Three months have past from when I started my training. Three months of Fendral teaching me everything I needed to know. I now know the culture, their do's and don'ts. I know their language and all their intricacies. I know their history, how and why we came to be.

I had been taught how to hunt and handle their weaponry. Now we were putting what I learned to the test.

Today was the day of my Verd'goten.

Armed with an EE-3, vibro sword and a few grenades, I was ready to hunt. And what a hunt it was.

Roughly a week ago, a small neighbouring town had an incident regarding a small feral dragon. There were no casualties, thankfully, but there was a report that it was heading our way and that put Ponyville's citizens at risk, so we tasked ourselves with hunting it. This technically isn't an official job, seeing as there's no actual bounty out for it, but Fendral said it would give me a taste of what to expect.

"Remember, this is your Verd'goten. I will be unable to help you." Fendral said. "Now under normal circumstances, this would be a coming of age trial as you know. However, seeing as your already of age, this will be your integration trial. After you complete this, you will be one of us."

"You make it sound so easy." I chuckled, sitting on a tree stump, making sure I was fully equipped.

"You'll be ok." He said, putting his arm out, with me meeting half way and grabbing his forearm in a warriors handshake. "This is the way."

"This is the way." I recited back.

Releasing my grip and turning away, I quickly found myself in the dense foliage of the forest with a bad reputation. Keeping an eye and ear out for any sign of the dragon, it proved to be far harder than I anticipated, taking the better part of a few hours. But eventually, I spot a branch limply hanging from a thick trunk.

Striding towards the branch, I closely inspect it and realized it hadn't been snapped like I thought. It had been torn apart. Looking around, I spot a series of more branches almost ripped from their trunks. Following the trail of destruction, I finally find what I had been looking for. Tracks.

Resting the butt of my EE-3 on the ground I looked down at the tracks and analyse the sizeable imprints in the damp dirt beneath me, taking in every little detail. Reaching down, I press my hand into the ground, roughly matching the depth and remove it. The prints was rounded off, while mine had sharp edges.

"It's been here a while. No more than 24 hours." I said, referring to the track. "Four fingers, likely a drake. The print is no more than 2 feet long and 3 foot in width, so it can't be taller than 10, maybe 15 foot tall and 30 foot long."

Looking up, I notice the tracks didn't have a set pattern, each print being made here and there, almost like it was stumbling.

"The tracks seem some what sporadic, leading...due north-east from my position. Could be injured." Gazing up, I look across the area and spot a leaf. Looking closer I notice a few drops of Crimson and nod to myself. "Definitely injured."

Moving on, I followed the tracks in hopes of finding a lead to the dragon I quickly noticed large scrapes and scratches on the sides of trees and branches were snapped like twigs, now limply hanging from the thick trunk they originated from, leaving a clear trail to where ever it fled to.

Soon, I come to an opening in the tree line and past it was a cave. It seemed unremarkable at first, but upon closer inspection, I notice a rather sizable scorch mark on the ground near I had stopped and a small amount of ash clinging to the ground around it.

"Hmm. Wonder what happened here?" I said to myself.

Sure enough, my suspicions were confirmed when a large pale green drake limped out of the cave, dried blood caking it's scales on the left shoulder and down it's arm. Some of the large asymmetrical spike's covering it's body were cracked or bent, showing it to have survived many battles. Smoke bellowed slightly from its square muzzle, parting as it past the single horn on it's snout.

But what caught my attention wasn't it's battle worn body, but what was sticking out it's back. Peering through the brush, what I saw were the tips of spears, broken and worn like the spike's and spines beside them.

"Standard issue Guard spears. Looks like they tried to take it down." I whispered.

Standing from the foliage, I swiftly strode forwards, gripping my EE-3 rifle tightly in my hands. The beast heard my approach, snapping it's to face me, a small amount of froth dripping out it's mouth and It's yellow eyes lacking any manner of sane coherence. Thing thing really was feral.

Slamming the ground with it's front claws, the Drake reared it's head and let out a mighty bellow and charged forward. Taking the initiative, I ran forward as well, raising my rifle and aimed for It's face.

The three round burst hits it's mark, singeing the thick scales, leaving a smoking black mark, causing the beast to roar in pain and slam it's eyes shut, but the shots failed to slow it down. Rolling out out of the way of the charging brute, the Drake barrelled past me, skidding to a stop with a bloody intent clear in it's rabid eyes.

Charging again with baffling speed and leaving a trail of dust behind it, the Drake's large claw impacted my side before I could react, sending me flying into the wall beside the cave, the durasteel breastplate taking most of the force of the blow, but a few ribs were definitely broken. I stood quickly with a groan and saw the beast beating it's snout into the ground. Thinking fast, I made my game plan and the beast charged once more.

As the Drake was upon me, I rolled out the way, the beast ramming into the wall, the spike's on it's head breaking from the impact, a few bits of rock lodged themselves between it's scales. Reaching to my belt, I grabbed a modified thermal detonator, primed it and threw it at the Drake. As It shook it's head and came out of it's daze, the beeping grenade caught it's attention. Peering down at the metallic orb, it sniffed the grenade then shifted it's gaze towards me.

Seconds later, the beeping stopped and the area was engulfed in a friary orange aura, with the Drake being caught in the ensuing explosion, sending it reeling. It howled as the searing heat consumed the left side of it's face, it's eyes melted in it's socket, the scales and flesh on the beasts face slowly melting away, revealing the scorched skull beneath.

Taking this opportunity, I ran as quickly as I could and jumped on it's back and pulled out my vibro sword and plunged it into the Drakes neck and twisted, intending to do as much damage as possible. Roaring, it tried it's best to rid me off it's back, bucking wildly and ramming it's body into anything it could find, all while I wiggled the blade to drive it deeper.
Slamming it's side into the rocky wall, my sword came loose and I was sent over opposite side. Pulling out my knife, I jammed it into it's unprotected belly and scraped to it's haunch. My knife lost grip in it's belly, sliding me to underneath the behemoth. Taking this opportunity, I brought my sword back as far as I could and plunged it deep into the soft tissue and pulled down as hard as I could.

A split second later, I was showered in a deep crimson, flakes of scales flicking off my now wet armour. The Drake crumbled as it's innards fell out the gaping hole in it's stomach in a steaming pile, my helm doing little to shield me from the revolting stench as I let go mid fall. I land on my back and lay there for a second or two before I'm shaken from my moment of respite. The beast was somehow still alive.

Walking over to it, I grab my sword off the ground and I make my way behind it to the hole I made in it's neck. Offering a small prayer, I bury my blade to the hilt, the Drake writhing for an instant before falling limp. Removing my blade, I decide to check over my equipment before any further action. Peering down at myself, a large amount of dirt and mud, along with the still wet blood and fresh guts hanging from my armour. I shake my hands in a futile attempt to rid myself of the mess. Quickly checking over the rest of my equipment, I quickly found that the durasteel breastplate was barely hanging on, being damaged beyond repair by the fight. Good thing Fendral has more. Everything else was either: fine or at least repairable.

Looking back to the Drake, I walk over to it's mouth with my knife in hand and began pulling a few teeth and scales as proof, putting them in a sturdy leather pouch. Once done, I quickly find the dirt path and slowly trek back to Ponyville. The walk back to town was a slow one, the fight, while not being long, took a lot of energy to complete. But the journey ended, as my eyes landed on the quaint little town as I past the tree line and the reinforced fence.

Groaning as I sit on a near by rock, I close my eyes and let a content sigh pass my lips, now feeling repercussions of the fight as the adrenaline in my body begins wearing off.

"Is it done?" A deep, familiar voice asks.

Opening my eyes, they instantly lock onto Fendral, who stood a metre away. Reaching to my belt, I pull out the leather bag and hold it out. Fendral takes it without hesitation and peers down into it. Nodding softly, his shoulder raise a small bit and closes the bag.

"Follow me." He said, offering his hand to help me up. "And use this while your at it."

Handing the bag back, he also gives me a metallic syringe. A bacta syringe if I'm remembering correctly. Poking the syringe into my side, I groan as I feel my ribs fall back in place, the broken bones fusing back together. Following closely behind Fendral, he leads me through the towns centre, Ponyville's citizens making way for the gore covered Mandalorian initiate. Soon, we stop in front of the town local black smith.

Banging on the door leading into the forge beside the main shop, Fendral steps back and places his hands on his hips, almost expectantly. We didn't have to wait long, however, as a well built earth-pony mare comes out the main shops entrance.

"Ah Fendral, what can I help with today?" She said, immediately noticing my presence and looks back to him. "Is it time?"

He only nods in response.

"Then follow me." She said, a wide smile braking across her face.

She leads us behind her shops and into the circular forge, her leaning against the door frame and indicating for us to go in. It was a large and very well maintained space, each tool having their own designated area. The main forge situated in the middle was large, taking up the majority of the room, with enough space to work at each of the equally well maintained work stations.

"Kneel here please." Fendral requested, indicating to a pillow near the entrance. "And don't move until I say."

"What, if I may ask, are you going to do?" I ask.

"Forge you new armour." He said simply, turning to get to work.

Bringing up a small white metallic box and pulling out a large bundle of steel grey ingots, I watched him intently, mesmerised by his actions. He moved from here to there in a flurry of movement with grace unsuspected of one of his stature. His motions were like a well oiled machine, moving across the forge in a blur of precision.

Placing the ingots in a large worn tray, he hefted the container and placed it in the equally large forge. The ingots melted quickly there after, filtering out and into a mould affixed to the side of the forge. Letting it solidify, he took the roughly shaped piece to a table, hammering out most of it's imperfections. Lifting it once more, he took it over to and placed it on an odd looking circular device, the now less rough piece now softly floating several inches above it, blue beams of light being produced at an angle from the rim keeping the plate from falling. Pulling a lever, a large hammer fell onto the piece, the scuffed edges dulling out.

Doing this several times, the piece became a clean, rounded edged breastplate. Dipping it in a basin, the water bubbled as the excess heat cooled and then placed it in what appeared to be mud of some sort. He let go and patiently waited for it to dry. Once done, he lugged it up and onto another table, breaking the now dry clay like substance.

Polishing the breastplate, he detached the broken and bent durasteel and discarded it of to the side, replacing it with the newly made Beskar armour. Doing this with every piece of armour, the time it took to be done was lengthy and the deed was an ambitious one, having to create a full set of armour from scratch. But, eventually, it was done and it was a truly impressive sight. But it was not done. Not yet.

Getting together a small amount of the excess metal, he brought it over to a workbench, pulling the metal out straight and bending it to form a small intricate design. Sparks flow as he welded the compact construct and soon enough he was finished.

"What is is?" I ask as he walks towards me.

"Your signet." He replied, welding the piece on my left shoulder pad. "A symbol determined from the damage dealt to a warrior's armour. In this case, your signet is that of the Drake you slew."

"Stand." He continued, reaching over to a can of spray paint and a piece of cardboard with a . "From this day forth, you are one of us."

Placing the cardboard on my right shoulder, he sprayed on the design onto it, permanently marking the armour. He stands in front of me and gives me a hard nod.

"This is the way." He said proudly as a smile now crossed my face.

"This is the way."

Author's Note

please point out any mistakes I may have made
constructive criticism is always appreciated
until next time, TTFN!

Edit: Grammatical corrections and removal of parts of the previous iteration of the chapter to make it more coherent and consistent