“HOT SPRIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!”

Tohro does a loop in the air before closing his wings and letting himself fall into the large tub. The chills of frost left over from Hevnodiin’s attack are washed away in an instant. He undoes the band holding his mane in a tail and lets his golden locks fall across his shoulders.

“You coming in, Caro? The water’s great!”

The Dragonborn waves Tohro off as he wraps another bandage around his legs.

“Oh, come now,” says the pegasus. He wades to the edge of the tub. “I thought a neat freak like yourself would enjoy Platinum’s hospitality. What other palace has an indoor hot spring? The Blackwings certainly don’t.” He looks over the large tiled room. His eyes settle on the magically inflamed coals levitating over the tub, filling the room with steam. “I oughta bring that servant boy up here for a soak.”

Caro bites off a piece of the gauze and stores it in in his pouch. “Leave me out of it. I need to think.”

“What has you down in the slums, mate? You slayed your second dragon. That’s two more than anypony else has ever slain in their lives.”

Caro doesn’t respond, only taking a stone from the pouch and dragging it along the edge of his scimitar. The blade’s bronze finish has dulled into a muddy brown.

“You’ve been sharpening that sword nearly without end ever since we got here. Is something wrong?”

“Overwhelmed,” states the earthwalker.

“Why?”

Caro uses his free hoof to emphasize every word. “We now hold the safety of both Trottingham and Everfree in our hooves, and in both cases the responsibility has fallen on us accidentally.” The stone moves faster across the blade.

Tohro emerges from the tub, paying no mind that he’s exposing himself to Caro once again. He paces back and forth at the tub’s edge. “So? I’d hate to sound like Tangerine, but I think it’s an honor. I have something to fight for again, and you’re effectively cleared off all crimes. Reinoc?” He mimics the motion of sweeping objects off a table. “In the past! You’re free, Dragonborn!”

Caro tenses up, gritting his teeth and slamming the stone against the sword, bending the blade at an awkward and unusable angle. “Agh, fuck,” he says with a hiss, tossing the now useless sword aside and burying his face in his hooves.

Tohro walks to Caro’s side and caresses his shoulders, putting pressure on his thick muscles. “So much stress within you, Dragonborn. Is the burden too much to bear?”

Caro shakes his head and leans it backwards. He doesn’t want to admit it, but his pegasus companion’s hooves are doing wonders on his shoulders. He involuntarily coos as he feels an invisible weight fly away. “Lower,” he whispers.

“I’ve got you.”

As Tohro’s magic hooves make their way down Caro’s back, the turquoise earthwalker explains his aggression.

"Tohro, all I wanted was to get away from the Empire and go home. Reclaim what little chance I had for a normal life."

“Uh-huh.”

“Forming Dragonrein was a spur of the moment idea, the spawn of a quick alcoholic celebration. I never expected us to be recognized by the queen herself.”

"Well, now we are. So I say we take full advantage of it while we still can, huh?" Tohro taps his hoof on Caro’s blank flank, causing him to whinny in shock. "Besides, we don't know if the Empire will still be standing by the time all this is over."

The snickering pegasus grabs a nearby pail of soapy water and turns it upside down over the Dragonborn’s head. “Cheer up, mate. Look!” Tohro throws on a towel and trots over to the table, upon which beverages have been served. He picks up a glass of white wine. “They’ve got little umbrellas!” He proudly takes a swig.

Caro makes his way to the table as he wipes his mane clean of soap. "I suppose you're right... Give me one of those. What was I going to do with my normal life, anyway? I don't know how to run a smithing business, hell, I'm not even that good a smith. I'll leave that to Rosemary."

Tohro relaxes in his seat, lazily circling his drink as he watches Caro down his own in a manner of seconds. “Don’t let it go to waste, mate. This is powerful stuff.”

“It’s good stuff.”

“You know,” says Tohro, looking at what’s left of Rosemary’s scimitar, “we should probably contact Rosemary for another weapon, or three. I could use a new set of wing blades.”

Caro refills his glass, taking Tohro’s advice and savoring it. It’s difficult for him to resist slurping the whole drink down, not because he’s distressed, only because it’s so delicious. "I just hope that villa or whatever Tangerine called it has a forge. Speaking of Tangerine, what do you think she's up to?"

Tohro plants his hoof on his forehead and laughs aloud. "Probably heard the news and became jealous we're now in the favor of the very Empire that sent her to kill us!"

~Tangerine~

The news of the frost dragon’s assault on Everfree has already reached Trottingham. Jarl Drake had asked Queen Platinum why it concerned her, only to have the queen say that the Dragonborn had cut the behemoth down in a manner of hours. That’s all I heard before I slapped myself across the face and left Equinesreach.

Confound Dragonrein, they drive me to drink.

That’s not to say I’ve entirely refuted Caro’s generous offer to let me join their club of ‘miracle workers’. He presented a very good reason for me to do so; a bit of authority to hold their general insanity back. But, of course, until they return with their army, which I doubt they will, I’ll have to gallop with the Carrier Clan.

I haven’t joined them proper, they merely provide bed and sustenance to me, along with a few other ponies who’ve lost their way in this war. How out of place I feel, being the only one among the refugees with a kill record. They’re quick to assume I’m playing them for fools when I say I was the general of the Imperial Legion before my dishonorable redaction. Those who do believe me haven’t the means to care. Of course. My position has probably been filled already, either falling to Riveter, or, Epona forbid, Gauntlet. That unicorn is less fit to be a general than an inflamed sack of potatoes.

Now the ponies who are responsible for my discharge are an official guild? I’m not jealous. I’m just... disappointed. Disappointed in the Empire, and disappointed in myself for letting this happen.

I’m not known as the former general in the hall of Horsevaskr, which, in many ways, is a good reminder of how fickle ponykind can be, but it doesn’t make me feel any less empty, and no amount of mead can change that.

I'm in the guest chambers with my legs tangled up in a sordid excuse for a blanket. At least the cot is mildly comfortable, but that’s cancelled out by my aching head, which I clutch with my hooves. I take a very deep breath as the throbbing of my hangover begins to make itself apparent. I’ll have to take it slowly, wait some time before it’s gone entirely.

The other refugees are gone, so I’m free to groan without rousing anypony from their sleep. The walls are made of stone, so I can let my voice out as much as I please. At least, until I hear the voices of other ponies.

“...erstand what you see in her,” says a commanding voice outside the door. That’s Aerial the Huntress, the only Carrier who’s a pegasus. And she’s talking to...

“She is a noblemare, and a lady of war. She’s Carrier Clan material in every way, and she brings about an aura of elegance, don’t you think?” Ah, yes. I’d recognize that perpetually happy demeanor from a mile away. Wolf River could make a timberwolf smile with his chipper attitude.

By the way Aerial huffs, I can tell she’s not impressed. “Don’t toy with me, Wolf River, and don’t toy with Scar either. He approached me this morning, looking for you. He’s beginning to feel that Tangerine has overstayed her welcome.”

Surprise. I’m honestly stunned that nopony has brought that up until now.

Aerial continues her quiet rant. “We house those who have nowhere to go. She has a home, she owns an entire villa. Why doesn’t she just go there?”

“She told me that she refused to return to the villa until she’s reclaimed her honor.” Wolf River pauses. “Yes, I don’t get it either.”

I hear Aerial sigh and stomp off. “For the record, you’re the only one of us who has little regard for honor. We’re supposed to represent the best of these lands and you’re not helping.”

“My honor is bigger than yours!” shouts Wolf River.

As much as honor is an integral part of my life and earthwalker tradition, I can’t help but laugh at that comment. I open the chamber door into the cellar hallway, to see Wolf River pouring himself a mug of raspberry mead. Without looking my way, he says, “Hello, General.”

For some odd reason, he seems to be able to detect anypony’s presence without batting an eye. He must have heightened sentences. It’s quite impressive, but no less creepy. I prefer to look my fellow equine dead on.

And there’s the other matter. He sees fit to refer to me as ‘General’, despite news of my discharge having long settled by now. He sees it as a sign of respect, but to me... I’m not entirely sure what it is.

Nonetheless, I respond as I always do when he greets me at the waking hour. “Good morning, Wolf River.”

“I hope you slept well,” he says, turning my way as he sips his beverage.

The scent of the mead brings back a faint memory of Aerial’s hoof about to make contact with my muzzle. We must have ingested one too many drinks to think a sparring match was a good idea. My head tingles again, reminding me to not make that mistake twice.

Wolf River softly pats the painful spot on my brow with a look of empathy upon his face. “Alcohol is a two faced bedfellow. It soothes the mind for a moment and leaves you in pain the morning after, much like an evening in a New Pegasopolis brothel.”

Amusing and heartfelt as he may be, Wolf River’s girth, thick armor and black coat make him inherently intimidating, along with many other members of the Carrier Clan. I assume joining their higher ranks requires dyeing one’s coat the same shade.

“I heard you speaking to Aerial,” I say. “About what use you see in me?”

“Ah, yes. I trust you recall why I took you into my care?”

I think back to the celebration of Caro’s first dragon slaying, and how Wolf River had approached me with a job offer; assisting the Carrier Clan with a difficult mission in exchange for shelter. I couldn’t have refused if I tried.

Not waiting for my answer, he continues. “I’ve completed my investigation, and I intend on setting out for Dustcolt’s Cairn. I wish for you to join me.”

This is familiar, and at the same time, not entirely. Receiving a simple mission from a pony of higher standing than I. Only, Wolf River seems to be inferring that I assist him instead of ordering me to, and that makes me want to accept this quest, even more so than I already do. It’s like a favor rather than an obligation.

I nod as I ask, “What would you have me do?”

I should mention that Wolf River is very much a hugger. He pulls me into one of his friendly embraces. I purse my lips, not entirely comfortable with this, and welcome his pulling away. “Just meet me by the Trottingham gates with armor and weapon in hoof. The entire armory is at your disposal.”

A quest to add spice to this low point in my life, and fresh weapons awaiting my touch. It seems being a freelancer is finally paying off.

So long as Wolf River stops hugging me, I can keep smiling like this.

~Vision End~

~Shae~

Amidst all the mayhem regarding the dragon attack and the ensuing guild coronation, I hadn’t taken the time to appreciate how much the Rainbow Palace reminds me of Wintercolt Academy, but now that I’ve woken in the dead of night with my mind clear of all the excitement, I can finally take it all in.

Much like the academy, this palace has an ethereal elegance to it, disconnected from the harsh kingdom on the exterior. It’s quiet, peaceful and beautiful. This bedroom is much like my dormitory, come to think of it. A four poster bed, large ornate carpet upon the refractive floor, quilts hanging from the walls, and a pleasant view of Mount Everfree, only I’m looking at it from below.

My legs are reluctant to leave such a comfortable bed, but I eventually convince them to move for me. I clumsily levitate my spectacles to my muzzle as I wipe my eyes of sleep, and slowly approach the window. I’m too sleepy to undo the latch with my magic. I just force it open with my hooves, letting the frigid winter air slip into the room. Compared to the weather Wintercolt must be enduring, it’s not too bad.

I have the oddest delusion that if I squint my eyes enough I’ll be able to see Wintercolt and spy into my dormitory. I imagine Sundance is asleep by now, if she’s not having another slumber party with Lancer and Eavesdrop.

I rest my head on the windowsill as I conjure a memory of one of those parties.

They’re conversing over glasses of carrot juice, with Sundance reading aloud from Haunting Tales of the Occult, a famous anthology of horror stories. Lancer is trembling from sheer terror as he hides within his hood. Eavesdrop, as per usual, is a quiet one, not fazed in the slightest.

"I wonder if we could do magic like that?" Sundance exclaims, snapping the book closed and looking at me and the others.

Lancer shakes his head furiously. I’ll bet he wants that story behind him as far as he can. “F-f-fun as that s-s-s-sounds, where are we gah-going to find a fully intact de-dec-capitated horse?” he asks.

Eavesdrop lets her lips curl slightly. She summons a magical blade from thin air. “That’s easy, just lie down.” She jokingly swings it about in the air as we all share a laugh. Even Lancer finds Eavesdrop’s dark sense of humor amusing, despite being the victim.

“I guess you have a point, Lancy,” says Sundance with a shrug. She reopens the book on a random page, scanning quickly down through the words. “Hm, well... What about a cursed rusty horseshoe that summons a decrepit demon?”

"Artifact magic is pretty simple," I mutter, tapping my chin in thought.

“Oh Fauste, not this again...” squeals Lancer.

Halting my thoughts, I reach across his back and pull him into a comforting embrace. “It’s okay, we’re only joking.”

My words do nothing to calm Lancer’s shaking. I find his behavior childish, but at the same time, it’s quite endearing.

I pull his hood down and look him in the eyes. “If it makes you feel any better, you can sleep in my bed with me tonight.”

His trembling stops, and his terrified expression gives way to a reddened one. “R-really?”

“Of course.”

I was younger then, blissfully unaware of the atrocities being committed in the world beneath the mountain sanctum known as Wintercolt Academy. When you actually witness murder, it takes more than a bedtime song to put one's worries to rest.

“'Neath a faltered sky; cross loamless plains, and watered blight...

Ah! Where gone those days, once glory shone so bright?”

An indescribable song echoing across the palace rouses me from my reminiscing...

~Vision End~

~Tangerine~

When Wolf River said armory, he was actually referring to half of Horsevaskr. Every basic weapon and piece of equipment one can think of lines the walls of the refugee quarters and the upstairs gathering hall. I can only imagine what’s available in the backyard training ground.

In the Imperial Legion, one is issued their armor based on their rank. Being general, Platinum granted me one of the best sets. It was custom made by King Hurricane for his earthwalker elites. Unfortunately, even the best has its limits. I’ve already disposed of it in the Horsevaskr forge, for the sake of coin.

Being granted the right to piece together my own set of armor is a new experience, and it’s somewhat enthralling. No military standard to bind me to a full set. I settle on a mail undergarment, with a snug set of iron plating to reinforce it. Over that I wear a red and black cape, embroidered with a crescent moon.

What strikes me is how comfortable this armor compared to my old set. Apparently King Hurricane favored effectiveness over maneuverability. He should have taken a page from the Carriers’ book.

So many weapons to choose from, though... War axes are contraband in the Legion, same with these double bladed swords. “Oooh, is that a glaive? These ponies fight dirty!”

I hold my tongue, checking if anypony heard me, and recompose myself. I decide to stick to the familiar and grab two greatswords, one made of black onyx and the other made of bronze. Excellent.

~Vision End~

~Shae~

With a hastily worn royal purple robe, I gallop through the moonlit halls of the palace, seeking out the source of this mysterious voice. Why I feel so compelled to do so is a mystery in of itself. The song awakens distant emotions at the back of my mind, filling me with nostalgia. Its meaning is long lost on me. All I care for is how it is sung. A perfect, melancholy melody that flows like water. Only now, it doesn’t make me wish to sleep. I just want to hear it closer.

I come out into the entrance hall before a set of stairs, where two red unicorn soldiers sit and converse.

“...prestigious monk, when I-”

“Oh.” One of the two notices me and stands to attention, equipping his spear. “Good evening, visitor.”

The other follows suit and salutes.

I nervously step back with a guilty look upon my face. “It’s... against the rules to walk about at night, is it?”

The guards both wave their hooves defensively. “Oh, no. No.”

“Not at all, Miss Shae. You’re a guest in this palace. You can come and go as you please.”

“Within reason, of course.”

“If you don’t mind us asking, though, why are you up so late? All other guests have long fallen asleep.”

The song finds its way into my ears again, causing my heart to flutter and my thoughts to wander. “I... well...” I must have the dopiest eyes right now.

One of the soldiers smirks and nods, understanding what my predicament is. “Ah, enjoying the sweet lullaby, are you?”

"Oh! Thank Fauste I'm not the only one who hears it!" At least that’s one thing off my mind. "Do you know who that is?"

The guards both point up the stairs. "That voice? That's Princess Celina's voice, that is. She steps out onto her balcony most nights to let herself be heard by all of Everfree."

"Puts our minds at ease, knowing she's in good health, and her singing gives us a reason to survive another day of this war."

Celina's voice alone is filling my heart and mind with so many emotions, I can't even describe them all. There's definitely happiness within me, but there's something else... Grief? Yes, that sounds right. I'm remembering this song how Mother always sang it. I... I feel a deep need to speak to Celina.

"You alright there, sweetheart?" asks one of the soldiers.

I pull myself out of my trance. "Where are Princess Celina's chambers? I wish to see her."

The soldiers glance at each other. "Uh, normally that's... ill advised."

"'S not against the rules or anything, love, but...” They both share another glance, pausing for a moment, while giving me a look over, seeing how emotionally distraught I am. “You know what? It's fine. It's just up these stairs, take a left, keep going up the spiral staircase 'till you reach a pink room."

I wonder what could be so ill advised about speaking to Celina, but the thought passes quickly as my ears indulge in her beautiful voice again. I need to hear more.

"Thank you, sirs." I bow slightly, then take off up the stairs.

~Vision End~

~Tangerine~

“General.”

“Wolf River. Do you find this outfit... acceptable?” I twirl in a complete circle as I approach the large stallion at the gate. He’s equipped with a large axe on his back and a longsword in sheath at his side.

He chuckles, admiring my new set of armor. “Please, General. You’d be a formidable opponent were you wearing nothing but rags. Your years of training truly show.”

“Well... thank you.” Goodness, I’m blushing. I’ve never been complimented on my stalwart physique before. In fact, most find it unattractive. But... what am I doing, focusing on that sort of thing? Wolf River said it himself; I’m a lady of war. I wipe the blush away. “Where are we off to?” I ask with profession.

“Dustcolt’s Cairn is just a trek across the fields, not too far from here. I expect we’ll be back by sunrise.” Wolf River takes a step past the gate, before retracting it and looking at me with concern. “You are sure you’re up for this, M’lady?”

I cock my brow. “What sort of a question is that? You asked me to come along. Look at me, I’m fully equipped, my sword hooves are aching for battle, let us set off!”

Wolf River wears a look of surprise and awe as I brush past him.

He retakes the lead shortly after we leave the main road and begin our journey across the open fields. It’s dead silent, not even a frog or cricket can be heard. Rather unsettling, setting the mood for whatever it is we may face in Dustcolt’s Cairn. Granted, I wasn’t informed of any foe, but I can assume there will be one, else I wouldn’t have been asked to bring a weapon.

In a most peculiar act, Wolf River begins sniffing the air.

“It’s going to rain soon. Might get some snow in a few days. The Weather Guild is merciless this winter.”

“You can tell all that just by scent?” I ask.

He nods. “Indeed, and it’s a good thing to have. You can’t rely on the Weather Guild for consistency these days.”

I’m tempted to ask how he attained such heightened senses but I remain focused on keeping pace. One foot in front of the other, no distractions. All that matters is the mission, and... Is he humming? Normally I‘d request him to stop, but I‘m intrigued. “What song is that?”

Wolf River stops humming and turns my way. “It’s a personal favorite of mine, passed down from the ancient beginnings of the Carrier Clan. It encompasses who we are, and what we fight for." Given the dead silence of this night, I welcome his singing, even though his gruff voice is hardly fit for it.

“No sign of life did flicker, in cloves of tears she cried,

‘All hope’s lost, it can’t be undone...

We’re wasted and gone...’”

“Pleasant story,” I mutter sarcastically.

“I told you, it’s from another era. The Carrier Clan was forged hundreds of years before the ponies of the old kingdoms settled here,” he points at me accusingly, “and took the land for yourselves.”

I back away in a defensive stance. “The Carrier Clan sided with Hurricane in the Settlement Wars, didn’t they? I thought-”

Wolf River begins laughing aloud, no doubt disturbing some wildlife in the process, as well as me. “The look on your face, General... Don’t worry yourself, I hold no resentment for immigrants. Trust me, you think Equestria is in a pickle now? Should have seen it when it was a lawless wilderness.” He shows off the several scars on his face, each one more severe than the last. “This one, across my muzzle? Ezio, the thief king, gave me that for my wallet. Before you all showed up, that winged bastard had an ego to match his territory. I took him down a peg.”

I think back to the battle outside Beak Falls Barrow, and the impressive stunt Tohro performed that landed a crossbow bolt between the black gryphon‘s eyes. “Your muzzle has been avenged,” I say. “I watched Ezio die.”

“Oh, is that so?” Wolf River chuckles again, passing off the thief king’s death as if he had just found a coin on the street. “I wonder how New Pegasopolis is taking the news.”

“I’m just disappointed it wasn’t by my hoof that he- WOAH!” I step into thin air, nearly falling into a large pit with my forelegs dangling over the ledge. My scalp burns as Wolf River bites down on my tail, keeping me on solid ground.

“Yrr mmky?” he asks through a mouthful of orange hair. I groan in discomfort as he yanks his head backwards, pulling me back onto the grass. I allow myself a moment to breath as I fall back against his chest. “Should have warned you about that, sorry.”

“Th-Thank you.” I’m too relieved to be mad at his negligence at the moment. I take a closer look at this pit. It’s bordered by a spiral staircase leading to a double door at the bottom. “This is Dustcolt’s Cairn?”

Wolf River helps me to my hooves. He begins his descent down the steps, beckoning for me to come along. “Indeed it is. I hope your skills with a blade haven’t gone to waste.”

I follow while keeping my tail near the hilt of my bronze sword. “What will we find in there?”

I miss Wolf River’s perpetual smile the instant it leaves his face. “I have a hunch, and I really hope I’m wrong.” He looks my way with an expression of dread. “Have you ever caught wind of the Silver Horseshoe?”

~Vision End~

~Shae~

“...leaned upon a broken blade, looks to skyward.

'Prithee above, almighty one, be this thy word?'

Cried out, begged for truth but no answer's sound be heard...”

As I follow the exact directions given to me by the soldiers, Celina's voice becomes clearer, the echo beginning to damper. As the words become clearer to me, my legs become heavier, as if I’m beneath a blanket again, and the realm of sleep want to claim me before I fully awaken. That’s how soothing this song is. But my desire to hear it from Celina’s lips drives me forward. Sleep can wait.

I’m at the base of the spiral staircase. It can’t be much farther now. Her voice is so clear, so... heavenly. I’m caught in a trance again. My legs carry themselves up the stairs while I strain my ears to focus on this riveting melody. I curse at myself every time my steps make the tiniest sound, keeping me from hearing every millisecond of the song. I then purge away thinking entirely.

There’s a door imprinted with Celina’s name. My heart leaps into my throat. I’m so close.

Oh, thank Fauste. It’s unlocked.

I slow my breaths as I enter the the princess’ room. Stepping onto the carpet, I look to the open balcony window.

There she is, enveloped by the moonlight, no longer cloaked in her white robe, her pink mane flowing freely in the wind.

The song is more gorgeous still. She’s already finished it and returned to the first verse.

"'Neath a faltered sky; cross loamless plains, and watered blight..."

I find myself singing along with her. "Ah, where gone those days, once glory shone so bright?"

Celina's ears perk up in surprise and she jerks around to look at me. The first thing I notice is her uncommonly long horn. But she also has wings.

Celina is an alicorn.

~Vision End~

~Tangerine~

Dustcolt’s Cairn is true to its namesake. I haven’t taken two steps inside and I already have to cover my muzzle with my cape to keep the airborne scum out of my mouth.

“There’s a stench something awful within here,” says Wolf River, sniffing at the air again. Out of curiosity, I do the same, but I cannot smell anything out of the ordinary, beyond the smoke of wallbound torches. “A few years in the Carrier Clan will give you one hell of a nose. My hearing is top notch as well.” His ears flick as he slides around the corner. I follow suit, checking behind the bars of the locked gate for any enemy down below. Wolf River relaxes. “Think I just heard a rat. We’re clear.”

“How does one hone their senses like that?” I ask.

Wolf River responds by equipping his axe and swinging it into the gate. It falls off its hinges. “It’s complicated. If I were to tell you, you wouldn’t believe me.”

That, in itself, is hard to believe. “Ha! I’ve fought alongside a descendant of dragons who can fell beasts with his voice. If you told me anything, I’d take it as fact.”

A gruff stallion‘s voice sounds out from further down the alcove. “Did anyone else hear that?!” I see a shadow forming on the walls as he rounds the corner.

“Friend or foe?” I ask Wolf River.

He hasn’t put away his axe. He glances at me with grit teeth. “What do you think?”

I tense up as the enemy stallion shows himself. He wears a wolf pelt over his head, with rusty iron armor coating his body. His eyes widen when he sees Wolf River. “Oh, shit! IT’S A MONGR-”

Wolf River doesn’t let him finish. He rushes forward and lands an uppercut with his axe, splattering the walls with blood and skin. He finishes him off with the flat of the blade, bringing it down on his head.

“All subtlety in this mission has been thoroughly tossed out the window,” I say, admiring how much damage Wolf River did in two swings. I lift a torch off the wall and search down the cavern. No more enemies to speak of, though I don’t need Wolf River’s superb hearing to notice the clanging of metal off in the distance.

“Hey.” The black stallion tosses me a sack full of coins, which I barely manage to catch, dropping my torch. I do a double take when I notice there’s well over forty bits in this sack. “Consider that a part of your boon for this quest.”

Every fiber of my noble being wants to call him out for looting the dead, but I hold my tongue in the face of genuine coin. It’s been a while since I’ve had any in my hooves. This alone could buy me a week’s worth of food.

Another growling voice says, “Never should have come here.” I turn around and see three more colts brandishing swords, all of which wearing patchy armor.

“There’s the rest of your payment, General,” says Wolf River.

Imperial Legion code says that one may only attack when threatened. That’s one guideline I can still respect, and frankly, some depraved cave dweller swinging his katana in my face is pretty damn threatening.

Ducking his swing, I equip my bronze sword with my tail and turn around, cutting across his chest. His armor breaks instantly, enraging him. He swings at my hind legs, clipping my hoof before I roll out of the way. I buck him in the face with my good leg, savoring the sound of bones cracking as I plant his snout. I follow up with a slash across his neck, spraying blood onto the floor. I push his dying body down the descending path.

Wolf River jumps ahead of me, taking on one of the other two. Moving my weapon to my hooves, I dive for the free one, locking swords with him. He’s stronger than he looks, pushing me back against the stone wall with his blade dangerously close to my face. I grab my bronze sword and attack his weapon, using both of my blades in unison to knock him unarmed. I break his breastplate with one swing and pierce his chest with another.

When the cave dweller’s corpse falls, I look up to see Wolf River pinning the remaining foe facedown to the ground. “Please d-don’t break my back...” squeals the colt, looking absolutely miniscule next to the towering black stallion.

Wolf River looks to his axe, and then to the squirming cave dweller beneath him. He shrugs and says, “No.” He slams the blunt end of the axe down on the colt’s midsection, no doubt severing his spine from his legs. He then brings his hoof down on his head, silencing his agonizing screams.

It takes me a moment to realize my mouth is hanging wide open. Wolf River drops his war face and laughs.

I shut my lips and try to express my shock. “You fight like a-”

“Wolf?” he suggests, searching the three new dead bodies.

“I was going to say, a bear with a basic understanding of heavy weaponry.”

“Impressed, are you?” he asks, passing me a few more hefty sacks of coins. There’s a good month’s worth of gourmet dinner in my hooves now. A few weeks ago, I would have found taking money from the dead a sickening act, but when one considers it, there’s no practical reason to let coin go to waste.

“I have to say, I really am,” I answer. “Nopony I’ve ever met fights with such brutality.”

Wolf River wipes the blood off his axe on a torch pillar. “Pragmatism pays off in times of war, dear General.” He puts away his weapon and passes by me. “And I’m not like most ponies.”

As he takes off further into the cave, he resumes his singing.

"Save me your speeches, I know they blinded us all,

what you want, you will take it away from me...”

~Vision End~

~Shae~

Celina turns away from me, saying nothing as she bows her head. I suddenly feel even more distraught, half from what I'm seeing before me, but also because her heavenly voice has faltered.

I slowly walk to Celina’s side as she snaps her wings to her body, facing me head on so I’m unable to see them. It’s made clear to me by her whimpering that she’s ashamed to have wings as well as a horn, though why is a mystery to me.

My priorities are skewed at the moment. I care not for her wings. I only wish to hear the song again. I bow to the princess. "Please... I'd... I'd like to hear more... if you don't mind, M'lady..."

Celina, probably not expecting me to say that, nods and returns to her perch, raising her head to the stars and closing her eyes.

"Fallen 'neath baleful wings dark as night...

Ah, a moment give to me...

Hark, shall none hear this soul's tale,

of a land, benight?"

Her voice is a little weaker now, and I know why.

Hearing her up close must be what the guards warned me about... There's not only happiness and grief in my mind, but so many other emotions filling my every vein, threatening to burst outwards until I'm nothing but ethereal dust... That's how overwhelming her voice is. It makes feel so full and deathly empty at the same time.

It takes me nearly a minute to realize I'm crying, far more than I ever have. "Sorry...” I choke out. “I mean no offense..." I wipe my eyes. "I'm just... overcome..."

"Are you... sure you're quite alright?" Celina asks. She approaches me cautiously and brushes the tears away.

"Yes... I'm fine..." I shake my head. "You just... That was my favorite lullaby." I have to keep bringing my hoof to my eyes to stop the flow.

Seeing Celina in the light for the first time, I realize she can't be much younger than me, yet she speaks and walks with an elegance I could never hope to obtain. She truly is princess material, gracefully stepping into her room. I eagerly follow.

"It's a lullaby most ponies know. I wouldn't be surprised if you've heard it from somepony very close to you," she says, shutting the glass doors to the balcony.

“My... my mother,” I say. She’s been gone for several years now. I had no idea I had tears to shed for her. I spare Celina the sad tale. "She didn’t sing it quite like you. Your voice is beyond words, if I may be so kind."

Celina lets out a sad chuckle. "Please, do not humble me. We are but equals here..." she pauses, flapping her wings and sighing. "Well, I should say you're above me."

Amidst the music, I nearly forgot about the impossible sight. Only Epona and Fauste are known to have such a gift, but they are metaphysical beings. To see a legendary alicorn with my own eyes... I'm not sure how to respond.

"What do you mean, I’m above you?" I tilt my head. The way she frowns when she looks at her wings breaks my heart. "You're something more than I could ever hope to be."

"No, I'm not. I'm hideous," Celina murmurs, approaching her circular bed and burying her face in her many pillows. She hides her wings underneath the blankets.

“Who ever told you that?” I ask.

She raises her head, glimmering streams of tears fresh on her cheeks. "I can tell. It's the way Mother looks at me when my back is turned. She looks at me as if I'm not even equine.” She snaps her wings to her frame again when they unfurl. “It's a birth defect and nothing more.”

I manage to work up the courage to join her on the bed, stroking her mane with a hoof. I wonder for a moment if this breaks any royal customs, but if so, it doesn’t matter. "I'm sure you realize that other ponies have been blessed with your gifts, and they're treated as gods."

Nothing I say seems to dry her tears. "Because Epona and Fauste are gods. Look at me..." She huddles her wings even closer against her lanky figure. "I'm a walking blaspheme."

I use my magic to pull her wings away from her and spread them out, admiring their beautiful span. "I hardly think so. I think you're something special."

Celina's whimpering stops. She rises slowly onto her haunches and faces me, showing me her sky blue eyes. "I'm... I'm not sure if I can believe it myself, but..."

I reach my forelegs out, offering her my embrace. She looks at me quizzically, as if nopony’s ever done this for her before. "I can be your friend, if you want, M’lady."

Her mouth parts, hanging slightly open as she comprehends such an idea. She takes me up on my offer, throwing herself around me. Her embrace feels as warm as the sunlight on a spring morning. The silkiness of her wings adds reach to her crushing hug.

She mutters into my shoulder. "You don't have to call me anything special... Just call me Celina." She pulls away, brushing stray hairs of her pink mane from her face. "You're... Miss Shae, aren't you?"

“We never really were formally introduced. It’s an honor. Heh... I guess my reputation precedes me. That's what I get for traveling with Dragonrein."

"Mother says you, Tohro and the Dragonborn give her hope..." Celina touches my cheek again, moving her hoof down to my chin. "I can see why." She pulls her hoof away, noticing how much grime I've left upon it. "Oh dear...” She points to a tall mirror in the corner of the room.

“Huh?” I turn to the mirror, and see a messy, unkempt mare with a disfigured mane, dirty cheeks and mud stained hooves... Dear Fauste, this is what a few misadventures with Dragonrein have turned me into? “Bloody hell, I’m a mess.”

Celina chuckles at my reaction, and I find myself reacting much of the same. “Perhaps I should draw a bath?” she offers.

I blush at the thought. Memories of friendly baths back at Wintercolt with Sundance and Eavesdrop begin to play in my mind. Part of me wants to take up her offer, knowing how filthy I am. The other feels that it would be wrong somehow, bathing with royalty. Alicorn royalty, no less. Perish the thought, the very sight of her bathing might just cause me to disintegrate.

“I don’t wish to impose...”

Celina puts on a jesting smile, shrugging her withers and taking my hooves in hers. "It's only an imposition if I say it is. Come along, you desperately need one."

Well, whatever makes her happy... Now I can’t stop smiling.

~Vision End~

~Tangerine~

I’m airborne, alongside this wrinkled old robed bastard flailing a mace back and forth.

Catching my foe in a headlock between my hind legs, I slam him into a wooden guard railing, shattering his ribs and turning him into a sobbing heap. Never one to let a wounded foe suffer, I finish the job with a clean cut of my bronze sword across his neck.

“Get out of here, Carrier scum!” shouts a mare from the upper floor as she dives for Wolf River.

One would think that after cleaving through several of these bastards, they would learn to leave well enough alone. Apparently, Wolf River and the Carrier Clan have driven these fools to the deep end.

“Grrrraaagh!!” With one fell uppercut, Wolf River cleaves through the diving mare, leaving her two halves to splatter against the stone floor and drench his black coat in a fresh layer of blood.

I find my mouth involuntarily falling open again. “Merciless,” is all I can say. Wolf River’s brutal technique is both terrifying and mesmerizing. In foregoing any elegance or proper stance, his artless way of fighting becomes art in itself.

He waves his hoof in front of my eyes, breaking my trance. “Are you just going to stand there, General?” I shake my head and salute like I would my fellow soldier, before remembering we’re not soldiers of any sort.

Wolf River points to a narrow pathway bordered by several cages. “I believe we’re close, but all this gore is messing with my sense of smell.” He scrunches up his snout and wipes the blood clean from it. “Heightened senses... ‘Tis a blessing with a curse, if you ask me.”

I help him wipe away the spots of blood he missed. “What I wouldn’t give for senses of that caliber. It would be worth a few downfalls. Perhaps with such a passive ability I could have kept my job.”

Wolf River stays my hoof, his expression grim. “You do not know what I had to go through. When one achieves my abilities, they make a lot of enemies.” He trots to the carcasses of our attackers and collects small trinkets from their necks. They all have the same design.

I describe the trinkets aloud. ”Silver horseshoe.”

The red maned stallion before me nods. “The Silver Horseshoe.”

He tosses the trinkets into a puddle of murky water as I ask, “What is their quarrel with the Carrier Clan?”

“It’s not just the Carrier Clan.” Wolf River spits on the discarded trinkets. “The Silver Horseshoe are zealot worshippers of Epona. They believe anything but ponykind to be impure and that everyone else should just up and die. I can sympathize with them when it comes to changelings, but what they fail to understand is that ponykind coexisted with the other races before the denizens of the pony kingdoms emigrated here.”

He points to the cages. They’re filled with the pelts of zebras, horns of changeling drones, minotaur hooves and griffon wings. “Oh my...” I have to force back the urge to vomit. No foe I’ve faced before has ever resorted to such debauchery.

“Religion does awful stuff to your head, General.”

This is awfully profound for a stallion of such girth. I always thought Wolf River to be one of few words until today, but then again, I thought a lot of other things before today. “My worship of the Divines doesn’t go beyond a prayer for assistance in battle,” I say. “If the Silver Horseshoe are foolish enough to even consider such atrocities, they’ll meet Epona soon enough.”

My calm enthusiasm puts a smile on Wolf River’s face. “There’s the rub, General. Now, let’s pay the leader of this band of zealots a visit.”

~Vision End~

~Shae~

The royal bathroom is covered in what appears to be the finest marble and oak, with more than enough pink to fill my vision for days. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit jealous of such lavish surroundings," I say as I rise from the bubble laced water. My black mane’s natural fluff disappears as it falls in front of my eyes.

Celina hums the rest of her lullaby as she relaxes on the tile floor, levitating a washcloth across her body. She drags it from the nape of her neck, along the length of her slender frame, stopping at her water drenched haunches...

“Oh, you don’t have a mark,” I say. In the sheer emotional weight of hearing her sing on the balcony, I hadn’t noticed Celina’s blank flank. She nods, draining the rest of the cloth over her head. She wipes her eyes of the remaining suds. “I got my mark the day I graduated from my first year at Wintercolt Academy,” I say. “My parents and I knew it would be something having to do with magic.”

“May I see it?” Celina asks.

I shudder, partially from the cold water, and also at the thought of the princess looking upon my behind. But, then again, it’s only a mark. I think she deserves to take a gander. I step out of the bathwater, pushing my mane out of my vision, and let my side face the princess. She smiles as she notices my magenta star cluster.

I blush. The gravity of the moment is still settling in. I’m bathing with a legendary alicorn... “A-Astronomy was my strongest subject,” I stammer.

Celina approaches me with a brush floating at her side. I tense up as she brings it to my mane, catching snags as she tugs down. I feel her levitate something out between clumps of strands. "Goodness, I've found pebbles in your hair. What have you been through?"

"Caves, cliffs, dragons, undead ponies... the usual..." She catches another snag, causing me to grunt.

“Sorry... You seem relatively happy, despite all that."

“I was essentially foalnapped by Caro and Tohro after I left the academy for an extracurricular project.” I think back to how brutish they seemed at the time, but now, compared to what I’ve seen, they’re tame by comparison. “I'll admit, at first I didn't want to go with them. But, the more I see and do, I find I'm learning more than I ever would at Wintercolt."

“I should be so lucky,” says Celina. “I only get to leave this palace a few times a month. Mother fears ill will happen to me.” She removes a few more pieces of dirt from my mane. "You say you're from Wintercolt Academy? I've heard so much about the place."

"Oh, yes. It's wonderful there. The staff is nice, the food is warm, and I’ve learned all sorts of neat magic. But, to be honest, this adventure taught me things the academy never could. I’ve seen dragons, I’ve spoken to a Precursor, and I met you.” I look back and smile at Celina, and she reciprocates.

"I'm jealous, Miss Shae. I asked Mother several times as a child if I could go to Wintercolt Academy, but she refused. Sometimes the urge to run off gets the better of me, but I know better than to go against Mother’s wishes. She only wants the best for me.”

I inch a bit closer to the princess. "Beyond the academy, you're hardly missing anything out there. Between fantastical encounters, it’s just ponies and other beasts trying to kill each other or get by with what they have. And, of course, there are the dragons."

"One would think Wintercolt would be safer than Everfree, given its solitude in the mountains and Clover the Clever's protection. Have you ever met my Auntie Clover?"

I sigh dreamily. Clover the Clever has been my idol since the day I first picked up a spell tome. Her seals are imprinted on every standardized magical book; an indentation of the Pure Heart, or the six pointed star of the academy, which also happens to be my family crest. Ever since she, Pansy, and Smart Cookie reconciled their differences and created the first Hearth's Warming, she’s become a symbol to unicorns across Equestria, but nopony admires her quite like I do.

“I hope to meet her. I strive to be her equal, some day.”

Celina’s mood turns glum. “It’s a shame the Six have become so severed since Equestria was established. With Papa Hurricane and Pansy gone, and Puddinghead’s disappearance, Mother and Aunt Clover are the only ones left.”

She left somepony out of that roster. I tap my chin. “Whatever happened to Smart Cookie?”

“Mother has dedicated some of her time searching for him, but it’s believed he left Equestria as soon as matters... how do you peasants put it, ‘Went South’?”

"You saying I'm a peasant?" I give a mock pout and splash my hooves together.

"Oh, no. You're a noblemare, better than I." Celina levitates her brush back into its container and lays down, foregoing the modesty of a towel.

"I believe you have the potential to be something great." I lie down as well. It feels comforting to be around Celina. I don’t feel the need for a towel either.

Celina's hoof touches my cheek. "Do you mean that, Miss Shae?"

“A legendary alicorn princess with a voice that transcends mortal words. How could there not be something special within you? Of course I mean it."

I find myself wrapped in another embrace, this one more sweet and sincere than the melancholy one from before. I’m laughing inside my mind. I’m hugging an alicorn... This should be every mage’s dream. It takes me a moment to remember I’m naked too, but I don’t care. This feels nice. The smell of Celina's mane makes me feel lightheaded, and her perfectly groomed white coat brushing up against mine... Her presence is overwhelming. The stings of tears begin to make themselves known.

I push away gently from Celina with more red on my cheeks than a ripe apple. "I'm sorry..."

“I’m not,” says the princess.

I hold back a gasp as I notice Celina's mane and tail begin to glow with an ethereal light, flowing as if they are caught in a draft. She tilts her head. "Is something the matter, Miss Shae?"

A simultaneous explosion of happiness and clarity overwhelms me, just from looking upon the princess’ radiant glamour. "I... I... you're beautiful..." is all I can mutter before I collapse. Black consumes my vision as my compulsive tears distort the image of gorgeous, heavenly Celina...