MAR 10 Friday.

I keep my steady pace following the road along the slightly slanted terrain while looking over the large river in the distance.

Last night was a fun time as I ended up talking with the guards for a bit before sleeping in a tent and setting out again the next day. It's around noon now and we're finally at Feather Falls, well close enough. I can see a pair of gates and stone walls that mark the entrance of the city.

It takes us a while to get through the gates and some important Griffons lead Cadance's carriage off in front of us as the normal guards start to inspect the carts before letting them through one by one. I'm in the middle but when it's our turn and we walk through the gates I see an amazing view.

The plateau we walked across ends in an abrupt steep cliff that drops who knows how far. Beyond the base of the plateau cliff, the Wild Lands stretch out to the horizon beyond. The Wild Lands are a massive area of the eastern continent and cover a wide variety of biomes and cultures along with many different races inhabiting the lands.

I can't stare for long before I have to turn left to start walking down a long staircase made from solid stone and seemingly carved from the cliff side itself, measuring almost one hundred feet wide. One half is made from wide steps and the other half is a ramp for carts, as we descend more and more the descending path moves more into the cliffside giving us a roof of stone supported by thick pillars of stone.

I hear the rumbling before I see it, but it slowly comes into view. The main attraction of Feather Falls is the massive waterfall that hangs like a curtain over an even more enormous cavern with one side open to the outside world. This area is an enormous recess in the cliff face that holds the city itself.

I look out over the pretty large city that is an odd mix of vertical buildings carved into the cavern walls or hanging from the ceiling with many more stone buildings covering the cavern floor. Everything is lit up with flames as even with the cavern being half open the inside gets very dark in places.

The cavern is several miles wide and tall while the opening to the left is almost just as large, but above everything is the roaring noise of falling water. The pathway leads along the cavern wall deeper in and eventually leads to the ground floor of the cavern and into the city. I wonder if this place is magical? Otherwise, I'm not sure how it seems structurally sound.

As we move through the streets led by some guards I see a mix of many different races among the streets. It's mostly Griffons, around two-thirds from what I can tell, but mixed in are many others. Ponies of all tribes, even Batponies, Diamond Dogs, Buffalos, Yaks, Zebras, Donkeys, and even a Dragon or two.

The diversity is pretty large but the Wild Lands are said to be like that. This area of the world is like a melting pot of different races and it's much more common to see many others here. That's not to say everything is great though, I've barely been here and I've seen what looked like a classic case of racism.

It's not unstable, or even that significant, but it's nowhere near as peaceful as a pony city, and while the citizens seem fine with each other they seem to only really interact with their own race unless needed. I've also noticed campaign posters for different potential kings running for election while some seem to argue over the election.

I don't necessarily have a good feeling for the city yet, I simply haven't been here long enough to learn the situation, but it's clear things are a little tense. I don't expect a war or even a fight really, but protests could be possible. After a while, we reach the back of the cavern as the stone floor climbs higher.

We eventually came to a large square building made from stone and wooden support beams. It's not even painted but It's far from the worst place I've slept, I do notice that the other ponies with us seem to disagree with me on that. The inside proves to be plain but orderly and well-lit.

The inside uses a large number of candles and torches, interestingly enough they don't produce any smoke and each torch and candle stand has a small gem in the metal connection to the wall. Probably a very slight enchantment of some type that removes the smoke.

Something to look into later. The floors are wooden and the building is furnished, a little simple and plain but it's nice. After a while, our guards unload the supplies and start to sort out sleeping arrangements. I stick around long enough to get a room assigned to me before heading out into the city to satisfy my curiosity and do something productive.

I checked in with our guards and headed out without much fanfare, one thing I made sure to do was have Entropy stay in my shadow. The streets are mostly lit by torches and creative use of sunlight. Most of the larger streets are angled to be vertical to the outside of the massive cavern.

It lets some more light in and keeps visibility up, but even then there are many dark alleys and crevasses. Funnily enough, I could probably find my way through the dark places of this city better than many of its residents. But for now, I'm looking for something unsavory, a black market.

The Wild Lands is known for many types of plants and herbs, not everywhere but the markets here will probably have something less available elsewhere. But why a black market specifically? Well, because this city is somewhat known for its crime, and that means they are bound to have some interesting things.

Things I can't get normally, like poisonous plants or less legal information, like spells. Another part of me is simply curios about finding an actual black market instead of a gray one. But finding a market like that while being an unknown is hard, it's why I'm making it the first thing on my list of things to do. I'm thinking it might take me a few days to find anything, but the diplomatic meetings probably won't start for around three days so I have some time.

After wandering for a while I found a bookstore, it's a little rundown and shabby-looking. It's not what I was looking for but it's interesting enough to check out and see what they have in such a far away city. I push open the creaky door slowly and step inside.

Like most of this city, the inside is darker than preferable and there is a distinct smell of dusty paper and mold, all so very pleasant. An old grizzled-looking Yak sits behind a counter talking with a Diamond Dog, they both turn to me but stop caring after a second and keep talking.

I decide to do the same and start looking through different shelves for books. It quickly becomes apparent that this place is more than just rundown, it's also a disgrace to bookstores. The majority of books are copies of books with varying quality, while everything else is degrading off of the shelves from mold and moisture.

I'm not sure if the owner is just lazy or actually incompetent but this place sucks. I grab a pair of cooking books I'm unfamiliar with just to not waste my time and start moving over to the counter where the Yak and Diamond Dog are still talking. "I heard that those ponies arrived, a princess and everything." The Diamond Dog's female voice sounds in fluent Griffon.

The yak huffs and speaks a little louder than necessary while also speaking Griffon. "Ya, sounds like trouble, or maybe not. I got some relatives up north that deal with them a lot, they don't know tradition for shit but pay well enough." His voice is deep and raspy and he shows a generally grumpy expression.

The Diamond Dog smirks a little at that. "You think they are a good mark? I'd think a princess would be mighty wealthy." I nearly look over when hearing that from shock but force myself to not react and keep looking through books while eavesdropping. "You know I got a few lads who could use some decent work." She glances at me a little but seems to think I understand nothing they are saying.

The Yak looks her over for a moment before Shaking his head. "No, some things you just don't mess with. Take your so-called 'lads' and pick a better mark." His tone is still pretty bland and grumpy, but something in it speaks of the experience of age. I take my books at this moment and walk over to the front of the store.

The Griffon sighs. "Ya, yer probably right. You know we ain't doing well though." All this talk gets my mind whirling. The Diamond Dog does have a dagger and bag, but I also notice she holds herself lightly and keeps on her feet in case she needs to move, like running from a sudden guard appearing.

I didn't learn much from the information Celestia and Cadance gave me, but I did learn that Feather Falls is known for its crime and shady markets. Like the rest of the world violence is much less intense than in any human city, even in this city murder is a big thing that doesn't happen often.

In Canterlot we have a murder every decade or two, most of the time those are murders of extreme circumstances. Here I don't know the murder rate, but I don't expect it to be all that high. Still, crimes like robbery and theft are much more common here, it's one of the main reasons I left most of my bits in my room under lock and hidden away.

As I walk over and place the two books down they look over to me. The old white-furred Yak looks them over before turning to me, "What ya paying with?" His tone is the same and seemingly unchanging, but he speaks pony just fine. I just drop a bit on the counter and see him nod. "Ten each."

I know for a fact that's a scam, but I could give less of a shit and just don't want to deal with this right now, I've had enough spontaneous situations as it is. I just drop twenty bits without blinking and walk right out. "Hmm, a fast spender huh?" The last thing I hear is the Diamond Dog mumbling those words while glancing at me.

:I'm pretty sure she's a thief, and has friends that do the same, I just really hope she dosen- ... Fuck!: My thoughts are cut short as my senses feel her follow me out of the bookstore a few moments later now wearing a black cloak. :OH COME ON!! I'm on vacation for fucks sake!: At this point, I'm a bit pissed and irritated.

:I lasted less than a fucking DAY! Why won't people just leave me the fuck alone?: I huff out a deep breath and turn down a dark alley hoping to just lose this annoyance and go about my day. But she proves to be persistent with her actions and follows me while closing the distance slowly.

:Nope, I'm not doing this shit today: I spent a few minutes finding an isolated alley with a bend in it that leads to a dead end and moving around the bend before stopping in my tracks and turning to face the direction I came from. A few long moments later I feel and watch the Diamond Dog turn the corner in the very dim light only to quickly jump back a step while letting out a yip seeing me staring back at her silently.

There is a tense moment as I stare her down. "Leave me alone." It's a demand plain and simple. I have no patience for this shit right now and my dead tone says that. I'm normally not this angry but I just walked for two days and don't need this shit at ALL.

Sadly this Diamond Dog does not take my advice and pulls out a dagger, it's a little rusted, and clearly, she's a little startled at my actions. "How about you give me everything you got and I'll let you go? No strings attached, I promise." I'll give her credit, her tone stays steady and it's clear this is not her first time mugging someone.

I am one hundred percent done with this, but I also don't want to kill this Diamond Dog for such a small offense. So instead, I move first. She tries to move out of the way but it's very clear she is not professionally trained in combat as me lunging at her catches her off guard.

I slam a hoof into her paw knocking the dagger to the ground, while I use my other hoof to grab her chest fur and throw her at an alley wall. She grunts after hitting the stone brick wall and slumps down clearly not feeling great, I spend that moment picking up her dagger.

I can see she knows she's not winning this, but after a long moment of silence, she's able to stand up and looks down the alley I was walking down as I'm standing between her and where we came from. But the alley dead ends not too far away, she's trapped here with me and she now knows it.

She stares me down for a moment longer while I try to think of what to do now. I honestly hoped she'd just turn around after seeing me thinking I was not worth it, but she instead did something stupid and now I have her trapped. :Why can't things just be simple for once?:

"I'm sorry, about that, but we're fine right? Do you mind, if I have that back?" Her tone holds a fake confidence and charm to it and her attempt at smooth-talking me is just baffling. The sheer guts needed to ask me that in her current situation nearly breaks my stone-like expression. "Is that a no?" She speaks up again and I remain on high alert.

I'm still pretty angry about this and do not want to deal with a smooth talker right now. But that anger lessened after realizing I could actually get something productive out of this, even if it's just a small thing.

She seems far too calm about this, even with the worry I see it's clear something is still going for her here. I also remember her talking about having comrades, so after a long moment, I dropped the dagger on the floor. "Oh! Thank-" That's all she's able to say before I stomp on it.

The dagger is braced against stone and with my blow I break off the blade from the handle. "Shit!" Her outburst seems odd but I pay it no head. I could just walk away, but I'm still annoyed right now and I feel like getting this one in trouble, but dealing with the guards when I'm new to the city seems like a clusterfuck waiting to happen.

After a moment of my continued staring while not moving, she looks back up at me. "What? You want something else now?" Her tone is not as nice as it's clear she's annoyed with my actions, something I could agree with when it comes to her. I see her shift her shoulder that I slammed into the alley wall for a moment with a suppressed wince.

Most other ponies might just throw her to the guards but I'm not like other ponies. I know crime happens for more than just want and greed, sometimes you either steal or starve, it's not that simple obviously but that is to say that I can sympathize to some extent with those in such situations.

I have no idea if this Diamond Dog is in a situation like that, but she's definitely not wealthy. After a stretch of silence, I finally speak again. "Directions to a black market." It's again a blunt demand from me with a stone-cold tone that gives nothing away.

I'm not above buying from less reputable sellers and I'm wondering what I could find in such a place. The Diamond Dog looks a little surprised that I answered at all but smiles after hearing my words. "Twenty of those bits and I'll show you the way." She holds out a paw a little smugly and I turn on the spot to leave without another word. "W-Wait! How about ten?!"

I pause, getting more annoyed at her trying to bargain with me, I turn to her with a blank look before taking out eight bits and throwing them to her. She fails to catch most of them but smiles in some form of victory, I honestly can't tell when this Diamond Dog is so fucking nonchalant about this when she should be more nervous or wary. "HEY. This is two short!" She sounds indigent.

I'm beyond done dealing with this, even if it's a little amusing how she's reacting. "Lose two bits or lose an arm... Pick." I say keeping my cold tone while showing my dagger. It seems that literally being threatened with mutilation finally makes her take this a little more seriously.

She seems to take in my look again which I allow as she's already seen what I look like. She looks for any hint of my intentions before letting out a nervous chuckle. "Good one, you, uhh. You come up with that yourself?" She tries to wave my words off and I just draw my dagger out of its sheath in response.

She is silent for a moment but it seems my blank face finally convinces her I'm not joking, she now looks scared and a little horrified. "Ya, s-sure, deal." Her tone is notably more subdued now and she nods before slowly picking up her broken weapon and putting it in her bag before walking past me warily. I could have just paid her the full amount, but I have a plan.

I could find a black market on my own, but that takes time I do not want to spend. I shorted her to find an excuse to threaten her with harm, I want to make a statement to her so she actually takes me to the right place. Do not fuck with me. This solves another problem to some extent.

She tells others I'm not to be messed with because I come off as a literal crazy pony threatening to sever limbs, something that is not common by any means even here. I notice that as we walk the Diamond Dog seems on edge, my eyes never leave her for a moment and that seems to just raise the tension in her.

We walk to a lower part of the city that rests at a low point of the massive cavern, even less light is here and it's nearing the end of the day now so it's dark. The shadowy streets seem to heighten the tension even more, and my constant blank staring really seems to be freaking her out now.

She points down a street with several other beings moving around the area. "D-down there, t-to the left." She answers and as soon as I stop staring at her she backs up from me quickly. I just start walking down a completely different street and ignore her while leaving the area, after a few moments she takes that as her cue to run off quickly without looking back.

In short, I planned to find a black market by using her, something I've probably achieved, and to put the fear of Celestia into that fool. She'll talk to others about some crazy pony and I should have fewer problems with them in the future while walking the streets. Although, some may ask questions about my actions.

It's not like I did anything illegal, I just paid some residents of this fine city to help me and threatened them to stay to the deal we made. Also if it comes down to it, it's my word against a common thief's. I doubt she'll cause me more trouble though, I'm simply not worth the risk.

I mark the location with a business name and make a mental note to buy a map tomorrow before setting out to return to where I am staying. As I walk through the dark streets I replay everything in my head again. I may not have handled that perfectly, but it turned out well enough I think, maybe I should play with Entropy a bit and meditate though, being this irritable won't help me.

Still, it's best if I buy temporary saddlebags that stand out less and find a way to disguise myself for any trips to shady markets in the future. I'd prefer to remain completely unknown in any place like that, I just hope things go better there than they did today.

When I get back to my room I settle down for a shower and try to relax. If nothing else this trip is already proving to be interesting.

Author's Note

Thank for reading. :D
Current year is 995

I got a little wild with the world building, and maybe went a little overboard. But I think it's an interesting if generic location.