It was about midday when the town, Shorris if she recalled correctly, came into view. From a distance, it looked a lot like Burkesh. A wall made of sharpened tree trunks, a large door wooden door with guard posts, and a sandy brown dirt road running along both the outside and inside of the wall. However, as she got closer, she was able to make out a few distinguishing details.

For one, the buildings were mostly made up of old, somewhat crumbly-looking stones; the only wood on them being planks and somewhat thin sheets blocking up holes and the roofs. From the shape of a few of the larger structures, it looked as if the town had been built out of an older place. Like somepony had built a new section of Ponyville into the old castle in the Everfree. She also noted a few areas of the street, mostly near the back of the town on the far side from the gate, looked like they were made of a primitive type of cobblestone.

She scanned the town, looking for the Demos express office. She soon spotted it, as it stuck out like the one in Burkesh did. However, here it stuck out for a different reason. While the one in Burkesh stuck out because it was made of brick where the rest of the town was made of wood, this one stuck out for the opposite reason: it was made of wood as opposed to stone. It still looked very well made, and still had the painted 'Demos Express' sign.

Rainbow darted down, coming to a halt just above the ground in front of the door. She then touched down and walked inside. She was greeted by a similar sight to the building in Burkesh; a bare room, with the far wall made up of a door, a large space for the receptionist, and the rest was a wall. This time the receptionist was a rather alarmed looking male caragor.

"What in gods name-We're closed!", he barked. Rainbow just sneered.

"Then why is the door unlocked?", she replied.

After a brief stuttering, he said, "Well, listen here. Unless you're a courier, we're closed. So, bugger off."

"I AM a courier," she deadpanned.

The receptionist seemed to relax. "Well, why didn't you say so?" Before Rainbow could fly up and start yelling in his face, he continued, "So, who do you have a package for?"

She unclipped the leather bag on her back, pulling out the letter. It wasn't a letter by her standards; more a scroll-like she had seen Spike send to Princess Celestia then an actual letter. But, she wasn't really taking notes. "Yeah, here it is. I wasn't given a name, but I was told it was to the sister of somepony named Cameron."

He cocked his head in confusion. "You mean Chrissie? She's a caragor, not Terran."

Rainbow signed internally. That's gonna take some getting used to. "Yeah, whatever. Can you just tell me where to find her?"

"Sure," the receptionist said. "Just leave the office, go down the street, then hang a right. She's in one of the apartments above the butcher's shop. I don't remember which but just ask the butcher, Meat Hook. He should tell you."

Rainbow shuddered. She was already a bit uncomfortable with the whole 'Even-ponies-out-here-ate-meat' thing. Now, she had to go into a shop where they sold meat. "Thanks." She then turned and trotted out the door.

If she had been paying attention to where she was going, she probably wouldn't have missed the large, armored demigryph with the ax standing right outside the door. Even still, she almost bumped into him. Taking an alarmed step back, she looked up at the stern and emotionless eagle-like head. Behind him stood more armored figures, also mostly demigryphs.

"Mind telling me who the hell are you?", he asked in a very deep, booming voice.

Rainbow backed up, smiling nervously as sweat beat down her head. She laughed nervously, but before she could say anything, the receptionist came out from behind his desk. "Derek, goddamn it! You going blind or some shit? She's a courier!"

"Then how the hell did she get inside? We didn't see her come in the front gate."

Rainbow huffed, then unfurled her wings. "This answer your question, eh?"

All of them backed up in alarm, staring wide-eyed at her wings. "Dracmes, mother of Damocles! You have wings!?", said one of the stunned guards.

"Yep", Rainbow said as she cracked a wide grin. "And the best flyer you've ever seen, too!"

"The only one we've ever seen, so you win by default", she heard one of the guards mutter.

"W-well then", said the Derek. "Our apologies ma'am. Just was a little suspicious that you didn't come in through the gate."

"Heh. It's fine", Rainbow said. "Now, if that's it, I'll be on my way." She then took off into the air and shot down the street. Looking down at each end of the street, she finally saw the butcher shop at the end of the street.

She came to a stop outside the stone and wood structure. A sign in Demosian (Which the rune didn't translate) hung above the door, likely indicating what this store was. However, she didn't need the sign to detect what this place was; all she had to do was sniff. The scent of dried meat, blood, and other foul smells she couldn't place wafted out of the store, almost making her puke then and there. Still, a job was a job, and she wasn't one to back down. So, clamping her nostrils shut as would allow, she pushed open the door.

A faint clicking noise resonated throughout the store. A large counter greeted her, bits a small metal cage separating her from the meat. Other bits of it hung from hooks behind the counter. A staircase went up out of sight in the corner. Behind the counter, a somewhat bored looking Dull red-coated Earth Pony stood, wearing a leather apron with his even light brown mane pulled back above his head. He perked up upon seeing her, stating cheerfully, "Hello ma'am. What can I get an out' a towner like yer self? Stag? Ghul, perhaps?"

Rainbow was confused at first, but then she realized what he was asking her. He wanted to know what kind of meat she wanted. She scrunched up her muzzle, barely holding in a gag. "What? No!", she said, before calming herself. "Listen, I'm a courier. I have a message for Chrissie. I was told I could find her here."

The Earth po- The Terran slumped down a little, but answered, "Oh. Ok. Yeah, she's here. Just go up the stairs. She'll be the room on yer right. Have a good one."

Rainbow nodded and went up the stairs. Arriving at the top, she saw two doors. Knocking on the right, she heard a loud series of bangs and crashes. Wincing slightly at the noise and yelps of alarm, she backed up as she heard steps by the door. It swung open, revealing a Caragor in a black cotton coat, wearing large framed goggles and whose face was smeared with a black resin. She smelt rather foul, like something that was recently burned.

"Ah, you must be one of the mercs I sent out a request for. So, do you have the saltpeter!?", she said, words seemingly tumbling out of her mouth. Rainbow stepped further back, now out of nervousness.

"The what?", Rainbow blurted out. "You know what, don't answer. No, I'm not a merc. I'm a courier, and I got a message from your brother for you."

Chrissie slumped down slightly, clearly saddened. "Oh, ok. Sorry, I was expecting someone to bring it to me. I offered a reward for it, anyway. Sorry, I've been told I can be a bit eccentric."

Understatement, Rainbows mind chorused. "Well, if that's it", she said, handing the letter to her, "I'll be on my way."

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks", Chrissie said absentmindedly. Rainbow trotted back down the stairs, until she was out of the odd caragors sight, then turned around and walked into the store. Not bothering to stop, she walked outside, then took off, hoping to get away from both the smell of meat and the stench of the burnt stuff. Whatever the buck that was.

Next Chapter: 21~Pay and how to use it Estimated time remaining: 8 Hours, 28 Minutes