Year 2532, 35th of Chillwind, Hour 33 – Northwood Forest, Unnamed Hamlet – Solaria’s POV

I had come within sight of the hamlet around an hour ago, watching the dim light of the sun fade away behind the mountains and clouds. I took some time to set up a small fire, waiting a few hours before I would be heading into the hamlet.

Throughout my short time in the wilderness, I’ve already encountered a major issue. After leaving the MagLev, the snowstorm had increased in fury. Almost a foot of additional snow is coating the ground. It is a nightmare, especially for one that shares the desert-dwelling blood of the Hisanhariin. Any temperature below freezing could easily become detrimental for my health.

Why do those idiotic leathersacks have to be up north…

Fortunately, there’s no wind present with the storm, and the fire I built burns strong. I would love nothing more than to remain where I was, enjoying the warmth, but I had a task that needed completion.

I levitate a large ball of snow from the ground with Telekinesis, dumping it onto the blazing fire. A loud hiss and a burst of steam later, the fire is no more. I gather my pack and make my way down the hillside I’m on.

Going down is a difficult process. The thick snowfall is obscuring my vision and the fresh layer under my feet didn’t help. Several times, I catch myself against spruce trunks as the snow-covered slopes cause me to slip.

I reach the bottom, being greeted by the gentle current of an ice-cold river. Even thinking of the five-meter-thick water flow causes more shivers.

Faraking cold…

I scan across the river, finding an old wood fishing dock along the far bank. Teleportation is ignited and cast, causing me to flash over onto the structure. As I drop onto the surface, my foot slips on the wet snow. My arms flail as I try to regain balance. Unable to find my footing properly, I cast Teleportation again, flashing forward ten meters or so.

Instead of falling back into the river, I fall onto a snow-covered stone path.

This weather will cause me to go insane!

I carefully stand, testing each step as I slowly make my way into the hamlet. Eventually, the snow fades back, revealing a cobblestone street sitting under the orange glow of several streetlamps. Ahead down the gentle uphill road sits two smaller buildings, one on each side. No lights are within the structures.

I walk up past the two rustic buildings, coming to the single crosswalk of the town; the same one the gunship was sitting at a day ago.

On the opposite side of the crosswalk sits two more small buildings, the right one sporting a sign that reads: Tankard’s Trading Post. I walk over to the shop, remaining wary of any potential activity.

Further down the now-level street, my ears catch the sound of merry cheering. Glancing that way, I see bright lights coming from a larger wooden building.

Drunken idiots. It’s no wonder how the Minotaurs can continue to raid this place without any worries…

Still, as a precaution, I ignite and cast Life Detection, applying enough Energy to increase the base radius out to 100 meters. Several blue dots of energy pop into my vision, all located within the tavern. As I see no other signatures anywhere within the hamlet, I cancel out the spell.

In the clear, I move over to the trading post’s large single pane window, peering into the store. It is dark within, but I could make out four rows of stocked shelves, set perpendicular from the front wall. I give another glance towards the bar before stepping over to the doorway into the trading post.

I grab the handle, testing it to see if the door is locked, which it is.

Good thing I don’t have an issue with breaking and entering…

I ignite Telekinesis, grab onto the three sets of hinges along the door, and rip them from their place. The hinges are released from my grasp; my magical energy shifts to the door, carefully lowering it to the ground without making a sound.

I step into the trading post, igniting the spell, Illumination. A bright white light sparks into existence, shining out from above my head. I tone down the brightness and change the color from white to orange, making it identical to a small candle’s glow.

I begin moving my way through the shelves in search for anything valuable for my journey. The first row yields nothing worthwhile. I traverse on to the next, only to have a reflection of the Illumination spell catch my eye.

The cause of the reflection is a glass case.

The simplistic wooden case itself is nothing special, but the wide array of hunting and survival tools inside were more than enough to gather my attention.

Without a second thought, I strike the glass with my fist, the gauntlet protecting my hand from the shards as the pane loudly breaks. I peel away the remaining glass, letting it fall to the ground.

I pull out a sheathed hatchet from the case and examine it. The tool is well-made, with the silver-toned axe-head contrasting the dark wood handle. I slip it into my pack and move on to the next row.

Despite knowing that no guards were stationed in this backwater hamlet, I quicken my pace as I comb through the remaining rows. By the end, my pack contains several extra packs of preserved foods, a wool blanket, collapsible single tent, bedroll, flashlight, and a simple pocket watch.

Along the wall parallel with the shelves were several clothing displays. Most were empty, but one holds two-toned, dull brown cloak. I grab it and throw it into my pack.

A beam of light flashes across the store from the window.

I freeze and immediately cancel Illumination, swiveling my ears about in a vain attempt to hear a sound. The light beam crosses the trading post’s interior again before going out.

Alright, one of two bets. It’s either a drunken resident, or a Pegasus guard. Since I can’t hear stumbling, I’m going to go with my second choice.

Moving as quietly as I can in half-plate armor, I slowly make my way deeper into the building. With my heart pounding, I sneak my way along the rows, looking down each to try and spot my potential discoverer.

As I reach the second row from the door, my muzzle is struck by the grip of a pistol. I yelp, more-so from surprise than pain, falling back. Around the corner steps a Pegasus mare, wearing the silver armor of an Intercity Guard.

“Don’t move,” the Guard orders, keeping her weapon trained on me while reaching for shackles.

Svist…

The Guard loses her focus on me for half of a second while searching for her cuffs. I take that moment to ignite Telekinesis and shove her feet out from under her.

She lets out a yelp as she falls prone on top of me. I block the impact with my arms, before throwing my fist into the side of her head. She takes a moment to recover; I grab her weapon and toss it away. In a tangle of limbs and a flurry of grunts and curses, we both wrestle for control. For the first seconds, neither of us can gain control. In the end, my larger and stronger Hisan-Unicorn form wins the wrestling match. I manage to throw her away from me into the edge of a shelf.

The entire row stumbles from her impact, sending its contents onto the ground.

I climb to my feet and run for the doorway.

Sudden pain explodes from my back as I feel both her feet strike me in a drop kick. I gasp and brace as I’m thrown from the building into the street.

She draws a baton and charges at me. I cast Telekinesis again, using the spell to simply hold her back as I recover from the impact. I hear the guard cry out in surprise, cursing under her breath as she tries to free herself. Once I can concentrate better, I switch to the Drowse spell and focus all my efforts into breaking through her mental barrier.

The spell does its job; the Guard’s head nods and her body falls limp in my telekinetic grasp. I drop her body to the ground with a crash.

I groan, feeling the pain in my back from her kick.

“You Pegasi may be thin and weak,” I say to the sleeping guard. “but geez, remind me never to get into a one-on-one again with one of you.”

I stand, watching the Pegasus softly snore into the cobbled street before recasting Illumination. I don’t bother to adjust the brightness or color this time.

I drag her unconscious body back into the shop, leaving it in sight of the open doorway. Searching under her unfurled wings, I find a golden-hilted shortsword sheathed at her right hip. With my knife, I cut the strap and stow the blade into my pack.

Not wanting to spend anymore time in this hamlet, I sheathe my dagger and leave the trading post. With my pack fully stocked, I use my compass to find northeast again and head out at a steady jog.

37th of Chillwind, Hour 37 – Frozen North, Minotaur Lands – Solaria’s POV

I feel the frustration in my chest grow stronger as the leather layers of my tent violently shake from the blizzard winds. Even though I had camped underneath a jagged rock overhang, hoping to escape such effects, the howling winds still threatened to tear away the walls of my tent.

In a lasting effort to keep myself from freezing to death, I had set up a magical fire within my tent using the Burning Embers spell.

But even with the fire, tent, and blockage from the wind, my body is still shivering from the cold. I tried to help remove the chills further by consuming my last MRE, but it only lasted for a few minutes. Not even the cloak, which I had discovered was a cheap synthetic mess, did anything to improve my condition.

Stupid Hisanhariin blood! Why couldn’t these Minotaurs exist in the south where it’s warm?!

Sitting here and letting my anger fester would do me no good. I release the cloak from around my shoulders. Best I can, I sit up straight and try to hold still. Twisting my wrists as magic flows to my palms, I cancel Burning Embers and cast Magical Meditation.

I close my eyes, allowing the spell’s effects to take over my mind. Seconds pass as I only see black, before my vision is filled with rippling waves. The waves fade from black to earth brown.

As the brown shifts into a vibrant red, the shimmering waves transform into star-like streaks that zip by my head. The colors change into orange before going black again.

When I open my eyes, I’m no longer in the claustrophobic and freezing tent. Instead, I’m standing upon soft, green grass. The sky is not gray and cloudy, rather being tinted in shades of red, orange, and yellow. The sweet melody of birds singing and leaves gently rustling reaches my ears.

I take in the view of my Meditative Plane, feeling a great sense of calmness fall upon me. Small floating islands, connected to the main island by simple wood bridges, remain suspended in the air.

I stride forward down a path, following the cliff edge of the forested main island. After passing underneath several hanging branches, I step onto a wooden bridge spanning a small creek.

From the bridge, off to the left, a mountain stretches into the sky. The peak is bathed in a dull red wash. I admire the sight for a moment, before continuing along the path.

After walking along the path for several minutes, I come upon a simple wood balcony, hanging off the edge of the island. Out from the rustic porch is the source of the brilliant colors that lit my Plane.

I lie on the edge of the balcony, hanging my legs over as my body rejuvenates from its various injuries. I continue to lie there, feeling the warmth and relaxation.

Too bad I can’t stay here forever.

The hours pass in my Plane as even more do in reality. Eventually, I stand from my spot and start to practice the magical spells I know. As each spell is cast, I can feel my abilities grow more efficient, and my magic pool become stronger.

Without warning, the relaxation comes to an end. My entire Plane is rumbling from a non-existent earthquake. Mental alarms begin to sound, telling me the rumbling is from beyond my Plane. I ignite Magical Meditation again and cast it, reversing the effects that brought me here until my vision is once again black.

38th of Chillwind, Hour 10 – Frozen North, Minotaur Lands – Solaria’s POV

I jolt back to consciousness, still feeling the rumbles as I did in my Plane, albeit less extreme.

With practiced strokes, I attach my armor plates to myself in minutes. By the time I finish strapping on my helmet, the rumbles have ceased.

I slowly unzip my tent and step out, carefully observing my surroundings. The blizzard’s passed, letting gray light filter under the rock overhang. Nothing is here with me, but quiet voices flutter to my ears from above.

Straining my ears, I try to listen to the words.

“I swear, chief! I saw an elk! Right here!” a deep ragged voice cries out.

A dull whack is followed by another cry.

“You moron! You brought me all the way out here for nothing!”

I stop listening at this point, moving back to my tent.

Great, just what I needed: stupid Minotaurs…

I pause.

Wait a minute… did that one say ‘chief?’

My pondering is cut short as an aggressive roar echoes under the overhang. I spin around, catching a massive form leap at me. I swiftly back step. The Minotaur, as I can now see, crashes into my tent. It becomes tangled with the leather, destroying it in the process.

I ignite Magical Bolt into my palms, drawing back my arms. As I thrust my hands forward, a pink flash of energy blasts out, carving a clean hole through the Minotaur.

Several loud and heavy-sounding thumps come from behind me.

Eleven Minotaurs jump down from above the rock overhang, each branding a large stone Warhammer or sharpened battle-axe.

All of them bear a insignia of a shattered hammer on a bandolier or a belt.

One of them steps forward. The same chieftain that had escaped my grasp days ago now stands before me.

Whatever fear that had built in me is instantly replaced by hatred and anger. I feel my muzzle twist into a raging snarl.

“Looks like you were right,” the chieftain says. “Although this is not an elk, but a Unicorn mare…”

His eyes flash to the scene behind for a moment.

“This one has fire in her,” he snorts. “That’s good! She will be fun to break!”

“I want her armor!” one yells out.

“Who cares about armor,” another says. “I want her…”

“None of you will get anything while she remains free!” The chieftain points to me with his Warhammer. “GET HER!!”

They all step forward.

I chuckle, the action causing them to freeze.

“She’s laughing?” a Minotaur questions.

As my laughter grows, it is cut short, swapping into a vengeful yell. I ignite Thunderbolt into my palms. The grief of Stronghold and the loss of my home, combined with the pure rage against Celestia and this chieftain, causes me to see nothing but red.

Taarg’s POV

This day had been exciting. While on patrol, Burnk said he found an elk, the first in many months! Sadly, the elk wasn’t real, which left all of us disappointed.

Until, we found another Anthow! She was a pretty one, at least from what I could tell beyond that armor. It would be another slave to toy with.

As we were ready to claim our prize however, she begins to laugh at us, which is confusing. Why would she laugh at her own doom?

Her laughing changes to yelling as lightning appears upon her hands and arms. Her eyes and horn begin to glow a purplish white as she menacingly steps towards us.

We look to Chief Borg. He holds a look of absolute terror, which is unexpected from such a brave warrior as him.

I look back to the Unicorn. She throws her arms out from her, causing a clear wave to fly out from her body. The wave impacts with us, throwing us out into the snow several hammer-lengths.

As I recover from the throwing, thunder begins to rumble above us.

“Thunder?” I say out loud and confused. “Thunder isn’t supposed to be here.”

My confusion is replaced the same terror that Chief Borg had as three lightning bolts fall from the clouded sky, exploding onto the ground where Burnk, Jahg, and For’hd are lying. The shockwave from the blast throws me further away. The last thing I see is Chief Borg’s arm being melted away before snow fills my vision.

I lie in the snow, my hearing a cacophony of ringing. Soon the sound returns.

I wish it hadn’t.

The sounds I hear are not brave war cries and the sounds of clashing weapons, but screams of terror and fear.

I look up from the ground, watching as the Unicorn throws a bolt of lightning from her hand. It flashes through the air, cutting a hole right through Florgn’s head. His body collapses into the snow, spilling steaming blood onto the already red snow.

I feel like puking, but after seeing the death of my friend, I gather what little resolve I had remaining and run to fight this Unicorn.

No, not a Unicorn, but a demoness…

I grab a discarded Warhammer, readying myself to face down this unnatural creature.

Svelg beats me to it, he charges up to her, swinging his hammer down at her smaller form. She catches it without effort, in a single hand! Whatever unholy energy that is coursing through her is making her much stronger than any Unicorn I’d ever seen.

From her free hand, she strikes Svelg in the stomach. He reels back, falling to one knee. She takes his hammer and spins around, connecting the blunt weapon with Svelg’s face.

Terror and shock cause me to freeze as the Warhammer sinks into Svelg with a horrific, echoing crack. His body is thrown away into the snow from the impact.

I look around. Several other Minotaurs have already fled. I do the same. The hammer I’m holding is dropped onto the snow as I turn and try to run from this horror.

My feet slide out from under me, forcing me to fall into the snow as if something grabbed them. My whole body is suddenly pulled in the direction of the demoness.

I scream, clawing at the snow to try and escape this nightmare.

Pain explodes into my chest as I feel it be pierced with a sharp weapon.

My breathing becomes erratic, my struggling grows weak, and my vision fades to black.

Solaria’s POV

The red from my uncontrollable rage finally begins to pull back, although I still feel it.

I look around the bloodstained tundra, it littered with dead bodies and blackened craters. Only one body still remains alive: the chieftain.

I cancel out Magical Weapon. The transparent red longsword stuck through the chest of the Minotaur on the ground disappears.

I march my way over to the chieftain, cracking my knuckles.

He’s lying in the snow about twenty meters away, his back against a snow drift. As he clutches what remains of his right arm, he sees me approach.

Before he can move, I telekinetically grab the double bandoliers around his chest and pull his face-to-face with me.

“I-I’m sorry,” he whimpers. “I didn’t know! I didn’t know it was y-you!

His feeble cries are ignored.

“I told you,” my voice icily whispers. “I would make you feel more pain than your weak mind could possibly comprehend.”

“Pl…please…” He begs again.

“You believe I should show mercy?” I use a sliver of my telekinetic grasp to start twisting his remaining fingers clockwise. “Why do you deserve it, when you showed none to your own victims.”

I flick my wrist, forcing his fingers to harshly twist with a loud crunch. The chieftain screams. I release him from my grasp, letting his body fall to the ground as tears fall from his eyes.

“What I do to you is only just punishment for the hundreds who have suffered by your hands.”

With Telekinesis still ignited, I latch onto his legs, causing every bone within them to shatter. His cries of anguish are louder than ever.

I wait for his screams to fade.

“H-how can, one b-be so cruel…” he moans out.

I don’t respond, rather igniting Magical Weapon. The spell summons a longsword, red and translucent like the shortsword was.

I drive the blade forward, piercing it through the chieftain’s chest. He gasps, complete fear in his wide eyes.

“Think of it as your penance…” I hiss. His head lolls back, the tension in his body disappearing.

I turn away from the chieftains mutilated body. My tent’s been trampled and stained from melted flesh. I use Telekinesis to heave the corpse off before digging around for my survival pack.

Thankfully, it remains unharmed. It’s slipped onto my back after my bedroll is tied to the top and the cheap cloak is wrapped around my shoulders. I leave the overhang, facing east. A dark shape catches my eye in the North.

Around 50 kilometers away is the largest and darkest winter storm I’ve ever witnessed. It stretches across the sky from east to west, big enough so that I couldn’t see its ends. It is moving south and breakneck speeds, and I’m in its way. I could tell based on its position, it would reach Equestria long before I would. Not even the forest surrounding the border would protect me from this natural disaster.

This would drain my magic completely before I would make it to the border…

I turn west and start to sprint through the snow. My path is cut short by a steady slope down. With a glance back at the storm, I look out over the tundra, checking the horizon.

My only choice is to teleport.

I ignite and cast Teleportation, flashing into existence at my presumed horizon. As I’m a few meters in the air, I catch myself with Telekinesis and drop lightly into the snow. A twinge of strain is felt in the back on my mind.

Okay, teleporting that far after a fight isn’t the best idea…

To allow my magic pool to regenerate, a rest would be required. Unfortunately, the storm that is fast approaching isn’t allowing such a luxury. Regardless of my teleportation, that blizzard would be on top of me within hours.

I climb to my feet and continue my run northeast. Based on the map, a safe zone with a Minotaur settlement is around 300 kilometers out. Despite the population, that settlement would be the safest place for me.

I would rather deal with creatures I can kill than the unstoppable force of nature…

39th of Chillwind, Hour 17 – Frozen North, near the settlement – Solaria’s POV

Despite the freezing temperatures and abnormal number of overpowered blizzards, I find myself within sight of the settlement. I couldn’t let my resolve fade however, as every step I take drains more of my energy. My magic, even with several rests, was nearly drained again.

Suffice to say, I’m an utter mess. Only the current calm between storms, the hope of warmth, and my fueled anger towards a certain Queen had kept me from giving up.

Three faraking snowstorms in a single day! It’s no wonder the Minotaurs have such trashy attitudes.

As I stumble through the gates of the settlement, a massive bonfire nearby beckoned my attention. I shuffle to the fire, collapsing onto my knees in front of it and crawling as close as I can.

Never did warmth of fire feel so amazing. I fall back onto the hard ground, relieved to not be lying on snow for once.

Eventually, as my body begins to regain its senses, I notice several eyes on me. Several Minotaurs around the fire are staring. Their staring, I assume, is nothing beyond curiosity for seeing an Anthow’piovel in such a place. Still, it is extremely uncomfortable and annoying.

In an act of intimidation, I ignite a Fire Element spell, using it to make my arms appear on fire. I snarl at the closest Minotaurs, leering as I do. They flinch back and avert their gazes but stay near the fire. I cancel the spell, satisfied that the peering had stopped.

For an hour, I remain in my place, recuperating from my terrible journey. The time is rather peaceful, with the weather currently calm and the residents leaving me be, it allowed me to simply relax for once.

Heavy footsteps fall behind me. Before I can react, a large arm wraps around my neck and lift me off my feet. I gasp as its grip tightens. I press my armored palms onto the arm, igniting and casting Flame Throw. Fire leaps from my palms, scorching the arm while leaving me untouched.

The owner to the arm releases me with a scream. I drop back onto my feet and spin around to face the fool that attacked me.

To no surprise, it is a Minotaur. Actually, it is three, all carrying a broken hammer insignia upon their bandoliers. The one who had grabbed me is clutching his arm, whimpering as he stares at his charred skin. The other two step forward, drawing a crossbow and an axe.

In response, I draw my shortsword.

Neither them nor I move.

“Sheathe your weapons! Right now!”

A new voice calls out from my left. Another Minotaur, clad in rusted iron armor that bears the same symbol of the settlement’s flag, raises a crossbow in the general direction of our stand-off. Four more Minotaurs wearing identical armor to the first copy his actions.

I comply with the guard’s request and slowly sheathe my sword. They all shift their focus to the three Minotaurs that attacked me.

“Are you all deaf?” the guard barks. “I said sheathe your weapons!”

“She killed Chief Borg!” One of my attackers protests while waving a finger at me. “And she attacked us first!”

“Knowing you Hytori scum, you probably started it!” the guard yells. “Your clan isn’t welcome in Norrg’kl, so if you aren’t here to buy or trade, leave!”

The Hytori Minotaurs glare at the guards, then at me. They’re forcefully escorted to the gates by four of the five guards.

“And you,” the original guard points in my direction. “If I catch you causing any trouble here, I’ll throw you out just like them, got it?!”

He stalks off before I can get a word in.

Good to know that all Minotaurs are still dicks…

I’m alone at the bonfire, the presence of this Clan Hytori seeming to have plagued the area.

I can’t leave this place, not yet. Even if I held enough magic to survive the blizzards, those Hytori leathersacks would be lying in wait. I need a safe place to increase my Pool. I doubt I’d be welcome in any home, and living on the streets would not be ideal. Even one blizzard could easily kill me. Hmm… I wonder how receptive the shop’s here would be to trade shelter for work…

Off to my left, across from the gate is a cluster of buildings and market tents. Several Minotaurs are mingling about as they buy and sell to each other.

No better place to search than there…

I make my way to the marketplace, my goals set.

Author's Note

As always, leave your comments!

Here's a better explanation of the spells used if you're interested, written in this Google Doc.

--Thanks to HoneyBacho for assisting with editing and world continuity