Author's Note

Special "non-canon" chapters will be posted on select holidays. These will be small side stories more akin to "Slice of Life" type things or small adventures. Comments are open, I implore you to use them. I know there are questions or comments that people have and I want to hear them.

Chapter 3: With Friends like These

Amenadiel sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow. Fox and him had gotten a fair distance away from that hospital and crossed from the plains into a savanna like area. They were both dehydrated, exhausted, and sore from running. The guards were long gone by the time they had reached the savanna. Fox and Amenadiel had shed the rest of their bandages. Swift had nearly as many scars as the scaled warrior, most of them covered by his coat except for the largest ones.

“Just-” Swift croaked, coughing a dry cough. “Just a bit fur-further.” He looked around and pointed towards a few figures on the horizon. “There!” Fox coughed louder and fell to the ground. “It’s right there.”

Amenadiel reached down and picked up the small weak horse, placing him on his shoulders. “Come on, it's not over yet.” The scaled warrior swallowed nothing as his arms dropped to his sides. The figures on the horizon started to approach, slowly getting bigger and bigger until Amenadiel could tell what they were. It was a group of the small horses, along with some Gryphons, and a few Gnolls. Amenadiel swallowed hard and gave the strongest roar he could. It was shaky at best, and could hardly be called a roar.

Amenadiel fell to the floor and Fox fell alongside him. One of the Gnolls ran up to the scaled warrior and flipped him on his back, looking to the others she shouted. “Kry water hier bo!” She looked down at Amenadiel as another Gnoll handed her a canteen. “Drink.” The Gnoll ordered as she lifted his head.

Amenadiel greedily drank the water from the canteen before sitting up and grabbing the container. He handed it to Fox, who drank it almost as fast as he did. “Thanks kid.” Fox sighed as he looked at the group. “Who are you?”

The Gnoll next to Amenadiel stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Wanderers, roamers, T'Kan is an exile from his Homeland.” She gestured to the small zebra covered in silver jewelry. “I am Joan, the Leader of our Expedition. Ambassador for the Verbode Stam of Diamond Dogs.” Holding out a hand to Amenadiel, she gestured to the rest of the group. “Come with us, you will find your way through travel.”

Amenadiel stood and accepted her hand for a shake. “Diamond Dogs? I have only heard that name once, and that was…” Taking a step back, the scaled warrior put a hand to his forehead as his head started to pound. “Back home.” He was able to groan out before his headache subsided.

Putting a hand on Amenadiel's shoulder, Joan held the canteen in front of him. “Drink more. You are most likely dehydrated.”

“No shit.” Fox scoffed as he took a swig from his new canteen. “We've been walking for… two days?” He shrugged and screwed the cap on his canteen. “Haven't really had a moment to rest.”

“The woestyn is perilous.” The Gnoll turned and began to walk back the way the group came. “Come. We will bring you to safety.”

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The walk through the savanna was exhausting for Amenadiel and Fox. Joan's group seemed to be used to the dry heat, the overbearing sun, and the constant feeling of being watched. Amenadiel could not tell where it was coming from, as he walked alongside the Gnoll, but he could feel it inside of him. Before the sun set, they had found a village of the small horses and set up camp not far from it. One of the small horses in the group, a young one with a stetson on its head, had mentioned it was named Tombstone. Ironic, he called it, as it seemed to grow larger every time he came across it.

Looking over the town from their camp on the cliff, Amenadiel sat beside Joan on the ledge. “Why do we not stay at the Tavern in town?” He asked.

“They fear us, Amenadiel.” Joan replied, sorrow in her eyes. “They fear us for the side we chose in the Uprising.”

“The Uprising?” The scaled warrior asked as he looked to her.

She didn't turn to look at him, the Gnoll continued talking. “Long ago, before the banishment of the Night Guardian, there was an Uprising in these lands. The Buffalos had enough with the Ponies settling on their 'Sacred Land’.” She scoffed and leaned back on her hands. “So, they grabbed their arms, they banded their Stam with others, and they rose up. An Insurgency was declared by the Ponies and they sent their soldiers to quell it. What good it did? Nothing.” Looking to Amenadiel, she leaned towards him. “Some of my ancestors fought in the war. The fools sought to profit off the conflict.”

“The war economy is lucrative.” The scaled warrior said dishearteningly. “Train an entire village, you'll have an army. Fund an army, you have a war. Win the war, you have a Kingdom.” Chuckling, Amenadiel waved his hand to the town. “This village, it takes years to build and maybe a couple hours to tear down.”

Joan stood up and turned to the camp. “You speak as if you're familiar with these things.”

Amenadiel got up and walked alongside her. “I sought fame and fortune along with honor and glory. All I got was pain and regret.” As they walked up to the fire, he continued. “These scars I call prizes, they're reminders.” Poking at several on his chest. “They all have memories attached.”

Fox stumbled over to the fire and collapsed next to it, a metal flask in his hoof. “Yooo!” He shouted, muffled by the sand before he lifted his head. “They got liquor!”

“Hey!” The Zebra shouted as he ran up to the fire. “Give that back, that's ceremonial!”

Fox stood up and ran away. “It's mine now!” He shouted before taking a swig from the flask.

Joan and some of her group laughed as Fox and the Zebra chased each other around camp. “T'Kan is very protective of his things. We will get him more of his drink when we go into town tomorrow.” She put a hand on Amenadiel's shoulder. “That was a good change of pace. I do not like to dwell on the dark side of life.”

“Here here!” Amenadiel agreed cheerfully. “Fox!” He shouted to the pony who was fast approaching. Swift handed him the flask and Amenadiel held it up. “To new friends, new beginnings, and life.” The group cheered, except for the Zebra who was attempting to grab the flask from the scaled warrior. Amenadiel took a quick swig and handed it to Joan.

“I think we'll get along just fine, Amenadiel.” She said, taking a swig from the flask.