Rise of a Dragonslayer

Chapters

Prologue
Dreams of a Strange World
Realization
Agreements

Prologue

“It fits pretty good, and just in time too.”

I had just finished putting on my costume for the con I was about to go to, it would be my first con experience, and I had wanted to go all out. My friend had helped me put it together; we had almost thought we wouldn’t finish it in time.

“I told you we’d finish it!” That was my friend, good guy, if a bit of a goof from time to time.

“Yeah, yeah, so, we got an hour yet, why don’t we leave early before we have to meet up with the others?”

“Sure, sounds great! I’ll drive; I don’t trust you behind the wheel in that thing.”

I nodded before taking off the helmet, grinning madly at the fact we’d actually finished the armor on time. Sadly, we couldn’t quite get the spear done. I was currently dressed out in Ornstein’s armor from the first Dark Souls game.

Honestly, I’d given up hope we’d finish before the con some time ago, we’d finished all but the helmet and weapon, and then out of the blue my friend got real excited for the idea, and helped me finish the helmet just in time for the con. Though some might question why a girl would dress as ole’ Ornstein. My response, since when did gender matter when you’re wearing a full suit of armor that hides your entire body, including face? We made it just as it was in the game, so the only way one would be able to tell was if I spoke anyways.

We hopped in my friend’s car and drove for the con, traffic was horrible, but we’d actually expected it to be worse, this was a gaming convention after all. Sure, it wasn’t one of the big ones like E3, but it was still going to attract a lot of people.

When we arrived, we decided to split up and look around ourselves until the others arrived. It was still early, though that didn’t mean a damn thing apparently, there was already a good number of people walking around, wasn’t crowded per se, but I had a feeling it would be very soon.

After some wandering, I found myself among some merchant booths when something caught my eye. There was someone here selling Dark Souls items, something that I had definitely not been expecting to see. As I had no pockets, I decided to add one extra item to the costume, my duffel bag. It was just so I could carry my wallet, and whatever I felt like buying.

As I approached the booth to look around, the merchant flashed a grin at me and said, “My, that is an impressive Dragonslayer Ornstein outfit.”

Once I’d arrived, I had put my helmet back on, so he couldn’t actually see my smile at the compliment, so I voiced my thoughts, “Thanks, though I did have a lot of help on it really.” That’s when I spotted a rather familiar looked spear. The one that belonged to Ornstein the Dragonslayer!

The merchant turned to look at what I had my eye on; having noticed my helmet was currently turned directly towards it. “I see you’ve noticed my Dragonslayer Spear. The only thing you lack in your look from what I can see.”

I gave an emphatic nod to him as I replied, “Yes, in fact I’d be willing to buy that off you, how much for it?”

The merchant seemed to consider before smiling again, “As I would hate for that look of yours to go unfinished, I’ll sell it to you for 25 dollars.”

I squinted at the ranseur, it was made of actual metal, but I could tell it was dull just by looking at it. It also looked to be of amazing quality, definitely worth the price, especially if it meant I could finish the outfit properly. “I’ll take it.” I fished out my wallet from the side pouch of the duffel, taking out both a 20 and a five, handing the bills over to the guy.

He took my cash, briefly checking that it was the right amount before nodding and taking down the spear from where it hung by two hooks. “A powerful spear for a powerful knight, no?”

Taking the ranseur in my hands I replied simply, “Of course. Anyways, thanks for the discount man.”

The final words I heard from anyone before I fell into what I could only describe as a tear in the very fabric of existence were, “There’s no need to thank me, something tells me you were meant to wield it.” Soon, I would become all too familiar with the bitter irony of that statement.

Dreams of a Strange World

I awoke slowly, groaning as I immediately began to sit up. Something seemed off despite the fact I hadn't even had a chance to get my bearings, what had I been doing before?

Far from mentally reoriented, I simply looked about the area, expecting my room, what I found was far from it. I was surrounded by thick trees and foliage, sitting in the middle of a clearing of what was undoubtedly a forest. That wasn't going to be the only oddity I noticed however, the world seemed oddly different to me, but I couldn't quite figure it out.

Deciding it was merely my sleep-addled mind playing tricks on me, I stood up, oddly hearing a sound like plate armor being moved about. Looking about myself, I finally noticed that I was still wearing my Ornstein costume… but I don’t remember us making it out of real metal.

Score one for staying calm? Okay, I could have remembered this the moment I moved. I was at the con, I went as Ornstein, we were ahead of the others, then we… we split up, that’s right. But… that doesn't answer how I got in a forest of all places. I took a calming breath, checking myself for everything I still had on me. I couldn't find my duffel; I did however notice that Ornstein’s ranseur, the Dragonslayer Spear, was off to the side.

If my bag was missing, then that could mean I was robbed… at a con? I groaned, shaking my head to clear it. None of this made sense, but even still, I have something to go off now. That’s when I finally noticed what felt off earlier. I seemed… taller, for lack of… any explanation. Perhaps the trees were smaller? That seemed unlikely to me, but I’m not a tree expert, it could just be some species I don’t know.

Whatever, none of that mattered so long as I was stuck here in a fucking forest! I groaned to myself, complaining wasn't getting me out of here, and certainly wasn't solving my headache.

That in mind, I looked over the ranseur, if my armor had changed; what of my weapon? When did I start thinking of my costume as my armor? Well, it was definitely sharp now, a true weapon. Perhaps those days of learning to use a staff when I was younger would pay off, how different could using a ranseur be, right?

Remembering my ultimate goal of getting out of this damned forest, I looked to the sky, trying to remember where there was a forest near the city. It was a little before the sun would set, meaning dusk was fast approaching. That did not bode well for me.

Ascertaining at least some sense of direction, I decided to try heading eastwards; hopefully I was right about where I was in relation to the rest of society. Otherwise I might be stuck in this forest for quite a while longer. A prospect I was not looking forward to, especially if it meant having to learn how to hunt with this thing. Even though that was quickly becoming the plan as I swung the ranseur around, getting used to its heft and weight.

Oddly, the spear and armor felt like I’d worn them for the majority of my life. That couldn't possibly be right; I was athletic, but not strong, definitely not strong enough to use this armor effectively. Yet it felt so natural to me, like it… belonged to me.

My train of thought came to a screeching halt as I heard a menacing roar from my left, causing me to grip the ranseur tighter, wielding it with one hand at the middle of the shaft as Ornstein did in the game. So much for not hunting.

The beast before me was… I had to be dreaming. What stood before me was a lion with bat wings and a scorpion tail. It was like something out of Greek mythology, and it was angry at me. Not wanting to know what dying felt like in the dream world, a steadied myself for what may very well end in a horrible thrashing via Greek mythos.

The mighty beast charged for me, paws slashing at me from either side. The strange idea of jumping came to mind, and upon doing so, I found I had launched myself above the beast. Just like Ornstein himself… then let’s slam this spear into its neck! Positioning the pointed end of the ranseur down towards my enemy, I fell back down to land on the beast as it looked around in surprise after I had suddenly disappeared.

The blade sunk deep into the beast’s flesh, just behind the base of the neck, deep into its back. It began thrashing and kicking, trying to throw me off of itself. It succeeded, sending me smashing into a tree and sliding down to the base of its trunk. The impact sent pain shooting up my spine, but at the very least, I held onto my Dragonslayer Spear.

The beast turned to face me, scorpion tail rising to finish the job. I would not surrender myself so easily however, just managing to roll away as the beast’s tail sunk into the bark of the tree, lodging itself inside, and revealing an easy target to me.

Standing back up, I brought the ranseur down onto the tail with a two handed strike, determined to cleave the blasted thing right off. It worked, the tail crashing down to the earth as the beast gave an infuriated roar of pain. It seemed this fight would not be so easily won.

As it gave its roar, I got an idea, if I can suddenly leap and strike with the strength of Ornstein himself, then perhaps that’s not all I can do. This was a dream after all. Raising the spear above my head before bringing it behind myself as lightning began to encircle the blade at the end, I thrust the ranseur forwards, the lightning shooting out at the mythological beast before me.

The lightning struck just as the beast was beginning to prepare another strike for me, and the effect was immediate. It cried out in agony as it fell onto its side, the left foreleg having been lifted to swipe at me. It would be a simple matter now, to end the beast’s agony.

I stepped forwards, lifting the spear with both hands before plunging it deep into the beast’s neck, killing it and ending its pain. I withdrew my ranseur from the beast, giving the now dead animal a closer inspection. It definitely looks like it belongs in Greek mythology. In fact, isn't it a manticore? Yes, that’s what it is.

The manticore’s hide was charred and burnt where my lightning had struck it, and I smelled burnt fur. Apparently lucid dreams were also more… vivid than usual. The smell was weakened enough by the helmet that it didn’t affect me too greatly, so I decided to turn and walk away before it did. Yet I was hesitating, what if I don’t encounter any other source of meat to sustain myself until I can find another source of guaranteed safe food.

I walked back over to the beast, idly wondering how I was supposed to even go about skinning it. I supposed I could use my ranseur, but that still left the fact I didn't know how to actually skin anything. Eventually I decided to simply plunge in the ranseur. I held it at an angle, trying to judge when the inedible furred flesh ended, and the edible parts began.

Dusk settled in quickly, I had only finished a small portion when a thought came to mind. Why am I skinning this manticore for food in a dream? The thought didn't last much longer as my stomach gave protest to its lack of food. Perhaps this wasn't a dream after all… that was a thought I’d pursue at another date, one I didn't really want to pursue at all.

I promptly got back to work, eventually getting what I deemed to be enough for the night’s meal of meat ready to be cut out. Turning, I searched for a tree that I deemed suitable to be turned into firewood. There wasn't much separating one tree from the other, so I simply chopped one of them down. If any of my more eco-friendly friends found out, they would kill me for this.

With a small smile, I set to work creating a fire pit, then the fire itself. Finished with that, I cut out the section of meat I had prepared, skewering it onto the ranseur which I then held over the fire, turning it here and there so that it cooked thoroughly. They could complain when they were required to do this to eat.

I had decided against risking eating the organs of the beast, something I didn't even think I had the stomach to do anyways, instead eating the fat of the manticore. It might not be entirely healthy, but it would have to do. I of course took my helmet off in order to eat, and found the meal to actually be decent in taste, certainly not as good as other meals I could be having, but that’s not to say it didn't taste good.

Finished with my meal, I allowed the fire to die on its own before walking over to a tree. I had crashed into one of these earlier, and after taking what must have been a good portion of the night to cut one down, I was certain they were sturdy enough to hold me in one of their lower branches while I slept for the night.

That reasoning in mind, I deftly climbed to the highest branch I dared to go, which wasn't actually that high up the tree, perhaps midway at best. I settled in like that, having left my ranseur down on the ground until such a point I could figure out a way to fashion a sheathe for it. Perhaps now, I would awaken from this nonsensical dream… I truly hoped that would be the case.

I was resting at the top of a mountain, looking out across the landscape below. It was a beautiful image, one I could enjoy until the end of time if given the chance. I sat there for some time before hearing what sounded like footsteps coming from behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I found myself looking into the eyes of an equine creature with a horn and wings.

This was definitely not a creature I was familiar with, though something told me it wasn’t a threat. Then it spoke in a definitively feminine tone, “Greetings knight, we hope we’re not interrupting.”

My smooth reply was immediate, “Of course not, come, join me if you so wish.” I waved her over, so she might join me in gazing out upon the beautiful landscape below us.

She nodded in reply, “Our thanks, pray tell what thy name is, if we might hear it?”

“I am Revan, fair equine, though it feels as though you plan on waking everything within a square mile with your voice, something which I do not recommend,” I said this as the plume of my helmet blew back from the force with which she spoke.

Seeming to understand the danger, she lowered her voice to a more normal, almost like a puffed up junior officer when their superior walks in. “We are sorry for thy intrusion, pray tell, what manner of creature are you?”

I was unsurprised by the question when I answered it, “I am of the light, one of the Knights of Gwyn.”

Though the equine seemed confused by the answer, she appeared sated by it for the moment. “We see, we are Princess Luna, diarch of Equestria and ruler of the night.”

At hearing this, I stood and bowed deeply to this self proclaimed Princess, not as low as I would for my Lord Gwyn, but deeply enough to show my great respect. “My deepest apologies, I was unaware of your status.”

Luna waved a hoof dismissively, “It is most understandable, thou have but once seen us, and we doubt tales of our deeds circulate to that which you hail from.”

Rising from my bow, I turned back to wonderful view before us. “So what are you doing out here fair Princess, if I may be so bold as to ask?”

“We were returning from a matter of great import when we stumbled across thine camp. Curiosity overcame us, so we approached as thou well know.”

“But of course.” We sat in a comfortable silence for some time before Luna stirred next to me, drawing my attention to her.

She stood from where she had lay for the past few minutes, “Forgive us, for we must return to our duties this night. Mayhaps our paths will cross again in the future.”

“Of course Princess Luna, I bid you farewell,” I bowed once more to punctuate the statement, to which she nodded and began to take her leave. I lay back, relaxing once more as the dream around me faded away.

Realization

I awoke from light shining into my eyes. The accursed sun must be shining through my window. With a groan I brought my hand over my eyes before squinting so I wasn't immediately blinded. Wait, was I in a tree?

Realization struck home hard, I was dreaming when I saw that winged unicorn, and now I was awake. Meaning I couldn't have been dreaming the night’s events. I had actually become Ornstein in a world of Greek mythology…

That small thought was a lot to take in on its own, but couple it with the fact I might never return, that I might never see anyone I knew before again… it was a very scary thought. I had begun hugging my legs to my chest as I sat in the branch, the side skirts of the armor hanging down the branch limply.

No, there had to be a way back… right? Then came a thought, what if I like it here? No, that was foolish, I had friends back home, and here I’m dreadfully alone. Yet, I suppose I didn't know that for sure, not yet. All I’d seen was a manticore, there might be other things here. In fact, they could help me get back home! If I’m anything to go off of, this world had magic; someone must be able to help me.

That encouraging thought having taken root, I dropped down from the branch, grabbing my ranseur from where it leaned against the tree. I would just have to find them, I just had to stay motivated and I’d be safe. I looked across what had been my campsite, ultimately finding nothing else I could both carry and make use of. The thought of taking the spare firewood struck me, but without my duffel bag I had no way to carry it.

I set out, idly pondering how exactly I was going to approach whatever sentient creatures lived in this world. I had to make friends with something that could very well not exist. I just had to believe that I got here somehow, so it could only mean something else was here as well, I just had to find them.

I didn't really know where I was going, but if I could get out of the forest I might be able to at least get an understanding of the land around me. I traveled in a single direction, east, only turning when required by something in the forest impeded my path. So long as I stuck to this single direction, I’d eventually end up outside the forest.

When I came up with this plan, I severely underestimated how large this forest really was. It felt like I’d been walking for hours now, though I got the distinction that it was my impatience talking. Then I heard what sounded like a dog or a wolf growl from behind me, causing me to spin in place to find the source.

“Who goes there?” I wasn't sure what I expected in answer, I had heard a growl after all, not a footstep. I didn't wait long for the reply however, as a wolf made purely out of wood jumped out at me. Shoving the shaft of my ranseur into the maw of the wolf, I was sent to the ground.

Planting the blunt tip of the spear into the ground, I threw the wolf off to the side in time to discover its buddies had arrived as well. The moment the first wolf was off of me, the second dove at my legs. Displeased with the idea of having my legs mauled by a wooden wolf, I rolled back and away, quickly getting to my feet.

There were three wolves in total now, not an overly worrying number, but something I didn't exactly like the prospect of having to deal with either way. They were circling me, waiting for an opening when I got an idea. Hope I have the abilities or Ornstein after Smough was defeated…

I brought my lightning energy into myself then jumped into the air as the wolves dove for me, thinking they’d seen a moment weakness. When I slammed back down into the ground, I let my built up energy release in a circle around me, electrifying the three wolves and burning some of the timber they were made out of.

Looking over the wooden wolves, I joked to myself that they really put the timber in timberwolves… that was horrible. I hadn't expected the fight to be over so quickly, but when you take into account that lightning burns, I suppose it makes sense.

Now I've encountered two different creatures of this world. Neither of which were difficult to accommodate, though I could see how anyone without my abilities might have troubles. Perhaps they were an actual threat to the inhabitants of this world, but certainly not me.

I resumed my trek through the forest; I simply had to make it out of here. It felt like it would be about lunch time when I finally saw something that didn't belong to the forest. Through the trees I saw a small hamlet, the first sign of life I’d seen all day. It was motivating, and caused me to grin underneath my helmet.

What I saw in the village was most surprising however. It appeared that it was inhabited by equines, not unlike the one from my dream. They were of varying colors, but all of them looked on edge. Those that I saw wore armor, as if they were guards. It was clear to me that they were on the lookout for something that had recently left, and could be returning shortly.

Was it one of those manticore creatures I had seen? I was too distant to know for sure, but it looked as if the equines were speaking amongst each other. They must be the intelligent species of this world… That was an odd thought, sentient equines for a dominant species.

I heard it before I saw it, the sound of massive wings flapping. The creature’s shadow fell across me then rapidly descended upon the village. When I looked up, what I saw was a dragon. I blanched at the sight, the accursed thing was huge, and it was angry.

The dragon was burning parts of the village while taunting the equines like some sort of schoolyard bully, only this bully played with death. “Watch as your attempts at defending your precious little flammable homes prove futile little ponies!”

This was something I could not allow myself to simply sit by and watch. Stepping out from the trees, I charged lightning into my ranseur, positioning it above my head like a javelin. Lunging forwards, I ‘threw’ the lightning at the dragon, still holding onto the ranseur of course.

It was somewhat off its mark, striking the dragon’s wing and causing it to crash down to the earth below. I had not expected to kill it, so missing my mark was only a minor problem as the dragon quickly recovered, standing up on its four massive legs. It towered above the village and I, it was amazing that equines had dared to challenge it.

The dragon looked to me, fury in its eyes. “What is this? An actual challenge has come to play too? Then be my guest.” The beast took a breath; there was no doubt in my mind it intended to breathe out fire. My eyes went wide behind within the helmet, and I dove to the side in a roll, feeling the heat of the flames roll over me, but thankfully I landed outside of the actual flames.

This was going to be most troublesome, but at least I knew a way to close the distance. Once more charging my ranseur with lightning, I prepared to kick off and launch myself in a charge towards the beast. It was too large to move away from the strike, and with an injured wing flight was futile. I felt the blade of my ranseur sink into the dragon’s thick scales, lightning discharging into the beast’s insides.

To the dragon’s credit, it swung a talon at me rather than be stunned by the energy coursing through it. However I had anticipated such a reply, dragons were hardy creatures after all. I jumped high into the air, the talon passing underneath me. From there I spun the sharp blade of my ranseur so it faced downwards, dropping down to strike the beast’s leg as I charged my energy into the ranseur.

The mighty dragon roared in anger before swinging its leg to the side, sending my ranseur and I flying into one of the buildings of the village. Smashing through the wall of the structure, I laid there for a time. The dragon apparently thought it had bested me began to boast, “Hah, so where’s your harmony now little ponies? I only see your last hope lying defeated in that house!”

As it finished its boast, I began to groan as I pushed a piece of rubble off of myself. Note to self, stop getting thrown about like that, there’s far less painful ways to take a hit. Admittedly, it hurt far less than it should have, but I could feel beginning to trickle down my left arm where the armor hadn't entirely protected me, not to mention it felt as though my back had been used as a punching bag.

Managing to rise from the rubble, I called out to the dragon, “Your boasting proves foolish, for I am still quite alive great dragon.” It turned to look at me just as I summoned more of my power to myself, launching a weak bolt of lightning at its face, hoping to strike one of its eyes.

The bolt struck exactly as I had hoped, causing the dragon to give a mighty roar of anguish before collapsing unto its side, silent and unmoving. I had not expected that simple strike to fell such a creature, yet now it lay motionless, likely dead. Planting the blunt end of my ranseur into the ground, I leaned onto it for support. The battle had taken more out of me than I cared to admit.

Some of the equines approached me while others tended to the flames. They appeared as though they were debating whether or not to run or thank me. They were shorter than me, generally standing between 5 and 6 feet tall at the highest point of their head, though that was merely a guess.

They then did something I had not expected, they leveled weapons at me; perhaps they thought me a threat as well? These thoughts came slowly, my mind somewhat overwhelmed with the thought I had just slain a creature able to talk and think as would any sapient creature.

“Drop your weapon and surrender thyself to us so that we might bring you before the Princesses of this land,” demanded a gruff voice, obviously the commander of these guards.

Still using my ranseur for support I responded, “Why should I surrender myself to you when I just defended your meager township from that mighty dragon?”

Unfazed by my statement, the guard pressed further, “Thou are an unknown in times of strife. We merely wish to bring thou to the Princesses so that they might decide what to have of you.”

Surrounded as I was, and running the risk of offending the only peaceful sentient creature I had encountered so far, I straightened enough to let my ranseur fall forwards and out of my grasp. “As you say… Take me to these Princesses of yours; I can see your desire for security outweighs any other goal you may possess,” it was all I could do to listen and respond to these equines, my mind still sluggish as the realization of the fact I had just killed a sapient creature remained quite fresh. Did this make me a murderer?

The guard nodded to me, seemingly satisfied as I felt a tug on my arms, something trying to pull them behind me. As I looked back to see the cause for this, I saw one of the guards clasping iron shackles to my hands, likely they normally used two sets of these, being quadra-pedal. “What is the meaning of this?” I asked in an empty tone, “I have already said I will willingly follow you.”

“It is merely so that thou do not try to harm the Princesses during your visit. 'Tis as I stated before, this is a time of strife, and precautions must be made.”

I gave off a weak nod, ultimately consenting to the chains. They had their reasons, and I numbly accepted them. Killing an unthinking and aggressive creature I could justify, but killing something that was sentient? It didn't matter if it was harassing these equines; it was still a thought that shook me to the core of my being.

They led me through a path in the forest. I barely noticed the journey in truth, my mind only beginning to recover as the castle began to come into view. If I had been a murder, then so too was the dragon… but I didn't know that to be true, not for certain. If any of the guards had spoken, I had not noticed it.

When we stepped through the gate of the castle, I was somewhat aware that those who didn’t wear armor, therefore likely being normal citizens, shied away from me after getting a look at my blood spattered armor. I had not noticed it myself until then, my mind having been more occupied with either thoughts of survival or how I had just ended the life of a sapient creature.

I was lead through what was likely the castle’s courtyard. It gave off a feeling of subtle power while also appearing regal. I was slowly forcing my mind to focus on what could very well decide my fate in this world. The guards brought me before two massive doors, what I guessed to be the throne room was likely beyond.

The guards stopped, someone entering into the room beyond before returning moments later, motioning for us to enter as he curtly stated, “The Princesses will see you now.”

The doors were then opened, revealing a large throne room with banners depicting what were likely the symbols of these Princesses on either side. The right side held brightly colored symbols of the sun, whilst the left held darker depictions of the moon. At the far end were two thrones, where two more equines sat, both of them larger than any other I had seen so far. One had an alabaster coat with a long horn and wings at her sides. Her mane was akin to a rainbow, only it contained softer colors of teal, green, blue and pink. Finally, she wore a gold necklace and crown. The other stood to the left of the first, also bearing both wings and a horn. Her coat was darker, almost a deep blue with a mane like the night sky. She wore a necklace and crown that was deep blue, almost black.

Based upon the banners, the white one was linked to the day, the other the night. They stood with their wings unfurled, likely trying to look powerful before me. It served to give the impression that displeasing them was a bad idea.

The larger, alabaster… alicorn, or winged unicorn, from Greek mythos, spoke with a soft yet regal voice, “To what end to you bring this… creature before us Captain?”

The gruff unicorn from earlier replied, “She bested a dragon Your Highness, as these are troubling times, I thought it best to bring her before you.” He bowed low as he finished speaking, both Princesses turning their attention to me.

“Truly, are thou certain thou doth not exaggerate in thine account?” questioned the shorter, blue alicorn.

The alabaster one raised a fore hoof, silencing the other. Based upon their titles, they were both female, but that simple action lead me to believe it was this one that was more powerful. “Let us hear this creature’s own account of its actions dear sister.” She spoke as if she already knew that I understood them, and could communicate in kind, while the blue one continued to look at me with an unreadable expression. Somehow, she seemed familiar to me.

As it addressed me, I brought my bound hands to my helmet, pulling it off as I went to kneel before them. My long black hair fell back, now released from its confinement in the helmet. “I am Dragonslayer Revan Eckley Your Highnesses, and your captain speaks the truth. I kneel before you now at his… request.” It was clear it wasn’t really a request, my hands being bound in chains.

“We see… what thou claim is fanciful at best, surely you had some form of assistance in this endeavor,” that was the lunar Princess.

“I do not know what your guards accomplished before my arrival, all that I do know is they did not assist me after I arrived,” came my smooth reply as I was vaguely reminded of my earlier injury by a stab of pain shooting through my arm, causing me to wince and shift it to a position that would hopefully prove more comfortable.

The lunar Princess nodded before her sister spoke, “Sister, this creature is injured and has shown itself to hold no ill towards our subjects. We hold that it be allowed to recuperate before we continue this.” This was another sign that it was the alabaster sister that held the greater amount of power as the lunar Princess merely nodded consent.

Still kneeling, I looked up to the two Princesses, “Your Highnesses, I must insist that you stop referring to me as though I was but an animal brought before you.”

The solar Princess looked at me skeptically, “Then what would thou prefer to be referred to as?”

“I am but another sentient being in this world, refer to me as either the knight that I am, or as you would any of your subjects.” I bowed my head once more as I finished, knowing that this show of respect might just help my case, both now, and later on.

“As you wish Knight Revan,” consented the solar Princess, “Guards, see to it our guest gets medical aid as needed for her injuries.” If I had to guess, the Princess was only guessing at my gender based upon my voice.

Two of the guards nearest to me saluted as I began to stand back up, my helmet still held in my hands. “And guards? She is to be treated as a guest, not a prisoner,” commented the solar Princess. They seemed to understand what she meant as I saw the chains around my wrists glow the color one of their horns did before unclasping. Levitation, so that’s how they were able to do things.

As I was lead through the halls of this castle, I thought back upon my growing list of impossible creatures I had encountered so far. Pegasi, unicorns, dragons, and alicorns were the newest additions, and something told me I wasn’t anywhere close to finished. Perhaps it was time I stopped trying to think by the standards I had grown accustomed to.

Author's Note

I am absolutely humbled by all the attention this has gotten so quickly, you guys are amazing!

Agreements

The medical ponies as I now knew they were called had finished treating my arm. The upper half of my armor was currently off, revealing the simple doublet I had created to wear under the armor had become a true velvet doublet.
It was black with white accents. It was clear it was made to be worn under armor as any form of flair was sewn as part of the doublet, making it appear as a flat shirt. It was comfortable to wear, and looked good enough for me to actually wear it to a formal event. Overall, this was one change I could easily get used to.

My arm still hurt, but at least it was bandaged and mending. Their medical skills were predictable for medieval society in terms of technology, but apparently healing spells made up for that by leaps and bounds. It obviously wasn’t completely healed, but it wasn’t bleeding at least.

Assuming my earlier guess at the ponies being between 5 and 6 feet, then that meant I was somewhere above 6 feet tall, perhaps 6’5. I wasn’t sure how tall the Princesses were, but they were taller than any other pony I had seen so far, that much I knew.

With all the changes to what had come with me to this world, I asked for a mirror. My hair went unchanged, still its usual straight black self. It travelled down just past my shoulders, same as usual. In fact, the only change was in my height, everything else only changed in proportion to that. If I didn’t know of the height change, I’d actually think there was no change to my appearance. If I had to take a guess however, I would say I was likely a bit more muscular than before.

I was roused from my thoughts by someone entering the room. I was currently still in the pony equivalent of a hospital, which is to say a single room, a sort of office/reception area, and an area for patients. When I turned to see who had entered, I saw that both of the Princesses had come to visit.

Looking quite annoyed with something, the solar Princess spoke first, “My sister tells us that you are a ‘Knight of Gwyn’ as she calls it. Is this true?”

I was taken aback by the sudden question, and I’m certain the confusion was visible on my features as she went on, “You said this to her while she visited your dreams, did you not?”

That was when I remembered what she was talking about, that’s why this lunar Princess looked familiar. I had seen her in that weird dream I had, but a question came to mind, “Wait, you mean to tell me you can enter dreams?” I looked to Luna as I said this, assuming that to be her name as she had introduced herself by that in my dream.

“As well as being the ruler of the night, we are the warden of dreams, it is only fitting that we should be able to,” came her rather simple explanation.

I merely blinked at her. “Right… Well, as for your question, I am,” I hesitated for a moment, should I admit that I wasn’t really a Knight of Gwyn? The solar diarch, as I now knew her to be, motioned for me to continue, so I quickly finished with, “I am indeed a Knight of Gwyn, though I am also the last of Gwyn’s knights.”

“If that is true, then what has become of this Gwyn, and these Knights of Gwyn?” questioned Luna.

I hesitated for a moment before looking down in mock sadness, I’d gone this far, I might as well go through with it now, “They are… no more.”

What I meant clearly sunk in, as they shared a glance between each other, not pressing the issue any further. An awkward silence took over the room, as neither of them seemed willing to break the silence, though it didn’t last very long.

“Knight Revan,” I looked up to the solar diarch as she addressed me, “we would like to request that…” She trailed off, but her sister continued for her.

“We ask that you aid us against this Dragon menace, as thou well saw, they are attacking our subjects unprovoked, with little care for the lives or property of anypony whom stands in their path.” Luna paused a moment before continuing, “We would of course be willing to compensate thee with housing, payment in the form of Equestrian bits, and of course, something to eat.”

With the way these Princesses had put it, and my own observations from my encounter with the dragon from earlier, it sounded like I’d be doing people a service by agreeing to this. Not to mention they’d just offered me payment, housing, and food. Wait, did they just say anypony? Oh I hope they don’t expect me to get used to that.

“Should thou require time to think it over, we are of course willing to await an answer.”

With a sudden conviction I said, “I want to see their crimes for myself. I refuse to judge an entire species based upon the deeds of but one creature.”

The solar diarch replied with the same conviction, only perhaps less forcefully, “Then we ask that thou accompany our sister to the outskirts of our land so that thou might see for thyself what these creatures are capable of.”

My reply was obvious, “Of course, that should be all I require to make my judgment.” If these dragons were at least somewhat good-natured, they’d at least avoid harming civilians. Right?

Luna then spoke, “As thou say. Celestia, we shall be leaving with our personal troop shortly.” Celestia nodded to that as Luna continued to me, “We expect thou have no qualms with this?”

I bowed at the waist as I said, “None at all Princess, it’s not as though I have anything to prepare.”

“Very good. Then without further ado, we believe the kitchens should be finished preparing our meal.” With that, Luna turned and left.

A moment past in silence before I spoke, “I take it I won’t be allowed to roam freely until I give my answer.” I had ensured my expression was unreadable before I spoke, and I think I got it down too.

Celestia shook her head with a frown before replying, “No, you may roam the castle grounds, followed by guards of course, but no more unless you are departing with us or my sister.”

I nodded, starting to find it difficult not to mimic the Princesses and refer to myself as ‘we’ or ‘us.’ This was a reasonable stipulation I supposed, one I wouldn’t like, but reasonable. Then I remembered how I had killed the dragon, causing a frown to crease my otherwise neutral expression.

“We understand that it is not an agree-”

I quickly interrupted Celestia, knowing what she was about to say, “No, it is not that Your Majesty. I simply can’t help but remember how I killed that dragon earlier.”

The solar Princess raised an eyebrow in question at that, I still found it odd seeing human features and expressions on an otherwise equine fa- muzzle. “Pray tell, why ever would you feel bad about saving ponies from a creature that was clearly content with killing them, simply so it could expand its hoard?”

I began to formulate my reply when the last part sunk in, “These dragons are doing this simply out of greed?” My voice was level, but deadly serious.

She nodded solemnly, “Indeed, they are driven by their desire to gather valuable gems such as rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, to name but a few. Dragons are natural hoarders, with the majority of them stealing that which they crave at the worst. However, as you yourself saw, this particular group is not the majority. They are vicious, and willing to pillage our subjects’ homes with the knowledge that Equestria is known for its abundance of gemstones.”

I paused at that, if it were true, then these dragons were no better than petty muggers, only they steal from an entire village at once. I voiced my thoughts to Celestia, “Assuming what you say is true, which as of now I have no reason to believe isn’t, then they are petty thieves, holding up entire villages and towns. Should I fail to find anything contradicting this while with Princess Luna, then I shall accept your offer Your Highness.”

Celestia nodded to me, “Tis all we ask of you, Knight Revan.”

Author's Note

I have recently reconsidered some of my thinking of how the dragons of Equestria work, mainly due to what some of you have brought up. I am going to try and make it so Revan still struggles with dealing with different threats, starting with dragons, but at the same time make it fit the powers of Ornstein and his spear.

Anyways, sorry for the delay on this one, and its short length.

Oh, and as a note to those who favorited and I didn't get around to thanking, sorry about that, I was sick for a while and fell behind on that, so hopefully this will make up for it. Hopefully.