Tiny Terror: A Quest for the Pumpkin King

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

 

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Guillotine had left her home over a year before. She had never thought that this quest would take so long, began to wonder if she would ever see home again? The only reminder of her homeland she had was the map scene on her skin. The graveyard where she had played as a foal amongst the tombstones.

Her journey had taken her across hundreds of miles, through snow and wind and rain. She'd beheld all the seasons and had come no closer to finding the books she'd been searching for. Within those books were hundreds of stories and that book was in the dangerous claws of the Storykeeper.

The books contained stories of things that could be, that would be, or would never be. She had asked an asked about the book, about the storyteller but until recently no one had been willing to help her.

Then she ha met the Forgemaster, who had offered her gold to get rid of a "fearsome" bunny. What was so fearsome about a bunny, she did not know. It wasn't like they actually were rabid. That just didn't happen to rabbits. Someone had probably came across a badger and mistook it for a bunny. Either way, she would conquer this foe and get the coin she needed.

There had been a mere whisper, someone who would tell her something about the Storyteller. But before she could even dare to get close to where he'd last been seen--she' have to get a new weapon. Her own axe had been ost a long time ago during spring flooding and the spear she'd been using since was not up to the task at hand.

Guillotine headed north to the forest where the rabid bunny was suppose to be terrorizing.

Soare, her bat, was not yet awake, hiding in the folds of her cloak as the dusk began to fall.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Sans Merci hopped around the clearing, making her little bunny nose twitch every so often. She could sense that someone was coming and she was hungry. Probably some other full who thinks that she does not exist, as if soquili just always disappeared when they chased rabbits.

The grass was bitter in her mouth and she kept up the ruse, moving along slowly as though she din't have a care in the world. The trees cast long shadows over the area as her prey came closer. Just there, at the edge of the very small clearing.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Soare stirred from his roosting in Guillotine's hood and took wing into the descending night. It wasn't long before they spotted the bunny. It was white with an large. It didn't seem to have a care in the world as she nibbled at the grass all aroun her. Soare got close to examine the supposed beast of the forest.

It was then that it happened. The smell of old bloo hit Soare's nose and she screamed a warning to Guillotine only seconds before the rabbit changed into a large walker. A. Freaking. Rabbit. Walker.

Guillotine couln't believe her eyes as it happened. One moment a sweet and innocent bdnny and the next it was lunging into the air after her familiar Soare. She had no choice but to attack immediately using her very disappointing spear. She did not think it was going to last the battle--but hopeully she and Soare could.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

MY HP: 46

Enemy HP: 17

Sans Merci lunged for the bat trying to rip it's wing off, her teeth barely grazed the leathery appendage before the spear grazed her side. She was livid with anger, her adrenaline pushing her to attack, the bloodlust driving her into a frenyzy.

She snapped the spear with one quick motion and lunged to attack the hooded mare. The bat was bleeding, she could smell it's fresh blood spattering the grass. It smelled divine.

Guillotine lunged with all her weight after the walker snapped her spear. It was the only clear opening she had--her best chance to startle the walker.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

MY HP: 42

Enemy HP: 13

She crashed into the walker with such force that Guillotine momentarily forget how to breathe. Her heart was thundering so loudly in her chest and she was gasping, trying to get air to fill her lungs.

Guillotine had fought many times, trained for this--but she had never fought someone with such ferocious abandon as this creature. It was as though she'd gone insane with hunger when the first blood spilled.

She bit the walker, her teeth piercing flesh. The coppery tang of her enemies blood filled her mouth. Guillotine shook her head viciously trying to cause as much damage as possible. However, the walker smashed into her face and threw her backwards.

Her nose felt like it was broken, thick globs of blood splattering on the ground. She was covered in gore, the sicknening taste of the creature's blood in her mouth. She had been foolish to think this some mere bunny, she had been arrogant and unprepared.

She should have taken this more seriously.


She struggled to her feet as Soare attacked the walker.


Soare's wings flapped wildly as she lashed the walker's face. Her claws and wings making lashes and cuts across the walker's face. She was quicker than the walker and she dodged the vicious teeth three times before she nipped her wing.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Me: 38
Her: 11

The blood sang to Sans Merci as it always did when she went on a hunt. She could smell the fear, taste it like a sweet wine. The mare reminded her of her. She who had stolen from her back before she'd been reborn amongst blood and no longer weak.

They all looked lilke her, the mare that had taken her stallion from her. The mare had kille that weak and simple thing that she hadd been before. Now she was powerful, her hate a finely tuned weapon.

She snapped at the flying little rat and tore at it's wing. It went down with a painful screech, crashing into the grass. Now she could trample it, pound it's bones to dust beneath her feet.

Sans Merci pulled her foot up and slammed it down over the bat.


Soare was wounded, but she was also brilliant. When she'd fluttered to the ground in pain she'd played it up. She acted in more pain than she really was. Where she landed, her wings and body covered the hole in the ground.


As Sans Merci slammed her foot down, Soare dodged out of the way. The walker's foot went deep into the hole and Guillotine took her cue and slammed sideways into the walker who's foot was still stuck in the hole.

The crack of breaking bone snapped like thunder.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Me: 34
Her: 7


The bone pierced the skin as the walker screamed in agony, her leg twisting at an odd angle. It was sickening to look at, but the mare wasn't down for good.

Sans Merci rose, the bone poking through her skin. Her teeth were bared in a feral snarl. "You'll pay for this. I'll tear the flesh from your bones while you live, I'll make armor of your bones and wear them. I'll feed your eyes to the ravens. Your little flying rat, I"ll rip the wings from her body and make her flee as I catch her. I will tear her apart slowly until you beg me to end it."

There was blood everywhere. Guillotine's adrenaline was thrumming. She was sore and tired. But most of all, she was angry. She didn't know who this b***h thought she was but she was fixing to be taught a lession.

She took the broken spear and slammed it into the walker with a ferocity she dind't know she had.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Me: 30
Her: 1

"OVERKILL"

Guillotine knocked the walker down and used the broken spear to cleave through that broken leg. She had her pinned like a butterfly. The walker was unconscious from pain or blood loss, either way it was the end of this.

As she looked down though, despite everything that had happened Guillotine couldn't kill her. She certainly deserved it, if anyone can deserve it. But...to kill someone as they lay on the ground defenseless. It wasn't honorable. But there was nothing honorable in this creature at all. Still, everytime she lifted the other jagged half of the spear, she put it down again.

This mare would likely kill someone if she hadn't already. If she let her go, then it would be her fault. Could she live with it?

Her mind went around and around. She should kill her, that was fact. But kiling her in battle and killing her unconscious on the groun were two different things. She couldn't do it, no matter how justified it was. She slammed the other half of the spear's jagged wood into the wounded leg again.

It was the best she could do, giver her a wound that would marr her forever. She would at least not be fast. It was all she could do. But if they met again....she'd make sure the mare was conscious when she ripped out her still beating heart. She knew, eventually taht the mare would come for her-that threat had not been an idle one. But she would be ready to face it when she did.

Soare flew up to Guillotine rested on her back, letting the night air cool her burning wings. The threat had been dealt with and they had gotten rid of the threat for now. "You are not the monster here," she said softly to her bonded. She knew the pain in her look. "You are better than her and you can not mark your soul killing her like this."

"But what if--"

"No, she is her decisions, not yours. What she does or does not do now is not your fault. They are her decisions. Let us leave this place and get our gold. We have to continue our journey."

Because, the Pumpkin King depended on it. The Storykeeper. The book. All part of some ancient battle or rite she didn't understand. This was it.

The moon rose full and bright, it was almost Samhain. It's glow fell around and over her, bathing her in peaceful moonlight. She would do more quests to get herself a better weapon. If the fight had been so tough with this one, how much harder would it be with the Storykeeper? He knew each soquili's story and therefore likely their weaknessess. Somewhere in that book was her story, and he could be looking at it right now already knowing she was coming.

Yes, this was it. She'd stay here till past Samhain and then take up her quest again like a blade forged anew.