Dawnbreaker: A SteamPunk in Equestria

  The funny thing about facing imminent death is that it really snaps everything else into perspective. Like right now for instance, running for my life. The snap of leaves and twigs underfoot as I sprinted wildly through the foliage, the sting of seemingly every branch in my path striking against my cheeks. The growling and sickly sweet breath of the wooden monstrosities on my heels. The rhythmic bounce of the machete and sword sheaths against my sides. The near deafening roar of my blood coursing through my veins. See? Everything's in perspective.

Need to keep going, don't stop! I thought as I fled from the creatures, I saw a break in the thick trees ahead, a clearing maybe! If I could get into a clearing, I'd at least have a ghost of a fighting chance.

   I still had most of the things I had been wearing before my abrupt crash landing, a black Raider work shirt with the sleeves rolled above my elbows, a flat black vest from a suit that I owned was layered on top of it, and a mantled black cloak was tied at my neck, flailing behind me and snagging on the surrounding underbrush. All three articles of clothing were tattered from my sprint through the forest, my jeans were holding up a good deal better than the vest and shirt, but then again, my knee and shin guards covered the front of my lower legs completely. My top hat was precariously balanced on my head, bouncing with each step, held in place by sheer luck alone.

   I stumbled, nearly tripping on a root jutting from the ground. I barely managed to maintain my momentum and continued my sprint. I was still disoriented from my arrival, I probably wasted more precious energy keeping myself upright than was absolutely necessary. I poured more energy into my legs, slowly gaining speed as I cleared the trees.

   Yes! I cheered mentally as I burst from the trees and into the open, but my jubilation soon turned to horror as I skidded to a halt, very nearly careening over the edge of a steep chasm. On the other side I could see an immense dilapidated structure rising out of the fog.

   I looked around frantically and spotted a rope bridge stretching across the ravine further to my left, but i didn't have time to try and make a break for it. I spun around, drawing my 12" machete and 28" Hand and a Half 'bastard' sword, the metallic schling sound of the hand and a half gliding from its leather sheath gave me a small sense of comfort. The wooden creatures were growling, stalking forward toward me slowly, eyes conveying lethal intent with their incandescent green glow.

   I brought my left hand back closer to my body, positioning my machete inside the striking range of the sword and pushed my right hand forward into a partial guard, the flat of the blade facing toward the creatures. Now seeing them in the fading afternoon light, they appeared almost wolflike in structure. I could see three of them, but if my knowledge of pack tactics held true here, then there were bound to be four more, at minimum, still in the treeline out of sight.

“Damn this is gonna suck…” I muttered to myself, I could feel my adrenalin high beginning to wane. My reserves of energy were drained from my panicked sprint through the forest undergrowth, my limbs were becoming shaky, and the lacerations across my face made themselves known with an intense burning sensation.

One of the wooden wolves snapped its jaws before lunging toward me, likely sensing my growing weariness. I reacted with a right sweeping upward diagonal slash of my sword, the forge blackened tempered steel edge bit into the wolf's wooden underbelly, slicing a shallow gash from near its right hind leg up to the left fore leg. The momentum of the blade wasn't enough to stop it's lunge, but it was enough to keep it from making contact as it crashed to the ground to my right and slid. I didn't have to look to know that its remaining forward motion had carried it into the ravine at my back, the fading strangled whine was proof enough.

One of the other wolves went for my legs, getting inside the range of my sword. As it clamped its jaws around the reinforced polymer, I introduced the machete blade deep into the side of it's neck. The blow did more than force it to let go and die.. It disintegrated into matchwood and plant material! I focused my attention on the last visible wolf, it was creeping close, it's wooden teeth bared. I didn't give it the chance to strike as I took a lunging stab toward it, the tip of my sword piercing it between the eyes, causing it to disintegrate as well.

The wooden wolves in the trees growled in fury at the demise of their pack members, but were taking a more guarded approach toward engaging me than their fallen brethren had chosen.

I was closer to the treeline now. A single wolf moved from the shadows directly ahead of me, it was bigger than the three I had dispatched before, it was easily the size of a fully grown Saint Bernard... There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell i'd be able to deal with that thing! I backed away from the trees as it advanced, i could hear more wolves coming out of the underbrush as I got closer to the edge.

I risked a glance toward the rope bridge, if I wanted any chance of getting out of this I was going to have to risk it. I shakily slid my machete and sword back into their sheaths. Without a second thought I bolted for the bridge, pouring every last ounce of my remaining energy into the run.

I was nearly there when I staggered, nearly losing my footing, but I managed to keep upright at the cost of more precious energy and forward momentum. The wooden planks of the bridge creaked and groaned in protest at the sudden introduction of my weight. I didn't care, I moved as quickly as I could, certain that the wolves were right on my heels.

My legs nearly gave out as I stumbled off of the bridge, onto the solid ground on the other side of the ravine. I turned back to the bridge, using what little strength I had left to draw my machete and cut through the ropes.

With a ragged breath I staggered backward from the edge, sheathing my machete once more. I stood unsteadily, that was to close... I turned to the structure I had seen and began a steady paced walk toward it. The crumbling stone walls were a damn sight more inviting than the surrounding forest. I made it inside and cleared out a corner of the entrance corridor before i slid to the ground, my back to the wall. I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

The last thing I remember seeing before darkness fully claimed my mind was the moon, slowly rising into the clear early night sky through what might once have been a magnificent window.

I don't know how long it was before I awoke, but my muscles were stiff underneath the soft warmth of the blanket that covered me. Wait.... Blanket... I didn't have a blanket over me, nor a soft down feather cushion underneath when I succumbed to unconsciousness. When my brain finished processing these details, I sat up quickly, every line of thought grinding to a screeching halt. I admit I probably looked quite comical, bolting upright with eyes in an unfocused panic.

Before I could recover enough to move more however, I felt a firm appendage pushing me back onto the cushion.

"Calm thyself, thou hath endured much," a strong but soothing female voice rang through the air, "return to slumber Human."

I was just able to catch a glimpse of the voice's owner before my eyes slid closed against my will, a midnight blue horselike creature..