//------------------------------// // Chapter XII - New Companions // Story: Gargoyle // by Mr101 //------------------------------// Gargoyle Chapter XII - New Companions Vault POV The walk outside was a welcome one, even if the sun did hurt my eyes. We’d stepped out of the main gates which—just like the entire caverns—was devoid of any hoboll life. I couldn’t help but wonder where the hell they had actually gone to. I shrugged it off as simply being there had to be another exit out of the mountain, As we came to the base of the pathway that led up to the mountain’s entrance, I couldn’t see the others anywhere and looked around in slight panic trying to see them. “What is it, Vault?” Crystal asked me as she looked around as well. “I can’t see the others…” I replied. “I’ve got no clue where they are.” “Hold on,” Crystal said as she closed her eyes. I watched in curiosity as her horn lit up and could feel a weird tingly sensation all over my body. After a minute or so had passed, the tingly sensation stopped and she opened her eyes pointing to my right with a nod of her head. “They’re over there, about half an hours walk.” “How… do you know that?” I asked. “Changeling magic,” she grinned. “We feed off emotions, therefore we’re able to detect them for a certain range. And given I’m a—” She stopped herself mid sentence and coughed delicately into her hoof. “Uh… specialist, I can detect emotions for longer distance than other changelings.” “You and your little amazing abilities,” I teased. “Where would I be without you?” She giggled and gave my nose a poke and I could’ve sworn I saw her blush as she looked away, “You’d be dead most likely, you’d be nothing without me!” “Can’t argue with that,” I chuckled. “Let’s go and—” I stopped as I groaned in pain, my arm throbbing as I gritted my teeth. Crystal immediately became concerned and looked up to me. “Vault, what is it?!” “N-nothing, I’m fine,” I lied. I felt my blood leak from the wound I had sustained during my fight with the alpha over my arm, despite how much it hurt like a bitch. I wasn’t gunna slow down anytime soon. “Vault, I can walk now you know?” Crystal said. I shook my head, “No, you’re still not fully recovered from the fight, I’m carrying you and that’s final.” I had to resist laughing as Crystal crossed her hooves and pouted in annoyance. We kept walking down the pathway until we reached the base of it, what started to concern me was the sheer amount of bodies laying around. None of the slaves though, they were all hobolls. “By the hive… what got these guys?” Crystal asked. “I’m not sure… but I think we should hurry the fuck over to the others, for all we know whatever it was is still out there.” She nodded as I slowly opened my large wings, giving them a gently flap before grunting and launching myself into the air. As I ascended higher, I would occasionally drop altitude slightly as I struggled to stay airborne “You okay there, Vault?” Crystal asked, clearly trying to hold back a giggle. I grunted as I flapped my wings, “Dandy, just dandy.” “No need to be sarcastic,” she giggled. “I fail to see why you’re struggling now, given your performance in the cave.” “Fight or flight,” I replied without a second thought. “That… would make sense I suppose, yeah. But tell you what, when you get some rest,” she said, giving my chest a playful, yet firm prod. “I’ll teach you how to fly properly, deal?” “Deal,” I grinned. It didn’t take us that long—roughly twenty minutes I guessed— until we arrived at where the others were waiting for us, they had taken some of the equipment from the hobolls camp and made their own makeshift campsite. I touched down just on the outside and stumbled, flapping my wings as I tried to keep my balance. “They’re back!” I heard someone shout. “Our saviors!” another added. I looked up to see the freed slaves run over to me, expressions of joy dotted on their faces. I smiled as they formed a circle around us, hearing the gratitude coming from them… … Felt good, really good. It wasn’t like in a video game where you’d sort of just stare at the screen with a neutral expression as generic NPC number fifty four thanked you for saving his chickens or whatever, it felt like if you grabbed a small child out of the road before a car hit them, or if you performed the heimlich maneuver on someone who was choking. Only triple the feeling. I guess it was how firefighters, police officers and soldiers felt when doing their job and are thanked for it by grateful people. As I was patted on the back, I winced again as my arm throbbed, the others noticing my sudden pain and rushed to my arm. “Are you okay, Vault?” I heard Iron Heart say. “Yeah, just got nipped. That’s all.” As I put Crystal down, some of the ponies gasped seeing my wound. Crystal looked and was able to take in for the first time just how buggered the arm was. “That’s not a gash, Vault! That’s a serious wound, we need to get—” I waved her off, interrupting her as another opportunity had arisen and I seized it. “Tis but a scratch!” She blinked at me and scowled, pointing a hoof at my arm, “A scratch? Your arms wounded” “No it isn’t,” I replied. “What’s that then?” she growled, pointing again at the wound. I looked at my arm before looking back at her, “I’ve had worse…” “You liar!” Crystal snorted with a glare. “Now go and get that looked at!” I snickered as I grinned at her, “Okay, okay. I’ve had my fun.” “I can take a look at that for you, I’m a nurse in New Port,” a yellow mare said with a smile. As I was led away by one of the mares, I couldn’t help chuckle to myself. Totally worth it. Crystal POV I galred after that lummox Vault as he was led away. As I headed into the camp with the others, I felt a nudge at my side and saw a pegasus mare smiling back at me. “Are you okay?” she asked. I nodded, “I’m fine, thank you. Just concerned about Vault, the idiot.” She giggled softly at that, “He does seem… strange, doesn’t he?” “Tell me about it… he has what I like to call ‘Vault moments’, where he just acts weird.” “Well, he is a guy,” she grinned. I couldn’t help giggle at that as we both entered the camp, taking a seat beside the fire they had made, “So true. Although, he is a nice guy, don’t get me wrong. Just a little annoying at times.” “Sounds like he’s a good friend,” she replied. I looked over to see Vault inside one of the open tents, sitting on a stool that was way to small for him and looking unhappy as the mare attended his wounds—no doubt the supplies she was using were stolen from the hobolls from raids on caravans—I smiled as I saw him grumble and the mare giggle at his seemingly over reacting to a simple patch job. “Yeah… yeah he is,” I softly said. “Didn’t you guys just like, meet though?” she asked, tilting her head at me. “I mean, we all kinda did.” “That’s right,” I replied. “But I’ve spent time with him, you know? I sort of got to bond with him a little bit, not to mention he saved my life. Thrice over.” “Thrice?” she replied, blinking in confusion. I nodded, “Down in the caves… some stuff happened and he saved my life twice, not to mention that he saved all our lives by freeing us.” “OW! Careful!” “Don’t be such a foal!” “Can I at least have a lollipop when this is over?” We looked over to see Vault pouting as his arm was wrapped in a bandage, the mare obviously getting a little annoyed with him. Again, I felt myself smiling and I heard the mare beside me giggle. “I think you have a crush on him,” she smirked. My cheeks went red as I stared at her wide eyed, “D-don’t be absurd! He’s my friend, why would you say that?!” “Oh, just thinking out loud,” she tittered. “I meant no harm by it.” I huffed and turned my head away, ignoring her stifled giggle and found myself watching Vault and again, smiling. Did I like him more than a friend? I shook my head of the thoughts, heavens I’d only just met the guy! I buried the thoughts away as I watched him come out, rubbing his bandaged arm. “So, feeling better?” I asked. He grunted as he sat down beside me, “I was, till nurse sadist here jabbed me with a needle.” The nurse huffed from behind him and walked back into the tent as I bopped his good arm, “Be nice, she didn’t have to do it.” “Yeah yeah, I gave her a hug anyway so shush,” he grumbled. “Good boy,” I smirked as he scowled at me. “You two seem to get on like a house on fire,” the mare giggled. “Yeah, we do. She’s an annoying, trustworthy, awesome type of friend wrapped up into one,” Vault grinned. “So who are you?” “Oh, I’m Lilly Wind. I have a flower shop in a village near New Port. I was taken by the hobolls when I went for a walk a few days ago.” “Got anyone waiting for you?” Vault asked her. She nodded with a smile, “My wife, I miss her so much…” Vault gave her a reassuring ruffle on her mane, “Well, won’t be long now till you’re together again.” “Thanks, for everything,” Lilly Wind replied as she smiled, some tears in her eyes. She got up and walked over to Vault, giving him a gentle hug which he returned before she trotted off. Vault laid his body on the ground and rested his arms behind his head as he looked up at the sky. I joined him laying on my own back and watching the clouds go by. “After we get these guys to New Port, what happens next?” I asked. “I need to get to Equestria,” Vault replied. “Equestria?” I asked. “The large pony kingdom ruled by Celestia and Luna?” “I’m not sure who Celestia is, but Luna I do know.” “Why do you need to go there?” I continued. “It’s… complicated,” he started. “It’s kinda the whole reason I was brought here.” “Brought here?” I asked, rolling my head to look at him. “Long story, I’ll tell you about it when we head there.” I looked at him in confusion. His eye caught mine and he tilted his head to the side slightly. “I assume you want to come with me, right? Can’t do this without my only best friend in this world.” I blushed slightly at that and turned my head back to look back at the sky, “W-well… I guess I could, but I need to go home first. Let my kinsman know me, Meta and Morphosis are alright. It’s on the way to Equestria, so it works for both of us. Plus, we can get some supplies and rest there to.” “Sounds like a plan,” Vault grinned. I smiled as we continued to watch the clouds slowly drift by, a cool breeze blowing over us as I closed my eyes, enjoying the sounds of nature and the idle chatter of the campsite. “So…” Vault started. “About what happened in the caves… with this ‘Gaius’ thing, wanna talk about it?” I was quiet for a few moments, trying my best to think of a good way to explain myself without sounding like a lunatic. Then I remembered I was talking to Vault, and my thoughts on the structure of my reply vanished. “Not much to say really… after you got that box thing, you sorta fell to one knee and, well. Changed.” “Changed?” Vault asked. “Yeah, your body was riddled with scars and your eyes were a bright white. And your voice, it was like a thunder clap. Even deeper than now.” “That sound’s pretty badass,” Vault chuckled. “But what’s that got to do with this Gaius thing?” “That’s what the dragon called you, well, Gaius… you… it?” I tried to explain. “Either way, this ‘Gaius’ knew the dragon.” “Interesting…” he muttered. “You have any idea what it means?” I pondered the question for a moment. I thought about telling him about the supposed prophecy Edar had mentioned, but I figured it would be confusing, given that I hardly understood it at all myself. “Not really, perhaps we can find more out on the way?” “Agreed. So what do we do now?” Vault replied. I cocked my head up and looked over the camp, seeing everyone chatting away and smiled, noticing that the sky was getting darker, “For now? I think we should rest here. Then make our way to New Port tomorrow.” “That’s what me and the others were thinking of to.” I looked to my left to see Iron Heart approaching us, carrying two bowls in his hands. He sat beside us and me and Vault sat up, hungrily looking at the food. “Figured you two would be hungry, so I grabbed some grub for ya.” “Thanks!” Vault grinned, taking the bowl of what was clearly meat and licking his lips. I rolled my eyes and smiled, taking the bowl of salad Iron had brought over, “Thank you.” “I know you changelings need love to eat, but way I heard, you can eat regular foods but it just… what was it again?” Iron Heart said before snapping his fingers. “Oh yeah, it doesn’t fill you up as much as love, or something like that.” “That’s right,” I replied with a nod as I nibbled on a cucumber. “Where did you get this anyway? Fresh fruit and vegetables would be the last thing I thought hobolls would have.” Iron let out a hearty chuckle and indicated behind him with his thumb, “True, but they kept a lot of supplies from their raids pretty well intact. So we figured we would… liberate them so to speak.” I peered over seeing the dozens of carriages that had supplies on them and tittered to myself, looking to Vault who was wolfing down the bowl of what I assumed was chicken with a delighted expression. “I guess that’s the plan then, camp here for the night then head for New Port in the morning and then go about our separate ways.” I said. “Sound’s good, me and Iron Horn will return to our clans. Where you two heading?” “Equestria,” Vault replied with his mouthful. “Interesting, hear it’s lovely this time of year. My cousin Iron Will travels around there with this ‘assertive’ gimmick thing he does. Before I could reply, I cringed when Vault belched loudly beside me and let out a sigh of contentment. “God that hit the spot…” he smiled. I bopped him on the back of his head and shook my head, “You have the manners of a hoboll…” “Just complimenting the food,” he grinned. “Better out than in, I always say.” He then blinked and groaned, resting his forehead on his hand. “I cannot believe I just made that reference…” Another Vault moment. “Anyway, do you want to—” I was interrupted by a scream and we all turned around to see a bunch of heavily armed hobolls on the edge of the camp who had emerged from the thick grass behind them, the leader holding the body of a filly firmly in his grip with a blade to her throat. “Well, well, well. Wot do we ‘ave ‘ere? Run ah way slaves?” he sneered. Vault POV I growled at the hoboll, my fists clenching tightly. I went to reach for my hammer that was dangling on my belt but stopped when the filly cried out in pain as the blade cut her neck. “Wouldn’t do dat if I were you, gargoyle.” the leader hissed. “Take anotha step and the lil bitch gets gutted.” I gritted my teeth and moved my hand away from the hammer, keeping my glare focused on the hoboll. He laughed and smirked in arrogant triumph. “Now dis is wot’s gunna ‘appen,” he started. “You slaves is gunna go back to yer cages, and den we is gunna sell you in da morning.” He dug the blade deeper into the fillies neck, making her cry even more. “Or else I kill ‘er. Got it?” Despite me facing the hoboll, I could feel the anger coming from behind me. The hoboll was unphased by it and then pointed his sword at me. “Cept you, you is gunna submit to us. Den we is gunna kill you. You is to much trouble.” I growled loudly and flared my wings, but stopped as he brought the blade back to the fillies neck. “Now, I don’t like being kept waitin’. So lets—” He never finished his sentence. From the grass behind them, a skull dog had suddenly leapt out and pounced the leader, making him yelp in alarm and drop the filly who immediately ran back to the crowd. The skull dog started to savagely rip the hoboll apart, the hoboll’s blood gurgled scream filling the air. Before the other hobolls had time to react, several more skull dogs appeared from the bush and jumped them, each one savagely tearing the hobolls limb from limb. One hoboll cried out as his arm was ripped and tossed asunder before having his throat ripped out whilst another couldn’t scream due to most of his face being ripped to buggery by a skull dog. Honestly, it was pretty cool to watch. The attack was over in seconds. The hobolls lay dead. I watched cautiously as the dog looked at us and in an instant, my hammer was in my grip. But the dogs simply stood there, confusing me. I looked to my side at Iron Heart who was just as confused as I was over to Crystal on the other, again sharing my look of confusion. Turning my attention back to the skull dogs, I studied the one who had pounced the leader and squinted my eyes. Then I realised it. “Wait a tick… you’re the skull dog that attacked me earlier, aren’t you?” The skull dog actually nodded at me. I couldn’t stop myself from grinning at it, this guy was intelligent! “What do you mean, ‘attacked you earlier’?” Crystal hissed. “On my way to the mountain, I was attacked by him. We scuffled, and I won but let him live and he ran off. I… I think this is its way of repaying my mercy.” To our surprise, the skull dog nodded again. Before anything else was said, it turned its head and barked loudly, the bark was low and rumbled over the sky. It was so awesome… We watched as the other skull dogs scampered away back into the grass and vanished, leaving the leader alone with us. “What’s it doing?” a voice called out. “Is it going to eat us?” another added. I ignored them, my heart was pounding and my chest was heaving heavily as I stared at the skull dog. I think I knew what was going to happen. And I was fucking ecstatic. “Vault, you okay?” Crystal asked in concern. “We outnumber it, you’ll—” “Do you want to join me on my travels?” I asked the skull dog, interrupting Crystal. There was a brief moment of silence as we stared each other down. Then, the skull dog seemed to smile, and nodded its head. My mouth curled into the largest grin I could possibly muster and I let out a happy squeal. “Best. Day. Ever!”