CHAPTER 004: The skeletons in his closet.
Merlos stared down the trio of skeletons at the end of his corridor. Stormy shivered behind him, staying as out of sight as she could.
Merlos only had enough time to think bitterly of where exactly his strange guest had found creatures so dangerous, before realizing by their fast approach that he hadn’t the time for deliberating.
Arcane words of power formed in his mind right away, and a deceptively mild glow at his fingertips formed as he pointed at the nearest skeleton. Nearly invisible crescents of air rippled around him, then rushed forward into two of the skeletons, carrying them off their feet and into the wall.
The skeletons shattered, the combination of arcane forces and evocation magics being more than enough to finish off their centuries-long worn and beaten forms. One of the two went completely limp, bits of jagged bones rattling and its red eyes going dark. The other merely came apart comically like a puppet with its strings cut, loose arms and legs bouncing on the stone floor. The second’s still chattering skull bounced and rolled angrily in a tight circle.
Shockingly, and catching Merlos off his guard, the last of the three kept moving, despite the spell. The skeleton’s bony feet clicked faster on the stone floor through its aggressive advance.
Merlos’ brow furrowed in anger. “What the blazes?”
Merlos switched to another spell with one hand, and a spear of fire erupted into being from nothing but the air. Its flames glowed hot, illuminating the hallways with red and orange hues.
With a mighty cry—a mighty cry for him, anyway—he hurled the spear. It struck true in the remaining skeleton’s chest, just before it vanished in a pathetic show of sparks and an unimpressive noise that sounded like frrt.
Merlos stared in disbelief of one of his strongest spells not phasing the skeleton at all. With little time to spare, he caught notice of the likely culprit of how.
A sickly purple glow swayed beneath the skeleton’s unsightly head around its neck.
“Oh, an artifact that disperses magic,” Merlos said in an interested way. It occurred to him that he’d been meaning to get one of those, before becoming aware of the monster again. “I think I need a new plan then. Stormy, what sort of skills do you-”
Merlos had turned to ask his furry companion, only to catch sight of her hindquarters disappearing around the corner in the opposite direction of the skeleton.
“Hey! Come back here! You coward!” He shook a gnarled fist at the pegasus in egress. In that moment he noticed that the skeleton’s steps were no longer getting louder.
Wincing, he turned to face the awful thing, now standing right before him. He could clearly see the steady glow of arcane-magic dispelling amulet, and smell the ancient decay clinging to its bones.
The skeleton raised its clawed hand up high and fiercely swung towards him.
Merlos cursed. “Oh biscuits-”
Stormy flew hard and corkscrewed her way down the hall and around corners, nearly crashing several times as she did. Fear drove her sloppy indoor flying, even after she found the wide basement staircase she’d been told to stay away from. The idea had formed purely out of panic, but in her head, she desperately told herself she had to go and get Merlos’ weird basement roommate.
Not at all wanting to slow down, Stormy rolled to her side and made contact with the wall. Her hooves thumped hard on the timbers and her wings worked faster to keep from falling as she ran.
He has to be able to help! she thought, making regular jumps to avoid the occasional wooden beam. Right!?
The idea seemed sound. It didn’t take a genius to know that the short-mans, or whatever Gavlan’s race was called, were warriors. Stormy had seen them coming to and fro from her pen in the auction, some carrying intimidating weapons, others carrying stranger objects that defied logic. The one that had left earlier, Or-lick or whatever, had been like those guys. Of course, he had left...
Still full of panicked breath, Stormy nearly crashed into a stout wooden door at the bottom of the stairs. She screeched to a halt, stopping just fast enough to thump into the door lightly, but didn’t waste any time. “Hello!? Is anyone in there!?” she yelled, banging with both hooves and praying that someone would answer.
Straight away, surprisingly, someone answered her.
“Och, aye? Who be that at this hour, eh?” the muffled voice return. A series of heavy clunking footsteps followed suit.
Stormy scrunched her muzzle up as it dawned on her that Merlos’ magic voodoo spell must have worn off. She couldn’t make out a word of what she had just heard spoken to her. In fact, now with her panic lessening, she realized she hadn’t understood anything Merlos had been saying at all! Oh crap. That means this guy won’t be able to understand me, either!
Her face froze into yet another expression of panic, just as the heavy door swung open to reveal a short, bulky figure in a funny looking brown vest and a nightcap. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Gavlan, though she supposed that it wouldn’t have mattered much.
“Oh, an’ what in the hell might you be, eh?” the bulky stranger asked. His eyes squinted in question, and his big bristly face-hair bounced as he spoke.
Stormy blinked. “Uuuuhm.” It was true, she hadn’t been able to understand a word he said to her. Still, when she answered, the stout fellow’s eyes widened slightly, even looking beady on his broad face.
Stormy continued. “You can’t understand me, can you?”
The lack of a response and slightly perplexed look from the short-man confirmed her earlier suspicions.
“Oi, Knott, what’s Merlos on about over there?” a slightly more familiar voice yelled.
The first stranger turned his head back warily and answered. “T’ain’t Merlos, yeh daft ol’ codger! Seems like some expir’ment o’ his got loose! It’s speakin’ gibberish!”
Stormy scrunched her face in concentration just as Gavlan, whom she recognized the funny braided face-hair of immediately, stepped into the doorway.
“Oh, it’s you yah sweet lil’ thing! What are yeh lookin’ for, Stormy? Scraps, eh?” He laughed. “Ges, go get me a pie!”
A third voice from back in the room answered Gavlan with a defiant, “Go get it yerself!”
“This thing’s got a name?” Knott muttered to Gavlan. “Stormy’s a funny name fer a beast, isn’t it?”
Stormy groaned in frustration. She didn’t understand their laughing or yelling, though she made a guess that maybe the older looking one named Gavlan just liked her and was happy to see her. She heard a crash from up the stairs behind herself, and began to feel frantic once again.
I don’t care who it is, somepony’s gotta help! Ignoring whatever the short-mans were saying, she reached out and got a mouthful of the first stranger’s clothing, then gave a sharp tug. Later, she would ponder why it tasted of salt and barley.
“What is it yeh want, yeh strange beast?” Knott resisted the odd creature’s insisting tugs, while also stretching out his ear to sound from overhead. “Is it… Aye, I think something’s not right,” he said, stumbling a couple steps from the pegasi’s less than tactful urgings.
With an irritated whinny and another sharp tug, Stormy pulled on his clothing again.
“Must really want that pie...” Gavlan murmured.
“I don’t think tha’s it, uncle,” Knott refuted. “I hear a fight. Upstairs.” He nodded to above their heads.
Stormy finally let his clothing go and pointed up with a hoof frantically while bouncing up and down. Another loud crash and a muffled cry from above seemed to be enough for the stranger, his face screwing up into a relieving sort of scrutiny and worry. “Come oooon, come on!” she whined insistently.
“Right… Lads, grab yer weapons ‘n tools!” Gavlan bellowed. “Seems sommin’s meddlin’ upstairs.” He hefted up a large cudgel from the behind door’s crook.
Chattering voices followed by the thunder of footsteps on wood answered him.
Stormy beamed at their sudden energy. Awesome! It worked, it worked! She began to celebrate, but instead let out a startled sound at almost being trampled over. “Aaah! Guys, chill out! Uhm-!” The basement tenants had all charged out at once, and there was a surprising number of them. Stormy didn’t have time to count. Instead, she was barely able to turn around and start her way back up the stairs ahead of them. “Hey—! Stop pushing!”
A loud, bellowing cry from everypony behind her rushed up the stairs. She ran as best she could, ears folded back against the racket. The stout two-legged strangers surprisingly kept up with her, despite only having two legs rather than four.
Too late, Stormy realized, Oh crap… I’m in front!?
When the basement group of dwarves and one very flustered pegasus burst into the room, they quickly encountered the cause of the disturbance.
Their landlord was there—looking less than well off—while the problem appeared to be a skeleton that was busy hissing, pummeling, and scratching at him. The wizard’s only defense seemed to be a broom.
Merlos noticed his tenants had joined the excruciatingly fun time he was having against the undead scourge in his humble home. “Well!? Do somethi—”
With a sweeping arm the skeleton knocked Merlos to the ground and quickly gave the new group its undivided attention.
“HSSS!”
“Utinni! Utinni!” Stormy cried, and in whatever strange language it was she spoke. She took refuge behind the dwarves and pointed wildly at the approaching skeleton.
The dwarves all quickly funneled into the room, but one acted first, nudging Stormy aside.
“Ohhh, thissun looks fun.” Knott waddled past the little winged horse and hefted an ornate axe, shifting his grip. “Dibs!” he shouted, and rushed forward without hesitation.
Stormy gasped at the stranger’s decision to charge like that, then gasped again when all of his friends just cheered him on rather than help!
The skeleton screeched at the approaching humanoid and swiped at him with both clawed hands.
Knott dodged to the undead horror’s left and squared his feet immediately after. Letting loose a mighty roar that would steal the courage from a minotaur, he turned his axe around to the flat side and swung.
The blow landed true on the skeleton’s mid-section. A cracking sound filled the room, followed by the clattering of the skeleton as it crumpled to the ground, shrieking the whole time.
Cheers went up from the dwarves by the door as Knott spun ‘round, arms raised up for an encore. He wasn’t finished yet though, and transferred both hands back onto his axe as he delivered the finishing blow.
Shocked, Stormy raised a hoof to her muzzle, holding her breath the whole time.
The mighty hammering turned the skeleton’s head into bone-meal with a final crunch.
“Haha, yeh see! Wizard, if yer gonna take on a skelli-ton, ye’ve got to take em down with something blunt un hebby!” Knott gave the broom laying on the floor a little kick. “Yer feather duster won’ be getting anything done.” He laughed again.
Merlos, still prone on the floor, busily stared with aggravation up at his ceiling.
Stormy’s jaw dropped at the sight of the lightning fast violence. “Oh my gosh, it’s over. They did it! That… was- They did- And we’re not dead.” Her gaze was stuck fast to the human skeletons’ remains, now inert and motionless on the ground.
Even with the situation over and done with, her queasy feeling remained, and she finally noticed the light headed sensation she was getting.
Meanwhile, after spending a moment to poke through the skeleton’s ribs, Knott successfully fished out something he’d spotted in the scuffle: a shiny bit of jewelry. The amulet was suspended on a delicate chain of gold and was set in with a ruby. “Ah, spoils of war! You lads’ll have to be quicker next time.” He quickly pocketed the glittering prize. Afterwards, he walked back to the group with a swagger and a charming smile.
Gavlan had long since moved toward Merlos and was busy helping him up, despite his protests.
“I’m fine, thank you very much— Hey, hey! Who said you could take that? And I’ll have you lot know I had everything under control,” Merlos quipped indignantly. “This abomination simply took me by surprise is all.” He crossed his arms, and gave the remains a harsh kick of revenge.
“Aye, maybe, but I’ll be claiming it as my own all the same,” Knott said, turning around with a broad grin. “You know the law of adventurers, eh, Merlos? To the victor goes the spoils!”
Merlos raised a finger up, looking ready to speak his mind and hold nothing back. “My home is not a dungeon to be plundered!”
Knott glanced around himself, then laughed, “Oh? You wouldn’t know tha’ by lookin’ at it.”
The dwarves, those that weren’t already returning below to their hold, broke into an uproar of laughter at this.
Merlos had been about to press the issue, but was left little choice but to be drowned out.
“A beast well slain, brother!” Ges chortled and clapped Knott on the shoulder. “See lads? Told yeh he’d take down whateve’ it was in two moves or less.” Pride was etched upon his sibling’s face from the congratulatory boasting.
Every dwarf present raised another round of cheering, weapons—improvised and otherwise—waving in the air.
Gavlan chortled along at his kin’s bravado, but at least acted somewhat appropriately given the situation. “So, Merlos, what happened up here, eh?”
Merlos, busily looking at the rips in his favorite night robe, grunted angrily. “The undead, that’s what happened! Bah.” His left sleeve was nearly completely torn off. “Blasted things ruined my clothing.”
Gavlan scratched his beard. “Och, well I can see tha’, Merlos. And I knew ye’ had skeletons in yer closet, but this is ridiculous.” He gave the wizard’s side a friendly nudge. “Heh, so these things snuck in?”
Merlos gave him a tired look. At the same time, he snapped his fingers; with a faint glow the remains of the fallen skeletons were whisked off by a sudden breeze and carried out a window. “Very funny, old friend. I can assure you these things did not come from my closet! And I have no idea how they got in. They were chasing Stormy, and I awoke to her leading them to me, and then she fled as I defended her!”
Merlos paused to shoot the pegasus—young or not—a quick glare.
“Aye, well, she fetched us to save yeh, too.” Gavlan poked the wizard’s ribs hard with a finger.
Merlos waved a dismissive hand. “True, I suppose, Now, in any case, I appreciate the assistance, but if you don’t mind I was in the middle of sleeping. The presence of a bunch your rowdy kin up here in the wee hours of the morning puts a damper on that and I’d very much like—”
Although Merlos had his intrusive rescuers’ full attention, the sounds of whimpering and sniffling distracted both him and the rest of the group.
The lot of them looked for the source of the noise, and located it at the far corner of the room as a crouched, light grey form. The sounds of celebration died down.
“Is… Is it crying?” one of the dwarves asked, watching the shivering pegasus. She was hiding under her wings and sobbing softly into her front hooves.
Merlos took in a slow breath… then huffed. With arms already crossing themselves, he prepared a stern little bit of ‘I told you so’ for his guest.
“You’re fine, now knock that off, Stormy.” Merlos didn’t have to wait long to determine Stormy wasn’t calming down. The lack of a reaction to him said that much clearly. He realized she couldn’t understand him, but the fact the fight was over should have been enough to put an end to the hysterics.
Someone else made a move, rather than stand by idly and let Merlos continue to flub sounding concerned.
Ges strode away from the spot beside his brother and slowly approached. “You’re safe now, you’re safe, shhhh,” were his first words. His approach was deadly silent, though the leather armor fitted onto him creaked slightly. A few whips were coiled loosely at his sides in a loop holster, and what looked to be an ice-axe dangling from behind them scraped the wood floor as he kneeled down.
Oh my gosh. I swear I almost died. And Merlos is probably gonna be mad and throw me out and I’ll never get home and then, then— And they killed that thing, I just wanna—! Stormy looked up a little, choking a breath in from surprise at being snuck up on. One of the short-mans was right there in front of her.
“Sshhh, it’s okay now,” Ges repeated. “Tha’ beasty’s gone.”
“She can’t understand you right now,” Merlos intoned impatiently, and rolled his eyes. “She doesn’t speak common, and my enchantment’s worn off.” A quick swat to the back of his head from Gavlan caught him off guard, and the two began trading scowls.
Meanwhile, Ges kept a penetrating stare with the little creature before him, looking as though he peered off into the horizon. Before anyone there noticed, even Stormy, he was stroking her mane gently.
Up close, tears glistened around the miniature winged pony’s eyes. Her wings themselves seemed to be what caused her shaking, wrapped around her like a comforting blanket as they were.
Ges’ efforts calmed her down from hyperventilating quickly. “You’re safe, you’re safe, shhhh,” he repeated. He could see the swelling from minor bruises on her body, likely from flying through doors rather than being attacked by the undead menaces. “She’s had quite the scare, this one. I can tell.”
Stormy shuddered out a limp feeling breath, trying to get control of herself. It struck her as odd that the presence of yet another stranger somehow helped. She had never felt a calming presence from someone like this before; it was like suddenly this short-man—who was also weirdly petting her head like the neighbor’s family dog—was the most trustable individual in the world, and she just let him stroke her. Her eyes looked back into his own, unable to take them away. Those gentle brown eyes, both intense with a thousand yard stare, yet calming and showing a gentle soul within them.
Gavlan had been kinda weird, if tolerable, but if he had tried calming her down like this, she woulda bit him.
Stormy closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, feeling much more relaxed all of a sudden. Huh, so why’s this guy so…
With Merlos’ pegasus, Stormy, successfully calmed and no longer crying—and Ges had to admit that crying wasn’t something he was used to when calming animals—he reached behind himself a moment and cupped a hand with some oats resting in it.
Stormy looked down with a dazed look at the oats, then blinked at them and stuck out her tongue. “Kali-mah…” she groaned in her strange language from before, then leaned against the wall, away from the offered treat.
“Hm, never had a creature say no to food before,” Ges chuckled. “Are you feelin’ better now, eh?” He tried to give her a few more pets, only to be dodged.
“She’s fine now, so all of you stop gawking and shoo,” Merlos said coldly. Ready to just go back to bed and try to get some sleep.
“Have a heart, Merlos,” Gavlan shot, “She jus’ had a frightenin’ encounter with some undead, and that’s about as frightenin’ as it gets. You’d be scared too if ye didn’t have yer skills in magic.”
“For all the good they did me. I’m terribly rusty, bah. But I wonder what that necklace was—” Merlos waved a hand. “Regardless, apples and oranges, Gavlan. And what in the nine hells did that nephew of yours just do to calm her down?”
Gavlan chuckled. “Besides not lookin’ at her like he were goin’ to skin her, yah mean? Well, Ges ’s good with critters like tha’. Call it a gift of his.”
Merlos frowned. “That pegasus is sapient. It’s no more a critter than you or I.”
Gavlan scratched a hand behind his head. “Oh, tha’s right. She was speakin’ some crazy gibberish downstairs, now that I think abou’ it. Hah. That was a surprise, alright.”
“Yes, yes, very surprising.” Merlos rolled his eyes. “I told you she could talk…” he added in a grumble.
“D’ya think there’d be more of ‘em here?” Gavlan asked suddenly, hefting his cudgel again. “The skeletons, or other undead? I don’t mind a little battle, but I’d like t’know if there’d be more of ‘em about.”
“I highly doubt it…” Merlos thought on that. Truth be told, he would have sworn on his life that his home was secure. “I think the amulet that one there was wearing and the runes on those abominations were what resisted my detection spells. If there are more, then they would need a similar set up.”
Gavlan eased back somewhat at the explanation. “Hm, tha’ makes sense. Troubling, too. Well if you’re satisfied, I won’t bother yeh about it.” With that, he leaned in and gave a sly and quite intentionally obnoxious wink. “But next time I’ve got to save yer wrinkly kiester, I think I’ll charge yeh!”
Merlos ignored the subsequent laughter from Gavlan and his remaining brewery employees. Instead, his attention turned to the pegasus sitting in a pile across the room.
She looked terrible; her mane and coat were disheveled and a look of guilt was strewn on her face. She also had trouble looking up towards him, it seemed.
Stormy winced and looked away from the human staring at her. His voice had sounded so angry. As she did, the strange short-man beside her rose to leave. She watched his going, but didn’t stop him, opting instead to watch the excitement conclude.
Merlos shook his head and stifled a yawn, patting it back into his mouth. “Well, if you’re all quite finished basking in my embarrassment, I’d much appreciate it if we all retired for the rest of the night.” He yawned again mid-sentence.
He shooed at the dwarves, the last of them muttering to each other as they thumped back downstairs after helping their ungrateful landlord.
Gavlan stayed, and stood by Merlos’ bedroom door before the wizard could retreat. “And what if worse creatures do show up, Merlos?” he said, leveling a suspicious gaze at the wizard. It clearly spoke that he didn't like staying someplace that housed dangers that could come slit his throat at night.
“If they’re warded like these ones were, we won’t know they’re here until they’ve got their claws on my throat again!” Exasperated, Merlos threw up his hands in a fit of impatience.
“What I mean to say, is you didn’t upset someone, didja?” Gavlan raised one bush-like eyebrow, punctuating the serious question.
Merlos opened his mouth to retort, then closed it just as swiftly and thought on that. “No, of course not,” he finally ventured, thinking hard on whether he had or not. “At least, I don’t think so.”
Gavlan chuckled. “You’re as likeable as a prickle bush filled with fire wasps sometimes, ol’ friend. Mayhaps you insulted someone’s honor by saying they resembled their mount more than their own parents?”
Merlos smirked, and blew out his beard with a laugh. “No, my ventures lately have been entirely without incident. And I’m perfectly likeable when I’m in the company of equals, I’ll have you know.”
“Oh, yaaah, I’m sure yeh certainly are.” Gavlan made a purposefully poor effort at hiding his sarcasm, only to be interrupted by somepony’s approach.
Stormy had cantered over to Merlos. She nosed his calf and softly spoke. “En taro Adun?”
Merlos looked down at her and hummed quietly, wearing a soft scowl. She looked up and pointed into his bedroom.
“Oota goota Solo?” Stormy asked, her voice tinged with hesitance.
Merlos let out a heavy sigh. “What? What do you want now? I still can’t understand you, you know.”
Stormy put on a disgruntled look, cheeks puffed out and expression set with frustration.
Gavlan watched the conversation going nowhere, then gestured at Stormy. “Is there a way that we can ask her if there are more? Don’t yeh know some hocus pocus for that?”
“Hocus pocus he calls it,” Merlos muttered, then sighed and prepared his lingual arts spell. A faint glowing mist left his hand and floated over to Stormy’s calm form.
“I’ve been using this language spell for the time being, which should work until she learns it herself. It essentially translates everything she hears and says,” Merlos took a moment to adjust his shredded nightclothes as he boasted. “One of my own masterfully made creations. You’ll recall it from before I learned how to speak dwar—”
Gavlan waved for Stormy’s attention, who was now getting clued in as to why she could understand them, thanks to Merlos’ explanation. “Over here, little darlin’. Are there anymore skeletons about? Where did they come from?”
“I wasn’t done explaining—” Merlos said, but was spoken over.
Stormy thought a moment. Her mind still catching up with things that have just happened. The image of the skeletons and where she’d found them returned to her, and she shook her head no.
“Nuh uh, just those three,” Stormy answered. She looked down, pawing the floor with a soft clop of her forehoof. “There’s a room back there where I found them in a closet. I’m sorry for looking around! I just got bored, and then I was so scared. They just… I could tell they wanted to hurt me so I ran and got Merlos, and then he just tried to explode them and—”
Gavlan nodded and waved his hands to gesture her to take it easy. “It’s alright. All that stuff is in the past and yer safe now.” He looked up to Merlos a moment, clearly wanting to say more.
Merlos held a hard scowl at Stormy. “Did I not say to not go poking that snout of yours where it doesn’t belong?” After a moment, and a hard look from Gavlan, he added, “And who would have thought I’d have actual skeletons in a closet somewhere. Hm, maybe I do need to seriously consider renovating this place.”
“Yah think, lad?” Gavlan intoned, chuckling a little.
Stormy, relieved to at least understand them again, laughed weakly as well. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.
Merlos frowned again, pointing his scowl at a near wall instead. “It’s fine,” he said simply.
Everything seemingly finished, Gavlan exhaled, blowing his cheeks out tiredly. “It’s late, you two,” he concluded. “Hopefully a much quieter and better night to yeh both. Just scream if more of the undead show up!” He waved over his shoulder as he turned to go.
“That’s not funny, Gavlan.” Stormy’s face melted with worry, despite being able to tell easily that Merlos’ friend was joking.
Gavlan barked a laugh despite that. “Ye’ll be fine. It were pleasant speakin’ to yeh, Stormy!”
Gavlan let his hand off the basement door and Merlos promptly closed it, looking for an absent Stormy a moment later. Merlos found the pegasus exploring around his room, where she was paused at a dilapidated chair and ottoman.
“This looks like a good, safe, secure spot to sleep,” she commented, climbing onto the old worn in furniture. She tread around atop it in a circle a few times, then added, “At least it doesn’t smell like butt.”
“Hey, who said that you could—” Merlos sighed with exasperation.
The little pony curled up in a ball while the Wizard took an indignant look. However, his tired demeanor and the tension between him and the tenant were enough to rob him of his usual cutting retort.
“No more exploring. And I hope you’ve learned a lesson about how dangerous this world can be.” Merlos snatched his night cap from the bed stand, before climbing into his bed and facing away from the intrusive being in his own bedroom.
“I did,” Stormy’s quavering voice answered. “And I’m still really sorry. I didn’t think you’d have dangerous stuff like that lying around…”
Neither did I, Merlos thought, and responded with, “It’s fine. And you only get to stay in here tonight. And because I’m feeling generous. Good night then.” Glancing aside at his nightstand with a few clockwork gizmos deftly whirring away, he blew a puff of air at a nearby glowing sphere, and it dimmed down quickly into pitch black.
Stormy gave a squawk of surprise.
“Quiet! Hey— No, get off of my bed, now!”
Stormy missed her cloud bed.
She gave a long sigh while quietly staring at the wizard’s bed, and ruminating on everything that had happened, like why he hadn’t bothered with a translation spell right away so she could warn him about the skeleton things. She then pondered if his magic was taxing or perhaps the spell—despite how seemingly effortless Merlos made it look—was quite draining.
Stormy rested her chin on a foreleg as she laid there in peace. Despite the shock and already having slept a little, her eyes began to close, the day’s burdens weighing on her.
Whenever she had gotten scared back home, whether because of timberwolves howling or whatever, she had crawled into her parent’s bed. At least, as a filly she had. The last time she’d felt scared enough to do anything like that had been years ago.
She didn’t have her parents bed or even her old house, but Merlos could fling fire around, so that would do in a pinch. That was so crazy… Not scary like I’d think, though.
Just when the world began to fade away—
The loud cacophony of sound she heard next brought her eyes wide, her wings flared open, and she was on her hooves looking around for the source of the noise.
Stormy’s heart beat heavily in her chest, until her eyes settled on the wizard. His mouth opened a little and the sound came again, hitching on occasion and resuming in an unpredictable pattern.
He was snoring, and bad.
“Great.” Stormy scowled at him and curled up, tucking her ears back with her hooves over them.
Almost as if by encouragement, Merlos gasped and snored louder.
Plucking a nearby blanket, Stormy pulled it tightly over her head. The sound was drowned out a bit, but the ottoman underneath her shook with each snore. “Oh my gosh! Safety is not worth this,” she concluded.
Stormy braced herself for one of his erratic breathing snorts in his sleep, but for a moment, everything was peaceful…
She perked up and hovered over to where the wizard lay… He was quiet and eerily still suddenly.
Stormy head tilted at him. Is he dead?
While reaching out a hoof to poke him, a loud and shuddering snort erupted from his face, and spooked her back away.
Stormy lost a few feathers as she dashed away, having a mini-heart attack. Panting a moment, she decided to put away whatever fears she had in sleeping alone for the night.
The bedroom door creaked open, and Stormy muttered to herself, deciding, “I think I’ll take my chances in my room.”
With the stealth only a roguish halfling could appreciate, she flew out of the bedroom that sounded more like a construction yard, and closed the door behind her, the sounds of lumber being sawed and rocks being smashed following close behind.
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The is requires a reading soon...
Incorrect slash. The rest of the chapter is italicised.
Looks like an italics error right there.
... Dat untranslated voice ...
Anyways, loved it and hoping for more to come soon!
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Fixed. ^^
Thank you for the heads up.
Poor Stormy. And leave it to the ranger to make her feel better.
More, ploxz.
5608663
I think I have my russian keyset enabled and for some reason put the wrong kind of slash in. Soz about that!
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There will be a ranger soon, And they're a surprise!
5609305
Okay. I'll work on it a little tonight and hopefully get some stuff done before I goto bed/work.
Ah yes, the snore that can be heard from outside a person's house. I am very, very familiar with that snore.
I wish for more! Come back sir!
5920049
I've been out with my failing health and sustaining all the injury I have in the last 2 months have ground me to a halt. Lots of trips to the hospital have eaten up my time also. Sorry about how long this is taking. I do have quite a bit of text down, some of it needs rewrite.
I have been poking at it and tinkering with this latest chapter, do some world building so everyone knows more about the Equestria Stormy came from and about Merlos' world.
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*Comforts the ailing Pegasus, but only while nobody else is looking.*
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Ahem... "Called it!"
(honestly, I don't remember what I thought it was
)
Took a while to drop this one.
Oh Celestia...
Those references in Stormy's untranslated speech.
6352712 Stormy shot first!
Poor Stormy.