To Devour a God

by the7Saviors

Chapter XXXV – Departure

Four days had passed since my final week of training. My assessment had been handed down by Lt. Spitfire, and I'd been found... acceptable. My performance during those three weeks of training in the projection room hadn't exactly been outstanding—I could admit that much—but it hadn't been terrible either. According to Spitfire, I'd performed about as well as any average recruit possibly could.

Meaning my performance overall was good, but ultimately nothing to write home about...

While I was happy enough to have passed the initial assessment, I couldn't help the slight bitterness that bubbled up in my chest at the news. I wanted to believe such irritation at my results was beneath me—that I wasn't such a prideful mare, but after a bit of self-reflection, I realized that wasn't true at all. I had my pride, but that pride was usually wrapped up in my academic pursuits.

I'd always strived to come out on top when it came to education. It didn't take me long to realize that this blow to my pride came from that same place. Sure, Daeus Hunter training was a different kind of education than I was used to, but it was still education at the end of the day. I'd gotten to use my magic a bit during training and by the end of the third week, the cat was out of the proverbial bag about my bias faction by now, but even with that, I couldn't scrounge up more than a "good but not great" assessment.

It hurt, honestly, and I couldn't help but sulk for most of the day when I finally got my assessment. All the looks and whispers about my bias factor didn't help matters, and Trixie was especially insufferable about the whole thing. I should've been glad that the information embargo on my bias factor was finally lifted. I didn't like having to keep it a secret and should've been relieved that it was all out in the open, but whenever I thought about Trixie's smug face and the vindicated look she kept throwing my way whenever we saw each other, I couldn't help but growl in frustration.

That's to say nothing of the endless pestering about my bias factor...

Still, I did my best to ignore the nosy mare and focus on my upcoming final test. To nopony's surprise, it was a field test. The very same field test all the higher-ups in Wendigo were looking forward to. The test in question, much to my surprise, included not just myself, but the three other recruits who'd joined at the same time I did. That meant I'd be in a small squad including Fluttershy, Vinyl Scratch, and Seeker—the quiet, surly-looking stallion whom I'd almost forgotten about by this point.

From what I understood, we'd be working as a combat squad under a veteran Hunter, the name of which had been conspicuously left out of the mission statement. I found that strange, but didn't pay the oddity too much attention, figuring it was probably going to be Lt. Spitfire. The mission itself was a simple one: Take out a roaming pack of Kali-Gali near Appleloosa before they reached the small desert town. Kali-Gali were relatively weak individually speaking.

Take an ostrich, give it red-brown scales instead of feathers, the head of a crocodile, and make it morbidly obese and twice the size of your average pony, and you have a Kali-Gali. I'd fought quite a few of the monsters in training and had been told they were some of the most common types of Avidaeos you could find around Equestria. They weren't terribly fast or strong compared to most other Avidaeos, but they usually made up for that in sheer numbers.

They hunted in large packs, and the key to taking them out was to separate them and pick them off. It was actually a lot easier to do than it sounded from my experience, as the creatures were as dumb as rocks. In short, Wendigo deemed this the perfect mission to truly test our skills and teamwork out in the field, and I agreed for the most part. Together, we were to take one of the armored VTOL tilt-rotor aircraft and head out to a desert canyon just west of Appleloosa where the pack of Kali-Gali were last spotted.

From there it would be a simple extermination mission. We drop in, take out the threat, and return to base once we've made sure there are no more Avidaeos in the surrounding area. It certainly sounded simple enough, but there was always room for something to go horribly wrong—especially in this line of work. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a nervous wreck at the prospect of being thrown into live combat, but at the very least I wasn't alone like I'd initially feared I'd be.

I'd seen Fluttershy often enough in the last couple of weeks, but I was looking forward to seeing Vinyl Scratch again after what felt like ages. I knew she was off doing her own training with her new team, and she had her own friends to hang out with now, I was sure. We hadn't spoken all that much in truth, and I hardly knew her, but as I took the elevator to the roof of the main building where the VTOL aircraft and our team captain for this mission were presumably waiting, I found myself missing the mare and her easygoing attitude.

Seeker... was a different story.

I knew nothing about the stallion, hadn't seen him since we helped Sunset with her work in the slums, and had almost forgotten about him completely. The impression I had of him wasn't exactly a good one and given how he'd acted so far, I was skeptical of him as a fellow team member. The kindest way I could put his attitude was... unfriendly. He didn't seem like the type who enjoyed working with others, but in the end, we were stuck with him. With that in mind, I resolved to make the best of the situation.

As the elevator reached its destination and began to slow to a stop, I took a deep, calming breath. The doors smoothly slid open and, steeling my nerves and pushing away any uncomfortable thoughts about my mortality, I stepped out onto the roof of the Ponyville Branch's main building. The VTOLs were the first thing I noticed, large as they were. The roof was large enough to fit about four of the helicopter-plane hybrids, but there were only two present.

I'd seen these types of aircraft from afar before, flying over the skies of Canterlot, but up close, they were a lot bigger than I expected. Granted, they weren't the largest air transport vehicles Wendigo had to offer—far from it. What was more surprising to me was just how quiet the thing was despite its bulk. I was only a few dozen steps away from the nearest VTOL aircraft—model name Fenrir Mk2 if I recalled—and the engines of the sleek cyan and midnight blue craft barely made a sound.

There was a sort of high-pitched hum coming from the aircraft as it remained on standby, but it was muted, and I could easily hear my name being called from nearby. That brought my attention to the small gathering in front of the VTOL. It turned out I was somehow the last to arrive, as I saw Fluttershy, Vinyl, and Seeker already present and accounted for. Though, that I was last wasn't technically true, as I didn't see any sign of our would-be team captain anywhere.

I figured either they were waiting in the hybrid copter, or they simply hadn't shown up yet. If it was a case of the latter, I hadn't seen anypony who looked like they were headed in the same direction. It was curious, but ultimately nothing to worry too much about, so I focused instead on greeting my teammates for this mission. Vinyl Scratch had been the one to call out, her hand raised in a lazy wave and her violet shades glinting in the morning sunlight.

I hadn't expected the Wendigo uniform to suit the mare, but she pulled it off fairly well. She wore the dark blue military jacket open, exposing the black utilitarian blouse beneath. It was simple, but somehow she made it look stylish. It might've been the headphones hung around her neck, but she looked good. On either side of the unicorn was a nervous-looking Fluttershy, who gave me a friendly if somewhat strained smile as I caught her eye, and Seeker, who just gave me an impatient glance before looking away in clear disinterest.

Hasn't changed a bit, I see...

I noticed none of the group carrying their Daeus Arms, but from what I understood, the mechanical monstrosities had already been loaded onto the hybrid copter, including mine. I didn't see our team captain either, but I figured they either hadn't shown up yet or were already in the aircraft waiting for us. Setting the matter aside, I let a friendly smile cross my face as I returned Vinyl's wave.

I exchanged a few long overdue pleasantries with Vinyl, filling her in on what I'd been up to for the past month or so. She'd already heard about what happened in the training room and, just like everypony else, had also been made aware of my bias factor. The mare didn't ask too many questions, thankfully, and just seemed to accept my situation for what it was. In return, she told me about her time training with her old friend Octavia and the rest of the Defense Team under Captain Sweetie Drops.

Apparently, the Defense Team, or the 2nd Unit, was a good deal larger than the Retaliation Team and also included the likes of Seeker. I'd found out that Trixie, much to my surprise and chagrin, was part of the 3rd Unit, or the Research Team. I actually didn't know who the captain of the Research Team was, but I'd heard a rumor that it had once been Director Mare, back when she'd just been Mayor Mare.

So... Captain Mare?

The thought made me chuckle a bit. Setting my private amusement aside, I turned to regard Fluttershy, who'd been content to listen to me and Vinyl chat. Before I could ask her how she'd been since I last saw her, I heard the tell-tale ding of the elevator doors opening and turned just in time to see not one, but two figures step out—both of which caught me completely off-guard. The first, to my utter surprise and confusion, was Spike of all creatures. The other was far more shocking, as it was none other than—

"Sh-Shiny?!"

I failed to stifle my bewildered outburst as my dear older brother approached our little group, his stride purposeful and his expression resolutely even. He certainly looked every bit the professional soldier he technically was with his stiff posture and clean and pressed Wendigo uniform, but I knew my brother. Beneath that aloof professionalism, I could see the clear twinkle of amusement at my expense in his cerulean eyes—though it faded quickly as he spoke.

"That's Captain Armor to you, recruit," he replied in a firm tone as he stopped in front of us, Spike stopping awkwardly beside him, "siblings though we may be, I've come from Canterlot to this branch to act as your commanding officer for this mission and that being the case, I expect to be addressed properly."

"Yessir!" Vinyl was the first to reply, giving the stallion a stiff salute that did nothing to take away from her lazy smile, "It's an honor to have you leading the team, Captain Armor, sir!"

Fluttershy, seemingly unsure what else to do, quickly followed suit with a flustered and slightly shaky salute of her own. Seeker silently did the same, but his salute was textbook and his expression blandly neutral. Shining Armor gave a satisfied nod in response before turning back to me with an expectant look and it wasn't until I felt Vinyl nudge me in the ribs that I realized I hadn't said anything.

I'd still been trying to wrap my head around this unforeseen turn of events, but at Vinyl's prodding I gathered myself and frowned at my brother before finally answering."With all due respect, what are you doing here... sir?" I asked. I decided to play along, knowing it wouldn't do any good to argue the point when Shining got like this. "I mean why did you of all ponies take on the role of acting captain? What about Lieutenant Spitfire?"

It wasn't like I wasn't happy to see my brother again, but at the same time, I didn't exactly find the circumstances ideal. For one thing, I'd seen Shining Armor act like this before and, maybe it was because it was so far removed from how he normally was when around me, but his professional commander persona had always irked me. And then there was what I'd learned about the almost fatally low success rate of his Daeification process.

I had several things I wanted to say to and ask Shining Armor, but now wasn't the time and that annoyed me even more. Still, I chose to push my irritation down as best I could and ask the obvious question, to which my brother nodded in understanding. Rather than answer my question immediately, he gestured to the VTOL behind us and replied, "Any and all questions can and will be answered once we're onboard. We're running behind schedule as it is."

My frown deepened slightly, but I didn't argue. Instead, with a sharp command from my brother, we all boarded the surprisingly spacious VTOL. I gave Spike a questioning look as we stepped onto the aircraft, but the drakeling just gave me a helpless shrug and a look that said I'll explain later. Resigning myself to wait for my answers, I took a look around the VTOL. The interior of the hybrid helicopter was a harmonious fusion of utility and comfort.

The aircraft was easily large enough to accommodate our relatively small squad, and the seats in the passenger compartment were rugged but comfortable. There was a narrow door at the front and back of the compartment, one leading to the weapons storage area and the other to the cockpit where our pilot was presumably waiting for the okay to liftoff. There was enough space overall that the passenger compartment felt more like some kind of small waiting room rather than a cramped flying machine.

All in all, I couldn't help but be impressed as I took my seat along with everypony else. After everypony had buckled in and gotten comfortable, Shining spoke into his earpiece to give the pilot the go-ahead to take off. The soft hum of the engine grew a little louder and the vehicle shook lightly as it began its slow ascent. I got one last glimpse of the building roof falling away from us before the gull-wing doors on either side of the VTOL swung shut with a hiss and a heavy click.

It occurred to me then that this was the first time I'd been in any kind of flying vehicle, let alone a military transport plane. The experience was a novel one, but I had no time to dwell on it before Shining Armor spoke again, once again all business and military discipline as he looked at each of us in turn.

"Now then," he began, "for those of you who don't know me, my name is Shining Armor, captain of the Defense Team in Canterlot and, as mentioned earlier, current acting captain of this squad for the duration of the mission. I'm here to make sure things don't go south but what I am not here to do is hold your hand. Just like any other Daeus Hunter worth their salt, you'll all be expected to showcase what you've learned over these past few weeks both as individual soldiers and as one cohesive team and me babying you greenhorns is counterproductive to that goal. As for the mission itself..."

He then went on to explain in further detail what we'd be doing during the mission, what we'd be up against, the avidaeos involved, their numbers, where they'd likely be, and the strategy for dealing with them. He also discussed our escape plan if it worse came to worst and had each of us tell him what kind of weapons we used so he could come up with a few more strategies that played to our strengths.

I knew Fluttershy had opted to go with the Blast Gun but I'd heard nothing about what Vinyl or Seeker chose to wield. I learned then that Vinyl had also picked the Blast Gun and, remembering how Seeker had eyed the Variant Scythe during Derpy's Daeus Arms showcase, I expected him to choose the same as me, but he hadn't. Instead, he'd gone with the Boost Hammer of all weapons. I couldn't fault his choice. The weapon was unwieldy and difficult to master, but it was powerful.

I'd seen the Boost Hammer's power first-hand from watching Pinkie, but I did wonder if Seeker could master his own Boost Hammer to such a degree.

Could he become as skillful as Pinkie...? Yeah, no, I highly doubt that. The mare is a monster on the battlefield.

In any case, my thoughts turned elsewhere—specifically to the fact that it was my turn to talk about my weapon. Doubtless Shining Armor had already heard about my situation and as I realized that, I also realized that he hadn't mentioned anything about it. Maybe he just decided now wasn't the time? It was possible, but when it came time for me to talk, Shining Armor spoke first, confirming my suspicions.

"I already got the details of your situation from Muffins and Director Mare," he said. A strange expression crossed his face for a brief instant, like he couldn't decide on brotherly pride or worried sibling. Ultimately, he settled on a sort of resigned professionalism as he continued, "If even half of the reports I've heard are true, the versatility alone will make you a force to be reckoned with out there."

After a few seconds of hesitation, he seemed to come to a decision. Letting his guard down a bit, he offered me a tired, but proud smile. "I'll be counting on you out there, Twily. We all will, so make sure to put your training and that massive brain of yours to good use, yeah?"

His words were as touching as they were embarrassing and his me far harder than I expected. I couldn't help the small smile that crossed my face as I once again realized and lamented just how little I got to see my brother, and how much I missed having him around despite his more irritating qualities.

And just like that, I'm going to be working with him as a Daeus Hunter. Just what kind of turn has my life taken? Seriously...

"I'll do what I can where, when, and however I can, Shining," I replied, doing my best to ignore Fluttershy's soft, understanding smile, Vinyl's teasing smirk, Seeker's odd grimace, and Spike's slightly confused frown, "and no, I'm not going to push myself too hard so don't worry so much, Captain."

Shining Armor, who looked like he was very much about to tell me just that, closed his mouth and shook his head. "So long as you understand," he replied with a nod before looking at everypony else, "and that goes for all of you. If things get bad, don't try to be a hero. Prioritize your life over the mission. We have other Hunters on standby in case we need to pull out before the mission is complete."

And with that said, we all moved on with the discussion. I expected him to drill into us how important it was to follow his commands to the letter, and he did to an extent, but he also told us to use our own judgment when the situation required it. If we felt like Shining was making a stupid decision that might get us all killed, then be respectful, but be honest and say it to his face.

"And that should be it for the details," Shining said as he finished his speech and, once again, looked to each of us in turn, "with that out of the way, I'd be glad to answer any questions you all might have before the mission kicks off. If you've got any of those questions or gripes, now's the time to get them off your chest because we won't get another chance once we're out in the field."

"First question," I replied before anypony else could speak up, "same question I asked earlier. Why were you the one who was sent to Ponyville? Why not have Spitfire be acting captain when she was already here?"

"Lieutenant Spitfire isn't here as it happens," Shining Armor answered, that hint of amusement flashing in his eyes again for a brief instant, "she's just left due to a prior engagement in Vanhoover. My coming here was a request from Director Mare and approved by the Commander-in-Chief herself. In other words, I'm here as a simple, temporary replacement. Nothing more, nothing less."

I gave my brother a skeptical look, but before I could comment on his reasoning, Vinyl Scratch spoke up, her attention on the other unexpected participant.

"Yeah, I got a question," she said, nodding toward the violet dragon sitting next to Shining Armor, "Is our draconic buddy gonna be joining us on this gig?"

"Yeah, I was wondering about that too," I added, turning my focus to Spike and speaking to him directly, "Are you officially being assigned to the Ponville Branch as a full-fledged Daeus Hunter?"

"Well... yes and no," Spike replied, raising one hand to awkwardly scratch at his neck, "technically, I'm still affiliated with the Tiamat Branch back in the Dragonlands, but for the time being, I'm kind of stranded here in Equestria without any real way to get in touch with the Branch and I wanna continue working as a Daeus Hunter, so Director Mare pulled some strings and, well... here I am."

He trailed off with a shrug and a smile that seemed almost sad. It was then that I remembered the short conversation Spike and I had all those days ago during Pinkie's welcome party—how he'd arrived here in Equestria. I felt a pang of pity for the drakeling and a coincidental glance in Fluttershy's direction revealed the mare giving Spike a look that showed she shared the sentiment, much to my surprise. Still, I had other questions so I moved on.

"Doesn't each Wendigo Branch have ways to communicate cross-country?" I asked with some confusion, "Has Director Mare not tried to get in contact with the Tiamat Branch?"

"No, she has," Spike replied, looking like he'd just bit into something particularly bitter, "but the Tiamat Branch... isn't exactly known for their quick response."

"But... given what happened to you and the transport, shouldn't they—"

"Just... they'll get around to the matter when they get around to it, alright?" Spike interjected with a sharp wave of his claws, "No use worrying about things we can't control. I'm here now. I'm doing my part to help in this moment. That's all that matters."

After a few tense seconds in which Fluttershy and I shared a look, I decided to relent. "Alright, Spike," I finally replied in a gentler tone, "if you say so."

Spike just gave a soft huff in reply and turned his attention to the sky outside one of the windows. I wanted to say more—I really did—but I wasn't so socially inept that I couldn't read the room, and let the matter drop. To my surprise, it was Seeker who picked the conversation back up after a few uncomfortable moments. The stallion had been so quiet I'd forgotten he was even here. To be fair, Fluttershy had been just as quiet, but I considered the mare a friend, and as such, her case was different.

"Forgive me if this sounds rude, Captain," Seeker began, looking Shining Armor over with skeptical eyes, "but if you're the captain of the Defense Team, what makes you think you're qualified for a mission that would, for all intents and purposes, be taken up by the Retaliation Team? Isn't the role of your team normally to fight against the avidaeos on your own turf?"

Shocked by the unexpected disrespect, I started to protest Seeker's words almost out of reflex to defend my brother, but Shining Armor held up a hand to forestall me, all the while keeping his own eyes trained on the bold earth pony stallion. A smile crossed Shining's face but his eyes gleamed with an intensity that told everypony in the compartment that a line had been reached, but not quite crossed. Yet.

"It's fine," Shining replied, his features relaxing a bit as he spoke, "That's a fair question, and Seeker is right. My primary role as captain of the Defense Team is to 'guard the gate', you could say," his smile vanished then, replaced by a stern scowl—one of the sternest I'd seen him make in quite some time, "...that said, I've had more than a few opportunities to do my fair share of hunting out in the field over the years, so rest assured, you'll be in good hands, recruit."

Seeker didn't reply for several seconds, evidently taking a moment to reassess the stallion before him if his expression was anything to go by. Eventually, he nodded once and finally replied, "Fair enough. Thanks for humoring my insolent question, Captain."

"No need for all that," Shining Armor replied with a dismissive wave of his hand, "as I said, it was a fair question to ask... but, Seeker?"

Seeker, who'd started to look away with the same disinterested expression he usually wore, turned his gaze back to my brother, only to flinch as he spotted the danger hidden in Shining's friendly smile. Instinctually, the greenhorn sat a little straighter as he replied, "Yes, Captain?"

"I humored your question because it was a valid concern, but while it is all well good to speak your mind, let's try not to make a habit out of being too bold, alright? This is still technically a military organization at least in part, and the chain of command needs to be respected to some degree—at least while we're on duty."

"Yes, Captain," Seeker repeated with a bit more sincerity in his tone.

I thought back to mine and Vinyl's journey to Ponyville and how casual the atmosphere had been before everything turned sideways. I couldn't help but wonder what had changed since then or if this was simply a different situation than back then. Whatever the case, Shining Armor seemed satisfied and with that, it was Fluttershy's turn to say her piece. If I was being honest, I hadn't expected her to speak at all during the trip, but yet again the bashful pegasus surprised me as she raised a timid hand.

"U-Um, so... I have a question," she said in a small voice. Much like Seeker had, Fluttershy flinched slightly as my brother zeroed in on her, but she found her voice again quickly enough as she continued, "Wh-what do we do if that Cannibal avidaeus shows up during the mission?"

I looked at Fluttershy with a bit of shock. I hadn't even thought about the Cannibal in weeks, let alone considered the possibility that it might show up during our evaluation. The idea gave me more than a bit of pause, but that worry was dispelled somewhat when Shining Armor shook his head.

"An unlikely scenario," he replied before explaining, "Recent reports show the Cannibal is holed up in the Everfree and is rarely seen beyond its edge. Given how far the drop zone is from Ponyville, I highly doubt we'll encounter the beast."

Fluttershy visibly relaxed at that and replied with a barely audible sigh, "Oh... okay then. That's good."

The rest of the trip to the Appleloosan Desert was a relatively quiet affair, but now that Fluttershy had mentioned it, my mind kept wandering back to the Cannibal. Fluttershy might have been relieved to be so far away from the threat of the Cannibal, but I felt differently despite myself. Rather than relief, I found myself feeling almost disappointed. Ever since I saw the dragon-like avidaeus for myself—looked into its fiery and strangely intelligent eyes, I couldn't shake the desire to see it again.

Something was nagging at me, begging me to go seek it out. To try and communicate with it—like it held the answer to some kind of truth or secret I wasn't even aware existed. I wanted to brush off the sentiment as simple scientific curiosity, and to a certain extent that's what it was, but I couldn't deny my suspicion that there was something more to my desire to see the avidaeus again.

I just wasn't sure what that something was.

Author's Note:

Sorry for the delay on this one, guys. I'm not too great with these transitional chapters, and this one especially kicked my ass for some reason. Had a few other distractions but, yeah, this chapter was a bit of a pain to write.

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Given Spike there and teh description of the Cannibal, and the lack of information, did the Deus start though expermimentation in the Dragon Lands or alience source interaction before spreading to the rest of Equestria?

Given the description I remember of the cells, given Ive never played the game, it wouldnt surprise me so much if Spike ended up a mutation of the Prototype style.

Spike uses Consume. Its Super Effective.

[PonyofEntropy]

Just got caught up. Great updates. Looking forward to reading more.