The Man Among Orcsby Dakota of RaptorsChaptersChapter 1Chapter 3Chapter 2AnnouncementChapter 1His steps were filled with determination and hatred, treading over the onslaught of soot and broken bones without so much as a glance. They were heavy, and were heard even among the other thousands of feet that sounded behind it. Today was the day, to cease the madness that has encircled his home, to ensure redemption - justify the blood spilt onto his sword, and avenge the dozens of lives taken in this millennial struggle. The air was scorching hot, as the ash from the burning mountain above spilt down like rain onto the earth below, covering Talion and his orc army in the dusty particle. Their faces stung, but they chanted wholeheartedly, swinging away at the uruk stragglers whom fought to their last breath - Sauron's remaining loyalist. Mercy was not an option, as he cut the heads off of the relentless grunts and captains one by one, his tattered clothes became painted in crimson, making his appearance all the more formidable. Then, came a calm. Not one blade clung against another, no tearing of flesh was to be heard; just a resounding silence. It was the calm before the storm. The cloaked man stared cold-heartedly at the fortress before him, where Sauron's henchmen lay in wait to protect their dark lord. A darkness resonated from the castle, in a gaseous form. It stung at his nose, but would do little to deter the man from his ambitions. He slowly turned around, stretching his arms out to their maximum length, and with the most commanding voice he could muster, spoke. "My army has grown indefinitely for countless decades, yearning for this day to come, to overthrow the tyrannical ruler and restore Mordor to its former glory! We will delight in seeing him at the end of my blade!!" He raised his sword triumphantly and marched to the gate, his army of orcs behind. Abruptly, Talion rose from his unconscious state, rubbing his temples to quell the growing migraine that steadily pounded at his head. His right hand rested on the cold, bare ground as he tried to gather his thoughts. In his state of confusion, he wearily reached for his side, where his sheath rested, but was met with nothing but air, sending his brain to a state of panic and anxiety. He gathered his senses and observed his surroundings. Coal-black walls lay about every side of the small room, the only exception was a candle light that rested on one of the walls, providing a bit of relief from the eye sore that was his cell. The cell bars were crystalline in nature, limpid and dim. Outside of the cell seemed to fair a bit better, a lighter coating of black painted the walls, along with another unforseen candle light that glistened off of them, they were a contrast from where he resided. He took a step forward and shook at the bars, testing for any signs of instability or weakness, something that would give the man a chance of escape, but alas they stood firm and unyielding, like a newly-built castle. "Blast it," he swore under his breath, hitting the wall next to him with a resounding thud. He flinched inwardly at the frequency of his fist hitting the wall, and paused to see a response. No one. With a sigh, Talion made his way to his bed and layed down. It was much too small, his legs hung at edges and he had to use his cape as an improvised blanket, barely covering the man's body, much less providing sufficient warmth. He tossed and turned, even falling off the bed on few occasions, but found sleep much too hard. The dripping of a nearby water source rang at his ears, while the pitter-patter of rain hit against the outside exterior of the alien architecture. But it wasn't the noise that bothered Talion; more lack there of. Usually guards stood watch by jails and would converse with one another, but that was not to be the case. He had not seen a single guard in this infernal place, and it really got to him, for whatever reason. "Something isn't right," Talion stated to himself, listening in for anything of suspicion. Clip-clop, clip-clop. Then there it was; the sound of a horse's hoof clanging against marble flooring. An oddly nostalgic feeling fluttered inside of Talion as he heard those familiar sounds, and he would've sighed in relief had he not seen what turned the corner. Two horse-like figures peered around a dark hall, their black carapace rendering them near invisible. They were plastered with holes, and translucent, bug-like wings were attached to their backs, added with a jagged and pointed horn. One also lacked a mane of any sort, maybe a disease? "I'm telling you, Bugsy, this is no dragon, or minotaur for that matter... It's an entirely different species!" With a scoff, the larger of the two replied in a vaguely masculine voice, "Whatever, I'll believe you when I s-see it..." The two stopped dead in their tracks, staring blankly at the hairless ape that stood well beyond their height. Either side remained unmoving, daring one another to move, as the tension slowly eroded, and ultimately diminished. "Kuna, moment, plea-ss-e?" the larger equine - which Talion assumed was male, spoke, "You you could have been a little more descriptive, I didn't know it was this deformed!" The aforementioned person was in earshot, and he took offense to that, "I mean look at it! Those tiny eyes, that tuft of fur on his head, those...clo-eths," 'Bugsy' spat. "You never asked. Besides, Doc Rad had estimated 'it' to wake up at least by tomorrow. This-" she motioned towards the hulking beast, recieving a few amused stares from the latter, but she didn't notice, "has came up unexpectedly... I would've told you sooner, but you were busy..." With that, Bugsy, through means unknown to the human, leisurely levitated two bowls to him, each containing water and daisies respectively. Wait... Talion did a double take as his brain registered what he had indeed seen, and confirmed that there was indeed a bowl stock full of shredded flowers and various other plants. He looked questionably at the bug-horse as to confirm he was being serious. Bugsy, unable to conjure what the human was trying to relay to him, shrugged. "S-sorry, big guy, make due with what you have." Kuna sighed and prodded at her blue mane. "If only you spoke Equestrian, we would have figured out what your species ate." Talion chuckled inwardly. Though a proper meal would do more than enough to suffice his growing belly ache, he opted to wait till absolutely necessary. Better to look like a dumb animal than to give too much attention to yourself, he reasoned. Political agenda was not his strong suit. The duo left him to recollect his thoughts while he ate his bowl of mushed-up plants - which were surprisingly tasty. Rip! Tear! Zrrrt! He had been imprisoned once of twice in his life, by human and uruk alike, and though he wouldn't like to admit it, had learned alot from those experiences. He tore a hole through the matress' thin sheets and yanked out a large chunk of its wooden frame, grinding one end against the wall while simultaneously watching for any movement in the corner of his eye. He repeated the process until the end of the wooden chunk was sharp to satisfactory, sliding the thin piece into his leather boot and ignoring the chafing. Clip, clop, clip, clop - they were near...no, it was only a single individual judging by the rhythmic clop of one hoof after another, and he seem distressed. Then, came one of the changelings, that he gathered, peering fearfully out of the entrance way, before recoiling in fear as he realized he was being watched. Boy, were these things disgraceful... It finally trotted into full view, and his appearance definitely matched his personality: the poor thing was scrawny beyond compare, looking like a stray dog that he had seen back home - bones visible through his carapace hide. Talion couldn't decide weather he pitied the creature, or despised it, probably both. The bug was visibly shaking, and it became more apparent and sporadic the closer he trotted to the human, he even recalled hearing teeth clattering against each other. "Dang it, Bugsy was right; this thing is scary," the changeling exclaimed as if it wasn't in reach of said person. It hadn't even dared to look directly at the human's face, as it dropped his bowl of food and water. "On no! Why am I so clumsy?" Now, Talion thought, reaching through the cell bars and grabbing the beast by the neck, his other hand rested firmly on its horn. The animal struggled, making futile attempts to call for help whilst it wiggled and squirmed in his grasp. The horn shredded at the palm of his hands and drew blood, running down the changling's face, much to his horror and disgust. Talion dragged him closer and whispered menacingly into his ear, "Now you will release me from this infernal prison, and you will not notify anybody else - do you understand?" He loosened his grip slightly to let it speak. It gasped for air before replying. "B-but The Queen, there's no telling how she'll punish me-" "And I have reason to assume you would rather pay with your life?" With his hand fixated on the changeling's horn, he took hold of the wooden dagger and gestured it towards his neck. After a quick pause, he eagerly shook his head and even whimpered. "Now, open my cell." He did just that, running to a corner of the room and holding himself in a fetal position, speaking incoherently as he rocked himself back and fourth. With that, Talion made his leave, tearing off a bit of the beedsheet and using it as a make-shift gauze for his bleeding hand. "Maybe I was too hard on him." With that, he made his leave, taking a steady pace through the maze that had imprisoned him for over two days. "Where's the exit?" Chapter 3With each advance, fell another soldier; some Talion knew, but others were just uruks that aimlessy fought under his rule. Archers rained down upon them with pinpoint accuracy, peircing heads, hitting arms, and had subdued a mere half of his army by the time they reached the gate. It could've been much worse, though; the defenders stood in front, shields raised, and marched fourth with a fighting spirit that could even match a graug's; arrow heads littered their backs and though not very deep, bled profusely. Talion's remaining archers were protected by the growing pile of bodies, used to absorb the oncoming fire. They retaliated with their own, as the henchmen that fired above grunted in pain and fell back, bleeding out. With a wave of his hand, his warriors and beast tamers charged the front gate, as big as it was intimidating. The caragors clawed at the metal frame, indenting its exterior, and eliciting fearful chatter from the other side. The warriors stood at the ready, their dual-headed axes glistening off of a nearby flame, as if to show their lethality. And it wasn't far from the truth; their axes tore through the metal exterior, forming a hole just large enough for peering through, but it was impressive no less. "I wither with anticipation, we will not leave until his blood spills," said Celebrimbor, in his ghostly apparition. He looked up at the mountainous tower that peered in the distance. Finally, the gates opened, and creatures of different walks of life charged through the gate with weapons raised offensively. The trolls, whom held no weapon, plunged their fist into his men with a frustration so apparent, he felt it through his skin. Mûglak, a captain of his, plummeted into the ground as a massive troll fist made contact with his head, spreading brain matter and other viscera onto the ground. Luckily the sheer number of Talion's army empowered the imposing army with a force just as prevalent, if not more. Sauron's monsters are weakening, there was no denying it, and even amongst the blood of the dead, and the wounded, the uruks chanted heartily. "I'm coming for you, and we shall end it here." The three walked towards a large yett - 15 feet across, guarded by several Changeling 'Warriors,' as they were called. Spikes protruded from their underbelly and shoulder blades, and there were even a tiny pair of scoots that protruded around their manes. "Why do these have no horn?" Talion looked at them with a tinge of intrigue, but it luckily flew over the group's heads. "Hey, I have a name, you know! And as a protector of Queen Chrysalis, it's best you watch your tongue, he-man..." He-man? Talion looked nonchalant at this creature's miniscule threat, but he understood the honor such a job withheld, so he kept his mouth shut. "Sorry for the intrusion, Cutiefly-" Cutiefly!? "-as you may know, this human here has been summoned by Chrysalis herself for an exchange, business and such." The warrior had recovered from his embarrassment and now had his attention on Bugsy, though he was still wary of Talion. "Fine, but make sure this thing doesn't get into trouble..." Bugsy nodded and ushered the group into a large room. Green luminescent light, originating from holes engraved in the walls, lit the room in a sickly coating of green. A throne, as rugged as it was large, held the assumed queen. She was thinner than the rest of her changlings, but far larger, surpassing even Talion in height. She eyed the man with nonchalant eyes; she looked famished. Talion parted himself from Bugsy and Kuna, and stepped foward, and with an expectant look from Chrysalis, he bowed. "Now, I presume you are aware of why I summoned you?" she asked, in a authoritarian voice. "For vengeance?" "Yes. But not just that. My children are in a desperate struggle for survival, as have I. Without the proper nutrition I require, I won't be able to lead my hive towards salvation." Chrysalis pointed towards a map placed Chapter 2If there was one word to describe the various twist and turns that made up the robust and somewhat large building, it would be disorienting: Each hall looked relatively similar to one another, were all mind-numbingly dark, and added with the fact that small horse-like creatures spewed magical projectiles his way, Talion would've considered escape an easy feat. That was not the case though. "Beast, stop where you stand and withdraw your weapon! Complience will ensure your safe capture!" A voice from behind screamed, and judging by the femininity in that voice, added with that ever-so-present upbeat tone in her voice, it was Kuna, a changeling Talion differentiated from the rest, mostly due to her gender. "Kuna, we can't...that thing will just escape once again and if it gets it's claws on our Queen, so help me..." Another recognizable voice - as raspy and fear-stricken as ever, Bugsy... "Can it, Bugsy! I got this..." When those words were uttered, the frequency of which the hooves sounded grew louder behind him, initiating his hulking figure to turn a corner, as generic as the other dozen or so he came across. But the hooves grew closer yet, nearing only but a foot behind. A couple of the blasted insects flew his way - horns pointed outwards, like a buggy-missile ready to impale you on a whim. He easily sidestepped their predictable maneuvers, punching the other droids that grew closer. If the human had to be honest with himself, he might have broken his knuckles, damn were these things tough...in an effort to slow the pursuers, he kicked down miscellaneous ornaments that littered the halls - from sculptures of the presumed queen (more hideous than her spawn,) to pots and vases. It slowed most of them, but a couple were still close behind. "I will sever your head if you hinder my escape," Talion threatened, drawing his wooden knife and pointing it over his shoulder, to anybody whom still lay chase. "Not if I can stop it." Within only half a second, his only weapon had levitated from his grasp, landing with an audible 'ting' in front of him. Now he was suspended in air, face to face with the changeling he actually grew to hate less: Kuna, who smugly stared at his defeated form. "Oh, I forgot you could do that..." Talion admitted. "Yeah." Her eyes wandered to his hand, blood seeping from the cloth that tied around it. She inched closer, concern washed over her face. "What happened?" "...I held a weapon against one your guard's throat, his horn was as sharp as a saber." With a solemn nod, Kuna backed away, and with Talion still held in her magical grasp, turned to address the changelings whom stood watch. "Bugsy, I'll take him to the infirmary. You can rest well knowing I will look after him." "Pfft! As if!", Bugsy nearly choked on his own laughter, "Listen Kuna, if this thing breaks-ss out - and if Chrysalis found out about this-" "When he heals I'll take him to the queen." "What!?" The crowd had yelled in unison, and if Talion wasn't placed inside of a protective bubble, he might have lost his hearing - it was still loud though. "What?" She asked nonchalantly, shrugging to her compatriots as if what she said wasn't that big a deal, but everybuggy else deemed it as such. "Kuna, as your superior, and friend, I forbid you from doing such! What if it attacks the Queen?" With a role of her eyes, Kuna reassured the group, "And she can't handle herself? Look, it's perfectly fine. Besides, if we can get him, umm...what's your name?" She inquired. "Talion." "Talion, to side with us, then we can gain vengeance, and ultimately, love! I mean, Talion has obviously proven to be a formidable minotaur-thing- "Human." "-Human, then we can gain the upper hoof." The crowd was left silenced, only a few buggies expressing their uneasiness via murmures and squirms. Except for one. "Ahhumm, excuse me for asking but...aren't you insane!? Why should we go back to Equestria when we would surely get our flanks kicked again? You weren't there, Kuna, I was... Those ponies are dangerous, and I doubt one 'human' can tip the scale to our benefit." Of course, Bugsy was always the one to voice his concerns; he gained a mixed reception for that, but as Chrysalis' main apprentice, he claims to know what's right. But now it was her turn. "What other choice do we have? Everybuggy's dying - we are starving! I doubt the Dragon Kingdom has enough love to keep us going, and the Griffon Empire is too far to travel to." Talion kept his mouth shut through the whole ordeal, mostly because he doubts he would have a say in this, but boy was it interesting; Bugsy was contemplating on what to say next whilst Kuna held firm. And what about starvation? Maybe a power struggle, he presumed. "So what do you say?" Kuna asked. The man was at the mercy of these miniature equines - as strange as that sounds. So who was he to say no? With a long and weary sigh, Talion raised his hand to appease the questionable looks etched on the crowd's face. "Yes." Surprisingly, with the exception of Bugsy, everybody cheered happily at his response, hugging one another and thanking some unknown god. "Thank you Talion," Kuna smiled. Talion didn't replicate her feelings, rather he bore a serious expression as always. "But on one condition..." The crowd grew silent. "What is that?" Somebuggy asked. "Freedom." Author's Note Well I'm happy to announce that SoW is coming out in about a week from now. Speaking of which, anybody excited for the MLP movie!? I am! Also, I'm looking for a proofreader to improve my future stories, so if you're interested, PM me. AnnouncementI honestly don't know what to do with this story: SoW is already out; I haven't any idea how to progress with the story; and I just don't have any incentive to continue... If you would like to rework the story, then by all means go ahead.
Chapter 1His steps were filled with determination and hatred, treading over the onslaught of soot and broken bones without so much as a glance. They were heavy, and were heard even among the other thousands of feet that sounded behind it. Today was the day, to cease the madness that has encircled his home, to ensure redemption - justify the blood spilt onto his sword, and avenge the dozens of lives taken in this millennial struggle. The air was scorching hot, as the ash from the burning mountain above spilt down like rain onto the earth below, covering Talion and his orc army in the dusty particle. Their faces stung, but they chanted wholeheartedly, swinging away at the uruk stragglers whom fought to their last breath - Sauron's remaining loyalist. Mercy was not an option, as he cut the heads off of the relentless grunts and captains one by one, his tattered clothes became painted in crimson, making his appearance all the more formidable. Then, came a calm. Not one blade clung against another, no tearing of flesh was to be heard; just a resounding silence. It was the calm before the storm. The cloaked man stared cold-heartedly at the fortress before him, where Sauron's henchmen lay in wait to protect their dark lord. A darkness resonated from the castle, in a gaseous form. It stung at his nose, but would do little to deter the man from his ambitions. He slowly turned around, stretching his arms out to their maximum length, and with the most commanding voice he could muster, spoke. "My army has grown indefinitely for countless decades, yearning for this day to come, to overthrow the tyrannical ruler and restore Mordor to its former glory! We will delight in seeing him at the end of my blade!!" He raised his sword triumphantly and marched to the gate, his army of orcs behind. Abruptly, Talion rose from his unconscious state, rubbing his temples to quell the growing migraine that steadily pounded at his head. His right hand rested on the cold, bare ground as he tried to gather his thoughts. In his state of confusion, he wearily reached for his side, where his sheath rested, but was met with nothing but air, sending his brain to a state of panic and anxiety. He gathered his senses and observed his surroundings. Coal-black walls lay about every side of the small room, the only exception was a candle light that rested on one of the walls, providing a bit of relief from the eye sore that was his cell. The cell bars were crystalline in nature, limpid and dim. Outside of the cell seemed to fair a bit better, a lighter coating of black painted the walls, along with another unforseen candle light that glistened off of them, they were a contrast from where he resided. He took a step forward and shook at the bars, testing for any signs of instability or weakness, something that would give the man a chance of escape, but alas they stood firm and unyielding, like a newly-built castle. "Blast it," he swore under his breath, hitting the wall next to him with a resounding thud. He flinched inwardly at the frequency of his fist hitting the wall, and paused to see a response. No one. With a sigh, Talion made his way to his bed and layed down. It was much too small, his legs hung at edges and he had to use his cape as an improvised blanket, barely covering the man's body, much less providing sufficient warmth. He tossed and turned, even falling off the bed on few occasions, but found sleep much too hard. The dripping of a nearby water source rang at his ears, while the pitter-patter of rain hit against the outside exterior of the alien architecture. But it wasn't the noise that bothered Talion; more lack there of. Usually guards stood watch by jails and would converse with one another, but that was not to be the case. He had not seen a single guard in this infernal place, and it really got to him, for whatever reason. "Something isn't right," Talion stated to himself, listening in for anything of suspicion. Clip-clop, clip-clop. Then there it was; the sound of a horse's hoof clanging against marble flooring. An oddly nostalgic feeling fluttered inside of Talion as he heard those familiar sounds, and he would've sighed in relief had he not seen what turned the corner. Two horse-like figures peered around a dark hall, their black carapace rendering them near invisible. They were plastered with holes, and translucent, bug-like wings were attached to their backs, added with a jagged and pointed horn. One also lacked a mane of any sort, maybe a disease? "I'm telling you, Bugsy, this is no dragon, or minotaur for that matter... It's an entirely different species!" With a scoff, the larger of the two replied in a vaguely masculine voice, "Whatever, I'll believe you when I s-see it..." The two stopped dead in their tracks, staring blankly at the hairless ape that stood well beyond their height. Either side remained unmoving, daring one another to move, as the tension slowly eroded, and ultimately diminished. "Kuna, moment, plea-ss-e?" the larger equine - which Talion assumed was male, spoke, "You you could have been a little more descriptive, I didn't know it was this deformed!" The aforementioned person was in earshot, and he took offense to that, "I mean look at it! Those tiny eyes, that tuft of fur on his head, those...clo-eths," 'Bugsy' spat. "You never asked. Besides, Doc Rad had estimated 'it' to wake up at least by tomorrow. This-" she motioned towards the hulking beast, recieving a few amused stares from the latter, but she didn't notice, "has came up unexpectedly... I would've told you sooner, but you were busy..." With that, Bugsy, through means unknown to the human, leisurely levitated two bowls to him, each containing water and daisies respectively. Wait... Talion did a double take as his brain registered what he had indeed seen, and confirmed that there was indeed a bowl stock full of shredded flowers and various other plants. He looked questionably at the bug-horse as to confirm he was being serious. Bugsy, unable to conjure what the human was trying to relay to him, shrugged. "S-sorry, big guy, make due with what you have." Kuna sighed and prodded at her blue mane. "If only you spoke Equestrian, we would have figured out what your species ate." Talion chuckled inwardly. Though a proper meal would do more than enough to suffice his growing belly ache, he opted to wait till absolutely necessary. Better to look like a dumb animal than to give too much attention to yourself, he reasoned. Political agenda was not his strong suit. The duo left him to recollect his thoughts while he ate his bowl of mushed-up plants - which were surprisingly tasty. Rip! Tear! Zrrrt! He had been imprisoned once of twice in his life, by human and uruk alike, and though he wouldn't like to admit it, had learned alot from those experiences. He tore a hole through the matress' thin sheets and yanked out a large chunk of its wooden frame, grinding one end against the wall while simultaneously watching for any movement in the corner of his eye. He repeated the process until the end of the wooden chunk was sharp to satisfactory, sliding the thin piece into his leather boot and ignoring the chafing. Clip, clop, clip, clop - they were near...no, it was only a single individual judging by the rhythmic clop of one hoof after another, and he seem distressed. Then, came one of the changelings, that he gathered, peering fearfully out of the entrance way, before recoiling in fear as he realized he was being watched. Boy, were these things disgraceful... It finally trotted into full view, and his appearance definitely matched his personality: the poor thing was scrawny beyond compare, looking like a stray dog that he had seen back home - bones visible through his carapace hide. Talion couldn't decide weather he pitied the creature, or despised it, probably both. The bug was visibly shaking, and it became more apparent and sporadic the closer he trotted to the human, he even recalled hearing teeth clattering against each other. "Dang it, Bugsy was right; this thing is scary," the changeling exclaimed as if it wasn't in reach of said person. It hadn't even dared to look directly at the human's face, as it dropped his bowl of food and water. "On no! Why am I so clumsy?" Now, Talion thought, reaching through the cell bars and grabbing the beast by the neck, his other hand rested firmly on its horn. The animal struggled, making futile attempts to call for help whilst it wiggled and squirmed in his grasp. The horn shredded at the palm of his hands and drew blood, running down the changling's face, much to his horror and disgust. Talion dragged him closer and whispered menacingly into his ear, "Now you will release me from this infernal prison, and you will not notify anybody else - do you understand?" He loosened his grip slightly to let it speak. It gasped for air before replying. "B-but The Queen, there's no telling how she'll punish me-" "And I have reason to assume you would rather pay with your life?" With his hand fixated on the changeling's horn, he took hold of the wooden dagger and gestured it towards his neck. After a quick pause, he eagerly shook his head and even whimpered. "Now, open my cell." He did just that, running to a corner of the room and holding himself in a fetal position, speaking incoherently as he rocked himself back and fourth. With that, Talion made his leave, tearing off a bit of the beedsheet and using it as a make-shift gauze for his bleeding hand. "Maybe I was too hard on him." With that, he made his leave, taking a steady pace through the maze that had imprisoned him for over two days. "Where's the exit?"
Chapter 3With each advance, fell another soldier; some Talion knew, but others were just uruks that aimlessy fought under his rule. Archers rained down upon them with pinpoint accuracy, peircing heads, hitting arms, and had subdued a mere half of his army by the time they reached the gate. It could've been much worse, though; the defenders stood in front, shields raised, and marched fourth with a fighting spirit that could even match a graug's; arrow heads littered their backs and though not very deep, bled profusely. Talion's remaining archers were protected by the growing pile of bodies, used to absorb the oncoming fire. They retaliated with their own, as the henchmen that fired above grunted in pain and fell back, bleeding out. With a wave of his hand, his warriors and beast tamers charged the front gate, as big as it was intimidating. The caragors clawed at the metal frame, indenting its exterior, and eliciting fearful chatter from the other side. The warriors stood at the ready, their dual-headed axes glistening off of a nearby flame, as if to show their lethality. And it wasn't far from the truth; their axes tore through the metal exterior, forming a hole just large enough for peering through, but it was impressive no less. "I wither with anticipation, we will not leave until his blood spills," said Celebrimbor, in his ghostly apparition. He looked up at the mountainous tower that peered in the distance. Finally, the gates opened, and creatures of different walks of life charged through the gate with weapons raised offensively. The trolls, whom held no weapon, plunged their fist into his men with a frustration so apparent, he felt it through his skin. Mûglak, a captain of his, plummeted into the ground as a massive troll fist made contact with his head, spreading brain matter and other viscera onto the ground. Luckily the sheer number of Talion's army empowered the imposing army with a force just as prevalent, if not more. Sauron's monsters are weakening, there was no denying it, and even amongst the blood of the dead, and the wounded, the uruks chanted heartily. "I'm coming for you, and we shall end it here." The three walked towards a large yett - 15 feet across, guarded by several Changeling 'Warriors,' as they were called. Spikes protruded from their underbelly and shoulder blades, and there were even a tiny pair of scoots that protruded around their manes. "Why do these have no horn?" Talion looked at them with a tinge of intrigue, but it luckily flew over the group's heads. "Hey, I have a name, you know! And as a protector of Queen Chrysalis, it's best you watch your tongue, he-man..." He-man? Talion looked nonchalant at this creature's miniscule threat, but he understood the honor such a job withheld, so he kept his mouth shut. "Sorry for the intrusion, Cutiefly-" Cutiefly!? "-as you may know, this human here has been summoned by Chrysalis herself for an exchange, business and such." The warrior had recovered from his embarrassment and now had his attention on Bugsy, though he was still wary of Talion. "Fine, but make sure this thing doesn't get into trouble..." Bugsy nodded and ushered the group into a large room. Green luminescent light, originating from holes engraved in the walls, lit the room in a sickly coating of green. A throne, as rugged as it was large, held the assumed queen. She was thinner than the rest of her changlings, but far larger, surpassing even Talion in height. She eyed the man with nonchalant eyes; she looked famished. Talion parted himself from Bugsy and Kuna, and stepped foward, and with an expectant look from Chrysalis, he bowed. "Now, I presume you are aware of why I summoned you?" she asked, in a authoritarian voice. "For vengeance?" "Yes. But not just that. My children are in a desperate struggle for survival, as have I. Without the proper nutrition I require, I won't be able to lead my hive towards salvation." Chrysalis pointed towards a map placed
Chapter 2If there was one word to describe the various twist and turns that made up the robust and somewhat large building, it would be disorienting: Each hall looked relatively similar to one another, were all mind-numbingly dark, and added with the fact that small horse-like creatures spewed magical projectiles his way, Talion would've considered escape an easy feat. That was not the case though. "Beast, stop where you stand and withdraw your weapon! Complience will ensure your safe capture!" A voice from behind screamed, and judging by the femininity in that voice, added with that ever-so-present upbeat tone in her voice, it was Kuna, a changeling Talion differentiated from the rest, mostly due to her gender. "Kuna, we can't...that thing will just escape once again and if it gets it's claws on our Queen, so help me..." Another recognizable voice - as raspy and fear-stricken as ever, Bugsy... "Can it, Bugsy! I got this..." When those words were uttered, the frequency of which the hooves sounded grew louder behind him, initiating his hulking figure to turn a corner, as generic as the other dozen or so he came across. But the hooves grew closer yet, nearing only but a foot behind. A couple of the blasted insects flew his way - horns pointed outwards, like a buggy-missile ready to impale you on a whim. He easily sidestepped their predictable maneuvers, punching the other droids that grew closer. If the human had to be honest with himself, he might have broken his knuckles, damn were these things tough...in an effort to slow the pursuers, he kicked down miscellaneous ornaments that littered the halls - from sculptures of the presumed queen (more hideous than her spawn,) to pots and vases. It slowed most of them, but a couple were still close behind. "I will sever your head if you hinder my escape," Talion threatened, drawing his wooden knife and pointing it over his shoulder, to anybody whom still lay chase. "Not if I can stop it." Within only half a second, his only weapon had levitated from his grasp, landing with an audible 'ting' in front of him. Now he was suspended in air, face to face with the changeling he actually grew to hate less: Kuna, who smugly stared at his defeated form. "Oh, I forgot you could do that..." Talion admitted. "Yeah." Her eyes wandered to his hand, blood seeping from the cloth that tied around it. She inched closer, concern washed over her face. "What happened?" "...I held a weapon against one your guard's throat, his horn was as sharp as a saber." With a solemn nod, Kuna backed away, and with Talion still held in her magical grasp, turned to address the changelings whom stood watch. "Bugsy, I'll take him to the infirmary. You can rest well knowing I will look after him." "Pfft! As if!", Bugsy nearly choked on his own laughter, "Listen Kuna, if this thing breaks-ss out - and if Chrysalis found out about this-" "When he heals I'll take him to the queen." "What!?" The crowd had yelled in unison, and if Talion wasn't placed inside of a protective bubble, he might have lost his hearing - it was still loud though. "What?" She asked nonchalantly, shrugging to her compatriots as if what she said wasn't that big a deal, but everybuggy else deemed it as such. "Kuna, as your superior, and friend, I forbid you from doing such! What if it attacks the Queen?" With a role of her eyes, Kuna reassured the group, "And she can't handle herself? Look, it's perfectly fine. Besides, if we can get him, umm...what's your name?" She inquired. "Talion." "Talion, to side with us, then we can gain vengeance, and ultimately, love! I mean, Talion has obviously proven to be a formidable minotaur-thing- "Human." "-Human, then we can gain the upper hoof." The crowd was left silenced, only a few buggies expressing their uneasiness via murmures and squirms. Except for one. "Ahhumm, excuse me for asking but...aren't you insane!? Why should we go back to Equestria when we would surely get our flanks kicked again? You weren't there, Kuna, I was... Those ponies are dangerous, and I doubt one 'human' can tip the scale to our benefit." Of course, Bugsy was always the one to voice his concerns; he gained a mixed reception for that, but as Chrysalis' main apprentice, he claims to know what's right. But now it was her turn. "What other choice do we have? Everybuggy's dying - we are starving! I doubt the Dragon Kingdom has enough love to keep us going, and the Griffon Empire is too far to travel to." Talion kept his mouth shut through the whole ordeal, mostly because he doubts he would have a say in this, but boy was it interesting; Bugsy was contemplating on what to say next whilst Kuna held firm. And what about starvation? Maybe a power struggle, he presumed. "So what do you say?" Kuna asked. The man was at the mercy of these miniature equines - as strange as that sounds. So who was he to say no? With a long and weary sigh, Talion raised his hand to appease the questionable looks etched on the crowd's face. "Yes." Surprisingly, with the exception of Bugsy, everybody cheered happily at his response, hugging one another and thanking some unknown god. "Thank you Talion," Kuna smiled. Talion didn't replicate her feelings, rather he bore a serious expression as always. "But on one condition..." The crowd grew silent. "What is that?" Somebuggy asked. "Freedom." Author's Note Well I'm happy to announce that SoW is coming out in about a week from now. Speaking of which, anybody excited for the MLP movie!? I am! Also, I'm looking for a proofreader to improve my future stories, so if you're interested, PM me.
AnnouncementI honestly don't know what to do with this story: SoW is already out; I haven't any idea how to progress with the story; and I just don't have any incentive to continue... If you would like to rework the story, then by all means go ahead.
