Equestira's First flame

Chapter one

The meeting

Finally, his journey was over. The armor-clad man stood panting, having exhausted himself during the fight with Lord Gwyn, he relaxed rubbing his shoulder and smiles walking over to the bonfire. He looked around not being able to believe that his job was done, he thought back on his journey and the friends he met on it and the ones he lost as well. Slowly, he reached his hand into the bonfire and found himself surprised that it didn't burn, but it gave a warmth even as the fire overtook his body, wrapping him in its blaze. Also feeling a sense of peace from it as if it was inviting him to rest. He sat down and allowed his exhaustion to take him lulling him to sleep…

He awoke, slowly sitting up and looked around finding himself in the middle of a heavily wooded forest. He glanced around himself for his sword and shield and stood up picking his Grave Lord sword and Grass Crest shield back off the ground. Looking around expecting an ambush, he slowly walked but found himself looking around quite-a-bit at the forest feeling as if he was being watched by something that stayed just out of sight. This forest felt much like the Dark Root Garden but something felt different, more serene but still familiar in the sense that it felt as if the trees were trying to suffocate you and make you forget your way. However, this was a gentler thing, it only lightly pulled you. Not by blade or tooth that it made you forget, but it was different in the way that it didn't make you forget people, just your way. As if trying to keep you for itself.

He then heard a loud scream off in the distance and ran toward the sound thinking that if there is screaming then there must be people that are frightened, or just not strong enough to hold their own against something. The screaming lead him to a large opening near a waterfall. In the opening, he saw a large creature standing before six women. As it raised its claw he pulled out a talisman that he has gotten from a member of the Way of White he had come across in his travels. He called to mind a miracle of lightning and threw the lightning bolt at the large beast, making it flinch before turning to look at him. The six women turned to see what the beast before them was now staring at. With anger in its eyes, it roared as it had been disturbed from its dinner.

The man looked on at the beast trying to think of a good strategy to use on it. Figuring it would be a good idea to fight it like it was a large dog, he put his talisman back in his pocket and readied his sword, and raised his shield up to block the large paw that was being swung by the beast. The impact of the paw strike made him slide back and surprised him with its strength, but he was ready to fight back. The armor-clad man swung his sword at the beasts face cutting its ear, making it roar from the pain. Jumping back to put some distance between him and the large beast, giving him time to analyze it. He looked it over as it prepared to charge at him, he noticed that the beast looked much like a manticore but with bat wings. He rolled as the scorpion tail made a stabbing motion at him.

The women looked on surprised at the sight before them a strange creature was taking on a huge beast. Lost in a trance of confusion and curiosity, they still watched the fight despite how scared they were.

The beast charged at the man and rose up to slam its full weight upon him. The man ducked down and stabbed up into the beast’s stomach and then pushed it off the blade onto the ground. He looked over at the women.

“Are you ladies ok?” he asked while panting, and walked over to them taking off his stone helmet to reveal his face.

The women gulped and before long one of them answered “yes w-we are fine,” a woman with purple fur on her face answered. The furless man smiled at them, his gentle smile making them relax. “S-so who are you?” the women looked on, noting his armor.

“Oh, my name is Drake and I guess you can say that I’m an adventurer,” he answered, looking at them noting that they were not human. “What are you girls anyway? I have never seen people like you before,” he asked as he put his sword in the holster on the back of his armor.

“We're ponies... What are you and what’s with your armor? I have never seen an armor or a helmet like that?” she asked calmly after answering his question.

“Well my armor was made for a paladin of the way of white but I got it off his dead body in the tomb of Neto as for the helmet it’s made of stone and is very old hence the moss on it, as for what I am I’m a human.” He stated and looked at them.

“Ewe why would you wear something so old and dirty that you got from a dead body in a tomb darling?” A white-furred woman asked from next to the purple one.

“Well, it provided better protection against fire, lightning, blades, and magic than my last set of armor so that’s why and besides I cleaned it first.” He looked at them and shrugged giving his answer “oh and who are all of your sense I didn't get any names from you ladies”.

“Oh my name is Twilight.” she gestured toward herself. “This is Rarity.” She gestured toward the white-furred woman who gave a light bow that the man returned with a proper bow. “This is Pinkie” a pink pony smiled and hopped lightly in place before the man. “Then there is Rainbow Dash and Applejack” she pointed at a cyan and an orange-furred woman who were standing as if ready to fight the man. “And finally flutter shy” Twilight pointed at a woman that coward behind her that was yellow in color.

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you and I’m sorry you had to see that” he looked back at the downed beast “we should leave now the smell of a fresh kill may attract predators to this spot but first on the off chance that any of you know if this creature has a poison gland and if so where is it”.

“Fluttershy do you know?” Twilight asked looking at her friend that shook lightly behind her.

“Y-yes I do it’s in the bulb at the end of the tail.” she squeaked out and hide behind her friend further.

The man walked over to the dead manticore pulling out a dagger and cut the end of the tail off, he then put the tail into his bottomless box for safe keeping and also cut off its wings after taking a small glance over at the women that he had just saved “well they are cute and you never know.” He stated to himself as he put the wings into the box as well.

The girls watched him well talking to each other “Twilight what should we do he killed that manticore what if he tries something on us we can’t fight him off. He managed to take on that thing and didn't get a scratch on it.” Applejack stated concerned over what drake might try.

“Applejack why would he save us if he wanted to hurt us plus we may need his help if something else comes along and tries to attack us like another manticore beside I’ll send a message to Celestia about him ones were back in Ponyville ok tell then we can keep an eye on him” Twilight said trying to calm Applejack's nerves.

“Well fine but I’m not letting my guard down let's go.” Applejack turned and started walking back toward town just as Drake came back to them.

Drake looked at her and then followed the girls feeling that it would be best that he do so but feeling a cold chill from Applejack. “Is everyone really ok? I have a healing Pyromancy spell if you need Miss Applejack.” He stated worriedly over her health

“Wait you have a what?” Twilight looked at Drake “what’s pyromancy?” She asked confused curious as to what it was.

“Pyromancy is a form of sorcery but one that deals with one’s own flame it’s the art of invoking and manipulating your flame the one in your heart each pyromancer has their own flame it makes them who they are but, as a pyromancer you must remember to fear the flame least you lose yourself and be consumed by it.” He started remembering what his friend ones said to him about pyromancy.

“Hmm it sounds so strange but what you say makes it sound as if you’re talking about a cutie mark.” twilight said thinking about it.

“What the heck’s a cutie mark?” Drake looked at twilight expecting an answer from her.

“It’s what tells someponie's what their special talent is and it also tells you a bit about their personality don’t you have one?” Twilight asked looking back at Drake.

“No I don’t humans don’t get cutie marks we choose what we want to be best at and we train our self’s for it, it is our choices that make us who we are not a symbol we bear the only marks I have on me are cuts and bruises, not a cutie mark,” Drake said walking next to twilight just a little behind her friends.

“Oh ok, I’m sorry if I offended you.” Twilight sputtered out nervous that she had just hurt the man’s feeling.

“Oh calm down Twilight it's fine you’re acting as if you just stabbed me in the shoulder trust me its fine ok calm down.” He gave a light laugh at her reaction to his statement.

“Hey don’t laugh at me its mean, I thought I actually insulted you just now.” She pouted slugging him lightly in the arm.

“I’m sorry Twilight I can’t remember the last time I laughed at anything, I’m sorry” he looked at her as they left the forest their conversation ended.

"Look we should get you somewhere to rest and maybe take a shower you don't smell too good darling." Rarity said looking at the girl's new friend.