//------------------------------//
// 132 
// Story: My Little Fortress: Dawnpick 
// by Paaaad 
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Jaxler woke up and had a nasty head ache. He looked around and saw his crossbow and a barrel of empty booze sitting atop his coffer. When Jaxler got up he felt a stinging in his wing and felt an ache in side. Jaxler figured that he probably just got in a flight last night and walked over to his repaired crossbow and picked it up. but then he heard a loud knock come from his door.

"Who's there?"

"Jaxler it's me! Granite! You know Granite? The foal with the green mane! Let me in, I got something important to talk to you about! In private!"

Jaxler slung his crossbow on his back and opened his door. "Hey Granite, what do you need to talk about?"

Granite shakes slightly as he prepares to form the words he is about to say. "Alright Jaxler, I learned about the slaughter at the depot earlier and I need to ask something of you about that... later... Right now I need advice on... girls... specifically... Friesden" Granite looks up at Jaxler. "Please don't laugh..."

"Uh... um..." Jaxler tilts his head as he thinks, "Have you tried asking her out?"

"To what? Name one social gathering we have had in Dawnpick, and honestly, I think she has received a massive amount of mental scaring from those corpses all over the depot, I doubt she could cope after all that, and I really doubt me helping her would be helpful..."

"Think about it, nice considerate Granite walks up and help Friesden in her time of need. Why if I were you I'd pounce on this opportunity. Also, just ask her out to dinner or something. OH, also say you like bunnies before you ask her out."

"Jaxler that is one of the smartest things I have ever heard, but that was my first request. The second, can you train me in the arts of combat?"

Jaxler facial expression went black and Jaxler said coldly "What makes you want to kill?"

"It's not that I want to fight, it's that I want to know how to fight. Take Friesden and if I went on a date with her. If some Rainbow pony attacked us, I could defend myself and Friesden, if you don't train me, I could wind up dead somewhere. Treat this as a sort of insurance for me so that I might die fighting effectively!"

"Well, fine... What do you want to now then? I can teach you the dark Martial art of dirty fighting. I also can teach you how to use a crossbow, chain, or furniture as weapons."

"Teach me about chains and fighting dirty, I've seen what whips have done to people. Not pretty, and when I fight, it will be far from beautiful!"

"Okay, well first lesson is this: don't enter a fight expecting to die, enter it expecting to survive. I really didn't like that comment about dying while fighting effectively."

"Well sorry Jaxler, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings!" Granite said sarcastically. "Alright fine, I'll try to live against a relentless foe- I mean my survival will be top priority! Sir!"

"Don't call me sir, and If your going to learn how to use a chain the I need to give you something. Come inside please."

"Understood, Sir!" Granite moves further into Jaxler's abode. "What is it?"

Jaxler walks over to his coffer and pulls out a key from under his wing and another key under the coffer and unlocks the coffer's two key locks. He then spends a minute putting in the combination for the final lock and opens the chest. After rummaging though the chest he pulls out a 12-foot long gold chain. "I know I shouldn't be letting you do this but, how would you feel if I let you barrow this chain for a while?"

"I could look the other way and keep it in secret. How about it?"

"It doesn't need to be a secret. I doubt your parents or the guard will get pissed off. Last I checked Chains where perfectly legal."

"That's good to hear. So how do I use this thing?"

"Granite, Before I even let you touch this thing I need you to understand the value and importance of a weapon. All weapons are evil. No mater how are why they are made. There soul purpose to to kill for there master's sake. Weather or not a weapon be made by a pony, diomedian, diamond dog they are all evil. Their only saving grace is their loyalty. A weapon's soul purpose to to keep you alive at the cost of others. It's a tool of greed and is a selfless minion. The moment I give you this weapon I'm giving you a demon, and an angel. I expect you to treat this weapon with more respect then any other item in the world because This weapon sees you as it's god, and you best not forsake this chain. Now, do you understand?"

"I understand one hundred percent! I'll treat it better than the limbs on my body! I am ready!"

"Also Granite, I believe that I already told you that this weapon belonged to a diomedian. I expect for you to treat that weapon with even more respect than you would for a normal weapon in the memory of the owner who originally wielded it."

"Fine. Know the diomedian's name by any chance?"

"Da' hell am I sposed' to know some random genocidal bastard's name?"

"Well I thought you had some epic duel with him in some old dusty town on the planes with some tumbleweeds tumbling by! Nevermind that, can you please teach me how to wield this thing properly?"

"I was wondering through the burning countryside with a wounded side and a diomedian soldier wondered caught me, I had to use my wings as meat shields. how exactly am I supposed to ask the guy his name during mortal combat? And sure i'll teach you how to use a chain, but first I want to spar with you." Jaxler then walks over to he crossbow and picks it up.

"Ah hey! I see you got your wooden piece of crap of a weapon repaired into a lethal killing machine! And about that sparing thing... COME AT ME BRO!"

"Don't get swingy with a chain in my room. We can fight outside. Also thanks for noticing that I got my crossbow restored back to it's original glory. What would you say if my old piece of crap is now the most valuable item in the city."

"I'd show you this chain made of gold! Alright let's take this outside..." Granite proceeds to turn around and walk out the front door.

Jaxler raises an eyebrow. "FINE, I'd love to see what my repaired crossbow can do." Jaxler then follows after Granite.

"Alrighty then." Granite takes a moment to breathe in the evening air. "So should we walk ten paces in opposite directions and start this or something?"

"Nope, Just try to avoid getting hit." Jaxler then Charged toward Granite as quickly as possible.

"Crap!!!" Granite yelps rolling out of the way while sending out the gold chain less than a meter in front of Jaxler as a lead on his target, hoping Jaxler will have picked up enough momentum to run face first into the chain.

Jaxler sees the chain fly through the air. He doesn't have enough time to dodge and uses his right wing as a shield. When Jaxler finally loses his momentum his wing is bleeding. Jaxler then flings his crossbow down toward Granite.

Granite mustered up all the strength in his legs to jump back almost a full meter away from the butt of the crossbow. He then swung the length of the chain horizontally, starting on Jaxler's left and level with his chest, hopefully ending on Jaxler's right.

Jaxler feels a horrible sting roll through his chest, but shows no signs of pain as he flings his crossbow toward Granite, again.

Granite's mind raced and the world began to slow as he saw the chain bounce off of Jaxler as he charged Granite again, so Granite did the first thing he thought of and took a step to his front-left ending for a fraction of a second next to Jaxler, he then spun in a circle with his chain outstretched, hoping to lash Jaxler in his front legs as he finishes his rotation.

Jaxler is caught off guard by the attack and fails to dodge. When the chain hits Jaxler he collapses and hits the ground face first, and stops moving altogether.

When Granite stops spinning he sees Jaxler down. "Alright Jaxler, you said you teach me about fighting dirty. And you have a 'high pain tolerance' I don't buy it." Granite proceeds to spin the golden chain, readying it for a quick strike in case he gets up to strike again. "I can see you breathing, you know that right? My sister's cat played possum, I checked the cat's well being. I got clawed in the face. Twice. I ain't falling for it."

Granite was making a mistake. The pony he was allowing Jaxler to lay down and think. Granite was faster than he had anticipated. He also had a weapon with a range that was several times longer then his own. He was also able to see though his little trap which meant his time was borrowed. Jaxler looked around him for something that might be able to help him win the fight, there were a few rocks and a long stick within his reach, both of which were inferior weapons. So, Jaxler decided that he needed to get Granite within his range effective range, but the perceptive little pony needed some convincing. So, Jaxler held his breath until he passes out.

"And Jaxler stops breathing..." Granite sighs. What can I use, this chain won't stand a chance against his crossbow in close quarters, maybe I could throw something at him... Granite thought. He looks around and notices a long stick and a few rocks. He proceeds to throw each rock at Jaxler. Noticing it's not very effective, he rests his chain around his neck and picks up the stick. Granite then uses the stick in a manner similar to picking locks to take the crossbow away from Jaxler. Successfully prying the crossbow out of Jaxler's hooves, Granite then kicks it a few meters away from him. Granite then wraps his chain around Jaxler's neck, being mindful to drag him slightly out of reach. He then finds a tree and proceeds to securely chain him up to it. Granite then picks up a rock as a weapon and waits for Jaxler to wake up.

When Jaxler fades back into consciousness he realizes that he's chained to a tree. He then notices that his crossbow is a few feet away, which was surprising. Jaxler still had some tricks up his sleeve, though. Granite was dumb enough to use weapon to restrain Jaxler. Now Granite was practically defenseless, and all Jaxler had to do now was escape. "Granite... W-were's my crossbow."

"Over there." Granite nods at the discarded weapon and then walks up to Jaxler. "Well, I guess this is goodnight!" Granite then bashes Jaxler in the face a good twelve times with his rock until he looses consciousness... "I win Jaxler, sweet dreams..." Granite then goes off to get Panacea.