A New World Discovered

Deep with the forest, further from where the main camp site was, Andrew and his partner Kiburi will slowly and carefully venturing through the forest. Scouting out the terrain an ensure that no threats, wild life or otherwise, were close to the camp site and put the non-competent personal in harm. The duos scouting as allows them to get a feel for this new world, allowing them to familiarize themselves with their surroundings, in case they do need to return to the forest for some kind of task or mission.

But as the pair continue to traverse in the dense forest, they noted just how dark it was in the barricade of trees, despite it being very early in the morning with the sun high up in the air. Now that he was by himself Andrew started to noted just really how dark the forest was, and a sense of claustrophobia was very slowly creeping in on him. In fact the forest and sensation of claustrophobia actually reminded Andrew of his last off world excursion, which causes him to bring a hand to his masked mouth.

“Man. You really can’t see much in this forest without night specks.” Andrew said as he continued to scan his little section of the forest, trying to ignore the creeping sensation of loneliness and claustrophobia.

“Which is why we need to be extra cautious where we step.” Kiburi’s voice said over the radio along with the sound of twigs and brush rustling around. “We don’t know what could be lurking amongst the trees.”

“Rodger.”

Andrew responded as he continued to slowly trudge through the dense underbrush, gun held close to his body, and his eyes scanning everything they can see with careful scrutiny. While the soldier steadily walks through the trees, he catches glances of a few animals that were either peacefully eating, or were just passing by. So far, nothing strange or crazy was coming out of the literal wood work, but Andrew better than to be off-guard when on an alien planet.

“Andrew. Kiburi. This is Henriette, do you read?” Henriette’s voice calls out over the young man’s intercom, causing Andrew to hunker down by a nearby tree while he answers the call.

“This is Andrew I read you Miss. Henriette.” Andrew said over the radio, followed by Kiburi who also replied to Henriette’s call over the intercom.

“I want you two to be on guard, one of Observers drones was captured by a small group of the locals, and they appeared to be heading into the forest.”

“Rodger that. What shall we do than ma’am?” Andrew asked over the radio.

“Do not engage or come in contact with them yet, observer from a distance.” Henriette replied.

“And what about the drome ma’am?” Kiburi quickly asked over the radio, and received just as fast response.

“For the time being leave it, I doubt these aliens will be unable to anything with it, plus we don’t know how these aliens will react to us yet.”

With their orders given Andrew went radio silent, and started to stalk through the trees trying to ensure that he is not seen or heard of by the incoming inhabitants of this world. As the soldier continues to stealthily stalk through the tree line, a faint rustling sound came from a dozen or so feet from his position. Ducking down into a nearby brush, and positioning his rifle to be ready to fire if needed. A moment later the solider watched as the aforementioned natives came into the view, all of them looking slightly on edge as they keep looking over their shoulders. Andrew then lowered his weapon and just watched the group stumble through the forest, nickering and whining at each other quite loudly.

‘Not exactly a quite bunch are they.’ Andrew internally said as he continues to watch the group continue on their way, almost blindingly walk through the forest. but are going in the direction of the ruins.

“Miss. Henriette do you copy.”

“I read you Andrew. What’s going on?” the woman asked the man who keeps his voice down as he replies, after his masks gives a quite hiss of vented air.

“I have the natives in sight, and their not exactly being subtle about being in the forest. but they seem to be going in the general direction of camp.” Andrew informed the leader of the group. “What should our next move be?”

“Make your way back to camp, I will get in contact with Kiburi and tell him the same. We will come up with something, for now, head back.”

“Rodger.”

Andrew then quietly emerges from the brushes that he was hiding in, and starts to carefully maneuver around the natives and make his way back towards camp. While the soldier was making his way around the group of natives, another rustling within the bushes caused not only Andrew, but the natives to stop as well. And what came out of the woods caused all in present to become worried. Coming into view was something that Andrew has only seen in games and old text books, a large manticore came stooling out of dense forest covering, and looked really cranky as its face was very expressional. The big hybrid feline then started to growl at the natives, who were inching away from it slowly while Andrew just hunkered down in another collection of dense foliage.

‘This doesn’t look good.’ Andrew mentally stated as he readied his weapon, while reaching to his intercom.

“Miss. Henriette do you copy.” Andrew whispered so he wouldn’t draw any attention.

“Andrew what’s wrong?” Henrietta asked worriedly.

“The natives are in a bit of a pickle, something that looks like a manticore just came out of the tree line, and it look like its going to attack them.” Andrew said as he kept an eye on the group and the hybrid feline. “Should I intervene, or let the natives handle things themselves?” a moment goes by before Henriette responds.

“…if the manticore does attack scare it off, but make sure to stay out of sight.”

“Rodger!”

Andrew holds his rifle up and aimed at the beast, ready to fire if it starts to attack. Which didn’t take to long as the manticore leaps at the group of natives. Just as Andrew was about ready to start firing his weapon, the group of natives was surround by what looked like a dome force field, and the moment that the manticore came in contact with it bounced off it like a rubber ball. Causing the large feline to be flung backwards a good few feet away, but all that seemed to have done was make it angrier as it reoriented itself in mid-air, and then charged at the dome again this time slashing at it with its claws.

“If I’m going to intervene I better do it now!”

Andrew then pulled his trigger and unleashed a burst fire of bullets, which soared through the air and between the beast and the natives dome. Scaring the bejeezus out of the beast and the natives. Quickly acting on the confusion, Andrew grabbed one of the flashbangs from his belt and chucked it right at the manticore, nailing it in the face. Then a second later the flashbang went off, turning the entire area of the forest blinding white, and causing the manticore to roll around on the ground in agony, roaring in pain as it rubs at its eyes with its paws.

“Alright guys take this opportunity and—”

Andrew didn’t even need to finish his sentence when the natives dropped their shield, which seemed to protect them from the flashbang, and made a run for it by running back from where they came from. with the natives running back from where they came from, and the manticore still reeling in agony, Andrew took the opportunity to make a mad dash back to camp. Hopefully nothing else pops up.

~~~~~

Today was the start of Lieutenant Flare and her teams dive into the Everfree Forest, and search for a strange object that the princess has assigned them to look for and report back. The group was also tasked to investigate the appearance of some strange creatures that showed up, and helped save princess Celestia’s pupil Twilight Sparkle. And the day started off good enough when the pegasi of Lieutenant Flare’s team, Zephyr and Nosedive, were able to capture what appeared to be a young version of the flying creature they were assigned to look for.

However when the group of guards entered the forest, to start their investigation into the strange sightings, they have been wandering around aimlessly with idea in where to begin their task. Although the groups excursion was delayed when they came across a manticore, and had to defend themselves via a shield. But the manticore attack was nothing when compared to what happened next. As the manticore was gearing itself up for another attack, a loud sound like miniature explosion erupted from the trees, and then a barrage of what looked like very small glowing orange pellets, whizzed between the manticore and Flare and her cohorts. Needless to say whatever those things were certainly gave the beast, and the guards a good fright as they came out of nowhere. But the strangeness wasn’t over.

After the little pellet things zipped past the group and beast, something then smacked into the manticore’s face causing it to stagger for a bit. Now Flare and her team weren’t able to see what exactly what it was, before the entire forest turned a blinding white. Lucky the group was spared whatever happed to the manticore, as the shield dulled the white light that just, spontaneously appeared in front of them. Whatever happened, the patrol of guards took the opportunity to make a run for it, putting distance between them, the manticore, and whatever else was in the forest with them. So now after the group had ran for a good few minutes, they eventually came into a small clearing where they stopped their running and took a moment to catch their breathes.

“Well I can definitely say this mission is off to a great start.” Lance says sarcastically as he flops down, his cloak crumbling around him.

“I can certainly say that I wasn’t expecting to run into a manticore.” Nosedive says as she takes a moment to cool herself down by flapping her wings.

“This is the Everfree Nosedive, we could run into anything in this forest.” Lance says as he takes his helmet off. “Although those little glowing orange things, and that white light, that I didn’t expect to see in this forest.”

“Yeah those were weird.” Aegis said he looked over to Flare as she was fanning herself with her cloak. “Do you think those were some kind of spell boss?”

“No.” Flare instantly rebuked as she drops her cloak. “I didn’t sense any magic from, whatever those thing were, but whatever caused them it gave us a chance to re-group.”

“So Lieutenant what’s our plan now?” Zephyr asked the leader of their little patrol.

“Given the fact that there is a possibly angry manticore back there—” Flare pointed towards where the group just came running from. “And that there is something else back there, I think we should try a different section of the forest.”

“Does that mean we can go home?”

“Lance!” Flare and the rest of the team said in unison with unified annoyance for the stallions bellyaching, which only caused said stallion to just give a low groan.

“We will check a different section of the forest, but for the time being lets take a break to finish catching our breathes.”

The rest of the group decided to take the opportunity to relax. After all, without knowing what could come out of the forest, the group will need to have their wits about them. but as the group rest Flare turned to look back to where she and the others came running from, and started to wander just what were those little glowing orange pellets, and what the blinding white light was. And what either caused them to appear, or where they came from.