Foe Hie Odyssey

Light.  Bright blinding light.  The light of the sun was shining down upon me.  With a start I arose from where I lay or at least tried to.  I was tied down to a gurney that was way too small for me.  I was also naked but a once over cleared me of any fears over whether anyone tried to slip me something just to have their way with me.  Or did it?  After all I had been kidnapped.  Whoever did this clearly did have their way with me even if I was for all I knew unmolested.  They had me where they wanted me.  Tied up and awaiting whatever grim torment they had in store for me.

This left a few questions to be answered.  First. Where am I?  Looking around I found myself to be in what looked like an abandoned clinic or hospital.  I couldn’t remember where I was before this, but it definitely wasn’t here.

Second.  How could I get out.  Trying the bonds I found that with enough effort I could break one of the seemingly ancient restraints holding my arm in place.  With a snap I had freed my left hand.  The other straps however refused to give.  This problem was quickly solved using a scalpel I found on a nearby tray covered in all manner of nasty medical equipment.  With the small blade in hand I hobbled from the bed towards a broken window in the corner of the room.  My legs felt unused to walking which raised the third question.  How long have I been out?

I wouldn’t know until I was outside and could perhaps find a newspaper or ask a passing pedestrian.  Outside the window the sun peeked through the clouds shining upon the dilapidated corpses of what must have once been ornate homes and businesses.  Looking through the window it occurred to me that the entire city might be abandoned.  Rising above the ruins was a great obelisk of magnificent proportions with what appeared to be wings rising from its sides.  It rose even above a great palace which wrapped itself around what looked like a mountain.  The palace dominated the city with what appeared to be sinister spires and ruined towers.  It seemed to perch above the city almost like a vulture circling its next meal.

This wasn’t a city I was familiar with and it certainly didn’t look anything like anywhere I’d been before accept for the winged pillar.  The structure vaguely resembled the Washington Monument, if the Washington Monument had grown a pair of wings and then had flown through a warzone. The monument didn’t look at all out of place among the once artsy buildings and now filth covered streets.

Looking for some clue as to what befell the inhabitants of this once great city I noticed something eerie.  Permeating the buildings and the very air itself was a pink mist.  It seemed thin in and around the hospital, but further in it formed into frightful clumps so thick I couldn’t even see past them.  I couldn’t make out any shapes of animals or people.  They must have all fled when the pink air pollution hit.  The people of this city had obviously not heard of the dangers of overusing hair sprays, aerosol room fresheners, and other such contaminants.

A drop of rain struck the tip of my nose.  Just like that the sun was gone and the world took on an even more gloomy appearance.

A quick exploration of the facility revealed that it was indeed a hospital with operating rooms, waiting rooms, storage rooms, and a few offices. Everything was a shade of white, gray, or pink.  Many of the rooms had collapsed and those that hadn’t were in some state of decay. There was no sign of my kidnappers or of the original inhabitants.  The entire area seemed empty of life.  The place got creepier the longer I was there.

Travelling down hallways and peering into rooms is a good way to find useful items.  In one room which was apparently the office of the manager, a man by the name of Gentleheart, I found the strangest equipment.  In a once locked cabinet in the corner was a disproportionate suit of ornate battle armor and some kind of machete.  I took the machete and grabbed the first first aid kit I saw, making my way to an exit.

The machete had come with a baldric and sheathe.  I promptly attached the first aid kit, which curiously bore an emblem of a pink butterfly, to the belt and made my way out into the rain soaked streets.  The scalpel was still clutched in my hand and I felt ready for any danger that could rear its ugly head.

*****

Within an hour of waking I had found myself wandering the streets and the rain had reached a torrential downpour.  I found that there were numerous canals and moats all over the city which seemed to empty into a valley below.  It seemed that the entire city was built upon a mountain with waterfalls pouring out.  These waterfalls were being fed by impassable rivers and more than once I was forced to turn back as I found the street in front of me completely flooded.

If it wasn’t rain than it was the pink cloud that I had seen earlier.  There were broken buildings whose interiors were shrouded by an impassible barrier of the mist.  I had the feeling that braving these places would result in my eventual death.  The pink material had even seeped into the water tinting it slightly as it ran off the cliff.

I now had a new problem.  I was starting to feel hungry and that just wouldn’t do.  From a vantage point atop a wall and between crenellations not unlike an ancient knight’s castle I could see for miles.  Once the entire plain below had been rolling farmland, but now though it was a desolate wasteland.  There was no food out there or at least none that I could see.  I had turned back toward the city, resolving to find food tonight.  I would wait until the return of the sun before I set out.  Then I saw it.

Wandering through the streets almost like a drunk was what looked like the silhouette of a donkey.  My grip on the scalpel tightened and I manically smiled.  Dinner was coming to papa.  I ran as quietly as I could down the ruined and garbage strewn street and behind the creature.  I slit its throat.  It was a quick clean kill.  Upon closer inspection I found that the creature seemed sickly pale and emaciated.  It would hardly provide more than a small handful of meals.  At least it would if I let all the extra parts like the internal organs and bone marrow go to waste.  It should have been dead.  When I had dragged my kill only a short distance by its tail it seemed to decide to suddenly not be dead.  My first warning was an odd hissing noise coming from behind me.

Turning, I cursed saying all manner of foul things as it lashed out at me with its hooves.  I fell back collapsing into a pile of garbage.  Rolling out of the way I came to my feet.  With a cry I noticed to my great alarm that the cut across the beast’s throat had completely healed.  He turned with me albeit more slowly.  A plan started forming in my head as I flipped the scalpel.  I cursed my own foolishness as I cut my thumb on the blade.

My hand slick with blood I closed the distance between the two of us.  I feigned left then brought the scalpel down and across the tendons in the creatures left leg.  Using my left hand I vaulted over the demon donkey and before it could turn or buck me I shoved my blade into the thigh of its right foreleg leaving it there.  The creature fell forward.  I kicked its head before drawing my new machete, and I brought the weapon down with both hands to hear a sickening crunch. I repeated this four more times.  It was neither a clean or complete decapitation, but it didn’t matter.  The foul thing would never move again.

The meat was cooking over a fire illuminating the debris strewn storefront.  I sat watching the flames ripple and dance while I pulled a splinter from my back.  It was part of the garbage that I had fallen into.  Good god this place was filthy.  Garbage seemed to line every street. It was some kind of unknown combination of hard and mushy stuff.  Pulling out the shard I gazed down at it.  No, I now knew exactly what the garbage was.  I tossed the bone fragment into the deluge outside.

The skin of the creature was laid out over a table.  If there were more of these fiends out there than I wouldn’t walk out there unprepared.  I didn’t know how to tan leather, but I was confident that I could turn this skin into something passable for armor.  At the very least it would keep me from getting as many scrapes and bruises during a fight.

When the meat was done I hung the skin from the ceiling and hoped that by morning it would be dry.  I took the skewer I had used to roast the meet and went to sit next to a stone slab against a wall.  It had likely once held a display of some sort and it must have been good at the job.  It now was good at the job of holding the meat I wasn’t currently in the process of eating.

My first bite was daintily taken out of the creature’s heart to celebrate my first kill.  I sincerely hoped that this would be the last time I took a life.  The rain made it feel like the world itself wept for the innocent demon donkey that I had slain.  Regrettably I couldn’t deny that the creature’s meat even without being properly cooked or professionally prepared was one of the best meals that I had had in my entire life.

*****

I brought the machete down again.  This was the third of the creatures that I’d fought.  They only seemed to be able to be killed when you cut through their neck.  Not an easy task when the neck in particular is that of a horse.  While exploring the area I’d learned that these creatures were probably some kind of horse.  The people living in this city seemed obsessed with horses.  Some of the corpses that I’d found earlier were even similar to the feral beasts now prowling the neighborhood.  I brought my most recent kill back to my base camp.  This was the third day that I’d been in this ruined city.

The rain had not stopped and now most of the streets were impassable.  I had kept the fire going because I was afraid I’d never be able to relight it.  I separated the meat from the skin and the waste and skewered the meat over the fire.  Then I moved onto building my new protection suit.  I had scavenged together scrap electronics and metal components and began laying them over the first skin along with some of the two creatures bones then binding it all together with a glue I’d found.  “Wonderglue” was truly wondrous even if its creators didn’t advertise that the glue that came out was the same shade of pink as the pollution outside.  I then added a second snowy gray skin that would be the outer layer of the outfit.

This second creature whose skin I now held had put up a hard fight.  It had even managed to bite my left shoulder.  For that I took off its left hoof.  This left a gap in the suit, but I had found a solution on a nearby corpse.  As I donned the gruesome armor I lifted up the “pipbuck” and plugged extension cords on my left side to corresponding ports.  The cords ran up my shoulder and along my right arm.  With any luck this would allow me to download any useful information that I came across by simply plugging my suit into the computer.

Examining the pipbuck I found that it possessed several major functions I had not been aware of.  The three main ones seemed to be an app to sort and organize my belongings, a vitals monitor, and something called an Eyes Forward Sparkle or EFS.  Apparently this EFS could track targets and lead me towards targeted locations.  I looked over the built in map.  On it were a collection of locations and a marker showing I was in the city of Canterlot.  I barely suppressed a giggle.  Sadly, I realized that this was the first noise I had made so far, that wasn’t a cry of pain.

To complete my new look I used the skull of the second creature. I had left it mostly intact because of the result of a bad experiment with a brain breakfast.  I was grateful that the rain had washed away the bile as well as any other traces of that horrible experience.  After attaching the skull I now had a gruesome hood that came down to cover my face and keep my head dry.

*****

I went back to the hospital hoping to get more medical supplies.  The box with the pink butterfly on the front had only a handful of medical supplies that I’d quickly used up after yet another fight with the demons.  Searching the hospital I found a plethora of strange chemicals.  Very soon I was weighed down with bags marked radaway, an anesthetic called med-x that looked suspiciously like morphine, a few antibiotics, some steroids and combat drugs with names like Dash, Buck and Rage, as well as a few dozen “health potions”.  It was honestly hard to imagine somebody creating an all-purpose medicine to treat burns, bruises, scrapes, cuts, and bullets, but somebody had apparently managed it.  If I didn’t know any better I’d say it must be magic.

On my way to the exit however I noticed something I’d missed the last time I was here.  There was a basement.  The only reason I even knew that there was a basement was because of the auto map function on the pipbuck. My curiosity got the better of me and I went down to explore.  Unsurprisingly the door down into the basement was locked.  What was also unsurprising was that an appropriated fire ax can open most wooden doors in under a minute.  I proceeded down the stairs and immediately started getting the “don’t go into the basement” vibe.

I gripped the ax as I pushed through the door to the stair well.  I was in a hallway that had originally been painted white and had broken light fixtures at regular intervals.  There wasn’t a single working light bulb in this entire city.  Thankfully my pipbuck’s screen could be turned up to cast nearly as much illumination as a conventional flashlight.  The light revealed that permeating the air was a thick pink mist that I was becoming all too familiar with.  Just breathing the stuff was making my chest and lungs burn.

Oh and did I mention the blood.  Blood covered the walls and dripped from the ceiling.  Several bodies were strewn across the hallway interspersed with the decomposed skeletons that covered the streets outside. I turned down my pipbuck’s light and drew my machete.  Something might still be down here.  I crept up to the first doorway and peeked inside.

I saw the bodies of two of the demons both wearing their own pipbucks and looking better groomed than any of the ones I’d fought out on the streets.  Then I heard the buzz of static and my head exploded.  I quickly leapt back breaking one of the skeletons in the process.  I used my arm to wipe the tears from my eyes.  I quickly stopped when I saw that the tears were a bright crimson.   I decided I wouldn’t go back into that room again and downed a health potion.

Most of the other rooms held long dead skeletons with very little of value.  My insides were now starting to burn as if they were on fire and it felt like I had a severe rash running the length of my body.  I was starting to reconsider coming down here.  By now I had already been forced to drink a dozen health potions and inject myself with Med-X.

Opening the last door I quickly ducked down.   There was someone in there.  Peering in again I made out the creature’s shape illuminated by a glowing computer terminal.  The creature looked vaguely similar to the monsters I’d killed outside except that this one was larger and had a horn and wings.  I could just barely make out blood dripping from the horse creature’s mane.  It couldn’t possibly be responsible for the new macabre décor, could it?

I almost jumped when I heard it start muttering to itself about a “Nightseer”, and a “Goddess”.  They can talk!  They are intelligent!  And I ate some of these creatures!  Am I a cannibal?  No I told myself.  I’m not a cannibal.  They aren’t human so it can’t be cannibalism.  I only did what I had to do to survive.  Life demands sacrifices and sometimes we have to do unpleasant things in order to survive.  Survival is necessary to pass on the traits necessary for success to the next generation.  For a moment I wondered if it would be possible to crossbreed with these creatures and if the offspring produced would be fertile.

Shaking my head I tried to listen to what the creature was saying in perfect English no less, but none of the things it muttered made any sense to me.  It’s insane I thought.  Insane and judging by all the blood it is also very dangerous.  That was not a healthy combination.  My EFS marked the creature as hostile so that settled it.  If it would kill me given the chance, then I wouldn’t give it that chance.  I carefully set the ax beside me and crept forward clutching the machete in both hands.  I didn’t know what this thing was capable of and it was better to be safe than dead.

The creature’s ears twitched as I launched myself at it.  It turned just in time to catch a sword to the flank.  It struck out at me with its hooves throwing me back.  The weapon clattered to the ground about a yard away.  As I scrambled to grab my fallen weapon it was surrounded in an odd blue glow.  The same glow was emanating from the creatures horn.  The glowing machete lifted off the ground.

It can use magic!  This was no fair.  I pulled out the scalpel ducking under a clumsy swing and charging the horse again.  Before I reached the creature it disappeared without a trace.  I stood for less than a second in stunned silence and almost lost my head.  The machete was still after me.  I blocked the bloody machete and realized the creature must still be bleeding.  The machete clattered to the ground as I knocked it out of the telekinetic sheath.  Snatching it up I quickly ran for the exit assuming that the thing would try to run.

In the hall I saw small streams of blood falling from the invisible creature as it dashed away from me.  I ran after it when suddenly it stopped crying out in pain.  Apparently that dreadful static noise had the same effect on these horses as it did on me.  The thing became visible again.  It had lost a lot of blood and could barely stand.  Shakily it lifted its head and its horn lit up.  A shimmering bubble formed around it.  This was definitely not fair.

I lifted the ax up from where I’d set it and ran to meet the Unicorn Pegasus thing.  I battered against its shield for a few moments before it shattered.  My next blow ended the mad creature’s life.

I wiped the blood of mytho horse on her blue hide.  Seriously why was this thing’s fur blue?  Assuming that it must have been dye I searched the corpse on the off chance that it carried the dye with it.  In a satchel hanging off its flank I found an extra strength health potion, a RadX syringe, three syringes of med x, a bottle of some kind of antidepressant, an empty tome, but not a drop of blue dye.  I took the satchel and threw it over my shoulder.  Hopefully I wouldn’t need the antidepressants after this nightmare was over.  Perhaps writing down my thoughts in this book would help me come to terms with the wretched deeds I’d committed.  At the very least it would tell the reader my sad strange little story.

Inside the room, with the terminal, I found several more cabinets as well as a row of lockers.  By the end of my looting I had amassed a collection of random junk.  I now had six rolls of duct tape, four empty syringes, ammo for a 9mm, some surgical tubing, a pair of hot plates, a carton of cigarettes, a lighter, several unidentified electronics, a pair of headphones, a dozen gold coins, a 9 mm pistol, a sparkle-cola car (seriously sparkle cola), a six pack of aforementioned sparkle cola, and a dinosaur toy.  I promptly discarded the carton of cigarettes, but opted to keep everything else.  Who knows maybe this crap might be useful, especially the gun.  The fight with the blue one had left me a little shaken.  Insane and dangerous or not the girl, which I now knew that it was indeed a girl, was still another living breathing thinking person.

I now addressed the elephant in the room.  I accessed the computer terminal and looked through the files.  I found several files that had recently been added tried to read through the first one marked Subject 62, but found that it was in some weird code that I couldn’t read.

I took a moment to administer more med-x and health potions.  I copied the files to my pipbuck and was turning to leave when I noticed the security camera.    I’d seen security cameras throughout most of the facility.  I ran from the basement, drank another health potion, and then searched for a control room.  Night had almost fallen by the time I found the room.

Inside the small room was more than a dozen screens most of them having gone dark.  I took a second to marvel that anything in this hell hole was still functional especially after being left on all this time, before I set to work logging into the system.  After several failed attempts mixed with backing out of the system I took a moment to drink another potion.  That is when I saw a plastic wrapped copy of Sword Mares tucked under the desk.  I pocketed the comic for future reading before typing SwordMares into the terminal.   I let out a whoop and began searching the recent security footage until I found what I was looking for.  I saw a horse creature in a white lab coat punching things into the terminal and then plugging in her pipbuck into a jack in the computer.  She was a mare with a horn making her a unicorn. She also had a Jolly Roger like butt tattoo of a unicorn’s skull over a crossed hammer and test tube.

*****

I sat staring into the fire and pondering the great questions of life.  I had killed.  I had murdered.  I had eaten of the flesh of a living thinking sentient creature.  I was no better than a cannibal.  I was worse than most cannibals.  I had desecrated the bodies of the slain and now wore their skin around like a trophy.  I was a monster.  Was it right to do this in order to survive?  Did I need to kill in the first place?  Is it ok because I didn’t know?  Would it be ok after I stopped?  The problem was that I hadn’t stopped, yet.  I was still wearing that repulsive armor.

I leapt to my feet and began tugging and pulling at the armor trying to rip it off.  I had made it to come off, so why didn’t it want to come off.  I pulled until I hurt and even bled but it wouldn’t budge.  I grabbed at my right sleeve and tried to just pull it back.  Part of the top layer moved exposing something out of a nightmare.  My skin was sealed to the demon skin and even to some of the metal above.  I sat there stunned my tail flicking nervously.

Tail?  I turned my head and stared at where I thought a tail had been.  No tail.  I can’t worry about these things now.  If I do I shall go insane.  I have to sleep and in the morning… What would I do in the morning.  I would bury the dead.  It was the only thing I could do.  It was the right thing to do.  I didn’t need any more food.  I had already gorged myself on the flesh of man (sort of).  I probably wouldn’t be able to ever eat again.  In the morning I would honor my victims even the unicorn thing in the basement.  And after that?  After that I didn’t know what I’d do, but I would be damned if I let myself become the victim of another madman’s experiment.

My sleep was troubled by strange nightmares of more of the horse creatures.  These ones spoke to me, but I couldn’t seem to understand what they were saying.  It sounded like an apology of some sort.  Then they put a mask with a funnel onto my face.  After that the burning started across my entire body.  I wanted to scream, to cry out, to say something, but my body refused to do anything.  I just sat there staring forward as they made me drink some kind of accursed concoction.

I awoke with a start feeling pain flair across my shoulder blades and forehead.  I took a moment to steady my breath.  The rain had stopped, but the clouds remained casting a gloomy shadow over the entire world.  Checking my pipbuck’s clock it appeared to be midmorning.  I struggled to my feet, stretched, and then went to gather my equipment for the coming hunt.  If my target didn’t bring me to her lab, but was still able to drag me around a city than it made sense to assume that my target didn’t have her lab in the city.  That was probably for the best.  If she was then I’d have to find her and demand an explanation.  The truth was that I didn’t know where she was, and I couldn’t stay in Canterlot.  I wasn’t going to eat anymore equine meat, and that was the only food that I could find in this city.

As I was pondering which way to go I heard a noise outside.  It was the sound of gunfire.

I extinguished the remnants of my fire afraid that the smoke would give me away before slinking into the shadows by the large broken window.  I cautiously peered out into the flooded street.

A crimson coated mare ran down the street and then into the building I was hiding in.  One look at the occupant of the building quickly turned her around and had her running back into the street she’d just come from.  And right into the arms of her pursuers.

A pair of bird like monsters landed outside the doorway.  One held an automatic rifle while the other had a pair of revolvers holstered over his feline chest.  Griffins!  Real life griffins.  Both of the noble predators wore black armor which bore a strange emblem.  An image of an eagle’s claw divided down the middle by an ugly scar.

Checking my EFS revealed the presence of another Griffin.  Who I now saw was perched upon the roof of a building across the street staring through the scope of a sniper rifle.

“I don’t suppose you’d be willing to let me live?”  The mare asked trying to sound upbeat as the two griffins calmly approached her.

“Lie down, don’t resist us and we’ll let you live a little longer.”  The griffin with the automatic weapon spat.  It took me a moment to grasp what was meant by this. Ok so not so noble birds after all.

“We have orders to bring Scar your head.  You know as well as I do that if we fail than he’ll have our heads.  That is, after all, the price for failure.  A price that you now have to pay.  I’m sorry Hay.”  Said the griffin with the pistols.  Oddly enough he actually sounded like he felt sorry about being sent to kill this mare.

“I didn’t fail, I deserted.”  Isn’t that worse though?  “Scar was working with raiders and slavers.  I don’t regret ending my contract prematurely.”  The mare stated defiantly lifting her head up high.  It was at this point that I noticed that her eyes were different.  The left one appeared to be normal blue, but the mare’s right eye stared unblinking and glowed a soft red.  The mare’s red eye bothered me.  Normal human and normal equine eyes, as far as I knew shouldn’t glow.

The two griffins just stood there.  Pistol guy asked in his sad voice, “Does it really matter so long as we are allowed to live?  Why couldn’t you have just finished out the contract and then gone into a different line of work someplace else?”  Neither of them moved and this bothered me.  Weren’t they here to kill this mare?  The sniper!

I drew the 9mm I had found and crouched low so as to stay hidden.  I aimed the gun at the sniper who was himself lining up a shot.  I pulled the trigger several times in rapid succession until the sniper griffin fell onto the street.  The griffin with the automatic rifle sent a spray of bullets into the building forcing me to keep my head down.

Meanwhile the mare and pistol griffin were having a scuffle.  Somehow mechanical arms had sprouted from the mares back.  What was this horse, a cyborg?  She’d gotten ahold of one of the griffin’s revolvers, but before she could get off a shot the griffin backhanded her.  The force of the blow knocked her to the ground and her shot went wild.  Blood trailed from three parallel scratches that ran from her ear to her muzzle.

The other griffin was looking in through the window into the dark storefront trying to find me.   I was still crouched by the window.  If I moved he’d see me and then I’d be dead.

“Kill the bitch and let’s get out of here.” Growled the griffin I was watching.  I took a deep breath readying myself for what I was about to do.  And the griffin heard me quickly turning as I rose up firing a bullet almost point blank into his beak.  He fell back most of his face destroyed and I fired another bullet mercifully ending him.

The griffin with the revolvers tossed something in through the window.  I leapt out just in time to avoid being shredded by an explosion of shrapnel.  I pointed the 9mm at the remaining griffin.

The clicking noise that followed made me regret granting the previous griffin any mercy.  The griffin staring at me raised his remaining revolver.  I charged at him and he shot me.  The bullet ripped through my armor, through my bicep, and out the other side, but somehow I kept moving.  He clawed at me, but I was only dimly aware of it.  My vision had turned red and I could feel only a decadent primal rage.  I drew out the scalpel and stabbed the griffin again and again until I collapsed next to the mare.

“Thank you.” She whispered.  Then the world faded to black.

*****

I awoke feeling strangely numb.  Checking the time I saw that I hadn’t been out for more than an hour.  I sat up groggily.

“Careful.  I wasn’t expecting you’d wake up for a good long while.”  Said the mare who appeared to be rummaging through the medical box before emerging with a syringe in each of her metal claws.  The claws themselves looked extremely deadly appearing very similar in design to the claws of the griffins we had just killed.

I looked down at myself seeing bandages wrapped around most of my midsection and around my left shoulder.  “You patched me up.” I said and then added “Thank you talking horse demon.”  I offered her a toothy smile.

“I wouldn’t really call it patching up.  You’ll need to see a medical pony before you’ll be back to normal, but you’re welcome.” The mare said in a cheery tone while injecting herself with one of the syringes and then coming over and injecting me.  In a few moments I felt the effects of the drug wash over me.  It gave me the strength to stand, but made my head feel a little groggy.  “Thank you talking monster, for saving me.”

“My name is Ulysses.  You?” I said extending my hand.

“Haywire” She said grasping my hand with a metal claw.

We looted the bodies as if it was the most natural thing in the world.  Funny, I had never thought myself capable of killing three people, and then looting their mangled corpses, while humming the overture of Carmina Burana.  Well I had already become a serial killer that ran around wearing my victim’s skin and eating their flesh, so is robbing a corpse really all that bad in comparison?  Nope didn’t think so.  And on the bright side at least I’m still alive right.

Before long the mare set off toward some unknown parts.  Figuring that she must know a safe way out of the city I resolved to follow her.  After a few steps she turned back and, glancing between me and the corpses, seemed to make up her mind about something.  She shrugged both her normal and mechanical shoulders before continuing onward and calling over her back, “Make sure you’ve got everything your gonna need.  It’s a long way back to civilization.”

*****

A few hours later found us walking across a plain down a broad cobblestone road that had long since fallen into disrepair.  My companion had been almost completely silent the whole way and would occasionally glance at me when she thought I wasn’t looking.  For my part I was conflicted.  Even if I’d only lived there for about a few days, the ruins of demon horse Camelot had become like a home to me.  Oddly enough I could not remember having a home before waking up in that hospital.  Perhaps it was trauma from my recent experiences, but I could remember very little of my past.  All that I could remember were only indistinct fragments and scattered memories. The ruins had been something real and solid and now I was leaving them behind along with what had become my home.

The question remained what I was going to do.  I had not buried the dead.  The mare had insisted that we leave at once or we would quickly die of exposure to the pink mist and could not be dissuaded.  Now we trudged on in silence neither of us daring to speak.  She was a talking cybernetic demon horse and I was now a literal wolf in sheep’s skin.  She cast another furtive glance my way and at last I’d had enough.

“See something you like?”  I asked my tone hinting at my dark mood.  She glanced away, but not before I got a look at her eyes.  I can’t say how I could tell but there was no loathing there or fear or hatred, at least none directed at me.

“I’m sorry it’s just, well,” She looked back at me, “I don’t think I can bring you into town dressed like a psychopathic raider.”

“I’m a survivor, not a raider and my fashion isn’t one of choice.”  I said defensively.

“So your saying that someone actually glued that hide to your body?”  She asked skeptically.

“Eeyup”

“Oh,” We stood there awkwardly for a few seconds.  “Sorry then, I guess, I mean I can’t even imagine what kind of sick fuck would attach somepony else’s skin to another creature.”

“I would, and I did, and technically it is two skins not one.”

She mouthed an O then said, “I’m still not bringing you into town with me.”  The awkward silence returned.

“So where are we headed anyway?”  I asked hoping to get another landmark in this strange and unknown hellscape.

“A little farming village a couple miles northeast of here.”  She made a vague gesture with her hoof in the direction we were currently heading, “The ponies there are good people by Equestrian Wasteland standards, but they aren’t exactly fond of outsiders.”

“All the more reason for me to stay out of town then.”  I said.  “I suppose that we’ll be parting ways after we get there.”

“If you want.  I honestly wouldn’t mind having something like you around to watch my back.”  She said.  Hearing her words it seemed that she honestly wanted my company.

The silence returned as I contemplated what to do.  I doubted a sane magic pony would want to associate itself with someone like me who had committed such wretched deeds, so this offer of companionship was surprising to say the least.

We made camp at around dusk.  A golden light made the two of us turn from our work.  In turning we beheld the Glory of the sun setting behind the once glorious city.  The sight held us spellbound for several minutes and I found words come unbidden to my lips “A day shall come when sacred Troy shall perish, And Priam and his people shall be slain.”  Such has indeed been the fate of all things mortal, but so also it must be that the ending of one chapter of history should be, but the prelude of another.  Throughout mortal history there is only one thing that has remained true and unchanging.  War.  War never changes.

End of chapter one (Level Up)

Ulysses Haroldson

Level 1 Resident of Canterlot

Special

Strength 4 +2

Perception 6

Endurance 7 +1

Charisma 4 -3

Intelligence 6

Agility 7

Luck 6

(Download Complete: New statistic added Insanity Threshold)

Insanity Threshold 24%

Melee Weapons 13 + 7 / 100 Sneak 19 + 5 / 100 Small Guns 19 + 5 / 100

New Traits

Guiana Pig (1)-You have a permanent +1 to your damage threshold, +2 strength, and  gain a substantial bonus to your insanity threshold.  You also slowly regain limb condition and health while irradiated.  Sometimes you will notice odd things about yourself like forgetting most of your life or you might occasionally have flashbacks to earlier points in your life.

Second Skin-You have been permanently fused to the skin of another creature.  For some reason this seems to bother most people.  Benefit +1 endurance, but -3 charisma penalty with non-allies, and you automatically receive the Terrifying Presence perk.  Your armor condition can be slowly restored through exposure to radiation.  You cannot remove your armor.  You can however wear certain apparel over your current armor and negate the charisma penalty.  The over apparel won’t be restored by radiation.

New Perks

Terrifying presence- In some conversations, you gain the ability to initiate combat while terrifying a mob of opponents, sending them fleeing away for safety or attacking you in fear of their lives.

Quest Perk - (Totally Not a) Cannibal- You can eat corpses to regain Health, but every time you feed, you lose Karma, and if the act is witnessed, it is considered a crime against nature.