The dead had been laid to rest, the wounded had been tended too, and now Trixie and her friends stood watching with Faithful Watcher as the Elder knelt beside the tainted pool. The water gave off its own light, which danced upon the walls and ceiling that was part of the root system of the Mother Oak. Only now had a sickening green taint where it was once held the cleanest and freshest water to ever find, as Faith had told them. Even now, Trixie had to breathe through her mouth to keep the smell of rot from turning her stomach.
“Is there anyway to save it?” Trixie asked as the Elder finally stood.
His eyes closed at the question and he sighed, remaining quiet for a moment before replying. “There is, aura-weaver, but it will take time and a lot of effort from the White Tail to purify this pool that feeds the Great Mother. The Harbinger’s poison has hurt her in ways even I do not understand.”
“What can we do?” Tormod asked as his gaze followed the stream that emptied the pool, carrying the poison along with it.
“There is nothing that can be done before the Solstice, aura-weaver. Our task for caring for the Great Mother will take many moons.”
Faith sniffed as she looked up at the roots that doubled as the ceiling to the chamber. “I can still hear her, she is in so much pain.”
“My head still hurts,” Wanderer said as he leaned against Tourmaline. “If this is what migraines do to ponies, I’m sorry for every joke I ever made about them.”
As Tourmaline draped a wing over his side, Trixie winced as she recalled the moment both he and every earth pony and deer had fallen over clutching their heads. Their screams of pain still etched themselves in her memory. Of all the times she’d been terrified in her life, it was one she ranked up there as one of the worst.
“It was the Mother who did it?” Trixie asked as the Elder joined them. “When everypony started screaming, it was because of what Harbinger did to her?”
The Elder winced as he nodded. “Indeed. The connection we share with the Great Mother through the earth, as the earth-tamers do, is what caused our pain. When she was harmed, she unintentionally shared her pain with all of us.” He turned his gaze to Wanderer, a sympathetic frown forming on his face. “The earth-tamer’s connection is stronger than our own, I can only half imagine what you went through, earth-tamer.”
“I think only Elements of Harmony hit me harder,” he said, standing straighter again.
“You scared us then too,” Tourmaline said as she brought her wing back to her side. “You’ve got to stop doing that, you hear me?”
He rubbed at his face. “Trust me, I never plan it.”
The Elder nodded before stepping for the exit. “Come. The air is nauseating.”
As Trixie followed after the Elder into the open air, her gaze drifted towards the giant tree again. To think, the giant tree that she and so many others in Equestria thought to be a unique magical creation, was indeed a spirit. Similar to Discord or Tyranny but benevolent and only out to keep the balance of their world. The thought that Harbinger and the Gorgon were out to destroy it, and everypony, was enough to set her teeth to grinding.
Entering Maederhallow proper, Trixie had to forcefully look away from the devastation, but no matter where she tried to avert her gaze, she saw the smashed and ruined homes of the White Tail. It has only been two days since the attack, but she saw the deer were already hard at work collecting and making the materials they’d need to start rebuilding.
“With winter here, will the White Tail have enough food to last it out?” Tormod asked, drawing Trixie’s attention back to her group.
The Elder turned to regard his people, even as those who caught sight of them bowed their heads as he passed. “It will be… difficult, aura-weaver, but the White Tail will persevere. We have experienced hardship even worse than this and have survived.”
“But it’s no way to live,” Tourmaline said, stamping a hoof. “You shouldn’t have to live like this. Even the pony settlers in Appleloosa don’t have to worry about starving over the winter. Or freezing to death!”
Even as the Elder’s brow furrowed, it was Faith who spoke up. “We will manage, Tourmaline. The Great Mother will look after us as she always has.”
“But she’s sick now!” she argued. “Not only will you be busy feeding and sheltering yourselves, but you’ll also have take care of her too. It’s too much. Especially after what’s happened to the village.”
“Tourmaline…” Wanderer said, giving her a warning glance.
“No!” she shouted, turning her glare at him. “I am sick and tired of all of this happening! I am sick and tired of seeing good pon...people getting hurt and just accepting it! Every time I think we’re doing something good and that we can win, this sort of thing happens! I’m just…” she caught herself and sighed, sitting on her haunches. “I’m just sick and tired of it.”
“I know,” Wanderer said as he nuzzled her, bringing her closer for a hug. “The solstice is not far, and we’ll put the Gorgon back in her hole and throw Harbinger down there with her. We will win, no matter what. We can’t give them the satisfaction of seeing us upset, okay?”
Taking in a deep breath, the pegasus let it out with a slow sigh before nodding.
“Frustration will eat away at you, sky-rider,” the Elder said as he turned to look back over his village. “To give into it will invite disaster… as history has proven many times. Now is not the time to let our emotions take the better of us, but to channel those emotions into ways that will benefit everyone in the long run. The Gorgon still is our main focus. Unless we stop her, surviving the winter will be but a moot point.”
Even as Tourmaline looked away, her brow furrowing and teeth grinding, Tormod spoke up before his sister could open her mouth again. “The solstice is not far away, like Wanderer said, we should hammer out our plans before then. Going in unprepared without a plan won’t do us any good. And I have no intention of losing because we weren’t prepared.”
The Elder nodded. “Well spoken. Come, my tent was fortunate enough to survive the attack, we can talk there.”
As they continued on through the village, Trixie lagged behind to walk beside Tourmaline. “If it means anything, Trixie agrees with you,” she whispered. “The way the deer seem to take what comes to them and just accept it, it’s frustrating.”
Tourmaline turned a look her way, and Trixie couldn’t tell if she appreciated the comment or not. “Thanks, Trixie,” she said, her voice holding a neutral tone to it.
The two walked side by side for a moment, neither speaking, until Trixie’s ears flicked as Tourmaline finally broke the growing silence. “I want to know. What are your thoughts about all of this? Are you really doing this because you want to help, or are you doing it because you’re doing for yourself?”
Trixie tilted her head a moment before speaking, “Can’t it be both?”
Tourmaline’s eyelashes fluttered as she considered that, and Trixie smiled inwardly as she caught the pegasus off guard. “Well… when you put it that way, we all are, aren’t we?”
This time, there was no stopping the smile that spread across Trixie’s face. “Trixie will keep her promise to be helpful and not put anypony in danger again, so don’t worry her.”
“We’re all going to worry one way or the other,” Tourmaline said, causing Trixie to blink as she realized that Tourmaline’s comment was a shot back at her.
Despite it, she wasn’t mad; she could tell that neither was Tourmaline.
Both of them turned as they saw the former Bringers approach the Elder and Faith; the two mares trotting to hear what was going on.
“Y’all got a moment ta speak?” Ol’Nut asked as the two groups met. “There’s somethin’ we’d like to ask ye.”
The Elder tilted his head, his gaze sweeping the collection of former Bringers. “What is on your mind, earth-tamer?”
“Ta put it simply, yer Eldership, is that we’d like it if ya can spare a few ta lead us back to Greensborough. We’re thinkin’ it’s high time we get back to our own homes,” he said, earning agreeing murmurs and nods from the other Bringers.
Before Faith could voice a protest, the Elder rested a hoof on her shoulders to calm her. “Can I ask your reasoning?”
Ol’Nut bowed his head. “It ain’t that we’re runnin’ or anythin’, it’s just that yer own is in a bad spot now and they don’t need ta be lookin’ after us when they got their own ta care for. It’s not that we ain’t grateful, ya don’t know how much we’re thankin’ ya’ll for what ya’ve done for us, but we know when it’s time ta no longer be a bother.”
“But you are not a bother,” Faith said as she stepped forward. “You are our guests, and it is our way to care for you.”
“And ye’ve done that, little miss,” Ol’Nut said, turning his gaze to her. “Yer the one who’s helped us all out the most, carin’ fer us when we was sick. We’re owin’ ya a lot still.” He turned his look back to the Elder. “Now it’s our turn ta help ya.”
“By leaving?” Faith said, her brow furrowing.
“By headin’ back and bringin’ stuff ta help ya out,” he said without hesitation. “We ain’t any good in a fight, an there’s not enough time ta teach us ta help out before Luna’s Night gets here.” He motioned to Trixie and the others. “That’s what they’re fer. They’ve helped ya the most and know what they’re doin’.” His gaze settled on Wanderer. “Mostly.”
Even as Wanderer grumbled, many had a chuckle at his expense.
“But headin’ back is what we can do, and we want ta help out in the way we can,” Ol’Nut finished saying.
As all eyes turned to the Elder for his response, he, in turn, looked at Faith. “Faithful Watcher, what do you believe is the right course?”
Her eyes widened a bit before she tilted her head, a pensive frown crossing her face.
“Do you believe we should accept their proposal? To accept help outside of the White Tail?” he pressed.
Trixie furrowed her brow, turning a glare at the Elder. Why would he put that decision on Faith’s shoulders? And to word it like that, how could she answer it any way other than to reject it?
Faith turned to look her grandsire in the eyes and said, “Yes, I believe we should.”
Trixie’s sharp intake of air matched many others, it was clear that that wasn’t the answer they expected.
“Our Elders have taught us to care and respect our guests, Elder,” she said, dipping her head in respect before looking back. “But I believe we should also be accepting of other’s generosity. The Great Mother shares her bounty with the world, but she is also cared for by the rains, the sun, and the earth as well. Thus, I think we should follow in her example and spread our roots.”
As the others expected the Elder to admonish her, the buck, instead, bowed his head. “Well spoken, Faithful Watcher.” He turned back to the group of Bringers. “Take the time to gather the supplies you will need to depart, I will gather a few warriors who can speak Equestrian to lead you back to your homes.”
The ponies bowed their heads, speaking their thanks. “We’ll be back as soon as we can with enough food fer ya ta last out two winters!” Ol’Nut proclaimed as he and the others turned to leave.
Leaving behind only Scarlet Scroll, as she watched on without offering a word.
“Not going back with them, Scarlet?” Wanderer asked.
“I’ve told you before, I’m not going home without my husband,” she said as she turned to look at him. “I’ll stay and help out, but I’m not going anywhere until I know Rogue is safe.”
Wanderer hummed before he nodded. “All right. Might as well come with us then.”
Trixie turned as Tourmaline bristled, but nodded as the pegasus kept her tongue to herself. In a way, Trixie was glad there was at least one other pony that Tourmaline hated more than she.
’I can only imagine what those two were like growing up,’ she thought as they headed for the Elder’s tent. ’Reminds me of what I was like when I was searching for the Alicorn Amulet.’
She winced as she recalled those times—she never wanted to be that hateful again.
Trixie followed the others into the Elder’s tent and took a spot around the small fire that still burned with in.
“Even with the events of the past days, our goals remain the same,” the Elder said even as they finished taking their seats. “The Gorgon must not be freed from her prison.” He turned to look at her, Tormod, and Faith in turn. “I have taught you all the spell to counter the ritual that the Harbinger will use to release her. Even should he finish his ritual, as long as the Gorgon has yet to escape her cell, there is time to undo it.”
Trixie nodded as he continued speaking. “The problem will be that the counter spell will require intense concentration that cannot be disrupted. If it is, we face the real possibility of the Gorgon escaping and wreaking havoc upon our world once more.”
“That’s where we come in, right?” Wanderer asked as he lifted his hat’s brim out of his eyes.
The Elder nodded. “Yes. You, your mate, and any others that will be with you will have the important task of defending them. Harbinger will keep his closest Bringers near him to both protect him and disrupt our attempts at foiling him.”
Scarlet bit at her lip before she asked, “What will happen to the other Bringers?”
The Elder turned a sympathetic look her way. “Everyone will carry some of the cure with them. Forcing the Bringers to swallow it will cure them of their disease and free them.”
“Will the cure work on Harbinger?” Tourmaline asked, her teeth gritting at the question.
Trixie scowled as well, but blinked as the Elder shook his head. “No. The cure will not save the Harbinger. We cannot save what is no longer there.”
“So he is just a monster,” Tormod said, earning agreeing nods with all of those present.
“So, what will you do, Elder?” Wanderer asked, shifting on his cushion.
The buck lifted his head, a grim frown crossing his face as the burning wood popped loudly. “I will be battling the corrupted Guardian. Me and as many of my warriors who can face him. He will no doubt be guarding the very entrance to the Gorgon’s prison and I will need to lead him away so that all of you can enter and fulfill your tasks.”
Faith looked away, a small frown pulling at her face.
The Elder turned his gaze to her. “Speak, Faithful Watcher.”
A sigh escaped her before replying, “I wish to be with you, grandfather.”
He inclined his head once more. “I know, Faith, but your task is far more important. I will be paving the way for all of you. You are the ones who will be stopping the Gorgon from her freedom.”
As the doe took in a slow breath, she looked back up as he rested a hoof on her withers. “Worry not for me, Faithful Watcher. When we dispatch the guardian we will hurry to your side so that we can work together, and we can finally return to our lives before the Bringers arrived.”
“Can’t we just go after them now?” Tourmaline asked, her wings shifting on her sides. “The beetles are gone, the guardian is wounded, now is the best time we can attack their den and stop them before the solstice even gets here.”
“We are not ready, Tourmaline,” her brother said before either deer could. “The deer need time to ready after the attack. Even if we left now, we wouldn’t have the numbers to deal with the guardian, let alone Harbinger.” He tossed his head to get his bangs out of his eyes. “I hate waiting too, but if we go now, we’ll only lose.”
A frustrated groan escaped her as she sat back on her haunches, crossing her forelegs.
“I agree it is not the best plan, sky-rider,” the Elder said. “But it is the only one we have that will give us the best chances of success.”
Wanderer elbowed her in the side, his lopsided grin on his face. “Just think, we’ve had successful adventures before with a lot less planning.”
A burst of laughter escaped her and she covered her face, a bright red blush on her cheeks. “Sorry. That’s just so true it hurts.”
Trixie looked over as Tormod also had to stifle his guffaws. “Sweet Celestia, you so right. Harbinger should be worried.”
Glancing over at the broadly-grinning Wanderer, Trixie felt her own smile growing.
Faith perked up and she turned a smile Trixie’s way. “Trixie! I had forgotten!”
She turned a curious look the doe’s way. “What? What did you forget.”
Faith’s smile only broadened. “I will be swift.” She turned and bowed her head to the Elder. “Please excuse me, Elder.”
A warm smile tugged at his lips and he nodded; the doe wasting no time dashing out of the tent.
“That was… sudden,” Tormod said as he watched after her. “What did she forget?”
“A surprise she had been working on for the past few weeks in secret,” the Elder said as he turned a look Trixie’s way. “Faith has something she has been wanting to give you, aura-weaver. She has been excited for some time now.”
A wan smile crossed her face. “Trixie couldn’t have guessed,” she said, earning a few snickers from around her.
It wasn’t long before the doe ran back in, carrying a wrapped bundle in her magic. “S-Sorry, I almost forgot,” she said between breaths.
“What is it?” Tourmaline asked, raising a brow as she studied the bundle.
Faith floated it over to Trixie. “Please, open it.”
With a charge of her horn, the small twine undid itself and the leaf wrapper opened to reveal her star-covered cape. Her breath caught as she saw that all of the blood had been washed away and the tainted dye replaced with a coloring that near matched the original. With all that had happened since her cape had been used as a makeshift staunch, she had forgotten about it. Each time she looked at it, it only brought up memories of the day Tormod had saved her. She had thought of just throwing it away, but each time she tried, she had stopped herself. A memento from her father wasn’t something she could’ve discarded, but with the events of the past few months, she kept putting off cleaning it.
Now, here it was in front of her. Cleaned, folded, and with a dye job that only those who looked closely could have missed the difference.
“F-Faith… I…”
The doe sat across from her, a smile on her face. “I hope you like it, Trixie. I worked hard to clean it the best I could, and searched the forest for berries that matched the color. After your first show, I wanted to repay you somehow when I remembered your cape. It goes with your hat and I wanted you to wear it again.” The smile faded some from her face as she tilted her head. “Do you like it? If the color is wrong I can—”
“No, Faith, It’s perfect.” She got up and pulled the doe closer in a hug. “This cape is very important to me, thank you so much for fixing it up. I truly appreciate it.”
The doe returned the hug before she stood back up, an eager spring in her step. “Try it on.”
Lighting her horn, Trixie levitated her cape back across her withers, the jeweled clasp setting comfortably on her barrel. As the material settled, Trixie felt a smile grow across her face, feeling like she had been reunited with a long-lost friend.
“It looks great,” Wanderer said, a smile on his face. “The look just wasn’t the same without it.”
“I agree,” Tormod said as he turned to look Trixie in the eye. “And I’m glad we had it. It saved my life.”
Soon after, conversation turned to events of the past and the Elder sent them on their way to eat and rest. The next few weeks would fly by, as he told them, and Trixie felt both a sense of excitement grow within her as she realized that soon everything that had culminated over the past few months would soon end.
Her smile wasn’t as genuine as the realization left her stomach feeling like cold hooves twisted at it.
-0-
Crunching leaves and branches broke the silence of the gloomy forest as they made their way through the mist. A shiver ran up Wanderer’s spine as he passed under the shadow of a dark, twisted tree. Images of the them reaching out to throttle him with their gnarled branches quickened his pace to keep with the small host of deer warriors. He felt his friends crowd closer as a breeze sent the branches to swaying, each of them eyeing the trees with wary glances.
“I don’t like this, Wanderer,” Tourmaline whispered to him as she hovered above, her gaze sweeping the trees around them. “It’s so quiet. And these trees are giving me the heebie jeebies.”
“I don’t like it either,” he whispered back, cringing as the silence made his voice sound louder than it should’ve been. “Ever since we got to this part of the woods, I can barely feel the earth magic underneath me. I’ve never not been able to feel my magic.” He looked to the ground, his frown growing. “It’s like it’s subdued. Not dead just… quiet.”
“Trixie hates this,” the unicorn said, earning a look from him. “She so wishes she was back home and not here.”
“That’s something we all can agree on,” Tormod said as he walked beside her. “But if we don’t do this, we won’t have a home to go back to.”
Trixie nodded, gritting her teeth. “I know, I just…” she tugged her cape about her tighter. “I hate it.”
Wanderer glanced at Scarlet Scroll as she remained quiet. The lilac pegasus turned her gaze to him for a moment before looking away, a faint frown tugging at her lips. He wanted to ask, but he knew that there was only one thing on her mind.
“On the bright side,” he said as he pushed the brim of his hat up out of his eyes. “We know we’re close. This much rot has to mean we’re getting there. And—”
The band came to a sudden stop as the Elder held up a hoof. His head turning side to side as he peered through the mist. Wanderer grit his teeth as he and the others readied their weapons, expecting something to come crashing out after them.
He looked over his shoulder as he felt someone tap him. Tormod nodded above and he turned to see Tourmaline fly up higher and look around. She flew to the Elder where she whispered something to him before he nodded. After speaking something that Wanderer couldn’t hear, she raced back as Faith ran back to join them.
“He said we’re getting close and that we gotta keep our eyes out,” Tourmaline said as she tucked her spear under her wing again. “We’re not far,”
“Did he see anything?”
She shook her head. “He just wanted me to look around. We came up with the idea before we left Maederhallow. I do have the sharpest eyes here, you remember?”
Wanderer rolled his eyes even as he heard Scarlet snort behind them.
Tourmaline turned a glare her way. “You know, Scarlet Scroll, you didn’t have to come. You’re more likely to get in our way than anything.”
Scarlet’s hackles rose as she returned her glare. “And I told you that I’m not going to sit back and wait for one of you to do something stupid. I’m here to save my husband and that’s that.”
Before Tourmaline could retort, Faith stepped between them. “Friends, please, now is not the time for arguments. Save your aggression for the Harbinger and the Gorgon.”
“Keep the squabbles to yourselves,” Tormod said with a stern edge making its way into his tone.
Both mares gave a sharp huff before averting their gazes.
As the group continued to follow along, the gloomy overcast darkening the forest around them, Wanderer lowered his voice to ask, “Faith, did your grandpa want us to do anything before we find their lair?”
Her ears perked as she looked off to the side, but after a moment she turned back to him. “He wanted us to remain back and hidden so that the guardian would not see us. My Elder and my kin will lead him away while we sneak inside and stop Harbinger.”
Tugging his hat snug on his head, he nodded. “All right. Let’s hope it works out like he planned. Last thing we need is for things to go—”
He yelped as he felt his tail pulled from behind. As the deer whirled at his cry, Tourmaline’s cheeks turned a redder hue as she let him go. “Sorry, had to keep him from saying something stupid.”
As Faith translated, Wanderer would’ve been a liar if he didn’t feel some offense on how easy they took that explanation.
“It almost got away from me,” he muttered, earning faint smiles from his friends.
Those smiles couldn’t hold up as the mists grew thicker and the air taking on a chill as they continued. As the cold grew prevalent, Wanderer turned back to his friends. “You know what this means, right?”
They nodded in unison. “The key’s close,” Trixie said as she looked around, her eyes darting to the shadows the trees cast.
“Which means we need to be ready,” Tormod said as he bit at his lip. “Who knows what else Harbinger has out here watching us.”
“You’re just a bright ray of sunshine, Tormod,” Wanderer muttered before he looked ahead as the Elder stopped again. After a moment he turned and made a motion with his hoof, pointing to the group’s right.
“Come, he wants us to separate,” Faith whispered, nodding towards a hill that could only barely be seen in the mist.
“Let’s get out of sight,” Tormod said before he, Tourmaline, Scarlet, and Trixie galloped for the hill.
Wanderer started after them before pausing as he noticed that Faith hadn’t moved, her worried gaze following the Elder and the band of deer as they continued along.
“Come on, Faith. We gotta go,” he said as he tugged at her. “Your grandpa’s counting on us and he can take care of himself.”
Her ears drooped before a sigh escaped her. “I just have this horrible feeling, Wanderer. Something bad is going to happen.”
He winced, looking back over his shoulder. “I know. I’ve got the same feeling. Like a cold hoof wrapped around your heart?”
She nodded as she bounded along side him for the hill. “How do you deal with it?”
“I put the little part of me that worries so much and put it in a box in my mind and shove it in a corner,” he said as they joined the others. “It was something my mom taught me.”
Faith turned another look towards the deer host, but her frown only grew deeper.
-0-
“I do not like this,” his friend, Running Shear, whispered. “Even our Elder is uneasy; we could be walking right into a trap for all we know.”
Singing Crow glanced at him before resting his spear across his withers. “Just keep your eyes and ears open,” he whispered back. “We have to give Faithful Watcher her chance to end this once and for all and we can all go back home in peace.”
Shear nodded before the two stopped as the Elder looked at their group. “Fan out,” the Elder called. “Look for anything that does not belong. The entrance is near, and so will be the Corrupted One.”
The deer host gave a unified sound of acknowledgement before Crow nodded for Shear to follow him. As the group dispersed, Crow poked at a few of the dead trees with his spear, wincing as part of the bark fell away to show the rotting wood underneath.
“Ugh, this is unnatural,” he said, stepping away from the tree.
Shear glanced at him him again, his ears flicking as the other deer continued on. “Nothing about this has been natural. Just like how the sky-rider ponies worked the fog around the village.” He shook his head. “Why can they not realize that—if left alone—the fog would move on on its own?”
Crow started as a branch snapped nearby. After a moment he lowered his spear with a shaky sigh. “I do not think the sky-rider’s magic is what we should worry about right now. We have no idea where the Corrupted One is hiding and he could be watching us right now.”
Shuddering, Shear flicked his hoofblade free. “Do not say such things. I was trying not think of what might be around us.”
After a few minutes of unfruitful searching, Crow turned back to speak to Shear only to find him gone. Sucking in his breath, Crow’s gaze snapped around. “Running Shear, where are you?”
His ears flicked as he was met with only silence. Stepping forward, her jerked to a stop as he felt his hoof kick something. Looking down, his eyes widened as he realized it was a discarded hoofblade. Lifting the weapon with his magic, he felt his blood run cold as the straps looked like they had been torn free.
“Shear?”
His eyes widened at the sound of rustling and he whirled, leveling his spear.
Shear’s eyes widened as he found the spear tip leveled under his chin. “Whoa! Crow! Stop.”
Crow’s shoulders slumped as the tension escaped him, the spear tip touching the ground. “By the Mother, you frightened me.”
“I understand, but you have—”
Crow felt his blood freeze once more as Shear’s eyes widened, his friend’s jaw falling open. Whirling, Crow swung his spear around only to find something wrap around his neck. He choked and gasped as the thing squeezed and lifted him from the ground. Thrashing around, he saw that it was a massive vine that had twisted around his neck and held him aloft.
“Elder!” Shear cried before Crow felt himself used as a weapon to smack Shear flying. Stinging from the pain, Crow barely felt the vine let him go long enough to wrap around his back legs. Opening his eyes, the last thing he saw was a tree rushing towards him at a blinding speed.
-0-
The Elder bounded as fast as his hooves would carry him towards the panicked screams. When he and other deer arrived, he cringed as he saw Singing Crow being used as a club to smash against a dead tree—the tree nearly uprooting from the sheer force of the hit.
Gritting his teeth, the Elder collected the magic around his antlers and blasted the vine that discarded the warrior buck like a ragdoll. The vine severed and a loud groan of wood sounded from the trees. Even as the Elder blasted again at the remaining vine, he knew there was no saving his kinsman. His second beam struck and the vine retreated into the ground, disappearing as if it was never there.
The peace lasted only a moment as he and the other deer struggled to stay upright as the ground shook. Spreading his legs out wide, the Elder’s gaze darted to side. Even if he couldn’t see it yet, he knew that familiar sensation—the disgusting feeling of corruption.
“Tend to our fallen,” he commanded to the other warriors near him as he turned to face the mists. “I can sense your taint, Corrupted One! Come, allow me to put you back to your rest.”
Instinct kicked in as the Elder threw a barrier around him, just in time for vines to lash out—only to bounce away harmlessly. He jumped away as a tree-trunk of a limb smashed to the ground where he just stood. Whirling, he blasted the Guardian as it fully appeared from the mists—his attack tearing off another chunk of rotten bark.
His attack didn’t have the desired effect as he threw his barrier up again to catch a sweep of the limb. The barrier held, but he found himself hurled back from the sheer force of the hit.
Skidding back, he glared as the Guardian stood to full height, towering over him like a mountain. His eyes were drawn to the hole he had blasted through its torso on the day it had attacked his village—putrid sap dripping from the gaping wound. Looking higher, he could still see Faith’s spear sticking out of the ruined eye socket.
When the Guardian took a threatening step towards him, the Elder lifted his head, meeting the challenge. “I know what is happening is not your fault, Guardian, and I will free you from your torment.”
The Guardian lifted a leg to stomp at him and he easily dodged the attack, blasting another ray at the monster. The creature groaned as it was struck and it swiped at him again. Leaping above the arm, the Elder aimed another blast only to gasp as he felt something wrap around his legs. Looking down, he saw the vines tighten before they hurled him across the turf.
Rolling back to his hooves, he skittered around to avoid the roots as they erupted all around him. He heard the battle shouts as his warriors rushed in, hurling spears or stones to distract the creature. Even as they struck, the creature turned its focus to them. Swiping or stomping at the skittering deer as they kept ahead of it.
“Lead it away!” he called to them. Picking up discarded spear, he hurled it, striking the creature in the back. “Here! Come here, Guardian.”
The monster turned on him, and as he and his warriors turned tail and fled, leading the monster away.
-0-
“That’s our cue! Go!” Wanderer yelled before he and the others ran from their hiding spot. The loam churned underhoof as they fled back the way from where the Guardian had emerged. Sneaking a peek over his shoulder, Wanderer winced as he saw one unfortunate deer get caught by the monster.
Lowering his head, they raced on. “Where’s the opening?” he heard Scarlet shout as she flapped her wings to keep up with her running companions.
“Over there!” Tourmaline pointed, and Wanderer could see a large mound with an opening on its side.
“Don’t stop, it—” Wanderer’s eyes widened before he jumped to the side. “Watch it!” he yelled, his tone taking a shrill edge. On cue, vines erupted from the ground, reaching out to snag at them. The unicorns threw up barriers, where the pegasi weaved through the air to avoid the reaching limbs.
“Keep going! Go!” Faith screamed as she and Wanderer dodged and weaved through more vines.
The pegasi burst ahead, disappearing into the dark opening before they were followed by the others. Their collective labored breaths echoed around the cavern, as they fled into the tunnel until the vines stopped reaching for them.
As they came to a halt, Wanderer leaned against the wall as he and the others struggled to catch their breaths. “Everypony all right?” He heard Tormod ask as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
They gave off their chorus of affirmatives, and Wanderer dusted his hat off before placing it back on his head. “All right, we got inside. Now to find out which way to go.” He turned back to get a better look at the cavern before he frowned. The dirt tunnel showed signs of frequent passing of hooves—the Bringers coming and going, he reckoned—but he frowned as the darkness kept him from seeing very far. Reaching into his hat, he pulled a light crystal from his mane and tapped it twice. The crystal gave off a steady white glow and he wanted to slump as he lifted it up to see the numerous, irregular-shaped side tunnels that adorned the walls.
“How are we supposed to find our way through this?” he groaned. “Even without my sense of direction, we’d be lost in this maze.”
“Leave that to me,” Tormod said looking around, studying the walls. He pawed at the ground before his horn started its red glow. After a moment, he pointed ahead. “Looks like we go straight for the most part. I bet these side tunnels are just from the beetles.”
“You are correct, Tormod,” Faith said as she stepped away from examining one of the side tunnels. “The boring beetles have been digging throughout this place, and I can feel that their tunnels are extensive.”
“Like an ant farm,” Scarlet muttered before she peered at the ponies as they gave her odd looks. “What? I had one when I was a filly.”
Trixie stood next to Tormod as she peered down the hall. “How do you know that’s the way?”
“It’s part of the spell that I learned when I earned my cutie mark,” he said, glancing back at the astrolabe mark on his flank. “It’s not perfect, but since this entryway is old and obviously part of the original path, my spell focused upon it rather than anything that is relatively recent.”
Blinking, she tilted her head, a pensive frown on her face. “Huh, Trixie wouldn’t have thought of that.”
Tourmaline rolled her eyes before, hovering in the air again. “Come on, we gotta move.”
“Right,” Wanderer said before he looked at Tormod, a smirk pulling at his lips. “You’re the compass, you go first.”
The unicorn glowered at him before he stepped ahead, Tourmaline flying next to him. As the rest followed, Trixie lagged behind to walk beside Wanderer.
“How’d you know those vines were going to attack us?” she asked, casting the dirt walls of the tunnel a wary glance. “They came out so fast that Trixie barely had enough time to protect herself.”
Wanderer shied away from a low-hanging spider web before responding, giving her his lopsided grin. “Earth pony, remember? As dead as the ground felt, I was able to feel them coming.” His smile took a downward turn. “It didn’t look like the deer could though.”
Faith nodded, her features dropping. “It is true. If Wanderer had not warned us, I would not have seen them coming.” A sigh escaped her. “Pity that some of my people were not as fortunate.”
A scowl spread across his face as he rested a hoof on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Faith. After today, the Gorgon and all of her thugs won’t see the light of day ever again if I have anything to say about it.”
She gave him a soft smile as the group continued on. As they walked, Wanderer cast frequent glances to the torn tunnels along the hallway, expecting the beetles or even the leftover Bringers to come charging at them. He grit his teeth as they went on, the hairs along his back standing.
’I feel like I’m being watched. he thought, unable to shake the unease. ’Why would they leave this place unguarded? It’s like they’re asking us to come in.’
His ears perked as Tormod called for them to stop, his friend looking down two separate paths.
“What’s wrong?” Wanderer asked him. “Does your spell know which way is right?”
A small smirk pulled at Trixie’s lips and she pointed to the right-hand tunnel. “Isn’t that one to the right?”
Wanderer blew a sigh through his nose. “I asked for that.”
A deep frown pulled at Tormod’s lips as he looked between the two. “That’s the whole thing, both paths are right.”
“Doesn’t your spell tell you which is which?” Tourmaline asked as she looked between both paths.
“My spell only has a limited range, but even so, it says both tunnels are part of the original construction.” He closed his eyes and his horn shone a little brighter, but, when it faded, his troubled frown hadn’t lessened. “ I just can’t tell which is the shorter path.”
“Do we take both?” Trixie asked, looking over her shoulder as if expecting something to attack them.
“Splitting up is a bad idea,” Wanderer said, lifting his hat enough to scratch at his scalp. “We can get lost easily in here, so it’s best we stick together.”
Tourmaline nodded. “I can look a bit down one of these tunnels, see if I see any clues that will tell us which is which.” As Tormod stepped to go with her, she raised a hoof to stop him. “You work on your spell, I’m not going far enough to worry.”
He raised a hoof to argue before Trixie stopped him. “I’ll go with her. Trixie can light the tunnel enough for her to see.”
“All right, but not so far you can’t see us any longer,” Wanderer said as he nuzzled Tourmaline. “Be careful, okay?”
She gave him a glower, despite a touched smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. “You worry too much.”
“Someone has to.”
“That’s what Tormod’s for.”
He scowled at the two. “You’re both hilarious.”
The the group gave a off a much-needed chuckle before Trixie and Tourmaline started down the left side tunnel. Wanderer looked back at them as they made their way down the path, and he smiled a bit despite their situation.
His smile faltered as he caught sight of something gleaming at hoof level, reflected back by the light of Trixie’s horn.
Just as she tripped it.
“NO! LOOK OUT!”
Before either mare could turn, a rumble of shifting stone roared, and Wanderer ducked as stone and dirt collapsed in—sealing the tunnel.
“TOURMALINE!” His horrified scream echoed above even the sounds of falling rock.