//------------------------------// // 643 - The Mother Load // Story: Lateral Movement // by Alzrius //------------------------------// The clink of coins hitting the ground accompanied Turid as she returned, causing the mother wolf’s ears to fold back as she deposited her bounty at Lex’s hooves. “This stuff gets everywhere,” she muttered darkly once her jaws were free, glowering at the gold that had fallen along her path. “Better that than trying to close it up,” murmured Solvei, a shiver running through her as she glanced back at Lex, unnerved by how he was just staring at the thing. “Each time someone opens that, there’s something different inside,” she explained. “It’s unnatural.” “We usually just push whatever that comes out of there back into it,” added Turid, “but after the last time, when Sten and Ebbe were daring each other to open it, I decided to leave it unsealed. It only changes things when its closed, and better it spit out litter like this” – she flicked a gold coin with her tail, sending it skipping across the rocky terrain – “than something more dangerous.” “It’s because the folded spaces inside of it all have variable orientation,” replied Lex, his voice distracted. “If they’re not opened with any particular configuration in mind, then it will place a random item in the topmost position.” Turid and Solvei shared a blank look before turning their eyes back toward Lex. “Huh?” they grunted in unison. But he wasn’t paying attention to either of them, silently invoking his circlet’s ability to let him see into the magical spectrum as he regarded the object that Turid had brought back. A few seconds later, it confirmed what he’d already concluded. The backpack lying in front of him was an extradimensional storage device, just like the one he’d lost when fighting Xiriel. By itself, that wasn’t much of a surprise. Those were among the more common magic items to be found on this world, owing to their utilitarian nature. While not ubiquitous by any means – largely owing to how all but the cheapest of magic items was priced outside the reach of what most ponies could afford – finding one like this was only mildly improbable. But even so, Lex couldn’t help but be perturbed by the symmetry of what was happening. Having been brought to Everglow against his will was nothing new; it had been how he’d originally come to this world, roughly a year ago now. But while his return was wholly unwelcome – albeit better than dying – the last forty-eight hours had brought up parallels to a previous trip that were becoming progressively harder to ignore. Except that prior expedition he was seeing allusions to now wasn’t with regard to the time he’d spent on Everglow before. Rather, the events of the last two days bore striking resemblance to his recent life back on Equestria. That his time here was an unexpected detour, just like his trip to Tall Tale had been, was easy enough to dismiss as coincidence. But then he’d become separated from Thermal Draft, much like he had been from Sonata during that excursion. The details were different, of course, but then – just like now – their parting had been preceded by meeting an intelligent creature who was in need of aid, their family having been forcibly pressed into service by a monster that wanted to use them to abet its plans to devour ponies. And now, the same way the dragon he’d killed had been in possession of a portable hole filled with gold, Turid had produced a similar item that was also brimming with coinage. Is this the Night Mare’s doing? Is that why she brought me here? Lex wondered uneasily. Conceptual frameworks had always come easily to him, but the significance of religious symbolism wasn’t something he found easy to grasp. She said she was giving me the opportunity to grow stronger, but how does facing down facsimiles of trials I’ve already overcome accomplish that? An icy paw gently touching his shoulder broke his train of thought. “Lex?” murmured Solvei. “Is everything okay?” The interruption was enough to dispel his misgivings. What was he doing? A vague resemblance between his current circumstances and a snapshot of his earlier life was indicative of nothing. Worse, it was a distraction from the more immediate issue: rescuing Thermal Draft. To that end, the proper course of action was to evaluate what Turid had brought him to see if any of it could help with retrieving the abducted pegasus. “Stand back,” Lex ordered without preamble, lifting the haversack in his telekinetic grasp and holding it away from him. “I’m going to empty this.” Turid backed up with a yelp, wings flaring in alarm. Solvei’s reaction was more subdued, moving to put Lex between herself and the raised backpack, but remaining by his side. With no further hesitation, Lex turned the backpack inside out, letting its contents spill onto the ground. Five minutes later, Lex once again found himself staring. This time at the incredible hoard of treasure strewn before him. The gold coins numbered in the thousands. While Lex had dealt with larger sums before, this was still a windfall of considerable magnitude. Enough to obviate any monetary concerns that might arise after he rescued Thermal Draft and found a nearby settlement. Having studied Everglow’s economy during his prior time here, it was easy for Lex to estimate the overall worth of the gold in front of him. In this world, a pony that was skilled at their trade could earn a gold coin a day, perhaps more if they were particularly gifted in their field; presuming that they lived a modest lifestyle and tempered their spending habits, their living expenses would be roughly one-third of their income. Which meant that the average pony could earn roughly two hundred-fifty gold coins – or gold “pieces” as they were called here – in net profit over the course of a year. By that margin, there was easily ten years’ worth of gold lying in front of him. More than that, in all likelihood. Of course, that sum would doubtlessly be larger if the gemstones that sat among the piles of gold were properly appraised. Although there were less than a dozen of them, and none were of exceptional size or luster, Lex knew at a glance that each of them were more valuable than the baubles that littered Equestria. Enough so that, if he’d had any thaumaturgical spells prepared, he’d have been tempted to use the gems as repositories to store some of them in. And those were the very least of what the backpack had contained. Nearly an entire wardrobe’s worth of clothes was present, comprising several different outfits. Some were entirely practical, such as the wool suit with fur trim that seemed designed specifically for the cold, while others were of a far more ostentatious presentation, such as the brocaded outfit with silver buttons and gold embroidery. Save for a few wrinkles, any of them could have been freshly sewn, their threads lacking the slightest hint of wear or fade. There were also several small cases, each one latched. The largest had been full of various chemicals and extracts in thin metal vials, and Lex had quickly recognized it as an alchemical kit, the kind used to concoct mixtures that utilized the base magical properties of various substances in order to provoke reactions beyond what mere chemical catalyzation could create. It had been an unwelcome reminder of his recent defeat at Dark Streak’s talons, and Lex had given it only a cursory examination before setting it aside. The next case had also contained a variety of chemicals, but these were presented alongside various bandages and powdered herbs, along with a small scalpel, tweezers, and other implements that made its medical usage obvious. While that was less useful than it would have been even a day ago, now that he could simply use divine authority to imbue Solvei with healing ability, it would still be convenient to have after he and the wolf parted ways. The third and final case was even more varied than the other two had been, containing a variety of esoteric substances which on their own made little sense. A few copper coins, a pinch of wool, a piece of coal, some unidentifiable animal hairs, and other knickknacks were all laid out in small containers. It was only when Lex saw the folded belt, complete with hooks for hanging the cases off of it, that he understood what he was looking at: it was a case full of spell components, minor material items that certain magical traditions on Everglow required – alongside the more typical verbal and somatic triggers – to cast their spells. But even if that hadn’t been there, it would have been obvious that the backpack’s owner had been a spellcaster. The magic items it held were proof enough of that. Contrary to Lex’s expectations, the haversack itself wasn’t exactly like the one he’d lost. It was, in fact, an improved design, with its capacity more than triple what his own version had possessed. Of course, its total weight – while still unchanged regardless of how much it contained – was slightly heavier than his own had been, but only by a few pounds, making it a more than worthwhile tradeoff. That was just the first of more than a dozen enchanted objects. Roughly a third of them were little more than trinkets, petty magical curios whose magic was so miniscule that even the feeble magical imbuement processes of his native Equestria could have produced them. A small wand that, when waved over an area, cleaned it of dust, dirt, and grime. A pin that did much the same for whoever wore it. A bedroll designed to keep whoever slept in it warm and comfortable. A small metal box which was cool to the touch, but when opened revealed a smokeless fire that perpetually burned within. A ball of string that seemingly never grew smaller no matter how much it was unwound. Several potions of minor note were also present. Two briefly increased the drinker’s speed. Two allowed for unknown languages to be comprehended, whether spoken or written. The final two made whoever imbibed them able to experience a singular moment of kinetic intuition, the sort of thing which Lex knew was useless for most everyday activities but was extremely valuable during a fight. But it was the last five which were the most powerful. One was a cloak which had a general ward against misfortune woven into it. Like the extradimensional backpack, those were fairly common items, but this one was unusually powerful, more so than the one he currently possessed. The next two were so obviously complementary that Lex couldn’t help but think of them as a matched pair. One was a robe of plain brown thread that belied the potent enchantment it held. The other was an amulet of similar strength. Like the cloak, the amulet was similar to a protective device he already had. But while his was designed to harden the skin, creating a layer of natural armor, this one went a step further. It not only toughened the epidermis, but also swelled and increased the flow of the magical channels that flowed through the wearer’s extremities, allowing them to not only imbue a degree of magical force in their punches and kicks, but also to deliver spells as a part of their strikes. It was enough to make Lex’s earlier apprehensions about the parallels between his recent past and now momentarily resurface, recognizing the amulet’s enchantment as variation of the spell scroll that he’d taken from the dragon’s hoard, and which had saved his life when he’d fought Lirtkra back in Vanhoover. This one was far weaker, but it was also continuous in nature rather than only lasting for a minute or so. Similarly, the more modest flow of power was set to abet, rather than hinder, his spellcasting abilities, trading power for versatility in that regard. The robe was also an item that heightened its wearer’s attack and defense at the same time, but in a different manner. Specifically in how it stored up a miniscule amount of kinetic energy – though never more than a minute amount, with any excess being lost – from its wearer’s movements, redirecting it to both push away incoming attacks while simultaneously lending greater force to the user’s own strikes. Neither were outrageously strong, but were still enough to turn even an untrained combatant into a competent fighter. The penultimate item was a plain steel rod, two feet long and a half-inch in diameter. But when viewed under the magical spectrum, it radiated an aura of divinatory construction that was almost kaleidoscopic in its intricacy. It had taken Lex almost a full minute to puzzle out what it did, and when he finally unraveled its secrets, he’d snatched it up so quickly it had startled Solvei and Turid. The rod continuously emitted a complex but subtle form of emotion-detection within several dozen feet in all directions. Specifically, it sensed hostility – not simply enmity or dislike, but fierce animosity – directed toward whoever held it. It then reacted in a magnetic fashion, pointing in the general direction of those individuals, regardless of their attempts to hide or conceal themselves. Indeed, a moment’s concentration could make the rod magnify its detection capabilities, pinpointing the precise location and number of enemies within its range, though it could only be made to operate at that heightened function three times in a twenty-four-hour period. But it was the last item that was the most notable, and most powerful, of them all. Carved out of a single piece of wood whose coloration was unnaturally pale was a mask fashioned in the shape of a pony skull. That one had multiple magical effects laid upon it. One was a petty transmutation effect so that it would fit whoever wore it. Another was a modest enchantment to make the one who wore the mask seem more intimidating. A third was a minor necromantic effect which allowed the wearer to briefly but repeatedly conjure up a trickle of negative energy – the antithesis of healing magic, which directly assaulted the life force of any living creature – around one limb, using it to attack a creature struck. And the fourth and final enchantment… Behind him, Solvei shifted her weight nervously between her paws. “I saw that wooden skull once when I was little,” she remarked, trying to keep her voice light as she glanced at her mother. “Remember that? Ebbe, Sten, and Kaja were teasing me, so I wanted to prove that I could be as brave as them, and I opened up that seidr bag and the skull fell out.” Turid gave a strained chuckle. “You screamed so loudly your father heard you from the other end of the valley. It took a month before you’d go anywhere near the back of the den after that.” “At least I showed up my siblings,” laughed Solvei, though like her mother it came out as forced. “They ran away so fast you would have thought that Vutok himself had lit their tails on fire, but I stayed put.” “Only because you passed out from fright,” retorted Turid. “I’d never seen your father so scared as when he ran in and saw that you weren’t mov-” She wasn’t able to finish, giving a sudden gasp of alarm, one that was echoed by Solvei, as Lex turned the mask over in his hooves and placed it upon his face. “L-Lex?” gulped Solvei. “Are you…are you sure that’s safe?” “For me, yes,” replied Lex darkly, causing the wolves’ fur to bristle in fright, the baleful tone in his voice amplified by the mask’s power. “But not for the Red Man, if he’s harmed Thermal Draft.” He didn’t look at them as he spoke, instead putting the treasures he’d received to good use. The new cloak and amulet replaced his old ones. The enemy-detecting rod was slid through the belt of the cold-weather gear he put on after that. The robe was donned a moment later. Everything else was placed back into the backpack, which was the final thing he put on. The final result made wolves back away in fear. The unenchanted clothes he wore were universally black, designed to catch as much heat as they could. The contrast only heightened the pale coloration of his skull mask, even more frightening for the way his red horn now protruded from the middle of it, looking as though it was bathed in blood. The backpack he wore was hidden beneath his robes, giving him a hunched appearance that suggested that he was preparing to spring, and the cloak he wore seemed to billow around him like a shroud. With the way his eyes glowed beneath the hollow sockets of the mask, and the purple aura from his horn casting just enough light to make his shadow visible, looming large on the cave wall behind him, the effect was even more frightening than his umbral transformation had been. For both Solvei and Turid, the sight evoked the same impression: That they were looking at the grim specter of death itself. Neither dared to breathe, just staring at the fearsome sight in front of them, until Kaja’s voice broke the silence. “Sorry that took so long!” she called as she came bounding back, reams of paper folded beneath her wings. “I wanted to gather all of them up at once so-, AAAAAAAAAHHH!!!” Her shriek of terror as she caught sight of Lex reverberated throughout the den, ending only when her eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped to the ground, unconscious. As Turid rushed over to check on her other daughter, Solvei snickered weakly as her heartbeat began to slow down. “Well, I guess now I’m not the only one who’ll be teased about how scary that mask is.” Lex didn’t bother replying, instead telekinetically grabbing one of the long pieces of paper that Kaja had been bringing him. Bringing it closer, he scowled as he saw that it wasn’t written in a script that he was familiar with. After a moment’s consideration, he withdrew one of the language-comprehension potions and downed it, waiting impatiently for the draught to kick in. When it did, he quickly began to skim the document, idly noting Bolverk’s name near the top of the paper as he took in the salient terms written there. …phistophilus… …Prevarius… …contract… …Hell… Despite the warmth of the clothes he’d put on, Lex felt a chill as he continued reading, and not just because the apparent presence of a devil threw his earlier misgivings about how his personal history was repeating itself into stark relief. The mutation that Bolverk – and, most likely, the other wolves – had undergone wasn’t a mutation at all. It was a physical reflection of a much deeper alteration, one that had serious consequences beyond any mere warping of the body. If Thermal Draft had signed a contract like this… Intellectually, Lex knew that he’d been right not to rush after the missing pegasus as fast as he could. Taking time to evaluate the situation and explore his options had been what had enabled him to unlock the greater potential of the divine authority he’d been given, as well as make use of the magic items that the superstitious wolves had overlooked. But now his sedate pace seemed like the worst mistake possibly could have made, and Lex knew he could tarry no longer. “Turid!” he snapped, causing the wolf in question to jump from where she’d been helping Kaja to stand upright. “Take me to the Red Man now!” Solvei cocked her head. “Shouldn’t we wait for Sten and Ebbe to come back, in case-” “I SAID TAKE ME TO THE RED MAN!” bellowed Lex. “RIGHT NOW!!!”