“The brightest lantern casts the darkest shadow.”
[A Changeling saying]
[Pov Charles]
Once we entered the house’s main hall, what I saw made me a little disappointed. Despite from it’s outside size and bygone grandeur, it looked as though it was barely furnished. Like nobody even cared enough, and left it empty. I speak as we stand around.
“Shouwd be fastah just to spwit an’ seawch dah house. If 'ou eithah find Quin ow hew mummified cowpse just shout out.”
I second I said split, I could see Ozymandias have a look of horror. With Ix looking concerned, Ozymandias speaks.
“Buh Chawwes, dah twaps! We shouwd stay togethah just in case…”
I speak, going up to Ozymandias and grabbing his left shoulder.
“den 'ou’ww just hab to make due. Dah twaps nu can be that bad ozy.”
Ozymandias looks at Ix, his face bagging for any type of protest from her. She speaks in a low voice as we look at her.
"I guess Charles makes a point, it’ll be a lot faster if we split up.
I give a soft smile as I point myself to the right most section of the building.
“How about Chawwes goes wight, Ix takes dah weft. An’ Ozymandias can go upstaiws.”
I could hear the other two begin to move and I speak one more time to them.
“Goodbye.”
As I began to walk away into a large dining area it felt rather cold and dark, despite it being day. Infront of me was a long table, with dozens of chairs. (So this place does have some furniture…) And on top of a large two sided door I saw two faded orange banners and a dusty portrait. It was recognizable to me almost immediately. sharp eyes, a coat as blue as water, and a long full ginger mane… Maximus Iv. Looking more at the portrait I couldn’t help but think back to the vivid memories of me when I was a foal, and me watching my parents reaction to learning the news that he was dead (Damn I’m old!) I take off my helmet and give a quick salute, and as I do I hear something coming from behind. Quickly putting my helmet back on I turn to look and see, nothing? I could have sworn I heard the sound of something, what!? I continue to look and see where the noise came from, and after around 30 seconds of seeing nothing I am forced to admit I must have been my imagination… Entering the next room it is another hallway, with this one being narrow and having many doors. I shout as walk slowly walk down it.
“Quin! Quin! Fwuffy hab been sent by his majesty!”
Nothing… I keep going, hoping for at least a clue of resent activities. Tan just as I was about to turn a corner I heard the noise again, inside the walls. (I knew it wasn’t in my head!) It sounded like something was sliding along, and I had the impression that it was long, heavy, and somehow beyond all logic both slow and fast. I had no idea what to do, was this a boobytrap, or something!? After a few seconds the noise disappeared. Now that the noise was gone I had a choice, either keep looking for Quin (Or whatever that thing was) Or head back to try to find the others. Eventually in the end I reminded myself that I had faced worse, and continued on with my sword. Not long after some more walking, I had discovered one of the boobytraps. It being a simple wire with an axe coming out, with it protecting a room. After quite easily disarming the trap (literally just taking down the axe) I open the door to see what Quin wanted hidden, and when I looked on the other side… I knew I made a terrible mistake…
Inside the tiny room of treasure, a monster of terrible horrors floated above me. It’s body was transparent shade of black, it resembling a centipede. It’s internal organs completely clear to the eyes, and gasses execrating from everywhere. But the most terrible thing was it’s horrible face. It was long and wide, yellow eyes that looked like they’d belong on a snake, with a thin mouth and two medium sized holes for a nose. We looked at each other for 10 seconds, both of us not moving. And as we both waited silently for the other to move, it turned it’s head slightly and I noticed the white patch on it’s skin, with legible writing.
[PROPERTY OF HASBIO INCORPORATED]
[PROJECT EVE EXPIREMENT #0017]
[RESULT: FAILURE?]
The creature seemed to notice me reading it’s tag. And spoke in a soft but horrifying voice.
“Oooooooooo I see you found me, Father won’t be to happy!”
I starts floating around, while I’m in to much shock to do anything.
“But don’t worry Father I’ll finish the mission! I won’t fail you… Again.”
The crazed monster looks right at me, it’s eyes full of rage and madness and it’s mouth opening to show dozens of knife like teeth and speaking in a weirdly robotic voice.
“Directive, assassinate all important figures who stand in the way of Pandemon…”
And just like that, the monster charges at me.
As quickly as I can I run out of the room and go back down the hallway I came from. The monster was quick to follow, it turning over cabinets and again returning to speaking in a calm voice.
“Don’t leave! You’re only prolonging the end!”
As I ran closer and closer to the dining hall, I had finally had enough shock ware off to where I could speak, with me shouting at the top of my lungs.
“IX, OZYMANDIAS, HEWP!”
I could here the sound of running coming from upstairs, giving me the smallest reliefs that Ozymandias had heard me. And as I entered the dining hall, I ducked out of the way as the monster tried to bite me. Without the confines of the hallways, I saw as the monster went around around the table, easily overturning all the chairs in it’s path. Than as me and the creature looked at each other, we both turned our heads in shock as we both heard a voice coming from the main entrance hall.
“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!”
Ix! I hear the monster speak in the livid voice.
“Oh it’s the one who saw me… Twice the prize.”
By the time the monster had finished speaking, Ix had entered the room, sword drawn. And it couldn’t have been at a worse time, as the monster looked straight in her eyes and I saw her face go from a concerned look to one of pure terror. The monster’s thin mouth contorts into a grin and it speaks, it’s eyes looking like they’d pierce through you’re soul.
“Don’t recognize me don’t you, how about this?”
And with those words, I saw as the monster began morphing it’s entire face. At first it looked like it’s face had become liquid with it constantly moving, than only a few seconds later it had transformed itself into the shape of a fluffy, looking highly like a silhouette.
“My father will forgive me, with you’re deaths…”
And with that the monster changed back into it’s original form, and charged at the still frozen in horror Ix. I knew I had to do something right now. With all my might and courage I ran and jumped on the table and charged at the beast, sword raised high.
When I slashed my blade against the creatures “Flesh” It let out a high pitched screech and stopped dead in it’s tracks. As the flew up to the ceiling I ran over to the still frozen Ix and spoke.
“WHAT AM 'OU DOING! WE HAB TO KIWW DIS THING!”
It took a few seconds before Ix finally blinked and seemed to have snapped out of it. She spoke, her voice stuttering.
“I- I- I saw that thin- thi- thing last night!”
I speak as I give her back her sword.
“Den wet’s kiww it, it wowks fo’ them!”
Ix nods and raises her sword, and we prepare for battle against this… Agent of evil! Looking at the monster I saw that I did some serious damage, strange white blood was leaking out of the cut I made and it’s face and body contorted unnaturally, almost like it didn’t have control over it’s body. The monster looks at us and speaks, losing the calm demeanor and speaking in a raspy and bitter tone.
“You’ll pay for what you have done to my temple!”
Than it charges at us at full speed, it’s teeth so large they almost cover it’s face. Me and Ix both do a dodge and swing at the same time, with my sword hitting a few of it’s teeth and it’s check. Both even though I missed the teeth I still got struck by it’s body and when touched, I felt a burning sensation on my left shoulder.
writhing a bit in pain I hadn’t seen it, but I heard the monster go right through not just one wall. But breaking multiple walls, causing extreme destruction to the house. Ix ran in spoke to me.
“Charles!”
I speak as I slowly get up.
“Chawwes am fine, we nee’ to aim fo’ dah heawt!”
I could still hear the monster tearing up the place (We must have really put it in a bad mood…) and to my surprise I could hear a voice coming from the room next to us, with it’s ceiling torn up I could see Ozymandias.
“Ozymandias nu can bewiebe what fwuffy am seeing! What was that thing!”
I had no idea what to say to him, so I just say the first thing on my mind.
“Am Quin up dewe?”
Ozymandias gave a disappointed face and spoke looking down.
“Ozymandias couwdn’t find hew anywhewe! She’s gone.”
I should be disappointed in hearing that, but considering the state of this house, I bet Quin would be to eager to join us anyway… The sounds of the monster had now completely stopped by now and I wondered where it could be, with Ix speaking as she looked around.
“What even was that thing Charles! I don’t even thin we can take it on by our-”
I was confused why Ix stopped speaking and when I was about to speak she ran and grabbed me, throwing ourselves out of the way of the monster, that had just started to scream.
“IT CAN TURN INVISABLE!”
We quickly got back up and I yelled at the monster.
“What a massibe cowawd 'ou am! Nu wondah ‘ou wan’ fowgibeness fwom am “Daddy” such disappointment fwom dah moment 'ou wewe bown!”
Struck a nerve, just I wanted. The monster began charging at me, and I gave Ix the signal. As I dodged it’s head, Ix jumped and stabbed the monster in the region of it’s heart causing blood to start gushing out. An instant deafening scream was blasted all across the house, and the monster flew up the sword falling out of it’s body as it did. But even though it looked as we had won, Ix spoke in a self defeated voice.
“I couldn’t reach the heart…”
I speak.
“What!?”
But just after saying that it seemed it didn’t matter, as the monster spoke it’s voice slightly returning to a calm tone but a lot more sad.
“Father please, these sub lifeforms cannot be allowed to kill me! Let me return!”
A few seconds later the monster spoke again, sounding defeated and ashamed.
“I’ll accept all you’re horrible punishments, thank you…”
And with that the monster turned itself invisible, but I could still see the blood coming out as it headed towards the entrance.
“Should we follow it Charles!?”
I speak, sounding exhausted.
“We’ww nebah be abwe to catch it ow find it… Dah most impowtant thin’ nao am that we nee’ to wawn Enoch an’ ebewyone ewse of dis thin’.”
Ix looks conflicted for a moment before she silently nods and we begin to make our way to the exit.
As we walked I could hear the doors of the house being forced open, obviously the monster. And I also started to hear the house start creaking, like at any moment this place was going to fall apart. Ozymandias was waiting for us at the front entrance, looking shocked, disappointed and exhausted with him speaking.
“Ozymandias am such a cowawd, fwuffy shouwd hab hewped 'ou!”
I speak, trying to make him see reality.
“Nu 'ou shouwdn’t, 'ou wouwd hab got youwsewf kiwwed!”
Ix speaks as well as I finish.
"Charles is right, you helped by looking for Quin.
Ozymandias speaks sounding disappointed.
“To bad she isn’t hewe… Ozymandias nu did eben find pwoof that she had died!”
The house starts to creek every loudly, and I could see the building begin to shake. I speak.
“How about we get out of hewe an’ head back to Stabwewot.”
Ix and Ozymandias quickly nod as we run out of the collapsing building. We were able to dodge most of the dust and debris, but the smoke was high enough where we couldn’t see. As I wiped my eyes and got up, I could hear a high pitched raspy voice not that far away.
“WHAT- WHAT- WHAT DAH ACTUAW FUCK!”
As the dust settled I got my first glimpse of the person saying this. It was a mare next to wagon full of food, with the mare looking like she was approaching 30. She had a heavily grayed blue coat, and a natural white curly mane that looked Smokey. Her furious wrinkled eyes looked at all 3 of us as she spoke.
“QUIN’S HOUSE, QUIN’S HOUSE! I’WW HAB 'OU AWW OF ‘OU TAKEN TU CAT’S DEN FO’ DIS!”
I speak to her, trying to keep a neutral tone as I speak.
“Ahhhh, miss Quin… His majesty Enoch has sent us to find 'ou.” Fin
Thank you for reading my story! After these two pretty out there parts, it’s going to be nice to return to a more slower paced down to earth part next. And for when it will come, I hope to have it out possibly this week. And of course constructive criticism is appreciated. may you have a good day!