“I didn’t think there’d be anypony living in the Everfree other than me.” Dragon simply replied, replacing his hoof on the ground.

The zebra nodded in reply. “I thought I would be entirely alone back when I first made this Forest my home. Come inside and tell me your tale and teach me of the land from which you hail.”

Idly, the Hunter wondered why the zebra was rhyming as he entered the hut only to dismiss the thought; it was more than likely a trait of her culture, something that he would respect and not insult her by asking. “Thank you, ma’am.”

Looking around the hut, he saw that it was surprisingly spacious, though Dragon had partly expected it. It seemed as if the entire tree was hollow and since the tree itself was rather large, it made sense. The building was clearly one room, as he expected from a hollowed tree, but there were different ‘rooms’ in the hut, each separated by a thin cloth curtain that was only barely see-through. The sections of the hut seemed to be a bedroom, a kitchen, a living area, and a storage area with the door leading into the living area. He couldn’t make out many details in either of the areas because the curtains were drawn, but he could make out the shapes of various vials on shelves in the storage area. When he stepped in and closed the door behind him, the mare spoke. “Have a seat while I gather us something to eat. It is the least I could do for he who saved my life. Without you, my soul would no longer be able to feel strife.”

Dragon nodded his thanks shrugged his pack off, gently setting it down by the door. Then he walked over and sat down on one of the long couches and watched as she drew back one of the curtains, revealing a surprisingly modern kitchen. There seemed to be an oven, a fridge, cabinents, and even a toaster. There was an overhead vent to the oven, showing that it also functioned as a stove even though he couldn’t see it from his angle. When she started to make something, Dragon spoke. “My apologies for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Dragon Arrow and I’m a Hunter from the Rhetoram Empire. Care to share your name?”

“I am Zecora the Zebrican shaman. I have come to this Forest due to an omen. If you are from the Imperial strand, why have you come to Equestrian land?” Zecora replied, beginning to impress the Hunter with her ability to come up with rhymes so quickly.

“The Princesses asked for help from the Empire because of a beast that lived here, a bone Naga. Princess Celestia and I hunted it down and managed to slay it, after which I asked to be able to live within the Everfree.” Dragon quickly explained, generally shortening the tale.

“A bone Naga is what you have slain? I dread the very speech of such a name!” Zecora explained with a quick shudder as she turned around and rejoined him, setting a plate on a simple oak table in front of him. She sat down on a smaller chair across from it and took one of the sandwiches that rested on the plate, then gestured for him to take one as well.

Dragon did so and lifted the top, seeing that it was a simple daisy sandwich. While flowers may not have been a staple of an Imperial diet, they were able to eat them just as easily as an Equestrian. He still would have preferred meat. He replied before he took a bite to avoid speaking with his mouth full. “Princess Celestia was the one who had found it. She attempted to poison it with something that I had been supplied only to be surprised and the attack failed. She had to fend it off, unable to permanently harm it, until I arrived with more of the poison before it was killed.”

“So you struck the final blow? That must make you happy to know.” Zecora said.

The Hunter took the time to finish chewing and swallow the bite in his mouth before speaking. “I suppose it does, but I know I likely would not have won without the Princess. The Naga was nesting in such a way that I would not have been able to sneak up on it which would have been my greatest chance at slaying it. I hold no delusions- the Princesses have played just as an important role as I have. It’s why I’ve named them both as Honored.”

“What is the Honored of which you speak? It sounds to me as if they must not be meek.”

“You’re right.” Dragon said, beginning to adjust to her rhyming. “The Honored are beings, ponies or otherwise, who have greatly assisted a Trained in their task. It can be given by a Hunter, a Warrior, a Scout, or others. Generally speaking, the title of the one who gave it is added when dealing with other Imperials or Honored. If either Princess were to go to my homeland, they were be Honored Hunters. If I had been a Warrior, Honored Warriors.”

“You have bestowed upon them a high praise. Having such ponies as friends always pays.”

Dragon shrugged. “I suppose it could, though I’m not worried about it. I don’t plan to abuse their trust, as little as it is right now.”

Seeing Zecora blink in confusion, he answered the unasked question. “The Princesses don’t really know me all that well. They know I’m a Hunter, I think they know that I have my own special code of honor, they know I like the Everfree, and they know I helped them save a lot of ponies, but they don’t know me other than that. Sure, they trust me, but they don’t trust me, if you get my point.”

She smiled. “I believe I do.”

When she fell silent and didn’t say anything for a moment as she continued to eat her sandwich, he hummed near-silently. I guess she doesn’t rhyme everything, just what’s long enough to do so.

After another moment, he spoke up. “Enough about me. How did you attract the attention of a small hunting pack?”

“Deep within the Everfree certain grey plants do dwell. When stepped on by an uncaring hoof, they ring like a bell. The wolves were hunting small game nearby, but when the plant rang I knew I must fly.” Zecora explained. “When I entered my hut, I grabbed a special brew for the remaining mutt. But when you knocked upon my door, I knew the wolves were here no more.”

“I figured you had things under relative control. You can’t really live in the Everfree if you don’t know how to ward off predators.” Dragon said. “I still wanted to help, though. Even the greatest can get unlucky once and that’s all it takes.”

“Any help offered is always welcome.” Zecora said with a small smile. “Friendly faces within the Everfree are seldom.”

The Hunter nodded in agreement. “Very much so. Do you know of anypony else who lives within these woods?”

Zecora shook her head. “There is a pony who dwells very close to the Forest edge. When it comes to protection, she has not so much as a hedge.”

“She must be either incredibly brave or incredibly foolish.” Dragon commented with a raised eyebrow.

“Neither. If she sees her own shadow, she may jump in fright. When a beast comes from the Everfree, she does all but fight.”

“Then why does she live so close to the Everfree?”

“She treats the injuries of the smaller animals. To her, living away from the Forest is unimaginable.” Zecora explained. “She risks her well-being for her animal companions. For some creatures, she is the last bastion.”

“What’s her name?” Dragon asks curiously. “I’m honestly interested in meeting the pony scared of her shadow yet able to live near the Everfree.”

“Fluttershy.” Zecora answered simply. “Is it true that Imperials have their own form of magic, one whose fate has been most tragic? For such a time as to be forgotten, the source of the magic must have been misbegotten.”

Dragon smiled, surprised she had heard of runestones, before he started explaining. “Most Imperials don’t remember the old art of runestones. I certainly had never heard of it until my Elder had told me about it and began to teach me. However, the magic was discovered in some evil way and it doesn’t use evil sources. All you need to practice rune magic is stone, paint, energy, and good memory. I think it was discovered a long time ago by a group of Elders who were looking to harness weather quicker and more easily than just sending Pegasi up there.”

“How does one create a runestone? Surely it’s not as simple as finding a bone!” Zecora said with a gesture toward the bone that was beginning to stick out of his pack again, likely due to the chase through the woods.

“No, but that’s a part of it for the specific rune I’m trying to make. If I were to make a runestone from scratch, the first thing I would need would be shatter rock, which Equestrians call brittle basalt. Any chunk would work, but if it has a chip in it, it might explode at the last step. The perfect shape for the usual runestones is a circle five centimeters- two inches- wide and about a centimeter thick. Those can hold one or two runestones, and you can use other shapes if you need more.”

“Such as a thin triangle for three, or a pyramid for four. This is fascinating to me, can you please tell me more?” Zecora asked with a clearly interested smile on her face. Dragon nodded, happy to be able to share his information even if she might not be able to actually learn it. However, before he could speak, her eyes widened and she spoke again. “Oh! Do the Elders keep the knowledge of runestones rare? I do not want you to get in trouble, it’s just not fair!”

Dragon shook his head. “Runestones aren’t a secret or something we try to hide. The only reason it’s not well-known anymore is because most don’t care for them or just can’t use them. As somepony who makes them, it’s well within my right to share this information with whoever I deem fit. Thank you for your concern, though.”

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he continued. “The next step of making a runestone is painting the proper rune in the proper color on the surface of the stone. If you use the wrong color or the wrong rune, anything could happen at the final step, ranging from nothing to the stone exploding. For the paint, the enchanted pigments of Equestria work but they aren’t very efficient. Remember that this magic was created to try to direct nature, so it makes sense that natural pigments are much more effective.”

“The last step, the most dangerous one, is charging the rune. A pony does this by holding the runestone close to the appendage that directs most of their magic. For me, it’s my wings. For you, it would be your hooves, just like an Earthen. After that, energy must be directed into the runestone. If it’s done properly, the runestone will charge without hassle. If it’s chipped or the rune is incorrect, it might still work. It also might explode and send rock shards into you. After the runestone charges, the shatter rock becomes even more brittle, so much so that just dropping it on dirt could break it. When a charged runestone is chipped, the stored magic is released and the rune or runes painted on the rock weave it into a spell while the stone melts. Unless you use a rune that extends the process, it only takes about a half-second for a rune spell to be cast.”

“This is a source of fascination. Perhaps you are willing to give a demonstration?” Zecora asked. Although Dragon was happy to see the same twinkle in her eye that Elder Rune had seen in his, he really didn’t want to waste a rune he could possible need later. As it was, he didn’t really have an effective way to resupply himself with his runes.

Dragon sighed. “I’m not quite sure I should, Zecora. I have six blank runestones on me but I don’t have any means to paint runes on them. The idea of using a rune when I have no means of replenishing my supply does not bode well with me.”

Zecora nodded her understanding. “I have many dyes and pigments here in my home. Perhaps you could use them to lay paint upon your stone? Tell me of the color of the shatter rock. Perhaps I could help you find a large pock.”

-et. Dragon thought to himself with mild amusement. “That would work. If we have a supply of both, I would be happy to teach you how to use runestones, provided that you have the ability at all.”

Seeing her questioning look, he elaborated. “Very few beings in this day have the ability to transfer their magic outside their body and to an object. The ones who have it the easiest are Unicorns adept in enchanting because the process is very similar. The other races, while they do use their magic, can’t really access it like Unicorns and therefore some just simply can’t charge runestones. Shatter rock is light grey and, obviously, brittle. So much so that picks aren’t really needed in order to harvest it. From what we can tell, Shatter rock is formed when lava or magma cools into normal basalt, which is black. After that, a process that we don’t quite understand yet happens to turn it brittle and light grey.”

Zecora’s eyes widened slightly. “Light grey basalt formed from lava? Some distance to the west, there is an inactive volcano. Near the base, the basalt forms a plaza, but beware, for vents emit an inferno.”

Dragon grinned. “Well, that solves the issue of not being able to resupply. I’ll show you a couple types of runestones and give you two of my blank ones for you to use, which is when I’ll teach you how to make them.”

The zebra mare nodded with a grin of her own. “I will trade you many dyes as payment for your time. Should I not be learn, I’ll trade them for runestones of mine.”

The Hunter nodded. “Follow me outside and I’ll show you two fire-based ones.”

The two stood and walked out through the door, both surprised to see the body of the wolf gone, a small trail of blood showing that it had been dragged away. Damn, I was hoping to be able to take that home.

Dragon led the way into the center of the clearing in front of her house and pulled out a Burn rune and held it in his hoof out toward Zecora. “Grab it very carefully. It’s charged.”

She took it from him cautiously, her eyes examing the light red lines that formed a strange shape. A single red dot was in the center of the runestone, with eight light red lines radiating outward without touching the dot. The lines wavered, forming an elongated ‘S’ shape. “That is a Burn rune. When activated, it releases a burst of heat in all directions up to about two meters, or six hooves. The temperature is a little below that of boiling water- more than enough to burn whatever’s nearby but not enough to ignite a fire. Go ahead and throw it out away from us.”

Zecora nodded and carefully tossed it. It sailed through the air and landed about four meters away from them, a small flash of light signifying the crack that had formed. The only visual proof that the rune had worked was a slight heat shimmer in the air. “That light meant that the rock was chipped and the magic was released. The heat has already been dispersed so the air temperature over there is several degrees higher than it is where we’re standing. If you look closely, you’ll see heat shimmers in the air and that the runestone is melted. Those are both proof that the Burn rune worked.”

Dragon took several steps forward and gestured for Zecora to follow. She did so with a curious look on her muzzle. As they walked closer to the runestone, the air grew hotter until it felt like a particularly dry day, but not hot enough to hurt. “Most of the heat is instantly absorbed by the sky, the ground, and the plants. Wait a few moments after tossing a Burn rune and it’ll be safe to go over, even if it may still be hot there.”

“This is nothing like the Zebrican sands. The air is so hot it seems to form solid bands.” Zecora said.

“Right. When it comes to fire runes, this one is meant to ward off predators or disable opponents. If somepony is coming at you with an axe, they’re not going to keep running after their face has been burned to the second-degree. The same goes for most predators, who have an instinctual fear of fire and heat. Suffice to say, things that are well-adapted to heat will easily ignore a Burn rune.” Dragon explained.

Zecora nodded her understanding as he pulled out the next rune, a Flame rune. He hoofed the rune to Zecora, who examined it as well. There were three light orange lines that waved side to side, forming the iconic symbol of fire. The only difference was that there was a hollow half-circle above the fire symbol. “This is the Flame rune. Go ahead and throw it into the open.”

She put aside her concern of burning down the Forest and tossed it. The runestone hit the ground once, bounced, and cracked on the second hit. The burst of small light was invisible through the sudden eruption of fire that surrounded the runestone, about thirty centimeters in each direction. “The Flame rune erupts into fire about a hoof in all directions. There’s two important things you need to know about it. While the Flame rune does create fire, it is impossible for it to set things on fire. It only generates an intense amount of heat, much higher than that of a Burn rune. The second thing is that heat does not linger behind after the rune is finished. Once the flames die down, there’s no lingering heat in the area. Because of that, Burn is better for warding off predators while Flame is better for hurting them.”

The flames died down and faded out, revealing that the ground beneath the flames wasn’t on fire like she expected. The grass had been turned to ash but it wasn’t on fire, adding evidence to what Dragon had told her. “Is there such a thing as a Fire rune? I feel as though it would be a boon.”

“You remember the hollowed half-circle on the Flame rune?” Dragon asked. When Zecora nodded, he continued. “That’s the rune symbol for intangibility. When it comes to something physical, such as fire or ice, that symbol means that the effect will fade away entirely. If I hadn’t painted that symbol on, it would have been a Fire rune and the clearing would be on fire right now.”

“Now, what do you say about going in and making two runes for you?” Dragon asked, grinning at her excited nod. She quickly made her way back to the door, pausing slightly before walking through the area where the fire had been. Like Dragon told her, the air wasn’t even warm there. Dragon followed behind at a much more relaxed pace, sparing the already-cooled molten rock a quick glance.

Author's Note

This chapter mostly provides a better look at Rune magic and develops Dragon's interactions with Zecora. As always, leave a comment if you want to share your thoughts!