Eyes narrowed, breathing slow and silent. My claws gripped with anticipation as I clung to the tree bark, high to the leaves. Waiting patiently.
For only being in this world for two months, I loved it already. Feeling like a predator hunting for prey, I had the fangs of a bat with griffon claws to tear and dig into flesh, all while being a full changeling.
Having a tough and durable exoskeleton was probably the best kind of safety net I could ask for, well, that and the growing amalgamation of parts of my body. Sure, it sounds wrong, but god, does it feel so right. My ears held steady as I took hold of the sound of rustled bushes. Large steps shook the dirt.
Opening my mouth, I let my tongue lick the row of teeth, ready to take a bite. My eyes turn into slits, my palms hunger in anticipation.
The closer the large footsteps came the harder it was to hold in my excitement at what I knew was going to be my target. The final step it took to the light let its orange fur shine and bask in the sunlight. Paws like a lion, wings like a bat with the wing span being as big as a tree. The beast had a stinger of a scorpion as long as five meters. And its face was surrounded by a fiery red lion's mane.
The biggest beast in the forest.
Mother demanded I kill it as my challenger before we move again. But honestly? I was going to kill it anyway.
As it took a sip upon the crystal clear lake I flung myself off the bark and roared as I dove to its left side. It swung its tail at me to slap me towards the tree, the force took the wind out of my lungs.
My back hit the tree with a mighty crack. My exoskeleton was fine but the tree was starting to lead towards me. Gasping for air I tried to get myself back up. As the tree started to give way to the crack it began the descent to fall. Lifting my right claw, I caught the log before it could fall on my head.
That garnered the attention of the beast, lifting its head and swerving to me, leaving its thirst.
Anger boiled up, my talons digging into the wood I lifted my other arm and launched the tree at the manticore.
Acting quickly it used its tail again to launch it away, towards the forest.
I smiled wickedly, tucking my arms to my sides whilst I closed my hands into fists, I bounced them up and down in exuberance before spreading them out with a smile. "Finally," I punched the air in front of me with my right hand while pulling back my left one. "some real excitement!"
The manticore bored its eyes at me before roaring. Laughing I ran headfirst with unbridled lust for blood. It raised its paws to reveal claws of its own. Using its right one to swing to the left I laughed as I jumped forward over the paw. "This was too easy!" I closed my eyes as I yelled out, twisting my body mid-air for the hell of it. Once I opened my eyes again, I felt the air brush against my neck; looking up, I saw his left paw as it came crashing down on me.
The impact was swift and powerful.
Planting me to the ground with such ease, the pain rippled along my body; when it lifted its paw, I tried to get back up, but it just swung it back down to the ground. Pain rattled inside me; once it brought it up again, I groaned in pain.
Instead of swinging his left paw down on me again it just swiped me with its right paw away from the forest.
I could feel the air graze my body for a few seconds. It was kind of nice before the air ripped away from me as I was dunked and buried into coldness.
The freezing water brought me awake, and letting out a yelp without thinking I took in water. I closed my mouth but the water was too much. I tried to swim up but the current was much stronger than I thought. It pushed me further ahead making me spin in circles in the water. I tried to stabilize myself somehow, using my arms and legs, but they didn't help; if anything, they made it harder to stop.
Swinging my arm to the right my talons dug into the dirt wall. Gripping into the soil I was able to finally right myself. Lungs screaming for air I desperately clawed back up to the surface with one stab after another that dug into the earth.
Ripping myself away from the current, I was able to lift my waist out of the water, just clutching at the dirt. Finally, I was able to cough out the water before taking large gulps of air. Moving out fully out of the water I could finally take a moment to my dying lungs. Alternating between coughs and inhales I looked around for the manticore, finding it was walking back to the forest. Finding my respite I growled in resentment.
That BEAST was ignoring ME! ME
Lifting myself back up I walked on my two hindlegs with both my arms hanging in the air.
Does he think he has the right to leave alive?
Clenching my teeth and hands I could feel the anger boil.
I roared at it as it was halfway through the bushes, it paused for a moment before walking back to turn its head to me.
My dark green hair was matted to my forehead with my horn, I growled at it.
It turned its body to meet me, slowly walking towards me with the gaze to meet a real predator.
It's going to learn who's at the top of the food chain. I met its eyes as it was only a few meters away from me. Moments to seconds passed as we analyzed each other.
It swung its right paw at a fast speed; taking a step back, I dodged it as if it were mere millimeters in front of my face. Taking both my hands I gripped its palm and swung it to my right into the river with me. Sound and sight swished with the motion.
Startled, the manticore flails wildly, water thrashing as it tries to reach the surface. But I launch forward with my legs to push me towards the freak of nature.
I push both my hands in front of me to hold onto its neck. I hold hard and it locks eyes with me before it tries to twist around. I hold onto my grip with tighter force but my back takes the brunt of the thrashing, hitting against rocks, fish, and clumped-up dirt. The pain started to build up and make me wince but my anger drove harder. Keeping hold of the neck I push out all my vengeance into it.
A sharp, piercing pain hits me as I yell out; rushing water fills my lungs before I can turn to see the object. My hands loosen their grip. Before I could take my bearings, me and the beast were pushed out of the water and rushed down with gravity. Coughing out the water I took a glimpse of the ground to see a pool. The manticore spreads out its wings and flaps to rotate us both. He gets to be on top of me, and before I can do anything, he flaps his wings forward as we barely avoid the splash. Giving a mighty flap I felt another piercing pain hit me again. Yelling in pain I saw him getting farther and farther away from me.
My back kept getting large scrapes, and hard object hits began to feel like it was going to leave bruises all while scratchy leaves pelted me before I felt the worst of it in one fell swoop. It was like crashing into a wall.
Groaning, my back ached horribly as the pain kept hitting back and forth around my body.
Turning my body to have my belly on the ground, I gripped my talons into the ground, trying to force myself to get back up by strength. Barely above an inch from the ground, I heard loud flaps descending from the sky.
"Heh," my ribs hurt.
Looking up I found the manticore smiling.
I stared at the beast as I tried to regain my footing. Dragging my back hooves, I was able to get them on the ground as I was on four legs, just like the beast.
But we are not the same.
Panting I stood up on my hind legs again. The manticore narrowed its eyes at me.
Laughing I lifted my head with a big smile as blood poured from my forehead. Wiping it away from my left eye I pulled out my right hand and gave a thumbs up.
The manticore looked at me quizzically, I flipped it upside down in one fluid motion before sticking my tongue out to blow raspberry.
The manticore growled.
I laughed with my mouth open.
"Round Two, Asshole."
Running down at him the tail whips out and tries to swipe me from underneath. Jumping over it he pulls out his right paw with claws and comes down fast. Working on instinct I spread out my buzzard wings to find them be his bat wings. The small confusion wastes a few moments before I see his swing about to connect; giving a large flap, I'm pulled away. Before I can come up with anything else, I hit the ground back first.
Pain resurfacing from before I grit my teeth and focus on the real pain at hand. Out of all the animals I've killed they were just toys compared to this guy. Running ahead again, I jump before he can react, and as he brings up a paw, I dive down, dodging any kind of attack. Twisting my body, my back skids against the dirt, and as it stops, I open my right palm with talons out and push it up to cut into the manticore's stomach.
It howls in pain; I dig into its belly and find the ribcage containing all its squishy little parts, I push harder against the bone until it cracks. Plunging my arm to grab a handful of its insides, I drag it back. Opening up its giant wound rips into its body. Blood and intestines gushes and spills onto my face as I smile in satisfaction. The manticore lifts a paw and tries to cover the wound as it pulls out its stinger. Pushing forward, it turns to try to stab me forward; I turn to the right to dodge its stinger; as it pulls back, I grip the stinger with both hands and run towards the beast I plunge the tip into its gut. It roars out a deafening sound. Its stinger goes limp as it tries to walk to me in small steps. Stumbling a few meters before dropping dead and leaning forward before dropping on top of me. Blood spilling onto my body I can barely lift the heavy body. Grunting I lazily pushed him to the left side with much discomfort.
Heaving I smiled to myself. "I'm," panting, I try to speak in between breaths. "now the apex." Laughing between pants I felt my muscles become extremely weak.
"While nearly getting yourself killed."
I turn my head back to see Mother upside down. Her black chitin with dark green hair and emerald eyes. "But! I killed him. And that's what matters." I tried to lift my right arm but I wasn't able to get it up.
"Yes, and it nearly ended with a stalemate; manticore's stingers hold one of the most powerful poisons. You're getting to the brink of death."
Oh, so that's why I wasn't able to just shrug off the attacks.
I could only give half a chuckle. "The more you learn, right?" Breathing was getting a little harder to do.
"Yes, well, since it's dead, we can use its poison.
Okay, breathing was now becoming a lot harder to deal with. "Ah, I think I'm gonna need an antidote."
"Your body will acclimate to it, but it'll be very painful, consider it a learning experience. Right?"
"Ah, I see what you-" Oh God it's hurting
"Just rest for now, Breno."
"Right." Oooo it's like my insides are on fire.
I tried to breathe through my nose.
Hearing squelching I could only assume Mother was working on using the meat as food.
"Breno, I know you fought hard to kill this prey but please, don't take such unnecessary risks. I was watching the whole time and constantly just running at him was not the greatest tactic.
I couldn't take the action to speak, my body was becoming paralyzed.
Silence held strong and thick in the air.
"I want you to know that I don't WANT to put you in this much danger or push you so much. I need you to understand it's not about you. It's about the kingdom, and how they are relying on you to bring them back the power. Once I show them what power we have again, they won't have to pretend to go along with that idiotic 'Starlight'." I didn't have to see Mother's face to know she was scowling again.
Sighing she continued. "What I'm trying to say is, that the kingdom needs a true leader to be able to make the sacrifices needed to have our kingdom thrive once more. That means that with those sacrifices you and I will be paying their dues. This will be one of many near-death experiences. That's why I bred you to the the perfect soldier, to overcome anything."
Footsteps came up while my head was facing the sky. Her face popped up from outside of my view with a more softer look. "I know they will be tough, and I know I ask much of you, but you are my only heir now. My only ling to not betray your queen. You are-" She looks away with her mouth moving and fidgeting in an internal struggle.
"You are- a valuable asset to the kingdom. I do not permit you to die until you are given a glorious death that befits you."
Standing on my two hind legs I twisted my torso to let my body stretch out the laziness.
Leaning my head to the left I pushed my chin up right. A satisfying 'pop' came. Doing the same symmetrically to my left I rotated my head around. My body yearning for more I spread out my arms from end to end. With a big yawn, I was able to feel more comfortable altogether.
A familiar voice rang out behind me. "You're awake, good." Turning my body to face the voice I smiled.
"I finally have all that ve-" My mouth widened and my biological system overran any commands. Yawning as I closed my eyes, it took a second, but it began to close again for me to finish my sentence. "Nom out of my system slept like a baby."
"Good because we'll be hiking again." Her horn glowed, an object blurred as I opened my mouth to ask where. Hitting my gut I grabbed it before it fell to the ground. My talons held the sides of the book, and using my right hand, I felt the spine; caressing its texture, I lifted my thumbs on top to feel the cover.
"We'll be getting out of the Everfree forest and head to manehatten. There will be lots of ponies there and since you can't maintain a whole form, you will need the book to study."
I frowned changelings are supposed to be able to do shape-shifting of ponies. Kinda like an Enchanted Moura. Originally I did think Mother was one, but there wasn't any treasure to share or lure.
"Yes, Mother." I looked down at the cover of the book with bolded words. "Beginners Course To Understanding Changelings" Mother was more than angry to 'be forced to reduce herself to steal a book of her own culture as if she was a tourist.' She swore she'd have payback later. But for now, she said it would be of great use to me.
And yet...
All I could control was the transformation of limbs, and for some reason, I could never get the hang of it just by reading or looking at the pictures from the book.
"Don't take it personally, you are a special case."
Looking up from the book I met her eyes.
"You were born to be a leader, a King. You have the fighting spirit to be one, we just need to practice your skills."
Lightly pressing against the book with my thumbs I nodded with a small smile. "I will make you proud, Mother."
She smiled back, "I know you will, I made you to be better than any ling there ever was or will be." Her chest puffed with pride. "Now, let's make those ponies pay."
I gripped the sides of the book eagerly. The first REAL chapter of my new life was about to begin.
Lugging around a sack was easy; sometimes, I forget about it being over my shoulder until it shingles.
"So, what did we even need from the town earlier? You said the ever-free was an unnatural forest."
Mother responded whilst keeping up her momentum. "I required the hairs of certain individuals who helped curve our first invasion."
Humming with thought I let my lips flow freely. "You mean the element wielders right?"
She kept her walking steady."Yes," I could hear she was speaking through gritted teeth. "and with their generous samples, I should be able to concoct clones of them with the same lab materials I had used to make you. And thanks to her little 'friend' we'll be using a very stronger dose of what you experienced on them."
"Makes sense I guess, but you told me that lab equipment burst in flames and got destroyed after you got my egg out."
"Which is precisely why we're heading for Manehatten, I'll be able to scavenge the local laboratories and hospitals to find the equipment needed to make the incubators again. We'll have to make various stops after we raid this city but the plan is simple."
"Mhm"
"Speaking of which I need to discuss something with you."
"What is it?"
"Killing animals has been required to sustain you, but the killing was only for survival. That will not be the same case for any sentient creatures we come across. We do not kill."
"But why?"
"I need to feed off the ponies' emotions instead of feasting on their carcasses, it is a complete waste to kill off others. We will ALWAYS take prisoners. We are not so barbaric as to waste lives."
Something wrestled in me for that notion. Killing was pretty fun, going for bigger fish like ponies was tempting.
I really wanted to know how it would feel to kill a pony.
"Right..." albeit with some reluctance, I swallowed the temptations that lingered about the thirst.
Author's Note
This guy is meant to be written up like a pyscho wanting to live his fantasy fulfillment to the fullest.
Hope that's been conveyed well enough, I got plans for this one.
And I've been starving to do action and this story is going to be my outlet.
