Fallout Equestria: Shaping Shadow - Sagas Of Shanyisa

Shadow pulled the sky chariot towards Maji. He couldn’t cruise with it, but he had learned how to work less as he flew. He learned how to better set it down.

Izala and Nkosi were in the back, along with Simi, Bukhali, and Erevu. The two of them were there to check out the communications relay. Simi was always with Shadow now.

Nkosi was off the chariot immediately. He hated it. Izala wasn’t as afraid.

“Welcome back you two,” Rangi greet them. “And all of you. I see you added new friends. Our hospitality we extend.”

“Thank you,” Shadow smiled. “Erevu and her daughter, Bukhali are here to check out the communications relay. To see what we need to do to fix it. It is easier to ferry them all at the same time.”

“I can imagine. It is a very interesting wagon. And you two are very welcome. Nkosi will show you were the door says telecomm.”

“Rangi,” Izala said. “I need to speak with you in private. I need an answer as I am divided.”

“Go,” Shadow smiled at him.

There were not gone long. Both of them came up to Shadow.

“I asked to stay with you,” Izala said. “Eventually all our enemies will rue. You will work among all the villages as our sword. If you will have me, I will help make them yield.”

Shadow let the corner of his mouth slip up into sly grin. “Of course I will Izala. A team effort has been on my mind for the past week. With the sky chariot, I can do it. But you do know its going to mean tougher training.”

“Only until I get better than it. Then I will test your grit.”

Shadow chuckled deeply. “Oh, I look forward to that. You will have a tougher time making me test my grit.”

Erevu and Bukhali joined them. Erevu was smiling.

“It is all set up and receiving. No huffing and heaving. The antenna can come later, once I have the right applicator. It won’t be difficult to set up what we need at home. The system will stop the need to roam. We can communicate on it, back and forth with a few more bits.”

“That is a great advantage,” Rangi nodded. “Assuming it can be managed. I trust it can. I see greatness in your clan.”

“Lets roll then,” Shadow said. “We need to get back so we can prepare for the next step.”

Shadow flew them back to Shanyisa. Xys was waiting to talk with Shadow. He met her in her hut.

“Mtoaji I have a boon. Take Erevu on your next commune. Your battle saddle is not finished as ensured. We are lacking things despite how hard we labored.”

“We don’t have metal,” Shadow said. “Its okay. And I can take her along as well.”

“Here are you instructions. I have devised them after much deduction. Ammo is a must before it becomes rust. The books must come, along with what Ukuzwa finds as income. Your desk is also chosen, for it is definitely ambrosian. Erevu will find plenty of scrap, for without it we barely have burlap.”

“Understood. We leave in the morning if your stamp given you should.”

“Not bad Mtoaji, learning quick are thee. You have my approval. This is crucial.”

Shadow headed out to get some stuff done before he got to an early bed. He still hadn’t made a single meal since arriving. There was always something he had to be doing. But the village functioned differently in that regard. But then, back home they had different jobs that it all flowed together smoothly.

The flight out to Kifopiga was much easier with a proper chariot. Shadow explained to the others the sacred side of Kifopiga. He also explained the dangers of splitting up in the labyrinth. He had a plan. And they would not be spending the night outside of it. This was a quick run and it was still early.

First it was to the desk. That was a nonnegotiable item to retrieve, ordered by Xys. As sturdy as it was, it broke down easily. It was meant for transport. The top separated from the flanking drawers.

After it was to the warehouse. Shadow quickly got ammo moving to the cart. Some in magazines, most loose in crates. He picked out a crate of rifles to go as well. Erevu came back with boxes of the communication equipment they needed. To top it all off, Shadow grabbed several boxes of field rations. The Zebra equivalent that was probably still good to eat, despite how scary of a thought that was.

The light was artificial, so they didn’t pay attention to the clock until they were out at the cart. They worked late and then Shadow led them to the spell antechamber where they bedded down. Getting Ukuzwa to settle down took a bit.

After breakfast Erevu had a proposal. “Mtoaji, a suggestion I have, which out time should halve. Take me to a place I can scavenge, splitting will be an advantage. Simi and Ukuzwa can handle their own, together they will not be alone. If I stay in the area, it will not cause hysteria.”

“Okay,” Shadow agreed with a nod. “I have an idea for where you should be able to get what you need. You two, don’t leave this chamber. And absolutely don’t unlock those doors. Inside is the spell chamber, it will fry you and melt your skin from your bones. And before you ask, it literally has nothing in it. I already checked the first time I was here. It is a stone silo with a cauldron knocked over. Nothing.”

“A real spell cauldron,” Ukuzwa said to herself. “I can only dream of the possible concoctions.”

“Great,” Shadow groaned. “Look, it might have power, but as far as I know, it is basically radiation. Cleaning it up isn’t an option. Will that one do?”

Ukuzwa nodded. “Much was done in it, it will not acquit. It is old, power it beholds. The more done, the stronger spells end on.”

“Behave,” Shadow told them as he took Erevu to the best place he could think of.

“Here is where we had a great battle. It is a communal center, holding war rooms, a kitchen, and more. These Zebra’s deserve rest. Be as reverent as you can please. They were dead long before we killed their physical bodies, but this place still is their grave.”

“I will take only what we need,” Erevu affirmed. “You words I will greatly heed.”

“I will be back soon, I have to look at something. To satisfy my mind. A long shot, but something I must check out.”

“Go,” Erevu said as she began to look at an old rifle on a pile of bones.

Shadow headed out, back to the top. The mountain guns would not provide them much protection, but it might be useful in a direct assault against the Warlords. Or if their hoards came at them. The small time gangs were of no use, but real firepower might be worth it.”

The mountain guns broke down into five parts. 2 large wheel, the action and barrel, the axle and frame, and the stabilizer that was connected to the frame and was the tail. Theoretically they could move two at a time. It probably wasn’t worth. It would depend on how the city developed. But it was an option.

Shadow got back to Erevu. She had heeded his words, but differently than he had planned. The bodies were neatly lined up off to the side, as best as she could keep them the bones in the cloth. The extra bones were piled up, and another was created for their guns. She was stuffing things into a trunk she had found. Another was already closed.

“Ah! Mtoaji!” Erevu called. “I did my best, but I believe I failed in my quest. It was difficult so I focused my efforts on what we need. Your forgiveness I plead.”

“What did you recover?” Shadow asked, focusing on the task at hoof.

“Multiple rifles, weapons, scraps, and such as in this trunk. And then I went on for a debunk. Their metal shell armor, repairs were easy I garnered. Two I recovered, but there is more to discover.”

Shadow sighed. “You did the best you could,” Shadow said. “My ideals may not be the best. Survival is our biggest concern.”

“I did the best I could. Some of these might have been my family in all likelihood.”

“I believe you,” Shadow smiled.

They got the the trunks back to the chariot and reorganized things as best as they could. It all had to be balanced so Shadow could fly it out. If it wasn’t, it would drag them into the ground, or flip the chariot. At best it would just add extra drag and work.

“MTOAJI!” Ukuzwa exclaimed as they got back to them. “I found magic that you will impress! One which you will probably find distress. With you I can make us wings! Together we can all fly with those things!”

Shadow automatically shifted his wings closer to his body. “I assume you will need my feathers.”

“We won’t need them all. Don’t you loose some during life’s drawl?”

“A feather falling our is different than being pulled out. Pulling them out hurts and it can affect flying ability. When they come out naturally my body is ready.”

“I don’t want to cause a brawl, or leave you in a maul.”

“We will see,” Shadow said.

If his little team could fly, it would be a big advantage. If they could walk on clouds, even more. He didn’t know magic, but it probably required fresh feathers. A few feathers might ground him for a bit, but it could be worth it.

“Is this a one time use?”

“It is for a talisman. Wear when you need wings as the plan.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“This trunk is packed,” Simi said. “Clothing is protecting potions, artifacts, and raw herbs and such. That one is almost packed with books.”

“Good,” Shadow said, looking around. “Anything to shield against radiation?”

Simi nodded to the four potions on the table. Shadow walked over to the blast doors. Beside them was a metal emergency box. It had diagnostic equipment inside. Everything happened so fast that the Zebras never had a chance to use it.

Ukuzwa looked up from the last book she put in the trunk. “Finished they were not. But in battle they were caught. When they lost control, it transformed the area as a whole. But outside of here the radiation didn’t last, for it was not a full blast. It effected things differently throughout, understanding why is impossible I do not doubt.”

Ukuzwa closed the trunk. “I am finished,” She declared without a rhyme.

“Ukuzwa, I have decided to risk it, but I have one last question. Some things are dark arts, and you won’t touch them. That cauldron held one of the darkest things in it, necromancy in a bomb. Is it really worth that risk for a dark item?”

“I won’t know until I can touch it. Then I can see what in the metal is writ. But only the best they would place, and light would not have been a disgrace.”

“These will really shield me from radiation?”

Ukuzwa nodded.

“Simi, Erevu, take these trunks out. Ukuzwa and I will evaluate which of these cauldrons we will take back. Ukuzwa, I will open the doors and go in alone. I will roll it out to you to examine. But I will immediately check to see if it is dangerous. It it is, we will push it back into the chamber and seal it up for good.”

They all agreed and got Erevu and Simi on the way, with the PipBuck as a guide. Shadow downed the potion and nearly threw it back up. But he had tasted worse. He looked back at Ukuzwa and the safe cauldron. Then he took a deep breath to dispel the fear and oped the blast doors. They all slid back, one by one receding into the walls.

Shadow pushed open the last one and felt the tingle of radiation. It could tingle all it wanted so long as it wasn’t harming him.

The cauldron was half the size of the one in the room, making it easy to roll out. Ukuzwa had downed her potion and walked over. Shadow took out the diagnostic equipment. The metal tested out harmless, confusing Shadow. None of this magic made sense to him.

Ukuzwa touched the cauldron and immediately jumped back with a yelp, as if it burned her.

“Get rid of it!” She shouted.

Shadow gladly kicked open the door and pushed it back in. He sealed the blast doors once again and shivered. He was free of the radiation and the tingling, but it always felt wrong for a while after.

“That,” Ukuzwa. “One touch and I knew. A deep dark was always it’s brew. Beyond anything I would ever think to do. Nothing about it was true.”

“So the bigger one we go with,” Shadow shrugged. “Let’s roll it out.”

Shadow knew the way out and they rolled the cauldron down the halls. The stairs were the hardest part. Teamwork was key. Shadow braced it, so it never rolled back. Ukuzwa pushed it up to the next step. After the stairs it was easy. With four of them, they easily got it onto the chariot and strapped down. They didn’t talk about the other one.