Chapter 50: Escape
Wicked World Arc
Delia shoved the still-dazed Wilka to the floor of the little wagon they’d stolen; the Pegasus wasn’t cooperating, unwilling or unable to lie down in her stupor. Dechaa and Zyra were out like lights; the last sensation felt off the dying filly had put them down… and Delia prayed to Heaven that she hadn’t just broken Dechaa’s neck with her outrageous stunt, not that carrying her so roughly would've done much good.
The destruction unleashed upon their would-be captors/murderers and their forsaken city wasn’t lost on the former maid… it had happened only a moment earlier. Their own lives were simply more pressing to her.
“Whatever happens, don’t stop!” Delia cried, already seeing bolts of magic sent towards and after them; the city’s ponies weren’t going to let them escape… easily.
Ama and Loress didn’t need telling twice; they knew all six of their lives depended on getting clear of Nuinhof.
Loress knew her task: clear a path for Ama, if needed, as the Mazan followed her.
Ama knew her task: pull the wagon… and keep running.
Delia felt a bolt singe her left ear; looking up she saw unicorns were starting to appear at windows, firing their horns. She knew it would take moments to reach the jungle—where they’d be a lot safer than in the city—but getting there wouldn’t be easy.
She wasn’t worried about the Earth ponies attacking them; unless many jumped to the cart, she’d be able to fend them off. Pegasi—now appearing—were less of a worry than the magic flying at them; unless the Pegasi started dropping rocks on them, Delia would ignore them.
Things were getting hairy: the unicorns weren’t very talented but there were enough of them.
“Yowch!” cried Delia.
A bolt had grazed her rump, burning an impressive hole in her stolen dress; the smell of burning hair and flesh filled her nostrils.
“Delia!” Ama turned her frightened eyes back. “Are you hurt?!”
Delia was hurt; it was a bad burn, “Keep running!”
Crash!
Perhaps Delia should’ve been worried about the Pegasi; one had just dropped into the cart. Seeing Delia injured, one took a chance at getting close.
The son-of-a-bitch was trying to grab Zyra…! And two more were bearing down. It then occured to Delia the townsfolk were hoping to take them alive; this scared her more than if they'd just wanted to kill them.
Delia ducked down, bracing her front legs across all three mares vegetating in the wagon; she screamed, “Ama! Hard left!”
Ama juked hard, bringing the cart onto two wheels. Delia held on and was satisfied to see one Pegasus crash into the ground, unable to stop. The other managed to level off.
“Got ya!” cried out the Pegasus stallion in the cart; he’d managed to not fall out and began to wrap hooves around Zyra.
CRRRUNNCH-CRRRACK!
Delia slugged him with such force it shattered his muzzle. He visibly staggered and fell back from Zyra, landing on his rump. Giving no second thought to it, Delia hoofed each side of his broken face and twisted.
Snap!
Delia felt a thrill of sickness course through her body; she’d broken his neck. The jerk of her front legs sent the Pegasus toppling limply out of the cart. His body was trampled beneath the hooves of the pursuing crowd, which was growing.
She didn’t even think about it then but that was the first time she’d killed another pony with her own two hooves. What she'd done through Dechaa was the first time.
“Ama! Keep zig-zagging!” Delia was now lying on her back; she mule-kicked another Pegasus—a mare this time—that had landed on the cart.
“Keep what?!” Ama’s gaze was fleeting as she tried to keep eyes forward.
Delia answered in one word, “EVADE!”
Ama knew that word; Delia had to hold on tight, bracing herself and the others as Ama jolted to the right as much as she dared. Another two Pegasi crashed into the ground, with one getting rolled under the cart’s wheels.
Delia heard—and felt—the crunch but didn’t see it.
“YEEEEEAAARRRRRGH!”
The noise came from the front.
Delia had almost forgotten about the Terran, but now saw ponies thrown to the gutters and against the sides of the buildings on the street, seemingly flying away from both sides of the wagon. Loress had run into ponies blocking the road; she rammed through them as if they were paper.
“Fucking move!” Loress bellowed, sending somepony spinning through the air like a ragdoll.
Yes… Loress! Delia knew it wasn’t much of an idea, but with limited space the Pegasi would only keep landing on the cart… and the unicorns would have an easier target.
Delia knew they had to open up their path a little wider.
“Loress! Try to clear a wider berth!” Delia hollered.
The former maid—and Ama—had no idea what Loress might do… It was a desperate cry.
Loress knew… She knew she was strong. She knew she had her own dangerous idea. It might have been worse than Delia’s "magic trick", nipping Dechaa’s neck.
“Can you make fire?!” Loress asked, not even close to being winded.
Delia ducked another magic bolt; it was getting harder with so many. Delia thought and at once knew it might be possible. And Loress knew the former maid always kept a flint on hoof.
“MAYBE!” she cried back.
“Just ‘MAYBE’?” Loress shrieked.
“Yes! I can!” Delia determined; she was looking to the ponies that continued to appear at windows above them, firing off their horns.
That was good enough for Loress, “Give me 15 seconds! Get something ready!”
With that, Loress shifted right. Raising up on her back legs she hoofed and snapped a lamppost. Delia knew at once what Loress was thinking… she’d thought of a way to deal with the nuisances up front... and behind them.
Delia began to fumble with her flint; she only caught a glimpse of it, but saw Loress level the post, holding it across her front, bracing with one leg and her shoulder.
Now ponies really started flying, clotheslined by the hollow metal rod. Other lampposts were snapped off with the wide reach of Loress’s makeshift plow; the stink of oil quickly filled the air.
Delia realized the other part of Loress’s plan… seemed suicidal. She even noticed the ponies shooting from behind were no longer shooting at them, at least not with fire-based magic; they knew what was going on, with the fuel permeating the street.
Ama dodged around the fallen bodies, knowing hitting too many could slow them up or upset the cart. But the ponies in the path seemed to get the message; many ducked or ran out of the way.
Delia could hear the snap, snap, snap of the lampposts. Tearing off a strip from her dress, she prepared the flint. She knew wool didn’t burn so well, but that was okay. Dechaa had accepted a small gift from Cassia: a small bottle of whiskey lay in the folds of Dechaa’s dress. It would work well enough.
Loress shouted something, but Delia couldn’t hear it.
“What?!” Delia called out.
Ama answered, “Loress will hit road center in 10 seconds! Be ready!”
Delia knew what was going on. Loress would stop knocking the caps from the lighting system, giving them the space needed and allowing Delia to “safely” ignite the street.
She tried. Uncorking the bottle, she soaked the strip of fabric, re-corked the bottle, and tied the rag to the neck. She’d never tasted whiskey before; it had her spitting.
7…
6…
Yes! Delia smiled; it would work. She just had to strike the flint. She positioned the bottle, and…
JOLT!
The cart bucked as Ama hit a pothole. As if in slow-motion, Delia saw the makeshift bomb bounce out of the cart.
Fuck…!
4…
Delia looked to Zyra.
3…
Delia grimaced; it was worth a try…
2…
Delia yanked Zyra to the back of the cart and positioned the mage’s head. Bracing a leg behind Zyra’s neck, Delia aimed.
1…
It worked with Dechaa… Delia figured; maybe it would work with Zyra…
She only hoped Zyra’s affinity truly was fire.
Still... What's the worst that could happen? Delia felt they might die no matter what she did.
0…
Delia could see that Loress had let up off the lampposts. Seeing a couple had passed her vision, she gave a quick nip at the base of Zyra’s neck—as opposed to the chomp she’d given Dechaa’s.
PWOOF!
As it turned out, Zyra’s true calling was fire. She produced a small fireball, that promptly shot towards the end of the broken gas line. The small and brief stimulation had been enough—though Delia would worry about the bite/output ratio another time. The blast had been as gentle as a child’s firework; Delia hadn’t even felt it.
Ducking, Delia only hoped—as she pulled Zyra down—that this wouldn’t kill all six of them… her and her friends.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The city shook, and Delia felt the shockwave roll right through her. Ama yelped, debris blasting in all directions. Loress almost jumped; she hadn’t expected such a cacophony.
But the cart kept moving.
Delia dared open her eyes.
“Holy… shit…” the former maid breathed.
The road behind them was engulfed in flame. She couldn’t see for all the smoke and fire, but she could hear the inferno traveling through the city… Following the path of fumes Loress had released into the air, more explosions were evident as the fire spread.
Loress kept running, barely glancing back. Ama didn’t dare look back; she was both concentrating on the road and was aghast. Delia was the only one to get a good look.
The fire had ruptured other lines and Delia could see plumes and columns of fire erupting around the city. It didn’t take long to travel and before long… there likely wouldn’t be much city left.
None of the girls had even thought about it, but their attackers had stopped… either shocked into hiding or killed outright in the explosion.
Too numb to feel much of anything, much less think about the havoc they’d just unleashed, Delia fell to her back, keeping hold of the three riding with her.
The cart jostled as they continued their run out of the city. They met no further resistance as they hit the limits and soon entered the forest.
Sometime later, Loress had led them back to the main road. She found she had to stop for a time, mentally unable to continue.
Ama was inconsolable; having had a few minutes to think about what had just transpired she collapsed as soon as they were “safe”. She lay next to a tree, crying…
“What have we done…?” was a line Delia heard from her more than once.
Loress wasn’t hearing much; she was in danger of entering the same territory as Wilka's previous catatonic state, who was now—astonishingly—sleeping soundly. The Terran fell to her rump, staring vacantly back the way they’d come.
Despite being well into the jungle, they could see the smoke rising from Nuinhof through gaps in the canopy.
The unicorns were still unconscious; Delia was glad to say Dechaa’s neck was fine, but she’d have one mean motherfucker of an ache upon waking.
Speaking of Delia, she’d had a little more time to think on their most recent actions. She’d been the one to “pull the trigger”… and she’d not imagined the cataclysm that had unfolded.
She knew what they’d—what she’d—just done and was trying to wrap her mind around it. Feeling a rush of horror, she puked up all she’d had for brunch. Coughing violently, her feelings came unpleasantly.
Yes… She’d killed somepony… She’d snapped his neck and sent him to be trampled. She’d killed him… and many others. How many...? They were dead... They were... dead...!
Feeling and hearing a sob rising in her throat, her eyes felt hot and her vision blurred. Blinking hard she tried to get a hold of herself.
None too steadily, Delia made her way to her hooves.
“We can’t stay here!” she choked out.
It was unsurprising nopony responded; the other girls were done. Delia had said it without giving it much forethought. But she was right… It was a fact the country’s border was being guarded and they weren’t far off from the edge of it. And even at full strength, meeting the Salvatrix regular army wasn’t high on the bucket list. Considering her two strongest friends had tipped off the edge of reason and the rest were useless gave her even less motivation to make such an encounter.
They couldn’t afford to encounter anypony… not until they met up with Essenta and Orni out on the prairie. And they were the only other ponies Delia cared to see.
Essenta and Orni… Delia’s mind swam.
They hadn’t been in contact with the princess since the night before! Was she all right? Was Orni all right?!
Delia shook her head… No…
Essenta was tough… Orni was a Knollwing—and a proper one, with all their legendary might. With the sometimes-mature Essenta’s wits… and the wet-behind-the-ears Orni’s strength… they at least stood a chance.
Further clearing her mind, Delia tried to rouse her friends. It wasn’t easy, but she managed to coax Loress to the cart.
The cart strained under her added weight.
Ama was more difficult; she was broken… Delia could see it. She’d stopped weeping so intensely but had no will to stand up or cooperate.
But Delia was strong herself and Ama didn’t refuse. The cart further strained under Ama’s sway.
Delia harnessed up. She wasn’t overly concerned about the cart: carts were made to carry heavy things. She was more worried about her friends: they were her friends. But there wasn’t much to be done other than move.
It was difficult starting but once she was moving, it went more smoothly. The road was level and the path was clear.
Pushing unnecessary thoughts from her mind, Delia couldn’t quite manage a trot but walked steadily.
All that mattered was moving quickly and getting clear of the country… That she could possibly manage.
The thing out of her control was the environment. And there were more dangerous things out there than lions, tigers, and bears… and whatever the fuck else resided in the jungle. Soldiers would be looking for them.
Keeping alert, Delia kept going. Not far off was the barrier… and her responsibility to her leader.
She didn’t look forward to having to tell Essenta all that had transpired.
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Man... That was a little messed up.
9397521
Yup. Things have taken a turn.
9397521
9397752
Messed up? That was't messed up! That was absolutely beautiful!
Sure the Mares of mass incenerations may have liittle trauma now, but hey, they just have to kill some more to get accostumed to it, right? Or just drink a bit.
I'm sorry, but I don't even have that much Baumkuchen to give you for that wonderfully great chapter. But how about some Roßbratwurst?
And of course beer and mead to it.
Ugh after the last terrible weeks I really needed something uplifting like that. Thank you.
9397801
That was horrifying!
9400055
Yes, horrifyingly wonderful!
The only bad thing is, that it made me very,very hungry.
9400115
You and your food...
Oh, how I love blowing things up. Its ever such a wonderful tool of mass destruction.
9430795
You caught up, it seems.
Textbook definition of things getting out-of-hoof fast.