My Little Skaven

by Autocharth

Chapter Two

Everything hurt. It made Thanquol want to kill something. Even a slave would do, preferably one who could survive for a few days of torture. His nose twitched as unfamiliar scents filled it. Wherever he was smelled of various surface animals and the thick stink of what he suspected were alcoholic or medical potions. His research into human medicine had proved how stupid and clearly inferior they were but had taught Thanquol the smell of various tools used by the moronic man-things.

Actually, now that he was thinking about it, everything was hurting slightly less than it had the second before. And he could feel tight sensations across his body in various places he suspected were wounded. They certainly hurt a little more than the other places.

Not, he hastened to assure himself just in case something was listening in to his thoughts, that it would matter. He was the mighty Grey Seer Thanquol, highest envoy of the Seerlord and master sorcerer! Even wounded he was a threat none could truly match wits or power with.

Still, considering his situation it might be best to be circumspect about his greatness. Thanquol felt completely drained and even as his mind came back into consciousness it had been reaching hungrily for his magic. There was nothing left.

Whoever had him was clearly not a skaven. He could smell none of his kind in the area. For a second the thought that he might have been taken by the odour-less assasins of Clan Eshin nearly made him squirt the musk of fear.

Thanquol mastered himself. It had barely been a few heartbeats since he awoke, his powerful mind quickly processing this information. Above all else, however, his decayed lips tingled. A lifetime of imbibing warpstone had left his lips shrivelled and rotted and they burned when he had gone too long without consuming blessed godstone.

Actually, sometimes they burned even when he was consuming it. Regardless, any time without it was too long in his vaunted opinion.

The fools who doubtless sought to gain information from Thanquol’s vast knowledge would be surprised when he valiantly defeated them. The Grey Seer would let them think him helpless and without magic until at last he would strike. He cunningly feigned unconsciousness knowing it would lure them off-guard! They would rue the day-

Something was kicking him. Small but strong it was hitting his side. The indignity of this filled him with rage and with a snarl Thanquol lifted his upper body and opened his eyes. His anger let him block out the searing sunlight in his eyes and the pain from various body parts as he beheld his attacker.

Thanquol’s jaw dropped open for a second as he stared at the little fluffy creature. It paused its feeble attack to look at him with an expression that managed to convey the message ‘Yeah, and what are you gonna do about it punk?’ before resuming. It was, as far as Thanquol’s refined senses could see, a rabbit.

The Staff of the Horned Rat, one of his most treasured items and an ancient relic of the Order of Grey Seers, was laid against the side of the bed he was in. Thanquol had just enough time between the creak of a door opening and a pink-and-yellow furred equine walking in to snatch the staff up and used it like a club to punt the little rabbit out a window.

Fluttershy froze, watching for the instant it took Angel Bunny to soar out the window. The tray of medicines fell from her mouth as she gaped in horror.

Thanquol snickered at his victory before turning to the newcomer. He gripped his staff tightly, licking his lips at the sight of the equine. He had never had a horse with such colouration before and his stomach was rumbling hungrily.

Lifting his staff to shake it in an intimidating manner at the dumb animal Thanquol was completely unprepared for it sprouting wings and taking off with the speed of a bullet. A wayward flap of its wings, by total accident, hit him in the snout as the beast fled with a fearful squeak. In his state this was all it took to knock the rat-priest from his feet and the hungry vermin tumbled into a painful heap on the floor.

Lying upside down with every inch of his body aching, Thanquol groaned. His grip on the Staff of the Horned Rat loosened and it fell to the ground with a loud, undignified clunk.

***

“Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no.” Fluttershy moved with speed she was fairly certain she couldn’t usually achieve, blasting through the air in hot pursuit of Angel Bunny. She quickly caught up with him since the horned rat-creature wasn’t all the strong.

Angel Bunny stared at her, little arms crossed and an expression of nonchalant annoyance on his face. The look he gave her as Fluttershy caught him in her hooves indicated that this was her fault.

“It’s alright now Angel.” She whispered to him as she held him close. “I’m sure h-he didn’t mean to.” Despite her words when Fluttershy looked back at her house she hesitated. Her first reaction upon finally creeping out from under her bed and finding a hurt creature had been to help it. The strange rat-like thing had been wearing clothes even if they were caked with dirt and filth so it must be intelligent.

Those robes were now soaking in a metal basin full of as much cleaning product as Fluttershy could find. The creature itself was nearly as dirty, a fact not helped by the many cuts and abrasions across its body like it had been caught in an explosion of some kind with plenty of shrapnel flying around.

‘He was probably just frightened.’ Fluttershy told herself sternly. She was fairly certain it was a ‘he’. ‘I just need to fly back...alone...into my home...alone...with a strange mons- creature...alone...by myself... ’

For some reason her motivation to return left her.

She hovered in the air for a minute, shaking with worry. Angel Bunny fidgeted unhappily but his owner entirely failed to notice. That, he decided, would have to change so he prepared to give her a good kick.

Fluttershy was torn with indecision, at least until she heard a distressed shriek. Gulping and marshalling her tentative courage, Fluttershy started back.

Pleased that she was doing as he wanted Angel Bunny decided to let the pegasus off without a kick. This time.

***

The horns of a Grey Seer, along with their white coat, were a mark of the Horned Rat’s favour. Not even the Great Clans dared conceal a runt born with these markings. To the unwashed skaven masses those horns were symbols of power and a promise of destruction to any who dared stand in the way of such a being. Their horns could not be replicated by the warlocks of Clan Skyre nor the monks of Pestilens. They alone were all a skaven needed to rise to great heights.

One of his was stuck in the floor. Thanquol hissed curses as he tugged again. He opted to move on to snarling when this proved the same result as before. He jerked sharply but his horn remained imbedded in the wood.

Shrieking angrily he reached for his fallen staff and began to hit his horn while pulling his head back. After a minute of hitting with no effect Thanquol realised perhaps this wasn’t working.

The solution came to him at last in a stroke of brilliance. He brought the butt of his staff to the crack between planks and shoved it in. Using this as a support he began to pull again, all his efforts concentrated on this.

After the first few seconds his neck began to ache a bit more than it had before and not long after that it began to hurt. Thanquol, of course, was not afraid of a little pain to achieve his goals. His squeaks of pain were merely...automatic reactions of his body. If he wanted, Thanquol could have silenced them since he was his body’s master but he considered the pros and cons, the expense of energy and focus, and decided not to bother.

Fluttershy peeked through the window, watching her ‘guest’ wriggling and squealing in pain as it pulled its head free. She gasped, eyes wide at the sight of the poor thing in distress, and started to climb through the window.

Thanquol came free with a squeal, flying back and hitting something soft. Whatever it was made a strange ‘eep’ sound. They tumbled back into the wall in a tangled heap. He scrambled, pulling and pushing free. Spitting out a yellow feather, Thanquol glared down at the dazed horse-thing that had been trying to sneak up on him.

He grinned, teeth showing in a vicious sneer. He would teach the beast to try assassinating him! His peerless sense of awareness and intelligence had allowed him to thwart its plan before it could react and now it was left open to his cunning counter-attack!

He smacked it on the head with his staff. The horse-thing crumbled into an unconscious pile.

A gloating smirk came to his ruined face, tongue lashing out as he chuckled wheezingly. He stopped when a small fuzzy head with long ears poked out from under the unconscious horse-beast. It managed a growl. Thanquol hadn’t known rabbits could growl.

It leapt up from the horse-thing and with surprising strength kicked him square in the nose. Thanquol fell back, clutching his nose as he let out a pained squeak. The rabbit-beast stuck out its tongue and made ‘thhhbbbb’ found at him before kicking one of his feet-paws.

Teeth gnashing Thanquol removed his paws and went to pick up his fallen staff so he might send the rabbit-beast flying again. Barely had his fingers began to wrap around its haft before the rabbit-beast was there striking his fingers. Recoiling Thanquol blinked dully at the sheer effrontery behaviour.

The rabbit-beast made a face at him and, somehow, picked up the Staff of the Horned Rat. Balancing it over its shoulder the rabbit-beast took off, fleeing from the room with an ancient relic of the skaven race.

Thanquol stared after the creature, twitching, as what just happened sank in.

With a tremendously high-pitched shriek he took off in pursuit, ignoring the aches and pain through willpower, rage and adrenaline.

***

Fluttershy slowly awoke with a throbbing in her skull.

“Owie...” she whimpered, clutching her head. It felt like there was a gong inside her head. Fluttershy was reminded of Rainbow Dash’s last birthday when Applejack had brought out the hard cider. It had been an interesting night. Among the many things she wasn’t sure she wanted to learn from the experience, the next morning Fluttershy discovered hangovers.

That’s what happens when you out drink everypony else.

She couldn’t remember any drinking nor did her mouth taste like cotton candy (Fluttershy tried not to think about whose bed she had woken up in that time) so why did her head...

‘Oh!’ she moaned in both pain and realisation. ‘I must have hit my head when the poor thing ran into me.’ Fluttershy concluded.

Getting slowly to her feet Fluttershy became aware after a moment of bangs, crashes and a strange series of squeaks and snarls.

“Stop-cease, tiny beast!” a high-pitched, unfamiliar voice squeaked followed by another bang. “Return Thanquol’s staff and your liver will go ea-” it cut off with a high squeal.

Ignoring the pain in her head Fluttershy ran to the main room, following the sounds down to the kitchen.

“Ha! The Mighty Thanquol is victorious!” the strange, wheezy voice crowed triumphantly. Its tone was filled with what an uncharitable soul might call ‘smug-self satisfaction’. “Cower before my powerful....power!” it hesitated at the end before finishing with gusto.

Fluttershy burst into the kitchen and ran into the furry back of her ‘guest’. She stepped back whimpering, eyes rolling as the gong in her head went off again from the relatively soft impact.

The rat-creature, standing on the tips of his toes as he posed in victory, shrieked as he was knocked down once again.

“Oww.” Fluttershy focused on the fallen rat, concern for his wellbeing overriding her own pain.

There had never there had been something less deserving of her kindness.

Thanquol groaned as his body suddenly failed him, adrenaline running dry and all the pains of his body now coming back with a vengeance.

“Oh no, are you alright?” she reached down and pulled the weakly resisting rat to his feet. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you. Are you okay? Your bandages are still tight aren’t they?” she fussed with him, running her hooves over the white bindings covering his wounds.

For his part Thanquol simply moaned dully in pain. It was taking everything he had not to collapse. The horse-thing was talking. Clearly, he thought murkily, it must be a mutant. He licked his lips. If it was a mutant that meant there was warpstone nearby. His nose twitched hungrily. Something moved with it and, he noticed feverishly, the movement was following the twitching of his muzzle.

Fluttershy led the dazed creature to the couch in the next room while he batted at his whiskers, muttering accusations that they were stalking him. She noticed he kept licking his lips hungrily and his eyes were darting around in search of something. His nose was twitching madly as well.

“Are you hungry?” she asked gently, wide eyes watching him with worry.

The horse-thing was speaking. Hungry? Yes, he was hungry. The godstone, how long had he gone without the godstone? Thanquol barely restrained a squeal of frustration with a single positive realisation. Clearly the beast wanted to serve him! It was all clear! It had treated his wounds and was offering food in hopes he would accept it as one of his minions. Even unconscious it had recognised a being who was its innate superior.

This pleased Thanquol. A servant who knew its place was valuable.

“Horse-thing!” he snarled as his mind fought its way through the haze of pain and withdrawal. By the Horned Rat, his lack of magic was sickening him. He had recovered no power all this time, none at all. “Bring-find belt!”

Clearly the poor dear had something of personal value in his belt. Fluttershy nodded and ran to where she had placed his belt and various pouches in a pile next to the any odd decorations he had been wearing. She hurried back with the belt over her back, not quite willing to hold it in her mouth.

“H-here you go.” She whispered quietly, looking down as he snatched it up.

Watching him dig through the belt pouches without acknowledging her, Fluttershy began to feel a little bit of doubt. But surely he was just disoriented, and didn’t mean to forget to say thank you.

Where was his warpstone? Thanquol dug through the pouches, searching desperately...there! He drooled as he found the small bag containing an emergency supply of warpstone dust. He rammed his fingers in greedily scooping some of the green-black powder into his paw and inhaling it.

His nose’s ruined nerves burned and Thanquol let out a content sigh. The rush of power that normally accompanied his intake of powdered godstone was barely a trickle compared to its usual swell of dark energy but it was still enough to settle him. Had he been, well, sane, he might have had some concern at that moment that he still lacked the power to cast even a minor cantrip.

He looked up blearily at the horse-thing, glaring at her. “Who are you, horse-thing? Tell Thanquol!” he demanded loudly. She recoiled fearfully. Good. It recognised that it should fear its new master!

Fluttershy recoiled and whimpered. The loud sounds weren’t helping her head pain. “Oh no, I’m not a horse. I-I’m Fluttershy, a pegasus pony.” She said, smiling uncertainly at him holding out a hoof. He glared at it suspiciously. “Y-You said your name was T-Thanquol?” the timid pegasus asked as he slowly reached out to tap her hoof uncertainly.

“Yes-yes, I am mighty Thanquol! Greatest Grey Seer! Powerful sorcerer! Vastly wise- gah!” his boasts were cut off by the rabbit-beast leaping up and kicking him in the nose again.

“Angel Bunny!” Fluttershy gave her little friend a reproachful look. “Don’t be rude to our guest. He’s hurt and I don’t want you teasing him. Okay?” she asked, her stare growing firm.

The rabbit met her gaze for about three seconds before giving in and nodding reluctantly, not before shooting a dark glare at the rat. ‘This isn’t over’ the glare promised.

The look Thanquol sent back agreed entirely and images of catching and making the little beast watch as he ate it alive filled his thoughts. This was largely ruined when he let out a squeak as another lance of pain shot from one of his many wounds.

Nearly falling from the very comfortable couch Thanquol found the ‘Fluttershy’ at his side, holding him. He shakily nodded in approval.

“Oh, you poor thing.” She murmured, holding him steady as Thanquol threatened to fall. “Let’s get you back to bed.” She smiled reassuringly, trying to ignore how filthy he still was.

Never had one room contained two so different creatures. There should have been some kind of backlash from the sheer contradiction of their beings. One was a loving mare who wouldn’t hesitate to help any creature she came across in need and was almost pathologically kind. Her kindness knew no limits despite her shy nature.

The other...well, the other was Thanquol. That said it all, really.

***

Here’s chapter 2, written on and off today while also working on Justice Itself chapter 10.

So yes, Thanquol has pretty much lost all his magic for now. How else can this story logically (ha!) go forward without him laying waste to everything around him unless he needs the ponies for some reason.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this.

Comments

[Darksoul]

Why do I feel like talking in the third person when reading this?
Since her place is so close to the Everfree it would be quite the amusing concept of him wondering into it when he should have stayed in bed. Reaction to Timberwolves or any of the other Native beasties may vary. The encounter with the other Mane 5 will be interesting (Rarity will most likely burn his clothe just to make something acceptable [Bright girly colors most likely]) (Twilight would most likely try to study him [God knows anywhere else in the multiverse and he would have been dissected]) (Rainbow Dash I don't see much of her wanting to be anywhere near him [Brave front but truly scared to death]) (Applejack will most likely buck him mistaking something happening as something else [Based on size ratio hit in the nads would more likely occur then getting hit in the head]) (Pinkie is the most difficult one to figure out but the thought of her slightly breaking his mind is a very high probability).
Another question popped in my mind. Since he is a Greyseer or if my mind is mistaken couldn't he take control of a certain amount of Rodents (Lesser minded Rodents [but this is Equestria and they seem a lot smarter then anywhere else]).

[Autocharth]

952314 Because of Autocharth (the Magnificent)'s writing. Thanquol doing something stupid when he's been told to do the smart thing would be perfectly in character, mostly because he's insanely spiteful.

You raise an interesting point about controlling rats. Generally that ability is attributed to spells and such or the blessing of their god (for nearly all skaven magic users other than Clan Skrye's warlock engineers worship of the Horned Rat and magic are inseparable).and Thanquol lacks pretty much any magical energy and he's likely going to have a hard time getting anymore. He's in a sugarbowl reality and he draws most of his power from raw evil. It just doesn't work right.

As for the other Mane cast's reactions, well you got at least one of them spot on.

But I won't say which.

[Darksoul]

While I was snacking on some chips I had a thought. The Derpy/Ditzy encounter will always (being how most fans look at it) being a crash encounter. That said he could pull what powers he has thinking he is taking away her uniqueness as punishment (her cross eyes [Fixing em]) and while she is confused after the encounter later down the line certain ponies will mistake him as a mystic healer or something. That was one idea of his evil actions being mistaken as good.

[Autocharth]

952512,,,,,,

Niiiiice. I really like the 'mystic healer' thing. Maybe not a straight rip of that idea, but if you don't mind I might garner some inspiration from that.

[Darksoul]

952756 I act as a muse so sharing ideas is what I do. I think I just blew my own mind.

[Nealend86]

At this point, I'm fairly sure that the only thing that Thanquol is lord of is slapstick.

[JawsOnYou67]

956740 1. He is a Skevan. 2. He used Angle as a hockey puck or a golf ball.....

[fractalman]

The rabbit-beast made a face at him and, somehow, picked up the Staff of the Horned Rat. Balancing it over its shoulder the rabbit-beast took off, fleeing from the room with an ancient relic of the skaven race.
Thanquol stared after the creature, twitching, as what just happened sank in.
With a tremendously high-pitched shriek he took off in pursuit, ignoring the aches and pain through willpower, rage and adrenaline.
***

There had never there had been

bit reduntant.