A True Person

Early morning enveloped the forest with its mysterious atmosphere. The sun's rays penetrated through the dense foliage, creating a play of light and shadow on the ground. The air was saturated with the smell of damp earth and blooming flowers, and the singing of birds provided a melodious backdrop to the natural symphony of nature.

Among the thick bushes, hidden from view, sat a lone man. In his hands lay a rib, already dried and processed, ready for the next stage. After carefully inspecting its surface, he nodded - everything was in order. All that remained was to carve the runes and dye them with his own blood mixed with some ingredients.

Opening the griffin's book, the man placed it in front of him and began to carefully carve the runes into the surface of the rib. Each movement required extreme caution, for even the slightest mistake could lead to irreversible consequences. If he made a serious mistake, he would have to tear out another rib and start all over again.

Of course, all these manipulations could be done at the table or at least in a cozy cave, but he specifically chose this hidden corner of the forest.

During his search for ingredients and food, he had come across several snares and traps that had piqued his curiosity.Now he sat there, some distance away from the traps, while Saada flew around, exploring the surrounding area.

Not to waste any time, he continued to carve runes into the rib.

Hours of painstaking work flew by, and finally all the runes were ready. He didn't make a single mistake, remembering the painful procedure he had to go through and not wanting to repeat it again.

Kneading his fingers and back, the man looked around. There was nothing else to do.

"If no one shows up before noon, I'll go prepare the dye for the runes," Alexei thought, stretching lazily.

Taking the gryphon's book, he opened it to the page with the drawing of the first spell and began scrutinizing each line, testing his memory.

It turned out that magic was far from as simple as it was described in fantasy novels. To successfully use a spell, one had to meet three basic aspects: formula, comprehension, and energy. The formula was the same circle from the book, filled with symbols and lines.

Saada had explained to him that there was no universal standard for all magical formulas. Each race - ponies, zebras, griffins, minotaurs, and many others - had their own unique magical school and method of writing formulas.

A formula could look like a mathematical equation or like a multitude of abstract shapes intertwined with each other.
But they all reflected the same laws of magic, though they had different ways of recording them. Saada assured her that it was enough to learn one method to have a superficial understanding of the others.

Unicorns and alicorns are, of course, the primary spellcasters. Their horn, directly connected to their brains, serves as a focal point for utilizing any magic with formulas. They can wield absolutely any element or type of magic.

For the other races, this was an unattainable level and they had to limit themselves to their innate talent for a particular element or type of magic. They could use their magic intuitively without the need for formulas, but it still required training and practice.

However, there are a few types of magic whose formulas are available for all races to use. Blood magic is one of them.

Thanks to the gryphon's book, Alexei had a detailed description of the creation process and sources of inspiration for each part of the formula.

Comprehension of the spell meant that you couldn't just memorize the formula and start hurling fireballs. To successfully use a spell, one had to fully understand its essence and the processes that took place within.

For example, if he wanted to use a fire spell, he had to have at least a basic understanding of what fire was and how it functioned. He also had to understand the method of recording the formula he was using.

The deeper the comprehension, the less chance of failure and the easier it was to use the spell.

Failing a spell was not some kind of joke. A backlash could kill the caster, seriously injure them, rob them of their mind, or, sometimes, anything at all could happen. Within the energy put into the formula, of course.

The path of magic was covered with the corpses of negligent spellcasters.

As far as energy was concerned, it was simple. Activating a spell required mental energy and magical energy as fuel.

To use a spell, the mage had to recreate the formula in his mind and then infuse it with energy. Most spells required only magical energy, but some required certain ingredients or even sacrifices, as in the case of the masochistic griffin spells. Everything had a price.

Alexei was a diligent and persistent student, but he had already experienced the backlash of a failed spell. His whole body was still sore from the explosion that had literally driven him into the ground.

The first spell he had learned was fairly simple, and Saada had easily shared all the knowledge he needed. However, visualizing the entire formula in his mind with as much precision as required proved to be a challenge.

He could not rely solely on Saada's memory in this matter. He had to perfectly recreate the formula in his mind, then Saada activated it with mental energy. After that, the man had to pull out a fingernail, which, after a rapid flight, exploded with a bright scarlet light.

According to Saada, the explosion matched the upper bar of spells of the same level of unicorns in terms of power. The gryphon had created something truly powerful, albeit problematic to use. It took Alexei seventeen nails to master this spell. Good thing his fingernails grew back quickly under the influence of potions.

He practiced using the spell not only while standing still, but also in combat. He mastered the activation on the second try, but using it in combat was much more difficult. It was difficult to concentrate on the formula in combat, and it required cohesive teamwork with the zebra.

Magic proved to be a difficult and dangerous craft, but Alexei wasn't complaining - he could finally use a few spells, even if only with Saada's help.

Suddenly, he was torn from his book by Saada's signal. Alexei looked out of the bushes, squinted his eyes, and began to wait.

Soon, a bipedal figure covered in fur appeared near the trap.

"A diamond dog?" the man immediately identified it.

Diamond dogs were one of the races that inhabited this world. Their innate magic increased their strength and regeneration, which somewhat paled in comparison to the other races. They often enslaved members of other races, dug deep dens, and loved snacks like magic crystals.

Signaling to Saada, the man drank the potion and with cautious steps he began to sneak up on the dog, who was busy freeing a hare from a snare.

Hearing a noise in the bushes in front of him, the dog picked up the club previously leaning against a tree and perked his ears.

Nothing was happening, but the dog kept his guard up.

Suddenly, the ghost of a zebra slowly floated out of the bush.

"A zebra? Is there a troop of them around here somewhere?" the dog thought, becoming even more wary and sniffing.

However, he didn't detect any suspicious movements or extraneous odors, and calmed down slightly.

"Greetings, brave hunter," the ghost spoke suddenly. "I died in this forest, but in my lifetime I left a cache full of crystals. I have no more need of them. If you help me get rid of my obsession, I'll give it all to you."

"Go on," the dog said, licking his lips.

"In my lifetime, I was a dancer that delighted the audience with graceful movements and curvy shapes," the zebra continued. "I died without ever performing the most important dance of my life.

"I regret it.

"If only you could give me one last dance... I'd give you everything I've accumulated in my life."

"A dance I can do," the diamond dog replied, intrigued by the offer. "How would you..."

The next moment, something grabbed him from behind, pinning both of his paws to his torso, and the limb clasped his neck tightly in a lock.

Diamond dog began to struggle wildly, trying to break free of the grip, but the grip on him seemed like steel. He scratched furiously with his claws and tried to twist around to bite, but he was held tightly.

After a while his mind began to cloud over and he lost consciousness.

"Obsession, huh?" the man muttered thoughtfully, pulling the rope out of his pocket. "You haven't told me yet how ghosts even appear."

"What is a ghost anyway? Can anyone become one?" the man began to barrage the zebra with questions. "You call yourself a ghost, but other zebras call you spirits? What's the difference?"

"Zebras call all non-material entities spirits," Saada replied as she watched the human bind the diamond dog tightly. "There are fire spirits, water spirits, ghosts called ancestral spirits, etc.

"No, not all of them. It takes strong mental energy, spiritual affinity, possession, and the right conditions. These criteria are best met by zebras. You're unlikely to encounter ghosts of other races."

"As to the nature of ghosts..." the zebra pondered, choosing her words. "A mixture of mental, magical, and death energy fused together by obsession. You could say a ghost is the garbage of the soul, but don't quote me on that in front of other zebras."

"So what is your obsession, Saada?" the man asked, finishing tying up the dog.

"I wanted to become the first zebra alicorn," the zebra replied with some hesitation.

"Where's Rarg hanging around? I'm hungry," the diamond dog whined pitifully, standing in front of the cave entrance.

"Stop whining like a bitch," snorted his companion, dressed in rags and a few hides. "You're only making me hungrier."

"But he's already hours late!" the first dog said indignantly.

"Maybe he's hiding from something dangerous," shrugged the second. "Or maybe he's already been eaten."

"Then I'll surely stay hungry," muttered the diamond dog sadly.

Suddenly, a strange hairless creature in clothes, with a wild look and a small sack in his hand, jumped out of the bushes in front of them. His left hand was tightly wrapped in bandages and blood dripped from his fingertips.

Upon noticing the dogs, the creature's eyes went wide and it froze in place. Swallowing, the creature began to slowly back away.

"Freeze!" the two dogs roared, picking up their clubs and rushing towards the creature.

Surprisingly, the creature actually obeyed their command. The others usually ran away.

"Please don't kill me!" the creature whimpered, falling to its knees. "I have the crystals! Take them! There are more! I'll tell you everything! Just don't kill me!"

The dogs snatched the pouch from the creature's hands and peered inside, immediately their faces blurred into a satisfied grin.

"Where's the rest of it? Speak. You will live," the diamond dog growled.

"Take me to your leader and I'll tell you everything," the creature said with a pleading tone in its voice. "If you do, I'll keep one secret just for the two of you."

The two dogs looked at each other. They would have to report everything to the pack leader anyway. Of course, he would take most of it for himself, but their share would be good too. After all, they caught the creature.

And one part just for the two of them... That sounds good.

"You cheat, I'll skin you," the dog growled and shifted his gaze to his partner. "Go ahead and search him."

"Why it's always me?" the other dog snarled, but obeyed and began groping the creature that had risen from its knees.

The dog's gaze stopped on the creature's strange claws, which were half torn off and bleeding. It looked somewhat unpleasant.

"He's got nothing," the dog finally said.

"Come on, move it," ordered the other, pushing the creature in the back with a club.

Once inside the cave, the creature looked at its surroundings with interest.

Several torches illuminated the surroundings, and here and there sat diamond dogs. Including the attendants, six males and ten females could be counted. One male was busy with his equipment, the others were eating or having fun with the females. The entire cave was littered with furniture that these diamond dogs were definitely not capable of creating. At a table in the center of the room sat a tightly built diamond dog, served by several females, bringing him food and drink. He clearly looked like a pack leader.

Noticing the approaching trio, the dog broke away from his meal and looked them over.

"What's that thing you brought?" he asked with a dose of displeasure, gesturing for the females to step back.

"Caught it out front," one of the dogs replied cheerfully, patting the creature on the back. "Says he has a lot of crystals."

"Is that true? How many? Where?" the big dog asked doubtfully, scrutinizing the unknown creature. "And what are you anyway?"

"Human," the creature replied, looking around and untying the bandage on his arm. "Are you the pack leader?"

"I am!" the dog growled, he already didn't like the creature's attitude. "I asked a question."

The man didn't answer.

Grabbing one nail, already half torn off, the blood from his fingers disappeared and the nail flew sharply at the pack leader's head. There was a massive explosion, accompanied by terrified screams.

The pack leader's body flew aside, his head was half split open, and blood splattered on the walls of the cave. But the man didn't see it - he was already busy with other things.

Pulling a dagger he had borrowed from the griffin from his bandage, he plunged it into the head of the dog beside him. With a sharp pull of the blade, the man dodged the blow from the club, and easily killed the second diamond dog.

It all happened so quickly that the other dogs were just beginning to realize what was happening. The female diamond dogs fled deep into the cave or scrambled into corners, while the three males grabbed their weapons and began to surround the man.

Another nail flew whistling towards the two dogs standing nearby, seriously injuring them and throwing them back against the walls.

The man turned toward the last diamond dog, deftly intercepting the dagger in his hand. But the dog apparently had no desire to continue fighting this strange creature that had wiped out half of his pack in one fell swoop.

"I give up. You are pack leader," he said, throwing aside his club. "I obey."

"Mhm, good," the man muttered contentedly, slowly approaching the dog. "Can you explain something to me?"

"Of course, pack leader," the dog replied cheerfully, relaxing. "Just ask."

"What is this?" Alexei asked, pointing at something to the right of the dog.

The dog turned his head, but didn't see anything special. He only had time to feel a slight puff of wind as his consciousness was instantly extinguished.

Pulling the dagger out of the dog's body, the man finished off the two remaining diamond dogs that had been seriously injured by the explosion earlier.

"Seven males in total. Just like that dog said," Alexei thought as he looked over the corpses.

His gaze moved to a few females pressed against the wall.

"I'm not going to hurt you. Call the others," the man said, frowning slightly when there was no response. "Don't keep me waiting."

The dogs quickly jumped up and ran deeper into the cave, returning a few minutes later with all the remaining females. They huddled together, peering at the bloodied man standing in the center of the room with obvious anxiety.

"I am the new pack leader," the man said with a warm smile as he looked around at the new arrivals. "I hope we get along well."

The man sat in a spacious room, lit by the bright light of torches. In front of him was a bowl of red liquid into which he dipped a thin twig with a disheveled tip. Carefully staining the runes carved into the rib, he concentrated on his task.

Only a noise coming from another part of the cave broke the silence. It was the female diamond dogs, busy cleaning up the aftermath of the battle he had set up.

After finishing coloring one of the runes, the man carefully placed the rib to the side to let it dry. This rib was used to activate the fourth attack spell from the gryphon's book. He already knew exactly where he would be able to fully utilize it. While the rune was drying, his thoughts drifted to the pack of diamond dogs he had become pack leader of.

That dog he had interrogated earlier had given him all the information he needed. There had been a conflict in the large pack of diamond dogs over pack leader status and the defeated dog had been forced to flee. Several of his supporters followed him and ten females were just kidnapped. The former pack leader wanted to create a new pack.

It must be said, they had traveled quite far - it was about two months' journey to their previous den.

The man was just looking for a suitable base to settle down and finally do some experiments.

He had crystals of darkness with which to replace the essence of darkness. Alicorn blood, phoenix tears, and other rare ingredients could also be replaced with simpler analogs.

Of course, in such a case, the ritual lost all its power and did not give any abilities. But that was not the man's goal at the moment. He wanted to investigate the process and find out the cause of insanity and mutations among the subjects.

He had originally planned to stay at the griffin's hideout, but he had stumbled upon a pack of these dogs, which was quite fortunate. He could concentrate fully on his experiments, letting his new followers handle minor household matters in his stead.

Some might have thought him crazy - to expect loyalty from dogs whose kin he had just killed in a bloody massacre? But Alexei understood perfectly well how life worked.

The females might be unhappy with the situation and dislike him, but all that would soon change. They were deep in a dangerous forest where they faced predators and other dangers. Under external pressure, they would have no choice but to accept the man and compromise with their conscience. Everyone wanted to continue living.

The weak always followed the strong, as strength increased the chances of survival. This is a common trait of all living beings.

Man had no need to intimidate or suppress them; soon they would begin to gather around him.

Besides, they had been brought here by force, so they were unlikely to have warm feelings for the past pack leader and his underlings. The man decided to slaughter all the males - he was going to stay here for a long time and didn't want to leave any potential threats behind.

After working late into the night, he finally finished coloring all the runes. The rib was ready for use.

However, his musings were interrupted by a rustle as two naked female diamond dogs entered the room, avoiding direct gaze.

"Um," one of them began hesitantly. "We've come to offer our company. For a night out."

The man chuckled inwardly - something he had expected, but not on the first night. These dogs had realized their situation much quicker than he had expected. He understood exactly why they had come. They must have been sent by the older female to test the waters and establish a relationship with the human.

The man looked around at the figures of the female diamond dogs. Considering his long abstinence - they looked quite good.

"Really? I have to look at this?" Saada's disgruntled voice echoed in his head.

The man snorted and shook his head. It wasn't the right time for all of this - all his thoughts were occupied with the upcoming daring plan.

Perhaps another time.

"Today I don't want to," he replied, waving off the diamond dogs. "You can leave."

Nodding, they turned and silently walked away.

"Everfree has been increasingly restless lately," the stallion, walking in a group ahead of the wagon, muttered thoughtfully. "This is the last time I'll be accompanying a merchant to Equestria."

"What makes you think the forest is to blame?" the mare next to him asked. "Probably some gang of griffins."

"All the merchants that disappeared were carrying either food or alchemical ingredients with high radiation," the stallion shook his head. "Gryphons would have attacked merchants carrying jewelry. It's more likely to be some beasts attracted by the smell."

"Can't griffons sell the ingredients?" the mare asked doubtfully. "Why are you so adamant that it's beasts specifically?"

"Have you seen many alchemists among the gryphons? Half the ingredients would be ruined in their claws before they could sell them," the stallion snorted. "At least they have the sense to admit it."

"Then what about the zebra gang?" the mare continued on the offensive, but was interrupted when she saw the stallion's tense gaze.

Shifting her gaze to the road ahead, she noticed the body of a creature lying on the side of the road. Squinting, she saw that it was clearly a bipedal creature, and its entire body was covered in thick black hair. The face couldn't be seen, its head was turned sideways.

What makes it more alarming was that the ground beneath it was drenched in blood.

"Diamond dog?" she asked doubtfully to the stallion beside her.

"Doesn't look like it. The legs are different and the fur is weird," the stallion replied glumly, signaling for everyone to stop. "Shard, what are you sensing?"

"Magic energy is almost nonexistent. Definitely a corpse," the unicorn replied. "Nothing out of the ordinary in the surrounding area either. Should we go check it out?"

"No. Let's not split up. Maintain the scanning spell," came the reply from the stallion, apparently the leader of the squad. "Everyone prepare for battle. Keep moving."

The group continued on their way, but the tension in the air became perceptible. They were alert, ready for any possible enemy.

Looking around carefully, the group approached the body.

"Well, it's definitely not a diamond dog," the mare muttered, examining the corpse from some distance. "What is it? An overly hairy mutant minotaur?"

"I have no idea," the leader replied irritably, examining the bloody footprints stretching deep into the forest. "Shard?"

"Nothing at all. Whatever killed him is already gone," the unicorn replied. "Wait. Where's the blood coming from anyway? I don't see any wounds on the corpse."

The leader froze and shifted his gaze to the body. To his surprise, the supposed corpse's hand suddenly surged upward and stuck some bone in its leg.

At that moment, the leader felt his world crumbling.

Agony gripped every cell of his body, and he was utterly powerless before this unbearable pain. A scream erupted from his mouth that pierced the silence of the forest, and his legs gave out, nearly rendering him unconscious from this outburst of pain. Trying his hardest to stay conscious, he gritted his teeth and wriggled on the ground. All of his comrades were doing the same thing - screaming and rolling on the ground.

While they suffered agonizingly, the hairy creature, staggering slightly, began to rise. The stallion could see the twitching muscles on its face and clenched teeth. It seemed that whatever the creature was doing, the effect was mutual.

Using all the willpower he had, the stallion tried to get up, but was immediately knocked out by a powerful leg kick.

The unknown hairy creature was of course a human who had drunk a potion that temporarily covered him with thick hair. A simple but quite effective disguise for unexpected situations.

The man slipped his hand into his pocket and extracted an orb neatly wrapped in cloth. Squeezing it tightly in his palm, green smoke violently poured out of the ball. The man immediately threw it at the wagon and everything around him quickly began to fill with clouds of smoke.

Seeing that the unicorn's horn was beginning to glow - the man pulled out and stuck the rib into his leg again. A second wave of pain followed.

Half the squad had already passed out from the pain as they continued to inhale the green smoke.

The man just stood there with his teeth clenched, waiting for the smoke to take effect. The smoke itself didn't bother him - he had already taken care of it by putting a filter in his nostrils and drinking the antidote beforehand.

Finally, things quieted down and the smoke began to clear, revealing the zebras and ponies asleep on the ground. Exhaling, the man pulled the rib out of his leg and walked limping towards the wagon.

Inside, in a pool of his own urine, lay a unicorn, apparently the very merchant.

After examining the contents of the crates the man's face brightened - he had finally gathered everything he needed. Now he could create an ink for the tattoo that would grant him permanent regeneration.

Stepping out of the wagon, the man took a deep breath and whistled shrilly.

A few minutes later, eight diamond dogs with curved grins came running out of the forest.

"Put them all in the wagon and let's go back," the man ordered.

"Can't we just kill them? They're heavy," one of the females complained.

"No, I need them alive," the man refused. He had plans for them. Experiments required the subject to still be alive. At least in the beginning.

The man's wandering gaze stopped at a certain point in the forest. Somewhere out there, far, far away, was Equestria, ruled by the majestic Celestia.

He had plans for her, too. But first things first.