The King of Glass

"God damn it Carl!" yelled Azure Phoenix from the male lavatories across the hall. Carl didn't care that he took all the hot water from the talisman during his weekly super shower. He was more concerned with the book he was reading, about a lusty maid and her mistress. Azure Phoenix; a light blue stallion with a flame-like azure mane, a strong stallion and captain of the Platinum guard, stormed out of the lavatories annoyed that his shower time would have to wait.

Azure walked to his wooden bunk glaring at Carl for his inconsideration to his personal hygiene. Carl; a caramel colored stallion with a dark brown mane, didn't care of the glaring death beside him. He was more interested in his book. Azure quickly gave up from his attempted intimidation to his fellow squad mate and got ready for another day of patrolling around Platinum castle. As Azure was putting his silver barding on with practice ease, the rest of his squad roamed their way in the bunk room, clean and in a much better mood than him.

The first to walk on in was Jester Rabbit, the joker of the group. Azure didn't mind his bright gray friend and his clearly damp thunderhead mane most of the time. His joke's always made a smile, especially during the much more boring day's, but sometimes his joke's go too far. At least he knows's how to fix his screw up afterward, unlike the stubborn HardLight who was next to walk in. Azure knew he was slightly jealous of the more muscular two-toned golden stallion, but he never let it control him. Azure knew that Hardlight could easily beat him in a fight if it was his way of only muscle against muscle.

The last two of the group to make their way back were the girl's; Falcon Song and Cresent Moon. Azure couldn't quite understand why Falcon was so interested in Moon. Not because she wanted to be a thing or anything. To him, it seemed like those two were always with each other. The poor private must see something in the pure white mare with her luxurious black mane and seductive blue eye's. Whatever it was, he doesn't want it. Even though, he wants it. Azure shook his head from the mares to his second in command Hardlight who looked like he had something to say, which he always does.

"Jeez Captain, dressed already?" mocked Hardlight while leaning against the wall beside the cracked window of the bunk house. Azure made a self-reminder to get someone to repair the window later. In Equestria, glass was not cheap, it was much cheaper to hire a repair stallion than to replace the window.

"I had nothing better to do. Carl took the last of the hot water and I am not waiting four hours for it to recharge," replied Azure.

"Suck's to be you then cap," shrugged Hardlight.

"Whatever," said Azure.

Cresent Moon and Falcon Song moved to their own bunks and put their barding on while Jester and Carl both read the book Carl was so keen about most of the time. Falcon couldn't understand why any decent stallion would like such filth to invade their minds and make them think of rutting whatever moved that was a mare. At least she knew that Captain Azure wouldn't let his mind be tainted in such a way. Falcon knew that fact for sure from the day they met.

"Whatcha thinking about?" asked Moon smacking Falcon out of her daydreaming. Falcon shook her head in a daze and quickly made up a lie.

"Nothing important," Falcon coughed. "Just thinking how boring the day is going to be."

"Same," Moon said not believing her obvious lie. Moon knew that she admired Azure from afar and that when she starts to think about him, she can't think about anything else.

"Everyone ready?" Called Azure Phoenix.

"Yes sir," Moon, Falcon, Hardlight, Jester, and Carl said in unison.

"Then let's go,"

Sending the guy's off to their posts was part of my daily routine as captain of the guard. Falcon, Hardlight, and Jester were responsible for the main gate into Canterlot while Carl, Moon and I were in charge of sorting out all that come through the main gate. It was a nice and peaceful routine and also, a very boring one.

Everyday ponies from across the new land of Equestria flowed in and out of Canterlot hoping for fortune and fame. To get a solid spot beside Platinum castle. Unfortunately, not all make it though and even more don't pass the front gate due to the princesses rules for newcomers.

I sat here everyday underneath the metal gate between my home and the world looking out to the vast unexplored where I used to play as a foal. Where I trained to become a member of the royal guard and it sucks.

"Sigh~"

"What's up buttercum?" Snarked Cresent Moon. "Ya look more sappy today than normal."

"I bet," I replied.

"Well, Azure. This is the life we choose, so suck it up cause there is a caravan coming."

"Yeah, yeah I see them."

I got up and signaled to the other's to ready their weapons as a, "just in case" while I, Moon and, Carl approached them to see what they are carrying. Putting aside my ill contempt for my life choices, I took a survey of the four wagons coming to the gate. They all look fairly beaten up, the one in the back carried by a young earth pony looked like the worst of the lot. Something must have happened on the way here judging by the expressions on the leaders faces, that, and the only two guards carrying makeshift spears was a good detail that there used to be more.

I nodded to Moon to stop them so that Carl and I could talk to them. Moon nodded in response to my silent order and Carl trotted to the back to check out the last wagon to do his job of checking and illegal contraband.

"Hello," I greeted the head of the group, but no response came from him other than a blank stare.

"Silent Bell here doesn't talk much," Spoke a weathered sounded stallion who plopped off of the first wagon.

"Sorry," I said.

"Aint nothing," the stallion spoke. "Oh, pardon my manors. I'm Jetstream."

"Hello Jetstream, I'm captain Azure Phoenix. Can you tell me what business you have here?" I asked the grey pegasi. Jetstream as well as Silent Bell hung their head in for a moment before Jetstream spoke up.

"We came to look for help," Jetstream said angered.

"Help? What kind of help that you are asking for? I can tell you must have seen some trouble on the way here, but why come all this way for help?"

"Ya see," Jet paused to gather his words. "Our village was attacked a few moons ago by this thing. It killed everyone like we were mere toys! Nothing could even touch it nor see it, I swear!"

"Calm down," I said to the panicking pegasi. "Take it slow. What attacked your village and what's the name of it?"

"Sorry, our village didn't get a name yet, it was fairly new. It was inside a sheltered cove in Hayseed forest."

"That's good. Now can you describe what attacked?"

"It was large. A head taller than the average stallion. It was long and made of pure white dragon scales, but it always hid in the shadows. It had paws of a dog and a muzzle of one and worst of all. It had wings!"