Forged in Battle
Digger had been tormented by that thing. After he and his fellow dogs had been knocked out by the black shrouded creature, he was looking for some payback as he rubbed the lump on his head. When he reported to the Alpha what had happened, the Alpha had told him to capture the creature, he had thought it was going to be relatively easy but Digger was still a little wary. The creature looked sickly and scrawny with no fur except for what was on its head. It had the appearance of an ape of some sort, and the thing had been wearing clothes, so Digger had thought it must have been an escaped animal from a zoo or perhaps someone’s lost pet, maybe from that yellow pegasus mare that took care of animals.
Alpha had thought it would sell well at the Outsiders Market, especially since it looked so exotic. Given the fact it could also fight, it might also do well in the gaming pits too.
His suspicions were confirmed when one of the pack stepped onto a hidden trap of some kind. The dog howled in pain as it had its feet swept out from under him and he fell with a hard thump. Whatever had hit the dog was moving too fast for him to react. Another trap struck another dog, piercing up through its foot. Another dog down.
Digger was beginning to think this ape wasn't an ape.
They had followed it to the Everfree ruins. All of the other dogs were waiting in the tree line on the far side of the bridge, waiting impatiently for Alpha to signal the beginning of the attack. Digger watched as Alpha calmly walked to the bridge, raise his head and howled. This was the beginning of the attack. The creature had also heard it, as Digger had seen it poke its head out of a broken window. They had all agreed that because it had harmed fellow Diamond Dogs they would eat its flesh, even if it surrendered to them despite what Alpha wanted.
Alpha yelled to the ape, "Ape, come out and give yourself up! If you surrender you will be spared!" The ape did nothing. After a few seconds Alpha ordered Digger and two other dogs to lead the charge against the ape. They had not yet crossed the bridge. However, when they had almost reached the other side, the ape appeared in the castle doorway with a tree branch and a crossbow.
“I don’t obey dogs.” It shouted back, “Where I come from, dogs obey their masters!” Then he took the stick and waved it and said almost mockingly, “Here boy! Get the stick!” He then whistled a couple of times,“ Get the stick! That’s a good boy!” as he threw the stick towards them. The canines looked at the stick and then back up at the human. “Stupid dogs.” Alex said to himself but loud enough on purpose so that they could hear.
Alex then shouldered his crossbow and aimed.
The bolt came away from the bow and flew at them. Landing at their feet. The tip impacted the ground and stuck. A warning shot had been fired.
An entire pack of the huge bipedal dog like creatures stood before Alex. The only thing separating them from him was a rickety old bridge and a chasm, and a few booby traps on the far side of the bridge he had set up. “I have a feeling they aren’t your typical friendly door-to-door salesmen.”
It didn’t matter, Alex had grabbed the crossbow and set up in the archway of the door. The dogs had started to cross the bridge. He waited for the first three dogs to start across the bridge. He pulled the trigger. The bolt hit the front thigh of the first dog. It went down with a “Yipe”. The rest of the pack had tried to make it across the bridge trying to clamor over their fallen comrade and two fell off and into the chasm when some foot planks he has booby trapped gave way. Two more shots and two more dogs went down howling in pain as they fell off the bridge. That made five so far. These dogs weren't very smart were they? "The battle of Kasserine Pass" Alex thought. "Keep trying to run the gauntlet, and just keep getting slaughtered."
Alex had just enough time to load another bolt in his crossbow and fire it. Another dog went down. By this time they had made their way across the bridge. “There was no time to reload.” Alex thought. “Ranged weapons were no good now. Time to get up close and personal.” He mumbled as he closed the door and drew his sword as the dogs came bursting through the front door.
Alex stood his ground and began to fight for his very life.
As Alex slashed at another dog, he heard movement from behind and then yelling.
He couldn't get out the way fast enough. The dog slammed into his back and his sword flew out of his hands a couple of feet away.
He rolled over onto his back just in time to see a giant paw coming down on a collision course with his head. He rolled to the left and onto his feet and ducked as the canine sent another paw his way. It sprung and tackled Alex to the stone floor once again and was about to bring it's fangs down upon his head.
Alex raised his left arm, and its fangs punctured his arm instead. He screamed out in pain and managed to reach his right arm across to his left side and grab his dagger. Swinging around with an underhand grip, his arm still in its mouth, the knife punctured the dog's right side possibly punctured a lung. This caused the dog to let out a yelp thus releasing his left arm.
His arm now free, Alex threw a punch, and jerked the dagger towards himself. There was a loud crack and Alex was pretty sure he broken its nose.
While doing this, he had also managed pull his feet up, and brace them against its chest. With a heavy shove he kicked the dog off of himself. It was a lot lighter than it looked. After he was off, and rolling onto all fours, Alex rolled over onto his chest and pushed himself up quickly grabbing his sword from where it had fallen. At the same time Alex felt a heavy paw slash across his back.
Alex couldn't feel the pain in his left arm or his back, as his survival instincts had kicked in full swing. Another dog was now attacking and he charged at it sword at the ready. It was trying to bring his paw up to block. Alex swung at him, using his one hundred- eighty five pound frame to knock the dog to the ground. A large gash across its chest. It fell back letting another Diamond Dog take its place.
More dogs came as Alex backed up until his back was against interiors wall. There were still nine or ten more of the ugly canines left.
Just as Alex was about to accept this situation as his last stand, He looked up through the gash in the throne rooms ceiling. He had noticed that the once clear skies now had storm clouds beginning to churn and lightning and thunder began to clap. The remaining Diamond Dogs attention was also directed to the sky. Their ears were folded back and sniffing the air as they looked around as if expecting something.
Then suddenly a lightning bolt shot from the sky right through an opening in the chambers ceiling, BOOM! The bolt hit the floor right in front between Alex and the dogs throwing them back a fair distance leaving and a burn spot on the tiled floor. Alex shielded his eyes as the brightness of the flash faded away and in its place there stood a tall jet black pony!
It had a horn on its head and bat shaped wings but still covered in feathers. But that wasn’t what caught Alexs’ attention though, when it raised its head to its full stature it opened its eyes.
Its eyes! Its piercing blue eyes were CATS EYES!… AND THEY WERE GLOWING! The dogs were all frozen in surprise by the pony that stood before them.
Alex felt his heart rate go up as it looked right at him and gave him a wide Cheshire Cat type smile. Were those fangs? FANGS! Horses weren’t supposed to have freakin’ FANGS! It then turned back to the remaining Diamond Dogs and spoke. Its voice echoing off the chambers walls.
“I WILL WARN YOU ONLY ONCE MONGROLS! LEAVE THIS PONY BE, OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!”
Alex, despite his battered and bruised condition still had enough cheekiness in him to sing out in a raspy voice…..
“Someone’s gettin’ in trouuuuuuuuuble!” He sang in the neener song.
The canines looked at the pony that stood before them and since they outnumbered her about nine or ten to one, figured that they could take her. She was powerful, that was certain, and would be a great asset digging for gems. They decided to not heed her warning and attack.
The battle was very one sided and soon the dogs were lying on the floor whimpering in pain.
All of them.
It then turned its reptilian eyes towards Alex.
Alex felt a cold chill run down his spine and he held his sword in his right hand pointing it at the dark creature while at the same time holding his injured left arm close to his body.
The dark mare took slow measured steps toward Alex.
“Don’t you come any closer!” he warned as the mare approached. “I’m warning you! STAY BACK!” as he took some feeble swipes at the mare who stood just out of reach.
“Please, do not fear me.” It said in a soft voice. “Every pony fears me. Please, I promise, I will not harm you.”
“Why shouldn’t I?” Alex yelled still holding his sword pointed at the mystery mare. “I know who you are! Your kind are all the same!” Alex shouted.
“Alex. Do you not recognize my voice? Put the weapon down please.” It said in a soft kind voice. “I am the one who promised to help you with your nightmares. I promised I would be there for you whenever you needed me.”
As she walked towards Alex slowly, there was the telltale sound and sight of magic as it swirled around the mare revealing Princess Luna in her true form. “You once called me Sarah. Do you not remember?”
He looked the mare up and down and remained silent for some time. Luna started getting a little nervous and just a tad self conscious as he continued to stare at her.
Alex took a deep breath through his nostrils and let it out.
He smelled a familiar smell, the scent of lavender.
“Oh Alex, I am soooooooo very sorry for how I mistreated you. Luna said. “For how all of us have mistreated you.” As her head bowed in shame. “Please…….Allow me to make it right.”
Alex looked at the princess that stood before him with her head bowed in earnest penance before him and smiled a crooked smile due to his swollen lip from the fight as he said. “You’ll have to forgive my rather unkempt appearance your majesty.” As he struggled to stand at his full height and saluted with his sword. “It appears that congratulations are in order princess. It looks like you win the hunt.” At the same time giving a bow to the princess.
It was at this moment that the adrenaline, racing through his body, gave out. His sword fell from his hand and clattered to the floor as he slid down the wall to the cold marble flooring. Luna noticed the wide smear of red on the wall come into view as he slid down into a somewhat sitting position.
“I’m cold.” He mumbled as he fell over and slipped into unconsciousness. A small pool of blood very slowly began to form on the floor underneath him.
Luna was suddenly in a panic!
“NO. NO. Please Alex! Don’t do this! Not now! Not after all this time!” She cried!