Oh no! The Dreaded Sneaky Peeky! · 3:25pm Sep 29th, 2017
Yam’s eyes opened like a theatre curtain rising to reveal the latest silver screen production. His ears rang like abused watchtower bells and tiny, cruel demons kicked the back of his eyeballs, which caused his head to thud in time to the ring-a-ding-dinging. Before his eyes could even focus, he could smell equine misery, a scent he was all too familiar with after having spent time overseas. Sweat, urine, feces, the stench of bodies that hadn’t bathed in far too long, the telling reek of fear. Yam, a natural born coward if ever there was one, knew that some of that fragrant funk was wafting from him.
“I am surprised that you are even alive,” a kind and familiar voice said to Yam. “I really must apologise. The trap was meant to catch a Warden. With all of their regulations, we honestly believed that a Warden would go to investigate the strongbox at the bank. We had such high hopes of studying a live Warden. To understand them, to learn how they work, and perhaps better understand how we can defend ourselves from them.”
Now, Yam understood why Wardens never deviated from the regulations: ponies got hurt.
“It was a brilliant poison, designed to affect those with both equine and draconic physiology. We’ve spent years working on it.” The voice was close, but Yam had trouble focusing still and seeing was just out of the question. Yam could not help but feel that he had heard the voice before… just recently in fact, and his ears strained to suppress the ringing so that he might hear better. “I fear I must apologise, Mister Spade. We met under less then ideal circumstances. You probably think I am a bad pony, but I assure you, I am far, far from it. I work for a noble cause. I work for a group that strives for equality and so much more. We seek to right a great injustice in the world and it is my most sincere hope that you can be reasoned with.”
All around him, Yam could hear whimpering, crying, the soft, muffled sounds of bodies rubbing against each other. His eyes watered from the sharp, biting stench of old urine. Like sand flowing through an hourglass, sensation returned to his legs a little at a time and he became aware of the fact that he was tied up, but he wasn’t gagged. His bonds seemed gentle, which was surprising. No stranger to being tied up, Yam found that there were different ways to tie a pony, and most used the method that caused the most pain.
“Our cause is just, Mister Spade. Where we once sought equality, we now seek to rise above the fates that we’ve been made slaves to. We ascend,, Mister Spade. We wish to lift and elevate our brethren in bondage from the shackles of cruel, fickle destiny. Starlight Glimmer had a good idea, but she was far too stupid to see the real potential in her work. We have grown beyond her petty goals and frivolous aspirations.”
Yam didn’t have much, but he did have his wits about him, sort of. He’d heard of this particular brand of insanity before and had no desire to hear it yet again. Blinking, he struggled to lift his head so that he might focus on his captor, who stood nearby. The voice was so familiar—so recognisable—and he was possessed with a growing frustration for not being able to place it. Some detective he was, hearing a voice and failing to place it with a face. It was like serving up a hot supper and failing to ladle the gravy onto the smashed potatoes. Unforgivable.
“You probably think me a fool for monologuing, but it is my sincere hope that I can convince you of the righteousness of our cause, Mister Spade. We are at war and some actions, while regrettable, are necessary. I do not want you as my enemy, the system that is currently in place, the unjust rule of those who have shaped and abused destiny to suit their own agenda, they would have us be enemies. I wish to liberate you and free you from your yoke. It is my hope that I can open your eyes to the bondage that you live in.”
“Bondage feels a lot like rope tied around my legs,” Yam managed to say after he discovered that his sarcasm had survived intact. “If you want me to be a free creature as much as you say, you could start by untying me.”
“Oh, I would like to do just that, but I have my own safety to be concerned about.”
Nobody made you read this!
That said, I thought I'd offer up a small sample of what is coming. Just enough to get folk hooked, I hope.
So... the big question now is... who is Yam's captor?
See, but the thing is, you did make me read it. With psychology. Like, if it's there, as a naturally curious person, I gotta read it.
I'm betting it's that guy at the train station. The line below makes me think of a guy who had to work his way up in the world.
Trying to catch a Warden? Yeah, good luck with that. In the words of a
wiseman, "I pity the Fool!"Sonnuva.
The FRONKING Ascendancy. The many-headed alicorn
I didn't see (or missed) any reference to the gender of Yam's captor... so I'm going to say it's the pharmacist. The monologue about the drugs was a tip off, to me at least.
its rumble!!!!