private The Amulet of the Eventide (RP)

[Miss Light Diamond 2,802]

Flame raised an eyebrow. *Yees, Nothing wrong with walking through the big dark scary forest that sent timberwolves at us the other day...nothing wrong with it at all.* He thought, flying in the direction of the path. "So how long will we be walking through this forest exactly ?" He asked, looking up at Discharge.

[Agent505 661]

@, 

 

"It's only a small forest, as I understand. We should reach the mountains by nightfall if we keep a good pace. If not...well then we have a cold night of trying not to die ahead of us." he gritted his teeth at the thought of another restless night, beating off attackers, and maybe even losing another party member...

 

Catching up to Flame Dancer in his large stroking flight pattern, he landed beside him and continued to walk "we're going to have to stick close together too, we don't have room for error today."

[Starshine 16,333]

Maroon Sky eyed the tree lines curiously. The forest were quite dense. With the narrowness of the path, it would be make perfect place for an ambush. Even if the path should take them out from the forest by nightfall, it's not exactly impossible that something would jump at them at the evening. Not to mention the fog could easily hide a stalking beast of prey quite easily.

 

"Then what are waiting for?" He trotted forward, closer to Ardent. "We should start moving. The sooner we leave the forest behind us, the better."

[Miss Light Diamond 2,802]

@, 

 

"It's only a small forest, as I understand. We should reach the mountains by nightfall if we keep a good pace. If not...well then we have a cold night of trying not to die ahead of us." he gritted his teeth at the thought of another restless night, beating off attackers, and maybe even losing another party member...

 

Catching up to Flame Dancer in his large stroking flight pattern, he landed beside him and continued to walk "we're going to have to stick close together too, we don't have room for error today."

Flame nodded. "I don't fancy having to go through anything like what we went through yesterday...luckily my leg is starting to feel a little better so I would prefer not getting hurt again until it heals." He chuckled and stopped as they reached the pathway leading into the forest. "Well...here we go."

[Agent505 661]

@@MagicalStarRain,@@chattydash, @, @, @, @@Starshine, @, 

 

 

((Chattydash, are you still interested in this RP? I know you've not been able to reply, but if you're not interested anymore will you let me know?))

 

 

"I'd prefer none of us getting hurt at all, but given last nights reception I don't think that's going to be too much of an option."

Discharge then turned to see if the others where behind him, and as he could see them instead of the fog, he starting talking.

"Alright everypony, listen up one more time please! We're entering potentially hostile territory here, I would like a formation. 

Who's up for taking the front? Of course i'll be leading, but I need someone with me. Then we need people at the back keeping an eye on our six. I would like Maroon Sky and Night Song to take the middle, due to their combat styles."

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@, 

 

Lost Knowledge stepped forward.

 

"I'll take point with you. Flame Dancer and Quip should stay back, since they're injuries haven't recovered fully yet. Unless Goldseek wants to take point, which is fine by me. I'll take whatever position you want to put me in."

[Agent505 661]

@,

 

Discharge nodded, "let's get moving then, you can all file in when you get comfy."

He turned and started walking slowly into the forest, keeping a keen eye on the surroundings, looking through the fog for anything that may potentially be hungering for ponies. 

[Starshine 16,333]

Maroon Sky dutifully took his position in the middle of the group, a few feet behind Ardent Discharge and Lost Knowledge's lead. He made sure for the last time that everything on his self strapped correctly to their place. You couldn't go wrong with being too careful. He kept his ears straight just in case that something thought it would be a good idea to jump on them. One death was enough, he would make it sure that the first attacker will have a faceful of fire.

 

 

[MagicalStarRain 599]

@,

 

Night Song nodded and took her position in the middle of the group. She stopped beside Maroon Sky and began to hover in place with her bow in her hooves in case they were ambushed. Every now and then, she would flap some of the fog away to increase the group's vision. 

[The Original 571]

Quip nodded and followed in at the end of the line. He could throw bombs rather far, but he didn't suspect getting attacked from the front. If they were going down a path, it was likely they would get attacked from the sides instead. But Quip wasn't going to argue.

[Agent505 661]

It didn't take too long until they seemed to be a fair ways in. The fog was thinning out now, and thanks to Night Song it hadn't been too much of a problem on the walk. Discharge turned back to see how far they had come in. He couldn't see anything but trees behind them, and the winding path curled and twisted until it disappeared completely behind the trees. 

 

"We must be a fair way in now guys, my guess is we're about a quarter of the way." He spoke softly, still trying to keep quiet incase of unwanted attention. When he turned to face the front of the group, he noticed an odd shape just out of clear view and off the beaten path, surrounded by several taller, more blocky looking shapes. 

[Miss Light Diamond 2,802]

Flame quietly limped over to where he was instructed and followed the group into the forest.

 

 

He stopped as Discharge turned to face the rest of the group. "Uh...Discharge, what are those ?" He whispered, staring at the large shapes that Discharge had been staring at.

[Agent505 661]

@@MagicalStarRain, @,

 

 

"I'm not entirely sure, but this way into the forest...? It seems...out of place to say the least." he stepped a little closer to the shadows, and the fog seemed only to thicken. "Night Song, could you do the honors please?" he asked, signaling the rest of the group to stop. 

"I'll be right back, keep an eye out." And he started walking into, the thicker fog, in the direction of the shadows.

[Starshine 16,333]

Maroon Sky wanted to stop Ardent from approaching the mysterious object, but he was too late. Anything can be a danger in this kind of situation. He decided to comply to Ardent's order and waited. He unlatched the enchanted stone club from its place and shook it for a bit. The enchantment was still there, its fire still burn deep inside. "If that thing moves, better strike it first before it could decide that we are a easy prey."

[MagicalStarRain 599]

@,

 

Night Song nodded, gave a small salute, and began to flap the fog in the direction they came from in order to blind anything that might've been following them She then began to flap the fog in other directions except the one they were headed in. Gosh, it's a good thing pegasi can alter the weather, even without a cutie mark! 

[Agent505 661]

@@MagicalStarRain, 

((OOC: But you're just so good at it! )) 

 

Discharge nodded in thanks, and as he approached closer to the shadows, he identified the circular structure as a...a fire pit! 

And the other objects had been tree stumps, cut down for firewood presumably. One of them even lay on the ground still, he assumed as a bench of some kind. 

"How very...odd" he mumbled quietly, before returning to the group.

 

"It's um...it's a camp. Seems a bit strange, only this far in the forest, and there are trees that have been cut down too." he looked back at the camp inquisitively "...something is off, don't you think?"

[aRegularPony 306]

@,

"Well, we aren't the first ponies to look for this amulet... Maybe it's the campsite of some previous ponies? Besides, we camped way back there." He said, pointing in the general direction of their campsite. "I mean, a bit unwillingly so, but still." He was trying to keep optimistic, but that was an act he couldn't keep long.

[Agent505 661]

@, 

 

"Possible. Previous inhabitants are long gone, barely any ashes left in the firepit, untrodden leaves on the ground." He stood back at the front of the group, beside Lost Knowledge. "Let's keep moving, we have to keep pace."

 

He trotted off, following the well worn path as it meandered its way through the forest. No sign of any animals anywhere - hostile or otherwise, something was off for sure. The only signs of life where the ponies at his back, and the occasional insect that flew past. 

 

((So i'm just trying to pick up the pace a little, I feel we've lingered for long enough on one aspect now. Everyone alright with this still?))

[Starshine 16,333]

Maroon Sky took a stroll around the abandoned camp, looking for any telltale of struggling ponies being dragged by something. He was glad that there was none, but the question on who built the camp and why still remained. He still had his stone club in his telekinesis, just in case.

 

@,

 

When Ardent ordered the group to move on, Maroon quickly returned to his position in the group. He trotted a bit faster to catch up with Ardent. "Do you think it's possible that the camp was belonged to the Royal Guards that Luna sent before us?" He asked.

[Agent505 661]

@@Starshine, 

 

"I don't know...either that or..." he looked off into the distance, thinking about something "...something else." he looked down at the ground now, holding his head quite low. "I kind of hope it does belong to the guards, but at the same time, I hope it doesn't. It seemed in good condition though, but it seemed abandoned for some time." 

 

Just as they rounded the next corner, Discharge spotted another shadow in the distance. He couldn't make anything out of it yet, but this looked bigger...much bigger. 

[Starshine 16,333]

That... was not exactly the answer Maroon Sky wanted to hear. The possibility that they were not the only ponies in this forest was slightly unsettling, even more so if the other ponies were not the Royal Guards. Maroon Sky retreated back to his position just in time to noticed another shadow in their path. His body tensed. He certainly hoped that this shadow was merely another abandoned site, but that was seemed to be very unlikely, judging from the size of it.

[Agent505 661]

Discharge didn't say anything, but he picked up the pace noticeably. The closer he drew to the object, the clearer it became. It wasn't a simple object, it wasn't a mere box - it was a chariot, a large...golden chariot. As soon as Discharge noticed this he began cantering towards it - the closer he got the more noticeable the details where. A golden chariot, warped frame, ripped and torn red velvet lined seats, a single smashed wheel and a pair of reins out front for at least four ponies to pull it...it was then he realised that the chariot bore the unmistakable mark of the moon...this was Princess Luna's chariot!

"THE GUARDS!" he suddenly shouted, before galloping as fast as he could towards it. 

[MagicalStarRain 599]

@,

 

Night Song was deep in thought after the discovery of the camp, when all a sudden she was jolted from her thinking by a shout from Discharge. "The guards are here?!" she shouted back, taking off after the stallion as fast as her wings could carry. As she flew, she created a path though the fog.

[Starshine 16,333]

"The guards' chariot..." Maroon Sky trailed. He followed Ardent's hoofsteps in a slower pace.

 

The chariot's current stance was unnerving to say. One smashed wheel, warped frame, ripped seats. Whatever attacked the chariot, it was huge and strong enough to make a sizeable dent on its frame. Maroon Sky was a bit relieved that at least the Royal Guards didn't desert the rank and went rogue, but had been attacked with something. He stopped at a distance from the chariot and looked around for any telltale of the Royal Guards.

 

(OOC is there any blood or trails around the chariot?)

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@,

 

Even though he was following just behind him, Lost Knowledge hadn't been able to make out the chariot as quickly as Discharge. When he did recognize it, he froze for a moment and then galloped after Discharge.

 

"Be careful! Whatever destroyed the chariot could still be nearby!"