• Published 5th May 2013
  • 987 Views, 23 Comments

Blood Red Road - Dawn-Designs-Art



When Moon's twin brother Sun is stolen, she embarks on a dangerous journey through the Dustlands to find him and get him back. She will face challenges she never dreamed of and find out just how cruel ponies, and life, can be.

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Hellwurms

We work fast. We ain’t got much time before the dark comes. My hooves move, my heart beats fast. I push down the fear that’s risin in me. There ain’t no room fer it, ain’t no time fer it. Arrow’s in charge. He says to do somethin, we all do whatever it is right away. We don’t ask no questions, don’t ask him what his plan is.

We’ll be findin out soon enough.

He gits us to gather as much wood as we can find. Branches, twigs an trunks of long dead trees blown here by the mountain winds. No matter how big or small, we find ’em an carry or drag ’em to Arrow an Pike. Then we bundle together all the small bits an tie ’em with nettlecord. We break up what bigger branches we can by hoof an them that’s too big, Pike chops with his hatchet. Then we start to lay ’em out in a big circle.

Arrow calls me over. "Count how many arrows we got, would you?" he says.

I empty my quiver. Lucky Feath sent me off with a full load. Then I go around an count what’s in Arrow’s an Epona’s an Ash’s quivers. Pike’s got a bolt shooter as well as a crossbow, but he’s only got a few bolts fer ammo so we’ll hold the shooter in reserve.
Penny an Blade both got slingshots. I do a quick arrow count. Then I count agin just to make sure.

"Two hunnerd an eighty eight," I tell Arrow.

He flashes me a tight grin. "That’s better’n I thought," he says. "Wrap the heads in bits of cloth, whatever you can find."

I reach fer the bottom of my tunic. It’s soaked through with sweat from the climb an the heat, but I should be able to rip a strip from it.

"No," he says. "Dry cloth. It’s gotta be dry. See how many bottles you can scare up. An ask Pike fer some of that pine sap vodka of his."

Now I know what his plan is.

Fire. We’re gonna fight ’em with fire.

The wood’s laid out how Arrow wants it. It’s heaped in a big circle ready to be lit the moment he tells us to. We’ve left a good-sized open space in the middle. That’s where we’ll stand an fight. Inside our fortress of fire. We’ve made torches with bundles of twigs tied to the ends of branches. Now, with one eye on the darkenin sky, we’re all workin fast to tie cloth strips around the arrowheads. We’ve torn up bits of our bedrolls, even our shirts an tunics. Whatever we’ve got that’s dry.

Pike’s poured some of his precious vodka into bottles, two fer each of us. As soon as we git a pile of arrows done, Penny an Blade take ’em away an stick ’em, head down, into the bottles. Ready to be pulled out, lit an shot. We only manage to fit a hoofful of arrows in each bottle, so once the action gits goin, it’ll be their job to keep ’em filled up. That an slingshot duty.

Pike’s workin next to me. "You crossed the lake that night with Arrow," I says. "Where’s yer scars?"

"Arrow took the hit instead of me," he says. "I wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t of got between me an the wurm."

"Well, you was movin so slow I had to do somethin," says Arrow.

"You was away," says Pike. "You was clear. You should of left me to fend fer myself, not turned back an nearly got yerself killed."

"I’m still here, ain’t I?" he says. He goes over to help Blade an Penny.

"Damn wurm nearly killed him," says Pike.

"Arrow’s … different from what I thought when I first met him," says Epona.

"Yeah," says Pike. "There’s a lot more to Arrow than meets the eye."

Arrow hands his last bundle of arrows to Blade an pats him on the back.

"That’s it," he says. "We’re ready."

There’s a hot clench of fear, deep in my belly. I know it well. I used to git it all the time, jest before I went into the Cage. An I know how to use it. A slow smile spreads over my face. I look around at everybody.

"I dunno about you," I says, "but I’m feelin lucky tonight."

We wait.

We sit on the ground, spaced out evenly jest inside our circle of wood. We face across the lake. I got Arrow on one side of me an Epona on th’other. Pike an Ash cover the rest of the circle. Penny an Blade crouch in the center next to the piles of stones they
collected fer their slingshots. I clutch my flint in my hoof, ready to set my section alight. The night starts to drift in. The crimson fingers of the dyin sun bleed into dark gray. The first stars blink down at us. Not long to wait now.

"If I ask you somethin," says Arrow, "will you tell me the truth?"

"Maybe," I says. "Depends."

"What made you come after me?" he says. "Back at Hopetown, I mean. How’d you know where to find me?"

I’m about to give some kinda smart answer, somethin that’ll keep him at a distance, like always. But I don’t. The heartstone’s burnin aginst my skin. An I’m feelin brave.

Reckless.

"I had a dream," I says. "The night before the fire."

"You dreamed where to find me?"

We talk in low voices, so th’others cain’t hear us.

"In my dream, I was in the dark," I says. "I couldn’t see, couldn’t hardly breathe. There was smoke an fire an the heat was somethin fierce. An I was searchin fer somepony. I didn’t know who, I jest … knew I had to find him. But I couldn’t an it was … awful. Frightenin. Then I … woke up."

"You was … lookin fer me?" says Arrow.

"I think so," I says. "Yeah."

"But you did find me," says Arrow. "You found me even though I was locked inside the Cooler. How?"

I move over, kneel next to him. "Feel this," I says. I take Arrow’s hoof an bring it to the heartstone around my neck.

"It’s hot agin," he says.

I take a deep breath. "It’s a heartstone, I says. It only gits warm when I’m near you. The closer we are to each other, the hotter it gits. That’s how I knew where to find you."

He don’t say nuthin. It’s the first time I ever seen Arrow lost fer words. After a moment, he takes his hoof away.

"Must be kinda annoyin," he says.

"I’m used to it by now," I says. "Listen, Arrow. I jest wanna say I—"

"Shh!" He holds up his hoof.

We wait. Listen.

Silence.

Silence.

Then. A faint rumble. Like thunder in the distance.

"They’re awake," he whispers.

"Light the fires!" Arrow says.

I scramble to my knees, hold my flint to the tinder at the base of the wood circle. I strike my flint. A spark arcs onto the dry tinder. It catches an I blow on it gently till I git a flame goin. It licks quickly up the twigs an branches. I check over my shoulder. Everypony else is doin the same with their own section. In no time, we got a strong fire goin an we’re standin inside our fortress of flame.

We’re lucky with the night. The sky’s high an clear. The moon hangs low over the mountain tops an throws a wide silver path across the lakebed. We got a clear view in all directions. I hold my bow in my magical grip. Two bottles of vodka-soaked arrows stand by my feet. My knife’s in my boot sheath. I ain’t gonna think about havin to use it. It’s my last defense an usin it ’ud mean everythin else had failed.

I feel calm. Clear-headed. Even though my heart’s bangin aginst my ribs.

"Penny," I says, "stay close to Blade."

"Okay," she says.

Silence. Silence. Silence. Essept fer the cracklin of the fire. I dart a look at Arrow. His head’s lifted, like a wolfdog onto a scent. Then a creakin noise. A slow, painful groan. The kinda noise a old rusted shut door makes when it’s forced open. But it ain’t a door.

It’s the ground.

From somewhere deep below us, from somewhere down down down in the dark heart of th’earth, the lakebed’s ancient body is slowly bein forced open. The hellwurms is awake. An they’re comin up to feed. The ground starts to tremble. It starts to shake. Then it shifts unner our feet. I stagger. Epona grabs my shoulder, stops me fallin over.

"Holy crap in a cup," says Ash, her eyes wide.

"Everypony git down!" yells Arrow.

Me an Epona throw ourselves to the ground. Throw our arms around our heads. The earth groans, deep in its belly, as it’s forced open. Over an over an over it moans its pain. Groanin an shriekin an shakin unner us, around us, it gits louder an louder. Till it takes me over, floodin my body, my breath, my brain till I think I’ll go mad.

Then it stops.

Silence.

Slowly, we all git to our hooves. My magic is glowin around my bow. I look over at Penny. She’s clutchin Blade’s hoof, her face almost white in the moonlight. Then, over the crackle of the fire, another sound. A rustle. The click of claws on dry earth. Somethin’s movin.

It stops. Hisses.

"It can smell us," Pike says in a low hoarse voice.

A high pitched shriek rips the night open. My heart leaps to my throat. My bowels clench.

"It’s callin th’others," Arrow says." Git ready! An remember what I told you. Aim fer the eyeholes. An don’t let ’em git close enough to use their claws."

Claws. No eyes, jest dents in the skin where they used to have eyes a long time ago.

"No point in havin eyes," Arrow says, "livin unnerground like they do, so they hunt by smell."

They sniff out their prey.

Their prey. Us.

Then, not more’n thirty foot away, straight in front of me an Epona, a crack appears in the ground. It splits open, starts to widen.

"Here we go!" Epona yells.

A claw appears.

The claw hooks itself onto the edge of the crack. It’s got three long scaly toes. Each toe ends in a hooked nail sharp enough to slash to the bone with one swipe. Then another claw hooks itself beside the first.

"Don’t be shy," I says. "Show me yer face, you scaly-toe sonofabitch."

An, almost like it heard me, a round head appears. Covered in really pale pink scales with a dip in each side where the eyes oughta be. A kind of ruffled dull red collar, then a long near-white purple scaled neck. The blunt head sways back an forth, the scales ripplin like tiny waves. It must be smellin us.

"That’s right," I says. "Over here. I’m real tasty."

I pull a arrow outta the vodka. Nock it to my bowstring. Dip the arrowhead into the fire at my hooves. It flames up right away. I take aim. The hellwurm slithers outta the crack. Gits up on its hind legs.

"Uh… Arrow," I says. "You didn’t say they could walk."

"Sorry," he says. "I fergot that bit."

The wurm’s three times my height. Two long arms with claws, an claws on its feet too. A wide slash of a yellow lined mouth with lots of sharp teeth, good fer tearin flesh. You can see right through its near white skin to its beatin heart an other innards. It gives off the most gawdawful stench. Like a three-day-old corpse in a small room on a humid day. I gag. So does Epona.

It throws its head back an shrieks.

I let fly with my arrow. Straight at the right eyehole. A hit. The wurm’s head bursts into flame. It screams an staggers backwards into the crack it jest come from.

"Nice shot," says Epona.

But there’s more comin. From all around us. Hunnerds of ’em by the look of it. The lakebed’s alive with their scuttlin stinkin bodies. We start pickin ’em off with our crossbows, as fast as we can. Epona an me, Arrow an Pike an Ash. Penny an Blade fire away with their slingshots, dartin in between us to git a closer shot.

"Hellfire, Arrow," I says. "You didn’t say there was this many."

"They must of bin busy breedin," he says. He shoots me a grin, but I can tell this is worse than he especkted.

The night rings with the screams of the hellwurms an our shouts. The air’s filled with the filthy smell of ’em an the crackle an smoke of the fire. I keep firin. Dip the arrow, nock, let fly, hit. Dip, nock, let fly, hit. Around me, everypony else is doin the same. Pen an Blade run around stufin arrows into our bottles but, no matter how many wurms we shoot, more keep comin.

"There’s too many," says Epona. "We ain’t gonna do it."

"I’m gittin low on arrows," I says.

"Me too," says Ash.

"More arrows here, Penny!" I yell.

"That’s it!" she cries. "There ain’t no more!"

Arrow grabs my arm as I’m about to fire, makin me drop my bow. By the silvery white light of the moon, I can see his face is all streaked with smoke from the fires. "Git outta here," he says. "Take Penny an Blade. Ash an Epona’ll cover you."

My heart stops. There’s a roarin in my ears. "You want us to go?" I says.

He nods. "Pike an me’ll stay," he says.

"No," I says.

I pull myself free. I grab twig bundles, shove ’em into the fire. They catch light an I launch ’em at the wurms. More screams as they burst into flame. Beside me, Arrow keeps on shootin his bow.

"If you leave now," he says, "at least you got a chance of findin yer brother."

"Ferget it," I says.

I snatch up my bow agin an start firin.

"Use the torches if they git too close!" yells Pike. "Don’t waste yer arrows!"

I look around. The hellwurms is closin in. Closer an closer they come. Some slither along the ground, some walk upright, their heads swayin. They won’t try to cross the fire ring, but once it starts to die down, that’ll be it.

Arrow pulls the bow outta my magic field. "If you don’t do this," he says, "everythin you bin through to find yer brother counts fer nuthin."

I stare at him. I feel like my throat’s closin up. Leave him. Leave Pike. But I gotta find Sun. I’m so close to findin him.

"You know I’m right," he says.

"Okay," I says. "We’ll go."

"Moon!" yells Ash. "Behind you!"

I whirl around.

One wurm, bigger’n the rest, darts forwards through a dyin section of the fire ring. Arrow grabs my arm an goes to yank me back but the wurm’s claw flashes out. A hot pain slashes through my right shoulder. I cry out. A blast rings out an the wurm’s head explodes in a million pieces. Putrid flesh an blood splatter down on me like rain. I look over my shoulder. Pike’s holdin his bolt shooter. He gives me a little salute.

"You all right?" says Arrow.

I close my mind to the pain. Like I used to do in Hopetown.

"I’m fine," I says.

"Time to go," he says. He grabs up two torches in his magic an lights ’em. "Ash!" he yells. "Epona! C’mere!"

They start to run over to us.

The ground rumbles. We all stagger an I grab onto Arrow to keep from fallin.

The wurms stop. They raise their heads. Then they scatter.

Jest like that. They scuttle an slither across the lakebed an disappear back down inside the cracks.

They’re gone. An all that’s left is the smolderin corpses of hunnerds of hellwurms.

We stand inside our circle of dyin fire an stare. There ain’t a sound but the hiss of the embers. Nopony moves. It’s like we’re all holdin our breath. Like we cain’t believe our own eyes.

Then, "Yee ha!" Ash yells. Her an Epona jump around in victory.

"Did you see that, Arrow? Hey Pike! Did you see them bastards go?" They grab Penny’s an Blade’s hooves an whirl them around in circles.

Somehow it don’t seem right, them celebratin an makin lots of noise. I dunno why, but it don’t.

I look at Arrow. His jaw’s set. A little nerve jumps in his cheek. "What is it?" I says.

"We didn’t scare ’em off," he says. "They was gittin the better of us."

"Well, if we didn’t scare ’em off," I says, "what did?"

ike moves over to stand beside us. Him an Arrow stare out over the lake. The earth shakes agin. This time louder an longer.

"Dammit, Arrow," I says, "tell me what yer thinkin."

Epona an Ash stop their celebrations. They come over, with Blade an Penny, an we all draw in close together.

"What’s goin on, Moon?" Penny asks.

"Some ponies say the hellwurms got a master," says Pike.

There’s another rumble.

"A master?" says Penny. "What does that mean?"

"What it means," says Arrow, "is there’s somethin down there so big an bad, even the hellwurms run when they hear it comin."

I let that little fact sink in. "Then, if runnin’s good enough fer hellwurms," I says, "it’s good enough fer me."

"An me," says Arrow.

We stare at each other a split second. Then, at the ezzack same time, we yell, "Run!"

We all scramble, grab whatever weapon’s closest, start to run fer it. Ash an Epona take off fast, with Penny an Blade. But before I can take more’n a couple of steps, there’s a almighty roar. The ground heaves. It lifts. It splits open at my hooves. I’m slidin down into a giant crack. I scrabble wildly. I cain’t stop myself. Arrow’s there in a flash. He grabs my hands an yanks me out. I lie on the ground, pantin. My heart’s goin like a hammer.

"Thanks," I says, "it jest about had me there. I—"

Suddenly a long tail whips up from the crack. It wraps around my ankles an pulls me in. Arrow dives. Grabs hold of my hooves agin. He’s laid on the ground on his belly, hangin on fer dear life. "Pike!" he yells. "I need you here!"

Pike throws hisself down beside Arrow. Now they each got one of my hooves. I feel like I’m bein slowly ripped in half. The tail pullin me down, Arrow an Pike pullin me up. I cry out. I stare into their faces. Their eyes is desperate, their faces strainin with the
effort. My hooves start to slip outta theirs.

Jest then, Ash an Epona appear above me at th’edge of the crack, their crossbows loaded. They aim down an fire past me. There’s a high pitched scream an the tail loosens. Jest a bit, jest fer a moment. Pike an Arrow heave me up an out.

"Go! Go! Go!" yells Pike. He pulls Penny onto his back an takes off at a fast gallop, headin north. Epona, Ash an Blade’s right behind him. I snatch my crossbow but only got time to scoop up one arrow. Then Arrow an me sprint after ’em. There’s a angry roar behind us. I glance back.

A giant hellwurm’s jest crawled outta the crack. It stands up on its hind legs. It’s twice the size of th’other ones, at least thirty foot high, with a long lizard tail. It's colours are much brighter.

"Ohmigawd," I says. I’m still runnin but I slow down a bit to look back.

The hellwurm’s catched our scent.

"It’s followin us!" I says.

Arrow grabs my jacket in his magic an pulls me along faster. I shoot another look over my shoulder.

"It’s gainin on us!" I says.

Arrow stops runnin. Stops dead. Without a word, he lets me go an turns around an starts walkin back towards the hellwurm. He’s headed fer it an it’s headed fer him. He now holds Pike’s shooter in his magic. He must of picked it up without me noticin. As he walks, he loads it with quick jerky movements.

"Arrow!" I shout. "What the hell d’you think yer doin?"

"I’m sick of this bastard!" he yells.

"Arrow! Don’t be so crazy!"

He keeps on walkin.

"Arrow!" I scream. "Don’t!"

He stops. Lifts the shooter. Takes aim. He waits till the hellwurm’s twenny paces away. Then he fires. The shot slashes the hellwurm’s arm. It roars, but keeps on comin. Arrow fumbles fer the pouch with the bolts while he keeps one eye on the hellwurm. I can see he ain’t got time to reload. An he ain’t got his crossbow. He must of dropped it earlier. I start runnin towards him. The hellwurm’s on top of him. It rears up to its full height. It lashes out, swipes at him. Arrow's thrown into the air, like Penny’s peg doll. He lands with a heavy thump on the ground. He don’t move.

The red hot races through my blood. I throw down my crossbow as I run. Hold my one last arrow in my magic. The hellwurm leans over Arrow. It lifts its claws, ready to swipe at him agin.

I don’t even slow down. I run around behind it an right up its back. I wrap my legs an arms around its stinkin neck an I squeeze with every bit of strength in my body. It roars with fury. Turns itself in circles, round an round, its great claws flailin at me, tryin to pick me off, shake me off. Somehow I hang on. I grab the arrow with a hoof. Raise the arrow up high an then, with all my strength, plunge it into the left eyehole. It goes in hard. Deep. I pull it out an jab it into the right eyehole.

The hellwurm bellows in pain. I leap from its back as it crashes to the ground. It pulls itself up agin. It near crushes Arrow unnerfoot as it struggles to stay upright. Its tail lashes out an sends Arrow skiddin. It staggers this way, then that. Then it’s gone. Disappeared down a big crack in the lakebed.

I watch it fall, roarin an clawin at the air, hittin the sides as it plunges down down, deep down into the earth to die.

"Arrow!" I yell. I run to where he’s lyin so still on the ground. I throw myself beside him, turn him over.

He ain’t breathin. He’s most awful pale. His eyes is closed. I run my hooves over his legs, his arms, his neck to check if anythin’s broke. They seem okay.

"Arrow!" I pat his face. "Arrow!" I tilt his head back, cover his nose an blow into his mouth. I check fer his chest risin. I blow agin.

His lips twitch. He’s smilin.

I jump to my hooves. "Gawdammit Arrow," I says, "what’re you playin at?"

He opens one eye. "Yer kissin technique could do with a bit of work," he says.

"I thought you was dead, you bastard! I was tryin to save yer life! Although why I should save a snake like you, I got no idea!"

"I was winded," he says, "not dyin. You should learn to tell the difference." He pulls hisself up to sit. Shakes his head an groans. "I sure hit that ground hard," he says.

"Not hard enough," I says.

"What happened to the wurm?"

"Dead," I says.

He grunts. Closes his eyes.

"Don’t thank me or nuthin," I says.

"Thanks," he says. "I make that two to you now. One fer the cellblock an one fer this. An it’s two to me. Pullin you outta the river an pullin you outta that crack jest now."

"I ain’t playin yer stupid game, Arrow," I says. "Git up."

He opens one eye. "In fairness," he says, "Pike did help to pull you out, so that should probly only count fer half." He holds out his hoof to me. "All right, help me up. But go easy on me."

I yank him as hard as I can. A hot pain shoots across my right shoulder. I gasp. It feels like it’s on fire. I bin so set on savin myself an savin Arrow, I ain’t even felt it till now.

"You got slashed," he says. "I fergot all about it. Let me take a look."

He reaches out. I slap his hoof away.

"Leave me be," I says, "I’m fine."

"Don’t be so damn stubborn," he says. "C’mere."

"Go to hell," I says. I head back across the lakebed in the direction th’others took, collectin my crossbow on the way. I walk fast an I don’t look back. I ain’t waitin fer him.

Behind me, he starts to sing.

"I’ve climbed the high mountains an sailed the wide seas,
Fair faces a-plenty I’ve gazed on,
But with one glance, her beauty sent me to my knees,
O hard-hearted Orchid I never shall please...
I’ve roved an I’ve rambled all o’er the wide world.
And kisses a-plenty I’ve tasted,
But it’s her wine-sweet lips that I’m still dreaming of,
O hard-hearted Orchid, cruel Orchid my love...
I’ve loved many mares an wooed many fillies,
And many soft arms have embraced me.
If only she’d lie with me one fleeting night,
With hard-hearted Orchid I’d die of delight.
Oh many fine beauties did beg me to stay,
But none until Orchid did snare me,
Though she hurts me an shuns me an makes my heart bleed,
My hard-hearted Orchid I never shall leave.

I don’t think most ponies ’ud feel like singin jest after they’d fought off hunnerds of hellwurms. But Arrow ain’t most ponies. I should know that by now. He’s got a strong voice. It carries over the lake, clear as if he’s walkin right beside me. The tune ain’t bad. An he’s a fair singer. But after he’s sung it through once he goes back to the beginnin an starts all over agin. Pretty soon I ain’t jest sick of the tune an his voice, I’m also sick of hearin about hard-hearted Orchid.

What a stupid song.

I mean, what kinda fool ’ud put up with a mare that troublesome?

I dare a look at my shoulder while I walk. I ease my shirt away, slow an careful. Dried blood sticks to the cloth, pulls at the wound. I bite my lip so’s I don’t cry out. Arrow’s still somewhere behind me. Don’t let him hear. Only one tear in the skin, but it looks deep
enough. It’s throbbin somethin fierce. But the pain ain’t no worse’n what I used to feel after a rough fight in the Cage. I tell myself that, over an over. That’s the way to keep it unner control. I jest need to do what I did then. Cut my brain off from what my body’s feelin.

Make myself believe it’s happenin to somepony else.

Think of somethin else.

Think of Sun. Think how he looked the last time I seen him. Thrown into a cage, hooves tied, like a beast.

They killed my father. They stole my brother.

It’s the anger that keeps me goin.

I feel its heat in my belly. All through me.

Heat.

So hot.

Soon’s I catch up with Penny Rose an th’others, I’ll bathe my shoulder an pack it with … with bark. That’s it, I’ll pack it with … what was it now?

My hoove’s so heavy. Like I got somethin tied to the end of my legs. Need to keep goin.

Gotta git to … where am I goin agin? Oh yeah. To Sun, that’s it. But I’m jest gonna hafta … sit. Jest fer a moment.

I sink down.

It’s night. It should be cool but I’m sweatin like billy-o. I go to wipe my forehead with my jacket sleeve but my arm … cain’t lift it.

Now I remember. My shoulder. Must be … infected.

Gotta find Sun.

I’m jest so … tired. Must … lie … down …