Redux: Lineage

"So, you're finally back?" Annerose asked, leaning over the chair she was sitting in as I approached the group again. "Learn anything knew while you were away?"

"I made a friend who can talk to trees," I said with a nod, sitting down on a chair and smiling.

The three of them looked back and forth between one another, mouths open and eyes displaying a beyond-confused look before Zane shrugged.

"I believe him," he nodded. "Were they nice?"

"Very nice, good conversation as well," I smirked. "But I also remembered something before I met my friend."

"Which was?" Grael asked.

"Situational objectivity versus personal preference regarding said situation," I answered.

"A good outlook to have if one is gazing down the right path of it," Grael nodded contentedly. "So what, pray tell, path did you gaze down?"

"Teleporting to the Emerald Forests is objectively the best way to go about it," I said, leaning back in my chair, only for Annerose to lean forward and pet me on the head.

"Good boy," she said with a smile, standing up and inhaling. "So, are we ready to get ready?"

"So soon?" Grael asked.

"Well, if we're not travelling, we don't have much to prep for, right?" she asked with a hand gesture. "So the sooner there, the sooner back, no?"

"Can't argue with that," Zane said, getting up from his seat and making his own moves. "I'm gonna take a visit to the armoury real quick. Need to get something better suited for fighting in the treeline than a zweihander."

"Right, while you do that, I'm gonna go square everything away with... someone who knows how to teleport," I shrugged, getting up from the table and stretching my arms out. "See you soon."

"Right, have fun," Annerose said with a wave, leaning down and scratching Grael beneath the chin.

I made my way back into the castle, checking the barracks for Celestia only to find that she'd disappeared at some point, being informed by the guards that she'd left to take care of other things. That left Luna, Twilight, or my mother. I imagined they'd made themselves scarce since I'd last seen them, which made me realise that I'd never asked my mother about what she'd disappeared for ages ago.

I played a fun tracker's game as I attempted to look for Luna, covering nearly every square inch of the castle before being told by one of the scribes that worked in the record hall that all four of them had made themselves scarce for the day; Luna disappearing to some kind of tournament, Celestia returning to Winter's Maw, Cadance going off to see about 'brothel business', and Twilight having gone to the far east after being contacted by an old research partner regarding an ancient civilisation she was looking for.

"So... do we know any other mages strong enough to teleport four people thousands of miles?" I asked, tapping my fingers together.

"Not off the top of my head," they answered, going through the calendar for the past days and those beyond this one. "Ah, here's someone who may help."

"Truly?" I asked.

"Yes, Twilight had scheduled her for a meeting, also regarding a research pact the two have been working on for a good few years now but... well, pardon the rudeness, with Twilight being Twilight, she sprinted off to another part of the world and completely forgot about her arrival," he explained.

"And she would be?" I asked.

"Celana, the court mage from Winter's Maw," he answered. "Are you familiar with her?"

"In a way, yes," I nodded, rather surprised to be running into her so soon. "Thank you, my friend."

"You're very welcome, Your Majesty," he said with a bow. "You'll find her occupying Twilight's lab."

I thanked him once more, heading through the maze of corridors down the lower levels of the castle. The reason why Twilight's lab had been constructed in the most isolated dungeon level of the castle was due to the fact that if something were to explode, there was less of a chance of death than if it did on the higher floors, due to nothing falling downwards onto the lower levels. But if the explosion were to be enough to destroy an entire castle... well, then it didn't really matter what floor it was on, did it?

I knocked loudly on the door before entering, fidgeting with my belt as it got caught on my shirt, just before I heard Celana call out to me.

"You can keep your pants on, young prince, I told you one time was all you're getting," she said from behind a stack of withered old parchments.

"You should be so lucky," I scoffed, straightening and flattening my shirt before looking up at the white-haired mage. "I'm here to ask a favour of you."

"So long as you're willing to trade favours, I'll be more than willing to listen," she said, scrawling something down after examining an alchemic decoction she held in her hand.

"I figured since you're a guest in my house, you'd do as you're told before I kick you out," I shrugged, leaning against one of the desks and locking eyes with her.

"My, my, haven't we gotten brave in these past few months?" she asked, setting down her notes and sauntering over to me. "No change in stature, no change in power, and no major change in equipment, but the young boy still thinks that's all he needs to mouth off to me, does he?"

She ended up grabbing a handful of my shirt, pushing me back onto the desk as she straddled my waist, glaring at my with angry red eyes.

"Maybe I should remind him why I'm a mage even the Alicorn ask to have at their side when trouble comes knocking?" she questioned.

"Or maybe-" I began, snaking my hands over her hips and grabbing as much of a handful as I could of her enormous ass, squeezing softly and getting a small groan from the older woman. "You could make yourself useful to me again and do as I ask?"

She continued to glare at me, her eyes trailing down from mine to my chest, then down to where my hands were massaging her backside, and then back up to my eyes with a much softer expression on her face.

"Hmph... you were good enough to me last time..." she said, her lips pursed in a pondering expression before sighing loudly. "Oh, what could it hurt? You wanna fuck me again, big boy?"

"Maybe some other time," I said, wanting to stay focused on the task of restoring the sword. "Right now, I need you to help me get where I need to be."

"You're turning me down?" she asked, toying with my lower lip with the tip of her finger, a pouting expression on her face. "You have changed, haven't you?"

"Celana?" I asked. "Are you going to help me?"

"I already told you; I'll help you if you help me," she said, pressing her breasts into my chest as she leaned forwards. "So what's your answer?"

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"I need a field exploration team, want somebody that isn't me to go diving into some ancient ruins to look for a big hunk of metal a source of mine said was there," she said, her lips mere centimetres away from mine. "You do that for me, and not only will I help you with whatever you need... we can talk about making booty calls a more than regular thing. What do you say, handsome?"

After I'd fallen for it once, I could see what she was doing plain as day. Trying to get my dick hard and my mind muddled with the promises of sex so that I'd go running off into whatever dangerous situation she couldn't be bothered to risk her own hide doing. It had worked wonders in Winter's Maw, and the sex was more worth it than the actions I'd performed to get it, but I wasn't about to throw my own plans to the side just to get a go on her again.

"Tempting, but I'll make a counter offer," I said, continuing to stare into her magma red eyes.

"Oh?"

"You help me first, and then I'll do two favours for you when I come back," I offered. "Sound fair?"

"Come back?" she questioned. "Come back from where?"

"I need you to teleport my friends and I to the Emerald Forests," I answered. "I'm looking for help from the Elves to restore an ancient Alicorn weapon I found in Heimili's cave after we beat her."

"That's quite a task. If you were anyone else, I'd say to forget about it and to move on, but you're a very persuasive little Alicorn with a certain-" she purred, poking my crotch with a well-manicured nail, giggling as she did so. "Draw to you as a person... I'm sure you'll be able to get them to help you."

"I'll try my hardest... but first, you need to help me," I said. "Do we have a deal?"

"I teleport you and the rest of your crew to the Emerald Forest, and then you do two jobs for me when you come back?" she asked.

"Yes," I nodded.

"I'll agree, if I can remove a part of the bargain?"

"Which is?"

"If I do you first, you don't get to fuck me when you finish my job," she added. "That something you're willing to live with?"

She was still playing a good hand, would've had all of the cards she needed to win if she wasn't dealing with a man who had the game rigged for him. If I was some other little loser with a sword, a shield, and a huge libido, she might have been able to use that threat to get me to change my mind, to do whatever it took to get her to so much as step on my face.

But she was forgetting something: I had other options. The first time I'd slept with her, I'd done so because she was a new dish at a table I'd never eaten before. I'd sampled the offer, enjoyed it thoroughly, but wasn't so desperate as to throw myself onto a bed of nails to taste it again. Especially not when I had my own reserved table with all my favourite foods already there. If I got a little pent up, I had my mother, Twilight, and probably even Luna there to help me work out the stress.

So Celana could wave her sexuality around as much as she wanted to, because even if that platter was taken off the menu, I still had a preferred tray of dishes I could devour to my heart's content whenever I wanted. So, with a smug grin and as condescending an attitude I could muster, I gave me answer:

"Sure thing, sweetie," I chuckled. "We're planning on going soon. Do you want to wrap up what you've got going on here and meet us at the western courtyard in, say, an hour?"

Celana glared at me furiously, knowing full well that I wasn't the useless horndog I'd lead her to believe I was before, and gritted her teeth at the fact her plan to get what she wanted, whenever she wanted had failed like a warship made of parchment. The anger was present for a long moment, but something seemed to melt away from her after another, longer moment. When the reply came, she'd shifted to a more distant, less-intimate sitting position, but now she'd leaned forward once again.

She sat comfortably on me, still pressing her breasts into my chest as she spoke again, having dropped the feminine allure tone and speaking in what I imagined was her normal voice for the first time since I'd met her:

"Alright then, Richter, you've got yourself a deal," she nodded, then hopping down from her sitting position and straightening her clothing out. "But know that I'm gonna work your ass down to the bone when you get back for making me wait. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am," I nodded, getting off the table she'd shoved me on and heading towards the door. "Do you want me to bring you back a present as a gesture of goodwill?"

"If you can get me one of their Sungsteel daggers, I'd be more than grateful," she nodded, returning to her work and not bothering to look at me anymore. "If you can get that, I'll think about not sending you to a death trap for my second favour."

"Righto then," I chuckled, heading out the door. "See you in an hour!"

"See you then, Richter," she called back, the change in attitude being rather jarring.

The hour went fast thanks to the preparation, all four of us dressed in more exploration-focused gear; thicker clothing, belts with a pouch or two, knapsacks with a few supplies, and weapons. I noticed the lack of a zweihander on Zane and instead a bearded axe fastened to his belt with a large, curved, and sharpened blade made of unpolished grey steel.

"Going logging, are we?" I asked him, pointing at the axe.

"Wanna go for practicality as well as combat ready," he nodded, unhooking the axe from his belt and lightly spinning it in his hand for a moment. "An axe is as good a tool as it is a weapon."

"What about you, Anne, you packed anything practical?" I asked her.

"Just this-" she said, reaching up her sleeve and pulling out a hunting knife.

"You too, eh?" I asked, reaching into my own sleeve and unsheathing the knife I kept strapped to my wrist when adventuring.

"Learned from the best," she nodded, sheathing her knife once more before looking at Grael. "You bring anything?"

"Teeth, warmth, and the highest level of intelligence in the entire group," he nodded.

"And an attitude," Annerose said, rolling her eyes as she stood up straight once again. "Right, you mentioned Celana was meant to be showing up?"

"I imagine she wants to be fashionably late," I shrugged, looking around the courtyard for any sign of the white-haired mage. "Those royal court folk like their entrances."

"I'm shocked you'd say such mean things about me, Richter," came Celana's voice from behind us. "After how nice I've been to you all this time."

We turned around, seeing the mage dressed in her usual tight pants, crop top, and boots, the sheer level of cleavage on display making Annerose turn slightly red and avert her eyes.

"Are we all ready to depart?" she asked, cracking her knuckles as she came to a stop in front of us.

"Indeed we are," I nodded, looking at the other three. "Are we missing anything?"

"Besides a competent leader, we've got all we could want for the trip," Annerose smirked, shooting me a sideways glance.

"Ha-dee-fucking-ha, Anne," I said, looking at Celana once more. "You sure you can handle a teleportation spell that'll chuck us so far?"

"About as well as you can handle a sword, Richter," Celana said, her eyes lighting up white and her hand beginning to crackle with magical energy. "Make sure to bring me my souvenir."

"I will," I sighed as she threw her hand outwards, cutting open a portal in the air that swirled and crackled with magical energy.

"And remember your promises?" she questioned.

"Yes, mother, I'm well aware of them," I groaned, moving the others through the portal before I followed behind.

With that, the familiar sounds and scents of the Canterlot castle disappeared, being replaced with a foreign aroma of thick foliage, unique and beautiful birdsong, and a cool breeze blowing through the astonishing forest we found ourselves in. Some of the trees around us were nearly as thick as houses, reaching hundreds of feet up into the air and creating canopies that blocked out all forms of natural light, the world around us only illuminated by enormous... glowing fruit that hung from the branches of said trees.

"Holy fuck," Annerose said in an amazed tone. "This... this is incredible."

We continued to look around for a long moment, picking up the sound of streams bubbling in the distance, even more types of birds that I'd never heard before, and an aura of tranquillity radiating through every inch of this beautiful place. I placed a hand on one of the giant trees, feeling a natural warmth that seemed to shine out from the very core of it, the mere sensation of it's heat bringing wave after wave of peace over me.

Grael padded around the area we'd landed in, sniffing the air and ground as he caught wind of a large amount of new scents, all of them things he'd never experienced before. It was such a beautiful place with a beyond-divine feeling that it took us all a good few minutes to realise something...

"Where the fuck are we?" Annerose asked, turning around on me with a questioning expression.

The question hit me about as hard as a launched brick, as I did indeed realise I hadn't really given Celana a precise location. Fuck, I didn't know a precise location. I guess I could've said Elven capital or something, but the thought hadn't really occurred to me.

"Also, random question," Zane spoke up. "Why didn't you ask the other Selana to teleport us here? Or Sanguine? The people that owe you a life-debt and wouldn't have made you broker a deal with them to do so?"

"You did remember they were at the castle, right?" Annerose asked.

I didn't answer.

"Right?" she growled in a furious expression.

I laughed nervously.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" she exploded, grabbing me by the collar and glaring daggers at me. "Instead of going to the literal Goddess that can do all and knows all to ask her for a simple favour, you went to some snow-white bimbo and pretty much sold your fucking soul to her... and the only thing you got out of it was getting everyone else lost?!"

I laughed nervously again.

She proceeded to shove me to the ground and storm off into the treeline, ranting angrily about how much of an idiot I was and that she couldn't believe I was going to be a ruler some day.

"Not for nothing, buddy," Zane said as he gave me a hand back to my feet. "But you are a bit of an idiot for that one."

"I... I know," I sighed, cursing myself mentally for it before taking a deep breath. "Alright, it may have been a stupid decision... but objectively we're here in the forest without much hassle and our destination can't be too far away. Not to mention we're not dead and not in danger."

"I suppose," Grael said, padding after Annerose. "Come on, let's get her back before she screams the entire forest down."

We went after the ranting woman, using her extremely loud voice to track her to a huge, crystal blue lake, the beauty of which even caused her to stop ranting and raving about my idiocy. There was an enormous waterfall on the other side of the lake, easily a mile away from where we were standing, and there was a perfect view of all the animal life that inhabited these woods as they drank from the lake.

"Holy shit," I muttered, still stunned by the surrounding area. "I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful before in my entire life."

"I can't think of anything that could even rival such perfection," Grael said, looking at his reflection in the still surface of the lake, seeing himself as clearly as he would if looking in a mirror.

"So... once we get done admiring the scenery, does anybody have a plan to get us to the capital?" Annerose asked, walking over to us and glaring at me with the epitome of spite.

"Let me think..." I said, trying to think of all the tips and tricks I knew for finding civilisations. "Can't follow a river downstream as I can't see a river, forest is too big to try and find a populated deer track that hunters would use, trees are too big to climb and look down from to see buildings..."

"So we're fucked, aren't we?" Annerose asked.

"We're not fucked," I said, shooting her an annoyed look. "We're just-"

"-hopelessly lost?" she cut in.

"Grael, can you smell anything that might lead us somewhere? Clothing, cooked meat, even an outhouse?" I asked the Direwolf.

"As it stands, I don't know the scent of trees from the scent of dung in this forest," he said with a defeated tone. "I'm afraid my nose isn't going to be much help here."

"So then we're just going to have to pick a direction, walk in it, and hope we don't run into-" I began to say, only a sudden blinding pain to enter my skull, a screaming noise almost blow out my ear drums, and then not only myself, but all the others lost consciousness instantly.

We hit the floor like sacks of potatoes with no idea who, or what, had just knocked us all out in less than a second.