private A Cultural Exchange 1x1 with Randimaxis

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

Dax chuckled ruefully.  "That's a really roundabout way of saying 'no'... but it's okay.  I'd see if they would try it, but... yeah, I already know the answer to that; on both sides, even.  But it's okay."

 

He wasn't entirely sure how to proceed, from the look on his face.

 

"I don't even know what to say now; this is just so incredible... I've always thought there was more out there in the world than what my tutors knew, and your sheer existence proves it.  Oh, no worries - I won't tell a soul about this; it does feel good to know that I've been let in on this big secret, and I won't be the one to ruin it!"

 

There was no doubt; Dax would rather die than betray his only friend... make that, 'friends'.

 

"Okay, well... uhm, did you... have anything else to ask me?  Nopony ever really asks me anything; they're always trying to tell me what they think I don't know - so you asking me stuff is... well, it's fun, actually."

 

He gave Illiad and Selena one of his trademark sheepish grins.

[Illiad Easle 3,156]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Selena pondered for a moment, "Hmm, Of the activities that are planned for your trip to Troy, what are you most excited about?" Illiad too decided to ask a question, "Also,is there something else that we're doing here that you're excited to show me?" Illiad wasn't out to spoil a surprise, he just wanted to know what he could expect and if there was the chance that he could spend some more time with Silver before they left. 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

Dax gave Selena a comical look of pain.  

 

"Ooooooh... I don't know!  I mean, one the one hoof, there's the observatory that Illiad spoke about - ohhh, the things I could see with one of those - it would be like a full-on view of paradise!  But on the other hoof, Illiad has said he has some changeling friends who might want to talk to me; I've always wondered if they were just misunderstood - and Illiad says they are!  And then on top of that, I have GOTTA see how Silver's Machine works!  So, I have a LOT to look forward to; I'm so excited, I could explode!"

 

He gave Illiad a bit of a curious look upon the second question.

 

"Uhm, well... admittedly, there's not a lot else to see, but... I mean, I could show you the vault, and the manor's inner courtyard and garden... maybe the Gem Refinery... but, I... don't tell me I'm starting to bore you - I'm REALLY trying not to..."

 

Dax gave Illiad a worried look.  "You don't already wanna leave, do you?"

[Illiad Easle 3,156]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad looked at Dax with a bit of surprise, "Not at all, I've loved being here. even if we aren't doing something super cool I have no intention of leaving early."

 

"Besides, staying here gives him the best chance at seeing Silver again." Selena butted in with a smirk. 

 

Illiad blushed before continuing, "Regardless, I'm glad to hear how excited you are to see where I live, I hope it lives up to your expectations."

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

Dax grinned broadly.

 

"I'm glad to hear it, my friend... and it feels so good to be able to call you my friend - and I hope you are too, Selena; I'm so glad I wrote that first letter!  It was a flyer that Mother brought home from Ponyville, last time she went - she saw the word 'cultural' and probably decided I could use it.  I'll never, ever regret deciding to write to you - thank you so much..."

 

The young stallion got up and made his way over to the Trojan, wrapping him in a huge hug when he got there.

 

"I've gotta be the luckiest stallion in the world - or at least it feels like it."

 

Stepping back from his friend, he gave him an appraising look.  "Y'know... I could talk to Silver and see what she thinks of YOU; it'd be great if you two became special someponies - then you'd come here more often, right?"

[Illiad Easle 3,156]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad smiled broadly, "I'm glad I wrote to you too, I was looking to bring a sort of adventure to my life to distract me from my then present woes. I'm glad we got paired together and that I was able to improve your life in even a small way."

 

His expression shifted to be a bit more conspiratorial. "In regards to Silver, if we were to become a bit more than friends I suppose I'd Have to visit again, maybe even on a regular basis."

 

In a way that felt somewhat odd to the colt, Selena spoke directly to Dax without speaking, a sort of one way mental communication. You've helped Illiad much more than even he realizes. This exchange has already shifted many aspects of his future to more favorable probabilities and for that I am extremely grateful. She gave a slight, but thankful bow towards him as the room began to return to its plain white state.

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Dax chuckled softly.  

 

"You've really got it bad for her, don'cha?  I mean, I thought you liked her a good bit, but you sound ready to whisk her away to the sands of Troy at the drop of a hat!  I'd be happy to play Cupid; I'll find out what I can from her, and pass things along to you - sound good?"

 

He grinned, yet his eyes slid sidelong for only a moment as Selena spoke in his noggin; he managed to tip her a wink, unbeknownst to Illiad.

 

"I know that she loves machines... and she can make shoes; the miner's shoes here are ALL her creations... and she never lets a pony go hungry, as her folks run a charity, I think... and she- OH!  She LOVES tulips; she says her parents used to plant them all the time when she was smaller... she told me she can play the sousaphone... and she likes the taste of mushrooms... uhm, that's all I can remember at the moment, but I'm sure there's more!"

 

The young stallion wanted to help so much; again, even though he didn't have much to go on, Dax seemed to be right on the money when it came to being a friend.

 

"Maybe you could talk Selena into looking into Silver's dreams for you?"

[Illiad Easle 3,156]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad blushed quite a bit at the initial comment. "I suppose I am particularly fond of her. In my defense she has only grown more attractive the more I've learned about her. Usually liking mushrooms is a deal-breaker for me, but I think I can overlook it for her. I think she's perfect otherwise at any rate. Yes, I would appreciate anything you can do for me."

 

Selena took that opportunity to speak up. "The same restrictions would apply to me seeing her dreams as it does to seeing your parent's dreams. I'd have to be close enough and it makes it significantly easier if they're aware and accepting of it. In the most basic terms I would need her permission to do so as I would have to be nearly next to her to see anything. Maybe if you invited her out here to join us one night?"

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

"I could do that - yeah, sure!  She's always been open-minded about stuff she and I talk about, so maybe if-..." suddenly, Dax's face looked as though he'd had a revelation.  "But that would mean revealing Selena to her too, wouldn't it?  Would it be safe for you to do that, Illiad?  Would it be safe for Selena, too?  I don't want anypony to get in trouble over all this... but, for what it's worth, I'm pretty sure Silver can keep a secret."

 

He looked at them both, smiling from ear to ear.  His eyes came to rest on Selena as he spoke up.

 

"Oh, I don't wanna forget to ask anything - I don't know WHEN I'll ever see you again, after all!  Maybe I should ask about the moon?  Or perhaps I should ask about how you feel about Alicorns in general?  OOH!  Can you sing?"

 

{If Illiad's Empathic powers are strong enough, he detects... something... near the tent, putting off emotions of loss and sorrow.}

 

"I don't even know WHAT to ask about!"  Dax seemed to be enjoying his current dilemma.

[Illiad Easle 3,156]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad gave a nod with a smile. "It would indeed mean telling her, but if she is to spend any meaningful amount of time with me she'd need to know at some point anyway. I think she'd keep the secret well too, it isn't a hard one to keep."

 

Illiad's expression suddenly shifted to perplexed. "Something is outside, I'll go check it out. You two have fun okay?" Without waiting for a response Illiad ejected himself from the dream and into the conscious world. He looked about to see if he could find the one that felt so sad.

 

Selena didn't seem to mind Illiad's sudden departure from the room. "I could answer any of those questions, we have plenty of time, all you have to do is decide an order to ask them in." 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Dax gave Illiad a puzzled look, and blinked a bit when his friend vanished.

 

"I hope everything's okay..."

 

Yet, after a moment's thought, he turned back to Selena with a question in his eyes.

 

"Uhm... with Illiad not here, would it be okay if I asked you what I've changed about him?  You spoke in my head earlier, and I don't know how to talk back the same way - but I gathered it wasn't for him to know, or you would have said it out loud.  So... I'd like to ask about that, if it's all right?  Since he's not here to overhear it, I mean."

 

========================================================

 

There was a purple light coming from outside.

 

By the creek, there was movement and that eerie purple light that almost seemed to make things around it feel... colder, somehow.  Sitting on the bank of the river was what looked to be a colt... except that there were pulses of energy that formed various things around him; another set of legs, a long mane and two humongous pairs of wings kept fading in and out of existence around him.

 

The colt was crying, but it wasn't the bawling of a foal... it was the subdued, shuddering sobs of a stallion who has lost everything.  The voice making the sounds was resonant and deep, with an almost echoing effect to it - as if the sounds faded into existence before they were actually made.

 

Upon closer inspection, the colt was wearing a silk nightshirt, currently hanging open in the cool night air.  He seemed disheveled, as if woken from a deep sleep, with what appeared to be his true mane a mess and his true tail, as well.  Along with all this, the colt/creature/being was most certainly the source of the sorrow.

 

Illiad could see all of this from the tent flap; it was his call where he went from here...

[Illiad Easle 3,156]

@@Randimaxis,

 

 Selena looked conflicted for a moment, before she sighed. "Alright, I'll tell you. But you can't tell him I told you this." She shifted into a more comfortable position on her chair. "As you may have noticed, Illiad is a bit of a loner, and extremely introverted. After the incident that caused him to leave Canterlot he's had trouble making deep friendships. You are the first creature he has trusted enough to tell about me. Ever since you started writing him he's been more outgoing and involved with the few friends he still has. He has a chance now at finding someone to share his life with even if he doesn't end up with Silver. When he defended you against those workers it was the first time he felt so strongly about one of his friends. I didn't say so earlier because he didn't want to face that something was missing from his life."

 

============================================================================================

 

Illiad was oddly calm about the whole situation, and decided to push some of that calm towards the strange creature before him. Tentatively he emerged from the tent, "You are certainly something different, mind telling me what's got you so down?"

Edited February 29, 2016 by Illiad Easle

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

The young stallion was floored by Selena's response.  "So... you're telling me he needs me as much as I need him?"  This thought rolled through his mind for a moment, Dax taking his time with his response.

 

"That's wonderful... really, it is!  I've always felt like I was just here for the sake of being born a Blackwater, because I've never really felt needed, y'know?  But to know I'm actually necessary, THAT is a wonderful thing..."

 

Dax wiped his foreleg across his eyes to clear the tears misting there, though there was a look of gladness on the muzzle beneath it.

 

"It feels good knowing that; thank you very, very much."

 

Dax thought for a moment.

 

"Uhm... I don't wanna seem... rude or anything... especially since you're so sweet to me... but, can I ask you something about Princess Luna?  I mean, I know you said you were a part of her soul at one time, so I think you'd be better than anypony else to ask about... well..."

 

He looked rattled, but he took a deep breath to calm himself, then looked Selena in the eye.

 

"Do you think that - if she met me - would she like me?  And, if she did, would it be..."

 

It was Dax's turn to blush brightly.

 

"... honestly speaking, would I ever have any chance to... uhm... if I was older, I mean... could I..."

 

It was a fair bet that Selena could take a decent guess as to what Dax was saying: he wanted to know if Luna could ever love a stallion like him.  It was awkward... and adorable.

 

============================================================================================

 

The strange colt didn't react outwardly, but it spoke... sort of.  ".ydob siht ni ,ecalp siht ot ,ereh em del sah htap ym tey ...regnarts ,em nellafeb evah taht seow eht rats a nopu tnemal dluow I"

 

The colt stood, and then hovered into the air - without a single flap of his wings.  ".won erusaert ym tcetorp ot enola enim dna ytud ym si ti ;erom on si naidraug eht - erusaert tsetaerg ym nellafeb sah enutrofsim taht raef I"

 

The colt finally came close enough for Illiad to see clearly, and there were three things that were instantly evident:

 

The being's eyes were nothing but bright balls in the colt's head; no pupils visible whatsoever.

 

There was some sort of entity that had apparently manifested within this host.

 

The colt was Oglevy Blackwater.

 

"?regnarts ,uoy era ohW  .uoy swonk ...eno sihT"

[Illiad Easle 3,156]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Selena sighed, "It's been a long time since Luna and I were the same, her time on the moon and being hit by the elements has really changed her in relation to me so I could not say definitively whether she would like you. But I think she would given you appreciate her night's sky. As to what you could do if you were older, you'd have to be old in the realm of centuries and a lifespan into a millennia to compete for her heart. While Celestia fears solitude Luna fears loss, she doesn't want to lose those around her so she has trouble connecting with those she knows will die shortly. but she's getting better. Midnight Star once held her heart, and out of fear of losing him she gave him an extended lifespan of a few millennium. Maybe the same will happen to you, but I cannot say." 

 

Her face suddenly shifted to be a bit more serious. "Something is wrong out there. Sleep, we'll be back soon." The room dissolved into blackness as Dax was disconnected from the shared dream, whether he would wake up or continue sleeping was up to him.

 

============================================================================================

 

"This again? That's two backwards speakers in as many days. I'll be right back." he returned to the tent and nudged his gem, waiting for a confirmation that she had disconnected Dax before carrying her outside. He shifted the gem into a sort of headset, the gem sitting in his ears. "Okay, this should help me understand what you're trying to say. Could you say what you said again?"

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle 

 

 

Dax flinched when Selena told him about the issues between himself and Luna; the truth hurts, and it seemed as if this truth certainly did.  But before he could say anything, Selena went to assist Illiad.

 

Dax said nothing as the room blacked out - he was still trying to wrap his mind around her words when he was shunted out of the shared dream.

 

It was hardly ever a good idea to sleep with bad news on one's mind...

 

====================================================================================================

 

By the time Illiad returned, the entity had stood up, and there was now a slowly darkening look on the colt's face.

 

"...yb esolc yrev si ecnaraeppasid s'yrtnes ym rof elbisnopser si revemohw taht em dlot evah sesnes ym dna ...edis rehto eht morf skaeps ohw rehtona fo kaeps uoY"

 

A purple energy radiated outward from his eyes, and the spectral wings flapped slowly as it rose from the ground.  The same energy began to glow from each forehoof, and the echo from speaking had deepened.

 

".ylkciuq kaepS  .regnarts ,erusaert sselecirp ym niager ot od dluow I tahw ot timil on si rerht ...uoy nraw llahs I  ?draug ym htiw desnepsid ohw eno eht uoy era - kaepS"

[Illiad Easle 3,156]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad had an uncharacteristic smile on his face. "Ah yes I can understand you now, but if you can understand me is another question. Given that you responded decently to my speaking I would assume so. I am the balance of good and evil. I punish and aid those whom the scales direct. All will answer for their crimes. But let's talk civilly shall we? I will need you to release the colt first though, It doesn't put the argument in your favor to be holding him hostage as your guard did to another." 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle 

 

 

The colt's face took on a haughty look, and he frowned.

 

".emas eht leef uoy epoh ylno nac I ...kcatta dluow draug ym erehw kaeps dluow I  .eb ot raeppa thgim I sa ekirts ot toh sa ton ma I tey ...em sregna sihT  ?em denekawa taht srebmahc lairub ym otni noisurtni 'sdnik ruoy si ti nehw ,em fo stseuqer ekam uoY"

 

The colt's look changed to one of business; it was both sobering and creepy, how much Oglevy looked like his father.

 

".uoy ot emirc eht timbus llahs I ,erofereht - egduJ a era uoy hguoht sa dnuos uoy ,kaeps uoy sdrow eht morf ;neht uoy ot siht tneserp llahs I"

 

[Translated for the sake of my poor sanity - typing backwards is rough!]

 

"I am His Majesty, The Lord Of Klovynhuuf, Arcus Pyrite The Seventh.  I was one of seven rulers among my people, until we passed from this existence... or 'died', as your kind would believe... and became their guides and advisors.  We have transcended this plane for another form of life... and the Kyata Stone is a focus for crossing the boundary between the two."

 

"I believe you refer to it as 'Cloud Diamond', yet on our world, it is sacred, and its magic only accessible to a few - myself among them, of course."

 

"When our planet was dying, we scattered to the stars... spreading ourselves out for a chance to simply continue to exist.  Our vessels were made of pure Kyata Stone, and we came with our loved ones and our most precious things, simply looking for a place to be left alone.  My journey brought myself and my entourage here, to this land of ponies and magic; magic which we had never before seen."

 

"Some of my subjects left; where they went, I know not... their choices were their own.  I was content to remain here, along with those who wished to remain with me.  This was all done many, many centuries ago - before your world's royalty ruled.  I wanted no involvement with this world's beings - I simply wanted to be."

 

"A number of your years ago, a group of ponies began to take away some of my vessel, in pieces.  This, my guard would not abide; he was angered, and made a spectacle of himself - for this, my apology may not mean much, but I give it freely.  I had decided that this was acceptable; after so long in isolation, we were bound to be discovered and, as bloody as the incident was, I reasonably assumed we would be left alone from that point forward."

 

"Yet, I am awakened into this world directly, as I felt a disturbance within my chamber once again.  I witnessed only a fraction of what transpired, as the comparably small amount of Kyata Stone available was in use... by the same guard, no less.  I was appalled that things got out of control, yet you and the other two were quite effective - his essence is gone, his existence faded forever.  I shall miss him - yet there was no call for such needless theatrics."

 

"Then, I awaken again as this young colt enters my chamber to reclaim his instrument of revenge: a toy balloon, filled with ink... and intended for you, Illiad Easle."

 

He pondered this for a moment, then:

 

"Your name speaks of a long, dramatic story... and the device your kind use to hold the canvas of a painting.  This denotes that you are an immense work of art unto this world, yet your picture is still incomplete as long as it goes on... it is a beautiful thought.  I did not learn your name until the thought of the colt's plan for you, just now."

 

"Regardless, when I awoke to his presence, I made another discovery; my treasure was gone.  The sealed chest was chiseled out of the wall of the remainder of my craft - and my mortal bones were piled upon the floor."

 

He frowned deeply.

 

"If you represent the scales of balance, then I give you MY losses: A Personal Guard, three-quarters of my craft, and my treasure, along with the sense of peace this place once held for me.  Balance your scales, Judge Illiad - and then, I ask you to speak with me on this matter... and I ask you, in the name of the Seventh House, to assist me in reclaiming my treasure from whomever has taken it from me."

 

"As for the colt, he will remain under my command for now - yet I mean him no harm; his body shall be as my own, and I will return him safely unto you once my treasure is found..."

 

He narrowed his glowing eyes, now slivers of light akin to crescent moons.

 

"And not a moment sooner."

 

The colt/king lowered slowly to the ground, and the ghostly wings folded behind him.  From what could be discerned, the original body was NOT pony-shaped; the wing structure and deliberate movements belied a larger, thicker race with HUGE wings.

 

Once on all fours, Lord Arcus looked at the Empathic with a bit more respect... and worry.

 

"?od I NAC tahW  ?od I llahs tahw ...egduJ em lleT"

[Illiad Easle 3,156]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad was impressed, it was quite the story he had told and it actually made quite a bit of sense. "I see clearer now what is going on here. By my account you have indeed been wronged and I will work to recompense you. Your guard was not dead when I left, his judgement returned what he had bestowed on others. If he died of his conscience then it is of no concern to the scales, but if one came to strike as he was weak then it matters all the more. The sense of peace is lost on both ends I'm afraid so you're balanced there, the craft is balanced against the lives lost collecting what they did collect, but if it's any consolation they have promised to seal the tunnel that leads to your craft. Soon it will be disturbed no more. It seems someone decided they wanted one last thing before the tunnel was closed. Your treasure you are owed, that much is certain. The one that took it owes you, and your use of that colt will balance the rest."

 

Illiad sat pondering how he could even discover who had taken the chest. "Do you know when it was taken? anything about the one that took it?"

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle 

 

 

Lord Arcus hung his head.

 

".ekowa I nehw tneserp eno ylno eht saw tloc sihT  .wonk ton od I ,oN"

 

He seemed not only perplexed, but disheartened as well.

 

".ssecca hcus evah dluow taht aera eht ni sgnieb rehto on era ereht ,'enim' eht ta srekrow eht fo eno eb tsum tirpluc eht taht em ot rucco dluow tI"

 

He turned to face Illiad once more, and old soul gazing out through young eyes.

 

".nac I revewoh tsissa llahs I  .ecalp siht ni ytirohtua eht era uoy sa ,noitagitsevni siht dael eht ekat ot evah lliw uoY"

[Illiad Easle 3,156]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Few recognized the power Illiad wielded as the balance as authority, Illiad shied away from showing his power and was instead quite humble about the role he played in the world. He nodded to the entity. "I will do what I can to ensure that your treasure is returned." He returned to the tent and attempted to rouse Dax. "Hey, we need to go on a treasure hunt to save your brother and the whole mine because this guy could totally kill all of you if he wanted to."

 

He exited the tent again. "The colt in the tent is the brother of the one you've controlled and the son of the owner of the mine. He'll know who, or who would know who, had access to the mine in the past hours. If you know when it was taken it would certainly make our search easier."

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Dax came out of the tent blinking and bleary-eyed, rubbing his hooves against his puffy sockets as he yawned.

 

He looked at Oglevy for a moment, his poker-face betraying nothing.  Then, in a voice muzzy with sleep...

 

"Oglevy, go back tuh bed; id's too late tubby out."

 

With that, Dax turned and went right back inside the tent, headed back for his pile of blankets.  Perhaps the young stallion wasn't fully awake yet?

 

Unfazed, Lord Arcus raised an eyebrow.  ".lufpleh etiuq ton saw tahT"

[Illiad Easle 3,156]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad had a nonplussed expression. "No it wasn't very helpful, I think partially due to the body you control. He recognizes it so he doesn't think much of it. I'm sure he'll be awake enough eventually to realize that some of the things he saw don't quite add up and he'll start freaking out, or I'll have to drag him out of the tent so we can start searching." 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Dax had seen the glowing eyes, the spectral wings and the aura of power and had thought 'trouble'... naturally, his sleep-addled mind went wandering around for something the word would connect with.  Eventually, it settled on 'Oglevy'.

 

He knew the colt would be trouble when Oggie was still a foal; the first day he was brought home, Dax had been fascinated by the sight of the little sky-blue creature wriggling in what used to be his old crib.  He had leaned in close to get a better view, and the foal had put his mouth on the end of Dax's snout... AND BIT DOWN.  HARD.

 

Dax had yelped, and Mother had shown up shortly thereafter to fuss at Dax for waking the baby (which he hadn't been sleeping, but at Dax's yell he began to bawl).  From that point on, Oglevy had been nothing but trouble for him; there seemed to be new ways each week to eithe get Dax in trouble, or to cause him grief.  When the testing tutors had declared him a genius, Dax had not been surprised - after the complex pranks the colt had pulled on him, he could have told them that.

 

Still, there were a few, scarce moments where the colt wasn't as bad as everyone thought.  There had been the camping trip, where he had been lost with Oglevy out in the woods; the colt had surprised him by willingly sharing his sack lunch with Dax, after Dax's own had been used to throw a timberwolf off their trail.  Then there was the time he had caught Dax sneaking into the kitchen pantry; he'd kept quiet for an onion sandwich, but it was still better than the usual blurting out of Dax's mistakes.  And, of course, there was the time after the 'Pink-Slip Incident', where the colt had just come into Dax's room while he was crying, and simply sat next to him on the bed and leaned against Dax while he sobbed.

 

If he would simply grow up, Dax got the feeling Oglevy would actually be a good brother.  Oglevy could be a brat, true - but ultimately, he would always have Oglevy for a brother... regardless of Oglevy's thoughts to the contrary.

 

Repeating Oglevy's name so often in his head, Dax found the colt's name to sound weird and alien.  As he began to settle himself into the pile of blankets, he took the name 'Oglevy' and his sleep-addled mind went wandering around for something the word would connect with.  Eventually, it settled on 'trouble'...

 

Moments later, Dax was standing at the flap to the tent again, staring at his possessed brother.

 

"What in the wide, wide world of Equestria is going on here!?!?"

 

Well, it was safe to assume he was awake now.

[Illiad Easle 3,156]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad turned back towards Dax, a slight smile on his face. "Glad you decided to join us, this is Lord Arcus." he said gesturing towards the possessed Blackwater. "Someone stole his ancient treasure from the cloud diamond cave so he stole your brother until we can find his treasure. We need to go around to all the workers that knew the tunnel was being sealed. I think we should start with Knee Slapper, he at the very least would know who else knew about the tunnel."

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Dax just stared at Oglevy/Arcus for a moment... then, slowly, he reached out with a hoof and gingerly touched the colt's shoulder.

 

"?ti si tahw ,sey ..."

 

Dax jumped back.  "What in the..?  Why Oglevy?  And treasure?  What treasure?"

 

Arcus tilted the colt's head, looking at Dax.  ".ynop kcalb ,uoy rof ylpeed serac dlihc eht ;eno siht ni mih rof noitaroda fo rioveser a etiuq si ereht ...dlihc siht ot nwonk si eno sihT  .ecneconni ruoy sevorp ti - ti fo gnihton wenk uoy taht setoned esirprus ruoy ;siht raeh ot em sesaelp tI"

 

Dax blinked at Arcus' words.  He turned to Illiad.  "I hope you can understand him, Illiad - I can't make out a single thing he's saying."

 

The colt turned back to face the unicorn.  "?esu laer yna fo eb ti lliw ...seenk fo gnippals sihT"

 

Dax looked lost; Arcus looked confused.  What a night.