//------------------------------//
// episode 25: Who he was then! Part 2 (Edited.) 
// Story: Dragonball MLP: World Tour! 
// by ultrapoknee 
//------------------------------//

[Badlands - A thousand years ago - Third Person POv.]



Junior watches his father and former uncle walk with his grandfather to the village gates. There, a hunter party with a mix of centaurs and gargoyle's was present. Most of them were surprised that Burk brought along his two sons. Others tried to dissuade him from letting inexperience youths on a dangerous venture. Burk immediately snaps at his fellow hunter about questioning him and went on to say that the boys need to learn the value of hard work. Something that can only be accomplished through a successful hunt, or so he believed. The hunting party decided not to argue further. However, they did send the fledglings a worried glance. Tirek scoffed at this and puffed out his chest, making it clear he was ready for anything the wilderness had in store for them. Scorpan gave a sharp nod to his father, equally prepare for this endeavor. With the concerns laid to rest, The hunting party left the city limits and into the harsh environment.

"Grandfather appears to be very hostile,"

Scorpan grunted as he responded. "Yes, he was very infamous for his temperament. A trait I'm afraid Tirek sometimes shared. But there is a cause for his anger. A friend of my fathers was among the group that my mother mentioned. Our kin was never vast in numbers. We barely numbered over two million. Then a mysterious plague comes along and begins to diddle over numbers further. Truth be told; our father has lost more of his confidants to it then he would care to admit,"

"Confidants? Did he not consider any of the other centaurs as his brethren?" Junior asked.

"It is hard to say if he ever did. But he saw those that succumbed to the illness to be inferior. Burk detested weakness. 'The only centaur worthwhile is one that possesses indomitable strength.' That was his favorite saying. So imagine how frustrated he must always be when our kin wasn't powerful compared to the rest of the world nor did we have a stable form of government," Scorpan explained.

"Perhaps grandfather wanted to impart a lesson on you both while you were still a fledgling. Strength is a driving force in the world. Feelings and emotions are only distractions. Allies that don't prove their worth are nothing but a hindrance. That is why Grandfather dispised the council and the other nations. Grandfather's actions were a way of making you and father stronger,"

Scorpan's response was a humorless chuckle. "Is that outlook something Tirek instilled onto you? You will see the folly of such a perspective soon enough,"

The memory fasts forward away from the village and into a desert ruin. Nothing but broken pillars and the occasional slab of rock jutting out of the sand. However, this place was a boon for several species of reptile. Young Scorpan spied his target lounging on top of a rock formation. He aimed with his spear thrust his arm forward, propelling his weapon through the air, and over his intended quarry. Scorpan's jaw dropped as the thud of his spear hitting the ground cause the reptile to scurry away from its perch. A stifled snicker caught Scorpan's attention as he groaned in annoyance. Tirek patted his brother's shoulder as he spoke.

"A good toss brother. I'm sure that horned lizard will bring your spear back!" Tirek laughed.

"I doubt you can do better," Scorpan shot back.

Tirek scoffs as he looks around the area. His eyes fell on another on a much larger prey: a Komodo dragon. Tirek cocked back his right arm and aligned his sights with his left hand. The creature's attention was elsewhere, giving the young centaur the perfect opportunity. His grip tightened before Tirek thrust his arm forward and released the spear. The projectile sailed through the air and hit its mark on the reptile's underbelly. Scorpan and Tirek ran over to it and saw the animal trembling on the ground. More hoof steps notified the two boys. Burk steps forward with the rest of the party and inspecting the wounded komodo dragon. 

"You didn't get the kill," Burk said flatly.

"I realize this father, but-"

Burk interrupted his son as he stood back up. He pulls out a dagger and tosses it to Tirek. "Finish what you started!" 

Tirek flinched at his tone and went over to his prey. He locked eyes with the animal as he raised the blade high above his head. There was a moment of hesitation for the young bull until an angry snort from his Burk startled Tirek into plunging the weapon into the Komodo's dragon's flesh. However, Tirek missed the skull and pierced the neck instead causing the animal to thrash and howl in pain as Tirek backs away. Burk marched up and grabbed Tirek's shoulder. He pushed him back to the whaling reptile with a look that promised a grim fate should he not complete his task. Tirek gulped while gripping the handle. He quickly pulled the dagger out, causing blood to splash his left cheek, and finally ended the poor reptile's misery with a quick stab to its forehead. The Komodo dragon went limp as its lifeless eyes bore into Tirek's own. 

With a shaky voice, Tirek spoke. "I killed it, father..."

Burk said nothing as he picked up the corpse and handed to his son. "You keep what you kill. However, I expect a better performance the next time," Burk then shifted his attention to Scopan. "You, on the other hand, have yet to prove yourself. As such, you will not eat any of the quarries we've hunted unless it fell by your hands!"

Scorpan looked as if he's been smacked in the face while the other hunters voiced their concerns. "That is not fair Burk. You cannot expect someone so inexperienced in the ways of the hunt to excel so quickly. Mistakes and errors are bound to happen. Do not punish him for that,"

"Do you mean to belittle my teachings?" Burk asked in a threatening tone. "Are you making excuses for him? I am teaching them what I learned - the same way we all learned - to hunt! Were we guided by our hands like newly born cafes or did we take on the wild like full-grown bulls?" No one could offer up a rebuttal. "Scorpan! If you wish to eat, then go out and feed yourself. We are not leaving until you do!"

Dejected, Scorpan picked up his spear. The day was slowly eclipsing into the night as Scopan attempted to catch dinner for himself. Despite his best efforts, the result would be the same. He would find his target, aim his spear, miss the mark, rinse and repeat. Burk and the others were gracious enough to wait while Scorpan continued his hunt. However, Burk gave Scorpan a specific time limit. 'You have until the eve of twilight to return with a kill. Otherwise, you will not be feed!' The memory echoed through young Scorpan's head as he once again found another lizard only to fail when his starving belly emitted a growl that scared his prey away. The young Gargoyle groaned in annoyance at his treacherous stomach and sort for a new game.

"You are struggling," Junior stated.

"I was never adept at hunting. Especially without the use of my staff," Scorpan replied.

"Indeed,"

"However, I would not starve as may Burk may have wanted,"

Young Scorpan laid cuddle up in a fetal position while clenching his arms around his stomach. The twilight hours was fast on the approach, and the young gargoyle still has nothing to show for his efforts. "It's hopeless...!" Scorpan stated desparingly. "I am not a hunter. If I had my staff, I could catch them," Just as Scorpan got back up to stand before Burk in failure, a thud sounded off followed by the clattering of wood. Scorpan turned around to see his staff resting on the ground. Confused as to how it got there, Scorpan looked around the vicinity until his eyes landed on his brother.

Scorpan was about to ask why but Tirek cut him off. "Father said you weren't allowed to bring the staff along. He did not say I couldn't bring it. Come on. I've found another Komodo southwest of the camp," 

Scorpan quickly raced up to his brother. "But how did you leave the camp without anyone noticing your absence?" 

"Father started telling the others if his last hunting outing. He spoke about how he killed the grey scorpion and mounted the pincer on the front doorway. I sneaked away when he became too enthralled greatness," Tirek said in a haughty tone. The two brothers shared a chuckle as they found their intended target. With the use of his staff, Scorpan levitated his spear and hauled it at the Komodo with deadly accuracy. The beast fell, and Tirek and Scorpan returned to the camp. However, they agreed to split up as not to raise any suspicions. 

Junior sucked his teeth at the display before him. "How could you possibly betray father as you did! Despite your obvious flaws, he still defied grandfather for you!"

Scorpan responded with a sigh. "My 'betrayal' as you and Tirek call it was not committed out of malice, but a necessity. I know what I have done, and I accept responsibility for it. Can Tirek claim the same?" Junior did no give a response, instead opting to glare at his uncle. 

The memory continues to play out as young Scorpan present his kill before the hunter party. Many of the other adults congratulated him on a successful hunt while Burk scrutinized the fallen Komodo. While his inspection was underway, Tirek rejoined the campsite without drawing attention to himself. "It took long enough, but it is a fine kill..." Scorpan beamed at finally being able to earn his father's praise. However, that joy fell with Burk's next words. "Too fine. Almost as if someone else offered you aid and killed this animal in your stead!"

"N-no father. I did the deed to the best of my abilities," Scorpan said nervously.

"Did you?" Burk's tone was harsh and unconvinced. His eyes bored into Scorpan's for any sign of deceit. Thankfully, Tirek spoke up when Scorpan was about to break.

"I witnessed it myself, father. Scorpan slew this beast," Tirek stated. Burk marched up to him with an ever-present frown.

"You left the camp to help Scorpan!"

Unphased by the accusing tone in his father's voice, Tirek met his eyes as he spoke. "Nay, I was merely retrieving him as we entered the twilight hours. Mother would be distraught if we came home without him. I discovered Scorpan on the path to camp with his kill in tow. A kill he achieved  on his own!" 

The campsite became eerily silent as they waited for Burk's response. After what felt like an eternity, Burk gave Tirek a curt nod, thus caused everyone else to release their collective breaths. "Time to return home!" Burk ordered.

The walk back to the village was uneventful. The hunter party went their separate ways as Burk, Tirek, and Scorpan returned to their home with their game. Tirek and Scorpan were eager to regale the tales of a successful hunt. "Mother! We're back!!!" they shout with excitement. They came up to the door and nearly broke it off its hinges. Unfortunately, the boys' excitement soon morphed into dread as the three males spotted a motionless figure on the ground. Their horror multiplied by a thousand when the light of the moon revealed the still form to be Teera.

"MOTHER!!!" Tirek shouted in alarm as he raced over to her only for Burk to grab his wrist. Tirek looked at his father in disbelief, the shadows in their home shrouded his features in blackness. "LET ME GO!!! MOTHER NEEDS US!!!"

"..." Burk couldn't muster a reply. Instead, he continued to hold onto his son as Tirek struggled to get free.

"...The sickness..." Y. Scorpan whispered out. Upon closer inspection of Teera's body, it showcased a series of discolored splotches. Her cheeks were gaunt, and her eyes had shrunken in on themselves leaving petrifying look on her face. Reacting without thinking, Scorpan summons his staff to his hand. A blue aura wrapped around his mother's body as the light shifted to green. "I've been working on a healing spell to fight the disease. Maybe it will work this time, Maybe--"

*SMACK*

Scorpan's specter falls to the ground as he did when a sharp sting collided with his cheek. Tirek's eyes shot open in disbelief as Burk looms over Scorpan. In a cold tone, Burk spoke. "I thought I made myself clear that you are not to use that worthless stick!"

"Wha-" Scorpan tried to say before Burk hoists him up by his wrist. His grip was enough to cause the young gargoyle to wince. "F-Father! We have to help mother!" He pleaded.

"Why? She let herself contact the illness. She became weak, and therefore, she is worthless!" A pair of sharp gasps emerged from Tirek and Scorpan's throats. They looked upon their father in absolute horror.

Tirek clenched his fist and glared at his father. "HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT!? MOTHER IS NOT WEAK! SHE IS SICK! SHE NEEDS--"

*THUD*

Burk had enough as he flung Scorpan into Tirek to silence him. The two boys were slow to get up, but Burk was far from finished. He grabbed both of them by their necks and proceeded to drag them outside. "I will not allow this weakness in my home. You'll receive no cuddling from me. You will be strong, and suffering will be your teacher!" With that final declaration, the sounds of Tirek's struggling and Y. Scorpan's pleading was cut out from the slam of the front door.

The scene faded out as Adult Scorpan and junior quietly digest what they witness. Scorpan's features were one of a forlorn acceptance. These were the bitter memories of a distant past where life was cruel and grim. For Junior, however, he was having a hard time processing this information. Scorpan peaks at his nephew from the corner of his eye and noticed how Junior's ordinarily expressionless face was scrunched up in confusion and irritation. 

"Feeling conflicted?" The elder Gargoyle asked.

"..."

"Believe it or not, Burk's actions was his way of grieving. In fact, you could attribute his entire behavior on everything having to do with the misfortune that befell our kin.,"

"...Did he love grandmother?" Junior asked.

"He did at one point. But Burk never bothered to learn more about the illness. Even now, I still find it fascinating. Centaurs are not as magically adept as the ponies. Like all the creatures in the world, magic resides within us. And therein lies the source of the sickness. The anatomy of a centaur is that of a bovine and an equine. Two separate species merged into one. Both possess a unique signature of their own. However, the magic is under massive strain between the two halves, and thus it cannot correctly circulate within our bodies. The result is the symptoms we saw on mother,"

"The magic burns itself out trying to maintain our bodies. I know this already. The solution father found was the key to stopping it..." Junior then cast a disapproving glare at Scorpan. "...Until you turned your back on us!!!"

Scorpan rubs his chin as he pondered an appropriate response. "It was not Tirek that found the answer to the plague. It was me," To his credit, Juniors' eyes only briefly shot open before his mask of stoicism returned.  "Of course, it wasn't easy while living under father. He became adamant about making us stronger. We had to follow his word to the letter. If we needed food, then Burk would make us hunt. If we left a mess, we would clean the entire house twice over. Any complaints from us would result in shift discipline; either by working us to exhaustion or by his hand. Father gave us no respite. I had to take my studies to a secluded area in our village. Magic was the cause of the plague, so only magic to cure it,"

"You both grew to resent grandfather after this. Such a treatment can only lead to hatred," Junior stated.

Scorpan nodded. "Yes, though I suspect Tirek took it the hardest. He saw father as a pillar of strength and someone that would be ever reliable. But father grew bitter and cruel in his efforts to strengthen us. Inevitably, it would lead to his demise,"

The implications hit the son of Tirek hard. "...Father killed him..."

"In a sense. It happened several years later when Tirek and I was entering adulthood,"

The memory started anew with an older Tirek and Scorpan stand in a crowd in the center of the village. Their father was standing beside them. The years have taken its toll on the community as the decline in population. However, the mysterious illness was not the only concern today. The council called a meeting detailing a new danger looming towards the Desert village. The high council leader steps forward and addresses the public. "Citizens; we face some trying times. The desert sands shift in the most precarious of ways. Something has provoked the dreaded Ashen Scorpan from its resting place," Several murmurs of concern went off as the crowd grew restless.

"The Ashen Scorpion!?"

"Is it near the village?"

"What being could be foolish enough to agitate it!?"

As the murmuring grew in volume, another councilman spoke up. "It's all the fault of the ponies. Their war has brought this blight upon us!" The audience gasped out at that claim. "They seek to use the Ashin Scorpions as instruments to turn the tide in their favor. I have seen their convoy traverse here with cages and captured beasts!!!"

"Not all the ponies have resorted to such tactics. That is the actions of Sombra!"

"The ponies are at war?" Tirek whispered to his brother.

"Starswirl has informed me of a tyrant that rules the empire in the north; King Sombra. He seeks to rule the land of ponies, and it would appear he has come to our lands to utilize the wildlife for his war efforts," Scorpan replied as the council tried to maintain order. "Because of this, that pony has disrupted the natural habitat of the Ashen scorpions,"

"A prime example of the utter worthlessness of the ponies you held so dearly," Burk suddenly said, causing the two tense. Burk didn't seem to care that Scorpan still had relations with the ponies despite his measures against it. "Tell me Scorpan; did they found the cure for the plague? How many will die as we wait for them to finish their war? Are things different now then they were a few years ago?"

"..." Scorpan remains silent. He didn't want to share his advancement in magic just yet.

"Our village safety is our pressing concern," Tirek said, thankfully causing his father to drop the issue. Around the same time, the council members were able to re-establish order amongst the crowd.

"Panic will not help us here. We spotted the Ashen scorpion lurking on the borders of the village. Its current path will have the beast upon us in a fortnight. We must intercept it before it reaches us, and we need several volunteers to push back this threat! Those who wish to join step forward." 

"Hearing that request made several whispers go off. Never has the council asked such a thing from the populous," Scorpan said, gaining Juniors' attention. "I suppose it demonstrates the dire situation we were in at that time,"

Junior turned back to the memory to see who would join, Scorpan, Burk, and Tirek were no surprise. Although, the female centaur instantly drew his attention. Her face was soft and clear of any imperfections. Her arms and legs had a precise definition of muscle that didn't obscure her feminine beauty. The centaur's mane was jet black and perfectly smooth while it hid away her eyes. Her fur was a beautiful maroon that shined brightly in the sun. She was wearing a sleeveless brown shirt and two silver bracelets on her wrists. Junior noticed how Tirek appeared to gawk at the cow in astonishment. And Junior was rendered awestruck at the very familiar appearance of this particular centaur. Scorpan smiled fondly at the image as Junior took several tentative steps forward. His hand reached out and caressed the cow's face as the selected group moved outside the city. In a volume Junior didn't believe his voice could emit, he whispered the female centaurs name.

"Illana..." His mask of stoicism cracked as he continued. "Mother!"





(This image but she has maroon fur and the bracelets. She also only has the bow and quiver.)




Scorpan hummed in contentment as he spoke. "This day was the first time Tirek, and I laid eyes on your mother. She's still as radiant as she ever was,"

Junior didn't respond. He was too captivated by his mother to form words. He noticed his father kept stealing glances at her as well. Y. Scorpan nudged his arm to gain his brother's attention. "Go talk to her,"

"Are you mad!? There are more pressing concerns happening right now," Tirek said.

"Yes there are, and it happens that one of them is my brother being too afraid to speak with a member of the opposite sex,"

Tirek snarls at his brother as he replied. "You forget yourself brother. I fear nothing!!!" 

With that said, Tirek marched over to cow in a very aggressive manner. When he was upon, tirek raised his hand and opened his mouth to speak. However, he never got the chance as the cow spun around and faced Tirek with an arrow primed for release and aimed squarely at his gaping maw. Everyone with the group paused at this, and no one made a move. A beat of sweat drips down Tirek's brow as his eyes went from the glint of the arrowhead to the stone-faced, steely-eyed glare of her eyes. Now that her bangs were no longer blocking them, Tirek could appreciate how the amber color complemented the fierceness she was giving off. She was a warrior through and through, and Tirek discovered that adrenaline wasn't the only cause for a spike in his heart rate.

The tense atmosphere ended when the bovines eyes widen in shock, and she quickly lowered her head and bowed head in reference. "Please forgive me!!!" She apologized. "I felt a hostile presence sneaking up behind me, and I believed it to be the scorpion. Now I'm aware it was not the scorpion but a comrade. But one can never be too careful with all the happenings recently, so I drew my bolt on you. It is a good thing that you were you and not something else. I was perhaps a second away from firing!" She giggled nervously while Tirek's heart beat faster. "Anyway, I suppose you wanted to bid me a greeting. I'm Illana. A pleasure to meet you. Oh! And - uh - are you ok?" Illana said in rapid succession as she held out her hand. Tirek grabs her hand and gives it a few shakes while the awestruck expression remained on his face.

"Tirek... And, yes, I am unharmed," He said in an unsure tone. Both the real Scorpan and the memory couldn't help but chuckle at this, whereas Junior shared the same expression as his father. Tirek turns back to Scorpan, uncertain on how to handle the situation, where he saw Burk shooting him a stern glare. "Sorry for bothering you. I must return to my group,"

Illana shook her head. "It was no trouble. Stay safe and, again, sorry for the almost shooting you incident,"

Once Tirek returned to Scorpan and Burk, his father decided that a measure of disciplinary action was necessary. Tirek barely reacted when Burk's face met his muzzle. Scorpan went silent as Burk berated his son. "What was that display? Flirtations? On the eve of our hunt? Haven't I thought you that such feelings are distractions?"

Tirek fell from his stupor and put on a blank expression as he responded. "I merely went to speak with a comrade. We are working together, so communication is paramount to our success," Burk said nothing in return, opting merely to glare at his eldest son. tirek maintained his blank expression, and after a few moments, the party continued on their path.

"Has father ever struck grandfather?" Junior suddenly asked.

"I often asked Tirek that myself. But no, Tirek felt he never needed too. Especially in Burk's twilight years," Scorpan chuckled as a thought cross his mind. "I wager than Tirek could've done so as a cafe. But that would mean exile. Our customs dictate that we must respect and honor our parental figures. No exceptions. If we raised a hand against father, then shame and dishonor would befall the aggressor. No one would take in a pair of honorless younglings. Too much of a stigma and too much of a burden in tiring times. So we stayed and gained the skills needed to survive so that when we came of age, we could leave without a moment's hesitation,"

"Hmm, I've forgotten that mother could be so quirky at times," Junior said, changing the subject.

"That was the best part of her in my opinion. She wasn't like the others in the village. She wasn't afraid to display what others may have seen as a liability. She wasn't afraid to be herself and smile. She was happy..." Scorpan paused as he swore heard a sniffle to his left, but he didn't check to verify. "But most of all, when came to that bow and arrow you saw earlier, no one matched her skill. You never saw her utilize her bow have you?"

"No,"

"Then you are in for a spectacle,"

The volunteers stood out on the desert terrain. "There is nothing here," One of the centaurs said.

"That's not true. Look upon all this calcium carbonate,"

"Cute," Another said flatly.

Tirek narrows his eyes as everyone spreads out. His eyes landed on an object a few feet away. It appeared to be a protrusion of some sort but paid it no mind. The sound of sand crunching to his left caught his attention. "Did you find anything?"

"No. The land is clear. But there is a presence near us," A feminine voice said. Tirek tensed up as he turned to find Illana with her bow and arrow at the ready.











Tirek clears his throat as he turned to face her. He opened his mouth but then stopped when a glint went off in his eyes. He looks back toward the odd protrusion in the sand. At the same time, a pair of centaurs were lounging about near it. A moment later, he found where the glint was coming from; a sharp jagged edge on the side of the object that gave the briefest twitch. Then, in a sudden move, the protrusion sank into the sand before a massive explosion from below the ground sent sand flying everywhere. Everyone shielded themselves as Scorpan, and Illana joined came to Tirek side. What they saw next was something straight out of a horror tale. From the front side, it stood twenty feet in height and thirty meters in length. Strands of hair ran along its body all the way to the bulbous green stinger that swung to and fro in the air. Droplets of the most potent acidic liquid fell from the stinger tip onto the sand, instantly dissolving it. If that wasn't enough of a deterrent against battle such a monstrosity, then its frightening mandibles was proving to be a good exclamation point. Two razor-sharp fangs extended from the edges of its maw with drool salivating over the prospect of slating its hunger with the vast proportions before it. But what terrified the hunters worst was the four-pitch black orbs resting on its head. 









The two centaurs screamed for aid, but that served only to aggravate the Ashen Scorpion. It raised its pincer above its head and clamped down hard on the pair, severing their torso from their lower bodies. It then took the upper halves and brought them to its mouth as it swallowed the centaurs whole with a sickening crunch. Blood spattered all over the sand while it devoured its meal. The sight dramatically discourages the others from acting, and soon enough, the Ashen Scorpion finished eating and turned its sights on its prey. The vicinity became deathly silent until the beast tilted its head upwards and released a deafening screech. The sound seemed to snap Tirek out of his stupor as he yelled out a command.

"SCATTER! DO NOT STAY IN ON PLACE!!!"

Heading his order, most of his comrades obeyed him and split off into smaller groups. However, the creature charged forward, easily catching those who lagged behind in its pincers and crushed them in a vulgar display of its might. Others tried to rally their efforts and attacked the Ashen Scorpion from its side, jabbing at its legs to cripple it. This attempt proved fatal as the Scorpion merely stomped its multiple legs against the sand, crushing those that were too close and tossing others through the air. Burk griped his spear as he rallied as many warriors as he could. He thrust his spear to the beasts' stinger. The centaurs and gargoyles' follow suit and charge the Ashsen Scorpion from behind. But then, the tail of the scorpion whips around till the tip was pointing at its aggressors. A deadly spurt of poison shot from the stinger and doused several of its enemies. Agonizing screams of pain rang out as the centaurs and gargoyles forms shifted into a molten puddle of slang. Burk, who was approaching from the rear guard, was sadly caught as well. Poison plashed against his triceps and the left side of his cheek. 

"AAAARGH!!!"

"FATHER!!!" tirek and Scorpan cried in horror. 

The Ashen Scorpion saw another easy meal for the taking and rush after Burk. Scorpan held out his hand and summoned his staff. In a blink of an eye, he teleported over to his father and erected a shield. The claw of the Scorpion came down hard against the barrier, but it held out, causing the beast to recoil from tits strike. It hissed in a rage at being denied its quarry and began a vicious onslaught.

*THUD*

*BASH*

*THUMP*

Each blow was massive and straining as Scorpan called out to his brother. "Tirek!!! Can you distract it!? My shield will not hold for long!!!"

"I-I do not know! What can I do!?" He asked.

Junior turned away from the scene and glare at his former uncle again. "I thought you claimed mother was going to act!"

"Shush yourself youngling. The youths of today are so impatient that leap before they can run. Look, you do not wish to miss what happens next," Scorpan chided. 









The scene plays on as the Ashen Scorpion primed its stinger to destroy Scorpan barrier when three arrows flew overhead and gouged out one of its eyes. This action causes the arachnid to wail in pain and back off its target. Illana came galloping forward as her foe recovered. It thrust its right pincer down at her only for the cow to leap to the right and fire four arrows into the joint where the claw opens and shuts, thus disabling one of its means of opposition. Seemingly unfazed by its injury, the Ashen Scorpion thrust its left pincer at Illana only for her to jump up onto the claw and continue her advance. Illana went to draw more bolts when the Scorpion raised its pincer to throw her off. Illana eyes widened in panic when she realized she was vulnerable to attack. The stinger shot forward to pierce her flesh only to be thrown off course by a blue beam of magic. Illana shifted her by to dodge the poison tip and fires four arrows into the right upper eyesocket, blinding it further. She turned her attention to Scorpan and nodded in appreciation.

Tirek stood awestruck as he watched Illana land on the back of this fierce monster. He didn't remain still for long as his right arm began to glow. Tirek look down to see a shield materialize over it. He turns back to Scorpan who seemed to be busy healing Burk. "Go! She requires your help! I will do what I can!!!"

Tirek nods to his brother and charges underneath the underbelly of the creature and proceeds to stab at the softer flesh. The scorpion shrieks in pain before it raise it legs up in preparation to crush tirek under its weight. Tirek saw his and quickly ran past its leg. However, the scorpion whips its left claw towards him, forcing Tirek to block the attack with his shield. The force of the attack propels him through the sand, forming a large trench. Meanwhile, Illana holds onto the Ashen Scorpion for dear life. She tries to move to its remaining eyes but, one distraction momentarily dispose of, the arachnid primed its stinger for the annoyance on its back. However, what it wasn't expecting was for Illana to spin around with a quick draw and shot a bolt into its poison sack. 

The stinger thrashed about as Scorpan fires another magical beam into its eyes. The attack did its job and knocked out the third eye. Illana jumps off and lands near Scorpan whose staff glows with grim intensity. The duo glare up at the monochrome arachnid. It poised its tail to spray another shot of poison when a shield collided with the bolt still embedded in the sack. The result was the bag getting torn open as the acidic liquid fell and splashed against the Scorpions' last remaining eye. Tirek rejoined Scorpan and Illana while the now blinded Ashen Scorpion failed about in a mad frenzy. Tirek spied the pincer tip dangle precariously over the beast head. He cocked back his spear as Illana drew four bolts. Scorpan imbued their weapons with his magic as they launched them at the stinger. The projectiles severed the tip from the tail and watched as it pierces the arachnids' head. The Ashsen Scorpions legs gave out, and it fell to the sand in a heap. It gave one final weak hiss as blood pooled from its mouth signaling its demise. Cheers sounded off as the survivors crowed around the trio.

"They killed it!!!"

"Astounding!!!"

"Three cheers for the sons of Burk and Illana!!!"

Upon hearing Burks' name, Scorpan and Tirek's eyes shot open in alarm. They rushed over to their fallen father who laid unconscious against the sandy landscape. "Will he be alright?" Illana asked.

"He is stable, but we must return," Scorpan informs.

Tirek was quiet as his eyes lingered on the battered and maimed form of his father. Many thoughts swept through his mind as to what Burks' reaction will be when he awakes. Will he praise them on the kill and for protecting the village? Or will they be scolded and reprimanded for not killing it sooner and relying on magic? It is just too early to tell what lies ahead."Let us return home," Tirek stated as he hoisted Burk over his shoulders.

The memory faded out as Junior stared into space. "It was an impressive feat, defeating that scorpion," Junior then turns to Scorpan with barest a hint of a smirk. "Even you proved useful,"

"I tried my best," Came Scorpan's sordid reply.

"I assume the next batch of memories will feature what you mentioned earlier about father and grandfather,"

"Indeed, his last moments awaits,"