The frozen land of The Crystal Empire had grown far more desolate, trade routes and tourism had come to a near stop nowadays. The abduction of young Flurry Heart from the palace walls shocked the nation, she was plucked like a rare flower during the cold night.
The Princess and her husband had sent for aid from Canterlot, yet sudden blizzards forming around the borders have stopped any from appearing. Out of frustration a contract has been created to groups of adventuring ponies, in hopes somepony might aid them with their woe.
Jade Bloom poked around the near empty market within the kingdom, this contract had caught her team's attention. If played just right, it could mean a payday beyond anything she has ever known.
Her funds were running low as it were, down to her last grand in bits. She needed this contract to work out, so she sent her right hoof to do the job. Wind Shard was a fairly smart cookie, with a silver tongue like no other.
If anypony could talk the royals into spending way more bits than needed, it would be him. She sent the big palooka with him as well, the massive size of Sturdy Forest should intimidate anypony looking to outbid them.
As for herself, she got to get some girl time in with the mute. Her dark green eyes gazed across the empty market to Hopeless Dreamer, the wind caressing her pale blue coat gently.
Jade flipped her pale bluish-green mane over her shoulder with flair, the brown streak through the middle giving her some much needed sass. Which was something Hopeless lacked in spades.
Her pale yellow coat was hidden behind a lovely brown cloak, the hood pushed all the way up to hide her pink glowing eyes and dark blue mane. She let her gaze flow across a large cluttered table of trash, lost in her own little world.
“Oi Hopeless! Why you staring at trash?” Jade cantered over and snorted aloud to the table of junk.
“Not at all trash. Some items have hidden value, that can’t be seen with the nude eye.” Dreamer shrugged and spoke in a shy and passive tone.
Jade picked up a old half-crushed clock, the springs sticking out of the sides like hissing snakes.
“Oh yes! I can soo see this clock here being useful.” Jade rolled her eyes, this mare has always had her head in the clouds, she needed a hoof to slam her back down to reality.
“Hopeless. You need to pay attention to the now, if you want to be a part of this team! Slackers get cut wages.” Jade shook her head and patted the mare on the shoulder.
“Whatever. The spring system could be fashioned into a functioning springlock mechanism, I’d just need a few magnets and a makeshift... ” The mare whispered ever so softly.
Jade cast a glare slowly down to her, not amused at all.
“I mean. I guess you are right, I’ll try and be a team player.” Dreamer gently rubbed her hoof across an old tattered stone upon the table.
“Hehe! Good girl, you want that rock for your stress?” Jade giggled with a sly wink, her eye catching a dull gleam off the side of the stone.
“Umm. If you wouldn’t mind buying, I’m a bit out of funds. I could probably make a necklace or something out of it or maybe a paperweight.” Dreamer scrunched her muzzle cutely to her group leader.
The mare soon placing the stone back onto the table, her glowing pink eyes watching with interest as two large stallions came walking out of the horizon.
“Dragon Fodder and Cubic Zirconia have returned.” Hopeless spoke in a hurried and odd tone, quickly pretending as if she were lost in thought at the junk table.
Jade gave a soft eye roll, the large palace walls towering over them in the distance. Fresh snow slowly fell from the sky above, an icy and wicked wind chilling all to the bare bone. The clouds in the sky once a pure white, now had begun to darken as the land grew dim and quiet.
The stallions walked over, with bitter expressions upon their faces. Her right hoof Wind Shard was a rare crystal pegasi, he had a periwinkle coat with a very elegant crystal sheen. His orange hues burned like fiery embers in the dim light, he stood fairly tall for his species, a black mane shading his features from view.
The stallion Sturdy Forest to his left was a different story, he was massive in size for a earth pony, in fact he used to be an imperial guard until his attitude got him booted. His mocha coat was filthy and tangled, dark brown mane swept off to the side as his eyes were almost blank in expression.
“Well did we get the contract?” Jade asked with a canter in her step.
“Of course we did.” Forest spoke in a booming tone.
“Squee!” Jade let a happy noise escape her muzzle.
“What “Hot Air” here means, is that he got us a fairly lacking contract.” Wind grumbled in defeat.
“Lacking How!?” Jade spoke in a angry and sarcastic voice.
“The Princess spoke how she missed her daughter, swept away by a fiend in the night!” Forest spoke in detail and pride.
“She went on and on, about the kid vanishing…” Wind added sighing.
“As an Ex-Soldier to the kingdom! I am honor bound to give freely my services!”
“He told her he’d do the job for free and bring the brat home safely.” Wind rolled his eyes.
“FREE!” Jade snorted out loudly.
“It is the honorable thing to do as soldiers.” Forest spoke with no regret in his voice.
“We’re not soldiers! You waste of space!” Jade quivered in anger as she tried to leap at the stallion, Wind quickly holding her back.
“I was able to get The Princess to agree to a thousand bits, before we left!” Wind spoke in worry and defeat, holding back the unicorn with all his might.
“Just a thousand! You dumb palooka! You worthless…” Jade swung her hooves to the stallion wildly.
“A little help?” Wind spoke to Hopeless in a flustered tone.
The earth pony mare, simply picking up a broken watch and pretending to fiddle with it.
“I’m fine! I’m just delightful!” Jade gave a huff and smoothed out her mane gently.
“Fine palooka! When the job is complete I get your cut.” She flaunted a hoof his way.
“Fine by me, you get the blood on this quest. I’ll get the glory!” Forest spoke in a ever serious tone, the mare sneering his way in hate.
“That’s it! We should head out, while light is still a thing.” Jade flipped her mane over towards the large gate in the distance.
“Honestly I think we should have a plan, we have about a grand in funds still.” Wind spoke in deep thought.
“Could’ve had more added to it later.” Jade grumbled.
“Hmmm. We could buy some supplies? Or I did see Shining Armor head off to the bar to drink away his woes no doubt.” Wind smirked knowing he might be able to talk the stallion into a bigger reward.
The stallion gave a glance to Hopeless, a odd stone being held in her hooves. Odd symbols etched onto the side.
“Well Wind? What’s the so called plan?” Everypony gave their attention to him for once.
It was his chance to impress or maybe fall flat on his face.
