The Shadow's Executioners

Daggerfall ran his hoof across the fence board. 'I think this is good enough'. His father had assigned him the task of putting the new fencing up. Tedious work but it needed to be done. He wasn't doing a perfect job for his mind wandered on other things. Just one more year. One more year and he would have his apprenticeship with Grammond the livestock master. Daggerfall had already shown his aptitude for caring for animals when he brought a severely wounded talon back from the brink of death. A talon is a cross-breed between a winged dragon and a Komodo Dragon. They have slick, smooth scales and a serpentine neck. Talons have wings they can use to fly for short periods of time and they have battle rings that flip up when agitated or during an engagement. They are often trained to be ridden for combat. Tek, Daggerfall's talon that he had saved, whistled at him from the barn. Daggerfall sighed, for he so desperately wanted to ride Tek and let his mind be free, but he had work to do. He then poured himself into his work, focusing on the task at hand. While he was busy working, his father walked over to him.

"These boards aren't straight." Father put his hoof on Daggerfall's shoulder. "What's on your mind?" His father had an uncanny ability to sense when something wasn't right. There was no point in hiding it, he had nothing to be ashamed of.

"Only one more year dad. Just one more year. Then I'll have my apprenticeship. I'll finish my training then start my own livestock farm. I'll make real money and finally make a name for myself." Daggerfall was giddy with excitement just thinking about it.

"Let's not look too far ahead. You know what today is. Pray to Cayn that you don't get harvested." Father said grimly.

'Oh no. I completely forgot about that!' The Harvest is something that happens every year in the six dynasties. The Shadow Guild "harvests" children to train them to be assassins. In the case of Dyn Jack, it happened every four years. This was their year.

"Why does it have to happen father? Why can't they just leave us alone?"

"Well son, the guild needs to exist. While I don't like the Shadow Guild, it is a necessity. If they even come here they probably won't take anyone. They're either too old or too young, at least for that Shadow Brother's taste. So you have nothing to worry about." Father ruffled his son's coal black mane. "Now, go tend to your talon. I can hear her from the fields, but first, what is graal?"

"Graal is a blood trait that dynast families have. All Fae with colored eyes had them until the mixing disasters. There are six main graals, with many bastard graals and deviations of the originals. The Jack graal speaks for truth. The Dash graal speaks for the dead. The Rare graal speaks for the animals. The Sparkle graal speaks for Time. The Pie graal speaks for direction. The Shy graal speaks for the blood and it's mending."

"Very good Daggerfall. Now, what are the marks on my arm called and what do they mean?"

"The marks on your arm are called dav'ha. They are a symbol to show that you have a sacred bond with someone. Everyone who serves Guard Duty to the Dynasty earns their dav'ha marks. Anyone who has made dav'ha with another can call upon it in their time of need."

"I'm proud of you Daggerfall. My children are a wealth I won't surrender. I love you son." Wolf Jack, father of Daggerfall Jack, was tearing up.

"I love you too father." Daggerfall Jack, son of Wolf Jack, was fighting back tears of his own. "Now, I must tend to Tek. After I'm done here, can we have a meditation session? I'd like to go through the Veil before Harvest, so if they do come, I can be calm."

Wolf replied, "Yes, I think that would do us both some good. I'll leave you to it."

Going through the Veil, as it's called, is a Fae term for a place where you are at a state of total peace. One can speed the process of healing and can find clarity in the mind. Also, if a pony were to have a Dynast blood trait, they could practice it here more freely.

Tek whistled as Daggerfall approached. She couldn't wait to be fed and cleaned. Daggerfall took his time as he ran his hoof up and down the scales of his talon. Tek was small for a talon, but easily twice the size of a fully grown stallion.

"I love you Tek, they won't take me away from you. I promise. Here, have a treat." Daggerfall tossed a goat leg towards Tek. She snatched it up and scarfed it down. She then whistled loud and butted Daggerfall's hoof playfully. "Not now girl, I gotta clean you. We'll play after Harvest is over." Tek lowered her head and reluctantly let Daggerfall wash her. "I'm sorry, other things take precedence. I'll be back soon okay?" At this, Tek leaped up and gave a pitiful whistle.

Daggerfall walked into their family's meditation room. The smell of incense was strong and his father was sitting on one side of the Jack crest. The crest was located at the center of the room. It was an apple with claws around it.

"Hello father." Daggerfall said in a low tone.

"Hello son. Shall we begin?" Wolf Jack said, matching his son's tone.

"Yes, we shall."

"Now remember to just clear your mind. You cannot force your way through the Veil. Get to it and ask for entry. Feel every fiber of your being relax and synchronize in harmony. Hear the hum of your cells and blood run through you. Become one with the world around you. See your problem and just let it melt away." Wolf's  words rang out through Daggerfall's head. He did what he was told and cleared his mind. He was just about through the Veil when he heard his mother call out to them.

"Two stallions on talons with a colt driving a wagon are coming! Wolf, come out here! You too Daggerfall!."

The two stallions were dressed in all black, as well as the colt. They were Shadow Brothers. They had come for Harvest.