My little Short Stories

by Paradise Oasis

Embers of hope, part 4

Embers of hope, part 4

"Move it, little pony!" The large brown diamond dog snarled, whipping the whip across the little filly's flank. "Pull that cart of shiny diamonds, or me put you in world of hurt!"

"I'm, trying, I'm trying!" The little filly wailed, as the lash came down. "But's it's so heavy- EEEEEE!"

The sound of Ember's wails filled that cavern, drawing the attention of every dog in the pack. The lash cracked painfully across her back again and again, leaving cuts and scars all over her once pretty coat. The filly pulled harder and harder against the rusty old iron yoke, just to make the beating stop.

"Pease, I'm trying! Please!" Ember cried, falling to her knees. "Twilight, help me, TWILIGGGGHHHHTTTT!!!!"

In the main den far above, the alpha male sat at a table, greedily devouring the various meats the pack had brought to him as tribute. A fatty ham, stolen from the elven towns, a leg of mutton, taken from a human shepherd boy who wasn't watching his flock. The filly's mournful cries made all of the dogs in the chamber grabs their sensitive ears in pain, save for the gluttonous German shepherd sitting at the table's head.

"Ahhhh! Little pony's cries of pain, is symphony to ears." The alpha declared, pleased at the song of suffering coming from the mines below. "Is not screams beautiful sound!"

"Are you crazy? Pony screaming is horrible sound!" The alpha female, a dog who resembled a border collie, growled back at him, plugging her ears with her paws. "Wish racket would stop, so we eat in peace!"

The collie did not like the German shepherd (Diamond Dogs have no names in the common tongue, instead using a specific growl-sound to identify individuals) who had defeated the last male. A sadistic brute from another litter, he seemed to draw pleasure from causing pain. The alpha female didn't like it when a goblin informant had told them about the mysterious pony in Dream Valley who had visions, and she didn't care for how those brutish bulldog grunts were treating said filly in the caverns below.

"Bah, female not see how many gems we unearth? How many shinys pony bring us?" He got up from the table, and trotted down one of the tunnels toward the mines. "Grabbing little pony best move this pack ever made! Besides, pony owe us this for diamonds long ago!"

"Beating innocent child senseless way to get gems? Why males so stupid?" The collie spat angrily, getting up from the table, and following him down the tunnel. "Get better results being kind to pony, rather than making her cry."

"Bah, stupid females, think you know everything!" The alpha male snorted, waving a paw dismissively. "Watch, me get pony to do what we want!"

Walking down to the chamber where the helpless filly pulled against the too-heavy cart, and grabbed her out form the harness by the throat.

"You, little pony! This cavern all out of gems." He snarled, choking her. "Tell us where more gems are, or you served up as my next meal!"

"Okay, okay! Please, just stop hurting me, please!" She pleaded, as the dog threw her back to the ground. "I'll find your diamonds for you!"

Closing her eyes, the filly entered a dreamlike state- she used to not be able to do this on demand, but constant painful beatings were good motivation for practicing a craft- and concentrated. several seconds passed, and she opened them again, staring blankly at the cavern wall before her.

"Down there, to the left." The filly said plainly, pointing to a section of the wall near their feet. "Dig there, and you will find more diamonds."

The filly then collapsed, and the collie rushed over to her side.

"Little pony all right?" She stroked the little filly's mane, then looked up at the bulldogs angrily. "Stupid grunts, you hit filly too hard!"

"Bah, female show pony to much kindness, pony get spoiled." The alpha male barked, walking back up the tunnel towards the den. "Besides, it not like little ponies have feelings anyway."

....

"Your highness, are you sure this is the way to the diamond dogs den?" Paws asked, looking around at the constantly swerving and curving tunnels they had gone through for hours. "It feels like we've been going in circles!"

"Worry not, little pony! Grundle explorers tell me this way they dug to diamond dog den!" The grundle king replied, holding the torch aloft, as the two ponies and about a dozen grundels following him. "We have your friend back in no time!"

"But how can you be sure that these are the dogs that took Ember?" Racer replied, looking around at the winding passageways uncertainly. "She could be anywhere in Ponyland by now!"

"Grundel scouts say, scent of pony stronger down here." The grundel king replied, as they came to a dead end. "Ah, me certain this wall here lead to mine!"

"How can you say that? There's nothing here but a wall!" The colt stamped his hoof angrily. "Man, I can't believe how dumb grundels are!"

"Racer, mind your manners!" Paws chided him. "Your Majesty, if you please?"

The grundel king nodded, and with the help of two of his servants, dug ihs way through the stone wall. On the other side, they could hear the barks and howls of several diamond dog grunts.

"Look, something coming through wall!"

"Is it goblins?"

No, grundels! And they have ponies with them!"

The collie looked up from where she was giving Ember some water, and saw the goblinoids and the equines come though the opening in the mine wall. Standing up, she snarled at the intruders, uncertain of their intent.

"Look, they have Ember!" Racer yelled, pointing an accusing hoof at the dogs. "Grundels, get em'!"

But instead of attacking, the grundel king walked up to the alpha female, and bowed.

"So sorry to intrude, nice dog lady," The king smiled his grotesque teeth at her. "But me saw this lovely little pony you have there, and wondering if you would part with her!"

"So, grundels want to trade, hm?" The collie barked back. The two then started communicating in grunts and squeals, leaving the two foals in the dark as to what was going on.

"Wait, what are they doing, growling at each other?" Racer asked, as the two rushed over to Ember. "Both Diamond dogs and the grundels are dumb!"

"Racer! Can't you see something else is going on here? I think they're parleying." Paws snorted angrily, as they looked their now unconscious friend over. "Just because their cultures are different than ours, doesn't mean they are stupid!"

"If you say so Paws, you're the canine expert." Racer sighed, shrugging his hooves. "Still looks like a bunch dumb animals grunting at each other."

"So we have deal?" The grundel king smiled, showing the bugs in his teeth. "You let pony go, and we give you large gem tribute?"

"Is deal." The two shook paw and hand, nodding at each other. "Only you better get out of here, before-"

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!?" The alpha male roared, barreling back down the tunnel after one of the other dogs had run to warn him what was occurring. "Female, you betraying your pack?!?"

But before anyone could react to anything, a while Pegasus and a unicorn suddenly came sliding down another tunnel, as if they were on a sliding board. They landed right into the middle of the whole fracas, causing evey eye in the cavern to turn to them.

"Ohhh, look Twist!" The crazy mare told her friend. "I think we found the Diamond Dogs!"

"Uh oh..." Twist replied, looking around nervously. "I think we're in big trouble now..."

Comments

[FleetlordAvatar]

This going to get interesting pretty quick.