Denuo Fortuna

by Firecaller


Chapter 2 - Payback - Redone

Chapter 2 - Payback - Redone

Despite the fading light, the looting was in full swing now. Bodies from both sides were being stripped of anything of value and having it thrown onto the back of the wagon. A couple of Diamond Dogs had unhitched the earth pony who had been pulling the wagon and were currently rolling him, unceremoniously, out of the way.

Sitting on the side of the track, the unicorn watched the looting with a carefully neutral expression. Her expression flickered only slightly as she watched them start to use hammers to shatter the leg bones of a pegasus; her armour had been dented by an impact and was proving difficult remove. By breaking her legs, they were hoping that they could bend them to angles that would help them get the armour off her. Diamond Dog bodies were being treated little better.

She’d found out from one of Diamond Dogs that they were from the den that the guards had raided earlier. While the loss of slaves from the den was a major blow to it, the guards hadn’t stopped there. Elders, mothers, and even pups had been among the dead, not to mention they had collapsed a large portion of the den. The ambush wasn’t for slaves.

As most of the Diamond Dogs had seen her take down the unicorn guard who had been holding them off, a measure of ‘the enemy of my enemy’ had been extended. So, for now, they were leaving her alone.

Her feeling of unease grew as she got more and more sidelong looks, each followed by a knowing look towards the empty harness on the wagon. The fact that more than one Diamond Dog was now proudly showing off their new ‘unicorn horn’ necklace wasn’t helping her to relax either. She ran a hoof down her own horn as a Diamond Dog passed her by, sporting one.

‘Waiting to see if they were going to leave me any supplies to grab was a bad idea. Right! Time to leave.’ Standing up, she turned to go, only to find a Diamond Dog towering over her.

“Think little pony should pull wagon.”

Taking a step back and charging up her horn, she glared at him. “Buck you!”

The Diamond Dog laughed as a glow surrounded her horn. “Not scared of little light.” Taking a step forward, still laughing, he grabbed her horn.

‘Bucking Idiot.’

His eyes widened as a frost quickly covered his arm up to his elbow.

Quickly realizing that he couldn’t let go of her horn, his tugs became panicked, causing her to wince in pain at the shocks to her horn.

“That bucking hurts, s-stop it! I hate pain! I’m warning...”

The jolts became more frenzied.

Trying to focus as her head was pulled this way and that, she took a wild swipe at the arm he was holding her with, catching it midway between his paw and elbow.

The frosted limb didn’t bend or give on impact, it shattered. A spray of crystallized red-and-white fragments was sent over the track.

The Diamond Dog stood there, staring open-mouthed at his stump as she sat back onto her haunches, holding her head with both hooves as she waited for her world to stop spinning.

Still dizzy, she fell back onto all four legs and swung her head back and forth trying to help clear it, inadvertently sweeping her horn over the three Diamond Dogs that had started to move towards her. Stopping dead, they watched her horn intently, flinching as it passed over them. In unspoken agreement, all three turned to loot the same nearby body as they tried to look as non-threatening as possible.

As her world stopped spinning she looked around at the Diamond Dogs. All seemed very interested in the bodies they were currently looting.

‘Focus you stupid mare. Get your flank outta here while you still can.’

She shook her head a few more times before taking a step away from them. Pausing by the Diamond Dog missing his forearm, she prodded him in his chest. “I’d suggest you bandage that before it thaws out. You might experience a slight ‘stinging sensation’ later. You have a nice life now.”

Turning, she started walking back down the track, flicking her tail at him as she passed.

‘Steady! Don’t run yet!’

Walking rather stiffly, she could feel the eyes of many upon her. Keeping one ear pointing backwards, she made her way towards the bend in the track.

Once past it, and certain they could no longer see her, she broke into a full gallop.

* * *

Sitting under a tree, catching her breath from her headlong run, she began contemplating her options in the moonlight.

‘I could stop here, but I think the more distance I put between myself and those Dogs the better. Besides, I want to get back and recover my saddlebags, and contents. Not to mention, I do so want to thank that waitress... properly.’

A half smile formed.

‘Plus my bounty, she’ll have my bounty.’

A full smile formed.

‘Oh yeah. Let’s go collect ‘my’ bounty. Hopefully, she’ll have been too busy drinking herself silly with it to worry about my saddlebags. Mind you if she’s lost them or, more importantly, what’s in them...’

Tapping on her horn with a hoof she thought. ‘I would really have to get unpleasant and...’

Pausing, a frown formed as she felt around her horn with a hoof. Her shoulders slumped as realized what had happened. With a flick of a hoof, the Diamond Dog paw that was still wrapped around her horn came loose, flying up into the air and shattering when it hit the ground.

* * *

Scarlet Flagon trudged home from the bar.

Already exhausted from the long hours of waitressing, the mud sucking at her hooves drained what little energy she had left. The mud, already coating the bottom half of her, was now starting to pepper everywhere else on her with splashes.

She didn’t really notice this as she was still seething at her unicorn co-waitress for getting the pay rise instead of her. Her mental tirade against all unicorns, and her co-waitress in specific, had continued unabated from the moment she had left the bar.

‘That damned unicorn bitch, able to just float three mugs over to three customers at once. She spills every one of them, -every- damn time. Yet the head bartender still seems to love her.’

She paused to consider this.

‘Probably more than figuratively.’ she added spitefully. ‘Whereas I don’t spill a drop, but being an earth pony I can only go to one table at a time.’ She paused and slammed a hoof down, causing a spray of mud.

“It’s so unfair!” After a second she hung her head, feeling somewhat ashamed at the childish outburst.

‘It’s true though. Quantity over quality, that’s all he cares about. Well, that and a shapely flank.’ She thought, unable to resist the barb.

Stomping through the mud she eventually came to the door of her house. ‘Right, smile on, let's not worry the little one.’

Walking in, taking care to wipe as much as the mud off her as possible, before undoing her saddlebags and hanging them up in the hallway.

“Hi Sweetie, mummies home. How was your day?”

A young filly’s voice came from the living room. “Hello mummy, today was wonderful. Found a great new friend to play with!”

Scarlet kicked the front door shut with a back hoof and trotted into the living room, making a mental note to run a bath as soon as possible.

In the living room, her young filly was enraptured at the sight of her two rag dolls dancing a waltz together in midair.

In the middle of the room, sitting with her back to Scarlet, was a unicorn mare, with a white back.

Scarlet’s mouth fell open. ‘A white back, a-a-a white back! Oh my Celestia! She’s gotten free... and is sitting with my foal!’

Scarlet, eyes fixed on the unicorn, managed a strangled, “Sweetie!”

The two rag dolls stopped their dance. Both slowly turned their heads to look at her and raised their forehooves to beckon her further into the room. She jumped when the door to the hallway behind her closed with a click.

Her young filly looked at her with an innocent expression. “Isn’t she so cool mummy?”

The unicorn looked over her shoulder at Scarlet, a lopsided smile on her muzzle.

* * *

With an amused expression, the unicorn watched the young filly sulk and moan at being sent to her room so early. Levitating up the dolls for her, the unicorn offered them to the filly, who took them in her mouth before leaving the room with muffled grumbles.

Scarlet deliberately stepped between the unicorn and her daughter.

“Nice filly you have there, Mrs. Flagon.”

“Miss.” Scarlet corrected automatically. “Please, she’s got nothing to do with this, I’m the one you want, please...” Her voice became pleading. “Please, just leave her alone.”

The unicorn raised her eyebrows in surprise, a second later her expression turned to a scowl, causing Scarlet to flinch.

“I don’t hurt foals, Miss Flagon. And whatever you may have heard, I also try not to hurt ponies for other ponies transgressions.”

Scarlet relaxed a fraction.

“You however. You have wronged me.”

Scarlet’s knees started to feel weak. “I…”

“You gave me sleeping potion, Miss Scarlet. So I trust that you were aware of the correct dosage for a unicorn mare my size and weight, hmm?”

Scarlet turned her head away.

“So, let’s start there shall we, giving me a sleeping potion with no idea of the correct dosage and therefore the possible effects on me; the stealing of my gear; my being dragged off by the guards and the bruises I got from said guards; the inhibitor ring they put on me.” Her tone darkened. “And finally, let us also not forget what would have actually happened to me after I had been delivered. A fate I’d rather avoid if you don’t mind.”

The unicorn suddenly growled at her, causing Scarlet’s knees to give way and land heavily on the floor.

She looked down at Scarlet, her voice filled with venom. “Yes Miss Flagon, as you might have detected, I have formed an opinion on your actions.” Her tone suddenly turned bright and cheerful. “But first, a question. The answer to which will greatly influence your immediate future. Where are my saddlebags?”

Scarlet, now laying on the ground, pointed a trembling hoof to a cabinet.

The unicorn turned her head towards the cabinet and white glow appeared around the cabinets doors. The door opened, revealing a set of tan canvas saddlebags that were quickly floated over to the unicorn.

Noting that the bottom of one of the bags was now stained green, she opened the other side first. She felt for the lump in the hidden pocket, it's opening disguised to look like a line of stitching.

The lump she was after was still there.

She turned an unpleasant smile upon quivering pony. “Well Miss Scarlet, it seems that I won’t be killing you right now after all.”

Turning her attention back to her saddlebags she floated out a necklace with a crystal attached. Bringing it up to eye level, the unicorn stared at it for a few seconds then, grabbing it with a hoof, she pressed it against her chest as her eyes closed. A rare, genuine, smile formed on her face.

‘Glad to have you back Mr Sable.’

Opening her eyes, the unicorn slipped the necklace on before turning her attention back to the saddlebags. Floating out a wooden box with a brass clasp on it, she let out a sigh of relief when she saw that both crystals were still in their velvet-lined depressions inside. Closing the box, she turned her attention back to the open side-bag.

Scarlet cringed back when the unicorn turned a glare upon her. Scarlet had already found the bag of bits that used to be in there.

Turning her saddlebags around, the unicorn gave a small snort as she examined the staining on the other bag before opening it up.

Laying there, Scarlet tried to keep her breathing steady as the unicorn stared into the bag with an increasingly frustrated expression. She watched as some documents, two vials, and a herb pouch was floated out, all stained green.

Floating the documents up, the unicorn flipped through them before throwing her a glance. “Still readable Miss Scarlet. But you’re not out of the woods just yet.”

Two little vials of red liquid were floated up next. Scarlet saw the unicorn relax when she saw that, while stained, they were otherwise intact.

Turning the saddlebags upside-down, a shower of glass shards fell out onto the floor. Without looking round at her, the unicorn gave the bag a shake. “That bottle of dye was the closest match I could find to my coat and was quite difficult to find. You really should be more careful with other ponies stuff. I mean, a pony could get upset.”

Placing the saddlebags back on the floor, she examined the herb pouch, frowning at the stains before opening it.

‘Humm, a little bit has come through but it looks mostly okay. Enough to keep me going until I can make some more anyway.’

She turned and smiled at Scarlet. “You have no idea how vital these herbs are to me Miss Scarlet. Had you ruined all of what was in here... I would have had to kill you.”

The unicorn started to repack her bags. “What happened to all my other equipment?” She looked around when she didn’t get a response. Scarlet was laying on the floor, shaking uncontrollably and staring off into space. The unicorn tilted her head. ‘Uh, what’s up with her?’

Scarlet jumped when a rolled up piece of paper, stained green at one end, bopped her on the nose. She found the unicorn looking at her with an amused expression. “I’ll say it again, what happened to all my other equipment?”

“G-guards took it.”

The unicorn grimaced as she turned back to her packing. ‘Damn, that’s all gone to the pawn shop then.’

The unicorn finished re-packing and turned to look at her.

“Now to, almost, the last issue. My bounty. As I was, instrumental to you getting it, I feel I deserve a share of it.” Her tone hardened. “All of it in fact. Turn it over.”

Scarlet curled up into a ball. “T-There’s nothing left.”

The unicorn head pulled back in surprise. “What! You can’t have drunk it all by now!”

Despite herself, Scarlet bridled and lifted her head. “I do not drink!” All bravado faded as the unicorn just slowly blinked at her.

“Bills to pay, repairs, shopping, those dolls, debts. One thousand bits don’t go far these days.” Scarlet firmly watched the floor, awaiting the unicorn’s wrath.

Her head snapped up at the laughter. The unicorn was sitting there, laughing. After quieting down the unicorn waved a hoof at Scarlet.

“Let me run a scenario past you, see if it sounds familiar in any way. You see a white backed unicorn in your bar and you’ve heard she’s got a bounty. You nip out to the guard, who suggest you drug her, as they didn’t want a fight.”

Scarlet nodded. “Mostly right.” She mentally added. ‘Don’t think I’ll mention drugging the food was my idea.’

The unicorn continued. “While she, that’s me, is out cold in the cells, you ask about the bounty, to which one of the guards says, ‘I’ll go and collect it for you’.” She shook her head. “Then the nice, generous, guard comes back with the proceeds of the promissory note... and hands you a bag with a thousand bits in. You take it and don’t look back.”

Scarlet nodded again.

“Oh my dear, it looks like the guards are the biggest crooks here. Last time I checked, my bounty was fifteen thousand. You merely accepted what they offered you.”

The unicorn gave a snort of laughter at Scarlet’s expression.
“Anyway, I do believe we should visit the guard house after sunset. Fourteen thousand bits being discovered on the guards’ bodies... I think I would have noticed that reaction. So they probably left it in the guard house. So...”

She trailed off as noted Scarlet’s expression.

“Y-you managed to kill all the guards?”

“Not all! One, two. Two! I admit that the unicorn guard, I as good as killed her, but I did not kill all of them. Two! Three if you’re going to be picky about it.”

Looking into Scarlet’s eyes, her shoulders slumped.

‘Buck! This is going to grow. I can see it, I’m gonna be blamed for all of this. Killing thirteen guards. No, -horribly- killing thirteen guards. Horseapples! My bounty is going to get bigger after this. just what I don’t need. That means more ponies looking for me, even after the example. Buck, I should have dyed my coat before coming to town, even if it wasn't the right colour.’

She looked up at Scarlet and squared her shoulders.

“Miss Scarlet, I am going to be remaining here for a couple of hours until after sunset. The doors are sealed magically, so please, don’t try and leave. In the meantime, I am going to be stealing some supplies off you and cooking myself something to eat.” She leaned forward, looking Scarlet in the eyes. “No, I won't be letting you cook for me.”

* * *

The unicorn watched as Scarlet bucked the door to the guard house with a little more gusto than was strictly necessary. She tried to suppress her smile at the sight.

‘Oh dear, it seems that Miss Flagon might have some issues with the guards right now. Can’t imagine why.’

The sound suppression spell she had cast kept the sound of splintering wood to a minimum. The door frame splintered and gave way first, letting the more-or-less intact door fall to the floor.

‘Metal reinforced door, wooden frame holding it. Bucking amateurs.’

The unicorn smiled at Scarlet. “Well then Miss Flagon, let’s go ransack the place shall we?”

* * *

Scarlet looked at the pile on the desk. It would appear that the unicorn was planning a trip. A bedroll, a guard cloak, a bandolier of daggers, a sword, and a scabbard. Some long life supplies had been found as well, but no money.

The unicorn seemed unphased by this, she was just busy packing her saddlebags.

“No money here, they must have put it somewhere else,” Scarlett commented.

“Pfft, you don’t know guards.” A white glow surrounded the tea urn, lifting it up to shake it. The unmistakable sound of bits chinking could be heard.

“Really?”

“No safe or strong box. In one of the cells is far too obvious. Plus they put more faith in a bar on the outside of the door rather than a lock.” The unicorn winked at Scarlet. “Cell doors are from guild-approved suppliers and the locks they use are cheap and easy to pick. They’re not allowed to use others.”

The urn floated over to the desk and tilted, spilling out bags of bits over it. The bottom bags were damp with tea stains.

Scarlet watched as the unicorn started splitting the bags between her saddlebags, trying to get an even distribution of weight. When there were two left unpacked, the unicorn turned to her.

“Now then, Miss Flagon, your penance.”

Scarlet’s eyes snapped onto the unicorn. Her knees were feeling unsteady again.

“Say you’re sorry.”

With surprise on her face, Scarlet managed “I - I’m sorry.”

There was a pause while the unicorn rubbed her chin, considering this. Her hoof came down with a click on the floor.

“Nope! Not good enough I’ve decided.” The unicorn’s look became glazed. To Scarlet, it felt like she was looking right through her as her horn started glowing. “I feel something more... direct is appropriate. May I suggest you start praying to whatever deity you happen to worship.”

Scarlet fell to her knees, her mouth opening and closing but no sound coming out. She could only stare at the unicorn as she slowly approached her. She desperately wanted to get up and gallop away, or at least to go down fighting. She lay there, unable to move.

“You drug me, steal from me and leave me to the wolves, Snakes even in this case. Do you have any idea what would have happened if they got their hooves on me?”

Scarlet could now only look at the horn, she could feel the cold radiating from it now.

“Did you honestly think I was just going to... let you go?”

Scarlet was frozen, all she could manage was a feeble “Sweetie” before she closed her eyes and turned her head.

After a minute she mustered up the courage to open her eyes.
Sitting there, with an amused expression, the unicorn watched her. Her horn, thankfully, no longer glowing.

“Today’s lesson: be careful who you... betray. While I will admit to some… quite a lot in fact, satisfaction in doing that, I am also entirely sure you will remember this lesson. There are ponies out there who are not as nice, or forgiving, as I am.” Her tone turned harsh. “So remember, your every breath from now on is a gift from me.”

Scarlet jerkily nodded, all she was capable of at the moment. She rested her head on the stone floor.

The unicorn turned went back to the table and finished putting on her gear, ignoring the shivering mare on the floor. Trotting past Scarlet she paused by the door.

Two bags of bits, landing noisily in front of Scarlet, caused her to recoil in shock.

“Buy the filly something nice.”