The building was well lit, carvings adorned the mud walls. Only four figures were in the building, two with spears, one in a chair and the other kneeling on the ground.

“Axton are you prepared to go on this journey to the Pony Lands in the name of your king and your people?”

“Yes m’lord!”

“Are you prepared to possibly give your life in the name of your country?”

“Yes m’lord!”

A small smirk adorned the face of the man in the chair. “Good, take this document to the Royal Smithers. They shall bestow you with the best light armor and weapons ever made!” The man known as Axton stood to go but was stopped by a short goodbye. “God speed Axton, God speed.”

*Axton POV Day One of the Journey*

I was excited, no I was ecstatic! The King had chosen me to be his messenger, I was to deliver a message to the pony rulers. Well, I am scared of course. I’ll never forget the stories my mother would tell me to keep me from the Ponies. I felt my blood run cold and a shiver go down my spine when I remembered the day Ponies attacked my village. I shook the images out of my head and continued to head to the Royal Smiths. It was a quick walk to the Field of Smelting, as I got into the vicinity of the furnaces the heat hit me like a mud brick wall. I stopped my shivering from the Down Leaves season and started to sweat. My arm went up to protect my eyes from drying out, but I persisted to the two smiths.

Before I could speak Wesson spoke to me first. “Ah Axton, what can me and Smith do for ya?” I produced the Royal document and his eyes widened. It took a moment before he replied, “Ah *gulp* come this way Smith will get your armor while I fetch an appropriate weapon.” He ran away as I walked to Smith who was hitting metal with a hammer. He heard my approach over the clanging of metal.

“What do yeah want?”

“The King ordered me to receive armor and a weapon before I go out.”

“Mm, light I assume?”

“Yes sir!”

The old man’s voice become like venom as he replied, “Do not say “Yes sir,” to me!” His voice turned into a light tone of a more joking manor, “You’ll make me feel older than what I already am.” With a chuckle he walked to the rack holding leather armor with metal strips on the stomach. Picking up the chest piece he tossed it to me, I rushed to catch it as the king said it was the best and so it should not touch the ground! I dove to catch it, as I was in the air a hard pair of gloves hit my face. As I laid of the ground in some pain a metallic clang met my ears, I looked to the ground and found orange metal thingies with straps on the back. It was like a shield but way too thin, before I could ask what they were Smith spoke up, “These are experimental, King calls em greaves. Says theys goes on your legs, like a shield but for the lower legs. So far only his personal guards men have them so you should feel special.”

“Thank you si...I mean Smith.”

His hand gripped my soldier in a loving way as I stood, “Don't thank me boy, thank the Lord above that you’re fast. You should outrun them ponies.” He hit my back as he turned to go back to his work. My smile fell as I wondered what he meant what he said. But before I could dwell on that Wesson returned with a sideways bow on a wood stick body on his back was a quiver full of stone arrows.

“This right here is an experimental weapon that passed testing. Came right from the King’s head himself! To fire it you pull the string back until it makes a clicky sound,” the bow string pulled back and made more of a clack but it was close enough, “load the bolt then pull this metal bit down here.” He aimed it at a tree behind me by around twenty units (twenty five feet) I hit the ground to avoid being killed and the clack made a clang as the arrow bolt thing flew forward and struck into the tree.

As he passed the weapon to me I asked, “What’s it called?”

As he passed the weapon and the quiver over to me he said, “It's called a ‘crossbow.”

I rolled the word around my mouth. It felt weird maybe if I said it, it wouldn't feel weird “Crowsbow?”

“Eh close enough, now before I forget this knife here should last yeah awhile. Sharpened to slice through the thickest hide now you'll have to sharpen it occasionally to do that use this rough stone.” He thrust the manticore hide sheath into my right hand and the stone into the left. “Before you go, I wish you good luck by the old gods and the new god.” I ran to the elder man and hugged him, he hugged back.

*An hour later*

I stood at the edge of my city to the forest the armor was fastened to my body, the crossbow in my back while the knife was on my left hip. The message was in a pouch on my back, the gear I would need for survival was in a pack on my back. I looked to all the faces as I stood at the gates. A lone voice started to sing an old world war song, “Off he goes into the wild wonder! To fight our battles for us, to kill for us,” soon any of the elders that knew the song sang with the lone voice, “be home soon warrior! For ye have a chance to be a hero! Off he goes into the wild wonder to fight our battles, to kill for us, he shall live in fame for he will go down in flame! Hey! Nothing will stop our valiant hero!”

This lifted my spirits, I marched out as the gate opened in front of me. I felt confident as the city was left as my legs hit the grass but as I entered the forest I felt fear. But I had a job to do and it must be done! The forest wasn't that bad, animals here animals there, Chirp Chirps made chirps it was peaceful. If my journey was like this the entire time then I would be happy.

*Through the Forest, into a library*

The ancient book made of unidentifiable material smelled of dust. The coffee table strained under the weight of said book, the cover read in gold ink ‘Encyclopedia of All Known Specie.’

A purple glow encompassed the book as a young mare screamed, “NO!” At every wrong chapter, the animal she was looking for was a Human. She knew many things about other species but not humans, which frustrated her to unhealthy levels. Her magic was ready to set this damned book ablaze until she found the extremely short chapter.

‘Human

Humans are believed to be primates and had a great civilization.
They’re also believed to be the original inhabitants of Equestria.
Believed to eat their young if not healthy enough after birth.
Last Human Sighting: 1 ADR*’

The book closed, her left eye twitched in anger. Her mouth opened to release a banshee wail. Now we look at the date of the book, published in 3 ADR that's pretty old.

*Back in the Forest Axton POV*

A ghostly wail rang through the Forest, the crossbow in my arms held in a threatening position though no bolt was loaded. My heart still racing until it clicked in my brain. I dropped the weapon and fell to my knees to start praying to the Heavenly Father.

“Oh Heavenly Father above, I beseech the do not let the banshee harm my people. For they have not done wrong to deserve the most painful death of them all. Amen.”
With that I stood and took the weapon, I reached into a side pocket in he pack and pulled out a long black woolly rag. Of course I wouldn't need it as the banshee wail sounded far off but I couldn't take the chance of dying, I had a mission to complete. I held the weapon in front of me and moved forward slowly.

*Through the Forest again*

The purple pony tried to calm herself down but it didn't work. Her thoughts of anger tried to destroy her small happiness of seeing her friends but it didn't happen. Her smile was slowly growing as she started to forgot why she was mad. As she walked through the marketplace her mind was filled with the familiar smells of spices, fruits and metals. So far her day had improved improved by a hundred percent, but as she opened the door to the bakery she heard her yellow friend talking about humans.

“Mr. Bluebird said that a new city was in the field after the EverFree Forest!”

“Oh yeah? What’d he say lived ther?” Replied the orange pony in a cowpony hat.

“He said…humans lived there!”

The orange mare’s face turned to a face of disbelief and wouldn't believe anything else until proven. Before she could say so the pink physics breaking mare cut in.

“Hey! Mr. Voice in my head stop being so mean!”

Was she talking to me?

“Yeah I'm talking to you!”

You shouldn't be talking to me in the narrator, no one should be able to hear me!

“Then get out of my head!”

I can't I'm in everything’s head!

“Then stop talking about me!”

Ah fuck this! I'll go to the other guy in the woods. He’s cooler than you!

“Hey! Nopony runs from Pinkamina Diane Pie!”

*The Forest Axton POV*

The sun started to set as I laid down to rest my head. The weapon was loaded and ready incase I was attacked in the night, but now I need not worry about it. I gaze at the stars and see the consolations; the Hunter, Bathtub Baracuda, and the eastern star. As my eyes trace the lines I feel my body getting slowly drowsy, sleep chased my consciousness as I slowly drifted to sleep.

Author's Note

ADR: After Discord's Rule in this story set 1,999 years after the book had been published.