Equestrian Psycho

Chapter 15- A Nation In Despair [CO]

"There it is! Zebafrica!" cried one of the pegasi flying the carriage that Sam and his new team were in. Sam had managed to escape the cow's grasp after she woke up. Thankfully, she didn't pound him, but she gave a relatively solid punch to the arm that left a nice bruise. Regardless, they all glanced out the window to see a sight that made them all pity the zebras. There was nothing but a rundown village, right in the middle of the desert. The sun shined harshly on the world below, seeming not to care that zebras were struggling to survive on the earth.

"Damn," Sam muttered. "This doesn't look good at all. We've got to get down there."

"Yeah. You remember what we told you on the way here about the situation?" Basker asked.

"Em..." Sam muttered while he thought back to the conversation.

"So here's the situation. The Cultists are ransacking every village and town they find, plundering food, water, and any material they can get their hands on. In particular, they are taking ancient treasures from the major villages, and there are only five or six left untouched. Furthermore, the war is costing a lot of resources, and both sides are hungry. Which is both good and bad for us," Shining Armor told Sam.

"So our objectives lie in protecting the villages and taking out the Cultists?" Sam asked for clarification.

"Basically, yes. But there's more. His armies are spilling out of portals all over, made by the Cultists. If we can figure out how they made them, then we can learn how to take them down," Basker added.

"If it's anything like the games, obsidian portals are built before they set the center on fire and poof," Sam clapped his hands together for emphasis. "Portal to hell."

"Alright, but where did they get obsidian? There aren't any volcanoes around for miles," Final Will noted.

"Probably transported from somewhere with lava," Sam said with a shrug. "They probably hardened the lava, cut it into blocks, and moved it to Zebafrica. Although, this is just me spitballing. It could be something completely different."

"Hmm... Alright, let's get some more rest then. We can discuss our game plan when we get there," Plessius said.

"Right," Sam confirmed. With that, he had leaned back and gone back to his training with Chris.

"You didn't forget already, did you?" Final Will teased.

"No," Sam replied, giving a small grin at the tease. "Chris just hit me a bit too hard in the head, that's all."

"Good, we need you in tip-top shape for what lays ahead," Basker said. It was then that Sam noticed Plessius, Tiny, and Mag Pie had not spoken up.

"What's worrying you three?" He asked, looking at them curiously while his voice grew a bit concerned for the three.

"Hm? Oh, apologies, I was absorbed in thought," Plessius said apologetically.

"What about?" Basker asked.

"Well, I just find it weird that the Queen of the Zebras still came to the meeting despite her nation being in turmoil..." Plessius pointed out.

"Yeah, it is rather strange," Mag Pie agreed.

"Indeed. Suspicious, even," Tiny concurred.

Sam thought this over and found little gap in their logic. "This could mean two things," he said. "Either she was really desperate for our help...or she's playing us."

"What should we do? Send a letter?" Final asked.

Sam thought for a moment before he nodded slowly. "That would be a smart move," he stated before a second thought occurred. "But... it might be best to encrypt it. Do any of you have a special code you share with your leader?"