The Shaded Forest was dark as always, the oppressive canopy strangling any light that tried to reach the ground below. Wherever a shaft of light passed the leafy roof, the undergrowth took after the leaves and branches, choking the light with dozens of different plants crammed into a small area only a few hooves wide. Of course, with that many plants in such a small area, the ground would soon go bad and cause the plants to die, leaving gaps where the undergrowth wasn’t present and light lay everywhere.

Dragon Arrow was in one such clearing, tying leather into a makeshift sled so that he could drag the manticore carcass back to the village. It was good meat, if a little tough. The neurotoxin would be incredibly useful for further hunts, whether by him or other Hunters. The chitin from the scorpion tail would go toward making ceremonial gear for Hunters, and the fur would go to provide winter clothing for the mares and foals. Bones were good supports for their homes and the entrails and organs would be fed to the wolves, leaving nothing of the manticore behind. That was the way of the Imperial ponies. If anything was wasted, the village was a waste.

With a grunt, the Imperial Pegasus heaved and rolled the manticore corpse onto the small yet sturdy sled. That task done, he walked over to one of the trees and yanked his arrow out of it only to drop it in disgust; it was broken. He shimmied the arrowhead out of the tree and dropped it into one of the pouches strapped to his chest. It was good steel, even if it had to be smelted down to use again. He turned on the spot again, feeling his pouch of runestones rustle against each other, and walked back to the sled, stopping in front of it. Sitting down, he quickly manipulated a leather cord and tied it to a small hook set on the armor adorning the back of his hind leg. Reaching for another cord, he did the same to the other leg and now had the sled tied to his legs, allowing him to pull the sled without needing a harness.

Standing back up, he started to walk forward. It was slow going and strained his back legs until the sled picked up speed, allowing him to walk at a more normal speed. It was a six hour walk back to Leaping Wolf village. Good thing this wasn’t the first time he had needed to drag a manticore back to his home. It likely wouldn’t be the last time, either.

***

Finally. Arrow thought as he exited the Shaded Forest and caught sight of the log walls surrounding the village. On top, he could see several armed Hunters patrolling. From this distance, his eyes could pick out the longbows they wielded. Like all Hunter bows, they had small spikes on the bottom. Hunters were trained to be able to plant their bow, fire off an arrow or two, and move before they were hit. Of course, bows weren’t the only weapon the Hunters were proficient in. They also had wing blades and hoof blades, though Dragon didn’t like the latter.

Approaching the solid gate, it slowly rumbled open as the Warriors inside opened it to allow him passage. Standing in the center of the lane and directly in his way was Shield Fire, a Warrior Unicorn. On his back was the shield he was named after, a small slit allowing him to blast fire through it. The Armorers started putting that after they tired of him melting holes in their shields. “Back from another hunt, Strike?”

“That’s not my name.” Arrow said in reply, already feeling irritated. “You know the chief renamed me two years ago.”

Shield just laughed, though the hostility was clearly hearable. “You slaying that dragon was a fluke. That should have been my kill and my glory.”

“You wielded a hammer then, correct? Perhaps you would perfer it if I started calling you Scale Smash?” Dragon asked neutrally.

Shield just glared at him, his muzzle lips pulling back as he bared his sharp teeth at him. It was another show of dominance from the Unicorn, one that had been done a dozen times before. It was a contest where the two would stare at each other until one looked away. Of course, Dragon’s teeth were sharper. Arrow bared his teeth in a silent snarl as well, staring directly into Shield’s glaring eyes without hesitation. The other Warriors watched on, long familiar with the animosity between the two former friends. Arrow knew, though, that they would back him up if Fire tried to start a fight.

Shield Fire’s eyes kept flicking down to his teeth, all of which were still bloodstained from the manticore’s torn out throat. That alone meant Arrow had won, but he kept staring. He wanted Shield to submit. It didn’t take long. Moments later, Shield look to the side and toward the ground, then stepped out of Arrow’s way before mumbling. “Chief wants to talk to you. Said it was important.”

Arrow nodded and continued into the village, the gates closing behind him once the manticore was clear. The Pegasus didn’t really hate Shield, just severely disliked him. Shield kept going straight to the Harvester, who would methodically dismantle the manticore before sending all the pieces to wherever they were needed most. He passed dozens of wood and straw homes, structured more like massive huts rather than the houses of Equestria. Each home was different from the next yet retained the same style. In the village, each new family was tasked with building their own home out of bone, wood, and leather. If there wasn’t a Hunter in the family, then they could buy it from the shops, trade for it, and have a Hunter gather it for them specifically. There were quite a few times a newly formed family paid him to bring back bone, hide, and meat.

A couple dozen ponies greeted Arrow as he walked through the walled-in village. With only a few hundred ponies living in the village, names were well known and nopony forgot anypony. It led to a close knit community, but rumors also spread in a mere day after they formed. The Hunter returned the greetings, not surprised at all when several Hunter apprentices stared in awe as he dragged a full-grown manticore behind him. Most Hunters didn’t have what it took to hunt large predators like a manticore, but Arrow was one of the best. Most stuck to deer, and while Arrow wouldn’t pass up a chance for easy meet, he always tracked down the predators that might end up threatening their home.

Ahead of him, his sharp eyes caught sight of the open-air building that was the workplace of the Harvester. The walls were wood and angled rather than the straight walls of other civilizations, but one entire walls was missing to allow the Hunters to bring in their prey. To make up for the lack of support on that side, there were two support beams in place of an actual wall, with the welded bone being reinforced by magic even further.

Dragging the corpse in between the two supports and into the main area of the Harvester Hut, he greeted the Harvester who was currently working on a small deer. From the looks of it, she was just about to finish up with it. “Hello, Cleave.”

The Earthen mare looked up and smiled, her teeth glinting in the light of the dying day. “Good evening, Dragon. Another manticore?”

“Came across him after he ate the deer I was tracking.” Dragon replied with a smile. “Figured you wouldn’t mind so much because of how much they give.”

“Not at all.” Bone Cleave said with a grin. “It’ll take me most of the day tomorrow to take him apart and the Chief won’t have to schedule another hunt quite as many hunts before winter.”

“Speaking of the Chief, I’ve heard that he wants to meet with me.” Arrow replied, detaching the makeshift sled from his armor. Bone Cleave nodded and quickly moved over to a desk and grabbed a small pouch before tossing it to him. The leather pouch jingled when he caught it, telling him what was inside.

“Sixty Teeth.” She said when he looked at her questioningly. “The rest will come after I’ve taken him apart and examined his condition.”

Arrow nodded and dumped the golden teeth into his money pouch before setting the bag down; he already had enough of thim with over two dozen strapped to him, most empty. Arrow nodded his farewell and turned to leave. “May your travels be swift.”

“And may your prey be strong.” Cleave said, finishing the traditional Hunter farewell.

Leaving the Harvester hut, he turned and started to make his way toward the Chief’s longhouse where he and any wives he may have had would live. The building was pretty much just an oval with bone supports and frames, the roof drapped with leather and covered in straw that was replaced every couple of years. It was a simple house but contained everything the Chief would need, whether to raise a family or run a village.

Stopping and knocking on the bone support next to the leather door, he waited. A few moments later, he heard a clear invitation and he stepped in, pushing the leather aside. His eyes were greeted by the sight of the village’s Elder and Chief sitting side by side on the floor, waiting for him. The Elder gestured with a wing in front of him and he walked in and sat down, his armor and pouches jingling slightly from the motion. Quickly, he flashed a small smile to the Elder, the pony who had teached him all about rune magic. He received a quick smile in return before the Elder focused on the matter at hoof.

The Chief, Roaring Thunder, straightened his back right before he started to speak. “Dragon Arrow, you have been a Hunter for this village for over half a decade now, and an apprentice for double that. Other than Elder Spell, you are the only rune mage we have. You earned your name when you slew a dragon who had threatened our village with a single arrow.”

Arrow nodded; it was all true. He had been an apprentice to Hunter Trail Finder for ten years, a Hunter himself for six. The Pegasus had studied under the Elder for six of those ten years. The arrow did have an electricity rune attached to it, though everypony knew that. He was confused as to why the Chief was saying this. He wasn’t confused for long.

“Two days ago, Emperor Shade received a missive from Princess Celestia. There is a new beast plauging the ponies of the town named Ponyville and she sought our help. Naturally, our emperor seeks a Hunter from the Leaping Wolf village, as we are well known for our Hunters.” The Chief continued.

Arrow nodded again. Leaping Wolf was known for Hunters, Stalwart Bull was known for Warriors, Shadow Grove for Gatherers and so on. Each clan had a speciality. The Hunter was starting to suspect why he had been called there, though he didn’t speak. It was rude to do so unless asked a direct question from either of them.

“I’ve decided to send you.” The Chief said, confirming his suspicions. “While you are still rather young, a mere twenty-four years, and not our most experienced Hunter, your ability with runestones has made you one of our most effective in bringing down predators and threats. Do you have any qualms?”

The question was just a formality; the Chief wanted to send him so he was going to be sent, whether Arrow really wanted to or not. Of course, everypony in the clan knew that. “I do not.”

“You’ll be departing alone, as I know you prefer to hunt alone.” The Chief continued. “Before you leave, Elder Spell has a gift for you, as well as your supplies.”

The Earthen Chief stood and Arrow did as well. The Elder, Spell Rune, was allowed to remain seated due to both his age and his position. He was equal to the Chief in most cases, greater in others. The Chief nodded his head and in reply Arrow bowed low. When they stood, Arrow spoke. “May our lives bring prosperity.”

“And may our deaths bring songs.” The Chief replied before exiting through a side door, the leather falling a moment later and concealing the room he had entered.

Arrow sat back down and turned to Elder Spell and smiled to his mentor. “How do you fare, Elder Spell?”

“Well.” Rune replied with a smile. “My joints do still ache, but that is to be expected in my age. Pleasantries aside, we must discuss your mission.”

Arrow nodded and ask the question on his mind. “What is the beast, or do we not know?”

“A bone Naga, a rather insidious creature with horrible venom. Most assume the beast to be undead, but this is not true. Instead, it has a white exoskeleton making it seem like it is covered in bones.” The Elder replied, making Arrow frown thoughtfully.

“My normal venoms will not work on this creature, would it?” Arrow asked.

“Nay.” Rune replied, shaking his head. “I have taken the liberty to request a special venom, Tartarus Blood, from the Apothecary. I had to collect the supplies myself and there is only enough for three doses, so do not miss. The vial is wrapped up tightly in one of the bags behind you, which contain all the supplies you will need.”

“With a name like that, I can understand how it will work on the Naga.” Arrow replied, glancing back to the bags. It was several small pouches he would replace his empty ones with, a full bag that would hang off of his side, and a camping pack that he would sling over his back.

“Indeed. The Princesses do not know it is a Naga as they are not native to their land, nor this one, but you should know several things about them. First, the venom will kill you in under thirty seconds should you ingest it. If you come into physical contact with it, you’ll have eight hours to drink one of the antidotes I’ve prepared for you; you have five of them.” The Elder started. “Second, the Naga is almost entirely immortal, similar to the Princesses. Very few things can kill one, Tartarus Blood being one of the only things able to. This also means that the Blood could be theoretically used to kill either Princess. I trust you to guard it well and be careful as to who recovers your arrows. A mere touch will kill the Alicorns.”

Dragon Arrow nodded, understanding just how much trust was being put into him and just how dangerous this all was. The Naga wasn’t even the largest threat, just the most obvious. If somepony were to make off with the Blood, it could end the world if either Princess died. The Elder continued before he could say anything. “Third, the Naga is intelligent but not magical. It will offer to cast spells to give you your hearts desire, to bring you love, fame, and fortune. It is incapable of doing any of what it offers. Do not hesitate to strike its heart. Fourth and finally, you will be working alongside both Princesses and the Elements of Harmony.”

Arrow’s head snapped back to the Elder, mouth opened to voice his outrage. A simple burst of power from the Pegasus was all it took to stop the Hunter. “I know, I know. You prefer to work alone. This is, unfortunately, something we can not help. It is also incredibly foolish for both Princesses and the Elements to be there, so I hope you can talk some sense into them before you enter the Everfree Forest.”

Dragon nodded, not saying anything. “Within your pack is a map that will lead you to the encampment outside of the Everfree. Good luck, and please, for the love of the Spirits, return in a single piece and not an urn.”

The pair stood and Elder started the Hunter farewell. “May your travels be swift.”

“And may your prey be strong.” He replied. Rune nodded once and left the building. Arrow walked over to his packs, grabbed them, then brought them outside and started to sort through it. The first thing he checked was Tartarus Blood. He picked one of the three pouches and opened it, internally smiling to find it to be the Blood. Then he frowned. He said there was enough for three doses, which generally means half a vial… why is there five?

Pulling out the five glass vials after unwrapping them, he first examined the liquids inside. All five were half full of a gently pulsing red liquid, black flecks floating around inside the poison. The vials were, surprisingly, cold to the touch. All five liquids were identical, the same pulse, the same flecks, and the same cold. Flipping them around, he checked the markings. All five were marked with a green ‘x,’ meaning it worked on contact. Then he saw the black markings. Each one was marked differently; a triangle, a square, a circle, a pentagon, and a rectangle. Dragon Arrow smiled.

The village Apothecary always marked the vials with specific shapes and colors, each one meaning a different thing. Green meant how it worked, and an ‘x’ signified on contact. Triangle showed what it was, and a black one meant poison. The other four were decoys. There were five vials, one of which was Tartarus Blood. The other four were colored water enchanted with a basic illusion spell. Only a Imperial pony from the Leaping Wolf village could tell which was which.

Rewrapping and placing the five vials back inside a pouch, he replaced one of his empty ones with it. Opening the next pouch, he saw it was filled with a lot of runestones, giving him quite the supply. Putting them all with the others, he turned back to the last pouch. Opening it, he pulled out five more wrapped vials and unwrapped them. All of them were filled with a plain white liquid. The marking on them all was a green oval and a orange triangle. It was an antidote that worked by being ingested. Wrapping them back up and placing them in a separate pouch, he moved on to the camping back. He had pretty much everything he would need for an extended trip. He had food, water, leather for a lean-to, a whestone to sharpen his blades, small tools, and arrows. Rolled up in a side pouch was a map. The entire thing was waterproof.

Checking the map, he saw that there was a dotted line showing his path into Equestria, toward the west. It would take him three days to cross over into Equestrian territory, flying over woodlands the entire time. Once he crossed the border, it was another two days through Whitetail Woods until he passed over Ponyville and arrived at the camp just outside the Everfree Forest. Nodding to himself, he quickly packed everything up and flapped his wings, taking to the air as he angled himself west and toward the setting sun.

It would be a boring five days, nothing but flying and sleeping through it all. Once he got to the camp, things would get more interesting. He would meet two ponies who Equestria revered as goddesses, see the effectiveness of the Royal Guard, and get a chance to hunt an immortal monster.

He grinned. I’m bringing back some meat. Never had Naga before. Wonder how hard it’ll be to get past the exoskeleton?

Author's Note

This is just an idea that hit me one night and I liked it. I bounced a few ideas around and it stuck, so it's going to be a full story. I get to take quite a few creative liberties, since its not a crossover and its alternate universe, which will be fun.

As always, don't hesitate to leave a comment of your opinion. It's a delight to read them!