//------------------------------// // A New Acquaintance and Study Material // Story: The Mystifying Adventures of Occult Readings and Gallant Knight // by Giftmak3r //------------------------------// It had been three weeks since Occult's initial enslavement to the dogs. Or, well, he thought it had been three weeks. Hard to tell how much time has passed when you can't see the sun as it turns out. The lacking sense of time was hardly even the worst thing that happened. It was so incredibly, unfathomably boring. Everyday it was always the same. Wake up, eat a basic breakfast, dig for gems, eat a meager lunch, dig more gems and then go to sleep just to do the same thing the next day. The barbaric dogs didn't even give him anything to read during his limited free time. Staring at the cold stone walls that surrounded him he wondered about the Yrvarni. Surely the trail has gone cold, but givin how dangerous it was, he couldn't just let it go. Yes, he had already sent a letter to Celestia about the danger, but she had never taken his warnings with any sense of urgency. He knew that the other demons he hunted before were never big threats, but he still had a uneasy weight set upon him. "Wake up pony, time to eat!" One of the more intelligent dogs shouted as a the door of his cell creaked loudly. The dog set down a tray of food and glared at Occult as if trying to set him ablaze with sight alone. This dog was called Rover. Always wore a tattered, filthy red coat and he was always impatient. Every time that Rover came with breakfast he would always hound Occult to eat faster so that he could start digging as soon as possible. Wanting to avoid the wrath of the dog Occult began to eat. This time he was brought some hay and two apples. Quite a lot more than normal. Unfortunately. Occult knew that this meant that he would be expected to dig more than normal as well. While he was more physically fit than the average unicorn, he was nowhere near fit enough to pull heavy carts and dig all day. With the insignificant amounts if food they gave him each day he could only be left to wonder how long it would be before he was claimed by starvation. It was almost to the point where he decided to summon a demon of gluttony just so he could have something to eat. The fact that he even considered summoning that demon only went to show how miserable he was. "Stop wasting time Annoying Yellow. Eat and work or else." Rover growed more agitated than before. Occult noticed, there was something odd about Rover today, he seemed much more aggressive than normal. Finishing up his meal he pondered as to what would cause this. Occult had hoped that it was a demon that was to blame so that he could finally do something, but doubt lingered in his mind. Pulling himself to his hooves he felt the chain pull him as Rover began to growl to himself. Occult felt the chain yank suddenly as Rover spoke. "We have new pony, very quiet, hurt my foot. You take care of him or else." There was another pony here? Occult immediately began to wonder why another pony would be here. It wasn't as if this cave was near the pathway to someplace important or there even remotely interesting around. He didn't think anypony would come here, and the only reason he came here was because of his job. What could this new pony be like? As Rover lead him down the hall, Occult noticed something unusual. Rover didn't stop to fasten the harness of the cart onto him, nor was there even a cart to begin with. He figured the new pony must be expected to pull the cart then. Rounding the corner of the tunnel and entering the main chambers he could see why Rover was so annoyed and Occult was filled with elation. What stood before him was a real life bat pony colt, or a thestral as they liked to be called. Occult couldn't be more excited, he would finally be able to talk to a thestral. He had so many questions about Nightmare Moon and bat pony culture and everything bat pony related. Occult couldn't help but squee in anticipation which drew the ire from Rover and the curiosity from the colt. The colt was a typical example of the thestral race, he looked almost exactly like the books had shown. Serpentine eyes, fangs slightly poking out of his lips, a blue-grey coat and an almost black mane. He lacked a cutie mark unlike what the book said, but Occult just presumed that was because of the colts age rather than biological differences between their species. He noticed the colt was giving him a somewhat foul look, also in tune with what the book had said. Thestrals were supposed to be more aggressive than normal ponies. Add onto this their allegiance to Nightmare Moon during the Civil War. One could reasonably assume that thestrals harbored a strong disdain if not outright hatred of other ponies. Oooo Occult was so excited to pick the brain of a thestral. "Stop drooling, start digging Yellow." Rover snarled, shoving a pickaxe into Occult's muzzle. Rover's attention then gravitated to the colt. The lanky dog lumbered over to the colt and tightly fastened the harness to the colt, squeezing his frame in a way that looked incredibly uncomfortable. "Try and run again and bat pony gets no food." Occult began to walk towards the nearest mindshaft with the colt, reluctantly, in tow. He had a million questions for the colt. Why did he try to run? Aren't thestrals supposed to be more aggressive? Were thestrals pure carnivores or are they omnivorous? What was their culture like? So many questions, unfortunately they would have to wait until later tonight. If the dogs caught him questioning the colt rather than digging, he would surely be reprimanded. So Occult and the still unnamed thestral worked. Occult mined for gems and the colt carried them along. For the first few hours there was no speech, no noise other than the melodic rhythm of pickaxe striking rock. The gaurd dogs watched over the two vigilantly, as if at any moment they would need to be ready for a fight. Which was odd. He never put up a fight to the dogs and he doubted that the colt could hurt them either. *TINK* *TINK* *TINK* The digging bothered him. Occult was so accustomed to the bizarre and unusual that such a monotonous activity drove him mad. He was born to investigate the strange. Spending all day everyday digging was terrible. He couldn't wait until the day that the Royal Guard came to his aid. *TINK* *TINK* *TINK* Hours passed as Occult mined and the colt followed. The gems he dug were more numerous today than normal and Rovers sour demeanor lightened and the gems flew in. While the less hostile behavior of his captor was good, but he wanted to know about the colt. The colt who hasn't muttered a single word or done anything significant at all. At least the day should be almost up. *TINK* *TINK* *TINK* "Hmmm, you dig lots of gems today. Good job, you go back to sleep now." Rover mumbled releasing the colt from the harness and pushing the two back towards the holding cell. Now Occult could finally ask some questions.