An Earthly Portal

by Nightmare Darkness


Hunting those who hunt

Spike quickly gathered the packs and let Cerberus out of the train car. Cerberus looked annoyed but then grateful for the stretch. I could see left over gore from the Spider that had taken a peek at him and shuddered slightly thinking just how scary our traveling canine really was. Spike climbed up Cerberus surprisingly and both Gilda and I took to the sky to search from above. I had an arrow knocked on the bowstring as I beat my wings and Gilda flew behind me as I scanned the trees. I could see Cerberus's large black body moving between the trees as he followed the sent I no doubt he had picked up. Three noses were better then one but even one head in this situation would be good right now was more then likely overkill. we flew for several hours and the sun began to fall behind the mountain causing it to be darker then it would have been if we were in less mountainous regions. Shadows began to become deeper and it became almost impossible to see Cerberus. I looked back at Gilda and gestured for us to descend and link up with Spike and Cerberus. She nodded and we both lowered to the forest floor. Upon landing the smell of the forest was foreign to me but I looked up to see Cerberus emerge from the brush a little more louder then I would have liked.

"Why did you come down?" Spike asked from atop Cerberus.

"Its getting too dark and I cant keep track of you from the sky." I said as Gilda landed beside me.

"We wont be able to sneak up on them if Cerberus keeps trundling through the bush." She said before I could say anything.

"I think we should wait." I stated and Spike looked at me as if he had tasted something disgusting.

"They don't think they are being pursued so they will most likely will set up camp which means a fire." I explained quickly. Spike nodded as he slipped from Cerberus's back and walked to me.

"Should we make a fire?" He asked and I quickly shook my head.

"They could find us, I wouldn't want to chance it." I said cautiously.


So we waited for two hours, Cerberus we stopped from going out to hunt and he simply fell asleep. Soon after the two hours I looked at Spike who was asleep and I walked over giving him a punt waking him.

"Its time." I said as Spike stood up and Gilda looked at me she hadn't slept but quietly patrolled the area around us.

"You stay here and blow some flame at half hour intervals till we get back. Gilda...lets go." I said as I checked my bow and then beat my wings taking to the sky Gilda following me closely. The night sky was so dark that Luna's moon cast deep shadows that could only be described as inky black pools that like seem to not gain access too. Which made the camp of four fires stick out like a ray of light in a pitch black room. Gilda looked to me and nodded as we both descended to get a better look at the set up. As I could see most of the spiders had spun hammocks for themselves and several of the cocoons had been placed on the north side of the camp. We did several passes over the camp before Gilda gestured to me to follow her to the ground outside the camp. I landed behind her realizing that I have been getting better at landing and Gilda looked at me and quietly approached me.

"They have two sentries. One by the cocoons and another by the farthest left fire." Gilda reported and I nodded in agreement.

"How do we do this you think?" I asked. Gilda frowned in consideration before she looked up at me.

"We need to kill the two sentries." She said simply and I felt a sudden uneasiness. I knew it was going to happen but now I had to face it, Killing something. Gilda noticed my hesitation and she put her claw under my beak making me look at her.

"Have you ever killed before?" She asked rhetorically as i pushed her claw away.

"No, never." I said and she looked unhappy.

"Why do you carry that bow then? For show?" she said harshly.

"No, I know how to use it..." I said with the heat of anger welling up in my chest and Gilda punched my chest suddenly taking me by surprise.

"If we do this don't get me killed or worse....captured." she said before opening her wings and taking to the sky. I stood there for a moment thinking about what she said and then steeled myself before taking to the sky to follow her.

Finding Spike by the burst of green flame we glided down to the small outcrop.

"Did you find them?" Spike inquired and I nodded.

"They are 2 miles ahead camped out with two sentries." I stated and Cerberus lifted one head to give us a look. Spike nodded and with trepidation looked at us.

"How are we going to capture them?" He asked and Gilda looked at him as if he was kidding.

"Were not taking prisoners." She said flatly and Spike looked at her uncomfortably as I remained silent.

"We wont be able to win if we don't get Cerberus into the fight at the beginning. Both Feather and me will take out the two sentries." Gilda said as Spike looked at me.

"Have you...you know done this kind of thing before?" He asked at which point I slowly shook my head. Spike blew out some air and looked at us.

"Maybe we should wait for the reinforcements." He offered as Gilda scoffed.

"No way. We can get the drop on them, let go." She said and took to the sky suddenly and the look of shock on my face was apparent as Spike looked at me then ran to Cerberus.

"Come on boy!" Spike said curtly as he climbed onto the back of Cerberus as he grumbled to life standing up and all three heads looked at me. I took several wing-beats as a hovered off the ground.

"Keep him safe." I ordered and the hound just watched me rise up to the sky where Gilda waited for me.

"I'll take the one by the cocoons you take the one by the fire." She said simply and took the lead. I hovered there only a moment before following her. Gilda flew down towards the outskirts of the camp and I lost site of her and I found my target walking to one of the fires. I hovered there and knocked an arrow as my claws shook from my nerves. Adrenalin began to pump through me as the world seem to become sharper and my heart hammered in my ears as I waited for Gilda to deal with the cocoon sentry.

A third spider appeared from the treeline and walked towards the fire that the fire sentry was at and my blood ran cold. I draw my bowstring as my mind raced, how do I deal with two of them I'm not fast enough to fire my bow like legolas from lord of the rings. I could only think of one thing, and then I saw the Spider by the cocoons suddenly turn around and I dove from the sky and as I exhaled a breath and loosed the arrow that sped towards the fire sentry who was now looking to the cocoon sentry puzzled as the arrow crushed its head. I didn't think as I angled myself at the other spider by the fire, let go of my bow and extended my claws and like a winged meteor i crashed into the spider slaver with unrestrained force.

The Spider let out a yelp in surprise as I ripped my right talon from the spiders throat spraying blood across the ground. I looked up at the cocoon sentry and I was hit by webbing making me cry out in surprise as the camp came to life.

"What in Tartarus's name!" An outraged voice bellowed as several spiders left their hammocks trying to take stock of the situation. Gilda cried out and the sound of a scuffle could be heard out of my line of sight. I tried to move my claw only to find my right arm was pinned to my body. My left claw was able to move but before I could do anything Vin's spidery visage came into view.

"Well how about that...a couple of griffins in my neck o tha woods.... color me shocked." he said with a sour expression. Two other spiders I saw dragging Gilda who was kicking and cursing and was placed beside me then kicked hard causing her to cry out in pain and go still. I didn't know if she had been knocked out or she just didn't want to be struck again.

"Now...you lot must have been on the train or you would hav not been out here. Now I am down three boys and look at this..." Vin stated and looked at the both of us as he reached down with a sharp leg and suddenly a sharp stab into my leg made me scream out which came out like it was the mix between a squawk and the cry of a hawk. My world swam as I could feel him twist his sharp appendage in my wound.

"You have to pay for my losses." He said coldly and the ground shook as the four spiders looked at one another. I winced and chuckled as Vin looked at me glaring.

"woof woof." I said calmly and Vin's eyes widened as Cerberus burst into the clearing with Spike riding atop him. They looked to Cerberus I wrenched my left claw free and pulled the spider web from my face and chest. I grabbed Vin's appendage that was still in my leg as he turned on me and growled angrily.

"I'm going to kill you!" He exclaimed and for a moment I froze as the memory of my father flooded my mind then a rage overtook me as I lashed out at the spider boss biting his arm with my beak and viciously clawing at him in a fit of rage and desperation. I didn't see what Cerberus was doing but Vin punched me in the head knocking me away from his arm and putting space between us. We began to circle one another and I could see that Cerberus had dealt with only one of the spiders and was dealing with two but they were nimble and giving the hound a tough time.

"I am going to bleed you slowly even if it kills me." he promised and I almost reeled. This....creature was unnerving and it took everything I had to show that i was not shacking because of fear and only hoped he thought it was adrenaline. I limped every time I put my weight on my right hind leg and that was an opportunity he took to lunge at me and I pushed off the ground and beat my wings as he reached for me. I then tipped my wings forward with a thrust of air and talons extended lunged at him screaming a hawk like battle cry and slammed into him. He seemed to be ready as he used my momentum against me and guided me over his head and slammed me onto the ground and another sharp spider leg stabbed into my shoulder.

"Ah fuck!" I screamed out in a curse as he smiled at me wickedly. A hawk cry ripped from Gilda's throat as she collided with Vin and bit down onto his neck causing him to clutch at her with his arms releasing me from being pinned. I grunted as I rolled over pushing to my claws. Vin was focused on Gilda's assault and I screamed as I launched myself at him knocking him back as I closed my talons around his throat and began to squeeze. Vin clutched at his throat and raked my arms as he struggled to remove me from choking the life out of him. Gilda jumped away so she wouldn't get pinned under the spider as Vin fell onto his back, his spidery legs kicked frantically as I felt my rage burst forth as Vin's eyes bulged and for a moment everything was silent. There was just me and him and suddenly I was looking down on a human child....that child was....me. I recoiled in horror releasing Vin and stumbled back as Vin coughed and struggled to regain himself. I was shuddering visibly and Cerberus stepped forward all three heads growling at Vin as he placed a overly large paw on the body of the spider boss pinning him in place.

"Don't kill him!" Gilda ordered and Cerberus stopped. Gilda then quickly approached me and placed a comforting talon on my shoulder as I looked up at her as my eyes watered and my voice caught in my throat.

"You might as well kill me now...no pony, or griffin will get me to talk." Vin said with a dark smile. Suddenly the sound of whistling was heard and soon the clearing was invaded by dark shadows with bat wings clad in dark purple and blue armor.

"Check the perimeter." One ordered as he then approached us and I could see in the firelight a dark look on the soldiers face.

"Luna's elite..." Gilda said amazed. I was still a trembling mess but it was not long after that my wounds began to go numb. 'That's not right...' I thought before I blacked out.