Thrill of the hunt
I ran. I don’t think I have ever run so fast for so long in my life. The trees were thick around me, their roots attempting to snag at my paws as I dashed by, their trunks a constant hindrance to my flight, and the great canopy of leaves they created blocking out the little light that the full moon offered. As my paws hit the uneven ground of the forest floor I bore my sharp teeth against the pain. I had been running for so long now, and in my panic I had not always avoided the obstacles the dark forest offered up before me.
To think that just this morning I had been enjoying a perfectly normal day. Pleasant even. A perfect sunny day in the countryside, the perfect way to relax after a ‘job’. I take pride in what I do for Equestria, even if what I do can never be known and I’ll never get a parade thrown in my honor. I take pride in it anyway because it makes Equestria safe from the monsters that plague it, and stopping them makes me feel like less of a monster myself. True, there are things I’ve done on the job that leave me up at night, well they would leave me up at night if the moon didn’t do that to me already. What? I have every right to ramble. I’m fleeing for my life, give me some slack.
So anyway like I said, it was a beautiful warm day, perfect for relaxing and enjoying ‘the view’. What a view it was, plenty of mares out enjoying the sunshine. It was about noon when I met her in the park. I had decided to go for a stroll and enjoy the fact that I didn’t have to be all secretive doing it for once when a mare walked up to me. She was drop dead gorgeous, a mare that makes you want to get down and thank Celestia for making you a stallion ya know? She had a lithe silver coated body that shined in the sunlight. Her hooves were polished so well that I could see my reflection in them, and she smelled of wildflowers. All she wore was a small golden pendant of Celestia’s cutie mark. Ya know, looking back somethin’ about that pendant made me feel uncomfortable. Probably shouldn’t have shrugged that off. Hindsight is perfect, right?
She walked right up to me with this little half smile on her ruby red lips and looked at me with the deep sapphire eye that was exposed on her face, the other was hiding behind her curvy blond mane.“Dobryj dyen privlikateenei.”
As much as I could have listened to that velvet like voice spout nonsense words in a thick Hooviet Union accent at me all day I was kind of hoping for something I could use in a conversation.
She rose her eyebrow at my silence before her eye widened and she got a cutest blush on her cheek. “Prostitye, forgive me. I sometimes forget to speak as the locals do. I merely meant to say hello.”
She said her name was Silver Wolf (or Silver Volf as her accent put it), that she was on her way to Canterlot as a tourist. Apparently she was hoping I could give her a suggestion on where to eat in town. I told her about a little place that makes the best sandwiches and before I could even work out how to ask her if I could join her, she asked me! Gorgeous mare comes to me and then asks to have lunch with her? Best. Day. Ever.
On the way to the restaurant she caught me eyeing her flank. I figured I was in trouble but she just smiles and says “Ah you are wondering about my milashka znak yes? I got it at a fair that came to my town when I was a filly. They had a booth with toy rifles. If you could get pyat’ perfect shots in a row a large stuffed bear could be had. I did it on my first try and then there it appeared.”
I realized she had mistaken my ogling for curiosity of her cutie mark, which upon inspection was of a black circle with a crosshair inside it. I smiled politely and told her it was a lovely story, all the while thinking of how lucky I was today, first getting this date and then getting caught looking at her flank without repercussions? Very nice.
After our meal we sort of walked around town aimlessly together. She was a pretty good listener, always asking questions and showing interest at the right moments of my stories. Of course I had to feed her a lot of bull about my life since the truth is pretty confidential, I can tell you but I’d have to kill you stuff. I saw that it was nearly nightfall and realized I had to cut this short. It was a full moon tonight after all, and although I know I wouldn't lose control I thought that the experience might be soured for her if I suddenly turned all canine monster on her.
She seemed kind of put out that I wanted to call it a night, but she perked up a little when I told her that I would love to meet up again. She got that little half smile I saw on her face when she first came to me and leaned in kissing my cheek, then purred in my ear “do svidaniya”. I knew I would be seeing that swaying flank in my dreams after she walked away from me.
I was safe in my apartment by the time Luna’s moon peeked up from the horizon. Contrary to modern fiction, changing is by no means a painless thing. I learned long ago that unless I wanted some awkward conversations with the neighbors that it’s best to gag myself before it happens. The change went without incident and I waited in my apartment for it to get later and the streets to clear out for the night. Normally when I change it’s by choice, but on a full moon it’s a compulsion, and with that compulsion comes the need to hunt. The wolf inside gets stronger with the full moon and if you want to keep control you have to learn to give in every now and then...keep it happy.
So I snuck out of my apartment and made for the woods outside of town. Plenty of wildlife in there to slake my bloodlust on instead of some poor pony. I was almost to the woods when I heard them. I could tell there were two of them, one on each side and big suckers by the sound of it. The pads of their feet were slowly drawing them closer while barely making a sound in the tall grass. If it weren't for my increased hearing I wouldn't have noticed them until they were on top of me.
I figured I was in luck, some dope of a predator thinks it can take a lycan down? Fine by me if dinner wants to deliver itself. At least that’s what I thought until they walked out of the grass behind me. My eyes shrank in fear and my pulse quickened. These weren't a couple of dumb dogs picking the wrong target, they were dire wolves. Don’t know what a dire wolf is? Imagine the biggest meanest lycan you can, then take out every last scrap of pony identity that a lycan has and replace it with even more pissed off wolf and you will have an idea. And these two made even that description pale in comparison. They looked like a couple of guard hounds from Tartarus with their blood red fur, yellow eyes, and foaming maws full of long sharp teeth.
Those monsters were relentless. I ran around trees, through thorn bushes, even across running water and they still tracked me. Every time I tried to make a turn one of them would just speed up and block me off keeping me in a straight path away from town. Then things got much worse.
As I was emerging from another bramble bush a pony dressed all in black with some freaky mask that had glowing green eyes lunged out at me with a blade strapped to his leg. Normally a little knife like that wouldn't give me pause but when it scraped my side it felt like the blade was coated in freaking lava. I know what you’re thinking and no the blade wasn't silver...or it wouldn't matter if it was anyway because that’s as much hogwash as vampires bursting into flames in the sun.
Between the sound of my pursuers getting closer and the mystery pony of burning blade death I decided that discretion was the better part of valor and legged it after knocking the pony over with a quick buck...which isn't quite as effective with paws instead of hard hooves.
And now we are all caught up. Me running myself ragged through this forest with a cut in my side that won’t heal up as it should have by now. I don’t know if it’s just my panic playing tricks on me but I swear I hear multiple ponies following me now in addition to those wolves. Who are these fuckbags?! Are they from one of my missions for Luna? Did I screw up somewhere along the way and get found out?
I was shaken out of my questions when I emerged from the forest to the base of a grassy hill. I really didn't think I could keep this running up so I went for the best option I saw available at this point, take the high ground. My pursuers should be just as tuckered out as me from the run, so at least we would be even in that regard...right?
I found out the hard way that the answer wouldn't matter. As soon as I got to the top of the hill pain exploded from my back left leg as it was torn from my body in a rain of blood and bone that sent me crashing into the dirt face first. I looked back and saw the stump where my limb used to be, my liquid vitae quickly gathering around the shredded remains of my femur. Strangely I didn’t feel any pain, it almost didn’t feel real. Like I was seeing the carnage through somepony elses eyes, that wasn’t my blood on the ground. I was thrust out of my observations by the sound of some kind of explosion that echoed from far away. Turning forward once again I desperately tried to make my way forward by digging my claws into the dirt. I gave a strong pull with my legs only to have my right foreleg blown apart, blinding me as a mist of blood covered my face. I could hear another of those distant explosions over the sound of my own howl of agony.
As I lay there panting in a pool of my own blood I was aware of my pursuers surrounding me. The dire wolves growled from behind me and two of the masked ponies came to my front. I didn't have the strength to raise my head more than an inch or two, let alone tear their faces off like I so desperately wanted.
The pony to my right spoke to the group in a deep magically altered voice “Brother Greenfield wants it alive for testing, get it to the safehouse.” The other pony nodded and turned back to me. I stared in wonder as the pony lifted his foreleg over my head. The leg was wreathed in some kind of golden light that I could barely stand to look at. It was like he had wrapped a small part of the sun around his leg. The last thing I saw was that glowing hoof coming down on my face.
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Far from the scene, laying on an outcropping of a nearby mountain a silver coated mare rose to her feet and swung a large Marett M82A1 rifle onto her back with a wide grin. She turned to the masked pony next to her that held a small telescope like object. “Ochenʹ khoroshiy comrade, we are done here. Get back to brother Greenfield and tell him that the mission was a success, the beast is now in the hooves of the order.” The masked pony gave a quick nod and disappeared in a flash of golden light. Looking in the direction of her fallen prey Silver Wolf let her grin fall back into her characteristic half smile. “Do svidaniya oboroten”