The night sky coated the forest in a cool, misty air with only the sound of crickets chirping through the mixed blades of grass. No other critters were within ear shot from the single young zebra who stood in the middle of a clearing in the forest with his forelegs bent at the knee as he bowed his head low to a cloaked figure in front of him.
"Twelve long years, I've trained you." The figure said in a deep voice. "Now you've become stronger than I thought you could. At last you are ready to follow your destiny. Rise." The young zebra stood before the figure. His body covered with scars and cuts showing his years of training by what appeared to be combat, and the burn marks showing his experience with dangerous liquids.
"What would you have me do, my master?" He asked as he bowed his head.
"It is time to put the knowledge I've given you to the test." The figure replied. "There is a witchdoctor who is placing curses and diseases in the eastern region. You are to end her torment and bring me her notes." Excited, the zebra grinned at his first mission since he was taken under this figure's wing and begun his training.
"Am I to use any restraint?" The zebra asked. Immediately he regretted this as he felt a cold chill throughout his body, making his knees weak and threaten to give.
"If I were sending you on a test to eliminate a poisonous threat, would you use subtlety to take down one who would kill you with a single object?"
"N-no... my master." The zebra groaned. The cold weight was soon lifted from his shoulders and he gasped before he stood up straight. "I shall go and do your will, my master." The young zebra began to walk away.
"The witchdoctor will have allies at her side." The figures voice called out. "If you are to succeed in this mission and prove your worth, you must not allow others to live. Remove all obstacles in your path and do not allow any distractions to stop you from your mission." The zebra stopped at this order. He knew his mentor was strict as proven by the way he had been trained for the last twelve years, but he never thought he was heartless enough to suggest something as sever as this. But he knew better than to question his mentor at anything. Early in his years when he simply asked "why" he received a scolding fit for one who had committed rape in the pony society which was pretty high as it is. The zebra turn to his teacher.
"As you wish, master." He walked off, grabbing a torn clock from the stump of a branch as he passed it. The cloaked figure watched his pupil walk into the forest before turned the opposite direction and walk off himself.
The zebra walked on for a few minutes before he came to another clearing. What he saw made his heart stop. There in the middle of the clearing chained to a tree was a sapphire dragon appearing to be in its teenage years struggling to break free. The zebra rushed behind a tree and looked into his cloak to find something to dispose of this beast before it breaks loose.
"Master!" A hoof rested on his own and he looked to see an earth pony at least twice his age looking to him. "The dragon is yours."
"What do you mean, Gath." The zebra asked.
"Your master sent the dragon here to be your transport to your missions." The old pegasus explained. "It would be far faster than my old wings can carry you and more efficient."
"Why didn't he say anything?" The zebra asked.
"I know not his motives, master, but I believe he thought if you could tame a wild animal such as a dragon you would be closer to accomplishing greater things." The zebra thought about it for a moment before looking to the struggling dragon again. His thoughts turned to standing along side his master as ruler of the kingdom instead of the alicorns. A smile formed on his lips at the thought. Standing along side the ruler of the kingdom was reward enough, but to have a tamed dragon on his side as well? That would send a strong message out to the world.
The young zebra stepped out into the open and smirked at the dragon. The dragon stopped its struggling as soon as it saw the zebra and growled at him. "I'm no ones pet, zebra!" It said with a female voice. The zebra chuckled.
"A girl dragon?!" He laughed. She growled at him, but soon stopped. He stepped up to her.
"There's something... different about you." She said.
"Don't try to slip your way out of this!" The zebra snapped. He pulled out a small bottle from his cloak. She eyed it with extreme caution. This caused him to smirk. "You already know what this is?" She took a step back as she kept an eye on the bottle. "Good. Then you know that if you try anything I'll poor this on your scales faster than you can flap your wings." The dragon glared and hissed at the Zebra.
"All you equines are more monstrous than you claim us dragons to be." The dragon growled.
"Shut up, dragon!" The zebra snapped. "You now have a purpose in your pathetic life."
"Like Tartarus I do!" The dragon growled back. The zebra held the bottle up to the great beast causing her to immediately back down. The zebra stepped up to the dragon.
"Now. I have a mission to complete for my master." The zebra said. "You are to fly me to wherever my missions require. If you refuse, you die. Am I clear?" The dragon glared at him.
"Creatures in search of blood, such as yourself, always find what they're looking for." She said.
"Shut up!" The young zebra barked. He put the small bottle of dragon poison away in his cloak before stepping up to the dragon. She growled as he approached, earning a sharp glare of warning from him. She glared back at him for a moment before backing down and allowing him to approach while keeping her guard up. She knew deep down something was different about this one, he just had yet to learn it for himself. He stepped up and hopped onto her back, causing her to roar and stir a little, yet she did not push it further than that. The zebra from his perch looked to his servant. "Are you coming?" His servant took a step back.
"I'm afraid flying is for the pegasi, master." Gath replied.
"Suit yourself." The zebra said. "But be sure to meet me at the usual spot for when I return." Gath bowed his head.
"Of course, master." Gath gave another respectful bow. The old earth pony who had aided in the young zebra's physical training for so many years looked up to his master before he endured his first assignment given to him by his own master. The young zebra smiled at his only friend before he kicked the dragon's sides to get her moving. She reared with a roar before looking back at the equine on her back with a glare.
"You'll fly now if you know what's best for you!" He barked at her. She snorted at him before turning back and kicking off the ground hard enough to kick up some chunks of dirt with the intent to leave the zebra on the flat of his back, but to no avail. He stayed firm on her back as she flew up above the forest trees and off to the east towards the sunrise.