Chapter Fourteen

“This sucks.” You complain, shivering from the rain and the cold
> The first week of the journey had gone well. After collecting your meager belongings from your camp, you and Gilda began your trek north to Gryphonia
> You were still in the forest, Gilda explained it took up most of the western half of Equestria. The plan was to follow it north, swinging west of Canterlot and other settlements.
> Then, we would cross the northern steppe, heading straight north for the mountain border of Gryphonia
> Things were going smoothly, until today
> Today just sucked
> It had been raining since this morning, a constant deluge of water that drenched everything within minutes
> Even with your coat closed and hood up, it wasn’t long before you were soaked to the bone
> Worse yet, the rain turned the ground into a thick quagmire of mud, slowing your process to a crawl.
> When it was time to set up camp for the day, you were muddy, wet, and thoroughly pissed off after covering only a fraction of the distance you wanted to.
> To make matters worse, the rain sent all the nearby animals into cover, making hunting impossible
> Not that you could have cooked the meat anyway, all the nearby timber was waterlogged. No fire tonight
> And to top it all off, the only shelter you could find was a under the branches of a large oak. The canopy doing little to divert the constant onrush of water
> Today really sucked
> You huddled under the tree, your legs pulled to your chest to preserve as much heat as possible
> Your clothes were soaked through, clinging to your skin and sapping precious warmth
> The thick clouds above blocked out the stars and the moon, plunging everything into total darkness
> The only illumination came from the occasional bolt of lightning that pierced the sky
> You remembered that being under a tree was not a good idea during a storm. But fuck it, you were in a forest, what’re the odds lighting would strike the one tree you were under?
> Your stomach growled, painfully empty from lack of food
> Between the rain, hunger, and cold, you knew there would be no sleep tonight. This was going to be an all-nighter.
> The storm still showed no sign of stopping, the thunder and rain creating a constant dull roar in your ears.
“This sucks…” You repeat for the hundredth time today.
> “Shut it…dweeb. I know it sucks.” Gilda replied from nearby
> She wasn’t spared the misery of the storm either
> Her feathers and fur were soaked and matted, giving her the appearance of a drowned rat or a wet cat
> You probably could have come up with some witty taunt or clever remark, but you really didn’t have the energy right now.
“No, I don’t think you comprehend the sheer magnitude of SUCK right now.”
> “I said... shut it” Gilda repeats, she clearly doesn’t have the energy for a decent retort either
“I mean, could this possibly get any worse?” you ask
> You should have known no one ever gets away with that comment.
> You hear a faint rumbling in the distance
> At first you think it’s just another roll of thunder, but it lasts too long, and it’s growing louder
> You rise to your feet, alert.
“Hey Gilda, do you hea-“
> You’re cut off as the rumble suddenly escalates into a deafening roar
> The clouds part as a massive flaming streak cuts across the sky, illuminating everything briefly in blinding light
> Shortly after, the ground buckles underneath beneath your feet as the sound of an explosion echoes through the forest
“WHAT THE FUCK WAS THA-“
> “Get down you idiot!” Gilda shouts, tackling you to the ground
> The shockwave hits moments later.  A massive wall of compressed air tears through the trees, breaking of branches and sending large bits of flaming wood sailing overhead.
> You cover the back of your head with your hands as the debris falls around you, a small rain of dirt clods and small stones dropping from the sky.
> Slowly, the rain of debris comes to an end. You rise to your feet, brushing the dirt and mud from your chest
“Was that… was that a freaking meteor?!?” you ask
>“How should I know? I’m no scientist” Gilda replies, shaking the dirt and dust from her coat
> You survey the damage around you, the ground is littered with broken tree limbs and charred bits of wood.
> The meteor’s passage cleared the sky above you. The rain has been reduced to a faint drizzle, and you can see the bright stars and moon above you.
“Come on,” you say, “let’s go check out where that thing landed.”
>You head off in the direction of the explosion, Gilda falling in behind you.
> It isn’t hard to find where the meteor struck, the damage becoming more severs as you get closer
> Several trees have been uprooted by the force of the blast. Some even caught fire, illuminating the forest in a red glow.
> You eventually find a large crater in the earth, at least ten meters across and several meters deep, the ground inside charred black and steaming slightly in the rain.
> Curiosity overcame trepidation as you stepped over the rim of the crater, sliding down the sloped banks.
> “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Gilda called from the rim of the crater
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained!” You answer back, making your way to the center of the crater
> As you looked around, examining the crater, something near your feet caught your eye.
> You bend down, picking up a small black pebble
> It was about the size of a die, smooth with small angular edges.
> It’s surface was dark and glossy, like obsidian, but not reflective. The dim light of the stars and small fires around you seemed to spill into it.
> You expected it to be hot, or at least warm. But the pebble was cool to the touch.
> You had never seen a stone like this before. You decide to keep it, dropping it into one of your pockets as you head back out of the crater.
> “Find anything?” Gilda asks as you pull yourself over the edge of the crater
“Just this” you reply, showing her the curious black stone
> Gilda picked it up in her talon, holding the stone close to her eye and turning it slightly as she examined it
“Any idea what it is?”
> “Nope. I told you, I’m no scientist” she answers, handing the pebble back to you.
“Alright then,” you say, putting the stone back into your pocket and out of your thoughts, “Let’s see if we can get some sleep now that the damn rain has nearly stopped.”