The Hunter

“NOOooo!”

“Light, Glow get off I have to leave! Shade, your daughters are staying up late!” I shouted out at the batpony in the house as I tried to pry off one of the little batponies from my legs. Both Wynbain and Cynder just observed what was happening in front of them watching me as I struggle with the little batponies. Turns out the young batponies stayed up late to eight in the morning listening to Shade and my conversation about the book she had written of my past life how the legend of the “Hunter” came to be. Never have I ever thought that these two little mares would try something like this clinging to my legs and begging me to stay with them for one more day and not leave again, but I couldn’t do that because the head was decaying in a fast pace and having a rotting head is not good to have around the foals especially when the mother knows about the head and wishes that her daughters don’t see it, one that I kinda do not want to enrage or see her fury.

Shade came downstairs having messy bed hair and small bags under her eyes. I know the reasons why she has messy hair was my fault for keeping her awake from sleeping at seven in the morning. Batponies if I recall correctly had two separate types of race, one being vampire or in the ponies’ case vamponies, like actual vampires they don’t eat any food or drink anything except blood from other creatures, the other race, Shade’s race, can be easily compare to the fruit bats having only to feast on fruits and drink water. I was glad that she wasn’t a vampire but I can’t say for sure about Glow as she takes her father side having longer fangs than her sister. The mare looked up at me with tired eyes, her gaze could have been misleading as uncaring but behind that was a glare that says ‘I’m gonna hurt you.’ Rule number one don’t mess with a mother’s child or else you’ll have hell to pay.

“Girls,” Shade’s stern tone caused the little foals and I to freeze. Here comes the mother part. “I’m giving you a count of five seconds to go back to bed if you don’t both you girls will be grounded from flying out at night.”

Quick as a mouse the fillies around my legs bolted up the stairs leaving a trail of themselves around my leg and dust leading up the stairs. Yup don’t anger a mother with kids. My gaze fell upon Shade seeing her tired self, eyeing at me, women don’t wake them from their “beauty sleep” or else you have hell to pay. Her frown slowly turned to a toothy smile as she sat on her rump and turned her head to the left, tilting it slightly.

“You’re not gonna leave a mare with an annoying itch are you?” Shade requested an itch with a question like some she does when this mare finds the chance to puzzle the person’s mind she’ll take it. I rolled my eyes at the mare’s request and scratched her behind the ears where most animals enjoy being petted at. After giving the mare what she wanted I patted her head and turned around to leave.

Not many ponies would be awake at eight in the morning only the early birds would be up before the minute hand reached the sixty-minute mark for the hour, but it’s best to start going at this time around and the airship I’m taking was leaving sooner than expected around nine instead of noon. I managed to know the schedule change because of someone or in this case some griffon if it were not for him notifying me of the change I would have missed it. A man such as I still need allies being alone in a world different than yours and not having allies would be a great disadvantage.

POV Cynder

‘WHY!’ I silently cried inside wanting to demand Cazador why we’re going on this airship early in the morning that not even the ponies around this town are awake. Sleep was all I wanted now, being woken up this time in the morning was not my thing it’s more like a pony thing or something that wakes up early before the sun even reaches the mountains’ peak. I’m just glad that the griffons on this airship didn’t dare to stare me down or else they’ll be nothing more than charred bodies. At least I don’t have to worry about flying over a sea to a new home.

There was something I noticed how the griffons looked at Cazador when he stepped foot, they all gave him smile when he walked by as if they felt comfortable or were glad to see him like they all had met before. Cazador just told me that he and the griffon's on this airship share some quote and quote “History” that he respects them and they respect him. I just wish he would tell him of his past instead of knowing that he’s a strange creature with a fur timberwolf, friends with a batpony family, gains respect with the second greediest creature I know of, and always wearing that mask of his. Today wasn’t the best day to ask about his past since we did meet a day ago with me still owing a debt to Cazador, I guess my dragon code is changed from being a dragoness wanting nothing more than a relaxing life to one who serves under a creature I don’t know of.

“Captain says we’ll be at Auria’s Gale by past noon meaning we have time to rest,” Cazador said setting the things on his back next to the wall before lying down against it. He could have used the other bed across from me and move Wynbain, but I guess there are reasons to why he never did that. My eyes were glued to him, his hat was covering his eyes completely as he just lies there. “Cynder, I can feel your eyes on me.”

I flinched as a pair of silver glowing eyes stared back at me when Cazador lifted his hat a bit. What was this feeling? Am I afraid of him? No, it’s those eyes that are startling behind them felt like a ravenous beast ready to burst through steel chains for its meal. Why did I think of that seeing those eyes as a monster like his pet, both which shares the same eyes?

“Cazador do you always sleep on the floor?” What kind of question was that!? Sure I was scared and needed something to cover it up, but that! That was just a dumb question.

“It’s a bad habit of mine, but yes I do sleep on the floor,” He answered lowering his head down before tilting his hat down. A moment of silence was between us as time began to pass, for once I didn’t want to go back to sleep when it’s this early in the morning what kept me from taking a nap was Cazador. A bad habit of his he says, I’m now curious about his past and the weapons he used to deal with Zook. What was he before he saved them?

My eyes fell upon a book sticking out one of the bag’s pockets, among the whole camping equipment that was the only thing that stood out. I scooted out of my bed and carefully set a paw down. Carefully walking over to the bag by Cazador’s side I reached out a claw and pinched it between my thumb and index finger then pulled it out. My eyes were glued to the sleeping Cazador before I managed to have the book my grasp.

‘Why does this stand out?’ I turned my claw back and saw the title. ‘Nightmare’s Hunter, Is this a story he enjoys reading? Cazador wouldn’t mind if I read this?’

Without wasting any more time I tip claw back to my bed and opened the book to the first chapter.

POV Celestia

“Sister, art thou sure that we couldn’t assist thee in speaking with the Griffon King? Our niece, Cadence, would be able to take care of our royal duties.” Luna tried to persuade me into letting her join me on this meeting with the Griffon King but I could not allow her to come with, the griffon still sees her as Nightmare Moon being responsible for killing a whole town near the sea when she rose the moon to block out the sun causing a tsunami. I do not want them to have the wrong idea if I do bring Luna with me.

“Luna, I know you wish to speak with the Griffon King about the Hunter when the guards discovered the remains of the wanted griffon in the Everfree, but I do not believe the Hunter is under the Griffon King’s command. All of his ‘hunts’ has been going on for six months Luna, and even if he is under the Griffon’s command I highly doubt that during those six months he had harmed any innocent,” I said wanting my sister to remember the past when the Hunter had first revealed themselves in Appleloosa, all those reports from the guards describing that the bandits had been torn apart as if a Forest Sentinel had been there. Luna seemed to be thinking this carefully as we strolled through the halls to the Castle’s entrance where a carriage would be waiting for me.

I can’t really hope that the Hunter would indeed be at the Griffon Kingdom for that bounty but if he does happen to be there during my visit then it would give me the chance on convincing him to help us against the fight at the Crystal Empire where many of Royal and Lunar guards are at defending the Empire. I’m not sure if making a deal would consider him to help us or giving him something that he sees fit for an agreement on helping us. He is a strange creature that my sister and I do not agree with his actions but few of our subjects feel safe around him.

‘May our mother’s blessing give me hope on gaining the Hunter’s trust,’ I silently prayed believing that when the time does come I would be able to convince the Hunter to help us instead of avoiding us. Luna finally collected her thoughts and began to speak again.

“We understand sister…” She turned her head a bit having both her eyes staring directly into my left. “But when thee do indeed come across the Hunter’s path if he happens to be at the Griffon Kingdom can thee send our apologies for Thursday’s incidents? We fear that he holds a grudge against us and would never forget the injury we had caused to him.”

“I will Luna.” I rested a hoof on her shoulder before we arrived at the castle’s front entrance. The guards stationed at the entrance opened the doors allowing me to exit without having to use my magic to open the golden doors. My carriage was ready with two Royal Elites strapped to the carriage and six Dawnbreakers ready to follow and protect their princess. I remember the day in the past centuries when one of the Royal Guards wanted a new rank for when a war comes they would have more skilled and experienced soldiers ready to give their lives to protect the citizens of Equestria and me. Another century after that the Royal Elites wanted another rank being the Dawnbreakers, their devotion to protecting me and forget about love, family, and their entire future for their just for my safety.

One of six opened the chariot door allowing me to climb into the carriage. The guard closed the door and took his place beside the carriage. Soon the two Elites strapped to the carriage began to go into a light trot before flapping their wings. I felt the carriage begin to lift off as the scenery outside the window started to become distant.

‘I hope the elements of harmony don’t get involved in this situation.’

POV Twilight

“Made out of gold, damaged, containing traces of charcoal, sulfur, and potassium nitrate. No traces of magic could be found on this inanimate object meaning it was not used by a unicorn but does not help what the purpose of the object. Found by bones of a griffon, Fluttershy’s animals had described the event before they found the strange gold structure that a creature like minotaur along with a fur timberwolf was there before an explosion sound scared them meaning that it may not or may have been the Hunter,” I read out the small description on my notes as the rest were still being written out on a scroll. This was interesting and astonishing to know that the Hunter had used this small chunk of gold, did not use it for currency, but for some type of projectile like a bolt in a crossbow more about what had sent the gold flying at the speed to cause the metal to bend on the impact of a rock. I had run three test turning bits into the shape of the object that the gold was sharpened into each having interesting results with the speed when using telekinetic force the velocity has to be 450 m/s; meters per seconds. If the Hunter had managed to launch a small chunk of gold without using magic then that means he has something that’s better than a crossbow!

My excitement began to worry the Spike as he was bringing in new quills and scrolls. I know that when my attention is on something that I mostly ignore everything around me and never hear them, but the sight of new scrolls what pulled me away and noticed his expression. I read books on how to tell one’s expression and Spike’s held worry making me stop before I get too carried away with something fascinating.

‘Maybe I’m getting too excited over a small chunk of gold that the Hunter used,’ I thought to myself as I levitated the scrolls and quills to a nearby desk Spike’s worried expression soon began to vanish.

“Twilight do you believe what the Royal Guard had said that the Hunter wasn’t responsible for harming them even though they chased after him in the Everfree forest, what if he was placed under a spell?” That’s the Spike I know of worrying about the impossible from how the ponies around believed that the Hunter placed a spell on the guard telling Princess Luna that it wasn’t him, but a magic detection spell showed that the guard was not under some spell meaning that all that he had told were true how the Hunter was not the one responsible for their conditions in the hospital. That doesn’t explain the escape from last night after the town hall had burned down when in the guards’ station under interrogation being found unconscious with a broken armrest from a wooden chair by the guard’s unconscious body. I know that the Hunter doesn’t want anypony to see him but during that night when the town hall was burning down, almost everypony saw him sadly I didn’t because how nopony would come to me first before the interrogation it would be the perfect moment to ask him questions of what he is.

“Spike,” I called his name placing a hoof on his shoulder making him calm down. “I believe that Luna had already cast a detection spell to see if there was indeed a spell caused on him meaning that every word he said was true and that the Hunter may be innocent that he didn’t attack them, but his actions of saving pony lives don’t make him fully innocent. I can say that Rainbow and Applejack are glad to know that he’s not a villain.”

The last part I whispered to myself but kept it loud enough for him to hear me. Spike nodded finally believing that there was no memory change spell on the guard, if the Hunter did use magic then I would be intrigued on finding out how he can use magic without a horn, enchanted crystal, elemental crystal, or an object with trap magic inside it. The Hunter is the one pon- er I mean creature that I could to study about his species, diet, height, age, culture, magic, and much more that would be a dream for me to know.

A knock on the door downstairs interrupted me from daydreaming.