Chapter 17
Problems & Solutions
-Day 4, Week 1, Year 1-
[Gabriel]
Treating the road like my home had been a fun life for me so far.
Each day I would awake to the fresh warbling of the various assorted types of avian wildlife that habituated the treetops and the air above my head. Once in a while I would Sky-Dance up above the never ending forest canopy to marvel at the beauty of the world around me. This world just seemed too peaceful, at least from where and when I was standing. If it had changed majorly in twelve years I hadn’t noticed the first time around. That might have been because I hadn’t actually gone anywhere beyond what seemed to be the exact same forest, but my point still stands.
This exact same forest was different enough that it was like a whole new adventure to me. Another big wide open world for me to tromp around with hardly a care or a bad thought dogging my steps, nothing but me myself and I for company. Unless you count a slightly warm egg as proper company; because I don’t.
The monotony of travel would have ground me to a halt had I not created an orderly routine. I wake up at dawn, I walk until noon, I hunt for food, I continue after what I consider one hour regardless if the hunt was successful or not, I make a camp of sorts when it gets dark and then practice my pyromancy until it gets late. After a night of hopefully sound sleep I repeat the process once more.
Routine is what separated me from total and utter boredom.
The road was little more than a dirt track for the first few days, I wanted to avoid civilisation at all costs. Because, a little fun fact for you, a wolf with crimson red fur standing at around six feet on all fours is apparently terrifying. This was a lesson learned when I had attempted to interact with a passing caravan.
Never before have I seen the equivalent of five grown men piss all over their legs in terror. Nor do I expect have I seen the last of it. Since then I’ve avoided all contact with the natives of this land, unless the native is wild and happens to look delicious. That means they have a special meeting with Mr Maw, a visit from Nurse Gullet before being sent on through to Dr. Stomach Acid.
Even eating raw flesh can be made light hearted when you’ve been walking for thirteen hours without pause.
*
-Day 17, Week 3, Year 1-
On the fifteenth day it dawned on me.
I hadn’t a blinding clue as to where the hell I was going. Sure I had been following the ‘instincts’ given to me. But while I might have lucked out and gone north at some point, I had been running all over the gaff without the tiniest idea as to what direction I should be going in. I could have been going south for the fifteen days it had taken me to realise how thick I had been! Lost time, lost time!
While I’m sure I wouldn’t be late for the very important date at this early stage I did note that that was fifteen possible days I wouldn’t get back, all because I let the freedom go to my head. It was time to gain a sense of direction. That meant finding a method of locating the direction required, like a compass, or asking for directions.
Unfortunately only the latter option made sense, so I got walking to the nearest road to me and followed the road-signs. My plan was to find a settlement of sorts to politely ask for directions north as well as a map. Somehow I doubted it would be that smooth a process. Twas but an inkling though, so I continued walking, and walking, and walking.
Walking was life now. Walking was the goal. Keep your head down and walk.
*
-Day 19, Week 3, Year 1-
I was already sick to my back teeth with all this walking.
Each time I would place a paw ahead of the other and each time I would make no visible progress, still I was surrounded by the same fucking trees in the same fucking forest. Foliage and birdsong was my marching troop; nothing more than thin symbols of a brighter world around me. I would kill to see a single sign of civilisation; so far this road had given me nothing but more roads to be walked upon. Was I cursed? Was I just simply incapable of finding my way?
Was I losing it?
“Bullshit,” I muttered aloud. “Just a long way from the nearest town is all.” So I continued to walk, one paw in front of the other.
Finally my toils paid off.
Just over the hill there was a town, it looked big too. I quickened my pace to try and get my directions sooner rather than later. I hoped that these folks would look past my size and race and just give me the information I so desperately needed. The fast walk became a run when I noticed an equine standing at the edge of town while leaning on a fencepost, he had the look of a guard of sorts.
I got within a close radius of him. “Excuse me sir, might I ask for directions?” I said softly.
No answer, the stallion continued to look at the ground.
“Excuse me sir, I was wondering if you could direct me north?”
No answer.
“Oi buddy, if you ain’t gonna answer me can you at least say where I can get a map and compass from?”
Still he gave no answer.
“Are you deaf mate or just rude?” I said with a harsher edge, extending my paw to push his head back up from its position staring into the ground.
Lifeless eyes stared back at me as a second mouth drilled into the neck of the stallion gave the silent answer of "I’m sorry, what was that?" I recoiled at the sight of the dried blood caked around the hair on his neck.
“Sweet mother...” I whispered to myself. “The hell happened here?” I looked up from the corpse, which I now noticed to have been propped against the post like a flesh scarecrow, so that I could look around the town. It was totally quiet.
I began to carefully pad my way into the town, constantly wary for signs of danger. My nose began to pick up faint scents of blood that had been washed away with powerful soaps and perfumes. Somebody had cleaned this place up, why would you clean up a murder scene so efficiently? I saw a shop in the near-distance with a sign that had a picture of a book on it, a library perhaps? The quick trot to get there was as uneventful as the rest of my intrusion on the ghost town so far. I nosed open the already open door, ducking to gain easier entry, and gently walked inside.
It stank to high heavens. All the smells I thought should have already been beating against my sinuses took their moment to rush into my skull. It was the worst thing I’d smelt that I could rightly remember, it kicked up more of a stink than my own burning flesh. I scanned the area with slightly teary eyes to try and locate the source of the stink. Basic observation showed that my hunch had been correct and that the building was a library so I began to search for a single section that might give me a clue to where I was.
Looking past the first bookshelf was once of the biggest mistakes I ever made.
Stacked higher than the shelves was a pile of rotting corpses of varying types, equine and more. I shuddered with disgust, then fear, then disgust again. I didn’t vomit though, which I found most strange to be honest. I would think that to the eye not used to such a thing it would take a very powerful toll.
A book slammed to the floor and I shot away from the bang that had originated close behind me. My eyes darted about the room; trying to find anything abnormal that may have caused the falling of the book. Nothing but bookshelves and dusty floors seemed to be keeping me company. I turned my attention back to the fleshy-pile festering in the middle of the room; the smell was now a faint worry. Careful footsteps were taken towards the pile so I could search the rot for something useful, not like they needed anything anymore.
Rooting through the effluvial grime was a simple task made hard by the involuntary gags and heaves my body took due to the intensity of the stench that was emitting from the pile. The worst was closest to the bottom; where the combined mass of the corpses on top had increased the rate the bottom-half of the pile festered. The resulting heat mixed with the aforementioned stench only increased the foulness of the task. A body rolled from closer to the top and fell onto my back. The rotting skin split wide, bursting the side of the equine that had landed on me. Guts crawling with all manner of corpse-based parasites poured onto the ground as the now husked body slid slowly from my back.
I arched right then and there, splattering vomit all over the floor of the library. Stumbling blindly from the corpse pile I whined loudly with my tail flitting betwixt my legs. This was beyond messed up. I couldn’t tell you a single moment of my life where I seen anything as messed up as this. Painful scars dashed across my brain, fuzziness crawled along synapses as the mistress called Memory coiled her scarlet whip in preparation to serve out pain via another sudden leathery lash of recollection.
Screams inside screams, blood within blood, rot surrounded by rot. Everything overlapped, and for a brief shining moment I forgot my own reality in a desperate bid to find another; it was one where I was surrounded by old men and mathematical equations. It was beyond the concept of random, but it felt like home. The falsified reality was perfect until a striking pain across my chest broke me from the sanctuary of the mind.
Another strike, this time across my head, ensured that I was ripped from my stupor. I tottered a few metres to my right as it led away from the direction of the strike. Another book slammed close by my feet. The utter confusion eventually subsided long enough so that I could locate my attacker.
“Go away!” The little tan mare squeaked in my general direction from atop a nearby bookcase. “Leave me alone you monster!”
“Calm it down lass; I’m no mon…”A book relocated from the shelf to my face before I could finish the sentence.
“No! You’re with her, the one who did this!”
“I don’t have a bleeding clue what you’re talkin’ about! Quit chuckin’ novels at me!” I snapped. The mare atop the shelf continued to eye me up, probably not believing me. “Are we good? Besides use your brain, I’m clearly not from around here!”
The basic statement of fact was enough to bring the mare back over from the nutty-side of life and take a good long look at me. Her features shifted between confused, and then frightened, until her expression became a strange mixture of both.
“What are you?” she asked, book at the ready.
“My name is Gabriel, what is yours?” I began taking steps towards her.
“My name is…”
The room was perforated by a shrill laughter that stung at my brain.
“AH!! I KNEW I MISSED ONE!” shrieked a third voice from somewhere in the room. “Yes! I knew I did, can’t fool this one! Hiding like rat, hiding like rat….. Can’t be allowed, can’t be allowed!” Something moved on the upper level, the mare on the shelf was swiftly snatched and pulled out of sight by ethereal vines that burst forth from the darkness.
One scream was all she had time for, until the darkness claimed her.
“Hold on lass!” I shouted, leaping up to the next level. “I’m here for you! You’ll be okay!” I leapt into the shadows after the creature that had snatched the mare away. I swiftly became lost in a maze of bookshelves. Loose pieces of paper crumpled underfoot as I briskly strode about; occasionally I would call out for the lass I was searching for. The smell of the corpse-pile had become fainter since moving further away but still the nefarious presence clawed its way through my nostrils. Once in a while I would find a splatter of blood, or even an errant body-part.
Something was in the shadows; lurking about in search of prey. The thing that had taken the mare was not ordinary by any stretch of the word; it was monstrous in its ability to mask its intent. A book slid from a shelf, impacting on the floor far away and casting echoes through the tall wooden holders of written knowledge.
From a few feet ahead there came a few pitiable cries.
The pace of my trot increased by a marginal amount so that I might discover the source of the crying; a final bookshelf later and I found it. Husks of creatures long dead peppered the walls, stakes driven crudely through their flesh to keep them pinned. Rusty halter-chains dotted about the room rattled regularly in a non-existent breeze. Several archaic candles with dimly burning wicks wheezed out small glimmers of light into the dusty environment as poorly coloured wax dripped steadily onto finely grooved metal candlesticks. The gentle sobs of the tan mare offered strange comfort to me as each small note generated from the raw fear within her kept reality tightly locked around me.
I then saw a new visual stimulus swiped onto the far wall. Painted onto the surface, with what I hoped was paint, was a symbol that I didn’t understand but I know leant towards the demonic. It was all sharp points and wire-coils with barbs spiralling off in random directions. Were it not for the situation it were placed one might have stopped to appreciate the lighter side of such a wicked work of art. Beneath the symbol was an altar with the tan mare – hardly even attempting to cry by this point – strapped down harshly by slightly frayed ropes. This was lavished in a similar manner to the rest of the area, all skulls and body parts; proper gothic design.
The thing that had taken her was lurking around somewhere.
Legs began to work slowly, carrying me closer to her. My brain kicked itself awake and meekly muttered ‘danger’ as my pads glided across a clearly discoloured floor panel. Wooden shafts sprung from the ground around me and formed a perfect box shaped prison cell, with no roof. The grey matter in my head continued to writhe as, through this marvellous new information, I was now able to gauge that something was wrong.
The same booming cackle from before drilled its way across the area; bouncing off the walls with spasmodic rhythm. Whoever owned that laugh was either really, really, REALLY happy; or they were several shades of screwed in the head. My head accepted the latter, my heart hoped for the former.
“So!” The Screech boomed again. “What do we have here? Another visitor to long-dead family; a spawn of foul magic; an oddity rejected by nature? Oh how I could whittle away the hours by simply guessing what brand of freak you may be… Oh, such fun indeed!”
The tirade of The Screech was beginning to wear thin; nameless terror could only grip the heart for a certain span of time before it became dulled by anticipation.
“You most likely wonder what I am,” the clearly mind-reading Screech said proudly. “Allow me to introduce myself but first, kneel; I will then consider a plea for mercy.”
“Do you ever quit yammerin’?” I replied with disinterest.
“How dare you!? I am on a sacred mission to…”
“Oh by the stars, a sacred mission! I’m impressed! I would say mission accomplished; provided the mission is to bore as many Irishmen as possible.” My words clearly had an effect on The Screech, as she roared with even more menace than before.
“How dare you! This is disgraceful, you cannot speak to me in that manner you insolent pup! I should…”
“How interesting,” I drawled. “The big bad voice recognises a canine. Truly you possess intellect far beyond anything I could ever hope to imagine.”
The Screech hissed and spat various expletives around, every word floated around the room as a balloon of hate. It had become tiresome by now; even my original task to rescue the mare had become somewhat dulled by The Screech’s speeches. The confines of the roofless prison were clearly designed to hold small creatures that lack the power to either jump very high or get themselves airborne. I was a large creature that could jump moderately high as well as get myself airborne.
So while The Screech continued to whine with an oversaturation of swears, I leapt over the wooden bars holding me in the worst cell ever created. A quick scan of the area revealed nothing new; not a single other obvious trap lay in wait. The mare tied to the altar had totally ceased her crying by now and was resigned to her fate. I quickly made my way over to her side and snapped through the bonds keeping her down. She became wide-eyed; prepared to scream. I placed my paw over her mouth and shook my head side to side. The tan mare got the message.
The Screech either lacked the prowess to notice its prey had been freed, or it was smarter than I had assumed. Either way, it continued to rant and rave about nonsensical things. With a flick of my tail I beckoned for the tan mare to follow me back through the bookshelf maze that had brought me here. Despite clearly not knowing whether I was a new threat in disguise, or a saviour sent from the outside, the tan mare kept close. We retraced my steps with care and made sure every other moment that we weren’t being stalked by The Screech. My paw nudged something; it was far too warm for my liking.
I slowly started to look down and regretted it before I even laid eyes on the warm thing. It was a face; at least I think it was a face. The skin around its mouth and jaw had been carved away, revealing the pale white bones and scarred muscle beneath. Eyes devoid of feeling, bloodshot from fear or madness, were staring back at me. Mottled grey hairs peppered what was left of the skin on its body. I could see its ribs, I was able to make out the stomach churning, a few entrails dangled from a hole in its belly.
“Found you,” whispered The Screech.
I swiped at the mauled thing beneath me as my mind spun into a disgusted frenzy. Using my head as encouragement I forced the tan mare to run ahead of me, I couldn’t say if it was for her protection or my own. The Screech howled in delight and gave chase, it was impossible to pinpoint just where it was coming from. The tan mare was crying again and I would have too, if my tear-ducts were not paralysed by fear. Light ahead spurred us on, a great reward for outrunning our satanic hunter. We burst into the main atrium of the library, or should I say the corpse room, and leapt over the railings. I landed without a hitch. The tan mare landed funny and went down hard. She hit the floor and wailed in pain, kicking her back legs wildly as if to beat back some invisible force. I took no time at all to help; I simply focused my mind on picking her up and...
Nothing happened.
I blinked a few times, and then tried again. I focused my entire mind on picking the tan mare up. ‘Up! Up! Up!’ I said over and over in my head. Nothing was happening. I was trying to make my magic work and nothing was happening! The Screech was getting ever closer as I fumbled about trying to make my powers work, the tan mare still thrashing in pain. In the end I gave up, running to my injured companion and awkwardly wriggling underneath her so she eventually rested on my back. With no more time left to waste I ran to the door and leapt into the sunlight, the rays mockingly bright but oh so beautiful in comparison to everything inside the library. Not that it took much to be brighter than a building full of rotting corpses.
The tan mare on my back continued to squeal in pain as I made it my full intent to get as far away from the town as possible. The logic my body was running on was that The Screech couldn’t go outside either the library or the town. It wasn’t strong logic, but it was better than nothing. My desperate running continued for well over ten minutes until the town was little more than a pinprick behind me. The Screech seemingly never left the library. We were safe.
*
The two of us camped on the outskirts of the town for about an hour. Neither of us said much to start off with but we eventually warmed up to one another. The tan mare’s name was Shimmer; she was a dressmaker back in town. She told me how until two weeks prior the town hadn’t been any different to usual, save for a few more caravans passing through than scheduled. Then a colt went missing, and then four went missing, then fifteen. She said that two days ago she had simply woken up to find the entire town was gone, except her. There was no blood running down the streets, no signs of a fight and there had been no commotion. It apparently seemed like everyone in town had just packed up and left. So she started to search for something that might have given her an idea as to what had happened.
On the first day she found nothing, having spent half the day waiting in her shop for customers. The second day was less fruitless. She decided to search the library, finding the same array of corpses that I had. She told me that after that she had hidden in her shop for the entire day; she had locked the place down tight. Today she decided that she would flee town and seek help. Only she had seen me coming and gotten scared. In her panic she ran into the library and tried to hide, I knew the rest from there.
I began to think to myself while Shimmer tried to get a bit of sleep. It seemed so surreal to me that such a quiet little town would be the victim of something so horrific. However that also gave rise to a very simple question. Why not Shimmer? Everyone else in town had been taken and butchered, but what stopped The Screech – I assumed that was what had done the damage – from taking Shimmer as she slept? Something didn’t add up about this entire affair. In my gut I knew that my business in that town wasn’t finished yet.
*
-Day 20, Week 3, Year 1-
Shimmer and I had slept more out of fear exhaustion than genuine need for sleep. The crash after out life-threatening experience had been more than enough to knock us down for the count. I had woken with the sun already merrily sitting above us; Shimmer was still sleeping a few feet away. We had decided that she had most likely severely sprained her leg or broken if she was unlucky. I walked around nearby looking for food, never venturing far from Shimmer. I managed to catch a rabbit and quickly ate it, the noise woke my companion. I wandered over to her without delay, and her first words confirmed my fears from the previous day.
“We have to go back to town,” she said before I could even say good-morning.
“I’m sorry?” I asked, despite having heard her clearly.
“We need to go back to the town Gabriel, back to my shop. There are things there that I won’t leave behind.”
I was already getting her onto my back. “Okay then, let’s go Shim’. We can’t mess around though.” Shimmer nodded in agreement, shuffling on my back to get comfortable. The two of us made our way down to the town. We entered through the main entrance to the town, no scarecrows lurking around this time. Now that I knew what had transpired in the town it felt wrong to be stepping here. I could feel The Screech watching me so I stayed far away from all the shadows and alleyways just to be safe. Shimmer guided me through the ghost-town to her shop, it was a modest establishment called ‘Stitched Together.’ A nice name for a nice shop in a nice little town; niceness topped on niceness wrapped in a bow of niceness. All ruined by whatever the hell was lurking in that library.
We came to the door and I tried to open it, it wasn’t budging.
“I’m sorry, I forgot to say. It has a one-way lock. I dropped the key back in that library...” Shimmer trailed off as she mentioned that building. “A-Anyway, there’s a key hidden around back. The gate is to the left.” I nodded, not wanting to talk back. I followed Shimmer’s instructions and nosed open the unlatched gate, entering the back garden area. It was a simple garden, white picket fence with a few benches and a flowerbed. It was nice; too nice all things considered.
“Where’s the key Shim’?” I asked, still keeping my eyes open for any sort of threat.
“I keep it under that fake rock over by the flowers.” Shimmer whispered. I could tell she was scared, hell I could feel her heartbeat against my back. I wandered over to the rock and nudged it over with my foot.
Nothing was underneath it. The key wasn’t there.
“Fuckin’ dammit...” I muttered to myself. “Why is it I have the worst feeling that our lil’ friend nabbed it?”
Shimmer made an audible gulping sound. “I-I think... Maybe we could go to Razz’s place, he has a spare key that I gave him a few weeks ago.”
“Jus’ lemme think for a moment,” I said plainly. I paced around for a moment and started to wonder about every avenue that this could take. I didn’t wanna trawl across town anymore; I could feel The Screech lurking around in the shadows. I padded over to the back-door and applied a little pressure to it.
It slowly swung open to reveal an overturned interior. I felt a deep chill run across my body as I took in all the new information. Shimmer hunched down into my fur, like a child cuddling to its parent’s chest. I walked over the threshold and looked around to the back of the door. I nearly jumped away in shock. There was a corpse that had fallen on the handle, forcing it to remain open. It was a stallion, barely. Something had burrowed a neat hole into his skull and simply left the body to rot. I quickly trotted inside, leaving the door open so I could get out faster if needed. My paw knocked something cold and metallic. It was a key.
I picked it up with my mouth and passed it backwards to Shimmer; she took it without a word. It was meaningless now, but she no doubt wanted something to remember her less chaotic life.
“Okay Shim’, what am I lookin’ for?”
“I keep it upstairs in my bedroom, underneath my bed,” she paused for a moment and then hunkered down deeper into my fur. “Please hurry Gabriel. This place feels wrong now, and I have a terrible feeling about the corpse by my door. It scares me.”
“Okay Shim’. Jus’ hang on tight now y’hear?” I said before setting off. The shop was a wreck. Mannequins were all over the place, some had similar head injuries to the corpse by the door. Why the hell did that make me feel so cold? Despite the light pouring in through the windows the shop remained bleak, nothing was quite bright enough for my liking. I located the stairs without much effort, they were behind the counter, and I slowly made my way up them. Every freakin’ step made a creaking sound. Every tone that bounced around the shop made Shimmer cling ever tighter to my back.
Once we made it to the top of the stairwell Shimmer pointed a hoof towards the closest door to me, strangely I still felt like this wasn’t my first stop in this bizarre place. The door opened without much resistance, no corpses on the other side of this one, to show a lightly furnished bedroom. It was far too dark in here. Why was it so dark in a place with so much light? Once I was past the doorframe I nudged it shut with my back-foot, safety was gained from that.
“Aw’ight Shim’ you said under the bed right? What exactly am I lookin’ for?”
Shimmer shuffled around a little. “It’s a box, please don’t open it.”
“Gottit, now keep an eye out for me okay?” I slowly made my way over to the bed and once I was there I had to lay on my belly to be able to get under it. There was a small blue box tucked close to the wall, I turned my head back to look at Shimmer.
“The box is blue right? We got the right thing?” I asked. Shimmer nodded sharply with eyes that glinted with joy. I gave her a little smile and turned my head back to look under the bed.
A mannequin head glared back at me from where the box once was. I yelped and scurried backwards, Shimmer digging into my fur out of fear. My heart began to box with my ribcage as I backed away until my rump hit the opposite wall. Neither I nor Shimmer moved for a full minute.
“Gabriel... I need that box...” Shimmer whined, quivering gently against me. “Please Gabriel; it’s so precious to me.”
“Aw’ight lets settle down Shim’, it was just a little scare ‘kay? I’m just a lil’ freaked out from this place,” I said to reassure myself over her. I wandered back over to the bed and laid back down on my front. The head was gone, as was the box. Something in this place was messing with us.
I stood back up once more. “Oookay, if I were a beastie messin’ with a wolf where would I hide his stuff?” I turned back towards the open door and started to wander out of the room. My paw stopped in the air, and my fur stood on end. I was certain that I had remembered to close the door when I entered the bedroom. Shimmer issued another whine and shuffled so her head was closer to mine. The poor girl was terrified. I warily continued outside the door, looking up and down the corridor. There was a mannequin standing next to an open door just to the left of me. Ever so carefully I made my way towards the ghastly waypoint; it had that creepy head-injury too. I entered the room but never took my eye off of the mannequin.
“Shim’, tell me what you can see.”
She shuffled a little so she could look around, and gave a tiny gasp. “My box! Its sitting by the sink Gabriel, hurry!”
I turned around, mostly against my will, so I could pick up my pace towards the box. I was in a well-kept bathroom, nothing special. There was a white bath and a white sink with a mirror above it, nothing more and nothing less. Sitting innocently by the sink was that small blue box. I padded over and took a moment to observe my reflection, smirking at the wolf in the mirror.
“I swear if I look back up and see a spooky in this mirror I’ll jus’ laugh.”
“Agreed,” whispered Shimmer. Ever so slowly I leant down far enough so that Shimmer could grab the box and tuck it underneath her. I then counted over in my head for the moment I would get up and have to look in the mirror. One, two, three! I stood upright and glared into the mirror.
‘NoT tHaT sImPlE, wOlF’
My blood became glacial in a second. Shimmer whinnied in fright and continued her shivering. The message was scrawled across the mirror in something red, I told myself it was lipstick. A dressmaker was bound to have lipstick, even if something was using it to mess with us. The exit downstairs seemed all the more welcoming now that everything had become as messed up as I had predicted. I took a deep breath, turning around and walking from the bathroom with my head held high. Shimmer didn’t move from her cocoon in my fur. The shop had become unnaturally quiet now, the shadows continued to murmur ill will at me. The hallway was clear of any mannequins but I remembered the downstairs area was practically flooded with them. So step by step, I began to descend the staircase once again.
Creak… Creak… Creak… Each step, each creak, each palpitation of Shimmer’s heart; all these sensations sent icy daggers into my brain. We finally arrived in the display area of the shop. The mannequins were still as disorderly as they had been prior. I smiled to myself and started to make my way to the back-door, only to stop halfway there as I begun to question my eyes. The door was firmly closed and the corpse that had been beside it was nowhere to be found. Shimmer glanced up from my fur and whispered something to her box; I had begun to quake slightly. Once we reached the door I lifted my paw and pushed down on the release latch. It wouldn’t budge.
I shook my head in disbelief and pushed even harder on the latch, still it refused to move an inch.
“What’s happened Gabriel?” Shimmer asked quietly.
“The door won’t budge; I think something tampered with it. We’re not leaving through here Shim’.”
“The front door, I picked up the key and besides it has a release latch too.”
“Good plan Shim’,” I said without much confidence. I turned around and made my way back into the middle of the showroom. The front door was blocked by a small pile of debris, mostly mannequins with that damn head injury. I pushed my way past them and tried to ignore the implications that the motionless dolls carried with them in this town of the dead. Once we reached the door I once more lifted my paw and placed it on the release latch. With a little effort the latch began to open. I smiled in triumph and applied greater force, already moving forwards to push the door open.
Something placed its hoof on my back.
“Shim’,” I whispered. “Did you just touch me?”
“No.”
I ignored it, pushing against the door harder and harder. I could feel more and more hooves touching my flank, but I refused to look back at them. They wouldn’t trick me. Cracks of light begun to form as the door swung outwards. Shimmer started to thrash slightly and I assumed that she was feeling the hooves touching her too. The damned door couldn’t have been opening slower and still more and more hooves began to swarm me, never entering my vision but crawling across every inch of my skin. With one final, fearful push I tumbled from the shop. We landed in a heap just outside in the blazing sunlight. It was just me and Shimmer, as well as the pile of mannequins that had followed us out from the shop. I propelled myself upwards from the ground, my tail flicking about wildly to try and dispel the nightmare I was walking in. Shimmer was openly crying now, if it was from joy or fear I couldn’t tell.
I didn’t want to spend one more second inside that forsaken town. Not even taking a moment to warn Shimmer of my intent, I took off at full speed. The mare on my back clung even tighter to me without even needing to be told, her heart continued to assault my spinal cord. We passed the library and once more I could feel The Screech’s eyes digging into me. I didn’t stop running until we had cleared the town and fled far into the nearby forest. Finally I collapsed from overexertion, and Shimmer wiped her face into my fur to get rid of any lingering tears. Despite my weariness however I still wasn’t ready to finish my day yet. I forced Shimmer to fall off my back and she immediately snatched up her box and looked at me warily. She knew what I was going to ask.
“Shim’ I am only gonna ask you nicely one time, what is in that box and why did you need to get it back so badly?”
“I already told you Gabriel!” she barked. “It’s precious to me, which should be enough for you to back off.”
“Okay then how about I change that sentence a little, what is in that box that the mannequins didn’t want us getting?” Shimmer’s eye became smaller. “Shim’, what the hell is in that box? Because I’m thinkin’ that whatever it is, it was what stopped that thing in the library from killing you in your sleep. So what exactly is in that box that causes shops to kill folks, makes mannequins come to life and prevents evil murderers from sneaking into your home at night?”
Shimmer looked for a way out of her situation, anything that could assist her. But she knew as well as I that there was no other way out of this that didn’t involve her getting hurt even further.
“Okay, I’ll tell you Gabriel. I guess you deserve to know the truth,” Shimmer said gently. The mare placed the box on the ground and knocked the lid off with a hoof. Inside was a small, disc shaped object covered in strange symbols and writings. Despite its benign nature the thing seemed to glow with a sickly power. I looked at her quizzically and moved my face in a little closer.
“I don’t know what this disc is exactly because I found it in the woods two weeks back, all I know is that when I had it I was never without inspiration, I always knew exactly what I wanted to do or say or create no matter what had happened,” Shimmer was awash with pride at this. “Only I began to notice strange things happening around about the same time that that colt went missing. Things around the shop were misplaced, mannequins had been moved, and clothes were left on the floor. Most noticeably I always felt like unless I had the disc with me I was being watched. So I took to carrying it with me everywhere, and soon enough more and more residents started to vanish and more and more weird things started to happen around the shop.”
Shimmer started to shake a little, her little brown eyes glistening with moisture. “I don’t want to think about it, but I know I have to ask… What if I was the one that caused all these horrible things to happen to the town? What if I caused them all to die?” Shimmer began to sob once again, I was surprised that she wasn’t constantly applying the waterworks after everything that had happened to her, and I was wondering how I had kept a level head throughout all this. I didn’t know what to say to her without making it worse. My suspicions had led to the same conclusion of whatever the hell that disk was had caused The Screech to butcher everyone in town and that disk had caused Shimmer’s shop to come to life and try and keep me locked inside. All signs pointed to Shimmer being the ultimate cause of the town’s twisted fate, and now she sat sobbing on the woodland floor with the same memento that had saved her yet doomed all the others.
I decided it best not to say another word and instead curled up into a ball so that I could think about what had transpired over the last two days. Even after all the complaints I had made, I would pick walking for hours on end over the recent freakish display without question. My companion was far too vulnerable for me to judge harshly. In her defence the poor girl had no way of knowing that her discovery would bring ill-fortune to the town she loved, and I couldn’t blame her for wanting it back. So with a small irritated sigh, I helped Shimmer onto my back again and told her we were going to find somebody that could help fix her leg. My tan friend gave a meek response and ducked her head down into my fur so that she could rest. I on the other hand took a moment to make sure my legs were working, and then made it my goal to get as far away from that evil town as I was able.
*
-Day 23, Week 4, Year 1-
We had travelled for enough time for the sun to rise three times over. So three days had passed since Shimmer and I had fled that vile town. It had been hard going in terms of food for me, less so for Shimmer. As a plant-eater Shim’ barely had to go far to find something that she could at the very least keep down. I was a carnivore; I needed to hunt for food. With my friend still unable to walk she has pretty much made a home on my back, which was a hindrance while trying to hunt down viable prey. In the last three days I had eaten two rabbits, one of which was only able to be caught because it tripped and broke its leg. Needless to say Shimmer was less than impressed with my eating habits but understood why I ate what I did. It even became a joke that I would eat her if I got hungry enough. But I wouldn’t eat her.
She was far too thin.
Shim’ shuffled around a little on my back, she was trying to get some sleep. I was worried for her. I was hoping that the leg in question wasn’t broken but I couldn’t put it out of the question. I had asked her over and over and over how far away the next town was. Every time she would say ‘just a bit further.’ Three days of ‘just a bit further’ later and we still hadn’t seen a thing.
*
-Day 24, Week 4, Year 1-
Four days of ‘just a bit further’ had passed, and finally I saw the bastion on the horizon. It was a small, dainty place that shone as if gilded with holy fire. Shim’s cute snoring soon became a slightly disturbed yelp as my sudden burst of speed caused her to bounce around on her crimson mount. I started giggling almost deliriously as my canter became a giddy sprint. The distance between us and the village on the horizon was closed within the next fifteen minutes of travel, Shim’ constantly yelped as she was jostled around. It was only as I approached the first entrance I found did the elephant in the forest stomp its way across my brain.
I was a huge red wolf with a horn; the injured pony on my back only added to the image.
My paws applied the brakes just as the guard-pony on the gate lazily looked up. His bleary eyes slowly registering what was before him, Shimmer began to crawl towards my head so she could make the first introduction.
“He’s friendly!” she shouted. “Don’t freak out he’s friendly!”
The guard-pony blinked the remnants of weariness from his eyes, and then practically shit himself.
“Didn’t you hear the lass? I’m not here to hurt you okay? I’m just a really big wolf who really needs some help,” I said as softly as I could. It clearly wasn’t working to full effect as the guard was steadily backing away.
“Please sir, please listen to us! This beast is not in here to harm you or anyone in this town. I’m injured, hungry and tired, as is my companion. I implore that you allow us into the town.” The guard-pony blinked several times, and then nodded quickly while beckoning us into the town.
“Where the hell did you learn to say stuff like that lass?” I asked Shim’.
She simply giggled a little bit and winked at me before snuggling back into my fur.
I followed after the guard-pony; eyes flicking to the sign overhead. Strangely it didn’t have the name of the town. It was early in the day so the town was slowly winding up, only to wind way back in when they saw the humongous wolf marching through their town. A few screams, a few more whispers, even more slightly slammed doors. The guard was directing us towards the most official looking building, most likely the town hall. The children were the strangest part of it all. Not a single child ran away. Every young-one that saw me either watched in awe or made their way towards me, not one was scared of the wolf that walked among them.
Before long I had amassed a fairly large gathering of underage ponies. I didn’t quite know how to feel about that overall. Shimmer looked behind us and giggled slightly; clearly she enjoyed the strange show. The children giggled and whispered, one or two said ‘try and pet him’ to another member of the crowd. I shook my head a little bit and started to smile at the simple joy that my presence was bringing to the younger population of the town. We eventually arrived at the town hall, the doors flanked by two large stallions in armour. Shimmer murmured something to herself about ‘irregularities.’ I knew what she was questioning; the stallions didn’t look like standard watchmen.
The guard who led us here spoke some sort of passphrase to the stallions and we were allowed entrance into the town hall. It was far less grand than I would have assumed. It was one large room littered with notes, pages and books. A single large desk cluttered with all sorts of official looking documents; a few ripped beyond recognition. An old wooden chair sat on one side and the occupant was a weary, but youthful looking, mare. Her chocolate coat has lost its lustre and her mane was sticking down to her neck. The guard whom has escorted us from the entrance took his leave without saying a word, leaving us with the mayor. She glanced up to us from her work, not even an eyelash was batted at the sight of me.
“Uh... Excuse me?” Shimmer asked. “Are you the mare in charge of the town?”
The mare behind the desk nodded slowly. “I am; my name is Briar Holten. I am the mayor currently instated here. May I help you?”
“Lemme cut to the chase lass,” I said quickly. “I’m a traveller who stumbled across the town four days down the way, and that place is fucked.” The mayor flinched slightly at my curse, but I continued to explain. “The lady on my back is the only known survivor of whatever the hell ripped that place up and she’s hurt kinda bad. I implore that you at least give her some help.”
The mayor gave a weary sigh, climbing out of her seat to trot around to inspect Shimmer. She gave a low tut before tapping the bad leg, Shimmer yelped a little.
“I see; she injured her leg somehow?”
“She landed funny; I’ve been carrying her for the last four days because it’s too painful for her to walk. Think you can get it taken care of?”
The mayor nodded once more, almost like she didn’t care what I was saying. “Whatever you need Red I will be happy to supply,” the mayor then trotted around a little more and added. “Provided you repay the debt you will owe us.”
I took a moment to consider this, a brief moment. “Of course, I cannot except for you to help without charging us accordingly.” The mayor smiled and beckoned me to follow her. Shimmer groaned a little bit and moved her injured leg slightly. I was still concerned for her despite the amount of time that she had been renting out my back for her living space. The mayor led us through the town and Shim’s earlier comment on irregularities became all the more obvious. Windows were broken, doors had gashes across the wood, and mothers were huddled around children in fully defensive circles. Something was going down in this town too. I was starting to think that my debt had something to do with solving these problems.
The mayor continued to lead us through the town and every step we took added to the idea that I was going to be directly involved with the solution to this town’s problems. More and more ponies were hiding in their homes even before I came into view, houses looked totally abandoned and some even looked as if they had been bombed out. The only building in the entire town that shone was the clearly marked hospital; at least it was the only thing that looked like a hospital. The mayor steadily rapped her hoof against the door, which was clearly padlocked. A small equine peeked through the glass and, without questioning who else was with the mayor, opened the door. The mayor walked in and smacked the wiry fellow around the head.
“What did I tell you?” she barked at him. “No opening without the password, no matter the situation and no matter the visitor. We need to protect what we have left.”
“S-Sorry madam mayor, it won’t happen again I promise,” the thin pony said shyly. He was far smaller up close and his dirty green coat gave him the look of an oversized blade of grass. He didn’t flinch when he saw me for the first time; he did make a slight squeaking noise however.
“Hey there kid, nice to meet you,” I said warmly. It didn’t look like it did much to ensure him of his safety. Shimmer slowly waved a hood from her nest as a sign of greeting. The thin pony directed us to an empty bed where I gently placed Shimmer down. Her initial smile turned to a frown and she then rolled over to face me.
“This isn’t as comfortable as your fur,” she said plainly. I laughed a little bit, not exactly knowing how to respond to such a compliment. She then proceeded to roll around a little bit more, huff a few times, and then fall asleep. The mayor took me aside as soon as Shimmer was resting peacefully and started to explain what my part was.
“I won’t beat around the bush wolf because I’m sure you’ve noticed what is wrong with my town,” she began to say.
“Aye, I did. But first of all, call me Gabriel.”
“If you insist, but allow me to continue. My town has been under threat for the last two weeks. A band of what I can only call raiders has made their camp about a half mile down the road. They have been a thorn in my side for far too long already, but I can’t risk sending any of my guards away to stop them.
“That is where you come in Mr Gabriel,” the mayor said as she led me towards the door. “You are a wolf, a very large wolf. You are also in a position in which I can use you to my advantage. So I want you to get rid of them, methods are not an issue.”
“So you want me to pop on over to these raiders and deal with them?” I asked slowly. She gave me a curt nod. I looked towards the ground and thought in silence. But the answer was made for me already; not doing this would ruin Shimmer’s chances of living proper for some time.
“Alright then lass, you got yourself a lackey,” I said to the mayor.
“Very good, I’m glad we have an understanding,” the mayor began to turn towards the bed where Shimmer was resting. She then turned back to me. “Actually, let me add a bonus to that contract of yours. Find their leader and bring him back to me, alive.”
“Alright then, y’all got yourself a deal lass. Drag the bastard running the show to you and get a bonus,” I said with a wry smile. “Now give me a place and I’ll go clear it out.”
*
I waited until nightfall to move out. I left through the same entrance that I had arrived in and noticed that the guard detail had been doubled since my arrival. They were gearing up just in case I wasn’t successful in my mission to rid them of the bandits. I walked without pause for the next twenty minutes and I could hear the bandits before I saw them; sky-dancing to see if I could get a new view on the situation. Visible from my first perch with a large glowing spot in the forest, a fire no doubt; so I began to dance towards it. My nose became uncomfortable with all the smells that I was experiencing. Sweat, blood, burnt food, smoke and urine saturated the air above their camp being lifted higher by roaring laughter and swearing. I dipped further downwards, landing close to the outskirts of the camp. It was impossible to gauge just how many there were inside the camp but the mayor told me that there was at least twenty of them. It would be hard to remain hidden simply due to my size being the biggest stealth limitation I had. The mayor told me that the boss was a stallion who wore a large cape embroidered with a single rose and would never be seen without his second in command, a bulky mare who had an identical cape.
At least my targets would be obvious among the crazed mess of the bandit camp. I started my mission without any further delay and immediately hid behind the only cover I could see, a large red tent. I peered around the side of my cover and observed the chaos. Equines and Dogs were leaping about wildly, fighting and drinking with raucous laughter echoing throughout the trees. A large fire-pit was singing happily as more and more fuel was thrown onto it at the slightest sign that it was fading. There was a huge amount of open ground between my position and the next viable source of cover, another large tent. Estimation set the distance at around about sixty metres, way too far for me to get there as the situation stood.
My pack became strangely obvious on my back now, the violin I was guarding weighing my left side down and the phoenix egg felt weirdly hot against my flank. I would now have to wait for my opening to try and move, it was far too risky to try and sky-dance around the camp because I could run out of juice and fall straight into a death trap. So I waited for the single moment that could allow me to sprint across the length of the camp. A few Dogs started to growl at each other over a hunk of meat, this quickly turned into a very loud bickering. A bottle was thrown. Not by one of the Dogs fighting but by another Dog watching. The combat erupted without a second more of waiting. Screeching and biting tore the air apart as the group of Dogs entered a vicious brawl. The entire camp became distracted by the sudden turn of events and began to cheer; some occupants placed bets on who would win.
It was the best chance I was going to get to move, backs were turned and attention was drawn. No one would notice the huge red wolf running across the camp. I broke cover and started to run across the camp as fast as I dared. The fight escalated in brutality as one of the Dogs was stabbed, the majority of the crows cheered. A singular roared with a powerful authoritarian voice.
“Stop this right now you gaggle of savage runts!” exploded the one voice that stood out from the crowd. Everyone went completely quiet, even the stabbed Dog ceased his painful moaning at the command of the voice. I froze in place, painfully in the open, simply in response to this extreme change in pace. The watching crowd started to part and I panicked, I was going to be spotted if I didn’t try to hide. There was only one place that would hide me.
The fire-pit that was still very much alive.
My legs took command and I leapt into the fire. At first my brain screamed in absolute fear, my fur started to explode with sensation. But it was a very pleasant feeling; my brain took a moment to appreciate the sudden feeling of serenity it was now surrounded by. I felt at peace, I also felt totally hidden. I gently looked to my sides and my pack was just as untouched as me, I felt even happier now I knew that I hadn’t destroyed my only other possessions. I turned my attention back to the parting crowd and a slight smile formed. My target was striding through the newly created gap in the crowd, a strangely scrawny stallion with a bright blue coat, striking orange eyes that shared its colour with his mane and, of course, his signature cape. Most noticeable of all was a very large horn coming from his forehead. Beside him was his second, a mare that was far bulkier than any stallion standing close to her. Her mane was midnight black and her coat was deep violet; eyes of near pure white glared out from under her brow. She also wore the cape.
The leader continued to stride towards me before turning around so his back faced the fire-pit, his tail was cut down to a near stump. His second almost mirrored her leader’s movements, turning her back to the fire-pit. Her tail was far longer than her boss’. I kept myself compact so that I would minimize any chance of being spotted by the two standing less than a few feet away.
“Okay then, would one of you like to explain what the fuck just happened eh?” the boss said cleanly, with far more eloquence than I would expect from a bandit. “Well? C’mon then you gang of rejects, explain to me why Saffron and I had to break off our discussion about literature to break up a fight over a slab of meat?”
“We was just playin’ Winslow! Not nothin’ bad was goin’ on I swears!”
The boss, Winslow, gave a sharp laugh. “Is that really the truth? Then why, pray tell, is there a man currently stemming the flow of blood from a stab wound?”
“He.... Well he was jus’...”
Winslow barked a single order. “Move it! Get him some medical attention or all of you will be on the receiving end of Saffron’s hoof!”
Every single member of the camp jumped about to start following the order, even if they couldn’t help they made it look as if they were working. Within five minutes the injured Dog had been fully bandaged up and was presented as if he were a gift to Winslow. The leader was clearly pleased with the show his people had made. He began to speak to them, a long but enrapturing speech that never slowed in pace and never left the ear wanting more. He was clearly a highly skilled public-speaker, one who overflowed with charisma. Meanwhile I waited in the fire, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. My first target would have to be the one who I assumed was Saffron, the mare beside Winslow. She was clearly a very capable fighter and the camp’s reaction to the prospect of her hoof was enough to scare even the largest stallion to work.
This would be much harder than originally thought, there were at the very least thirty individual members of this camp and I was not confident enough that I could get rid of them all; lethally or otherwise. My flank felt strange, almost as if it was vibrating. I tried to get a look at my pack to try and suss out what the hell was going on. Winslow began to wind down his speech, turning back towards the fire-pit and staring into the heart of the flames with silent eyes.
“Brothers and sisters, you will want for naught so long as you serve under me. You will find whatever glory you seek, you will gain fame and riches beyond all of which you might have once dreamed,” Winslow spun back around to finish his speech while my pack started to make a strange crackling sound. Winslow continued his speech. “You need give nothing more than your absolute loyalty to my cause and swear that you will always follow the orders given,” his voice was trembling with pride; my pack was just plain trembling.
“Stick with me, and you will never know fear again!”
Something stabbed into my flank with enough force to make me leap up and roar in pain. Whatever I must have looked like to the camp, it was clearly a sight to behold. No sooner than I had roared had several members of the crowd bolted out of fear, screaming to the heavens about a ‘monster dripping with flame.’ Winslow himself stumbled backwards in shock, falling onto his rump. Saffron, for all her size, was clearly struggling to comprehend the sight before her. The confidence she held started to falter along with her boss’. I gazed over the camp, my mind buzzing with information. At first I felt fear, they knew I was here and they vastly outnumbered me. After a moment of thought however I realised that I could twist this turn of events in my favour.
“Who dares to defile the land I protect?” I bellowed in my deepest tone. “Who evokes the fury of the flame? Who among you directed this affront to my land?!” Not a single member of the party spoke. They had either fled or were paralysed with fear at the creature before them. I continued to spin my tale. “Either the perpetrator steps forward, or I shall burn the flesh from every bone here!”
“It was I, beast of the flame,” said Winslow. “I am the one who led these men here.”
Saffron stomped her hoof. “No! It was I! I was the one who directed the band to this land.”
“Silence, you both hold the stench of the trespasser. You shall both remain,” I flicked my head around to try and add some dramatic flair to my show. “As for the rest of you, leave this place for as long as you all shall live, or suffer my eternal fury.”
The lowlifes in the camp needed no more convincing and every living thing that was not Saffron or Winslow fled the camp without so much as a glance backwards. I looked down at the two remaining ponies. I had to find a way to subdue them.
“You two are braver than I would have expected, not many would so willingly take the fall.”
Winslow gave a slow shrug and stood back up. “Aye, that is true. But then again not many would know how to tell the difference between a flame-god and a magical wolf. Am I right?”
“Wh-What do you mean by that?” I said unconvincingly.
“Don’t worry mate, I’m not planning on running. I just wanted you to know that I could see right through you,” Winslow gave a sly smirk. “Hell, you were actually a rather timely arrival might I add. Saffron and I were just thinking of how to dispose of those ugly bastards we had to call a party. Not enough loot to go around.” I was shocked by this sudden change in character. The previously borderline fanatical Winslow had shifted into a far more mischievous persona than I had been taking notes on.
“My love,” Saffron began. “I must implore that you at least treat the beast with some caution. He is clearly still very dangerous.”
“Aaah let’s not get caught up on the details, eh Saffy? How about we just appreciate the company of a fine magical creature?” Winslow gave a small chuckle before asking. “So my friend, how may I help you?”
I smirked, slowly walking out of the flames to reveal that my height was no trick. “I’m going to need you two to come with me, or else I’ll burn you both alive.”
“I suppose you were sent by ol’ Briar?” Winslow said softly before sighing heavily. “Aw’right, we’ll come quietly. I don’t wanna put Saffy at risk, can’t have her rump getting any hotter now can we?” Winslow was on the receiving end of a cuff around the ear from Saffron for this offhand comment. I was still slightly freaked out by the sudden change in attitude by both of the ponies before me.
I jerked my head towards the direction of the town; neither pony went against my direction. We started to wander away from the fire-pit, only to be distracted by a small chirruping. All three of us paused to listen to this new noise. I turned my head to look back at the fire-pit to try and make out what I was hearing. A large spark jumped from the flames and released a loud chirrup sound. I blinked at it, the spark leaped into the air a few feet before waddling to my paw.
“What the hell?” I whispered. The spark nuzzled my front paw a little bit and chirruped once more.
“You got a phoenix?” Saffron asked me. “That’s quite a rare find, feel like selling it?”
I shook my head and offered my paw as a perch; the young phoenix jumped onto my paw and scrambled its way to my head. It chirruped joyfully at its new home.
“Well judging by that plume, I’d say that’s a female phoenix you got there buddy. Got a name?” Winslow said with interest.
“Not a clue, this must be what dug its beak into my rump. Maybe I should call her Beaky?”
Winslow scoffed. “Don’t be an idiot Wolfy, you need to give it a truly epic name,” Winslow cocked his head a little bit, and a smile came to his lips. “How about you name her Aisling?”
“Ashling?”
“Yeah, Aisling, a fitting name for a phoenix that crawled out from the ashes of a fire.”
I lifted my paw to eye-level and the baby hopped down onto my paw, again she chirruped happily. Aisling truly was a fitting name.
“Very well then, I hereby name thee Aisling. I hope we can enjoy our time together,” I said proudly to my new friend. Aisling released a small cheep of happiness and hopped its way back onto my head. I swung myself back around to face my new captives. “Alright you two, get moving.”