Spike seemed aggitated, and didn't really respond. Instead, he ended up rolling the letter up and puffing out a stream of green smoke, seemingly incinerating the letter as it disappeared into thin air. The rest of the trip was, thankfully, uneventful. For those who could sleep, they found the accomodations comfortable. Gallopmere would become visible by the side windows during the trip as the sun was rising, (for those who couldn't sleep.) Coming into the area, everypony could tell that Gallopmere was another castle city, this one was more like a fortress and less for show when compared to Canterlot. Its dark grey stone walls were far less inviting, and the thickness of the outer castle walls was more than enough to stop an army. A village surrounded the castle, made with huts and circling dirt roads with newer looking shingles. As the train went through the open tunnel into the castle city walls, the buildings change completely, looking much more like the stone of the castle. Built with metal and rock, the buildings littering the inside of the castle city walls were far from inviting. As the train began to slow down and the wheels squealed out loudly, the group could see dark steel adorned guards waiting in the station where the train was to let you off. The conductor was quick to open the door when the train came to a stop. He dashed off of the train and shouted; "Guards! It's the ever-lasting curse of Wraithoof! He has claimed Yellow Ticket..." Two guards looked at each other for a moment, then back to the conductor. "Alright, step aside. We'll see about this." Four of the most grim-expressioned guards you've ever seen trot onto the train. With weary eyes they scan about, as two break away to explore the rest of the carriages. Spike comes up to the guards before anypony else gets much chance and looks up at one of them. "Hello! We're here from Canterlot on important business." Spike turns to rummage in his pack, but stops when he hears the guard. "That won't be needed... we've been informed of your impending arrival. Duke Gold Hoof sent us to escort your group to where you need to be. Now tell me... what happened on your trip?" Spike, a little intimidated, looks down and to the side.
Rifter saw that he was uncomfortable discussing it. "I'll explain. He is only a kid. The train lights went out. Then when they came back on, the ticket collector vanished. He was found, mauled by a spider. A phantom like Pony also appeared. Several of us had strange stuff happen when attacking the spider, even attacking our own team by mistake, or missing and landing into a wall. Several took on the phantom like pony and managed to chase it off. Then, we all focused on the spider. In the end, it was defeated. We took a few bruises here and there, but the biggest thing was the poor ticket collector. Thats all I can remember."
"Eeyup!" Power Surge added as he jumped from his seat, shaken awake by the train's iffy breaking system. "Gave him a good whoopin', we did. Train conductor went down like a rock, though." He turned to the rest of the people (pony or not) on the train. "Well, the rest of what happens isn't our business, now is it? Let's continue with what we originally came here to do, shall we?"
"Lollypop's got the right idea. What we waiting for?" Arc said as he steps off the coach and into the uninviting town. Tyro was taking issue with Arc's habit of waking up at around 7 in the morning. Who the hell manages that in the morning? Live a little and sleep in? Why'd he make such a fitness freak? Still, he did remember the echoing abyss from last night, yawning below him in a dream. Whatever that was, he wasn't likely to find out right now. They had Equestria's most dreary holiday location to wonder around in search of kindness. Against this, it might be easy to spot... Arc takes a lungful of air acrid with train smoke. He then takes an eyeful of the grey, rugged place. "I have no idea what I'm doing and what to look for...Anyone else got a better idea?" He asks anyone listening.
Norm was sound asleep with the book in its face when the train stopped. He woke up when everyone started exiting the train with a grunt and slowly stood up, book in mouth. He wiped his eyes and prepared to follow everyone.
"Hmmph." Tex followed Arc out of the train, not made any more cheery by the lack of coffee. "Cave with jewels? Remember? Somewhere around here?"
As the guards look around, the one shakes his head. "No spider could do this much damage." From the other carriage, one of the guards pulls out the corpse of the large spider, and drops it before his hooves. "This one is much bigger than most spiders... Sergeant. These grey markings are a lot like the other one from inside of the crypt." The sergeant sneers and shakes his head. "What nonsense. Wraithoof was defeated generations ago... why only recently would these appear?" He turns to the group and steps off the train. "Excuse me, ponies! I said we would escort you." His head bobs from side to side as three other city guards accompany the group. "We are headed to Duke Gold Hoof's estate. He has a few guides selected which he believes would be best for your journey to the dried springs. You would do well to stay on best behavior for him."
Tex raised a single eyebrow and the ends of his mouth dipped down into a frown, but he said nothing, continuing to focus on the guards.
The guard sergeant nods to the guards around the group, and he begins to lead the party off through the city of Gallopmere. This grim city is car more intricate than Canterlot, with the buildings made much closer together, and left with much less street space to socialize. It's almost like coming into a whole new world when comparing the two mentally. The castle itself is wider and built with thicker stone than Canterlot, suggesting it was intended to be used as a fortress, rather than a home. Another notible thing about Gallopmere is the presence of guards. Here, they are in greater numbers than anywhere else, adding a sense of oppressive protection. The interior of the castle begins with a long, decorated hallway. Large statues of stallions and mares alike stand on either side between the windows which are little more than arrow slits. The statues have names and writings underneath them, but the guards seem to be in a hurry, as they move the group along to the end of the hallway. The Great Hall is a large double-floored room with many exits from it. In the center is an old fountain which, instead of spouting water, just has some decorative statuettes and busts lining around its rims. A well-built red stallion stands behind a banquet table and proudly welcomes the group as they enter. "Welcome, adventurers! I hope your trip was uneventfully pleasent, and the guards weren't too hard on you. I am Duke Gold Hoof, and welcome to Castle Gallopmere! I know it's not as polished as Canterlot, but I only just got the message from the Princess that you'd be arriving soon. I hope to help you all in your journey, and make it as easy on you as we can." At the table, the party can see four other ponies. Three fillies and a colt, all of them quietly looking at the group.
Tex nods to the Duke, glances at the Banquet Table, then the smaller ponies at the table. Then he looked at the rest of his group. Perhaps they were supposed to sit at the table? It looked like it, but he wasn't sure. He was reminded why he preferred a good fight to a social gathering.
Rifter coughed a bit. "Excuse me, Duke Gold Hoof, but could you please tell us why there are young'uns here?"
"Young ones?" He chuckled. "None of them any younger than our late heroes when they started their journeys. It's not like I'm trying to employ foals, my good gryphon. Actually, these are four different guides I've picked out for your to choose from. They should know their way around and to the dried Springs of Shyanna. Two of them are scouts from my personal garrison. Go ahead, have a seat while they introduce themselves." He nods to them at either side of him. The colt puts his hooves on the table and lifts himself up to display the Gallopmere banner on his chest as he speaks first with a proud tone. "I am Chainmail, at your service adventurers. I've been scouting this area for the past three years or so, and I can safely say I've been in the area around the Springs in question. I can't recall any entrance, but I am excellent at looking around in places of mark." The female next to him, a pegasus who also wears the Gallopmere banner on a tabbard, flicks her hair back as she speaks with prominence. "I am Plume Helm, and I would be honored to guide you. I've seen the surrounding forests and country side from the skies since my initial service for the city." The duke smiled and nodded as he heard the two, then turned to the remaining fillies. The one on the end sighed gently and spoke. "My name's Red Scroll, I'm the daughter of a fairly prominent cartographer, and we've both been around the Gallopmere area, so I've seen the dried Springs in question. I'd have no trouble leading you there." The last one, a unicorn, hid behind chestnut hair and started off very quietly. "I'm... uhm... my name is... P-... Pickpear." Her eyes diverted to the floor on her side of the table and she went completely silent. The other ponies surrounding her looked and stared for a while, expecting... something more! When nothing else came, the duke turned to the group and motioned around. "Yes... indeed. Well, go ahead and talk to them. Then you can choose to take who you'd like." Well, I think he scared her. Oh well. I'm pro-unicorn, but you take who you'd like. Maybe ask the duke what his opinion is, hmm?
Rifter slowly went over to the seemingly quiet and sky one. "Hi there. My name is Rifter. Nice to meet you. Mind telling me who you are?" He smiled a comforting smile for a griffon.
Tyro couldn't help but feel oddly limited within the body of Arc Gust. Currently, he's found the character he created to have no useful knowledge on what he's fighting and now he's just remembered that Arc is not approachable. In fact, Arc was pretty much his idea of an action hero. Arc wasn't going to be particularly useful in helping Rifter make...Pick-something come out of her shell. The only thing missing from Arc's serious-looking scan of the guides offered up was a cigarette in his mouth. Although, Tyro had found that foxes could get mares to crumble if he curled his tails around himself and made a face like he was about to cry. Sometimes...If he'd had a bath beforehand... Arc's brooding scowl didn't dissipate as he scans each guide from his seat at the table. He was also hoping that the corny title of 'Adventurer' would eventually stop soon. He wasn't in a fantasy flick, as far as he was aware anyway. Chainmail and Plume Helm just struck Arc as the two favourites of the Duke, if only in contrast to the effort they seem to be putting into coming off as courageous and noble. Red Scroll seemed the most honest out of the three, if only because she clearly has something she'd rather be doing judging by the petulant moaping. Pick-whatever was going to be as useful as a chocolate teapot. He'd seen more dangerous mice. Happy with his analysis of each guard, he'd now have to pick by looking at the cover. So far, he'd be happy with Chuckles down the end there. The other three seemed more likely to annoy him. "Duke Gold Hoof, " He asks instead, trying to gather a bit more information first-hoof. "Why these four? Prince Charming and the Warrior Princess" Arc points towards Chainmail and Plume "I can guess come from your own forces so I can see you'd trust them to get a job done. But Giggles down the end there is watching the door and we have Stage-Fright cowering under the table. I'm not seeing how they could help us track down an Element."
Rifter could hear the unicorn get out the name "Pickpear" before Arc began asking the Duke questions. Duke Gold Hoof seemed attentive, at least, and didn't pause for a moment before answering the question. "You're correct about these two," he says while motioning towards Chainmail and Plume Helm, "They are youthful scouts which have received good marks and are recommended by the barracks commander." After a momentary grin, he goes on. "Red Scroll's father is famous for maps and knowledge of the land. She's learned a lot from him, and if it's getting to the Dried Springs you're after, she'll know how to get there easiest." Then he looks at the unicorn, who meekly looks back up at him. "Pickpear is a "Treasure Hunter for Hire" with a startlingly good reputation, and she just so happened to be in this area today. I suppose she's not used to the attention." Pickpear produced a nervous laugh. The Duke cleared his throat. "Tracking down an Element, you say? I had no idea that's the kind of weight your quest to the dried springs had. Now, more than ever, would I suggest you make sure to take the very best for the task." His eyes signal in the direction of Chainmail.
Rifter knelt down to the little Unicorn. "So, Pickpear. Mind telling me if you think you can help in any way?"
Tex, examining the four ponies that were apparently to be their guides, decided that he didn't have nearly enough to go on to make a real decision. The first, Chainmail, had seemed like a respectable soldier. But, as Tex had learned over a few years of hired goonery, soldiers were rarely the right ponies for the job. Unless, of course, the job was straight-out fighting. He seemed confident of his experience in the area, but...Tex couldn't be sure. The second definitely seemed overconfident to Tex. He really would prefer somepony who'd seen the place from the ground, considering that was how the rest of them would be travelling. And for some reason...she just rubbed him wrong. But, he doubted that the Duke would have put her up as an option if she wasn't good somehow. The third seemed hesitant to be here in the first place, which brought up a warning bell in Tex's mind. Ponies like that always had a chance of deserting or, at best, being completely unhelpful when the going got rough. Not to mention that, being a Cartographer (or the daughter of one) really didn't qualify you to go "adventuring". Really, cartographers should be in shops, making maps for adventurers to BUY. But, nonetheless, he was fairly certain that she had the knowledge needed to guide them, despite all her other shortcomings. The fourth...quite frankly, Tex couldn't believe what he had heard. This pony that looked like she could get blown away by a butterfly's wings...was a treasure hunter? Best case scenario, maybe she was good at finding treasure that wasn't guarded by ANYTHING. Or perhaps she was stealthy; she didn't look like she enjoyed standing out, anyways. Perhaps that would explain it. But her stealth wouldn't help the rest of them a terrible lot. Perhaps she could sneak in and get the gem, but what was the fun in that? Plus, it was more than likely that she would charge them for her services. ...Or perhaps the Duke would take care of that. Or the Princess. Anyhow, none of them seemed like brilliant options, at least not at first glance. He had to get to know them a little better before he could pass any more judgement. Walking over to Chainmail, he said, "Pleasure to meet you. The name's Tex. Now, I don't mince words; what exactly do you have to offer to us that the others don't, if we were to choose you as our guide??"
Pickpear nodded gently to Rifter and leaned in, hoof on the table as she spoke softly. "My... experience with ex... exploring and acquiring old... artifacts and treasures would, uhm... The experience would come in handy for... traps, closed doors, instinctual understanding of oold expanses and... uhm... stuff." She meekly smiled. Chainmail grinned proudly as Tex questioned him, and spent no time in responding. "Tex, I've got a keen sense of danger and searching. I can find things easily, and if there is trouble, I can either assist with dispersing it, or find the best path for retreat! I know the ground much better than Plume, I'm able to notice more practical and helpful things you won't see on a map, and well, I'm probably the strongest of any of the choices." Plume huffs and eyes Chainmail. "My vision is just fine for finding unexpected or unexplored things. You shouldn't stand on such a high stool!"
