An Ordinator's Tail Part IV

    An Ordinator’s Tail.

    Part IV

    Aspenglow and Sagetail two of the council members of Sky Kingdom stood with the doctor outside of the patient’s room. The patient was found just outside of the western most township. For the most part Aspenglow and Sagetail had done their very best at keeping the fact that he was an earth pony a secret, both knowing that bigotry would be an issue especially for one that was unable to defend himself.

    “Will he live?” Aspenglow asked looking through the glass to the room.

    “Yes I think so. He took a nasty shock from some form of magic that I’m certain of.” The doctor said looking over the chart. “Tell that colt he did a good job finding him before someone else did.”

    “The important thing is that he is going to live.” Sagetail said looking relieved, “I just want to know why an Canterlot citizen would be found in our lands. Prince Skye would likely have him interrogated and possibly jailed for spying.”

    The doctor looked at both of the unicorns that stood in front of him shocked. The one on the left Aspenglow colored like the sun through leaves on a mountain side his short, cropped white mane, a bushy orange mustache colored slightly lighter than the rest of him. His mark was a pentagonal prism that glowed faintly. Sagetail on the right was with green fur and a lavender mane and tail filled with grey streaks. His mark was floral sage with quill. Both council members had taken a keen interest in the visitor that was found.

    “I’m sure that wouldn’t be the case, he was in no condition to do something like that. He was barely alive when he was brought in to us!” The doctor said appalled at the thought. “Besides we aren’t even sure he is from Canterlot in the first place.”

    Both Aspenglow and Sagetail looked at the doctor returning the same look.

    “Why would you say that doctor?” Aspenglow asked looking from Sagetail to the doctor.

    “Because he has no mark on his flank.” The doctor stated plainly before turning to leave, “I’ll be performing some x-rays on him shortly. We have him sedated for the time being.”

    “I’ll have guards posted by his door just in case.” Sagetail said, “We don’t know if he is dangerous or not.”

    “Do you think it’s necessary?” The doctor asked raising an eyebrow.

    “Like you said we don’t even know if he is from Canterlot.” Aspenglow added, “It’s just a precaution. Besides I would hate to have to answer to Prince Skye if one of your nurses or yourself got injured.”

    “Very well, just make sure they don’t get in the way of the treatment.” The doctor reluctantly agreed, “Come back in the morning I should have more for you, besides he should be up by then.”

    Satisfied with the initial report both of the council members left allowing the doctor to continue his work.

    ***

    Later that night, the earth pony tossed and turned in his sleep. His dreams filled with things past. First was of him being young studying with Tsavi, learning about Azura. The next was of his days on the farm. Another segment of his dream, training against a stunted Daedroth. The large reptilian creature growling and slashing at him with its six inch claws. How he misjudged one of the creature’s attacks. The claws from its large hand digging into his side. The staggering pain as his ribs gave way.

    He moaned out loud while he slept grasping for the blanket that covered him. A nurse on the night shift walked over to him and check his heart rate and then placed her fore leg across his head. Warm but not warm enough to warrant a call to the night physician. She covered him with the blanket and left the room.

    He fought the Daedroth with everything he had. Finally smashing the beast with his ebony mace across it’s knee causing it to break, the sound like old kindling snapping before being placed in the fire. The creature hit the ground he finished it with a follow up back swing breaking the Daedroth’s neck in the process. He stood hunched over slightly covering his ribs with his free hand his breathing labored from both pain and exhaustion. The trainer came from the surrounding shadows clapping in approval. Methal started to walk toward him staggered and fell forward the trainer catching him.

    Methal stopped turning in his sleep his body relaxing his breathing becoming more shallow.

    The next morning Methal began to stir as the sunlight started to pour through the window. He heard clacking sounds as he started to awake. He figured it was his captain coming to speak to him. He opened his eyes and looked toward the sound saw a unicorn with flowing mane in white clothing staring right back at him. He blinked a few times and put his head back to the pillow.

    I must still be dreaming, he thought as he started to drift off.

    “Bonum mane! Quomodo sentis?”

    Methal shot up from the bed and looked at the creature who was now smiling at him. The creature had just spoken to him.

    “B'vek?!” Methal exclaimed.

    The unicorn looked puzzled by his response.

    “Quid est?” The unicorn said starting to walk toward him.

    Methal raised his hand instinctively letting the creature know to stay back only finding it he didn’t have a hand, instead his arm would have been it now resembled a horse’s leg ending in a hoof.

    “Ku’ay adur yi baldefur?!?” Methal cried out as he looked at his “arm”. He started to get out of the bed in a panic.

    “Mitescere! Mitescere!” The creature said in a soothing tone. “Hic sunt et vos.”

    Methal’s legs hit the floor he turned around stammering in his own language trying to see himself then he saw a mirror and awkwardly walked to it. As he peered into it the face that he saw shocked him. He screamed falling backwards. He looked to the unicorn terrified.

    “Tibi mitescere! Hoc erit auxilium!” The unicorn spoke sounding more distressed, she walked toward him a small needle like tool was levitated in front of her.

***

    Down the hallway Aspenglow and Sagetail had returned as the doctor told them too and listened to the full report in his office.

    “In my opinion no.” The doctor said using his magic to open the folder, “He suffered from a state of paralysis from a large shock of some sort. Whoever found him when they did got lucky, otherwise he might not have survived the night.” The doctor said flipping through his papers until he found what he was looking for, “We have a male earth pony age I would guess adult with no mark, there are some strange features as well. First, his iris color is red secondly his ears are slightly longer and more pointed, this could be the result of mixed heritage. Guessing also by the x-rays we made of him his life hasn’t exactly been pleasant either.”

    “Please doctor elaborate.” Sagetail said with a raised eyebrow.

    “As you can see from this first shot,” The doctor pulled up the x-ray for them to see, “He has had broken ribs at some point, along with one of his legs as well. now in this next one,” The doctor pulled out another shot holding it up for them, “A cracked pelvis as well. You can see where the bone was healed but in a hurry it’s just slightly offset.” The doctor pulled out the last shot and held it up with the others, “A broken jaw and orbital bone too.” The doctor then pulled the x-rays down, “My guess would be that he was a gladiator.” The doctor looked at the two council members, “He might have been a slave escaping from the Changeling Empire or Griffin Rock.”

    The entire room was silent. The amount of trauma the earth pony had suffered was like nothing anypony sitting at the table could even fathom. Before Aspenglow could ask another question the door to the office opened a nurse hurriedly entered saying,

    “Doctor we have a problem.”

    “What’s wrong?”

    “The earth pony that was brought in yesterday is sedated again. The nurse that went to check up on him this morning tried to calm him down after he woke up, but he attacked her and the two guards.”

    Aspenglow and Sagetail exchanged looks of worry.

    “Are they alright?” Sagetail asked.

    “They are a little banged up. But I think the earth pony was just scared.” The nurse replied.

    “If he is a slave then he might think that we are trying to hurt him…or worse. Gods only know what kind of life he has had if he were raised either by Changelings or Griffins.” Aspenglow said then he turned to Sagetail, “Talk to the guards tell them that we don’t want him hurt, use magic if they have too but nothing lethal.”

    Sagetail nodded and left the room to go speak to the guards.

    “There’s one more thing you should know.” The nurse said.

    “Yes?” Aspenglow said on his way from the room.

    “He doesn’t appear to speak our language, when she tried to talk to him he didn’t seem to understand her and spoke to her in a language she has never heard.” The nurse said as she followed him out. “We need to help him so he doesn’t get hurt or hurt anypony else.”

    As Aspenglow left the room he prepared his teleport spell his horn starting to glow bright white, he would have to inform Prince Skye of the visitor and the possible danger he might pose. He would only hope that the Prince’s reaction wasn’t going to be too impetuous.

End Part IV