Onyx Skies

by SupaSqueegee

Rating: teen
Tags: Other, Adventure, Tragedy, Dark, Sad, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 23907

When a mare's husband goes on mission for peace and doesn't return, she leaves in hopes of bringing him home safely.

When a mare's husband goes on mission for peace and doesn't return, she leaves in hopes of bringing him home safely. Follow Vertigo, a simple photographer from Manehatten, as she goes on a perilous journey to find her husband, an ambassador for the throne, after he goes missing in the territory of the dragons.
Warning: There are fight scenes and such in this story, and while it hardly fits into the "gore" tag, some blood and death is/will be described. This is no different than your average Teen Fantasy novel in that respect.

Published 2015-12-08 03:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-01-18 15:09:48 UTC

Chapter One

It was late evening, and the sun was just starting to set over the city of Manehatten. Ponies of various forms and professions were leaving their respective jobs and hobbies, heading home for the night, and it seemed like yet another uneventful day for one pegasus in particular as she sat at home, alone, once again. She was lost in a world of written word, wrapped up in the lives of fictitious characters and stories, as was her main hobby these days. The waning light of the sun shimmered through the various windows of her small home on the outskirts of the city, casting a certain tone that seemed to match the dramatic piece she was currently so involved in. So lost was she in this world that she was only pulled from it by the sudden knocking against her door.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Oh, who could that be at this hour?” The light brown pegasus stood from the couch in her living room, set down the book she had been reading, and trotted towards the door. The moon was just starting to rise on the horizon, and there was a slight chill in the air. Autumn was approaching fast, and would be here soon, and as such ponies all over Manehatten were starting to prepare for the oncoming cold. Pegasi were often seen clearing the sky, and the various earth bound ponies busied themselves when not at work. Even winter clothing was already starting to be sold at the assorted outlet malls and such around the city.

The pegasus reached the door quickly enough, and leaned up just a tad in an effort to peer through the window in the wooden door. This wasn’t right, it was a royal guard! Why would one of them come visiting this late in the day? With an almost worried furrow to her brow, the pegasus opened the door and ushered him inside. The guard simply raised a hoof and shook his head.

Though he wore the guard regalia, he didn’t seem particularly imposing. On the contrary, his features were soft, he stood no taller than her, his coat a soft grey. He appeared almost innocent in demeanor, despite his rather dour expression. “Miss Vertigo? I… have some unfortunate news.”

The whole world seemed to stop for her the moment that sentence was spoken. She could feel everything that was happening, see everything that was happening, as if it were in slow motion. The soft, chilled breeze, the various ponies that walked by outside, and the sun as it slowly hid itself beyond the horizon. Everything seemed to stand still, leaving her in her thoughts about just what could have brought this guard to her door.

Her eyes grew wide and her heart immediately dropped in her chest. “Un… unfortunate news?” This could only mean one thing. A forehoof was brought to her chest, and she sank to her haunches. She never once took her green eyes off the unicorn standing before her. “Is it… what’s happened to my husband?”

With a little flare of blue magic, the grey coated unicorn levitated out a rolled up scroll from a pocket of his armor. The scroll unfurled, and he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to report that your husband, Swift Shield, has gone missing during his latest mission to territory of the dragons. Search parties are being sent, but…” And with this, the scroll was rolled back up as the unicorn dropped his eyes to the ground. “I’m sorry, Miss Vertigo. Your husband is a friend of mine, that’s why I was chosen to bring this news to you. I want you to know that we’re doing everything we can to find him.” He brought his eyes back up, and took her hoof in his in a reassuring gesture. Then, just like that, he turned and was gone as quickly as he came.

Vertigo just sat there in the entrance to the small house she and her husband had acquired earlier this year in the Spring. It was a cozy little thing, and situated on the outskirts of the city. They had dreamed of owning a home here since they were dating in school. And, after getting married at the start of the year, they’d purchased their home. And now…

“He can’t be gone.”

She shook her head. The guard had said that he was simply missing, not that he had died. So there was still hope, right? There had to be! She couldn’t just give up on him, she knew him better than that. He was strong; a survivor, he’d overcome enough obstacles in the past to be able to survive whatever had happened to him, right? As she mulled over what she had just been told, she stood back up, closed and locked the door, and made her way back to the couch. The book she had been reading was forgotten. She had other things on her mind right now.

This was supposed to be a simple mission to sign the adjustments that had been made to the peace treaty between their kingdoms, right? It was routine enough, he should have only been gone for a couple of weeks. This was the type of thing he had done countless times over his years of being an ambassador for Equestria. So why had this time been so different? What had made this the mission that had…

Vertigo shook her head again. She couldn’t think like that. It was like she was suddenly set on autopilot. If he was missing, and the royal guard was having a hard time finding him, then there was only one thing she could do, right? She had to go look for herself. Before she knew it, she was packing a pair of saddlebags. She wasn’t sure what she would find in dragon territory, but she was going to be prepared regardless.

“I’ve got to do this.”

But how? How was she supposed to go through with this? It almost seemed like a suicide mission. She’d heard enough about dragons over the years through her schooling and the various conversations she’d had with her husband that they could, quite often, be terrifying creatures. Large, scaly beasts of fire and destruction, set in a land wrought with danger and harsh terrain. Even their very society seemed barbaric to anyone on the outside.

The first thing she was going to need to do, though, was to find some ponies to help her. She didn’t even know where to start looking, or even how to get to the dragon territories. But she already had a good idea of who to ask first. She just hoped that she wasn’t too late!

The sun was starting to set and the sky was starting to darken as she opened the door of her home, and she couldn’t help but to mentally prepare herself a little for the rather rash decision she had just made. She had decided that she was going to do the impossible. She was going to go into dragon territory, find her husband, and bring him back. And all without dying along the way. And the more she thought about how dangerous this was going to be, the more she was starting to realize that she didn’t care.

Leaving her home and locking the door behind her, she took off down the street towards the local guard barracks. She was hoping that, since it was so late, that the guard who had delivered the message wouldn’t be heading back to Canterlot tonight. It seemed like kind of a small hope, but it was one nonetheless. She was surprised, however, as she rounded a corner and nearly ran right into that very same guard! She came screeching to a halt, letting out a loud “Wah!” as her saddlebags slid forward and fell from her shoulders. The guard, who had a completely bewildered look on his face, merely adjusted his stance a little.

“Miss Vertigo?” He looked from her, to the saddlebags on the ground, and then back up. “Are you going somewhere?” His magic sparked to life once more, and her bags levitated up and were placed on her back once more. He was holding a small cup in his left hoof, and it was then that Vertigo realized they were standing in front of a small coffee shop.

The mare shook her head and adjusted the bags on her back a little, gathering the courage she needed to make such a bold request. “I...I was hoping to run into you, actually.” She wasn’t really sure how to start this. What if he refused? Well, if that was the case, then she’d simply have to find some other way of getting where she needed to go! When he tilted his head and looked like he was about to ask why, she just let out a soft sigh. “Because I want you to take me into dragon territory so that I can find my husband.”

That seemed to stop him dead in his tracks. His mouth stayed open for a moment, then he blinked and shook his head. “You want me to take you into dragon territory.” It wasn’t a question so much as it was a statement made from confusion. “I can’t do that. For one, it’s unbelievably dangerous. And another, I don’t have the clearance to do such a thing! I could lose my position as a guard!” He stamped his hoof and shook his head again, “I understand why you want to do this, but you need to trust that we’ll find him.”

She shook her head. The guard were all amazing ponies, the best in Equestria for situations like this, but she couldn’t just sit idly by and wait. “No, you don’t. He’s my husband. He means the world to me, and I’m going to find a way to get there with or without you. You said you’re a friend of his, right? Don’t you want to see him get back safely? Then help me.” She took a step towards him and her eyes became soft, almost pleading. “Please… I can’t sit at home and just wait for more bad news.”

The guard seemed to ponder on this for a few moments, his eyes turning down as he thought. “I…” Another shake of his head. “Alright, you win. I’ll help you. But if we’re going to do this, then we need to do it right. We can’t go alone, but I don’t really trust anyone else in the guard to help. We need to find some other pony.” He looked up and held out a hoof. “I’m Starshine, by the way.”

Vertigo looked like she might not be able to hold in her relief at this. She nodded, shook his hoof, and let out a deep sigh. “Oh, thank Celestia.” She could have hugged him then and there, but she held herself back. This wasn’t the time to be celebrating. They still had a lot of preparation to do before they got started. “So… what’s next, then?”

Starshine shook his head. “First thing is that I have to take care of some business in the barracks. Figure out a way to get out while we do this. So, I think it’s best if we split up for now. I’ll come by your house tomorrow and we can leave. Sound good?” When she nodded, he continued. “Right, then I’ll see you then. And, Miss Vertigo? We’ll find him.”

Vertigo paced across the living room as she waited for Starshine to arrive. It was almost noon. What in the hay was taking him so long? “He said he’d be here by this morning!” She couldn’t help but to feel impatient. How could she not? She’d spent almost the entire night tossing and turning, just imagining everything that could have happened to her husband. How he could have been hurt while on his mission, or the horrible things that might have happened to him.

She was so lost in thought that by the time the knock on the door came, she wasn’t expecting it. She let out a small, startled sound before she realized what was going on. She rushed to the door, slung her saddlebags onto her back, and opened it. There was Starshine, no longer wearing his guard uniform, and another pony she didn’t recognize. Her brow furrowed questioningly, and she looked from the newcomer back to Starshine. He caught her questioning look, and motioned to the earth pony that stood beside him.

The stallion was large, even by earth pony standards. He must have stood at least a whole head taller than the two of them, and he was broad and muscular. His coat was a pale red, and he had a scar that cut down his right cheek and over his milky white eye. Vertigo couldn’t help but wonder what in the world this brutish looking stallion was doing here.

“Vertigo, this is Mammoth. He’s a tracker, and a good one from what I understand. He’s spent a fair amount of time in the dragon territories, so I thought he might be helpful.” Starshine shook his head, “Actually, I don’t think we’ll be able to do this without him.” The earth pony merely grunted and looked away. Vertigo noticed even more scars adorning his body, including one that ran over his flanks. A deep one. She grimaced and looked back to Starshine. “He...doesn’t talk. Ever. But I know that we can trust him. The guard has used his expertise on several occasions. Though, he’s usually employed to hunt down criminals, not lost ambassadors.”

Starshine sighed and turned away, then looked over his shoulder. “If you’re ready, I’ve got a chariot booked that will take us to the southern edge of Equestria, to a small village on the outskirts. We’ll restock, stay the night, and then head out tomorrow. From there we’ll have to go by hoof, though. So be ready.”

Vertigo nodded wordlessly and left her home, closing and locking the door behind her. The three of them left, then, and Vertigo cast one last look over her shoulder at the small house. She had a feeling that she wouldn’t be seeing it for quite some time.

After a few minutes of walking in silence, she moved up to walk next to Starshine, and looked him over. He wasn’t even wearing his casual uniform, showing that he was off duty. “I hate to ask, but… what did you do to get away? I didn’t think that getting leave was so easy.”

Starshine set his jaw, but kept his eyes forward. “I resigned.”

This caught Vertigo completely off guard, and she stopped in her tracks for a moment, following him with her eyes and nervously shuffling her wings. Once that information sank in, she ran to catch up, coming to walk beside him once more. “What? Why did you do that?”

The stallion rolled his eyes, “Because it was either that or let you go off on your own. And I wasn’t about to do the latter. Besides,” and he cast her a small smile, “I’ve been thinking of a change in career.” His steely blue eyes cast ahead once more. “Anyway, I think it’d be best if we stopped talking for now. Going into the dragon territories isn’t allowed unless you’re sanctioned by the guard, so it’s best we don’t speak about it while we’re in the city.”

Vertigo nodded and refrained from making any more conversation, focusing instead on the task that lay before them. It only just hit her what it was that she was about to do. She wasn’t trained in any sort of combat or survival skills, she’d never even been camping before, and now she was about to head into one of the most dangerous places in the world with only these two stallions to protect her. This was so far outside of her comfort zone that she was starting to become more than a little fearful.

The dragons were fearsome beasts. The only ones that she had ever heard of traveling through Equestria were the ones that had a migration path that flew over the center. And they were, supposedly, the kindest of the dragons, which was why permission was granted to them to use that path. But the majority of the dragons, even their rulers, held no such reservations about ponies. Their alliance was shaky at best, and it only seemed to survive because it was mutually beneficial for both races.

The dragons produced precious metals and stones from their lands, and the ponies traded them crops and other various resources that were more difficult to acquire there. And, from what Vertigo understood, Princess Celestia was having a harder and harder time keeping peace with their more barbaric ways.

So what in the world made her think that she would be able to handle going deep into dangerous territory?

“We’re here.”

She looked up, snapped out of her reverie by Starshine motioning to the chariot. She'd been so lost in thought that she'd lost track of time, only just realizing they'd made it to the inner city. She looked at the small chariot and the two pegasi that were at it’s helm. Well, no better time than the present. She gave her companions a small nod and climbed into the chariot, still a bit trepidatious about the trip, but she wasn’t going to turn back. The drive to bring her husband home was far too strong.

The next several hours were spent in silence as the three companions rode in the chariot towards their destination. Vertigo, for her part, couldn’t seem to think much of anything. It was almost as if she’d set herself on autopilot. She just stared down to the shifting landscape below them as the two pegasi pulled their chariot. Neither Starshine or Mammoth bothered her, both content to do much the same. From the little bit Vertigo had noticed of them both, they were mentally preparing themselves for the journey to come. She had a feeling they had a much deeper understanding of what was ahead than she did.

Even the rolling landscape underneath them did little to help ease her worried mind. A chariot ride across Equestria was usually something to look forward to. To enjoy. But she couldn’t find anything pleasant about this. They flew over forests, lakes, towns, and even a city here and there. The colors were vibrant, turning from lush shades of green, to the colorful browns, yellows and oranges of Autumn. She couldn’t even appreciate the beauty, and everything just seemed dull and bland.

It was nearing nightfall when they finally touched down in a small village on the border. Starshine paid the pegasi and then sent them on their way. “We’ll stay the night here and head out in the morning.”

It was a relatively easy matter of finding an inn to stay at for the night, considering there was only one in the entire village. And once their rooms were paid up, they decided to do a bit more preparing. The three of them went their separate ways in the village to gather some more necessities. Vertigo went on the hunt for food that could be brought with them, Starshine for gear, and Mammoth to gather information about the area they would be heading into. Vertigo wasn’t entirely sure how the large, red pony would be doing this, but Starshine didn’t seem affected by it, so she let the matter drop without bringing it up.

By the time they had all returned to the inn, night had overtaken the small village. They ate a small, quiet dinner, and then headed off to their respective rooms. There was no need for further conversation. That could be saved for when they set out in the morning. As Vertigo settled in for the night, tucking the rather thin blanket around herself, she wondered for the first time if she was doing the right thing. Was she really cut out for such an endeavor? She knew that she had to bring her husband back, and she had no intention of stopping now. But the mare couldn’t help the small, nagging feeling of self doubt that had settled like a stone in the pit of her stomach.

Only time would tell.

Something stirred her from sleep in the middle of the night. She wasn’t sure if it was a feeling of dread, or if she had heard something moving about the small room of the inn. All she knew, as she sleepily rose to a sitting position, was that something wasn’t right. The room was pitch black, and even the window held no light from the moon. She could barely make out the end of the bed. What was going on?

She heard a small scrape of a hoof against the floorboards, and barely had time to react before a brilliant bolt of white magic whizzed by her face, scorching the fur of her cheek. Vertigo had rolled to the left and tumbled from the bed. “Wait! Who are you?!” The question was screamed, and she had to leap to the side to avoid another bolt of magic from the pony who had jumped onto the bed in order to aim at her. She was frantic. Who was this pony? Why was he attacking her in the middle of the night like this?

The sound of scrambling hooves, fluttering wings, and general panic filled the room as the two of them made their way around each other. Vertigo, confused and unable to see properly in the darkness, crashed into what she felt like was every piece of furniture in her room. And her attacker seemed completely at home in the blackness. Bright flashes of white shone and lit the room each time he cast his magic, and each one seemed to just barely miss her, scorching instead a piece of furniture, the walls, or the floor. In a desperate attempt, Vertigo took to the air and flew as fast as she could towards the window, having spotted it’s location during the last spell. She had to do this. She had to escape.

The next flash of burning magic caught her in the wing, and she screeched in pain and tumbled to the floor. The smell of burning flesh and feathers was prominent in the air, and tears were streaming freely from her eyes as she cowered in fear. Was this going to be how it ended? Over before it even began? Her eyes turned up as the shadowy figure approached her, and she noticed that he was wearing a black cloak. The magic of his horn lit once more, and she squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the inevitable.

She had nothing left to do, no way to fend off her attacker. This was going to be the end for her. The door to her room suddenly burst open, and all she heard was a thundering of hooves and a low grunt as a pony collided with her assailant. She looked up, opening her eyes just in time to see the unicorn fly across the room, surprised by the sudden attack, and slam into the wall. The unknown attacker crumpled to the floor, lifeless, and Vertigo raised her eyes to see Mammoth standing over her, glaring daggers at the body of mystery pony.

The pain of the wound she had received burst with a newfound vigor, and she screamed. The whole world was shaking, and it felt like every fiber of her being was on fire. She couldn’t even move the injured wing, each attempt only resulted in more explosions of white hot pain. Even trying to climb to her hooves proved to be too much. All she could feel besides the pain was the warm sensation of blood cascading down her body and pooling under her.

“Vertigo!”

Starshine rushed into the room, kneeling down beside her and lighting his horn so he could look over the damage. His breath caught as he noticed her wing. The grey stallion looked up to Mammoth and motioned to the unicorn who had attacked her, “Search him.” The earth pony simply nodded and did as he was told while Starshine looked back down to her. He was silent, just staring as if he didn’t know what to do.

She didn’t want to look. She didn’t want to know what had been done to her, how that monster of a pony may have maimed her body. She knew that it couldn’t be good. The searing pain that ran down her body, dulled only by her adrenaline, was proof enough of that. But her eyes turned anyway as the innkeeper entered the room with a lit candle. Vertigo gasped and fresh tears started to stream down her cheeks, her body suddenly wracked by sobs. “My...my wing.”

A little less than half of her right wing had been scorched away, leaving a sizzling stump of feathers, flesh, and bone. The view of her shredded wing almost made the mare retch, but she couldn’t even bring herself to do that, focused entirely on the sight before her eyes. A million thoughts crossed her mind all at once. She’ll never be able to fly again was the most prominent of them all. And before she could say anything, or comprehend what Starshine was asking of her, she blacked out.

“...shouldn’t do this, then. We haven’t even started yet and she’s already hurt! We don’t even know who that pony was that attacked her!”

Vertigo slowly opened her eyes, only to shut them quickly as the overpowering light of the room immediately met her. She groaned openly and tried to move, only to wince and cry out as pain shot through her body from her wing. In a flash everything that had happened came rushing back to her in vivid detail. The attacker. Her wing. All the blood. Her eyes opened and she pushed herself up and into a sitting position.

Starshine galloped across the small room and skidded to a halt by her bed. His eyes were sunken and there were deep lines under them. He looked like he had been wrought with worry for days. But...hadn’t the attack only happened the night before. “Vertigo? Oh, thank Celestia you’re alright. I was so worried.” He shook his head and brought a hoof up to rub at the bridge of his nose, his eyes squeezing shut. “I didn’t think… no, never mind. That’s not important.” He met her eyes again and set his jaw, looking like he was trying his hardest not to appear overcome with emotion.

Vertigo simply groaned and rubbed her head with a hoof, looking around the small room she was currently in. It was obvious enough that she was in some kind of hospital, or at least a clinic, by the off whites of the room and the various medical supplies she saw around. What really surprised her was Mammoth, standing off to the side and watching her. He didn’t seem to show any real emotion at all, and she couldn’t help but feel more than a little unsettled by this. She looked back to Starshine, “How long was I out? And what happened? Who was that?”

The stallion shook his head, “You were out for almost two solid days. They didn’t think you were going to make it for awhile there, you’d lost so much blood.” He let out a small sigh and looked away, focusing on some spot on the floor. “They couldn’t save your wing, Vertigo. I’m sorry.” This immediately made her eyes go wide, and she twisted and looked over her shoulder, letting out a small hiss of pain as she did so. Her right wing...it was almost completely gone. The nub was wrapped up in bandages, and her feathers had all been removed so that it could be wrapped properly. Tears sprang fresh to her eyes. She turned and looked back to him, her face blank, even as the tears ran small streams down her cheeks, dampening her fur.

“And...who was that unicorn? Why did he attack me?”

Starshine just shook his head before looking back up to meet her eyes. “That’s just it. We don’t know. He didn’t have anything on him other than that black cloak. And even that wasn’t unique in any way. No distinguishing features or characteristics. His cutie mark wasn’t even spectacular, it was just a swirl with a star in the middle of it. Nopony in town seemed to recognize him, either.” He shook his head again, “Look, Vertigo. I don’t think we sh-”

She cut him off right there with a sharp wave of her hoof. “No. I’m not giving up on this. If anything, this just makes me want to find Swift all the more. Don’t you think this is even a little bit too coincidental? I get attacked the night before we head out to find my lost husband?”

Starshine sighed and nodded. “Of course I do. That’s why I think we should call this off. There’s no point in you getting hurt further.” When she shook her head, he groaned and turned to look back at Mammoth. “Guess you were right all along. She’s not giving this up.” His eyes turned back to her. “Fine, we’ll keep going. But you need to heal first. Get your strength back.”

Vertigo set her jaw and pulled herself off the bed. Her hooves hit the wood paneled flooring with a soft thud, and even though she felt a fiery arc of pain rush through her body, she shook it off. She turned her eyes back to Starshine and Mammoth, a fresh look of determination on her face. “No. We leave now. The longer we wait, the bigger the chance that something could happen to my husband.” And without another word, she left the room and walked out of the small clinic. Her mind was made up. They were going to leave today. They’d already lost two precious days because of her, and she wasn’t going to make that mistake again.

Starshine and Mammoth caught up with her a few moments later, and Starshine kept his eyes averted. Mammoth, on the other hand, seemed to be on the lookout for any possible dangers. He was scanning everything with careful precision as they walked by, as if expecting another assault at any time. Before she even had the time to ask the question on her mind, Starshine spoke up. “He didn’t leave your side at all the past two days. Even while I was out trying to gather information.” Vertigo looked back up to the huge earth pony, and he cast his good eye down to her for a moment before turning it away.

She wasn’t sure why, but in that moment she decided that she could trust him. Not only had he saved her life before, but he had watched over her like a guardian. She didn’t know what Starshine was paying him to do this, but she had a feeling it was a great deal for him to be so willing to put his life on the line for her own.

For the most part the ponies of the village avoided them or just didn’t pay them any attention as they finished the last little bit of preparation they needed. Only an hour or so had passed before the trio was making their way out of the village in a southerly direction. A tall, ominous mountain range marked the boundary between Equestria and the dragon territories, and the closer they got to it, the more determined Vertigo felt. And so the trio began their long journey.

Chapter Two

“Augh! For the love of Celestia…” Vertigo picked herself back up from the ground, running a hoof along her shoulders and legs in an effort to brush herself off. She cast her gaze around the rocky, mountainous terrain they were currently crossing and sighed. “Was there really no way into the dragon territories other than this?” For the hundredth time since they left she looked back to her disfigured stump-of-a-wing with a grimace.

“We’re following Mammoth, remember? From my knowledge, he’s the only pony to ever go in and out of the dragon territories on a semi-regular basis. If anypony is going to know how to get us where we need to go, it’ll be him.” Starshine offered a hoof to help her over a particularly treacherous outcropping of stone, and she happily accepted. After pulling her up, he continued along the path currently being set by their guide, each step carefully planted to ensure proper footing. “Besides, if you had wanted to just go directly into dragon territory, we could have taken a ship right to their harbor along the southern rim of the peninsula. No documentation, questionable motives… things would have worked out fine.”

Vertigo just snorted and followed after the snarky stallion, moving just as carefully as he was. She could understand his reasoning well enough. They carried on in silence from there, following their guide as best they could. It seemed that Mammoth wasn’t having any of the problems moving over the landscape that they were. The large stallion was navigating through it with practiced ease, seeming to know exactly where to step and how, but Vertigo and Starshine were not having such an easy time. Every other step one of them stumbled, and by the time they reached a more suitable setting, both of them had fallen another half dozen times.

Mammoth stopped them and motioned around the small valley passage they were in. Tall walls of stone rose on either side and, while the ground was craggy and loose, it was still much easier to cross than what they had been walking on before. Starshine furrowed his brow and followed the motioning hoof with his eyes. With a nod to the larger stallion, he turned and looked back to Vertigo. “We’re starting to get into their territory now. There shouldn’t be any dragons this close to the border, but we can’t be too careful.” He set his jaw and took a step forward, “So, from here on, we should keep the chatter to a minimum.”

Vertigo nodded and looked around the small valley. She could understand how the other two were nervous, even considering one was a hardened tracker and the other a royal guard. She’d heard stories of dragons before, gruesome ones. Stories told of battles; dragons raining fire from the sky, tearing their foes to shreds with their claws. The very thought of encountering one made her shiver. If they wanted to keep quiet, then she would oblige.

The sun was almost midway across the sky when they resumed their long trek through the mountains, the craggy peaks casting angular shadows over them as they went. Vertigo had no idea how long it would be before they made it out of the mountains, she couldn’t even see the end of the trail they were currently on. She once again let her mind start to wander. Every few minutes she looked back at her ruined wing, and she couldn’t help but wonder just what she was going to do now that she was crippled like this. She could still perform most of her daily tasks since she lived in Manehatten, but no longer being able to fly? She found the idea hard to imagine. Growing up, she had never been very focused on her flying abilities. She had gone to standard pegasi schools, learned the basics of flying, and had even learned how to perform an aerial rescue. Other than those basics, though, she hadn’t pursued anything else along those lines. Her passion had never been flying, and she had garnered no interest in performing on a weather team or joining the guard.

The most she did with her flying was traveling to and from work and the various stores she visited. It just wasn’t her passion. What drove Vertigo was her love for photography. It was her calling, and even her cutie mark represented such with a half-wound roll of film. While she often used her ability to fly to get better shots and angles for her photos, until that moment she’d never once thought that she was completely reliant on it.

She quickly pushed those thoughts aside and tried to focus on what lay ahead for her. Traveling through the mountains was only going to be the first step of their journey. Once they passed through here, they would need to cross a rather dense forest before they could truly consider themselves in the dragon territories. From what Starshine had told her when they had reached the start of the mountain range, the forest would make the first portion of their trek look easy. He’d admitted to only hearing stories about it, but what he had heard made the place sound decidedly terrifying. It was often compared to the Everfree, but worse, and that thought alone made Vertigo cringe. Without being able to fly and escape, and without any true fighting capabilities, she would be left essentially helpless.

The further she went along with this journey, the more she was coming to realize just how much she depended on the two stallions guiding her. If she was going to make it out of this alive with her husband, it would only be thanks to them.

She was so lost in thought that she almost didn’t realize that Mammoth and Starshine had come to a stop, and nearly bumped into them because of it. As they both cast a wary eye over the ridges of the stone walls above Vertigo moved around them, opening her mouth as if to ask why only to be silenced by a raised hoof from Starshine, who then gestured at something well above them. She didn’t notice anything at first, but the longer she looked, the more she started to see why they’d stopped. There were claw markings all along the walls, and the smooth stone was pock-marked with small caves.

Starshine looked to her with a worried furrow to his brow. “This isn’t good” he hissed in a shallow, whispered tone before he went back to scanning the area. “Cave lizards. Hardy little bastards. Carnivorous, too. We should probably get out of here.”

Vertigo gulped and nodded, then followed after them as the two stallions started moving again. Mammoth kept a lookout as they walked, and she was growing more and more anxious with every step. She had never heard of cave lizards before but, from the way that Starshine spoke, they weren’t something she wanted to stick around for.

The minutes ticked by as they walked, a heavy tension hanging in the air as the three of them kept their eyes locked on the surrounding walls, the quiet clack of their hooves against the stone and the sounds of their breathing the only things to be heard. Vertigo was becoming more and more nervous as the three of them carried on, even though she was starting to wonder if they were really in any kind of danger or not.

Mammoth stopped them a moment later with a raised hoof, his ears perking and his eyes casting about once more. Vertigo heard a low rumbling, and then everything around them changed. From the holes in the stone walls poured what looked to be thousands of tiny creatures, all mottled green and black. They swarmed the walls and ledges around them, and the mare’s eyes grew wide in both shock and terror. Starshine looked back to her, screamed “Run!” and then took off at a full gallop.

Vertigo followed as fast as she could, heart racing and hooves pounding against the stone ground as hard and fast as she could push herself. The sound of thousands of tiny claws scrabbling along rock filled her ears, and she found herself experiencing a terror she could never have imagined before. Faster and faster she urged herself, her eyes glued to the galloping figures of the two stallions in front of her. Her mind was a haze of fear, brief thoughts of what it might feel like to be eaten alive flashing with each stamp of her hooves on the ground under her.

It wasn’t enough. The small creatures started to flood in around them, clawing and scratching at their legs as they ran, trying to clamber up their bodies. Vertigo did her best to shake them off, leaping and shaking her limbs as hard as she could. She even extended her wings in a subconscious effort to take flight. Sharp, brilliant arcs of pain shot through her body, and she nearly stumbled and fell as she screamed out in agony. But she didn’t stop, she
, lest those creatures tear her apart. Up ahead, the two stallions vanished over the rise of a crest. Vertigo pounded ahead all the more fiercely, trying in pure desperation to catch up. Streaks of blood adorned the fur of her legs as more and more the small lizards swiped and bit at her.

She finally made it, reaching the top of that incline, galloping up and over it as fast as she could push herself. And then, just like that, she found herself falling, the ground having given away under her hooves. She let out another shrill cry as she tumbled end over end through the air, her limbs flailing and her wings once again spreading in some vain effort to at least right herself. Brief flashes of trees and a darkening sky flashed across her vision as she tumbled through the air. Tears began to stream and her vision blurred as she plummeted, her mind racing with the sudden knowledge that she was about to die.

She fell, tears cascading down her cheeks as she plunged, helpless, to the earth. Fear gripped her chest and her wing flailed wildly, her mind racing as she watched the ground rising to meet her. She let out a wild cry for help and clenched her eyes shut, only to find herself encapsulated in magic moments before the expected impact. Opening her eyes, Vertigo found herself wrapped in a hazy blue aura, floating a foot or so off the ground in Starshine’s magical field. He lowered her to the ground, his breath ragged and shallow, before falling to the side. Vertigo immediately rushed over to him, knelt down beside him and began running a hoof over the barrel of his chest. From what she could see, none of his injuries seemed to be that bad. Just a few scrapes and bruises, probably from a combination of the lizards above and from falling through the trees.

Her own breathing was short, but other than a few similar cuts and scrapes, she was mostly unharmed. Mammoth came trotting up to them from the trees, giving a curt nod of his head to signal that they were safe for the moment. Vertigo looked up and shook her head. That fall was well over a hundred feet, and it would have been more than enough to kill her had she landed wrong. Once again, she owed her life to the stallions with her.

She looked down to Starshine and, once his breathing started to settle, helped him back to his hooves. He grunted and nodded to her in thanks. “Sorry. It’s been awhile since I’ve used my magic like that. Took a lot out of me.” Upon the questioning tilt of her head, he merely shook his own. “I caught Mammoth and myself before we hit the ground. Then I saw you falling, and it almost took everything out of me to catch you as well. I should be fine after I rest for a bit.” He turned and looked to Mammoth. “Think you can keep an eye out? We should probably camp here for the night. I don’t know if any of us are cut out to keep traveling right now.” The big, red stallion nodded and made his way back into the dense foliage, seeming to vanish right before their eyes.

Vertigo watched Mammoth disappear into the trees then turned her attention back to Starshine. “You need to rest. Sit down, I’ll get you something to eat.” Once she had made sure he was comfortable, she hunted for their saddlebags, which had fallen from them during their fall. She found them easily enough, and was rather surprised to see that not many of their supplies had spilled when they had hit the ground. The three sets of saddlebags were gathered up and dragged back to the small clearing where they had decided to make camp. She busied herself with getting some food ready. It wasn’t much, but the slices of bread and cheese would be enough for now. Once ready, she brought Starshine’s over to him.

“Here.” When he had taken his meager little meal, she settled into a sitting position next to him and idly nibbled at her own portion. The two of them both seemed to be distracted, neither one making any attempt at conversation, or even so much as looking at one another. Vertigo was once again thinking about the past, about how she and Swift Shield had built a life together in Manehatten. She let her mind wander into the details of their daily lives; the shopping trips, the outings to restaurants, and their occasional trips to the park. When Swift wasn’t away on one of his diplomatic missions, the two of them lived a fairly normal, happy life.

She wasn’t given long to reminisce though, Mammoth trotting back into the clearing. After looking at the two of them for a moment, he settled down in front of them, taking up his own portion and eating it hastily. Vertigo watched him for a long while, her eyes traveling along his unkempt and scarred form. She couldn’t help but to wonder once more just how he had ended up as he was. As if sensing the question she was about to ask, Starshine let out a sigh. “He wasn’t always like this, from what I understand.” Mammoth looked up momentarily at this, then shrugged and looked away, appearing uninterested.

“What happened?” Vertigo asked cautiously.

Starshine merely shrugged. “From what I’ve heard, he used to be a member of the guard. One of the only earth ponies to ever make it through training. He was strong and agile enough to do it. He could even handle the stuff that was specifically meant for unicorns and pegasi, aside from the magical and flying tests, of course.” The stallion kept his eyes locked on Mammoth the whole time. “Anyway, rumor has it that he was out on a mission for Celestia herself one day. He was supposed to go into the deepest parts of the Everfree to hunt down something from her old days at the castle there. When he got there, though, the castle had been made into a den by more timberwolves than anypony had ever seen in one place. He didn’t realize it until it was too late. He made it out, but not before nearly being eaten alive.” Starshine visibly trembled at this, then sighed and continued, “He made it all the way back to Canterlot without help, bleeding and nearly falling apart. He left the guard after that and became a tracker. They say the reason he doesn’t speak is because his voice box was crushed when one of them bit his throat.”

Vertigo cringed and looked from Starshine over to Mammoth. The large, red, earth pony was busying himself with preparing for camping for the night, and didn’t appear to be paying much attention to their conversation. Starshine spoke back up, “From what I understand, he worked as a mercenary for a while, hiring out his services to whoever had enough bits. But, recently, he’s come back to working for the guard exclusively. Not sure why.” The unicorn shrugged and finished off his meal. Vertigo didn’t take her eyes off of Mammoth for long time after that. What could have made him change his mind like that? What could have brought him back to working directly for the guard? She had so many questions that she wasn’t sure she would be able to get answers for.

The rest of the evening passed pretty uneventfully. Starshine said that they would be heading back out at dawn, and that they would need to get some rest before they did so. A guard rotation was set up, and he volunteered for the first watch. Vertigo curled up on the ground by a tree and tried to get some sleep, but the events of the past few days just kept playing over and over again in her mind. She had already nearly lost her life two times, and they had only just made it into the dragon territories. Was she going to be more of a hinderance on this quest than she originally thought? Both times that her life had been in danger she had been saved by one of her companions. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the smoking, sizzling flesh of her wing right after she had been attacked. The memory sent a chill down her spine.

She felt a hoof on her shoulder, gently shaking, and she blinked her eyes open. It was the middle of the night. Who…? “Vertigo, it’s time for your shift.” She blinked and then rubbed at her eyes. She must have fallen asleep eventually, and now it was time for her to take her spot guarding their camp. She swallowed a little, then stood and nodded. “If anything happens, just yell. We’ll come running.”

Vertigo nodded and walked to the edge of the clearing and leaned against a tree, letting her eyes scan out into the dense forest in front of her. They were going to have to cut a path through there tomorrow. And if what Starshine had said before was true, this place was going to be more dangerous than the Everfree back in Equestria was. That thought alone made her shiver. She’d heard stories of the Chimeras and such that roamed that forest, and she could only imagine what kind of beasts lived in the dragon equivalent.

The few hours that she spent watching over the camp went by peacefully enough. Every now and then she would hear some movement in the brush around her, but she quickly dismissed each one, figuring the scurrying belonged to a small animal of some kind and not anything that would threaten them. And by the time that Mammoth moved up to her silently, she was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn’t hear or see him approach. When he touched her shoulder with his hoof, she yelped and nearly fell over from the sudden surprise. Her head dropped when she saw it was him, “You scared the hooves off of me, Mammoth.” The larger pony shrugged and melted into the forest in front of her. “How does he even do that?”

Vertigo returned to her previous sleeping spot, curled up once more, and let her eyes roam around their surroundings. The forest was dark and quiet, the only noises she could hear being those of insects or small, scurrying animals. There wasn’t much light from the moon above them, and what little there was was mostly filtered out by the canopy of the trees above. Only little slivers of the pale light hit the ground, and it gave the small clearing an almost ghostly feel. Even the breeze seemed to be subdued, barely causing the leaves to move and rustle. Vertigo couldn’t help but to feel that the atmosphere was eerie, almost ominous, like the calm before a storm. She gingerly shuffled her wing, yawned, and rested her chin on her forelegs. It wasn’t long before her eyes drifted back shut, and she was once again peacefully asleep.

The morning came far too soon for her own comfort, and she was once again roused by a hoof softly shaking her shoulder. With dreary eyes, she nodded to Starshine and crawled to her hooves. It only took them a few minutes to get everything set up before they were once again headed out. The sun was just breaching the horizon as they made their way into the thick foliage of the forest in front of them. Once again Starshine reminded her that silence was key here, so Vertigo just followed along dutifully. What she hadn’t expected was just how beautiful the forest was. Starshine had told her before they left that this was the last natural border to the dragon territories, and was supposedly one of the richest environments around. Which, he then explained, would be why so many dangerous creatures called it home.

But she just couldn’t see that. As the morning hours dragged on, she was met with countless bird songs, saw the vanishing forms of various small, rodent like creatures, and they even came across a deer at one point. The sun dappled the ground, obscured by the thick leaves of the trees above them, and it felt almost like walking through a healthy, well maintained park. Even the air smelled pleasant, soft scents of flowers, warm earth, and trees filled her senses. Nothing about this forest seemed dangerous at all.

Even the path they were taking, rough though it was, was easy enough to traverse. The brush was thick and full of little pitfalls, but with Mammoth’s experience guiding them, they avoided all of it. Vertigo was having trouble discerning what they were doing from a casual walk through a forest back home. The only thing that kept her on track was the knowledge that they were, in fact, in a dangerous place, and that at any moment their lives could once again be placed on the line. She was so distracted by it all that she soon found herself walking side by side with Starshine. The stallion looked over to her and cocked a brow in curiosity.

Vertigo sighed and shook her head, turning her attention back to Mammoth’s figure ahead of them. “Do you think we’ll actually find him, Starshine?” she whispered carefully. She knew she had to heed his advice about being quiet, but there was only so much time she could spend doing so, considering the circumstances.

Starshine shrugged some, but he kept his eyes on her all the while. “To be honest? I don’t know. This isn’t exactly something I’m used to doing.” He turned his pale blue eyes away from her after catching sight of her battered wing. “But I have faith. And sometimes that’s all you need to move forward, isn’t it?”

Vertigo’s good wing extended a little because of his words, and she smiled some. “Yeah. I guess so.” She pulled away from him then, and made her way back into the center of their little group. During the rest of their walk for the day, she tried to keep herself occupied by thinking of happier days, like the times she spent with her husband, or with her family and friends. Anything to help keep her from focusing too much on what she was doing. And by the time the sun was starting to sink behind the line of trees, she was more determined than ever to bring him home.

Darkness seemed to encapsulate everything about the small room Swift Shield woke to find himself in. He could barely make out the walls around him, and the door was only barely outlined by a small glow of flickering light from the other side. He was injured, a long, throbbing gash stretched across the left side of his barrel, and he could feel it pulsating with infection. He couldn’t even remember what had happened to him, or how he had gotten to where he was now. All he knew was that he was starving, and the thin pallet of hay he was laying on was scratchy and uncomfortable.

He tried to bring an arm up to rub his forehead, but found that his hooves were chained together and locked to a hook in the floor of, what he was quickly realizing to be, his cell. With a low moan he closed his eyes and tried to bring some of his magic to life in an effort to free himself. And when nothing happened, he could only assume they had placed some kind of magic inhibitor on his horn. This wasn’t good. If he didn’t make it to the council with the elder dragons to go over and re-sign the peace treaty, then war could break out between them and Equestria. His absence would be seen as a major offense.

Standing proved to be impossible. Even if his wounds had allowed him the freedom of movement, the chains binding his limbs to the floor would have kept him securely in place. His vision spun and he shut his eyes against the sudden wave of pain that throbbed at his temples. A headache like that was only caused by using too much magic too quickly. Visions of what had happened began to swim in front of him.

His troop had been attacked. A large group of ponies flanked them and overpowered them not long after they left the border of Equestria. Surprised, they had lost rather easily, and all he could remember were his guards being killed one by one in front of him before everything went black. His attackers must have abducted him and brought him here. He didn’t know who they were or what faction they worked for, but they were well organized.

His vision swirled again and another low groan left his lips. That was when the door to his cell opened, and a lean figure entered, a candle held aloft in a soft, white glow of magic. The unicorn was covered in a solid black cloak, the shadows from the hood obscuring their facial features. Swift Shield cowed from the sudden light, shielding his eyes as best he could. “It seems you’ve finally woken up. Good.” The mysterious figure took another step forward and a flare of magic pulled back their hood.

Swift looked up and furrowed his brow. It was a mare, tall and solid white from mane to fur. And she had a rather smug grin spread across her lips. “I suppose you’re wondering who we are and why we took you captive?” Upon his nod, the mare threw back her head and let out a condescending snort. “You’ll learn in due time.” She moved closer still, and bent low enough for him to clearly make out her features. A long scar ran from the center of her bottom lip down her chin and under her cloak. “Perhaps I’ll tell you after we finish taking care of your wife.” When his eyes grew large, she smirked and pulled back, turning from him and walking towards the door. “She’s coming for you, you know. I believe she employed the help of a friend of yours as well. Some guard by the name of Starshine.”

She stopped right in front of the door and turned to look at him once more, “But don’t worry. They shall be dealt with soon enough. If the dragons don’t get to them first, of course.” A soft chuckle rang in his ears as she exited the cell and locked the door behind her.

Swift’s heart was racing in his chest. Vertigo was coming for him? “No…” He shook his head and cried out in desperation. She wouldn’t be able to survive, even with Starshine’s help. The territory itself was dangerous enough, but with these ponies hunting her down as well? “Vertigo, please…” A glow of white magic fell over him, and he passed out once more, his wife’s name on his lips as his head fell to the floor.

Chapter Three

Light from a small candle cast itself over the small room, illuminating the table in the center and the few other bits of furniture within. A tall, brutish looking unicorn stood off to the side, seemingly lost in his own thoughts as a soft breeze blew in from the window, making the candle’s flame flicker harshly. He wore a simple enough travel cloak, his alabaster hooves muddy from the journey with only hints of his equally white fur to be seen beneath the edges of the brown cloak. He was content to wait, just as he’d done so many times in the past, knowing they only ever called him in when circumstances were dire and there was no other pony who could be trusted to handle a particular task. This seemed to be no exception.

He’d received a scroll three nights prior, delivered to his residence in Canterlot by one the organization’s many unknown agents, and had rushed to the disclosed meeting place as quickly as he could, leaving his guard detail with little more than a vague recollection of him thanks to a well placed memory spell. When he had arrived that morning, he had been escorted to the rather dismal room and told to wait for further instruction.

That had been nearly eight hours ago.

The door opened, the soft creak of worn hinges signaling the entrance of another. “I see you arrived faster than expected. You’re doing much better at responding to my summons.” The unicorn turned and nodded quietly to the other, but made no further move to approach. The mysterious figure pulled back the hood of his jet black cloak, revealing a wave of solid white mane, and an equally pale palette of fur. A scar ran from his chin, down his neck and chest. “I suppose you’re wondering why I brought you here, hm?” After a consenting nod, the scarred unicorn continued, “Very well. Your time to wait is over.”

The white glow of magic pulled back the hood of the traveler, revealing a striking blue mane and a chiseled visage. “What is it you want, Damascus? You know it’s difficult enough to hide my identity from the guard without being pulled away like this. I’m starting to fear they’re onto me as it is!” The stallion stepped forward, moving to the table with barely concealed contempt in his features. “It’s already straining enough keeping tabs on the various ponies you ask, you know. And having to leave the patrol while near the griffon kingdom to come here wasn’t particularly easy.”

Damascus merely nodded and set a forehoof on the table, straightening out the map a little as the other spat his words. “I trust that you’ll be back to your regular duties in a timely manner. This shouldn’t be too much of an issue with your skills, after all.” The older unicorn pulled his hoof down from the table and cast his steely blue eyes back to the other, “You are to hunt down Swift Shield’s wife and her two companions. They’ve made it into the dragon territories, after killing the last agent I sent after them. You’ll have whatever resources you need for this mission, the same as always. They do, however, have a three day headstart on you, though I doubt that will make much of a difference.”

The unicorn nodded, “Very well, consider it done.” He drew his hood back over his brow, the garment casting enough shadow to conceal his features before a distinct aura of white magic surrounded him. A moment later, he was gone, and Damascus was left alone in the room once more. A smile sliced across his face as he turned and left the room.

He hated coming to places like this. Dives were the common name for them, he believed, and they were bad enough in Equestria. But in the dragon territories? They were even worse. From what he could see of the hobbled building from the outside, this was quite possibly the lowest of what the territories could offer. Thick billows of smoke rose up from a stone chimney set off to the side, and a cacophony of noises, from raucous laughter to bellowed brutality, could be heard coming from within. It didn’t help that it stood as massive as any castle from his homeland, either. It made sense to him, though. After all, it had to be large enough to house several dragons at a time.

After casting a spell around himself, one that would, hopefully, keep the beasts’ aggression towards him to a minimum, he made his way inside. Luckily the door to the establishment was already open, and so he was able to make it in easily enough. There were at least half a dozen of the large beasts around the place, either hunched over the bar, or sitting off in various shadowy corners. Not a one looked towards him as he ventured around. He was about to shrug off the tip he’d been given, thinking it another false lead, when he saw the one he was looking for off to the far side of the bar.

It was a dragon, pitch black in color, and much smaller in comparison to the other brutes around the place. He was only half a length longer and taller than the average pony, though the air about him hardly suggested weakness. Even the other dragons, whom easily stood over ten times his height, avoided him. The only exception to this was the bartender, who occasionally brought him a drink. As the unicorn approached, he couldn’t help but find it slightly humorous that the smaller beast was sitting on the bar instead of around it like his brethren.

“I don’t care who you are or what you want, pony, but I’m not interested.” The dragon hadn’t even cast his eyes down to the stallion as he was approached. With more determination than was probably healthy for him, the unicorn levitated himself up and set down on the bar, his hooves clicking softly on the wooden surface. In a blur of movement, faster than he could follow, the dragon had a blade pressed against his throat. “I thought I said I didn’t care?”

The unicorn merely tugged his hood back with a bit of magic, and met the dragon’s fierce yellow gaze. “I think you might be interested, considering the amount of gold that I’m willing to offer.” The dragon considered this for a moment, then smirked and pulled the blade away from the pony’s throat, sheathing it back into his belt a moment later. “Thank you.” A hoof was brought up to his throat, and when he pulled away there was a small line of blood from where the blade had made contact. “You’re a mercenary, and from the rumors I’ve heard, you’re the best in the territories. You’re discreet and efficient, which is why I have need of your talents.”

The dragon rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, you’ve got enough of that right, I suppose. Though I can’t help but wonder who’s been talking about me?” The dragon’s voice was raspy and dark, and the laugh that followed was equally such. “Though I suppose it hardly matters. It’s obvious you’ve come a long way, little pony. Why don’t you go ahead and save us both some time and tell me what it is that you want done, hm? We can discuss price later.”

A bit of magic sparked at the point of the unicorn’s horn. What insolence! A lower creature such as this speaking to him that way? He kept his composure, though, and continued on as if the offence hadn’t been noticed. “Very well. There are three illegal ponies traipsing about the edge of the territories. A pegasus, a unicorn, and an earth pony. I want them dealt with.” He took a step closer and lowered his voice, “The pay will be high, of course. Your weight in gold plus a bit extra. The only stipulation to this is that I have to accompany you. This is something that I must see done with my own two eyes.”

The dragon cocked a scaly brow and let out a snort. “You have to come with me, eh? If we’re going to the outskirts, and I have to track this trio, then I can’t promise your safety. I hope you’re capable of defending yourself with that fancy bone on your forehead.”

“I’m well enough equipped, yes.”

“You’re awful eager to get your hooves wet, aren’t you?” The dragon leaned forward and snarled, revealing his teeth just inches from the muzzle of his company. “Look, I know who you are and what you stand for. What in the name of Tartarus makes you think I’m going to help you? You’d rather kill me than look at me, and frankly, I feel the same about you.”

The stallion furrowed his brow and leered right back. “I could give two apples what you think about me. The job is simple enough, and the pay is rather generous. I didn’t think mercenaries had such a high moral code. Are you in or not?”

The dragon rolled his eyes and pulled back. “Give me a night to think about it, fancy hooves. Come find me here tomorrow and I’ll give you my answer.” Just like that, the dragon turned and focused on his drink once more, apparently quite done with the conversation!

The unicorn, his rage already barely being held in check, stomped a hoof on the bar. His magic flared into action, and the dragon suddenly found himself face to blade of a spear made entirely of white magic. “I’ve played enough of your games. We need to leave.” The blade poked forward threateningly. “Now.”

The dragon merely scoffed and cast his eyes back to the pony, and it was then that the stallion noticed every pair of eyes in the establishment were on him, and not a single noise was made. “You’re a gutsy one, displaying your magic like that. You do know that we dragons have a higher tolerance to magic than most species, right? That little spell of yours that you cast before you came inside didn’t work. The only reason you weren’t torn to pieces the moment you came in was because I was mildly curious.” In another flash, the dragon had moved from the unicorn’s line of sight, leaving the stallion staring blankly where he had been a moment ago. He blinked, then felt the presence of the mercenary beside him. When he whirled around, the tip of the dragon’s blade lodged itself under the hook of his jaw. “You’ve got spunk. So yeah, I think I’ll accept your little job. The name’s Jet.”

Another day had passed for the trio, and they were in the process of setting up camp in the seemingly endless forest. Vertigo, in particular, was starting to get more than a little restless at their apparent lack of progress. “We’ve been trouncing through this damned forest for three days now,” she spat, glaring at the trees in front of her as if they were to blame. “Are we ever going to make it out of here?” She cast her gaze to Starshine who was in the process of gathering dry wood for a small fire.

“This is a big forest, Vertigo.” He shook his head and stopped what he was doing, looking up at her and meeting her eyes. “From what I can understand of Mammoth, we’ve still got a bit before we reach the end.” Mammoth grunted and Starshine turned his head to him. The earth pony pointed to the east of them and shook his head, then motioned in a big arc in the direction they were heading. “Apparently we’re going to be coming up on something soon.”

Mammoth walked over to them, pulled a roll of parchment and a pencil from his saddlebag, and began to scrawl something on it. Vertigo and Starshine moved a bit closer so they could get a better look. When he was done, Mammoth stepped back and pointed a hoof at what he had written. Starshine levitated it up and read it, then grimaced visibly. “He said there’s a rather large swamp up ahead, full of some rather nasty things.” He floated the parchment back over to Mammoth, who took it and stuffed it back into his bag. “Things that make the hydras in the Everfree look calm. So long as we avoid the eastern end of the swamp, though, we should be able to make it through without much of a problem.”

The next day was just as slow as the previous, and Vertigo was starting to wonder just how dangerous this forest could be. They had been traveling through it for almost a week and they hadn’t come across a single danger since they'd arrived. If anything, Vertigo was starting to grow more anxious. Miles and miles of forest lay behind them, and even though they were finally coming to the edge, it still felt like they had made little progress.

Sometime after noon they came across the first tellings of the swamp. The ground was starting to grow softer, the dank smell of fetid water filled their senses, and a heavy fog was settling around their hooves. The further they pushed on, the more their footing became unsure. Their hooves sank into the muck, and the cold water rushed around them with each step. Even the soft sounds of nature began to fade away, replaced by an eerie silence that was occasionally broken by splashes off in the distance.

The farther in they managed to get, the more Vertigo felt uncomfortable. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching them, studying them, like a predator would its prey. What was even more disturbing was the stench of sulfur that mingled with the smell of the swamp. She could only guess that they were getting closer and closer to the dragon territories.

Mammoth stopped them after they had walked for nearly an hour in the swamp, bringing a hoof up and looking about cautiously. Starshine moved up to Vertigo’s side, and the tip of his horn began to spark with magic. “What is it?” Vertigo asked in a low tone, “Is something out there?” Starshine nodded, and Vertigo watched his features harden. She hadn’t noticed anything, other than the eerie feel of the place. But she didn’t have the training that both Starshine and Mammoth did, and if they said something was out there, then she was going to believe them.

Everything changed in that next moment, the stillness of the swamp erupted into a clash of steel, hooves, and spells whizzing through the air. Vertigo was at a loss as to what was actually happening, flashes of black and blurs of white magic all she could really make out in the sudden chaos. Mammoth grunted and seemed to phase in and out of the fog around them, the bursts of movement making it swirl high enough to cover them. Starshine called out in fury and sent bolts of his own magic hurtling into the fog and surrounding brush, aiming for their attacker with each mighty burst.

Vertigo was in a daze, watching as the two stallions fought for their lives against these unknown assailants. From the constant slinging of spells from Starshine and the other unicorn, whom she still hadn’t spotted, to the fearsome clash of Mammoth and whatever sort of beast that had been sent after them, she heard the calls of their attackers through the din of battle, and soon the smell of blood rose to her nostrils. Her eyes went wide before she ducked down, unsure of what she could possibly do in such a situation.

Starshine had moved a few feet away from her, and Mammoth was darting in and out of the fog directly in front of her. Her eyes still couldn’t make out what it was he was fighting, but the glint of steel in the dim light was definitely recognizable. “Starshine! What do I do?!” She looked around for him desperately, only to see him running towards her a moment later.

“We have to go! Now!” Starshine grabbed Vertigo by the scruff of her neck and shoved her in front of him, pushing with body as he cast a protective shield over them. The white flares of magic bounced off the shield as they ran, each one cracking the barrier threateningly. They kicked up mud and muck as they fled, hooves growing ever more splattered with grime by their hurried retreat, bolts of magic arcing wider and wider around them as they ran.

“Wait! What about Mammoth?” Vertigo tried to dig her hooves into the soft earth, but Starshine kept pushing her ahead regardless.

“He’s strong! He’ll catch up to us when he can!” His breathing was harsh and ragged, and she could see streaks of blood across his flanks and shoulders. Foam was forming at the corners of his mouth, and the sweat under his saddlebags was turning white as well as he continued to push them forward. “We just have to keep moving!”

Vertigo nodded and pulled away from him enough so that she could run on her own, and she pushed herself as hard and fast as she could. She could still hear the cacophony of battle being fought behind them, and even as the sound started to fade with the growing distance between them, she couldn’t help but to worry about their guide. They fled for over an hour, then two, and when the third was finally creeping up on them Starshine brought them to a stop.

The swamp around them had grown darker, and the brush had grown thicker. At least where they were before, she could see bits of sunlight coming down. She didn’t have that luxury here, and she doubted they would be able to see more than a few feet ahead of them at a time if it wasn’t for Starshine’s horn illuminating the area. The smell of fetid water was even stronger here, and there was a deep silence that gripped at Vertigo’s chest. This place wasn’t somewhere she particularly wanted to be.

“We’re in the Eastern area of the swamp, aren’t we?” She backed up a little and then turned to Starshine, who merely nodded.

“Yeah. It was the only way we could go to lose them properly, whoever they were.” Starshine motioned to a small clearing to their left, where the ground was high enough that it was mostly out of the water. “We’ll wait here for Mammoth. He’ll find us.” Once they reached the small rise of earth, Starshine let the light from his horn darken to the point where it was just a small glow.

Vertigo didn’t question this, she knew better than that. If something were to see the light, it would grow curious and come to investigate, and if what she felt about this area of the swamp was right then that was the last thing she wanted.

A deep chill was settling into the air, and the moisture in her fur was causing her to shiver. Without thinking twice about it, she scooted over to Starshine and pressed her body against his. He wordlessly accepted this, and continued to cast his eyes about the darkness of the swamp around them.

The hours ticked by, and the darkness of the swamp around them only became more oppressive. The day was coming to an end, and Vertigo had just about given up hope of Mammoth returning when the lurking earth pony seemed to materialize out of the fog to their right. She only had a brief moment of relief before she noticed the many wounds adorning his body. There were long gashes along his shoulders and barrel, and blood ran from various cuts along the rest of his form. She rushed over to him immediately as he came to rest on the small island with them.

He sank to his haunches with a soft grunt, and Vertigo wasted no time in pulling out bandages from her saddlebag in an effort to get him cleaned up. Starshine moved over with them and helped with what he could, using his magic to wipe at the wounds and clean them out as best he could. Mammoth just sat there, his gaze focused on the direction he’d just come from as they worked. He was silent as ever, and Vertigo couldn’t help but wonder how he could endure the pain of his wounds.

“That was a dragon.”

Starshine and Vertigo both froze when they heard their traveling companion speak, looking up at him with no small amount of confusion. “A mercenary. One that I’ve had encounters with before. We’re lucky to have escaped with our lives.” He looked back down to the two of them, his features stoic and emotionless.

Vertigo shook her head, “A dragon?” She cast her eyes back in the direction they’d come from as well, her confusion only deepening. “That doesn’t make sense. I thought they were a lot bigger than that?”

Starshine merely sighed and went back to work on Mammoth’s wounds. “They usually are. But, just like ponies, they have different sub races. I can’t say that I’ve ever personally heard of one that small, but there’s nothing we can do about it now.” He looked back up to Mammoth and furrowed his brow, “Why are you talking now? What’s going on, Mammoth?”

The red earth pony sighed and looked back out into the fog. “Because things have changed.” He pulled away from them and stood, making his way to the edge of the small mound of earth they were on. “The rumors you heard about me were false. I wasn’t attacked by timberwolves back then, but by a cult of unicorns that followed some misguided belief that the only magical race in the world should be ponies.” He looked back to them and shook his head. “I was sent by Princess Celestia to investigate the Castle of the Two Sisters because we had gathered information that this cult was holed up there. I had the most specialized training, so I was the one that was sent. When I arrived, I was ambushed.”

“I managed to take a number of them out, but the majority escaped. When I returned to Canterlot, I was debriefed by Celestia herself. She decided to let the rumor spread that I had left the guard after being attacked by timberwolves.” A light smirk pulled across his lips, then. “She ordered me to investigate this cult the best I could. And so I did. I spent years tracking them down across Equestria and the territories. I could never pin them down, but I learned a good bit about them in the process.”

He motioned around them with a hoof, “It’s why I know so much about the dragon territories. Anyway, from the information that I've gathered, these unicorns believe that Starswirl the Bearded wanted the only magical life in the world to be ponies. They use examples of him banishing creatures to other universes as their mantra. Since they can’t banish these races themselves, they hope to instigate a war with the other races so that the Princess will banish them.”

He stopped there for a moment, and looked pointedly at Vertigo. “When I found out about you wanting to leave to find your husband, I brought it up to Celestia. I thought Swift Shield’s disappearance might somehow be related to this cult, even though they haven’t shown any activity in years. She agreed, and ordered me to offer my services to Starshine. I wasn’t sure about what we were up against until they tried to kill you in the border town. But this? They’ve recruited the help of one of the most powerful dragons in the territories. He’s a mercenary by the name of Jet, and he’s not one to be taken lightly.”

Mammoth shook his head, “I thought that the attempt at your life in the border town was just a fluke, that they might just be trying to keep ponies out of the dragon territories. But this proves that they know who you are, and what you’re trying to do.” He held up a hoof to silence the question Vertigo was about to ask. “I don’t know what they’ve done with your husband, but we need to find him soon. For now, though, we need to rest. We can’t go back the way we came, so we’re going to have to press forward from here in the morning.”

Vertigo stood and walked over to the larger pony, meeting his eyes as she did. “Why didn’t you tell us?” When he didn’t say anything, Vertigo brought a hoof up and slammed it against his chest. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, her body shuddering from the silent sobs. “Why? I thought he might be dead! I’ve been tearing myself up inside this whole time. Why, Mammoth?”

When he didn’t reply, Starshine came over and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m sure he has his reasons. Let’s just get some rest.” He cast his eyes to Mammoth, then shook his head and guided Vertigo over so she could lay down. “I’ll take first watch. You should get some sleep, too.” And with that, he stepped into the fog and vanished from sight. Mammoth laid down where he was and closed his eyes.

Vertigo fell asleep after a while, her mind racing over the different scenarios her husband could be facing right now. She didn’t stop crying until she finally managed to drift off to sleep.

“What do you mean we’re camping here for the night?”

Jet rolled his eyes and continued his preparations of the camp, “Look, you don’t know this area like I do. The part of the swamp they fled into is extremely dangerous, especially at night. I can navigate it easily enough, but you wouldn’t be able to.” The dragon smirked and looked over his shoulder at the cloak clad unicorn, “Unless you just want to die. But then I wouldn’t get paid, so let’s not argue, hm?”

The unicorn bristled visibly and took a threatening step towards the dragon. Jet merely went back to focusing on getting the fire lit and setting out his meal for the night. The unicorn couldn’t believe the nerve of the beast! Speaking to him in that manner. If they were in Equestria… but they weren’t. So for now, it was best to do as advised. Jet wouldn’t have to be tolerated long.

“We wouldn’t be having this problem if you hadn’t let them escape.”

Jet snorted and stabbed a slice of meat with his dagger, putting it over the fire and occasionally rotating it with small turns of his wrist. “If I hadn’t? And here I thought I wasn’t alone in that fight.” He snorted again, “Besides, that earth pony is a lot stronger than I thought. More resourceful, too. We’re going to have to be more careful the next time we go after them.” The slab of meat was pulled from the fire and Jet took a large bite from the smoking protein. “I’d dare say that he’s almost as skilled as I am.” The rest of the chunk was tossed into the back of his mouth, and he spent a few moments chewing before he swallowed and looked back to the unicorn.

“That unicorn she has with her is fairly powerful as well. I know that your organization wouldn’t send a rookie on a mission like this, so I’m pretty sure that you’re no pushover.” Jet’s yellow eyes drifted back to the fire, “There’s only one way out of the swamp in that direction, unless they’re suicidal, so I have a pretty good idea where they’re going. We’ll circle around and meet them. This time, we’ll have something a bit more exciting waiting for them.”

Chapter Four

What little bit of the sun that could be seen the next morning shone down on them through the thick haze of the swamp around them. None of the trio had gotten much sleep the previous night, the stress from their encounter the day before having taken a rather serious toll on them. The various bugs and the incessant, sweltering heat of the swamp, leaving all three of them sticky and moist, only made sleep that much more difficult as well. By the time that they had packed up and set off, all three of them were haggard and irritable.

They traveled in silence for most of the morning, Vertigo in the center, Mammoth at the head, and Starshine trailing behind. They had arrived at the agreement that traveling back the way they had come wasn’t wise, the fear of running into their pursuers enough to keep them pushing forward into the deepest recesses of the murky swamp. Mammoth’s warning of the dangers that lay in this particular area still coursed through Vertigo’s mind; if it was enough to make him nervous, then she felt justified in her fear.

There was little in the way of wildlife around them, from what Vertigo could see. The deep, dark pools of fetid water would occasionally bubble, but the only sounds they heard were the almost constant buzzing of insects. The most annoying of which were the clouds of blood sucking mosquitos that they had to constantly fend off. After a while, Starshine had become so fed up with the little beasts that he had cast a warding spell over them to fend off the biting bugs. It proved to be a boon, and it made their traveling that much easier.

The smell of rotting wood soon became overpowering as they made their way farther and farther into the swamp, and Vertigo soon found herself gagging because of the stench. Mammoth brought their little troupe to a stop and pulled a piece of cloth from his saddle bags. After a little instruction, Starshine managed to cut and manipulate the cloth into three mouth covers for them. It helped a little with the stench, but it was more to help filter out the gas of the swamp as they walked.

It didn’t take them long after the sun reached the highest point in the sky before the ground began to harden and the muck to become less prevalent. Vertigo thought that they were finally coming to the edge of the swamp, and was grateful for it, until a dark shape began to come into view ahead of them. It was some kind of building, but she couldn’t make out much more than that until they got a lot closer. A path started to form once they got close enough, and Vertigo was able to see that it was some kind of guard outpost. It was old and dilapidated, and the far right side of the building had collapsed into the swamp.

Mammoth pulled them to a stop once more, this time a couple hundred yards away from the place. “We have to go through there. It’s the only way to reach the other side of the swamp.” He cast his view back to the building and grimaced, “I’ve never been through this way, and for good reason. When that place was built, it was meant to be a crossing station between Equestria and the dragon territories. A long road had been built between the mountain path and here. But from what I understand, an old magic had been disturbed, and it destroyed everything in it’s path. The only thing left is that building.” Mammoth shook his head, “We best get through there quickly, I’m not really sure what to expect.”

Starshine and Vertigo nodded, and the three of them set off towards the cross station. The closer they got, the more oppressive the atmosphere was. It was like there was something heavy hanging in the air, pushing on them, weighing them down. At one point the tip of Starshine’s horn sparked unexpectedly, and he had to drop the bug barrier he had cast earlier. The very air was thick with magic, of a kind the unicorn had never experienced before. Even Vertigo and Mammoth could feel it, like their own natural magic was working against them. Vertigo’s wing began to cramp, and Mammoth’s movements became sluggish. Whatever was causing this was really taking its toll on the three.

They stopped outside the gated entrance to the crossing station to catch their breath for a few moments, unsure of what they were going to find when they made it inside. After a nod of encouragement from Mammoth, they pushed their way in past the metal barricade. The cross station was a simple enough design; two rectangular buildings on either side of a courtyard. The walkway through the courtyard was broken and fractured from the swamp slowly starting to reclaim it. Puddles of swamp water were gathered here and there, and thick bundles of reeds had sprouted forth from the cracks in the walkway.

Almost immediately after entering the courtyard the pressure increased by a great deal and all three of them were nearly pinned to the ground. A deep rumbling in the ground signaled that whatever it was, whatever ancient presence lived here, was waking up. Vertigo felt panic grip at her chest, and her eyes darted left and right as she scanned for danger.

“We have to move! Now!”

The shouted warning from Mammoth was all they needed, and the trio began to run as fast as they could through the guard station, pushing their bodies with all the might they had. Their hooves caused a roaring thunder along the fractured stone of the ground, and their breathing was heavier than it had ever been. Tears streamed from Vertigo’s eyes and she screamed in agony, the magical pressure making each step harder than the last. The trembling ground grew in intensity, and suddenly they were caught up in an earthquake that seemed to focus on just the guard station.

The stone walls began to crumble and collapse, geysers of fetid water exploded from the ground, and the stone under their hooves fractured even more and threatened to trip them with each hurried step. They ran and ran, the fear in their chests expanding and forcing them to falter with almost every moment. A cacophony of sounds rose out from the ground around them; wails the like they had never heard, screams that sounded almost equine, and more tearing of the earth.

They were just over halfway through, the building nearly completely demolished around them, when darkness began to overcome their retreating forms. It was insubstantial, and wasn’t caused by anything natural. It seemed to have a life of its own as it crept along the ground and through the air, reaching for them with tendrils of blackness. Vertigo focused her eyes ahead and pushed herself all the harder. She was starting to fall behind Starshine and Mammoth, the two stallions proving to be much faster than she was.

The darkness was starting to take shape, the thick tendrils forming into substance, reaching for them as they ran. They sped along the ground and through the air, surrounding them as they pushed forward ever faster. It didn’t seem to matter how fast they ran, how hard they pushed themselves, they were losing ground to the monstrous magic. The magic lashed at them, causing them to stumble, ripping along their bodies and tearing at their flesh. Blood spattered the ground, but they pushed themselves all the harder. They couldn’t give in.

Flashes of magic from Starshine seemed to dissuade the magic some, but with every black tentacle that he blasted, another three took it’s place. Mammoth called back to him that he should just push forward, the magic couldn’t be fought like this. Further and further across the courtyard they ran, leaping over the tumbling bits of structure. The building was collapsing in on itself, threatening them just as much as the magic they fled from.

There was a deep roar from all around them, and the magic seemed to pick up in intensity once again. More of the black tendrils exploded from the ground all around them, and their retreat was further hindered. Vertigo let out another wild scream as one of the magical tentacles wrapped around the barrel of her chest and hefted her into the air. Starshine and Mammoth came to a halt, turned, and charged back towards her immediately. “Vertigo!” Starshine’s magic flared to life once more, and bright bolts of it’s power sliced away at the tentacle holding onto the pegasus. Vertigo was thrashed around, and she flailed wildly in an attempt to get away.

Mammoth charged ahead as Starshine fired his magic, dodging left and right around the tentacles trying to capture him. The earth pony let out a roar of his own and slammed his shoulder into the base of the magical appendage. The sheer force he put behind it caused the tentacle to shudder, but not much else. Mammoth reared around, brought his hind legs up, and let loose a kick from his hind legs that carried enough force to topple a tree. The magic shuddered again, and started to retreat back into the earth.

Vertigo was still wrapped up in its grasp, and once she saw what was happening, struggled all the harder. She did not want to be dragged underground with it! She bit, kicked, and flailed with all her might, letting out grunts and whines of panic as she sank closer and closer to pool of swamp water from whence the magic came. Starshine’s horn was enveloped in magic, and the magic extended and hardened until it formed a glowing blade atop his head. The unicorn charged forward and, with one mighty slash, ripped the tentacle in two.

Vertigo fell to the ground, pulled herself free from the writhing mass of the tentacle, and bolted forward once again. Mammoth and Starshine charged after her, and another howl echoed forth around them. The magic was gearing up for another assault and the the rest of the two buildings beside them collapsed completely. The ground was starting to tear apart, and the trio had to leap over rifts as they formed around them. They were almost there!

The exit was just in front of them, and Mammoth burst through the gateway and held it open for Starshine and herself to escape.The unicorn galloped through, and Vertigo followed shortly thereafter, Mammoth chasing after them once they had made it. The trio didn’t stop running, afraid of just how far the magic would reach, and unwilling to test their luck. They didn’t stop until the air was no longer pushing down on them, and when they did stop, all three of them collapsed.

Vertigo could barely breathe, her chest rising and falling quickly from the exertion and from fear. A thick sheen of sweat covered each of them, and none of them felt like they had the energy to continue moving forward just then. Blood dripped from the various wounds they had all received during their escape, but none of them seemed to be too badly injured. Vertigo rolled back to her hooves and looked between her two companions. Pain was evident on their faces, matched only by the exhaustion they were surely feeling.

“What,” Vertigo gasped softly and sank to a sitting position, “What was that?”

Mammoth shook his head and looked back towards the guard outpost, and Starshine followed the direction of his gaze. “I’ve never felt magic like that before, let alone seen it,” the unicorn spoke softly, “I don’t think anyone has in a long time. It felt old, though. I guess I can understand why no one wanted to travel through this way.” He looked back to Vertigo and grimaced a little, “We’re lucky to be alive.”

Mammoth got to his hooves and shrugged his saddlebags back into place, “Come on, we have to keep moving. That was bound to have attracted some attention, and I’d rather not be around when things start to come investigate.”

Vertigo and Starshine nodded, got to their hooves as well, and the three of them began to walk once more. Vertigo’s mind ran over what had just transpired as they moved. She had almost died again, and this time it had been a lot closer than before. If she was going to make this journey, then she was going to have to learn how to defend herself. It was no longer a question of if she had to. She simply couldn’t depend on the two stallions to continue risking their lives to protect her.

She trotted up beside Mammoth and looked up to meet his gaze. “Mammoth, I want you to teach me how to fight.” The earth pony lifted an eyebrow, but nodded. He understood what it was that she was feeling, she could tell by his response. “I don’t want you to die for me.”

Time wasn’t something that Swift Shield could rightly grasp right now. The hours and days ticked by without him being able to comprehend them. The only thing he knew, at this point, was his cell. Meals were served at irregular intervals, and he didn’t see any more of the mare that had first visited him. At least his wounds seemed to be mostly healed, giving him a bit more mobility, though he still remained chained to the floor. He supposed that he shouldn’t be surprised that the magic inhibitor remained on his horn, either. They seemed to be taking every precaution to keep him bound.

The only thing that seemed to remain a constant was the field of magic that closed down on him every so often. The same thing would always happen, too. He would drift off to sleep, only to find himself having extremely lucid dreams, usually about the banishment of other sentient creatures. Sometimes he was the one doing the banishing, other times he would just be in the background, cheering on what was happening. But he was always in support of what was happening, and every time he woke up, he would find that he knew more and more about the other magical beings inhabiting the world.

It didn’t make any sense to him at first, all of these things that were happening. He had always been a firm believer of equality. He believed that every species should be part of the greater good, which is why he followed Princess Celestia’s goal of forming a world council so closely. She had already succeeded in forming a bond with ponies from foreign lands, but she had been working on creating a similar bond with other creatures over the years. It was proving to be more difficult than many had originally imagined, but progress was definitely being made.

What bothered him more than anything was that he still didn’t know why he was being held captive. At first he had thought it had something to do with his diplomatic mission to the dragons, but now he wasn’t so sure. If their goal had simply been to disrupt the peace negotiations between Equestria and the dragons, then it would have been easier to kill him on the spot like they had done with the rest of his group. So why take him alive?

There was something bigger going on here, that much was easier to see. Especially if the magic that was overcoming him every night was anything to go by. He was starting to feel like it was some sort of indoctrination. He just didn’t know for what.

All he did know was that he had to get out of here and save his wife. If she was coming for him like that crazed mare from before had said, then he couldn’t just lay here and let them do whatever they wanted. Every waking moment was spent trying to think of anything, any possible way for him to escape. But being bound like he was made it nearly impossible. If only he could get the inhibitor off of his horn, then maybe he might stand a better chance.

A deep, unsettling feeling came over him as he once again contemplated how to escape. It was like someone was watching him, keeping an eye on everything he did. He felt like they could even see into his mind, and with the magic that they kept using, he wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case at all. Swift gritted his teeth and pulled at his restraints again, forcing the chains to pull tight against the hook in the floor. They gave about as much as they always did, which was almost none. But still he pulled, still he struggled He wasn’t going to give up just because the odds were stacked against him. How could he?

That was when the magic from before circled around above him and began to descend. “No! Stop this!” He pulled and struggled all the more, tilting and twisting his body in an effort to make some kind of progress. But it wasn’t enough, and the magic soon fell over his form, and he once again drifted off into a magically induced slumber.

The dream was different this time. Instead of it focusing on the exile of some species or another, he was where he had been before he fell asleep; in the cell. But this time, he was the one standing over a prisoner. there was a wild look to his eyes as he peered down at the unicorn chained to the floor. “You will succumb. They always succumb,” he sneered as he spoke. The unicorn was broken and battered, lying there in front of him wracked with pain and injury. All Swift Shield could feel was a sense of accomplishment.

This was another victory for the cause, he told himself. Another pawn that would become a member of their order and help them set the world right.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Swift was screaming. This wasn’t right. This couldn’t be happening! He would never falter and work against his better judgement. The unicorn looked up, and Swift Shield saw into his eyes. It wasn’t just any unicorn, but his friend Starshine. In his eyes was betrayal and sadness.

“Swift,” he whispered, beaten, “What have you done?”

Memories flashed before his eyes. He saw it all, all the things this dream version of himself had done. His wife, Vertigo, lay lifeless on the ground in front of him. The large, red earth pony was battered and barely breathing a few feet away, and Starshine was pinned to the ground by members of his order.

Had he done this?

Had he been the one to kill his own wife?

Fear and hatred bubbled up in him, and he stumbled, nearly falling to the floor in front of Starshine. “You killed her! You killed your own wife!” Starshine’s words rang out loudly in his ears, forcing his persona to crumble. “Now you’re going to set the world on fire because of it! What happened to you?!”

Swift fell to the floor and screamed in rage. He couldn’t have done those things! He would never bring harm to the mare he loved!

“No!” The word was empty and hollow, despite the ferocity with which he screamed it. Behind him, off in the shadows of the cell, a cold laughter rang out, and Swift felt tears start to trail down his cheeks.

Camp was once again set up for the night, the trio having made it to the edge of the swamp. They had decided to stop here before pressing on, Mammoth suggesting that their attackers from before might have something up ahead waiting for them. They were in little shape to fight again that night.

The sun hadn’t quite set yet, the dull glow of it setting in the East barely making it through the density of the swamp’s atmosphere. But it was still enough light to see by, and Mammoth and Vertigo squared off against one another in the small clearing. The large pony that was serving as their guide had taken the mare’s words to heart. If she wanted to learn how to fight, then he was going to train her. He had warned her before that what was to come would not be easy, but she refused to back down.

“There are many styles of martial arts, as I’m sure you know,” Mammoth spoke levelly as he took a step towards her. “Namely, there are specializations each for Pegasi, Earth Pony, and Unicorn. Unicorn styles tend to focus on magic and striking from a distance, but there are specializations that require physical combat should your opponent get too close. Earth Pony martial arts are all about strength and overpowering your opponent; breaking bones and ending them in as few moves as possible. Pegasi are a different matter altogether. Theirs focuses on speed and striking your opponent’s weak points in a series of guerilla tactics. There’s a lot of flying play that comes with it, but since you can no longer fly, we won’t be worrying with that part.”

“As I’m sure that Starshine told you before, I’m the only Earth Pony to ever make it as far as I did in the guard. There’s a reason for that. I was able to master the art of fighting of all three subspecies of pony, aside from the ones that directly involve magic and flight.” He sunk down into a fighting position, his forelegs spread past his shoulders and his chest almost touching the ground. “This style is called Tempest. More often than not, Pegasi are forced to the ground at some point during any confrontation. This is the style that focuses on that.”

Vertigo watched him closely, her eyes moving over his form as she watched the muscles of his shoulders bunch up. He looked up and met her eyes, smirked, then used all of his strength to push himself into the air in an arc. His whole body flipped as he went, and he ended the maneuver with a solid strike of his left foreleg into the ground in front of her. Vertigo blinked and shook her head. “I don’t think I can do that.”

Mammoth moved over to her and nodded, “It’s an advanced technique, and one that we won’t bother with for now.” Standing beside her now, he sunk down into his previous stance. Once she followed suit, he began to lead her through a variety of different motions. From simple kicks and lunges, to the more complicated strikes and dodges. Vertigo had never been a particularly agile or active pony, so she had a lot of problems keeping up with Mammoth’s movements at first. But after an hour or so, and by the time they stopped for the night, she had come to grasp some of the simpler techniques.

“Not bad. A bit more training and you should be able to at least handle yourself a little.” Mammoth offered her a small smile before walking back over to where Starshine had been watching the whole time.

Flushed, and breathing more than a little heavily, Vertigo walked over and joined them. She knew that she wasn’t anything particularly special when it came to combat, but she wanted to at least be able to do something the next time they were put in a situation like before. She may not be able to handle herself around monsters or magic, but she might be able to do something against the average pony.

Mammoth busied himself with preparing their food for the evening, rifling around in their saddlebags and breaking apart the bread and cheese once he had them in hoof. He passed around a portion to his two companions, then set aside one for himself. Once that was done, he took a swig of water from his waterskin, then passed it around to the other two. He sat down and began to eat in silence.

Starshine cleared his throat and she looked up to him. He motioned with a hoof to his horn, “Seems like most of the baddies we’ve come across have been unicorns, right? So here’s a couple tips for fighting them. If you can get close enough, a solid hit to the horn will disorient even the strongest unicorn. Other than that, line of sight is very important. Not many unicorns can do much against an opponent they can’t see.” Mammoth simply nodded his agreement and Vertigo looked down at her hooves.

Could she really fight like they were suggesting? She was going to have to learn if she had any hopes of surviving this little expedition. The thought of brawling with another pony was unsettling, though. She’d never been the type that enjoyed confrontation. In fact, she had often let her husband handle any that come up around them. And now she was learning how to fight. It was very different from what she had once imagined for herself.

Starshine opted to take the first watch that night, and as Mammoth and Vertigo lay down to sleep, the mare’s mind once again turned over what all she had left behind for this quest. She missed her home, she missed her friends and neighbors, she missed the safety of the city, but most of all she missed her husband. She was more determined now than she had ever been before about bringing him home.

She could do this.

She would do this.

Her eyes drifted shut, a soft glow forming around the edges of her vision, and she fell into a deep slumber, off to dream of a happier time. Not far off, Mammoth was succumbing to the same urges, his body going limp and his own eyes closing as he too drifted away.

The glow of the unicorn’s horn faded, and Jet smiled as they watched from the shadows. The mare and the bigger earth pony were now completely defenseless, and all that was left to deal with was the unicorn that was standing guard some twenty paces away. With the spell that had been cast, the biggest threat of the trio was now out of the picture, and taking out the unicorn would be simple enough. Jet reached into the belt at his waist, drew out a slim dagger, and vanished into the undergrowth and mire of the swamp around them. While he did, the unicorn’s magic began to glow once more, and another aura began to pulse around the large, red earth pony. The first spell was to simply render him unconscious. This one would be a bit more deadly.

Jet slipped silently through the fetid waters as he inched closer and closer to the unicorn standing guard. It was obvious that his target had no idea what was coming, that they had gone completely unnoticed. Jet stopped in the darkness a few feet away from the unicorn and waited for the opportune moment to strike, that perfect instant where the unicorn would be caught completely unawares.

The seconds ticked by slowly, and the dragon’s golden eyes never blinked as he watched. The muscles in his body tightened, and he slipped forward the very instant that the unicorn turned his back. That was when the whole world turned white for the dragon, an explosion of pain wracked his entire body.

Magic arced through the air around the dragon, streaking across his flesh and scales and scalding him wherever it touched. He had stumbled across some kind of trap, one that he hadn’t seen before. He knew about unicorns, knew about their magic, but this was something new, a spell that he hadn’t heard of before. Jet roared in pain and tried to approach his prey, but the magic only seemed to pick up in strength, and the dagger fell from his grasp, splashing into the muck at his feet.

Starshine spun around and aimed his horn right at his attacker, a bolt of magic flying forth and striking him right in the chest. Jet was sent hurtling backwards, Starshine’s protective magic having done it’s job. Starshine moved forward, intent on finishing the job and striking down the dragon so he wouldn’t have a chance to retaliate, but the darkness was proving difficult to navigate through, made all the harder by the density of the swamp around him, and he only had a general idea of where the dragon had flown off to.

He was stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a voice in the distance call out, “I’ve got her!” Starshine’s eyes grew wide, and he galloped as fast as he could back to where the other two were sleeping. But he was too late, Vertigo had already been taken, and Mammoth still lay immobile where he had fallen. There didn’t appear to have been a struggle, and his earth pony companion didn’t seem to have woken during the whole scuffle.

Starshine looked around frantically, casting out a net of magic in hopes of finding wherever his attackers had fled. There was no sign of them, and as he looked down to Mammoth he noticed that the earth pony’s breathing was slowing at an alarming rate. “Oh no.” The unicorn knelt down by his companion and began to search through his body with probes of magic, hoping to find whatever it was that was doing him harm.

It didn’t take him long to find the spell. It was an old technique, one he had only heard about in rumors. The magic was closing over Mammoth’s heart, suffocating him. Starshine’s magic grew in power, and he settled in close to the larger pony as he attempted to undo the spell. If he was going to have any hopes of bringing Vertigo back, he would need Mammoth’s help.

Chapter Five

Vertigo woke up to the feeling of her body being jerked around, her eyes slowly opening as her body was forcibly moved. She couldn’t quite make out what was going on around her, the drowsiness she was feeling nearly forcing her back to sleep. Her mind was fuzzy, and her senses were dulled. The best she could make out were the two blurry shapes in front of her, dragging her along the ground on some kind of makeshift bedding. She tried weakly to move or talk, but found that she was bound and gagged. The pegasus gave a weak groan before letting her head droop back down and her eyes shut once more.

Meanwhile, Jet and the unicorn whom had hired him walked on in silence. They had managed to escape the swamp some time ago, and had been walking for hours. The mercenary was still a bit shell shocked over what had happened before. That unicorn’s little trick back in the swamp had caused him no small amount of distress, and the burns along his body were proof enough of that. His muscles were sore and his whole body ached. This was the precise reason that he preferred not to deal with ponies in the first place. Their magic had always felt like cheating to him, especially when there was so much more satisfaction from using a blade.

The biggest part of Jet was wondering what he was still doing with the unicorn. His original mission, while not a complete success, was finished. The pegasus had been captured and the other two had been left behind. The unicorn who had hired him had already stated that there was no chance that her companions would be able to find them once they reached his base of operations and handed over their captive.

Sure, he hadn’t been paid yet, but that was only a small thing. He could easily meet up with the unicorn at his base later to receive his payment. Something was keeping him there, nagging at him as they traveled. He couldn’t help but to wonder what it was that he was doing helping this organization. The pay was more than enough to set him up for a long time, yes, but that didn’t make him feel much better. While he didn’t know much about the broader plan of this group, he did know that one of their goals was to eradicate or exile his entire species from the world, and he didn’t think that he would be excluded from that.

He looked back to their victim, bound and gagged on the bed of branches that they were dragging behind them, and wondered anew what it was that this innocent little mare was doing out here to begin with. She didn’t seem the adventuring type, nor did she seem like the kind of pony that would risk everything to fight against an opponent as big as this cult. There was something definitely off about this whole ordeal, and the more he thought about it, the more unsure he was about everything.

The sun was just starting to hit the highest point of the day when the unicorn suggested that they stop for a time so they could eat. Jet merely nodded his approval, and the two of them pulled off into a little clearing from the main road. Once they had set out their food, Jet pulling out some dried meat from his bag and the unicorn munching idly on some cheese and bread, the dragon once more looked to the pegasus. She was still unconscious, having only stirred the one time since they had captured her. He didn’t know if the spell the unicorn had used was that powerful, or if she was merely exhausted.

After a few moments of thought, he brought a water skin, some cheese and some bread over to her. The unicorn didn’t pay much attention as Jet softly shook her in an effort to rouse her from slumber. It only took a few moments, and when she opened her eyes Jet furrowed his brow. “Keep quiet and I’ll let you eat.” When she nodded her agreement, he made quick work of taking the gag from her mouth. She coughed a little and gladly accepted the water skin when it was brought to her lips.

He worked on feeding her bits of cheese and bread for a few minutes, letting her drink when she wanted it, then set the gag back in place. Her eyes mirrored her thanks, though there was still plenty of fear reflected there as well. She hadn’t bothered trying to scream or bargain her way out of her current position, which meant that she had either accepted what had happened, or she was smart enough to know that it wouldn’t do her any good.

Before Jet moved away from her he let his eyes wander over her missing wing. It looked like she had gone through a great deal just to get this far, and he couldn’t help but to wonder what it was that she had been through. Her determination must be something to admire, all things considered. Most of the ponies he had seen in this part of the world were either important diplomatic types with a squad of guards, or ones like that big earth pony from before.

Jet averted his eyes and made his way back over to where the unicorn was. The pony looked up to the dragon, then down to their captive. “You did good work, even if the other two survived. The main goal of the mission was a success. You’ll be fairly compensated once we make it back.”

Jet merely nodded and looked back over to the bound and gagged pegasus once more. She was looking back at him, her eyes wide and full of tears and fear, and she was pleading with him silently. He held the eye contact for a moment or two, then looked away. “What is it you plan on doing with her once we get there?”

The unicorn looked up and at the dragon, then lifted a brow. “I’m not entirely sure. That’s not really my department.” His eyes narrowed as he looked the dragon over, then a smile crept along his lips. “I do know that we have her husband, though. We’re converting him, so she’ll probably be used as part of that. If a convert isn’t a willing one, then it’s normal to sacrifice their family to finish bringing them over to our side.”

The unicorn chuckled, but Jet made no reaction other than to simply nod. The more he was learning about this organization, the less certain he was about what he should do. He knew before that they were only out to eventually wipe every race that isn’t pony off the face of the earth, but he wasn’t sure how far along they were to such a goal.

This newest bit of information wasn’t particularly pleasing to him, either. He often made a living hiring out his skills, and has spilled his fair share of blood over the years. But he never made a habit of taking jobs that went against his morals, this one being the obvious exception. He had originally tried to tell himself that it was the pay that had gotten him to take this job, but now he wasn’t so sure. Jet had never been a particularly superstitious or religious type, so the idea of fate always seemed like a bit of a joke to him. But now, as he once again looked over to the mare he had helped capture, he wasn’t so sure.

Starshine looked with a furrowed brow over Mammoth as the sun settled into its routine in the middle of the sky above them. The stallion wasn’t faring very well, despite the guard’s continued efforts. He had managed to get most of the poison out of his system, and all that was left was to make sure that Mammoth was as comfortable as possible, but things still weren’t looking up. Starshine had moved him out of the swamp once most of the work had been done, finding a relatively clear spot several hundred yards away from the imposing bog.

He was worried for more than the obvious reasons. Mammoth’s condition wasn’t getting much better, and that was cause for much of his concern. But a fair amount came from the landscape around them. Starshine wasn’t familiar with this area of the dragon territories, nor was he familiar with the wildlife that might be found here. He had only heard small reports about the land in general, and the rocky landscape wasn’t a comforting one.

The land was flat and nearly barren, with hills scattered around here and there. For the most part it seemed they were in some kind of flatland, but off in the distance there was a rather intimidating range of mountains, and he was fairly certain that the tallest peak, the one dead in the center, was a volcano. There was a steady stream of smoke billowing from the top, clouding the sky and making the day much darker than it should have been. The ground was barren and brown for as far as he could see, pockmarked with craters with a sparse spattering of trees here and there. It truly looked like a desolate location. Though, from what he could tell, there seemed to be a large body of water a few miles off to the north.

He looked back down to Mammoth and sighed. The larger stallion’s breathing was steady at least, if a bit softer than he would like. If he was going to make any more progress, he was going to have to get him to that body of water. That was the only place he was certain to find what he needed to help the guide recover more quickly. The only problem with that was that Mammoth was much larger than himself. Carrying him outright wasn’t an option, there was no way he had the strength for that. Carrying him via magic was possible, but only for short distances. The strain that would put on his strength wasn’t advisable, especially if he ran into any trouble along the way. The only other option was to put together some kind of sled and drag him.

Starshine spent the next couple of hours putting together such a sled, using dried wood and vines from the swamp to fashion it together. When it was done, he looked over his work. It wasn’t the best that could have been made, but it would suffice for now. The guard slowly levitated Mammoth onto the makeshift sled, stepped in front of it, picked up the lead in his mouth, and began the long journey to the body of water.

It was very slow progress, and the hours of the day seemed to tick by just as slowly. The sun beat down on him relentlessly, and it wasn’t long before a lather had worked it’s way over his body from his sweat. He had placed the saddlebags on the sled as well, and he was grateful for his foresight. Hauling those along with pulling Mammoth would have resulted in him chafing, and possibly even wearing away his fur and skin. He was determined to reach his destination, though. The final moments of the fight from the previous night still ran through his mind.

He should have been able to do something more to protect his friends. He should have known that something like this could have happened. But he had been arrogant, thinking that escaping their attackers would have given them enough time to regroup properly. But his fatigue had blinded him to the determination of the pursuers, and had cost him dearly. Now his charge had been kidnapped, and their guide had been badly poisoned. He had managed to save himself from any harm, yes, but that didn’t matter. He had to get Mammoth well again so that they could rescue Vertigo.

That was all that mattered.

The sun was just starting to dip below the horizon when the body of water began to come into clearer focus. He was only about a mile away now, but his body was screaming at him for rest. He wasn’t sure how long he had been pulling Mammoth along like that, but he was sure it had to have been at least five hours. The stallion hadn’t stopped once during the entire journey, determined to make it there as quickly as possible.

He steadied himself and pushed on. He was too close to quit now. His perseverance paid off soon enough, and after another hour of walking he reached the beach to what he soon discovered was a lake. Thick, shale like black rocks covered the beach, and he had to carefully step over each one. They were sharp and jagged, and he knew that a slip here could result in a much greater injury than he wanted.

When he finally made it to the water’s edge, he looked on in disbelief. The water looked stagnant, a putrid green that didn’t moved. There were no ripples, no signs of life under the surface, and no plant life around it’s edges. Had he come this far for nothing?

The night air began to drop in temperature, turning cold very quickly. In but a few moments he began to see his breath cloud in front of him. Starshine gritted his teeth and looked around. He had come too far to give up now, but he wasn’t sure what he could next. The water wasn’t consumable, that much was clear. Though, there was something strange about it. He couldn’t smell any stagnation, nor any kind of toxic contamination. The water was just still and sickly green, not even moving in the breezes that flowed past him.

He was starting to worry. This place wasn’t right; there was something magical about it. He could feel the tingle in the air, like a static charge that shocked his own aura from time to time. His eyes darted around in panic. He was starting to understand. This was a gathering place for the dead. A place for spirits to meet and converge with the living world.

The moon slowly made it’s way to the apex of the sky, and a deep howl echoed around the lake. He had to get out of here. He quickly picked the lead of the sled back up and began to pull Mammoth as fast as he could. The temperature continued to drop, and the howl picked up in intensity. The pitch changed from wind blowing to the sound of thousands crying out in pain. Starshine desperately looked around him for any signs of danger. He wasn’t moving fast enough. If he didn’t get out of there soon, then the dead would consume him.

The lead to the sled broke, the vine having reached its limit, and Starshine tumbled forward. The shale sliced at his body like razors as he slid through it. The guard cried out in pain and stood, casting his magic over his wounds to stem the bleeding. The atmosphere was changing dramatically, the wind shifted and blew in what seemed like all directions at once. A green tinge was falling over them, and a deep fog was rolling in.

Starshine was starting to panic. He had never felt power like this before. It wasn’t malevolent, but it was scary nonetheless. He had to get Mammoth out of here, but pulling him on the sled was no longer an option. He slung the saddlebags over his back, lifted the earth pony in his magic, and took off once more. He was moving much faster now, but the strain of using his magic in two different ways like this for an extended amount of time was starting to wear on him. Blood began to spatter from his wounds as he was having to put more and more concentration on carrying the larger stallion.

He ran off to the right, towards a large hill that edged the shale of the lake. He felt like that was where he needed to go. In his panic induced state, he couldn’t explain why he felt like that, but he knew that that is where he would find safety.

The howling increased once more, and his head ached from the constant noise that assaulted him. The edge of the small valley was close. Just a little bit further. Wisps began to fly around him, ghostly apparitions that clawed at him as they passed. Each touch was cold was ice, and only spurned him to move faster. A deep rumble came from the earth, and he was starting to worry he would lose his footing once more. But he pushed on with new vehemence.

He reached the edge of the valley and began to ascend the hill. Once he was clear of the shale, the howling began to die down, and he no longer felt the pull of the spirits around his body. It didn’t take him long to reach the top, and when he did he settled Mammoth onto the ground and looked back over the lake. It was calm once more, and the water glimmered feintly in the moonlight. It was like nothing had happened at all. Even the sled sat unperturbed in the midst of the shale. Was all that he just experienced an illusion?

He felt the pull again, like an urge to keep moving. It felt like something had connected to his magic was trying to guide him even further away from the lake. It was a foreign feeling, something that wasn’t natural that tugged at him. Someone, or something, had locked onto his presence and was trying to bring him to them. Starshine cast about frantically, hoping for some kind of sign as to what was calling to him, but he saw nothing. The presence, while strong, didn’t feel threatening, and Starshine had no other options.

He levitated Mammoth back into his magic once more, and started to follow the pull. It led him further and further to the east, and the closer he got to it’s source, the calmer he felt. It was like a siren’s call, beckoning him to a salvation he wasn’t sure existed. As he walked, he cast back over his knowledge of the dragon territories. He had never heard of any kind of strong magic in these lands. There had never been any reports of it, in fact. He knew that the dragons were usually very cautious about magic in the first place. They held a natural resistance to it, and were wary of what it could do. So why would there be such a strong magical feeling all the way out here in the middle of their land?

Starshine continued to follow the pull of the magic. He wasn’t sure how long he traveled as he followed its call. He found he was unable to concentrate on the moon above him, but as he travelled, the sky began to lighten. He reached the edge of a dense forest just as the sun began to crawl it’s way up over the horizon.

He stopped at the edge of the thick woodland and furrowed his brow in curiosity. A forest as large and sprawling like this should have been something he could see from where he was the previous morning. Or, if nothing else, there should have been something about it in the reports from previous explorers of the land. But nothing had ever held any mention of it. As far as he knew, the only forested land in the dragon territories had been what they had traveled through when they first entered.

His trepidation only grew as the pull of the magic became stronger. It was urging him into the trees, begging for him to continue following it. Starshine looked to Mammoth. The earth pony still slept soundly, wrapped in his magic and hovering about a foot to his right. The unicorn was weak, though. He had nearly drained all of his magic bringing the earth pony here, and his wounds ached from the distance he had traveled. Blood coated his fur from the shale that had cut into him, but at least he wasn’t bleeding anymore. He felt drained, like he might collapse from loss of blood and exhaustion both.

After a moment’s more of hesitation, he decided that he might as well keep pushing forward. Whatever was calling him was going to be better for him than should he collapse on the edge of the forest and fall prey to whatever creatures roamed this land. It wasn’t long after he began his trek into the forest that he found himself on a path, beaten and wide enough to easily follow. Starshine found his travelling to be much easier from this point on, the woods alive and bright with the sound of animals scurrying about. The atmosphere was almost mystical, and the air sparked with magic so old that it wasn’t recognizable to him.

He could feel the energy of the woods pouring into him, revitalizing and recharging his magic. He had never experienced anything like this before. He didn’t even know that something like this could exist! Usually if a unicorn’s magic was drained, it could take days for it to build back enough for them to make use of it once again. But Starshine could feel his magic returning with every step he took further into the forest.

He had been walking for only half an hour or so when he suddenly felt the magic pull away from him. No longer being guided by its pull, he stopped dead in his tracks and looked around. He had no clue where he was, other than stuck in the middle of this forest. He was just about to pick up and start moving again when a figure stepped out onto the path in front of him. Starshine immediately felt his breath taken away.

She was an immaculate creature, standing just a little over a head taller than him and thin as the branches of any tree. Her coat was a lustrous brown, her chest white as snow. Her legs were long and thin and ended in cloven hooves, her muzzle short, and her large ears were pitched forward. Her nose was nothing more than a black slash above her mouth, and even though she looked down on him with more apathy than curiosity, she was still stunning to behold. Her brilliant blue eyes regarded him coolly as she approached.

“Why are you here?”

The question, spoken firmly and leaving no doubt that he was to answer quickly, hung in the air for a moment before Starshine processed it. He took a step forward and shook his head, “I don’t know, to be honest. I was by the lake with the spirits, and then I felt this magic-”

She immediately took a step forward and narrowed her eyes at him, “You were at the Veil and yet you made it out with your life?” A soft, blue glow formed around her eyes and soon Starshine felt a magical pulse around his body, searching him all over. “Who are you?”

The unicorn blinked and cleared his throat, then motioned to Mammoth in his field of magic. “My name is Starshine. I came here with a friend to help find her lost husband, but we were attacked. She was taken from us and our guide was injured.” He looked at her curiously, “I don’t know what brought me here. It was some kind of magic that led me here.”

The creature before him sighed and shook her head. “Very well.” She turned from him and motioned with a hoof down the path. “Bring your friend and we shall see to him. Be warned, traveller. No outsider has visited the land of the Deer in well over a millennium.”

Starshine nodded his acceptance and followed silently, Mammoth floating beside him in his magical field. The walk was spent in silence, and the unicorn wondered just what he had gotten himself into. He had never heard of deer before, which was strange because most every sentient species was recorded in the Canterlot archives. How could a race with such a strong magical presence have been overlooked? Even if they were so far outside of Equestrian borders? None of this made any sense.

He didn’t have to wait long before the forest started to clear somewhat, and a large, sprawling city spread out before him. Starshine stopped and his mouth fell agape as he looked on in wonder. He couldn’t help but to wonder, once again, how something like this could have fallen below the radar of the likes of Princess Celestia. The deer who was guiding him stopped and looked over her shoulder with a smirk, “Welcome to Schalhara, the city of the Deer.”

Author's Note

Sorry for the wait on this one. Getting sick is awful, but I powered through it the best I could! Now then, enjoy chapter five everyone.