The Tome of Faust

by DungeonMiner

Chapter 33

“So,” Mouse said, now that he had Maple sitting in an empty field, surrounded by himself, Golden, Cut and Storm, “now that we have your attention, and have made it very clear that we’re not here to burn you at the stake, let’s get down to business.”

“What do you want with me?” Maple asked, glancing between the ponies around him.

“We need you to do that rune-carving stuff,” Mouse said. “We’re going to be fighting against a bunch of sarding unicorns that can stop unicorn magic. You don’t have unicorn magic, so you’re going to be more than useful.”

“And why should I work for a thief like you?”

“Why indeed?” Storm snorted.

Mouse groaned. “Storm, I’ve dealt with this attitude of yours for days now, and I have had it up to here with it.”

“Well sorry that your feelings were hurt,” Storm replied.

“Gentlecolts,” Golden threatened with the tone of her voice.

“I tried, alright, I put on my best smile, extended the Olive Branch, and have received nothing but jabs every since he joined,” Mouse growled at her.

“Later,” she hissed, before motioning back to Maple. “Maple,” she said, turning to him, “despite what you may believe, we actually do represent the interests of the crown. He may be a thief, but he’s one that’s trusted by Princess Platinum herself.”

“Really?” Maple asked, blinking in disbelief.

“I wouldn’t believe it either if I didn’t see it with my own eyes,” Golden confirmed.

“Besides, you can still whine and complain about me being a thief every ten minutes. It’s what he does,” Mouse said, pointing a hoof over at Storm.

“Actually I complain more about the fact that you’re a murderer,” the pegasus answered.

Mouse rolled his eyes. “Look, Maple, the point is you have magic that most ponies aren’t prepared for. That’s good. That’s something we need. The issue is that you’re the only pony I know of that has this that is still alive.”

“Princess Platinum sent you?” Maple asked, looking to Golden.

“Yes,” she replied, “and it’s a very important mission, I’m afraid. A mission that requires both incredible secrecy and your unique talents.”

“So,” Maple asked, eyes wide, “you’re saying that Equestria needs Rune Magic?”

“If it’s going to survive? Yeah.” Mouse said.

“I’m in,” Maple said.

Cut smirked. “Well that was fast.”

“Good,” Mouse said. “Pack your bags. We travel light. Storm, can you go with him, make sure he only packs the necessities?”

“It’ll be better than staying with you,” Storm said, before he motioned to Maple to follow him back to the house.

Mouse rolled his eyes, before he turned to Cut. “Cut I have a favor to ask.”

“What?”

“Get some ears to the ground, look for anything that could suggest we have cultists in the area.”

“We’re going to start hunting soon?” Cut asked.

“Not quite. We’re going to try and collect one more pony before we start hitting them, right now, we’re just collecting info.”

“Got it,” Cut said. “I’ll meet you back at the cart.”

Mouse nodded, before the thief left, leaving just the ex-assassin and the guard alone in the field.

“Who is this sixth pony you keep talking about?” Golden asked.

“Nopony you need to worry about,” Mouse said.

“You keep saying that, but so far we’ve recruited a thief, a mercenary, and a foal,” Golden said. “I’ve put a lot of worry aside already.”

Mouse smirked. “Then you should be able to handle one more just fine, can’t you?”

Golden glared at him. “I can still hang you, you know. I have ponies who can do what you do.”

“You could. It would save me a lot of trouble if you did,” Mouse answered back.

She kept glaring, and Mouse met her look.

They glared at each other for a moment more, before she finally sighed. “Look, I just don’t want to walk in and get killed.”

Mouse smirked. “Oh, you won’t have to worry about that. She’s more likely to kill me first.”

“Wait, what?”

“She’s an assassin,” Mouse said, “and a very strong sorceress at that. Most importantly, she doesn’t like me.”

“Well, I don’t like you, that doesn’t mean I’ll kill you.”

Mouse sighed. “She may think that I’m responsible for the death of the entire...What do you call a group of assassins? Point is, she blames me, she felt that they were like family, or something, and wants to kill me for it.”

“Why does she blame you?” Golden asked.

Mouse sighed, before he turned to stare her in the face. “Because the leader of the this little group was a madman who thought that I was some child of prophecy, and poisoned everyone except us two because of it. She thought I did it.”

Golden blinked. “What kind of ponies are you associating with?”

Mouse sighed. “Look, she’s got the unicorn magic skills we need. She can identify any magical traps, read any of their spell books, and can figure out how to use their magical items. Maple will take point if they ever shut down unicorn magic, while Cut and Storm can take any hoof-to-hoof fights.”

“Why her, though?” Golden asked.

“Because she’s the only pony I know who can do that,” Mouse replied.

“Why not a mage you stole from or something?”

“Because if I stole from them, they couldn’t catch me. That’s not the kind of pony we want on this team. We need somepony better than that. The only other pony I know who can do that is her.”

“Again, what kind of ponies do you associate with?” Golden asked.

“The only ones that would take me,” he said back with a glare.

Golden only raised an eyebrow in response.

Mouse didn’t dignify her with an answer, and walked away, into Baltimare proper and leaving Golden alone.

She shook her head as she watched him go. “There’s something wrong with that pony,” she muttered.

After regrouping, the five ponies all gathered back to the cart, and were now slowly making their way back on the road. Golden pulled the cart forward, while the others sat in the cart.

The ponies sat in silence, each for their own reasons. Cut, even though he hadn’t found any rumors about the Order of the Horn, now watched the horizon for any sign of somepony following them. Storm went back to glaring at Mouse, while Maple smiled from ear to ear, surrounded back rocks, and carrying books with him.

Mouse, likewise said nothing as he hung his head outside of the cart, staring at the countryside as the coast slowly moved away.

“You still haven’t said where we’re going, Mouse,” Golden said as she pulled cart forward.

“Head for Tall Tale, with any luck the last pony we need for this mission will still be there.”

“Tall Tale?” she repeated. “That’s on the other side of Equestria! Why are we heading there?”

“Because the last pony we need is there,” Mouse said. “Besides, if we get there in one piece, travel won’t be an issue.”

“What do you mean it won’t be an issue?” Storm asked. “What if we have to get to Manehatten? That’s weeks away from Tall Tale.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Mouse repeated. “Travel won’t be an issue if we get there.”

Cut smiled. “Well, call me curious, what do you have up your sleeve, Mouse?”

“It’s easier if I show you,” Mouse said, “which means that we’ll need to get there first.”

Cut shook his head. “Alright, alright, keep your secrets.”

“So who’s the last pony we need?” Maple asked. “Are they some kind of knight? Or wizard?”

“She an assassin,” Golden answered. “Because we need another lawbreaker in the group apparently.”

“I prefer them to birds,” Cut muttered. “Besides, it’ll be a 50-50 spread, it’ll even things out.”

“Wait, half of the group would be lawbreakers?” Maple asked suddenly concerned as he looked between the Cut and Storm. “Who else is a thief?”

Cut looked over to the young rune caster. “Let me ask you a question, boy. What does a thief look like?”

The question gave him pause for a moment, as though he were suddenly considering what exactly that meant, before he went quiet.

“He’s got a point, Goldy,” Mouse said, looking over at her for the first time since he walked away earlier. “It’s not like you’re going to be outnumbered or anything. We’re just evening the playing field, right?”

She gave him a look, before she huffed. “Look, I’m just saying I better not be the only one pulling this cart to Tall Tale.”

Camp was an interesting experience for Mouse. Before whenever he had made camp, it was typically just him against the elements, or with Storm during his stint as a Dark Wood company member. Now, while he had a whole team of ponies to watch over him while he slept, which did make it easier despite his initial feelings, he also had to deal with their actual companionship.

Cut, to his credit, tried to get the others to open up, to get a proper conversation going between him and the others, but Storm nipped it in the bud every time. He refused to talk, and simply stared at Cut, before turning his glare to Mouse again.

Mouse, for his part, let him glare while Golden merely looked between them before taking first watch.

This was the torture Mouse was settling in for as he got the fire set up, before Maple walked up to him. “So what do I do?”

Mouse blinked, before looking around at the others. Cut was setting a few traps to ward animals away at night, while Storm foraged for food. Golden was setting up the tents, and that left very little for Maple to do.

“I...have you asked Golden if she needs help?”

“She said to ask you.”

“Of course she did.” Mouse grumbled. “Um...do you know how to forage?”

“Not really. I know crops, not wild plants.”

“Um...do you know any trap runes?”

“Only ones that take hours to set up.”

Mouse groaned. “Can you cook?”

“No, the servants did that for us.”

Mouse rolled his eyes. “Fine, go to the river and get some water.”

“Alright!” Maple replied happily, before he quickly ran off, leaving Mouse alone with the fire.

Then he quickly ran back. “Do we have a bucket?”

Mouse groaned.

Golden chuckled as she watched.

“Just use the pot,” he said with a sigh.

“Got it!” Maple said before he ran back to the cart, grabbed the pot and ran, leaving Mouse back with the fire.

Golden chuckled as she walked up. “The kid’s probably the best thing to happen to us.”

“Why? You want a meatshield?”

“No, he’s a break from all this glaring and muttering the three of you have been doing since we left Canterlot.”

Mouse sighed. “I suppose. I’ just hope he isn't caught on the front line. Killing a pony is going to ruin him.”

Golden nodded. “You’re right. Hopefully it won’t come to that, but you’re right.”

Mouse finally got the fire to start, and it was roaring to life shortly afterward. Not ten minutes later, the five ponies were gathered together, eating their porridge. Storm glared at mouse throughout the meal, while Cut and Golden were just tired of it.

Maple ate happily, unaware of the tension shared between the ponies.

The fire crackled as they ate, the only real sound between them as the glares shot back and forth across the camp. The silence and tension dragged on for a long moment, bordering on unbearable before finally Maple spoke up. “So did everyone meet Mr. Mouse when he broke into your homes?”

Cut laughed.

Storm grimaced.

Golden shrugged. “Sort of. I found him on the streets of Canterlot, he seemed like a harmless beggar at the time, and he talked to my superior out of investigating the house that he was about to rob.”

“Actually, somepony was already robbing that noble blind, Miss,” Cut said, before hiding his smile in his oat bowl. “So I’ve heard.”

Golden sent a glare Cut’s way before continuing. “Anyway, later, we caught him making a break from another burglarized house, so we knew he had some connection to the criminal underworld. After that, I was moved to Baltimare, and who do I find but Mouse, acting as suspicious as ever? It was pretty clear after that point who was responsible.”

“And you haven’t arrested him yet?” Storm asked.

“He turned in the leader of a thieves’ guild, earned a deal, and walked free,” Golden explained. “It was the biggest bust of my career, honestly. Besides, this was before I knew he was a murder.”

“I wasn’t then,” Mouse said.

“What now?” Golden asked.

“Yeah, he was just a thief when I had him,” Cut repeated. “I don’t know when he started the wetwork, but he just stole stuff when we worked together, killing’s bad for business, after all.” He set his bowl aside and leaned back on the rock he called as his seat. “I found Mouse on the streets, with hardly a copper to his name. He was squatting in a beat-up log cabin, living on copper-piece onion soups, he needed a job, so I”–He paused, and glanced over at Golden–”I get confidentiality right?”

“At this point, I assuming it’s part of your payment,” she replied.

“Gotcha. So I brought Mouse on as a lookout. He did a good job, too, played decoy for us at least once, and earned a pretty penny doing it. I hired him full time, but he told me he wanted to go straight so I let him go.”

“He wanted to go straight?” Golden asked.

“That’s what he told me,” Cut said. “Then again, he went off and became an assassin, so I don’t know.”

“Mores the pity,” Storm growled. “Good ponies are dead because of it.”

“Why didn’t you quit, Mouse? Why did you get into assassination?” Golden asked.

Mouse looked up from his bowl. “I tried. Equestria doesn’t like me.”

“When you tried playing by their rules?” Golden asked.

“So you are paying attention,” Mouse said with a smirk. “I tried. I tried to start with, no one would take me. Tried to get a job in a store, she wasn’t hiring; tried a blacksmith, he didn’t have the time to train me; tried a tavern job, it was burned down; no chance. The best I had was a handful of gold that bought me two nights in an inn before I had to get out onto the street.

“I didn’t have much choice but to resort to thieving,” Mouse muttered, before he glanced over into the darkness beyond their campfire. “I mean, I could’ve starved. That was certainly an option. Maybe I could’ve spent the gold I had better, gotten out of town, come to Baltimare and become a farmer. I could have even become a Darkwood Company member, if it didn’t leave a bad taste in my mouth. I certainly could have, but...I didn’t think of it. I was too desperate and too broke. After that...well, Canterlot didn’t want me, and I was wanted in Baltimare, so I was going to head to Vanhoover, try again, before Oracle found me.”

“Who’s Oracle?” Maple asked.

“A madpony with a magic book,” Mouse said. “He could read the future with it, said I’d be caught if I went to Vanhoover. This was my only way out, he said, and I believed him. So I went, and I killed, and I made a living out of it.”

“At the cost of good ponies,” Storm muttered.

“Cedar was a good pony,” Mouse agreed. “A great pony, and I haven’t slept with a clean conscious ever since I killed him. I will always carry that weight on my shoulders, and I have no excuse for it.”

“He would have done anything for you,” Storm said.

“I know. It makes it worse.”

Storm huffed. “You lied to me.”

“Well I couldn’t very well tell the truth, could I? ‘Hi! I’m Mouse! I’m here to kill the incredibly-likeable boss!’”

“You sold me a sob story!”

“I am a sob story,” Mouse said. “Maybe not the one you thought I was, but I am.”

“You pretended to be my friend!”

“Yeah, and I wished I could have been your friend, but here we are.”

Storm threw his empty bowl of oats. “I will not be mocked,” he growled.

“I’m not mocking you,” Mouse said. “I do wish this could have been different.”

Storm squinted at the assassin, and walked away. “I’m taking first watch,” he muttered, darkly.

Mouse let him go, finished his bowl, and drew his cloak around him as he moved to his bedroll. “I’ll take second.”

“Third,” Golden replied, as she finished her own bowl and climbed in her tent.

“I’m a fourth watch kind of guy,” Cut said, standing to wash the bowls, leaving Maple sitting behind himself, staring wide-eyed at the ponies around him.

“S-sorry…” he said under his breath. “I didn’t mean to…”

Yet no one answered him but the night sky.

Mouse’s turn to pull the cart came faster than expected. Before he knew it, the heavy yoke of the four other ponies sat squarely on his shoulders. He took it without a word, he simply pulled, as was expected of him.

After all, that’s why he was even here, because someone expected him to be the hero. There was really nothing stopping him from leaving, he could tell Seyella to sard off, and he could just leave the cart here and go. He could probably find a place to live in Unicornia, or at the very least, he could find a group of thieves there that could use his skills.

The only thing that kept him here right now, was the fact that Clover the Clever expected him to save everypony. The look in her eyes when she slowly died, as she poured the last of her life into a healing spell for his own injury was a powerful force, but even that wasn’t immune to his apathy if he brought it to bear.

Sill, she did right by him, so he’d do her the favor.

It was a slightly empowering, if infuriating thought. Yes, he could leave, he didn’t need to deal with this attitude Storm gave him. He didn’t need to take the glares, the growls, and the lecuters. No, instead, he was going to deal with them, because there was a pony that knew he was scum, but still knew he could get the job done.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He didn’t deserve this treatment. He tried to make peace with the pegasus, it was his fault for not meeting Mouse halfway. Sure, a pony was dead, but…

Mouse sighed.

Cedar was dead.

That wasn’t a thing that could easily be shaken.

He sighed as he pulled, before a stallion appeared on the road ahead. “Alright, you’ve gone on long enough.”

Mouse looked up. “What do you mean?”

“This is a toll road, see? And you’ve gone lone enough without paying the toll.”

Mouse blinked, and looked back at the cart, where the four ponies inside looked on from underneath their hooded cloaks.

“You’re kidding, right?” Mouse asked.

“Unfortunately not, good sir. You need to pay up. Ten gold pieces per head.”

“Ten?” Cut asked from the cart, cocking his head to the side. “That’s a little tight isn’t?”

“It is?” the stallion asked. “It is! We’re a simple toll, after all, we’re not highway robbers, after all.”

“What my friend means,” Golden said, “is that might be tight for normal ponies, but we are under official business, and we need to move on as quickly as possible.”

“Be that as it may, Miss. No one is above the law, so we have to collect.”

“That’s incredibly ironic,” Storm muttered.

“Look, we all know this is a stick up, we outnumber you, just let us through.”

“My good pony!” The bandit gasped in mock offense. “How dare you imply that I, a tool of our great Founders is a bandit!” He stopped a moment to chuckle darkly, before he smiled. “Besides, who says I’m out-numbered?”

Nine more ponies emerged from the surrounding underbrush, and Mouse sighed as he saw them.

Mouse turned to cart. “Goldie, how do want to do this?”

Golden looked to Cut. “Can you call them off?”

“They ain’t mine. They’d do better than 10 gold a head.”

“Now, we’ve had a civil discourse, but that’s up,” the bandit said, drawing a large woodsman’s axe from his back. “It’s time to pay now.”

Golden sighed. “Fine, let’s do this.”

Mouse moved first, ducking under the yoke, and pulling his knives free, he slammed into the earth pony blocking the way, stabbing him in the throat before he had time to move. Golden leaped out of the cart, and drawing her long-handled sword. One of the bandits yelped and shot, letting his arrow fly, only for it to bounce harmlessly off the guards armor.

Cut shot off the cart in a blaze of steel and feathers, a shortsword in each hoof, he tore through the right flank, slicing through bow, flesh, and bone with ease.

Storm commanded the battlefield, roaring a battlecry that shook the bandits to their core. All eyes were on him as he swung his sword, arrows digging into his shield but little else.

The distraction gave Maple all the time he needed to cast a spell. “Blizzard!” he yelled, freezing a pony solid as snow and ice whipped around him.

Mouse ducked beneath another blow, ate a spell cast at him by a unicorn, and stabbed another heart with ease. An axe came down toward him, and dug deep into ground, and pinned Mouse’s cloak.

Mouse took his blade to it himself, cutting himself free before he went for the heart.

A moment later, and the fight was done, ten bodies of poorly-armed bandits, surrounded by four, basically unharmed ponies.

Mouse sighed, as he looked down at his ruined cloak, that revealed his blank flank. “Great, now I have to buy a new one.”

Storm glanced at him.

“What?” Mouse asked annoyed.

Storm stared at him for a long moment, but said nothing.

Mouse rolled his eyes. “Alright, everypony, back in the cart, we still have a lot of distance to go.”

Maple stood still.

"Maple, you too, back to the cart."

"I....I'm alive," he said, before immediately vomiting all across the road.

Mouse sighed.

Comments

[Delta-118]

Glad to see you’re still working on this. A quality chapter as always.