Chapter 16: The Cartographer's Gambit
The first thing Nox did, after the soul-crushing exhaustion of his first sun-scarred day, was to give up.
Not on the mission, but on the idea of reaching the Whispering Woods in a single, heroic push. The memory of the two guards—so normal, so utterly unaware—had shaken him more than he wanted to admit. Charging blindly into a forest teeming with Equestrian patrols and Celestia-knew-what else was the strategy of a fool, not a king. The vengeful prince in him snarled at the delay, but the ghost of Alex Drake, the ordinary human, screamed for caution, for information. Wisdom, cold and calculating, won out.
His goal shifted. He wouldn't find Sombra-Shard today. Today, he would find a map. A real one, not just the magical pull in his chest. And to do that, he needed a town.
The following day was another trial by sunlight, but with a new purpose. He flew with more direction, following the subtle, worn paths that eventually bled into a proper dirt road. By late afternoon, the road led him to a sight that was both utterly familiar from his old world and completely alien to his new one: a small, bustling border town.
The sign, carved in warm, welcoming wood, read "SILVERWOOD SETTLEMENT." It was a charming, rustic place nestled in a valley, with timber-framed buildings and thatched roofs. Ponies of all tribes—Earth Ponies, Unicorns, Pegasi—moved through the streets, chatting, shopping, living. The air smelled of baked bread, hay, and pine. It was a picture of post-Storm King peace and prosperity, a living snapshot of everything he was supposed to hate.
Okay, Alex, he thought, slipping fully into the persona. Time to be friendly. Don't be a creepy, lurking bat-pony. Be a slightly lost, overly curious nerd.
He landed at the edge of town, adjusting his saddlebags and practicing a harmless, slightly awkward smile in the reflection of a rain barrel. The illusion held, but the strain was immense. It was one thing to maintain it in the wilderness; it was another to walk into a crowd. Every laugh, every sudden movement, was a test.
His first stop was the most logical place for a cartographer: a general store. A bell jingled as he pushed the door open, the sound horribly loud to his sensitive ears. An elderly Earth Pony mare with a kind face and a measuring tape for a cutie mark looked up from behind the counter.
"Afternoon, dear! Don't think I've seen you around before," she said, her voice warm.
"Afternoon, ma'am," Nox replied, making his voice light and a touch weary. "Just got into town. Name's Aether Wing. I'm a cartographer, looking to chart the flora in the Whispering Woods." He gestured to his bags. "I was hoping you might have a more detailed local map than the one I've got. Mine's... a bit outdated."
It was a perfect, harmless lie.
"Oh, the Woods! You're a brave one," the mare, who introduced herself as Measure Tape, chuckled. She sold him a detailed, hoof-drawn map of the region, pointing out key landmarks. "Stick to the western trails, dear. The eastern depths... well, folks say it's been strange lately. Lights. Bad feelings. The guards have been poking around more often."
Lights. Bad feelings. His internal compass hummed in agreement. Sombra-Shard.
"Noted. I'll be sure to steer clear. Wouldn't want to become a cautionary tale," he said with a wry, self-deprecating smile that felt surprisingly natural.
Measure Tape laughed. "A sensible scholar! I like that. You should talk to Barley Brew, over at the tavern. His brother is with the local guard patrol. He might have more... recent gossip."
It was a lead. A real, tangible lead gained not through magic or force, but through simple, friendly conversation. The success was intoxicating.
He spent the next two hours in the tavern, "The Tipsy Timberwolf," nursing a single mug of cider he had no intention of finishing. He listened. He learned the rhythms of the town, the names, the petty dramas. He learned that Princess Twilight Sparkle had recently implemented new educational reforms, that the Apple family was expecting a record harvest, and that nopony, absolutely nopony, wanted to talk about the "Royal Sisters" with any hint of negativity. The reverence for Celestia and Luna was quiet, deep, and universal. It wasn't the fear of a tyrant; it was the love for a beloved, if distant, guardian.
Finally, he struck up a conversation with Barley Brew, a stout Earth Pony, using his cartographer cover. He bought the stallion a drink and asked, with feigned academic curiosity, about the "strange lights" in the woods.
Barley, now cheerful and talkative, leaned in. "Between you and me? The Captain thinks it's some kind of magical pollutant. A leftover from... you know." He lowered his voice. "The Storm King's mess. But the weird thing is, it's not chaotic. It's... organized. Like somepony's directing it. They're planning a bigger expedition in a week or so to find the source. Nopony's too worried, though. After what the Princesses and their friends handled, a few spooky lights are nothing."
The information hit Nox like a physical blow, and his friendly, sarcastic mask almost shattered. A leftover from the Storm King. They had no idea. They were walking into the lair of a power that could dwarf that conflict, completely unprepared. The cold, calculating part of his mind, the wise king, processed this instantly. Sombra-Shard was using the recent chaos as a perfect camouflage. And Celestia's ponies, in their peaceful confidence, were walking into a trap.
He finished his conversation with Barley, his smile never slipping, his tone never changing from that of a mildly intrigued scholar. But inside, Nox Aeterna was fully awake, and the mission had just become infinitely more complex. He wasn't just hunting a traitor anymore. He was now an unseen guardian, standing between a peaceful, oblivious town and a catastrophe they couldn't even comprehend.
He left Silverwood Settlement as the sun dipped below the horizon, the friendly mask of Aether Wing firmly in place. But his mind was that of a king, cold, calculated, and wise, already weaving a new, more dangerous plan.