//------------------------------//
// Chapter 14: Captured and Chained 
// Story: The Five: Into the Beyond 
// by lyra_lover777 
//------------------------------//

	Spike narrowed his eyes as he pulled both swords from their sheaths, swinging wildly at two red cobras that burst apart across the grassy field.
Dinky had taken a few books from Mr. Thompson's house, and had learned a healing spell on the way here, and had healed Spike's broken arm.
Next to him, Dinky shot bursts of light at random, hitting small groups of snakes that blew apart into giant puffs of colored dust. Soon all of the Five were covered in colored dust, looking like a rainbow had crashed into each of them.
Spike's blades sung as they sliced through the cobras. He was, to his surprise, enjoying this a bit. He was a bit disgusted with himself, but at least he wasn't feeling like he wanted to murder ponies daily.
But after a few more kills, Spike realized it must be the adrenaline of this fight. He felt relieved he wasn't enjoying killing.
Dinky was now on the other side of the clearing. Roseluck stood next to him, chopping away with her hoof axes, and Coco stood on a small boulder several feet away, swinging her lance at attacking cobras. Amethyst had floated her self onto a tree and was shooting at the snakes from above.
Suddenly another wave of cobras emitted from the trees. Amethyst screamed as she was engulfed in the tide of new snakes, flailing before disappearing from sight.
The fighting continued, all remaining four scared out of their wits. Where was Amethyst?
Suddenly a serpent larger than the rest, as large as a full grown stallion, burst from the crowd of snakes and shot off, a purple blur in his mouth as he zoomed away.
The snake had Amethyst and had just taken her away.
The four formed a tight circle. They were doing their best, but the serpents just kept coming. Finally Dinky was forced to float them all into the air to avoid the cobra's snapping jaws and poisonous fangs.
Spike could see Dinky's horn light up brighter, her face scrunched in effort as she suddenly shot them away, into the forest, a long way away from the cobras.
When they landed on the jungle floor, Dinky passed out from over exertion, and Coco wiped a few tears from her eyes. Suddenly it hit Spike. Amethyst was gone, probably swallowed by the serpent.
Spike collapsed on the jungle floor, weeping silently.
===
The hooded figure sat on a stone throne, leaning back comfortably as he waited for his minions to arrive. He smiled, feeling that they had completed their mission.
He looked around at the dark woods. Howls of timberwolves sounded throughout the air as he watched a small jackalope hop by, following a butterfly.
The figure smiled evilly under his hood, getting off the throne and approaching the jackalope. The creature did not move, to entranced by the butterfly.
The figure touched his over-sized hoof to the amulet, smiling cruelly down at the innocent jackalope, who was now trembling in fear in his shadow.
A spark of orange light came from the amulet. It turned into a tiny tentacle, grasping the jackalope's neck. The creature squirmed as its breathing began to slow until it was till. The figure felt a tiny bit of power rush through his veins.
That silly Discord. He had thought the amulet drained ponies of their power just like Tirek's horns had. Oh how wrong he was.
The figure kicked the dead jackalope into some bushes before stalking over to an old oak tree. He lit up the amulet again with the force of his mind, a bigger tentacle wrapping around the tree. The tree began to shred it bark as branches rained down from high above. Soon a large crack was heard as the now dead oak cracked all the way down the middle. The tree tipped, falling to the ground in two equal halves.
A slithering noise could be heard behind him. He turned around to see one of his servants, or should he say serpents.
"I havvve onnnnnnnne my lordddddddddddd," the serpent whispered as he placed the limp Amethyst Star at his master's hooves.
The creature glared down at the weak pony before him. He slowly removed his cloak, showing his true self.
He was of the ones called rhinos. His kind had long ago died out, but he had been the lone survivor. He had terrorized the nations of the Beyond for a while before an army of thousands finally brought him to his knees. They trapped him then in a block of solid ice, thinking he would die.
But he was preserved in the ice, and was forgotten in the deep canyon where they had kept him.
But one day water began to flow through the canyon. Over time, it melted the ice block. A hundred years after the ice block had begun to melt, he had become free.
He smiled cruelly as he looked upon his serpent servant.
"You, Serpon, have done ,e the highest favor. Now let me endorse you."
The serpent nodded eagerly as he zipped to his master's side.
"Thank you, Master Razor," the serpent whispered.
"It is I who should be thanking you."
Suddenly a tentacle shot from the amulet, encircling Serpon's throat. He wiggled around and tried to scream. Soon he became still like the jackalope.
Razor was just a fake name he had given to his servants. His real name, the one he had grown with, was Mountain Crusher. He preferred his old name, but Razor was just one of his many aliases. 
He then looked down at Amethyst. He frowned down at her and picked her up. She had been chained to Serpon's back. Razor used these chains to chain her limp body to the ground. He did not want to kill her. Yet. He would use her as bait to bring the others here before they could finish their quest.
He then leaned back onto his throne. The butterfly the jackalope had been chasing landed on his nose. A small tentacle wrapped around it and it soon fluttered to the ground before his hooves. The butterfly's orange wings spread apart as it hit the dirt, its frail body soon becoming blown away by the wind.