private City of Outcasts

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

((Link to OOC: http://mlpforums.com/topic/69563-city-of-outcasts/))

 

Scurry slowly headed back to his den, his lip bleeding and his eye already starting to puff up. With all the tension in the city, the various races were starting to turn on each other, and now it was getting violent. He could give as good as he got and then some, but he didn't much like fighting. Not when it didn't really accomplish anything.

 

Barfights aside though, the city couldn't continue the way it was forever. Someone needed to come up with a solution. They had to find somewhere else, somewhere that was outside the influence of the Equestrians. But how they could find such a place was beyond Scurry's mental capacity.

 

---

 

Asteron sighed. He still couldn't believe it had come to this. Twenty years of military service, and because he happened to be a minotaur, he was forced to come to a place like this, where he could barely make enough money to get by. Ungrateful pony bastards. Now, on top of everything else, fights breaking out right in the middle of his bar. He couldn't take much more of this. Something had to be done. 

 

There was no shortage of rage, of energy, of motivation to do something about how messed up the whole city was. The creatures of Free Haven were ready and willing to change things, but they would need someone to lead them.

 

...Well, he had been a leader once before. Maybe... no, he was getting ahead of himself. He was just a broken old soldier. He didn't have the spirit or force of will to lead anymore.

 

---

 

Raptor landed along the outskirts of the city, holding several animal carcasses in his large talons, and more in the sack slung across his back. Hunting in this area was hard, especially with how overpopulated the city had become, but he had always been a good hunter, and he could get by just fine. He only hoped Syl was following his advice and actually eating some meat for a change. She needed to put on more muscle if she ever wanted to be a strong warrior. Of course, this city was hardly the best place to raise a warrior, was it? Not with everything going as badly as it was these days. If only there was someplace they could go to be free of the oppressive ponies.

 

Maybe he would have to find that place himself.

[Minath Khalsi 195]

@@Alex Kennedy,

 

Syl heard Raptor coming back from his hunt, even though he was just under a mile away. His breathing was very distinct among the sounds of the overly crowded city. She ran around the apartment they shared, making sure the pits from the fruit she had eaten earlier were well hidden. Well, what she assumed to be well hidden. Being blind she wasn't sure.

 

When she was sure they were out of sight, she sat down in front of the door, waiting for Raptor to return.

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@Alex Kennedy,

 

Diego entered the bar, hardly glancing at the groaning bodies laid out on the floor. He trampled on a few, carelessly as he reached the bar. This was his only pleasure in life now that he was an outcast from Equestria. Diego growled as he thought over how he had been feared, shunned and finally exiled from Equestria due to his talent, which was for chaos magic, which he was fantastic at but good at very little else. The problem wasn't how good he was at his magic, it was the fact that chaos magic resonated among ponykind as a reminder of Discord, and Diego had found himself shunned as a result. In the City, where he now resided, he was able to get by to a certain extent... it might be better cept for the fact that he felt he needed to drink cider all the time simply cuz life was easier to bear seen thru a drunken stupor. He leaned on the bar top and scanned the area for the barman.

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

Raptor quickly made his way through the city, ignoring the looks ranging from fear to respect and- in the case of herbivores- disgust. He soon arrived back at the apartment he shared with the young Syl Windrunner, who he had high hopes for as a warrior.

 

@,

 

Raptor walked in the door and set the various corpses down in a pile on the table. "Hunting went surprisingly well. We'll have plenty to eat tonight. Assuming you haven't been filling up on fruit again, anyway."

 

---

 

Asteron sighed as he returned to his place at the bar. Apparently the violence wasn't enough to deter customers. If there was one thing that could be said about how messed up the city was, it at least meant that people were always looking for a drink, and that meant good business for him. Perhaps he might have been annoyed at having to serve a pony after everything their kind had done to him, but he got the feeling this one was different. It's not like he'd be in the city if he had a choice.

 

@@Pripyat Pony,

 

"Good evening. Sorry about all these idiots on the floor. Anyway, can I get you something to drink?"

[Minath Khalsi 195]

@@Alex Kennedy,

 

"Throm'ka to you too." Syl mumbled.

 

She smiled innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Mok'nathal. I do not feast on the fruit, I eat meat so I can become a strong warrior like you, the Mag'har of fruit."

 

Well played.

 

((Throm'ka= a greeting, Mok'nathal= and honorable title, Mag'har= uncorrupted))

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@,

 

Raptor glared at her suspiciously. "If you say so. Anyway, I'm going to start cooking some rabbit, but if you want any of the raw bits, you might as well take them now. Raw meat is the best for making you stronger. And you still need to get much stronger if you want to be a great warrior."

[Minath Khalsi 195]

@@Alex Kennedy,

 

Syl cut off a small piece of meat with her talon, and waited for Raptor's back to be turned to eat it. When she did eat it, her face contorted into a silent gag, and rabbit blood dribbled down her maw. She left it there so when Raptor made sure she ate it, she had proof.

 

"It's very good, Mok'nathal. You are indeed a good hunter."

 

This is so freaking gross.

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@,

 

Raptor smiled. "I'm glad you enjoy it. One day I promise that even blind as you are, you'll become a great hunter. I'll teach you to hunt with your nose and your ears, and if need be, I will serve as eyes for you. But for now, eat up. You're still far too skinny for a warrior."

Edited August 12, 2013 by Alex Kennedy

[Minath Khalsi 195]

@@Alex Kennedy, 

 

"Swabu, Mok'nathal." Syl said, and waited for Raptor to finish cooking the rabbit. She could stand the taste of meat better after it was prepared, hopefully with spice and herbs.

 

"Oh, and Raptor, there's herbs to flavor in the pantry that I gathered. It will make the meat taste better." Syl said, then began singing the Lohn'goron lightly, the song for a hunter's return.

 

((Swabu= I obey))

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@,

 

Raptor shrugged. "I don't much need herbs and such myself, but if you want it, that's fine. Some can't stomach the taste of meat when it's still pure. How about I make us a nice stew? That should be pretty quick and still taste fine both to my palette and yours."

[Minath Khalsi 195]

@@Alex Kennedy,

 

Syl smiled wide.

 

"Yes! That would be perfect!" Syl said, then spun around in a circle, her bat wings catching the air. "Uh, I mean, sure." She added, mostly dropping the wide grin.

 

I love love love love love Raptor's stew! He, like, doesn't try but it's always so delicious! 

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@Alex Kennedy,

 

Diego tried to smile at the barman, failing tho as his smile as always ended up looking more like a weird snarl. He gave up and said, "I'd like a tankard of the strongest cider you've got. I need to forget how bad my life is right now. And if it's fast, I might show you a little chaos magic. After all, you're not like the likes of those who live in Equestria, who faint at even a hint of chaos."

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@,

 

Raptor looked at her strangely for a minute and shrugged. "I guess you're pretty excited about it, then. Why don't you go grab the herbs while I get some water boiling? It'll go faster if you help me with it."

 

---

 

@@Pripyat Pony,

 

Asteron nodded. "I know what that's like, friend. Here, take it on the house. It's the least I can do to make life in this city a little better, for someone, anyway. But I'd like to see some of that chaos magic."

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@Alex Kennedy,

 

"Thanks," Diego replied. When the tankard arrived, he levitated it with his magic and drank deep. After, he looked straight at  Asterom.

 

"So," he said. "What would you like to see? Anything's possible with chaos magic. I can even break that magical law which says that food can't be created out of nothing."

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@@Pripyat Pony,

 

Asteron shrugged. "I don't know, use your imagination, I guess. Hell, if you can do the impossible, maybe you can make this city into someplace halfways decent. That'd be some incredible magic trick, eh?"

 

---

 

Scurry arrived at his den and flopped down on the ground. He was too tired and beaten up to bother making it as far as his bed.

[Minath Khalsi 195]

@@Alex Kennedy,

 

"Zug-zug." Syl said, nodding while doing so.

 

Syl went through the pantry, smelling each shelf for the correct herbs. Every once and a while she'd wrinkle her maw up at the overwhelming scent of some of the herbs. Once she had collected the herbs she deemed appropriate for Raptor's stew, she set them down next to where he was cooking.

 

"So a good day hunting, eh?"

 

((Zug-zug= okay))

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@,

 

Raptor nodded as he chopped up rabbit for the stew. "It was surprisingly successful, as you can see by everything I was able to bring back. It's been getting harder lately, though. This city is so overpopulated that any food source in the area is highly coveted, and I'm hardly the only griffon going out into the woods. It's lucky days like this that allow me- us, really- to get by. But I'm afraid soon it might not be enough. If we overhunt, there's the risk of running out of game, but there isn't much else we can do with so many carnivores living here. I may have to search for new hunting grounds. Anyway, you're too young to be worried about such things. I'll take care of it somehow." He smiled reassuringly. As much as he didn't like to admit it, he had a soft spot for his young roommate.

[Minath Khalsi 195]

@@Alex Kennedy,

 

Syl nodded.

 

"I understand. If you would like, I could go out on your next trip and help. Even though I'm blind, I'm not helpless. I know food in the city is getting pricier and pricier, so we have to hunt. I could possibly help by using a weakened form of echolocation and my advanced hearing. I know you don't want my help or feel you don't need it, but I'll have you're back." Syl said.

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@Alex Kennedy,

 

"Not sure that anypony can do that, cept maybe the Princesses and we all know how much they care about us," Diego said, bitterly. He focused his magic on the bar stool next to him, made, as he noticed, from apple wood. The bar stool glowed, then a tiny apple tree sprouted from the middle of the stool, growing til it was nearly up to the ceiling, complete with small red apples on the branches. He looked at Asteron.

 

"This good enough?" he asked. "Given the price of food and all, I think I more than paid for my cider."

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@,

 

Raptor smiled warmly at her in a manner that was quite uncharacteristic of him. "As much as I appreciate the offer, I'm afraid it's not so much an issue of being unable to find game as it is a lack of enough game to begin with. Like every other resource around here, it's getting spread dangerously thin. But if you'd like to come with me, I would appreciate your company, if nothing else."

 

---

 

Asteron nodded, impressed. "Well, you certainly don't disappoint, do you? I'd say you've payed for your drink and then some. If you want another round, it's on the house."

[Minath Khalsi 195]

@@Alex Kennedy,

 

Syl smiled a big toothy grin back at Raptor.

 

"Great. So I'll come with you next time. Although I'm afraid my nose is better at finding fruit than game. But there's herbivore there, right? I'll find a place where they would gather and stake it out." Syl said, then did a mock pose of a ninja, laughing while doing so.

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@,

 

Raptor chuckled lightly and shook his head. "Whatever makes you happy. I'm sure you'll do just fine if you follow your instincts. And if nothing else, we can always sell fruit to all the weak, soft creatures that eat it and use the money to get more meat and whatever else we need."

[Minath Khalsi 195]

@@Alex Kennedy,

 

Syl nodded.

 

"Like soap!" She said, laughing.

 

That's the most I've heard Raptor laugh in a while. He even smiled, too. I'm glad I'm making him laugh. He's too serious sometimes.

 

"So long until the stew's done?" Syl asked, sniffing the air. "I can't exactly see the stew, so you're gonna have to tell me."

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@Alex Kennedy,

 

Diego grinned and nodded. He finished the tankard and set it down on the bar top. "That would be great, thanks," he replied. "As for the tree, don't worry, it'll be there for good now unless you wish otherwise. But the apples I'm sure will come in handy, so you might as well keep it behind the bar or something."

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@,

 

Raptor shrugged and took out a spoon. "Here, taste. Tell me if you think it's ready yet." He scooped up some of the stew in the spoon and held it out to her, waving it around so she could smell it.

 

---

 

@@Pripyat Pony,

 

Asteron nodded. "Coming right up." He quickly refilled the tankard. "Well, thanks. I imagine that kind of talent must come in handy quite a bit."