//------------------------------// // Icon of Dominance // Story: Elements Change the Dark Hearts // by Nightmare_0mega //------------------------------// Hours passed by since Rarity fell asleep in her prison, having exhausted herself from sobbing against the rock her head lay upon. Silence lingered in that deep cell below the soil and rock during that time. Not a single soul came to disturb the cold and mute isolation, which was perhaps for the best. The little mare had no desire to let reality intrude on her peace. Not while she had little hope of freedom in the near future. She also had no desire to deal with those ghastly beasts, as she would put it, and entertain their threats for any more than she already had. Not while she wanted to keep some of her dignity intact for as long as she could. The stagnant and still air of her stone walled cage stood testament to these small mercies. A small shift in the pile of rocks over a stilled cellmate near the mare caused her to stir gently, but not waken. However, with a sudden gasp for air, the goliath under the rubble regained his senses, with slight twinges of pain that scraped at his less than stone like flesh. It was a miracle that his body did not give out during the fall, and only merely lost consciousness for a short amount of time. It was also a miracle that the amount of rock matter upon him wasn't enough to weigh him down indefinitely. The amount there was an inconvenience at best no doubt, but he'd be able to work with it. He shifted his body slightly, trying to pry his arms from under the heavier boulders with only moderate success. With a grunt, he freed his left arm, causing the rocks from it to tumble away from him and loudly smack against the walls. Rarity remained sleeping. Reaching up to his chest, he gripped the sharp stone irritant that was embedded in his right, just below the collar bone, and slowly began to pull. As a vampire, his flesh has the ability to close as soon as it's cleaved. This was both an advantage and disadvantage to his kind. Being impaled was that disadvantage. The wound would stay open as long as the foreign object remains, and would also make it fairly difficult for one to remove it after. As such, it took a fair bit of effort on his part before he yanked the rock free from him, and tossed it angrily against the wall. It clattered and cracked loudly before it finally rested against the ground, dripping a small amount of blood from the sharp tip. Rarity remained sleeping. Now that he was free from the annoyance, Dumah got to work on moving the heavier rocks from his other side. Carefully, he lifted the weight from his other arm, and slipped it out with no small effort of twisting and shifting it. With both arms free, he lowered the rocks back down onto the empty space his arm used to occupy. He began to sit up, he started moving the heavier rocks from his abdomen and legs, slowly and carefully freeing himself completely. As he stood up, keeping his posture hunched to avoid striking his head against the ceiling, Dumah vacated from his spot and moved towards the rock barred entrance. Before he reached it, he stepped upon a rock, and crushed it loudly. There was a stirring noise. Turning his head to the side and looking down, he noticed that the little pony that traveled with him was looking up at him with bleary eyes. They stared at each other for a moment, before Rarity yawned lightly and stood up. Dumah's raised an eyebrow as Rarity's own eyes teared up. Within that moment, she suddenly lunged forward and hugged his dented armored leg. To say that he was taken back by the gesture would have been an understatement. "What in god's name are you doing?" Dumah asked flatly. Rarity sniffled lightly as she looked up at him. "I thought," she hiccuped, "I thought s-something awful happen to you-hu-hoo~o!" Glaring down, he gently shook her off. "You do not even know me. Save your pathetic blubbering for someone that TRULY concerns you." Huffing, Rarity gently rubbed her face and glared back at the mutant vampire. She gave a small sniffle before barking back at him, "Well, PLEASE excuse me for having sympathy for someone that could have been crushed under all of that stone!" The vampire scoffed, and merely moved up to the thick stone bars. He gripped a few of them, and readied himself to pull. Before he started pulling though, the unicorn spoke up once again. "I don't mean to be a bother, but do you mind telling me what you hope to accomplish?" "I'm leaving this forsaken hole. I must continue north." "You're leaving? Just like that? Those stalagmites and stalactites seem ever so-" There was a loud crack, as Dumah pulled free the offending rocks, and tossed them aside, before moving onto another set. "... sturdy." It took him a few moments, but he cleared enough away that allowed him to step out of the cell and into the tunnel. Scanning from left to right, he picked a direction, and started walking. Rarity hopped out and, with no sense of location or protection of any sort in case she might get caught, followed after him. Dumah noticed, and looked back at her. She halted in her tracks. "Why are you following me?" he demanded. "Well," she started, "I'm stranded in a tunnel, they want to turn me into a slave, and I don't think I'd be able to get out of here on my own. As much as I hate to be a bother, I would like to stay close to you on the off chance those horrible dogs find me. Not that I'm completely helpless, but I'd rather not press my luck." He raised an eyebrow for a moment before saying "Your honesty is refreshing. Very well. Follow, but don't speak." With that, he continued moving forward as Rarity trotted behind him. -o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o- Deep in the bowels of the tunnels of dust, gems, and labor, dozens of dirtied and tired Diamond Dogs dug against the rock and dirt, mindlessly looking for their jewels. Paws were sore and scuffed from the ceaseless digging against the grime. The occasional howls of pain would halt this process, to which worn pickaxes were brought in to strike out the stone where the poor dog scraped its chipped nails on. No sympathies were given to the injured, as they would be quickly and crudely patched up before returning to their walls. Troughs of water, one for cleaning the tools, one for drinking, were normally thick with grime every day due to heavy use, despite being changed every two days. It was very much a thankless job, but to them, the reward in the end was worth it. For the haul that they would collect at the end of the week, the majority would go to the King, but the rest would be divided among each other. Each consolation that every diamond dog got was a precious little reminder of why they did what they did; why they slaved for days on end for their master, sweating, bleeding, and crying. A small pinch of those glorious little rocks. Perfectly cut, perfectly shaped, all theirs to enjoy and trade away for whatever they need. It was a humble life, and as much as they wished they could get more without rigorous hording, the King as expressed that times were tough. That equipment for mining, food and water, and even the clothes they wear had cost a considerable fortune, and what they get for pay is a very generous sum. They dared not argue such logic. The sound of a battered flugalhorn bellowed through the caverns. Every single Diamond Dog stopped whatever they were doing, and proceeded to the exits of the mining areas. Mindlessly, they filed down the halls of familiar paths and entered the Heart Chamber, the very core of their network of tunnels. There, at the epicenter of this massive room, seated comfortably at the back end, was a dog vastly different from the rest. While Diamond Dogs, with varying degrees of heights and fur hues, tend to all look similar, the one they all looked towards commanded an ominous air. He was a slender, wolfish looking being, with a battered golden crown upon his head, and a bison fur cape draped around his shoulders. His paws and feet displayed well trimmed and sharpened claws, with his structure, as slim as it was, flaunted a cut physique under his very jagged fur. His eyes were a piercing blue, and his canine fangs were elongated. Most terrifying of all to the dogs was what was gripped in his right hand. The Rod of Obedience, he called it. It was a golden scepter that was misshapen and bulbous at its height, but possessed a diabolical aura about it. Not a single dog dared to challenge the Rod. "Step forward, Rover," the King hissed, sporting a low baritone voice. Out of the crowd, the dog that previously taunted Rarity a few hours ago, and had recently injured his paw on stone while mining, stepped forth with a slight shiver. "Y-yes, King Cerberus?" he asked, hesitant. The King rose from his throne, and slowly approached Rover, whom began to quake a little more for every inch his master took toward him. It didn't help that all of the other dogs took a step back away out of instinct for every foot-fall the king made. When his King was close enough, Rover shut his eyes in fear. "You may have failed me, my subject, but redemption is at hand. You will not get the Rod. How is our 'guest'?" He spoke, gentle this time. "Ms. Rari-" "SILENCE!" King Cerberus shouted at the top of his lungs, raising his Rod above Rover's head. The dog shrank, shutting his eyes again. King Cerberus lowered it back down again, slowly, and pointed the bulbous end of it at Rover. "You will not say that mule's name in my presence. She stole from me. Stole from us. Her punishment is at hand, and she will pay for her crimes, in triple." Rover opened his eyes, surprised at what his king said. "T-triple?!" "Yes... Triple. A fair amount for stealing from us, disgracing us, and humiliating us. It is an equal punishment to fit the crimes. Even if she must work until she dies exhausted, she will. It will be a lesson to all who dare steal from us." He declared to the crowd around him, his scepter raised triumphantly, before he looked back down at Rover. "Do you understand me, subject?" Rover nodded quickly, as his paws fidgeted against each other, trying desperately to calm his nerves. King Cerberus lowered his scepter before slowly moving toward his throne. Stopping in front of it, he thought for a moment about what to do. With so much effort being used just to set up such a trap for the prisoner, he didn't entirely want to let her rest for too long before her sentencing hour. Rolling his jaw in thought, he finally came to a decision. "Bring our guest here. I will personally set her with her new occupation. See to it that she's treated kindly." Before he motioned to take his seat, he turned to Rover once more. "Do not fail me again," he threatened. Upon sitting, he pointed to one of the guards of his chamber, whom was dressed in standard issue spiked iron armor. "You. Hector. Escort him to the dungeons, and assist him in bringing the work horse here. As for the lot of you... you are dismissed. Return to your posts." The diamond dogs all bowed in unison before making their way out of the Heart Chamber. All except for Rover and the guard dog escort, who made their way towards the tunnel that would bring them to the deepest part of the networks. As much as Rover liked the idea that the horse of his discontent would soon be getting her just desserts, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Never the less, it was unwise to argue with the King, for like their new slave, every single Diamond dog in these tunnels had nowhere to go.