The walk to where the diamond dogs are being held was a quiet one, the citizens were busy with trying to repair their damaged homes, trying to figure out just how much was stolen from them when the dogs ransacked their businesses and houses, or were busy mourning the dead.

Many of the guards were still dragging the deceased dog bodies to the outskirts of town to the few piles they have made to be burned to prevent any possible disease they may have from spreading and to give them a pyre funeral so that they may rest in some sort of peace. By their last count from both the guards and the legion the number of slain diamond dogs was around roughly five hundred and eighty-six.

'Almost a six hundred diamond dogs died during all of this...and for what? The minotaur king's expansionistic desire for more land and resources? Now even more lives are about to be lost in the grand game of nations against nations.'

Welcome to Equis! That right there is what happens on a daily basis all around the world, mainly in regions such as Griffonia and the lands beyond the mountain range that cuts the continent in half, a whole lot of it in Zebrica because it is just a melting kettle of ideological differences and races of predators and prey living too close to one another, and lastly a little bit on the continent that Equestria resides on because some ponies are planning behind the princesses back.

'It looks like this world is taking plenty of notes from what happens on Earth, I was totally expecting to be somewhere on this planet that was peaceful and can serve as a place for me to retire when I had enough of this shit.'

Not really taking notes, it is just that this world is nearly parallel with Earth across the dimensional barriers and that there are similarities and ideas that cross over from your world to this one. One thing you should take notice though is the fact that you starting to become quite the popular one.

'What do you mean?'

Come on now, don't be modest! You should know why cause after all you just saved a village from being wiped off the map and the many lives within it, you bested an alpha in single combat, and you also dished out some justice to a bunch of stupid bulls that tried to spin a 300IQ move and instead ruined themselves for decades to come! You have also rescued the griffon king's only daughter and befriended her, and you also sent a traitor to the dungeons!

The nobility might not like you, well most of them are feeling neutral towards you since you have done much for their nation while the rest only see you as an obstacle or a threat to their home, but the citizenry? They love you! You went where countless griffons have gone before and succeeded where they have failed and got back that which they have been begging and praying for somebody to retrieve for decades! The king recognized this popularity and jumped on it the first chance he got and here you are now! A Bonafide knight and now the leader of a pack of diamond dogs! Things are looking up mighty good for you!

Truth be told, things were looking up for me, but at what cost? The lives of those around me? No, I won't accept that reality, I will not make my success on a mountain of bodies of my friends and those that work alongside me.

Soon enough the walk to where the diamond dogs are being kept came to an end as I came upon the makeshift prison that is holding nearly two-hundred dogs in captivity.

The prison itself was simple in design, just a bunch of wooden stakes in the ground with a simple wood gate keeping them in for their own safety, standing guard was a complimentary group of griffons with a few of them flying lazily overhead since the dogs are apparently not fighting nor trying to escape, almost as if they have given up hope and have accepted their fate.

As I approached the gate the five guards on duty saluted me but did not step aside as I requested entry into the holding pen, one griffon in particular placing a talon up to stop me from going forward.

"Guardsmen, do we know how many we have captured?" I said as I looked at the guards standing at the improvised prison, the five of them looked like they are bored out of their minds with standing watch over the mass of dogs who aren't moving.

"Roughly three hundred of 'em, we got them all crammed in there and we have expected them to escape or fight each other for more space but strangely enough they haven't done a thing all day." the guard said as he smoothed his head feathers, trying to straighten them out as a few damaged feathers fall out.

'Poor bastard is gonna be molting after this, that gotta hurt like hell.'

"That many? I see...well then I am going to head inside and speak with them, and since I am their new alpha than they should hopefully listen to me without questioning me at all." I said as I tried to walk to the gate but the guard in charged stopped me with a raised talon.

"Are you sure sir? They may be docile now, but they go into a frenzy when they see you and most of the guards are out on patrols looking for stragglers or are busy helping the village with search-and-rescue or on repair duty. If they get into a frenzy now than there will be nothing we can do to stop them, so I will say this again sir, are you sure you want to go in there?" The guard said to me, but I can see what he isn't saying to me.

'If I go in there now with the guards so spread out, they can easily breach the walls when they go into a frenzy and there will be nothing the guards here will be able to do to stop them all.'

But here is the thing, they can easily burrow their way out of that prison, and yet they are all still accounted for and that none of them have even tried to escape...so why haven't they tried to escape?

"I understand your fears private, but if they haven't made an escape attempt till now when they had every single opportunity to let alone have the numbers to do it with ease, then it means they are waiting for something or someone and I believe that someone they are waiting for is me." I said as I took a step towards the gate but was stopped by the same griffon that stopped me before.

"Sir, are you sure this course of action is wise? What if they enter a frenzy upon seeing you? We are not equipped to deal with a mob of dogs let alone a frenzied mob!" The private said with a bit of panic and fear in his voice, he still thinks that the moment I open that gate that it will spell doom for the village a second time.

"Private, I know what I am getting myself into, I have bested their alpha in single combat and with it the right to lead them. If you knew anything about diamond dogs and their culture than you would know that by besting their leader in a trial-by-combat it makes me their new alpha, and as their new alpha I will have their loyalty and their obedience by not being like the tyrants they are used to. I will show them a different path, one that doesn't force compliance and have them tearing at each other's throats." I knew that if I treated the diamond dogs right instead of the way that almost all alphas treat their underlings, then I can guarantee that their loyalty to me will be genuine and that they won't flip sides at the drop of a hat the moment they sense a weakness.

After all they are still dogs, loyalty should come naturally to them and if I play my cards right and give them the equivalent of treats and belly rubs in the form of more freedoms, better education and better treatment, then they will never betray me in the face of a different clan alpha or try to challenge me for the right to be alpha.

"Now, open the gate and let me through." I said with a hint of annoyance, even though I outrank this griffon he shouldn't be stopping me in the first place, but it would appear that he isn't listening to me out of fear for the safety of the others.

"I... yes sir." the griffon guard said with defeat in his voice, shoulders sagging as he nods to the others guarding the gate before moving away from it and grabbing his halberd and pointing it towards the gate as the other three did the same while the fifth one grabbed the rope leading to the gate mechanism started to pull it open with deliberate slowness.

As the gate slowly opened up, I saw fleeting glances of the diamond dogs within all huddled up together in small groups, my guess sticking to their tiny packs of friends or battle brothers while others were alone. My guess as to this formation of groups is that they all may be from different clans or tribes of dogs and when they got together and then separated from the main horde that they are sticking with who they know and shunning those they don't. But with the wooden gate opening up slowly and the squealing of wood rubbing wood and rope, the ears on the assembled diamond dogs perked up and all of them turned their heads towards the source and saw the gate opening but before they could wonder why they saw a particular figure standing there.

A figure that bested their leader in a trial by combat, somedog that should not have been able to due to its thinner and smaller stature and yet, he still did.

It was their new alpha, and he was looking at them all not in anger or disappointment, but in wonder.

I simply stood there looking at the huddled dogs and after a scant few seconds one of them made something akin to a low woof and like magic every single dog in the prison turned their heads towards the gate and they all began to talk over one another to the point where none of us standing at the gate could even decipher the words being said. It was like when you're sitting in a high school or college cafeteria and everyone is talking at the exact same time and all you can pick out are the odd words here or there, it's like that but now throw in some dog barks and woofs into it and it becomes entirely undecipherable and confusing as hell to hear.

Looking at the assembly of dogs I saw that they truly did reflect most of the dogs from Earth with just an anthropomorphic twist to them, I saw so many different species of dogs among the diamond dogs that I nearly had a heart attack of cuteness when I saw a diamond corgi dog standing there by themselves with their little tail wagging rapidly. And while my inner me wants to hug and pet these dogs because I am a dog lover since dogs are man's best friend and will never betray me, I had to tell mentally tell myself that they are not like the dogs back home and that they will more than likely rip my arm out of the socket for even daring to treat them like pets. A part of me so badly wants to pet the ever-living hell out of these diamond dogs but sadly that may seem either racist or speciest to them and I would like to keep all the blood inside my body at the moment.

Raising my left hand, I watched as the dogs all began to quiet down and those few who continued to talk were silenced by those near them by either an elbow to the gut or a bonk upside their head, all of them now watching me in silent awe and awaiting my command.

"Your old alphas have turned their backs on you, left you behind in a land that fears and hates you for the actions of those that cling to power. Is that just?" I said as I walked towards the diamond dogs, my steps measured to not only make it seem like I am important but also to not overstress my body due to the injures that are currently hurting like a motherfucker.

"Every single last one of you only wanted to live in peace deep underground where nobody would ever dare to threaten you and your family, to know peace unending, to be free from fear and worry, that was what the alphas promised you all, but in the end, they left you all to rot on the surface." Many of the diamond dogs nodded their heads and barked their affirmation that they just wanted to live in peace away from the surface world and the bullshit that happens up here.

"You all lived your lives in your warrens, working hard for your alphas, providing for your families, toiling away in the mines, protecting the warrens from feral beasts above and below ground, crafting wares to trade between kin and clan, and in turn you all expected them to be there for you when you needed them most only to find that they have turned their backs on you. All of you have spent your lives honing the craft that you all thought that would benefit your clan, working hard to be the best at what you do and yet your alphas casually tossed you all into the fire and left you all to die for their troubles." Even more dogs nodded and started to murmur amongst themselves as they started to gather at the entrance to the gate to get closer to me.

"Is that fair?" And like a firestorm of words and angry barking the diamond dogs exploded into a frenzy as they all shouted no and began to growl in anger.

Raising my hand again the dogs began to quiet down once more before I started to talk to them once more.

"My fellow diamond dogs, for the longest time we have been mistreated by those that was supposed to be our alpha, the one who was supposed to be taking care of us and in return we give them fruit of our labors, the profits we make, our admiration, and about all else our undying loyalty. But look where that has gotten us? For me I was abandoned along with the rest of the lower members of Clan Fel Brass when our warren was attacked by Equestrians, and for the lot of you, you all were abandoned by your alphas when the tide turned against you all. Our leaders have abandoned us all to terrible fates and instead of coming back to rescue us or try to ransom us back, they leave us high and dry."

"I say this, my people, sons and daughters of the earth, for many centuries now we have been a broken people. We have been scattered by Discord during his chaotic reign centuries ago, conquered by our neighbors and brought low into servitude and slavery, and our history is nothing more than a patchwork of what has been rediscovered, but no more. I come before all of you not as the new alpha of Clan Halistro, but as a fellow diamond dog who wants to see a better tomorrow where we never have to go hungry ever again, where we have a roof over our heads and a warm hearth to keep us safe from the elements, and a warren where we can keep each other safe from outside harm."

"So, who among you wants to see a better tomorrow? To never worry about being left behind by your alpha. To never have to worry about the cold or sting of hunger? To have an alpha that actually cares about you and wouldn't sacrifice you to cover his own hide? To have a clan that you can be proud to a part of and know that they will be there for you?"

The entirety of the prison was silent as the dogs looked at me with many of them turning to look at one another, doubt and fear in their eyes as they thought about my offer. I didn't know if they would take it or if they would use this chance to make a break for it and simply run for their lives or head back to their respective clans.

But then I heard it.

A single thump of flesh against flesh. Looking at the source I saw that it was a runt, placing their meaty hand upon their chest before letting out a small bark before repeating the process again.

Slowly, one by one the diamond dogs started to thump their chests with their paws, barking in unison with the others as this began to spread to those around them. The thumping of fists soon spread to every single diamond dog in the prison, all of them stomping the yard and barking as one before they all began to chant my title.

"Alpha! Alpha! Alpha! Alpha! Alpha!"

The griffons beside me still had their spears raised out of fear of a riot starting but I gave the griffons a nod and with great hesitation they lowered their weapons but still kept an eye on the dogs, none of them were happy with this situation nor were they getting paid enough to properly deal with it.

The sound of wings flapping behind me followed by landing of talons on dirt and cobblestone I heard the voice of the major.

"Are you sure this is a wise course of action to take sir knight? The king will definitely want to know about this along with the fact that you are taking the prisoners under your metaphorical wings." the major said as he lands close behind me, and for a moment I thought that this couldn't get any worse than it already is.

"It is Major, these diamond dogs have been abandoned by their alphas or were a part of the clan that I have inherited from the trial by combat. From all that I have gathered during my time with Fel Brass I have learned much about their culture, their history and that for the longest time they have been struggling against one another as their leadership was always shifting and changing hands. But no longer." I said as I explained myself to the military officer who was staring at me passively while occasionally flicking his gaze to the open prison gate.

"And you believe that you can be the king of the dogs?"

"That is a colossal goal to put on my shoulders there major, but it isn't something that I want. Too many lives in my hands and I know that power will corrupt me as easily as it corrupts those already in power. I can easily lead a clan as its always less than a thousand dogs, but an entire nation of dogs of differing opinions, ideologies, goals, dreams, aspirations and demands. I'd sooner drink myself into a stupor than try my hand at statecraft of that magnitude." and truth be told I am absolutely scared shitless of leading this many people, being in charge of about thirty people from a classroom for an activity has me nervous, but several hundred or even several hundred thousand? I will fall apart and probably need to resort to drugs or alcohol to deal with it in possible manner.

"Well...just remember that you are a knight of the Griffonian Empire first, and a diamond dog alpha second. Remember your duties and the oath you swore before king and country." the major said as he turns around and starts to walk back to his soldiers all the while snapping his tail against my leg, my guess that was his way of showing disapproval of my actions.

"I know what my duties are, I am just adding more to an already large list of duties that are now my problem to deal with."

And boy oh boy do I have a laundry list of problems to deal with now, but hopefully in the future they will sort themselves out.

To think your duties used to be simply protecting the king, obeying the king, protect the realm and offer assistance to griffon citizens. Now you get to play caretaker and leader to a bunch of smelly dogs who don't know anything aside from digging and fighting. Good luck rebuilding their society with soldiers and diggers!

"Well, this brings us to another issue." the major said as he took out a wooden pipe and lit a match at the end of it and began to smoke from it, the scent coming out of it was acrid and reminded me of the days when my uncle would inhale cigarettes like they were nothing.

"And that would be?"

"Since these dogs are now yours, you are going to have to get them out of here because they are no longer welcome in Talon's End and more than likely in the Empire until we can sort this mess out." and there it was, the beginning of all my troubles as the new alpha.

Find them a home or reclaim their old home from the remnants of the old alpha.

"Ah, yeah, that would be an issue...the problem now is that I don't have a place for them, I can maybe house one or two of them at my place in Griffonstone, but these many dogs right here? Yeah, we need to reclaim that warren now before things go pear shaped really fast." and truth be told I doubt that Gilda n Greta would be happy seeing some random dog sleeping on the sofa let alone all over the house.

"Well, figure something out and fast, I have a report to write up and this is definitely going in it. Just remember that these dogs need to be outside of Talon’s End by the end of the day, they can be outside the village limits for all I care, just get them out of here.” and like that the major left me to my own devices, hoping that I can figure out what I am going to do with nearly three hundred diamond dogs.

Standing in front of the open prison gate with the diamond dogs now standing behind me with quite a few of them poking me, trying to get my attention or to see if I am still alive, one of the two, while the rest are milling about. Sighing to myself at the development that has occurred I decided that now is the time to move on, and that means getting these guys a home to stay in.

Which means finding them either an abandoned warren to put them in or reclaim their old one.

Turning to my diamond dog entourage of three hundred I address them in the only way I know how to.

"Oi! Does any of you know if there are any abandoned warrens nearby?" I said with a hint of wariness in my voice as I know that if there was an abandoned one nearby the griffons would have reported that and it would be known by those in the village as a place to avoid.

To my absolute surprise, a couple of diamond dogs actually came forward and told me that there is an abandoned one nearby, and the reason for why its been abandoned?

"Old clan warren left behind cause of moaning sounds that come from inside it at strange times."

"Moaning sounds."

"Yes Alpha."

"What kind of moaning sounds?"

"Erf...strange ones."

"Like...are the moaning sounds one makes when they are fucking...is it when you're taking a massive shit and it won't come out...lifting a heavy object, come on now which is it?"

"Um...errrrrr...we think it was the first one?"
"No no no, it was the third one! Big dogs in mine pushing heavy cart full of gems up big hill!"
"You dumb, it was the second one, cook made bad meat and gave everyone the shits!"
"Who you calling dumb you flea-bitten pup!"
"And whose you calling a pup? Im bigger than you!"
"Bigger no mean older dumb dumb!"
"Imma hit you!"

After hearing the dogs go back and forth like this for a minute before I partially turned to face my dogs and told them all to sit down and shut up.

I was totally expecting them to be quiet at the command of their alpha, but I was not expecting them all to actually sit down on the floor and whimper as if they disappointed their owner.

And so here I am, standing here with three hundred sitting diamond dogs with their tails tucked between their legs and a small group of griffons watching this all unfold with confused looks on their beaks.

How the hell am I going to explain this little expedition to both the king and to my flock? Well, I can tell them at a later time, the king will get it both by letter and from me directly when I return home, and my flock will more than likely drag me back to the tavern for a drink and a story about what I did.

I just hope that the warrens aren't haunted and it's just someone that was fucking too loudly in the deepest parts, and it just scared ever loving shit out of everyone.

Griffons to the right of me, diamond dogs to the left, yet here I am stuck in this shithole with you!

I hate my life.

First chapter of the new month and during my day off, after an hour of posting its on the featured page, nice!