Everdream - The Foals

Of course, that was a big ‘if’ seeing as the place was built like a fortress in the first place and it had a ton of wards on top of that to make up for the fact the old building had fallen so far behind technology. That would just make things all the harder, depending on when or if the Estate had ever been abandoned.

“What’s the warding look like?” I asked Snapshot softly.

“Like it could still stand up to an armoured alicorn assault for days,” she answered, tone more than a little grumpy. “It’s not Iron Sentinel Systems, either, or even sharing a base, so I can’t backdoor it properly.”

That explained her grumpiness. Without it being her dad’s system, it meant that we had no easy way in. Or even a way in at all, if the wards were still holding up as well as Snapshot suggested. “Well, where else do you suggest?” I asked her quietly. “None of the other noble manors have a readymade food supply, or the ability to host one anytime soon.”

“That we know of,” Snapshot shot back. “We haven’t even begun to raid their pantries. There might be some survivalists out there that didn’t take everything with them.”

I thought about it for a moment, but before I could answer, Nomalanga spoke. “Too dangerous right now. We still have other sources.”

Snapshot frowned, but nodded. “Well, I can’t crack this now. Not without giving it my full attention. We’re going to need armour here, at the very least, to help crack it. Wouldn’t be a bad idea to have Fallen with us either.”

I mirrored Snapshot’s frown, but for different reasons. We usually only went out in threes because that was the best way to stay stealthy, while still having some ability to defend ourselves if a really nasty Nightmare showed up. The more of us there were, the harder it would be to remain unnoticed, but Snapshot knew that well.

I sighed. “We’ll talk to Stormy about it,” I said. “I don’t like either of those choices, but that just seems to be life now doesn’t it.”

“Which choice is less bad?” Snapshot asked. “I’ve been making those choices for a longer than the Twilight’s been around, remember?”

I blushed. “Sorry.” I’d forgotten. She was only a year older than me, but her life hadn’t exactly been a happy one.

“Less talk, more move,” Nomalanga said softly. “We know what we need. We know who we need. Now let’s go home.”

I nodded. “Home,” I said softly, a small smile coming to my face. It had been our home for almost two years now.  We were family. No matter what else had happened, we at least had that in this hellhole.

My two companions slipped underground first. I always made sure to be the first and last one on the surface, due to the fact I could escape so much easier if things got bad, and the underground worked more to Snapshot and Noma’s advantage than the open street and air.

Before I could slip in after them, I heard a low, threatening growl off to me side, deeper into the alley. I turned to face it, a snarl moving over my own expression as I silently cursed the fact I was already a dragon in form, removing my ability to try intimidating whatever it was with the transformation.

Out of the shadows stepped a hyena, the growl turning into a demented sort of laughter-like bark. Just behind it, three more creatures exited the shadows. Then I heard two more step around the corner at the mouth of the alley behind me.

My tail lashed threateningly at the ones behind me to let them know that, while I hadn’t taken my eyes from the set in front of me, I most definitely knew they were there. This had just become one of the worst case scenarios possible. Any sort of canine tended to be smart, vicious, and to bucking tough for any of us to be comfortable with.

I made eye contact with the leader, staring him down. Daring him to attack a dragon. Even if I wasn’t a big one, I was still a dragon and plenty of creatures would think twice about attacking.

Apparently not these ones. The leader met my eyes and its snarl seemed to curl up into something almost like a smile.

The leader attacked first. As one, the four others followed.