Sun Rises Over a New World
The storm was brutal in its intensity. For three days it had rocked the ships of Otto von Heln's twenty-ship fleet, as if the very sky warred with them. The young Prince of Collodia stood at the top of the stairs to the hold on his flagship, the Indomitable Spirit. He had not named the mighty ship of the line, the English shipwrights he had hired to build his people's fleet had. Not that it bothered him, really. Prince Otto had far bigger troubles to keep his mind on, such as the quickly draining food supply. As horrific as the storm had been for the timbers of the ships and the sickness below decks, it had at least given them plenty of fresh water. Three weeks trapped in the hold had been more than enough for some of his people, the nobles mostly, who demanded they turn back. But they could not. Nothing was left for the people of Collodia to go back to.
Two years prior, Otto had been the sole ruler over the prosperous principality of six thousand. The commoners, mostly farmers and miners, made a living plowing and digging the soil of their beloved homeland, bringing them into the capital city of Colod so that the merchants and nobles could sell it abroad. Collodia had long been looked after greedily by the kings of Prussia and France, but had kept them at bay with a mix of banking laws, and shrewd alliances with larger powers, such as the United Provinces, or the English crown. To all appearances, Collodia would easily live on through the tumultuous times of 1680's Europe. Till one night, after a fateful dream.
Otto had seen, what he believed, was a vision. A glorious, flaming bird, flying low over the sea, towards the western horizon. And as the young prince followed in his dream, he found a land gleaming with colors far brighter than he had ever seen before, brighter even than the robes of rich merchant houses from Venice, or the billowing robes of the Catholic Church clergymen who visited from the Vatican. A land with tall forests, wide fields of wheat and barley, mountains encrusted in gems and precious metals. More wealth than he had ever seen in his lifetime, or that of his mother's reign of Collodia. The flaming bird flew high over the land, beckoning like the beacon of a lighthouse. He had to come, but Otto could not come alone. He had a duty to his people, so he turned back to his home.
The tall spires of his castle rose up in Otto's dream, and he found himself standing on the highest perch, his bedroom balcony. The stone and thatch city spread out below, slowly turning into the multicolored farmlands of the freemen and peasant workers he so loved and protected. Beyond that were the hills that held his country's wealth of gold and silver, and the dutiful miners who tended to the age-old deposits. But they are not what drew his eye. Instead, Otto's gaze turned to the distance, and his blue eyes widened in horror. The very sky seemed ablaze with torchlight. The armies of the world, clad in Prussian black or French white and blue, marched upon Collodia, and this time there was no English red to hold them back. His brave people could never hope to hold back such a tide of flesh and metal. The fire would burn it all to the ground, all they had worked so hard to build and maintain. But on the edge of his vision, Otto could still make out the sea, and the lighthouse beacon of the bird so far away. On the other side of the world. The revelation had woken Otto like a thunderclap. They must leave for the New World.
The plan had brought stunned and outraged reactions from his nobles. To move their entire country, small as it was, would require thousands of florins, and a mighty navy they did not possess. Not to mention giving up their very homes and livelihoods. Some had suggested, in quiet, but his spymaster knew all, that the prince may have lost his mind. For awhile, Otto relaxed, setting the idea to one side. Perhaps he had overreacted to a simple dream. That did not last. On a cold September morning, a brigade of dragoons rode in from the southernmost border of Collodia, many shot or bleeding from superficial wounds. They had been ridden down by a cavalry regiment of Prussian raiders making for the gold mines; Otto took his own personal guard to deal with them. But they were far too late. The miners had been butchered, their accumulated gold stolen by the Prussian thieves. When Otto returned to the castle, no noble dared speak a word against the Prince's reaffirmed plan.
The wealth of the castle and the noble families were quickly spent hiring shipwrights and building adequate docking facilities for building the fleet Otto had in mind. The forests of his beautiful home were cut down, and he imported strong timbers from France and Norway to build the mighty warships and transports. The farms donated their harvests to the crown, who pickled, salted, and barreled the produce to use as supplies. The Prince would not rest until he was sure he could save the entirety of his people, and their heritage. But sacrifices did have to be made. The prized horse herds of his Dragoon Corps were sold to the United Provinces, and piece by piece, their tiny country was sold to the highest bidders. The people were nervous, but did not question their Prince, loading onto the ships and finally leaving their home on April 14th, 1685. It was only the start of their ordeal.
The first week of their voyage had seen battle with Prussian warships, and now this storm threatened all their lives. The Prince, his blond hair streaked and matted in the rain, slowly stepped out onto the storm swept deck, staring out into the darkness of the night-time sky. The sailors looked exhausted, but worked around him deftly, used to this nightly routine. Some nobles believed he was searching for the flaming bird, their tones mocking... but soft. In truth, Otto just needed time away from watching his people suffer below-decks. Scurvy was running rampant now. Food would be gone soon, or spoiled from the ever-present salt water.
"Perhaps I lost my mind," he whispered to the night sky, its brilliant stars covered by the clouds of the storm, "Have I truly led my people to their end?"
There, a flash of light. Was it a trick of his grief-stricken eyes? Otto ran to the front of the boat, lambskin boots sliding on the slick deck; his hands gripped the railing tightly. The flash, a brilliant point of red light, surged to life again, heading to port. The tumult from the sailors was momentous, but the Prince's clear voice cut through it like a knife.
"Captain, follow that light! Send word to the fleet. Light a signal fire!"
On the foredeck, in a bronze, protected vessel, they lit a mighty fire so the fleet may follow, the Spirit surging after the bright light. Otto would not leave the stern, forcing his bodyguards to bring out a fur to wrap him in. It was a fortuitous move. Several hours after turning to follow the light, the light seemed to explode outward, and a massive wind blew out the signal fire and threw Otto onto the soaked deck. The night sky was seemingly rolled up like a scroll, revealing a vibrant blue sky, pock-marked with clouds and bright with daylight. And as Otto picked himself off the deck, he saw it. The land from his dreams. A mighty mountain rising into the air, surrounded by beautiful forests and sprawling grasslands. But what truly caught his gaze was on the mountain itself. It was the sun rising, framing a beautiful city of towers and spires, jutting straight out from the very mountain side. It gleamed in the light like a scene from heaven itself.
Behind the Prince, the bedraggled and stunned citizens and nobles of Collodia filed out of the hold, staring out at the land with wide, stunned eyes. Some began to weep in awe. Otto looked back at them, and a small smile split his boyish features.
"Our new home awaits."
From her vantage point high in the sky, Celestia could observe nearly the entirety of the western half of Equestria. Below Canterlot lay the hamlet of Ponyville, the new home of her wonderful student and the Element Bearers. She smiled faintly as she thought of the young fillies she had come to rely on as subjects, and friends. Without them, Celestia would not have seen her dear sister Luna again, and she was not certain they could have defeated Discord on their own without the Elements. For such innocent ponies, they had become quite the defenders of the realm, and the thought made her smile wider. Perhaps she should visit them, she thought warmly, It would certainly make for an-
But the thought, and her smile, vanished quickly as she gazed out to the horizon. A small speck quickly turned to a full sized purple-maned and green-pelted pegasus, who practically skidded to a stop in the air in front of her monarch, her flanks and sides rising and falling with her rapid breaths.
"P-princess Celestia!" she managed shakily, holding up her trembling hooves when Celestia began to ask what was wrong, "T-there are... d-dozens of ships, f-from the west! Huge, like m-minotaur ships!"
This... confused Celestia, greatly. She had only recently re-signed an ancient peace treaty and trade agreement with the Minotaur Nation, promising them food in exchange for metals only available in their homeland. Certainly they were not foolish enough to risk famine on an invasion, not again...
"Did you see minotaurs?" she asked softly, flying closer to the exhausted filly and carefully guiding her back down to her balcony.
The pegasus flashed her a grateful smile as she sat back on her haunches on the sun-warmed tile, but then shook her head.
"N-no, Your Majesty. Just the ships. I-I'm sorry, I should've-"
But Celestia cut the filly off with a gentle hoof on her muzzle, smiling warmly down at her. Her wing beckoned to one of the guard stallions who had rushed into her chambers.
"Bring this filly down to the kitchen. Get her a hot meal and a room to rest in."
"Yes, Your Majesty," he replied dutifully, leading the trembling mare out of the Royal Chambers and shutting the door behind them.
Only once she was sure they could not hear did Celestia turn to the remaining guard, her eyes hardening to that of the warrior princess Celestia had once been known, and feared, as. She drew herself up, wings flaring in the bright sun.
"Gather the Guard, and a flight of chariots. We must see to this threat... and end it, if we must."
The landing, to Otto's relief, went better than expected. All twenty ships had made it through the voyage and the storm, and had safely unloaded all the souls aboard to the sandy shores. Unfortunately, seventeen members of his people had perished the night of the storm, so the landing was marred by their mass funeral. It was a simple affair, with a Protestant and Catholic priest taking a turn speaking and blessing the graves. A strange sight to those from elsewhere in Europe, but Collodia had always been a country of understanding and learning, and Otto had never tolerated religious persecution of any sort. He knew that sometimes the two sides had... heated arguments, and even brawled on occasion, but he had always put a firm stop to it.
Turning away from the ceremony, Otto once again scanned the forest that brushed against the shoreline. Oak trees, for the most part, he noted, and stout ones at that. They would do well for the beginning of his new colony, until they could unload the stone and prepare proper housing. Well. His gaze veered off to the shore, and he could not hold back a sneer of disgust. One of his vassals, a vile Norwegian man by the name of Count Ellander, had already ordered his servants to unload his allotted stone, completely skipping the peaceful ceremony. Ellander had always been the crueler of his few vassals, but Otto could scarcely relieve him of his title. His family had served his mother faithfully, and Ellander controlled the largest portion of noble-backed soldiers. Sending him off would practically leave the colony defenseless. But the man could at least show a little respect to the dead.
A shout of surprise and a ripple of panic through the gathered crowd caught Otto's attention, and he spun towards his Captain of the Royal Guard, surprised to find him gaping up at the sky like a lunatic at a full moon. Following his gaze... Otto von Heln, Prince of Collodia, found himself doing the exact same thing.
"What... are they, Your Majesty?" A guard behind Celestia's chariot asked softly, sounding just as stunned as she felt.
Celestia's chariot convoy numbered twenty vehicles, each bearing three riders, unicorn guards all, and three pegasi fliers. Around that flew two dozen Lunar Guardponies that Luna had given her sister while she kept watch over Canterlot. Arrayed in the black and dark blue of their mistress, the Lunar Guard carried small crossbows attached to their forelegs, all trained down at the crowd of... creatures. Bipedal like minotaurs, Celestia noted, but shorter and far less bulky. All seemed to be dressed in constricting clothing, with hats or bonnets covering their small head. A smaller group, however, were armored in metal, and lining up in rows.
"Fire only if they do!" Celestia commanded loudly, and she watched in surprise as the crowd of creatures below stirred and murmured, even more so when the Sun Princess began to descend her chariot in front of them. A creature more richly garbed than the others stepped in front of what Celestia assumed were soldiers, staring at her with small, yet vibrantly blue eyes. It was hard for her to judge his body language, but using a minotaur as a base, she would assume he was... curious. Or very angry. She would prefer the former, in this case.
Now... who would speak, or act, first?
The tension was palpable. Two sides facing off; Otto did not doubt for a moment that his fifteen hundred soldiers could annihilate this small force of… creatures, with but a single volley. But that was the response of a frightened fool, and while the Prince may indeed have been frightened, he was not about to be a fool now. Not after the expense he had gone through to bring them to this bright land. He held up a hand to stay his men as he strode forward, shoulders back and head up in confidence, but not enough to show undo arrogance. Stepping up to within a few feet of the beautiful white horse with both wings and a horn (a mix of the unicorn of peasant folklore and a pegasus straight from Greek myth), whom Otto could only assume was the leader of the party, he bowed respectfully, crossing an arm in front of his chest.
“Greetings. My name is Otto von Heln, Prince of Collodia. I apologize if we have intruded upon your lands, but I do hope we might come to a peaceful arrangement.”
He looked back up at the creature and put on his most winning smile. He sure hoped this worked.
Celestia smiled softly as she watched the human bow, ears perking lightly. Well, this was nice. An improvement in manners from minotaurs, at least. She met his eyes, and was surprised by what she found. He was young, that she was certain, but his eyes held a certain maturity few had at his age, and a deeply held fire. A passion for his people, she suspected. She turned to scan the soldiers behind him; the silence was an old trick of her’s, useful to unnerve and set off-guard fellow dignitaries and diplomats. And it miiiight have also been to give her stealthily approaching guardponies to take up covering positions with crossbows and spears ready. Just in case. The creatures were only light armored, to her surprise, but carried short spears that they aimed like crossbows, with a single spike leading forward. It was an odd way to hold a spear, she thought curiously, till she spotted the hole just above the spear-point. Some kind of projectile weapon, perhaps?
Finally, the Sun Princess turned her gaze back to Otto, and smiled softly, bowing her head low and spreading her wings.
“Greetings, Prince von Heln of Collodia. Peaceful arrangements are the best kind, I find.”
The Prince chuckled at that, and it was a pleasant, relieved noise. He waved a ho- no, minotaurs called them hands, and the soldiers behind him lowered their strange weapons. He motioned back to a set of canvas tents.
“My people tend to discuss matters of state in private. We each bring a single guard?”
Celestia nodded, smiling faintly as she twitched a wing; Captain Golden Wing, a broad pegasus with a golden pelt and fiery red mane, stepped forward quickly, bowing respectfully to the Prince. A soldier from the line, an older-looking creature with graying black hair and hard green eyes, quickly stepped beside his Prince. Together, they slipped into the Prince’s tent, while their peoples eyed each other uncertainly.
Captain William Bensley was an Englishman, and as an Englishman he thought of himself as a tolerant and mindful. But… speaking to a horse princess… it was practically enough to send him into a case of shock. In his forty years of life in the militaries of both England and then Collodia, William had seen many strange things in his time. Werewolves in the mountains, cannibal men in the deep mines of Collodia, even saw the kraken once! But talking horses, no… ponies… He sighed beneath his breathe. He needed a drink.
William sneaked a glance over at the soldier pony, and smirked when he found the armored creature gazing right back at him with a wide blue eye. As the two monarchs sat down to begin talks, the Englishman slowly scooted a bit closer to the pony, keeping his voice low as to not disrupt the proceedings.
“Err… name’s William,” he managed awkwardly, “William Bensley, Captain of the Royal Guard.”
The creature looked at him in surprise and grinned, holding out an armored hoof just like a hand, “Golden Wing, the same.”
With a faint chuckle, William slowly reached down to shake the hoof, wincing; the pony only came up to his shoulder, and even the slight bend to shake had upset his back. Damn age. Golden Wing winced as well, nodding in understanding.
“Your back?”
“Indeed.”
“Had the same problem. I have some tea that helps it, if you’d like.”
William’s eyes brightened instantly, “Did you say tea?”
This Princess knew her politics. Otto had always thought of himself as a reluctant master of the art, well taught by his tutors and late mother. But this pony princess, Celestia, was… very much a master of it as well, with great stores of wisdom, and a definite wish for peace.
“I am quite willing to trade my gold stores for land,” he told her warmly, sipping at the tea her guard had brewed up for them over the tent’s campfire, “But I’m afraid I cannot sell you any of our ships. Until I can cut down enough lumber to build homes for my people, their hulls will have to be used to make temporary shelters.”
“An understandable decision,” Celestia acquiesced, smiling faintly, “And a responsible one. You care a great deal for you people.”
‘A test’, Otto realized, smiling despite himself, ‘Clever. She’s testing my resolve for my people.’
He cleared his throat, “Do you have a map? I would like to draw out boundaries.”
Celestia nodded warmly, her graceful horn glowing a soft golden as it lifted a scroll from her pack, unrolling it on the meeting table. Otto gulped, forcing back his awe and some superstition. This… magic, she had explained to him, was not going to go over well with some of his people. The Prince leaned forward, eyes widening slightly as he looked over the expansive kingdom. Celestia daintily set a hoof over the spot marked as the “White-Tail Wood,” just north of a city marked as Los Pegasus. She slowly drew her hoof over half the wood, and the coastline down to the river that separated them from the city.
“Will this suffice? I believe six thousand of your people will have ample room to build and expand within this area.”
Otto looked it over, nodding slowly, though inwardly he was ecstatic. It was only just a few acres smaller than Collodia itself, and he could see enough plains for farms, and enough forest for plentiful hunting and lumber. He would have to split it among the nobles, certainly, but that should be easy enough. He hoped.
“Yes… yes, I believe it will, Your Majesty. This is very generous. What would you like in return?”
Celestia’s snow-white sides rose up and down once, and she fixed Otto with a serious stare. The human Prince immediately knew that what she would ask of him would not be something he could refuse of her.
“I wish to have a handful of your weapons, including some from your ships. Not all, but enough that my subjects might study them.”
“ABSOLUTELY NOT!”
“Lower your voice, Count!” Otto snapped at Ellander’s infuriated outburst, pacing in front of the five noblemen.
But Ellander, thin, sallow face purple in outrage, would not be quieted yet. He jabbed a thin, pale finger at the Prince.
“You’re bartering for a pittance of land with… with animals! And for what? Our weapons! Are you insane?”
The Norwegian man smashed a hand into the meeting table, and Otto vaguely hoped he broke something.
“We should butcher those creatures and take ALL the land we need! They are armed with crossbows and swords, for God’s sake! If you were a true le-”
“Enough!” snarled the portly man beside Ellander, drawing a surprised glance from the man.
Count Ducaine had always been an ardent supporter of Ellander’s more militaristic policies, lending his Dragoons and horse trainers to his efforts to fight against Prussia and France. But now the ever-scowling, overweight man had risen to his feet, glaring with beady eyes at Ellander.
“We cannot argue at this time, you fool! We are in a land we know absolutely nothing about. This… Princess, has offered us land to begin in, and she certainly does not have to. From what the Prince has told us, her country is large enough to easily overwhelm us in numbers. We must do whatever we can to ingratiate ourselves until we are in a position of strength and can resist. Just as our forefathers did.”
“Thank you, Ducaine,” Otto added with a genuine smile, “I appreciate your understanding of this deal. And we are not giving them all of our weapons either, only samples. Ten muskets, ten pistols, and two cannon. They simply do not wish to be surprised, and I cannot blame them. We are rather strange to them.”
“They’re animals!”
“They’re thinking and breathing beings, Ellander!” retorted the woman beside him, her eyes narrowing dangerously at the thin man.
Countess Mariatte was no woman to cross; the landlady for most of the farms and fishermen in Collodia, she had often used her position to sway the other nobles to her way of thinking. Hunger does that to people.
“And apparently quite intelligent at that!” stated the gentleman beside her, whose son, a noble in his own right, nodded in agreement, “They are kind for now, and I suggest we take advantage of that and accept their offer.”
All eyes turned to the still sputtering Ellander, his watery blue eyes going from noble to noble, looking for any ally to back him. Finally, without a word, he sunk back into his chair, glaring down at the wood. Otto grinned in triumphant, sighing softly in relief.
“Then we are agreed. Welcome my friends, to New Collodia. May we find peace and prosperity in this new land.”
Few paid attention as Ellander excused himself from the table, wrapping his cloak about himself as he disappeared into the shadows of the moonless night.