A CRASH of thunder rolled across the island, providing the only sound in the large dining room. Burst Rate stared back at General Rayford as the two stood before a window overlooking the darkened forests outside. Rain pelted the window madly, as if a monster that was trying to break in.
“You see, mister Rate,” the General began, “this is how the game goes:
“Tomorrow morning I shall provide you with outdoor gear: Hunting clothes if you so wish, flint and steel, a good hunting knife, enough food to last you a few days, and your own wit,” the General tapped his skull for emphasis. The General strode back to his seat at the table, Burst remained where he was, his mind reeling.
This isn’t happening! This can’t be happening! I...I must be....dreaming or, or something! C’mon, Burst! Wake up! he bonked himself on the head with a hoof, Oh Celestia, I’m not dreaming am I!?
“I shall give you a good head start and then,” the General took a seat, smiling back at Burst, “the game begins,” the General took his glass and had another sip of the cider, finishing it. He picked up the bottle and indicated towards his guest, but Burst was too stunned to reply as a knot of sickness began to grow in his gut.
Oh, Goddess he can’t possibly be serious...can he? He’s got to be joking! Surely this is just some grisly joke!
The General shrugged and poured himself another glass, “The goal of the game is simple: you try to survive and I try to hunt you and kill you. If you can survive four days then you shall win the game and I’ll let you go free. I’ve an air skiff and Cossack can fly you back to the mainland,” the General’s smile faded, eyes piercing into Burst’s skull, “provided that you tell no one of this place and what transpired here. Our little secret.
“If, on the other hand, I catch you...” the General trailed off with another chilling smile, “I shall personally be armed with a light bow and three...” he held up a trio of taloned fingers, “...arrows. Should you prove to be troublesome to catch, I shall bring in Cossack and-or my pack. Cossack will be armed with his crossbow and a bolt. Just one to offset the power of his weapon and his aim.”
“I...I’ll have no part in this madness, General!” Burst retorted after finding his voice.
The General gave a hearty chuckle, “So you wish for me to send you to the gods right here and now, then? If you don’t wish to participate then I’ll simply have to kill you right here and now. A shame to waste such a fine specimen as yourself, but necessary should you refuse.”
Burst glanced away a moment, trying to think of a way out of this.
“They’ll come looking for me and they’ll find you!” Burst swore.
The General took a sip of his drink, “No they won’t,” he said, voice sincere and without even the slightest scent of doubt.
Burst gave an annoyed growl at the General’s response. He turned to look back out the window, eyes flicking back and forth as if trying to find an answer amidst the night-blackened forest outside, “How do I know that I have your word that you’ll let me go?”
“Assuming that you promise not to tell anyone...” a flash of defiance showed in Burst’s eyes, “...all you have is my word. But remember that this is hunting we speak of, and I never joke about hunting,” the General chuckled, “and don’t think that even if you do try to tell anyone that you’ll accomplish anything.”
“What?” Burst snorted, turning defiantly towards the General, “will you have me under surveillance twenty-four-seven for the rest of my life?”
“I won’t need to,” the General replied with a smile, “if you claim that a griffon lives on Ship-Trap Isle, much more that he’s hunting down other sentient creatures that find themselves stranded here, they’ll claim you’re mad. No one lives on Ship-Trap Isle, anyone who knows anything about the island knows that. Furthermore, there are those in Great Grifŏn who would see me continue my stay here, seeing as how they get to do away with anygriffon they want without anyone ever knowing,” the General eyed his drink, staring through the golden liquid with an almost bored look on his face, “and even if you are able to convince a group to come out here and hunt me down, then you must remember that this is my turf, mister Rate. I’m rather certain that Cossack, my dogs, and I could hold off a great number of Equestrian Royal Guard with only limited trouble.”
Burst glared daggers at the General, trying to think of a loophole, any way out of this predicament. Perhaps if I...No, that wouldn’t work. How about...Darn it, that wouldn’t do either..!
He found none.
“Well if that’s that then I’ll have Cossack show you to your room. I suggest you get a good night’s sleep,” the General gave a smile, “You’ll need it.”...
~ ~ ~ ~ < \/ /\ \/ > ~ ~ ~ ~
...The door slammed behind him, the sound of a key turning a heavy lock following shortly thereafter. Burst glared at the door, as if trying to puncture the thick wood with his gaze alone. He let the sound of heavy hoofsteps die away before seeking out a route of escape.
The bed was large enough for two or more ponies to sleep comfortably and made of a fine, soft silk. The floors were of a lightly colored wood and looked brand new. The walls were a milky-white color and smooth as a rock in a fast paced stream. A fireplace sat in the corner and a single window was set in the wall.
Burst trotted over to the window, finding it barred with a thick metal grate. No way he was going to get through that in this lifetime. Even if he had been able to, he noticed, the room faced out to sea, situated so that it rested on the edge of the large plateau that the mansion rested on.
Moving off to a door in the side of the room he came across a bathroom of fine quality. The marble countertops and flooring that reflected his angry face back at him did so almost as well as the bathroom’s mirror.
Growing dismayed, Burst made his way over to the fireplace as he considered setting fire to something. The grill didn’t move and a single button, upon pressing, lit the wood pile alight, spreading a comfortable warmth throughout the room.
“Celestia’s flank!” Burst swore as he stomped away from the fireplace. He tore off the bathrobe with his magic and flung the garment away as he hopped onto the large bed, glaring around the room in unhappy defeat.
Upon hopping onto the bed and magicking his camera to a bedside nightstand, he finally realized how utterly exhausted he was and rested his head on his hooves. All of the day’s tiring events caught up with him and he fell asleep almost instantly...
~ ~ ~ ~ < \/ /\ \/ > ~ ~ ~ ~
…“Ah, my guest awakens!” General Rayford exclaimed merrily as Burst entered the dining room. It was much brighter now, sunlight pouring in from the many windows that adorned the walls. As before the massive table was set for two, a single dish and a steaming coffee mug waiting before the seat opposite the General, “How did you sleep, mister Rate?”
“Fine,” Burst grumbled, taking a seat. A thick omelette stared back at him from the plate, adorned on one side with a few cubes of fruit and on the other with a warm sliced croissant with butter. The mug gave off a powerful scent of coffee, the liquid a fine black color.
“I confess that I am unaware how you like your coffee, mister Rate,” the General confessed, tone apologetic, “but I’ve sugar and other additives should you wish them.”
Burst glared back at the General’s smile as the griffon forked a sliver of fruit into his beak, holding the quiet glare for a few seconds.
“You will release me from this island at once!” Burst growled, stomping a hoof on the table for emphasis, rattling his dinnerware.
The General gave a quiet chuckle and set down his fork. He smiled back at Burst, “I shall not...unless of course you mean to release you to the gods. It would be a shame, but the choice is yours to make after all.”
With an annoyed snort, Burst stabbed his fork into a piece of fruit on his plate with a bit of excessive force before bringing it to his mouth and eating. The slice of honeydew melon was sweet and delicious against Burst’s tongue, and he suddenly found it hard to keep his unhappy face on.
“Imported from the finest growers in Prance,” the General commented, reselecting his fork and continuing to eat, “I pay quite a price, but it’s certainly worth it.”
“Hm,” Burst mumbled into his food. He stabbed his knife into the omelette, the silverware clinking against the bottom of the plate as he cut off a bite and forked it into his mouth. His anger ebbed as the flavor of the bite filled his mouth as he chewed, killing his angry glare and almost rendering him happy again.
The General set down his fork once more, selecting a napkin and dabbing a bit of juice from his beak, “My previous quarry was rather unsatisfying. He was the last of a crew who fell for the channel trick and ended up stranded here. Poor fellow had practically lost his mind by the time it was finally his turn.
“Seeing his crew members go, one by one out into the forests, some gone a day or two, some a few hours before I returned dragging their bodies back through my doors,” the General stared off, reveling in the memories with a happy smile on his face. Burst felt a rising feeling in his stomach and set his fork down with a small gulp, “a few of them were rather decent game. One even eluded me for two whole days before I got him, in fact. Almost beat the record.”
The General picked up his fork again, stabbing into another slice of fruit and bringing it up to examine with cold and calculating eyes.
The record? Burst wondered, watching the General as he took a small bite from the fruit. “The record?” Burst inquired, voicing his curiosity as he took a small sip of his coffee to calm his stomach.
“Ah yes, I keep a record of every hunt I have here on my island. The current record is three days and ten hours. The fellow was a griffon, one of the ones sent to me from Great Grifŏn to get rid of. He was quite elusive, a skilled assassin back home. The fellow almost made it feel as if I was being hunted at times,” the General laughed cheerily, “But I got him in the end, I always do.”
“Always?” Burst inquired.
“Always,” replied the General, “to this date I have never lost.”
Hopefully I can change that, then, Burst thought.
“On the subject of the hunt, though,” the General began again as he eyed his talons, “I suggest that you do choose some hunting clothes to wear. A camouflage outfit and perhaps moccasin boots,” at Burst’s raised eyebrow the General added, “They leave lighter tracks, make it more of a challenge to track you down.
“But enough chatter of our hunt, finish your breakfast and we can go over the specifics of your gear and send you off...”
~ ~ ~ ~ < \/ /\ \/ > ~ ~ ~ ~
...Burst Rate, now dressed in a camouflaged shirt and hat with moccasin boots, drew the hunting knife he’d been given from its dark sheath. The six-inch blade was of medium thickness, a matte black stainless steel with a blood groove and serrated back. The grip was a similar color and fit in his hoof nicely.
“A fine tool, is it not?” the General asked, admiringly.
“Hm,” Burst replied, anxiety churning his stomach as he holstered the knife and clipped it to his belt. He hefted the bag of food over his withers and glared at the General.
“I shall give you till the sun is just past its peak in the sky before I begin my hunt, so until then, mister Rate,” the General said with a smile, “I bid you adieu.”
Cossack, standing next to the General, glared back at Burst as the General turned to leave. With a massive foreleg he closed the gate and turned to follow the General back inside.
Burst watched them go with a glare before turning to the forest. His eyes scanned over the mass of trees and the darkness that their slowly swaying branches held. The sound of waves crashing upon the shores below the large plateau met his twitching ears and he gulped once before galloping forwards and disappearing into the darkness of the forest...
~ ~ ~ ~ < \/ /\ \/ > ~ ~ ~ ~
…Burst had little time for thoughts as he rushed through the forest, low-lying branches of trees slicing at his dark orange coat as he passed them by. A growing terror filled his stomach with thick ice as he fled, the reality of the situation drowning him in fear.
He threw a glance skyward, only to be greeted by flecks of stray sunlight that were able to pierce the thick canopy above.
So much for just after the sun is at it’s peak! I can’t even see the sun! Burst cried mentally, shoving an extra large branch out of his path with magic, eyes wide with terror, Oh, Celestia! How did I ever get into this situation!? Why me? I... Burst came to a halt, panting lightly he looked back the way that he’d come. Slowly his jaw closed and one of his eyes squinted, the terror leaving both of them, ...I need to get a hold of myself. If I want to survive this living nightmare then I need to come up with a plan. Rushing through this forest filly nilly isn’t going to get me anywhere but the afterlife.
He looked over the way he’d come, noting the plethora of snapped branches and tread ground, all signs of travel. All things that the General would be able to see in a heartbeat. His gaze snapped forwards, his eyes analyzing the forest.
He’d tracked down game animals before, granted he only snapped their pictures before leaving, but he was no novice when it came to the game of the hunt.
“Only this time I’m the one leaving the tracks,” he said aloud, lifting a moccasin-clad hoof to inspect the earth below it. His gaze was drawn back upwards, “so let’s leave some tracks for him to follow,” Burst finished before continuing onwards...
~ ~ ~ ~ < \/ /\ \/ > ~ ~ ~ ~
...Burst weaved back and forth in his continued galloping through the forest, head on a swivel as he looked for something to serve as the keystone to his plan.
That one’s too large...That one’s not got any low enough branches...That one’s too old...That one’s too small...That one… he froze for a mere second, looking back at the tree he’d just passed, eyes analyzing a mile a minute.
Branches that were low enough to the ground, no short supply of other branches above, all sturdy enough to support his weight.
That one’s perfect, he thought, continuing his wild race for about another hundred yards before halting and looking back the way he’d come.
Now for the tricky part, Burst thought, retracing his steps backwards, careful not to leave any extra marks that would give away his plans. Continuing his careful trot, he made his way to the tree, halting below one of its low hanging branches and magicking his bag of supplies up into a higher branch.
That taken care of, Burst himself stood up on his two hind legs and reached up to grab the branch, pulling himself up and into the tree. He proceeded to move to a branch higher and perpendicular to his current one, pulling himself upwards into the tree with a grunt of exertion.
He looked up, checking on his bag a few branches above him. He lifted it even further out of sight and pulled himself one branch higher and further from his easily followed trail.
Just a few branches higher… he mentally told himself, gripping another branch with his hoof.
Crack! complained the branch, snapping under Burst’s weight and sending him falling to the ground with a yelp of surprise.
He crashed through some loose brush, hitting the ground with a thump that dazed him for a few seconds. He shook his head to clear his vision of swirling stars before looking up the way he’d come.
“Buck,” he hissed under his breath, looking around at the brush that entangled him like a small prison, more or less hiding him from view.
Burst started to get up, hoping that he’d somehow be able to get back up the tree without making any more tracks, when a noise met his sensitive ears.
He swiveled them around to face the direction of the noise as it continued to grow steadily in volume: a rhythmic sound of crashing and crackling leaves and twigs underfoot.
Burst froze, eyes growing wide as the footsteps kept coming, rhythmically beating like a slow drum playing for his execution. There was nothing he could do besides stare and pray to whatever deities were listening that the General didn’t spot him.
And along came the General, an arrow knocked in his bow and his pace leisurely. His eyes were stuck to the forest floor, no doubt glued to the tracks that Burst had left, and his face beheld a disappointed scowl, perhaps annoyed that his prey was so simple in its escape.
Time slowed as the General walked past Burst’s impromptu hiding place. His eyes locked with the General’s downcast, golden pair, fearing that at any moment they’d shift over and lock onto his as the General spotted him.
But they didn’t.
Burst let out a quiet breath as the General disappeared, the crunching of his paws through the underbrush heralding his leave and growing softer by the second.
Once out of earshot, Burst pushed himself to a crouch, the bush he was hiding in shaking in protest. He winced at the noise, ears perked up and listening for any sound that might tell him he’d been discovered.
There were none.
He’s probably going to come upon the end of my trail any minute, Burst told himself, looking around for a way out of the cramped quarters of the bush, either he’ll retrace his steps back past this way or he’ll scout out the area around the end of my path to try to pick up my trail again, With his magic, as moving a part of his body would only cause more of a ruckus, he drew the knife he’d been given, brought it around to his front, and started using the serrated blade to cut through…
More footsteps through the forest, this time coming the way that the General had just gone.
Burst froze.
The General appeared once more, scrutinizing the trail with a thin smile splitting his beak. He continued past the tree, but stopped suddenly as his keen gaze spotted something. The General turned back towards the tree and slowly let his gaze climb up, like a serpent slithering towards a cornered mouse.
His gaze found the first branch, lingered there a while, scanning over the unblemished wood. Burst blinked away a few drops of sweat that had snuck their way into his unblinking eyes, the rise and fall of his chest paused as he held his breath.
He’s going to see the broken branch! Burst realized, He’s going to see me! Oh, Celestia! I’ve got to do something before he notices! But what..?
Burst’s eyes fell on the knife that he’d been given, still floating silently before him in his magical grip. The deadly blade pointed right at the General who was not more than ten paces away, distracted by the tree.
It would take almost no effort for Burst to ram the blade into the General’s side. All it required was a thought and his willpower to cast a spell and he could end this nightmare, plunge the blade into the General’s gullet, spill his blood upon the forest floor.
Burst’s eyes lifted to the General.
The General’s gaze lifted higher up the tree, finding the second branch that Burst had used to climb higher. His smile widened. Burst’s heart pounded in his chest, so loud that it was a miracle that the General didn’t hear its frantic dance.
Now or never, Burst Rate! Burst realized, his pounding heart like a massive drum within his chest. The blade quivered in the air, more than willing to do his bidding and end the General’s life.
Burst conjured up the thought of sending the knife hurdling at the General, stabbing into his side. He drew in the magical energies that were ever-present in the air around them and funnelled them through his body and into his horn. He was now ready to cast the spell. All it required was for him to will the magic to do his bidding and send the knife into its target.
“Come on!” the blade seemed to beckon, “do it!”
The General’s gaze lifted one branch higher. Just one more and he’d spot the one that had snapped and let Burst fall. Burst felt the magic waiting to be funneled through his horn and out to the blade, sending it flying into the General.
Burst’s eyes flickered back to the blade, another drop of sweat stinging his eyes. He’d drawn in the sufficient amount of magic, brought the spell he needed to cast to mind, the only thing it required now was his willpower. To will the blade to do his bidding and sic it upon the General’s unwary form, to end this nightmare.
I… he thought, I can’t do it! Burst let the magic flow back into the air around him, the spell safely disarmed, Just no! No! I can’t kill another living being! It’s one thing to snap a picture of a creature but to...to kill it! the thought left a sick feeling in his stomach, I’m not like the General, I’m no murderer! Burst knew, as his only alternative, he’d have to make a break for it. Dash off into the forest and pray that the General didn’t give chase or, if he did, safely lose him.
Burst prepared to burst out of the bush, rush off the way that he’d come before veering off and...the General’s eyes lowered a branch, then another, and another. The smile on his beak was unfaltering as he let go of the knocked arrow and drew a small knife from his belt.
Burst stared in confused wonder as the General carved something into the tree before turning and leaving, his footsteps decreasing in volume until they were all but gone.
Silence.
Burst gasped a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, feeling his heartbeat slow back to a more natural pace.
By Celestia’s ethereal mane, I’ve got to be the luckiest foal of a nag living! Burst realized, focusing another spell on his knife to cut a way out of the thick bush containing him, it’s a miracle that he didn’t see me! Burst continued, trotting cautiously over to the tree and looking up its length. He’d need to climb back up to retrieve the food he’d been given, hopefully this time none of the branches would break.
Going back to the low branch he’d use to pull himself up, Burst paused a moment as he spotted something carved into the tree. He moved around to get a better look, remembering that the General had carved something into the trunk shortly before leaving…
TOO EASY
Burst’s eyes grew wide as a cold sense of dread filled his heart.
The General had known that he was here.
He turned his gaze, ever so slow as he struggled against the fear that tried to freeze him in place, to the forests around him. His ears swiveled this way and that, trying to hear everything at once. Every black shadow was suddenly the General’s lurking form, every whisper on the wind was the General’s soft steps.
Run! You need to get out of here! Put as much distance between you and him as you can! Quickly, before he comes back! a part of his conscience urged him, fueled by the adrenaline-infused fear that rushed though his heart.
Burst was about to bolt, but something else stopped him.
No, he realized, the fear, however slowly, leaving him, that’s exactly what he wants me to do! What he expects me to do! Burst’s gaze rose slowly back to the tree, one of his eyes squinted in concentration, I need to be careful, make a path that he won’t be able to follow and think up a plan once I find a place to rest, his stomach voiced a gurgling complaint, first and foremost, though, I need to get something to eat.
And so he began to climb...
~ ~ ~ ~ < \/ /\ \/ > ~ ~ ~ ~
...Burst tossed the empty can of beans down a thin game trail he came across, off to the side and mostly hidden so that only a pair of skilled eyes would be able to see it. He continued along the path in the opposite direction a few paces before finding a suitable place to break off, his hoofsteps light and careful as could be so as not to leave an easy trail.
He threw a glance back over his shoulder, eyes analyzing and ears erect. No sign of the General and no sounds of footfall. His eyes dropped to the trail he was trying not to leave and after a quick analysis he flashed a quick smile and looked on ahead, continuing.
“So he was clearly able to spot my backtracking,” Burst muttered to himself, “I need to assume that any trail I make he’ll be able to follow. There’s nowhere that I can hide where I’ll be safe,” he threw a glance to the canopy above him, noting that the beams of sunlight streaming down had grown dimmer.
“So running will do me no good, sneaking and hiding somewhere might be viable, but if he finds my trail then I’m as good as dead...unless I’ve got a way to escape easily and see him coming,” Burst glanced around him again, taking note that he was still leaving a light trail, “I didn’t see anything that looked rather high up from the sea, no hill that I can hold as a fort, so I doubt I’d have any early warning if he did come...even then he can fly, he’d be coming in above me,” Burst gritted his teeth, “C’mon, think! There’s got to be something that you’re overlooking!”
A flash of shadow dimmed the light above him for an instant, as if something had passed between the sun and the canopy. Burst froze, fearful eyes scanning above, twitching ears hearing the soft rustling of branches and leaves as they hissed and rattled around him, dancing with the wind.
Nothing.
After a moment Burst tore his eyes from the canopy, hurrying his trot as he continued onwards.
What if you could somehow incapacitate him?
Burst stopped in his tracks, the thought striking him like an arrow through the heart.
“If I could get that bow away from him, take it and tie him up, I could force him to let me go,” Burst said quietly to himself, gears spinning a mile a minute in his head as a plan began to take form, “If I made a trap, have it drop something on his head or...I dunno...whack him hard enough, I could get the upper hoof!”
He sifted back through his memories of his recent trip to Zebrica. The tribe he’d spent time with had shown him a few of their more simple trap designs. He grumbled as the memories half-eluded him; he’d not paid much attention when they showed him. Being more a fan of tracking down an animal to snap its picture, the idea of snaring it somewhere hadn’t had much appeal to him at the time.
“C’mon Burst,” he growled to himself, “your life is depending on this! Think!”
A vague memory of something began to form in his mind, a smile crossing his face.
Burst turned his gaze away from his thoughts, looking around for the items that he’d need to pull this off, one eye squinted in concentration…
~ ~ ~ ~ < \/ /\ \/ > ~ ~ ~ ~
…The light that streamed down through the leaves was a darkening orange color reminiscent of a setting sun that no doubt cast it. It had taken some time to find all the different pieces he needed to set up the trap and then lead a half-hidden trail to it, but it was finally finished. All that Burst needed now was the General himself to come by and trigger it.
He waited off to the side of the trap and trail, hidden behind a few feet of foliage as he waited with a growing impatience. Could he really have lost the General? Was the General laying in wait somewhere else for him? Or, perhaps, was he watching Burst right now, arrow drawn to his ear, sharp tip aimed at Burst’s heart?
He looked around warily at the last thought, unsettled by the possibility.
Snap! A twig cried, the noise drowning out all else for a split second.
Burst froze, ears erect and eyes wide. His heartbeat rose in its never-ending dance.
Silence.
Burst strained his ears, a drop of sweat wiped away with a hoof before it slid into one of his eyes. Was it nothing? One of the many noises made by nature?
There was another quiet sound: the wet crunch of a footstep on some drying leaves.
Burst shrunk down, making sure not to rustle the foliage around him and give away his position.
More footsteps, cautious and quiet, approached the trap.
Okay, Burst began to mentally prepare himself, when he triggers it, you’re going to have to move fast. You don’t know how long you’ll have, more footsteps approached, growing louder and louder, you’ve got to rush out there, grab his bow, and tie him up with those vines. Get ready!
Nausea filled his stomach, anxiety clawing at his guts. His tail twitched behind him, more nervous sweat dribbled down his face. Any second now the General would set off the trap and…
There was a sudden whoosh of air, as if something heavy had fallen, followed abruptly by a solid smack of two objects colliding, and a sound of something heavy crashing into a mass of bushes.
Burst froze.
Silence echoed through the forest.
Go! his mind urged him, thrusting him into action.
Burst hopped through the dense foliage between him and the trap, the sound excruciatingly loud to his ears. Another quick leap and he was in the middle of the thin game trail that led to his trap. A large rock tied up with some vines and set like a pendulum around a tall tree branch swung in shrinking circles.
And not a hoof away, something grey and feathered lay still on the forest floor.
The General.
Burst approached on quiet hooves, holding his breath as he looked into the General’s face. His eyes were closed and his beak was open just a crack. Quiet breaths escaped his beak, his chest rising and falling in a rhythm of sleep.
An edge of relief cutting away some of the smothering blanket of fear, Burst circled around to the General’s left side, his eyes locking onto the bow clutched in that claw. To Burst, it might as well have been an egg wrapped tightly in the warm embrace of a sleeping snake.
C’mon! Get it! he urged himself, reaching out with a hoof to pluck the weapon from the General’s clawed hand. His heartbeat continued to quicken as he gripped the bow, tugging gently as if trying to get a key from a sleeping guard. The bow didn’t come.
Slightly annoyed and with shaking limbs, Burst reached out his other forehoof and pulled at the weapon with both his front appendages. It still didn’t budge, the General’s claws wrapped tightly around it.
“What the hay,” Burst whispered to himself, eyes flicking back to the General’s sleeping face.
Two golden eyes gazed back at him, a thin smile splitting the General’s beak.
Burst let out a cry of fear, leaping away and bolting like a bat out of hell. Adrenaline filled his system as he crashed loudly through brush and foliage in his blind dash. Leaves and low branches slapped and snapped at him, trying to aid the General’s quest in catching him. He paid them no heed, fear blotting out everything but the urge to flee.
Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! he mentally cried, He’s going to get me! He’s going to get me!
His mad dash met an ill-fated end as he ran headfirst into a tree that didn’t give like the foliage before it. Stars exploded across his vision as he bounced off and hit the damp soil of the ground with a thud, adrenaline blocking off all but a dull ache in his skull.
At any moment the dizzy Burst knew that the General would be upon him, arrow drawn and ready to pierce his heart. He tried to force his legs into action, but they heeded not his will, slipping and falling under him as he tried to right himself. His body reacted with the ineptitude of a bad dream, his balance lost, his limbs unwilling to bear his weight, he fumbled like a foal in an attempt to right himself. All to no avail.
A sudden noise split the air, freezing Burst’s frenzied attempts at escape. His ears, deafened by his pounding heart and the adrenaline it pumped through him, were unable to compute the noise at first. But, slowly, it came to him with a feeling of utter dread...because the General was laughing.
“Clever pony!” the General’s voice called out as his laughter died away, muffled by the forest, “it’s been far too long since my prey has tried to spring a trap on me! Far longer has it been that such a trap has actually worked!” the General gave another cheerful laugh as Burst pressed a forehoof to his swirling head as he lay in the damp dirt of the forest’s floor, “quite a lump you’ve given me, mister Rate! I think that I shall retire to have it dressed,” there was a quiet pause, “Celestia’s sun lowers upon the horizon, mister Rate, and I congratulate you on your first day of survival! Sleep well, tonight for I will be back!” the General called, his voice fading as he no doubt left, “I will be back!”
Burst lay still for a while, heavy panting slowing as his adrenaline-infused dash left his head pounding and his muscles sore. The forest was already growing dark once he finally got to his hooves, giving a quick look around.
“Oh, buck! My gear!” he realized with a sense of dread as he looked around. Which way had he come from? His eyes found the tree that he’d run into, a small mark in the bark a testament to his pain. He looked down, trying to make out his tracks in the fading light.
Squinting, he was barely able to make out what he thought was his path away from the trap. Face close to the ground, he cantered onwards, hoping to get to his sack of food before the night blinded him.
Rushing though the forest, a churning feeling in his gut grew stronger as he continued onwards, still not coming across the game trail leading to his half-failed trap.
Oh, goddess, I hope I’m going in the right direction! he mentally exclaimed, shoving another large branch out of his path with magic, I can’t be caught out here with nothing in the dark!
Burst was about to turn around and make his way back, having failed to go in the right direction, when the ground beneath him turned from thick vines and brush to heavily tread grasses and dirt of a game trail.
He let out a sigh of relief, squinting in an attempt to spot his triggered trap. He trotted forwards, still squinting through the haze of darkness.
If only I had some light! he mentally groaned, glaring around before facepalming with a sudden realization, use your horn, moron!
He drew in magic from the air around him once more, channeling all of the arcane energies into his horn and shedding a dull light on the forest around him. His trap lay just a few paces forwards and Burst gave a silent thanks to whatever deities were listening as he trotted up to it and then turned to the forest.
He waded through the thick foliage to the side of the game trail, soon finding his hidden gear and shouldering it with a grunt. Fatigue tugged at his eyelids, but leftover fear from his close encounter kept them from closing fully.
“Can’t sleep here anyways,” he muttered to himself groggily, “should get away from here. General will likely return in morning to follow my tracks.”
He trotted onwards, intent on putting more distance between he and the General. At first his pace was careful and calculated, his horn lighting his way. Every step was made so as not to disrupt the ground beneath it. But as the night dragged on, his hoofall began to grow sloppy, his body weaving back and forth, the light of his horn dulled to nothing and let the darkness reign supreme.
Burst eventually collapsed onto the ground, too tired to go on. Soon after that, his fatigue won out over his fear and his eyelids fell closed. He found himself instantly asleep...