The Raptors

The planet of Equis is home to many different species, Ponies, Griffins, Dragons, Changelings, and the list goes on, but what about those not marked down in the Canterlot Archives, or catalogued by the Crystal Ponies in their huge library? There is but a single species left undiscovered by the world of ponies, a species that lives on the distant continent of Raptoria. The species simply call themselves, “Raptors”. They are a land based predator species that evolved from intelligent pack hunters that roamed Raptoria’s surface eons ago. Evolving into a group of hunters and warriors, the Raptors of Raptoria are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to guerilla warfare. They often opted to using a long sword made of steel, but will don leather or hide armor to help maintain flexibility when movement was key. Masters in the art of the hunt, they will either opt to hunt alone for themselves, or gather some friends and feed multiple families.

Today though, is about the Raptor named Welvarin, a mercenary for hire in the city of Soraris. He was the single member of his own mercenary faction, “Lone Ranger”. The Raptor in question sat alone in a darkened tavern near the start of a night. He was still working off last week’s pay, a rescue mission that gave him more gold than he knew what to do with, and so did the thing he did best, just before killings living beings: he drank. Taking another swig of the flavored mead his kind had developed, he brought the wood mug high into the air as he drained its contents. Setting the mug down calmly, sliding it to the other end of the table where the bartender took it and began to wipe it clean. The tavern was mostly empty at this hour, smelling of booze and cigar smoke, it was a hub for information and an invaluable center of intelligence for him. It wouldn’t be another hour or so until people really began to roll in, but the few that were already here were Raptors he knew, other mercenaries getting ready for the nighttime rush. Among them was Cervanin, scout for the merc group “Green Scales”, and another he knew more personally, the lovely Deferva, and member of the faction “Female Ferocity”.

He chuckled at the very thought of the name, sure it wasn’t a great name, but a name doesn’t make a mercenary group what it was, no, it was the Raptors serving in one or the equipment they had, but mostly the members of the group. The jingle of the doorbell meant little to him as he ordered another drink, the bartender sliding him a full mug of his favorite mead. Taking a sip at the frothing liquid, Welvarin heard an armored figure take a seat beside him. Still paying it little mind, he blew off some of the froth, making it easier to get to the ichor beneath it.

That’s when he felt a tap on his right pauldron.

He looked to the figure, who wore a black hood. Great, the shady kind, the pay was always good with these guys, but info regarding the mission was generally on the down low.

“Are you Welvarin Sacred Claw?” asked the figure, not looking directly at Welvarin, and speaking in a low tone.

Welvarin swished the liquid around a little, “Who wants to know?”

“Soonen High Tide,” was the only response, which caused Welvarin to pause.

“High Tide? What does he want? And why didn’t he send himself to get me?” inquired the merc, taking another swig.

“He asked me to make sure the message was relayed, he has found something that may mean his life to the Cult,” said the hooded figure, waving off the bartender as he approached the newcomer.

Welvarin chuckled, “Something to do with the Sun Lovers eh? I knew they were trouble, what’s the job, protection?”

The hooded figure nodded, “Yes, he’ll need a faithful bodyguard, someone not in the Cult, and someone he knows well.”

Welvarin took another sip, savoring the rich flavour, “Me team up with High Tide again? That was many cycles ago, and even after all of our ordeals, we went our separate ways.”

“He is aware, but in order to give you a standpoint on how serious he is, Soonen is willing to pay double your last paycheck, the one you earned five days ago.”

Again Welvarin paused, “What did he do? Find proof that the sun is alive or something? He’s had guys digging out at the ocean for seasons upon seasons, but I never really thought anything of it…”

“That was all I was told, what he has found or why he asked you are things I was never informed of. I am but a middle man, do you wish to accept the job, or not?” asked the messenger, turning just slightly more towards Welvarin.

The Raptor in question swished the remaining contents of his mug, watching as the yellow liquid slide around the aging wood with ease. Downing it all in one gulp, he slid the mug to the bartender, tapping the table.

“Check please.”

After exiting the tavern, Welvarin was shown to a Draco pulled chariot, creatures that resemble a dragon, but are dumber, and walk on all fours. It was a three hour trip to the dig site, and Welvarin took the entire time checking his equipment. His armor was in well enough repair, his pauldron’s were metal while his breastplate and greaves were Draco Scale with steel knee guards. His boots were lined with sheep wool, and covered in steel, except or the soles, which was instead Welve Leather. His favored weapon was the bow and arrow, tools rarely used by Raptors since the feathers used as fletchings for the arrows were rare. The bow was forged from the finest Xendium, a rare metal that had cost him a fortune to acquire, then even more for it to be shaped into a fine weapon. It was stronger than any alloy, rare at best, and had a black sheen to it, though also had a light undertone of red. The arrows were made from a small supply of things, arrowheads of steel, shafts made from the lightest Jerryum tree and fletching from the feathers of the rare Braveheart birds. He unsheathed his backup dagger, a simple steel construct with a slow curve meant to cut through the toughest natural armors.

The cart came to a stop at a rainy dig site. Jumping from the chariot, Welvarin did not eve wait for his guide as he began to make his way to the place he suspected Soonen to be; indoors.

He approached a large tent made from tan canvas and entered through the nearest flap, looking around inside, “Soonen?”

A slightly shorter figure turned around from some charts, looking at Welvarin, “Ah, Welvarin! So good to see you again!”

Welvarin chuckled, shaking the slightly shorter Raptors claw, “As with you Soonen, I was told you found something that might put you in trouble?”

Sooned clamped up suddenly, “Not here, the Cult of the Sun has eyes and ears everywhere, it’s best I just show you.”

Welvarin nodded, following the scholar outside, and towards a large pit. He saw that there were carts full of polished

and aging stone, some of which appeared to be part of ancient statues and even some pieces of rotting paintings. He didn’t recognize any of the craftsmanship, and he had traveled from one shore of the continent to the other looking for work, delving into ruins with entire teams and emerging alone and scarred. No, this art style was a lot smoother, like the architects had used some sort of device to mold the very stone into what shape they wanted it. He soon found himself following down a set of makeshift stairs, and down into the earth where the entrance was revealed. It was an intricate stone archway with words embedded into it, words he could not read, and being fluent with every language found on the continent, ancient or modern, this puzzled him.

“What does it say?” he asked as they entered, some Raptors still quarrying rock and dirt.

“It’s a welcoming of some sort, I haven’t created a direct translation, but we know that it’s not native,” replied Soonen, waving for Welvarin to follow.

Welvarin nodded, “I figured as much, but why does it have you so worried?”

“The answer to that question lies deeper within, a room we uncovered a few days ago, a room like no other.”

Welvarin stopped Soonen, “You’re making no sense old man, I need to know what we’re dealing with here.”

Soonen sighed, “It’s a ritual chamber of some sort. Not only that, it was indefinitely important to these people because they enchanted the very rock to never age, the ceiling encrusted with jewels that make light as if they were stars, and floor of the most polished and shining marble I have ever seen, even after all these centuries. But what we found at the end of the room is what has me so worried. It was a book, a picture of a sun and moon, and a tome that has somehow survived the ages. In it were words I have spent day and night translating, why was this room so important to them that they had to use magic to make it everlasting? What kind of magic did they use? And that’s when I found out about… them…”

Welvarin sighed, “Them? Who is them? And why aren’t you talking like a sane person?”

Soonen grabbed him, “Shh, not here, in the chamber, follow me, we’ll be alone.”

Welvarin raised a brow, but nodded and followed him down a musty hallway, “Now as far as we can tell, these people were rather prosperous. Mastering magic and architecture, they lived peaceful and full lives. But, when a natural disaster separated this city from the mainland it once called home, and joined us here on Raptoria, the people died off, or were evacuated. Probably died off though, since they left the ancient tome here.”

Welvarin nodded, and had to admit, for being buried under tonnes of rock and dirt, the ruin was doing rather well, in fact, one might accuse it of being more of an abandoned home than an aging pile of rubble.

“Another thing that makes this place so interesting is that as far as we can tell, they were a land based people, so why they would have an intricate city such as this built underground, is beyond me.”

They soon arrived at a tall golden door, which caused Soonen to look around for any suspicious activity. After making sure they were alone, Sooned opened the doors, and the resounding light nearly blinded Welvarin. After his slitted eyes adjusted, he felt his jaw fall, and tried to speak but merely muttered nonsense. It was a lavish room, floor shining like the sun and ceiling painted like night, or perhaps it was obsidian, either way each held an incredible sheen, and caused light to reflect around like it was daytime all the time. The walls were decorated with columns of marble that helped to reflect the light again, and hold the hefty ceiling up. He was lead to the back, where Soonen sat upon a pedestal.

“Now, do you really want to be involved in this old friend, or do you wish to return to your home and continue with your life as it is?” asked Soonen, looking at Welvarin more seriously than he had seen the light hearted old scholar.

Welvarin nodded, sitting beside him, “Of course, that’s why I’m here. I’ve been hunted more than a few times in my life, each in which soon found my survival skills came from experience, not a hand guide.”

Soonen nodded, “Very well. The tome I found told tales of a pair of princesses, not just your average girly and

spineless ones, oh no these royal sisters are famous for taming a huge area of land and claiming it as their own, a land called Equestria. Now, these princesses were not only immensely powerful, they were also a race called Alicorns, a race of immortal quadrupeds that had an incredible handle over magic. They were so powerful, in fact, that they took control of the very sun and moon.”

Welvarin stood still for some time, then proceeded to burst out laughing, “Ar-are you serious? I mean really, I know you area  smart guy going to a college and all, taking lessons on how to decipher languages obviously puts you at a higher standing point than me, but come one, immortal quadrupeds that have control of two of the hugest masses that you scholars know about? Even the Cult’s High Priest would be laughing at you.”

Soonen sighed, “And that is why you are following the map I found stashed among its pages.”

Welvarin stopped suddenly, “What?”

Soonen stood up, “I found a map hidden among the pages supposedly written by a “Golden Aura”, a priestess here at the city, and it details how to return to Equestria since she knew she could not do it herself. It has a star chart, land marks, and, I don’t know if it’s reliable, but approximate distances as well. I already have a ship and crew hired and I just need someone to protect me should a member of the Cult have somehow snuck aboard.”

Welvarin shook his hands in denial, standing a shaking his head, “No no no no no, I’ve been on enough voyages to know that following a map found in some musty old ruin is never accurate.”

“Just look around you Sacred Claw! We are in a room devoted to a pair of goddesses who rule a land far to the west, and you, of all Raptors, are not jumping, climbing, and fighting for the chance? What happened all those cycles ago, when you wanted to race off into the woods in search of those fairies everyone talks about, when you swung your first sword and declared yourself a mercenary, or when you joined me and we discovered a ruin filled with priceless artifacts?!” spouted Soonen, outraged that he was being challenged in an area Welvarin held no authority in.

Welvarin turned for the door, “I grew up old man, I suggest you do the same, or maybe the Cult will have your head, and don’t expect to see me at your funeral.”

With those words, Welvarin walked out of the room, shutting the great gold doors behind him. Soonen stood stunned in the shining room, looking down at the polished floor, he sighed; there were preparations to make for the trip…

Welvarin shrugged off his last piece of armor, deciding to go home early that night. Falling into his bed, he proceeded to cover himself up, lying upright in his bed and looking at the worn ceiling. He sighed, he hoped that Soonen would be okay in his travel, and he was sure that there were others mercs he had to have dealt with before, so there was no need to worry about anything, right? And yet, there was a constant nagging at the back of his head…

You should have agreed… you should have agreed… you should have agreed…

Shaking his head, he tried closing his eyes, settling in the bed and trying to catch some sleep. And then there was that nagging again… and again, and again. Perhaps there was a reason he had considered going at the site, after all, he was getting ready to “grace” his thirty fifth birthday soon, and had to admit he wanted some more adventure in his life before he reached his half-way point. The thought never left his mind, and he periodically checked the moon out his window, seeing it had moved a considerable distance since he first left the tavern… He should have agreed…

Getting out of his bed, renewed with vigour by the fact that had entered his mind he donned his armor, stowed his blade and bared his quiver and bow. Dashing out his front door and barely having a mind to lock it on the way out, he took the next available carriage in the city to take him back to the dig site.

As Soonen oversaw the final piece of supplies stored in the ship, he turned back to the mucky road that had carried away his bodyguard. For once he expected the opposite of what he hoped for, and was surprised to see another carriage coming back down the way. At first a small bit of fear entered his stomach when he thought that the Sun Cult had found out, but felt it drain away with the early morning breeze as he saw Welvarin jump out the rear, running like a boy late for school. As Welvarin reached him, he smiled.

“Had a change of heart?”

Welvarin nodded, “Yes, as much as I deny your sun and moon goddess theory, you might as well have someone you know aboard to help.”

Soonen chuckled, reaching for the contract that he had in his rear pocket, and signalling for a quill and pot of ink, “I thought as much, good to see that there is still some of the old Welvarin Sacred Claw in you yet.”

Welvarin let a sly grin form on his lips, “That there is, and he itching for an adventure.”

Welvarin signed the parchment with the produced quill and ink as he always did, and shifted his quiver on his back, only hoping that they had food for one more seems, in his haste, he had forgotten to pack food.

Once aboard, he turned to see Soonen joining him, “Actually, if I may ask, why are we leaving so soon?”

Soonen tapped a piece of pristine white paper, “By the map I hold here, we have to leave now in order to arrive by day at that land.”

The scholar had a word with the captain and the sturdy looking Raptor began barking commands. Soon, the sails were falling, men were running about and climbing ropes like monkeys and the boat creaked as it moved. Soon, they were off, leaving the shore behind. Welvarin watched from his place on the boats railing, watching and smiling as the shore disappeared behind an early morning fog. Welvarin brought in the smells of the sea through his nose, smells he had been missing for cycles…. After feeling the chill of the morning and knowing that until they broke the fog there would be nothing to look at, he moved below deck, and began to search for a place to sleep.

Meanwhile upon the shore of Raptoria, a cloaked figure watched as the ship left the port, a sun symbol adorning his robes.

Luna looked up suddenly, realizing that she was being watched. She was sitting alone in her private chambers, a small hearth crackling in the background as she read a book.

“Oh um, hello, and what are you doing here? … … … What do you mean a story? You needed a pony in the first chapter or it wouldn’t be accepted? Well then, I must admit I am flattered, out of all of the ponies in Equestria you chose me- wait, where are you going? Don’t leave yet IhavesomanythingsIwantedt-”