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Post by Red Charge on Apr 11, 2013 15:55:30 GMT -5
Before Gilda even finished her sentence, she suddenly found herself staring at a wall where non was a moment ago. Any attempt to dig through it or shout through it to Draft was to no avail. They were effectively separated from each other and if that wasn't bad enough - it seemed Gilda's side suddenly exited into a whole other area, one she wasn't in before. She still was weak and still had two gaping holes in her chest and now the corridor she was in was shoving her out into a large hall, full of changelings. It wasn't a moment before she was captured and dragged off, leaving Draft and Starling to complete the mission on their own.
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Draft however was chucked in another corridor, with no way to go but forward and nothing he had working on the closing corridor, the pony moved on. Where was Starling? Now they were seperated? This plan was falling apart. He exited out of the corridor into a large multi storied chamber with several bridges running below him, above him and parallel to him. Diamond Dogs patrolled one a distance above him, they have not noticed him yet but in such an open space it was only a matter of time. He could fly down, up, to a parallel bridge or continue on the one he was on. His time was running out.
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on Apr 11, 2013 17:11:25 GMT -5
Gilda slammed her talon on the newly formed barrier, banging like a drum against it, yelling at Draft to open the thing up - blaming him for setting off this trap. He perhaps even could hear her yell slanderous words at him and exclaiming she'd never follow his directions again. Her fist slamming slowly drowned out to the rising scuttling and buzzing that over took her from behind.
She turned as she was pulled away and out from the door, but only had a moment to react, she slashed at the closest Changelings that had descended upon her - talons striking out and cutting, but the lingering venom still in her system caused her muscles to seize and stiffen. Her strikes became weak and the pain from the wounds she carried overtook her, just as the Changelings did the same. She snapped and pecked with whatever energy she could muster, but it was futile.
As they carried her off, she let out one last piercing shriek. "Buck you, Draft!" What ever the horrors that were to come for her, she vowed to fight the bugs beak and talon the entire way.
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Post by Draft Design on Apr 12, 2013 23:55:18 GMT -5
As Draft began to exit the bottleneck, he almost felt pushed out by some unseen thing behind him. Turning around, he saw where there had once been a thin passageway was now a wall. The pegasus swore, silently pressing his hoof against the wall in different locations. Rock solid. He wasn't sure whether he barely heard Gilda shrieking on the other side. Could have been his imagination.
Great. This was flipping fantastic. Now Gilda, Draft, and Starling were all separated, exactly the opposite of what he wanted. Maybe if he was lucky he'd fine one of them, but in a structure this big? More likely he'd run into a changeling disguised as one of them. Regardless, he still had a mission to accomplish. And he'd do it with or without Gilda and Starling.
Continuing down the corridor, the pegasus eventually reached a tall-open chamber laden with bridges. And on those bridges, patrolling diamond dogs. What the mutts from earlier had said was true. The dogs must have been here to secure the hive. They hadn't noticed him yet, and if Draft could keep it that way, all the better. He knew there were at least one above him, and figured his best option was to duck down out of its sight before it saw him while still flying across the chamber. He'd just have to do his best to make it out of there without getting spotted.
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Post by Red Charge on Apr 15, 2013 17:06:53 GMT -5
Draft managed to fly undetected through the chamber, catching a snippet of conversation from the diamond dogs above him as he did.
"How long have they been in there?"
"I don't know, but the changelings said there were intruders trying to get in. That big quake was supposedly caused by some undead freak trying to break apart one of those sticky things holding this place up."
"You scared?"
"No, heh, they try to attack I'm sure she'll make short work of them."
The conversation faded out before Draft could hear who they were talking about. Now he landed on a lower deck leading further into the hive. He was definitely not moving closer to Gilda, but if he could get to the queen in time, maybe he could stop them from harming her.
So they mistook Starling for an undead, but the dog said they chased him off, did he abandon them? Starling wasn't known as the type who would run away, perhaps he pretended to do so and snuck in regardless? Even with all of his equipment, it was apparent that Draft alone would not be able to subdue the Diamond Dog guards as well as Queen Chrysalis and whoever it was that was in conference with her.
Perhaps the best plan now was to try and find the Field Marshal.
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Post by Draft Design on Apr 16, 2013 14:02:30 GMT -5
Draft landed one one of the chambers decks, trying to quickly process what he had just heard. The hive had mistaken Starling's attack for the undead. Good. It meant they probably didn't know he was here, which certainly changed things. Draft couldn't trust the first Starling he saw, but it definitely lowered the likelihood that the changelings knew to disguise themselves as the field marshal. Maybe trying to find him was now the best option.
The changeling queen was one thing, but combined with any guards she had accompanying her and whoever she was meeting with, well, that was another. Speaking of which, Draft was intrigued by this visitor the dogs were talking about. Whoever she was, they certainly seemed to be confident in her abilities. Unless it was a diamond dog, he could only think of one other person the Invasion Force might send on such an errand. And if it was her, then Starling would probably be a necessity.
He was about to begin his trek towards finding the field marshal when a sudden thought popped into his head. Starling would probably be closest to where he had snapped that strand. But that was also where almost all the hive would be. The pegasus sighed, deciding not to waste time agonizing over it. He'd just have to be smart, not head directly through where he thought the changelings would be clustering. Surely Starling would be doing the same.
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Post by Red Charge on Apr 17, 2013 16:46:20 GMT -5
Yet sadly, Draft didn't find any more paths leading in a different direction than his. Going back revealed the bridges were now packed with changelings and Diamond Dogs. Perhaps they have smelled him?
Either way there was only one way to advance now, inwardly. He progressed through the corridors going past many rooms that seemed alien to him. In some were griffons in other ponies even Diamond Dogs. Or were they? He didn't find Gilda or Starling yet, however. Just a well guarded entrance to the Queen's chamber and a tunnel above it. Perhaps the Changelings didn't expect the undead to fly, but the tunnel above led up to what appeared to be a hatch of some sort with a small opening. Maybe a vent? More likely an ambush position if someone was to attack the queen.
Through it Draft could see Queen Chrysalis in all her glory. She seemed perfectly recovered from her prior experience in Equestria and even more intimidating than before. However, the two near her were Draft's real concern. Warlord Sharp himself and the Pirate Lord Blackmane.
"I don't know about this undead business." Said Blackmane in her monotone voice, "Nor do I care. The dogs are here as a sign of good will, I am here as a warning." She said to the Queen, who seemed to shy away from her, nodding submissively.
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Post by Draft Design on Apr 17, 2013 22:09:07 GMT -5
Dogs and bugs had flooded the multi-storied chamber, so the only way Draft could go now was forwards. He passed several rooms, some of which had what looked like ponies, griffons, and diamond dogs. Looked like was a key phrase. They were clearly bugs disguised as such.
Eventually Draft reached what could only be the entrance Chrysalis's chambers. if the guards standing outside weren't indication enough, Draft could see her through a tunnel above the entrance. And with her was Blackmane and the mutts' warlord. He had been expecting the pirate lord, at least after all the blabbing the dogs had done, but the big, muscular diamond dog accompanying her was a surprise. Now he and Starling would have to deal with Chrysalis, her guards, a pirate lord capable of almost wrecking an entire air fleet, and the head of the whole stinking invasion.
Could they even? Draft knew he alone had no chance at killing or capturing the queen, and even with a pony like Starling... But what else could Draft do? Leave? True, the corporal now had valuable intelligence. He knew more about the inside of the hive than anyone else. How to get to the throne room, what sort of creatures a task force might expect, all this information would be useful in a future assault. Gilda was either dead or captured, and trying to find her could get himself killed. And Starling? He could easily handle his own.
Draft gave a final look into the queen's chamber before turning back the way he came. It ticked him off to say the least, to come all this way and give up for what they'd come here for. But circumstances wouldn't have it. They needed to come back with a bigger team, better knowledge of the hive, and the warlord and Blackmane miles away. He'd make up for not getting Chrysalis this time. If Rainlock would let him, he'd be part of the task force that came back to finish the job.
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Post by Red Charge on Apr 18, 2013 14:10:46 GMT -5
But as soon as he began to move out of the way, he noticed Starling, a very... gooey Gilda draped over his back, dispatching the guards at Chrysalis' door with ease. "Running away are we?" Starling asked, "Didn't know you Rainlock goons were cowards."
Bursting into the throne room, Starling caught Chrysalis, Sharp and Blackmane by Surprise. Beckoning Draft to go in and placing the unconscious Gilda in the corner. "You know, the whole thing was very clever, I almost fell for it too." He said, "You would have managed it too had I been trying to be more stealthy."
He pressed forwards towards Chrysalis and the two, "But unfortunately for you I did manage to deal with some of your Diamond Dogs. Just to watch them turn back into Changelings. They never came here, they ditched you, left you for the undead. You're not Sharp and she's not Blackmane. The only question is, are you Chrysalis?"
At that, the Sharp and Blackmane glanced at each other, reverting to their original forms while Chrysalis glared at Starling nervously. The one impersonating the Diamond Dog was obviously a warrior, but what caught Starling's eye was the wooden mask he was wearing, he saw that mask before.
"I see." He said to Ranger, "All this time then?"
The changeling nodded.
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Post by Draft Design on Apr 18, 2013 14:35:07 GMT -5
Starling. Draft was relieved to see the field marshal, even if his comment ticked the pegasus off. And better yet, there was Gilda, still alive. With ease Starling had taken care off the changeling guards and passed off the griffon to Draft.
After they had entered the throne room, Draft did as Starling indicated and moved the unconscious Gilda to a corner. She may be useless right now, but better to leave her in sight than let the bugs run off with her again. But Draft was surprised by what Starling said to the changeling queen, realizing soon enough that the warlord and Blackmane had been mere changelings in disguise. "Those conniving insects!" Draft thought. He had been expecting the bugs to misdirect the three by changing to look like the two ponies and griffon, but disguising as their own allies (or former it seemed)?
Draft pulled out his crossbow, loading a bolt into it and setting his sights on the three changelings, ready to fire at the first that moved. "Why even resist? The dogs have left you to die. If you come with us and tell us what you know, maybe it can work out to your benefit. Take your pick; we can either bring you with us alive or leave you here dead."
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Post by Red Charge on Apr 21, 2013 11:04:04 GMT -5
"Shut up." Starling barked at Draft, turning back to the three and deliberately placing himself between them and Draft so he couldn't get a shot.
"I think we both have much more to gain from working with each other than from killing you all." He said seriously, Ranger, the masked Changeling, looked at Chrysalis with concern and she continued to stare at Starling, though a quiver in her holed hoof betrayed her nervousness.
"I don't want to end up like that hive in the Griffon lands." She said finally, "What do you want?"
"I am willing to train your warriors to fight the undead, even allow them to use my form to do so, but in return you must swear a life oath to ally with us and do what we require of you. None of you changelings ever got it - with cooperation you could achieve your goals far more than you would otherwise."
Chrysalis now seemed visibly afraid, both of her changeling guards turned to her for guidance, "My queen," Ranger said, "You can't possibly..."
"Quiet." She commanded, "I really have no choice in this do I? It's either this or death?"
"None of your guards will be able to stop me from killing you." Starling affirmed.
Chrysalis continued to think.
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Post by Draft Design on Apr 21, 2013 13:08:26 GMT -5
Draft stiffened as Starling ordered him to keep quiet and blocked his line of sight. What did the field marshal think he was doing? Had they not come here to either capture or assassinate Chrysalis? That was the choice Draft had given her: life or death.
But no, Starling had commandeered the situation, wanting to play politics instead. The corporal lowered his crossbow somewhat now that he no longer had a clear shot, but kept his gaze fixated on the three changelings. If Starling wanted to subjugate the bugs into loyalty with Equestria, it would have been nice if he had at least told Draft and Gilda. Even then, Draft didn't trust the changelings' word, and why Starling did was beyond him.
What Starling said about training the changelings to fight the undead, and letting them use "his form"... that was confusing. Did it have something to do with the dog-disguised changelings mistaking Starling for an undead? Probably.
Draft remained silent while Starling and Chrysalis hashed it out. He knew what would happen if he said anything; Starling would just tell him to shut up again. That left him with little else to do, other than glare at the three bugs in front of him. He especially didn't like the one with the stupid wooden mask. Why the heck did a changeling need a mask anyway?
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on Apr 23, 2013 17:17:25 GMT -5
Gilda began to rouse from her shock induced stupor; her first thoughts were of trying to recall where she was. The walls, the black horrid creatures nearby, Draft and Starling. Still in the Hive... she let out a groan. Her body was felt wrecked, pain stabbed at her insides while her body itched and was ripped with the fire of having been flayed. She couldn't recall what had happened to her, she remembered being abducted and then everything was a black void of memories. The occasional flash of memory lashed out at her, making her shake and want to scream. Through mercy, she shut down before their fiendish activities begun.
She rose her head and looked around through burning eyes. "What... what is going on?" She moaned out in confusion as she ran her talons through her fur and feathers, clawing at the feeling of new found disgust, she felt filthy, violated, humiliated and degriffonized. Rocked with sickness, brought on by some terrible pain in her gut and wrapped with anxiety, she lost everything she had consumed in the last few hours. Retching off into a corner. She stumbled back and collapsed once more, shaking as if drowning in a frozen lake; she had become numb and silent, wallowing in the horror of the glimpses of thoughts torturing her. The prideful creature was brought crashing down into a shell of her former self.
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Post by Red Charge on Apr 24, 2013 22:19:50 GMT -5
"I'll be with you in a second Gilda." Starling said, turning back to Chrysalis sternly, this time drawing one of the retractable blades on his armor.
"Make your decision, Chrysalis, you either die as a villain, or live long enough to become a hero."
"Don't you dare threaten the queen!" The female changeling who impersonated Blackmane outraged, "You'll still have to go through us to get to her."
"It won't be as easy even for you Starling." Ranger growled.
"No, I'll do it, I'll do it. Just don't hurt my subjects." Chrysalis said, now looking shaken, "Just let us live, please." She begged, both of her guards seemed crestfallen. A hum of disappointment came from the walls around them and they just noticed that there were changelings surrounding them all.
"But I demand food for all my subjects." The changeling queen bargained, "Food so we will not starve and grow weak."
"Agreed. But we do it the right way, no shapechanging, no deceit. Are we clear?" Chrysalis nodded to that.
"Then give me your hoof." Starling commanded, passing between Ranger and the female changeling to approach the queen, who placed her chitinous hoof on his own armored one. The rune that Starling had painted on his armor before the mission began to glow.
"I Starling, swear to provide my form and training to help the changelings fight the undead, as well as help create a stable alliance between the hive and Equestria, so that the changelings will never grow weak from starvation." He recited, his hoof began to glow brightly.
"I Chrysalis, swear to cease all hostile activities against Equestria, become its faithful ally, and follow the instructions of the Field Marshal Starling as they are given to me and co-operate when needed in exchange." Her own hoof began to glow as she recited her part.
And then they both said at once, "Then the pact is sealed." And the glow subsided, leaving a visible mark on Chrysalis' hoof, possibly one on Starling's as well, but it was impossible to see it beneath his armor.
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Post by Draft Design on Apr 25, 2013 8:24:14 GMT -5
Draft diverted his eyes for just a moment when Gilda stirred and asked where she was. He could hear her empty her stomach behind him, but kept his focus on the changelings. As much as he wanted to help her, he wasn't going to let his guard down for a second. It was only when Chrysalis had finally agreed to Starling's offer that he heard the sound of changelings all around them. Of course, the sneaking bugs had been spying on them the whole time.
The deal seemed mostly in Equestria's favor, though Draft didn't like that Starling had agreed to provide the changelings with food. What did that mean, that they were going to start handing over ponies to the changelings to satisfy their appetite? Definitely not worth anything the changelings had to offer. Not that that stopped Starling. Draft might as well have not been there considering how un-involved he was in the entire thing.
Soon enough Starling and Chrysalis made some sort of pact, which looked binding based off the new symbol on Chrysalis's hoof. He sure hoped Starling knew what he was doing. All Draft really seemed allowed to do was continue glaring at the bugs. At least, that seemed the only thing he could do without letting them out of his sight.
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on Apr 25, 2013 20:51:25 GMT -5
Gilda began to rise from her huddled mess, her horror and disgust now turning to blind anger. With every waking moment, the terror of what she had endured under their capture was becoming clearer and with it, her rage grew.
"WHAT!?" She shrieked. "Look what they did to me and - and you're entering into a pact! Kill her, destroy them all!" Her rage begun to consume her with a fire in her eyes that rivaled the pits of Tartarus. Her body shook, rocked with a rage which threatened to destroy the fledgling pact. She advanced towards Starling the Chrysalis, her talon scraping against the cold stone floor eliciting sparks that craved blood. "They wrecked me, they used me for their licentious hunger; tell me why they can still stand there, eyes scorching my soul. This burning, this fire in my skin... how can they be absolved with a shake of a hoof!? Destroy them! Let them taste the fires of Tartarus. I'll wrought it by my talons alone if I have too!" She flashed her wings and took to a low hoover, just a foot from the ground.
Gilda clenched her talons, she was losing control. Her righteous anger, brought on by the horror she endured had taken over. She was becoming death and death shall she sow. All form of reason, logic and thought disappeared, all that was left was an angry griffon hellbent in exacting revenge, perhaps rightly so. A few beats of her wings and she was behind Starling, the only barrier between her and her revenge - yet she stopped, fearing (albeit however unlikely) harming the armored stallion. "She needs to pay for what her brood has done - so move aside, NOW!" She demanded, choked with tears and consumed by both fear and anger. All she saw was her tormentors before her and they had to pay.
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