A growl filled the warm air of the forest, it was not a menacing one, more a hungry one. Though it did not originate from the bowels of a throat, but it did originate from a hungry predator's gut.
As he pushed his way through the brush of the forest, he let out an almost pathetic whimper, leaning on his precious cane more and more with each step, his rations all but gone, and hunting had bore no fruits in the past couple of days.
He had expected to find a place to replenish his supplies by now. But it seems he might have misjudged the distance he was traveling.
He had been without proper food or water for almost three days now, the result, his steps were lazy and weak, his tail barely moved with each step, almost being dragged along the ground.
“I can't let this be the end, I've barely started...” He muttered to himself, almost delirious by this point. But he would not let hunger get the best of him, he would not succumb to instinct and feral desires.
He had been through too much already, he was to good to let this be his end, with pure spite for his situation and determination to overcome it, he pushed on up over the hill in front of him.
Maybe he could see something from the top.
When he came to the top, he didn't see much, more forest in front of him. Though through the thick forest of the area his sensitive ears picked up something, a roaring rush of some sort.
'Water! That had to be water.' Was what entered his mind, filled with hope and desperation, he set off in a mad dash, he didn't have the sense to conserve his energy. As far as he was concerned saving something you don't have doesn't get you anywhere.
The day was a beautiful one, a soft breeze moved the few clouds in the sunny sky gently across the vast blue. The chirp of the birds, pierced through the dull roar of the falls in the distance.
A maid took this fine hour to take a small break. Placing herself on a small balcony, she let out a deep, wistful sigh, moving some of her mane out her eyes and just looked out over the vibrant landscape she had the pleasure of viewing every day.
The Neighagra falls of the north east, it was truly a sight, the cauldron could be heard for miles around, and seen almost as far. She absolutely adored the place.
Though something else caught her eye on her break, it wasn't the sprawling landscape or a cute critter of sort, living in one of the many trees of the area. It was a towering figure stumbling down the road in a dash.
She didn't recognize it at first, thinking it was an oddly colored pony of sort, the creature to far away to really see it too clearly, as time passed she got more and more unsure whether or not it was a pony at all.
Leaning over the railing to get a better look, fear struck her heart as more and more features came in to view.
It stood almost twice, of not three times as tall as a normal pony, it moved on two legs for the most part. It had a slim tail, a long and broad muzzle, with long ears. And that only meant one thing in her mind. Diamond dog.
She let out a blood curling scream and bolted inside to warn the rest of the staff about the danger that was approaching.
He had found a road to follow, and with that came a sign.
“Half a mile to the Neighagra falls hotel.” It said. He was saved! He didn't even consider the greeting he'd get.
He went darting down the road with all his strength, avoiding going down on all four, he had some appearances to keep up.
With the hotel coming in to view, he had to marvel a little at the architecture of the building, it looked more like a small mansion then a hotel. It must be high class... and expensive. He might not have a lot of bits, but he had more then enough to pay for himself.
If he would get the chance.
As he got close to the front door of the building, a small crowd of ponies, most of them dressed in uniforms. Waiters, receptionists, cooks, maids, and what he could only assume was a few guests at the hotel come to help.
A stallion, dressed in a fine suit collar, with a well groomed dark brown mane, that was pulled back tightly, his coat was not to far from his mane, it was a soft caramel color. His flank marked by a golden bell.
“Stop right there you mutt! If you come any closer we'll have to use force! We won't let you harm our guests!” The stallion yelled on the top of his lungs, trying to mask his nervousness and sound intimidating as the towering diamond dog slowed his sprint down to a halt. The stallion managed pretty well, considering his backup.
The ice blue eyes of the towering predator looked over the crowd that now stood to oppose him with a hungry glare.
'They would make a nice meal...'
The towering figure of a diamond dog shook his head hard, banishing such unpleasant and crude thoughts. Aggression was not something he was fond of, even if he was more then deft enough, even in his condition, to take on the crowd of ponies in front of him in a mad brawl and feast, but even now in his most dire moments, he'd remain chivalrous.
“Please sirs and madams. My name is Von. And I mean you no harm. I have been without food or water for quite some time, I believe it's somewhere close to three days now. And I'm in desperate need of assistance, if there is an issue with bits, I am sure we can come to an understanding.” He says, introducing himself as polity as his condition would allow him.
He was a sight for sore eyes if one took the time to look at him. His fine black waistcoat, with sparkling green gems for buttons, was hanging loosely on to his already thin frame, if he didn't have his only piece of covering clothing, one would easily see his ribs poke out from his silvery gray coat, which lacked it's usual shine, it was dull and dusty. And his hat was slightly askew on top of his head, as he leaned heavily on his cane for balance just to keep standing. A muscle now and then giving out, making him wobble as others tired to compensate.
One of the mares at the back, presumably a maid from her uniform, seemed to get redder and redder in the face. Her eyes lighted up with a deep fire, shining hatred as almost all fear left her body. With a shaking hoof she picked up a rather large rock, and hurled it at him.
With barely the energy left to stand, Von had no chance to avoid the projectile. The rock made contact at the side of his muzzle, making him stagger and fall to his knees, clutching his new injury with his paw.
He could feel a spike of anger, and with it, the desire to rip apart the rude pony who assaulted him without reason. But he didn't rise to act on this desire, he only sat there, cradling his cheek.
“Leave now! We don't trust your kind! You diamond dog's are all the same!” She screamed, barely being held back by her piers. Between all the screaming rage of the mare, Von could hear something else, a slight crack in her voice, one that spoke of despair.
“Merry! What's gotten in to you?!” A stallion at her side asked, trying to detain the mare as she pushed towards Von.
“What do you think! Their kind kidnaps foals and puts them to work in their mines, if they don't make them their snack! Do you think he's any better?” She yells. There was something in her voice that made her words sound so... personal. She pulled out of her restraints and gallops up to the grounded Diamond dog. Blood coming from the corner of his mouth as he tires to compose himself enough to stand again.
Nopony dared to go after her, scared of the scene that was bound to unfold before them.
Though he didn't get far. Merry the mare raised her hoof. Von could see the glimmer of tears in her eyes before they closed. The same second her hoof connected with his head, this time knocking him flat on the ground.
'Darn earth ponies, always stronger then they looked.'
Despite the powerful impact, he remained consensus. Though when his brain got time to figure out how to process the new pain in his skull, he kinda wanted to be knocked out.
Von let out a groan and a whimper as he pushed himself to his knees, sitting there, head down, looking at the dirt.
The crowd didn't move a muscle as they watched in suspense and horror as the mare once again raised her hoof again, striking Von, this time hard enough to make crimson fly from his muzzle. He managed to stay upright on his knees this time though, blood was trickling down his chin.
He didn't move, he didn't even look up at the mare who struck him. Her angry look was mixed with confusion and anger as she looked down at him. More rage rising in her as she pointed her crimson spotted hoof at him.
“Run, Just go away, or fight back. Just don't sit there!” She screamed at him, raising her hoof for the third time, aiming to strike the kneeling diamond dog again. Though she stopped when she saw him look up at her.
His eyes was filled with determination and desperation, and nothing else.
“Why? So you don't have to watch me die? Miss, I am dead which ever way this goes. If I leave, I'll starve to death in the forest, because none of you could help a creature who have done you no wrong. If I stay I will get beaten to a pulp by a mare, blinded by loss and rage, and then just left in front of your hotel to rot in the open.” He said in an oddly clear, yet pained voice. His body trembling slightly as he tried to right himself up a little more.
The mare looked at him with pure shock and disgust, then to her dotted hoof with the same expression. She staggered back, tears welling up in her eyes.
“What you say about Diamond dog's is true, they are have little to no morals, and are blind to others suffering in light of their own desires. They have kidnapped foals, eaten ponies plundered and killed for greed alone. You are right to be careful of me, but I have abandoned my race long ago, for that exact reason.” He let's out a cough, some blood burst from his mouth where it had accumulated from his multiple splits in his muzzle. Everyone around him staring at him with a strange mix of emotions.
“I have heard of the kindness and the caring nature of ponies. Yet you are all ready to murder an individual you know nothing about, just because I have sharp teeth and a slim tail, directly or through neglect, you are still the ones sentencing me to my faith.” He didn't just look at the mare who was now, shaking in her place but also at the crowd, they were looking down in shame.
He groaned a little bit as he took his cane and pushed himself to a standing position once again. He looked directly at the pony mare who had struck him down.
“Miss. I can not undo what other diamond dogs have done to you, I can not bring back loved ones that they have taken. But please, don't let them drag you down to their level. Please, for both my and your own sake, don't be like them. And if not for your or mine, maybe for the ones lost.” The mare just looked at the towering figure with tears in her eyes.
The only signs of her internal conflict was the shaking of her body, and the utterly lost look in her eyes. At last, she simply slumped back on her rump, looking down at the dirt. Her eyes slowly trailing to the small puddle of blood that had pooled under Von.
The stallion that had addressed him at first, stepped up to the wounded and weak Diamond dog. Still nervous and afraid of the creature in front of him, instincts telling him that this was a bad idea. But he ignored them.
“Come, let us get you inside. And something inside of you.” He said with some urgency, Von gave a nod of gratitude and a somewhat crimson smile.
The color in the face of the stallion simply vanished, as he again fought the urge to run away from the bloodied maw of his new guest.
The second Von realized what he was beaming towards the receptionist pony, he closed his mouth. 'Good, now he'll be having nightmares for weeks...' He mentally scowled himself for his own shortsightedness.
“Thank you sir. You can not imagine what this means to me.” He said, trying to correct his bloodied smile.
He did not get all that far. His very first step made his leg buckle underneath him, he let go of his cane to try and brace himself for the quickly approaching ground. At least he didn't end up flat on his belly, but his knees would be sore if this kept up.
“I might be a little to weak to stand...” He half chuckled, his system starting to creep in to shock, now that his adrenaline from desperation was starting to reside. “A hoof would be appreciated.”
The crowd disperses some going to help Von back to his feet and inside where he could get something to eat. While some attempted to rouse Merry the mare out of her zoned state.
