The Wolf and the Unicorn

Authors note:  I am still working on the dream sequence that happens before Hex is taken prisoner.  I just can’t work on it at work as it is nsfw and all that.  I’m hoping to have it up soon though.  There is another chapter that will be completed midway through the story that is a hex x luna bit ;)

                In the dim light cast by the embers of my fire, I couldn’t see who or what threatened me.  The point was very clear that I was going to do what they said, as there was the edge of an axe held against my throat.  The cutting edge felt cold, as if soaked in the icy chill of the grave.  Realistically, I knew it was probably just the windchill, but it drove the point home either way.

                Slowly I lifted my hands, palms out to show I had no weapons in them.  When the moment presented itself that would change, but for now I better behave.   The creatures stepped back as I stood, eventually towering over them.  And that’s when it hit me.  I knew the shapes.  I knew the antlers.   Considering the rest of the world, why wouldn’t there be heavily armed caribou.

         “Son of a bitch…”

"Hvað ert þú og hvers vegna ert þú í landi okkar?"

I just cocked my head to the side as I couldn't understand what the fuck it was saying but the one that was poking me in the stomach with an axe handle was seriously starting to get on my nerves.

"Svara spurningum mínum eða deyja, hundur!"

Whatever it said spurred the others into movement as they tensed.  Somehow I didn't think this was going to go well.  As a precaution, I summoned a little energy into my hands and feet.  Not enough to be visible but enough to make a difference should I need it.

"HVAÐ ERT ÞÚ! Hvers vegna ert þú á yfirráðasvæði okkar og nálægt Yggdrasils askr?"

"I don't know what the fuck you are saying, but your yelling is seriously pissing me off."

"Hvað sagðirðu? Drepa hann!"

Whatever the bigger one yelled certainly seemed to do the trick.  The nearest one to me raised its axe in an effort to split me like a log.  The look of terror that spread across his face was delicious as I tore the axe from its grasp, ripping several teeth along with it.  A small arc of blood followed the axe as its previous owner yelled out in pain.  Yells that quickly turned to squeals of terror as the axe burst into golden flames in my grip.

Motion blurred in the corner of my eye, and out of reflex I pushed myself backward.  Just a moment too soon as a spear brushed past my muzzle.  The bearer of that weapon quickly regretted it as a flaming axe was plunged into the space between its antlers.  The razor edges of the axe finally coming to a rest in a shower of gore, imbedded into the caribou's spine.

A soft dripping noise caught my attention as I spun towards the creatures behind me.  They had backed against a wall of flickering golden flames that I didn't even remember creating.  The snow under the caribou was tinted yellow, and a certain cloying scent drifted in the air.  Cowards.

"Some warriors you are.  One injured, one dead and you cower.  You threaten me for just being on this land and not understanding what you are saying.  You are NOT my enemies.  You are my MEAT.  RUN LITTLE CREATURES!  RUN AND TRY TO ESCAPE MY HUNT.

The moment the flames died the three remaining caribou ran as if the hounds of hell were chasing them.  If only they were so lucky.  The one who seemed to be in charge would be the last to die and he would watch me consume the others while their hearts were still beating.  To make the chase fun, I let them have a few moments to run while I used my magic to create a beacon of sorts so I could find my pack later.

Stupid creatures.  They are running in a pack toward the same place.  Either they are very stupid or there were more of them around.  Either way, I'll get the information I need and they will ALL die.  I found the shaft of the axe buried in the dead caribou near my feet.  The texture of the wood felt interesting against the palm of my hand, the grain dragging as I pulled it from the meat with a wet squelching noise.  Without regard to the blood, I slid the axe into my belt and set after my prey.

A few minutes later...

The snow cracked under my paws as I sprinted after my game.  In the ten minutes they had to get away, they certainly didn't get very far.  Their scent was still sickly sour from terror and easy to follow.  Through the forest we ran, dark branches being easily dodged by my improved vision.  In the distance, I could see the four caribou having a tough time of it, getting whipped by loose trees as they ran, even occasionally stumbling or falling into snow pits.  Either way, my game would not end this easily.

The closer I got the more they stumbled, each of their panting, agonized breaths driving me on.  The first victim to my rage was the one missing its teeth.  Either it was weak from blood loss, or just a weakling, it didn't matter.  Its screams would work wonders for making this hunt more interesting.  The moment I judged myself to be close enough, I pushed myself off the nearest fallen tree and leapt onto the back of the gasping animal.  As I landed, my hands wrapped around the small antlers that sprouted from the top of its head while my weight bore it to the ground.  With a shudder, I could feel bones break in the caribou's front legs, a scream of agony exploding from its lungs.  If only for a moment as my full weight drove its chest into the snowy ground and I could feel ribs break under me.

"I'll be back for you."

I could see the other three pause in the distance as their compatriot cried in the depths of pain.  So close, all of them were just so very close.  Time to close for the kill.  With magic flaring around my paws, I tore off into the woods again, determined to close the distance as quickly as possible.  Every step brought me closer and closer while they were frozen in fear.  The axe found its way into my right hand as I neared, its steel head rippling with black flames.  Thirty feet, one of them finally had the thought to run.  The other two stood there and shivered.

"The cowards aren't even fit for prey," I thought darkly to myself as the distance became shorter and shorter.

The time for blood came sooner than I imagined, but lasted less then I had hoped.  With the three caribou in a small clearing, it was just too easy.  Shock ran up my arm at the same time I heard a soft thud.  The axe was buried to the shaft in the ribs of one of the paralyzed animals.

It's eyes were already glazing over as I spun towards the one behind me, my hands meeting the haft of a spear thrust towards me.  Slight contact was all it took as black flames began to dance over the caribou, fear quickly turning to mind destroying pain as it danced a volta of immolation in the depths of the forest.

One left.  The one that ordered the others to kill me.  This one would suffer beyond what anything else would suffer.  Until I found the rest of its society, it will suffer for their crimes.  Spear in hand, I chased it toward the tree line.  The sounds of my heartbeat in my ears was deafening, but would be nothing compared to his screams.

Five steps, five more heartbeats and he would be mine, and his pain, terror and agony would be delicious.

Three steps, you could see the blood flecking his muzzle as he looked back.  Eyes wide in abject terror.

Two steps, time started to slow.

One step.  Time to strike. With all of my rage and hate behind it, I struck with the spear.  Only a slight shudder traveled up my arm as I drove the spear clear through his rear hips.  The sounds he made can't even be described as I dug my paws into the snow and used all of my mass and muscle to drag him to a stop.  The motion didn't completely stop as I lifted with the spear and pulled him onto my back.

"Time to go see your friends and learn what you brought on your people.  You do not know what game you play CHILD."

After a few minutes of walking toward the clearing, the moans and screams of pain quieted, to whimpers and shudders as shock set in.  By the time I walked by the two corpses, I'm fairly certain what little remained of his mind had fled.  Before I finished it would be completely gone.  Without a second look, I walked past both the smoking pile of bones and the splattered gore of a caribou with it's chest caved in.  Soon enough, I arrived at the crippled caribou that was simply crying in the snow.  Its eyes bored into me as I approached, eyes that went even wider as I smiled and showed every tooth I could.

With a shrug, I dropped the sack of flesh from my back, so the leader of the group smashed into the snow inches from the face of his compatriot.  That seemed to break him from his shock just fine.  Biding my time, I fiddled around on my belt, waiting for him to attempt to speak.  The moment his mouth opened, I drew my hand forth.  Benevolence drove my actions here.  The moment he attempted to speak, I made sure he would remember that moment for the short remainder of his life.  He would remember the copper taste of blood, the bitter taste of brain and bone.  I put a 200 grain hard cast bullet that I normally reserved for grizzly bears between the eyes of his friend, now corpse.

"Now that I have your attention, you are going to tell me exactly what I want to know.  You will do it in Equestrian, or things will be very unpleasant for you.  Do you understand?"

"Ég segi þér ekkert skrímsli!"

With that, the caribou spat into the snow.  Snow very much speckled with crimson bits.  Snow that was going to get a lot more crimson very soon.

Several blood soaked hours later, I finally stood.  The answers I needed so desperately were at hand.  Luna would never learn of what I did this night, but I learned what I needed to save her people.  At what cost though.

The snow made soft squishing noises as I walked away from the remains of the caribou and towards my pack.  Time to finish my journey.  The objective was only an afternoons walk away.  I never did look back toward the corpse pinned to a tree by several gems.  I never did pick up the set of skinning knives that were set on the ground next to a gut pile.  A gut pile that seemed to only have organs that would serve no purpose keeping a creature alive a little longer.  Atop the pile sat two glazed over eyes and a tongue.

At least his heart was delicious.