Beast Within

Chapter 18:

Tactical Retreat

When the last few months of your life had been nothing but fighting, and forcing your body to its very limits on a near-daily basis, you start to understand what you can or can’t take on. Everything about war, about battle, had become instinct to me at this point. I knew where the flaws in a pony’s armor was, how a gryphon could be taken down if you severed a certain tendon in their left wing, and how a zebra had to have a clear mind to use shamanistic magic. Unicorns could be distracted by a solid flick to their horn, Pegasi couldn’t rely on brute force with their fragile wings, and Earth Ponies just needed to be overpowered by either speed or strength. Even mighty dragons could be taken out if you blinded them, then exploited their softer bellies.

Everything has a weakness, something that can be exploited if one devoted themselves to figuring out what that was.

And when you’ve already got several millennia of fighting experience to back you up...there’s not really anything you can’t take on.

        So that’s why when I had been faced with almost the entire force of that town’s guard, I knew it wouldn’t even be a fair fight. I knew their tactics, their weapons’ limits and strengths. They had next to nothing on me. This wouldn’t be a battle; it’d be a slaughter.

        That’s why I ran.

        Almost instantly, I had fallen to all fours, and taken off into a nearby alleyway, narrowly avoiding a trio of well aimed spears. Had I been any slower, they might have given me a decent enough injury to worry about. I didn’t stop to think about that though; I had to keep moving. If I stayed to fight them, the only possible outcome would be pointless bloodshed. That was not what I was there to do.

        “He’s getting away! Storm Blitz, Cloud Cover, get us a visual, now!” I heard one of the ponies shout in a commanding tone. “The rest of you, with me! We’re not losing that bastard, not today!”

        The sound of two pegasi flapping their wings reached my ears, causing me to force myself to run even faster in an attempt to lose them. Judging by the sounds of that leader, probably a captain of some sort, he knew enough about this town to know where this alley would lead. I’d have to get creative if I wanted to get outta there.

        Another spear flew in front of me, missing its mark entirely, but the force of the throw caused it to sink deep into the ground, completely burying the head beneath the earth. Acting on an impulse, I threw myself at the shaft of the spear, and twisted my body around to grab onto the top of it. With my momentum and body weight pulling back on it, physics decided to take over for me from there, turning the spear into a makeshift catapult. I let my improvised escape route launch me into the air, where I shot my arm out to grab onto the rooftop of a nearby building, and pull myself onto a new path entirely.

        Creative exits. Never go into a deadly situation unless you know how to make one.

        Now that I had the higher ground against whatever ground troops were left on...well, the ground, that still left the two Pegasi that were still stubbornly chasing after me. And I was certain that the rest of the guards wouldn’t stop just because I had found a clever way to jump over them. I kept running, using my arms to pull myself across any gaps between buildings. For a while, I thought I had found a decent way to escape the guards.

        That is, until they pulled out their bows and arrows.

        How the hell does a pony use archery? Just answer me that much.

        In any case, arrows now peppered the rooftops, each one coming closer and closer to their mark. I had to give them credit; an archer that can hit a moving target that’s leaping all over the place, while they themselves have to move to keep up with it, is all but nonexistent. For them to get that close was an achievement in itself.

        Unfortunately, I was quickly running out of roof to run on. The buildings were getting lower to the ground the closer I got to the edge of the town, meaning there was less distance for the archers to have to shoot across. Once I was clear of the town, though, I’d have a decent chance of escaping them. After all, they wouldn’t chase me for too long. They still had a town to protect.

        And I think the thought of chasing off one of the most terrifying creatures in Equestria was something they could use for morale.

        The Gods know everyone will need that soon.

        It was almost too easy to escape the rest of those guards. Their priorities were straight though. Either risk their lives trying to capture a monster, or stay behind to protect a town.

        A few days had passed since that little fiasco. I’d found a few more creatures like the Dire Bear I had fought a while ago, but no real answer as to what had happened to them. Each one exhibited the same symptoms though. Aggressive behavior, extraordinarily high pain resistance, and they’d have that strange dark Shadow Stalker energy trail out of them. With how they were acting, I’d been given little choice but to kill them. It was the only way to keep them from harming anyone.

        Speaking of those little bastards, the trail had all but run cold on Torrentican. I couldn’t find any way to track down the Blood Portals, or figure out where the hell he would strike next. I did find a few of the Stalkers, but other than that, I had nothing. It was almost as if Torrie was using the Stalkers to taunt me now, telling me that he could strike from anywhere, and I’d be powerless to stop him.

        I shook my head clear of these thoughts once again, and made myself focus on my surroundings. Getting distracted in the Everfree Forest was one of the most surefire ways to kill yourself. But I’ve gone on about that enough already, haven’t I? In any case, I was getting close to my destination.

        With all of the running I’d done in the past year or so, I’d hardly had time to think about...well, everything. I needed to figure out what the “Endgame” that Torrentican mentioned was, figure out where his Blood Portals were, and to top it all off, I had to find a way to clear my name. But how had he framed me to begin with? There aren’t many Werehogs loose on Equis, last I checked. There was too much going on, too much that demanded my attention.

        What was really necessary to all of this was a base of operations. A sort of secret base where I could focus, build up a stockpile of...again, everything really, anything I could use in whatever was coming my way. It’d have to be close to a well populated town, though, to help me keep up with the latest news, yet far enough away that I could think in peace. Where it would be too obscure to be easily found, yet not entirely forgotten by legend and overly superstitious ponies. And as far as I knew, there was only one place that met all of those needs.

        Shoving aside another tangle of bushes with a swipe of my claws, I found myself staring out over an enormous chasm, with only an ancient bridge of rotting wood and rope to carry wayward travelers to the other side. And on that side was an enormous, almost decrepit castle that rose up into the sky, its crumbling towers foreboding against the light of the full moon. It looked to be the kind of castle you would only see in a nightmare, one that everyone who looked upon it would rather soon forget. The castle seemed much larger than I had imagined it, as if it were a sleeping stone goliath, waiting for a foolish treasure hunter to disturb its rest.

        The Everfree Castle, former home to the Royal Pony Sisters. Where Nightmare Moon and the Elements of Harmony had been revealed and redeemed.

        A sanctuary for one such as myself.

        I tightened the straps of my pack a final time, and slowly made my way over the rope bridge. Once I had reached the other side, I cut at the ropes with my claws, ensuring that none would follow me by ground, diminishing any amount of potential threats by a small margin. That cut off at least one route. The night was young, however. If I was to make this my new home, I needed to ensure that all of my bases were covered.

        I had work to do.

~~~~~~~~

        Or...I thought I would have work to do.

        The very instant I had set foot inside of that massive castle...I was astounded to see that the inside had held up much better than what I had expected. The stone walls looked almost brand new, and seemed to shine with some form of inner power. Windows had been reinforced with steel bars, fresh torches lined the walls, and the tapestries somehow managed to look proud and dignified despite their years of wear.

        As I explored the castle, I found that each room was the same in that regard. Everything had been restored to its former glory, while keeping their air of age and wisdom that only a millennia of solitude could bring. There was still a fine layer of dust that covered everything, to be sure, yet...I don’t know how to describe it. No one had been here, yet the castle looked as if it had been upgraded and restored.

        How?

        Eventually, I had wandered into an immense library, where the shelves reached up to the ceiling, towering above me. For the first time in a very long while, I felt intimidated. Like an ant in a world of giants. My hand gently traced the spines of some of the books that were close by, trying to familiarize themselves to the strange setting. It had been ages since I’d been able to read a book...

        “I am glad to see you still enjoy fine literature,” a musical voice called out from behind the shelves.

        Surprised, I fell back into my instincts for a moment, baring my teeth in a feral snarl, and bringing my claws to my side, ready to strike against any who would dare to challenge me. I was claiming this territory for my own, and I would be damned if I would walk away without a fight. The very moment those thoughts raced through my mind, a gentle blue light washed over me, cooling down my otherwise heated thoughts.

        Hold on, the tiny, rational side of my mind managed to get out. She hasn’t attacked you yet. Think about this for a moment; use logic instead of instincts

        Wincing slightly, I walked to where I thought I had heard the voice before, and was once more taken by surprise. There, sitting at an immense wooden desk, with a large map set before her, was a woman with sapphire blue hair. She wore an elegant dress of a lighter shade of blue, and watched me with an almost sad expression on her face.

        “Hello again, Traveler,” she said, setting her arms on the table and lacing her fingers together.

        I blinked, unsure of what was happening. “Nayru?” I asked tentatively.

        She nodded, a small smile playing at her lips.

        “Not to sound ungrateful or anything, ma’am, but...” I paused, and gestured at the room in large. “What are you doing here?”

        “What? Is it wrong for me to have a civil chat with my friend, and Champion in the Chess Game?” she asked half-heartedly.

        “I wish it weren’t true, but...” I shrugged, as if to say it did not matter either way. “Sorry, just a little rusty at socializing. I’m too used to using my instincts and nature I guess.”

        She nodded in sympathy. “I am glad to see you still have some measure of control over it,” she commented.

        “Not as much as I used to, I’m afraid,” I reluctantly admitted. Rolling my arms in my sockets, I added, “Since I’ve been on the run, I started using my body’s natural instincts to guide me. Everything’s been simpler. Kill or be killed. Fight or run. It’s almost too easy to just rely on that now. Like a drug, almost.”

        “You’ve dealt with worse,” she promptly replied.

        I shook my head in disagreement. “Hard to remember that when I’m dealing with the here and now.”

        An awkward silence fell over the both of us after that. Really, what else could be said to that? We were both set in our thoughts, and we both knew we could argue them. To be fair, though, arguing against a Goddess of Wisdom is never a good idea. I think Nayru understood that, and didn’t wish to even give me an opportunity to let my temper get the better of me.

        For once, I was using a bit of wisdom in a conversation. Maybe I was learning.

        In an obvious attempt to change the topic, I said, “I like the Castle. Looks, erm, different.”

        “Oh yes,” she agreed. “One might say that those books seem a little too new, though, and that the walls have been enchanted recently. You might also see that they’re of various topics, and very uptodate.”

        I let that thought stew in my mind for a moment, before asking her, “Nayru...are you...I mean...what are you doing?”

        This time, she actually did smile, her eyes sparkling as she said, “I suppose the term most would call it would be, ‘cheating’. However, I’m technically only calling upon a few favors.”

        “Beg pardon?”

        She sighed, and motioned for me to sit at the opposite end of the table, a thoughtful look on her face. When I was seated, she simply pushed the map she had been studying towards me. Carefully, I began to examine it, trying to figure out what was so special about it. As far as I could tell, it was only a simple world map. One that showed all of the major locations of Equis; countries, ruling cities and landmarks, thing like that.

        After a few moments, Nayru cleared her throat to get my attention. “Perhaps I should explain. You see, I had sent you to this world fifteen years before the Chess Game’s beginning for a very specific reason. I needed you to understand the world you would be living upon. Or, at least, that was what I wished the rest of the Gods to believe.”

        A couple of gears started turning in my head as I looked between her and the map, while also comparing the mental images I had of the castle. “You’re the reason this castle is the way it is, aren’t you?”

        “Precisely,” she confirmed. “A pattern I’ve noticed of certain Gods is that they have given their own champions certain gifts. One has been gifted the power of illusions, while others have been granted incredible magic or companionship. Some are given an extraordinary body, or even blessed with new knowledge they hadn’t been given before. Do you see what I am getting at?”

        I thought about it for a moment, before answering, “When you said Gaia had been the one to give me this form, that meant you hadn’t technically given me anything. I earned my knowledge, raised a family, and started a life here.”

        “Again, correct.” She rose from her seat, and began slowly pacing about the room. “I waited for you to become part of this world, so that when I would call upon you for this...Chess Game, you would have been given the knowledge you needed. Thus, whatever gift I would give you, would have to be equal to a new body, training, or power. By also waiting more than fifteen years to give it to you, I ensured that I would not be giving you an unfair advantage over the others. Therefore...”

        “You’ve all but exploited every loophole you could have thought of to help me,” I realized. “But-”

        “Why would I do this?” she cut me off. “It’s simple.” Nayru stopped by a nearby window to stare at the starry sky outside. Without turning back to look at me, she asked, “What am I a Goddess of?”

        “Wisdom, and Law, if I remember correctly,” I said. “According to the old legends, you were gifted with nearly limitless wisdom. And with that wisdom, you gave knowledge and a sense of justice and law to life.”

        Nayru nodded at my answer, sloppy though it may have been. “And wisdom and law are what are important in this matter,” she told me. “Do you understand what is on the line for the gods that compete in this? Not just their champions, but themselves?” I shook my head, unsure of where she was going with this. “Power. Imagine; a chance to get your name known amongst a pantheon of Gods in an entire multiverse. To know that you will not be forgotten, and that all you stand for is secure. How many, do you think, would play fair in this tournament?”

        “Almost none, if I’m guessing right.”

        “Correct. And not every God in this contest are ‘good’. Some rule over greed, others chaos and torment. And if my calculations are correct...with this much power in play, it is only a matter of time before it all comes to a breaking point. Every God giving their piece power, nudging them in the right direction. Their own divine power has already begun to take root in the earth.”

        ...Ye Gods...

“And the Pieces themselves, gathering their own strength, overcoming their demons. Where do you think all of their power is going?” she added in a quiet voice.

        No. She can’t be serious.

        “All of that power and magic is being brought together in a single plane of existence,” I began to theorize, relishing in the feeling of having something I could use my mind to solve. “By doing this, the Gods have effectively created a metaphysical magnet, fueled by the power of their champions, their deeds, and how they shape Equestria and Equis as a whole. New weapons, inventions, and ideas are born each time a new Piece is brought in, right?”

        “You are on the proper track,” she cryptically answered.

        “Now, with this power, that means its bound to attract its opposite. From creation, destruction will surely come about in order to balance it out. That’s what a lot of philosophers theorize happened to Atlantis; it got too noisy, too powerful. By destroying it, they restored a balance critical to the world, ensuring its continued existence. This happened with the Cataclysm in Istar, and is also the reason the phrase ‘Evil defeats itself’ came about. A giant karmic magnet, in other words.” I paused, and looked directly at Nayru. More gears started turning, as I compared them to the rumors I had heard during my wandering. “That’s what the Endgame is, isn’t it?” I realized. “That-”

        “-which can’t be controlled will eventually fall in upon itself.” she finished for me. “The Endgame is inevitable. A destructive, cataclysmic event that will happen. All life will be lost, and only the survivors will claim what is left. And thereby, they will claim victory for their God. A broken land, mass genocide...that will be all the surviving champion will have left to call their own.” She bowed her head in sorrow, her shoulders bent as if she carried a great weight upon them. “The apocalypse, the end of the world. And the truly terrifying part is not its inevitability.”

        “You mean it gets worse?” I whispered.

        “Unfortunately. All we know is that the Endgame is, truly, unavoidable. But the worst part is that none know what it will truly be. A great battle? A storm of fire? The end of life, or the mutation of it into something far worse? No one can truly say...” she slowly told me, her voice deadly serious.

        I felt the ground start spinning beneath me, and had to grab at the arms of my chair to keep myself from falling over in shock. This...this was big. To hear that everything you’d worked for, that everything an entire planet had worked for, was all for nothing...It was a giant smack in the face. Almost instantly, my mind went to work trying to think of something, anything that could prove that grim prophecy wrong, or even find some little fact to argue against. There had to be something! Anything!

        I leaped out of my chair and began to pace, only half aware of the Goddess’ gaze as I paced about on all fours. “There’s gotta be some way to release it, or maybe prolong it. Or even fight it off, maybe think of a defense.” Desperately, I whirled around to meet her gaze with a furious glare of my own. “Nayru, you’ve revealed a lot already,” I pleaded. “Is there anything, anything at all I can do?”

        “There...is a possibility...” This time, Nayru’s expression darkened, and her brow furrowed in her own silent anger.  Turning back to the mirror, she said in a dangerous tone, “This world is home to peaceful creatures. Ones that did not choose to be a part of this game. Because of outside forces, hundreds upon thousands of them have been torn from this world too early. It is a disgusting waste of life, and one that I refuse to let happen.” She paused, allowing her words to sink in, before carefully approaching me.

        “But?”

Here, she reached over and gently placed a hand on my shoulder, and stated in a firm, confident voice, “You’re the Traveler. Finding the forgotten and the unknown is what you have made a reputation for yourself on. Apply that to the mystery of the Endgame, and you will find the answer.”

“...No pressure, then,” I dryly commented.

        This was massive. Impossible. But it all made sense. Why I had been called here so early, been able to find out about its past. I had seen its people, learned of the invasion of other Humans who were summoned in the name of their God, yet fought for their own reasons. That much power needed to be balanced out with destruction. But...again, how? What did they expect of me? How could I hope to fight off the inevitable, when everyone was already against me?

        As if reading my thoughts, Nayru’s grip tightened, and she smiled gently. “One step at a time, my friend. For now, your task is to prevent it from coming about too early. The Pieces need time to grow, so that they may be strong enough to face this challenge. You, on the other hand, know of two plans that already could signal the end. If you can stop them, you can buy everyone a little more time, and start your own defense.”

        “Wait, two?” I asked. “I just know that Torrentican’s got his blood portals. What’s the second...plan...”

        I stopped dead in my tracks, struck by a very sudden thought.

        Nayru only winked at me, and vanished in the blink of an eye.

        “...Oh, fuck me.”