Terracana

Terracana
Chapter 94: Discord's Quest Part 2

After a few minutes of walking cautiously towards the castle, I reach the hole in the front and frown at all the bones of many different races littering the area.

My attention changes to my surroundings as I look around. The castle has seen better days as the furniture and paintings are damaged or torn. Curtains lay on the floor, moth eaten and shredded while tables and old stone busts lay broken and in pieces.

In the back of the room is a set of stairs leading up, then splitting into a fork to the left and right. The steps themselves are heavily damaged with large foot prints embedded into them.

To my left is a couple of doorways leading to other rooms, their doors long since unhinged and splintered. To my right is a large hole where I guess the cyclops has decided it wanted a doorway its own size to go through.

I wait for a good ten minutes, listening carefully for any signs of the monster. But I hear nothing nearby so I make my way in. I head to the right hole and look inside, seems it was the castle's dining hall if the long broken table and many chairs mean anything.

To the left is another hole leading to a ruined kitchen, the ovens damaged, plates and cups smashed, and utensils all over the place.

The right side has shattered windows overlooking the dead garden out front, while the back of the hall has a large fireplace with many bones filling it.

I decide that this isn't where I'll find the cyclops and head back to the stairs. I head up and take the right turn, slowly tiptoeing to prevent the broken floorboards from making too much noise.

Once at the top, there's many holes in the walls. I see a large bathroom with an unusable bath tub, a bedroom with no bed and a shattered vanity mirror, and a personal library. I smirk and head in to find most of the books damaged, which ruins my smirk as I was thinking of taking some back for Twilight...

"I'll come back later once I've dealt with the cyclops," I tell myself and head back out. I make my way across to the other side and stop as the floorboard creaks loudly, echoing throughout the castle. I hold my breath and curse internally as I wait.

For a good two or so minutes nothing happens and I breath a sigh of relief, but my heart drops as a loud roar reverberates throughout the castle.

"Oh fiddlesticks..." I mutter as the castle seems to shake. I quickly duck into the old bedroom and hide in the wardrobe that only has one door left on it.

The floor shakes as thud after thud echo nearby, getting louder as the source approaches. I gulp as I can hear the cyclops breathing heavily and grunting now and then. I then hear it sniff the air and growl as it moves on.

I carefully peak out and barely see it walk away. It has tan coloured skin that looks like it has a few boils and scars across it. It also has long unkempt dark brown hair and is wearing crude clothing made up from old curtains and bedsheets, and it's about two to three times my size, so it appears to be a young cyclops at least.

It turns around and glares near my area. It looks to be female due to the large and sagging mammaries on its chest. Just the sight is making me cringe and want to change my eyes with new ones... I'll do that once I'm away from here, and a gallon of bleach to wash my brain with.

Its mouth is wide with sharp looking teeth poking out at different angles and warts or boils litter its face. Let's not mention the smell which even from here is making my eyes tear up.

I then smile as I spot an orb hanging from its neck on a piece of string, but my eyes widen as I take a closer look... the orb is cracked. I can barely feel Harmony's presence and she's dying. I need to get her back to Equestria and make a contract with Twilight quickly to repair the damage.

The cyclops then roars out angrily and charges straight for me. I yelp and look around, only spotting the open window.

'I'm going to feel this tomorrow...' I think to myself and run to the window.

I leap out and land on my feet. I stay there for a second as the pain dies down and my legs feel like jelly.

The cyclops makes a hole in the wall and roars down at me. I get clonked on the head by a brick giving me a slight headache, making me look back up and frown. I pull out one of the ten throwing knifes I brought with me and toss it up, aiming for its eye.

It growls as it swipes the knife with its left arm where it gets stuck, it doesn't even register that the knife is even there.

I draw my sword and mace before running around the castle back to the main entrance and hide behind a nearby tree. I hear the cyclops thundering through the castle before rushing out of the hole and looking around with a large piece of a broken stone column in its left hand.

I dash for its left leg, making it turn to me. I swing my sword and cut a deep gash into the back of its ankle.

It roars out in pain and swings its stone column at me. I gasp as the air leaves my lungs from the impact to my chest.

I crash through the castle's large front window and roll a few feet across the floor. I groan as I slowly sit up and shake my head, pretty sure the little missy just broke a few of my ribs... but hopefully I've restricted its movement with the wound I gave it.

Standing up, I shake my head and hiss in pain as I pick up my weapons and head back to the entrance where I see the cyclops limping back to the castle.

I pull out two more knives and toss them at the cyclops the first hits it in the cheek, making it reel back in pain, while the other gets stuck in the fat folds of its neck.

I head towards the stairs and start going up, I have another idea and I hope that its stupid enough to follow me.

The cyclops pulls out the knives before throwing them away with a roar of anger. It then limps after me as I watch from the top railing.

Once it's in the middle of the lobby, I leap from the railing and land on the monster's right shoulder making it yelp in surprise. I waste no time in holding my sword in a reverse grip and plunge it into the cyclops' eye.

It lets out a blood curdling scream as it grabs me and tosses me right into a still standing stone column, which cracks from my impact and worsens the pain in my chest. I drop onto the floor on my right side with a loud thud, groaning in pain as I look up to the still screaming cyclops.

The monster is swinging its makeshift club randomly, hitting the already damaged furniture.

I sit up against the column and groan as my chest and back are throbbing. I just watch the cyclops throw its temper tantrum and smirk. I just have to wait until it either calms down so I can make my move or until it dies of hunger or blood loss.

I grimace as it steps too far back on the foot that I cut and the gash rips open, almost taking off its foot at the ankle. It topples to the ground and roars out even louder this time from anger and pain.

I open my pack and frown as the portal to my storage dimension is flickering due to the cyclops' aura. Guess I'll have to wait till it dies before I can eat something... and I wanted a delicious scone or tart as well while I waited...

I just pout as the cyclops thrashes about on the floor. My eyes then widen as the column its holding flies my way and I don't move in time as it smashes into my helmet.

I groan as I slowly come to. My head is still throbbing and my chest is still in pain, but I don't hear the cyclops' hissy fit anymore. I open my eyes to see the monster laying still and no longer breathing.

With the magic nullifying aura no longer in effect, I use my magic to carefully repair the damage I took. First I heal my head wound and repair my helmet, I may be a bit crazy, but even I don't want brain damage.

After that I focus on my ribs and back, then my armour. The process takes a good two hours to make sure I'm back in tip top chaotic causing shape.

I then float up onto my feet and walk over to the cyclops and roll it over onto its back. I frown at the state of the orb Harmony is sealed in and carefully take it from the thin rope it's attached to.

Once I have it I sheathe my weapons.

'Discord?' I hear Harmony ask weakly.

'Yes, it's me, Harmony. Don't worry, I'll help you get back on your feet,' I reply.

'What took you... so long?...' she tells my angrily.

'We all looked everywhere for you when you disappeared... We thought you left us all in the end after our... argument,' I reply sadly.

'Well.. at least you... found me,' she says and I feel her magic weakening.

'Just relax, let me do the rest,' I tell her.

"That was a big pain in the ass... Thank all that is chaotic that this one was just a small one," I say aloud and stretch my back. The biggest cyclops I've seen is just as tall as this four floor castle is.

I stand up, pick up my pack, roll my shoulders, and brush my armour off from the bits of wood and dust on the floor.

"Now to get back to Canterlot," I say and yawn as it's now very late and a good nap is in order.

I snap my fingers and warp back into the Throne Room, startling many ponies lining up to see the royal family.

"Discord?" Adrian says in surprise, sitting on his throne. "What are you wearing?" he then asks confused.

"Armour Swirly and I designed together. But that's not important right now," I reply and hold up the damaged orb. "I need to get to Twilight and have her make a contract quickly," I tell him and before he answers, I warp to Twilight's location and raise an eyebrow.

She's currently in her shower next to her room with her back turned to me, hands in her hair with shampoo foamed up.

"Excuse me, Twilight. But I need your help," I tell her making her scream in fright.

"DISCORD!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE!?" she yells at me and covers herself with the shower curtain.

"I do apologise, my dear. But I have recovered Harmony and you need to make a contract now if we are to save her," I reply and hold up the cracked orb.

Her eyes widen and she seems to forget she's naked and gets out of the shower. "She's dying?" she asks with worry.

I snap my fingers again, drying her off and conjuring a bathrobe around her.

She blushes as she remembers her current state. "Thanks," she mumbles.

"Don't mention it. Now then, please hold out your hand," I tell her and she does so.

I carefully place the cracked orb on her left palm and place Harmony's aspect orb on her right after a few seconds, her eyes widen.

A few minutes later Twilight finally speaks. "I do. I accept those terms," she says looking at both of the orbs.

The aspect orb slowly sinks into her palm and she turns her hand around to see it on the back of her hand in the middle. She then hisses in slight pain as I see her magic flow down her arm and into the sealing orb where Harmony gets pulled out into Twilight and the aspect orb glows as Harmony enters it.

"You'll have to put up with the mana drain for a few days while she recovers, so no using magic until she's healed," I warn Twilight.

"I can't use my magic!?" she asks with worry.

"That's right, just for a few days. You can use this time to visit your parents or friends, your lessons aren't going anywhere," I reply with a smile.

"I guess so..." she says and sighs.

"The only time you can use your magic is if you are in danger. We still don't know how the elves will counter my shield, so keep your staff with you at all times," I tell her seriously.

"Alright. Now that I'm done in here, I guess I better get ready for bed," she tells me and heads for the door.

"Very well, Twilight. As for me, I have one more person to see before I can sleep as well," I reply and warp to my next destination.

I find Luna doing some weightlifting in her gym. "Greetings, wittle woona! I come with a gift from Terra!" I announce myself making her yelp.

"Discord! Stop calling us by that name we curse thee!" she replies and sets the weights down on the bar. She then sits up and wipes her forehead with a towel. "Why art thou here?" she then asks.

I reach into my pack and take out five scones and two tarts and hand them to her.

"I found a delightful stall at the market in Elysium and just had to get a few of these. Thought you and Tia would like to try some," I reply and take out a tart for myself, lift up my visor, and munch on it.

She takes a bite out of it and her eyes widen. "Tis delightful! We must hire whoever made these!" she replies and takes another large bite with a happy moan.

"It was a human woman named Clare. I have to go back and see what else she has tomorrow," I tell her and finish my tart.

"Then whilst thou art there, offer her the job, we must have her!" she says, starting on the other tart.

"I'll ask her, but don't get your hopes up. So with that out of the way, I take my leave," I reply and warp back to Swirly's lab.

I remove my armour and weapons and place them back on the stand and just look around. I do miss the old goat and all the experiments he did... maybe I could bring Twilight here once the elf nonsense has been sorted out.

With everything settled and done, I turn back into my natural form and jump up onto my cloud hammock, where I yawn and watch little sheep leap over my head until sleep takes me.