The Equestrian Tales of Nathaniel Lloyd (Humanized Version)

From the words of King David of Israel: "When I am afraid, I put my trust in You, in God, whose word I praise. In God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?" Psalm 56:3-4

  For what seems to be for minutes I am falling through what looks to be a vortex of some sort, with walls of flashing lights all around me. The sight that I see is too vivid for me to give a good description. The speed that I'm going at is ludicrous, as if I'm riding abroad the world's fastest rollercoaster ride that has ever been made. An incredible rush of cold air runs across my dark skin, causing goosebumps to form everywhere. It's just all so much for me to take in that I don't say anything, and I doubt that I can if I wanted to.

  Suddenly, this large hole opens up at the bottom of the vortex, which I am only a few seconds away from going through. When I get out of the vortex I land on a fresh, green field of grass. The vigorous impact with the ground had caused an ordeal of harm to the front side of my body, and I feel just as worst was I was early this morning.

  I slowly lift my head off the blades of grass and look around to try to figure out where I have been sent to. While observing I appear to be in the middle of a very lush, coniferous forest, with trees all around me that are so high that they block out most of the sun's light. The only noises I hear are those belonging to the various birds and critters living here in the wilderness, so I'm basically the only sentinal being hanging around these parts.

  I get up on my feet, with my backpack and sword still on me, and I try to find a way that might help me get out of here. I spot instead a little pond a few feet near me and decide to walk towards it. I squat down on my knees, and since the water appears to be clean and non-polluted of foreign substances, I cup my hands and dip them inside the cool pool of clear liquid. With great thirst in my throat, I take them out and drink the water, which tastes a little bit strange but not horrible.

  I catch a sight of something on the top of my right hand that I have never seen before, and I look closely at it. It's the symbol of a black cross, like the mark of the christian religion. I attempt to wash if off with the water of the pond, but the stubborn thing refuses to go away.

  Confused, I get up and study the symbol a bit closer, trying to figure out how this came upon my hand. After some seconds I stop staring at my hand since I don't come up with anything, and therefore I again try to figure out how to get out of this forest. An idea enters my mind to use the Google Maps app on my phone to find out where I am. I pull my phone out of my pocket and press the power button, but it doesn't turn on like it's suppose to.

  "What the flip?" I say. "There's no way it should be dead. I just charged it last night and I haven't used it since."

  I decide to use another method: I take out the battery in the back of my phone and then place it back inside, but like before nothing happens when I press the button. I sigh heavily as I now have another situation to deal with. Not only I am in the center of an unknown forest, but now I don't any way to contact for help or to know where exactly I am.

  But in my moment of stress I remember what the centurion who had sent me here in the first place had told me. He said he was sending me to a small town away from the men who were striving to kill me earlier this morning. So that means that somewhere beyond these woods is a place of civilization, although I wish that I had entered the town itself instead.

  So once again I look around the region of the woods in hopes to find at least a slight sight or hint of a nearby town. It isn't until a minute later that my eyes finally catch something worth my attention. A few miles away, through the thick rows of trees and branches, I see what appears to be a collection of small bluidings just to the west of here. Although the journey there seems to be a far one, a toothful smile beams itself upon my face as I am thankful and glad for the sight I see.

  Making up my mind, I decide to leave the pond and I walk towards the west of the forest. But before I go any further I stop for a bit and give a quick prayer, asking God to provide me with protection and to keep me safe as I go through the forest. After that I keep going.

  As I walk under the shade of countless trees that cool me from the sun's morning heat, my mind wanders off about the recent events that have happened to me today. And while I think about those events, questions begin to arise that I want answered.

  Why did those men in the alleyway tried to kill me so badly? Who were they, and how did they get a hold of my name? Last time I checked I've never did anything bad to piss off five guys wearing scary black cloaks with deadly swords, so I basically don't know what their deal was. And what was with the whole turning-to-smoke thing after they died, anyway? It was like they weren't entirely human, but something else instead; especially since I witness the leader of the gang shot jets of red lightning at me out of his bare hands, like something you would see in a superhero movie. No normal person can ever do that; even the centurion showed to have supernatural powers of his own.

  Speaking of the centurion, who in the wide world is he? How is it that when I am only seconds near the hands of death, he appears out of nowhere in this big flash of light and just downright saves my life? Infact, how did he even knew where I was to get there in time?

  Maybe he was tracking the men who were after me and somehow knew what they planned to do. And even though I'm so grateful for the centurion saving me, I don't understand why he was so determined to do so. We have never met before, but he seems to think of me as an important person since he told me that my life is crucial and that I must remain safe and protected, which is why he gave me this sword.

  And where is the centurion now? Is he still in Charlottesville or is he somewhere else? I remember him saying taht Charlottesville still isn't safe yet, and that the leader who he had maimed during their fight was believed to have gotten reinforcement. Is it possible that there are more of those men running around the city, and could they be looking for other people to kill besides me? Could the centurion be trying to save them as well?

  Not a single answer is found inside my thoughts that can satisfy my desirable questions, so instead of pondering over things that I can't fully apprehend I focus on getting out of this forest.

  It has probably been less than twenty minutes since I've first arrived here, and so my nature trek has been a lengthy and difficult one. With each single step that I take, the wilderness seems to be using its forces against me. Although the trees high up are blocking most of the sun's ray, the thick moisture hanging around the air is so hot and perspiring that it feels like I'm being baked inside a high-cooked oven. Swarms of tiny gnats and other winged insects fly and buzz around me annoyingly as if my body is the most interesting thing they have ever seen; on a few occasions I would swat at them for them to go away, but they always come back in greater numbers.

  Basically the combination of heat and bugs make my trip much more slower, and I start to wonder if I will ever get out of these woods before the sun eventually goes down.

  Also, there is something very off about this forest that gives me an unpleasant vibe. The forest doesn't feels or appears the way a normal forest should be. The shapes and bodies of the trees surrounding me are in hollow and gaunt forms, giving them a dark and almost lifeless demeanor. There are various plants located everywhere --- from flowers to bushes to mushrooms --- of different shape, size, and color tha I have never seen before. From distances away I can hear numerous cries and shouts from the animals that inhabit these woods, and although some of them sound normal, there are others here that create bizzare and unnatural noises that make me feel a bit disturbed and spooked. It feels like I'm more in a haunted, abandoned graveyard than in a forest.

  I don't exactly know what it is, but something is telling me that this is the worst place for me to be right now. Which is why I am trying to hurry out before who knows what happens.

  Behind me I hear a collection of dog-like growls that sound so coarse and angry. I turn around and with deep regret I see four adult wolves glaring at me from several feet away, each in a crouching stance as if they're about to jump on me at any moment. At first they seem like typical, normal wolves, but as I stare closer on I notice something about them that just blows my mind backwards.

  These canine creatures in front of me are made completely out of wood. Besides the creepy, glowing green eyes and the eyebrows made out of leaves, everything else that they have on them is wood. Wooden legs, wooden tails, wooden claws, wooden ears --- you name it, they have it. There's not a single part of them that looks to be flesh or fur.

  I stand as still as possible, hoping that they are just passing by and aren't planning to have me for a snack, but as seconds floats away the four wooden wolves contuine to snarl at me with their sharp teeth exposed for me to see. Knowing that this can't go on forever, I slowly begin to back away from them and try to get rid of all this tension I feel.

  "Ok," I say to the wolves in a soft but nervous voice, "I'm going to be leaving now, so how about you guys just forget that you ever saw me and everything will be a-ok."

  I get a response from what I have just said, but it isn't the one that I was expecting for. As soon as one of the wolves lets out an enraged howl at me, all four of them sprint towards me at great speed with wild barks. I unintentionally swear out loud and immediately run for my life. Of all the animals I could have encounted, why did it have to be wolves? Especially wooden ones.

  I use whatever strength I have within me to escape my ravenous pursuers so that I don't perish. Without a care in the world I use every possible method that I can think of to slow them down. I zigzag between nearby trees and bushes, I run through webs of branches as I push them out of the way even though I get hit by some of them, and I stop for a very quick jiffy to pick up some rocks and twigs from the ground and throw them behind me, before running off again.

  But no matter what distraction or trick that I have used, the wolves are still on my tail; their barking contuines to go on, relentlessly. As the chase throughout the scorching, moist forest drives on, I sense my heart and lungs starting to grow weary and distressed as I release exhausted breaths, and I have a strong desire to just stop and rest for a bit. This is a huge problem for me, because if I fall behind and give out, I'm literally dogfood.

  Then, the reminder of the sword around my waist enters my mind. It would probably be a good idea to have it out if something occurs. I reach for the scabbard with my right hand and pull out the keen bladed weapon. I turn my head around a bit to look at the wolves. So far I've managed to keep a good and safe distance away from them, but they seem to catching up.

  The lone wolf in the front of the pack moves up ahead of its comrades and shifts to a large elevated piece of rock that is within the ground on that side. When it reaches the end of the rock it jumps off the tip and soars up twenty feet in midair. I let out a yelp when I notice the wolf is only seconds away from coming down on me.

  Although I am extremely scared at this moment, I know what I have to do. I cease my running with my eyes still on the wolf and stand still as the feral creature opens its dangerous mouth and exposes its claws as he prepares to attack me from above, but before it can even get a chance I swing my sword high up and slice right through him.

  Two things happen after I split it in half. One, when the blade made contact with the body it radiated this glow of auroral golden energy. And two, when I cut through the wolf its body dispersed into a couple of branches, twigs, and tiny logs, which fall to the ground before my eyes in a pile.

  The attention of my mind is caught when I see the second wolf sprinting right at me. It takes a leap and aims for the center of my chest, but I move to the side just in time. When it lands on the ground it turns around and faces me with a nasty growl, as if he's mad that I wouldn't let him hit me. The wolf commits another attempt to jump me, but when he does I make a downward diagonal strike with my sword, which goes right through his neck. Once again the blade produces a golden arc of light, and like his previous buddy this wolf explodes into several pieces of wood.

  When the third wolf arrives it doesn't attack at all. All it does is just stares at me and snarls. Maybe it's thinking of a better way to kill me, or maybe it's afraid of me since I've just slain two of his friends and is hesitating. Whether it's one of or the other I don't risk anymore time, so I bring my blade down against the creature's head.

  I look up to find that the fourth wolf, the last one, has not given up yet and is still pursuing me from many feet away. At that moment I decide to run off again since I'm far away from it, but for safety I keep the sword in my hand. I only get near a few yards when I suddenly trip on something and fall to the ground. When I recover I see that I had tumbled upon a large tree root that is exposed on top of the earth. Before I can even get up, I discover that the wolf is only five seconds away from getting me, and I raise my left arm up in defense.

  I immediately realize that what I did is a fatal mistake when the creature digs his wooden fangs into the flesh of my hand, and I scream out into the air as a violent wildfire of intense and brutal pain is ignited. The wolf thrashs my arm wildly about in his mouth, like how a dog does with its favorite, old chew toy. I desperately try to free myself from the source of my very torment, but my adversary stubbornly keeps its hold on my hand and bites even deeper, inflicting more suffering. Deciding to put an end to this I take a tight grip of my sword and plunge the blade into the wolf's neck, and the green light in the creature's eyes die out as it fall apart completely.

  Knowing that I am finally safe from danger, I brush the wooden remnants of the wolf off my chest and rise off the on my own two legs. I closely examine my left hand and find it to be in a bad condition. Although the wolf hand not bitten too far in, its painted with alot of my blood and there are tiny but noticable holes dugged in my skin, plus there are multiple splinters buried within. On the top of my hand I spot a tooth belonging to the wolf that is still stuck beneath and I use my teeth to take it out and spit it, but when I do a jolt of pain shocks my nerves and I let out an uncomfortable hiss.

  This is not at all how I envisioned my tuesday to start off when I woke up this morning in my apartment. All I simply wanted to do was go to college, take my marine biology test, go to work, go to the store, and then come back home to repeat the cycle the next day; but instead I get cornered in an alley by cloaked men who were on a mission to kill me, and although my recuser saved me he also teleported me to a mysterious, torrid forest that is inhabited by wolves held together by wood that tried to eat me, and because of that I now have a severe, aching bite wound on my hand.

  In short, I feel like crap and I just want to rest and lie down before I just fall apart. But despite the craziness that I have been through today, I know that I still have to get to the town and find somebody called Twilight Sparkle to give her the book that the centurion gave me. Also, what kind of parents would give their child that name anyway? It sounds like something off a silly children's TV show.

  Before I restart my journey I take a nice look at my sword and observe its features. The bottom part of the sword is made out of what I assume to be pure gold --- except for the handle --- and it contains three circular sapphires, an oval ruby, and and an emerald in the shape of a hexagon. On the gleaming three in a half foot silver blade there is a small golden section on the tip that has the symbol of a five-pointed star. On the silver part of the blade there are five more well-made symbols engraved on the surface; from top to bottom they are an ocean wave, a cresent moon, a sun, a cloud, and a four-leafed clover.

  My mind is a bit curious as I wonder what was the exact cause of the golden light that appeared when I killed those wolves. I swing it through the thin, invisible air a couple of times, but nothing happens. Then I remember that it only lit up when I striked the wolves.

  I look at a tree next to me and I hit the sword against it. When this happens not only does the blade produces a golden light --- as well as creating a strong vibration --- but the symbols also light up as well, each possessing their own color. the star on the tip glows white, the ocean waves glow dark blue, the cresent moon glows purple, the sun glows a mixture of red and orange, the cloud glows a cyan blue, and the clover glows green.

  After a few seconds the lights around the sword dies off, and I place it back in the scabbard where it belongs. I stare again at my goreish looking hand and although it's no long bleeding it's still throbbing, and if I leave it unsanitized for a long time it will eventually become infected.

  Hopefully I'm not that far from reaching the town, since being chased by those wolves had increased my speed.

  With a peaceful atmosphere around me I restart my trek through the forest. I thought that if I put my injured hand in the pocket of my pants that it will remain clean and safe, but later the friction caused by my walking shifts the splinters that are still stuck in there, so I take it out to get rid of the bothersome feeling. Other than the bugs and the heat, there isn't anything else around here that would seem to cause me a great deal of harm, so I guess that my entire journey will stay the way that it is.

  For now, anyways.

***

  After what feels like an hour of endless, tiresome walking I see a clearing some distances outside of the woods with lots of tall, plentiful grass and only a few trees. I jog towards there and exit out of the forest and into the field of grass under the sunlight, but as I leave I feel this weird vibration pass right through me. I stop and look around to find the cause of that, but instead I discover something else that grabs my focus.

  A few feet far off to my left I spot a small house-like cottage that has a huge, green rooftop. If there's somebody in there then maybe I can get my wound taken care of, and also I can ask the owner if he or she knows where I can find Twilight Sparkle.

  I go towards the direction of the cottage, reliefed that I finally have escaped the dangers and threats of the mysterious wilderness and is now in a safe environment. I am only halfway there when I suddenly see a thin river wiih lillipads and frogs that is between where I am and where the cottage is. At first I thought that I had to walk through the river to get to the other side, but as i turn towards my right I see a little bridge of land that comes out of the ground.

  I cross over the bridge and onto the frontyard of the cottage, but before I go any further I take regard to the place. Around here are colorful fields of many kinds of wonderful flowers --- from roses to lillies to daisies to buttercups to dandelions and many others. Among the ground I catch tons of woodland critters and animals scurring about, such as ducks, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, beavers, and so on. Within each tree there are small birdhouses that are the homes of many birds, and behind the house for some reason I hear a chatter of clucking, like chickens; and as I look I see that the green roof of the cottage is made out of grass, and it also contains several birdhouses.

  I reach the front door and give it a good knock or two, hoping that somebody is home.

  I wait thirty seconds for someone to open the door, but I get no response so far.

  "Hello? Is anybody in there?" I say as I knock harder this time, and the door opens by itself just a bit.

Maybe this person lives far away from the town, I think to myself. Since they obiviously left the door unlock. I would never do that since there's a lot of robberies happening about in Charlottesville.

  I open the door much wider and enter the cottage. The interior of the house is what I would call plain, but at the same time it has a lovely appearance to it. The walls are painted with a nice coat of caramel brown, and the plank floor under my feet is bright lime green. There are typical household items scattered throughout the place such as a couch, picture frames, cabinets, a small table, flower vases, and so on.

  Once again I call out to see if there is somebody here.

  "Hello? Is anybody here? I hate that I came in here like I own the place, but the door was unlocked and I really need help. Hello?"

  Adruptly, my ears catch the noise of peaceful humming from inside what I assume to be a kitchen infront of me in the next room by the way it looks. I move up a bit to investigate and suddenly this girl walks out of there and comes into my view. She's very young, probably near my own age, with long, light pink hair that runs down her face. Her skin tone is sorta pale and she's wearing an alluring yellow silk dress along with some white flip flops. Between her two tender-looking arms she is carrying a large sack as she happily hums a song that is unknown to me with both her eyes closed and a lovely smile on her face, completely unaware that I'm here.

  At first she appears to be a normal person by my vision, but as I look much sharper I see something about her that causes my eyes to become as big as golf balls. On the girl's back are two, large, equally sized pair of wings with yellow, bird-like feathers.

  This bizzare discovery makes me let out a dumbstruck "woah," which was probably not such a bright idea.

  Alerted, the girl with the wings opens her cyan eyes, and when she spots me standing in the middle of the room she gasps and drops the sack to the floor, and tons of seeds from inside spill everywhere. She stares at me with a face of fright and horror and stands as stiff and still as a startled deer, although her pale knees quickly start to wobble out of fear.

  She begins to her open her mouth, but she does so reluctantly as if she's too afraid of me to even speak.

  "Wait a minute. Wait a minute," I say, raising my two hands up in defense. "I'm not here to hurt you or rob you. I know what this might look like, but I can explain everything. Just hear me out." I said every word as calmly as I could, so that maybe she will sorta understand that all of this is just one huge misunderstanding.

  "R-R-Rainbow Dash," the girl stutters loudly. "H-H-Help me!"

  "No, no, no, no, please!" I say as I start to feel guilty. "I'm so sorry that I scared you, but if you just let me----"

  "Hey! Get away from her, you creep!" a boyish voice shouts angerily next to me. I turn around to find out who said that, when unexpectly this flash of rainbow colors blinds my sight and this vigorous force that feels like someone's raw fist connects with my jaw. I then collapse onto the hard, cold floor and fall into an unconscious slumber.