//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 
// Story: Shaping Man 
// by PheonixLyrics101 
//------------------------------//

 As planned planned out by Daring you all began the trek back to the surface. The others, which you had learned their names were (Starting with the mares) Silver Moonlight, an artist, Blissful Sonnet, a singer, with a magnificent voice you might add. Then there was Mini Starlight, an astronomer who was a little on the short side compared to the others. Then there was Starlight Shores, a cartographer. Sugar Crust, a baker who specialized in the pie department. Velvet Glimmer, a seamstress. Charm Hoof, a radio hostess. And last but not least Electric Diamond, she invented a way of storing electricity into diamonds in which she upgraded the current magic driven power source to an electrical. 
As for the guys, there were still two that were pretty stubborn towards accepting you. Those two were Shining Armour, the captain of the royal guard, who got pretty butthurt when you asked how he got captured. After he just huffed, turned his back to you, and left… jackass. The other was his second in command, Lieutenant Flash Sentry, apparently he's in a relationship with Shinings sister. Or so I heard from Charm Hoof. The other guys that were there were a tad more accepting even if they were a bit tense while you were around. 
The first was a more posh station named Chieftain Tact, he works as a tactician in this placed called the Crystal empire or something like that. Must be famous for their mining. Anywho, the other guy was named Obsidian Strike, a dragon slayer. That there sent chills down my spine. The fact that there were dragons here, what other mysteries does this world hold? Next thing I know I'll be seeing friendly ghosts named Jeff. 
Although once he said that a couple of the mares and stations have his dirty looks while others looked the other way mumbling amongst themselves. 
‘So I’m gonna take a shot in the dark and guess that dragons are sentient by the reactions. So he must be some kind of hitman to dragons or something?’ Anyway getting back on track we were nearing a large wooden door that looked like its seen better days. The panelling wood slabs appeared to be warping due to the moisture of the caves and the metal was rusting under the effects of time. Daring, who was leading at the front stopped at the door looking at it quizzically. 

“This wasn't here when I went to get my bag earlier.” Daring thought out loud. 

“What do you mean it wasn't here before?” Asked Shining as he made his way to the front. “Doors don't just appear out of the blue you know. “

“I am very much so aware of that Captain Obvious. “ Came Daring response a hint of annoyance coming to her voice. “I'm just skeptical about what would've caused a door to just randomly app-”
As she tried to finish her sentence a group of five heavily armoured dogs holding what looked like rusty swords, pickaxes, sharpened shovels, and primitive looking flintlock pistols that when shot held surprising accuracy for the model. Shining unsheathed a glistening sword from his hip and what looked like a glock that had a purple trim and Shining written in an elaborate cursive on the left hand side. 
Beside him Flash pulled what looks to be a generic broadsword from a sheath strapped to his hip and a similar glock to Shinings, excluding the designs of course. He took a ready stance standing just behind his captain as they slowly move over to the mares to cover them. Not wanting to feel left out Sir Tackt unsheathed his rapier standing alongside Flash guarding the mares. Daring however pulls two, and I shit you not, gunblades. She pulls out two works of art that are guns attached to a blade, and to say I was astonished was an understatement. I quickly looked away to survey the rest of my surroundings, seeing Obsidian pull a blade similar to Flashes out only just like Darings, has a firing mechanism attached. Not wanting to feel left out I summon my guns and take aim at two dogs with a Thorn in one hand and a
D.E. in the other. The dogs snarl at us and make a demand I can't stand to hear. 

“Give us back our slaves foul demon, we captured them, which makes them ours!” Growled a diamond dog standing a proud 6’4 and welded a pick in each hand with a flintlock strapped to his left buckle. He stood at the front of the pack. Stating that he's clearly the “Alpha Male” of the corrugated dogs of this mining cave. But rather than let you talk Shining decides to make himself spoken. 

“I am the captain of the royal guards, And prince of the crystal empire! What makes you think we'll be leaving without a fight?” Shining calls out to them. You promptly step in front of Shining and stare at him bringing your finger up to your lips signaling for him to be quiet. He gives you a look then much to your displeasure, says. 

“Step aside human, your frail body will have no use here.” He says as he tries to push you aside, but you stand fast. You then sheriff him off and turn to the diamond dogs. 

You brought you voice a few octaves down to seem more intimidating and spoke.  

“And what pray tell gives you the need and the rights to use slaves for your bidding?”  The dog smells at you and reports with. 

“Step aside, we only want them, but if you're of use you will soon join! As for why? How else do you think we fend off the dragons? We take pony slaves, we mine with them, we pay dragons, they don't eat us. Now stand aside before I blow your brains out!” 

You contemplate that as you lower your guns a bit, then you ask something you're certain you're going to regret. “Where are these dragons?” 

“Yes, bring me to these dragons. I shall make them bathe in their own blood and regret the day they were born.” Growls out Obsidian 

Shining decides to quickly abolish the thought. “Aren't you a dragon slayer? Think for a minute, dragons are apart of houses. You mess with one, you get them all. You can't possibly manage to take on a dragon house like that.”

Obsidian just grips his sword tighter and grinds his teeth. You however would like to rethink your ‘genius’ plan. 
‘Welp, fuck that plan.’ You think to yourself as you quickly try to formulate a plan of attack against these mangy mutts. There's three blocking the exit from behind, one in the middle of the hallway, and two more about six feet to his right and left. The one in the middle holds a shovel and has two flintlocks strapped to his hips. The one on the right looks like an even bigger version of Hulk Hogan, with an ice sized pick in one hand and a axe in the other, although as you examine you notice he has no cranial defenses. You mentally smile at that as your eyes flick over to the one on the left. He looks like the rut of the bunch, though you decide on taking him out first as he is dual wielding flintlocks along with two more strapped to his hip along with what looks like magazines strapped along his chest. With this info you suspect he's a marksman, not strong enough to use a sword but enough to handle the kick of a gun. You flick your eyes over to the two in front of you. The leader has a similar build to the behemoth behind you, only he seems to be smarter than he looks. The dog beside him looks to have a similar build to Shining, fit, yet not overly fit, like a marine. He is wielding a flintlock in one hand and a hatchet in the other. He has a creepy smile equipped and looking words you licking his lips once he saw you looking at him. ‘Gah, that's creepy!’ You think as you quickly avert your eyes back to the gunman, who is now pointing his guns at you and Obsidian. You decide enough is enough and want to settle this for good. Besides you have questions you want answers to, like where the duck you were, what they did to ‘summon' you here, and most importantly why? So you speak up. 

“What about a compromise?” You ask, your mouth feeling dry and your palms sweating a bit as you await a response, a response that never comes due to Flashes brashness. Flash decides to throw in his two cents as you patiently wait seeing the leader think. 

“Buck that man, I just wanna get out of here! Let's just kill these no good bastardy and get out of here!” To this with lightning speed the dog behind you whips his pistols firing one off shooting a round into Flashes left calf. At that you froze, sure you've used guns before. You've even done paintball in your J.R.O.T.C. class. But this is real, time seemed to slow as Flash fell to the ground. With adrenaline pumping through your veins you make a five for a nearby crack in the wall, slipping your bags into your pocket dimension you easily blend with the shadows and take aim. The mares are putting up a fight, Starlight Shores is leading the girls back down the corridor while Daring is providing cover fire, Obsidian is rushing the furry Hulk Hogan while Sir Tackt is carrying Flash behind a particularly large rock in which he starts to remove the wound with his magic. Shining alone has taken out the marksman who is now bleeding profusely as he clutches onto his bleeding stomach his flesh torn from the piercing bullet fired from Shinings glock. He scrapes at the wound in a desperate attempt to remove the bullet with little luck as he is just making it worse, a puddle of blood slowly tainting the stone around d him a dark crimson. His companion stands in front of him clashing blades with Shining as the remaining two take potshots at the fleeing mares. Deciding you'd had enough of this foolish pussying out you take aim with your 
D. E.  and fire a shot at one of the diamond dogs taking potshots. It soars over his head as you had fired too high. You calm your nerves and take aim is now more this time scoring a grazing hit to the back of his head. He roars in pain as the bullet tears through the mixture of fur and flesh, blood splattering onto the face of the dog beside him. He falls to the ground clutching the back of his head at an attempt to slow the bleeding. You take this time to fit another shot at him, taking slow and easy breaths, you hold your breath and fire of another, this one blowing a goofball sized hole through his skull. Cranial matter splatters over the dull gray stone and across his compatriots torso as he bares witness to suck an account. You watch as things seem to show down as you watch the bullet do it's work, you're eyes flicking to the dog beside him staring in a state of shock, fear, and admiration for the guns damage. The look quickly erases as you quickly take aim and dish out a similar fate as he joins his corpse of his friend beside him. You switch your attention to the Alpha that Shining is fighting. He and the Alpha are at eachothers throats, their swords clashing so hard that they occasionally spark as they slide off each other. You can't get a clear shot,  they're moving too much for you to do something without risking Shinings safety. ‘I have to get closer.’ You think to yourself. You dash over to a nearby hole, pressing yourself at the edge, giving you cover for your back and bringing you closer to the fight. Now that you're were closer you could see that Shining had a gash going in an upward diagonal curve across his chest and was bleeding profusely. You could see the strain with every swing that he was slowing down. ‘Gosh dammit, what should I do?!’ I couldn't exactly run up and join in, I would be most likely either get shot by the guy fighting Obsidian, or get stabbed by the Alpha. Not to mention I don't even have a-

“Your knife dumbass.” Came the voice of Cordelia. 

‘Well it's good to hear from you again.’ You mentally snap back at her. You pull mentally pull out the knife and gawk at it. ‘Oh you spoil me so.’ You say as thanks as you start to sneak around to get behind the Alpha. You feel her smirk in your mind, you don't know how but you do. Feels weird too. As you make your way around your see that Daring and Obsidian are pressing back again the behemoth. You smirk at that and continue your advance. You make it to the point where you're almost directly behind him. You wait for a minute, silently apologizing to Shining for making him wait for so long. You see your opening when they come to a standstill. Their swords pressed against each other as they snarl in each others faces. You take this opening and rush up to the Alpha, plunging your knife into his neck and quickly tanning it sideways, spreading the growing hole forming on his neck. Blood paints Shinings face, mane, and arm as he blocks blood from getting into his eyes. He let's out a sigh of relief as he looks around at the outcome of the attack.