We ascended the stairway slowly. With each step, I squirmed as the golem held me in one hand, and the heat in my leg intensified. I could feel the bone moving on its own again, trying to line itself up with the other half of my bone.
I looked at the golem, and I must say this thing was tall. I could tell it would tower over me quite a bit, even if I weren't being carried. Its grip was tight, but not tight enough to hurt me, just enough to hold me. As we ascended, I could feel the warm autumn breeze start to wash over me, carrying with it the scent of fallen leaves. It felt good.
The light slowly appeared behind me as we continued up the stairs. Turning my head to look towards the light, I was blinded as my eyes tried to adjust to the difference in lighting. As we stepped through the large doorway, my eyes finally adjusted, allowing me to see that we were back in the large hallway I had been in beforehand.
The golem momentarily looked around before walking to the door leading into the common room. The golem opened the door and crouched down slightly as the door was too small for him. The golem carried me to the middle of the room before lowering me next to the stone holder.
"Easy, Easy," I said as the golem placed me on the floor.
The golem let go of me, releasing its grip on my torso, when a loud pop came from my leg. I sighed in relief as the leg finally fixed itself, leaving only the soreness behind. Looking at the golem, I could see it standing over me before it crouched down to sit. It observed me for a moment before speaking.
"No broke." The golem said cocking his head to the side.
"Uh yeah, my leg is all fine now," I said as I lifted my leg into the air and bent it.
The golem leaned in closer as if to study my leg. It began to reach out to grab my leg. Surprised by its sudden action, I pulled my leg back, causing the golem to pull its hand back quickly. Looking at me, the golem shifted its body from my sudden movement.
"Sorry, you startled me a little. "I said, looking up at the golem.
"Scary?" The Golem asked, causing me to look at it in surprise.
Standing up, I slowly began to walk over to the golem, one step at a time. This thing was big and strong. I didn't want to say the wrong thing in case I somehow made it mad. As I was within arm's reach, I slowly raised my hand and started patting him on the arm, realizing that this thing wouldn't harm me, at least not on purpose.
"Easy there, big guy, there's no need to be upset. You startled me, not scared me. Do you have a name, something that I can call you?" I asked, causing the golem to shake its head.
"I no name," it said, causing me to frown.
"What do you mean you have no name? Everyone has a name," I said, looking at the golem.
"Maker and master, no name." the golem said.
I thought to myself momentarily, as I knew I couldn't call it Golem or it anymore; it was probably rude. A few names, like Stone, Bolder, or even Fred, came to mind. But ultimately, none of them fit the golem I was staring at. Eventually, one came to mind that reminded me of my world—one of the wonders of the world—Stonehenge.
"Hey, buddy, if you want a name, I can give you one," I said, causing the golem to look at me, the blue flames widening its eyes.
"Name?" The golem asked, tilting its head to the side, causing me to smirk a bit.
"Yeah, I think I'll call you Stonehenge from now on. It's a special place from where I am from," I said.
I looked at Stonehenge as it looked at its own hands, clapping them together like a happy child before raising its Right hand. I watched it slowly glide above my head, and I froze momentarily as Stonehenge gently patted me on the head. With each pat, I could feel the strength behind the gentleness, a reminder of its immense power. It was as if he could force his hand down at any moment, and I could look like a blueberry pancake.
"I, Stonehenge," he said, patting me like a dog.
"Easy there, big guy. I know you are happy, but my leg still hurts a bit, so go easy on me." I said as Stonehenge began to pat me less.
As I looked at Stonehenge, the setting sun blinded me. It was about to be dark out in a forest filled with wood-made wolves, and who knew what else could be lurking around? I would need to make a fire for us so we could have some way to protect ourselves or at least be able to see what was coming. I say we only had an hour or so to prepare.
We would need wood, a new flint for my broken flint, and steel. I saw a few dead-looking trees during my chase with the wood wolf. I could have Stonehenge carry the wood while I searched for a flint, but that would involve leaving the castle and entering the danger-filled forest again.
Looking over to Stonehenge, I could see that he was starting to pick up on my worry, which caused him to stand. He began to walk over to me, worried about my worry about the situation. With each step he took, I could feel the ground shake.
"Why worried?" Stonehenge asked me.
"Because the sun is setting, and we need to start a fire to stay safe, and we need wood and a special black rock called a flint, both found in the forest outside, and I don't have a good track record with forests right now," I said as I paced around, panicking. The thought of going back outside filled me with dread.
Stonehenge looked at me momentarily before grabbing me by the chest again, causing me to squirm. He crouched through the small door and carried me back into the hallway. Grabbing me with both of his large hands, he began to raise me over his head before gently placing me on his back. As I held onto his back, I felt little platforms start to form on his back, allowing me to stand and look around without using great effort to hold on.
"Safe," Stonehenge said as he turned his head to look at me.
"Safe," I said as I felt Stonehenge move toward the castle door.
Upon arriving at the door, Stonehenge began to pull the door, opening it as the view of the forest came more into view. When the door was fully open, Stonehenge began to walk through the threshold of the forest, making me hold onto him tighter.
"Okay, okay, I saw a dead tree about five minutes away from here. Just follow the path and look out for big boulders or gravel. That is where we have the best chances of finding some flint.
Stonehenge nodded as he slowly began to walk down the path. With every step he took, I saw the ground shake below him. I still felt like I was being watched but more Cautious, as if Whatever was watching me was also watching Stonehenge.
We walked for about two minutes when I saw some broken rocks lying on the side of the path just ahead. Tapping on Stonehenge's shoulder to get his attention, I pointed at the stones lying on the side.
"Those rocks are a good start for what we are looking for. When we get close, put me down so I can look over them. Then, just please make sure to watch so nothing gets me." I said as Stonehenge gave a little nod in response.
As we neared the rock, Stonehenge raised his arms to grab me and put me on the ground. As he grabbed me, I was quickly placed on the ground beside the rocks. Walking over to the rocks, I looked through them for the peace of flint I needed. I spent a good five minutes looking through leaves and wrong rocks before finding a piece big enough to stick on the steel without it breaking. I placed it in my bag, away from anything that would break it this time.
Turning back to Stonehenge, I saw him staring off into the distance. Walking closer, I tapped him on his leg, signaling I was done. Looking closer at the bushes, I saw something inside as he began to lower himself and grab me again. I was placed on his back as he slowly began to back away from whatever was in the bushes.
"Are you okay?" I asked Stonehenge.
"Bad kitty," Stonehenge said as the bushes continued to shake.
As Stonehenge backed away, I saw a male lion walking out of the bushes. The lion's size was massive—it had to be as tall as me. It had bat ears, wings, and what looked like a scorpion's tail. I watched as it looked both of us over before roaring louder than any lion I'd heard and walked away, probably realizing that if it wanted me, it would have to fight Stonehenge.
"Big Kitty," I said under my breath as Stonehenge walked away.
Once Stonehenge felt safe, he slowly turned around, his eyes scanning the surrounding area for any signs of danger. We continued down the narrow path toward the old, dead tree I had spotted earlier. As we walked, the vibrant autumn leaves gently floated down from the trees. It would be beautiful if it weren't for the constant danger this place was putting me in.
As we neared the thin, dead tree, I saw it was dried out despite the humidity in the air. At about 20 feet tall, give or take, it was twice the size of Stonehenge. There were no leaves or branches on the tree. Looking at Stonehenge, I pointed at the tree, and he nodded in response.
"Okay, Stonehenge, break it and grab as much as you can carry," I said.
I watched Stonehenge Walk over to the tree before he started to push on it. I watched as I heard the tree begin to bend, and the wood started to snap at the base. I knew that Stonehenge was Strong, but wow, and to think he gently carried me up that stairway.
With one final push, the tree started to fall. The sound of wood splintering as it did filled the air as it landed with a loud thud. I watched Stonehenge walked over to the bottom of the tree, picked it up with a grunt, maneuvered it so that it was under his arm, and started dragging it back down the path to the castle.
"Ha. Man, you just grabbed all of it," I laughed.
As we continued back to the castle, I noticed that it was starting to dimmer faster than expected, and then what was possible, like the sun, was being pushed down before schedule. I estimated the sun would set at this rate in less than ten minutes. That meant we had to return to the castle and start a fire in less than ten minutes or be caught in the dark. If I had a heartbeat, it would be racing.
I waited as Stonehenge walked slowly to the castles. As time passed, the ambient light around us diminished even more. I would need Stonehenge to stay outside for a moment and break the tree up to have fuel for the night's fire.
"Ok, Stonehenge, when we get to the castle, crouch down a bit so I can just jump off, then after that start to break the tree up a bit so we can burn the wood tonight, you understand, big guy?" I asked.
"Turn tree little," Stonehenge responded.
"Yeah, turn tree little," I said as we neared the castle.
Once we were at the castle door, Stonehenge bent down, allowing me to jump off him. Landing on my feet, I sprinted into the castle's library, grabbing the glowing gem out of my bag and using it to try to find the most damaged book. One, I found a book that was damaged beyond repair. I took it to the common room, setting the gem aside. I opened the book and tore out blank and faded pages, stacking them to allow me to make a fire.
Grabbing the flint and steel from my back, I began striking them together as sparks flew. I felt the ground shake behind me as I saw Stonehenge set a pile of broken logs beside me as I continued to strike the flint and steel together. With one final strike, I saw some start to come from the paper. Setting the flint and steel down, I blew gently on the paper as a few flames grew.
Grabbing a few sticks, I set them slightly above the little fire, adding wood chips to help it grow. After minutes of watching the fire grow, I could see that it was stable enough to add a log or two.
Walking over, I grabbed the flint and steel along with the glowing gem and placed them in my bag before walking over to the log pile and grabbing a few more logs. I put the logs in the fire, watching the flames engulf them.
"There we are, a nice fire to help ward off anything that tries to wander too close. I hope," I said as I smacked my hands together.
As I looked into the fire, I heard a noise coming from my stomach, along with a little bit of pain. I was hungry, and I guess I still had to eat even though I was not alive. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out one of my MREs. Looking at the cover, I saw that it was a beef patty. Grabbing my water bottle, I tore open the MRE and followed the directions.
Inside the MRE were a beef patty, tortillas, cheese spread, cheesy potatoes, and a Cookie. Dumping them all onto the floor, I grabbed a beef patty and cheesy potatoes and placed them into the heater, pouring water and propping on a rock as it started to heat.
As I waited for my food to cook, I began to think over my long day. I had been up since the middle of last night and was tired, but I had not had a moment to rest. I woke up as a crash test dummy, walked around for hours, was chased by wood wolves exploring the castle, and got my leg broken. Making a new friend, naming said friend. And our little wood and stone trip. I was sitting and toning down a bit, and everything felt a little heavy.
I looked into the fire as its lights danced wildly and aimlessly. I turned my attention to Stonehenge, sitting on the opposite side of the fire, watching it intently. What was he thinking about? Maybe I could use this time to get to know him better.
"You doing okay, Stonehenge?" I asked.
Stonehenge did not look up from the fire as he spoke, "Fire Dancing."
"Yeah, it is," I said as I looked at the fire before speaking again. "So, what is your story? You said you had a Master. Who were they, and what happened?" I asked.
Stonehenge looked up momentarily as his eyes moved slowly from side to side before speaking, "Made to be obedient, made to serve, made for moon."
"You were made for the moon, or someone called moon?" I asked.
"Nether," Stonehenge said as his eyes returned to the fire. "She was Sun's sister."
"So, your Master, were the sun and moon?" I asked as I grabbed my freshly heated beef patty and started to eat.
"Just moon," Stonehenge said.
I thought for a moment, as I knew I had seen the sun and moon somewhere when it hit me. When he said sun and moon, did he mean the two ponies with horns and wings I had seen on the banners in the hallway? Was his Master the blue one?
After finishing my patty, I turned to my cheesy potatoes. Looking back at Stonehenge, he was no longer looking into the fire but out at the broken glass windows. Turning my head, I saw the beautiful, bright, and vibrant moon.
"Was she your creator or just your Master?" I asked as I took a bite of my potatoes.
"Just Master," Stonehenge said as he continued to look at the moon.
"If she was your Master, why aren't you with her anymore?" I asked.
"Master sent away," Stonehenge said.
"Where did she go?" I asked as I placed the finished potatoes next to me.
"Moon fight sun. Sun sent moon away," Stonehenge said.
"Your Master was sent away," I asked as I looked out the window at the moon.
"Yes," Stonehenge said as he looked towards me.
"Well, if your master is gone, how did I find you downstairs in the darkroom?" I asked.
"I remember not," Stonehenge said before raising his hand to his core before speaking again, "blasted by bolt. Core fell, bright light shoots to sky, everything faded."
"Oh, I'm sorry. How long were you down in the darkroom?" I asked.
"I no know," Stonehenge said as he lowered his hand from his core, resting it on the ground beside him.
"All I found was your core down in the dark room. What made you wake up then? I asked as I grabbed my cookie and began to eat it happily.
"Woke to new magic flowing, I bound to new master," Stonehenge said as he pointed to me.
I choked on my cookie, coughing at what I heard from Stonehenge. What did he mean by a new master? What did he mean by new magic? I knew that freezing stuff had to have been magic, but for him to say he was bound to me that I was his new master, I couldn't believe it.
"M-M-Me, your master," I stuttered in disbelief at Stonehenge as he nodded in agreement.
"Master now," Stonehenge said, still pointing at me.
I panicked for a moment. How could I be his master? I am or was just a human. I didn't need a servant, some guard, or whatever he could be. All I needed was a friend, someone who would try to kill me intentionally. All I needed was someone who could watch my back and someone I could do the same. Even if he was bound to me, I wanted him to be my friend.
"Look, Stonehenge, I don't want to be your master; I want to be your friend. I need someone who I can trust, someone who can look out for me, and someone who I can do the same. I know you said we were bound, but that doesn't mean I'm not your master and you're not my servant or whatever; I want you to be my friend," I said as I put my hand up to shake his hand.
Stonehenge looked at his hand for a moment before raising it and grabbing it with two fingers before speaking, "Friends."
Letting go of his hand, I sat back down, adding a few logs to the flame and letting it grow slightly. I looked down at my hands and thought briefly about what Stonehenge had said about magic. I closed my eyes as I pictured the glow and the coldness. Opening my eyes, I saw my hands glowing the light blue. My hands felt cold momentarily before fading slightly as the light dimmed away.
As the light dimmed, I felt my bag bounce again, like it had when Stonehenge started to wake up. I opened my bag and saw the book glowing light blue like my hands. Opening the book, it did not open to any detailed page like before but to a glossary. The glossary had four index pages: Stone Golems, Unicorn Magic, Elemental Magic, and Winter's Grasp.
-—
"Magic" was all I could say as the pages turned to the magic section.
Magic
Description magic is the baseline for our world, as every living creature has some form of magic inside them. Still, unicorns and some other species can manipulate that magic.
Unicorn magic is usually grown through training, practice, and focus as one ages. Magic can be used in many ways, from moving objects to teleportation. The only limit to one's magic is one's natural baseline and the amount of effort given.
Although, as said before, some species other than ponies can manipulate magic like unicorns, more cannot. Below are known species that do and do not use unicorn magic.
Known magic using species.
Unicorns
Alicorns
Discord
Changeling
Known non-magic using species.
Earth ponies
pegasus ponies
buffalo
griffins
dragons
humans
—
"Humans don't have magic," I said as I looked at my hand.
If that was true, then what was I doing when I froze stuff or when I woke Stonehenge? Was I still human? I mean, I had the form of a human, but all the things that I could do, I knew I was dead. As far as I knew, even a dead human shouldn't be able to do magic, so what am I? My eyelids felt heavy.
I rubbed my fingers on my eyes before speaking, "God, this is all too much for how long I've been awake." Turning to Stonehenge, I pointed at the logs, saying again," I'm going to sleep now. Please ensure the fire doesn't go out, and if anything happens, wake me up, or we'll take turns when you want to sleep."
"No Slumber," Stonehenge said.
"Well, okay, try not to hurt yourself while I rest, big guy," I said.
Stonehenge nodded in response as I lay down on the stone floor, feeling the warmth of the fire next to me. My eyelids felt heavier than stones. As they slowly closed, everything went black, and a sense of sleep finally washed over me.
As my mind came to, I saw a light shining on my eyes and felt a softness beneath me. Feeling the ground, I felt cloth on my hands, and as I opened my eyes, I could see I was back in my room. Looking at my hands, I noticed they were no longer pitch black but a warm flesh color.
Jumping out of bed, I ran to my bathroom, turned on the light, and looked in the mirror. I was no longer a pale snow white, and my hair was no longer silver but red again. I looked like me—like a normal human.
"Was it all just a dream?" I said as I continued to look at myself in the mirror.
Pulling myself away from the mirror, I left my room and looked out my window. No snow was on the ground, but green grass and blooming trees; it was spring. Looking toward the driveway, I saw my mother struggling with groceries.
"Mom," I said as I watched for a moment. She appeared to be struggling with the groceries and would need help.
I turned around and opened my door, running downstairs to the front door. Before opening the door, I put on a pair of shoes, allowing the warm breeze to wash over me. I ran over to my mom, who was losing her grip on catching a bag full of food.
"I got you, Mom," I said, looking at her as she smiled warmly before speaking again. "You should call me next time. I am more than willing to help."
"I'm Sorry, sweety. You were asleep when I left, and I didn't want to wake you, " my mother said.
"It's fine. I said I had to wake up at some point. I was having the wildest nightmare," I said as I turned away from my mother and started to walk back toward the house door.
"I know, Jack. I want you to know I love you and want what's best for you, so please stay safe with your rock friend," my mother said.
I froze momentarily at what she said, and a cold breeze flew past me. Turning around, I could see that my mother was gone, and dark storm clouds were in the air, dropping snow on the ground. Dropping the grocery bag on the ground and sprinting back to my door as the snow fell harder.
When I arrived at my door, it was stuck closed as I desperately tried to pull it open. As I pulled on the door with all my might, I failed to notice the footsteps behind me. Finally, I opened the door and found the snow cover clearing where my camping trip had taken me. Not wanting to go into the door, I turned around to see the bald man standing behind me.
"Sorry, dead man, nothing personal," the bald man said as he kicked me in the gut, forcing me through the door before shutting it.
I was back in the one place I didn't want to be, where everything went down and where I was left to die. Why did it have to be here? Why this fucking forest? Why was I back here?
I walked over to one of the fallen trees and leaned against it before falling to the floor. I brought my hands to my eyes and started to cry, letting the cold air blast my body as the tears fell from my face. As I cried my heart out, I heard footsteps in the snow walking towards me. I did not even bother looking up from my hands, figuring it was some other thing to teach me as I cried.
"P-Please st-o-op I-I can't d-do this any-m-more," I pleaded, my voice cracking from my crying.
The footsteps stopped for a moment before a firm but caring, feminine voice spoke to me. "Then wake up, little one."
I felt a burning sensation in my chest. It was hot, like a fire had been placed on my chest, burning it away. My eyes still closed in pain; I grabbed my chest, feeling around before I found the source of the heat, only to find the pendant burning my hand when I touched it.
"Make it stop, MAKE IT STOP!" I yelled as I felt the coldness in my hands return as everything became brighter.
"Ahh fuck!" I yelled as I quickly raised my torso, grabbing my chest and breathing.
The pain from the pendant was no longer there, so I sat there, allowing myself to relax from the nightmare I had just had. As my breathing slowed, I saw the sun rising over the horizon. Looking to my right, I could see the fire and Stonehenge sitting behind it, looking at me, tilting his head.
"Friend, okay," Stonehenge asked.
"Yeah, I think I had a nightmare. God, it was so vivid, like I was actually there," I said as I rubbed my face.
Dropping my hands to my side, I looked where I had stopped to see small patches of ice covering the floor. I probably froze the ground when I was having my nightmare. Standing up, making sure not to slip on the ice patch on the floor, I looked at the fire. It was small but still going as I added more logs from the much smaller wood pile.
"How was last night after I fell asleep? Did anything happen?" I asked Stonehenge.
Stonehenge shook his head before responding, "Quiet, but you moved in sleep like in pain."
"Yeah, like I said, I had a really bad nightmare," I responded.
"Nightmare?" Stonehenge asked.
"Yeah, a bad dream. I saw my mother, but that was short-lived, as she disappeared, and I was taken back to the place that led to me coming here," I said.
"Where chest stopped beating?" Stonehenge asked.
My eyes widened at what Stonehenge said. How did he know that I was not alive? How long did he know? It was probably when he was carrying me from downstairs. I knew I didn't look normal, but still, I could just say I had a bad skin condition.
"How did you know?" I asked.
"When awoken, no beat come from friend," Stonehenge said.
"Ha, so you knew from the start," I said as my shoulder lowered.
"Yes," Stonehenge said cocking his head to the side.
I thought to myself what this meant. As far as I knew, the only people who knew of me being dead were those three ponies and maybe the guards who had chased me. Although I could assume that if those guards were anything like a military, it was probably being kept secret, but that is only an assumption. Stonehenge knows about me, and I want to keep my condition secret. I don't want anyone to know unless they need to.
"Okay, Stonehenge, I trust you, but I want you to promise me that you won't tell anyone about me being well dead. I want to be able to tell them unless something bad happens to me, and they need to know; then you can explain, okay," I said.
"Okay, me not say anything," Stonehenge said.
"Good, good, thank you, big guy," I said as I breathed a sigh of relief.
I looked at Stonehenge for a moment before returning to the fire. I had known him for a day, and I was having him keep this secret, but to be fair, I did trust him with my life last night, and I know he doesn't talk very well. Maybe he could keep this a secret.
"Okay, what should we do today," I said aloud.
Stonehenge surged, his shoulders being no help. I thought of what we might need today. Wood was no issue at the moment, thanks to last night, but I need to head back to that river and top off my water supply. And with Stonehenge, nothing should bother us, but we will be a little slower.
Food was also a worry now. I only had two days left of food, so finding something edible would also be a priority. Lastly, there was the matter of where the rest of the path would take us. Would it just be a meaningless path, or would it take us out of the forest or lead us to civilization? Would we even have enough time for all that today?
"Okay, first things first, we must figure out food and water. I entered the forest through a river on the edge of this forest that covers water but food. I did not see anything edible, but at the same time, I had not been looking. So, the plan is to head to the river and get water while looking for food," I told Stonehenge.
"Go to river and look for food," Stonehenge mimicked to the best of his ability.
"Yes, also, if we have time, I want to go the other way in the path to see if we find anything notable," I said.
"Okay," Stonehenge responded.
"Okay, let's start our day," I said as I started to walk to the door.
As I entered the hallway, I could feel the ground shake as Stonehenge crouched under the door. Once Stonehenge was in the hallway, we made our way to the door opening, allowing the sunlight to rest upon us.
"Carry?" Stonehenge asked me.
"Not yet, bud. I'll stay near, and if anything happens, I'll yell for you to pick me up," I said.
Stonehenge nodded as I walked down the steps leading to the path. The river was about an hour down the path with Stonehenge and a 2-minute walk from the path. As I stepped on the path, Stonehenge followed close behind, ensuring I was in Range if he needed to grab me.
We had been walking quite a bit. Things had been going pretty smoothly besides a couple of weird noises. We were almost there, and there were no signs of anything edible, just trees, vines, and leaves. Looking to my left, I could see the clearing I had seen yesterday starting to form.
Looking at the density of the tree line, I could see that Stonehenge would not be able to fit past the trees because they were so densely packed. I know he was strong enough to push a dead tree down, but the trees were alive, and there were too many of them. I could fit, although anything slightly bigger than me would be able to fit as well, and if I wanted the water, I would have to go alone.
"Okay, Stonehenge hears the deal. You won't be able to fit, and there are too many trees to push down, so I'm going to have to walk alone for a moment," I said.
"Safe?" Stonehenge asked.
"Oh, probably not, but if I see anything, I'll run away, or if I must, I'll use this to defend myself," I said as I pulled out the little pocketknife.
"Too small," Stonehenge responded as he began to look around before walking to a tree, pulling on a branch, ripping it off, rubbing his hand across the bark, stripping it of its leaves and stray branches, and bringing it to me, holding it in front of my face.
"Uh, thanks, big guy," I said as I took the tree branch in my hand.
Looking over the tree branch, I saw it had more range than my pocketknife. The tree branch also had more weight; it was similar in size to a baseball bat, so if I swung it at something, it would still do some damage.
"Okay, it should take me a few minutes to walk to the river, fill my bottle, and walk back, so stay here. I'll be back soon," I said.
Stonehenge nodded as I turned away and walked into the tree line. As I walked away from Stonehenge, I felt the safety he brought, leaving only to be replaced with the unknowing uneasiness as I was alone for the moment in case anything happened.
I kept looking over my shoulder as I walked. The feeling of being watched had returned, and not wanting to find out what it was, I picked up the paste and walked faster, pushing plants and low-hanging leaves out of my way. It wasn't long before I arrived at the clear, seeing the clear water gently flowing.
Placing the branch to my side, I pulled out my water bottle and filled it as air bubbles exited it. As the water filled slowly, I waited impatiently to return to Stonehenge as soon as possible. As the bubbles slowed to a stop, I pulled the bottle out of the water, allowing it to drip before placing it in my bag and turning around, only to be pushed onto my back.
"fuck' was all that I was able to say as one of the wood wolves pounced on me, only giving me enough time to hold it back slightly.
I fought the wolf as it tried to bite me in the face, snapping as it inched closer. I looked at the branch next to me, realizing I had to use both hands to stop the wolf from gaining ground. I watched as the wolf inched closer and closer; it was slightly stronger than me and would be on my face soon.
"Get off me fucker!" I grunted as it continued to inch closer.
I felt helpless, as all I was doing was delaying the inevitable. All I could do was hold this thing back, and I was failing. As the wolf neared my face, its hot breath hitting me in the face, a last-ditch idea came into my head.
"Come on," I said as I tried to focus energy into my hands, trying to make the blue aura appear.
The wolf snapped closer; less than an inch from my face, I could see its woold teeth clearly as it snapped and snarled at me.
"Think cold thoughts," I said to myself as images of cold things popped into my mind, like ice cream, ice burgs, and snow. As I thought, one thing finally came to mind: the forest.
As I thought about the cold forest, I felt the wolf's teeth scrape my nose, and the coldness in my hands started to flow. I watched as the wolf began to slow down, and a layer of ice started to cover the wolf. In one last desperate attempt, the wolf lunged towards me, its mouth wide open, as it froze just inches away from my face.
I stared at the frozen wolf for a moment before I eased my grip as the coldness from my hand slowly went away before speaking, "Oh, thank god."
As I breathed a sigh of relief, I pushed the wolf off me, allowing it to fall on its side. Standing up, I walked over to the stick and picked it up before returning to the tree to start walking back toward where Stonehenge should be waiting.
As I walked, the feeling of being watched left me, making me think that the wolf had started to follow me when I left Stonehenge. It was weird that there were at least two more, but that wolf was alone, so where were the other two? Not wanting to think about it, I continued back toward Stonehenge.
As I exited the tree line, I saw Stonehenge, about 15 feet away, sitting on the path. Waving at him, I saw him stand up and walk towards me. As he neared, I felt the sense of security return to me.
"Man, it is good to see you, Stonehenge," I said as he walked closer, looking over me.
"Okay?" Stonehenge asked.
"I'm fine, just a little beat up, but you should see the other guy," I responded.
"Other guy," Stonehenge asked as he cocked id head to the left.
"One of the wood wolves, but as of right now, he is on ice, so to speak," I responded.
"Safe?" Stonehenge asked.
"I don't know. Last I saw, there were at least three, and I only fought one, so there are at least two more somewhere near," I responded.
The moment I finished my sentence, as if on cue, I heard a feminine scream come from down the path where the path cured behind some trees, followed by the sound of wolves howling. I turned my gaze to Stonehenge before looking back toward the path, realizing someone could use some help.
"Okay, big guy, we got to help whoever that could be. I'm going to run ahead and try to catch up as soon as possible," I said as I turned away and started to run down the path towards where the scream had come from, the branch in my hand.
As I neared the corner, I could hear a struggle near as I turned my head to see Stonehenge a bit away. Turning the corner, I watched two wooden wolves trying to attack a small lavender pony. One was on top of her as the other circled them, waiting for an opening.
"NO, NO, NO!" the lavender unicorn said.
Running up to the wolves, I yelled, "Get off of her!"
Surprising them, I swung the branch like a baseball bat, knocking one to the side as I kicked the other wolf off the lavender pony. Looking at the pony, I saw that she had a horn at the top of her head, surrounded by dark purple hair with pink and darker purple stripes.
I watched as both wolves returned to their feet, preparing to pounce as I felt the ground shake. Stonehenge had finally arrived, turning the corner. Turning back to the wolves, I saw them weigh their options before tucking their tails and running away. Looking back at the unicorn, I could see she was tuned by what had happened.
"a human in the Everfree," the unicorn said as she turned to look at Stonehenge before speaking again, "And a golem."
"Uh yeah, the human can understand you," I said as she turned back to me.
Shaking her head, she began to speak," Oh, sorry, I was deep in thought. What is a human doing in the Everfree forest? Who are you."
"My name is Jack Morrow. I appeared in this world and ended up in what you call the 'Everfree forest," I said as she looked at Stonehenge.
"What about the golem?" the Lavender unicorn asked.
"Oh, him. His name is Stonehenge. I'll explain his story later. Now, it's my turn to ask who you are? " I asked.
The lavender unicorn slowly rose to her feet. She was much smaller then, at about four feet. As she finally stood, she looked at me and then at Stonehenge, thinking for a moment before sighing.
The unicorn turned back to me, clearing her throat before speaking, "My name is Twilight Sparkle."