6 - Bid for Freedom
Roll marched with a precision befitting her tribe. A gnoll saw her walking and approached her with a low growl. "Stupid pony, this is--" His words were cut off as Roll brought up the pick and drove it down right in the center of the gnoll. The killed creature slid off of her weapon and crumpled to the ground.
"We have limited time, keep moving."
A shiver ran through both the other ponies as they made wide circles to avoid the fallen form of the defeated gnoll. Neither were used to the idea of fighting to the death, and the casual way that their friend dispensed it... Sunset marched forward. "Have you--"
"Yes."
Twilight flanked Roll on the other side. "What are you?"
Roll suddenly accelerated and came down on a gnoll just as she turned a corner. With claws she didn't have moments before, gleaming and metal, Roll drove both down the front of the front of the gnoll, eviscerating it and letting her sag against the wall, bleeding and losing its innards all-too-quickly. "Go."
It was like following the angel of death, come to deliver swift judgment. Twilight was cold and frightened inside, watching Roll approach each gnoll with the purposeful stride of a predator, but the only hunger that was present was the need for freedom.
Sunset lowered her horn and let out a sudden torrent of flame, distracting and catching a gnoll that was about to get the drop on Roll. Roll brought her pick in a savage swing before kicking the broken form of the gnoll over. "Thank you."
Bells, distant and loud, began to ring and Roll frowned. "The disturbance has been noted. Our progress will become more difficult." She threw her pick aside and picked a longsword dropped by one of the felled gnolls. "This will do. Come."
As they pushed forward into the tunnels, faces began to peek out of darkened side tunnels. They were not other gnolls, those usually attacked quickly or ran away. No, these were other prisoners, many ponies, some not. Some were humans, or like them. They didn't follow.
Twilight looked at them out of the corner of her eyes as she ran. "Why aren't they taking the chance?"
"They fear death." Roll came to a smooth stop before a door and frowned at it. She rolled her shoulders slowly as the machines within her whirred to life as if charging up. She charged forward, smashing through the door and the gnoll directly behind it as she came into a new, much more lit, room.
There were more there, and Roll was almost lost to sight as she began battling with half a dozen coordinated warriors that were ready to repel her. Sunset clopped her hooves together and suddenly Roll grew larger than her foes, doubling in height and length as she let out a metallic roar.
Twilight's eyes went wide. "You can do--Eek!" She jumped aside as a gnoll came for her, sword upraised. Flame caught him in the side as Sunset lit him up with a well-aimed blast.
She darted forward and grabbed a sword in her mouth as best she could. Even if she didn't know any spells, at least she was armed? The logic was enough to keep Twilight moving forward despite the building terror and quakes within her. She wanted to go home.
"This is less than ideal..." Roll's charge was slowing. Her form had a great deal of dents and she was leaking oil and steam from where cuts had been scored against her tough hide. "A cleric would be nice." Clerics were not known to drop from the heavens on command, and Roll pushed forward despite her injuries. "One way or the other, we will taste freedom." That was a taste she knew, flesh or not.
Their hopes were bolstered by a glint. Ahead, light glimmered faintly through the tunnels and all three picked up speed to rush for it.
A large bipedal figure stepped into view. "Enough!" He wielded a halberd easily in one meaty hand and a shield in the other. Drool dripped down his snarling face. "Face me!" He slammed the halberd against the shield as he stepped forward with determined confidence.
Roll slammed the ground suddenly and it seemed to ripple between her and the gnoll, knocking it off balance just long enough for her to be on him. Her claws caught his shield, brought up at just the last moment a moment before he shoved her back.
Sunset glanced at Twilight. "We escape or we die." She didn't want to be so blunt, but the truth was hard to escape. She felt her telekinesis was firm enough and let loose a spell with strange words even she didn't know. A circle of force appeared around the gnoll, but he ducked back before it could close properly, leaving it clinging to him awkwardly, but still clinging.
Twilight swallowed heavily as she advanced with the weapon she had no practice using. Roll had more experience with her own weapon, lashing her sword to catch the gnoll in the leg, only to catch a stab. With a rattling cry, she pushed forward against the gnoll, directly into Twilight's path. She struck forward with the sword with her eyes clenched shut.
The gnoll's roar of pain filled the room. She hadn't skewered his torso as planned, but had caught his arm and he dropped his halberd in pain.
He reached to grab it quickly, but Roll rammed into him, ruthlessly slamming him against the wall to slide to the ground lamely. His footing was destroyed, and that advantage was to be taken. She did not let him rise. Raking strikes and a quick sword snatched life away from her enemy and Roll staggered in place. "I need..." She collapsed in place.
Sunset sucked harshly as she let loose a new spell, increasing her own size and grabbing the downed clockwork. "Hold on, we're getting out of here."
"They need you."
Twilight looked around in a wild panic, but the voice was whispering from inside her head.
"Please. I may have offended you, but they need you."
Twilight spat the sword to the ground. "Lashtada?"
Sunset looked over her shoulder. "What? Come on!"
"I still love you. If you have mercy in your heart..."
Twilight glanced to the left to see a few small faces. The short legs. "C-come with me!" They didn't move. "Come on!"
"Twilight! Move your flank!" Sunset hissed at her from up ahead, clearly worried.
Twilight looked to them and waved for them to follow, but they were scared. That's alright... so was she. With fresh tears, Twilight ran after Sunset.
Daylight.
They were outside, panting for breath and staggering onwards. Twilight looked up at the large form of Sunset. She was the size of a literal horse. Roll had shrunk down to her usual size and was draped across Sunset's back.
They heard something approaching from the tunnel and wheeled around to face the...
It was no gnoll.
The yellow short leg stallion gave a little smile, a ghost of one that faded quickly. He advanced soundlessly and stood beside Twilight.
Sunset blinked softly. "Well, guess you got one?" She turned away from the tunnel and to the new world they were in. "Let's get some help..."
They moved quietly but quickly away from that hole and the danger it represented. They were in foothills of some sort and they descended from them down lower and lower. The hills seemed to go on forever. With Roll unconscious, and Sunset's large stature eventually running dry, they had to stop.
The yellow stallion pointed quietly to the side and led them towards a quiet resting place, out of view from those who would go by. They accepted his proposal with little nods and settled down.
Twilight moved to Roll's side and tried to bandage her wounds as best she could. She wasn't sure exactly what needed doing, but stopping the oil from leaking further, or anything else, seemed good. Roll wasn't breathing... Did she ever breathe? Machines don't breathe, right? Twilight whimpered softly. "Is she..."
"I don't know." Sunset let out a slow breath. "I really hope so. We owe her a lot..."
The stallion looked between Sunset and Twilight, but remained quiet.
Twilight looked at him curiously a moment. "Hello?"
He said nothing.
Sunset shook her head. "Look, we're out now. You can talk."
He said nothing.
Operating on a hunch, Twilight got to her hooves and approached the stallion even as he watched her. She reached with a hoof, unchallenged, and felt over the front of the shortleg. She could feel scar tissue across the male's throat.
He let out a little whimper and tears began to fall from his eyes.
"Poor thing..."
Sunset perked an ear. "What'd you find?"
"He isn't talking not because he's scared or doesn't want to." She leveled a hoof with the stallion. "He can't talk. I think he got punished in an awful way."
Sunset frowned. "Figures..." She felt more torn up inside, but what could she do, or say. "Look, you're with us now, alright?"
He nodded a little.
Twilight settled down and let out a slow breath. "Let's... try to get some sleep."
Despite her words, none of them were finding sleep easy to get to. They sat up all night, jerking with every snap, every rustle, every little disturbance that might mean they would be dragged back to their awful tunnels.
The sun rose to find them bleary and tired. They had more hiking to do, and more distance to put between them and the gnolls.
Roll was carefully distributed between the three of them, and was still mercilessly heavy. Being made of metal did not help her case, but none of the three were ready to abandon their mechanical friend so quickly.
She stirred. It was about noon when she made her first motion and rolled to her hooves suddenly, sending the other three scrambling back in surprise. "My apologies for alarming you," She did a slow turn around. "I do not recognize the location. Damage is severe, but not terminal." She rattled as she took a purposeful breath of air. "Free."
"Free," echoed Sunset with a little smile. It seemed somehow better to know her friend was alright. Their escape felt more... full. "So... Do you know where to go from here?"
"Negative." Roll took a slow step forward, testing each limb individually and making note where the gears ground with a loud squeal of metal against metal. "Where did we emerge?"
The silent stallion pointed up the hills back where they had come from.
"I see... Then we shall continue our path. It is as good as any direction, and changing course without knowing the lay of the land serves no purpose. You do not possess food or water. This will become a concern."
With the reminder, Twilight licked her lips. She could stand to drink a nice tall glass of water... "N-no, we just focused on getting away, and hoping you were alive."
"I am." Roll nodded. "But you will not be if we don't provide the requirements for your bodies." She seemed to notice the male for the first time and focused on him. "One escaped." She leaned down and looked him over. "I recognize you."
The male blushed brightly.
"I'm correct. You're brave."
He somehow blushed all the harder and looked away.
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Suprising how powerful some very low level spells are, when you can abuse them. Mage hand can carry burning oil flasks, unseen servant can lay caltrops and tangleroot bags or even poison berry?
Continual light cast on the eyes was always fun. As was reduce hedgehog.
I wonder will an iron shod quarterstaff with a point on the end like a ski pole be still classed as non lethal bludgeoning even while caving in skulls and piercing armor?
So far, so escape. Now to get the little guy a harem so they can get the race up and running again?
Well, one's certainly better than none at all. And, crass though it may be, from a purely conservatory perspective, a male specimen of the subspecies is preferable. If pony genetics work in Everglow the way they do in Equestria, he can distribute shortleg genes a lot more efficiently than a mare could. Of course, the catch will be getting consenting partners. And, you know, dealing with the trauma of being perhaps the only free member of his tribe.
Also, it seems I was right about Twilight's interesting relationship with Lashtada. It'll be a long time before Twilight can consider mystic theurgy—assuming she'll even be in Everglow that long—but she seems like a perfect candidate for it. For now, it'll be fascinating to see her grapple with a goddess whose attitude and profile are about as far from rational empiricism as possible.
Great escape scene. Looking forward to whatever comes next.
7303459 Sometimes you choose your god. Sometimes they select you...
7303574 Actually, I think it might be a reference to the game? I'm not familiar for it, but it seems to have a specific meaning. So I'm guessing they used it in the game itself as a term other than a misspelled word.
If the author could perhaps clarify the exact meaning for those of us not as familiar with the game, I would appreciate it.
Twilight ("she" means Roll here)
"let out" or "let loose"
Considering Roll's libido, it seems likely there will be wind-up shortlegs in the future, as long as their new mascot can survive until her special day,
7304146 No, he just means a misspelled word. Always referring to typos in the note after each chapter is a running gag in Mr. Silver's writing.
but caught his arm - but had caught his arm
rise. raking - rise. Raking
she let a new spell - she cast a new spell --or-- she let loose a new spell
up as the large form - up at the large form
****
It appears that there is more to Roll than meets the eye. They would never have made it out without her, though she may have made it out without them. Fortunately Roll seems to be as kind a soul as she is a vicious warrior.
Please enjoy your time off!
7305679 Fixed! No typos allowed in the mines.
7305520
7305091 Why are we bringing up the site rules into this? Twilight did not have sex. Her virginity remains, yay!
Lashtada's whispery presence does not threaten that fact.
7303545 Wait, when they select you doesn't that make you an oracle?
7306559 Sometimes. Not always.
7303395 If you put a point on the end of a quarterstaff it turns into a spear. If you use it that way. Nothing's stopping you from wielding it like a quarterstaff instead. You've got the other end to poke with if that's your style.
7300300
Good point, their new follower/teammate should be Fluffle Puff. I've seen no evidence to suggest Fluffle Puff is either gender, and I could see working in the mines as causing discoloration and mange... Naturally, a magical mishap involving Twilight would be the obvious cause of Fluffle poofyness.
Dang, Roll is a badass!
Now we just need Twilight and Sunset to get to civilization, get some training, and then teach the gnolls just how stupid they were kidnapping them by killing them all. No exceptions.
God, I love being a Lawful Neutral Antihero.
Typo.
The underlined part is a bit confusing in how it's worded.
A little awkward having "just" here twice. I'd get rid of one of them (probably the first one).
8657404
Fixfixfix, thank you.
So many fronts! So little time!
11273122
Technically not a typo!