I look out at the road below me and sigh in irritation. Our intel said the next shipment was to arrive three hours ago. Yet here I am up a tree, freezing my ass off. Leave it to some nerf herder smuggler to be late for their own deadline. I look down the road again and let out a long breath, making a plume of steam rise up towards the full moon. I look across the way and watch another plume of steam rise from a distant tree. Well, at least Night Fury is freezing his ass off with me. Is it weird that I find solace in that?

I pull my trench coat closer to myself in an attempt to keep warm as I sit back against the tree. The coat breaks the wind chill but with my armor beneath it, I'm still freezing. They're probably a no show anyway. We've been out here for hours now and for nothing. Night was probably right; they probably took the main road instead. Damn reverse psychology. I gather my things and stand up, letting another plume of breath go up. Night signals back immediately and jumps into the air.

"Giving up?" he asks when he flies over. I hum back my answer before stepping off the branch, falling to the ground below. "What's the next plan then?"

"Well, if they passed us on the main road, they're probably well into Mosgrowl by now. So we'll have to head to the next checkpoint to cut them off," I tell him as I start to walk down the path towards town, having him walk alongside me. He gives me a look, making me sigh again. "Assuming we can get there before them to set up another trap."

"And if they deviate from the path?"

"Then all of this was for nothing. The next checkpoint would be in Griffin territory, so it's now or never basically-"

"Shhh!" he snaps before stopping. I lift my rifle and sweep around, looking for any possible targets.

"I don't have any vis-"

"Shhhhhh!" he shushes again. He closes his eyes and stands there for a moment, his ear twitching slightly. "I hear flapping... south."

"You hear-"

"Shhhhhh!" If he does that again I'm going to-

FWOOOSH

We both duck reflexively when something large passes overhead. I look up and watch the shadow of a massive dragon fly past us. It seems to be following the path and has something square strapped onto its back.

"Tail after him. I'm going to the town to raise the guard. If we can't get him down here he'll be in griffin territory in no time," I tell Night before racing down the path, igniting my heels to propel myself forward. I hear Night jump into the air and give chase. I have to run at full force to keep up with the damn thing, and so I can tell I'm starting to fall behind. Judging by the size in comparison to Night, I'd say he's just an adult dragon.

Snaps and cracks sound off when Night climbs up near the dragon, followed by a large puff of white smoke. Night rolls right and dives to dodge the attack; though I don't know if he's hit or not. At least we know it's our guys. Night tries getting a vantage point a couple times, but meets similar results. He finally breaks away and meets up with me.

"Eight goblins. Six arming the side with rifles and pistols, two finishing up a Gatling gun," he reports. Gatling gun? Son of a bitch, this is going to be tricky.

"Alright, we need to dis-"

KRACK

Something snaps through the air and slams into the dragon with enough force to send it falling back. I grab Night and leap into the woods before throwing up a shield, hoping it doesn't land on us. The ground beneath us shakes violently as a large cloud of dust explodes out from the impact. We both fall over from it, making me drop my shield and letting the cloud of dust envelope the two of us.

We both cough violently and get back onto our feet, pulling our rifles out as we do so. After a moment to gather ourselves I point left and head right, moving from tree to tree for cover. When the road comes back into view, I pause and wait for the dust to settle. I can hear them yelling to each other as they move about. The dragon is breathing deeply as well, probably bleeding out slowly.

When the dust settles enough, I pivot and take aim. I can see a few of them arming themselves with fallen weaponry while a few set up the Gatling gun. The dragon is on its side with its back to us on the other side of the road. I don't think it's going to get back up anytime soon. I can see four targets, five if there's at least one on the Gatling gun. It's hard to tell with the large blast shield of solid metal blocking my view. How are they going to aim it with no visibility?

The gun spins to life and takes aim at me, sending a volley my way. I duck back behind the tree and take aim on the other side, firing a few rounds at them. The shield absorbs the rounds easily, letting him continue fire down on me. The tree before me cracks and begins to fall to the side; so I propel myself to another tree for cover. Sure enough, the volley of rounds follows after me. Just as I was about to make it behind the tree I feel something hit my leg and take it out from beneath me, making me fall. Luckily, my armor takes most of the damage and I fall behind the tree.

I hear more pops and snaps from them as well as from my left, telling me Night has engaged them. I wait for the Gatling to stop to reload before rolling over and engaging them myself. Two of them are on the ground bleeding while the other two continue firing at Night. Their weapons only fire one shot at a time, so we take charge over the fight quickly. Two rounds into his chest and one for the head takes down a goblin while the other one takes one in the shoulder and falls down.

With no one firing, I get on my feet and quickly approach the area. Fallen crates litter the area as steam shades the air light white. When I make it to the Gatling gun, I do a quick sweep for targets. I spot a goblin by the dragon with his leg pinned underneath it. When he spots me he reaches for a pistol, so I send a round through his skull. I hear some whimpering beneath me, so I look down and spot two more goblins. One is the one that was shot in the shoulder while the other is presumably the one who was manning the gun. The gunner is cradling his wounded friend and crying.

"Do you speak common?" Night asks from my side when he approaches.

"*snif* y-yeah," he whimpers, cringing slightly.

"Are there any other survivors that you know of?" I ask.

"I... I don't think so. I'm not sure."

"Night, clear the perimeter. I'm going to have a talk with him," I tell him, getting a nod in response. "What is your name?"

"I'm Radmutter-"

"Well, Radmutter, do you want to get out of this alive or would you rather be cremated?" I ask him sternly. He nods. "Good, then cooperate and I'll personally see you home. Now, are there weapons in these crates?"

He nods again.

"Was their destination somewhere in the griffin colony?"

He nods.

"How many shipments are there? Both currently and planned."

"I wouldn't know. I'm just a smuggler," he says slowly.

"Where did these weapons-"

"In coming! Bears up the road!" Night calls out. I look down the path and see the crowd of bears approaching. Most of them look to be guards, but-

CRACK

I cringe from the sudden shot and the following splatter. I look down at the goblin and sigh as he slumps against the gun, the pistol in his hand falling to the ground. Taking the easy way out, what a pity.

"STOP THERE, CRIMINAL SCUM!" One of the guards’ yell as they surround the two of us. "You're under arrest for-"

"Stand down!" I yell at him, getting in his face. "This is official Spartan business! Lower your weapons and back the fuck off!"

"You dare order the captain of the Mosgrowl guard!? I'll tear your head off and-"

"Enough, cubs!" some female bear in a yellow robe yells from the middle of the crowd. She pushes her way to the front and gets between me and the guard, staring him down angrily. "I already told you they were operating here, Anton! Back off!" The air grows thin as they stare each other down, sparks practically forming between the two of them. Anna was her name, now that I recognize her. She's the mayor of the city. Everyone jumps when the dragon moves slightly and lets out a groan. I run around to his face, getting him to look directly at me.

"They're coming... they're... almost..." he says slowly between labored breaths. I look over to his chest and note the sharpened tree trunk sticking into his chest.

"Who's coming?" I ask calmly, placing a hand on his snout.

"War is coming... you can't... they're coming..."

"I know. What can you tell me? Anything can help. Please help me," I beg him, moving a bit closer as his breaths begin to space out. He blinks slowly once before whispering quietly.

"Syncney." He lets out one final breath before going still, his eyes shutting for the last time. Anna walks over and holds her paws before herself, giving the dragon a moment of respect.

"Night, send a flare up," I call out to him. A moment later, a red flare goes high into the air and sends a red glow over the area. "This area is under Spartan control until our investigation is over with. Tell your guards to head back home."

"I understand. What of the dragon?" she asks quietly.

"We'll take care of that-"

"Like hell!" Anton barks, walking over to our conversation. "We shot down the beast, we've earned the right to harvest it!"

"Go ahead, lay a paw on him," I tell him, placing a hand on my pistol.

"Easy, Miles. Anton, go back to the city and secure the perimeter, now," she growls at him. He looks between the two of us before turning angrily away, having his guards follow after him. "I must apologies for Anton. He's really a good bear albeit brash."

"It's alright, for now. You should get going though. I doubt the woods are friendly at night," I tell her, getting a nod in return.

"Good hunting, human." She walks off with her assistant, leaving Night and myself alone.

"So... are we going to harvest the dragon or not?" Night asks curiously.

"If by morning a dragon doesn't comes to claim him, then we can. Until then, let's check the cargo."

We spend the next hour opening crates and going through any documentation we find. Most of the crates merely contain rifles and pistols, but a few contain sparse documentation. We gather them all up and store them to be translated later, seeing as neither of us can read Goblin. Once we get through all of the crates we pile them together and set explosives with them, bury them, and then destroy them.

"Send up another flare." I tell Night. He fires off another red flare, getting the glow to return. "You can head to town if you want. I'm going to stay out here for a bit longer."

"Are you sure? You don't want anypony to watch your back?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll be good, go ahead and get some rest," he gives me a questioning look before shrugging and taking off. I wait until he's out of earshot before speaking again. "I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting you here," I say as I turn and face the forest.

...

"I can sense your presence, step out already," I call out again. After waiting a few moments of waiting a green glow comes out from a tree as Delilah steps out before me.

"You've gotten better at that you know," she tells me as she approaches the road, stopping just before the road. "Did they have to die?"

"They chose their fate when they took the job. It was inevitable," I tell her sternly, walking to be closer.

"And you? Do you accept this kind of fate?" she asks quickly.

"What do you want, Delilah? Every time you show up it's the same thing. You question death while simultaneously putting down modern society. Not everyone can live off the land. With the growth of populations, industrialization is mandatory for life to continue. We all can't live off the land-"

"If I wanted a lecture, Miles, I would have gone to my father," she cuts me off. Father? I didn't know treefolk had fathers and mothers.

"Oh... then why are you here?" She gives me a look before taking a step onto the road.

"I fear the future, Miles. Every day I watch society grow and technologies advance. There was a time when a dragon would devastate the country side with total ease. Now... now-"

"Delilah, people learn. Nature learns too. The difference now is the rate at which things change-"

"And that's what terrifies me. Treefolk... we're slow to change. Slower than any. We've gone through time at such a slow rate... I fear that we'll be left behind. I have witnessed the demise of forests and the murder of my people over the centuries. Just as the dragon fell in one strike, I fear the treefolk will find a similar fate as well."

"What would you have of me then? Stop industry from happening?"

"No, just as their deaths were inevitable, so too is the industrialization of the world. I've come to you not knowing what to ask for. What would you do to save your people, Miles? And how can I save my own? Is there anything we can do, or is it too late for us?" I hum as I think about her question. Usually she finds me to bicker and argue about... everything pretty much. She's never asked my opinion before, not like this at least.

"If I were you... following your own beliefs, I'd integrate."

"Integrate?"

"You're not going to fight, and you can't stop industrialization from happening. Joining-"

"You want me to drop everything I stand for and further the tool of my own people’s destruction-"

"No. I'm not telling you to start up factories. When the Spartans first started up we were looked down upon. We were a militaristic government with no representation that held itself above all others. It was a hard concept to wrap your mind around. We didn't achieve our place in the world with brute force. We won the people over. Take this town for instance," I say as I gesture down the road.

"Mosgrowl?"

"There are two major players there, Anton and Anna. Most would think that I would align with Anton. He comes from a military background, thinks with his hammer, and doesn't take lip. He's a brute in every way possible. Anna, on the other hand, is about as opposite as you can get. She fights for equal rights, she listens and uses her words, and she might be a pacifist. I'm not sure about that last one though. I chose to back her. Do you want to know why?"

"... because it makes you look better?"

"It's an old human saying. ‘The pen is mightier than the sword.’ People will fight for a man with a sword. But people will die for something a man writes. Human history has proven this time and time again. Just you watch. When the cards are down people like Anton will fall. He may kill dragons, but Anna rallies people."

"Hmm... but, how does this affect my people?"

"If you're going to integrate into society, that means you're going to have to drop the isolationism." She laughs at that, running a hand through her vine hair.

"What you ask is impossible. Treefolk dropping isolation, no. It'll never happen-"

"People used to say that magic was impossible. That men would never walk on the moon or set foot on other planets. There was a time when we believed we were alone in the universe. For something impossible to happen, you have to start with doing the impossible." She gives me a hint of a smile but still looks a bit concerned.

"Thank you, Miles. I don't quite know what I'm going to do yet, but... at least I know where to start."

"Now, can you tell me why everyone wants to harvest a dead dragon?" She laughs at my naivety and begins to walk around the dragon's corpse.

"Dragons are beings of great power. Even in death they exude greatness. The trees that soak up their blood will grow twice as large. Their bones can bolster your body while their virility can make you a more potent mate."

"... what?"

"Even their waste can be of great use for farmlands. It's why dragons are so demanding to know of their own kin’s death. They don't want their bodies being defiled. It is a great thing you are doing, protecting this dragon. Not many would do this, thank you."

"Yes. Thank you." We both spin to the side as a giant dragon quietly lands in the forest. Its scales look as though they're made or ice and its eyes are bright blue. A gust of super chilled air washes over us as the temperature drops quickly. On top of that, he's gigantic. He has to crane his neck down to look at us, setting his body down far in the distance. He has to be at least a hundred feet tall from his shoulder. At least... assuming I'm making my conversion correctly. "I am Elder Frost. Who are you and how was this dragon felled?"

"... uh... I'm Miles... Miles Eremita. And... he was shot with a tree. I think," I yell up at him, stepping back slightly. Delilah does the same, though is much more openly scared than I am.

"Eremita. You have my gratitude. My apologies, but I must ask. Why? Not many show respect for dragons. Even less fight for it. Why, Miles Eremita. Why?" His question catches me a bit off guard. Despite his deep voice and intimidating stature, he's asking questions. And not just the ones about death either. He's genuinely curious about... me?

"Uh... well... I guess for selfish reasons really," I say, getting a bewildered look from Delilah.

"Hmm... odd. Do you seek favor among our courts? Powerful allies perhaps? What poses you to seek our attention?"

"I don't want your favor. I'd just want the same done for me," I tell him, getting him to tilt his head. "I'm a warrior, to put it simply. I deal in war and death. Someday there is a possibility that I can die. If and when that days happens, I'd like my body brought back to my family so they can properly say goodbye. I wouldn't want to put them through the pain over never saying goodbye. So, if I want that form of treatment, I should try to give it to my enemy as well. It's selfish and hopeful, but... I'm human. It's in my nature."

"Hmm... human..." he leans down and bites the tree trunk in the dragon’s chest. With a quick yank, he pulls it out and drops it on the ground. "May the winds guide you, human, world sapling." I glance to Delilah before stepping back as the dragon scoops the corpse into his mouth and takes off into the night sky. A trail of snow follows after him as he flies north.

"I'm amazed," Delilah mutters as we stand there, watching him flying away. "You have an extraordinary ability in meeting important world figures."

"It's more of a curse really. What was he? An elemental in dragon form or... what? And why did he call you world sapling?"

"I'm sure you'll find out soon enough. As for him, he was an elder dragon. When a dragon reaches a certain age, they manifest into a greater form. Usually with the element they relate with the most. I only know of two others in existence though."

"... and who are they?"

"There's Bolas and Urza. Urza is either fire or lava. I'm not sure, seeing as he uses both. Well, Miles, until next we meet-"

"If you ever find yourself in northern Equestria, try to find a small town called Moosden. I think it's the place to start... whatever it is you're trying to do," I tell her as she walks off into the woods. She waves goodbye before fading into a tree. I look around before sighing to myself and begin heading down the path towards town.

Elder dragons. I should have guessed Bolas was special, but the fact that there are others is... disconcerting, to say the least. Well, this one seems to be reasonable. Who knows, maybe this will lead to some kind of sway in the dragon’s hierarchy. Long shot, but it’s worth a shot. I need to hurry this expedition. The longer I stay out in the world, the more crazy crap happens to me. Too many problems with too little time to deal with it all.

The walk down the lonesome road is cold and uneventful. A few creatures in the dark follow after me but don't bother me. I hardly pay them any mind either; I just want to get out of the cold already. When I make it to the walls of Mosgrowl, I wait patiently for the guards to open the gate. The thick stone walls loom over me as the bears behind it begins to work the bars on the iron gates. The guards give me the stink eye when I walk in, but I don't care. They won't do anything unless they out-number me twenty to one.

The town is silent in the night, with the exception of a drunk on the porch of a bar mumbling to himself. The wooden homes are dark and the smoke from the chimneys are low. I make my way through the dense city until I find the motel night and I are staying at. The light to our room is on, telling me he's still awake; so I enter normally. He's lying on the second bed in the small room reading one of the documents we recovered. I go to the desk on the other side of the room and begin to remove all of my gear.

"I take it a dragon came and picked him up," he mutters before flipping pages.

"An elder dragon named frost," I tell him.

"Cool... what's special about elder dragons?"

"Well, he was made of ice. That's about as much as I can tell." When I finish removing my armor, I go to the small stove and toss another log in and take a seat by it to warm up.

"Plan on sleeping tonight?"

"We have too many papers-"

"You can't even read goblin. You haven't slept in three days, Captain. Are those premonitions really that bad?" he asks, almost sounding concerned. For the past week I've been having visions of... terrible things happening. But every time they're different, so I don't know what they actually are. Are they premonitions? Or are they just bad dreams?

"*sigh* I don't know what to make of that dream. Every time it's different. At first it was Ponyville burning, then it was Terradisia marching over Equestria... all I know is that something terrible is coming to Ponyville."

"Should we go back?" he asks, setting down the papers in his hooves.

"... No. Whatever it is, the catalyst is us being there. So we'll hold off going back for as long as possible."

"Okay, then where to next?" I stare into the fire a bit longer before heading over to the other bed and laying down, there's too much on my mind right now. Too much.

"Syncney." He nods and goes back to the papers. I lay there for a few moments before I feel my eyelids begin to droop. I don't want to go back to sleep. I don't want to see that image again.

---

Darkness falls as I stand over the embers of a burning town. Buildings in the back roar with wildfires as black smoke fumes up and obscures the distance. Ash rains from the darkness above as I stand before myself, shirtless and stained with streaks of blood. The look on my face is terrifying. There's more anger than I could possible imagine, while so much hurt. I look away from myself for a moment before letting out blood curdling scream and charge at myself, swords in hand and murderous intent filling my eyes.

---

I awake with a scream in the early morning. A cold sweat covers my body as I fight to get control of my breath again. I look around the room before heading over to the bathroom to splash my face with cold water. What's going to happen? Is something going to happen? All I do know is that I don't want to go back to sleep. Less in fear of the dream, but more so for the fear of Luna stumbling upon it.

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