Chapter 3
"UGH. What the hell did I do to deserve this shit" I groaned. I had just woken up from a rather uncomfortable nap and my shoulder felt like I had been lying on it for an entire day.
I opened my eyes and well, I should have been worried, but I just didn't give a shit anymore. I seemed to be in a prison cell that looked like it belonged in a 500 year old fort dungeon.
The floor was dirt. The walls seemed to be made of cinder blocks. The, what I presumed was once iron, cell bars were that badly rusted that they looked like they would give you tetanus just by breathing in the air if you went near them. The hall on the outside of the cell was also dirt and cinder blocks, but was lit by fire torches. And this place smelt just as old as it looked.
I got up and began dusting myself off when I notice my legs. They were normal human legs, but something was different. I stared at them for what felt like hours until I realized the problem.
"Where the fuck are my clothes!" I shouted. I felt so exposed that I started to mumble such incoherent words in my anger that I didn't notice that I was being watched from outside. That person must have gotten angry with my rambleing.
"Oh, for the love of... Shut up!" I snapped my head around and saw something that I didn't believe I would ever see in real life.
It. No he, by the sound of his voice, was like a lion, but its front part of its body resembled an eagle. It was a damn gryphon. It was wearing armour made from steel covering its back, chest and legs. And it stood at about my height when I was in my hybrid's quadruped form. He gave me the stink eye before turning and facing away again.
"Oi, shit head. Where is my stuff? And where is Daring Do?!" I shouted at the guard. He turned back to me and shoved the back end of his spear through the bars and hit me in the stomach.
"You will shut your trap until you are spoken to!" The gryphon shouted back at me.
"Now now lancer. There is no need to be so violent with our new guest" said another voice from down the hall.
I turned and saw three outer gryphons. Two of which were also armored, and the one in the middle was wearing a cape and little more.
The middle gryphon walked over to my cell. "Sorry for the rough treatment. But safety requires that you be locked up until we think your safe" he said.
"Riiight. Three questions. Who are you? Where is my stuff? And where the hell is Daring Do?!" I shouted while counting off the questions on my fingers.
"Well" the gryphon said rubbing a talon on his chest. "You may call me Black Wing. And you stuff is in our possession until I say so."
"And Daring?" I encouraged. I want to make sure she was at least ok. I had put too much effort into keeping her alive already.
"Ah. She must be that pegasus that the zebra hunters that we bought you from also had in their custody. To bad for her. They never take prisoners unless the want you" he said. "And besides. I would recommend you stop worrying about her and start worrying about yourself."
"Why? Are you gonna try and hurt me. Because if you do, I will pull your spine through your ass and strangle you with it. Got that?" I said.
He recoiled back. "Uh... well. I can see that you could make and excelent contestant for this months games" he said.
"What games?" I asked through clenched teeth. I didn't like where this was going.
"Well, you see. Every month, I sir Black Wing, host a combat arena challenge where contestants fight to the death among eachother. And the victor is rewarded with a rather large sum of money"
He wanted me to fight in an arena? To kill others for fun? I couldn't do that even if I wanted to. Ok, that's a lie. I could but I still don't want to. "And if I refuse. What then?" I asked.
"I wouldn't suggest that. If you refuse you will be put into the arena anyway, and you will die anyway. And I would rather not have my bits wasted." He said beginning to lose his temper.
"Ok then. You wanted to know what I was capable of right?" I asked with a grin. He nodded quickly and smiled. "Well then, watch this."
I began to transform into my hybrid form again, but bipedal this time knowing that I might need the agility of this form. If these zebras and gryphons knew to get tranq darts between my scales, who knows what else they could do.
After I had finished transforming, I applied a forcefield over my body. To anyone else that saw it, the forefield would just look like my scales had a white glow.
"Ah. A dragon. And you look more capable like this. Much more capable that that pink fleshy thing you were not a moment ago" Black Wing said happily.
"I'm sorry Mr Black Wing. But I'm afraid that I will have to decline you offer. I need to go and find someone so can you please tell me, in which was the place that you found me? And I'm going to need my stuff back, like now." I said. It was time to track down Daring.
"You don't have a choice. I had spent a rather large fortune on you. And I'll be darned if I'm just you walk away. Guard's! Get in there and teach this thing a lesson!" Black Wing yelled.
The three guards opened the cell door and began to walk to me, completely forgetting to close said door behind them. I facepalmed. But as I was rubbing my head, I felt a very slight surge in my forcefield.
I took my claw away from my head and saw that one of the gryphons only had half a stick. I then looked to the ground and, 'Oh look. Half a spear is next to my foot' I said to myself. I looked at the gryphon then back to the spear again. I looked to the gryphon again smirking.
"Are you going to get that?" I asked, watching for any movement of any sort.
He looked at me before looking at the spear on the ground. He did this several times before he began to slowly inch forward to grab it. As he got closer, he stared at me intently, hopeing that I wouldn't react in any way. He got closer and closer and soon he had to break eye contact to find the object he was looking for. This is when I acted.
I balled my right claw into a fist before raising it and bringing it down onto the back of the gryphons head so fast that the other gryphons couldn't follow my movements. I then jumped forwards and did a backwards roundhouse kick to the second guards head with a loud crack, sending him through the cell bars into the cell next to the one I was in before I ran at the last gryphon and slid between his legs, grabbing his talon legs and pulling them with me, resulting in him being flipped onto his back. I then quickly jumped over and punched him in the side of his head, resulting in a knock out.
I stood up and looked at the last gryphon. He looked so scared. And here I was thinking that a gryphon would be a fearless fighter, un-matched in combat, and proud if his or her skills.
Yeah, No.
This was sad. First I absolutely dominate my way through five ponies without even being in my hybrid form. And just now, I very much destroy three gryphons, leaving a fourth shaking in fear so bad that he looks like he's about to drop shit and ru- oh look, there he goes.
He ran. Of course he ran. That is until I used my telekinesis to open another cell door in his path with a flick of my wrist. Yeah, he was looking at me so he didn't see it. But he sure as hell felt it.
As he was dazed on the ground, I walked up to him and grabbed him by his throat and lifted him off the ground. He was still dazed so I gave him a few light slaps to his face to bring him back. I could tell when he did, his eyes widened greatly and he tried to... smile? He had teeth in his beak? How was that possible.
'Ah whatever. This place is just screwed up' I told myself.
"Look man, I'll make you a deal. If you give me my stuff and lead me to the... zebras... you bought me from, I will see if you can get you money back for you and I won't have to drop you too. How's that sound?" I asked. I didn't want to belive that actual 'zebras' were holding Daring, but with how broken this place seemed to be, I was willing to bet that they were.
I had never seen anyone nod their head so fast. I dropped him back to the ground and held out a claw to him. "Deal?" I asked.
He looked at my claw before very carefully placing his talon in it for a handshake. "O-Ok. Deal. At least I won't have had a complete loss, right?" He asked. I just glared at him. " Uh, right. Belongings first. Follow me"
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We had been walking through this fort for about 2 minutes now. And every now and then, some guard gryphon would be all like "why is that dragon following you sir Black Wing?" And Black Wing was smart enough to say "This dragon is a friend of mine and I need to have a word to him about something confidential."
Eventually, we arrived at what I would call an 'evidence room'. He walked over to a table and pulled out a box and set it on a table infront of me. I opened it up and, sure enough, my stuff was inside.
I pulled out my my boots, followed by my socks and then my pants. That reminded me. I checked my pants pocket and found that my pistol was still in there (Thank god). I put on my pant followed by my boots and put my shirt into my pocket.
"Alright Black Wing. Now that this is done. Just lead me to where you bought me and we will conclude this deal" I said.
He looked to me and shuddered. Good, he was still scared of me.
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An hour later, we were walking through some sort of market place. And I saw some things that made.me just want to question logic all together.
"W-We are almost there. Its just around the corner" said Black Wing. Was he still scared of me? Was I that intimidateing to him? Daring seemed pretty courageous around me.
Anyway. We got around the corner of some stalls and that's when I saw a giant pile of cages. In those cages was all different types of animals, some of which I couldn't identify.
"That's it. That building is where I got you" Black Wing said pointing to the same building with the cages around it.
"Alright. I'm going to go inside to try to get information on where there holding Daring Do. Then I will see if you can get you money back. After that, you and I will never have to cross paths again" I said before walking inside and up to the zebra at the counter.
This zebra had its her back to me and was going over some stock papers or something. Needing to get her attention, I rested my claw on the counter top and began to tap my claw tips. She turned and almost fainted when she saw me.
"Y-You!? You are dragon thing we caught two days ago. Why you not in cage?" She yelled.
"Quite simple actually. I'm here to find out where the pony I was with when I got captured is currently being held. Are you able to tell me? Or am I going to have to take this building apart to find out myself?" I asked.
"Uh... She is our prisoner and she is being questioned as we speak. After, we will make her feel as if she was never born!" The zebra yelled at me.
"Alright then, I guess we're going to have to do this the hard way" I said turning around. I closed my eyes and began to search the building telekineticly search the building.
There, third floor, north east corner of the building.
"Ok now that that's done. I'm going to have to ask you to give back the money the gryphon payed for me. He wants it back and I promised that I would get it for him" I said.
"And why would I do that?" She asked.
"Well, let's just say that it would be in your best interest for you and you co-workers."
She pulled out a blow gun and shot it at me. My forcefield took care of that however.
I pulled out my pistol and loaded it. I aimed at the roof beside me and.
*CLICK*
'The hell'
I looked over my weapon to see if I can find out what was wrong with it. Nothing was visibly wrong with it. I pulled out the mag and checked the chamber. No damage what so ever.
'Screw it. I'll deal with it later' I said to myself. Putting it back into my pocket. I looked over and saw her standing there with a raised eyebrow.
"Don't look at me like that. Your weapon was just as effective. I said and her brow furrowed.
"How you do that anyway?" She asked.
"Look, I would rather not have to explain that right now. And I don't even know how it works. I just know that it dose ok?" I said.
I began to walk towards the door that would lead to the stairs, but was stopped by a very angry looking female zebra. "You not go any further. You not alowed in!" She yelled.
I picked her up in my telekinesis and brought her closer to my face. "Please don't make this any harder than it has to be" I said before moveing her to the side and placing her back on the ground.
I walked into the stairwell and began to walk up to the third level, sneaking through the building past many zebras. I walked over the door that Daring was supposed to be behind. But I heard voices inside.
I tried to listen to what was being said, but they were all talking in some foreign language and I couldn't understand it. I then heard what sounded like a slap followed by Daring scream in pain.
That's it. Party's over. I stood up and kicked the door down as hard as I could before jumping into the doorway.
I looked around the room and what I saw made my eyes go wide.
"OH HELL NO!!"
Now, I may be new to this place. But I know rape when I see it.
I reacted in an instant, time seemed to slow down. I sprinted as fast as I could and brought my boot up into the the rapists balls as hard as I could and he just passed out instantly.
I turned and looked at the second zebra, glaring at him so hard that he should have exploded, but he didn't. He ran out of the room and now only me and Daring remained. I turned to look at Daring and my heart almost gave.
She had cuts all over he body, and you could tell that she had been violated repeatedly. Her eyes however, they seemed to almost be grey in colour instead of their natural dark pink. She looked like she was in a lot of pain and the tears in her eyes told me that she was depressed.
I walked over to her, sat next to her and put a claw on her shoulder and she jumped before looking at me with pleading eyes.
"Its ok Dee. Its me, Orion. Your going to be ok. I'll make sure that your safe" I said trying to sound comforting. I must have worked. She relaxed and began to cry again. I just hugged her tightly while she did, trying to be even more comforting. After a few seconds, she put her fore hooves around me and squeezed.
After a few moments of hugging, Dee had stopped crying and looked up to me. "Look Dee. I can heal you if you let me" I said quietly.
She looked over herself before looking back to me and nodding her head slowly. I smiled at her and began to heal her like I did last time, only her injurys were not as deathly.
After a few moments later, I pulled my claws away from Dee's chest and helped her up. She was still shakeing pretty bad, but that was because the damage was emotional, not physical. I went to walk away, but she just stood there, looking at the ground.
I walked back to her and picked her up. I was expecting her to start flailing all over the place, but that wasn't the reaction I got at all. She just lay there.
"Hey, Dee? Is there anywhere you want me to take you. Anywhere at all, and I'll get you there." I offered.
"Canterlot" she whispered out. "Please take me to my home in Canterlot." I smiled at her and began to walk out of the building. Why there was no zebras, I don't know.
I got outside and saw Black Wing standing in an ally. He was looking around nervously for some reason before he spotted me and ran over.
"What in all of Terra did you do in there. Like 70 zebras ran out of that building not to long ago" he said in a hushed tone.
"Well. I would tell you, but I need to get Dee here to Canterlot. Do you want to come with?" I asked.
"Did you get me my money?" He asked.
"Ah shit. Sorry but I forgot but you are welcome to go in and try to find it. I'm not waiting however" I said walking past him.
He looked at the building and then back to me. He then looked back again and saw about 300 zebras run into the building. "Ah creature. Wait for me!" He yelped before running to catch up.
I transformed from my bipedal form to my quadrupedal form before I extended my wings and flew up into the air with Dee on my back and Black Wing beside me. "Ok Dee. Which was is Canterlot?" I asked. She pointed her hoof in a western direction. "Ok Dee. Hold on tight" I said as I began to fly in that direction and I felt her tighten her grip around my neck.
And we had began our trip to this so called Canterlot.
HUZZAH!!!