//------------------------------//
// Golden Angel 
// Story: Daring Do and the Eyes of the Demon 
// by PegasusKlondike 
//------------------------------//

After the initial hostility, the Nyika zebra turned out to be some of the most hospitable folk Daring had ever known. More hospitable than most small towns in Equestria. A whole night of banquets, dancing, and politely refused marriage proposals left the sepia pegasus even more worn out than usual. 

A few of the tribals knew basic Equestrian, but by their fascination with her wings they didn't get out and see many ponies in their lives. With Timur talking to the elders of the tribe, Daring spoke with the warriors who could speak Equestrian. From what she gathered, they were terrified of N'dutu's war bands that pushed closer to their village with every day. In the old days they could have fought them off, but Talib's honorable blood had left them, and with it their courage and right to guard the Eyes. 

She questioned them endlessly about the Eyes of the Demon, trying to wring any small details out that they might know. She had a stroke of luck that night. One of the warriors said his grandfather had known one of the bloodline bearers of the Tomb's guardianship, and that he had accidentally overheard a part of some chant that they recited to themselves.

Daring sat across from a large, communal bowl of cooked grains, interviewing the zebra warrior. "Grandfather say that he know one of the guards. They memorize a chant that is very hard. He hear small bit of it, Grandfather say he never forget." The warrior paused to scoop out a small ball of cooked grains, popping it into his mouth. 

Daring had her notebook out, scribbling down notes as the warrior spoke. "Go on, what did your grandfather hear?"

"He say, 'Only the sightless may see, and walk the path of eternity."

Daring looked up from her notes. "Path of eternity? What's the path of eternity?" The zebra shrugged as he popped another hoof full of grains into his mouth. 

Her eyes felt heavy, and before Daring could ask another question, she silenced herself with a yawn. "Well sir, I thank you for your time, but I need some rest." The pegasus gave the zebra one final show by flapping her wings just hard enough to become airborne and drifting lazily over to the bedroll they provided her with.

With a sigh she curled up on the reed mat and spread a wing over her head. Today had been rather eventful, almost too eventful. Snapping open her eyes, Daring realized what she just thought. "Am I losing my game?" she said to the night. "No, I can't be, I'm just not used to this type of expedition. Yeah that's it."

Or maybe I'm afraid, she thought to herself.

"No way, I've never been afraid of anything. My name is Daring Do. I'm a hero of Equestria, what can I be afraid of?"

This isn't some lost society or old temple, this is a war. Lives are depending on me.

"Then it's just pressure to perform." She sighed as she pinned it down. "That's a load off my chest, phew."

Daring folded back her wing, looking out over the village and its still active people. Still doesn't remove the fact that if this doesn't go right, then all these people will be slaves.


***********************************


With the first rays of sun barely rising in the east, Grimhide was the first to rise that morning. Kicking all of his riders to wake them up, he saddled his mount. Despite what his instincts told him to do, which was get his revenge on that gold pegasus and her zebra friend, his detachment was doing something a little more mundane. Forceful recruiting. And he would enjoy a bit of sport when the villagers tried to defend themselves. 

With the rest of his cavalry swaying in the saddle and fighting off the urge to go behind the bushes and hurl, Grimhide spurred his nandi on to the rendezvous point with the infantry slavers. A few hours of riding through the savanna, startling off small herds of grazing animals had his cavalry feeling like their old selves. To help satiate their bloodlust so they wouldn't overdo it when they did raid that village, Grimhide slowed down the pack of nandi and their riders to harass a lone cape buffalo. 

About fifteen minutes of jousting with the beast's horns had all the gnolls in high spirits. They would have actually killed it, but cape buffalo are not known for going down without quite a serious fight. Jabbing it with their spears sufficed for now. 

Directing his cavalry away from the bellowing hill of muscle and rage, his riders eventually found a trail. Spurring his hyena mount onward, Grimhide came into sight of the rendezvous point, a common watering hole by the pathside. 

A platoon of zebra warriors bearing spears, bolas, lassos and the diamond-shaped black shields of N'dutu sat lazily around a few caged wagons, awaiting their reinforcements. A few puffed on pipes, taking turns smoking an herb which dulled pain. A few more leaned back against the wagons, lightly snoring as the nandi riders pulled in.

Grimhide rode his mount straight into the small encampment. "Who leader here?" he asked.

One of the resting zebra opened his eyes, stretching out as he stood up and approached the cavalry gnoll. His eyes looked extremely red, like he had taken too many puffs of the pain herb. "I am head of this raid. You have come to give us aid?"

Grimhide looked down at the ill prepared zebra with scorn. "Not anymore you not, I take over now. N'dutu say that I in charge here," Grimhide replied with his growling voice.

The zebra shrugged and tossed him the keys to the slave chains. "You da boss, mon." A few of the warriors shouldered the yokes for the wagons, pulling them towards the target village as the remaining four nandi riders took their places on either side of the caravan.


***********************************


The Eyes were just within her reach. Daring wet her lips with anticipation of the completion of her journey. A mist hovered over the Eyes, masking their form. But all she needed to see was a pair of burning slits in the dark to know she looked at her goal. Carefully she reached out with a hoof, but as she reached towards the object of her desire, it stayed just out of her grasp. Taking a step closer to the altar, she reached again for the Eyes of the Demon. Again they seemed just out of her grasp. Daring jumped forward, but the entire altar holding the artifact lurched backwards, taunting her with the glowing stare of the Eyes. Grinding her teeth, the pegasus spread her wings and leapt at the eyes, chasing down the artifact as it fled into eternity. 

She panted as she tried to get any closer, but the Eyes seemed to cackle at the pegasus. A deep laughter echoed from the empty, black space all around her, driving fear into her mind as she flapped her wings even harder. Stretching out her hoof, she reached for the Eyes as they taunted her in this moment of weakness. 

Finally the Eyes seemed to reach a wall, and Daring grinned as she finally inched her way closer. But the closer she got, the heavier her body felt. Her wings felt like they were feathered with iron, and falling to the floor she ran closer. But as she ran on the floor her hooves became brittle, and cracked under her weight. Daring cried out as her body fell to the floor. Looking up at the Eyes, they gloated at her suffering and her pain. Placing one shattered hoof in front of the other, Daring pulled herself forward.

Weakly reaching for the Eyes, Daring looked at her own leg, wrinkled and gray with age. Glancing back at the Eyes, the only thing she saw was a mirror, an ancient and decrepit pegasus staring back at her, turning to dust before her eyes. Daring opened her mouth to scream, only to wail silently as the Eyes of the Demon laughed at her mortal frailty.

With a scream Daring Do clawed her way out of the horrendous dream, feeling the horrible weight still on her as she fought to open her eyes. Strange voices shouted at her in an unknown tongue, but one called to her with crystalline clarity in a familiar and comforting tone. "Ms Do, calm down and wake up!"

Daring wrenched open her eyes, panting from the horror of the nightmare. Timur's hooves held her down on the reed mat where she lay, several other zebras holding down her other limbs. Timur gently let go of the pegasus, the other zebras doing the same. Daring leaned up on her mat, holding her hooves in front of her face, checking them frantically for any sign of age or wear. Looking up to Timur's concerned face, Daring had to use every ounce of self control to keep from breaking down. "I need air," Daring gasped, standing quickly and pushing the crowd of zebra out of her way. Exiting the hut she and her guide had been loaned, Daring flew outside of the village, finding a tree to hide under while she caught her breath. 

Pressing her forehead against the trunk of the tree, Daring fought off the sense of fear from that horrible nightmare. Sure, she'd had bad dreams before, but nothing had ever been that real. The soft clop of hooves on the sandy soil perked her ears.

"Ingelosi?" said a very young voice. Daring turned her gaze from the tree trunk to look at her visitor; a young zebra colt, not yet old enough to have a mark on his flank. His green eyes shined at the pegasus with wonder, but also concern.

"Go away kid, you can't help me," Daring said to the colt. Closing her eyes, she sighed. It was a dream, just a dream, she kept telling herself. It can't possibly happen. A small pair of hooves clung to her foreleg, the pegasus opened her eyes and looked at the colt giving her a hug as best as he could. Despite herself, she smiled. Reaching down with a wing, she returned the favor and wrapped it around her little friend. "Thanks kid, I needed that."

Tousling his stiff black and white mane with a hoof, Daring felt the fear pass. Suddenly she felt very silly for the whole event, overreacting to a little night terror like that. "Just a dream, I'm just bein' a silly filly." Her little friend looked up at her face with a big smile. Taking her pith helmet off her head, she placed it down onto his head. For the little zebra colt it was far too big, coming down over his ears and eyes. But he giggled as Daring lifted him off the ground and placed him on her back. "Come on, let's get you back to your home."

She had flown further from the village than she thought, and with the zebra foal riding her back, Daring began the long walk back. With her fears allayed, she took the time to notice that it was actually a very nice morning to go out for a walk. The big blue sky lay cloudless and infinite, strange birds chirped their choruses in the bush, and a the distant sounds of daytime creatures waking up for their day all tingled Daring's senses. 

But as she walked the trail back to the village, something felt different. The birds stopped their calls, and the hairs on the back of her neck rose as she smelled the air. Out of instinct, she spread her wings to intimidate any would be predators. She knew this feeling well, and recognized the signs of the creatures around her. The foal on her back had gone quiet as well, turning his head and listening.

Reaching down, he tugged on Daring's mane. "Ingelosi! Sifuna ukufumana umqolo!"

Daring's ears twisted and turned, her nose trying to pick up any sign of danger. "I know kid. Just stay calm." Gently setting the foal down, she took her helmet back and put it on her head. "I'm going to borrow this. Just stay here, okay?" She pointed a hoof at the ground, emphasizing what she wanted him to do. The foal nodded his understanding. Spreading her wings, Daring rocketed into the air, looking around for any sign of trouble.

Hovering a hundred feet or so above the ground, Daring's magenta eyes scanned for any danger. Looking over towards the village, her heart sank. Clouds of dust rose from the small town, and the sounds of screams chilled her blood. Bunching up her wing muscles, Daring dashed for the village under siege.


******************************************


The attack had come quickly and without warning. About three dozen zebra warriors and gnoll cavalry had rode in with the rooster's crow that morning. The gnolls had gone for the warriors of the Nyika first, killing some but riding down and capturing most others. N'dutu's infantry hurled torches into huts, capturing any villagers that they saw with long hooks, lassos and bolas.

Grimhide rode his nandi into the center of the village with the commander of the infantry next to him on hoof. He felt a certain satisfaction, seeing the legacy and homes of the Nyika burning into ash around him. Grimhide had seen others command, and felt like he knew the right things to say to feel like a proper cavalry commander. "How many we capture?" he asked the infantry zebra. 

The zebra commander gazed at the groups of prisoners being chained up and thrown into the wagons that had been drawn into town. Doing a few quick calculations, he nodded his head, impressed with their haul. "A good load we have here. At least fifty to bear the spear."

"And a hundred and fifty new slaves!" Grimhide chortled, seeing the long lines of zebra too weak, too young or too inexperienced to become slave warriors in the warlord's army. With a hyena cackle, Grimhide leaned over in his saddle and slapped the zebra commander on the back. The zebra grinned back, knowing that N'dutu's commanders always got first pick of the new slaves. And after he had conquered all of Zebrica, the most loyal would have the first pick of land to rule over as lords. 

And after he had the Eyes of the Demon, not even the shores of Zebrica would be enough for N'dutu.


*******************************************


Hiding in the stands of millet on the edge of town, Daring took in the situation. Thirty or so zebras under what she guessed to be N'dutu's command, and a few more of those gnolls. Her eyes scanned for Timur, but he wasn't among either the chained warriors or the villagers being stuffed bodily into the cage wagons. She looked for a way to help, seeking the weak link in the chain. There was too damn many of them, even if she did take down all the riders and free the prisoners, there was no way somepony wasn't getting hurt or killed.

She looked on, she could go out there and challenge them, but her spear was back in that hut where she left it. She had no weapon except for her helmet, and flinging that around might have the effect of making the enemy die with laughter. The feather of the lightning bird still glistened brightly in the band of her helmet, causing some zebra to look her way. Ducking her head down, Daring barely avoided being spotted in her hiding place. 

The slave drivers pulled out long sticks from the burning kindling of the village huts, lashing their charges if they got out of line, or if it pleased the slave drivers. One zebra mare wailed, twisting herself out of her captors grasp and making a run for the edge of the village. Daring would have cheered her on, but one of those mounted gnolls had also seen the mare making a desperate bid for freedom. Drawing his long black scimitar, he rode her down. The zebra mare screamed as the gnoll cackled at this unexpected sport. Daring cringed and averted her eyes as the screams were silenced with a slice.

Looking back up, she saw the gnoll licking the blood off his blade, sheathing it on his back. A gnoll with a scar slanting over a milky white eye. She scowled with recognition of this brute, the same monster who had nearly killed her only a few days earlier. Daring nearly leapt out of her skin as a hoof touched her on the back. Whipping around, Timur had once again managed to sneak up on her with no effort. 

"We must go! There are too many of them," Timur whispered to Daring. 

"You can leave if you want, I'm going to help those people!" the pegasus replied with acid in her voice.

Timur grabbed Daring by the shoulders, dragging her back further into the stand of millet. "You can't help them, it is too late. We should have been gone yesterday."

Daring flipped over in his hooves, punching her guide in the face, knocking him flat to the dirt. While Timur lay dazed on the ground, Daring grabbed his spear in her mouth. "Sorry Timur, I can't let this happen to them." Spreading he wings, she took off above the village. 

Circling high above the village, she searched for the right target to dive bomb with her one and only spear. Her eyes looked over them, looking for some kind of leader. 

Down on the ground, Grimhide paced his mount along the rows of newly acquired slaves, mentally discounting any that looked too weak or sickly to add to his growing future estate. His nandi snapped at the legs of the captured zebra, adding more fearful cries to the already deafening din of sobbing and mourning wails. His mount stopped, sniffing heavily at the ground. With a rumbling snarl the nandi defied its master and bounded over to a hut, tearing down the front wall, searching for something.

Grimhide futilely tried to reign his mount back under his control, but the beast was dead set on finding the source of some scent. "Stupid mutt! Now not time for food! I feed you-" Grimhide stopped himself mid sentence as his mount found the object of its desire, sniffing heavily at a golden feather. Grimhide's scowl became a look of devious glee. Hopping out of the saddle, he removed the feather from his mount's overeager mouth. Pacing over to the chained up prisoners, he whipped the feather out in front of the face of the chief. 

"Where is she?" Grimhide growled.

The chief trembled as the gnoll's hot breath and predatory stare bore down on him. "I do not know, she left and has not shown!"

"WHERE?!" the gnoll yelled.

"I don't know!" the chief trembled. Grimhide bared his fangs at the chief, moving down the line with the feather held up.

"Anyone? Anyone know?" The gnoll continued up and down the line, searching for anypony that might have an answer. The captive zebra in their chains stared silently, not knowing nor willing to betray Daring. The raiders sent by N'dutu raised their eyebrows and chattered to each other in their languages, wondering if Grimhide had lost his mind or something, going crazy over a feather and all. They were in a Nyika village after all, feathers and the Nyika were like crocodiles and teeth. The two were just inseparable concepts. 

Daring circled above, having picked out her target, the one-eyed gnoll. She took aim to dive bomb with her spear, when suddenly the zebra colt from earlier ran into the village, screaming for his mother who lay chained and shackled in the back of a wagon. 

Grimhide grinned, pouncing the wayward colt and seizing him by the scruff of his neck. Holding him up in front of the villagers, he asked once again. "Where is feathered pony? Answer, or nandi get treat." Bending over, he dipped his paw into a small pool of blood, smearing the colt with it. Walking over, he let his mount get the scent of fresh blood. The huge grey hyena snapped at the tantalizing morsel, but its master held back the squirming and struggling foal. 

"Anyone?" Grimhide asked again. The line of zebra stood resolute despite their situation, they would not betray one who they believed had been sent from heaven. The gnoll shrugged. "Your choice." He tossed the colt down, kicking him over to the waiting nandi. The huge hyena whooped with delight, opening its slavering jaws to chomp down on this tiny morsel. As its crooked teeth began to lower down to the quivering foal, the nandi arched its back and roared, paws and teeth trying to reach for the short spear sticking out of its back. With a groan it fell onto its side, and Daring Do landed in front of the foal, wings spread and ready to fight.

"You want me, here I am!" she said to the dumbstruck gnoll. 

Grimhide's expression changed to a pleased smugness, his bait had worked perfectly. "Get her!" he yelled to his raiders, pointing a claw at the pegasus. 

A group of the raiders shouted a war cry as they charged at the pegasus, twirling bolas and hefting their hooked spears. Daring grabbed her pith helmet in a hoof, aiming up a shot to try and entangle as many of them as possible. Expertly tossing her helmet like a frisbee, it struck the first charging raider in the chest as planned.

The next part however, was not planned by the pegasus in any way. An explosion like the roar of thunder rocked the village and nearly deafened Daring. After the smoke cleared, the raiders in the first charge lay curled up on the ground, groaning and holding their ears. And in the center of their heap lay her pith helmet, undamaged and perfectly fine. But the lightning bird feather arced with electricity. "Holy shit," Daring whispered, looking at the carnage the feather had left. It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck them all. 

Grimhide was less impressed, drawing his dragon scale scimitar to advance on the stunned Daring. Lifting his sword high, he intended to neatly cut off the pegasi's head with one fell swoop. As the gnoll swept downwards, the sword in his paw hit the steel head of a spear.

"It isn't nice to hit a lady," Timur said to the gnoll. Grimhide smiled at his true quarry, breaking the block and jumping back. "I am Timur Duan!ziti, remember that name, for it shall be the last you know!" 

The gnoll curled his lip back in a snarl. "I Grimhide, right claw of N'dutu! Your bones will taste good, zebra." Grimhide swung his sword in a series of lazy arcs, Timur stood back and spun his spear, both challenging the other. With a roar, both combatants leapt to eviscerate one another.

Away from the two mortal combatants, another group of slavers had rallied and charged the downed pegasus. Daring barely ducked as a bola whooshed over her head. Scooping up the foal, she took flight, dodging more projectiles the slavers threw.  Dropping off her charge somewhat safely on the roof of an untouched hut, Daring turned sharply on her wings, her eyes only on getting back her pith helmet and the incredible power the feather bestowed on it.

Falling back to the ground, she grabbed a cast aside spear, holding it defensively as the slavers charged her. Twenty zebra with spears and lassos bore down on her. "Yeah, this ain't gonna happen," Daring said to herself, vaulting herself into the air right as the first of the bolas swished under her hooves.

Deftly winging her way over to the wagon cages, she jammed the tip of her spear into the lock on the door, twisting until it snapped. Pulling the cage door open, she ushered out the warriors and villagers of the Nyika. "Come on! Here's your second chance!" The villagers leapt out of the wagon to enter the fray with the slavers. They didn't have weapons, but they made up for it in sheer numbers and the ferocity of their attack.

Away from the freed zebras who fought valiantly against their enslavers, Grimhide and Timur stood as even matches. The commander of N'dutu's cavalry sweeping his scimitar in long arcs while the prince of the Gochano deflected the dragon scale blade with the head of his spear and maneuvered to get in the stabs and jabs to down his opponent quickly. 

Timur pressed the offensive, twirling his assegai in a a figure eight while pressing Grimhide back. The gnoll swept with his sword, knocking aside the spear and plunging for Timur's exposed chest. Timur ducked to his side, bringing the butt of his spear up and into Grimhide's jaw. The gnoll fell back, clutching his mouth with a small stream of blood dripping out the corner. Whipping his scimitar over his shoulder, Grimhide swept down at the zebra, feinting just as Timur moved his spear to block and swiping his rock cutting claws across the zebra's cheek.

The zebra recoiled, hoof to his cheek. Grimhide pressed the attack with a flurry of scimitar blows. Timur had to be deft on his hooves to avoid getting sliced by the blade or getting disemboweled by the gnoll's claws. Swinging his spear like a quarterstaff, Timur butted the gnoll in the stomach, spinning his spear to thrust at his heart. Grimhide parried with his sword, but not enough to stave off the attack. The head of the spear grazed the gnoll's shoulder, getting caught in his epaulet. 

Grimhide roared at the pain, swinging his dragon scale sword through the head of the spear, shearing it off at the head. With the head of his weapon destroyed, Timur swung the haft of his spear at Grimhide's head, connecting solidly with his temple. The gnoll cried out and fell back, holding his head with an open paw. 

Grimhide looked around himself, seeing his slaver unit getting destroyed. One slaver zebra would billhook a villager, only to have three stab him in the back with knives. A lone nandi limped towards the safety away from the village, a limp and bleeding gnoll stuck through his chest by a pair of spears. The rest of his standing unit had backed themselves into a corner, trembling in their horseshoes as the gold pegasus advanced on them with no weapon except her hat. 

The gnoll leader laid back his ears, snarling at his foe who stood posed for the next attack. "This not over," he growled to Timur. "RETREAT!" he roared to his forces, running to grab the last good nandi by the saddle, swinging himself in and digging his heels into its flanks. With their attack repelled and their leader fleeing, the shattered remnants of N'dutu's war band fled into the bush.

Timur tossed down the severed haft of his spear, bringing a hoof to his cheek and looking to see blood. 

"Hey, you okay?" Daring appeared next to him, looking with concern at his trio of claw marks across his cheek.

"I have fought many wars and slain many foes, but this will be the first scar I bear. But it is only my pride that is injured. I fought a worthy opponent today." He glanced down at the pieces of his spear. "And it was almost my last opponent."

Daring sat on her haunches, looking with amazement at the lightning bird feather still tucked in the brim of her hat. She braced for a lightning bolt as she gently placed it on her head, and let out a sigh of relief when nothing came. Leaning back against the wall of a hut, Daring considered what had just gone down. She was in a battle, her first real battle. And that nandi, that was her first real kill. 

Looking around herself, her heart warmed from the cold hardness that this raid had brought on. Families embraced, reunited and given a second chance at freedom. Many doused their flaming huts, gathering what property they could from the ashes. With a smile she saw her little friend run to embrace his mother, nuzzling the zebra mare. Breaking away from his overjoyed mother, the little foal galloped over and leapt into Daring's lap, hugging the pegasus with as much strength as his little arms could manage. 

Scooping up the foal in her hooves, she held him at arms length in front of her face. "What part of 'stay right here' don't you understand! Jeez kid, you could have been killed!" His little green eyes shimmered and his lip trembled. Daring immediately felt like she had kicked a puppy. "Aw crap, damn it. I can't stay mad at that. Come here." She hugged him tightly to her chest, the little zebra foal returning the hug.

"Aww, would you look at that. Daring Do; fearless explorer, lady of class, and a brave warrior with a heart of gold."

"STOP RUINING THE MOMENT, TIMUR!" she screamed at her companion. The zebra stallion managed to snicker at his companion while holding a rag to the wounds on his face. "You're a bigger buzz kill than Charms, I hope you know that." Setting down the foal, she gave him a tousle in the mane. A thought came to her, these folk liked feathers almost as much as they liked breathing. She reached over to her wing and selected a nice one, plucking it with a wince. With a hoof , she presented it to the little foal who had done her a great favor by giving her comfort from the nightmares, and more recently, a reason to fight on. "Here you go kid, something to remember me by." The little foal squealed as he accepted this priceless gift, running back to his mother to show her.

The chief of the Nyika approached the pegasus. His mantle of eagle feathers was burnt and misshapen from his abuse, but he still wore it with dignity. "Courage and loyalty to my tribe, these are the virtues you would have me ascribe. You fought for my people Daring Do. All our lives are owed to you." The chief slowly dropped down to his knees, bowing gratefully before the golden pegasus. "With strength of heart we will defeat this foe. And our lives we shall regrow. Thank you, Angel from beyond. With N'dutu we shall never bond."

Daring stood from her seat, placing a hoof on the chief's shoulder. "Good to hear, but you have to lead your people through this. And it isn't a bad idea to look for friends where you can get them. Go to the other tribes and offer yourselves to the cause of defeating this warlord. Set aside your differences and come together for freedom."

The chief nodded to Daring. Timur bumped her on the shoulder. "We have lost much time here Daring, we should be going."

Daring nodded, the need to recover the Eyes more important than trying to save every village she came across. Rearming himself with a new spear and tossing one to Daring, the pair made their way east through the village. As they passed through, the warriors of the Nyika stopped cleaning up after the attack, raising their spears for the pegasus. As one they cried, "Ingelosi!"