|
|
Post by rubynights on Dec 23, 2011 17:17:33 GMT -5
Just weeks ago, Ruby Nights had been tried in the Ponyville Court. She could have suffered imprisonment for her actions… She could been stuck clearing up litter around the town… Instead, she had been given a temporary sentence of community service among the Ponyville Militia. At least there might be some adventures involved with that, she thought.
This must be the place… Ruby pondered as she entered a serene meadow.
She was at Whitetail Wood again. Today, Ruby had been scheduled for her first session of training and this was the location. It was a peaceful grass plain with a large, open space among the maze of trees.
Like any other day, Ruby had been prepared. She was wearing her favorite red hood, as usual. Her dagger was sheathed to her side along with the rest of her gear. She had even held onto the makeshift chain weapon she used back at the ritual. There was no telling when that thing would come in handy. Fully equipped and ready, Ruby sat her flank down over the grass. Patiently, she awaited the arrival of her superior.
|
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Dec 23, 2011 17:52:53 GMT -5
"What are you doing?" A sharp voice from behind her said, "You are not wearing that red piece of junk when we're going into the forest. You want to attract any monster within a mile radius? Take that off and put it in your pack." At that the stallion threw a dirty woodland cape at her, "This is what you're going to wear in the militia." He instructed.
He barely bothered to look at her before taking off in the direction of Everfree Forest, "Come on, what're you waiting for?" He asked, leaving her a few steps behind before turning to look at her, "We're losing daylight, and you don't want to be in Everfree at night." He advised knowingly.
Ranger did not have much patience for this crook, he was frustrated to get stuck with her. She not only hurt a Ponyville citizen, insulted him, started a fight that cost the life of a civilian and tried to run away. But she also had the balls to accuse him of Corsair Razorwing's death, solely for the fact that he survived. Something that wounded him more than he let on, because he too was blaming himself for Razorwing's death, despite the fact that deep down he knew there was nothing he could have possibly done to prevent it.
"Well?" He asked, nostrils flaring in anger.
|
|
|
|
Post by rubynights on Dec 23, 2011 23:20:59 GMT -5
“Yes, sir…” Ruby replied to the stallion, a faint tone of disgust in her voice.
She absolutely detested the feeling. Being told by other ponies what to do, what to wear… It was like home all over again. Still, Ruby had no choice but to deal with it. It was clear that he already hated her guts. She knew that rebelling against him would only make things worse.
“Let me guess… You picked these rags out especially for me, didn’t you?” Ruby sarcastically commented on the dirty woodland cape, not necessarily expecting an answer. Reluctantly, she packed her red hood away and placed the woodland cape on top of her body. She wasted no time in catching up to him. “So what's first, Ranger?”
|
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Dec 24, 2011 10:46:05 GMT -5
"Don't flatter yourself, I just took them from the storage room, and watch your tone." Ranger replied somberly, "First? We're going into the woods. Apparently there's a green salamander walking around on these edges of it. They want us to drive it away."
He turned to look at her, giving her a piercing glare to show he hasn't forgotten anything she'd done. She's going to need to work hard to redeem herself in his eyes, he just didn't see the stubborn mare actually doing it.
"Any questions?" He asked, he expected her to have questions. Salamanders were pretty dangerous, the green ones were covered in thick and deadly spikes and sharp claws, akin to a giant walking morning stars. He of course had all the necessary equipment with him, and his cloak was the one he recieved from Hoofington, after he had Sprite color it in woodland camoflauge, much more comfortable and less burdening. Also very tough.
Somewhere inside he knew he should have told Ruby before hand and let her prepare. But maybe if she gets scared enough she'll choose to go to jail instead, and he would get this burden off his back. He could almost feel the scars the ferals inflicted upon him throbbing. If only he'd found Corsair's body, had anything to bury properly. But no, Mayor Mare wanted him close since that incident in Whitetail. He scowled at the path as he walked.
|
|
|
|
Post by rubynights on Dec 24, 2011 18:40:05 GMT -5
“Yeah… What exactly can these salamanders do?” Ruby asked him as she followed along. She couldn't exactly call herself an expert on monsters and she felt the need to know exactly what she was up against. Ruby figured it would only help her to ask.
|
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Dec 24, 2011 19:35:25 GMT -5
"They have spikes all over, and if they catch you they'll eat you alive. Salamanders love it when their prey wiggles while they eat it." He said ominously, "It'll try to pin you down, so best stay away from its claws as far as possible. If you do end up getting under it, go go limp, the harder you struggle, the stronger it'll grip you."
"And don't lose sight of me, if it gets you isolated, you're done for. Those things are quick as lightning, and can blend in their surroundings pretty well. Just make sure you're near me and try not to die." He said, yawning slightly and scratching his side with a hoof.
|
|
|
|
Post by rubynights on Dec 24, 2011 22:06:32 GMT -5
His description of the creature sounded pretty nasty. If Ruby hadn’t already been in a situation like that before, she might have been given a faint shudder right at that moment. Instead, she simply continued to trot on.
“Stay near you, huh…? I can do that~” Ruby chuckled as she sped up to a light canter, setting herself next to her superior. Trotting directly beside him, she had certainly been staying close to him… perhaps a bit too close to him. Ruby had practically been of nuzzling distance to Ranger. On her expression was a sly and flirtatious smirk. Clearly, the mare had been enjoying herself. “Oh, and trust me… I would never want to lose sight of you, captain~”
|
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Dec 25, 2011 3:22:33 GMT -5
Ranger stopped irritably, "What are you doing?" He asked, pressing his muzzle against hers so hard she could feel the wood of his mask painfully against her snout, "Is this some kind of joke to you?" He didn't scold, he yelled, "Think I'm here to amuse you and when the salamander rips you hoof by hoof you're going to be laughing your flank off?" He shoved her back aggressively and continued walking, "If you're not going to take this seriously then go tell Mayor Mare I'm not having you in my Militia."
He continued off, just what he needed, another bullheaded idiot that gets themselves killed because they take everything lightly. He had half a mind to slap that mare across the face, her insolence knew no bounds. It was bad enough he had barely enough time to take care of his sister lately because of the ever increasing monster threat, and had to go into the woods to drive off monsters on almost a daily basis, but now this one comes along with her cheek and unbearable attitude? He could hardly stand it.
|
|
|
|
Post by rubynights on Dec 25, 2011 4:01:08 GMT -5
“Hey! Watch it there!” Ruby yelled out at Ranger, pressed hard against his wooden mask and then pushed away. She stumbled back a bit, but she immediately galloped back behind him. “You know, you should really think about polishing that old thing,” she commented again, referring to the stallion’s mask.
Ruby began to wonder to herself… Was there anything behind that woodspony’s uptight exterior? Sure the way she had acted around him had been pretty inappropriate… But all Ruby really wanted out of the pony was a non-stoic response. Was that so hard to ask with this stallion? Could he do anything aside from that boring no-nonsense act? For Ruby, it was pretty hard to believe. Still following his lead, the mare continued to trot forward.
|
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Dec 25, 2011 19:26:05 GMT -5
"I don't polish it because I don't have TIME to polish it. Why don't I have time to polish it? Because I have to spend every waking hour every day in the most dangerous area of Equestria keeping the things that make it so dangerous away from Ponyville. When I'm not doing that, I have to take care of my little sister, and that includes cooking, cleaning, home schooling and of course making sure she stays out of trouble. And then I have to go around chasing two bit crooks who run all around Ponyville shifting ponies for no good reason. So I apologize, I do, for not being presentable enough for you." The pony said, the amount of amassing frustration and anger in his voice grinding to a very dangerous threshold, as they approached the edge of the forest.
Ranger stood still, to make sure all of his traps were intact, before taking a strange roundabout route into the forest. The green salamander they were hunting shouldn't be too far away. He cracked his neck and readied his equipment.
|
|
|
|
Post by rubynights on Dec 25, 2011 22:30:00 GMT -5
“Shifting ponies around Ponyville…?” Ruby questioned irritably, the sly smirk on her face having disappeared. “I thought I already told you specifically that that’s not what I do…”
Being accused as a habitual murderer offended her to no end. It was a concept Ruby already thought she had managed drill into the stallion's head. If she were a murderer, then she would not have been trotting the streets of Ponyville in the first place. She would be busy being locked in some crazy pony asylum. Her speech and general appearance would have her come across as somepony a lot less sane. It was a simple concept for her… but it seemed a bad first impression was simply a difficult thing to break.
“And chill out for a moment! It was just a silly comment… she continued, adding a brief sigh as he stopped to check his traps. “I wasn’t judging you or anything by that, okay…? Not the same way you’re constantly judging me…”
|
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Dec 26, 2011 10:23:02 GMT -5
Ranger paused completely as she said what she did, he didn't turn to her, but stared fixated at some point ahead of him. "Right past this thicket, I can see it move around. It probably knows we're here." He said quietly, retreating several steps backwards.
"You better be ready, because it's not going to give you a chance once it charges." He repeated his earlier warning, now standing a bit to her side, some distraction pellets ready in his hoof.
And just at that, the creature charged, rampaging through the thicket towards the two of them. It was about twice their size, covered in thick spiny scales, two yellow eyes glistening with malevolent hunger.
GREEN SALAMANDER
The most lesser of the Salamander Family (The greatest being Red and Purple), the Green Salamander is known for its quick reflexes and crushing charge. Like other members of the family, it prefers to eat its victims live and wriggling. Its thorny spikes are a terrible obstacle to any melee fighter trying to take it down.
Special Effects:
Thorny Hide - Melee attacker has a chance to take damage on every attack or defense.
Crushing Charge - Despite its size, the Green Salamander weighs quite a bit, and has the gross musculature of buff rhino. This allows it to charge forwards with great power, smashing through obstacles and prey with ease.
Pin - The Salamander can pin any prey with its razor sharp claws, the harder the prey struggles, the more the claws dig into their flesh.
Danger Level - Medium
|
|
|
|
Post by rubynights on Dec 26, 2011 11:19:31 GMT -5
As the green salamander charged towards the two of them, Ruby tried her best to dodge out of the way while keeping to Ranger’s side. Immediately, she removed her dagger from its sheath and into her mouth. Judging from the immense size of the creature however, it was clear that this fight would take more than just a small dagger.
“So what are we going to do?!” Ruby questioned Ranger with haste, still unsure whether or not he had still been with her at that moment. For a brief moment, it hadn’t really been clear.
|
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Dec 27, 2011 0:51:38 GMT -5
Luckily for Ranger, the Salamander had been off on its charge, and missed him entirely. Ruby managed to dodge at the last second and was now requesting instructions. Ranger gave a quick flanking order before running off to the side and popping the distraction pellets on the ground, causing a series of loud bangs to echo off in the woods. Their purpose twofold - to distract the giant reptile and to keep any other animals or monsters away.
At that the massive spiked monster charged again at Ranger, nearly uprooting a tree when he dodged again. Its flanks were open for an attack, as it was facing away from Ruby, but its tail was waving around menacingly.
|
|
|
|
Post by rubynights on Dec 27, 2011 17:53:19 GMT -5
She had been given a flanking order from him. Thanks to Ranger’s distractions, Ruby had now been standing directly behind the green salamander. With her dagger held, she prepared her attack.
Ruby quickly charged in from behind, doing her best to avoid the salamander’s tail as she closed in. Its tail appeared both hazardous and problematic, reminding her in each second of her gallop to try her hardest in out maneuvering it. One little mistake could potentially ruin her entire assault. Ruby aimed to reach for the salamander’s backside, planning to strike the monster with her dagger the second she got in close proximity.
|
|
