|
Post by Lucent Leer on Mar 25, 2013 23:48:34 GMT -5
The wolf remained silent for what seemed like forever. The quiet was broken, however, as he approached him and firmly gripped his mane. Lucent feebly struggled to escape his grasp, but to no avail. It appeared the diamond dog was going to answer no questions until he had the answers he wanted! He had been a fool to expect anything else.
His intrigue was quickly replaced with fear as his aggressor moved within mere inches of his face. The unicorn could feel his own heart beating wildly against his chest, threatening to burst out at any moment.
“I....um...it s-stops sometimes,” he stammered. “Only to start again later,” Lucent quickly added. When did it first start, though? Memories of the sleepless nights in Canterlot came back to him. “Last week...at home, in Canterlot, it began,” the unicorn explained, starting to calm himself a bit. The music had slowly starting to creep into the back on his mind during that time. But where had it come from?! Did this wolf know?
Lucent thought back to the weeks prior to the haunting hymn. He had been all over Equestria during his contract with the Royal Sisters, there was no telling what could have caused it. Then, he recalled the encounter with that strange being.
“That creature,” he mumbled. The memory was so vivid, Lucent could almost fully envision it. “Wrapped in light...” The more he thought about, the more real it felt. “It couldn't have been r-r-r-r-r-...” It was no use, the word felt like it was locked inside him.
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Mar 27, 2013 8:15:22 GMT -5
Baxter suddenly heard a sharp whistle and the quick run of a biped approaching him. He already knew who it was before they called out. "Baxter!" It was Ice Fang. Had the Winter Wolf chased Baxter to this area? What would he do seeing him with a pony?
As the larger winter wolf finally slowed to a halt he looked at the situation, not quite sure what to make of it. Finally he said, "Baxter! There you are, I've been looking all over for you! Why did you run away like that?" He asked, though he did know the answer, obviously as he said a moment after, "Look, about that stuff..." He gestured towards the forest Baxter and he came from, meaning naturally the savage beating and berating he gave his companion. "I'm sorry alright? I didn't mean for you to leave. But what you did, even you have to understand it was too much. You could have killed her and then what? More diamond dog blood on your hands? Creeping up behind her with a rock? Does that sound honorable to you?"
He put his hand on Baxter's shoulder, "Come on Bax, you know better than that. So she talked dirt to you, so what? You gotta see where she's coming from, but give her time and she'll get over it. If you just use violence as the answer to everything you're no better than that scum you begged me to leave." He put his other hand on Baxter's other shoulder, "I gave up so much to give you what you want, you wanted me to go home with you and that's exactly what we're doing and now you leave? What if I couldn't find you? What if Sharp sent someone after us and they did? Or ambushed me while looking for you?"
At that he did something unexpected, he pulled Baxter close and hugged him, "You're my friend Baxter, I don't mean to hurt you, but even I have my limits. We've all been through a lot and we all sacrificed a lot. But you can't let that get us. I wouldn't have given up this job for anyone else." He said, patting Baxter on the back and breaking the hug.
"What are you going to do with the pony? I wouldn't hurt him, we've got enough enemies as it is." Ice Fang gestured at the pony, causing Baxter to look at Lucent for a split second. But when he looked back, Ice Fang was gone.
Lucent must have thought it was odd behavior indeed, for all he saw was the lone Diamond Dog talking to himself for several long minutes...
|
|
Baxter
Diamond Dogs
High Templar Winter Wolf
"Wars are not won by the weak-willed."
Posts: 238
|
Post by Baxter on Mar 27, 2013 12:43:16 GMT -5
The pony in front of him was really starting to annoy Baxter. Was it too much to ask for a straight answer? Without any misdirection or stammering? The wolf was about to smack the rest of the pony's sentence out of him when a sharp whistle caught his attention. The archer turned in the sound's direction, his eyes immediately widening. It was Ice Fang.
"...Ice Fang?" the wolf said, absent-mindedly letting go of the unicorn's mane. It was Ice Fang alright, and Baxter could hardly process a reaction. Had the other wolf actually searched for him after he'd left? Apparently.
Of course Ice Fang was right about everything he had said regarding Sammie. He felt especially stupid about the whole incident. It was yet another of his screw-ups to add to the insurmountable pile. All he had cared about was getting Sammie to shut up, to stop hearing all the reasons why he was so terrible. "I know," the wolf said heavily, "It was just another way I've screwed things up. That's why I left, because I didn't want to make things any worse. That's all I've done since we got here."
And Ice Fang was right about what he continued to say. What he'd done to Sammie didn't make him any better than the Diamond Dogs. And he hadn't been thinking clearly when he had decided to leave. He hadn't considered all the possibilities of what might happen, instead focusing on getting away from Ice Fang to keep from holding the other wolf back. Baxter didn't want to give his friend more trouble, and he didn't think he'd be able to live with Ice Fang getting that angry at him again.
The wolf looked up as Ice Fang put his hands on his shoulders, but was totally unprepared when Ice Fang pulled him in and hugged in. Baxter closed his eyes, letting out a shaky sigh. Just that one gesture meant so much. It meant he still had a friend in the world, someone who cared about him despite all the trouble he'd caused. He hadn't felt so elevated in weeks. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I just-... I know I'm a screw up. And I didn't want to keep making things worse for you." Baxter had a soft smile when Ice Fang broke the hug. He looked over at the unicorn for a split second as Ice Fang gestured in it's direction. He opened his mouth to speak as he turned back, but Ice Fang was gone.
The wolf stared into the void where his friend had just been, his smile instantly disappearing. Ice Fang was gone. In a split second, when Baxter had dared to take his eyes off him, the other wolf had completely vanished. Worry turned to panic, and soon Baxter had turned back at the unicorn, scowling at him accusingly. "Where the heck is he?!" the archer barked.
|
|
|
Post by Lucent Leer on Mar 27, 2013 14:52:30 GMT -5
Lucent tried as hard as he could to recompose himself and force the word out, but before he even got the chance, the wolf loosened his hold on him. He seemed to have spotted something behind the unicorn, even calling out to it in name.
Oh Celestia, please don't let it be more of them!
Turning around, however, he saw...nothing. Regardless, the wolf continued to talk, pouring his heart out to seemingly no one. Even after his aggressive behavior, Lucent couldn't help but feel a tinge of sympathy. It sounded like he really screwed up and deeply regretted it.
Was the other diamond dog invisible or something? No, he could at least HEAR him then. The unicorn focused his eyes, a spark of magic widening his vision. Scanning the forest proved to be fruitless, though. There wasn't another creature in sight.
Lucent thought to take this opportunity to run. This wolf was not only dangerous, he was clearly unstable too. Sure, he may have known something about the music, but it didn't look like he was going to glean anything about it from him. At least without endangering himself further. As he picked himself up, the wolf whipped around. His question only confirmed his delusion. Did he dare to tell the truth?
“There...there is no one else,” he replied frankly. “He was never here.”
|
|
Baxter
Diamond Dogs
High Templar Winter Wolf
"Wars are not won by the weak-willed."
Posts: 238
|
Post by Baxter on Mar 27, 2013 15:21:39 GMT -5
Baxter's expression changed from that of anger to worry. He looked back at the spot Ice Fang had been standing, desperately waiting for the wolf to reappear. "No. No, he was... he was..." The wolf's shoulders slouched, and he had soon sat himself on the ground, burying his head between his knees. The world was spitting in his face, taunting him with what he could never have.
That or he really was going insane. Had it gotten to the point where he couldn't even piece reality together anymore? Was this how he was going to live the rest of his life, unable to tell apart reality from mocking fantasy? Haunted by visions of things actually going right for him? The wolf looked up pathetically at the unicorn. How did he even know it was real? It looked and felt as real as Ice Fang had.
"Finish what you were saying," he said neutrally. "About the creature wrapped in light."
|
|
|
Post by Lucent Leer on Mar 29, 2013 15:29:53 GMT -5
The wolf appeared devastated when he revealed the illusion to him. Lucent wondered if he could still make a run for it, but quickly pushed the thought from his mind.
He didn't feel frightened anymore.
In fact, the faint sense of pity he felt before had expanded into empathy. He reminded himself of the helplessness he experienced in the last few days. The mystery of the meaning of that music had been maddening! He still didn't know quite what it was really even now. Worse yet, he had no clue if this was the worst he had to expect of it.
Lucent sat himself down, still keeping some distance from the wolf. “It was during an expedition to the southern reaches of Equestria. I'm a surveyor by trade. M-my team had been given a contract by the Royal Sisters to survey these lands to help map the uncharted areas and more accurately determine our borders to the Griffon Kingdom,” the unicorn began. “It was there I saw it, lurking in a cavern. I couldn't make out what it was; it practically blinded me with its glow. It never seemed to stay in one shape for long, either.” He shifted in place, the topic was clearly uncomfortable for him. “It got closer and closer and, before I knew it, I was out. Luckily, my companion found me, passed out in the cave.”
He couldn't believe he told him all that! “I-I-...I still don't know if it even happened, or even if that is the cause of this all, but it's all I got.” Lucent paused for a moment, wondering if he should say any more. “It sounds like you've got problems of your own, though.”
|
|
Baxter
Diamond Dogs
High Templar Winter Wolf
"Wars are not won by the weak-willed."
Posts: 238
|
Post by Baxter on Mar 31, 2013 21:05:06 GMT -5
"Problems are all I've got. And all I seem to create," Baxter said sorely, looking off to the side. The pony's description of the creature hadn't helped much. No such thing had happened when he started hearing the music. He had been outside Sharp's tent, and not even Sharp had known he was there until after the fact.
"I've been hearing that music for the last two weeks, non-stop. All I want is to go home and for that stupid music to go away." The wolf let out a sigh, rubbing his temples. "I'm lost, tired, weaponless, and to add to all that, now I'm starting to hallucinate."
The archer set his hands down, looking back at the unicorn. "It sounds like you don't know what's causing the music, or how to get rid of it. You don't, do you?"
|
|
|
Post by Lucent Leer on Apr 2, 2013 1:59:46 GMT -5
“Non-stop?!” Lucent repeated, returning an incredulous look. The looming presence of the music was frustrating enough, though the unicorn doubted he could bear it constantly sounding.
So that was it. He heard the eerie song as well. The wolf didn't seem to know the cause of it either, however. Sure, there was some comfort in that he may not be completely out of his mind, but that hardly brought him closer to figuring this all out!
Lucent merely shook his head to the wolf's question. “No idea.”
The wolf must have been a far way from home, he had never heard of many dogs being in the Griffon Kingdom. What was he doing all the way out here then? Had he been separated from a larger group? “W-where's home?” he asked curiously.
|
|
Baxter
Diamond Dogs
High Templar Winter Wolf
"Wars are not won by the weak-willed."
Posts: 238
|
Post by Baxter on Apr 2, 2013 9:42:06 GMT -5
Of course the pony didn't know how to stop the music. He wasn't expecting it to. But that just meant he was stuck listening to it over and over. Right now his best bet was going to see the elder once we was back home. Like Ice Fang had said, he'd probably know what to do. He had to.
"Home? The Barrens, and the only way I'm getting there is on a ship from Trottingham." Baxter was somewhat surprised how much he was revealing to the pony, but why should he care how much it knew? Was it going to go tell Sharp? No. And besides, Sharp already knew Baxter and Ice Fang were likely headed back to the Barrens. Baxter doubted the warlord cared enough to do anything.
"Of course I have no stinking idea where Trottingham is, or where anything is in this dumb valley." The wolf looked down at a small rock in front of him, trying to stare at in as frustrated a manner as possible. His mind drifted around his situation a bit before he looked back up at the pony. "I don't suppose you have a map with you."
|
|
|
Post by Lucent Leer on Apr 2, 2013 15:43:54 GMT -5
The Northern Barrens, the name sure fit it well. He had studied the place in the past, but had no desire to explore those frozen lands. He'd surely freeze his tail off!
At the word “map” the pony's eyes seemed to shine. Of course he had one! Lucent had brought a large part of his collection with him, particularly the finer ones of the Griffon Kingdom. “I actually do! Several even, spanning from Hoofington to Trottingham!” he exclaimed, barely containing his enthusiasm. “They're all back at my campsite.”
He turned about and started heading back that way before stopping himself in his excitement. Lucent looked back at the wolf, waiting to see his response.
|
|
Baxter
Diamond Dogs
High Templar Winter Wolf
"Wars are not won by the weak-willed."
Posts: 238
|
Post by Baxter on Apr 2, 2013 20:17:56 GMT -5
Baxter watched as the pony geeked out over his map collection. Oh boy, here came the gardening obsession. Or in this case, cartography. It was almost always something dumb, wasn't it? But at least this pony's talent or whatever turned out to be convenient.
The wolf picked himself up, taking a few steps as the unicorn began heading towards his campsite. Baxter stopped shortly after the pony did, waiting as it turned its head round to see if the archer was following it. "Lead on," Baxter said pointedly, motioning with his hand.
|
|
|
Post by Lucent Leer on Apr 3, 2013 12:47:12 GMT -5
Lucent nodded and led forward, cutting back through the forest. In a matter of minutes they reached the small campsite, a simple tent and crude fire pit making up the entirety of it. The pony crawled inside the tent, emerging a few seconds later with a saddlebag in tow.
He eagerly began to dig through the bag. Lucent murmured happily about the quality of each parchment as he sorted through them. “...the embossing on this one is just exquisite...” Eventually, he set a pair of scrolls aside from the collection. The unicorn unrolled both on them, revealing one to be a map of Stone Valley and the other being a more general map of the Griffon Kingdom.
“Right now we're near the south end of Lake Placid,” Lucent started, tapping a hoof at their approximate location. “And, as you can see, Trottingham is a fair bit n-northeast from the valley,” he continued, now skimming off the upper right corner of the other map.
“From here then, you would...” He trailed off mid-sentence, giving the parchment a frustrated look. There seemed to be no simple route from here to the port city. It was easy to see how the wolf got lost! Lucent had been able to find his way around the place, but only because of his familiarity with it in his past visits. The twisting paths and steep ridges hardly helped, either. “Hm, the way is a little less easy than I thought.”
|
|
Baxter
Diamond Dogs
High Templar Winter Wolf
"Wars are not won by the weak-willed."
Posts: 238
|
Post by Baxter on Apr 3, 2013 17:40:32 GMT -5
Baxter followed the unicorn to his campsite, waiting as he pulled a bag out of his tent. He rolled his eyes as the pony commented on each and every map he pulled out. He couldn't care less on their embossing or whatever. "Just pull out the ones of the Griffon Kingdom, already."
Finally the pony did just that, and Baxter leaned forward to better examine the map of stone valley. The wolf frowned as he did so, unhappy with what was being shown to him. The map had landmarks, but that meant squat when he didn't know what they looked like. He could easily mistake one of them for any dozen of things. All he knew was his current location and Trottingham, and he didn't think trying to walk in a straight line was going to do any good.
What was worse, the unicorn now made it seem that getting to Trottingham wasn't to be easy even if he understood the map. Great. "Look, am I going to be able to get to Trottingham using one of your maps or not? Would you trust someone unfamiliar with the area to get there if your life depended on it?"
|
|
|
Post by Lucent Leer on Apr 5, 2013 15:21:50 GMT -5
He thought over the wolf's question and glanced over the two scrolls again. The way looked a bit tricky, but he could probably find it himself using the map with a little guesswork. Certainly beat going into it blind. “Well, it wouldn't be easy, but I bet you could find your way with some effort.”
The wolf's words milled through his mind once more. Lucent thought he could just show him the way by pointing it out, but it had turned out to be unfortunately more difficult than that. Now it sounded like he wanted to take one of them with him! It honestly wasn't that unreasonable of a request, if these had been any ordinary maps that is! The Griffon Kingdom one had been an investment of several hundred bits! Its ornate silver lettering and intricate detailing made it all worth it, though! An old university friend had given him the Stone Valley one as a gift after hearing his admiration of the area....and of his collection.
The unicorn suddenly became a bit defensive. “I-I-I...I can't just give one of these up, sorry. They hold a considerable amount of value. You must understand!” Lucent pleaded.
|
|
Baxter
Diamond Dogs
High Templar Winter Wolf
"Wars are not won by the weak-willed."
Posts: 238
|
Post by Baxter on Apr 5, 2013 21:48:37 GMT -5
“Well, it wouldn't be easy, but I bet you could find your way with some effort.”
Good enough. It wasn't a big deal if finding his way to Trottingham wasn't a picnic, as long as he could figure out where he was going. Baxter would gladly put up with a little extra effort over wandering around the valley aimlessly.
The wolf began leaning down to pick up the two maps, only to be halted by more words from the unicorn.
“I-I-I...I can't just give one of these up, sorry. They hold a considerable amount of value. You must understand!”
The wolf slowly stood back up, his hands curling into tight fists. What?! Had this pony only invited him to his campsite to show off his collection? Baxter almost couldn't believe what he had just heard. Here he was, lost and exhausted in the middle of Stone Valley, and this twerp didn't want to give up a map because of its value?!
"I don't think you understand," the wolf said, glaring at the unicorn. "You don't have a clue what I've been through during the last few weeks, what I've dealt with physically, mentally, emotionally. I asked if you had a map. And when you say yes and bring me to your campsite, only to tell me I can't have it, that ticks me off! I suggest you hand them both over. There are worse things than an incomplete collection to deal with."
|
|