War Mages & False Prophets

Chapter 4

Introductions, Mysteries and Questions

Braxton took stock of what was a modestly sized living room, filled to what could best be described as 'uncomfortably full'. Crammed in its environs were two female fledglings, seven adult females, two males—including himself, and, much to his surprise, a dragon hatchling who seemed to be some sort of familiar for the mare who had both wings and horn. As eclectic a group as he now found himself in, he mused that the scene before him would've been better served in a inn or a pub rather than a house… which in turn left him wondering what kind of spirits they served in this as-yet unknown world.

Once it was clear that the fillies were safe, their wounds tended thanks to the good Dr. Horse, all eyes turned to the other visitor in the room.

Braxton had not moved from his corner of the room as the pink mare got to her hands and hooves, asking questions in her race’s language as fast as she could rifle them off. Unable to understand or answer her, the human mage remained seated on the floor to make himself as non-threatening as possible, hoping that his next actions would not provoke a violent response and that he could do this to understand as well as be understood.

As they watched, Braxton set three pages of parchment on the floor in front of him. Then he took a moment to read from the two pages he had been working on, carefully checking his spell for errors. Satisfied with the finished product, he recited a separate incantation and the words on the document erupted in a flash of smoke and light;his fingertips began to glow a light blue.

Braxton placed his left hand on the open book he had, before touching the blank pieces of parchment with the glowing fingers of his right. As he did so, words appeared to burn themselves upon the parchment, showing that he had succeeded in what he was attempting… though what the spell was, his slightly nervous observers weren’t sure. His task complete, the glow faded and all his spare writing materials found their way back into the book, which he then refolded down to the pocket size he kept it in for traveling. Knowing he had the room for what he needed to do next, he pulled a small clay ziggurat from a pouch on his belt and set it down. Taking a moment, he begins reading from the parchment, the spell taking shape before it begins to take hold. The ziggurat first shattered upon the spell’s final syllable, and then the parchment burned to a crisp, indicating to him that the magic was at work now.

The room had a palpable silence after the display of spellcasting from the stranger, each of the members of the room perceiving it in different ways, though all couldn’t help but feel some kind of electric charge was in the air, enough to make the fur of their coats stand on end.

For earth ponies like Applejack, Applebloom, Pinkie Pie and Nurse Redheart, it felt like a pulse they could feel in their hooves before it traveled up their bones and bounced back, almost like two strong magnets being attracted to each other while simultaneously trying to keep themselves apart.

For pegasi like Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Scootaloo, they felt it in their wings, almost like a static charge was building up. This caused their wings to stand out somewhat embarrassingly and make it look like they were fluffing up some.

For unicorns like Rarity, and Dr. Horse, they felt it resonate within their horns, the unfamiliar energies reacting with their own auras to send a sudden chill down their spines.

But for an alicorn like Twilight Sparkle, she had to deal with all the sensations that everypony else felt, but all of them at once due to her connection to all three types of pony, leaving her almost overwhelmed, recognizing the great and intricate spellwork he’d just done—a type of magic as of yet unfamiliar to her, but resonating strongly with her own.

For his part, Spike felt little in the way of physical effects, but he did perceive some sort of faint pull in the back of his mind. He only describe it as of like some sort of forgotten memory he couldn’t quite grasp or recall, but he didn't know what to make of it.

If Braxton didn't have much space around him before, the surprised shuffling and shifting back from him when he opened his mouth and spoke to his new hosts would've guaranteed it. "Greetings, gentlefolk. Be at peace, and be assured I mean you no ill will. It is good to see fledglings returned to their families." Braxton's voice was a rich, warm baritone as he looked to all within the room to gauge their reactions.

Applebloom was first to shake off the sheer surprise of hearing the figure speak. “I thought you couldn't speak, mister?” she asked him warily, her hooves still tingling from his spell.

Braxton looked over at Applebloom, warmth in his gaze, "You are correct. I can't speak your language, young one. The spell I cast allows for us to briefly understand each other... at least for the next sixteen minutes."

His gaze then shifted to the pink mare looking him over— less fear than interest—as he stood up, drawing himself to his full height of six feet two inches. "Permit me to introduce myself. I am Braxton Zeddmoore,” he said, bowing low. “And whose company do I have the pleasure of...?"

Uncertain of the new development, the equines didn’t reply right away, whispering among themselves. All, that was, except for Pinkie Pie, who gasped loudly before rocketing out of the cottage at a speed that would've made Rainbow wonder if she wasn't hiding a pair of wings.

While Braxton stood and gave his name in the hopes of gaining those of the his hosts in turn, Nurse Redheart leaned in close to Rainbow Dash and whispered softly to her. "Never seen his like before, but that is one tall drink of water, am I right, Dash?"

"Wing-boner inducing..." Rainbow whispered no sooner than her wings did just that with an audible 'Pomf!', drawing the attention of the other girls while Rainbow blushed and Redheart giggled.

Braxton's eyes caught the movement before his gaze shifted to Dr. Horse. “You have every right not to trust me, given the manner of my appearance,” he offered easily, then tried a different tact, turning fully to Dr. Horse. “Forgive me, good healer, but I believe you had asked me a question when you first arrived. I believe I might be able to answer it now?”

Dr. Horse was taken aback for a moment, but seemed to be recovering quicker than the mares. “Yes, Mr. Zeddmoore. My name is Dr. Horse. And I asked if you were injured along with the young fillies.”

Braxton shook his head before speaking, "No, I am uninjured. But I appreciate your concern and the excellent care you rendered to these fledglings. You are clearly a healer of some skill. And please, all of you can just call me Braxton. Mr. Zeddmoore is my father. I'm just glad I was able to save them from the chimera."

“What in tarnation is a ki-mer-what-now?” Applejack stepped forward to protect Applebloom, interrupting the conversation between Braxton and Dr. Horse. “And is this thing still loose around here?”

Braxton turned his gentle gaze towards Applejack. "No, my good lady, the chimera is dead. Slain by my hand to protect those three fillies. I will need to return to it at first light if I am to get some answers out of it."

“Not alone you aren't, bub,” said Rainbow Dash walking up to Braxton, locking eyes with him and drawing close in an attempt to be authoritarian. “Those woods are dangerous.”

“Like all of you fillies shoulda already known?” She glared at Applebloom in particular, who cringed. “What in the hay were you thinking, going in there alone and wandering off-path?”

While Applejack scolded her baby sister, Dr. Horse turned his attention back to Braxton. "Thank you for taking care of the three fillies, Braxton. All here would agree they can be a handful!" he remarked, looking to each of the two who shrunk from his stern gaze as well. "Their wounds are treated and they will be fine with some rest. The third filly that Miss Fluttershy brought to the hospital was in shock, but she had no other injuries, and should be just fine after a good night's sleep in a calm environment. I would however like to see them again soon to get a sense of the emotional trauma. This chimera creature does not sound kind in the least, and the injuries young Applebloom suffered support that."

As the back-and-forth continued, the tug of war that was going on within Twilight's mind between the forces of Curiosity and Suspicion was finally concluded, and curiosity won out after that last statement. She felt that things were getting out of hoof and needed to be put back in order. "Alright everypony, please allow me to speak."

The room fell silent as the ponies took a moment to bow to Twilight. “As you wish, Princess,” Dr. Horse answered for all of them, and stepped back.

Twilight looked to Braxton. "I am sorry, Sir Braxton, but before things get out of hand we should tell you our names. It would be rude of us not to, after you gave us yours earlier,” she told the others pointedly. “I will start with myself, I am Twilight Sparkle," Twilight bowed to him, and then began to point to each of the other ponies in the room. "That is Dr. Horse and Nurse Redheart. The one in front of you there is Rainbow Dash, over there is Applejack and her sister Applebloom,” she introduced each in turn. “The filly on the couch is Scootaloo, by her is Rarity. Over there in the bedroom is Fluttershy; she owns this cottage as you’ve probably already figured out. The one you took to the hospital is Sweetie Belle, and this here is Spike, the only dragon living in Ponyville. The mare that tore out of here in a hurry is Pinkie Pie, I am sure you will meet her again soon enough."

Braxton gave a bow. “A pleasure to meet all of you. Before you begin asking me the many questions I’m sure you have, may I in first ask two of my own?”

“Of course.” Twilight beamed.

“My first question, mare Twilight, is... where am I?” Braxton looked to Twilight as she spoke.

“You don’t know?” Rainbow Dash was incredulous, but Twilight waved her off.

"He’s clearly not from around here, Rainbow. You are in the land of Equestria, Braxton Zeddmore, and land ruled by the alicorn princesses Celestia and her sister Luna, keepers of the sun and moon." Twilight watched as Braxton moved his right hand to his chin in thought.

"Keepers, you say? Interesting…” the human mage looked intrigued to his equine hosts as he considered that information. “I wish to know more, and that leads me to my second question, mare Twilight. I seek a library, or other repository of books and academia, so I may learn about this world I find myself in. Does the nearby village possess one?"

To his surprise, his polite request was met with grimaces, and the look on Twilight's face was as though she had just been slapped. The winged unicorn’s ears wilted as she spoke her next words in a somber tone. "We had one…” she said sadly.

"Did I say something to cause you melancholy, good lady Twilight?" Braxton asked softly while looking into Twilight's violet eyes, concerned he might have upset his hosts. And to see her before him, the young mare was unquestionably a fair maiden as well...

"No... no..." Twilight broke eye contact, her face flushing when she noticed to Braxton’s appraising look before giving off a sad sigh. "Ponyville is still recovering from a fight we had with Tirek, a power-hungry centaur who tried to claim my power as his own. The library—my long-time home—was destroyed in the battle." She turned away, tears in her eyes.

“Then I offer my most sincere sympathies for the loss of your home, good mare Twilight.” Braxton gave another bow to Twilight.

“Thank you, but my proper title is ‘Princess’, Sir Braxton,” she told him, having no idea if the honorific was appropriate but deciding he’d earned it just for saving the CMC.

“Very well… Princess…” he gave her a deeper bow, causing her to blush slightly and leaving him wondering exactly what kind of royalty she was.

Dr. Horse cleared his throat at that moment to get Braxton's attention. “Sir Braxton, we thank you for summoning us to the aid of these fillies, but we do have other patients to attend. So if Nurse Redheart and myself are no longer needed, we must return to the hospital.” He put a hand on the Nurse Redheart’s shoulder, readying to teleport them both away.

Braxton nodded his understanding to both of them. "Then before you depart, hold a moment, good healer." Dr. Horse and Nurse Redheart looked to each other and then to him as Braxton reached into a small pouch upon his waist and took out two coins of what looked to be silver. "I am a man who always settles his debts. This is for services rendered, and for the trouble of coming on short notice." Both looked over the two coins with curiosity, neither one bore the mark of Celestia and were quite a bit larger than the standard bit. Each coin felt heavier than two normal bits, and had a mark of a dragon’s head on one side, and its tail on the other. “They are made of Platinum, which I hope is a precious metal here as well.”

“It is indeed, and a coin of this size is worth much. Thank you, Braxton Zeddmore,” The equine healer said, passing a coin to Nurse Redheart. She smiled and looked dreamily at Braxton, before mouthing the words “Thank you.” Then, Dr. Horse teleported them back to the hospital.

Braxton looked back over to the remainder of the group, "I fear my spell does not have much longer, and it may be some time more before I recast it. Is there anything you desire to learn before it does?"

“I have one,” Braxton's eyes turned to Twilight, who spoke first. "How can a human use magic? I haven't encountered a single one that could," the equine princess asked him.

"Devoted my life to the study of the arcane arts, like any human that wishes to learn." Braxton then looked to Rainbow Dash.

“If you are a Human magic user, you must have a cutie mark for it. Can we see it?” Rainbow Dash asked failing to hide the curiosity in her voice, hoping against hope to get a look at his human flank.

To her disappointment, Braxton’s brow furrowed in some confusion. "I fear I know not what a 'Cutie Mark' is, mare Dash, but most humans are quite capable of learning anything they set their minds to."

“No cutie marks?” chorused Applebloom and Scootaloo, apparently aghast at the idea, while Rainbow likewise couldn't hide the look of disappointment and pity for a race that didn't get them.

Scootaloo came forward next. “Can I see your sword, Braxton? It looks really cool!”

Braxton gave a soft, warm chuckle. “Sorry,young mare Scootaloo. But there are no monsters about or lives in danger so within its scabbard Klynn Ka' Tar must remain.” Braxton turned around and lowered himself to Scootaloo's level. “However, you're free to examine it upon my back.”

Scootaloo looked over the sword—it was quite the sight to see. The first thing that caught her attention was the pale lavender ellipsoid stone that made up the pommel. The stone had mercurial stars that seemed to shimmer softly in the soft light of the cottage. The handle was some sort of hardwood, with what looked like expensive silver filigree etchings within it. The crossgaurd meanwhile looked to be made of gold and and was shaped like a dragon posed in a gentle 'S' shape with the head near the pommel and the tail acting like a back strap guard. The throat of the scabbard had a polished brass dragon’s head with a open mouth that gave the illusion that it was swallowing the sword when sheathed. A silver silken cord that was braided went from there to the tip, attaching to a polished brass cap that was also shaped like a dragon’s face.

Mesmerized, she reached out to touch it, but Braxton moved out of the way as he moved to look at another one of the girls to answer their question.

“Kl-ynn Ka-tar? Why is the sword named, Braxton?” Applebloom asked, to which the human adventurer smiled.

“Where I come from, young mare Applebloom, swords are named for either those that forged them, heroes who wielded them, or the great deeds that they have accomplished. Translated, Klynn Ka' Tar means 'Seed of Justice'.”

“Really? That is so cool…” Applebloom beamed, and Spike and Scootaloo looked amazed as well, but her older sister was less impressed.

Applejack stepped up and narrowed her eyes at Braxton. “I don’t get it. Why would somepony who could use magic ever have to be needin a sword like that?”

Braxton gave Applejack a soft smile. “A normal magic user, yes, they would have no need of it. But to a war mage, mare Applejack... a sword is no different than your fingers, your tail, or your hooves. It is an instrument of my will and being, an extension of body no less than your own limbs.”

“War mage? Is there a war where you come from?” she asked next.

“No, but there is need of warriors… like myself. And my sword is part of what makes me one,” he explained patiently.

Applejack wanted to know more, like why it looked like it could feed a small country if you melted it down, but Braxton merely raised his hand to stop her as he turned his gaze to the young drake, who had as yet been silent, staring at him with less fear than curiosity.

“Forgive me for cutting more questions short, but my spell fades now. Before it disappears, I have a question for you, young drake. Would you be willing to answer?” Braxton asked politely.

Surprised, Spike looked to Braxton; like Scootaloo he was enthralled with the sword the war mage wore upon his back. “Uh, sure? If I can answer, Braxton, I will.”

“Very well, then…” Braxton seemed to think a moment before he opened his mouth again, but when he did he spoke in a different language: “Can you understand this tongue, young Spike?”

Spike blinked a moment before another pull came itching at the back of his mind. When he opened his mouth, he spoke in the same language that Braxton had, leaving him laughing in wonder and the mares totally gobsmacked, Twilight most of all. “Yes! I can! But how !? I've never spoken in this language before! I’ve never even heard it! So how do I know it?” he was suddenly desperate to know.

A wide smile that could brighten any room and warm, rich laughter danced over Braxton's finely chiseled features. "A true gift of dragon father lo... Ancestral Recall. The right stimulus at the right time unlocks new abilities from your lineage. In turn leaving you able to do them as effortlessly as you draw your next breath."

“WOW! What else can I do?” Spike said as he walked over to Braxton, his green eyes burning with a curiosity that hadn't been there at the start of this night.

"I don't know, only another from your lineage can truly tell you Spike. And to that end, shall we head to what we hope is a library? I will need your help tonight." Braxton gave him a soft smile. "You should probably tell them where we are off to. I fear the spell has worn off and it seems that they do not speak Draconic like we can."

“You bet!” Spike nodded in agreement and was just shaking Twilight out of her surprise when Pinkie Pie returned with one of her party cannons.

“Hey Braxton and everypony! Who is ready to par-tay?!” Pinkie shouted, and everypony in the room was caught by surprise as the pink earth pony lit her party cannon.

A brilliant flash of light lit up every window in Fluttershy's cottage for a fraction of a second, before confetti rained out every open window—and the chimney, onto the roof. The cottage stood in eerie silence for a few moments, its guests covered in confetti, before Pinkie Pie could be heard softly whispering, “oops.”