Masks' of the Hunters

by Kamer

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

A Story in the Dark

”Shall we depart, dear Wolf?” Lamb asked.

”But there are many left to chase!” Wolf snarled.

”But there are others elsewhere.”

”Others to chase? That flee?”

”Yes, Wolf.” Lamb giggled.

Kindred enjoyed seeing sights, these cities, forests, rivers, oceans. Sights that had long been forgotten by them in the deserted wastelands of their old world. Comparison between the two was impossible. They had let slip the memories of grass and trees, of the harsh wind and calming breeze. And in this world, they were able to experience life again.

Kindred did want to fulfill its duty, but those souls could wait a little longer. It wanted to explore this new world it was in, to learn all it can about the land and its inhabitants. It wanted to see all that this world had to offer. Kindred also wanted to spread its influence, Making sure everything and everyone knew its name. And this day was exactly for that.

The sun had just risen over the mountain tops when Lamb and Wolf finally set off. Their stay in the Crystal Empire was short for normal standards, but to Kindred, it was long. It was a free spirit, and would never normally stay in one place for so long as it did in Canterlot or here. It would bound around the world, going to where it was needed, where its duty needed fulfilling.

For today, Kindred planned on going back to its roots. With the couple of days spent in a single place, It felt that it had adapted to this world and the creatures in it sufficiently and was ready to take a more active role in its job. Today It would see the rest of the world, the cities of dragons, minotaurs, griffons, sea-ponies, zebra and many others.

Kindred quickly made its way to the first stop on it’s list, the griffon city. Perched atop a mountain, the city was mostly comparable to a slum, full of tattered worn houses, solemn faces and dull routines. The inhabitants seemed in a chipper mood though. Happy, in spite of their existence. A rather unimaginative sight if Lamb would say so.

”What is this place, Lamb? They all smell like they are close!”

”A slum it looks like, but none that I have seen before.”

”What do they call it?”

”I believe their name for it is ‘Griffonstone’.”

”Mahaha! Sounds tasty!”

”Wolf, friends, always thinking with his tounge.” she said to nothing.

”You always think with your head!”, Wolf replied.

”Your wit is not as sharp as your teeth.”

”My teeth are sharp!”

Lamb just giggled.

”There are some that know us in Canterlot and the Crystal Empire.”

Wolf looked at Lamb expectantly.

”I think it is time that some know us here.”

Wolf laughed his cruel laughter and howled into the early morning sky.

Luna walked in from her balcony after lowering the moon.

Last night was a harrowing journey. There were more nightmares like the ones that Marble Grain has been having. Three more in Canterlot and four in the Crystal Empire. Seven total ponies have has some interaction with these monsters, conclusively called Lamb and Wolf.

‘And if patterns are to be believed,’ the Princess thought ‘Then there are seven dead ponies as well.’

Luna stood in silence for a moment, before shaking her head. This was no time for idle thoughts, other lives are at stake. She would have time to morn those that have passed when the killers were still out and about. Today would be another all-dayer, she thought glumly.

“Penchant!” Luna called out.

The door to her chambers opened. And in poked the head of a tall and spindly unicorn stallion. His fur was a strong red with a splotch of gray here and there. His mane was a solid deeper red. His eyes were blue in color, matching his cutie mark of a blue feather resting on a stack of papers. Penchant was Luna’s new aid, her last one had difficulty keeping in schedule with the night princess and she had ordered a new one be found.

Penchant was a unique find, he was kicked out of Celestia’s school not for poor grades, but for his habit of sleeping through the day and self-studying at night. He was getting perfect homework and test grades, but his attendance was abysmal, with him only attending about a third of his classes. This, in Luna’s eyes made him perfect for a job as her aid. He was already accustom to the night, had he was, as far as Luna was concerned, a good student.

“What is on my schedule this day?” she asked.

Penchant stared at Luna for a moment, before the sound of a slap could be heard in the hallway. He jumped as began spluttering.

“U-u-u-uhhh, I-I wasn’t told to make a s-schedule for the days..” he said quietly.

‘Still need to get over the shock of working for a princess, I see’ Luna thought.

“That only means there is nothing on it, Penchant.” she said, “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“T-thank y-you...” he said even more quietly, before turning and shutting her door.

Luna turned to her bathroom. She was going to stay up all day, but she would be walking around the castle grounds as well. She wanted to at least look presentable.

There was a lot that Luna needed to ask, on top of the request that she made of Celestia. She was unlikely to know of the presence of the monsters in the Crystal Empire. Luna wanted her to look around the hospitals in the Empire for any recent injuries and odd deaths last night. Luna also wanted Celestia and Cadence to erect protection in the Crystal Empire, something that would be more than a little tricky to do.

Because this was not a widespread as a disaster like, say Tirek, alerting the public to this and causing a mass panic was a terrible idea. It was one of the reasons that Luna did informed Celestia immediately when she knew of the monster’s presence though her dream magic. Due to her sister’s location, it would have been impossible for the news to leak to the public about this if she told her through any other means.

Exiting her room, she was greeted with the sight of Penchant standing just outside.

“Y-your majesty,” Penchant started, “Your presence as been requested by a ‘Bright Rune’. He said you would know where to look.”

“Tell them we will meet after We have had a meal.” Luna said.

“Y-yes Princess...”

Penchant and the guards watched Luna walk down the stairs to the kitchen in the main section of the castle. After Luna was well out of view and more importantly out of ear shot, Penchant released the breath that he had been holding in and began looking around nervously.

“You have no idea where Bright is, do you?” the guard on the left asked.

“N-no,” Penchant replied, “He left after giving me that message.”

“Too afraid to ask where then?” The other guard asked.

“Yes...”

“Try the library,” the first guard said, “I hear there is one of ours that is grumbling about a task that the Princess asked her to do there.”

“O-Oh! Thank you!” Penchant said as he trotted off.

“Other way.”

“Right. T-thanks...”

The guards stood stoically until they were sure Penchant was far away.

“Ten bits says he’s out by the month.”

“20 says the week.”

“Deal.”

”Yes! Flee!” Wolf shouted as he chased the minotaur through the trees.

These people were afraid of him. He liked that, that means they run.

Lamb was somewhere behind him, though he did not care. He was doing what he loved most. Chasing! He loved following prey, terrifying them, scaring them stiff. He had a couple of methods that he employed for chasing, some for quick chases, some for long. This chase, Wolf wanted a long one. He savored every moment, every hurried glance the hunted made, the panting, the heartbeat, the smell of fear.

Wolf would lazily follow behind the minotaur at times, occasionally rushing up to nip at its legs to make it run faster. He would growl and laugh throughout the whole chase, shouting words of encouragement for it to run faster. Wolf’s favorite thing to do was to dash out in front of it while it was looking back. The screams that it made were music to him! He loved chasing almost as much as he loved Lamb.

Wolf’s counterpart was indeed lagging a bit behind, taking another, but still important job instead. Lamb made sure that the minotaur’s path was always winding back on itself, endlessly looping and twisting into a never ending road. This made Wolf’s chase last as long as he wanted, and this time, Lamb thought, that would be a while.

Lamb took care in performing this task as it made Wolf look so happy. Lamb was content when Wolf was happy, and less so when he is not. She was a little like a mother to Wolf, the slightly spoiled child. But that was neither here nor there. Lamb stopped, looking at Wolf who appeared finished with his game.

”Are you satisfied, dear Wolf?”

”Broad-thing was fun! Is there more?”

”Elsewhere, I think.”

”Where? Tell me Lamb.”

”Many places have what you seek.”

”Then can we go there?” Wolf looked east, back toward Equestria.

”Of course, Wolf. But there is someone we must see first”

Kindred moved to the edge of the forest, now untwisted from Lambs interference. They moved quickly, silently, under the canopy of the trees. The sun was low in the sky, and the trees’ shadows stretched long away from it. This was the only time the Dark Forest, as the minotaurs called it, got any light. The leaves way above created an oppressive blanket of shadow, leaving the ground bare and lifeless.

Sitting at the edge of the forest was a smaller, female, minotaur, about half the size of the one that Wolf chased. Along side her were her traveling companions, a tall unicorn stallion, a pegasus female, two male griffons, a female zebra and another, older minotaur bull. The minotaur was looking worriedly into the depths of the forest, shielding her eyes against the sun.

This small, rag-tag group was a traveling thearter. Putting on plays and gatherings for towns that would hear them. They weren’t the best around, but they brought traditions from around the world to their performances. This made them unique in every part of the world, giving them just enough interest to live off of.

“I’m going in to look for him,” the smaller minotaur said.

“He’s only been gone for what, a day?” said one of the two griffons.

“He said that this would take a while,” said griffon number two.

“She is right, something is wrong,” the old minotaur said, “This ritual of ours should only take a few hours.”

“If something has gone wrong,” said the pegasus, “then you would be the last we would send in. I’ll go.”

“No!” the smaller minotaur snapped. “It is sacred ground! Only our kind may enter.”

The group looked at the small calf, a little shocked by the sudden out burst from the normally quiet minotaur.

“Be careful child,” the old minotaur finally breathed, giving his permission.

The calf nodded, and started off in a light trot into the forest.

It seemed like she was walking for an hour through the underbrush of the outer forest until she reached the middle circle, here mushrooms and small plants that could live on little light lived, where the light could barely shine. The sun had dipped below the horizon, and if the young calf neglected to bring her torch, she would have been in total darkness. Yet she marched onward determined in her mission

“Brother!” she called, her voice echoing around the trees.

“Brother! Where are you?” Her cries went unanswered.

She looked behind her, still able to see the beacon of light that was her camp far in the distance. It looked so small now, a dot of light among the darkness, a star with no friends. The young minotaur felt the same, hoping with all her heart that she was not as alone as that star, that she would find her brother soon.

She stopped, stopped moving and breathing. Tapping, she heard tapping! She looked around wildly for the source. The torch she brought only cast light twenty steps around her. She started running towards where she thought it was, stopping every now and then to make sure it was getting louder.

“Brother! Where are you?” She shouted into the darkness.

The tapping stopped, leaving the calf lost again.

“Brother! Keep tapping!” she cried again, I’ll find you!

”That was not your brother, little one.”

She turned to face Lamb, perched on a branch that was three times her height.

“Who are you?” she asked, shaking a little. The chill running down her spine felt like icy tendrils had ensnared it.

”that is a difficult question, little one, we are many things.”

“W-we?”

”She means me!”

The young calf dropped her torch and wheeled around on her hooves, drawing the dagger at her waist. She came face to face with the wooden snarling face of Wolf.

”She smells fun! Can we chase her?”

Wolf circled back around to the tree that Lamb was under, who silently jumped to the ground when he was close.

“I’m not afraid of you!” she said, eyeing the bow that Lamb held.

”All fear us in time.”

”And flee from us!” Wolf continued to circle around the calf.

The calf backed away, trying to keep both of these beings in her sight.

”Don’t leave yet!”

Wolf had appeared behind her. So close that she could feel the hot breath of his maw.

“Who are you?”

”We were called many names.” Wolf said in her ear.

” But now, there are only then names that we call each other.”

”I am always Lamb to Wolf, and he is always Wolf to Lamb.”

“What do you want with me?”

”We have seen you. And we like what we saw.”

“W-what?”

”We want to tell you a story, little one. A story for you to tell others.”

”Our story!”

”The story of Kindred.”

Comments

[DesertDragon79]

Interesting, I look forward to seeing what happens next.

[Lorddarkrai2000]

I'm betting that's how kindred got a play about them in their home world. They pick someone to spread the word so the hunt is more enjoyable for them.

[DesertDragon79]

9176959
Supposedly Kindred has more power the more people that know of them. Also they are fans of theater. Especially when it is about them.

[Lorddarkrai2000]

9177246

Good reason to spread the word about them