Knight of the Sun

Knight of the Sun

Chapter One: Fireside Conversations

Amethyst’s eyes opened as she slowly woke up. Orange light brutally cascaded into her sensitive eyes, making her wince. She scrunched them back up in a futile attempt to re-enter her peaceful slumber. But the flickering light won out, and Amethyst’s eyes opened up fully. Yawning, she rubbed at them with the back of her hooves.

“I see you’ve woken up.”

Amethyst jumped. Turning her head to the direction the voice had come from, she saw the very thing which had saved her from the dogs sitting on a log, still encased in it’s silver armour. It was dark but the light from the fire allowed her to see they were still in the forest. Although she had no idea what time it was, the stars were out in earnest.

“Oh… it’s you.” she croaked, her voice strained from disuse.

The creature noticed this and motioned to a small pot which Amethyst now noticed sitting in the middle of the fire.

“That’ll be ready soon, it’s water for you. I don’t trust cold water in this forest. Got to wait for it to heat up first.” the creature said kindly.

Silence fell upon the two, neither really knowing what to say to the other, until at last Amethyst could contain her curiosity no longer.

“W-what,” she began, hesitantly clearing her throat. “What, err, that is if you don’t mind me asking, what are you?”

The creature smiled.

“I could ask the same question of you, my lady.” Despite the situation, Amethyst blushed slightly. She’d never been called a lady before.

“But, I suppose you did ask first. My name is Sir Adam. I’m what you should call a human.”  said Sir Adam, outstretching an armoured limb to the mare.

“Er, I’m Amethyst. Amethyst Star. I’m an earth pony.” she replied, outstretching her own hoof to meet Sir Adam’s strange appendage.

He grasped her hoof warmly and shook it. Amethyst couldn’t help but notice that on the underside of the armour you could see what appeared to be the creature’s skin. Pulling his limb up slightly to get a closer look, she could see that it was a dark brown colour, different from the colour of the creatures face, even though it still appeared smooth and hairless.

Sir Adam cleared his throat.

“Oops! S-s-sorry!” Amethyst stuttered, quickly pulling her hoof back.

“It’s quite alright, my lady,” said Sir Adam. “It’s just that the water’s done.”

“Oh.”

Sir Adam unsheathed his sword and slotted it through the handle of the pot, lifting it and setting it on the ground beside him. Using one of the spiked ends of his gauntlet, he poured the steaming water into two grey, metal cups. Amethyst peered at the cups intently. Small dents could be seen in the metal, almost as if they’d been hand made.

“Here you go, that should do your throat some good.” he said, offering one of the cups to Amethyst.

“Thank you.” she replied.

The two settled into another moment of silence. This time, however, it was Sir Adam who spoke first.

“So, if you’re an... earth pony. What were those strange creatures in the caves? They looked to me like wolves.”

Amethyst shuddered at the mention of those monsters. Then her eyes widened in shock. Her back! What happened to her back!

“Oh!” she exclaimed, reaching back and running her hoof down her back. Expecting to feel pain, she was surprised when none came. She looked at Sir Adam, confused.

“What happened? How am I still alive?”

“Well,” the knight started, taking a sip from his cup. “Firstly, my lady, I happened to arrive at the opportune moment, a few more lashings and I don’t think you’d have made it. There was," he paused. "Quite an impressive pool of blood below you when I made myself known.”

Sir Adam put his cup down on the floor, then reached for a cord which Amethyst just noticed around his neck. Undoing the clasp with remarkable precision for one wearing gauntlets, he held up the necklace for her to look at.

It was a beautiful, circular, golden pendant. Embossed in the middle was an image of a sun, the same sun which was emblazoned upon the knight’s shield. In the centre of the sun sat a sparkling, moderately-sized diamond, which glimmered in the light of the fire. The gold seemed to give off a light of its own, even if the firelight wasn’t reflecting off of it.

“It’s beautiful.” Amethyst breathed.

“Indeed,” Sir Adam said. “It’s a most ancient, holy relic of Sol. It allows me to bless water and give it healing properties, which I used to aid the healing of your wounds.”

Amethyst looked at the magnificent pendant with wonder.

“Really? How does it work, magic?”

Sir Adam laughed a deep, booming laugh, making Amethyst jump, and replaced his necklace.

“No, my little pony friend, there’s no such thing as magic. It works only by the divine power of Sol herself.”

Amethyst looked at Sir Adam, confused.

“Of course magic exists. And what’s ‘divine power’? Who is Sol anyway?” Sir Adam returned the look of confusion. Amethyst paused for a moment before continuing. “You really aren't from around here, are you?”

Sir Adam frowned.

“Obviously not.” he muttered, turning back towards the fire and stroking his short black beard with his hand.

Amethyst started to get nervous. Had she offended him somehow?

“Erm… I’m sor-” Amethyst was cut off as Sir Adam raised his hand.

“Please, my lady, do not apologize. Although I am troubled, I had suspected this for quite a while. Speaking with you has merely confirmed my suspicions.”

“What did you suspect?” she asked, taking a nervous gulp of water from her cup. Sir Adam sighed.

“To put it bluntly, my lady, I believe I am not of your world, and have somehow traveled here.”

Amethyst looked blankly at the knight.

“How do you know?. You’re not exactly normal to me, but are you sure you’re from another world? You could be from another country of something.” she said. The knight nodded.

“I am positive. Ponder this,” Sir Adam turned on the log to fully face Amethyst.

“Three days ago I went to sleep in my camp, with my horse tied up no more than four feet away, and when morning comes I awake to nothing but grass,” the knight rubbed his forehead, pausing for a moment before continuing.

“I make my way through the forest, but it is like no forest I have ever known. The trees, the plants, the flowers, all foreign to me. Like nothing I have ever seen! And you and those wolves-”

“Diamond dogs,” Amethyst interrupted sheepishly. “Sorry, I never did answer your question.”

“It is quite alright,” he said, smiling. “Well, you and the diamond dogs. In all my travels, never have I heard a word of talking ponies, nor dogs able to wield swords. At last, perhaps the most damning evidence.”

Sir Adam chuckled.

“You tell me that magic exists, quite seriously, yet you have never heard of Sol. You sounded as if you didn't even know any Gods at all.”

“No,” Amethyst replied. “I’ve never heard of a God.”

“How peculiar.” the knight muttered. “To be in a world where Gods do not exist, yet magic is commonplace.”

“I could say the same for you.” Amethyst said, poking her tongue out at Sir Adam.

He began chuckling, soon erupting into laughter with Amethyst joining him. When their laughter died down, the mare looked at Sir Adam seriously.

“So, what will you do now?” she asked. The human sat in thought for a moment.

“Well, I suppose my first duty would be to escort you back to civilization.” he finally said. Amethyst blushed.

“Thank you. Again.”

“It is my duty,” the knight bowed his head. “You need not thank me. Apart from that, I don’t really know what I could do. I am a knight to my goddess and kingdom, I do their work.”

“Oh!” Amethyst exclaimed suddenly. “I could take you to Canterlot!”

“Canterlot?” questioned Sir Adam. “An interesting name.”

“Oh it’s a brilliant place,” gushed Amethyst. “It’s a huge city built on a mountainside. It’s so fancy and classy. It’s also the place where Princess Celestia lives!”

“I am assuming that Princess Celestia is part of the royal family then?”

“Oh yes, she rules over Equestria. With her sister Luna of course.” she added hesitantly. “Though she’s only been back a few months. But I’m sure they’d be able to help you.”

“We shall see,” said Sir Adam, smiling at the pony’s enthusiasm. “But for now, we sleep, the fire is starting to go down.”

Indeed it was. Amethyst estimated that they’d only been talking for about an hour, yet already the fire had begun to collapse and turn to embers. Amethyst shivered as the wind crept up her back.

“How are we going to sleep? I’ve never slept rough before.” she said to her new found friend.

“You can take my cloak, it’s behind the log.” replied Sir Adam.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am my lady. I have slept in much worse and come out just fine.”

“Oh… ok.” Amethyst wasn’t sure quite what to make of that, she couldn’t imagine worse conditions than sleeping out in the elements. Even the hole she’d slept in for the past couple of nights had been sheltered from the wind and dry.

Regardless, Amethyst took the knight for his word and snuggled down by the remains of the fire, downing her cup of water before covering herself with the relatively thick cloak. It was pure white, although smudged like her own coat. Amethyst was not surprised to see it was also emblazoned with a picture of a golden sun.

“Sir Adam?” said Amethyst, once she was settled.

“Yes, Amethyst?” replied the night from the other side of the fire.

“What happened to the diamond dogs? I can’t remember much.”

Sir Adam did not speak for a moment, and Amethyst’s heart began to pound faster with each extra second of silence.

“I am a knight Amethyst, I did my duty. Suffice to say, they shall not enslave anybody else again.”

“Oh, ok.” Amethyst honestly didn’t know quite how she felt about the implications of those words.

A few seconds later, Sir Adam’s voice pierced through the veil of night once again, and Amethyst couldn’t help but listen.

“Help me O Goddess, you who shines like the Sun.

When I rise with the dawn, help me get up,

give me what I need to continue your tasks.

Help me O Goddess, you who has brought me happiness.

When I see others and speak with them, help me remember my purpose,

give me the words to make them as you have helped me.

Help me O Goddess, you who has taught me to care.

When I look at the destruction around me, help me be the light,

give me the courage to carry on caring.

Help me O Goddess, you who has taught me responsibility.

When others are in danger, help me fight

give me the strength needed to protect the weak from harm.

Help me O Goddess, you who has told me the truth.

When I am surrounded by naught but lies, help me see through them,

give me the fortitude to stay the course.

Help me O Goddess, you who has given me all you have.

When I fall in the dark, help me rise once more.

Give me the integrity to help others do the same.

Praise the Sun”