The loud snoring that was echoing through the halls of the great castle had since been shaking with hearty laughter between two occupants. “I have missed you dear friend! Tell me, what was it like to battle-“
“Hold on a second, before we get into any formalities, are you hungry?” Asked the darkness, who was sitting opposite from Gough.
Now that he thought about it, he felt this odd sensation in his stomach for quite some time since arriving. It felt like his belly was trying to devour his being. Placing a hand to his still grumbling stomach the giant looks up to the unknown figure and nods slowly. “Now that you ask, I do feel peckish. What does this world offer to eat?”
The darkness that Gough stared at for some time chuckled quietly before laughing. “You would be surprised of the dominant inhabitants of this world!” He laughed, trying not to shed a tear from his own inside joke. Looking up he saw Gough’s head tilted in confusion.
“What are those ‘dominant inhabitants’?”
“Well.” The darkness drug out that word to purposely keep the giant on edge, it seemed to work as Gough leaned forward in anticipation. Taking a deep breath the darkness quickly began. “Earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi, alicorns, changelings, gryphons, a draconequus and dragons. But the most prevalent creatures are the mentioned ponies, pegasi and unicorns.”
The giant’s jaw hung loose in awe. “You are joking right? Please tell me I have had too many Elizabeth mushrooms. Wait, dragons?! I must hunt them down before they cause harm!” Gough strained to stand and reach for his bow, his stomach causing him pain to which he grunted and sat down again.
“First, I know this will sound crazy, dragons are peaceful when compared to the monsters you’re used to. So long as none disturb them. Second, they are protected by Equestrian law as a mythical creature alongside phoenixes. So I ask this of you,” The darkness paused to make sure Gough was paying attention to his every word. “Please do not hunt dragons in this world, the inhabitants have a way of dealing with them peacefully and they actually live in peace with them. Respect their law like a knight would and you will earn their respect. Not to mention you’re in no shape to be standing, you look like you could feed on a banquet.”
Hanging his head once more the giant thought for a second. “So I can not full fill my duty as a knight in this world?”
“No you can, you can by protecting the inhabitants. Now, how about some food? I’m cooking manticore. Tried talking to it and calming it at first but… it was a lost cause, let’s put it at that.”
Nodding slowly, feeling a bit better knowing his duty as a knight would still be put to use. “I request that you look away when I pull up my helmet to eat.”
“Best you only pull it up so only your mouth shows.” The darkness quickly responded, slight panic in his voice. “The world itself has eyes that would pay a great price for your full face.” He justified as a lie.
Pausing to stare ahead for a brief moment Gough nodded in agreement, a platter was put forth consisting of manticore meat cooked to a savoury degree. Without hesitation the giant pulled his helmet up only until his mouth showed before shovelling the meat into his mouth, giants were sadly not known for their etiquette at the table. Save for Gough who used special tools, which were unfortunately back in Lordran so this was an exception for the time being. Not to mention how famished he was.
——————
“Thank you for coming on such short notice, Captain Dash.” Celestia spoke, bowing respectfully to her visitor.
“I always have time for you guys!” Rainbow Dash bowed in return, a grin seemingly reaching ear to ear. “So what’s this you need Princess?” The cyan pegasus enquired, standing to her height and eager to do her duty.
“You see, it has come to our attention that the human may still be alive after all this time.” Luna explained on Celestia’s behalf, hearing the word ‘human’ Rainbow Dash knew exactly who they were talking about. “Unfortunately we have no conclusive evidence to prove such a claim, there is however the single proof we know of. That there may be another, given what we know about him he may be as deadly as Kurai. I already had my best artist, Quick Sketch, prepare an artists interpretation of what he looks like and sent to the printing press. To the point, we request that you give the pictures to your squads and have them comb Equestria for one simply known as Sir Knight Arotrias and give him this.” Handing Rainbow Dash a scroll with a royal seal, nodding in response the prismatic maned pegasus placed it in her saddle bag.
“I won’t disappoint you!” Rainbow Dash saluted, flaring her wings and rearing to go.
“Stay a while, the printing press will take a while and we need all your best to be there to collect the papers.” Celestia warmly smiled. “I hear you and Gilda have been getting along quite well.” She winked.
Rainbow Dash’s cheeks felt like red apples, staring at the floor as Twilight gave her mentor a nudge, both giggling like fillies as Luna disapprovingly cleared her throat. Odd how the younger sister has to keep the elder one in line. “If it were not for me you two would be having pillow fights in the kitchen after a meal of pancakes.” She snorted.
“Too late.” Twilight replied, trying not to laugh alongside the vanilla coated alicorn who had both hooves up to her lips, cheeks puffed out in desperation to hold back her mighty cackle.
——————
The cave was not enough, it was never enough. It provided shelter from the occasional storms and native monsters of this forest of nightmares, but it never provided enough space for both inhabitants. Sitting in a meditative state while his companion fate so cruelly bestowed upon him groaned in the background about his last meal, apparently he would rather have had crushed bone for seasoning instead of the rosemary and moss which grew outside the cave.
“Ornstein, when can he leave this place?” Asked Smough, the executioner and candidate for the Knights of Gwyn. Ornstein, the dragonslayer remained silent at the cave entrance as rain was blown against his shining armour by the wind. “Of course, why even bother asking someone who won’t even speak often?” The executioner sarcastically replied to Ornstein’s silence.
Smough appeared very heavy, that was in fact his armour being very misleading of his appearance. The armour depicted that of a fat man with a long slender neck topped with a very disproportional head, while his silent companion had a far more slender build, his helmet taking the shape of a lion with a red plume. The only similarity they shared was the material their armour was made from. Their prized weapons sat at the dead end of the cave, very deep inside. Smough’s weapon was a pole which ended on a terrifying lump of moulded steel, creating the executioners hammer, something he used to crush the bones of those he executed for his own cannibalistic tendencies to add them as seasoning to his food. Ornstein’s weapon again, is the opposite. A large spear ending with a long blade that shot thunder, something dragons were weak to before that infernal beast Kalameet came along with his obsidian scales.
“What about that town in the distance? Can we go there?”
Ornstein shook his head slowly.
“Why not?” Smough growled, narrowing his eyes at the dragonslayer.
No reply, this was starting to get to him.
“Is it because you think those worthless inhabitants are best kept away from us and us from them?!” The executioner asked, his voice raised.
A single slow nod.
“Are you having a laugh?! They’re equines, little horses, nothing worth saving or protecting! I hunger to taste what their bones will be like!”
It may have been a trick of the small cave fire’s light, but Smough could have sword he saw Ornstein twitch in annoyance at his arrogance. “…This is why thou shalt never come a Knight of Gwyn…”
Recoiling slightly at that blow to his self esteem Smough held his tongue and clenched his fists. As much as he wished to yell at Ornstein he could not find the words to do so as they had been slain in his very throat, he hated him as much as he feared and respected him. Yet the more he hated him, the more his respect and fear grew.