Celestial Paladin - Chapter 3 (WIP)

>You are Anonymous, and it is long ago.
>You are walking a road through a thick forest, clad in your armour and your weapon sheathed on your back.
>The mist is thick and clinging, condensation occasionally drips down the inside of your armour.
>Behind you are three carts, each pulled by two earth p0ny peasants. Flanking them are four spear-wielding pegasi, in black and silver-trimmed armour.
>They are beginning to tire from the journey, but you dare not stop. This far between settlements, the land was wild, untamed and filled with all many of beasts.
>You did not need to fear His presence, though. He spent most of His time in the capital, toying with the poor souls trapped there. He would not travel this far out for His amusement.
>Regardless, you still saw the occasionally stray cotton-candy cloud.
>”How much longer?” one of the earth p0nies from the front cart asks.
“Another half day, at most. Take heart.” you reply, not breaking your stride.
>The peasants grumble amongst themselves. You catch little snatches here and there, complaints about everything from the weight of the carts, to the horrible weather and the ‘unnatural’ natural growth of the trees.

>A sound reaches your ears, causing you to stop dead. You raise a hand, and the ponies do likewise.
>Laughter. Jubilant, insane laughter.
>The earth ponies detach themselves from their carts and huddle behind you. The pegasi move to your two, four, eight and ten o’ clock, their spears pointed outward.
>None of you move for what feels like the longest time, the laughter growing louder and louder, and now coming from all directions.
>”What is that?” one of the pegasi asks. “You don’t think it’s... Him, do you?”
>From out of the mists, between the trees, come shapes. Twisted, shambling, laughing shapes. All of them horrific to look at.
>One is wearing a tutu.
“No, merely His minions.” you answer, unsheathing your weapon. “Prepare yourselves! They are upon us!”
>One of the abominations opens a beak to shriek at you as it lunges. But instead, you hear a familiar female voice.
>“-o I was thinking that maybe you could answer a few questions? We don’t have to do that many today, of course!”
“What in Tartarus?”
>”Anon? ANON!”
>You mind snaps back. It is not long ago, it is now.
>You are not in a forest, watching your comrades be torn apart as you fight for your life. You are in a treehouse that is also a library, talking to a young unicorn mare.
>She looks at with concern, her head tilted. “Arrrrre you okay?”
“My...apologies. My mind was elsewhere. You were saying?”
>“Oh, well, um. Could I ask you a few questions maybe? Just a few for today, I know you’ll probably just want to relax and settle in and-”
“I see no harm in it” you state, keen to stop her rambling.
>She clops her forward hooves together in glee and sits at a desk, beckoning you to stand across from her as she levitates over scrolls, quill and ink.