Ponies of Deltora: Monsters and Magic

Day two, Time, 1:00 PM

The caravan of the Masked Ones broke free of the tree lines and joined with the long, un-kept road that grazed the Barrier Mountains. They spoke in silence as they wandered along, concentration on nothing but getting to their destination. Even as they passed through small settlements and people came out to greet them. Some of the performers would play music or juggle a few balls, but that was it. They had no time to waste in small settlements like these.

The happy faces were a breath of fresh air for Rainbow Dash however. For the first time in over a day she could see emotional expressions. The sparkling in their eyes and the joy on their faces was like a fresh blast of sunlight to the pegasus. Sure it was only for a few moments, but it was at least something.

Most of the other Masked Ones made sure to keep their distance from the bound mare. Dash knew that they were watching her, even if they tried to hide it. The only one who remained by her was her jailer/friend Ransford. Even then he remained silent most of the time, lost in his own thoughts and dreams.

“So is out ‘question for a question’ thing still in affect?” Dash asked, desperate for a way to entertain herself. The raven masked man gave a small nod. “Good. So how long have you been with these guys?”

“I have been a Masked One my whole life.” He replied calmly. “Is that all or do you have more to add?”

Dash shook her head. “Then it is my turn, what do you aspire to do with your life?”

Dash immediately piped up upon hearing that. “Well I intend to one day join The Wonderbolts. The best aerial acrobatics group in all of Equestria.” A small laugh escaped the man’s lips. “What’s so funny?”

“It seems you are a bit more like us than you believe.” He replied. “While we may be two different races, you aspire to be a performer and entertain the masses.”

“Like you?”

Ransford didn’t reply. Instead he turned his head and walked slightly ahead of the cyan mare. There he once again went into the comfort and seclusion of his mind.

*****

Time, 5:00 PM

The chiming of a large bell rang thought the area. Immediately all the Masked Ones lifted their heads and began to murmur amongst themselves, especially the children. At first Dash wondered about is but upon looking down the road she could see why.

Ahead of them was a pleasant looking town of shops and buildings centered around a large fountain. A large clock tower rose from the other buildings, chiming the time away with its sweet melody. As the caravan headed through the town, throngs of people swarmed out to meet them. Like before the performers put on small shows, but these ones seemed more enthusiastic than before.

It’s because now it’s worth their while to. Dash thought to herself. She was then interrupted by a small group of children who came to marvel at the strange colored horse before them. She gave them each a nice smile, but to their sadness she was forced to go with the rest of the troop.

Soon they came to a large fiend behind the town. Immediately the masked children set off to collect firewood while their caretaker watched them attentively. Roc the dog headed one was overseeing and ordering the unloading of the red boxes. Rainbow Dash headed over to Ransford who was busy unhinging the horses and bringing them to a makeshift pen.

“So are you gonna perform tonight?” She asked eagerly.

“No, first we must set up before we can entertain.” He said. “And why would you assume I would be performing?”

“Well I remembered you told your mom that you had an act you were working on.”

He let out a small sigh. “Yes but she assigned me to you, remember? And at any rate it’s not finished.”

Dash leaned a little closer to her masked friend. “Well, do you think I can see it?”

Ransford dropped the bag of feed he had been moving and looked at the pegasus. “You would like to see my routine?” His voice was full of shock and surprise.

“Sure, I have nothing else to do.”

Ransford’s eyes were filled to the brim with excitement. Quickly he finished locking up the horses and beckoned Dash to follow him to the edge of the fiend. There was a long white fence around the area, covered with the same large moths dash had seen in the forest. She hesitated to go near them at first, but after some coaxing from Ransford she took a few steps. The moths paid the two no mind whatsoever and continued their vigilant post.

Finally Ransford stopped in the middle of a beautiful field of yellow flowers. The air was thick with black swarms of bees, all drunk on nectar. The raven headed man tossed his outer clothing off and reached for his belt. Dash saw him take two black rods from its side. With a quick flip of his wrists two long, black, leather roped tumbled off of them. He flexed the muscles in his back with anticipation.

“I haven’t had much time to practice for a few days, so this won’t be an amazing show.” He said calmly.

“Yeah, yeah, let’s get this started!” She said enthusiastically.

Ransford inhaled deeply and let the whips trail behind him. Slowly he walked in a carefully planned circle, which his whips traced accurately. Once it was finished he stood in its center and began to twirl his whips like ribbons. It started slow but soon picked up into a flurry of hypnotic movements. Dash was having a hard time looking away from the show. It was only by the buzzing in her ear that she was forced to look away. And what she saw next made her jaw drop.

All the bees in the field had risen in a black buzzing mass. Slowly they swayed back and forth in rhythm with the movements of his whips. When Ransford moved the whip in his left hand slower, the bees copied. When he flipped rotation they did the same.

Finally Ransford twirled both whips around his head like a transparent dome. Soon the bees were covering the area, one by one making a living dome out of their bodies. Rainbow Dash could only stare in wonder. Not even Fluttershy was this skilled at commanding animals.

As the last few bees were about to go in place Dash saw one of Ransford’s hands slip, and the whip go flying into the grass. Immediately the bees rose into the sky again and flew back to their flowers. The raven masked man stood there for a moment, breathing heavily. “I-I always-mess that part-up” he said between breaths.

The cyan pegasus could only stare into the sky as her brain processed what she had witnessed. “That was AMAZING!” She blurted out after a moment.

“You believe so?” He asked as he collected his whip and garments.

“Defiantly, why doesn’t your mother let you perform? Is she insane?”

Ransford let out a small sigh as he and Dash walked back to the camp. “No, but she has good reasons for it.”

Dash cocked her head in an are you kidding me kind of way. “And what might those be?”

“Didn’t you have something you wanted to ask me?” He said eager to change the subject. Dash was about to further protest but decided to drop it.

“Yeah, it’s about something called a Purebond Root. Do you-“Before she even knew what had happened Ransford had placed a black gloved hand over her mouth.

“Shhh, keep your voice low.” He said urgently. The two of them went back to Ransford’s wagon and closed the doors tightly. “Now where did you hear of that root?” There was a hint of concern in his voice.

“It was on that note from yesterday.” She replied, handing him the note from her rainbow saddlebag. Ransford scanned the note several times over, always with a concerned look in his eyes. “You know what it is don’t you?”

“Yes I do.” He said after a moment’s pause. “It is a very important root to us which is why you cannot speak of it in the open. Most members want you dead as it is, and this will just give them another reason to.”

He was getting up to leave when Dash grabbed him around the arm. “Pleas, it’s the only way I can find my friends.”

There was a sickening pause before the raven masked figure spoke again. “You are my friend Dash, and I don’t want to see you killed. I’m sorry.” With that opened the doors and left the cyan pegasus to herself.