The Hero's Tale

Chapter Two: The Ends of the Earth

A few weeks before the Wedding . . .

     Rings was going to die, he knew it it.  His wings where shattered, and as much as he flapped, he was still plummeting thought the air toward the stones below At a stunning velocity.    Rings realized he was screaming, he'd never had an occasion to scream before, he'd heard plenty of others scream,  and he found a twinge of satisfaction in that he was good at it as anyone who he killed, a nice shrill scream, good length. . .yes he was good at screaming.  It was almost a shame nopony was around to hear it.  As the ground grew closer and Rings braced for the inevitable impact, he pondered how absurd it was that his final thought before he faced death was how good of a screamer he was.

     The hippogriff's vision blurred, then grew white, and Rings realized he wasn't falling anymore, instead lying in a soft bed, with bright sunlight pouring in from a window though gauzy white drapes.  Rings was confused. . .this wasn't the afterlife his rabbi tried to teach him about when he was just a hatchling In the temple, and where was the bone-shattering impact? Did he die before he hit the ground?

"We Got him!" A voice shouted,

     Rings saw the outline of a Minotaur, though the slightest movement of his neck made his scorched face feel like it was still on fire, a deep, roaring pain that made him cry out.  He realized to his horror that there was still smoke rising from his face.

"Wh-Who are you?" Rings croaked, hoarse from his screaming.

"You know me, I'm Arano," the Minotaur said stepping into the light, revealing a dark orange mask, with black trim around the eye holes and the hole for his muzzle, the mask decorated with stylized spider webs. "You did very well getting that Urn for us, to bad the old sergeant tracked you down,"

"H-hoooow?" Rings rasped, moving his beak causing blinding pain in his face.

     Arano patted Rings on the shoulder, as several nurses rushed in the room, wrapping his wings and shattered knee. "These young ladies are going to take care of your wounds,"

One of the nurses started to wrap a medicated gauze around Ring's still-smoking face, but Arano held her back,

"Give him some pain killers for the face, but do nothing for the scarring," Arano said, leaning forward, pulling off his mask to reveal his bovine features carved up by deep hideous scars, "In the shade cult, we carry our scars,"

     It may have been a few days, or a few weeks, Rings wasn't sure.  He was on so many pain killers he wasn't sure if it was day or night most of the time but he was sure at one point he awoke during a surgery on his wings. . .doubtless they where putting all the pieces back in place so he could have some chance of flying again.

     It was early morning when Rings awoke, realizing that other than a a dull ache all over his body he felt fine!  He hopped out of the soft bed, realizing that the room was empty, and he was alone. 

"Hello?" Shouted to the empty room, "Nurse?"

     There was only silence,

"Well," Rings said to himself, "Best get out of here before they come with the bill,"

     The hippogriff stood and removed his hospital gown, folding it neatly before noticing that on the end table next to the bed. . .was the silvery enchanted mask he wore when he was working.  Rings had left his mask on the airship, after all Sonambula didn't give him a chance to pack before throwing him to his death.  How did it get here?

"Please, put the mask on." A sultry female voice said behind Rings.

Rings spun, spotting a silver-coated unicorn at the other side of the room, her silvery coat shining like polished steel, her horn blade-like and curved.  Rings wasn't that interested in shapely females but he had to admit the mare was one of the most beautiful he'd ever seen.  Her cutie mark was a ringed planet on a field of stars, and her mane and tail where a ghostly, almost transparent white.  One of the purest white Rings had ever seen.  The Unicorn would have been spotless if not for one Minor thing, a jagged, deep scar along her throat as if at some point somepony tried to cut her head of with a hacksaw.  Still, Rings found himself drawn to it, the scar was grotesque but she wore proudly like it were jewelry.