Quete

by Comrade Bagel Muffin

Briser la Malédiction

"What the are you insane there are harpies everywhere. I thought this place was safe." Escutcheon stopped struggling against Captain Buckler. Afraid of falling down into the magma pit beneath him, turned to cling to the demented stallion. "Why on Equus did you bring us down here? I thought you said it was safe here."

"It'll be safe as soon as you destroy the curse. Undo it and it will all be safe."

"We should go back it'll be safer to come back with the others. They need our help. I can't focus enough right now to float anything from over there to us."

"You just need motivation."

"What?" Was all Escutcheon was able to get out before Buckler threw him onto the thin volcanic stone bridge. With the strength that only an earth pony could have, he smashed the bridge behind him. "You're insane. Escutcheon struggled to his hooves.

"Whatever needs to be done to free myself of this curse!" He screamed, and jumped over to the Escutcheon's side of the volcanic bridge. "Down here you Damnable beast, come on you vile foul fowls. I'm down here come and get me!" He screamed at the top of his voice trying and succeeding in drawing the attention of the harpies. "Now run colt. Run before they get you or worse I do!"

"You're mad!" Escutcheon turn and ran toward the center of the room in the middle wrapped in a clearly enchanted cloth. His head was pounding just a loudly as his heart was. His lungs burned from breathing in so much Sulfuric smoke. A harpy's talons slammed into his side. He screamed in pain, and struggled free. He grabbed the edge of the bridge struggling to climb back onto the bridge his stomach burned as he pressed it against the magma heated stone.

"Get up!" Buckler garbed him and hurled him. He smashed against the central platform.

"Escutcheon!" Trail Life and Story Teller jumped on to the bridge. The object fell on to him.

"Undo the curse now colt. Undo it or I'll undo you." Captain Buckler glared down at him. Escutcheon pushed up against the burning stone. His hoof trying to stop some of the bleeding caused by the harpy. Another harpy came down. Buckler grabbed it and threw it against the away the harpy was unable to regain control in the air, and fell into the magma it's pained cry mercifully cut short. The harpies pulled away keeping their distance. "Now Colt!"

"If you touch him your dead you lunatic!" Trail Life screamed.

"Okay." Escutcheon unwrapped cloth. It was a mirror. He put his horn to it. Nothing. "I-I don't get it. This isn't it! There's no magic for me to cut." He looked at his reflection in the mirror. His own horrified and soot covered face looked back at him.

"It's you, of course your the accursed thing." Buckler burst out laughing.

"What?" Escutcheon's felt a sudden burst of pain as Buckler's forehoof smashed into him nearly throwing him off the central platform.

"Escutcheon!"

"Leave that colt alone you yellow bellied coward, pick a fight with a full grown stallion why don't you!" Drag Net, his four sons, and Turkeylegs all easily jumped over to the bridge.

"It was you all along colt. You're the accursed thing. And once you fall into the fire, I'll finally be free, Free, FREE!" Buckler laughed like a mad stallion as he walked toward Escutcheon.

"Leave. Him. Alone!" Trail Life tackled into the mad pony. He caught her by her mane and threw her down. She grabbed him and brought him down to the burning stone with her. "Escutcheon get back to the camp go!"

"He'll go nowhere but the fire. Today, I'll be free of this curse. Free finally free. And if you try and stop me you can join him." He grabbed her, and threw her against the central pillar. In an instant he had her harpoon and thrust it into her abdomen and pinning her to the volcanic rock behind her.

"No!" Escutcheon screamed.

"Trail Life!" Story Teller threw his harpoon at the crazed captain. Time slowed down as Escutcheon watched Buckler garb it in his hoof. He spun it around and hurled it. Escutcheon's heart stopped as the steel tip drove itself into Story Teller's chest, all the way even some of the wood went into him, piercing his heart.

"Brother!" Trail Life sobbed, her hooves falling to her side, as her brother fell the the ground. Dead long before his head slammed into the heated stone.

"No!" Escutcheon rammed into Captain Buckler with all his strength. Buckler grabbed him and threw him across the room far from the platform. Escutcheon slammed into one of the stone pillars that rose from the magma. He hung on to it for dear life.

"You'll finally set me free. I'll be free. I'll be free. You won't stop me colt. You'll not prolong my suffering any longer." Buckler leapt to the stone he managed to make it. Grabbing it just before it met the magma. "You'll not get away. You'll never get away." Buckler climbed the pillar grabbing Escutcheon by the hind leg.

"No get off! It was you were the cursed thing all along. Get away! Get Away!" Escutcheon's side burned from the open wound. His heart was crumbling from watching Trail Life and Story Teller die. His lunges burned from the sulfuric gasses. It was all his fault. He found buckler. He thought he could get rid of a few harpies. It was all his fault. "No!" With one strong kick from his other hind leg Buckler was thrown off of him. He bucked with all his might. "Go away!" Buckler lost his balance and fell back into the sea of magma. He screamed as he sank beneath the liquid rock.

Escutcheon felt something grab him. He looked over his shoulder to see a harpy. It wasn't nearly as ferocious looking as before. Now it looked like a beautiful mare with a white flowing mane. The talons had faded into nearly nothingness. It dropped him back onto the central platform. "Judgement is given. The dead avenged. The curse fulfilled. Go now." It's voice was smooth and soft. That was all it said before it faded into smoke. Escutcheon was grabbed by Full Mast, as his world faded away.

Comments

[Comrade Bagel Muffin]

9144829
Merci beaucoup after I've finished the story I'll go back through and deal with all the errors that I can find. I'm glad that the character intro worked though because fixing that would have been a lot more difficult. Escutcheon.

[Lightning Scratch]

Redacted, Redacted, and the SUPER REDACTED, all Thrown a massive party by a mad privateer themed party clown