Judas Machto
"We, the Council of Alphas, have reached a unanimous decision." They paused and looked down at a terrified Spike. "In the judgement of Spike of Equestria, found guilty of grossly assaulting and maiming to the point of disfigurement of the Twelfth Delta pack, we sentence you to-"
"STOP!" Cried a voice from the enerance. All eyes shot to the interuption to find at total of seven leather clad griffons standing side by side, save one who stepped forwards, a bit bigger than the rest and much darker in color.
Mac's brow quirked as he slowly relaxed his muscles, he recognized the griffon, that was the person who'd questioned him a few days ago.
Sin's eyes narrowed as he took in the tell tale signs of Triple M. Black leather jackets mercenary division. What were they doing here? "Discord." Sin whispered into Pinkie's mane. "Keep on standby."
"What is the meaning of this?!" Barked Raptor, standing from his seat. "Who dares interrupt an Alpha's word?!"
"I do. Conno of the Federation." Replied the black eagle lion hybrid as he stepped forth. "We have more character whitnesses to present the court with. Bring them in."
A sudden fire of hope began to burn through Macintosh as a large group of cainim entered the court, though unlike the ones currently present, he recognized them.
"This is the Seventeenth Sigma Pack. They were enslaved by the Ruby Dragon: Golvec in the territory by Hooftrot to the west. You own their liberation from the dragon, in part, to that very dragon you are persecuting now!"
With his final word echoing though out the chamber, a copious hoard of angry voices screamed from the left side of the room. The entirety of the Beta Lords and the Delta pack calling him a liar, and condemning his claim as a rouse to buy time. Though, the Alpha Council looked both intrigued and skeptical.
"SIIIIIIIIIILEEEEEENCE!" Raptor Barked, bringing the yelling to its end. He turned and addressed the mercenary commander. "The dog pack has always held its own in high regard. If this pack was liberated with the aid of the geko than we shall hear what they have to say. But be warned now, should you be forcing them to speak against their will for your own means, the consequences will be swift!"
"He doesn't lie." Cried a a larger dog, one that Mac vividly remembered as the pack's alpha: Rex. "Big Ruby dragon enslave entire pack. Told us he ate many members when they ran away. Lied to us to keep us afraid and working, but Spike and friends helped us. They fought the old master, and drove him away so Sigma pack could live without fear!"
Tido came forth, confirming his Alpha's statement. Elaborating about the battle between the Equestrians, Federalists and the drake. Though, Luna's involvement in the ordeal was strangely absent from the story, a fact lost on everyone but Sin, and even he was questioning why he thought she was there.
"By law of all Diamond Dogs, Alpha's must listen to all sides of story. All seventy-nine members of Sigma pack wish to speak in defense!" Rex demanded.
Hours and hours of speaking later, Sin yawned but kept his mind sharp enough to act at a moments notice. Half way through the entirety of the newly arrived Sigma, he grew tired of hearing the same story over and over again. Yea, it was buying time, but would it be taken into consideration? And what was his brother's gain in all of this? He thought about sneaking out and using some rather... intensive interrogation methods, but decided against it.
The court room was too packed and he needed to be ready just in case the dogs became just as board as he was.
"What's goin' on?" Macintosh asked, stepping beside his friend and taking a seat.
"Trying to figure that out." Sin replied, still mulling it over in his head. It didn't make any sense, Malich nor his father would have anything to gain by doing this... Maybe favor with Celestia, perhaps? Was that the goal? Sounded like a plausible scenario. Had Luna requested their aid in this matter? That would add up too, considering he had a memory of her involvement. Hazy though it may be, which was extremely troubling since his memory was typically pretty good about such ordeals.
"That griff, the leader." Mac pointed out, "he came tah th' farm few days ago. Asked about wha' happened with Spike when he went on th' war path."
Quirking a brow, the Federalist questioned why Mac hadn't mentioned this before, to which the stallion simply shrugged and thought the detail unimportant. So, Triple M. was interested enough to ask questions? Why? What did they have to gain?
'How many times are you going to ask yourself that? You don't know, sad fact.'
And boy, did Sin hate not knowing things, but it was the truth, he didn't know.
"HOLD ON!" Another dog barked as he panted at the entrance.
"WHAT IS IT NOW!?" Cried the head Alpha of the judicators, causing Spike to cringe. He didn't know why, the last interuption was a very welcome thing, maybe this one would be too.
"Grand Alpha of Dog Empire sends message!" Cried the green vested canine, rushing over to the leader. Raptor's eyes and mouth widened at the news, as did the rest of the dogs present. Apparently this "grand alpha" was a pretty big deal.
"Grand Alpha? Give me that." Raptor barked, snatching the parchment away and reading it aloud. "To the Judication, by the decree of Grand Alpha Maximus, you are hereby ordered to release Spike of Equestria?!" The last words came out with a surprised yelling, with each of the council member demanding to read the letter and see the seal for themselves.
A slow hopeful smile crept onto Spike's face at the news. He wasn't going to die? He wasn't going to die after all!?
The rest of the dogs in the room didn't share his sentiment, returning to their self righteous uproar of how outrageous the order was. Many questioning why the Grand Alpha saw such an action fit, other questioning his right to do so.
"NO!" Cried Fido, his wrathful voice easily overtaking the rest. "No, no, no! Grand Alpha can't do this! He can't! Geko must pay for his crimes and hurt!" He demanded, slamming his fist against the ground in a desperate attempt to assert himself.
The Alphas looked down at him helplessly and each averted their eyes, muttering how they had to obay the highest authority. None who challenged the Grand Alphas had ever survived to tell about it, to undermine the greatest authority within the canim was a taboo against the entire pack structure. For them to authorize an order that contradicted his was a death sentence, and they all knew it.
Fido's pit bull face slowly gave way from righious determination to horror as he came to realize that he was being forsaken. Spike was going to walk out of the chamber with nothing to show for what he'd done. Fido wouldn't accept that, he couldn't accept that, and there was only one authority higher than the Grand Alpha.
"JUDAS MACHTO!" He cried, pointing to the drake. "I declare Judas Machto against the geko!"
The entire courtroom fell into silence as all the non-equine and griffon onlookers gasped. Their faces stuck in masks of absolute horror and disbelief.
"What's Judas mako?" Spike asked innocently though the deafening silence.
The head Alpha dog eyed Fido for a few more seconds before turning his eyes back to Spike. "Judas Machto, young dragon, is an old right of the dogs. One that we have not used in a century, and considered abolishing many a times, continuing only for the sake of maintaining a counter balance to the power of the Grand Alpha." Spike continued his stare, his question not yet answered. "Judas Machto is a trial by combat."
"Trial by combat?" The drake asked and quirked his head slightly. "What does fighting have to do with a trial?"
Raptor gave a quick explanation that, in the older times, Grand Alphas that abused their power and didn't put the pack first were constantly assassinated, leading to power struggles to the higher leaders. Since the power struggles constantly lead to bloody wars that claimed thousands of lives, a new Grand Alpha had created the Trial by Combat, Judas Machto, to challenge the highest power to one on one combat, since the entire empire held to the tradition of standing behind the leader to the point they'd fight any threat, no matter the lies the leader told, or the melevent oppressions.
It was a crude measure that was mercilessly abused in the beginning, but one that quickly brought order to the upper echelons, as well as broke the undying loyalty that the Grand Alpha had over the numerous packs. If ever the trial was called upon a kind and benevolent ruler, the rest of the pack would constantly challenge the victor. No matter how strong a single dog was, he would eventually fall when placed up against a constant stream of opponents.
This concept was supposed to remain solely against the highest power, but eventually the packs integrated the practice into their own courts against their own pack Alphas when a dispute arose. For an Alpha themselves to call for it was unheard of, but the trial by combat was never specified to be only against the proceeding power.
In all technicality, Fido's challenge to Spike was a challenge against Raptor and the rest of the Council's decision, and the right to the duel was clear.
"JUDAS MACHTO! JUDAS MACHTO!" Fido chanted, slowly his pack joined in the chant in a slow and steady beat. Soon, every dog, even the council, had joined in. Demanding that the trial take place and that some measure of accountability be taken.
The lead council member heald up a paw to silence the crowd, it took longer than he would have liked, but eventually the dogs all began to calm down. "Spike of Equestria," he began, "you are no longer bound by this court, and are free to leave. However, you have been challenged to trial by combat, a challenge against me as well as every Diamond Dog who sits up here before you. We will not hold you to this challenge, but we will look unfavorably upon your honor should you walk away without engaging it."
Spike looked down and brought a shaky claw to his head. He had no idea what was going on, first they were about to tell him his sentence, then they told him that he was free to go, but now they were requesting that he stay and face another trial, kinda thing? It was strange, the canim made no sense at all! But he knew that he deserved punishment, and the scars upon Fido's face deserved retribution.
"I accept." he declared after a full minute of thought. "What are the rules?"
The dog smiled. "The rules are simple, both of you must engage into combat until one is unable to continue. Death has been the historical norm for victory to be declared, but we would rather avoid killing if it can be helped." He clarified, "though, if one of you is killed, we cannot hold the other party accountable."
Spike's breath caught in his throat and he looked at the evil grin upon Fido's face. Spike didn't have a prayer against him now, his chubby and infant form was nothing compared to the more developed body he had when he'd gone toe to toe in the caves. Back then, he stood just a half head short of eye level with the beast, now he barely came up to his waste! He probably couldn't take a normal dog, let alone their Alpha.
But that didn't mean he was just going to sit back and let himself be killed, either.
"Fine." Spike declared, looking over to his friends, each giving him a look of concerned. "I want to be held accountable for what I've done. I'll fight him one on one and let him get his licks in. It's the least I can do."
"Very well. The sacred rite of Judas Machto has been invoked and accepted. Any whom attempt to interfere with the trial by combat shall be killed immediately." Raptor declared, looking back to the ponies. "Magic of any kind will be considered assistance."
All of the stress and terror that had evaporated when his trial was interrupted suddenly came back full force as Fido slowly made his way into the open floor. But Spike pushed it all down, convinced that his decision was the right one. Even if killed here, at least he could speak for himself, if not with his words than with his fists. He was weak, but he wasn't helpless.
Fido stepped forward, eyeing the emerald orbed reptile as all the humiliation came rushing into him. "Stupid GEKO!" He cried, slamming his fist into the drakes face and sending him to the ground. "Dogs no need your pity. Dogs PROUD!" He lifted his leg and gave a good kick, sending Spike rolling a few feet with a pained grunt.
Spike got to his feat and launched himself forth, tackling the dog to the ground and hitting his chest repeatedly with his fists. The effort was all for not, as Fido merely looked down at him with minor amusement before slapping the drake off to the ground once again with a resounding thump.
The canim chuckled mirthlessly at the pathetic attempt to tackle him yet again. "Puny geko." He spat, kicking Spike away again. "You should have ranned away when you had chance!"
In that split second of feeling his second rip crack from a fierce stomp on his back, the split second between hearing the snap within his ears and feeling the ungodly pain to follow, Spike was inclined to agree that his decision was a mistake.
Sin cringed as a loud snap of something breaking echoed throughout the chamber, followed by a cry of pain from the baby dragon. He wanted to help, he really did, but this wasn't a battle he could fight for Spike. The dragon had agreed to the duel and he had no business butting in.
"How it feel, geko? How it feel to be tossed around like you were weak?!" Another kick elecited another scream of pain. "How it feel, dragon?! TELL ME HOW IT FEELS!" Fido reached down and picked the dragon up by the neck. "I wanna hear how you feel being weak!"
Sin looked down at the crossbow on his foreleg and resisted the urge to take aim.
"Celestia! Please, we have to help him! You heard them, he's free to go!" Twilight declared, looking up at her mentor. Her begging was met with a simple shake of the head and a few words that didn't make sense to Twilight, but made perfect sense to Sin.
"Spike's chosen this for himself, my faithful student. He must now own up to the consequences of his decisions."
Unable to believe what she was hearing, Twilight ran to Luna and received the same answer. With her desperation quickly growing, she approached the council of Alphas, begging them to end this madness.
"Pony, we are bound by laws just as you are. We cannot interfere with this duel, lest we suffer the same fate we threaten."
The lavender mare continued her pleading, quickly releasing her calmness to desperation and anguish. It was a sight too painful to watch, so Sin turned back to the duel just in time to see Spike's face receive an extreme blow from Fido's fast that made Sin cringe yet again.
If this kept up, Spike wouldn't make it. Judging by the flowing blood from the dragon's mouth and nose, he'd be down for the count soon. But no matter how many times he was knocked down, no matter how many bones were broken, the drake still stood to his feat, a burning determination blazing in his eyes as he challenged the dog time and time again.
"Why do you fight?!" Fido demanded, his chest heaving from exertion. "You lose, geko, you no touch me. I stronger, faster and tougher than you!" He snarled with irritation as Spike limped over to him, the reptile fairly certain some part of his left leg had been broken when he'd lifted it to protect his already injured side. He lifted a shaky fist and with all the strength he could muster, slammed it against the Alpha's stomach. The result being enough force to barely break a thin piece of pencil lead.
"I... fight," Spike panted, pulling back his fist again and throwing it. "Because... I... have to." He puffed, pulling back for a third attempted punch. His fist made contact with Fido's open paw, and he looked up through blood shot and tear ridden eyes. "I'm... Sorry for... what I... did to you." Fido's eyes widened at the apology. "You... deserve to... beat my face... in."
The alpha's muzzle quickly turned to a snarl and he threw Spike as far as he could, landing the drake on his back. "STUPID GEKO! I don't need your pity!" He declared while walking to the already rising dragon.
"This isn't... about pity, Fido." he managed, just before Fido picked him up in one paw by his neck. "It's... about... the revenge... you... deserve."
Again, Fido was taken aback by the words. His amber eyes went wide at the notion that his anger was understood and even accepted. The dragon understood him. He knew what he wanted and was willing to give it, even though he had the chance to walk away.
Unable to accept that a dragon could be intelligent or empathetic enough for such an act, Fido snarled again and slammed Spike into the ground, holding his neck and relishing the cry of pain his opponent shrieked out. Spike tried to scream again, but between the broken ribs, the paw around his throat, and the undoubted lung damage, nothing came out but a noiseless cry for mercy.
Fido would show him none though, he had suffered at the hands of the geko before him, and he deserved the vengeance he was going to get. Yes, Fido had started it with the pony napping, but he paid for that. Dear sweet treats above, did he pay for that. And now, the dragon would pay for what he'd done.
"MERCY!" Cried Twilight, drawing the dogs attention from the asphyxiated drake. "PLEASE! HE CAN'T FIGHT ANY MORE! PLEASE!"
The Alpha dog sneered at her, but another voice caught his attention. This one also calling for mercy. Though, it wasn't followed with an explanation, but repeated the word. Again, and again she chanted the word. Soon, another voice joined hers, and another, and more until the entire right side of the chamber chanted in one unified voice the word: "Mercy".
Fido exposed his teeth and was about to give the entirety of the Equines a piece of his mind, but then the Dogs from the Sigma pack joined them in their chant. Looking with utter shock, Fido observed as members of his own pack stood against him and declared their desires for leniency.
Had they all gone mad? This was the dragon who'd assaulted them all! He was the reason they were hurt and damaged, did they really not see that he was just getting revenge on their behalf!
"Idiots." Fido whisper in disbelief. "All of them are idiots!" And idiots though they may be, the constant chanting and stress was beginning to wear on the dogs nerves. He was tired of punching the rag doll around, and while he did have a small amount of respect for the drake for standing up and facing him, he still had to finish the fight.
Raising his free paw, Fido drew his claws and readied for the final blow of the fight.