Slave of the Sun

The first thing Servus saw upon waking up was the sight of iron bars. Each column of metal was inches apart of each other, obstructing his view. At the bottom right corner the bars were badly damaged, leaving a hole just in enough to fit a hoof.

"W-where am I ?"

Servus felt cold and wet. Focusing past the bars, Servus saw few trees sparse around the landscape, The grass was dark green. The sky was cloudy, removing her burden of water. It was raining but lightly, it was hitting in a slant, even though he could feel no wind, the angle of the rain made it possible for the droplets of water to come through which resulted in him being wet.

The fact of being wet and cold did not bother him one bit. Thoughts of what transpired before he was knocked unconscious played in his head. He recalled the guards protesting and that cold mare that outwitted him. His mind raced. He had to get out of here.

Servus tried to push the bars in front of him. They were rusty after all. But looks were deceiving, hitting or pushing yielded no results.

"There's got to be another way," muttered Servus, gazing at the small hole. No that would not work. It seemed it was created for a purpose. Servus continued to struggle until he heard a voice. Voices, to be specific. Servus immediately became motionless, his heart beating faster. Are these my Equestrian captors ? Rescuers ? Perhaps the Furore cohort manage to defeat the Equestrian forces and are coming to save him !

His hopes were dashed when a very familiar voice started to speak. Long Shot. Dammit.

"Okay, I know it is strange. I never seen a Pegasus royal or even a noble but this bracelet and those two guards we encountered proves he is some high Orbemian official or even part of the royal family. "

Servus looked at his hoof. She had taken his bracelet ! Another voice started to speak, it was soft but it seemed to have sort of lively in it.

"I see your point Long Shot besides that blatant racist remark about Pegasus but I need more proof than that. The princess sent me here to confirm it."

Servus heard a chuckle. "I never knew you would be so easy to offend Gentle Rose."

"Hmmph !"

"Awww come on Rose. It is true ! Have you ever seen a Pegasus noble ? "

"I am !"

"No you not ! You just a messenger."

"Celestia's personal messenger !"

"I can still hear messenger..."

"Enough of this !" Servus could hear a bit of irritation in this Rose voice.

"Okay , I'm sorry Rose I never meant to make fun of you or your race."

Servus was shocked. He did know Long Shot but for the amount time he did, he concluded that she was a cold and cruel mare of war like her Equestrian brothers and sister and with that cold twisted smile of her's but here she was talking to a comrade of her's like she was everybody's friend. He always thought of the Equestrians of being coarse and brutish and most all barbarians who did not know what honour or dignity was.

Rose giggled. " I'm just pulling your hoof Long Shot."

Servus heard Long shot grumble. "How do you get me every time, I don't know. But are you satisfied now ? I'm sure the bracelet is proof enough for the princess ?"

"Hmmm... it is but I am going to have to interrogate the captive. Alone."

Servus shivered at the word 'interrogate'. The mare said it with such enthusiasm it sent a chill down his spine.

"Not so fast Rose ." Saved. "I know what you going to do. I'm going to have to be there, to make sure you interrogate him and not cuddle him."

Servus felt his cheeks heating up. What !?

"Aww... but he is so cute !"

Servus ear twitched. Their were walking towards him.

"Arg, just interrogate him Rose and we can be on our way."

Servus felt their presence. He hoped he fooled them to think he was sleeping. He curled himself into a ball, ducking his face. He was a bad actor and his expression of his face would give him away.

"I just want to cuddle him !" Geeze this mare got issues. I am not cute !

"So are you going to interrogate him or you just using this as an excuse to look at him."

"Say's the one who was staring at him for an unknown period of time before I got here."

"I-I-I was making sure he did not try to escape." Long Shot ! not you too ?

He could hear Rose giggle. It sounded really close. Servus peeked through his wing. They were right in front of him ! Literary the bars were separating them. These mares are crazy ! They were sitting down, their hooves tucked underneath them. Their faces were at each other, talking and bickering giving Servus the chance to take a glance at them. On the right was Long Shot donned in full armour, it seemed she was ready to go on the battlefield. On the left was this mare, Rose. She was a Pegasus, her coat was pinkish white or a very light pink, it was hard to describe. Her mane was long with a braid to one side. It was an unusual colour. It was grey, like old pony hair but what stood out was her eyes. They were ruby red.

Servus quickly closed his eyes. Peeking was over unless he wanted to get caught. He heard them waking up. It would seem their conversation they had was over.

"Oh ! I cannot wait for the wedding ! , gushed Rose. "It is shame he cannot be mines" . What is she talking about ?. Even Long Shot was confused.

'' I think you should check yourself, Rose, you might have a screw loose something "

Long shot and Rose said their goodbyes and parted ways. Servus managed to overhear the soldiers talking that Long shot was going back to Orbemia, apparently the siege was still going on . Imagine if the Furore cohort did not make it in time. Orbemia would have been defeated. Servus shuddered at that thought. No, Orbemia would survive, all he had to do was try and escape this wretched cage.

For the whole afternoon, Servus tried and tried. But the cage would not budge. He even grew careless not bothering that the soldiers knew he was trying to escape. They did not care either merely smirking if their passed by.

The sun came down, the moon rising in its place. The camp was immediately flooded with campfires courtesy of the unicorn mages. The soldiers were surrounding the campfires, joking and talking and eating. It would seemed this cohort or squad as Equestrians would put it were going back home, including Servus as the trophy.

Servus stomach rumbled. He was hungry. The day he was kidnapped, he skipped breakfast at the palace, Dad really wanted those flowers. Servus picked up his head. He could smell the food wafting into his nose, from the campfire. Was that S mores ?

"Here you go !" Servus was so engrossed that he did not realised the guard that approached him with a plate of food. He yelped, standing up only to hit the top of his prison. The guard chuckled.

"Ye sure are jumpy fella fer a Orbemian."

Servus looked at the guard. He could not see how he looked. The darkness and his armour obscuring his appearance. Servus looked at his hoof he had food, a sandwich.

"Yer can take it, I'm sure ya hungry." Servus looked at him. Is it a trap ? He sounded sincere... too sincere. Servus stared at the sandwich. There was dirt in it. Mud to be exact. Nice try Equestrian.

"Thank you kind sir." Servus had no choice but to take the sandwich from him. If he did not, then the pony would realise he was on to him. The soldier waited, looking at Servus, waiting for him to eat the sandwich. Servus did not. He placed it down on the floor by his side.

The soldiers eyes told him that he was getting impatient. "Why yer not eating it ?" His voice a bit strained.He was still smiling but now it looked more like somepony put pegs on the sides of his mouth.

"I'm saving it for later." Servus tried his best to look innocent, his eyes darting elsewhere, other then the soldier.

The soldiers smile dropped, forming into a smirk. "Yer smart fer an Orbemian scum. Just so you kn'w that's yeh breakfast fer tomorrow, so don't finish everything tonight, leave some fer tomorrow and the day after that .Oh and ah almost forgot..."

The soldier turned around , picking some thing from the ground. A bowl of water. Before he pushed it through the small hall in his cell, he spat in it.

"Hope yer enjoy ya meal, devil worshipper," the guard sneered." Yer do not even deserve to get a meal fer what ya kind had done but we not monsters like yer, we actually have a heart" And with that the soldier left, going towards the campfire, no doubt to enjoy his nice cooked meal.

Servus was expressionless the hold time the soldier spoke. Taking in all the information in. Is that what Equestrians really thought of them? Devil worshippers? Servus shivered, as the rain started. Once again the rain was coming in a slant causing the water droplets to hit him perfectly.The roof of his cell did nothing to shelter him. All the soldiers were going back in their tents. He was left outside with the other boxes of equipment. They call this having a heart ? Orbemia never wanted this war, they were always on the defence, defending their borders from the Equestrians. Throughout the so called war not once did Orbemia attacked Equestria. All because they believed in the true Princess. Princess Luna at one stage control the sun and the moon, adored by every pony until she arrived. The so called Princess Celestia. He never saw her, the Equestrians claimed that she is an Alicorn, that saved them from the tragically 'Nightmare moon', a disgusting name used for the princess of the moon. What was more shocking to learn was that they believed that their 'Alicorn princess' moved the sun and the moon. No doubt shes tricking these poor fools. He asked his father once about her, to describe her. He had nothing to describe or explained. He said that whenever a summit came up or 'peace' meeting arises, the Equestrian princess was always behind a veil and if she wanted to say something she would simply tell her adviser to do so.

Servus peeked through his cage as he saw the moon shining it's silvery light, the storm cleared. He closed his eyes as he said his prayers to the moon. It was an Orbemian tradition and custom to do every night. To bow before the moon and chant the ancient prayers. After the prayers, you then ask for what you want. It is said that Princess Luna, even though she disappeared after her defeat, could hear your prayers if you were sincere enough.

Servus pored his heart to his prayer. His tears flowing freely.

"O princess of the moon, I miss my parents, my home. I-I-I'm scared. I have no idea what they going to do with me.... give me strength and guide me through this ordeal..."

For over five minutes of pure sincerity, Servus felt safe. The Princess of the night will protect him.