Fact or Fiction

by Mocha Star

10) The Hellion is Back!

Daring Do, Pea Gravel and Rainbow Dash were a month's journey into the 'Wild'. They were now on the east of the mountains Pea had climbed as a child to reach greener pastures. While on a ridge overlooking a cliff above a pine forest, the three rested next to a campfire. The two Equestrians were adapted to the change in weather, even the air tasted different to them. Rainbow Dash was using a grindstone like Pea had shown her a few days before and busied herself with sharpening Pea's swords. Daring Do used the spyglass to look out into the forest to see if there was anything interesting to see.

Pea lay against a tree, feeling tense and distant. She was locked in a dream she couldn't wake from, more of a memory then anything else...

---

When Pea was eighteen rumor of the dragon Wicktet was going around. He was being a menace to anything that had the misfortune of meeting him. Pea ran from Alia one night to try and kill the dragon in a lust for revenge. Armed with only leather armor and a broad sword she followed the dragon's tracks to kill the beast. If Alia didn't follow Pea out into the wild, the mare would've been eaten.

Pea could remember vividly what happened; Through a pine forest she ran, finding into a cave where Wicktet was sleeping. She crept on the slumbering beast, his size clogging up the cavern and his hot rancid breath filling the rest. Pea took up her sword and gouged one of his eyes out. This woke him up quickly with a screech and his mighty black talons scraped the cave to cut her. Pea moved quicker in the cave then the dragon but it didn't matter, her sword clanged and chipped when she tried to cut the dragon's scaly hide.

With an unseen force he threw her out of the cave where Alia waited. When I looked at her I only saw disappointment to me. Wicktet crawled out of the cave to finish me off. When he saw Alia he cackled loudly. Apparently we were in some sort of dragon haven, upon hearing Wicktet several other dragons came to see what the commotion was about. One of these dragons was (at the time and still to this day) one of the biggest dragons she had ever seen

The dragon was built like a scaly, dust yellow tank. The thick skin of this dragon was covered in scars and like Wicktet he had the deep scars of lost wings on his back. His horns were once shaped like a bull's, only the left one remained while the other was broken off. The same side of the broken horn his face was missing. His interlocking teeth shown out against his deep red gums, his eye socket was deep and black. This giant beast stood thirty feet at the shoulder and was sixty feet long, nearly three times bigger then the dragon Pea was trying to kill. Wicktet turned his rust red head to look at the beast. He called it, "Sidzo,"

Sidzo's voice was like listening to a prop plane take off. He demanded to know where Wicktet lost his eye from, when Wicktet pointed at me. Sidzo suddenly went into a fit of rage. The other dragons fled through the forest as Sidzo grabbed Wicktet. The yellow dragon said he was weak, unfit for living. Alia grabbed Pea and tried to drag her along, but the grey mare demanded to see the fight.

Sidzo had his massive bear-like hands around Wicktet's snaky body, his quills breaking instead of stabbing. The mighty yellow dragon began growling in a strange octave, his eyes (both the live one and the socket) began glowing white and vascular lights glowed from under the dragon's skin. Wicktet squirmed and squealed but Sidzo's grip was stronger. Pea saw the rusty red dragon's body begin to swell and shake. After a gurgling shriek explode into a mess of bones and guts. Sidzo reared up on his hind legs, making a shadow that blocked out the sun for Pea and his single eye fixed onto Pea Gravel.

"You do this?" Sidso's voice bellowed.

Pea screamed back, "Yeah I did and I'll take your eye too if you mess with me!"

His maw opened and began to glow. Alia grabbed Pea Gravel as best as she could, thinking she could out run dragon's breath. But this blast was different. Instead of a plume of fire, a concentrated line of energy beamed out of the dragon's maw. It sounded like lightning but looked like a spear of blue-white energy that was shot at Alia.

Pea felt a wave of heat and looked to her left. The sound of the blast made her ears ring and her sight go blurry. What once was the proud warrior Alia Bufordox trying to save her squire was now a smoky, blood stained hole in the ground. Pea stopped and looked at the hole, Pea Gravel was still processing the impact. The part nearest to Alia on Pea Gravel were scorched black from being near the beam. Sidzo laughed like a roll of thunder and walked back into the forest he came from. His footsteps shaking the ground. Pea grabbed her sword and rushed to the walking mountain, not entirely to avenge her mentor but in a blind sense of retaliation. The dragon simply swung his tail lightly and the impact nearly crippled her. His tail smashed into her and knocked her to a tree.

Then… blackness...

She woke up days later under a hollowed out tree. Her bones were mended and burns were gone. She lay on a pile of leaves, next to her was her armor all folded and mended. A few feet away was some kind of hot glowing rock with a pan sitting on it. On the pan was an omelet and she was the only one here...as far as she knew. She bit the omelet and slurped it in her mouth, now blowing on her tongue and teary eyed from how hot it was. She stopped when she heard footsteps outside. From where she lay she looked out of the hollowed opening where daylight shown in.

A mild toned voice called from outside,"Is broken pony awake?" 'He' paused, "Oza guess not," Then the sound of metal scraping could be heard.

Pea inched to the opening to see the healing stranger. Sitting on a tree stump was a dragon. A teenage one, about seven feet tall and shaped like a human. On his legs were baggy blue pants held up by a belt with many pockets and bags. He had tawny arms and a defined but thin torso covered in a white-orange clown fish pattern of scales. His hands had three fingers and a thumb while his bare feet had four toes, they all looked slightly webbed. Instead of ears he had fish like fins and spiraling stubs for horns on top of his head. Even his tail that stuck out from the back of his pants looked paddle-like. He had the look of something that belonged in the water, but the ocean was hundreds of miles away… what was he doing here?

The dragon's vibrant blue eyes were fixed on Pea's sword which now was bent and had dents in it. She watched the dragon bite the sword like a corn-cob, his pearly teeth gnawing against it. On the top of his head, if front of the horns, was a bruised divot in the dragon's skull.

Pea stayed out of view inside the tree hollow. Her stomach grumbled slightly and the dragon looked up. His were were a snake's eyes painted blue, their slits stared at the hollow. Pea shrank back and the dragon stood up, "Ahhh… Pony awake now," He sniffed, "And ate omelet too. Damn."

His long arm reached into the hollow and his fingers grabbed Pea by the scruff of her neck. She threw her arms and legs around and tried to bite the dragon. His long arm kept her from everything else but open air. He held her aloft aye level, "Looks good. Oza can eat now."

Pea screamed, "EAT ME?!"

Oza nodded, "Yes. Oza like meat," He paused, "Dose Oza like meat?"

Pea glared at Oza, ”Then why were you trying eat my sword? And why did you heal me?"

Oza rotated so that part of his back was visible. It had two deep gashes where wings once were, a common but dishonoring injury among defeated dragons. He smiled, "Oza good healer. Wings only lost… day ago… week ago? Oza can't put lost wings back though..."

"So you just healed my cuz your a nice little dragon?" Pea scoffed.

Oza itched his chin in thought. He smiled like a eureka hit him, "Did pony try and fight Sidzo?" he said changing the subject.

"You're goddamn right I did! He.. he killed Alia..."Pea's voice trailed off. Perhaps it was the stone heart she was branded with but loss didn't hurt as much as Pea thought it should. She just felt… upset.

Oza crinkled his muzzle, "Oza not know an Alia. But Oza not liked Sidzo, Oza hates Sidzo. Oza has good plan, pony want to listen?"

"My names Pea Gravel and do you always talk like this?" Pea snorted.

Oza smiled a shark toothed smile,"Yes, Oza talk about Oza like others talk about him, Pea Gravel," He itched his back with his free hand, "If Oza puts Pea Gravel down, will she run away?"

"Nooo, I'd never," Pea said dryly.

Oza giggled and dropped Pea to the ground. She bolted off into the woods. Oza groaned, rolling his eyes. He snapped his long fingers and Pea materialized back in front of him, "Pony said she wouldn't run. Oza not like liars." Pea saw a rare look in Oza's eyes when he said that. The look of a hidden beast not to tamper with.

She sat on her haunches and thought talking her way out would be best, "...So you had an idea earlier?"

Oza slapped his forehead, "Oh yeah! Oza remember now. It actually about memories..." He looked out blankly, "Oza have none."

Pea folded her forearms, "Oza doesn't, eh? How's it you remember to do that magic thing, Sidzo or even your own name?"

Oza pointed to the concave segment in his skull,"Oza hit head pretty hard on something. Out sleeping for days then wake up with these pants and belt. Oza knows some magic from somewhere and knows his name," the dragon shrugged.

Pea rose an eyebrow, "Soooo… you want help in killing him?"

Oza slapped his knee,"Yes! Oza love help!"

The dragon stood up and grabbed the hot rock from inside the hollow. He licked it with his long blue tongue. The rock cooled off then he put it in a belt pocket. He began walking off, Pea grabbed her gear and ran up next to Oza through the pine trees.

"What was that thing?" Pea asked.

Oza patted the pocket he put it in, "Oza's lucky magic rock."

"Adorable. So you're not gonna eat me then?" Pea retorted.

"Nah… Oza not hungry anymore," He kept walking but looked around, "Dose Pea Gravel know where Sidzo is?"

"No, but if you want me to help you I need to pick up my friend first," Pea said. She wondered how Dew Berry would react to the sudden and unfitting death of Alia.

"Oza can help, is friend heavy?" the dragon asked.

Pea giggled, "No, she's actually really light."

They walked to the manor where Pea had lived for years. The residents hid when they saw Oza, Dew tried to come out only because of Pea Gravel. Alia's slaves took the news of her death well, but not heartlessly. Before Pea left they built a memorial for her in the middle of their little community. Pea and Oza stayed for a few days to allow Dew to recover from the impact. Then a little sudden for Dew, she was carried off willingly with Pea and Oza.

That was the beginning of the Breakneck Bevy… Pea's mercenary band.

---

Pea sat up groggily. The campfire was doused but the embers were still smoldering. The two Equestrians were quiet, looking out into the pine forest they were headed for. Pea moved over to the ledge they sat on to see. Down below was something Pea didn't really want to see. It was a war party. Almost six hundred humanoids were down there. Their skin ranged from tan to brown-ish grey, their knee length arms held crude axes and shields. Some wore animal skins on their heads; wolf, bear, pony and others. They were gathered around waiting for something, the three mares didn't know what though. Rainbow Dash was low to the ground and shaking.

"Pea… what are those things?" She whispered frantically.

Pea took the spy glass from Daring Do and aimed for a closer look,"Orcs," she said,"A war party of orcs."

Daring Do was wide eyed ,"Are you going to fight them?"

Pea groaned softly, "There's one me and almost six hundred of them. I may be able to trick two drunk centaurs but I can't fight a war party on my own… without having to worry about you two."

Daring Do flexed her wings, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Pea motioned her to be quiet, "Don't start that again. Has the campfire been doused for awhile?"

Daring looked to the fire pit,"Well… a few minutes. I was afraid if they'd see the smoke and follow it."

Pea looked out to the orcs again, "If they saw it they'd already be here by now."

This eased the Equestrians slightly. The din of the war party could be heard all the way up to where they were. Images and memories of her life before flashed in Pea's mind again...

---

Pea Gravel was strutting in her new armor along a road between two wheat fields, with Dew Berry was at her left and the dragon Oza at her right. Oza was dragging a cart with all of their supplies behind him via his paddle tail. Pea had gotten much better pay in mercenary battles with a dragon at her side and now she could afford actual good food for Dew Berry to cook. Besides spending money on her friends, she spent money on herself getting all the good stuff.

Pea's new armor was mostly padded leather but it had a solid steel breastplate that barely constricted Pea's movements. It had a scaled neck guard that had leather covering the throat. The helm covered her head save the visor and her jaw. The visor looked like a grill grate and her jaw was exposed so she could hold her sword. Sheathed at her side was a expertly crafted sword whose hilt was specially designed to be a partial face guard and not slip in a pony's jaws.

A pack of orcs ran out of the wheat fields to them. The orcs were a foot taller than Oza, twice as tall as Pea. This was Pea's world now, one where she was knee high or smaller...and she loved it. Dew knew that she stood no chance against them but stood firm nevertheless. Pea drew her sword with a cold look under her helmet while Oza popped his knuckles. The dozen orcs waved their weapons as they charged. Their drooling maws and muscular bodies would deter their usual prey but It would have to take a lot more to kill this new and upgraded Pea Gravel, not some little pack of filthy orcs.

The first orc that approached Pea Gravel got a height adjustment. Her new sword sliced through the orc's knee joint easily and his torso toppled to the ground. Oza flexed his fingers and parried the club strikes expertly. Any orc unlucky to get caught in the dragon's talons was met with digging claws that pierced the brain. Dew stood back and watched Pea cut through the orcs with only getting kicked five times (a new record low) and Oza was only stabbed in the arm, easy fix.

It didn't phase Pea that being attacked on average was a common thing. The trio began walking again as if the pile of dead orcs was never there. Pea loved feeling strong and after being beaten for so long, she was tired of being weak and embraced the change. Dew still thought of their old master, Alia Bufordox, who had been dead for some time now… oddly though Pea thought it was one of the best parts of her life so far.

---

"Hey! Hey!" Rainbow Dash yelled to Pea, "Earth to bare butt!"

Pea shook off her flashback, "Yeah, what is it?"

The Equestrians pointed down,"They’re leaving now," Daring Do said, "Would they find us if we flew down there?" Pea rolled her eyes. Daring blushed a little with embarrassment,"Oh...oops! We can wait until they leave, is that okay?"

Pea twiddled her metal fingers, "Where the hell is that pearl pointing...Dew's not in Torrent territory is she?"

Rainbow Dash gulped, "Torrent? Like those centaurs you blew up?"

Pea yawned, "Yep. 'Sept the ones in their homeland are a lot more hostile to anything else but them. And they don't even like each other all that much..."

Daring Do looked out on the horizon, "How long until we make it there?"

Pea rolled onto her back,"Maybe three weeks or so… maybe four?"

'Three weeks of more walking?" Rainbow Dash cried, "This is crazy!"

Pea smiled, "Yeah. The dragon's have pretty big territories to themselves, were probably in one right now. They're the reason everything is so far apart and dry."

"Borox?" Daring Do asked,"You told me about him. He's a king to wingless dragons, right?"

"Yep," Pea gritted her teeth,"That bastard can burn in hell wit the rest of his dragon scum."

"Do you have a beef with dragons?" Daring Do asked.

Pea rubbed her face remembering Oza, "Just… just the bad ones."

The trio traveled on. Going through the pine forest below Daring Do, Rainbow Dash and Pea Gravel walked along a worn path through the trees. The pines loomed overhead dizzily and the ground was thick with underbrush. As they walked, a shape followed them. He was so well hidden in the brush that the ponies couldn't smell or hear him, let alone see him. It was an Orc scout, looking for food to bring back to his camp. His reddish grey skin was painted with mud and leaves. Holstered at his side was a foot long rusty dagger ready to cut down the ponies a third his size.

From the side, his long arm reached out and grabbed Rainbow Dash. She squealed in with his hand wrapping around her torso. Now in full view he cackled maliciously, his head was topped with matted black hair and belt with pouches and knives was on his waist and a loin cloth covered his hominid package.

Pea Gravel spun around to see the orc with a hateful glare. The cyber mare stood on her hind legs, her hands at her sword hilts. Daring Do looked to the two armed creatures, sensing a battle. The orc had a longer face than a human, he smiled with crooked and mismatched teeth. Drool dripped from his lip onto Rainbow Dash's head.

"Doun't come hany closer 'ellion," The orc jabbered in a oafish voice,"We's thought yous was dead, 'ellion. But yous ain't doh..." He held his knife to Rainbow Dash's neck,"I think the ol' chiefy would loike a visit with ya an' dis priddy likle ting."

Daring Do knew she had to be as much help as possible to their 'guide', even if that meant getting hurt. The stature of the orc was daunting and his smell and butchering of english made Daring sick.

Pea Gravel popped her neck, "I'll only say this once you ass-faced twat wad, put the pony down."

The orc grinned and licked the cyan mare's terrified face with a wide slimy tongue,"Or wut? Yous gonna 'urt me?"

The orc didn't see Daring Do move into a flanking position. Pea winked and Daring Do bolted with all her strength into the orc's back. Her impact left her head ringing but the orc flopped heavily on his gut and ate a face full of dirt. Rainbow Dash crawled away from the orc to Daring Do and shivered with horror from his touch. Daring Do hugged the terrified pegasus, too dazed to move any way else.

The orc spat dirt and curses at the ground as he pushed himself back up and Pea Gravel took no time to gloat. She drew her swords and chopped on the orc's arm at the elbow. The orc howled and swung his knife at Pea's ankles, to his horror they were made of steel and not flesh. Pea Gravel stomped on his hand with the knife and broke all of the bones in it, bringing the orc to tears. He fell belly down again trying to keep his arm from bleeding with a broken hand.

Pea dropped her swords and with one hand grabbed a handful of matted hair to lift up the orc's head. It was almost as big as a pumpkin. With her free hand she grabbed the orc's bottom jaw and held it open like a fisherman hold's his catch. The orc whimpered a butchered plea for mercy.

Pea's hot mint eyes burned into the orc's dull optics. She pulled his face closer, "You tell your boss or any other snot nosed monkey bitches that I'm back."

The orc nodded desperately,"Yesh, yesh! I'll thell thlem evertyhing!" His speech impeded further by the metal hand holding his jaw and tongue.

The metal fist that held the orc's jaw let go. It curled into a fist and Pea smiled wickedly," Oh, and tell them that the two ponies I'm with… nothing touches them."

Her fist rammed into the orc's face. It punched again and again, crunching his pronounced nose and the occasional tooth. The orc shook his head like a wet dog to throw Pea off. Still gripping his hair Pea took her free hand and ripped one of the orc's ears off. She then let go, throwing it after the orc as he hopped up and scampered off into the woods cursing and yelling.

Rainbow Dash was shivering from the unclean feeling still on her face. Daring Do patted her mane comfortingly,"Pea Gravel… was all that really… really necessary? You could've just broke his nose and let him go."

Pea wiped the orc's blood off on some bush leaves, "Orcs are hard to scare. You need to be more violent than them...if Dash wasn't here I'd send a orc with crutches over there but I think he got the message."

Daring Do looked in the direction where the orc ran, "Do you think he'll bring more to kill us?"

Pea still stood on her hind legs. She had her hands at her hips and breathed deeply, "Maybe. He didn't look to high ranking anyway. He's probably gonna get mobbed by the other orcs in his camp, lose all his stuff and probably die."

"That's so… cruel," Rainbow Dash whimpered.

"Yeah and the sky is blue ,"Pea Gravel said dryly," It's just the way things work, fly girl," She looked up into the air. There was less sunlight coming from in between the tree tops, "Alright girls, let's move out."

Daring helped Rainbow Dash stand up. They grabbed what supplies she dropped as did the cyber mare. They began walking again, Rainbow Dash had a burning question," You never mentioned the Breakneck Bevy to me. Is that some group of mercenaries?"

Pea was walking on all fours again. She had a glassed look,"Yeah, my mercenaries. I had about two hundred core units at the band's peak, that's when Rochi was with us."

Daring Do remembered things only she had heard from Pea, things about Rochi. She said that he was unlike many ponies she met. Whoever listened to him didn't see a pony or a sailor, they saw a leader. Daring Do was a little jealous that a pony like that had Pea to himself. Being out here conflicted Daring Do's thoughts on Pea Gravel, though. The cyber mare had every opportunity to be violent and she did and it made Daring Do's peaceful nature ill.

"Pea? What was Rochi like… for the Breakneck Bevy?" Daring Do asked.

Pea still seemed to be recovering from the little encounter but slowly looked normal again, "What was Rochi for the Bevy? He was… no is a damn good tactician, any plan he made I did my all to bring into effect. No matter if we were up against orcs, humans, centaurs or dragons he always had a plan."

"He sounds great," Rainbow Dash said weakly, "Can't wait to meet him."

"We'll meet him soon enough, I promise," Pea said.

Comments

[Gobeman]

i love it

[Mocha Star]

Ah, this is much gooder.

Great chapter