A Bad Day to Fish

by FlashKenshin77

28 - Worms Attack!

It was still early, the sun hidden behind a thick layer of clouds. A putrid odor of burning wood, blood and rotting bodies filled the decayed landscape. Numerous craters, bodies, and smoldered trees were scattered across the tundra.
A large dragon soared through the sky, casting a shadow over the barren terrain, looking for the next attack to stall it. It continued to fly, only descending when it spotted a large group of ponies standing behind palisades, armed with all sorts of weaponry.
The creature landed, the earth quaking in its wake. Ponies stared at the massive creature as another turned its helmeted head to look as well. This creature wore metal armor, dusty and bloody, but ready to fight. It got up, walking over to the dragon before patting it on the head.
“There you are Vaahala.” Martin said, scratching at the dragon's cheek. “I was wondering where you went.” Martin turned around, heading towards a small tent. He pushed open the flap and saw an older stallion, a scar along his right eye. "Any signs of the UEA?" Martin asked, walking up to the stallion.
The stallion sighed deeply. "Not since last night with that battalion we ran into.
"Okay." He walked towards a small table and grabbed a jug of water. He took off his helmet, his face covered in sweat and dirt. He took big gulps, lowering the jug once it was empty. "How long till they'd be ready to attack again?"
"A couple hours, give or take. We got them good last night so it'll take awhile to regroup."
"It'll take more than a few rebels to stop us."
"We've survived worse."
Martin sighed. "But we mustn't forget those who died, at least they may rest."
"Indeed." The stallion closed his eyes for a moment, muttering something. "Hopefully Celestia will have mercy on them."
The human lowered his head and closed his eyes. "Vaahala proved to be more than useful."
The dragon turned his head, looking at his master as it used the tongue to clean its scales.
"We'd still be fighting without you." Martin said, petting the dragon.
Vaahala smiled, going back to cleaning its talons, blood flicks hitting the sand.
Martin sighed, turning back to the commander. "There must be something we're missing. Why would the Snake Water army be this far away from their home state?"
"Maybe with the fall of the Desert Kingdom, they thought they could get more land?"
"Wouldn’t they rather get rid of those who are closer to them? They're weakening themselves like this."
"If they capture this land though, then they can attack from both sides."
"True… I wonder if the UEA is pulling some strings here."
"I doubt it." The stallion paused, looking at the map. "Something's not right. If it was the white robed pony, we would have fallen into a trap. It's almost as if somepony else is leading them."
Martin scratched his chin; his gauntlet was covered in blood and smeared some his chin.
Vaahala's ears twitched at some noise as he turned head, staring at the tent flap. He looked at him. "What is it Vaahala?" Martin slowly walked outside. Vaahala looked towards a dune and they squinted, faintly seeing a black outline of a pony.
They stared at the black outline, Martin placing his right hand the hilt of his sword. Vaahala stared at it, a faint growl emanating from his chest.
"Enemy or friend?" Martin asked the dragon.
He sniffed the air, rising to his claws. He paused for a moment before, nodding at the human. Martin walked back inside the tent, grabbing his helmet and shield.
"Let's get going." Martin said, climbing on Vaahala's back and grabbed the rope tightly.
Vaahala growled low and started to run across the desert, coming closer and closer to the dark figure. It fell to the ground, no longer moving as sand billowed across it's form. Martin pulled the rope, Vaahala coming to a hesitant stop.
"Wait here…" He said, climbing off his back and walked towards the downed towards it. He pulled out his sword and stopped a few meters away from it.
It was a mare and she held something tightly. She was barely alive, a trail of blood following her. Martin slowly walked towards her.
"State your business!" He demanded.
She opened her eyes slowly, looking at him. "Please… do you have any water?" She asked, her voice hoarse and very faint.
He narrowed his eyes. "Who are you…?"
She looked at him sadly. "I was from the Desert Village of the Sandy Mountains… before it was attacked… please; I just need some water for my baby."
"Wait here…" He turned around, walking back to Vaahala, hopping onto his back. The dragon raced back to the tent as Martin hopped off, grabbing a jug of water from the table before jumping back onto the dragon in the middle of its turn, and racing back to the pony. Vaahala stopped a few feet away, wary of the pony as Martin sat the jug on the ground. He held his sword tightly. "Any funny business…"
She looked at him happily. "Thank you so much mister." She coughed up blood, loosening her grip on the blanket, a filly sleeping peacefully.
"When was your village attacked?"
"Two, no, three days ago. We saw this big dragon fly overhead right before these ponies in armor attacked us. We… we didn't have any means to defend ourselves…"
"What banner did they fight under?"
"I don’t know, I didn’t see any."
"No banner. No snake in a water drop or a red rose?"
The mare shook her head as she held the jug to the filly's mouth. It slowly woke up, blinking a few times before sniffing the jug and plunged its head into the cold water.
He looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry for the lack of hospitality."
She sighed. "It's ok, I understand with the war going on. I just wish there was a safe place for her." She pulled the filly's head out of the now empty jug.
"You should head for the border and go to Equestria. There is no war there, at least not yet."
"Which way is that?"
"Grandmaster!" A pony yelled.
Martin turned towards the voice. It was a young unicorn soldier, his armor a size too big. He paused before stumbled a salute. "I got a message from Princess Celestia." He looked beyond Martin's shoulder, noticing the ponies. "Ma'am, are you alright?" He asked, walking towards them.
Martin cleared his throat. "Soldier, the message?"
He looked at the human briefly. "Oh right!" He used his magic to engulf the letter and held it out as Martin grabbed it. "It's just a routine check up, asking if you need any more supplies."
"Thank you Cadet."
The unicorn smiled before looking nervously at the injured mare. "Is there anything you need madam? We might have some medical supplies for your wound."
"Soldier, can you bring this mare to the border?"
His spun his head so fast his helmet almost fell off. "You'd trust me with a mission like that? Alone?"
"You already managed to come all the way out here. I think you can manage but if you think you need help, I can spare a soldier or two."
He shook his head quickly. "No, I can do this!" He saluted. "I'll be right back." He galloped away.
Martin watched him leave before turning back to the mare. "You'll be safe soon."
She smiled back at the human, the filly back asleep. "Thank you both, bless Celestia."
"It's the least I can do."
She smiled as the unicorn came back with a pair of saddlebags. They looked rather empty as he looked at Martin. "Ready to leave sir."
Martin nodded. "Make sure she's safe."
"Will do sir, with my life." He looked at the mare. "Before we leave, can we have the doctors look at her?"
Martin shrugged. "Yes…" He turned around and walked back to the dragon.
The unicorn smiled and held out a hoof for her. "Right this way ma'am." He led her back to camp.
Martin climbed on Vaahala's back and pulled the rope. "Come on, let's have another look around." Vaahala eyed the two ponies before taking off to the skies, hovering just below the clouds. Neither dragon nor human spotted any other living being, circling around for hours on end. Finally he spotted a small hole in the sand and had Vaahala land and he hopped off the dragon's back. He slowly approached the hole, staring down into the dark abyss. Vaahala followed, peering over the edge and tilted his head slightly.
Martin grabbed a rock and dropped it down, listening as it bounced off the sides of the hole. They waited for it to hit the bottom and they only heard the rock bounce of the side before fading away.
"What the…?" He mumbled, trying to figure out how deep the hole was.
Vaahala grabbed another rock with his mouth, copying Martin. He let go, the rock sailing straight down into the darkness. Martin stared blankly at the hole as Vaahala's ear twitched and he turned his head, watching those two ponies leave the camp. The mare's hind leg wrapped. He watched them disappear over a dune before turning back to the hole.
Martin kneeled down and noticed something moving towards the surface. "What the fuck is that!?" His eyes widened as he flew through the air and landed on his back. He grunted in pain as he saw the large worm poking its head out of the hole.
Vaahala growled at it, glaring as the worm looked around, basking in the sunlight. The ground shook violently as more holes appeared around them, several more worms creeping out of the darkness. Martin pulled out his sword and raised his shield, staring at the worms.
The worms wiggled around before turning to look at the human, its face staring down. He took a step backwards and flung his sword at the closest worm, the blade digging deep into the worm's flesh. Blood shot out of the cut and dyed the sand red. Martin charged, gripping the hilt of his sword and pushing it through the creature. Finally, the tip of the blade hit the sand as a geyser of blood exploded from the worm as it collapsed onto the sand, the lower half falling back down the hole.
Martin quickly spun on his heel, raising his shield as the second worm open its mouth, revealing dagger fangs. The shield took the attack, bending in as the force sent them sliding across the sand. Martin's eyes opened wide in shock as it slowly sent both of them towards another wormhole. He lifted his shield barely, straining under the worm's strength before plunging his sword into the worm's mouth.
It took the worm a moment to register the sword blow before it bellowed loudly, lashing out anything that moved. It’s brain was trying to salvage the failing flesh as the other worm charged him. He desperately pulled the sword out of the dying worm as Vaahala tackled it from the side, digging into its flesh happily with both claws and teeth. In a matter of seconds, nothing was left of the worm, save a few bloody scraps on the sand.
Martin panted, his armor bathed in blood. He looked for anymore worms before the earth shook. He looked down, a hole appearing beneath his feet. It slowly sucked at him, his feet sinking into the sand. “Fuck!” He yelled as his knees disappeared into the sand.
As he struggled, talons gripped his shoulders and he was pulled out, his body stretching before he popped out of the sand. The hole opened fully, nothing but pitch blackness. Martin took a deep breath before looking up, Vaahala flapping his wings. “Good boy!” He yelled as they hovered over the sand, Vaahala gently dropping him onto the sand.
Martin looked around frantically for his sword, only for it to be swallowed by the hole. “That might be a problem…” He trailed off, the glint of the hilt flashing once before vanishing down the endless hole.
“Sir!” Several ponies shouted behind him.
He turned around, soldiers running towards him. “Aye! Quickly, give me an mace or axe!” An axe floated to him and he gripped the hilt tightly.
“What happened? We saw you fighting the sand burrowers and rushed over as soon as we could. What’d you do to make them mad?” A guard asked.
Martin ignored him and turned back towards the hole, the axe spinning skillfully in his hand. “This is about to get really ugly.” He said with a chuckle.
The guards backed away hesitantly. “Sir if we leave now, they might go back into hibernation.”
Martin walked towards the hole as a worm stuck his body out of the hole. He looked around, enjoying the sunlight before turning towards the armored human. The worm sniffed the air before turning towards the guards. Vaahala was nowhere in sight.
“Oi! Ya dickhead!” Martin yelled, hitting the front of his shield with his axe. It slowly blinked and stared at the human. “Aye, you! How ‘bout you come here and fight!?” He yelled, trying to provoke the worm.
The worm ignored him and turned to stare at the guards. He glared at the worm and quickly walked in between himself and the guards. The worm paused, smelling the air. Martin shifted into a more defensive position as the worm charged him, the teeth piercing the shield.
He kneeled down and rammed the shield into the ground. He let go and launched to the worm’s unprotected side. It ripped its fangs out of the shield as he slammed the axe into it’s mouth. The flesh apart and blood shot out of the wound. He dragged the axe through the side of the head before pulling out.
The worm didn’t register the attack for a moment before it let out an ear piercing shriek. The helmets seemed to amplify the sound as all the guards rushed to cover their ears. The worm’s lifeless body fell towards Martin, his body frozen from the screech. As the worm’s body got closer, Martin yelled and swung the axe. It cut open the side as the worm fell on him, the area going silent.
Martin dived at the last second, his torso free from the lifeless body as his legs were caught. He sighed, taking a moment’s rest before the body tugged on him, gravity forcing it back down the hole. He struggled to pull out the axe and hit the worm again and again, trying to cut his legs free. “Come on!” He yelled, blood flying everywhere. The axe slowly started to show some progress, a good chunk gone. The hole slid closer, the axe not working well enough. With another hit, the organs exploded out of the body and onto the ground below, the smell nearly overpowering.
“God!” He yelled, his legs at the lisp of the hole.
The body paused momentarily, several auras encasing the corpse. “Sir!” Hooves pushed against the corpse, trying to make room as a hoof shot out for him. Martin grabbed it for dear life as he was pulled from underneath the monster. As soon as he was free, the auras dissipated and the body slipping into oblivion. The soldiers sagged to the ground, exhausted as a few guards patted him on the shoulder.
He grunted and stood up, looking at himself and frowned. His armor was covered in organ remnants, blood, dents and scratches.
“That was a close one.” A guard said as the unicorns passed around water.
He nodded. “At least it won’t bother anypony else.”
Vaahala flew out of a hole, the sword in his talons.
Martin smiled at the dragon, waiting till he landed in front of him before patting him on the head. “What would I do without you?” Vaahala looked at him sadly, licking the blood off the armor. The dragon looked upset he wasn’t there to protect his master. “Don’t worry.” Martin said, patting him on the head again. He grabbed his sword and sheathed it before looking at his troops. Most of the unicorns could barely move, still exhausted. He motioned towards them. “Could you bring them to our camp?” He asked the dragon.
The dragon nodded, taking off and swooped low, grabbing a few in his talons. They panicked as the dragon dropped them off at the camp and repeated the process. Martin headed back towards base himself, the clouds gone and the sun shining relentlessly. “Damn it’s hot…” He muttered to himself.
He walked back inside the commander’s tent and waved, the commander surprised when he saw the blood. “What happened?” The pony asked, confused.
“We head a bit of a worm infestation.”
He tilted his head. “Worm infestation?”
Martin nodded. “Was checking the east when I saw a tunnel of sorts. Several sand worms appeared and I had to take them out.”
He blinked a few times before his eyes grew wide. “B-but the Sand burrowers don’t attack unless provoked. Besides, they should be hibernating around this time of the year.”
“That’s what a few guards said and I threw a few rocks down the hole.”
He shook his head. “Those tunnels are miles long, that rock did nothing. Somepony must’ve done something.”
“There wasn’t a pony anywhere near them though, at least not as far as Vaahala or I could see.”
The commander looked at the ground and went silent for a moment. “They might have been underground in the tunnels too but nopony is crazy enough to do that.”
“That’d be suicide.”
The pony nodded. “I highly doubt anypony would go down there, not even the UEA or their leaders…”
Martin nodded, sitting down in a chair, trying to get comfy in his armor. The pony turned back towards the table. “Maybe I misjudged the UEA, maybe they’re behind this…”
“I doubt they’d willingly send their own to their deaths with the sand burrowers. That’s too crazy, even for them.”
The commander shrugged. “Celestia knows… As far as we know, they’re one crazy bunch of ponies.”
“You can’t seriously think they’d sacrifice their own members?”
“I have no idea, there’s only one pony crazy enough to go in those tunnels.”
“Who?”
He sighed. “Well, he’s known as Diable. Ponies say he’s one of their main leaders. He’s been seen multiple times before and everypony that met or have seen him say he seemed rather… crazy.”
“Has he been spotted here?”
“Well, not directly but some of our soldiers say they saw him and some of his stallions on their way here.”
Martin sighed. “Just gets better and better.”
The commander frowned. “If this war reaches Equestria, the UEA will be able to strike more effectively.” He stomped his hoof on the ground. “We have to keep pushing, we’re too close to the border. If the Snake Water army manages to get past our forces, Equestria will be in danger.”
Martin nodded. “We’re doing all we can but its just too big of an area with the troops we have and they’re all exhausted as is.”
He kicked the ground. “There has to be something we can do, if we just sit here and wait, they’ll outnumber us!”
Before Martin could answer, the troops outside started yelled. The commander and him shared a look before they ran outside. “What’s going on?!” He yelled.
Vaahala stared intently at the sky and Martin looked up, shielding his eyes with a hand to see a bunch of black dots slowly approach the camp.