.

Ooh, bad mistake, my mind commented.

I agreed.

Annoyed, I turned and confirmed my suspicions as I met the large green eyes of Choc. The larger pony was built for strength, not agility, and while she’d do well as a brawler I had my doubts about an assassin. She froze midstep, a forehoof paused above the ground as her eyes narrowed. The hoof settled down after a moment.

“Will you to hit me with apple?” she growled at me in her oddly accented voice.

“Should I?” I countered, eyeing the distance between us. It was at least two times the distance at which I’d first heard Moonbeam, “Are you even trying to sneak up on me?”

She regarded me briefly with a glare before replying, “You could not stop me if I went to break you.”

Of that I have my doubts, my eyes narrowed at her, fingers flexing by their respective knives, “That’s not the point of this exercise. You were supposed to try to sneak up on me, you failed,” she merely glared back at me, “send Rain, try harder next time.”

“Da, zhopa,” she grumbled at me before turning. While the words were alien to my ears the tone implied something less than respectful.

I glared after her as she turned and trotted off, remaining otherwise silent.

She can’t sneak and has an authority problem, I noted with distaste.

She can be taught to be quieter, my mind replied, and if she’s got an authority problem, then she’s in good company...after all, you and the listener got along just fine.

I loosed a growl in reply, taking my seat again to wait.

And wait.

I should’ve heard something by now, I thought, earholes straining against the silence around me.

Maybe you’ve finally met your match, then, my mind replied cheekily, any second now you’ll feel her come up and tap your shoulder.

A low growl escaped me I doubt it.

So what, then? my mind put in, Did your less-than-respectful attitude finally scare them off? Have you somehow managed to fail Sithis again? Ooh, I’m sure he’ll be pleased with that!

Shut-up with your blasphemy, if she keeps me waiting much longer…

There was the soft creak of a branch above me, and in an instant my train of thought collapsed as my reflexes took over. My hands came up as I leapt to my feet and twisted around, latching onto the dark and fleshy mass that smashed into them. Even having countered her tackle, the force of it still sent me sprawling to the dirt. Pain blossomed in my chest as the pony smashed down atop me, crying out as I used our momentum to send her crashing to the dirt beside me, rolling atop her to keep her pinned.

She struggled briefly, eyes wide with surprise as I kept her pinned down. I almost reached for my knives as instinct told me to open her throat, but instead I let her loose and sat back.

“I got you!” she exclaimed, getting to her hooves and shaking herself off.

“Almost got me,” I corrected her as I struggled to my own feet, the cast making it that much harder, “I heard you at the last second.”

“What!? At the last second!?” Her eyes narrowed as she jabbed a hoof at me, “That’s horseapples! I still got you!”

“I had enough time to react,” I countered, disliking her tone, “you failed!”

“You’re full of it!” She spat back, “I got up behind you without you hearing a thing! I jumped you without you ever noticing!”

“I heard you at the last second,” I retorted, hammering back with that argument, “and I was able to react fast enough to counter your attack,” I gestured to the upset dirt that our brief struggle had made, then crossed my arms, “If this were real you’d be just as dead as the others. You failed.”

“Wh...b-but I…” Rain sputtered, glaring back at me, “That’s hardly fair, you’ve been doing this for-for however long…”

“And that’s why I’m training you now, because I do have the experience,” I cut in, jabbing a finger the way she’d come, “Now go get the others, bring them here and we’ll move on to something else.”

“Fine, but I still got you! Fair and square!” Rain snapped as she darted off, leaving me no room for reply.

She did come the closest, you’ve got to admit, my mind chastised me, at least give her that.

Close or far, she still would’ve been dead, I replied.

And what will you be if you fail Sithis on account of scaring them off with that absolutely lovable personality of yours?

Aside from a sour snarl, I had no reply.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

A short time later...

“A good, sharp blade is a necessity for any good assassin,” I instructed my acolytes, tapping the pommel of one of my own weapons, “but sometimes a little more is needed to end a target’s life.

“Perhaps they’re armored, or you can’t get a vital strike on them. To increase your chance of success, poison is always handy. It can make all the difference when it comes to succeeding or failing to accomplish a contract,” I spoke, watching the three as my words met their ears. Choc seemed utterly disinterested in the idea of poison, glaring at me with a hidden sullenness and Moonbeam seemed only a little more perturbed by the idea of murder. Only Rain seemed to have a vested interest in what I was saying, “Therefore, alchemy is among the greatest things an assassin should excel at.”

“Zmey ispol'zuyte yad,” Choc grumbled under her breath in her alien language.

“And that’s why nopony wants to get bitten by snakes,” Rain replied, getting a dismissive huff in reply. She turned to me with a small smile, “So what do you want us to do this time, then? Poison you?”

“I would advise you not to,” I growled back, not caring if she’d meant it as a joke. Gesturing to the ground, I turned their attention to a patch of fearcap mushrooms I’d led them to, “Fearcap mushrooms,” I reached down and plucked one from the ground, “Their caps have a powerful poison that will make enemies flee in terror.”

Rain gave me a confused look, “But it’ll kill them too, right? I mean, if it isn’t lethal then why bother?”

“Because an assassin doesn’t kill everyone they meet,” I replied, “Remember: we aren’t bandits or raiders running about slaying anyone we please. Sometimes a contract will require you not to kill certain individuals, guards for example. Should you need to combat them you would want a poison to incapacitate them, not kill them,” I turned about, gesturing for them to follow, “Follow me, I’ll show you other plants that may be useful…”

0 . o . 0

Being new to this land, the ponies probably knew more native flora than I did. None of my favorite flowers and fungi seemed to grow here, so I made do with what Zecora had shown me. The deeper in we traveled, the more I kept an eye on our surroundings, yet as with when I’d taken the three crusaders to Zecora’s hut nothing jumped out to attack us.

I’d have been ready if they did.

0 . o . 0

By the time the sun rested at its apex in the sky both my assassins and I had gathered a plethora of ingredients both familiar and odd. A few I’d tested myself and a few I’d had my assassins test, both helpful and harmful.

Moonbeam spat off to the side, pawing at his tongue again.

“I seriously can’t get that horrible taste out of my mouth!” he complained.

“Keep drinking water,” I replied, “eat something, it will pass eventually.”

“I’m out of water!” he snapped back testily, shaking his canteen for emphasis.

“Go get more, then,” I said, not stopping our trek.

“Where!?” Moonbeam countered, gesturing to the surrounding area with a flustered look, “Where the hay do you see water around here?”

“We passed a stream a while ago,” I replied, halting and gesturing back the way we’d come, “I thought horses were good at smelling out water. Go get more, we’ll wait.”

Most of Moonbeams anger fled at the prospect of going back alone. For whatever reason, the ponies seemed put on edge by the oppressive forest. Yet instead of shutting up and dropping the subject as I’d hoped, Choc spoke up.

“Moonbeam, come, I will follow,” she gestured, and the two disappeared.

At least it got him quiet, I mentally growled.

“Did you really have to make him eat that flower?” Rain asked in the ensuing silence, “The last time I checked, putting unknown things in your mouth wasn’t something you’re supposed to do.”

“It’s one of the best ways to figure out how a certain ingredient can be used,” I countered, turning to face her, “And unless you’re eating a whole Jarrin root you should be mostly fine.”

“Yeah, or you could go read a book, maybe?” Rain replied, a sour look rising to her features, “Hay, I could probably find exactly what a dumb Jarrin root even is from a book!” she gestured about with a hoof, “And I wouldn’t even have to go walking around in a cursed forest to do so, either!”

“No, you’d just need to sail out to Stros M’Kai to do so, as that’s the only place that it grows,” I countered, not backing down from the angry pegasus, “Even then, it’s always better to trust your own senses rather than another’s.”

“I still think there’s a better way,” she growled under her breath, turning with a snap of her tail and sitting with a mutter I didn’t quite catch. Removing her throwing knives from the folds of her feathers, she began to preen her wings.

Limping to a fallen log, I took a seat as well to make the best of the spare time. Pulling out my satchel, I checked over all that I’d collected. The bag was nearly full of all manner of ingredients, and I found a ghost of a smile crossing my lips at the prospect of replenishing my supply of poisons. Closing the drawstrings, I made a mental note to get a second bag, it wasn’t good to let helpful and harmful ingredients mix for too long and…

There was a soft tap on my shoulder, startling me into action with a sharp shout. In as swift a movement as I could accomplish, I leapt to my feet, dropping the satchel in favor of my knives. Yet as I beheld my attacker, my stance relaxed.

“Zecora,” I stated evenly as I spied the cloaked zebra staring back at me.

And then Rain’s swift form darted past me with a snarl of her own. The zebra looked startled as the pegasus tackled her to the ground; yet instead of Rain pinning my ‘assailant’ down, Zecora rolled with the attack.

Faster than I could call out her name, Rain was slammed into the dirt. She drew her dagger with her maw, wild eyes glaring death, but lost the weapon with an “Oof” as Zecora rammed a hoof into her gut. Zecora snathed the weapon up and suddenly it was Rain’s turn to go under the knife, quite literally. Rain froze up, the glare dying from her features as the steel kissed her neck.

“Zecora,” I said again, this time with a hint of warning to my voice, knives held half at the ready. One of her eyes darted back briefly before she spat the knife to the dirt and stepped off my acolyte. My knives went back in their sheaths.

“Dead you would be, were I an enemy,” she said to Rain, straightening her cloak and turning to me with a veiled expression, “Friends you have made, it is good to see. Yet I question why one of them attacks me?”

“She’s just jumpy,” I replied, giving Rain a quick glance as she retrieved her dagger, Though now I know you really are a force to be reckoned with...a pity the creature of stone didn’t send me Zecora instead. At least she managed to sneak up on me.

“Again you come to the Everfree and collect many things, yet this time you bring ponies with horns, hooves, and wings,” Zecora spoke in her rhyming voice.

So she’s been watching from afar again, my mind commented, quite a spooky type, I’m sure you two would make excellent companions.

Or enemies… I replied.

“What the hay are you?” Rain asked. There was venom in her tone, yet her dagger remained sheathed, “You’re not like any pony I’ve ever seen.”

“A zebra I am, you can tell by my stripes. Of equines, you’ll find, there are many types,” she replied to Rain before turning back to me, “Much and more I know of the great Everfree. Your returning to here I did foresee. Unlike most folks around, you do not fear its domain, in spite of the fact that it is quite arcane.”

“There’s nothing to fear from crooked trees and wooden wolves, I’ve faced worse back home,” I replied, Though a lack of a cast around my leg probably helped my experience…

That was apparently not what Zecora had wanted to hear as she pursed her lips, “Do not dismiss this forest as something so tame, it hides far greater things far harder to maim. With Hydras, Cragadiles, and other great beasts you had best stay clear. Should you come across such creatures, you will have much to fear.”

The mention of Hydras and Cragadiles left me frowning in confusion, yet it did remind me of the similar warning I’d gotten the other day about a particular castle. And that sparked a sudden idea in the depths of my mind.

“Then perhaps you might be able to show us the way to the castle?” I asked, “You had said it was taken by timber wolves? My...friends,” I chose the word carefully, “and I wish to clear it out.”

Zecora gave me a curious look, squinting slightly as if gauging my truthfulness. Rain, as well took on a puzzled look, glancing from Zecora to me. Yet she kept her mouth shut, proving herself smart enough to just go with the sudden change.

“Perhaps, I do think, you should leave well enough alone,” Zecora replied, gesturing to my injured leg with a hoof, “Especially when you have such a broken bone.”

“I handled the timber wolves before, and that was just me and Twilight,” I countered, “We’re going there regardless, it would simply be easier if you helped us get there.”

Zecora gave me another gauging look, turning to Rain to look her up and down.

“Yeah, we’re like, hunters and exterminators,” Rain put in, looking to me for support, “We heard this castle was infested, so we came to clear it out.”

Still suspicious, Zecora turned to me. Yet after a moment, she appeared to give in, “Your intentions, true or false, I will not pretend to know,” she finally admitted, “However, if you wish, the way to the castle I will show.”

A ghost of a smile crossed my lips.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

A short time later...

We had resumed our trek after Moonbeam and Choc returned from getting water. The zebra seemed to unnerve Moonbeam almost as much as I did, while Choc only spared her a glance. As we continued, Zecora explained the castle’s history, how it had once been the ruling seat of the land until one of the Princesses turned on the other.

The tale nearly seemed mythical, at the mention of an eternal night, and banishment to the moon. I may have dismissed it all as a work of fiction, if not for the pony’s familiarity with the story and how eternal night had nearly come again a little over a year ago now.

These creatures certainly do have some fascinating history, my mind commented.

It took a while of navigating the dense undergrowth and winding game trails, but eventually Zecora guided us through a final set of brush, and we had arrived.

Seated across a gorge sat the ruins of an old castle. Even from here, I could tell it was not in as good a shape as I’d hoped. Mossy growth covered much of the exterior and aside from two pointed towers, a good amount of the remaining structure appeared collapsed.

It’s hardly a castle, I considered as a small scowl crossed my features, more of a ruin!

Well, it’s situated well, my mind commented, perhaps it could be rebuilt.

Perhaps, I replied, wondering at what sort of funds we’d need for such a project.

“There stands the castle of mortar and stone, where once royal sisters did sit on a throne,” Zecora said, gesturing forth, “Though long, it has been abandoned to weather and wear, and since royal sisters have taken thrones elsewhere.”

“Thank you,” I said, “We’ll be able to handle the rest ourselves.”

With a simple nod, Zecora threw her cloak back over her head and disappeared back into the brush.

“Okay, so what exactly are we doing here now?” Moonbeam complained once Zecora was gone.

“We need a sanctuary. Throughout our history, the Dark Brotherhood has always had a sanctuary,” I explained, limping forwards and glancing over the edge of the gorge. It was quite a long way down, with a thin stream, slithering like a timid snake at the bottom. It was certainly a step up from a measly moat, “it needs to be readily defensible, yet hard to find and even harder to access. Back in Skyrim, they were often sealed behind a magical door that only opened for a password,” I scanned over the castle across the gorge, noting with distaste its state of decay. The rope bridge going across had certainly seen better days as well, “Though we may not have one of those…”

“Cool,” Rain said, flexing her wings and giving me a brief glance at the steel knives hidden within them, “So what’s the plan? That zebra, or whatever, said there were timber wolves in there?”

I nodded, turning to face my acolytes and drawing my bow, “This will be your next test, clearing out this castle so we may take it as our own.”

“Wait, what!?” Moonbeam exclaimed, glancing rapidly between Rain and I, “there’s timber wolves in there?”

“Ne bespokoysya, Moonbeam,” Choc spoke up, moving to calm Moonbeam’s sudden anxiety, “my mozhem spravit'sya s nekotorymi derevyannykh volkov.”

Even if I couldn’t understand a word that Choc was saying, Moonbeam seemed to take some solace in them. Glancing to her, he muttered, “Khorosho,” back to her.

“They are not the easiest creatures to defeat,” I said, remembering how they’d simply reformed each time I’d destroyed them, “But they’ll run with tails tucked if you give them enough of a fight,” I looked pointedly at Moonbeam, “if any of you want to back down, now is the time to do so.”

Neither Rain nor Choc turned away, and Moonbeam even procured a short blackjack from...somewhere despite his obvious fright.

“Very well,” I said, turning towards the castle, towards our sanctuary.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Within the castle...

The rope bridge creaked and complained as Choc, Moonbeam, and I made our way across, but it held as Rain reconnoitered the castle from the sky. She landed as we reached the courtyard, keeping heads on a swivel and weapons at the ready.

“Didn’t see anything,” Rain reported as she touched down, “but there’s plenty of areas where the roof is still intact.”

“Are there other entrances?” I asked, scanning the towers for hidden enemies.

Rain nodded, “A couple on the North and East sides, none to the South, probably because of the gorge,” she shrugged, “though some of them looked collapsed, didn’t really get the best of looks.”

“Fly up and do so again, then,” I replied, cutting back on my chastening tone, “If things go to Oblivion, knowing entrances and exits may be the only thing that saves you.”

Rain looked like she wanted to argue for a moment, but instead held her tongue and took to the air again. Carefully, the rest of us pushed inside the main entrance.

Dust and cobwebs covered much of the room, tattered tapestries of times long past still clinging to the walls. Spots of light pierced through holes in the shattered roof, highlighting specks of dust that flew through them. Frowning, I scanned over the floor, yet found no prints.

Perhaps they used a different entrance, I considered.

“Do you hear anything?” I asked in a hushed tone.

“No,” Choc whispered.

“No,” Moonbeam mumbled.

With a grunt, I led onwards.

0 . o . 0

The further and further in we moved, the greater and greater my confusion grew. We’d still yet to come across any sign of the timber wolves, be it scat, tracks, or anything that might lead me to believe this castle was inhabited.

Perhaps they are out on a hunt? my mind suggested.

Not all would leave, provided they are anything like the wolves back home, I countered, and it’s still midday, wolves hunt when their prey is out, at dusk and dawn.

If they are the same as the wolves back home, that is.

Peeking around another dark corner, I wondered if Zecora had lied about having heard timber wolves. Yet if she had, then why? Perhaps she’d feared for the crusader’s safety and lied to keep them away, but then why keep up the lie and lead us here? She didn’t strike me as someone who’d lie, even if I hadn’t been completely truthful back to her.

As we passed by a large set of doors, I pulled at the handle and found it to be locked. I made to continue, but Moonbeam hesitated, glancing from door to me and back.

“Wait a sec,” he whispered.

“What?” I asked, if he makes some sort of complaint…

“Why’s a door in a thousand-year-old castle locked?” he inquired, jerking his head towards it, “I mean, you’d think it’d been cleared out long ago, the ponies then wouldn’t have locked it for no reason, right?”

“What are you getting at?” I asked, turning towards him and crossing my arms, “Maybe it’s just rusted shut.”

“Maybe...maybe there’s something in there,” Moonbeam stated, “I mean, c’mon, if there were timber wolves in here, we’d have seen a sign of them already. Maybe that...that zebra or whatever she was…”

“Da, zebra,” Choc grumbled, muttering, “How zebra is so unknown to ponies?”

“Okay, ‘zebra’! Maybe she was lying or something, I dunno, but there’s no timber wolves in here,” his horn’s glow increased as he turned to the door, the handle taking on the same glow, “and it is locked, not rusted.”

“So unlock it, then,” I gestured to the door.

“With pleasure!” Moonbeam replied, sounding quite pleased for a change. As he turned to the door I noticed the heavy padlock emblazoned on his flank.

He did say he was good with locks, my mind put in.

He basically said that he was a thief, I countered.

There was a sudden clopping of hooves over stone, and immediately Choc and I turned. My bow came halfway up before I spotted Rain trotting down the hallway.

“Geez, jumpy much?” she asked.

“You could’ve announced yourself,” I snapped back, rubbing my injured arm.

“Yeah, well you could’ve waited for me back at the entrance after sending me off again,” she shot back, “But, no! You go run off, forcing me to come find you in this heap of stones!”

“If you’d taken due note of all the escape routes, I wouldn’t have sent you back,” I replied, crossing my arms, “Hopefully you’ll do so next time.”

Rain opened her mouth, snout wrinkled in anger to spit something back, but a soft click from the door drew all of our attention to Moonbeam.

“Still got it!” he said to himself, tucking a lockpicking kit away somewhere on his person. I frowned again at the odd action, but ignored it for now in favor of more important things.

“Open it,” I said, grasping my bowstring and taking a ready stance. Choc dropped low, looking ready to charge and Rain, taking the hint, drew her dagger and cocked her wings back. His frightful look returning, Moonbeam cantered back from the door, magical aurora grasping the door handle and twisting.

The door didn’t budge.

“Open it,” I said again.

“I can’t, it’s barred from the other side!” Moonbeam replied, magic retracting from the door.

“Your magic couldn’t detect that?” I grumbled.

“I didn’t really...w-well, no…” Moonbeam trailed off.

“Chërt voz'mí!” Choc growled, trotting up to the door, “I will open door.”

I frowned, uncertain as to what she planned to do until she wheeled about and lashed out violently with her hooves. There was a loud crash, made even louder as it echoed through the halls, and the doors bulged inwards, yet did not give. Something shifted on the other side.

For Sithis’ sake, and our own, I hope there really are no timber wolves in here, I thought to myself, eyeing either hallway. That crash would bring them running.

Muttering something that was probably a curse, Choc braced and gave the doors a powerful kick again. The old wood began to crack, the doors remaining open a sliver. Peeking through from where I stood, I could swear something sparkled within the confines of the room. Odd.

With one final buck and a grunt, the doors smashed open past the few old tree trunks that had been jamming them closed. Yet that was not what beheld our attentions.

It was the pile of treasure within.

“What?” Choc asked, looking at our expressions, before turning around, “Ni figa sebe!” she exclaimed.

“By Celestia’s flank!” Moonbeam cried out, “No wonder it was locked!”

“What is this!?” Rain inquired, eyes aglitter at the sight.

Startled at the sight of shining gold and glittering gems, I couldn’t help but give the halls another weary glance, fingers dancing across the pommels of my knives. Something was setting off all my alarms about this. As magical as this land seemed to be, something like this couldn’t possibly be without some grave consequence.

Something, whether it be Zecora or another entity, was clearly hiding this here.

It couldn’t have been Zecora, my mind considered, She wouldn’t have led us here…

Unless she thought the place well guarded enough, I countered, though mysterious as she was, I doubted the zebra was at the root of this. A sudden, loud clash brought me back to my senses in a snap, hands reaching for daggers.

“Dubiina!” Choc snapped at Moonbeam, a large golden platter clattering at his hooves, “Careful!”

“Heh, sorry, got carried away!” he dropped his hoof to the platter, bringing it to a stop, “But, just...I mean…look at all this! We’re rich!” he thrust his hooves in the air, drawing my eyes upwards, “No more sneaking around picking locks and pockets! No more sloshing through dungeon sewers! No more...no more anything! We’re rich!”

“Be honest,” Rain said, pawing at her mane with a golden chain around her neck, “how do I look, Moonbeam?”

“Uhhh…” all of a sudden, Moonbeam sounded as if he were walking on thin ice.

“No, put it back, all of it!” I snarled, drawing my eyes away from the opened roof, fear now deeply settled in my heart, “We’re leaving now!”

“What!?” Rain exclaimed.

“Yeah, what?” Moonbeam agreed, “Hay, no! We’ve got enough gold here to do whatever the hay we want for the rest of our lives!” he retorted, looking cocky all of a sudden as he donned a silver crown embedded with gems, “Why the hell would we give all this up?”

“Because,” I countered, pointing to the sky through the massive hole in the roof, and the massive claw marks circumferencing it, “This is a dragon’s hoard!”

King of the Hoard (Pt2|Ch3)

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Chapter Three: King of the Hoard

My unfortunate observation had the immediate effect of crushing my three acolyte’s cheer like a bug under a boot. There was no denying what we had stumbled upon, with the char and claw marks surrounding the lip of the opening above. We must have been incredibly lucky that we showed up when the dragon wasn’t around.

“But...but…” Moonbeam stuttered as he stared upwards, then violently tore off his pilfered crown and dashed it to the ground, “Goddesses damnit! Oh, just flip me over and rut me bloody!” he snarled at the heavens, shaking a hoof covered in golden bracelets.

Choc muttered something that sounded nasty as Rain looked at the gold with a forlorn pout.

“Why!? Why can’t I just get a bucking break for once in my life!” Moonbeam continued ranting, “Every single time I get close to something great, boom! Something or other comes along and just mucks it all up!” gold clattered as he fell atop the great pile, staring with a miserable look to the heavens, “Why?”

Before I had a chance to snarl for his silence, the heavens did it for me with a sky-splitting roar that made the bony spines atop my head stand on edge. All three ponies froze, staring up into the hole with varying expressions of terror as a shadow flashed overhead.

Time to go! I couldn’t agree more.

“Drop everything, move!” I snapped, hobbling quickly out the door. The ponies followed, Rain darting out first with Choc and Moonbeam soon to follow, “Lock it!”

“Mmm!” Moonbeam whimpered as the sound of pounding wings began to grow louder and louder as the dragon came in to land. With his jittery magic, Moonbeam yanked the door shut, silver aurora fumbling with the lock briefly before it gave a solid click, “Done!” he squeaked, and galloped after the others.

Watching the others flee, I looked down at my cast-bound leg, then back to the ponies as they rounded a corner up ahead, “Fornication!” I spat, limping after them as fast as I could. A rumble came from behind the closed door as the dragon landed.

At least we’re safe now, I thought, rounding a corner and hearing distant voices.

“Which way is back?!” Moonbeam’s voice echoed from the hallway ahead.

“What? I wasn’t following you! I came a different way, remember?” Rain replied.

“Choc?!” Moonbeam again.

“Nyet! Ya sledoval yashcheritsu!” Choc’s voice replied.

They’re making a lot of noise! my mind worried.

“Shush!” I called ahead, trying to keep my voice just loud enough for them to hear it.

“What was that!?” I barely heard Moonbeam squeak.

“What? Was it the dragon?”

“Nyet,” I heard Choc again, her head poking around a corner up ahead. She pointed at me, “Yashcheritsa.” The other two poked their heads around the corner, looking relieved.

“You know the way back, right?” Moonbeam asked.

“Be quiet!” I hissed back, limping up to them and rounding the corner, “and, yes, I do. But you’ll never get out of here if you keep making noise like this! A noisy assassin doesn’t live long.”

“Okay, okay, sorry! J-just get us out of here!” Moonbeam whimpered.

Nodding, I checked the room we were in. It was squarish and plain, with burnt out sconces and darkly-hued armor stands with lances standing dutifully by. As to exits, there were two other doors; I backtracked in my head which way we’d come, pointing to one of the doors, noting some of the scuff marks in the dust, “That w…”

A massive roar rolled through the castle like a fireball exploding in my face, drowning me and my acolytes out for a good few seconds. Dust trickled from the ceiling as I hobbled to the door.

“Wh-why’d it roar like that?” Moonbeam whimpered, legs shaking.

“It’s a dragon, dragons roar,” Rain replied, though she herself didn’t sound very certain.

Before it could be discussed further, we got a far more terrible answer.

“Meddling ponies!” a massive voice shook its way through the castle, “You think you can steal from me?! I can smell your treacherous, stinking hides! Your fear!”

Steal? I wondered, looking back over my shoulder, but I’d told the ponies to put everything back where they’d… and my eyes caught the silver necklaces around Moonbeam’s neck, Damned thieves!

“I told you to put everything back!” I hissed at the unicorn, rounding on him.

Caught red handed (or hooved in his case) his cheeks became flushed as he tugged off the silver and tucked it away somewhere, “S-s-sorry, I ju-just couldn’t h-help myself,” he quivered, giving a weak, guilty, smile.

From down the hallway, there was a sudden splintering sound as the door to the hoard-room was obliterated. The sound of stomping feet and scales scraping over stone heralded the sudden approach of our doom.

For the first time in a very, very long time I froze up as terror clogged my heart. I’d had to run from angry beasts, bandits, guards, and even a fifteen-foot giant once. Yet never had I ever had to flee from a dragon for the simple reason that I was never dumb enough to antagonize one.

But there was a first time for everything.

“Run away, little ponies!” the beast’s voice chased through the halls, “I will find you, and I will devour you all the same!”

It can’t be nearly as big as the dragons of Skyrim if it’s coming down the halls, my mind noted as its heavy footsteps echoed towards us.

All the same, we need to flee, I replied, then whispered, “Quiet now, we must take an alternate route,” the beast had said that it could smell us, that could certainly complicate trying to hide from it, “through the other door,” I pointed to the door we hadn’t come from, and the ponies followed anxiously on my heels.

“Where are you, you squishy, little morsels!?” the dragon snarled, sounding much closer now and sending my heartbeat through the roof. The door led to a T-junction corridor, we went left, tattered carpet muffling our steps, “You will not escape me! This is my home!”

Yet already the creature’s steps were growing farther away. Hopefully it had followed the wrong scent, and hopefully that would lead it out of the castle.

Isn’t that where we’re trying to go? my mind inquired, making me curse.

Then what are we supposed to do? Remain here running forever? I countered, thinking for a moment, It can’t watch every exit…

“Rain,” I kept my voice low, not sure how good the dragon’s hearing was, “You found other exits; where where they?”

“Um, well one to the North and one to the East were collapsed,” she whispered back, “As to the usable ones: one was a courtyard of sorts, the other looked like a servant’s entrance or something. There was also a break in the wall to the North, that’s how I got in here, but it was kinda high.”

“Could you lead us to it?”

Rain balked at the question, “You mean go back the way we came?! Past the dragon’s lair?! Are you crazy?!” she hissed.

“It’s either that or we stumble around here till it finds us or we come across one of those other two exits by chance,” I countered, still keeping my voice low, “And I doubt that we can take it on by ourselves.”

“It is maybe small dragon,” Choc whispered, “How say...Moonbeam?”

“An adolescent, or only a little older,” Moonbeam squeaked, “anything larger than an adolescent would smash this castle to bits.”

“So we can fight it?” I asked, reconsidering our course of action. Yet the look of terror I got from each pony shot the idea down quick.

“It’s still covered in thick scales, with razor sharp teeth and claws, plus the ability to toast a pony or three for a snack,” Moonbeam replied, gulping, “So...no, no thank you!”

“Fine, Rain?” I asked.

“But if it smells us…” she trailed off.

“Don’t worry about that,” I replied, undoing the strings of my satchel of alchemical goodies.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

A short time later...

Fortunately for us, the dragon seemed to be following the route we’d taken into the castle. As well, it was fortunate that that route had taken many twists and turns before we’d reached the hoard. In other words, the dragon was nowhere near us.

Even if it was, with the help of a few pungent herbs our scents were now masked, taking away one of the dragon’s tracking abilities.

In no time at all, we were creeping back up the hallway that passed by the dragon’s hoard. clawmarks scratched their way down the hall, many of the stones to either side bearing marks from the dragon’s scales. As well, the door was now a shattered mass of splinters. There was nothing between us and the treasure.

“Wait, let’s grab more!” Moonbeam whispered as we passed by, turning quickly and cantering into the room, “We may never get a chance like this again!”

“What!? No!” Rain hissed back, rushing after him on silent feathers.

“Both of you, get back!” I snapped, Choc and I following.

“No! Lemme get more!” Moonbeam whinnied, held back by Rain as she firmly held his tail in her mouth, “Please, just let me have this!”

“No!” Rain bit back past the tail in her maw, “leff i’ go!”

Something tingled down my back as I eyed the two in the shadowed treasure room. Something wasn’t right here as again I felt all of my alarms going off in my head. I drew my knives, getting a look of terror from Moonbeam.

“Okay, okay! I’ll stop, I’ll stop, I’ll stop!” he cried, ceasing his attempts to get at the treasure.

“I’m not threatening you!” I growled, leaning back to eyeball the hallway for any signs of…the dragon.

Where was the dragon? Why had it stopped its stomping and taunting? And, most important, why was the room suddenly in shadow?

“Fornication!” I spat, looking up.

The dragon stared back down, maw snapping wide in an ear-shattering roar. So close, and with its mouth so wide, I could see all the way down to the creature’s stomach. And that was how I spotted the flames before it was too late.

“Run!” I yelled, flinging myself from the room. Choc, still in the hall, bit down on my bow and yanked me further as fire bathed the hoard room...and two of my acolytes. Rain tackled Moonbeam over the treasure pile a mere second before the fire struck down, but in the opposite direction of the door.

Then the flames consumed the room.

They were still in there! I came to realize as Choc let out a horrified gasp beside me. There was no way they could survive that, even pulled back from the doorway I felt the heat burning my scales.

For a few, heart-rending moments, I wondered what would happen now that I’d lost two of my acolytes. Would the creature of stone still honor his deal? Would Sithis? Could they simply send more or was I now doomed?

The dragon stopped its scorching, the room still ablaze and the treasure now looking less solid. And then two heads poked up above the flames.

“What in the unholy name of Sithis!?” I gasped.

Rain and Moonbeam, both only looking a little scorched, stared at me across the flames from where they sat, in a short hallway that connected the hoard-room to another. A pile of now-blackened splinters gave testament to an opposite hallway that had been barricaded and recently destroyed by the dragon. Rain’s tackle had taken them down this new passageway and out of danger.

Speaking of which…

There was an earth-rumbling slam as the dragon dropped from the hole in the ceiling, glaring fiery death first to me, then down the other hallway. Moonbeam and Rain immediately bolted out of sight, and before I could rise, Choc again bit down on my bow and was dragging me rapidly away from the trap.

“A pity you were able to escape my fire, ponies!” the dragon snarled from the flame-infested room. Its head poked out and glared at me, “And another dragon, I see! Wounded, ha!” again the jaws snapped open and fire blazed forth.

I’m not a dragon! I mentally spat back as the blaze scorched at my toes, Choc barely making it around a corner and out of the firestream.

“You, I’ll savor last, hatchling cripple!” I heard the dragon snarl and turn to chase after the other two, “In the meantime, your ponies shall make a tasty, little, snack!” The creature’s stomping faded as it loosed another massive roar.

“Polnyi pizdets!” Choc panted as I shoved myself upright, “How say? Very, very bad!”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Elsewhere in the castle...

Choc and I fled back the way we’d first come, backtracking the route we’d initially taken into the castle. The dragon’s dull stomping and taunting told us it was still somewhere else in our so-called sanctuary, and still chasing down Rain and Moonbeam.

Contemplating our options, I considered our opponent...

From the one good look I’d got of it I could tell that, on all fours, it was about my height at the shoulders. But it was about as wide as the hallway, and maybe as long as two or three rowboats resting bow to stern. While the creature was no doubt a child compared to the monsters of Skyrim, I had no doubt it would obliterate me with nothing short of ease.

Still, if I wanted to escape then going outside was a mad dash over open terrain before a rickety bridge and a cursed forest. The forest would certainly hamper the beast, but getting there was the problem. Not for the first time, I cursed my cast and broken leg.

Rain and Moonbeam might be able to distract the creature enough that Choc and I could escape to the forest. Yet if it turned on us and ignored them, there was no stopping it. I was wounded, and while she had muscle, Choc had neither wings nor horn. It would tear us to pieces.

Perhaps it’s a female, and you could seduce it with you masculine charm, my mind commented unhelpfully.

Now isn’t the time! I countered as we rounded the final bend and saw daylight through an open door. A distant roar and shout about roasting and devouring insolent ponies told us that the dragon was far away. If it was still occupied with Rain and Moonbeam, then this might just be our only chance of escape.

“If we run, maybe we can make it to the forest,” I told her.

“You cannot run,” Choc indicated my leg.

Peeking outside and scanning the skies just to be sure, we made our way carefully outside, remaining in the shadow of the doorway.

“Can you carry me?” I asked.

Choc gave me a rude look, but answered all the same, “To bridge, not over, too...large...too wide to carry on bridge,” she said, letting out an annoyed huff, “Not fast. Could...get help?”

“You? How long would that take?” I asked.

As if for emphasis, the dragon released another mighty roar. At the very least, its continued taunts probably meant that both ponies were still alive and running...but for how long?

“Maybe get lost, not fast,” Choc stomped, angry. She indicated my bow, “Can...can shoot dragon?”

“I could maybe get a couple shots, but my arm is still injured and its scales are probably too hard,” I replied, “If I had all my poisons, then maybe, but without them it’d need to be a perfect shot.”

Choc seemed to brighten at that, an idea forming, “How is perfect shot?”

“Where?” I asked, getting a shrug, “Down the gullet, through an eyeball or maybe the nose, and up the vent.”

“You are good shot?” Choc asked.

The question startled me, “Yes,” I replied, realizing where she was going and not quite liking it.

“If I distract, get good shot?” she continued, confirming my worries.

“Maybe,” I replied, “I’ve never had to kill a dragon before.”

“Now you do,” she said simply, poking me with a hoof, “say yes or no, no maybe. No risk for maybe.”

I took a breath, thinking for a moment. If I’d had my hood with its enchantments I’d have no doubt about the shot. Yet without it…

The enchantment only tells you when to release the string, you’re just as good with it as you are without it, my mind put in, basically…

Basically… I parroted.

“Yes,” I replied, “I can make the shot.”

“I will distract,” Choc nodded, “If Sithis is good, will not miss,” she gave my unwounded leg a soft punch, “We have saying in Stalliongrad,” she said suddenly, “Dvum smertyam ne byvat, odnoy ne minovat.”

“And what does that mean?” I asked.

“Will say after,” she replied, “Moonbeam good translate,” and with that she galloped out of the castle. Creeping out after her, trying to remain stealthy as I could, I drew my bow and scanned the skies. Ideally the dragon would notice her escape and give me the perfect shot. It had been chasing the other two for some time now, it had to have tired somewhat of that chase. Inside the castle it was no match for the ponies' greater agility, but if it happened to spy a target out in the open...

Choc had made it about halfway to the bridge when there was a rumble of stone, and I ducked behind a crumbled statue as the dragon poked its head up out of a shattered room. Without the fear of imminent death on my mind, I noted the creature was a soft, sapphire blue. I also noticed as its eyes narrowed at the sight of Choc fleeing.

Its eyes!

Quickly, I drew an arrow as the dragon made ready to pounce out of the room and chase down Choc. It was still not moving, but only for a second or so more. Ignoring my pain, I knocked the arrow, ignored the fire in my arm as I drew back, leaned past the statue, and loosed the arrow.

But the creature’s massive head snapped towards me at my sudden movement, the black arrow striking its face and bouncing off. The dragon gave a startled roar, distracted just long enough for me to hobble-jog to a new hiding position beside a crumbled wall. Safe, I dug around for one of the numbing roots and quickly applied it to my arm, the fire abating.

“You dare sling mere pebbles at me!” the dragon snarled, a rush of wind heralding a blast of fire that engulfed my previous firing position, “I will burn you to ash and bake your bones till the marrow bubbles and boils beneath your scales!”

Not if you can’t find me, I thought, rubbing my arm.

“And just where do you think you’re going my little pony snack!?” the dragon snarled, telling me it had set its eyes back on Choc. There was a great flapping of wings and a cracking of masonry as the dragon took flight once more.

Darting from my spot, I made sure to grab one of my remaining arrows poisoned from the goop of my ruined pack, knocking it as I eyed the fleeing dragon. Biting my lip to distract from the soreness in my arm, I drew again, sighting the beast’s vent and loosing the arrow.

This time the arrow flew true, the dragon’s straight trajectory easy to predict. The arrow met its target and the dragon gave a vicious roar, wheeling about in the air. Yet the sudden burst of blood quickly stopped, telling me that the arrow had likely been poisoned with more helpful than harmful potions.

“Fornication,” I spat, ducking down as the dragon burned its hellfire eyes back towards my position. I gave a silent prayer to Sithis that the beast hadn’t seen me.

“You dare to shoot me again!?” the dragon snarled, flapping wings telling me it held its hover “I will crush your bones beneath my claws and strip the flesh from your scales!”

Peeking up from my cover, I spotted the dragon dive down and swoop in towards my position. Yet I also saw something else zip forth from the hole the dragon had made in the castle. Rain, looking a little roughed up, flew straight up, high above the dragon.

Is she trying to escape? I thought, then noticed what she was carrying, a ghost of a smile crossing my lips.

As the dragon swooped forth, Rain changed course as she folded her wings and dove straight down on an intercept course. She began picking up speed in the dive, faster than she could’ve flown normally. Her speed was made faster by the weight of one of lances from the castle’s armor stands.

At the last second, she pulled up, tossing the lance like a javelin. So close, it was impossible to miss.

Another roar split the air as the lance drove through the dragon’s shoulder, punching deep into its scaly hide. Instantly, its priority target changed as it rolled in the air and spat fire at Rain’s fleeing form. She ducked beneath the scorching blaze, but my cheer faltered as the dragon’s tail snapped like a whip and struck home.

Rain plummeted to the ground.

“Annoying, little gnat!” the dragon snarled, hovering in midair again, “Now I shall squash you like a…” and then the beast gave a roar as it clawed at one of its eyes, the dark feathers of one of my arrows sticking from it.

Dumb dragon, ought to know never to sit still when there’s an archer about, my mind taunted. I merely knocked another goop-poisoned arrow, noting with a frown that the dragon refused to die after the shot.

I swear to Sithis, I’m going to make more poisons after this, I promised myself.

Yet that required me to survive, and I felt my chances drop as the dragon wheeled about midair and locked its remaining eye on me. It wasted no time with words this time, diving towards me once more.

“Fornication,” I spat, terror filling my heart as I moved as fast as I could away as its jaws snapped open and fire blazed within. There was little cover left as I hobbled as fast as I could away, the flapping of wings growing closer by the second. Briefly I glanced down, noting that my ring glowed as the arrow passed by.

Noting the gorge ahead, I wondered at my chances of survival if I jumped. There was water below…

True, but look at how that worked out when you went over the waterfall, my mind pointed out, right leg throbbing in its cast, that was nowhere near this height!

What other choice do I have!? I retorted, the gorge approaching to my front as the dragon swooped closer on my rear.

A shot down the gullet! my mind exclaimed, and upon looking back at the approaching dragon, I realized I had the perfect shot.

It took all my courage to spin on the spot and face my impending doom, and it took all my strength to pull back the string of my bow. Dull pain raced up my arm, hampered by the numbing root, filling my chest and nearly making me misfire, yet I grit my teeth and sighted down the shaft. Flames ready to consume me burned hot as Oblivion itself as I brought my aim right where I wanted it...and released.

Zipping forth, dragon and arrow met only about twenty yards in front of me, one disappearing into the other as the dragon’s jaws snapped closed too slow to block the projectile. The beast’s eyes bulged, neck cocking back as it faltered in the air, tumbling as it began to choke.

Tightening the muscles in my good leg, I made to leap out of the dragon’s path, but its outstretched wings were on a collision course to strike me no matter if I leapt left or right. Towards the falling beast would do me no good either, it would simply crush me where I landed.

So I did the only thing that I could, I leapt backwards…right over the edge of the gorge.

The dragon smashed through the lip of the cliff, sending a cascade of dirt and debris falling after it. Flailing, I felt a rush of air as the dragon’s writhing mass flew past me, contorting in the air like a headless snake.

Immediately, I regretted my decision as I spun through the air, falling to a most certain death. The river below was more of a stream, and far too shallow to save me from the fall. Throwing out my hands in a wild attempt to control my fall only sent me spinning faster as the air rushed through my ears and my guts dropped down towards the earth.

This is it, then, I thought morbidly...until a set of furry limbs grabbed me.

“I got you!” Rain called out, wings pumping hard as she grabbed on, “Oh, damn, you’re heavy! Ow!” she grimaced. Slower now, we continued to lose altitude.

“Rain!?” I called out, astonished and terrified all at the same time.

A loud crunch rocked the earth below as the dragon impacted, but it was the least of my worries now. Wind still rushed in my ears and we were still falling rather fast in spite of Rain’s rapid flapping.

“I’ve got you, just hold on!” Rain cried out, clearly understanding our perilous trajectory, “I can...barely hold us up!” again she made a painful face, nearly impacting a gnarled root sticking from the wall of the gorge, “It’ll be...rough,” she continued through clenched teeth, the ground closing faster than I liked as Rain zeroed us in on a thicker part of the stream, “but if I put us down in the water…”

Even with Rain’s wingpower, the breath was still knocked from my lungs as we crashed into the stream, Rain losing her grip on me as we splashed down. I tumbled in the water, the chill reminding me of the swim I’d taken escaping from my family in Skyrim.

Breathing through my gills, I just lay there for a moment, stunned. I had survived! I was alive! Yet before I had a chance to celebrate my victory further, there was a mad tugging at my tail. Yanking it away, I turned and stood from the water, finding a surprised Rain staring at me.

“Goddesses above, I thought you were going to drown!” Rain exclaimed, panting and wet as I stood in the water.

“I have gills,” I reassured her, indicating behind my ear holes, “I can breathe underwater.”

“Oh,” Rain stated, looking perplexed as she dripped.

We stood there staring for a few short seconds, the stream trickling around us before Rain’s lips twisted, eyes brightening as first she giggled, then began laughing with near-hysterical mirth. Looking at her with confusion, I felt an unfamiliar tug at my own lips as I found her laughter almost too contagious to contain.

“What...what’s so funny?” I asked, trying to stifle my own smile yet finding it impossible as a soft chuckle broke past my lips.

“Y-you,” she giggled, indicating me, “Me,” she pointed to herself, “We...we’re alive! We’re alive!” she started laughing again, almost forcing me to join her in full, before she winced and cringed, holding her sides, “Ow, ow, ow!” she hissed.

I, too, was starting to feel the pain of my wounds returning, casting a shadow over our inexplicable merriment. After another bout of soft chuckles, I too was holding my injured ribs.

“Let’s...let’s get back up, the others must be worried sick,” Rain said, sloshing out of the water with a limp in one foreleg.

“The dragon,” I stated simply, pointing. Rain wheeled about fearfully, but the creature lay a ways away, neck at an odd angle and breast still. Its one good eye stared listlessly to the ground, “Or, more importantly, my arrows.”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

A while later...

Two of my arrows weren’t recoverable, the one down the gullet and vent impossible to get without gutting the fallen beast. While I was certain my daedric knives could handle the task, it was too much work for an utterly exhausted me.

All of my bandages were ruined again, and despite Fluttershy’s assurances, my cast felt a little waterlogged. Rain’s wings dragged on the ground as she staggered after me, wincing at every step. The crash had sprained her left foreleg, the strike from the dragon had either cracked or bruised some ribs, and a few close calls with fire had left her hindquarters and tail looking a little charred, but other than that she was okay.

Further up the gorge, we came across a set of steps leading up the side, and after a perilous trek up, we were soon atop the castle side of the gorge once more.

0 . o . 0

Choc ceased pacing through the grass and galloped up to meet us once we reached the top of the steps. Moonbeam’s white form lay in the grass near her, but he only lifted his head as she sped towards us.

“Are they...okay?” he called after her, panting.

“We’re...we’re good!” Rain called back as Choc approached.

“You are okay?” the larger mare asked, looking between the two of us. Rain nearly collapsed, so Choc provided her a shoulder to lean on, “How is dragon?”

“Dead,” I replied, the word feeling quite good now that I thought about it. I’d just helped to take down a dragon! Granted, it was only a small one, but it still felt good to say. It was something I was certain only a rare few in Skyrim could boast about.

“Your god is good, Aram Falíe,” Choc said with a nod as she guided Rain back to where Moonbeam lay.

“You...are you okay?” Rain panted as Choc let her flop down next to the unicorn.

“W-well…” Moonbeam panted, giving a coarse laugh, “My bladder’s empty, my butt’s been burned, and my lungs…” he took a moment to breathe, “Whew, my lungs are on fire from all that running!”

“He is okay,” Choc reassured with a small smile, “and is rich, now.”

“What!?” Moonbeam asked, lifting his head for a moment.

“Dragon’s dead,” Rain answered, her mirth from below returning as she bopped his nose, “That hoard of treasure? It’s ours now.”

“The brotherhood’s,” I said, feeling my cheer return. Yet it faded as I got looks from my three acolytes. An awkward silence fell for a time, “What?” I asked.

“Well...I mean,” Moonbeam licked his lips, speaking between breaths, “with all that treasure...do we really need...need a new job? I mean we...we could retire!”

“Moonbeam is not wrong...” Choc said, trailing off, “We...we discuss at length after fall.”

“But…” I began in the suddenly awkward silence, But Sithis promised me these acolytes! The creature of stone told me to train them, that I could train them! They can’t just leave me now!

But what if they do? my mind inquired, You weren’t as nice as you could’ve been to them, if they have more than what the creature of stone promised them…

“What!?” Rain exclaimed, startling me as she rolled over and tried to push herself to her hooves. After a moment, she just gave up and laid back down, “No!”

“No?” Moonbeam asked, lifting his head again and looking too tired to be as upset as he wanted to sound, “What do you mean, ‘no’?”

“Just what I mean: no!” Rain replied, “The dragon’s dead, we’ve cleared the sanctuary, it’s ours now, gold included!” she gestured to the ruins, “I mean, we gotta fix it up somehow!”

“Why not take gold for us?” Choc asked, though it sounded more like a suggestion as she continued, “Moonbeam says, we retire?”

“We retire, huh?” Rain countered, flopping a hoof in Choc’s general direction, “Choc, what is your special talent?”

Choc was caught off guard by the question, answering with caution, “I am strong, good at breaking things, I am fighter, I fight.”

“Okay, and Moonbeam?” she flopped a hoof towards him, “What’s yours?”

“Well, I’m good with modification magic, with locks, making magical contraptions,” he answered, confused as Choc, “But you already know…”

“Yes, I already know!” Rain cut in, “Niether of your talents are retiring, are they?” I continued to sit back and watch this play out, hoping for the best, “Choc? Why did a pony in the Chocolate family choose to become a fighter? Why did you run away from your family’s calling?”

“I do not want to become fat sow mare, popping out foals and doing wife work,” Choc replied with a hint of disgust, though the venom wasn’t aimed at Rain, “I run because I kill two pony, accident.”

“You ran because you didn’t want to conform to Stalliongradi standards,” Rain replied, then to Moonbeam, “And what about you, Moonbeam? Why are you here instead of making locks like your father? Or brewing drinks like your sister?”

“I...but, you know why…” Moonbeam replied, looking away.

“Because you want to break locks, go on adventures, make wondrous things with magic…” Rain answered for him.

“And get rich!” Moonbeam put in, though his argument seemed weak at best.

“Just like Choc, just like me, you don’t want to conform to somepony else’s standards either. You,” she indicated Choc, then Moonbeam, “and you might be happy in the short term with gold and a happy retirement, but we’re all young ponies! How long will you be satisfied with a nice house somewhere and nothing to do? Choc,” Rain turned to her, “isn’t that exactly why you ran away from Stalliongrad?”

“Da,” Choc sighed. She pondered upon what Rain had said for a moment, staring at the grass underhoof before returning Rain’s look, “You make argument good, Rain,” she turned to me, eyeing me over once, “You are still alive, dragon is not, Sithis is a good god, then.”

“Choc!?” Moonbeam exclaimed, looking startled, “But...Rain...but you...you…” he sighed, “You have a point.”

“It’s settled, then,” Rain said, turning to me with a grin, “We’re with the Dark Brotherhood!”

A Beginning of New Things (Pt2|Ch4)

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Chapter Four: A Beginning of New Things

With three of us exhausted or sore from our wounds, and with the sun already beginning its descent, we opted to spend the night behind the crumbling walls of our new sanctuary. It took some searching before we came across some serviceable beds in the servant’s quarters. Dust and cobwebs coated most of the room, but eventually we gathered enough moth-eaten bedding for a couple of beds.

Top on the list of things to buy: some new beds! my mind commented as I eyed the decrepit state of the room.

And facilities for cooking, I added. We’d eaten what little food we’d brought, and if the hole-ridden blankets meant anything, our chances of finding edible food here were slim to none.

Yes, and perhaps stock up on some more mead, my mind replied, the sweet alcoholic taste taunting me. Yet I left my bottle where it was, I still hadn’t found a substitute in case it was all that there was.

We may have difficulty in getting such facilities here, though, I thought, returning to the more important subject, This sanctuary should remain a secret, and it won’t be a secret if we have masons and smiths paying visits.

Then just buy the basics and cart them here with Choc, my mind proposed, drawing my attention to the pony in question as she finished dusting off a bed, She certainly appears capable of carting goods around.

We’ll see, I replied, then spoke to my gathered acolytes, “We should set up a watch rotation, just in case.”

As much as I doubted that we’d need to keep watch, I figured it was better to err on the side of caution, especially in unfamiliar territory. We were still deep within the Everfree forest, and it certainly had more than dragons to offer us if we wanted to test it.

“I will take first watch,” Choc offered, “Not tired for sleep.”

“I’ll take last, then,” I said, Can’t fall asleep after I wake up, anyways.

Moonbeam and Rain exchanged glances before Moonbeam shrugged and said, “Second?”

“Sure, I’ve got third,” Rain replied, flapping her wings briefly, “Dang, wings are killing me, I just wanna get some rest already.”

“Okay, so, um…” Moonbeam trailed off, looking at the two beds we’d made with uncertainty, “How are we going to do this..?”

Rain rolled her eyes, “Oh, c’mon, it’s not like we haven’t snuggled under the same covers before, Moonbeam,” she said with a wink, then without her borderline seductive tone: “And don’t worry, I’m too tired for any funny business anyways. Let’s just get some sleep.”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

...

I stood at the steps of the Bannered Mare in Whiterun, hearing the musical merriment that spilled out the crack of the doors. Yet thick fear spilled down my throat like sour mead at the thought of entering it, I knew that something lurked inside, something I couldn’t face.

But I also knew that the blue-scaled dragon was about, looking to make a meal out of me for killing it. The streets were deserted and dark, as night had settled, and I’d be safer from the dragon inside. It still took all my strength to ascend the steps and step inside.

“We drink to our youth, for the days come and gone! For the age of oppression is now all but done!” a bard sang, plucking strings of a harp.

The Inn was crowded, quite possibly because of the dragon outside, yet no one seemed to worry. Tankards clashed and were downed, raucous laughter was shared among friends, and the bard kept plucking without a care in the world. Yet despite the merriment, the lump in my throat remained, choking me and setting my heart racing with unknown terror.

“We drove out the empire, from this land that we own! With our blood and our steel, we did take back our home!”

“Why is everyone being so noisy!?” I hissed to the barmaid as she cleaned a tankard idly, barely able to manage a whisper, “There’s a dragon out there, it’ll hear us!”

“You want a drink?” she asked me, not heeding my warning.

“No, I don’t want a drink!” I tried again, giving the main floor a wary glance, there was still no sign of whatever terror lay within this place, “I want all you fools to be quiet! There’s a dragon out there, if all of you don’t shut-up, it’ll hear us!”

“There’s no dragon, the Dovahkiin killed it,” the barmaid replied, uncorking a bottle of nord mead and filling the tankard, “You want a drink?”

“No, I killed this dragon, and now it wants to kill me!” I retorted, “and I don’t want a damn drink!” I choked out, my hand gripping the tankard all the same.

“We drove out the empire, from this great land of ours! And we burned all their banners on a great, blazing pyre!”

“No, the Dovahkiin killed it, and then ate its soul, don’t you know?” she picked up a rag and began scrubbing at a stain on the bar, “You want a drink?”

The noise of the bar and the fear in my heart was driving me to my wits end. My hand grew tight around the tankard as I stood shakily, lip curling back. If they didn’t all be quiet, we’d be good as dead!

“I told you!” I growled as I flung the tankard at her, “I killed it!”

Yet the world evaporated away, and suddenly I was no longer in a bar. My hand was warm as I gripped the hilt of one of my daedric knives, the weapon plunged hilt-deep into the chest of...of…

“You...killed…me...” he whispered, blood spilling from his lips.

0 . o . 0

I jerked awake, hands finding my knives as my chest heaved and my heart pounded. Looking around, I quickly took in my surroundings, finding myself in the old servant’s quarters. I made out Choc and Moonbeam asleep in the other bed, and a pair of golden eyes staring back at me from across the room. At first I startled, but Rain’s dark shape settled my fears.

“Whoa, you okay?” she asked, quietly so as not to wake the others.

“I’m fine,” I muttered back, sitting up and throwing my legs over the side of the bed.

“Hardly looked that way,” she replied, eyeing me up and down, “You were mumbling something, then you just jumped up like someone jabbed you with a hot poker.”

“I’m fine,” I said again, adding just enough of a growl to get her to leave it alone, “just a bad dream.”

“Oh,” Rain said, looking away all of a sudden.

Another bad dream? my mind asked in the ensuing silence, Do they seem to be getting more vivid all of a sudden?

I don’t know, I replied, wiping some sweat from my scaly brow, I haven’t been to the Bannered Mare in years, I think.

Is it any wonder why? my mind countered, pausing a moment, The little beggar girl wasn’t there to bother you for a coin.

It was just a dream! I snapped back, putting an end to my thoughts.

“You ever…” Rain turned to me, hesitating as I turned my eyes to her, “you ever dream about the ponies you’ve killed?”

“The ponies?” I asked with a frown, “I haven’t killed any ponies.”

“Or: the people,” Rain corrected herself with a shrug, “Ponies, people, whatever.”

“You...killed…me...” the voice from my dream echoed through my skull. I gave my head a quick shake to dislodge it before answering.

“No,” I lied, more to myself than to her.

“Oh…” Rain looked away again.

Lying to your acolytes already? my mind asked.

She doesn’t need to know, it’s not important, I replied with a mental growl.

Is it that? Or can you merely not think to face what you’ve done?

Rather than continue my internal debate, and to trying and forget it, I spoke to Rain: “How’s the night been?”

“Oh, um, fine, I guess,” Rain turned to me again, caught off guard by the question, “Nothing really happened, same with the others,” she jerked her head to where Choc and Moonbeam were sleeping.

“Nothing? No noises? What about anything that might not be so obvious?” I pressed.

“Well, the castle settling a little, but nothing that might be...I dunno, bad,” Rain replied, “I was about to wake you up,” she continued, stretching her wings, “You want another half our or so before…”

“I’m awake,” I waved her off, standing and shuffling away from the bed, “Can’t get back to sleep, anyways.”

“Oh, okay,” she said, trotting over quietly and hopping onto the bed, “G’night, then.”

I grumbled a reply, sitting on the remains of a decrepit chair to watch the door till the morning came.

“You...killed…me..!” his voice hissed from the darkness.

“Not my fault,” I mumbled.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Morning’s first light...

The dawn came without issue. Our sanctuary was quiet through the rest of the night, odd creaks and cracks of it settling the only noises that met my ear-holes. I woke the others as the sun spilled its light over the eastern horizon and had us out and moving soon after.

“Mmm...ow,” Moonbeam mumbled as we made our way towards towards the rope bridge, “Now my legs are sore, ugh.”

“Don't even get me started on my wings,” Rain added, walking with the rest of us as she kept her wings tucked to her sides.

“Will be sore after large run,” Choc commented, “Be happy burns were not bad.”

“The hard part’s over for now,” I replied as I limped at the head of the herd, “You three will head into Ponyville,” among the treasures that the dragon had kept was a chest of pony money: bits. I’d had each of my acolytes stock up on these before we’d left, “Buy supplies and scout out around town. An assassin must be wary of all nearby establishments, see what you can come up with. Guards, facilities, chokepoints, anything that might be of interest.”

“Where will you be?” Rain asked.

“I might not be as welcome in town as a group of ponies,” I gave her half of my reason.

“Oh, so you want us to rendezvous somewhere, sometime?”

“The cottage where you found me,” I replied, casting my eyes upwards again, “Later today, that should give you enough time for everything.”

0 . o . 0

My acolytes and I parted ways as we left the forest, the three of them taking the path into town as I made my way up to the cottage. Fluttershy had said that my cast would be able to come off soon, hopefully that would mean today.

Fluttershy’s animals were just starting to come out as I crossed the bridge and made my way up the hill to her cottage. Most paid me no mind as I stepped up to the door and knocked.

“Coming!” her soft voice came from within and a moment later the door was opened, “Oh! Hello, Aram!” she greeted, her smile tugging at memories of times long past. The cheer turned to worry, however, as she beheld my ruined bandages and wounded appearance, “Oh my goodness, what happened!? Was it timberwolves again?” looking past me, her horror grew, “Wh-where are you friends?!”

“Don’t worry,” I spoke up, giving her what I hoped was a reassuring look, “They’re running errands in Ponyville, they’re fine. I’m fine, too, I just had a little...fall.” I gave her most of the truth. No need to worry her about the dragon.

While she continued to chew on her lip, she relented and gave a small nod, “Okay...but do come in, I was just about to make breakfast, and we should get those bandages changed,” she said, making way for me and gesturing for me to take a seat on the couch.

I did as instructed, Fluttershy sitting next to me as she gently felt at my side. The feel of her hooves on my scales, pushing and prodding as she was, was comforting. Removing what scraps of bandages still clinging to me, I almost felt at a loss as she left me to get more.

“There we go,” she smiled after she’d finished, “Everything’s healing up quite well...though a little slow…”

Hm, I wonder why that would be… my mind inquired sarcastically, Any chance it could have to do with not following doctor’s orders?

Be quiet, I replied, then to Fluttershy as she examined my cast, “What about my leg? You said the cast could come off soon, right?”

“Well, I think it might need to, now,” she said, prodding it with a hoof, “It looks like you really did a number on this with that fall...but the bones should at least be back together by now,” she took a set of thick-bladed cutters from the basket she’d brought, “we’ll just have to see.”

Had anyone else brought a blade so close to my leg, they would’ve gotten a kick at the minimum. Yet I felt no alarm or unease as Fluttershy transferred the cutters to her mouth and began snipping away at the cast. And when it finally came off…

“Now I want you to be very careful, try to keep the leg as straight as possible while I check, okay?” she asked after cutting away a majority.

“Okay,” I replied with a nod, and with tender hooves Fluttershy finally freed my leg from the cast.

I nearly bent my free limb as I felt the cool cottage air on my scales again, yet I did as told as Fluttershy’s hooves traced up my wounded limb.

“Okay,” she said cautiously after finishing, “It feels like it’s mended, but take it slow anyways. I want you to bend your leg slowly, it might feel a little stiff, but it shouldn’t hurt too badly. Let me know if it does.”

Following her instructions, I bent my leg slowly back towards me. As she’d said, the muscles seemed a little stiff, but there was no major pain. Just in case, she had me repeat the exercise a few times, ensuring that there was no pain.

“So I’m good?” I asked, now seated with both legs bent, the weight of my cast lifted like a curse from my limbs. It felt so good I almost smiled...almost.

“Yes, it looks like your leg has finally healed,” Fluttershy replied with a smile that warmed my innards and sent flashes of memory flitting through my mind, “But don’t go running around filly nilly, now. You really do need to take it easy, use that crutch I made if you have to, okay?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take it easy,” I replied.

0 . o . 0

“You said you’d be gone a while, but I didn’t think it would be the whole day,” Fluttershy spoke as she stirred up a batch of oatmeal, “Where did you go?”

Pondering a moment as I chewed my bite of apple, I chose my lie carefully. Knowing she probably spoke often with Twilight, I didn’t want the annoying unicorn coming after me with more questions.

“We camped out in the Everfree forest,” I said, injecting some of the truth into my words.

“Oh?!” Fluttershy appeared startled at the mention of the forest, though her look faded fast, “You were okay through the night, though, right?”

“We were fine,” I took another bite from the apple, chewed, and swallowed, “Zecora told us there weren’t any timberwolves nearby.”

“Well I’m glad to hear that you all had fun,” Fluttershy said, adding some chopped apples and a dash of what smelled like cinnamon to her brew.

Why, yes! It was as much fun as dragon-slaying can be! My mind commented.

Shush!

With the final ingredients added, Fluttershy poured two bowls and set the table; tea for her, water for me. The oatmeal was delicious and the water was refreshing as it poured down my throat. We ate in contented silence.

Once I finished, I deposited my dishes in the sink and turned from the kitchen, enjoying the ability to use both legs again. Yet the celebration could wait; with my leg now free I’d have no trouble slipping back into my armor, and I meant to do just that as I headed up the stairs.

0 . o . 0

My armor was where I’d left it and fit just as well as the day I’d put it on, if perhaps even better. Noting this and the lack of damage reminded again of the ‘Rarity’ character Twilight had mentioned.

I’ll need to get my acolytes their own armor eventually, I thought to myself, not liking how distinguishing their colors and cutie marks were. It wouldn’t do to have them running about with nothing to conceal their identities.

And maybe this ‘Rarity’ will be the one to make it? my mind commented.

Perhaps, I replied.

Now armored up, I redid my belt and quiver, sheathing both knives and selecting my bow. Experimentally, I raised the weapon and flipped up my hood, a ghost of a smile crossing my lips as I felt the enchantment in the back of my head. It was subtle without an actual arrow nocked and drawn, but it was there. Walking about, the enchantments on my boots kept my footfalls silent as the grave. Finally things were starting to feel much, much better even if my wounds were still tender under the enchanted leather.

Stepping to the window, I found the sun still rather low in the sky. I had plenty of time before my acolytes returned and little to do to spend it. The thought of them brought a curious look to my face as, briefly, I wondered how my acolytes were faring in town...

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

In town...

It was another bright and sunny day in the little town of Ponyville. Birds were chirping their songs and ponies were smiling and chatting about this or that. In the marketplace, a group of three ponies drew occasional glances as they casually trotted past the stalls of goods. After all, it wasn’t every day that Ponyville got three new visitors.

“So that’s everything on the list?” Rain asked, surprised as she looked from the small scrap of paper to Choc’s larger frame. Her saddlebags were full of ripe fruits, vegetables, and an assortment of other foods.

“Unless you’re reading it wrong, yes,” Choc replied in Stalliyi, both Rain and Moonbeam understanding her, “Like I said, it’s easy to talk a pony down on the price of goods, if you only know how.”

“Well we’ve still got plenty of bits, and...” Rain trailed off as she spotted Moonbeam looking around cautiously, “Seriously, Moonbeam, relax.”

“Oh, what?” he started, mane standing on end, “Sorry.”

“Dude, really, relax,” shook her head, grinning goofily, “We’re not in the old pony lands anymore, our posters aren’t gonna be on any boards. This is Equestria, land of peace and harmony, not Prance or Stalliongrad, lands of sex and booze.”

“Hey, we have more than just booze,” Choc whinnied with an somewhat indignant snort.

“I’m kidding,” Rain smiled with a roll of her eyes.

“Not about Prance, though,” Choc snickered, getting a whack from Rain’s wing.

“Ow, crap! Ow, ow!” Rain winced, holding her side where the dragon had struck her.

“You okay?” Choc asked, playful tone replaced with a more serious one as she halted next to the pegasus, “We could go see a doctor about...yesterday.” She said, eyeing the occasional passerby as Rain’s sudden outburst drew a few extra looks.

“No, no, I’m fine, I’m fine,” she waved Choc away with a hoof, “Still just a little sore.”

“You’re not going to die on us are you?” Choc asked, only half serious.

“No, just, walking hurts.”

“So fly,” Choc suggested.

“Flying hurts,” Rain replied.

“How about bouncing?” Pinkie Pie energetically interjected, all three acolytes jumping at her sudden appearance, “Oh, well that’s more jumping,” she giggled, “But you’ve got the right idea!”

“What...who the hay are you?” Rain asked, recovering and eyeing Pinkie up and down, wings cocking ever so slightly.

“Me? Well, I’m you’re guys newest, bestest friend Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie declared, the acolytes exchanging awkward glances, “See, I saw,” she giggled, “heh, see-saw, anyway, I saw you ponies here in the market and I thought to myself: Hey, I don’t know those ponies! And since I know everypony in Ponyville, that meant that you were new in town and I like to welcome all the new ponies to Ponyville!” Pinkie took a deep breath and launched herself into the air, “So-o-o-o welcome!”

The three acolytes exchanged awkward glances as Pinkie hovered in the air with an expectant smile. Yet as it appeared clear her three newest, bestest friends weren’t going to automatically warm up to her, her smile deflated as she fell back to the ground.

“Did I come on too strong?” she worried, “Oh, please tell me I didn’t come on too strong!”

“Oh, no,” Moonbeam spoke up at the mare’s distress, tone placating, “we’re just, not really looking for new friends right now, I guess. We’ve sorta got a good thing going here, you see.”

“Oh,” Pinkie moped, C’mon, Pinkie Pie! she thought to herself, Don’t give up that easily, you’re sure to win them over somehow! Then her ears perked up, Oh, hey, I’m getting my own thought, dialogue! Hi, readers! “Well…” Pinkie said before the three acolytes could leave, “At the very least, let me show you around the town! I know all the best places to visit! If you’re looking for fresh food, my good friend Applejack has the best darn apples you ever tasted, or if you’re looking for some fancy new clothes, then Rarity’s the girl for that, or if your hooves or sore, I totally recommend the Ponyville spa, or if…”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

The Cottage...

They’re probably doing fine, my mind assured me, after all, they’re ponies, you aren’t. Best to send them for routine business and the like. Who knows what kind of attention you’d get.

None good, I’d imagine, I replied, stepping away from the window and heading downstairs, keeping my descent slow and measured. Yet my leg felt fine and didn’t fail on me as I reached the bottom.

“I’ve got to head into town in just a little bit,” Fluttershy called from the kitchen, trotting out soon after. She startled at the sight of me in full armor, yet quickly regained her composure, “Um did you need me to get anything? Or, perhaps you’d like to come along as well?”

“No thank you,” I replied, “I was thinking of...resting a bit more.”

Oh, sure you are, my mind commented.

Quiet!

“Oh, that’s good,” Fluttershy said with cheer, happy that I was taking her advice, “If you need me to make you anything before I go…”

“I think I’ll manage,” I said, trying to manage a smile, but getting only an awkward grimace.

“Well, okay then, I’ll see you later today, okay?”

“See you later,” I waved as she passed through the door.

So how are you going to rest today, then? my mind inquired, Go beat up more timberwolves? Maybe dance with another dragon?

Make potions with some help from Zecora, I replied, I’ll be resting my leg and putting my hands to good use.

Hm, fair enough, I guess, my mind was forced to concede.

0 . o . 0

The path to Zecora’s hut was clear, a soft glow spilling out the windows.

“Who is it, I wonder, that knocks at my door,” I heard her voice after I rapped at the door. She looked up at me after opening, “Ah, it is one who has come here before.”

“Hello,” I stated as the zebra eyed me up and down, taking note of the armor.

“I see you’re not limping with your cast,” she turned away from the door, leaving it open as she stepped back inside. I took it as a gesture of invitation, following her in, “It is good that you have healed so fast.”

“Thank you,” I said, I think…, “I was hoping you might be able to teach me more of the flora of this land.”

“More you wish to know, is there?” Zecora inquired, sipping at a brew she was making before giving it a few more stirs, “Of this knowledge, I may share.”

Setting the spoon aside, Zecora turned to the wall, picking up a parchment in her maw and bringing it to me. Raising a brow, I took the scrap of paper and scanned over it, finding only the alien pony writing.

“What is this?” I asked, “I can’t read your language.”

“It is a list of all my needs,” Zecora replied, back to stirring at the cauldron, “On it things like plants and seeds.” She frowned, “Of your illiteracy, I did not know. Perhaps some examples, I may show.”

“So you want me to do your shopping?” I asked, not entirely liking that prospect.

Hey, she’s offering you free lessons, if she wants you to get some things then that seems fair to me, my mind put in, silencing any mental complaints.

“If my lessons, you wish to be taught, there are some things that I have sought,” Zecora replied. Again she stepped from her cauldron, eyeing and gathering a number of different herbs and ingredients off her shelves. They were stuffed into a bag and hoofed over to me, “As you can see, I am making a stew,” she gestured to the cauldron, “So I leave the gathering of these ingredients up to you.”

I opened the bag she’d given me, eyeing the contents. Only a few of the things inside I recognized from the Everfree forest. Pulling the drawstrings tight, I attached the small bag to my belt.

“How many of each will you need?” I asked, somewhat annoyed I’d been made a errand boy again.

“Ten or so of each should do,” Zecora answered, tasting her brew again, “Until you return, I should bid you adieu.”

0 . o . 0

Zecora was kind enough to offer me a steaming bowl of whatever it was she’d cooked up when I returned. It was thick and somewhat bitter, but filling all the same. Taking the bag, now much fuller than before, Zecora bade me sit as she spread the ingredients out before me.

First she had me separate the flora into two groups, noticing as I did that my ring glowed only over one of them.

“That ring that you wear is enchanted, I see. Though what, I would ask, could this enchantment be?” she inquired, sitting with hind legs crossed in what appeared to be a thoroughly uncomfortable position.

“It detects poisons,” I replied.

“A boon to any alchemist, I can be sure,” Zecora remarked, “It would certainly help if of a plant you’re unsure.”

I nodded in agreement, and the lesson began.

First Zecora had me study the poisonous plants, much to my delight.

The first plant was Rotreed, a close relative to the stagnant reed Zecora had shown me earlier. Like its cousin, it was toxic if crushed and ingested, but dried and ground it became a potent stamina enhancer.

Second was the Blackpetal Flower, a mean-looking flower with pointed barbs running the length of its stem. The barbs were somewhat deadly, but the flower petals themselves contained a paralytic agent that could be enhanced with drying.

Third were Spotted Mushrooms, with a cap that contained a powerful psychedelic agent that sent consumers into a wild frenzy. The spores, if inhaled or ingested were also fatal if not treated quickly.

The fourth and final of the poisonous ingredients was the Dragonheart flower. The petals caused chilling symptoms similar to those caused by fire resistance potions, and the flower’s bulbous heart, surrounded by the petals, induced violent vomiting when ingested or crushed and absorbed into the skin.

I paid a little less attention to the helpful ingredients, just enough to get the rundown on the Bluebulb flower. Like the blue mountain flowers of Skyrim, it secreted a sweet-tasting liquid that helped the healing process. Its large seeds, found seasonally, also made a tasty snack when baked.

“It is good to have someone as interested as I,” Zecora said as she swept up all the ingredients I’d gathered, setting them on shelves, “But for now I have other things to do, so I say to you good bye.”

“Goodbye, then,” I said, happy to have learned a number of new poisonous ingredients. I stood and spoke, “Thank you.”

“Welcome you are, as always I say,” Zecora replied, “Though a suggestion I have...if I may?”

“Sure,” I allowed, frowning.

“You’ve shown me a weakness, this you must concede,” Zecora gave my frown a smile, “Perhaps before we next meet, you will learn to read?”

She has a point, my mind put in.

“I’ll work on it,” I said.

On the Subject of Outfits (Pt2|Ch5)

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Chapter Five: On the Subject of Outfits

I brought the axe down in a solid stroke, the tool splitting the log and biting into the stump beneath it. Taking a moment, I let the axe sit in the log and wiped away a few drops of sweat from my brow. The split wood was tossed into a pile and I grabbed another log, pulling my daedric knife from the stump and placing the fresh log down where it had been.

“Do take a break from that, dear!” my wife called as she stepped up behind me, offering a waterskin to slake my thirst.

I smiled at the sight of her, her green scales reflecting beautifully against forests of Falkreath. Our home sat a short distance away; It was small, but we didn’t need a big home. Her scales were soft and warm against mine as she passed me the waterskin.

I slaked my thirst with the sweet mead within, wiping my mouth and passing the tankard back to her.

“Why don’t you come inside, dear? It’s almost time for dinner.”

“In a little bit,” I agreed, leaning in to kiss her. Her lips were sweet like apples, and so I kissed her longer than I’d intended. She giggled as we separated, “I just want to finish up here,” I continued, gesturing behind me with my knife to the few logs that still needed chopping.

“Well all right,” my wife amended, smiling as she moved back to the house, “I’ll have our little one wash up, then.”

Our little one, my smile only grew at the mention of our child, my heart fluttering in my chest. I watched as my wife strolled to the door, casting me a quick smile before entering.

Turning back to the remaining logs, the man I called brother drove his sword into my chest. The blade passed clean through my old leather armor, knocking me back a step as the air was torn from my lungs. Warmth blossomed where the blade met flesh and I collapsed to my knees.

“No!” I choked out past a mouth that felt as if filled with tundra cotton, yet he just stood there, wearing his muffled iron armor, his second blade still in hand, face cast in shadow, “No!”

He knelt before me, silent, and placed his free hand on my shoulder, using his second blade to point off behind me. Though my chest heaved as I struggled to get air past a throat clogged with fear, I turned my head.

Black smoke filled the sky as my home burned. I tried to choke out a cry, but it died in the back of my throat and only a whimper escaped me. The roof and walls had collapsed, and from within my wife and child watched me with forlorn eyes as they burned.

“You could’ve had this…” he whispered in my ear, “...but you killed me…”

And then everything froze, all of it. The flames ceased their endless dancing, the smoke stopped billowing, and the choking terror in the back of my throat vanished as I realized it was a dream. I turned my head, spying…him just standing there as he had, yet the shadow over his face was gone and I turned away in fear of it.

Standing on uncertain feet, I poked the sword hilt sticking out of my chest and it vaporized into a million tiny shards that danced up and away on the wind. The shards rose further and further until my eyes met Nirn’s three moons resting in the sky...but that wasn’t right, Nirn only had two moons!

Yet the third...it was white and cratered almost like...Equestria’s?

“What in the unholy name of Sithis?” I wondered aloud.

“It is as we had feared,” a powerful and regal voice spoke from behind me, “You’re tormenting yourself, Aram Falíe of Skyrim.”

I wheeled about, a sour expression crossing my face as I faced Princess Luna once again.

“You!” I spat, anger rising on my tongue. I jabbed a finger back towards the frozen flames, “What did you do!?”

Luna approached, passing...his frozen form with an inquisitive glance and I kept my eyes firmly on hers. She trotted around to my side and I turned to face her as she eyed the house curiously.

“This terror is not of our doing,” Luna replied, looking to me, “In fact, we crafted this dream to be a pleasant one, from your own fondest memories.”

“My memories!?” I growled, “This never happened!”

“No,” Luna shook her head once, “but you once loved another just like her,” she pointed to the argonian female inside the house, “And we only guessed that such a relationship would include offspring. You favored this region,” she eyed the scenery with a pleasant smile, “and quite rightfully so, tis a beautiful scene.”

“And the fire!?” I snapped, “A-and…” I jabbed a finger to where I knew he was waiting.

“And the axe into the knife, the waterskin into the tankard, the armor,” Luna gestured with a hoof, “That was you.”

I remained silent.

“At first we wondered as to why you were suffering so many nightmares. Perhaps the stress of travelling to a new world, perhaps it was a signature of your species, we didn’t know,” Luna continued, “So we...conducted an experiment.”

“Why!?” I demanded, still running on my fumes of anger.

“We told you once before: we are the shepherd of dreams. It is our duty to ensure all those in Equestria have a restful sleep,” a frown creased her lips, “Yet as we said: you proved a troubled sleeper, so we took the liberty of conjuring you what was supposed to be a pleasant dream,” she paused, looking across the frozen chaos, “Then you tore it down and turned it into yet another nightmare. Or, rather, he did,” I didn’t turn to look as she gestured to the frozen man.

“No...how...how could he do that!?” I snarled, throwing a finger out as I took a step towards the Princess, “He’s...he’s…” yet I couldn’t say it.

“Dead?” Luna asked, “We figured as much.”

“Then…how!?”

Luna looked towards him for a moment, eyes sizing up his frozen form, “Who is he? How did he...”

“That doesn’t concern you!” I snapped back, cutting her off in fear that her questions would trigger something in my mind. My brain was already boiling with conflicting emotions of rage and sorrow, not happy with the events that had unfolded before me. I didn’t want any more.

“If you wish for help, then it does concern us,” Luna raised a brow.

“I never said I wanted your fornicating help!” I spat back.

Luna shrugged with her wings, “All the same, you do need it if you ever wish to dream of nicer things. Especially if…he is a tantabus.”

“A what?” I scowled at her.

“Tell us this,” Luna began, “Did you once do something horrible? Perhaps concerning that man?” her eyes bored into my soul, “Was it you that killed him?”

I tore my gaze away, “It wasn’t my fault…” I muttered.

“Ah,” Luna replied knowingly, “A tantabus is a creature of nightmares, usually self-conjured after a traumatic event, though it varies from person to person. What it does, in laymare’s terms, is force the dreamer to suffer constant nightmares concerning that specific traumatic event.

“And before you ask, no, we cannot will it away. A tantabus may only be conquered by overcoming the trauma that sired it. In short,” she tapped my chest, “only you may stop these nightmares, because it is only you who is causing them.”

Again, I remained silent. I didn’t wish to think about what she was suggesting.

“Tis much to take in, we understand,” Luna commented, “Though again: we are willing to help if you wish to conquer that which plagues your dreams.”

“You looked into my memories,” I changed the subject as a sudden worry struck me. If she’d seen my past with the dark brotherhood, knew what Sithis had in store for me here...my fingers curled around my knife hilts as I wondered if killing Luna here would be at all effective.

“Glanced is a better word,” Luna replied, looking away with a sudden sheepish smile, “the mind is a sacred place, and it is not our right to delve there without consent. We merely took a quick peek at what pleasantness we could find...what little of it there was.”

That gave me pause. If that was the case then firstly my secrets were safe, but secondly...I wondered why my fonder memories of him had not surfaced instead. Yet that was a dangerous train of thought, and with a quick glance to the man’s frozen form I banished it from my mind.

“Don’t do that again,” I snapped, my harsh tone more to keep my mind away from spiraling thoughts than for any real anger.

“Very well,” Luna replied, maintaining her calm air. Her wings lifted from her back as she began flapping them, the third moon lighting up brightly as she ascended towards it, “We wish you the best of luck, Aram Falíe...you’ll need it.”

0 . o . 0

I awoke with a start, hands darting to my knives. Yet I only felt my scaled sides and the soft sheets on top of me. Eyes darting about, I recognized the room I’d taken for myself in our sanctuary.

Some dream, huh? my mind commented.

I only gave a mutter as way of reply, throwing off the sheets and hopping out of my bed.

Other than the bed and a small, simple table the room was barren of anything but dust. My belongings sat on the stone floor at the foot of my bed, there was no need to waste septims…bits I reminded myself, on useless furniture.

Dressing, I gathered my knives, bow, and arrows and made my way down towards the kitchen, smelling hot food as I did so. As I followed my nose, I reflected over the past two months since we’d taken the sanctuary from the dragon.

It had not been as easy as I’d liked carting goods from Ponyville to the castle, but we’d managed to stock up on everything needed. New beds to sleep on, facilities and foodstuffs, toiletries and even simple bathing quarters. We even managed to shore up some of the more damaged parts of the castle to keep them from deteriorating further.

That wasn’t to say there weren’t any problems, though. I frowned as I remembered some of the questions my acolytes got from the townsfolk in Ponyville. Where were they taking these things? What were they going to use that for? Did they need help with the installation? Were they going to throw a party...that last one gave me pause, but I just shook my head and continued on my way.

So far we hadn’t had to kill anyone, but I’d be a liar if I said we hadn’t come close a few times. A few of the more inquisitive ponies had found themselves waking up in hospitals. But our secrets were still safe, and nopony was the wiser.

“Dobroe utro,” Choc greeted, expression stony as ever as she went back to stirring a pot.

“Good morning,” I greeted back after a moment, recognising the phrase. Sniffing the air, I eyed the pot she was stirring, “Kashka again?”

“Da,” she replied, and I recognized the Stalliyi word for ‘yes.’

The main dining hall for the castle’s previous owners had mostly caved in and collapsed. Fortunately, the kitchens had been largely untouched by the sands of time and had been easy to renovate. Great, oaken tables had long since disintegrated and so we’d bought smaller ones that comfortably sat the four of us. Dusty old ovens and stoves had been repaired, and the pantry had been stocked and enchanted by Moonbeam.

If nothing else, he’ll be useful when it comes to enchanting weapons and armor, my mind commented as I frowned at the thought of the cowardly unicorn.

My acolytes had progressed well throughout our stay at the castle; Rain was now easily able to sneak up on me without a sound. Choc had been taught to be quieter though she still preferred her strength over stealth. And while Moonbeam had showed improvement in fighting and sneaking he was still squeamish any time killing arose as a subject. However he did prove his worth in the realm of magic, showing skill at enchanting objects.

“Morning!” Rain greeted, trotting into the room. Moonbeam was close on her tail, shuffling in tiredly with his mane a mess.

Speak of the daedra… my mind commented as I eyed Moonbeam.

“Dobroe utro, Moonbeam, Rain,” Choc replied, turning off the stove, “Food is soon.”

0 . o . 0

“Again,” I said as Rain and Moonbeam separated, the former grinning as the latter tucked his tail.

Rain charged at a frightful Moonbeam, wings snapping forth in tandem. Two balanced blades, both made of wood, launching at the unicorn. One flew high and one flew low, making it harder for Moonbeam to counteract them.

His horn flashed and he winced as one of the missiles bounced off his telekinetic strike, the other was dodged by a quick sidestep. Yet Rain was upon him before he was able to secure his footing, ducking under the mouth-swing of his baton and striking his throat with an upwards slash.

And she didn’t stop there as she rammed her left shoulder into his breast. Twisting, she wrapped a forehoof around his neck and slammed him into the grass. The wind went out of him in a gasp, baton falling away from his lips as she kept him pinned with a hoof.

“Dead!” Rain declared, spitting her wooden dagger into a forehoof, an exhilarated sparkle in her eyes.

“I…” Moonbeam gasped, trying to get air back into his lungs, “...I give up...I give up!”

“You’re dead,” I scowled, arms crossed, “You can’t give up when you’re dead. Recover.”

Rain offered a hoof, which Moonbeam reluctantly took, and pulled the unicorn to his hooves. The two spread out again, turning to face each other. I waited a moment, watching them; the corners of Rain’s lips had a slight pull to them, eyes gleaming like that of a wild animal’s. Moonbeam’s legs trembled, tail tucked and ears flat in clear discomfort as he eyed Rain with an anxious expression.

“Again.”

This time Rain feinted her throws as she charged, but although he flinched Moonbeam didn’t blast the empty air with his magic. Rather, he retreated quickly, jerking his head to the side as he telekinetically yanked Rain’s forehooves out from under her. Caught off guard, Rain tumbled with a muffled shout, not losing her mouth-held dagger.

Moonbeam hesitated, startled that his strike had actually worked. Then, as he realized it had, he charged in with a whinny, raising his baton for a strike. Rain rolled to her side, one of her wings snapping out at Moonbeam’s charge and a throwing knife bounced off Moonbeam’s snout.

The unicorn gave a shout, losing his baton as Rain used her momentum to roll to her hooves. She rushed his flank, her second throwing knife launching past Moonbeam’s telekinesis and striking his ribs.

“Wait! Stop, stop!” he yelled as Rain leapt, tackling him to the ground. She planted herself atop him, sitting on his stomach and using her forehooves to shove his to the grass. That taken care of, she leaned in and pressed her dagger to his throat.

“‘furrender?” she asked through her weapon.

“Yes, yes, I give up!” Moonbeam winced back, hind legs kicking in the air. He let out an ‘oof’ as Rain hopped off him, rolling over and standing.

“If you surrender, you might as well be dead,” I chastised.

“No, if I surrender they’ll take me to jail!” Moonbeam snapped back, though his courage withered under the glare I gave him, “And I can escape from jail.”

“Really, everyone will take you to jail?” I asked with a scowl, “What if they’ve got a knife and they find you standing over their wife’s corpse? Do you think they’ll take you to jail, then?”

“What!?” Moonbeam exclaimed, taking a short step back, “That...that’s horrible! Why in the world would I be killing somepony’s wife!?”

“Because you were paid to!” I snapped back, annoyed by the stupidity of the question, “Maybe a secret lover wanted her dead, maybe she was a fornicator having an affair, it’s beside the point!” I hissed, “I’m here to train you three to be assassins but you can hardly hurt a damn fly!”

“I can hurt a fly!” Moonbeam countered with a snap of his tail, “I just...another person…”

“You had to have known what you were getting into when you came to me two months ago,” I growled with arms crossed, “Why couldn’t the creature of stone have sent me someone useful!?”

“Hey,” Rain interjected, garnering my attention, “So maybe Moonbeam isn’t a killer. He’s got other uses, and he’s one of my friends,” she defended, “he belongs here just as much as I do.”

“The dark brotherhood isn’t in the market to make friends,” I countered with a frown, “We’re in the market to make bodies, and if you can’t even do that then you’re next to useless.”

“I…” Rain began, scowling with a huff as she tried to think of something to say, “There’s been countless times where Moonbeam’s proven his worth to me,” she finally managed, “None of us would be here right now if he wasn’t a part of the group.”

She’s got you there, my mind commented.

Be quiet, I grumbled back, folding my arms, “Recover,” I ordered.

0 . o . 0

Moonbeam did manage a rare win here and there by the time the two were exhausted, but at the end of the day Rain still had far more.

She’s right about him, you know, my mind spoke up as I watched the two head back to the castle to wash up.

What use is he if he can’t kill? I countered, I need cold-hearted assassins, not tail-tucking pansies.

You said it yourself: his magic has proved invaluable, and as much as you’ll hate to admit it, a thief skilled with a lockpick is something you need, my mind continued, You may have had your differences with the Thieve’s Guild, but this isn’t Skyrim, remember? And in any case you still have yourself, Rain, and Choc all ready to slit throats and crush skulls.

They’re not enough, I grumbled, The Dark Brotherhood back home had more than triple this paltry bunch of ponies.

Not always, my mind countered, If you’ll recall, they were once reduced to just three assassins: the listener, Nazir, and Babette. Astrid had betrayed them to the Imperial Legion and almost all was lost…

I know the story, I muttered, All odds were against them, yet they still managed to kill the Emperor and complete the contract.

So maybe you don’t need an army of assassins to fulfill Sithis’ wishes, my mind said, If the old brotherhood managed to kill the Emperor with just three, what can this new one do?

I remained silent.

You have your sanctuary, you have your funds, and you have your assassins, Aram, my mind spoke again, I think it’s time to find the creature of stone.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

The Sanctuary...

As it was one of the largest, easily accessible, rooms still standing within the castle, the kitchen area was where most meetings were held. So, once Choc had returned from a quick food run, I had my acolytes gather here.

The three of them sat opposite me at the table we used for eating, an uncertain worry on Moonbeam’s face, one of curiosity and veiled interest on Rain’s, and a typical emotionless furrow on Choc’s brow. As I stared back I wondered briefly at my words, telling them to fight or sneak was easy, much else was difficult for me to find words for.

“We’ve been here two months now,” I began, simply deciding to plunge into the issue, “It’s time for us to move on to the next phase: finding the creature of stone.”

A look of anxiety smeared itself across Moonbeam’s features, Rain’s interest unveiling and Choc’s brow remaining furrowed as she stared back at me.

“So from what you’ve told us, the creature of stone’s in Canterlot,” Rain spoke up, “‘Where royal sisters preside’ and all that.”

I nodded, “You’re my most capable acolyte when it comes to stealth, Rain. You’ll be coming with me to find the creature of stone.

“But first...we’re going to need outfits for all of you: both for physical protection, and to hide your identities,” I gestured to their highly visible cutie marks, “The dark brotherhood uses armor like mine, enchanted to help with our missions,” I turned to Moonbeam, “That’s where you come in.”

Moonbeam gave a curt nod, perking up just a bit at the mention of magic.

“If you want to prove your worth to me, then start putting that horn of yours to use,” I waved a hand at the bony protrusion, “Weapons and armor. You say you’re good at making things? Now’s the time to put that to the test. We spent a good portion of our funds getting your laboratory set up, time to make it pay off.

“Choc,” I addressed the earth pony, “You’ll stay here with Moonbeam, hold down the fort while we’re gone.”

“Da,” she nodded.

“On the...subject of outfits,” Moonbeam spoke up hesitantly, “I don’t know what you’re looking for, but I’m really not a seamster.”

“That’s fine,” I replied, “So long as you can enchant them, that’s all I need.”

“But then who do you want to make them?” Moonbeam asked, looking about the table at the other ponies present, “None of us is really in the clothing market.”

“No, none of you are...” I said, looking down at my armor for a moment.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Ponyville...

Rarity had only just stowed the last rolling clothes rack and was about to amble over and lock the front door when the entry bell gave a jingle.

“Sorry, darling, we’re closing up for the night,” she spoke up, closing the storage closet and turning, “But we open bright and early tomorr...oh,” she trailed off at the sight of Aram and three other ponies, only just a little startled at the argonian’s presence, “Aram, was it?” she asked, eyeing his weapons and armor.

“I need some outfits made for my friends here,” he said, gesturing with a hand to the ponies.

“Oh, well, certainly, my dear, but I’m afraid you’ll have to come back tomorrow, I’m closing up shop…” Rarity trailed off again as Aram procured a small diamond from a bag at his hip, offering it forwards, “Closing up shop just for you, I mean,” Rarity smiled, taking the gemstone in her magic and trotting off to her measuring room, “Right this way, then!”

Where Royal Sisters Preside (Pt2|Ch6)

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Chapter Six: Where Royal Sisters Preside

“You’re a hair taller than I imagined,” Rarity commented as she animatedly measured my acolytes, “Hoof, please, darling,” she said, tugging at one of Choc’s large legs, “Though I do suppose the last time I saw you, you were laid out on Fluttershy’s bed in a rather wretched state.”

It took me a second to realize that she’d been addressing me, and the mention of Fluttershy made me feel...strange. I stopped the small upwards pull of my lips, calming my heart with a breath.

“How is she?” I felt prompted to ask, “Fluttershy, that is.”

“She’s well,” Rarity said, then to Rain as she measured around her: “Wings up please, there we go,” then it was back to me, “Shall I tell her you said hello?”

Yes, I wanted to say, “No,” I answered, reaching into my bag to grab another gemstone. Rarity’s work paused as she eyed the fresh bribe, “In fact, I’d prefer it if you kept this after-hours visit under wraps.”

The unicorn eyed the offered gem for a moment, eyes gauging before she hopped back to her measurements, “Oh, no need to pay me for something so drab as keeping a secret, darling. We all have them and we all have our reasons for having them,” she gave a quick smile as she finished up Moonbeam’s measurements, “My boutique is already closed up for the night anyways.

“Now, to the subject at hoof,” her magic put away her measuring devices, “The outfits.”

“I’d like something similar to what I’m wearing,” I replied, thinking, “Full body, tight fitting, dark colors, but without any hampering of movement,” I reached up to my head, pulling up the small face cover over my snout, “Hood with a face cover.”

“Materials?” Rarity asked, scribbling all this down on a notepad with her magic, “Same as well?” she frowned, “Actually, I never did get an answer from Fluttershy or Twilight, did they ever ask you what your outfit was made of?”

“Hardened leather,” I replied, pulling the face cover back down, expecting sickness or fear at the mention of the material. Though Moonbeam and Rain both appeared uneased by the notion of what my armor was made of, neither Rarity or Choc seemed to be disgusted.

“Ah, I thought so. Might I suggest synthetic?” Rarity asked, unphased, “Same quality, less cost, easier to get in these lands.”

“Leather?” Moonbeam commented, eyeing my armor with a new sense of unease, “Like, from animals leather?”

“Yes,” I replied, “Now shush,” I turned to Rarity, “Just so long as it’s as protective, sure,” I allowed, frowning at her nonchalant attitude.

“I’m quite the popular seamstress, darling,” Rarity seemed to read my mind, “I’ve had griffon customers before, from Griffonstone to Great Grifŏn, and they have quite the thing for leather...though usually not so much as armor as other things…” she blushed briefly, “Do you have any deadline of sorts?”

“This time tomorrow,” I replied, procuring another gem.

Eyeing it only breifly, Rarity’s horn lit up as she took it, “This time tomorrow, then.”

“Oh, u-um,” Moonbeam spoke up as he and the mares stepped down from the measuring booth, “We’ll want enchantable lining,” he turned to me, “Silver would be best, copper if you want to cut down on the price.”

“What?” I asked, confused.

“Well you said you wanted it enchanted, right?” Moonbeam raised an eyebrow.

“Of course,” I replied, looking between the four ponies, “Don’t you use soul gems for that?”

If the leather armor hadn’t gotten to them, the mention of soul gems certainly did. Even Choc’s normally stony expression took on a disturbed look.

Clearly there are some differences between Skyrim and this land when it comes to enchanting, my mind observed.

“You mean soul crystals? Um...no, that’s like,” he glanced briefly at Rarity, “really, really illegal.”

That coming from a thief? I mused, then gave a wave of my hand, “Fine, do it your way, then. Cost isn’t an issue.”

“R-right,” Rarity still seemed a little unsettled at the mention of soul gems...or crystals, I supposed. Still, she took a breath and collected herself, getting back to business as usual, “Silver lining, then? Will you want it in the standard cross-hatching, or…”

“That’s really leather?” Rain startled me as spoke up from my side, taking my attention from Moonbeam and Rarity, “Enchanted with...soul crystals? That stuff’s normal from where you come from?”

She’s rather good at sneaking up on you now, my mind commented.

She has a good teacher, I replied, then to Rain, “Yes, though they’re called soul gems in Skyrim. That’s not going to be a problem, is it?”

“No, I…” she began, trailing off, “Nevermind,” she said.

Odd, my mind commented, and I was forced to agree.

“So this time tomorrow, then?” Rarity spoke up, noticing the lull in our conversation.

“What’ll it cost?” I asked, wanting a price before I confirmed my purchase.

“Well, a few more gemstones of this karat? Let’s say one a piece?” Rarity bartered.

“Okay,” I replied, We’ve got plenty of gems left in that dragon’s horde, I thought to myself. If anything, it was better that she’d asked for that over bits, the gemstones, crystals, and odd gold and silver baubles that made up most of the treasure raised too many brows when used for trade. Yet before I turned to go, Rarity spoke up once more.

“You know, I could make something for you too, if you’d like,” she said, eyes dancing over my frame. Not lust, I noticed, but a certain peculiar intrigue, “Your current getup, pardon me for saying, is all rather drab and dreary. I do believe you’d look brilliant in a nice shade of gold, it goes surprisingly well with black and you’ve got the eyes for it,” she took a step back as if to better frame me, “Hmm, I’m thinking a sash of sorts, loose fit…”

“I’m fine...thanks,” I cut in, “This armor suits me just fine.”

“Very well,” Rarity sighed, a little off-put, “I’ll have your armor done by tomorrow, then.”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

The Sanctuary...

“You’re lucky you’d already bribed her to keep quiet,” Moonbeam finally spoke his mind as we made our way across the short field of grass leading up to the sanctuary, “And that you can claim ignorance when it comes to the laws here.”

Finally, he speaks! my mind commented. I too had noticed the unicorn’s antsy nature since we’d left Ponyville. His coat stood on end as if he had goosebumps, tail held low with discomfort.

“What’s the big deal?” I countered, “I understand why you’re upset about my armor, but what’s so bad about using soul gems or crystals?”

“What?!” Moonbeam spoke up, turning his head to look back at me.

“Moonbeam…” Rain spoke up.

“How can you not see the big deal here!?” Moonbeam snapped, “How could you possibly be okay with ensnaring a wonderful, eternal, consciousness just so you can get sparkly effects!?” he waved one forehoof at the last two words.

“Because I would be dead without them,” I countered with a scowl.

“But...but you’re literally using another creature’s soul to enchant something! Taking that eternal consciousness away from whatever afterlife they subscribe to!”

“Good,” I replied.

“Good!?” Moonbeam spat back, halting in his tracks and turning about to face me.

“Moonbeam,” Rain spoke up again, “What’s the big deal, he’s from another land. Their customs are different, let it go.”

“Different!?” Moonbeam retorted, turning to Rain, “Downright wrong is more like it!”

Rain opened her mouth to reply, but Choc stopped her with a hoof, “Let fight, is what males do, Rain.”

“Necromancy is practically one step up from enchanting!” Moonbeam was on me again, as I crossed my arms and gave him a scowl, “Enchanting is what I do best, so when you bring up this talk about soul crystals you insult every legitimate enchanter out there!”

“Not the ones from Skyrim,” I replied, “Not the ones who made my armor.”

“The ones who made your armor are crooks of the most ultimate crime!” Moonbeam spat back.

“And you’re a crook of the most petty level!” I retorted, giving him pause, “We all are, aren’t we?” I threw a hand towards where Rain and Choc were watching, “They’re murderers,” I pointed to him, “And you’re a goddamned thief and a hypocrite to boot. You stand there and accuse those in Skyrim of being crooks? You’re the lowliest kind of crook, a petty thief who doesn’t even have the balls to kill.”

“Killing is wrong!” Moonbeam snapped.

“Then you’re a hypocrite for colluding with killers!” I said, again gesturing to Choc and Rain.

“They...they’re not...it’s not the same!” Moonbeam replied, fumbling over his words.

“It’s exactly the same!” I snarled with a menacing step forwards, “If you’ve got your own way of enchanting things, then fine. Do it your way, I don’t care, but you’d better take a good long look at your soul before you go and curse my way of doing things.

“Now watch your tongue before you start breaking any tenets,” I finished, turning to walk up the steps of our sanctuary.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Tomorrow...

Moonbeam remained sour towards me, but I couldn’t complain as he kept it to himself...mostly.

“That doesn’t make any sense for the hood,” he said as I went over enchantments with him, “you’re the only one who uses a bow. The same goes for the armor, nobody we’ll run into here even uses poisons!”

“Fine, what would you suggest, then?” I growled back. The armor was due for pickup in a matter of hours and I still hadn’t gotten the enchantments down.

He’s got a point, the mages back home… my mind began.

I said ‘fine!’ I interrupted.

“Well the quieting spell for the boots and movement makes sense, but the only missile weapon we have aside from your bow are Rain’s throwing knives...”

“So copy the spell and make it for throwing weapons, then,” I cut in.

“I...I suppose I could do that,” he stuttered, “Though for the armor...I know some basic mage armor spells. Leather isn’t as tough as steel, but with a spell like metalflesh…”

“Fine, do it,” I gave a flippant wave.

“To cut back on the draw I could even have it work temporarily upon impact…”

“I said do it,” I interrupted again.

“Fine, sure, you don’t have to be an ass about it,” Moonbeam grumbled, marking it down in a notepad as I ignored the remark, “For my own hood...I’ll think of something, probably a lockbreaking enhancement, but Choc…”

“Fortify her strength,” I suggested.

“I’m a modifier, not a warder, and I don’t think making Choc’s muscles bulge up every time she flips on the hood would be a good idea.”

“What in oblivion does that even mean?” I asked.

“I’m good with modification magic: transmutation, lockbreaking, mage armor. A strength fortification spell falls under nature magic: healing, warding, phytokinesis, all that.”

I hate magic, I mentally scowled, understanding next to nothing about what he was talking about, “So learn nature magic,” I said.

“Oh, yeah, just learn a whole new magical school outside of my own proficiency, hah!” he laughed, “You clearly have no idea how magic works, do you? What, no unicorns in Skyrim?”

“No,” I replied, crossing my arms and fixing him with an appraising look, “Cyrodiil, where they’re hunted for their horns.”

Moonbeam blanched, taking a step back, “You...you’re joking.”

“Horses from where I come from aren’t exactly conversational,” I replied, then getting the subject back on track, “If you don’t want to give Choc’s hood the same enchantment that mine has, then fine, find something suitable on your own time. I don’t know how long it will take us to find the creature of stone, but you’ll have all that time that we’re gone to work something out.”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Rarity’s Boutique...

“Wow, I was expecting this to make me feel like a gimp or something,” Rain commented as she eyed herself in the mirror, “No offense, Rarity.”

“I’ll try not to be offended,” Rarity replied, with a rather unladylike look before turning to me and taking the offered gems, “You change your mind about my offer, darling? I would love to work on a biped for once.”

“I’ll think about it,” I said, more to get her to drop it than any desire for fancy clothes, “You three,” I addressed my acolytes, “Come along, we’ve got business to attend to.”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Canterlot...

It was deep into the night when the final train from Ponyville to Canterlot arrived, chugging to a stop at a mostly-empty terminal.

“End of the line, folks!” the conductor called, rousing the few sleeping passengers from their rest and ushering them out. He yawned as he saw the last one off, stepping back into the train as it lurched forwards and headed off again.

Only once the train had departed and the passengers had made their way off the terminal did Rain and I rise like a pair of living shadows from the side of the tracks. I brushed some loose gravel off my armor and readjusted my belt before taking in my surroundings.

Pools of shadow leaked across the cobblestone streets around me, surrounding the street lamps marching down the boulevard. The night air was cool and quiet, dead of all noise and empty of bystanders. I felt a ghost of a smile tug at my lips...it almost felt like old times.

“And you wanted to walk,” Rain said with a smile, “Told you sneaking aboard the train was the easiest way to get here.”

I gave a short grunt of acknowledgement, turning the subject to the mission at hand, “Which way to the castle grounds?”

Rain lifted a hoof to the impressive spires of a great castle, pushing off the side of the mountain in a way that could only have been accomplished with magic.

“Most of the main roads lead there, shouldn’t be too many guards out at this hour so this will be a cakewalk,” her teeth shone white as she gave me a devilish smile.

“All the same, keep your guard up and your voice down,” I advised, motioning for her to lead the way, “We don’t want to run into any trouble.”

0 . o . 0

As Rain had predicted, patrolling guards were few and far between. The only ones we spotted were a small group standing about chatting with hot drinks. I frowned at the sight of their shimmering armor, noting the many weak points. It looked ceremonial more than anything else, though their lances were sharp enough.

“Don’t let it fool you. That armor is made from a brass-gold alloy with interwoven silver fibers,” Rain answered as I made my observation. I frowned at her description, not understanding her meaning, “Ugh, too much time around Moonbeam and his mumbo-jumbo enchanter’s talk,” she muttered, “In laymare’s terms, it’s an enchanter’s wet dream come true. Super good at holding really advanced spells.”

“Like what?” I asked as we came to a halt at an intersection, peeking around the buildings and moving when the coast was clear.

“For one, their uniform enchantment: not all royal guards are white and gray with blue manes. That’s an enchantment, also comes with an IFF spell.”

“A what?” I asked.

“If I or Moonbeam put on armor that didn’t belong to us, other guards would know,” Rain said, “The real spells you should be worried about are the personal forcefield and diagnostics spell. First one is what it sounds like: a personal shield that blocks just about anything you throw at it. You can overload it, but that takes a pretty powerful weapon.”

“My bow is a pretty powerful weapon,” I said.

Rain smirked, “Maybe...but even then, if you did manage to kill one the diagnostic spell would go off and alert others nearby that one of their own was dead. It also heals them over time.”

It almost sounds like it would be better to have their armor than this stuff my mind commented, Sure you’d be an easy target, but a near-invulnerable one, too!

Maybe we’ll get to see how invulnerable these guards really are... I thought back.

“Oh yeah, and those are elemental lances. They can burn, freeze, or shock you when they strike,” Rain added, hopping into the street and staying low to remain within the shadows. I followed her, eyeing the windows on the houses to either side, yet all remained dark and empty.

“How much further to the castle?” I asked.

“Should be…” Rain said, turning a bend up ahead before halting, “we’re here.”

Rounding the bend after her, I stared up the road and saw the massive gates of the castle waiting up a short hill and across a drawbridge. Both were open, yet the sight of dutiful guards and bright lights killed any idea of simply walking through it. Scowling, I wished I had an invisibility potion.

“How do we get in?” I asked, “We still don’t want to be seen.”

“I know,” Rain answered, eying the scene, “I could fly...but I can’t fly you, and you’re the one supposed to ‘speak your name’ or whatever, hmm…” Rain chewed her lip, “How good are you at climbing?”

0 . o . 0

The moat surrounding the castle was only waist deep at its deepest, and had clearly never been designed with defense in mind. It was easy enough to cross, even if it left me wet and dripping for a while.

“Maybe I could find a rope?” Rain didn’t sound very hopeful as she eyed the pearlescent white walls rising above us.

The stone looked like it had been carved from a single slab, there wasn’t a seam in sight. I’d had to climb my fair share of castle walls in the past, stabbing into crevices with my knives to pull myself up, but I wasn’t this good.

“Where would you even find one?” I asked with a scowl, looking further down the wall, “If there’s one thing I learned about castles it’s that there’s always another way in somewhere. Sewer access, a break in the wall, a servant’s door or secret entryway.”

Silence fell for a time as we stuck to the wall, tones hushed and steps quieter for fear of being noticed. My decision to keep moving played out as we came across a small side door partway hidden in an alcove.

Rain pressed an eye to the keyhole, then her ear before looking back to me and nodding. It was almost insulting that the door was unlocked.

Pushing inside, a predatory smile played across Rain’s face as she looked back at me, “We’re in.”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Some time later...

“What I wouldn’t give for a map…” Rain hissed under her breath.

“Quiet,” I whispered back, pointing to a tall set of ornamental armor. Rain ducked low and hid behind it as I crammed myself behind a pillar, peeking out as a tired looking guard clopped by.

“Remain vigilant,” I admonished once the coast was clear.

“Right,” Rain ruffled and relaxed her wings before we moved onto the next door, “Wait...I think this one leads outside,” she reported with her eye to the keyhole.

“Where outside?” I asked.

“Only one way to find out,” Rain replied, cracking the door open and double checking that we were clear. As the door was swung fully open I spotted well trimmed hedges and a winding dirt path lined with the forms of ponies...all made of stone.

“Now we just need to find the one that makes ponies tremble,” I said as we crept out in silence.

“Nothing makes me tremble,” Rain said as she crept forwards fast and low.

“That’s a stupid statement,” I scowled as we stuck to the tall hedges and the extra darkness they provided, “Fear keeps you alive, keeps you from making stupid risks like taking on a master vampire or a frost troll.”

“A frost roll?” Rain gave a quiet snort, “What’s that? A cold pastry?”

“No, a…” I grumbled, “nevermind, keep moving.”

0 . o . 0

“Does that one seem scary?” I asked, pointing to a shadowed pony rearing triumphantly with a lance.

Rain looked to the statue and fixed me with a scowl, “Why would a pony with a lance scare me?”

“It could stab you,” I muttered.

“I could stab you,” Rain retorted with a roll of her eyes, creeping on. Yet I yanked at her tail as she began to move on, getting a venomous scowl from her. Yet I silenced her with a finger to my lips, a motion she fortunately understood, and pointed to a tall statue of a cowering creature. She moved up behind it as I lay prone in the grass beside her, a pair of roving guards with lights shining from their horns rounding a corner in the hedge.

Their lights passed casually over the ground and over the statue. Nothing happened around here, especially not at this time of night, that made the guards lax in their duties. Yet all the same, my scales stood on end as they stopped before the statue we were hiding behind. I clutched my knives tighter as one of them spoke up.

“Yeesh, I still get terrors about this guy...what he made me do back when he escaped,” there was a clear tremble in the pony’s voice.

“Yeah, dude, I know what you mean,” the second said, “every time I see a hunk of cheddar cheese…” he trailed off, “What’d he do to you?”

“I...I don’t wanna talk about it, let’s just keep moving...don’t know why Celestia keeps him around,” boots treaded over grass as the two departed, voices fading, “He got out the first time, I’d have sent him to tartarus if I was in her position.”

“Yeah, you said it…” and then they were out of earshot.

“Nice catch,” Rain whispered, creeping off. But I wasn’t done just yet.

Checking to make sure that the coast was clear, I moved around to the front of the statue to get a good look at it. I’d written it off with a glance, nothing cowering like this thing was could possibly be the terror we were looking for.

“What are you doing? Let’s keep moving,” Rain hissed, glancing back at me.

“Didn’t you hear what those guards said?” I whispered back, looking up at the being before me. It was like nothing I’d ever seen in Skyrim...or perhaps a combination of many of the things I’d seen. Antlered, equine, dragon-like with mismatching paws, claws, and hooves. I didn’t know at all what it might be.

“Well...well yeah, I guess,” Rain frowned, glancing away briefly before joining me, “But what the hay is it?”

“You’re the pony,” I replied.

“Well, yeah, but I spent most of my time in the old pony lands, a whole ocean away from Equestria. You wouldn’t expect those guards to know anything about the sand jackals of Saddle Arabia, but just ask a camel and…”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” I grumbled, staring up at the utterly bizarre statue in front of me, “I just have a feeling...what that guard said, how he said it…”

“Well…” Rain lifted a hoof to the statue, as if to say ‘go ahead.’

Not sure what to expect, I took a breath and readied myself, knives clutched tightly, “Aram Falíe,” I said.

Wind blew, leaves rustled...and nothing happened.

“Aram Falíe!” I said again with more conviction.

And again, nothing changed.

“C’mon, this clearly isn’t the statue we’re looking for,” Rain said, starting to move off again.

“No!” I stopped her with a hiss, getting an annoyed look from her, “I just...I have this feeling, this is the right statue, this is the creature of stone!”

“Well you tried the whole ‘secret riddle’ thing,” she said, air quoting the words with her wings, “How could this be the right one?”

“I don’t know...I just...” I scowled.

What is it? You spoke your name, nothing happened, my mind spoke up.

We’ve been searching these grounds for nearly an hour with nothing to show, this is the only thing that’s stood out so far! I retorted with a scowl, muttering the riddle over again to myself, “‘First travel to where regal sisters preside, and go to where creatures of stone reside...’” I started.

“Yeah, go to the canterlot statue gardens, duh,” Rain said, not buying any of it.

“‘Look for the creature that does most resemble, your dread lord, who makes many tremble…’” I stared up at the statue’s wide eyed stare. I could’ve sworn I saw...but no, there was no way.

“Yeah, obviously not this guy...gal...thing,” Rain turned to go, “We need to keep moving, this is a lost cause.”

But I wasn’t done just yet, “‘Once this creature you seek has been found, speak your name…’”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

...

“‘And it shall be bound!’” a somewhat familiar voice interrupted me with joyous cheer.

“What the..!” Rain exclaimed, both of us shielding our eyes as...it wasn’t exactly sunlight, but something shone into our dilated pupils.

My eyes adjusted quickly as I kept a wary stance, ready for an attack, but what I beheld was utterly unreal.

Rain and I stood on a small grassy hill, looking as if it had been uprooted from some set of rolling plains and deposited...here. All around us was a swirling nimbus of dark hues, other islands floating about upside down at times, though there was no real sense of up or down here.

Great winged things flew in the distance as multi-colored waterfalls spilled endlessly from distant islands.

“What in the unholy name of Sithis?” I breathed.

“Yes, what in Sithie’s name indeed,” the voice spoke from behind me. Yet this time when I turned the creature didn’t turn with me and I spotted it in all its unnatural glory, “Glad you could finally drop by, Aram Falíe!” it offered a paw forwards for shaking, “I’m Discord, glad to make your acquaintance.”

Where Creatures of Stone Reside (Pt2|Ch7)

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Chapter Seven: Where Creatures of Stone Reside

“You’re the creature of stone?” Rain spoke up first, staying beside me with wings cocked back and ready.

“Well, technically, yes,” Discord said, glancing briefly at his unshaken paw. Shrugging, he pulled it off and tossed it into the void behind him. Yet the second I took my eyes off the flying appendage a new one had appeared at Discord’s side, “Though as you can see I’m rather quite fleshy here and now. One upside to having your own realm, I suppose.”

As if for some sort of convoluted emphasis he reached down and pulled his flesh up like a skirt, revealing glistening muscle, sinew, and a miserable looking cat that yowled and sprinted off into the void.

“Oh, so that’s where mister whiskers had gone to!” Discord said, pulling his flesh back down with an elastic snap and dusting himself off, “cat got my kidney, I guess,” he gave a short laugh.

“What are you?” I asked, sizing him up with a somewhat disturbed look, “some sort of daedra?”

“Close…” Discord said, his clawed hand snapping to my earhole and returning with an oblong, brown stick before I could move, “...but no cigar.” He bit off one end and spat it off to the side, then tossed the rest into his maw and swallowed, snorting out a jet of smoke, “But no, I’m just Discord, spirit of chaos and disharmony, two-time previous ruler of Equestria, and the maker of a rather delectable fondue.” He gave a short bow, the top of his head popping off to reveal a smaller version of himself that tipped its hat and disappeared.

Collecting myself, I cleared my throat and spoke, “You already know why we’re here: Sithis told me to bring his light to this land,” I said, getting to business, “I’ve trained my acolytes, found you, and spoken my name.”

“‘Your name,’ to be precise,” Discord gave me an impish grin, “a clever little twist, don’t you think?”

“No,” I replied with crossed arms.

Discord shrugged, “Well, you can’t win them all...but of course, where are my manners? Let me show you my cozy, little home!” he turned and snapped his fingers, all of us reappearing in a flash within a small cottage with tables attached to the ceiling, stairs leading nowhere, and other odd additions that made no sense at all.

“What in the..!” Rain exclaimed, finding us seated around a table that floated in midair with curious pastries and cups.

“Chaos magic, darling,” Discord gave her a thin smile, “do try to keep up.” His fingers snapped again and our cups filled with a mysterious, dark liquid, “Chocolate milk, anyone?”

Trying not to think too hard about the odd abilities of our host for fear of my sanity, I steered the conversation back to business.

“Where do you fit into Sithis’ plan?”

“Straight to the point, eh? It’s quite simple really, so much so I almost dread the simplicity,” Discord took a bite of his drink, “back in Skyrim, you had your night mother to tell you where to go to find those who had performed the black sacrament,” one of the pastries leapt away with a squeak as Rain tentatively reached for it. She pulled her hoof back with a perturbed look, “Smack them first, helps keeps them down,” Discord gave a short laugh before turning back to me, “I...am your night mother,” he frowned, “that...sounded much better in my head, hm.”

“So...these ponies know how to perform the black sacrament?” I asked with a disbelieving scowl.

“Oh, of course not,” Discord snorted, “not yet at least,” he punctuated the word by smashing a fist down on a pastry, then tossed it into his mouth, “Mmm, still warm.”

Watching the action, Rain turned very green.

“Not in my house, please,” Discord snapped his fingers and Rain was gone. He settled my fears with a shrug, “she’ll be back.

“At any rate, no, they don’t know the black sacrament yet, not like they know the pony polkie, that is! You’re lucky nobody really even knows about you or your little hidey hole, either, though that may change once word gets around.”

“So how are we supposed to get contracts?” I asked.

“Leave that to me,” Discord grinned, “I can’t actually appear in Equestria, and with all the new wards Celestia’s had cast on my stone, it would take nothing short of a miracle for me to get free again. However, once we’re all settled in in your lair I will at least be able to enter the dreamscape and seek out those with troubled lives. From there, it’s as simple as seeking out those who are willing to go the extra mile and pay to have somepony...killed.” He made a face at the last word, forcing me to raise a brow.

“Will that be a problem?” I scowled.

“No, no problem at all, I did promise your dear, old Sithis, after all. Though I swear he cheated in that card game...no other way he could’ve beaten me!” Discord chuckled, “After all, I myself was cheating!”

“What?” I replied, A card game?

“Well, when you’re an immortal god capable of doing literally anything you want, the idea of killing just loses its flavor. For instance!” he snapped his fingers and Rain reappeared beside me, wiping her maw and looking less green and more confused than ever, “Why bother killing my enemies when I can snap my fingers and make them want to do nothing more than dance or re-enact a play? I could turn them into a mouse, a house, a grouse, a louse, any number of things! A dead body is just a dead body, it can’t squirm or laugh or cry or do the pony polkie. Killing’s just...it’s not my thing, okay?”

“I was talking about the card game,” I said, Sithis played a game of...of cards with this being!? It seemed far too mundane, too sacrilegious to be true.

I suppose gods have to have fun as well, my mind commented.

“Oh,” Discord said, “Well it was poker night. I’d made my famous fondue and…”

“Nevermind,” I interrupted, “How is this going to work? We can’t be coming here every week to find out who needs to die. Eventually something will go amiss and we’ll be caught.”

“Well as I said, so long as I’m stuck in stone in Equestria I can’t physically manifest there. That goes for the other five realms I’ve been frozen in stone, mirrors, and carbonite in.”

“What’s carbonite?” Rain asked.

“A story for another time,” Discord replied.

“So how do we free you?” I asked.

Discord laughed, “You, free me! How adorable that you think you can, aha! No, nothing short of you convincing Princess Celestia herself to release me would do the trick, and she can’t be bothered to make a mistake as egregious as that!”

“Then how are you supposed to help me!?” I growled, smashing a fist on the table.

“Careful with your manners, mortal,” Discord gave me a serpentine smile, “You may not know the pony polkie, but I would be more than happy to teach you.”

It’s somehow all the more terrifying that that’s a threat, my mind commented as I was forced to settle back down. I wasn’t interested in getting on another god’s bad side in my lifetime.

“Thank you. Now, what I can do is move my statue to a more...secure location. Maybe the princesses’ old castle in the everfree forest?” Discord suggested, “Good piece of real estate that. A real fixer-upper, sure, but location, location, location!” he smiled, “Good historical piece, and located in the middle of a cursed forest that will block everything from scrying attempts to locator spells, a wise choice indeed.”

“I thought you said you couldn’t manifest in the real world?” I said.

“True, and my chaos magic won’t work without my physical form, but!” he raised a finger, “If I had access to someone who could use regular magic, I might just be able to use them as a channel to teleport us back to your sanctuary.”

“So we’re going to have to go back and get Moonbeam,” Rain muttered, “We came all this way for nothing?”

“I didn’t say that,” Discord replied, “Your lovely, little Aram here is capable of spellcasting...if severely out of practice.”

“Wait, what?” Rain looked to me, “You can use magic? But you don’t have a horn!”

“I can barely light a candle,” I replied, ignoring Rain for the moment, “How in oblivion do you expect me to cast a teleportation spell!?”

“Horns aren’t all the rage they once were,” Discord spoke up, “And I don’t expect you to cast the spell. All I need is your physical body and all the magical energy it can hold,” Discord considered a moment, “Oh, and your hand, of course.”

Before I could move, his talons were around my wrist, a smile on his face.

“What are you…” I startled.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get it back,” his paw grabbed onto one of Rain’s forehooves, “I might keep this, though…” Rain’s eyes went wide and Discord laughed, “Kidding!” he turned to me and suddenly I felt a tingling sensation as magic was drawn into my body, “Though I’m not kidding when I say this is going to suck...for you at least.”

“Wh…” I was cut off by an explosion of light.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

The Sanctuary...

“...at?” I finished, finding myself tumbling across the hard stone floor of the sanctuary, “Fornication!” I spat, folding up tight to lessen the force of the impact.

“Aram?!” my eyes were drawn to Rain, standing on uneasy hooves across the room. She gave her head a shake and stumbled over to me, “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” I growled, though when I shoved myself to my feet I only stumbled and landed on my backside. Groaning, I put a hand to my head as the world swirled around me, “What in oblivion did Discord do?”

‘Why, I told you,’ his voice said, drawing my eyes to the cowering statue now in the center of the kitchen, ‘I used your magical abilities to teleport us back to the sanctuary,' there was an echoing chuckle.

“How are you feeling?” Rain spoke up at the end of Discord’s humor as he continued.

‘The princesses have got to be pissing themselves right about now. Their locator wards telling them my statue’s gone, but unable to track where, oh, if only I could watch!’

“Ugh, one at a time, I can’t listen to both of you!” I growled, hands shaking with a sharp feeling of pins and needles as the room settled back into place.

“What?” Rain asked, looking around, “No one else is talking.”

“Discord is,” I grumbled back, getting a firm hoof to the chest as I tried to stand again.

“No, stay down…” Rain began.

‘She can’t hear me, it’s your head I’m in,’ Discord said.

“...if I know my magic, you’re suffering from magical fatigue,” she finished.

“Fine,” I said to Rain, looking to Discord’s statue. The voice originated from that direction, “What do you mean you’re in my head?”

“What?” Rain asked, looking to the statue, “Aram…”

‘We’re mentally intertwined, you and I, there’s a little piece of me inside your head. Should make things easier, I won’t have to summon you somewhere anytime I want to chat. You will need to be nearby, however.’

“...what are you talking about?”

“Rain, quiet, Discord’s in my head,” I grumbled, What in oblivion have I gotten myself into? I mentally grumbled.

More trouble than killing the listener was ever worth, my mind replied.

‘Oh, hello, who’s this?’ Discord asked, ‘I didn’t know there was another tenant in here!’

He can read my thoughts? I wondered, startled.

What else can he see? my mind added.

‘Guys, I’m right here, you know, no need to be rude,’ Discord sounded somewhat offended, ‘But to be fair, I’m in your head like a catchy song, and privy to all that you know.’

I blanched at that idea.

‘Oh, don’t go blanching on me, I’ll keep my paws off your secrets...for the most part at least,’ I could feel him smiling in my head.

“What the hay is all this commotion!?” Moonbeam called as he and Choc came running into the room, coats sweaty and manes in disarray, “Aram!? Rain?!”

“Eto bylo bystro,” Choc observed, brow raising at the sight of Discord’s statue, “Cho eto? Is creature of stone?”

‘Ooh, ask them what they’ve been up to!’ Discord spoke up with mischievous glee, ‘If they say anything other than filling Moonbeam’s special Cream Chocolate pie then they’re lying.’

“Discord, shut-up!” I growled, mentally blocking his upset reply as I turned to my acolytes, “What in Oblivion is happening to me!?”

“Well, I...um...Rain?” Moonbeam pranced in place.

“Discord, the creature of stone, used Aram to teleport us all the way from Canterlot back to here,” she turned to me, “Apparently he can use magic.”

“So...magical fatigue?” Moonbeam asked, trotting over to me with a glance to Discord’s statue, “Choc, can you…”

“Food? Da,” she interrupted, remarking mostly to herself: “First time I am not doing for you.”

“What is going on?!” I growled once more.

“Like I said: magical fatigue,” Rain replied, “I still can’t believe you can cast spells!”

“In laymare’s terms, you’re experiencing exhaustion on a magical level,” Moonbeam explained further, “Run too far and you experience physical fatigue, use too much magic and you experience mental fatigue.”

“Ugh,” I muttered, “How do we fix it?”

“Food, water, rest,” Moonbeam replied simply, “Here, Rain, help me get him to the table…”

0 . o . 0

I found myself famished as a large tray of food was set in front of me, hands shaking and world swimming as I fed myself. My fried nerves settled as Rain regaled the others with the tale of our trip to Canterlot, finding Discord and our visit to his realm.

“That is both fascinating and horrifying all at once!” Moonbeam exclaimed, throwing a half afraid, half curious look to the statue and dropping his voice to a whisper, “We’ve literally got a monster of chaos in our kitchen!”

‘A ‘monster of chaos?’ How crude!’ Discord’s voice rang through my head, ‘I can hear him, you know!’

“He can still hear you,” I muttered between bites of cheese and bread, “There’s some part of him stuck in my head that can see and hear everything I can.”

“That’s...whoa...that’s just creepy,” Moonbeam said, casting another glance to the statue.

‘I can still hear him…’

“Oh, be quiet!” I grumbled, getting a look from Moonbeam, “Ugh, not you! Discord, again.”

“Right…” Moonbeam trailed off, “So it...erm, he is going to be giving us contracts?”

‘I think I’ve already got one,’ Discord spoke up, making me frown, ‘Oh, don’t look so surprised now, it is nighttime, after all. Equestria’s asleep and dreaming.’

“That was fast,” I muttered, mostly to myself.

“What?” Rain asked, ears perking up.

“Discord again?” Moonbeam asked.

“Yes,” I replied, then to Discord, “Where? Who?”

‘Well normally I’d love the irony of sending you back to Canterlot, but lucky for you this particular pony owns real estate elsewhere as well. He’s a Canterlot elite, so I imagine he’ll pay well for...services rendered.’

“I need a name and a location, Discord,” I didn’t bother mincing words, “Where do I go?”

‘Very well, then…’ Discord began.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Manehattan...

“Looks too public if you ask me,” Rain muttered as we neared the brightly lit club spilling just as much light as it was noisy, booming music, “Is that bad?”

“He’s not the target,” I gave her a partial answer, everything else depended on how this went down. More people meant more chances to be recognized, but I wasn’t wanted here...yet.

“Bouncer, twelve o’clock,” Rain reported, pointing to a stallion with muscles barely contained by his dark suit. He fixed us with a scowl as we approached.

“The buck are you supposed to be?” he snarked, eyeing us up and down before giving a snort, “Couple of gimps?”

“We’re here about a job,” I countered, fixing him with a matching scowl with arms crossed, “Your boss is expecting us.”

“You’ve got the wrong place, pal,” the bouncer chuckled, “Gimp show’s up the block a ways, I’d head thataway,” he gestured with a hoof, “Get lost.”

Out of the corner of my eye I saw one of Rain’s wings twitch, her eyes narrow and lips creased. I knew that tell well enough to know what was about to happen.

“Rain,” I spoke up, turning to her, “Give me something from our coffers.”

“What?” she startled, looking to me and grumbling: “Oh...right.”

Settling her wings, Rain reached back and procured a gleaming, golden necklace from...wherever it was ponies kept their pocket lint. Handing it over, I dangled it in front of me, letting the gemstones set in it catch the club’s light.

“My credentials,” I offered.

The stallion looked from the necklace to me and back before swiping it for more intense scrutiny. Rain let out a soft growl, but otherwise remained civil at my side.

“May we enter?” I asked cooly after a moment.

“You said the boss was expecting you?” the bouncer looked up from the necklace.

“Shall I take back my credentials?” I countered, letting the bouncer stew with the necklace in his grasp, “Or can we go inside now?”

Biting his lip for only a moment longer, the bouncer tucked the necklace away and gave a jerk of his head, “Go ahead mister and miss..?”

I didn’t bother with a name as I pushed past him, though Rain stopped and for a moment I was afraid she’d snap.

“Bite me,” she answered, making what I could only assume was a rude gesture with one wing. With that accomplished, she trotted on in after me.

The blasting music increased in volume as we made our way inside, far unlike anything I’d heard back home in Skyrim. The instruments were more diverse and the lyrics growled and snarled in yet another alien language. A jet of flame from the stage drew my eyes to a group of darkly clad rams.

This world just keeps getting stranger and stranger, my mind commented.

In front of the stage was a large crowd of mostly ponies, densely packed and dancing frantically to the music. Flashing, chaotic lights spilled across them, highlighting their various colors.

The strong smell of alcohol drew my eyes to a long bar just beyond the crowd, where less rowdy patrons chatted, slept, ate, and drank to their heart’s content. As it was the one thing I recognized in this otherwise alien mess, I headed in that direction, motioning for Rain to follow.

“This is the client, not the target,” I reprimanded her as we made our way over.

“Yeah, so?” she had to speak up to be heard over the music.

“So it’s best to not start with your typical way of doing things,” I continued.

“Oh, well I’m sorry if that guy was a total asswipe,” Rain grumbled, taking a stool next to me, “Wasn’t like there was anyone around to see it if I did stab his ass.”

“Watch your tongue,” I growled back as one of the bartenders cautiously approached with pen and paper in her magic, “Mead,” I ordered.

The bartender raised a brow, “We don’t stock mead here, sorry,” she replied.

What sort of bar doesn’t stock mead!? I mentally cried.

This one, evidently, my mind replied.

“Whatever you have that’s hard and sweet, then,” I grumbled.

“Yearling,” Rain ordered.

“You see our client yet?” I asked as the bartender went to fetch our drinks.

“Nope,” Rain replied, “though to be fair all that I’ve got are the pictures from those fashion magazines, it’s not like I’ve ever actually seen the guy.”

Our drinks came as the song ended on a note in tandem with another jet of flame, a new one starting up just as harsh as the first. Rain was content with her lager, though whatever concoction I received was a poor match for honeyed mead. Too lemony.

Scanning over the crowd as I sipped at my drink with a grimace, I spied a mare meld out from the ranks of the crowd. She locked eyes with me and headed over.

My danger sense spiked, but she was clad in only her coat.

“He’ll see you now!” she spoke up when she reached me.

“What!?” I asked, not hearing her.

“I said: he’ll see you now!” the mare called over the music, “Follow me!”

The mare led us through the dancing crowd, the flashing lights making them dance frame by frame. The going was slow, many of the patrons drunk and clumsy, but soon enough the crowd opened up, revealing a set of booths recessed into a wall. Some were occupied, mostly with customers of every level of drunkenness...except for one. Nestled in a far corner was a darkened booth with only a single shadowed figure waiting.

My nostrils flared at the sight, hands tingling towards my knives as I scanned the area. Client meetings were far more dangerous than one might think; perhaps a guard would overhear your words or, even worse, recognize you as an assassin. On the other hand, it might just be a ploy for an ambush by those who knew a previous victim.

Yet all seemed well as the figure gestured for us to sit, then tapped a gemstone set in the middle of the table. A shimmering shield lifted over the booth’s entrance, the music dying down to a muffled rumble and a light illuminating the stallion before us.

He wore a set of expensive-looking glasses, light grey mane well groomed and vest well pressed. He sat back in the booth, pressing his hooves together and considering Rain and me for a brief moment. The moment, however, passed and he spoke with an audible hesitance.

“I wasn’t sure whether or not that dream was real or not...not until you walked in,” his amber eyes darted briefly to Rain over the rim of his glasses, “So...I presume you’re aware of my...situation?”

“You want someone killed, we provide that service,” I said, blunt as ever, “All I know is that you want someone killed.”

“R-really?” our client asked, “I...I mean, it just seems so…”

I cut him off by ramming my right knife into the table, “This isn’t made to cut butter,” I replied, “Do you want someone killed or not?”

The pony gulped, “Yes.”

“Right, then, mister Hoity Toity,” I said, leaning back in my seat, “Who, where, and how?”

Past Faults and Future Prospects (Pt2|Ch8)

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Chapter Eight: Past Faults and Future Prospects

Hoity Toity glanced to the forcefield splitting the booth from the rest of the club, as if to make sure it was working properly. I could still hear the harsh music, but it was muffled and garbled, as if it were being played underwater. The scene beyond it was blurred, a dancing nimbus of colors the only thing visible.

“If you read the tabloids as I…” he eyed me up and down again, “...am not quite sure you do, you’ll know that a few months ago I was married. You’d also know that, currently, I’m in the middle of a large divorce, the media just loves it. The bastard got a top notch lawyer and wants half of all my many, many assets and I just…” he ceased his growing rant with a breath, composing himself with a tug of his suit, “I want you to kill him.”

“Okay,” I said, “I need a name and a location if you have it,” I threw a glance to Rain, observing how she was reacting so far. She was leaned back, looking almost bored as she watched Hoity, “A standard kill is a thousand septims, parameters…”

“I’m sorry, but septims?” Hoity Toity gave me a frown, glancing to Rain.

“He’s not from around here; he meant bits,” Rain replied, adding, “and it’s half up front.”

What in Oblivion!? That wasn’t part of the plan! I mentally snarled, giving her a quick glare as I prepared to shut down the demand.

Easy, Aram, correct her later, it won’t do to look bad in front of the client, my mind quickly stopped me, Just go with it.

Fine, I growled, then speaking, “Yes, bits. Now, that’s for a standard kill. Parameters cost extra, planting evidence, saying something, accomplishing the kill in a specific way. Most clients back home paid in favors or special items, but more gold is just fine. If the parameters aren’t met, you keep the bonus.”

“What sort of favors or special items?” Hoity Toity asked, “Because I do have some parameters: firstly, none of this can be linked back to me. The divorce itself is being hell for my career, if it was known that I had my husband murdered…”

“You want it to look like an accident, yeah?” Rain interrupted, “We can do that.”

“N-no drugs or...or suicide or anything like that, it’d look too suspicious,” Hoity Toity spoke up, “An…accident would be ideal.”

“You care if we kill him slow? Fast? You have a preference?” Rain continued.

“Rain,” I cut in, taking back the reins of the discussion, “So you want your husband killed and to make it look like an accident. You mentioned a lawyer?”

“Oh no, leave her be, no killing the lawyer,” Hoity tapped his hooves together nervously, “It’d be too suspicious if both he and his lawyer perished in some accident. I mean, she’s just doing her job.”

Rain shrugged, but fortunately remained silent.

“Okay,” I said, mentally logging everything. It was pretty straight forwards so far, “I assume you have a timeline? And what sort of bonus will you be providing for the parameters?”

“I mean, my legal team can only hold them off for so long,” Hoity gave a nervous chuckle, “I’m already in deep so the sooner the better. As to the bonus...I dunno, I could throw in another five hundred?”

“Wait, wait, you’re in the big, flashy apparel game, right? You’re good at moving stuff around?” Rain cut in before I could seal the deal.

“Y-yes, why?” Hoity Toity asked, raising a querying brow.

What’s she doing now!? I mentally grumbled about to shut this down.

Hold up a second, let her speak, my mind stopped me, The contracts with the gold bonuses were always the most boring!

“Well, what if I told you we were sitting on a literal dragon’s hoard of gold and valuables that we’re having trouble turning into bits,” Rain spoke, “Pawn shops and the like will only take so much before they start asking questions. Perhaps you could help us liquidate that.”

“A literal dragon’s hoard?” Hoity Toity asked, looking between the two of us rapidly before his eyes settled on me, “So you’re a…”

“I’m not a dragon!” I cut in with a growl, “I killed the dragon and took its hoard.”

Hoity Toity was silent for a moment, taking off his glasses to polish them, “Oh.”

“Yeah, he shot it down the gullet with that bow,” Rain added with a smile, “I helped, drove a lance into its back, it gave me a wicked smack for that. I was sore for days afterwards.”

“Well, I...I don’t see that being a problem,” Hoity Toity set his glasses back on his snout, “I guess I’m putting my cards with the right people if you’ve already killed a dragon!”

“So your husband’s name?” I asked, everything else settled.

“Spruce Up,” Hoity bit out the name with a sudden venom, “He’s currently residing in my summer home in Vanhoover, I can give you the address if you’d like.”

“That would be ideal,” I said as Hoity Toity produced a paper and pen.

0 . o . 0

“Well that went amazing,” Rain smiled up at me as we left the club, much on my mind. One particular thought came to the forefront as I recalled one particular event.

“What was that about the bits up front?” I growled back, getting a wounded expression in return, “Don’t go over my head like that next time!”

Rain’s expression soured, “Oh, well excuse me for trying to get the best out of our deal!”

“There was no reason to ask for bits up front,” I countered, “There’s a way that we do things in the Dark Brotherhood and that isn’t it. We get paid when the contact is complete, there’s no ‘up front’ payment.”

“And why not? What if they refuse to pay up after the fact? What if something goes sour and we can’t make the kill?” Rain replied, not backing down.

“First off, lower your voice!” I hissed, glancing about to make sure no one had heard her killing comment. Fortunately it was still the dead of night and the streets were mostly deserted, “And second, they’d be stupid to refuse, we’re the Dark Brotherhood! And it’s incentive for us to do things right.”

“Okay, well maybe you haven’t noticed, mister thousand ‘septims,’ but this isn’t Skytrim. The ‘Dark Brotherhood,’” she quoted the words with her wings, “is all but unknown, nobody’s dealt with us before so they don’t know what we’re capable of.”

“Skyrim,” I corrected her.

“Skyrim, whatever,” Rain dismissed me with a hoof, “The point is, maybe Hoity Toity will refuse to pay once we complete the contact. Maybe he’ll turn us in! Who knows? We don’t have a hoof-hold here yet, we’re like the new foal on the block. People are going to push us around to see if we break, getting money up front helps against that.”

I gave a snort of dismissal, waving a hand back at her.

She’s got a point there, actually, my mind cut in.

She went over my head! That’s insubordination! I retorted, Not quite tenet-breaking, but certainly close.

That’s true, but all the same she’s kinda right, my mind began, Equestria doesn’t know of the Dark Brotherhood yet, you’ve got to keep that in mind. Going over your head was wrong, but her idea is sound. If Hoity Toity doesn’t pay...

Then he dies, I retorted.

Do you really think it will be that easy? What about the repercussions? The Dark Brotherhood doesn’t have a foothold here yet as Rain said.

I remained silent.

Now Hoity Toity has a foot...or hoof...in the door. It’s not much, but it’s more incentive to pay up at the end than going all in.

“Fine,” I growled, conceding to both arguments, “But consult me in the future.”

“Fine,” Rain replied, sounding happy she’d convinced me, “Now, where to? Vanhoover?”

“Not yet,” I replied, “First things first, we return to the sanctuary, stock up, plan, and then execute.”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

The Sanctuary...

“So,” Choc began after I’d explained the mission, “Kill gomoseksual'nyy pony, do not kill advokat pony. Legko sdelat'.”

“And he’ll help us turn our hoard into bits if we make it look like an accident?” Moonbeam seemed to like that idea even if it did involve killing.

“Yes,” I replied, “We’ll need to scout out the house, find out if our target has any vices or schedules we can make use of. Moonbeam,” the unicorn grew tense as I turned to him, “You’re the best with locks. Once we set up, you’ll sneak in and survey the house to see if you can find any paperwork or scheduling information; day to day activities and the like.

“If we can find a structural weak point, a loose wall mount, something that could be made to fail, that would be ideal. If not, we can line something up with his schedule.”

“No one suspects a fallen chandelier,” Rain said with a smile.

“That sounds easy enough,” Moonbeam spoke up, thinking for a moment, “If they’ve got a survey on record, that might have more information about the house.”

“Sure,” I said, turning to the Choc, “Choc, I don’t want to leave our sanctuary unguarded. Rain and Moonbeam should be more than enough to get this done.”

“Khorosho,” she said simply, hiding her thoughts on the matter with a bland look.

“If everything’s settled, then,” I said, turning to look at the group as a whole. Each had their part to play, their own little niche within the food chain, “Pack light and sleep well, we move at sundown tomorrow, you’re dismissed.”

Choc and Rain turned to go, heading out to fulfill their duties. I frowned as Moonbeam remained, looking at me as if he wanted to say something.

“What?” I asked, crossing my arms in preparation for something stupid.

“Oh, well, um, I-I have something I think you’ll want to see,” hesitantly, he left the table and trotted off, looking back after a moment, “In my lab…”

Giving him a nod, I followed. He continued to speak as we made our way down the long, stone halls.

“So, remember how you said you could’ve used some rope on your mission to Canterlot?” Moonbeam began. The question was rhetorical so he continued without my reply, “Well I got to thinking and I think I found a solution.” Stepping into the small room he’d claimed as his ‘lab,’ Moonbeam trotted over to a workbench and lifted an odd-looking arrow in his magic, turning to me with a proud smile, “Viola!”

Frowning, I took the arrow from his magic, scowling over it. It was a little heavier than usual, with metal inlay that thrummed with magic. The tip was blunt and covered in synthetic leather, something hard held beneath.

“What is this?” I asked, turning to Moonbeam with an altogether unimpressed look.

“It’s a rappelling arrow!” he replied, more animated than I’d ever seen him, “Shoot it up a wall, and it’ll feed you a line to climb up.”

That does sound useful! My mind chimed in.

If it works… I replied with and air of skepticism, “How does it work?”

“Well…” Moonbeam took a breath.

“Spare me the magical mumbo jumbo,” I cut in.

“Oh,” Moonbeam lost some of his gusto, “Well...you shoot it, it magically attaches to the surface and feeds you the line,” he shrugged, scratching the back of his head, “Sounds...kinda lame when you put it that way, are you sure you don’t want me to explain..?”

“Yes,” I replied, “What else do I need to know about it,”

“Well, it needs to be recharged after each use. Just feed it some magical energy before shooting or keep it topped off. To detach, just grip the line or the arrow and will it to release.”

“Will it to release?” I frowned, fixing Moonbeam with a confused look.

“Yeah, like you would with a spell, willpower or effort, take your pick of the term.” As I continued to stare at him like he was speaking another language, he suddenly frowned, “Wait, you said you could use magic, how do you not know about willpower?”

Well, seeing how hard it is to light a candle… my mind began.

Shut-up, I replied, turning to Moonbeam with a foul taste in my mouth. As much as I hated admitting to a weakness, I needed to know how this arrow worked, “I’m not very well versed in the arts of magic, humor me: what is willpower?”

“Wait, so if you don’t know what willpower is..? Did no one teach you the spell triangle?”

“No,” I admitted with a scowl.

“Well..!” Moonbeam began anew, looking happy again.

“In layman's terms,” I cut in.

“Ugh, fine!” Moonbeam took a moment to collect himself, thinking, “Are you familiar with the fire triangle? Fuel, oxygen, heat? The three things needed to make a fire?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“Well think of magic like a…similar sort of thing,” he started, “With magic, you have magical energy, concentration, and willpower. Magical energy, or magic, is your fuel. Concentration is your oxygen, heat is your willpower, so to say.

“You at least know how to draw in magical energy, right?” Moonbeam asked.

“Yes,” I replied.

“Okay, cool, and concentration? Crafting your spell within the confines of your mind, thinking through the how of the spell’s construction?”

“I think so,” I said, “Making the fire by making something hotter.”

“More or less,” Moonbeam shrugged, moving on, “Then we get to willpower, where the actual casting takes place. Willpower...hmm,” he paused to consider his words again, “It’s like, you just sort of expect the spell to go off; how to best explain it..?” Moonbeam turned about, looking around the room. Finally, he stopped and pointed to a wall, “Here. Shoot that wall with the arrow, it’s already got a charge.”

Drawing my bow, I nocked the arrow, sighted, and fired it at the wall. It was slightly heavier than one of my standard arrows, and I made a mental note that I wouldn’t be able to shoot it as far.

It flew well enough in the confined space, striking the wall with a dull thud. As Moonbeam had said, a short strand of rope appeared from the tip, dropping the short distance to the floor.

“One thing I should mention,” Moonbeam said as we made our way over to the arrow, “There’s a crystal nestled in the front there. At longer distances there shouldn’t be any issue, but I wouldn’t shoot it at short range unless you really need to. The crystal is wrapped up tight, but repeated trauma could shatter it.

“Anyways, onto removing it,” Moonbeam gestured to the rope, “Give it a good tug, try to pull it off the wall.”

Doing as he said, I grabbed the rope and pulled, finding the arrow held tight. Gripping the arrow, I gave a grunt as I tried to yank it off the wall, yet it held steadfast.

“Now, holding onto the shaft, anticipate the arrow coming off,” Moonbeam continued, “It, um, sometimes helps greenhorns to say the spell, or in this case, the action desired.”

Holding the arrow, I looked at it and pulled. It didn’t budge, “Detach,” I growled, mentally demanding the arrow to come free. Yet the arrow refused to obey.

“No, you’re not expecting it,” Moonbeam said, “Take a breath, relax, the arrow will come off the wall, you just need to expect it to happen. You need to know that it will happen, that is willpower.”

I begrudgingly took a soft breath, closing my eyes and taking the arrow in my hand. I could feel a soft thrum of magical energy flowing through it, faint, but there, a soft tingle in my palm. Holding it in place, I gave a soft tug, like I was pulling an arrow out of a target, be it a hay bale or a body.

Opening my eyes, I looked down to find the arrow free of the wall, the rope gone.

“Wow,” I muttered, blinking down at the arrow.

Most impressive! My mind commented with glee.

“Yeah!” Moonbeam beamed, like a child with a new toy, “So did I do good or what!?”

You gotta admit… My mind said.

“Good job,” I admitted, absentmindedly giving the pony a soft pat on the head as I stowed the arrow.

Moonbeam flinched back under the treatment with a startled whinny, making me jump back in response.

“Whoa, hey, um...please don’t...” Moonbeam gave me a flustered look as he ran a hoof through his mane, “No patting please,” he said with a flush.

“Sorry,” I stated, brushing myself off, “You’re just…” I trailed off.

“No, I...I think I get it, ponies aren’t so vocal where you’re from,” Moonbeam flushed, “Erm, excuse me,” he cantered off before the situation could spiral any further.

Awkward, my mind observed.

“Shut-up,” I grumbled, heading off to pack.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Some time later...

Peering over my gear, laid out over my bed, a sense of calming familiarity came over my mind. I felt like I was back in Skyrim again, picking and choosing what to take with me for an assassination.

The obvious additions came first, my knives and bow plus my quarrel of arrows. I left Moonbeam’s rappelling arrow in my quiver, better to have it and not need it and all that.

A few healing an stamina potions were added to my pack, yet my hand hesitated over the selection of poisons. Hoity Toity had said he didn’t want Spruce Up poisoned, but I still added a few...just in case.

“Hey,” Rain spoke up from the door, making me flinch.

Quiet, little pony, I mentally grumbled, turning with a scowl, “What?”

“Oh,” she lifted a forehoof as if she was about to leave, “Is...is this a bad time? I just, well, finished packing and, well...” she trailed off with an embarrassed smile.

I looked over my gear; more or less all I needed was packed and ready minus things like food and water. I had time to spare.

“No,” I replied simply, hesitating, “What is it?”

Her mouth opened as she started to say something, then seemed to think better and shut it, pouting as she thought over her words, “Are you nervous?”

“No,” I replied again.

“Oh, I...uh…” Rain stuttered, evidently not expecting that, “Well, I...really?”

“I’ve done this a lot,” I answered, gesturing to the gear laid out on my bed.

“Right, well, I, um, kinda am,” she gave me a weak smile.

“Why?” I asked, “You’ve killed before,” I paused a moment, remembering, “Seventeen others?”

“Seventeen others, yeah,” she gave a quick smile, “Eighteen if you count the dragon...but I...it’s never...” she trailed off with a growl, looking away for a moment, “You know what, this is stupid, I shouldn’t be asking. It’s fine.”

“Rain,” I stated as she turned to go. Part of me wanted to just let her go, her worries weren’t my concern…

Her teeth flashed white against her dark coat, water dripping from her mane as we shared a laugh next to the dragon’s corpse…

What in Oblivion..? I shook the memory from my head, “What’s bothering you?” I asked.

“I...well I guess I’ve just never…assassinated anypony before,” she said after a moment, glancing uncomfortably away from my eyes, “Before...before it was for survival, or to get away after Moonbeam tripped an alarm…” a darkness fell over her, “...or when I killed my uncle.”

“Your uncle?” I probed, just a little curious.

Her eyes latched onto mine, searching for a moment for...something. Whatever it was, and whether or not she found it, I didn’t know as she continued.

“Ugh, look, if we’re going to do story time I need a drink,” she turned and trotted away, leaving me alone for a moment. After a second her head poked back around, “You coming or not?”

0 . o . 0

Pulling open the pantry doors, I scoured over the drinks we had. There weren’t a whole lot, and most of them with labels written in Equestrian; I grumbled at myself for not having learned to read or write it yet.

But my eyes alit to a familiar shape nestled in the back: my bottle of nord mead.

“You got something yet?” Rain asked from the table, two glasses before her.

I hesitated only a moment longer before reaching back and grabbing the bottle. We were going to complete our first contract soon, that was occasion enough I supposed.

“What is that?” Rain asked as I uncorked the sweet liquid and poured.

“Nord mead,” I answered, taking a glass for myself and sipping at the sweet nectar, “One of the two things that nords can do well,” I said, adding at her querying look: “Make mead and kill each other.”

“I don’t get it, what’s a nord?” Rain said, sipping thoughtfully and shrugging at the taste, “More of a beer filly myself.”

“Nords are one of the races of Skyrim,” I took a moment to think of how best to describe them, “Like me, but no tail, a flat face, smooth skin, and a lot of hair on the head and face,” I pointed atop her head, “Kinda like a mane.”

“So...not at all like you?” Rain said with a snarky smile.

“They walk on two legs,” I added defensively with an odd tug at my lips, yet a scowl pulled at my features as I continued, “They’re also a batch of thick-headed racists. The cause of most of the problems in Skyrim.”

“That sounds a little harsh,” Rain said with a frown...

The old nord guard begged me, a hand lifted up towards my stalwart form, fingers blue from the cold. His breath was frosted, blue lips cracking at the swirling, white death around us.

I just continued to watch…

“What did you want to talk about?” I changed the subject, pulling myself away from the memory.

“My uncle,” she began, practically spitting the word. Yet her eyes darted to mine and the venom died away, “He...he was the first pony I ever killed,” she began again, considering a moment with bile on her tongue, “I guess I sort of assassinated him, it was coming for sure, the old buzzard deserved it. One day he was yelling at me for something stupid and...and I just snapped and opened his throat with a paring knife,” her eyes were still locked onto me, but now they saw through me, beyond me as she gave another quick smile, “Still remember that look on the old, buzzard’s face as he fell out of his chair and started choking on his own blood…”

“Your parents sent you away after that?” I asked, taking another sip of the mead.

She gave a cold, mirthless laugh at that, “My parents,” she sneered and downed her glass, filling another as she continued, “couldn’t be bothered to deal with little old me. They put me in my uncle's care before I was even weaned, hired some wet nurse to finish the damn job.”

She came back from wherever it was she’d been visiting, eyes fixing on mine, “I don’t know how family works where you’re from, but Prance still practices the old ways. Typically, once a foal is weaned they live with either dam or sire till they come of age. Pegasi aren’t all commitment this and let’s have a family that. Not at all like here in Equestria.

“But no, not little, foal me,” she scowled, “I got my uncle and my wet nurse.”

“I’m…I’m sorry,” I said haltingly, unsure if it was the proper thing to say or not. I finished my glass, hoping it might help.

“Thanks,” Rain replied with a sigh, “I’m sorry, it’s just...I get all,” she made a vague gesture with a hoof, rolling her eyes, “How about you?”

“What?” I asked, not ready for further questions.

Oh, confound these social interactions, am I right? My mind jested.

“What was it like growing up where you’re from?” She asked, “I mean, I know practically nothing about you.”

“Oh,” I said, considering that for a moment, “I...my parents…”

The flames burned my outstretched hands as the cold burned and my toes and my tail…

“I grew up in an orphanage,” I cut past the details, “when I came of age I got a job at a fishery. Life was...difficult,” I summed my early life up plainly, swirling my refilled glass in front of me, “I started doing mercenary work, killings bandits for a little bag of gold until…” I heard my old longbow creak in my ear, a cry for help from a voice I once knew. I cut the memory short, summarizing to keep my mind away from its dark thoughts, “I lost myself, found Sithis, and here I am now.”

“You lost yourself?” Rain asked, curious.

“A story for another time,” I said, drinking from my refilled glass.

“What? Why not now?” Rain didn’t take the hint, looking around the kitchen, “You’re more or less done packing, so am I. We’ve got a little time to kill. I opened up to you, only fair you open up to me,” Rain continued, fixing me with an even look, “I barely even know you, Aram. You just sit back moodily and watch everypony else. I just...I…” she glanced away, “I want to get to know you, you know?”

“You can go do that with Moonbeam, or Choc, or the Ponyvillians,” I waved at the door.

“Psh,” she gave a dismissive wave of one hoof, “Trust me, I know Moonbeam. Like, intimately,” she clopped her forehooves together with a knowing look.

“What?” I asked.

“Beside the point,” Rain waved me off, hopping from the bed and taking a few steps towards me. Tense, I remained where I was, “The pony...person, I want to know is you, Aram. Why are you here?”

“Sithis sent me,” I stated, “You already know that.”

“Right, but what is it that made you…you?” Rain’s golden eyes burned into mine, “What did you lose?”

I closed my eyes, pressing my gloved fingers to my face, “It’s nothing that concerns you,” I grumbled, Nothing that I want to dredge up again. My face was feeling flushed and absentmindedly I grabbed and downed my glass, filling up again, “I...killed someone dear to me…” I finally allowed, “He was my brother, a brother in all but blood.”

“Oh,” Rain said, hesitating a moment, “Was he your first kill?”

“No, that was some stupid...” I grumbled, trying to remember, “I don’t even know, Aventus wasn’t...” I froze as the name left my lips. Dreading what might come to the forefront of my mind...yet my mind was dull and silent so I quickly wet my lips with some more mead, finishing the glass.

“Aventus?” Rain asked, “Was that his name?”

“Yes…” I said, taking a deep breath, “His name...was Aventus Aretino.”

Till Death do us Part (Pt2|Ch9)

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Chapter Nine: Till Death do us Part

Silence dwelt for a time after the name left my lips, and for a moment I could almost see him there again; calling out my name one last time as I shifted my aim and fired at the fleeing target. Before I could nock another arrow he was dead and everything was red.

“What happened?” Rain interrupted my thoughts.

“A story for another time,” I replied, looking away and blinking quickly, Something in my eye…

“Well, c’mon, you can’t just tell me your brother’s name and just call it quits,” I waved her off, taking a gulp from my glass, only to find it empty. Grabbing the bottle, I found it empty too.

How much did I drink? “Some other time,” I stressed the words again, “I still have packing to do.”

“Aram…”

“Not now, Rain!” I snapped, slamming my fist down on the table.

She jumped at the noise, but conceded: “Yeesh, okay, okay! Touchy subject, been there, done that, I get it.”

“Thank you,” I said, settling down, “Maybe...maybe after we finish the contract.”

“Hey, it’s a deal!” Rain offered a hoof across the table and, after a moment, I took the furry, cloven appendage and shook. Something...something had changed after I spoke Aventus’ name, I felt somehow lighter, perhaps more free.

Just the alcohol...haven’t had a good drink in ages, I told myself, suddenly realizing that my hand was still gripping Rain’s hoof. It felt strange there, and not just from the weird grippy feeling that pony hooves seemed to have (how did such an appendage grip things anyways?), there was...something more.

“Heh, um, sorry…” Rain trailed off, pulling her hoof back, “Deal?”

I considered a moment, “Deal.”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Dawn...

“Be safe, Moonbeam,” Choc gave a nod to the unicorn, then to Rain, “Rain,” and finally to me, “Yashcheritsa.”

“We’ll be safe, I promise,” Moonbeam smiled, giving the earth pony a quick embrace.

‘Don’t mess up too badly!’ I turned a soft glare to Discord’s statue, ‘What? I’m rooting for you! Go team Sithis!’

“We’ll be back,” I said to nopony in particular.

I flinched as there was a sudden sound of someone blowing their nose into a handkerchief, followed by a loud explosion, ‘Farewell!’ a suddenly tearful Discord spoke up, ‘Oh, how I’ll miss you, my darling!’

“Okay, we’re leaving!” I said, turning on my heel and making a hasty retreat towards the main entrance. Rain and Moonbeam followed with confused frowns.

‘What? Was it something I said…’ I heard Discord’s voice ask, fading as I reached the limit of our...bizarre connection.

Immortals, my mind seemed to shrug, What can you do?

0 . o . 0

There wasn’t much conversation as we started out, everyone was a little nervous. Even I was feeling a knot in my guts; Equestria was entirely unknown to me, nothing like the familiar, cold misery of Skyrim. We had crossed the bridge and started on the path to Ponyville when we made our first pit stop.

“I see you are armed, should I be alarmed?” Zecora rhymed from just behind.

My acolytes and I jumped, turning and spotting the strange, cloaked Zebra watching us from the path to our rear. I motioned for them to settle as the zebra simply stood there, looking relaxed with her hood back.

Quiet thing… I mentally grumbled, “You’re in no danger, Zecora,” I replied with the truth, crossing my arms as I turned to her. My acolytes stayed ahead of me on the path, “There’s somepony who needs our help.”

“If by ‘help’ you mean ‘hurt’ then I shall be quite alert.”

“I didn’t say that,” I replied, uncrossing my arms and turning back to the path.

“Before you go, perhaps you should know…” Zecora stopped me with a warning, “Ponyville is in uproar, it seems they are quite sore,” at my curious look, she continued, “A statue has been removed from Canterlot. A long ways away, quite a distance to trot. Stolen last night, it caused quite the fright...”

I merely gave a shrug, “Thanks for the warning, I’ll keep a sharp eye out.”

“See that you do…” Zecora said, trailing off.

I frowned when she didn’t continue.

Odd creature, my mind commented.

Very, I agreed, turning and gesturing for my acolytes to follow.

Zecora remained where she was, watching my back until the forest had swallowed me and I’d moved out of earshot, “...Many eyes are watching you.”

0 . o . 0

Heeding Zecora’s advice, we took the long way around, avoiding Ponyville altogether. There was no real rush and we’d decided against using the train system, better to leave as few breadcrumbs as possible when it came to murder. Vanhoover was only a few days walk and there were no scheduled storms on our route.

Scheduled storms! My mind remarked, There’s something you don’t get to say very often!

I’d never had a horse back in Skyrim, when one of my targets was in some far-reaching place, I walked. It was a good way to collect ingredients and it gave me time to think on how I could take out my target.

And more importantly, it let me be alone.

No such luck regarding that, my mind commented, drawing my eyes back to Rain and Moonbeam, each with their own set of packed saddlebags.

“Just like old times, eh, Moonbeam?” Rain asked with a devious grin, “Roaming the countryside in search of pockets to pick and skulls to crack together.”

“In search of adventure!” Moonbeam gulped, trying to put on a brave face, “Only now our end goal is killing a pony,” he turned his head away, staring off towards the horizon.

Rain frowned, eyes finding mine as she gave a shrug. Speeding her pace, she caught up to me, “So…” she started.

“Yes?” I asked.

“You ever killed a pony like this before?” Rain asked, “Any tips or tricks? You got a game plan?”

Thinking back with a contemplative scowl, I considered a moment before something clicked, “There was this crotchety, old breton once…”

“Sorry, question,” Rain interrupted me, “Breton?”

“Like nords, but magical,” I answered simply.

“What’s a nord?” Moonbeam asked, keeping pace behind us.

“Like Aram, but not like Aram,” Rain answered for me, “Flat faces, no tail, smooth skin, and a mane or something, I dunno.”

“Weird,” Moonbeam said, studying me more intently for a moment.

“There was an old breton,” I continued, “The old fool wouldn’t die naturally and he was sitting on a wealth of gold and valuables, all in his will. Suffice to say, his sons were getting tired of his breathing so they took out a contract on him to speed things up.

“It was actually supposed to be easy, the old fool could hardly even crap on his own. I know, I watched him for a day or two before I actually killed him.”

“Ew,” Moonbeam commented with a scrunched nose.

“He’s an old stallion...er, breton, why not just walk up and kill him?” Rain inquired, with a laugh, “What’s he gonna do, breathe his old grandsire breath on you?”

“He incinerated the first assassin they sent to kill him,” I countered flatly, seeing Rain’s smile die on her face, “Probably because he thought the same way that you do.

“This old man wasn’t a fool, he’d studied magic all his life and knew it like he knew it like the back of his hand. After the first assassin he set up runes all around the house...magical traps,” I added at the look I got from the ponies, “And he kept recasting a spell that made his skin as strong as ebony...the ore, not the…” I grumbled at the second odd look I got, “He cast a spell that made his skin almost impervious to damage...almost.

“But he had a habit that he kept to, I told you he could hardly crap by himself?” My two acolytes nodded, “Well, his outhouse was a short walk from his home.”

“So you got him while he was on the shitter?” Rain asked.

“Ew,” Moonbeam said again.

“Not quite so simply, but yes, I shot him on his way back. Only thing is I knew he cast a life detection spell before he left so I had to be a ways away to remain undetected. I poisoned one of my arrows with a paralysis poison, lay in wait a ways away, and shot him when he went to return to his home.

“From there it was as simple as getting down there before the poison wore off, while avoiding a couple runes, and opening his neck with one of my knives.”

“Clever,” Rain smiled.

“But not super helpful if we’re talking about our current situation,” Moonbeam put in, “No poisons and it needs to look like an accident.”

“Okay, maybe not exactly what we need, but with some similarities,” Rain said, turning her head to Moonbeam, “We monitor Spruced Up, find a habit to exploit, and exploit it, right?” she looked back to me.

“Right,” I said.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Outside Vanhoover…

“Why would you think getting a room at a local inn would be a good idea?” I asked, looking down from the small rocky clearing amidst what the ponies called the Unicorn Range. Below us sat a set of dim lights marking Vanhoover in the predawn darkness, “We’re trying not to be seen.”

“Well I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t mind sleeping in an actual bed again,” Rain replied, “Or taking a nice, hot shower, maybe?” I turned towards her and Moonbeam, taking a break from our trek up the mountains, “And besides, we can just bribe the check in pony, skip the whole sign in process, I’ll say me and Moonbeam are eloping and want to keep low for a few days, let the old mister and missus cool off or whatever.”

“That one has always worked for us in the past,” Moonbeam added.

“And what happens when, after our target’s unfortunate accident, the authorities decide to ask the innkeep about any strange visitors?” I countered, folding my arms, “What happens if they give a description of these two elopers?”

“Well if we bribe them with enough bits…” Rain started.

“No,” I settled the debate, setting down my pack and clearing a spot for my sleeping bag, “We camp here and move on the estate at first light. Now get some rest.”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

...

“Hey, Aram, hey! Wake up!” I felt someone shaking my shoulder. Blearily, I opened my eyes, squinting against a blazing...moon? Why…how was the moon on fire? I startled as I found myself in a bed floating in a great ocean, my armor replaced with a set of striped pajamas, “Well, don’t really wake up, I need to talk to you.”

I turned to spot Discord floating next to my bed.

What in oblivion? I wondered.

“Yes, what in oblivion indeed,” Discord said, snapping his fingers. A pair of glasses materialized upside down on his head, a feather and a small notepad appearing in his hands, “Now, what’s your favorite food?”

“What?”

“What is. Your. Favorite. Food?” Discord sounded out.

“I...apples?” I said, not quite sure what was going on, “Why..?”

“Hm?” Discord said, scribbling furiously, “Oh, Luna’s trying to get into your dream. Probably not the best idea to let her in what with where you are and what you’re doing, best to let her think you’re snuggled in tight here in the old castle.”

“How does knowing my favorite food..?” I began, staring at the bizarre mismatch of animals in front of me, “You know what, forget it, it’s apples. Can I go back to sleep now?”

“You’re already asleep, this is a dream, after all!” Discord said, glancing from me to his notepad, “Now, what kind of apples would you say are your favorite?”

“What?”

“What kind. Of apples…”

“Red!” I grumbled, “Fornication, I don’t know!”

“Red…” Discord said as he wrote, “Fornication apples, hm, never heard of that kind before! Red delicious, sure, but never red fornication!”

I merely fixed the spirit of chaos a scowl, crossing my arms as I sat up in the bed.

“I know, I know,” Discord said with a grin, flicking his glasses into the air (whereupon they sprouted wings and flew away) and tossing the notepad into his mouth before using the quill to wipe his lips, “Mmm, tastes like apples!”

“Do you have something to report or are you just here to tell me about Luna and bug me about apples?”

Discord gave a shrug, “I dunno, kinda thought we might have a little bro-date. Have a little heart to heart, I’m bored and Choc’s asleep so I can’t make her run around the castle chasing sounds anymore. Besides, I think she’s catching on! She gave me the most scandalous look today.”

“You’re doing what? Ugh!” With an exasperated grumble, I lay back down in the bed, squeezing my eyes shut in an effort to wake myself up. Water sloshed peacefully against my floating bed, the moon burning down on my face...as I felt something suddenly squirming against the scales of my chest.

Scowling, I opened my eyes and glared down, spotting a miniature Discord poking his upper body out from under my shirt. He had his chin supported with his hands, staring at me with a small smile.

“Hey,” he said.

Growling, I rolled off the bed, splashing into the water...

0 . o . 0

And sputtered awake, sitting up in my sleeping bag with dawn’s light spilling across the horizon.

“Fornicating gods,” I muttered, laying back down for a moment. At the very least he was proving himself useful in keeping Luna away.

Such a pestersome pony, maybe someone will decide to take out a contract on her! My mind spoke up, Royalty is always a prime target for culling!

One can only hope, I thought, getting up with a quick stretch, “All right, ponies!” I spoke up, moving over to the other two sleeping bags and nudging the others awake with my boot.

“Ugh, ow!” Moonbeam complained, stretching out his back like a cat, “Think I slept on a rock or something.”

“Well don’t do that next time,” I said, rolling up my bag, “Light breakfast, nothing hot. I don’t want any fires, then we move out.”

0 . o . 0

The mansion was situated near the base of the Unicorn Range, surrounded in parts by grassy meadows and extensive gardens. Both had seen better days, with weeds and ankle-high grasses evidence that, as Hoity had said, the staff had been removed from the premises.

“Almost looks abandoned,” Moonbeam commented as he peered through a set of binoculars, “Lights are all out, nopony home.”

“Might be a late sleeper,” Rain beat me to the obvious, “Maybe I should sneak down there and take a closer look,” she continued, rising to her hooves and flaring out her wings.

“No,” I stopped her, “stay down, if he sees you this could all be over.”

“We don’t even know if he’s home,” Rain gestured downwards with a hoof, “besides, I’ll fly in low, keep to the shadows.”

“No, Rain,” I said again, “There’s almost nowhere to hide down there, Hoity Toity said Spruced Up would be here, so be patient and wait.”

“Hoity Toity also said…”

“Tenet three, Rain!” I snapped, “Never disobey or refuse to carry out an order…”

“From you, yeah, fine, I got it,” Rain grumbled back, settling down with a mutter.

“Wait, I think…” Moonbeam spoke up, focusing in on the mansion.

“What, do you see him?” Rain asked, eyes squinting across the distance.

“Thought I saw movement through one of the windows...there, I spotted him! He’s moving down a hallway on the second floor, wearing a robe or a nightgown or something.”

“Late sleeper,” Rain commented.

“He’s out of view from the window, lost him again.”

“Well we know he’s here, now,” I said, “Let’s see what his schedule consists of.”

0 . o . 0

It was an hour and some change later that Spruced Up was spotted again, this time trotting down a short gravel drive to a different building. This one was short and squat, with few windows and a series of large doors.

“That’s a garage,” Moonbeam answered my query, “place for storing carriages.”

“I thought he didn’t have any staff on hoof, what’s he going to the garage for?” Rain asked, silence falling as we watched. A few minutes later one of the large doors opened and a carriage rolled out, sans pullers.

“It’s an auto-carriage,” Moonbeam didn’t look up from his binoculars, “It’s driven by magical enchantments, no pullers required. The rider puts in the destination and the carriage drives there. Pretty useful, actually, but damn are they expensive; I should know, tried to fence one a few years back, re-enchanted the gem and everything.”

“All right,” I said, standing and checking my gear once the carriage was gone, “Rain, fly down there and find the exits, Moonbeam, you’re on my tail. We’ll make our way inside and scout the place out,” I turned to Moonbeam as Rain leapt into the air and zipped off down the mountain, “No thievery!”

“Okay, okay, got it!” Moonbeam grumbled, following me down

0 . o . 0

“Five exits, one front, right, and rear, two left,” Rain reported, touching down next Moonbeam and me as we finished our trek across the long grass, “Six if you count the one leading out to the balcony.

“Two going to the garage, and two to the smaller servant’s building,” she finished, looking proud of a job well done.

“Any loose stones or gargoyles overlooking the balcony that we might be able to drop onto an unsuspecting enemy’s head?” I asked, recalling tales of assassinations before my time in the dark brotherhood.

“I, uh, no...I don’t know,” Rain admitted, mood dipping, “But you didn’t ask…”

“Every exit is a chokepoint and every chokepoint is a killzone, nobody expects to be killed entering or leaving their home. Sometimes the time it takes to lock or unlock a door is all the time you need to kill a target, drop a loose statue on their head for example.”

“You could’ve said that before,” Rain grumbled.

“You could’ve thought of it sooner,” I countered with a frown.

“Okay, we’re here!” Moonbeam spoke up, ending the conversation and dropping his horn to the back door, “Now shh! Let me concentrate for a second.”

Rain and I gave Moonbeam the silence he needed, scanning the area and seeing nothing out of the ordinary. He waved and weaved his horn over the door, eyes closed and horn glowing for almost a minute before the light died and his eyes opened.

“Okay, he’s got magical alarms and the lock is enchanted,” Moonbeam finally said, pausing in thought.

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“If we step inside, the alarm is triggered. I don’t know if it’s a silent alarm or not, but either would spell certain doom for the mission. The enchanted lock simply means that if you try to pick it without disarming the enchantment, you’ll get a faceful of magic,” Moonbeam explained, “I can deal with both, but it might take a minute, so just bear with me.”

“We don’t need to get inside if you can’t disarm it,” I said, “If there’s any doubt…”

“I can do it,” Moonbeam interrupted me, horn lighting up again, “Just give me a couple minutes, okay?”

“Fine,” I turned away from the door, surveying the grounds around the mansion. The grasses were starting to get tall and the gardens overgrown. If that was any indication, our target didn’t go outside much, or just didn’t care if his backyard looked messy.

“Hey, what’s that up there?” Rain pointed up the side of the mountain, an unusual shape about a quarter of the way up garnering my attention, “Moonbeam, lemme borrow your binocs.”

“Sure,” Moonbeam replied, jerking his head back to a set of compact saddlebags.

Procuring the binoculars, Rain panned up onto the spot on the mountain.

“It’s just an old rope bridge, spans across a gap in a trail a ways up the mountain,” Rain said, lowering the binoculars.

“Okay,” Moonbeam spoke up, horn light fading as he opened the door with a hoof, “We’re in!”

“Carefully and quietly,” I muttered as we moved inside, boot enchantments muffling our movement, “we only think this place is empty.”

“Don’t worry, we’ve had plenty of experience with breaking and entering,” Rain whispered with a sharp smile.

Moving onwards in silence, we combed through the mansion. Room by room, it became increasingly clear that the place had seen little use for some time. Dust covered everything, from old armchairs to grand paintings, even the air seemed to sparkle with it.

A great, wide kitchen area with enough room for a handful of chefs seemed largely unused with a mass of unwashed dinnerware crowding the sinks.

“Somepony’s got a fondness for takeout,” Rain noted, closing an enchanted pantry crowded with mix-mashed boxes of food, “Most of these rich snobs can’t cook to save their lives.”

“Or clean up after themselves, ick,” Moonbeam commented, peering through the sink before we moved on.

“Maybe we could pretend to be delivery ponies, work that into killing him somehow,” Rain thought out loud, smiling to herself.

“What now?” I asked, checking the hallway before sneaking onwards.

“You know, show up to his home pretending to be delivering food,” Rain explained.

“Yeah, but how would we know he had even ordered something?” Moonbeam didn’t seem to be convinced.

“We wouldn’t, we’d have the addresses mixed up, hope he takes the bait and just accepts some free food,” Rain continued with her plan, “I mean, he’s got to be hurting for bits or else he’d have hired some help.”

“What advantage does that give us?” I countered, keeping my eyes on the hallway ahead, “We’re already inside his home and we can’t use poison.”

“Allergies..?” Rain offered, “Maybe he can’t eat honey or something.”

“We don’t know if he has...allergies,” I replied, What does that even mean?

“Well I don’t see you offering up any bright ideas,” Rain muttered.

“We haven’t been here long enough to establish any habits or weaknesses,” I scowled back, “Have patience, rush this and you will fail.”

Rain gave a low grumble, but didn’t pursue the conversation further.

0 . o . 0

There were numerous bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and a massive wine cellar deep within the belly of the mansion. But whether we went high or we went low, I was failing to see anything that might let us accidentally kill our target.

Only a few paintings littered the walls, none of them with enough heft to kill if dropped on an unsuspecting head. Each balcony was designed with safety in mind, all with secure balustrades and railings that wouldn’t fail in a thousand years. The few chandeliers were poorly placed and too well secured to be used in the same manner.

“Basically, with modification magic, I can make it so that the tensile strength of the chain becomes that of, say, a strand of string or paper,” Moonbeam explained as we moved out of a dining room with sparkling chandelier positioned over the table, “But I’d have to be here, with line of sight to the rope and he’d need to be under it and, well…” Moonbeam trailed off, looking a little sick at the thought of crushing a pony to death.

You could always just open his throat with a knife, forget the bonus… my mind didn’t seem convinced as we moved into another long hallway, making our way down.

We need to start strong, show what we’re capable of, I retorted, Something will come up, no home this large is accident-proof.

“Wait, shh, what’s that!?” Moonbeam hissed, stopping mid-trot and cocking his ears.

Rain followed suit, ears shifting this way and that as she searched for whatever it was the unicorn had heard. Frowning at their more sensitive ears, I was forced to simply glare around for any sign of trouble.

“That’s a key turning!” Rain whispered, looking to me in questioning alarm, “He’s home!”

I managed to pick out the sound of a door slamming shut somewhere else in the mansion, dropping to a knee and whispering just loud enough to be heard: “Time to go!”

Moonbeam looked relieved, peering around as he looked for a speedy exit, but Rain kept her ears twitching and cocked, feathered wings ruffling with throwing blades visible between her feathers. She almost looked like a sabre cat with the scent of prey, searching for an opportunity to pounce.

“Rain!” I whispered, making her flinch, “We’re done for now, we’ll watch from afar, now follow me.”

Rain pouted for a moment, but then nodded and gestured for me to lead.

A set of hooves clip clopped through the mansion, stopping here and there, but never coming close enough to warrant our worry. Soon enough, we were outside and Moonbeam was relocking the door. We made our way to the overgrown garden, keeping out of view from the mansion until we could make our way back up the mountain to a better vantage point.

0 . o . 0

“Pretty sure he’s gone to sleep by now,” Moonbeam said, taking his eyes away from the binoculars as he stifled a yawn, “All but the porch lights are out, no movement inside for almost an hour now.”

“Day one down and nothing to show for it,” Rain grumbled from her sleeping bag.

“Maybe not,” I said after thinking for a moment. A plan started to form in my head as I thought over the day’s events. Until now I’d only really considered things that I myself could do, assassinations that I’d completed in the past. But now, looking between my two acolytes, I began to think of something in which I didn’t even need to be a part.

“Moonbeam, binoculars,” I held forth my hand before adding: “...please.”

“Sure,” the unicorn floated them over to me, moving aside so I could take his spot. Instead, I panned the binoculars over the mountain.

Moonbeam gave me an odd look, “What are you looking for?”

“There,” I found it, now making my way back down the mountain, “That could work…”

“What could work?” Rain asked, perking up from her sleeping bag.

“I’ll tell you…” I began.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

The Mansion...

Spruced Up blinked bleary eyes as sunlight streamed across his bedsheets; rubbing at them with a hoof, he glanced at the time and laid back down in bed for another few minutes. He was about to call for a servant to shut the blinds, but then remembered that Hoity Toity had called them all away.

The thought of his lover brought a sour taste to his mouth, former lover, he had to remind himself. Knowing he’d have to close the blinds himself, he figured he may as well get on with his morning. So he tossed away the covers and went about his morning routine alone.

Flush, shower, brush, floss, gargle, spit.

After rinsing out the sink, Spruced Up headed downstairs to the kitchen and had a healthy breakfast of cold coffee and two-day-old sandwiches from a restaurant in town. The bread was stiff and the hay fries were soggy and almost unbearable. Spruced Up washed away the foul taste with the coffee, the caffeine making him feel a little better.

His dishes went into the sink with a clatter and another reminder to hire some help to clean up around here once he owned the place.

Breakfast (or rather brunch) finished, he trotted down the empty, dust-laden halls, searching for some inspiration. Hoity Toity might be the king of clothing, but Spruced Up was the master of furniture; chairs, tables, couches, anything and everything a pony might furnish their home with, even the kitchen sink! But looking around this place, he could only think about Hoity’s stupid, pompous face.

Grumbling to himself, he went outside, trotting over the untrimmed grass to the garage where his auto-carriage was waiting. He hopped inside, tapping the enchanted gemstone that powered his ride, and commanded it to take him into town.

As the mansion faded behind him, he felt himself ridded of Hoity’s foul presence. Yes, he decided, already he felt his mind was being freed from the dust and dreariness of the old mansion. Once he got it in the settlement he’d make it his own, tearing down the tapestries and replacing the gaudy old look with a fresher feng shui that lifted the spirits and opened the mind! He liked the sound of that, smiling as he peered out a window. His smile faded into a frown, however, as he found the scenery unfamiliar to him.

“What path is this?” he wondered aloud, poking his head out the window. He’d gone down the path to Vanhoover enough times to know it now, and this certainly wasn’t it! It appeared as if it was headed for the mountains above the mansion, up and old, winding path.

“Carriage, take me to Vanhoover!” he stressed the word in case the enchantment had misunderstood him, yet the carriage continued onwards.

“Carriage, stop!” Spruced Up commanded, “Stop, carriage, stop!” he tried again, tapping the green gemstone set in the panel in front of him.

Starting to panic, Spruced Up pulled open the carriage door, staring wide-eyed down at the fast-moving ground below. Before he could make up his mind on whether or not to abandon ship, a flurry of dark feathers and flesh knocked him back inside, forcing him back into his seat.

“Please, take whatever you want, but don’t..!” Spruced Up began to cry out, silenced by a dark hoof and a bright pair of eyes.

“Shh!” the intruder hissed, “Quiet down, I’m not here to hurt you, mister Spruced Up,” When he started to relax, the intruder backed up and took a seat on the opposite bench.

She was a pegasus, wearing a black and crimson suit, synthetic leather maybe? Hoity Toity would have known. A dagger was sheathed at her breast, within easy reach of her maw.

“Oh, don’t worry about this, mister Spruced Up,” the mare said with a calming smile, touching the hilt with a hoof.

“What’s going on here?” Spruced Up asked, glancing to the door again, “Who are you? What are you doing here!? Why..?”

“I’m special agent Storm Shadow, Equestrian Royal Guard,” the mare held up a hoof to quiet his questions, “We have intel suggesting kidnappers were going to try and capture you today for ransom. We’re currently taking you to protective custody so we can place a team in place to intercept the kidnappers. Once they’re apprehended, we’ll release you and you’ll be able to go on your way.”

“I...but...h-how do I know you’re telling the truth, this all sounds so crazy! Kidnappers and...and my carriage going off on its own like this! Why would I be a target for kidnapping anyways!?”

The mare shrugged, “I keep up on the tabloids, mister Spruced Up, it’s no secret that there’s bad blood between you and that Hoity Toity fellow. Maybe he’s responsible, maybe he’s intending to send in kidnappers to bag you and scare you into submission? We can’t know for sure until we capture them.”

“I...er, well, okay...b-but what about...I have a lawyer and I’d like to speak with her, if you wouldn’t mind! She’s taken up residence locally so she can be nearer me and…”

“Miss Just Law is already on site at the safe house, we picked her up earlier today.”

“Might I be able to get a message out to her? By magic fire or..?” Spruced Up began.

“Negative,” the mare cut in quickly, shaking her head, “We, uh, need to keep this all under wraps, no magic message traffic. If the kidnappers intercept the letter, they’ll know we’re onto them and bail.

“Besides,” the mare continued with a smile, “We’ll be there in a matter of minutes, just sit tight, okay?”

“But I’ve got a secure voice transmitter bracelet,” Spruced Up explained, retrieving a gilded bracelet with a series of inset gemstones. The mare seemed surprised as he continued, “I didn’t hire just any lawyer, you know. Just Law gave me this to communicate with her, figured Hoity Toity had something set up to intercept any letters sent by magic fire. Ingenius, no?” Spruced Up smiled, paying the guardsmare no mind as she looked quickly out the window, ducking her head inside with a grimace. Bringing up a hoof, he made to slide the bracelet onto a hoof, “All I’ve got to do is slip it on…”

In a flash, the mare had swiped the bracelet from his hoof.

“What!? Hey!”

“I don’t think that’s the best idea, Spruced Up,” the mare said, tucking the bracelet away.

“Give that back!” Spruced Up commanded, “You can’t just take that away from me, what kind of a guard…” he trailed off, paling as he realized something, “Y-you’re the kidnapper!”

He leapt towards the door of the carriage, maybe if he could get away...but there was a flash of metal and the mare was between him and the door, cold metal pricking his neck. He broke out in a sweat as the mare shoved him back in his seat, taking her own as she spat the dagger into a hoof.

“All right, you got me,” the mare gave him a chilling smile, “just sit tight, now and everypony gets to stay in one piece,” she gave a sinister downwards glance that made Spruced Up cross his legs with a wince, “We are going to a safe place, you and I. Cooperate and you’ll be free in a couple days, sans a decent helping of bits.”

“B-but I don’t have any bits!” Spruced Up worried, throwing a glance to the door again, “Or, well, I won’t until the settlement comes through. Once I’ve got half of Hoity Toity’s assets I’ll be able to pay you handsomely, qu-quite handsomely!”

“How are you paying your lawyer?” the mare leered at him, tossing the dagger from hoof to hoof, “The Law ain’t cheap, you know!”

Spruced Up gave a nervous laugh, not sure whether that was supposed to be a pun or not, “W-well, I, er, I’ve already paid a retainer fee to…”

“Was it a handsome fee?” the mare used his own words against him.

“Yes, b-but I can’t just...if I take it back she’ll, she won’t be my lawyer anymore and…” Spruced Up said, trailing off with a gasp, “Hoity Toity did put you up to this, didn’t he!” he exclaimed with an accusatory hoof, “Without my lawyer I won’t get that settlement, he’ll get everything!”

“Well you’re half right,” the mare said, glancing out the window and standing up. Spruced Up got an uneasy look as she did so, continuing, “Hoity Toity hired us and it was on account of your divorce, but in all reality he wants us to speed the process up, hurry it along, you know?”

“What are you..?” Spruced Up began, giving a yelp as he felt the carriage start to go over what felt like a bridge.

“That’s my cue,” the mare looked out the window of the carriage, “Spruced Up?” she asked, pulling open the door and spreading her wings, “You’re going down!” And with that she darted away.

“What!?” Spruced Up said, rising and moving towards the opened door, “But…”

He never got to finish his sentence as the bridge suddenly gave way, the carriage falling down the steep mountain with it.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Shortly thereafter...

Seems Moonbeam isn’t so useless after all… my mind commented as I stared down at the shattered remains of the carriage, changing the rope so it couldn’t hold the weight of the carriage? You’d have to have cut it or used a more obvious method of making it snap.

Perhaps, I had to admit, seeing Rain’s dark form flit up from the wreckage. I spoke as she landed in front of me, “He’s dead?”

“As a doorknob!” Rain exclaimed with a smile of satisfaction, “I dropped the bracelet thing from up high, made it shatter on the rocks below.”

“Good,” I said, thankful Rain had been able to keep him in the carriage, “...good job.”

“You’re the one who came up with the plan,” Rain said with a smile, though it faltered as she looked around, “Uh, is Moonbeam okay?”

“Sent him back to camp,” I threw a thumb over my shoulder, turning to start heading back, “He didn’t want to see the carriage go over the cliff.”

“Probably for the best,” Rain said, following.

“He needs to get a tougher stomach,” I replied, scowling, “He needs to learn to kill.”

“Just...I dunno, give him some time,” Rain offered, though she spoke half-heartedly.

I remained silent as we ascended towards our camp.

Trouble in Paradise (Pt2|Ch10)

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Chapter Ten: Trouble in Paradise

Dawn was shading the evening skies above the city of Manehattan, long shadows spilling out of alleyways and chasing the city’s denizens to their homes. Up and down the cobblestone streets magical light posts poked holes in the dark blanket, offering scant shelter from the impending night.

“Think Moonbeam’s had enough time to get a feel for the place?” Rain broke the silence of our alleyway, almost invisible beside me.

I scowled at the glowing entrance of Hoity Toity’s club across the street, “Yes,” I said, “Though I hope we don’t need him in there. Hoity Toity’s already paid us half of what he owes and he knows we mean business, if he doesn’t pay up…” My eyes met Rain’s own golden pair in the darkness.

“We kill him,” her teeth flashed white in the darkness, a row of ivory blades catching the moonlight.

“We assassinate him,” I corrected her, seeing a scowl in her eyes, “Not then and there, we don’t want to make a scene and I’d rather not have to fight my way past any of his lackies.”

“So when, then?”

“In due time,” I turned back to the glowing face of the club, “And only if he refuses to pay for services rendered.”

“Fair enough,” was Rain’s response.

“Whatever the case may be, it’s time.” I ushered her from the darkness as we made our way over to the club.

0 . o . 0

The bouncer let us pass without contest this time, a good start. As we’d agreed, Moonbeam was sitting at the bar with his seat turned around and a drink in his magic. The fact he was present indicated he’d spotted nothing was awry and should he spot anything amiss he would leave this spot. His eyes met mine only briefly before he took a sip and resumed watching the strangely-dressed musicians on stage.

There were an excessive amount of dancers out on the main floor in front of the stage, multi-hued lights flaring over their multi-colored coats. Encircling this area was a series of tables and booths, half of which were occupied.

One particular table held my attention when I got a surprised look from a pegasus with slitted eyes and bat wings. He quickly looked away, going back to chatting with a fellow bat-pegasus and a normal-looking one.

And just when you thought you were the most exotic creature in the room... my mind commented.

Before I had time to think any further there was a soft tap on my backside and I whirled about, hands to my knives. The move was unwarranted.

A mare, the same one that had taken us to Hoity Toity the first time we’d been here, stood startled behind me. Her voice was lost in the music, but her gesture to one of the booths along the far wall was word enough. I gave her a quick nod and gestured for Rain to follow.

0 . o . 0

“Ha, ha!” Hoity Toity exclaimed, “You’ve done it! You actually did it!” Then, as if remembering where he was he double-checked the forcefield between our booth and the club’s main floor. With a quick tug at his suit he resumed a more businesslike demeanor, “Well done, a fault with the bridge and no more Spruced Up. Here you are...” he reached beneath the table with his maw and produced another bag of bits, sliding them across.

“Thank you,” I said, passing the bag off to Rain, “as to the bonus, converting our dragon’s hoard into sep...into bits, how can we expect to proceed?”

“Well, I’ll need to send someone out to see exactly what you have in the way of stock,” Hoity said, thinking for a moment, “Once we have a good estimate of what it is, I should be able to get my ponies to start transferring it out.”

“See, the problem with that is that we can’t have ponies knowing the exact whereabouts of our stuff,” Rain spoke up, “Privileged information and all that.”

“I...see,” Hoity said, looking between the two of us for a moment, “...and how do you propose..?”

“We’ll give you a location to send your pony,” Rain answered, leaning forwards with hooves pressed together lightly, “we blindfold them, take them to our stock, get their evaluation, blindfold again and send them on their merry way back to you,” Rain relaxed back into her seat, “From there, we’ll send you chunks of stock to a neutral area and you come with bits.”

“That seems needlessly difficult…”

“We can’t have anyone knowing where we sleep,” I spoke up, actually liking Rain’s plan, Maybe she can be trusted to speak her mind at meetings and not go over my head…

“I suppose…” Hoity considered, looking down as he thought, “I...well, I did agree to this and you fulfilled your end of the bargain with flying colors,” he looked back up, “Very well. I won’t be able to get anyone for the next few days, how will I..?”

“We’ll know when you’re ready,” I answered, standing from the table, “We’ll be in touch, Hoity Toity.”

“I...uh, certainly,” Hoity gave me a weak smile.

The warbling, throbbing music returned as the forcefield dissipated, the two of us leaving and making our way back towards the entrance. I felt a ghost of a smile cross my face, another assassination completed, another soul sent to the void with no one the wiser. Perhaps fulfilling Sithis’ wishes wouldn’t be so difficult after all!

Rain tugged at my leg, drawing my attention to a pair of startled eyes.

“What?” My voice was lost in the music. Rain jerked her head towards the bar.

Moonbeam was gone.

“Blend into the crowd!” I yelled, kneeling down so Rain would hear me, “Act natural! If you see an opening get out of here!”

Rain nodded, giving her mane a quick flick and trotting briskly into the sea of contorting ponies on the dance floor. Standing, I gave the room a casual once-over, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

That quivering thief better not have decided to run off to take a piss somewhere, I mentally growled, eyes scanning the crowd for any signs of a disturbance. No one was looking shifty, most eyes focused on the stage. If this was a false alarm…

The two bat-winged ponies and their pegasus friend were gone.

That look was more than just curiosity or startledness, my mind spoke up, they were waiting for you.

Bounty hunters? Counter assassins? What in oblivion is going on here? My eyes fell on Hoity Toity’s booth. He was sitting casually, ordering a drink from a passing server, Did he sell us out?

After already paying up? Doesn’t make sense.

Then what!? I growled.

My mind remained, for once, silent.

I wouldn’t be able to blend into the crowd, and if someone was watching me then sneaking would be near impossible. Walking towards the exit was one possibility, but they would be expecting that...so try the unexpected.

Rather than make for the exit I made for the bar, claiming a stool that was clearly visible and well lit. The other ponies gave me looks ranging from frazzled to stupefied, but kept to their drinks. A startled barkeep made her way over to me.

“Uhh…” I said, peering at the unknown words on the wall behind her, “Yearling,” I finally ordered, remembering Rain’s choice of drink.

The barkeep nodded, moving away as I turned my back to the bar and surveyed the room with a lazy look...still no sign of trouble, Moonbeam, or the three winged ponies from the table...

“Whoa!” I jumped at the feminine voice from my side, turning quickly as the pegasus from the table took the stool next to me, “Not every day you see a dragon waltzing about in Equestria, what’s the special occasion!?”

Up close and in focus, I got a better look at the pony; silvery dappled coat, midnight mane with two-tone silver streak. Her demeanor seemed relaxed, but her eyes were flinty as they watched me carefully, like a wolf watches a bear.

“Your drink, um...sir,” the barkeep got both our attentions, depositing my drink next to me and turning to the pegasus, “Ma’am?”

“I’ll take one of what he’s got,” she gave me a lazy gesture, directing her attention back to me, “So what brings you around here, mister dragon?”

“I’m not…” I began with a growl before calming my tone, “It’s nothing that concerns you. What are you doing here?”

“Besides having a good time?” she smiled, waving a hoof out towards the crowd.

I watched the gesture, then the crowd. The move seemed casual enough, probably not a signal to some hidden foe. The barkeep brought the mare her drink, leaving us be.

“Besides that, yes,” I turned my eyes back to her.

“You’ve hardly touched your drink,” she countered, tossing her eyes at the dark liquid.

“Enough stalling, what do you want?” I grumbled, letting one of my hands fall to a pommel.

The gesture wasn’t lost on her, eyes darting from my weapons back to my face.

“Fair enough. You and I have a mutual friend, one that would like to meet you in person, ask a few questions perhaps,” she dropped the friendly attitude, suddenly all business.

“Which friend would that be?” I asked, Can’t say I have all that many around here…

When did you ever? My mind snarked.

Be quiet! I grumbled back.

“One who wishes to remain anonymous,” she cast a glance to the crowd, “a sentiment I’m sure you of all…” she paused, looking me up and down before settling on a word, “creatures can understand. The walls have ears and all that.”

“Shall we get a booth, then?” I asked, gesturing to the numerous alcoves set in the walls, “They’ve got a fancy forcefield spell for conversations like these.” And they’re probably a convenient place to kill her and hide the body, if needed.

“I’m not the one with questions, I’m just the messenger,” she gave the booths a quick glance, perhaps guessing my alternative motive for taking the conversation out of the light, “I’m also the one instructed to bring you in...to meet with our mutual friend.”

Bit of guard lingo in there, my mind pointed out the slip of the tongue.

I noticed, I replied, “I’ve got a lot on my plate already, your message has been delivered and I’ll think over it,” I said, standing from my seat, the pegasus stood with me, “If you give me your name, I’ll have someone contact you when I’m ready.”

“It’s Silver Shrike, and if it’s all the same to you I was asked to deliver you as soon as equinely possible,” Silver countered, standing still between me and the door.

“Move,” I countered, grown tired of all the wordplay.

“No,” she rebutted, giving her wings a quick shake and lowering herself into a fighting stance.

That was the signal.

I wheeled about to face a sharp flutter of leather wings and a set of clattering horseshoes behind me. There were the two bat-pegasi from the table, one crimson and the other purple; coming in for the tackle from land and air.

Leaping to the side, I drew my knives and struck out with one to split the purple flier’s side open. Instead, my blade deflected off a sphere of energy that flared up around him. Bewildered, I had no chance to move as the crimson one let out a lateral buck, hind hooves connecting with my chest and sending me sprawling away onto the dance floor.

Ponies scattered with shouts, a number of them drunken as I shambled to my feet, taking a low stance with knives ready. The musicians on the stage faltered in their music, changing tempo as my three enemies spread out and began to approach.

“Equestrian Lunar Guard!” Silver Shrike called out, striking her chest with a hoof. The bat-pegasi followed suit, “Everypony remain calm, we’ll be out of your manes shortly!”

Each of their hides turned a dark shade of gray, dark purple armor appearing over their hides. Silver’s wings took on a leathery bat-like appearance, fangs sprouting from her maw.

“Fornication,” I muttered, dropping my knives into their sheathes and drawing my bow and an arrow.

I back-pedaled quickly as I drew back the arrow, noting the glow on my ring. I lined up on the previously-crimson bat-pegasus, releasing as I felt a tingle in the back of my head. It certainly felt good to have the hood’s enchantment back.

The crimson guard’s eyes went wide, but the arrow bounced off his forcefield, clattering away across the floor.

Rain wasn’t kidding about that enchanted armor, I thought, hand frozen on the next arrow in my quiver.

“I think I can handle this one, colts!” Silver called out, waving off their advance with a hoof. One of her wings wrapped around a small cylinder attached to the withers of her armor, and with a sharp click it expanded into a metallic quarterstaff. Before I could wonder as to how a four-legged creature would handle a weapon like that, I had my answer.

Silver gave the weapon a quick twirl with her wings, swinging the weapon quickly over her lowered head like an elongated baton. She descended onto the dance floor, ponies giving us a wide berth, our own little stage for the coming duet. The two bat-pegasi, grinning to themselves, spread out behind her to form a second barrier between me and the exit.

Stupid show-off pony, I mentally leered, switching back to my knives, You should’ve come at me with your numbers, I wouldn’t stand a chance.

Don’t get too cocky now… my mind warned as Silver gave her weapon another quick twirl with her wings, body low and ready.

The musicians on the stage switched to another strange, adrenaline-pumping song. The ponies around me all watching with mixtures of terror and excitement, some of the latter giving cheers for what was about to unfold.

“One last chance to surrender,” Silver offered, grinning over the music, “Say yes now and save yourself the beating!”

I answered with silence, knives held at the ready.

“Very well, then!” And then she moved.

Her weapon became a blur as she lunged at me, wings twirling the staff around towards my head. But I was ready, crossing my left knife back over my forearm and stepping into the strike to take away its power. Thrusting out my forearm, covered by the knife, I met the blow before it could reach me, bringing my other knife around to…pain laced up my arm, muscles seizing up as shock magic arced its way up across the limb when her weapon connected with mine.

I grit my teeth against the pain, leaping back as her weapon came around at me from the other side. It zipped past my nose; a wry grin plastered across Silver’s face.

Too cocky… my mind spoke.

Not now! I snarled back, hopping back from another swing of Silver’s enchanted staff. Trying to parry the weapon was out of the question so I uncrossed my knife, both blades ready to open flesh.

Silver came at me with another lunge and a swing at my head; I ducked and threw myself at her, getting within her weapon’s reach. Before she could retreat, both my blades went at her, but deflected off her forcefield.

Rain said these things could be overloaded... I thought. All spells cost Magicka to cast, enchantment or no, that forcefield had to have a limit. I just needed to find that limit, and then cross it.

Planting myself in a low stance, I drove my shoulder at Silver’s face and was rewarded with a surprised look as she was knocked back as her forcefield flared up against me, stumbling to regain a fighting stance. A wild swing at my side prevented me from a continued pursuit, forcing me back out of her range.

But I didn’t let up, charging back at her with a snarl on my lips once the swing had passed. She braced herself for another check, but this time I came at her with my knives, striking at her forcefield yet again, side-stepping a diagonal swipe at my midsection and getting on her flank. Two more strikes caused her forcefield to flare up around her again before I was forced to leap back and avoid her weapon.

Beads of sweat were starting to form on my brow and under my armor, my heart hammering in my chest. Silver, on the other hand, had yet to break out in a sweat.

Keeping out of her range to try and get some of my breath back, I surveyed the room again. The two bat-pegasi were still between me and the exit, with no sign of Rain or Moonbeam amongst the many heads of the crowd. My eyes stopped on Hoity Toity, frozen just outside of his booth with a scared look on his face.

A blur in my peripherals brought me back to the fight, leaping back and hitting a table behind me. I winced as I stumbled, catching myself in time to see Silver coming at me again with a wild grin.

Changing things up, I dropped one knife, grabbed a lonely drink on the table, and hurled it at her face. She flinched, swinging and missing as the glass shattered off her forcefield, dark liquid running down the front and obscuring her face.

“Luna curse you!” she snarled, shaking her body and through it the forcefield in an effort to unobscure her vision. Seizing the moment, I sheathed my knives and grabbed the table. Silver’s staff struck the side of my impromptu shield as I rammed it into her with a shout.

The forefield remained up and running as she was bowled over, going head over hooves into the crowd of onlookers.

I didn’t let up, dropping the table and charging in with my knives again, the nearby onlookers fleeing back to give us room. If I could keep her pinned down and work down her shield with my knives I could finally get them into her hide and end this. Silver had other ideas, rolling over and throwing out her wings in a move I’d seen Rain do many times before with her throwing blades.

I managed a quick duck and roll, but Silver had aimed low and pain seared up my leg as her weapon struck it and clattered away.

“Fornication!” I spat through clenched teeth, hobbling back as my nerves burned.

Silver forgot her staff for the moment, a livid look in her eyes as she launched herself at me. I braced to meet her, but my leg gave out as she struck me hard with her forcefield, giving me a taste of my own medicine.

Before I could get to my feet she was on top of me, raining down strikes that I was hard pressed to defend against. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her staff give a quick flash, then my vision was tossed aside as a particularly powerful strike hit me upside the head.

Stars exploded in my vision, blurring the world around me as Silver finally relented, her form retreating back to where her weapon lay.

Get up! Get up! My mind yelled at me.

The stars swirled as I got to a knee and I was forced to remain there in an effort to recover. Something wet was leaking down the side of my head and a ringing was vying for attention over the sound of the music.

After a second, the stars coalesced into a smug-looking Silver with her staff held in her wings.

“Luna never said I needed to bring you back in one piece,” Silver grinned, stepping forward and raising the staff for what appeared to be a final strike, “Now…” then her body went rigid, crackling shock magic sparking off of the staff.

Had I done something to cause that? How in the world…

“Aram!” Moonbeam, with his armor donned, charged out of the crowd with his horn aglow. He dropped it to a wide-eyed Silver, a beam of magic striking her. After a brief moment her forcefield shattered, her coat and features returning to normal. She crumpled next to her staff, the weapon smoking with an occasional wild spark, “Armor’s down, Rain!”

Rain, with a snarl and a pair of cocked wings, landed on top of SIlver’s crumpled form, dropping her mouth-held dagger to Silver’s throat. She fixed the two bat-pegasi with a glare, daring them to make a move.

Shaking my head and recovering, I got to my feet. My hand came away bloody when I touched the side of my head.

“All right, now!” Moonbeam called out, “We’re going to walk on out of here!”

“Not happening!” the crimson bat-pegasus snarled.

“Then we open her throat!” I snarled back, moving over to Rain. She moved off of Silver’s stunned form, letting me yank her to her hooves by her armor. I dropped one of my knives to her throat, “Now back, you two!” I snarled at the stallions, feeling Silver flinch as my knife nicked her throat, drawing a bead of blood, “Get out of the way or I’ll open her neck!”

“Don’t listen to this scaly scumbag!” Silver growled back, starting to get her senses back, “Get him! Trample his ass to…”

“Shut-up!” I cut her off, striking her across the snout with my pommel, continuing to force her towards the door. The two bat-pegasi glowered and glared, but they relented, tossing glances to my hostage.

“You do that and you’re dead meat!” the purple one snapped back, giving the ground a good stomp.

“C’mon,” I grunted, pulling Silver with me and with Rain and Moonbeam in tow, “You try to flap those wings or do anything stupid…” I let the threat hang in the air. By now the music had ceased, the other ponies around the bar moving back or looking on with scared looks.

“It’ll be a whole lot harder,” Moonbeam spoke up proudly, “I disenchanted her armor, stuff is mostly silver alloys, it weighs a ton without the enchantments.”

“Whoever the hell you two are, you’re making a grave mistake helping this bucking reptile!” Silver growled as I pulled her out through the door.

“Shut-up,” Rain spat.

The streets outside were still barren and dark, a lone auto-carriage waiting for us.

Thanks to Moonbeam, no doubt.

The two bat-pegasi followed along with a handful of the bar-goers, but they kept their distance by the entrance. Turning to face them, I shoved Silver to the ground and waited as I heard Moonbeam and Rain hop aboard.

“Aram, get aboard!” Moonbeam called out.

“If you really think you can get away with foalnapping an Equestrian Lunar Guard…” Silver started, glaring back over her withers at me.

“You’re more useful here,” I cut her off, taking my knife from her throat. Her confusion was short lived as I drove the blade into her side, eliciting a cry of pain as I twisted it in her guts and pulled free. The bat-pegasi charged in with murderous shouts as I shoved Silver to the ground, “Pursue us or save her, your choice!” I called out and hopped onto the carriage as it took off at a fast pace.

Hanging from the side I watched as the two bat-pegasi rushed to Silver, their eyes glittering in the dark as they glared my way. But after a moment they grabbed her and headed quickly in the opposite direction, her cries fading into the night.

That settled, I slipped inside the wagon spotting Moonbeam, Rain, and a terrified Hoity Toity. I spared him a quick frown as I took my seat, Rain tossing a glare out the window.

“Did you kill her?” she asked as she returned.

“What?!” Hoity yelped, looking between us.

“She’ll live, if they get her to a healer in time,” I ignored him, checking my gear, Another arrow lost in that club, damn...

“What, why’d you let her go!?” Rain snapped her tail, unsatisfied with my answer, “We had her right where we wanted her and you let her go!?”

“Yes, I let her go,” I countered, fixing Rain’s snarl with a glare of my own, “Wounded, so the others were forced to choose between saving her and chasing us. They chose her, as I expected.”

“S-so we’re in the clear, then? They’re not following us?” Hoity stammered, looking between us as he remained ignored. I’d get to him in a minute, but Rain had the priority here.

“That makes sense to me...” Moonbeam put in, giving a slight wince as Rain shot her glare at him before returning it to me.

“We had them, it was three against two with her out of the fight!” Rain growled, wings ruffling at her sides, steel flashing between the feathers, “We could’ve taken them, beaten them down and killed them!”

“H-hey, I don’t want anypony dead near my..!” Hoity tried to get a word in.

“We’re not bandits or murderers, Rain!” I snapped back at Rain, “Nor are we fighters or warriors, fight if you must, but only until you can return to the shadows. We kill only for Sithis, not because we can or we want to,” I considered a moment, Rain’s glare fixed on me as the wagon bumped down the road, “Sometimes just wounding an enemy is better than killing them. Guards and soldiers are fond of their own, wound one and his fellows will come to his aid. A single strike to a limb can remove two or three enemies from the field where a strike to the heart would only remove one.

“You don’t have to like it,” I continued, watching her agitated form: ears pinned, feathers ruffled, teeth bared, “But you do need to calm your nerves, the fighting is over.”

“Fine,” Rain grumbled, muttering, “I am calm...” as she tore her gaze from me, smoothing her feathers with a hoof.

With that settled, I turned to Hoity Toity, “Is this your carriage?”

“I...y-yes,” Hoity nodded, collecting himself, “I...well, I figured if you’d been captured, they might’ve found out that I was the one who…”

“How far can you take us?” I interrupted.

“I guess that depends on where you need to go,” Hoity replied after a moment’s thought, “I could take you to the train station or outside city limits if you wanted, or perhaps the ports?”

“City limits would be best,” Moonbeam chimed in, adding as I gave him a querying look: “They could be watching the regular forms of transport: airships, trains, and autocarriages. It’ll take longer, but we’d be best off taking a route off the beaten path, just to be safe. Lay low and whatnot.”

The thief has a point, my mind remarked.

Fair enough, I agreed, turning back to Hoity, “Take us outside the city, we’ll make our way home from there.”

“All right, then,” Hoity seemed to breathe easier with the matter settled, Rain as well as her heart rate undoubtedly slowed.

I myself grimaced as pain began working its way back into my body, reminding me of the fight I’d just been through. Wincing, I took some time to apply healing salves created from Everfree plants as the carriage rolled its way off into the dark of night.

All the while, only one thing weaseled its way into my mind: why had she sent her guards after me and what sort of questions did Luna want to ask me?

A Brother in all but Blood (Pt2|Ch11)

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Chapter Eleven: A Brother in all but Blood

The walk home was uneventful, spent with sparse conversation and few dreams on my part. Rain and Moonbeam spoke of past exploits in the lands of Prance, Germaneigh, and at least later on Stalliongrad. I spent my time licking the wounds of my fight, remembering the feel of Silver’s shockstaff, as Moonbeam had called it. At least next time I would be more prepared.

I still wondered at the question of Luna and her lackies, glaring up at the night sky as our campfire crackled before me. Discord had mentioned Luna was trying to contact me via dream, but to what end? How much could she know? And, more importantly, what could she do with such information?

The crackling fire before me held no answers.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Home...

“S pritezdom!” Choc greeted us at the opposite end of the rope bridge leading to our sanctuary. Evening was coloring the sky a deepening orange as the day made way for night. Moonbeam received a solid embrace, Rain and I getting a stoic nod, “How did killing go?” she directed the question to Rain.

“Everything went off without a hitch,” Rain grinned.

“You’re forgetting Silver Shrike and her lackeys,” I added.

“I think we handled them pretty well,” Rain threw a sharp look my way, “I still think a more permanent end was needed, but at least Moonbeam and I were disguised.”

“Who is Silver Shrike?” Choc asked, looking between us.

“Equestrian Lunar Guard,” Moonbeam spoke up.

“Let’s talk inside,” I gestured for the Sanctuary, my acolytes following at my heel.

0 . o . 0

“We maybe have problem, then,” Choc rumbled once we’d finished the debrief, “How did guards know to find you?”

That was the one part of this whole thing I’d yet to figure out. I highly doubted it was one of my acolytes, if anything I was the odd man out in this group. That left only three possibilities, at least ones I could put a name, a face, and a dagger to...if needed.

“One of Hoity Toity’s people might’ve slipped up,” I said, gesturing to my bipedal form, “I’m a bit of a sore thumb in a crowd, if someone mentioned seeing me word may have travelled.”

“A sore what now?” Moonbeam gave me a frown.

“He means he sticks out like a swayback,” Rain explained before I could, “The thumb thing’s a griffon idiom or whatever, he sticks out in a crowd.”

“Hm,” Moonbeam said, eyeing my fingers with a peculiar look.

“That’s our best option because so long as we don’t deal with Hoity again, even if we do, it will be easy to get around. Avoid his people, meet in a more discreet location, easy to accommodate.”

“That zebra!” Moonbeam exclaimed, beating me to the punch on the second possibility, “That Zecora, or whatever, she saw us leaving...though she did warn us to avoid Ponyville.”

“And that’s the last time we ran into her,” I had already put her at the bottom of the list, almost as unlikely as Rain or Moonbeam being a snitch, “She might be skilled in the ways of stealth, but I’m certain she didn’t follow us.”

“Zebra was in market,” Choc added, “I saw her some days ago, after you left.”

I guess we can mark her off the list, I thought, And fortunately not with a dagger...

‘So who does that leave?’ Discord’s sudden voice in my head made me flinch, ‘Oh, sorry, I’d knock first but rapping on the inner sanctums of your mind with my metaphysical knuckles might not end too well...for you, at least, I would be fine.’

“It’s funny you should ask,” I growled under my breath, turning a glare at the statue sitting in our Sanctuary’s kitchen.

‘Oh, don’t look at me!’ Discord sounded offended, ‘I’m naked!’

He’s got you there, my mind said.

“Oh, be quiet,” I grumbled, turning back to find myself getting odd looks from across the table, Damn ponies and their sharp ears, I mentally muttered.

“Discord?” Rain asked.

“Discord,” I nodded, thankful as their awkward looks lessened.

‘Discord!’ His voice was in my head again, earning another sharp glare, ‘Sorry, rule of three…’

“Funny the name should come up!” I spoke up, hoping some added volume would drown out any more mental musings, “He came to me in my sleep one of the nights and made mention that Luna was trying to get into my dreams. She’s done this before, even building a dream for me from my own memories. Thinking back on it, who knows if he managed to keep her at bay, or if she managed to glean anything from my dreams.”

‘I am, quite literally, right here, you know, right?’ I ignored his words as they rang through my head, ‘Like, inside your head.’

“She created a dream for you, from your memories?” Moonbeam asked, looking anxious, “What sort of memories? How did she get them from you? If she coerced them from you without consent, then that’s way illegal,” he waved a hoof for added emphasis.

“She claimed she only...peeked was the word, I think,” I thought back, “Something like that, that she only searched for fond memories, that my secrets were safe.”

“Well, dream magic isn’t my forte…” Moonbeam chewed over his words for a moment, “If all she did was draw from the surface of your mind, general emotions and ideas and whatnot or things you can get with a simple stimulus…”

“Assume she did,” I cut in before the technicals overwhelmed my mundane mind, “Are we safe?”

“Yes,” Moonbeam nodded after a moment’s thought, “If you’ll indulge me for a moment?”

“Keep it simple,” I allowed.

“Okay, okay...without getting into the nitty gritty, you can’t just go looking for whatever you want in someone’s mind, no matter how powerful you are. In short: you have to make them think about the information you want with some sort of stimulus, like me telling you not to think about an elephant makes you think about an elephant.”

“What’s an elephant?” I asked.

“Beside the point,” Moonbeam waved the question away, “Any significant mental digging would’ve woken you up, like shaking you awake but with your mind,” he pondered a moment, “Let me ask you this: you said Luna created a dream from your memories, what memories were they? What happened in the dream?”

Sudden discomfort kept my jaw shut for a moment before I spoke, “The memories were of Falkreath hold back in Skyrim, a warmer region to the south, and of another argonian I once fancied,” I gave them the minimum details, uncomfortable sharing even that, “In the dream I had a home in Falkreath and the argonian was my mate, we had a child.”

“That’s all?” Moonbeam asked, getting a nod in return, “Something as simple as that could be gleaned with an incredibly simple stimulus, something not even put into words as you or I understand them. Something like that, while perhaps frowned upon, would also be within the confines of the law.

“So again, in short, we’re safe,” Moonbeam finished.

“If that’s settled?” Rain looked between us, getting nods from Moonbeam and I, “It wasn’t Zecora, if it was Hoity it’s not a problem, Luna doesn’t have any viable information...and what was the verdict on Discord?”

‘Guilty on all charges of being a real swell spirit?’

“I do have my doubts,” I admitted, “But I suppose we’ll see.”

“Well if that’s just about everything, I’d like a nice wash and a proper bed to sleep in,” Moonbeam spoke up in the ensuing silence, “It’s been what, almost a week now?”

“Fair point,” Rain nodded as Moonbeam excused himself from the table, followed shortly by Choc.

Not a bad idea, I had to admit, though as I stood from the table there was a tantalizing clink as Rain set an elegant looking bottle down between us. The words on the label were unknown to me, but the small picture of a honeycomb could mean only one thing.

“Mead?” I asked, taking the bottle for closer inspection. Rain nodded smugly, “Where..?”

“Spotted it in the mansion, down in the wine cellar,” Rain’s voice was as smug as her face as she passed me a corkscrew, “Magical know-how isn’t the only thing that Moonbeam rubbed off on me.”

The honeyed scent of the nectar-like fluid filled my nostrils as the cork came out. I took a swig from the bottle, finding it quite delectable. It wasn’t nord mead, but perhaps just as good.

“Hey, whoa, wait up there!” Rain called out as she grabbed a pair of clean glasses, “That’s to share between us two friends! Besides, you owe me a story. Or did you forget your promise to tell me about your brother Aventus once the contract was complete?”

The name turned my guts cold, I warmed them with a larger swig from the bottle.

“Gimme that thing before you drink it all,” Rain held out a wing for the bottle and after a moment’s hesitation I relented.

I watched as the clear, yellow liquid swirled into the two glasses, taking a quick gulp when Rain passed mine to me. Though I’d not admit it, I had forgotten that promise, and now it was coming back to bite me in the ass. Perhaps I’d made the promise to spill my figurative guts too quickly, or under the ply of too much alcohol. I started to come up with an excuse, but when I looked into Rain’s golden eyes...I…

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

In a different time and place...

“Could you spare a coin?” the pitiful voice of the little beggar girl draws me from my drink. Twisting in my seat I see her tugging at Aventus’ shirttails, big eyes staring into his own dark pair.

“Here, have a septim,” Aventus smiles, crouching down and pressing a septim into her hands. Her eyes light up, locking onto the coin before moving to the smiling face of my accomplice. My partner. My brother.

“Oh, thank you!” the child exclaims, smile still bright on her face, “Divines bless your kind heart!”

I grumble and turn back to my drink, taking a swig of the delectable liquid as the fire and music continue to dance at my back. Aventus takes the seat next to me, leaning forwards against the bar.

“You want a drink?” the barmaid asks, pausing from her sweeping.

“I’m fine,” Aventus gives her a quick smile.

“Waste of a good septim,” I mutter into my drink.

“A waste?” he turns to me, incredulous, “Aram, we weren’t any different from her at that age. Lost, hungry, without anyone to help and guide us through the hardships of life,” his face turns sour, “No one but that old…whore Grelod until I got…” his eyes flicker to the barmaid, “Well, you know.”

“Yeah? Well I don’t remember anyone handing me a septim for nothing other than being less fortunate. Do you?” I reply with a glaring glance away from my drink.

“That’s exactly my point! We didn’t get help when we were little like her! But we come from a similar background, we know what it’s like to have no one there.

“Therefore it’s our duty to help her and those like her! To help them have a life that we weren’t fortunate enough to have!” Aventus argues like a priest for his gods.

And like with any divine-loving priest, I reply with a disbelieving snort, “I still think it’s a waste of a good septim.”

Aventus heaves a sigh, turning his eyes to the barmaid who was no doubt snooping in on our conversation, “What’ve you got?”

“Drink for the thirsty, food for the hungry,” the barmaid replies, setting her broom aside.

0 . o . 0

“You two didn’t quite see eye to eye,” Rain observed as I refilled my glass, her own almost untouched aside from a few small sips.

“Definitely not,” I almost felt a smile creep across my face, almost, “We agreed on some things. How to earn septims, for one…” I stared into the swirling surface of my glass, seeing my scowl in the reflection, “We were bounty hunters back then, taking down bandits and murderers and the like for the good of all Skyrim. But ever since he had Grelod assassinated he wanted to join the Dark Brotherhood. Figured if he got good enough against bandits he might get invited to join them…

0 . o . 0

Night is falling, paving the way for Secunda and Masser to rise above the black horizon.

A lone bandit stands watch outside the mouth of the cave, a warm fire crackling away at his ironclad feet. He’s oblivious to our presence among the tall trees just a stone’s throw away. This is his folly, for we are his doom.

“Can you get him?” Aventus hisses in my ear, dead still in the shadows beside me.

“Yes,” I finish applying the poison to my arrow. It’s a new mix, deathbell petals and the guts of a river betty, combined with the juices of a bleeding crown mushroom. It smells foul as I nock and draw the arrow to my earhole and it makes the bandit choke and writhe when the arrow pierces his flesh.

We approach the cave in silence, me in my quiet leather garb and him in his muffled iron armor. The body is dragged out of sight and the fire doused with loose dirt.

Moving in tandem silence, the two of us make quick work of two more guards just inside the entrance. Aventus’ twin blades might’ve flashed if it hadn’t been dark inside. My own blade splits flesh, filling the body with poison that works quick and efficient.

We drag two more bodies into the dark.

The rest of the bandits are asleep, smelling of sweat and booze and other less savory things. We let them sleep, finding their leader tucked away in his own quarters. His eyes open in fright as Aventus pierces his heart, a gauntlet silencing his cries.

Removing the head is no easy task, but a requirement if we wish to be paid in full.

Leaving with the spoils, the bandits are likely to elect a new leader within the week and we are likely to return shortly thereafter...

0 . o . 0

“Did he?” Rain asked.

“What?” I startled, drawn suddenly from my memories.

“Did he ever get invited to join the Dark Brotherhood?”

The uneasy feeling in my guts rose like foul bile in my throat as I remained silent.

“Aram?” She pierced my silence with her words, a hoof reaching out to touch my hand.

“No…

0 . o . 0

“Still no other way in as far as I can see,” I report, returning to our secluded hideout on the mountainside, “The guards will rotate soon.”

Aventus nods, dark eyes watching the small ball of flickering firelight further up the mountain. Our own campsite is cold, dark, and miserable but we can’t risk being seen when we’re so close to our prize. Hidden in the darkness above, two guards are warming themselves with a campfire burning outside the mouth of a cavern. I had watched them all day and into the night, them and the shaggy steed that belonged to our quarry.

“Right,” Aventus’ breath mists as he speaks, “Get some rest, I’ll take the first watch.”

“No, we should make our move!” I counter, earning his gaze, “We’re getting low on rations and there’ll be snow soon. If we move in now we can be out by the time the weather turns, the perfect cover for our escape.”

“I dunno, I don’t like this spot,” Aventus’ scowl is barely visible in the darkness, “If we move down the mountain we can ambush him once he leaves as well as replenish our food, remember that stream we passed? Should be plenty of fish to catch.”

“I do,” I concede that single point, “But the longer we wait, the greater the chance of someone else getting to him, and what if he sneaks past us? We’d miss him entirely!”

“You’re too paranoid,” Aventus says, “No one’s going to steal our bounty, we’re the only ones who even know he’s in there.”

“You’re not paranoid enough,” I counter again, “Winter is coming, what if he decides to wait it out in that cave? He could have it stocked with supplies. We could wind up stuck out here for months on end. The time to make our move is now!”

Aventus is quiet for a time, chewing over his words. I knew I was making sense, I just had to make him see it!

“Can we sneak past the guards?”

“Last I saw they were filling their bellies with mead,” I answer immediately, “Only thing they were watching was the fire.”

“Fine, but on one condition!” He holds up a finger, “This is a scouting mission before all else; we’re going in there to look around and see what he’s doing. If it’s as you say and he’s stocked up or if we get an opportunity to get him we’ll take it. If not, if there’s any doubt or a threat of us being spotted, we leave and do this my way. Deal?”

“Deal,” I doom him to die with a smile on my lips.

We pack our belongings, leaving them ready to go before heading up the mountain. I sniff quickly at my arrows and dagger, ensuring the poisons I’ve applied are still potent. Aventus moves about in his armor, the area between the plates filled with leather and hide to keep them from making a racket.

Reaching the entrance to the cave unseen, we find the guards drunk and merry, guffawing at some dumb joke or brazen boast. They fail to notice two shadows slip past them and into the dark maw of the cave.

Torches burn quietly from their sconces on the walls, bolted in here and there leaving little pools of darkness. We swim through these pools, steps quiet and quick until the cave opens up before us into a great cavern. Aventus gestures and we move off to one side into a dark alcove.

“Two guards there,” he hisses in my earhole, pointing them out at the lip of a branching tunnel above.

“Plenty of other tunnels,” I whisper back, scanning over the present area. It is wide and open with dark openings on the ground level as well as above.

Crude woodworks (barrels, tables, chairs, etcetera) are positioned around the ground level with scaffolding and ramps leading to a few of the elevated tunnels...there! I point it out.

“There’s an overhang there,” I hiss to Aventus, “I could climb up and stay unseen till the end of time.”

“We’re here to scout, Aram,” Aventus dissuades me with a quiet voice, slipping over to a group of barrels off to one side. Following his lead, I help him pop the lid and peer inside, “Salted meats.”

“So he’s stocked for the winter,” I assess as Aventus pockets a few rations, setting the barrel’s lid back on quietly, “All the more reason to kill him now and be done with it!”

Aventus takes some time to consider, hidden away in the shadow beside me. I give him his time, letting him alone with his thoughts until…

“Fine, we kill him now,” he gestures to the spot where I would betray him, “Take a position up there, watch the entrance and make sure he doesn’t get through. I’ll see if I can’t stir things up and get him to pop his head out.”

I nod in the darkness, grinning. We depart for the last time in silence, me to my hidden overhang and him to the dark tunnels. No one notices the shadow against the rocks, a few loose pebbles striking the floor as I make my ascent.

Drawing a steel-tipped arrow, I sniff to ensure I haven’t poisoned it already and apply a potent mix sure to stop our target in his tracks. Nocking the arrow (and being sure not to poke myself with the tip) I lie in wait; no different from a shadow except in my deadliness.

Time crawls by like a mudcrab, my eyes searching for any sign of movement outside the flickering torchlight.

Then a sudden crash of breaking pottery, the roar of a flame, and shouts of alarm echo from the tunnel Aventus disappeared into. I shake the weariness from my bones, half-lifting my bow in preparation for the shot.

A trickle of smoke and a bout of coughing precede the bandits as they rush from the tunnel, some stopping to fill their lungs while others rush into branching tunnels calling for water and buckets. Only three remain, the grip on my bow tightening as I spy our quarry among them: the one-eyed nord with a flowing, red beard.

But as I draw back my bow, sighting down the shaft, Aventus spills from the shadows like some unknown horror. The first guard hardly has time to shout before Aventus’ blades stab through the openings in his armor, piercing heart and lungs.

Our target and the other bandit draw their weapons; the bandit manages a swing with his axe and a shout of anger. Aventus stops the swing with one blade, the shout with his second and the bandit falls dead. Then he ducks under a swing from our target, the move putting him between us. I keep my bow drawn, but don’t dare to release for fear of hitting Aventus.

“Move, damnit!” I can’t recall if I spoke the whisper then or now.

Our target scoops up the second bandit’s axe, matching Aventus’ two blades. They ring and peal, sparks flying as they meet with grunts. The two of them remain too close for me to get a shot off.

Aventus lets one of our target’s blades clang off of his armor, using the opening to drive one of his own blades into the man’s leg. The man lets out a cry, collapsing to one knee and slashing wildly in an attempt to drive Aventus back. Aventus merely steps aside, slashing the blade from his hand and eliciting another shout of pain.

Yet before Aventus can strike the final blow, a whirlwind of magic bowls him over and away from our target. My eyes shift, having missed the arrival of a robed mage in the struggle between Aventus and our target. As Aventus rises the mage’s hands flash and a pair of snarling dremora leap into existence.

These new enemies leap at my brother with snarls and shouts for blood and death. He manages to hold them back, but only barely as their weapons bite into his own. His own steel weapons chip and spark as they meet their daedric swords.

Movement in my peripherals draws me back to our target, the man limping towards the cavern’s entrance. Then a shout from Aventus draws me back to him, seeing blood dripping from a cut on his arm.

The shout and sight of blood drive a cold blade of terror into my heart, the sudden realization that the dremora have him outmatched striking me far harder than any physical blow could. The mage cackles, seeing the same thing I was down below. I could use my arrow on him, end the fight and send his dremora back to Oblivion, but our quarry was escaping! He would rally the guards and escape on his horse once again!

I had a decision to make, and not enough time to make it.

“Aram! Help me! Shoot him!” I hear Aventus cry from down below, clashing steel ringing in my ears. But instead I shift my aim to our target and the arrow takes flight.

The shaft leaps into his unarmored side, a choking sound escaping his lips as he stumbles just outside the safety of the tunnel and falls dead.

Time almost stops as I hear the screech of metal, eyes drawn to Aventus’ shocked expression below and the long, black blade piercing his chestplate.

He crumples to the floor, blood spilling from his lips.

My world turns red as a shout echoes from my dark overhang.

0 . o . 0

“What...what happened next is all a blank,” I gulped down the rest of my mead, “All I remember is that when I came out of it my bow was shattered, dagger stuck in a bandit’s skull, I was the only one still breathing, and Aventus...” I couldn’t finish the sentence, at least not with an empty glass. Lifting the bottle, I emptied it down my gullet and let it clatter to the floor.

“I tried everything to bring him back,” our glasses rattled on the table as I brought my fist down on the wood, “I poured every healing potion I had down his breathless throat, I used every bandage I had to close his bloodless wounds, I prayed to every god there was and every god there wasn’t just to bring him back. I...I...I couldn’t...he was dead, just dead.

“I killed him,” the final statement escaped me at a whisper.

Silence, having waited patiently throughout the tale, now took the time to fill the room as I cradled my head and stared down at the blurry table before me. For a time, that became my world; the rough wood in front of my nose, my gloves pressing into my face, the pain in my chest, and the wetness in my eyes.

Then Rain’s forehooves snaked their way across the table, taking one of my arms and drawing my gaze to her. I felt my world shift as I lifted my eyes to hers, the soft contours of her face filling my vision.

She offered me no words, no condolences, no weeping apologies or long-winded arguments that it wasn’t my fault, that I wasn’t to blame. She just sat there, leaned across the table, eyes staring into mine, hooves outstretched and tingling through my glove and into my hand, a soft and understanding smile piercing through my haze of alcohol and unshed tears.

Slowly, over the course of an indeterminate amount of time, my eyes dried and the pain lifted from my heart. It wasn’t entirely gone, I knew it never would be, but it receded further back than it ever had in a very long time. Something...warm filled up the excess space, perhaps the alcohol, perhaps something else, I couldn’t be certain.

“Thank you,” I said, taking my hand from her hooves and letting it relax back at my side, struggling with my words, “That...it was…good to talk.”

“What are friends for?” Rain waved off the thanks and gave me another smile. I felt my lips creep up in an effort to return it, “I’m glad you were willing to share, let me get to know you a little better.”

“I’d better get some rest,” I stood on uneasy feet, it had been some time since I’d gotten drunk. It took a moment for the world to swirl into focus as I braced myself against the table.

“You good?” Our glasses clinked as Rain scooped them up.

“I’ll manage,” I waved away her offer to help, testing my balance and making my way…

‘Aram!’ I jumped as Discord’s voice snapped in between my ears, ‘We’ve got a problem.’

“To oblivion with you!” I snarled back, sending a glare towards the cowering statue.

“What?” Rain asked from the sink where she’d placed our glasses.

“Discord,” I grumbled back at her, getting a nod.

‘I’ve been there, rather droll this time of year, not a big fan,’ Discord’s normal half-mocking, half-cheery voice took on a sobering tone as he replied, ‘In any case, maybe this will sober you up: we’ve got company of the uninvited variety.’

“Who? Get to the point!” I growled, taking a moment to lean against a wall. I stumbled when Discord spoke the single, heart-stopping name.

‘Luna.’

Princess Problems (Pt2|Ch12)

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Chapter Twelve: Princess Trouble

‘Luna.’

“I heard you the first time,” I growled, sitting down hard so the world would come back into focus, Damnit! Great time for me to be drunk!

‘Indeed.’

“Aram?” Rain asked, her worried frown turning from Discord to me.

“Bring Choc and Moonbeam, armor up, Luna’s coming.” I cut to the chase, turning back to Discord as a sober-faced Rain galloped from the room, “How close is she?”

‘Too close for comfort but too far to poke with those dingy little dinner knives at your side,’ Discord riddled between my ears.

“How many minutes until she arrives, you overweight lawn ornament!?” I snarled back.

‘Bringing my weight into this? The nerve!’ Discord scoffed, ‘We’ve got about ten, maybe twelve minutes tops before she comes marching in through the front door.’

“Damnit! You couldn’t have said anything sooner?!” I checked that my knives were still in their sheaths and wondered briefly if there was any point to grabbing my bow and arrows. I decided against it for the moment as Discord continued.

‘She’s only just crossed into the Everfree forest, that’s the reason I was able to detect her; she can’t hide her presence here,’ Discord answered as I stumbled over to the sink, gulping water and tearing into a hunk of bread. Anything to offset the alcohol poisoning my system.

“Magic!” I spat, “If you can detect her can she detect me? My acolytes?” Rain returned with the others, both in the process of donning their armor. That was good, but how good against an equine Princess I wasn’t looking forward to finding out.

‘Are you an alicorn or otherworldly spirit enthralled with the powers of a god?’ Discord failed to give me a straight answer, ‘Fine, fine. No, not in here. You’re like the tiniest drop of chocolate milk in the ocean on the arcane spectrum, all the anti-magical noise the forest spits out masks you against most scrying attempts. Luna, on the other hand...well, try hiding a horse on an ant farm and tell me how that works out for you.’

“Can she detect you?” I said past a chunk of bread, turning my eyes to Discord.

‘That’s a good question. Hmm...’ Discord replied, pausing for a breath, ‘Were I in my fleshy, squishy form then yes. But as I am now, I would wager I’m registering about as much as the rest of you,’ I flinched at the sound of someone rapping their knuckles on stone, 'This stone thing isn't just for show, you know...'

“Pardon interruption, but what is plan?” Choc spoke up, both her and Moonbeam now kitted out in their armor, “We run? Fight? Die?”

“Ideally not the last one,” Moonbeam put in.

“Aram?” Rain asked. All eyes were on me.

A plan.

I froze at the notion, a chunk of half-chewed bread in my mouth. How did one even begin to plan to defeat a being like Luna? Back in Skyrim things were simple; people bled, succumbed to poisons, even vampires went down if you opened their throats or filled their flesh with arrows. But Luna? Could my weapons even pierce her hide? Could I get close enough to use them without her blasting me to Oblivion?

So run? But if we ran, we’d lose everything we had. Safe haven, money, but the worst would surely be Discord’s statue. The Dark Brotherhood had worked around its loss of a Listener and the Night Mother long before my time, but that was Skyrim. Here we were wet behind the ears, hardly established with only a single soul sent to the dread father. Without Discord we’d be taking shots in the dark to find new contracts.

But to fight? Maybe we had a home advantage here in our sanctuary, but the force multiplier of that was dubious at best. Perhaps I could have Moonbeam rig portions of the castle to collapse on her or open up to swallow her whole. Glancing to my twin knives I asked myself once again if they were even capable of defeating Luna. Once again we stood a greater chance of being defeated and, again, losing Discord’s statue. Even if we managed to escape whatever prison we were locked up in (provided we all survived the ordeal), they would return Discord’s statue to Canterlot. I was no mage, but surely they'd magically tighten security so we couldn't just…

A ludicrous idea shot into my head like a bolt of lightning magic, the world swirling as I wheeled about to Discord’s statue. I half ran, half stumbled over to him to the confusion of all in the room.

“You’re in my head!” I snapped at him, “Will it work!?”

‘I didn’t quite catch that one, actually...’

“Fornication,” I grumbled, slouch-turning to my acolytes, “Moonbeam, Rain, strip. Choc, come here next to Discord.”

“Uhh…” Moonbeam fixed me with a bewildered look.

“Rather forward of you…” Rain snorted past a grin.

“What is plan, yashcheritsa?” Choc grumbled, glancing to her compatriots before trotting over, “I do not enjoy polovoye izvrashcheniye...” Rain snorted again.

“I’ll ask you what that means if this works,” I groaned, thankful that she at least had listened before turning to Discord, “You used me to teleport you, me, and Rain…”

‘“You, Rain, and me.”’

“Be quiet,” I snarled at the god-like entity, “Use me to teleport you again, you and Choc, somewhere else. That takes you off the playing field, keeps you secure if things go to Oblivion so you don’t wind up out of our reach. We can escape and come find you again, we won’t have to start from nothing.

“Choc…” before I turned to her, I turned to the other two, still wearing their armor, “Strip now!” I barked, making Moonbeam jump and Rain smirk. Both started getting out of their armor as I turned back to Choc, “You haven’t come with us on any of our missions, there's no way Luna knows you’re on the playing field. You’re going with Discord as security. Keep his statue safe and secure until the coast clears. If we get captured, help us escape.”

“Da, ya ponimayu!,” Choc surprised me with a grin of determination, “Plan is good.”

“Rain, Moonbeam, we’re the ones Luna knows about…” I took a moment to catch my breath, preparing myself for what was to come, “We stay here and act natural. We can’t have known Luna was coming. As far as she knows, it’s just the three of us here. We’re not part of the Dark Brotherhood and we’re not the ones who stole Discord’s statue or killed Spruced Up. We’re adventurers; we slew the dragon, took its treasure, and renovated a ruin that no one gave two winks about.”

“I...okay…” Moonbeam said, now with his armor folded across his back.

“That might just work…” Rain mused, also bereft of her armor.

‘And here I thought I’d have to possess your form and battle it out with dear, sweet Luna,’ Discord’s cackle rattled my brain, ‘Now we won’t be sending me to anywhere near Canterlot distances if we want to keep the spell masked. Probably best to keep me inside the Everfree Forest. Anti-magical noise and all that...did you have a spot in mind?’

“I can think of plenty,” I replied, I’d gone through a good portion of the forest while our Sanctuary was being readied; looking for new plants to make new poisons and tonics. It wasn’t quite like the back of my hand, but close enough that I no longer relied on Zecora.

‘When you’re ready, think of where you want to send us and say my name.’

“Choc, ready?” I asked.

“Da,” she nodded, placing a hoof on the base of Discord’s statue.

My mind raced over the many spots I’d visited in the Everfree, someplace far but not too far. We couldn’t have much time left, Luna would be here soon.

“To Oblivion with it,” I settled on a spot, spreading my fingers out across Discord’s serpentine chest, “Discord,” I said.

Nothing happened.

“Discord!” I tried again.

The faintest cackle echoed between my ears.

“Bastard,” I growled, “My name.”

I crumpled to the ground as a wave of magic ripped through me, Discord’s statue and Choc vanishing in a flash of light. My eyelids were tugged shut, exhaustion shaking my limbs and preventing me from standing.

“Aram!” Who was that? Rain?

“Fine,” I grumbled, “Magical...sleepiness or...whatever you called it.”

“Fatigue, but close enough,” I heard Moonbeam say, “I’ll grab some food, let’s get you to a table and...well...wait for Luna to show up.” I could almost hear him gulp.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Above...

Luna stared down at the crumbled ruins of the one-time seat of Equestrian power, the castle that used to be her home. Her wingbeats were soft and measured as she held herself poised high up above.

She wasn’t quite sure what the sight of it made her feel; remorse, anger, perhaps a little happy nostalgia: the sound of laughter and galloping through the halls, though that flickered away as she beheld what time had done. A thousand years had not been kind to the crumbled walls and caved-in rooftops.

The gardens that she had once walked through were overgrown with gnarled masses of cruel Everfree weeds and shrubbery. Most of the stained glass windows had been reduced to jagged teeth of shattered glass. Briefly she wondered what had compelled her sister to move the seat of power to Canterlot.

Briefly.

“Highness,” Luna’s eyes were drawn to Commander of the Lunar Guard Silver Shrike. The armor enchantment making her look like a bat pony didn’t hide the fresh stitches in her side, “The Everfree’s anti magic is playing havoc with our scrying enchantments, but all the same no sign of traps. We did manage to detect life forces within the kitchen area, it’s central to the castle with…”

“We are aware of its location, Commander.” Luna raised a hoof, “Anything else?”

Silver nodded, “Fly bys show signs of recent repairs. Boarded windows and shored-up walls, someone’s renovated the place recently.”

That earned a raised eyebrow from Luna, “Very well, then. Let us intrude…”

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Below...

I wasn’t sure how many of the ten or twelve minutes had elapsed by now. It certainly felt like it’d been long enough; though my senses and thoughts remained muddled by the mead so it couldn’t have been that long.

This waiting felt unnatural, unnerving. My instincts warned that I needed to run, to find a dark corner to hide, check my arrows for poison. My fingers itched, wanting for the smooth handles of my knives. But I knew I had to force myself to remain calm, to appear unaware, for this ruse to work.

It didn’t make anything easier.

A sudden thought struck me: could Discord have lied? What proof did we have other than his words that Luna was approaching? Could I have just let him teleport to some unknown location with one of my acolytes for his own heinous purposes? How well did I really know the chaotic entity?

“Aram,” Rain snapped me from my reverie, glancing to a hand (or wing, actually) of cards, “Got any jacks?”

I looked to my own hand of cards, narrowing my eyes across the set, “Which ones are those, again?” I asked.

“It’ll have a donkey on it.”

“No fish,” I brought my eyes back up to hers.

“Go fish,” she corrected me.

“Right.”

“Aram Falíe of Skyrim!”

All my worries about trying to look surprised when Luna finally arrived were blown away by the shout from behind me. My acolytes were no different, Rain’s cards flying as she jumped and Moonbeam letting out a sharp yelp as he toppled back out of his seat.

I tried not to wheel about too quickly in my seat for fear of falling to the floor, my glare landing on Princess Luna. Was I getting soft or had she really managed to sneak into the kitchen with us unawares? There was no way shod hooves could be that quiet on stone.

For a moment she stood and stared, as regal as her dreamtime forms but as real as the stone beneath her. Her eyes sized up the three of us before settling back on mine. Her hooves clopped over the floor as she approached.

“We meet in the flesh at long last, though it ought to have been sooner had you not refused our messengers...” her tone was neither cheery nor angry, rather cool, calm, and collected. Regal, perhaps.

“I don’t like being summoned with threats,” I countered with a scowl, quickly adding: “How did you find us here?”

Luna halted, standing a good number of paces from our table, her starlit mane impossibly flowing within the still air.

“A…gift let us call it,” Luna’s horn ignited, Moonbeam flinching in my peripherals. No blast of fire or lightning executed us, instead a slim black shape materialized before her, “Given by you, now returned.”

My arrow somersaulted slowly through the air until it floated before me. I glanced from it to Luna, suspicion making me hesitate before taking it from the air, my ring glowing softly.

“A rather potent poison rests upon its tip,” Luna's eyes tracked around the room, a brief flash of something shooting through them before they returned serious to me, “Mixed from plants found exclusively within the Everfree forest. It dost not take an alchemist to put two and two together and also accounts for the sudden disappearance of a blue dragon from this ruin. We had assumed it moved off, but looking around at the renovations we doubt it left its treasure willingly...”

She let her gaze burn into mine, the implication hanging in the air. I didn’t deny it, instead cutting to the chase.

“Well, you’ve got your meeting,” I grumbled, setting the arrow down and crossing my arms before me, “What did you wish to discuss? More dreams and tantabuses?”

“Tantabi,” Luna corrected, “And nay. Whilst it torments us to ignore your nightmares, you hath made it quite clear to us that you wish to handle such problems on your own.”

I felt two pairs of curious eyes probe my back at Luna’s words.

“Nay,” Luna said again, her height suddenly growing and the shadows of the room drawing in towards her as her expression grew dour, “What dost thou know of the beast known as: Discord?”

Silence filled the room.

Rather quick to get to the point, I mentally muttered, “I know about as much as any, I suppose. A spirit of chaos, imprisoned in stone. Why?”

“You were the last creature to have the pleasure of meeting him,” Luna’s expression remained dour, her horn lowering slightly. My own hands lowered to my sides, not quite reaching for my knives but ready at a moment’s notice. In the corner of my eye, Rain lowered her body ever so, “Do not debase our intelligence by playing coy, Aram Falíe. We are aware of your visit to the Canterlot gardens some time ago.” In response to my surprised look, she continued: “You are not quite as sneaky as you would think.”

That most certainly hadn’t been the last time I’d seen Discord, but I wasn’t about to reveal that to Luna. No, I had to come up with a ruse, something to fool her and throw her off the true story of what we were doing here. Perhaps a hint of the truth could blossom into a bountiful lie...

“Very well,” I made a show of relaxing my stance, gesturing vaguely to my acolytes to do the same, “Discord came to me in a dream, though I didn’t know it was him at first. He hid his presence to trick me.

“He gave me a riddle, one that ultimately led to my visit to the Canterlot gardens,” There was the truth, now time for the lies, “Once we found him, he ensnared us, my partner and I,” I tossed a quick gesture to Rain, “He wished to be freed from his stony prison and wanted us to be the ones to do it...”

“What were his plans?” Luna interrupted, hostile expression and stance unchanged.

I paused for the briefest of moments, “I...we never heard them,” I turned to Rain, using the moment to get more time and restring my lie before turning back to Luna, “We refused, of course. We’re adventurers, you see, travelling the land in search of stories of wealth. But to free such a monstrosity from his stone tomb? We’re not so easily plied. He surely would have turned on us at the moment of freedom.”

“Indeed he would have,” Luna agreed, looking as though a foul taste had met her tongue, “Yet, in spite of your words his statue remains vacant from its place of rest in the gardens.”

“I was getting to that,” I replied, clearing my throat for another crucial second, “He wasn’t pleased at our refusal to free him, naturally. I...hate to admit it but we caved to his threats,” I turned away to appear embarrassed, “We didn’t release him, but he forced me to act as a...a thing for him to use to teleport himself away from the gardens.”

“A conduit,” Rain put in, “Discord used him as a conduit to channel his own powers through since he was trapped in stone.”

“Yes, right,” I said, secretly thankful for the few extra moments to think before I finished the lie strong, “When we awoke, we found ourselves back within the Everfree forest. That’s all there is to tell, I assume Discord teleported his statue somewhere else.”

“Why wouldn’t he have left you in the gardens?” Luna inquired.

I could only shrug. I had no lie for that.

“Perhaps to hide the evidence,” Rain reasoned, “He may have figured the beasts here would consume us, not knowing that this is where we’d lived for some time.”

“And why did you not come to the authorities on this matter!?” Luna demanded.

“Retribution,” Rain answered again with a suddenly harsh tone, “Hay, did your lackies tell you how things went down in Hoity’s nightclub? They nearly beat Aram to death!”

“The injuries sustained by Commander Shrike were telling enough,” Luna paused for a moment, “And, truth be told, her report is the only reason this conversation isn’t happening with a set of enchanted bars of a prison cell betwixt us.”

Luna didn’t let the stark surprise of my acolytes and me fester for long.

“You could prove yourselves useful, you see, and thus earn our forgiveness for nearly unleashing the blight of Discord on our lands once again. Assist us in our task and we shall forgive your transgressions against both our land and our Commander. The alternative shall be determined by a jury of your peers,” she eyed me pointedly, “Or as close to peers as we can arrange.”

I shared a brief glance with my acolytes, getting reassurance that they would follow my lead for whatever came next. With that settled, what did come next? Luna was alone and in our sanctuary, the odds of us defeating her were still low, but better than if she’d arrived with an entourage. The attack would be warranted with her threats of imprisonment and trial, we could certainly escape her clutches but that would still be less than ideal.

Of course, she had dangled a tempting alternative to conflict and strife. I was no stranger to odd tasks, I hadn’t started off my career as an assassin, after all. Even once I had joined the Dark Brotherhood, not everything I did involved sending a new soul to the Void. So why not bite, if not just to earn another hour of freedom and a chance of making it out of this unscathed?

“What is this task of yours?” I asked, crossing my arms before me again.

Luna raised a single brow, eyes turning to each of us in turn, “Surely, you jest? Have you not been listening to us at all?”

Oh… I suddenly realized, nearly laughing at the irony of what she was about to say.

“You will provide assistance cleaning up this mess you’ve made. You will help us find Discord’s missing statue and return it to its rightful place within the Canterlot gardens,” Luna spoke, a hint of something that might’ve been annoyance lacing her regal tone, “Must we be any more clear than that!?”

The silence that followed that statement was deafening.

“You’re serious,” I voiced the single thought that managed to cross my mind.

“Indeed,” Luna intoned.

“Wait a sec, hold up,” Rain clopped a hoof down on the table, “So just because we kick in the teeth of your ponies and manage to escape that makes us candidates for a...what would this even be? Missing persons case?”

“Missing statues? Spirits?” Moonbeam pondered quietly.

“We certainly don’t need to remind you of our history,” Luna’s face turned sour as she spoke the next few words: “of Nightmare Moon’s history...suffice it to say we do believe in second chances, in the idea of redemption. You three have made a mess of things, we would find it fitting if you were the ones to resolve them.

“As to your skills of skullduggery, they may yet prove useful…that is all we may speak of now. Should you wish to accept our task and seek atonement we may speak more of it.” Luna left it at that.

“Can…” I gave my head a good shake to bring things into focus. With the mead in my system the effect is dubious at best, “Let us think on this.”

“This we will grant you, but we will not wait more than a half-hour’s time. Should you choose not to accept our task your atonement shall be as ours was, imprisonment...though not on the moon, rest assured.”

Small things, I suppose, I reasoned as Luna turned and strode away to the door to give us some privacy. All the same, I kept my voice low as I turned to my acolytes.

“This is bucking insane!” Rain hissed.

“We need to take the offer,” I countered.

“No, I agree. Otherwise she’ll whupp all our asses and toss us in prison! Better we let her think we’re helping while looking for a way out from under this,” Rain impressed me, a small smile creeping across my face.

“I think we’re all in agreement, then,” Moonbeam added, “We’ve, er...” he cast a glance towards where Luna was standing, “Let’s just say I agree and leave it at that. Too many prying ears to speak about certain details.”

“Indeed,” I cast my own glance towards Luna’s ears, spying one twitch of its own accord, “Princess!” I called over, waiting for her to return to her standoffish distance, “We accept your task.”

“Very well,” Luna smiled a pleasant smile, though it briefly turned catlike as she continued: “You may join us now, Commander Shrike.”

My puzzlement was replaced by alarm as movement caught in my peripherals. Turning, I saw Silver Shrike, the two bat ponies from Hoity’s club, and another three new bat ponies melt from the shadows around us, striding calmly over in their midnight armor. Silver grinned a mirthless grin at my surprise, the two bat ponies from the club glaring openly.

Clever girl… I scowled both mentally and physically.

“Security,” Luna explained to my sour expression, “We thought it prudent.”

“What now, then?” I asked.

“Skullduggery,” Luna answered.

My Little Argonian: Family is Sacred

by Warren Peace

Escape into Exile (Pt1|Ch1)

Revelations (Pt1|Ch2)

Three Little Fillies (Pt1|Ch3)

Sweet Dreams (Pt1|Ch4)

Of Magics and Maniacs (Pt1|Ch5)

To Forgive a Fiend (Pt1|Ch6)

A Walk in the Woods (Pt1|Ch7)

Bleeding in the Firelight (Pt1|Ch8)

Interrupted Nightmares (Pt1|Ch9)

The Hut in the Woods (Pt1|Ch10)

Third Dawn (Pt1|Ch11)

First Impressions (Pt2 | Ch1)

Sanctuary (Pt2|Ch2)

King of the Hoard (Pt2|Ch3)

A Beginning of New Things (Pt2|Ch4)

On the Subject of Outfits (Pt2|Ch5)

Where Royal Sisters Preside (Pt2|Ch6)

Where Creatures of Stone Reside (Pt2|Ch7)

Past Faults and Future Prospects (Pt2|Ch8)

Till Death do us Part (Pt2|Ch9)

Trouble in Paradise (Pt2|Ch10)

A Brother in all but Blood (Pt2|Ch11)

Princess Problems (Pt2|Ch12)