//------------------------------// // Where ride the Horsemann, Death shall follow! (You thought I forgot about him, didn't you?) // Story: It's Time to MANNE UP! // by ConnorTempest //------------------------------// Far in the frozen north, a lone robed pony sat behind the Elder Sign of an upright pentagram. Staring at the center he called out, "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtan!" Feeling the ground beneath him he quickly stood up and backed away. This isn't what's suppose to happen He thought. At the center of the Elder Sign, a purple portal opened up. Curious, the pony took a step forward to gaze into the swirling hell-chasm. Suddenly a gloved hand erupted from the portal, grabbing the pony and dragging him down into it. Seconds later, a belch rang out from the portal, and the gloved and breached forth again. Feeling the ground around the portal, the gloved hand gave a thumbs up and reaching into the hell-chasm, bring up another gloved hand. Bracing against the ground, they began pushing, revealing a headless, skeletal body clothed in a tattered cloak. Now free from the portal, the skeleton reached into it, pulling from it a large ax. It stood there for a second, before reaching once more into the portal, this time retrieving a carved pumpkin from it. Placing the pumpkin on his shoulders, he twisted it and made sure it was stable, he gave a small chuckle. "Ohhhh....It's good to be back in the world of flesh!" Silas shouted with glee. Settling his Headtaker on his shoulder, he began to walk away from the portal, only to turn and look at it after a few steps. "You coming?" he asked the portal. With no reply he walked to the portal and plunged his hand once more into it, all the while trying to make soothing sounds toward it. After about a minute of coaxing he withdrew his hand, this time with a tiny gryphon in it. Bringing it to eye level, he said, "Hmmm...well...this is...unexpected. B-But hey, you've got....actually no, you had wings before...hmmm....well now you're part lion!" The gryphon gave him a deadpan look. "Yeah, yeah, but still, a whole new world for you! Hop in!" he said, leaning over and grabbing the stem on his head and pulling it off. Hesitantly the gryphon climbed inside. "There we go," he said, sealing the hole in his head, raising Goreden into the air, "Onward!" ~~~ Hours later Silas found himself sitting on a rock with his head in his lap. Well...all that time waiting to get out of hell....and now that I'm out I have not clue what to do. he thought. Bringing his Headtaker up to his face, he asked it, "Goreden...what do we do now? Effective immortality and nothing to do with it...damnit, I guess Tony was right, 'Immortality is stupid! When that happens, then we won't have anything to strive for...and it'd be BORING!' I mean TONY of all people....who would've guessed?" "Well boss, I have news for you then. It would seem one of my siblings are here, not sure which one though." Goreden said, ignoring Silias'es other question. Goreden didn't really like Tony. "What? Since when could you do that?" Silas asked. "Since always, it never was relevant before, but seeing as how that harpy changed, I don't think we're where we're supposed to be." Goreden replied. "Geez, sorry I didn't take a cab home, oh wait! There are no cabs in hell!" Silas snapped. "Calm down boss, I'm just saying that we ain't home no more; we aren't bound to that literally damned manor anymore. Free to explore the world....or whatever immortal ghost/wraith/demon things do." Goreden told him. Silas brought a hand up to his neck, stroking empty space as if it were a beard, "Hmmmm, I suppose you're right; all the time in the world, why not explore?" With that he placed his head back on it's rightful spot and began his trek into nowhere. Not four steps in, he heard a low growl from behind him. With a small sigh, he turned around to face what seemed to be a pack of red-eyed, pitch black wolves. Taking a moment to look at them, Silas noticed wisps of smog float off of their coats. "Damnit Nevermore, you let your hounds get away again!" Silas shouted at the ground, as though the Fiend could hear him. Inside his mind he could hear the arrogant demon thing laughing at him. Slamming his Headtaker to the ground, plunging it deep into the earth, Silas let out a feral roar at the wolves. "BACK I SAY! THE POWER OF COMMUNIST LENIN COMPELS YOU!" Being the wolves that they are, they didn't heed his warning, instead the alpha pounced. Disappointed but unfazed, Silas ducked and grabbed the alpha's neck as it got close, slamming the creature into the ground with enough force to splatter the poor thing into a fine, black mist. "Play dead." Silas said with a smile. One which quickly faded as the black mist began to reform back into the wolf, now more than pissed at the Horsemann. Again the alpha pounced, aided by two other wolves behind Silas. Denying the alpha contact with his boot, dissolving the beast to mist again; Silas felt weight on his back, the two behind him had grappled onto his back and were now gnawing on the back of his ribs. Spinning once, he grabbed one of them and introduced it to the ground, dealing with the last one by grasping it's head and twisting it until he heard a sickening crack, looking behind himself, he saw the hound dissipate into mist like it's kin. "Bad dogs." he cackled. Once again the mist began to reform. "HEY BOSS! QUIT BEATING AROUND THE BUSH! I'M STARVING!" Goreden shouted. "Hmph, fine." Grabbing his Headtaker in his right hand, his head in his left; he threw his head into the air, lodging it between some branches; and sundering his Headtaker from the earth. The alpha and his companions had fully reformed and again began circling the horsmann, two more wolves joining the hunt. The now headless horsemann brandished his weapon with both hands, waiting once more for the wolves to strike. He was not disappointed as the alpha attacked once more, only to be met with an ax to the face. Again the beast turned to mist, this time being sucked into the Headtaker. Letting out a howl, the four remaining wolves attacked. The first leaped at Silas from his left side, while the second and third jumped him from behind, the last boldly (and quite stupidly) rushed him from the front. Swinging the Headtaker in a large arc, Silas removed the head of the charging hound. Slamming his left arm against the ground, he dislodged the shadow hound, and bashed it with the flat of his ax, smashing it into mist. With only to left, both clinging to his back, Silas threw caution to the wind and gripped Goreden in both his hands and swung it over his neck, slashing through one of the wolves and into the back of his rib cage. The final wolf, finally conjuring up some sense, released Silas from it's maw and ran away; tail between it's legs. Turning around, Silas stomped on the ground, making his head fall into place, and rested his Headtaker on his shoulder. Releasing a hearty laugh, he yelled, "Who ya gonna call!?"