[POV 3rd person]

Three Weeks after the raid on Tees Side...

Mist hung low on an unnamed shore on some unnamed lake in Meira, through the early morning murc 6 figures could be seen wading out of the water, dressed in drenched cloaks and saddlebags. All around them bits of wooden and metal debris could be seen washing ashore, in particular a section of green planking with the words Defiance painted on it. Very suddenly the stillness was shattered by a string of cursing.

“A-barth an Jowl a gyj!” Autumn spat “...well that stunk...” Tarn, a dark blue and White kobald, coughed up water, before looking at the burnt orange pegasus.

“It would appear there was an error in our transport…” she then proceeded to shoot a foul look at the Kelpie that was present among them, a shark-like unicorn with legs ending in webbed paws. “Pilot error…”

“Go ropa an diabhal thú!” Alee protested “I was only following orders, Onælan was the one giving them!”

“No need to be critical” Octavia said, wading out of the water “regardless of the gracefulness of our arrival, we are all alive, and on shore, in one piece I might add”

“Uh, folks…” it was Midnight Quarry, a looming Yarvik mare who stood some 7ft tall, who spoke up, casting an unsure gaze over the lake. “it 'ood appear wea'ar daahn on someone…” the others gave her a blank stare, before Alee glanced around at the group, as if mentally counting off, before her ears shot up and her eyes widened in panic.

“Shit, Onælan!” she yelped, drawing in a large breath before dumping everything she’d managed to salvage and diving back into the water in a single leap which spanned some 20 feet.

Under the water Alee began swimming around frantically, darting between the larger pieces of debris that could potentially have trapped the human, suddenly her eyes focussed on a shape at the bottom of the lake which stood out, and taking a chance she dove. Her gills could keep her breathing underwater so long as she kept moving forwards, meaning her lungs could act as makeshift air tanks, the only problem was this made it more difficult to dive, the air in her lungs fighting to rise to the surface with every sideways stroke of her tail. As she swam closer she could see that Onælan’s was pinned by the boiler of the boat, and that he was struggling to get free, she only hoped she could reach him in time.

[POV 1st person: Onælan]

My lungs burned as I tried desperately to shift the heavy boiler. We’d been making our way across one of Meira’s many large lakes with Alee watching things over as we slept, when she’d inadvertently drove us straight into some razor sharp rocks. My initial anger had very quickly turned to panic as the boat began to break apart, and I tried to gather all of my possessions into my bag to stop them getting wet. Before I knew it a wayward sheared pipe had hooked onto my cloak and began dragging me down to the bottom. Now I was stuck 30 feet underwater with the a half ton boiler pinning my cloak, that damn enchantments meant I could simple cut it way, believe me I had tried, my sword just glanced off, and to top it all off I wasn’t sure what I’d do once I got free...I wasn’t what one would call a swimmer period, and right now I was cursing whatever turn of events had made me decide against taking up lessons.

Suddenly! Just as my lungs felt like they were about to give out Alee appeared out of the gloom, her shark-like form making my instincts panic for a split second, before recognition took control. It was at that moment that my lungs decided to give out and I exhaled, I was then taken by surprise as Alee rushed forward and pressed her mouth to mine, though that surprise turned into understanding as I found not water entering my lungs, but air. She quickly pulled away before I could inhale a full lungfull and proceeded to dive down and heave to boiler off of my coat, giving just enough of a gap for me to pull my cloak free, she then grabbed me under my arms and began to swim upwards, pressing her own mouth to mine again to supply me with more air as we rose towards the surface.

I gasped for air as we broke the surface of the water, grappling onto Alee in an attempt to stay afloat.

“Hey!” she protested “I know we practically snogged down there but you could at least ask before copping a cheeky grope!”

“I can’t feckin’ swim!” I shot back, feeling extremely uncomfortable about being out of my depth. Alee’s eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly in a “oh” of understanding as what I just said clicked into place. She then snorted...then burst out into full on cackled laughter, I was less than amused “It’s not feckin funny…”

“Oh I think it is” she said as I felt a current of water pushing us towards the shoreline “Of fucking course the fire elemental can’t swim, it’s fucking hilarious if you ask me”

“You’re the one that got me in this mess in first place, remember that” I shot back.

“Bah, you’re no fun” Alee said “Besides, I don’t think we’re that far off where Fantasia told us we could find some help” eventually we reached the shore and I waded on to dry land before collapsing in a soaked, panting heap.

“Where the fuck are we even?” I asked to the others, who were looking at me in varying stages of worry. Alee glanced around, scanning the horizon, before her face began to contort into concern.

“If I’d had to guess, I’d say somewhere in the Meiran midlands” before turning to me “Onælan, you wouldn’t happen to have anything on wards or charms in those books of yours, would you?”

“Perhaps” I said, reaching into my bag and sifting through the various books until I came across one which seemed best suited to what Alee needed, she then began flicking through the pages in her magic.

“Rule one of travelling on hoof through Meira...you don’t” she said, not looking up from the book, her horn flashing off several times as she cast multiple spells in quick succession “rule two, if you have no other option, drop any hint of skepticism about spirits or the supernatural. Whatever you do or don’t believe, these lands abide by very different rules, and they abhor having those rules broken” Autumn snorted.

“I never took you to be skittish” she said, rolling her eyes. Alee shot her a deadpan

“I grew up here, Autumn, there’s a reason most folks move away from these lands” she handed me back the book then turned towards a nearby path and took a few step forwards before stopping and looking back at us “Just follow me and do exactly as I say; don’t pick anything up that isn’t yours, don’t leave anything that is yours, shipwreck not included, don’t follow strange lights, don’t follow after anyone or anything, don’t go after wailing, don’t join in with random singing, and above all else, if you get the feeling of being followed. Do. Not. Turn. Around!” and with that she began trekking up the path. The rust of us shared a look, feeling bewildered, before quickly following after her.

For the next few hours we followed the Kelpie as she led us along the path, the light slowly growing better as we wound our way west. Very quickly Alee’s warnings had started to come true, much to the concern of the rest of us. In the early morning dusk we could start to make out dark shapes shifting in the treeline, watching us pass by. I could feel particular attention being focused upon myself and ended up resorting to putting headphones on and turning my music on in an attempt to distract. I maybe should have paid more heed to my instincts as before I knew it I was suddenly launched off my feet and being carried through the air, two armour clad pink hooves wrapped around my barrel. I took my hood off and looked up to see an aging pegasus mare with a blue mane.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing!?” I called indignantly, pulling my headphones down

“Inbelûcan hê, mennisc!” she barked, shooting me a deathglare. With a mere thought I summoned my armour and began channeling y power into my hands and and feet, crystals embedded in my boots and gauntlets began to glow and immediately I seized control of the situation, sending us both shooting skywards and up through the clouds. The pegasus was clearly taken by surprise as she cried out and tightened her grip around my chest, I then angled my hands, sending us both into a very tight spin. After a few seconds I felt her grip suddenly disappear and I took advantage of the opening by pouring every last reserve of power into putting as much difference between myself and...whoever that was.

I soon came upon a mountain peak and took to taking shelter in a small recess in the rocks as I watched for any sign of the strange pegasus. What I was interested was why she had carried me off like that.

“Surprise!”

A bubbly voice called out from behind me, startling me. On instinct I turned around and shot off a blast of fire, for a split second I saw the image of a white and yellow pegasus with voluminous mane & tail standing in the path of the fireball, but they seemed to zip off in a random direction just in time for the fireball to pass by and strike a piece of rock behind where they had been standing. I looked around in confusion for a few moments, before the face of the white pegasus appeared out of nowhere from the top of my vision.

“You know you really should learn to control your fire, someone could get seriously hurt” she said. I yelped out in surprise and jumped back.

“Jesus Christ!” I exclaimed, edging back from the pegasus, now stood on the ground, who giggled.

“Don’t be silly” she said, shaking her head dismissively. “there’s no Jesus here, just me, Surprise!” I looked the strange pegasus up and down, getting a very strange sense of dejavu revolving around a particular pink pony I’d encountered back in Canterlot.

“You’re called...surprise?” I asked.

“Uh huh!” she said with aggravating levels of enthusiasm.

“Okay...stupid question, why are you all the way up here?”

“Just out for a stroll” she said, shrugging as if that was a perfectly normal explanation for being on top of a 2000 foot tall mountain.

“You casually walked up a mountain?” I asked, feeling just a tad confused, again, she nodded, as if that was a perfectly normal response. Suddenly bright blue flames sprung up all around me, blocking my view of the white pegasus, before the pink pegasus from before landed in front of me, blue flames rippling along her armour and a snarl etched on her face. Sensing a fight I summoned forth my sword and shield, though I had a feeling that this mare, whoever she was, was far beyond my capabilities to handle, she had been able to remotely summon a ring of fire, I struggled to control anything beyond a solid beam. I hunkered down into a defensive stance, the shield held in front of me, at most I could probably hold off her attacks for a few moments.

“You shouldn’t have done that” she spat, her accent similar to cockney.

“Hey, I’m still here, you know!” Surprise could be heard from beyond the column of fire, we both ignored her.

“What do you even want with me?” I asked “What have I, as an individual, done to warrant being hauled through the sky like you just did to me?”

“You’re a human!” she spat, prowling around me like a predator circling its prey “I know your kind, better than most, your presence here will bring nothing but trouble!”

“So I’m to blame for what went down three millennia ago?” I asked, feeling a touch insenced “Whatever my kind did, I’m sorry, but I had no part in it. I’ve been getting hate for the actions of my ancestors, from zyglak and from you. so what, should I start blaming you for the actions of the Germane Empress, waging her own self-righteous race war up north as we speak?” she hesitated at this.

“What does the northern war matter to you?” she asked, frowning.

“It matters to me as someone who understands what is occuring better than most” I said “if something isn’t done then her actions will cast a shadow of shame upon all of equine kind, I’m taking it upon myself to act when no nation will”

“You think you can stand up to the Germane empire by yourself?” she asked, looking me up and down “Human or not, as violent as your species are, you are just one person” I let flames dance up and down the length of my sword.

“For one, I happen to have a few tricks up my sleeve” I said, before I noticed a cool chill glance across the column of fire, followed by the sound of metallic resonance. I couldn’t help but let out a smirk “And two...who said I was alone?” at this the column of fire turned to ice, which promptly shattered as Tarn & Autumn landed in front of me, weapons drawn and ready to strike at any moment.

“Just try it, bitch” Autumn spat, hunkering down as if preparing to strike, small particles of dust appearing to resonate around her hooves. The pegasus’ head jerked back, as if struck, and she muttered something in some foreign, ancient language as she studied the three of us, she then looked down, as if thinking.

“Proclaim the ones of new forged skin” she muttered. Before she looked back up at us, a troubled expression on her face “You and your friends need to come with us...now!”

About an hour later we grouped back up, with these two strangers leading us through the middle of a dark forest, much to Alee’s discomfort.

The pink and blue pegasus, who I had learned was called Fyrefly, lead us towards the mouth of some sort of cave, before stopping us.

“A word of advice, it’s best if you keep back, we have a...friend who doesn’t do well with outsiders” she said, and with that she told Surprise to keep an eye on us before heading inside the cave. From inside I could hear Fyrefly speaking.

“Lee, wake up you old rustbucket!” she said “We have visitors”

“I told you a thousand times...no strangers, no visitors!” a male voice called back, and suddenly everyone’s attention was on the cave as heavy footsteps could be heard walking towards the mouth. Glowing orange eyes seemed to peer through the darkness at us, before the figure resumed his walk out of the cave. Light slowly revealed rippling emerald green muscles and dark grey metal existing in harmony beneath a heavy cloak as the figure stepped into full view, shielding his eyes from the light.

The being stood some 7 foot tall, and was clearly harked from the same region as the zyglak, mechanical components could be seen perfectly interwoven with organic muscle, the being was clearly aging somewhat, any metal armour was either scratched, tarnished or outright rusting, and their muscles bore many scares. On its face it wore a green mask, with round symbols running up the center, behind which an almost alien-looking face could be seen peering through a blue tinted visor, Fyrefly stood alongside the being, looking almost hesitant, but finally she let out a sigh and spoke

“This is...Lesovikk”

Author's Note

sorry that such a long wait yielded a relatively short chapter, but I feel it's better to keep the story moving forward a bit at a time rather than waiting for go knows how long to produce a 3000+ word chapter, especially with the shifts I'm now working (6-2/2-10 alternating shifts are fun! )