Chapter 3: What doesn’t kill you…
(Summer Haze)
“Mumee!?”
Haze walked along the hallways of her home, wondering where her mother could be. “Mumee where are you!?” She called out, but there was no reply. Where could she be?
She heard a sound come from up stairs so she went to investigate.
She found it hard getting up with her stubby little legs but she was determined. When she reached the top she saw one of the doors in the hall was open slightly and Haze could see white light coming from within. “Mum must be in there.” Haze thought.
When her little toddler self got to the door, she pushed it open with her tiny hoof and peered inside. The room was lit up with white light coming through the window, making it hard to see clearly. Haze saw there was indeed somepony inside but the bright light darkened it. Haze was sure it was her mother and she tried to run to her but something was stopping her. She didn’t know what but an invisible force stopped her from moving. In fact it was pulling her away and Haze cried out to her mother.
“Mu…Mumee help me, HELP ME!” Haze was pulled of her hooves and darkness filled her world.
Haze woke with a gasp and quietly said. “Mumee?” But that was when she realised she was still in the shop, the campfire still burning but not as much. She looked over her shoulder and saw Theran still sleeping. He was snoring quietly as he slept and now and again his lip twitched, showing his sharp teeth beneath. Haze had to try hard not to laugh so she just smiled. She opened her blanket and was immediately assaulted by the bitter cold so she shut it again. Still shivering, She got to her hooves and quietly moved over to Theran’s saddle-bag. He had a lot of things She had never seen before, in fact some of it looked really old. She looked over her shoulder, saw Theran was still asleep and gently opened his bag. Inside his bag he had many interesting thing. He had gems, bottles of glowing liquid, herb samples, a loaf of bread, a map, some books and other things. One of those things were wrapped in some white paper and was oddly triangular.
Haze lifted the object out of the bag with her magic and started to unwrap it. She found out it was cheese, she hated cheese. She wrapped it up, putting it away again in the bag. She then looked at Theran’s sword and found it very interesting. She picked it up with her hooves and studied it. It was longer than as she was, in a plain black sheath made of leather, not much to look at. The hilt was also black but it had markings that looked like text but Haze couldn’t read it. In fact, she couldn’t read very well anyway. Haze then slid the blade out and she quietly gasped. The blade was so detailed with beautiful markings and tiny gemstones. The edges had been sharpened so fine the steel was a shiny white. Its tip was shaped like an spear head with the same fine sharpness. What caught her eye the most was a big red crystal in centre of the blade. It was flawless and sparkled in the light of the fire. It also seemed to glow
“You know…” Haze gasped and dropped the blade, it made a loud clattering sound when it hit the stone floor. She turned around to see Theran looking at her with his lazy eyed expression, also leaning his head on his hoof. “Where I’m from, it’s considered rude to hold another's weapon without their permission.”
“Oh…” Haze mumbled, sitting back down on the stone floor. “Sorry I um…didn’t know um…” She looked at the blade on the floor. “It’s a nice sword though. Where did you get it?”
Theran sat up and with his magic he floated the sword over to him. He took it in his hooves and just looked at it with a very sombre expression. “Ma wife made me this blade, on the day I was promoted to arch-mage.” Theran smiled, the first real smile Haze had seen him make in their short time together. “It has a enchantment that stops the blade from dulling, making it so I diny have to keep sharpening it.” Theran stroked the blade as he held it. “It can also cut through magical barriers like butter cause the it was cooled in a very special mixture called Moon-Silver, giving it a magical edge.”
“Wow!” Haze was amazed. “She made it do all that?” Haze asked.
Still smiling he looked at her with his blue wolf-like eyes. “Yes she did, She was the best black smith and enchanter in the western Barrier lands. No where else could you get finer weaponry.”
Haze caught on to the “was” part and asked. “Where is she now? Is she not still making stuff as a black smith?”
Theran’s smile faded, as if reliving a bad memory. He closed his eyes, looking truly hurt. “No.”
“Why?” Haze asked, with concern in her voice.
A signal tear fell from his left eye as he said softly. “Cause she died.”
Haze felt her heart drop as a feeling of sorrow leaked into her thoughts. “Oh, I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to…”
Theran raised a hoof to stop her. “No its ok.” He wiped away his tear, grabbed his sheath and slid his sword in with a click. “It was a long time ago, no point dwelling on it.” He clipped it to his side and got up. He moved over to his bag and frowned at the open flap. He gave her a “really” look, as his eyes fixed on her. Haze just shrugged. Theran mumbled in frustration. “Nosey little brat.”
“I heard that.” Haze countered.
“And I don’t care.” Theran snorted as he sorted through his stuff.
“Can I have something to eat?” Haze asked.
“No.” Theran plainly replied.
“Oh come on!” Haze moaned.
“Not going to happen.” Theran stated.
“Pleeeeeeaaaaase.” Haze made her eyes go as big as ponyly possible with a massive smile.
Theran crossed his eyes in anger, showing his row of sharp teeth. For a moment Haze thought he was going to explode. He then sighed and opened his bag again brining out the loaf of bread and the cheese. He unwrapped the cheese and broke a small part off. He offered some to Haze who just stuck her tong out at him. Theran snorted and with his magic he pulled his sword out and with two quick flicks of his blade two slices of bread were made. He put the bit of cheese on his part and gave the other to Haze.
“No butter?” Haze complained.
“Oh gods kick my fucking backside just eat it and shut up!” Theran yelled, his nose flaring.
Haze kept her expression plain as she ate the bread, it was dry but filling so it wasn’t too bad. Theran ate his quicker than she did and was already packing up his things. When he got every thing sorted he picked up his helmet and strapped it back on. His blue eyes glowed through the slit, making him look really creepy. He looked at her just as she finished her bread and said. “Since its clear you’re coming with me, you’re gonna need something warmer than that blanket. Cause where we’re going, you’re going to need it.”
Haze was confused so she asked. “Where are you going to find warmer clothes that will fit me?”
Theran tilted his head in thought and suddenly went out the room. A moment later he came back with some fur clothing and Haze knew where it had come from.
“Oh no I’m not putting tha…” Haze was cut off when she found herself floating in a globe of blue magic. She yelped when Theran took her blanket and left her hanging in mid-air. “Hay you can’t just…”
“Shut it!” Theran snapped and Haze fell silent.
Haze shivered as the cold assaulted her coatless body, Theran meanwhile had cut four holes in her blanket with his sword and had what looked like a belt floating near it. Suddenly Haze felt her limbs be spread apart and they all went in the holes in her blanket. Now completely covering her back, the flaps wrapped under her belly and were tided off by the belt. Then the fur scraps were magically attached to her blanket and after what felt like an hour, Theran let her go. She landed on all fours and looked herself over. Her blanket had been turned into a fur coat and she had to admit in her head it was in fact warmer, though she would have liked to use her wings. What came out her mouth was. “What the hay is you’re problem, you could have just asked!?”
Theran just said plainly. “Would have took to long and besides you pissed me off.”
Haze was about to retort when he walked out the door. “Hey wait for me!” She called as she galloped after him.
(Theran Razorblade)
Theran checked his map again and found he was for once on the right path. He smiled under his helmet. “Finally my luck is changing.” He heard a sneeze from behind him. “Well, most of it.”
He looked over his shoulder and saw Haze struggling to get up the steep slope, slipping now and then on the snow. She looked up at him and called out. “W..w..w..where are we g..g..g..g..going? I’m F..F..F..F..F..Freezing out here.”
Theran just rolled his eyes and stuffed his map in his bag. “We’ve barely gone fifty meters and you’re already complaining.” He waited for Haze to get up beside him and they continued into the hills.
“I’m n.n.n.not built for the cold, y.y.y.you are.” Haze sputtered.
“Then turn into something with a coat.” Theran suggested.
“But it gives me headaches when I do it.” Haze protested.
“Your loss.” Theran shrugged.
Theran heard her sigh and with a flash of green he looked over his shoulder. She now looked as she did before, with her tan coloured coat. Theran chuckled and went back to just walking. They were now in the hills and there was many places bandits could hide. Theran was alert as he looked at every spot, bandits could be hiding. He really didn’t like it when he couldn’t see his enemy. Haze broke the tension with her talking and boy could she talk.
“Did you know there’s a pony in these hills called Bighoof and no one has ever seen him up close and lived to tell the tale. Oh and did you know there’s a bunch of stars in the sky that looks like a penguin. Oh and did you know you smell like a dog. Oh and did you kn…”
“Look here.” Theran stopped and turned to face Haze. He pointed one of his hooves at her as he spoke. “A. If no one lived to tell the tale how do you know it? B. There’s no such thing as penguins, AND C. I don’t smell like a dog."
Haze just looked at him for a few seconds and then smiled. She giggled at him in the cutest way. “You’re funny. Oh and did you know I like lemons.” Theran growled and stormed off. Haze having to run to keep up. “Oh come on Theran, I’m only trying to lighten the mood. Why are you soooo grumpy?”
“Maybe cause I have a filly that willny shut her mouth is following me.” Theran thought. What he said was. “Oh I diny ken, maybe it’s the whether or the snow. Dose pip squeaks count?”
Haze just looked at him unimpressed. “Oh ha ha.” Was all she had to say at the moment. They walked further up the passage and Theran didn’t like how narrow it was getting. To make matters worse snow started falling, making it harder to see what was up ahead. “Hey Theran?” Haze yelled. “Wona play eye spy?”
Theran rolled his eyes. “No I diny want to play I spy.”
“Oh come on, Pleeeeeease.” Haze made her eyes go big again.
With a sigh, Theran looked around to see what he could name. “I spy with ma little eye something beginning with…” Theran stopped and put up a hoof to stop Haze as well.
“What?” Haze asked.
“B.” Theran said.
“Oooo Um is it a bug?”
Theran shook his head. “No, bandit.”
Up a slope, behind some rocks was a figure. The wind changed direction and Theran picked up the musky scents of multiple ponies. Suddenly all around him and Haze was a band of bandits all popping out of their hiding places. The band was a mix of mares and stallions who all carried weapons. Some had daggers, some had axes but the one in the middle had a large War-hammer and better armour.
Theran counted at least six of them, the on the slope made seven. They all made a 'C' shape around Theran and Haze, so all that was behind them was a rock wall. Haze hid behind Theran, fear in her eyes. While Theran himself stayed completely calm as the bandits stopped at two meters and just watched them. The one with the hammer stepped forward and spoke to Theran.
“Good day mate.” He said in a very deep highlander accent. “What a chilly day it is.”
“So, the bandits wanted to play the pleasant game. How cute.” Theran thought. He decided to play along. “Aye it is.”
The bandit tilted his head as he eyed Theran’s saddle-bag. “That’s a lot of stuff you got there mate.”
“Its called traveling.” Theran said with a shrug.
“Oh aye, you’d want to pack a lot in these parts. Say, where you heading?”
“No where really, just passing through.” Theran said, getting a little annoyed.
“Oh since you were passin through, did you happen to see two of me mates? We havny seen them since yesterday.”
Theran knew who he was talking about but he kept up his innocent traveller act. “No I dinny think I have.”
The bandit gave him a suspicious look. “One had yellow eyes, grey coat with a black mane and the other had blue eyes, brown coat and black mane. You didn’t see them?”
Theran shook his head. “Nope, havny seen a soul.”
The bandit looked past Theran and looked at Haze. “And who’s this?”
Haze stayed behind Theran as she glared at the bandit. “Oh her, she’s ma daughter. We’re going to see her gran, it’s been a while.”
The bandit narrowed his dark golden eyes at Theran. “Oh, and I thought you said you were just passin through?”
Theran gulped a bit. This wasn’t going well. “Yeah, passing through to her gran.” Theran shrugged. “What are ya trying to say, I’m lying?”
The other bandits looked as if they were getting closer with mean smiles on some of their faces. The big bandit who Theran now knew was the leader, had lost his smile and looked rather cross. “You know what I think, I think you killed me mates and the brat you call your daughter is the one who stole our food.”
Theran looked around, seeing the bandits pulling out there weapons and giving him cocky grins. “Well Fuck.” Theran thought.
“Here’s how this is going to play out.” The bandit leader said. “You’re going to give us all your stuff and your armour." He then pointed at Haze. “Then, you’re going to give me the filly.”
Haze gasped and Theran turned his head to see her looking up at him. Those big green eyes of hers were begging him not to do it. Theran turned back to the bandits and stood there for a moment before lowering himself into a fighting stance. He said in a low voice. “That’s, not going to happen.”
“Have it your way.” The bandit leader nodded at his gang. “Cut him up and leave the filly alive, I won’t to has fun with her later.”
The bandits moved in, seeming unafraid of one heavily armoured opponent. Theran coldly watched them, his breathing slow and steady. He looked over his shoulder at two who were moving at his rear and his horn begun to glow. “Haze.” He said. Haze looked up at him. “When I give the signal, you run.”
Haze looked confused. “What signal?” She asked.
Theran eyed one of the bandits behind him, a grey mare with a blue mane and a battle-axe. “You’ll know it.” He narrowed his eyes at the mare and she froze. “When you see it.”
The mare started to tremble and she dropped her axe. The bandit beside her paused as he looked in confusion at his friend. Theran narrowed his eyes even more and the mare’s pink eyes begun to weep blood. At the peek of his spell Theran flexed his eyes wide open and the mare screamed. Her entire body erupted in a mist of red and she collapsed with out another sound. The red mist formed into hundreds of tiny metal balls and Theran then targeted the bandit who was frozen in shock. All at once the metal balls shot with blinding speed into the bandit, shredding him into bloody ribbings. “RUN!” Theran screamed.
Haze bolted past the two mangled bodies and Theran turned just in time to duck under the swing of a massive War-hammer. Theran reared up and Head-butted the bandit leader in the face, both their helms making a loud ‘Dung” sound. The bandit leader staggered back and one of his gang charged past him. Theran met the stallions charge with a weak lightning bolt to his face. The bolt struck true and the bandit dropped his dagger and tripped. Theran grabbed him by the throat and with a quick pirouette he snapped the bandits neck with a loud “Crack”. As the bandit’s body rag-dolled to the ground, two more lunged at him with daggers and axes. Theran stood on his hind legs and blocked their blows with his armoured hooves. He held them there as they tried to overpower him. Theran wasn’t done with his tricks as blades extended in hidden parts of his gantlets. The two bandits gasped and jumped back. Theran stayed on his hind legs and struck a fighting pose, his blades glinting in the light of the snow. The two bandits looked at each other, then to their leader. With his hammer in his mouth he nodded and both bandits gulped. Slowly all three of them surrounded Theran who was still in his pose.
Theran slowly looked around him and saw what was left. A mare with a white coat, tan mane with pink highlights and purple eyes. She looked terrified. A stallion with a brown coat and blue mane looked at Theran with hate in his green eyes. And then there was the bandit leader who had a black coat but Theran couldn’t see his mane, do to his steel helm. He just glared at Theran with a cool hatred burning in his crimson eyes. Theran’s ear twitched and at the last second he hopped to the side as an arrow shot past him. At this moment the three bandits lunged at Theran all at once. Theran was getting tired but he had one more spell in his book of tricks. He casted a spell and with a flash of blue he vanished. The bandits crashed into each other as Theran reappeared in mid-air above them and landed on top of them. They all crashed to the ground with Theran on top. Theran’s ears twitched again but this time he was ready.
At the last second mere inches from one of the eye slit in his helmet, Theran caught the arrow with his magic. He spun it around, aimed at the shadowy blob in the storm and fired it back at the bandit on the slope. In the distant he saw the shadow flinch and collapse behind the rock he was camping at. The bandit leader underneath him suddenly flung Theran up in the air and he flailed his limbs as he spun head over tail. Theran landed hard on his back, his saddle-bag coming up-done from the impact. He rolled over his head and stood on his back legs again but the move left him momentarily blinded, as he didn’t see the bandit leader swing his War-hammer at Theran’s head. The hammer struck him hard on the left side of his helm and the blow broke the straps keeping it on his head. Theran’s black helmet flew from his head and Theran himself went flying into a pile of snow. His vision was alive with stars and he felt like he was going to pass out, but when his vision cleared he saw a giant hammer coming down on him. Theran shook his head and rolled to the side as the hammer imbedded in the snow and the earth underneath.
With a powerful backward throw of his forelimb, Theran back hoofed the bandit leader right in the side of his helmet. The impact shattered the right side of the bandit leader’s cheap steel helmet and he staggered to the side. Theran then sprang to his hooves and in a blood rage lunged head long into the last two bandits. They both crashed into Theran and they all fell over into the snow. Theran rolled back to his hooves and charged at the mare who was still getting up. He lowered his head and with his razor sharp horn, stabbed it into her shoulder. She cried out in agony as Theran’s horn ripped through her muscle and into the bone. He yanked his horn free and let her fall over as the second bandit tried to stab him with a dagger. Theran grabbed hold of the bandit’s daggered hoof and flung him over his shoulder. The bandit rolled back on to his hooves and came at him again. Theran sparked both of his blades together and met the bandits charge with a battle cry. They both were locked in a battle of blocks, cuts and stabs till Theran jumped, spun in the air and kicked the bandit in the face. Dazed, Theran wasted no time stabbing the bandit with both his blades multiple times in the bandit's chest, blood flying everywhere and staining his armour.
“Theran behind you!” That was Haze’s voice, she was supposed to be running.
In his blood lust, Theran didn’t hear the bandit leader come up from behind him and when he turned to face him a dagger imbedded itself beep in Theran’s throat. Theran’s eyes went wide with shock and surprise as a pressure built up in his windpipe. The bandit leader looked Theran in the eye.
“Any last words before your life blood flows freely?” The bandit leader snarled, his face was all bloody and his right eye had filled up with blood.
In his blurry vision, Theran looked at his saddle-bag and used his magic one last time. “Yeah.” Theran painfully laughed, blood spilling mouth his mouth. He grabbed his sword with his magic and pointed it at the back of the bandit leader. “Fuck, YOU!” Theran shot the sword at the bandit and it cut through his armour and stuck out his chest. The bandit’s lips quivered as blood dripped out between them and slowly he went limp and toppled over with a metal “Bang”. Theran coughed, blood bubbling in his mouth and spilling onto the snowy ground. Theran’s vision started to go black, his hearing muffled and all he could say in a weak voice, before the world went black was. “Well shit.” Then he collapsed with a metallic thud and all feeling left his body and mind.
(Summer haze)
From the rock she was hiding behind Haze watch in horror as Theran brutally killed each bandit with expert precision. Only when the battle was nearing to an end did Theran’s fighting get really horrific. The mare he had stabbed with his horn was still alive but the stallion was getting stabbed over and over again by Theran’s hidden blades. Haze called out when she saw the bigger bandit come at Theran with a dagger. “Theran behind you!” But it was too late.
Theran spun around only to get stabbed in the throat. Haze’s eyes went wide in horror not believing it. “No!” She ran from her rock and at the last second she saw Theran’s sword fly through the air and burry itself in the big bandit’s back and he fell over dead.
Theran however still stood with the dagger in his throat. She saw his lips move, then he turned and fell onto his side and lay very still. Haze rushed over to Theran’s side, ignoring the still breathing mare. Haze stood over Theran, still not believing it. She checked for any signs he was still alive. There was none.
Haze sat down beside his body, tears streaming down cheeks. The one pony in the world that actually understood her, the only pony who was actually nice to her, the only pony she could actually call her friend, was now lost to her forever. Haze lay her chest on top of Theran’s shoulder, turned back into her original form and cried. “Please, please don’t go.” She sobbed, hugging his shoulder as she cried. “Don’t leave me alone out here.” She looked at his face. His eyes were closed and his jaw slack. “Wake up Theran, please don’t do this.” She buried her face in his shoulder guard and continued to cry. What was she going to do now? She had survived for so long on her own out here but the misery she felt was too much.
She heard some sounds of movement and she lifted her head to see the mare trying to get up. Haze glared at the her and with a roar she got up and charged at the mare. Haze struck the spot Theran had stabbed her, with her head and the mare screamed in pain as she fell over again. There was blood on Haze’s face and mane but she didn’t care. Haze started punching the mare’s wound and the mare cried out in even more agony. “You monsters.” Haze screamed. “You killed him, you killed my friend.” Haze's mind was blank with rage as she continued to pummel the mare's shoulder. Haze picked up a dagger and was about to finish her off when a hoof grabbed the dagger and pulled it out of her grasp. Haze spun around in fear it was another bandit. What she actually saw, stunned her speechless. Standing in front of her, alive was Theran. He held the dagger in his hoof as he looked down at her.
“Hey kid, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He groggily mused.
Haze was dumb struck. Her eyes fell upon the dagger still in Theran’s neck. She pointed at the dagger with her mouth wide open. Theran frowned and looked down. “Oh, right…that.” He pulled the dagger out with his magic and jets of blood shot out. Theran’s eyes rolled back in his head and he fell over again.
“Theran?” Haze was at his side again and watched in disbelief as his wound rapidly healed itself. A minute later and Theran opened his eyes with a gasp. Haze yelped in surprise as Theran sat up and rubbed his neck. “Shit I hate it when that happens. Takes the energy right out of me.”
Haze was still gob smacked. How was he still alive? “B-b-b-but how are you…you were…how do…?”
Theran gave her a sheepish grin. “I guess I’ve got a lot of explaining to do huh?”
Haze nodded her head rapidly. “Oh I think you do.” Theran looked past Haze and looked at the mare who looked barely awake. “What are we going to do with her?” Haze asked.
Theran looked over the mare and tilted his head in thought. “I’ll let you know when she wakes up.”
Writer’s notes:
The first spell Theran used on the bandit was a spell that takes the iron in your blood and turns it into ball bearings.