//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: The Lost and Found 
// Story: Hearthfire The Sands of Time: Part 2 
// by Predman1227 
//------------------------------//

(Somewhere in the Barrierland)


(Rossy Everfree)


The sun shown low in the sky and would of lit the land in it's soothing warmth, but the sky was covered in thick grey clouds. So there was no basking warmth and there was no shining light to lift the shadows. Everything was dark, gloomy and cold, and Rossy Everfree was feeling the sting of it, as a cold wind blew by strongly. Even in her heavy steel armour, the wind pushed her back on here hoofs and the chill from the snow that blew with it, seeped through her gambison and clung to her dark red coat.

A bit of her minty mane blew wildly from a gap between her helmet and neck plate and her deep green eyes were almost squinted shut, as a new and stronger gust of wind nearly blew her off her hooves. "I fucking hate blizzards!" She thought, as she stopped for a moment to get her energy back. She had been going through this weather for hours now and it was starting to get to her. She brought her right hoof up and checked a little device strapped to her arm called a watch, a little gadget from the Heartland that helped her tell time without needing to look at the sun.

It said, 07:25pm. "Shit!" Rossy exclaimed, as she looked around nervously. "I need to find shelter, now!" It was dangerous to be out at this time and it wasn't just do to the weather. Other things, came out at night, things that eat Ponies like her. She got a move on and quickened her pace. She pushed through some deep snow, her sword clanging off her armour as she dug through with her plated limbs. She could barely see from all the snow that blew in her covered face and she felt her heart rate spike as she heard a lone whale of the wind.

She stopped for a moment, listening carefully as more whales and then screeches traveled on the wind. She was breathing heavily, as her eyes scanned the fog for any movement. The calls were faint, meaning the creatures that made them were some distance away and she breathed a little easier. "Ok, just stay calm." She said to herself, as she got moving again. "Remember what Dad said. They smell fear, so as long as I don't panic, I'll be safe. Right?"

Her watch now said 08:15pm "Fuck!" What light remained was starting to fade and soon, she will be in complete darkness. "Got to move, got to move fast!" She whispered in alarm. "Got to find cover, NOW!"

She was practically running now, bounding through the snow like a dog in tall grass. Panic was now starting to creep its way into her mind, as the light grew dimmer every minute and the screeching was getting disturbingly closer. Just when she thought she was going to loose her mind to fright, she saw something in the dimming light. It was shaped like a building and the closer she got to it the more it stood out, till she found herself outside a barn. It was old, rotten and looked like it had seen better days, but it was the only form of shelter she could see and with little options, she pushed one of its doors. 

It wouldn't budge and Rossy felt her heart rate spike again. "Come on!" She banged on the door in frustration and fright, as the screeching grew louder. She felt her heart rate hit its peak, as she now slammed her full weight on the door. "Fucking OPEN!!"

Just when she thought it wouldn't, it made a low creak and suddenly she was falling into blackness as the door gave way. She landed face first on hard ground and if she hadn't been wearing a helmet, she might have just knocked herself out. She groaned as stars danced in her vision and she lifted her dizzy head to look around. It was too dark to see anything and the screeches were very close now.

She decided she didn't have time to check for danger in here, when danger was coming this way, right now. So she got to her hooves and with little effort, she slammed the door shut again and pressed her weight into it to keep it shut. The screeching reached to new heights, as something moved around outside. Rossy held her breath, as a lanky figure scuttled past the barn. She let her breath out as softly as she could muster and peered through a gap in the wooden wall near the door. The light outside was almost gone, just faint grey rays that did little to give any real visibility. At first, there was nothing, the screeching had stopped and there was no movement of shadows in the blizzard. 

Rossy Knew better though than to let her guard down and after a few minutes, she saw them. Moving slow and steady in the low light, were creatures that Rossy couldn't even make up in her worst nightmares. They looked Pony in shape at first, but when on closer inspection, they were far from it. She could only make out their silhouette, but they were disgustingly skinny, so much infact that they looked more like skeletons with thin skin stretch to the tearing point, over their enlarged bones. Little white dots glowed in the dark where their eyes would be and they twitched from side to side, searching.

They crouched low to the ground, as if they were sniffing her out, hunting. They made chuffing sounds, as if they were talking to each other while they scanned around. There were at least three of them and it seemed that they had not detected her. A few more chuffs later and they slunk off back into the darkness.

Rossy breathed a sigh of thanks to the gods that they didn't find her and eased off from the door. She picked up a old shovel and jammed it in between the floor and the door, wedging it shut. She felt so tired now but she wasn't in the clear yet. She finally took a good look around the barn this time for anything that might be a threat, or maybe something useful. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark by now and she could make out shapes of things in the barn. Some old hay bails here and there, a pitchfork that had sarcoma to rust, some other old farm tools all rusted and rotten and a upper level to the barn. Hey eyes drifted up there, trying to peer through the darkness, but it was too thick. 

She wasn't going to be satisfied till she checked it out and since there didn't seem to be a ladder anywhere, she cast a teleport spell and in an instant she was up there. From her saddle-bag, she took out a small metal cylinder and twisted it once. A beam of light shot out the device and light up whatever she pointed it at. It was called a flashlight and it was another Heartland gadget. She shone it around till she was completely sure there was nothing in here with her, while being careful not to shine the light too close to the walls, so as not to alert any creatures outside.

There was nothing here, no signs of life, or otherwise. She was alone and she preferred it that way. Finally able to relax, she dumped her stuff down on the floor and turned off her light. She then got a lantern from her bag and lit it. A small flame came to life and it was bright enough to light her spot in which she sat in, bit not bright enough to attract anything outside. She fiddled with the strap on her chin that held her helmet to her head and after a moment of fussing, she managed to get it free.

She pulled off her helm and her minty mane came spilling out and cover her dark red face. She blew air out her mouth as some of it clung there and she peeled her sweaty hair away from her eyes. It felt good letting the air touch her skin, and it smelt more, pure, less stuffy and metallic. Most of her mane was had wrapped itself around her half broken horn and she painfully untangled it. After a moment of freeing and ripping some of her hair out, she pulled out a bottle of water from her bag, unscrewed it and tried not to guzzle it, even though her parched body screamed for it.

Once she was done forcing herself to sip some water and something to eat, a ration bar, she took some but not all of her armour off. Just the shoulder guards and gauntlets, too free up some movement in her arms and so she could lay down without the uncomfortable feeling of her armour digging into her shoulders. 

"Damn, I'm exhausted." Rossy sighed, as she sat down on her makeshift bed of hay . With a yawn and crack of her neck, she pulled out a pencil and book from her bag and opened it to the last page she had been writing on. 

"Log update. I have found a old barn to take shelter from the blizzard and the creatures outside. I am safe, for now but this time was way too close. I nearly didn't make it to cover before sun down, their getting more and more active down here, coming out of their dens, sooner than I would like. It's starting to worry me, I think their starting to become more resistant to sun light but I can't be sure.

I may...(scribbles something out)... I still have not found Red Blade. There are no signs but it's early days yet. I'll continue my search in the morning, hopefully the Skinnys have crawled back in their holes by then, but with the way their acting, I'm not so sure anymore. I'm lost out here and until this blizzard passes, I can't be sure where I am.

I miss you Mum, Dad, I hope to be able to return to you soon."

She closed her book and for a moment, she mulled over what she writ and decided to add. "P.S. I miss you too, Sister."

She put away her book and finally lay back on her makeshift bed and let out a heavy sigh. It didn't take long for sleep to take over her and soon she drifted off and fell asleep.

Many for her dreams were unpleasant, but her mind hung on to the good ones. Soon, a world formed around her and she was reliving her most fond memories. She 10 years old here and with her family. Her Mother and Father were baking some tasty treats in the kitchen, while she played board games with her 24 year old big sister. Her light blue coat shined in the glow of the fireplace and her minty mane was tied in a bundle, keeping it from getting in her face. She had a bump on her stomach, and their Mother had told Rossy that her sister was 4 months along. It did little to stem her sister's good looks though and Rossy hopped she'd look that good when she was that age. Her sister had a dice in her hoof and she was getting ready to drop it.

...

It was an old game of Ponies VS Wolves, a common game to among Fillies of the Legion. It was like chess, but one side was Wolven and the other Pony and each side had their own units, classes and abilities and it was up to the players and roll of a dice , on how successful and effective their units were.

With a flick of her wrist she rolled it and it landed on a 6. "Yeah!" Her sister cheered and looked at her side's guide book. The rules were, you could only move three tiles if you had the points and any extra went toward using abilities. Rossy's sister got six points from her roll and now it was up to her how to spend them. She was playing as the Legion, while Rossy was playing as the Wolven and Lilly drifted her hoof toward her units. 

"Hey, I'd be careful." Rossy said, as she lay there on the floor of their living room, her head resting on her hooves, while she had her back ones up in the air, crossed and rocking back and forth as she waited for her turn. "Just 'cause you got a 6, dose not mean you have the advantage." 

Her sister had a confident look on her face, and she smiled down at her little sister. "Ah know how the game works." She stated, in a playful tone. With her magic she moved one of her Magi three tiles toward one of Rossy's Wolven Shaman and picked her form of attack. Since she had three points left she could pick any one she wished, though she only had three to choose from, since every class had three abilities.

"Ah choose, Fireball." Rossy's sister stated, and rolled a second dice to see if her attack hit. She was about to roll it when Rossy said.

"Careful, there's a chance your attack might get reflected back at you. Shamans have a 20% chance to do that by default and the lower your score the higher the chance I get to deflect your attack back at you."

Her sister's confident smile faded a bit and now she looked unsure. "Um...I knew that." She rolled the dice and it landed on a 10% "No, oh com' on!" She exasperated, throwing her hooves up in defeat. Her little Mage figure fired a tiny ball a fire at the Shaman and it bounced right back. The little Mage bust into magic fire and faded to a dark grey.  

"Ha, fire ball reflected, your Mage is toast!" She took her sister's Mage and then took the dice in her hoof and rolled it. It landed on a 5 and Rossy wasted no time moving her Bracurris two tiles toward her sisters's Commander. That unit had a high dodge chance and the higher her score, the better chance she had to hit . Then with the second  dice she rolled it and get a 30% chance to land a hit. "I choose claw swipe."

The big Wolven figure suddenly came to life and moved one of its massive paws and swiped the Commander. The Commander's head popped off, only to pop back in and fain death, falling over and then resetting back to it's normal pose. "Ha, checkmate." Rossy cheered and Lilly put a hoof to her head.

"You cheated, that's not fair." Rossy's sister stated in annoyance, crossing her arms.

"No it's not, it's a game of strategy and chance, there's no way to cheat." Rossy, exclaimed, crossing her own arms. "You're mad 'cause I just got more lucky."

Her sister tutted at that, looking shocked. "Ah am not made." She trailed off and looked like she was trying to think of something witty to say but Rossy took her chance and beat her too it.

"You're just a sore looser, admit it."

She looked offended by that but her grin came back and she had that look in her eye, one that told Rossy she was about to do something to her. "Why you cheeky little sunflower. That's it you're gunna get it."

Her big sister then pounced on Rossy and she squealed in playful excitement as her sister started to tickle her. She laughed and laughed, till a screech ripped through Rossy's mind that she was torn out of her dream a she gasped in alarm, sitting up sharply. It was still dark outside but the moon was casting light through the gaps in the wooded barn's walls. She also didn't hear the blizzard anymore.

"Well, that's something at least." She mumbled, as she checked her watch. 02:44am, she had slept almost over 4 hours, but it didn't feel like it. Felt more like she had only slept 1 hour but it was better than none. She tried to get back to sleep, but the sound of screeches made that impossible. She sat back up and listened. 

They sounded close, too close. So close infact she could hear them scuttling around outside some distance away in the snow. "Why are they back?" Rossy thought, when she suddenly hear scratching at the door. "Oh shit!" She whispered in alarm, as she leaned over to get a better look at the door from her position. Something was at the door, she saw its breath push through the gaps in the door frame and could hear it sniffing loudly.

This, was not good. If they were sniffing around this much, it only meant one thing. Something was climbing outside on the other side of the barn's walls. "They know I'm in here!" Rossy thought, her alarm now increasing at the realization of this. "I have to get out of here, or I'm meat."

She got up but not too quick in case she made too much noise and then calmly she began to strap the bits of armour she took off, back on. She had just secured her helmet when there was a thud on the roof and dust and bits of rooted wood, sprinkled down to the ground. One of them was on the roof and with every step it took, more dust fell. Then there was a low creaking sound and Rossy looked back down to the door to see it start to bend. Even with the shovel blocking it, the door was rotten through and through. It wouldn't take much to tear it down, if the thing at the door wanted in, it was going to get in.

She strapped on her saddle-bag and paused for a second to think of what to do next. She thought of fighting her way out, but that came with the risk of getting infected. One scratch or bit to her flesh and it would be all over. She wanted to avoid that at all costs. She could ran for it, teleport out and pray they don't notice her. That also had its risks, since she wasn't that very fast, even without armour she wasn't much of a runner and those things were a lot faster than her at any rate.

That only left two options to her. Hide and pray they don't smell her out, which she knew they would since they already have, or stand her ground and use the small space to her advantage and try stopping them from getting in. "Dammit, fuck...dammit!" She swore in angry frustration. She wanted to avoid this but it had to happen at some point, she was just mad it had to happen now, in the shittyest location possible. She'll have to make do with what she's got.

A two clawed hand suddenly bust its way through the door and was now thrashing the air, as if hopping to nick her or something. Luckily she hadn't been near it when it did. She pulled out her arming sword with her hoof, teleport down to the door and when she reappeared she brought the blade down in one swift motion and cut right through the creatures misshapen arm. It let out a whale of pain as the rest of its arm slid back outside, leaving behind a black blood spurting, still thrashing arm.

Rossy kicked it away from her in a grossed out, disgusted manner and then brought her attention back to the door when something slammed into it. She staggered back, dropping her sword in the process, as the door bulged and planks of wood splintered in their mid-sections. She saw the shadow of a head trying to push its way through and her own eyes bulged when she realized this. She quickly picked her sword back up and with some aiming, she jammed it into a gap in the planks and was rewarded with the sickening sound of a skull cap breaking. The creature outside had impaled its self on her sword as it tried to head butt the door again and was now still and inactive. "One down." She panted and pulled back to free her weapon.

It wouldn't budge. "What?! Oh no no no, not now!" She pulled harder but it still wouldn't come out sticking steadfast in the dead thing's skull. "You got...to be...kidding ME!!" She growled with strain in her voice as she kept yanking. It was coming out but not quick enough as a section of the roof suddenly caved in. Moon light poured in from the large hole and silhouetted in its rays was a wretched ghoulish form. It lowered itself in slowly and hung in the opening with one arm, while its glowing white eyes scanned and quickly locked on her.

"Oh, FUCK!!" Before she had time to react, it braced itself on the roof and then with blinding speed, sprang at her like a crossbow bolt. It collided with her and they tumbled end over end into one of the far corners of the barn. Surprisingly she landed ontop of the creature, but that didn't make her feel like she had an advantage, when it began squirming around under her like a snake with floppy limbs. Not knowing what to do or how to properly react, she screamed in fright when its claws scrapped off her side and stomach plates. Luckily she didn't feel its claws puncture her soft flesh under all her layers of protection, but this seemed to only serve to anger the beast, as It screeched in frustration and with surprising strength, it lifted her up off her hooves and threw her.

She screamed once more, when she felt her weightless for a split second, before coming back down hard. She rolled with the impact, making a metallic clang as her armour took most of the force. She screeched to a halt and saw stars in her eyes when her head thumped off of something wooden. She shook her head, trying to clear her vision and when it did, she noticed she was by the door again and still stuck in the door was her arming sword. Her eye's widened when she saw the weapon and the sight of it brought some energy back to her limbs and scrambled to her hooves just as she heard the creature get back to its own. 

Desperately she tired to go for the sword, but the creature beat her to the punch, as it leaped out of the darkness and tried to knock her down. Even though she was terrified she was ready this time and met its charge with a buck to its oversized maw. She felt something give under her boot when she sent the creature tumbling back, screeching in pain and anger.

While it was distracted, she made a move for her sword and when she grabbed it, she put her boot on the door and pulled with all she had. With a gut wrenching pop, the sword finally came free and almost made Rossy fall off her hooves. She planted her legs firm on the ground, swiftly tuned her body, pointed her blade forward and bracing it against her leg just as the creature lunged at her once more. They collided again and this time, she buried her sword deep in the creature's black heart. They both fell from the force of the monster's impact and for a second, Rossy thought she was dead. When she opened her eyes again, she found she was not dead, but still alive and breathing...well breathing might be a little difficult, since the creature was on top of her.

She suddenly became very aware of what was on top of her and with a gasp, she scrambled backward in fright, till she had free herself from under its light frame. She breathed heavily, as she stared at the creature's dead form. Her sword stuck out the back of its bony body and black blood oozed out the neat holes her blade had made. She noticed that, that same blood was now on her stomach and chest plate and with a grimace, she sat up. 

"Oh, gods..." She groaned, also noticing the stuff was on her hooves too. "Oh...geez, that's gross (Sniffs) Uh...it smells..." For the first time she actually got too, smell these things and she was not happy about it. It smelled like puss and something else that could only come from a corps. She restrained her gut from spilling its continence and started to stand. That was two now, but she remembered there being three. At this thought she froze. Where was the third creature?

Suddenly realizing she wasn't in the clear she looked around, till she saw something hiding in the dark. It was the eyes she noticed first, those white hunting eyes that seemed to look right into her very soul. She did not move, she couldn't move, she had spent what little energy she had on fighting the second creature and now, she had nothing left.

Rossy breathed heavily from terror and exhaustion, as the creature moved out of the shadows and stepped into the light. Now, she could see it in all its rotting detail and she felt her heart rate rocket out of control when she gazed upon its pale and sickly grey face. Its mouth, was disturbingly large, rotten away into a creepily long smile and its black maw was full of needle like teeth that looked to be made of its own jaw bone.

Slowly, she pulled a knife from her belt. It was small, no more than 12 inches, but it was all she had and she doubted it would be enough. It got closer and drool dripped out its ever widening maw as let out a high pitched screech and surged forward. She couldn't move, there was no time. She grunted as it slammed into her and pinned her to the barn wall. Before she could stop it, it bit down hard on her left arm and screamed at the sudden sense of crushing pressure on her limb. In panic and blind terror, she stabbed the creature over and over in its throat and face, but it didn't care, it had her.

"NO!" She screamed, "NO, NOT ME...NOT ME!!"

Just when she was sure it was going to rip her arm off, there was a sudden flash of bright golden light, a heavy zap sound and then the smell of smoke, as something blasted the creature's back. The creature let go of her and she fell back, slumping to the floor as something new had shown up and it was attacking the beast.

She couldn't make out who or what it was, since it was hidden in the shadows, but she did see something when another flash of bright golden light flashed out of the darkness and a split second later a golden bolt of energy smacked right into the creature's chest with another loud blast. What ever that bolt was made of, it left a hoof sized hole in the creature's torso and it let out a weak gurgle, before slumping to the ground and didn't get up again.

Rossy breathed in deep, ragged breaths, as she felt her arm burn with pain, that lanced up to her shoulder. "This is it...I'm infected." She thought. "No...I can't be...no..."

Darkness was starting to take over her mind, as she looked up and saw something  approaching her. She had no energy left to care, she was fucked anyway. She just hopped this newcomer will make her end quick. Soon it stepped into the moon light and she was surprised to find, it was an Ophlidite. It was tall, slender and walked on two legs. It was covered in some sort of thick, overlapping plates of brownish armour she couldn't figure out the make of and it carried a sort of staff that at its tip a spear shaped casing closed with a click and it stood there, just watching her from behind it snake like helmet.

She wondered what it would do to her body. Would it eat her? Chop her to bits and boil her in a pot? Or will it use her as a lab rat, poking and stabbing her infected corps for shits and giggles. It didn't matter anymore, she could feel the infection start to take over and soon, she saw nothing at all.