Not Your Average HiE Story

by Aegis Steelshield

20 I Fucking Hate Caves

I really shouldn't of knocked out that dog. I could of used a guide. I sigh as I continue moving around the Quarry. There are tons of holes on the ground, but I have no way of knowing what hole leads where. I consider briefly giving up, but push it out of my head. After a few moments of fruitless searching, I hear something behind me, and spin around, seeing an armored dog.

"Hero. Ponies underground. Follow, or they die."

I grunt, and nod. "Alright. Lead the way."

It seems almost surprised at how quickly I agreed, before sinking back into it's hole. I hop in, sliding across the ground. Rarity'll probably be pissed when she finds out. At the bottom of the tunnel, the dog awaits, before dropping on all fours, and running down another tunnel. I keep pace with him, passing through several large, inhabited caverns.

After maybe ten minutes, I start feeling the air pressing in on me, and feel sweat running down my body. It's pretty warm down here, and ahead, I see light. The dog steps aside, and I enter, seeing several stalagmites above. The light is blocked by a few stalactites, but as I get closer, the air heats up even more. As I pass between the upward growing spikes, I see the source of the light.

"I call bullshit. Lava doesn't work like that." I say, hopping over the river, and approaching another dog. This one is wearing a full plate suit, and has an ax hanging from it's side. Attached to it's back is a small buckler. It tilts it's head, frowning at me.

"Hero doesn't look like much." The gravelly voice finally says. "Ponies are our slaves now. Fight me, win. Or they die." It puts it's paw on the ax.

I dash forward, swinging my fist into the side of it's helmeted head. The dog stumbles backward, before turning it's head to face me again. "Hero isn't much."

I feel a slight crackle of electric energy, before I feel the dog slamming into me. I hate to admit that it knocked me over, and onto my back. The next thing I know, his ax is swinging down at my head. So I brought my knee up, and threw my arm out, sending the dog sprawling away.

Rolling away, I land on my feet again, just in time to see him reading his shield. Throwing myself at him like a bullet, I'm surprised to see him reacting in time, putting the shield in the way of my kick. Once more, I feel the crackle of energy, before I'm thrown away. I bounce off the ground once or twice, before hitting a spike, and indenting myself in it.

I see him running at me, quickly, ax raising. I put my hand in the way to catch it... And the blade sinks into my flesh like it was nothing, stopping only when it hit bone. The pain is indescribable, easily the worst I've felt since I got here. I kick him away, and scramble away, breaking line of sight with him, and hiding in the line of stalactites.

"Can smell your blood Hero." It calls out mockingly, before cutting through the rock behind me. His helmet's been raised, freeing his nose. An idea pops into my head, and I slam my injured, bloody hand into his nose, palm first.

"Hope you like it." I growl, before kicking him in the chest. I see him readying the shield again, and jump over him. He spins around, following me closely. He's certainly faster than the others I've fought. I wondered if he had powers, or magic, before pushing it out of my head. I figured that if he'd injured me, he was owed my full attention.

I dart to the side, faster this time, watching him follow my movements. Even faster, I close in with a feint, watching how fast he raised the shield, and kick out under it. I watch it start to lower, but my kick was too fast, knocking him onto one knee. The ax swings in from the side, and I grab his arm by the wrist. I squeeze, hard, and feel the metal resist my crushing grip. "Magic." I mutter, before over powering it, and feeling the wrist buckle and break.

It lets out a howl of pain, and I punch him in the still exposed face. "Stupid, fucking magic." I punch him again, and a third time for good measure. I let him fall to the ground, before kicking him in the side, sending him flying to the side. He shakily stands, pulling the helmet back over his face. It drops the shield, before taking it's ax in it's good hand.

It closes in, swinging wide, and I dart forward, leaning down. Grabbing his leg as I pass, I rip it out from under him, before swinging, and throwing him through several rocks. Picking up the ax from the ground, put it in my belt. "You've lost."

I hear the other dogs closing in before I see them. Seeing their Alpha laid out before them certainly did wonders for their aggression. They drag my friends out, gagged and bound. None of them seem to have anything more serious than a few scratches. I use the ax to cut their bindings, before another dog, a smaller breed, leads us up and out.

* * * * *

An hour or so later, we're all sitting inside of Fluttershy's cottage. She finished putting the finishing touches on the bandage covering my hand. Sparkle's looking over the ax I collected. Rainbow and Applejack are quietly sitting next to each other. Rarity had fainted on 'Shy's couch. Pinkie was in the kitchen, brewing tea for everyone.

"It's like... A black spot." Sparkle says softly. "I can't get a read on the enchantments but... I think it's... Griffon, in design." She mutters.

"It cut me." I remind her. "Normal metal doesn't do that. Not here, not on Earth."

"Bare with me on this... What if metal here is different, or what if our universe runs on different rules then yours?" Sparkle does bring up a good point, but I've already tested that.

"I've tried cutting myself on a dozen blades Sparks." Her ears fold back in annoyance. "Kitchen knifes, daggers, swords. Nothing. This is the first time I've been cut. You say it's Griffon? Maybe a griffon would know."

"The only Griffon any of us know is Gilda, and she..." Rainbow starts.

"She's a bitch." I finish for her.

"I was going to say that she didn't study blacksmithing, dick."

"I think it's the magic." Sparkle pips up again, "But it's leagues above me. I've never seen anything like it, but I've never studied weapon enchantments before."

"Alright." I let out a sigh, before she continues.

"But my brother did."

Comments

[Djohng]

Can you please realise next chapter

[Aegis Steelshield]

8230532
I'll certainly try. I'd have to write it first, of course.

[Djohng]

8231947
Ty I was enjoying reading this

[Aegis Steelshield]

8231963
Guess what I did today?