((Part 2. Read part 1 above first! Apologies to Impending Doom and DVNO. I tried to work Otik into the fight scene, but it just didn't seem to work out. I tried fiddling with Couth's actions and dialogue, but that came out funky too. I decided to leave it as it stood instead. I hope that's alright with everyone.))
Falcata is silently surprised that the duchess knew her by name, but recollects herself. “Yes, my lady.”
Charity looks over to Khenal, past the again crying Lilac and asks, “Khenal, are you well enought to join us?”
He shakes his head and makes a small gesture to his ribs. “No, duchess. My ribs are still well and truly broken, and my magic is only at around half capacity.” He pauses. “I could look after I heal, but iI'll likely be in this bed for days.”
“Hmm, he's been free for months, I suppose a few more days couldn't hurt. If anything is amiss, I'd feel better having a proven mental mage with us. What do you think Falcata?” She smiles at the guard pony.
“I... yes, my lady. I believe Khenal is probably the best pony for the job.” She returns a small smile.
Otik continues to hug Lilac and says to her softly, “Tha' wos yer daddy's virtue. Loyalty. To th'bitter end an' well beyond.” She suddenly trips and falls, and as she sees everypony else in the room beset by myseterious invisible assailants, she adds, “An apparently dirty tricks. Very funny Carrot, we're all very amused!”
Charity watches Khenal's bed collapse under him, and shouts, “That's enough Carrot! Stop this madness!”
“Then come to the tower...” Carrot's voice echoes through the hospital.
“Daddy!?” Lilac cries out again.
Khenal groans and tries to catch his breath despite the stabbing pain in his chest. “...think you could levitate me that far?”
Falcata looks shyly at the duchess. “Perhaps... with help.”
Otik stands and walks over to Khenal. “If th'two of ye could take some o' the weight, I might could carry 'im.”
Charity sighs. “Captain... alright. Change of plans. Miss Falcata, and anypony willing, I'm going to the tower.” With a soft glow of her horn, Khenal begins to lift into the air. “Alright friend, let's go. Falcata, a horn please?”
Khenal sighs in relief as the weight is taken from his ribs. Falcata nods and adds her own magic to the field, bringing Khenal easily into the air and onto Otiks' back. “Thank you, my friends,” Khenal says, smiling at all the ponies helping him move.
“Wait, don't leave me!” Lilac shouts.
“Khenal, can ye move yer legs? Be a dear an' grab Lilac fer me, would ye?”
“I think I can handle her, unless you'd rather go play with Kris?”
Lilac shakes her head vigorously. “No! I want to see daddy!”
Khenal's horn glows softly as Lilac is lifted from the ground. “Oh, Luna we mus' look silly,” Otik remarks as the group leaves the hospital. The party precariously make their way up the stairs and to the surface, attracting many stares from passing haulers.
Falcata is breathing heavily from the exertion, not accustomed to using her magic so heavily for so long, but she continues on stoically. As they reach the third floor of the tower, they find that it has been filled to the brim with stone coffins. In the far north east corner flanked by twin statues sits a lone masterfully crafted wooden box. This is the tomb of Pyscho Carrot, and of numerous other ponies and their pets. Something was wrong though... one of the walls was crumbling...
“Hi guys!” Carrot shouts suddenly, causing everypony to drop Khenal in fright. Otik flaps her wings furiously to keep the two aloft, but they fall in a heap. Falcata cringes as her magical tether holding Khenal aloft is severed.
Khenal lets out a pained shout as he falls to the ground, as Carrot steps over. “Umm... are you alright?”
“Why do I always have to break ribs?”
Charity looks over. “Sorry, Khenal.”
He groans again. “It's... it's alright.”
Carrot helps him up. “Nice to be back...”
Khenal resists the help and says, “Please, Carrot. Let me... lay down...”
“I've got you pal,” Carrot insists, hefting Khenal onto his shoulders. “Anypony going to explain why Khenal's hurt?”
Charity glares at Carrot. “Carrot, he's hurt. You're not helping.” She gently levitates Khenal once again, careful to keep the pressure off his broken ribs. Khenal flinches, expecting a fresh surge of pain, but is pleasantly surprised to find the new position to be comfortable.
Carrot snorts and looks away. “Heh, try to help a friend and what do you get? Nothin'...”
A groan comes from behind everypony as Otik stands. Her wing is now trailing the ground. She tests it and scowls as a wave of pain rolls along her wing and back. Falcata turns to her and notices the injury. “Lieutenant... are you hurt?”
“I think it's broke-AUG”
As Falcata looks over Otik, Khenal looks to Carrot. “So... what did you need to show us, Carrot?”
He motions and turns away. “Follow me.” He leads the group to the back of the room, where a wall is missing and exposed to the outside air. “This.”
Charity shakes her head. “Thunder won't be happy to hear about this,” she mumbles to herself.
“It gets worse,” Carrot adds. “There's a grapnel hanging over here...” He points to a metal rung with something hooked onto it. “The cults meet up there.”
Otik snorts as she moves wrong. “So... somepony broke.. inta th' tower... from the outside?”
“Exactly.”
Falcata raises an eyebrow and looks to Carrot. “Who?”
“Darkmane. That's who.” Carrot fluffs his wings.
Charity looks around. “Thundersplinter lives here in the tower. Just two floors up. She might know something.”
“Let's go then,” Carrot says, turning to his old friends. “Now, let's finish what we started.” He smiles darkly. “It's time we fight. But this time, we'll win.”
Khenal stares at him. “Huh? Fight? Um...”
Otik gestures to her broken wing. “Half o' us are messed up.”
Charity nods. “A fight? If we're going to arrest Couth, shouldn't we get Isos or Starkey?”
Carrot shakes his head. “No, this is a fight and only we can handle it.”
Khenal looks down. “I hope we're ready...”
Falcata then realizes that she hasn't brought her weapon or any of her armor. “I hope so too...”
Carrot strikes a heroic pose. “We fight for peace, we fight for liberty, we fight for Glitterglen! Now, in the name of Luna, may we find victory! Everypony, follow me!”
Charity holds her weapon close. “Carrot, isn't this a little rash? Half of us are injured, and there aren't enough weapons to go around. Shouldn't we get help?”
Falcata nods. “Yes... but is this much force necessary to deal with him?”
Carrot sighs in exasperation. “We may die, we likely will, but death is just a small obstacle... if you know the way around. It's time we stop waiting and start fighting!”
“That's easy for you to say, Carrot,” Charity ripostes. “You're already dead. Not all of us are so ready to give up our lives in a foalish attack without any backup!”
Falcata looks up. “If there is no time to waste... I will do my best. Captain, what exactly are we up against?”
“The leader of the darkest cult.” He looks at the concerned expressions and adds, “You guys don't want to fight, fine. I came back expecting ponies, but all I see are whiny, scared fillies!”
Falcata glowers at Carrot. “I am not a coward...”
Khenal nods. “We want to stop him, but half of us are severely injured, Carrot.”
“Did that ever stop you before, Khenal?”
“No, but I've never been this injured before! I'm only able to draw the very dregs of my magic, I can't even walk right now!”
Charity lowers her weapon and adds, “Carrot, we just don't know what's going on. If something is happening and we need to act now, then we will go, prepared or not. But running off half-cocked when we don't need to is foalish.”
Falcata steps forward again. “I am not a coward. If you think we can face this, then I'll do everything in my power.”
Charity nods. “If my city is in danger, I'm not going to just run from it. Let's go.”
“If you can get me there, I'll do my best,” Khenal adds.
Carrot smiles. “Now that's the ponies I remember!” He gestures to the whimpering Lilac and says, “Only one issue... anypony want to get her to safety?”
Charity turns to Otik. “Otik, you should take Lilac home. And then see a doctor about your wing.”
Otik stares back in silence for some time before reluctantly agreeing. “Aye, I'll get 'er to safety.”
As she limps off, Carrot turns to Khenal. “Here, you'll want this.” He tosses the Loyalty Knife to him. He looks down to Charity and adds, “Charity, you don't have to do this. If you die, Glitterglen will fall.”
Falcata forms a stern expression. “I won't allow that to happen.”
Charity frowns. “If I leave then that'll just leave you and Falcata against him. I'm no warrior, but I can help.”
From above, shouts and the sounds of metal weapons clanging against armor can be heard. “I hear fighting above us... let's go!” Carrot leads the group up the stairs to the roof. Falcata paces ahead of the duchess, ready to intercept any threats that present themselves.
As they reach the roof, they find Couth Darkmane and Amberley Vail dueling to the death. “For the princesses!” the inquisitor shouts as she swings her weapon at him.
“This is the part where you fall down and bleed to death!” he retorts, dodging the blow and returning in kind.
“Darkmane, surrender!” Khenal shouts.
The pony turns to face the new arrivals with a grin. “Oh, look at this! Charity and her merry band of saps!” He looks at the state of the party. "You're all so weak, this fight isn't even fair." His eyes widen. "You're the protectors of Glitterglen? You're the thin line keeping the diomedian hordes from our throats? Ha! What a joke!" He parries a strike from the inquisitor and adds, "They're not monsters, you know. They can be reasonable, but no! No, Couth, it's heresy to fraternize with the enemy, Couth!" He beams a glare at Charity between ducking swings and says, "Just let the strung out murderous aristocrat handle it, she's infalliable! You're paranoid, Couth!"
He looks and Khenal and Falcata. "Let the walking daemon time-bomb fix it when he's done abusing Friesden in the dungeon! Just sit back and let the militia pony dying of stomach rot save us all, Couth! By Discord, am I the last sane pony in this accursed jungle!?" he shouts in a frenzy. He composes himself, backing away from Amberley to buy a moment more. "The diomedians just want a foal. One. Single. Foal. If you can't harden your hearts and sacrifice a foal for the needs of many, I gladly will! Please, turn a blind eye, separate what's ethical from what's survival! Don't make me cut you down!"
“In the name of the princesses, I order you, Couth Darkmane, to stand down!” Charity adds. Falcata takes up a defensive position in front of the duchess, again wishing she had a weapon.
Charity places Khenal down so that she use her full concentration on her weapon. Darkmane kicks Carrot away as he draws close and continues swiping at Amberley.
“Falcata, use this!” Khenal shouts, levitating Loyalty for her to take.
She turns to see the weapon floating gently before her and takes it with her magic. “Thank you, Khenal.”
“We need to help the inquisitor!” Charity shouts. Khenal nods and his horn begins to glow as he prepares a spell. In turn, Charity's own horn begins to glow.
Darkmane chuckles as he takes yet another swing at Amberley, scoring a hit against her barding. Falcata looks at the knife nervously and steps forward. She hadn't used a knife in a very long time, but she would do what she could.
Suddenly, Darkmane hurls a knife at Khenal, which embeds itself in his back. Undaunted, Khenal completes his spell. As it fires off, he gains insight into Couth's mindscape. What he finds is the cold of a twisted slum, running with dark shadows and crevices. So cold...
Charity reaches out with her magic and tries to wrest Darkmane's weapon away. His swing misses badly leaving an opening that Falcata siezes. She lunges with the knife, which bites deep into his side. He snarls in pain and turns to face her. “You won't get another shot like that again!” he shouts, lunging with his own weapon.
She turns at the last moment, avoiding the weapon impaling her only to have it dig a massive gash across her side. She staggers backward, gasping in pain. She readies her weapon again and takes another ineffective swing.
Darkmane turns away from her to catch a sword blow to his face, slicing into his eye. He screams and backs away form Amberley, covering the bloody wound. Charity continues to wrestle with his weapon, keeping him from making any accurate strikes.
Khenal sees the opportunity and begins charging another spell. The spell goes off, a modified construct with the sole purpose of shattering Darkmane's sense of self. The spell engulfs Darkmane, but nothing happens, and he simply shakes his head and looks over to Khenal.
“You'll pay for that!” He draws another knife and hurls it at Khenal. Charity spots the motion and tries to stop it with her magic. In her haste, she merely slows and deflects it back toward herself.
“No!” Falcata sees the weapon divert and throws herself between it and the duchess. She manages by some miracle, one way or another, to put herself between the two. The blade embeds itself in her stomach, and she lets out a pained shriek.
“Falcata!” Khenal and Charity shout as one as they see what happens. Charity lowers her horn and charges at Darkmane.
Darkmane simply chuckles and looks at the fallen pony. “One down...”
“Guh... gah...” Falcata whimpers, trying to fight through the pain to get to her feet.
Khenal's face contorts with anger as he prepares another spell. The spell goes off, engulfing Darkmane and finally succeeding at its purpose. Instantly, he feels his forelegs go numb, and he tumbles to the ground. “Wha... why can't I move!?” he shouts, eyes wide as saucers.
Falcata begins to rise, clenching her teeth and muttering curses under her breath. She begins to feel faint, and realizes that the weapon must have been poisoned. She feebly reaches for Loyalty with her magic, but it seems to zig and zag from her aim as her vision blurs. “Wh... wha...” Carrot swoops in a moment later and grabs her, setting her down near the stairs.
Charity finally reaches Darkmane, and rams her horn into his body. As it penetrates his flesh, she releases the spell she held. A force field forms in his body, and in an instant it expands exponentially. Darkmane manages a single surprised grunt before his body is reduced to a flying spray of gore.
Falcata tries again to feebly rise to her feet, but the strength leaves her. “No... L... Lady Charity...”
Charity turns to see Falcata struggling and hurries over. She examines the weapon sticking from her belly and says, “Leave the knife in for now. Pulling it out will only increase the bleeding, we have to get her to the doctors.”
Falcata looks up to Charity, her eyes crossed slightly. “Is... is the duchess... okay?”
She nods. “I'm okay Falcata, thanks to you.” She moves her face close to Falcata's and says, “Let's get you to Bubbles.” She proceeds to lift the injured guard with a flare of her magic.
Falcata forms a small smile. “That's... nice...” she mutters. She looks over to Khenal. “Estoc... you.. shouldn't be here...”
Carrot looks down to her. “Oh... sisters... Khenal...”
Charity quirks an eyebrow and looks down to the suffering guard. “Estoc?” Falcata only replies with a pained moan. “She's delirious... we've got to get her to the hospital.”
“Please, pull through,” Khenal says, giving her a pleading expression. As Carrot continues to call his name, he looks over to him.
“Only one kind of thing can cause this kind of behavior...” he whispers to Khenal. “You know what I'm talking about...”
“Can you help her?”
“And risk hurting her futher...? Khenal, I'm no doc...”
“Then we have to leave it to Bubbles,” Khenal replies, hanging his head.
Falcata continues to moan as Charity hurries on to the hospital. “K-Kukri... why... do I hurt.. so much?”
“It's alright. You'll be better soon.” Upon reaching the hospital, Charity begins calling for a doctor. “Bubbles! Alen! One of you get out here!”
“Th-thank you, sister...”
As they enter, they find Nuse Venture tabulating some of the hospital's supplies. She turns to them and shock appears across her face. “Oh my!”
“Venture, she's been stabbed. She needs help, now.” Her face grows more worried. “Also, she seems to be hallucinating... it might be blood loss, or maybe something on the blade, I don't know.”
The nurse trots over and begins examining her. “Let me see her...” She takes a look at the badly bleeding gash across Falcata's side and the knife sticking from her stomach. “Oh... my... this is not good at all...”
Falcata's eyes flutter for a moment. “Wh... where did Estoc... go?”
Venture hurries over to her supplies and retrieves some gauze and medical tape. She applies it to the bleeding wound on Falcata's side, and takes a look at the knife. “That knife is the tricky part. Cover your ears, everypony.”
Charity fidgets for a moment, unsure of what to do. She decides to sit in front of Falcata, where the guard can see her, and tries to assure her that she's going to be alright. After another urging from the nurse, she covers her ears.
“Estoc... shouldn't be here... that... wouldn't...” Falcata mutters.
Venture examines the wound for another moment before using her magic to yank the knife out quickly. She hastily applies the gauze and medical tape to the open wound and uses her magic to slow the bleeding as much as possible. Falcata lets out a scream, but it is weak and hollow, attenuated by her fatigue. “Alright... that's all I can do... unless you know any painkiller spells?”
Charity shakes her head and watches the scowls of agony cross Falcata's face. “No, I don't.”
“Well, make sure she doesn't get out of bed for at least a month... I can't stress this enough.”
***
Atop the tower, Khenal is still laying near the staircase. A frustrated glower covers his face as the events that just stranspired flash through his mind. He lets out a breath as Carrot sits next to him. “What's got you down?”
“This entire situation!”
Carrot looks down to him. “Go on... let it out.”
Khenal responds with a glower for some time. “Daemonic cults, ponies losing their lives, their minds, their souls!”
Carrot gives him a gentle pat on his good shoulder. “It'll be alright pal, we've been through worse...”
Khenal locks eyes with Carrot, tears beginning to flow down his cheeks. “No, we haven't.”
Carrot smiles and places a wing around Khenal. “Trust me, as long as this old body holds up, I won't let anything bad happen to you or Friesden...”
“I know, Carrot. I just... hate feeling so useless!”
“Whoa, take it easy... I know what it's like... Not having control of the situation, watching all of your friends get hurt and die. I've seen it all.”
***
Amberley Vail approaches the jail cells of the captive heretics. One by one, she executes each. Finally, the taint of the cultists, along with their heretical leader, were purged from Glitterglen.
***
It has been several days since the events on the top of the tower. Duchess Charity has organized a victory feast for those who took part in the cleansing of Glitterglen, and has arranged for Falcata to be seated to her right. The pony grunts as she tries to get comfortable. She isn't quite sure why the duchess asked for her to be positioned next to her during the dinner.
“Miss Falcata, that was a very courageous thing for you to do, taking that knife for me on top of the tower.”
Falcata feels her face flush, once again thankful that her fur covers most of it. She forms a small smile. “Oh... thank you, my lady. I... was just doing my job.”
Cryptson, who was sitting to Charity's left, speaks up, “I'd like to add my thanks as well miss. You might very well have saved her life.”
Falcata continues to blush. “Of course, my lord. I... just did the first thing that came to mind... I'm sure anypony else would have done the same...”
Inquisitor Vail and Commissar Abel enter the room now, fortunately lacking Schmutz. The commissar makes his way over to Charity and finds a seat near her. “My lady, it would be an honor if you would accept my sitting next to you.”
Falcata notices him sit near her and tries to keep her heart rate stead. Oh boy... so many important ponies...
Charity smiles. “Nonsense, most wouldn't take a blow for somepony that wasn't even kin. But, tell me Falcata, where are you from?”
“I'm from a town called Coupledy. It's about two weeks' travel east of the capital.”
“I see, and you hav ea little filly, right?”
Falcata nods. “Yes, my lady. My daughter Kris.”
“So, what made a mother such as yourself interested in joining the guard?”
Falcata looks down in silence for a moment. Did the duchess know why she had been sent to Glitterglen? Best not to bring it up if she didn't. “I was a city guard in Coupleday for several years before Kris was born. It's what I know better than anything.”
“I see, well, I have just one more question for you, if you would indulge me. Do you believe in curses?”
Khenal has been laying where he was placed, his expression drifting into a frown occasionally. When he catches it, he puts back on a relaxed smile, that eventually drifts back to a frown. As he notices Charity and Falcata talking, a genuinine smile creeps onto his face. Falcata deserved something good, he thought to himself.
Falcata raises an eyebrow to the duchess' question. What did that mean? “Well... before I moved here, I'd have probably said no. As much as I've seen in the last few days though, I'm willing to be a bit more open minded.”
“Hmm, I see,” Charity responds, nodding. “Well, I'm going to offer you a position. However, there have been some murmurs among the militia and guard that the job might be cursed. It is an important job however. Would you like to hear more?”
Falcata pauses for a moment, puzzlement on her face. “Yes, my lady. If it's a job that needs doing and you think I'm fit. I'm not afraid.”
“After the incident with the amulets, I promoted Carrot to captain of a new squad. One that was to be my personal guard. When he... stopped being for a while.. Crest First took over as captain, but then he died too. Now my guard is down to its last two members, Madush and Captain Osal. Osal has suffered terrible injures in every battle since his coming to Glitterglen.
After the last battle where all four of his legs were broken for the third time, he asked to be moved back down to private. Falcata, I'd like, when you recover, to take over as captain of my bodyguard.”
Falcata's eyes grow wide and she stands with some effort. She kneels before Charity and says, “My lady! I'm... I'm honored!”
Charity urges her to rise. “Please sit, you're still injured, you don't need to over exert yourself.”
At the back of the room, Carrot approaches Khenal. “Khenal...”
“Hey, Carrot. How are you?”
“Good... a bit ill... but...”
Khehal quirks an eyebrow. “Ill? Really?”
“Yeah.. I ugh...” he begins as his face begins to turn green. “Urgh... hold on...” He dashes outside, where he deposits his stomach contents onto the shirt of some unfortunate pony. He stumbles back in, falling over halfway.
“Carrot!” Khenal's horn glows softly as he levitates his friend over to get a better look at him.
“Ugh...”
Khenal levitates Carrot closer, raising an unsteady hoof to touch him. “Carrot? Is there anything I can do?”
“It hurts...”
Concern grows on Khenal's face. “I can't help with that...”
Carrot lets out a deep pained cry, drawing the attention of everypony in the room. Upon hearing the scream, Charity looks up from her food to find Carrot lying in the floor. “Carrot? What's wrong?
Khenal looks to her. “He's in great pain, and I don't know what to do!”
She blinks and raises an eyebrow. “Well, he was dead, and he was a ghost? Perhaps this is a reaction to his being away from his resting place?
“Maybe? Carrot, do you think that's what's wrong?” he asks, looking to his friend.
“I'm... dying... I think... augh...”
“Carrot!” Khenal looks pleadingly at him. “Do you think time in your resting place will help you?”
“I... anything to stop the pain!”
Khenal looks up to Charity with a concerned expression. She returns it and stands. “Alright then, we'll try it, unless anypony has a better idea. She levitates Carrot and begins to make her way to his tomb.
“Thank... you... ugh...” He takes a few pained breaths. “I'll visit when I... urg... regain my strength.” He looks to Khenal. “Bye, Khenal...”
“Please be well Carrot...” Khenal watches them go, tears in his eyes.
Author
Topic: My Little Fortress. Glitterglen. (Read 281050 times)