Steel Heartby DanGChaptersPrologueChapter 1: A rough startChapter 2: Oh DeerPrologueBeep. Beep. Beep. The malefic noise resounds through the room rousing me from my slumber. I groan loudly, flailing my arm around in an attempt to silence the nefarious device, that continues its banshee-like cry regardless of my discomfort. The palm of my hand slams against the surface of the night stand a few times before landing on the alarm, turning it off. My hand rests on the alarm as I search for the energy to get up. I lethargically crawl out of bed, the effects of sleep inertia weighing heavily on me. I drag myself across the room over to the dresser opposite the king size bed I had just begrudgingly risen from. Grabbing a fresh black t-shirt, cargo pants and a pair of boxers I head for the restroom, tossing the assortment of clothes haphazardly onto the counter before stripping and stepping into the shower. I turn it on letting the unforgivingly cold water run over my body, effectively washing away any of my remaining grogginess. I cleanse my body quickly as nervousness and uncertainty begin to get the better of me now that I'm fully awake. Thoughts of failure, of three years, and my deceased families substantial fortune wasted in what I had already been told was a fool's errand. No! I would succeed! I had to... I turn off the water and head over to my clothes, grabbing a towel from the rack to dry off my short black hair with. I smile into the mirror, a young, lithe, six foot tall man with baby blue eyes, and bright white teeth stares back at me, the spitting image of my father. My mind wanders to what his thoughts on this experiment would be if he was still among the living. Doubt he'd appreciate it, seeing as it cost me the company he'd built from the ground up to prepare it. I slip into my clothes, brush my teeth and shave before heading back into the bedroom. Glancing at the clock I see that it's already five fifty, leaving me with just an hour and ten minutes to finish preparations. More than enough time. I pocket my HTC one M8, charger, and keys that were lying next to a large black duffel bag on the ground. I sling the heavy bag over my shoulder and exit the apartment, the door swinging shut behind me. I walk down the hall and press the elevator button, leaning up against the wall as I wait for the machine to reach my floor. I hear a door close down the hall and glance behind me to see a balding middle-aged man jogging down the hall towards me in grey sweats. He stops next to me and proceeds to jog in place, a huge smile lighting up his face as he greets me. "Hello, Dylan!" he says, his gaze resting on the large duffel bag strapped to my back. "What has you up this early?" "Just doing a favor for a friend Mike. You usually get up this early to jog?" I reply turning around to make eye contact. "Ha, not usually." Mike cheerfully responds, "I heard there's going to be a lunar eclipse this morning, part of a tetrad or something, so I decided to get up a little earlier to see it," A loud chime catches our attention and the elevator doors slide open. We both enter and I press the button for the base floor as Mike continues jogging in place in the corner. I give Mike a quizzical look. "Why not just take the stairs?" I inquire. "And miss out on good company?" he responds following with a hearty laugh. As we descend Mike "regales" me with a tale from his youth, in which he had somehow gotten his tie stuck in the elevator doors and barely avoided strangulation by slicing the tie with his trusty pocket knife. I feel the drowsiness I had washed away in this morning's shower return in full force as Mike drones on. His sermon on the merits of always keeping a pocket knife handy is fortunately cut short by the mechanical doors sliding open. Mike pats my shoulder before jogging towards the exit, waving as he leaves. I head towards the staircase, removing my keys and unlocking the basement door. This ten story apartment building is the only property left of the empire my father had built. I head down the stairs leading into a large cavernous room with a magic circle filling up most of the space. An ornate pedestal lies in the center of the circle, the entire thing speckled with precious gems and millions of assorted symbols. A world transfer circle, the final legacy of my late master. I walk to the back of the room where a man is sleeping, his head resting on the desk before him. Around him an assortment of tools, tomes, and my spear lay on the desk. I grab his shoulder and shake him, causing him to moan and jolt up. Long blonde hair covering most of his face as he stands there motionless, his chair knocked over by the violent movement. "Mff ha what the," the disgruntled man mumbles incoherently. "Mornin', Aaron," I reply cheerily. "I sure hope you finished the final touches on that spear before you decided to take a nap..." "Of course I did." Aaron spits, irritation evident in his voice. "Good... Very good... You going to stick around for the show?" I ask hopefully. Having a back-up in case my mana is insuffecient would be best. Aaron breaks out into a laugh, holding his side. "Ha, no way in hell. There's no knowing what kind of after effects this thing'll have." "You're way too paranoid, Aaron." I say waving off his concern. "Well, I'd say this finishes up my end of the bargain. Good luck to ya," he says as he gathers up his tools and starts his ascent. I watch as the mana weaver heads up the stairs and I hear the door close behind him, locking in the process. One of the very few people left in the world that knew how to create sigils and form enchantments. Magic. Most people, don't believe that a thing like magic could exist in our world. Little do they know that magic is very real and in the distant past was an integral part of our world. Why aren't people running around shooting fireballs out of their hands and soaring through the skies then, you ask? Very simply because, magic in our world has been sealed. Some say God came down and sealed it away to punish man, others that pollutants in the air caused it. We'll probably never know. On the bright side, the mana drying up forced mages to adapt and create techniques to account for the lack of mana. This made the remaining mages an elite group that now exist in the shadows, forgotten by most. Fortunately for me I was born into a rich family, and one of these elites was my father's closest friend. After my family died he was given custody of me according to my father's will, due to the motives of our distant relatives. One day he saw magical potential in me and brought me under his tutelage. He raised me, protected my father's company, and taught me the ways of magic. His death three years ago filled me with grief, and led me to continue his studies in magic at any cost. I remove my phone and look at the screen, discovering that it's ten until seven. I set down my duffel bag and unzip it. Inside is a few sets of clothes, five MRE's. two 32 ounce canteens, water filter, voltaic solar generator, Dell XPS 13, two one-hundred and twenty-eight GB flash drives, ammo box, M1911, two clips and a small wooden box. I pull out the box, M1911, and a clip then re-zip my bag, slinging it over my shoulder once again. I slam the clip into the pistol and open the bottom drawer of my desk, revealing a gun belt. I put it on and holster the gun, grab the spear, and head over to the pedestal, wooden box still in hand. I empty the box's contents into my hand and toss the container towards the desk. A bottle of ichor, the very blood of the Gods, now rested in the palm of my hand. Well... at least I think that's what's sitting in the palm of my hand, I'd soon find out if it's the real deal. I empty the bottle onto the pedestal, the golden liquid resting perfectly in the bowl shape. Checking my phone again I see that it's now seven o' clock on the dot. Right about now the third blood moon of the tetrad is in the sky amplifying magic in our world a hundred fold. With more mana in the air than man has seen in 333 years, this will be the only chance I ever get. I pocket my phone and stretch my hand towards the pedestal, grasping tightly onto my spear. I focus my mind, concentrating on the process of absorbing and converting the mana in the air. A warm tingling sensation builds in my stomach as the energy flows into my core to be converted into usable mana. I will the energy from my core into the outstretched appendage. "Dispel," I utter in a gruff tone. Tendrils of translucent silver stretch out from my fingers and flow into the pedestal. I feel the energy being sucked out of me, the symbols on the pedestal begin to glow. My energy is pulled from me forcefully into the pedestal, the golden liquid evaporating. Suddenly the flow of energy stops, my mana expended. I watch as the symbols around the pedestal begin lighting up until all of the symbols inside the circle are glowing the same silver as my mana. Concern shows plainly on my face as the glow gets dimmer after the initial activation. Did I not give enough energy to sustain it? There isn't enough time to gather enough mana to try again, the blood moon is already waning. Damnit, Aaron!! If only you had stuck around. My worries are proven misplaced as the energy comes back full force, erupting from the circle violently upwards. Mana flows over my body in quantities I'd only ever dreamed of, a smile graces my lips. Which is abruptly replaced with a frown as my eyes widen. The immense amount of energy's warm and comforting aura is replaced with an excruciatingly painful burning sensation. I try to scream to no avail, my vision is completely filled with silver energy as the feeling of burning overwhelms me. Unable to move I stand in the mana dense area with my mouth open as I silently suffer for what feels like an eternity. I feel the pain discontinue abruptly, the ability to move my body restored I fall to my hands and knees. My hands meet with the soft familiar texture of grass, I stare down in an attempt to see the grass but all I see is silver. My vision begins to clear, the silver giving way to vibrant green. I did it! Thanks to my masters notes and millions spent on experts in circ le weaving I'd done it. The mana here is overwhelming, I could feel the pure energy flowing into me. I feel invincible, after living in a world with almost no mana this place was any mage's heaven. I hop to my feet barely able to contain my excitement as this world exceeds my expectations. My eyes widen in horror at the sight before me, I let out an ear wrenching scream before falling back to my knees. "Princess Twilight Sparkle," I say as I nervously look into the mirror. "Princess of friendship." My sapphire blue mane with a streak of violet and rose is unkempt, my light mulberry coat is dirty and my wings are a complete mess. I let out a heavy sigh at my disheveled appearance that is less than princess like. How did princess Celestia do it?! She seems to always look her best, and no matter the pressure, keeps a calm demeanor... I had been named the princess of friendship less than a month ago, yet I was already overwhelmed with the duties and responsibility. Oh, of course I can handle it with the help of my friends but, it definitely cuts into my reading time and leaves me flustered at times. I continue to look into the mirror as I contemplate going to visit my friends at Canterlot high while I had some free time. As I'm about to enter the mirror I hear a loud crack that causes my ears to splay back. My eyes widen as I watch the crack that has just appeared in the center of the mirror spread out rapidly. My jaw dropped as I saw that the cracks didn't spread to the edge of the mirror, instead creating a perfect circle in it's center. I squinted trying to get a better view of what looked like little symbols that filled the huge circular section of cracked mirror. My concentration is broken as the mirror flashes brightly, then shatters sending shards of glass all across my castles floor. I stand there in complete awe, unable to comprehend what just happened right in front of me. What should I do?! Oh no, oh no, oh no.... Princess Celestia!! I'll send her a letter, she'll know what's happening and what I should to about it. I walk towards the exit careful to avoid the glass littering my floor. When I reach the door I find Pinkie Pie standing in the doorway shaking expeditiously as she tries to speak to me. "T-t-t-t-w-w-w-iii-l-l-l-l-i-g-h-t-t-t-t-t, i-i-i-i-t-t-s-s-s a-a-n-o-t-h-h-e-r d-o-o-o-o-oo-z-y!!" Pinkie exclaims. "Oh no..." I reply solemly. Author's Note Hello, everypony!! Please, if you have the time comment and let me know if I'm messing up so I can try and better myself. Thanks for taking the time to read this fic! Chapter 1: A rough startI look on in terror as my vision is filled with an outcome beyond my calculations. In front of me is a large group of people in varying states of wakefulness and dress. Why would it be a problem that there are people? Usually it wouldn't be, hell I was hoping to end up near a village or town of some sort. No, the problem is that I recognize these people. Right in front of me is Charles from the fifth floor sitting on his porcelain throne, that looks like its straight up been torn from the wall. Just twenty feet from him, the Chapman's sit at their table with bowls of cereal in front of them. All across the grassy plains are folks from my apartment building. Some are still fast asleep in pajamas, others are standing stark naked with water dripping off their bodies. It's strange... Some people seem to have brought their entire bed while others have only arrived with their clothes. And then all hell breaks loose. Screams of terror and confusion fill the air as realization strikes the group of displaced city dwellers. Naked people fresh from showers search and beg for anything to hide their nakedness. Those who had been sleeping begin to wake up after the cacophony of noises breaks out. Fear and panic occupy the faces of all those caught up in my little world traveling circle, save for one. Charles stares me down from the comfort of his toilet. The man looks quite formidable even if he's in such a compromised position, his overly muscular body making the toilet look comically small. A menacing gaze gives his craggy visage an even more intimidating aura to it, his buzz cut and the scar on his cheek make him look like a battle hardened soldier. Creepy as hell... I better get away, being stuck with all of these useless and scared people would completely ruin my plans for this new world. God forbid one of them figures out that I'm the one that successfully created the world transfer circle that did its job perfectly while carrying along a ton of unwilling stowaways. No... If one of them somehow makes it to the people of this world and informs them of my feat who knows what would become of me. What nation doesn't want the ability to travel between worlds to establish trade and expand? I begin to walk away hoping to escape in the chaos and confusion of the current situation before they get organized. My escape is thwarted by a large, strong hand gripping my shoulder tightly. I look back to see Charles glaring at me with a frown, his pants haphazardly pulled up and toilet left unattended. Shit. I put on a look of concern trying to appear unprepared and afraid, perhaps I can pull this off. I was the one who screamed first when we arrived, not that it phased anyone since they were still in shock from the scenery change. "Ch-Ch-Charles," I stammer nervously. "W-w-what's going on here? H-how did we get here?" "Thought I'd ask you the same thing, landlord," Charles says in an unamused tone. "Seeing as you're the only one that seems to have remembered to pack for our little adventure." How do I reply to that... I've got a spear in my hand and a duffel bag over my shoulder. Hell, I'm one of the handful of people dressed in something other than pajamas and as Charles said the only one I can see with baggage. Perhaps I can still feign ignorance... Say that I knew that it was going to happen, maybe throw in something about the tetrad and the prophecies tied to it. Then it wouldn't be a complete lie since the tetrad's third moon played a huge part in this. "W-well, Charles," I start as I fidget nervously. "I kind of thought something like this might happen, y'know? After all this morning at seven, we witnessed part of a celestial event that happens every couple hundred years. Mind you, it isn't the end of the tetrad but, three has always been a holy number. So I thought maybe...." "Don't bullshit me, Dylan!" Charles yells gripping my shoulder harder. "You're fucking shooting off silver steam. I was on my shitter in the comfort of my home and all of a sudden i'm staring at you. Usually I'd just call it a coincidence that you seem so well prepared but you were and still are surrounded by the same silver that I saw before I found myself in a fucking field." Well damn... Should I kill him? No, that would just create a whole new set of problems for me. Sigh, well I guess now's as good a time as any to see if my magic ability works the way my master said it would. Hopefully when I activate it I can knock him over and make a mad dash for the trees. I haven't been able to test it until now due to the lack of energy and unique properties of my mana which made even extending it beyond 3 inches near impossible. My master's ability of divination was one of the few left in the world that could develop techniques to overcome the lack of mana. With it he found the nature of my ability, Steel Soul. Nothing special in a world lacking mana, but in the days of old it was a powerful ability that only a select few were blessed with. A body enhancement type magic giving the user amazing physical prowess. Magic has never been something humans could use more than one type of, and those abilities are determined at birth, only once you successfully determine the nature of your ability can you use it. Thus the reason I needed circle weavers and my masters divination to find my ability. I rein in my mana the way my master had always instructed and forced the same invocation I always had, that up until now never worked, inside my body. I.. I don't feel different at all. My musings are interrupted as I notice Charles fist making its way to my face. Guess I must have worn his patience thin with my silence. I brace myself for impact, closing my eyes in anticipation of the blow. I hear the sound of the blow making contact with my face, but I feel nothing. I'm not even forced back by the blow, my face still facing the direction it was before the strike. Hahahaha, that old man's predictions are never wrong. I look into Charles eyes to see that he no longer looks angry and intimidating. Fear now dominates his features. The large man who towers over me steps back like I'd retaliate in the blink of an eye. "What did you do!!" he screams, his booming voice breaking a number of others from their panic and causing them to stare at us. "Why the fuck did you bring us here!" I guess he deserves answers.. Perhaps if I help him, when they meet up with the inhabitants of this world, my secret will be safe and the possibility of the knowledge being tortured out of me decreased. It's not like I have any other options than telling them or sprinting off as fast as I can. Sprinting off would probably make it more likely that they tell the inhabitants of this world who exactly got them here. Hm, maybe a few lies mixed into the explanation will better my odds of not having an army of magicians on my tail. "Fine, Charles," I say sitting down in the grass to try and look less aggressive. "First, I didn't bring you here on purpose and second I did it through the use of magic. That whole spiel about the tetrad was true, and the magic circle that I used is designed to travel across worlds. Right now we are the only known people to have ever traveled between worlds in the history of our people." "Send us home then," he says much calmer now. "I can't," I reply without batting an eyelash. " That circle was a one way ticket that used up magical resources that might not even exist in this world. Well, perhaps... This world is heavily saturated with magic so maybe you can find it. Okay, lets make a deal then. You find the material I need and I'll do all I can to set it up again. "Fine," Charles replies begrudgingly. "What is it you need exactly?" "God's blood," I reply coolly. Charles looks at me skeptically but, I guess the silver energy surrounded me convinced him since he slumped down to his knees in front of me looking bewildered. There's a mixed reaction from those around us, some look absolutely furious while others look even more terrified than before. Fortunately no one seems to want to make a move on me because, of my spear or the fact I had this gigantic man at his knees before me I may never know. I get up and start casually walking towards the woods closest to me that's a couple hundred meters away from my current position. I walk away in the highest alert hoping I won't get mobbed by the group that had heard my explanation. What the hell am I doing trying to walk away all cool from this! Screw that. I break out into a sprint clearing the distance in under ten seconds, this ability is wonderful! I break through an opening in the woods and continue my mad dash through the underbrush in an attempt to distance myself from the clearing. After running a few minutes it's brought to a halt as something slams squarely in my side with enough force to deviate me from my course and cause me to slam into a tree. I push off of the tree preparing myself to fight whatever or whomever just decided to assault me. What the hell kind of strength does this being have to know me over in my new strengthened state?! I see the underbrush in front of my moving as I lower my stance. From the bushes appears a small deer no taller than four foot, suited up in intricate armor and looking mighty pissed at me. His eyes seem to be slanted in anger behind his helmet that has an opening for his eyes and pretty impressive antlers that I'm assuming he just rammed me with. "Drop your weapon, foul beast," the deer says, nearly causing me a heart attack. "Or die where you stand!" Of course the first sentient being I'd meet in this world, besides my neighbors, would be a disgruntled talking deer. From all around me more of them appear, some without armor, but all equally pissed. I sit there on my knees watching as our only hope of ever returning home sprints off at unbelievable speeds, leaving all of us alone in a world of magic. All of my life I had hated this feeling. This feeling of fear, of being unprepared, of helplessness. I had first experienced this feeling when I'd been dumped on the streets by my parents at the age of ten. Since then I've trained and fought so that I would never experience that feeling again. Yet here I am again, feeling helpless and weak in a world I know nothing about. Abandoned once again by someone who had brought me into the world. I look around to see the others in similar conditions as myself, save for a few that are trying to drown out their fear by acting tough and starting fights with others like them. Shit, if we're going to survive out here let alone acquire God's blood we're going to have to get it together. If the guy who brought us here can do it, then no doubt there will be stronger magicians who can send us back with the right materials. I stand to my feet and suck in a deep breath for what I'd have to do next to increase our chances of survival. "Attention!!" I shout out in the most powerful voice I can. "Gather around, I know what's happening and how to get us back!" Everyone quiets down, choosing to instead whisper as they gather around me. Looks to be around a sixty or so people here altogether. I clear my throat in preparation for what I'd say next. "We, are now in another world," I say in a loud, clear voice. "The only way for us to get home is to band together and get to civilization!" The group murmurs their skepticism as they look around trying to figure out where they are. Maybe the truth wasn't the right choice right now... A young man pushes his way into the circle of people with me and glares up at me. "What the fuck!" the man yells in my face. "You want us to believe we just got narnia'd and not only that you want to lead us on our merry way through the forest?! I admit I don't know how the hell we got here, but I fucking doubt we somehow ended up in another world. That shit's retarded, portals to other worlds don't just appear for no reason and suck people in. Assuming that magic portals are even real!" I look down on the lightly muscled man standing in front of me in nothing but his boxers, looking small and afraid next to my six foot eight frame. "It wasn't an accident," I reply, annoyance saturating my words. "Our dearest landlord brought us on his little trip here and sprinted off into the forest over there." My claim is met with the majority of the group trying to discredit the ridiculous claim while a few who had seen Dylan update me on the situation tried to vouch for me. We can't be divided like this... "Fine!" I yell. "It doesn't matter, the fact is that we are surrounded by woods, and unless one of you has phone service right now, we aren't getting help." A few people who are mostly dressed can be seen raising their phones in the air trying to get some kind of signal to no avail. I believe Dylan 100%. There was no sign of him lying when he told me of our predicament and that strange silver energy he was giving off sealed the deal with me. What an asshole to just run off into the woods though. I wait patiently as those with a phone finally give up opting to instead listen to what I have to say. "No complaints now?" I inquire. "Good, then lets start by pooling our resources and figuring out a way to safely traverse the woods." This is shot down. The majority want to bunker down here where it's safe and wait until someone comes to get them. Our little democracy decides on staying here but agrees it would be wise to take inventory of what we have. Our little group gathers up all of the strange things that seemed to have come along with us. In all we have a toilet, five beds complete with blankets and pillows, a table, four chairs, two couches, a dresser, six cellphones, twenty-five pillows, several sex toys, four bowls soggy cereal and a fridge. The fridge is off limits though, Harry the man who had brought it is guarding it with a fierce look in his eyes. Standing at six feet and weighing near three hundred pounds the man looked like a fridge himself. Sigh, I'd hoped to intimidate the group into following me but it seems my crazy magic talk turned them off of the idea of following me. Fine, if they don't want to work with me then they can just enjoy their little circle jerk until they get eaten by a dragon for all I care! I start walking in the opposite direction Dylan had, since I think I can hear running water off in this direction. As i'm walking I look back to see two people following me. Behind me is the lightly muscled man who'd defied me and a lad of about eleven that looks very similar to the muscled fellow. The lad is in pajamas and has a huge smile on his face as he looks around in amazement. I raise an eyebrow and stop to see what the man wants from me. "So what do you want?" I ask. "I-I'd like to go with you," he replies meekly. Almost a 360 from his earlier behavior. "What made you change your mind, Mr...?" I inquire. He pauses for a moment then replies, "Michael, and this is Tim. The sun... It's too close, and it's up in the center of the sky already. Look at it, it's moving too quick." I look into the sky and confirm that what he says is true. The sun is visibly moving through the sky. God... I start walking into the forest with the man and his quiet son following behind. Chapter 2: Oh DeerI back up against a tree and watch the deer warily as I think up my next course of action. There are eight deer surrounding me, seven does and one stag, with the stag being the only one armored. The does are quite a bit smaller than the stag and their coats are different shades of brown and red. Some have a stripe of darker color in their coat and others have spots near their haunches, but all of the deer have huge eyes in varying colors. Five of the does have necklaces adorned with large gems that radiate magical energy, which worries me. The other two have strange intricate metal decorations on their hooves. They probably mistook me for a human hunter trying to land their kin. Which means there must be a human settlement nearby for them to be so acquainted with humans that they attack on sight! "Hold on, friends," I say trying to come off as amiable as possible. "I'm not here to hunt you or steal your magical pendants. I'm just a humble traveler trying to get to the next human town. But I seem to have gotten lost and stumbled into your territory, so if you would kindly give me a heading I'll leave and never return." "Hew-Man, is that a type of fruit?" the stag questions his head tilting to the side for some reason. "W-Wait! You're just trying to confuse me so you can get away! Who are you spying for, strange creature!" Spying... Humans being a type of fruit.. Wait, perhaps humans go by a different name in this world. "Ah, I apologize," I say with a bow. "What I mean is a settlement of creatures of my race. I'm guessing there's one close if you assume we are spying on you in an attempt to conquer your forest." The stag seems unsure of himself. "What do you mean a settlement of creatures like you? Are you not a new type of summoned being that the ponies or zebras have been experimenting with? Wait... If you are a summoned beast how can you speak to anyone other than your summoner..." "He's not a summon," a doe with three white dots on her haunches and a light brown coat replies. A look of concern on her face as her amulet stops glowing. "It's mana signature isn't marked and there's no pony or zebra scent on it." "It is.... unusual," the stag says. "None of the signs of a summoned creature are on it." Ponies?? Zebras?? Oh god, did I land on some planet who's sentient races are only herbivores... I guess there is the possibility that I ended up in a world where humans went extinct or never existed.. Oh well, if their magic amulets are any sign, these deer seem to have some form of arcane power. As well as their "enemies" if both have the capability of summoning creatures. Not what I planned exactly, but beggars can't be choosers. "Umm," I say interrupting the conversation of a couple of does. "I'm not a spy for anyone and as of now have no inclination to side with your enemies. If you continue to attack me that will quickly change though.." The stag seems to mull over his options, bringing a hoof to rest under his chin as he thinks it over. He waves over his comrades who immediately circle around him and begin murmuring, occasionally taking glances at me. They break the circle as the stag stands, he then walks over and stands before me. "Fine, strange creature," he answers. "You have our leave but, you must exit our forest immediately or face the consequences." "Perhaps you would allow me to accompany you?" I ask nervously. "See, I don't exactly have anywhere to go and I'm terribly lost." The stag takes an aggressive stance again, lowering his body so he can pounce. "Why, would we trust you! Just because, you aren't a spy doesn't mean you're trusted enough to be allowed into Rohit." "You can take my weapon," I say as I stab the spear into the ground. "Please, if you allow me into your village I will most definitely benefit your society." "Benefit us?" the deer asks skeptically. "In what way could you benefit the great deer of Furfur forest?" I lean against the tree behind me. "Well, I'm well versed in magic and-" oh god, I've got nothing else other than magic going for me. "-I can.... do manual labor like mining." The stag looks me up and down before finally nodding. "Fine, as captain of the guard I'll allow you into our city. BUT, you will be under guard and if deemed unworthy you will be executed. Be honored! You shall be the first being in Rohit that is not a deer in over a thousand years." The stag grabs my spear in his mouth, the six foot weapon sitting very awkwardly in his maw. I watch as the five does with amulets close their eyes in concentration. Tree roots burst up from the ground and encase us. The ground beneath us begins shifting and I feel us gather momentum as we move underground. Very interesting, I wonder if those amulets actually contain nature magic or amplify the deer's inherent magic. After a few hours trapped in the wooden cocoon, we resurface. My jaw drops as I find myself standing outside a sizable medieval looking city on a hill surrounded by massive stone walls. Forest seems to be on every side with about a hundred meters between nature and the walls. We walk towards the huge gates the captain in front with the spear once again in his mouth. The gates open as we approach and on the other side await several more does with amulets escorting another doe with a grungy brown wizards hat and gnarled wooden staff. Her eyes widen as she sees us, she drops the staff and trots over a huge smile planted on her face. "Brother! Brother, what is that creature?!" the wizard deer yells excitedly. "Is it another one of the ponies summoned creatures?" "Ossia..." he says nervously dropping the spear in the process. "It's not a summon, it is a creature that has offered its services to our kingdom." "Really?" Ossia asks as she circles around me. "What can it do? If it got you to let it into Rohit it must be useful." "Magic and manual labor," I cut in. "I'm Dylan and i'm male by the way. Being called a creature isn't very flattering." "OOooooh," Ossia says as she circles me one more time. "Lockhart, can I have him!! My last apprentice left after that spell that turned her fur into grass..." Lockhart glances from me to his sister and then breaks out laughing. "He's all yours sis, honestly it was my plan to dump him on you to begin with. You're one of the few left who can weave spells anyway so a magically versed giant is all you." She hops up and down in excitement. "Thank you! Thank you, bro!" Ossia grabs onto the hem of my shirt and begins pulling me towards the city as I try to process what just happened. She drags me down the paved road where countless deer buy and sell goods in little stalls. Well, at the moment all attention is on us, my height drawing the gaze of all the market-goers. Ossia continues to pull me through the busy market, the does that were with her, now carrying her staff bring up the rear. Those in front of us part as the majority of the market continues to stare at me with interest. We stop at a fairly average looking building that Ossia then leads me into. It's not what I expected from a student of magic. Rather than the books and tomes I had expected the living area, of what i'm assuming is Ossia's home, is filled with plants and other types of vegetation. Different types of tree bark and moss sit in assorted containers and on the table is a large mandrake. The does follow us inside and drop off Ossia's staff, then exit leaving us alone. "Dylan! Dylan, now that you're here as my new apprentice I can get back to work instead of just waiting around for my bro," she says excitedly a huge smile on her face. She uses her hooves to somehow pick up the mandrake that starts thrashing around violently and shrieking. "Let's begin," she yells her smile looks menacing with the suffering creature in her grasp.
PrologueBeep. Beep. Beep. The malefic noise resounds through the room rousing me from my slumber. I groan loudly, flailing my arm around in an attempt to silence the nefarious device, that continues its banshee-like cry regardless of my discomfort. The palm of my hand slams against the surface of the night stand a few times before landing on the alarm, turning it off. My hand rests on the alarm as I search for the energy to get up. I lethargically crawl out of bed, the effects of sleep inertia weighing heavily on me. I drag myself across the room over to the dresser opposite the king size bed I had just begrudgingly risen from. Grabbing a fresh black t-shirt, cargo pants and a pair of boxers I head for the restroom, tossing the assortment of clothes haphazardly onto the counter before stripping and stepping into the shower. I turn it on letting the unforgivingly cold water run over my body, effectively washing away any of my remaining grogginess. I cleanse my body quickly as nervousness and uncertainty begin to get the better of me now that I'm fully awake. Thoughts of failure, of three years, and my deceased families substantial fortune wasted in what I had already been told was a fool's errand. No! I would succeed! I had to... I turn off the water and head over to my clothes, grabbing a towel from the rack to dry off my short black hair with. I smile into the mirror, a young, lithe, six foot tall man with baby blue eyes, and bright white teeth stares back at me, the spitting image of my father. My mind wanders to what his thoughts on this experiment would be if he was still among the living. Doubt he'd appreciate it, seeing as it cost me the company he'd built from the ground up to prepare it. I slip into my clothes, brush my teeth and shave before heading back into the bedroom. Glancing at the clock I see that it's already five fifty, leaving me with just an hour and ten minutes to finish preparations. More than enough time. I pocket my HTC one M8, charger, and keys that were lying next to a large black duffel bag on the ground. I sling the heavy bag over my shoulder and exit the apartment, the door swinging shut behind me. I walk down the hall and press the elevator button, leaning up against the wall as I wait for the machine to reach my floor. I hear a door close down the hall and glance behind me to see a balding middle-aged man jogging down the hall towards me in grey sweats. He stops next to me and proceeds to jog in place, a huge smile lighting up his face as he greets me. "Hello, Dylan!" he says, his gaze resting on the large duffel bag strapped to my back. "What has you up this early?" "Just doing a favor for a friend Mike. You usually get up this early to jog?" I reply turning around to make eye contact. "Ha, not usually." Mike cheerfully responds, "I heard there's going to be a lunar eclipse this morning, part of a tetrad or something, so I decided to get up a little earlier to see it," A loud chime catches our attention and the elevator doors slide open. We both enter and I press the button for the base floor as Mike continues jogging in place in the corner. I give Mike a quizzical look. "Why not just take the stairs?" I inquire. "And miss out on good company?" he responds following with a hearty laugh. As we descend Mike "regales" me with a tale from his youth, in which he had somehow gotten his tie stuck in the elevator doors and barely avoided strangulation by slicing the tie with his trusty pocket knife. I feel the drowsiness I had washed away in this morning's shower return in full force as Mike drones on. His sermon on the merits of always keeping a pocket knife handy is fortunately cut short by the mechanical doors sliding open. Mike pats my shoulder before jogging towards the exit, waving as he leaves. I head towards the staircase, removing my keys and unlocking the basement door. This ten story apartment building is the only property left of the empire my father had built. I head down the stairs leading into a large cavernous room with a magic circle filling up most of the space. An ornate pedestal lies in the center of the circle, the entire thing speckled with precious gems and millions of assorted symbols. A world transfer circle, the final legacy of my late master. I walk to the back of the room where a man is sleeping, his head resting on the desk before him. Around him an assortment of tools, tomes, and my spear lay on the desk. I grab his shoulder and shake him, causing him to moan and jolt up. Long blonde hair covering most of his face as he stands there motionless, his chair knocked over by the violent movement. "Mff ha what the," the disgruntled man mumbles incoherently. "Mornin', Aaron," I reply cheerily. "I sure hope you finished the final touches on that spear before you decided to take a nap..." "Of course I did." Aaron spits, irritation evident in his voice. "Good... Very good... You going to stick around for the show?" I ask hopefully. Having a back-up in case my mana is insuffecient would be best. Aaron breaks out into a laugh, holding his side. "Ha, no way in hell. There's no knowing what kind of after effects this thing'll have." "You're way too paranoid, Aaron." I say waving off his concern. "Well, I'd say this finishes up my end of the bargain. Good luck to ya," he says as he gathers up his tools and starts his ascent. I watch as the mana weaver heads up the stairs and I hear the door close behind him, locking in the process. One of the very few people left in the world that knew how to create sigils and form enchantments. Magic. Most people, don't believe that a thing like magic could exist in our world. Little do they know that magic is very real and in the distant past was an integral part of our world. Why aren't people running around shooting fireballs out of their hands and soaring through the skies then, you ask? Very simply because, magic in our world has been sealed. Some say God came down and sealed it away to punish man, others that pollutants in the air caused it. We'll probably never know. On the bright side, the mana drying up forced mages to adapt and create techniques to account for the lack of mana. This made the remaining mages an elite group that now exist in the shadows, forgotten by most. Fortunately for me I was born into a rich family, and one of these elites was my father's closest friend. After my family died he was given custody of me according to my father's will, due to the motives of our distant relatives. One day he saw magical potential in me and brought me under his tutelage. He raised me, protected my father's company, and taught me the ways of magic. His death three years ago filled me with grief, and led me to continue his studies in magic at any cost. I remove my phone and look at the screen, discovering that it's ten until seven. I set down my duffel bag and unzip it. Inside is a few sets of clothes, five MRE's. two 32 ounce canteens, water filter, voltaic solar generator, Dell XPS 13, two one-hundred and twenty-eight GB flash drives, ammo box, M1911, two clips and a small wooden box. I pull out the box, M1911, and a clip then re-zip my bag, slinging it over my shoulder once again. I slam the clip into the pistol and open the bottom drawer of my desk, revealing a gun belt. I put it on and holster the gun, grab the spear, and head over to the pedestal, wooden box still in hand. I empty the box's contents into my hand and toss the container towards the desk. A bottle of ichor, the very blood of the Gods, now rested in the palm of my hand. Well... at least I think that's what's sitting in the palm of my hand, I'd soon find out if it's the real deal. I empty the bottle onto the pedestal, the golden liquid resting perfectly in the bowl shape. Checking my phone again I see that it's now seven o' clock on the dot. Right about now the third blood moon of the tetrad is in the sky amplifying magic in our world a hundred fold. With more mana in the air than man has seen in 333 years, this will be the only chance I ever get. I pocket my phone and stretch my hand towards the pedestal, grasping tightly onto my spear. I focus my mind, concentrating on the process of absorbing and converting the mana in the air. A warm tingling sensation builds in my stomach as the energy flows into my core to be converted into usable mana. I will the energy from my core into the outstretched appendage. "Dispel," I utter in a gruff tone. Tendrils of translucent silver stretch out from my fingers and flow into the pedestal. I feel the energy being sucked out of me, the symbols on the pedestal begin to glow. My energy is pulled from me forcefully into the pedestal, the golden liquid evaporating. Suddenly the flow of energy stops, my mana expended. I watch as the symbols around the pedestal begin lighting up until all of the symbols inside the circle are glowing the same silver as my mana. Concern shows plainly on my face as the glow gets dimmer after the initial activation. Did I not give enough energy to sustain it? There isn't enough time to gather enough mana to try again, the blood moon is already waning. Damnit, Aaron!! If only you had stuck around. My worries are proven misplaced as the energy comes back full force, erupting from the circle violently upwards. Mana flows over my body in quantities I'd only ever dreamed of, a smile graces my lips. Which is abruptly replaced with a frown as my eyes widen. The immense amount of energy's warm and comforting aura is replaced with an excruciatingly painful burning sensation. I try to scream to no avail, my vision is completely filled with silver energy as the feeling of burning overwhelms me. Unable to move I stand in the mana dense area with my mouth open as I silently suffer for what feels like an eternity. I feel the pain discontinue abruptly, the ability to move my body restored I fall to my hands and knees. My hands meet with the soft familiar texture of grass, I stare down in an attempt to see the grass but all I see is silver. My vision begins to clear, the silver giving way to vibrant green. I did it! Thanks to my masters notes and millions spent on experts in circ le weaving I'd done it. The mana here is overwhelming, I could feel the pure energy flowing into me. I feel invincible, after living in a world with almost no mana this place was any mage's heaven. I hop to my feet barely able to contain my excitement as this world exceeds my expectations. My eyes widen in horror at the sight before me, I let out an ear wrenching scream before falling back to my knees. "Princess Twilight Sparkle," I say as I nervously look into the mirror. "Princess of friendship." My sapphire blue mane with a streak of violet and rose is unkempt, my light mulberry coat is dirty and my wings are a complete mess. I let out a heavy sigh at my disheveled appearance that is less than princess like. How did princess Celestia do it?! She seems to always look her best, and no matter the pressure, keeps a calm demeanor... I had been named the princess of friendship less than a month ago, yet I was already overwhelmed with the duties and responsibility. Oh, of course I can handle it with the help of my friends but, it definitely cuts into my reading time and leaves me flustered at times. I continue to look into the mirror as I contemplate going to visit my friends at Canterlot high while I had some free time. As I'm about to enter the mirror I hear a loud crack that causes my ears to splay back. My eyes widen as I watch the crack that has just appeared in the center of the mirror spread out rapidly. My jaw dropped as I saw that the cracks didn't spread to the edge of the mirror, instead creating a perfect circle in it's center. I squinted trying to get a better view of what looked like little symbols that filled the huge circular section of cracked mirror. My concentration is broken as the mirror flashes brightly, then shatters sending shards of glass all across my castles floor. I stand there in complete awe, unable to comprehend what just happened right in front of me. What should I do?! Oh no, oh no, oh no.... Princess Celestia!! I'll send her a letter, she'll know what's happening and what I should to about it. I walk towards the exit careful to avoid the glass littering my floor. When I reach the door I find Pinkie Pie standing in the doorway shaking expeditiously as she tries to speak to me. "T-t-t-t-w-w-w-iii-l-l-l-l-i-g-h-t-t-t-t-t, i-i-i-i-t-t-s-s-s a-a-n-o-t-h-h-e-r d-o-o-o-o-oo-z-y!!" Pinkie exclaims. "Oh no..." I reply solemly. Author's Note Hello, everypony!! Please, if you have the time comment and let me know if I'm messing up so I can try and better myself. Thanks for taking the time to read this fic!
Chapter 1: A rough startI look on in terror as my vision is filled with an outcome beyond my calculations. In front of me is a large group of people in varying states of wakefulness and dress. Why would it be a problem that there are people? Usually it wouldn't be, hell I was hoping to end up near a village or town of some sort. No, the problem is that I recognize these people. Right in front of me is Charles from the fifth floor sitting on his porcelain throne, that looks like its straight up been torn from the wall. Just twenty feet from him, the Chapman's sit at their table with bowls of cereal in front of them. All across the grassy plains are folks from my apartment building. Some are still fast asleep in pajamas, others are standing stark naked with water dripping off their bodies. It's strange... Some people seem to have brought their entire bed while others have only arrived with their clothes. And then all hell breaks loose. Screams of terror and confusion fill the air as realization strikes the group of displaced city dwellers. Naked people fresh from showers search and beg for anything to hide their nakedness. Those who had been sleeping begin to wake up after the cacophony of noises breaks out. Fear and panic occupy the faces of all those caught up in my little world traveling circle, save for one. Charles stares me down from the comfort of his toilet. The man looks quite formidable even if he's in such a compromised position, his overly muscular body making the toilet look comically small. A menacing gaze gives his craggy visage an even more intimidating aura to it, his buzz cut and the scar on his cheek make him look like a battle hardened soldier. Creepy as hell... I better get away, being stuck with all of these useless and scared people would completely ruin my plans for this new world. God forbid one of them figures out that I'm the one that successfully created the world transfer circle that did its job perfectly while carrying along a ton of unwilling stowaways. No... If one of them somehow makes it to the people of this world and informs them of my feat who knows what would become of me. What nation doesn't want the ability to travel between worlds to establish trade and expand? I begin to walk away hoping to escape in the chaos and confusion of the current situation before they get organized. My escape is thwarted by a large, strong hand gripping my shoulder tightly. I look back to see Charles glaring at me with a frown, his pants haphazardly pulled up and toilet left unattended. Shit. I put on a look of concern trying to appear unprepared and afraid, perhaps I can pull this off. I was the one who screamed first when we arrived, not that it phased anyone since they were still in shock from the scenery change. "Ch-Ch-Charles," I stammer nervously. "W-w-what's going on here? H-how did we get here?" "Thought I'd ask you the same thing, landlord," Charles says in an unamused tone. "Seeing as you're the only one that seems to have remembered to pack for our little adventure." How do I reply to that... I've got a spear in my hand and a duffel bag over my shoulder. Hell, I'm one of the handful of people dressed in something other than pajamas and as Charles said the only one I can see with baggage. Perhaps I can still feign ignorance... Say that I knew that it was going to happen, maybe throw in something about the tetrad and the prophecies tied to it. Then it wouldn't be a complete lie since the tetrad's third moon played a huge part in this. "W-well, Charles," I start as I fidget nervously. "I kind of thought something like this might happen, y'know? After all this morning at seven, we witnessed part of a celestial event that happens every couple hundred years. Mind you, it isn't the end of the tetrad but, three has always been a holy number. So I thought maybe...." "Don't bullshit me, Dylan!" Charles yells gripping my shoulder harder. "You're fucking shooting off silver steam. I was on my shitter in the comfort of my home and all of a sudden i'm staring at you. Usually I'd just call it a coincidence that you seem so well prepared but you were and still are surrounded by the same silver that I saw before I found myself in a fucking field." Well damn... Should I kill him? No, that would just create a whole new set of problems for me. Sigh, well I guess now's as good a time as any to see if my magic ability works the way my master said it would. Hopefully when I activate it I can knock him over and make a mad dash for the trees. I haven't been able to test it until now due to the lack of energy and unique properties of my mana which made even extending it beyond 3 inches near impossible. My master's ability of divination was one of the few left in the world that could develop techniques to overcome the lack of mana. With it he found the nature of my ability, Steel Soul. Nothing special in a world lacking mana, but in the days of old it was a powerful ability that only a select few were blessed with. A body enhancement type magic giving the user amazing physical prowess. Magic has never been something humans could use more than one type of, and those abilities are determined at birth, only once you successfully determine the nature of your ability can you use it. Thus the reason I needed circle weavers and my masters divination to find my ability. I rein in my mana the way my master had always instructed and forced the same invocation I always had, that up until now never worked, inside my body. I.. I don't feel different at all. My musings are interrupted as I notice Charles fist making its way to my face. Guess I must have worn his patience thin with my silence. I brace myself for impact, closing my eyes in anticipation of the blow. I hear the sound of the blow making contact with my face, but I feel nothing. I'm not even forced back by the blow, my face still facing the direction it was before the strike. Hahahaha, that old man's predictions are never wrong. I look into Charles eyes to see that he no longer looks angry and intimidating. Fear now dominates his features. The large man who towers over me steps back like I'd retaliate in the blink of an eye. "What did you do!!" he screams, his booming voice breaking a number of others from their panic and causing them to stare at us. "Why the fuck did you bring us here!" I guess he deserves answers.. Perhaps if I help him, when they meet up with the inhabitants of this world, my secret will be safe and the possibility of the knowledge being tortured out of me decreased. It's not like I have any other options than telling them or sprinting off as fast as I can. Sprinting off would probably make it more likely that they tell the inhabitants of this world who exactly got them here. Hm, maybe a few lies mixed into the explanation will better my odds of not having an army of magicians on my tail. "Fine, Charles," I say sitting down in the grass to try and look less aggressive. "First, I didn't bring you here on purpose and second I did it through the use of magic. That whole spiel about the tetrad was true, and the magic circle that I used is designed to travel across worlds. Right now we are the only known people to have ever traveled between worlds in the history of our people." "Send us home then," he says much calmer now. "I can't," I reply without batting an eyelash. " That circle was a one way ticket that used up magical resources that might not even exist in this world. Well, perhaps... This world is heavily saturated with magic so maybe you can find it. Okay, lets make a deal then. You find the material I need and I'll do all I can to set it up again. "Fine," Charles replies begrudgingly. "What is it you need exactly?" "God's blood," I reply coolly. Charles looks at me skeptically but, I guess the silver energy surrounded me convinced him since he slumped down to his knees in front of me looking bewildered. There's a mixed reaction from those around us, some look absolutely furious while others look even more terrified than before. Fortunately no one seems to want to make a move on me because, of my spear or the fact I had this gigantic man at his knees before me I may never know. I get up and start casually walking towards the woods closest to me that's a couple hundred meters away from my current position. I walk away in the highest alert hoping I won't get mobbed by the group that had heard my explanation. What the hell am I doing trying to walk away all cool from this! Screw that. I break out into a sprint clearing the distance in under ten seconds, this ability is wonderful! I break through an opening in the woods and continue my mad dash through the underbrush in an attempt to distance myself from the clearing. After running a few minutes it's brought to a halt as something slams squarely in my side with enough force to deviate me from my course and cause me to slam into a tree. I push off of the tree preparing myself to fight whatever or whomever just decided to assault me. What the hell kind of strength does this being have to know me over in my new strengthened state?! I see the underbrush in front of my moving as I lower my stance. From the bushes appears a small deer no taller than four foot, suited up in intricate armor and looking mighty pissed at me. His eyes seem to be slanted in anger behind his helmet that has an opening for his eyes and pretty impressive antlers that I'm assuming he just rammed me with. "Drop your weapon, foul beast," the deer says, nearly causing me a heart attack. "Or die where you stand!" Of course the first sentient being I'd meet in this world, besides my neighbors, would be a disgruntled talking deer. From all around me more of them appear, some without armor, but all equally pissed. I sit there on my knees watching as our only hope of ever returning home sprints off at unbelievable speeds, leaving all of us alone in a world of magic. All of my life I had hated this feeling. This feeling of fear, of being unprepared, of helplessness. I had first experienced this feeling when I'd been dumped on the streets by my parents at the age of ten. Since then I've trained and fought so that I would never experience that feeling again. Yet here I am again, feeling helpless and weak in a world I know nothing about. Abandoned once again by someone who had brought me into the world. I look around to see the others in similar conditions as myself, save for a few that are trying to drown out their fear by acting tough and starting fights with others like them. Shit, if we're going to survive out here let alone acquire God's blood we're going to have to get it together. If the guy who brought us here can do it, then no doubt there will be stronger magicians who can send us back with the right materials. I stand to my feet and suck in a deep breath for what I'd have to do next to increase our chances of survival. "Attention!!" I shout out in the most powerful voice I can. "Gather around, I know what's happening and how to get us back!" Everyone quiets down, choosing to instead whisper as they gather around me. Looks to be around a sixty or so people here altogether. I clear my throat in preparation for what I'd say next. "We, are now in another world," I say in a loud, clear voice. "The only way for us to get home is to band together and get to civilization!" The group murmurs their skepticism as they look around trying to figure out where they are. Maybe the truth wasn't the right choice right now... A young man pushes his way into the circle of people with me and glares up at me. "What the fuck!" the man yells in my face. "You want us to believe we just got narnia'd and not only that you want to lead us on our merry way through the forest?! I admit I don't know how the hell we got here, but I fucking doubt we somehow ended up in another world. That shit's retarded, portals to other worlds don't just appear for no reason and suck people in. Assuming that magic portals are even real!" I look down on the lightly muscled man standing in front of me in nothing but his boxers, looking small and afraid next to my six foot eight frame. "It wasn't an accident," I reply, annoyance saturating my words. "Our dearest landlord brought us on his little trip here and sprinted off into the forest over there." My claim is met with the majority of the group trying to discredit the ridiculous claim while a few who had seen Dylan update me on the situation tried to vouch for me. We can't be divided like this... "Fine!" I yell. "It doesn't matter, the fact is that we are surrounded by woods, and unless one of you has phone service right now, we aren't getting help." A few people who are mostly dressed can be seen raising their phones in the air trying to get some kind of signal to no avail. I believe Dylan 100%. There was no sign of him lying when he told me of our predicament and that strange silver energy he was giving off sealed the deal with me. What an asshole to just run off into the woods though. I wait patiently as those with a phone finally give up opting to instead listen to what I have to say. "No complaints now?" I inquire. "Good, then lets start by pooling our resources and figuring out a way to safely traverse the woods." This is shot down. The majority want to bunker down here where it's safe and wait until someone comes to get them. Our little democracy decides on staying here but agrees it would be wise to take inventory of what we have. Our little group gathers up all of the strange things that seemed to have come along with us. In all we have a toilet, five beds complete with blankets and pillows, a table, four chairs, two couches, a dresser, six cellphones, twenty-five pillows, several sex toys, four bowls soggy cereal and a fridge. The fridge is off limits though, Harry the man who had brought it is guarding it with a fierce look in his eyes. Standing at six feet and weighing near three hundred pounds the man looked like a fridge himself. Sigh, I'd hoped to intimidate the group into following me but it seems my crazy magic talk turned them off of the idea of following me. Fine, if they don't want to work with me then they can just enjoy their little circle jerk until they get eaten by a dragon for all I care! I start walking in the opposite direction Dylan had, since I think I can hear running water off in this direction. As i'm walking I look back to see two people following me. Behind me is the lightly muscled man who'd defied me and a lad of about eleven that looks very similar to the muscled fellow. The lad is in pajamas and has a huge smile on his face as he looks around in amazement. I raise an eyebrow and stop to see what the man wants from me. "So what do you want?" I ask. "I-I'd like to go with you," he replies meekly. Almost a 360 from his earlier behavior. "What made you change your mind, Mr...?" I inquire. He pauses for a moment then replies, "Michael, and this is Tim. The sun... It's too close, and it's up in the center of the sky already. Look at it, it's moving too quick." I look into the sky and confirm that what he says is true. The sun is visibly moving through the sky. God... I start walking into the forest with the man and his quiet son following behind.
Chapter 2: Oh DeerI back up against a tree and watch the deer warily as I think up my next course of action. There are eight deer surrounding me, seven does and one stag, with the stag being the only one armored. The does are quite a bit smaller than the stag and their coats are different shades of brown and red. Some have a stripe of darker color in their coat and others have spots near their haunches, but all of the deer have huge eyes in varying colors. Five of the does have necklaces adorned with large gems that radiate magical energy, which worries me. The other two have strange intricate metal decorations on their hooves. They probably mistook me for a human hunter trying to land their kin. Which means there must be a human settlement nearby for them to be so acquainted with humans that they attack on sight! "Hold on, friends," I say trying to come off as amiable as possible. "I'm not here to hunt you or steal your magical pendants. I'm just a humble traveler trying to get to the next human town. But I seem to have gotten lost and stumbled into your territory, so if you would kindly give me a heading I'll leave and never return." "Hew-Man, is that a type of fruit?" the stag questions his head tilting to the side for some reason. "W-Wait! You're just trying to confuse me so you can get away! Who are you spying for, strange creature!" Spying... Humans being a type of fruit.. Wait, perhaps humans go by a different name in this world. "Ah, I apologize," I say with a bow. "What I mean is a settlement of creatures of my race. I'm guessing there's one close if you assume we are spying on you in an attempt to conquer your forest." The stag seems unsure of himself. "What do you mean a settlement of creatures like you? Are you not a new type of summoned being that the ponies or zebras have been experimenting with? Wait... If you are a summoned beast how can you speak to anyone other than your summoner..." "He's not a summon," a doe with three white dots on her haunches and a light brown coat replies. A look of concern on her face as her amulet stops glowing. "It's mana signature isn't marked and there's no pony or zebra scent on it." "It is.... unusual," the stag says. "None of the signs of a summoned creature are on it." Ponies?? Zebras?? Oh god, did I land on some planet who's sentient races are only herbivores... I guess there is the possibility that I ended up in a world where humans went extinct or never existed.. Oh well, if their magic amulets are any sign, these deer seem to have some form of arcane power. As well as their "enemies" if both have the capability of summoning creatures. Not what I planned exactly, but beggars can't be choosers. "Umm," I say interrupting the conversation of a couple of does. "I'm not a spy for anyone and as of now have no inclination to side with your enemies. If you continue to attack me that will quickly change though.." The stag seems to mull over his options, bringing a hoof to rest under his chin as he thinks it over. He waves over his comrades who immediately circle around him and begin murmuring, occasionally taking glances at me. They break the circle as the stag stands, he then walks over and stands before me. "Fine, strange creature," he answers. "You have our leave but, you must exit our forest immediately or face the consequences." "Perhaps you would allow me to accompany you?" I ask nervously. "See, I don't exactly have anywhere to go and I'm terribly lost." The stag takes an aggressive stance again, lowering his body so he can pounce. "Why, would we trust you! Just because, you aren't a spy doesn't mean you're trusted enough to be allowed into Rohit." "You can take my weapon," I say as I stab the spear into the ground. "Please, if you allow me into your village I will most definitely benefit your society." "Benefit us?" the deer asks skeptically. "In what way could you benefit the great deer of Furfur forest?" I lean against the tree behind me. "Well, I'm well versed in magic and-" oh god, I've got nothing else other than magic going for me. "-I can.... do manual labor like mining." The stag looks me up and down before finally nodding. "Fine, as captain of the guard I'll allow you into our city. BUT, you will be under guard and if deemed unworthy you will be executed. Be honored! You shall be the first being in Rohit that is not a deer in over a thousand years." The stag grabs my spear in his mouth, the six foot weapon sitting very awkwardly in his maw. I watch as the five does with amulets close their eyes in concentration. Tree roots burst up from the ground and encase us. The ground beneath us begins shifting and I feel us gather momentum as we move underground. Very interesting, I wonder if those amulets actually contain nature magic or amplify the deer's inherent magic. After a few hours trapped in the wooden cocoon, we resurface. My jaw drops as I find myself standing outside a sizable medieval looking city on a hill surrounded by massive stone walls. Forest seems to be on every side with about a hundred meters between nature and the walls. We walk towards the huge gates the captain in front with the spear once again in his mouth. The gates open as we approach and on the other side await several more does with amulets escorting another doe with a grungy brown wizards hat and gnarled wooden staff. Her eyes widen as she sees us, she drops the staff and trots over a huge smile planted on her face. "Brother! Brother, what is that creature?!" the wizard deer yells excitedly. "Is it another one of the ponies summoned creatures?" "Ossia..." he says nervously dropping the spear in the process. "It's not a summon, it is a creature that has offered its services to our kingdom." "Really?" Ossia asks as she circles around me. "What can it do? If it got you to let it into Rohit it must be useful." "Magic and manual labor," I cut in. "I'm Dylan and i'm male by the way. Being called a creature isn't very flattering." "OOooooh," Ossia says as she circles me one more time. "Lockhart, can I have him!! My last apprentice left after that spell that turned her fur into grass..." Lockhart glances from me to his sister and then breaks out laughing. "He's all yours sis, honestly it was my plan to dump him on you to begin with. You're one of the few left who can weave spells anyway so a magically versed giant is all you." She hops up and down in excitement. "Thank you! Thank you, bro!" Ossia grabs onto the hem of my shirt and begins pulling me towards the city as I try to process what just happened. She drags me down the paved road where countless deer buy and sell goods in little stalls. Well, at the moment all attention is on us, my height drawing the gaze of all the market-goers. Ossia continues to pull me through the busy market, the does that were with her, now carrying her staff bring up the rear. Those in front of us part as the majority of the market continues to stare at me with interest. We stop at a fairly average looking building that Ossia then leads me into. It's not what I expected from a student of magic. Rather than the books and tomes I had expected the living area, of what i'm assuming is Ossia's home, is filled with plants and other types of vegetation. Different types of tree bark and moss sit in assorted containers and on the table is a large mandrake. The does follow us inside and drop off Ossia's staff, then exit leaving us alone. "Dylan! Dylan, now that you're here as my new apprentice I can get back to work instead of just waiting around for my bro," she says excitedly a huge smile on her face. She uses her hooves to somehow pick up the mandrake that starts thrashing around violently and shrieking. "Let's begin," she yells her smile looks menacing with the suffering creature in her grasp.
