[-Talon Scouting report, Eastern border ]
-Witten by Knight Scribe Eber
[Traveling beyond the land of the Bat Ponies, it took us about 2 and a half weeks of trekking untamed wilderness before we saw any evidence of Pandemon. The first signs we were close to the border became obvious, war camps that seemed to only be abandoned about 1 to 2 months ago and most morbidly, slave cages. Me and the scouting unit debated amongst ourselves on why this place was abandoned, why would you leave ground that would be so valuable for defense? In the end no solution was found and we spent the rest of the day collecting what little equipment was left so it could be examined in Chicago. In the morning we started heading east again, into Pandemon itself. And even though there were no signs telling us we had entered, it was all to obvious. I visibly saw the land begin corrupting and rotting away, as we entered the dark kingdom.]
Weeks had passed since that meeting with Enoch and I hadn’t received a word from him or any of this entourage at all. I didn’t know if I should have considered it a good sign or a bad, but it didn’t matter much no, it was in the past. Things weren’t bad though, during training of the recruits I had actually became useful! It was right after the initial training with weapons, when the recruits were brought inside for the classroom section of training. Charles had decided that I had enough experience to teach a few lectures, with I mostly talking about the situations me and my other comrades got in, and what long distance travel was like. It felt pretty nice to finally be involved in running the Camp, getting to know the recruits (And the future Royal Guards) And generally getting my mind off all of the bad stuff for a short period of time. When the week was coming to an end we, Ix was the one to dismiss the recruits (Them just finishing a course on Raccoon riding) And we all headed to the Instructors quarter, Dar speaking sounding annoyed.
“Daw has nu idea whewe dey got those waccoons fwom, dey wewe bawewy eben sociawized!”
Mac chuckles and Dar looks at him, speaking.
“What’s funny?”
Mac looks at Dar with a slightly smug face and speaks.
“Wait an’ see, I an’ a few othews hab been pwannin’ somethin’ mowe months.”
Dar looks at me, equally confused as I.
“What?”
Once morning came, we all got ready and began walking towards the courtyard, with the first thing I did being walking up to Charles and speaking.
“‘ou know what Mac was tawkin’ about?”
Charles speaks, speaking with a bit of annoyance and a sigh.
“Somethin’ that’s supposed to be impowtant Chawwes’s guesses, been wowkin’ on dis in secwet fo’ weeks. Chawwes thinks it’s some test.”
I speak.
“Am a commandew, why am ‘ou wettin’ Mac keep dis secwet?”
Charles speaks, as we turn left.
“Owdews fwom Tethius, he doesn’t wan’ dah pwan to be weaked.”
Charles sighs and we head outside, him speaking one last time.
“Chawwes doesn’t know why dis pwan needs to be kept secwet…”
Arriving outside I was shocked by what I saw. Dozens of wagons were lined up at the gate, with all of them staffed by a driver and Raccoon. Mac speaks, as he heads towards the bell.
“Shouwdn’t keep dah hiwed hewp waitin’ much wongew, wet’s get dis obah wiff.”
Mac rings the bell with so much force that I could have swore all of Stableot head it, and soon after recruits begin walking out, them looking more annoyed than anything. As they make formation infront of us, Mac stands in the center smiling and speaks, raising a peice of paper.
“As ‘ou aww know, youw twainin’ am neawwy compwete. Fo’ obah monff ‘ou hab pwoben youwsewbes awmost wowthy enough to eawn am pwace in dah guawd, buh nao it’s time fo’ dah finaw test.”
Dozens of wagons, Final test, what was Mac going on about!? Their is shocked whispers amongst the recruits, Mac continues.
“Yes Mac knows in dah past dewe hasn’t beena test, buh aftah wecent ebents spawked an idea, an’ a seaw of appwobaw fwom Tethius. Dewe wiww nao be one finaw wequiwement befowe bein’ abwe to take am oath.”
“Dah objectibe am pwetty simpwe if ‘ou think about it. To guawd dah King’ am to do anythin’ fo’ him an’ his famiwy, eben wet’s say if 'ou somehow aww get wost.”
Get lost, what was Mac talking about?
“Fo’ one entiwe week ‘ou wiww aww be spwit amongst bunks, an’ aww of 'ou wiww be stwanded in Outah Motow, wiff onwy two day’s on suppwies abaiwabwe.”
What the hell is this! I look around to see similar worried reactions from the other instructors (Minus Quin and Dac, they looked neutral) and before I had a chance to protest, Mac continued.
“Once sepawated ‘ou wiww aww be assigned an instwuctow to watch obew, dey wiww be dah stand in fo’ Enoch… ‘ou am to watch obah them fo’ one week, cawin’ fo’ dewe ebewy nee’ an’ demand as 'ou suwbibe in dah wiwdewness.”
Finally Mac speaks one last time.
“instwuctows am to pwobide nu hewp at aww to dah wecwuits, ow to go easy on em. Lists to who you will be assigned will be shown now. An’ aftah 'ou see it, sit in am bunks designated wagon.”
WingScratch was about to speak in protest, but Mac spoke first.
“Nu wan’ to heaw it, it’s Tethius’s seaw. Just wook at who am assigned to…”
The other instructors look at the list, and as I was about to look Dar shouted in frustration.
“Assigned to 5 bunks, dah heww am dis Mac!”
I look at my name in the paper, leaving me in shock.
[Commander Emily- Assigned Bunks, 8]
Only one bunk for me! I didn’t know if I should have felt relived or disrespected. Why only give me 1 Bunk, while Dar get’s 5? And not just that, I had never worked with Bunk 8 before, they worked mostly with Quin and WingScratch. To me they were basically total strangers. I look at Mac and speak to him, confused and a bit upset.
“Why gib me 1 bunk of stwangews, 'ou know am bettah den that!”
Mac speaks, grinning ear to ear.
“Buh ‘ou am dah bestes’ fo’ it, 'ou nu undewstand nu 'ou…”
I was super confused but before I could speak, Mac speaks to me a final time as he heads towards the recruits.
“Go sit in am designated wagon, 'ou’ww find out soon enough why Mac needed someone competent to deaw wiff bunk 8.”
With that I take a deep sigh and begin heading towards my wagon, this day already a confusing disaster.
As I sat in the wagon, nobody came at first. I saw as all the other recruits being loaded in and still I saw nobody coming towards me. As the minutes ticked by I started thinking maybe they had either been given the wrong wagon or were still in bed or something. I turn towards the driver and speak.
“Su whewe in Outah Motow am we going?”
The driver look’s at me, with a tired dullness in their eyes and speaks.
“Confidentiaw infowmation Commandah Emiwy. Nu can gib dah wocation in case any of dah wecwuits decide to weabe.”
What recruits! I was getting very sick of all this withheld information crap and was about to speak to the driver a very “Unprofessional” way. Than I head a voice coming from behind me, it being deep and also Kinda threating.
“Pip dah wagon was hewe dah whowe damn time, sometimes Ezekiew weawwy thinks ‘ou am a fuckin’ idiot!”
I turn to see who said that, finally meeting the recruits from bunk 8.
I saw a total of 4 recruits in bunk 8, and I had to say they were quite the “Characters”. The first one I noticed was in the front, him being quite the large mean looking stallion who despite his large build looked skinny, almost malnourished. He was a unicorn with a black coat and a long dark orange (almost brownish to a degree) mane, with him having a scar going down his right eye. Next to this stallion was a Pegasus mare with a white coat that had a pinkish tint and a long dark gray mane that was slightly shorter than the stallions, she had the look of someone who was frustrated but generally looked outgoing. Behind the stallion I saw another stallion, him being older and a earth pony, with him having a dark murky green coat, and a shaven head. Other than that I saw as he got closer, that he was missing a left eye and had a prosthetic back left hoove. Finally to the back of the front mare was again another mare (These folks sure walk organized…) with her being a earth pony with a red coat and short curly blonde hair, she wore glasses that had thick rims and seemed to be holding a book as she walked, not even paying attention to where she was walking. As the 4 of them approached me the front mare began running ahead, speaking with a level of extreme excitement.
“Oh anu, oh anu Pip nu can bewiebe it!”
She was on the wagon now and raced towards me, instantly shaking my hoove and speaking with a giant grim.
“Pip am am numbah one fan! it am such an honow to meet ‘ou commandew, oh my Pip thinks she’s goin’ to faint…”
She sits next to me and puts her arm over her head, closing her eyes. I felt awkward hearing this, and spoke giving a mild smile.
“Fank ou?”
I saw the others begin boarding the wagon, the older stallion speaking as he looks down at Pip.
“Ugh, dah usuaw…”
They had now all sat down, and were looking at me. I didn’t know if this was judgement or were waiting for me to speak, so I just spoke.
“Emiwy wiww be am Instwuctow fo’ dis week, as ‘ou know we’ww be headin’ out. Can 'ou teww me am name’s?”
Pip speaks first sounding exited.
“Of couwse 'ou know my name, Pip!”
The older stallion speaks, taking a sigh at Pip’s overexcitement.
“Name’s andah commandew, it’s an honow to meet 'ou.”
Everyone looks at the dark stallion, him looking at us with contempt and not speaking. After a few moments Ander speaks, going from calm to full on rage in less than 2 seconds.
“WHEN DAH INSTWUCTOW ASKS FOW AM FUCKING NAME, 'OU SAY IT!”
The stallion gives a snarl and a hiss, and it looked like a fight was going to break out. But after a few seconds he calms down and speaks quickly.
“Ezekiew…”
Ander freakishly returns to a tone of complete calm, pointing at the mare with the books and speaking.
“That obah dewe am Yoyo Instwuctow Emiwy. Andah thinks she maybeh be mentawwy wetawded, hasn’t spoken a singwe wowd since we got hewe.”
Yoyo looks up from her book and gives Ander a scowl, with Ezekiel speaking, with a tone of condescension and mockery.
“Wetawd? Andah hab 'ou wooked at youwsewf in dah miwwow…”
Ander had entered a rage and was about to hit Ezekiel, but Pip got in the way and stopped them. speaking with a cheerful tone.
“Come on guy’s, wets not do dis! Wewe one big happy team!”
Ander and Ezekiel continue to give each other dirty looks and Pip turns to me, speaking with a smile.
“Sowwy if tensions seem a bit high, dewe not usuawwy dis bad…”
Holy shit what has Mac gotten me into… I began to understand why I was given only this bunk, this had to be the most disfunction one in the history of this Camp! As I looked over to the gate I saw Mac looking over the wagons for a few moments before beginning to walk over, and once he got there he spoke looking at everyone.
“Mac wishes ‘ou dah bestes’ of wuck, may dah Gauntwet of Fiwe begin!”
The wagon begins to move and I started to hear Ander and Ezekiel begin arguing about something probably stupid, and all I could do was think to myself. “This is going to be a long week…” Fin
Thank you for reading my story! Since everyone is still at Camp Driscoll, I’ve always wanted to write some parts about fleshing out some of the recruits. And I think I did a good job in that, writing the bunk 8 recruits as a reflection of the main 4, like there chapter one selves written to be 100x more over the top. Of course constructive criticism is appreciated, and may you have a good day!