SHUL DiDRO
WUNDUN BEGiNNE
ALLiDRO SiiV

After a fair bit of travelling I stopped and looked back at the horizon. There it was, the silhouette of the mighty Silvermane Palace, my home. If I'm lucky I might see it again one day, although I suppose if you are reading this, then my mission had succeeded and I have made it safely back home to the city of Equinox to write my book, for that I am glad.

I retrieved my map from my satchel and checked how close I was to the town of Greenvale, my first destination and about halfway between Equinox and the Drakebark Forest breeding grounds. At my current speed, I should make it to Greenvale before the sun starts to set. Hopefully I can find lodgings at an Inn, if I don't make it there before it gets too dark, I always have my camping equipment but may not need it as Greenvale is known for its Nightlife scene.

Eventually the palace in the distance faded altogether and all I could see was the sparse forest in all directions now, the sun hung low and shadows from the tops of the trees began to cast on the path ahead. I picked up my pace as I did not fancy having to set up my tent in an area I was not familiar with, the task at hoof wandered in my mind. The King's worries mirrored that of my own, diplomacy-wise I didn't know how dragons would affect the Kingdom, but my journey ahead was filled with uncertainty no matter what I discovered.

Soon enough, I saw the twinkle of lit torches in the distance, this was it, I had found my way to Greenvale just as the sun had set. With a new energetic step in my canter, I made my way into town. There were hundreds of ponies walking around doing some late-night shopping, market stalls were set up on both sides of the main road that went through the middle of town. I would have to come back to Greenvale when time allowed, it looked like there were some pretty amazing items for sale.

"Excuse me, sir? Do you know where I can find an Inn to stay for the night?" I asked a grizzled merchant that was sat behind his market stall.

He shuffled forward and looked at me. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"Good guess. How did you know?" I replied.

"Just a feeling." he smirked as he sat back in his seat. "You've got some choices for staying the night, go further into town and stick to your left, you'll see a building with red roofing. That's the closest one."

"Thank you sir, enjoy your evening." I nodded my head.

"I'd enjoy it a lot more if I could sell some of this pottery." he cleared his throat. "Hoof-made."

My new hoof-made teacup and myself stepped through the door to the Inn with the red roof, it was a warm cozy tavern setup, some ponies were sitting at one of the tables drinking ale with empty plates in front of them and another table there were some stallions playing a game of cards. Behind the bar was a Pegasus using her wingtips to clean empty glasses with a drying cloth. She saw me approaching and set the cleaned glass down on the counter.

"What can I get'cha?" she asked cheerfully.

"Good evening, I just need a room for the night if you have any available." I said.

"Certainly do, it's five silver pieces for a night, eight pieces'll get'cha food and ale included with that."

"Very well, a one night stay and the food and drink included please." I flared my horn and floated a gold coin out of my coin pouch onto the counter between us, she swiped it away with the tip of her wing and dropped two silver pieces in it's place with her other wing. The coins clinked together as I floated them into my coin pouch.

"Alright sir, you'll be in room seven. it's up the staircase and left, down the corridor. Name?" she said as she lifted out a book and picked up a quill with her right wing.

"Star Swirl. Thank you, I appreciate that. Would it be okay to sit down here while I catch up on some writing?" I asked her.

"Yeah. No worries, pick anywhere to sit. Just let me know if you need anything." she smiled and scribbled into her book.

I walked over to a nearby table, sat down in a chair and placed my saddlebags next to me on the floor. I flared my horn and retrieved my map, 'plan ahead or not at all' Princess Platinum always said to me. My eyes darted around the map again like they had already done so many times before, maybe it was just myself being paranoid, but I thought there had to be some sort of pattern that everypony was missing. I now know that there was no such thing.

"Ha, read 'em and weep, colts. I win!" I heard another pony shout and looked over to the table where the four stallions were playing a hearty game of cards. The winner was a hooded Unicorn with a green coat and green mane that sported a yellow streak down the right side. His horn was glowing as his cards floated around. "I knew my luck would turn around eventually." The jackpot of winnings in the middle of the table glowed and moved towards the green Unicorn.

"Dang it, that's done me in. I was really hoping to sell that egg. There's supposed to be somepony who buys exotic stuff like this for a lot of gold." I saw the other three stallions each leave the table and exit the Inn, leaving just the two of us and the barpony remaining. My jaw just about dropped to the floor when I saw what the green Unicorn had won in his game of cards. There it was, atop a few inches of stacked copper and silver coins, a glittering jade green egg with bright gold diamond shapes scattered about it's surface. This pony had just won a dragon's egg.

In a game of cards.

I waited for the three other stallions to leave the Inn completely before I got out of my seat and walked over to the green Unicorn. "This is unbelievable. Excuse me young colt, do you know what you have there?" I pointed a hoof at the egg.

He chuckled and scooped up all the coins into his coin pouch. "Yeah, pretty cool, huh? I knew I had to save it."

"Save it?" I asked as I sat down at his table.

"Yeah, I've been following that guy most of the day. He was going to sell it to some shady pony, and the egg wanted my help." he replied.

"The egg asked you to help it?" I was a bit confused, at the time I maybe thought the colt was troubled in the mind.

"I don't know how, but this egg can talk to me, it's like I can hear it's voice in my mind." as if on cue, the egg he was holding began to glow. "Whoa. Not out the woods yet, I suppose."

"Is it speaking?" I asked. This was fascinating.

"It just said 'Please protect me'. You sound like you must be familiar with dragons. Have you seen glowing eggs before?" he said as he pulled down his brown hood with magic.

"Not really, I have studied dragons a little and am actually heading to one of the breeding grounds to investigate why they are disappearing. We know they are not dying, otherwise ponies all over would be finding their corpses." I said.

"Maybe they are just all hibernating?" he suggested.

"I doubt it's that simple, this pattern has only started to happed in the last 5 years, or at least that's what King Bullion's current notes say." I informed him.

"King Bullion? You've met the Unicorn King?" he sounded impressed at the idea that I was acquainted with the King.

"I actually live in Silvermane Palace and I'm the head magician. I would like to hold the egg for a moment. if it's okay?" I asked. The egg glowed again momentarily.

The Unicorn hesitated at first, but whatever the egg said must have reassured him as he floated the egg towards me and placed it down gently. I lit up my horn, closed my eyes and concentrated on the egg. Instantly I could feel it's magic, a flicker of power that was both ancient and new.

We had introduced ourselves to each other. Clover was his name and he was seventeen years old, both of his parents had died when he was just a colt, he taught himself just enough magic to survive on the streets. He had potential, talent that was raw and untamed, but undeniably present.

Over the next hour he told me his story of what led up to him coming into possession of the green and gold dragon egg. Discovering the egg and describing the telepathic communication he had experienced with it. I listened intently, nodding as Clover recounted the details of this Shady pony or ponies also interested in the egg. "Clover, you have to protect this egg." I sat forward. "It could very well be one of the last in existence if the reports I've read have any truth to them."

The egg glowed again and Clover nodded as he listened to it. "It says that I need to leave before 'The Order' come for it."

"The Order?" The name rang a bell, but I didn't remember where from. I floated one of my books out of my saddle bags and started flipping through its pages. "I think I've heard of that name before, let's see; Serpent Masters? No." I flipped through more pages. "The Acolytes of Zephyr? No, that's not it." I flipped through some more and finally landed on the page I was searching for. "Ah-ha! Here it is, I know I had heard it somewhere before, The Order of Adamant Scales."

"The Order of Adamant Scales?" Clover echoed, "That sounds menacing."

"There's not much information on them, according to tales told by other ponies. There was a group of renegade Unicorns that traveled to the far south near Mount Everhoof in search of something, but nopony has said what it was. It could have been just for their own land, or maybe something magical that they were after." I closed the book and floated it back into my satchel. "Did the egg say why The Order are after it? Is this Order in the town already?" I asked.

The egg glowed again, it was clear the egg could hear what I was saying, I just couldn't hear what it was saying when it lit up. "Hide." Clover said in haste.

The next moment, the door to the Inn slammed open and two ponies cloaked in dark green hoods walked in and over to Clover and myself. "Hand over the egg and nopony get's hurt!" one of them shouted at us. "You don't know the power you're dealing with."

Clover and myself stood up and backed away from our table, I saw Clover quickly slide the egg into his satchel. "How about the both of you leave and tell whoever sent you after the egg to mind their own business." I retorted. "We have no intention of ever giving this egg to you."

Both ponies lowered their hoods, the pony on the left was a Unicorn with a brown coat of fur and a scar that ran along his cheek. The pony on the left was also a Unicorn but with a coat of blue fur, she had a very thin face that looked like her skin stretched over bone.

"I'm afraid we can't do that." The scarred Unicorn sneered at us. His horn flared bright and whip made of magical energy began waving in the air coming closer to us. I concentrated my own horn and created a magical barrier to deflect it from reaching us. The whip made of energy lashed at my shield, I waited for an opening to retaliate with my own barrage of spells, when from out of nowhere I saw the barpony throw a glass bottle full of clear liquid at them. It smashed and the clear liquid within soaked both of the cloaks that hung around their necks.

"Hit 'em with fire Star Swirl!" The Pegasus shouted as she ducked behind the bar.

"Clover. Can you cast a fire spell? I have to hold this shield." I said.

"Of course." Clover replied. In an instant, a stream of fire shot out from the tip of his horn, landing on the two ponies. The flame caught and ignited the clear liquid that had soaked into their cloaks and the puddle on the tiles they stood. I heard them both start to scream and then they began to dance in place trying to extinguish the flames. After a moment the floating whip made of magic had faded.

"Okay, I think they have the point now." I said as I lowered my magic shield and it faded. I casted another spell and a stream of water splashed all over the two panicking Unicorns and extinguished the flames. "Alright, now I suggest you both leave town and tell whoever it is you work for not to bother us."

"Or any dragon eggs, for that matter." Clover added.

"You haven't seen the last of us. The Order will have the power of the jade dragon, it has been foretold!" the male Unicorn shouted dramatically as he and his cohort left the Inn and galloped into the darkness of night. I ran over to the door, bolted it closed and casted a lock spell on it so that it wouldn't open.

"Miss? You can come out now, they are gone." I turned to the bar and saw the Pegasus raise her head above the counter. "Very sorry about the floor, I'll have those scorch marks gone in a moment." I aimed my horn at the tile floor where the fire spread and zapped it, the scorch marks vanished.

"Thank you Star Swirl." she flapped her wings and hopped over the counter. "Who were those ponies?"

"I think they are from a cult of renegade mages called The Order of Adamant Scales. I'm not one hundred percent sure what they want with the dragon egg in Clover's possession, but if they are sending goons after it, then it must be pretty important. I promise both of us will be gone by the morning, we will bring no further worry to you or your Inn." I turned to Clover. "I suggest you and I travel together to the Drakebark Forest."

"The Drakebark Forest?" Clover repeated. "But that's where dragons live."

"I know. If any creature knows about dragon eggs it will be other dragons, I mentioned I was travelling there, I think my mission and this Order might be related somehow. I suggest you stay here tonight and in the morning, we can leave with the egg in safety when the sun has risen. I fear there are forces at work here that are far beyond what I know from my research. The Order of Adamant Scales might stop at nothing to possess that egg." I pointed a hoof at Clover's satchel.

"Okay, I understand." Clover said as he glanced nervously at the bolted door, half expecting the hooded Unicorns to return.

"Don't worry about the door, I've cast a locking spell, it won't open until morning when I cast the counter-spell."

Clover nodded with a mixed look of fear and excitement on his face.

"Miss. Would it be okay for Clover to stay in my room tonight?" I asked.

"Yes, not a problem. I'd feel safer having two Unicorns here in case those thugs return." she said.

Moments later Clover and myself were upstairs in my rented room. The day had been long and filled with unexpected dangers at the end of the night, but I was finally able to rest. Clover laid by the fireplace, the dragon egg nestled safely beside him. I lit my horn, placed my saddlebags on my bed, and lifted the crystal pendant that hung around my neck in front of me where it shimmered with ethereal light.

"What's that?" Clover asked with piqued curiosity.

"A gift from Princess Platinum, a very special and very rare crystal that allows me to visit somepony in spirit while I sleep. All I have to do is dip it into some water and then drink." I informed him.

Clover's eyes widened. "That sounds incredible. Are you going to use it to visit her in the palace?"

"I want to, but maybe another time." I paused as her beautiful face flashed into my mind. "For now, I need to find out what those goons are up to, I can use it to learn more information about The Order and their plans for the egg. Maybe even reveal if they are connected to the dragons disappearing."

There was a metal jug filled with water set out on the small table in my room, I walked over and poured myself a glass. I lifted the pedant with my magic and dipped it into the cup of water like a teabag, the water inside shimmered and glowed before returning to normal. I downed the entire glass of water and placed the pendant back around my neck, after organizing my satchel and setting them aside I laid down on my bed.

"See you in the morning, Clover." I said.

A sense of calm washed over me as I fell asleep almost instantly.

The dark nothingness of sleep slowly faded and swirled between different colors in front of me. I focused my mind on the scarred Unicorn from the attack earlier and my vision shimmered, I could see his blurred face but not where he was, there were muffled voices and light from lit torches that flickered on and off. I relaxed and focused again. Now I was able to see a much clearer picture of the scar faced pony and the environment around him, as if I was standing in the room with him, it was dark, dank room with stone walls lit by torches and possibly underground going by the walls which were covered in slime and moss.

"Brick! You foolish colt! That egg is crucial to my plans. I need it for the ritual!" a furious voice echoed.

"Please. Master. I beg you understand, it was a pair of Unicorns that interfered with our mission to obtain the egg." the scarred pony whimpered. "They are skilled mages."

"I was not prepared for this, I need to harness its power." The shrouded pony's green eyes glowed as they pierced through the darkness under the hood they were wearing. "In the morning, you and Picket will track down these mages and get that egg, kill them if you have to." he snarled. "And do not return until you have that egg!"

"Yes Master." Brick bowed and left the dimly lit room

The shrouded pony sat back in his chair. "Why did Star Swirl have to get involved in this? He underestimates the lengths that I am willing to go," he spoke to himself. "and just who in Tartarus is this Clover?"

Suddenly my vision blurred and turned dark, I awoke and my body darted upright. "He knows me." I said.

"What was that?" Clover woke and stretched. The fireplace he and the egg were laying next to had died down to a small hot glow. Bright sunlight peered in through a gap in the drawn curtains.

"The pony leading The Order knows who I am," I said to Clover as I got out of bed. "but it seemed as if he really knew who I was, as if we were old friends at some point."

"Did you see what he looked like?" Clover asked.

"No, he wore a hood, like the other members of The Order." I answered.

Clover and I ate our breakfast downstairs as I wrote in my journal. After we finished eating, we mapped out and prepared for our journey to Drakebark Forest, if we could just get to the breeding grounds where the dragons lived before The Order could accost us again, we might just save the life of the unhatched dragon in our possession.

To be continued.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading the newest chapter in over 10 years, I wanted to start writing again after I listened to a podcast, it was a Harry Potter fan fiction podcast of all things, called Harry Potter and The Boys. I've been playing a metric ton of dragon related videogames also. It got to a point were I was dreaming about writing chapters for this book. I was meaning to release this chapter on my birthday (september 4th), but I was reading it one last time before hitting publish and found a few mistakes that escaped me.

July 26, 2024 - Rough Draft Complete.
August 2, 2024 - Proof read & Revision.