Equii's History

"It's just been so dangerous since the fae fell. Are you sure you can actually provide us with the security you promised?" The old farmer asked.

Solaris smiled, the soft, warm smile he'd been practising in the mirror for the last few weeks. It had been a month since they took ownership of the castle, which they had come to name Canterlot. The food stores inside had kept well. Dried meats and such that would continue to do so for a time, but Lunaris had been insistent that they look outward sooner rather than later. They could not simply reside in their shiny new gilded hall. They had to find a way to create a hold, an area of land for themselves, if they were to truly take the place of rulers in this new world.

So, after a few weeks of reading dusty old tomes found in the library, and a not insignificant amount of practice, the pair had struck out to the farms around Canterlot. Their goal was relatively simple. To convince them to trade their crop, for protection from their army, more an improvised militia currently. They would word it as starting to contribute to the new Equestrian state, and to help lay the foundation for what was to come. In return, Solaris and Lunaris would have to, at some stage, dispatch with the bandits that had made easy ploy in these reaches, now that the Fae were not around to peacekeep. The militia were in no state. Most of them barely knew what end of the weapon was to be held. Many were learning, but right now, the brothers were all they had.

"We are plenty capable. My brother and I are still figuring things out, making our own way just like you. But, to not use the strength gifted to us to protect those less able seems a waste. We want to establish a kingdom, a new society with our kind in control." Solaris explained, covering his frustrations. He wanted to be with his troops, helping train them, feeling that new sensation that… thrill of battle. He gave the farmer that practiced, understanding tone his old fae commander had never used with him, only with others of his ilk.

Barely out of teenage, to the best of their knowledge, he was the closest thing to god in this world, and it fell to him and his brother to mend, to rule the world, to protect all within. The challenge excited and terrified him in equal measure. They had been blessed. The library in the castle was full of tomes on farming, construction, metallurgy, baking… dozens of skills that nobody had taught to his kin save a lucky few. They would have to wait to use most of them, for now many of his loyal needed to learn to read from the few blessed among them.

Solaris realised he hadn’t been focussed on the moment, but had let his mind wander to their greater task again. Thankfully the farmer seemed to be lost in thought as well. Taking a long moment to stare out before releasing a deep breath as he turned to look at his modest farm, merely a short walk from the camp around the castle that would, he hoped, slowly blossom into a capital city. Solaris briefly looked back at Canterlot, dotted with tents and campfire smoke rising around the pristine white marble of the castle, more and more were slowly travelling to join the burgeoning settlement as word spread.

The farmer finally spoke, breaking the contemplative silence. "Aye... reckon I've little choice, c'nsider m'farm yours, Solaris. I'll talk t'yer scribe and sort rates and all." he said, slouching a little, as if he could finally release the tension he had been holding.

Solaris smiled that warm smile, and reached down to plant a firm, strong hand on the farmer's shoulder. "I thank you, as small a gesture as you might think this is, it will help us learn to work together again. Once we prove we can protect you, others can be convinced more easily. Your crop will go well used." he said reassuringly. He wanted folk like this to feel as if they were part of a grand design. They very much were.

His role done here, he turned and went to move to the next farm, he had three more to visit. Busy work. Tiring, yammering busy work. Important busy work he knew. But something in his blood had called him. The other day he had ‘sparred’ with some of his new militia and felt a rush he never had. The danger of it, the risk, the knowledge that he could so easily take a life… it lived in his mind. He took a breath to steady himself. To quell that eagerness as it was replaced by the strange nervous energy he felt when approaching the next farm. Lunaris should’ve gone out to do the talking, he hated talking.

It was evening by the time the brothers met again. Lunaris had been cataloguing the castle armoury and found them both some plate that had, just barely, fit on the massive stallions. Even then they looked a little silly, mismatched plate and strap covering them, they looked more like barbarians than the noble warriors they'd hoped.

"This is dangerous and stupid." Lunaris groused, adjusting one of the mismatched sections around his midriff. Solaris stood beside him, feeling at a massive longsword that he suspected might have been one of Oberon's guard’s weapons. To most, it'd have been a massive two handed affair, barely wieldy as a weapon at all. To him, it felt like it was a mere dagger, barely a weight he noticed, despite its size.

"We need to prove ourselves as more than just symbols and talkers, the worship around us will not last forever." Solaris said, turning to meet his brother’s eyes. Solaris saw the worry in those endless blues. Unlike Lunaris, Solaris had been training to be a guard as the Fae fell. His younger brother had been looking to apprentice under an astrologist, a great irony considering what he now controlled. "I'll do most of the work, you just need to stand and look menacing. I'll keep you safe." Solaris said, giving one of the blue princes biceps a jovial slap of encouragement.

The night stallion nodded, turning to look out at the campfire that marked the camp of the bandits that had been pestering the farmers around their home for the last few weeks. They stood atop the hill they had agreed to meet on, Lunaris having brought arms and armour for them from the castle. There was a soft glint of metal reflecting in the light of that fire around the camp. Solaris figured that would be the glint of their own arms and armour in the firelight. Hopefully the pair didn't’ stand out as much as the camp did. Then again, Solaris’ very fur glowed a bright white. He’d be a great standing torch in this evening light. He sighed, more talking. Maybe. Inwardly, he hoped they would resist. His brother hoped they could be shoo’d away. Solaris itched to prove himself on something more substantive than an errant ghostly visage of a dead king.

Solaris got the pair moving, simply choosing to walk to the camp rather than use their wings, neither was a particularly graceful flyer just yet. The two rather stood out anyway, so the bandits may yet disperse, deciding not to risk a confrontation with the pair.

"Dunno who you great glinty fucks think you are, but you should turn around." A voice grunted from up a tree beside them. The hills weren’t completely open, they should’ve expected a watcher to be posted nearby.

The pair stopped as a young stallion stepped free, holding a shortbow, trained at Solaris' chest. He wasn’t particularly armoured, mostly loose leathers. Normal peasant fare, unchanged in these newer times. Lunaris froze in place, mouth half open in surprise. Solaris meanwhile, barely broke his stride. Confidence blossoming in his heart. The idea of a fight, the challenge stoked him. He did stop after a few steps. He had half a mind to ignore the bow wielding stallion and continue walking, but his brother's pause made him stop. He turned to address the newcomer.

"We are Solaris and Lunaris, of the sun and moon. You have been pillaging from our lands and terrorising our people. We are here to bring an end to that, who is your leader?" he said, resting a hand on the pommel of the sword he had sheathed at his side. There was no need to draw it, not yet, instead he simply held the young stallion’s gaze.

He was a ragged looking lad. A soft scar on one of his arms, eyes slightly sunken. His body showed signs of hunger, wear and exhaustion. Bone showed in a few spots. His eyes were faintly sunken in and the lines of his skull were starting to show around his face. Either the bandits weren’t eating, or they weren’t very successful. The emaciated stallion stood for a long moment, silently watching the pair. Eventually, he lowered his bow and nodded. "Fine. follow me, any funny business and me and the boys will give a new meanin' to 'holy'" he huffed, returning the arrow to his quiver and thumbing over his shoulder, Solaris recognized that distrustful look, he had learned not to put his back to others, this stallion was not well treated. He gestured the brothers towards the camp proper.

Solaris simply nodded. Oddly, when he had been chatting to farmers he had been more afraid. Right now, all that was at risk was his life, and he was perfectly calm. Lunaris by contrast, stuck close to his brother’s side, ears pinned back in obvious concern. The pair moved, walking past the cautious ranger, who fell in behind them as they stepped towards the camp.

The other guards on the outskirt didn't give them trouble, parting to allow them between a pair of tents and up to the main campfire. It wasn’t much by way of a “camp”. Half a dozen mixed tents, a few logs for benches around a campfire with unidentifiable meats and pulses on skewers quietly cooking. Not many folk were around. One was asleep in a tent, a few other sloitered nearby, where was only one around the campfire. A muscular, grizzled, well fed and well trained looking woman. Despite her dishevelled armour, scars and general air of danger. Including a great axe at her side, resting on the floor, Solaris didn’t react to spotting her. Lunaris backed up a little, as if scared of simply being nearby. Inside, the thrill of battle rose, a challenge…

She peered up at the pair slowly, disinterested. Her deep red eyes fixated on Solaris. "What the fuck are they doing here, Dust?" She growled, eyes fixing on the ranger who had brought them in. "Said they wanted to talk, boss, figured it couldn't hurt," he admitted, shuffling uncomfortably under that angry gaze.

Solaris did not wait to be prompted to speak, he inserted himself. "Indeed. We've come to talk, not fight. Leave our lands and we will forgive your transgressions, or you may lay down this life and take up arms with us. We will have need of strong capable hands in our growing army." He said, confident, steady, serious. Just like he practised. He’d been using the farmers today to perfect his tone but inwardly, he hoped she would refuse. His bright orange eyes met hers again as she looked at him with disdain.

She didn’t move from her seat, she sat there uncaring and unchallenged while holding a stick which she used to occasionally prod at the flames. "That’s it? ‘Please leave or maybe work for me?’ That’s your plan?" she asked, a faint hint of mirth in her voice. Solaris did not share that mirth, he stood still, hand on the pommel of his blade. "It’s that, or we will be forced to remove you. There are bigger problems in our lives than a haphazard gaggle of bandits." he said, a faint spit of bitterness in his words. That… he had also practised.

Lunaris had perked up, the confidence Solaris had put on display seeming to calm his nerves. He'd never so much as held a weapon... he didn't even bring one. Was Solaris’ confidence that infectious? Not important right now. He had to focus on this unnamed woman. The next obstacle.

The bandit leader rolled her eyes at that. "What're you gonna do? Swing that great useless blade of yours around? You'd get a bolt to the head before you fell so much as a single of my idiots." She sneered, thumbing over her shoulder at one of the tents, outside of which sat another stallion under a hood, cradling a menacing looking crossbow. It was already loaded and cocked.

Solaris' brow dipped lightly, the faint outline of a frown forming. "So you will not leave, and you intend not to join us?" he asked, trying his best to contain the excitement. Finally, finally a test. "Nah, don't think we will, kindly fuck o-" they started. Solaris didn’t let her stop. He had spent the entire conversation feeling around himself with this new magic. Tomes he had read in the last few months giving him insight into just what he could do. A strong sense of… spirit? Energy? Soul? He had no idea what it was, but he felt strength, and had assumed it must have been her. Focussing for a moment, willing his power into her, commanding the very being. Ignite. Burn. Become as ash.

The bandit leader’s head shot up from the campfire. She was unharmed, but there was a scream. Solaris and Lunaris spun to see the ranger that had brought them to the camp, clutching his head which was enveloped in a soft orange glow. Solaris' magical grip. He hadn’t cast his spell on her. He’d thrown it upon a starved man, and couldn’t stop it for the shock he felt locked him into it. Unable to summon the mental command to half the flow of magic.

The poor ranger’s eyes burst into flame, black smoke pouring from his mouth, nose, and ears as the stench of cooked flesh filled the air. Pure horror for but a moment or two. The smell hit his nose, as Lunaris wretched. Solaris remained imperious. Thrill and disgust clashing inside his mind as he robbed a life as an example. Thoughts of those this might spare clashing with morality of a life no longer lived as he stared at the body, whatever he had done to it was fading. The body crumpling on the floor, insides a crusted, singed mess, dead without so much as a twitched finger from Solaris. Such was his power.

He turned to see the horrified face of their leader, once so disinterested and confident, now wracked with terror. "You didn't even move... w-what did..." she started, only for Solaris to cut her off. " I make one final offer. Leave, join, or you will not be around long enough to see the ashes fall." he said, cold, steady. Inwardly, he congratulated himself on his tone. He felt a little forgiving, but he knew they would flee. As if on cue, the bandit camp leader stood, tossing their stick onto the fire with a shaky hand.

"Pack up body, we're goin' north. Now." she said, before she shot Solaris a single, long glare. Possibly waiting for the agony of fire to engulf her. When it did not come she jogged out of the camp proper, barking hurried orders at bandits who had only bore witness to Solaris murdering one of their own. They didn’t take their tents, their gear, chairs and bedrolls. They all just… fled.

Once they were a distance away from the camp, Lunaris asked to stop, he had to speak. "You just... you just murdered him. The scream, that pain. Could you have not done it more gently? Could you not have done it at all?" he asked, Solaris was surprised at how energetic he was about it. "Anything less and they'd not have gotten the message. I had to make it clear, it would not have been a fight, it would have been a slaughter." he said, still cold.

"I'm sorry. I should've warned you but... I got there, I saw danger in every set of eyes, I worried I could not so easily protect you and I went too far. Come, let us go home. We should sleep, make use of your night." he spoke, wrapping an arm around his brother to bring him into an affectionate hug.

Lunaris was still unsettled, but it was reassuring to hear that Solaris still retained some humility and control, for now. He would have to watch him carefully. He was starting to worry that the power had come at a price the pair would pay over a very long time…