Firekeeper

The next morning Trixie and Loreane were busy practicing their pyromancies. Silver Spoon and Babs sat off the side and watched as the two duked it out, agni kai style. Trixie started with a fireball and throwing it directly at Loreane, who responded with a magical conjured shield. The fireball disintegrated on contact as if it was never there.

Loreane then threw two fireballs of her own back at Trixie. The unicorn rolled wto the side quickly, and with great flexibility managed to throw a fireball near her partner. When Trixie recovered she saw her fireball went right over Loreane who actually stood still wide open and followed the fireball with her head as it landed harmlessly behind her. The woman sighed facepalming while Silver and Babs were snickering at Trixie’s failed attempt to fireball.

Trixie frowned at the two fillies stomping the ground in a childish manner.

“You two shush! The Great and Powerful Trixie will smite you both!”

Silver was the first to recover rubbing her wet eyes from laughing so hard.

“Yeah, Trixie… Heh, I’m sure you would!” Silver chuckled.

“Yeah,” Babs wrapped an arm around Silver Spoon for support as she tried to stifle her own laughter. “I bet you’z would go right over our heads to!”

“Now, that’s enough out of you two,” Loreane scold the fillies.

Both Silver and Babs lowered their heads shamefully as the woman continued to scold them with a stern tone.

“You shouldn’t make fun of someone just because they messed up!” She waved her finger scoldingly at them.

Loreane then stood upright and turned on the fillies and kept going on with her rant. While Babs made overly exaggerated motions behind her.

“Honestly, children. You have so much to learn yourselves. Silver you still haven’t mastered your basic miracles yet. You still have much more to learn yet, and Babs,” Loreane facepalmed. “Don’t even get me started on your, technique.”

Suddnely Babs stoppedand glared up at the woamn blushing at being called out. Her old Manehattan attitude started to rise from it’s slumber as she huffed.

“Hey! Mah technique is fine!”

“You brutally and mindlessly swing your hammer around like a mindless brute with no thought behind what you’re doing,’ Loreane said coldly to the filly.

Babs cold feel he Manhattanite pride coming to the surface. She drew her hammer and took it in both hooves poised and ready to fight.

“I’ll show you my technique is fine the way it is!”

Loreane sighed shaking her head again. She kneeled down and picked up a short stick, no longer than ten inches and stood in a traditional sword dueling stance. Her feet were spread wide and one handheld the stick forward facing Babs while the other was behind her back.

Babs charged the Fire Keeper and with one mighty swing tried to strike her. The Fire keeper watched as Babs let go with one arm and used her left arm with the swing but held the hammer handle a the very end of the shaft. Seeing this Loreane jumped up over the hammer as it passed uselessly under her. Using her bigger size and weight compared to the filly she stomped down on the hammer forcing it down to the ground.

Babs gasped and tried to force the hammer back up with all her might. Loreane stepped off the hammer as it swung upright, since Babs used more force to counter the weight of Loreane but wasn’t there, the hammer flew up into Babs and swung wildly in the air above her. Babs quickly lost balance and tried to regain control of herself only feel a sudden sharp pain as the stick suddenly swatted her across the face. Babs yelped and fell to the ground dropping her hammer at her side as Loreane stood over her with a sad expression.

Babs glared up at her then averted her gaze realizing she’d been utterly humiliated. She saw Silver Spoon run towards her and sat down next to her. The grey filly reached for her. Babs begrudgingly allowed the help.

Loreane stared down at the filly shaking her head. With a quick gesture to the weapon she said to Babs, “This is what I meant Babs. You need to improve. You couldn’t even hit me.”

Babs folded her ears back flinching at her humiliation, but Silver Spoon offered a more supportive approach.

“I thought you did just fine. I mean, you did save me from those awful things in Ponyville.”

Babs felt her spirit rise at the grey fillies words. Her feeling of shame was now gone and she felt herself feel energized. Getting up Babs lifter her hammer and gently pushed Silver Spoon to the side and got into a wide stance with the hammer in both her hooves.

“Ahm ready for round two,” Babs declared.

Loreane smiled and walked behind Babs. She looked the filly over to asses her. Loreane put on foot between Baby's legs and pushed them further apart, she then reached for her shoulders and pushed down making Babs go into a lower posture that was more steady before returning to face the fill from the front.

“Babs, your problem is a simple one,” Loreane explained. “You are too worried about mobility.”

Babs cocked her head dropping her hammer head to the ground so she didn’t have to hold the full weight of it in her hooves.

“What do you mean?” Babs asked.

“When you fight with this type of weapon, you need to rely on your armor,” Loreane said tapping Babs chest plate. “Invest in your armor, and it will take care of you when you need to.”

Babs looked down at her chest armor. She rubbed a hoof over the silver metal and wondered just what Loreane meant. Seeing the fillys confusion plastered ove rher face Loreane walked over to Silver Spoon and asked to borrow her dagger. Giving the small dagger from her belt to Loreane Silver Spoon went and sat beside Trixie who was watching from her wagon.

Loreane stepped in front of Babs and unsheathed the dagger, making Babs flinch. Loreane made no sudden movements but took the dagger and slowly applied the sharp pointed tip against her armored chest.

“This armor is your life Babs Seed. It became your life along with this weapon the moment Ponyville was invaded,” Loanee said tapping the dagger against the armor plate. “When you fight, you need to rely on your armor for protection so you can focus on striking your opponent's. A weapon like this hammer requires you to sacrifice your mobility for adequate protection.”

Babs nodded taking the woman's words to heart. Silver Spoon listened intently as Loreane continued to instruct Babs.

“This is callered armored warfare Babs. You need to use your armor to make up for your lack of speed and deliver decisive blows to defeat your enemies, but this also means you need to be quick and assess what and who you’re facing.”

“If you aren’t careful and rely on your armor too much you will grow complacent and then your armor will eventually fail you,” Loreane knelt beside Babs and rested her hands on the fillys shoulders and looked her directly into the eyes. “Take care of your armor, use your head, and keep a level head in battle and you will survive.”

Babs nodded silently at the Fire keeper’s words, when Trixie’s voice caught both their attentions.

“You’re forgetting something just as important Loreane,” Trixie said walking up beside her and Babs with Silver in tow.

Both Loreane and Babs glanced at the blue mare and grey filly with befuddled looks. Then as quick as lightning both Silver Spoon and Trixie leaped into the two others hugging them and knocking them over into a pile.

“You need to let your friends help you,” Silver Spoon said nuzzling Loren and Babs with Trixie.

Suddenly there was a snapping noise that caught their attentions. Splitting apart they each prepared for the possibility of a confrontation. Silver grabbed her fallen dagger, Babs got her hammer ready, Loreane cast a fire spell in both hands and held them ready, while Trixie held a fire spell on her hoof and eyed the trees around them.

The group was now back to back in a tight circle. They scanned the area around them looking for any signs of life. A bush rustled and all eyes trailed on it as something shuffled inside it. The ponies and human felt their bodies tense up, their hearts raced, as they watched ready to strike.

Slowly they spread apart and surrounded the large bush from all sides. With great care Babs approached the bush and readied her hammer by lifting it over her head ready to bring it down on anything that came out of the brush.

And it did.

Out from the brush came a furry creature. It stood on its hind legs with smaller paws hanging under its belly. It was a big one too, it’s ears were as tall as it’s body, maybe just shorter, and it had large razor sharp buck teeth large whiskers, beady little eyes and a large fluffy tail. Perhaps it’s most noticeable feature were the large antlers on its head. It leaned back and yawned ruffling it’s ears before looking at the group and sniffing the air around them as they sighed in relief at the creature.

The group sighed in relief that it was just a small creature. Trixie noticed it off the bat, it was a jackalope. A rare breed of rabbits with antlers on their heads. Supposedly they were good at foraging that ancient pony and griffin cultures used them for gathering and finding edible foods.

Silver Spoon nearly gushed at the cute critter dropping her dagger and ran over to pick it up. She lifter the little jackalope and pet his tiny head making him smile and nuzzle her. Babs gaged, while Trixie and Loreane felt their hearts melt at the tender sight. Then suddenly, the critter began to chirp loudly. The group was caught off guard by this they didn’t notice the rustling bushes around them.

Then a series of whistling sounds were heard by the group as the each felt a tiny prick in their necks. One by one the group passed out. Loreane managed to see their assailants just before she slipped into darkness. Three armored figures emerged from the brush deep in the forest and spoke in a strange language she didn’t recognize. Their armor however she did recognize, a tribe of warriors based on honor and combat. They were well know throughout the world and their master who was a great warrior poet, and scholar who passed on in battle many ages ago and brought up a warrior tribe that has lasted for generations.

The Knights of Alonne.