Ark: Friendship is Survival

by Pomp-Neigh

Chapter 84 - Harthrax

“Alright then, BeAsT QuEeN,” Craglorn mocked, forming quotation marks with her fingers. “Now that we’ve got the name sorted out, give me a sec to radio a friend.”

The ape conjures a radio from their inventory as Fluttershy maintains her ever-defiant glare. Naturally, Craglorn met this with a cocky grin, doing so as she pressed down on a button with her thumb, and the radio crackles to life.

“Hey, Harthrax.”

A pause takes hold as she lifts her thumb off of the button.

-“Fuck off! I’m busy!”- A male voice answered from the device.

Craglorn raises an eyebrow. “Don’t give me that shit. Your lazy ass? Busy? Pfft. Please.”

-“It’s mating season for us, you hairy imbecile! And I’ll be a cranky bird if I don’t get some because of you.”-

As Harthrax spoke, Craglorn motioned with her hand a mouth that wouldn’t stop talking while rolling her eyes. Fluttershy was unimpressed, snorting at the ape’s antics.

“I missed the part where that’s my problem, pal. Now listen, I need you to fly on over to the registration area.”

-“...WHAT?! WHY?!”-

“Because Lord Threx says so, genius. It’s important.”

-“Tch. Damnit all.”-

Craglorn sighs. “Ok. How about this: If you help me with a little sightseeing gig, I’ll use my connections with the Argent Legion to get you some…plumage?”

-“...Not the right term, but I’ll roll with it.”-

“Yeah, whatever. So, you gonna help me out?”

-“Ugh. As if I had a choice…”-

“Oh, you do have a choice, but there’s only one that matters.”

-“So basically what I just said.”-

“Don’t get smart with me, ya avian fuck. That’s Lord Threx’s job. We’re just two idiots.”

-“Fair enough. Fine, fine. You’ve got a deal; I’m com’n.”-

“Thank you~.”

-“Fuck you.”-

Craglorn sends the radio back to her inventory while chuckling. “Love that bastard,” she said, shifting her gaze to Fluttershy. “What? No remarks?”

“I have nothing more to say to you.”

“Meh, that’s fine. A good fighter knows to stay qui-”

“I’m not your fight-!”

“Yes, you are!”

“Eaugh!”

Fluttershy cries out in pain as, in one swift motion, Craglorn scoops her up by the neck, silencing the pegasus’s words, runs forth, and slams the equine against the nearby wall with admirable force.

“Now you listen to me,” Craglorn growled. Fluttershy’s heart rate became rapid as her forelimbs flailed to resist the ape’s grasp.

“As much as I enjoy our bickering, don’t let it give you any false ideas. You’re mine, Beast Queen. When you enter the arena, you’ll do so as my property. When I tell you to fight, you fight. If I have to kick you, you’ll accept the punishment without bearing your teeth. Get the picture?”

“Ack…a-ack…” The equine couldn’t respond properly due to the force grasping her throat, and she gasped for air.

“What’s that, Beastie? I can’t hear you.” Craglorn chuckled darkly. “Try sign language.”

Fluttershy’s eyes roll back into her skull as she is choked to near death. In truth, she would’ve preferred the beatings she received from Bob over this torment. At least those were moments of explosive pain, which was preferable to this drawn-out suffering.

In hindsight, this would’ve worked wonders for her past attempts at taking her own life. But she knew Craglorn… The ape would never allow her to escape through death.

The pegasus then takes in a sudden surge of air while falling to the floor as her tormentor loosened their grasp, nodding in satisfaction.

“Talk back to me, and I’ll do that to you again, and again, and again until I mold you into what I want.”

The yellow mare coughs repeatedly as she slowly lifts her weak and teary eyes. “P-please…” Her tears began to flow freely, “Just…l-let me g-go…”

But the ape simply grins as she shakes her head. “No. I’ll never let you go.” Fluttershy sobbed as Craglorn leaned in.

“All that said, let me hear what I want, Beastie, and I’ll consider leaving out the choking.” She scratches the back of the equine’s ear. “Go on…beg for it.”

“P-please…”

“Please, what~?”

“Please stop…choking me…”

The ape deadpans. “You forgot something at the end of that.”

Fluttershy’s eyes shot wide open, and her head slowly fell down. Signs of hesitation and resignation waged war on her face, but a victor would be decided alongside a fresh trail of tears strolling down her cheeks.

“M…master…”

Craglorn smiled merrily. “See?! Was that so hard?” She pats the equine’s head, “Such a good little girl. Come on, now - up, up.” The ape aids the pegasus in getting back onto their hooves, even dusting them off before looking them over. All the while, Fluttershy obeyed without issues and focused her eyes on the floor.

But deep down…the yellow mare wept.

“Now that we understand each other, Beast Queen, we can start getting you into shape. Once we’re done with the tour, you’ll be dropped into the training grounds. Speaking of which…” Craglorn’s eyes went skyward, squinting as she searched for something.

“Where is that idiot?”

After several minutes of Craglorn silently searching the skies and Fluttershy maintaining a lowered gaze, the ape’s eyes suddenly shot wide open.

“Ah! Finally!” Craglorn shouts as a large flying creature glides over the structure, one that Fluttershy immediately recognizes as an argentavis. Judging by its brown, blue, and white feathers, she could tell that this one was a male. Sexual dimorphism was common knowledge for any animal lover.

“Took him long enough.”

Upon spotting the duo, the argentavis flaps his wings and glides briefly before folding his appendages and diving in a display similar to the birds of prey Fluttershy had known back on Equus.

At a certain distance above them, the large avian unfurls his wings, steadies himself, and circles the registration area.

The large flyer spotted a suitable clearing and began decelerating his flight speed as Craglorn and Fluttershy approached the apparent landing site. A gust of wind flutters the hairs and mane of the argentavis’ onlookers as he hovers in place, sets down, and folds his wings to his sides.

“Yo, Harthrax!” Craglorn waved on approach, and it was only now that Fluttershy could see the chitin armor and leather saddle that the approaching bird of prey wore.

“Craglorn,” Harthrax said as his armor-covered legs clamped against the floor. “I can’t believe I just missed out on- ew.” He recoiled in disgust, stopping in place. “What’s that, uh, thing, next to you?” The avian gestures a claw in Fluttershy’s direction.

“My newest fighter for the arena,” Craglorn answered proudly.

“Fighter? It just looks like a pitiful excuse for an equus.” The bird moves its head left and right while looking over Fluttershy’s form. “Its colors are also annoyingly bright, and why does it have insects branded onto its ass cheeks? Wait...is that its implant...?”

“I'll explain it later.” Craglorn kneels down and rests a hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Harthrax, this is Beast Queen. Beast Queen, Harthrax.”

Fluttershy pitifully looks up to meet the avian’s gaze. “Hi…” She turns away with a sad sigh.

“Beast Queen…?” Harthrax asked, tilting his head, deadpanning. “That thing has the nerve to call itself a Queen of Beasts? Adorable.”

“Hey! No picking on her,” Craglorn orders with a pointed finger. “That’s my job.”

“Right…” Harthrax clears his throat and shuffles his feathers. “So…I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that ‘sightseeing gig’ you mentioned involves…her?”

The ape nods. “You’re not as dumb as you look, bird brain.”

“That’s more of a compliment than you seem to realize, mammal.”

Following the exchange, Harthrax walks over to Fluttershy, his frame towering over her as she looks up at him. “Alright, freakshow, here’s how we’re going to do this: I pick you up, you get a nice view of the arena, and I drop you off at the training grounds. Questions?”

“I-I-”

“Good,” Harthrax interjects, harshly picking up the equine with a claw, causing them to yelp. He then flaps his wings and floats a few feet off the ground while looking down at Craglorn.

“Remember, don’t kill her!”

“Urgh. This had better get me laid!” He roars out. The argentavis then ascends higher and higher with powerful flaps before he eventually evens out and glides toward the direction of the ocean.

Fluttershy’s mane chaotically danced in the wind during the flight, thoughts and regrets flowing through her mind.

Before long, Harthrax performs a U-turn maneuver over the ocean and flaps his wings to hover in place, ensuring that the equine in his claw has a fine view of the arena and even a large portion of Cragg’s Isle.

“That's right. Take it all in, equus.”

Fluttershy’s ears perked up, unable to tear her eyes away from what was laid out before her.

“That arena is all you’ll come to know from this point onward. Look upon it with your ‘oohs’ and ‘awes.’ That’s how it starts. But then comes the screaming and blood spilling. At that point…you’ll learn that Dead Isle isn’t the only isle where death is- eh, you get the gist.”

Comments

[Charlie_K]

That arena isn't too far away from my marina base at the red obelisk. That fact makes me rather uncomfortable.

Also, those spike walls look like an immediate ticket out if Fluttershy decides to respawn.

[demondude123]

“Alright then, BeAsT QuEeN ,” Craglorn mocked, forming quotation marks with her fingers. “Now that we’ve got the name sorted out, give me a sec to radio a friend.”

Not a correction, just a tip that the highlighted text is a good way to portray a "stupid voice", as it were. An example of what I mean in the video below at 3:20.

[Eventide100]

Why isn't Craglorn dead yet? THAT SHIT DESERVES TO HAVE HIS BODY SHREDDED BY A GIGA OR A REAPER!!!

[Charlie_K]

11607490
My guess is that Crag can respawn, making death pretty meaningless.

No, Fluttershy and the others have to hold her down and cut that implant out of her forearm without letting her die first. Then the fun can begin.

[ShortCaveman]

The yellow one must use its brain.