King of Serpents: Concord's Dawn

by nobreiner

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Human, Original Character, Comedy, Adventure
Length: 13287

Chess game of the Gods verse: An average teenager is chosen to participate in the Games

Being chosen by a God to act as his champion is pretty cool. Being sent to Equestria, even cooler. I just wish I hadn't pissed off the guy before he told me what I'm supposed to be doing here. Now, lost in Equestria without a clue, and with only a naive Spriggan for company, I hope to find my purpose in this crazy world.
My name is Paul O'Brian, and this is my story.

So, this is my first submission to Fimfiction.net, and I chose to start with a Chess Game of the Gods Story. These stories are of great interest to me, so I decided to try one of my own. All events within this story occur during the plot of The ballad of Echo the Diamond Dog and Griffin the Griffin, as well as the other CGotG stories, and all credit for this universe goes to Rust and Blackwing.
Characters will be added as they appear. Rated T but does contain harsh language.

Published 2012-07-03 06:24:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-07-25 21:25:42 UTC

The Beginning

I groaned, as my sight began to slowly return to me. At first, all I saw was a blinding white light, which slowly dissolved into the image of a dense forest, a thick wall of trees dominating my vision. Beneath me, soft grass tickled my belly, revealing to me that I was lying on my stomach, with my chin resting on the ground as well.

Moaning pitifully, I reached a hand up to clutch at my pounding skull. But, to my shock, nothing happened.

Instinctively I tried again, harder, in an attempt to break whatever resistance was forcing my hand down, until I realized that that wasn’t the issue.

I couldn’t feel my arm. In fact, I couldn’t feel either of my arms. It wasn’t a lack of sensation like my limbs had simply fallen asleep; rather it was a total lack of feeling, weightlessness, like the appendages weren’t even there.

Panicking now, I attempted to move my other extremities, starting with my legs. This too proved fruitless, leaving me flopping around on the grass. I opened my mouth to scream, but only succeeded in producing a terrible rasp. It sounded like a cross between a hiss and some sort of birdcall, like that of an eagle or falcon.

I began thrashing around wildly, desperately twisting to get a better look at my supposedly paralyzed limbs. What I saw caused my jaw to drop even further.

My feeling of my arms being missing rather than numb was right, there was no trace of them at my sides. In their place was a thick, limbless coil of muscle and spine, coated in shining green scales.

I screamed again, this time loud enough to send the birds flying from the trees, not that I noticed; I was too busy dealing with the fact that MY ARMS AND LEGS WERE MISSING!

Oh my god, oh my GOD! What’s going on? I thought fearfully. What’s happened to me? Sadly, no answer appeared to be forthcoming, and I continued flailing around in the hopes that my impression of an epileptic fit would somehow return my limbs to me.

Sadly, but predictably, it didn’t and after a short while I managed to tire myself out. Apparently my lack of endurance had transferred over to this new body of mine.

My excess energy spent, I began to calm down from my previously terrified state and instead began to inspect my new body, in the hopes that I may find I had simply trapped myself in a lizard-skin sleeping bag.

Once again, I was disappointed, as I cast my gaze over my new body. I was long, sinuous, and judging from the angle at which I was inspecting myself, very flexible. I had no limbs, just a stretch of muscle leading down to a tapered tail. Finally, I was covered head to… tail in emerald green scales.

Despite the panic in my head just on the verge of regaining control, I managed to put the pieces together to form a hypothesis: I was a snake. Perhaps not the most brilliant deduction, but I was freaking out here! It’s not every day one wakes up a certified quadriplegic covered in scales! Uh-oh, panic rising again, deep breaths, in and out.

Okay, I’m calm I thought a minute later, as my wits finally began to return to me. Somehow, I had woken up in the middle of a forest, which, given that I lived in the middle of Boston, was definitely worth noting. Second, I was now a snake, a rather large one, judging by the size of these trees surrounding me. Looking at them, and assuming I wasn’t surrounded by a cluster of well-developed saplings, I estimated my length to be about fifteen feet long, and about one-and-a-half foot wide at my thickest.

My little self-examination finished, I returned my attention to my surroundings. The area in which I had awoken was actually a small clearing within a large forest, and what I had thought to be a copse of trees was in reality a thick cluster, surrounding me on all sides. Sunlight leaked in from cracks in the trees’ canopy, bathing the clearing in a soft glow.

So, on top of being a snake in the middle of a forest, I also had no idea where the forest was, let alone where I was within it. The dim light peeking through the leaves wasn’t enough for me to make out the species of the trees, so I couldn’t even make an educated guess based on the types of trees surrounding me.

I sighed, but this only served to produce a low hiss, like escaping steam. I was lost, no doubt about it, and had no idea how I had managed to become so. I thought back to my most recent memories, and in a flash, I remembered.

Okay, so quick intermission here to say, welcome to the story! This is my first submission to Fimfic, and I hope to make it a good one! So some quick notes, I was inspired to write this story after reading Rust and Blackwing’s own stories, which I highly recommend to anyone who is literate. Or knows someone literate to read them to you, because really missing those stories is a shame. Anyway, props to them, and I hope you enjoy the story! Onward to the next chapter!

Concord

It was an average day; nothing too remarkable given it was summer vacation. Wake up, check. Shower, check. Etc. I had just gotten to the “plop down on the couch and play some Xbox” step when things got weird. I had turned on the Xbox, and was waiting for the intro scene to play out, when the most annoying thing happened. The screen had frozen on the logo, refusing to proceed any further. Naturally, I assumed something was wrong with the console, and angrily stood to attempt a manual restart. Unfortunately, my attempts proved fruitless as I discovered I couldn’t move either. Like my Xbox, I was frozen. Suddenly, a large sphere of light materialized in the center of my living room, until finally coalescing into a new figure.

The figure before me was tall, towering over me from my position sitting on my couch. If I had to guess, I’d say he was at least seven feet tall. He (for the figure looked notably masculine) was covered head to toe in white armor, as well as a similarly white tabard, with a large symbol in its center. Overall, he gave the impression of a crusader knight, straight out of the Middle Ages.

As I began to examine him more closely, I took in the details of the symbol displayed on his chest. It was a large circle of gold, and in its center was a purple hexagonal diamond. Around the edges of the circle were five similarly cut diamonds of differing colors: Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Pink, all forming the shape of a pentagram on the borders of the golden circle. Twisting golden bands surrounded each of these gems, including the one in the center. Finally, set in the middle of the circle but behind the gems was a compass rose. To my shock, I recognized the symbol. It was the emblem of the Elements of Harmony!

Now, I was a brony, if my knowledge of the Elements of Harmony wasn’t evidence enough. My story of joining the herd, however, wasn’t too unique. I had seen some of the pictures on the Internet and, confused, turned to know your meme for the answer. After learning of the growing population of bronies spreading throughout the Internet community, I was naturally curious to see the show for myself. I watched the first few episodes, and was hooked. The engaging characters that were honestly more developed than any I had previously seen in a cartoon piqued my interest, and from then on I followed the show religiously, making sure to watch every new episode as it was released. Unfortunately I knew no other bronies, and I wasn’t about to risk humiliation by attempting to introduce the show to my friends only to have them label me some sort of freak. So while I told no one else, I was quite the fan of the show, watching the episodes, reading the fanfics, you name it. So, seeing the symbol for the Elements of Harmony stitched into this figure’s tabard was certainly a shock.

Throughout this thought process the figure had remained silent, standing still as a statue as I examined him closely. While it gave me a good opportunity to take in the rest of his features, such as the classical crusader shape of his helmet, it very soon began to creep me out. He didn’t move a muscle for several minutes, simply holding a silent vigil, the visor of his helmet locked on my face.

Eventually though, something seemed to have passed between us, as he shifted slightly, tilting his head to look at me with a curious expression. So, this is my champion.

The sudden voice caused me to jump slightly, or at least try to, as I was still frozen in place. Do not be alarmed, mortal. Easier said than done, that voice was terrifying! It was deep and resonating, and felt as though it was coming from the earth itself. I pondered if this was what getting blasted by the Royal Canterlot Voice was like.

This thought seemed to draw a chuckle from the creature, his soft chortles shaking me to my core. Alas, mortal you are quite mistaken. Confused at this response, but realizing that this figure could read my thoughts, I thought quickly, Who are you? And why am I frozen like this? The figure made a dismissive gesture in response. Your questions will be answered in time, mortal, now listen well. I was annoyed at his attitude, but obviously couldn’t do much to object.

The figure continued its speech, as it began pacing about my living room, pausing occasionally to cast a glance over toward me. I have chosen you to be my champion, my pawn in the latest game. You will act as my instrument, and bring glory and honor to my name. With you, I will return to the status I once held. I will regain my throne from that wretched amalgamation.

Of course, to this I could only think What in the Hell is this guy talking about? Sadly, the figure seemed to have heard this thought, and was not pleased by it. Insolent child! He roared. I am speaking of the wretched monstrosity that has taken my throne from me! The Bastard of a thousand Beasts, and the bringer of havoc to my once great kingdom!

Given this guy had the Elements of Harmony stitched onto him, I was quickly able to make the obvious connection, I mean, who else is an amalgamation of creatures, and is known to have a passion for chaos? Discord? I thought questioningly. This proved to be a mistake, as the figure spun towards me, radiating anger. Do not speak that devil’s name!

Now, I was the kind of person who corrects others constantly, it was a knee-jerk reaction that came with the constant plague of perfectionism I often dealt with. So, I was unable to stop myself from replying, Technically, I didn’t say his name, I thought it. Of course, while I couldn’t stop myself from acting like a controlling, obsessive-compulsive, know-it-all, I could certainly regret it. Which I did. A lot. Especially when the figure stomped his way over to me, the earth shaking with each thunderous step.

You impudent FOOL! Do you know who I am? I am Concord! The High King of Order, and Harbinger of Law! I will not be corrected by a foolish child like you!

A foolish child like you will not correct me. I thought instinctively. What you said was passive… Aww, fuck.

THAT IS IT! I WILL SEND YOU TO THE SITE OF THE LATEST GAME, AND YOU WILL BRING HONOR TO MY NAME, OR FACE MY WRATH! DO NOT DISAPPOINT ME! He roared.

Wait. Wait! I still have questions! Can’t you- That was all I was able to blurt out before my world exploded into light and pain.

The Spriggan

As the memory finished playing out before me, it left behind one thought in my head.

Well, crap. I pissed off the wrong guy, apparently.

Sighing, I cast my gaze about the clearing, as though it would provide any more insight to my situation. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t. Sighing yet again, I considered my options. I was in the middle of a forest, with no idea which direction to go to find civilization. My first thought was that I definitely couldn’t just sit in this clearing. I needed to find Concord! Maybe I could pacify him enough to send me back home. I mean, being turned into a giant snake was cool and all, but I already missed having arms and legs.

I continued to brood on this, I eventually decided to simply pick a direction and walk, or crawl as the case may be. The forest couldn’t go on forever, right? So, filled with a new sense of purpose, I picked what looked like the thinnest copse of trees and stepped toward it.

And was promptly reminded I lacked the necessary extremities as I pitched forward onto my snout. God Dammit! Slowly lifting myself back into a pseudo-standing position, which was in reality just me lifting the top third portion of my body, I twisted my head back to glare at the twisted coils behind me. Stupid body. How the hell am I supposed to get around now? I thought hard, remembering that snakes get around through a unique method of twisting along the ground, moving side to side in an S-shape.

Now just how the hell am I supposed to do that? I thought bewilderedly. Looking down at the ground, I slowly lowered myself until my chin was resting gently on the forest floor. Then, I jerked my body to the right. It didn’t do what I had expected, instead only causing me to turn sharply, without moving forward. I cursed harshly. Why can’t I move!

I continued to experiment for several minutes, flexing my new muscles in every way I could think of, my frustration growing with each resulting failure.

Finally I couldn’t take it any more, and began thrashing wildly, in a desperate bid for motion, hissing and spitting in frustration. Come on, damn it! Move! MOVE!

Suddenly, I thrust downward with my stomach while simultaneously twisting to the right, and found myself being propelled in the same direction I had attempted previously. I mentally cheered. Turning to the left, I repeated the motion, and was rewarded with another surge forward. I was moving!

I continued like this for several minutes, slithering forward and soon leaving the clearing far behind me. My motions were stiff and jerky at first, but as I grew used to the swaying motions propelling me forward, my slithering became more and more smooth. After what felt like an hour of travel, I was making a good speed, and I no longer was forced to consciously force the motions. Instead, they grew natural, and I was able to focus my attention elsewhere.

The first thing I did with my newfound freedom was to observe the forest around me, hoping to find some clue as to where I was. Unfortunately, I knew next to nothing about tree species, and could not even begin to guess what types of trees these were, let alone where in the world they grew.

As I continued on, the forest got noticeably thinner, sunlight peeking more frequently through the canopy and with shorter intervals. I grinned smugly, satisfied that I had correctly guessed which direction to go. As I continued on, however, that grin disappeared, the self-satisfaction replaced with a deep brooding as I pondered my purpose here. The figure in my home, Concord, as he had called himself, had sent me here without any clear purpose or direction, only referring to me as his “champion” without elaborating on the matter.

“Hey down there!” A new voice spoke up, causing me to jump in surprise. I twisted around sharply, searching the surrounding woods for the source of the voice. But it was nowhere to be found; I was alone in the woods.

“Up here!” The voice said again in a bubbly tone. I twisted myself to face upward, and was met with a strange sight.

It looked like a Pegasus pony, feminine in shape with two wings sprouting from its back. At least, that’s what I thought at first glance. Then I noticed its skin seemed to shift slightly as it floated above me, and I realized it wasn’t skin at all: It was bugs.

Hundreds, thousands of bugs covered the surface of the creature, minus its hooves. They formed a constantly shifting shell around it, and through this shell I was able to make out a small glimpse of its insides. They were completely made of wood, as were its hooves. A timber skeleton with an insect skin. I cringed back in revulsion, and the insects that made up the Creature’s face shifted into a frown.

“What, never seen a Spriggan before?” It asked in a peeved tone. Meeting its gaze, I was able to discern more features of the Creature’s countenance. Its face was like the rest of it, made up of a constantly shifting mass of insects, but its eyes were unique. They were a pure shining gold, glowing with some perpetual light. The same light, I noticed, that was occasionally peeking through the gaps in the Spriggan’s chest, near its heart.

As the Spriggan looked on expectantly, I realized that throughout my examination of her body, (NOT in that way, mind you.) she was waiting to hear a response from me. Clearing my throat slightly, I spoke, in a notably raspier tone of voice than was normal for me, “I apologize, but you’re right. I really have never seen anything like you before.” Except maybe in Skyrim. I added mentally.

This seemed to satisfy the Creature, who straightened up and gave me what I assumed was a smile, the lights in her eyes brightening with her mood. “Oh, that’s okay. To be honest I’ve never seen a Basilisk before either!” That drew my attention. Basilisk, huh? Where have I heard that before?

I quickly racked my brain for everything I knew about Basilisks.

My knowledge of Basilisks was extremely limited, unfortunately. Of course, who did have extensive knowledge on a single specific mythical monster? The only information I did have came from the second Harry Potter movie, and a crappy B-movie I saw on the Syfy channel one time.

In Harry Potter, Basilisks were extremely large, much larger than I was currently, and could kill anything simply by meeting its eyes. On top of that, they were also armed with dagger-like fangs and lethal venom.

The Syfy Basilisk, on the other hand, was notably different. It still killed whoever met its glance, but not simply through sight alone. Instead, it spat some sort of liquid from its mouth at its target, turning them to stone. It was also much smaller, roughly one and a half times my own size now.

The one trait these two shared though was their tendency to kill those who met its gaze. I had definitely locked eyes with this Spriggan at least once, yet she seemed perfectly fine. Looking up at where she was floating above me, I could see she was watching me expectantly, waiting for a response.

“Umm, yeah I’m new here.” I said. “I don’t suppose you could help me out of this forest? Maybe take me to the nearest town?”

The Spriggan beamed in response. “Sure! I’m actually heading there myself!” She said excitedly. “The village is about three miles thataway!” She finished, thrusting one hoof in the direction I had been traveling. I followed her gesture, and then gave her a grateful nod, before turning away from the Spriggan and slithering away, jerking my head as a signal for her to follow.

“Wait!” The shout caused me to stop and turn back to the Spriggan, to find her floating towards me, one hoof still outstretched in a halting gesture. “Listen, we should be careful going into town. The ponies there aren’t used to seeing creatures like you, so it might be a little… dangerous.”

I paused to consider her words. She said ponies, so that confirms that I’m in Equestria. Fighting the urge to squeal in fanboy delight, I replied, “Why would it be dangerous? I know I’m not exactly handsome by pony standards, but it’s not like the townsfolk will attack me on sight, right?” Judging by the Spriggan awkwardly avoiding my gaze in response, that is exactly what it was like. I groaned audibly. Great. Just great. A chance to go to Equestria, and I’m placed here with a target on my back.

Fighting to keep the frustration out of my voice, I said, “Well, what am I supposed to do, then? I can’t just stay in this forest.”

To my surprise, the Spriggan seemed to get rather offended by this statement. “And just what’s wrong with my forest, huh?” She said, jabbing my scaly chest with a hoof. “You think it’s too wild, huh? Like those ponies in town?”

Recognizing the building anger in the Spriggan before me, I quickly backpedaled, “No, no, I wasn’t saying that! I’m sure your forest is very nice! It’s just, I’m not very good with this outdoorsy stuff; it’s all new to me.” I chuckled nervously. “I just don’t want to be eaten by a bear or anything.”

The Spriggan fixes me with a suspicious look for a moment, as if searching for signs of deceit, before replying slowly, “Alright, if you say so.” She then floated up close until we were face to face, fixing me with a stare that for a moment made me feel like a certain red dragon, or perhaps a cockatrice, and said, “But if you ever insult my forest again, we’re going to have a problem.” Getting no response other than a shudder as the insects making up her body began crawling across my own, she added, “You got that?”

I swallowed anxiously and nodded. Immediately, the Spriggan’s expression melted back into a joyful smile. “Great! Then follow me, I’ll get you there in no time at all!” With that she drifted past me, towards the town, her personal swarm following her like a buzzing contrail. I followed behind, thinking, Note to self. Do NOT piss off the living, bipolar bug nest.

Names and Welcomes

As the Spriggan and I continued along through the forest, I continued to dwell on my companion’s outburst. Where did that come from? I thought confusedly. One minute she was nice as can be, the next she was ready to rip me a new one! And now… My thoughts trailed off as I spared a glance towards the Spriggan. She was floating ahead of me, all traces of anger gone. She was even singing, for Pete’s sake! Apparently my earlier suspicion was correct; she was definitely insane.

Eventually her massive shift in attitude prompted me to ask, “So, that whole thing a minute ago. Are we just pretending that didn’t happen?” This prompted the Spriggan to turn toward me with a confused expression on her face.

“What are you talking about?” She asked, an expression of sincere bewilderment on her face. “Do you mean when you insulted my forest?” Her expression seemed to darken again, and I gulped audibly. Thankfully though, she seemed to calm herself down, and continued, “Well I knew you didn’t mean it, so there’s no problem! Right?” She beamed again, and I copied her smile, albeit anxiously.

Okay, so I guess we are just gong to forget that for now. I thought. I just have to be sure not to do anything to set her off again. I looked towards the Spriggan again, to find she had continued on, and was even singing to herself again. Should be easy enough.

Slowly, I moved to follow the Spriggan, but was suddenly stopped as she whipped around to face me. “I almost forgot!” She said. “My name’s Magnoliophyta!”

I gaped at her, dumbfounded. “Magno-what now?” I asked confusedly. The Spriggan only smiled wider in response.

“Everypony just calls me Maggie!” She added. “So, what’s your name?” This caused me to pause in thought for a moment.

I can’t give her my real name. I thought. It would just seem odd. What would be a good name for a Basilisk? Thinking back to Harry Potter, an answer soon presented itself. “Salazar. My name is Salazar, but you can call me Sal.”

Maggie’s smile was stretching across her face now, farther than any real face could. “Nice to meet you, Sal!” Reaching forward, she stuck a hoof out to shake. I glanced at her hoof, before giving her a deadpan look. She quickly retracted her hoof, grinning embarrassedly. "Right, sorry. Anyway, let’s get going, it’s not far now!” With that, she buzzed forward, and I slithered along after her.

Several minutes later, I began to notice a distinct gap in the trees around us, and, looking down, realized that we had stumbled upon a dirt path. Seeing this as a sign of us getting closer to the town, I quickened my pace. Turning to face Maggie, but not slowing my gait, I said, “So you said earlier the town might act hostile towards me. Why is that? What could they have against me?”

Maggie shook her head. “It’s nothing against you really, just creatures from the forest in general. They’ve been having a problem with monsters attacking them. It took forever for them to get comfortable around me.”

I nodded in understanding. “Alright, then. Do you think you can convince them to trust me?”

Maggie shrugged uncertainly. “I really don’t know. Some of the ponies there are nice, and would definitely have no problem with you. The ones guarding the entrance, on the other hand, would attack you the moment they saw you. But don’t worry; as long as you’re seen with me, they probably won’t try anything.”

I nodded in acknowledgement, and together we continued onward. Not even a minute later, we caught our first glimpse of the town through the tree line. My first thought upon seeing it was that it looked more like a village than a town. None of the buildings had more than one story, save for a series two-story towers, each one placed near the edges of the village, forming a large circle. They appeared to be made of logs cut from the trees of the forest, and as Maggie followed my gaze I felt her stiffen slightly next to me, muttering darkly. I shifted an extra foot away from her, just in case.

Looking down to the rest of the town, I saw that, rather than the thatched roofs I had come to expect from pony-made buildings, almost every building was some sort of lean-to made of stone, no bigger than an outhouse. How were ponies living in these things?

Casting my gaze even lower, I was met with a surprise: Completely encircling the village on all sides was a large pit, similar to a moat, and at least fifteen feet wide. Above that, a low stone wall, no taller than three feet high, stretched around the village, effectively forming a large perimeter. Finally, I saw what at first seemed to be a wall between the two closest towers, but upon closer inspection proved to be a long, flat string of logs, no doubt a bridge used to cross the moat.

I had just finished observing the village when a loud noise blasted trough the air, startling Maggie and I. After overcoming my surprise, I realized the noise was actually a blast from a large horn, mounted upon each of the towers, with the one closest to us being the origin of the first blast. I shot a nervous glance to Maggie, who responded with a small smile. “Don’t worry, that was just one of the guards letting the town know we’re coming. As long as we avoid looking threatening, they won’t shoot us. Probably.” She finished flatly, proceeding forward. I gulped, but slowly moved to follow.

As we drew closer to the village, I got a closer look at the moat. It held no water; what lay at the bottom was much worse. Wooden stakes, hundreds of them, each as thick around as a flagpole, lined the bottom of the pit. What drew my attention, though, was that a majority of them were coated in a dark, viscous substance. I would say it was blood, if not for its color. Rather than the deep maroon of dried blood that I knew, instead it was completely black.

My attention was pulled away from the moat as the bridge came crashing down, and three figures strode across the bridge. The figure in the middle was the lone pony of the group. If I had to guess, I would have said he was either an Earth Pony or a Pegasus. He lacked a horn, but a large cuirass covered his midsection, as well as his Cutie Mark. He was large, about as tall as I was “standing,” and was solidly built. His face was visible, and was set in a deep scowl.

As he strode toward us he was flanked by, of all things, two diamond dogs. Both were decked out in full plate armor including helmets that hid their faces, but the body shapes as well as the patches of exposed fur made it clear to me what they were.

The group stopped about halfway across the bridge, and the pony’s eyes widened as he got a look at me, then narrowed into a glare as he shifted his gaze over to Maggie. Turning to the diamond dogs, he muttered something I couldn’t hear, but was clearly an order, as the pair immediately turned and began striding back across the bridge into the village. Turning back to us, the pony strode across the bridge, stopping when he was five feet in front of us. Behind him, the drawbridge slowly began to retract, stranding us together on the far side of the moat.

For almost a minute, we simply stood there in silence, regarding each other. It was during this time I was able to make out some more of the pony’s features. His coat was a cold steel gray, while his mane was a sharp contrast, a pure snow white. His eyes, as large as I would expect from a pony, were navy blue. Any further examination was halted as the pony spoke, “What the hay is this, Spriggan? What is this thing, and why have you brought it here? I told you, we’ve had enough of your damned forest’s monsters, and we don’t need any more waltzing through here.”

Beside me, Maggie was quivering with suppressed rage, a low buzz issuing from her form, like a swarm of angry bees. “I told you, my name is Maggie.” She growled. “And this is Sal.” She gestured to me, which prompted the pony to glare at me hatefully. Lifting my tail, I gave a small wave in response.

The pony looked at her incredulously. “It understands?” He asked, to which she nodded in response. The pony then turned to look at me, studying me carefully. “Alright then, I assume you aren’t here to attack us, so what do you want?”

Maggie was quick to answer for me. “He just needs somewhere to stay. He isn’t from the forest, and staying out there is too dangerous.”

The pony gave me an appraising look, before answering with a crisp, “No.”

“You can’t just turn him away!” She finished, stamping a hoof for emphasis.

The pony fixed the both of us with a sneer before responding, “Look, even if I wanted another monster to deal with –which I don’t- we just don’t have the supplies to take anypony in. The ac-“ He was cut off suddenly by a loud blast from the horn that had announced our arrival earlier, followed by a cry of “ATTACKERS, COMING FROM THE EAST!”

Whipping around toward the source of the cry, I spotted a pony standing at the top of one of the towers, dressed in plate armor similar to the diamond dogs and pointing off in the direction we had come from. Suddenly, what looked like a long, silvery rope blasted out of the woods and wrapped around his outstretched hoof. Then, in one swift motion, the pony was yanked off the tower, falling straight down into the pit below. I turned away, but was unable to block out the sickening splurch noise that accompanied his landing.

Looking instead to the origin of the rope while simultaneously fighting back revulsion, I saw that it had come from one of five figures that had emerged from the woods behind us. Upon seeing them, I froze, fear gripping my heart and paralyzing my body.

Before me were five of the largest spiders that I had ever seen. They were the size of compact cars, easily four feet tall, with eight long, twitching limbs sprouting from a bulbous furry body suspended between them. I was struck completely rigid, unable to twitch out of sheer terror.

You see, one of my greatest fears, more than anything else, are spiders. From an early age, I have been absolutely terrified of them. I don’t know what it is about them that terrifies me so; all I know is that nothing else can affect me in quite the same way. Bats, snakes, rats, and even other bugs, such as insects were nothing to me, compared to the sheer pants-wetting fear that spiders inspired in me. Let me give you an example, dear reader. Just about a month ago, I was driving along when suddenly I spotted a spider no bigger than a dime crawling on the passenger-side window. I had to, no lie, pull over, get out, and psych myself up to finish the last few miles to my destination, I was that scared.

So naturally, you can assume my reaction to seeing five spiders easily the size of my mother’s Mini Cooper. I was petrified, too scared to even faint for fear of what they would do to my unconscious form. I simply stared at them in dumbstruck horror, slack-jawed and frozen in fear.

Imagine my amazement when the spiders got one look at me, and promptly jerked back in horror, like I would if I had found one of them inside my closet. “The Great Serpent!” One of them hollered in a sharp, resonating tone. “Run for your lives!” Another shrieked. Then, without so much as a backward glance, the five spiders turned tail and ran for their lives, screaming bloody murder all the while.

For a pregnant moment, we all just stood there, Maggie, the pony and I, staring at the woods into which the spiders had retreated. Nobody (or should I say, nopony) said a word, each of us simply pondering what in the nine circles of hell had just transpired.

Suddenly, the pony turned towards the nearest tower (the one without a dead sentry, that is) and made a quick gesture with his hoof. A moment later the drawbridge lowered, and the pony strode stiffly across it. Once on the other side, the pony turned to us, and said simply, “Welcome to Wolf’s Hollow.”

The Deal

As Maggie and I strode across the bridge, I stopped to give a confused look to the pony. “So… just like that, you’re letting us in? What about the whole ‘lacking supplies’ shtick?” I asked, cocking my head in confusion.

The pony chuckled in response. “That was before I knew you could drive off those damn acros. Plus, I think a new spot just opened up.” He finished darkly, looking away.

Following his gaze, I saw that he was staring at the pit into which the unfortunate guard had fallen. I bowed my head sadly. “I’m sorry. I’m sure he was a good… stallion.” I said, hoping he didn’t notice my hesitation.

Judging from his reaction, he didn’t, simply continuing to stare. After a few moments of silence, however, he turned away and began walking back into the village. Taking a moment to regard the scene in silence, I moved to follow.

I was just about to pass into the town proper; I realized that a familiar presence was no longer at my side. Looking around, I saw that Maggie was standing at the edge of the pit, over the poor guard’s body. She was standing stock-still, her eyes locked on the broken form of the pony before her. Confused, I slithered over to her and said, “Maggie? You okay?”

There was no response.

I tried again, lifting my tail and poking her in the side, my concern for her overriding my reluctance to poke a swarm of insects. “Maggie.” I said. “C’mon Maggie, you’re freaking me out.” She continued to ignore me, and I poked harder, actually piercing the wall of bugs that was her skin and tapping one of the wooden ribs inside.

This seemed to finally bring her out of her trance, as she snapped her head up to look at me. It was then I saw that lines of golden sap were running from her eyes, and down the carapaces that formed her cheeks. She was crying.

“Maggie?” I asked urgently, drawing closer. “What’s wrong?” The Spriggan didn’t respond, only casting a glance at the mangled corpse in front of us before returning her gaze to mine.

In dawning comprehension, I brought my tail forward to rest upon her withers in what I hoped was a comforting gesture, ignoring the feeling of tiny legs crawling across my skin.

“Umm… I’m sorry, Maggie. I-I don’t really know what to say here. It’ll… be alright, okay?” Crap, that was pathetic. I thought. I always sucked at this comforting stuff. Thankfully though, this seemed to draw Maggie out of her trance. She gave a small smile at my pitiful attempt, and as I looked on, the golden tears leaking from her eyes slowly began to slide back in, until they disappeared into the glowing orbs altogether.

“Thanks, Sal.” She said, sniffling slightly. “Sorry to get all emotional there, I just-“

She was suddenly cut off by the pony’s gruff voice yelling, “Hey! Just because I’m letting you in doesn’t mean I’m gonna wait all day! Get your flanks in here, already!” I shot him a glare and was about to respond when Maggie simply brushed past me, striding across the bridge to join the pony. Grumbling slightly, I moved to follow.

Catching up with the waiting pony, I shot him a glare, and jerked my head in the direction of the town. “So,” I said venomously, “Are you going to give us a tour?”

The pony shook his head in response. “They don’t pay me enough for that, I’m just security. I’ll be taking you to the Docs and telling them about your ‘encounter’ with the acros. I’ll let them decide what to do with you.”

Docs? Acros? What is he talking about? I thought bewilderedly. I then thought closely about his last statement. “Wait.” I said urgently. “These ‘Docs’ are deciding what happens to me? What if they want to kick me out?” The Pony laughed in response.

“I really doubt they’d get rid of something like you. And even if they did, I wouldn’t let them get rid of our own personal acro repellent.” This only served to confuse me more. What is that supposed to mean?

Suddenly, the pony stopped in front of one of the lean-tos, grunting, “We’re here.” He then raised a hoof and gave three solid knocks on the door. There was a pause, before the door opened a crack, and a nervous voice stuttered out, “I-Iron Ore? Is th-that y-you?” I shot a look at the newly identified pony. Iron Ore? That’s a fitting name; this guy’s a brick shithouse.

The pony “Iron Ore” apparently shot me a glance before responding, “No worries Doc, they’re gone. And I brought you a present.” He grinned at me, in the same way a cat would grin at a particularly large mouse, and I felt a shiver of trepidation run down my frame.

We watched intently as the door before us opened, revealing another pony. It took only a second to identify him as an earth pony, with a teal coat, and a messy forest green mane. His cutie mark was, oddly enough, a paw print. His azure eyes conveyed relief as they fell upon Iron Ore, but quickly shifted to horror as he regarded me.

“BASILISK!” He hollered, slamming the door- right onto Iron’s outstretched hoof. If the pony was in pain from this motion, he didn’t show it, the only outward change being a small frown forming on his lips.

“Doc, it’s fine. This thing ain’t gonna hurt you. He scared off the acros for us.” He said, before shifting his hoof and opening the door, revealing the shaking pony behind it. As Rock’s words began to sink in, the “Doc’s” expression quickly shifted to one of intense curiosity.

“The Acromentulae? Really?” He said, pushing past the door and inspecting me closely. “Amazing. An adolescent Mistwatch Basilisk. Definitely not a Greater Basilisk, would already be petrified otherwise. But, very rare. Never seen outside of Mistwatch. An outcast? Exile?” He said all of this amazingly quickly, and I was immediately reminded of Mordin from Mass Effect. The fact that he was apparently a doctor only made the comparison easier. If he starts singing Gilbert and Sullivan, my life will be complete. He continued to mutter rapid notes to himself, until Iron stepped forward and stopped him with a hoof.

“Look Doc, you can study him later.” He said. “Right now we gotta meet with Doc Greenhorn. Is she in here?”

The Doctor didn’t seem to be paying attention to him, his eyes locked on my form with a rather disturbing degree of curiosity. Nevertheless, he responded, “Yes. Inside. Were working together before attack.” He stepped around Iron Ore’s hoof and approached me. “Would love to study more closely. Perhaps, a one-on-one examination?” Now, had I heard this question, I probably would have begun slithering as far away from this guy as fast as possible. But I didn’t, because I had more important things on my mind.

I am the very model of a scientist Equestrian.

I’ve studied species Griffin, Dragon, not to mention zebrican.

The Doctor, taking my silence and dopey smile as a yes, beamed and said, “Excellent! Looking forward to working with you!” With that, he turned around and proceeded back into the lean-to, disappearing into its interior. Iron Ore spared a confused glance at me, before moving to follow.

Suddenly realizing Maggie and I were alone, the former giving me a worried stare, I looked to her and asked, “What just happened?” The Spriggan could only shake her head dumbly in response.

Standing in the center of the underground laboratory, (I had discovered the lean-tos were in fact only staircases to underground buildings) I observed the pony in front of me. She was a unicorn, with a deep emerald coat that matched the color of my scales. Her mane was silver shot with streaks of white, giving her an aged look. Finally, she had a maple leaf cutie mark, and chestnut eyes. According to Iron Ore, who I had now learned was commander of the guards in this town, she was Doctor Greenhorn, the head scientist for this research outpost.

After introducing myself, Greenhorn had curtly brushed me off in favor of glaring at Iron Ore.

“Alright Commander.” She said brusquely. “You have ten seconds to explain why there’s a Basilisk in my lab.”

Well how-de-doo to you too. I thought, frowning slightly. Iron Ore shot a quick glance at me, before replying, “Look, Doc, I just-“

“I am a Doctor Iron, and I will be addressed as such.” She interrupted, her eyes narrowing dangerously. Geez, what a bitch.

“Alright, Doctor then,” Iron continued. “This thing was able to drive off five acros just by looking at ‘em! You can’t tell me that won’t come in handy out here.”

The Doctor shook her head. “As useful as it is, Commander, we have no way of housing him. We are filled to capacity as it is, after that last wave of reinforcements you hired.” She said all of this in the tone a kindergarten teacher would use to explain that one plus one equals two, and I found myself gritting my teeth in irritation.

Iron Ore, however was either used to this treatment or didn’t care, as he responded evenly, “Actually a space just opened up, the acros just took out one of the new recruits. He can stay in the barracks.” This rebuttal seemed to surprise Greenhorn for a second, but she was quick to regain her composure.

“And what of the situation with his diet, Commander?” She countered. “I very much doubt gems and apples will sustain him.” Iron Ore had no response to that, and wilted slightly. Greenhorn grinned smugly at her victory.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, the doctor from before stepped forward. “Have a solution.” He explained. “Have acquired many acromentula carcasses during our time here. Dozens in storage, all preserved.”

Not liking where this was going, I cautiously replied, “Yeah, so how does that feed me?” The Doctor gave me an unsettling grin.

“Acromentulae staple of Basilisk diet, reason for fear.” He explained. “Simply allow him to feed on carcasses.” There was a pregnant pause, in which everyone considered the implications of his plan.

“WHAT!” Greenhorn and I shrieked, her in outrage, and me in revulsion. We stormed up to the doctor together, each of us sputtering our rebuttals.

“Doctor Keeper, those carcasses are of immeasurable importance-“

“You want me to eat a spider?!”

“-to our research here. Simply giving them away to be eaten-“

“You want me to eat a SPIDER?!”

“-would destroy any evidence that our findings were even conclusive!”

“You. Want me. To eat. A SPIDER?!”

The Doctor quickly silenced us by raising a hoof. “Is the best possible solution. No other meat in camp, even for diamond dogs. Part of contract with mercenaries.”

Iron Ore stepped forward. “It’s true, you scientists forced my boys to swear off meat for the duration of their stay here. You said it was ‘unsettling’.” Doctor Keeper gave him an appreciative nod.

“Yes, so only source of meat in entire camp is collected acromentula carcasses in storage. More than enough to sustain adolescent Basilisk for some time. Will even have enough to present as evidence after study is over.” Doctor Keeper grinned widely as Greenhorn fell back, muttering darkly. I however, pushed forward.

“Look, Doctor,” I said pleadingly. “I have many issues with spiders. I don’t know why, but I do. One thing I do know, though, is that I would never put one of them in my mouth!” I ended with a snarl, causing the doctor to quail slightly.

“Apologies.” He said nervously. “But is the only option. No other source of meat, except in forest. Cannot allow you to leave to hunt, would leave us vulnerable to attack.” He seemed to be gaining steam as he continued. “Acromentula is primary part of Basilisk diet. Would provide all necessary vitamins and proteins, would support you completely.”

I could only sputter incoherently in response. As much as I hate to admit it, I could make no argument against this plan, aside from my own fears. Also, every time he said the word acromentula, I felt my mouth begin to subconsciously water.

This is insane; there is no way I could… Could I? I mean, I never minded dead spiders. I found them disgusting, but never scary. If I can get over that, I would be set on food. If not, I’ll probably starve. Even if I could convince them to let me hunt, I would have no way of knowing how to do that. I’ve only ever hunted pheasants, and that was with a dog and a gun and everything! I’d probably get myself killed if I tried to hunt in that forest. As this reasoning continued to assert itself in my head, I felt my resistance begin to crumble. Eventually, I bowed my head in defeat, and sighed. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

Doctor Keeper grinned widely. “Excellent. Will prepare one of the corpses. Will be ready in an hour if you wish.” Realizing that I was in fact starving, and deciding to get this over with as soon as possible, I nodded. “Very well. We can even use time to hold one-on-one study I mentioned. Should be very exciting!” This brought a look of confusion to my face. “One-on-one? What are you talking about?” Doctor Keeper looked to me with an expression of impatience.

“One-on-one study. Examination, questions. Mentioned previously, you did not object. (Damn you, show tunes!) Now, I must go prepare the body. If you’ll excuse me.” He turned to leave, but was halted by my cry of “Wait!” He turned, as I quickly tried to think of a way out of this. I couldn’t refuse to do the interview; it would seem suspicious. But giving him false information wouldn’t just be suspicious; it would prove I was lying. Luckily, I came up with an idea. “Before you go, do you think I could borrow something?”

As Iron Ore, Maggie, and I walked, floated, and slithered down the street, Iron Ore gave me a confused look. “I still don’t get why you needed that bestiary.” He said, nodding to the book Maggie was currently carrying for me.

I attempted to shrug in response, and when that failed, I settled for rolling my eyes. “Like I told the doctor, If I’m going to be keeping the acromentulae out of this town, then that book will come in handy. I may find out some weaknesses I can exploit if I have to fight them.”

Iron Ore looked unconvinced. “But they’re terrified of you, you won’t have to fight them.” I gave another eye-roll in response.

“I doubt that fear will hold them back forever.” Deciding to change the subject, I said, “So where are you taking us, anyway?” Iron Ore looked at me suspiciously, but thankfully decided not to press the issue.

“We’re heading to the barracks. They’re the twelve buildings closest to the gate, so we’re ready in case of an attack. You’ll be staying in Omega barracks. That’s where Windrunner, the guard you saw, was staying before.”

I was about to nod, when I realized something. “What about Maggie? Where will she stay if there’s only one spot open?”

Maggie shook her head in response. “Oh, I’m not staying in town. I have a home out in the forest. I’ll be staying there tonight and come back tomorrow, okay?” I nodded in confirmation, and we continued on in silence.

Eventually the quiet began to grind at my nerves and I began looking around randomly in search of something to occupy my attention. I spotted two more of the plate armored diamond dogs and, suddenly confused turned to Iron Ore to ask, “So, if you guards are part of the Royal Guard, then why are there diamond dogs in your ranks?” To this, Iron Ore gave a sharp bark of laughter.

“Oh, we’re not Royal Guards, not by a long shot. We’re mercenaries. We were hired by the scientists to guard them.” This revelation surprised me, but after some thought, I realized that it made sense.

However, this rose yet another question. “Why wouldn’t the Princess send guards to help a scientific expedition?” Iron laughed again, this time a bitter chuckle.

“’Cause we ain’t in Equestria, kid. We’re in Black Marsh. The northernmost part of it, in the Blackshore forest, to be exact. To send guards here would be to send ‘em into another nation, and that’s generally looked down on without declaring war first. Now cool it with the questions, we’re here.” He finished; stopping in front of another one of the lean-tos, before pushing open the door. Surprise Surprise, it revealed yet another staircase. The three of us proceeded down the stairs, until finally entering Omega Barracks.

The interior was sparsely decorated, but surprisingly well lit and spacious. There were four cots, two against each wall to the left and right, as well as a metal footlocker next to each one. From the walls hung several burning torches, and in the center of the room was a large wooden table. Seated around that table playing cards were two pegasi and a diamond dog.

The first of the pegasi had a sky blue coat, and a poofy white mane that looked remarkably like a cloud. His cutie mark was a treasure chest, and his eyes were a shade of blue slightly darker than his coat. Upon us entering, he looked up, gave a jovial smile, and waved.

The second pegasus was slightly larger than the other, with more clearly defined muscles. His coat was red, and he had a close-cropped, golden mane. His eyes were a solid gray and his cutie mark was, I shit you not, a crossed hammer and sickle.

The diamond dog was actually not too tall, only about half a head taller than the blue pegasus, and had sandy colored fur. His face was reminiscent of a bulldog’s, and he was the sole occupant of the table to be wearing his armor, minus the helmet. His eyes were a dark brown, almost black, and held a cold intelligence that immediately set my teeth on edge.

Upon realizing we were there, the red pegasus and the diamond dog immediately jumped up from the table, snapping to a salute. “Commander, sir.” They chanted in unison. Despite them attempting to keep their focus on Iron Ore, I caught them stealing curious glances at me, except for the blue pegasus. He instead was openly staring at me, not even bothering to salute, instead looking over my form from his seat with a curiosity that unlike Doctor Keeper’s brought a smile to my face. He looked like a small child first experiencing something fascinating, like a circus or a zoo.

“At ease.” Said Iron Ore, and the red pegasus and the diamond dog relaxed their stances, the pegasus lowering his hoof to the floor and the diamond dog lowering his paw to his side. “Alright boys, listen up. We got a new roommate for you three to replace Windrunner. I know this may seem sudden, but we need a place for this guy to stay. It turns out the acros are scared to death of ‘im, and that’s good for us. Are there any objections?”

The three responded with a spirited “No sir!” and Iron ore smiled. “Good. Now, let’s make some introductions.” Turning to me, Iron gestured to each of them in turn. “Sal, this is Sky Box,” He pointed to the blue pegasus. “Axel,” He pointed to the diamond dog. “and Red Dawn.” He finished, pointing to the red pegasus. Of course. I thought snidely.

Iron Ore then turned to the guards and gestured to me. “Boys, this is Sal, and you all already know Maggie.” He said, gesturing to first me then the Spriggan in turn. “I expect him to be treated well, ‘cause right now he’s the only thing keeping us from getting eaten by these acros. Understand?” Another chorus of “Yes sir!” followed, and Iron Ore nodded. “Alright. As you were.” With that, Iron Ore turned around and promptly left the barracks, without so much as a backward glance.

Maggie then turned to me and said, “It’s getting late Sal, I should probably get going too. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Setting the book down next to me, she then left as well, zipping up the stairs before I could reply.

Slowly, I looked to my new roommates, all of whom bore curious expressions, and lifted my tail in a wave. “Umm. Hi?”

Author’s Note: Okay, well, that chapter was both a great achievement and severe disappointment to me in several ways. Achievement, I managed to avoid the whole FurryGoose Basilisk problem in less than five words. Disappointment, I could not for the life of me go any further without this feeling like it needed a break. I’m sorry for those who expected the Basilisk description to be in this, but this seemed like a good place to leave off, and if I attempted to include more this would not be up by Sunday. I promise you now, though that the next chapter will have a description of the Mistwatch Basilisk and its abilities first thing. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and expect another to be coming in a few days, probably by Tuesday at the latest.

Of Snakes and Supper

I stood there, tail raised in an awkward wave, before the three guards. For several seconds, we simply stared at each other, not saying a word. Then, Sky Box suddenly jumped forward, zipping up to me and grasping the end of my tail in his hooves, and then giving it a firm shake.

“Pleasure ta meet ya, Sal! Like the Commander said, I’m Sky Box! Welcome to Omega!” He said all of this with a grin on his face, and in a Brooklyn accent I had come to associate with Cloudsdale.

Red Dawn then stepped forward and, completing the stereotype, said in a thick Russian accent, “Vhat the hay is wrong vith you, Sky Box? Vindrunner isn’t even cold yet and you’re welcoming this… thing to take his place?” He turned his attention towards me, and I quailed under his stern glare. “You may keep those spiders back, vurm, but you could never replace Vindrunner. As far as I am concerned, everypony here would be better off if you vould just S’ebis’!” The pegasus then pushed past me and stormed out of the barracks, muttering scattered curses in Russian.

The three of us stared after his retreating form for several moments, until Sky Box gave me a slap on the back and said, “Oh, don’t worry about Red! He and Windrunner were really close, so he’s kinda on edge right now. I’m sure he doesn’t blame you for what happened to Windrunner. Well, actually that isn’t true, he said it was your fault, he said, “If he hadn’t shown up, then Windrunner might still be alive!” But I’m sure he’ll see reason soon enough! Don’t worry; me an’ Axel know you had nothin’ to do with what happened to Windrunner! Ain’t that right, Axel?” He directed this last statement to the diamond dog, who simply nodded in response.

He then returned to smiling widely at me, and I found myself grinning awkwardly in return. “Right well, thanks for that; I appreciate it. I’d love to talk, but I gotta meet with Doctor Keeper in an hour and uh,” I paused to carefully grab the bestiary in my jaws, before finishing with a muffled, “Lostha studying ta doogh!” I began looking at each of the cots in turn, before looking to Sky Box and asking, “Umm, wish unn’sh mine?”

Sky Box, thankfully seeming to comprehend my mumbling, pointed toward the bunk near the far left corner of the room. I slithered over and dropped the book on the cot, before turning back and giving him my thanks. I then slowly lifted myself onto the cot and made myself as comfortable as possible. Looking down at the book, I examined the cover. It was then I realized one major problem.

I couldn’t read Equestrian.

The entire cover of the book, save for a large picture of a paw print not unlike Dr. Keeper’s cutie mark, was a jumble of unintelligible symbols. I was shocked. This entire time everypony had been speaking English clear as day; I assumed that their written language was identical as well. Obviously, I was wrong, and now I was screwed. Without the knowledge in this book, the interview with Dr. Keeper was only going to end with him realizing I wasn’t really a Basilisk.

Hissing in anger, I shot a glare at the cover of the book, when suddenly my senses were overwhelmed with an intense burning sensation. It felt as though someone had lit my brain on fire, and was now attempting to put it out with acid. I clamped my eyes shut, thrashing my head about in agony, when suddenly the pain disappeared just as fast as it had come. Slowly, I blinked my eyes open, shaking away the haze that has enveloped my vision. Eventually, my surroundings became clear enough for me to realize that Sky Box and Axel were staring worriedly at me.

“Uh… Heh heh, migraines?” I said apprehensively. The pair each lifted an ear as I would a brow (if I still had them) and looked to each other before shrugging. They then turned back to their card game; occasionally shooting curious glances my way. I turned back to my book, and felt my jaw drop.

There on the cover, where previously there had only been assorted incomprehensible symbols, were words. They weren’t printed in English, but just by looking at them I got the message, it read:

From Alicorns to Zebras:

Paw Print’s guide to Sentient Species of Equestria.

I continued to gape at the title, trying to comprehend the significance of this event. Whatever that burning sensation was, it had somehow allowed me to read Equestrian. Given this astounding turn of events, I could only think one thing in response: Well shit that’s convenient.

Shrugging off the shock of suddenly learning how to read a new language, I slowly raised my tail to flip open the cover. Inside was a title page, and the usual pompous promotion of the author, most likely written by said author himself. Skipping past that, I found what I really wanted, the Table of Contents. The list was surprisingly long, but I ignored a majority of it in search of the ‘B’ section. Basilisk, Basilisk, I thought, B, B, B, where is it? I searched the ‘B’s, but couldn’t find any entry on a Basilisk. What was it Dr. Keeper had called me again? Mistwitch? With that in mind I focused my attention on the ‘M’s and quickly found what I was looking for.

Here we go, Mistwatch Basilisk, page 196. Flipping to the appropriate page, (a task not made easy with only one appendage, and one without fingers at that) I found myself staring at a picture of a large, emerald serpent, coiled in a threatening pose, with its jaws open and ready to strike. To the right of the picture was passage of text, which I began reading with great interest. It read,

The Mistwatch Basilisk, also known as the King of Serpents, is a rare species of reptile native to the Mistwatch Isles, found to the Southeast of Black Marsh. Very little is known about the Mistwatch Basilisks, given their extremely reclusive nature. What little is written about them here, is from contact with the limited number of Basilisks to have left Mistwatch for one reason or another, though from my experience this is usually the result of banishment. What few Basilisks I have been able to converse with have refused to elaborate on their culture, but were willing to impart with me most of their physiological traits and abilities. Mistwatch Basilisks are giant snakes that are capable of growing up to 50 meters in length, and possess scales that range from bright green to solid brown. They have large eyes that lack any sort of iris, instead bearing only a slitted black pupil surrounded by a yellow sclera. Atop the head of male Basilisks is a small fringe of red colored feathers, which if my experiences talking to Mistwatch Basilisks is correct, function similarly to a ponies’ ears, with regards to conveying emotion. It extends upwards when the Basilisk is angered or surprised, and flattens out when the Basilisk is relaxed or relieved. The Basilisk’s most obvious attribute, however, is its jaws. Basilisks jaws are extremely wide, making up a dominant portion of its head, and are lined with a set of razor-sharp teeth, each one the size of a small dagger. From what I was told, these jaws are apparently strong enough to crush bone with relative ease. Dripping from these jaws is the Basilisk’s signature weapon, its venom. Unlike most snakes Mistwatch Basilisks do not produce venom in sacs that is later pumped through fangs, but rather produce it similarly to how ponies produce saliva. Mistwatch Basilisk venom is an extremely potent poison, capable of inducing a paralysis so complete; the victim is often confused for having turned to stone. There is a myth that looking into the eyes of a Basilisk will result in instant death. This is in reality false. Mistwatch Basilisks hold no magical power, aside from their tendency to hypnotize their prey with their gaze, an attribute found within most snakes. This myth of their deathly stare is a result of the Mistwatch Basilisk’s tendency to spit their venom, similarly to a King Cobra. Mistwatch Basilisks can propel the venom from their mouths so quickly and with such accuracy, that very few ponies would be able to follow the motion with a naked eye. Mistwatch Basilisks also have a nasty tendency to aim for the eyes of their victims, blinding them and delivering the venom into their bloodstream. Another method of delivering their venom to the bloodstream that Basilisks favor is to coat their teeth with venom, and simply bite their target. Once within the victim’s blood, the Basilisk’s venom will travel through the body, paralyzing whatever body parts it passes along the way until it reaches the victims heart. The venom will then paralyze the muscles within the heart, stopping it and sending the victim into cardiac arrest. There is no cure for Basilisk venom, and once it reaches the blood, the victim is ensured death within several minutes. Basilisks are naturally carnivorous, incapable of digesting anything but meat. Their primary source of nourishment comes from another species known as Acromentula. For more details on the Acromentula please see its entry on page 23, but in short Acromentulae are giant spiders, and the usual prey for Mistwatch Basilisks. Acromentulae are the largest animals found in the Mistwatch Isles, second of course to Basilisks, and as such were often hunted for the abundance of meat available from them. As a result, all Acromentulae everywhere are terrified of Basilisks, so much so that a fully-grown Acromentula will undoubtedly run screaming from even an adolescent Basilisk. Acromentulae have been known to refer to Basilisks as “Great Serpents,” as they refuse to speak the word “Basilisk” aloud.

The book went on for another few paragraphs, explaining other things such as preferred living conditions (tropical), reproduction (I had TWO!), and even more about how reclusive they are. Overall, it was informative, and even gave me an excellent new strategy. My plan before had been to borrow the book under the guise of learning more about Acromentulae, then simply look up everything about my own species, and when it came time to answer his questions, bullshit him with information he already knew, while carefully avoiding making up specifics he may call out as lies. Naturally this was flawed, because if Dr. Keeper had even one working brain cell then he would know I was simply spouting out information anyone could have read out of that book. I was simply going to hope for the best.

But now, I had a perfect excuse: Mistwatch Basilisks were extremely reclusive. I could simply answer what questions I knew, and when he asked one I didn’t, just say it was against my culture to reveal it! It was the perfect plan!

Smiling smugly to myself, I looked back down to the page, and began to read it again. If I was going to have any hope of looking like I knew about Basilisks enough to have been one all my life, I was going to need to memorize all of this information.

So, for the next hour, I read and reread the entry on Basilisks, memorizing as much as the information as I could before Dr. Keeper arrived. Sky Box and Axel continued their card game in relative silence, only shooting curious looks to me on occasion, but otherwise leaving me to my own devices. Eventually, I heard the sound of hoofsteps on the stairs, and realized my hour must have been up.

I was proven right as Dr. Keeper stepped into the barracks. He immediately looked to me, and his expression brightened. “Ah, Salazar!” He said, stepping towards me. “Are you ready? Have prepared the carcass, should be just to your liking!”

Deciding to ignore how he knew how to prepare a giant spider corpse, I slithered off the cot, using my tail to shut the book as I did so. “That’s good to hear, I guess.” I said uncertainly. “But, umm, could you call it something besides a carcass? It’s kinda freaking me out.” Dr. Keeper smirked slightly in response.

“Very well. Shall we go?” He gestured to the staircase, and I slunk past him up the stairs. Together we emerged back out onto the street, and I was surprised to find that it was dark out. I suppose it must have been close to dusk when I entered the village. It made sense, I hadn’t seen the sun through the canopy the village offered, so the trees must have been blocking it.

Dr. Keeper proceeded to head back towards the labs, and I followed diligently. A few minutes later we had arrived at the lab, and we were now standing facing each other. Between us, was the body of an Acromentula.

It lay there, belly down, with its legs arranged forward similar to the legs of a cooked lobster. I observed its form, cringing as I looked from the hard black carapace on its legs, to the coarse fur that covered its swollen body, to the multitude of eyes set into its fanged face. I was suddenly hit with a wave of trepidation.

There’s no way I can do this. I thought, gazing over the grotesque features of the carcass before me, as Dr. Keeper looked on expectantly. But no matter how much the sight before me disgusted me, I couldn’t help but feel the small trails of drool sliding down my chin. I may not have wanted this, but my body sure did.

“Well?” Keeper said impatiently. “What are you waiting for?” I jerked my head dismissively, and slowly bent down towards my meal. Just don’t think about it. I thought. Just pretend its something else. You aren’t about to bite into a giant spider; you’re about to eat a giant… Oh, damn it; I can’t think of anything similar in texture to a spider that I would ever consider eating. Fuck it, nothing ventured, nothing gained!

With that I quickly grasped one of the spiders many legs in my mouth and bit down, my razor-sharp teeth quickly severing the exoskeleton and the tissue within. Suddenly, my brain was assaulted with the overpowering flavor of… Licorice?

Yes, it seemed that to my Basilisk taste buds the exoskeleton of an Acromentula tasted just like Black Licorice, one of my favorite kinds of candy. Not only that, but as the meat of the Acromentula’s leg hit my tongue, I was again blasted with the taste of lobster meat. Fresh, New England Lobster meat! Maybe not the best thing to mix with Black Licorice, but for some reason I found the combination to be the single most delicious thing I had ever tasted!

Apparently my body took over then as I found myself gulping heavily, sending the combined meat and exoskeleton down my throat in one great swallow. As I felt the remains of the leg begin its journey to my stomach I nearly gagged as I realized that I was disappointed for not being able to savor the flavor longer. I looked down to the rest of the meal before me, and without any further thought dug in. For the next few minutes I didn’t think, I only ate and ate and ate. Soon the entire Acromentula was reduced to a dark smear on the floor of the lab, and I gave a satisfied belch.

My mind then made the unfortunate decision of returning to me, and I realized what I had just done. I had eaten a spider, a giant spider, and enjoyed it. I nearly lost my recent lunch right there, but thankfully managed to keep it down. Shuddering slightly, I looked up from the puddle of fluids that had once been my meal to meet Dr. Keeper’s gaze. I had honestly expected revulsion, or horror at the spectacle before him. What I didn’t expect was for him to be floating a notebook before himself, scrawling notes at a rapid pace, with a gleeful smile on his face, as if he had just witnessed a fascinating magic show.

“Amazing. Simply amazing.” He muttered, not taking his eyes off the notebook. “Full consumption of carcass in three minutes and twenty-four seconds.” He finished his notes and looked up at me, still wearing that disturbing smile. “Must thank you. Data on Basilisk feeding habits most interesting. Sure to prove useful in future.”

I didn’t know what he meant by that, but frankly I was too full and satisfied to care. I could feel the meal already sapping my strength. I yawned widely. “Glad I could help ya, Doc. How about we get this interview over with then?” Dr. Keeper agreed emphatically, and we began the one-on-one study.

For the next Hour or so, Dr. Keeper would circle me slowly, occasionally taking measurements or jotting down notes, all the while bombarding me with questions. Thankfully most of them kept to my anatomy, something I had studied extensively. He did seem put out that I offered no new information, but thankfully didn’t press the issue. He did on occasion ask a question about Basilisk culture, and I simply replied with the same phrase each time. “I’m sorry, that’s only for basilisks to know.” It did get a little ridiculous when I gave the same answer for questions like what form of currency we used, but Dr. Keeper never seemed to press the issue.

Then, after at least an hour-and-a-half of questions and answers, Dr. Keeper stepped back, finishing one last note before setting his notebook down on a nearby table. He gave me a wide smile, and said, “Thank you for your time, Salazar. Data collected will be revolutionary in study of your species.” He seemed thoughtful for a moment, before adding, “Anything I can do to repay you?”

This took me by surprise, and I pondered what the doctor could give me that I might need. I then realized he had one thing in abundance that I required: Knowledge. “Actually, would you mind telling me about this camp? It seems odd for a Pony scientific expedition camp to be named something like 'Wolf’s Hollow.'”

Dr. Keeper grinned in response. “Astute observation. In truth, camp not built by Ponies, rather, by Diamond Dogs. Originally mining town, abandoned after mines ran dry. Lay collecting mold until our team arrived. Unfortunately, after Dogs left, Acromentulae moved in. Have been attacking our presence here since we moved in. Killed many good Ponies.” He seemed to wilt slightly at that last comment, and I tilted my head curiously.

“Why exactly are the Acromentulae attacking you? What do they want?” Dr. Keeper gave a harsh bark of laughter in response, his expression darkening noticeably.

“Did not give reason, only attacked.” His eyes strayed to the puddle that had once been an Acromentula as he continued, “Mindless beasts. Deserve to be destroyed.” I jerked back in surprise; that was most certainly not a scientific way of thinking, especially from a zoologist.

Desperate to escape the now disturbing conversation, I said, “Well, I should get going now, that meal left me bushed. I’ll, umm… I’ll see you later, Doc.”

Dr. Keeper nodded, and turned back to his notes. “Farewell, Salazar. Look forward to conversing again.” On that note I hastened toward the exit, leaving the scientist behind to fume quietly.

Eventually I made my way back at Omega Barracks, and as I reached the bottom of the stairs I saw that the only other occupant in the room was Red Dawn, who lay on his cot, reading some thick, paperback novel. He looked up from his book as I entered, and his expression darkened, but he remained silent. I slithered past him, casting a glance at the two empty cots on the opposite wall.

“Where are Sky Box and Axel?” I asked, earning a glare from the Pegasus.

“They have the night guard.” He huffed in response, before returning to his novel. Deciding that I wouldn’t be getting any more in the way of conversation tonight, I curled up on my own cot, attempting to fit as much of my fifteen-foot length on it as comfortably as possible. The large meal I had ingested seemed to have done its job, because no sooner had I shut my eyes than I was fast asleep.

Author’s Note: Finally I have this chapter done! Sorry to keep all of you waiting so long, these classes I have been taking are murder. Although, what can I expect from trying to cram a yearlong course into six weeks. Anyway, as a reward for your patience we finally have an explanation of the Mistwatch Basilisk’s powers, and very soon we will see them in use. Also, I am now working on another story, the first chapter of which will be up shortly. It is called The Noble Guardians, and it will be a crossover. Don’t want to spoil anything else, so give it a look-see if you’re interested. Once again, thank you to all my readers for your patience, and I will see you in the next chapter!

Update

Hey everypony. I'm sorry to say that this story, and all of my stories, are going on a hiatus for a while. I little while ago I found out my parents are splitting up, and since then I have found it very difficult to write. Actually, I've found it difficult to do anything, but that's not the point. The point is, until I figure out how to deal with this and move on from it, I just don't think I'll be able to write. I've tried, and it's been utter crap. I'm seeing a therapist, but I'm not promising instant results here. This hiatus may last a month, or it may last a year. I am sorry to all of those I have disappointed, and I only ask that you forgive me. To all of you who have stayed faithful readers despite my many, many setbacks in writing this, and my very slow updating time, I thank you.

Until next time, this is Nobreiner saying, Peace.