The Reader: Book Two

by GnollReader

Chapter 3: Airship talk

"Daughter." Vayu turned around to see her father approach, "How are you?"

"Fine dad..." she looked at the ground, "Just fine."

"Are you sure?" Blackbeak asked with a careful voice, "Purple Haze told me what happened. You know you can always talk to me."

Vayu sighed, "It's just... when I see him and how strong he is..."

"You mean Scar?"

"Yeah..." Vayu replied before looking into the face of her father, "I just can't understand it... I mean... I saw the bones, dad. I saw them and I still can't believe that they... they just..."

"That they simply died without the rest of the world noticing?" Blackbeak spoke softly.

Vayu nodded, "It's... it's just not fair... it simply feels wrong."

"I know." Blackbeak replied with a heavy voice, "It is a terrible thought that he could be the last of the mountain gnolls."

"You know what puzzles me even more?" Vayu continued with an agitated voice, "The gnoll, I mean... Scar. I would have expected him to be furious or devastated... anything! But instead, he was just quiet. I just don't understand how he could remain so calm after seeing... that!"

"The gnolls never show sadness, Vayu. It is their way not to talk of sad things, no matter how deeply it troubles them." Blackbeak sighed, "I can only imagine how deeply this loss torments him."

"How do you know so much about them?" she asked with a frown, "I thought you only ever met one?"

"I did." Blackbeak replied, "But your great grandfather was allowed to visit one of their clans on a rare occasion, and he wrote down what he learned in his journals." he smiled softly, "You should read them some time, there is a lot to know about the gnolls."

"Can you tell me?"

Blackbeak raised an eyebrow in surprise, his daughter had never been one to hold interest in history and much less so in the old journals of their family, "What do you wish to know?"

"Everything!"

---

"You think the big guy is alright?" Whistler took a short look at his hand of cards, "He's was awfully quiet the whole way back to the ship."

"I'm sure he's fine." Greenfield replied as he drew another card, "I mean, he's the damn gnoll, ain't he? He's as tough as it gets..." he chuckled, "And he's got Purple Haze to keep him comfort. I'm sure he'll be okay." a taint of worry escaped his voice, "I'm sure..."

"I'm not so sure..." Berryshakes spoke from her side of the table, "Didn't you see how hard it was for him to carry his maul? He was probably on the verge of breaking down..."

"Don't even make me think about it." Star Glaze commented from her bunk, "I am going to have nightmares of that place for weeks!" she turned on her blanket, "And it sucks that we can't do anything to help..."

"Don't I know it..." Greenfield raised a tired eyebrow as he picked a card, "I've never felt so useless in my whole life."

"Still..." Cloud Dancer spoke from the top bunk above Star Glaze, "I never thought he could do something like that. That was pretty impressive..."

"And incredibly sad as well." added Berryshakes, "I just hope he doesn't have to do that again, ever."

"I wonder though..." Whistler put down a card, "Do you guys think there are any of his kind left?"

"That, would be totally awesome!" Greenfield chuckled as he countered with his own card, "I mean, after seeing what just one gnoll can do back in Manehatten? Imagine what a whole squad of the big guys could manage! I already see flat rats everywhere!"

"All those helmets they'd eat." Cloud Dancer whispered with a grin.

"Don't make me smack you." Star Glaze grumbled, "Though I wouldn't mind it if we found some more of his kind. He'd probably be overjoyed."

"Let's make a pact then." Berryshakes surprised them by standing up, "No matter how this goes, no matter what... if there are still some of the gnolls alive; we will find them!"

"Hear! Hear!"

---

"Purple Haze should stop worrying..." his voice still sounded tired, "Scar is fine."

"You don't sound fine to me." Purple Haze replied with a worried expression, "You need some sleep, and a hot meal before that."

The gnoll gave a soft chuckle, "Purple Haze looks like she could use some sleep too."

"And I'll get it once I made sure you're getting yours. Come on, let's go to the canteen."

Scar was about to protest, but he was hungry... and he was tired. More than he would like to admit. There wasn't much else to do on the huge ship anyhow, "Alright." the gnoll nodded, "First Scar eats, then it sleeps."

He started to follow her down the corridors of the ship, occasionally ducking to avoid hitting his head on any support beams. He still had sore bumps from the last two times. It was an amazing construct in his opinion, and it still puzzled him how they got it to fly... he figured that there was probably some sort of magic involved.

As he was following Purple Haze though, the gnoll noticed something. "Purple Haze." he spoke up softly, "What is troubling you?"

"Me?" Purple Haze stopped, surprised at his sudden question, "Nothing, really. I'm just worried about you."

"Purple Haze is lying." the gnoll frowned, "Scar can see it in how Purple Haze moves, and can smell it too. Something is troubling you."

Purple Haze sighed, "You're right. Something is troubling me."

"What?"

"What we saw back... back in the cave." Purple Haze's voice was almost a murmur, "The painting we saw..."

"The one with the rats?" Scar asked.

"Yeah..." she looked into his face, "If they have been here for so long... what are they planning? What if they are connected to the Black Sleep? Why did they go after the elements of harmony? But most importantly... what if the griffons are next?"

"Next?" the gnoll raised an eyebrow, "Next for what?"

"It's only a speculation... but what if the gnolls were just a test? What if the Izelim are preparing for something even worse?"

"Mmm... is troubling thought indeed, Scar agrees. But why would rats go after gnolls?"

"I don't know..." Purple Haze shook her head, "I still need to figure it out... and the thing with the snake too."

"Purple Haze worries too much. Will find rats, then will find answers."

"I hope you're right." she took a moment to observe his face, "How are you dealing with it?"

"Dealing with it?" Scar asked confused.

"You know, about what we found at the cave? You didn't say a word during our way back. Are you alright?"

The gnoll closed his eye and took a deep breath, "Scar feels... tired... sad too. But gnoll will be alright."

"You're not angry? I know you're not one to act out of hate, but even so... don't you want revenge?"

"Revenge?" the gnoll looked at her with his tired eye, "Gnoll wants many things... to read books..." he smiled, "To spend time with Purple Haze... but revenge? No. Scar wants to protect friends." a soft laugh escaped his lips, "And smash some rats too if time allows it, just to make sure."

Purple Haze smirked, "I can agree to that. Now come on, lets get you something to eat."

---

"The gnolls..." Blackbeak started, "Are part of the elder races of this world, or at least they were." he sighed, "As long as the world remembered, the mountain gnolls lived in the mountains of this world... watching and protecting their sacred homes from the outside world, isolated from everyone else."

"They were always wild at heart, ferocious hunters and powerful warriors and yet... they have always striven for something entirely different."

"What?" Vayu asked from her side of the table.

"Tranquil mind." a third voice spoke up. Both of the griffons turned to see the gnoll and Purple Haze enter the canteen.

"Tranquil mind?" Vayu recovered from her initial surprise and gave the gnoll a skeptical look, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"The gnolls are rooted far deeper to nature than you can imagine, Vayu." her father replied as he gave Scar a short nod, "And so are their instincts."

Scar sat down at the table with Purple Haze, the bench beneath his form creaking under his weight, "Are two paths of life, one is path of beast, other path of tranquil mind. Path of beast is simple, is live and die... thoughtless..."

"Feral." Blackbeak finished the sentence.

The gnoll nodded, "Very dangerous. Loses control, only moves by anger and hunger."

"So they go wild?" Vayu asked with surprise before asking, "Did you ever go wild?"

Scar remained quiet for a moment, "Once..." he took a deep breath, "When it was alone and hurt, it walked path of beast for long time... was like bad dream filled with old ghosts..."

"Was it after..." Purple Haze carefully asked.

"Was." the gnoll nodded and turned to Vayu, "When gnoll goes wild, it knows no friend, no family... only fight... and hunger." the young griffon cringed as she heard him say that last word; there had been something very strange in his eye when he had said it, something that made her feel very nervous.

Next to Scar, Purple Haze remembered their first encounter with the Izelim, and the changeling living with the teacher in Ponyville... she had seen what a feral gnoll looked like, and the memory still caused her to shudder.

---

Princess Celestia went through the notes of the day a final time, checking if everything had been clarified and solved. And yet, she couldn't help but wonder how the Hunter squad was doing. Was everyone safe? Had they reached Pisa yet? Most importantly; how would Scar deal with coming so close to his old home?

She got up from her seat with a sigh and started to leave the audience chamber with worried steps, there still had been no new messages from Saddle Arabia concerning the events unfolding in the far east and it troubled her greatly that a war taking place in such a distant land would still manage to reach them. She could only hope that Purple Haze would send her news of the situation once they reached Pisa, and that it would be good news for once.

Celestia wondered what the Izelim could possibly search for in... the door to the audience chamber suddenly slammed shut behind her, making both her and the two guards stationed in front of the doors give off a yelp and jump in surprise.

After she had recovered from the initial shock, princess Celestia gave the door a curious look, she had not noticed an air draft when she had been inside... but how else could it have fallen shut?

"Sorry, princess." one of the guards tried to apologize while silently cursing to himself, "This is the third time this week, and it still makes me jump every time."

"I'll say." replied the second guard, "Yesterday it fell shut on my tail, and I couldn't get it out for almost half an hour! It wouldn't even open!"

Somewhere in the wood of the door, a little chuckle passed unseen by the rest of the world.

Comments

[Djerid]

i have only just realized what sort of character you have made of scar,

you have made a toned down Gotrek from warhammer who does not want to die.... no wonder he's awesome

[Lord Destrustor]

My little (almost)inanimate objects: annoying ponies is magic!
Tag as the element of mustaches,
That door as the element of jump scares,
Smack Door as the defunct element of improvisation.
We only need three more.

[themadkossak]

you know it's 5AM here and i was just about to go to sleep (I was just marathoning another story). now, for most stories I would say "meh, I'll read it when i wake up" but this... my mind says "Fck, i guess sleep can wait"
Bravo good sir

[Lucky424]

Just place some of these in the corners, covered in cheese.
images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100907023852/deadliestfiction/images/d/df/Claymore2.jpg
And then when it goes boom, just clean the little bastards away.

[Mr 0]

Royal smack door lives!

[Reisentanith]

2961967 Now if only Purple Haze was a reluctant warrior poet.

[Haunted Toaster]

2962139 your avatar is almost as epic as this:
th01.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2013/063/9/d/heavy_metal_luna_by_gabriev666-d5wxyj4.png

[Nightingalehound]

2962184 Holy...... This is approved buddy!! I love this pic, biker luna rules!!

[Haunted Toaster]

2962580 two more

th09.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2013/038/4/2/gothic_metal_chrysalis_by_gabriev666-d5o8wh1.png
th05.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2013/128/8/9/80_s_metal_celestia_by_gabriev666-d59gaj0.png

[Nightingalehound]

2962599 So Awesome!!!!! I love the Chrysalis one most, please some one make a fic based one these three pics!!

[Haunted Toaster]

2962725 gamer Luna + Metal/Biker Luna = the most epic and awesome princess ever

[SwimmingDalek98]

2961967
i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/558/434/36c.gif

[Vash_ts]

2962066 All hail Sir Smack the Door!

[Crom251]

2962066 All Hail! Royal Smack Door!

[Fiery Knight]

2962066 Why not.

All hail Royal Smack Door!

[The Well Dressed Ninja]

... Dude. I might just make a Minecraft mod for the Door of Smack.

[AnormalUnicornPony]

2967988

Do it. Do it Do it. Do itDo it.

Do it?

[The Well Dressed Ninja]

2972906

Maybe a quick one, when I have time.

[Morphy]

Rats in the walls of Canterlot... this does not bode well.

Gonna need some damned big mousetraps for this job.

[Greenfang Neverclear]

2976370 (It's actually a doooooooooooooooorrrr) It was touched by Scar, therefore, it lives.

[GordonFreebrony]

Smack Door LIVES!!!!!!

[PickleSurprise]

The last part of this chapter is why i love this story so damn much!

[FlyingMushroomxii]

2961990 I agree smack door + royal smack door + sir Tag + possibly celestias adult books + the pearls of doom + and finally Bowie, tha manticore tamer! There we have all the elements

[Sirbob]

IDEA.
Sword and board.
Sir Tag and Smack Door.
It would be beautiful.

[Kaille]

2962599
. . . Dat Chrysalis is frickin' hawt.

[Luckysweep]

So what is your explanation for THIS smack door coming to life?

[Nihatclodra]

Scar's Shamanic nature is awakening the spirits of objects...

[Mr Swanky Hat]

Somewhere in the wood of the door, a little chuckle passed unseen by the rest of the world.

Smack Door junior is playful

[PuppetXMaster]

dammit, i had to stop halfway through and take a break because every time i tried to read again i nearly ended up crying...it's always the peaceful ones that get hurt the most