BURST AWOKE to a distant, incessant noise. His ears twitched and a frown sprouted across his face as post-sleep drowsiness kept his eyes closed. He wished for nothing more than for the sound to die away and let him sleep a bit longer, even just a few more minutes. Yet at the very back of his mind Burst knew that sound, he knew what it meant, but for the moment it eluded him. The sound was intermittent, spitting on and off, a guttural barking noise almost like…
His eyes shot open as it clicked in his mind. His ears swiveled with his head as he zeroed in on the direction of the source.
“Diamond dogs!” he exclaimed, scrambling to his hooves and shouldering his pack with magic. Fighting against fatigue that threatened to drag him back to sleep, he rushed off a few yards before coming to a halt, realizing his folly.
“No,” he asserted with a stomp, “diamond dogs hunt in packs, they use the noise of their barking to flush out prey and chase it down,” Burst remembered, one eye squinted, “to top that off, they’ve got a great sense of smell and hearing. I can run, but I can’t hide. Knowing them,” he continued, eyeing his hooves and stifling a yawn, “They can easily outrun me.
“The General expects me to run, so that means that I shouldn’t…” Burst reasoned, a scowl growing across his face, “but what other choice do I have!?” he continued the verbal train of thought, throwing his gaze towards the canopy above. Warm beams of sunlight shone down through breaks in the branches above, many of the higher limbs caught in a moderate wind, swinging to and fro.
Burst turned his gaze downwards, scanning his surroundings. Trees and thick, green foliage surrounded him on all sides. He noted with a frown of annoyance that his tired walk through the forest last night had left a very visible trail. His body had created an impression in the ground, obvious evidence that he’d come this way that even a novice tracker would spot in a heartbeat.
“Dangit,” Burst swore quietly, knowing that the General would be bringing his pack this way, no doubt following the trail that had led to his failed trap, “and there’s no way that I’m going to be able to get more than one dog with another trap,” he continued, remembering the previous day’s failure with lingering dread, “what to do? What to do?” Burst wondered aloud, pacing in a slow circle, one eye squinted in concentration.
So what did he know? Diamond dogs were pack hunters, they chased down their prey and relied heavily on smell, sounds, and sight more or less in that order. They were speed hunters, unlike the General who was a slow and methodical tracker. Burst ran the quick list through his head again, trying to think of a way to...he froze mid step, “Aha!” he exclaimed, rushing off away from the dogs…
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...It was many minutes later that Burst was rushing with all due haste towards the sound of the barking. The path he had cut through the forest meandered like a snake through the underbrush. At no point could anything see him unless it were no more than a few feet behind him.
A light sweat covered his coat as he finally came to a sharp right turn in the trail, taking it back down and towards the sound of the dogs. Now the path he cut was straighter, he’d be easily visible from quite a distance away. He noted with a hint of dread that the sound of the dogs’ barking had sharply increased, but reminded himself that that was all part of the plan.
Burst spotted another bend in the trail up ahead and came to a halt. The sound of rapidly tread underbrush reached his ears from a ways around the bend, sending a dart of fear through his heart at what was to come should his plan fail. Burst performed a quick about-face, panic induced by the knowledge that his enemies were so close clawing at his brain. He held the panic in check and began jogging away from the incoming noises.
Any second now, Burst knew that the dogs would come around the bend and…
An ear-splitting howl made his hair stand on end. He threw a quick glance behind him and spotted the blood-chilling sight of three diamond dogs rushing at him. Burst had no time to note the specifics of his pursuers as he forced his legs into overdrive, sprinting forwards and trying his best to match the dogs’ speed.
Back up his pre-made trail he rushed, the dogs a good series of yards behind him, their barks and snarls growing in anticipation of a coming meal. Burst felt his stomach try to rise up at the thought, but forced it back down as he tried to keep a level head, remembering the plan.
Beams of sunlight struck him across the face as the sharp turn in the trail came into view up ahead, fast approaching as his heart pounded in his chest, his breath coming in sharp gulps as his stamina was tested.
He kicked up a small blast of debris as he performed the sharp turn, rushing forwards with everything he had. Only instead of going with the snaking curves of the trail, Burst pulled away a small bush he’d cut loose with his knife, holding it away with his magic. With a mere second to spare, he slid under the floating bush and then set it back down once he was on the other side.
The three dogs rushed, barking and snarling, around the bend...and followed the serpentine trail that Burst had pre-made through the forest. The General was close behind them, his bow slung across his back with a quiver of three arrows. He too followed the dogs as they sprinted down the trail, a vicious smile splitting his beak.
The sound of the dogs and General raced away from Burst’s hiding place, his ruse having thrown them off...for the time being.
Burst got to his hooves, pushing past the bush and cantering back down the trail to the sharp turn. Past the turn, he threw a glance back down the meandering trail, unable to see anything of his pursuers. The trail went on for a few more minutes before coming to a halt at a tree, hopefully giving Burst enough time to…
A low growl from in front of him, down the straight trail where the General had come from, froze Burst in his tracks, bringing his thought process to a jarring halt.
His legs frozen in fear, Burst turned his fearful gaze from the meandering trail to the straighter one before him. A single diamond dog stood a few short yards away, wolf-like fur standing on edge and dripping fangs bared. The creature’s face was set in a twisted snarl, yellow eyes boring into the pony.
“W-wolf...again,” Burst stuttered, taking a slow step backwards.
Wolf leapt at Burst, jaw agape and forelegs extended to pin him to the ground.
With a fearful cry, Burst leaped out of the way and dashed off into the forest, the direction opposite the General and the other dogs.
No! No! No! No! No! No! No! Burst mentally cried out as he rushed blindly away, This can’t be happening! This can’t be happening!
Birds chattered violently at him as he startled them away in his mad dash, their sounds singing a duet with his rushing heart, the faded sounds of barking barely audible in the background. He ducked and dodged past trees and over fallen logs, under low branches and through hanging vines. Anything to shake off the barking, snarling creature that had given chase behind…
Wait, Burst thought, actually listening for once and hearing nothing but his own frantic steps, the sounds of barking now as distant as the horizon, did I lose Wolf already?
Burst threw a quick glance behind him, slowing a tad. He saw nothing of the darkly colored creature that should have given chase. He came to a halt, looking back over his withers as his heaving breaths gave a testament to his continued running. There was no sign of the diamond dog.
Burst’s ears swiveled this way and that, but still he could hear nothing that sounded like a diamond dog giving chase. The wind whispered quietly through the trees, their wavering limbs playing rasping music as they danced amongst themselves.
His heart played a fast paced, drum-like solo in his ears, his gasping breaths trying to sing along with the rapid thumps. The sound of the diamond dog’s barking had died down, but was still audible. Nothing, however, that would betray that Burst was being followed.
He let out a quiet breath of relief, surprised that he’d been able to lose the diamond dog so...
Snap! a twig yelped to his right.
Burst’s head snapped in that direction as a mass of dark fur and muscle lunged at him again, white teeth aiming to tear out his throat. With another fearful cry, Burst hopped away from Wolf’s attack, making the diamond dog come a few inches short of his mark.
It was still close enough, though, for the dog to slam into him, knocking the breath from his lungs and sending him tumbling away.
Burst tried to suck air into his empty lungs, cartwheeling his legs in the air as he came to a stop lying on his back. In an instant, Wolf was upon him, jaws shooting downwards to tear out his throat.
Burst threw out his forehooves, catching the bite on his left foreleg. He let out a pained yelp as Wolf’s sharp teeth clamped down on the appendage, breaking the skin with ease and sending pain up the limb as they dug into muscle.
Burst lashed out with his other hoof, bopping Wolf on the nose and forcing him back with a yelp that released Burst’s foreleg.
In an instant Burst got back on his hooves, wincing with a gasp as he tried to put pressure on his injured appendage. Wolf had already recovered and was now circling in slow steps, fangs bared and gaze burning with eager bloodlust.
Burst turned in the center of Wolf’s circling, making sure that he was facing the dog at all times. He winced each time he tried to place weight on his throbbing foreleg, a dampness telling him that the wound was bleeding.
“Look, can-can’t we t-talk about this for a...for a second?” Burst tried to reason, gulping in more frantic breaths as fear gripped him in a chilling embrace at the sight of the predator.
“I-I may not be a millionare or-or something like-like that...but I-I’ve...my-my family’s got a s-small fortune back home,” he stuttered, the words appearing to fall on deaf ears as Wolf continued his restless circling, “I-If you help me, I-I’ll…”
Wolf lunged again at Burst’s throat, ending the pony’s plea with another cry as Burst stumbled back. Wolf came short again, this time headbutting the pony with everything he had.
Stars exploded across Burst’s vision, blinding him with pain as he felt something slam into his left side, sending him sprawling in the dirt once more. He was only barely able to bring his hooves to bear as again Wolf made a snap at his neck, holding back the diamond dog at the chest.
Wolf pressed down against Burst’s hooves, just barely out of reach of the pony’s neck if the hot breath tickling at him meant anything. Burst threw a quick telekinetic punch at his assailant, throwing Wolf back again. But this time the dog was back in action almost instantly, jaws again snapping at the pony’s face, Burst holding him back at the neck with his uninjured right foreleg. His strength began to fail as the stronger creature continued to snap and snarl at Burst’s face. Wolf’s back paws dug into the earthen ground as he pushed himself closer and closer to his target.
Thick drool splattered Burst’s face as Wolf snapped at Burst’s nose. Burst felt frantically around with his left hoof, trying to grab anything he could to beat the dog back again. The close-range telekinesis that let ponies grab things with their hooves latched onto something that felt like a tree branch.
Burst gave a grunt of exertion as he smacked the object into Wolf’s side, giving the attack everything he had. Wolf let out a yip of pain, scrambling away with continued whimpers, pulling the object from Burst’s grip in his retreat.
With Wolf gone, Burst again hopped to his hooves, retreating as he zeroed in on his enemy, mind trying to formulate a plan to get away from the dog. He froze as his widening eyes found the diamond dog, a feeling of nausea growing in his gut.
Wolf had retreated a short distance away, limping, his breath coming out raggedly and in pained whines. His eyes glared with a growing weakness, his steps growing heavy as his body slowly sagged towards the ground, his legs losing the strength to hold him up.
Burst’s knife stuck out from the diamond dog’s side, a growing flow of blood blackening his coat around the weapon’s hilt.
With a weak growl that brought a splatter of blood to his lips, Wolf collapsed and lay still.
“Oh, goddess!” Burst exclaimed, stepping forwards as if to help before rethinking the move and trotting quickly back, “I didn’t mean...didn’t want to…” he brought a hoof to his mouth, “oh, Celestia, I’m going to be sick!”
The sound of distant barking was suddenly growing louder, the other diamond dogs and the General were coming back.
“Oh no! Oh no!” Burst cried, knowing he’d only have a minute tops before the creatures discovered his ruse and were hot on his trail again.
He rushed forwards to the still form of Wolf, his stomach gave a twist that made him gag as he noted the dead expression of the diamond dog’s eyes, the lack of rhythmic rise and fall of the creature’s chest. Gingerly, he gripped the embedded knife with his hoof and pulled back. The knife came about an inch before meeting more resistance than he could handle. Blood dripped from the knife’s partially-embedded blade, soiling the dirt beneath.
The barking continued to grow in volume as Burst continued to tug at the knife, pulling with all his strength, moving Wolf’s body as the knife refused to budge from the body. The movement drew the contents of his stomach to his throat, making him gag and avert his tearing eyes from the body for a moment.
“Oh, just come already!” Burst growled as he resisted the urge to throw up, blindly reaching out with his magic to help.
By now, the dogs were bound to be at the sharp bend where he’d manage to throw them off. He only had moments now before the creatures were on him.
The knife pulled free with a sickening sound, the blade’s rapid exit splattering blood across Burst’s face. He stumbled backwards, spitting as some of the foul, metallic liquid got into his mouth.
He sheathed the blade with a click and rushed away from the clearing, quickly falling on his face as the pain in his leg foreleg was too much to bear. Burst could hear as the brush between him and the approaching dogs was tread as he scrambled away on his belly, throwing himself behind a tree and pressing his body into it, gagging once more as he tried to keep his stomach in check.
The dogs rushed into the small clearing that his and Wolf’s fight had made, Burst gave a silent prayer to whatever gods were listening as the creatures came to a surprised halt.
“Po vole Boga oni ubili yego!” a raspy voice exclaimed.
“Kto? Burst Rate?” the General’s voice replied, Burst flinched at the mentioning of his name, wishing that he could understand Stalliyi.
There was a quiet pause. Burst’s ears strained to hear anything on the other side of the tree. All he could hear were occasional steps as if the dogs or the General were shuffling around.
“My dolzhny prodolzhat' yemu? Ya po-prezhnemu mogu zapakh ublyudok!” another raspy voice inquired. Eagerness and a hint of rage sharing the tone. Burst gulped.
“Nyet, nyet,” the General replied calmly. There was a sound of footsteps approaching the tree Burst was pressing himself into, slow and methodical, the General’s.
Oh, goddess! He’s coming this way! Burst exclaimed, his throat choked with fear.
Burst held his breath as the footsteps paused just around the tree. Time slowed as a golden, taloned claw slithered around the side of the tree, gripping the bark not half a foot from Burst’s head. It was close enough that Burst could see the razor sharpness of each individual talon. See as they slowly clasped around the bark, digging into it and leaving small indentations. In his minds eye he saw as the talons slashed through his neck, despite his battle to keep the thoughts at bay.
Burst’s heartbeat instantly tripled as the General’s head poked around the tree. He prepared to bolt as the golden eyes found him, the beak creased into a victorious smile as the General discovered...
“Burst Rate!” the General called out, his eyes set off into the distance. The shout jolted Burst from the mental image.
Thank Celestia! He hasn’t seen me! Burst thought, silently relieved though still on his guard should the General turn towards him. He made certain not to move, knowing that doing so in the General’s peripherals would spell certain doom.
The General continued, “if you can hear me, and I assume that you can, then I wish you joy in this victory! It’s been quite some time since I last lost one of my pack to anything but quicksand!” the General laughed, “and to throw them off as you did? I have not seen such a trick in even longer!” the General paused, eyes scanning again, “alas, I must postpone our chase for now to return Wolf’s remains home! He was a good dog, one of my finest! But in light of your recent victories, it seems a fair trade for this most exciting hunt!” the General smiled again with a chuckle and turned away from the forest, headed back to his dogs, “Buddy, dovesti yego tela.
“Da, General,” the first dog that had spoken replied.
A sound of a multitude of footsteps as well as the sound of something being dragged across the forest floor met Burst’s ears as he waited in hiding. The sounds quickly grew quiet as the hunting party left and Burst finally gave a breath of relief, falling away from the tree.
He sucked down gasping breaths as his heartbeat slowed, content to simply lie there and rest for a moment.
Continued pain in his left foreleg brought his attention to the weeping wound there.
At the sight of the wound, images of Wolf’s dead form assailed his vision. Mental images of the knife stuck in the creature’s flesh; images of the blood flowing from it, splattering across his face; images of the creature’s dead eyes as they stared off into oblivion.
Burst hurriedly got to his hooves, racing a few steps forwards as he threw up, heaving and gagging as the contents of his stomach emptied out onto the ground to the sounds of his retching.
Tastes of bitter bile and partially digested canned goods assailed his tongue as he emptied his stomach, coughing once and spitting a few times once he’d finished.
Breathing heavily, he stared pitifully into the mess before him, catching his breath and wrinkling his nose at the smell.
“Buck!” he swore, spitting a few more times as he moved away, trying to remove the vile taste from his mouth. The pain in his foreleg increased as he trotted the short distance, but he ignored it for now.
“I just...I just killed someone!” he suddenly realized, horror striking his heart like an arrow, “I...but...but he was...he was going to kill me!” he reasoned, eyes still wide with fear no less, “Oh, goddess why!?” he exclaimed to the heavens, “Why this? Why me! I never wanted to kill anyone! I...” he was wracked with another bout of dry heaves, his empty stomach stopping him from actually puking again, “It...it was an accident! I didn’t mean to...stab him! I just wanted to knock him away so I could escape! No one was supposed to die!” he cried out with eyes blind to his surroundings. He began to pace in a slow circle, only for the ache in his left forehoof to snap him back to reality.
He winced as pain sliced up his injured leg, looking down at the bleeding wound and then to the area around him.
“Look, Burst,” Burst began to peptalk himself, “you need to put this away for later! There’s far more important things to be worried about! This damned wound, for instance.”
He frowned, looking down at the mass of matted, bloodstained coat. Even if he were able to stay out of the General’s clutches, an infection would easily end him without proper medical aid.
“Dangit,” he muttered to himself, eyeing the forest around him once more, “maybe I should’ve paid more attention in botany after all, could’ve learned something useful about healing plants.”
No matter, he’d learned enough about first aid to make a simple bandage. It would have to do for now. Burst remembered spotting a stream when making his fake trail to fool the diamond dogs and, after getting his bearings, began heading in that direction…
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...He pulled his foreleg, now wet but cleaned of blood, from the stream. Burst then drew his knife once more, cringing at the glistening stain on the black blade. He dunked it in the stream with his magic and swirled it about until the blood had washed away. That finished, he brought it back over to him and gingerly cut off his left sleeve a few inches from the end, making sure not to nick himself with the sharp blade.
He slid the makeshift bandage off his foreleg and tied it around the weeping bite wound, making sure not to make it so tight that it cut off the blood flow, just enough that it was secure.
Finished, he eyed the wound, feeling a small tinge of dread at the fact that he had no antibiotics. If the bite got infected...he turned his gaze to the surrounding forest, giving a silent prayer that luck was on his side.
Aren’t Diamond Dogs supposed to have relatively clean mouths? he tried to console himself.
That accomplished, Burst let out a sigh, his eyes meeting the stream. He gave a start at his reflection, noting with a grimace the light splattering of blood on his face, the matted look of his mane and coat, the heavy bags under his weary eyes.
Leaning in closer to the running water, he began splashing at his face, cleansing himself of the blood. The chilly water felt refreshing, the sharpness of the chill helping to dab away the last few remaining bits of fatigue plaguing his mind. Face cleaned off, he gulped down some of the water from the stream and stood from the bank, taking a deep, calming breath.
“I’m okay. You’re okay, Burst Rate,” he said to himself with a flat expression, “Just need to keep it together. Three more days after this one,” he continued his pep talk, his expression suddenly breaking as his thoughts derailed back to the sight of Wolf’s body, “Oh, goddess, why!? Why couldn’t he...he just listen to me!? We...we could’ve made a bucking deal! I didn’t have to...didn’t want to..!” he exclaimed, collapsing back to the stream’s bank, sickness and fear and sorrow and guilt clashing inside of his mind, “That look on his face, he just looked...so..!” Burst’s eyes fell onto the water, its wavering surface like a circus mirror, “Why...I…”
A set of sickly, clawed fingers reached over the mirror of his head, reaching down to grab him. A jolt of adrenaline shot into Burst’s system as his eyes grew wide and his heart rate shot through the roof. He lunged away, leaping into the cold water and pivoting with a loud splash towards...nothing.
The empty forest leered back at him, underbrush and tall trees clothed in vines the only thing around. Giggling wind rasped through chuckling trees, each leaning near their partners as if to whisper lewd secrets to each other.
“Wha-what!?” Burst exclaimed, looking about as his heart pounded in his chest.
Realizing that he was standing forelegs-deep in the shallow stream, Burst trotted to the bank and hopped back up onto dry land, looking about as he tried to calm his racing heart.
Giving the forest a wary sweep with his eyes, he turned his gaze to the running water once more, eyes searching. The reflection of a swaying, forked tree branch met his gaze, waving apologetically for starling him.
Burst looked up, spotting the offending claw-like branch above him, finally calming down. He turned back to the water one last time, his weary self meeting his gaze.
“Look, Burst Rate,” he began again, throwing a glance around him just in case, “it already happened and you can’t change it so stop dwelling on it, you need to keep it together, okay?” he asked his reflection.
His reflection stared back, silent as he was as it waited for a reply.
“Dangit, I’m really bucking losing it,” Burst muttered to himself, giving his head a good shake, trying to clear out any unwanted thoughts, “Okay, time to get my game plan. With any luck I’ll have most of the rest of today to myself, I’d better make the best of it.”
Looking up again, he tried to judge where the sun was, the swaying branches and foliage above not helping.
I wish I had a damn watch, he thought.
Shouldering his pack, which he’d retrieved on the way to the stream, Burst surveyed his surroundings again, one eye squinted.
“First and foremost, I need to put as much distance as possible between me and here,” he thought aloud, “but do so smartly, it won’t do to lead him along to wherever I go next…” his stomach gurgled, reminding him that he’d emptied it not an hour ago.
Probably not a good idea to be planning on an empty stomach, He thought, unshouldereding his pack and retrieving a can of peaches from it. Popping the tab to open it, he began to chow down, thinking as he did so.
Okay, so there’s a start, put distance between here and...wherever the hay I’m going, he paused for a moment mid-chew, considering, But where the hay to go? Damn, I wish he’d given me a map or something…
Wait, back-up a minute, he changed course, popping another slimy piece of sliced peach into his mouth, Where is he going to expect me to go? Away from him and that mansion most likely.
Feeling around in the can with his magic, Burst found it finally empty. The realization jolted him from his internal debate and he looked around, making sure the coast was still clear.
It was.
“No more zoning out,” he chastised himself, tossing the empty can into the stream, “He’s going to expect me to move. Does that mean I don’t?” again he looked around, this time eyeing the trampled foliage that led to where he stood, “Not an option, he’ll track me to here, my prints lead this far…” Burst frowned suddenly as a thought crossed his mind. The frown quickly turned into a clever smile as his gaze met the water, “...but he can’t track me so well if I travel by water, now can he?”...
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...The water was cold, and his legs were beginning to feel numb, but any tracks he made wouldn’t last for long under the water’s meandering current.
“Don’t know how well those dogs can smell, but at least this will make it more difficult for them to get my scent,” Burst said to himself, looking about so as to make sure he was still alone. While he wouldn’t be leaving any long-lasting tracks, the sound of him sloshing about in the water was far from quiet. Burst hoped that the denseness of the forest around him would muffle whatever noises he made or, more preferably, that the General and his hounds were nowhere nearby. His ears perked up, swiveling about as he halted.
Nothing.
Continuing a few paces further, he finally, tenderly, hopped back up onto the shore, stepping on a few rocks in an attempt to leave no tracks for the General to follow. He double checked the bank beneath him, making sure that he’d left no prints leading from water to shore, then hopped forth into the forest, the lush green swallowing him whole…
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...Pain had returned as his limbs dried off, the numbing chill of the water having left him a while ago. He grimaced with each step, casting often glances to the dense underbrush to ensure that his careful movements left nothing for the General to follow. He gave a satisfied smile, but winced again as pressure was placed on his limping left foreleg. He gave the appendage a weary look, satisfied that the bleeding had ceased to be a problem.
Snap! a twig cried out in agony.
Burst froze, ears turning in every direction as his heart leaped from his chest, legs tensing as he prepared to bolt. His sensitive ears picking up nothing; he snapped his head about, wide eyes trying to grasp anything abnormal.
He could find nothing.
Not wanting to tear his eyes from the surrounding forest longer than needed, he snapped a glance downwards.
A broken twig lay underhoof.
He gave a sigh of relief, an embarrassed—and relieved—smile creasing his lips as the vice-like grip of fear let go of his heart. As he began to start forth again, the snapped twig jogged a bit of memory from his trip to Zebrica, one of the traps they’d shown him, and he added a quick list of things to the dangers he was already looking out for.
Should anyone, dog, or griffon discover his path and give chase they would be in for a nasty surprise, he reasoned…
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...Glancing back down at the ground, Burst gave a short curse at the light imprint of his tracks where he stood.
Can hardly be helped if I’ve gotta exert myself with this… he reasoned, turning his gaze back to the thin sapling bending under the power of his magic. He wiped away a few beady bits of sweat trailing down his face, the magic required to move the tree bleeding over into his physical fatigue.
At least I know it’s more than strong enough for the job, he reasoned, one eye squinting.
Once it was where he wanted it, Burst quickly lashed a set of sturdy vines to the end of the sapling, hoping they would hold. Still holding the tree where he wanted it with his magic, he turned his attention to two sticks, both already whittled so that they hooked together. A larger one was driven into the ground, in the midst of a thick bush so as not to be spotted.
Tying the other end of his impromptu rope around the other hook-stick, he carefully hooked it with the ground-bound one. Slowly, he began to loosen his telekinetic grip on the tree, eyes flickering up and down it and his hooking mechanism.
It held as the glow of his magic faded from the snare trap.
Being careful not to trigger it himself, he set the triggering end of his impromptu rope where he best thought it would catch the limb of whoever came this way, making sure it was as hidden as could be.
He smiled once he was satisfied with his handiwork, throwing a careful gaze about his surroundings, before continuing on his way...
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...Burst Rate gingerly pulled back his impromptu bandage, eyeing the wound fearfully.
He had only been able to travel another few hundred yards before growing pain in his injured hoof had driven him to a stop. After digging about in his pack a few times to confirm the General hadn’t given him any painkillers—which he hadn’t—he had untied the knot binding the scrap of cloth around his injury.
The set of bite marks had slowed in their oozing of blood, his constant use of the limb the only reason it still bled. Muttering a quick curse, he re-secured the bandage and grabbed another can from his pack.
There was a distant, sharp, yelp in the distance, so muffled by the foliage that Burst almost missed it as he opened the can. He froze up for a moment, dreading the fact that the noise had come from the direction of the stream he’d used.
Nothing more came, a fact he was unsure whether to feel relieved at or fearful of.
He brought the can, filled with yellow flecks of corn, to his lips as he kept his weary ears alert for trouble.
“Another victory to you, mister Rate!” the General’s cultured voice called out, the sound muffled by the heavy vegetation. Burst gave a startled whinny, nearly losing his magical grip on the can, “Only a broken limb this time, it will heal, but another victory all the same!” he laughed out, “Perhaps bringing my dogs was to my own disadvantage.
“Do not, however, think that you have earned yourself any respite, mister Rate! I shall set Buddy’s limb and see him on his way back. But in the mean time…” a sudden smile, that Burst imagined would have chilled him had he seen it, filled the sound of the griffon’s voice “Fang, Otis, presledovat'.”
“Da, General!” another pair of dogs growled, giving a duet of savage barks. The sudden sound of rushing paws filling Burst’s ears.
“Oh, buck,” Burst swore, leaping to his hooves and galloping off away from the dogs’ vile barking.
For the second time this day Burst found himself running for his life.
He winced and swore each time his injured hoof hit the forest floor, ducking and weaving through the thick foliage of the forest. But he could feel as the pain slowed his escape, the dogs behind him no doubt bloodthirsty with revenge.
He had been lucky to not run into any of the tribal packs that inhabited Zebrica, but had heard tales of their ferocity in combat, their blood-feuds, and their lust for vengeance against those whom attacked their packs.
His flight was jerked to a sudden halt as he ran headlong into a thicket of vines lounging lazily down from a tree. He gave a yelp of fright, hooves digging at the earth as he tried to break free.
The vines held.
Need a new plan! Need a new plan! Need a new plan! he thought frantically, tearing at the vines with hooves and magic in an attempt to free himself. Not far behind, the dog’s barking grew steadily louder. His eyes alit upwards as he finally got out of the vines, body quivering with adrenaline.
Into the tree! he mentally yelped, grabbing at the vines with his hooves and tearing himself upwards with all the ferocity of a fleeing animal. He magically threw his pack up before him, thankful as it landed in some of the higher branches.
He wasn’t fast enough.
Two dogs burst from behind him, eyes lighting up viciously at the sight of their quarry. One was small, just about the size of a pony with a squashed pug-like face. The other was at least a full head taller that Burst, his maw gaping with brilliant white fangs.
The smaller dog leaped with a snarl, his jaws clamping tightly into Burst’s receding tail. The move yanked Burst downwards with a yelp of fright, his hooves scrabbling to hold onto the tree.
With savage glee, the larger dog grabbed the smaller one, his massive forepaws giving a slow and steady tug that began dragging Burst further from his escape.
“No! No! No!” Burst cried out, his magic snatching his knife from its sheath, “No! No! No!” he flung it blindly downwards, a frighted yelp releasing his tail and allowing him to heave himself up through the ropey vines and cling to the first branch he could get his hooves around.
He gasped down quick breaths, tears of fear and joy mixed across his face at escaping. He mumbled a mixture of silent thanks to whatever deities were listening through his quiet, shaking sobs.
Quaking with fear, he looked down from his roost, spying the two dogs glaring back up at him. Both appeared unscathed and angry, Burst’s knife forgotten amongst the foliage. The larger dog barked a quick order to his smaller pug-faced companion, who rushed off with happy yips and barks the way he’d come.
“Come!” the larger dog snarled, turning to Burst and pacing below the tree, “Come to die, pony!” he gave a growly laugh, hatred burning in his eyes, “Otis to bring General, pony!”
Burst said nothing, gasping for breath, Otis? That must make this one Fang, he thought, eyeing the creature’s drooling maw. The dog gave a savage, angry bark and bared his large fangs up at his quarry, A name well earned, Burst continued with a gulp.
Fang gave a growl, snapping his jowls viciously, “General to come!” Fang snapped back, giving Burst a sneering smile, “Pony then to die!”
Celestia damnit! Burst mentally swore, the folly of his error suddenly dawning on him like a hammer to the gut, I’ve escaped one fate for another just as bad!
“Ya vyrvu tvoi kishki, pony! I voz'mi golovu na moyu stenu!” Fang gave another growling chuckle, glaring yellow eyes fixed on his prey above.
I...I’ve… One of Burst’s eyes squinted with determination, I’ve got to remove him from the picture, the pony’s eyes fell on his fallen knife, but quickly turned away as it led his mind to dark corners.
No, his eyes snapped upwards to where his pack of food rested, but that’s not the only weapon I have… He wrapped it in his magic, turning back to the growling, salivating Fang below as the dog affixed him with hate-filled eyes. The dog muttered what Burst was certain were foul oaths in both Stalliyi and the diamond dogs’ own language.
“Pony to use volshebstvo!?” Fang’s eyes narrowed at the sight of his glowing horn. They jerked wide and the dog turned to the knife, fearing Burst was manipulating it. The dog had no time to turn back to Burst upon finding the knife where it lay. Burst jerked his pack from the tree and brought it crashing down on Fang’s thick head.
The dog hit the forest like a sack of potatoes, he didn’t get up.
Burst eyed the fallen creature for a few anxious moments before hopping down from the tree and pulling the pack away. A growing lump had appeared atop the dog’s head, his tongue lolling out stupidly as he drew in shallow breaths.
Burst shouldered his pack and retrieved his knife with magic, Phew! Now that that’s taken care of…
There was a sudden creak of wood, like the limb of a tree being pulled at an unhappy angle. Burst’s eyes darted up, locking onto and shooting wide at the General as the griffon drew an arrow to his ear, a smile of victory etched into his beak.
Burst let out a wild scream, throwing himself away as the griffon’s talons released the string with a twang! of energy.
Wailing with heart-hammering fright the likes of which he’d hardly felt before, Burst galloped away as fast as his hooves would carry him. Fear drowned out everything but a narrow tunnel of adrenaline-warped vision before him and he knew nothing but to flee, nothing but the simple, primordial urge of prey when faced with a predator it could not hope to best in combat.
Bushes and brambles were ignored as they scratched and tore at him, collapsed trees and large rocks were leaped over or around with agility and speed that would make Rainbow Dash herself envious.
Nothing existed for Burst Rate but his own four hooves and his knowledge that he needed to get the buck away fromt he psychotic, bow-wielding griffon!!!...
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...Run! Time meant nothing to him in his mad dash...
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...Run! pain was a heretical ideal...
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...Run..! the mere thought of doing anything other than fleeing was banished from his mind...
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...Burst awoke with a start to the sound of a slowly gurgling streamlet. The sound was peaceful, delicate, calming. A band of crickets chirped in the grass around him, bullfrogs bellowing a deeper music. The light, what there was of it, was slanted at an insane angle, tinted a fiery orange color through the trees about him.
The first thing he realized was that he had no idea as to how he’d ended up here.
The second was the intense pain that leaped into his limbs a fraction of an instant later.
“Oww...” he mumbled weakly as fire leaped into his very being.
Everything hurt. There was a numbing stitch in his side and a throbbing ache in his limbs, a testament to his wild gallop away from danger. Numerous small nicks and cuts stung like dozens of bug bites across his body. His injured hoof practically simmered with crying pain that leached tears from Burst’s eyes, coinciding with a sharp pain in his right flank below just below his flashing camera lens cutie mark.
His ears weakly flopped about, drinking in the sounds of the forest for anything dangerous.
He could hear nothing but the running water and the forest’s peaceful inhabitants.
Burst lifted his head, an action that heavily taxed his aching muscles and sent cramps wracking through his body. He gave a low groan, trembling as he lay his head back in the grass, squeezing his tear-crusted eyes closed.
Buck! he mentally complained, feels like I just galloped a mile up a hill with a weight on my back!
It was then he became aware of his grumbling, mumbling belly as it let him know it wished to be fed. His parched and dry mouth made similar complaints to be watered.
He gave another low moan, Goddess, the General had better not still be chasing after me, he silently prayed, rolling onto his right side to get at his pack and…
He let out a loud cry as pain flared up in his right flank, like someone had stabbed him and was tearing the knife about in the wound. More tears raced to his eyes as he tore his head from the ground and cast it behind him toward the epicenter of the injury.
Dried and cracked blood caked his entire right leg, sprouting from the arrow poking out just under his cutie mark.
He stared at the protruding injury in wide-eyed shock for set of short seconds. He tried to stand, gritting his teeth against his aching muscles. More pain flared up as the arrow was moved about in its fleshy nest, making Burst bite back a swear through clenched teeth.
“Ow!” he moaned again.
The crickets and bullfrogs had quit their respectives noises at his first painful cry. They began with renewed gusto as Burst lay in still silence for a while, the fiery beams of light penetrating the forest growing weaker by the minute.
“Need to get it out!” he snarled in a dry, whispery voice. He gave the arrow another glare, eyeing up and down the shaft, But...do I just yank it out? What if it’s got a barbed tip? I’ll bleed out if its anywhere near a major artery… he floundered at the thought, trying to remember if he’d seen what the General’s arrows were tipped with...unable to recall.
Another memory of Zebrica flashed before him.
Their group had come across a couple survivors from a diamond dog attack. The tribal creatures often preyed upon their smaller zebra neighbors, both for their hides and meat and for slaves in their mines.
One of the zebras had taken a javelin to her side. While the blow proved to non-fatal, every movement pained her. A large chunk of the shaft had been cut off already, leaving only a short segment of wood and the spearhead’s stone tip in her.
Ushering him over so that she could show the proper technique, the medicine mare of Burst’s group had shown him what do in case of a wound like this...
Burst looked to the protruding arrow shaft and gave a nervous gulp.
He had to cut it out.