//------------------------------//
// Dogs 
// Story: Rainbow's Lonesome Road 
// by Centurion Pike-Wall 
//------------------------------//

The two armored dogs pressed forward, but Void backpedaled, keeping just out of spear range. All the while, she tried to look for a way to escape. She could always just run; being a quadroped, she could likely outrun them. But she shoved that thought aside. She already was hungry, tired, and had little water. If she tried to run, she likely couldn't outrun them. Even if she could escape, it would cost her valuable resources.

The leader had grown impatient. He barked, "Stop standing around like stunted pups! Just beat her down!" 

with this encouragement, the two of them rushed her. At seemingly the same time, the thrust their spears down. She shot back, then swung her knife. She He had hoped to cut off the tips of the spears, but they were too thick. She managed to break one, but the other was renched free. The dog with the intact spear rushed her again, while the other just looked dumbly at his broken weapon. 

The dog attacking her just lunged it at her, trying to poke her. She knew that while she was faster, it has reach; she had to get inside that reach. During one thrust, she ducked under it and bounced at him. He simply brought his free arm up and smacked her back. When she tried to recover, he kicked her, sending her sprawling on her side. He came in close, raising his spear over his head. The leader then intervened. 

"No you fool, we want her alive. Bring her into the tunnel! And you get over here," he barked. The leader stood impatiently, tapping his foot on the ground. The dog over streak lowered his spear and reached down to scoop her up. Void, thinking a million miles a second, grabbed her knife off the ground with her mouth. Not seeming to notice, the dog swung her around, hoisting her into his shoulder as he began to walk toward the hole he came from. Seeing an opportunity, she spat the knife handle into her forehoof, and brought it down on an opening on his back. The knife slide past his fur with ease, burying itself up to the hilt in the dogs back. The dog howled in pain, a stream of blood shooting out onto the sand. The dog fell to his knees as Void drew the knife back out and thrust in again. Another wound, another squirt of blood, any howl of pain. Two more thrusts left the dog on the ground. He convulsed, breathing raggedly, before stopping and laying perfectly still.

The leader and the other dog stood in shock, stunned that the 'weak, little pony' had just killed one of their number. The leader choked out, "Is-Is he dead!?" When they all saw his movement stop, he barked at the other armored dog, " Kill that mongrel! "

Throwing aside the his broken spear, the other dog lowered his head and rushed her like a bull. She tried to pull her knife from the dead ones back, but it must have gotten stuck in a bone or something; no matter how hard she pulled, the knife stayed stuck in the dogs back. She looked up, trying to brave herself from the charge, just in time for the dog to plow into her. She was thrown from the corpse, and was sent sprawling in the sand. her hat rolled off the side as she got a great view of the clear blue sky. She had no time to recompose herself, when the dog was upon her, trying to use the horns of his helmet as a sharp weapon. She used her forehooves to grab the horns, doing all in her power to avoid being gored by them. This left her vulnerable to the dogs arms, which shot out around her struggling forelegs, grippingping her windpipe, where in he began to squeeze.

She felt air being blocked as her lungs tried to dispose of the spent oxygen in her lungs. Fresh oxygen unable to enter her system, she began to choke. Gagging and strangled protests escaped her mouth as her mouth opened as wide as it could, desperately trying to get even the smallest scrap of precious air. While she tried to stand her ground, her eyes drifted around her. Then, she felt something brush up against her head. A rock! While not a weapon, it was better the then nothing! Using her already open mouth to trip it, she swung her head up, the hard and weathered rock smacking the dog in the head. His helmet fell from it as he slumped over onto his side, blood leaking from a small sound caused by the rock on his head. Her windpipe now free, she sucked up air, taking In and out long, ragged breaths.

A loud snarl drew her attention back to the current situation. She looked up at the leader, who had redraw his club. While it was basically just a thick piece of wood with a few nails sticking out of it, Void knew he could kill her with it. So she looked around desperately for a weapon. The only one she could find that she could get out was the spear of the first armored dog. Despite the fact the dog was bigger then her, the spear was pretty small, meaning she could use it with little issue. She lifted it off the ground with one of her forehooves, and shot a glare his way. "You know, this is your last warning. You can always run away." 

" No! Die! " he yelled back. He then charged her, his club raised over his head. At the last minute, Void sidestepped. As the dog ran past her, she got up on her hind legs, gripping the spear with both hooves. The dog whirled around, just in time for Void to thrust the spear into his chest. He dropped the club, both paws moving to try and remove the spear. He failed, collapsing backward, which ironically forced the spear tip out of his chest. He hit the ground, and didn't move a muscle.

Void looked around her, taking In her handiwork. She walked over to the dog with the knife in its back, throwing the spear onto the ground. It was still stuck in there good, but after a few good yanks. She slid the knife back into its scabard, and began to search the dogs. The first dog she killed had on him....nothing. She walked over to the other one, but when she got close she noticed that this one was alive.

She redrew her knife, but the dog raised a hand. "N-no, p-p-please. P-p-*Cough, cough*-lease." Void stood there, contemplating what to do. The rational, and cold, part of his mind said to kill him; he attacked her first. Plus, he may call more friends, or just attack her from behind. The other part of her head said that he could have been forced to, or was desperate. Plus, if she just killed him in cold blood, how was she any better then them. Eventually, the latter part of her mind won out. 

"Don't make me regret this." She then turn away from him, who began muttering "Thank you, thank you, thank you." over and over, and walked over to the leader. He had on a leather jerkin, and a belt with pouches, so he had to have something. After patting him down and sifting through his pouches, she didn't find much. A few sticks of dried meat (which she promptly threw in the sand), a rag, some gems that she could sell, a empty sack, and a elastic collar. When she backed up, she looked down at him one last time. She noticed that, despite the difference in body shape, she could probably fit the jerkin. She unclipped the cloak, laid it on the sand, and lifted up the corpse to pull it off. It took a little bit of trial and error, but she did manage to get it onto her. It fit a little snuggly, and did smell of meat, but was relatively ok. Plus it would give some added protection and storage space. She slid her cloak back on, picked up the spear and swung it over her shoulder, and marched off.