Equestria Divided Tales

by Grenazers

House of Everfree: Swamp Shamblers

On top of a tall mountain in the Northern Expansion, is a Stormwing settlement called Dragonpoint Outpost. This settlement serves as a lookout to the expanding Everfree forest. Before the forest were of no concerned to them, but as the forest slowly expands into their territory, it was enough to get their attention.

Scouts were sent in to find the cause of this invading forest. Since the trees block their view from the skies, they were forced to go into the dark forest. Most of the scouts sent in didn't make it out, those that survive said that forest contains many creatures, that seems to be summoned by the forest itself to attack them.

With this new members of Stormwing ordered the cutting down of the expanding forest. They only cut down the trees growing on their territory, any further and they stopped, less they get attacked by the creatures that dwells in the Everfree forest.

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Dragonpoint Outpost, Infirmary

A brown pegasus captain was sitting in the waiting room of the infirmary, waiting patiently for the update on his troops. A couple of minutes later a doctor arrived and greeted the captain.

"Hello Captain Sky Quake," the doctor said to him. "I just finished the update on your soldiers." the doctor then frown. "And I'm sorry but, I'm afraid they won't make it." Hearing those words, the captain became depressed.

"We tried everything we could, but the toxins proved to be quite difficult to cure," the doctor continued to explain. Before he could go on, the brown pegasus stopped him. "Enough," he commanded. "I've heard enough." Captain Sky Quake got up and left the room.

As the captain trot back to his office, in his mind he thought about how this whole operation gone horribly wrong. This whole thing started yesterday with reports of a rescue mission, apparently Commander Silver Feather and his escort were attacked by a large hydra.

The attack left them injured and vulnerable to the beast onslaught in the Froggy Bottom Bog. Since Dragonponit Outpost is near the vast swamps, they were given the mission to rescue the commander. Captain Sky Quake ordered ten of his best fliers to head to the swamp and rescue Silver Feather.

That was a couple of hours ago and now they are here with no commander, and are slowly dying from an unknown poison. Before the soldiers were sent to the infirmary, the captain and his lieutenant questioned them about what happened out there.

Many shared various tales of what happened in the swamps, some similar to the others report and some just totally different. It was then here during the questioning that these guys started to get ill. Seeing their condition worsen, Quake ordered them into the infirmary.

And while his troops were being examined, Quake and lieutenant Spice gather the information they got from the troops and compiled them into one report.

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OPERATION: SWAMP RESCUE

The mission is simple, a team of ten pegasus led by Sgt Light Show, where to find and retrieve Commander Silver Feather and returned him alive, to Dragonpoint Outpost. The team left and only hours later did they return. Three were missing and the others were fine until their illness kicked in.

According the Sergeant, his team arrived at the swamp. The team didn't see any hydra but, they kept there guard up. They know the hydra could be hiding anywhere in the swamps and kept their eyes and ears opened. The team covered a lot of grounds by flying over the area.

During this search several team members reported that they saw something moving. When they investigate, it was just some big pile of swamp grass and leaves. They continued their search and found an abandoned chariot. The crashed chariot had some armor and weapons lying near it. However no bodies are found in the vicinity.

Assuming that the Commander and his troops have move to a safer position but, wonders why they left their weapons and armor behind. Nevertheless, they continued on with their search.

They looked and looked, and yet they got no results. The sergeant then believed that splitting up would be a best option to cover more areas in this vast wetlands. So the troops followed his orders and split into a pairs and flew in different direction.

The sergeant and his partner Pvt Sunny Delight found no trace of Commander Silver Feather, or the rest of his escorts. With no leads, Sgt Show fired a flare into the air, signaling all the troops to gather at their position. Waiting, other members of the sergeant's team found their way here.

When they all gathered here, the sergeant noticed that two were missing. When asked, Cpl Storm Watch and Cpl Prance spotted the missing pair heading northwest. The sergeant ordered his team and head off towards that direction, in hopes to find their missing teammates.

During their flight. Light Show noticed that some of his troops seem ill, some were not focused and some were coughing. Not that he thinks about it, he himself feel a bit under the weather. He ignored it and pressed on, with completing the goal in his mind.

They eventually found the missing ponies, they were dead. Upon closer examination, there was no wounds on their bodies, so the mystery was, what killed them? Before he could go any further, one his troops alert him of something moving out there.

Forming a circle around the bodies, each troops look out in the distance expecting some kind of pony or creature to attack them. Out from the swamp came a large lumbering creature made of wet plants and roots. The creature slowly shambles towards the group of pegasus.

Sgt Show ordered three of troops to engage the creature. Raising their spears, the trio simultaneously thrusts their weapons into the monster. The creature didn't even seem fazed by their attack and just stood there. Instead of thrashing at them like they expected from the creature, it instead release some kind of purple gas.

Two of three backed off but, Pvt High Wind was too close and inhale the gas. The private then started to cough violently, he then started to vomit out blood from his body. The pegasus then collapsed on the ground, near the foot of the swamp creature.

Seeing not only that their weapons had no effect on the monster, but also watched their comrade die, caused fear among the troops. Then they saw more of the shambling creatures coming from every direction. Knowing nothing of these things and with more coming, the sergeant ordered everypony to retreat. Fleeing, the pegasus team left the swamp. Abandoning the swamp, their mission, and their fallen comrades.

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Once done writing the report, Capt Sky Quake order his lieutenant to send this report to high command. Lt Spice grabbed the files and flew off leaving the brown pegasus alone in his office.

Hours later Sgt Light Show was the last one to fall to the toxin and died on his hospital bed. Hearing reports of his death, the captain felt sorry for the sergeant and his team. They were young and full of potential, they may have failed their mission but, their discovery of a new threat could prove useful in the future.

Froggy Bottom Bog

A shambling swamp monster was slowly walking towards somewhere. around him other of his kind are going in the same direction. They are being called, a voice is telling to head somewhere, and with no mind of their own the creature followed the voice.

One particular swamp creature stopped in its tracks, in its mind it saw visions. They were vague but, it could make out some of the images. They were a flying in a chariot, a hydra, and the swamp creatures. Before it could make sense of it, the voice commanding it to continue its journey. Obeying the voice the creature moved on, shambling through the wetlands.

Comments

[Southern_Mercenary]

You know I'm surprised none of the ponies who fight the forest think of the easiest option which is this. Clear the clouds around it so it dries up for a while then air bomb it with fire bombs while you burn the perimeter. Slowly working in as the fire is burned out. using the winds so that the smoke, ashes, and embers and blown towards the center of the forest.