//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Face of the Enemy // Story: Legionnaires of Equestria // by thatguyvex //------------------------------// Chapter 6: Face of the Enemy The life of a performing magician had taught Trixie many skills over the years. It wasn’t all glamour and the cheers of adoring crowds. There were many nitty-gritty affairs that needed dealing with when one made one’s living by traveling long distances between towns. For all the Legion ponies gruff, superior attitudes they had one thing wrong; the Heartland of Equestria was not an entirely safe and friendly place. Trixie had needed to develop a strong sense of danger in order to survive some of the nastier back roads of Equestria, where worse than Timberwolves might dwell. Manticores, hydras, chimeras… Equestria was rife with deadly beasts that’d happily make a meal of an unwary traveler. Trixie knew when someplace wasn’t safe. She certainly didn’t feel safe now. Arrow Vale was not only deathly quiet, but it was permeated by a spine shuddering chill that Trixie was certain had nothing to do with the temperature. She felt eyes on her, and her instincts were shouting at her that those eyes were hungry. Coldiron led them to the first house, stiff, alert, and horn glowing in preparation to cast. Trixie had magic flowing in her own horn, thinking of a few choice illusions she could toss in rapid succession. She was hesitant to use the arcane blast she’d been taught by the Legion. Her overall power with it was still weak. Better to distract an enemy than try to waste energy injuring them when she had perfectly capable allies to do that. Her eyes darted left and right, seeking even the slightest hint of movement. The simple sound of their hoof falls seemed too loud to Trixie. Coldiron stopped at the door to the first house and glanced back at everypony, giving a nod. Coco and Blossomforth returned the nod, and Trixie did too after a second. They were as ready as they were going to be. Coldiron tensed, and then swung the door open and darted inside, Trixie and the others following behind her. The interior was a wide living room with a simple set up of a few chairs and table near a big stone hearth. One chair was knocked over while another was splintered, and it didn’t take Trixie more than a casual glance to see that there were signs o struggle beyond that. Faint blood splatters on the floor by a open door that lead to a kitchen drew her eye. There wasn’t much blood, and Trixie’s sharp mind noted the pattern of the red spots was as if the blood had dripped off of two separate points, side by side. Like somepony had been stabbed by two separate daggers at once. Coldiron led them through each room; kitchen, pantry, upstairs sleeping chambers. All clear of anypony or anything, with just a few more minor signs of struggle. Trixie noted the hasty way it seemed the sheets and fur covers on the beds had been thrown off. “It happened fast,” she said, and Coldiron looked at her sharply. “Explain.” Trixie nodded at the beds, “The residents, Trixie believes they were asleep when they were attacked, and had little time to react. The attack was swift, and quiet.” “That’s a lot to assume from just seeing one house,” said Coldiron, but then she grudgingly nodded her head, “But I have to agree. Had the town been properly roused for battle there would be far more signs of a fight.” The next three houses went the same way. Empty, a few signs of struggle, but nothing to indicate a longer, protracted battle. In the third house there was also more strands of webbing, ropes of it laced across one of the beds. Coldiron’s expression soured at the sight. “The Lurkers in the Woods…” she muttered, running a hoof over her cropped brown mane. They were getting close to the town square by now, where the dirt road opened up into a wide open space that could park a dozen wagons if need be. The inn stood tall on the west side of the square, and Trixie glanced at a number of merchant stalls lining the north end. Her heart nearly jumped into her throat as she saw something move by one of the stalls. “There’s something over there!” she whispered, pointing. The others looked and Blossomforth shaded her eyes with a wing, “I don’t see anything, Trixie.” “Spread out,” Coldiron said, “Blossomforth, go up. Trixie, you take the left end, I’ll take the right, and well meet in the middle to flush it out, if there s something there. Coco, take up position in the center of the square and cover us.” Blossomforth and Coco obeyed, the pegasus going airborne as Coco trotted to the middle of the open square, aiming her crossbow at the cluster of market stalls. Coldiron gave Trixie a quick, confirming look before heading for the right end of the stalls, leaving Trixie to trot to the left end. Trixie’s mouth was dry as she did so, not at all wanting to ‘flush out’ whatever she’d seen. She wasn’t even sure what she saw, just some small flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye near one of the middle stalls. The stalls were simple log affairs with plain wood carved signs to depict what goods they sold. A far cry from the colorful tents and stalls that Equestrians tended to set up in their towns. Trixie carefully examined the first stall, checking inside with her horn glowing. Nothing but wheels of cheese of various sizes set up on shelves. Trixie sighed and tip-hoofed along to the next stall, sneaking around the back, carefully peeking around the corner of the next stall. Seeing the way was clear she started to step towards the front of the second stall to look inside when she heard a creak of wood that made her freeze in place. Something was definitely inside the second stall. Trixie knew she hadn’t imagined that sound of creaking wood! Gulping, Trixie readied herself and crept to the stall. When she spotted Coldiron creeping around one of the stalls near her end Trixie waved to her, and then to Blossomforth, who’d been hovering overhead. Trixie made a quick series of rapid hoof gestures, flailing them about as she gestured at the stall. Blossomforth looked like she was about to giggle and Coldiron had a flat look on her face as she shrugged, as if to say ‘what?’ Trixie redoubled her hoof flailing, nodding multiple times at the stall she’d heard the noise from. She emphasized her point by point at her ears, flicking them, making a monstrous scary face as she pointed at the stall, then aiming her horn at it as she made a ‘get over here you nitwits!’ gesture. Coldiron seemed to get it then, as did Blossomforth, as they gathered near the stall. Coldiron whispered to her, “You know a simple ‘come here’ wave would have sufficed.” “Oh be quiet! I don’t know you’re weird Legion hoof signals yet!” Trixie whispered back. Blossomforth was smiling, “I don’t think they have those. Wait, do you?” “Well, yes,” Coldiron admitted, “They’re mostly for Special Operations squads… anyway, not important right now. Let’s see what we have here.” The three mares tensed, and as one they jumped up to look over the counter of the stall, horns and spear at the ready. Trixie got hit in the face with something red, round, and suspiciously tomato like. At the same time a small, brown form darted out of the side of the stall. Trixie, wiping tomato juice from her face, reacted quickly to snatch the fleeing form with her telekinesis, her earlier fear replaced with indignant ire as she saw just what, or rather who, had spooked her. “Hey! Lemme go!” shouted the foal, a colt of perhaps eight years or so, his little brown form hanging in Trixie’s telekinetic aura as his legs blurred beneath him as if he could still run. A sooty black mane fell across his face, hiding one eye while leaving the other green orb to look at Trixie and the other mares with dawning realization, “Waitasec, you’re not monsters.” “Not yet,” said Trixie, “But if you throw another tomato into Trixie’s face she may become a monster, just for you.” “I thought you were one of those bug-monsters!” said the foal, then he chuckled in the way only a smug foal can, “Though the tomato is an improvement to that face.” Trixie felt a vein pop on her forehead, “And today is apparently the day Trixie commits foalicide…” “Down Trixie, down,” said Blossomforth with a chuckle, patting Trixie on the shoulder, “He’s just a little colt. He doesn’t mean anything by it.” “Yes I do,” the colt said firmly. Coldiron sighed, “Enough chatter. Coco, form up! You, kid, what’s your name?” The colt frowned, looking at them, “You’re Legionnaires. You’re here to help? Okay, okay, my name’s Soot. Can you tell the ugly one to put me down?” “Trixie will dunk your head in a water barrel!” “Trixie, put the colt down,” said Coldiron. Trixie grumbled, but did so, setting the ungrateful bratty spawn of Tartaros down on the ground with a huff. “There. He’s down. Now he can apologize to Trixie.” “As if! I’m not apologizing to you; uglyface!” Blossomforth chuckled, “I see foals are pretty much the same whether it’s the Heartland or the Barrier Lands.” “As in horrible, wretched, screeching spawn that should be seen but not heard?” asked Trixie, “And preferably not seen either?” Blossomforth glanced at her coyly, “Not the motherly type are we?” Trixie bristled slightly, looking away, “Trixie was just taught that a foal should be quiet, well behaved, and above all respect her elders. Thus far Trixie has met few foals that measure up to the same standards.” “Um, hello there, Soot,” said Coco as she knelt down in front of the foal so she was on eye level with him, “We’re here to help, but could you tell us what happened here?” “Yes,” said Coldiron, “We need as detailed an account of what’s befallen Arrow Vale as you can give. Can we assume by your initial reaction to us that enemies might still be around?” Soot looked between them with a suddenly weary look, the young colt who’d been so full of spunk a second ago seeming to tire and get worn out in front of their eyes. Trixie suddenly felt a tad bad for the foal, realizing that his night must have been truly terrible, if the state of the town was any indication. It almost made her forgive him for the tomato and rude remarks. Almost. “We were attacked,” Soot said simply, “It happened in the middle of the night. They just… appeared from the shadows. Monsters. Big, a bunch of legs. Fangs. Spat web.” “Spiders?” Coldiron suggested and Soot shrugged. “I didn’t get a good look at any of them. They moved so fast, and it was dark… “ he grew quiet, and Trixie could see tears that the colt was trying to hold back, “Mom and dad fought, but they were taken quickly. Me and sis barely had time to run out the door, and then… then sis, they got her too. I just kept running…” He wiped at his face and then glared at them, “I’m not a coward you know! I’m… I’m nearly a grown stallion and I’m not a coward! I just had to run because dad told me too and I don’t disobey my parents. That’s it. I wasn’t… scared.” Coldiron stepped up to the colt and put a comforting hoof on his head, “You did the right thing to run, Soot. Obeying your father was exactly what you needed to do in that situation. There’s no shame in that. Now, what happened after? You said your parents were taken?” Soot’s nod was barely perceptible and the colt’s eyes gained a haunted quality, “I saw it. I was hiding in these stalls, and I managed to peek out once or twice. The… things, were dragging everypony away, all wrapped up in web!” “Where?” pressed Coldiron, “Where were they being taken?” “I don’t know for sure. Deeper into town. Towards town hall,” Soot said, looking about as if he expected to see another one of these monsters appear at any moment. Coco’s head was tilted slightly as her eyes looked at the colt questioningly, “Soot, sorry for asking if this sounds silly, but you could see us right? Why did you try to hide from us? We’re obviously ponies.” Soot suddenly looked embarrassed, cheeks reddening as he scrapped at the ground with a hoof, “I… uh, well, I didn’t see you all exactly. I was just starting to sneak out of these stalls when I heard you talking.” “Well, still, that should make it pretty clear we were ponies, right?” asked Blossomforth. Soot’s body shuddered a bit, “That’s just it, though. Those monsters, I… I heard them talking!” Coldiron was suddenly leaning right in front of him, eyes intense, “Wait, are you certain? They talked?” Soot nodded, “Yes. They sounded weird, like a bunch of whispers.” Trixie sighed, rolling her eyes, “Oh, yes, I can see how you’d mistake our voices for a bunch of whispering.” Soot stuck his chin out at her, “Hey! You were kind of whispering! And… and I wasn’t scared, I was just being cautious! Careful! Like my father taught me!” Coldiron held up a hoof, stalling Trixie’s response, “Regardless, what were the creatures saying. Can you remember anything?” Soot frowned, brow creasing, “Umm, let me think… they said something about the… oh, the newborn moon! They said they had to hurry because the moon would be newborn again, or something, and that was when they had to prepare the ‘trap’. I remember that word, trap. They also said that a few would have to stay behind. I don’t know what that meant, but I heard that too.” Trixie tapped a hoof to her chin, “Wait, why were they speaking Equestrian? If these are horrible nightmare creatures what business would they have speaking in a language we’d understand?” Coldiron looked confused for a moment, “Well, the wolven speak our tongue, if only to taunt us, and a few ursans also learn our language. I don’t see why these Lurkers wouldn’t.” “Yes, yes,” said Trixie, “But why speak it when they’re by themselves?” “Practice?” suggested Blossomforth, and at the looks of the others the pegasus grinned and shrugged her wings, “Well, when I was learning Prench in school the teacher had us spend a whole week speaking as much as we could in Prench. Maybe these Lurkers or whatever are just doing the same thing, getting used to ponyspeak.” “Doesn’t really matter right now anyway,” said Coldiron, looking back to Soot, “We’re going to investigate further. Can you find a safe place to stay until we’re done?” Soot’s eyes widened, “You’re going to keep looking around here? But… but the monsters!” “If there are any still here, we’ll deal with them,” Coldiron said with confidence that Trixie certainly didn’t feel, but was glad enough the Legion pony seemed to think they could handle matters here, “I’m not leaving Arrow Vale until I’m certain there is nothing more we can do here.” “Yeah!” said Blossomforth, “We might even be able to find the townsponies and rescue them!” Coldiron gave Blossomforth a hard look, but at seeing Soot’s hopeful face Coldiron’s expression softened, and she said in a somber tone, “If we can, we will.” ---------- Coldiron was trying her very best not to look as shaken as she felt. Seeing her hometown all but deserted, having learned it had been attacked by creatures she’d until a few days ago thought were only stories, was leaving her more than a little jittery. Soot had gone back to hiding in the stalls, and would wait there until either Coldiron and her squad returned, or failing that, she’d given the colt a few rations to help him get to Beartrap Fortress on his own. Not that the fortress would be much safer, but it was best she could do for the lad. She felt for him. This had been her home a long time ago and seeing what had happened to it shook her, but he’d lived through it, seen his family taken by monsters of the night. The fact that he’d remained in town, and managed to hold onto any amount of courage was a heartening thing. The colt would do the Legion proud if he ever joined. She hoped he lived long enough to make that choice. She didn’t hold a lot o hope that they could, as Blossomforth said, rescue any of the other townsfolk, but she wasn’t going to abandon the place until she knew for sure there was no chance. So far they hadn’t even seen one of the Lurkers yet to know for sure what had attacked Arrow Vale. She knew Captain Runeward would want more than just a vague report of the town’s fate and a story from the mouth of a colt. He’d want hard proof. A body, at least. Coldiron hoped to be able to accomplish that goal without getting her whole squad killed. They'd do the Legion no further good if they were dead. The town hall wasn’t far from the square they’d found Soot in. Just a short trot of less than a hundred paces brought them to the tallest building in Arrow Vale, its thick wood walls standing tall in the morning light. The structure was one long, two story affair with a sloped roof of thick wood logs, all built around a tower that rose high as fifty paces and held the town’s bell tower. Thick wood doors were closed on the front of the hall, and immediately Coldiron noted the strands of webbing covering various parts of the roof and walls, and the signs of damage where it seemed parts of the wall had been hit with something akin to a battering ram. But, too, did she note that the hall looked intact, and as she and her squad approached she could see signs of battle and struggle around the hall… signs that indicated the ponies of Arrow Vale not only made a last stand here, but might have succeeded. “What is this stuff? Blood?” asked Blossomforth as she poked at a pool of brackish green liquid pooled around scuffs in the ground that to Coldiron looked like a body had fallen there, then been dragged away. “There’s more over here,” Trixie said, disgust wrinkling her nose as she looked at several more pools and splatters of the green blood not far from the doors of the town hall. “It seems the ponies here fought back fiercely once they gathered at the hall,” Coldiron said, and looking at the building she added, “And the doors remain unbreached.” “But didn’t Soot saw the townsponies were dragged this way?” asked Coco. “That doesn’t mean they were taken into town hall,” said Trixie, her visage turning grim as she nodded with her horn towards something Coldiron had missed, as she’d been too busy examining the building itself. To the left of the town hall, out in the middle of one of the dirt roads, was a large hole in the ground. It looked dug and shaped, the rim almost perfectly round, and white webbing etched its way across the entrance of the hole like the bars of a gate. Coldiron stared at it, amazed at the size of the hole. Two ponies could have dropped abreast down it. Blossomforth whistled. “Whew, that’s a big creepy crawly hideaway if I’ve ever seen one.” “And likely where the captured ponies were taken,” said Coldiron with a grim sigh, then looked back towards the town hall, “Now the question is, are there any left who remain inside?” The four mares gathered around the doors to the town hall and after a moment of exchanging glances, and a general set of shrugs all around, Coldiron lifted a hoof and knocked. There was no response. Coldiron sighed and instead called out, “Ho in there! If any ponies remain alive, know we are part of the Legion and are here to help you!” Silence reigned for nearly a minute before there was a call from above and the mares could look to see a small, but heavy outward opening hatch had been opened up above the doors, and from it the head of a pony could be seen. “Legion you say? By Terrato’s blazing balls it’s about time some of you showed up!” shouted a stallion’s voice, “We’ve got injured. Is… is that all of you down there?” Coldiron grimaced, nodding her head, “It is. We were sent without knowledge of the trouble here, and for good reason as we heard this just happened last night.” “Heard? From who? Blazes, are there still ponies alive out there?” “We found a colt, Soot,” Coldiron replied. “Miller’s boy? Well, there’s something at least. Hold your tails a tick, we’ll get the doors open!” Soon enough there was the sound of something heavy and wood sliding and dropping, followed by a groan as the doors to the town hall opened wide. Inside Coldiron could see more than a dozen Arrow Vale ponies in their thick wool garments, head scarves for the mares and tall fur hats for the stallions, standing in the doorway, all armed with spears, short blades, and in some cases pitchforks or lumber axes. All looked haggard, dead tired, and had similar haunted looks to their countenances that Soot had. One of them stood out, a broad shouldered stallion with a wheat colored coat and thick, bushy gray mane. “Come on in,” he said, “If you got here I can only guess those beasties are gone for now.” “Mayor Straight Lace,” Coldiron said, nodding her head as she lead her squad inside. The ponies closed the doors behind her, refitting a big, thick wood door bar to keep it closed. Inside she could see the wide main floor of the town hall had almost all of its wood benches cleared from the center of the room and instead were stacked like barricades around parts of the wall that had windows or wood hatches. Well over a hundred ponies, perhaps even close to two hundred, were huddled in clusters across the main hall. There was hardly a one among them, even the old or the very young, who weren’t armed, and many eyes turned towards the Legion ponies who were now being led to the center of the hall. “Mayor,” Coldiron began again, “I’m sorry for what’s happened to Arrow Vale. I already have some of the story from young Soot, but I’d like to hear from you just what occurred here, and how I and my squad can help.” Mayor Straight Lace snorted, shaking his head, and slumping his shoulders as if he was barely standing underneath a great weight, “First of all, you can help by getting back to your fortress and rousing your whole garrison. Those things will be back come nightfall I’m willing to bet, and I don’t know if we can hold out another night here. As for what happened, well if you talked with Soot then you probably know the most of it. They came while we were asleep in our beds. Don’t know if any of my guards on the wall were able to raise alarm. Barely fought off one of the buggers myself and by then they were all over town. I rallied who I could and brought the here, to stand or die. As it happened, we stood, and did so the whole night, fending the things off until they gave up come morning. Nopony’s been courageous enough to check much outside, though, and I was debating ordering us all out of here to risk the roads, or to risk another night in here.” “What are they?” asked Trixie suddenly, and at the Mayor’s hard look the mare blanched, but stood her ground and met his stare, “The things? Are they actually spiders?” There were disquieting murmurs among the huddled groups of Arrow Vale ponies at the question, more than one foal crying, and a few adults looking ready to do so themselves. Straight Lace eyed Trixie carefully before saying, “Spiders… yeah, if spiders are the size of a pony, or in some cases even a fully loaded cart. More legs than any creature’s got a right to have, and fangs sharp as daggers, and poison to boot. Spinning web as easy as you might spin a spell. Spiders. Yes, I guess that’s what they were.” “You killed some?” asked Coldiron, “We saw the blood outside.” “That too is true,” said Straight Lace, “Killed the one that jumped me in my home with this very blade,” He rattled the hilt of the short sword sheathed at his side, “They’re fast, even decent strong, but they die if you stick them good enough. Just a matter of not getting bit, while dealing with how bloody fast they are. We got a few, sure, just not nearly enough. Not sure how many hit us last night, maybe a hundred, and at most we got a dozen or two all told. Not the best accounting of ourselves.” “It could have been worse,” Coldiron told him flatly, her mind working. Word of this new threat needed to be spread. Not just to Beartrap Fortress but to the entire Legion, to all of Equestria. Whether this was just one isolated incident or part of a larger future threat didn’t matter, the act that these Lurkers existed, and were now willing to launch full scale attacks upon towns, had to be brought to the attention of higher authorities. To the Prince himself. She also needed to determine as much as she could about this enemy. So far all she knew was that they were large, fast, poisonous, could spin webs, but were mortal. It was a lot, but not enough by her reckoning. A body would help, but more than that, she wanted to see with her own eyes what this enemy was. There was also the matter of the ponies that were taken, which was bothering her even more now that she was thinking about it and had confirmation that they were dealing with some kind of over-sized spider. Spiders, as she understood it, fed on prey captured in web. But did it kill their prey instantly, or keep them alive until feeding time? Could she even risk considering an attempt to rescue those taken when this vital information needed to be brought back to Beartrap Fortress? “Worse or not,” said Trixie, looking over the tired looking crowd of ponies, “Trixie thinks these ponies have gone through enough. Can we really ask them to fight at the fortress?” Coldiron glanced hard at the other mare, having not decided how to best bring up her actual mission here yet, but the proverbial cat was out of the bag now and the Mayor looked at her with a rough grunt as he said, “So that’s what you’re here for. Though it was strange there were so few of you, if you had come to actually help us.” With a composing breath Coldiron faced Straight Lace with a calm, unapologetic look, “Yes, my squad’s mission here was one of recruitment. Beartrap Fortress expects an attack from a large army of ursans and we are sorely in need of every available hoof to aid in the defense.” “Flames to that!” shouted one mare, “We just lost hundreds of our own and you’re asking us to give up more!? Neigh I say!” A few similar shouts and mutterings were heard, though most of the ponies present looked too exhausted to bother voicing an opinion. Coldiron was expecting this response and steeled herself, keeping her tone level as she said, “I understand you all suffered losses here. Had we known what was going to happen you know the Legion would not have hesitated to fight to protect this town. Right now, while these creatures that have attacked you are a threat, the ursans are also a threat, and one that won’t stop at Beartrap Fortress if it falls! They will come here next, you can be assured of that.” “I believe you. We all do, I reckon,” said Straight Lace, “But you really expect us to abandon our homes so quickly? I’m honestly shocked at you, little Coldiron. Yes, I recognize you, girl. Your father comes to market often enough.” Coldiron blinked in surprise, and then licked her lips, “I see. I should ask, does anypony know if the farmsteads were hit like Arrow Vale was?” One stallion, a young red fellow with a brown mane that Coldiron recognized was the one who’d spoken to them at the door, piped in, “Sorry to say I’m thinking so, ma’am. I’ve been keeping watch all night and morning, and ain’t seen a single pony roll into town until you ladies showed up. If things were normal in the farmsteads I know we’d have seen some early risers coming into town for market.” It was an answer she’d expected and braced or, but she’d held onto some hope that her father and brother’s farm might have escaped attack. There was of course no way to confirm it yet and it was possible they were fine, but a cold grip of worry tried hard to take root in her. She fought it back with a steel clad sense of focus. She had her duty to perform. She’d learn the fate of her family when she could, and deal with whatever came of that then. “I understand. Thank you for telling me…” she left the question hanging and the red stallion, who she reckoned wasn’t much more than a year into his proper adulthood, gave her a small smile. “Strong Back, ma’am.” She nodded, “Corporal Coldiron.” “So, boss,” said Blossomforth, nudging Coldiron with a wing, “Not to step out of line or anything, but what are we going to do? About the ponies that got taken?” Before she could answer Straight Lace said, “What is there to do? They’re gone.” Coco was quick to step forward, voice earnest as she said, “You don’t know that for certain! There’s a hole outside that has to lead somewhere! There could be time to rescue those who got taken.” There was a wave of looks and murmurs among the Arrow Vale ponies, some doubtful, others hopeful. Straight Lace was quick to speak over the din, “Hold, friends, hold!” He looked at Coco, face stone, “You say there’s a hole out there?” “Yes, it leads down into the earth. These spiders… whatever they are, must have taken your fellow villagers down there.” “And you’re suggesting you four mares are willing to go down there, into the dark, into who knows how many narrow tunnels, with those things down there? To do battle? Even if there’s every chance the ponies you want to save are already dead?” Coldiron had to interject as well, even if a part of her heart was yearning to let Coco’s earnest want to help be enough to take the risk, “Pommel, he’s right. If we go down there we have little reason to expect to find survivors, and that’s assuming we can defeat these creatures in their own territory. Returning to the fortress should take higher-“ “Wait,” said Trixie, interrupting her as the unicorn stepped forward. Trixie looked hesitant, as if she wasn’t certain she should keep speaking, but Coldiron saw the mare gulp and steady herself before she spoke, “Trixie wants nothing more than to be away from this place, but since we’re facing near certain death back at Beartrap Fortress anyway then there’s nothing to lose by trying this little rescue attempt. More than that, think about it, isn’t it oddly coincidental that these spiders attack at around the same time the ursans are massing? Doesn’t that strike you as entirely too convenient for the ursans? Trixie thinks so!” Coldiron hadn’t thought of that, too focused on the mission at hoof, but now that Trixie mentioned the matter it was quite the coincidence that the Lurkers would step from the shadows of story to boldly attack a town that the ponies at Beartrap Fortress might need either reinforcements from or to fall back too if the fortress fell. “Are you saying, Lulamoon, that if there is a connection between the Lurkers and the ursans, that we might learn something if we try to rescue the taken ponies?” Trixie shrugged, “It may. Trixie does not want to go crawling into a dark hole where there are giant spiders, but she felt she ought to bring up the possibility that there might be more to gain by doing so than the rescue itself. Um, not that the rescue isn’t a worthwhile goal by itself… but…” “I understand,” said Coldiron, and with a sigh said, “There’s still the simple fact that the four of us alone-“ “Make that five,” said Strong Back firmly, “I’m volunteering to go with you down there, and after that, to fight at the fortress.” Straight Lace turned towards him, “Are you sure, boy? You saw what those monsters could do.” “Yeah, I saw,” said Strong Back, turning his eyes over his fellow villagers, “We all saw. We also saw that like anything else these critters can die. Far as I’m concerned that’s enough for me. If any of our friends, family, or foals might still be alive, well… that’s worth the fight, ain’t it?” Coco nodded firmly, standing beside Strong Back, “Exactly! No matter what, if there’s a chance to save fellow ponies, we ought to try.” Blossomforth came up next to Coldiron, giving her a half-grin as she hefted her spear across her shoulder, “Well, boss, what do you say? Dive into the hole and see what we can stir up? Hate to have come all this way and not even see one of these crazy big spiders.” Coldiron took in a deep breath, shaking her head. Strange that it was a bunch of Heartlanders that were reminding her of the reasons the Legion fought its wars in the first place. Risky or not, it shouldn't have ever been a question of whether or not they’d go to try and rescue the ponies that had been taken. That, too, was part of her duty. “Very well,” she said in a loud voice so all in the town hall could hear her, “My squad shall go into the darkness and by blade and spell try our damnedest to bring back who we can, or at least confirm what happened to them. I know it is much to ask, that you have already battled these monsters and have had little rest, but I would welcome any ponies who share Strong Back’s heart and wish to volunteer to aid us. I will not demand you come with us to the fortress after, but anypony who wishes to lend their hoof to this rescue would add to our chances of finding and returning your lost fellows.” Straight Lace, after a second of looking her over, stepped forward, patting the hilt of his sword, “So be it. Your father has told me on more than one occasion that his daughter was as strong a mare as her mother. I see the truth of that, and if you risk your life for my town, then you’ll have me at your side for the task.” Soon enough there was a resounding echo of offers for help as pony after pony stepped forward, readying weapons and squaring tired shoulders. Coldiron felt a warm rush through her heart that helped fight back the fear and worry. These were good ponies. She only hoped she could equal the measure of their courage with her own, because she was certain she’d need it to face what might be waiting for them down below. ---------- Amid the hustle and bustle of the Arrow Vale ponies offering their aid to the rescue mission Trixie had felt a certain amount of satisfaction at the sight. She was terrified of going down that hole, but at least she wouldn’t be down there with just herself and a few others, but an actual decent sized group. All in all so far things had gone well. They hadn't run into any monsters, yet, and had actually found plenty of ponies to help them. The only sour note was that disrespectful colt who thought she was “ugly” of all things. Hmph, as if a young colt who hadn't gotten old enough to notice mares had any notion of feminine beauty! But Trixie couldn't shake an uneasy notion. She’d been so certain of eyes on her during the squads trek through town and searching the houses. She knew it could have been a product of paranoia and stress… but Trixie was a mare who trusted her instincts, and her instincts had told her she and the rest of the squad had been watched as they’d moved through Arrow Vale. More than that she still felt the sense of being watched, like a chill little prickle at the base of her mane. As Coldiron started organizing the volunteers into squads, apparently intending to take no more than twenty of the most fit looking of the Arrow Vale ponies because more than that might be a hindrance in the underground tunnels she expected them to be fighting in, Trixie found herself looking around with her eyes narrowing. She somehow knew she was being watched. “You okay there, Trix?” asked Blossomforth, flying over and landing in front of her. “Trixie sense tingling,” she said simply, still looking around. The walls, the ceiling, the stairs leading to the second floor… she couldn’t see anything, but she was certain something was off! “Trixie… sense?” Blossomforth asked with a bemused expression. Trixie ignored the pegasus, trying to look at the town hall with a different perspective, trying to stop looking for what she expected to see and instead seeking the minute details that ponies normally ignored. A stage magician had to understand the little details, the small seams that indicate a hidden compartment, the faint bulge in a garment that might show a secret pocket. You can’t perform tricks without understanding what went into a trick, after all. She almost missed it. The town hall was lit by a number of braziers, which created flickering orange light that filled most the room. That light cast shadows here and there, most of them normal and with obvious sources… except for one part of the wall by the stairs where a shadow from a log post should have been… but wasn’t! Trixie didn’t say anything. She acted on instinct, her horn glowing bright as she cast her spell. A small arcane bolt shot from her horn, small but aimed true as it slammed towards the wall, but instead of hitting the wall, hit something that’d been clinging to the wall. A high pitched utterly unnatural sounding hiss filled the room and the talking died down instantly as a many limbed, hairy thing fell from the wall, landing on its back on the stairs. Trixie gasped, having not been prepared for really seeing the creature. Eight spindly legs rapidly flailed with blurring, twitchy movements as the beast righted itself. A big bulbous body of shining black chitin shot through with strange yellow patterns led to a face of many glittering eyes, and a pair of curved, dripping fangs. The spider was easily as large as Trixie was. Despite the sudden cold fear that spread through her she noted the unusual fact that the spider was covered still in strange strands of webbing that were interwoven together like a thick cloak… a cloak she noted turned and bent light, making the spider still partially blend in with its surroundings. The spider hissed again and scampered up the stairs before anypony in the town hall could react, but then the shouting and yells were manifold as the ponies moved, some away from the stairs, others towards it. Trixie was rooted in place, her mind’s eye still seeing that hideous, alien face glaring death at her, when she felt her body being shaken. “Trixie!” shouted Blossomforth, “Snap out of it! We got to catch it!” Catch it? Was she mad? Trixie just blinked at Blossomforth, but before she could respond Coldiron was rushing past her, with Coco right behind her. Both mares were joined by Strong Back as they rushed the stairs, while Straight Lace was keeping the rest of the Arrow Vale ponies calm and preventing a panic from starting. Trixie watched them go; only slowly getting her brain back into working order. Blossomforth, still next to her, was looking at her with a brow creased with worry, “Trix?” Trixie shook her head, as if shaking out cotton from her ears, “Y-yes! Trixie is fine! Let’s go help g-get that thing, before it escapes to warn the rest of its kind that we’re coming!” Alongside Blossomforth she charged up the stairs behind Coco, Coldiron, and Strong Back. The stairs led to a storage room filled with barrels and casks, with a door hanging open on the left side of the room. It was this door the giant spider was scuttling through at top speed. Trixie saw Coldiron lower her horn and a beam of icy blue light shot from the tip of it. The beam missed the spider by inches, slamming into the wall next to the door and frosting it over. At the same time Coco had slipped the aiming monocle of her crossbow over her eyes and hit the firing trigger with her hoof. The huge crossbow made a loud snapping sound as it sent its large, barbed bolt streaking at the spider as it vanished through the door. The bolt clipped one of the spider’s many legs, drawing a burst of green blood and a high pitched hiss. Strong Back hadn’t stopped, just charging ahead with his spear, which meant he reached the door before the rest of them. A strand of webbing shot out from inside the door and hit him in the chest, seeming to lock into place there. With a grunt of surprise Strong Back was pulled hard into the door-frame, his head bouncing off the wood frame and dazing him. The mares galloped on past his dazed form and piled into a wide hallway. The spider was already halfway down the hall, crawling erratically on the walls, then the ceiling, making it hard to track its movements. “I got it!” said Blossomforth and took wing, flying ahead of everypony much faster than they could gallop. Trixie didn’t know if the pegasus was crazy, brave, or a complete fool, but she pushed her legs harder to try and catch up. Beside her Coco had just finished managing to reload her crossbow while still running, no simple feat, and was trying to find a clear shot while keeping up. Coldiron was just silently focused, horn still glowing, but not casting yet. Blossomforth caught up with the spider just as its random movements put it on the right side wall, and she thrust her spear at the spider’s bulbous back end. The spider jerked away from the strike, zipping upwards onto the ceiling and lowering its front half while keeping a grip on the ceiling with its back legs. The whole move happened in a second and Blossomforth, taken by surprise, flapped backwards while pulling her spear crosswise across her front to defend. The spider’s fangs flashed forward, and more by luck than skull the spear’s haft kept the fangs from Blossomforth’s hide. The force of the blow still knocked Blossomforth off balance to careen backwards into the wall, and then drop to the floor with a cry of pain. Trixie had seen Blossomforth had slammed her injured leg into the wall. The spider turned about in a split second and resumed its course down the hall, but it’d been slowed enough by Blossomforth that the other mares had caught up and both Coco and Coldiron had a clear line of sight now. The crossbow bolt fired at the same time a magical bolt flew, and Trixie was preparing her own spell as she watched the bolt sink into the spider’s side and the magic bolt tear another leg off. Shockingly the spider was still moving, and as Trixie finished her spell she noticed the spider was doing something unusual. Her small magic bolt fired, and as it did the spider’s spinnerets convulsed and a spray of webbing shot out, but rather than fly like a rope, the spider’s remaining leg’s moved with blurring motions to catch and sculpt the webbing behind it. A mark formed from the webbing, a bizarre, jagged rune that looked twisted and unnatural, unlike any kind of writing Trixie had ever seen, but when it was complete the web shaped rune flared with bright green, flame-like light. Trixie’s bolt seemed to be attracted to the rune and her spell’s energy was absorbed into the rune. The green flames died, but the spider was already shaping another, different set of runes from its web, three in a row that also flared with green light. A sphere of sickly green fire leapt from the runes and streaked towards the mares. Trixie gulped, but saw Coldiron’s horn lighting up again and Trixie joined her. Both mares linked into an array, Trixie slipping into the process faster than she had in training and not fighting Coldiron for control as she lent her magic to Coldiron’s spell. A magical shield, like half a dome, formed and the green sphere of fire exploded on it, bathing the hall in its flickering flames, but not reaching any of the mares. Coco had reloaded by now and when the shield dropped she jumped ahead and planted her legs, blue eyes blazing with focused anger on the spider that was retreating down the hall, almost reaching the end of it where Trixie could see there was a room that looked like the bottom of the bell tower. If the spider got up there there’d be little chance to catch it. Coco fired, and the bolt flew true, planting straight into the back of the spider just as it skittered into the bell tower. With a final keening whine the spider shuddered and fell on its side, its legs flailing for a few more seconds before they curled in on its body and the horrible beast lay still, green blood flowing across the floor in a thick pool. The four mares collected themselves, only to turn their heads as Strong Back ran up to them, looking about wildly. “I’m okay! I’m okay! Where is it? I’ll clobber it good!” the stallion declared. Coco, seeming to still be on her adrenaline high, was breathing heavy as she said, “No need. We… we got it.” Blossomforth stood, gingerly rubbing her leg, “Yeah, no thanks to me.” Trixie was quick to be at the pegasus’ side, looking at Blossomforth’s leg for any sign of real damage while giving Blossomforth a look that was somehow both admonishing and concerned, “Don’t run ahead like that then! Though Trixie supposes you did slow it down. Still, be more careful.” Coldiron in the meantime had trotted forward, towards the body of their fallen foe, and before long the others had gathered around the creature, all staring down at its still form. None of them spoke, all taking in the gruesome sight with dire silence. Trixie knew they all were likely thinking the same things. That just dealing with one of these massive spiders had been difficult, and it has displayed abilities that certainly couldn’t just be attributed to a mere over-sized arachnid. And they were soon to delve into the darkness where many, many more such foes awaited.