Author's Note
The first chapter of my second story! Let me know what you think and drop any tricks and tips for me to assimilate!
Amber
Mayor
Blitz
Aegis
Lumberton
East of the equestrian capital of Canterlot in the forest just south of a little lumber town punningly named Lumberton a cockatrice rested high up in the branches of a tree. An odd creature for sure having the head and size of a chicken but the scaled body of a wyvern. As small and as odd as the cockatrice is its still a threat to be avoided for the ill-prepared, such as the small earth pony filly at the base of the tree forever immortalized as a terror-stricken statue. Such is the fate of those unfortunate enough to look into the eyes of a cockatrice.
Clucking away and possibly thinking quite highly of itself for dooming the young filly days ago the beast busied itself by preening its scaled wings, that was until a fast-moving form zipped by and took off its head with a quick slash of a knife. The headless body flailed around, its open wound spurting blood as it stepped off the branch and plummeted to the ground with a thump. One last twitch and the body fell still as the knife-wielding pegasus landed beside the hacked off head.
Sliding the claw-like dagger into the empty sheath under her right wing she then pulled a stiletto free from the belt of blades over her chest. Picking the head up with her free hoof she quickly jabbed its eyes out before turning and shouting to her right. “Clear!” Setting the stiletto back into its home she dropped the blinded head into a small bag and flicked the mirrored goggles off her eyes and up onto her head with a hoof. “And bring the soft potion I found the kid!”
Seconds later a bulky unicorn stallion armored up to the base his neck in steel plating stomped through the bushes toting two heavy brown saddlebags and a spiked wall shield on his back. “That was quicker then I thought it was going to be.” His horn lit up in a red aura and a small vial of blue liquid wrapped in the same aura floated from the bag on his left side into his sister's hoof.
“What can I say I'm good at what I do. Hey, how much do you think we can tack on for the kid? These things ain't cheap ya know.” Popping the sealing cork free with her teeth she poured the contents of the vial down the filly's back in a neat line before tossing the empty glass back to her brother.
Shaking his head and catching the vial in his magic he stuffs it back in the bag. “Let's worry about that later right now we need to make sure her mind is still intact and shes unharmed.” As he spoke the liquid worked its way through the stone, slowly returning the filly's yellow coat and bright orange mane back to flesh and bone. Once her head was back to normal the screaming and crying started right where it left off. Giving a sigh he circled to her front and laid down putting him eye level with the child. “Hay now keep it calm, you're alright now kid. Whats your name lass?”
The screaming slowly stopped and the tears were reduced to sniffles as the filly tried to calm down and move. This however only brought her back to panic and tears when her legs wouldn't move and pain lanced its way through her body. “W-w-why cant I m-move? It h-h-huuuuuurts!”
Quietly shushing the child and setting his hoof on her cheek to keep her from looking down at her slowly normalizing body, still stone from the barrel down. “Its okay lass you're safe, just stop trying to move and let the potion do its work. You looked into the eyes of a cockatrice, you wh-” Seeing the kid start to cry again he ruffled his hoof in her mane. “hay hay hay, it's alright, it's gone, you're safe now just tell me your name.”
Fighting back tears and sniffles the filly managed to speak again after a few seconds. “My n-name is A-amber.”
“Nice to meet you, Amber, what were you doing out so far in the woods?” He gave the filly a smile that seemed to help her relax while the effects of the potion made its way to her knees.
“I was c-collecting sap for my c-collecti- My bag! Have you seen my bag, I dropped it when I started running?!” She tried to turn and look around but found the stallions hoofs holding her still.
“Easy now, easy! Just relax my sister will find your bag, which way did you come from?” The filly's eyes darted to the left, a small worn path. Catching this he nodded to his sister and with a return nod she started to follow the path on hoof. “See? Nothing to worry about, we are going to get your bag and get you home.”
Looking up at the stallion and his smile brought on a small smile of her own. “T-thank you...who are yo- Ahh!” At that moment the last of the stone softened back into flesh and the paralysis she was under vanished leaving her on jello for legs.
“Whoa there.” Catching the filly in his magic before she hit the ground he pulled the heavy shield from his back with magic and set it on the ground before pulling a sleeping blanket from his right side bag. “I'm Aegis and the pegasus you saw is Blitz.” He floated the blanket over and draped it around the filly before floating her onto his back using the brunt of the blanket as a cushion between her and his armor.
“Now ain't this just a bucket of cute?” The voice of his sister above made him and the filly look up to see her with sap bag in hoof. She dropped the bag much to the filly's horror only for it to be caught in the stallions magic and floated over into her hoofs letting her curl up in the blanket with her bag. “Daww makes me almost want one of my own...almost. Anyhow, we should get a move on before it gets dark out here. I don't know about you two but I don't want to run into anything else that might be lurking about.”
“Agreed...Ready to go home lass?” The filly nodded and hunkered down into the blanket with a smile as he floated the hulking shield up to his sister. “Hold this would you?” Without giving her a chance to respond he dropped the shield's leg straps into her hoofs.
With a surprised grunt, she held on and dropped a few feet in the air. “What the buck! Why do I have to carry it?
“Language, little ears here.” He motioned his head back to the filly. “I'm carrying the kid and that kill looked a little to easy, that's why.” He gave a smirk to her angry huff and they made their way back to town with only a minimal of Blitz complaining.
Along the way, the filly took the chance to get a good look at her savior's. Aegis, the brother of the two was a monster of a Unicorn easily matching the height of the biggest earth pony she had ever seen. Hoof to neck he was garbed in a thick suit of steel armor that hid his cutie mark and most of his coat but from his neck up she could tell his coat was deep rose red and his mane was a stark black with a flat top cut. Every time he looked back to check on her she could see his smile and bright blue comforting eyes.
Blitz, the sister was on the small side hardly even coming up to half her brother's height and even a bit shorter than most pegasus. Unlike her brother, she had leather armor on the cannons of each leg, shoulders, around her chest and barrel. Unfortunately, it went back far enough to hide her cutie mark as well but her coat and mane matched her brothers in color. Unlike her brother however her mane was done back in a thick, three strand braid and tucked into the back of her armor so she couldn't tell just how long it was. Every time she looked over the filly could see her deep emerald green eyes and a smug grin when she wasn't mumbling curses under her breath at the bulky shield that is. Despite being far smaller then her brother she looked more intimidating...But she wasn't sure if that was the knife sheaths under each wing and the many over her chest or the long sword resting between her wings.
When the trio finally got back to town six hours later the sun was in its last light and quickly setting in the west as the moon started to rise for the night. The filly on Aegis's back had fallen asleep two hours prior and was snoring softly much to Blitz's delight. “I forgot how cute foals can be when they aren't screaming their heads off... Are you sure we cant keep her Aegy?”
Aegis rolled his eyes at her use of his pet name. “I'm sure her family wants her back, Blitz. Shes been gone for three days already and honestly, I'm surprised the petrification hasn't broken her mind by now.” With a smirk, he adds. “Give it a few days and you would be begging me to bring her back anyways.”
“Ya, you're right... Oh, hay its the mayor!” She pointed a hoof at the approaching blue coated mare with a darker blue mane.
The rather chunky earth pony skidded to a halt before the hunters taking a moment to catch her breath before speaking. “You're back, and you have Amber?! Oh, thank Solaris! Did you get rid of the cockatrice as well? Please say you did!”
With a smirk, Blitz unhooked and tossed a bag into the mayor's hoofs. “Sure did.”
Not knowing the contents of the liquid proofed bag the mare opened it and immediately tossed it on the ground with a shriek after seeing the cockatrice's eyeless head in a pool of its own blood. “WHY DO YOU HAVE ITS HEAD!!!”
“What? Where you just going to take our word on it?” Blitz asked with a chuckle as a yawn turned her attention to her brothers back.
“Are we h-home yet?” The filly asked while rubbing her eyes with a foreleg, awoken by the mayors yelling.
“Shuuuu, just go back to sleep you'll be home soon.” Aegis said and turned to nuzzle her head as she curled back into the blankets quietly cooing.
The mayor now having calmed down lowered her voice as to not disturb the filly. “Yes, I would have. Don't you think it's a little...barbaric, to carry its head around?”
The two hunters shrugged in unison as Blitz responded. “Just in case they ask for proof...and a good laugh.”
The mayor let out a quiet sigh and rubbed her head with a hoof. “Come on I'll take you to the filly's house...” She started down the road with the hunters in tow...after Blitz picked up the head bag of course.
After dropping off the filly and being given a bit bag heavy enough to make Blitz grin ear to ear they stopped at the town hall where they were properly paid by the mayor. A bit of idle chatting with the mayor as she got the bits ready led to her telling the two that the city of Stalliongrad to the west was also having its own problems. Something to do with a mountain cragadile dropping in every night or so she thought. Info in mind and bits in hoof the two hit the train station and took the midnight train to Stalliongrad...Blitz also managed to drink half her pay away and nearly get thrown off the train before they went to sleep, but that's a story for another time.
