Snow. Don hates the snow. He hated when he tripped as he trudged through it. He hated the poor visibility. And of course, he hated the frost it slapped him in the face with.
So why was he stumbling through this dreadful blizzard? Don does not know. Don doesn't even know how he got here. Don doesn't remember a lot, with his past being but a distant blur. Don thinks it might account for the fact there's a large gash on the side of his bandaged head. But Don doesn't want to think about that, he just wants to find somewhere warm.
All he had to fend off from the harsh cold was his dark blue beanie, a pair of black earmuffs, a grey scarf, a white fur jacket that held a black sweater snuggled underneath, a pair of black gloves tightly fitted around his hands, white winter pants, two pairs of long black socks and some black heavy-duty boots. Even with all this, he was still cold.
He could check his grey backpack for another heat pack but if the last three times were anything to go by, he's run out. His fire starter kit would be useful had there been any wood around.
"G-God damn. . . s-snow." Don shivered as he snuggled deeper into his fur jacket.
As if the gods above heard Don's curse, a furious gust of wind slapped into him, causing him to stumble a few steps.
It continued like this for a while. Don would make his way through the snow at a slow pace, stumble, curse the snow only for it to curse right back at him with a gust of freezing wind.
But Don couldn't keep this up for very long. The cold was getting to him, and he knew it.
He thought about the large radio box he'd been carrying. But he'd abandoned that a while ago. He knew it would be fruitless to go back and try to call for help. Even if he managed to put the mangled insides back together, the snow surely would have buried it by now.
On the verge of collapsing onto the snowy ground, he spotted a distant red glint through the blizzard haze. Don, glad to see something other than white, pushed on.
Tripping over himself, Don got closer. With each clumsy step, he could see the red glow get brighter, pulsating even.
But as Don neared, he could hear faint whispers. Don knew he wasn't crazy, or at least he hoped he wasn't. So to hear whispers in the back of his head had him a tad worried.
-'Closer'-
The barely coherent voice said, luring him.
Finally, at the light source, he could see the glow originate from underneath the snow. Hoping it was some sort of distress beacon or if he was lucky, a small package he fell to his knees and started to dig with his gloved hands.
But as he was digging, the whispers got louder and had a clear feminine tone that encouraged him to keep going.
-'Yes. Yes! Keep digging!'-
Don swore he heard the voice laugh maniacally.
With one final push of snow, Don laid his eyes on a long, slightly curved red crystal. It radiated immense warmth that covered him like a soft blanket, shooing off any cold.
A clear hum cut his train of thought as he looked at it.
-'What do we have here? A hairless. . . ape? Out here? Hm. . . no matter. Creature, pick me up this instant'-
"W-what the. . . a-are you t-talking?" Shivering out the question, Don stuck out a finger at the red object.
-'Sentient to. Good, good. Creature, I'll answer some of your questions you may have if you pick me up'-
Doubting his sanity, he tentatively went to grab it.
Only for a black wisp of smoke to come out and tangle around his finger. Freaked out, he jerked his hand back.
"J-Jesus Christ! What t-the hell was that!?" He yelled.
The voice spoke again with a tint of dismay in it.
-'It's nothing monkey. Now hurry and pick me up you fool'-
Don shook his head.
"Nuh-uh. Nope. What k-kind of dark m-magical bullshit was that?" He demanded.
The voice, angry, responded;
-'Nothing your ape brain can comprehend, now take me'-
"And get p-possessed by some d-demon in a crystal? Go off yourself, I'm g-going." Don's statement was quickly laughed off.
-'It doesn't take a genius to know that you're nearing your pathetic end, creature. Now do something useful for once in your life and pick me up'-
The voice began to cackle.
Don, scowling at it, huffed.
"I'd rather d-die out in the cold t-than let you get a-anywhere near me," Said Don, standing up.
The voice went silent.
As Don turned around to leave, the voice cleared its throat.
-'I'll make you a deal creature'-
Don looked back.
"A d-deal?" Don asked.
-'A deal'-
The voice announced.
"What sort of deal?" Turning towards it, Don gave his full attention to the ragged crystal.
-'If you help me with my problem, I promise I'll help keep you warm-'
Don squinted.
"How do I k-know I can t-trust you?"
The voice scoffed.
-'I am many things, but being a mare that goes back on her word isn't one of them'-
'Mare?'
Don thought.
"And how do you plan on doing that?"
-'With magic you idiot'-
Don's lips thinned.
-'Do you not believe me monkey boy-'
"Yeah, k-kinda," Doubted Don, crossing his arms.
-'You're having a conversation with a crystal, but yet you find magic nonsense'-
Humming to himself, Don weighed the pros and cons in his head.
"What problem do you want me to help with?"
-'A simple escort job. Just follow me and then I'll be done with you'-
"A-and you're s-sure you can keep m-me warm?"
A sigh of irritation was heard.
-'Of course I can'-
After thirty seconds, he sighed.
"Fine."
The voice erupted in joyous laughter.
-'Now creature, pick me up'-
Don knelt and reached to pick it up. Again, black smoke came out and wrapped around his finger. But instead of pulling back as he did last time, he continued. As he got closer, more black smoke tangled around his hand.
Finally, he enclosed his fingers around the crystal and picked it up. He examined the object in his hand, it was unbelievably smooth on the surface and the tip looked sharp to the touch. Suddenly the smoke went into a frenzy and shot up his arm. Don didn't have enough time to yelp as the black smoke traveled into his mouth.
To say it was painful was an understatement. It was agonizing. His head felt like a maraca and as if to add a cherry on top, intense pain was felt in his right arm. Something was warping into him, stapling itself to his consciousness. But as quickly as it came, the pain vanished.
Don collapsed onto his knees and took a big gasp of air. He patted his chest frantically, seeing if any of that hoodoo-voodoo magic did anything to him. As he was doing so, he noticed a red glow coming from his arm.
Carefully pulling back his jacket, Don turned his arm over. There, on his forearm, the crystal was embedded into him.
Blinking owlishly, he was about to panic. That is until a smooth, rich womanly voice spoke to his left.
"Don't worry about it, Servant. I have temporarily bound myself to you until you get me to the Crystal Heart."
Looking to his left, Don's eyes widened as an anthro. . . horse? Stood before him, donning in rather scanty armor. She was relatively gorgeous, with sharp features, fierce fiery red eyes, and smooth, shiny, elegant black hair. Notably, her steel chest plating had a large V-shaped window that would let one peek into her generous cleavage if one so wanted. Her hips were ample, connected to vast, muscular thighs that could crush a man's head at a moment's notice. And to top it off, a red lion cloth dangled between her legs, leaving very little to the imagination on what may lay beyond.
A cough cut through the silence and Don looked up at her narrowing eyes. Her red irises burning into him.
"Giving you the mercy of ignoring your later observations, I'm a pony." She corrected.
Don face contorted to one of confusion.
"What?" Asked Don.
She scowled at him.
"I'm not a horse." She stated matter of factly.
Don raised a finger.
"I-I never said you were a horse."
She leaned down and got into his face, her breasts bouncing charitably within her plating.
"I know you never said it. I can read your thoughts." Snarled the mare.
But had he been paying attention he would have seen the death glare she was giving him but instead, his eyes wandered south and his face turned a few shades red along with hers.
Quickly standing up straight, she cleared her throat.
"And I might suggest clearing your head of my breasts before I give you a punishment, Servant." She threatened.
The comment did not help and if anything, made the situation worse as scenarios played within Don's mind.
An angry sigh and a mumble about 'stallions' later she waved at him.
"Come, the daylight will soon fall below the horizons and the conditions won't get any better. I don't want my property to die of hyperthermia."
Dismissing her comment he stood up. He observed she was pretty tall, roughly around 6'0. She only had to look up a bit to meet his eyes.
Don cleared his throat.
"I thought you said you'd keep me warm?" He asked.
She hummed before walking in a direction.
"I did. I used a simple heat spell, too high for your pea brain to understand. But that will soon dissipate and it will mean trouble if we stay out here."
He did feel a lot warmer. The cold bite of the storm was all but forgotten, and his shivering disappeared.
Walking behind her, he asked;
"Can't you just recast the spell or something?" Asked Don, wiping off the snow that stuck to his pants.
"I could, but without a proper magic source, my magic is virtually limited. To waste my magic on something as insignificant as you would surely be a waste."
Don arched an eyebrow.
"Well, how are we going to stay warm then?"
The mare threw her head back and laughed.
"We? My little Servant, the only one that has to worry about freezing to death is you. I'm, in a literal sense, a fragment of your imagination that only you can see and touch. Outside forces won't affect me."
"I can touch you?" Inquired Don, temptation creeping into his voice.
"Yes, but if you do so without permission I'll have your head served on a platter." She threatened without hesitation.
Awkward seconds flew by as Don mulled over those words.
"So. . . what do we- I mean I do to prevent my ass turning into a popsicle?" He asked, motioning to his rear.
"If my memory serves correct, there should be a forest up ahead. Once we reach there, it will be up to you to scrounge for supplies."
Don hummed in acknowledgment.
Don knows a little about hunting with the finer details being a bit foggy. Of course, he could hardly remember where he learned this skill with the only clue being a warm summer up in some mountains. He remembers an older man alongside him. Maybe his dad? Grandpa? Or perhaps an old acquaintance? He doesn't exactly know.
And thank the lords he had a rifle. It was in parts and pieces in his backpack, but a rifle nonetheless. All he had to do is put the rifle back together, like a fun puzzle. He just desired more bullets is all, twenty won't last him long. Not out here.
Walking in silence, he noted that she carried herself with great prestige as if she knew the whole world was watching her every step. Reading his thoughts, the mare smiled, straightened her back, and tilted her head up, signifying who the boss was. Don just thought she was a very prideful pony, but that didn't discourage her.
As they sauntered through the blizzard haze, Don realized he hadn't gotten the name of his companion and vise versa.
"The least we can do is formalities," He cleared his throat, "My name is-"
"Donald Matthew Stewart. But your name means nothing. You shall be continued to be known as 'Servant', understand?" She commanded.
Taken aback he pointed at her.
"Well, what about you then? What do I call you?"
She stopped and looked back at him.
"Have you never heard of me, Servant?"
Don shrugged his arms.
"Should I have. . . ?"
She snorted and continued walking.
"If you do not know who I am, then you don't deserve to know who I am. You shall address me as, 'my Queen.'"
"Yeah, I'm not doing that." Don immediately said.
"I suggest you do before you find yourself aimlessly roaming the cold." She threatened.
"Then I guess you'll be stranded out here for who knows how long. I know damn well that you need me to walk if this thing in my arm has anything to say about it." Quickly retorted Don.
She clicked her tongue and chuckled.
"Well played. But you will still be called Servant regardless of threats. And don't you think this will go unpunished in the future either." She warned.
Clearing his throat, he tried changing the subject.
"So. . . you're royalty?" He asked.
The 'Queen' lightly hummed.
"I. . . was." She answered a bit hesitantly. But as if sensing his impending question, which she probably did, shook her head. "But I will be again with your help, Servant."
Silence fell upon them again.
Don observed that when the pony in front of him walked, the snow didn't seem to affect her. Not a stumble nor a trip. When he peered a bit closer she didn't even appear to leave an imprint in the snow with her big metal boots. Mulling it over, he thought it must have played into her being his 'imaginary friend'. But soon his eyes were slowly drawn to her hips. The way it would sway tauntingly at him, and how her supple ass lightly jiggled with every step. It was almost calling to him. Begging for his touch.
But an angry snort in front of him had Don leave that thought immediately, abandoning her rear and dropping his gaze to his feet. To clear his dazed head he tried counting his steps to pass time. He didn't even make it to thirty before it got boring. So he attempted to think of a way to break the ice. It was hard when you had little to nothing to talk about, especially when you can't remember much of your past.
A scoff from the pony caught his attention.
"Your attempts to talk to me are quite amusing, Servant. Do you not like the silence?" Asked of her.
Knowing it was his turn to answer, he shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, when you have nothing to do but walk, I find conversation helps pass time."
She was quiet before she spoke up.
"I'll entertain you, for now, Servant. But do try and know your boundaries."
Don hummed and quickly thought of a question.
"So, your magic, what's the whole deal with that?"
The Queen sighed in annoyance.
"Try and be specific, Servant."
Stumbling on a clump of snow, he caught up to her right side.
"Well, you said you have a nearly limited source of magic until we reach something called the 'Crystal Heart'. Why is that?"
She tilted her head up and puffed up her chest.
"Servant, you are looking at one of- no, the most powerful unicorn ever. So much so that I had to create the Crystal Heart to hold most of my power." She said with great arrogance.
"Can't someone just come around and destroy it?"
She rolled her eyes as if the answer was obvious.
"Servant, your Queen isn't stupid. I had a backup plan if that option was compromised. I learned to feed off of fear." To emphasize her point, she looked at Don with a half-lidded gaze and a smirk.
A shiver crept up his spine as she ogled him.
Looking forward, she continued;
"Fear is such a wonderful thing, Servant. Especially for a well-known mare such as myself. It was truly amazing. I didn't need to do anything, my mere presence alone had peasants and nobles alike shaking in their boots." She snickered as she was reminiscing.
Once she quieted, she let out a deep tired sigh.
"Of course there were those who thought they were 'strong.' They would glare and sometimes even speak back to me. But a little magic here and an illusion there they would shoot to my feet, begging for forgiveness," she looked over at Don who was listening intently, "I don't forgive, mind you. Those who thought they were better than me were already enough for death." She said looking forward.
Don didn't know what to think. He didn't even want to think for fear of evoking the wrath of the Queen.
"Servant," she addressed, "I wish to ask you a question."
Realizing he probably didn't even have a choice, nodded.
"Your existence stumps me, Servant. What manner of creature are you?" She asked.
Don, with bad memory or not, knew that one.
"I'm human," Don said with a bit of pride.
However, it seemed it didn't satisfy her.
"Are you a breed of intelligent monkey, Servant? Because all the pet monkeys the Zebras would bring with them were quite dumb. Always eating, making noise, throwing their feces. I killed that one. Ruining my drapes was unforgivable."
The thought of the Queen's curtain being ruined by monkey manure was quite amusing to Don. But the glare she gave him quickly had him clear his head and focused on answering her question.
"Kind of-ish. We did find some DNA that told us we were related to them but we live in totally different ways."
She cocked her head at him.
"How so, Servant?"
"Well for starters, we don't throw shit at one another" The Queen snickered at his comment, "We learned to finally live as one big group. Pulling off great feats such as building scrapers that reached the sky or inventing giant flying machines that can take you around the world in a matter of hours. Oh, and you can't forget about landing on the freaking moon!" Boasted Don. The pride swelled in Don that even with the loss of memory didn't stop him from remembering the great accomplishments of humanity.
Glancing at the Queen, he noticed she was looking at him with great fondness, listening to every word.
"Sorry." He apologized.
Ignoring his apology, she looked forward again.
"The moon you say? Such an advanced species." She complimented.
Looking forward, she stopped.
"We're here."
Indeed they arrived. Don could make out a few long thick trees in front of him.
Humming approvingly, she continued walking.
"Come, Servant." The Queen said as she continued walking.
Following her into the forest, he saw the trees reach so high the fog of the storm blocked out the treetops.
"I hope you know how to start a fire, Servant." The Queen said, cutting his train of thought
His face brightened up as he thought of his backpack.
"I have a hatchet and a fire starter kit in my bag." Said Don, pointing to his back.
She turned around and eyed his backpack before nodding.
"Good, I thought I'd have to teach a grubby little monkey how to rub two sticks together." She promptly said, proceeding to turn back around and continue walking.
'I'm like, a head taller than you.'
Don remarked as he followed her.
"Don't make me cut you down to my level then, Servant." She threatened.
Don didn't say anything back to her and opted to just stick near her.
"Let's get away from the treeline. The blizzard isn't nearly as bad within the forest." She insisted, pointing further into the wilderness.
Agreeing with her, they both headed deeper into the forest.
The blizzard did let up eventually. It was still snowing but not as hard as before, with snowflakes harmlessly landing on Don and seemingly going through the mare in front of him.
Unfortunately, the visibility hadn't gotten much better. Although the cold element had stopped slapping him in the face, the combination of the treetops and the blizzard that raged on outside blocked out almost all light. The only thing he had to guide him through the darkness was the soft glow of the red crystal.
"Here." The Queen's voice sliced through the stillness.
Only seeing the murky darkness in front of him, Don looked at her confusingly.
"What." Asked a dumbfounded Don.
"Well, it seems only one of us can see in the dark. We're in a small clear area and front of us are two logs sitting across from each other. A nice campfire will do nicely in the middle." Said the mare, envisioning a campground.
Don dropped his backpack to the ground and got on his knees. Unzipping it, he proceeded to dig around in one of the bigger pockets. His hands soon pulled out a rectangular leather case that housed his hatchet. Quickly getting the hatchet out of its confines, he put back the case. He then soon pulled out a metal box. It was a small black box with a sticker of a skull with unreadable worn-out words below it.
Zipping up his sack, he got back up and walked to the pony.
"Hey, could you put these by the logs?" He asked as he handed her his backpack and fire kit.
For the first time since they entered the forest, she looked at him. Don was slightly taken aback by her glowing red eyes that stood out within the darkness. He was lost in those eyes until he finally registered she was talking.
"I-I'm sorry, what did you say?" Asked Don.
"Make me repeat myself next time and I will have your ears ripped out," She threatened. "I asked if it looks like I'm your slave? I'm not touching your stuff, monkey." She waved him off.
Don sighed.
"Please? It's the least you can do while I go gather firewood." He pleaded to her.
She dug her eyes into him for a solid five seconds before her eyes softened.
"I'm feeling a little sympathetic, so I guess I'll take your stuff. But only this once. Feel graced, ape." She said, taking his pack and box off his hands.
He said a quick 'thanks' and he wandered off to gather wood. Using the glow of crystal he tried to keep to the edge of the campground, not wanting to run off into the forest unintentionally. Although the Queen would probably shout at him if he did so.
As he walked, he would break off any low-hanging sticks with his hand and used his hatchet for those thicker, stubborn ones. Once with a sufficient amount, he tried locating her.
"Hey, where are you? I got the sticks." Don asked to the darkness.
A reply was heard within the darkness.
"Here. Just follow my voice, human." Her voice was heard in the direction he was looking.
Playing a small game of 'Marco Pollo,' Don found the mare.
"Where would you like these to be dropped off?"
She hummed before pointing to a spot.
"There." She simply said, pointing to his feet.
Plopping the sticks down, Don got on his knees and begun arranging them in a Teepee fashion. Finding his box, he opened it and looked at the contents within. Inside was a few packs of matches, a lighter alongside lighter fluid, and a small roll of tissue paper.
Wanting to work fast, he grabbed the lighter and tissue paper. Getting a small abundance of tissue paper underneath, he flicked on the lighter. Lighting a small tissue on fire, he threw it into the small pile under the wood. He cradled the fire, blowing softly on it until it properly caught fire.
Don got up and viewed his surroundings. Sitting on one of the logs was the mare, with her arm on her lap and head on hand, looking at him with a bored gaze. Grabbing his box and backpack, he sat across from her.
"I put a linger spell on the fire. It should last you the night." She informed Don, yawning.
He hummed in acknowledgment as he opened one of the smaller pockets on his backpack. After rummaging around, he pulled out a small paper bag.
"What is that you have there?" She asked, wanting to start a conversation.
He looked up and met with her eyes. He saw that the fire reflected beautifully off her glowing red eyes, almost making a soft amber color.
"I got 'Ready to Eat' food," Don said, showing off his bag, "Got myself a. . . Shredded Beef in Barbecue Sauce meal. It also comes with other assortments of stuff too." He said opening the bag.
The mention of beef barely phased the Queen as a lazy smile appeared on her face.
"Ah, reminds me of the time with the griffins."
Don looked up from his bag at her.
"Griffins?" Asked a perplexed Don.
She lifted her head off her hand and leaned towards Don.
"Mhm. Whenever I would visit the griffin kingdom, they would host these big feasts. A butchered cow would be ready on the grill, along with other assortments of meat. They actually managed to slay a hydra on one occasion." Don listened as she recollected, spreading the beef onto a tortilla.
"A hydra too?" Asked Don.
"Yeah, and while I was eating, I swore I saw its head twitch." Said the mare, giggling.
Don had another question pipe up.
"You ate meat? I thought you guys were vegetarian." Don asked, poring a bag of water into another bag of orange powder.
She nodded at his question.
"Indeed we are but not me. On my path for 'knowledge,' I would say, I did a spell that altered my diet. Essentially making me an omnivore," She leaned back on her log and waved her hand in front of her, "I wanted to taste all kinds of food the world had to offer." She smiled.
Don, taking out his cookie, had an idea.
"Can you still eat?" Asked Don.
She hummed questioningly at him, tilting her head to the side.
"Your form. Can you eat in your form?" He asked again.
She smiled and scoffed.
"Of course I can."
Don pulled out another brown bag and looked at her.
"I know it's no grand feast but would you like to eat this last one with me?" Asked Don, shaking the bag a bit.
She straightened her back and arched a brow at him.
"You want me to eat soldier grub?" She inquired, with Don's response of shaking the bag.
"C'mon, it comes with an oat cookie," Don said, trying to entice her.
She bit her lip and contemplated for a second before she lightly nodding.
Getting up, she walked across and sat next to Don. With her hand out, he gave her the paper bag.
"Would you like help with making it?" He asked.
She shook her head in reply as she inspected the bag.
He nodded and took the first bite out of his burrito.
"Word of advice," He chewed, "Save the drink till after you eat. The jalapeno cheese can kick your ass." He suggested, swallowing the bite.
Heeding his advice, she opened the bag and inspected its contents. It contained one bag of shredded beef, a transparent bag that contained two tortillas, two packets of cheese spread, a bag of water, and a clear bag of orange powder.
She picked up the bag that held the orange powder and examined it questioningly.
"How is one to consume this?" She asked, looking over at Don who was in the middle of shoving the rest of his burrito in his mouth.
Quickly swallowing, he hummed.
"That is what you will be drinking," Said Don, pointing at the bag. But seeing her look at it questioningly, he elaborated further, "You pour your water in there and shake it."
She nodded, setting the bag down. She then picked up the bag of beef and went through the same steps as Don did to make his meal. As she was doing so, she contemplated something within her mind, something rather difficult to decide. But in the end, she finally made up her mind.
She cleared her throat and got the attention of Don.
"Monkey, I have decided that in your recent events of service to me, I shall call you, Donald." She announced.
Don, hearing her words, almost choked on his drink. As he coughed and sputtered, he looked at her with mild shock.
"R-really?" Don asked.
She nodded as she wrapped the tortilla up.
"Yes, but you may only refer to me as, Umbra or Mistress. And count yourself lucky I allow you to, only so few can call me such names." Confesses Umbra.
If it only took basic kindness to get that privilege, it was safe to assume she doesn't have many friends.
"Well if I can do that, you may call me, Don. All my friends do so. . . at least I think they do. . . do they?" Shaking his head, he stook his hand out to her, "It's a pleasure to meet the one they call, Umbra."
She analyzed his hand before sticking out her own hand to shake it.
"Feel graced that you do so, Don. But I too admit it is a pleasure to meet you." Umbra nodded.
After letting go of his hand, she took a bite of her chow. After chewing and swallowing, she concluded.
"It tastes. . . horrible. But why do I want more?" Umbra mumbled to herself.
Hearing her, Don chuckled.
"That's the beauty of eating with others, it makes food taste slightly better," Don told her, finishing his drink.
Umbra scoffed. How can the mere presence of others enhance a meal's taste? No, Umbra had her own theory.
"Did you put a charming spell on this food, Don?" She asked, finding herself taking another bite.
Don only laughed at her words.
"Last time I checked, we humans can't do magic." Said a smiling Don.
Swallowing the last bit of her food, a question that's been pestering her since she met Don had sprung up again.
"Don. . . why are you out in this icy tundra?" Umbra asked, looking at him.
Don's smile faded as he thought about how to answer that.
"I. . . don't remember. To be honest, I don't recall a lot. All I remember is waking up in some green tent on a mattress with a large hole on the side of my head," to emphasize his point, he took off his beanie and showed his bandaged head, "I was already wrapped up when I woke up, so I can't tell you what it looks like. But I gathered what I could from that tent, which wasn't much. A rifle in pieces, a backpack, and a radio box that I, later on, destroyed on accident." He explained dishearteningly to her.
Umbra nodded as he explained his situation.
"How long ago did you find yourself there?" She asked again.
"I honestly couldn't tell you that," Don confessed.
She hummed as she thought. Don noticed this and cocked his head.
"What?" He asked.
"I wonder if you were the cause of the magical surge I felt," Umbra said, looking off into the dark woods.
"Come again?" Don inquired.
"I felt a massive magical surge sometime ago. I wonder if that might of been you." She said, locking eyes with him.
"A. . . magical surge?" Don asked slowly.
"Indeed. I haven't felt like that since the appearance of that magical Draconequus." Umbra recalled.
"A draco- dragoncu- a what now?"
"Well, it's a. . . ah. . . I'm not quite sure what it is. But I do know it had traveled from a different plane of existence to come here. And when it did a wave of powerful magic was felt around Equis." She explained.
"Wait, are you saying I'm. . . from a different universe." Asked a shocked Don.
"Well, I'm not saying it's not possible."
Don looked down, stunned. Had he been pulled through some magical wormhole to another world? The mere thought of it seemed ridiculous. But yet, here he was, sitting next to a magical mare. A mare he's been following and talking to all day. A mare that saved his ass from freezing.
"Bah, this cookie tastes like dust!" Umbra's voice cut in.
Looking up at Umbra, he saw that she held a half-eaten oat cookie with a look of disgust. But with the obvious disdain for it, she took another bite.
Don smiled. If he had been pulled to another world, he was glad he at least had company.
"Don, please tell me you have something to sleep on. I'd rather conserve my magic for something more important."
Come to now. After Umbra told Don he may be a dimension hopper, they continued to idly talk. Or more Umbra idly talked, Don just sat next to her and listened, which she greatly appreciated. Not many would give attention to the tales she told, let alone sit next to her. But it was only when Don let out a tired yawn did she decide sleep was needed.
"Uh yeah, I think I got a sleeping bag," Don said, hunching over his backpack.
"Good. Now it would be best if you laid it here. Not too far from the fire, but also not too close," Said Umbra, pointing to a spot on the ground, "And looking at this spot, the snow underneath should provide soft comfort as we sleep."
Don, with his rolled sleeping bag, stopped immediately and looked up at her.
"We?" Asked Don.
She looked away from the spot and down at him.
"Yes." She said simply.
"I thought outside forces couldn't affect you? Wouldn't that include fatigue?" Don asked, standing up.
"Yes but you quickly find out that staying up for eight hours with nothing to do but twiddle your thumbs gets boring." Explained Umbra.
"Ok but it's going to be a tight fit. These weren't exactly designed to fit two people." Said Don as he unrolled the bag.
"I'm fine with that." Umbra nodded.
Don laid out the bag on the snowy ground and pulled out any parts that were tucked in underneath. Unzipping the bag, he laid it out fully.
Nodding to himself, he looked at Umbra.
"So, now what?" He asked.
Without missing a beat, she swiftly pulled at some string on her back, loosening the armor from her body. She drops the steel chest piece and shoulder pads to the ground, wearing some sort of bandaging around her chest. She then went about pulling off her boots and loincloth to reveal a white thong.
Don's mind went into immediate turmoil. Before her body was hidden behind steel plating but now her whole figure lay bare to him. From winding curves to the plushy mounds on the back and front, all of it being eye candy.
"Don," Don's thoughts were interrupted as she said his name. Looking up, he was mildly surprised to see her face expressionless, "Strip."
What.
"What?" Asked an alarmed, reddening Don.
"I cannot share my body heat with you if you wear such clothing. Now strip." Umbra commanded.
"H-hey I think your great and all, a-and I do really mean that truly, but I think this may be moving a little too fa-"
Umbra sighed and snapped her fingers. In an instant, her clothes and all of Don's clothes, minus his boxers, were teleported on one of the logs neatly.
Don, in the bare, had his brain turned to mush.
"Ok, I guess this is happening." Squeaked Don.
Umbra laid down in the middle of the bag and gestured to Don.
"Come, the fire will wear off, linger spell or not, and you will surely freeze."
Don, not wanting to argue, went to lay down next to her. Pulling the other half of the bag over them and zipping it up, came to one realization. It was cramped, uncomfortably so. Umbra realized this too.
"Don lay on your right side," Umbra said, also doing so.
Once done, he noted there to be much more room, able to freely move his legs a bit.
Umbra, not done, took his hand and wrapped it around her chest.
"I want you to hold me tight," Umbra ordered.
"So you want me to snuggle you?"
"If that's the word you have for it, yes. Yes, I do." She nodded, closing her eyes.
Once properly relaxed, did Don start to take notice of how good she felt. Her fur felt the softest against his chest as if she was one giant teddy bear. Breathing through his nose he could smell her smokey, strangely alluring scent of perfume. Even the calming feeling of her chest rising up and down had his eyelids droopy. God even the feeling of her soft, plushy ass against his crotch felt heavenly. Closing his eyes, he basked in the feeling of warmth and safety she provided.
Slowly but surely, sleep had slowly taken him to the land of dreams.
Where the Silver Tower Stands
Left! Left! Left-right!
Running. So much damn running. Don hates everything about running. The scorching heat, the never-ending red track, and God damn he hated the sweaty aftermath. But he knows if he stops his ass will be grass. So he ran, ran against his own will.
There were others with him, running as he did, their faces blurred. The faces didn't concern him but while Don seemed to be on the brink of collapsing, they ran without trouble. Not a gasp for air nor a cry of exhaustion. They continued in perfect unison.
As he ran, he noticed that more seemed to appear, running onto the track from seemingly nowhere. From hellish running quickly turned into pushing past one another. He was desperate to get to the end for something unknown awaited him.
Left! Left! Left-right!
The sky darkened to a blood-red, and a commanding shouting boomed above him. The voice was unintelligible but Don knew it wanted him to pick up the pace.
Soon the unknown 'people' combusted into flames around him, one by one, but it didn't seem to influence their performance. They continued running to an unknown destination.
Don wanted to scream for help, but he knew all too well that if he did the devil himself will manifest. So he endured the scorching heat from the others, the ache he felt in his calf's, and the horrid shouting from above.
A hill, he could see a hill! Why he was excited to see it was beyond him, but it had to be the best hill he's ever seen!
Shoving a flaming person to the right, he pushed on with all his might. Pushing his way past the people, he climbed the hill.
The sky grew darker and the shouting got louder. But he continued.
Left! Left! Left-right!
It repeated in his head louder and louder. He just had to make it to the top!
With one final thrust, he collapsed on the hill. The shouting quietened and the sky returned to its natural blue. Don was filled with a sense of satisfaction.
He laid there, gasping, looking at the blue sky. Clouds would harmlessly pass over, varying in shape and size. A buffalo here and a butterfly there. He had done it, finally. Maybe now, his father could be proud of him.
But it soon turned to dread as he heard distant cries and shouts. He flinched as the red sky and the yelling before returned in merciless full force. Shakily getting on his knees, he looked over the edge of the hill.
There, below the hill stood a burning city. People littered the streets, screaming and crying, as bat-like creatures terrorized them.
A break in the sky was seen and white light cast down. Trumpets sounded and the screaming was silenced. Looking up he could see a pale figure descend. Don looked in awe as the figure floated to the ground. It sported big white wings and wore golden armor that seemed to radiate the rainbow. As soon as the figure touched the ground, a giant, fiery mushroom cloud rose.
Don could only watch as the city he saw below him was destroyed, the shockwave and smoke, consuming buildings in its wake.
He closed his eyes as shockwave and smoke reached him, yet, he didn't feel any pain. It was just. . . a black void. Opening his eyes, he found he was still intact. Not a single mark was left on him.
He soon realized he wasn't alone as maniacal giggling surrounded him.
Looking around to try and find the source of the laughter, Don's eyes landed on a pair of bright green eyes that seeped out purple smoke.
The giggling turned into full-blown laughter as soon he spotted it and with great haste, it charged him.
Don only had enough time to cover his face before. . .
"Holy fuck shit!" Screamed Don, shooting up from his bag.
Gasping, he quickly scanned his surroundings. He only found was his clothes folded neatly on a log, an extinguished fire, and Umbra sitting upon the other log, strapping on her chest plating.
Seeing him awake she grinned.
"Didn't think you'd last that long," Umbra said, leaning back.
"What?" Heaved Don.
She hummed, examining him before she spoke.
"You know, when I would have prisoners, I'd like to play with them in their sleep sometimes. With a sprinkle of magic, I would have them screaming awake almost instantly. But you. . . you lasted quite a while. Honestly, I'm impressed."
"Wait, was that you?" He asked coldly.
She shrugged her shoulders at him.
"Not really, no. Your memories did my job mostly, I just enhanced it." She gave him a toothy smile.
Don's face scrunched up.
"Why would you do that you, ass?"
Umbra snorted and her eyes narrowed.
"Well, I apologize that the monkey forgot he had an overdue punishment. But if it makes you feel any better, I fed on your fear to charge my magic. Something you seem to desperately rely on." She explained waving her hand about.
Don stood up and marched to his clothes, the cold hardly affecting him. She had intruded on his dreams, his space. It's already a pain in the ass to try and watch what he thinks. Does he now have to be careful of what he dreams of too because God forbid he has an intimate dream he has no control over?
"You are a tremendous cunt, you know that?" Don said through gritted teeth as he pulled his sweater over his head.
Standing up, she scoffed.
"Don't tell me you're mad that I needed to charge. You knew it was going to happen eventually."
"You invaded my privacy. That's what I'm mad about." He fumed, tugging the pants up his legs.
"What privacy? We are bound, Don. Have you not figured that out yet?"
She didn't get a reply, not a scream or a shout. Don only closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"The problem with that is only you get to peek and prod at my mind. From reading my memories to even invading my fucking dreams!" Don then pointed a digit at her, "You know, ever since I met you, you've been a giant bitch."
"Last time I checked, I was a pony you brain-dead ape." She sneered.
Don shook his head as he continued putting on his clothes.
"Cunt fucker"
"Saddle-goose."
"Shit stick!"
"Fopdoodle!"
"Ass muncher!"
"Klazomaniac!"
They screamed names back and forth. A 'slut', here and a 'klutz' there. It continued while he dressed until Don got fed up with her.
"Where are you getting these fucking names, woman!? I don't understand half of them!" Don looked at Umbra as he pulled a glove over his hand.
She was deadly quiet before a slight smile graced her lips.
"I had an ambassador who liked to hurl insults whenever he could." She said with a calming breath, "But the same could be said for you. I have never heard such vulgar language in that manner." Umbra asked.
Don's scowl then cleared. Where did he hear those names? Memory be damned, he had it on the tip of his tongue.
"I-I don't recall. I just remember some asshole who kept calling me these weird strung-up names." Don told her. He scratched the back of his head, trying to remember exactly where he heard them from. The more he thought, the more he got heated. It was right there, teasing him. Why can't he remember?
His mind went into a tizzy. Don soon realized just how much he can't remember. Yes, he already knew his past was hazy but he didn't know the severity of it. It came down to the simple things, he can't remember where he was born or the high school he went to. All of it was behind an untouchable murky window.
Oh gosh, even his mom! He forgot his mother. How can he forget his own mother's face? Don began panting and nausea crept on him. But before he went insane, Umbra tapped him on the shoulder.
"Come, we got to keep moving."
Taking deep breaths, he looked up at her. Through the darkness, he swore he swore he saw sympathy in her glowing irises.
With a roll of her eyes, she shook her head.
"I do not sympathize, Don. I was just tired of hearing your mind going in a frenzy. Now let's go, traitors need to be shackled and a throne needs a new occupant."
Had Don been able to see through the dark, he would have caught the red on her cheeks she was trying to hide.
Umbra did a one-eighty and marched off towards the woods. Hastily grabbing the strap of his bag, he chased after her, grabbing the sleeping bag along the way and quickly stuffed it in an open back pocket, caring less about rolling it up.
"Traitors? What traitors?" Don asked.
Umbra's face scrunched up. The thought of those turncoats had her knuckles white. Oh, did she loath those that turned on her. The things she would do once she got her fingers wrapped around their throats.
"The ones that give the illusion of being your comrade. That they'll follow you through combat and glory. I guess I should have known better." Umbra sighed in defeat, slumping her shoulders.
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Your condolence is duly noted but isn't needed. I'll have revenge once I return to my palace."
The thought of those that crossed her had Don thinking, especially what would happen once she got them. Execution? Torture? Humiliation? He shivered at the thought. Unknown to Don, his thoughts only gave fuel to Umbra's revenge scheme.
But to Umbra's disappointment, his thoughts soon landed on her.
-'Traitors huh? I wonder if Umbra would-'-
"No, I won't, Don. I need you as much as you need me."
-'Maybe not now, but once we get back she'll probably-'-
"I wouldn't gain anything from killing you. And if anything my subjects would surely praise you for returning their Queen."
-'Only a traitor would say that! Trying to lure me in a false sense of-'-
"Don, please clear your head." Umbra groaned.
He cleared his head by instruction but narrowed his eyes.
"I don't know. You can sack me in the middle of my sleep for all I know. Give me a good reason why I should trust you?"
Umbra kept silent and continued walking, paying him no mind. Acknowledging this, he sighed.
"Fine, I guess I do trust you." He mumbled
She turned her head at him and flashed him a smirk.
"Thank you for coming to your senses, my little monkey." Umbra purred.
Hearing the pet name, he gave her a questioning look.
"My little monkey?" Repeated Don.
Umbra giggled at his question. "A little name one of my friends would say to her denizens. Of course, replace 'monkey' with 'pony.'"
The thought of Don being her little monkey had her heart skip a beat. The thought of the only human to exist, to her knowledge, being obedient only to her had somewhat excited her. A trophy to show off to other kingdoms, maybe an exotic animal to display in a cage or maybe. . . a toy to use in her seclusion?
"Why would someone do that?" Don's question interrupted her thought process.
Umbra shrugged her arms. "I never knew. Some superiority complex I would guess."
Ducking under a branch, Don quizzically looked at her.
"Like you don't have one?"
She flicked her hair and looked at him.
"The difference is, my little human, I flaunt my superiority. People know who walks among them and know they deserve their undying loyalty. She, on the other hand, hid behind mind games. Flaunting her expensive jewelry here, enhancing her height there, it was all the same. A bit cowardly if you ask me."
"Height enhancement?"
With a simple flick of her wrist, she grew several heads taller than him. It was weird having to look up at this now Amazonian woman, not that he minded of course.
"A simple illusion trick that requires almost no skill. The tricky part comes into play when you need to conceal the illusion." She explained, shrinking down back to her normal height.
"Is it hard doing that? You know, the whole hiding thing." Asked Don.
Umbra shook her head. "No. Unless you find memorizing all three-hundred fifty-two ways to expose an illusion hard. Then finding a way to counter every single one," She twirled a finger in the air, "But that number may have increased in my absence."
Don lightly whistled at her response. "Wow. Three fifty-two, huh? And you memorized all that?"
"A queen has to know all she can to stuff up her sleeve."
The memories of restless nights at the library had her mentally crying.
"You keep talking about your absence from your kingdom and your return and everything. It's just had me thinking, how old are you?"
Umbra laughed at the question. My oh my does the human have great charisma.
"I'm reckoning you weren't popular with human mares, were you?" Teased Umbra.
Don snorted and crossed his arms. "That's not a fair question and you know it."
"Life isn't fair."
"I'm jealous of people who don't know you," Don grumbled.
"I'm surprised that your small brain can keep up with just my voice."
"Kinda hard when it sounds like a dying hyena."
Umbra snickered. "We're coming full circle, aren't we?"
A smile graced Don's face. "Yeah, I guess so."
Umbra hummed in thought before a mental lightbulb appeared.
"You're cute. Like my old dog. But he also chased his tail for entertainment."
Don snorted at her retaliation. "So that's how it is?" He then pointed a finger at her, "Somewhere out there is a tree tirelessly producing oxygen for you. You owe it an apology."
"You have an entire life to be an idiot. Why not take today off?"
"You're as useless as the 'ueue' in 'queue.'"
"Can you tell me who let you out of your cage? I promise to punish them severely."
Don and Umbra went on to exchange insults again but neither took offense and instead laughed at each other's witty comments. Umbra even found herself cracking up more than usual and when Don noticed, he made it his goal to try and get her to smile more.
Insults soon turned to crude jokes, the silent goal seemingly to try and get the other to laugh harder. Both found joy when the other laughed to the point of silent gasps.
Bright beams of light glared down onto the snowy ground, the storm was all but gone. But this was only duly noted by the pair walking through the woods for they were walking side by side In conversation.
"And a little Barney took it?" Don joked.
Umbra was going over the story of how six mares and one little dragon invaded her kingdom and exiled her. The way she explained it had Don feel bad for her. To return after a thousand years only to have your former friends come take it again. Don was no expert but that seemed to be a douche thing to do.
"Yes, and I was about to take it back until that pink whore got her hands on him. I knew I should have killed her first!" Exclaimed Umbra throwing her hands up.
"So. . . over a thousand years old, huh? Talk about not a day over two hundred." He teased, jabbing at her with his elbow.
A twinge was felt in Umbra's heart but played it off cooly with a snort and a slap to his arm.
"As nice as it is to know I'm still desirable after all these years but don't you have human mares to court?"
Don held out his arms and displayed a toothy smile.
"That's the thing, I don't- oomph!" Don was promptly interrupted as his right leg caught onto something and tripped.
Looking up, he saw that Umbra was standing above his head, peering down at him.
"Careful there Don, it seems you tripped over some sharp metal wiring."
Looking at himself, he discovered he had fallen into a small bunch of barbed wire.
"What the hell is this doin' out here?" Mumbled Don, carefully pulling his leg back through a loop of wiring.
"What?"
Don arched a brow. "It's. . . barbed wire."
"And?"
"It doesn't take a genius to know that it's used to keep people away from something. Someone put it here."
"Then there must be an area of high importance ahead." Umbra then pointed off in the direction they were previously walking.
Don coughed and caught her attention.
"A little help here would be nice."
"Maybe watch where you're going next time, Don."
Don rolled his eyes. She's lucky the environment hardly phases her, he has to be stuck with the harsh physical world. Like barbed wire placed in the middle of the forest, conveniently placed to have him trip over.
"Hardy har, now give me a hand you ass."
She held out a hand and he grabbed it, hoisting himself up.
"I thought we discussed that I was a pony?"
"I don't know, looking at you now makes me wonder if your a pig dressed up in some revealing armor." Don joked, laughing to himself.
A well-placed punch in his arm made him silent.
"Call me a pig and I'll bloat you up like one." Threatened Umbra.
Rubbing his sore shoulder, he looked worryingly at Umbra.
"C-can you do that?" The thought of being blown up like a balloon and then popped didn't seem appealing to him.
Reading his thoughts, Umbra giggled to herself. To have a little human balloon by her side amused her.
"You should ask the old goat ambassador that- oh wait, you can't. Oops."
Don shivered as a picture of a bloody room entered his mind. "You are cold, woman."
The chatter went quiet as the duo strolled through the dimly lit forest. As they walked more piles of barbed wire appeared. All of them were either buried halfway with snow or outright destroyed, bits of wiring strung across the snow-ridden ground.
Soon they seamlessly walked into what can be only described as a battlefield. Craters of all sizes were strewn about, trees had blown out holes in them, there even ripped sandbags scattered around.
Umbra and Don both had questions within their minds but knew the other had no answer.
Passing by what was a destroyed metal fenced gate, they found themselves on a barely visible road. Following the road, they arrived at a clearing.
In the middle of that clearing was a cement building that held a long metal tower above it. This was the place which heavy fighting seemed to have accrued.
The building was riddled with small holes, remains of trenches were dug around the installation, and sandbags were placed on top of the building indicating a high vantage point.
"Well, one thing is clear, this place has seen a serious battle," Don observed.
"Why would someone fight for this small structure?" Umbra asked.
Don pointed at the tower above the building. "It seems whoever came here wanted control of the radio tower."
"Radio tower?" Inquired Umbra.
"It can transmit messages from miles away," Don explained.
"Interesting," Umbra hummed, "Another thing, if there was a fight here, where are the corpses?"
"Yeah, where are the bodies?"
As Don once again surveyed his surroundings, a howl was heard beyond the treeline. Soon a second was heard to their left and a third was shortly heard to their right.
"It seems like you're being watched, Don."
Don tugged at his backpack, regretting not building his weapon sooner.
"God, I hate the woods." Muttered Don.
Umbra patted his shoulder and walked to the building. "I'll be in here if you need me."
Don, not wanting to be dog food, followed her inside.
The interior had nothing really to note besides the fact it was a mess. Papers and rubble littered the ground and wires were dangling from the ceiling. It was relatively empty too, the only furniture being a table with tipped chairs surrounding it. To the right held what seemed to be the communication center. Of course, the machines were gutted to all hell but Don spotted a glowing red button upon one of the consoles.
Don went to investigate, Umbra seeing this followed. At the blinking button, Don observed it read the words 'Play'.
"What is this?" Inquired Umbra.
"That's what we're about to find out."
Don clicked the button and audible static filled the air. Listening intently, the duo could make out a voice.
The message would buzz in and out with barely comprehensible words cutting through.
"Bzzzt. . . this is- bzzzt. . . -et you know that Bravo Blue Eyes are re- bzzzt. . . -bush Tango Rolling Tracks at- bzzt. . . loaded bzzzt. . . -plies- bzzzt. . . -marry-bzzzt. . . -nd good luck-bzzzt. . . -ission over."
"What the hell is 'Tango Rolling Tracks'?" Don asked himself.
"A code name of sorts."
Another howl was heard outside, slightly muffled by the walls.
"You said you had a weapon didn't you, Don?"
Don slung his backpack over his shoulder and stuck his hand in. "Yeah, buts it still needs to be built." Said Don, fetching out a rolled-up cloth that contained all sorts of parts.
Don walked towards the table and sat the parts down. Standing up one of the chairs, Don sat down and unfurled the cloth. Parts and pieces varying in sizes and shapes laid bare to a confused Don.
"Seems you got yourself a project," Umbra said over his shoulder.
Don, ignoring her, picked up a narrow cylinder and inspected it. Not knowing what he was doing did what any sensible human would do; he started putting random pieces together, testing what clicked and what didn't.
A scoff was heard above him.
"Clearly that piece connects to that long one over there," Umbra said, leaning down over him. She plucked the spring from his hands and fitted it around a tube.
The pair worked on the little puzzle, Don sitting in the chair while Umbra leaned over him. Fitting a piece here and clicking a piece into place there. Don would feel Umbra's hot breath against his cheek now and then and sometimes their faces would brush against each other when either one would move.
Don's heart thumped, mind a race, giddy at the proximity. Umbra read the exciting thoughts that passed his mind, like a teenager who got his first kiss. But instead of getting angry at his childish thoughts, a small smile crept onto her face. Don was probably the only one that saw her other than a horrifying monster and that filled her with warmth. Although it was probably her fault that people were scared of her but that was beside the point.
The rifle came together really nicely and they even managed to have some spare parts! Grabbing one of the two magazines, Don snuggly fit placed it into the rifle.
"A beauty isn't she?" Don asked Umbra, giving his gun a small shake.
She gave a slight nod in acknowledgment and spoke, "What does this do anyway?"
Don laid the gun across the table and grinned, "Basically this little sunshine can shoot a bad guy from a great distance. Not to mention this caliber can almost go through anything like butter. Think of it as a more powerful crossbow." He explained, caressing his rifle.
That piqued Umbra's interest. A weapon that can pierce through most surfaces? The tool would have been greatly useful during the Siege of the Crystal Empire. Had her soldiers been equipped with such weapons they would have been able to fire upon the oncoming Equestrian army, cutting down their meager gold armor.
However, roar had her mind trail onto a more important matter.
"I hope you'll know how to use that, Don. I wish to keep going." Said Umbra to Don mid caress.
"Um, wouldn't it be better to wait here and kinda just shoot them as they come?" He asked, looking up at her.
A snort sounded from Umbra.
"The longer I'm away from the Crystal Heart, the weaker I grow. I would rather not show up and try to retake the empire vulnerable."
"Easy for you to say, you can't get murked. One good bite to my throat and we're both goners. I'll be dead and you'll return to being an immortal crystal." Argued Don.
"Yes but if we were to show up, me defenseless, you would probably just be thrown out in the cold and I would certainly be eradicated." Countered Umbra.
"Can't you feed off my fear or something?"
"Feeding off one person doesn't give much, Don. I had masses of people to feed off of!"
Don hated to admit it but had Umbra's statement been true, fending off wolves seemed more pleasing than being thrown out in the cold again.
"Damn it, fine." Don conceded.
Umbra smiled in victory as Don grabbed his rifle and sack. Slugging the backpack over his back, he headed for the door, Umbra in tow.
Once outside, Umbra pointed to the clearing.
"We'll walk across the clearing. That way if any wolves were to attack you would have a clear shot."
"Wait, you want me to go out there? Where I can be spotted in all directions?" Scoffed Don.
"Well, do you want to sit here and wait for your imminent death, or do you want to get me to my kingdom?"
Don held a glaring contest with Umbra before angrily muttering. Walking past her, Don started to walk across the clearing. Umbra quickly followed him but only made it three steps before bumping into him.
Blinking owlishly, she looked to him with a raised brow. Before asking what the hold-up was, she quickly figured out why. In front of them stood a large black wolf, growling and baring its fangs at Don.
Tapping him on his shoulder, Umbra spoke, "I believe it would be wise to use your weapon, Don."
Wordlessly nodding, Don gradually leveled the rifle at the wolf.
"Sorry doggo, but it's either you or me," Don whispered before. . .
*Click*
Bewildered, Don looked at his trigger. Testing it with a few tugs of his finger, Dons face shaped to pure fear.
"Don, why is the mutt still standing?" Impatiently asked Umbra.
"The trigger's loose."
"What do you mean?"
"I-I don't know. It won't fire!" Don stuttered, furiously clicking the trigger.
As if the wolf heard his fear, it let loose a loud howl that was soon joined by others.
"Can't you use your magic or something, Umbra!" Don shouted, pulling back the bolt over and over.
"Do you know how much that will drain me?" Scoffed Umbra.
"Well, it would be pretty useful right now!" Don franticly shouted.
The wolf soon then charged at Don. Seeing this, Don screamed.
"Ah fuck this!" He shouted, throwing the rifle at the wolf.
The wolf only brushed it off and continued to rush him.
"Umbra, please for the love of fuck!"
Umbra was going to speak but was cut off by his scream as the wolf pounced on him. Another, more high-pitched, scream was sounded as the wolf caught Don's left arm between its teeth.
Don wacked the wolf's head in a fruitless attempt to have it let go. Umbra could only stare in shock as the wolf mangled Don's arm.
"Umbra~, please!" Don chocked out.
A loud snap resounded, and Don could only gasp a half-hearted scream. Don mustered a hard kick to the wolf's stomach had it let go of the arm. But it only deterred it for a bit as it went for Don's leg next.
Umbra, lost for words, looked around for anything she could do to help but only found that more wolves emerged out of the thicket of trees.
Another scream had her snap to Don again to find that the wolf was trying to get to his neck, biting and clawing at his upper chest.
Quickly making a plan, Umbra mustered the strength she could and summoned a fireball and shot it at the wolf. The effect was immediate, as the fireball pushed the wolf off of him while also catching it on fire. Yelping frantically, the dog ran wildly. Seeing the other wolves drawing near, Umbra mustered more of her strength to cast a wide fire barrier between her and Don from the wolves.
Gasping, Umbra fell to her knees. Gradually looking over, she found a bloody Don, crying out softly for help.
Shuffling over to him, she grabbed the hem of his jacket and started to drag him back to the building.
Opening and closing the door, Umbra only made it a few steps before slumping down on a nearby wall.
Don was still choking up incoherent words as he continued to sob.
Watching him, Umbra's eyes welled up with tears.
"I lied, Don, I fucking lied. I'm sorry, I am so, so sorry. I was impatient, so stupidly impatient. And now you lay before me bleeding." She sniffed.
Don seemed to pay her no mind as his cries and pleas started to fade into mumbles. His breathing slowed and his eyes started to drop.
Seeing this, Umbra knew she had to act fast. She desperately tried to conjure a quick healing spell but only yelped in pain. Her magic had depleted significantly. It will take at least a day or two before her magic recovered back to its original state.
Ideas raced through her head wildly as she tried to think of something to help, Don. A plan quickly formed in her head and she hurriedly put it into action.
Grabbing his hand, Umbra looked at Don's glossy eyes.
"I-I'm sorry, Don. But I'll make this right. I promise!"
Not waiting for a reaction, her horn glowed and Don was soon enveloped in that glow.
After a few moments, Umbra opened her eyes at Don.
His eyelids were shut but his breathing continued at a slow pace. He was asleep. Seeing this, Umbra let out a breath she didn't know she was keeping in.
But she didn't have much time to work with, so she quickly enacted her plan. Looking at Don's face sorrowfully she muttered another apology.
She doesn't have enough energy for another spell, so she will have to make some.
"I hate to do this to you again, but your wounds need help." That was all she said before invading his mind.
He soon started to jerk every so often and it pained Umbra oh so much. But she had to do this.
Gasping, Umbra looked over Don. He was still wounded, but that only encouraged Umbra to hurry. She scrounged enough magic she collected to provide a simple healing spell. Not a Quick spell as she hoped but she didn't have the time for it nor the heart.
Closing her eyes, Umbra laid her hand upon his chest and started to cast the spell
After a few moments, she gasped and fell back. It had took out more than she thought it would.
Hastily getting up, she looked over Don. His wounds were covered in a gentle glow, signifying it had worked. Seeing this, she sighed in relief.
She soon found her eyes drooping, and looked at Don's side with want.
Using the last bit of her magic, she stripped Don and herself naked, caring not informalities.
Laying on his right side, she used his arm as a makeshift pillow and gingerly wrapped her arms and legs around Don, careful to avoid any wounds.
As she lay, she found that his scent was strangely soothing, and soon found herself slumbering.
Author's Note
Why are you back? Wait, don't tell me you actually like this?
I may of rushed editing a bit, so if anything sticks out, point it out and I'll get around to fixing it.
Anywho, I return now to my little hermit cave to slack off and write.
