Deer Me: Adwanee Sands

by The Psychopath

We will go

The head crusher returned from the tunnels and cut off the rope binding everyone.

"Everyone here has agreed with your decisions, but we have conditions that will be underlined later on."

"If it involves me giving you my territory--"

"We can't survive in extreme cold. No. The first is that you escort my contingents and I to the capital of the Anyubinites to discuss the return of our territories. We aren't interested in reoccupying any farmlands they might have developed while there. We will only dig and recover any artifacts of our civilization past."

Stelimus looked at the giant 'bishuac' creature with reluctant eyes. "And I know you won't attack us in the back how?"

"You don't. We're not interested in backstabbing like your kind does," it pointed accusingly.

Copper brought Stelimus close and whispered into his ear. "We don't have much choice here, Stelly. They could kill us, and so far they're the only ones that seem to know what they're talking about. Those murals were proof."

Stelimus groaned in defeat. "We JUST came here, and already I'm caught between a rock and a hard place." He tapped his hoof onto the ground. "Fine. If we go, we can explain to the zaoris and nothing will happen to us."

The stag explained his position on the problem and the Gitz-Gitz-Guak agreed reluctantly. Despite what Stelimus was expecting, they didn't have any giant beasts to send them quickly to the capital of the anyubinites. They left the caves via a chain of exits that were hidden behind a wall of chiseled, black stone, and, much like the other times they traveled the desert, they found everything took way too long to get to Niris. Thank goodness they still had the wagon and the sablysts pulling it, which the Gitz-Gitz-Guak had no trouble following with leaps and bounds.

Copper looked back when they left the dark caverns to see the strange structure shrinking into the horizon, seemingly abandoned until she spotted a glimmer of light upon one of the inclined columns. By the time she focused on it, it had vanished, so she shrugged it off and cuddled next to Stelimus who hesitantly put his foreleg around her. He gulped nervously and tried calming his heart rate and his throat.

"So that's the Reindeer King?" a male voice noted atop the inclined column.

"Yes. Strange. I thought reindeer weren't fond of ponies anymore," a female voice added.

"Could be worse, honestly."

Another, younger male's voice chimed in. "Let's...let's keep following them. Just in case."

"Aren't we here for that?" the first asked.

The orb flickered a moment, as though in contemplation, then flew above the column and rushed forward back into the desert before vanishing in a puff of white light. Meanwhile, the deer's return to Niris was met with gasps and angered roars akin to famished, violent wolves. Anyubinites gathered in the streets and glared at their returning guests. The deer and pony felt themselves shrinking under the glares of these people, yet the head crusher continued forward, apathetic to those around it, and why shouldn't it be? It was taller than even they, and with the strength to go with it. This was put to the test when a few of the larger anyubinites attacked it, only to have their necks grabbed, smashed onto the ground, then used as projectiles against other would-be assailants. Demonstration of such danger caused the other jackals to back away immediately.

Zaoris Oriyis and Hora both approached the encroaching group with a massive contingent of a hundred armed anyubinites. Their weapons and armor thrummed with black energies and challenging the insectoid giant. Oriyis approached with a smile and yis' golden clothes, and put a hand on Stelimus' shoulder in good friendship.

"I see you captured one of these barbaric monsters. Good! I don't need them occupying our lands."

"Should be wary of the teeth that grind, familiar soul, but where is development in such?" the voice spoke again to Stelimus.

"I am not a prisoner," the giant declared. "I come to talk to you, mammal." He pointed aggressively at Oriyis.

"What?" The zaoris looked at Stelimus. "What is the meaning of this? You bring some stuttering monster into MY capital?!"

"We didn't have a choice," Stelimus said. "He was going to kill us."

"Then better you sacrifice yourself for us than bring them here."

Stelimus' eye twitched. Head Crusher tilted his head slightly to look at the deer king. "See? I told you they would not tell you, mammal. The anyubinites are deceitful, with lies and trickery. Their gods are not deities either."

Everyone around started booing the giant and proceeded to chuck things at him; Things that shattered on impact or bounced off his exoskeleton.

"Then why would you come to us, your enemies?" Hora queried.

"For negotiation. We do not care about lands. We only care about heritage. We will not take back lands you stole from us that have been turned into agricultural fields, but we will still take back some land."

"So you don't care about land...but you still want land?"

The bug's mandibles chittered in frustration. "No. I say that we don't vye for new lands, but we will take back those you stole from us that aren't agricultural fields."

Oriyis crossed his arms while his guards raised their spears and swords. "And why would I do this? I have no ties to the deer, and you are still an enemy."

"And enemy YOU made!"

The zaoris chuckled. "So now you're friends with the Tundran Reindeer? That is laughable."

"We are not allies."

"Well," Stelimus interjected. "I'm hoping to repair the links my family destroyed with the Gitz-Gitz-Guak."

The anyubinite nodded pretentiously. "So your people actually had ties with these beasts."

"We also have a better knowledge to the Black One which has invaded their homeland."

"And in ratifying the return of your lands, you would impart this information to them?"

"Yes."

Oriyis laughed loudly. While the two continued to argue, Effervescence snuck her way next to the wagon and coughed several times to grab her nephew's attention.

"Oh. Hello, aunt," Yolumay spat.

"Aunt?" Stelimus repeated. He turned to see Effervescence and frowned. "You're still here? Color me surprised."

"I've been staying with these anyubinites to better myself and my understanding of those around me, much like what Grimliss did in the past."

"Then you're doing it with the wrong people. If you want to learn proper behavior, then I suggest you go to Equestria for that."

She groaned. "But I don't want to go to the pony-song lands."

"But you have ponies in your forest," Yolumay shouted. "They can come to your forest but you don't want to go to their cities?" The princess tapped her forehead. "What kind of ridiculous notion is that?"

"STOP yelling at me. You've ALREADY established why you're upset with me, and I fully understand," she stomped angrily on the sand. "It's why my retainers will take care of my forest while I am gone. I'm going to stay with these people. They're taught me a great deal about patience and kindness." She reached into a saddle bag on her back and pulled out Stelimus' armor and weapon. "Grimliss sent this. You had forgotten them."

Stelimus tilted his head from left to right. "It's more a thing of me trying to display my good will to these people over wanting to look threatening," he explained.

"It doesn't matter. You should put them on."

"Why?"

Head Crusher tried to backhand Oriyis, but found his hand blocked by multiple, interwoven spears. "You hide behind the strength of others to exact your deeds of destruction, mammal. We will not have you destroying our history."

Oriyis growled. "Better to have your history wiped and you with it, than to let your kind continue upon these sands." He checked the sharpness of his claws briefly before resuming his speech. "In fact, I sent a contingent towards your home. I had my soldiers track the deer king over there as he did what he was told. He exacted the plan splendidly," he chuckled. "Always have multiple backup plans."

Head Crusher didn't even bother tilting his head. "And for what, to make me think you speak truth? I will judge one from another land by my own compound eyes than by an enemy sworn to destroy us, which also means--"

The giant chittered a strident screech that deafened everyone and made them kneel in pain. Several dozen Gitz-Gitz-Guak erupted from the sands and crushed oblivious guards. They further proceeded to destroy the homes of those around them whilst avoiding any unnecessary bloodshed of the civilians.

"Guards, kill these beasts, and the deer, too."

"WHAT?!" the group shouted.

"Why?! I only did what I thought was best. I have a people to take care of, and a wife to love." Copper turned to look at his desperate face. It was the first time he actually demonstrated genuine love outside of the palace, as sad as that may seem. "I can't just die like this!"

"But you will!"

"WE HAD A DEAL!"

"THE DEAL WAS THAT YOU DO AS I SAY, AND YOU FAILED THAT ONE. SIMPLE. TASK!"

Several guards jumped at the wagon with khopesh and spear, but the deer king made it pre-explode, showering the would-be attackers with shards of wood and freeing the sablysts who high-tailed it out of there. Using frost essence, Stelimus covered his neck and forelegs with thick sheets of ice to block the swords from hitting them, then followed up by shooting spikes of solid ice at the anyubinites, piercing their hides. he followed up by ejecting himself into the air thanks to a sudden uprising of frozen sand, and finished by exhaling a thick fog that froze the jackals completely. Copper followed up by smashing them to shards with her wings. Yolumay, the bodyguards, and Effervescence stared at them both with blank expressions and reared their heads.

"So a war we have to go through once more," Stelimus said.

"But this time, WE'RE the ones who will fight!" Copper added.

Comments

[Chrome Masquerade]

This battle is about to explode!
FIGHT!!!

[The Psychopath]

7970318 You'll like what's going to happen next. :3

[Mix-up]

You know I would wonder why he didn't do this with them in the first place to be taken more seriously by them. Then again he is "nice guy"

[The Psychopath]

7970802 When you're given the opportunity to use something, especially as a distraction, you're likely to use it.

[DerpTape]

Copper followed up by smashing them to shards with her wings. Yolumay, the bodyguards, and Effervescence stared at them both with blank expressions and reared their heads.

'So a war we have to go through once more," Stelimus said.

"But this time, WE'RE the ones who will fight!" Copper added.

That is a badflank pegasus!