//-------------------------------------------------------// Cry of the Celestial -by Havelock- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Asleep //-------------------------------------------------------// Asleep "Come now, Havel, we haven't much sunlight left," said a young mare. Her fur was a glistening black, with her wings being large and full of feathers. Her horn also seemed to glint in the dying sunlight. She was beauty in the raw, elegance in its purist, she was the love of Havelock. "I'm coming, Daayan, stone armor isn't exactly light," Said a grey stallion. His fur seemed dull, along with his mane, short and messy, yet his features were strong and his eyes beared a gentle brown. "Come on, it's getting dark," said Daayan, helping Havel along with his seemingly impossible load. She took the long hammer strapped across his back in her hooves, struggling with it greatly. Havel chuckled at her attempts, as she stumbled into a bush, dropping her load. She glared at Havel playfully. "Oh, ha, ha, I'm just trying to help, Havel, but what you carry is far too heavy for me," "Oh, now I thought you liked what I carried with me," said Havel. Daayan blushed, turning her face away at the implicit message. She leaned in on Havel, planting a loving kiss on his lips. They savored the moment, leaning slightly deeper with the passing seconds. They broke the kiss, staring into each others eyes with a burning passion. "Come on, we'll need to rest early tonight," she said, her voice soft and sultry. Daayan used her magic to lift the hammer, lessening her struggle with the carved weapon. They trotted through the forest together, coming across soft damp grass, and smooth river stones coated thickly in cushioning moss. Off to their left was the river itself, casting a soothing luminous touch on the hearts of the travelers. Their travels finally stopped, at a large pond radiating an enchanting blue aura, with an old stone in the center. The stone caved deeply, making a bowl shaped bed, softened with a sheet of moss. Daayan flew into the center of this bed, nestling herself comfortably within it. Havel's horn radiated with golden magic, allowing him to tread across the water without breaking its surface. His armor glowed the same golden aura, separating into many pieces, slipping off his body and into the pond. He climbed into the stone bed after Daayan, holding his body over her. Daayan kissed him deeply, snaking her tongue inside his mouth. She moaned sensually, licking his nose and whispering, "Make love to me..." Havel obeyed, moving his hardened member down to her nethers, massaging the puffy lips with the tip of his manhood. He pressed his way inside of her, stretching her inner walls. She gasped, the feeling of her love exploring her inner-most depths engulfing her with ecstasy. "Ah! Yes! Faster! Gah! Go faster! Ahhhhh! Havel!" Havel was at his fastest, kissing Daayan's neck furiously. "Please..." she begged, "Please!" Awake. Havel rubbed his eyes wearily, looking down at a book he was reading, a journal belonging to his father. He nosed through a couple pages, looking at diagrams, notes and stories. He laid his head back down on the soft grass, imagining the new day he would soon encounter. "Hmm, some bandits, an outlaw or two, maybe an actual vam-pony," he muttered casually, "yeah, they're fun to fight..." "Ah, well, sorry to disappoint, but you'll only find my camp up ahead," said a voice. Havel knew the voice as well as his own. "Gizmo," he said, raising himself up to see better. "Vaclav Havelock the Mountain, you testing your luck again? Cause sleeping in the middle of the forest isn't exactly the best idea," Havel smiled, shrugging carelessly and lying back down to rest again. "Name one thing that can stand hoof to hoof with me, I've felled even dragons, Gizmo, and you've even seen it," said Havel. "Right, but then again, you had a lot of help from your father," said Gizmo, gesturing to the book. Havel looked back down at it, a smile creeping on his face. Pride. "I swear, if any of this gets published, he'll be named the new Starswirl," said Havel. "I believe it," said Gizmo, "most that stuff I've never seen from anypony else but you, and the rest I've never seen," Havel smirked, everything said was true, his magic was undeniably powerful, and his skill with his hammer only grew by the rank as the months passed by. A bitter wind chilled the two, bringing a deep shiver down their spines. "Brrr, let's not stay here, I got a fire and some food up ahead," said Gizmo. "You bring Goliath?" asked Havel. "Yeah, yeah, she'll be happy to see you, now let's go," Gizmo said, grabbing Havel and pulling him along. He allowed himself to be pulled by his old friend, following him through the chilling sunrise. "How's she been?" Havel asked. "Eh, a little moody recently, but mostly jittery, it's a bit worrisome," Gizmo replied. "Really? Huh, any new prototypes?" "Yeah, I've learned how to take the magic that makes a timberwolf and use it to make silverwolves," "Oh, nice, nice," "Oh yeah, soon as Celestia hears about those I'll have more business than I can handle, I might make workers to help me..." Havel went and grabbed his friend by the shoulder, "Is that why you're here? To make some business?" "Yeah, market crashed in the Griffin Kingdom, they're trying to clean it up but I just said forget it," Gizmo looked forward, seeing a fire blaze some distance away. "We're almost there, I got some carrot and potato stew, couple of spices mixed in with it," he said. Havel felt his stomach growl, "You actually cooked it correctly, right? Right...?" "Yes, Havel," Gizmo said with annoyance, "you have no faith in my cooking, do you?" "Frankly, no," Havel replied. They reached the camp site, a simple tent, a cart, and a campfire stood next to a rock in the field. "Goliath, stop posing as a rock and come greet me," Havel commanded. The rock split and vanished in a show of blue light, revealing a slender, mechanical looking, bipedal figure. "Damn, she looks intimidating as Luna," Gizmo muttered. Glistening azure armor plates shone in the light of the rising sun, and between those plates Havel could see gears turning and grinding, like a clockwork. Goliath bowed to Havel respectfully, speaking to him in a series of high hissing noises. "It's nice to see you too, Goliath," Havel said. Gizmo sighed, "How is it that you understand everything she says?" "Dunno," Havel said, "it's like I just feel what she's saying, I don't actually interpret," "I dunno," Gizmo said, "let's get something to eat," "Agreed, I'm famished," Havel said. The two sipped the stew Gizmo made appreciatively. It was surprisingly good, but Havel passed it off as an effect from not eating for some days now. They drained the cauldron of stew, packing it in Gizmo's cart and making their way west. "How much have you learned about Goliath?" Havel asked. "Next to nothing," Gizmo replied, "she's the most complex golem I've ever laid eyes on, and speaking modestly, I'm the best enchanter of this age when it comes to golems," "Hm, guess you just gotta look harder," Havel said. They traveled for a while, with Goliath pulling the cart effortlessly behind the two stallions. They looked forward from where they were, finding a huge city on the side of a mountain. "Hey... Hey! I think that's Canterlot!" Gizmo exclaimed. Havel chuckled, "I've been there a few times, back when I was just a mercenary," "Care to elaborate on those days?" "Later," They continued forward, skipping lunch and marching through the afternoon without rest. Goliath and Havel showed no signs of fatigue, however, Gizmo was quick to become hoof-sore and complain. "Can we stop? We skipped lunch for Celestia's sake!" he whined. "Suck it up, back in my mercenary days we got one meal for every one hundred miles," Havel replied. "Oh, now you talk about those days..." Their trip continued, with Gizmo finally resting in the cart while Goliath pulled him along. It was about sunset when they arrived at the gates, entering quietly and setting off towards the castle. "The princesses gave me a room in the castle, I'm sure I can get you one too," Gizmo said. Havel nodded, then kept trotting through the shadows towards Canterlot Castle. He made his way to the gates, then stopped in front of a guard. Gizmo came by and got the guard to let them in, allowing them to explore the inside of the wondrous castle. "Damn, this place seems bigger," Havel said. "I don't know, it's huge either way!" Gizmo exclaimed with glee. "Enjoy what you see" they heard. The two turned, finding Princess Celestia standing there with a great smile on her face. "I see that you've made it safely here, Gizmo," she said. Gizmo bowed and said, "Yes indeed, your majesty, and I've brought a very old and good friend with me," Celestia looked at Havel, then smiled wholeheartedly, "You are friends with Gizmo?" Havel nodded. "Hm, stallion of few words are you?" she chuckled, "Do you need anything at all? I'd be happy to give you a room as well," "That's actually what I wanted to ask you, princess," Gizmo said, "Havel's a good pony, he can offer lot's of talent, both gentle and rough," "Is that so?" Celestia said, her voice slightly sultry, "Interesting to hear. My maids will show you to your rooms," The two were led off to a separate wing of the castle. "I'm going to kill you," Havel said. "What? Why? I didn't do anything," Gizmo replied. "Didn't do anything? Then what was that about 'both gentle and rough'?" "Well, you can do a wide range of stuff," "I realize, but didn't you hear Tia's voice?" "A little flirty, so? That just means you may have game, with a princess too!" "It's almost the heat season, Gizmo," Gizmo stopped in his tracks, "Oohh...." he gasped, finally putting two and two together, "Well, have fun, Havel," The two had their rooms opposite of each other, while Goliath poked her head through a nearby window. "Sweet dreams, Goliath, don't break anything," Gizmo said, going into his room. Havel turned to enter his room, when Goliath hissed something out to him. Havel turned to her, disbelief on his face. "What?" he asked. She hissed her message again, clarifying for the pony. "He should be dead, Goliath, someone his age..." The golem hissed in disagreement, revealing more details to Havel. "Go to bed, Goliath, this is too much for one day," Havel said. He went into his room, cleaning his armor of blood and semen from earlier today. He wondered on the message given to him by Goliath. Was his old friend truly still alive? Havel had known him since he was a little colt, and even then, he was nearing death. Havel sighed, "I don't know, I'll just have to set out and find him," He began to drift off, being overwhelmed with relaxation and comfort. Asleep. Author's Note My first mature story. Content in this chapter is rather subtle. //-------------------------------------------------------// Reunion //-------------------------------------------------------// Reunion Havel awoke peacefully, having forgotten the strange news from last night. He glanced around his room, finding it to be very nicely arranged, but nonetheless uninteresting. It was a bit awkward for him, waking up and not having to worry about surviving today, just living out life as a common pony. He heard a knock on the door. "Come," he said, sitting up slightly in his bed. Gizmo came into his room, dressed and seemingly excited. "I just had the best idea, Havel, you're gonna love it," he said, "I've gotten lot's of appointments with the princesses, seems like the war effort out in the east is getting harsh, anywho, I was thinking that at some point, at one of the appointments, you could present your father's journal!" Havel was dumbstruck, "Pardon?" he said. "Present the magic and findings within your father's journal, some of that stuff is as big as Starswirl! Even bigger maybe," "Uh... I'll... I'll have to think about it, it's a bit personal, y'know," "... Ah... I understand," Gizmo said slowly, "take your time, think about it, and when you're ready, I'm sure the opportunity to share it will be there," Gizmo turned to leave Havel's room, "Oh," he said, turning back around, "you'll need to get ready, we're having breakfast with the princesses, all guests are invited you see," Havel nodded and waved him off with his hoof, "I'll see what I can do," he said, lying back down. He was left in solitude, and he was ready to get back to sleep. He opened the window to allow a refreshing breeze into his room. "Ah... Bliss..." he muttered. This was the first time in a while he could actually sleep in, and he loved it. No worries, no stress, just deep and delightful rest. "Havel! Get out of the bed, we're going to that breakfast!" Gizmo shouted through the door. "Gaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! Gizmo, I don't want to!" Havel whined. "Havel, be polite and accept their hospitality, afterwards you can slip off to the bar," "I don't want to go to the bar," "Well that's a first, get up, get ready," Groaning in slight frustration, Havel got up and began his morning rituals, which, was just a quick spell to make himself clean and presentable. He made his way down to the main courtyard, finding a long table with a fine white cloth draped over it, with a large assortment of fine foods to be eaten. Sitting at the head was Celestia, with her sister Luna beside her. All around the table were nobles, dressed highly formal, and Gizmo was among them. Havel stood there, looking over the many high class ponies giving him a questioning glare and whispering about him. Gizmo finally came and guided Havel to a seat, yet, hardly easing Havel's discomfort. "I believe that is all of us, your Highnesses," Gizmo said. Havel daydreamed through all of Tia's pre-meal speeches, simply waiting for the chance to finally eat. When the royal pleasantries were over, and breakfast began, Havel grabbed loads of food that was promptly devoured. He wasn't messy, but he certainly stood out among the nobles. "How did that low class pig get here?" a noble whispered. Havel stopped, then wiped small crumbs from his mouth, "Excuse me, sir," "Havel, please don't" Gizmo muttered. "Hold on," he said, "did it ever occur to you, that your wealth is built on the so-called 'lower class'?" The noble placed his utensils down, "Well, Mr. Havelock? is it? I never knew you were so defensive over the uneducated, I didn't mean to... Stab a place so sensitive," he and his peers laughed. "I beg your pardon," Havel began, "but have you ever been stabbed?" The noble raised an eyebrow, "... No..." he said. "Then I suggest you don't laugh about it," Havel said. Many whispers ran through the table, "Gizmo, talk for me, I want to get back to eating," Havel said, expecting questions. A number of inquiries of Havel's past were shot out from the nobles, most of which even Gizmo couldn't answer. When Havel was finished, he rose and left without a word, ignoring all the requests to stay and share his past. "I'd stay to share, but some ponies are... insensitive about others' struggles," Havel replied to all the pleas he heard to stay. He left the castle and began to explore Canterlot, looking for a suitable bar for him to cool off at. Finding what he was looking for, he used his last few bits to buy a drink for himself. It was about midday now, and Havel could have all the time he wanted for himself now. "You hear the news, big guy?" the bartender asked. Havel looked up, "No," he said, "something I should be concerned about?" "Eh, probably not," he said, "just some mercenaries coming into Canterlot, look like the real elite sort, don't wanna piss them off I'm sure!" Havel was intrigued, "Do you know what they want?" he asked. "Mmm, not really, I hear they just be lookin' for some poor fool, probably an assassination, hoho! This is gonna be an ugly party if they get the royal guards' attention," "Very ugly," Havel said. "Yep, lucky for me, I own this bar, I'm practically a merc's best friend! Haha!" Havel smiled, then looked down at his drink. Empty. He sighed in disappointment. "What? Are you all out of money?" the Bartender asked. Havel sighed again, "Yeah," he said. The bartender smiled, "Tell ya what, this next one's on the house," he said, passing Havel another drink. Another smile growing on his face, Havel sipped his free drink appreciatively. "Do you think there's actually gonna be a conflict between the guards and the mercs?" Havel asked. "Eh, depends whether or not they find their target and who their target is," the bartender replied. "You think they're aiming for the princesses?" "Mmm, probably not, they'd be more discreet with their operations if it came to that," "Hmm, if they're aiming for them, they might just be playing their cards in a tricky fashion," "Well, they're not going for the princesses," the bartender said. "Wha-?" Havel looked back stealthily, seeing a huge stallion in pointed black iron armor being pointed in Havel's direction. Havel slowly pushed his seat away from the table, "When I give the word, you give me that bottle and duck," Havel whispered to the bartender. He nodded and acted naturally. The heavily armored earth pony made his way to Havel stopping a few feet from him. "For a stallion that could just vanish, you're pretty predictable, I was stupid not to look in the bar first," he removed his helmet, "mighty Vaclav Havelock the Mountain, damn long time since we've seen you in the mercenary force, ole' Jaller nearly gave up on you," Havel relaxed, waving to the bartender to imply it was safe, "Tarkus, last I heard you were clearing out a changeling nest," "Done," he said, "I killed scores with just my bare hooves," "Hm, classic Boar Tarkus," Tarkus laughed, then moved up to the bar and threw a bag of bits on the table, "How many drinks can that buy us?" The bartender looked down at the huge amount before him. "C'mon man, I'm thirsty," Tarkus said, promptly receiving a drink. "So, what're you stopping in for? Found your target? Or am I it?" Havel asked. "You're the target alright," Tarkus said, "but for not for what you think," "Oh?" "We want you back in command, Dusk, Jaller, and Tosh's tribe are all in on it," "What happened to Tosh?" "He vanished, kinda like how you did, only we have proof he's dead," Havel sighed, "I was a fool that day," he said. "Tosh didn't die by your hoof, Havel," "He wouldn't have died at all if I had just..." he swallowed hard, "if I'd just killed Daayan that day..." "Havel, we make mistakes, and right now we need you back in command of the Black Dragons," "Hmph, five years without me, you've done pretty well so far," "Yeah, but without you, we're fucked against Daayan," Havel turned in alarm, eyes wide with panic, "She's here?" "We don't know-" "Does she have the Void Stone?" "We're not-" "Tarkus!" Havel said, aggressively grabbing the earth pony, "I need to know if she has the Void Stone," Tarkus was silent for a while, looking around at all the onlookers they attracted, "Take us to the mine, everypony's waiting there," "We still have that shit hole?" "Yeah, now let's go," In a flash of golden magic, Havel teleported himself and his friend to the mines beneath Canterlot, leaving behind their drinks. Within the mine, was a small, secret encampment set up by Tarkus and his team of mercenaries several years prior to today's meeting. Residing there were only two ponies, a very old earth pony stallion, and a young pegasus mare. The stallion was dressed in an old, very well-kept naval uniform, the rank of the clothing signifying him as a highly ranked officer. The pegasus had a light leather armoring on her body, lacking a helm, but appearing like that of standard armor. "Havel, been a long time, and my my, haven't aged a day I see," the pegasus said. "It's nice to see you too, Dusk, still having fun with the mares and stallions?" Havel asked. "I'm still young, aren't I? Though, I'll admit, I've missed your hard cock inside me," She said. "May we skip the pleasantries and continue with business, please?" said the old stallion. "Jaller's right, I need as much info as possible on Daayan," Havel said. "Well, we were hoping you had that," Jaller said. Havel raised an eyebrow, "You're fucking kidding, right? You don't even have a location on her, and you come crawling to me hoping for answers," "Location is easy," Dusk said, "you're her old boyfriend, and we know she fantasizes about being with you again, so, where you are, she is," "And you thought that after five years, she'd finally come find me, I'd figure she'd come a lot sooner," "Havel," Jaller interjected, "we know you want answers, we do too, but what we're doing is a process, and we won't get what we want right away. All we know is that Daayan has returned, and most likely she'll be amassing another army to take what she's been promised, and you with it. We can only prepare for what's to come, for now, since we know nothing, we can only sleep on it," "It's still midday, Jaller," Dusk said. "I need my evening nap!" Jaller shouted, reducing the young mare to the ground, "Ahem, Havel, would you be so kind as to take us home?" Havel looked at the recovered Dusk, finding her to be winking at him mischievously. Smiling, he teleported Tarkus and Jaller to the streets of Canterlot, while he took Dusk to his suite in the castle. She ambled about it, admiring the elegant design all around her. "Very nice, how'd you get this?" she asked. "Gizmo, he's... arguably persuasive with ponies," Havel said. "Gizmo? Who's Gizmo?" "Oh, right, he was our secret contact, I've been friends with him since I was a colt," "Oh, I see," Dusk went over to Havel's bed, stroking the sheets gently, "such a soft bed," she looked at Havel lustfully, then climbed into the bed, "wanna see if it'll hold both of us?" Havel smiled, then climbed in after her, making a deep kiss with her. Her tongue snaked its way into his mouth, feeling around inside tenderly. They broke the kiss, "Can you unclothe me?" Dusk asked. Havel was going to be a lucky stallion tonight. Author's Note This is the slowest I've ever started any of my stories, there will be more story unraveled later on. I ask you be a little patient. //-------------------------------------------------------// The New Order* //-------------------------------------------------------// The New Order* Havel nodded slowly, ready to tear the light armor from Dusk's body. Keep calm, Havel, ease into it nice and slow. he thought. He leaned in, kissing Dusk while using magic to remove her armor, laying the pieces beside the bed. He kissed her roughly, jerking her head around with force. She moaned in delight through the kiss, using her wings to gently tickle Havel's sides. She rolled on top of him, still kissing him while grinding her body against his hard member. Havel pushed her away, panting slightly, then gestured down to what was between his legs. She looked down, finding a huge package waiting for her. "Think you can take that in your muzzle?" Havel asked. She shifted down to his manhood, holding her face above it, "I've done it before, haven't I?" Dusk said with a smile. "Then take it all the way," Havel said, placing his hoof behind her head. She gave the tip a slow, firm lick, then began rubbing her nose against it fondly as she teased Havel's thick member. Giving it a few more licks, she opened up her mouth, wrapping her lips around the shaft while stroking up and down the sensitive flesh with her maw. She took it about half way, using her hoof to massage the lower half of cock. Havel was panting in time with her strokes, groaning at some points. Dusk was getting faster, licking and stroking the cock with more vigor, bringing Havel to the brink. "Dusk! Keep going! I'm almost- Ahh!" Havel pushed Dusk's head straight down, the tip of his member reaching into her throat, where he released a load of cum right into her little muzzle. "Ahh!... Ahh.... Yeah...." Havel moaned, muzzle fucking Dusk gently. She removed herself from his cock, licking excess seed from her lips. "If you give me that much cum every time, I might not need my rations anymore!" she giggled, satisfied with what she received. She looked at his member, feeling the engorged flesh remain tight, "Looks like you could go another round," "With you, Dusk, one round is never enough," "Oh, you know me so well," Havel gestured for her to get off the bed and sit beside it. She did as she was bid, watching her partner sit on the bed in front of her, member pointed right at her, "Want me to suck you again?" she asked with a smile. "Well, you haven't had dessert yet," Havel answered. Giggling, Dusk wrapped her warm mouth around Havel's member again. "Mmm, itsh sho tashty," she said through her mouthful. Dusk began moving faster and faster, sending Havel wildly over the edge with lust. Eventually, he grabbed her by the mane and began thrusting her deeper onto his member, forcing him to the edge of another climax. "Just... a little... more!" he breathed. He skull fucked her relentlessly, shoving his member deep into her throat, forcing a gag here and there from Dusk. "Load and... Shoot-! Ahhh....!" Havel came inside her throat, filling her stomach with a creamy white seed. Dusk loved it, she loved the taste, the feeling of it rushing inside her, and the fact of how much it filled her up. She took a gulp of air, "How do you cum so much?" she asked. "Magic," Havel said, "works wonders doesn't it," Dusk giggled again, "Alright, I want you inside my other mouth this time," Havel happily obliged, picking her up and placing her on the bed, holding himself over her body. "I'm ready," she said. Havel smiled, then immediately thrust in, causing Dusk to yelp in pain. When the initial pain subsided, Dusk enjoyed herself immensely, breathing loudly and in beat with Havel's strong thrusts. Each sent a wave of ecstasy through her, and she couldn't take it as long as she hoped she could. "H-Havel! I'm... I'm cumming!" Havel kept going, thrusting as deep as he could go, while Dusk climaxed around his member and out her tight cunt. He made a few last hard thrusts, then came inside her, painting her womb white with seed. Both were panting hard, more than satisfied with their fun. But something inside them wanted a little more, and they gave in. "Next round?" Havel asked. "Next round," Dusk replied. *** Dusk awoke to radiant rays of sunlight, sprawled out across Havel's bed. She looked to her side, finding... nothing. She sighed in longing, Havel had always done this, have his fun then leave to get back to work. She wondered if he would just relax once, or if she could even get an idea of what his "work" was. It was all rather frustrating for her, so she just laid back down and slept while she could in Havel's bed, despite the big mess that she was still soaking in. "One of these days, Havel..." she muttered. "... Yes?" she heard. Startled, she bolted upright in the bed, peering down the bed at Havel, clean and presentable for the new day. "You wanted something from me?" Havel asked. "Oh, well, you always did leave me hanging as soon as we were finished with our fun," Dusk said. Havel raised an eyebrow, then smirked at Dusk. He made his way to her and planted a quick kiss on her lips. "One for the road," he said. He turned and left his room, leaving Dusk to rest in his bed. She rolled her eyes and laid back down, unsatisfied with the response she got. "That's still leaving me hanging..." Meanwhile, Havel was out in the streets of Canterlot, enjoying a cup of tea and some biscuits with Gizmo. "Where's Goliath?" Havel asked. "She's been misbehaving, I had to leave her in the lab," Gizmo replied. "Oh, yeah, how is the new lab anyway?" "Working great, just gotta reorganize here and there. What's the word with those Black Dragons?" Havel looked up from his tea, debating his answer for Gizmo. "Haven't heard much, they just want me back in charge," he said. "Oh, and when you're back in I can get back to making the good stuff, huh?" "I dunno, Gizmo," Havel said, "it's just... I've got some other things I need to take care of, when it all builds up, ponies get stressed," "Really? What kind of things are going on? I've gotten pretty good at handling tall orders, so I wouldn't mind helping you out," "I don't know if you could help, Gizmo, it all involves some mercenary stuff, and some of... what Goliath said...." Havel was suddenly in deep thought. "Havel? Havel! Listen up, man! What's wrong?" "Where's your lab?" Havel suddenly asked. "Uh, down by the southwest tower of the castle, why-" Havel was already off, rushing through the crowds of fine ponies in the streets of the city. Gizmo raised an eyebrow in question, when he felt a sudden rain drop on his nose. "It's not supposed to rain today," he said, looking up at the dark clouds that had rolled in. Havel was running as fast as he could, and even though the heavy rain that was now pouring, he tried his best to keep going as it whipped his face mercilessly. All the other ponies were quick to get back inside, and Havel was probably the only pony out there at the moment. He looked forward, seeing the lab a ways away, but dead in front of him. "I need to know what Goliath said," Havel murmured. He was perhaps a hundred meters away from the lab now, and the rain had begun to come down harder, blinding Havel as he rushed forward. "Almost ther- Oof!" Something hit him, hard. He was knocked hard on his side, suffering bruises on his ribs, "What the hell?" he said. He was hit again, a jolt of pain shooting through his chest as he stumbled to his knees. "Where are you?!" he shouted. Another strike, and another, and a third! Havel felt blood trickling down his sides, as he looked up, and finally saw his attacker. Daayan. "No..." She thrust forward, knocking Havel onto his back in the streets, giving her the upper hoof in their fight. "Havel..." she hissed, "Why did you leave me?" "You became a monster!" She stamped her hoof on his throat, "I did this to save you! I did this so we could be together! To have the family she deserves!" "Daayan!" Havel rasped through her choking, "This will not play out how you envision it to! This will end in utter chaos," A tear rolled down Daayan's cheek, and she lifted her hoof from Havel's throat, "Very well," she said, "I will take you another way," She leaned in and licked his throat, rubbing her nose on it a few times lovingly. She then opened her mouth, and bit down on Havel's throat. Havel seized up, panic running through him all of a sudden. He tried to push Daayan off, but she was too strong, and he was getting weaker by the moment. Daayan began to use her telepathy, "Don't struggle, my dearest, I know it hurts, but I do this for our love," Daayan was drinking every drop of blood Havel had in his body, making it harder and harder for him to struggle. It wasn't long before his struggling lessened to a mere twitching, and Daayan was beginning to lose herself in devouring his life. She moaned sensually through her slow kill, clutching Havel tightly and pulling him towards her, as she received more and more pleasure by each passing moment. "Daayan... Stop... Please..." Havel mouthed. Daayan opened her eyes slightly, "Forgive me... But she deserves this..." she said, "You've left me without a choice," Havel slowly began to black out, feeling a cold, comforting sensation coming over him. Daayan suddenly released Havel from her deathly bite, looking up into the air cautiously. "What was that?" She asked. Havel was still slowly blacking out from blood loss, hardly being able to see the dark shape that was speeding through the sky, throwing Daayan off of Havel and fighting her savagely. He could make out blood being spilled from both sides, mostly from Daayan's opponent. Eventually, she left him, looking back at Havel while clutching her shoulder and flying away. The dark shape moved in on Havel, dragging his near lifeless body into Gizmo's tower, breaking the lock to gain entry. From there, Havel could no longer hold onto life, and passed. *** "Come back to me, brother," he heard, "your work isn't done yet," Havel's eyes were suddenly flooded with light, and his lungs took in as much air as they could hold. "Aaaahhhhh!" Havel was panting, "What the fuck happened?! I should be dead!" "Would you prefer that, brother?" said a bat-pony. Havel looked at his savior closely, "My god... Tosh!" "Nice to see you too, brother," Tosh said. "You... You were dead..." Havel stammered. "Delayed, not dead," "What about me? What'd you do? Necromancy? Soul capture?" "Try blood potion," he said, thrusting an empty vial in Havel's chest, "you weren't dead yet, so it worked," "Huh, I never thought you could use them that late," Havel muttered. Tosh thrust a rolled up map into Havel's hooves, "Follow the map, find Lord Ikrah, tell him that you must get the Void Stone in order to truly defeat Daayan. If she gets that stone, all hope for the world is lost," "Hold on, Tosh, how did you survive? How did you get through all of what you did? We saw a trail of blood leading to the cliffs," He looked up, seeing his friend to be gone. "What...? I guess this is how Dusk feels," he said. He looked down at his map, examining the new orders he was given. "So, after all this time you're still alive," he said. He clutched the map tightly, intense wonder filling him, "but how?" Author's Note That took much longer than I hoped. It's hard balancing school and this, so I have to prioritize my time, sorry guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter though. //-------------------------------------------------------// Daayan //-------------------------------------------------------// Daayan "Why was she trying to drink your blood?" Tarkus asked. "It's easy to return blood after it has been taken," Havel replied. "But why risk killing you? What would that achieve?" Jaller asked. "She wants to take me out of the equation, I may not have put up a fight then, but I certainly can now, she doesn't want to have me as an enemy," "Well, what is Daayan? A vampony?" Dusk asked. "No, a powerful sorceress, she can take the form of anything, pony or great beast, her blood-hungry behavior is a result from dark magic," "Let's just kill her and be done with it," "You wanna get eaten? Be my guest," The four sat at a table, with Dusk tending to Havel's wounds. She wiped away at the bite marks on his neck, rubbing a poultice to rid the mark of the dark magic it was riddled with. "Damn, how long were her fangs?" she asked. "I don't know, two inches? Maybe three?" Havel said, wincing at Dusk pressing into the wound. "What about Tosh," Jaller said, "did you really see him? Is he really alive?" "I saw him with my own- agh! My own eyes, received the orders and the map from him, he told me that Ikaarax is still alive," "Who?" Havel bit his lip, "My old friend," "How does that concern us?" Havel sighed, "He may know a way to defeat Daayan, it's our last chance at all this," "We must tell the princesses," "Listen, Jaller, everything would be dandy and fine if you were still the naval leader for them, but you went private, the privileges you had with them are cancelled," "Then what do you expect us to do," Tarkus said. "We need to play our cards right, Daayan's army numbers in the millions, each a trained killer that nopony has ever faced. We need to find the Void Stone, that's what we're going to do and we'll use it against Daayan," "What's so important about that Void Stone?" Dusk asked. "Supposedly," Havel began, "it's the heart of an ancient and powerful dragon, the first master of dark magic, legends say the dragon had greater control over it than the princesses themselves, also said he helped raise them," "Do you know this dragon?" "No, but Ikrah does," There was banging on the door. "I thought you said the fucking bar was closed," Tarkus said. "You left the lights on," the bartender said. "Lesnitsky has a point, just pull the password trick on them," Havel said. Rolling his eyes, Tarkus went to the bar's door "Password!" he demanded. "Moonlight's Shadows!" "Fuck, that's an old one..." Tarkus muttered. "Tosh?" Jaller asked. "No, that was a mare's voice," Havel said. Drawing weapons, they made their way to the door, swinging it open and holding their weapons ready to strike. Nothing. "The hell? Who was here?" Tarkus asked. "I don't know, it's a bit unsettling though," Havel said, "close the door, cold air is getting in," They returned to the table, tending to Havel's wounds once more. "Havel, tell us more about Daayan, we need to know all we can in order to defeat her," Jaller said. "Daayan is... well, where to begin with her? She's an alicorn, obviously quite powerful, on top of that, she is deeply imbued with dark magic, making her the most dangerous foe we will probably ever fight. Her army is... not pony, or anything that we know of, they're grotesquely morphed creatures capable of killing scores of highly trained guards," "So, they'll be about our match then," Tarkus said. "Not quite, they will overwhelm you, and try to eat you alive," "Well, that is quite savage of them," Jaller said. "Yeah, I realize," Havel rose from the table, having received his treatment for the day, "I'm off to sleep, too much for one night, Jaller, take the map and see what you can make of it, when you're done with that, get the mercs together and load up the airship," Jaller looked over the map, trying to discern the path that was on it, "It could take me a while to get something out of this, Havel, it's written in some odd language and there are landmarks I've never even seen before," "I'll see if Goliath has any hints for us, until then, do your best," Havel said, walking out the bar. He walked a few feet from it, hearing a sudden whoosh of wind. "What?" He said. Nothing there. He took a deep breath, "Just calm down, Havel, you're a little shaken is all," he said. He made his way through the night to Canterlot Castle, being led by a maid back to his room. "If you ever get lonely in there..." she hinted. "Business before pleasure, ma'am, I realize the heat season is starting, but I can't help you with it," Havel replied. Havel went into his room, laying down on his bed and almost immediately falling asleep. *** "Havel..." Havel opened his eyes. He knew he was in a dream, oddly, and it looked as though he were in a lush forest, with a radiating pond that had a stone in its center. "Who's there?" He called out. "Don't you remember me, love?" Daayan landed in front of him, seemingly hiding in the clouds before descending to Havel. "Stay away from me, monster," Havel said. In a single, lightning fast movement, Daayan was wrapped around Havel, rubbing her body against him, "But how else am I supposed to devour you?" she said in a sultry tone. Havel threw her off, hoping to find his hammer somewhere in the dream. "You know this, Havel," she began, "it's that time, mares have needs, and stallions are supposed to oblige," "Go fuck one of your abominations, I don't want you," Again she was on him, pinning him to the ground almost effortlessly, "but I want you tonight, besides, this is just a dream after all," Havel's horn glowed with magic, blasting Daayan off of his body. She landed a few feet away, seemingly unaffected by the blast, "Don't be like this, Havel, give in to your desire, I know how badly you want me," Havel turned away from her, "I. Do not. Want you. I. Do not. Love you," Daayan leaned in, her lips brushing his ear, "Liar," she whispered, biting his ear lustfully. Havel winced slightly, feeling a drop of blood roll down his ear and onto Daayan's tongue. "Mmm, aren't you just delicious," Havel was frozen, his lip quivering from the sharp pain. "You're all mine here, you can't escape your own dream," "Wait," Havel said, "what if we made a deal?" "A deal?" Daayan said, intrigued about the situation, "depends on the deal," "A battle," Havel said, "if you beat me, I'll do whatever you want, but if I win, you let me go," Daayan circled Havel, shifting her form into that of a small, black scaled dragon, "Alright," she said, giving him a shark smile, "but don't tire yourself out too much," she kicked Havel's hammer in his direction, gesturing for him to pick it up, "Soon you'll be mine!"