The Hunter

by PandaVoltz

BOSS 1- Entry 2- Diplomacy NEVER Works

When Marionette said it was around the corner I didn’t think it meant around the corner and then run a mile just to get to the entrance. But other than being winded I hadn’t come across any resistance, it was odd because one would think you’d have to fight your way through to get the leader. But apparently not. The other thing that I noticed wile running was the architecture, I’m pretty sure it was Roman, but I wasn’t perfectly sure.

I knew I found the entrance when I saw a massive gold gate that was destroyed, seriously the thing looked like it took on a big rig. Going full speed. Packed with explosives. Okay, so that may be an exaggeration, but it was completely destroyed. Never the less, against my better judgment, I walked through the gates debris and into the decimated castle.

As I walked through the barren hallways, I saw no bodies to my relief, only scorch marks. The more I walked through the place the more paranoid I became. “There’s no way that this place, that has their leader residing in it, isn’t guarded.” I thought frantically to myself, only to stop dead in my tracks when I turned what I believe was my thousandth corner. Straight ahead was about ten or more changelings just watching me, that is until one started to run at me, and was soon followed by the others. In that moment I did the only thing a semi-sane person would do. I ran, but not before I fired an arrow at the lead changelings knee. The arrow hit its mark but also did something that was both terrifying and awesome at the same time.

Instead of the arrow getting lodged in its knee it evaporated into a bolt of lightning electrocuting the first and arching to the rest of the group. In mere seconds the group that was just charging me was reduced to a group of slightly fried, unconscious changelings. I just stood there in complete awe of what just happened, I quickly looked to my quiver and see that I still have all my arrows. “Magic bow, regenerative arrows, I’m really starting to think that the coma idea is the right one.” I thought to myself as I walked around the downed group, only to find myself face to face with two massive doors. The left one had a picture of the sun imprinted on it, the other had a picture of a crescent moon. All in all I had no idea of how to open them myself, so I did the only thing I could, I knocked on the door three times. In hindsight it probably wasn’t t best of ideas, though I did get an answer.

“Who is it, I told all of you to not bother me!” a woman’s voice said, it was kind of weird because the voice sounded two voices at once, though it did sound kind of cool. But I had a job to do so I answered, “Umm, I was never told, I kind of just got here and I looking for a Queen Chrysalis, do you know her? I’m kind of lost, and no offence but you really need to clean this place up, it’s a mess.” I have no idea why I said that but it sounded good in my mind. In the time it took when the woman opened the door many things happened.

The first was that this changeling was much taller than the rest of them from what I’ve seen, while the others have been around five foot seven and have almost no gender defining features, this one on the other hand was about six foot and had both long cyan-ish hair and also had breasts. And like all the others were the presence of both the jagged horn and bug wings. The other thing that happened, that was equally important was I spoke to her.

“I’m guessing your Chrysalis, so I’ll just get to the point, do you think we could talk, maybe sit down, have a few drinks a just talk OK?” I say nonchalantly as I walk past her dumbfounded face, though on the inside I was freaking out and praying to any and all deities to let me live through this. When I get fully into the room I notice the two gigantic thrones at the end of the hall, I also notice the seven green cocoons with seven figures within. Seeing the cocoons did not help my nerves but regardless I made my way to one of the thrones and sat down.

I was soon joined by Chrysalis who still looked a little confused but less so than before, I took of my mask and earned a gasp from Chrysalis when she saw my face. “What are you, and why are you here?” Chrysalis asked in a slightly scared voice. I put down my bow, unloaded the arrow from it, and sat back in the chair, still trying to keep up the nonchalant attitude instead of breaking down into a nervous wreck.

“Well, to be honest I have no idea how I got here to this place, but the reason was just to see if I can talk to you and see why your invading this castle. I mean if you have a good reason then go for it, but if not I’ll have to use a little more, how do you say it? Force, to make both you and the previous inhabitants get along. Understand?” by the end of that I was screaming at myself on the inside for saying something as stupid as that, but to my credit I kept up my neutral tone and expression. Chrysalis on the other hand looked both livid and respectful of me, that is until she broke into a wide grin and started to laugh a little bit but stopped in a few seconds. She turned back to me, smile still present, and spoke.

“What makes you think that you, a random creature, can take me on? I already took down the most powerful being in the world, so what do you think you could do to me?” Chrysalis asked, laughing at the end a little bit. I wracked my brain to come up with something to challenge her accusation. At first I thought I wouldn’t but then one question came to mind. “That may be so, but have you ever tried to sit down a make a treaty or something before you attacked? And why did you attack anyway?” I asked, both to get out of the situation but also because I was genuinely interested because if I was in a coma and I could remember all of this I could turn this into a best seller book. At first she looked confused but that soon turned into a sheepish smile.

“Well, no I’ve never attempted to create a treaty with Celestia, but it wouldn’t of worked anyway, this isn’t the first time I’ve invaded. As to the reason why we invaded was because my hive was starving, I know you probably don’t know this but we changelings feed off of emotions, or love to be more precise. So in another desperate attempt I invaded again, and it worked! Now all that’s left to do is to dispose of those seven over there, there nothing but trouble and a threat to me.” Chrysalis explained with venom. At this point I was both terrified and confused.

“Question, if you force everyone under your rule wouldn’t that make the resentful of you and not love you, effectively setting you back to square one?” I asked, I was genuinely confused on how she just completely over looked that huge loophole. Chrysalis looked at me with a scared face, like she didn’t see that as a problem, but it quickly converted into rage. At that moment I knew I dun fucked up, so I ducked down and grabbed my bow just in time to doge a beam of, what I was guessing was, magic that completely obliterated the throne I was just in.

“ENOUGH! You will not patronize me creature, you will die for your insolence!” Chrysalis screamed, aiming another shot at me from her horn, so I lined up an arrow and let it fly. The thing about this arrow is that It through me off when it glowed blue before hitting Chrysalis in the chest, when it did the arrow disappeared and the blue hue surrounded Chrysalises entire form. The best part about it was that she couldn’t move, I mentally cheered, that is until the hue dissipated and allowed Chrysalis to move again. I cried a little inside. She flew at me, grabbed one of my legs, spun and launched me. I only had one thing to say during my impromptu flying lesson, “FUUUUCK!”

When I hit the ground again I skidded to a halt about fifty feet away from the thrones. I groaned ad I sat up and grabbed my bow, only to see Chrysalis monologueing. “Just give up creature you’ll never beat me, I’m the most powe-“ she never finished the sentence since an arrow, apparently an explosive one, hit her dead in the chest and launched her into a wall, that of which now had a pattern of spiderwebing cracks added to it.

I walked over to the now dazed Chrysalis and said one thing. “The names Corbin.” I launched my first at her face, one that was full of fear, but stopped just before hitting her. I reached out my index finger and taped her on the nose, “Boop.” She fainted on the spot. Once the adrenalin started to wear of I became very aware of the excruciating pain that was coursing throughout my body, mainly my ribs, apparently being launched a good fifty feet will do that to you, who knew? The next couple of things happened pretty much at the same time, one of them was one of the cocoons fell and broke open revealing a very tall woman with multi-colored hair that seemed to flow in the non-existent wind, and she was looking right at me.

The second thing to happen was a portal, or vortex, opened up right in front of me, so now I had a choice to make. Either help the now very confused looking woman, or go through the portal that may lead home. I did what was right at that moment, and walked right through the portal saying, “Your welcome.” To the woman on the floor.

Author's Note:

And that's why you fight! Anyways i hope you enjoyed the chapter, and as always constructive criticism is encouraged!