[Warning: This chapter contains mature themes, if thats not for you please skip over this chapter. Thank you.]

Several Hours Earlier

Stepping out quietly into the abandoned streets of Ponyville, the human looked left, then right, and of course looked up, searching for any prying eyes looking to observe his secrets. Satisfied in the lack of any observers, hidden or otherwise, he brings his hands out from under his cloak and cups them just under his face, as if holding something precious with a care. Blowing gently into his cupped palms, a low green glow begins to shine from his hands like an ember. Cautiously holding his hands out, he gazed intently into the ember of emerald, and spoke some words unintelligible, like a whisper on the wind.

"Brisingr, sja wiol pömnuria vard..."

Burning ever brighter in his gloved hands, the emerald ember burned brighter and brighter, flowering into a small candlelight flame. However, this little flame was at odds with the rules of the world, burning steady, bright, and pointing distinctly north, north-west. Looking up to the direction in question, Farren observed that there was an expansive rocky field in the distance. Satisfied by this, he then proceeded to walk briskly in this direction; his walking cane thumping along the dirt paths in his haste.

Arriving shortly at the fields in question. Looking a little tired, and standing on-top of a particularly large boulder (whose name is John, brother to Tom), he gazed out over the almost limitless expanse of dirt and boulders. After a few minutes of looking, he saw it; a few dozen holes in the ground arranged in a seemingly random pattern. Nodding to himself, Farren stepped off of his rock, and proceeded to stroll softly to the holes, looking around for a certain, specific hole. Again, it is discovered with an almost practiced ease. Brushing away the thin layer of dirt reveals a hastily put together hatch, made entirely of scrap metal, old wagon wheels, duck tape and dreams. Bringing his fist back, Farren slammed it down on the shoddy constructed door three times.

Meanwhile, within the bowels of the diamond dog den, two sentries squat by the entrance of their den, their armor rusty and comprised of random junk, the spears they wielded nothing more than shards of metal tied to the ends of old broom handles with string and rope...whatever they could scavenge really.

"...Rocket?"

"Yesh?"

"Why yoo think we here?"

"Is life's big not know yes? Are we come from random? Or Big Dog in sky? Yoo know, one who has plan for us? Me not know Bruiser, it make me not sleep..."

"..."

"..."

"Wut? Me no mean that, me say why we here, in burrow opening?"

"Oh, uh...yeh."

"What is talk-stuff about Big Dog in sky?"

"Hm? ...Is nothing Bruiser."

"...Yoo want talk about it?"

"No."

"Arr yoo sure?"

"Yesh."

"But really, why we out here??? We dig lots fake holes, no-one find real hole."

"Mhm."

"Us left home burrow, to get more gems. But, there more gems in big hills at home burrow."

"Yeh, but we go cuz Alpha sez we need be indepe- inderp- rrhg! Alone strong!"

"Yesh, but ther wuz other big hill not too far frum home big hill. Me thinks more gems there. If we go, we get moar gems ther."

"Yeh...also why taht anyway? I join pack to eat lots gems, and mate lots of she-dogs...but we out here, in pony land, takin gems and makin pony to work..."

"...we better in charge."

"yeh, your right!"

*CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!*

"Huh!? Who knock on door!? Rocket, get redy!"

"Who there!?" shouts the diamond dog, as both get their spears pointed towards the door in tense fear.

*"Let me in you mutts, I demand an audience with your Alpha!"*1 Comes a muffled, yet harsh voice from the other side.

*"It know our words! How?! It no sound like dog..."* Bruiser whispered to his companion, his eyes bulging out in surprise.

*"Do not know Bruiser"* Rocket whispered back, *"I guess we let in? He know knock as well..."*

*"...Ok."*

Reluctantly, the larger dog of the two steps forward and unlatches the hatch before stepping back and calling for the intruder to enter. What lifts the hatch and drops into the small antechamber in the burrow, the dogs cannot make heads or tails of. It is a tall creature, a full head and shoulders taller than even Bruiser, who prided on being as large as his alpha, whom in turn was prideful of being taller than even the princesses. Looking up and into the dark recesses of the hooded figure's face, Bruiser realized that he could not see the intruder's face, even in both the sunlight streaming in on top and the torch burning in the wall right behind them. Gathering up his courage to speak, the dog was interrupted by a deep, sonorous voice that smashed any bravery they had like glass.

*"Do not bother to escort me, I know the path." the voice boomed, forcing the dogs to bow their heads and tuck their tails between their legs, whimpering in fear.

Without another word, the hooded figure glided between the two dogs and disappeared into the dark shadows of the tunnel leading deeper into the den. For a beat and a half, the two dogs looked down the tunnel, then they looked at each other, knowing that they had narrowly escaped death.

One would assume that the heart of a diamond dog den would typically look like the primeval court of a kingdom of barely literate savages, wild yet regal in its composition. However, this is not so. In fact, the court of a diamond dog den is more akin to a rowdy and violent bar, poorly and crude is it's musical entertainment; more seedy than the worst of establishments it is a true hive of scum and villainy. Placed haphazardly throughout the massive cavern reeking of sex and sin, are rickety tables and chairs barely usable and some crudely fashioned from wood and some from scrap metal. Each table is packed with dogs, each patron either downing mugs of barely potable vodka brewed from cave mushrooms, arguing drunkenly with a rival or friend, or passed out on the table. Off to the right of the cavern, there sat the bar. The bar itself was like a miniature castle with a moat dug around the table in a "U" shape, with a small drawbridge at the front for delivering the booze. Opposite to this on the left are the tunnels, five in all, leading to Celestia knows where. At the back of the cavern, seated upon a throne of bones and scrap, sat the Alpha. Big and strong, this Alpha sat above all his pack members, the cairn of bones that made his throne about half way up the height of the cavern. By his feet sits three females claimed by him alone, however they are not she-dogs interestingly enough. One is an earth pony mare, her once bright orange coat matted and faded with what looks like months of abuse, her once beautiful silver mane torn and shredded short. The second one sitting on the other side is a strange bug horse of some kind, its chitinous hide cracked and scratched in places, the holes in its leg threaded by chains that tethered it to the throne, the once gossamer wings torn to shreds. The third...is another pony; a young teenage pegasus kneeling infront of the Alpha, her head between his legs, pleasuring her master though unwillingly. Each thrust of the Alpha's hips is accentuated by one of his large paws forcing the poor filly deeper onto his member.

Once he had sated himself, the Alpha removed the dead eyed filly from his crotch, and threw her aside like a dirty rag. Leaning back into his throne, the Alpha looked out over his 'kingdom' and thought it 'good'. Suddenly, the music dies suddenly, and the many torches lighting the massive burrow begin to dim and sputter like a drowning man. A heavy and dead silence settles upon the diamond dogs. Squinting his eyes to peer into the growing darkness. Looking once, twice, and thrice over the subterranean space, the Alpha searches frantically for the source of this untimely interruption of festivities. Where, who, what would dare to interrupt his celebrations!? Where, damn this dark! By the Big Dog in the sky wher- There! There at the far end of the burrow, the gaping maw of the tunnel entrance leading to the surface. At this pitch black opening, there sat a pair of glowing green eyes alight with green fire, burning in the darkness.

"WHO THERE!? WHO DARES DISTURB ME!?" Demands the Alpha, his growling rumbling voice like a knife carving the thick silence.

What answers...is a voice deep and rich, its tongue like the crack and boom of black thunder, within the black words spoken by this being lay eons of wisdom and experience, this voice knew the world in its most infantile state, when the mountains where but hills and the oldest trees where but seeds yet to be planted. At the very uttering of each syllable, the torches within the room faded and sputtered as if the sheer weight behind each sentence was crushing the very life out of the flames.

"Well met, Alpha. Dig Deep, Dig Fast." Boomed the voice, still not revealing itself from the tunnel entrance.

"..."

"Are you not going to invite me into your den, Alpha? Is it not customary for the guest to wait until the host of the den has invited them in? I am waiting Alpha, test not my patience."

"E-enter...explain yourself!" uttered the Alpha, his voice faltering in surprise.

At his insistence, the intruder stepped forward into the dimly lit den. Walking with nary a sound on the hard stone floor, the intruder quietly walked through the center of the den, the way open and accentuated by ragged and ripped carpets of various colors and patterns, stolen from countless raids over the years. Coming to a stop just infront of the cairn on which the throne sat the hooded figure, its flaming eyes smoldering quietly, looked up at the Alpha.

"I have come here to retrieve a resident of the nearby town of Ponyville." he began, "And to ask a question."

"What is your question intruder? You dare to enter my den and demand things of me? You have alot of nerve!" growled the Alpha, his former confidence returning.

The hooded figure's eyes flash once, then looking around at the den, looks back up at the Alpha and addresses him once more, "Why have you come here?" He asked, confusion appearing on the Alpha's face, "You and yours usually raid the Zebrican plains, and the Griffonian mountains where your dens lay."

"Well, yes...that is true, but we come here to new lands, for more spoils!" the Alpha retorted, a faint feeling of nervousness creeping back into the deepest parts of his mind.

"Oh? Is that why you have left your ancestral burrows, carved a path through the heart of Equestria, kidnapped the citizens of this land, raided and pillaged as you please, and subjugated them to your will? Do I have this right?" The stranger asked, his eyes beginning to burn again like candle flames, slowly growing with each moment.

"Yes, this is plan... you have problem runt?" sneered the Alpha, looking down on the stranger with contempt and arrogance, "We raid, we take loot, we also take she-creatures, make good mates."

For a heartbeat, nothing was said. But, after taking a deep exasperated breath, the stranger addressed the Alpha once again, "Normally, yes. However I am more concerned about whether or not Ironjaw knows about your little foray into these lands. Does he know? Or have you done all this on the sly? If I remember correctly he did sign a treaty with Celestia stating that all diamond dogs were expressly forbidden from raiding and pillaging the lands of Equestria, and that the harming of any one of the ponies was grounds for war..."

The Alpha's expression quickly changed from one of angry confusion to nervous befuddlement, who was this intruder!? How did he know such things?? Looking around the room the Alpha could see that the stranger's words were also having an effect on the diamond dogs, as they all murmured and looked to one another in confused worry.

Putting on a mask of bravado, the Alpha then again spoke, "Pah! Ironjaw is an old dog with no bite left in him, he could not stop us leaving. That treaty was many moons ago, too many moons. How you know about it? All other dogs forget! How you know? Who you are?! Answer! Before I smash you!"

What the Alpha expected from his words, was for the stranger to finally crack and beg for his life. What actually happened was more unnerving, as the Alpha looked down at the stranger confident in his words, the stranger began to laugh. It was not mirth brought out by nerves, nor a facade to keep civility, no...this laugh was humorless, dead and menacing. He laughed, and it shook the Alpha to his core.

"How do I know you ask? My dear Alpha...I sat between the two of them as they signed the paper." The words struck like a thunderbolt, draining the color from the Alpha's face.

"No...no, no! You lie! Is not possible! You lie! You ar lying!" shouted the Alpha with ever growing hysteria, "I had enough! Kill him dogs!"

Moving in from all sides of the stranger, the diamond dogs closed in, but before they could dogpile him, the stranger bursts into roaring emerald flame! Startled and fearing the flames the dogs retreated, and from within the flames the stranger spoke, his voice now like a roaring forest fire.

I lie? I LIE!? Hear me you whimpering cur, for you are sorely ignorant of whom you face before you.I am older than the mountains your clan was birthed from, I planted the seeds to the oldest of forests. I have seen entire civilizations rise and fall in their entirety. I was old before you where ever conceived." With each word came a deep rumble as if the stranger's very voice shook the foundations of the world.

HEAR ME DIAMOND DOG! YOU WISHED TO KNOW WHO I AM? I SHALL TELL YOU WHO I AM.I AM FARREN THE ETERNAL WANDERER, THE HERALD OF CINIS, MAGISTER TO THE OLD NATIONS OF YORE, SLAYER OF THE CHAOS GODS! I AM ALSO CALLED ANTIEKE GENEESHEER, MIGHTY FIREDRAKE, THE FORGEFATHER, AND VATERFLAMME! WEEP AND CRY OUT IN DESPAIR YOU SNIVELING MUTT! FOR I AM MANY THINGS, AND AS DECLARED BY THE MAKERS WHOM SHAPED THIS WORLD..." From within the whirling tornado of emerald flames, out stepped a being. Gone was the stranger from before, now this...monster had taken his place. Standing even taller than before, with two gouts of flame pouring from the eye sockets of its pointed helm, it raised its cruel looking war mace to point at the Alpha.

...I͗̐̃͆̅ͪ̓̄ͨ͑ͥ̑͂͗ͮͮ̈́̅͜͝͏̜͈̪̭̬̩̳̥̠̤̰̫͈͎̮̰͈̭ͅ ̴̧̻͍̺͕̼̳̥͉̭̹ͧ̓̎̅̑ͧͅA̶ͫ͂̎͌ͬ͊̄̂̓̄ͫ̅̂͟͝҉͙̪̝̪̻͍͖͙͍̥̹̼͎M̨̫̺̯̼̫̺̘̫̪̭ͦͤ̌͒͆̕͜͜͞ͅ ̵̬̩͎͖̰̜̟͒͐͗̍̈́ͭ͘͜͟͡Ŷͯ͋̾̍͒́̐͌ͧ̿̋̈́̒̾҉̢͍̤͎̖͚̺̣͔̲͕̳̱̭̼͢O̾̅̔͗̎̐̑̆҉̖͈̰͖͚̤͇̠̯̠͓̗͍̘̟̳̖͠͡͝U̶̢̞̠̞̞͚̞͊́̅ͧ̓́͊ͫͣ̈́͟Ṟ̷̦̜̦ͥͮͪ̑̓̀͋̍̿͌̂̓ͧ͒ ̨̳̟͔̯̥̲̙͙̜̱̓̾̍ͭ͋ͥͦ͌́ͪ̓̀ͅĒ̸̷̩̬̘̠͙̝͓̜͉̜̞̹͍̦̎ͨͦ̈͡ͅN̸͗̍̎ͫ̓ͮ͗̓ͤͣͥ͛͊ͪ͘҉̟͎͈͙͎̹̞̥͕͍D̡̡̋͗̓̇ͥ̈̍̒̋͊͛̔͗ͦ͏̺̗̖̯̺͉̰̭̱̟̗͕͇͘ͅ.̨̗̹̙̠̫̺̥͖͖̣̖̤͓͉̩̤̦ͫ̍̔̿̿ͨͯͯ͑́̊͊̈́̉̚̕͟͞ͅ

Without another word the steel clad demon swung his mace with a speed so fast the air cracked as it impacted the head of the nearest diamond dog. Sending the now decapitated body sailing into the far wall, splattering blood all over the other dogs, as if marking them for slaughter. Now turning to the right the knight held out his gauntlet, unleashing a torrent of green flames into a crowd of dogs, sending them into a howling, burning panic. The air grew heavy with the scent of burnt flesh, singed hair, and the iron tang of blood. Another dog in shoddy armor and a kinda sharp spear tried his luck and actually managed to spear the horrifying creature in the left armpit. However, the creature did not react, but instead tore the spear out of the unfortunate guard's grasp, before using it to impale another dog charging at him. With a meaty 'Splack!' the spear tore a hole through the back of the diamond dog, its jagged tip now adorned with the guts of the dying dog like bizarre streamers made of flesh. Tossing aside the spear the knight then turned to the now weaponless dog before swinging his mace again and tearing the poor dog's head clean off his shoulders, sending a fountain of blood into the ceiling. Kicking aside the headless corpse, the knight then turned to face his new foe, but paused at the sight of a scrawny pup standing there shivering. Looking the pup in the eyes, the knight then pointed to the tunnels leading deeper in. Nodding in understanding, the pup ran, heading into the dark tunnels, only pausing by one of the corpses to pick up a key.

After slaughtering the diamond dogs without mercy, Farren realized that the Alpha had run off in the confusion. Following the hasty footsteps and the sound of banging and yelling, he turned the corner to see the Alpha banging desperately at the bars to what looked like a crude cell. Wasting no time, Farren then charged up a fireball... and hurled it with all his might.

Author's Note

And so...it begins.
The gore filled chapters I mean. So, from here on in; Im going to be workin in some fight scenes, sprinkle in some gore here and there, and garnish with some mature themes. This story is not for the overly sensitive, So do keep that in mind. Also I decided to put in a second chapter so soon because of what is happening this weekend. I might not be able to put in more chapters for a bit so heres another chapter to compensate. And its nice and lengthy for you to enjoy (euphemisms ho!)

Again, thanks for reading my book, and message me if you have any OCs or characters you want to pitch to me. I'll see if I cant squeeze them in. But until then,

TTFN~