Across the Sea, Part I

by John Hood

First published 9th of June, 2012

(One of Two) Twelve hundred years ago, Equestria faced off with the human-dominated continent of Sarathûl, a conflict that would come to define both lands.

(Part one of two)

The Defiance of Nightmare Moon was long ago enough that most ponies consider it more legend than fact. But Equestria's history goes much further back, to an age half-remembered in myth and mystery. In the dim past, the race of man emerged from the fog of the unknown, a time so distant that even the Princess's grandparents were young.

But it is at the dawn of Celestia and Luna's rule we lay our scene, as Equestria threatens to tear itself apart, and the human nations across the sea grow ever stronger in their reach and influence. Both are on a collision course. This is the tale of Tempest Blackwind, a young pegasus exile, of Aharôs Loiar, a man against the world, of the two alicorn Princesses, struggling to be the leaders their subjects need in a time of crisis, and many more who would leave their mark on a time now forgotten by all but a few.

The Shores of Athair

Author's Notes:

If you don't like this, tell me why. If you do like this, tell me why. Don't get all shy or easy on me, I need to know what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. Anyways, let us begin our journey.

Please note that this is expecting at least a thorough grammatical revision in the future, and perhaps a deeper revision too. There are several reoccurring stylistic errors and typos I need to fix, to say the least.
Chapters revised: 1/28

It was quiet now, except for the wind and rain that gently pelted the sands. There was peace. The pegasus looked around from her skewed vantage point. Dark grey skies, grey sea, muddy brown sand. Somewhere in the distance, a soft bell tolled, warning of disaster too late. A piece of broken wood nudged at her rear legs. No one screamed now, no one cried out, no one lamented their fate. It was quiet.

Maelstrom Blackwind lay dying on the shore.

She appreciated the irony, that was for sure. A pegasus killed by weather. But that was a lie. The storm hadn't killed her; the storm and wreck were just to finish her off. The alicorn princess was the one that had killed her, three weeks ago. Only their God knew how she had survived this long with such a wound. Only the God of the men rushing towards her, on their three-toed brutish mounts. The alicorns had said they were slaves; Maelstrom had never known one to be any more than a simple-minded animal. The alicorns said a lot of things that weren't true, in the end. The humans flew the blue flower of Loiar, on a white field. It was a pretty thing. Maelstrom had always liked it, and so had Tempest.

“Equestrians!” one of the men shouted, galloping up.

“What were they doing here?” another asked, dismounting.

“Must've been important to try and sail through that storm.”

“These weren't mere Equestrians!” stated a third, far more familiar voice. Determination masked its pain; someone knelt down next to her. “Maelstrom Blackwind.” said he.

“The pretender we're helping in the war?” questioned the first voice.

“The rightful Queen of Highcrest!” snapped back the voice above her. Maelstrom looked up, and tried to smile as best she could. Prince Aharôs Loiar of Athair looked down at her, icy eyes no longer so cold, frowning out of fear rather than displeasure. This was the first time she’d ever seen him uncertain.

“I’m n-not a... pretender...” she coughed out, digging at the sand as the wheezes racked her. Aharôs pulled her close, taking her off the cold, wet sand. At least she wouldn’t die alone.

“What have they done to you?” quietly asked Aharôs, noticing the bloodied bandaged stumps of her wings. He looked somewhere between rage and horror.

“We were... So close!” gasped Maelstrom. “So close... We almost- almost had them, Aharôs.” She succeeded in smiling this time. “We almost had them. You should have been there.” For a moment, Maelstrom was there. In the thick of the battle again, nearing the final triumph of House Blackwind. The din of combat and the roar of the human's cannons briefly drowned out the rain and wind. A blinding light appeared, roaring like a fire; the arrival of the alicorn princess.

And then came other noises, from an older time. Horrible, unearthly roars and howls, as if the forces of darkness had taken a step into the world. The door remained closed; a poor soul tried to get out, but... They asked for it. They laughed at me. They betrayed me. It was their own doing! When the sorcerer had emerged, the room was covered in frost and frozen blood. They never did find a single piece of a body. Maelstrom always figured those sounds would haunt her to her grave... And now here they were, to bid her a final farewell. What she had heard that day behind that door was almost enough to bring her to the human faith. There was evil in this world, she had realized.

But now, the rain and wind was all there was again. One of the humans had begun hacking and prodding at something with his halberd.

“Who did this?” Aharôs asked again, a tremor in his voice.

“Celestia.” Maelstrom said. “Celestia... I underestimated that girl... She was so... fast...”

“Looks like the Sun Queen got involved. Doesn't bode well for our men over there.” noted the second voice. Aharôs pulled off his cloak, and draped it over Maelstrom. He didn’t want to see what had been done to her.

“My Prince, survivors!” announced a fourth voice, over the sound of moving debris. Tempest! “This one looks like a child.” Thank God, Maelstrom thought. If this was her punishment for what she’d done, Tempest had been spared.

“A child?” asked Aharôs, a distant look coming over him. “Yes, Tempest…”

“Tempest... Second of her-” A spike of pain from her side caused a groan of agony. “My daughter.” breathed Maelstrom, trying to not fall into the blackness surrounding her vision. Of all the fights she had gone through in her life, holding onto the last ounce of life within her may have been the hardest.

“Shit.” swore one of the humans. “She doesn't look so good. Poor thing must be freezing after being stuck in that water so long.” Maelstrom turned to look at them; one of the humans wrapped Tempest up in his cloak, rain on his armor be damned.

“Bring her over, Turaz.” ordered Aharôs. Turaz obeyed, and passed into her vision.

“Don't let her...” Another fit of coughs. “Don't let her forget!” Maelstrom weakly placed a hoof on Aharôs's chest, which he held tightly. He was trying so hard to keep collected, to keep his calm, cold manner in line with his reputation. But anyone seeing a friend die before their eyes would feel something, Maelstrom knew that well. She had been the Aharôs of this situation too many times. “She- she must return. The throne... Promise me!” Maelstrom said, pleading. Aharôs nodded, mouth moving but not speaking. “Promise me you'll...” More coughs, more agony. Turaz knelt down too, holding Tempest, bundled up in his cloak.

“I'll raise her as one of my own.” promised the Prince, as if he were already a father. Maelstrom knew he wasn’t. “She'll know who she is, where she came from. She'll be as great a warrior as you, and learn from the greatest scholars of our kingdom. House Blackwind will live yet.” Aharôs affirmed, holding her hoof tightly.

“That's all I can ask...” The darkness closed in. No! Not yet! “Tempest!” she tried to say, but the words were little pebbles falling out of her mouth. Maelstrom could hardly hear herself.

“Mother!” came the cry of a filly. “What-” There she was, her little girl. Fur grey as the blue sea, mane like charcoal spread on a sheet. Red eyes met Maelstrom's own. She was cut and bruised from the storm's cruelty, soaked by the rain and sea, shivering like a flame in a winter wind. But she was alive. “What's happening?” Tempest asked, terrified and confused. She doesn't know the human tongue…

“Tempest-” Maelstrom raised her head, speaking in her native Equestrian. “Trust Aharôs. He will- he will help you take what is yours.”

“But- I-” Tempest wasn't trying to keep from crying. “I don't understand- You can't-” Maelstrom glanced at Aharôs; and saw an echo of the pain that was in her daughter's eyes. You've said these words to someone, too, Maelstrom realized. “Don't go!”

“Turaz, put her down.” ordered Aharôs. Tempest rushed straight to her, putting unsteady legs on the Prince’s knee.

“I can’t stay.” Maelstrom said, darkness edging in about her. She reached out with one hoof and hugged Tempest close. If she had been a wiser mare, she would have considered this day possible. Maelstrom had always thought her last moments with Tempest would be many years ahead, when she was old and her daughter ready to stand on her own. “It wasn’t- it wasn’t supposed to be like this,” she confessed, blinking back her own tears, “but… make me proud, Tempest. Don’t be afraid.” Another set of coughs hit her.

“Maelstrom, I-” started Aharôs, before he paused. “I won’t forget you.” he finally said. Maelstrom didn’t know who looked more distraught: her daughter or her friend. At least she’d die close to both. For a few minutes more, Maelstrom clung to life, embracing her daughter one last time. Aharôs held them both, while Turaz leaned on his halberd and bowed his head, letting the rain drip off him.

The darkness slowly swept over her, and all things faded away. Peace, at last. So passed Maelstrom Blackwind, Queen of Highcrest, a thousand miles from home, on the cold shores of Athair.

Ten Years Later

It was a very different day, this time. A spring sun shone on the dark walls of Nikadîon, on the green and grey and brown slopes of the mountains, and on the tan sand far below, swept by the blue sea. Gulls swooped to and fro, crying their cries. The old lighthouse kept its silent vigil, just as it had always done. Somewhere below the rock-strewn shore were the ruins of many ships that had failed to heed the lighthouse's warning. Tempest Blackwind gazed into the east, toward Equestria, toward her birthright, toward what her mother had died for. Somewhere beyond that blue horizon, it was waiting. But not today.

Today, Tempest stood on the battlements of her host's fortress, and told herself that the day of her return was not this day. Just like she had yesterday, and the day before, and the one before that... Eventually though, that day would come. But not today. And not tomorrow. She went over the list of pegasi who were still with her. Uncle Hearth Blackwind, old and with a lame leg, incapable of fighting. Coldstar, a good commander and soldier when she isn't drunk, which is rare enough. Snowy Farpeak, irreplaceable. Streaming Breeze, she's average at things, I guess. Redfern and Waterborn, two aging grunts with nothing left to live for but their jobs. Canvas the Silent, he's... I don't even know what he can do. Paint? That was eight, including Tempest Blackwind. Six were combat veterans. Only four could be consistently relied on. Four reliable pegasi, out of the five ships carrying hundreds that had fled Equestria ten years ago.

Her mother's ship had been the first to arrive. Rather, the first smashed by the storm they had run into. The weather of Old Alicornia had turned unpredictable, and cruel. It was a wonder the humans survived, let alone thrived here. But the pegasi had not been able to control the storm as they believed they could; so claimed Nightwatcher, before she had deserted and returned across the sea. When the other ships had arrived, another being wrecked off of Nikadîon as well, the assembled pegasi were disappointed that Maelstrom Blackwind had died within minutes of arrival. The mare that had held their loyalty was dead; Prince Aharôs was now guardian of Tempest, certified by Hearth Blackwind. They didn't like that... The other pegasi tried to make a deal for wardship of Tempest, but Aharôs had proved stubborn, stating he wouldn't entrust the life of an innocent filly to schemers and backstabbers.

And when the Sun Queen's pardon to all Blackwind bannerponies had arrived, excluding the Blackwinds themselves, all those schemers and backstabbers had lived up to their names, and abandoned Hearth and she as fast as one could drop a helmet. Traitors, all of them. When I return, they'll all pay. Tempest told herself that often. The Sun Queen even offered Aharôs a great sum of gold if he would hand over Tempest and Hearth to her. He threw the letter in the fire and said his word was worth more than all the gold in the world. A human proved to be more loyal than almost every pegasus in her mother's army. Those that didn't return to Equestria with news of the pardon trickled away one by one. Some went to the Far North, the ancient human homeland, to see if the tales were really true about what was up there. Some went west, seeking the map's edge and beyond. Most just went back east, to quietly integrate back into the Equestrian states the remaining alicorns kept nominal watch over. The Kingdom of Highcrest was among them. The same lands and skies that belonged to Tempest now.

But she wasn't in Highcrest. She was in Athair, ruled by Zhevakôs Loiar, the sixth. This wasn't pegasus land, this wasn't pegasus sky. This was human land, and human sky. And it had once been alicorn land and sky, in the distant past. These days, Aharôs ruled here more than Zhevakôs, as he watched his father's mind fall to pieces. As the abode of Aharôs, Nikadîon was not a happy place, it hadn't been in many years. A somber mood hung in the air despite the beauty of the day. Tempest continued to gaze out at the sea.

“My queen.” Greeted a worn-out voice. Tempest didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Redfern's wings fluttered as he landed on the battlements, saluting. He was a dull red-brown pegasus, with a mane that had once been green, but was now more white than anything.

“Redfern.” Saluted Tempest in return. “What news?”

“There's always news, but none of it is of note.” He replied. “We continue to live off the kindness of the Prince; Clearspring Swiftrain continues to rule Highcrest. Nothing ever changes.” Redfern was an utter pessimist, and sometimes Tempest was sure he and Waterborn were the two most depressing ponies in the World.

“What is happening in human affairs?” She asked.

“It's the same fucking catastrophe of tangled webs as always, my queen.” Sighed Redfern. “Emperor Katastanîôs has returned to campaign another year, even if he might fall dead tomorrow morning. The Grand Duke of Echarîon seeks help to fend off the Emperor. The Count of Tilai would aid him, but is busy putting down an outbreak of heresy in his own domain. Our own good man, King Zhevakôs, can no longer remember who his own sons are. Prince Reshîv continues to win the war against the Verâdîm rebels, under the direction of Prince Aharôs. Soon, Zhevakôs will have two crowns, as he is the King of Verâd as well.” He only has to force the nobility there to kneel to him. Not that he's in any condition to do anything of the sort.

“I'm glad someone is getting what is theirs.” Tempest said bitterly. “Were that we had a Reshîv of our own.”

“We've got Coldstar...” Redfern laughed at himself. “Oh right, she's a drunk. We've got a cripple, a drunk, a moron, a near-mute, me, Waterborn, and Streaming. Oh, and a fifteen year old filly. Truly, a force to be feared by Clearspring Swiftrain and her master, the Sun Queen. Hell, even the Nightlord must tremble in his shoes. Princesses Celestia and Luna go to sleep in terror, wondering when you will make your return.” The blue-grey pegasus frowned, but had no retort. Snowy isn't a moron... But he's right. I have no power here, nor any companions of use. But, she did have Aharôs. That counted for something.

“Queen Tempest?” Asked another familiar voice. The human, Sir Turaz, walked up the stairs to the battlements. He was a first-generation knight, and the one that had rescued her from the wreckage of the ship all those years ago. “It's time for your lessons-”

“Father Brenan will see me in his solar, yes, I know.” Tempest nodded wearily. “We've only had this exchange a thousand times...”

“Actually, in the Prince's solar today. And education is important, your highness!” Stated Turaz, defensively. “Especially at a young age.” Turaz could barely read, and definitely couldn't write. It was something he took shame in, but could never get right when he tried to learn his letters better.

“I understand, Sir Turaz. It's just...” She trailed off, thinking of how she wanted to finish the sentence.

“You don't see the point in learning from their kind when you're a pegasus?” Suggested Redfern.

“Yes, that.” Tempest agreed. And we're completely reliant on them, for everything, with no way to pay our debts. Leeching off of them just doesn't feel right.

“You're on our side, that's enough for us.” Said Turaz. “Loiar and Blackwind fought side-by-side in Equestria, that's more than we can say about many of our own kind.”

“I know, I know.”

“Well, I'm supposed to take you to the Prince's chambers now. We should go.” The knight told her, turning back to the stairs.

“I think I'll fly there.” The pegasus thought aloud. Turaz talked too much anyway.

“But-” Turaz tried to object, but Tempest spread her wings in preparation for flight, signaling the conversation was over.

“I'll see you there.” She said, and then jumped into the air. The humans didn't like her flying around their castle, but she had already lived here ten years. If there was something they didn't want her to see, she would have found it by now. Nikadîon was big, but it wasn't infinite. From above, Nikadîon looked like a big, ovaleqsue twelve-pointed star sitting on top of the mountain, surrounding a taller set of walls and central keep of a much older design, which sat very close to the edge of the mountain. In the passing centuries, a veritable village had cropped up around the keep and inner walls, where many of the castle's lesser inhabitants lived. There was even a proper church in there; the humans liked their churches. When it came to stained glass, there were none better at the art than they. Father Brenan lived in the keep these days, though, and that's where Tempest was headed. She glided in through the open gates; one of the guards grumbled about no flying allowed, but just stood at his post. The keep of Nikadîon itself was ancient, low-ceilinged, and constantly cold, even in the middle of summer. It had stood for a thousand years, said Aharôs, and it would stand for another, against wind, rain, and storm. Tempest hated it. It was the exact opposite of what her uncle told her the family home in Highcrest was like.

She trotted through the chilly stone halls, and up the dozens of spiral stairs, along a path she memorized years ago. The pegasus passed the scores of empty rooms, the occasional occupied room, past old arrow loops now abandoned in favor of the cannons on the battlements, and to the chamber of Prince Aharôs. Even outside, she could feel the presence of the Prince. Tempest knocked on the thick oak door.

“Ah, my queen, we've been waiting.” Greeted someone as the door opened. It was Sir Eberis, one of Aharôs's most trusted, after Sir Turaz. Eberis had been there the day she arrived as well. “Where is Sir Turaz?” He asked, looking up and down the hall.

“He'll show up.” Replied Tempest, walking in. The Prince's chambers were dark, the curtains were closed. He had a small fire going, and some candles, but they were hardly enough to fill the seeping shadows. If a room says things about a person, this one screams. It had an ordered chaos to it, piles of papers and books, all neatly stacked, but filling almost every available spot. She walked through the outer room with Eberis, and then entered the solar. It was smaller, but its windows were open wide to the view of the sea beyond. At the table was Father Brenan, as she expected, the old weathered priest with wispy white hair. But there was also her uncle, Hearth, same charcoal mane as Tempest's, but with plain grey fur, and the rainbow of blue hued Coldstar, looking sober for once. There were a few humans she had seen before but didn't know the names of, and most important of all, Prince Aharôs. The Prince was standing at the window, looking toward Equestria as Tempest had been doing earlier; she didn't need to see him to know what he looked like. He was a man with a hard face and cold, pale grey eyes. His hair had once been a dark brown, but it was now a dark grey instead. He might have been handsome once, at least for a human, but the stress of years of juggling politics, wars, administration, and an increasingly dysfunctional family had taken their toll on him. “Are you all here for lessons too?” Tempest asked, wondering an instant later what drove her to speak without thinking. Someone chuckled. Probably Eberis.

“I'm afraid not.” Replied Father Brenan, shifting in his black robes. “Something imporatant has come up.”

“Disturbing news, from far away.” Spoke one of the humans, a richly-garbed young fellow with black hair and icy blue eyes. He definitely looked like someone she'd seen before... But who? Maybe I just see him here a lot.

“Quite disturbing.” Agreed Tempest's soft-voiced uncle. There was an open spot next to him, Tempest walked over and sat down there.

“Where is Turaz?” Aharôs asked, still with his back turned. Someone entered through the door in the other room, and rushed in.

“Here, my prince!” Panted Turaz. “That damn filly won't even give an old man a break. I had to run all the way here from the outer wall!” He breathed indignantly. Tempest smiled in victory. Turaz had trained her for years in the use of weapons and tactics, and the proper ways to carry heavy loads, having been a porter once. In revenge for his long-lasting, strength-sapping sessions, Tempest made it her goal to cause him havoc outside of training. She occasionally trained with Sir Herikôs, the master of arms, as well, but Turaz knew how pegasi fought. He had served in the disastrous first Loiar expedition to Highcrest, back in 1488. From common halberdier to knight in six years, an impressive feat.

“Take a seat, sir.” Ordered Aharôs. Turaz sat at the empty chair nearest to him, while Eberis went to close the outer door. Only when Eberis returned and closed the solar door, standing guard over it, did Aharôs continue from his spot at the wide windows. “I have been brought grim tidings. Prince Reshîv has received word of another Verâdîm army, comprised of lords who swore loyalty to us. They have betrayed their oaths and now march to join with their brethren in rebellion. I will lead a force of our own into Verâd and end this war, once and for all.”

“How does that involve us?” Asked Coldstar, narrowing her eyes. “These are human affairs, they don't concern our queen.”

“I believe I can answer this.” Spoke the black-haired man.

“Have we met?” Asked Tempest, trying not to sound rude, but failing.

“I am Îrilôs Taizâres, Duke of Fâharîon, and nephew of Emperor Katastanîôs. I am the Imperial envoy to Athair's court; you may have seen me before.” He explained, with a slight bow.

“So I do know you.” Replied Tempest.

“Perhaps, your highness.” Said Îrilôs. “To answer your good mare's question, it would be wise to help the friends of the Emperor. House Taizâres can be very generous.” Athair was a nominal vassal of the Empire, in the most extreme sense of nominal there was. It was all but in practice a free and independent realm. I guess he wants us to help them..? The motives Duke Îrilôs presented were very unclear; Tempest wouldn't be surprised if he was lying.

“So you want us to fight in your wars?” Asked Hearth, sounding skeptical.

“Yes.” Prince Aharôs replied, turning to face them. He threw a map down on the table, and opened it. Athair was on the farthest eastern tip of Sarathûl, the human name for Old Alicornia, but it had grown three times its original size due to the wonder-working of Prince Aharôs. And it would double in entirety if Verâd could be absorbed, as it lawfully should have been when its royal house failed and kingship reverted to the Loiars. Tempest's eyes went down the coast, southwest, and into the Bay of Vision, Edas Bâlôn as the humans called it. At the western end of the bay, a few miles up the great river that emptied it, was Ar-Athazîon, the Imperial capital. Once, fifteen hundred years ago, it had been the alicorn's city. “By helping us end the Verâdîm rebellion, you will free up our armies to join the Emperor. And that will be good for everyone in Sarathûl, in the long run.”

“Except whatever heretical splinters decide to make themselves known.” Added in Father Brenan, sadly. “It is a shame that those who stray from the path are dealt with so harshly.”

“There can be no room for sectarian antics; mankind ill needs such foolery.” Stated the Imperial envoy. “The Empire comes closer to hegemony over Sarathûl every year. It will be within our lifetime, within Father Brenan's lifetime, that we will see its triumph complete.” Îrilôs Taizâres had a smug look of self-assurance about him.

“My mother almost won her war.” Tempest said coldly. “A year later she died not a mile from where we sit, having fled Equestria.” She stared at Îrilôs, not breaking her gaze.

“Two dozen cannons proved to be no match for the Sun Queen, her daughters, and all the might of the unicorns. My uncle has tens of thousands of cannons. I would like to see the Sun Queen try to face that.” Replied Îrilôs, still smiling.

“She will never have the chance.” Interjected Aharôs, pulling a rolled-up paper out from a pocket. Everyone, and everypony, turned to look at him. “Tempest, I'm sure you wonder why we're asking you and your pegasi to help us only now.” She nodded. “I intercepted and read this three days ago, addressed to my father, and to you.”

“Me?” Asked the blue-grey pegasus. “Why me? And why did you read my mail?”

“I rule Athair, not my father. It was within my right. Now read it; out loud if you would be so kind.” Stated the Prince. He unrolled it, and handed it across the table. Tempest cleared her throat, and looked at it. It's in Equestrian and Tarsin, she noted. She chose the human-tongue side of the letter.

“To Zhevakôs Loiar, sixth of his name, claimed King of Athair. To Tempest Blackwind, second of her name, illegitimate bastard foal and pretender of Highcrest..!” Tempest felt her blood rise at that insult; her uncle grumbled. Aharôs looked on calmly while the other humans looked mildly shocked at such a scathing attack so early in a letter. “You have interfered with Us for the last time. We were content to let problems sort themselves out during your foolish and ill-fated rebellion, but this is something We cannot forgive, nor forget. The Grey Shadow of mankind has spread to Our fair realm; it has murdered hundreds of innocents without mercy or pity. The alicorn race has been devastated, Our own mother and father, the valiant Sun Queen and brave Nightlord, have been struck down; as has Our beloved Prince. You will all burn in agony for what you have done! We will ensure your deaths are as cruel and long as the deaths you have given Our family and nation. If the alicorn race dies, so will all humanity! We have a special fate in mind for the daughter of the Blackwind whore you keep as a pet.” Tempest had to pause, and subdue her anger; not to mention the other emotions that were rising. “Know this, scum of all life: Your fates are sealed. There will be justice for this, and there will be justice for the one thousand, five hundred and four years your filthy degenerate race has occupied our homeland. The wrath of the sun and stars is upon you.” Tempest read the last line. “Signed, Princess Celestia, Regent of the Sun, Protector of Equestria.”

The entire room was silent as the implications hit them. The Sun Queen is dead. The Nightlord is dead. The vast majority of the last alicorn survivors are dead. They died of the plague the humans brought. And their leader insulted my family and wants to kill me... And could easily kill me. She had no idea what to feel. One didn't wake up expecting this.

“Now you know, Tempest.” Aharôs stated. “Now you know why I want you to begin having real experience in battle. Princess Celestia blames you and I for the deaths of so many of her own. And revenge seems to be on her mind.” Tempest blinked. Behind her anger, there was fear. Lots and lots of fear. I'm only fifteen... can't fight an alicorn princess! I don't know if I can even fight another pegasus!

“The Sun Queen is dead...” Hearth muttered.

“God save us all.” Father Brenan bowed his head.

“I hope your Empire is ready.” Commented Coldstar, looking at Îrilôs.

“If Celestia wants to squander the strength of Equestria invading Sarathûl, let her.” The Imperial Envoy waved dismissively. “The Emperor will destroy her.”

“Your uncle will die any day now.” Said Sir Turaz.

“I said the Emperor, not my uncle.” Îrilôs corrected.

“Silence.” Ordered Prince Aharôs. “This is serious. We're not here to debate the merits of the Emperor against Celestia. We will deal with Equestria when we choose to, or when Celestia forces our hand. For now, Verâd awaits us. This meeting is dismissed.” He waved them all towards the door. “Tempest, stay here with me.”

“Why? Don't I still have lessons?” She asked, trying to sound normal, and not like a nervous filly.

“No, not today.” Replied Aharôs. He waited for everyone and everypony to leave the main chamber, before continuing. Sir Eberis walked out last, and closed the door, no doubt staying to stand guard. “Do you think you're ready?” The Prince asked, sitting down at the tale opposite of Tempest.

“I...” The pegasus looked down shamefully. “No.” She sighed. “I'm not ready.”

“Well, the time has come.” Said Aharôs. “It came for me, and now it's here for you. But you have an advantage.”

“What's that?” Tempest questioned, confounded as to why anyone would want her in battle with them. “What advantage could an untested filly possibly have? Why do you need me, anyway?”

“Two advantages, actually.” Noted the Prince, looking amused. “First, you're on my side. Second, you can fly.” Aharôs smiled craftily.

“What's flying got to do with this?” The pegasus raised an eyebrow skeptically. Aharôs laughed quietly.

“Human soldiers aren't trained to fight against enemies from above.” Answered he. “Going by my own experience, none of us even think to look at the sky when surrounded by enemies on the ground.”

“But there's only me... Coldstar, Streaming, Waterborn, and Redfern can fight, but the others can't.” Tempest snorted. “Some threat we are.”

“Battles are not won with brute strength alone, as you know.” She nodded in agreement, this much Father Brenan made clear time and time again. “Humans can't fly either. So what do you think happens when only one side can see everything that happens?” Aharôs posed the question.

“Then...” She thought for a moment, reflecting on all the possibilities. “You could see what the enemy was doing.”

“If we all flew, yes. However, you're the one that flies. You and your handful of fighters. Some of you stay up there and watch, others fly up and down to report in the happenings.” Said the Prince. “We'll be able to intercept the enemy and destroy them at a place of our choosing. And when they break, you will be instrumental in hunting down their remnants. That is why I need you and your sworn ponies.” The pegasus thought for a moment. If I can prove useful, they just might take me more seriously... Yes, that would be a good thing.

Then she remembered the time Aharôs took her with to Vatherîon, and met Prince Reshîv and his army for a celebratory feast. As the Prince, her Prince, dealt with formalities, Tempest had sneaked away to investigate what was happening in more interesting places. That was how she gained firsthand experience of how humans dealt with infected limbs. No, that won't be me under the bone-saw. I'll be high up, away from the fire and steel.

“When do we leave?” Asked Tempest, stamping on her own fear and putting on her best determined face. Going by the Prince's curious look, it didn't work too well.

“I'll be taking the garrisons of Nikadîon and Sturaj, and then collect regional armies as we move towards Verâd.” He motioned vaguely across the map on the table. “We'll discuss strategy when the time comes. Right now, I have something for you.” He stood, and beckoned Tempest to follow him out of the solar.

“Where are we going?” Wondered she.

“The armory.” Aharôs said, exiting the room. Sir Eberis fell in behind them.

“What for?”

“You'll see. Patience, Tempest.”

“Why do you think four or five pegasi can turn the tide of a battle?” Questioned Tempest again.

“I already told you, aerial observation would give us the edge we need.” Replied the Prince, sighing. “You're a queen, you must pay attention.”

“I do pay attention!” Retorted the pegasus. “I just don't see why you need me all of a sudden. I mean, the Sun Queen is dead, I get that. Celestia wants me dead, I get that. I need to be ready in case everything goes to Hell, I get that. But why will flying around above a battle help me deal with an alicorn princess?” Aharôs didn't answer right away, looking distantly down the hall as they walked.

“The first time I was in combat, I was with two of my brothers, Heranôs and Keris. Keris had fought before, Heranôs and I had not. It was...” The Prince trailed off. “It didn't go so well. Throwing two boys onto the battlefield, fresh from training, will usually result in someone dying a death that could have been avoided.” Aharôs turned to Tempest, stopping. He stared right into her eyes. “I won't have you suffer the same fate. We're doing this my way.”

“And what is your way, exactly?” The pegasus asked cautiously, as they began to walk again.

“First, you'll see combat from above, and work on pursuing the enemy when they break. Eventually, you'll move onto flanking maneuvers, raids, and other such things reserved for the fast cavalry. Though with so few of you, I'm thinking night attacks might be more suited.” Aharôs pondered to himself. “Can you see well at night?”

“No more than you can.”

“Alas.” He shook his head. “You're a unique asset in this part of the world, Tempest, whether you realize it or not. They say I'm good at working with unique assets. You'll be another test of that.”

The three continued down through the silent keep, not doing anything to disturb the stillness of the castle. After some minutes of walking, they arrived at the armory, on the ground floor of the keep. It was a square room, one of four, full of racks of swords, halberds, maces, hammers, and other assorted weapons. Through a doorway, Tempest could see many sets of mass-produced armor, for common soldiers to wear. The pikes, instrumental in human warfare, were kept in a higher-ceilinged room, for obvious reasons. Arquebuses, powder, and shot were kept in a fourth room of the armory.

“Good morning, my prince.” Greeted the blacksmith, Dôrov. He was technically an armorer, gunsmith, and bladesmith, but he fulfilled the role of a general smith too. He was old, but tougher than the mountain Nikadîon was built on. He must be at least eighty; but he hasn't changed since the day I came here.

“Hail!” Saluted the master of arms, Sir Herikôs. Herikôs was another aged man, long past his prime, but still good enough to serve a purpose.

“Men.” Nodded Aharôs.

“Ah, hello, Queen Tempest.” Dôrov bowed ever so slightly. “We've been expecting you all morning.

“What for?” Asked the pegasus.

“This!” Announced Sir Herikôs, pulling a dusty sheet off something. He revealed a highly polished set of armor, made for... A pegasus? Tempest approached, almost cautiously. It was indeed for a pegasus. The armor was dull grey, though it reflected light cast on it quite well. There was something about it that didn't look quite normal... Probably just the dim light. The entire set seemed to be designed around providing protection with flexibility, the only solid plates were for the torso, forelimbs, and helmet. Everything else was segmented. On the upper chest was emblazoned the black and silver cyclone of House Blackwind.

“Is this for me?” Tempest asked, in awe.

“Of course.” Stated Aharôs.

“We were planning to give it to you for your next birthday, but events have accelerated our plans.” Said Sir Herikôs.

“It was Turaz's design.” Noted Eberis.

“Right.” Laughed Dôrov the blacksmith, gruffly. “Where is he, anyway?”

“Turaz is preparing to ride to Sturaj, to have its garrison up and moving by the time we arrive.” Aharôs explained. He walked up to Tempest, and pointed to a shallow dent in the breastplate. “You see this, Tempest?”

“Yes... Bullet mark?” Asked she.

“Aye.” Nodded Sir Herikôs. “Placed that myself, with the Prince's own arquebus. If it can block that at twenty feet, it can block anything short of cannon-shot at fifty.”

“You shouldn't be using my weapons.” Aharôs narrowed his eyes.

“What are you gonna do about it?” Shot back Herikôs, who then laughed. “I've trained your father, and I trained you. I'm allowed to use the weapons I taught you to use.” The Prince rolled his eyes, a hint of a childhood Tempest never would have guessed he had otherwise.

“What metal is this made of?” Tempest questioned, eyeing it closely.

“Remember when I left to visit my brother for a few months?” Asked the smith of many trades.

“More like a year.” The pegasus commented.

“Yeah, I was actually in Ar-Athazîon making this.” He explained. “Don't ask how we got your measurements, Snowy Farpeak has her uses, believe it or not.” Eberis and Herikôs laughed quietly. Tempest scowled. Everyone's too hard on Snowy. But Dôrov's explanation made sense, Ar-Athazîon was known for its rather unworldly metal products. No one know how it was made, but it took either significant money or significant influence to gain access to the Emperor's metalworkers. She wasn't sure which Aharôs had; Athair wasn't particularly rich, but going by Îrilôs's frequent visits, it must have had some sway with the Emperor...

“I don't know if I'm worthy of this or not.” Tempest said, reflecting on her own reluctance to go into battle. “I mean-”

“Nonsense!” Sir Herikôs barked. “You have a kingdom to retake, one day. You can't do that without proper armor, can you?”

“No, not really.” Admitted the pegasus, quite thankful they were making her keep it. “Can't do it with only seven ponies at your back either.” Offered Tempest as a counter-point.

“Everything starts with something.” Nodded Dôrov, sagely. He produced two blades of a similar color to the metal in the armor. “These are your weapons. Herikôs and Turaz have trained you how to fight with swords strapped to your forelegs, but with swords actually attached to the armor itself... Should work better, in my opinion.” He slid them into grooves on the foreleg plates, where they locked in with a click. “I needed a clocksmith to help me with this; watch.” Dôrov held one of the blades gingerly, and pulled it upwards. The blade clicked upwards and around until it was pointed the opposite direction it previously had been. “For when you need to land.” The smith said, beaming with pride. Tempest smiled back. It was quite a work of machinery. The humans were adept at two arts, Tempest decided: Stained glass, and their mechanical magic of clockwork.

“That is one of the most ingenious things I've ever seen, Dôrov.” Announced the pegasus. “If I actually had money, I'd throw in a major bonus to your pay.”

“I don't do the job for money, my queen.” Dôrov shook his head fiercely. “Nay, I do it because it's my life.”

“A shame nopony, or no one, can give you a few extra years then.” Tempest replied. The smith shrugged.

“I'm not afraid. Death comes to all of us.” He said, in a nonchalant manner. Easy to say when you're older than anyone else around by a good decade, Tempest thought.

“All men, all women, all ponies, all alicorns, all eagles, all elk.” Mumbled Sir Herikôs in agreement. “Not even knights are safe!”

“I'd say a knight has a higher chance of dying than a smith.” Aharôs stated. “Sir Eberis, Dôrov, help Tempest put on her armor. Let's see if it works as well as we think it does.” The pegasus nudged the blade back into fighting position with a hoof. This armor is my future. Things won't be the same after this. Today, she would not make the return to Equestria, and Highcrest. But now she was one small step closer. All I have to do is survive the humans a little longer. The dent from the bullet caught her eye. Good luck Tempest. You'll need it.

Author's note: Well, we've got one of our protagonist's plot moving, even though she really has her doubts.
As for something completely different, you might be wondering “Mr. Hood, what do all these weird little arrow things above the vowels in human nouns mean?" Here is each vowel in Tarsin, what Tempest called the human tongue. Keep in mind, not every vowel will match the letters in the example, but it will match the sound.

a- a as in “an”

â- a as in “care”

ai- ai as in “kite”

e- e as in “tent”

i- i as in “imp”

î- i as in “reek”

o- o as in “on”

ô- o as in “coke”

oi- oi as in “oil”

u- u as in “urn”

û- u as in “cube”
These are the vowel sounds of Tarsin (though it's all English for our convenience). Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!

An Empty Court

“It was an unwise move.” Stated the ancient, golden alicorn. He was as strong as ever, but his eyes betrayed the deep weariness within him.

“Do not question Our judgment.” Growled the younger one, white with a pink mane. She was Princess Celestia, Regent of the Sun, and now ruled Equestria.

“I'm not questioning your judgment, I'm telling you it was poor.” Shot back the ancient one. That was her granduncle, Aegis Vigil, who was over two thousand years old. Unnoticed to the two arguing alicorns was a third; small, with a coat of midnight blue. Princess Luna, Regent of the Moon. There are few who seek her opinion. Luna stared at the last two members of her family, who were too busy glaring at one another to even acknowledge her presence. They all stood in the throne room of Everfree Castle, devoid of everypony but them. Even the royal guard was dead.

“Your insinuations try Our patience greatly, granduncle.” Celestia said, gritting her teeth. There was a fire in her eyes, one Luna had only seen twice before: The final confrontation against Discord, and when Celestia had emerged from the Battle of Greatfall, after she given Maelstrom Blackwind the wound that would kill her. But in the past weeks, after their mother died, their father died, their uncles and aunts died, their cousins died, most of their race died, and for Celestia, after her Prince died, that fire had been lit, and it had not gone out.

“And your blindness tries mine, Celestia.” Replied Aegis. “You shouldn't have sent that letter, not with what was in it. You might as well have declared war on them! That's a war we cannot win!”

“I am the Regent of the Sun!” Celestia stomped the floor with a hoof, eyes narrowing and ears laying backward. She dropped out of the royal We, Luna noted. “I can burn them all into ashes!”

“How? By bringing the sun out of the sky?” Asked Aegis, looking indignantly skeptical.

“If I must.” Luna's elder sister declared, looking out one of the hall's great windows at the burning orb high above, now nearing the horizon. Soon, Celestia would need to re-adjust its course for the last time of the day.

“What do you tell everypony else in the world, then? What would you say to the griffon lords? What to the zebras, and the donkeys? What to the lesser ponies you're supposed to protect? And by my Father and Mother that made us all, what would you tell the dragons?” Aegis questioned, almost in a ranting manner. “They would see you bring down the source of all life, and then burning an entire continent into wasteland! What do you think happens after this? Does the world bow in fear, or do they all think to join forces and stop a remorseless killer of tens of millions?” The ancient alicorn walked around Celestia, to face her directly. “Do I need to remind you that the majority of dragons live in the Far West? The one race that was here before we were?”

“If not the sun, then something else!” Celestia yelled, scowling fiercely. “The humans did this!” She pointed around the deserted throne room. A month ago, it had been full of their kind. Now... Luna shivered, feeling very lonely. “Do I just let them live? After what they've done?!”

“You forget your place, child.” Sighed the golden alicorn.

“You forget yours!” Shouted Celestia, turning away again. “I stopped Discord, I stopped the Blackwinds-”

“Discord was you and your sister together.” Aegis interjected, acknowledging Luna's existence for the first time today.

“But it was I who crushed Maelstrom's rebellion.” Her sister was determined to win this argument, it seemed.

“Forgive me, I seem to forget burning the wings off a pegasus and skewering her as she lay writhing on the ground in agony makes you a great warrior.” Aegis's voice dripped with venom, holding a thinly-veiled taste of contempt. This was enough to get Celestia to wheel around and face him back. I wonder who would win in a fight, Luna thought, taking in the deliciously ironic possibility her last two family members might kill each other before her eyes over the matter of the death of everypony else. “What happened to you, Celestia? This isn't who your parents raised you to be!” The pink-maned alicorn had no answer for that. “Seriously considering the slaughter of an entire race? I can't begin to fathom how ashamed they'd be right now. We are the guardians of this world, not its overlords!” Celestia growled something unladylike, and stalked out of the throne room without a further word. When she had gone, Aegis bowed his head, and his shoulders sagged under an invisible load. After a minute of silence, Luna shuffled nervously.

“Are you alright, granduncle?” She asked quietly.

“The sad thing is, I know exactly how she feels.” Said Aegis, raising his head again. “But we cannot lower ourselves, Luna.” He looked at her sternly, opening his red eyes. “We must never become less than what we are. Do you understand that?”

“Of course.” The Regent of the Moon lied, not understanding, but not wanting to disappoint her granduncle either.

“I hope so. I know Celestia knows it, somewhere deep inside. She's just an adolescent, who's had almost everypony she's ever loved taken from her. There will be anger, there will be hate, there will be loathing. But in time, it will fade.” Aegis sighed. “Everything fades.”

“They didn't mean to do this, did they?” Questioned Luna, looking over her shoulder at the empty thrones, and then to the empty chamber. “Everypony is... Gone...” Once again, Luna felt her throat tighten at the realization she'd had many times in the past few days. They're all gone.

“Yes, they're gone.” Affirmed the golden alicorn, in a soft, somber tone.

“The plague- The Grey Shadow did this. The humans did this.” Luna said bleakly, moving to stand next to her.

“The humans did this.” Repeated Aegis.

“Did they mean to?” Asked Luna, looking up. This seemed to make Aegis look even sadder than normal.

“No.” The golden alicorn stared into the abyss of history, looking back over everything he witnessed in his long life. “The first time... They had no idea they carried it with them. The Grey Shadow spread like fire in a hayloft among us. Those who didn't die fled, either before catching it, or after recovering from it as I did. You know the story, Luna.”

“What about this time?” She questioned again, more urgently. “Were they trying to kill us this time?”

“It was completely by accident, just as before.” Aegis answered. “The wrong human, in the wrong ship, in the wrong port... Celestia didn't believe my findings. Even if she does, she isn't willing to face it. She might not even be capable of facing the fact that something on this scale of horror was unintended; very few of us were for years... But I didn't think she'd go and do this.” Luna wasn't concerned with what her sister had done. They're all gone... Facing that great unknown was something the young alicorn didn't wish to do.

“Aegis, what happens to us when we die?” Asked she, looking blankly ahead; though she already knew what Aegis would say.

“We were made from this world, dear Luna. And when our time is finished, we return to this world. We become everything that is, waiting to be made again into something new.” Explained the golden alicorn. Hearing it from him made it a little easier to bear; even if by a fraction.

“So mother, and father, and everpony else...” Began Luna, but she found herself unable to continue. Oh no, not again, the Regent of the Moon thought as she felt her eyes watering. I need to be stronger than this...

“They're with us in memory.” Said Aegis gently, taking her under one of his great wings. “As long as we do not forget, a part of them lives on, forever.” Luna nodded wordlessly, as she quietly mourned the loss of nearly everypony she had ever known.

The Regent of the Moon didn't recall going back to her room, but that was where she next found herself, as her mother's- Celestia's sun, now, began to rise. She must have raised and lowered the moon on for me. And for once, Luna found herself wishing it was still dark out. Another day, she sighed to herself. One of her servants, the unicorn Greenstone, knocked on the door. “Yes, Greenstone?” Asked Luna.

“How did you know it was me?” Answered Greenstone with a question of her own, as she walked in. Like her namesake, the unicorn was a pale green color, with a pink mane. She wore a servant's apron, a practical if not formal garment.

“You're the only one up at these hours, besides my sister and I.” The midnight alicorn said, as she rolled off her bed. Greenstone pulled the curtains of the room fully apart with her magic.

“I suppose you'd notice eventually, your highness.” Agreed the unicorn. “What could I get you for breakfast?”

“I'm not that hungry, Greenstone.” Said Luna, almost apologetically. Her servant looked at her worriedly.

“That's the third time you've refused breakfast this week.” She spoke in an anxious tone.

“I know, I know. Just...” The alicorn princess fumbled for words. What do I tell her? What can I tell her? She couldn't understand, she'll never be able to understand. “Not today, Greenstone. I'm fine.”

“You're not fooling anyone, least of all yourself.” The unicorn furrowed her brow. “I won't try to press it though, you'll come around in your own time.”

“Thank you.” Greenstone paid this no heed; instead, she levitated Luna's crown off it's resting pad, and produced a rag from her apron.

“Your sister is holding court today, she's requested your presence.” Reported her servant, dusting the crown before placing it on her head. “You ought to look your best. Everypony needs to see that you're still here, and worthy of their loyalty.”

“Why not just Celestia?” Asked Luna, as Greenstone fussed over her crown's position atop her head. “I don't matter to them.”

“Nonsense!” Declared the unicorn. “This is an uncertain time, ponies will be glad for whatever alicorns they can see. Before you came, things were a mess. At least that's what my great-grandfather always said...”

“How long ago was that?” The Regent of the Moon questioned. Perhaps I met him once. Maybe he was in our army at the defeat of Discord.

“Oh, he was born... Must have been a hundred and thirty eight years ago.” Said Greenstone.

“That was nine years after Discord was bound in stone by my sister and I.” Luna noted, skeptically.

“He must have heard stories from the elders of his own family, then. But, he told me, when I was a little filly, Greenstone, you thank the alicorns for everything. Before they came, nothing was sacred, nothing was certain, nothing was good. There was only chaos and fear.” Greenstone did her best imitation of what Luna could only assume had been her great-grandfather's voice.

“Things were bad back then.” Agreed Luna. “But that stallion lived in a time of legends. Starswirl the Bearded, Clover the Clever, Hurricane Whitewind, and so many more... Now who do we have? Goldleaf the Lame, Clearspring Swiftrain, Ember Platinum... Pale shadows of their forebears. Even a foal like me can see this.”

“Don't be so hard on them, Princess.” Greenstone replied calmly. “You're one hundred and sixty years old, that's ancient for the rest of us.”

“And yet, I am a filly to my own kind.” Shot back Luna. “In mind and body.”

“A filly that has seen more history than any of the rest of us ever will. Give us lesser ponies time, we won't disappoint you.” Her servant had a patient tone in her voice, almost a humorous chiding.

“I should hope not.” Luna stated, moving toward the door. “Let us see what my sister has planned for today. It'll be her first session of court since...” The princess shook the memories away. “Let's just go.”

“As you wish, your highness.” Nodded Greenstone, leading the way. Everfree was a relic of another time, when the desperate alicorns had fought tooth and hoof for every piece of land from Discord's forces. Hence the name Everfree. We'd never submit. It was a far cry from what the luxurious new city of Canterlot would be, once work was done. And how long will that be? Luna wondered. Five years? Ten? Fifty? Work was constantly fluctuating, there was no way to tell when the city would be ready for inhabitants. But one thing was for sure, Canterlot would have far nicer weather. Everfree was wild, untouchable by Discord's chaos, and untouchable by alicorn magic. Her father, the Nightlord, had said that this was what Old Alicornia was like now. The human magic was cold, weak, and dead. There was no power in it; thus, the land they had taken fell back into its natural patterns of storms and floods and fires and earthquakes and all manner of disasters. Yet, the humans survived. A continent of Everfree, how terrible.

Luna walked into the throne hall, where her sister was already on their mother's throne. Her father's throne was empty, the Regent of the Moon guessed that was for her. As if she could read minds, Celestia motioned Luna towards it. Greenstone nudged her forward, and stepped back into the crowd of assembled ponies. There was an uneasy muttering from them, but nopony dared raise their voice too loud; Celestia's gaze was enough to instill a sense of fear in anything lesser than an alicorn. They all look afraid... Luna took her seat by her sister, and the crowd fell quiet. They were from all over Equestria, dignitaries, ambassadors, and even state leaders, some of which Luna had not seen in decades.

“Many of you have heard rumors, as of late.” Celestia began in her royal voice, echoing into every corner of the room so that everypony could hear her loudly and clearly. “The presence of We and Our dear sister upon the thrones only lends them credence.” This drew more nervous mutterings. “You have heard that a terrible blight befell the alicorns of Everfree and the rest of the realm, you have heard that many are dead, even the Sun Queen and Nightlord. If you have heard these things, then you have heard correctly. The Grey Shadow crossed the sea one month prior, and has devastated Our kin. Only Princess Luna, Aegis Vigil, and We remain living in Everfree.” The room exploded into chaos; shouts and yells and questions rebounded off the hall's stone sides.

“Silence!” Ordered Aegis in a voice that could bring ponies to their knees if he so chose to. The assembly collectively fell quiet again, and stared wide-eyed to their nominal liege.

“Other alicorns survive beyond Everfree, Our kind is not yet finished. Have no fear of that, subjects.” Luna chose to speak now, seeing the true reason of their fear.

“The Grey Shadow has no affect on lesser ponies.” Declared the Regent of the Moon. “There is nothing for you to fear from that either.” Many of the assembly breathed a sigh of relief. How could they be so ignorant? Wondered the alicorn princess.

“Our sister speaks rightly.” Celestia affirmed, glancing at Luna briefly. “We all know where the Grey Shadow comes from.”

“The humans!” Shouted a unicorn from the crowd. Other nodded in agreement.

“Indeed.” Said the white alicorn. “We have sent them a condemnation of their plague, and let them know that this terrible attack will not go unpunished. There will be vengeance for the Sun Queen! There will be vengeance for the Nightlord! And there will be vengeance for everypony else who was murdered by this vile plague!” The assembled ponies voiced their approval. Not the old Blackwind crowd, though. A handful of pegasi looked to each other instead of Celestia, seeming none too comfortable about this new development. Why are they even alive? Wondered the Regent of the Moon; not because she thought they should be dead, but rather out of confusion that neither her mother nor her sister had punished them. They were offered a pardon, they didn't take it. Yet, they still sneaked back to us... Luna frowned at them, before reminding herself that she was supposed to keep a neutral expression at court. Another pony also didn't seem very enthusiastic. Goldleaf the Lame, the Princess thought with a silent sigh. The mahogany-coated, bright-maned unicorn with only three fully functional legs, yet another poor successor to such worthy names as Starswirl and Clover. Of course he'd be worried about this, the coward.

“Eastmarch is with you, Princess!” Declared General Longwing, representing his queen at court.

“Highcrest as well!” Affirmed Silver Farpeak, the ambassador of Clearspring Swiftrain. Of course the pegasi are first to jump at a chance for war. At least the two strongest kingdoms are with us.

“Unicornia will do its part.” Stated Splendor the Magnanimous, House Platinum's dignified envoy.

“I don't know about this...” Rye, the unlucky mare chosen to speak for all the disparate earth pony clans, said. “We all saw what the human's iron fire did in Maelstrom's Rebellion...” The entire court turned to look at her. The dark brown pony visibly wilted under the collective disapproving gaze. Typical earth pony attitude, the faces of the pegasi and unicorns seemed to say. “I mean, we'll help if you really need us, but...” Rye backed up a few steps, trembling.

“We understand your misgivings.” Spoke Luna, before Celestia could respond with something more harsh. “But Our sister needs all ponies to stand with her. Even you, honorable Rye.” Rye swalled nervously and nodded, looking like she was about to panic and flee the throne room.

“Well-said, sister.” Celestia acknowledged quietly, before addressing the whole assembly. “Though We appreciate Our loyal subjects, this is not the time to swear your realms to the cause. The news must be spread far and wide, to every corner of Equestria. We expect the leaders of all states to journey to the new capital of Canterlot, within three months time.”

“We only need a week.” General Longwing said.

“Be that as it may, not all ponies are as fast as you.” Replied Celestia. “Three months will be enough to marshal your armies, and make the journey north, south, and west, whichever way you may need to take to Canterlot. Until then, We will prepare there.” She looked over the crowd with a regal gaze, making eye contact with the most important ponies. “You have your work; be swift.” The buzzing murmur of the crown returned, as they shuffled out of the throne room. Celestia then motioned for Aegis and Luna to come closer. “Granduncle, what is the state of Our personal forces?”

“The royal guard? They're gone. Alicorn military strength is a thing of the past, now.” Aegis answered, looking at the empty posts where they once stood.

“Train new ones, then. Select the fastest and strongest pegasi, and the most powerful unicorns. They'll be enough.” The Regent of the Sun ordered. Aegis bowed, and exited the hall. “Luna, I have a job for you as well.” The royal plural is gone... Perhaps it is something personal?

“What is it?” She asked, curious as to what her sister needed of a foal.

“I need you to go to Canterlot at once. I've had the work accelerated, so the castle should be more or less inhabitable on the lower levels by now. From there, you will begin a survey of the land. Canterlot is inland, but a river goes right under it. If the humans were to sail up it and land an army... Well, it would not be good, would it?” Luna shook her head. “That is why I need to do this, so we know every detail of the surrounding area, details we can use against them.”

“I don't know how to survey, though.” Protested the midnight alicorn. “I'm not sure I even know what surveying is...”

“Goldleaf will accompany you. Your task will be overseeing it all, and making sure nothing goes wrong.” Said Celestia.

“Goldleaf?” Luna asked, indignantly. “But he's-”

“A craven, a cripple, and ultimately, loyal.” Interjected the Regent of the Sun.

“I was watching him though. He was like the pegasi who fought for Blackwind; he didn't seem very happy.” Luna continued to object.

“Goldleaf fears me too much to make any moves against me, that is why he will help you. If any pony betrays you, Luna, then they have betrayed me. And I will not suffer betrayal lightly.” Stated the white alicorn, steel in her voice. There's that fire again, noted Luna.

“Are you going to keep around the traitors, then?” Wondered she. Celestia took on a thoughtful expression.

“Mother didn't kill them, I'll honor her memory and keep them alive. If they show any sign of going over to the enemy, though...” Both knew how that sentence would end.

“This is all very sudden, sister.” The younger alicorn shifted the subject; she too had her doubts about all this. “I am with you in this, but I agree with our granduncle... This was not a deliberate attack.” Celestia narrowed her eyes, but showed no signs of anger other than that undying fire that dimly shined through her gaze. “I must question why we are going after them. Furthermore, how? Ponies aren't natural mariners, Celly. I don't see how we could retake Old Alicornia.”

“We will learn, Luna. There is nothing that is beyond us, if we keep at it.” Stated her sister.

“How do we remove the humans, though?” Luna pressed the issue. “They're not just going to leave their homes.”

“Our homes, Luna. That land is ours by right.”

“That doesn't change the fact they've lived there for fifteen hundred years.” The Regent of the Sun snorted dismissively. “Even if you do decide to kill every single one of them, it will take generations of lesser ponies to root them out. Can we do that?”

“Perhaps I was rather rash in sending such a bold letter.” Admitted she, in a rare display of humility. “What is done is done, though. I cannot let the deaths of our family go unavenged, you know that.”

“I guess...”

“Not to mention, there are still two Blackwinds out there.” Celestia continued. “Hearth is old, he'll drop dead soon enough, if he hasn't already. The bastard, though...” It was widely said that the daughter of Maelstrom had been born of an illicit affair between the rebel pegasus and some other Equestrian noble; no one was sure who. In any case, Maelstrom was not defended by the fact that she had never married, not even once. “She could be a problem.”

“Does she have an army?” Questioned the younger alicorn. If she had an army, yes, that would make her a threat...

“Not exactly...” Celestia trailed off, looking away. “She's got seven other ponies.”

“Seven?” Luna skeptically asked. “An illegitimate daughter of a rebel with seven other ponies is a threat?”

“It is better to be wary than to be taken by surprise.” Her sister stated firmly.

“So... What is our plan?” The white alicorn sighed; Luna could see that she was beginning to become weary of her questions.

“I'll tell you when it becomes relevant. In the meantime, you have work to do, as do I.” She attempted to end the conversation. I don't think so.

“Celly, what's the point of this? Why go through all this just to kill some folk a thousand miles away?”

“Look around you! Don't you see it, Luna?” The fire in Celestia's eyes was rising up again, as she moved a hoof across the throne hall.

“See what?” There's nothing to look at...

“Exactly! You don't see it because there is nothing to see. Where is our kin? Where is our family? Where is our parents? Where is-” She closed her eyes for a second, ceasing her barrage of questions. “They took everything from me. I will not sit idly as those who did this for this live free.” The midnight alicorn lowered her head at the insult Celestia had unwittingly made.

“You've still got me...” Luna said quietly, hoping that her sister really hadn't left her out on purpose.

“Yes.” Acknowledged Celestia, standing up. “I've still got you, Luna. But you and Aegis would have us roll over and accept this. Not I.”

“But-” Luna began to protest, but Celestia was already walking towards the main exit. She stopped suddenly, and looked back at Luna.

“Who is it you love most?” Celstia asked, in a cold tone.

“You, my sister...” It's an obvious answer, Luna thought.

“If I had died before your very eyes, and you knew who was responsible... What would you be doing right now?” The Regent of the Moon thought deeply, and did not like the answer she found.

Author's note: This was a hard chapter to write, the words just didn't flow. Writing the point of view for a pony who has an adult's knowledge and vocabulary, and who tries to have an adult perspective, but is still a child when you get down to it... Not the easiest thing. But, it's done, the plot is moving on both sides of the sea. Where will it go? Let's find out... Next week when I get back from vacation.

Morning in Sturaj

The organized pulse of the drumbeats had disintegrated some time ago, as both sides' formation's crumbled into an all-out meelee. Turaz had the misfortune to have been placed in the front of his assault column; he had never been more scared in his life when he saw the veritable wall of Verâdîm gunfire explode in their general direction. Lord of Heaven, have mercy! Almost everyone else in the front was dead. The arquebusiers and crossbowmen behind him had fired back, and then the two lines slammed into each other. Turaz's pike had broken in two, or maybe had been cut in two, it didn't matter now. It had been an eternity of a few terrifying seconds as he scrambled to draw his dagger. The screech of metal on metal had sounded, something knocked him off his feet with the force of a battering ram. Fuck! He wasn't sure if he shouted it in his head or out loud. Everything was blurring, he couldn't breathe. Turaz coughed, and tried to get his lungs moving again.

Aha! There was something in Turaz's hand; stick or spear, he didn't care which. No, that wasn't a stick, that was metal. That was a greave. That was someone's leg. Turaz looked up and saw an armored man above, struggling with some other soldier. Green! The armored man had a green surcoat; he was the enemy; a Verâdîm. Somehow, Turaz's dagger was in the back of his knee, through a gap in the plates; the man screamed and fell. He jammed the dagger through the gap between the helmet and gorget, again, and again, until he was gone. Good God... Turaz didn't have long to reflect on the dead, nor his deeds, he still needed a weapon. There, in the dead soldier's hands, a halberd. Halberds were good.

Turaz picked it up, and got to his feet. The man he had saved was gone or dead, maybe both. Time seemed to flow into nothingness; all that existed was the battle. Enemies came, enemies went, his hands were red and sticky. There was no telling what was going on anymore. He yelled in alarm as a something bounced off his breastplate again, but nowhere near as strong as earlier. Another man with a green badge was attacking, sword in hand. Idiot! Turaz scolded in his head, as the man slashed at him. He brought the halberd up to turn away the next blow, and headbutted the swordsman. The peaked visor of Turaz's helmet drew blood, and sent the enemy reeling back. Then the swordsman's head came half-off, and his body was shoved to the ground. Turaz turned to the newcomer in shock.

His armor was a dull, metallic grey, and edged in gold. The man wore no surcoat, but on his breastplate was emblazoned a five-petaled blue flower, surrounded by a white field. Loiar! He had a real knight fighting alongside him, sworn to the King's house itself! A primal instinct made Turaz duck, as something flew over his head. He lurched backwards, now side-by-side with the knight, turning to face yet another terrifying sight: A very tall soldier, clad in shining silver armor, dented in a dozen places from arquebus shots, still partially adorned with the green of Verâd. Somewhere behind the circular eye holes of his helmet, there was a cold glare. He was bringing around a long warhammer for another swing. Where the fuck did he come from?!

The knight readied his sword, gripping it with both hands, and prepared for combat. Turaz continued to backpedal, searching for anything that could make a difference in this fight. Follow your nose! something inside his mind commanded. But there was too much- Wait, there it was. The telltale clash of metal sounded behind him, his savior knight had entered into battle with the towering menace. There wasn't much time... Turaz slammed the spike of his halberd through the back of another green-coated soldier, feeling the shriek of pierced metal and hearing the shriek of a dead man. There! Turaz prayed to God that the match hadn't gone out. Heaven was with him, the match yet burned! Turaz hoisted the arquebus, and stuck the halberd into the ground. If this isn't loaded... The silver knight had knocked the grey knight on his back, and was readying his hammer. The one on the ground, his ally, seemed too dazed to raise his sword. It was now or never. Turaz dashed towards the tall one, jammed the arquebus into the left eye hole of the helmet.

He pressed the firing lever against the stock, and a blast of smoke obscured the hammer-wielding man. By the time it had cleared, the body was laying flat on the ground. The grey knight seemed to stare blankly for a moment, before rising up from the ground. He nodded to Turaz; both looked around for the next opponent.

Suddenly, a golden sound filled the air, a triumphant, marvelous roar of a horn. A distant thunder of hooves rose through the air. “Impeccable timing.” The knight said breathlessly, to no one in particular. The green and silver-clad soldiers began to fall back, some in organized retreats, some dropping their weapons and running. And there it was, in the distance:

A white and yellow flag, with the blue flower of Loiar. Prince Reshîv's banner!

Several hundred of the finest knights and lords in the Kingdom of Athair, bearing down on the Verâdîm army, led by the famed Prince himself. Turaz dropped the arquebus, and retrieved the halberd from where he had stuck it. The battle was done. The brave soldiers charged after the retreating enemy, the smart ones took their rest.

“You there.” Spoke a commanding voice. Turaz turned; it was the knight sworn to house Loiar. The knight unlatched his visor, and pulled it up. “What is your name?” He asked. Turaz shivered when he looked into those pale grey eyes.

“Turaz, sir.” Replied he, nervously. “Of Surana.”

“A commoner?” Asked the grey-armored man.

“Aye, sir.” Affirmed Turaz, nodding quickly.

“Then know this, Turaz of Surana: You have saved the life of Aharôs Loiar.” Oh fuck. The fucking firstborn son of the King! Aharôs Loiar! Reshîv's own brother! Turaz's mind reeled at the magnitude of what he'd done. He should have known by that blue flower! “Kneel.” Stated Prince Aharôs. Turaz dropped to his knees, half out of his own shock. He still held the halberd. “Turaz of Surana: I, Aharôs of house Loiar, do-” Then his voice shifted into a woman's: “...said, get up, you lazy lout!”

Wait, what?

Turaz opened his eyes, blinking in the bright morning light. Overhead, his wife scowled at him. “You were supposed to be awake an hour ago.” She scolded. The knight looked around, and was briefly surprised the battlefield had been replaced by his chambers in the inn. Goddamned dreams, cursed he. The former commoner always found himself dreaming of the day he was knighted; the day the heir to the Kingdom almost died, had it not been for him. No one else ever knew.

“Lord of Heaven have mercy, woman!” Groggily protested Turaz. Kaira meant well, of course, she always did. “Can't you let a man sleep?”

“No time for sleeping, porter. You have to talk to the mayor.” Right, the mayor of Sturaj. Sturaj was the purpose of Nikadîon's vigil, a river port near enough to the sea to be useful, but inland enough to be safe from the worst of storms. The knight pushed himself up.

“Figures I'd wake up late. Something always goes wrong...” He sighed, thinking of ways to delay his entrance into the cold morning air. Kaira snorted, and tossed his clothes at him.

“Without me, your life would be messier than the wharf back home.” She stated, referring to their native Surana, capital of all foods containing crab. “And it'd all smell twice as worse.”

“I don't doubt it.” Agreed Turaz, as he forced himself out onto the floor; it felt more frozen than the North in winter. The next few minutes were spent rushing, as the knight practically jumped into his clothes and fumbled around with the variety of layers a proper noble wore. As Turaz stumbled down the stairs into the inn's common room, Kaira yelled after him:

“Apologize to the mayor for being late!”

“What am I, five?” Shot back Turaz, rushing out the front door. Whatever Kaira's response was, he didn't hear it. For the best, I suppose. The knight looked around, getting his bearings. He was on the aptly-named Fifth Street, five streets in from the river, and the city hall was on High Street, some ten blocks distant. I could walk there... Why not? Sturaj wasn't so different from Surana, except for a slightly better smell; or perhaps a slightly less offensive smell was more accurate a description. Like any city, Sturaj was marked with the stench of mankind. Shit, death, and smoke: the three harbingers for human settlement. It was a familiar mix of scents to him.

The sun that Celestia, the alicorn princess, supposedly brought up each day was already an hour or more into its flight across the sky, and the city was rising with it. Another thirty minutes or so, and the streets would be filled with commonfolk going about their business. Turaz still considered himself a commoner at heart, despite his knighthood. His whole life had changed on that battlefield, Prince Aharôs had given him a chance to be something greater. Much more importantly, Prince Aharôs had given his children a future he and Kaira would have never dreamed of. For that alone, Turaz swore to himself, to the Prince, and to God that his loyalty would be to no one else. Knighthood was no small matter, though, especially to a man as serious as Aharôs. Turaz's life was a never-ending series of tasks and dangers he had to overcome, leading to far more absences from his family than there had been while he was carrying boxes in Surana. Of course, it's nowhere near as bad as serving as a simple soldier. First, sent to Tilai, then to Equestria, then to Verâd. Six years, I only came back once.

That was not his proudest act. But then, what choice did he have? Times had been tough, the pay had been good, and really, what was the chance that he'd die among thousands? With two other mouths to feed, and a third on the way... Damned fool, that's what I was then. At least it paid off, against all odds.

“Out of the way!” Shouted a cart driver from behind, breaking Turaz's musings. He turned to face the offender, and put on his best unamused face. “Oh, t-terribly sorry, sir! Continue on.” The driver bowed his head and did not look up, once he had caught a glimpse of the white shield and blue flower sewn on the left side of Turaz's coat, that denoted him as one of House Loiar's personal bannermen. Rank certainly had its privileges. Eventually, Turaz had fought his way through the growing crowd, to the aptly-named High Street, sitting at the top of what had once been a ridge in days ancient and dark. There, looming like the strange child of a manor and a castle, was the town hall. Turaz walked straight in through the opened doors, looking every part the royal official.

“Sir, welcome to Sturaj. I am Desîf, secretary to the mayor.” Said someone, another official probably crawling their way up the rank of command. He was a small man, balding and wearing some kind of lenses over his eyes, seated behind a desk. Obviously, it was his job to deal with new arrivals.

“Yes, yes.” Dismissed Turaz, throwing his cloak over a shoulder. “I am Sir Turaz of Surana, sent on behalf of the Prince.”

“Prince Reshîv sent you?” Asked Desîf, confused. “But he's in Verâd...”

“The Crown Prince. Aharôs.” Turaz corrected himself, using the proper but archaic title of his liege. No one says Crown Prince anymore. No one born after 1412, that is...

“Oh, of course, our watchful protector in Nikadîon, defending us against storm and rain and the occasional Equestrian.” Nodded the official. He leaned forward, looking curious. “Tell me, do the Blackwinds still reside up in that gloomy place?”

“They do.” The knight replied, looking up at nothing. “We've got two Blackwinds, and six other assorted Equestrians.”

“Reclusive bunch, aren't they?” Desîf said, more like a statement than a question. He carefully wrote out something on the ledger before him, in the bold, clean strokes of a calligrapher.

“Well, Queen Tempest has always been a more quiet girl...” Agreed Turaz. “Difficult, irritating, but quiet.” Impossible little pony, the knight grumbled in his head.

“You must be close to our Equestrian visitors, then.” The official guessed, finishing his writing. “Perhaps you could tell me more about them, sometime. But, you have business with the mayor.” Desîf gestured to a door to the side of his desk; Turaz nodded and departed. The manor-castle was stone on the outside, but made of wood within. It was much warmer than Nikadîon, in both temperature and design. This place is more of a home than a fortress. Aharôs would hate it. Beyond the hallway was a larger room, with a larger desk, and a larger chair. In that chair, of course, was the mayor, Jai Pashal, a middle-aged man with a long face.

“Hail, Mayor Pashal.” Turaz bowed as he entered.

“Hail.” Responded the Mayor, inclining his head as well, but not standing. “What brings a knight of Loiar to my city?” No pleasantries? Thank God.

“Forgive me for my lateness, Mayor. Prince Aharôs is calling on you to fulfill your oath of loyalty. We're going west, into Verâd, and ending this rebellion once and for all.” Stated Turaz, as plainly as he could make it. This seemed to amuse Mayor Pashal greatly.

“What makes Aharôs think he can end the war any sooner than his much more capable brother can?” Questioned Pashal incredulously. “Prince Reshîv is the one to be ending this war, not Aharôs.”

“Prince Reshîv is about to be attacked by the Verâdîm lords that swore loyalty to him.” Said Turaz. The Mayor sighed.

“Predictable. It looks like we'll need Aharôs after all. Perhaps he can distract the Verâdîm long enough for Prince Reshîv to win the victories he needs.” Pashal replied, in a deriding tone.

“I find it troubling to see how little faith you have in our future king.” Turaz said, narrowing his eyes at the Mayor.

“I mean no disrespect,” Began Mayor Pashal, obviously meaning to disrespect, “but Aharôs is not exactly deserving of any faith.” We'll see about that. The knight felt his fingers brushing on a sword hilt that wasn't there; the habit of a someone who spent most of their time outside of cities, where weapons were not carried. “Nevertheless, I am not an oathbreaker. Aharôs will have Sturaj's troops, as many as can be spared.”

“Thank you for your cooperation. And it's Prince Aharôs.” Turaz notified the Mayor.

“And when a knight arranges to meet with me, I expect him not to be three quarters of an hour late.” Coldly answered Pashal. “You may go, sir.” Turaz bowed again, and went out the way he came in. All this just for a few words with the Mayor. Couldn't we have just sent a letter? Such things were not for a mere knight to decide, though. Aharôs wanted him to deliver the message in person, as befitting for the dignity of Jai Pashal's office. Politics, politics... Sighed Turaz. It always comes back to politics.

“That was a short meeting.” Desîf remarked, as Turaz came out.

“Not much had to be said.” Answered the knight. “Looks like Sturaj will be going off to war, Desîf. Best be prepared.”

“Oh, monstrous, monstrous!” Lamented the official, straightening his eye-lenses. “But, with summer soon upon us, it will be nice to get out of the city. As long as I don't get too close to the front lines, yes?”

“A wise course of action.” Turaz agreed, smiling. “The Prince will be taking the Blackwinds with him, you may be able to meet an Equestrian for yourself.” The Mayor's secretary looked thoughtful.

“I would not mind that at all. Until next time, Sir Turaz of Surana.” Desîf lowered his head respectfully; Turaz returned the motion.

“Until next time.” With that, the knight walked out the open doors, into the early morning sun. Even after those short few minutes, the city was noticeably more active than before. Turaz decided to take a longer way back to the inn, in case Kaira was still displeased with him. He'd have to keep an eye out for something nice for her, as this would be the place to find that something.

Sturaj was a city of merchants, though nowhere near as influential or wealthy as more southern ports, which themselves were nothing compared to the western ports beyond Lazkadai. But, this was a jumping-off point to get to Tashan, the port closest to Bôsamîon, the easternmost fortress below the Far North. Sturaj's main connection was to Vathshîn-Kur, the outpost on Athair's furthest holdings: the Barrier Islands. Said islands were about two hundred miles into the Eastern Sea, and had once been used to guard against alicorn retribution, a very real threat over a thousand years ago. Now, they would have to keep watch for Celestia's proclaimed vengeance, if it ever came.

Turaz saw many things as he walked through the city, none of which were out of the ordinary for Sturaj. Fish for sale, grain for sale, an old zosha for sale, not that anyone would buy the downtrodden beast for the price offered. Then, something happened that he was not expecting.

“You are Sir Turaz.” Said an unremarkable voice belonging to an unremarkable man. The knight stopped, and raised an eyebrow. Now who would recognize me?

“Yes?” He asked, curious at this strange encounter.

“One of Crown Prince Aharôs's own.” The man stated again.

“Do you have business with me?” Turaz questioned.

“Yes and no.” Replied the man. He was clad in plain grey and brown clothes, peasants' attire. The stranger was not very tall, but he was not very short either, and his hair was a shade somewhere between black and brown that was so common to the lowborn, Turaz included. “I would like business with your liege, if I might be so bold.” That caught Turaz off guard, almost as much as the man's strange introduction.

“But you're...” I was no better off than him once; give him a chance, Turaz. Talent isn't related to birth, after all. “What do you think you can offer Prince Aharôs?”

“Much and more.” The stranger proclaimed, in a reserved tone. “I've traveled all of Sarathûl, and even gone into Equestria.”

“You fought for the Blackwinds too?” That certainly elevated Turaz's opinion of this man. Veterans of the Equestria expedition were rare, for good reason. The stranger smiled, every so slightly.

“You could say that.” He nodded, before placing a hand on his chest. “But where are my manners? I am Sidâl, world traveler and studier.”

“And you already know me, Sidâl, though I know not how.” Admitted Turaz.

“You're quite famous in the circles I frequent.” I'm famous? That'd have to wait for later.

“What makes you think that Prince Aharôs would have need of your services... Whatever they may be?” Questioned the knight. Turaz was intrigued by this fellow, but one did not simply suggest themselves into being an adviser for the heir to the kingdom.

“These are turbulent times we live in, Sir Turaz. Cold winds howl in the Far North, dissent brews across the continent, the Emperor does not have a male heir, and most disturbingly, two great lights have been extinguished from the world.” Sidâl explained, calmly. Two great lights- No. There's no way he could-

“What do you know of what's happened in Equestria?” Turaz took a step closer, and lowered his voice. Again, he reached for a sword hilt that wasn't there.

“The Grey Shadow crossed the sea, good knight. Princess Celestia has called her realms to war, and means to carry through on her letter.” The unremarkable but curious man folded his hands. “I knew of this long before you or Aharôs found out. Affairs are so much easier when you have friends in distant lands... Even amongst those who would be your enemy.” He's a spy. Of course... World traveler with friends everywhere; he has to be a spy. A good one at that. Turaz narrowed his eyes. A good spy offering his services, one with at least a single source in Equestria. That was too great an opportunity to pass up.

“I think Prince Aharôs would be most interested in what you have to say, Sidâl. We ought to return to Nikadîon as soon as possible.”

“I am inclined to agree.” Nodded Sidâl. “Although, Prince Aharôs may be concerned that I managed to find out exactly where you'd be today. He might not like the idea of someone having access to such exact information.”

“It's a risk.” Turaz agreed. “But who ever got anywhere without taking a risk?”

“A true point, good knight. A true point.” Sidâl then bowed, and turned to leave. “I travel quickest alone, we shall meet again at Nikadîon.”

“Very well.” The knight continued on his way back to the inn. What a strange occurrence. Perhaps this trip wasn't a needless waste of time after all? There'd be only one way to find out, and that was to meet Sidâl again, and take him to Aharôs. Turaz got the eerie feeling that he was a pawn in someone else's game. This was just too convenient. There's always a plot to be found in the company of lords and princes. Always.

Author's note: This was supposed to be out a week ago, but then I took a vacation to the writing process. Then I got distracted with other affairs. But now I'm back, and things will continue as normal. This chapter was mostly filler (already resorting to filler on chapter 4, oh my), but Turaz is a vital character with vital perspective, who needed to be introduced sooner than later. Fear not, this is going somewhere. I'm looking forward to your comment, Nightwatcher!

The Road to Verâd

“Left!” Tempest raised a leg to block the incoming blow. “Good.” Sir Herikôs commented, backing off but still holding the halberd ready. Immediately, the pegasus turned to her right, readying her other sword leg, just in time to stop Waterborn's attack. “Very good!” The old knight voiced his approval.

“Wrong!” Declared Redfern, flying out of nowhere. He smashed Tempest out of the air, and hovered above. Before she could get up, Herikôs was stabbing at her. She tried to dodge, but was too slow.

“No!” Yelled Herikôs. “You're in armor, girl! Don't dodge when you can let something glance off it!” And how am I supposed to know when it'll glance instead of pierce?! fumed Tempest, too out of breathe to actually speak.

“And now, you die.” Waterborn stated, swooping in with a blade between the segmented plates over her neck. “Sorry, my queen.” Apologized the old brown and silver pegasus.

“How...” Gasped Tempest, laying defeated on the ground. “...Do I fight three... At once?” Even with her height advantage on the other pegasi, she was still beaten.

“With lots of practice.” Answered Sir Herikôs, wiping the sweat from his brow. “You're getting a lot better now.”

“You lasted four minutes this time, my queen, far longer than Snowy ever has against even one opponent.” Remarked Redfern. Snowy Farpeak looked down in shame from her perch on the crate against the fortress wall. Yeah, well... The rightful Queen of Highcrest didn't know how to respond to a statement that, though unkind, was completely true.

“Tempest will be a fine soldier, some day.” Prince Aharôs announced, who had been watching from the side the entire time. “But I'm glad you're not going into real battle just yet.”

“I am too.” Agreed Tempest, still laying where she fell. The ground was extremely comfortable at the moment. “Battles last hours, but I can't go four minutes without... Collapsing.”

“You'd be surprised what you can do when the blood begins flowing.” Aharôs said. “Though you can't always rely on that. I overdid it once, and almost died.” The Prince shook his head. That was the day Sir Turaz became Sir Turaz. The former porter had told that story several times. His deeds always became greater each time, the mysterious warhammer-weilder always became taller, Prince Reshîv's horn always became more glorious to hear.

“I'll be careful.” Noted Tempest.

“You'll be dead!” Threatened Sir Herikôs, brandishing the halberd. “At least you would be if Turaz was here. Kid knows his way with a halberd.”

“I'll say.” Grunted Waterborn, pointing to a long scar up his left foreleg. That was a story Turaz didn't tell. The same went for Waterborn.

“You're doing well, Tempest.” Aharôs affirmed, straightening his robes. “Get some rest, now. Turaz should be back from Sturaj by nightfall, and tomorrow, we march.” The blue-grey pegasis nodded, heaving herself off the ground. This armor makes everything impossible, she grumbled internally. And they wanted her to fly for hours in it! She could barely manage twenty minutes!

As she stood, the group dispersed. Redfern and Waterborn probably went off to discuss how bad things were, while Herikôs went to the kitchens. Aharôs had princely matters to attend to, leaving Snowy and Tempest alone. Snowy, of course, was another pegasus, with a slightly curly mane striped by blue and a lighter blue, and a pale beige coat. She was rather pudgy, being more adept at reading and thinking than the fighting that everyone and everypony seemed to want her to do. And that is why they all look down on her. But for Tempest, Snowy was her best friend; the fact she was three years older was hardly relevant.

“You were great out there!” Said Snowy, gliding down off her perch. “With a little more time, you'll be unstoppable.”

“Thanks, Snowy.” Tempest replied, taking a lurching step forward. “Do you have any idea how I get out of this armor?” As it turned out, Snowy did not know how to remove Tempest's armor, which led to a brief adventure of finding someone who did. Once it was safely stowed in the armory, Tempest had to change back into her normal clothing, little more than a long vest and a cloak. Snowy was already similarly attired. Uncle Hearth said that clothes were unnecessary to ponies, but Tempest and Snowy both felt less out of place here if they looked more like their human hosts. After ten years, all eight pegasi had been dressing themselves rather than go about unclad.

“Sure is cloudy.” Remarked the beige pegasus, as the two walked back outside.

“Think it'll rain?” Asked a nearby human guard who had overheard her.

“N- No, not today.” Snowy replied, a bit nervously.

“Good to know.” Acknowledged the guard. The two went on their way, climbing up the inner wall. Beyond was an open field, about one hundred yards across, to the much newer outer walls, kept bare of anything but grass and rock. Aharôs had called it a killing field, an area designed to give would-be enemies no cover or escape from incoming missiles, be they bullet or bolt, or even arrow. Fortunately, Nikadîon hadn't been attacked in four hundred years, and no enemy had gotten through what were now the inner walls in over five hundred. With the new outer walls, there was no telling how long the fortress could hold against whatever enemies fate threw against it.

“Any idea on what we're supposed to do now?” Asked Snowy, as they surveyed the view before them.

“Aharôs didn't tell us to do anything... I guess we're free for the rest of the day.” Tempest answered. Neither pegasus said anything for a while; a common occurrence that had long since ceased bothering them. Today's air was cool, and smelled of the salty sea, mixed with the occasional scent of smoke from the many fireplaces of the human fortress. Salt and smoke, the two smells she had been practically raised on. For Tempest, those meant home. I wonder if...

“Snowy, when you think of home, what does it smell like?” Tempest questioned. The beige mare turned to her in slight surprise.

“Smell like?” Repeated Snowy, confused.

“Yeah. What does home smell like to you?” Tempest asked again.

“You always have the strangest questions...” There was a slight smile on Snowy's face as she spoke, but it quickly slipped away as she stared at the mountain across the river below. “The thing is, Tempest, you were only- only five when we came here. I was eight, I actually remember Equestria... I don't know what is more of a home to me, that... place, or here.” Snowy lowered her head, and rested it on the parapet of the wall.

“Well, tell me about both.” Stated the blue-grey pegasus, in a tone that implied how obvious her solution was.

“I...” Snowy shook her head, and started over. “Greatfall has always been the home for the house of Farpeak. It was dark. Scary... It smelled- smelled stale, if that's what you want to know. Most of my time was spent below ground. I try not to- no to think about it too much.” She shuddered, banishing away the hauntings of the past. I'll need to get her to tell me about that one day. Tempest knew something had happened with Snowy there; she had been captured when the Blackwind forces had stormed Greatfall and taken it. Whatever had occurred, the filly had expressed a strong desire to not return, as Uncle Hearth had put it years later. After breathing deeply for a few moments- one of Father Brenan's cleansing rituals, Tempest noticed- Snowy continued on. “Then I came here, to Sarathûl. I wasn't born here, but this is where I grew up, this is where my life became so much... more.”

“You do realize our situation, right?” Tempest interjected dejectedly. Snowy shot her an annoyed look.

“That's- That's not the issue. And for interrupting me, you- you don't get to know the answer to your question.” The beige pegasus scowled, and sniffed irritably.

“Oh, come on, that's an over-reaction, and you know it!” Accused Tempest, pointing a hoof.

“No!” Declared Snowy. She stamped on the stone walkway; and then proceeded to wince in pain. Nevertheless, she went on. “We have it very good here, Tempest. Our situation is far better than you think it is!” The rightful Queen of Highcrest was taken aback by the energy in the voice of her normally docile friend. “We have clean water, we- we have plenty of food, we have people we can trust, and no one is trying to- to hurt us. What more could you want?” Tempest had to admit, Snowy had a point. “I'm sorry for yelling, and I know how- how much you and your family have been wronged, but...”

“But..?” Prompted Tempest. Snowy gazed up the river, and it was her turn to sound dejected.

“...But you see those with nothing left, and suddenly, your life doesn't seem so...”

“Pointless?” Suggested the blue-grey pegasus.

“Yeah. You- You could say that.” Snowy nodded. “They took your crown, your homeland, and your mother, but you've still got somewhere where you're welcome. You've got Prince Aharôs looking after you, and for what it's worth, you've got the rest of us too. I've seen- I've seen people here with a lot less than that.” She sighed heavily, and sat down. “Sorry again, about getting all moralistic. It's not my place to criticize my queen.”

“I count you as a friend before subject, Snowy, you can speak your mind with me, no matter what it is.” Dismissed Tempest. “You're right though. Things aren't as bad as I make them out to be... But I just feel so useless doing nothing here. And I don't know what is worse, being useless, or preferring uselessness to fighting in a war.” She confessed.

“There's no shame in being afraid.” Snowy said gently. “I- I feel the same way, and I'm not even going to be fighting.”

“I suppose...” The blue-grey pegasus replied, though not at all convinced.

“From what you've told me, it doesn't even sound like you'll be close to the battle at all.” The other mare continued, not letting up in her efforts to reassure her friend.

“No, not this time. But eventually, Aharôs wants me to actually get in there and kill. Kill people.” Tempest was no stranger to death, but the thought of killing another living, thinking being, by her own hoof...

“I know. Father Brenan says there is seldom a greater tragedy than for man to kill his fellow man. We're not men, we're pegasi- and mares at that, but the notion still applies.” Snowy glanced at the church, nestled against the keep's flat sides. “But God's law and man's law are often at odds. Our host wants this to be so, and we cannot refuse. It's not our place.”

Tempest only sighed in defeat. “Never thought I'd hear you advocating for violence, Snowy.” That seemed to hurt the other mare; Tempest immediately regretted saying it.

“I'm not advocating- I- I just...” She had the same look she got when Coldstar had drunkenly told her that it would have been better if Snowy drowned in the storm, for all the use she was to the Blackwind cause. Drunken words, true words, yes, but still unnecessarily harsh. Damnit Snowy, you take things too personally! You're a daughter of house Farpeak, you're supposed to be brave, strong, indomitable! But Snowy was none of those, and the rightful Queen of Highcrest held nothing against her for it. It's who she is, that'd be like asking Aharôs to smile more. Or Brenan to go murder some peasants. The latter scenario was more fitting to Snowy, neither priest nor pegasus was very enthusiastic about bloodshed. “What do you want me to tell- to tell you to do?” Asked Snowy, distressed. “To spit on their traditions and- and throw away everything you have? Or to do as the Prince says even if I don't think it's right?”

“Calm down.” Stated Tempest. “I know you're just trying to help me, you don't need to defend yourself.” The blue-grey mare wanted to tell her she was too emotional, but she knew that'd only lead to more emotional outbursts. And I'm the young one, Tempest noted, taking in the irony. Snowy breathed deeply again, and closed her eyes.

“Alright.” She said. “Alright.” The beige mare took ahold of herself once more. “I- I- I need to stay calm.”

“That you do.” Tempest agreed. “Try not to get so worked up about everything.”

“Brenan says... He says I'm getting better.” Stated Snowy, though she didn't sound entirely sure. “What do you think, Tempest? Am I- Am I getting better?” The blue-grey pegasus wasn't sure how to answer that question.

“I can't say, Snowy.” Admitted Tempest, looking at the river below. “But whatever you're doing, it's working right now. Just try and catch yourself before you jump, if you get what I'm saying.” Snowy nodded, understanding completely.

“It's- It's a lot of work, but at least it's work I can do... For once.” She muttered, narrowing her eyes. “With effort, anything can be done, that's what the humans say.”

“And I hope they're right.” Tempest said. “You have to stay calm, I have to fight. I'd much rather have your troubles than mine.”

“Yeah, I think so too.” Agreed Snowy with a smile.

The next two days passed in a flurry of training, studying tactics, sleeping, and talking with Snowy when she could. Turaz returned, bringing news that Sturaj would indeed be joining them. Four days after Aharôs had produced Celestia's letter, the garrison of Nikadîon began to march out, heading for Sturaj. The Prince himself rode at the front of the column, on his brown and white zôsha, the three-hooved mounts the humans brought with them from the Far North fifteen hundred years ago. Sir Turaz and Sir Eberis flanked him; Eberis carried the royal banner. Duke Îrilôs had weaseled his way to the front as well. Behind them came the handful of knights and cavalrymen stationed at Nikadîon, Herikôs among them, and behind them came most of the castle's garrison, nearly a thousand men at arms. They were professionals, not conscripts or foolhardy volunteers that were likely to make up the majority of the army by the time it got to Verâd. Somewhere in the mass was Father Brenan, and a handful of acolytes to tend to those that would surely die in battle.

The pegasi, however, flew at a leisurely pace overhead. Tempest nearly thanked the human's god that no one had insisted that she wear her armor while flying this time; it was still proving incredibly difficult to fly in. She took the lead in the wedge-shaped formation they flew in, with Hearth and Coldstar heading the two angled lines behind her. Air currents formed by the lead pegasi's beating wings would ease the strain of the ones flying behind her, thus they would all take turns at the front eventually. Except Snowy. Tempest and Hearth agreed that it'd be best to keep her in the back, as she was not the strongest flier.

Once the column was moving, it only stopped once for supper, before marching on through the night to Sturaj. They arrived when the Nightlord's- Luna's moon was high above in the sky, shining on the dark world like a pale beacon. Riders were sent to alert the city to their presence, lest any spooked guard ordered the wall cannons to open fire. Aharôs had the column set up camp on the western side of Sturaj, along the road that would eventually take them to Vatherîon, capital of Athair, and then to the Kingdom of Verâd. Tempest had been to Vatherîon only once, and it was the furthest west she had ever been in her life. The entire continent of Sarathûl lay beyond, none of which she had ever seen. If it weren't for the fact that she was going west for the purposes of war, Tempest would have been excited. Has any pony ever been beyond Athair? she wondered.

Equestrians sometimes visited the Barrier islands, and even more rarely turned up in Surana or Tashan, or any other eastern port of the easternmost state of the humans. But as far as Tempest knew, no pony other than herself, Snowy, and Hearth had ever been inland as far as Vatherîon. Well, I'm sure there have been alicorns that had gone across the whole continent, but I wouldn't know if any are still around or not. Tempest vaguely recalled that at least one of the first generation of alicorns was still alive, at least as of ten years ago... What was his name? Ages? Ages something. Tempest figured it was more than likely he'd been in all parts of Old Alicornia at one time or another. However, she was confident that she'd be among the first, if not the first lesser pony to travel deeper into this land.

Dawn came the next day, but with no horns. Aharôs was letting the men get their sleep after their long march from Nikadîon. First bell came, then second, then third and only then did the camp come to life. Four hours after dawn, in Equestrian time. Human time was based on their bells, which in turn were divided into six parts according to the length of daylight on the equinox, or so her uncle had said. Conveniently, this worked moderately well with Equestrian time; enough that many humans now used Equestrian hours as subdivisions of their bells. Inconveniently, for most of the year, the day began hours before sunrise or hours after. Tempest wasn't sure why they stuck to this strange system, but the humans did many strange things she didn't understand. She spent the day with Turaz and Redfern, as they tried to work out a balance between how much armor she could wear while still maintaining enough flying ability. Snowy was present as well, saying nothing and keeping out of the way as usual. Eventually, Duke Îrilôs turned up.

“Good afternoon, my queen.” Greeted the black-haired man with a bow. “I see you're enjoying the products of my family's city.”

“Enjoying?” Grunted Tempest, as Turaz buckled her chestplate on for what felt like the hundredth time this day. “That's a bit of a stretch.”

“I'm sure your opinion will be much more favorable when bullets bounce off off of you.” Said Îrilôs.

“Of course.” The rightful Queen of Highcrest agreed.

“Protection sacrifices mobility.” Stated Redfern. “I'd rather be lightly armored and still be able to fly at full speed, myself.”

“But you're not a queen.” Îrilôs pointed out. “Our lady here is, she is not so...”

“Expendable?” Asked Redfern. The Imperial envoy laughed.

“A blunt way to put it, but honest.” He nodded. “Yes, Queen Tempest must not fall to a mere bullet.”

“That much is obvious.” Said Turaz, stepping back. He observed his handiwork. Tempest's armor had been reduced to her chestplate, helmet, and foreleg greaves. “Well, unless you're shot in the neck or ass, you should be fine like this. I don't think anyone could hit a moving target in the leg.”

“Thanks for the reassurance.” Tempest replied dryly. “That completely negates all the amputated limbs I see on your veterans.”

“Accidents happen.” Shrugged the knight.

“Indeed, they do. You're quick, though, as I've been led to believe, it will be hard to hit you with anything.” Affirmed Îrilôs. “However, I didn't come to discuss the merits of shooting a pegasus. My queen, your host would like you to dine with him at tonight's supper. The mayor of Sturaj will be there, as will I, so it is of paramount importance you attend.”

“Great.” Sighed the blue-grey pegasus. “I love formalities.”

“Wonderful, aren't they?” Smiled the Imperial envoy. “In any case, be present in the Prince's tent by sixth bell. Not to presume I could command you, my queen.”

“Got it.” Tempest acknowledged. “Is there any other reason you're here?”

“Can a man not go where he pleases?” Asked Îrilôs in return. “In any case, there's someone who would like an audience, my queen. His name is Desîf, he's a secretary of the Mayor of Sturaj.”

“Desîf is here? How fortuitous.” Sir Turaz noted.

“I see you've already met. He's around here somewhere, I'm sure.” The Imperial envoy began to move off. “Now, if you excuse me, I have matters to attend to with the Prince.”

“We should find Desîf.” Stated Turaz. “I imagine he's got a lot of questions. We met a few days ago in Sturaj, just in case you were wondering.”

“Ah...” Tempest nodded, though she was a bit skeptical of this. “Well, what harm could it do? Snowy, come on, we're going to find this man.” The other mare stood up and quietly trotted over.

“Why do we need her?” Asked the knight. “She can hardly talk!”

“Snowy's coming with, that's final.” The rightful Queen of Highcrest stated. Snowy gave her a slight smile in thanks, but said nothing for her own defense. In fact, she purposefully positioned herself as far from Turaz as she could get while still staying close to the two. When it comes to fight or flight, it's flight every time with her, Tempest sighed inwardly.

It didn't take long to find this Desîf fellow, as he managed to find them first. He was a smaller man, balding with round lenses over his eyes. They were a human device, designed to focus bad eyesight. “Hello there!” He greeted cheerfully, and with a deep bow. “Your highness, it is an honor to meet you in person.”

“You've heard about me?” Asked Tempest.

“Of course!” Declared the secretary. “It is well-known that Prince Aharôs keeps company with the Blackwind pegasi, or whatever may be left of them.”

“Well, you've found one of them.” Said the blue-grey pegasus. “My uncle is around somewhere...”

“Oh, I'd much rather talk to you, your highness.” Desîf said dismissively. He glanced at Snowy. “Who is this?”

“I- I- I-” Stuttered the beige pegasus, looking very uncomfortable.

“That's Snowy, of house Farpeak.” Answered Tempest. Saved you again. “She's not very keen on talking to strangers.”

“I was like that, once. But no matter. I have many questions, your highness, I hope you would be so kind as to answer them...” And so began several hours of Desîf learning all about Equestria, as much as Tempest could tell him. Turaz decided they should all sit in his tent instead of stand in the middle of everyone's path. Eventually, Tempest ended up explaining her family's recent history: Of how her mother, Maelstrom Blackwind, had been betrayed by the other pegasi of Highcrest when the Whitewind dynasty had failed, of how she raised a rebellion for the Throne of Clouds, that was hers by right, of how Aharôs had aided their war, of how the Sun Queen had sent her firstborn to end it, and of how Tempest had come to Sarathûl.

“You never mentioned your father.” Desîf noted.

“I... I never knew my father. I never learned who he was. I wasn't exactly born from a marriage...” The pegasus admitted shamefully.

“Ah...” The secretary realized, wisely saying nothing on the touchy subject.

“That's right.” Turaz stated. “Our good mare is by all means the bastard daughter of Maelstrom. In all technicality, Hearth Blackwind, Maelstrom's oldest brother, ought to be King of Highcrest now.”

“But my uncle declined the title, so I've been told. He thought a younger pegasus should take the throne.” Explained Tempest. “I don't know about that. But I guess I'm the best we've got, and I've still got a better claim to Highcrest than the Swiftrains.” She said the name with venom.

“How did they come to the throne in the first place, if their claim is weaker than yours?” Asked Desîf, scratching his head.

“Flattery and deceit.” Spat Tempest. “It began when Stratus Whitewind died with no heir. We Blackwinds are descended from Hurricane's second daughter, Squall, and Prince Quercus, one of the Sun Queen and Nightlord's lesser brothers.” The secretary suddenly looked much more alert.

“Wait, who's brother was he? The Sun Queen, or Nightlord?” He questioned.

“Both.” Answered Turaz. “The Sun Queen and Nightlord were sister and brother.” This seemed to horrify Desîf. “Their parents were brother and sister as well, by definition, though not by blood. The alicorn's early history is vague at best on their exact relation, at least of what they've made available to us.”

“The first alicorns were all brothers and sisters, but each one was, uh, distinctly different, I guess, from the others, like Turaz and his wife are different from each other.” Tempest attempted to clarify. “This seems to have been passed on to all the children produced by the first alicorns, from what I understand.”

“It's the only valid way for such a small original population to give rise to such a great race, as the alicorns were in their prime.” Added in Turaz.

“That is... Unusual.” Desîf said, still looking rather disturbed. “But back to Quercus.”

“My line is descended from Squall Whitewind and he.” Tempest continued. “The Swiftrains have no relation at all, but convinced the unicorns to help put them on the throne, as they'd serve their interests, unlike my mother. Somehow, they got the other pegasi houses to go along with them, including the Farpeaks!”

“Her house?” The lensed man pointed at Snowy. The other mare nodded in affirmation. “But what's she doing here if they supported your enemies?”

“Snowy is a prisoner that liked her captors enough to stay with them.” Interjected Turaz. “She's with them, now, not that it'll do them much good.”

“The Farpeaks have always been at odds with the unicorns, and to side with them... It probably took some serious flattery and deceit.” Tempest guessed. “My mother tried to work with the new queen, Prysm Swiftrain, but they all turned against her. Not long after, something happened to Prysm and her council. No one is really sure what, but they all died.”

“Sounds convenient.”

“It was, and Prysm's sister accused Maelstrom of being behind it. She had no proof, of course, but that's what prompted my mother to raise her banners against them. And that's why I'm here now, with but seven pegasi at my back.” Concluded Tempest. Desîf sat back and thought for a moment.

“I'm very glad we have precautions against that kind of mess. If any dynasty here fails, the crown reverts to the Emperor.” Stated he.

“Why him?” Asked Tempest. She didn't mention that she already been told the answer, but had forgotten years ago.

“After the last alicorns left, a little over fourteen hundred years ago, Sarathûl was ruled by Athazôs. He was the king of all eight tribes of mankind.” Now it was Turaz's turn to explain something. “But Athazôs was one man, so he crowned more kings to help him rule, and declared himself Emperor, the King of Kings. His successors did the same, and in theory, all nations are subservient to the Emperor, and are parts within the Empire as a whole. In practice, this isn't so true... The Empire hasn't had control over much in centuries. Didn't they teach you this, Tempest?”

“Perhaps.” She answered coolly. “It sounds like the same thing the alicorns were trying to do in Equestria. Create some kind of over-state that all other states would answer to.”

“Neither has worked very well.” Remarked Desîf. “Neither men nor ponies like to be ruled by a distant hand. They prefer the rulers that affect their lives far more directly.”

“Exactly.” Tempest agreed. “I feel the same way. Why answer to the Emperor when Prince Aharôs is doing far more?”

“Don't let Duke Îrilôs hear that.” Said Turaz. As if he had been summoned, the Imperial Envoy stuck his head through the tent flap.

“Don't let me hear what?”

“Nothing of importance.” Dismissed the knight, standing to bow. The secretary did the same, while Snowy inclined her head. Tempest, being a queen, did not need to show deference to the Imperial envoy.

“I've been looking all over for you, my queen. It is time for supper.” Announced Îrilôs.

“Very well.” Tempest acknowledged, and stood to leave. “Snowy, go back to our section of the camp. Sir Turaz will find his own meal.” Îrilôs led the way out, and the two went deeper into the camp, towards the large tent of Prince Aharôs. He was a light traveler, so there was little that had to be moved to make way for the large table that had been acquired from who knew where. Aharôs was talking to someone Tempest had never seen before, a plain looking man with dark brown hair.

“Ah, you've arrived.” The Prince said. “Sidâl, leave us.”

“As you wish, my prince.” The man obeyed with a bow. He walked by them, eying Tempest with something between curiosity and recognition.

“Tempest, you'll be sitting at my right. Îrilôs will be next to you.” Stated Aharôs, gesturing to the table. “And yes, we've got a plant-only meal for you.”

“Thanks.” Replied Tempest, hopping onto the chair that was hers. It could have been an awkward arrangement; Tempest was taller than the average pegasus, but still far shorter than any human, so what worked for either species didn't work for her when it came to sitting at a table. Fortunately, this was well-realized, and someone had cut down the legs of her chair to compensate for her height. Duke Îrilôs took his seat next to her.

“I take it we are waiting the Mayor?” He asked.

“Indeed. The Mayor, some of the garrison commanders, and the city council.” Said Aharôs. “Sir Turaz said it would be best if he wasn't here, apparently he got off to a bad start with Mayor Pashal. Instead we've got Sir Eberis, he'll be he shortly as well.”

One by one, the guests arrived. First was Sir Eberis, then came the council of Sturaj: various merchants, nobles, and clergy. Only then did Pashal and his two captains turn up.

“Prince Aharôs, it is good to meet you once again.” Said the Mayor, in an emotionless voice. He inclined his head, but did not fully bow. Tempest and Îrilôs glanced at each other; both were familiar with human etiquette, and realized this meal would not be a meal but a stand-off between two men who were not fond of each other.

“Likewise.” Aharôs said in return, sitting down.

“I see you have your Equestrian friend here.” Noted Pashal.

“That I do.” Stated the Prince. “Do you take offense to eating at the same table as my ward?”

“Not at all.”

“I'm glad we can all agree that the eating conditions are acceptable.” Îrilôs announced, attempting to break the icy mood that had overtaken the tent. “Shall we begin?”

“We shall.” Aharôs had servants bring in the meal of the evening. In his usual style, the food Aharôs had prepared was very simple, only steak of elk with some seasoning, and sides of a human crop known in Equestria as western redwheat. It was somewhat like the rice that came from south of Equestria, but grown in colder and drier climates. Not to mention, it's red. For Tempest, there was also redwheat, along with a wide assortment of various fruits and vegetables, some from Equestria, and some from wherever the humans had once lived. Are they from Equestria, or did the alicorns bring them from here when they first crossed over? It was a question for thinkers like Snowy, not for Tempest.

Most of the discussion was about the upcoming war; who would lead what contingents, how they would be organized, and what strategies the men should be drilled in on the way to Verâd. “I wonder,” Began the Mayor of Sturaj. “just how the Equestrians could benefit us in battle.”

“Scouting and raiding, mostly.” Replied Aharôs, as he slowly cut his meat. It was a general human custom to eat slowly, and the Prince certainly took it seriously.

“Scouting, perhaps. Raiding? I have my doubts.” Stated one of the captains, Bâlôs Eshanis.

“We're not useless.” Tempest defended herself and her kind. Captain Eshanis didn't look convinced.

“You're a four-and-a-half foot miniature zôsha that only eats plants! And you're tall for your kind!” Exclaimed the Captain. “What could you possible do to anyone?”

“Take off your head and be a hundred feet away in a matter of seconds.” Shot back Tempest. Eshanis only snorted derisively. “Is that a challenge?” She asked, leaning forward. The Captain was about to speak, but Pashal stopped him.

“Enough of this silliness.” The Mayor ordered. As the brief burst of anger subsided, Tempest wondered if she would have actually fought Eshanis. Maybe that's the key. I wasn't afraid when I was angry... If I can keep that burning long enough, I might actually be able to do what they want. But would she be able to live with whatever she did, when that anger did subside? That was the real problem.

“You two, restrain yourselves.” Aharôs stated, agreeing with Pashal. Duke Îrilôs looked mildly amused by all this.

“How are we to fight the Verâdîm if we can't even get along?” He questioned.

“Precisely.” Nodded the other captain from Sturaj, the one whose name Tempest had already forgotten.

“We're all allies here, let us focus on the enemy at hand!” Continued the Imperial Envoy.

“Yes, we're all friends.” The Mayor agreed, staring coldly at Prince Aharôs.

“No doubt.” Aharôs said, looking right back with an even colder gaze. What happened between them? Tempest wondered. “Prince Reshîv needs our aid, and we shall give it to him.” The rest of the evening was very uncomfortable, as Tempest and Îrilôs were caught in the icy crossfire between Aharôs and much of Mayor Pashal's camp. Sir Eberis was being smart and not drawing attention to himself, barely having said a word this whole time. The blue-grey pegasus almost thanked the human god when the Sturaj men left for their own camp, after deciding on a course of action. They would wait here for one week, as the Mayor finish raising an army from the city and surrounding country. By the time the munitions gear was given out, word would have been spread all along the way to Verâd that Aharôs was coming; and there would be little waiting after that. As she exited the tent with Îrilôs, they encountered the stranger from earlier.

“Good evening, my queen, my lord.” He greeted deferentially.

“Ah, it's you again, Sidâl.” Îrilôs responded. “What have you and the Prince been up to?”

“Nothing terribly concerning.” Answered Sidâl. “How was supper?”

“It could have been much worse.” The Imperial envoy sighed, folding his arms. “If there's one thing I can't stand, it's this constant infighting. We don't have time to sit here and bicker!”

“I agree completely, my lord. Something must be done.”

“We could send Mayor Pashal home.” Suggested Tempest. Îrilôs and Sidâl both laughed.

“Were it so easy, my queen.” Duke Îrilôs lamented. “I supposed I could ask God to strike down everyone who stands in our way, but that isn't something that God does. Striking down is a far more human thing, yes?”

“Human and Equestrian.” Tempest pointed out, raising a hoof.

“Of course. Good night, my queen. Until next diplomatic incident.” With that, Îrilôs left for his own tent, very close by judging by the Imperial banner waving over it. Sidâl blinked, and looked at Tempest with his head tilted.

“You look very much like your mother.” He noted quietly. Suddenly, the blue-grey pegasus was much more interested in this man than she had been before.

“You knew my mother?” She asked, slightly in awe.

“I did, Tempest.” Affirmed Sidâl. “You look just like her, except your eyes. And from what Îrilôs implied, you've got her temperament as well.”

“I don't know about that...” Tempest replied, frowning. “She was a lot braver than I am, wasn't she?”

“Braver, bolder, riskier.” The plain man nodded. “Very promiscuous as well.”

“Excuse me?” Questioned the pegasus indignantly.

“Maelstrom enjoyed a good time. Is that so shameful?” Asked back Sidâl with a shrug. “I'm only telling you what I saw, Tempest. As far as I can tell, you're very much not like her on the inside. Then again, the only stallion close to your age is old enough to be your father, and the other two are old enough to be your grandfather.” Tempest blushed at the implications, and scowled.

“No- I- It's nothing like that at all!” She stated fiercely. Sidâl raised an eyebrow.

“Perhaps you haven't gone through heat yet?” Suggested Sidâl. She didn't think it possible, but Tempest felt her face get even hotter.

“That- That's completely over the line!” She sputtered. “This conversation is over!” Tempest spread her wings and shot off into the air, leaving behind the human.

“You can always tell me later!” Sidâl yelled as she left.

That is not something to be talked about in public! And especially not with strangers! Tempest thought, still blushing furiously. I mean, he was correct about it, but he's got no right to bring that up! Completely over the line! After a few short minutes of reliving the embarrassment over and over, Tempest reached the Blackwind camp, slightly apart from the humans. In Equestria, they would have camped on clouds, but there was no such option in this part of the world. The alicorn magic had died here long ago, replaced by raw natural power and whatever else the humans brought. For the time, they slept in tents just like their allies.

“The indignity!” Tempest declared to Snowy, after she had landed and told of everything that had been said to her friend. “The nerve of him to ask that!”

“This Sidâl sounds like a bold fellow.” Observed the beige pegasus. “But was- was he right?” She asked, lowering her voice and leaning in.

“...Maybe.” Replied Tempest, looking away.

“Maybe?”

“Yes...” Whispered Tempest, as quietly as she could.

“Huh.” Snowy mused. “You'll be sixteen in a few months, though, so your time is near. I- I'm sure of it. Next spring at latest.”

“That's great to know. Can we please change the subject?” Begged the blue-grey pegasus.

“As you wish...”

It was a slow week for Tempest, as she practiced fighting with Turaz, Herikôs, Redfern, and Waterborn. Brenan continued Tempest's lessons, with Snowy; and even Duke Îrilôs contributed to one day's learning, when the subject of Imperial law came up. She saw Sidâl several times, but he never said anything to her, thankfully.

Finally, the day came to depart Sturaj's fields, and resume their journey to Verâd. The column followed the road by the river Aiô for another week, moving west from Sturaj and Nikadîon. Along the way, several minor lords joined with their retainers and bannermen, meager contributions as they were. As Aharôs ordered camp to be broken on the dawn of the twentieth day out from the fortress, Tempest and Snowy came upon a crossroads.

West: twenty-three miles to Vatherîon. North: One hundred and eight miles to Verâd.

Tempest stared at the sign for a moment, and then to the fork on the road. The west road continued on to the capital of Athair, the furthest she had ever been into Sarathûl. If she followed that, the river Aiô would take through the Dashavon, the low mountains that were Athair's far border, and beyond those lay an entire continent just waiting to be explored, thousands of places she only knew from the maps she spent hours pouring over. The second time in my life it's been within reach... Once, from the tallest tower in Vatherîon, she had seen the Dashavon, and the great gorge the Aiô carved through them. The rest of the world was just on the other side, over the western horizon. The pegasus sighed heavily.

She turned north; to Verâd, and to war.

Author's Notes:

Look at all that character and world development! But action is guaranteed soon, this was supposed to be three chapters originally. And yeah, 20 days passed here. 20? No Mr. Hood, you mean 18. False, human weeks are 8 days long here. Their calendar isn't Gregorian, obviously. On another subject, does anyone think a map of Sarathûl would be useful to understanding where everyone (and everypony) is going?

A Canterlot Interlude

It was as if nopony wanted anypony else to sleep, in this abominable construction site. Goldleaf, known to others as the Lame, skulked about through the half-finished upper halls of Canterlot.

“Hurry up.” Ordered the midnight alicorn ahead of him. Not only did the construction keep him up, hie liege's little sister was intent to make his life terrible as well.

“Yes, Princess.” Sighed the unicorn, bowing his head and hobbling faster. You just had to start staying up all night... Her moon was long risen in the sky, being the slim crescent as it was, and most ponies were asleep by now.

“How is the land survey progressing?” Asked Luna.

“We are nearly complete, your highness.” Goldleaf said. “The architects have drawn up a variety of plans for defensive structures, in case the humans invade.”

“That is unlikely. But We believe it is a wise precaution, nonetheless. The earth ponies are certainly disgruntled, and the pegasi can hardly stop fighting each other.” The alicorn mused, almost to herself.

“Well, it is only natural the lesser ponies would be so blind to the larger picture, your highness.” Agreed Goldleaf. Luna stopped, and looked at him strangely.

“You speak as if you are one of Our kind.” She noted. Goldleaf swallowed nervously.

“Oh, no, no, I don't mean to- I dare not presume that such a wretched creature as myself would ever come close to your power and grace, your highness!” The unicorn quickly replied, bowing as best he could without putting weight on his bad leg.

“Of course.” Replied the alicorn, in a chilled voice. She turned, and walked forward again. The two went in silence, through great halls filled with scaffolding and construction tools for use during the day, and sometimes night. Either way, Goldleaf felt the effects of sleep deprivation setting in. It's either noise or Luna, he lamented. Soon, they came to a balcony that overlooked the entire valley below. The mountain Canterlot was built on made access hard, but it was a wonderful position to see everything that went on nearby. It also offered an unprecedented view of the sky, rivaled by few other locations outside pegasus lands. “Tell me, Goldleaf, what do you think of the night?” Asked the Princess, as their gazes were involuntarily drawn to the starlit abyss above.

“I feel as if I could fall into forever, your highness.” Said Goldleaf, half-consciously moving his hooves on the marble floor, seeking a better grip.

“An amusing sentiment, but We referred to the night in general.” Clarified Luna.

“Ah.” The unicorn squinted at the sky in thought. “Night is for sleeping, at least in decent places.” Luna frowned a little at this. “A time for rest and dreams. But, for those of us who must work for the realm, night is just another time for labor.”

“Is that really all?” She asked, sounding almost disappointed.

“Not quite. I met a human from Sarathûl, once. They have a saying there: Night is the time for questions that may not be asked by day.” Goldleaf said, wondering just what could be asked in darkness that would not be asked in light. “I don't know what it means, you'd have to ask them. But I wager that to the humans, night is something else entirely.”

“Fascinating.” Dryly commented the alicorn. “And Our sister would prefer that you call it Old Alicornia.” Goldleaf snorted, before he could stop himself.

“And Stratus Whitewind is still Queen of Highcrest.” He said in heavy sarcasm.

“Do you question the Regent of the Sun?” Asked Luna, looking at him with skepticism, and a little bit of surprise.

“No, forgive my outburst. But it has been one thousand, five hundred and four years since the humans arrived, and it's been one thousand, four hundred or so years since the last alicorns left. The land is Sarathûl, now. A human land with human things and human events, for generations. Old Alicornia has either been reduced to dust or completely built over.” Explained the unicorn. “Why call something by a name that hasn't applied to it since the dawn of history?”

“A sound point, Goldleaf.” Acknowledged the midnight alicorn. “If only Our sister was so moved by reason. Were that to be so, this entire situation could be averted.”

“You have doubts about this planned war?” Asked the unicorn.

“We're confident in our forces ability to win against the humans; magic overpowers their black powder any day. But the death and destruction that shall be caused... It would not be worth it, We think.” Luna admitted. Finally, some sanity! sighed Goldleaf to himself.

“I agree completely, my princess.” Said the unicorn.

“Of course you do.” Quickly replied the Regent of the Moon, giving him a dark look. “If it was your choice, there would never be any fighting.”

“And would an end to conflict be so bad, your highness?” Asked Goldleaf more harshly than he intended.

“No, it wouldn't.” Acknowledged the younger of the Royal sisters. “But sometimes, you must do things in order to survive. Even if it's something you never thought yourself capable of.” Big talk for a pony that could only bring herself to turn the Lord of Chaos to stone, Goldleaf wanted to say.

“Hmmph.” He snorted. “We'll see about that. I've never believed in violence before, I don't believe in it now. And I won't tomorrow.”

“Is that an excuse for cowardice?” Sharply questioned Luna.

“It's a philosophy, girl!” Goldleaf snapped. He covered his mouth with a hoof, after realizing what he had said. The unicorn immediately knelt. “Forgive this wretch your highness, he forgets himself.” Luna looked amused, of all things. She's not her sister, I'll give her that.

“You are a strange pony, Goldleaf the Lame.” She declared. “Full of fire one minute, then desperately stamping it out the next. Perhaps you're not as spineless as We thought. Tell me, what do you think of Us?”

“Uh....” The mahogany unicorn looked from side to sky to side and back to sky, searching for any clue of of what he was supposed to say. “Do you want the truth, your highness?”

“Naturally.”

“You try to act older than you are.” Goldleaf simply stated. This caught Luna by surprise, it seemed, as she dropped out of the Royal plural:

“I'm over one hundred and sixty years old!” Exclaimed the alicorn, formality falling away in an instant, replaced by an indignant foal's voice.

“You're thirteen to me, my princess. Physical age is nothing, it's the mind that counts. That's what we say back home.” Continued the unicorn. “But you insist on acting like you're your sister.”

“I- We're not Our sister, at all!” Luna protested, frowning.

“No, but you want to be her.” Said Goldleaf, almost feeling sad about the fact. One Celestia was enough. Stars know what the world would be like with two Celestia's running around. “Be your own pony, Princess Luna. That's all I dare say to you.”

“We... We shall think on this.” The midnight alicorn replied, looking concerned. She suddenly changed the subject. “Goldleaf, keep to a nocturnal schedule from henceforth. We will be doing most of our work at night anyways.”

“As you command, your highness.” I'm surrounded by strange ponies. What did I ever do to deserve such a fate?

Author's note: Lawd haf murrcay, it's been a busy week. Sorry about the extreme brevity of this chapter, I just didn't have time to get very far, but figured you needed something to read before I go on vacation again. This time, I'm bringing my computer so I might even get another chapter up while I'm abroad. Oh, I finished the map, and when I went to save it, Photoshop crashed. I ragequit and will try again next week. Forever bad luck, eh?

Since Luna is so hard to write for l be doing a lot of Equestria action from an ill-regarded side character’s perspective. What can I say? Us misfits gotta represent, brahs. Stay tuned for more Tempest /Turaz chapters, becaushit's about to get real in their story line.

The Gloves Come Off

“Tell me then, why we left the Far North fifteen hundred years ago.” Father Brenan asked, though it was more of a statement.

“Because...” Tempest tried to recall what he had been saying for the past hour, but could barely remember any of it. “There was trouble?”

The priest shrugged. “Trouble is one way to put it. What kind of trouble?”

“The evil kind.” Guessed the blue-grey pegasus. Brenan looked at her flatly.

“The evil kind?” Repeated he.

“Yeah! The kind that's all... smoke... and glow... and evil.” Tempest said, not even convincing herself that she had a fragment of correctness in her answer. I can't stop saying things that make me look stupid! she groaned to herself.

“Well, if we were having this conversation a thousand years prior, I'm sure you'd be right. The legends say a great evil drove us from the Far North, but it is increasingly believed that famine and overpopulation were the main factors in our migration south. The land simply couldn't support so many, we had no choice but to leave. Unfortunately we ran into the alicorns, and the rest... Well, you know the story.” Explained the priest. “I honestly don't know why I still bother, Tempest. You have no interest in this, and I can't force you to care...”

“It's for Snowy's sake, really.” Admitted Tempest. “She wants to know about all this boring stuff, so I bring her along so your talent for dryness isn't put to waste. It's all negated by the fact she isn't here today.” Sighed the rightful Queen of Highcrest. “Where'd she get off to anyway?”

“Last I saw, Snowy has been off making friends.” Brenan said.

“Snowy doesn't talk to people she doesn't know...” Replied Tempest, narrowing her eyes.

“We've been working very hard on that.” The old priest countered, with a slight smile. That's not surprising. Even her little speech problem has been lessening in the past few months... “She's around somewhere, I'm sure of it. Go, find her.” Brenan dismissed her. Tempest quickly rushed out of the tent, and took the air, cloak rippling in the wind when not being disturbed by her wings. The sun was setting, and it was already turning into a cool spring night. It didn't take long for the pegasus to isolate her friend's scent from the general smell of humans. Shit, death, smoke. That's what Turaz liked to say. Although, Tempest doubted it was much different for the ponies of Equestria. Perhaps the stench of civilization is more accurate, rather than just humanity. Snowy's particular smell stood out in it's own indescribable way, just as the smells of Aharôs, Turaz, Eberis, Brenan, Hearth, and the rest of her pegasi did. Tempest followed her nose, which quickly brought her down to the common soldier's camp, the largest and most chaotic of the multitude of sections in Prince Aharôs's army.

Snowy was sitting at a fire, with three rough-looking men, in varying states of combat-readiness. None saw Tempest's approach. “Fancy finding you out here.” The blue-grey pegasus said, announcing her presence.

“Oh!” Squeaked Snowy, jumping up and turning in fright. “Tempest, it's- alright, it's only you.” She sighed in apparent relief, sitting down again. “You- You should join us.”

“Expecting someone else?” Tempest asked, entering the circle and sitting beside her friend.

“Uh-”

“Snowy's a bit paranoid, we think.” Remarked one of the soldiers. “Of course, you probably know her better than any of us.”

“No doubt.” Agreed Tempest. “You know who I am, but I don't know you.” She prompted, pointing to all of them with a hoof.

“I'm Krîzov.” Said the one who had just spoken. His clothing was simple but well-cleaned, and he was the most armored of all, looking ready to go into battle at a moment's notice.

“Heran.” Grunted the second, with the slightest accent, by far the biggest of the bunch, ragged and tough looking. He wore only the brown uniform coat of the Loiar armies, though there was often nothing uniform about the uniforms other than the color brown.

“Bâl!” Cheerfully greeted the final of the three, who seemed too young to be here. Bâl, like the other two, wore the coat, but like Krîzov, had on some degree of armor. “How might I serve, Queen Tempest?” He asked, standing and bowing.

“Take it easy, soldier.” She commanded, imitating Sir Turaz's way with his troops as best she could. “Snowy is scared stiff of most people... So much so that I'm doing the talking for her out of habit right now.” The beige pegasus nodded vigorously in affirmation. “It's a bit odd to see her out with strangers, and humans at that.”

“It's a bit of a- a long story, Tempest.” Snowy said.

“It's our fault, really. Completely ours.” Krîzov interrupted, looking just the slightest hint guilty. “She was just wandering around this morning, looking rather dreary, so we started following, asking her questions. Took a good hour to get her to make a sound beyond nervous stuttering.” Tempest frowned and narrowed her eyes.

“You harassed my friend- a noblemare at that- into talking to you?” She asked, unhappy at the idea.

“In short, yes.” Agreed Bâl, smiling happily. “But then she found her courage, it seems, and started responding.”

“It- It reminded me of how you first approached me.” Noted Snowy. Tempest cringed, remembering how badly she had scared the poor filly, regardless of the fact she had been five and Snowy had been eight. “This time, it only took- took them an hour, not three weeks.” Perhaps Brenan is right, perhaps Snowy is getting better about all this. A Snowy with fear no longer dominating her actions... That could be a very good thing.

“You don't wake up expecting something like this, you know?” Tempest nodded. Oh, I know that feeling. “None of us had actually seen an Equestrian before, so we were very curious. We've spent most of the day learning about Equestria and Equestrians. She already knows more about Sarathûl than we do, though!” Krîzov laughed. “Bâl had never been six miles from his family's farm before the Prince called his banners. Heran hadn't been further upriver than Geradan, either.”

“I've never been past Vatherîon, myself.” Remarked Tempest.

“That's as far from home as I've been too.” Continued Krîzov. “At least westward. I went to the Barrier Islands once. Not much there but rock and scrub-brush.”

“We're hoping that Verâd is just the first step in a long adventure.” Bâl said eagerly. “There's a whole world out there, just waiting to be seen!”

“I know what you mean...” Tempest sighed.

“We- We'll see it one day, Tempest.” Assured Snowy, smiling hopefully at the blue-grey pegasus.

“I'd like to see Halîska.” Heran said out of the blue, staring into the fire. “My family is from there.”

“Halîska?” Asked Tempest, thinking back to her hours of map-staring. “Isn't that just a farming region somewhere in the Empire?”

“It's still my homeland, your grace.” Replied Heran. “Everyone should see their homeland at least once.”

“O- O- Only if it's worth seeing.” Snowy piped up, a dark look flying across her face as she stumbled on her words.

“I heard rumors that some lord in Halîska is petitioning the Emperor to raise the land to a kingdom.” Bâl whispered, looking from side to side. Tempest glanced too; talk of the Empire seemed to attract Duke Îrilôs, no matter where they were. But no man with icy blue eyes appeared, they were safe. “The Halîskai are a tough, strong people who have been through much. I think they deserve to be elevated to a kingdom.”

“Too many kings as it is.” Disagreed Krîzov.

“What does Halîska have to do with us, though?” Asked Tempest, confused on the important of a patch of farmland.

“Nothing at all.” Heran stated. “We were talking about the Far North before you arrived, your grace.” Your grace? Wondered Tempest. That must be how they address royalty in that part of the continent.

“What a coincidence.” Dryly noted the rightful Queen of Highcrest. “I just came from a lesson about the Far North.”

“Did you learn- did you learn anything?” Snowy asked, ears pricking up in alertness.

“No.”

“Oh...” Sighed the beige pegasus. “I just find that whole region fascinating.”

“I don't see why.” Krîzov grumbled. “Just a bunch of cold trees and rocks. I don't know why anyone would live there.”

“That's why no one actually lives there, fool.” Heran stated. “God gave us the Grey Shadow so we could claim this land instead.”

“Indeed.” Bâl nodded. “The alicorns' time had passed, mankind took his place at the top of the world, just as it ought to be. No offense intended towards you, Equestrians.”

“None taken, we dislike the alicorns too.” Tempest replied, feeling the dull embers of the fact the alicorns had all but ruined her family still burning within her.

“Well, you do, they've never done anything to me personally...” Said Snowy cautiously, very aware of the fact she was of the minority opinion.

“You don't hate anyone or anything, Snowy.” Tempest said, patting Snowy's back playfully. “You're a force of goodwill.”

“She certainly sounds like one.” Noted Krîzov. He shifted in his armor, leaning forward over the fire. “If I didn't know any better, I'd say she converted to the Faith and follows it better than any of us.”

“The human Faith is for humans, don't be absurd.” Dismissed the blue-grey pegasus.

“Well, it's actually not.” Piped up Bâl. “Our village priest always said that God was a universal force, for all creatures. It was man's destiny to spread the good word to all other races, just as it had been spread to ours.”

“That's absurd too!” Krîzov protested. “We were the first to receive the word. There were simply no other races that could give it to us.”

“None that we know of!” Countered Bâl, raising a finger. “Alicorns and dragons didn't give it to us, but that doesn't rule out anything else.”

“Maybe there's clues in the Far North.” Suggested Snowy.

“Exactly!” Agreed the young soldier. “All the more reason to go back there!”

“Or you could focus on things that actually exist.” Tempest said. The other four individuals turned to look at her, with varying expressions of incredulity.

“Excuse me?” Asked Krîzov.

“What exactly did you just imply?” Heran questioned.

“Oh, shit.” Swore the blue-grey pegasus. “That was a really poor choice of words, sorry. I was just trying to say that you shouldn't waste time on clues of a mystery race that might not even exist. I didn't mean to say anything about the rest of that.” Tempest gestured broadly with a hoof to the sky, a human hand motion for heaven.

“Heh, even queens apologize to us.” Bâl observed humorously.

“It's against your credit that I'm not much of a queen.” Shot back Tempest dryly. The young human begrudgingly agreed. Time passed on, until the sun set and the moon began to rise in the east, the waxing crescent that it was.

“I really have to wonder how it works.” Mused Krîzov to himself, out loud. “It just doesn't make sense that any living creature could move something so big.”

“The moon doesn't look big.” Remarked Tempest.

“But it- it has to be! Look at the shadow on it.” Snowy interjected. “That's our shadow. The world's shadow.” The shadow of the world... If Snowy was right, and the moon was big, then how far away was it, that allowed it to hold a shadow of that size? Such scale made Tempest feel very insignificant, even more than usual. The pegasus looked uncertainly to her friend.

“And I'm supposed to fight the elder sister of the pony that can move such an object?” She asked.

“I wouldn't recommend it.” Heran said, shaking his head. “Just get her into the open and shoot her a lot.”

“Wisdom.” Agreed Bâl. I wish it was that simple, Tempest thought to herself. “Well, it's time to sleep. Tomorrow is the last day before we reach Seshîlîon. Got to be rested up for battle, right?”

“A sound choice, my friend.” Krîzov affirmed. “It's been very enlightening to meet real Equestrians, I can't thank you enough for your time.”

“You're- you're welcome.” Quietly said Snowy with a nod. Everyone said their farewells, and they departed. The three humans went to their nearby tent, Snowy and Tempest headed back to their camp, and to the tent they shared. The beige pegasus had few friends, and only one of them was in the Blackwind camp, so it had been up to Tempest to secure her anything more than a blanket. In the end, that had meant putting her in Tempest's own tent; and constructing a makeshift divider with twine and a sheet.

Tempest slept nervously that night, as she had ever since they crossed into Verâd last week, when they left the northern fork of the river Aiô behind. So far, nothing was different from Athair, but every step northeast brought her closer and closer to the last thing she wanted to do. The pegasus woke up from nightmares she couldn't remember twice, perhaps even thrice. Tempest wasn't sure, it all started to blur together. Fuck it! I'm getting up now, she decided, cringing at the feel of her sweat-covered coat. Luna must have been preparing to lower the moon, because the eastern sky was just a shade lighter than the west. Still, it was quite dark out... The only people awake at this hour were the camp watch, who'd be sleeping on the supply wagons during the day's march.

Tempest quietly flew out to a nearby stream, and gave herself an impromptu bath. The cold water was far superior to cold sweat, though it'd be some time before her mane and tail dried out. She returned to her own tent and retrieved only her traveling cloak out of it, before walking over to Snowy's resting spot.

“Get up.” She whispered, gently tugging on Snowy's light blue-and-blue striped mane.

“Mmh...” Groaned Snowy, muffled by her pillow.

“Up, your queen commands it!” Tempest ordered as quietly as she could.

“Why...” The mare grumbled. She rolled over and tried to face away, but Tempest moved her back with little trouble.

“Because I can't sleep and I don't want to be alone right now.” Explained the blue-grey pegasus, feeling rather ashamed. Snowy slowly pushed herself up, looking concerned.

“Al- Alright...” She yawned. “I understand.” Tempest tossed Snowy's own cloak to her. “Where are we going?”

“Not far.” It was the her plan to go for a morning flight off into the country, nothing too serious at all. Tempest's vision of not far was different from Snowy's, however, as the beige mare stated her discomfort with moving away such a distance from the camp, with the sun still not up.

“There might be bandits! Or- or Verâdîm scouts!” She protested, looking nervously at the ground they flew over.

“We're not near any road or major river, we'll be fine.” Tempest assured her. After half an hour's flight, it was clear that the sun was indeed rising; and the local wildlife began to emerge. Beyond the farms near the major rivers and cities, Verâd, like Athair, was a rather unique landscape. Most of the wild land on this side of the coastal mountains was open grasses, dotted by copses of trees. There were many lone trees as well, not to mention lines of trees that had obviously been planted along roads and lanes that were long washed out or overgrown. Aharôs had called it an oak savannah, but Tempest noted that the trees were far more diverse than just oak, and realized she didn't actually know what a savannah was supposed to be. There was a general air of stillness about everything, despite the emerging light. Tempest rather liked it.

When Celestia's light finally did break the horizon, Snowy landed near a stream, already looking tired. Tempest followed her down. “I hope Aharôs doesn't want you involved in the battle, it's been barely half an hour and you're ready to quit.”

“I'm not- not a strong flier, am I?” The beige pegasus asked rhetorically, as she laid down. Tempest shook her head. “I suppose it's for the best.”

“Yeah, it really is. I mean, if you were sent into battle, I'd be so busy worrying about you that I wouldn't have time to worry for myself.” Admitted Tempest. Though I'm sure many would approve of such a measure...

“I'm glad someone would look out for me.” Snowy commented, resigned to the fact that she had the worst of both worlds. She looked around at the cluster of trees, lit a golden-orange in the dawn's rays. “At least it will be a beautiful day.”

“Yeah.” Tempest breathed deeply, enjoying the smell of life all around her. Brief as this might turn out to be, it was a good respite from the looming conflict that overshadowed everything she did. Something caught her ear's attention, and she turned around to look in its direction. “You hear that?” Asked she.

“I think...” Snowy replied, cautiously standing back up. Tempest trotted off through the trees, followed by Snowy. Slowly, the sound became more defined, and Tempest beamed in delight. She dashed forward for the last few yards, before finding the target of her attention.

“Bees!” She exclaimed.

“Bees.” Agreed Snowy, moving up next to her. Inside a large, long-fallen log, there was a hive of bees, buzzing around about their business. They were the large, fuzzy, black and gold variety; the kind the humans brought south a millennium and a half ago. The northerly giant bee, the main supplier of honey across Sarathûl. The northerly giant, like the zôsha, the mountain eagle, and about a dozen other assorted animals from the Far North, was one of the species that seemed distinctly out of place in the world, being just a little too different from the animals native to Old Alicornia and Equestria. But unlike the zôsha or mountain eagle, the northerly giant bee had managed to thrive with humans and in the wild as well. This particular hive must've been feral, Tempest saw no signs of any keeper.

“Bees are the best.” Tempest stated, slowly getting closer to the hive.

“Careful, Tempest!” Whispered Snowy, despite the fact the insects probably didn't care about the sounds she made. “They might sting!”

“The northerly giant is a very docile bee, Snowy.” Chided the blue-grey pegasus. “They only attack if you provoke them. I know how to handle them.” Snowy frowned in anxiousness, too afraid to follow. “They've got better things to do than sting me.” Tempest assured her.

“If you say so...”

“See?” Tempest said, standing a few feet from the log as the bees flew in and out. “I'm not doing anything to them, they're not going to do anything to me. It's a mutual agreement, shaped from thousands of years of co-existence with humans.” She stated. “Though heaven help you if you do start messing with them.”

“What happens then?” Asked Snowy, taking a few tentative steps forward.

“Then you die.” Tempest said, with a smile. “They can sting you as many times as they want, like wasps.”

“Like wasps?!” Cringed the beige mare, stopping her advance.

“Equestrian honeybees can't do that, their stingers usually fall out after they attack once. Not the northerly giant, though. No, their venom is strong. I've heard stories of full-grown men being killed by a swarm.” Tempest went on, looking at the bees flying around her. “They can bite, too. Much bigger than they look from back there.”

“How big..?” Snowy asked, looking ready to retreat.

“I'd give the average worker a length of two inches.” Estimated Tempest, looking closely at a specimen on a flower nearby. “I've seen queens twice the size.”

“But they are docile, r- right?”

“Yeah, just respect their power, you'll be fine.” Repeated Tempest. Snowy slowly walked over to her, wide-open eyes never leaving the hive. She let out a breath of relief as she sat down. “There's hundreds of little cells in there, you know. Maybe thousands for a hive this big.” Tempest pointed at the log. “They'll spend all spring and all summer raising their young and preparing the honey. Maybe a good deal of fall, too, if the flowers last that long. The hive shuts down in the winter, hopefully they'll last through it and begin again next year.”

“I hope so too.” Commented Snowy.

“Apiaries usually take less than half the honey produced come harvest time. A strong hive is worth more than the honey it makes to the humans. If a hive is weak, they'll take all the honey at the start of winter and finish it off quickly.” Tempest continued on. “It's really best to open a hive as little as possible, it's believed that the bees keep the internal conditions specially regulated. There's a lot of records of hives that are opened many times usually are weaker and end up failing, as opposed to hives left almost undisturbed. No one is really sure why this is, though... Some people think it helps them fight disease.”

“I've known you ten years, but- but I had no idea you knew this much about bees.” Snowy said, amused but interested.

“I like bees.” Replied the blue-grey pegasus.

“It sounds like you've got more than a passing fancy about them.” Deduced Snowy. Tempest looked off in the opposite direction.

“After everyone left, except you and the others, I decided being queen wasn't worth it... So I thought I should become a beekeeper instead.” She said.

“That's so cute!” Exclaimed the beige pegasus, giggling. Tempest blushed, and scowled at her.

“Beekeeping is a very valid profession.” She defended.

“I don't- I don't doubt it.” Snowy replied. “I think it's a fine notion.”

“But only a notion.” Sighed Tempest. “I've got a kingdom to take, and wars to fight. No time for bees.”

“Maybe not.” Agreed the other mare, with a tinge of sadness. “If you lose, you could still do it.”

“Tempest, the beekeeper... Sounds better than Tempest, second Blackwind killed by Celestia.” Agreed the blue-grey pegasus. Aharôs would never stand for that. Neither would Celestia, come to think of it. She'd much rather see me dead and my line extinguished, once and for all.

“If you start your own apiary, I'll be right there with you.” Snowy declared. “No matter what we have to go through.”

“You might lack for courage, but you certainly don't lack for loyalty.” Noted Tempest. Snowy smiled proudly, pleased at having one of her few strengths recognized for once. Tempest gave one last glance to the hive. “But I guess we should head back now, no doubt the Prince wants to talk to me about tomorrow.”

“Yeah, that seems likely.” Agreed the beige mare. “I regret not getting out more from Nikadîon and the coast mountains. This is so... so, different, but it's so nice...” She lamented, looking over the grasses and trees.

“I know what you mean. I guess it's true what they say then: you never know what you have until it's gone.” Tempest said. “Well, we'll be back soon enough, then we'll have time to explore it all.”

“Watch Aharôs take us over the Dashavon after this, just because you said that.” Snowy remarked with a small laugh.

“That wouldn't be so bad either.”

The journey back to camp took longer, mostly because the wind was now against them, and Tempest had to slow her pace so Snowy could keep up. What had taken half an hour the first time took nearly a full hour the second time; the sun was well up when they spotted camp. Aharôs won't be pleased, I bet... When they reached the edge, Coldstar was there waiting for them.

“My queen, you return.” She acknowledged, looking surprised at Snowy's presence. “I hope you knocked a backbone into her.” Remarked the blue pegasus. Tempest scowled in irritation.

“Yeah, sure.” Grumbled she.

“Really?” Asked Coldstar. “And here I was thinking you were-” The soldier stopped mid-sentence, looking as if she had suddenly realized something. “Never mind, my queen. Prince Aharôs wants to see you.” Coldstar quickly flew off. Snowy had a blank expression on, having gotten used to Coldstar's hostility.

“Drunkard.” Tempest muttered under her breath. “Let's go see what Aharôs wants...”

“Yeah.” Agreed Snowy. The entire camp was quickly packing itself up now, as various regiments assembled and began to fall into marching order. Aharôs's tent was still up, as was Îrilôs's. Being nobility, they'd have someone else clean up after them. Above it flew the white banner of Athair, bearing the blue flower. This particular banner had a crown over the flower, which was the King's banner... A bold statement by Aharôs, signaling that he was de facto ruler of Athair.

“My queen, there you are!” Greeted Sir Turaz, who was standing outside the tent.

“We've been looking all over for you.” Duke Îrilôs noted, popping out from the tent's flap. “Come in.”

“I'll just- just wait outside...” Snowy attempted to dismiss herself, wanting nothing to do with the human leadership.

“No, you too, Lady Farpeak.” The Imperial Envoy gestured for them to come in. That's strange... Tempest thought. Snowy isn't any use to them at all, what could they want her for? Inside, Aharôs and Sir Eberis were looking over a large map of Verâd and Athair, spread over a collapsable table. Mayor Pashal stood off to the side, looking mildly amused by something. Sidâl too was present, Tempest saw, much to her uncomfortableness. Several other minor nobles were present, none of which Tempest had any idea of knowing who they were. Most of the leaders of major houses were off with Prince Reshîv already.

“We've been waiting.” Aharôs stated, looking up.

“Sorry.” Said Tempest. “I... couldn't sleep. It took a little longer to get back here than I thought.”

“I wonder why.” The stern Prince replied, glancing at Snowy. She flinched, and moved closer to Tempest. “In any case, we've already been over the battle plans regarding Seshîlîon. Most of that doesn't concern you, Tempest. We just need you and your pegasi to fly up and direct artillery.”

“That sounds... simple enough, I guess.” Tempest mused. Cannons aren't exactly accurate, how do I direct those? she wondered.

“What we really need is Snowy.” The Prince announced, gesturing to the other mare. Snowy's eyes widened, and her mouth opened, but no words came out.

“Why?” Asked the blue-grey pegasus in her place. “What use could she be to you? Everyone never stops mentioning how useless she is.”

“We all know Lady Farpeak is far from the ideal pegasus, though I don't believe I have ever partaken in pointing it out to her. Recent developments have made some of the skills she possesses suddenly useful to our cause.” Explained Aharôs. “Namely, her mathematical talent. Father Brenan has spoken of it many times, now we put it to the test.”

“Math helps us win this war?” Questioned Tempest, unsure of how that could do anything to help them now. Aharôs didn't answer, but lifted up something from under the table with the help of Sir Eberis. It looked like a long, finned tube, made of canvas and metal. “What is that?”

“This,” Aharôs said, “is a rocket.”

“It's entirely driven by the burning of black powder.” Duke Îrilôs interjected, stepping forward. “It flies high up, and then dives down over the walls of the enemy. As you can see, the tip of the rocket is made of metal.” Obviously. The metal seemed to be almost cracked, though. “We've carved it up to make it break easier. Inside, there is an explosive charge, and when it goes off, it will send shards of metal flying every which way. It's taken me seven years to perfect, and not without a lot of help either.”

“So this rocket of yours, it goes straight past defenses and attacks the enemy directly?” Tempest figured. It was a sound idea, though she was very unsure on the specifics.

“Essentially, yes. It all began-” Îrilôs started to say.

“No stories right now.” Interrupted Aharôs. “Just say what needs to be said, we need to move soon.” The Imperial Envoy sighed, quite loudly.

“Fine. Until Sidâl turned up, I'd never gotten the rocket to explode properly, nor been able to figure out how to make it go where I wanted it to go. He solved these problems at Sturaj, God knows how, and we've been building more ever since.” Continued Îrilôs. “The last remaining obstacle is that we need to calculate the angle of launch and the distance for launching, which no one in this tent knows how to do... Except Lady Farpeak.” The Duke said, smiling craftily. Snowy glanced to the rocket, to Îrilôs, to the Prince, back to the rocket, and then to Tempest, looking bewildered.

“I- I- I- I don't... I don't know if- if-” She attempted to speak, but ended up tripping on her own words. “It's- no, I can't. I'm not- I don't want to- to be a part of this. I can't!” Can't? Tempest questioned. Then she remembered what Snowy said, back at Nikadîon: God's law and man's law are often at odds.

“Our host is asking this of you, Snowy.” Tempest whispered, as calmly as she could. “Neither of us can refuse.”

“But- but-” She tried to protest, looking very afraid of something. The beige mare looked down at her hooves. “I guess I don't have a choice.”

“No, not really.” Agreed Tempest, apologetically.

“V-Very well.” Snowy said louder, enough so that the humans heard.

“Excellent.” Announced Îrilôs.

“You're all dismissed.” Prince Aharôs stated, waving them out. “Be ready to march in ten minutes.” The assembly bowed, and filtered out of the tent. Sidâl nodded to Tempest as he passed.

“I hope we can talk again soon.” He said, before moving on.

“I hope not.” Tempest muttered. Soon enough, only Snowy, Aharôs, and she were left.

“Snowy, wait outside. I think Tempest wants a word with me.” Ordered the Prince. The other mare silently obeyed, practically bolting out of the tent. Tempest didn't speak, however. “I know you have something to say.”

“Do you?” Asked Tempest, trying not to sound too upset.

“I've raised you for ten and a half years, Tempest.” Aharôs replied. “I know you better than you know yourself, sometimes.”

“Fine, I'll go with it.” The pegasus said, scowling. “What exactly were you thinking, Aharôs?”

“I needed someone that can make the rockets practical. Snowy is that someone.” He answered, clasping his hands together. “I regret it has to be her, but I don't have a choice either.”

“Why not Brenan? He can do math better than Snowy!”

“Brenan is a priest, he can only kill under one circumstance, and he made it clear that aiming the rockets would make him partially responsible at least, for whoever dies from them.” Said the Prince. He shook his head. “I didn't want it to be Snowy. Contrary to your opinion, you're not the only one who knows her. I'm quite aware of how seriously she takes her values. In fact, I might be more aware than you.”

“Likely.” Grumbled Tempest.

“Unlike Brenan, Snowy has taken no binding oaths. Snowy is also supposed to be a soldier, this is what she was raised to do.” Continued the Prince. “Try as we did, we couldn't raise her to do anything close to what you are capable of. She can do math, though. And that is an ever-increasingly important part of war in the last century, as Îrilôs has pointed out to me.”

“But- She's Snowy!” The pegasus exclaimed.

“I'm aware.”

“It's really a bad idea to make her do something like this, it'll tear her up for weeks!” She stated. Aharôs looked at her for a moment, then nodded slowly.

“Good... That's the proper reaction. The business of war is serious, and we must remember the consequences. I can think of no one better than Snowy for such a thing.” Aharôs spoke, turning to the map. “We have rampaged through Verâd for twenty years, with no end in sight. Until now. I mean to end this by any means necessary, something Reshîv has failed to do time and time again. I would rather Snowy look at this and share my horror, than for some belligerent like Mayor Pashal to look at this in glee. Do you understand?”

“...No.” Answered Tempest. She honestly wasn't sure what Aharôs was trying to get at.

“That's fine. Some things can't be put into words easily.”

“I just think that you don't understand.” The pegasus said back. This caused Aharôs to laugh, a very rare sound.

“You sound like Reshîv when he was your age. Believe me, Tempest, I've gone through all this before, just with him.” He leaned closer, and lowered his voice. “You're a far superior person, however.”

“Uh, thanks.” Said Tempest, feeling awkward but a little proud at the same time. “Is that all?”

“Is it? You're the one that wanted to talk to me, not the other way around.” Aharôs turned away and walked to where his armor was laid out. It was a dull grey-silver color, inlaid with gold. Tempest swallowed nervously, once again reminded of the impending battle.

“Yeah, that's all. I guess I'll see you later.” She said, leaving the tent. Snowy was sitting outside, pointedly not looking at Sir Turaz, who was also waiting outside. “Let's go.” Tempest stated quietly, spreading her wings. Snowy silently flew after her. Indeed, silence was the rule of the day, for the most part, as the two pegasi separated themselves from both the main column and their own group. Snowy had a look of conflict about her, and Tempest felt it was her duty to make sure it didn't boil over into anything dangerous. Mostly dangerous to herself, mused the blue-grey pegasus. She'd try and do something stupid, like fly off to who knew where, not realizing she's got nothing to help her survive out there.

When nightfall came, there was a brief stop to eat, and then the column moved out again. Redfern was the first to spot Seshîlîon, just an hour after sunset, and word quickly spread out through the column. They camped a few miles from the Verâdîm castle, a good ways behind a low ridge, and the humans spent a good deal of effort erecting defensive measures to keep out raiders. Just as had happened the night before, Tempest did not sleep well. The same now went for Snowy too. At one point, Tempest got up and looked outside at the night sky, up at the moon.

I wonder if they can see me? she thought to herself. The moon stared back, unanswering. They said the Nightlord not only controlled the moon, but ruled the dreamworld as well. Can Luna do the same? Maybe she trying to exhaust me before I even get to Equestria... Such a thought was chilling. To enter the mind of an individual, to attack it in the deepest recesses and know its greatest weaknesses and greatest fears... I don't stand a chance against something that can do that.

But what if that was what Luna wanted her to think?

What if the whole plan was for Tempest to second-guess everything she did?

“Madness...” Tempest whispered under her breath. “Madness!” Suddenly, Celestia seemed like a mundane brute in comparison to her little sister's web of shadows.

“Madness?” Asked someone she hadn't seen. Tempest jumped and tried to face the newcomer, wherever it was. Out of the shadows emerged Sidâl, stepping into the pale white light of the moon. He was clothed too heavily for the season, for some strange purpose. Come to think of it, he's always clothed too heavily. “I hear you've been having trouble sleeping.”

“Who told you that?” Asked the pegasus, eyes narrowing and ears beginning to flatten against her head.

“You did, this morning.” Replied Sidâl, who stopped his advance several feet from her. “Specifically, you told Prince Aharôs, but I was in the room. A man remembers, does he not?” Tempest immediately felt stupid, a far too common occurrence for her liking.

“Yeah, that's right.” Recalled the pegasus. “Why are you out here at this hour?”

“I don't have much need for sleep anymore, thus, I'm often awake. But you, Queen Tempest of Highcrest, you have need for sleep.” Sidâl said, reaching inside his coat to some unknown pocket. He took out something that shined in the moonlight. “This should help calm yourself, and perhaps your friend too if she sticks near enough.” The man extended his hand, and Tempest moved to look closer. It seemed to be a little crystal, colored darkly, but still possessing a sheen.

“What is it?” Asked Tempest, suspicious of the would-be gift.

“Something I picked up in the West.” Replied Sidâl, still offering the small object.

“West... The lands bordering the far side of Lazkadai?” Questioned the pegasus, recalling the just how blank the maps were on many of those regions.

“Further. West, west as far as west goes.” Sidâl said, a subtle energy seeping into his voice. “What's the saying? To the edge of the world, and beyond.” Tempest's hostility fragmented, and evaporated. She had never met anyone who had gone beyond Lazkadai before, let alone further!

“What's beyond the edge?” She asked, sounding more like a mystified filly than a queen.

“Nothing.” Stated Sidâl, before a knowing smile came across his face. “Everything!” He nearly exclaimed. The pegasus blinked, confused by the conflicting statements the man had made. “I have seen things you would never believe, young Tempest. So many things.” Sidâl looked off into the night's abyss, filled with a million lights.

“Maybe I'll go there one day.” Tempest said quietly.

“Maybe you will. Maybe you won't.” Replied Sidâl. “But that's enough of my memories. What was it he said, again? You have a hard journey ahead of you, Tempest. Get some sleep.” Sidâl returned his hand to his pocket, but this time it emerged with a little burlap bag, which he put the crystal in. Tempest picked it up between her teeth. “It's the fortieth day of spring, right?”

“Fâôfna fa fortief.” Agreed the Pegasus, through the bag in her teeth.

“Fâôsna the fortieth, good.” Sidâl nodded to himself. “Right on time. I must go. Sleep well, young Tempest.” The man walked off into the darkness, back the way he came, disappearing as quickly as he had approached. That was unusual, Tempest said to herself, but completely in line with what I expected. What did Tempest expect? Something she didn't expect at all. At least there weren't any indecent questions this time.

Sidâl's little crystal did everything he said it would. For the first time that week, Tempest slept soundly, and without fear or nervousness. In the morning, Snowy remarked on how peaceful it had been after she went back to sleep the second time. Of course, morning was relative to the hour, dawn was still beyond the horizon when Hearth woke them up. Snowy had to calculate the launch angle and distance for the Prince's new rockets; Tempest needed to don her armor. It was mostly a silent affair, all the pegasi had been to battle before, excluding their queen, and their hostage-turned-guest.

“Are you ready?” Asked Hearth, after he placed the helmet on her head.

“As ready as I'll ever be, uncle.” Responded Tempest, shaking her head about to test the straps. They held, as was to be expected of such high quality work.

“No fighting for you today, unless things go terribly wrong. I'd say they won't, but...” Hearth looked a bit guilty. “This is Aharôs Loiar we're with, his life has a habit of going wrong.”

“At least he's got a kingdom.” Grumbled the younger Blackwind. The two walked out into the light, from the armory tent the pegasi had been given to use; not a simple task for Tempest with two swords pointing back along her forelegs. Files of Athairîm troops were already make their way out of camp, in full armor, banners and sigils flying high in the pre-dawn light. Rows of pikemen flanked by arequbesiers, halberdiers, and standard men-at-arms streamed out whichever way on their pre-determined paths up to the low ridge. “This doesn't seem like preparation for a siege.” Noted Tempest, watching knights and cavalrymen ride by.

“If you had come to yesterday's war meeting, you'd know that Prince Aharôs doesn't intend a siege.”

“What?” Asked Tempest, confused. “Is he going to storm a castle on the first day?”

“You'll see.” Said Hearth. The two flew up to the low ridge, and just as the sun began to rise in the east, Tempest saw the vast array of cannons lined up on the top. Just below them were the rockets, tilted towards the sky for whatever reason. The army of Prince Aharôs was assembling beyond those, a line of assault columns in near-perfect formation, more suited to a field battle than a siege.

“He really is going to attack immediately!” Gasped Tempest, heart sinking as she imagined the levels of carnage that were going to ensue. About a thousand yards distant was Seshîlîon, a pentagon of a castle, with arrowhead-shaped turrets, rather than the old round ones Tempest had seen along the river Aiô. Above the central keep flew the deep green banner of Verâd, bearing a silver swallow. Tempest felt her stomach begin to flutter, as she saw the golden light of morning reflected on what surely were soldiers of the castle's garrison on the ramparts and walls. Hearth moved up the ridge, to a cluster of standards and tables. Opposing the Verâdîm swallow was the Loiar flower, which itself was accompanied by the confusing black-and-white checks and the plain red that was surely Duke Îrilôs's banner, and to Tempest's great surprise, the silver and black cyclone of House Blackwind. There was Prince Aharôs, the Imperial Envoy, Sir Turaz, and many others from the previous day. Oddly, Sidâl was not among them. Also waiting was Coldstar and Streaming Breeze. Everyone was in some form of armor, and they were all armed.

“Good morning, Tempest.” Aharôs greeted, without a hint of cheer.

“How does everyone get here before me?” The Queen of Highcrest asked, in a weak attempt to take some of the edge off her growing unease.

“Magic.” Dryly stated Mayor Pashal. “I thought you Equestrians would know of such things.” Coldstar opened her mouth, but was prodded into silence by Hearth.

“Today,” began Prince Aharôs, “is the beginning of the end of the Verâdîm rebellion. For twenty years, my father, and then Prince Reshîv, have dealt with them leniently. But always, they have raised arms again.” Aharôs drew his sword, and pointed it at Seshîlîon. “No more. When I am finished here, Verâd will be put in its rightful place. This campaign will be short, efficient, and successful. If a castle refuses to yield, flatten it. If a city stands against us, raze it. If the peasants revolt, destroy them. We will burn Verâd to the ground if we must. I would rather be the king of ashes than have my authority contested by this lot. Is that understood?”

“We do.” Was the unanimous answer.

“Good.” Aharôs waved them off, as he sheathed his sword, and picked up a bright red flag that had been leaning against the table.

“I hope Snowy got her numbers right.” Îrilôs said quietly, but loud enough that Tempest heard.

“She did.” Affirmed the blue-grey pegasus. She's too afraid of what everyone else would do if she got them wrong.

“Tempest, take your pegasi to the air, work out who reports to us, and who observes the battle.” Ordered the Prince.

“As you command.” Tempest replied, nodding her head. A small voice asked why a queen was showing deference to a prince.

“Now, the gloves come off.” Aharôs said to no one in particular. He picked up the red flag, waved it from left to right, and then swung it down. Nothing happened for a few seconds...

And that's when Tempest heard the roar. Dozens upon dozens of Îrilôs's rockets screamed upwards, white smoke and flame pouring out, as they raced into the sky. Some went astray, others came apart in flight, but the majority arced up and up, until they ran out of their flame and turned down... Right into Seshîlîon. She didn't see what exactly happened, but a series of explosions ripped across the tops of the walls and the courtyards. Those are too clean to be black powder explosions, Tempest noted, eyeing the lack of white smoke with a touch of disturbance.

A sharp horn blast sounded, and the Athairîm cannons opened fire. Further down the ridge, the drumbeats began, and the columns moved forward. “Have you gone mad?” Tempest questioned sharply.

“No.” Said Aharôs, with a collected look. “Now take to the sky, Tempest.” The pegasus ignored him, and put her hoof down.

“Why are you sending them to charge at a wall? That's suicide!”

“Get in the air, and find the most lightly defended section.” Ordered Aharôs firmly. “Streaming Breeze carries the flares. Mark the section, and by the time those men get there, there won't be a wall to charge at.”

“Cannons don't work that fast, Aharôs.” Protested Tempest, spreading her wings nonetheless. A dangerous cunning shone in the pale grey eyes of the Prince.

“Who said anything about cannons?”

Author's note: Sweet mother of mercy, we're actually gonna have a battle next chapter! I wonder what Aharôs has planned? Also, I made Photoshop STFU and do what it was supposed to do, and made you guys the maps I promised a while ago. This shows Verâd, Athair, and some surrounding areas. If you can't see it well, tell me, I'll figure out how to fix it.

Map of Locations

Map of Polities

The Battle of Seshîlîon

“Column, advance!” Shouted Sir Turaz, pointing his halberd in the general direction of the Verâdîm castle. His orders were echoed, back along the line. This is madness! a voice within him protested. We don't even have ladders!

“An unnecessary burden for you.” Aharôs had told him, last night as they went over last minute preparations. All the other columns were carrying ladders with them... Not his. And now, here Turaz was, walking straight at the tall ramparts which had withstood no less than six attacks by Prince Reshîv and his henchmen. Cannonfire roared over them all, screaming its way to whatever was unfortunate enough to be its target. Occasionally, the Verâdîm would get a few shots back at them, though they were more focused on the opposing artillery than what seemed like a foolish attempt to storm the walls.

“God save us all.” Commented one soldier in the column, as they marched straight at the looming fortress. The drumbeats picked up their pace, and the snaking line lurched forward, light glistening on a thousand helmets and blades in the morning sun. Turaz wasn't entirely concerned with God right now. The Lord of Heaven save what it may, but this is man's dominion. Nevertheless, he had partaken in the dawn prayer; for his sake, his soldier's sake, and even the sake of the Verâdîm.

A small pillar of dirt and debris shot into the air not ten yards away. They were firing back, but slowly. The rockets Îrilôs and Aharôs had concocted must have taken a heavy toll on the trained artillerymen in the castle. I suppose that was the idea, the knight thought. The Prince doesn't want me dead before I come within a furlong of the walls. It was easy to die when one was leading a column from the front, as Turaz did. He looked up, and saw the Blackwind pegasi circling high above the tasseled pikes. It couldn't have been more than a few minutes for the column to close within crossbow range of the castle, not more than two hundred yards; but to the knight, it felt as if he had been leading them towards the grey bulwark for hours. “Halt!” Ordered Turaz, raising a hand.

“Halt!” Screamed the sergeant behind him, loud enough to bring the column to a lurching stop. From the walls, a volley of bolts came flying towards them. Most flew short of their mark, but a few men in the front of the column fell, and Turaz felt something graze his helmet. I really ought to close my visor!

“Down!” Cried out Turaz, and the sergeant bellowed the command. Like a row of books stacked against one another, the column fell into a kneeling position, hoping the meager rises in the ground would offer some protection from further arquebus attack.

“Sir, what are we waiting for?” Asked the someone, half-falling forward on crouched legs. Turaz recognized him as the sergeant, by the small chain hanging off his right shoulder. “We'll be cut to pieces out here!” The knight caught his breath before responding, not rising from the ground.

“We need to wait for the flare.” He said.

“What flare?” The sergeant questioned, sounding angrily confused behind the half-visor of his helmet. “They didn't tell us about a flare!”

“The Prince told me!” Shot back Turaz. “The Blackwinds will use a flare to signal where the defense is weakest.”

“And that will alert the Verâdîm to where we're going to attack!”

“That seems to be the plan.” Sighed the knight. “We're supposed to stay right here, two hundred yards from the wall. No closer. The second flare will signal our advance.”

“God damn-” Swore the sergeant. “Alright, we wait here, and pray we don't die uselessly.” Five volleys of crossbow and cannon shot followed from the walls, each one shaving town Turaz's column a little more. The field was becoming so thick with white smoke that it was almost impossible to see the castle before them, let alone anyone else further away. A whistling scream pierced the air, then, a sound the knight knew from plenty of fireworks. It was followed by a white light, burning brighter than most fires.

“The flare!” He exclaimed.

“Do we attack now?” Asked the sergeant.

“No, wait. Give the others some time to move. Five minutes. Look for the second flare.” The sergeant nodded, and remained on the ground. Drumbeats sounded in the distance, as their fellow columns moved off through patches of white smoke. Turaz's column stayed put, flanked by the columns of Captain Eshanis of Sturaj and Baron Kairôs, from one of the Thecha fiefdoms. Another light screeched into the blue sky, launched from one of the Blackwinds, perhaps even Tempest herself. How do they light a fuse with no hands? Turaz wondered briefly, before standing.

“Column, rise! Prepare to advance.”

“Rise!” The sergeant yelled after him, like a hurricane among squalls. “Form up!” Prince, whatever you have planned, it better work, vowed Turaz. I didn't come all this way to die standing here doing nothing.

It was at that moment that the smoke began to clear, pushed by an unworldly wind. The column of men muttered amongst themselves; the field grew uneasily silent. Was it because the fighting had moved elsewhere, or was it something else?

“I don't like this.” Turaz said to the sergeant. He shivered, and then realized that it had gotten cold. Very cold. Cold...

“What's happening, Sir?” Asked the sergeant. Turaz only shook his head, and wished for his cloak, as his breath began to mist in front of him. “This isn't natural!”

“No.” Agreed the knight. Aharôs, you are a bold one. Turaz grimaced, thinking of a thousand ways this could go wrong.

“Madness!” Exclaimed a man in the column, as the once-fresh grass now frosted and crunched beneath everyone's feet.

“On second thought, everyone down again.” Sir Turaz spoke, kneeling on the now-cold ground once more.

“Down!” The clank of armor sounded, as the entire column knelt once more in a wave of motion. All the black powder smoke from the cannons had been dispersed, swept away; Turaz saw that the wall before him seemed to be... I don't know any words for that. It was as if the wall was being... twisted? No, it was far more subtle. Shifting? He really didn't have any word for what was happening. But, Turaz knew where this was headed. One way or another, that wall wouldn't be there for long. All the heat seemed to as if it were being pulled from the surrounding area, leaving cold to fill its place.

“What causes heat, sergeant?” Asked Turaz.

“Uh... There's a lot of things... Fire?” Guessed he, seeming rather unsure why the knight was choosing now to ask him such a pointless question.

“If you had a hot enough fire, what could you do to stone?”

“Well, I guess you could melt-” From behind his visor, the sergeant's eyes widened. “No. That's impossible, magic died here a thousand years ago, with the alicorns!” He exclaimed in disbelief.

“Apparently not.” Retorted Turaz, lowing himself onto his elbows. The sergeant did the same. “I've seen the aftermath of something like this before... Whoever is behind this-” The knight couldn't finish his sentence, as a great crack was heard from the wall. What it was, Turaz couldn't say. And then a tremendous blast of heat slammed into him, like a blacksmith's furnace on a winter's night. It was too bright to look at directly, but Turaz could tell the wall itself was collapsing into molten liquid, pouring towards the ground at an ever faster rate.

“Holy shit!” Yelled the sergeant in awe and terror. “Holy shit!”

“Lord of Heaven!” Exclaimed a soldier, perhaps the same one that had proclaimed this madness not a few minutes ago.

“What the fuck?!” Yelled someone else at the same time. The white-yellow glow burned brilliantly, and the cold was displaced by a searing heat that forced Turaz to turn his head away. Even from two hundred yards, the temperature was becoming uncomfortable, nearly unbearable. Any closer and we'd be cooked! Turaz muttered a small prayer for the Verâdîm who had been nearby. This is a horrible fate, for anyone.

And then, as quickly as it had started, it began to stop. The white-yellow faded into orange, and then red, as the floes of liquid rock cooled. Quickly, the freezing cold rushed back in, cracking and popping the smooth remains of the former wall. Rushes of steam flew up from the black, charred mass. Frost once again radiated out from the site of destruction, turning the scorched earth a pale white.

“Column, advance.” Turaz stated, standing.

“Into that?” The sergeant questioned, looking wildly back between the knight and the unworldly power they had just witnessed.

“That's an order, sergeant.”

The man took a deep breath. “Column, advance!”

Once again, the drums sounded, and the snaking line lurched forward. When they got within one hundred yards, completely unopposed, Turaz gave his next order. “Battle line!” On command, the arquebusiers and other men-at-arms slowed, letting the pikemen move to the front. Turaz and the sergeant moved behind the front lines, into the center of the forming mass.

“Enemy ahead!” Announced someone. Sure enough, in the massive, melted gap, the Verâdîm were showing themselves. How anyone that close survived... It was best not to think on such things right now. But they were disorganized, the Verâdîm crossbowmen fired in small bursts, not in large volleys. What damage they did was easily taken.

“Arquebusiers, form up!” Shouted Turaz. The forward rows of pikemen knelt down and lowered their pikes, giving them gunmen a clear shot. Behind them, matches were lit, and weapons aimed. “Fire!”

A clattering chain of blasts sounded, with a wave of white smoke washing over everyone. They moved forward once again, leaving the arquebusiers to reload. Turaz snapped his helmet's visor closed with a gauntleted hand, and firmed up his grasp on the halberd. Fifty yards... “Double time!” The knight commanded. In the column, the drums picked up pace, as did the men following them. They sounded like the pounding of a giant clock, waiting for the carnage to truly begin. Verâdîm crossbowmen continued to fire, but they were quickly being replaced by a motley contingent of soldiers, flying the green and silver swallow. Thirty yards... Someone choked and fell as a bolt slammed into his neck; Turaz resisted the urge to check his own gorget. Twenty yards... “Column, charge!”

“Column, charge! Vî-Athair bâlen!” Shouted the sergeant, speaking the ancient battlecry of the kingdom.

“VÎ-ATHAIR BÂLEN!” The column affirmed in a mighty, unified roar. The pikemen lowered their weapons and sprinted for the gap, as fast as armored men could run. Like a silver wave, the rest followed, tassels and banners waving unsteadily. Below the knight's boots, the formerly molten rock was hard and smooth, almost difficult to stand upon firmly. More than one soldier lost his footing, but they were all replaced by the oncoming tide of the Athairîm.

It was only a few seconds before Turaz found himself in the grimly familiar chaos of close battle. The pikemen's pikes broke or got stuck in another man's armor, they pulled out their swords, while the halberdiers and others piled through the disruption the pikemen had caused in the enemy line... Or that was what Turaz expected to happen, had the Verâdîm a line to form. They must have been still reeling from the display of unworldly forces that melted their wall, and going by the charred courtyard with its piles of charred masses, melted many of them as well.

Then, the knight too had entered the fray, stabbing outwards with his halberd, trusting in the soldiers to either side to fend off flanking attacks. Not that the Verâdîm are in any condition for such strategy... The long spike on the tip of his weapon got lodged in an enemy's breastplate, Turaz struggled for some precious few seconds trying to pry it out. A swordsman delivered a swift kick, and the halberd came loose. More Athairîm troops still poured through the gap, in a flood of white, blue, silver, and grey. Only two kills to my name, noted Turaz, as he let the younger soldiers rush past him. No one would risk trampling over one of the Prince's own knights. In minutes, what was left of the Verâd fighters were dispersed and killed; the courtyard was now for Loiar.

“Sergeant!” Barked the knight sharply, though out of breath from the run and the fighting.

“Sir!” The soldier ran up, bloodied sword in hand.

“Secure these walls, signal our cannons to cease fire.”

“Right away, Sir!” The nameless sergeant nodded, and ran off again. How much energy does he have? sighed Turaz, leaning on his halberd. Scattered sounds of clashing came from all around, mostly holdouts on the ramparts, but within only a few more minutes, the courtyard and battlements now solidly bore the white and blue flower. The Athairîm milled about, some doing purposeful tasks, others taking cover from the keep, some just standing around.

“The real question is, where is everyone?” Asked a man-at-arms, as he cleaned his blade on a cloth.

“Verâdîm like to hide, my father said.” Spoke another soldier, who was collected the fallen banners of the enemy. “They're probably watching us from the keep, even now. Don't know how many are left after...” He shuddered, and almost dropped his pile of banners. “That.”

“I'd be hiding too.” Agreed the man-at-arms. “Sir Turaz, do you know what it was?”

“Huh?” Asked Turaz, caught off-guard that someone knew his name.

“Yeah, you're a knight. They must have told you about things like this in school.” The banner-collector said.

“I was knighted on the battlefield, soldier. Before that, I carried boxes in Surana.” Turaz replied. “I wasn't taught anything.”

“But they say you were in the Highcrest expedition!” Protested the banner-collector. “Surely, you saw magic there.”

“Not this kind.” The knight stated, shaking his head. “I've seen a unicorn lift a cup, that was about it. Unicorns have this glow when they do that kind of thing. This... Nothing but cold and...”

“The flicker?” The man-at-arms suggested.

“That's a word for it, I guess. Nothing but cold and flicker to warn us that was coming.” Said Sir Turaz. “Whatever that was. Not the kind of magic I saw in Equestria. But enough talk, get back to your duties. The enemy is still in the keep, and we need to get in. Be mindful of marksmen.”

“Understood, Sir.” Nodded the banner-collector. He and his companion moved off around the keep. Turaz retreated to the gaping hole in the wall, watching the keep for any signs of movement. The old arrow slits were all walled up, and the cannons on the uppermost battlements were silent. Maybe we did kill them all. In the sky, the Blackwind soldiers were still circling, barely more than specks. One of them was Tempest... He couldn't tell which, even if his eyes had been what they were twenty years ago.

“Sir, the Prince has arrived.” Announced Turaz's sergeant, walking up briskly. His visor was now opened, and as the knight had suspected, he was indeed a young one.

“Has he?” Turaz asked, looking out at the fields. Sure enough, the Prince's banner flew at the head of a small column of heavily-armored zôshamen. Behind them, with a team of six zôshai pulling it, was a lone cannon.

“Looks like he intends to force entry into the keep.” I still don't have a name for this kid, Turaz realized suddenly.

“What's your name, sergeant?” Questioned the knight.

“I'm Haior. Sergeant Haior, of the village Krîsab.” Said Haior, bowing.

“Krîsab, across the sound from Tashan?”

“The very same, Sir.” Haior nodded.

“I spent a night there once. Long story.” Remarked the knight. How long ago had that been? What year had it been? It must've been the late 1480s, before the Equestrian expedition. God save me, I'm getting old! lamented Turaz. Soon, though, Prince Aharôs and his company had dismounted and scaled the gap.

“Impressive work.” Aharôs commented, exhaling heavily. He was in armor, the same Turaz had first met him in, but this time lacking a helmet, and having gained a cloak.

“It wasn't us, Prince.” Protested the knight. “We don't know what did it- In fact, we thought you knew.”

“Oh, I know.” Said Aharôs, looking back down the slope of formerly molten stone. The air was still cold, and the ground frosted. “Bring up the cannon! I want this keep to be ours within the next bell!”

“My Prince, the keep has been silent since we took the courtyard.” Announced Sergeant Haior, bowing again. “We're not sure if there's even any soldiers left in it.”

“Nevertheless-” Aharôs looked at the lone chain of Haior's right pauldron. “-sergeant, we need in. And then I deal with whomever is inside. Seshîlîon swore to my house, and then broke that vow as soon as it was convenient. There's justice to be served.”

“So there is.” Agreed the knight, though he wasn't very keen at all on the Prince's ideas of justice.

“Aharôs!” A familiar voice called. Out of the sky, Tempest Blackwind had appeared, landing a little too heavily. This didn't seem to stop her one bit, though. “There's a way in on the top!” The pegasus exclaimed.

“Really?” Questioned the Prince, dryly. “Perhaps that is how they got their cannons up there.”

“No-” Tempest groaned, before shaking her head. “No, there's a door on top of the keep, it's slightly ajar.”

“Go make it more ajar. I'll see what we can do about ropes and ladders, perhaps we can attack from the top down.” Mused Aharôs, staring up at the keep. It was easily forty feet tall, they'd need to stick some ladders together to reach the top. It sounds bad even in theory. “Tempest, have your pegasi secure the roof, and break that door if they can. Then report back here, I don't want you getting killed pointlessly in your first battle.”

“Yeah.” Nodded Tempest in agreement. Some queen, Turaz scoffed, before reminding himself that the pegasus was several months shy of sixteen. Still a child, by human law. The same could not be said for Lady Snowy, the timid, stuttering coward that she was. Tempest flew off to the top of the keep, staying close to the walls but away from any openings. Quite quickly, she and Waterborn had returned; the latter going off to find ropes to help raise the ladders with. Aharôs had sent word out as well, men from Baron Kairôs's column were passing said ladders up through the gap in the wall.

“It's taken less than an hour to capture a castle that Reshîv failed to take six times.” The Prince said, smiling. It was a rare sight.

“Reshîv doesn't have magic on his side.” Turaz commented, watching the Thechai soldiers push up Aharôs's cannon; a task significantly harder than carrying ladders. “Do you care to explain that, my Prince?”

“At a more appropriate time.” Dismissed Aharôs with a wave of his hand. “We have Verâdîm to deal with.”

“They don't seem so tough. You've killed most of them in minutes.” Said Tempest, looking uneasily at the keep. “Duke Îrilôs sure knows how to make a battle short.”

“Those rockets took months to make, and years of study and experiment, I was told. But they've proven most effective, at least in rather windless conditions.” Replied the Prince. “I fear we've witnessed the birth of a new tool of war.” He turned around, and checked the progress of his cannon. Fortunately, it was nearing the crest of the gap.

“We're almost there, my Prince!” Yelled Baron Kairôs, a youthful and eager man, given the fact he was one of those helping push the cannon. That's certainly a way to gain respect of the commoners; work alongside them. I wouldn't have minded having Kairôs rule Surana, back then... “Push!” Shouted the Baron, throwing himself against one of the wheels. With great effort, the cannon was rolled onto the highest part of the gap, and the team took a break to catch their breaths.

“Excellent work.” Congratulated Aharôs. “Can you hit the gate from here?”

“What?” Asked someone from the group.

“Can you hit the gate from here?”

“God willing.” Stated a soldier, an artilleryman, by the the white feather in his helmet, and his obvious difficulty hearing... “Just tell us when to shoot, my Prince.” They kept it loaded all the way here!? Madness! Someone could have been killed, just the wrong spark in the wrong place...

“Then break down that gate.” Ordered the Prince. Tempest jumped into the air as best her armor would allow, and flew off a good twenty yards. Sir Turaz, Sergeant Haior, Prince Aharôs, Baron Kairôs, and everyone who wasn't operating the cannon simply covered their ears. The cannoneers shuffled about, aiming the weapon just where it needed to point. One produced a long rod with a smoldering hook, and stuck it in the back of the cannon.

Even with his ears tightly covered, Turaz jumped at the tremendous blast, and soon found himself covered in the white smoke of gunpowder explosions. “Can't see a thing-” someone grumbled.

“Well?” Loudly asked the artilleryman who had spoken earlier. “Did we hit it?”

“Gate's got a hole blown right through it!” Exclaimed a soldier below.

“Haha!” The artilleryman crowed in triumph. “It's all yours, my Prince!”

“Not quite yet!” Shouted Aharôs in reply, loud enough for everyone in the courtyard to hear him. “Arquebusiers, give us covering fire.” He ordered, drawing his sword. Turaz hoisted his halberd up, standing close to his liege. Sergeant Haior in turn stood beside the knight. Around them, Baron Kairôs, the Thechai troops, and Athairîm soldiers all gathered, forming loose ranks. “Set your marks...” Metal squeaked and boots shuffled on stone, Turaz and Haior closed their visors. “Fire.” A rattle of shots and a veritable storm of white smoke was unleashed, once again shrouding the keep from view. If only some kind of smokeless powder was possible... Turaz sighed to himself. “Forth!”

Many soldiers shouted their kingdom's battlecry, even some of the men from Thecha, but Turaz and the Prince said nothing as he joined the rush. The bold yells of the charge quickly turned into the anguished and tense shouts of combat, as they learned where the Verâdîm had been hiding all this time.

“Any tricks this time?” Asked Turaz, before they went through the ruined gate.

“No. We'll do this the way it's always been done: with fire and steel.” Prince Aharôs threw off his cloak, and followed his soldiers inside. Here we go.

Turaz of Surana spent the next hour fighting room to room with Haior and the Prince not far away. It was a terrible blur of blood and pain, and he nearly killed one of their own before realizing that some Athairîm had made it to the roof, and were now attacking from above. The keep was theirs not long after. When Turaz emerged back into fresh air, he sat down and laid back against one of the walls. Aharôs was not in as poor a condition, he still had the energy to drag the castle's lord out alive, and summoned Verâdîm prisoners and Loiar-sworn soldiers alike to the scene.

“What is your name?” Demanded the Prince, throwing the man to the ground. He was in the typical Verâd green, his armor was dented and broken in several places. Blood leaked out from someplace hidden. Lined up by the keep, those captured alive looked on uneasily.

“T- Tetarôs Nôlov.” Gasped the lord of the castle. “Count of Seshîlîon.”

“I seem to recall house Nôlov proclaiming loyalty to my kingdom.” Recounted Aharôs, pacing around the wounded Count. Turaz looked off to his right, finding Tempest Blackwind standing there, looking frightened and shaken and splattered by blood. How'd that happen? wondered the knight, before focusing back on the Prince's growing monologue. “But here you are, flying the banner of the rebellion that has plagued us for over twenty years! I wonder how this came to be?” Aharôs waved his sword in the direction of the Count.

“Verâd is for the Verâdîm.” Declared Tetarôs Nôlov. “We will not be ruled by foreign upstarts!”

“Zhevakôs Loiar is your King by law. Verâd law. Athair law. Imperial law.” The Prince stated. “Verâd is, by law, as much a part of Athair as Thecha is.” Baron Kairôs crossed his arms, and nodded slowly, agreeing with the Prince and dispelling any ideas in his own soldiers. “You, Tetarôs Nôlov, by law, are a traitor to the realm, and thus have earned a traitor's reward. Cut off his head.”

“Coward!” Spat the Count of Seshîlîon. “If you're going to kill me, do it yourself!”

“So be it.” Aharôs said coldly. He sheathed his sword, walked away from the lord of the castle, and took an arquebus from the hands of a soldier. “I'm afraid my weapon wasn't forged for beheading, though. This will have to do.” He pointed the arquebus at the Count's head.

“You-” Whatever the Count had to say, it was cut off as Aharôs pressed the firing lever.

“Lord of Heaven.” Quietly said Sergeant Haior, from nearby. The smoke cleared quickly, revealing an Aharôs that looked very collected.

“From now on, I will do my executions with a shot to the head. It is far more merciful than an ax or sword to the neck.” Stated the Prince, looking at the body. “Someone, get this cleaned up. Baron Kairôs, it seems house Nôlov has forsaken this castle, it is now yours. I'll have Îrilôs draw up the writs of attainder for the rest of them.”

“My Prince-” Began Kairôs, looking incredibly shocked and most pleased. “I can't begin to express my gratitude.”

“You can continue fighting for me as you have today.” Dismissed the Prince, handing the arquebus to the soldier he took it from. “To your tasks, soldiers.” Slowly, a murmur of conversation and movement returned to the courtyard. Chains clinked as the few Verâdîm soldiers they had captured were put in chattels. Those who could not fight were left free, to move somewhere else, or continue their work in the battered stronghold that now belonged to a man who had never seen it before the previous night.

“You've won a great victory today, my Prince.” Turaz said, standing wearily.

“Indeed. I did not enjoy it, but I will do it again and again if I must, all the way to Dônara-Kur. The war ends by Saint Zefîr's Day.” Aharôs replied firmly. Saint Zefîr's Day? That's the fall equinox... They had a season and a half to crush the Verâdîm once and for all. Could it be done? But there was another, more pressing question Turaz had:

“Queen Tempest, what happened to you?” The young pegasus jumped at being addressed.

“I- I'd rather not talk about it right now.” She said shakily.

“First time killing?” Questioned the knight again. Tempest looked away.

“I have to go.” The pegasus replied, taking flight and heading back in the direction of camp. Definitely her first time, then. Wouldn't be surprised if she gets sick... Or if she already has. Turaz had, all those years ago. It was far messier than the stories made it out to be... No doubt that had shocked the exiled queen too.

“And I told her to stay put... Looks like I'll have to talk to her later. I remember Heranôs not sleeping well after his first kill, I won't have the same for Tempest.” Observed Prince Aharôs grimly, referencing a distant time from his youth. “Getting a fifteen year-old girl to understand something like this...”

“You'll find a way, my Prince.” Turaz stated, stifling a yawn. “You've brought her this far already, and done a damn fine job of it.”

“Sometimes I've doubt that.” Aharôs mused quietly.

“Good. I had the same thoughts raising my own children, it always drove me to try harder to get things right.” The knight replied. Aharôs's pale grey eyes squinted at him questioningly.

“I'm not Tempest's father.” He said dryly.

“No, but you're as close to one as she'll ever have.” This seemed to silence the Prince, as he stared off into nothing very intensely. “Tempest knows right from wrong, very strongly. It's easy to see where she gets that from.”

“So it is.” Agreed Aharôs. “I must talk to the Imperial Envoy now. You may take supper on your own.” He stated, quickly walking off down the gap to his zôsha.

“Sir, you have quite a habit of making people leave.” Sergeant Haior said, approaching with a helmet full of water, which he then splashed over his head.

“It comes with getting old, I fear.” Sighed Turaz. “You shouldn't put water in your helmet.”

“Princes shouldn't fight without helmets.”

“Fair enough.” Turaz looked at the top of the keep, where the banner of house Loiar now flew. If they kept winning like this, Saint Zefîr's Day would see everyone home in time for harvest.

Whoever survived, that was.

Author's note: Uh oh, looks like trouble found Tempest while Aharôs and friends were inside. Yeah, I glossed over a lot of the fighting, mostly because I don't think an hour of brutal close-quarters melee is something I want to write. The rest of this was troublesome enough as it was, thus me taking 11 days to get it out. Shame, Mr. Hood, shame! By the way, if you're imaging a zôsha to look like a horse-sized this, you are correct.

If you see any errors, please tell me. If you have criticisms, questions, anything, please tell me. I can't improve unless you speak, dear reader!

Field Report

Author’s note: I’m very disappoint in how long this took. I tried to write another Luna chapter, got stalled, things happened in the real world, and then I pumped this out in four days. The dullness of this chapter will pay off in about ten more sections. Mayhaps fifteen.

What a fucking mess, Tempest thought to herself, for what felt like the hundredth time that day. I knew something would go wrong. It was hard to believe that sixteen hours ago, she had been standing in the courtyard of Seshîlîon, stained with blood. Not her blood, thank God, but blood all the same. The steaming water had washed it all away, though.

That didn't seem to matter to Snowy, as she continued to stare at Tempest, with an expecting look. The blue-grey pegasus sank lower into the bathing basin she had acquired from Duke Îrilôs. “I guess you want to hear the story too?”

“W-well...” Snowy paused, looking off at nothing. She had been silent as she helped Tempest wash earlier, but now no longer. “I wouldn't mind... Just nothing too vivid, please? You know how- how I get around blood...”

“Alright. There isn't a whole lot to tell, but I'll do my best...” Tempest began narrating her tale. It had been a few minutes after Prince Aharôs had sent her to make the door on top of the castle more ajar. As the other pegasi and she had worked on knocking the door off its hinges, there had been sounds from below...

“Did you hear that?” asked Streaming Breeze, a mare with a deep-red coat.

“Looks like they caught on to this little scheme of Aharôs's.” Coldstar replied, leaping back into the air. “Everypony up, we're about to have company!” The often-drunk general spoke in her native Equestrian, as did all the other pegasi. Tempest understood well enough, but her ability to speak it in return was not as sharp as it ought to be.

“Finally!” Sighed old Redfern, sounding relieved. “We can't let our human partners have all the fun, can we?”

“Not at all!” Agreed Waterborn, the other aging stallion. All ponies present were lightly armored, and bore two short blades strapped to their forelimbs. Tempest was a special case, she had actual swords, and adjustable ones at that. I'm barely worthy of such weapons, Tempest thought doubtfully.

“Are you r-really narrating your thoughts?”

“Quiet, Snowy.”

“Intruders!” Exclaimed a voice, in Tarsen, from the darkness of the castle's interior. The Verâdîm accent was nigh indistinguishable from the Athairîm, even to Tempest, who could hear far more than any human. “They're trying to come down from the battlements!” The pegasi flew up into the air, circling the access door. Tempest fell in with them, feeling her heart beat ever more rapidly. Didn't Aharôs tell her not to get involved in anything? It was too late now, a dozen green-clad soldiers rushed out; several of them burned, still on their feet nonetheless.

“Where'd they go?” Asked one of them. “It's n-” No one would ever know what he had been about to say, as Coldstar swept down, plunging her blade right through the back of his neck.

“-the fuck?!” a Verâdîm yelled. And then the fight began; pegasi using their superior speed and agility, humans using their longer reach and greater stability. Lord of Heaven, Tempest swore to herself, swallowing nervously. What was she supposed to do? Just keep flying in circles? Aharôs told me to report back to the courtyard-

“Tempest!” barked Coldstar, as she narrowly dodged a swinging halberd. “Get in here!” Before the doubt could seep in again, she as she was told, plunging towards the Verâdîm attacked the General. Tempest's right foreleg found itself extended, sword angled for a piercing blow, rushing straight for the joint between the soldier's breastplate and shoulderguard.

The impact was much more jarring than training had prepared her for; as the sword's tip bounced off the thicker breastplate, missing the joint by several inches. “You little fuck!” The Verâdîm growled, swinging the halberd at her. The hammer opposite of the blade smashed into her side, sending Tempest reeling off into the air. She recovered as best she could, despite the flaring pain just below her right wing.

Tempest brought up her right-hoof sword, and made another swing. The halberdier would have none of it; her merely stepped aside and pointed the eight-inch spike above the blade and hammer at her. A competent halberdier could penetrate even the best armor, even the best armor made in Ar-Athazîon. The Verâdîm jabbed at her, and jabbed again as she was forced back, trying to parry the blows to no effect. Tempest went for another attack from the side, but the human was too quick, smacking the pegasus in the face with flat of the halberd's blade. She went tumbling out of the air, and onto the stone surface of the castle roof. Shit shit shit- Tempest cursed, attempting to stand up normally, despite the pointy and narrow blades that extended her forelegs by several feet. Shit! Was this how it ended? Killed be a common footsoldier on some castle thousands of miles from her birthright? No, that's now how it would end, she wouldn't let it end that way-

“You think two swords will save you?” spat the Verâdîm, as he readied for a killing blow. “Fucking Athairîm pet. I think I'll take your wings for trophies.” What?

For a brief second, Tempest was shivering and soaked, in the aftermath of a storm, watching her mother die, mutilated by the alicorn princess as she was. Celestia had taken her wings... Now this Verâdîm wanted Tempest's.

She had no words, not even a shout of rage for the Verâdîm. There was only the swoosh of her wings beating as they never had before, and the sickening squelch of both her swords cutting through his neck. A spray of red hit her, the scent of iron filled her nose suddenly, mixing with the metallic aftermath of the disturbing display of sorcery that brought down the wall, and the smells of her fellow pegasi. The Verâdîm hit the ground with a clank, choking and gurgling as blood continued to spill from the gaping slash across his neck.

“Never expose your neck like that, my queen.” Streaming Breeze commented, landing beside Tempest. “And never gloat before you finish your enemy.”

“He's not dead yet.” said Tempest, the burning hate that had fueled her moments before draining away rapidly at the sight before her. Gone was the looming menace that had merged with Tempest's image of Celestia for a split-second; this dying wretch was just another person. He shook and jolted, slowing as he went paler an paler, a sickening gurgle coming from deep in his throat.

“A delightfully cruel move on your part.” Coldstar lauded, smiling smugly. “It was a just measure; he probably knew what happened to your mother. Bet he didn't reckon on this...”

“I thought it'd be quick...” Tempest said quietly, a chill coming upon her. She glanced around, it seemed the her retinue had dispatched the Verâdîm attackers. Redfern and Waterborn were hacking at the door, finishing their work.

“War is a messy business, my queen.” Said Streaming Breeze. “This is just the beginning.” Tempest slowly moved away from her would-be killer's body, and jumped into the air.

“Where are you going now?” Asked Coldstar. Tempest didn't answer, and instead headed off for the wooded area some few furlongs to the north.

“T-that was it?” Snowy questioned. Tempest put her chin on the edge of the basin, as she stared at the ground.

“That's where the action ended.”

“But, you flew off to the- the woods, you had to come back too.” Snowy continued on, looking slightly confused.

“I-” Tempest paused, and looked up at her friend. “Don't tell anyone, alright?”

“Of course not!” Proclaimed Snowy, indignant. “I- I don't throw away ten years-”

“I know, I know, I can trust you more than anyone else here.” Tempest interrupted, a bit more sharply than she had intended. She glanced around cautiously. “After all that, I went off to the woods because... Because I wasn't feeling too well.” Tempest took another look around before going on. “I emptied my stomach, then I paced around and worried, then I cried, then I got angry, then I got scared, and then I went back to the castle to see Prince Aharôs kill the Count without a second thought. That's what I did.”

“You cried?” Snowy raised an eyebrow, and tilted her head.

“Yes, alright? I did. I admit it!” said Tempest, her face going warm. “And Aharôs tried to tell me there wasn't any shame in being so upset, but everyone else acts like there is! Even him! Even you, Snowy!”

“If I treat what you s-say more lightly than what I'm actually thinking, then- then you're less likely to shut me out.”

Tempest sighed. “You really have known me for ten years.” She slumped lower into the water, now no longer as hot as it had been. Her ears fell as she frowned. “I don't know, Snowy. It's just a fucking mess.”

“It i-is.” nodded Snowy, walking around the basin to face Tempest directly. “But you do the best you can with what you have.” Tempest snorted.

“This isn't like the time you broke your wing!” She retorted. “This is life and death! I killed someone!”

“And- and- and- I contributed to the deaths of dozens more by- by aiming the r-rockets for Îrilôs.” Snowy shot straight back, with a tone of bitterness. Right... “Sometimes, y-you can't do what you feel is- is right. So you t-take the next best option and- and you live with it.”

“It's just a fucking mess.” repeated Tempest, rising out of the cooling water.

“Yes.” nodded Snowy, breathing deeply. Somewhere in her mind, she was dispelling the tumble of emotions that all too often tried to show themselves at the same time. Tempest jumped out of the basin, and trotted outside to give herself a hearty shake. Her fur was still damp, and her mane and tail wouldn't dry until morning, but at this point, she didn't care. She alotted herself a quick look at the moon, and wondered if Sidâl's crystal would keep Princess Luna's nightmares away tonight.

“Snowy,” began Tempest as she walked back into their tent, “uh...” The biege mare was already in her cot, curled up under her blanket.

“Mmh?” Snowy responded, peeking out.

“You've been having bad dreams, right?” Asked the blue-grey pegasus.

“Yeah.”

“Tell me if you remember any tomorrow.” Stated Tempest, thinking of Sidâl's little black crystal.

“Alright.” Agreed the beige mare, sounding a bit skeptical. She closed her eyes and put her head down again. Soon, Tempest too was in her own bed, sleep taking hold quickly. When she woke up, sometime in the middle of the morning, it seemed the previous night had not been a fluke. Sidâl's little crystal really had kept her sleep nightmare-less. But not dreamless.

Tempest remembered quite vividly the strange, surreal settings of her dream. It had been more like a series of images and events, some of which were warped beyond all recognition, some of which were painfully familiar, and some of which made no sense whatsoever. In that dream, or perhaps series of dreams, she had seen such things as a blank stone wall, a bulky white object shrouded in smoke, an alicorn appearing to be the manifestation of sunlight, the banner of Athair flying free in the wind, her own mother, a grim-looking human with half his face mauled away, an obelisk stretching into the sky surrounded by snow, a cannon on a broken carriage, a dark wooden chest, an unnaturaly empty room, and dozens of more things that the pegasus wasn't even sure of how to describe. Even now, it was all fading away. I better write this down...

That was how Snowy found her, a good hour later. “No nightmares, Tempest.” She reported with a yawn.

“Dreams?” Asked the rightful Queen of Highcrest, a quill-pen still in her mouth. This is unnecessarily difficult, she remarked to herself.

“Uh...” Snowy blushed slightly. “N-none of any noteworthiness.”

“Hmmph.” Grunted Tempeset, putting down the quill-pen. That's a polite way to put it. I have to wonder what goes on in that mare's head... Perhaps it was best not to know? “Well, I had dreams. Or a dream. A lot of really weird little images.” Snowy trotted over quickly, and read over the list, green eyes going down, up, down. The shaky, often skewed, and sometimes not even connected Tarsin letters didn't seem to deter her at all.

“This is- is definitely strange.” Agreed the biege pegasus. “Do you think they're m-memories?”

“Memories?”

“Yes. Maelstrom was in it. A-and you've surely seen Athair's banner many times. Nikadîon has- has many stone walls too.” Explained Snowy.

“No doubt. But what about the alicorn?” Tempest asked, frowning at the paper. “And the obelisk? I've never met a human with half his face gone either.”

“Celestia does control the s-sun. Perhaps you- you just saw her, as you imagine her?” Tempest could agree with that. In her mind's eye, Celestia was rather frightening to behold... Terrifying would be a more apt description, Tempest thought with a tinge of shame. “And there are a few obelisks scattered a-around Sarathûl, I've heard. There's one in Halîska, actually.”

“Alright, so suppose I have heard about these obelisks before. But what about the man?”

“You're afraid of w-wounds?” Snowy suggested.

“But Sidâl said there wouldn't be any more nightmares!” Protested Tempest, laying back her ears and scowling.

“What?”

“Right... Sidâl gave me this little crystal last night. He said it protects against nightmares...” Tempest stood up and walked over to the collapsable table besides her cot. She picked up the burlap bag, and turned it upside down, dispelling the black crystal.

“Now that's interesting.” Commented Snowy. “Well, it has worked.”

“Exactly. I'm not afraid of being hurt, I'm afraid of being amputated.” Tempest stated.

“R-rather having an amputation performed on you.” Corrected the biege mare. She was ignored.

“So who was the mauled man?” Wondered the rightful Queen of Highcrest, looking up at the tent's canvas ceiling.

“I have no- no idea. He's not from anything I've read or heard about. Nor anyone w-we've ever met. He might be someone you imagined up.” Snowy said. The two gave up trying to figure out the mauled man's identity, as Tempest figured her friend's explanation for things was best. Maybe with nightmares blocked off, I just dreamed up things I recalled to fill the gap? It was certainly possible, as far as she knew. They probably didn't even mean anything; except the recollection of her mother.

As usual, Tempest had missed the normal waking time, and so had Snowy. Breakfast had already been taken care off, so the two held out for dinner, which was to be with Prince Aharôs. Today was a quiet day in the human camp, as soldiers took rest. Word was that they moved out again tomorrow, onto the next defiant castle, carving a path through Verâd to wherever Prince Reshîv would be when they found him. Unlike the previous week, there were more clouds in the sky than usual. Tempest found the coolness quite welcome. Not so welcome was the sudden but quite expected appearance of Duke Îrilôs.

“Ah, Lady Snowy!” He greeted, gliding out of nowhere. “I must again congratulate you on your wonderful work with the rocket trajectories. We couldn't have done it without your help!” Snowy cringed, and looked down.

“You forced her to take part in your war, stop pretending it was a choice.” Sighed Tempest. If Îrilôs was taken aback at this, he didn't show it.

“My queen, you always dampen my spirits.” He said, with a mocking frown. “But the truth of the matter is, we owe your companion much and more. With work like this, we'll be through with this nasty business by Saint Zefîr's Day, just like the Prince told us.”

“Of course.” Tempest nodded, wishing the Imperial Envoy would go away. Duke Îrilôs trailed them, babbling about the latest developments in Ar-Athazîon. Human politics, almost as bad as ours. Soon enough, the three arrived back at the Prince's tent, which was once again set for a meal. This time it was all selection of various greeneries, plus bread and soup. However, there were far less places set than usual.

“Good afternoon, Tempest.” Aharôs said with a nod, as he looked over his map of the region. It was labelled The Kingdom of Athair and Verâd, and showed both realms as one in the same. Someone must think we've already won, noted Tempest. “I hope you don't mind if Îrilôs joins us.”

“Not at all.” The blue-grey pegasus replied, trying not to grit her teeth.

“Fear not, Snowy can stay.” Spoke Aharôs, now moving to sit down. “There's no meat in this meal at all, you can take what you will.”

“Thanks.” Acknowledged Tempest, to both statements of the Prince's. Both Equestrians sat as well, opposite of the Duke, and to the right of Aharôs. There was one final empty spot, but it was not filled yet.

“I must admit, this is going better than expected so far.” Said Îrilôs, as he cut a roll of bread.

“We've still got plenty of time left to be fucked over.” Aharôs replied, grimly. “I'm not counting on anything right now.”

“What of your brother?” The Imperial Envoy asked. Wrong thing to call Reshîv with Aharôs, Tempest thought as she shook her head.

“Half-brother.” Stated the Prince, stabbing a carrot so hard with his fork that it broke in two. “Half-brother. The only thing we have in common is the same father.”

“Ah, so it is.” Îrilôs said calmly. “Are you saying we cannot trust him?”

“I wouldn't. Reshîv is a fool, an arrogant, beloved fool, far too brave to be ruling a kingdom.”

“Wait- too brave?” Interupted Tempest. How can you be too brave?

“Yes.” Nodded the Prince. “He takes unnecessary risks to further his own glory. That's what warriors do. The King is not a warrior; he is a soldier. And a good soldier doesn't put everything on the line for his own gain. Neither does a right and proper King. When the stakes are your land and your people, you do not gamble. Reshîv is a gambler.”

“And yet, many still prefer him to take the throne, over you.” Îrilôs mused.

“Personal charm.” Spat Aharôs. “He's nearly fifteen years younger than me. While he was playing in the gardens, I was adminstering this land as my father descending into madness! While he's out bedding every girl from Sai-Karza to Terâd, I've been keeping the entire realm on its feet! I am the only reason Athair hasn't collapsed into a web of court intrigues and power struggles, and everyone still wants Reshîv for King!” The Prince fumed.

“Well, you do look you're always sick...” Tempest noted. It was true, Aharôs was pale, his eyes were sunken, and his face was gaunt.

“P-p-people prefer signs- signs of strength, in their l-leaders.” Agreed Snowy, speaking for the first time.

“Impressionable idiots.” Aharôs growled. “Appearance means nothing.”

“Were it that the masses followed such lines of thought.” Tempest turned to see Sidâl enter the tent, that curiously unremarkable man, in his heavy coat.

“Were it so.” Agreed Îrilôs, pushing out the chair beside him.

“Good day, Queen Tempest, Lady Snowy.” Sidâl said with a bow, before sitting. “Good day to you as well, Prince Aharôs and Duke Îrilôs.”

“Sidâl, how long before we can bring down another wall of that size?” Asked Aharôs straight away. Huh?

“Were you behind that?” Tempest questioned before he could reply. Sidâl gave her a sidelong glance, and took his time to reply.

“...I may have been involved.” He said quietly. “It'll be at least two weeks before we can use such a power again.”

“Two weeks?” Asked Aharôs indignantly. “We'll be at our next target within four days!”

“You are meddling with forces beyond your understanding, my Prince.” Sidâl retorted, louder and more sharply than usual. “This is not the Equestrian magic that infuses the world. These are dark powers, ancient powers, terrible powers that would turn on you in a second you believe them to be subservient to you. It would be wise to take caution when dealing with them.” His warning seemed to silence everyone. Tempest shivered.

“...Very well.” The Prince said emotionlessly. “What news from Equestria?”

“My friend reports that Celestia is gathering a new army, composed of pegasi and unicorn warriors. The normal kind-”

“Earth ponies.” Tempest interjected.

“-Earth ponies, are most likely to be used as auxilaries, which I extrapolate to mean living shields.” Snowy looked repulsed at such a notion. “It seems the Sun Queen's firstborn has a taste for cold efficiency. You Equestrians are hard to kill, a solid wave of them attacking would be hard to deal with.”

“Cannons, my friend.” Noted Îrilôs.

“Cannons may prove vulnerable to magic attack. Celestia is training her unicorns in the ways of alicorn warcraft. Should they invade, our assault columns will be easy targets. Any massed infantry will be.” Sidâl continued. “However, the rockets we have developed may prove even more useful against an Equestrian army. My friend across the sea believes the attack will be on Tashan, should they go through with this. You Athairîm know your land, you would be able to fight from the mountains and woods quite effectively against them.”

“Tashan? I would attack Surana if I were going to invade my own kingdom.” Prince Aharôs said, putting a hand to his chin.

“My Prince, it is likely that the Equestrians are working with out of date maps. They may not even know Surana exists.” Explained Sidâl. “It gained status as a city on your royal charter only in 1354. For an alicorn, that is very recent.”

“Wasn't D-Discord cast out in- in 1357?” Snowy asked. You ought to know that exactly, Snowy. You're the historian here.

“Sometime around then. Before any of you were around, that's for sure. But the point stands: Celestia will most likely move on Tashan; it's a vital hub of trade for this corner of the world.” Stated Sidâl. “If she attacks at all. I doubt the seafaring ability of Equestrians.”

“Very good to know.” Aharôs replied.

“I should tell you that Princess Luna has been sent to a new city in the works, to prepare it against a would-be invasion of ours. Canterlot, is what my friend called it.” Continued on Sidâl. “But the different between us and Celestia is that we know we can't win a war a thousand miles away in a hostile continent.”

“I should hope so.” Agreed Îrilôs. “Is that all from Equestria?” The plainly-clothed man nodded.

“Is- Is there anything e-else interesting, going on?” Snowy questioned timidly when no one else spoke.

“There's a dragon in Ar-Athazîon, returning the courtesy of the Emperor's embassy six years ago.” Sidâl said, as if it were nothing to him.

“Now that's unusual...” The Imperial Envoy remarked, leaning back in his chair. “My uncle should've told me. But I'm more interested in the fact that his wild scheme paid off. I didn't think they'd make it to the dragon lands.”

“The dragons didn't expect them either, from what I heard. But I'll let you find out about that on your own.” Sidâl dismissed the issue, before seeming to remember something else. “Oh! The garrison at Kakâdras has reported a sighting of a strange beast.” Tempest knew that Kakâdras was one of the greatest fortresses barring the passes into the Far North. “Someone spotted it with a spyglass on a ridge some few miles away. In fact...” He reached inside his coat, and pulled out a letter that had been crumpled up at some point. “To Financier Kairôs Gadis, Honorable Master of Coin for Our Lord the Emperor. It is with great disturbance I report to you the first confirmed sighting of the beast my men have been reporting for the past eight months. I'm sure you remember the accounts of the strange tracks from my previous letters. But now, we know what this creature looks like; Arquebusier Zefîr of Nûvasar spotted it this morning, and called me and the officers to see. It was an eerie thing, crooked legs and arms far longer than those of any man. It moved with purpose, in a slow, deliberate gait, along Red Herik's Ridge. I cannot say for sure, but I am convinced I saw the flash of metal in the sunlight, several times. By the time my scouts reached the ridge, the creature was long gone, but the tracks it left match the ones we've been seeing for some time. I repeat again, that there is something not right in the Far North. We should reinforce the garrisons of all fortresses. There is a chill in the air that has not once left since winter; even though we are well into spring... Something is not right. Signed, Sir Lîetôs Neshta-Taizares, Commander of the Kakâdras Garrison and Captain of the Eastern March.” Îrilôs had leaned in to look over Sidâl's shoulder as he read.

“Why are you reading the Captain's letters to Kairôs?” He asked. Kairôs must be the Emperor's Financier, I guess Îrilôs knows him personally, Tempest deduced.

“This is a copy I was sent. I think.”

“Sir Lîetôs is still around, I see.” Remarked Prince Aharôs. “I met him when I was a boy...”

“We of house Taizares tend to live long, even those of us in junior branches. However, he is getting quite old... I doubt he saw anything more than some oddly-clothed but bold explorer.” The Imperial Envoy replied. Tempest only yawned.

“Fascinating.” She said dryly. “Are we just going to talk about irrelevant things, or is there a reason Snowy and I are still here?”

“You ought to hear about what's happening in your homeland.” Stated Aharôs. “The Queen of one of the most powerful of the pegasi kingdoms shouldn't be lacking in information. And from what Brenan's told me, Lady Snowy enjoys to learn about new things.” Snowy readily nodded in agreement.

“Aren't you preparing Lady Snowy to be your right-hand, er, right-hoof in ruling Highcrest?” Asked the Imperial Envoy. What? I am? “You two are always together, what else could you be doing?” It was a logical conclusion, or would be, if it weren't for the fact Tempest already had no idea what she was doing even in Sarathûl, let alone on the throne.

“Tempest and Snowy are each the only real friend the other has.” Aharôs enlightened Îrilôs. “They don't have much choice unless they want to be lonely. For all I know, Tempest could realize she actuall hates her once she's around more Equestrians her age.” That was certainly something that had never occurred to the blue-grey pegaus before. It seemed not to have occurred to Snowy either, as she looked rather crestfallen at such a notion.

“Snowy's been a loyal friend for ten years, there's nothing fake about that!” Shot back Tempest. “I'm not just going to- going to throw her aside!”

“There is no need to be upset.” Îrilôs spoke calmly. “I'm sure the Prince didn't meant to imply anything, my queen.”

“Indeed.” The Prince agreed. Tempest snorted.

“Are we relieved yet?” She asked.

“You are.”

“A shame you didn't come close to causing any diplomatic incidents this time.” Noted the Imperial Envoy, smiling in self-satisfaction as he so often did.

“If you want, I can make trouble between the legitimate government of Highcrest and the Empire.” Offered the exiled Queen.

“Oh, I'm not looking for trouble.” Îrilôs put his hands up. “Carry on, my queen.”

“Sleeping well, your highness?” Sidâl asked, ending his period of silence. Tempest hesitated before answering.

“...Yes.” She replied. Sidâl drummed his fingers together, but spoke not. “Thanks for dinner.” Tempest said, before nudging Snowy in the direction the tent's exit.

“Th-thanks.” The biege pegasus said as well, as she left.

“I hope we don't have to have supper with them as well.” Muttered Tempest. They walked in silence for a few minutes, having nothing else required of them today. Snowy kept on staring off into the distance. “Something's on your mind.” Obsereved the blue-grey pegasus.

“Mmh?” Snowy answered, distractedly.

“You're thinking pretty heavily right now.”

“Oh, r-right. I am.” She shook her head, striped blue mane hitting Tempest in the face. How does she keep it clean if its so long? wondered Tempest, stepping back a little. But it was a minor concern. “You remember what- what Brenan's taught us about the Far North, right?”

“Yeah. Famine, overpopulation, things like that happened. The Eight Tribes of Man moved south, and fought with the alicorns for living space.” Tempest recited as best she could.

“It seems mundane, but explainable, right?” Prompted Snowy.

“I'd agree with that.”

“So if humans were driven south by en-environmental and social factors alone... Why do they have f-fortresses blocking every pass that goes north?” She asked, looking in that direction. “Why would you need garrisons of- of soldiers to keep a centuries-long vigil on an empty land? Why would the Emperor waste all that- all that money? Unless...” Snowy trailed off, looking at Tempest pointedly.

“...Unless it wasn't a waste.” The blue-grey pegasus said quietly. Her friend blinked, perhaps she hadn't said what Snowy was expecting.

“Well, th-that's one way to put it. It must cost thousands of marks a year to maintain the March, from the Eastern S-sea to the Peaks of Heaven. There must be a good reason behind it!” Proclaimed she.

“There must be.” Tempest nodded in affirmation. “Any ideas?”

Snowy sighed at her, and narrowed her eyes. “I don't know, Tempest. Perhaps that letter Sidâl read?” Oh... Right, the letter speaking of the mysterious beast. That might have been relevant, Tempest. Aharôs is right, you really don't pay enough attention...

“Ah. Uh...” She searched for words. “I guess it might be something important. Maybe... Huh. I might have been right, Snowy.” Tempest said, looking brighter in expression. “Maybe something evil did happen! And they don't want it coming after them again!”

“Something like that.” Snowy nodded. “Whatever h-happened up there, we're not getting the full story.”

“I doubt we're ever going to know. Once we're done in Verâd, we go to aid the Emperor, Aharôs said. At least that was the general idea a month ago.” The blue-grey pegasus squinted north. “But I would like to find out. Even if it is a hopeless dream.”

“Yeah... We'll see where l-life takes us, I guess.” Snowy follower her gaze to the low hills on the horizon. They were definitely not the mountains dividing Sarathûl from the Far North, but they served a similar purpose of limiting how far Tempest saw. “I would like to- to see that place.”

“I don't know... I think we're better off staying south. At least here we've got the Prince to fall back on. My uncle isn't in the best condition, and the others...” She frowned. “I'm not too fond of them.”

“Me either. E-especially Coldstar.” Snowy muttered, getting a dark look. She's got a more valid reason to feel apart from them than I. She's a failure in regards to marehood in every aspect... Except loyalty, I guess. Few Equestrians qualified as loyal in Tempest's judgment. Not for the first time, Tempest found herself wondering what her life would be like if things had turned out differently. It was best not to dwell on such things. There are seldom few words sadder than “what could have been.” A saying from the humans' holy book, one of many such bits of wisdom. Regret over the past was a futile, consuming thing. What was done was done; the future was what she should look toward.

But sometimes, when all she saw was uncertainty, looking forward was hard.

Moonrise

It was like a sharp, hot knife of agonizing pain had been slammed into her head. Headaches! The worst! Luna growled to herself, trying to stay on her hooves. Tonight, she was stationed in the newly-finished and stocked cartography room of Canterlot Castle. The maps had arrived just two days ago from Everfree.

“Are you feeling well, Princess?” Asked Goldleaf the Lame, in that high, clear voice of his.

“No, Goldleaf, We are not well.” The Regent of the Moon sighed, ears falling briefly. “But there is always work to be done, tonight included.”

“Very well.” Nodded the mahogany-coated unicorn. “With the land surveys complete ahead of schedule, I've had our unicorns begin sounding the river. It's far more shallow than we thought before; it is unlikely any ocean-going ship could make it to Canterlot, let alone past settlements further towards the sea.”

“We do not think it likely the humans would advance so far inland, then; were they to attack.” Luna deduced.

“Perhaps. Perhaps not. Waterways have always been prime channels of transportation... With the right leaders and luck, they could march across Equestria and back again.” Replied Goldleaf. The two looked at a map of the land, richly illustrated, but of questionable accuracy. “Do you think they know that there's just another ocean to the east of us?”

“It is impossible to say. Our granduncle says that Old Alicornia is a far vaster land than Equestria...” Luna's horn lit up as she pulled down a heavy, rolled-up canvas, unfurling it across the table. The use of magic made that confounded headache even worse, but she grit her teeth and ignored it.

“I don't believe it...” Whispered Goldleaf in awe, looking over it. “I've seen maps of Sarathûl before, but this... This is actually in Tarsen.” He moved his face up close against the plunging lines of vertical script the human's written language consisted of. “I can't read a word of it, but it's amazing nonetheless.”

“That is why We chose it.” Her hoof spread across the whole sheet, from the Eastern Sea and Athair, down and over to Ar-Athazîon, up the long river Karthâ, all the way to what modern Equestirans called the Peaks of Heaven, written as Kaisavon here. On the other side was the mysterious land of Lazkadai, and beyond that, the Western Horizon; the edge of the world. To the edge of the world, and beyond. That's what they said, the creatures who lived there now.

“Has anypony explored beyond the Peaks of Heaven?” There was an interesting story behind that name, Luna recalled. It was a translation of Kaisavon to Equestrian, which originally had been a misunderstanding of the ancient humans in regards for the real alicorn name for those mountains.

“Every year, there are humans that try to make the journey. Few ever return.” Answered Luna. “Our knowledge on Lazkadai is shadowy at best. Personally, We know of nopony who has ever made it as far as the Peaks of Heaven, let alone crossed into Lazkadai, and let alone crossed the entirety of Lazkadai, to whatever is on the other side. Some say there are more humans, others say dragons; yet others claim something else entirely. We have no real information on it.”

“Surely, my princess, you could attempt it some day.” Suggested the unicorn, a statement that took Luna by surprise. It was an interesting notion.

“Some day, I may.”

“You slipped out of the Royal plural, Princess.”

“It is this headache.” Luna grumbled, frowning, ears going flat again. “But observe, Goldleaf. Old Alicornia is twice the size of Equestria, if not more. We think it likely they will believe our continent to be the same size as theirs, used to the vastness as they are. Therefore, the humans will not attempt to penetrate very far into the interior. It would be a foolish venture, in their eyes.” Explained she.

“All it takes is one map though...” Goldleaf didn't sound convinced. “Then we'll have frenzied humans marching east and west across our realms. The horror...”

“Our sister will ensure that does not happen.” Luna reassured the unicorn stallion. “Speaking of Our sister, it would be a fine time to sleep now. She arrives some time past dawn.”

“And I just got use to the nocturnal schedule...” Sighed Goldleaf.

“We will be continuing the nocturnal schedule; but we must support Celestia.” The midnight alicorn stated.

“Of course.” Goldleaf nodded. With that, the crippled unicorn bade her a good night. Luna walked alone through the bare halls of Canterlot, still needing to be decorated, and to her temporary chambers. Once, the royal guard would have been near, but they were no longer among the living. It was unusual to be going to sleep at such an early hour of the night, but Luna's headache made it so that she did not protest.

“Do you need anything to help you sleep?” Asked Greenstone, her unicorn servant, once the midnight alicorn had returned to her chambers.

“Anything at this point.” Groaned Luna, falling into her bed. Greenstone promptly brought some kind of tea; the Princess didn't particularly care what kind it was, or what was in it, so long as it did its job. And it did do its job quite well, as the world faded into a serene blackness... The dreamworld came.

Luna woke with a start, not knowing why she was so on edge. Golden light streamed through the crack between the window and the curtain. “How odd...” She remarked to herself, stretching her hooves and back. Did I dream of something? I must have... But what? It didn't matter right now, her sister would be here soon. Maybe she already was here. Luna had already donned her regalia by the time Greenstone realized she was awake; after that, it was just a matter of roaming Canterlot castle until she found her sister. As it turned out, Celestia found her first.

“Good morning!” She greeted, far cheerier than she had been a month ago. “It's been a while, hasn’t it, Luna?”

“Celly!” Luna exclaimed, running to and embracing her sister. It truly was good to have her back.

“I hear you've gone nocturnal.” The white alicorn said, smiling. “It's been causing everypony quite some havoc.”

“It hasn't been that bad.” Luna said in her own defense, backing away to give Celestia at least a little bit of breathing room. “Goldleaf is getting along quite fine now.”

“I take it he's not as useless as you previously thought?” Asked the Regent of the Sun, as they walked down the hall, illuminated by the growing warmth of the morning's light.

“I'll admit that he's been... well, useful.” Agreed the midnight alicorn. “Moreso than I imagined. We have completed the land survey, and have begun contemplating where the best locations for defenses would be.”

“Swift work, my sister.” Celestia nodded in approval. “However, defenses shouldn't be very high on our priority list. I'm quite confident in the ability of the army we're amassing. The day will soon come when we take back our homeland.” She declared. Yeah... Luna frowned as she thought, I'm not very sure about that, Celly.

“Of course.” Nodded the Princess of the Night. “What is our strength?”

“Highcrest and Eastmarch have pledged 10,000 soldiers each, not counting future levies, nor the minor realms. Unicornia can field somewhere around 5,000, trained in the ways of war-magic.” Reported Celestia, sounding quite enthusiastic.

“And the earth ponies?” Asked Luna.

“They can match the pegasi and unicorns combined, in theory. However, there is trouble afoot.” The white alicorn sighed in exasperation, narrowing her eyes and flicking her ears back in irritation. “The news Rye brought to the tribes was not received well, the earth ponies want nothing to do with highborn fooleries.” That's not surprising at all... The earth ponies had always been last to commit to any group effort; it was their nature to be cautious and unyielding. At the bottom of the hierarchical chain, it was often the only way to survive. Luna found herself wondering why those who supplied food for everypony else were the ones being told what to do. “Such a troublesome kind, don't you agree?”

“All ponies have their quirks.” Admitted Luna. “I'm surprised you got the pegasi to stop their squabbling. And I'm surprised the unicorns aren't making you pay a foreleg and two hooves for their help.”

“They answer their liege's call to battle, or they'd face the consequences.” Celestia said adamantly, giving Luna a stern look. “I may have to make an example out of some earth ponies; I won't tolerate any disloyalty.” The midnight alicorn did her best to hide her discomfort at the notion. It must've worked, because her sister said nothing.

“Where's Aegis?” She asked, changing the subject.

“Our granduncle, diligent as always, has gotten immediately to the business of getting to know the layout of Canterlot.” You could've just said he was exploring. But if there was one thing Celestia liked, it was saying things as formally as possible. She'd always been like that, for the one hundred and fifty years Luna could recall. “He'll be with us shortly.”

“Glad to hear it.” Said the midnight alicorn with a nod. “What is the plan for today?”

“Believe it or not, the pegasi leadership all arrived along with their armies, they're in Canterlot as well.” Now that was an impressive feat, Luna had to admit. “We'll be meeting with them after breakfast.” The two made their way to the private dining room, where they ate and discussed what had happened in the month between their last meeting. Their granduncle joined them not long after, and Aegis gave them an account of his own predicament in training unicorns for war, the alicorn way.

“Why do we need unicorns? Why can't you and Celly just go after them?” Luna asked.

“You forget your sister isn't that much older than you, Luna.” Replied Aegis. “Only by half a century. Celestia is just beginning to know her own powers, but she has many years left before she can truly harness them. You aren't even there, yet.” The old alicorn explained.

“We'll see about that.” Celestia grumbled. “But you could fight for us, you're old than any human realm.” Aegis looked rather surprised for a second.

“No, I can't. I thought I told-” A look of realization came over him. “Ah, of course. Forgive my lapse in memory, I've had this conversation with... others no longer among us.” There was a heavy silence among the three immortals. Luna's heart sank as she recalled the ponies Aegis was probably talking about. Celly and I weren't the only ones to lose the rest of our family... Now their grandparent's younger brother was all they had of kin. All Aegis had of kin were the grandaughters of his older brother and sister. “As I was saying,” Aegis continued, “I'm a guardian of the world, as you two will be one day. I've sworn not to turn my powers on mortal creatures. My purpose is above that.” Sworn to whom..? Luna wondered to herself.

“That what do you do?” Questioned Celestia, annoyed.

“I defend this world from those that would seek to harm it. Discord was the last threat of that scale. The first as well, for that matter.” Stated Aegis.

“Wait.” Luna piped up. “How could we stop Discord on our own if we were just little fillies? We can't control our full power now, how could we have then?”

“That is a complicated matter.” The golden alicorn said. “It involves the Elements of Harmony; which would take some time to explain fully. And were I to tell you now, neither of you would understand, which is why I'd rather wait at least a few more decades. A century would be preferable. The day will come when you must use them, and using them wrongly may have unintended consequences that are not easily undone...” Celestia and Luna glanced at each other.

“Hopefully we won't need them for a while, then.” Said the midnight alicorn.

“That's what the new army is for.” Celestia said. “They will do together what I cannot do on my own.”

“It will also not shift the continents on accident.” Added in Aegis. “That was apparently a problem, in the beginning. At least to hear the dragons tell of it.” He smiled faintly, recalling something humorous. “My mother told me that the mountains separating the rest of Alicornia from the Far North once ran from northwest to southeast, rather than directly east to west. And the Peaks of Heaven were not always so high...”

“I can't imagine the power that it'd take to shift a continent like that.” The Regent of the Moon remarked. It was true, such a thing seemed unfathomable. A lone mountain was heavier than the a thousand of the heaviest thing made by ponies. How could entire lands be moved? Discord had raised random peaks here and there; the reason behind Equestria's haphazard landscape, but not even he managed to move the Crystal Mountains anywhere.

“Perhaps the dragons would aid us against the humans.” Celestia mused to herself.

“They wouldn't. The dragons feel safer with a human Sarathûl on their doorstep. Old Alicornia was too great a threat, in those days.” Aegis defeated the notion swiftly. “They do not want any pony to return to that land.”

“What of the griffons?” The white alicorn asked.

“I doubt they want to help us either.”

Talk continued throughout breakfast, as Celestia came up with increasingly unlikely schemes to bring outsiders into her quest for vengeance. The fire was still in her, but at least it was dimmed. Soon the time came for them to meet with the pegasi leadership; something Luna was rather looking forward to. Everypony assembled in the banquet hall, a formal enough setting.

Both leaders of the pegasi kingdoms were there, just as Celstia had said. On the right side of the large table was Highcrest. Lady Silver Farpeak and her husband, Basalt, were there, the former beige and silver-maned, the latter grey and blue-maned. Their daughter, Hemlock, was of a darker beige color of fur and had a mane that was a smoky shade of blue. There had been an older daughter, once; a certain Snowy, but nopony knew what had become of her after she was taken hostage by the retreating Blackwinds. It was likely she had met a tragic end at the hands of her captors, out of revenge for Maelstrom.

More important was the presence of the Queen of Highcrest; Clearspring Swiftrain. Unlike her older sister who had taken the throne after the death of Queen Stratus, Clearspring knew what she was doing, and had the looks to show it. The iron-coated mare was lean and muscled, bearing scars of combat in several places; but a lifetime of healthy activity had blessed her with very good looks for a fighting mare of forty-six. I wonder how Tempest Blackwind will deal with her? Surely, the girl had been training all this time, readying herself for the inevitable confrontation with Clearspring. If the Queen of Highcrest had her way, they would have chased the Blackwinds all the way to Athair. Luckily, cooler heads had prevailed ten years ago. To the side of Queen Clearspring was Princess Firebrand, heir to the kingdom and as much the master warrior as her mother. Firebrand's namesake was the bright red and orange mane that stood out so greatly against the same iron-grey fur as Clearspring.

On the left side were the pegasi from Eastmarch, the kingdom on the other end of Equestria from Highcrest. General Longwing was a familiar sight to Luna; an aging teal stallion. As his name said, his wings were long indeed, almost rivaling an alicorn's. Perhaps he has alicorn blood? Luna didn't know his story. The Queen and King of Eastmarch were both present too; both warriors, unlike Clearspring's husband. Queen Whiteglen was just as white-coated as Celestia, though her mane was a pale grey, as were her eyes; and King Hardhammer was orange as the flames of the forge he was said to work with when not fighting. The two had several foals, but none of them were old enough to travel. Oddly, the Highcrest delegation seemed to have more ponies, despite it's further distance from Canterlot. Then again, Sarathûl is only a little more than a thousand miles from their shores; they have more of a reason to be concerned over these affairs than Eastmarch does.

“Good morning.” Greeted Celestia, as the alicorns entered.

“Princesses.” Nodded Queen Clearspring, kneeling along with all the others.

“Welcome to Canterlot, We hope you find the accommodations suitable.” The pegasi all nodded to some degree. “Onto the business of the day. Equestria needs ships, lots of ships.”

“Pegasi don't sail, your highness.” Hardhammer, King of Eastmarch, spoke. His voice was deep enough that Luna could swear she felt it rumble in the air.

“I've never been a mile out over the ocean in my life, I doubt many others have either.” Noted Lady Silver Farpeak.

“No, you don't sail. However, you can fly. And unicorns have magic. Together, you would be able to sail a vessel on the high seas.” Stated the white alicorn. “It's the only way to get to Old Alicornia, and take the fight to the enemy. Unless, of course, you'd rather have the fight be on your shores?” She looked pointedly at the Highcrest ponies.

“It would be preferable to have a war far from home than one on our doorstep.” Agreed Queen Clearspring. Her voice is almost as deep as Hardhammer's. I wonder what her King thinks of that? Luna wondered, hiding a smile. “Whatever you need us to do, we'll do it.”

“Good. Queen Whiteglen, will you cooperate?” Celestia asked, turning to her. Whiteglen bore a neutral expression for a moment, before nodding.

“Eastmarch will do what has to be done. Even if it means sailing.” She said, distaste lacing the final word.

“Or working with those prissy unicorns.” Grumbled General Longwing in agreement, scowling and putting his ears back.

“Speaking of lesser breeds, I hear you've been having trouble with the earth ponies.” Remarked Silver Farpeak. Aegis Vigil now spoke for the first time.

“There is disagreement among the clans.” Admitted the gold alicorn. “None have answered the call to arms, they want nothing to do with Celestia's endeavor.” For good reason, Luna added in silently. This was still a bad idea. The fact all the pegasi approve of it should make that clear!

“Then start killing leaders until they have one that works for you!” Clearspring declared, rolling her eyes. “That's what I did after the Maelstrom's Rebellion, nopony dares question my authority now.”

“We have considered such a measure.” Replied Celestia. “But there are dozens of earth pony tribes, villages, and petty chiefdoms. Some think our war is a fool's errand, other's want to live in peace, yet more would rather defend their lands from roving bison. We believe this is more of a cultural issue than an individual one, Queen Clearspring.”

“We've got an army now, why don't we pacify the region? They'll join us then.” Hemlock Farpeak suggested. Everypony glanced at the young mare. Finally, some reason, celebrated Luna.

“We find this idea agreeable.” Stated the Regent of the Moon. Hemlock gave her a nod of gratitude.

“Your daughter's idea is sound, Lady Silver.” Proclaimed Queen Whiteglen. “Wisdom from the mouth of foals, as they say...”

“I'm not a foal!” Protested Hemlock. “I'm seventeen!”

“And I'm fifty.” Replied Whiteglen, amused.

“Address your superiors with more respect, Hemlock.” Lady Silver said sternly, hitting Hemlock's head with a hoof. “Forgive her, Princesses, a streak to act to the contrary seems to run through my children.” Did she just hit her daughter? It didn't seem like it was intended to harm, though.

“We know how young ones can be.” Stated Celestia, looking at Luna. “It is no matter. However, Hemlock's idea has merit. Five thousand pegasi will fly south to do the earth ponies' work for them. If they still do not fall in, more extreme measures will be taken.”

“Good to hear, your highness.” Clearspring said, nodding,

“I'll volunteer to lead them.” Piped up Princess Firebrand, heir of Highcrest. “I don't have anything better to do.” Firebrand was going on twenty-four; she'd first fought against the Blackwind rebels, then against a griffon raiding band from beyond the Crystal Mountains. Luna figured she was asking herself “Why not add bison and earth ponies to the list?”

“Very well.” Agreed the Regent of the Sun. “Make your preparations, leave when possible.”

“What about the rest of us?” Asked Whiteglen.

“You will rest here for a few weeks; you've had a long journey.” Spoke Aegis. “Then, we march to the coast, and join with the unicorns. By then, either the earth ponies will join us...”

“Or we go south and deal with them once and for all.” Celestia finished. Talk continued over several hours of various plan and strategies they could use, none of which Luna found particularly interesting. Eventually, it was time for lunch, and the midnight alicorn took the opportunity to escape. It was a bright day in Canterlot, both up in the castle, and the worker's camp slowly developing into a city of its own. Just a year ago the first permanent building had gone up in place of a canvas tent; now there were a dozen more, including one made of stone! Somepony had been determined, to build a stone establishment a mile up a mountain slope.

Luna was still unsure why Canterlot was built this high; she hadn't been privy to her parent's plans for Equestria. Aegis had, but all he would say was “defense.” The Regent of the Moon was sure that wasn't the whole story, no army could penetrate this deep into Equestria, nor could any pony army stand against three alicorns, as far as the common breeds were concerned. So why build a city a mile up...

Her musings were cut short when she noticed Hemlock Farpeak staring out one of the large windows of the hall. Or trying to stare, Goldleaf was there as well, babbling about something. “Goldleaf, are you annoying Our guest?”

“What-” The unicorn turned around, and then bowed, as best he could with a crippled leg. “Oh, Princess Luna; good afternoon. I didn't notice you.”

“Hail, Princess.” Hemlock said, bowing as well. “This unicorn was just informing me of what kind of work you two do. Land surveys and the like. I didn't believe him, but it seems I've been proven wrong.”

“Does he have good reason to lie?” Asked Luna.

“Unicorns lied about the sun and moon once; what else might they fabricate?” Questioned the dark beige pegasus in return. Goldleaf immediately scowled.

“I suppose I should be prepared to kill you at any moment, because all pegasi are backstabbing warmongers.” He said coldly. The unicorn's ears were very much pricked forward, alert as possible.

“A cripple against a fighting mare in her prime?” Hemlock laughed. It was not a mocking laugh, however. “Likely.” Likely indeed, Helmock Farpeak. You've never been tested in battle again your own, what would you do against a unicorn with unknown abilities?

“I could bring down one of these pillars on your.” Stated Goldleaf. No you couldn't, you're not that strong. Luna concluded that neither of them would be willing to fight, as both were bluffing.

“We could send you both to the moon.” Interjected the midnight alicorn, knowing she was lying as well. The two looked at her, not sure if she was joking or serious. “Neither of you win, victory goes to the alicorn.” Declared the Regent of the Moon.

“Fair enough.” Conceded Goldleaf, absent-mindedly shifting his weight off his one good foreleg before realizing he couldn't do that with a slight stumble. Hemlock glanced at him bemusedly.

“You are all equally lesser in Our eyes; your constant squabbling and jostling will do you no good.” Stated Luna, in her best scolding voice. “Instead focus on what you can do together; rather than what you cannot do apart.” Does that even make sense? wondered she. It sounded close enough to what Aegis or her father would say in this situation, though, so it'd have to do.

“Fine.” Snorted Hemlock. “At least there's no earth ponies here.”

“I can agree to that.” Replied Goldleaf, getting a vaguely disapproving look on his face, as he considered the possibility of toiling in the muck.

“They're stupid brutes, all of them.” The daughter of Lady Farpeak continued on. “Good for growing food and not much else. It'd be better off if we ruled them directly, there'd be so much less trouble from those wretches.”

“We might just get along after all, my lady.” Goldleaf declared, nodding. “A perfect solution would be to simply divide their lands among ourselves, and put an end to all their infighting. Think of all the pain that could be averted!”

“Princess Luna, what do you think?” The young pegasus turned to her. “From what I've seen, you don't favor the more brutal methods of my mother and the Queen.” Luna blinked in surprise; she wasn't used to ponies wanting to hear what she had to say.

“We think unifying all ponies under one flag would be a better solution...” Said the alicorn cautiously. The Princess didn't share their disdain for earth ponies; in fact, she found it rather troubling. But she was also in no position to make large-scale political calls, unlike her sister.

“All our lands already answer to you, your highness. You play the counterpart to the human's Emperor in Ar-Athazîon.” Goldleaf stated. “I-”

“Ar-what?” Hemlock interrupted. “What is... that place? I've never head of it.”

“Ar-Athazîon, it's the most important city in Sarathûl-” The mahogany unicorn tried to say, but found himself cut off again.

“Sara-thool?”

“It's what they call Old Alicornia. It's what they've been calling it since before Everfree Castle was built.” Dryly explained Goldleaf. “Honestly, girl, what have they been teaching you up there? Is Highcrest's education system really so poor?”

“Highcrest doesn't have an education system, Goldleaf.” Luna said, recalling a trip she had made some twenty years ago with her parents. “Unicornia is the only state in Equestria with any form of tutoring or universities. The pegasi learn everything from their parents alone.”

“Hmm.” Sniffed the crippled unicorn. “I was unaware things were so... quaint.”

“You're quaint.” Grumbled Hemlock.

“The point is: The Empire in Sarathûl is to what Everfree, and now Canterlot, are to Equestria. Likewise, the Emperor in Ar-Athazîon is to what Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are here. I could go on.”

“No thanks.” The pegasus said, shaking her head. There was a brief silence before she went on. “So we're going to invade a mirror version of Equestria? Just with humans?”

“Uh...” Goldleaf looked to Luna in desperation. He had a point, Silver and Basalt Farpeak hadn't done well with their daughter's education, at least in the affairs of their neighbors across the sea.

“I wonder if their Emperor is immortal too...” Hemlock mused.

“No, he's ordinary, like the rest of them. Human magic is cold and dead; impotent. They only have their technology; and it's still inferior.” Stated the midnight alicorn.

“If we ever actually invade, we can ask your sister all about it.” Remarked Goldleaf, as if he were talking to somepony much younger than he. Which he is. Wait. What did he say? No, Goldleaf, you don't go around mentioning deceased family members at the drop of a hoof!

“Oh, Snowy? She's probably dead.” Hemlock answered dismissively. “No loss there, never saw much of her anyway. Spent most of her time hiding away below the dungeons. Couldn't handle my parent's strict methods. Weak filly, she was.” Such casual disregard for a sister made Luna frown; especially because Snowy had been the older sister. Without Celestia, Luna would be completely lost... But here Hemlock stood, speaking ill of her probably dead family member. Furthermore, something didn't sound quite right about Hemlock's words. “But, you know what?” Hemlock asked quietly, looking slyly from side to side. “I wouldn't be surprised at all if she were still alive. Blackwinds have a nasty habit of not dying when they should; and since they took Snowy with them...”

“She might have picked up on it too.” Goldleaf said, looking slightly amazed. “That could be a mess of a situation.”

“My mother would probably kill her if she turns up again.” The dark beige pegasus said, as if it were a normal thing to say.

“What?” Asked Luna in shock. “How could any mare kill her own foal?”

“Snowy was a weak, craven filly; not at all fit for ruling a great house like ours. Furthermore, Silver Farpeak doesn't feel guilt, shame, or sympathy; that's why the Queen keeps us in such a high position among the court.” Explained Hemlock. “They tried to make me turn out the same.”

“Your family doesn't seem very normal.” Goldleaf noted. The pegasus shrugged, and Luna frowned more. She'd need to keep an eye on this one...

“We have better things to do than discuss the past.” Stated the Regent of the Moon. “Let us move on to a more relevant subject.” The three found a better place to continue talking, as Hemlock and Goldleaf came up with various ideas together that the alicorn was sure she could put to good use one day. After this little war of Celestia's, after she's exhausted her anger... Perhaps then we can work on improving what we have here.

Soon enough, it was mid-afternoon; Luna and her unicorn adviser had to retire to keep their nocturnal schedule. Luna went out onto the same large tower balcony she always did to raise the moon, where Goldleaf always met her. To their surprise, Hemlock Farpeak arrived too. “Fancy meeting you here.” Goldleaf commented, shivering against the cold mountain night. Luna agreed.

“We didn't expect to see you again.”

“You're far more interesting than my parents, your highness.” The pegasus said. “I spend too much time with them as it is.”

“It surprises Us that they are so lenient.” Luna told her. The newcomer got that sly look again.

“I may have told them that I was attempting to ingratiate myself with the Canterlot court and further house Farpeak's influence abroad.” Hemlock replied.

“Are you?” Asked Goldleaf, narrowing his eyes. The daughter of Lady Silver smiled at him, ever so slightly.

“Just a little.”

“Well...” The midnight alicorn paused. Did she just invite herself onto my court? Why? What can she do? Luna didn't have a court, Goldleaf was the only other noble here... But the addition of Hemlock Farpeak made three... And three was enough. I have a court now! A bright grin spread across Luna's face. “Let it be known! That in the year 147 after the Sealing of Discord, the Night Court was re-founded in Canterlot!” She announced, voice echoing through the vacant throne hall.

“We're the Night Court?” Asked Hemlock. “The same one that the Nightlord held?”

“The very same.” Nodded Goldleaf, a veteran of said court. “Ponies once came from all around to seek answers, both of the waking world and dreamworld; and to learn the arts of the night. The Day Court may be more prestigious, but I found the Nightlord was always a much less monolithic figure than the Sun Queen.”

“We are honored to be among such distinguished figures as Goldleaf, so-called the Lame; well-known for his foreleg injury and little else; Lady Hemlock Farpeak, of no particular feats. And finally, there is Us, Princess Luna, the sealer of Discord, Mare of the Moon, co-Princess of Canterlot and Equestria.” Proclaimed Luna, in the most officious voice she could do.

“I'm surrounded by young mares.” Muttered Goldleaf, almost too quiet to hear. “I suppose there are worse things...” And I'm surrounded by a cripple and a noblemare with no known talents to speak of. But Goldleaf was right, there were worse things.

“So... What is it we do, your highness?” Asked Hemlock. Luna continued to beam with glee. Finally, things are looking up again! Goldleaf silently levitated up a stack of papers.

“What Goldleaf and We usually do, Lady Farpeak: sit beneath my night and run Canterlot.”

Author's note: Congratulations, readers, you've made it into act 2! All but one of our big characters is now introduced (I won't tell you who is left); and the plot only rises from here. Y'all are in for one hell of a ride... if college doesn't kill my ability to update regularly. Good thing I've spent the last month writing down every single plot point for the story I can think of, plus other important upcoming scenes, right?

As always, if you have any questions, or anything to say on how I can do better than what I'm doing now, tell me. Please, it's 1:30 AM by the time I'm done editing, I'm pretty sure I've missed something. Unless you're a communist, I promise I won't be angry.

Quiet War

The knight sniffed back the building mucus in his nose, as the rain continued to pelt the land. Every time it rained, he was convinced his nose started running. And for no reason at all, other than to give him trouble! Of course, such a thing was a minor concern; but it helped take his mind off more dire events.

Dire indeed was the most recent, the sudden rain dampening a good deal of the army's powder right as they approached a Verâdîm camp. Prince Aharôs had been determined to carry out the attack, taking the rebels by completely by surprise. Little had they known of a larger Verâdîm force just eight miles up the road. Lacking cannon and arquebus support alike, the Prince had them retreat to their own camp. Now the Verâdîm had vanished into the countryside, nowhere to be found. The pegasi were reluctant to fly in such weather as well; only Redfern and Waterborn were bold enough to go out and search. Or perhaps they just don't care what happens to them anymore, Turaz thought.

“They can't have gone far.” Growled Prince Aharôs, sitting atop his zôsha, still fully armored. He paid no heed to the water dripping off his uncovered head.

“Well, they have to have gone somewhere, my Prince.” Turaz replied. He himself had his helmet on, the brim circling around it kept him dry enough.

“No powder, no enemy... mud and wet everywhere, getting colder by the minute...” The Imperial Envoy lamented from his own zôsha, fiddling with the hood on his cloak. He had a hat to keep the rain off, but hoods made for good impromptu scarves. “We ought to retire, and try again tomorrow.”

“I don't know, I'm actually enjoying the weather.” Spoke Tempest Blackwind, who was soaked straight through. Her charcoal mane hung limp, and her tail was now something more a wet mop than anything else. The young pegasus seemed quite happy under her helmet, though.

“Of course you would.” Grumbled Duke Îrilôs. “You Athairîm are born in the rain, you practically breath it. We have far more sun in Ar-Athazîon.”

“I'm not Athairîm...” Tempest said.

“Might as well be.” Remarked Prince Aharôs. Turaz nodded in agreement, and looked over the others assembled. Baron Kairôs and the Thechai leadership all wore a large cloth wrapping over their armor, and had their helmets wrapped in cloth too. Apparently there was a Halîskai soldier who had made the practice well-received among them; transplanting a bit of his homeland hundreds of miles east. Sergeant Haior and Turaz's direct subordinates just wore their cloaks; plumes, tassels, and chains of rank had been hastily removed.

Everyone was gathered atop a hill, which offered them a good view of the surrounding country. The road they had been following for the last week ran from the south to north, a ditch on the east side and light tree cover on the west. Most of the land was farms and fields, interrupted by groves and strands of trees. Here and there small houses could be seen, one of which to the south was now occupied by Prince Aharôs for the time being. The family living there hadn't much of a choice; but the Prince assured them any damages done would be paid for. Quite magnanimous for an invader. But that was just it; the Prince didn't see himself as an invader. By law, Verâd was his as much as Athair, these were his own people too.

“They're out there somewhere.” The Prince said again, looking to the horizon, where the dark grey clouds merged with the grey-green hills in the distance. “But where?”

“One does not simply hide an army.” Baron Kairôs spoke up, pointing his spyglass to the northeast, searching in vain for signs of the enemy. But what if you could? The knight suddenly got an idea.

“What if...” He murmured to himself, before announcing his thoughts to everyone. “The Verâdîm have been fighting for twenty years. With the Duke of Terâd joining us, they knew they were to be invaded.”

“What's your point?” Asked Tempest.

“They've had twenty years to prepare, so it's not unreasonable to guess that they might have gone underground.” Turaz stated.

“Underground? You mean to say that their soldiers might have put on farmer's clothes and are now going about business in the houses out there?” Replied Duke Îrilôs.

“No, my lord. They may have literally gone underground. Twenty years is time enough to build the amount of tunnels to hide a few thousand men.” The assembly looked at Turaz, with varying degrees of skepticism. “It'd explain why the way has lasted this long, and why no defeat ever seems enough to end the rebellion.” He defended.

“Well, the only other explanation is magic, and no unicorns have ever been in this corner of the world.” Aharôs said after a few moments, nodding to himself. “Why not?” He continued, nodding more strongly. “Turaz, Kairôs, split your men up, start looking for tunnel entrances.”

“What do they look like, my prince?” Asked the Baron from Thecha. Aharôs looked to Turaz instead of answering.

“Uh... Anything, really.” Guessed the knight. “A trapdoor hidden by a shrub, maybe a rock that can be moved... Think where you would put a tunnel if you were waging a war for twenty years.”

“You heard him, Baron. Get searching.” Prince Aharôs ordered, waving at the land before them. “Bring plenty of crossbows, you might need them.”

“As you command, my Prince.” Bowed Kairôs atop his zôsha. Turaz wheeled around his own mount down the hillside, beckoning Sergeant Haior to follow. He sniffed again, cursing whatever caused his nose to run so. Turaz and Haior divided the column into teams, and began the search. He took the east side of the road, the Thechai took the west side.

“Do you really think they're in tunnels, sir?” Asked Sergeant Haior, as their zôsha walked through the growing puddles of mud.

“It's worth a look, Sergeant.” Replied the knight, as they crossed cautiously over the ditch. “Prince Reshîv has won many battles, but he's never dealt a killing blow to the rebellion. I would not be surprised if the Verâdîm hide thousands of soldiers at a time and only feign heavy losses.”

“The question is, why would they hide now? We're just one army.” Haior pondered, brushing his helmet clean of water to stop the constant dripping in front of his face.

“They must have heard about Seshîlîon. And then Dôrovôs Tower last week.” Who would have thought that the roof ruse would work twice? “Now that we're only a matter of days from the river Zachîr, they must be desperate enough to stop us that they're willing to go into their hiding holes no matter how near we are.”

“Planning an ambush?” Suggested Haior.

“Count on it. They must have dry powder in there. We won't be able to field our guns until the rain goes, that gives them the advantage, despite being outnumbered.” Continued the knight. “Verâd knows that the end is coming, they won't hold back anything now.”

“Good thing we have Prince Aharôs.” The soldier commented. “He won't hold back anything either.”

“That's what I'm worried about.” Turaz muttered. For the next few hours, they roamed around across several miles of farms and fields. The knight decided they wouldn't bother any of the locals; they probably wouldn't tell them anything useful, and Turaz knew that if he were still a commoner, he wouldn't want foreign soldiers questioning him either. That was a fast way to an ugly situation. Several times they rode nearby a farmhouse, and Turaz caught movement in the windows. They were definitely being watched.

But there was no sign of any tunnel entrance. They poked around in hedges, and under rocks, and in any low vegetation they could find. Nothing! Maybe I was wrong... He considered. No, they can't have just vanished into thin air. Underground is where they went, I know it. The day stretched on, morning into afternoon. Turaz's contingent ate a small dinner under a copse of pines.

“Still nothing, sir.” Reported in a mud-splattered messenger from one of the other groups. “We've gone in circles for miles, the Verâdîm are gone.”

“They're still here. Just well-hidden.” Stated the knight.

“Sir, they've hidden too well from us today. If we stay out in this rain any longer, we're likely to catch a fever.” Haior protested in a respectful manner. Turaz sighed, and sniffed.

“Very well. We'll retire back to camp, and continue tomorrow. But I want regular patrols out here, keep an eye out for anything that changes.” Ordered he. Haior nodded. “Maybe we can lure the Verâdîm back into the field...” The bands all made their way back to camp, trekking along the muddy paths between hedges and fences and fields. Most of Turaz's soldiers were levies, many were farmers themselves, and were loathe to trample the fields of those who would soon be their countrymen. Of course, there were always dissenters, and Turaz had to keep several of his men from doing particularly stupid things. What fiend thinks it proper to walk into someone's home and just take what they want? I hope Baron Kairôs doesn't approve of such things... When they ascended the hill they had previously occupied, Turaz found no sign of the former assembly, except two unhappy sentries. At the top of the hill, there was a crossroads of three ways: Back north, the way they had just come from; south, where they had just marched from over the past few weeks; and west, where the army was camped over several pastures. There was only a poorly-maintained footpath leading east, into thick trees.

“Return to the camp, Sergeant. I have a Prince to report to.”

“Yes, sir.” Haior answered with a bow, leading the men down the west road. Turaz went on alone along the south road, Prince Aharôs had requisitioned a larger house that way. The rain only continued drizzling down, though he was sure it had gotten more intense since the morning. It smelled nice, or at least it did when he could actually smell. Wretched nose. I'm a city man, born and raised. I guess the country doesn't agree with me.

It was not far to Aharôs's lodging, a fairly standard dwelling of a minor landowner. The stone house was decently old, probably dating back to 1280 or 1290, when this region's population had begun to grow. Like any landowner worth his salt, this man's house was two stories tall, a relative rarity this far from any significant town. The roof was red tile instead of thatch, or even timber; further proof this house was meant to last. Aharôs chooses wisely. Turaz dismounted his zôsha, handing the reigns to one of the guards. “Sir, are you here to report your findings to the Prince?” Asked another guard. These men were from Nikadîon, no nonprofessionals among them.

“I am.”

“Go on ahead, sir.”

Turaz walked through the red-painted front door, marveling at the one-piece glass pane it had at eye-level. Perhaps this landowner is better off than I thought. He hung his dripping cloak on a rack, and unstrapped his helmet, shaking the water droplets off. Then, he unlaced his boots, and put them against the wall, along with several others pairs of boots. “Welcome back!” Greeted Duke Îrilôs, leaning out from behind a sturdy oak door frame. Do you ever go away?

“Thank you, my lord.” Turaz replied with a slight bow. He walked through the hall, and into the room where Aharôs and the Imperial Envoy had set up their maps. It appeared to be a dining room, but Turaz wasn't entirely sure. “My Prince, I report that I have no evidence of any tunneling in the immediate area. However, I have left instructions for further patrols to be sure of this.”

“Alas, Baron Kairôs had the same thing to say as well.” Said the Prince, studying a map of Verâd intensely.

“I know they're still nearby.” Turaz grumbled, refusing to accept defeat so easily.

“I'm sure of it.” Nodded Aharôs. “If we cannot find them, we will force them to follow us.” He stated, still looking over the map. “However, there are no good targets nearby.” The knight frowned.

“I thought you had this all planned out...”

“I do.” Replied the Prince. “I wasn't planning on a vanishing Verâdîm column though.”

“Right.” The knight glanced around. Îrilôs had taken a seat again, and had open a book that seemed to be about mathematics. Where did he even get that? Turaz couldn't read, but he knew his numbers at least. Sir Eberis was there too, the ever-quiet knight saying nothing but watching everything. “I suppose I should get back to my tent now.”

“No need, you're quartered here with the rest of us leadership.” Interjected the Imperial Envoy. “Upstairs, last door on the left.”

“Ah. Thank you again, my lord.” Turaz bowed and left them, clanking up the wooden staircase. True enough, the last door on his left was his room. Apparently, it hadn't been meant for sleeping in, as the bed was nonexistent, being only few sheets on the floor. Well, I guess the highborn need their comfortable beds. I've been sleeping on floors my whole life, this won't be so bad. The next half hour, Turaz removed his armor, dried it, and arranged it neatly on the floor opposite of his sheets, before donning more normal clothes. Someone in Aharôs's logistics team was very good at their job... Supper was still at least a bell off, assuming there were any churches or belltowers to ring the time nearby.

In the meantime, Turaz decided to explore the house. He quickly found access to the attic, where he heard voices. That's probably where the people who actually live here are. The rest of the upper floor were bedrooms, a solar, and whatever purpose Turaz's room served. Downstairs was the dining room, where Aharôs, Îrilôs, and Eberis continued whatever it was they were each up to; immediately behind it was the kitchen. A few men and women were already at work cooking something, the knight guessed they were also residents, mixed in with some of the cooks from Athair. Across the entrance hall appeared to be a communal area, which had also been converted into sleeping space for the time. Behind that was a small chapel of sorts, a single stained glass window bearing the eight-pointed star and the eight saints for which all the days of the week were named. There was a handful of books on a small shelf off to the side, one Turaz recognized as the Kaiathîsa, The Heavenly Path, by its black and silver binding; others he didn't know of at all. He returned to the hall, and found himself at was obviously a back entrance. Beyond was a barn.

Why not? Turaz asked, retrieving his boots cloak, and dashing out through the rain. It was only a few yards to the barn, the water barely touched him. The knight was not surprised at all to find the Blackwind pegasi had claimed the barn as their own. He hoped the livestock were out grazing this time of year. “Good afternoon, Sir Turaz.” Said Streaming Breeze, speaking with a slight Equestrian accent. All of them had an accent of some kind, except the two youngest, who had spent the majority of their lives using Tarsin as their everyday language.

“Good afternoon.” He replied, observing his surroundings. Hearth Blackwind had fallen asleep near a fire, where Redfern and Waterborn sat silently. Canvas, aptly called the Silent, was sitting off in a corner by himself. Turaz often forgot he even was with the Blackwinds. Rumor had it that Canvas had lost his wife in the rebellion, and was so distraught over the matter he all but stopped responding to the outside world. The pegasus stallion had stayed with the few other loyal ponies simply because he had nothing else left. Such was the story for most of these Equestrians. Redfern and Waterborn were too old to do anything other than what they'd spent their lives doing, Streaming Breeze was the youngest daughter of a poor family, Coldstar had been Maelstrom's best general and therefore was still labeled as a traitor in her homeland, Hearth was dying a slow death... The only two might have a future at all were Tempest and the hostage-turned-friend, Snowy Farpeak. Tempest's got as great a chance as taking her throne back as I do of becoming Emperor, he admitted in thought only. How long would they keep the ruse up for her? And then there was Snowy, the timid young mare far too soft for the business of ruling and fighting. She didn't even want to go back to Equestria, God only knew what they'd do to her there; so what was her future? Whatever future Tempest can bring her along for, I guess. Wherever she is, Snowy is. Almost like Îrilôs's annoying habit of being in the presence of the Prince at all times.

“Find any of those Verâd-men?” Streaming asked, as she continued to sit on her blanket roll.

“Not today.” Said Turaz. The dark red mare nodded once, all the response that was needed. He appreciated her simple mannerisms, no droning nonsense that was favored by so many highborn. Inside the barn, five of the eight pegasi were accounted for... Coldstar, Snowy, and Tempest could not be seen, however. Turaz looked up at the hay loft. Nowhere else to look but up. He climbed the ladder, and promptly found the general of the Blackwinds. As usual, Coldstar seemed to be drinking.

“Ah, the knight of Athair.” She murmured, looking up from the nest she'd made out of a cloak and blanket.

“General Coldstar.” The knight said back. “Am I interrupting?”

“Only the musings of an aging mare.” Replied Coldstar with a weary smile.

“Allow an aging human to muse with you.” Turaz sat down nearby, and reached for the bottle of whatever it was Coldstar had been drinking. He couldn't read the label, but recognized the seal on it as being from Sôfasîv, one of the more southerly realms in Sarathûl. The taste was bitter and sweet, all at once. Not bad at all. Wonder where she got it, though...

“Wonderful day, isn't it?” Asked the once-vibrantly blue pegasus.

“We Athairîm like the rain, actually.” Turaz pointed at.

“I was being serious.” Stated Coldstar, sighing. “We got a lot of this in Highcrest too. Our two lands aren't so different, you know. We both were raised in the rain and mists.”

“Not so much mist in Surana... No matter. The only problem is the nose, you see.” The knight sniffed to make a point. “Doesn't react well to rain. But I still like it. Can't let the little things rule you, right?”

“So it is.” Agreed Coldstar, as Turaz handed the bottle back to her. She drank from it again.

“I probably shouldn't be drinking this early.” Admitted he.

“I probably shouldn't be drinking at all, but here I am.” The blue pegasus said. “Not much left to do besides that.” Turaz frowned, not knowing how to reply. He had a family back home at Nikadîon, he had much to do. The pegasus, though, that was another story. “You see those two, over there?” Coldstar pointed a hoof down the hayloft, where the knight found the last two unaccounted-for pegasi. Snowy and Tempest were sitting near the open doors where hay would be loaded through come harvest, talking about something.

“Yeah.”

“I envy them, you know.” Confessed the general. “Of all the ponies here, those two are the only ones with something to look forward to in life.”

“I was just thinking that, actually.” Turaz commented. Coldstar ignored, him and went on.

“And of us all, only Snowy is actually happy. She wanted to leave Highcrest, it wasn't a home to her. The rest of us though... Yes, we didn't want to leave.” The blue pegasus took another swig. “No going back for us, though. Our so-called Queen, Tempest, isn't going back either; if she does, it'll only end in pain. House Blackwind is done, failed. It failed the moment Maelstrom called her banners to war against the Swiftrains.”

“If Blackwind has failed, why did you stay with them?” The knight asked, as he pondered where this bout of melancholy came from.

“Loyalty, I guess.” Shrugged Coldstar. “I knew my life wouldn't get better after I first stepped onto these shores. But Tempest... She won't succeed. We all know it, but none of us is willing to say so. She's lost enough already for a fifteen year-old filly. But she'll have to face that sooner or later.”

“I'm afraid I agree.” Turaz affirmed quietly. “It's better off for her if she stayed here, anyhow. Tempest speaks Tarsin like it's her first language, Equestrian like its her second. She's even got our accent. She lives more like one of us than one of you.”

“Caught between two cultures and races, belonging to neither... That's the future I see for Tempest Blackwind.” Coldstar sighed. “As for Snowy, who knows? But at least there's potential in them. I hope they don't waste it.” The mare took another drink, and laid down.

“Lord of Heaven willing, they won't.”

“Lord of Heaven willing.” Affirmed the pegasus.

“Didn't know you converted.” Turaz said with a light snort that quickly turned into another sniff.

“Those two girls aren't the only ones who have picked up on your way of talking. I still can't figure out why you all swear allegiance to a god you don't know is there.” It was the knight's turn to shrug now.

“Call it faith, Coldstar. There are some mighty strange things out there, as we saw at Seshîlîon. How do we know there aren't even more just beyond sight?” He posed the question that he'd always been asked in his youth; though the event twelve days ago was had shaken many of his doubts.

“Fair enough.” Coldstar admitted. The two were silent for some time, simply listening to the sound of the rain on the barn roof, and listening to the half-heard snippets of conversation from Snowy and Tempest that floated their way; something about the Far North and monsters and who knew what other silly myths. Still children at heart, it seems, noted Turaz. After what seemed like a miniature eternity, Coldstar spoke again. “What's it like to have a family?” She asked.

“Hectic as Hell.” Turaz answered with a laugh. He paused a moment before going on. “Worth it, in the end though. Hoping you made a legacy that will outlast you, hoping that legacy will reflect well on you and your descendants. Aharôs gave my family a life I could have never dreamed of, so I've been trying to do the absolute best I can. Even if I'm not around them as much as I ought to be. Not an easy life, but... With a little work, it'll be a life well-lived.” Coldstar nodded, almost looking sad.

“Days like these, the ones that remind me of home... They make me ask if I made the right choices, all those years ago. Maelstrom and I lived life like there was no tomorrow, from one place to the next. Now I wish I had a little foresight. Might've lived a fuller life than how things have turned out.” That explains the constant drinking...

“It's like the good book says, Coldstar. There are seldom fewer words than 'what could have been.' Best not to think on it.” He tried to dissuade her from that dark path of thought. “Concentrate on what is here before you, and you can achieve your desires.”

“I can tell why you all hang onto that Kaiathîsa of yours so strongly.” The pegasus said with a laugh. “Full of reassurances that the whole world isn't Hell. But nothing's right, from what I've seen. It's been wrong a long time, and it's not changing. Not tomorrow, not next year, not in a millennium.” Turaz couldn't think of a response. It's not all bad, is it? His family was alive, healthy, and safe. Prince Aharôs, his liege, was well on the way to becoming King of a united Athair and Verâd. Îrilôs had claimed that the Empire was gaining strength by the year, leading to a more stronger, more centralized human race. Their enemies, both humanity's and his own, were weaker than ever. Things looked up for Sir Turaz of Surana, for Prince Aharôs of Athair and Verâd, and for Emperor Katastanîôs Taizâres, distant as he was. Whatever benefits the Emperor must benefit all of us, eventually, Turaz thought.

“It doesn't seem that way from here.” He said. “Things are only getting better in Sarathûl.”

“I'm not so sure about that.” Replied the pegasus general. “In Equestria, we pegasi have always been at odds with unicorns and earth ponies. Unicorns have always been at odds with earth ponies and us. Earth ponies have always been at odds with us and unicorns. We look down on each other, but we generally stay out of each others affairs. Except that one time...” The defeat of Maelstrom, when the unicorns and Celestia intervened on the Swiftrains behalf. “You've got a similar hierarchy here, Sir Turaz.”

“We do?” He asked. “Well, I suppose so... The Emperor commands the Kings, the Kings command their lords, the lords command their knights, and the knights command the peasantry.”

“That leaves out two very important parts of your society. Where does the clergy fit in, and what of everyone who is neither highborn nor peasant?” Asked Coldstar.

“Well, the clergy has always fallen outside of society. It has to; it's where anyone can go and find a new life.” He said, before thinking on the other part of her question. “But everyone else... Merchants, sailors, craftsmen, freedmen, city folk as a whole...”

“They don't fit into your snug system of command. Too proud and wealthy to be peasants, too poor and powerless to be highborn.” Stated Coldstar, looking grim. “It wouldn't be a problem if you just left every group to their own methods, as we do. But you don't... This in-between group, these folk in the middle, they won't accept being treated like peasants tied to the land forever.” The pegasus stared into nothing, thinking deeply. “It's not trouble yet, but it will be in a few centuries.”

“Even if it is, I'll be long dead and burned. You must have been coming up with this theory of yours for some time now.” Said the knight. Coldstar shrugged as best an Equestrian could.

“I've had ten years to observe and ponder.” Answered she, taking another sip from the bottle.

“So how do solve the problem?”

“The human answer to everything: War.” Laughed the pegasus. Turaz frowned.

“You Equestrians fight as much as we do. If not more.” He pointed out.

“No doubt.” Agreed Coldstar. “We're all just a few thoughts from killing each other, aren't we?” The knight nodded, sniffed, and sat back against a support beam. No more was said between the two for some time. Coldstar seemed to get lost in her thoughts again, staring hardly into space as she often did. Turaz tried to listen in on Snowy and Tempest some more, who were still talking about something on the other end of the loft. How little Tempest Blackwind knew of how things really were...

Was it right to keep her on this path? The blue-grey pegasus was clearly reluctant to be fighting, and was obviously scared of confronting those who were waiting for her to make a return. But, she carried on nonetheless, just as Aharôs would in her situation. Funny how Tempest has turned out so much like the Prince... Turaz noted. Funny how Aharôs has been far more of a father-figure than her own uncle. When would Tempest realize that she was fighting a pointless war that was already finished? When would the others tell her that this was the truth of things?

Should I tell her? wondered Turaz. Everyone seems to agree that she doesn't stand a chance. So why doesn't she know it? Perhaps there was something else going on behind the scenes, as there often was with the highborn... Sidâl likely had ulterior motives to his actions. He wouldn’t be surprised if Aharôs had something planned involving Tempest and the Blackwind pegasi. I'll talk to the Prince about it, then.

Eventually, the pegasi realized it was time for supper, no doubt because of their far superior sense of smell. “Sir Turaz, I didn't expect to find you here.” Tempest commented, after she noticed his presence.

“Spending quality time with the General here, my queen.” Turaz replied. A slight narrowing of Snowy's eyes betrayed her suspicion. Or dislike. The knight and Coldstar both had not been kind to the chubby beige mare. In his own defense, both of them had agreed that appealing to her feminine sense of strength and courage was worth a try; it had worked with Tempest quite well. When this method failed with Snowy, they attempted more negative measures to push her to her full potential. Except Snowy didn't have any potential, she's a failure in regards to marehood. It would be as if Prince Aharôs refused to fight and hid behind Turaz every time trouble appeared. Coldstar and he still tried to get Snowy to be more than a frightened, nervous filly constantly clinging to Tempest, but it never worked.

“Well, it's time to eat. I can't imagine living on only whatever you two are drinking is healthy.” Said the blue-grey pegasus. Tempest and Snowy both spread their wings glided down to the barn floor; Coldstar made a less-graceful half-fall to the ground, and Turaz was left to make his way down the ladder.

The knight spent all of supper in silence, contemplating the situation of the exiled young Blackwind. Aharôs didn't say much either; Mayor Pashal of Sturaj and his crowd ruled the conversation. Îrilôs seemed to get along well with them, as much as he did with the Prince. The quirks of being Imperial Envoy; you're everyone's friend and everyone's enemy. Tempest and Hearth Blackwind, as well as General Coldstar, likewise said little; distinctly aware that their presence was not well-received by all. It wasn't long before Aharôs gave his ward permission to leave. No doubt she'll go find the others. Or just Snowy...

It was an hour before supper ended, at which point everyone began to finish their daily tasks. The sun had set, but the night was young. One of Turaz's patrolmen arrived at the house, reporting no sign of Verâdîm. They had caught tracks at one point, but it wasn't long before they became completely washed out. So they are still near. The knight informed Aharôs.

“Looks like you were right, Turaz.” The Prince said quietly. “But we still haven't found the tunnel entrances?”

“No, my prince. They're well-hidden.”

“Apparently so.” Aharôs nodded. The two were in the back section of the main hall, out of the way of everyone else. Turaz glanced around anyway.

“Forgive my boldness, but I have an issue I think needs addressing.”

“Speak.”

“Are you going to tell Tempest that the venture to regain Highcrest is never happening?” Asked the knight.

“What gives you that idea?” Aharôs counter-questioned. “The Sun Queen and Nightlord are dead, Equestria will surely tear itself apart under the reigns of these untried children, Celestia and Luna...”

“There's eight pegasi over here, there's millions in Highcrest!” Stated Turaz. “Clearspring Swiftrain has the advantage, that is obvious. She'll crush any attempt to take the throne from her. The entire notion of a war for Highcrest has been doomed from the start. Are we just going to let Tempest keep on working for something she'll never get? Or are we going to give her an actual future not full of empty promises?” Aharôs got a dark look on his face, the same he got whenever his half-brother Reshîv was mentioned.

“I do not make empty promises.” Said the Prince coldly. “Tempest will see Highcrest again. I promised Maelstrom as much.”

“You promised to raise Tempest as your own and do her proud.” Corrected Turaz, as he had been right next to Aharôs that day. “You never said anything about taking back the Kingdom.”

“No, but she did.”

“Fine.” Turaz sighed, and crossed his arms. “But I'm getting doubts about this. If we keep her on the path she's on, it's only going to lead to ruin. I didn't pull her from the water just to see her die chasing a futile dream.”

“I haven't spent ten years of my life raising her for that either.” The Prince pointed out. “Have faith, Sir Turaz. Things will work out in the end.” For once, Aharôs smiled. “Yes, things will work out... I must retire now, something tells me that the days ahead will be quite straining.”

“Is it the war giving you that idea, my prince?” Dryly questioned the knight. Aharôs didn't answer, and instead went off in the direction the stairs. What could he possible know that I don't? Truthfully, the answer was many, many things. Princes often had secrets, almost as many as young women; though they were often state-related, rather than personal. Turaz shook his head, and headed up above himself. The day's search had yielded nothing, and he was cold and tired.

The rain continued on and on, grey skies and grey downpour covered everything. The roads turned completely to mud; impeding progress greatly. Their journey was made even slower by the fact that they had outrider groups half a mile from the main column on each side of the road, who reported in once an hour if they had seen any sign of the Verâdîm. They hadn't. Prince Aharôs had decided they'd make in the general direction of northeast, heading to the coast, and hopefully draw out the hidden Verâdîm along the way. For three days, they marched through the countryside, only once was the enemy spotted. A lone rider appeared on a hill, they would have missed him were it not for Baron Kairôs's constant observation of the surrounding terrain with a spyglass. Before anyone could be dispatched, the rider had turned and fled. Despite the weather, the Blackwind pegasi had been flying scouting missions, ranging upwards of forty miles east, west, north, and south, to see if they were being followed. Nothing was found.

“We haven't seen a single thing!” Grumbled Tempest on the night of the third day, in the next landowner's house the leadership was occupying. She was covered in mud from a rougher-than-expected landing, and thoroughly soaked from being lashed by the veritable tons of water she had flown through. “They're probably gone by now.”

“I'll agree with the Queen.” Nodded Streaming Breeze. “We've searched from here back to Dôrovôs Tower, there's no sign of this phantom army.”

“That's a mighty long way.” Lauded Duke Îrilôs. “Have you been searching from high above?”

“Of course!” Tempest replied, while Turaz unbuckled her armor. He handed the components to Snowy, who kept them well-sorted on their own sheet. “It's the only way to cover the distance you two want.” She looked pointedly at Prince Aharôs, who had said nothing so far.

“You probably missed something then.” Replied Îrilôs.

“Do you know how hard it is to get off the ground in armor and stay flying in all this rain?” Asked Streaming Breeze. “I'm sorry, my lord, but we need to stay up high. The risk of being stranded on the ground in enemy territory is too great to go down low.”

“You're the ones with wings.” Duke Îrilôs conceded, raising his hands.

“They are out there. We saw that rider.” Aharôs stated. “Carry on with your daily searches, we will find these rebels.” The Prince and Imperial Envoy left, leaving Turaz with the pegasi. He removed the last piece of Tempest's armor, frowning as he noticed all the grim it'd accumulated over the past three days.

“This needs a good cleaning.” He noted.

“Yeah.” Agreed Tempest, as she looked at the metal plates; then to her own hooves. “I think I need a good cleaning too.”

“I t-told you to be careful.” Said Snowy, with an annoyed look. “Is it- Is it that hard to land properly?”

“It keeps happening.” Groaned the blue-grey pegasus. “You ever flown in armor, let alone made a landing in the rain on a whole field of mud? Yes, it is that hard.” Snowy backed down, taking on a much more sympathetic expression. “I'll go wash now, I guess it wouldn't be nice to drag mud through this house...”

On the fourth day, the rain lessened into bouts of drizzling, rather than total downpour. The fourth day was also when the messenger and his escorts arrived, bearing a white and yellow banner with the blue flower of Loiar upon it. Prince Reshîv sends his regards, Turaz thought as he saw them approach. The knight was riding up at the front of the column, with Aharôs and Îrilôs.

“Friendly faces!” The Duke announced, cheerfully.

“We'll see.” Aharôs muttered.

“Hail, Prince Aharôs!” Greeted the leader of the group, turning his mount around and falling in line with the Prince. “We've brought word from Prince Reshîv.”

“I can tell.” Dryly said Aharôs. “What does my half-brother have to report?”

“Prince Reshîv, the valiant warrior he is, has begun a siege at Jashenîon.” The great fortress on the river, whomever holds that, controls the lower reaches of the Zachîr. “The royal fleet has arrived off of Dônara-Kur, while the Duke of Terâd's army makes progress along the western banks of the Zachîr. We got word of the plot you uncovered just in time, the traitors all fell into a trap, their army vanished back into the countryside.”

“It sounds like the noose is tightening, so to speak.” Noted Îrilôs with humor. The group only glanced at each other.

“I don't follow, my lord.” The messenger replied in confusion.

“My lord, we execute criminals with an axe, or perhaps arquebus if Prince Aharôs is in charge.” Explained Turaz. “Not all of us backwater Athairîm or Verâdîm are familiar with hanging.”

“Ah.” Îrilôs realized. “A more apt analogy would be that the blade is now on their necks, then?”

“I think it can work.” Answered the messenger, his company nodding amongst themselves. “Prince Reshîv believes we can have the rebellion put down by next spring.”

“I believe that we can have it ended by Saint Zefîr's Day, if not sooner.” Aharôs stated. “I have already captured Seshîlîon, and several more minor castles.”

“This fast? How, my prince?”

“With intelligence, and a new weapon, or two.” Simple said the Prince. Melting walls out of existence is certainly a new weapon. “We're being tailed by a hidden Verâdîm force. They've continued to elude us, but we know they are near. Sir Turaz,” Aharôs gestured to him, “thinks that the Verâdîm have a tunnel system, which has enabled them to evade defeat this long.”

“Oh, well...” The messenger looked rather amused. “You see, my prince, they do have a tunnel system, at least in key areas. Reshîv has been flooding them wherever he finds them. Part of the reason progress has been slow up north, it takes time to set up the pumps and find a good source of water-”

“What?” Asked Aharôs, stirred from his usual reserved manner. “How long has he known this?!”

“For about two years, now.” Said the messenger, with a slight smile.

“Reshîv...” Growled Aharôs, face twisting into a look of utter contempt. He quickly regained his cool, sliding a mask of steel back on. “Tell my half-brother that this information would have been greatly appreciated, and that he is to increase his efforts tenfold. By the fall equinox, I will rule Verâd, not these upstart traitors.”

“Has the King died?” Asked the messenger.

“No.” Aharôs admitted.

“Then King Zhevakôs will rule, not you.” Stated Reshîv's messenger, with a disdaining look. With that, he turned his mount away, and the group rode off the way they had come. A very uncomfortable silence descended over those at the head of the column. There was little love lost between Reshîv and Aharôs; Turaz had never found out why they disliked each other so, but it was the way things were. This dislike had spread down the ranks over the past years. Like many on Aharôs's side, Turaz thought Reshîv was an irresponsible, vainglorious fool, and that it was only due to Aharôs that Athair survived his father's descent into madness and illness. But there were many more who sided with Prince Reshîv, thinking Aharôs an overly-rigid, uptight, pretentious and stubborn recluse incapable of anything but cold rage and hate.

They weren't entirely wrong, either. Aharôs did himself no favors with his chilled mannerisms and open distaste for most people. For one traitorous moment, Turaz wondered if it would have been better for Heranôs Loiar to still be heir to the throne. Of course not, he was even less cut-out to rule than Aharôs or Reshîv. But of the two they had, Aharôs was a far better choice. Wasn't he?

The fifth day opened with a stormy dawn, but the rain quickly ceased. At least we can use our guns now.... For what Turaz reckoned was five hours, everything proceeded as normal. Then:

“Prince Aharôs, Sir Turaz,” Sergeant Haior announced, bowing from the saddle of his zôsha. “two outrider teams have failed to report in.”

“How long have they been missing?” Asked Turaz quickly, suddenly alarmed.

“They should have reported in over a quarter of an hour ago.”

“Fuck.” Swore the knight.

“Notify all commanders that we're-” Began Prince Aharôs. But a desperate shout from somewhere behind them stopped him.

“We're under attack!”

Turaz slammed shut his helmet's visor, and readied his halberd. Sergeant Haior and Aharôs both drew their swords, looking wildly around for the enemy. A whistling sound whooshed by Turaz's face, a volley of crossbow bolts slammed into the line, from both sides of the road. “Form up! Form up!” Bellowed Sergeant Haior, facing the column behind him. Another volley came out of the woods, taking down more.

“I knew they were still here!” Seethed Prince Aharôs, strapping on his helmet for once.

“Arquebusiers, fire!” Ordered Haior, as a meager round of gunpowder cracks went off into both sides of the forest.

“God save us!” Exclaimed Duke Îrilôs, who had taken between the two lines of soldiers some yards back. “My prince, this attack looks like it stretches some distance along our column!”

“Of course it does.” Aharôs growled, closing his own visor. “Turaz, with me!” He ordered.

“Where are we going?”

“Back down the road, to gather the cavalry.” The two rode down the west side of the road, dodging crossbow shots from the woods and their own side's projectiles, collecting zôshamen along the way.

“This is a well-coordinated ambush.” Said Mayor Pashal of Sturaj, who was directing the battle effort near the middle of the column. “They must have practiced on Prince Reshîv.”

“Likely.” Agreed Sidâl, in his heavy but plain garb as always. The strange spy didn't seem to notice he was in the middle of a war. He approached them, and spoke quietly. “Prince Aharôs, I recommend you focus on the west side of the road. I think I can take care of the east, at least here.”

“What?” Aharôs asked, over the din of the shouts and gunshots.

“Don't go on the east side of the road!” He said, more loudly. The Prince nodded, before waving their assembled riders west.

“Into the woods!” He ordered, spurring his zôsha forward. Crossbows took out some of their own, but soon, they were amongst the Verâdîm.

“Idiots.” Turaz breathed to himself, stabbing the spike of his halberd into the first ambusher he saw. No pikemen! Not even halberdiers! Just crossbowmen with their own swords. A Verâdîm tried to stab up at him, but Turaz knocked the blow aside and smashed the the hammer side of his weapon into the head of his attacker. The man went down, but to be sure, the knight sent the long spike though his chest anyway.

He and the others rode up and down the west side, scattering the ambushing forces as they went. But they did not pursue.

“Stay over here,” Commanded Aharôs. “we don't want to be on the other side.”

“Why not?” Asked one of the zôshamen, a man from Thecha.

A chilling, inhuman howl sounded out, followed by a horrendous tearing and screeching, and the despairing shouts of men. The terrible cacophony coming from the eastern side was enough to make Turaz believe that something evil had stepped foot into the world.

“That's why.” Replied the Prince. Turaz grew very uneasy as the sounds continued, and a cold began to seep into the air. He knew this cold...

“Shit.” Said someone. “I remember this from Seshîlîon!”

“It's that damn chill!”

“Lord of Heaven...”

“What in God's name is happening over there?”

“Quiet.” Commanded Aharôs. “Half of you go north, the other half, go south. Find the remaining attackers on the western side.” They did so, muttering amongst each other worriedly. The two rode back to the road, watching the column move to all face east, pikes out, guns and crossbows pointed.

“My Prince...” Turaz started to say. “I- What is going on over there?”

“I don't know, and I don't want to find out.” The Prince shook his head adamantly. A roar came from the east, too guttural to be of any human, too twisted to be of anything natural. Barely a minute passed before the horrible sounds subsided, and the chill in the air began to lesson. Both men's zôsha were obviously discomforted, shifting from one set of hooves to another. Nothing could be seen through the trees and shrubs, all was silent now. Not a single bird made a call, not a single insect buzzed nearby.

“It's over.” Whispered Sidâl, coming out of nowhere and breaking the eerie spell of quiet. Aharôs wordlessly dismounted and walked to the east, Turaz did the same and followed. A metallic scent was in the air, growing stronger as they got closer. Soon the ground became hard, and a thin layer of frost covered everything. They got some twenty yards off the road, where the frost had become a solid white layer, and that metallic smell permeated everything. There was blood staining the ground everywhere, along with many weapons and pieces of armor, even a boot or two. But not a single piece of a body could be seen.

“God and Heaven, have mercy.” Turaz touched two fingers to his forehead, and almost started to recite a prayer. Other soldiers who had followed them voiced similar phrases. All were distinctly horrified at this sight.

“Sir, look. Tracks.” Pointed at a pikeman, who was kneeing down. Aharôs and Turaz knelt down too, looking at what the soldiers had found. There were indeed tracks, but of nothing Turaz had ever seen. Two impressions of long toes curved out from a central mark, before curving in again, while a third extended on the opposite direction. The entire thing was about the size of man's torso.

“What could have made these?” Asked someone, following the prints. They went on for a few yards before stopping abruptly. Almost like it vanished into thin air.

“No creature of this world.” The pikeman replied.

“A demon.” Turaz agreed.

“Aye, a demon.”

“A demon!”

“Demons!”

“How many?”

“Where'd they come from?”

“Hell, of course!”

“Demons walk the world...”

“Whatever it was, it is gone!” Barked Aharôs sternly. “Back to the column, take care of the wounded. Double the patrol strength, I don't want us caught like this again.” They obeyed. “Turaz, don't fill their heads with silly ideas like that.” Scolded the Prince.

“Hell is a cold, dark place. Whatever came here was not of this world, and it left this- this cold behind! What else could it be?” Asked the knight.

“We live in a world with dragons, Equestrians, griffons, and more. Many races, many lands, stretching far beyond our horizons. Don't be so quick to assume that this was not from the same world we live in.” Rebuked the Prince.

“My Prince-” Turaz began to say, stopping to collect his thoughts. This was wrong. He was willing to let the wall event go, that was merely destroying some stone. This? This crosses the line! “I don't like this, not one bit.”

“If things like this are the price for peace, so be it.” Stated Aharôs. “I'll hear no more of it.” The two went back to the road, where the column was still silent. Sidâl and the Prince exchanged a quick glance. Sidâl! He's behind this, that much is clear. What to make of a man who could bring such things into the world? Consorting with dark powers... I knew there was more to him than I thought. Sidâl was dangerous. Perhaps too dangerous.

That night, the tents were set up, mostly out of need to provide a quick resting place for those wounded in the Verâdîm ambush. “Look at this!” Said one Thechai soldier to another, as Turaz walked by. The knight stopped to investigate.

“What am I looking at, Bâl?” Asked the other soldier.

“I took this helmet from the attack earlier.” It was indeed a helmet worn by the Verâdîm, with only a visor on the front instead of a sloped brim going entirely around, as the Athairîm wore. This particular example was painted in two shades of green, and had leaves tied around it. “Genius, isn't it?” Asked the soldier named Bâl.

“Hmm... Well, yeah, for an ambush.” Nodded the other soldier. “Not in the open field, though.”

“No, of course not, Krîzov. But who would have thought of this? Disguising yourself as part of the forest in order to avoid detection!” Bâl spoke excitedly. “No wonder we can't seem to beat them, they're thinking of things like this!” Very clever of them. Why didn't I notice that earlier?

Turaz continued on through the camp, to the Blackwind tents, intending to speak with the pegasi about how they had managed to miss such a force appearing a matter of yards from the main column. Outside of his destination, the knight could hear Snowy relaying the day's events to Tempest.

“...A-and then, there was this- this- this roar, I can't even d-describe it.” She was saying, while curled up on her makeshift bed.

“A roar?” Tempest asked, skeptically.

“A roar.” Announced Turaz, making his entrance. “A mutilated roar, something no creature of this world could ever make. And when those unnatural sounds ceased, only the cold remained.” The beige pegasus trembled.

“L-like at-”

“Seshîlîon...” Tempest muttered. “Did it smell like metal?”

“Even I noticed that, my queen.” Stated Turaz. “This was much more intense, this time. At the castle, I didn't notice it until after, but this time, it was everywhere.”

“It w-was wrong.” Weakly said Snowy, looking at the ground.

“For once, I agree with her.” Turaz nodded to Snowy.

“Well, did you go investigate?” Asked the blue-grey pegasus.

“Of course! The soil beneath my feet was as if it were frozen solid, a white sheet of frost covered everything like it was the depth of winter. We found blood all over, and weapons, and armor, even some bits of clothing. But there was not a single body left behind, not even the tiniest of parts!” Snowy squeaked in fright, while Tempest looked fascinated, in a morbid way. “And who else was behind this, but-”

“Sidâl.” Answered Tempest. What?

“I- How did you know?” Turaz asked, befuddled at how the girl had figured this out already.

“He told us he may or may not have been behind the wall at Seshîlîon, the day after.” She replied. “These two... events are obviously linked.”

“So they are.” Agreed the knight. “But I have another issue.” Tempest pointed her hoof at him, presumably in imitation of Aharôs's habit of gesturing with an open hand as a sign for speak. “How did you all miss an entire Verâdîm ambush force appearing thirty yards from the road, my queen?”

“Uh... I don't know, honestly. I was out with Streaming Breeze scouting a path to the coast. Saw the ocean today, actually.” Replied Tempest, shrugging. That's your excuse? Impossible little pony...

“So you're telling my that you're not in charge of your own forces?” Questioned the knight.

“Yeah, that'd be true if they were worthy of the term forces. More like five combat-ready pegasi and three others providing support.” Tempest shot back, with a tone of bitterness. “My uncle hasn't been well for a while, Canvas is... Canvas, and Snowy just doesn't have the stamina. So that's really only five good for missions, hardly a force for anything. Coldstar does all the organizing anyway, she knows more about it then I do.” Maybe it's a good thing she'll never get to Highcrest. I don't think Tempest was cut out for command.

“Huh.” Turaz frowned. “I'll take it up with her, then.” He turned to leave, but immediately stopped when he saw a certain individual passing by. An idea came into the knight's head. Turaz looked at the two pegasi. “How do you two feel about listening in on affairs not our own?”

That was how Turaz, Tempest, and Snowy ended up crouching in the muck outside Prince Aharôs's tent. “Wh-why do we need me?” Asked Snowy nearly silently.

“To verify what Tempest hears.” Whispered Turaz back, putting a still-gloved hand over Snowy's snout. “No more talk.” Tempest had one ear pressed against the tent's fabric, the other one angled down to muffle other noises she wasn't listening for. Snowy settled on putting her face right up against the tent, both ears pricked forward. Pegasi, like all Equestrians, and most animals too, come to think of it, had better hearing than humans. Better sense of smell, too, but that wasn't the issue at hand. Turaz knew that Sidâl and Îrilôs were both inside the tent, Aharôs didn't want any one else in there right now. It was a good bet they were discussing the day's events, precisely what Turaz wanted to know more about.

The knight could hear the muffed sounds of quiet conversation inside; but could make out nothing exact. Thusly, the presence of Tempest and Snowy was needed to figure out what they were saying. For some few minutes, both pegasi listened intently; and Tempest's expression quickly went confused. She pulled away, and pushed Snowy back too with one hoof, nodding back to the direction of the Blackwind tents. All were silent until they had safely arrived.

“What'd you hear?” Asked Turaz.

“Exactly what you thought we would, at first.” Tempest stated. “Aharôs was telling off Sidâl for wasting the opportunity, but Sidâl said that he left survivors to spread the tale. Sidâl said no Verâdîm would continue to stand against us when word of what happened gets out.”

“I w-wouldn't.” Agreed Snowy.

“You wouldn't be standing for anything in the first place.” Remarked the knight. Tempest scowled at him, but continued.

“Then, Duke Îrilôs asked what happened to all the bodies. Apparently, they were taken.” Said the blue-grey pegasus. “Taken to where, they didn't say. Or why, for that matter. Or by what.” At that, Snowy visibly shivered. Turaz too felt a sense of discomfort. What could drag men whole into thin air, with hardly a trace? “After that, things got weird.”

“How could they get stranger than this?” Asked Turaz, sighing.

“Aharôs started asking about someone he called 'our benefactor.' I don't know who that could possibly be.”

“The Emperor?” Suggested Snowy. “Th-that's what I was thinking.”

“That's what I thought at first.” Said Tempest with a nod. “But then Îrilôs asked Sidâl if they'd ever meet this benefactor. Îrilôs's uncle is the Emperor, he's his Envoy here! So it can't be the Emperor if Îrilôs has never met this person, right? Sidâl's definitely bringing another side into this.”

“Definitely.” The knight agreed. “We've got us, Athairîm; with official Imperial backing. Then there's the Verâdîm. Now we know Sidâl is apparently not working alone. Sidâl also has access to powers that haven't been seen in Sarathûl for fourteen hundred years, at least. I don't believe that this is the same order of power the alicorns used; this is something else entirely. That man has a plan, and I don't want to gamble against the chance it may be used against us.”

“I'm with you on that.” Tempest affirmed. “But we don't have proof. Sidâl has been nothing but helpful, even if he's been a bit rude.” This comment made Snowy smirk for a few seconds. I wonder what the story is behind that... “And I doubt Aharôs will appreciate our lack of trust in his judgment.”

“Then we wait.” Stated Turaz. “Keep your eyes and ears open, my queen.”

Another week passed without action. The Verâdîm attackers must have been defeated heavily, or scared very badly, as they did not return. The constant rains let up by the end of the eight day period, much to everyone's joy. They may have liked rain, but traveling by foot through its effects made for a very discontent band of soldiers. The column reached the coast after four days, and subsequently spent the next four days marching northwest, in the direction Rôstôs, the last major port in Verâd still held by the Verâdîm, other than the capital of Dônara-Kur. Aharôs announced his intention to capture the city, and secure the coast for Athair. Then, they would turn back west, and take the east bank of the Zachîr. The lack of any formal field army from the Verâdîm solidified belief among the men that this rebellion was far closer to defeat than it had appeared.

But what of the traitor lords? We still have yet to meet any significant force of theirs. Perhaps they were already somewhere near the river Zachîr. But that was the next phase of ending the war; ahead was Rôstôs. If they could take this city as quickly as they did Seshîlîon, the war would be over before the summer solstice, let alone fall equinox!

Author's note: Hope you enjoyed 10K words of the plot actually starting to move. I'm off to college in two days, so I can't guarantee such industry again until at least Thanksgiving Break (that's why I was nice and gave you a picture of the mystery footprint). It's time to get an education, my six-and-score readers. Oh, at some point, there'll be an Equestria and Sarathûl map (to scale with each other), because our voyage has only just begun. Almost 60,000 words in, and we're only here now? Yeah... As always, I really appreciate reader feedback.

No Matter the Cost

The night was lit by screaming flares, as they shrieked over the city walls of Rôstôs; and the cannons continued their constant barrage, just as they had for the past five days. Tempest felt the boom of each gun in the ground, and in the air. Somehow, she had nearly gotten used to the choir of destruction; enough that she almost made it through the night without waking up. Even the daily patrols in the sky weren't tiring enough to get her through Aharôs's tactic of all-day, all-night bombardment. It was certainly wearing out the soldiers of Athair. I wonder what it's doing to the Verâdîm behind the walls, or what's left of them... Tempest was glad she wasn't in there.

“There's a morbid beauty to it, don't you think?” Prince Aharôs asked. The two were on the hill he was commanding from, watching the siege go on. “Fire is an awesome thing. Fearsome, but awesome.” Tempest looked up into the sky, lit orange by the fires burning in Rôstôs. They had gone on and off for three days; she hadn't seen the city clear of fire since last night, however.

“How much longer can we keep this up?” Asked the blue-grey pegasus.

“Only a few more days, then our powder runs out. Or our shot. I'm not sure which will go first. We continue to receive supplies from the fleet, now that we're on the coast, but they can't keep it up indefinitely.” Replied Aharôs. “Of course, the city will be ours by tomorrow evening.”

“What's left of it.” Tempest remarked.

“What's left of it.” Affirmed the Prince. “Word will spread, though. Prince Aharôs does not take kindly to insults.” That's obvious now, thought she. Temepst distinctly recalled what the city mayor's response was to the demand for surrender. “Fuck you, and fuck your claim!” The mayor had shouted down from the battlements, shortly before several bodies had been thrown at them from behind the walls. A quick investigation revealed them to be from Reshîv's army, captured at some point in the war.

The natural response for Prince Aharôs had been to devastate the city with an indiscriminate, unceasing bombardment. Tomorrow, the assault would come.

After watching the morbid beauty of the fires, as the Prince had called it, Tempest retired to her tent. Equestrian hearing was far more sensitive than human, too much time near the batteries would surely be harmful. Snowy was already sleeping in her own curtained-off section. The mare certainly slept a lot for how little work she did, if she actually did any work at all... I'll have to ask her what she's been doing in my absence.

She did just that the next morning before dawn; Streaming Breeze could wait to begin their patrol.

“What is it you do all day, Snowy?” Asked Tempest.

“Uh... Um...” The other pegasus stared up at the tent's cloth ceiling, not keen on being woken up so early. “R-reading, mostly.”

“Reading what?”

“The Kaiathîsa.” Snowy answered, yawning.

“Kaiathîsa? Wait- that's in High Tarsen, no one around here but the clergy knows that.” The blue-grey pegasus said, confused. Why would she be reading their holy book?

“Brenan has been t-teaching me it for the past few years.” Admitted Snowy, looking off to the side. “It's really not too- not too hard.”

“Snowy, there's over a hundred different possible endings to every noun in High Tarsen! What do you mean it's not too hard?” Protested Tempest, raising a hoof.

“L-less than a hundred-”

“Still! There's a lot, and that's just the nouns! Add in all the tenses, and voices...” She shook her head. “How do you keep it all straight?”

“Maybe I'm t-talented in language?” Guessed the biege mare. “But that's w-what I've been doing while you're g-gone. It's- It's what I've been doing for months, actually.”

“I should pay more attention to what you do.” Noted Tempest, turning to leave. “I'll be back around sunset.”

“The b-book's been around for a while...” Snowy remarked. She looked in the direction of the thunderous cannonfire with unease, clearly audible even from the camp. “Be careful out there.”

The patrol with Streaming Breeze was shorter than usual, due to Aharôs's scheduling of the assault for midday. Both pegasi scanned the surrounding area for any enemy reinforcements, or perhaps another messenger team from Prince Reshîv. As usual, they saw nothing out in the countryside; only farms, hedges, trees, and streams; not to mention livestock. It was an overcast sky they flew under, Tempest didn't dare get too close for fear of even the small weight of water vapor would bring her down. They say clouds can be landed upon in Equestria... Not here, though. Clouds were cold and wet and very far off the ground.

Everything looked calm below, excluding the choir of destruction Aharôs had playing in the distance. It was amazing how far sound could carry, perhaps the clouds were aiding it today? Tempest noticed Streaming Breeze dip towards her. “We're all clear, my queen. Shall we return?” She yelled over the wind.

“Back to camp.” Agreed the blue-grey pegasus. The two turned tail, and began the spiraling descent that would take them to the ground. For the dark red mare, such a feat was easy in her light armor of boiled leather. But for Tempest, the task was greatly complicated by the heavy metal she wore. At least I can deflect most shots... However, it came at a messy cost. Tempest spread her wings as wide as she could and tried to slow down as much as possible, dragging her hooves along the ground as much as she dared, but she still ended up practically crashing. Last week, it had been easier, if dirtier, because of the soft mud. But things had dried out now, crashing was much rougher. God damn! swore she, plowing into the ground and ending up upside down, as Streaming Breeze glided to a perfectly performed stop before her eyes. Is nothing easy? Tempest wondered, too shaken to try rolling over, let alone standing.

“I t-told you to be careful!” Scolded Snowy with worry, suddenly appearing above her. “You're going to- to break something-”

“I'll be fine.” Sighed the blue-grey pegasus. She wasn't annoyed at her friend, merely tired. “I know what I'm doing.”

“No...” Snowy grumbled, looking away.

“Maybe you shouldn't fly with so much armor?” Suggested Streaming Breeze, as she joined Snowy in staring down at her.

“Aharôs says I need it.” Replied the blue-grey pegasus.

“Is the Prince your father, my queen?” The red mare questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, yes-” Tempest stopped herself too late, as she rolled over into a prone position. “No! No. Prince Aharôs is my guardian, as appointed by my mother. I have to listen to him.”

“Hmmph.” Snorted Streaming Breeze, unsatisfied with the answer. Why don't you just sneak off to Equestria too, then? Tempest wanted to say, abandon me like all the others. But she didn't say that; instead, she said something worse:

“At least someone cares what happens to me.”

The dark red mare took on a greatly offended expression, sneering silently before quickly trotting off. Oh, you fucked up now, Tempest.

“Lord of Heaven... Y-you really just said that?” Remarked Snowy with incredulity. All Tempest's pegasi knew Streaming Breeze had a foalhood full of neglect before being taken in to the Blackwind army... “What if- if I said something about actually having a m-mother?”

“You couldn't because whatever your mother did to you, it was enough to make our company preferable to returning home.” The blue-grey pegasus quickly countered, before realizing she had done it again. God damn it all! she raged within. “Shit! No! Snowy, I- I didn't mean-”

“I understand.” Snowy said quietly, ears falling straight down. “It's the t-truth. And you- you meant it. Don't say otherwise. B-but I know you weren't- weren't intending to harm.” She paused for a moment, before offering a slight smile. “You know, there's a- a lot of Aharôs in you.”

“Yeah, there really is.” Agreed Tempest, not sure if she sounded resigned or downright dejected. Constant fuck-ups, unpleasant to be around, few friends... “I don't know if it's good or bad.” Snowy shrugged, signaling her unknowing on the issue as well. In a few short minutes, the two got the opportunity to compare Tempest's behavior to Aharôs in person, as they met the Prince on his hilltop, just when the batteries ceased their bombardment. Below, just as at Seshîlîon, the columns had been assembled. The silence of the cannons was unnerving after several days of constant firing. Even at midday, the smoke from Rôstôs was making everything darker than it ought to have been. Somewhere down there was Sir Turaz, and Baron Kairôs, Mayor Pashal, and the other members of the leadership fit for battle. Aharôs, Îrilôs, Hearth Blackwind, and a few others remained behind. Trumpets sounded, and the columns began to advance towards the shattered remains of the city walls.

“It'll be over soon.” Commented the Prince, looking through his spyglass at the charred husks of buildings. “A shame it came to this.”

“Y-y-you didn't h-have to...” Snowy remarked quietly, strategically positioned behind Tempest. At this, Aharôs scoffed.

“I suppose we should have let the Verâdîm deny law of succession and elect one of their own nobles as the new king?” He asked her. “King Fâôs of Verâd was my uncle. He died with no family. Therefore, his cousin, my father, inherited his crown. I inherit my father's crown. Verâd is mine by right, as is Athair, for that matter. That's the law, Lady Snowy.”

“That m-makes this even- even worse, then.” Sighed the beige mare. “Family a-against family...”

“No, that's my half-brother and I. The war on the Verâdîm is against a band of traitors. They're no family of mine.” Prince Aharôs corrected. Snowy frowned silently, ears drooping. As for herself, Tempest simply stood impartially. The Verâdîm are no better than the Swiftrains and their supporters. They're getting what's coming them.

Distant volleys of shots echoed, as plumes of white smoke drifted up near the wall ruins. The battle had begun. None of the Athairîm commanders seemed content with a ranged battle, the columns continued on in their assault formation, intending to roll over the defenders through sheer numbers. It seems to be a standard Athairîm tactic to simply overwhelm the enemy, noted Tempest, suddenly wondering why she have never actually been taught strategy and tactics for battle. Sir Turaz always had her focusing more on close combat than anything else... Tempest reckoned that anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes passed before the first Athairîm broke through the wall defenses, shattered as they were.

“It seems the Thechai men are doing quite fine.” Noted Duke Îrilôs, who had found a folding chair to sit in at some point.

“So it does.” Agreed Hearth Blackwind, who was content to sit only on a small blanket on the ground. The aging stallion had a shadow under his eyes, and he seemed to have lost weight recently. He really isn't well, observed Tempest grimly.

“Hopefully Baron Kairôs will be able to cover the breakthroughs from Turaz and Pashal.” Aharôs said.

“The Verâdîm are likely to retreat back into the city, Prince.” Tempest's uncle said. “The Swiftrains did that a few times to us, in the first half of the war.”

“No doubt.” Prince Aharôs answered with a nod. “In that case, we torch what's left of the city and anything left inside burns.” The cold determination in his voice spoke of no bluff.

“I hope the price for victory is worth it. There are... things being said, my prince. Most terrible things.” Hearth continued. The soldiers whisper that he's held congress with demons, or other dark powers. From what Snowy had said, that didn't seem impossible. The humans were a religious kind, always ready to see evil at work in the world. This time, they might have been onto something. And that's what unnerves me. The day the Kaiathîsa becomes more than a book of myths is the day... She wasn't sure how to finish that thought. Tempest had never even so much as listened to a reading of it. Maybe Snowy could help with that? Maybe.

“Let the commoners talk.” Growled Aharôs. “They've lied about me before, they'll lie about me again.”

“If only you lived up to their expectations.” Îrilôs sighed in mock lament.

“To sacrifice who you are is a fate worst than death.” Spat back the Prince, frowning intently at the city. The Imperial Envoy rolled his eyes, but said nothing. Below, the battle continued along the wall, Athairîm forces breaking through at multiple points. Choked by the constant smoke and rattled by several solid days of cannonfire, it wasn't long before the Verâdîm garrison began to break. There's so little green out there... Tempest observed, not thinking of the grass or plants, but rather of the enemy. Seshîlîon had been much the same, as had Dôrovôs Tower. In fact, the entire country seemed to be pressed for men of fighting age. Can twenty years of war really make young men so scarce?

“How many Verâdîm have died in this war?” Asked Tempest, suddenly desiring to do a bit of math. Rather, have math done for me... The Prince gave her a curious look.

“I have no idea. The 1480 census placed the population of Verâd at eight hundred thousand or so. But that was twenty-four years ago, there's been an entire generation since then.” He replied.

“Snowy, how many men between sixteen and and thirty do you think there would be out of eight hundred thousand?” Questioned the blue-grey pegasus. Snowy looked up at the sky, mouth moving silently as she counted to herself.

“Well, a-about forty-eight thousand. But probably less than- than twenty-thousand would be able to reach a battlefield at any given time...” Mused the other mare.

“Our own army is roughly fifteen-thousand strong.” Added in Aharôs. “Reshîv started out with twenty-five thousand when he began his campaign four years ago, but I'd bet there's far less than half of those men remaining with him.”

“But how many have died in the war?” Tempest re-stated, knowing how distracted from the main topic her friend and guardian could get. Again, Snowy went quiet, this time for about half a minute.

“One hundred and eight th-thousand, or so; assumming one in- in ten of those fourty-eight thousand died every year since 14- 1483.” Stated Snowy. “B-but I could be very wrong, with- with- without knowing the r-rate of birth in Verâd. It could be h-higher, it could be lower.”

“Don't forget about diseases spread by armies, famines from poor harvests, and so forth.” Added in Îrilôs. “That could easily add in another hundred thousand.” Between Snowy and Îrilôs, the Prince seemed to be silenced. There was a look of disgruntled conflict upon him, as if he could not decide how to respond. If I found out my war for Highcrest could've killed a quarter of a million ponies, I'd feel bad too... But the difference between Aharôs and she was that Aharôs was actually doing this. He had given the decree to continue the war when the Verâdîm had offered a truce and negotiations in 1490. Not his father, not his half-brother; Prince Aharôs Loiar.

“The price of treason.” He said flatly, returning to his mask of steel. Snowy and Tempest exchanged a worried glance, while Îrilôs looked to be nearly excited; out of nervousness or genuine anticipation, Tempest couldn't tell. Hearth Blackwind looked on tiredly.

A few minutes later, a runner returned from the battle. “My Prince,” he bowed, pausing to breath, “we've breached... the walls in multiple... places. What are your orders?” He panted.

“Where have the Verâdîm retreated to?” Asked Aharôs.

“Inside the buildings.” The runner replied.

“Burn it all down. No one escapes.” Ordered the Prince.

“My prince, there are still-”

“The price of treason.” Repeated Aharôs, staring at the city. “The price of treason is death. Give the order to Kairôs, Turaz, and Pashal. Torch it. Then, pull our men back, the cannons will assist with this.”

“Yes, my prince.” Bowed the runner again, before departing.

“Aharôs- you can't just destroy a city full of people!” Protested Tempest, disbelieving but sadly not shocked.

“I can, and I will.” The Prince stated. Îrilôs glanced at him with mild surprise; though he did not say anything.

“Oh no...” Whispered Snowy, ears falling downward. I saw this coming, remarked Tempest to herself. It was some ten minutes before orange glows began to flare in the city once again; some still were burning from the cannonfire. The fires in Rôstôs entranced her; morbidly and eerily beautiful, just as the Prince said. They lit the sky with their brightness, not a difficult feat as the sun began to set. Tempest was snapped from her reverie by the sudden thunder of the cannon batteries; which also caused Snowy to jump in fright. “Can w-we go back?” She asked, cringing at the blasts. Snowy had never reacted well to loud sounds.

“Yeah, I'll be right behind you.” Answered the blue-grey pegasus, turning to leave. Before she did go, however, she looked at Aharôs. Is that who I could be? asked Tempest to herself, recalling Snowy's comment earlier in the day. Could I rationalize that kind of destruction to myself? If they really were so similar... Such a notion chilled her. Tempest didn't want to turn into that kind of person.

Aharôs continued to gaze sternly at the burning city, expression hard and cold. That's not who I want to be... But what if it's already there? Hopefully, she'd never find out.

“Th-the sooner this ends, the better.” Sighed Snowy, when they returned to their own tent. Immediately, she jumped onto her cot and curled up, head resting on her forelegs. She was obviously discomforted by the whole affair.

“Couldn't agree more.” Tempest replied with a nod, wondering how many people were still in the city. Five thousand? Ten thousand? Surely no more then fifteen thousand... It was surreal, in a way; that so many could be dying as she thought, and yet she didn't feel the same horror she felt after taking her first life weeks before. Nonetheless, Tempest too was not in a good state of mind. “I thought we were the good side. Upholding the law, striking down an unjust rebellion... This isn't right.”

“Not at all.” Snowy replied. She pushed a black book off the collapsable table by her cot, a black book with a distinct silver star on it. Why haven't I noticed that before now? It was a question for another day, Tempest decided to take the chance to catch up on her sleep and go to bed early. Upon the arrival of morning, Tempest again decided to catch up further, and did not get up. No one came to get her up, either. Once again, she missed breakfast, as she laid half-asleep, dreaming up adventures to all the distant places she'd seen on maps.

What were they like? Ar-Athazîon had the greatest works of architecture known to man, towers so tall they had taken generations to build. Nîralska, at the southern end of Sarathûl, was famed for its beautiful, warm coasts, where fruit could grow year round and cold was but a myth; the land where pepper and cinammon were grown. It was stopping point for migrating dragons, too! Further to the west was the arid Fôsa, sitting below the Peaks of Heaven and guarding the way to Lazkadai. All along the eastern side of Peaks of Heaven, the land was desolate and barren, not but dust, rock, and small desert shrubs; before it slowly transitioned to greener scenery. They called it Ôvaiîn. It all belonged to a collection of nations, but none of them paid that region much heed. It was a part of the appeal to Tempest, a place often ignored could hold such great things. But the likelihood she or Snowy would ever get there was almost as poor as the notion of going to Lazkadai. The likelihood of seeing any of these places was slim at best. She probably would never make it further west than the Dashavon or further north than Dônara-Kur. All those amazing things out there, just waiting to be seen... And she'd never get that far.

Tempest rolled off of her bed dejectedly, already defeated before the day had begun. It was an all-too-frequent feeling in the past few weeks. No, not weeks, not even months; this had been going on for over a year. Almost everything Tempest felt alternated between frustration, fear, and... loneliness, of all things. All I want is for things to be normal! But what was normal? Nothing ever had been normal. The more she thought, the more irritated she got.

“Oh, y-you're up!” Greeted Snowy cheerily, looking over in her direction from her cot. She was sitting and still looking at that book. “I- I saved you some food from breakfast.” The biege mare pointed to a plate covered by a cloth.

“Wonderful.” Tempest said, frowning.

“Is s-something wrong?” Asked the other pegasus, smile slipping away.

“No.”

“Was it something I said?” She asked again, looking worried. “What d-did I do?”

“No.” Replied Tempest, trying not to sound as exhasperated as she did. “It's not you; you're fine. I'm just not hungry.” It was obvious that Snowy didn't buy it, but she said no more on the subject, too afraid of angering Tempest any more. I'm really not being fair to her... But what was she supposed to do? Confess all these stupid little doubts and angers? Right. That'd just make her look weak, foolish, childish. That's not who Tempest Blackwind was. “I'm going to find Aharôs. Coming?” Snowy looked to her book and back to Tempest, before she stood. Guess she is concerned.

As it turned out, Prince Aharôs was inside the city, overseeing the execution of traitors. Neither mare stayed long to watch, they didn't even move to speak to him. Snowy ended up getting sick when she saw the carts of charred bodies being hauled out for proper disposal. Dead from the fires. Indeed, fires were still burning, even now.

“This- this i-i-is a nightmare.” She stammered weakly, looking at the blackened skeletons of buildings along the hill they were climbing.

“I thought Seshîlîon was bad...” Tempest said, careful not to be too loud, lest she break the silence any more. Aharôs, what are you doing? If she knew the answer... No, Tempest didn't know the answer. There was no point in wondering that. But one thing was for certain, and it was that Aharôs was going to end this war, no matter the cost. Out in the harbor were the ships from Tashan and Sturaj, four-masted vessels with two decks of cannons. Each one had the blue flower of Athair, and some bore the crown above it, signaling their belonging to the King. Soon, these ships would be departing to join the fleet outside Dônara-Kur, the capital of Verâd and heart of the rebellion. The land column would march through the coastal hils and then begin the fight to secure the valley of the river Zachîr. From there, who knew what would happen.

One thing was for certain, the war would be over well before midsummer, and everyone would be home by Saint Zefîr's Day. But the fields would go unharvested in Verâd; Tempest wasn't sure if there would be anyone left to harvest.

Author’s note: Meant to have this out on Saturday morning, remembered I had a camping trip for the whole weekend. So there you have it. Verâd is pretty much fucked. Makes you wonder why our protagonists didn’t win sooner... But if they tried this in 1500 instead of 1504, everyone would have died at Seshîlîon. And what's the point of a story where everyone died in chapter eight because the author was being realistic? No, my reader, 1504 is the beginning of interesting times... And that's when stories happen.

A Journey West

The three ponies were seated around the cartography chamber's table, each working away at their own task. Princess Luna reviewed requests from the construction teams, while Goldleaf calculated just how much the materials needed would cost. Hemlock Farpeak, their seventeen year-old idea-machine had been given the task of organizing everything. From maps freshly arrived from Everfree, to which cabinets held what, she made sure everything had a place. It was a more strenuous task than it seemed.

“Prifeff-” Hemlock tried to say, before realizing she held a scroll in her mouth. She dropped it, and continued. “Princess, has there been any news from the south?”

“Mmh?” The midnight alicorn looked up, having been suddenly wrenched from her concentrated state. “Oh. We have received no word from Swiftrain's expedition to the earth pony clans.”

“Goldleaf?” The pegasus turned to him.

“Nothing at all, my lady.” Answered he.

“It's been a month and a half, and still we know nothing.” Sighed Hemlock. “News outside of pegasi lands is so slow to travel...”

“I'm sorry that we are not all so swift.” Grumbled Goldleaf.

“We shall hear of it when we hear of it. Patience, Lady Hemlock.” Luna interjected, before the exchange could go any further.

“I understand, my princess.” The daughter of Silver Farpeak said, nodding her head. Even she's born higher than I am, noted Goldleaf. He himself was a common unicorn, and a stallion at that, but he had gotten through Unicornia University as the fourth in his class. This was not especially remarkable though, as the first, second, and third students had all been inferior in ability and power to their professors, who had in turn been inferior to their own, and so on. The three ahead of Goldleaf had all fallen victim to political intrigue, ending up disgraced or dead in a matter of years. The only reason I've lasted this long is because I know when to roll over. They called him a craven, and it was true. But at least he still had influence in high places, unlike the bolder mares that had been his colleagues.

And now, here he was, in with the Night Court. Not the old one, where he had been standing far from the throne and never noticed; the new Night Court, sitting at the side of Princess Luna herself. Sure, the Night Court's power was still small, but in time, it would grow. And as long as he stayed in favor and played it smart, his power too would grow. That would show everypony who ever looked down on Goldleaf! A crippled commoner would never be able to make it so far in the Day Court...

His only potential rival was the young Hemlock Farpeak, barely more than a filly out of her parents' castle. The beige pegasus was certainly filled with the energy of youth, always bouncing from one idea to the next. She reveled in the fact that neither Goldleaf nor Luna instantly shot down her various proposals and schemes. I guess Silver and Basalt Farpeak aren't keen on hearing what she has to say at home... That was Goldleaf's suspicion, anyway. He certainly admired her enthusiasm for her new station. Hemlock had even joined their nocturnal schedule, much to her parents irritation. But, who were they to stop an ambitious young mare from taking full control of her life? It was bound to happen eventually.

The next few weeks passed quietly, the two pegasi contingents taking time to rest as the remainders of their armies arrived, preparing for the journey west. Princess Luna, Lady Hemlock, and Goldleaf spent their time working hard for the good of the realm by moonlight. Between the three of them, they had managed to sort out all the issues regarding construction contracts, fees, and logistics for the next year. Given that Princess Celestia had set no other tasks for Luna other than managing Canterlot's building, the Night Court had run out of work to do.

Several nights were spent drafting up would-be plans for the future of Equestria once the human threat was dealt with. Lady Hemlock and Goldleaf pondered how things would be if they ended the earth pony fooleries once and for all, and directly controlled them as a subservient race. Princess Luna was none too fond of this idea, she wished for an Equestria where all the races could live together in harmony.

“Harmony?” Asked Hemlock, raising an eyebrow. “I don't think so. The earth ponies are inferior in every way; physically, mentally, and culturally. Without us, they'd still be running around in the muck like they had always done!”

“I'd rather kneel to a pegasus than to an earth pony.” Quipped Goldleaf in agreement.

“With attitudes like this, it's no wonder Discord controlled you so easily.” The midnight alicorn grumbled.

All three were very pleased when Celestia finally decided they were to leave Canterlot for Unicornia, even if they had to break their nocturnal schedule. As members of the Night Court, Goldleaf and Hemlock found themselves traveling in a relatively luxurious style, courtesy of Princess Luna. Celestia's courtiers and guests traveled better, of course, but at least they weren't with the common ponies or camp followers. I've got no doubt that I'd be stuck somewhere far behind had I not been assigned to assist the Princess, Goldleaf thought. A lowborn crippled stallion was of no consequence to any of these nobles. At least not until he got in good favor with the second Princess of Equestria, the Regent of the Moon herself.

The land west of Canterlot was all farmland, stretching over low and shallow hills. Many earth pony serfs tilled it, bound for life to the local unicorn magnates. They had lived here for generations, doing the same thing they had always done, working for their masters. Goldleaf's mother liked to boast that an ancestor of hers had blood of one of these landowning families, but it was so distant that it didn't matter.

Marching was easy, centuries of earth ponies and unicorns alike passing this way had worn a road into the ground. Even in days ancient and dark, the mountain Canterlot was built on had been a central meeting place for ponies of all races; and not to mention, a place to pay tribute to Discord's minions. But that time had passed, only alicorns remembered it firsthoof. Even the oldest unicorns' grandparents had just been foals in the aftermath of Discord's defeat.

All in all, it was was a very pleasant region. The serfs tilled their fields, stopping to look up in awe at the vast parade of nobility their soldiers, led by Princess Celestia herself. Many dropped to their knees, until the vanguard had passed. Younger earth ponies stayed to watch the passing, while the older ones got back to work. They passed several prosperous-looking manors, most of which were apparently lightly inhabited at the moment. The nobility of all Unicornia had been called to marshal near the coast, anypony left here was either infirm or incapable of fighting.

It was a solid week before they spotted the true mountains of the land, rising up the fields. A few even had some splotches of snow left on their crests, despite the onset of the warm months. It'll be the solstice soon... Celestia's first solstice as leader of all Equestria. What was she going to do? Something big, I'll bet. Something big... Like launching an attack Sarathûl. She'd do that, decided Goldleaf. Celestia was a fiery as the sun, just like her mother; and with all the lack of restraint of youth. Whatever the human god is called, I hope it has mercy on them when Celestia comes to collect her dues. If it was up to the unicorn, this whole war business would be called off. But it wasn't up to him.

The trek over the Unicorn Range was easy; all the passes were clear and maintained. House Platinum was wealthy indeed, the way was already prepared for Celestia's army. It was only two days later that they came upon Splendor the Magnanimous, envoy from the Queen Ember of Unicornia to Celestia's Court.

“Hail, Regent of the Sun!” Announced Splendor, kneeling in the middle of the road. Behind her was a well-armed retinue, flying the banners of House Garnet, her family. “We come before you as but servants, ready to do our part for Equestria. It is our most humble request that you and your company enjoy the hospitality of House Garnet, and rest from your long travels.”

“It would please Us greatly to join you.” Replied Celestia, reserved as ever. Goldleaf was intrigued on just how hospitable House Garnet would be. They had a reputation for extravagance and generosity, and it was thought that Splendor spent half her fief's taxes on hosting guests alone. They call her the Magnanimous for a reason... Goldleaf definitely wanted to see how this went now.

“How do you think she'll react to a commoner being so high up in the Night Court?” He asked of Hemlock. The dark beige pegasus snorted.

“You're implying the Night Court isn't just three ponies stamping papers.” Said Hemlock. “They won't have any respect for us, even if we do all the hard work.”

“It's not all that bad.” Interjected Princess Luna. “We don't have to endure such trying formalities and mind games; We have no taste for such things.”

“Exactly.” Nodded Goldleaf. “I still want to know what she has to say about me, though.”

“You're flattering yourself.” The daughter of Lady Farpeak replied.

“She has a point, Goldleaf.” Luna agreed reluctantly. “Nopony really knows who you are, nor do they have good reason.” The Princess looked pointedly not at him. “You haven't really done anything of note, nor are you of any lineage of note... Why would Lady Splendor care?”

“A wise point, Princess.” He answered, frowning.

“If it's any consolation, you're important to us.” Offered Hemlock, sounding almost sincere. Almost. The unicorn just snorted, and decided he'd keep his thoughts to himself for the rest of the day. After a two hour march which would normally have been a half-hour's walk in smaller numbers, the great company arrived at the sprawling castle of House Garnet, Deepvein. It was a magnificent structure, built of white marble and a brilliantly blue stone mined from the mountains. The turrets all had conical peaked roofs over them, plated in shining gold. The blue and white banners with the deep purple star garnet flew from every tower. Well, I suspected as much from the second most powerful family in the land. House Platinum's residence just barely out-did this, from what Goldleaf remembered.

Most of the pegasi army set up camp under the gleaming walls of Deepvein; taking up only half the length because of the fortress's size. The nobility was offered lodging within the castle, of course. Goldleaf too, somepony must have thought he was one of them. I won't complain at that. As could be expected, Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, and their granduncle got the best rooms; Celestia got Lady Splendor's room itself. Such was the privilege of being an alicorn. The Pegasi queens were next priority, and their retinue followed. Hemlock Farpeak declined to stay with her parents.

“If you have to put me in a servant's chamber, then do so. I need time apart from them.” The pegasus stated to the steward of Deepvein.

“That won't be necessary, I assure you.” The steward replied. She was a deep blue, middle-aged mare, named Blueschist, fittingly. Goldleaf wasn't sure what a schist even was, but the blue certainly fit. “Deepvein is a vast dwelling, we have enough room for everypony. I believe we can put you in the Old Keep, Lady Hemlock...”

“Excellent.” Nodded the beige pegasus. Blueschist then turned to the crippled unicorn.

“Who are you?” She asked.

“I'm Goldleaf.” Answered the stallion.

“Goldleaf...” The steward mumbled to herself, flipping through a sheet of papers held aloft with the white glow of her magic.

“Indeed.” Greeted a new voice, belonging to none other than Splendor the Magnanimous herself. “Goldleaf the Lame, is that not what they called you at Everfree?” Asked the unicorn noble. She was justly regarded as a stunningly beautiful mare, her mane was a vivid blue; her coat a soft cream color.

“Uh, yeah- I mean yes, my lady.” Replied he, bowing awkwardly.

“I do believe you're the first commoner we've ever hosted.” Noted Splendor to herself. “At least in my time. According to the list here, you should be in the Old Keep as well. I hope you enjoy your stay here.” She said, smiling brightly.

“You too.” Replied Goldleaf, quickly realizing what he had said. Splendor only laughed.

“I live here, Goldleaf.” With that, she continued on, talking to other ponies in the main hall of the New Keep.

“Stars above...” Muttered the unicorn, placing a hoof to his face.

“I think you've got a natural charm.” Hemlock commented, with a smirk. “Come along, let's go find out where we're supposed to be staying here.” Goldleaf followed silently. Deepvein was once a mine, and still was, for the most part. Much of House Garnet's wealth came from underneath their castle, which had grown in step with their affluence. What had once been a tower and a wall surrounding the mine entrance had grown into a well-built keep. Eventually, a village sprang up around the keep, requiring larger and longer walls, which eventually required not one, but two additional keeps and two more layers of walls, not to mention numerous towers and gatehouses. Deepvein wasn't a town, however, much of the castle grounds were open lawns and gardens. Only the earth pony serfs who worked in the mines lived in the castle village by the Pink Keep; named for the pink granite employed in its construction. The Old Keep was actually the middle of the three, and the New was obviously the most recent, being only thirty years old. The entire complex was a monument to the extravagance of the Garnet family, only outdone by the Platinums.

“Do you think the Princess will get us back to sleeping at day and working at night?” Hemlock asked, as they walked down the cobble pathway from the New Keep to the Old Keep, passing by rows of well-maintained roses. “I'm finding all this sun far too bright.”

“I hope not.” Replied the unicorn. “We won't be staying here too long, and it's far too much of a hassle to completely shift my sleeping habits.”

“Fair point.” Admitted Hemlock. They walked on for a few minutes more, before she spoke again. “So... Do you have any family around?”

“Family?” Goldleaf repeated, looking up in thought. “Well, my mother passed a few years ago, my father some years before that. My sister left home to join old Queen Amethyst's war in the south, a long time ago.” That was what, twenty-five years ago? Thirty? Regardless, that had been more of a massacre than a war; the earth pony clans in that region never stood a chance. “She's still alive; between her, my mother, and I, we managed to get me to university.” Rather, they had used the funds for Goldleaf's little sister who had died of plague.

“Amethyst's war? How old are you?” Hemlock questioned again.

“Somewhere around forty, I think. I don't really pay attention, I've had other things to worry about.” Stated he.

“Oh.” The beige pegasus took a moment to think before she asked her next question. “What is it you did, exactly? Before the Night Court?”

“I wish I knew.” Goldleaf remarked. It was true, he really hadn't been sure of his purpose at Everfree. “After I graduated, I spent most of my time working on more unorthodox magic techniques at the university, or representing the academia at Queen Ember's court. They moved me to Everfree three years ago... Told me to see what I could learn from the alicorns. I learned nothing from them, of course, but I did get access to the library there. Come to think of it, I might have been an unwitting spy.” He mused, before snorting derisively. “Likely. While I was at the Day Court, I did manage to anger some minor alicorn noble. He challenged me to a duel, I declined and stayed out of site for a while.”

“I guess that's where you got your reputation for spinelessness.” Noted Hemlock.

“I'd do it all again. I am not a fighting pony, especially when alicorns are brought into the equation.” He defended. “There has to be a better way of solving problems other than violent methods.”

“I wouldn't know.” Said the pegasus. “Lady Silver always says if you can't get somepony to do as you say, cause them pain until they do. Unless that pony is higher in rank than you; then you do as they say. There isn't anypony higher ranking than Lady Silver, besides the royal family though. This creed applied to me, my father, and everypony else on down.”

“Simply terrible.” Goldleaf stated. There had been rumors that Snowy Farpeak, Hemlock's long-lost older sister, had not been dragged off to Sarathûl by force with the retreating Blackwinds, but rather had defected voluntarily. He had always thought it unlikely for an eight-year old filly to make that choice herself, but Hemlock made it seem possible, if Lady Silver was as brutal with her family as she was with other ponies...

“It's not so bad-” Hemlock began.

“If it's not so bad, then why have you completely abandoned them in favor of Princess Luna and I?” Asked Goldleaf, smiling slightly in triumph.

“That's none of your business.” The pegasus said firmly, scowling.

“Yet, my business is yours.” Pointed out Goldleaf.

“Don't forget who is the commoner and who is the noble.” Hemlock muttered.

“Of course, my lady.” The unicorn bowed his head. “Shall I discard my ten years of education and join the serfs in the mines?”

“No- that won't be necessary.” Stated Hemlock quickly. “But the point remains, it's none of your business why I am here. Perhaps in the future we can discuss it.” So touchy, thought Goldleaf.

“So be it.”

The two found their way to their respective rooms; small compared to the lodgings at Canterlot, but not as small as the house Goldleaf grew up in, or his room in the inn he lived at during his university days. There was a window, a bed, a set of candles, a chair, and a desk to write at; good enough for him. Hemlock was in the room right next to his, it was outfitted the same way. “I wonder who lives here when guests aren't here?” She wondered, sitting in the one chair in his room.

“I haven't the slightest idea.” Answered Goldleaf, slightly irked she had taken the one seat he had. You've got your own room, go sit in there! Instead of saying anything, he scoped out the height of his bed. With only three legs available for heavy lifting, getting up to higher places could be problematic. Quite quickly, he decided he wouldn't risk a jump up, wishing to keep a humiliating failure from being seen by anypony but himself. “I'd think you would know more about castle life than I.”

“Greatfall only has one keep, and it's far more purposeful than this place.” Hemlock commented. “It's dark, kind of stale, devoid of any frivolous things. More a fortress than a home.” She looked guiltily in the direction of the door, as if to make sure nopony was there. “I don't really like it there, to be honest.”

“At least you didn't share a room; I had two sisters to contend with for space.” Pointed out the unicorn.

“True enough.”

Later that night, it came time for the feast, in the great hall of the New Keep. Celestia and Lady Splendor were seated at the center of the high table, flanked by the two other alicorns and the pegasi royals. All the other nobles were down at the lower tables, including Hemlock and the lowborn Goldleaf. There was a great variety of food, from fancy baked goods to simple arrays of fine grains from the earth pony lands in the south.

“Did you know humans eat meat?” Asked a lesser pegasi noblemare, her armor polished for the special occasion.

“Absolutely disgusting.” Growled another mare, one from Eastmarch.

“Why would anypony ever eat meat?” Questioned a stallion.

“Because they're not ponies.” Hemlock interjected.

“All carnivores are inferior, even to earth ponies, or zebras.” Said another pegasus.

“I thought that was common knowledge...” Quietly said Goldleaf to himself, feeling distinctly out of place with all these pegasi warriors.

“Just look at those griffon barbarians, or the brutish dragons.” Agreed the Eastmarch mare.

“There's a common theme between humans, griffons and dragons.” Said a fourth mare, from Highcrest, now pausing for effect. “...They let their males lead them!” The conversation group Goldleaf found himself in muttered agreement. “Now, there's nothing wrong with stallions,” Began the mare, gesturing to Goldleaf and the other stallion nearby. “But it's obvious that male-led societies are brutal, violent, and uncultured. Griffons eat their own dead! Dragons will fight amongst each other until one is dominant, even if it means kill all the others! And humans... Humans have started entire wars over their religion!”

“Why?” Asked Hemlock.

“Seems stupid.” Said the Eastmarch mare.

“What else do you expect when you put the males in charge?” Asked the Highcrest mare, knocking a hoof against her head. “They're all fools! Running off to go kill each other over some scraps of paper! I think going over to Old Alicornia and putting a stop to this madness is a good idea. It's our duty to liberate them from such backwardness!”

“My lady, might a commoner speak?” Asked Goldleaf.

“Very well.”

“I was there when Princess Celestia began this.” He began, a statement that captured the attention of the group. “She said there would be vengeance for everypony murdered by their Grey Shadow. None of us lesser ponies have ever died from the Grey Shadow, though, not unless they had a lot of alicorn blood in them. Celestia was talking about the original flight of the alicorns. She's not going to liberate them, she's going to kill as many of them as she can in revenge.” The various mares all glanced at each other. “We have more than enough land here, so why go claim more over there? It's all wilderness, untamed and uncontrolled; an entire continent of Everfree.”

“So they've all got the taint of Discord upon them.” Reasoned the Highcrest mare.

“What? No-” Goldleaf tried to correct her.

“Discord!” Growled the pegasus from Eastmarch. “Of course he'd be behind this madness.”

“You know, my grandmother told me stories of her grandmother telling her about some of Discord's minions. She said they walked on two legs, and had fingers, or claws, or something!” Added in the other stallion.

“I wouldn't be surprised if the humans were still in service to him.” The Highcrest mare went on. “If that's true, it's not only our duty to liberate them, but it's our duty to remove any who would see the return of such chaos to the world!”

“Aye!” Agreed various pegasi warriors.

“That's not what I was trying to say...” Sighed Goldleaf. Hemlock patted his shoulder with a hoof.

“You can't reason with everypony.” She said. Especially not bloodthirsty pegasi. The meal went on.

Upon the return to the Old Keep, Hemlock once again took up residence on Goldleaf's chair, not even asking to be invited in; just strolling on through after him. “It sounds like you know quite a bit about what happens in Sara thool.” She began.

“Sarathûl, just one word.” He rectified. “I know a good deal, but not nearly as much as I'd like to know.”

“They never told me anything at home, I just know they existed.” Admitted the pegasus.

“Well, where to begin...” Pondered Goldleaf. “It's thought the humans first showed up some three thousand years ago, at least in alicorn histories. Some say they go back further for dragons, who were the first to encounter them. Nopony really knows where they came from. There's still three-quarters of the world left to map, they could've come from anywhere.”

“But they came from the north, I've heard.” Said Hemlock.

“Indeed.” Goldleaf used his magic to place the blanket on his bed on the floor, and sat down on it. “From what the alicorns could gather, the human tribes had come from even more north than the land they called the Far North, implying they had trekked over the top of the world to get there. Why, nopony can say...” Hemlock leaned forward, ears pricked forward to full alertness, an eager smile on her face. “There were eight tribes, in the beginning, as represented by the eight-pointed star they use a common symbol. At first, their only unifying force was their odd monotheistic religion, which they tried to bring other races into. Until one day, a child of destiny was born: Bâlôs Taizâres. The man who united the eight tribes and moved south, into Old Alicornia, and changed the world forever...”

Author's notes: College is taking a hell of a toll on my free time. This has been in the works for over a month now... But hey, at least it's new material. I wonder if anyone is disappointed I only gave you a teaser of human history here. I also wonder who even remembered Goldleaf was a POV character...

Idle Discussions

There was a tension in the air, that was unmistakable. The entire situation was as clear as day from the air; but on the ground, things were predictably more chaotic.

“Tell me again, where are they?” Asked Aharôs, standing on a rock with his spyglass pointed northwest, slowly scanning towards the south.

“The column must have been... eight, maybe nine miles west.” Tempest stated, not as confidently as she hoped. “It was definitely Verâdîm, I saw their banners.”

“We both saw their banners.” Added in Streaming Breeze. “And they saw us too!”

“Not much they can do about it.” Sir Turaz remarked.

“How many?” The Prince questioned again.

“Five thousand, perhaps six thousand. Seven thousand at most.” Guessed the blue-grey pegasus. “They seemed to have been heading towards the Zachîr, but the entire column stopped when they saw us. They know we're here.” She said. Tempest was expecting some kind of rebuke for her incompetence of being spotted, but instead, the Prince smiled.

“Coldstar, what do you have to report?” He asked. Coldstar had just returned from her own patrol.

“They've started to dig in on a hill some seven miles to the west. The faster we move, the less time they'll have to prepare.”

“Perfect. This will be the first time we meet them in open battle. Continue marching.” Aharôs ordered. It was only mid-morning, they might be able to make it by the evening. That might turn into a night-battle though... Could they do it? It remained to be seen. The Athairîm troops continued on down from the low pass they were coming out of. Rôstôs, or what was left of it, lay securely under the blue flower of Athair, now Aharôs was moving into the central valley of Verâd. Coldstar and Streaming Breeze went off on another patrol, finding the best path to the enemy.

Once on the ground again, Tempest elected not to try and go back up in her armor, it was simply too impractical and too tiring. With some help from Turaz and Snowy, she got back into much lighter clothes, travelling cloak and long vest as usual. “You sure you should be flying around in hostile territory this unprotected?” Asked Turaz.

“No, but I'd rather be able to actually maneuver than hope some crossbowman doesn't get lucky.” Replied Tempest.

“You should at- at least have something...” Suggested Snowy.

“We won't need it.” The blue-grey pegasus stated firmly.

“We?” Her companion asked.

“You're coming with.” Stated Tempest. Snowy didn't seem to like that idea at all.

“W-wait, no, I- I can't fight!” She protested, looking scared.

“We're not going to fight. We're going to observe the Verâdîm lines, from a distance.” Explained the blue-grey pegasus. “And I need you to come with because you're better at remembering, and you're the most capable pegasus that's available.”

“Snowy, capable?” Turaz remarked amusedly. “God save us all.” Both mares gave him a dark look. The human knight kept his smug expression, though.

“Alright, let's do some sneaking.” Commanded Tempest, taking to the air. Snowy reluctantly followed. With no swords or armor, Tempest felt as light as the plume on Turaz's helmet. Flying wasn't her favorite thing in the whole world, but she certainly enjoyed the freedom of it. The two kept low over the trees, hoping to avoid being spotted. According to the others; clouds were low enough to hide in back in Equestria; but in Sarathûl, clouds were very, very high up on most days. Almost too high to reach, even without armor. So treetops it was for them.

Navigating towards the Verâdîm location didn't take more than a quarter of an hour, despite having to sneak through the woods bordering the open fields that lay before the enemy. Snowy spotted the distant banner first. There was a tiny speck of green on a hill about a mile distant. “How many do you think there are?” Asked Tempest. Snowy's good with numbers, she could figure it out.

“I- I can't tell.” She replied quietly, squinting at the distance.

“Well, I guess we'll get closer. Come on.” The beige mare only frowned worriedly in response, but followed nonetheless. The two found a rather tall tree to shelter in, which would hopefully disguise their presence from any observer on the ground. It swayed in the wind, but falling wasn't a danger to winged creatures like themselves. “We should have brought a spyglass.” Tempest muttered.

“It doesn't look like...” Snowy trailed off, leaning slightly forward. “Five thousand, f-five hundred. At most.” She stated. That came as a surprise.

“Really?” Asked Tempest. “Where'd the others go?”

“I wouldn't know.” Replied the other pegasus quietly, still looking at the hill. From their leafy vantage point, the two could see that the Verâdîm were hard at work digging trenches at the base of the hill, and another set a few dozen feet further up. Why wouldn't they dig trenches further up the hill? wondered Tempest. They didn't seem to have much in the way of artillery, either. All of a sudden, Snowy seemed very intent on what was looking below. Tempest followed her gaze, and saw the two soldiers walking through a clearing. Their armor was painted completely in a dull green tone, and they had leaves and twigs and other forest bits attached to them.

“...heard something about Equestrians...” One of the Verâdîm was saying.

“Yeah, Aharôs finally got off his ass and decided to bring his pets along to spy on us.” The other replied.

“Not that it's done them any good.” Laughed the first.

“Not till now.” The second said. “Wish we had Old Kerî here, he'd find a way to stop the Athairîm.”

“Duke Kerîsanîôs has Reshîv to contend with. There's no saving us commoners...” The two moved on out of earshot.

“Well, now we know who's leading the rebellion.” Tempest noted.

“We- We've known it was Duke Kerîsanîôs the whole time.” Stated Snowy. “You just didn't pay attention.” Really? asked Tempest to herself. I don't remember that...

“I'll take your word for it.” She said, not without some confusion. “I swear, there was more than five and a half thousand, though.”

“I guess we'll find out.” Her companion remarked. It was a silent journey back to camp, mostly for fear of coming upon more Verâdîm in the woods below. Tempest was unarmed, and accompanied by Snowy; a double burden of protection would be upon her should she be forced into a fight. Fortunately, flying targets were hard targets, and the encountered no one on the way back.

Aharôs had a folding table deployed, where Snowy and the other pegasi drew a map of the Verâdîm lines they had seen. Tempest didn't know much about tactics, despite having supposedly been instructed in them. Leave the planning to the generals, she thought. And leave the fighting to the real soldiers? More than a small part of her wished it so. She did not enjoy this business of war at all.

“We may want to wait for morning, then.” Suggested Sir Turaz, in his armor as usual. It had to get heavy, carrying it around all the time... “More time for the men to rest, more time to plan our attack. I've never liked night fights.”

“You Athairîm are supposedly the best night fighters in all of Sarathûl, though.” Spoke up Duke Îrilôs, who was distinctly not in armor.

“Our fathers were, but not us.” Baron Kairôs replied.

“You're not Athairîm, you're Thechai!” Scoffed the Mayor Jai Pashal of Sturaj.

“We're more loyal vassals than you...” Young Kairôs grumbled, barely loud enough for even Tempest to hear.

“The point remains,” Aharôs interrupted. “My father and his soldiers excelled at night warfare, it's how we won Rûka and much of the initial war against Verâd. But my father is now permanently incapacitated, his generals have grown weary, and his soldiers have laid down their arms for a new generation to take up. We cannot rely on the past to win for us... We must look ahead.” The Prince finished, staring everyone in the eyes. My word is final, his expression seemed to say. “What is the rocket situation, Îrilôs?”

“In the past month since we last used them, I've managed to have another forty produced. It would have been sixty, but all the rain a few weeks ago damaged some too greatly.” Answered the Imperial Envoy. “The good news is that my artillerymen and I have been working on our calculation skills, we won't need the Equestrian to do it for us much longer.” He gestured to Snowy, who looked quite relieved to be absolved from getting more blood on her hooves.

“Good.” The Mayor of Sturaj commented. “We're better off without them anyway. Who knows what they could do...” His undue aggression was beginning to irk Tempest.

“Without us, you wouldn't have-” She started to say, before Aharôs put a hand on her shoulder.

“Patience, Tempest.” He said quietly.

“No, let her speak her mind.” Challenged Mayor Pashal, with an amused look. No emotion makes him look any less evil, Tempest noted. There was something about Pashal she didn't like at all; perhaps it was his sunken eyes...

“...I don't think so.” Aharôs answered after some pause. Despite her desire to do otherwise, Tempest obeyed the Prince. She looked at Snowy, whose expression was definitely telling her to stay quiet. If Snowy thinks I shouldn't say anything, I guess I won't... Between her friend and her mother's friend, they had to have a good reason.

“Hmmph.” Grunted Pashal, folding his arms. “Back to business, then.”

“As I said, we have forty rockets ready for action, but I suggest conserving them for use against more castles, not sending them against field armies.” Said Îrilôs, as if the interruption had never happened. “Given the time it takes to produce them, it would be prudent to save what we have now for later.”

“Agreed.” Nodded Prince Aharôs. “And I understand that our ammunition and powder reserves are sufficient for another month?”

“They are, my prince.” Stated Sir Eberis, speaking for the first time. Truly, a man of few words, noted Tempest.

“Good. When we get within two miles of the Verâdîm, we'll stop for the night. An hour before dawn, we'll march the remaining distance and arrived just as the sun rises.” Ordered Aharôs, tapping his suggested campsite. It was behind a small river, a good defense against night raiders. Tempest knew that much about strategy. “We'll finalize plans tonight; I'm sure we could win through a frontal assault, but there has to be a better way. No doubt some of you have come up with one already.” With that, Aharôs dismissed impromptu the meeting; the various leaders mounting their zôshai and riding back to their respective contingents, who were still moving along the road a short distance away.

“Why'd you two want me to stay quiet?” The blue-grey pegasus asked Snowy, after everyone else had left, including Aharôs.

“It was a political move.” Said Snowy. “H-he wanted to show the Mayor you were in his control...” Her tone was almost apologetic.

“Oh.” Tempest replied, frowning. She wasn't sure she liked that. “I guess that makes sense.” I mean, it avoided another confrontation, so I suppose it was for the best?

It was a quiet day for the Equestrians as the Athairîm army made its way to camp site. But something one of the Verâdîm they had heard earlier came back to Tempest's mind. “There's no saving us commoners...” What did that mean? Did the Verâdîm know they were going to be defeated? Was there no noble to lead them? Maybe they think they'll be defeated because they don't have a noble to lead them... It was certainly true in Equestria, from what Tempest had learned. Earth ponies had no aristocracy, unlike the pegasi or unicorns, and the earth ponies were always defeated in battle. Perhaps human peasants would always be defeated without a noble to lead them too? That must have meant these Verâdîm were all peasants at some point.

“Snowy, do you think it's possible to win a battle when there's only commoners leading?”

“Well...” Snowy looked up in thought. “I-I supposed not.”

“The Verâdîm said there was no saving the commoners... I don't think they have any lord to lead them. Not even a knight.” Mused the blue-grey pegasus.

“If w-we captured enough of their nobility, the V-Veradim, they'd be...”

“Powerless.” Finished Tempest. “But Aharôs doesn't seem to capture, he just kills.”

“Yeah...”

“More room for our own lords, then. Maybe he'll give Sir Turaz and the other knights some land to rule? Not just a manor, a castle!” She continued.

“I wish we had a castle.” Quietly said Snowy. Do I want a castle? That was a silly question, Tempest was a queen, she could command all the castles of a land. Do I want a kingdom? Now that was the right question. As the sun set, Aharôs gathered his council to plan for tomorrow. The Equestrians were not invited to join, so they just ate supper together. It was a rare gathering of all eight of them. Tempest sat at the head of their little table; with Hearth, Coldstar, and Redfern to her left. To her right was Snowy, Streaming Breeze, and the ever-silent Canvas. Waterborn got stuck on the opposite end. Mostly everyone talked quietly in Equestrian with each other, free from the need to be understood by their human allies. Tempest caught herself replying to everything in Tarsin, though, even when addressed in Equestrian.

“You've taken quite a liking to the human language over the years.” Her uncle observed, in his native tongue.

“It's just...” Tempest trailed off, as she considered switching to Equestrian. Instead, she stayed in Tarsin. “I don't know, I like it more.”

“You use their accent.” Hearth said. He was right, Tempest replaced all the w sounds with v, and favored the Tarsin î where Equestrians just used the plain i; not to mention the lengthening and shortening of certain sounds, and the different stressing of all the syllables...

“I like their accent more too.” Explained Tempest. In actuality, she had forgotten the Equestrian accent. The pony language lacked all the flow and patterns of Tarsin; it was inferior in every way Tempest could think of. “Besides, Snowy does the same.”

“But Snowy is willing to switch when everypony else does.” Said Hearth.

“Snowy doesn't want to make anyone upset.” Tempest muttered.

“Well, at least you provide an interesting dualism for me to watch in my last days.” Her uncle smiled, though wearily.

“Last days? I guess you really are as ill as they say.” Remarked the blue-grey pegasus. She quickly realized how detached and uncaring that statement sounded. But, she did nothing to remedy it.

“I am. Brenan said he's seen it in other humans before; an evil growth inside the body.” Hearth said.

“How does he know it's in there?”

“Brenan may be a priest, but he's a bold priest. Don't tell anypony I told you this, but he's dug up bodies from graves, and cut them open to see what was inside!” Whispered Hearth, leaning closer. Tempest backed away in disgust.

“Why would anyone do that?” She asked.

“To learn.” Stated her uncle. He was silent for a moment, before changing the subject. “I must confess, I was rather taken aback at how little this news seems to affect you. But only I am at fault for that, I've paid far less attention to you than I should have. I can only imagine how disappointed my little sister would be right now.”

“Yeah, my mother probably wouldn't have liked this.” Agreed Tempest. “But you had your reasons, right?” She asked. “We don't even know who my father is, I'm not a legitimate child. It really shouldn't matter to you.”

“That's precisely the rationalization I made to myself.” Hearth said with a nod. “Probably the wrong rationalization, come to think of it.”

“Maybe...” Tempest didn't commit to any one viewpoint. There was some bitterness over how her uncle had been so distant, but at the same time, she didn't take it too personally. What if their roles had been reversed? If Tempest had been the aunt, suddenly forced in the company of a younger brother's bastard who had been named heir over her? That would have actually been more insulting, come to think of it... Supper went on, and Tempest decided she didn't like asparagus that much. Where do they get all these Equestrian plants anyway? Asparagus didn't grow in Sarathûl; they had other vegetables instead here.

“I heard some news from the homeland the other day.” Coldstar said, between sips of of wine. “Apparently, Clearspring Swiftrain has left the area, for some kind of big gathering with the new Princess.”

“They're assembling a united army to invade Sarathûl; that's a bit more than a gathering.” Interjected Redfern.

“They'll never make it.” Replied Coldstar.

“But what if they do?” Asked Streaming Breeze.

“They won't.” Hearth said. “Equestrians make poor sailors, they'd never get an army over here. Even if they did make it to the coast, Aharôs's fleet would destroy it... Eight years ago, the former Imperial Envoy to Athair asked me if I could deliver a message swiftly to the south, to Nîralska. Canvas here came with me.” The dark-colored pegasus gestured to the silent one. “Our task was to find Count Brenanîôs Leshta-Taizâres, no relation to our friend the priest, of course. A distant relation to our friend the Envoy, though. Count Brenanîôs had been sent to the farthest tip of Sarathûl to re-assert Imperial dominion.

“It was a fool's errand, I thought. Canvas and I flew south and south, following the coast. We passed Ar-Athazîon, and were hosted by the Emperor himself, who very much wished to meet a real Equestrian. He gave us another message to leave with Brenanîôs, because he had dispatched an embassy to the dragon lands; and we could get to Nîralska before they did.”

“Is this going anywhere?” Asked Tempest, interrupting the narrative.

“It is, patience.” Hearth assured her. “After several weeks of flying, it's become apparent how far south Canvas and I had ended up. Different plants, the sun was higher in the sky, and everything of the sort. Even the human's Tarsin was different. They speak Vûrdasha Tarsin out here, very closely related to Imperial Standard. But you get down to Nîralska, and you can only understand them if they talk slowly and clearly.” Snowy was looking very intrigued by this; but all the other pegasi were beginning to get bored. Tempest wasn't bored, but she was wondering what Hearth was getting at. “We finally arrive in the land itself, in the middle of winter. But the sun is hot and bright, the trees and flowers in full bloom. It was a beautiful place, I regret I won't see it again.

“However, the humans were up to their usual infighting. The Nîralskai had rejected the Emperor's dominion, so Count Brenanîôs had declared open war upon them. Gunpowder isn't widely used in Nîralska, for whatever reason. But they sent out their ships to fight anyway, graceful, sleek vessels with those peculiar triangular sails. Brenanîôs's three ships annihilated the twenty from the port they were at. The Nîralskai weren't able to board because of how tall the Imperial ships were, and all the while, the cannons tore them apart. It was a massacre, and the Empire directly took control of the area. A Nîralskai army from nearby rulers attempted to liberate it by sailing down the river, but the Empire's three ships simply sat in the river, spanning across it bow to stern, and shot at the enemy. This went on for a solid month! Not a single Imperial soldier was killed, versus thousands of Nîralskai.

“That's what will happen if the Equestrians get here. They'll be slaughtered before they even land.” Hearth finished.

“Why didn't you just say that in the first place?” Asked Streaming Breeze.

“Because I like to give context.” Answered the older pegasus.

“So, in short, Celestia's pawns will cross the sea only to be butchered by the Athairîm or Imperials.” Coldstar mused.

“Or both.” Agreed Hearth. “Prince Aharôs has been very keen on aligning himself with the Emperor, moreso than any other realm up here. And the Emperor is all for it, once Verâd is conquered, they'll nearly have land access to the March again. Only Bîerlas stands in the way, and they're still smarting from their defeat nine years ago. They'll roll over soon enough.”

“Human politics, they never change.” Muttered Redfern. “If they aren't fiery, bloodthirsty fanatics, they're cold, remorseless killers.”

“Say what you will about the humans, at least they to improve.” Waterborn countered. “Better than our enduring racial divisions back home.”

“Earth ponies and unicorns are undoubtedly inferior, the system we had worked. Each race gets their own homelands, they don't mess with the others.” Streaming Breeze spoke. “Well, it worked until the Sun Queen sent Celestia to stop Queen Maelstrom from taking her rightful place...” She growled.

“A shame those homelands were greatly unequal in every way possible.” Replied Waterborn. “Hurricane Whitewind should have never made the pact with the alicorns and the others, it's only led to strife. No elevation kingdom is worth the disaster its led to!”

“What kind of shit is this?” Coldstar asked indignantly, and more than a little drunkenly. “Earth ponies are far better off under our rule or unicorn rule. The ones on their own are absolutely uncivilized.”

Supper degenerated into a battle between the pegasi who favored the alicorn solution, which was Streaming Breeze, Hearth, and Coldstar; against those who did not, Redfern and Waterborn. Canvas sat and stared at his plate. Tempest and Snowy exchanged a glance, and mutually agreed it was time to go.

“Canvas, come on.” Prompted Tempest to the silent stallion. He followed slowly but steadily.

“Can y-you believe it, Tempest?” Asked Snowy, when they were outside. Twilight had fallen, and the colors of the world were rapidly fading into blues and greys.

“Believe what?”

“R-Redfern and Waterborn, they think that the earth ponies should be left to their own d-devices.” Explained the biege mare. “How cruel would that b-be? They need us... If we let them go, they'd- they'd just start killing, and dying again... It'd be a n-nightmare.” She cringed, distressed at the thought of a return to how things were before the alicorns.

“Well, I guess Redfern and Waterborn are tired of division and fighting. After years of auxiliary service and being stallions, I wouldn't be surprised if they were jaded.” Deduced Tempest. “But maybe earth ponies do need our kin in Equestria to have hope for a better future.” She didn't know nearly enough about that to make a firm judgement call, but Tempest too was tired of fighting. The last thing she wanted was an argument with her closest, and only friend. She's too emotional as it is... don't want to encourage any outbursts, especially after she's doing so well these days.

They escorted Canvas back to his tiny tent, barely more than a canvas draped over collapsible frame. Tempest quietly noted the congruence of his name and his tent's material. The pegasus stallion went in and laid down, staring emptily at the ground before his hooves. As they left him to his silence, Tempest voiced her question.

“What do you think actually happened to him? To make him like... that?”

“Maybe we're better of not knowing.” Commented Snowy, glancing back. In their own tent, Snowy got back to her business of reading by lamplight. Tempest knew she should probably go to sleep earlier, but as she lay on her cot, no sleep came. An hour must have passed in dead quiet; only marked by the infrequent rustling of pages turned by Snowy. Is the Kaiathîsa really they interesting? It was just some book written by humans thousands of years dead, what revelations could it possibly hold?

“Why are you even reading that book anyway?” Tempest found herself asking, giving up on the possibility of early sleep. She couldn't see her, but she knew Snowy just flinched in surprise at the sudden sound.

“It's... profound.” Replied the beige mare.

“Profound?” Tempest questioned, squinting at the cloth ceiling of the tent.

“There's a lot in here. And it makes sense. They... They were onto something, Tempest.” Snowy spoke quietly. “They still are onto something.”

“I seriously hope you're not thinking of taking the human god for your own.” Said Tempest.

“It's not... It's not just the human god. It's- It's everything's god.” Corrected Snowy. “I'll have to read it to you l-later.”

“Yeah... I just wish I could fall asleep.” Sighed the blue-grey pegasus.

“Well, I- I could read it... out loud.” Suggested Snowy timidly. Why not?

“Worth a try.” And so Snowy did read from the Kaiathîsa, softly speaking its High Tarsin. The language was beyond Tempest's comprehension, but she liked hearing it. Maybe it was just Snowy's reading, but the every sentence seemed to just flow, almost as if it were a song. There wasn't even any stuttering, for once. It wasn't long before Tempest was drifting off into sleep, unconcerned with impending battle hours away.

Author's note: I don't have much to say, except that finals came up on me quicker than expected. I will never die though. I haven’t given you everything... Not yet.

Hill Assault

“...Kai ôd-nûntîaram, Kai ôd-nûntîaram, Kai ôd-nûntîaram; paiajem nikîm ai ôv-zikôlîov. Antî aran.” Finished the old priest, dark robes blending in with the pre-dawn world around him.

“Kaia bâlon.” Agreed the assembled soldiers, Turaz included. They rose from the kneeling position, removing the two fingers they placed upon their foreheads. Brenan turned away from the impromptu altar with it's eight-pointed star of silver, and stepped to the side. One by one, each soldier went up to the altar, bowed their head to the star, and moved on. Everyone was in their armor already, a second kneeling to the star as was the custom would be skipped today. The knight and his chief sergeant watched the procession pass by, before they too moved forward. Haior went first, and finally, it was Turaz's turn. He bowed to the star, eyeing the third ray on the right side. Saint Aikâlon, Defender of Man; ask the Lord of Heaven to keep an eye on my family should I fall today. The Defender of Man had heard from Turaz many times over the years, Turaz liked to think he could afford to be less formal now. He moved away from the star, to join Haior and Brenan.

“It's time.” Said the sergeant.

“Time indeed.” Turaz nodded, putting on his helmet.

“I do hope you return again, Sir Turaz” Brenan said, clasping his hands together. “I'd rather not find your body going to the pyres once this is all over.”

“I don't intend to die today.” The knight replied. “I intend to make the enemy do that instead... Lord of Heaven grant them peace.”

“Antî aran...” The priest repeated, and retreated into the darkness, no doubt to ready his acolytes for the post-battle casualties.

“Did you understand all that?” He heard a female voice ask. Tempest Blackwind, always watching... “I know you can.”

“Yes...” A weaker voice replied. And Snowy Farpeak too, no surprise there. The two were inseparable when Tempest wasn't off on Aharôs's scouting missions.

“What are you two doing up so early?” Turaz asked, stifling a yawn, and looking in their general direction.

“Because there's too much noise to sleep.” Replied the Blackwind queen.

“So you came to watch the morning prayer, my queen?” Sergeant Haior said skeptically.

“Well... Why not?” Countered the young pegasus.

“Whatever you say, my queen. We have a battle to win. And this time, Aharôs means it. Do not get in trouble.” Turaz pointed at her warningly.

“Aren't you going to provide information on the enemy to the Prince, though?” Asked Haior, trying to scratch his head, but quickly realizing his helmet was in the way.

“Change of plans. Aharôs wants me to stay here for this one.” Stated Tempest, a little too nonchalantly. Was she hoping for something like that? wondered the knight. In fact, Tempest almost sounded relieved! That was a disconcerting thought.

“You two have fun then.” Said Turaz. What is it they do all the time, anyway? That would be a question answered another day. This day was for war. “We'll be off actually fighting.”

“I envy you.” Tempest replied dryly, nudging Snowy and moving off. Her companion followed obediently, stealing another dark glance at Turaz. That was about as hostile as the beige mare got...

“Equestrians.” Sighed Haior. “Don't think I'll ever understand them.”

“And those two were practically raised human.” Noted Turaz.

“Strange pair.” The sergeant commented. That's for sure. But I guess all fifteen year old girls are a bit odd, even Equestrian royalty. Snowy was a few years older though, Turaz wasn't sure what to think about her.

“Let's get moving, we don't have all day to talk.” He commanded. The two quickly caught up to the still-assembling column Turaz commanded. As usual, his men were near the front of the marching assembly, given his favored position with Prince Aharôs. Ahead of him was Baron Kairôs, behind him Sir Eberis, and behind Eberis was Mayor Pashal. There were more commanders and their columns further back still, but Turaz didn't know any of them. At the front was the Prince himself, plus his zôshamen. I'm not sure what good heavy cavalry will do against an entrenched enemy... Still, it was best to be prepared.

It was a mostly silent march over the two miles to the battlefield. The foothills of the coastal mountains were heavily wooded, but this was on the edge of that region; there was much more open space down near the river Zachîr's valley than there was in the mountains. Turaz noticed both trees and open fields pass by as they marched along the meager dirt roads. At least there's no mud. The spring rains were over, now they'd just get intermittent showers until some three weeks after St. Zefîr's Day. Athair and Verâd were both rainy lands.

Dawn had just arrived when they came to the hill the Blackwinds had seen the Verâdîm at. True enough, the enemy was there. An entire half-season had passed, and up until this point, the rebels had avoided an open confrontation. No longer. As they had drilled many times before, Turaz took his column to the left of Baron Kairôs's, moving up alongside it. Eberis went right, Pashal went left, the column behind him went right, and so forth, until the Athairîm army was lined up for battle. Aharôs and his riders had disappeared.

“Sir, I don't see any artillery up there.” Reported Sergeant Haior, handing his spyglass to Turaz. “Well, no more than half a dozen cannons. Practically nothing compared to what we brought.” True enough, Turaz counted only five small cannons.

“This should be fast.” The knight stated, wringing his hands on the handle of his halberd. “I just wonder when Aharôs will send us at them.”

“Not much longer now, I've got our orders.” Announced young Baron Kairôs, appearing on the scene. Like his men, he marched on foot into battle, and he lead from the front. Kairôs was bold, that was for sure. But if he lived through this war, he'd be worshiped by the other Thechai who made it through as well. Every commoner loves a noble who stands alongside them. Word was that Reshîv fought like that too.

“What's our plan, my lord?” Asked Turaz.

“Our Blackwind friends have reported that there are three trenches in total, one before the hill, and two on the hill itself. As I speak, my artillerymen are digging ramps to elevate their cannons upon, if we did our math right, then we'll be able to drop shots on them from above.” Kairôs was obviously confident in his cannoneers' abilities. “Under cover of this bombardment, we'll advance down the center and storm the first trench. After we've taken that... Well, we'll wait on further orders while sitting in the dirt!” Laughed the Baron.

“Seems a bit simple.” Noted the knight.

“Only us two are advancing down the center. Pashal's column will be taking a trip around through the woods and hitting them from the left side. Eberis is doing the same for the right. If everything goes right, they should be trapped on the hill.” Kairôs explained.

“And who's to stop them from just going up the hill and down the other side, my lord?” Interjected Haior.

“As we distract them from three sides, Aharôs's heavy cavalry will make their way around the hill, and be waiting for the inevitable retreat. The Verâdîm will walk right into a charge.”

“If everything goes right.” Repeated Turaz. “Here's to hoping it does...”

“I'd drink to that, but I'd rather not be drunk in combat.” Replied Kairôs. “I'll see you in the trenches, Sir.” With that, the Thechai Baron departed for his own column.

“Looks like we've got a fairly typical Aharôs strategy, then.” Turaz said to his sergeant. “Attack, attack, attack.”

“It hasn't failed yet...”

“Yet.” One day, it would fail... Turaz doubted that day was here, though. The Athairîm had everything on their side, except for the high ground. Slowly, the columns lined up just beyond the treeline. In between them were the cannons, placed on hastily constructed ramps of earth to gain more elevation. Two figures emerged from the forward trench on the far side of the field, a stark black banner with the eight-pointed silver star in one's hands. A truce? wondered Turaz. That was the only reason to bring out the banner of the faith before battle.

“Let's go see what they want!” Shouted Baron Kairôs, waving Turaz to follow him.

“Well, no harm in that...” The knight said quietly. If the Verâdîm broke a truce under the banner of Heaven, they'd be slaughtered to a man and reviled worse than oathbreakers. It'd be doing the world a favor to get rid of them. Turaz walked at the side of Kairôs, who seemed to have taken charge of the battle. They were quickly joined by Sir Eberis and Mayor Pashal. The four Athairîm leaders met the two Verâdîm in the middle of the field.

“I am Kairôs Jevachis, Baron of the Seven Thechas, and the new Lord of Seshîlîon.” Stated Kairôs, removing his helmet. “This is Sir Turaz of Surana, Sir Eberis Takta of Vatherîon, and Mayor Jai Pashal of Sturaj. What is it you wish to discuss before Heaven?”

“I am Tamedar, of a small farm some many miles from here. We'd like to negotiate your withdrawal from Verâd.” Said one of the men, grizzled and old enough to have a beard that had gone white.

“Excuse me?” Asked Kairôs, raising an eyebrow.

“You are to leave this land and return what you have stolen. We will make our own path and elect our own King. We don't want Athairîm to rule us, not after what you've done to our realm.” Said the old Verâdîm.

“I don't think you're in any position to be negotiating for our withdrawal.” Laughed the Baron.

“Perhaps, perhaps not.” Replied Tamedar. “If anything, you should be on our side, Baron Kairôs, instead of sticking with those who consort with demons.” Looks like word of Sidâl's actions on our behalf is spreading...

“And why should he?” Mayor Pashal interjected, dancing his fingers on the head of his warhammer.

“Thecha was once independent, why not be independent once more?” The old man posed the question.

“By the laws of inheritance set down by the Emperor a thousand years ago, Thecha rightfully is a domain of Athair now. Unlike some, I have loyalty, and I follow Imperial law. Why is your realm the exception?” Kairôs countered, folding his arms.

“Verâd has broken with the Emperor. We are a free and independent people no longer willing to be ignored by a far-off ruler who has never stepped foot on this side of the Dashavon, let alone in our realm itself. And we will fight for that.” Stated Tamedar.

“If you're all so willing to fight for that, then why have your nobles left a peasant to lead a battle?” Asked Kairôs smugly.

“Because our best soldiers are escaping west to Jashenîon as we speak. You cannot go after them, because if you leave us behind, we will continue to harass your army. And by the time you're done with us, it'll be too late to stop them.” Tamedar retorted, equally as smugly.

“We've been had!” Whispered Turaz to himself.

“Clever Verâdîm.” Commented Kairôs, controlling his reaction as only nobility could.

“We may lose this war, but we'll make it so Athair suffers heavily for it. Fucking foreign invaders.” Spat Tamedar, before bowing shallowly in almost mock respect. He and his banner-bearer retreated to their own side, leaving the Athairîm to do the same.

“I have half a mind to kill them all.” Commented the Mayor of Sturaj. “Has there ever been so much trouble from so few troublemakers?”

“You might want to read up on the restoration of Imperial rule to Nîralska for more information on that.” Said Sir Eberis, speaking for the first time. “It was only a few years ago though, most people up here haven't heard about it yet.”

“That's life in the backwater.” Pashal sighed, putting on his helmet. “Well, let's get this battle over with. I feel the need to smash some heads.”

“I wouldn't put it quite the same, but I agree with the general idea. To your columns, men.” Commanded Baron Kairôs, putting on his own helmet as well. The three blue plumes bobbed with each step, and Turaz was glad he only had one to deal with.

“I take it negotiations fell through?” Asked Sergeant Haior, at the head of their column.

“No shit.” Turaz replied. “Just a bunch of time wasting.” Before Haior could say anything else, someone in the Thechai column sounded a trumpet. It's time. Almost all at once, the drums began in four columns. Another trumpet blast was heard.

“Column, advance!” Turaz ordered.

“Column, advance!” Bellowed Sergeant Haior to the rest of the men. Similar calls were heard from Kairôs's column, as both formations began to march towards the hill a good furlong in front of them. Banners fluttered in the wind, showing both the blue flower of Athair and the seven golden dragonflies of the Seven Thechas. Mayor Pashal's column veered off and continued through the woods, while Eberis skirted the other edge of the field.

From behind them came the first roars of the cannon bombardment. Their shot whistled through the air, arcing over the columns and landing near the Verâdîm trenches. Many found their marks, many missed and simply hit the ground on either side of the enemy. And the Verâdîm responded, despite only having a few light cannons. Several men were raked down, but the advance continued.

“Battle line, second formation!” Commanded Turaz, once they had gotten within fifty yards.

“Battle line, second formation!” Echoed his sergeant. The drums changed pace, the arquebusiers began spreading out, while the pikemen moved back; turning the column into something of a square. In the middle were halberdiers and swordsmen, surrounded by pikemen, who were in turn surrounded by the arquebusiers. It took several minutes to assemble, and the advance slowed to a crawl. Kairôs's men did a similar maneuver. All the while, the cannons continued.

“Continue the advance.”

“Column, advance!” And so it did. The drumbeats continued, pushing the soldiers closer and closer to the enemy. At thirty yards, the Verâdîm fired their first volley. A wall of white smoke went up, while Turaz heard several shots bounce off armor, and the cries of other men who were not so lucky to have quality equipment.

“Halt!”

“Column, halt!”

“Arquebusiers, form up!” Ordered the knight. Matches were lit, and the men in the first row kneeled down so those behind them could get a better shot. “Take aim... Fire!” The Athairîm let loose their own volley, aimed straight at the trench before them. Turaz noted it had little effect, most shots simply buried themselves in the dirt.

“Advance.”

“Column, advance!” Turaz had to time their advance carefully to arrive at the same time as Kairôs. The two had deliberately drifted apart for what they were going to do next. Another round of Verâdîm fire came, mowing down many more soldiers at such a short range.

“Battle line, fifth formation!”

“Battle line, fifth formation!” The arquebusiers stopped their advance, letting the pikemen take the lead and the halberdiers and swordsmen follow behind them. The entire square of men spread out into a long rectangle, meeting with Kairôs's own, who were doing the same thing. Turaz glanced at the flanks of the field, Eberis was rapidly advancing, while Pashal was nearing on the other side.

“Column, charge!”

“Column, charge! Vî-Athair bâlen!”

“VÎ-ATHAIR BÂLEN!” Roared the soldiers of Athair, surging forward the last few yards to the trench. A final Verâdîm volley thinned the ranks, every shot found its mark. The Verâdîm in the trenches above only helped with that, as two shots bounced off Turaz's chestplate, making him stumble backwards. A soldier behind him wasn't so lucky, one shot smashed right through his visor and killed him instantly. Then, they were upon the first trench.

Turaz stabbed his halberd downwards at the first arquebusier he saw, feeling the jarring impact of the the spike travelling through armor and flesh alike. A Verâdîm swordsman was upon him instantly, in retribution for his fallen comrade. The man wielded a two-handed weapon, and each swing knocked Turaz back a little further down the trench. He stepped back in anticipation of the next swing; the enemy's sword found air instead of the halberd shaft he expected, and the momentum of his own blade pulled him off to the side. The knight swung his weapon under the off-balance swordsman, sending him crashing into the ground. A swift stab to the neck ended his life.

“Sir, we're taking heavy losses from the fire above!” Sergeant Haior yelled from somewhere behind.

“Get everyone in the trench, then!” Ordered Turaz, using his halberd's blade to hamstring the unarmed legs of another Verâdîm. The enemy was quickly dispatched by another Athairîm. “Kairôs!” Shouted the knight.

“What do you require?” Roared back the Baron, from some many feet to the right. Turaz pushed his way through the dying melee and found the Thechai lord. All the while, he ducked and dodged as more shots from above whistled down.

“We took more losses than we thought.” Reported the knight. “I hope we have a better plan than simply charge again! We'll be going uphill this time!”

“Our cannons should be moving forward at this moment, they'll hopefully thin out the ranks above.” Kairôs responded.

“Hopefully?” Turaz asked incredulously. He noted the multitude of round dents in the Baron's armor, a testament to both the skill of the armorer and the reckless boldness of the young noble.

“You got any better ideas?” Asked back Kairôs, shrugging.

“I have one!” Announced a gruff voice that could only belong to Jai Pashal. Looks like the Mayor's attack went well enough then. “Get Aharôs to use his demons on these rebels. They'll scatter like ashes in the wind!”

“Were it so easy.” Said Turaz.

“You know something I don't, Sir Turaz?” Questioned Pashal.

“No demons, no sorcery. Aharôs is unreachable in any case.” Baron Kairôs stated, sticking his sword in the ground. “We do this exactly the way we were told to do.”

“I'm not too keen on dying in a full forward assault.” The Mayor of Sturaj commented darkly.

“None of us are!” Exclaimed Turaz, flinching at a near miss from an arquebus above.

“And why are we attacking with only four columns? We have several more just waiting out there! Why don't we do something?” Suggested Pashal, waving his warhammer towards the other Athairîm troops. “Here: We stay in the trench, right where we are, and provide covering fire for the others. They go up the sides of the hill and bypass the Verâdîm completely, attacking parallel to the trench. Once they begin their attack, we move up! It's still shit, but it's better than the alternative!”

“That... could actually work.” Nodded Kairôs to himself. “We'll do it. Signal the others the new plan!”

“What was the original plan?” Asked Turaz, but no one was listening. He returned to his own troops, and hunkered down. The Athairîm cannons started up again, slamming into the trenches above, or just slamming into the hillside harmlessly.

“Sir, do you get the feeling this could have been planned a lot better?” Questioned Sergeant Haior, arms over his head despite his helmet already protecting him from incoming fire.

“I definitely do, Sergeant.” Nodded Turaz, making sure his visor was still securely closed.

Slowly, the four more columns of Athairîm soldiers moved into the woods or the far side of the field, before turning towards the sides of the hill. The Verâdîm were well aware of this, and their few cannons were turned to redirect their fire on the new arrivals. A horn blew from the trench they were in, and Turaz figured that was the signal to move out.

“Column, rise!” He commanded, despite his men being in a formation that was anything but an actual formation.

“Rise!” Boomed Haior, pointing his sword up the hill. The arquebusiers stood and shot upwards, in the hopes of pinning the Verâdîm above down. It was another twenty yards up to the next trench, though... Turaz scrambled up the slope, before more gunfire forced him to hit the ground. Crawling it is! decided he. The others did likewise. From behind, the Athairîm fired again. The enemy's response was weaker than it had been before, and Turaz could hear clashing metal to his left. One of their columns had arrived. After much hardship, the knight and his men finally reached the second trench. Turaz was met with an arquebus barrel in his face.

The gunman fired.

“Fuck!” He yelled, clapping an armored glove to his visor. Pain shot through him, everything went dark, and his hands found a hole in the metal. “Fuck fuck fuck!” He swung his halberd blindly, hoping it'd hit an enemy. But he was wise enough to stay from jumping down into the trench. “Haior!”

“Sir?”

“Continue the attack, I've been wounded!” Roared Turaz over the din of battle, before throwing himself to the ground.

“As your command, Sir!” Affirmed Haior. The knight wasn't sure how long he laid with his head down on the slope, trying to be as small a target as possible. Finally, the clashing went away, and quiet descended.

“Turaz?” A voice asked. Kairôs!

“I'm here, my lord.” Answered he.

“What happened? Your Sergeant says you're wounded.”

“I got shot in the face. I don't know how bad it is, because I can't see.” Turaz pushed himself to his knees, feeling his way up to the trench.

“No shit you can't see, your visor is all crumpled! Fucking moron.” Laughed Kairôs. Hands fumbled at his helmet, and wrenched it off. Light! “...And you are actually wounded.”

“Lord of Heaven.” Sighed Turaz, as he squinted in the bright day. There was an odd dark spot off to his right, however... “How bad is it?”

“Well...” The Baron trailed off. “You're, uh, down an eye.”

“God damn it all.” Swore Turaz. “Right one, isn't it.”

“I'm afraid so.” Kairôs said apologetically. He took a closer look and cringed. “Good thing you had that visor, it must have slowed the shot enough so it didn't just fly right into your brain. Because it seems to still be in what's left of that eye.” A wave of lightheadedness overcame Turaz, stronger than the pain.

“I really didn't need to know that.” He groaned. “How fares the battle?”

“Well, Aharôs had one thing right, the Verâdîm tried to retreat over the hill after we took this trench. Undisciplined lot. The Prince's cavalry rode them down and took many prisoners.” Reported Kairôs. “Can't say the same about you though. I'm not sure how you're still standing right now.”

“I'm not either, to be honest.” Admitted Turaz. “Guess it hasn't really occurred to me I just lost my fucking eye.”

“You may want to see the acolytes about that.” Suggested Baron Kairôs, cringing again at the sight before him.

“That'd be for the best.”

Half a bell later, Turaz was sitting in one of the red tents of those sworn to Saint Alaia the Healer, Brenan among them. Cleaning out the wound and extracting the offending lead ball had not been a fun activity for the knight, and even he found his limits pressed.

“Leave it to you to get shot in the face on a minor engagement.” Commented Brenan.

“And a ruse at that.” Turaz growled. “How do I look?”

“I've seen worse.” The priest said, as he applied the bandage patch over the gaping hole now marring Turaz's face. “Now, I've got other casualties to attend to. Take this,” Brenan handed him a small bottle, and then dipped his hands in a bowl of water. “and get some sleep.”

Sleep was not on Turaz's list of things to do just yet, though. Aharôs summoned the column leaders for an after-battle report in his own tent, and it was quite the event.

“I've never seen what should have been a simple operation botched so badly!” Exclaimed Jai Pashal. Captain Eshanis of the Sturaj guard naturally went along with it, and so did Sir Eberis.

“I'm afraid I have to agree, my prince.” Said Baron Kairôs. “We suffered astoundingly heavy casualties, over two thousand dead or wounded. In contrast, the Verâdîm loss is half of that!” Might as well throw in my opinion...

“I lost my eye.” Grumbled Turaz. “I can't help but feel we could have pulled that off a lot better. What went wrong?” Prince Aharôs said nothing, only looked from person to person.

“I'll tell you what went wrong!” Mayor Pashal fumed. “It was a flawed plan from the start! We have fewer than five thousand Verâdîm stuck on a hill, and we decide to just walk up and attack? We should have left a force behind to keep them there, and gone after the real targets! Now Prince Reshîv has at least two thousand more battle-hardened veterans to fight against, and that only delays this war from ending even longer!” Ranted the gruff Mayor.

“From what I understand, you met heavier resistance than you expected.” Duke Îrilôs said. “Some things just can't be accounted for...”

“You weren't even there, you coward. We met exactly the kind of resistance we were expecting! Or at least, we were expecting.” Pashal gestured to himself and the men from Sturaj. “I warned you this would happen, and it did, you incompetents!” Lord of Heaven, tempers are flaring now...

“Coward?” Replied Îrilôs, almost breaking his constantly amused but dismissive persona. “I don't think you know what life is like as an Imperial Envoy-”

“I don't give a fuck.” Pashal pointed at Îrilôs, before turning back to Aharôs. “I'm blaming you for this, Aharôs. If Prince Reshîv was here, we would have never have lost as many as we did, and your knight would still have both eyes.”

“If Reshîv was here, we'd still be sitting outside Seshîlîon.” Coldly answered Aharôs.

“Better than consorting with demons.” The Mayor shot back.

“If you cannot stomach the methods I use to achieve victory, perhaps you should leave our company.” The heir to the Kingdom said quietly, not looking at the Mayor.

“Maybe I will.” Threatened Pashal.

“Maybe you will. In the middle of enemy territory, with no supply route or direct access home... I welcome you to try.” Aharôs continued on. He raised his eyes up from the table, and stared at Pashal like Turaz would stare at a heretic. “This is war. People will die. I will end this as quickly as possible, no matter the cost. Is that clear?”

“Yes.” Muttered the Mayor.

“Sacrifices will be made, lives will be lost, but we will achieve the victory my father and half-brother have failed to get on their own.” Stated the Prince. “They were not strong enough in will to do what was necessary. I am. If any of you think for a second I would not put you in harm's way to further the cause of your realm, then perhaps it is time you re-evaluated your judgment of my character. This meeting is over.” Aharôs waved them away. The Sturaj men left silently, and more importantly, with no bow of respect.

“I fear trouble from that one.” Commented Îrilôs.

“I don't like where this is going, my prince.” Turaz said. “The last thing you want to do is alienate the leader of the city that supplies Nikadîon.”

“I expect I won't be residing in Nikadîon again. Vatherîon will be my destination when this is over.” Retorted Aharôs, drumming his fingers on the table. What does that mean? “For what it counts, I am sorry you lost your eye, Sir Turaz. But as I said... Sacrifices must be made.”

“Of course, my prince.” Nodded Turaz. “If you excuse me, I'd like to get some rest. It's been a long day.”

“Go.” Acknowledged Aharôs. “Tomorrow is a rest day, then we move for Jashenîon. It's time to end this war.” Turaz bowed, and left. Sleep had never been so appealing. As he walked through the camp, the knight noted how dispirited everyone seemed. The unworldly victories, the burning of Rôstôs, and now the victory at this nameless hill that didn't seem a victory at all... It really doesn't feel like we're winning, even if we are... These aren't our victories. Were they? Turaz wasn't sure anymore, and he arrived outside his tent feeling rather defeated.

“Lord of Heaven, what happened to you?” Asked the absolutely last voice Turaz wanted to hear.

“Tempest Blackwind, mind your own business.” Turaz sighed. Where had she come from? It wasn't even fully dark yet! Oh right, the blind spot... That would take some getting use to.

“But what happened?” Pressed the impossible pony.

“Your eye...” Came a second voice. Of course, Snowy Farpeak is here too. The two might have been the same individual, with Tempest merely speaking more often.

“Don't you two have something to brood about off on your own?” The knight went inside his tent, and the two Equestrians stood at the entrance.

“I just want to know what went wrong. You've got a dozen dents in your armor and several cuts, not to mention a patch over your eye!” Tempest stated.

“Never let Prince Aharôs plan a battle again, alright? You hold more influence with him than anyone else, Tempest.” Turaz waved a weary arm at her. “You understand?”

“Uh... Yes?”

“As for my eye, I got shot. But I'm alive, and I'll make do.” He simply said. “Gunpowder sure makes the field even... Half-blinded by a peasant!” The knight continued to mutter. You were at his level once too. But that was a long time ago.

“Oh.” Said the Queen of Highcrest. “How many did we lose?” She says we like she's one of us. Was she?

“Two thousand, for a thousand of theirs. I really don't want to know how Jashenîon will go for us if we can't take a simple hill without twice the losses of the enemy.” Turaz spoke, unbuckling his armor piece by piece. Tempest was right, it was severely dented... More shit to get fixed.

“We'll have Sidâl.” Commented Snowy.

“Well, fuck. We trade massive casualties for the demon-consorter.” The knight groaned again. “Will you two just leave? I've had a rough day.”

“Alright, alright, we're going.” Said the blue-grey pegasus, annoyed. This has been a rougher than any day you've ever had... Turaz almost said it. Almost. After he had shed his armor, he let himself fall into his cot. He took a drink from the small battle the priest had given him, and sleep hit him instantly. Tomorrow, he could deal with the missing eye and the low morale. But Turaz didn't intend to wake up until at least midday.

Author's Notes:

Author's note: We pirate now. And apparently there's an author's notes box too!

Visitors

As it turned out, Celestia was encountering more trouble at keeping her subjects in line than she had expected. Before their stay at Deepvein, the sprawling castle home of House Garnet, the mainly pegasi army had no quarrel with anypony but each other. But the trek through Unicornia only added more unicorns to the vast array, and as the unicorn presence grew, so did tensions between the two traditionally rival races. After their arrival at the capital of Unicornia, Lithton, the distrust and veiled hostility between the two races reached a peak.

“What kind of name is Lithton, anyway?” Asked Hemlock Farpeak.

“An old name.” Goldleaf replied.

“Older than the days of Discord, in fact.” Princess Luna added in. “In the time of Our grandparents, it was a small hilltop village.” The midnight alicorn looked over Lithton, which was anything but a small village. The central city was made all of gleaming white marble, edged in purples and golds. It was all very regal, and it's placement upon a hill that just barely missed out on mountainhood only added to that. Long had it been thought that the ancient rulers of House Platinum based their citadel and city on the architecture of Old Alicornia, but Everfree Castle seemed to disprove that notion. Then again, Everfree was a product of necessity in a desperate time.

“Everything is so... ornate, and complex.” Hemlock continued on. “I don't understand what purpose it serves.”

“We do not either.” Agreed Luna.

“Display has its purpose.” Goldleaf retorted. “You pegasi don't seem to understand that.”

“It all looks superficial to me.” And thus, Luna's two companions descended into another argument. Though Goldleaf and Hemlock had, and still kept a relatively friendly relationship, the racial tensions seemed to be getting to even them. It was as if only the three alicorns were immune.

“The young races are all so uppity.” Sighed Aegis Vigil one night, taking tea after their meal. The three had been given top-of-the-line residence in House Platinum's shining fortress, Amethyst's Citadel. The colossal structure had been build by the former Queen Amethyst, during her long and prosperous reign. It surpassed Deepvein, but just barely, in scope and opulence. Unicornia is a truly rich land.

“Pegasi, unicorns, and humans are all alike.” Celestia said. “Young, jumpy, eager to fight...”

“The humans are older than the lesser Equestrians, actually.” Their granduncle corrected. “But yes, humans enjoy fighting as much as our subjects do. Dragons too. Alicorns did once as well. You might say we're all a bit uppity.”

“Nevertheless, I have never seen such outright and yet misplaced supremacism!” Declared the Regent of the Sun, as if she was forgetting her own hatred of the humans. “Do they not realize they are all equally below us?” Luna frowned; her friendship with Goldleaf and Hemlock was making her rethink what she had always been told. The two were mortal, and oftentimes foolish, but they seemed to have the same potential and capacity as anypony else. Just within a mortal time limit, of course. “The only thing that unites these unicorns and pegasi is a shared disdain for earth ponies. I suppose we could use that to our advantage.”

“Queen Clearspring's daughter and her troops are subjugating disobedient clans in the south. But for every one they pacify, two more seem to rise up.” Reported Aegis, while they were on the subject. “It is both advantageous and to our detriment that they're a complicated patchwork of bloodlines, tribes, debts, and feuds. On one hoof, they can't present a united front against us. On the other hoof, they can't present any front for us either!”

“No wonder Queen Platinum keeps saying earth ponies are barely even ponies at all.” Said Celestia, as she sipped the last of her tea. “They're so disorganized and uncivil.”

“But earth ponies are the majority population of Equestria. They outnumber the others two to one...” Spoke up Luna for the first time.

“So? They just breed like rabbits, or those dreadful parasprites, cursed spawn of Discord that they were.” Retorted her older sister. “Earth ponies are the least clever of the three, though that isn't saying much of the other two. You know, Splendor Garnet came up with a good idea the other day.”

“Oh really?” Prompted Aegis. The white alicorn nodded.

“Really. Lady Splendor suggested that we... dismantle the earth pony state, if it can even be called that. Equestria would be divided up between pegasi and unicorns, ruling over the earth ponies and all being ruled over by us alicorns.” Explained she.

“That would not be in accordance with the pact we made after Discord's defeat...” Aegis said warily. “I hope you are not seriously considering that.”

“I will do what I must to keep this land stable and peaceful.” Celestia replied dismissively.

“Hmm...” Their granduncle sighed in contemplation. No more was said of the issue, as Luna began her watch, and the other two went to sleep. Nights were very different from Canterlot here in Lithton. The unicorn city was actually populated, for instance. There were lights beyond the castle well into the early hours of the morning, and there was always somepony up to something, no matter the time. The tradeoff for the sounds and smells of a city was that they no longer had to deal with construction noises. No more hammers, no more chisels, no more shouting commands, none of it. It was quite pleasant. With nothing to oversee, it was up to Luna to find new activities for the Night Court to busy themselves with. After a week of pestering her sister, Luna finally acquired a task for her three-pony Court.

“It's really not fair that you do all the work, Celly.” She had complained as the white alicorn removed her regalia, readying herself for bed. “Just give me something to do, you'll have more time for yourself because of it.”

“Like what?” Asked Celestia wearily.

“I don't know, anything!” Exclaimed the Regent of the Moon. “I just feel so useless, sitting around doing nothing. Lady Hemlock and Goldleaf feel that way too.”

“Well, I might have something for you to take care of.” The white alicorn said. Luna jumped forward excitedly.

“Really?” She asked, itching with energy. At last, a chance to do something useful! She hoped it wasn't just busywork so that Celestia wouldn't be bothered by her. Her sister wouldn't do that, right?

“Remember our discussion about earth ponies the other day?” More like the other two weeks ago, Luna thought as she nodded. “I'd like you to get Lady Splendor to elaborate on her plan. See if it's viable or not, talk to whom you must. Bring me a report on it by next week.” Yawned Celestia, levitating the sheets off her bed.

“You can count on me!” Declared Luna. “Good night, Celly.” She said quickly, before rushing off through the halls of Amethyst's Citadel. Finally, something to do! Her ordinarily loud hooffalls were muffled by the carpets the unicorns had put throughout their fortress, something everypony must have been thankful for. We should do that at Canterlot, when we return. Just as expected, Hemlock and Goldleaf were already waiting for her in their pre-ordained meeting place, a study room tucked away near the Queen's library. Luna opened the door from afar with a quick work of magic. It was a cozy little chamber, bearing a fireplace and one narrow window. Only candles and a fire lit the room, giving it a warm, orange glow. Despite the warm season having begun, nights were cold at this altitude; the extra heat was welcome.

“Good evening, my princess.” Bowed Goldleaf. The midnight alicorn almost ran into him before bringing herself to a stop.

“I've gotten us a job!” Announced Luna excitedly, forgetting her formalities for a moment. “Uh- I- We mean: We've gotten us a job.”

“Wonderful!” Hemlock said, immediately looking more interested than she had been recently. “What is it?”

“Our sister wishes us to investigate a possible solution to these racial tensions we have all been facing as of late. We are to seek out Lady Splendor Garnet.” Stated the Regent of the Moon.

“Oh no.” Whispered Goldleaf, cringing. Luna gave him a questioning look.

“His only interactions with Lady Splendor were rather embarrassing on his part.” Explained the dark beige pegasus. “Apparently, such a splendid-looking mare makes him a bit nervous.” Luna stifled a giggle at what surely must have been an intended play on words. While Goldleaf was a thinker like her, Hemlock definitely had a sense of humor that Luna could appreciate.

“It is no matter. Lady Hemlock, find Splendor Garnet and bring her here. Tell her what you must.” Commanded Luna.

“Right away.” Hemlock nodded, trotting out into the hall and vanishing. Her head appeared in the doorway moments later. “Princess, where is she? I don't think a lone pegasus should be wandering around the unicorn's residences... Especially at night.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Sighed Goldleaf.

“It'd make me look more credible, so yes.” Hemlock affirmed, before turning to Luna expectantly.

“Lady Splendor's room is probably in the west tower of the fortress. Here-” The midnight alicorn levitated a roll of parchment, and burned the sun and moon mark of the alicorn diarchy into it. “If anypony doubts you, just show them this. Our seal will not be questioned.”

“We'll be back shortly. Come on, Goldleaf.” Commanded the young pegasus. Her unicorn companion followed, stumbling out of the room reluctantly. While they were gone, Luna had a rare moment of solitude. She wasn't like her sister, always trying to get away from other ponies; Luna liked the company of others. Celestia once said that the midnight alicorn tended to think herself into a sad state when left alone for too long, and she didn't doubt it was true. Luckily, her two courtiers would only be absent for ten minutes or so. That wasn't enough time to dwell on the past. I wonder how much of my industry of late is honest will to work, and how much is just trying to forget, she pondered. It didn't matter, she was happy just to be doing something. Anything that kept her from falling back into the pit of despair at the loss of their family was good. Luna had to wonder if Celestia had gotten stuck in that pit; and was raging against it by trying to make war on humanity. The youngest alicorn looked out the window, and at the sky far above.

She wasn't sure how long she stared, but eventually, Hemlock and Goldleaf returned, with Lady Splendor Garnet in tow. “Good evening, Princess Luna.” Splendor said, no doubt kneeling. Luna turned away from the window to face her.

“Good evening, Lady Splendor.” Acknowledged the midnight alicorn. “Our sister tells Us that you have a plan for the future.”

“She does?” Asked the cream-colored unicorn, surprised, and looking more than a little nervous “Well, I remember mentioning it to her. Just an idea of mine, really. Nothing serious, I wasn't-”

“You have not been called here to be chastised, Lady Splendor.” Stated Luna.

“Oh.” The noblemare sighed in relief.

“In fact, you have been called here to elaborate more on your plan. Our sister is very busy, but she would like to know more, so she has set Us to the task.” The Regent of the Moon explained.

“I see.” Said Splendor, still looking a bit on edge.

“I still don't know what her so-called plan is.” Remarked Hemlock, narrowing her eyes at the other noblemare. “And I'd bet it involves something about keeping us pegasi down. Just more unicorn interferences.”

“Your kind didn't seem to object when we helped get rid of your Blackwind problem.” Shot back Splendor defensively. “My plan, if it can even be called that, does nothing to the detriment of pegasi. It's not really a plan, though, I'm still putting it together, and only just mentioned the basics to the Princess-”

“Stay on topic, Lady Splendor.” Luna stated, before levitating a stack of papers in front of the lone stallion in the room. “Goldleaf, write down what she says.” She commanded, putting a quill and ink in front of him as well.

“As you command, my princess.” Answered the mahogany unicorn.

“Like I said, Princess Luna, I'm still putting this all together myself. But we have a very efficient system in Unicornia. It is we who provide the strength, organization, leadership, and protection for our serfs, in return for their labor and servitude.” Began Splendor, sitting down. “This system has worked for hundreds of years, since the waning days of Discord. Our earth ponies enjoy the benefit of technology, safety, access to unicorn healers, and other such things unheard of in the southern lands! Unicornia has never had internal strife once in its history, unlike our neighbors to the north.” She glanced at Hemlock, who scowled back. “Contrast this with daily life in the earth pony lands.

“Everything is in a state of flux, nopony can know who is the enemy one day and who is friend the next. The tribes constantly fight and raid each other over small things. There is no technology beyond the most basic levels of weaponry, nopony is ever truly safe, there is constant strife, and ponies die from injuries and illnesses we can easily cure here!” Exclaimed Splendor, waving a hoof to the window and Lithton below. “We are good, decent ponies here, aren't we?” She asked.

“We would say so.” Agreed Luna.

“Then is it not our duty to bring a better way of life to those below us?” Proposed Splendor. “If we disband the barbaric and petty earth pony states, and annex them to Unicornia and the pegasi realms, we can bring them a future they could have otherwise never imagined.” Stated the noblemare. “They have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. And perhaps in time, it could lead to a union between Unicornia and the pegasi, directly under your diarchy, Princess Luna. Imagine it: A united Equestria, a truly united Equestria, not this loose confederation held together by who knows what!”

“This sounds like quite the endeavor, my lady.” Commented Goldleaf.

“It would be, I admit that.” Splendor nodded. “But I think it'd be worth it.”

“It might. I don't like the idea of union with your kind, though.” Said Hemlock, looking skeptical.

“I trust there are many unicorns who would voice a similar sentiment. But it is for the greater good, Lady Hemlock. I'm sure our alicorn rulers will agree.” Splendor Garnet replied. She's very sure of herself... Then again, most mares of House Garnet were bold thinkers, and quite a few stallions were too.

“Thank you for taking time out of your night to talk to us.” Said Luna. “We have the information we need, and We will report back to our sister at dawn. You may go.”

“It's always a pleasure, my Princess.” Splendor said, kneeling again. “And it was nice to see you two again as well.” She remarked with a smile to the other unicorn and pegasus.

“Say what you will about her, at least she's nice.” Remarked Hemlock, after the other noblemare had left.

“So she is.” Agreed Goldleaf.

“We do not see why you are so hesitant for a union of races, Lady Hemlock.” Said Luna. “You seem to get on just fine with Goldleaf.”

“The difference is, my Princess, I know Goldleaf. I don't know many other unicorns, but most of them seem to think just as ill of me as I do of them.” Explained the beige pegasus.

“So We see.” The rest of the night passed without note, as Luna thought on Lady Splendor's proposal for a new future. What did the earth ponies have to lose? Freedom, I guess, thought Luna. In exchange for freedom, the earth ponies would gain medicine, technology, protection, peace... Was it a fair trade-off? The Regent of the Moon didn't know much about earth pony life under unicorn or pegasi rule... Perhaps should could find out.

Dawn came, she lowered the moon, and Luna turned in Goldleaf's transcript to Celestia, who read it during breakfast with she and Aegis. “It could work.” Decided the white alicorn.

“I doubt the earth ponies would go along willingly.” Said their granduncle. “In case you haven't noticed, their life here in Unicornia isn't perfect.”

“We don't know that for sure.” Shot back Celestia. “Sister, do me a favor.” Luna jumped up eagerly, despite her weariness.

“I'm ready!” She announced.

“Go find Rye, she should be lurking around somewhere in the city.” The city! Luna thought. Was she being given a free excuse to go explore Lithton? “In fact, I think she's staying at one of the inn's near the lower market. Go ask around until you find her.”

“Right away!” Luna said, before pausing. “I won't need any escort, will I?”

“Lithton is a safe city, Queen Ember keeps tight control.” Aegis assured her. “You should be just fine.”

“I'll go find her.” With that, she rushed from the room in the castle, and then promptly rushed back in.

“You can't be done already!” Said Aegis disbelievingly.

“I should probably bring some bits, just in case.” Replied Luna, walking into her borrowed bedroom. She levitated a bag sack of cloth on a string, and put it around her neck. It clashed with her formal regalia, but unlike Celestia, she didn't concern herself with such trivialities. Into the bag she put a few silver bits, enough to... Enough to what? Luna didn't know what she was preparing for, but it was best to be prepared...

“I can't imagine you'll be gone long.” Remarked Celestia as Luna left again.

“I probably won't.” Nodded Luna. She trotted into the castle hall, and then out the closest door to the walls. Once outside, she took to the air. Lithton wasn't the biggest city in the world, being restricted to a hilltop, but it wasn't a lone fortress like Everfree either. Radiating out from Amethyst's Citadel were six roads, and they were crisscrossed by a chaotic mess of smaller streets and alleys. The lowest part of the city was reserved for earth ponies, or rather, the earth ponies were confined to that area. The lower market was in this part, were earth ponies bought and sold what they could to each other. Needless to say, their being graced by an alicorn's presence was the last thing anypony expected when Luna dropped down in the center of the market. Despite being so young for her kind, she already stood taller than most of them. After a moment of shock, all the ponies knelt right where they were standing.

“Earth ponies of Lithton!” She boomed in her royal voice. “Where might We find the mare known as Rye?”

“Rye, your highness?” Squeaked a red mare, looking up in equal-parts fear and awe. “Last I heard, she was staying over there...” The mare pointed to an inn labeled The Hearth Away from Home. Luna guessed it was specially aimed towards lodging long-distance earth pony travelers, though the princess had never suspected there were enough to warrant such a lodging.

“Thank you, my good pony. You may return to your business.” Announced Luna, dismissing them with a wave of her hoof. Slowly, the buzz of the market returned, but the crowd still parted before her as she approached the inn. Her entrance seemed to have been expected, only a deaf pony would have been oblivious to her arrival outside.

“Princess Luna, welcome.” Said the innkeeper, a thickly built stallion, as he knelt. “I would not have expected to be blessed with your presence, especially so early in the morning.”

“We did not expect to be here either. We have come seeking Rye, the representative of the southern tribes to Our sister's court.” Explained Luna. The stallion frowned in concern.

“Has she done something wrong?” He asked, moving out from behind the counter he stood behind.

“Not at all. We just have matters that Our sister has instructed us to discuss.” Stated the midnight alicorn.

“Oh.” Nodded the stallion to himself. “Well, apologies your majesty, but Rye left for Reedsport three days ago.”

“Reedsport?” Echoed Luna. What is Rye doing in Reedsport?

“Family business, my Princess.” Said the innkeeper. The Regent of the Moon looked at him in confusion. “You did ask me what she was doing there, right?”

“I- We don't think we did.”

“How strange. I swear to the stars, I heard you ask...” Trailed off the stallion.

“Thank you for your time, innkeeper. It seems We must travel to Reedsport.” Luna summoned another ethereal parchment with the diarchy's seal on it, and wrote down her intent upon it. She levitated four silver bits out, and placed them upon the paper on the innkeeper's counter. “Ensure this reaches the castle, We have a journey to make.”

“Of course, your highness.” With that, Luna departed the inn, and immediately launched into the sky. She could make Reedsport in a day, easily. It was only sixty or so miles from Lithton. For Celestia's army, that could be a week of marching to the coast, but one alicorn alone traveled much faster.

Luna considered that this may have been a rash move on her part, but Celestia had told her to find Rye, and she was going to do just that. It felt good to stretch her wings and feel the rush of air around her again. Quickly, she left behind Lithton and its hill, flying over the shallow rises and valleys that marked the end of the mountains that ran through Unicornia. The land was dotted with farms and fallow fields, and here and there was a holding of some noble. It was relatively unchanging as the hours passed by, but soon Luna noticed a change of foliage. There were more and more pines, the closer she got to the coast, and the smell of salt was in the air. The sun had long reached it's zenith and was now on the way down again; Luna felt a weight on her eyes.

But there! On the horizon, a tiny sparkling sliver: the sea! She had made it. Somewhere below would appear Reedsport, a small but busy center of the kelp-harvesting trade. Luna had visited once, with her parents, long ago, and still remembered something about where it was. It wasn't long before she saw smoke, and that led her directly to the town. Reedsport was nestled at the back end of a decently-sized inlet, where the oar-driven ships could be kept safe from storms and other disasters. It seemed to have gotten even smaller than the last time Luna had been here. As she touched town on the center street of the town, the few ponies around gawked. Only a few knelt immediately, but most appeared never to have seen one of Luna's kind their life.

“My lady alicorn, what are you doing here?” Asked a middle-aged unicorn, whose old and mismatched armor seemed to indicate she was the lone town guard.

“We are Princess Luna of Equestria, Regent of the Moon, daughter of the late Sun Queen and Nightlord. We have come in search of Rye the earth pony, representing the southern tribes.” Announced Luna, looking as formal as she could. It certainly stung to have to add late before her parent's names.

“Rye? I'm afraid I don't know a Rye, your highness.” Said the guard. “But we did have an earth pony from Lithon arrive yesterday, at the Inn.”

“Which inn?” Asked the midnight alicorn, stifling a yawn. She'd been awake for far too long.

“Our only inn, your highness.” Answered the unicorn.

“Of course...” Nodded Luna. She was directed to the building in question, which tugged at distant memories of Luna's mind. I may have been here before, long ago... Perhaps, perhaps not. The guard left her at the door, before resuming her mostly-unneeded patrol of the town.

“My Princess!” Said the owner of the establishment, an ancient-looking mare with a dusty-blue coat and grey mane. “Forgive this old mare, but she is too stiff in the knees to kneel down.” The owner bowed her head as deeply as she could though.

“It is no matter.” Replied Luna, lowering her voice.

“I am Goodrain, innkeeper and former soldier in Queen Amethyst's army. What business brings one so mighty and noble to the company of wretches as poor as we earth ponies?” Asked she, squinting at the midnight alicorn.

“We have come seeking Rye, the representative of the southern tribes to Our sister's court.” Said the Regent of the Moon.

“You've come to the right place, then.” Goodrain said back. “Rye is staying here, but she won't be back until tonight. She's got kin a few miles up the river, it'll take a bit to get back here. Please, my Princess, enjoy our hospitality while you wait.”

“We think it would be wise to do so...” This time, Luna really did yawn. “It has been a long day, We will take lodging here and speak to Rye tomorrow.” She took out some number of bits and placed them before Goodrain; Luna wasn't sure how many.

“Pay won't be necessary, your highness-”

“We insist.” Cut in the midnight alicorn.

“Very well.” Sighed Goodrain, scooping up the currency. “You may take whichever room you please.” Luna nodded, and headed up the stairs to the floor above. She assumed that the first unlocked door was an unoccupied room, and so it was. There was a small bed, and everything seemed to be earth-pony oriented, so that anything in the room could be used without magic. Fortunately, Luna was not so disadvantaged. She took off her regalia, bolted the door, and laid down to sleep. In a way, it was far less comfortable than her room at Amethyst's Citadel; but in another way, it felt much more genuine. Sleep was upon her before she could ponder much more on the issue.

As she usually did, Luna dreamed. In recent days, she had made the delightful discovery that she was able to control her dreams with a finesse that she was sure no other pony could manage. Luna was convinced that this was supposed to be so, now that guardianship of the night had passed to her from her father. This was just another ability that was becoming manifest in her. In the middle of flying around Canterlot as she imagined the completed city to be, she woke quite suddenly. The sun was nearly set, the window revealed, it was time to raise the moon.

Without even raising her head, Luna focused on the presence of the heavenly body, her horn lighting up with energy. As the sun disappeared over the horizon, the soft, white glow of the moon began to slowly replace it, rising into the night sky. Once she was sure that the moon could guide itself the rest of the way up, Luna went back to sleep. The process was getting easier, far less difficult than it had been the first few times she did it. She returned to the dreamworld, and let her body rest more.

After some many hours, Luna was groggily aware of waking up to lower the moon once more, and decided to sleep in a little. Inadvertently, she had set herself back on a diurnal schedule, but it was nothing she couldn't correct later. She went downstairs, seeking food.

“Good morning, your highness.” Greeted Goodrain, who had just finished serving breakfast to one of her patrons. Said patron almost choked on his drink when he saw the alicorn enter.

“Good morning.” Returned Luna. “Has Rye returned?” She asked.

“Indeed, she has. There's been some commotion in the harbor though, not sure about what... But that's where she went off to, last I heard.” Stated the innkeeper.

“At last.” Commented the alicorn. She took a small bundle of celery sticks from the platter Goodrain had set aside for the moment. It'd have to do for breakfast, she had an earth pony to catch. Luna quickly trotted down the street, chewing on her meal, before reaching the docks at the harbor. An assortment of light craft were tied up, usually rowed by earth ponies out into shallow waters, where a unicorn or especially brave earth pony would retrieve kelp from the sea floor. A crowd of earth ponies and several unicorns had gathered. Perhaps somepony found a pearl? Luna observed from a distance, searching for Rye. There she was, right on the edge. Luna snapped a twig off a nearby tree with her magic, and levitated it over to Rye. She tapped twice on the mare's shoulder. Rye turned in confusion, and then shock as she saw the Princess. The earth pony rushed over.

“P-Princess Luna, what are you doing here?” She asked in a hushed voice.

“We have come in search of you, of course.” Replied Luna. “Our sister has matters for us to discuss. It would be very much appreciated if you could return to the Inn with Us.”

“Your highness, this is a bad time...” Rye said, still keeping her voice down. She glanced over her shoulder to the crowd.

“What is happening?” Luna asked, noticing for the first time just how on edge the other ponies where.

“The kelpers saw a ship out beyond the inlet, heading straight for them. They turned around and came back.” Explained Rye.

“We do not see how badly a ship could scare ponies-” Luna began to say, but a collective cry of alarm sounded out from the crowd.

“I guess you can see for yourself, Princess!” They looked out over the river, to wear it turned out to the sea. Over the treetops, a white sail could be seen.

“What manner of ship is this?” Wondered Luna aloud. “That it could be so tall that a sail flies above the trees...” A pointed prow came around the corner, followed by a hull, and more hull... It was a tall vessel, white and black stripes running along the sides. But upon the forward sail was a sight that chilled Luna: an eight-pointed star, in blood red. The two long, tasseled banners mounted on the rear structure of the ship only confirmed to Luna what she was looking at, they bore a familiar vertical script, proclaiming just who this ship belonged to. The vessel was still some thousand feet out, and it began to raise its sails; dropping anchor in the deep center of the river.

“I s-suppose it's for the best you're here.” Commented Rye nervously, looking with unveiled fear at the ship in the river.

“Step away from the docks, my subjects.” Announced Luna, in her royal voice. Instantly, the crowd dispersed, falling back to the street. There was much muttering, and some of it sounded more relieved than afraid. With an alicorn present, what could go wrong for them? Luna herself stepped onto the docks, leaving Rye to stand awkwardly between the crowd and her. A smaller boat had departed from the large ship, rowing towards them. Within minutes, it had reached the dock. The first passenger to arrive bore a banner with four black and white squares, the same red star in the middle. Yes, Luna knew exactly who was visiting them. He was followed by several more, some in armor, some not.

“So, the Emperor of Ar-Athazîon sends his regards.” Luna spoke in her best Tarsin. One of the human's mouth twitched as if suppressing a smile, so she must have said something wrong.

“Verrily, he does.” Replied the human in an accented Equestrian, making a funny sound with his r. He was dressed in a dark brown robe, or perhaps long coat, Luna couldn't tell. It was buttoned down the side, as he wore the Empire's seal over his chest, and it would be improper to break the image in human culture. A belt went around his middle, but there was no sword on it. Despite the warmth of the day, he had his cloak securely fastened over his right shoulder, and he wore his two-plumed hat. “I am Kairrôs Gadis, Împîrrial Financier and Master of Coin.” He said with a bow. I guess he doesn't do his elongated r-sound at the end of words, Luna noted.

“We are Princess Luna, Regent of the Moon, and sister of Princess Celestia.” She replied, back in her own Equestrian. “What purpose is there for the Emperor to send his Financier far beyond his own borders?

“You arre a blunt vun, my Prrîncess.” It took Luna a moment to figure out that vun was his way of saying one. The humans did not like to pronounce the w sound for whatever reason, that made communication sometimes difficult. “As a trrusted adviser, I have been sent to discuss your sister's... mmm, înflammatorry behavior tvords an împortant vassal of the Emperror.” I knew she'd live to regret that, Luna thought with a grimace. “I have come to sort thîngs out.”

“It is not Our place to to discuss such things...” Luna began to say.

“Our?” Questioned Financier Kairôs Gadis, looking around. “Prrîincess Luna, I see but vun of you.” No more royal plural, then.

“My apologies, Financier. But I lack the authority to treat on behalf of Equestria. Only Celestia can do that.” Replied Luna.

“As ve expected...” Sighed Kairôs, looking to the sky above. “I rrequest on behalf of our Lorrd the Emperror,” he gestured to himself and his men. “that ve be grranted safe passage to meet vith Celestia.”

“I can grant you that.” Replied the midnight alicorn, nodding. With luck, this delegation from Ar-Athazîon would be able to stop the foolish war of Celestia's before it even began.

“Excellent.” Stated Kairôs, almost smiling. “I vill send for our zôshai, and ve vill follô you to your sister.”

Luna almost said something, but then closed her mouth. How was she going to tell them their large, three-hooved zôshai were considered unwillingly enslaved creatures in Equestria?

Author's Notes:

Author's note: Those of you who have read Lord of the Rings will know that it only gets interesting after Tom Bombadil and the barrow-wights. Consider this chapter the part where Frodo and company wander into Tom’s forest.

Oh, Financier Kairôs Gadis was actually introduced as the author of a letter read in Field Report, a Tempest chapter. This is far from the last time someone from what seems like a once-off mention shows up in person. Furthermore, the One Steve Limit does not apply here, Kairôs is a very common human name, at least among nobility.

An Eagle, a Letter, and Reshîv

“There rebels are quite clever.” Commented Duke Îrilôs, as he looked at the Verâdîm helmet, painted dull green and wreathed in leaves and grasses attached with some kind of improvised glue. Tempest, Snowy, and the two humans had finished a private supper some time earlier, and now Aharôs was going on about the sneaky traitors. “This is the kind of armor they've been wearing?”

“Indeed, it is.” Prince Aharôs replied. “Small teams of Verâdîm go around in the woods, pick off our soldiers one by one with crossbows, or even hunting bows. It's taking its toll on the morale of the army.”

“I'm not surprised. I wonder why we've never seen this back at my city of Fâharîon, or anywhere on the river Karthâ.” Mused the Imperial Envoy.

“Because you can't go a day's walk up or down the Karthâ without finding a city bigger than Vatherîon.” Replied Aharôs with a tone of repulsion. “It never ceases to amaze me how you Imperial kind can live in such crowded conditions.”

“And the sheer emptiness of this backwater land is rather eerie at times.” Îrilôs retorted with a smile. Nothing at all seems to dampen his spirits, Tempest commented to herself. The man had been wearing a strange thing on his arm all week, too. A leather and metal vambrace of all things, only on his right arm. The Imperial Envoy offered no explanation, and seemed to pretend it wasn't there. “All you Vûrdashai are loners. Not a single city with over fifteen-thousand people! Indeed, barely more than three hundred per village, it seems.”

“Vûrdashai?” Aharôs muttered, perplexed. Vûrdashai? Tempest too wondered about that. It was known that most humans west and south of the Dashavon called the Tarsen dialect of this region Vûrdasha Tarsen; but the pegasus had never before heard it be used to refer to people.

“In less peripheral areas, Vûrdashai is a general term for anyone from Athair, Verâd, Bîerlas, and Jutan. Formerly, Rûka, Nazan, and Thecha were a part of that definition, but a certain kingdom of the blue flower seems to have acquired those realms!” Îrilôs said with humor.

“Less peripheral?” Echoed Aharôs. The Imperial Envoy only smiled again, and spread his hands, as if to say there was nothing to be done about it.

“It's a hard truth, my prince. The Kingdom of Athair draws less attention in Ar-Athazîon than does Halîska!” Tempest almost winced at that; Halîska hadn't even been granted self-rule by the Emperor. Snowy, sitting at her side, barely stopped herself from giggling. “These rainy realms are neither wealthy nor powerful, Prince Aharôs. There are no centers of trade, no resources of particular value, and only two navigable rivers.” They always says that rivers are the veins carrying the blood of the Empire... “We rarely get anyone from Athair or the other realms coming over to the rest of the continent. You're an isolated people, and content to stay that way. Most of you, at least.”

“It- It's the mountains, my prince.” Snowy spoke up.

“Mountains?” Asked Aharôs, raising an eyebrow at her.

“They w-wall you off, they make you look inward.” The beige pegasus said. Tempest thought about it, and decided there was some merit to the notion.

“It's true.” Agreed Tempest, backing up her friend. “You're always focusing on what happens here. You hardly ever talk about what's going on in the rest of Sarathûl. I'd be surprised if anyone outside of this tent knew anything about what's over the Dashavon.”

“Do you, my Queen?” Asked Îrilôs. Not really...

“Well... Kind of. I've looked at maps.” She replied.

“She's always looking at maps.” Snowy added in.

“Not always. I haven't had time since we left Nikadîon!” Retorted Tempest.

“Well, here's a map for you.” Aharôs pulled a rolled up paper from his collection of maps he always had on hand. This was a well-worn one, as it was the map of Athair and Verâd he'd been using the whole campaign to plot whatever his next move was going to be. “Tell us where we are, Tempest.” The blue-grey pegasus leaned forward, peering at the chart.

“We passed a village named Kaizîn a few days ago...” She began to search the map for any signs of that name. It ought to be near the river Zachîr. But there was no sign of a Kaizîn... “No village of that name on here. There's a Kaishîm, though.”

“That's probably it.” Nodded Aharôs.

“I'd say we're about at least twenty miles from there. More if you don't measure it in a straight line. That puts us...” Tempest's gaze when from the unremarkable village, and landed on their destination. “Just a day or two from Jashenîon.” On this map, the river fortress was marked by a simple diamond. But there were other maps Aharôs had, of the castle and its surrounding lands; Jashenîon was an old structure, but it was located on an island in the middle of the Zachîr, which led to great difficulty in taking it. And soon, they'd be upon it.

“Any ideas on how you're going to remove this obstacle?” Asked Îrilôs. “Perhaps some of Sidâl's trickery?”

“We have a plan coming together.” Aharôs replied. “Once this fortress is gone, only Dônara-Kur remains, a much less defensible city than the fortress we face. Thanks to our campaign and the Duke of Terâd's activities, the lower Zachîr and its east bank are all the Verâdîm rebels really control, and they shall lose the river itself soon enough. It's only a matter of time now. The threat of losing all our progress certainly turned out to be more a phantom than anything else.”

“So it is.” Nodded the Imperial Envoy. “I don't suppose I could convince them to surrender, and save us all time and lives?” Îrilôs stole a glance at the ring he wore, bearing the Imperial seal.

“The Emperor holds little sway over these lands. You're lucky I'm going to be King soon. I may be the only ruler of these four realms that acknowledges his place in the hierarchy of our people.” Stated the Prince. I don't see why, Tempest thought. But if there was one thing she had learned about Aharôs over the years, besides him having almost no sense of humor, it was that he had a preoccupation with order and law. If every other realm forsook the Emperor, Aharôs would continue on loyally. Perhaps the dream of a united mankind kept him loyal, the golden days of an age now passed.

“Alas. But, whatever gets the job done...” Sighed Îrilôs.

“I get my kingdom, the levies go home for harvest, and our professional soldiers sail for Ar-Athazîon and join the Imperial troops to force the Grand Duke of Echarîon and the Count of Tilai to return to their status as direct vassals...”

“And thus securing Imperial control over the lower and middle Karthâ.” Finished the Envoy. Tempest recalled mention of Echarîon and Tilai some time ago, but she wasn't sure when. She wasn't even sure what a Grand Duke was in respect to a Not-Grand Duke. Is that even the proper title? But direct control over the river Karthâ would guarantee an Imperial monopoly on the majority of trade in Sarathûl... She didn't know much about economics, but Tempest did know that a monopoly on trade would be nothing but good for Ar-Athazîon. With such wealth at their disposal, the Taizâres Emperors would be able to actually enforce their control over their supposed vassal realms. Perhaps Îrilôs was right, perhaps there was going to be a renewed strength in the Empire. But I still don't see the humans ever being united again. One thousand, five hundred and four years of dispersal was too long a time for their culture to remain intact enough. Snowy had talked at great length about that before. Still, Îrilôs had cooked up a rather sound plan. All he had left to do was figure out who would try to stop it.

“S-so, what's going to go wrong?” Snowy asked, looking at the Envoy. Îrilôs laughed loudly.

“Everything, my lady! I'm counting on everything to go wrong.” For once, his humor seemed to be completely genuine. He quickly straightened his expression, and pointed at the beige pegasus. “Tempest, my Queen, keep this one close. She's got potential to be Ar-Athazîon material, definitely more than enough to handle whatever little political problems come your way.”

“That's the plan.” Said Tempest. “She might actually have an idea of what I'm supposed to be doing. I sure don't.”

“You're supposed to be preparing yourself for rule in Highcrest.” Prince Aharôs stated, looking annoyed. “What else could you do?”

“Uh... Read maps... Learn about clocks... Run an apiary, I guess.” Suggested the blue-grey pegasus, listing off things she was interested in doing.

“You still haven't given up about the damn bees..!” Muttered Aharôs. Snowy just smiled in knowing. And I never will, either. Tempest almost said, knowing full well her old dream would never happen.

“You can learn all about clockwork and mechanical engineering in Ar-Athazîon.” Suggested Îrilôs. “A good Queen should have a good education.”

Engineering? thought Tempest. “I'm not really good with numbers, so I'll pass.”

“A shame.” Îrilôs said, shaking his head. “They taught me well, I've made all kinds of useful things. Rockets, for instance! And a drastic improvement to the waterworks of the city.”

“Waterworks?” Snowy asked, confused. She looked at Tempest, but Tempest didn't know what those were either.

“Right, you're stuck up here in the peripheral region.” Realized the Imperial Envoy, as Aharôs gave him a dark look. “You see, in Ar-Athazîon, we've pioneered a system of pipes and tubes to bring water to all parts of the city, whenever you want it! And in the palace itself, we have heated water.” He said, like it was the greatest thing in all the world.

“Wondrous.” Grumbled Aharôs, before launching into a lecture on just why Tempest ought to prepare for ruling Highcrest. It continued for some time, with Snowy and the Imperial Envoy looking on awkwardly, before Îrilôs saved her by suggested they retire for the night.

“Thanks.” Whispered Tempest, not believing the pesky Duke of Fâharîon had rescued her from Aharôs's discontent rantings. Truth be told, he did get a bit scary at times, though Tempest had no good reason to be afraid.

“The Prince seems determined to make you Queen of Highcrest, and I'd rather have an ally in Equestria than not.” Explained Îrilôs, as they left the tent. It was a reasonable excuse. Like most nights, it was uneventful. Tempest slowly fell asleep in her shared tent, while Snowy kept a lantern burning for her reading in her part of the space. Of course, thanks to Sidâl's crystal, no nightmares haunted Tempest. In fact, she didn't dream at all; a good thing too. She knew that Luna, Regent of the Moon, commanded the dreamworld, much like her deceased father. If Tempest wasn't dreaming, then that wicked Luna couldn't be up to no good in her mind.

Morning came, and the blue-grey pegasus woke to the sounds of the camp packing up. Time to leave, then. If she didn't get out fast enough, the porters would begin to dismantle her tent with her still in it, as had happened a few times before. Snowy seemed to have been up for at least a few minutes, she had her comb in mouth and was already brushing her tail. How can she get up earlier than me when I go to sleep first?

It was a question without an answer. She threw on her traveling cloak, and made sure it was arranged correctly. After that, it was a matter of making sure her personal items were stored in her one trunk. A glance inside revealed the few things Tempest actually owned. There were a few pieces of jewelry that had belonged to her mother which Tempest never had worn and didn't actually know how to wear, a hundred-year old book for Tarsen calligraphy which she had never mastered, a vibrantly hand-illustrated book on the species of animals humans had brought with them that she had read dozens of times, and a handful of more various things. There was some writing supplies, a small notebook, two toys from her childhood, and of course, a bottle of polish to use on her armor, which could not fit in the trunk. Are these really all the worldly possessions of a queen? she asked herself. It seemed so. Well, at least my subjects will see me as humble... That was a desirable trait in Equestria, wasn't it? It was in Sarathûl, supposedly.

Outside, it was another cloudy day in Verâd. The rains would come and go until the summer solstice, St. Alaia's Day, which was only two weeks hence. Then came the summer season, and hopefully an end to the war. If Tempest understood correctly, Brenan the priest was a member of the Order of St. Alaia, the healers, doctors, and surgeons of mankind. It was also one of the few orders of the clergy dominated by women; indeed, the humans only allowed women to be their surgeons, for whatever reason. “Something about being able to create life...” She muttered quietly. Not quietly enough for Snowy to not hear, though.

“What was that?” She asked, coming outside after she finished with brushing her tail.

“Nothing.” Replied Tempest. “Just thinking out loud.” The beige pegasus made no reply, and threw on her own cloak. It suddenly occurred to Tempest that her companion brushed herself each morning, no matter the circumstances. For what reason? wondered Tempest. A question for another day, though.

“Good morning, my queen.” Greeted Sir Turaz, arriving in his full armor, and bearing his halberd.

“Good morning to you too. How's the eye- uh, or-” The blue-grey pegasus cringed at herself.

“The lack of eye is quite fine.” Replied the knight, placing a hand to the flesh-colored patch which had been placed over the empty socket. “No infections, everything is healing nicely. Brenan says I can get a glass replacement when we go to Vatherîon.”

“You can get replacement eyes?” Tempest asked in wonder.

“They don't do any- anything,” giggled Snowy. “they're just to look more n-normal.”

“Oh.” The supposed Queen of Highcrest felt rather dumb, not a new feeling at all. Then she realized what else Turaz had said. “We're going to Vatherîon?”

“After this is all over.” Answered the one-eyed knight. “Looking forward to the big city, myself.” If Îrilôs were here, he'd start complaining that there were no big cities in Athair. Luckily, Îrilôs wasn't summoned by the thought of his name today. “Well, I must get moving. We have a fortress to reach tonight.” Thus, he departed.

“I guess Aharôs wants us there.” Tempest remarked, preparing for a long day of switching between flying and waiting for the column to catch up. She and Snowy had tried walking a few times, but that didn't seem any easier. The next humans the two encountered was Prince Aharôs, in the company of his usual retinue of Îrilôs, Sidâl, and Eberis. Mayor Pashal was there too. Their zôshai were tied up nearby, they seemed to be ready to move out with the column. “It's like he's surrounding himself with people I don't like.” She commented to Snowy.

“Tempest, you don't l-like anyone. Except me.” Replied her companion.

“Fair point.”

“Kind of you to join us.” Said Pashal, frowning at them, after they had all gone through their ceremonial displays of deference. Tempest was glad the humans got as tired of it as she did, there was an unspoken rule that once people of differing social ranks were familiar with each other, they could dispense with formality. But Pashal was not familiar to either Tempest or Snowy, nor did they desire him to be. Nor did he desire for them to be, for what it mattered.

“Be nice.” Îrilôs told him, still wearing that weird, singular piece of armor. Oddly enough, his eyes were on the southern horizon and nothing else.

“Tempest is a practically a full-grown mare now, she doesn't need people to be nice to her.” Stated Prince Aharôs coldly. “Isn't that right?” He asked, turning to look at her.

“It is.” Agreed Tempest. I'll be sixteen in the fall, I can handle myself against fools like Pashal! Or at least, she told herself she could.

“Just as I thought.” Nodded the Prince of Athair to himself. “Is that letter of yours here yet, Îrilôs?” The Imperial Envoy pulled out a spyglass, and pointed it south, over the heads of the two pegasi.

“Just a few more minutes.” He said.

“Letters can fly now?” Tempest remarked, unsure if she was being serious or just making a weak attempt at wit.

“Don't be stupid, Tempest.” Said Aharôs. “Of course letters can't fly.” I knew that.

“Do you really think we can reach the fortress by night?” Asked Jai Pashal.

“It may be a few hours after night, but we can make it.” Prince Aharôs replied.

“Certainly.” Agreed Sidâl, making his first comment of the day. Even after having been aware of him this long, Tempest still didn't fully feel comfortable with the man. There was just something she didn't like about him. Well, like Turaz said, we don't know what game he's playing... That was a perfectly valid reason not to trust him. Not to mention, his habit of asking far too personal questions. Don't humans abhor such a thing? She thought they did.

“Good to know we'll be meeting up with Prince Reshîv, then.” The Mayor of Sturaj said with approval. That earned him a scowl of distaste from Aharôs.

“Finally.” Said Îrilôs, out of nowhere. Tempest was about to ask him what he was talking about, a shadow passed over her, and a deep instinct caused her to jump back. Snowy squeaked in alarm, and even the zôshai looked up. There was a powerful whoosh of wind, as a massive pair of wings flapped their way to a landing.

“A real mountain eagle!” Remarked Mayor Pashal with awe. Before them was the largest bird in all of Sarathûl, the often-dreaded and always-respected mountain eagle. He was even larger than Tempest imagined; and she knew he was a he by the crest of feathers coming off his head. She guessed that his wingspan was at least fourteen feet, and he stood just as tall as she did, if not taller. Unlike Equestrian birds, the mountain eagle had two claws on each of his wings, and a very long tail, almost like a parrot's. His brown feathers were covered in a glossy, gold sheen, and his beak was a lighter shade of brown rather than any yellow. One glance at his talons was enough to convince anyone that this creature was a force of destruction should he choose to be, they looked heavy enough to crush bones and sharp enough to even perhaps cut the armor of a dragon. Among all animals in the world, the mountain eagle was the only one that was considered anywhere in the realm of equal to humans. The fact that it was said they once preyed on humans may have had something to do with it.

“Well met, Sereshî.” Greeted Îrilôs, inclining his head in respect to the eagle. Of course, Sereshî said nothing back, he couldn't talk. Instead, he seemed to hop onto the leather and metal vambrace Îrilôs wore. Oh... realized Tempest. That's to stop the eagle from crushing his arm into pieces on accident. “I see you've brought my letter.” The Imperial Envoy said, as he unwound the string tying a packet to the eagle's left leg. Tempest noticed that Sereshî seemed to have a collar of sorts, bearing a small round seal, showing none other than the black and silver emblem of the Faith.

“Doubly untouchable.” The blue-grey pegasus whispered. Snowy nodded, eyeing the eagle with interest and caution. Not only was it forbidden to attack a mountain eagle, it was forbidden to attack a messenger bearing any representation of the Banner of Heaven. Anyone who hindered Sereshî was likely to end up dead, very quickly, if the eagle didn't take care of the problem himself first.

“I haven't seen one of these in years.” Said Prince Aharôs. “Always a magnificent sight.”

“Magnificent indeed.” Îrilôs agreed, wiggling his bird-bearing arm. “But heavy. Down, Sereshî, if you'd please.” The eagle obeyed silently, gliding down to the grass. He watched the zôshai intently, though it would be foolish for him to attack one. As the Imperial Envoy read his much-awaited letter, everyone else looked at the revered creature.

“You know, the m-mountain eagle was once so common on heraldry, that most of Sarathûl's nobility had it.” Snowy said quietly. “Emperor Bâlôs III forbid anyone from using it, to- to keep the eagle's image from being diluted.”

“I guess that's why the humans use so many strange symbols now. Like flowers, moths, and fancily-written seals.” Observed Tempest. She had never understood how anyone would have the patience to turn the vertical, linear Tarsen script into an overlapping and layered image of both a word and something else. Anything else, really; she'd seen everything from tigers to lamps done in that style. It must have taken years of practice for any artist to get to that level of ability. To think, on some days I have trouble writing my own name... She didn't like those complex seals.

“Probably so.” Her companion said back. “I like the f-flowers though. I think the Emperor made the right choice on that.”

“I guess.” Tempest didn't care either way. Her family's crest was that of a black cyclone on a silver field. The opposite arrangement of the human Faith's banner, come to think of it.

“Sidâl, you were right!” Suddenly announced Îrilôs, looking up from his letter. “There is a dragon in Ar-Athazîon! Not only one, but two! A certain Nesailon and his mate, Îehara. It seems they did receive our embassy to Korthûnîen all those years ago, after our men had gone through much hardship and peril. Now they are visiting us, to return the favor!”

“Isn't that wonderful.” Noted Mayor Pashal, more focused on the eagle in front of him. Îrilôs continued reading his letter.

“Furthermore, my good friend Kairôs Gadis has been... Lord of Heaven, he's been sent to Equestria.” Sighed the Imperial Envoy, looking unamused. “Uncle, what were you thinking?” He muttered to himself. “Kairôs can't even say Equestria in their own tongue.”

“Ekvestrrîa.” Tempest said under her breath, listening to the word from an Equestrian's point of view. The Tarsen mangling of Ekvestrrîa sounded more natural to her than the actual Equestrian of Equestria.

“He should have sent me, I can actually speak their language fluently.” Îrilôs grumbled on. “Well, at least Kairôs knows how to keep his cool. He'll need it with Celestia.”

“Seleztîa.” Whispered the blue-grey pegasus again. She honestly did not know why the s turned into a z, but there were many little things like that in Tarsen when it came to their neighbors across the sea. Even if incorrect, Seleztîa was the traditional way of saying the name of the Sun Queen's heir in this part of the world.

“We have good news, though. The Emperor has officially recognized Verâd being in a personal union with Athair, and the Imperial Charter has been changed to take that into account.” Îrilôs looked at Aharôs. “My uncle would like to invite you to Ar-Athazîon once you have been crowned, Prince Aharôs. We must welcome the Kingdom of Athair and Verâd as the newest realm in our Empire.”

“A political victory.” Remarked Aharôs. “I'll take it. Is there anything more I should be aware of?”

“I don't think so.” Îrilôs replied, though he was still reading. “Most of this is addressed to me, and me alone. Imperial business, I'm sure you understand.” The Prince nodded.

“It's time for us to get moving, then.” He announced. Snowy and Tempest flew into the air, tying to be careful not to look too much like prey to the predator below. There were rumors that mountain eagles had been able to attack and kill alicorn foals, and sometimes weaker adults, in ancient times. If Sereshî's ancestors could take on them, then Sereshî was certainly capable of taking on Tempest Blackwind, and more than capable of catching Snowy with minimum struggle. Tempest greatly admired the mountain eagle, but she definitely held a good measure of respect and fear towards it as well.

The closer the Athairîm and they got to Jashenîon, the more the landscape evened out. They had left behind the coastal mountains, left behind the foothills, and now they were on the river plain. Once again, the dominating features of the region were the rows of ancient hedges dividing the plots of lands. Such was the interior of Athair and Verâd, not to mention parts of Bîerlas. Over time, Tempest had begun to like it. There was something homely about it all.

After a short while, the two joined up with the other pegasi for easier flying. No one talked during the flight, they were all lost in their own thoughts, absent-mindedly maintaining a slow speed to keep pace with the humans below. Of all the ponies, it was Coldstar who seemed the most focused on something else today. Everyone knew how heavy a drinker Coldstar was, and just how inconsiderate she could be, but Tempest wasn't used to her being quiet. Well, I hardly know any of these ponies, come to think of it. The years rolled on by, they all got older, but Tempest knew about as much of her sworn ponies as she knew about Sir Eberis. That was to say, nothing at all! What might Turaz know? wondered she. He spends more time with them than I do... Perhaps Turaz knew what had happened to Canvas to make him mute and unresponsive.

It became clear that after the sun passed its zenith that Aharôs did not intend to stop for dinner. No pegasus was happy about that, and Tempest was sure that the humans below weren't happy with that either. But, it was an understandable decision. Prince Aharôs was a man with somewhere to be, they could skip a meal.

When the sun began to set, there was still no sign of stopping. Dusk fell, the west glowed pink and night stretched out of the east. One by one, the stars revealed themselves. Wicked dream-haunter or not, Luna does her work well, observed the blue-grey pegasus. An hour went by, and the world was lit by the half-moon above. There was a human legend about the moon, that there was a great castle on it; guarding the way to the world. Of course, that was a silly notion. The humans also claimed that the air got harder and harder to breath as it got higher, and eventually, one wouldn't be able to breathe up high at all. And if the moon was as far away as it was said to be, there was no chance anything could breathe on the moon. So how could there be anything on it? The humans had lots of strange little ideas like that. A castle on the moon was only the beginning of the madness.

“Uh, Tempest?” Came Snowy's quiet voice, interrupting her reflection.

“What?” Replied Tempest.

“A-are you hungry?” Asked her companion again. “I am...”

“Come to think of it, I am.” The blue-grey pegasus agreed, noticing for the first time the sharp lack of food in her stomach. “I guess we could go down and look on the ground.”

“At night?” Snowy questioned, looking down with apprehension. “But isn't it d-dangerous?”

“Well, if you want to stay hungry, you can.” Stated Tempest.

“No... I'll come.” And so the two descended, into the dark fields. From the air, it seemed a bit lighter, the little farmhouses of the peasants gave off a small amount of light. But on the ground, where the hedges blocked everything off, they only had the moon.

“I wouldn't like to get lost in here.” Whispered Tempest.

“Y-yeah...” Answered the other mare, in an equally hushed tone. The tall walls of vegetation seemed to loom high over the little lane they were in. Tempest noted to avoid the ditch to her left.

“Well, there has to be edible plants around. This is farmland, after all.” She stated quietly.

“Why are we whispering?” Snowy asked.

“Because otherwise, I get the feeling everyone will hear us.” The explanation was satisfactory. They walked on down the lane, looking through the wooden gates that interspersed the hedges. Every gate had a sign on it, displaying a name. Kair, Zefîr, Aikâlon, Tamedar, Vashî... Tempest read. Krîzov, Maijâ, Turaz..! Sometimes Tempest forgot that humans often shared names. It made sense that there'd be a Turaz the Peasant somewhere in the world, in addition to Turaz the Knight. She also recognized the name Krîzov; she had met someone by that name before. There were also the common names too, like Kair and Zefîr. It was said that many human names came from their Saints, great and small. But Tempest didn't know what Kair or Zefîr were really known for; aside from that Zefîr was all but synonymous with courage. I should probably more familiar with one of the greatest heroes of humanity.

“Sir Fâôs Jantîr.” Said Snowy, reading a sign on an iron gate, buried in the middle of a longer hedge. “He m-must be the landowner.”

“Only man here with an -ôs name.” Tempest replied. At least they knew who they might end up stealing from.

“I wonder how many times they change the signs...” Her friend thought out loud. “Th-they can't keep the same ones forever. The head of the f-family has to die sometime.”

“They probably change it when he dies, then.” The blue-grey pegasus gave the most obvious answer. She wondered how inheritance laws worked in Verâd. Most realms kept the Imperial law, but some fringe lands broke with Ar-Athazîon and made their own systems; Verâd was probably one of them.

“Tempest!” Whispered Snowy loudly. She had stood up on her hind legs, bracing her forelegs against a gate. “An orchard!” Why she didn't just fly up to see over the gate was beyond even the would-be Queen of Highcrest's reasoning. “I'll bet there's something good in here...”

“I didn't take you for a thief.” Tempest whispered back.

“We're not r-really stealing...” Her companion defended. “Just... Take a few fruits. Nothing they won't m-miss.”

“Why not?” Asked Tempest to herself. They flew over the fence, and to the first tree they found. Apparently, it was an orchard of chakal trees. Just like mountain eagles and zôshai, the humans had brought plants with them from the Far North, and the chakal was the fruit borne of the chakal tree. It was something like an Equestrian pear, soft and sweet, but not as soft as a peach. Tempest knew that it was occasionally used for winemaking, though the humans preferred nîûnas and Equestrian grapes for that art. Not that I'd know the difference between them, they don't let me drink wine. Even Snowy was allowed to, but not Tempest...

The chakals were yet small, given that summer hadn't even formally begun. They were slightly bitter too, not yet all the way ripe. “At least it's food.” Commented Snowy.

“At least.” Agreed the blue-grey pegasus. They ate enough to keep them going until they made camp, and returned to the air. Ahead was a stream of torchlight, snaking along the road below. Fortunately, they hadn't fallen too far behind... Though the others may have wondered where they had gotten off too this time; at night no less! I think everyone's used to our little side-trips by day, but not under cover of darkness. Hopefully that wouldn't land them in trouble.

After what seemed to be half an hour, of slow flying, a new set of lights defined themselves from the horizon. They were nearing the river fortress of Jashenîon, and surrounding it was the besieging army of Prince Reshîv. It was a ring of fire spreading over both banks of the river, with the castle between, sitting on its mid-channel island. Two smaller structures guarded both sides of the bridge that ran right through the fortress. Once they were within a mile, Aharôs's army finally stopped, and immediately got to work arranging everything.

“At last...” Sighed Snowy in relief, as they began their descent. Even in the darkness, Tempest could tell she was greatly worn out by the long flight. To be honest, Tempest was exhausted too, her wing muscles ached. When they hit the ground, it was too disorganized and chaotic to tell where their section of the camp would be. After such a long journey, Snowy wasn't willing to wait for a bed to sleep on, so Tempest was forced to find them some place out of the way. It was decided they'd wait under a small, wide tree. Its branched arced up and out, and then hung down again, making a curtain of leaves around its small trunk.

“This really isn't a time to sleep.” The blue-grey pegasus warned. “By the time our tent is up...”

“C-can't we just stay here till morning?” Snowy asked, yawning. She laid down on the mossy surface, curling up until her tail reached her nose. “It's comfortable enough...”

“No. Don't even think about closing your eyes-” It was too late, Snowy had closed her eyes. Hell, I'll never get her up now! Tempest then yawned too. “This is your fault!” Accused the blue-grey pegasus.

“Mhm...” Came her companion's non-verbal reply. It was only a matter of minutes before the other mare's breathing became more steady, as she drifted into the dreamworld. Might as well join her, Tempest thought. And it'd be a good idea to be here in case anything happens. She too laid down on moss, and it wasn't long until her eyes threatened to close as well. The last thing she did was make sure both their cloaks were fully spread over them, just in case it rained in the night. Then, darkness took her, and Sidâl's crystal did its work of warding off nightmares.

She woke up incredibly thirsty. For a moment, Tempest didn't know where she was, being surrounded by leaves and branches. “Time to go.” She muttered to herself, gently prodding her friend's still-sleeping form. Snowy got up wordlessly and reluctantly, still looking just as tired as she had last night. Together, they sought ought camp, and water. After locating the nearest well, they were soon chanced upon by Streaming Breeze.

“There you two are!” Said the dark red mare sternly. “We've been wondering where you got off to, my Queen.”

“She didn't want to wait to go to sleep.” Tempest pointed accusingly at Snowy, who blinked in confusion. She still didn't seem to be fully awake. “I decided I'd stay with Snowy just in case anything happened. And I was rather tired myself.”

“If you had that level of loyalty to the rest of us, you could reclaim Highcrest with ease.” Commented Streaming Breeze wryly. “Sadly, you waste it all on her.” She nodded towards the beige pegasus. “But I guess that's the result of only having a single friend in the world, my Queen.”

“I guess so.” Agreed Tempest, feeling a slight frown come over her.

“I can't say I don't blame you...” Streaming Breeze said, as she turned away.

Later that day, the two had found their tent. Snowy had gone back to sleep, but Tempest decided it was time to get out her book of animals. After the encounter with Sereshî the mountain eagle, she wanted to find out if there was any information she had forgotten. As Tempest turned through the pages, found memories came back to her from times long passed. The book itself was called Friends of Mankind; Tempest could never tell who the audience of the book was supposed to be. All the vibrant illustrations and rather harmless title seemed to imply it was written for human children, but the actual written information was very precise and detailed. She had to figure that it was meant for anyone who picked it up, young or old.

Like most of her few personal possessions, Friends of Mankind was something she'd always remembered having, even back during the half-remembered days in Highcrest. Her mother had read aloud from it while Tempest looked at the pictures; soon enough, Aharôs had been the one reading from it, and finally the day came when Tempest was old enough to read it on her own. She arrived at the chapter on the mountain eagle, formally known as the khôdaz, which had one of her favorite pictures, of said eagle swooping down on an unfortunate alicorn. Some minutes of reading followed, and she found nothing new except for the fact eagles were able to recognize themselves in a mirror. The only other animal in the book that could do that was the naiatôl, a towering grey beast with curving tusks, small ears, and a long trunk. What was supposed to be a quick review turned into an hour and a half of reading for Tempest.

In time, Snowy woke up, and did her morning ritual, though it was approaching afternoon. No peace could last long though, in Tempest's life, and Aharôs himself turned up at their tent. “Well, you turned up, just like I said.” He announced without any formalities.

“I hope we didn't cause too much of a stir with our absence.” Tempest said.

“Hardly anyone noticed, except me, Turaz, and your pegasi.” Replied Aharôs, stepping inside. He had to hunch over to not hit his head on the canvas above. “And as harsh as it is, I doubt anyone would have cared if just Snowy vanished.”

“Mhm...” Agreed Snowy, still making sure her mane and tail were clean and brushed.

“In any case, we got a messenger earlier. Reshîv is going to be paying us a visit soon, and it would be proper for you to be there.” The Prince gestured towards Tempest. His expression was dark, but she knew it wasn't directed at her. “You can bring your friend too, if you wish.”

“Anything else I should know?”

“Yes, actually. Try not to disappear again, the world isn't as safe as you'd believe.” Aharôs waved two fingers at her. “And if you do go off, at least bring your sword.”

“Understood.” Nodded Tempest. The aging man made to depart, but he turned around again.

“Haven't you read that a thousand times by now?” He questioned, looking at the book.

“A thousand and first wouldn't hurt.” Tempest replied.

“I need to get you new some new content...” Noted Aharôs quietly, actually leaving this time.

“I've got some books you could read.” Offered Snowy, putting down her brush.

“I'll consider it.” Several minutes later, they were making their way to Aharôs's tent, when a golden blast of trumpet sounded through the air. Every soldier looked up, and so did the two pegasi.

“It's him!” Exclaimed someone in the distance.

“Prince Reshîv!” Announced another. Instantly, they were all bowing their heads, as the trotting of zoshai came nearer. Tempest didn't bow, she was a Queen. And she certainly wouldn't bow to Reshîv! Then, there he was.

A young, strong-looking man, with short brown hair and a short brown beard, and the same grey eyes as Aharôs. He was clad in splendidly decorated armor, his zôsha was well-brushed and ornamented. Reshîv cut a sharp figure, and from what Tempest had heard, constituted the perfect form of man in every Athairîm girl's fantasies. I don't see what all the fuss is about, she thought. Perhaps it took a human mind to see human attractiveness.

“Tempest Blackwind!” Prince Reshîv boomed in a hearty voice, a great smile spreading across his face. He stopped his zôsha, dismounted, and walked to her. “It's been a long time, my Queen!”

“Indeed it has, Prince Reshîv.” Tempest replied warily.

“Last I saw you, you were just a little filly.” Said Aharôs's half-brother, still smiling. “You've gotten a lot bigger now. And Lady Snowy!” He greeted, turning to the beige mare. She blinked, and shuffled a little closer to Tempest. “I remember you wouldn't even look me in the eye last we met, let alone speak to me. Can you talk yet?”

“I- I- I was always a-able to talk, my Prince.” She managed to squeak out. “I j-just was a-afraid...”

“Well, you seem to be well on your way to conquering your fears.” Reshîv said with assurance. “It warms my heart. Tell me, Tempest, where's my brother?”

“I think he's in his tent.” Replied Tempest.

“Take me to him, my Queen!” Said Reshîv. They led him on. Snowy gave her a look of uncertainty, which met with Tempest's own confusion. The last time they had met Reshîv had been at Vatherîon, years ago. Tempest must have been nine or ten, making Snowy twelve or thirteen. If anything, Snowy should have known what to expect here, her memory was probably better. The soldiers all bowed silently to Reshîv, but the pegasi could see how excited many were to have him among their ranks. I think we underestimated just how popular he is with everyone who isn't close to Aharôs...

“Welcome to our camp, Prince Reshîv.” Announced Turaz, when they arrived at Aharôs's tent. Outside stood Turaz, Eberis, and Îrilôs with Sereshî.

“Sir Turaz, what happened to you?” Asked the younger of the two Princes, in mild shock.

“A lucky hit.” Said the knight from Surana.

“Ah, Prince Reshîv, it is an honor to meet you.” Smoothly spoke Duke Îrilôs, giving a slight bow. It was likely Îrilôs's duchy could field twice the soldiers that Athair could, and commended thrice the wealth. Yet, he showed his respect. “I am Îrilôs Taizâres, Duke of Fâharîon, and Imperial Envoy to Athair.”

“Hail, Duke Îrilôs.” Said Reshîv, nodding. “What brings the Emperor's dignitaries to our backwater little realm?”

“The Emperor has a personal interest in your family winning Verâd.” Îrilôs answered. “But under the open sky, I'm afraid I cannot say much more.” As usual, Îrilôs just had to rub in the fact he knew much more than he was telling.

“Who is our friend, here?” Asked Reshîv, gesturing to the mountain eagle.

“This is Sereshî. He is fresh from Ar-Athazîon.” Said Îrilôs, looking down to the eagle. He didn't need to look too far, the eagle was but a foot and a half shorter than him.

“We should see Prince Aharôs now.” Sir Turaz prompted. All entered, except Sereshî, who flew off on his own accord.

“Aharôs, my brother!” Greeted Reshîv as he walked in, arms open as if expecting an embrace. With both in the same room for the first time in half a decade, the differences between them were never more clear. Unlike Aharôs, Reshîv showed no signs of stress or age, he was not pale and gaunt, his eyes were not shadowed and sunken, there was no grey overtaking his hair and no weariness about him. Everything about Reshîv screamed of confidence and strength. Aharôs though... Even Tempest had to acknowledge that Aharôs was a meager shadow of Reshîv. Shorter in height and thinner in build, he looked like a man on the verge of failure next to the other.

“Half-brother.” Growled Aharôs, narrowing his eyes. “Half-brother.”

“I haven't seen you in ages, Aharôs! Is that really a way to greet a beloved member of your family?” Questioned Reshîv, smiling as always.

“You'll never be a part of my family.” Coldly stated Aharôs. “Why did you insist on coming here?”

“To make a plan for this pesky castle in our way, of course.” Reshîv said. “And to catch up with my favorite brother.”

“I'm your only half-brother.” Repeated Tempest's Prince. “All the others are dead.”

“I know.” Nodded the other Prince. Turaz and Eberis looked uneasy, and that was enough cause to make Tempest and Snowy uneasy as well.

“Sit.” Commanded Aharôs. Everyone took their seats at a table set beforehand.

“Weren't we to have dinner?” Asked Reshîv.

“That was never in the arrangement.”

“I'm so very disappointed in your cold hospitality, Aharôs.”

“What game is he playing...” Turaz muttered, in Equestrian of all things.

“No idea.” Replied Snowy, also in Equestrian. It occurred to Tempest that Reshîv probably didn't know the language, but they all did.

“Speak Tarsen with guests. I may be cold, but not rude.” Ordered Prince Aharôs to them. “Now, onto business. We have a castle on an island in the middle of a river. What do you have?” So the discussion began, most of it of numbers and logistics that meant little to Tempest. The two Princes moved little markers around on the map. Eventually, they did turn to a subject that interested the blue-grey pegasus. Îrilôs had fetched Sidâl, and Sidâl proposed his own plan.

“I am a man of very special abilities, my Prince.” He said quietly. The too-ordinary man looked from person to person before continuing on. “I would like my abilities to remain unknown, is that understood?” All nodded. “At Seshilîon, I brought down the wall. But it was an old and worn wall, weakened by time. Jashenîon is newer, and it would take several attempts to break it down, with weeks in between them. This is unacceptable to you.”

“What is this notion of yours?” Asked Tempest, speaking for the first time.

“Simple, my dear Queen. We tunnel under the river and under their walls, and I bring down the earth beneath them. The entire thing would collapse in on itself.” Explained Sidâl.

“Tunnel under a river?” Reshîv asked incredulously. “It is not so simply done! The Zachîr is no Karthâ, but it is still deep. The weight of the water would collapse our tunnel before we could collapse their walls, not to mention we'd be going through very wet soil. It cannot be done, Sidâl.”

“No, not by your hands.” Agreed Sidâl, clasping his hands and looking at them. “Nor by mine.”

“Then how is this going to work?” Wondered Sir Turaz, giving the plain man a skeptical look.

“Like I said. Like you know. I am a man of very special abilities.” Sidâl gave a sly smile that made Îrilôs look rough as a peasant.

“What are you going to do, get a unicorn to come and make a shield against water?” Reshîv asked dryly.

“Not far from the truth of it, my Prince.” Sidâl said. He looked from right to left to right again. “I'm afraid I can't be more specific, for your own safety. And mine.”

“I see...” Reshîv looked skeptical too, and more than a little suspicious. At least she sees something too. It would be humorous if Aharôs's nemesis ended up helping Turaz, Snowy, and she to figure out what Sidâl was really up to. Talk went on, as Sidâl showed exactly where he planned to bring down the wall. Aharôs and Reshîv disagreed on how to move troops across, but both eventually decided boats would be the best option. Storming the causeways would be folly. After hours, they concluded their business.

“Tell me, Lady Snowy, are you a soldier now?” Asked Reshîv when they were done. “In all honesty, you don't seem to look the part...”

“N-no.” The beige pegasus said, shaking her head.

“As hard as it is to believe, I think she's actually a good influence on our Queen here.” Interjected Turaz. “Tempest can be just as stormy as her name implies, but Lady Snowy usually keeps her from doing anything too foolish.”

“I see...” Nodded Reshîv. “I see. An adviser of sorts, then.”

“That's my theory.” Added in Îrilôs. “With a little work, I could turn her into a pupil of mine.”

“A pupil of what, exactly?” Asked Turaz.

“Imperial diplomacy, what else?” With that, the Envoy departed.

“Treacherous tasks...” Muttered the now one-eyed knight, as he followed Îrilôs out. Soon it was only Tempest, Snowy, Aharôs, and Reshîv left; then Snowy left as well, in search of food.

“It's been some time since it was only the three of us somewhere.” Said Reshîv.

“So it has.” Agreed Aharôs, on guard as ever.

“I hear you've burnt down a city. With its folk still inside.”

“They were traitors who got what was coming to them.” The heir to the Kingdom defended. “If I had to do it again, I would.”

“You truly are a cold man, Aharôs.” Sighed Reshîv, sitting down again. “Cold, harsh, unyielding. It's no wonder you're so unloved by the people. And dare I say it... even hated.”

“Let them hate me. I do what I must.” Aharôs clenched a fist at his side, frowning. “I'll hate them right back.”

“What a dreary way to live.” Commented his half-brother. “No one will ever want to be near you that way. You're how old, now? Thirty-six? Thirty-seven?” Asked Reshîv to himself. “Still unmarried. Not even betrothed. It's said you take no women in your journeys either. I have to wonder what's going on in inside your head.” Tempest began to feel like they were entering a very awkward area. Aharôs took on an expression of great disdain.

“Are you implying I'm one of those abominations-”

“No. Even I wouldn't go so far as to say that.” Reshîv cut him off. “I'm implying that you've built such a reputation of fear and wrath about you that no woman within three hundred miles would get near you. Given your hatred of anyone who tries to get close to you, though, I'm beginning to think it's on purpose.” The young Prince elaborated. “Why else do you despise me so? Why else do you hate your father's second wife, my own mother? Why else did you drive off so many potential brides? Why else did you try so hard to alienate any friends you could have had? It's almost like you're afraid of anyone getting near you, as if you loathe the very notion. I have to admit, I worry about your state of mind.”

“My state of mind if perfectly fine, Reshîv.” Muttered Aharôs. “I've always hated people, I always will. That does not mean I cannot rule them.”

“There it is.” Reshîv said, waving an arm towards his half-brother. “You think yourself a ruler, not a leader.”

“As if you're any different, questing after glory and whores and the bottom of a wine cup.” Sharply replied Aharôs. Tempest tried to shrink, hoping neither would notice her presence. This might get heated, she worried. Snowy, why didn't I go with you...

“Lord of Heaven, save me!” Pleaded Reshîv mockingly. “Such dreadful austerity! Aharôs, how could you be King when you can't even enjoy yourself? Does everything have to be so miserable with you?” Tempest's Prince didn't answer, he only looked away. “Where did you go so wrong? What caused a perfectly normal young man to turn into this cold, bitter, and hateful soul?” Reshîv waited for a response, but got none. Instead, he turned to the pegasus. “What do you think, Tempest? You Equestrians know how to live.”

“Uh...” She fumbled with words, not knowing what to say. “Um...” Truth be told, she had never given it thought. Aharôs was never cold or hateful towards her. “I've only seen him do it to other people. Not me. So he's not all like that.”

“Well, there is some humanity in you after all, Aharôs. A shame it's only reserved for a foreigner.” Reshîv shook his head, and turned to Tempest. “I mean no offense to you, my Queen, but you are a foreigner...” She shrugged, but she did feel a little offended.

“Tempest is no foreigner.” Replied Aharôs. “Can't speak Equestrian without our accent, acts like one of us, uses our writing... She's doesn't think I notice, but I do.” He does? “There's more human than pony in her spirit.”

“I do believe that's even worse then...” Reshîv sighed again. “She'll never fit in back home.”

“Yes I can!” Retorted Tempest, though it was more an exclamation of defiance than anything else.

“That remains to be seen. Tell me, Tempest, how close are you to your other Equestrians that bear your banner?” Questioned the younger Prince.

“Well, not too close. I don't really know any of them, except Snowy.” Answered Tempest.

“...And that proves my point completely.” Reshîv spread his arms wide open, a look of resignation on his face. “What sorry ways to exist... I'll leave you two to wallow in the sad, bitter isolation you're creating for yourselves. I have a life to live. With others. Just as God meant it to be. I'll be in touch soon.” With that, Reshîv swiftly left. Aharôs and Tempest looked at each other, neither one talking for a moment.

“We don't... wallow in isolation, do we?” The blue-grey pegasus asked when Reshîv was gone.

“No.” Agreed Aharôs. “We simply have less aptitude for the matters of people.”

“Yeah...” Tempest said. “I don't like people either.”

“You've got Snowy, she's people enough. I've got Îrilôs to work with. That's all we need.” Aharôs stated with finality.

“Exactly.” But the words of Reshîv weighed heavily on Tempest's mind.

Author's Notes:

Well, after being mentioned in just about every single Turaz/Tempest chapter, we finally meet Reshîv. No longer is he an off-screen character like Emperor Katastanîos. Fun fun fun fun.
But yeah, readers, someone once said the word "brevity" in my direction, and I spent twelve weeks in the ICU at the local hospital and Obama personally passed healthcare reform to pay for my bills. I hope I'm not boring you all to death with all this exposition, please trust me, it's all for a greater good.
As always, if you have any issues with style or pacing or see any error, just tell me. I enjoy it when people read closely enough to call me out on my mistakes, it makes me like you.

Pulling the Tiger's Tail

Needless to say, the day that the human envoys arrived was a day Goldleaf was not at all upset about being woken up early for. And by early, he meant only several hours after he fell asleep. Princess Luna had sent a letter regarding their arrival three days hence, causing much stir in Lithton. Of course, nopony had expected them to so boldly ride their slaves right up to the city gates! When the guardsponies refused to let them in, Luna had to explain their zôshai, as they called them, were not to be ridden upon. Such a display would be humiliating and insulting to all Equestrians. Goldleaf still felt some burning indignation within him when the image of humans using their dimmer cousins as beasts of burden entered his mind. At least we unicorns treat our serfs like the ponies they are, not as dumb animals...

“These zôshai arre not like you.” Said the human envoy, as he stood before the gates. His accent was stronger than even some of the southern earth pony tribes. “See their thrree hooves, their small eyes, their long faces? Haô could they be rrîlated to you?”

“We will not suffer such displays of barbarism and cruelty within our city!” Shouted the captain of the guard.

“Verry vell...” Sighed the human, gesturing for his companions to dismount. They muttered amongst themselves in their own languages. Goldleaf watched the entire scene unfold, from atop the walls with Lady Hemlock. Traveling with the humans was Princess Luna and Rye the earth pony. Later that day, after the zôsha problem had been solved and the humans' lodgings secured, there was a formal audience before the two alicorn princesses. The elder Aegis Vigil was there too, as were the pegasi queens and kings and ladies and lords, as well as Ember Platinum and her nobles.

“Hail, Prrîncess Celestia and Prrîncess Luna, Rregents of the Sun and Moon, and Diarrchs of Ekvestrria.” Announced the leader of the humans, a man in brown robes and cloak. He bowed his head and knelt before them, upon one knee. The other humans with him did the same; one held the Imperial banner, another had a a black banner with a silver eight-rayed star. Goldleaf was sure it was the Banner of Heaven, a sign of truce and unity amongst the humans. “I am Kairrôs Gadis, Împîrrial Financier and Master of Coin, sent of Katastanîôs of House Taizârres, ninth of his name, Emperror of Ar-Athazîon, Prrotector of the Faith and Dîfender of Sarrathûl.” Why does he do that sound with his r's? wondered Goldleaf. No doubt other members of the court were wondering as well.

“What brings you here, Kairôs Gadis?” Asked Princess Celestia coldly.

“Ît has come to our attention that you have declarred var on a vassal of my liege.” Replied Kairôs, looking up. He stayed knelt though, perhaps a wise idea. The other two humans did not look up, however; they merely held their banners and looked at the floor, as if unworthy to gaze upon the alicorns. “Obviously, that is unacceptable. Our Lorrd the Emperror vishes me to sorrt thîs out, and put thîs matter to rrest.”

“Does Emperor Katastanîôs think Our statement to be a jest?” Celestia again questioned.

“No. He thinks it unvise, and urrges you to rrîconsider this courrse of action.” Answered the Imperial Financier.

“Unwise.” Echoed the white alicorn, flicking her pink tail. This seemed to make Kairôs the Financier nervous, for whatever reason. It was then Luna chose to speak:

“We are sure you have had a long journey, perhaps you would be in a more fitting state of mind to discuss this tomorrow, in private.” Suggested the Regent of the Moon.

“I agrree. Ve have come a long vay... Rrest vould be most helpful.” Agreed the envoy.

“So be it.” Acknowledged Celestia. “This court is dismissed for the day.”

Several hours passed without much incident. The humans kept to their assigned chambers in the dungeons of the castle, knowing it was a bad idea to wander out alone here. Their status as envoys might have given them protection in Sarathûl, but here nopony was afraid of divine wrath should they break the sacred protection over messengers and ambassadors.

“What do you think of them?” Hemlock asked, as they sat idly in the room where they did the Night Court's work.

“Well, it's interesting to see real humans.” Said Goldleaf. “I hope they can work out an agreement with the Princesses.” Both ponies looked at Luna, who had fallen asleep, her head on a desk. Goldleaf and Hemlock were supposed to be sleeping too, they had to attend the “private” meeting tomorrow. It was really going to be the same audience, without the members of the Day Court and Ember's court present.

“I don't think anything will come of it. Celestia is just too... angry, I guess.” The pegasus spoke with a shrug. “She'll never agree to anything, even if Luna and Aegis do.”

“A terrible shame. We have so many better things to do with our time than fight an unwinnable war...” Sighed the mahogany unicorn. Did Celestia really think that she could take her fight a thousand miles to another continent? The logistics of such an endeavor would be nigh impossible to manage, especially for a land as loosely-organized as Equestria.

“I supposed we should get some sleep ourselves, before tomorrow.” Hemlock said.

“A good choice.” Said a third voice, old and grizzled. Both ponies looked to the door, and saw Aegis Vigil. They bowed at his presence.

“Good evening, my lord.” Greeted Hemlock.

“Lord? I am no lord.” The golden alicorn replied with a smile. “Just an old pony now.”

“Forgive me, my lord, but it does not feel right to call you by any other title.” Goldleaf said.

“I can understand that, young ones.” Nodded Aegis. “But I have another young one I must see to.” His horn glowed red, and the glow enveloped Luna's slumped figure as well. Aegis lifted her up, and placed her over his back. “You know, Lady Farpeak, I never thought I'd be doing this again. Carrying foals off to bed for the first time in... Oh, what my wife would say if she were here to see this!” Wisely, neither pony commented about Aegis's reference to his wife. “Goodnight, you two. Tomorrow, things will get interesting.” The alicorn left them with Luna's sleeping body, as they bowed again. Goldleaf turned to speak to the pegasus, but stopped when he saw her troubled expression.

“It's sad, really...” She said quietly, ears falling. “All his children he raised, he buried...”

They departed on a suddenly somber tone that night.

As Aegis promised, though, the next day was interesting indeed. After breakfast, Luna and her meager Night Court went to the main court, which had been cleared out of all the regular ponies. The pegasi queens and kings were there, as was the Unicorn queen, and Rye for the earth ponies of the south, and of course the three alicorns. They were arranged at an arcing crescent of a table, the alicorns in the middle, their nominal vassals arrayed around the sides. Before them all was a great open space, where the humans stood. Celestia must have not wanted them to feel at ease.

“Here we go...” Muttered Goldleaf nervously, as he took a seat between Hemlock and Queen Swiftrain.

“Let the proceedings begin.” Announced Aegis Vigil, who was sitting to the left of Celestia. “We welcome the envoys of man to our halls once again.”

“We would not put it so warmly.” The Regent of the Sun spoke, directing a scowl at her granduncle. “Kairôs Gadis, we last left off on the subject of your Emperor wishing Us to rescind Our declaration of war.”

“Yes, your majesty.” Nodded the Financier of Ar-Athazîon. He was apparently wearing his most formal clothes today, of dark blue rather than brown. His hat was removed as well, his banner-bearers stood tall, and he had six men in armor behind him. As if several halberdiers would be able to do anything if Celestia wanted him dead...

“It does not pain Us to say that this wish is impossible to grant.” Celestia said coldly.

“Vhy?” Asked Kairôs, bemused. “Vhat could you gain frrom such foolerries?”

“Fooleries! Is that what you call vengeance over there, now?”

“Ît is vhat ve call a pointless happening.” Answered the envoy sharply, though with a not quite right use of words. “Haô could you stand against all the might of Sarrathûl? Învading us vould be folly!”

“Really?” Returned Celestia.

“Rreally, your majesty.” Nodded Kairôs earnestly. “Our Lorrd the Emperror vishes not for needless bloodshed, he is busy enough.”

“Perhaps then he should not have sent the Grey Shadow to us then, had he not wanted more bloodshed!” The white alicorn retorted. This is already going bad, Goldleaf sighed to himself. He resisted the urge to bury his face in his hooves. Hemlock was watching with tense interest, while the Queen of Highcrest to his right leaned forward and smiled. She wants this to go bad!

“Do you accuse the Emperror of sending thîs vile plague?” The human seemed offended by the notion.

“We accuse all of you.” Simply stated Celestia, narrowing her eyes. This sweeping charge seemed to bewilder the envoy, as his mouth opened and closed, and he twisted his face in confusion.

“Ît is bold to say that, your majesty.” Kairôs finally replied.

“If the truth is bold, so be it!” The white alicorn said. “There will be justice for what you've done to my kind!”

“Ve have not done anything!” Defended the human. “It vas not knôn to us that your leaders died until you sent that letter!”

“Somehow, We doubt that.”

“Is thîs vhat you honestly think?” Kairôs asked, looking at all the ponies before him. “That our rrace is so crruel and hateful as to eksterrmînate another?” Nopony answered.

“You stole our homeland from us!” Said Celestia, fire in her voice. “And now you would steal this one too!” The envoy was incredulous.

“You left your homeland.” He replied. “Ve moved in.”

“Left!?” Exclaimed the white alicorn. “You wretched degenerates spread your filth and disease until almost all of us were dead, and then you slaughtered those still alive until we fled! And now you invaders dare come here and tell us we left our homeland!?”

“Ît vas not by choice my people came south!” Yelled Kairôs back. “And vhen ve came, all ve had to do was so much as brreathe on you, and you fell over dead! Ît vas as if God villed us to take Sarrathûl!”

“You took our lands because you thought your non-existant god willed it?” Fumed Celestia. By the human's expression that followed, this was a grave insult of a statement. The six human soldiers glanced among each other. Goldleaf felt his heart beat faster, there was no way this was going to end well. Queen Clearspring seemed to have a gleeful look on her face, as did most of the Highcrest pegasi. Meanwhile, Hemlock looked deeply worried, Princess Luna was doing a bad job of looking neutral, and Celestia really did seem to have something burning in her eyes. Aegis Vigil just wore a grim mask.

“Sister-” Began Luna.

“Quiet.” Ordered the white alicorn, still staring wrathfully at the human. “There will be retribution for what you've done, scum of all life! Your race will suffer as mine has!”

“Is thîs your decision, then?” Asked Kairôs.

“Emperor or not, you are doomed.” Celestia threatened. “None of you will escape Our wrath! Our homeland will be reclaimed, and you will return to whatever nightmare you came from or perish in flame!”

“Then you have elected the path of pain.” Said Kairôs, anger edging his voice. “For millennia ve vere hunted by the Grreat Enemy, until ve vere but a feû tribes left. Even then, he could not best us, and vas cast daôn into Hell!” Declared the human, raising a hand above. He then pointed two fingers at the white alicorn. “You, Seleztîa, are not the Grreat Enemy. You too vill be cast daôn.” Kairôs almost made to leave, and then turned back again. “I rregrret Prrîncess Lûna and Lorrd Âjis do not rrule, they vould have chosen peace. Hear thîs, Seleztîa: The Banners of Heaven avait your arrival.”

With that, Kairôs Gadis and his men departed the hall.

“Peace was never an option.” Celestia declared in an icy tone. Queen Clearspring of Highcrest looked very pleased at the moment, as did many other pegasi. Far on the other side of the tables was Ember Platinum, looking somewhat disinterested, and Lady Splendor, who looked like she'd just seen the end of the world. Everypony eventually filtered out, after Celestia departed with the Highcrest pegasi. Soon, only Hemlock and Goldleaf remained, because Luna did not move. Aegis didn't go either.

“Now what?” Whispered the mahogany unicorn.

“I don't know.” Hemlock replied.

“I fear the worst now...” Admitted Goldleaf. “She's really doing it. She's really going to fight them all.”

“Well, I don't know about all-” Before Hemlock could say more, the golden alicorn spoke.

“She's going to fight them all.” Said Luna's granduncle, sounding as if he had the weight of ages on his shoulders. He probably did. “The envoy said it himself.”

“He did?” The beige pegasus asked.

“When humans wish to talk to their enemies, they bring out the black banner with the silver star. The Banner of Heaven. It is forbidden to attack those who carry it, lest you suffer God's wrath.” Explained Aegis. “But when danger threatens many, they cast down their realm's flags and all fly the silver star on a field of black. The Banners of Heaven await Celestia. She will be attacking a unified Sarathûl.”

“Shit...” Swore Hemlock under her breath, not daring to be so vulgar within hearing of royalty.

“There's going to be a lot of blood on her hooves before this is all over, isn't there.” Goldleaf commented grimly, not phrasing it as a question.

“There will be blood.” Nodded Aegis sadly. “Alas, that she should not be only a little older. The young are always full of anger, none moreso than one at Celestia's age. Especially after what she's lost.”

“I don't supposed we could just... lock her up until she calms down, or something?” Suggested Hemlock.

“I could best her in battle, yes.” Admitted Aegis. “I have fought many wars and slain many enemies, far greater than any that walk this world today. I would crush my grand-niece like you would crush a spider.” Goldleaf shivered. “But what would I do after? I could never kill her, but she grows in power every day, bit by bit. In a century, her flame will rival mine. In three or four centuries, she will be able to toss me aside like a ragdoll. Perhaps this is for the best then, that she does this while she is young and not yet at her zenith of power.” The three thought on it for a time, before Luna broke out of her deep thought.

“Aegis, who was the Great Enemy?” Asked the midnight alicorn. Goldleaf ran through all that had been said, trying to recall mention of that name. It had been uttered by the human envoy... All turned to look at Aegis Vigil for his answer.

“The Great Enemy?” He repeated. “Hmm...” Aegis drifted off, and looked as if he saw something far away. For minutes, he stared into the space ahead of him. A troubled expression finally came over him. “I'm afraid I don't remember much, but he was a very big figure in the human religion. They name their children for heroes who fought him, in the stories.”

“I was hoping for more information.” Said Luna.

“Sounds like he was some kind of monster.” Hemlock guessed.

“Yeah.” Agreed Goldleaf. “Like Queen Ascela.” He said in reference to the changeling queen of myth. Ascela had been the ruler of Equestria before Discord, so it was said, though there was no proof she ever existed. The changelings were a shadowy race, few in number and lacking in strength. How could they ever rule Equestria? Besides, nopony lived in Equestria before Discord, he had already been there when they moved south of the Crystal Mountains after the windigoes came.

“Or Redfang the Wrathful, Scourge of South!” Suggested the pegasus with an excited grin. “Or King Vesper of the bat-ponies! Or Hurricane and the Nine Worms!”

“The humans certainly saw him so, I know that.” Aegis nodded. “And to set matters straight, King Vesper actually existed, Lady Hemlock. Not like those other stories.”

“So there really are bat-ponies!” Hemlock exclaimed.

“I met some once.” Luna said absent-mindedly. “They dwell far northeast of Everfree, and only come out at night. They weren't at all like they were in the stories though. Rather, they were quite accommodating.”

“I thought everpony knew King Vesper was real.” Goldleaf muttered. They had analyzed folktales at the university, picking them apart for information. The story of Vesper and the bat-ponies was consistent with Equestrian historical records and the accounts of the alicorns. Redfang the Wrathful was not, and Hurricane of Highcrest and the Nine Worms was likely completely fabricated by later Whitewinds. That wasn't to say Hurricane had never fought nine of something, but not even the Sun Queen had ever heard of great Worms. Most Equestrian folktales had their origins in truth, but had been twisted and exaggerated over so long that very few resembled the events they were based on. Even the three race's journey into Equestria was beginning to warp, and that was their most important tale!

“Oh, I could spend all day hearing what you all have to say!” Giggled Hemlock, apparently forgetting Celestia had just declared war on an entire species not an hour ago. “What about Discord and the Elements of Harmony? That's my favorite!”

“Alright, I can forgive not knowing about Vesper, but how could anypony not know the Elements are real?” Goldleaf cut in sternly before Aegis spoke.

“I know they're real.” Hemlock replied, sounding very much like a seventeen year-old young mare. “But I want to know if the quest of Sequorus and Mica was real!”

“Well, Sequorus and Mica certainly did go on a quest to get them back.” Aegis said, searching his expanse of memories. “However, the story you were told when you were a foal is... darker, in reality. I'm not going to tell you why, I wouldn't want to be the one who ruined your favorite story.”

“Oh...” Hemlock looked thoughtful, before asking about the next story she had in mind. The day wore on, and Goldleaf found himself in a refresher course for Equestrian folklore, as Hemlock found out just how fictive most of her foalhood stories were. It was a nice distraction, for a while, but a gnawing in his gut came that was not born of hunger. He couldn't stop thinking about what Celestia and the envoy had said to each other. It's really happening, isn't it? They were actually going to attack an entire species that not only outnumbered them, but had a technology advantage. Was the Regent of the Sun so blinded by her rage as to actually think she had a chance? Goldleaf remained troubled throughout the evening; he was unable to focus long on anything. Finally, Hemlock asked after dinner: “Are you alright?”

“I must confess I am not.” Admitted Goldleaf, while they travelled the long halls of the castle. They couldn't sleep yet, but he wanted to do something to get his mind of this dreary business.

“Obviously...” Remarked the pegasus with a sigh. “Lay it on me.”

“Don't you get the feeling that this is all going to go horribly wrong?” Asked he. “I've had it all day, ever since that debacle of a negotiation. How can I explain it... Have you ever stolen something?”

“No.” Said Hemlock blankly. There goes that analogy, Goldleaf thought as he recalled his days as a student at the university, just barely getting by.

“Well... It's like going up to a dragon's lair, and stealing the treasure. But you realize you've left evidence behind that it was you, and now the dragon is going to come for you!” It was a weak example, but it was the best he could come up with on best notice.

“So we're pulling the tiger's tail?” Guessed Hemlock.

“Uh- sure. We've pulled the tiger's tail.” Where'd she get that? That's no saying I've ever heard... “The point is, we've just gotten ourselves into a very bad situation, and I don't like our odds. Not one bit.”

“I see.” Nodded the beige pegasus. “Well, as long as we can stay here, we'll be fine, right?”

“That's just it, Lady Hemlock. What if they bring us with them on this errand of destruction?” Worried Goldleaf, his eyes going wide at the prospect. “I'm supposed to be one of the most powerful unicorns in the whole realm, of course they're going to want me- Oh no! They are going to take me across the sea to my death! To all our deaths! Equestria will come crashing down as it bleeds itself to death on the shores of Sarathûl! And then what? A land of earth ponies and other miscreant brutes!”

“You're getting rather worked up here.” Commented Hemlock, as she smiled in amusement. “You're no use in combat, too jumpy. It's me who should be worried, I'm supposed to have fought in war by now.”

“Yes...” The unicorn said, as he tried to calm down.

“I bet they'll try something with that Blackwind pretender.” Hemlock said. “They've probably trained her all her life for this battle, she'll most likely be nigh unstoppable, like Maelstrom was. Not even Clearspring could best her in combat, it's said. Only Celestia could.”

“Quite a warrior, that Maelstrom Blackwind.” It really was true, the Blackwinds had a bad habit of not dying when they should. That's why their line managed to survive whatever disaster befell it. A curse on the pegasi of Highcrest as black as their namesake, some would say. “But Tempest is young. Untried in real battle too, I suppose. Queen Clearspring would make quick work of her.”

“I hope so. Her wrath and hatred for the rest of you must be terrible, she will show no mercy, I expect.”

It was then they heard voices coming down the hall. One belonged to Aegis Vigil, their third encounter within an entire day. The other had an unmistakable Tarsen accent. In fact, those words were unmistakably Tarsen itself!

“Hide.” Whispered Hemlock, as she darted into the shadows. Before he could do anything, she yanked on his tail and dragged him into the darkness between the wall and some statue. Convenient placing, thought Goldleaf. This was a unicorn castle after all, there had to be hiding places for spies somewhere. Hemlock pulled him closer, as three humans and an alicorn passed the corner. Luckily, humans were tall, and so was Aegis. Both of them were well over five and a half feet at their eyes. They wouldn't think to look down for two lesser ponies.

Whatever they were saying, neither pony knew. They spoke not the human tongue, but Aegis did apparently. From the sound of it, both were amiable, and there was no tension or worry in their voices. The alicorn and collection of humans went right past them, and continued on a ways, where they stopped. None looked back, so Hemlock peeked out a little further. They continued talking in Tarsen, and Aegis levitated some package of sorts, in front of the envoy. The envoy took it, and bowed his head. The two groups departed in opposite directions.

“Well, that was unexpected.” Goldleaf commented, as he carefully came out from behind the statue.

“Ever since joining up with you and the Princess, my life has gotten more and more interesting.” Hemlock said, staring down the hall. “Do you think we should tell anypony?” Goldleaf frowned in thought.

“...Probably not. If he has a reason for doing something, it's got to be a good one.”

“You know, Goldleaf, I'm getting tired of just waiting around. All these little things, it's like we're being kept from the actual... happening.” Sighed the beige pegasus. “If there's a storm coming, it better break soon.”

“The moment that envoy gets back to his city, we'll have a storm alright. I just hope it breaks far from here.”

Author's Notes:

This is what happens when I blow off homework for a weekend and just write. I'd do it more often, but now I'm going into geology lab tomorrow with only a basic outline of what I'm supposed to know. Worth it? Worth it. I've had this scene brewing in my head for months. Well, I've had the whole story, start to finish, thought out for months too. We're finally getting somewhere!
Speaking of things being cooked up for months, be sure to check out The Age of Night. It's a bit different from my style here, less organic, but I think you regulars might like it.

Summer Sun Celebration

“I've got it all figured out, sister.” Said Celestia, in a almost excited tone.

“Do you?” Asked Luna, looking at the huge map of Sarathûl that the Regent of the Sun and the pegasi had been plotting with earlier. The white alicorn had laid magical markings all over it, detailing their plan of attack.

“Yes!” Replied her sister, smiling eagerly. “Since the humans have declared war on us as a whole, there's nowhere we can't strike now. Come and see...” She pushed Luna closer to the table with a wing. On the right side, there was Equestria. On the left was Sarathûl, or at least the northeastern quarter. It went on a good ways further west, and a good ways further south too, though the land grew thinner and narrower as it got closer to the tropics. A good thing too, or it'd be desert like it was in Equestria at that same latitude.

“We don't know much about the interior, I admit.” Began Celestia. “Fifteen hundred years is a long time to go without updates. But we do know about the coasts.” Her horn gently flared with golden light, and the markings on the map did too. “Aegis said that there's not a lot of humans up here in Athair and Verâd,” she gestured to the two realms. “But they're in the middle of a war and the land would be crawling with soldiers. And north isn't an option either, that's their March. It seems they guard all the passes into their homeland, for some incomprehensible reason. Below Athair is the realm of Bîerlas, and Aegis said that they're expecting an attack from any direction, so they're prepared.” Luna looked over all the places Celestia had mentioned.

“That leaves just Ar-Athazîon and south.” She said.

“Indeed.” Agreed her sister. “South of Ar-Athazîon are realms more heavily under the sway of the Emperor, they'll be on alert there soon enough. That leaves just one place to invade from...” She pointed to a headland just south of the Imperial capital, caught between the lands of Hatharô and Lûndôvîr. By the marks on the map, it is a part of the tail end of the Jadâavon mountains, rugged foothills plowing into the sea, making all kinds of coves and inlets. “This region, here, is hinterland of both Hatharô and Lûndôvîr. It is sparsely populated, if any human lives there at all, and seldom investigated by authorities. If we could bypass the Emperor's fleet, we could land undetected, and have an army sneaking into their heartland without them knowing until it was too late!”

“I...” I don't know, Celly, she wanted to say. “I guess it could work. I don't know much about strategy or war at all.”

“That's fine, Luna.” The other alicorn replied. “I think you're too young for battle anyway.”

“Too young?” Of course, Luna didn't want to fight anypony, but she couldn't let her sister get away with such an insult! Celestia just smiled smugly. “I fought Discord too, you know.”

“Yes, but you were sixteen. Just a young filly.” Replied Celestia.

“And even though I was a young filly, I was the one who delivered the final blow with the Elements.”

“Desperate times,” Celestia stated dismissively. “Desperate measures.” Luna didn't remember much of that, but did remember how terrifying and mind-jarring the last days of the chaos spirit had been. Her father had told her of how Discord normally put on a more playful mask when dealing with mortal ponies, but when the long war the alicorns waged against him finally came to its endgame... He had held nothing back. Nothing. Reality itself bubbled and warped, almost to the breaking point. And there had been things spawned from whatever unfortunate creature was caught in those bubbles and warps. The Regent of the Moon was glad she remembered little. The others had never spoken of it while they were alive, and she did not want to know what they witnessed.

“Aegis reports that the unicorn army is doing better than expected.” Continued on Celestia, getting back to the subject at hoof. “They're taking quite well to using our old war spells. I haven't seen some of those cast in over a century and a half!”

“Mhm.” Luna acknowledged with a nod.

“The humans take pride in their smoky black powder, but they like to fight in tight formations, I've heard. We'll rip the ground out from under their feet, and send them scattering!” Stated the white alicorn.

“That sounds like it'll take a lot of powerful unicorns.” Which we currently lack...

“No, just many normal unicorns. We have ways to pool their collective strength into a single weapon.” Explained Celestia.

“And who controls this weapon?” Luna asked.

“I do.” Her sister said, looking at the map of Sarathûl with disdain. Wonderful. Every day, Luna realized a little more that this foolhardy plan was actually going to go through. “You don't approve.” Celestia said, looking at her.

“I suppose not...” Admitted the Regent of the Moon. “This seems like a horrendously bad idea, Celly.”

“I know you and Aegis see it that way. But I can't let this just pass, you know that.” Replied Celestia, sounding both sad and angry. “I cannot stand by and let the death of my race go unavenged. There must be justice. There must.”

That was all they spoke of on that subject. Celestia retired and lowered the sun, Luna rose the moon, and got about on her business. Days and nights rolled on by, turning into weeks, as they got ever closer to the summer solstice. Most of her time was spent with her two courtiers and Lady Splendor Garnet, as she developed her plan for the earth ponies. Celestia had displayed interest in it, so it was worth investigating more. But something else was beginning to take her interest. Over the past two weeks, she had noticed herself slipping into an almost trance like state as her mind wandered. Normally, this would have been nothing, all ponies got distracted. But this was different.

Luna was sure she was beginning to see dreams.

“Are you sure?” Asked her granduncle, when she brought it up at breakfast.

“I think so. It's like... I just slip out of my body, and I can just move from pony to pony, and look in their heads.” She said. “Kind of... Everything is blurred and undefined... It's hard to describe, because it's like nothing I've ever done.”

“I guess your father's gifts are finally transferring to you. Which is odd, as Celestia has yet to gain most of her mother's powers...” Aegis and Luna both looked at Celestia, who glared at them as she ate her meal. The midnight alicorn smirked back.

“The problem is that it's hard to control.” Luna continued.

“That'll fix itself if you keep on practicing.” Stated Aegis. “Just be careful whose dreams you look into. They are powerful things, in some... Weak, in others. Stick with the weak ones, Luna. A powerful dreamer might drag you in against your will, something you can't fight. Not yet.”

“That can happen?”

“Well, in an untrained and unprepared state like the one you are in now? Yes, it can.” The golden alicorn said.

“What happens if I get caught in a powerful dream?” Luna asked.

“Nothing, if you're lucky. If you aren't... The mind is a fragile thing. You'd be like a hermit crab without his shell, or a hedgehog with no quills. Best not to think what could happen. So use caution, Luna. Darker things lurk beyond the real.” Ordered Aegis.

“I understand.” She said with a nod. Did she? Luna hoped so. “How do I get better at this, though?” Aegis opened his mouth to reply, but closed it. He stared off into space.

“...I haven't the slightest idea.” Replied the golden alicorn quietly. “My nephew- er, your father and I never did speak much. Whatever he knew of the Dreamworld went with him. Just do not push yourself too far.” That would make sense... From what Luna remembered, before the Grey Shadow, Aegis Vigil had always been a loner. Though he was the eldest alicorn in Equestria, their granduncle had been nothing more than a distant figure in their lives, off on his own tasks and rarely in one place for long. Until a few months ago, at least.

Luna did the best she could with the dreamworld business, often sitting in one spot and concentrating for long periods of time. It was hard work, and harder to describe. She had to will herself beyond her body, and into the minds of sleeping ponies nearby. Goldleaf found himself volunteered for practice, and while he slept in the early morning, Luna would try to get into his dreams. She succeeded once or twice, but was never in his mind for long. Still, it was a start. It was often easier to slip into dreams while she herself was asleep, or nearly asleep. Before she knew it, summer solstice was upon them.

“It's time!” Said Hemlock excitedly, on the last day of spring. It was a hot and bright day, but not too hot. Once again, they were on a diurnal schedule, though it wouldn't last for long.

“So it is.” Agreed Goldleaf, with less enthusiasm. “I don't like all this switching of sleep patterns, it's making me tired.”

“It's worth it.” Hemlock replied. “The solstice has always been my favorite celebration.”

“Aye...” Nodded the unicorn. “Winter solstice was always a bit dreary.” Luna frowned at him silently. “Forgive me, your highness, but I strive to be honest.” Said Goldleaf, bowing his head.

“You are forgiven.” Acknowledged Luna.

“I suppose we should be getting ready for this celebration.” Hemlock stated. “We do have something to do, right?”

“Of course not, I'm a Princess, and you're my court.” Luna replied dismissively. “It would be improper for members of the Night Court to help prepare anything like this.”

“Oh. My mother always made me... help out... at home.” Commented the pegasus. “Guess I'm not used to sitting around and doing nothing while other ponies work.”

“Relax, Lady Hemlock.” Goldleaf said. “Let somepony else take care of things, they know what they're doing better than any of us three.” The day went on, earth pony servants hustled and bustled around under the direction of the unicorns. All the city was made ready for the festivities, the first time a the Summer Sun Celebration had been held here in Lithton. Everything was directed in praise of the sun, the summer, and Celestia. Luna couldn't but feel a bit jealous of it all. My time will come though, in just another six months. They'd give her the same attention then. But tomorrow was Celestia's day, she could understand that.

Well, she hoped she understood it. Luna wanted to understand, she really did. Perhaps it was just natural to be envious of all the attention being lavished on her sister, while she was ignored on the sidelines. It wouldn't last forever though. Celestia had spent all day in seclusion with her war council, planning who knew what. She was content to let others plan the celebration. Lacking in all activities and tasks, the midnight alicorn's Night Court set about wasting time as best they could. Finally, they settled on investigating the royal library of House Platinum. Luna searched for anything regarding the dreamworld, but there was nothing on the subject. Is this power just limited to me?

That was a question to think about as she slept, after raising the moon. Or rather, let her body sleep. It was time for her mind to walk. Luna thought it was entirely possible that she was only individual in the world with this ability. Now, that would give me quite an advantage... To be able to slip into the minds of others as they dream. Who knew what she could glean? The real world melted into the dreamworld, a misty place full of half-colors and fantastic enigmas she could never hope to describe. Here, ponies showed up as flickering lights in an eternal dusk. All she had to do was peer into the light, and step within it. Goldleaf's light was familiar to her; she had been there several times now. She knew Hemlock's light too, but she had never been inside it. Why not now?

The dark beige pegasus was dreaming, but like so many dreams, none of it made sense. She was wandering around in what had to be Highcrest, the city that shared the name with the same kingdom. Hemlock didn't seem to have a purpose for her wandering, she just walked ahead with an impatient expression. There was nothing to see here.

Luna shifted out of the pegasi's dream, and back into the wider dreamworld. She visited the light she had come to realize belonged to Lady Splendor Garnet. There was nothing of interest there either, just the rather unlikely situation of the entire Summer Sun Celebration turning into a whimsical calamity.

That's the first time I've ever been able to do that twice without waking up, realized the Regent of the Moon. Progress was being made! It would be something good for once... Luna was so caught up in self-congratulation that she didn't notice a stronger light coming towards her. Or rather, she was sliding towards it. In an instant, she recognized it as her granduncle, Aegis. “A powerful dreamer might drag you in against your will, something you can't fight.” He had warned her not a week ago about this! Closer and closer she was pulled into the light; it burned with a fire unlike any but Celestia's, and probably Luna's own too. Then, she was in.

What the Luna saw was something she did not understand. Her granduncle stood on an icy plain under a moonless night. But that was not to say the sky was empty of any heavenly body. Nay; a terrible black orb hung above the ice, surrounded by a blazing halo of sickening light that was not light. Only cold came from this false light, there was no heat or life in it. The ice reflected it, giving the entire scene a fiery orange hue- but it was not orange, it was too wrong to be orange, it was too wrong to be any kind of fire. The longer she looked at the orb, the more the world around her distorted and slid away. It whispered, it sang, words of silent shade and soft snow-

Everything shattered apart, and Luna was free. She rocketed back out of Aegis's dream, out of the dreamworld, and out of her bed. Sweat coated her fur, her limbs trembled, her mind reeled. The Regent of the Moon didn't even have time to react at the snap of teleportation sounding beside her.

“Luna!” Sharply said Aegis. “I warned you about being pulled in!” He growled, a dangerous look on his face.

“I- I-” Stuttered the younger alicorn. “What- What was that?” She whispered.

“It was something you should never have seen.” He said in a low voice. “I told you about getting pulled in, Luna. I told you.”

“It was too late!” She defended. “I didn't notice it until- until-”

“Yes, I understand. Your father did the same thing once when he was your age, but even he didn't see that. You must never, never tell anypony what you saw. Never.” Spoke Aegis in a calm but deadly serious tone. Luna felt her ears go flat in apprehension.

“What did I see, though?” Asked she. Her granduncle didn't respond for a few moments.

“If I told you, you would seek to learn more. If I don't tell you, you would seek to learn more.” He muttered, bowing his head and closing his eyes. “I told you I have fought many enemies, far greater than any that live today. Some were so powerful that even their images can affect us. It has been my solemn duty to contain these images. Now you must contain one of them as well. It will be a duty you keep for the rest of your days, Luna, as long as they may be.”

“But, I only saw it for a few moments-” Luna tried to say.

“Even a moment is enough.” Said Aegis grimly. “Ten minutes ago, I was but one of three who still carried this image in my mind. Now, there are four of us.”

“Were there more?” The midnight alicorn asked.

“Yes, and many could not contain it. We did what we had to do.” Warned her granduncle. “I hold you very close to my heart, Luna; but if I have to choose between the world and you, I will choose the world.” Now Luna's ears dropped straight down. Aegis sat down next to her, and put his wing around her. “But, you are no mere mortal like many of the others. You are an alicorn of one of the greatest, noblest bloodlines in all history; your flame burns like the first flames, and no natural thing may put it out. There is great strength within you, and if one as meager as I can hold this image, you surely can. I know you won't fail.”

“I've never thought the word strength applies to me.” Said Luna sheepishly, rather embarrassed at Aegis's endorsement. “Mother and Celly always agreed that I wasn't strong enough to do what had to be done. That's why Discord is stone, not dead.”

“It takes another kind of strength to have mercy, Luna. The chaos spirit was not evil; and looking back, I do not think he deserved to die.” Aegis countered. “You had the strength to do what was right when all others wanted what was wrong. You have the strength to keep this image locked away and hidden.”

“Alright...” Agreed she. Luna was still shaken by what she had seen. “You said there were two others besides us. Who?”

“All in good time.” Replied Aegis, rising again. “Now, get back to sleep. Tomorrow, I will teach you how to guard this thing within your mind. With luck, you may even be able to forget it's there.” He made to leave.

“If you can forget it's there, why was it in your dream?” Questioned the Princess. Aegis paused for a moment, before smiling sadly.

“I, Luna, am not a lucky alicorn.” With that, he was gone. Sleep quickly welcomed Luna again, and this time, it was real sleep. It was the dream-walker's turn to dream, and she was blessed by memories of a safer time to drive off the fear of the black orb.

Early morning came, and the instinct to lower the moon came upon her, rousing her from bed. The time was not yet right, but it was coming within the hour. The longest day of the year was almost upon them. “You don't look so well, Luna.” Celestia commented.

“It was a rough night.” She answered.

“I hope you'll still be able to attend today's festivities.” The white alicorn went on.

“Yes, Celestia, I will be able to attend your festivities.” Luna affirmed sourly.

“You've been antagonistic lately, Luna.” Sighed Celestia, stifling obvious frustration. “If I had my way, mother and father would still be alive. But they aren't, we're in charge now, and it's up to us to take their places. I never asked for this. None of us asked for this. But it's the way things are. Your day of glory will come, just wait. Today is mine, no matter how much I do not wish it to be. We all have our parts to play, sister.”

“I know, I know.” Grumbled the Regent of the Moon. “Let's just get this over with.” Luna didn't pay much heed to other ponies that morning, as they all gathered in the castle courtyard. Her mother's banner, now Celestia's, flew everywhere, pure white with a golden sun. As was planned, she lowered the moon without fanfare; in the background, so to speak. Meanwhile, Celestia stood at the center of everypony's attention, and raised the sun quite triumphantly. There was much cheering from the rest of them, even from Hemlock and Goldleaf. The Princess of the Night tapped a hoof impatiently, an unamused expression on her face.

After the show was over, they all went into the throne room, where the unicorn and pegasi nobility showered praise upon her sister for doing what they did every day. Luna kept herself attentive by trying to guess what each pony would say.

“...It is our great honor to have you here among us, Princess Celestia.” Said some noble unicorn mare. I bet she'll comment on how great the sunrise was. “Your work this morning was especially spectacular, though that is not to say it isn't always so.” There we go. The game continued. Some ponies had gotten hungry and left with Celestia's leave, the court wasn't as full as usual when something unusual happened. A rather bedraggled unicorn mare came forward, bowing deeply. She did not look the part of noble.

“Greetings, Princess Celestia. I bring word from afar.” Spoke she, bowing. Her horn lit up with bright green magic, and she produced a sealed letter. Celestia's own gold magic overtook it, and brought it to the white alicorn. Quickly, she opened it and read, her expression going from neutral to very alert.

“Well...” She spoke quietly. “We are afraid We must call short court for today. An important matter has come up. Follow.” Ordered the Princess to the mare. “Luna, Aegis, you too.” Celestia and the pony departed from the hall, with Luna and Aegis not far behind. The white alicorn holed them up in her personal study. It was rather cramped for four ponies, but it would have to do.

“I apologize for the deception, but it was necessary to get in without attention.” Said the mare when the door was closed. Her horn lit green again, but this time all her body flashed, and the pony was no longer a pony. Not a true pony. Her fur and mane were gone, replaced by smooth black surface not unlike that of an insect. Her eyes were a featureless blue, her horn jagged, her limbs full of holes, and now she had a pair of translucent wings. A changeling, Luna thought warily.

“What is this doing here?” Asked the Regent of the Moon.

“This one is an emissary.” Hissed the changeling softly, taking on a completely different attitude and personality. She looked dangerously thin though, as if she hadn't fed in weeks, perhaps even months. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

“But an emissary of whom?” Wondered Aegis, narrowing his eyes. “Rumor is that your Queen Tinea died recently.”

“It is true.” Affirmed Celestia. “Your letter says as much.”

“This one has come as an emissary of Queen Altilis, rightful ruler of this one's kind.” Stated the changeling. Everypony is sending emissaries to us it seems.

“Altilis is the daughter of Tinea, then?” Luna questioned.

“Yes.” Nodded the emissary.

“You added rightful ruler for a reason.” Observed Aegis.

“Yes.” The changeling glanced around. “There are those who would usurp; those of other, less worthy lines. This one and her kin serve the true Queen; these ones would die for her.”

“That one looks as if she is about to die from starvation.” Commented Luna. The emissary did not reply, but she shuffled nervously. Who could have thought that a changeling was capable of being nervous?

“It would seem your kin have fallen on hard times. How unfortunate.” Something in Aegis's voice made it clear it was anything but unfortunate. “You wouldn't have come all this way unless you wanted something, though.”

“No.” Agreed the emissary. She still seems nervous... But about what?

“That is what the letter is about.” Celestia floated it onto the table. “Queen Altilis sends her regards on our ascensions, Luna. And she wishes you well, Aegis. How sincere she is, I cannot say. What is important though, is that the new changeling queen wants to renew our treaty of nonaggression for another century.”

“A wise choice.” Aegis said approvingly. “Last time we had a war, we sent them scurrying six ways from Sunday.”

“Queen Altilis was not sure if you would do such a thing; she does not know you as Tinea knew your mother.” Explained the changeling.

“I think it's wise as well.” Stated the white alicorn. “I have a bigger war to fight as it is; I don't need to worry about changelings trying to be the power they once were on top of it all. Tell Altilis she has a deal, the treaty will be renewed for another century.”

“...Excellent.” The emissary didn't seem pleased, that was for sure. She did a terrible job at hiding the fact that she looked as if she had just signed her own execution order. The three alicorns exchanged confused glances. “This one will return to her home with the news, with your leave.”

“Go.” Approved Celestia. “And if you must feed, be sure to do it on an earth pony, they're expendable.”

“Thank you, Princess Celestia.” The changeling actually sounded grateful! With that, the emissary flashes out of existence in a burst of green, no doubt to somewhere outside of the city where a mob would not chase her down. Luna raised an eyebrow. “What?” Asked Celestia. “She might have been a changeling, but she was still on the brink of death.”

“I'm more concerned you consider earth ponies expendable.” Darkly said Aegis.

“They are.” The Regent of the Sun replied. “They breed fast and have no special skills. It takes years to teach a pegasus to fly or a unicorn to use magic. Earth ponies have none of that.” The golden alicorn only sighed at this.

“Something else is going on with the changelings.” Luna noted.

“No doubt.” Agreed Celestia. “I guess we'll find out in a few years when this human affair is over. Speaking of which, our first scout ships will be ready to sail in just one more week.” Hemlock would approve. She's been waiting for this disaster to start... Most of the pegasi were, come to think of it.

“I suppose we had to get these fiasco going sooner or later.” Grumbled their granduncle. “Go plan war with your pegasi, Celestia. I need to talk to Luna alone now.”

“About what?” Asked the white alicorn.

“About comets.” Celestia just rolled her eyes and walked off.

“I already know about comets...” She said on her way out.

“Comets?” Asked Luna. “I know about those!”

“No, not comets, that was just to get her to go away. I speak of what you saw in the dreamworld.”

“Oh...” She said, discomfort seeping in all around her.

“Yes. Come Luna, it is time to learn.”

Author's Notes:

University cannot stop me, I can only be contained!
So yeah, I'm back, for who knows how long. If this chapter seems kind of disjointed, it's because I wrote half of this in early February and the rest of it now. I got in over my head there for a bit... I promise I'm not going Robert Jordan, guys. When I open a subplot, it has a purpose. But like Robert Jordan, that purpose is sometimes long in the revealing.
As usual, if you spot errors, tell me. It's 2:30 AM here, I need all the help I can get.

Hidden Tensions

“It's evil at work, it is.” Said Hearth Blackwind.

“Aye, evil at work.” Agreed Brenan the priest.

“Definitely evil.” Affirmed Tempest. All three stood some distance away from a dark pit sliding into the ground at an angle. Sidâl had been up to this plan all week, and not one bit of it failed to make Tempest uneasy. More quickly than possible for any man or pony, he had excavated a deep tunnel, diving down under the river and now well on its way to the fortress beyond. But none of the three thought it was Sidâl doing the actual digging. Strange noises came from within the hole in the ground, a cold air constantly leaked out, and what should have been mud from groundwater was frozen solid. Prince Aharôs would send in Verâdîm prisoners on occasion; they never came out.

“Folly, utter folly.” Brenan said, and not for the first time that week. “This shouldn't be happening.”

“Just standing back here makes me nervous.” Commented Tempest. She couldn't actually get any closer without the urge to run triumphing over all other senses. The humans couldn't either, in fact, only Brenan, Aharôs, and Sidâl were able to get this close willingly. Turaz would hang back a ways, Baron Kairôs a little further. Poor Snowy couldn't even get within a hundred yards of this place without trembling. Only her uncle was able to approach right to the edge of the pit, she didn't know why.

“Evil.” Repeated Hearth, walking closer to it. “Evil at work.”

“Careful, Hearth.” Warned Brenan, clutching the medallion of the eight-pointed star tightly. “You don't know what's in there!”

“I don't have much time left, there is little that scares me now.” Replied the dull-colored pegasus. “Something dark is down there, every instinct of mine tells me to flee. Yet...” He shook his head, and retreated. “It would be best not to give into curiosity, I think.”

“We're better of not knowing what is down there. If one thing is for sure, Sidâl is not on our side.” Said the old priest firmly. “He may work with us, but he is not doing it for our sake.”

“Then for who's?” Asked Tempest.

“That's what worries me.” Brenan sighed. The three departed from the pit, not wanting to return again, though they knew they would. They were silent as they went their separate ways; Brenan had to attend to any wounded there may have been, and Hearth went to receive news from Coldstar. Tempest, of course, took her usual action: to consult the only soul in the world she could truly call a friend.

“Have you found anything?” The blue-grey pegasus asked, when she entered the tent.

“N-not yet.” Snowy replied, with frustration. She looked up from the Kaiathîsa. “This is High Tarsen. You just c-can't power through it...”

“A whole week gone by, and still nothing.” Said Tempest. It was her guess that the human's most revered book would have at least some scrap of information on what Sidâl was dealing with.

“Do you want to read it instead?” Snapped the other mare, visibly angry for once. “You wouldn't make it past the first page!” Tempest was taken aback, she raised a hoof and her ears flattened.

“Lord of Heaven, Snowy, what was that for?” She asked. It wasn't something Tempest would ever admit, but it always hurt a little to hear such a thing from her companion. Then again, she was the one who always told Snowy she took things too personally... The beige pegasus cringed, and hung her head.

“I-I'm sorry, my Queen.” Apologized Snowy. “It's just not a good day. I didn't- I didn't mean that. Everything is just so...” she trailed off. “That was too far.”

“No, I understand.” Sighed Tempest. “You're right, I wouldn't make it past the first page.” Between two ordinary people there would have been an awkward silence, but these kinds of spats weren't unknown to Snowy and Tempest. They had accepted that it was just something that happened when they had to rely on each other's company almost exclusively. “I appreciate your hard work, Snowy, but that pit is really getting into my head, and not in a good way.”

“Yeah...” Agreed the other mare. “And- And this wretched book is impossible!” She scowled at the offending literature. “It t-takes an hour to get through a section, it's- it's- it's impossible!”

“I think we can agree neither of us in the best mood then.”

“Still, it's no cause to-”

“It is what it is, Snowy.” Tempest stated flatly. “That's what Aharôs said after the Sai-Karza war... It can apply to this minor incident that should really be forgotten about, too.” That didn't seem to convince her.

“If you say so.”

“I say so.” Said the blue-grey pegasus, before showing a slight smile. “And as your Queen, too, so you can't question this.”

“So be it.” Conceded Snowy, flicking her tail in what had to be agitation. She turned back to the impossible Kaiathîsa, and stared at it some more. Maybe I should try and help- No, what was she thinking? They had both just admitted that Tempest would be of no help here. What could she do then? Ah...

“Have you had supper yet?” She asked.

“No.”

“Dinner?”

“No.”

“Breakfast?”

“No.”

“No wonder you're having a bad day.” Realized Tempest. Just one more thing to sort out... It wouldn't do anyone any good if Snowy was neglecting meals in favor of study.

Everyone was getting busier and busier, it seemed. No doubt they were preparing for the coming assault. From the occasional flight above the fortress, it seemed the Verâdîm knew that they were going to tunnel under the river. But their own counter-tunnels kept collapsing because of the waterlogged clay beneath them. Sidâl's tunnel had no such misfortune, it continued on without a hitch. The few times Tempest did see the oddly ordinary man, he was impeccably clean. There was no way he was doing any actual labor down there...

So what was he doing? Verâdîm prisoners went in, Verâdîm prisoners didn't come out. Where they the ones working? Perhaps Sidâl was the one directing their energy... But it had been a full week and a half, and the only thing that went into the pit were the prisoners and Sidâl. Nothing else went in, nothing but Sidâl came out. There wasn't even any dirt being excavated! The whole thing was confusing and worrying.

This was only compounded by the fact that Snowy's search of the good book continued at a snail's pace. High Tarsen was only easy for the smartest of humans, and though Snowy was quite smart, she wasn't a genius. It was taking some time for her to get through the long and complicated history of the race of man, and most of that was just myth and legend, unreliable at best. So far, there had been no mention of nefarious powers that brought cold with them. It's entirely possible that there is no mention of this at all, for all we know, this is something completely unprecedented.

Then, the day was upon them.

Tempest and Hearth were standing some distance from the pit, watching it with skepticism as always. It was nearly sunset. Today, they were far enough back that Sir Turaz was able to join them. “We've got a guest today, my Queen.” He announced. Both pegasi looked back, and with Turaz was Prince Reshîv of all people. He was nearly half a foot taller than the halberd-wielding knight; both were fully armored and held their helmets under their arms.

“Princes Reshîv.” Greeted Tempest without much enthusiasm.

“We meet again, Queen Tempest.” Returned Reshîv. “I'm not a serious man, but I'm afraid today is a serious day.”

“Yes, so we've heard...” Hearth said, looking at the pit, and then to Jashenîon in the middle of the river. “He's going to bring down one of those walls tonight.”

“Indeed.” Nodded Reshîv, glancing at the sky. “The Verâdîm know its coming, they're ready. But Îrilôs has cooked up a little surprise for them while we've been sitting there.”

“Really?” Asked the blue-grey pegasus. Aharôs's half-brother held out his helmet, upside down.

“I'd tell you to catch, but you have no hands.” Instead, he just placed his helmet in front of Tempest's face. Inside was a ball of metal, about the size of a large fist, etched with lines, a fuse on its end.

“Is it a bomb?” She questioned. The King of Bîerlas had planted a similar device in a fortress he abandoned, made of black powder barrels tied together, with one of his most dedicated agents left behind to set it off after Athairîm troops were inside. Of course, that bomb had taken up a whole cellar.

“Yes, a very small one.” Affirmed Reshîv. “You are to take your pegasi above the fortress, light these, and drop them on the Verâdîm just as our boats start hitting the collapsed wall.”

“It doesn't look like they're easy to pick up...” Said Tempest.

“We've taken care of that, have no fear.” Reshîv looked sternly at the river fortress. “Though, I do fear. Îrilôs has a knack for game-changing weapons, and he knows just how to use them. You all realize how close he is from the Imperial throne, right?”

“No.” Admitted the Queen of Highcrest.

“Well, he's the Emperor's nephew.” Said Hearth.

“Our Lord and Master, Emperor Katastanîôs, has but one child who yet lives. A daughter, Asûhna, who is... Well, let's say she isn't all there.” The Prince spoke, tapping his temple with two armored fingers. “Should Katastanîôs die without specifying who is his heir... We'll have those who support a puppet Empress, and those who support our innovative friend. Unfortunate Asûhna may not have any longer to live than her father.”

“I can see Îrilôs doing something like that.” Acknowledged Tempest's uncle.

“Then it raises the question: What is the man two heartbeats from Ar-Athazîon's throne doing all the way up here in the backwater?” Sir Turaz asked. “Shouldn't he be making alliances along the Karthâ?”

“No one west or south of the Dashavon pays attention to this place.” Reshîv said. “I've done some research of my own, through friends abroad. Îrilôs was sent up here by the Emperor's orders, supposedly to weaken his power and have him out of the city when the succession comes. Now, if you ask me... Îrilôs engineered events to bring him up here so he could test all his new weapons without anyone watching. That's why he's been letting us use his rockets and little bombs. That man is too clever to be good news for the rest of us.” The Prince finished his deduction. Tempest had to admit, Reshîv was anything but the vainglorious oaf Aharôs seemed to think he was. “I think it says something about my own cleverness that I've managed to figure this out.” Well, maybe vainglorious; though certainly not an oaf.

“Yes, we're all proud, my Prince.” Said Hearth. “I suppose we should get ready for battle now. Come along, Tempest.” She followed obediently, taking one last look at the pit. While she had her armor put on, Tempest thought deeply on Reshîv's notion. And the more she thought, the more it seemed likely that Îrilôs was actually up here just to test weapons for future events. Like fighting his way onto the throne. He truly was a cunning man.

Night had fallen, sky partly obscured by clouds, and troops moved without torchlight to maintain their stealth factor. Tempest and her pegasi gathered, with Îrilôs, Aharôs, Reshîv, and the other human nobles and leaders. Sir Eberis and Sir Turaz were there, Mayor Pashal, Baron Kairôs, some men from Reshîv's army, include the Duke of Terâd, and more. All present were fully suited for battle, except Îrilôs as usual.

“Here's the plan.” Said Aharôs, laying out a map of the fortress and river banks once everyone was inside the command tent. “In half an hour, Sidâl will collapse the wall here.” He pointed to the wall on the eastern side of the island. “The Verâdîm will rush to it, we'll have boats fully lit up heading to it. Little do they know, that will just be a distraction. The real collapse will be happening up on the north end of the island. The bulk of our forces will approach without light. All the while, our Blackwind allies will be dropping Îrilôs's bomblets on them, causing confusion and delay in their ranks. Îrilôs will be directing the rocket attack, which will go off as our boats launch to cover them.”

“I spent two days with Lady Farpeak getting the fuses just right.” Îrilôs commented. “This plan will work.”

“I wonder where you get all the time to do this?” Asked Pashal. “Calculating rockets and making little bombs...”

“Most everything I've developed here has just been putting together parts. I've had plans drawn up for years.” Answered the Envoy.

“Baron Kairôs, you will lead the diversion boats on the east wall.” Now Reshîv spoke. “Duke Zefîrôs will be directing the battle.” That was the Duke of Terâd, Tempest had learned. “I'll be going along on the northern assault, but Prince Aharôs has volunteered to lead it.”

“Bold.” Commented Mayor Pashal.

“Indeed.” Agreed the younger Loiar. “The rest of you will lead your columns either on the eastern attack or northern one. Be cautious, the river is deep and you will drown if you fall in and can't get off your armor in time. That sums up the general plan, group leaders will explain further as we prepare to move out. To your posts!” Ordered Reshîv. Tempest felt her stomach flutter. Well, here we go.

Îrilôs walked with her and the other Pegasi. Even Snowy and Canvas were present this time. “Well, ponies, that day has come. We're finally going to need all of you in this.” Snowy shot Tempest a frightened glance, all she could do was try to put on her best sympathetic face. “Lord Hearth, Lady Farpeak, Canvas; you three are unfit for battle, but you can still ferry up new loads of bomblets together. Queen Tempest, Coldstar, Streaming Breeze, Waterborn, Red Fern; you five will be the ones carrying and dropping them on the enemy. We've forged two hundred hundred, it should be enough for at least half an hour.”

“And when we're out?” Asked Coldstar.

“Well, then you're out. I imagine you'll be exhausted by then.” Said Îrilôs. Some soldiers had already set up several dozen flimsy-looking boxes full of the bomblets, each one had six in them. These ones all had crude handles grafted onto them, so they could be picked up by something as clumsy as an equine mouth. “One of you will need to light them, the rest of you will have about five seconds to find a place to drop them. They're timed to be dropped from one hundred feet once those five seconds are up. Please try and keep that in mind, I wouldn't want any of you being blown up by one of my own weapons.”

“Got it.” Nodded Streaming Breeze. “I take it we should aim for clusters of men?”

“Yes, they'd be most effective there. I'd aim for them to hit the ground before they go off, the metal shards will do the most damage on unarmored legs. Any who don't die will be crippled, a few less to fight when our boats land.” Said the Imperial Envoy. Tempest swallowed nervously, trying not to think of the bloody maiming she was about to help inflict. This is what I was born to do, she tried to reassure herself. It didn't work very well.

“Well, let's get this on!” Coldstar declared, flaring her wings. “With my Queen's permission, of course.”

“We go.” Nodded Tempest. As the pegasi prepared and Îrilôs went off to his rocket batteries, she took a moment to talk to Snowy. “You ready?”

“Y-yeah.” Snowy sounded anything but ready.

“You'll be out of the fighting, you're just going to be bringing new loads up to Red Fern or one of the others to hold, you won't even be over the castle.” Said the blue-grey pegasus.

“I know, I know...” Sighed her companion. “Let's just get this over with.”

“Agreed.”

Minutes later, Tempest and the four others had made the ascent, with Redfern carrying the bomblets, Waterborn carrying the slow-burning wick for the fuses, and Tempest, Coldstar, and Streaming to be the ones who dropped them. A last minute change was made, Hearth volunteered to hold the fuse while Waterborn took an extra load of bomblets. “I figured I should do my part for my neice in one last fight before my time is over.” Explained her uncle. They took to the air, and lost sight of whatever the humans were up to on the ground. Soon, torch-lights went up on the bank, and lights moved around in Jashenîon. The pegasi circled, and watched the boats leave for the eastern wall. Somewhere down there was Baron Kairôs. I hope he makes it. Though she didn't know him well, Tempest had come to admire the young Baron's courage and inspiring presence. She often found herself wishing she could be like him.

Without warning, the lights along the eastern wall toppled. Rather, a part of the wall itself had toppled. The distant sound of rock and water floated up to them, and Verâdîm rushed to the gap. Aharôs and Reshîv could be halfway across the river by now... “It's time!” Tempest announced to her pegasi. They all took one bomblet from Waterborn or Red Fern, and lit the fuses one by one. Five seconds... and they were away. Explosions ripped through the soldiers below, followed by shouts and screams. Tempest tried to clear her mind, and retrieved another bomblet.

From the Athairîm camp came screams of another kind, the eerie wail of Îrilôs's rockets. Like smoky shooting stars, they leaped from the ground in a low arc, over the river and behind the walls. Some veered off at random, some exploded in the air, but most found their mark and clattered to the ground inside the fortress, exploding seconds after. A few even worked as planned, exploding moments before impact. Chaos... thought Tempest. Then, the next few bomblets were dropped.

A greater groan sounded from the north at that moment. It was too dark to see what happened, but there was a mighty cacophony from the area, as the whole northern tip of the island seemed to fall into the river. For a moment, the moon was revealed from behind the clouds, and dark shapes swarmed into the gap. Aharôs and Reshîv had arrived, no doubt with Sir Turaz, Mayor Pashal, and many more humans she had come to be acquainted with.

More bomblets, and another round of rockets came, this time aimed for the southern area. In the orange of the firelight, Tempest saw someone standing in the gap in the eastern wall, waving a blue banner. There were several specks of gold upon it. Seven dragonflies, Tempest would bet. Thecha! Baron Kairôs yet lives. That was some good news. Time seemed to blur for Tempest, it was a repetitive process of retrieve, light, and drop on what she hoped were the Verâdîm.

“That's the last of them.” Said Coldstar loudly, trying to get over the din of fighting below.

“Really?” Asked Tempest. “It's only been a few minutes!”

“It's been the better part of an hour, my Queen.” Said Streaming Breeze.

“Well, we've done our part. Back to camp.” She ordered. They descended, and the first thing they did was find water.

“I do h-hope that's the last of it for us.” Snowy said quietly, exhausted from dragging up boxes of bomblets.

“Yeah.” Nodded Tempest. “I'm glad we're not in there.” It wasn't long before Îrilôs dragged them off, though. He was quite insistent.

“The Duke of Terâd requests your presence, my Queen.” The Imperial Envoy stated firmly. “It would be in our best interests for you to see what he wants.” Zefîrôs Halî was the one Verâdîm lord who had gone over to Athair at the outset of the war decades ago, and he was one of the most powerful of them all. He was also the only Verâdîm who had been consistently loyal throughout the entire debacle. Zefîrôs was old now, his head was bald and his face wrinkled but harsh.

“Ah, Queen Tempest. We meet at last.” Greeted Duke Zefîrôs, when they entered the command tent. “You're just in time. Phase two of the plan is about to be activated.”

“Phase two?” She asked. “I wasn't told about that.”

“No, Reshîv and I planned it on our own. Aharôs has a love for frontal assaults, with quick victories and needless casualties. We disagree on that course of action.” Said the old noble, glancing at the foot-tall clock sitting on the table. It ticked away, hidden pendulum swinging ever on.

“I see.” Replied Tempest neutrally. “What do I have to do with this, though?”

“Not much. I'm hoping you can learn some basic strategy, though. That is our Prince's weakest point, one among many.” Said Zefîrôs. “The attack on the northern tip of the island would never work alone. Which is why I have phase two.” He paused, and looked at the open flap of the tent, and then back to the clock. Within a few seconds, the dull boom of cannon fire began to sound. It was distant enough to be on the other side of the river, where Reshîv had made his camp.

“That?” Asked the pegasus.

“That is the distraction.” The Athairîm seemed fond of distractions today. “We need to clear the battlements on the eastern bridge's gatehouse, so our friend Sidâl can do his work. He's volunteered for it, and you're about to volunteer too.”

“I am?”

“Yes, Queen Tempest. You and your pegasi will keep the walls clear long enough for us to put up a few ladders. Once we've got some men and Sidâl over there, we can open the gates from the inside. From there...” The Duke smiled craftily. “Well, from there the day is ours. They've pulled a lot of troops back to the island to deal with the Princes. We'll take them from the side.”

“Alright...” Said Tempest, with a sinking feeling. Just when I think it's over... “Just tell us when.”

“Now would be a good time.”

That was how Tempest found herself, Coldstar, and Streaming Breeze lurking in a ditch not far from the eastern gatehouse on the bank of the river. Sidâl had appeared next to them at some point, no one was sure how. Furthermore, they had a squad of soldiers, some of the best not involved in the fighting on the island, said Zefîrôs; who were equipped with two ladders.

“I didn't know you took orders from Reshîv.” Tempest said to Sidâl as they waited in the dirt.

“I don't.” He answered. “I do this out of the good will in my heart.”

“Sure.” She noted that Sidâl had no armor, only his long coat and usual clothes. He didn't seem to have any visible weapons either. Madman, he's a madman.

“Alright Blackwinds, the time is now.” Stated Sidâl. Tempest nodded, and she and her two soldiers shot into the air. They approached quickly and lowly. Coldstar sped ahead and off to the left, the blade on her forearm stretched out. She arced around and brought down the first sentry they saw silently. Streaming Breeze took a torch from along the wall and threw it down, to mark where it was clear. Below, the soldiers and Sidâl jumped out of the ditch and rushed forwards with their two ladders. Hurry, hurry, thought Tempest, glancing around worriedly. It wouldn't be long until someone noticed a missing torch. There was a soft clunk as the ladders went up.

“What's that over there?” Came a voice from the further along the wall.

“I think we've got trouble, sound the alarm.”

Fuck! swore Tempest silently.

“Just in time.” Said Streaming Breeze, as Sidâl came over the wall. The Athairîm soldiers followed him, halberds and hammers at the ready.

“Cause some chaos.” He ordered. “I'll take care of the rest.” The gatehouse bell started ringing, they were onto them.

“How long will it-” Started Coldstar, before realizing Sidâl had vanished. Tempest took the moment to get a grasp on the gatehouse's layout. It wasn't really like a wall, more of an elevated platform with battlements. There was lots of open space between the battlements and a central structure which sat over the gate itself.

“Right, you heard the man.” Said the Athairîm sergeant. “Let's move!” The soldiers split into two groups. One went towards the the entrance to the gatehouse proper, the other covered the corner where they had heard the voices come from. The clank of armor approached. It was time. Tempest and her pegasi took to the air again, hovering in place. She wasn't sure how long she could keep it up though, with her own armor being as heavy as it was.

The clash began. Verâdîm soldiers came from around the corner, and out from the door of the actual gatehouse. She had no idea how it happened, but Tempest soon found herself under attack as well. There were four Verâdîm for the three of them. Coldstar and Streaming Breeze were drawn off, leaving Tempest against two. Fortunately, both had swords, which put them at a moderate disadvantage because of her superior armor. Furthermore, Tempest could fly, and attack when she chose to... Or not at all.

One of the Verâdîm came forward, sword raised. The other moved away, forcing Tempest to choose between them. Instead, she just pushed herself backwards in the air, keeping both in front of her. Turaz once told her to search for weak points; these men had no armor on their lower legs or upper arms, and their helmets did not protect the front of their necks. It was time to be clever.

Unfortunately, Tempest was not good at being clever. While she tried to come up with a plan, the two men had both charged her at once, each one trying to get past one of her own two swords. Clashing and clanging, they bounced off her dual blades, no doubt chipping harshly. This was Tempest's greatest disadvantage: her swords acted as extensions of her forelimbs, the shocks from blades meeting was much harsher to her than the humans and their hand-held weapons. Already it was beginning to wear on her, if they kept it up for a few minutes, she'd have to withdraw.

She lurched to the left, spinning around one of the swordsmen. He turned too, but not quickly enough; Tempest cut a long gash in his upper sword-arm. He yelled in anger, and stumbled. Now! The pegasus reversed her course as quickly as she could, and before her opponent could act, she had jammed her left sword between his helmet's neck-guard and breastplate. One down, she thought uneasily.

It was obvious her remaining attacker was a much better soldier than his partner. He advanced slowly and steadily, not wasting any energy. Their eyes met, though their faces were both obscured by visors. Tempest's first strike was rebuffed, and her second; the Verâdîm returned none of them. It continued as such for what could either have been seconds or hours, Tempest couldn't tell the passage of time any more. The man sidestepped one of her swings, and lunged at her side. A biting pain burned, and she cried out. His sword is only red on the tip, it's not deep.

Then she was reeling through the air, something had smashed into her helmet. Oh no, oh no- Tempest was laying on the ground. This was bad, real bad- Footsteps, boots on stone. The Verâdîm still had his sword readied, he wasn't dropping his guard like the one at Seshilîon. But he stopped, and looked around, slowly turning in a circle. The blue-grey pegasus suddenly realized that everything was much quieter than before. They were surrounded by blue, brown, and grey-clad men..

“Do you fight for Reshîv or Aharôs?” Asked the Verâdîm in a gravelly voice.

“Prince Reshîv.” Answered what could have only been an Athairîm soldier. The man who had been closer to finishing off Tempest threw down his sword, and took off his helmet. She was shocked to see that her opponent seemed to be at least sixty years old.

“Then the war's over for me, no point in fighting on when I'm surrounded.” He declared.

“A wise choice.” Said who could have only been the Athairîm sergeant, given the single chain going across his right shoulder. “Had we been Aharôs's soldiers, it may have been wiser to fight on. Unlike his lot, we don't feed sacrifice our prisoners for the favor of demons.” All three pegasi decided now would not be a good time to talk. Tempest rolled over, and tried to get back into the air without standing up. Wretched blades.

“We should get that attended to, my Queen.” Whispered Streaming Breeze.

“Yeah.”

“I wasn't aware Aharôs had Equestrian mercenaries.” Noted the Verâdîm, looking at them.

“Mercenaries?” Asked Coldstar under her breath, sounding indignant.

“It's a long story.” The Athairîm replied. “I don't know the half of it myself.”

A handful of Reshîv's men went into the gatehouse, presumably to find Sidâl who had obviously succeeded in his task. Another lit a little rocket, which streaked into the air burning a bright blue. “Why was this place so lightly guarded?” Asked the sergeant.

“Most of our men were in the central keep, waiting for the attack there.” The Verâdîm man looked out through the night, to where the fires and flashes were taking place on the north end of the island. “The cannons across the river drew more off. Had we known that flying Equestrians were in your ranks, perhaps we wouldn't have sent so many. I warned them that it might have been a diversion, but they didn't listen.”

“Sounds like you've had more experience than most men here.” The sergeant suggested.

“I've been in this war since it began. This is a better ending than any I ever thought I'd get. For a while I was convinced you were just going to starve us out.” Replied the Verâdîm. “We've all heard what they say about Aharôs the Cruel, but at least he's finished this, for better or for worse.”

Reshîv's reserves began to pile through the open gates, down the bridge to the central fortress, led by the Duke of Terâd himself, on zôshaback. With an assault on the main gate, and an assault from the north by water, combined with the threat of a breakthrough on the western side... It was over Jashenîon and its defenders.

The bastion that had sustained the Verâdîm defiance for twenty-five years surrendered at the sun's zenith, on Eserana, the first day of summer.

Tempest had long since been attended to by one of the Alaiaîn priests in Reshîv's army, from the same healer's order as Brenan. The wound, right between her wing and shoulder, hadn't been too serious, but she'd need to avoid fighting and other strenuous activities for the next few weeks. Not that anything else of note will happen now. Snowy had been asleep when Tempest finally returned to the tent, as were most of the other pegasi. And when Tempest woke up again, all the others demanded to know what had happened.

“It was a lucky hit I didn't see coming.” She had lied. No real Queen would ever admit to being bested by an old peasant man. They all seemed to believe it, except Snowy.

“You're too careful for- for something like that.” Her companion said in the late morning. The final reserves were rushing into the battle, as other men retreated wearily. The cycle of rotation was a luxury the Verâdîm could not have, and thus their loss.

“I know...” Admitted Tempest. “I'm really not the fighter they think I am. I can do fine against one, but two? No way, not yet.” How am I ever going to take on Celestia with skills like this? She probably wasn't, in all likelihood.

Aharôs and Reshîv both emerged from the eastern gatehouse looking like they had been through Hell. Their armor was dented, they were bruised and stained with blood. Aharôs looked the worse for wear between the two. “The day is ours.” He announced to all those listening. There were no cheers, only a collective sigh of relief. The Prince disappeared, and Reshîv meandered off, talking to various soldiers. Turaz and his sergeant, Haior, showed up next, practically dead men walking. The impossible knight mumbled something at her when she tried to ask for information. Baron Kairôs emerged from the retreating column, his own gear was so battered that it wasn't able to be removed properly. Yet, the young Baron looked quite pleased with himself, and all the Thecha men seemed to be in good, if exhausted, spirits. A bell after noon, and all was quiet. Everyone was asleep or in the fortress.

“Funny, isn't it.” Said Sidâl, who had emerged from nowhere as Tempest watched the column from a low hill.

“What's funny?” Asked Tempest, wary of any fooleries from the man.

“We lost a good third of our army in there.” He stated.

“That's not really funny, Sidâl.” The pegasus sighed.

“No, I suppose it isn't.” Acknowledged Sidâl.

“Are you going to tell anyone what you were up to in that tunnel of yours?” She questioned, getting right to the point.

“No, it's best no one knows. Only the unfortunate prisoners know, and they are beyond us now.” Beyond us now? That sent shivers down her back. “But, for their sacrifice, the war is all but over now. This was the heart of Verâd's resistance. There are still minor castles and lords out there, but the cause is over now. It's for the greater good, wouldn't you think?”

“Perhaps.” Then, Sidâl changed the subject.

“Have the dreams stayed away?” He asked.

“Well, yeah.” Said Tempest.

“Good, good.” Nodded the man. “It's been reported to me that Luna's power over the dreamworld is increasing by the day. We wouldn't want her in your mind now, would we?”

“No.” The pegasus didn't like that thought at all. “How do you know all this, anyway?”

“It pays to have sources in the world, my Queen. I'm just a well-informed man.” Sidâl shrugged.

“That's a bit of an understatement, given your powers.”

“My powers?” He snorted dismissively. “No, not mine. Never mine. I told you, I am but well-informed. Anyone with the information I have would be able to do it.”

“And where would you have to go for that?” Asked the Queen of Highcrest.

“Didn't I tell you that I went to Lazkadai?” Asked back Sidâl.

“Yes, and further.” She agreed.

“Therein lies the answer. If you wish to know what I know, simply cross the Peaks of Heaven and survive long enough.” Explained the man. “It's a dangerous world we live in, and even more dangerous beyond Sarathûl. Equestria is a soft, tamed land. Sarathûl is wild, but bearable. Lazkadai is deadly to the untrained. And beyond... Well, there are some places man was not meant to go.” Tempest waited for him to continue, but he didn't.

“Really?” She asked. “You're going to drop hints like that and not say anything more?”

“Yes.” Sidâl smiled, an annoying smile, and left without a further word. I really don't know if I should hate him or fear him. Maybe both.

Nothing else of interest happened that day. But on the morning of the second day of summer, the camp had returned to almost normal. There were far fewer men than before, but now the survivors had recovered their strength, and told their stories.

Aharôs had been the first off the boat at the northern gap, with Reshîv at his side. They had cleared a way in for everyone else behind them, beginning an eighteen-hour long battle in and around the central keep. The two Princes had retired to the back of the lines after six hours, but the fight continued under command of Sir Turaz and Mayor Pashal. The Verâdîm were a mix of expert veterans and levied peasants; it was the veterans who had given them the hardest time. Without those few thousand soldiers, the battle would have been over in half the time. Instead, they fought to the bitter end, only surrendering when their leader had been disarmed in combat by a refreshed Reshîv just before noon.

At the eastern wall's diversion, Baron Kairôs had actually managed to seize a few square feet of wall; he and his Thechai held it for the duration of the battle. Apparently, the Duke of Terâd had became so confident of their position that had had started funneling troops through there as well. It was one of the finer moments of the battle. And of course, there was the attack on the gatehouse. Luckily, the story of what really happened hadn't gotten out. Perhaps no one saw it until it was almost over?

What was only spoken of in hushed voices and in the shadows were the astounding casualties of the assault, an entire third of the army either dead or wounded. It was said that they could have starved the fortress into submission with far fewer losses, or battered down its older walls with the cannons. Few were happy that so many had been lost so needlessly. Reshîv had been sure to mention this. The men didn't speak of all about Sidâl's tunnel. That pit now lay abandoned, but avoided. A cold air still seeped out of it, and a metallic smell could sometimes be detected.

Two more days of rest passed, before the final leg of their journey through Verâd began. Tempest still hadn't found out who was leading the rebellion. The Verâdîm themselves didn't seem to have a good idea either. There was only a vague reference to a council of nobles in Dônara-Kur. That was their destination. With the rebels all but eliminated, the march to the capital city took but a few days.

Dônara-Kur lowered its banners and opened its gates the moment they saw the crowned flower of Athair and Aharôs approach. Aharôs the Cruel, they've come to call him. It was a bad way to begin a reign. Tempest wasn't surprised to discover that Dônara-Kur looked much like a smaller Vatherîon. All the townsfolk had hidden indoors in case of the worst, but Athairîm did nothing of the sort. The column of Athairîm moved onto the city's crowning hill, where the former King's citadel was. They could see the ocean from here, shining and blue in the summer sun. A collection of two and three-masted ships sat far out in the bay, all with the blue flower on their sails. Up here, Aharôs and Reshîv finally met their counterparts inside the citadel. Tempest and the other pegasi were not in attendance of this meeting, however. They were made to sit outside with the rest of the column, Sir Turaz and Mayor Pashal among them.

“It's all ended so fast.” Said Turaz. “A generation of war wrapped up in a week.”

“A season ahead of schedule, too.” Hearth Blackwind added. “The Prince wanted it over by fall, but we're barely into summer, and here we are.”

“Here we are.” Echoed the Mayor of Sturaj.

“I'm glad it's over.” The knight then said.

“It hasn't even begun.” Disagreed Pashal.

“I don't like that notion.” Turaz grumbled. As the day went by, Baron Kairôs emerged from the citadel to direct everyone to their lodgings in the town. The pegasi were being housed outside the city with the main army, as usual. Word eventually filtered down that the Regency Council of Verâd, the nobles and merchants who had apparently been directing the entire rebellion, had agreed to recognize the Loiar claim to the Verâdîm throne. Rumor had it that Aharôs had wished the entire Regency Council to be executed, but Reshîv had stayed his hand. Tempest agreed with the younger Prince's course of action; they were in trouble enough with the Verâdîm as it was, perhaps it was time for temperance.

The day turned into several days, which turned into a full week of back and for between the two Princes and the Verâdîm authorities. By the end of the week, all the green banners with silver swallows were now accompanied by white banners with blue flowers. There was no doubt that they'd be combined into a single flag at some point, but it wasn't happening yet. The whole week was a dull affair, except for one point at the very end. Both Tempest and Snowy were busy being useless; the beige pegasus continued her quest for information in the Kaiathîsa, while the blue-grey one practiced handwriting. Or is it hoof-writing? Mouth-writing? She had no idea what to call it when one held the pen in one's mouth.

“Aha!” Snowy suddenly exclaimed, leaping up unusually fast.

“Mmh?” Tempest questioned without words, still holding her pen.

“Finally, progress.” Sighed Snowy in relief. “I-its' right here.”

“You actually found something useful? Excellent!” Tempest dropped the pen and hopped over to Snowy. “Which chapter is this?”

“Appendix f-four, on the dangers of alicorn magic and its relationship to the world.” Answered the other mare. Tempest didn't know much about the book, but the appendices had all been added at varying points after the conquest of Sarathûl. Appendix four was the final chapter of the book, compiled from many older sources, in the sixth century.

“Doesn't sound like it's religious.” Noted Tempest.

“To understand the Lord of Heaven, we must understand the world.” Snowy replied, no doubt quoting the very book before her. “Even m-magic.”

“So, what did you find?”

“It says... Long ago, there were men whose power brought c-cold winds, and- and... the alicorns did not like them, apparently. There is nothing else.” Snowy looked up apologetically.

“It's... something, at least. So alicorns wouldn't like Sidâl, if he's got these same powers. That's a big if.” Mused the blue-grey pegasus. “Well, at least he's against Celestia.”

“So we hope.”

The next day, the journey home began. The War of Verâdîm Succession, as Îrilôs had named it, had ended not with a bang, but with a whimper, as the old phrase went in Equestria. Hearth once said that it referred to the defeat of Redfang the Wrathful, the Scourge of the South. That dragon had laid waste to all of the lands south of Equestria, only to die in a random landslide years later. While the column moved south at a slow and comfortable pace, Aharôs and Reshîv decided they would take their personal guard swiftly ahead. The pegasi were brought along too, to scout the way, just in case of any would-be holdouts. Snowy and Tempest shared their discovery with Turaz one evening.

“That could mean anything.” He said. “But at least its something.”

“That's what I said.” Remarked Tempest.

“I'm afraid Lady Snowy knows more about these things than I do. I'm just a commoner made a knight, I never had education in these matters.” The three had a moment of thought.

“Brenan is with the main army, and I don't think we should trust Îrilôs with everything. We really are on our own with this.” Stated Tempest.

“One way or another, we'll find out what Sidâl's game really is. The sooner we do that, the better. I'd rather not have Prince Aharôs remembered as one who held congress with demons and sorcerers.” The knight declared.

And so, they continued to Vatherîon, the capital city of Athair. It was quick going through Verâd's countryside, much quicker with only a hundred men on zôshaback instead of a few thousand on foot with a load of cannons and a baggage train. Everything was quiet now. Tempest even dared to be optimistic: I do think that's the end of our troubles for now.

As she would soon find out in Vatherîon, Tempest was completely wrong, and Mayor Pashal was completely right. It had only just begun.

Author's Notes:

Alternative doompaul.
Fun fact: This was supposed to be three separate chapters, but I've gotten so far off my time schedule that I've rolled it all into one for the sake of getting things moving again. We were supposed to be out of Verâd 20,000 words ago, but I guess I'm too thorough a story-writer for that. Remember all the times I've promised that things are about to Happen? Well, it's about to all pay off!
In retrospect, this is one of my weaker chapters, if not the weakest.

Waiting in Vatherîon

There it was, Vatherîon. It was built upon a rocky outcrop jutting up from the river, two miles long and just under a mile wide, rising nearly a hundred feet up in some places. Turaz had learned from Snowy that the fort of Vatherîon was established by Imperial orders on the highest part of the island in the year 527, when the first humans arrived in the Vûrdasha. Migrants from the east came down the River Aiô, leaving the great steppe of Razadrî behind for more forgiving lands. For many, the first stop was beneath the walls of the fort on the river island. Over the years, some people wished to stay right where they stopped, and village had spread around Vatherîon, which too called itself Vatherîon.

Long gone were the wooden palisades and watchtower. Using the lessons observed from the bloody wars along the Middle Karthâ in the 1460s, old King Zhevakôs had razed the square keep and replaced it with another star-shaped fortress, not unlike Nikadîon to the west. Though it was far more compact than Nikadîon, the angular ramparts soaring into the sky were intimidating even to friends. There was no castle courtyard; instead, the keep was just another angular bastion lined with cannon holes. The ancient watchtower's descendant took the shape of a lighthouse-like spire, rising another forty feet out of the keep. From there, the white banner with its blue flower flew.

In short, the citadel of Vatherîon rivaled those found to the south, dwarfing any other structure in the region with its sheer presence. Like most fortresses in Athair, it was built out of some kind hardened, compacted sandstone quarried from the hills of Thecha. The city itself was made mostly of wood, given the great abundance of trees in the Vûrdasha. The King's residence was inside the fortress, completely invisible from beyond the walls. There was little else of note, except for the Kingdom's lone cathedral. Officially called the Church of Saint Vektôs, it was far grander than most other churches, built with bilateral rather than radial symmetry. Turaz had been in there several times, he had discovered that he preferred the smaller places of worship. On the north bank of the Aiô was a newer village, built when the island itself could no longer fit anyone else on it. There was a bridge running to the island from both sides of the river, but it wasn't fortified on either bank. From the north bridge a road led to the northwest, towards the North Aiô fork; and from there up into Verâd.

That was how the company was approaching, and what afforded them a view of the city. Turaz shielded his eyes from the sun, hoping they'd be indoors before it got too hot. It was only two weeks after summer began that Athair began to heat up, and it wouldn't cool off until another two weeks into fall. If you ask me, they got the seasons all wrong up here.

“It's about time.” Grumbled Prince Reshîv to his men. Aharôs only furtively clenched and unclenched a fist. His half-brother's remarks wore on him quickly. The heir to the throne had only grown more and more discontent the closer they got to Vatherîon. There was a reason he had made his home in Nikadîon for the past decade, after all.

“I concur.” Said Turaz's own personal vexation, Tempest Blackwind. “We could have been here days ago, but you lot had to go slow.”

“A zôsha only goes so fast.” Replied Mayor Pashal.

“Not fast enough.” Commented one of the pegasi, Coldstar by the sound of it.

“At least we made it without incident, can't we be happy about that?” Asked Sir Eberis, in a rare moment of vocation. Everyone looked at him like he had said something insane.

“No happiness allowed, didn't you get Aharôs's edict?” Responded Reshîv. So the banter continued in a three-way battle between Reshîv's men, the Blackwind pegasi, and eventually, Turaz himself. Thankfully, it was not long until they were crossing the many-arched bridge into Vatherîon. Last time he was in this city, the streets had been made of compacted dirt, but now they were paved in cobble stones. That's one change for the better.

The first order of business was to get through the city to the citadel. Since it was just midday, the streets were very busy, but everyone moved aside when the say the Prince's banner; not to mention, Aharôs himself. It was quick going. Some of the men were quite happy to see members of the opposite sex, many had been deprived of such a privilege for several months, excluding those who went into Dônara-Kur and the ruins of Rôstôs, or were near any number of manor houses Aharôs had stayed in over the journey.

When they got to the actual Vatherîon, Turaz noted how two ramparts jutted out from the gates, extending fifty feet beyond on both sides. Any would-be attacker in here would quickly be torn apart by cross-fire from arquebuses, crossbows, cannons, and even the occasional bow-wielding marksman. The gate itself was made of layered wood and steel; very heavy, but very strong. It rode on little wheels when it was opened and closed; it was currently open in expectation. In front of it was a steel portcullis that could be dropped, but only its teeth were showing. Beyond the gates, it was cool and dark; a ramp led upwards to another gate, which would lead into the citadel proper, where they would dismount and settle in. Most of Vatherîon was dimly lit, but the central hall got sunlight through a skylight, a channel, and a series of mirrors. But Aharôs was not going into the central hall today. As everyone got off their zôshai, and the pegasi flew in, the Prince approached Turaz.

“There are several things we need to take care of in the next few days.” He said. “We could be here awhile, it would be a good idea to use today's break from activity well.”

“So it looks like another few weeks away from home.” Turaz replied.

“More or less.” Nodded Aharôs, before disappearing into the castle. The knight made sure to have Snowy take a letter for him, informing his family that he'd still be absent. They're probably used to it by now. Tempest got to listen in on that, much to his chagrin. But, there was simply no separating the two.

Before supper came the event Turaz knew was coming, and it was not one he was looking forward to. Aharôs had to appear before the royal court, as was proper protocol. But the royal court was the reason he had relocated to Nikadîon all those years ago. The pegasi had never really encountered this situation before, and as they were allowed to sit in the gallery above, they were about to find out why Aharôs hated this.

The Prince's entrance to the throne room was silent, and met with silence. This hall was one of those that was lit by the mirror system in the walls and ceilings above. The throne of Athair was carved from a single tree's trunk, one of the great cedars from the coastal hills. No one occupied it at the moment. But the person of interest was a middle-aged woman, finely dressed and still good-looking for her age, seated on the smaller chair next to the throne. That was Valisa, the mother of Prince Reshîv, and current Queen of Athair. And she was the one person in the world that Aharôs might have hated more than Reshîv.

He stopped well short of the throne, and looked around at the assembled courtiers. Reshîv brushed past him.

“Ah, mother! You’re looking well as ever!” He greeted.

“Reshîv.” Acknowledged Valisa with a smile, bowing her head. “And Aharôs. I am glad you are in good health.” The Prince didn't respond, he only folded his arms. Turaz clasped his hands behind his back to prevent fidgeting.

“As you've no doubt heard, I have succeeded in my mission. The Verâdîm are at long last brought in line.” Stated Reshîv proudly. The court nodded and muttered in approval. “There was death and sacrifice along the way, but the war is won.”

“Excellent.” Queen Valisa said. “Just the kind of good work I've come to expect from my son.”

“To be fair to my brother,” Turaz almost could almost hear Aharôs growl half-brother, “I couldn't have done it without support from his army.”

“Aharôs would have burnt all of Verâd to the ground if left to his own devices.” Commented the Queen. “The credit is to his soldiers, not to him.” The knight couldn't help but shuffle on his feet, for lack of any other action he could take.

“If Reshîv had been left to his own devices, the war would still be going.” Coldly replied Aharôs. “I may be harsh, but I am expedient.”

“I would hardly call burning an entire city to the ground expedient.”

“They made their bed, let them lie in it.” The Prince sneered. “Traitors get what traitors deserve. And some have escaped with far too much.”

“So you say.” Valisa said back, equally as coolly, as the court again muttered amongst itself. She leaned back in her chair, and looked to Turaz. “Sir Turaz, it seems you've been wounded.”

“Yes...” Right, the missing eye... It wasn't bothering him nearly as much as it should. Perhaps he was just too distracted with all that was going on lately? “I had a run-in with an arquebus, my queen.” He stated.

“How terrible.” I'm sure a stupider man would believe you mean it. Both Turaz and Aharôs were well-aware what the Queen thought of them. They both knew how much of a schemer she was. Only the cleverest of commoners could fight their way this high, this close to the top. Valisa was one of them. Unfortunately for knight and prince, Reshîv was likely to have inherited that cunning.

“Tell me, Valisa, how fares my father?” Aharôs asked.

“The King fades day by day. He can hardly remember his own name, sometimes.” She replied. To those that did not know her, it would seem as if Valisa were truly sad over the fact.

“I shall see him this evening, then.” With that, the Prince abruptly turned around, and exited the throne room. Turaz followed, not wishing to be left alone in Valisa and the court's presence. Only Sir Eberis exited with them, everyone else stayed behind. The two wooden entrance doors closed after them. There was silence between the three as they walked through halls and stairs.

“Well, that went better than last time.” Turaz commented.

“It could have been worse.” Agreed Eberis.

“Notice how you two are the only ones following me.” The Prince stated.

“And?” Asked the other knight in the trio.

“It seems as if the court fears me.” Said Aharôs. “That is a good thing.”

“I don't know, my Prince.” Turaz disagreed. “That could be very dangerous. Take it from someone who's been on both sides of the castle wall; if people fear their lord too much they begin to hate him as well.”

“Point taken.”

Turaz spent the rest of the day collecting his battered armor, and overseeing repairs to it. There were a thousand dents that needed fixing, most of them from where lead shots had bounced off. Some lucky arquebusier had even managed to break one of the chains that displayed his rank! Turaz was thankful that firearms were so inaccurate; if they ever became as spot-on as a bow or crossbow... It wouldn't be good, to say the least. At supper that night, Aharôs declined to eat with Reshîv and the royal court in the banquet hall. Instead, the Prince gathered Turaz, Eberis, Îrilôs, and Tempest; with Lady Farpeak dragged along too, of course. They held their own supper in the Prince's own chambers, which hadn't been used for some many years.

“So, what exactly is the deal between you and Valisa?” Asked Tempest. “I never heard much about went on here back at Nikadîon.”

“She's the reason Reshîv even exists to torment me so.” Aharôs answered.

“That's rather obvious.” The pegasus said back. “I mean, she's not your mother, so she has to be Reshîv's.”

“Very astute.” Noted Îrilôs.

“By all rights, Reshîv should have been just another bastard son, like Keris.” Aharôs began to explain. “I liked Keris. I could have liked Reshîv too, but my father's illness was already setting in by the time Valisa entered the scene. The King's one flaw was that he liked a good tumble, and my mother at that time was no longer what she had once been. Conveniently, she dies.” The Prince had a dark look about him. “Very conveniently. So father marries Velisa, beset by the dawn of madness as he was, and thence came Reshîv, son of some up-jumped, common serving girl; somehow my equal.”

“Valisa killed your mother?” Tempest questioned, far more serious now. That was something she could relate to.

“I have no proof, but I know she did. Fifty-year old, healthy women don't just fall dead.” Stated Aharôs. “She was all that stood between Valisa and Zhevakôs, and with my father losing his mind... That's a path to power if I ever saw one. And I'm quite convinced she arranged the death of my brother Heranôs as well.”

“And now her son has basically stolen your job?” Tempest guessed, between mouthfuls of whatever cooked grains they had for the Equestrians tonight.

“Hah! Far from it.” Declared the Prince. “Reshîv can strut and boast all he wants, but unless he kills me, I will still be King. I think I might banish him to the upper Aiô frontier, we'll see how he likes the lands of our ancestors.” That would be the Razadrî steppe, from the edge of which came the Aiô's source. Aharôs had expanded Athair's border right up to the flat grasslands; guard posts sat at the very bottom of the Dashavon's western foothills.

“W-what if he does kill you?” Asked Snowy quietly.

“He won't.” The Prince said confidently. “He can’t.”

“The Emperor favors Prince Aharôs. Reshîv? His name isn't even known in Ar-Athazîon.” Îrilôs added in. “Actually, few know Aharôs's name either, but few is more than none. The wars on the Karthâ were far more interesting fifteen years ago, and Nîralska was far more interesting ten years ago. And with a dragon at court right now, Athair is nothing but unimportant to the Emperor and his attendees.”

“But if Athair is unimportant...” Began Tempest.

“Athair is not important to them, but it is to me.” Stated Îrilôs. “We all have our parts to play, even backwater kingdoms.”

“And Duke Îrilôs assures me that Reshîv has no part to play in all this.” Aharôs continued. “Reshîv is powerless to truly act against me without taking my head. And that action would be folly.”

“I hope so.” Said the blue-grey pegasus. Her timid friend nodded in silent agreement.

Later on, Turaz accompanied the Prince to see the King. Zhevakôs, the sixth, was merely a ghost of what he had once been. His strong frame had wasted away, his hair had fallen out, his eyes were sunken. He had seen Zhevakôs when he was well, but Turaz could swear to the Lord of Heaven that this man was not the same as the one he had once looked upon.

“He doesn't have much life left.” Commented Aharôs calmly.

“He could last a few more months.” Turaz said back, firmly grasping the edges of his coat. He wasn’t sure why, but seeing his liege like this just didn't sit right with him.

“No, his time has come.” The Prince stated. Then, the knight understood what he meant.

“Ah... Shall we fetch a priest-?”

“No, we'll wait for Brenan.” Aharôs cut him off. “They were good friends in better days. Brenan would want to be here at the end. But I won't wait longer than that.”

“I understand.” Turaz said with a nod. “I did the same for my father. Feels like a lifetime ago... But it's for the best. No one deserves this.” He gestured to the fading King.

“Agreed.” Spoke Aharôs quietly. He left without another word. The King had noticed their presence, but he just continued to stare into empty space. They mattered not to him. It was an uneasy feeling. I can't imagine what's going through his head, Turaz thought. At least my father was aware until the very end. But to not recognize your own son... There was no way to shrug that off, not even for the infamously cold Aharôs. Yes, this would be for the best.

Days passed by, and Turaz's sense of unease grew. There was big change on the horizon, and everyone seemed to know it. King Zhevakôs had ruled since his twenties, he was now into his seventies. Only grandfathers and grandmothers remembered Aharôs's own grandfather, Thûvarôs the fourth. Zhevakôs's firstborn son, Thûvarôs, would have been the fifth of his name; had he not died of an invisible illness that consumed him from within. Brenanîôs was next in line, actually named for their mutual friend the priest, but was slain in battle by an anonymous Verâdîm marksman. Then came Heranôs, whose love of nature led him into the suspicious situation of falling off a cliff to his death. Finally, there was Aharôs, the son no one had really heard about, who was suddenly set to inherit a kingdom. If he died, Athair would fall to his eldest of four sisters; Zefîra. She was married to some Karthâ river-lord far to the southwest. Such was the fate of the other three, so far away for so long that Aharôs only knew their names and little else. He was the last man of house Loiar, if one didn't count Reshîv. But most people seem to, these days. Turaz visited the smithy and collected his now-repaired armor. He hoped it wouldn't be necessary, but it was good to have it around just in case.

Not even Tempest and Snowy were safe from the growing uncertainty of the coming days. Both stayed out of sight and mind of humans, as did the rest of the pegasi. It was almost like they weren't there. Equestrians were uncommon as it was, and word had begun to spread about a change of leadership and hostilities across the sea. Both rumors were true, of course. Turaz hoped that the Emperor's diplomat had convinced Princess Celestia to call off her foolish war of revenge.

“Is he actually going to do it?” Tempest asked suddenly, on one warm evening. She and Turaz were supposed to be practicing her swordsmanship. Swordsponyship? No, that sounded silly. But, the sun had been hot, and neither of them particularly felt up to the task. Instead, they had found found a windy spot on the walls and sat down to work on proper care for armor.

“Do what?” Asked Turaz, as he fiddled with the hinges of the pegasi's chest plate.

“You know what.” She said, almost accusingly.

“Yes, Aharôs will.” The knight stated. “Is there a problem with that?”

“Well... I don't like the idea.” Admitted Tempest. “It doesn't seem right.”

“Of course it's right.” Turaz replied, feeling exasperated. Surely she should have learned by now to at least respect our culture. “It's the alternative that is wrong.”

“I don't know...” Tempest said quietly, looking away. “I just don't like it. I don't understand it, and I don't like it.”

“You will.” The knight assured her. “It's a natural part of life. I've gone through it twice now, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Nor would anyone else involved.”

“If you say so.”

The next day, a rider came from the main army column; they wouldn't be long from the city now. Aharôs and Turaz both kept watch from Vatherîon's tower. Finally, they saw the approaching force, on the nineteenth of summer.

“Are you ready?” Turaz asked, lowering his spyglass. The Prince frowned at the distance.

“I don’t know. But it doesn't matter now.” A new era was coming for Athair.

Author's Notes:

You're probably disappointed it took me three weeks to get this little chapter out. But, my free time is evaporating like water in Fort Rock. I don’t even know why either. Luckily, I have a hefty chunk of the next chapter written already, it’s been sitting around for months (like many chunks of upcoming chapters).
Oh, this is the the stone they mention the citadel is built of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartzite

As always, tell me if anything needs fixing or could be done better. I've been having a crisis of quality since the last Luna chapter, in my opinion.

The Places Life Takes You

It was a quiet, overcast day when the column arrived with Father Brenan, priest and healer of the Alaiîn Order, a pillar of Nikadîon's community, and long-time friend of both King Zhevakôs and Prince Aharôs. It was strange that a harmless, windswept old man could cause so much nervousness for her. Perhaps it was not the result of him, but rather what his arrival meant.

It was time for the old King to pass, and a new one to rise.

“You're sure about this?” Brenan asked, cutting right to the point upon reaching the Prince in Vatherîon.

“Yes.” Nodded Aharôs. “I've waited long enough now, there's no sense in waiting any longer. It's as good a time as any.”

“Very well.” The priest nodded. “We'll commence at sunset.” Tempest knew what they were about to do today, it made her uncomfortable. Even after ten years, there were still elements of culture in Sarathûl that didn't sit right with her.

“It'll be good for you to see this.” Aharôs told her.

“Alright...” Tempest said, unsure.

“It's better you see it now than later. I hope you are never in this situation, Tempest, but... Well, I don't think the two of us aren't known for being lucky.” You can say that again.

She had a late breakfast with Snowy, both were uncomfortably silent for awhile, and for different reasons.

“C-can you feel it too?” Snowy finally asked.

“I feel a lot of things.” Answered Tempest. She tried to balance a cup of water between her forehooves, a task that never seemed to get any less difficult.

“Something's not right.” Her companion quietly stated. “I- I don't know what, but something isn't right.”

“Not much is right in the world.” Commented the blue-grey pegasus, who had at last conquered the cup of water. “Today shouldn't be any different.” Snowy gave her an unamused look.

“Your wisdom is unmatched.” She dryly replied.

“Look, we're both on edge, we both know what they're going to do.” Tempest started to say.

“It's not- it's not that. It's something else.” Her companion cut her off, shaking her head.

“Whatever you say...” The nervous silence returned. If I'm getting this wound up, I wonder how Aharôs is doing... One thing was true about the Prince: he was a master of deception when it came to what was going on in his head. Hours passed by, and Tempest was summoned by Sir Turaz.

“It's time for supper.” The knight announced plainly. “Lady Farpeak, you may attend if you choose, but it is your choice.” That was unusual, normally no one took Snowy's opinion into account. She looked to her Queen for direction.

“She'll come.” Stated Tempest.

“I'll come.” Snowy agreed quietly. Turaz nodded, and moved off. It was odd to see him not in armor, but she was getting used to it. This evening, supper was not in the usual place. Aharôs had closed off one of the medium-sized dining halls, but there was no one there but the two pegasi, the Prince, the Knight, and Brenan the Priest. Aharôs wasn't at the head of the table, either.

“It's a different setup, I know.” He explained. “Traditionally, this meal would be held with family members, but considering how I'm the only Loiar within several hundred miles... Well, it would not be proper to eat alone on such an occasion. Sit.” All present sat. Tempest noted all the empty chairs, including the vacant one at the head of the table.

“Alas, that none of them are here.” Brenan remarked.

“Perhaps.” Replied Aharôs, softly. “Perhaps not.” Supper was not a complicated affair. They had bread, grains, soup, and some cooked meat of some sorts for the humans. Tempest and Snowy stayed quiet. Her companion didn't seem to be eating much at all, a very uncharacteristic action for her. Turaz was quiet as well; it was Brenan who was doing most of the talking, retelling anecdotes about the King.

“Now, Aharôs, you were probably too young to remember this, but there was an incident where Zhevakôs had to lay siege to Nikadîon of all places.” Brenan said, in an amused tone. “We thought it might have been a rebel lord, but it turned out it was just Prince Heranôs upset over some argument!”

“How did a an eight year old take over Nikadîon?” Asked Turaz, breaking his silence. “More importantly, how did he convince the garrison to go along with such a foolery?”

“I haven't the slightest idea, the King never talked about it much after that, and neither did Heranôs...” The Priest trailed off in thought. “What I remember vividly is the King standing at the gates swearing up a storm that would make a Karthâ veteran flinch. Heranôs didn't seem to care... Until the King threw up a grappling hook and scaled the battlements himself!” Tempest had to wonder how that situation was resolved. I doubt my mother would have let me get away with such nonsense. Would she have? It was painful to admit she didn't actually know. Brenan talked on about the King's life.

Zhevakôs took the throne at a young age. A defining moment of his life was a trip to Ar-Athazîon, where he gained the favor of the then-child Emperor Katastanîôs, who sanctioned his early efforts of unifying most of the Vûrdasha. It had taken many years of careful political maneuvering, but Zhevakôs arranged for various minor states to swear fealty to Athair. From that point on, efforts began to snowball; culminating in Zhevakôs leaping for a once-in-a-century chance of claiming another kingdom by birthright, rather than having it default to Imperial rule until a new King could be put on the throne. The other kingdom was Verâd. There had also been a minor but unprecedented event of Zhevakôs dispatching a contingent of troops to the Kingdom of Highcrest in Equestria in support of Maelstrom Blackwind, breaking over thirteen hundred years of mutual non-interference between the two continents. No doubt, the reign of Zhevakôs the sixth had seen great success and triumph, raising a nigh-forgotten realm to glory.

“It sounds like he's had a pretty good life.” Tempest finally spoke up.

“That it does.” Agreed Aharôs. “They'll remember him forever.”

“A pity it has to end like this.” The pegasus said.

“A pity? No.” Brenan shook his head. “Far from it.”

“But- You're going to-” She stopped herself. “I don't get it. I've never gotten it, I don't get it, and I don't like it. It's not right.” Snowy gave her an uneasy look, and Turaz raised a brow.

“Well, it's obvious you don't understand-” Aharôs started to speak, but the Priest raised a hand, and turned back to the pegasus.

“Tempest, there are few things more precious than dignity in this world.” Brenan began, now quite somber. “You can take everything else from a man by force, but only he can consent to you taking his dignity.” The blue-grey pegasus opened her mouth, but Brenan continued on. “When death's coming is certain, be it for a soldier too wounded to save, or for an elder losing control of their mind and body, we grant them a quick, peaceful, and dignified end. To further draw out such pain and misery would be pointless; even malicious. It may seem cold and cruel to you Equestrians, but to us, it is one of the greatest kindnesses there is.”

“But... You don't know if they're too far gone! They could still live!” Protested Tempest, frustrated that she couldn't actually articulate what she felt.

“Is life so precious that you would preserve it for even a few painful moments longer, no matter the cost?” Brenan asked her, without any hostility.

“I...” Her ears laid flat. I don't know, she could have said, but she didn't. The truth of the matter was, Tempest would have done anything just to have one day more with her mother. Even just an hour more. The notion that such a thing meant nothing to the humans was appalling on the most basic level. But, she would never any of admit that to them.

“I don't disagree with it.” Snowy quietly remarked in the silence.

“No surprise there.” Replied Brenan, with a smile.

“I'm surprised.” Turaz said. “Lady Farpeak always seems to follow what her Queen says.”

“Th-this is different...” The beige pegasus said back, almost looking at the knight. And so supper went on, with Tempest not saying a single word more. She tried to imagine how Aharôs was coping with what they were about to do. As much as she tried, Tempest failed to see just how he was. It didn't make sense! She would have given up all of Highcrest for Maelstrom, and here Aharôs was, getting ready to toss away his father's life like it was the scraps of a meal going to the pigs. The situation was simply beyond her reasoning. Before she knew it, supper was over.

“Well...” Brenan said, breaking another moment of quiet.

“Let's go.” Stated Aharôs, in a detached tone.

“My prayers to the King, for a swift journey.” Turaz said solemnly.

“And m-mine, too.” Added in Snowy. The Prince of Athair nodded without another word, gesturing for Tempest and Brenan to follow. Before leaving, the Priest took up a small box in his hands, and brought it with him. The dim halls of Vatherîon were deserted, and they met no one else as they traveled to the King's chamber. They arrived to find but two guards, their faces masked by visors even indoors. Inside was the King; and when the door closed, the three were alone with him. She didn't know if the humans could smell it, but the scent of death seemed to be lurking in the air.

Aharôs went forward and looked down on his father. Or the man that had once been his father. Or the shell that had once been a man.

“I'm here.” He said, quietly. “It's me, Aharôs.” Tempest kept back. The King looked was far worse than she had imagined. “Do you remember who I am?” The King's skull-like face stared blankly into the distance; it was as if he couldn't even hear his son. “I guess you don't.”

“Just give the word when.” Brenan said quietly. Aharôs gave no indication he heard him.

“How curious,” Aharôs spoke to no one in particular, “that one so mighty could be laid so low. Perhaps it is the Lord of Heaven reminding us that we are only mortal men. Perhaps it is the powers of the beyond undoing what the Lord of Heaven made good. What affliction steals the mind, though?”

Neither pegasus nor Priest could answer the question.

“It is a strange thing, that something as simple as losing one's memory can defeat even the greatest warrior.” Continued Aharôs, in a calm that threatened to break at any moment. “Not defeated in the field, but defeated in the mind. Brought down from within... How very human. I think it is the former of my options at work. God does not want the likes of us thinking ourselves beyond mortality, so it takes from us the most simple, basic thing we have. How curious...” Aharôs repeated himself.

He took a step back from the bed.

“In life, you were strong, brave, just. The very model of a King. Not just any king, your people's King. That was your life.” The Prince turned away, to the lone window in the room. “But this is not life.” He waved Brenan toward him.

“My Prince?” Asked the priest quietly. Tempest flicked her tail nervously at the sight of the little box in his hands.

“It is time.” Aharôs stated.

“Ah.” Replied Brenan, his face falling a little. He looked at Zhevakôs. “Who will..?”

“I will.” The Prince said firmly. The old priest opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced immediately. “He was your friend, but he was my father. This duty is mine alone.”

“Are you sure?”

“...Yes. In life, he was a great man. But as I said... This is not life. This is a lingering specter, a shadow of what he once was.” Aharôs's voice fell to a whisper, as he took the little box. He opened it, and took out a small vial of clear liquid. “I must do this... If I don't...” He shook his head, and clenched a fist, before regaining his composure. It was the closest Tempest had ever seen him to any uncontrolled emotion. “No, no more. May your journey to the Promised Realm be swift, Zhevakôs Loiar.” Tempest almost didn't hear those final words; she was convinced that Brenan didn't hear them at all. King Zhevakôs looked confused but intrigued at the vial when Aharôs brought it near him. He drank from it without protest, just a sip.

“Farewell, old friend.” Brenan said, holding the eight-pointed star medallion around his neck. The final dignity. For when life itself becomes no longer worth living, and peace may only be attained through death. Such a concept was alien in Equestria, as far as Tempest knew. But ritual murder, and suicide for those still lucid enough, was deeply rooted in the human's culture. The whole had idea repulsed Tempest. But now, watching the final dignity take its effect... I think I understand it now. Even if I still don't like it, I think I get it. The King had been sick for years, growing worse and worse in condition, losing his memory piece by piece. It was only a matter of time, they had said. Aharôs's hair had gone grey too early because of all the stress the King's condition had caused, directly or indirectly. It was just in this moment that Tempest realized how heavy this had sat on the shoulders of Aharôs. But now, it was all over. There was no more worry, no more pain, no more agonized waiting. Only peace.

King Zhevakôs the sixth, of house Loiar, passed away in a calm silence, looking curiously into the nothingness. It was the Priest's turn to speak.

“In life, we shared his world. In death, we share his loss. His soul passes to the Lightbearer; she will guide him through Halls of Judgment and into the Promised Realm, among all those who came before us. For Zhevakôs Loiar, the battle is over. Let him rest now in Heaven.” Brenan recited quietly. He needed not the Kaiathîsa, he had said these words enough in his life to have shaped his own, more personal version. “Kai tal nikîm ai ôv-zikôlîov. Antî aran.”

“Antî aran.” Tempest and Aharôs repeated quietly; both humans touched two fingers to their foreheads.

“It is done.” Aharôs said in a cold voice, with the same neutral look he got whenever he had executed a traitor or come out of a battle. “Brenan, please leave us for a moment.” The priest wordlessly bowed, and took the vial and box with him. Tempest aimed to leave as well, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. The Prince, soon to be the new King, shook his head. “It is finally done.” Repeated he. Aharôs leaned against the wall, and slowly slid down into a sitting position. Tempest sat down next to him. For a few minutes, neither spoke. The Prince just collected himself, returning from the precipice that most others would have gone over in such a heavy moment.

“He really was a good king, you know.” Said Aharôs, out of nowhere.

“Yeah.” Nodded Tempest, not sure what else she could say.

“When I was young, we went into the Dashavon to remind the peasants who ruled this land. At least, that's how I'd see it. For him, it was a trip to meet the forgotten people of our realm. He listened to their complaints, their grievances, and tried to fix what he could. For three months, he sorted things out up in the mountains. The King of Athair, sitting in a village inn, sorting out just where a fence between two farmers' fields should go.” The Prince shook his head. “Unbelievable. But that's what made him so loved. Thûvarôs was the intended heir. Then Brenanîôs. Then Heranôs. All dead. That leaves Aharôs, the son no one expected anything great from, destined to be some administrator at a backwater post in a backwater kingdom.” Tempest frowned, but empathized. “I'm not Zhevakôs. I'm not Thûvarôs, Brenanîôs, or Heranôs. I'm not even Reshîv. I'm Aharôs, the Cruel; and I've turned this petty realm into the greatest power in this corner of the Empire. What would my brothers think? What would my father think? Those are the questions I ask at night... but it doesn't matter, ultimately. They're all gone, now.”

“Reshîv is still alive.” Tempest pointed out, before immediately realizing her mistake.

“Reshîv is no kin of mine.” Sighed Aharôs, voice full of weariness. “My sisters, I never knew. I never even met the older two, and all four are gone in distant lands. I'm the last man of house Loiar.”

“Uh... I know how that feels, in a way...” Tempest mumbled. It was a feeble statement, but it was all she had at the moment.

“But my family isn't gone.” The Prince continued. “Not all of them.”

“They aren't?”

“No.” Aharôs did something Tempest never thought he was capable of, and put an arm around her. “You're still here, Tempest. And that counts for a little more than something.” That hammer hit Tempest in the head, and hard. Did he really just say that? She had known that the human Prince had played a larger part in her life than either of them ever acknowledged. But to hear it out loud... To hear that she did belong somewhere in the world, to have it become real and tangible... It was a warm feeling that filled her heart, if tinged by some sadness. She had always felt out of place, and perhaps she always would be. She only had one true friend in the entire world, and the world expected great things from her; things that Tempest wasn't even sure she wanted to be a part of. But, it was alright. She still had someone looking out for her, who truly cared about her. “If I died today, you would be my legacy, Tempest.” The Prince stated. “I don't think you'll let me down in the days to come.”

“I won't.” Vowed Tempest. “I won't let you down.” That was the last thing she wanted.

“Tomorrow, I become King. Then, we plan the return to Highcrest. I have my throne, now it's time to get yours.” Aharôs told her.

“Really?” She asked in surprise.

“I made your mother a promise, a promise I intend to keep.” Stated he. “The old generation is gone; now is our hour, Tempest.”

“Alright.” The blue-grey pegasus nodded to herself. Her word was more a statement of preparation than agreement.

“I've made a lot of hard choices in the past few years.” Aharôs said. “It will be nice to do something unequivocally right for once.”

“I thought the war in Verâd was right, though? You always said traitors would get what they deserve.” Tempest replied.

“I...” He looked away. “I would never admit this by the light of day, but sometimes I wonder. I wonder if there was another way, a better way. But I can never think of one. Hard choices, Tempest. Hard choices, hard truths. It's our sacred duty to make them. I would not wish such a burden upon anyone else.”

“Being a king is better than being a peasant, though.” Pointed out the pegasus.

“Is it?” Asked the Prince to himself. “Reshîv plays at being royalty like it's a game. My father did too, to an extent. But it's not a game. It's not a excuse for wanton indulgence; that's why the Karthâ states are such a disaster. What good is wealth and prosperity when you use it for debauchery and decadence? That's not what we're supposed to do! Our duty is to the realm, and nothing else. We're the ones that do what all others cannot, we're the ones who responsibility falls to in times of crisis! How can we rule if we spend all our time on frivolities? The peasant has none of that to worry about. The next harvest, the next tithe, where his fencepost ought to be... And here I am, putting cities to the torch so they never revolt again.”

“Maybe it would be better to have a simple life.” Tempest's hesitations about her future flared up again. “You'd always have a place in society. No plots, no intrigues to worry about, just yourself and your honest work.”

“It does sound nice, doesn't it?” Aharôs said with a nod. “I guess you wouldn't mind taking up the art of beekeeping.”

“Not at all.”

“I'll have to find you more books on that...” He paused for a second. “You know, when I was younger, before my brothers met their untimely death, I wanted to work a watermill.”

“A watermill?” Now, I would have never guessed that... They talked further into the night, of bees and watermills and of two lives that could have been but never would be. It was a rare moment of closeness for the two, and Tempest forgot that she was a pony from Equestria being raised by a human of Sarathûl. Despite the death of the King, both of them retired that night with less on their mind than they had woken up with.

Morning was a different affair. Tempest and Snowy didn't even have time for breakfast, they hurried straight to the upper gallery of the throne room. It was time for the coronation of Aharôs, the new King of a united Athair and Verâd. Before going up, they met Aharôs, Turaz, Îrilôs, Baron Kairôs, Eberis, Sidâl, and several others outside the throne room. Notably absent was Reshîv and his mother, the Queen. No doubt she's irked that Aharôs completely barred her from the passing of Zhevakôs. She was glad Valisa hadn't been there.

“It's hard to believe this day has finally come.” Said Turaz. “I never thought I'd be in Vatherîon for a coronation, let alone in the throne room itself.”

“Funny, the places life takes us.” Remarked Îrilôs, looking a bit on edge. He was in his official Imperial robes, white, gold, and red. It was quite the difference from his normally dark attire. Turaz and Eberis were both in their armor, which had been finely polished for this occasion, and Aharôs had his sword. He was dressed normally, unlike the others.

“You two had better get up there.” Turaz told them. They did so, and met the rest of the pegasi outside the gallery.

“What do you know?” Her uncle asked. “I lived long enough to see Aharôs made King!”

“I just hope Tempest here is next.” Coldstar commented. They entered the gallery just as Aharôs and his retinue entered the throne room below. Tempest's eyes went from them, up the hall, and to the throne... Where she found Reshîv and Valisa, not to mention Mayor Pashal of Sturaj, Captain Eshanis, the Duke of Terâd, and quite a few others she recognized but didn't know. Why is Reshîv on the throne...

Her blood went cold when she saw that Reshîv was wearing the crown.

“This can't be good.” Streaming Breeze said worriedly.

“Lady of Light!” Swore Redfern.

“You had better have an explanation for this!” Aharôs announced from below, his hand firmly on the hilt of his sword.

“I do, dear brother.” Reshîv replied, arrogance flowing from his voice. “While you put our father to rest, we all decided that you would be a poor choice of King for this new realm. After all, it was you who practically slaughtered a quarter of Verâd.”

“Not to mention the thousands of our own men you needlessly sacrificed!” Pashal spoke up.

“I've been told that you have held congress with demons.” Queen Valisa said. “Is this true?”

“What do you think, you avaricious, honorless wretch?” Replied Aharôs, not bothering to hide the venom he spoke with.

“You've even brought your sorcerer with you.” Reshîv noted from the throne, pointing to Sidâl. “Most excellent, I was hoping we could grab him too.”

“I'd very much like to see him dead.” Pashal growled.

“I'll be seeing you dead first.” Aharôs shot back. “You have one chance to stand down. Right here, right now, and not in a minute more.”

“And what? Get executed for treason? Thrown into Hell-gates for who knows what unspeakable horror to eat?” Reshîv questioned, leaning forward. “I think not! No Aharôs, it's you who will be paying for treason. Consider this throne mine. Kneel to your rightful King, and I will spare your life.”

Aharôs drew his sword, the only answer needed.

“I'm getting too old for this...” Sighed Hearth Blackwind.

So the chaos began.

“Take them! Take them all, dead or alive! Preferably dead, that leaves less legalities to worry about!” Ordered Reshîv to all the soldiers present. Aharôs's own stood firm against Reshîv's, but even they had defectors in their midst. It was two dozen versus several hundred, and Tempest only then realized just how much her Prince was hated. The clues over the past several months all fell together. Pashal's comments, the grumblings of soldiers, even things Reshîv had said. Why didn't we see this coming!?

“Tempest..!” Snowy said, in a tone of fright. She poked at Tempest, and pointed to the soldiers who had emerged in the gallery. They were coming from both sides, and every pegasus present was unarmed.

“Go, my Queen!” Commanded Coldstar. “We'll hold them off!”

“But-”

“GO!” Hearth roared, flaring his wings and charged at the soldiers to the left. She didn't need to be told thrice; Tempest yanked at Snowy's mane and bolted after her uncle. Coldstar and Hearth both plowed into the humans, clearing a gap for the two to fly through. A small part of Tempest recognized the irony that they weren't allowed to fly indoors for this very reason.

“Kill them!” Ordered one of the humans, before the din of fighting overtook all other sounds.

Tempest and Snowy raced through the halls; they made for their quarters. By the grace of whatever powers there were, they encountered no one but confused servants. “Quickly, find my sword!” She commanded. Snowy did find it, but she was shaking so bad that she had trouble strapping the device to Tempest's forelegs.

“W-w-why is this happening?” Asked Snowy, in whiny tone that was perfectly acceptable for the moment. “It- it was all going s-so well!”

“I don't know!” Replied Tempest, too shocked for any of it to really register with her.

“Tempest, are you here?” Came another voice. Both pegasi jumped in fright, only to see Îrilôs. “Thank God.” He said thankfully.

“What is this, Îrilôs?” She asked sternly. “We don't have time for pleasantries!”

“Stop whatever you're doing and pack for a trip through the wild.” He ordered, his usually amused demeanor completely gone. “As you can see, there's been a usurpation here. Your lives are in danger, Reshîv does not care if you live or die, but he prefers that you die. Sidâl mentioned to me a few days ago that Celestia had said that she would be willing to call off her invasion of Sarathûl if both you and Aharôs were dealt with, but he said he didn't know if it was true or not. Regardless, Reshîv certainly heard about it, and he certainly believes it!”

“Why is this happening?” Tempest echoed her companion's question.

“I don't know!” He replied, exasperated. “We underestimated Reshîv greatly, it seems. I didn't think he'd be bold enough to move against the Emperor's will like this!”

“Great. This is just fucking great.” Seethed Tempest, gathering her traveling cloak and throwing Snowy's own at her. “Is Aharôs alive?”

“He, Turaz, Eberis, and Kairôs began cutting their way out of the room. Last I saw of them they had escaped into the entrance hall, and were making for the stables.” Îrilôs replied.

“Where are they going to go?” Asked the pegasus.

“West, to the Razadrî.” Tempest jumped in fright again as Sidâl appeared literally from nowhere.

“Why are you here!?” Exclaimed she.

“To tell Îrilôs where they are going, of course. Aharôs intends to escape to the steppe, and then head north to the March.” Sidâl stated.

“Reshîv won't be able to touch him in the March.” Îrilôs stated. “From there he'll take a ship to Ar-Athazîon, I imagine. My uncle will help him, of that I am sure.”

“So we want to go north too.” Deduced Tempest.

“Yes, head for the March, spend as little time in Athair and Verâd as you can. You might want to even fly northwest for Jutan, and end up at Kakâdras. Then head back east along the March until you hit the coast. By then you should meet Aharôs and company, and I'll have a ship waiting.”

“What about you?” Tempest asked.

“Me?” Îrilôs laughed. “I'm the first male heir to the Empire. More importantly, I'm under divine protection as Imperial Envoy. If they kill me, Athair will be razed to the ground. Don't worry about me Tempest, I'll manage.”

“And you?” The pegasus turned to Sidâl.

“I was never here.” Sidâl said cryptically, and walked off down the hall. When Tempest stuck her head out the door, she found no trace of him in either direction.

“So, Kakâdras.” Tempest turned back to Îrilôs.

“Yes. A relative of mine is in charge of that fortress, you'll be safe there.” That takes us awfully close to the Far North...

“And what about my pegasi?” She questioned. Îrilôs shook his head.

“I saw it from below. You're on your own, my queen. I'm sorry.” Her heart sank at that. Thank the Lord of Heaven I got Snowy out with me.

“Well, that's it, then. The end of the once-feared Blackwind army.” She sighed. “I really don't have the time to mourn, though.”

“A small blessing, then.” Îrilôs looked out the hall, and cupped a hand to his ear. “I hope you're ready to go, because you're going to need to in the next minute.”

“W-we're r-r-ready.” Snowy stammered, holding a lantern of all things in her mouth. Tempest wouldn't have thought to bring a lantern, but if they were going to hoof it in the wild, then perhaps that was good thinking ahead on her part.

“Don't worry about your armor or possessions, my queen and lady, I'll take care of them.” Assured the Envoy. “Now, get out of here. Reshîv no doubt has alerted every garrison in the realm that you are to be apprehended. He's had a head-start of at least a few days... Best stay away from populated areas. I expect to meet you two in Ar-Athazîon, alive and well. Don’t worry about anything else but getting there.”

“I sure hope so.” Tempest kicked open the room's lone window. Snowy had somehow managed to stuff some blankets, a map, and other supplies into their saddle-bags, and Tempest had one of her swords. They were good to go.”

“Here.” Îrilôs knelt down and stuffed a few coins into one of Tempest's bags. “Just in case.”

“Thanks, Îrilôs. I hope we can repay you.”

“Don't hope you can, make it happen! God be with you!” Tempest leaped into the air and sailed through the window, and out over Vatherîon. Snowy followed her out, looking absolutely terrified.

“Shoot them down!” Came the order from below, and the cracking fire of arquebuses sounded. Shots whistled by, but none hit the two.

Tempest barely understood what had taken place in just fifteen minutes, but needless to say, the game had changed. Like Îrilôs said, it was a small blessing they were both too rattled to truly reflect on just what had happened. That would wait until nightfall.

To the northwest, Îrilôs told us. They turned in that direction, towards the snow-capped peaks of Dashavon just barely poking over the horizon. This was going to be the furthest she had ever been from the coast, something she had always wanted but never expected to get. And now, here she was, going on a journey to new lands, with an entire realm told to kill her if they could. Funny, the places life takes you.

Author's Notes:

Because sometimes a picture is worth a thousand author's notes, even if it's a shitty picture. Congratulations reader, you've made it through the first figurative if not literal third of Across the Sea!

New Mission Orders

“So many contracts.” Sighed Goldleaf, levitating the next paper to Luna. She signed her name on it, and passed it to Hemlock, who stamped it with the seal of the Night Court.

“Someone has to sign off on all these ships Princess Celestia is buying up.” Replied Lady Hemlock. “How goes progress of the invasion plan, anyway?” The pegasus asked.

“We ought not to speak of such things.” Stated Luna apologetically. “Our sister would not approve. But... the time draws near.”

“Wonderful.” Muttered Goldleaf. “How near, if you do not mind my asking, Princess?”

“Not long.” The midnight alicorn said wearily. “Not long at all.”

“It's about time.” Hemlock voiced her opinion. “I just want whatever is going to happen, to happen. I can't stand waiting around.”

“I sympathize. Though I'd prefer nothing to happen...” The mahogany unicorn commented. Princess Luna tuned them out, as she returned back to her inner thoughts. She was preoccupied with the talk she had with her granduncle the previous week. Even now, it was still heavy on her mind.

“Aegis, what exactly did I see?”

“It was of another time. They were dark days, Luna.” Aegis said quietly. “Literally, dark days. Before the sun and moon.”

“Is such a thing even possible?” Asked the midnight alicorn. “The sun and moon have surely always been there!”

“That is another story.” Her granduncle stated. “I once told you Discord was the first who threatened the entire world; that was a lie. Thousands of years before him, our good Earth was torn asunder by the forces of evil. My siblings, your grandparents, and I all battled them. There were others alongside us too, like the dragons. These evils took them all, in the end, except me, and Corthunien.”

“Corthunien... The father of dragons. It is true that he still lives, then?” Luna had heard tales of the greatest of dragonkind, but had always wondered about them. It was said he was as old as the world itself. Aegis nodded.

“He does. Those of us who lived in the elder days had a heavy burden, one that has passed to you and your sister now. We must defend this world, no matter the cost. And it has cost us dearly. So very dearly.” The golden alicorn stated, more serious than Luna had ever heard him before. “Of all the evils we faced, there was none greater than the image you saw in the dreamworld. I dare not speak the name we gave it, even names may have some lingering power.” The Regent of the Moon shivered as she thought about that horrible black orb hanging in the sky, calling to her.

“What was it?” She questioned, barely aware she whispered the question. Aegis frowned, and his ears laid back.

“We didn't know. And that's what terrified us.” Her granduncle whispered back. It was a chilling notion, Aegis and her grandparents being afraid of something. “It came from beyond the veil, out of the night. This force was powerful beyond measure, its corruption spread into every soul. I will not tell you what it did, that is something you are not ready to learn. But we did wage war against it, for many, many years. We lost every battle but the last. And it's the last battle that counts, do not forget that.”

“Can I fight it too, then?”

“Of course. I will teach you how to fight it, how to seal it away where you will hardly be aware of it. And I will teach you how to fight those who will be drawn to it. Evil summons evil, Luna. They will hear its call far better than you, and they will come looking for it. But we are not without hope. For many centuries, this image has been waning in power. It is not the threat it once was... But it is a threat. Do not underestimate it.”

Try as she might, the subject had been in her head every day since. Particularly evil summons evil. She didn't like the way that sounded at all.

“...And that's when I said: 'If your application of entry has the Northbrim school of economics listed as an interest, it's going straight to the trash.' Nopony that crazy is getting into our university.” Apparently, Goldleaf had just come out of a story.

“Hah! Griffons don't understand a thing about how economy works.” Hemlock giggled. “What say you, Princess?”

“Mmh?” The alicorn looked up from her repetitive task of signing. “Oh, We do not pay much attention to such matters. To quote the griffons themselves, We have bigger fish to fry.” When they had finished with the contracts, Luna sent off Hemlock to deliver them to Celestia's office, where she would see them in the morning.

“You seem distracted tonight, my Princess.” Goldleaf commented.

“We have much to think about.” Replied Luna, looking down at the table. “Very much indeed.”

“Would it be improper to ask what you have to think about?” Pressed the crippled unicorn, ears pricking up.

“How much do know of history, Goldleaf?” The midnight alicorn asked.

“What kind of history?”

“Any kind.”

“Oh, quite a bit.” Goldleaf said proudly. “Is there something you want to know?”

“Yes, actually.” Luna furrowed her brow. “Our granduncle made a very interesting claim last week. He claimed that the sun and moon have not always been here. We have never heard this before... Is it true?”

“Ah, I've heard about this legend.” The mahogany unicorn nodded to himself. “The griffons like to say they're older than the bodies of the sky. In the Scourge of the South, Redfang the Wrathful boasts to the High Chief of Zebradom that he walked the world when only stars shined on it. And from the Akravid Realm, we get the myth that a spirit of shadow will return to the world and extinguish the sun and moon and restore the world to its 'natural' darkness!” Luna could hear the derisiveness in his voice towards that notion. “It's a common concept, but completely absurd... And yet, it abides.”

“Interesting.” Noted Luna. Redfang the Wrathful's tale was mostly legend itself, though it was probable that such a dragon once existed. But the griffons were known for fanciful stories, and Luna had never heard of the final myth Goldleaf mentioned. “Where is the Akravid Realm? We have never heard of this place before.”

“Well, that might be legend too, my Princess. Our earliest histories all mention a nation called Akravid, or some variation along those lines. But we have never found archeological evidence that it ever existed.” Explained Goldleaf. “Not in Equestria, at least. It's a very obscure topic, Princess, I only know about it because of too many late nights deep in the library. Most of my professors had never heard of it for that matter.”

“Then how do you know they had this myth?” Asked the Regent of the Moon.

“Interesting story, that. You see, that I'm the one who discovered it.” Said Goldleaf, somewhere between smug and embarrassed. “I was doing an interview with a caravan donkey, who would cross from Lithton through the Badlands to lands further south. I was after information about earth pony tribal systems, but he was getting more and more drunk as the interview went on. He starts rambling about his trips to the Zebra countries, but then, out of nowhere, he mentions Akravid!”

“Fascinating.” Commented Luna.

“You have no idea, Princess. Until this point, I was convinced I was the only pony in the world who had ever heard of this legendary nation. Then some illiterate donkey comes along and he's heard of it too! Unfortunately, he didn't know much more, he was going on fourth-hand information, if I understood him right. All he said of definite interest was that whoever lived in Akravid believes a spirit of shadow will be born among them, and take down the sun and moon, to plunge the world into starlit night. As insane as it sounds, I can't help but be wonderfully intrigued by it. The entire notion of throwing the world into eternal darkness is so alien to us ponies... I just have to think about it!”

“So it is.” Agreed the Princess. “We do not think We would take kindly to a spirit of shadow destroying Our moon, though.”

“I doubt many of us would, my Princess.” The unicorn agreed. He's certainly enthusiastic about history, Luna thought.

“Do the humans have anything like this myth?” She asked.

“Not that I know of. They've got a far more full history than us ponies. We didn't become relevant until the alicorns showed up to free us from Discord. It's possible they had a version once, and it got pushed out of common memory by more recent events like the migration south. That's just baseless speculation though.” Goldleaf mused. Luna said nothing, and instead was about to think deeper on the matter. It was then that Hemlock returned.

“Did I miss anything?” She asked.

“Just a history lesson for the Princess.” The unicorn answered.

“That's a shame, I've come to enjoy those.” Admitted the pegasus.

“Would you like me to repeat myself?”

“If it's not too much trouble...”

And so Goldleaf said what he had just said to Luna, almost verbatim and matching in spirit. The Princess had to admit, it was slightly impressive. But unlike Luna, Hemlock seemed to take it far more seriously.

“That part about the shadow spirit... It doesn't sound too far-fetched.” She said.

“Really?” Replied Goldleaf, raising an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”

“The stories Lady Silver used to tell me.” Hemlock stated, quite seriously. “In the beginning, Snowy- er, not my lost sister, the founder of our house, ruled a holding called Farpeak. She was Snowy of Farpeak. In those days, we lived north of the Crystal Mountains, long before the petty kingdoms of the griffon invaders arose. But we were driven out by the windigoes.” A slight shiver came over Luna, as she recalled the one time she ever was in those frozen lands. She had heard a howl in the distance... “Lady Silver said that the windigoes were the shards of an ice spirit that turned to evil, and was destroyed by its own madness. The shards still wander the land, feeding on conflict and malice, spreading their cold winds... Snowy of Farpeak became Snowy Farpeak, the first of our house, and bid us to never go north again.”

“So you're saying you could actually believe this myth about a shadow spirit?” Goldleaf raised an eyebrow.

“It's far from impossible, that's what I'm saying.” Hemlock defended. “But I have never once heard of a land called Akravid.”

“I guess no one but me has.” Sighed the unicorn. The night went on, and soon enough it was time for the three to sleep for the day.

Luna took her final meal of the night as Celestia took her first meal of the day. They ate in after setting the moon and raising the sun, respectively.

“It's time, Luna.” She said calmly.

“Mmh?” Questioned the younger sister, looking up from her porridge.

“The scouting fleet leaves for the Hatharô coast in four days. Once they secure a landing, the rest of us will follow.” Stated Celestia, with a small smile. “It's finally time.”

“Well, at least we're getting this disaster moving.” Remarked Luna, slumping her shoulders.

“Have faith, sister.” The white alicorn said, levitating a paper to her. “I'm sending somepony very capable.” Luna read it, and her heart sank.

That evening, the Night Court met again. She read them the orders.

“I knew this day would come.” Hemlock said grimly when Luna finished. Goldleaf looked horrified.

“It seems we'll be in Sarathûl within a week and a half.” Luna's stomach fluttered in nervousness.

“B-but I'm no use in a fight!” Stammered Goldleaf. “What use am I to Princess Celestia?”

“We don't need you to fight, we need you to help man the ships. A unicorn of your power could do the work of ten lesser ones.” Explained the midnight alicorn. “Our sister has chosen us for a reason. We will follow her orders, as disagreeable as they may be.”

“Why?” Asked the unicorn, in a rare moment of outright defiance.

“Because she is Our sister.” Luna stated. “As much as We do not like this, We will maintain loyalty to what is left of Our family.”

“Yeah... Family. I'm not too enthusiastic about Lady Silver coming with us.” Said the pegasus. “I joined this Night Court to get away from her, not to join her in some war!”

“We have no choice in this.” Simply spoke Luna. “Despite Our most vehement objections, and Our firm belief that this will end horribly, we all will do our duty to Celestia and Equestria. Sarathûl awaits us.” On the bright side, perhaps I can negotiate for peace in person? Assuming we don't die on the way there, of course.

Author's Notes:

Haha! Action inbound! Snowy Farpeak is the name of the founder of that house, our Snowy Farpeak is just named for her. Even more same names to keep track of!

And don't forget to read the Bonus Chapter for the one year anniversary!

Another Journey West

“You're sure they got away?” Asked Turaz.

“Yes, sir. They're heading north by northwest, or they were last night.” Sidâl replied.

I wonder how he knows that, questioned Turaz to himself. They were sitting under a cedar's canopy, to keep dry from the last rains of the season, and to avoid being spotted. He wasn't sure what kind of cedar it was, there were at least three kinds in Athair, but it was a very droopy tree.

“So, they're traveling to the March?” Sir Eberis deduced. “Well, it looks like Tempest took the King's words on caution to heart.”

“I wish we heeded them better.” Turaz commented. “We should have seen Reshîv's usurpation coming from a mile away.”

At first, it had been two dozen against the entire court. However, a good number of those two dozen fighting for Aharôs had been fully armored, like Turaz and Eberis, while only the guards in court had been fully prepared for a fight. Naturally, knights with over two decades of combat experience had been a definite boon to their side. Baron Kairôs and Prince- no, King Aharôs were no small contributors to the fight either, having been trained their whole lives for battle. Then, of course, there had been more minor members of their impromptu column who joined them as they made their way out of the throne room and to the stables: a few guards who valued morality above charisma, Sergeant Haior and his men, loyal servants taking up arms, the Thechai soldiers, each and every one, and Brenan too, knocking the enemy of their feet while managing not to seriously harm any...

But, it had been Sidâl who was chiefly responsible for them getting out. Few saw him in action; Turaz was among those who did. The agent of espionage had displayed skills that absolutely unnerved him. Sidâl would seem to jump from dark spot to dark spot, sliding past his adversaries as if he wasn't even there, before striking them where they were vulnerable. When they reached the last hall to the stables, they found it covered in frost and blood, with a heavy metallic stench in the cold air, but devoid of all people. From there, it had been the simple matter of opening the gates, getting the zôshai, and making a break for it. The soldiers at the northern bridge of Vatherîon hadn't gotten word to close the gates yet, and let them through without lifting a finger. Oddly enough, Sidâl hadn't turned up again until late in that first night.

Three days later, here they were, on the slopes of the Dashavon, waiting out the rain. Baron Kairôs and his Thechai men had departed after the first night, heading south to hold down their lands while Aharôs made his eventual way to Ar-Athazîon. On the second day, one of the Blackwind pegasi showed up; Streaming Breeze. She had been wounded, and it was a miracle she had been even able to find them. It was from her that they learned all the others except she had perished. Now Brenan tended to her, they and a few others were hiding under another nearby cedar. Turaz was a bit disappointed he never got his glass eye in Vatherîon, like Brenan had recommended. Well, word is that we're going to Ar-Athazîon. If they have something in Vatherîon I need, they'll have it in the crowning gem of mankind too.

“Where'd Sidâl go?” Eberis suddenly asked. Sure enough, the shady sorcerer was nowhere to be found. It was like he had vanished into thin air!

“He's wandered off again, hasn't he.” Sighed the elder of the two knights.

“No doubt. Perhaps to the King?”

“Perhaps.” Minutes of silence passed; Eberis watched the rain, and Turaz tapped his hands against the metal plates over his legs. “What are we waiting for, anyway?” He asked, too bored to stay silent.

“The King wants to wait until the rain lessens.” Eberis replied.

“We should keep moving...” Grumbled Turaz.

“They'll see our tracks in the mud.” The other knight pointed out.

“Fine.” Turaz folded his arms, noting the mud on his armor, which had not truly taken off since the flight. “But they'll be getting closer.”

“Probably.” Agreed Eberis. If there was one thing Turaz didn't like, it was sitting around while an enemy drew near. Perhaps an enemy was drawing near to Nikadîon as well... I hope the garrison can hold it. But most were with the army in Vatherîon... He could only pray his family stayed safe. Perhaps they'd take a ship to Surana; Turaz still had friends from the old days there. It was a shame he hadn't been able to do anything for the Blackwind pegasi, too. Only three made it out alive.

Turaz grabbed his halberd, and pulled himself to his feet. He might as well go check up on Streaming Breeze. The knight quickly dashed through the rain to the other cedar, where Aharôs, Brenan, the pegasus, and a few others were lurking. King Aharôs had been in a foul mood since they left Vatherîon; he didn't bother acknowledging Turaz. Or anyone else, for that matter. Sidâl isn't over here either, noted the knight.

“How is it?” Turaz asked the dark-red pegasus, as he knelt down.

“It could be worse.” Replied Streaming Breeze. She was bandaged up around her middle, having suffered a blow from a mace or some other blunt weapon. Turaz didn't know the specifics of her injury, but at least it didn't require surgery.

“It could.” Agreed the knight. “When I was a porter, I saw a man get hit hard in the head by a loose beam. There wasn't any blood, but he fell into a sleep he never woke up from.”

“Looks like I got lucky.” Replied the pegasus, with a wry smile.

“You certainly did.” Said Brenan, who was plotting out a course through the Dashavon mountains. “A sharp blow with a mace could kill even the greatest man, when delivered to the right spot.”

“I'll need to actually wear armor next time we get ambushed, then.” Streaming said back.

“That's for sure.” Turaz agreed. “I'm tempted to never take this stuff off again.” He knocked on the steel plate covering his chest. His armor was personally fitted to him, it fit in such a way that its weight was distributed evenly and well. Even if it weighed seventy pounds, it wasn't much of an issue.

“Were it so easy.” The pegasus sighed.

“What's the plan now?” With the Blackwind cause seemingly crippled beyond recovery, Turaz wasn't sure what would become of the three remaining pegasi. Did they come all this way just to have it end because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time?

“To be honest? I don't know.” Streaming admitted, looking at her hooves. “Coldstar was keystone to all this, she had the skills to orchestrate any counter-invasion. Lord Hearth had the diplomatic connections. But me? I'm just a common soldier, no better than a serf, really. Queen Tempest is completely at the mercy of your people, now.”

“At least she's alive.” Turaz pointed out.

“She won't be able to do this on her own, that's for sure. And I don't see Lady Snowy being able to help. Not without some improvement.” Continued the pegasus.

“Some improvement? The girl couldn't fight a mouse!” The knight scoffed. But the red pegasus didn’t seem to notice the comment. She put her hooves together, with a quiet tap.

“I've been thinking, Sir Turaz... Not once did I ever see Duke Îrilôs pick up a sword or get near a battle in our time in Verâd.” Streaming tilted her head. “And yet... he wielded more power than any other human I've met so far. He's obviously a very clever fellow. And- I wasn't there for this, mind you, but apparently said she had potential. So, maybe, just maybe, Lady Snowy might be of help to the cause.”

“Huh.” Turaz put a hand to his chin, a finger going over the start of a beard. He'd never thought about things like that before. It was true, Îrilôs was no soldier, or even a general. And yet, as Streaming Breeze said, he had such power that he could have King Aharôs removed from the world of the living with but a wave of his hand. Îrilôs was a master of words and schemes. Does Snowy have that potential too? “That'd certainly be something.” Stated the knight.

“It certainly would be.” The pegasus agreed. “Though I find the image of Lady Snowy becoming dangerous rather unsettling. But perhaps I like her better as harmless.”

“Here I was thinking Queen Tempest was the only one who was her friend.”

“Oh no, I'm certainly no friend of Lady Snowy's. But in light of recent events, perhaps it is time to reconsider.” Explained Streaming, looking thoughtful. “Queen Tempest will need all the help she can get. Lady Snowy is with her, and I am too. But between the three of us... Well, you can see that we're a bit short on power. We'll need to put aside our differences to take back what is ours.”

“Sound thinking.” Remarked King Aharôs suddenly. His back was still to them.

“Sire, do we have a plan ourselves?” Asked Turaz.

“Keep heading west until we hit the steppes. We'll loop up around through the March and then take Îrilôs's ship to Ar-Athazîon. From there...” Aharôs turned around, fingers tightening on his sword's handle. “Well, I'll be killing Reshîv one way or another. I look forward to it.”

“No doubt...” The knight said quietly. The thought of kinslaying was not one that made him comfortable. “Do you think we'll catch up with Queen Tempest at Kakâdras?”

“We had better.” He replied. “I doubt many ships would take two Equestrians directly to the capital.”

“Your highness,” Began Streaming Breeze, bowing her head. “After you take care of business at home, what are you going to do about Celestia?” Aharôs gave her a flat look.

“Invade Equestria, of course.”

Author's Notes:

In this chapter: Streaming Breeze gets more lines than in the rest of the story combined.

Oh yeah, there's been a change of plan. Upon contemplating the advice of one of my readers, I've decided to split this story into two separate things. This will be Part I, Part II will address the rest of the happenings. We're already over 100K words, and that can be quite intimidating to newcomers. And while I was re-structuring the story, I decided to eliminate some plot lines that served no real purpose other than to make time pass, thereby shortening this story by roughly 20K-30K words. That's why updates have been slow lately. That shouldn't be the case for long though, so prepare for Part II in roughly 3-4 more chapters!

As always, if you see anything that needs fixing, or have issues with something, just say so. I strive to improve.

Following the Dashavon

As far as life-or-death escapes went, this escape had been quite light. It was the second time in her life Tempest found herself fleeing an unlawful usurper. Last time, she had been five years old and barely aware of what was going on. This time, she was fifteen and all too aware. At least I didn't watch Aharôs die in front of me, she thought grimly, reflecting on her first day in Sarathûl. It was a small mercy. What was not a small mercy was the news that perhaps all her pegasi except Snowy were now dead. She had never been close to the others, and didn't even like some of them, but... They had been under her protection, and now they were gone. Maybe some survived, Tempest hoped. Maybe.

“Are we still on track?” She asked to Snowy. The other mare was intently studying the map she had brought, and then comparing it to the landscape they could see. And they could see quite a bit, from this mountain slope.

“More or less.” Snowy affirmed, shivering in the cold. They had landed here last night, but they weren't expecting such a view when they woke. For three days they had flown in a northwesterly direction, following the scattered peaks of the Dashavon mountains north. It had been cloudy last night, and moonless at that, they landed unaware that they had flown onto one of the sleeping volcanoes. They were lucky it was too late in the year for snowfall, though there was plenty of that up here.

From their mountain vantage point, they could see three more sleeping volcanoes stretching to the horizon. They were sharp, tall, and covered in snow; Brenan once said these were young mountains. But more than a few were simply new summits grown out of old craters, signs of their fiery past and future. If Tempest squinted, she could see a blue shadow where the sky met the earth, surely a hundred miles distant. Those were the tops of the Ôsavon mountains, the border between the realms of men and the Far North. Somewhere out there was the fortress Kakâdras, their destination.

“Well, it can't be too far if we can see the March from here. Can it?” Wondered Tempest.

“You'd be surprised.” The other pegasus commented quietly. “It's no more than a few days away, though. Less, f-for you.” Snowy never had been a strong flier, it was even more obvious when all she had to compare to was Tempest. That was compounded by the cold up here, too. “Sorry I'm so slow-” Not this again.

“It's really not an issue, Snowy. If you weren't here I'd get so lost I'd end up in Everfree.” Said Tempest wryly. “Or perhaps the Halls of Korthûnîen if I really got lost.” That made the other pegasus smile. Not only were the Halls on another continent, they were so far south that the seasons were backwards!

“Still... Stopping every other hour...”

“Not an issue.” The Queen of Highcrest stated firmly. “You're not holding me back, don't worry about it.” Actually, Snowy was holding her back. Tempest could have traveled twice the distance they had already if it wasn't for her friend. But it wasn't something she was concerned about. Snowy knew very little of the natural world, it was not safe for her to be out here alone. Contrarily, Tempest knew very little of more academic matters, and it was entirely possible she'd need Snowy's knowledge in those fields at some future point. There was also the fact that Tempest found the idea of abandoning Snowy rather abhorrent.

The quest for Kakâdras continued, and every hour they drew closer to their goal. There wasn't much talking between the two as they went, the wind-stream as they flew was usually too loud for that. They set up camp at a lower height that night, to avoid the bitter cold of the mountain slopes. Camp was just a code-word for putting down their cloaks and getting out the blankets. There had been no time to get any food before they fled, so the two gathered what edible plants they could. It was still too early in summer for most berries to be ripe, but Equestrians were able to eat the flowers too, unlike humans. Tempest had never been keen on eating flowers, but it was necessary today.

In the morning, as the sun rose, Tempest noted that the tracks of some large animal some forty yards from their camp, near a small stream. She had no idea what left them.

“Maybe it was a bear. Or a lion.” Mused Tempest.

“Maybe.” Nodded Snowy. “They say there are older and stranger things in these mountains, though...” .

“What do you mean, older and stranger?” Questioned Tempest, glancing at her sword.

“The- These lands were among the last to be settled by humans in Sarathûl. Creatures of the ancient world were driven out of the west and south, but perhaps they survived here.” Theorized Snowy. “No one knows for sure.”

“Creatures of the ancient world, huh? What else is out here, fire demons and shadow spirits?” Tempest laughed, as they returned to their makeshift camp.

“A fire demon would live underground.” Corrected Snowy. “And a shadow spirit would only come out at night. But the ancient world is just that- ancient. Not much is left of it.”

“Good.” The thought of meeting storybook monsters wasn't something Tempest relished. Not after seeing the after-effects of Sidâl and his powers.

“I don't know. Sometimes I think it's sad.” Snowy sighed, looking at the surrounding forest. “There were all these amazing and fantastic things once, swept aside by the advance of civilization. One day all the blank spots on the map will be filled in, all the mysteries unraveled, all the wonder gone, and all the wilds tamed. A thousand years from now, even Athair will be as full of people as the river Karthâ's banks. What will be left for our successors?”

“Not much, I guess.” Admitted Tempest. She had never thought about it that way before. A world with no mystery or unknowns... It sounded quite dreary. But isn't that what the common people wish for? A good life, a safe home, the certainty that they and their families would see the next day. That's all Tempest really wanted, more than anything else. But fate, or perhaps just everyone else, seemed to have other ideas. Then something occurred to her. “Hey, Snowy?”

“Mmh?” Replied the other mare.

“Your speaking has been unusually clear today...”

“Y-you noticed-?” Snowy began to ask, before suddenly cringing. She gave Tempest a mildly annoyed look. “Great, you broke it!”

“It's not nearly as bad as it was this winter.” Offered Tempest in apology. “Whatever you've been doing, it's working.”

“Practice, practice...” Muttered the other pegasus.

It was surprising how few people lived up in the Dashavon. Îrilôs would have found this place eerily empty, if the Imperial Envoy thought Athair and Verâd were sparsely populated. In half a week of flying, Tempest and Snowy had only seen a handful of villages and cabins below. Supposedly, they had been over the Duchy of Jutan for some time now, but there was no clear border. In fact, everything seemed exactly the same as it had been while they were over Athair.

The journey went on. After five days since Prince Reshîv's takeover in Vatherîon, Tempest could clearly see the border of the Far North, a solid stretch of mountains going almost east to west. They didn't look as high as the Dashavon's peaks, but they were solid, and just as new. There was a legend that the alicorns raised them to mark their lands from the lands of the eight tribes. It made sense, considering how unnaturally straight the range ran. Not that it did them any good in the end. Mountains couldn't stop a race as determined as the humans. Once more, Tempest wondered what really drove them south.

For the fourth night, the two pegasi stopped on the western side of the mountains. The climate was noticeably warmer and drier over here. While they had been descending, Tempest noted that the trees seemed to thin the further west she looked. The Razadrî steppe must have been out there, where the distant cousins of the Vûrdashai of Athair, Verâd, Jutan, and Bîerlas still lived. “Pines.” Noted Tempest, looking at the three-needle clusters on the trees.

“The mountains must block a lot of rain.” Snowy said.

“You know, when I looked at all the maps, I always thought everything would look like it did back home.” Tempest snorted. “Stupid, even I know that, but I couldn't help it. We're not even three hundred miles from Nikadîon and it's already completely different. Even the grass is different, it's growing in bunches...” She poked at it with a hoof. “Nothing grows under these trees except clumps of grass. Weird.”

“Just imagine if we went to Nîralska.” The other pegasus remarked, looking at the tall trunks shooting up around them. It was like a great hall of trees. Even in the twilight, the two could see for dozens and dozens of yards in all directions. On the other side of the mountains, sometimes they couldn't even see more than ten feet without something in the way. To be on the safe side, they found an uprooted tree to sleep by, just so nothing could easily sneak up on them.

Naturally, something did sneak up on them. They awoke to find that they had a visitor. Tempest would have flipped her sword around if it wasn't for the fact their visitor was an unarmed girl who seemed to be in her lower teens.

“I was wondering when you'd wake up.” Said the visitor, who was sitting against a pine's trunk. She had brown hair like the majority of humans, tied back, and wore a green dress. Tempest stood up, and stretched her wings in anticipation of having to fight or flee. She nudged Snowy awake. “My father said all the alicorns were gone, you know. I didn't expect to find two on our land.”

“Alicorns?” Tempest scoffed. “We're not alicorns.”

“Oh.” The girl sounded disappointed! “Well, what are you?”

“Pegasi, of Equestria.” By this point, Snowy was wide awake. She retreated towards Tempest ever so slowly.

“Never heard of pegasi.” Their human visitor frowned. “What are your names?”

“What's yours?” Retorted Tempest, with a hint of suspicion.

“I,” the girl stood, and took an over-dignified pose. “am Zefîra Edîza, eldest daughter of Sir Krîzovôs Edîza, ruler of this fief.”

“I am Tempest Blackwind. This is Snowy Farpeak, my friend.” She gestured to the other pegasus. “We're travelers.”

“So am I!” Said the girl. “Well, not really. Father just said I have to check the fences so the livestock don't wander off. So I'm a traveler for today.” Snowy and Tempest exchanged a confused look.

“Why is a landed knight's daughter out checking fences?” Wondered Tempest. “Doesn't that seem a bit menial?”

“Father says everyone should do their share of work, and he also says lead by example.” Zefîra shrugged. “I can't complain, it's better than sitting around all day with nothing to do.”

“There's p-plenty to do while sitting around.” Muttered Snowy, narrowing her eyes.

“Sir Krîzovôs seems like a wise lord.” Tempest stated, quickly giving her companion a sharp poke with a wing. “Though it is not common for young women to go around unattended, especially so far from any town.”

“There's not much to worry about out here, aside from lions...” The girl put on a thoughtful look. “But those are easy enough to scare off. The peasantry hold our family in very high regard, and we don't have many outsiders. It's really quite safe for me to go around alone. And for everyone else, for that matter.”

“You know this area best.” Conceded Tempest. Her interactions with the human females were rare at best. There had been few women in Nikadîon, most of them had always been hard at work, even Turaz's wife. The culture of Sarathûl was highly patriarchal, rather than Equestria's matriarchal stance. But while Equestria just tended to favor mares over stallions for leadership, Sarathûl kept its women almost literally under lock and key. That was but one reason Tempest knew she had it better as a pegasus than a human. Had she actually been the daughter of King Aharôs, things would be different. Very different.

“Where'd you two come from anyway?” Zefîra asked. “You look rather... disheveled.” Tempest couldn't see herself, but she could see Snowy. The mare usually was very concerned about looking presentable, as she called it. But after five days of travel, Snowy was dusty and windswept. Tempest herself must have looked the same.

“Uh... Well, we came from far away.”

“You mentioned Nikadîon.” The girl folded her arms. “That's the easternmost fortress on the mainland of the continent. ”

“Yeah. Pretty far, huh?” I don't intend on telling you everything, stop trying!

“I suppose you have a good reason for being vague...” Zefîra frowned. “But Nikadîon is quite a ways from here, that's true. You must be quite tired.”

“Y-You have no idea.” Said Snowy.

“Well, if you want, you could stay with us tonight.” Suggested Zefîra, now smiling brightly. “We don't get many guests around here, and especially not ones from Equestria!” The pegasi exchanged another look.

“Should we?” Asked Tempest quietly.

“Yes. Please.” Snowy urged in return. “I'd- I'd really like a real bed. And real food.”

“We'll take you up on your gracious offer. I hope we wouldn't be imposing, though.” Tempest announced.

“Not at all! All you'd need to pay with is a good story or two.” Zefîra was almost bouncing on her feet in excitement. “Come on! I'll take you to the house-”

“What about your fence?” Interjected Tempest. The girl turned to her, a flat look on her face.

“...You had to go and remind me about that.” She sighed, walking around the fallen tree's root wad. “I guess I'll take care of that. You'd better stick with me, others might not be so friendly. You know, the tale about the alicorn's vengeance and all.” Zefîra returned leading an old zôsha with a neat bundle of wood planks on its back, among other tools. That was how Tempest and Snowy ended up following around a knight's daughter for half a day, helping her inspect the impossibly long fence that marked off her father's land. It was a pleasant experience, if slightly incongruous to their situation. Tempest was happy to have something to do that took her mind off the fact she and Snowy were on the run.

After making a handful of repairs, and Tempest discovering she didn't like hammers getting near her hooves, they began to head for Zefîra's home. Snowy looked as if she were about to complain about being tired, but she never said anything. As they went east, the trees began to give way to fields, and they saw more fences. All of them had stone columns placed at twenty or thirty yard intervals.

“You see that road there?” The girl pointed to a beaten dirt path leading through a field and into a patch of forest. “That's where my future husband lives.”

“Husband? Are you getting married soon?” Tempest asked.

“No, I'm only fourteen, I can't get married until I'm sixteen. But that's where he lives!” She said brightly.

“You sound quite excited.” Noted Snowy. “I wouldn't be...”

“Vedis is a good man. Well, he's seventeen, but that's still an adult, you know. He's not a knight or anything, but he's better behaved than most of them!” Zefîra stated. “Besides, it could be worse. My friend Kaira was married to someone twice her age.”

“It really could be worse.” Agreed Tempest. It was midday by the time they reached Zefîra's home, a stout building of stone with a steep, slate roof. What few buildings they had seen were entirely stone, with not a hint of flammable material to be seen. The pegasus figured that forest fires must have been common in this area.

“Hey, father!” Zefîra shouted. “We have guests!”

“Guests?” Came a voice from inside. “Lord of Heaven-” Whatever else he said was muffled by movement and distance. Soon enough, a grey-haired and grey-bearded man emerged. Even under his long clothes, it was apparent he was heavily built. He looks more like a smith than a knight, Tempest thought.

“Sir Krîzovôs.” Greeted she, bowing her head. Snowy bowed too, though more hesitantly and not as low. “I am Tempest Blackwind, and this is Snowy Farpeak.”

“Alicorns. I thought I'd never live to see the day-” Started the knight.

“They're not alicorns, father, they're pegasi.” Corrected Zefîra in an annoyed tone. “From Equestria.”

“Really?” Krîzovôs scratched his head. “Never seen a pegasus before. Now there's two on my doorstep. Zefîra, you bring back the strangest company, sometimes.”

“Have you had other Equestrians here before?” Asked Tempest, thinking of those who had abandoned her cause and went west instead of home.

“No, can't say I have. We've had a sorcerer, though.”

“Was his name Sidâl?”

“Yeah. How'd you know that?” Questioned the knight, narrowing his eyes.

“We've... met him too.” He was the only sorcerer of sorts she'd ever met, that was true. For all Tempest knew, he was the only one of his kind in the world. “And recently at that.”

“Small world.” Commented Krîzovôs. “I take it Zefîra has told you that you can spend a night here?”

“She has. I hope we're not imposing-”

“No, not at all. You're welcome to stay as long as you like.” Snowy seemed to perk up at that thought, but Tempest knew they'd need to leave tomorrow. Well... Do we? she asked herself. They'd need to talk about that.

“Thank you, Sir.”

“We ought to get you two cleaned up before you go inside. Over here.” Zefîra gestured for them to follow. To Tempest's mild interest, the house's barn was made of stone too. “We usually use this for washing the zôsha. I hope you don't take offense, but I don't think any of our basins would be the right size for you...”

“None taken.” Said Tempest. She wasn't really listening, she was busy trying to figure out what she was looking at.

“Very clever.” Snowy commented quietly. “They pump water up to the top, and then when you open a valve, it comes out of the pipe up there.” She pointed to the system of tubes, and the cistern above.

“Why don't we have this in Athair?” Wondered Tempest out loud. Zefîra left them to clean themselves up. Tempest went first. The experience was interesting, it was like having a localized rain storm. Maybe this is how pegasi in Equestria wash? They had always said the weather was controllable over there. But leave it to human ingenuity to come up with their own way of mimicking weather... “That's a new experience.” Declared she, shaking her coat free of water. It wasn't very effective. “Your turn, Snowy.”

While the other pegasus got clean, Tempest sat on the stone path outside. It was a warm day, the sun would take care of leftover water. Zefîra was already out there, inspecting a line of flowers against the house's wall. “Is it just you and your father here?” Tempest asked curiously.

“Well, we have Esera, our cook. She's been helping out around the house since I was young. And there's some hired hands from town, but they don't live here.” Explained Zefîra.

“No other family?”

“Well, my older brother is off in Duke Rhenarôs's army. I had an older sister too, and a mother, but plague took them years ago. I don't have a single memory of them; to be honest.” She shrugged it off, obviously not bothered by it.

“Ah...” I guess that's better than knowing them and losing them. As Tempest was learning today, Zefîra liked to talk a lot, and soon launched into a variety of stories about the adventures she used to get into with her brother and friends in years past. She got the feeling Zefîra didn't get much time to talk to other people her age, even if they were of another race from another continent.

It struck Tempest that this girl was only a year younger than her, and yet had such a radically different life. What was I doing when I was fourteen? Getting her education from Brenan, practicing fighting with Turaz and Herikôs, learning life lessons with Aharôs... She'd never had time for much fun, and when she did, she was too tired to do much more than read or talk with her only real friend.

Eventually, said friend emerged from the barn, her mane and tail soaked so thoroughly they lost all signs of curls. “This will take forever to dry out.” Snowy complained, joining Tempest on the stone path.

“I warned you about this.” Replied Tempest, glad that she kept her own mane relatively short. But, Snowy insisted not cutting either mane or tail, for whatever reasons she had.

“And I thought I had trouble after washing my hair.” Zefîra laughed. The other pegasus just rolled her eyes silently. It took most of the afternoon to let the sun do its work, and Tempest let it be known that she'd like to be asleep not long after sundown. Supper was held shortly after, an all plant-meal for the Equestrians, and a minor amount of meat for the humans. The knight and his daughter seemed not to want to overly offend their guests with their diet of choice. Tempest appreciated the thought, even though it was completely unnecessary after ten and a half years with these people.

“So, what is Equestria like?” Asked Sir Krîzovôs.

“Well...” Tempest trailed off. The problem was, she didn't remember much about Equestria.

“It's v-very green, Sir.” Piped up Snowy, though quietly.

“It's green here too.” Zefîra remarked.

“The weather of Equestria... It's controlled.” The other pegasus began to explain. “By pegasi like us. Rain is distributed evenly across the whole continent, nowhere is drier than anywhere else, except in the south. Not like here.”

“Fascinating.” Said Krîzovôs, putting a hand to his chin. “What a wealthy land it must be.”

“Your peasantry would be better off there.” Agreed Snowy. “There hasn't been more than a handful of unpredicted weather events since D-Discord's time.”

“Discord?” The knight looked at his daughter, who shrugged. “We're not familiar with that one.” And so Snowy launched into a rather condensed version of Equestria's history. Tempest for once was the one quietly watching, she didn't mind it. Snowy had a way of injecting genuine passion into what otherwise would have been boring topics; it was quite admirable. It was an hour after sunset by the time everything had been explained sufficiently. Zefîra looked alert as ever, but the two Equestrians were worse for wear.

“You two must be getting tired by now.” The girl said. “We'll let you retire, don't worry.”

“Thank you again for hosting us.” Tempest replied, bowing her head. “It's been a pleasant change from sleeping on rocks.”

“No doubt.” Agreed Krîzovôs. “We've got a few empty rooms upstairs, take your pick.” For the first time since Nikadîon, Tempest and Snowy had an actual wall between their rooms, instead of a rudimentary cloth curtain. As Tempest laid out her sword near the bed, Snowy came to talk to her.

“Uh, Tempest?” She asked, rather timidly.

“Speak.” Commanded Tempest.

“Sir Krîzovôs said we were welcome to stay as long as we liked... And- well...” Started Snowy, looking at her hooves. “I-if we could stay another day...” She suggested.

“Why?” Tempest asked, hanging up her travel cloak.

“It's just...” The other pegasus twisted her face around as she tried to articulate. “All this travel- well, I'm a bit worn out... I could use a day off...” Snowy admitted, with no small degree of shame.

“This kind of was our day off, Snowy.” Stated Tempest apologetically, before launching into an explanation of her own, for once. “We didn't go far, and we get real beds. But we still need to get to Kakâdras, and every day we wait is a day longer for Reshiv's orders to spread further north. We have no idea how loyal the men in the March are to the Empire against their own homelands. And I'd rather not find out.”

“Oh.” Snowy's ears fell. “I understand.”

“I'm sorry, I'd like to stay longer too, but we need to keep moving.”

“Very well, my Queen.” The other pegasus left silently, obviously dejected by the notion that they'd be back on the road tomorrow, so to speak. Tempest frowned, but there was nothing that could be done. At least I'll sleep well tonight, she thought.

The sun rose early in the morning, as the sun was wont to do in summer. She got up with it, and began to pack her share of their equipment. It wasn't much, just a blanket, Îrilôs's coins, and Snowy's lantern. It had proven too heavy for her to carry it long, so it ended up with Tempest after the first day.

“Leaving so soon?” Came a voice from a door. It was Sir Krîzovôs, no one else they had encountered had so deep a voice.

“You could say that.” Nodded Tempest. “Snowy and I need to get to Kakâdras soon.”

“Kakâdras?” Krîzovôs furrowed his brow. “I understand that's an impressive piece of engineering, but why would you want to go there? It's a castle on the edge of the world.”

“That's part of the appeal, actually.” Admitted the pegasus. “But have you heard about what's happened in Athair, Sir?”

“I haven't heard news about Athair in a while. It's slow to cross the mountains from the rest of the Duchy.”

“King Zhevakôs is dead, his son Aharôs was supposed to take the throne, but Prince Reshîv has claimed it instead. As close members of Aharôs's court...” Tempest raised a hoof. “Well, you can imagine Reshîv wasn't looking forward to our continued presence.”

“Ah... Well, the March is Imperial territory, by law. He couldn't touch you there.” Krîzovôs said. “But if you were in that Prince Aharôs's court, you surely must be of importance. At least some kind of lower nobility like me.”

“I'm the Queen of Highcrest, actually.” Tempest said flatly. The human knight went pale, his eyes widening.

“What?” He sputtered.

“I have the same reaction when I realize that.”

“Your grace, I had no idea-” Krîzovôs immediately knelt, and averted his eyes.

“I figured our stay here would be easier on you if you didn't know who I really was.” Answered Tempest, rather sheepishly. “Uh, you can stand up.” The knight did so.

“Well, if you're a Queen, who is your friend?” Asked he.

“Snowy is the eldest daughter of Lady Silver Farpeak, of Greatfall. The second most powerful individual in the kingdom after the Queen, of course.” Tempest said.

“But- your grace, why are you two all the way out here, alone?” Krîzovôs questioned again, confused. “It doesn't make sense.”

“We're exiles.” Simply said the Queen of Highcrest, shrugging. “The plan was to sail across the sea and take back my kingdom from a usurper, but... Let's just say fate has other ideas at the moment. My host now has a usurper of his own to deal with.”

“Lord of Heaven...” Breathed the knight. “A real Queen in my house.”

“I'm really not the shining example of royalty.” Stated Tempest. “Don't get too worked up over it.”

“I'll try not to, your grace.” He bowed his head again.

“Where's Zefîra?”

“Still sleeping, like Lady Snowy.” Answered Krîzovôs. Tempest thought back to the previous night. She did feel bad for pushing Snowy so hard, but it had to be done...

“I'll let her sleep in. She's earned a few hours more of rest.” Decided she.

“Teen girls will do as teen girls do...” Sighed the knight as only a vexed father could. “Sometimes I don't know how I put up with Zefîra. I hope your friend isn't as stubborn.”

“Snowy's actually older than me, by three and a half years.” Krîzovôs raised an eyebrow, surprised. A little something in the back of Tempest's mind reminded her Snowy would be turning nineteen not long from now. “I guess having responsibilities makes you act older, though.”

“Hah, I wish.” Grumbled Krîzovôs. “Well, we better prepare you for departure if you're intent on leaving this morning. We'll get some food ready, and maybe some other things.”

It was several hours more before Zefîra made an appearance, groggy and in her nightgown. Her father reminded her of the day's tasks at hand, and she vanished again. One more hour passed before Snowy showed herself, looking pleasantly surprised that it was so late in the morning.

“Thanks for not flying off.” She said quietly. Tempest could only give her a baffled look. Did she really think I'd leave her here? By then, the knight and pegasus had finished their preparations, and Zefîra had joined them again, now in day clothes. They had two day's of food, and some new equipment; a worn spyglass and a more detailed map of this northerly region. It included upper Jutan and Verâd, in addition to the March and its mountains, and even the Far North. That interested the two pegasi greatly, they had never seen any section of the Far North in such detail, even if it was constrained to only thirty to forty miles beyond the March, and to a few hundred miles from the coast.

“Well, looks like this is it.” Said Tempest, putting on her traveling cloak. “I can't thank you enough for helping us.”

“A good tale or two is all I require, and that's what I got.” Krîzovôs spoke. “You two are welcome to return any time.”

“I hope we can.” I doubt we'll ever pass this way again, though.

“I w-wish we could have stayed longer, but...” Snowy trailed off. The knight nodded.

“I understand. I hope you reach wherever you're going safely.”

“And be careful out there!” Warned Zefîra. “There's been odd news from Kakâdras lately.”

“We've heard, but thanks.” Tempest nodded, flaring her wings. “Until we meet again.”

“God be with you!” Waved Krîzovôs as the two pegasi took off, headed north.

“Farewell!” Yelled Zefîra from below. And that was the last they saw of the two humans. Tempest was glad they had managed to make friends, even if it was only a chance encounter for a day. It was a bright spot in what otherwise had been a week of uncertainty. For the rest of the day, they watched Ôsavon get closer. They passed the final volcano of the Dashavon, and watched its slope slide north and level out onto a plain. Somewhere, beyond that plain, rose the Ôsavon. They still couldn't see over the horizon to their base, but they could definitely see the mountains' sides. The two camped in the shelter of a copse of pines.

The next day, Tempest waited and waited for the peaks to stop rising from the ground, but for every mile they flew, the more they loomed overhead. It was only when they could see the mountains from root to crest that Tempest realized that the Ôsavon were not separate peaks clustered together, but a solid wall of rock rearing thousands of feet into the sky. Well, an almost solid wall. There was a large rend in it, straight ahead.

“Lord of Heaven...” Commented Tempest in awe, as they took a break. The trees had thinned out the further north they got, until there was almost no vegetation but grass and shrubs. There were chunks of rock scattered all around, ranging from huge boulders to little stones; they went as far as the eye could see.

“Ôs means a wall- a wall that borders a land.” Said Snowy, after taking a drink of water from a small brook. “It's why Aharôs is named Aharôs; he owns land bound by a wall. A wall of ink or stone, either one counts.”

“That explains a lot.” Tempest continued to stare at the massive wall of mountains before her. They were still thirty miles away! “How high do you think they are?”

“Seventeen thousand feet.” Snowy stated without a moment's hesitation.

“Lord of Heaven...” Was all Tempest could repeat, as she studied the sight. “It looked like something just smashed through the mountains there.” She pointed at the rend, which plunged at least two thirds of the way down.

“We don't know w-what did that. Some say the alicorns, some say the ancient humans, some say other forces.” Snowy explained, shivering at the word other. “That's where Kakâdras is. In there.”

“We can make it by tonight...” Stated Tempest, narrowing her eyes. “You up for that?”

“If it means a real bed again.” The other pegasus answered wearily, but with a slight smile. Tempest stretched her wings, and jumped into the air.

“Well, only one thing for it, then!”

Kakâdras awaited them, a castle on the edge of the world.

Author's Notes:

Only two chapters and an epilogue left until Part II. I'll be changing the title of the story next update. H-here we go...

Arrival in Sarathûl

The sun was setting, but there wasn't a hint of land in sight. Ten ships sailed from Unicornia's coast three days ago, and it would be another six days before they hit Sarathûl. Their mission was simple, secure a place for Celestia to land the main army. At least, it sounded simple. Goldleaf's part in the plan was to simply keep the ships running; he handled an entire one all by himself on the night shift, as the pegasi kept up a stiff wind to pull the sails. It was dreadfully boring work so far, all he had to do was make adjustments to the rigging wherever the pegasi spotted one to be made. For three nights, Goldleaf sat in the middle of the deck, waiting to be called upon every dozen minutes. Sometimes, Hemlock came to talk to him, but a sharp glance from Lady Silver would send her slinking away. It was a shame, he had come to appreciate the company of the pegasus. Luckily, there was always Princess Luna... Or there should have been.

“Where's she gotten off to?” Muttered Goldleaf, slightly annoyed.

“We are right next you.” Came the alicorn's voice.

“Gah!” Goldleaf nearly jumped, and spun in a circle trying to find the voice. When he had come back to his starting point, Princess Luna rippled out of thin air, her horn aglow.

“A new spell, taught to Us by Aegis.” She explained quickly, prancing around in delight at its success.

“An invisibility spell?” The unicorn asked. “I've never seen one before, your highness. This must be old magic.”

“It's a highly complex spell, not many can cast it.” Said Luna excitedly.

“You must have great talent, then, Princess.” Deduced Goldleaf. I wish I had the skill required for that...

“It comes with being an alicorn, perhaps!” Laughed Luna, still delighting in her success.

“Sometimes I do forget you were sealing chaos spirits in stone at half my age.” Luna had been what, barely over ten when she defeated Discord? For an alicorn, that was incredibly young. It was said that their minds developed even slower than their bodies; Celestia might be over two hundred years old, but her mind was still where a sixteen year old filly's was. Goldleaf estimated that Luna was somewhere around thirteen. It certainly did explain a lot about their actions, or at least for Celestia's.

“Between invisiblity and the dreamworld, We do believe We can infiltrate anything We please.” Declared the Princess of the Night, smiling boldly. “Even the humans aren't safe now!”

“Can you go into their dreams?” Asked the unicorn curiously. “The advantage of doing so could be enormous...”

“We have not yet tried.” Admitted Luna. “But We intend to.” I wonder who the lucky subject will be... If the human was lucky, it wouldn't even notice Luna's presence. If not... It might be awkward.

Later that evening, the Night Court met again at the prow of the ship, even if it was just an informal gathering. All three had separate duties to attend to, so the start of their day, or rather night, was one of the few times they could meet.

“Well, so far, so good.” Hemlock reported brightly. “Despite our inexperience in maritime affairs, we haven't had any major incidents yet.”

“There'll be a major incident if I have to keep tying all these knots over and over.” Goldleaf grumbled, staring at the water crashing against the bow.

“We must admit, it is nice to be out of a castle.” Commented Princess Luna.

“The only problem is, we're on a ship. Ponies and ships just don't mix well.” Pointed out the unicorn.

“The real problem is my mother-” Spoke Hemlock, before cutting off and looking behind her. “Speak of a windigo..!” She hissed under her breath. And it appears... Goldleaf finished the old pegasus saying.

“What are you three conspiring about?” Asked Lady Silver, trotting up to where the Night Court held their gathering. She barely gave an incline of her head in respect to the alicorn princess.

“Nothing that concerns you, Lady Silver.” Luna stated coolly.

“Very little does not concern me.” Said the pegasus noble.

“Then this falls under very little's jurisdiction.” The midnight alicorn retorted. It was evident to all on board that the two had very different ideas on how their mission should operate. “Do you have anything to report?”

“Nothing yet, your highness.” Silver sounded disappointed at that. “Nothing but water and fish out here. Sometimes an albatross. However, this is the issue on what we'll do when we actually get to Old Alicornia, which will be in just a few more days...”

“We will do exactly what Our sister commended Us to do.” Firmly said the Princess of the Night. “No more, no less.”

“About that... What exactly are we supposed to do. I know Princess Celestia commanded us to seize a landing ground and hold it, while scouting out the forces of the humans... But surely, we can do more!”

“Mother, what can we do, other than that?” Cautiously asked Hemlock.

“We could strike directly at the heart of their Empire.” Lady Silver got a wicked smile on her face. “A lightning attack, set their crown city aflame, plant the seeds of fear in their souls!”

“That sounds-” Goldleaf began to say, but found himself cut off by Luna.

“-like a horrendous plan.” Sharply said the Princess. “It would only serve to enrage an already threatened people. We want this to end quickly, not turn into a culture and race war.”

“You all sound like my eldest daughter.” Lady Silver took on a look of distaste. “She never was ready to do anything drastic.”

“Would this be the ever-elusive Snowy?” Asked Princess Luna.

“None other.” The pegasus wrinkled her nose. “It's a good thing she's gone, even Hemlock is better than her. Though that's not saying much.” Hemlock's ears drooped down, but she said nothing, only taking up a dark expression.

“We must wonder what a little filly could do that made you so vigorously hateful of her.” The alicorn had a carefully neutral look about her, almost as good as the one her older sister could do.

“Well, it wasn't anything she did, your highness. It was what she didn't do.” Silver rolled her eyes, and flicked her tail. “She was a complete failure. No aptitude for war, no will to make decisions, no strength or stamina. And far too much empathy.”

“Too much empathy?” Echoed Goldleaf. Did he hear that right?

“Yes, too much empathy. Keep your ears open, commoner.” Scolded Lady Silver, before launching into her explanation. “That Snowy was always worried about what was good, or nice, or fair. Hah! That's a one way path to death in our position. I didn't make our house the second most powerful in the kingdom by being nice! Sometimes I'm not sure if Hemlock realizes that either.” She batted her daughter with a wing; Hemlock didn't try and get out of the way, only giving her mother an annoyed look. “I have never seen a pony so spineless as she. Absolutely disgusting. A storm came to Greatfall once, blowing down out of the Frozen North. She hid under her bed and cried! So I dragged her out into the courtyard, with Hemlock for good measure, and made them stay there until it was over. One of them got sick after, I can't remember which...

“Oh, Snowy, you cowardly wretch.” Sighed pegasus, without a hint of pity. “She refused to fly until she was six, and only then because I threw her off the castle walls! Yes, she broke a leg or two on landing, but she still flew. At least that got this one motivated.” The mare dropped her hoof on the head of Hemlock, who winced, but again did nothing else. “What a useless filly. She had the courage of a rat and the backbone of a jellyfish. If by some stroke of fate we find her in Old Alicornia, I will... No, actually: Hemlock, if it turns out Snowy is alive, and we meet her again, bring me her head. Maybe you'll be less of a disappointment then. Hopefully, a cripple and a lesser Princess haven't turned you soft...” With those words, Silver strode off. Goldleaf stood silently, not daring to say a thing.

Princess Luna was not even bothering to hide the look of sheer contempt on her face; he had never seen her so visibly emotional before. Had he not known better, Goldleaf could swear that the alicorn was seriously contemplating lancing Lady Silver through with a beam of magic. But Hemlock just had a dark expression about her.

“I have to live with that, you know.” She said quietly. “I can't tell you how many times I've heard her rant about Snowy. Though she doesn't bring it up with others often.”

“Stars above...” Muttered Goldleaf to himself. Suddenly, everything about Hemlock made sense. The casual dismissiveness of her sister, the apparent joy she took when somepony listened to her, the refusal to talk about her family or even be near them... “They tried to make me turn out the same.” She had told him once, on the first day they met.

“I'm seriously considering to have you bring me her head, Hemlock.” Luna growled, forgetting about the royal plural. “How any one pony could be so callously cruel... It's vile!”

“Kinslaying isn't my idea of a solution.” The pegasus replied. “Maybe that Blackwind girl will take care of her.” I wouldn't count on it, Goldleaf thought doubtingly. “Let's just forget this happened, it's really not a good way to start the night.”

“As you wish.” Acknowledged the alicorn, though he was sure Luna had no intentions of forgetting. The cat was out of the bag, as earth ponies liked to say. Goldleaf wished there was something he could do to help, but he could imagine nothing. A second-rate unicorn against one of the best fighters in Equestria? Goldleaf was well-aware of his own tendency to shy away from conflict as well. I guess all we can do is keep Hemlock with us, she seems to be handling it well enough on her own already. And there isn't anything we could do anyway, she's an adult now, Lady Silver can't treat her like a child anymore. Still, the knowledge of how cruel a mistress Silver could be was unsettling. Truly, she knew no guilt or remorse for her actions. What manner of pony was she that she could be so sadistic to her own children? It made Goldleaf's stomach twist. Evil has as face, they say... Perhaps one of Hemlock's ice spirits got to Lady Silver in the past.

“Lord Goldleaf-” One of the pegasi who directed this ship's wind had flown down from the masts.

“I'm no lord, soldier, just a commoner.” The unicorn replied.

“Uh, Master Goldleaf, one of the ties in the rigging is coming loose up top.” The pegasus mare reported. Master? I'm not some merchant's son; I grew up in a three-room house that exited onto an alley! If mother could see these pegasi bowing to me now...

“Very well, I'll take care of it.” So began another long night of keeping the rigging and sails in check. Maritime art was not a natural art of Equestrians, he was surprised that no disasters had occurred so far, besides an overboard unicorn a few nights ago, who was quickly recovered. As he paced the deck, Luna and Hemlock went below. The alicorn had to review Lady Silver's various versions of their plan, while Hemlock provided assistance. What exactly that assistance was, Goldleaf wasn't sure. But after tonight's revelation, he was glad that the young mare was with Luna. Just in case.

Five more nights passed uneventfully, with Lady Silver making only token appearances. As far as he had gathered, the plan so far was to secure a landing site for the main fleet, which was still under construction. Their ten ships were just a fraction of the numbers they'd have within a few weeks. What Goldleaf didn't know was how they were supposed to hold a section of coast. Ten ships against a continent? They'd need to stay stealthy, that was for sure.

Sarathûl was spotted the next evening, just an hour after sunset; a dark mass against a slightly lighter sky. It was a cloudy night over on this side of the ocean, but the distant firelight was unmistakably a town of some sorts. Princess Luna had them turn south and sail in that direction for several hours, dousing every light on their ships. When she glanced at the sky, a sliver opened in the clouds to reveal a portion of the moon. Slowly, they inched towards the cliffs and beaches awaiting them. Lady Silver dispatched some of her pegasi to scout the area, and they returned not fifteen minutes later.

“There's a large cove not far from here.” One reported. “Just like Lord Aegis's map said.”

“Set course for it, then.” Ordered Luna. I didn't know Aegis gave us a map... Perhaps Luna had kept that a secret, in case of any spies? Wait a second, spies- Goldleaf immediately recalled something he had seen some many weeks ago, and set off to find Hemlock. The beige pegasus was lurking near the bow as usual.

“Lady Hemlock-”

“I think you can just call me Hemlock by now, Goldleaf.” She said.

“Yes, well, I've just remembered something rather worrisome.” He spoke in a low voice. “Remember when we saw Lord Aegis and the human envoy from Ar-Athazîon? He gave the envoy a package.”

“Yeah...” Hemlock nodded in recollection. “So what?”

“Lord Aegis apparently gave Princess Luna and your mother a map of the coast, but I didn't even hear about it until now!” Quickly whispered Goldleaf, pointing his bad foreleg in the direction of the stern.

“So what?” The pegasus asked again.

“What if Lord Aegis is up to something?” Hemlock gave him a funny look, before laughing.

“Alright, I know you unicorns are paranoid, but really? How in the world did you come up with that conclusion?” She turned away, and looked at the oncoming coast. “Sometimes you just have to stop those wheels in your head, Goldleaf. They don't always bring you to the right place.”

“So maybe it's a bit silly of a notion.” He admitted. “But I can't help but think... If he doesn't trust us, there has to be a reason, right?”

“You're a unicorn, what other reason is needed?” Giggled Hemlock.

“And you're a pegasus, so that explains that.” He answered.

“We're equally lesser in the eyes of alicorns, Luna said it herself.” Stated the pegasus.

“So we are.” Goldleaf agreed. There was a moment of silence before Hemlock spoke again.

“I hope you know that I actually don't think that.” She stated, now quite serious in tone. “The whole lesser thing, you know?”

“That's quite a change of heart.” Remarked the unicorn, smirking.

“I mean it!” Hemlock scowled at him.

“No doubt. And for what it's worth, I've come to doubt what my kind have always told me about you pegasi too.” He acknowledged, raising his head high. “Perhaps there are reconsiderations to be had.”

“I don't think that's a word, Goldleaf.”

“It is now.” Declared the unicorn. “But I'm being serious too, except for your mother, your tribe isn't as bad as they say.”

“Yeah, well, Lady Silver is...” Hemlock took on a look of distaste. “I don't even know if there's a pony in there anymore. We shouldn't count her as a pegasus.”

“It works for me.” Agreed Goldleaf.

As they had talked, the ships had sailed along the rock cliffs of Sarathûl, and turned into a hidden cove. They dropped anchor in the middle of it, and prepared to disembark. Luna flew directly off the ship, and landed on the sand beach a few dozen yards away.

“The first alicorn on these shores in thirteen hundred years.” Goldleaf stated, watching Luna wander around idly as a group of pegasi joined her. “You'd have thought it'd be a little more exciting than that.”

“You'd think.” Agreed Hemlock. “Well, here we are in Sarathûl.”

“This could be another part of Equestria for all I've seen. I was expecting a little more exoticness to this place.” He didn't bother to hide the disappointment in his voice.

“Regardless, we're finally here.” The pegasus looked at the beach, and then at the wooded hills beyond. Goldleaf nodded, getting an uneasy feeling about him.

“Welcome to the realms of men, Hemlock; and that's likely to be the best greeting you get. They won't be so friendly about it.”

Author's Notes:

Only one chapter and an epilogue of part one left! As promised, the title of the story is changing to reflect that. Otherwise, you guys know the drill. Spot an error, report it. Got a question, ask it (comment or PM works). I don't think I have to say this anymore.

Kakâdras

Of all the things she had seen in her life, the Ôsavon mountains were perhaps the most awe-inspiring. It was blindingly obvious that this wall of rock had no business being here, there was not a single foothill to be seen. They just shot out of the ground at a scarily steep angle, like some great force had yanked them from the earth. In fact, the face of the mountains was so steep that snow had a hard time clinging, most of it was concentrated at the broken, jagged peaks on top. All around, there were scattered piles of boulders and even larger chunks of stone that had tumbled down from the top, thanks to the never-ending power of erosion.

But nothing rivaled the utter devastation that lay before the great rend that cleaved through two-thirds of the wall. It was a gaping wound, and the land for miles around showed the signs of it. There was a quite literal fan of debris radiating out from the rend, the fragments growing larger the closer they got. Even though grass and shrubs had moved in, it had been clear that this event had been cataclysmic in scale when Snowy discovered green chunks of glass in a little stream.

“It's just some glass, Snowy.” Tempest had sighed when the other mare had brought it to her.

“Not just glass, Tempest, this is naturally-formed glass.” She explained. “This wasn't made by any human. Something happened here that was hot enough to turn whatever this was into glass, all on its own.”

“...Incredible...” Tempest breathed in awe. “We really are on the edge of the world, aren't we? Artificial mountains and rocks turned into glass... Incredible.”

“Circumstances aside, I am kind of glad we got to see this.” Said Snowy, with a little smile. “It really is something out of another time.”

“Let's just hope it's all that's left of that time.” She commented back. They flew on, getting closer to the rend. The gap was shaped something like the Equestrian letter V. There was a long ravine that led down from the summit of the gap, Tempest could only assume it was the same for the other side. She spotted a path far below. At the peak of the ravine was a little boxy building. Kakâdras! “Sure looks small!” Remarked Tempest as they flew, higher and higher. Snowy didn't answer, she was focused on staying in the air. They'd covered nearly thirty miles with only one stop, it was quite a feat for the other pegasus. Now, the sun was setting, and they had to get the castle before it was too dark to navigate.

Kakâdras was anything but small, as they soon found out. There was an large outcrop that pushed out from the rend wall, and upon it was a terraced structure of dark stone. It was a series of keeps stacked on top of one another, wide and low at the bottom, but narrowing as they went up. The entire design reminded Tempest of one of those fancy Equestrian cakes she'd seen many years ago, just square and off-center. On the top was a relatively squat tower, from it streamed a checked black and white banner, with a red eight-ray star in the center. Whomever controlled this place was certainly showing their allegiance to the Empire. However, all was not well with Kakâdras. Even from a distance, Tempest noted the scaffolding and hastily-applied patches on the fortress; in addition to several cracks running through the walls. The corner of one of the upper walls closest to the rend had been completely obliterated. A conspicuous boulder sitting in the courtyard below was a likely suspect for that.

The two pegasi descended, gliding down to the only obvious gate. Snowy immediately sat down, and bowed her head; she must have been exhausted. It irked Tempest that the fortress blocked the view of the other side of the rend. The Far North is a furlong away, and I can't see it! she fumed quietly.

“Who goes there?” Came the call from the gatehouse.

“Friends of Îrilôs Taizâres, Duke of Fâharîon!” Announced Tempest.

“And what would you be? Alicorns?” The sentry asked.

“Pegasi, from Equestria. Lesser cousins of the alicorns.” She replied.

“What business do you have up here?” The interrogation continued.

“We were sent here by Duke Îrilôs. He said that...” Tempest turned to Snowy. “Do you remember the name of the garrison commander? Îrilôs said he was kin.” She whispered.

“Sir Lîetôs.” Replied Snowy, after a moment of thought.

“He said that Sir Lîetôs could help us.” Tempest finished her answer.

“Stay there.” The sentry vanished from the gatehouse parapet, down into the gatehouse.

“It's not like we have anywhere else to go.” Grumbled the Queen of Highcrest, watching the sky get darker and darker as the minute went by. It was getting colder too, they were over a mile above the ocean, if her math was right.

“It is impressive.” Snowy remarked to her, looking up at Kakâdras. From the ground, it looked even more like a pile little of castles.

“How big do you think it is?” Asked Tempest, gazing up at its crowning tower.

“Bigger than Nikadîon, in terms of area.” Said Snowy, squinting. “It's got to be several hundred feet tall.”

“How did they build this? Why did they build this?” Tempest wondered. “It seems like a waste of money, and it can't have been easy to haul all this stone up here.”

“I don't know... But look at the angles.” Snowy pointed to the walls. “Humans didn't build castles this angular until just a few decades ago, and this is a lot older than Nikadîon or any of the Karthâ fortresses.”

“Are you saying humans didn't build this?” Tempest gave her a skeptical look.

“I'm saying it's unusual. Just another mystery I guess-” Anything more she had to say would have to wait, as the sentry had returned.

“Very well, Equestrians, you may enter. But the Captain will have to talk to you himself.”

“Fair enough.” Tempest agreed, watching the gates swing open. Oddly enough, it was not an arched portal, but a peaked one, like the roof of a house. Maybe Snowy is right. This is definitely not a normal castle. Any castle that was taller than any building she had seen before was already unusual enough, but these little things caught her attention more. As they emerged into the courtyard, Tempest noticed an identical gateway that led northeast instead of southeast, as their own gate did. That must have led to the Far North. It's right there! Tempest snorted in frustration. She would have to see it before they left, that was unquestionable. She didn't come all this way just to miss it by a matter of yards! On another note, the lack of people about was not what she was expecting. There was only a handful of armored soldiers, one was scrubbing away at some stain in a corner, others just went about their business, whatever it was.

“Where is the Captain, anyway?” Asked Tempest to the sentry. He was in full armor; perhaps to keep warm during the night shift? His visor was closed too... All of the soldiers had their visors closed.

“Up there.” The sentry pointed to the tower far above. “More stairs than I care to climb. You two can fly up there, you've got wings.” Snowy let out a small, defeated sigh.

“The flying never stops...”

“Come on.” Tempest ordered, but in a gentle tone. And so it was back into the air for a minute, as they circled up the tower. As they flew up, Tempest noted six tiers of walls and courtyards to the terraced fortress. Most were devoid of any human activity; there weren't even any fires or lanterns lit. Here and there were soldiers cleaning the place up. They arrived at the base of the octagonal tower, which was no more than thirty feet high.

“Are you the Equestrians?” Asked another armored soldier from behind his visor. He sounded just like the sentry below, oddly enough.

“No, we're griffons.” Replied Tempest dryly.

“Funny.” The soldier said. “I take it you won't hand over your sword, even if I ask?” Tempest shook her head. “Well, in you go.” He opened the door, and waved them forward before following them in. Should security really be that light? “The Captain is up top.” Inside, it appeared the tower was hollow, except for a winding stairway going around the inside. Above was a wooden ceiling, and that's where the stairs led through. They climbed up, noting the portraits of whom could only be the former Captains of the Kakâdras garrison. Most of them were middle-aged or older, and most of them wore southern style armor; heavily decorated and colored instead of the flat metal of the Vûrdasha. The last portrait was of an older man standing next to the door at the base of the tower; the artist had obviously preferred realistic portraits rather than the more glamorous ones decorating the lower stairs.

Tempest saw a variety of odd artifacts once the two emerged onto the wooden floor of the upper level, where yet another armored guard was. The were plenty of rusted bits of weaponry and equipment, various skeletons, and even some pottery. I wonder if this is stuff they found in the old homeland.

“Ah, we've been expecting you.” Said a white-haired man, who was sitting behind a desk. Unlike all his men, he was not in armor. Rather, he wore the standard clothes of the high nobility, long and obscuring. This had to have been Sir Lîetôs, of some cadet branch of the Imperial family. “You know my name, but I do not know yours...”

“I am Tempest Blackwind, this is Snowy Farpeak.” Stated the pegasus.

“You're the Equestrians from the court of Aharôs Loiar?” Asked Sir Lîetôs.

“What's left of them.” Affirmed Tempest.

“Good.” Sir Lîetôs said quietly. “I am to understand that Prince Reshîv as assumed control of Vatherîon?”

“He has. Aharôs- er, Prince- er, King Aharôs is now headed this way too.” Tempest cringed at her double mistake. “Your kinsman, Îrilôs, said you could help us.”

“Well, that may be true.” Nodded the Captain of Kakâdras, with a conceding look on his face. “You two must be quite weary.”

“V-very much so, Sir.” Snowy admitted quietly.

“Please, take a seat.” The Captain gestured around the room. There were no other chairs, but there was a fur carpet in front of a low-burning fire. Tempest sat as offered, and Snowy wasted no time in laying down and curling up next to her. She kept her eyes open, however. “You must have come a long way.”

“Oh, quite a ways.” Agreed Tempest. “All the way from Vatherîon to here, never stopping more than a night. It took about... I think five or six days. It's been kind of a blur to me.”

“No doubt.” Sir Lîetôs said with a nod. “Alas, that you cannot just ignore sleep and press forward.”

“Alas, that I had a certain pegasus who needed to stop every other hour.” Replied Tempest, laughing. She put her hoof on Snowy's shoulder, hopefully she'd understand the joke. Her friend just rolled her eyes.

“You can't all be swift as the wind.” Sighed the Captain. “Miss Tempest- Would that be a proper way of addressing you?”

“Sure.”

“Well, Miss Tempest, I can't help but notice you're carrying something around your neck.” Lîetôs pointed to it. Huh- oh, that. The little black crystal Sidâl had given her months ago, to ward off dreams and nightmares. She usually wore it only at night, but she'd put it on for their entire trip so far. It'd been so long since she thought about it that she had forgotten it was there.

“This thing? A man named Sidâl gave it to me. He said it would help me sleep.” She answered.

“Sidâl.” Murmured the Captain. “Did he now...”

“Do you know Sidâl?”

“Oh, I know him, that's for sure.” Lîetôs frowned. “I know him quite well.”

“How?”

“That's of no concern. But be advised that Sidâl has no power here, Tempest Blackwind.” He warned. “I wouldn't expect that little trinket to work.”

“If you say so...” Tempest's ears shifted back a little, she didn't like his tone at all. Snowy was gazing intently at the stairwell, where some of the portraits were visible.

“I do.” Stated Lîetôs. “But, Miss Blackwind, I am interested in something you might be able to tell me about.”

“Ask away.”

“What can you tell me about, hmm, King Aharôs?” Asked the Captain. “He's a person of interest to me, I'd like to know more about him.”

“Well... There's quite a bit to tell.” Tempest thought for a moment. It was certainly not a question she expected, but it seemed harmless enough. “I mean, he seems like a really cold-hearted, harsh, and unfriendly man, but... Alright, he kind of is, sometimes, but not always. Not to me.” Lîetôs blinked at her.

“How old are you?” He asked.

“Fifteen.”

“Ah... Continue.” Lîetôs smirked to himself; Tempest couldn't imagine why. So, Tempest continued, giving her best effort to nail down Aharôs's character. She had no idea if she was successful or not, because even she couldn't fully unravel the mystery of the King. And I'm arguably the closest person to him! Come to think of it, she really was... Tempest hoped he was doing well, wherever he was right now. Eventually, Tempest switched from trying to explain her guardian, to simply telling stories about him. All of them were true, of course. They started off as rather light-hearted anecdotes, like the time they had gone into the local woods to find a hive of bees. With time, though, Tempest turned to darker, more recent subjects, like the burning of the city in Verâd. “He sounds like a fair man.” Said the Captain.

“Fair. Cruel, but fair.” Commented one of the soldiers, still standing, still in armor, still with his visor down. It was the one who had come in with them from outside.

“Precisely, Avenîl. I admire it.” The Captain stated, smiling to himself. I thought Avenîl was a female name, thought Tempest. The soldier gave a start at this, like he was offended. Maybe he was.

“I still wouldn't go so far as to say he's cruel...” Tempest objected, despite her momentary confusion. “He's not evil.”

“No one is.” Lîetôs said.

“He's just dealing with tough situations. What would you do?” Asked she.

“The same thing, actually. And I am quite cruel myself. Cruel, but fair.” Laughed the Captain. There was an edge to his voice that made Tempest shiver. “But come along, Equestrians, we must get you to where you need to be. I've kept you long enough.” For the first time that night, he stood up, revealing a height she'd never seen in any human before. He had to have been at least six and a half feet tall, if not more! Sir Lîetôs led them back down the stairs; Tempest had to coax Snowy back to her hooves.

“Finally, time for bed.” Snowy said with relief, looking at the portraits as they went. She lingered on the one of Lîetôs by the door frame, her expression changing to troubled. I wonder what's gotten to her now, grumbled Tempest to herself. When they stepped back out into the uppermost courtyard, Tempest noted that Lîetôs's head barely got under the peak of the frame. Outside, a few more soldiers were present, one scrubbing away at a stain.

“What are you all cleaning here?” Asked Tempest. “Surely, you can't be that tidy.”

“I am a tidy soul.” The Captain spoke. “But what would the Queen of Highcrest know of that?”

“What- How-” Tempest's eyes went wide. “I never told you that!”

“Tempest Blackwind, daughter of Maelstrom Blackwind.” Announced Sir Lîetôs to the night, laughing. “I knew who you were the moment you told me your name.”

“Tempest!” Hissed Snowy. “S-something is wrong!”

“What do you mean?” She replied, getting the sinking feeling that something really was wrong.

“The portrait of the Captain- his head didn't come within half a foot of the door frame. But we just saw him barely get under it here...” Pointed out Snowy, starting to tremble. Tempest felt her stomach flutter through her as she realized the implications. “Old men don't grow a head and a half overnight.” They looked at Sir Lîetôs, who looked right back at them, still smiling.

“Why are they so intent on cleaning this place then... Why would they want to clean stains unless they were...” Her blood went cold, as she whipped around to look at the soldiers. All in armor, all with visors closed; silent and unspeaking but for one. That can't possibly be-

“So slow, Tempest! You're certainly a poor replacement for Maelstrom.” Sir Lîetôs said, his voice dropping and taking on some strange distortion. Before Tempest could respond to his insult, the Captain's entire body flickered and flashed; before the mask dropped away. In the place of the Captain stood a tall, looming figure, wrapped in darkness, melting into the night on either side of him. A plated hand pointed out at them. “I told you, Sidâl has no power here. He and Îrilôs were wrong to send you to this place.”

“W-what?” Squeaked Snowy, ears going flat back.

“I don't know what he has planned with you, but it ends now.” The figure spoke, a purple light gathering in his hand. Tempest panicked; she jumped into the air and swung her sword out just as the light shot at her. To her amazement, her blade just absorbed the energy.

“Snowy!” Shouted Tempest. “Go!” She didn't need to be told twice, the mare bolted into the sky, darting off as fast as she could away from Kakâdras.

“You're full of surprises.” Commented the figure, now stalking towards her.

“Yeah, well-” There was another flash of purple light, and the figure was right in front of her, armored hand around her throat. She tried to choke out a call for help, but no sound came. Oh fuck- Tempest realized that there was no rescue coming from Streaming Breeze and Coldstar like there had been before. No, no, no, this isn't how it ends-

“Like mother, like daughter. Killed by your own arrogance.” Rumbled the figure, tightening his grip. From his other hand he produced a long dagger, and nicked the side of her face with it, drawing a drop of blood. “I always said Sidâl was too forgiving. In fact-” Something slammed into him, knocking him aside and sending Tempest crashing to the ground.

“Kaia bâlon, Hell-wraith!” Snowy yelled, sounding more terrified than anything, as she leaped away from the fallen shadowy figure. “Go, go, go-” Whined the pegasus, as Tempest shakily launched into the air herself. She rushed after Snowy, and overtook her in a matter of seconds, but that didn't matter. They blindly sped on, not caring where they were going, as long as it was away from Kakâdras and the thing they had encountered. Tempest didn't know when they stopped, but they did.

“Alright-” She panted. “Alright... Where are we?” Snowy just dropped to the ground and did nothing more. “I guess you're out, then.” Tempest remarked, letting herself fall too. Maybe this was all just a nightmare, maybe when she woke up, they'd be in the real Kakâdras, with this insanity never taking place...

She awoke to sharp sun's rays, and a cool mountain breeze. Tempest blinked the haze from her eyes, and immediately stood up. It was morning, the sun was coming up. The Ôsavon rose in front of her, a wall of rock that blotted out a good deal of the sky, and the grassy plain- Wait... As Tempest whirled around, she realized there was nothing but forested hills in front of her. And when she looked at the Ôsavon, the sun was in the west instead of east, despite it being morning...

“Oh.” She realized. “Uh... Snowy...” She poked at the other mare until she opened her eyes.

“What?” Snowy asked, groggily. She shot upright when she saw where the sun was, relative to the wall of rock.

“We, uh, well...” Tempest swallowed nervously, and glanced at her sword.“We're in the Far North.”

Author's Notes:

That day has come. Coming shortly: The epilogue of Part I!

The Opening Move

“Did you see that? The Farpeak girl took me down! And she called me a wraith!” The sorcerer jumped back to his feet with unnatural grace, his cloak of shadows turning into a cloak of ordinary dark cloth.

“Oh, I saw it.” Said his fellow-traveler. The soldier removed his helmet, and then he too flickered and flashed... revealing a woman. With an experimental cough, her voice changed back to normal. “I didn't think she'd have it in her, after what we were told.”

“Wraiths... Hah!” Laughed the sorcerer, turning away and lowering his hood. Quickly, the woman handed him a helmet of a design he'd never seen before, something all-enclosing. Lîetôs only caught a glimpse of sickly skin on the back of the sorcerer's head before it was hidden again. With his own helmet's visor locked down, Lîetôs could see very little at all. “Although, I suppose I am something of a ghost. A vengeful spirit of the past, returned to the world of the living!”

“They should be terrified.” Said the woman dryly, fumbling with the ill-fitting armor she wore. She gave up quickly, and used one of the motionless soldier's knife to cut her way out of it. Lîetôs knew he should have never have let those two into his fortress. He should have ordered his men to open fire the minute the tall one named himself Âûm. We should have seen that sign of madness! The Captain reprimanded himself. Three times in their history, a man took that name, and three times the realms of men had bled. And yet, he had ignored it. Why?!

But even with the strange armor, strange height, and strange name; it didn't matter, they'd just been happy for visitors. Desperate, even, after months in solitude. His female companion was of more interest to the garrison, a dark-haired and dark-eyed woman from the south, by the name of Avenîl. How quickly they had dropped their guard to the two visitors, how quickly the slaughter had begun. Those few who survived had been locked in their own minds presumably, just like Lîetôs now was, masquerading as a common soldier, pawns of the two invaders.

“Well, they should be terrified. The alicorns feared our power once, and look where they are now!” Boisterously remarked the sorcerer calling himself Âûm. Whoever was in that armor was certainly the tallest human in the world, there was no doubt of that. Six and a half feet! That was a full foot taller than the average man... His companion, Avenîl, didn't even come up to his shoulders. Âûm knelt, and picked up his dagger, before handing it to the woman. “Confirm that this was Tempest Blackwind here. I took some blood from her.”

“Let's see...” A spark of purple light went from Avenîl's hand to the tip of the blade. “Yes, this is Tempest Blackwind. It's close enough to Maelstrom's- Hold on.” The woman brought the dagger closer to her face, and sent another purple spark into it. “Âûm, take a look at this.” The tall one approached, and added his own spark to it.

“Hmm... Yes, we've seen this blood before. Now we know who her father is.” Stated the sorcerer, putting one armored fist into his other palm.

“Does it matter?” Avenîl asked.

“Not in the long run. Oh, but if we had known that, Avenîl! If only we had kept her for an hour, we could have drained her, just a little, and had enough power for months!” Âûm sighed. “Alas, the road not taken. We'll have to make do with these.” He spoke with some distaste, gesturing to the silent soldiers.

“We could go after the Equestrians.” Suggested the woman, handing the dagger back to Âûm.

“No, the pieces are in motion. They're going exactly where we need them to go, it's too late to interfere. If all goes as planned, we won't need her blood anyway.” Âûm folded his arms behind his back.

“And if it doesn't? Like mother, like daughter, you said... Tempest could prove as unable to fulfill the debt as Maelstrom was.”

“I have faith in her. She'd have to be more incompetent than even I thought to mess this up now. Though we'll need to keep an eye on them after this new revelation; if they pass too close to Thîran, they might draw his attention...” Said the sorcerer.

“Then there's nothing else we can do here, except prepare for Aharôs's arrival.” Stated Avenîl. “Do you think he's the one we need?”

“Definitely.” Âûm affirmed. “But they're not needed anymore.” He waved at Lîetôs and the others. “King Aharôs is already set on war, and our friends out yonder report it's the same in Equestria. We could not have chosen better timing! Oh, this was meant to be!" Laughed the sorcerer. He must be mad, he must! "Perhaps Maelstrom's early death was a boon to our cause after all, even if we have to deal with her far less capable daughter... But, that's enough reveling in success. We need to get rid of these onlookers.” Âûm pointed at the soldiers.

“How are we going to do that?” Asked the woman.

“You could try Sidâl's trick.” Suggested the tall one.

“No, the Sîitrîm thing is his signature, it doesn't feel right to use it.” Avenîl replied, putting a hand on her chin. “I suppose we could do it the old-fashioned way, and just collect their blood for later.” The sorcerer shrugged.

“Why not? Let's do it.” Âûm walked forward, twirling his dagger around. He walked straight to Lîetôs, who could only stare at the blank mask of the sorcerer's face in silence. Whoever you really are, I hope you're on a one-way path to Hell, fumed Lîetôs, wishing he could spit on this sorcerer who wore that hated name which only one other surpassed in vileness. “Sorry, Captain, but justice must be done. I'd say it's nothing personal, but it really is!”

But I never did anything, you wretched- The blade plunged between his helmet and chestplate, and the last thing Sir Lîetôs saw was the night sky as he fell backwards.

Author's Notes:

Enter party three. Can't believe I finished this, give me a medal or a cookie, or something!

>>>Across the Sea, Part II