Monstra Monstrum—Hunt of the Wendigo
Chapter 1: A Child?!
Guards were on the scene with cameras and note pads with an eye witness who had managed to escape the monster. She was panicking after getting a clear image of her recently butchered daughter. She was hysterical as tears rolled down her face and she tried to avoid the lifeless eyes of the six-year-old.
The unfortunate pegasus filly was currently dangling from a fire escape, torn in half, and her small and large intestines covering a portion of what was left of her torso. Parts of the head and face had bite marks and chunks of flesh and muscle taken out. The lower half was found on the ground with the lower half of the legs missing. The face of the filly had her jaw pealed down to her chest and the esophagus following with it. A part of the wings was snapped off or hanging by a small portion of the skin. No one would've recognized her if her mother didn't run through the city at night, screaming at the top of her lungs about a monster.
The mother was trying to calm down after crying from seeing her daughter in such a state. The guards were asking her questions to understand the full story. "Why weren't you with your daughter?" A guard asked, her white coat and two-tone blue mane was more natural than most guards, who had to have their armor enchanted to look like her to prevent criminals from telling who's who if they had a bad encounter with one.
The mare breathed in, her shaky breathing making it had to take in much air. "I was with her before that 'thing' unlocked our door and tried to kill us. I was able to hit it with some of the food I was cooking to distract it before we made our way down the fire escape. It caught up to us quickly and it knocked me into the other building, braking my wing. Getting up there would mean we would both die. She evaded it easily so I ran to get help. When I got back, she was already dead hanging from t-there." Her voice wavered at the end, the horrible memory of that night still burned into her mind. She felt sick just being this close to the corpse of her daughter.
"Why didn't you fly?" A random guard asked, confused why she didn't just fly away from the danger.
"Unfortunately, unlike us Guards, where it's required to know how to maintain flight even if scared, most pegasi can't due to it not being an obligation before leaving flight school." The guard flipped to the next page before preparing to write again. "Can you tell me what it looks like." The mare hesitantly nodded before gulping down her fear.
"It was tall... Really tall with almost no muscle or fur. It had extremely pale gray skin with long fingers ending in claws. Its eyes looked like it sunk back into there skull and they're teeth were extremely long and sharp. I didn't know what it was, so I ran for help." The guard nodded at the description, not needing a sketch of the creature since this wasn't the first reported kill.
The guard conducting the investigation sighed while closing her notebook and headed for a chariot that had a few pegasi guards hooked up to it in preparation for flight. "This is useful information. The Canterlot Council will add this to the evidence of the creature. We'll take care of it as soon as we can." She boarded the chariot as local guards took the body to the morgue to prepare the funeral. She reviewed the evidence and notes as the tried to relax, but failed from the overwhelming sense of sadness at another life lost. They needed a solution and fast or there will be even more bodies to add to the ever-growing casualty list because of this beast.
All she could do was wait for a solution to eventually appear or something strong enough to kill it. There wasn't much hope after a few of the victims seemed to be dragons and an Ursa Major.
"We're so fucked." She whispered as she closed her eyes as the body of the young girl flashed through her mind as an overwhelming sense of uselessness hit her. She didn't know what to do and they weren't any closer to figuring out who was responsible than when they started a few months ago.
They just had to hope that they would have a survivor to help them.
Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadence sighed at the notes and pictures that the Council was reviewing after the investigation. It was just as brutal as the last and on the same day, it normally does too. The Canterlot Council, formally the Canterlot Court, tried to make sense of the killings, but motives were thrown out the window after it seemed to be described as a wild animal.
"Why are we reviewing this useless information again! It's been three months since we began this investigation and we're nowhere close from where we began! We all know Eris and that insufferable father of hers is responsible!" A fancy-looking stallion yelled disgruntled by this recent call. He didn't look interested in the least about what happened and wanted a quick fix to the problem.
"No, we can't just do that. Not only would we be doing it for no reason, but there is also no proof that supports that claim. I know we all want an end to these murders, but we can't just pin the blame on one person without anything to back it up. Let's just review it one more time just in case we forgot something." This seemed to anger the stallion and a few other aristocrats who thought they had better things to do.
"WE'VE BEEN REVIEWING THE EVIDENCE FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF!!!" One yelled before an upbeat and positive voice chimed into the conversation.
"How about I offer a solution?" The female voice asked as a female Dragonequus appeared in the middle of the room with comfortable clothes that the nobles wouldn't dare be caught in anywhere; not even there house.
"What solution could you possibly offer?" The same pony said without containing his malice towards the teenage Dragonequus. His glare bore into her, but she ignored it with a friendly smile.
"Easy, we hire a professional." Shouts of protest and insults were thrown her way as she waited for the line she wanted to hear.
The line came closer to the end than she liked, but she wanted to build up the courage to say what was on her mind. Despite the confidence she showed, she was scared for her life since a noble has tried to assassinate her. "Who would we hire?! No one anywhere in the world knows what it is!" She chuckled causing confusion to spread throughout the room; even the princesses were confused.
"Exactly, no one on this world knows what it is, but that doesn't mean beings from other worlds don't." More confused glances were shot in her direction. "I guess I should explain, well, chaos magic brings things from other dimensions to this world when we want it; however, it's called chaos magic because, unless it's inanimate, it will call someone who needs it even if it's useless. The same for the caster because it will summon what is needed not wanted. We just need someone who can help us in this time of need." They were shocked that she actually proposed an actual plan instead of a joke like previous occasions. She even explained it to those who didn't understand it... Which was everyone?
A long silence followed her proposal as murmurs could be heard throughout the room. It continued until one finally whispered I'm the ears of the princesses of their decision. "The Council has decided! Your plan shall be put into action, effective immediately!" Celestia's booming voice held authority as a look of professionalism adorned expression before softening into a motherly look that held happiness. "I'm so proud of you." She said to her daughter.
They weren't related by blood, but Celestia raised her since Eris was an infant. Many mistook her for the daughter of Discord because of their playful personality, but they were just student and mentor like the relationship between Celestia and her student.
"Okay... Let's begin." Eris closed her eyes and requesting a professional for her chaos magic to follow as it went throughout the space between dimensions to find them. They did, but it wasn't what they expected.
(First Person - Earth)
I sat at my computer desk with a black leather back book open in front of me with a rough sketch of the latest creature I archived in the book: A skinwalker. I had a description of it, it's origins, what culture it comes from, it's habits, and how to kill it. It wasn't the information I needed to know because they were all stories, but I actually wanted to publish this book so others can use it for story ideas. That and I had a had monsters to use for my stories.
I soon came up to a weird creature I never heard of before considering I've been scouring the internet for information. Actually, what the hell was a Dragonequus? I never heard of it before and that's saying something.
I shook my head and began to sketch the figure before conducting an online investigation about the creature before I found a few sources about it. I recorded everything I could find on it and used the oldest and most popular opinion on different sights. When I figured out what culture it's from, I facepalmed. I completely forgot that a Dragonequus is the species name of the character Discord from My Little Pony. I finished the report and closed the book before stretching to work out the stiffness. I woke up early to finish the insert about the skinwalker and finished Dragonequus within my normal schedule. I remember walking to the bus, my earbuds playing music from orchestral groups I've listened to in the past.
I got caught up that I didn't even see the car speeding towards me at high speeds, but I finally noticed it when I was hit by it. What happened next was something I couldn't explain, not in a million years as I felt fine and wasn't hurting. That was until he landed head first on a marble floor.
"Son of a bitch," I whispered while rubbing my aching head. This wasn't the worst head injury, but it was about to top the longest lingering at this point.
"That actually worked... I'm gonna be completely honest, I didn't expect it to work because of the specifics I asked for." A young female voice said as I looked up to it with rising fear, but when I heard that this was planned, you can understand that I was a little pissed.
"So you caused a car to hit me!" I yelled in anger while glaring at the woman... Or Dragonequus in this case. "I... Bu... Ho... Wha..." Perfect grammar, ten out of ten.
"uhh... Is he okay?" A male asked while my brain went into overdrive to figure this shit out. Am I going into shock?
"I think I should have done this in a more secluded area and gradually introduce him to Equestria." The female voice said before turning to me with a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that."
What could I say at this point? There wasn't much after my sudden arrival here was more than disorienting. Comprehending what was going on was simple, but the fact that I'm actually here was amazing and I actually lost my ability to speak, it's not hard, but this time it wasn't because of my timidity.
"I... It's fine." I said to the female Dragonequus as my aw slowly subsided. I was looking at the female version of Discord or what some would say his daughter. "Actually, what you did save my life. If you didn't, I would most likely be dead." The feeling of that small instance of pain before it faded cam to mind as I held the side I was hit. "I really can't be complaining." A bit of fear came over me before I shook my head to clear the thoughts.
"Oh... Your welcome, I guess. It was unintentional, but I'm glad I could help; however, I'm gonna have to ask for a favor. Think of it as paying me back for the save." Made sense after saving me. I would've offered her a favor for anything for actually saving my life. This is the first time ever that I've been saving so close to death, but it isn't the first time I almost got hit by a car.
"Sure, I'll do this for free. I'm always happy to help unless it's something completely out of my ability." She smiled and nodded to a female guard that had a mane with two shades of blue.
"We need help identifying this... Creature. It has been the cause of the recent murders happening around Equestria." I nodded while taking out my book of creatures from the culture around the world.
When she placed it in front of me, my eyes widened and I frantically flipped through the book. "No fucking way." I continued to flip through the book until I came across a picture of the creature and slammed it on the table. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are dealing with a Wendigo." Gasps of horror and shouts of disagreement echoed through the room with one shouting insults like 'hairless monkey' or 'useless commoner'. "Please, settle down!" No such thing happened as I attempted to do it again, but the pony throwing insults continued. "It's about to get violent if you don't shut the fuck up." He was silent for a moment before bursting out laughing.
"A monkey like you could ever lay a hand on me. If you haven't noticed, you are the smallest and the weakest looking in the room." I looked around and, sure enough, I was the shortest with the shortest of them being two feet taller than me.
"Okay, then I'll leave and more ponies can get murdered due to your negligence and narrow-minded thinking. Alternatively, I could withhold info from you and you'll be without means of protection and I'll bet you'll listen when your pleading for your life while in the claws of the Wendigo. I won't doom a nation when it's your word working against two years of study." He stayed quiet while grinding his teeth out of anger so I could continue while I continued my lecture. "Wendigos are hunters in almost every sense of the word. They appear in multitudes of folklore are legends. They are associated with greed, insanity, and hunger; most notably, cannibalism. Anyone can become one of exposed to them too long, but since they have an insatiable hunger, that won't happen. They can appear when someone is overcome with greed. They are native to the northern United States and, what I assume, everywhere in Canada." I look around and see Celestia nodding at the info.
"Okay, we now know what they are and what climates they live in, but how do we kill them?" She asked with confusion as I gave a small chuckle as I gave off a determined glare.
"Silver weapons. Anything silver that can do major damage will work." I say before I look at the guards and saw that they only have swords and spears. "But from what I can see, you may have a better chance of killing a hummingbird with a spear while it's flying." This got the guards and nobles to shout more insults at me as Celestia tried to get them to calm down.
One actually came down to yell at me directly; yelling in my face. She just kept insulting me as I stood there with a blank face and she wasn't even using normal curse words. She was using child-friendly curse words which the court seemed to smile at while the immortals winced.
Eventually, I had enough as I punched her as hard as I could in the jaw. She stumbled back and stared at me in shock and anger as the guards tried to restrain me. Keyword: tried. I grinned widely as I walk up to them until I continue to feel the iron on my neck.
"What? Scared?" I said as they backed away, but I moved forwards. "Your threatening my life then go ahead and stab me." They looked unsure. "Oh right, the next thing that'll happen is I shit myself while I die. Okay okay." I grabbed the spear and pointed it at my forehead. "Go ahead, stab me." She tried to pull away, but I had a vice grip. "Go ahead, do it!" I yelled as she struggled more. "Go ahead and fucking kill me!" She became frantic while the other collapsed into tears. "Kill me damn it, fucking kill me!" She tried to pull away and I punched her in the face. "If your not ready to kill, your not ready to be a guard. And if you can't kill me, then stop wasting my time." I walk towards the scared the mare. I grabbed a letter opener and put it in her hand.
"Why are you..." She didn't get to finish as I put the edge to my throat.
"Do you have what it takes to kill?" I asked before she shook her head. "Are you ready to die?" She shook her head again. "SPEAK!" I shouted.
"N-no s-s-sir." She whimpered as I pulled away.
"Then you won't question me again, got it?" She nodded and got as far as she could from me. "As I was saying, the Wendigoes has a long reach that would make spear users only able to fight once." I turned to Eris who looked at me fearfully. "I need a gun," I said as she snapped her fingers without hesitation. What appears above me was a Mosin Nagant. "This gun has a massive range of almost a thousand meters; eight hundred at most." Their eyes widened at the weapon in my hand. "And this is an outdated gun too. There have been reports of snipers killing people from almost a mile away." The revaluation that this gun was outdated scared them. The gun disappeared as I internally wept.
"I can make it permanent, but it'll have to be something small." I sighed and told her about the semi-automatic ol' reliable pistol called the Colt 1911 and it appeared.
I dropped the mag and popped the chamber before dry firing it. "This is the Colt 1911 made almost one hundred years ago," I said as they stairs at it in shock. "Despite its size, it is still used by various Task Forces around the world above most newly made pistols."
"What type of battery does it use?" A noble asked before I stared at him in confusion.
"What do you mean?" I asked before he scoffed and waved a hand. I was tempted to load the gun and fire.
"What type of battery does it use? There's no way a weapon like that can fire effectively without a battery to move the parts." I began to chuckle and that lead to a laugh as I actually fell to my knees because it was hard to stand. "What?" He asks annoyed.
"Oh my god, you think this needs a ba... Hehehe... A battery?!" I laughed more as he stared at me in anger.
"Do you know who I am!?! I'm..." He stopped when I held up a hand. This fucker was just about to pull the social status card on me and he was about to find out the hard way that I didn't care.
I loaded the gun and shot him in the shoulder before he screamed in pain as he clutched his shoulder. The bang from the gun stunned a few of the council as they held their ears from the noise.
"Aww... Feeling pain already... Man, and here I thought you were a tough guy, but your not." I said before I aimed at him again causing him to try to run off using someone else's as a shield. My hand was covered by a golden glow as the gun was yanked from my hand.
"I will not have such a psychopath in my nation to have such a dangerous weapon!" Celestia yelled in fury as I blankly stared at her.
"That's where your wrong Celestia," I said as she was shocked that I knew her name. "A psychopath is more manipulative and charismatic while a sociopath is more prone to erratic behavior and has a total lack of empathy and is, in the basic sense of character, isn't narcissistic. Actually, sociopaths are more inclined to be assassins due to their logical thinking and total lack of being able to get closer to someone." Celestia shook as I continued. "In short, a sociopath won't care, because who's gonna miss them when they die." She shook more as she let her head fall to the table and silently wept while I took the gun back. "This is why you should keep your distance from me," I said as the remaining immortals looked at me with anger hate or sadness. "You'll only get hurt." The gun was jammed, so I pulled the action back and ejecting the jammed spent round. I walked past the guards, the mare on the floor, and walked down the hall as I pulled my hood up and hid the gun.
"Might as well do what I was summoned for," I said to myself before leaving the castle a giant grin on my face.
