//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: Innocents and instinct 
// Story: Unearthed: Curse Of The Undying 
// by Talion The DARKandBRIGHT 
//------------------------------//

Details
*Thoughts*
~Mental speaking~ 
"Normal speaking"
~"Mental and normal speaking"~
Songs
... (Radio static)...




INNOCENCE

The state, quality, or virtue of being innocent.

INSTINCT

A powerful motivation or impulse.




A flash of light was swiftly followed by the sound of an explosion in the clouds above.
I watched the sky as thunder flashed and danced across it.
Earlier I had thought I saw some type of birds flying through the clouds as a flash of lighting lit up the sky. But it was hard to tell, as I only had a brief glimpse of them.
Whatever they were, I would have to discover another time.

Turning back I continued on my path through the forest, which just seemed to keep on going for miles in all directions. And because of the storm and the lack of any kind of landmarks, I didn't know if I was still heading north. All I could do was press on as I have been doing for the past four hours or so.

Another hour into my journey the rain had let up a bit. But I still haven't found any sign of civilization.
I hadn't really encountered anything since the manticores and I was beginning to wonder if I would encounter anything other than normal animals.

No sooner than that thought came into my head, my mind had begun to sense something coming my way. I don't think it was a animal. Not with what I sensed from it.
Fear. I sensed fear.

Now all creatures feel fear, but animals lack all manner of sense and reason.  They only have instinct. This means they only feel instinct fear, which tells them when something is dangerous to them.

People however feel emotional fear. Whether it be out of fear of loss, pain, death or of something like spiders.
When you can sense fear and know how to distinguish it from different types, you'll know what you are dealing with.
This is how I could tell the difference.

Flipping my staff around in my hand, I willed it to change shape.
Shadowy mist begun to cover the staff in the process. The part I was holding onto changed into a hilt and cross guard.
The rest became wide and sharp. Then as the shadowy mist left the object, it revealed a great sword.

The sword was a five foot five, long double edged blade that shined with a bright blue glow, as if enchanted with magical ice.
The cross guard had two jagged ends that bent upward like spikes. It's center had a diamond shape with a small round white gem embedded into it.
The hilt had a swirling pattern with silver trimmings that ended in a diamond tip end.
From guard to pummel, it was made out of dark steel.



Holding the weapon in my right hand, I knelt down and placed my left one on the ground.
A surge of energy flowed from me and echoed across the forest floor in all directions. A few seconds later, my echo location found the source of the fear I sensed.
Just as I thought, it wasn't an animal. But it was being chased by three of those wood wolves.

Because of my first encounter with them, I'm now able to distinguish their life forms from others.
They were all fast approaching roughly in my direction, so I walked towards the direction where I would come into their path. A few moments later, I could hear them coming.

Slowly, I stepped out from behind a tree and turned to face the four beings.
When I came into view of them, I saw the three wood wolves chasing what seemed to be a young pony. Much like the ones I saw from the manticore's memories, only smaller with different colors and clothing.

As soon as they saw me, the three wood wolves stopped. The pony however had been looking behind itself at them and hadn't noticed me until it turned its head to look forward again.

The pony looked up at me with shock at first, then fear.
As I was still walking towards it, sword in hand, the pony quickly tried to stop. But because of the wet ground from the rain, it slipped and fell on its rear, screaming a bit. 
It then just stared up at me in horror as I stood in front of it.
My face absent of any emotion, I stood still for a moment, studying the pony as it stared up at me with dread.

It was small. Only coming up just over my hip. It had light gray fur and a short silver mane and tail. Its large round eyes were a bright green.
The pony wore a small brown coat over a white short sleeve shirt and blue jeans. It didn't seem to have any belongings on it other than it's cloths. But judging on its appearance, it seemed to be male.

Finished with my examination, I leaned down and extended a hand to the young pony and his eyes widened in dread.

"Come with me." I told him in a calm voice.

The colt at first started to tremble when I leaned over him but relaxed a little when I spoke.
He hesitated for a moment but managed to build up enough courage to trust me. With a trembling little hand, he grasped mine and I pulled him up before quickly standing in front of him.
As I turned my focus onto the wood wolves, they all started to circle us both while growling.

*Two in front, one behind.* I noted in my head.

I raised and held my sword with both hands, getting into a fighting position and preparing for their attacks.
I wasn't afraid of taking damage from these predators, but I did fear for the young pony holding onto my right leg.

Then after a few seconds of waiting, the three wolves made their move.
The one coming in on my left was the first to reach me. It leapt, baring it's claws and fangs, only to be met by my blade, in a single left downward swing. Instantly killing it as the sharp blade cut through its skull.
I had also lowered myself with the swing, as I sensed the wolf from behind, leap at me.
It sailed overhead missing me but landed on its feet.
Quickly bringing myself up, I swung my blade at a right upward angle, slashing the chest and throat of the third wood wolf as it too, tried to leap at me.
The second wood wolf, having quickly turned back around to face me, attempted to jump at me again. I waited for the right moment before simply thrusting my sword forward, into the wood wolves throat, allowing its own momentum to carry it to its own death.
When the wood wolf ceased it's movement, I freed my sword from its mouth and watched it fall to the ground.

I did a quick scan of the area, checking for more enemies. Seeing as it was clear, I looked behind me to check on the young colt, who had let go of my leg when the wood wolves attacked us.

He was staring at me with wide eyes filled with aw as I approached him again. Kneeling down on one leg, I stabbed my sword into the ground and begun checking him for any injuries.

Finding only a few scrapes and bruises, probably from running through the forest, I sighed in relief.
"Are you alright?"

He mealy nodded his head before speaking in a shaky voice.
"Y-you k-k-killed them all. S-so fast."

He wasn't cold. He was just nervous.
"Yes." I responded in a calm voice.
"They were trying to kill us. So I had to kill them."
*They wouldn't have been able to kill me.*

He didn't say anything else about it. He probably hasn't even seen death before and I had just killed three wood wolves in less than ten seconds in front of him.
Attempting to get his mind off of death, I started to ask him some more questions.
"What's your name young one?"

He thought for a bit before responding.
"Iron Hoof sir."

I smiled.
"Iron Hoof. That's a strong name.
My name is Talion." I told him.

He smiled a little too.
"Thank you for saving me Sir Talion."

"Sir Talion? I think you have me mistaken Iron Hoof. I am not a knight, but you're welcome." I told him.

Iron Hoof tilted his head a little in confusion.
"You're not? But you have a sword and you fight like them too. Only, you're not a pony."

I chuckled a little before replying seriously.
"Having a weapon and knowing how to use it doesn't give you a title. It's what you do with them, that does.
Who you are and what you are, is of little consequence."

Iron Hoof stared at me in wonder and amazement.
He was completely relaxed now, but before he could ask any questions of his own, I needed to ask mine.
"Iron Hoof I need to ask, what are you doing out here in these woods? Were you out here with family?"

At the mention of family, his eyes widened and he gasped.
"My mom and dad! Please Mr. Talion, you have to help them!"

As he started panicking, I quickly grabbed his shoulders and attempted to calm him down.
"Iron Hoof, calm down. I need you to tell me what happened."

He calmed down just enough to explain what had happened to him.
"My parents and I were traveling from Durasund, our old home town, to Ponyville for a better life.
My dad was a stone mason back home, but he wanted to become an architect and build me and my mom a new home." He paused before continuing.
"Because of the cold weather and my mom carrying my unborn brother or sister, we couldn't take the mountain road. So we had to go around the mountains and through the Everfree forest to get to Ponyville." His eyes started tearing up, but he finished.
"We were just starting to pack up our camp when a pack of timber wolves attacked us. Dad was fighting them off and tried to get to me, but they cut him off. He then told me to run. So I did. But three of the timber wolves saw me and chased me... Then you found me."

He looked back up at me with teary eyes.
"Please help us, Talion."

I looked him in the eyes before responding with a smile.
"You don't have to ask for my help Iron Hoof. I give it freely."

I then stood back up and lifted Iron Hoof up onto my shoulders.
He yelped in surprise for a second.

"Do you remember which way you came from?" I asked.

He looked around for a second before answering,
"That way!" Pointing in the direction he had come from.

I then pulled my sword from the ground.
"Hold on."

Iron Hoof quickly wrapped his little hands and arms around my forehead as I started running in the direction of his parents.
I ran for a bit, following the timber wolves tracks backwards, before I sent a surge of energy into the ground from my feet. A few seconds later, I located Iron Hoof's parents and thankfully, they were both still alive.

I almost sighed in relief, until I sensed about a dozen of those timber wolves surrounding them. With this new revelation, I picked up my pace until I was almost gliding across the forest floor.
Little Iron Hoof was surprised at my speed and held onto me tighter.

The camp was just behind a small ledge ahead of us, so I slowed down and stopped on top of it to look over.
I looked down and saw their camp in a small clearing, which was torn up and in disarray now.
I did a quick scan over the camp and located the timber wolves and Iron Hoof's parents.

They had been backed up into a corner against another stone ledge on the other side of the clearing. Iron Hoof's father was carrying a large two handed hammer to fend off the timber wolves. He was badly scratched up and was bleeding all over.
His wife however seemed to be fine from what I could see from here.

Finished assessing the situation, I lifted Iron Hoof up and placed him on the floor before speaking.
"I will deal with the timber wolves. But I need you to get to your parents as soon as I get their attention. Do you understand?"

He nodded while watching his parents with worry, then suddenly shouted.
"Mom, dad!"

I quickly looked back in their direction and saw a single timber wolf on top of the ledge standing over Iron Hoof's parents. His father didn't see it coming until it leapt at him.

In an instant I raised my sword in both hands while my eyes burst into blue flames and I flashed in a blur of blue light towards the timber wolf. As soon as I reached it, I swung my blade and cleaved it in two, mid air.
It briefly howled in pain before it fell to the ground dead in front of Iron Hoof's parents.

I landed in front of them as well with my back facing the now nervous timber wolves who had halted their assault.
Iron Hoof's father was still holding the hammer defensively, but I could tell he was terrified of me, his wife included.

They both just stared at me in shock and fear as I spoke to them.
"Get your wife and yourself to your son. I'll deal with the timber wolves."

He nervously nodded his head before grabbing his wife's hand and guided her away from the timber wolves I turned to face.
The timber wolves were pacing back and forth as they all kept their eyes on me.
Out of the corner of my left eye, I saw Iron Hoof's parents rushing over to their son, who had climbed down from the ledge.

Returning my focus on the timber wolves before me, I raised my sword in both hands, getting into a fighting stance and stood still.
The timber wolves seeing me stand alone, decided to rush attack me.

As the first three of the timber wolves got within range, I swung my blade in a left downward angle, slashing the chest of one. I then quickly raised my sword again and brought it down at a right angle onto the other, before quickly thrusting forward and stabbed a third one through its chest.

I then ran towards three other timber wolves coming towards me.
Two of them attempted to leap at me from both my sides. Seeing this, I lowered my sword down to my side before leaping into the air and doing a quick spin, slashing their throats mid air. I then raised my sword above me and swung it downward onto the third's head as I came down.

I stood up straight raising my sword again as I stared at the remaining timber wolves. Their blood burning away on my blade.
Only half of the timber wolf pack remained. The ones still alive had stopped their charge and were now shaking nervously. They seemed to be trying to decide whether to attack again or to retreat.

Before they could decide though, I chose for them.
~"Leave. Now. Or die."~ My voice echoing darkly in their minds and ears.

As soon as I spoke, they lowered their heads and started to back away with their tails between their legs. When they got to the edge of the clearing they quickly turned around and ran as fast as their legs could carry them.

After watching them leave and checking for anymore threats, I lowered my sword and looked to find Iron Hoof and his parents standing next to their overturned carriage.

They were all staring at me with awe, which swiftly became fear for Iron Hoof's parents when I started to walk towards them.
To reduce tension, I placed my sword in its scabbard on my back. This action calmed the parents a little and the father lowered his hammer, but I could tell they were still nervous.

As I approached them I was finally able to study Iron Hoof's parents.
His father was a large dark gray stallion with a short charcoal black colored mane and tail.
His eyes were blue, and he had what looked like a tattoo of a hammer and chisel against a stone block, on both of his exposed shoulders.
He was tall and muscular. As can be expected from one who worked as a mason.
I assumed the tattoo was the logo to some type of mining company.
He wore thick gray cargo pants, a short sleeve blue shirt and a black sleeveless vest. All of which were torn up and bloodied.

Iron Hoof's mother was a tall slim mare with a long gold colored mane and tail. Her eyes were also a gold color and her fur was a pure white.
She wore a striped white and pink dress with short sleeves and a long skirt. Her dress shoulders had what looked like a paint brush and palette on them.

*Strange.* I thought, before noticing she was holding her visibly pregnant stomach.
*I had just saved four lives today.* I realized.

When I had finished studying them both, I spoke to try and calm them.
"It's okay. You're all safe now."

As I spoke, they both seemed to relax. Then the father grunted and dropped his hammer while falling to his knees.
I quickly grabbed him before he could fall on his face and gently laid him down on his back.

Iron Hoof had gasped and grabbed onto his father, while his mother had cried out.
"Stone Hoof!"

Kneeling down beside the now identified Stone Hoof, I quickly pulled open his shirt to reveal his wounds. He was bleeding profusely from many different lacerations and bite wounds all over his upper body.

As I examined the damage, I heard him speak to me in a weak voice.
"Thank you so much, for saving my family."

"Come on big guy. I just saved your life from the timber wolves too. Don't you die on me." I told him.

"Please Mr. Talion." I heard Iron Hoof say. I looked at him and he continued with teary eyes.
"Please don't let my father die."

I looked him in the eyes before saying with a smile.
"Do not worry Iron Hoof. He will live."

I then raised my right hand and held it over Stone Hoof as it burst into blue flames.
All three of them gasped and their eyes widened in shock as they saw this. I then looked back to Stone Hoof.
"This won't kill you, but it's not going to tickle either."

I then pressed my hand against his chest and sent energy coursing through his body. He briefly screamed in pain before settling down as the pain and wounds left his body.

Iron Hoof and his mother simply watched in awe as Stone Hoof was healed completely in front of them.
When the last of his wounds were healed and the power left his body, Stone Hoof began to examine himself while sitting up right.

He was at a loss for words. Stone Hoof just sat there baffled.
All his wounds were gone, as if they weren't even inflicted upon him in the first place.

Stone Hoof then looked at me with shock and curiosity.
"Who and what are you?" He asked me.

I just stood up, letting out a sigh, before replying.
"No one of consequence."