Entry One.

I've decided to keep a journal, to record and remember the events that have transpired. For the past eight years, I have been a slave, in the Diamond Dog den known as 'Earth Scar'. For the past seven, I have received a far more brutal treatment than the other prisoners. The reason for this is that seven years ago, My wife, my daughter and myself made an escape attempt. It failed. I was captured immediately, and my wife acted as a distraction to let our daughter escape. She... died fighting them off. Three days later, the hunting party sent after my little girl came back empty pawed. The alpha was furious, till they told him it was because there wasn't anything to bring back besides some gnawed bones. The bastards ate her. Even though it was seven years ago, my heart still aches for my baby girl, only nine years old at the time, and it burns with hatred for the ones who took her away. As punishment for the escape attempt, and to make an example of me to the others, they tied me down to a table, and cut off my wings, then threw me back into the mines.

For the next seven years, whenever the alpha was particularly angry, they'd haul me, and a couple other attempted escapees into his chambers, where he'd torture us. He'd slam my face into the rock over and over, which is how I got a crack in my beak. There was a pony, an earth mare, who he'd ravage constantly. She died after a year, from internal bleeding. For seven years, my heart ached with loss, a pain far worse than the beatings he bestowed. After a time, my body no longer felt the pain. All that there was, is rage. I hated him. There was no more room in my heart for anything but hate.

Nine days ago, I found my way to all his 'torture dolls' and conspired to murder him. We'd always be chained up as he brutally beat us, so there wouldn't be any guards inside his chamber. Most of them didn't like the screams. To loud, too high pitch. Three days ago, when he turned his back to me, we jumped him. I wrapped my chains around his neck, and strangled him to death. I screamed to the heavens, if they could even hear me from inside this hole, as my fury was finally let loose. I scratched and clawed and beat his corpse for well over an hour, then I left it in his chambers to rot. He would get no burial. He doesn't deserve it. The alpha's death tore the fear from the hearts of the other slaves, as well as some of his own pack. A full revolution took place. Three days ago, we won. Yesterday, we rounded up all the mutts who fought against us, and I personally executed them by tearing their throats out with my talons. Still, my rage has not been quenched.

I still remember their faces though. The pups, I mean. I remember the fear in their eyes as I slaughtered their fathers, as I coated myself in their blood. I feel no guilt, nor any pity. None was shown to my child, why should they be any different? One of the pups bit my ankle to try and stop me. I smashed it's head into the ground, cracking it's skull open like an egg. It was so... easy. So fragile, so weak. I had a point to prove. I would not tolerate anyone, and I mean ANYONE who defied me, especially not some piece of crap mutt who thinks they can just off me and put us all back in chains. I hate them. I hate them so much. I want to kill them all. Every hound, bitch and pup. I want them all dead, but right now that's just not practical.

"So... he lost his family too...He became heartless. Can't really say I blame him. He might have gone too far, but if I was in his position, can I say I'd have done any different?" I shook my head, then kept reading.

Entry Two.

Something came up that I hadn't thought of before. Now that we're free... what do we do? It's a strange feeling. For all this time we've been shackled, forced to do another's bidding, and suffer their mistreatment, and now that the yoke is gone, we all feel lost. We need a leader, someone to guide us. We're all getting together later this week to decide who we want in charge.

Entry Three.

I don't believe it. Me! Of all people, they decided that I should be the one to lead us. After all, it was I who conspired to kill the alpha, and who organized all the rioting prisoners into a proper revolution. I declined, but they all insisted. Maybe this is the break I was looking for. I could take over this damned cavern and raise an army to wipe those fucking mutts out. Unfortunately, I'm going to need their help to make this happen, so I can't kill them off just yet.

Entry Four.

It's been about a month since my last entry. I've been sick lately, so I had one of the slaves former slaves, a doctor, take a look at me. I have an infection, but it's nothing big. We just need some medicine, which we don't have. We'll have to raid a pony town, since we don't have money to buy any. I can't have them knowing it was us, so I'm sending the dogs. After all, who cares if the guard kills some of them off? They'd just be doing me a favor.

Entry Five.

The raid was a success. Six of the raiders got captured. I don't care, they were just dogs. They can rot in a pony prison. What matters is I got my medicine. I already feel better. I have some architects working on expanding the infrastructure to turn this hole into a proper city, as well as building more of the stationary defenses. I've seen dragons flying around on the horizon, and I'm getting worried all the activity might attract them.

Entry Six.

And a good thing I did! A dragon flew over today, two weeks after the previous entry, but we managed to drive it off with concentrated artillery fire. A couple of us got burned to death, and my heart goes out to their families, if they had any, but still, it was a success. We're building more ballistae and cannons, as well as digging further into the cliffside so we're not nearly so open being right at the edges.

Entry Seven.

There was an earthquake today, a couple of our newly dug 'houses' collapsed on their diggers. Again, they were only dogs, who cares? There were a couple ponies too, I only feel for them slightly more than I do the dogs. It was ponies who tore our government apart all those years ago, and put us where they are today. Of course, that was their ruler, Empress Bright Ass, and despite being their ruler, she doesn't represent the ponies who live here. The ones who live here have lost faith in her, rightly they should! They looked to her to protect them, and they wound up slaves. They looked to her to save them, and rescue never came. They all look to me now. Urgh... maybe I should hold a funeral for them.

Entry Eight.

They're all idiots! I held the funeral, and now everyone thinks I'm some caring, benevolent leader! I don't care about them. A dog and a pony showed up today. They both had slaves, and were looking to trade. The dog had ponies, zebras, and other dogs. The pony had griffins. Seeing my brothers in chains, weeping, it pissed me off so damn much! It brought back all those memories of my own shackles. I still have them, sitting on a shelf in my room, to remind me. I cut his ugly head off and freed his prisoners. I killed the dog too, because he was a dog. The dog at least got a burial. I can still hardly believe it. Ponies, happy joy filled loving caring harmony BULLSHIT! They're part of the problem!

Entry Nine.

It has come to my attention that there are worse punishments than death. Being turned to stone, for one. You spend eternity freezing cold or baking hot, forced to hold your breath still your lungs burn for air, unable to move and let it out, watching the world go by in complete solitude, having only your own thoughts to keep you company. It has also come to my attention that killing slavers dissuades future business transactions. I have decided to allow slave trade. It will bring in funds which we can use, and let me keep track of everyone involved, so I can either turn them in, or at least blackmail them. I still won't allow anyone to have griffin slaves however, and will kill anyone who puts one of my kind in chains.

"I don't believe it..." Nearly everyone was in shock when I told them.

"After all that time spent in chains, that he would so easily put others in them, it's sick." Trixie grimaced.

"That he would be so cruel as to kill pups, it makes me ill." Growl looked like he was holding back tears.

"It sounds like he only cared about griffin lives, and getting his revenge." Nadene pointed out.

"Well... he was right about one thing. As horrible as it is to say, him allowing slave trade means we get to bust all the ones responsible. We have a lot more than if he hadn't. I'm not defending him or anything but..."

"I get what yoor tryin ta say lassie." Steelhorn added. "As sad a thing as it is, tis fortunate for us, t'would be wrong not to take advantage."

"My only qvenstion is, vat vill ze people do now? Zey looked to him for guidence, und now he is dead." Geirmund did raise a good point.

"Hopefully they'll find someone who can be a better leader."