//------------------------------// // Chapter Eleven: Dragon // Story: The Element of Willpower // by Redwolf15 //------------------------------// Chapter Eleven Dragon "You sure you know where it is?" Asks Flora. "For the millionth time: Yes!" Shining Armor says. He's starting to get annoyed from us constantly asking him. But to be fair, we have been searching for days after he kept saying 'Should be over here.' We're all starting to question his directive ability. "Guy's maybe we should stop, the kids are getting tired." We look back to see Shantze and Light Flicker snoozing on Sharla's back. They try doing their part to help search, but their young and need rest. "I suppose you're right." Shining Armor yawns. "We could all use some rest." "I'm not that tired." I say. "I'm gonna find us some food." "Bring meat this time!" Flora calls after me. She's been kind of agitated recently. Probably because she's in some sort of meat withdrawal, she's had nothing to eat but whatever grows from the ground. I doubt she has never not had meat in her life. Only Shining Armor, Light Flicker and Flex are the vegetarians so they don't seem to mind not having meat. I asked Shining Armor what the Diamond Dog Cave was and why it was in Equestria. He told me that Diamond Dogs don't have a king or absolute ruler like the ponies do, they keep to their separate packs. But the Cave was the only place where all Diamond Dog packs will meet each other to discuss matters like negotiate territory, new threats arises, so on so forth. So if we find the Cave all we have to do is ask to meet with the alphas present and decide whether to hear our story. When they discuss something but one of them disagrees, well, Shining Armor described it to me like when the pirate lords from Pirates of the Caribbean gathered together at Shipwreck Cove and 'discussed' whether to free Calypso. Sharla said that it was madness how they make decisions amongst each other in such a way. I couldn't help myself, and in my best Captain Jack Sparrow impression I told her 'that was politics'. No one got the joke. Apparently the Cave must never be abandoned, at the bare minimum three packs must stay at all times so if something were to occur, they would send messengers out across the world and summon each pack. As to why it is Equestria, no one is certain. Diamond Dogs have been in that Cave since, well forever. Even before the rule of Celstia and Luna. Some say that they were the first natives of Equestria, not ponies. I get pretty far from the group, picking berries, fruits, nuts, and stalk what ever prey may be around. Heh, it's funny how life turns out. Who would have guessed that someone like myself would come to Equestria only to be on a mission to defeat Discord, the god of Chaos. And to travel with such an odd group, an alien, two griffins, a phoenix, two unicorns, one being Shining Armor, and a harpy. I laugh at life's funny way of planing things. Then I begin hearing trees topple over. Something was making its way through the forest and heading towards me. My initial instinct is to hide, but I say 'screw you instinct, I'm staying.' Something is toppling the trees, and whatever it is, I wanted to know. The sound of trees falling grew louder. My heart starts beating rapidly, I don't know if it's from nervousness or excitement. I hear thudding, they're foot steps, big foot steps. It's getting closer. Closer. Closer! I start to- Hey what smells like brimstone? A dragon bursts from the trees, a huge, purple dragon. He was a titan towering over me. Great leathery wings blocked the sun from my view, the scales were so shiny that the glittered off the light, horns grew out the back of his head like it was a crown. His teeth are gleaming white with two powerful arms in front with razor sharp claws. I draw Silver Fang, ready for what to expect. He looks at me "Well, well, well, what do we have hear?" His voice is a deep growl with great force before it. "You talk?" I ask it a little surprised. In the show we've seen spike talk plenty, and those teenage dragons, and also that huge one that made a den near Ponyville. But I just assumed that stuff like vocal communication was pointless for beasts that were just about at the top of the food chain. "Surprised? Yes, I would understand your confusion. Bah! But what am I doing wasting my voice on you? Begone from my sight!" Without a second thought, he blasts me with fire. I instantly use my own to counter act his. My flame was smaller than his, but as the two met, they pushed at each other, neither would give in to the other. We were evenly matched. I could feel the heat of his breathe, it put the sun to shame. We quit this pointless battle of fire power. "Hmmm. Phoenix fire. Only fire stronger than our own. You actual impress me small morsel." "I got a name you know." I can feel my legs shake. I don't know which it is that's making them do that, fear or excitement. Both? "Why would I care for your presence? I should just kill you, another pest out of the way. But, there are few who have ever impressed me such as yourself. I shall be lenient with you and overlook this petty ordeal. Now, stand aside." "Who said you get to make the decisions?" I don't listen and stand my ground. Why? Why do I do it? He's a dragon for God's sake! He can rip me apart within seconds. "Heh, you're just going to leave? After what you just did? I don't think so! You and me, we've started a battle, and only one ever walks away from a battle." Idiot! Take his offer and leave! You're going to get yourself killed! He looks at me, a bit confused at my action, but also something else, impressed. He sees something in me he hasn't seen in others for a long time. Pride. "Who am I you ask? I am the Dragon Lord, my word is law!" He unfolds his wings and stands on his two legs, giving him an intimidating appearance. What? Dragon Lord? You'd think someone with such a title would be known. So why haven't the others told me about him? A smile creeps along his face. "And you, you are a good one. Confidence, pride, honour, strength, nobility. Many of the most important traits in a creature. You are a true warrior. Very well, I shall give you your duel, and only one will walk away." With one motion, he swipes his arm at me. I dive low to the ground, his arm going right over my head. I push myself up and see his other one coming down on me. I dodge left before I'm impaled and his claws dig into the dirt, he brings them back, his claws cut through the earth like hot butter. He looks at me, his eyes asking me if I really want to continue this? I answer his with my own glare saying 'Bring it!' A malicious grin reveals his teeth. He opens his mouth and tries his luck by biting me this time. I roll to one side and watch his long neck stretch past me as his teeth bite into a huge tree and rip it apart. I go for my chance and bring my sword up. With all my might I swing down to cut off his head. My sword stops as it comes into contact. What? It didn't cut? Crap that's right, dragon scale is near unbreakable, stronger than diamond. I'm screwed now. He whips his head, knocking me over. He pins me to the ground, digging his claws in the earth around me to keep me trapped. I'm dead. "Truly is a shame to see such a creature with so much potential die. You knew that you could not win didn't you? And yet you still challenged me, knowing that victory was impossible. You may not be a dragon, but you were proud and noble to the end." With what seemed like a blessing, he opens his mouth, ready to torch me. I can hear the roar of fire as it makes its way up. But he was cut short. The ground began to shake and crumble around us. He stops before the fire reaches the 'no turning back now' sign and looks around, worried. "No." He says in a low hush, I could see in his eyes that he knew what was happening. He quickly wraps both of his massive hands around and holds me close to his body. The ground beneath us gives way and we fall. The Dragon Lord bounces off one wall and the next, shielding me. He lands hard on the ground, my body shakes but I survive. He saved me. I lay on his tough chest. His underside isn't scaled, but it feels rough and would probably be difficult to cut through. I look at him as the dust settles. "You saved me. Why would you do that? Why save me if you were already about to kill me?" I ask him. He rolls on his legs. "Because, you challenged me to a duel to the death. It is my honour and right to be the one to deal the final strike, no one else's. I saved you so I can kill you later, nothing more, nothing less." Well that's reassuring. We begin hearing laughter, hard gravelly laughter. All around us. I light my sword, we're in a large cave with many tunnels connecting to it from everywhere. And Diamond Dogs. Lots and lots of Diamond Dogs, all wearing armour and holding spears, swords, clubs, or nets. And they look happy, in the bad way. I think I found the Cave. The Dragon Lord looks like he's about to tear them all to pieces, which I'm sure he'll do. I step forward bravely. The Diamond Dogs begin to quiet down seeing that I have something to say. "My name is Jesse Ruesgen. I am an alien of this world look for your assistance. I wish for your alphas to listen to what I have to say." The all go dead quiet. "What matters do you have here alien?" A large pit bull looking Dog walks up to me. He stands a tall six and a half feet, little bigger than Balto with a harsh voice. He holds a spear with a long black gem at the end, cut to a fine point. "Corig!" The Dragon Lord yell his name with all his rage and spits it like it was poison. The large Diamond Dog laughs. "Hello, old friend." He says in a mocking tone. The Dragon Lord roars at him. "You know each each other?" Asking them both. "Yes, we were friends once. A lifetime ago." The Dragon Lord says a little ashamed that he was. "Until your damn iguanas turned on us!" "We did no such thing! You knew our customs, it was your mutts that were the culprits!" They growl at each other, one ready to rip the others head off. And I think they might just do that. "Hey settle down!" I step in between the two. "Believe it or not but there is some out there that needs your attention. I take it you are one of the alphas here?" The Diamond Dogs laughs as if I just told the funniest joke in the world. "One of 'em? Hah, kid I am THE alpha. Every pack does what I tell 'em and their alphas, and none complain!" "What? But I was told that there was no king alpha. You all just followed the alpha from your pack and that's that." The hell? "Yeah? Well now there is a king alpha. I decide what's good for them, and they listen. End of story. But you say you have something that needs my attention, eh? Alright boy, let's hear it." "Discord, the god of chaos has returned and is stronger than ever before. We need the strength and tunnelling expertise of the Diamond Dog packs to help defeat him." I announce so all can hear me. "Discord? Never heard of him. What's so great about this guy that we have to risk our necks for?" Corig asks. "Never heard of him? He ruled Equestria for centuries. If he's not stopped chaos will wash over the entire world, everything will be wrong." I protest. "Meh, I don't care, its got nothing to do with us." He shrugs it off. "But everything and everyone will be affected by his chaos, including you. Your way of life will be threatened-" "I said its got nothing to do with us! Take the alien and throw him in a cage, he'll be good use picking gems. And capture the dragon, but don't kill him, I want us to catch up on old times." He turns around and walks away, the other dogs jumped down from their perches and surrounded us. "Hey, remember how you said that you were the only one to kill me?" I ask the dragon back towards him. Yeah..." He said not paying much attention to anything but Corig. "Well, if we don't form a temporary truce, I think neither of us will get the chance to kill the other." "Agreed." And with that he lets out a blast of fire, cooking four dogs while the other's dodged. I ram my sword in one of them as he tried jumping me. Another threw a net over top me, but I cut through as my sword melted past the wires. One grabs my right arm, with my left I grab my knife and stab his fore arm, he lets out a painful howl as he lets go. The Dragon Lord was blasting many with his fire, some were too slow to get out of the way. He slashed at them with his razor sharp claws and cut them to ribbons. They jumped on his back, trying to get past his armoured scales, but with no luck. Some were crushed as he rolled over them. We fought them one after the other, holding our own, but there were so many. They keep coming at us, left and right, front and back, above and below, there was no end to them. They come at us in small groups, testing us. A bolo ball wrap around the Dragon Lord and gets tied up, forcing him to come crashing down. They gang up and start striking his unprotected areas and beat him with clubs. He tries burning them but his mouth is closed shut. I run to his rescue, but one Diamond Dog jumps at me, I stab him in the gut but his momentum and weight were too great for me to lift. I fall under a dead Diamond Dog's body. The others lift it off and capture me. The room gets a little darker as my sword is taken from me and the fire dies out. The alpha, Corig, walks up to the Dragon Lord and pats him on the head, smirking at his triumph. The Dragon Lord thrashes around, trying to kill him anyway he can. The other dogs laugh at him, powerless and in their mercy. He walks up to me and is given my sword. He swings it around. "Nice blade, how did you get it to catch fire?" I spit in his face. One dog punches me with his huge fist, nearly breaking my jaw. Corig stops him from delivering another and wipes the spit off. "I'm gonna enjoy breaking you." He says with a smile and does the punches me. The room goes pitch black as I go limp and unconscious.