The Hunter

The sound of popping embers, the feeling of warm flames burning wood, and the smell of cooked potatoes and well-done rabbit legs made the night felt more relaxing from the long walk. By my side was Wyndbain chewing on a piece of bone from our hunt for tonight's dinner with a black dragoness sitting on the opposite side of the fire, across from us, staring at us with those golden eyes of hers. Cynder, that was the dragoness’ name. Her underbelly scales were a dark violet color that resembles the color of wine, small glyphs (what I believe) marked both her rears they share the same makes having a shaded eye in the middle with violet glowing symbols around the eye. I had asked about the glyphs on her rear but all she said it was nothing but a birthmark that dragons used to pick on her about resembling the cutie marks that ponies had, can’t help to feel sorry for her about that.

I never knew much about dragons other that knights had fought with them before, they breathe fire, greedy, bigger than a two-story house, and having hard scales and hide that not even steel can slice through. It was tempting to not pull out a steel hunter’s knife and test out that last part of steel not being able to harm a dragon’s hide, but the code what kept me in place. All races that are not corrupted or tainted in darkness are not to be harm, those who harm the innocent will be found guilty for the crimes they had committed and will be executed without a single word unless evidence is shown to prove they did not murder an innocent.

“Cazador,” I heard Cynder called out catching my attention from the burning wood to the dragoness. “When will food be ready.” The dragoness sounded like a child wanting something very badly and too impatient to wait. It’s only been a full three minutes and the meat inside the hare’s leg hasn’t even cooked yet.

“Be patient the meat needs to cook more for it to be juicy.” I turned both sticks giving the other side of the hare’s legs to cook. Wynbain had no objection to this as he was too busy chewing the bone in his jaws. The dragoness whined and pout for not getting what she wanted. Do dragons have educations like the ponies and griffons do, my world had education too but it would cost more than five bars of gold for a year of education.

Leaning back against the log a pop sounded out the source was from my back; however, the sound caused the dragoness to look unpleased with the sound and have a worried expression on her face. There’s nothing wrong with popping one's back as it helps relieve the buildup of stress in the bone. I let out a satisfied sigh and stared down at the dragoness waiting for her to either whine or be disgusted. Neither was heard from her as we waited for dinner to be cooked.

‘You know the dragoness been staying up ever since you saved her,’ Wynbain pointed out dropping the bone and scratching his neck with his hind paw. I noticed that this dragoness had small red veins in the white parts of her eyes.

‘Yeah, but I’m not carrying her,’ I told him. Reaching out to the canteen by me, I took a sip of water from it before offering Cynder a drink from it. She held out her hand and I tossed it to her. Without much of a surprise, she caught it and took a sip of it.

After a few minutes had past dinner was ready and Cynder had a water mouth when I told her that. Never have I ever seen a dragon so hungry that they would jump in a fire and take one of the cooked hare’s legs for herself to eat. I managed to snatch mine before any embers and dirt could ruin the meal. Something tells me that I won’t be able to shake off this dragoness and to just deal with it.

I took a bite out of the cooked leg and gazed up at the stars. After dinner, we’ll be heading to Shoe Horse Port where Wynbain and I would be leaving Equestria’s land to the griffon land where that bounty of mine would be enough to buy a place to live and settle down. I know that Gehrman was old and had possibly thought of a retirement after being a hunter for all the years he had spent, but I’m cutting mine short. All the hunts I had were criminals and a rare few exotic creatures that do not earn the rank of being worth hunted by me or those above my rank as a hunter.

Mental note to all who wanted to carry a dragon that’s a few inches shorter than you or taller depending on your size imagine carrying bricks in it to weigh around a hundred ten pounds in your arms. Her scales were smooth as obsidian stone making it comfortable to carry this dragoness...just wish she lost some weight. Reasons for this mental note for carrying a dragon was because how Cynder fell asleep halfway to Horse Shoe Port, I guess she’s not the nocturnal type that sleeps in the day and wakes in the evening.

From Ponyville to Shoe Horse Port would have taken three whole days when taking the path they made, but if you take mine you would get there in two days straight at the cost of danger. Ponies are so complicated when it comes to making a road that takes less time, better soldiers, and lack of environmental control.

‘The scent of ponies are nearby.’ Wynbain’s nose pointed towards the sky as if his nose was like a weapon. We stopped under a tree, I placed Cynder on her side and took off my coat to use as a pillow for her. I rose to my feet and looked down at my weapons. Lifting the straps off and setting both rifles down I glanced at my black vest on the side of my hip was my revolver where I always had it. That gun I did not unarm myself of, I kept it holstered.

‘Let’s see what the little ones got in store for us.’

POV ???

Staring down at the tall figure we waited for him to walk between the four trees where it had happened where he had woken up when he first arrived in Equestria where we had found them. We watched every movement he made looking around up at the trees, searching in the bushes around, staring at the ground, and listening. For what he listens for was us.

We had known all the tricks and his skills. Nopony but us knows how to fight Hunter and Wynbain, they cannot catch us by scent because we covered ourselves in mud, hear us because we were quiet, see us because how we hid in the dark. This human will not know what hit him and that wolf by him won’t be able to warn him of our-

“Silver Glow, Night Light, I know you’re here.” WHAT! “ Venga aquí ahora señoritas.” How did he know we were here? Maybe it’s just a rouse trying to get us out of our hiding spot. “Girls, I know you’re here Wynbain can smell you.”

“Really?” I faced hoof at how my sister had easily been fooled into believing that Wynbain had picked up our scent even though we had covered ourselves with mud. On the opposite branch across from my Night Light flew out and landed beside Cazador, who caught her before she could touch the ground giving my sister a belly rub like he used to do.

I can hear my sister scream and laugh as I watched her squirm in Cazador’s arms as he tickled her until she began to beg. Those hands of his were something to fear of when he has it in the “claw mode” to tickle us, we always run away from him whenever we play Hunter and Prey; a game where there are one or two hunters, depending on how many players, they tag the players or in Cazador’s case tickle them and the rest are prey having to run and return back to the safe area. Hearing my sister scream and laugh gave me the advantage to pounce on the man below me.

“AHHH!” Yelling out my battle scream as I fell on the man below before pounding my hooves on the man’s back. I know it didn’t do much to hurt the man but it did gain his attention and cause him to stop tickling my sister.

“I thought you would do that.” I felt his hand on my back before he pulled me off his back. “Glow, Light, I thought your mother said not to wander out again when I’m not around.”

“But you are around,” I replied back smiling showing him my fangs. He shook his head and set me on his shoulders giving me a better view of my sister cradled in his arms. All of this may look weird to a pony but to us, including mother and father, it’s normal before Cazador had left on multiple bounties for the family. Just wish he won’t leave today, his letter had told us that he would be leaving to the Griffon’s land and be living there. I would miss him if he decides to live on their land.

“Just because I’m around to protect you girls doesn’t mean danger would fear me.” I heard Wynbain behind us bark before he sat at Cazador’s feet. My sister rolled over to her side causing the man to hold her with both his arms as I wrap my forehooves on the side of his head getting a better grip on him.

“Hehe, but you are always fighting against the bad ponies,” Light said staring up at us. I felt Cazador’s shoulder lowered slightly as his hand brushed through my sister’s silver mane. She leaned into his hand causing me to get a bit jealous of her being pet than me.

I snatched Cazador’s hat to get some attention on me and put it on, but with the hat not having any ear holes in it I had to fold my ears down against the sides of my head. The man lifted his head up his silver eyes staring at my crimson ones. A smile formed showing me his white teeth and small fa- canines.

“Enjoying wearing my hat little one?” I nodded my head. Without a warning, I felt his hand lift me up before setting both my sister and me on his shoulders.

“YAY!” Both Light and I cheer having a ride on Cazador’s shoulders. I felt his muscles under my rump move as he turned around and walked towards a tree that had something sleeping under it. Is that a dragon?

On Cazador’s shoulders gave Light and I a better view of things we couldn’t look over like the bushes Miss Clay owns were the pots and other clay arts she made through the windows. Being a filly sucks as you’re small you can’t see over the counter or reach up for something that’s out of hooves reach, but being a batpony I don’t have to worry about this if I use my wings to fly. What is life when you have no wings?

Cazador carried us and a dragon in his arms, who was wearing his coat as it sleeps in his arms, to the house where mother was holding the broomstick in her mouth as she swept dust out the front door. When mother saw us her jaw dropped causing the broom in her mouth to drop. She scolded Light and I about how going out in the dark without father or her being by our side was dangerous and that we should never do that again, but we’ll do it again when Cazador is around.

Inside the House, mom made tea for everypony. Everypony but father, he wasn’t her in Shoe Horse Port because how he’s a member of the Lunar guards keeping those under Luna’s rule safe. Most days after Cazador I had wished for father to visit whenever he can, but he was somewhere in the Crystal Empire where he and those he’s with protecting Equestria.

“Thank you for the tea Mrs.Blade, your tea will always keep me calm and relax.” Cazador’s words caused my mother to smile probably glad to know that he still loves her tea. Mother had always made tea and owns a small Cafe in the town where she serves drinks and breakfast for the other batponies living in this small village.

“You are welcome Cazador,” Mother said sipping on her own tea before speaking again. “I’m glad that my tea would always help.”

“What about the dragon Cazador? You carried her up to the guest room where you slept before you became a bounty hunter,” Light pointed out sipping her tea. I noticed Cazador’s expression changed from calm to i-i-insecure.

“I met her a few hours ago before coming back to Show Horse Port, she was in some trouble with other dragons saying that it’s mating season and if it weren’t for me being woken up by the dragons voices something worse could have happened to her. I’m just glad that dragons don’t know when to use their inside voice when Wynbain and I are around, but that’s how dragons are being a big mouth and coc-overconfident that it makes it easier to intimidate when you show them that their scales can’t protect them from a simple golden bullet.” My eyes were glued to Cazador’s hand, he held his “revolver” up high giving up a view of it before putting it away. Mother nodded but she also glared at the man. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the man as he took another sip.

Most of the time was just questions from my sister and me about his bounties and the places in Equestria he traveled. Mother had taken in the clay cups back to the kitchen and rinsed them out leaving us with both the man and wolf in the living room at the table. Cazador had told us his of his travels how he hunted those who harmed ponies, the monsters her had caught, moments when he was fishing and how a giant fish nearly swallowing him whole, the ponies he saved being a hero to everypony in Equestria, and how he managed to escape the Princess of the Night. We listened closely to every detail was telling, the whole night last all the way to morning.

“Okay, girls it’s time for bed, say good morning to Cazador then go brush your fangs before going to bed.” Mother had to ruin the best part of Cazador’s story when he was telling how he managed to scare off the dragons to save Cynder.

“Do we have to?” I whined not wanting to leave on the best part. Mother gave me the look before sitting across Cazador. Light and I said good morning to Cazador then went upstairs to the bathroom and turned on the faucet.

POV Cazador

After the young fillies went upstairs to the bathroom I closed my eyes and let out a shallow breath then opened my eyes to see Night Shade staring at me with a smile. I couldn’t help but to smile too seeing the mare happy always made me feel glad that what I had been doing was helping the ones that saved us from death was seeing my side of good. Wynbian by my side was napping with his ears resting on his side was Shade and I enjoyed this moment before she spoke.

“How have things been after becoming the “Hunter?” Do ponies sees you have a monster or a hero from all the crimes being prevented, criminals hunted down with no mercy, bounties being taken by a figure, and the news of the Princesses knowing your actions?” Shade asked lying on her side as her magenta eyes staring straight into my silver ones. Chuckling I arching my head back letting it rest on the couch.

“Having my name being translated into English is funny because how my name, Cazador, means hunter in Spanish from the desert dwellers. Some ponies and other species see me as a hero but most of them see me as a monster that only wants to hunt, crime been somewhat low ever since the bandits in Appleloosa were killed, and the princesses…” I frowned knowing that the princess of the night was going to hold a grudge against me and how she could have placed a bounty on my head. “...Let’s just say that the moon should have cut down on eating and become a smooth crescent than a full-fat moon.”

“Cazador!” I felt a pillow hit me square in the chest causing me to look down at the batpony who was smiling as well holding another pillow in her right hoof.

“What, she got a fat ass,” I replied back. Shade threw the pillow at me but I managed to catch it before it could hit me. I retaliated by throwing the pillow back which caught the mare by surprise. She yelped as the pillow collided with her head.

“Heh, well I can’t disagree on that Cazador.” Shade giggled holding a hoof up to her muzzle trying to muffle her giggles but fails to do so. Soon I joined her chuckling as the sounds of hooves upstairs caught our attention causing us to stop our small laugh and look up at the stairs to see two pairs of glowing eyes staring down at us from the railings in the dark, crimson and plum purples. When the girls noticed us staring at them they bolted up their hooves clopping against the wood was clear as day to hear the sound of a door opening upstairs then a thump.

We waited for the girls to return back to their spot but they didn’t give Shade and me some privacy. I took my eyes off the staircase and glanced over at Wynbain, he was fast asleep since his ears didn’t lift up at the sound of the girls. I looked up at Shade to see her staring at me. Shade hopped off the couch and trotted over to a shelf where she pulled out a book with a cover of a silhouetted forest with a wolf in the middle howling up to the moon in the background.

“Is that the book you’re working on releasing?” I asked watching the mare trotting back to the couch. She couldn’t reply back because of the book in her mouth but after she hopped back on the couch she set the book down.

“Yes, the book about all the things you wrote back in the letter of every detail of your hunts and your life back on your world including your time here in Equestria in a distant land,” Shade answered holding out the book in her hooves. I picked up the book and looked at the cover to see the title more clearly.

“Nightmare’s Hunter,” I read out staring at the cover before looking at the side to see a decent size of stack pages that could take a few hours to fully read. Didn’t really think all that talk with her and letters I had sent would give the mare a creative mind and courage on writing down everything I had told her in speech or on a piece of paper. “You planning on publishing this Shade, seeing how some are looking up to me like I’m some hero.”

“Well yes and no,” She said rubbing her hoof on her foreleg. “I was planning on showing it to a famous author but I don’t know where she is and getting an editor is going to be a pain because how most ponies are day lovers and it’s difficult for somepony like I to achieve such a thing. And having a story written about you would bring suspicion to me and my family.”

Seeing Shade breath in and out having a small panic attack was making me worry that she might jump at me and squeeze me to relieve her stress, and let me tell you this mare is not to be judged by her appearance because she has a strong grip and her hugs could be compared to an Ursa Minor. I acted quickly and scooped up the silver charm coated mare in my arms and began to scratch a spot between her ears. The mare in my arms started to calm down breathing easily.

“What am I going to do with you.”