//------------------------------// // Certainty // Story: Painted Mirror // by Lord of Turtles //------------------------------// Right away, Raj learned something about the ponies he was observing: they were quick. It shouldn't be surprising, he figured. Raj had it proven to him on more than one occasion that he is not faster than a galloping horse, but he hoped they would at least be a little bit slower due to their size. That was not the case though as he rapidly lost sight of the brightly colored creatures and a few moments later the pursuing Chimera as well. He was left following the obvious trails they both left and the echoing screams of terror. Worry knotted in his gut for the little ponies. He ignored the feeling and focused on moving fast and safe. It wouldn't benefit anyone if he twisted an ankle on a rock. He eventually caught up on account of the creatures having ceased their flight. They stood in a barren clearing framed by high trees. The male pony was leaping and darting, trying to avoid swipes from the Chimera's oversized paws. Over them the goat was braying, possibly giving direction or simply jeering while the snake looked on with obvious relish. Of the mare, Raj saw no sign. The Chimera swung and the pony reared up to avoid it. He came down on his front hooves and rocked his weight forward, pivoting around and uncoiling into a full-body buck. One of his back-hooves struck the lion directly in his brow, making the creature recoil and groan. The lion's brother-heads were unconcerned and broke into fits of stuttering, animalistic laughter. It was a good hit, and would have ended the fight if it had connected better. Raj did note one flaw with the pony's method of fighting though: it fundamentally relies on showing one's back to the enemy. The Chimera realized this as well and swiped while he couldn't see it coming. It connected with the pad of the paw and sent the brown pony flying away. He sailed through the air and slammed high on the trunk of a tree with a pained whinny and flopped to the ground in a heap. An excited growl rumbled out of the Chimera and it pounced, intent on ripping the prone pony to shreds. There was a flash of sudden movement, almost fast enough Raj couldn't catch it from his position. What looked like a plum-colored head and hooves popped out of the base of the tree, grabbed the stallion, and pulled him straight into the wood, leaving the Chimera to claw dirt. Raj was confused by this to say the least, until the Chimera shoved its lion face into the tree and let out a muffled roar that shook leaves from the upper branches. The tree had a hollow in the base of it that Raj couldn't see from his angle, and the ponies took refuge in it. He heard a frightened shriek from the tree and the Chimera recoiled, clutching at a slightly flattened nose marked by a hoofprint. The thing growled, turned and bucked its back-hooves with a bleat of exertion and the entire tree was blown apart with a thunderous crack that startled Raj onto this backside. The trunk leaned towards him and he had to scurry and roll to avoid it. It hit the ground with a mighty crash and a blast of dirt that sent him into a fit of muted coughing. The only part of the tree left standing was a fractured stump the size of a barrel. The Chimera planted its front paws on the edges and looked down at the scared ponies. They screamed and shrieked and the Chimera licked its chops, rumbling in anticipation. Claws dug into wood and it started to tear at the pony's prison amidst cries of alarm. Raj could tell that, in less than a minute, the Chimera would shatter the stump to splinters and the ponies would have nowhere to hide anymore. A few seconds after that, they would be dead. Maybe the mare will be able to run while the Chimera busied itself with the injured stallion, but Raj didn't have faith in that. If either could have ran, they would have. He didn't know these creatures, he knew them less than he would anybody back home. He didn't know where they're from, what they do, who they are, or why they're here. He didn't know their beliefs, their creeds, or even what they ate. All he knew was that they were sentient, living beings, and that was enough. He covered the distance quickly, sprinting at a frantic pace. He couldn't hope to sneak up on three, alert animal heads so he needed to get on it before it could react. He didn't have his staff, that was back with his bounty of ducks and the rest of his gear, all he had was his knife. It wasn't much, he'd rather have had something with some reach like a spear or a shotgun, but the knife would have to do. Once he broke cover the Goat spotted him immediately and let out a warning cry. The Lion started to turn, but it was already too late. Raj sailed through the air, long knife drawn, and stabbed into the Lion's mane, biting into the flesh just behind its jaw. The creatures staggered and the Lion grunted, trying to paw at the thing dangling from its face but Raj planted a boot on its shoulder, limiting its motion. The Lion shook its head and pulled away, but Raj had a fist full of mane, keeping himself with it as it turned. He pulled the knife out in a flood of black ichor, rearing back for another strike. He did not expect the Goat to swing itself down and bonk him on the head with one of its horns. He was knocked senseless for a moment and his grip faltered. The Lion bucked its head to side and pushed him away. Raj was knocked off balance, but kept his feet. Raj winced and shook, forcing the cobwebs out and assumed a stance, knife in a reverse grip. The Chimera seemed surprisingly sanguine with the fact that it just had six inches of steel buried in it's head and rolled its neck, appraising the creature that dared assaulted it. He met its eyes levelly and tossed his knife back and forth between his hands. He smiled wryly and taunted “Let's dance, you and I.” The hulking beast loped forward and swung downward, trying to force him to the ground. Raj shuffled to the side and lashed at its shoulder. The strike was on target but the blade glanced off the tougher hide. He knew he needed to keep close, use his greater quickness to stay away from the dangerous bits while striking when he could. He danced down the side, trying to get further down the thing's flank before it hopped away and out of his range. He caught a flash of green and ducked instinctively, dodging the Snake as it darted in at his face. He recovered just in time to dodge the next one, and then the next. He swayed like a boxer, in a hunch and all shoulders. He got the rhythm by the fourth strike and was able to slash back on the fifth, drawing a thin black line along the scales flanking the Snake's mouth. It hissed and writhed. As soon as the Snake decided it'd had enough the Lion was back in it with a high pounce. Raj hopped back, barely staying out of reach of the deadly claws. The Chimera landed, rolled its body and somehow pulled distance out of nowhere, coming in for a followup lunge with one paw. Raj didn't dodge this one, instead he braced his whole body and blocked with his knife. The razor sharp point hilted in the pad of a paw and the Chimera cried out with all three heads. Before it could pull its leg in and drag him into into its jaws, he slipped underneath the limb and wrenched its paw, forcing the creature to roll onto its side. Still holding it in place by its paw he lifted a boot and stomped on its other foreleg with enough force to hear something snap. The Lion roared in agony from its dual injuries and started to thrash, flailing wildly and forcing Raj to withdraw. The Snake swept down, swinging between the goat-legs and caught Raj in the back of the knees. He slammed into the ground hard, forcing a grunt. The Snake reared up and struck down whip-crack fast, catching Raj on the ankle. His high boots saved him from any poison it might have been carrying, but the thing was latched on firmly and slowly dragging him closer to the main body. Raj braced his palms on the ground and pulled, sliding his foot free, but not the boot. That was still lodged firmly in the serpent's mouth. He scooted back on his rear end, digging at the ground with his heels as the Snake flung footwear from its mouth. It struck again and again but it couldn't get an angle with the main body thrashing still. Raj staggered to his feet, swaying out of the way of another strike on uneasy feet. He wiped sweat from his eyes and barely avoided fangs, instead taking a glancing blow on the shoulder from the reptilian snout. The main body rolled upright and sidled close to let the furiously hissing snake have another shot. It coiled and sprung out. It was going for his torso, mouth wide to catch some part of him with its fangs. He swayed, letting the head pass underneath his arm and beside his torso. A sudden spark of inspiration struck and he clamped his arm downward, locking it over the Snake just behind its head. The long, serpentine body started to undulate and flex, hissing and spitting. Raj braced his feet and held, pulling back with all he could muster. Muscles burned and his teeth clenched tight enough to creak. A blister on the bottom of his foot burst against a rough patch of exposed root but he barely registered it. His fingernails dug into the slick hide and he pierced his nailbeds on sharp scales. His knife came up, tensed, and sailed down, piercing the Snake through and through in a welter of black blood. The serpent tried to hiss but it faded into a gurgling croak. The Lion and the Goat cried out for it and the whole body pulled away, yanking the Snake and the knife out of Raj's hands. The Snake flailed and hissed, lashing wildly in pain. The Goat bleated loudly, trying to calm its brother down. Eventually the Snake relented and drooped forward, dripping onto its own coat. The Goat bit the handle and pulled the blade free with a shudder of agony. The Goat reared and threw the blade aside, letting it disappear into the undergrowth. For the first time in the last few moments there was a lull that gave both sides a chance to re-assess. The Chimera didn't look good. The stab in the neck had been steadily leaking black ooze the whole fight and it had matted down the entire side. It's front end moved sluggishly, not sure which leg to favor and its back-hooves were unsteady. The Snake loomed and bobbed, bubbles of thick blood dribbling from the holes in its neck with every breath. The Goat bleated loudly, trying to goad its brother-heads back into the fight, but it was half-hearted. The day was far too hot for all this exertion and the beast was tired and overheated. Raj scooped up a rock from the ground and stood ready. He shouted “Come on! Is that all you got?” He really hoped it was. Raj really didn't want to fight anymore. The fall did something awful to his tailbone, and he was pretty sure that if he fell on it again he would blackout. The bottom of his foot felt raw from the torn blister, and he knew that it was only going to get worse if he had to keep going. The only thing making any of the pain bearable was the slight fog still in his head from the blow before. The Chimera's three heads panted heavily, deeply tired as well. The Lion's eyes caught his and then flickered over to the ruined stump. It then closed its mouth and snorted. He could almost hear the thing say “Fine, keep them.” It turned and started to stalk away, deeper into the forest. As it turned the Goat bleated in surprise and then began to whine loudly, protesting the retreat. The Snake kept eyes on him, watching for any sudden moves. Raj didn't let his guard down until he could no longer hear the goat's cries, and even then he did so warily. After several minutes of clenched silence he finally relaxed. He let out a shuddering breath, leaning a forearm against a tree. He wanted to slump down, but his aching back keeps him from that luxury. He found his boot and slipped it back on. A pair of holes marred each side and it was covered in snake-slobber, but still serviceable. He limped into the woods hoping, praying, to find his knife. Luck favored him again. He found it lying at the base of a tree in a clutch of rocks. It struck badly from the throw and the tip had broken off. Raj frowned at that but grabbed it anyway. He spat on the blade and started rubbing at the gummy blood crusting it. He sauntered back to the clearing, still wary. Old instincts wouldn't let him calm down, demanding he stay on his toes. Its no wonder he almost jumped out of his skin when he saw a tentative head poke out of the stump. The mare saw him startle and pulled back in with a frightened yelp. Raj wasn't surprised or insulted by this. It was entirely reasonable he decided. He sheathed the knife and looked down through the broken top. The two ponies were tangled together, the plum one clutching the unconscious brown one. Both were drenched in sweat from the day's appalling heat. The mare's breath hissed through clenched teeth, her giant eyes scrunched painfully shut. Her whole body was shaking and Raj could hear her hyperventilating. Raj smiled as warmly as he could and sid “Are you okay?” His voice was hoarse with thirst, still dehydrated from the morning. After a few seconds her head moved in the faintest of nods. “Alright, what about your friend? Is he alright?” Once again she gave a terrified nod, maybe a little bit less stiffly. He continued “Good, can you take care of him on your own?” Her head bobbed again and Raj worried that she was simply answering in whatever way she thought would get rid of him. He stood back up. “The... monster is gone, and shouldn't be back anytime soon. Go home when you feel comfortable.” He stood there awkwardly for moment before muttering “So... goodbye.” He rapped the side of the stump and started to stroll away, back to his abandoned gear. * * * By the time he made it back it had been dark for hours. He practically collapsed into camp, half-dead from fatigue. Banjo was barking madly, straining at his leash to get over to his master. After a few minutes he somehow convinced himself to rise to his feet. He winced when something pulled at his backside, bringing a fresh wave of pain, but he ignored it. He'd figured out that nothing is broken, just bruised. It wouldn't be fun for a few days, but he'd be okay. He saw to the dog's and his own needs languidly. He drank an unwise amount of water and almost polished off what was left of his store of food before throwing the ducks in the cooler to be handled in the morning before flopping down in his car. Rajrishi was exhausted, soaked in sweat, slathered in dirt, injured, and likely suffering from the early stages of heat-stroke, but he couldn't remember ever sleeping so soundly or with such a big smile on his face.