"Try to hold still, Captain," Sugar Rush said as he continued to bind Flash's badly mauled forearm in white bandages. Flash did his best to comply, despite the dull haze hanging over his mind as well as the pounding ache pulsing up his arm now that his adrenaline rush had worn off. He couldn't understand why it had not fully healed yet, even after applying the effects of a healing crystal from one of their med-packs. Lumen Dawn had even been gracious enough to cast a cursory spell of his own, though he made no point of trying to hide his open disappointment that the human wasn't presently occupying the bellies of their hosts. Even though these efforts served to stem his bleeding, the wounds remained open and fresh.
"Stand aside, staff sergeant." The earth pony's eyes widened as Sanguina appeared behind them, her daughter Ferra beaming at her side. Flash was surprised too, not expecting her to address his NCO by his actual rank. Most of the village ponies had begun to disperse, or at least spread out into a more relaxed grouping than the battle-ring they had previously formed. Sugar Rush hesitated at first, not wanting to move. Rather than appearing angry, Sanguina gave him a gentle smile,
"Please, staff sergeant. I just want to help," she said with measurable kindness.
Wait, what happened to her voice? Flash almost said out loud. Sanguina's voice had changed, sounding less husky, with a more mild, sweet tone that almost reminded him of Celestia though still slightly deeper. Her ponish was also clearer, no longer broken but articulate and concise.
Flash nodded to his teammate and Sugar Rush finally relented with a small nod of his head, stepping to one side. Sanguina nodded her thanks before stepping forward.
"Remove your bandages, Flash Skies," she said. Flash stared for a second, slightly confused, but did as she asked, exposing his badly torn flesh. He nearly recoiled in shock as Sanguina suddenly took hold of his arm and before he could object, licked his wounds with her warm tongue.
Flash stumbled backwards as she released his arm, "Whoa! Hey! Your highness, that is hardly necessary-" He stopped speaking though as a warm sensation flowed through his limb. He looked down and gasped as he saw his injury rapidly begin to heal before his very eyes until his arm was whole and sound once more. Sanguina licked her lips with obvious delight, smirking at his confusion while Ferra squeaked with an adorable giggle.
"The bite of my ponies has a certain magical quality to it. Once bitten, the prey's reflexes begin to dull and the wounds dealt by our teeth are slow to heal. All I did was remove that effect from your arm so that the healing spells you had applied could take effect."
Flash's eyes widened slightly in dawning comprehension, So it wasn't just that Ferra was getting faster, I was getting slower?!
"Flash Skies," she continued, disrupting him from his thoughts, "Would you and your fellow ponies accept my invitation to stay with us this evening for a banquet in your honor?"
Flash looked up from staring at his arm, opened his mouth to speak, but paused, still shocked as he was by the effect that her touch had had on his arm. The growing fog that had been hanging over his mind, dulling his thoughts and movements, began to lift as well, allowing him to think clearly once more. He glanced back at his team, five heads shook back and forth at him. He felt himself groan internally as he looked back to Sanguina, her face expectant, "It...would be an honor, your highness, thank you for your hospitality."
The sound of five hooves slapping five separate faces resounded behind him. Sanguina smiled,
"Wonderful. Now, would you please join me for a moment Flash? There are some matters we need to discuss. Ferra?" The orange pony perked up, joy radiating from her face,
"Yes momma?"
"Would you be so kind as to care for our guests while I speak with Flash? See to their comfort."
Ferra nodded eagerly, "You bet! Come on everypony! Let me show you where we're going to have you for dinner! I mean, make you for dinner! I mean, where we'll eat dinner, yeah! That's it!"
Flash took one more glance back at his teammates as he readied himself to follow after Sanguina, their disapproving glares promising bloody revenge upon him if things ended up going south while Ferra pranced gleefully around them, talking a mile a minute.
Better and better, he sighed to himself. He redonned his black trousers, boots, belt, and tunic before securing Shadowbane in the small of his back in its condensed form. He withheld putting his full armor back on, but opted on wearing his steel bracers just in case somepony tried to take a bite out of him again. After securing his heavy traveling cloak around his shoulders, he followed after Sanguina, his heart steady and his mind buzzing with questions.
Sanguina stepped through a dark cloth door held open for her by one of her ponies into what looked like a wooden long house, beckoning the human to follow her. Flash paused as he sensed somepony behind him. He turned around to see Sharps looking up at him, a skeptical, defiant look on the scrawny colt's face. Flash smiled,
"Hey, thanks for following me Sharps, but it'll be alright."
Sharps narrowed his faded blue eyes and stomped one hoof, tilting his head slightly to one side, looking unconvinced.
"Yeah, I know, okay. Keep an eye out for me, will you? Thanks Sharps." Sharps gave him a sharp salute before taking up a position on the other side of the doorway, opposite the Diomedian pony on the other side while Flash walked inside after Sanguina, the curtain closing behind him. The young stallion gave a confused, curious stare at the smaller Equestrian but quickly looked away as the tan unicorn cast him an intimidating glare from under his black helmet. The tribal pony deciding to go back to just looking straight ahead.
Flash stepped inside the dwelling, which was well lit thanks to the daylight pouring in through a square opening in the ceiling while the warm glow of burning oil lamps chased away any shadows the sunlight did not reach.
The walls were adorned with ornate woven fabrics that looked to be images of the nature of the island around them: rivers, waterfalls, depictions of trees, and several more depictions of two-dimensional ponies engaging fierce beasts in battle with their teeth and spears. It was truly a fascinating display of their culture, and Flash may have been able to appreciate it more if it were not for the sudden rush of lightheadedness that assailed him, causing him to stumble forward as the floor nearly rushed up to greet him.
A strong hoof caught him, arresting his fall and helping him back up to his feet. “Careful, Captain," she warned, "You’ve lost quite a bit of blood.”
Flash shook his head as he made himself alert again. He looked up, Sanguina smiled slyly at him, her gaze somewhere between kind and calculating.
“Sorry, thank you, your highness.” He replied, feeling a bit bashful, but also a little vulnerable. Her change in demeanor towards him, from being openly hostile to almost friendly was unsettling to say the least. But he knew she was right, he had lost a lot of blood. In addition to the pint he had given up earlier as a peace offering, Ferra had swallowed down quite a bit herself when she had clamped down on his arm with her mouth.
Sanguina stepped over to a small table where a clay teapot and cups were waiting. She filled one of the cups and handed it to him, “Here, drink this. It will help to restore your strength.”
Flash hesitated a moment, but accepted, nodding his thanks. If she were planning on killing me, she'd hardly need to drug my drink. He concluded. But that still didn’t stop him from subtly waving his hand over his drink, the enchanted sapphire he wore on a silver ring on the forefinger of his right hand, a gift from Luna, would alert him of any poisons, drugs, or spells; the ring remained silent. He took a sip of the herbal tea and though bitter, he found its effects immediate. A comforting warmth blossomed in his chest, spreading to his whole body and steadying his limbs with renewed strength.
Flash pulled up the left sleeve of his tunic and lifted his bracer to peak at his skin; no trace of the injury remained. He frowned, beginning to feel a bit frustrated.
"Alright, with respect, what is going on your highness? What happened to your voice? You're not talking to me like you did before."
Sanguina removed the white panther skull from her head, placing it on a stand while removing her other adornments until she was in her natural form. Flash finally took notice of her cutie marks, a set of step pyramids on her crimson flanks. He could see five layers of the wavy patterns on her front hooves, completely filling them, which made him realize with astonishment that there were fine carvings of the patterns even in her primary fangs.
How many monsters has she killed?! Flash wondered with alarm.
The large pony sighed, wiping away the white war paint from her face with a damp rag before finally turning about to face him. He had to admit, she looked far more approachable without her adornments and war paint, save her fangs. She gave her head a shake, her eyes squeezed shut while rubbing the back of her neck until there was an audible crack. She loosened her glossy brown mane so that it cascaded over her shoulders before giving him an apologetic smile,
"Well, honestly? It was all a test."
"A...test?" Flash said, wondering if he had misheard her.
Sanguina nodded, "Everything happened just as I told you, dear child. For almost a year, the ponies of those merchant ships treated us as if we were something less than equine, despite how patient we were with them. And I knew that after the incident, they would no doubt report us to Celestia as dangerous, uncivilized savages. So I had a thought, what if we were? How would the coming Equestrian inquiry treat us is if they found us as seemingly savage as reported? How would they respond? So by my command, we played the part. We played the part of a cliché just to see how you would treat us. If you treated us with the same disrespect as those merchants did, then I would be further convinced that Equestrians were all alike. But, if by chance, you treated us with the same dignity as you would any pony, despite our appearances and behavior, then those merchants who treated us with such hostility were the exception, and perhaps it would still possible to have good relations with Equestria."
Flash stared in surprise for a moment, somewhat incredulous as he began to review all the events in his mind in light of this revelation, wondering how much of their interactions were just a test.
"So, you really weren't going to eat Slipstream, were you?"
Sanguina shook her head, "No, though we are carnivores, we would never eat another pony. The very idea is barbaric. The suggestion that we would was just another test to see how you would respond. I was, curious to see how much of the stories about my ponies you believed."
Flash shrugged, "To be honest your highness, I didn't have much to go on, so I wasn't sure what to believe," he paused, "But you weren't going to just let him go either, were you?" He said, raising an eyebrow. The pony's countenance darkened slightly as she shook her head,
"No, we weren't. I had not yet decided what we were going to do with him, I was, am, still very enraged over the death of one of my ponies." Sanguina glanced away for a second, and Flash could see her hold back a surge of intense rage for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice was just above a whisper, but sounded no less threatening as she spoke through clenched teeth. "He was one of the gentlest among us, and a friend. How could they just kill him? I could not, will not simply let that go without some sort of retribution." She turned to look hard at him, before looking away, slowly pacing the room like a stalking wolf, taking measured, controlled breaths as she deliberated within herself.
Flash tensed at her momentary hostility, making ready to defend himself, so wrathful did she seem at the moment. At the same time, he let his features soften, "I am so sorry, your highness." He said with all the compassion he could convey, truly saddened by her loss, and angry at the carelessness of the pony who let it happen. He would see to it that he would answer for it. For the first time, he felt like he was beginning to see the real pony that Sanguina was. A strong, wise leader that cared deeply for her ponies; somepony who had been deeply hurt by loss. At the same time though, he couldn't help but feel like she was still making up her mind about what to do with him.
The pony paused, turning her piercing yellow eyes on him, her gaze hard and her features implacable. Flash steadfastly held her gaze though, not backing down, awaiting to see what she would so. After what felt like an eternity, with Flash even going so far as to making calculations on how quickly he could exit the building, he saw the light seemingly shift on her face as her expression began to soften ever so slightly,
"When you offered to take your companion's place, I was genuinely surprised," Sanguina said, glancing away for a moment before she turned back to look at him. "But I also saw an opportunity for retribution. If one of the sun princess' own died a bloody death in the course of an agreed upon duel, well then, she could not accuse us of hostilities now, could she? And at least there would be blood paid on part for our loss. But, now that I consider it," she grumbled before taking a breath, holding it for a moment before sighing, bowing her head slightly, "That might have been a bit shortsighted and hasty on my part to say the least."
For a long moment afterwards the room was silent, Sanguina seemingly lost in thought as she stared absently at one of the wall hangings. Eventually she came to with a shake of her mane. She looked over at him, smiling wryly at him with a sidelong, knowing glance,
"You're something special to her, aren't you?"
Flash smirked, "You might say that," he said. And to a certain moon pony... He thought, shuddering at the thought of what Luna might have done if he had gotten himself killed. But in the end, he remained confident that he was going to win or he would have never offered the challenge in the first place.
"Tell me though, would Ferra really have killed me?" Sanguina gave him a hard look before conceding with a nod,
"Yes, but if you had surrendered during the course of the fight, say, after she had injured you, I would have considered sparing you."
"And were you really planning on eating me?" And are you still planning to? Flash worryingly wondered to himself. Sanguina paused and gave him an appraising look, as if he were some prized trophy at a festival,
"Well..." She finally admitted with a sheepish grin that made Flash want to laugh out loud at her sudden display of nervousness. He bit his lower lip to suppress his grin. Despite the morbidly disturbing information that she and her ponies may or may not have been planning on devouring him, he couldn't help but feel amused at how the fierce warrior queen who before had filled him with such dread now seemed to be embarrassed to actually admit that eating him was not the best option. She snorted in annoyance at his amusement,
"Oh stop that!" She glowered, her cheeks flushing slightly in embarrassment, "Don't you realize what a walking temptation that you represent to us? You're lucky that somepony hasn't tried to get the jump on you yet!"
"Oh, I'm becoming more aware." Flash said with a modicum of gravity, not wanting to tempt fate. "I became quite aware of that as soon as I walked into your village and saw how your ponies looked at me."
Sanguina sighed, "I don't know if you can fully appreciate it, but your blood, your very scent is incredibly, no, unbelievably enticing. I've never experienced anything like it. And for whatever reason, your blood has a particularly potent effect on us."
"What do you mean?" Flash asked, now curious. Sanguina reached over and picked up of the table the canteen containing his blood, giving it a measure look,
"Consuming fresh blood naturally increases our abilities, I'm sure your thestrals experience a similar effect as they are distant cousins of ours. But we've never experienced anything like you, Flash Skies. Speed, strength, aggression, all are increased dramatically by the smallest taste. I myself had to concentrate intensely to maintain my focus after sampling your donation."
"Is that why Ferra seemed to lose control after biting me?" Flash asked, recalling in his mind the horrifying countenance that seemed to warp the pony into a monster. Sanguina nodded solemnly,
"It was worse than that," she gravely admitted, pausing a moment in thought as if reluctant to reveal what she was about to say next before finally speaking.
"It's called 'blood-frenzy'; thankfully it's very rare, I've only seen it a hooffull of times myself in my many years. But when it occurs, it is almost always fatal, and not just for the unfortunate soul who succumbs to its feverish grasp." Flash's eyes widened in alarmed comprehension as she continued,
"We're not sure what triggers it, but when it happens, the pony becomes mindlessly savage, and will attack anypony, even their own loved ones are no longer distinguished. The pony will not wake from their state for hours, and often has to be killed in self-defense by those whom they are attacking as there is rarely a way of safely restraining them in the wildness of their strength and aggression."
Flash swallowed as he felt his throat go dry at the implications of what she was telling him, and now understood why Sanguina had seemed so frightened when Ferra had attacked him in that state. "So, when you told Ferra that she owed me her life, it wasn't just because I refused to kill her, was it?" She smiled sadly at him,
"Exactly," she confirmed. "You also saved her from the blood-frenzy. I wasn't sure what I would have done if you hadn't awoken her." She admitted, bowing her head solemnly. He could still see her downcast eyes which were heavy with the tide of caustic emotions that she had been holding back for far too long. The long-held anger and unanswered grief she had been brooding on for weeks had finally been brought to the surface in the course of their conversation, only to be lanced by the intense gratitude she now realized she felt towards him; he could see it beginning to seep through her features.
Flash paused a moment to recall the memory of when Ferra had gone wild, and had heard Sanguina call out to her daughter in her native tongue, and now understood why she had sounded so worried, frightened at the time.
Flash's next consideration was to ask if the whole 'life-debt' for Ferra was really necessary, as he'd rather not be gifted with what was the equivalent of a pet tiger, but was abruptly snapped away from his thoughts as Sanguina suddenly stepped forward and embraced him with her neck, a single forelimb pressing into his back and squeezing him into her warm, soft fur, "Thank you, Flash Skies. Thank you for saving my daughter." She breathed into his ear.
He stiffened at her touch, completely caught off guard by the intimate gesture. It was honestly the last thing on Equus he expected her to do and was at a loss on how to react. At the same time, he could feel how she was trembling, her body shuddering with intense, repressed pain. He hesitated at first, not knowing if it was appropriate, before cautiously returning the embrace, placing his arms gently around the strong neck of the larger equine and lending what comfort he could. Her grasp on him tightened.
Flash realized that as her ponies' leader, she probably had no one to confide in anymore, especially with the death of her friend, and had yet to properly grieve. So he relented to remain with her in that moment for as long as she needed, giving the poor mare a moment to finally have some relief from her pain.
After what felt like a few minutes, Sanguina finally pulled away, sniffing as she wiped away a stray tear from one of her eyes and cleared her throat. She left a hoof on his shoulder for a moment longer while looking into his eyes, and the appreciation Flash saw in hers made him feel that at last, the two of them had finally come to an understanding. The door was now open for a new relationship, possibly even a friendship, to begin.
"If you tell anypony that I cried, I will eat you myself." She half-jokingly threatened, giving his shoulder a small squeeze which drew a nervous chuckle from the human,
"My lips are sealed." He reassured her. "And you can be certain that I will inform Celestia of the whole truth of what happened here." Sanguina smiled and nodded,
"Thank you, and give her my best. It's been a very long time since I've seen or spoken to ol' solar flank," she said, giving the top of his head an unexpected, affectionate nuzzle through his platinum hair before stepping away, a curious look in her yellow eyes.
"Hmm, wind, fresh rain, sunshine and clouds. Tell me, you're a hooman, so why do you smell like a pegasus?" She said, her nostrils flaring as she scented the air again; she cocked her head to one side, pausing in thought before adding, "And some, what is this, a...changeling?"
Incredible, their sense of smell is so precise that they can even smell magic?! Flash thought, amazed at this new revelation. Twilight would lose her mind if she knew such an ability existed!
He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Eh, it's kind of long story, your highness," he said, not knowing where to begin. Sanguina grinned at him,
"Well, perhaps we can discuss it over dinner tonight?" She said while gesturing towards the exit with one hoof.
"Just so long as I'm not the dinner," Flash murmured under his breath with a sigh.
"Certainly not!" Sanguina said, giving him a gentle bump with her shoulder as they walked towards the door together.
"Probably..." She added with a wink. Flash tried not to groan,
It's gonna be a loooong night...