PROLOGUE

Twilight Sparkle waited for Princess Celestia to get a free moment. Twilight had just gotten back from Cloudsdale, after Rainbow Dash had called her there to help identify a very old Coat of Arms. Twilight had exhausted every source of knowledge she had at her immediate disposal in Cloudsdale, had sent a message with a perfect recreation of it to Shining Armor in the Crystal Empire, and had torn through the library in Ponyville. None of them provided her the answers she was looking for. Though to be fair, Shining Armor had said it would take them a bit to complete a search of the Empires library.

That left Twilight with only one other option. Princess Celestia. Failing that, she hoped the princess would grant her access to the Royal Archives to find the answers. She hated not being able to answer questions, and while she loved doing research, it became annoying even to her when she ran into a brick wall.

“Twilight, what brings you here? You seem troubled. Is everything alright?” Princess Celestia asked, concern on her face.

“Yes, Princess. I wanted to ask you if you recognize this Coat of Arms? Rainbow Dash was helping to clean out some of the older storage areas that the Wonderbolts have, and they came across it. No one in Cloudsdale recognized it, so based on how old it seems, I was hoping that you might.” Twilight said as she levitated the shield over to Celestia in her magic.

Celestia took hold of it in her hands and looked at it for a long time. Her eyes seemed to be playing back events, some now long past. After fifteen minutes, Twilight was starting to grow worried.

“Princess Celestia? Are you alright?” She asked of her once long time mentor.

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry Twilight, I didn’t mean to make you worry. Yes, I recognize it. And it’s much older than you might think. I want you to go to the Archives and go into the Restricted Section. There’s a very specific set of journals I want you to find...”

📖

Nolan Nightwolven stalked his prey through the woods. He was fifteen and this was his hunt. His First Hunt. His father, the chief of the Plains tribe of Wolves, felt that was time for Nolan to have his right of passage. A year early, and as such he only had himself and his cousin Feris.

Fenris, all mighty Wolven of the hunt, grant me success. In your glory we live, in your will we fall. With this hunt, we honor you above all. Should you deem it, that I a young pup, be counted amongst your faithful and worthy, grant me success, and all my days I shall revere you above all others Nolan prayed.

Fenris was the Eternal Wolven. In the distant past, he had been a mortal wolf. Through great deeds, he had ascended to immortality and divinity. Wolves prayed to Fenris for success in the hunt, victory in battle, wisdom in in trade and diplomacy, serenity in death, compassion in matters of the heart, understanding and loyalty in friendship, and humility in defeat. Like Ponies, all Wolven had some form of magic. Normally, it was differentiated between different tribes based on geographical location. Nolan was currently using a series of complex spells that would aid him in tracking. Normally, tracking a ber through the Everfree, as the Ponies called it, wouldn’t be permissible, or prudent, especially for a First Hunt. However, the game had been scarce this spring so far, and Feris, who was older by four years, agreed that their options were limited, and very few could claim tracking and taking a bear for their First Hunt. Fewer still could make that claim while being in the depths of Myrkvior.

Feris, the earth brown Coyote grinned with a carefree glint to his eyes.“You know, Nolan, that if we manage to pull this off, you’re going to have a huge surge in popularity and renown. It’s my suggestion that you use your spear. Everyone uses a bow, but by using your spear, you’ll add glory to your hunt. Glory and honor that few can claim.” he whispered in a jovial tone.

“Yes, and probably get mauled by the bear for it. No offense, Feris, but I want to succeed. I don’t care about extra glory or honor. I just want to succeed, to be considered a hunter of our people. To earn a place, like you and many of the others who have helped me over the last few years to get to this point, at our tribes Council Fire. To be recognized by Fenris and accepted by our ancestors.” Nolan responded in the same hushed voice, but far more serious tone.

“And it is that kind of thinking that got your brother crippled. He tried to play it safe, and as a result, lost track of where he was and fell off that cliff. Had I been with him on that hunt, I could have helped him prevent that accident. At any rate, you may find my talents, and those of Loki, to be of use for you on this hunt. You’ll strike the killing blow, but there’s nothing wrong or against the Code by using the abilities of those with you. Wisdom is important, as is intelligence. Being wise and intelligent enough to know when and where as well as howto use others abilities to complete your goals is just as important as being honorable and glorious. The old hunters and warriors won’t tell you that. We can speak more on this later if you want. Your goal is is in sight, and the longer we sit here and blather, the more lead time it will gain.” Feris said as he wiped his brow.

Nolan nodded, and set off again at a slightly quickened pace. The spells he had used were useful in showing nearby tracks and making sign more easily seen. At the pace they were going, however, the spells weren’t as useful. It helped that Nolan had sharp eyes and a keen sense of smell, even among his tribe.

“He’s heading for a river near here. I doubt we’ll overtake him, but I’d wager my blades he’ll stop there for a drink. If we catch him there, we have a chance. It’s shallow in this stretch and the river itself will provide no challenge. If he crosses it however, we’ll have a harder time, as the trees get thicker on the far side.” Feris called out, the smell and sound of rushing water could be heard. They redoubled their efforts at speed, making the distance melt away like ice in the summer sun.
Feris had been proven right, as it turned out. The bear had stopped at the river and was drinking its fill in huge mouthfuls. There was a type of fish Nolan wasn’t familare with running, and the bear had probably also stopped to feed as well.

Nolan strung his bow, and made sure his arrows were accessible. He also made sure his spear was handy, which brought a smirk to Feris’ face. Nolan shrugged. Just because he wasn’t looking for more accolades, didn’t mean he shouldn’t be prepared for any eventuality. Feris did the same. This was Nolan’s hunt, and Feris followed his lead as a good second should. Nolan planned out the shot in his mind. His bow, which stood almost a half foot taller than he did, and was a powerful recurve rams horn bow, would reach further than a normal bow, and hit harder. Nolan would need that power if he hoped for the bow to even injure the bear. His brother had sourced all of the materials for it himself, and had learned how to make bows from the most experienced crafters in the village. After his accident, his brother gave him the bow after he could no longer use it. He gave it to Nolan with very little ceremony, but with no less gravity and seriousness. It had strengthened their bond, and had brought the older sibling some peace knowing that, at least in spirit he would be with Nolan on his hunts.

Nolan lined up a shot, that if it struck true and deep, it would slow the bear if it decided to run. The bear itself was a huge brown furred monster of a beast. Nolan estimated its weight to be in the neighborhood of eight hundred to nine hundred pounds of muscle, bone, teeth and claws with a thick hide and foul temper. It was large enough that the meat would help feed the tribe for months. If they were successful.

Nolan offered one last quick prayer to Fenris and let his arrow fly. As soon as his and Feris had shot they both dropped their bows and broke out of the treeline, spears in hand, brief war cries on their lips. The arrow had hit the bear exactly where Nolan had aimed it, but while it might slow it down if it decided to flee, the sudden pain angered it, and instead it started to charge them, roaring its rage at them. Reacting a bit faster than Nolan, Feris made use of his skill with illusions to create a number of copies of himself and Nolan to confuse the bear and buy Nolan a few extra seconds.

The bear was close now, and in Nolan’s estimation, it was probably best that they had left their bows in the trees. That left him his spear, his hunters knife, and if things got extremely desperate,his own teeth and claws. Nolan had crafted his spear himself, and had picked ironwood for the shaft. It had taken him the better part of a year to shave down the wood to the appropriate diameter for a spear shaft. He had to trade heavily for a large enough piece of obsidian for the spearhead, and much longer to properly achieve the knapping required. Originally, Nolan made those material choices out of a desire for something uniquely his own. Had he known how hard it was to work with those materials, he might have gone with the more traditional oak and granite. But now, with the bear charging at him, he was glad that he had over engineered and designed the spear, even though it took him twice as long to make.

Nolan prepped his spear and waded into the fight. Feris had been using his illusions to confuse the bear, and would come in and stab at its sides and rear. However, due to Feris being a faster and more nimble creature, the strikes did little more than anger the bear further. Right as Nolan closed to striking distance, the bear swatted at Feris, sending him flying. Nolan stabbed into its flank, if for no other reason than to keep it from chasing after and mauling his cousin. When Feris hit the ground, he bounced, rolled and then slammed into a boulder.

The impact caused Feris to lose his concentration, and the illusions faded out. With the bears undivided attention now firmly on Nolan, he braced himself for it to charge at him.

The bear charged.

However, Nolan thought it would rear up on its hind legs and swipe at him. Unfortunately, it stayed low and and batted at Nolan, sending him into a boulder as well. Nolan was knocked dumb for a moment, giving the bear time to close the distance. The bear was standing over Nolan, and as luck would have it, on his spear when Nolan came back to full awareness. The beast roared its fury as it was about to start mauling the hapless hunter. Nolan scrambled for his hunters knife, steeling himself as best he could for what was about to come. The bear reared back on its hind legs and prepared to strike.

Suddenly, a sharp curved protrusion erupted out of the bears upper abdomen from the back. The beast roared in yowled in pain and confusion. It was then forcefully flung to the side, revealing what had killed it. A true monster of the Everfree. Nolan was now facing a monstrosity normally only found in the deepest depths of the forest. The Manticore roared and took a step forward, its massive paw sending vibrations through the ground. Nolan recovered from the surprise, quickly surmising that the monster had been attracted by the bears roaring and had been able to sneak up on the scene unnoticed due to the bear and the sounds of the river. He managed to get his spear into one hand as the Manticore struck with its poisoned barbed tail. Nolan barely dodged it.

It struck again, and this time Nolan deflected it using his spear shaft. He could hear the shaft groan in protest, the Manticore clearly not screwing around. He dodged another blow, scrambling to his feet, and deflected two more strikes. The next one landed right on the shaft itself, shattering it and making it splinter into kindling at the point of impact. Feris had recovered and now found his cousin facing off against a Manticore with no chance of escape. This was the danger of solo and paired hunts, especially in the Myrkvior. It was for this very reason that First Hunts were done in groups of at least four hopeful hunters and two experienced ones. This hunt was not normal of course. Loki, the trickster Coyote god of the Wolven had his hand in that much. However, Feris personally doubted that the trickster had moved the Manticore into play. They Myrkvior was chaotic enough without his help.

This all passed through Feris’ mind in seconds as he picked his way through the rocks and water, his spear in hand. He hoped to be able to hit the Manticore at one of the wing joints, and then in one of its legs. If he could slow it down enough, they could escape with both of their lives. The hunt would be considered a failure, but if they survived, Nolan would still earn his adulthood because of surviving against one of the most dangerous creatures in the region.

Feris stabbed at the monster, but with his lighter built spear, even though it went deep it snapped in half when the beast spun around to face this newest threat. Feris pulled his matched pair of hunters long bladed knives and dodged the first strike by the tail, but one of the beasts mighty paws knocked him to the ground. The monstrosity pinned him to the ground and was about to gore him with its stinger when Nolan jumped on its back and began stabbing it with his hunters knife and and the his spear head, which still had enough of the shaft intact to provide a serviceable handle.

The Manticore bucked and jumped, it flared its wings and tried to strike at him with its tail, all in a series of efforts to dislodge the Wolf. It was all for naught though, as Nolan used his weapons to make bloody and wounding handholds to stay on the enraged beasts back. All the while he kept up his assault, stabbing as deeply as he could, while using the blades to climb his way up the Manticores back to attempt to stab at its head and neck. The Manticore leapt into the air, hoping that the sudden change would weaken its attackers purchase on its back.

At that moment, Nolan stabbed at one of the creatures eyes, and at its throat. The strike to the eye proved ineffective, but the one to the throat struck home and was very deep. The pair fell from the sky, though fortunately they weren’t very high up. Nolan rode the dying beast to the ground. They both landed with a bone breaking thud. Nolan considered himself lucky that the Manticore broke his fall. Feris came running up.

“Are you alright?” he asked his younger cousin with no small amount of concern.

“Yes. A handy Manticore broke my fall. Feris, pray tell, what is a Manticore and a bear worth for a First Hunt?” Nolan asked as he got up and brushed himself off as best he could. He pulled his weapons from the dead monster. His knife had a small gouge in the blade. His spearhead was fortunately in perfect condition.

“Hahahaha!” Feris laughed in genuine pleasure, then continued, “Nolan, when we come back with all of this, they might just try to make you chief. But in all seriousness, you have more than earned your place as an adult as far as I’m concerned. If they don’t grant it to you, then they’re fools. Come, lets harvest what we can from the bear, and get you your trophies from the Manticore.”

🐺

It took a few hours of work, but they managed to successfully harvest around five hundred pounds of meat from the bear, the full pelt which would be preserved and turned into Nolan’s tribal formal wear for visiting dignitaries and Council fires. The rear paws would be turned into slippers to help keep his feet warm at home in the winter. The claws would be turned into a necklace. From the Manticore, they harvested most of the tail with the stinger. They also collected the entire hide, complete with the mane. They cleaned themselves up in the river and made their way back to their village. By the time they got back, the evening fires had been set, and the smells of roasting vegetables, meats and fresh bread permeated the surrounding area. The two hunters were rushed to the Council lodge, where the elders, the chief and the village council members came out to speak with them.

“Nolan, my son. You’ve returned, none the worse for wear. How was your hunt?” Chief Longstrider asked.

“My Chief, your son has had one of the most impressive hunts I have ever heard of. We tracked a large bear for several miles, deep into the Myrkvior. The beast proved formidable, as it survived several strikes from my spear, an arrow from Nolan’s bow, and was laid low by circumstance.

Nolan, through no fault of his own, had been sent into a boulder by the bear. As it reared up to strike at him, Nolan drew his knife, prepared to savage the beast. Just as it was about to strike, it itself was attacked and killed by a Manticore. It struck at him, missing only because Nolan was quick on his feet, dodging the poison tail. He dodged and parried a number of other blows. His luck seemed to turn for the worse as it managed to land a blow right on the shaft of his spear with its cursed tail, shattering the weapon. It was at this point I reentered the fray, having been sent into a boulder by the bear earlier. I struck a blow on the monster, hoping to give us an opening to escape, but before I could pull my spear free, it turned, snapping my weapon in half. It knocked me to the ground and was about to kill me when Nolan leaped onto its back, savaging the foul creature with his knife and what remained of his spear. The monster jumped and shook, trying to dislodge Nolan, but his tenacity and drive kept him on. In a final, desperate attempt to free itself from your sons repeated stabs as he climbed up the creatures back, it leapt into the air to try and knock him off. Nolan managed to stay on and to strike a blow to its throat, causing it to fall back to the ground. The fall and the loss of blood, finally killing it.” Feris said at some length.

“My son, is this true? Does Feris speak truly?”

“Yes my Chief. Your nephew tells the truth. I offer the tail and hide of the Manticore as tribute and trophy to the tribe.” Nolan said as he pulled them both from his travois and handed them to his father.

He continued, “We also provide five hundred pounds of bear meat for the village. I claim the bear hide, rear paws and claws from the front paws for myself.” The chief nodded in thought as he took the tail and hide that were offered.

“We will talk on this matter, young hunter. Your hunt has far reaching consequences. It will require much talk, much discussion. We will call for you tomorrow at sundown. Do not be late.” The village shaman said as he looked Nolan over carefully.

“I won’t be late, elder.” Nolan said, bowing his head in respect. With that the elders and council members and chief went back inside the Council lodge. Many came up to Nolan to shake his hand and pat his back. They all had good things to say to him. His friends, who still had to wait their turn to hunt until next year looked at him with a combination of awe and slight resentment. A group of shewolves came up and relieved the victorious hunters of the fruits of their labors.

“Go home, and see to any wounds you may have and eat a good supper. You’ve earned it. Your mother is probably concerned about if you survived.” Feris said in a carefree voice to his younger cousin as they split up. Feris would go to the Feasting Hall, and take his fill of food, drink and attention. By this time tomorrow, Nolan would be a celebrity. No one can remember the last time a young hunter had taken a Manticore, much less on their First Hunt. Nolan went home, and after assuring his mother Raila that he was well, and letting her tend his minor injuries, he told her what happened, though with much less flare than how Feris had as he ate a warm home cooked meal.

After he told her the story, his mother took the pelt and began to prepare it for him to use as a ceremonial headdress. She would work on it for a number of hours tonight and finish it in the early morning. In the following days she would use her skill to make the slippers he wanted. Nolan made a necklace out of the claws, and he added a couple of eagle feathers he had found when he was younger to make it his own.

“All things considered, to day was good. And the necklace looks good to me, at least for now. All in all, Orion, we did good. I wish you could have been with me, but I know you were in spirit. Good night.” Nolan said to the small shrine he had set in his room for his brother who now sat with Fenris.

Author's Note

So, here it is. This is the first story I've ever published anywhere, but not the first story I've ever written. It took me the better part of a year to write this, and I have thirteen-ish more chapters ready to write up here and edit, so if you liked this story and would like to see more, leave a like or even a comment. Constructive criticism and questions are also appreciated.