Fallout Equestria: A Wastelander Tale

Fallout Equestria: A Wastelander Tale, Chapter Thirty

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I found myself running to nowhere again, vile voices still chasing after me with threats of my violation. But I didn't feel as scared as I had before, now slowing my pace and forcing a chuckle.

The vile things behind me slowed too, and receded and I began laughing loudly. The darkness was banished away, and I found myself in a green warm place that confronted me.

As I came to a stop, one of the vile things caught up to me, it now small and pathetic. Bending down to the diminutive thing, I laughed at it, and it shriveled to nothing but ash. It no longer had power over me, and that felt great.

Finding a nice tree, I trotted to it and sat down, finally relaxing in my own dream. As I dozed off, I then heard a chuckle, it filled with malace.

"You don't scare me." I said and then let out a laugh.

But the chuckle came again, but louder.

Feeling annoyed, I dismissed it with a, "Whatever."

"Not every gooly can be giggled away." A voice spoke in my ear, it was dark and filled with wrongness.

Opening my eyes I was once again in darkness, but this time it was suffocating and oppressive.

"But an axe to the head does the trick." The voice spoke, and then a body flopped into view, its head missing. It was the mare I killed with Rime Frost, frost still clinging to her. The body twitched and began to stand up.

"So much more simple when they're dead don't you think?" The voice came from the headless mare, a black acrid smoke seeping from her neck.

Light came, and I was in the corps room, where we threw the smugglers and mercenaries. "Look, no longer can they hurt others, or hurt you." The voice came from the pile of the dead.

Something grabbed my leg, and looking down, I saw a raider. Not just any raider, but a corps dancer, the one who hurt Chilly, and almost got me. His teeth were jagged, and black, the same acrid smoke seeping from the bullet holes in him. "Oh the fun we could have had if only you had not gotten me first." He said, black drool seeping from his mouth.

Kicking him off me, I tried to find a way out, but there was no door to be found

"Why run, you know it's true. All this could have been avoided if you had buried your axe deeper, or held onto a gun. Maybe if you had more power, more strength, then you would have won." The voice spoke as I looked back. The pile of corpses leaking the black smoke and fluid, all gathering into one spot above them, forming a creature.

Something like a pony, but not a pony formed on the corpse pile, it was both beautiful and horrifyingly disgusting at the same time.

"wh…what are you?" My voice quivered as I asked.

It took a step towards me. "I am power, I am strength. I offer those with the will to survive what they desire. I bring about the trials which all must face to become more than just a pony." The thing was now face to face with me, smelling of death and decay. "I offer this to you, the power to overcome, the power to destroy. All you must do is accept me."

"And if I refuse?" I asked as my legs shook, threatening to buckle from under me.

"There is no refusal, be it willing or not, all accept me in the end." It, she, was now muzzle to muzzle to me.

So I asked one more question, my heart pounding with fear. "And you are?"

She smiled, showing only more blackness. "I am Strife!" I then felt myself be grabbed, and pinned to the wall. It was the corpses, they all looked at me as they held up, smiling all with black teeth. "A trial you must endure to understand, another trial for you to become free, another trial to break you so that you can be reborn. Strife unending, strife all consuming, for in the end there can only be strife."

Everything then vanished, and I was again in the darkness being embraced by Strife, she stroking my mane. "Embrace me, love me, and I will empower you to survive it all, never ending, never dying."

Strife 5hen backed off as a blue spark appeared between us, and the form of Will-o-Wisp flickered to life. It angrily bounced around as though warding Strife off

"Such a useless hope, defiant even though long since dead." Strife said with a smirk. "But I don't hate the struggle, so keep on struggling, hating, and suffering. All that makes you stronger, makes me stronger."

The room then began to fill with blood, it quickly rising. So I began my search for a door again, yet still nothing. "Fuck, why! Wisp, is there a way out?"

The blue flame bobbed side to side, telling me no. With the blood reaching past my shoulders, I tried to climb on the bodies for height, only for them to crumble under me like goo. Falling, I then could taste it, vile of rot and iron, making me gag.

But there was no time for disgust, as the blood reached over my head, cutting off my ability to breath. Everything was going dark, and I could not stop it.

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Jolting up in a cold sweat, I took a moment to catch my breath and collect myself. The Celestia damned nightmare had changed, and it was more terrifying than before.

I then winced in pain from my hangover, having had too much whisky last night. Next to me was one of the merchants, and on the other side was another merchant. Both having a satisfied smile on their face. Shrugging, I got out of bed to wash myself off again. That being a bucket of water and a rag, but I was glad that there was even that.

Meeting up with Molo, she yawned widely before digging into some two hundred year old preserved carrots. Feeling curious, I had to ask her. "Did you fuck Cauterize?"

She chuckled. "No, not tonight. He believes that his bitched will somehow know or find out. But I managed to get a Talon while he was on brake. Been wanting to do one of them since I saw you with Horus. And fuck their good at fucking."

I grabbed some other preserved food to eat. "True that. Better than what I had from what I can remember. I seriously need to stop drunk fucking."

"Ya, that's how you get pregnant real fast. Seriously, if that Grizzly bitch didn't sell those pills, you and about all the mares in this region would be pregnant." she said with a chuckle, then added. "To bad those pills make ya feel, ya know, mehhh

I shivered at the thought. "That is… very true."

Molo then looked at me with concern in her eyes, "you alright, Lottery? You look more shaken up than normal."

"No, I'm fine. Just another nightmare." I told her.

"The one where you get raped?" She asked softly.

I breathed out through my teeth as I remember it, the feeling of it too real to forget. "No… well almost. But this one was different. More… malicious. But I'll be fine, it is just a nightmare after all. Even if I can feel it all."

Molo pulled me into a hug and patted my shoulder. "Lottery, whatever happens, I'll be here for you. Just think of me next time you're in that nightmare, I'll be sure to rain fire from the sky on them."

That put a smile on my face. "I'll do that."

Returning to the meager food, the other ponies slowly join us, among them two embarrassed looking stallions. I blew them a kiss and gave them a wink just to fluster them some more.

Molo then chuckled. "They're not half bad, and clearly got a solid job. Why don't you try to tie one of them down once this is over."

I shot Molo a dirty look, but upon looking at the stallions again, I couldn't help but consider it. I missed my chance with Horus, so it might be time I rope myself a partner. "Maybe that's not a bad idea. The Doctor told me I should quit drinking, or quit taking birth control. Bad for my liver or something. It would kill two radroaches with one bullet."

"Well you're not wrong. If you're responsible, that is. Seen several retards who could blame their mama's drinking habits on why their so stupid. My mother warned me about that when I first got knocked up, telling me all about how using chems when pregnant makes the foal a retard," She warned me.

"Ya, my ma also told me about something like that during my sexual education." I then visibly cringed. "Never will I ever want to hear my Ma talk about sex again. Gave me nightmares for a month."

"Well some advices if you do get knocked up and don't want it, better to just carry the foal and decide what to do after it's born." Molo said in a somewhat serous tone. "I've seen a few mares try to end a pregnancy, and almost all died before the baby did. Something to do with magic I think, maybe."

A Talon then flew down from the railings above. "Look sharp all you ponies, we got a raider caravan incoming." He then looked at me. "Go get that pegasus friend of yours, he should be near the back reading his script."

Both Molo and I looked at each other and got out of our seats. Quickly trotting to a room in the back, we found Low Pressure in front of a cracked mirror, talking to himself.

"No you listen to me… No you listen to me…" he then sighed, "that too much gruff, maybe a more mocking tone will do."

"Practice is over, show times soon!" Molo spoke loudly, causing Low to jump out of his seat. "And let me break your leg for good luck.

I cocked an eyebrow at Molo. "How's breaking his leg, good luck. It hurts like fuck, and makes everything harder."

Low got back up, brushing some dust off himself. "The saying is Break a Leg. In the theater, it's bad luck to wish a pony good luck. Though the saying is more a pun, because if you get your break, then you become part of the cast. Oh how I miss being in theater."

"Still weird." I said

Molo chuckled. "Of course he was in theater, just the thing a fag would do."

Waving his hoof dismissively at Molo, Low trotted passed her and said. "At least I wasn't whoring myself out to get dick. Now let's get in our costumes, you have a stars performance to see after all.

I glanced at Molo, who just shrugged and said. "Well he's not wrong. What did you do as a teen, Lottery?"

"Farming, just farming." I told my friend, then trotted past her.

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We all stood around waiting, Molo, Cauterize and I dressed up as raiders, where Low was to be a slaver. The plan was simple; get the raiders to take us with them to the main raider camp.

The merchant would pose as the working ponies here, and the Talons were to say hidden, but stay close.

This was the best plan for infiltrating the raiders, as we could easily trot among them if they brought us with them. Plan B was to simply kill them all and just hope the raiders let us in.

Unfortunately this also meant we could not keep our gear, so the three of us had the leather jackets on, with spiked armor over it. I didn't like it, but I also didn't like the Idea of raiders signaling us out. Low on the other hoof got nicer clothes then mine.

It took several minutes to stop gagging when I put on the armor. It smelt like unwashed pony and death, with death being the least offensive of the smells. Fortunately I had found a gas mask, though crude, to help me breath, if only just barely. Along with my rather long pipe rifle, I look the part of a raider sharp shooter, which fortunately meant that other raiders should mess with me less. Hopefully.

Under my new and crude armor I kept the ritual drink and air that the high shaman Rattlebones had given me. As for the bottles of ghoul bile wine, most of it was hidden among the crates we captured. It was Cauterize's suggestion, as raiders tend to hoard what they can, and if a loose bottle is found by a lowly raider, then they are more likely to take it and drink it before any other raider finds out. Some others we kept on us to hoof out, which should help keep the raiders less pissy with us. The rest we held onto in secret compartments, and would be used for drawing the ghouls to them.

Standing behind Molo, I saw several scars on her flank. Though I'd seen it before, I never had asked about them. "If it's not too personal, where did you get those scars… the ones on your butt I mean."

Molo shook her rear playfully at me. "Why are you looking at my ass?" She let out a quick chuckle before getting more serious. "Rivle raiders caught me. Got beaten, raped, and cut up before letting me go for my crew to find me. If you don't get a healing potion in time, then scars will form."

"Oh… sorry for bringing that up." I apologized.

She then rolled her eyes. "It's fine. These things are expected when you become a raider. Anyways, I was lucky that they only wanted to send a message. Now if they had a vendetta against my crew, then it can get nasty. The raider mares alone have a weird thing for sticking sharp objects up a mares cunt to purposely scar them there. Just so that everypony knows that they were a raider's bitch if they ever show their cunt."

I almost wretched at hearing her description. "Is that why one corps dancer mutilated his dick with spikes?"

Molo paused for a moment and then nodded. "Ya seen that a few times, though mostly with the really crazy raiders, or the ones who get off causing pain. I know the Murder Ballers have a thing for that shit. Anyways, that's why you must listen to me once we're among the raiders. There is going to be at least one raider that wants a piece of us, and nopony will come to your aid if you're seen as weak. Worse, their going to join in if it means free pussy." She then cracked a smile at me. "Well, I'll come for you, but let's not get into that kind of trouble."

"Ya, I agree. In and out as fast as we can. And once the ghouls appear, we find what document we can and run." I reiterated the plan, feeling a bit nervous.

Cauterize then trotted up to me. "If you're worried about the raiders picking a fight. We could just pick some weak raiders and beat the shit out of them. You can even fuck one in front of the other raiders to show your not to be messed with."

"No, I won't be doing that. Ever." I told him.

He shrugged. "Fine by me. But trust me, if you're in a bad spot, it's better to make the first move."

One of the dressed up merchants then whistled. "Places everypony, they're here!"

Taking center stage was a well dressed Low Pressure, his dirty and slightly burnt suit hid his wings well and his resting bitch face looked convincing.

When the doors opened, I heard an odd putting sound as a covered wagon rolled in without anything pulling it. At the front was a hooded pony holding a wheal, and at the back was two heavily armed ponies. Seeing them all made my heart thump with rage. Fortunately I hadn't seen these ponies before, but I recognized their outfits.

The pony in the front was clearly one of Angles followers. The two in the back were Grinders. It wasn't the same ponies, but the memory of Grinder's lackeys using me as a plaything had forced its way up in my memory. But I held it in and did nothing.

"Whose this? And what with all the blood" The priest asked as his eyes fell onto Low.

Low Pressure let out a long sigh, making a point to look annoyed by the question. "Well if all the new bullet holes don't tip you off, then I'm in great doubt of your intelligence. But just to save you from having to guess, I'll tell you. We got fucking attacked, that's what happened. Lost around half of us before those raiders ran off. The rest of us not here are trying to hunt them down."

The priest scratched his chin. "And where's Hook blade?"

"Who the fuck, I don't know, probably dead. Hay, don't go thinking I knew shit about the ponies here, I only showed up two days ago with these three chucklfucks." Low then dismissively motioned at Molo, Cauterize, and I. "Words down the mutefruit vine is that shits going down and I want in. I ain't staying near the braminshit going on around Fillydelphia."

"So more have come to join the cause, right. And your three friends?" The priest asked.

Molo let out a guttural laugh. "We ain't no friends, ya dig. We are… were, the Corpse Dancers."

This got the priest to raise an eyebrow. "And how are you alive?"

Molo then spat on the ground. "Grit and pure fucking badassery. We cut through those fucking tin cans with nothing but our teeth!"

"We were in our hidden chem stash room getting high." I spoke up to add to the con. "When we finally came down, everything had been blown to fuck, and the crew was gone."

"Then we got high again because fuck em!" Cauterize added.

Low then cleared his throat, bringing attention to himself. "As you can tell, my company is less than desirable. So even if I cannot join whatever is happening, I'd like to replace my guard for ones that smell less of chems and piss."

The priest narrowed his eyes for a moment and then sighed. "And the supply's I'm to pick up?"

"All there. Well most of it." Low said with a smirk. "Never trust a raider to not have sticky hooves. But I can trust that what I bring with me will… cover the cost for both materials lost and transportation."

He then clapped at us obnoxiously, and we groaned with annoyances. We then trotted over to a crate and dragged it over for Low to show it off.

"Feast your eyes!" Opening it, there were bottles and bottles of booze. "I managed to cart myself out a crate of bonafide Battle Booze." I then reached out to sneak one myself, but got my hoof smacked by Low. "As you can see, If I don't make use of this, these morons will find a way to drink it all."

The unicorn priest trotted over and levitated a bottle, then passed it over to one of his guards. "Is it the real deal?"

The earth pony guard took the bottle and uncorked it with his teeth, then sniffed. "Ya, that shit is real. I can smell the mentatas and buck mixed into the lunashine." He then corked it and passed it back to the priest.

Returning his attention back to us, the priest then smiled. "Well in our time of need, the Goddess always seeks to help those who recognize her great and powerful soul. With great and powerful gifts. Now let's all come together in prayer. "

The four of us then stood around dumbfounded as the priest and his guards kneeled down and held their hooves together. They then all spoke in unison, "we honor this gift to the glory of the Goddess, for through her we ponies may find enlightenment and be transformed into our true forms. Though she is no longer among us physically, she trots with us in spirit. And once she finds us worthy, we too may be transformed into her image."

The priest then got back up, and barked out, "LOAD UP THE WAGGON, THIS PLACE IS NO LONGER SECURE. We move as soon as we can leave." He then turned to Low, a creepy smile on his face. "It's a shame, but this place never was destined to stay in our hooves. As the high priest had foretold. Now come with me, and we can talk about the salvation of pony kind."

Low gave an unsure nodd, and trotted with the priest to the side as ponies got busy moving boxes. As I watched the priest trot off, his robe flittered and gave me a brief glance inside. Where I saw one decrypted and bent wing.

"What a freak." Molo whispered in my ear with a scowl on her face. "But at least we confirmed that the cult of unity is with them."

"Ya… but didn't that feel… you know, too easy?" I quietly asked my friend.

Molo shook her head and whispered. "I get what you're saying, but were just dumb raiders to them. It's not that we're fooling them, more that we're joining in on the bash. Remember, there is still that massive raider camp ahead.

She was right, the only trick we managed to pull was to get them to not shoot us. Thanks to Low's silver tongue, we had our in. But what happens after, I could only pray.

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Back on the road, but this time in a strange motor wagon, I watched as the dry arid desert gave way to a dead mountain range. Bits of green were poking out of everywhere, a small sign of life in this barren land.

We had been moving all day, going faster than a brahmin, but with frequent stops whenever we hit a large rock.

The wagon then stopped as one of the guards signed for the wagon to back up. A clicking sound came from the guard, it coming from a strange device he held.

The priest clicked his tongue. "Damn radstorms. Should pass in the morning, so let's set up camp here."

I looked up to the sky, seeing it turn a shade of green in the distance. My Pa had warned me about them, but I had never seen it myself. Deadly to get caught in, and the leading cause of ghoulification among wastelanders. The green glow was like ripples in the sky, almost beautiful.

Fortunately it was far in the distance, and not heading our way. So we were safe to camp out here.

Getting out of the wagon, I got Molo's attention, and told her. "I'm going to get some meat."

She smiled back. "Don't take too long, mountain passes are dangerous with monsters."

"I know, but I'll be sure to stay alert." I told her before moving out.

After getting some distance from the camp, I removed the suffocating gas mask and took a deep breath. Which I then gagged. I still smell like an overly ripe boot with a rotting carcass inside.

Feeling the wind, I then moved against it, as only the dumbest of animals would stick around after smelling me. Unfortunately this part of the wasteland was only plentiful with small roadents, all of which were two jittery to get a shot on them.

As I searched, I did get a break in the form of paw prints. Coyotes most likely. Several lived nearby back home, which was the main reason Pa built walls. Though one time a coyote managed to climb our wall, stand on its hind legs and proceeded to scream at us until Pa got his gun. Since then every now and then he'd come home with one he hunted, and the meat got put in the pot.

Looking through the scope of my pipe rifle, the crude lense had the crosshair simply painted on with a smile, which rubbed me the wrong way. But as I looked past that and over the horizon, which I saw nothing promising. Just more rodents.

I did manage to locate an animal trail, the narrow path almost a trench from likely over a hundred years of use. In it were even more coyote tracks, this likely being their main trail. Trotting along, there was a brake in the dead trees and a clearing.

Strangely, right in the middle of this clearing was a pristine flight of stairs, as though some pony had made them within the last week. It was just not right, wrong even, but I was strangely drawn to it. Up closer, I could see that the steps were actually covered in a carpet and the rails were a polished, yet plain wood. It really looked like somepony had planned to build a house here, but only focused on the stairs.

Both curious and needing a good vantage point, I moved to climb the strange stairs. But before I could take the first step, Will-o-Wisp appeared, moving about in a frantic manner. It was as though telling me to not climb, and desperately.

Taking heed, I took a step back, only now fully realizing how wrong this was. There was no sound, not even the wind, as though the wasteland was holding her breath. Then I remember that the Equestria Wasteland was full of insane magics that do strange and cruel things. The streak in my mane was one example of that.

So I decided that not climbing the freaky ass stairs was probably a good idea.

The sound then returns as though simply turned on. Along with the usual ambiance, my ears twitched at the sound of yipping in the distance. The coyotes were close.

"Oy, raider!" Spoke a gruff stallion. Turning I saw one of the guards. He looked at me and whistled with delight. "Now ain't this rare, a raider with a cute face."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Go suck your own dick, I'm hunting right now."

The burly stallion trotted up to me, which caused me to clench my jaw and glare. "Now I didn't have that in mind, but arrangements can be made." He then looked at me, and a bit lower, where a smile formed on his face. I then noticed my back leg was shaking, and I couldn't control it with a pony dressed like that so close to me. "How about it? You get your fix, and I get my way with you."

I watched as the guard pulled out a canister of dash. Then I realized he thought I was in chem withdraw. It was so stupid that it put a smile on my face as my body trembled. "Like I said, go suck your own dick."

He then scowled at me. "So gose playing nice. I'll just take it after I get you to answered a few questions… or during. My cock is rather fat. Bitched like you beg for me to violate them."

My amusement turned to hate as I readied my rifle at him. "Ask your fucked up questions and fuck off" I then lowered the barrel of my rifle. "Or I'll be taking that fat cock with me, and without you."

The guard huffed. "Of cores I get the prude raider. Now tell me, are you really Corpse Dancers, you three don't have that necrophiliac feel to you."

Grate, this piece of shit was smarter than he first appeared. Time to sell the crude and dumb raider. I then looked back at the stairs, and an idea formed in my head. "Fuck if you care, not like it matter's. Boss dead, the crew dead, and I didn't get my turn with the pegasus we captured. And now I got some asshole thinking I'm a whore."

Of which I had been not all that long ago.

"Ya ya, you a tough raider. And your right, I don't give a fuck if your a Corpse Dancer or not." The guard said with a smile as he lightly shook the dash canister. I made a point of following it with my eyes, playing up the chem addict role. "So how did you fucker come to know about what we're up to?"

"Word gets fucking around." I then looked at the stairs and smiled. "But if you want to really know, I'll tell you, but all you need to do is climb up those stairs. Now about that Dash?."

"The dash for a fuck!" The guard said sternly.

I paused for a moment, fully knowing he was too close to fight. So I needed to plan this out and shoot him in the back. "I'll suck cock for the Dash."

"No, a fuck, and I'll throw in some interesting a bitch like you might want to know." He bargained.

"That is?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

He smiled. "Only after I make you my bitch!"

I rolled my eyes. "Ain't worth the cock worts."

The guard let out a long huff. "Fuck it, fine. Miss prancy butch Onyx has an arena for testing raider fucks like you, but if you want to get the good deal, the raiders have their own shit. And the big shot raider bosses loves to throw new focus and slave into their arena to test them. Though generally it's a bloodbath."

My ear twitched. "Slaves? And an arena?"

His belt unbuckled. "Ain't saying nothing more unless I get mine!"

This fucking bastard… but we were in need of information. "Alright, but if your lieing to me as some fucked up joke."

The guard laughed. "Ain't no joke or lie bitch. Good caps can be made if you know the shit I know."

It disgusted me to think I was doing this as he disrobed, but when I saw that he was not lying at all about his girth. This might actually be fun.

As predictable, the fucker was rather unwashed, and with how long we had been out here in the wasteland, an annoyingly familiar salty taste was left in my mouth from the fourplay. Last I needed was to be bleeding from him going dry, and with his size, I had no doubt he would have torn something in me.

Turning around to present my cunt, I was hoping he would go slow, at first. what happened was that he pushed my head down into the dirt, and shoved his fat cock into me. before I could complain, I belt was looped over my head and into my mouth, giving something to hold onto as he aggressively began to fuck me.

"Ya, take me bitch! Mone like the whore you are!" He growled as he slapped my flank hard over and over again.

I'd have turned around and slapped myself if not for him riding me like a baramin, it had been a wile since the last time I was on the sub end of a fucking, and I still didn't like it. But unfortunately this fucker had too much energy, and was fucking strong, so all I could do was to move my hip to take him in.

The sound of wet slapping and moaning when on for minutes, and I didn't need to fake any of it.

When he was finally done, I was left on the floor panting, my ass in pain.

The guard then whistled. "Well that was good, most bitched are just dead fishes. Well except for the one bitch the Brain Nails dragged in, I think she actually liked to be knocked around."

"Ya, whatever. About that shit you know?" I asked.

He tossed me the dash, taking a second one out before inhaling it, then sat down and pointed at his dick. It was annoying, but I got the message and began giving him a blow job "Oh that hits the spot. Oh, ya, shit you're going to want to know. Well first off, never bet one the most capable pony in the raider arena, there's a whole jump or die shit with an electric cage. The last jump, all of them are traps, like bam, you get penetrated in the bad way, whoever is second just needs to jump onto the corpse to get across."

The guard took another puff. "Oh and avoid the cooks, they're all cannibals. Also the smiles have a run on the place, so do not piss them off, or get friendly with them. Also… oh right, if you want to fuck for free, well fuck for free with a pony that's not a raider, go to the slave pens at night. The fucking raiders, if they don't take a slave with them, keep them all in one spot, and with guards who don't give a fuck. Just find a nice one and take them."

The disgusting stallion finished up and I swallowed it all. Finally he seemed satisfied as he got up and started putting his armor back on. "And that's mostly it, well other then avoid the Murder Ballers, they've been extra rapey lately. Something to do with the Baelfire Friends hanging around their boss, Spine Breaker.

He then took my rifle before I could stop him. "I'll hold onto this. Don't want you shooting me in the back, and I'll need some leverage to fuck that ass again."

"Might shove that rifle up your ass if you're not careful." I growled at the fucker.

He just laughed at me as he took the first step up the strange stairs. "Now that's an idea, for me to do to you."

Everything became quiet again, not a bug or rodent making noise, not even the wind. "Weird." The stallion said as he climbed up. The further up he went, the more muffled his words became, until he too was silent. Then he finally got to the top and froze. There was a look of surprise on his face and a genuine smile.

Then the stallion stepped forward and fell. With a slam, he got a face full of dirt, but didn't loom bothered. Actually he seemed happy, waving at me.

I was confused, but as the sound slowly returned, I could hear him calling out to me. "It's so beautiful here, you have to see it, it's so beautiful!"

My ears twitched as loud yipping came from behind me, and got louder. Turning around, the coyotes were rapidly approaching… and they had snakeheads?

I grabbed Mire Frost from thin air and aimed. As the first snake coyote lunged at me I fired, blasting off its head.

Seven more of these monsters ran past me and surrounded the guard, who seemed oblivious to the danger. Actually he bent down to pet one, and got his hoof bit. But he didn't respond.

As he got surrounded, the monsters began nipping at him, ripping off fur and then flesh. All the guard did was laugh happily as he was being eaten alive, blood now oozing from the many bite marks all over him.

Even more monsters joined in, seemingly from thin air, mobbing the guard. One rather large snake coyote looked at me and let out a loud yip and hissed. I somehow understood. They get their meat, and I get mine. Turning away I grabbed the monster I killed, and trotted off.

All sound was drowned out by the yipping, hissing, and even stranger, the rattling of tails.

I didn't waste time making my way back to camp, putting on my gas mask and throwing the carcass near the fire for the others to see.

Cauterize whistled in surprise. "You bagged a nightstalker, nice."

I looked at the mutilated beast. "So that's what they're called."

The others then gathered around to look at my kill. Then the priest looked at me, eyebrows raised. "And the guard sent out with you?"

I glared at him. "You mean sent out to fuck me. Well he is currently getting ganged raped by those snake headed coyotes. Fucker stole my gun too."

A long sigh came from the priest. "I'll have to let the others know about this. Nightstalkers will make things more... difficult."

I looked at Molo, and she smiled back at me as she pulled out a knife and passed it to me. "Well we got meat, and that's all I care about." She then stopped to sniff me and then laughed. "Seriously, you weren't joking about that. Was it at least good?"

"Not the best, but better than most." I told her and we laughed before turning to butcher the nightstalker.

With the fire crackling, and a green storm passing in the distance, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread hanging over me. Then again, we were heading into a raiders nest.

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