Aaron Thattchir II: Part II

Part II

The journey to the distant Holy East was long and arduous, Aaron trudged the ancient Ceystalion mountain passes, fighting hordes of Stone Hill Orcs and being forced to hunt and kill mountain goats for food and drinking from the mountain streams that were supposedly poisoned by the led in the mountains’ caves.  It took what must have been a month of traveling through the hills on foot, he finally reached the other side of the mountain range he made it to the kingdom of Baran, a theocracy ran by the priest ruling class of the Old Faith who lived in a temple at its capital of Feriom, supposedly an old Crystalion city.  He walked for days and days until he spotted a tavern on the road.  It was an ancient stone and wooden tavern at that.  One older than any he’d seen.  He entered the tavern, garnering stares from its few patrons, one bartender, and one barmaid.  He walked over to the bar, his guns, and other gear rattling with every heavy step of his black boots that had blistered his feet.  He sat his large figure at one of the stools lining the bar he and the bartender conversed.

“Sweet Jesus, you got a bed here? It feels like I ain’t stopped walking in over fucking month”

The bartender was in shock at the way he spoke but tried to ignore his profanity-laden language and continued

“We have comfortable beds at the low price of just three pieces,” 

“Good, I don’t care what the bed is made of as long is it isn’t solid rock… Do you have any food?  All I’ve had for what feels like a month is wild goat meat and poisoned water,”

“S-sure” 

The bartender seemed intimidated by him but obliged and pulled out a plate with goat cheese wedges on it, Aaron grabbed one of the wedges off and began eating it, the barmaid handing him a steel tankard filled with ale.

“Thanks, I believe I don’t have a map, could you tell me just how far I am from the Holy East?” 

“Oh my kind sir, you’re far from the Holy East, you must pass through many lands if you ever wish to reach there, it may take well over a year on foot,” 

He spat out his ale onto the wooden floor “What the fuck?  You tellin’ me that ain’t the worst of it?”

Before he could respond a voice spoke up from one of the benches along the wall 
A cloaked figure emerged removing its cloak revealing with blue skin and very light blue hair, a young woman holding an ancient staff, she identified herself

“I The Great and Powerful Trixie, could teleport you there,” Her voice exerted that of pride and vanity.

Aaron being the sarcastic man he was responded with: “Can you, The Great and Powerful Trixie light a cigar?” as he pulled out a long brown cigar.

It was the next day when Trixie brought Aaron a stone ring miles south of the tavern.  It was simple, they stood in the ring and Trixie stuck the staff into the ground, they were surrounded by light and were then teleported to the distant land, right in front of a grand city overtaken by a dark cloud.  Aaron was fixated on the city and this cloud, taken aback by the sight before him when he felt a searing hot pain through his back and abdomen.  He looked down to find a bright sword of star crystals had been stuck through him.  He fell to the ground and found that Trixie had stuck him with the sword, she lifted it above her head and said:

“Oh Lord Pentonaxtus, I smite him down so that none stand in you-”

She didn’t finish, as he had drawn his sawed-off .20 gauge shotgun and shot her in the face, blowing a huge chunk of her head off in the process.  He holstered the gun and drew a Dwarven Rune in his right hand with his finger, before placing it at the sword wound, causing a dim light to come from it, healing the wound.  A loud boom of thunder came from the east, from the cloud over the city as a black dragon with fire coming from beneath its scales that came to be far larger than the cities highest tower, and on its back was the black armor-clad, white-haired being known as Pentonaxtus holding a great sword burning with a black flame.  

She teleported before him, standing at near twice his height.  He reached down and grabbed the crystal sword, knowing dark beings were not immune to star crystal weapons.  But as he swung it she held out her hand and shattered the blade, creating a shockwave that threw him back, he landed on a rock, cutting his face on its jagged edge.  Before he could get up, she walked over to him and attempted to stab him with her greatsword, until he disappeared in a cloud of sparkling dust.  He then arrived in Canterlot Mississippi, only it was different, somehow.