***Talion Ragnarok. pov.***

It was raining I thought we had gotten away from this when we left the island, we had been living here for weeks and it never rained once. The rain was so heavy we were soaked to the bone, I guess we should take it as a sign Thor on our side. Or at the very least his showing in some way or another that his watching. I just flip the storm over our heads off not caring about the lightning bolt that strikes something randomly into the sea.

We have been watching the bandits for a week and felt we had everything we needed to take them on. The Night Guard as I’ve started calling them were dressed in armour that covered their chests and some had helmets on, turn out Vill who had sent them with us when we first set sail didn’t think they may need more than that. The mus-elf’s who were with us were wearing armour similar to them just smaller. The armour was dark blue no idea why? They had short swords, spears along with a few bowmen the gunmen were all nightwalkers I just hope they don’t shoot one of us by mistake.

Everyone was in place, apart from the rain everything was going to plan but something was bothering me. Something on the tip of my tongue but I can’t put my finger on it. Once I and Chulls reached the bottom of the cliff we waited for Buggey group to reach us before setting everything up. Lily who I asked to scout out the bandit camp came running to meet us, she didn’t look pleased.

“So what are they sleeping or something?” I asked, in the hopes of this being good news. Lily looked a little ill like she was going to be sick, something was wrong.

“The fires are out all over the camp there is no movement at all. Not only that I saw, bodies.” Lily replied looking back to the bandit camp with a shimmer of fear in her eyes. I’ve never seen her this worried before if something had happened to the bandits to shake her up this much, things could be far worse than I ever thought.

“Alright, we’ll send a small group in to scout out the camp. If it safe wave your spar in the air, Once for trouble, twice if we should move quiet, three for if it safe to go inside their no need to wake up the whole camp if someone still alive.” Chulls gave out his orders and I was going to go with the scouts until he stops me with his shield. I looked at him in confusion as he glared at me, I guess he trying to keep me safe but to be far I don’t like the idea of sending the scouts on their own.

A group of four walk out from our group and went inside the camp. I didn’t like this with the sound of the waves from the sea, the lightning and thunder over head would we even hear a call for help or a warning for danger? I looked back to the others who were with us, the mixed group of rats and mice looked well scared. When I looked back the scouts came back and waved us inside.

“Hey over here I found something!” Called out one of the guards. I and Chulls with a few others walked over to see what he found, it was more bodies. This was not a good thing, something had attacked this place long before we even got here.

“I don’t like this…” I said out loud as Chulls was giving out orders to search the place. Whatever happened here it was fast, I walked over to look into the cages that were in the water. I didn’t see any movement but for all I knew they were trying to hide.

“Someone get these cages open.” I said to whoever was close by, I walked over to Chulls as he looked at the ruined fort. “Any clues what happened?” I asked as he looked at me, we were both worried that was clear as day.

“Not yet, however by the looks of things they were attacked from the inside.” Replied Chulls, pointing at the bodies. I looked at them then back at him not really sure what I’m meant to be seeing.

“Look at the way their bodies are facing, they’re all facing towards the walls. Something attacked them within the bandit fort while they tried to escape.” Chulls explained pointing to each one of the bodies.

“In other words they found something that killed them, or something worse found them.” I replied as I looked at the bodies. They looked like something clawed and bite them to death, then I had a thought. A terrible thought, those undead griffons… What if some of them left the ship! “Chulls! Call everyone back here right now!” I ordered. He just looked at me as if I said something stupid, this was not the time for this!

“You remember what happened to me and Buggey on the airship! With the undead griffons that were trying to kill us! We never knew if some of them made it off the airship before we blow it up!” I explained, sounding more desperate with every word. It was now Chulls was understanding what I was trying to say.

“Everyone regroup and get ready for an ambush!” Chulls called out, everyone stopped what they were doing and rushed over to get ready for a fight. One of the mice handed the keys he had to the seaponies inside before running over to the rest of the group.

“What is going on? Are we under attack?!” Asked one of the mice. I looked out around the fort, carefully looking over each one from a far. That when I saw it, a dead griffon hanging out of a window in one of the bunkhouses.

“Over there, that dead griffon doesn't he look odd to you?” I asked as everyone was looking to try and see what I was talking about. “Over there, his body looks to old. Like it has been rotting for weeks on end.”

“Hey, I see it to…” Said one of the rats, the mus-elfs and nightwalkers could all see the body now.

“We need to gather up the dead and burn them. However we need to be careful, we have no idea if they can pass this on to someone else.” I said, but just then Chulls spoke up.

“Burn them? In this down poor are you mad!? We’ll be lucky to set a touch up let alone start a fire. You’re being paranoid it’s just a dead body.” Said Chulls, before he could move away I grab his arm.

“And what if it not? We’re going into this blind, before we knew what to expect but this. Until we can know for sure what attacked them we need to treat this as if we’re dealing with an outbreak.” Chulls looks at me for the first time in surprise, I’m no a nobleman looking for fame or glory. I’m just a guy who wants everyone to be safe.

“Buggy, can your bomb set off a blaze? Big enough to burn bodies away?” I asked as Buggey was already getting his flintlocks ready.

“Sure however the blast was meant to punch a large hole through the wall. We’d need to pile all the dead bodies around it.” Buggey said, keeping a wary eye out. I looked back at the dead griffon and took a breath.

“Alright then, Buggey get the barrel ready. Chulls, tell the troops to start dragging bodies around it and see if you can find some oil. I’ll need two volunteers.” I said, as I slowly walked over to the dead griffon.

“You’re mad, you can’t be serious?” Said Chulls as I walked away. I carefully made my way around the dead bodies of both ponies and dogs. One looked like they had their face clawed off. I draw one of my swords as I carefully walk past the bodies, eyeing them as i walk past I hear movement and turn to swing when I saw it was two mice running upto join me.

“W-we’re going to sir!” Said one of them, as the other nodding her head quickly. I lower my weapon and turn back to the dead griffon.

“Just stay close, keep an eye on the dead and for movement. We don’t know what we’re dealing with here.” I told them moving closer to the dead body, I could smell the familiar stench of death coming from the body. Just like the smell from the air ship, this thing was a survivor if you can really call it that.

We’re closer now I move up next to the wall of the window. I raise my sword up looking at it, just one swing to lay all my fears to rest. That all the time it'll take to calm myself down and see I’m overreacting. I hope I was, I prayed I was. Just then it eye ball rolled in it sock it to look at me...

I didn't hesitate, I swing my blade down and cut off it head before it could so much as move. I let out a gasp for breath as I watch the head roll away. It beck was twitching as if trying to say something before it dies for the last time. I lean on the wall and take a breath then turn to the two mice, looked like they were about to piss themselves.

“We can relax now it dead.” I said feeling like we can all take it easy now. However, I notice something seems off... One of the mice was pointing at the window, I looked back and saw the griffon wings were missing. No, more like they were cut off I grabbed the body and pulled it out. To my horror, it looked like somebody had cut this thing up like a roasted turkey. It back legs were even missing! I looked back inside and saw it was a kitchen of some kind.

There was a large pot still hanging over a burnt out fire, and next to it was a dead diamond dog who looked like he was in the middle of eating something. It was too dark to see so I turn to the door past the window, I look back to the two mice.

“Get your weapons ready, We don’t know what we’re dealing with.” I said, seeing them both getting there short swords ready. I took one last look back at Chulls as he was getting everyone to gather up the dead. I slowly open the door and look inside, it was too dark to see clearly but I went inside.

I could see a number of bodies in here to it looked like they were mostly diamond dogs. They seemed to be in the middle of eating dinner, I walked over to the one I saw from the window and sat him up to see what he was eating. My eyes widened in disbelief, it was a large wing it looked to have already been half eaten. I look back at the dog I had sat up and slowly back away from it.

“They ate it… These crazy dogs ate it!” I shout out, I then heard something move. The mice heard it too as they point their swords to the sound. I saw something big slowly moving in the shadows in the far back. I quickly moved up to the mice to get in between them and the moving shadow.

“Whatever it is as soon as it makes a move run for the door understand.” I didn’t bother to see if they heard me as the big thing was slowly moving toward us. As soon as it passed a window from the other side of the room, for a moment just as lightning strike it lights up the whole room. It was the Minotaur he seemed to look at us with dead eyes before he starts to mumble something.

The Minotaur spoke again only this time he was a little louder. “Fresh… Meat…” He said taking a step toward us. I point my sword at him as I slowly back step for the door noticing the two mice hadn’t moved.

“It time to leave, now!” I shout at them. The two mus-elfs quickly understood and ran out the door to my most likely guess to warn the others.

“Fresh meat…” He said again, taking another step forward. This time however he took in a deep breath and swing his head back yelling so loud it hurt my ears. “FRESH MEAT!” The Minotaur roared, I had to cover my ears at the sound alone once it was over he just stood there waiting. That when I heard a body fall over from one of the tables, the diamond dog who was on the floor it paw twitched.

It then started to mumble something before pushing it face off the floor, it looked at me with a mouth drooling with blood. “Fresh meat?” It asked before the other bodies started to move, some falling off their chairs. While others push themselves up off the tables.

“Fresh meat.” “Bloody bones.” “Sweet kidneys.” “Liver, I want liver!” “Meat juicy and raw!” “Give it to us.” “We’re hungry.” “Meat.” “Meat!” “Meat, meat, meat, meat, meat!” The dogs started to yell, then chanting meat as they all looked at me with hungry eyes. Just like those griffons… “WE WANT MEAT!” They screamed as one as I bolted for the door, as soon as I’m outside I shut it behind me and quickly pick up a bunch then use it to block the door shut.

A large number of bodies hit the door almost bursting it from it hinges, I heard glass shatter as the dogs were trying to push themselves through the windows. I ran and almost ran into one of them as they had reached out through the window the dead griffon used to be.

“I want his heart!” Screamed the mad dog as I ran back to the others. I saw some of the dead dogs who were outside start to slowly move. I acted quickly as I ran at the first of the undead dogs to get up and cut it head clean off. It head dropped down first before the body followed soon after.

“We have a huge problem!” I yelled, just as I heard a gunshot from Buggey flintlocks. I just for a moment saw one of Buggey rounds hit an undead diamond dog in the face. I didn’t have the time to see if it was dead, I had to reach the others before things turn to chaos. I heard wood shatter and the roar of mad voices as I turn back and draw my second sword. It was too late, chaos had reached the battle and all one could do was fight!

***Buggey. Pov.***

This was not part of the plan, everything had gone to Tartarus as soon as that fool had gone into that building! A part of myself knew something was off as soon as we set foot inside this little fort, My greed got the better of me as I pulled the trigger of my flintlock and blasted the face off a half crazed. As well as half dead dog, who fell face first into the deck.

I quickly holstered my weapon to replace it with another that was still loaded. It was the damn airship all over again, only this time these things were armed! However only a few seemed to have any real ability to use their weapons. Most of them seemed to not care and only wanted to fill their maws with whoever they could get their paws or hooves on.

It was a good thing Chulls troops were doing their job, even if one or two were quickly being ganged up on and that when the screaming started. I didn’t need to look to know they were being eaten alive, I had better things to think about like staying alive.

I took aim at a diamond dog who was running right at me, before an arrow hit it swear in the neck. The dog turned as another three more hit him and a bullet struck the dog in the head. I looked back up at the cliff face as the other group who were helping them had to admit Talion's idea had paid off.

With arrow and musket fire they offered support for the fighters to fight back. I quickly looked back to the fighting, that when I saw Talion. So far the fights had been one on one, it looked like Talion was getting better at fighting with his swords. He was no master but competent, Talion was also alone.

I put the other flintlock away as I unsling my musket, taking careful aim with this rain and winds it would not be an easy shot. However Talion was in clear view, I licked my lips blocking everything else out. I just had to wait for the right moment and then I could get my rewards untold, I slowly pulled the trigger the musket fired!

The shot had missed its mark however, hitting the diamond dog in the gut, Talion turned and drove one sword into its throat before pulling back. Talion turned to me and smiled. “Thanks for the help!” Talion called back before running off to help someone else. I could not help but scowl, then heard the sound of a dog walking up to me with it missing arm in it paw using it like a club. I spat as I moved my musket around to use it as a club, I was going to ask for more gold after this was over!

***Talion Pov.**

Madness, that was the only word I had for this fight was pure madness! I was just happy not all the dead bodies had gotten up, however that did little to help with the undead dogs trying to eat everyone, not just dogs ever. As I saw a earth pony ran up to me with a missing eye with it mouth wide open trying to bite me!

I ran my sword into it remaining eye but that did little to stop it from trying to bite and kick out at me, so I hacked away at it neck with my other sword until it head came off. That one threat dealt with, now I had to deal with everything else trying to kill me.

What the hell is wrong with this place!? Is everywhere other than equestria a place full of monsters or something! For now the crazies weren't the biggest threat right now. The one I needed to watch out for-. "Fresh meat! Give it to me!" -was the minotaur. I looked back the bomb and saw they were only half done setting it up. I had an idea, not a good one but beggars can't be choosers.

Author's Note

That this chapter out of the way, however I feel there should be more added to this. I'll think of something later, enjoy.