"The dogs found us! Attack the cur and rescue the prisoners!"

And I fucking ran like my ass was on fire.

I turned tail and beat it just as the diamond dogs did the same as well but they were moving backwards with their shields and spears raised, trying to protect each other from the pony guards.

It was go time, I had to get the fuck out of dodge and get the prisoners out at the exact same time.

Perfect.

Running down the cave hall as fast as my legs can carry me I heard behind me the sounds of battle but it was short lived as I heard the diamond dogs yelping behind me in pain before it grew silent.

Well that fucking sucks, my meatshields were easily dispatched by a bunch of halfpint ponies dressed up as guards.

Fucking lovely.

Putting my back into it I pushed myself as hard as I could as I didn't want to get captured or killed by those guard ponies. Right behind me was the sounds of armored hooves stomping on stone, they were galloping right at me and I knew that I couldn't outrun them.

But maybe I could distract them...

Slowing myself down to catch my breath I inhale as deeply as I could before cupping my hands near my mouth to act as a megaphone before shouting as loud as I can.

"INTRUDERS!" my shout echoed down the cave halls as it went deeper and deeper throughout the cavern, I know it was only a matter of time before every single dog in the colony will hear my shout and coming running to the source of the disturbance and check it out. I just have to pray to some sort of higher power that they get here in time.

With myself out of breath I had to jog just to keep some distance between myself and the equestrians.

And seeing how I just knocked one out cold with a sledgehammer to the dome...I think I got a target on my back.

It was when I took a few more steps did a bolt of blue energy go sailing right over my head and like an idiot I turned around to see who shot that at me and the sight of a snarling, pissed off pony guard with a horn as its horn started to glow again before spitting out another blue magic bolt at me.

Turning back around I continued to run or move as fast as I could as I felt my body starting to crap out on me, I wasn't the most physically fit in my group of friends or in my family, but this is just unfair. Running from another human is possible because we both are on two legs and it all depends on how long the chase has been going and how fit the two are, but this is a biped running from a quadruped, simply unfair.

"Get back here! You are under arrest for assaulting a lunar guard and for holding the princess of Griffonstone hostage!"

Before long I managed to reach an intersection in the halls and when I turned to see if anyone was coming I saw the all too familiar wooden sign on a wall that clearly read out 'Feasting Hall' and I made an abrupt turn and ran right to it.

With what little energy I had left in my legs I entered the food court and shouted as loud once more.

"INTRUDERS!"

And like magic, every single diamond dog in the hall turned to look at me as I pointed in the direction of the ponies, and it turned into a shit storm real fast.

The male diamond dogs grabbed their swords, spears, axes, whatever weapons they could find on such short notice along with their armor or whatever they could use as a shield and immediately stormed out of the halls while a few females did the exact same thing while the rest grabbed their pups and went in the other direction along with a handful of guard dogs to protect them. One diamond dog in particular was wearing exquisite armor and I immediately picked him out as the alpha of the clan and he was leading the charge against the equestrians.

I stood at the edge of the door when the dogs ran out but I was pushed into the group of female dogs with their pups by one of the guards and before I could question what was going on something was shoved into my arms and I looked at it to see that it was the sword that I left Griffonstone with and that it was still in its sheath seeing how I never touched it. Looking up I saw that it was the alpha's mate and that she was holding her son in her arms, her two helpers were right behind her, holding small daggers in their delicate paws.

The female belonging to the alpha pulled me close before whispering into my ear something important.

"Stay close to us." her muzzle brushed against my ear but I took heed to her

And stay close I did, I made sure that I was within spitting distance from the mother and her two helpers as I kept an eye on the young pup in her arms.

Jogging through the stone halls of the cavern the sounds of fighting can be heard everywhere we went, and a few times we went by a few scenes where the diamond dogs were barely holding the ponies in dark armor at bay. These dogs were so grossly undertrained to fight back against these skilled soldiers that it was only a miracle that we managed to squeeze by a few times so far.

It was when we crossed into another hall that we just arrived to an aftermath of a battle and there was no diamond dogs standing. All of them were on the ground writhing in pain as their attackers stood over them, tying them up with rope and dragging a few of them into a pile but they stopped what they were doing when they saw us enter that section of the hall.

'Oh balls...'

Normally I would have ran at the sight of a battle group of enemy soldiers that have the intent to inflict bodily harm to my person, but when my plan to break a bunch of people out of prison is on the line along with the lives of several diamond dogs...I guess I have to take my lumps.

But fortunately for me the diamond dog guards that was with us rushed forward and took up arms instead of making me do it instead. I watched fully knowing that those dogs don't even stand a ghost of a chance in facing those elite soldiers, but I know that they are simply buying us time to get out of here unharmed.

Moving past the ensuing fight between the d-dogs and bat ponies, the remaining d-dogs in my company are nothing more then women and children and myself. The next time we get into a fight they will be pushing me forward and I know that the only chance I have is if I manage to get the first strike on every single pony that we come across and that I hit them hard enough to knock them out.

Sadly though my sword isn't blunt, it is as sharp as a sword can ever get and it would more than likely lop off a limb instead of leave bruises behind unless I whack them with the flat side of the blade.

Luckily for me though it didn't have to come to that, we made it to the location where the diamond dogs were evacuating and it was in the open that I felt the first blast of fresh clean air in a long few days. Staring at the open space I noticed that this was the same crack in the ground that I climbed down to get the stupid idol. This was where the kidnapped me!

While I was busy having my little moment, the diamond dogs were busy crossing a rickety wood and rope bridge to the other side which had a matching cave entrance. Soon it was my turn to cross but that was when they were taking the bridge down, leaving me behind and on the wrong side of the chasm.

I shouted in anger at what they were doing, there is no way in hell that they are leaving me behind to get captured by a bunch of pissed off horses.

"What the flying fuck are you doing! You are not leaving me here to get fucking captured!"

"You'll be fine pup! Equestrians don't touch young pups like yourself unless they are into such things!" Wait...what?

No, there is no way a bunch of ponies would even be into that...right? There are laws and rules against raping captured enemy combatants, right?

Right!?

Before I could keep on thinking on whether or not that such things exist in this world (probably) but this just gave me the chance to quickly run back to the prison cell and break them out and escape from this shithole.

Only problem with that plan is that standing between me, the prisoners and freedom is the several dozen pony soldiers marching and fighting in the halls, the diamond dogs that will try to force me to fight with them to repel the attackers, and also probably the bat pony in the cell itself that will try and disarm me to get some brownie points even though he was captured.

Turning back away from the chasm's edge I ran back inside and although I don't know this particular section of the cave system but if I can find me a landmark or at the very least some knocked out dogs I can for the most part make an educated guess as to where I am at. As long as I can find a useable landmark and maybe know which area is safe and not safe I can reach the prisoners, break em out and run like goats on fire the fuck out of here.

Backtracking my way inside the sounds of fighting can still be heard but it is much more subdued now which only means that the diamond dogs are getting their asses kicked up and down the block and that they have no true means of winning against these ponies. Creeping through the dark halls I kept my head down, my sword out and my left hand on my backpack strap to make sure it is still on my back as I kept my eyes peeled for anything that is on four legs, has hooves and probably smells like hay and grass.

Stopping at an intersection I shuffled to the edge and peeked around the corner, I saw nothing but discarded weapons, some blood splatter and several dents in the ground. I don't know what those dents are but one can only guess as to what it could be and I can hazard a guess that they belong to those ponies, metal horseshoes can leave a dent in the ground when slammed down hard enough and they could kill a human being when struck in the right places.

With my head partially exposed I saw nothing hostile so I creeped on out and made my way down the left tunnel and with it came the ungodly creepy silence as I no longer heard the diamond dogs fighting so that left me only two options as to why this is happening.

The diamond dogs lost against the bat ponies and they were now hunting for any stragglers.

Or I am so far enough away from the fighting that I can no longer hear it.

I am hoping for the latter because if it is the former then I would have to harness my inner metal gear solid and sneak my way through the pony patrols and not get captured. And seeing how I don't have a lovely infinite ammo tranquilizer dart gun, and no actual skills to knock people out other then blunt force trauma to the head...I am fucked.

Taking cautious steps I hear the sounds of my shoes on dirt and rocks, my own heavy breathing, and the occasional organized marching of iron hooves on stone.

'You know this reminds me for some reason that Knots Berry Farm spooky maze thing they did on Halloween...now I just need to avoid the jumpscares of ponies and not get the shit beat out of me and take me away to be processed as a prisoner...way worse then pissing my pants in fear. That is for sure way worse...'

Stalking through the hall I heard nothing but myself or the marching bat ponies and as I kept on moving the sound of hooves only grew louder and louder as I got deeper into the colony until I finally bumped right into a passing bat pony patrol.

My first instinctive response was to let out a manly shriek of surprise while at the same time punching the nearest pony in the face.

The pony I struck went down like a sack of potatoes while the other four that was with him/her/it glared at me and immediately sprang into action, they pulled out from their sheaths blunted swords, the edges have been flattened out and I can tell that they are nothing more than iron paddles. Those swords may not be able to kill me so easily but they sure as shit will hurt like hell if and when they connect with me.

Just have to stay away from those swords and everything will be right as rain.

And just as I was thinking on not getting it, I felt a horrible stinging pain as one of the bat ponies whacked me in the shin and brought me to a knee, and I must say in all my life getting hit I the shin is the fourth most painful thing ever to happen to me. I responded back by back handing the pony in question which made him/her/it drop the sword it was holding in its mouth.

Strange how they managed to get on their armor and yet they manage to wield weapons meant for species that have hands/paws by wielding it with their mouth. I bet the taste of metal or whatever is used as the handle for the sword isn't so good unless they managed to get it to taste like sugar or a salt lick.

The pony I pretty much bitch slapped recoiled back from the pain and placed a hoof on its cheek, surprised that I actually slapped them instead of taking a swing with the lethal looking blade. But they didn't get to wonder for long as I punched them squarely in the muzzle, bringing them down while at the same time pissing off the other four ponies.

Why can't I ever get into a fair fight? It is always against something bigger than me or outright outnumbering me, its never fair!

With one bat pony down for the count the rest rushed at me with their iron paddle swords I blocked one blow but the other three swords cracked me in the ribs but instead of feeling the ungodly terrible pain of ribs cracking and breaking, I instead felt the pain of someone punching me in the ribs. I saw a diamond dog drop like a stone in the water when a pony whacked him in the face, this should have happened to me as well but it didn't.

Am I special or something?

Anyways with their swords still connected to my ribs I dropped my lethal sword in favor of grabbing two of the bat ponies by their heads and slammed them into the bat pony in the middle of the three with their helmeted heads. The end result was the three ponies being knocked out and collapsing onto the floor, I know that when I fought against the big dog earlier in the mess hall that when I dropkicked him that it should have done absolutely nothing to him but it instead knocked him the fuck out and then some. But these three ponies, I am not that strong to actually knock them out cold, give them an annoying headache yes, rendering them unconscious no.

With those four removed from the battlefield I looked around and I spotted the fifth bat pony that was in the patrol, a pair of leathery wings on its back and for a moment I thought it was going to rush me with its airborne attack but it instead slowly started to back away from me. Seems like it wasn't prepared to meet what it thought was a diamond dog that was much more durable and powerful then its weaker brothers.

Squatting down to grab one of the blunt swords these bat ponies had I noticed that these things were far lighter than the gryphon sword that I had dropped earlier, it probably has some sort of enchantment placed on it or maybe made with lighter metals. If they have unicorns, cause I saw one with wings and a horn and if my dungeons and dragons logic is trustworthy, then it should have access to magic and be able to enchant things. Unless that knowledge is bullshit then my guess of light metals would be true.

'Throwing your sword never works.' I thought as I looked at the blunt metal sword in my left hand before looking up at the last pony standing as it started to back away slowly just as it turned around and began to gallop away from me.

I threw the blunt sword at the retreating pony, the sound of galloping hooves echoing in the cave was loud and after a few moments I heard a loud clang sound that was followed by the weapon clattering on the floor and a body falling over.

'Throwing your sword does work!'

With the patrol knocked unconscious I decided that now was the time to get my ass in gear and to move it straight to the prison cell to rescue the princess, her guards, the minotaur and the lone Thestral bat pony. If I am going to be living the high life back in Griffonstone than this plan of mine cannot possibly fail!

No time to lose I started to run down the halls, my footsteps bouncing off the halls and I knew that by running in this place that those down the halls that the horses would hear it and come to the source of the disturbance, I just hope that it doesn't bring out the heavy hitters.

Sprint around a corner I nearly bumped into another pony squad but because I caught them off guard I managed to slap one of the guards on the ass with the flat end of the sword and kept on running but with my left handed sword I smacked one of the guards in the face, knocking him out in the process before I kept on running.

Turning yet another corner I bumped into yet another patrol of pony guards, but this time with a bunch of muzzled and bound diamond dogs in tow. This time I didn't even bother to stop them other than tripping the pony holding the chains in his mouth by smacking his forelegs with the thick edge of the sword. I heard a loud yelp of pain coming from the pony I hit and it was immediately followed by the sound of iron chains hitting the floor and after that the sounds of paws scrabbling on the floor as they tackled and charged the nearest pony in their bound forms.

Causing chaos in the pony ranks is good fun and all but I do have a mission to complete and although it pains me to leave the diamond dogs behind to fend for themselves in pony prison, there is no way in seven hells that I am going to waste away in a prison that was designed by a bunch of grass munching hippies that just so happens to be a much better fighting force than a bunch of flea-ridden mutts.

Wow, turns out that hippies in this world are much better than the meat-eating beasties that live here, what a twist!

Juking between another patrol I soon found myself in a familiar corridor that goes straight to the prison cell and the connecting armory...you know in hindsight these dogs should not put the place where weapons and armor is stored directly across from the prison cells where you are holding your prisoners.

'This is it! The home stretch! There is possibly nothing that fuck me over now!'

While I was cheering in my head and giving myself an imaginary pat on the back, I failed to notice that there was even more hooves galloping down the halls and they were coming in from all directions and as soon as I pulled my head out of my own ass and came back to reality I saw that I was surrounded on all sides by pissed off bat ponies.

And a mildly unamused horned winged horse in onyx black armor.

'Oh fuck me to tears...'

Next Chapter: A Bargain Struck Estimated time remaining: 16 Hours, 18 Minutes