Beyond the Portal

by Firestar463

Chapter 42

“And what exactly did you see, corporal?” Kyle asked, looking down at the Gnome in front of him. She was shivering violently, with her hair flung wildly around her. Thorns and brambles had caught in her robes, and several scratches were still oozing blood.

“It was m-massive,” she stammered. “Like a lion, but with w-wings and… and a scorpid stinger for a tail!”

Kyle nodded slowly. “A Manticore,” he murmured. “And where was it?”

“Just inside the Forest,” the Gnome said, pointing shakily towards the treeline. “I was gathering some f-firewood and I s-saw it. It was coming this way!”

Kyle glanced towards the forest. He didn’t see anything, but that didn’t mean that nothing was there. “Alright, Corporal. Go get a drink and some rest. I’ll take care of this,”

The corporal nodded and ran off, glancing fearfully over her shoulder towards the forest once more. Kyle couldn’t exactly blame her as he stared out into the forest once more. In the days that had passed since the infiltration strategy had been decided upon, a veritable flood of soldiers had poured through the portal into Equestria. It appeared that Varian’s fears of not having the manpower to fuel this expedition were unfounded - The camp had more than tripled in size, running nearly a mile in each direction in a nearly perfect square.

Unfortunately, the expansion had put the southern edge of the camp right along the border of the Everfree Forest. Less than three dozen feet separate the walls of the southernmost tents and the treeline. This line ran nearly a mile along the border of the forest, and because the forest’s treeline wasn’t perfectly straight like the camp was, some of the tents ended up actually being under the overhang of the trees - a fact that made their occupants quite uneasy.

And the forest’s inhabitants hadn’t let the camp’s expansion go unnoticed, either. Timber Wolves had become a fairly common sight along the border, and patrols were now regularly scaring them off, or even being forced to combat the bolder packs. Changelings, too, had been spotted attempting to infiltrate, though only two or three had actually been caught among the camp’s ranks.

And, as the Gnome had said, Manticores sightings were not unheard of.

“I’ll be glad when this mess is over,” Kyle muttered. It was one thing to be one of the rank-and-file troops, patrolling and guarding and fighting. But this - overseeing the entire camp, handling public relations, taking care of discipline and logistics and strategy and security - this was something completely different. Foreign. Unfamiliar.

Unpleasant.

Kyle heard a low growl from behind him, and felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Slowly, cautiously, he turned his head to look behind him and into the darkness of the forest.

A pair of glowing yellow eyes glared back at him.

Kyle stared as the creature revealed itself. A large, muscular body, covered in light tan fur. A crimson red mane. A pair of wings sprouting out from either side, spread to full extension. Two razor-sharp fangs jutting from its mouth. And a wicked-looking, barbed scorpid tail raised up behind it.

The Manticore.

Kyle drew himself up to his full height and stared the Manticore down, refusing to break eye contact, refusing to show weakness. He narrowed his eyes angrily, and bared his teeth in what he hoped was a fearsome snarl. After the very first report, Kyle had made sure to do some research on the creatures. Though aggressive and strong, Manticores were also opportunists - they would only attack those that they perceived as being weaker than them. To further reinforce his display of strength, Kyle allowed small bolts Jade Lightning to jump from his fingertips. The electricity flew from his fingers in a shower of green sparks, crackling through the air with a distinctly powerful sound.

The Manticore growled again and snorted angrily, but it seemed that Kyle’s display of aggression had worked. It slowly backed away, fading into the shade of the treeline. Kyle continued to stare as the Manticore slinked away, turning tail and thundering back into the forest.

As soon as the Manticore fled, Kyle let his expression fall and let out a great sigh. Now he’d have to tell his patrols to keep an extra close eye-out for Manticores, and reinforce what to do if one revealed itself. Or rather, gather all of the Platoon leaders and reinforce the procedures to them, so that they could teach the soldiers under their commands.

Or maybe not. After all, within the next two days the camp would be empty.

Kyle turned and walked away from the forest, back into the camp. The familiar sights and sounds and smells washed over him once more. Men sharpening their blades or balancing the weight of their maces. The strong scent of leather polish, the odor of dirt and sweat. The sharp ringing of hammers against anvils, the hiss of red-hot steel being plunged into barrels of water. Kyle felt himself smile as his senses were overwhelmed by the familiar sensations.

Familiar, and yet at the same time, oddly alien.

His smile lessened. He had thought that that the strange feelings would have faded as he spent more and more time back amongst the army. But far from it, he actually began to feel more disconnected. And others seemed to have felt that same lack of connection as well. Members of his own platoon had come through into Equestria, and had referred to him as sir. Even Morkie, one of his best friends from the army, seemed more distant and formal than before.

Was it his new rank? Surely the promotion to Master Sergeant wouldn’t have caused such a disconnect. Or would it have? After all, Master Sergeant was the first step beyond the common rank-and-file soldier. A cut above the rest, as it were. Maybe everyone thought he was going to act differently with his new rank - an idea that he scoffed at.

Or could it be that he was running the camp? That he, a brand-new Master Sergeant, had been hand-picked by King Varian himself to run such a large operation over all of the other potential officers? Everyone saw him as rising quickly through the ranks. They wanted to be on his good side. Kyle nodded. That had to be it. Shoving his lingering doubts aside, he continued moving through the camp towards the Commander’s Pavillion.

Due to the much greater size of the camp, and the higher number of people within, it took him nearly half an hour to make his way to the center of the camp, where the Commander’s Pavillion had been established. The massive tent easily stood out amongst the small ones, and now had a decent-sized courtyard surrounding it. Kyle walked through the courtyard, pushed the flap open, and stepped inside. As usual, the inside of the tent was filled with officers, big and small alike, discussing logistics or security, or just taking a break and chatting with each other. One man, however, seemed to tower above the rest. And he was looking directly at Kyle.

“Kyle! Good to see you again!”

Kyle smiled as Matthias walked over to him. His smile turned into a grunt as Matthias embraced him, armor and all, and lifted him a good couple of inches off of the ground. “Good to see you too, bro,” he coughed, feeling the wind being squeezed from his lungs.

Matthias quickly put Kyle back on the ground, where Kyle took a moment to regain his lost breath. “Sorry. I forget how strong I can be,” Matthias grinned. “So, Master Sergeant eh?” he punched Kyle lightly on the shoulder. “And personally selected by the King to run this little shindig. At this rate you’ll be higher up than me!”

“I hope not,” Kyle muttered, letting out one last cough. “Managing this place is an absolute nightmare. I’ll be glad to be back on the battlefield where I belong. So, what are you doing here?”

“I got put in charge of a small company that’s gonna be helping out with the assault,” Matthias explained. “Word is that we’re just about ready,”

“Just about,” Kyle agreed. “Plan is to make the finishing touches today and tomorrow, and set off at the sunrise after next.”

“Speaking of, Mr. Slater,” A smooth, deep voice interrupted. Kyle turned his head to see a Night Elf, decorated as a commander, looking directly at him. “We still have a few more issues to discuss before we ‘set off’.”

“Go on,” Matthias jabbed Kyle’s shoulder again. “I’ll make sure the platoon leaders know to start getting their troops ready.”

“Thanks bro.” Kyle turned and walked towards the Night Elf, who was standing around a table with three others. On the table was a large, crudely-drawn map of the southern reaches of Equestria and the Badlands. “So, what’s going on?” he asked.

“We need t’ decide which route t’ take t’ get t’ th’ battlefield,” A Dwarf replied. “Normally wouldn’t be a problem, but there’s this damned forest in th’ way.”

“Which is filled with dangerous creatures, we have heard,” The Night Elf added. “You know the lay of the land better than any of us, Mr. Slater. What would the best route be through this forest? The safest and the quickest.”

Kyle paused for a moment and rubbed his chin. Admittedly, he had yet to even think of this problem. His thoughts had been focused entirely on the here andd now, or else on the battle itself - not at all on how they would actually get there. “I’m not quite sure,” he finally admitted.

“Why not?”

“I’ve not been in the forest more than I can help, to be honest,” he replied. “You’re right, it’s a dangerous place, especially to go in alone. I’ve not been more than a couple of minutes into the treeline, and don’t know much about the interior.”

The other officers began muttering unhappily amongst themselves. Suddenly, Kyle felt himself begin to smile. “But,” he amended, “I think I know of someone who could help us.”

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Kyle knocked three times on the library door and waited patiently. Sure enough, a moment later he heard the sound of hooves against the wooden floor, and a second later the door swung open. “Oh, Kyle!” Twilight exclaimed, looking surprised. “Come on in.” she ushered him inside and closed the door behind him. “What can I do for you?”

“Hello Twilight,” Kyle began. “Sorry to bother you, but I need your help.”

“Something to do with the upcoming attack?” Twilight asked, her eyes shooting wide open. “Is it time? Do I need to go get the others? I’ll get Rainbow Dash and Applejack, you go get the oth-”

“Twilight hold on!” Kyle exclaimed, holding up his hands. “It’s not time. Not yet anyway. The morning after next, we intend to set out. But, to get to our destination, we have to go through the Everfree Forest.”

“Or you could take the train,” Twilight suggested. “It’s safer, and -”

“And would take days to transport all of our troops through,” Kyle interrupted. “No, we need to march through on foot. But, the forest is dangerous. And the Princesses have told us not to clear-cut our way through. We need to get through safely, and for that, we need a guide.”

“Zecora,” Twilight said instantly.

“Exactly,” Kyle nodded. “I’ve not met her personally, but if she lives in the forest, then she knows the dangers and the safe paths. I’m hoping she can help lead our army through the forest. But I don’t know where in the forest she is. Any chance you could help me out?”

Twilight hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly. “Sure,” she said. “I can take you to her.”

A few minutes later, the pair stood outside of the forest, looking in. “It won’t take too long,” Twilight said, sounding almost thankful as the began to follow a small, narrow trail into the treeline.

Kyle could hardly blame her for her apprehension. He could feel it too. Something about this forest was unnatural. Chaotic, wild, unpredictable. Even with the sun almost directly overhead, the thick canopy blocked most of the light, creating an oppressive darkness that rivalled that of a moonless night.

After what felt like far too long, the pair finally reached their destination. A massive tree, twisted and gnarled, stood before them. A door had been inset into the trunk, with some kind of strange tribal mask hanging over it. Small windows had been carved into the tree, allowing some of the light from inside the house (For, Kyle realize, a house it was) to illuminate the surrounding area. Various trinkets and bottles were hung from the branches by ropes, swaying gently despite the lack of wind.

“Just a heads up,” Twilight interrupted Kyle’s observations, “Zecora has a bit of an… oddity, when it comes to speaking. You’ll figure it out pretty quickly, but don’t let it freak you out. It’s just… how she talks.”

“Huh?”

“You’ll see,” Twilight smiled slightly. “Alright, good luck!” she called out as she turned away and galloped back towards Ponyville.

Kyle turned his attention back towards the tree-house. He began to feel more nervous as he continued to look at the various decorations that had been placed outside. The bottles, the trinkets, the masks - it all reminded him very much of the Trolls back on Azeroth. He only hoped that this Zecora would be more inviting than the Trolls. He slowly approached the door and rapped his knuckles against the door.

Almost immediately, Kyle heard the rustle of beads and the clacking of wood against wood, followed by the sound of hooves. For the second time that day, Kyle found the door to a tree-house opened for him.

On the other side of the door stood a Zhevra. Or, what looked like a Zhevra, anyway. She had no horn, and her mane was styled up in a Mohawk, similar to the style that Kyle saw occasionally on trolls. Her mane and her coat alike were colored alternating shades of light and dark grey. A large golden hoop hung from each ear, and several gold bands were wrapped around her neck, as well as around one of her forelegs.

“Oh, now what is this I see?” she began, speaking in an accent that indeed reminded Kyle quite strongly of the Trolls. “A new creature outside my tree.”

“Uh… hi there,” Kyle raised his hand in an awkward wave. “My name is Kyle Slater.”

“Ah, yes, Kyle, I’ve heard of you,” Zecora smiled. “Your name came to me from Applebloom. Please, come in, and have a seat. Making new friends is always a treat.”

Does she always speak in rhyme?” Kyle found himself asking as he steppe inside. Maybe that’s what Twilight was talking about… He glanced about the room, taking in the sights. More stranges masks and flasks and trinkets were hung throughout the circular room. Shelves dotted the walls of the room, filled with bottles and jars and bowls and all sorts of other containers. Two other openings led off to different rooms, neither with a door. One led to an alcove with yet more bottles and jars. The other led to a small nook, where a bed had been laid out. Most prominent, however, was the large cauldron in the center of the room. A fire had been lit under it, and the cauldron boiled and frothed, filling the room with the smell of whatever was in there. Whatever it was, it smelled delicious.

“So tell me now, what brings you here?” Zecora asked as she said own in front of the question. “Why brave the forest so many fear?”

“Well, I’d like to… ask you for help,” Kyle admitted as he sat down a few feet away. “But I’m guessing you have a few questions for me. Most everyone does. And I’ll admit, I have a couple for you.”

“Very well. You may start,” Zecora replied.

Kyle waited for a moment as silence fell.. He had been expecting Zecora to continue and finish her rhyme, but when no more was forthcoming, he cleared his throat awkwardly. “Firstly… I don’t mean to offend, but do you always speak like that?” he asked. “In rhyme I mean,”

“It is a skill I’ve committed to heart,” Zecora said with a sly wink.

Kyle blinked, frozen for a second. Suddenly, a laugh was torn from his lips. “You’re good,” he finally said.

“So i’ve been told, many times. It is quite fun to speak in rhymes. And very good to keep a quick mind, as I and others often find.

“So besides the rhyming thing…” Kyle chuckled, gesturing to the walls around him. “I’m guessing you’re an alchemist?”

“Alchemy is indeed my trade,” Zecora nodded. “Many benefit from potions I have made.” She looked back at Kyle. “I’ve heard much of you, I must say. But several questions still remain. Where are you from? What do you do? And where, might I ask, did you procure that brew?”

“Brew?” Kyle asked. He glanced down at his belt, where he realized one of his pouches had sprung a leak. Tigerseye Brew was now steadily dripping down his leather leggings. “Oh damn it all,” he growled. He quickly pulled the staff off of his back and remove the pouch from his belt before pouring the contents of the pouch into the wooden flask on his flask. “Sorry about the mess,” he added, glancing down at the Brew that had spilled over the floor.

“To clean it will not take too long,” Zecora said. She sniffed and raised an eyebrow. “Although the scent is very strong. And something different in it too… pray tell, what exactly is that brew?”

“It’s called Tigerseye Brew,” Kyle explained. “It’s cider infused with Chi - the life energy that flows through all living things. If you drink it, you become stronger, faster, more agile. Which leads me to answer your other questions,” he continued. “For what I do, I am a Monk - a martial artist. I fight in the Grand Army of the Alliance. As to where I am from, I am actually from another world called Azeroth.”

“Ah, so Applebloom told the truth,” Zecora murmured. “I’ll admit, I did not believe the youth. But you are indeed from a far-away land? I assume you have stories, and many quite grand.”

“I have a few,” Kyle admitted. “But unfortunately I don’t have enough time to tell them right now. Perhaps at a later time.”

“Very well. Then let us us see, what it is you need from me.”

“Have you heard of the Changeling activities lately?”

“Ah yes. I am afraid I have.” Zecora sighed. “And all the news seems very bad. The Crystal Empire first, and then what? Will they attempt to again take Canterlot?”

“Not if we have anything to say about it,” Kyle announced. “Others from Azeroth have come through to push back the Changelings and defeat the dark monsters that control them - the Sha. An army has been formed, and we march on Hive Regali in two days. But we have to march through the forest to o so, and we have no idea how to get through safely.”

“Ah, I see. A guide you need.”

“That would be best, yes. You live in the forest. I’m guessing you know many of the safe paths to travel on. I was hoping that you would be willing to lead us through the forest to the Badlands.”

“The safe paths I know, this is true,” Zecora nodded. “And yes, I will agree to help you. I’ve no hate for Changelings, make no mistake. But I will help save Equestria from this fate.”

Kyle found himself smiling. as he open “The Alliance thanks you, and I thank you, Zecora.” Kyle pushed himself to his feet. “I’m afraid I must take my leave now. We shall leave the morning after next. Our camp is a bit west of Ponyville, and it is where we will meet.” He turned and walked to the door, with Zecora right behind him

“I wish you luck in your quest. May your efforts yield the best.”

Kyle closed the door behind him and sighed. That had been easier than he had expected. The only thing to do now was to go back and oversee the final stages of preparation. Which unfortunately meant travelling back through the Everfree Forest. Alone.

“Man, this place gives me the creeps.” Kyle muttered as he stepped away from Zecora’s home and back into the uninviting gloom of the forest. He felt chills running down his spine as he glanced around, trying to see through the darkness. He knew that more meetings and overseeing and last minute problems awaited him back at camp, and he was not looking forward to it. But it had to get done. Someone had to do it.

And it looked like he was the guy for the job,

Author's Note:

My apologies for the terrible rhyming. I never was good at poetry

Comments

[Charedfirescale]

I guess Zecora's culture is similar to that of the trolls.

[Greatmane]

5170391

Eating people and summoning vile gods that get off and murder and bloodshed?

EDIT:

Or sacrificing their gods/using them for their own gains?

[Charedfirescale]

5171585 I was talking about the decor.

[The Twisted Shadow]

5172104 Besides da murder and What not you are right. Dem zebras' cultura maybe similar to us Trolls.

[Mitsurugie]

Buck it, I'm off fim fiction about a week and you uploaded a chapter almost every day... I have some catching up to do

[Silentwoodfire]

I sincerely hope at this point that the sha fail in their corruption schemes