Holding back Tartarus

Small Branches and twigs fell to the forest floor as he charged through the canopy, powerful hooves pounded into the dirt and dried leaves lying on the ground. Blood ran freely from multiple gashes and tears in the stallions alabaster coat, stained scarlet by the thick oozing redness that seeped from his deep wounds. The roar of an aggravated monster followed him swiftly through the trees, many other growls and evil noises replied to the original roar, this made the injured stallion feel like prey with a hungry pack chasing after him.The hunt was on.

Leaning against an old, rotted oak tree, the wounded stallion glanced behind him. Huge fires stormed through the forest, his attackers had set them to draw him out, the fire silhouetted the massive, muscular, hulking forms of the pursuing Griffons.

"Damn these stubborn monsters" He growled with a quick shake of his head, sending  bright red globs of blood that splattered on the nearby trees. With a fatigued thrust of his hind legs he shot of into the forest once more, clumps of dirt were thrown far behind his  muscular legs.

Pain seared through the young stallion, he kept his legs pumping but fearfully looked to his side, a large black arrow stuck out of his right flank, the long wooden bolt had tore through his rough hide and the deep wound let more of his quickly diminishing supply of blood flow freely. Only one thought was prominent in his quickly blackening mind, he had to hide, his vision was only getting more blurred and his legs screamed in pain for rest. He scanned the surrounding area for a hiding spot, blinking to clear his blurred vision, an old fallen tree had appeared just ahead of the fatigued pony 'Ahah! Cover' he mentally exclaimed in delight.

He ran as fast as he could, branches scratched across his already beaten muzzle, sending sparks of dull pain when thin red lines formed from the sharp branches slicing across his face.

'Just a little further, I can rest and wait fo-' THUMP. A large griffon had landed directly in front of him,blocking his escape route, he didn't have time to halt his sprint so his bruised body roughly connected with the pristine black feathers of the imposing griffon.

"You sure are a sly one young Aegis, I'm impressed by your evasion skills" The massive griffon remarked, it's voice was gravelly and harsh. It sounded predacious. "But, nevertheless, my men have grown tired of this little hunt. Time for you to join your team!"

And as the griffon snarled out those final words he brought a heavy clawed hand down across the stallions face and neck. Once powerful legs now gave in to fatigue and gave way, a once proud and strong stallion now lay in a pool of his own blood, left to die and rot in the dark forest that surrounded him. Nopony would know he was there and nopony would find him.

Well nopony except two kind pegasi out for a morning trot.

A skinny red stallion happily bounced along the dirt path. Behind him a timid yellow pegasus slowly trotted in his wake.

“This is gonna be so COOL ‘Shy!” he shouted back at her. She flinched slightly, mentally reminding herself not to let Pinkie Pie give Nolan any more of her prototype ‘pure sugar cupcakes’ she found his excitement amusing but knew the sugar crash would be horrible.

“Uh..umm, Nolan? Could you maybe, I mean if it’s not to much trouble” a long strand a pink mane covered most of her face, providing some security for the timid mare. “Could you maybe slow down...please?” Glancing through the pink curtain she noticed her companion standing very much like AppleJacks’ dog, Winona, would stand while on the lookout for something. His skinny crimson legs were slightly bent and his long ears stood stiff. “Umm, N...Nolan? what are you looking for?” her voice was almost nonexistent, barely a whimper.

“Quiet, I hear something” True to his word, Fluttertshy perked up at the sound of the faint beat of wings from somewhere in the Everfree.“A Pegasus? What pony in their right mind would try to fly through the canopy?” He mumbled pensively.

Fluttershy on the other hand, was not thinking of any pegasi, true, it was most certainly wing-beats but of a non-pony kind. ‘Manticore? No, too slow and no manticore would give up on surprising it’s meal. Cockatrice? Nope, too slow, wouldn't be able to hear one until it was on top of you.’ The young mare couldn't place the sound to any Everfree creature, unless it wasn’t local!

Her thoughts were cut short after thin legs pinned her to the dirt path. Dull pain shot into her shoulder from the rough treatment.

“Griffons!” Nolan shouted in her ear, his voice almost completely drowned out by the sound of many leathery wings rushing past them.

“Whoo! We sure got ‘im din’t we boss?!” the deep bass of the monsters voice rumbled through both cowering ponies.

“We did indeed Hammer, but it would do you wonders to keep it down, your incessant voice is giving me a migraine” replied an even deeper voice, this one was gravelly, he sounded much older and harsher than his companion.

“Yeah Fatty! Stop hurting the boss's head.” This new voice was more higher-pitched and nasally. Making him sound a lot smaller than his flight buddies.

THUNK

“Ouch!” two of the previous voices blared out “What was that for Sentinel?” the smaller sounding griffon questioned irritably.

“The Huntmaster has asked for silence, both of you did not comply” A silky smooth voice cut through the air, somehow slightly calming both cowering ponies as they continued to hide behind both long, black and pink manes.

“Thank you Sentinel, it is good to know at least one griffon with a respect for their commander."

“Of Course Huntmaster” the one known as Sentinel mumbled quietly.

Once the wing beats grew ever more faint until neither pony could hear them, both scared ponies stood up shakily and dusted themselves off.

“Did you hear that ‘Shy? Nolan questioned his shaking friend. “I think they may have hurt something, deep in the forest.”

“Or somepony”

The usually calm red stallion slowly turned his long neck in the direction of Fluttershy. He was on the verge of desperation and anger. Seemingly terrified by the concept of an injured pony, his normally large pupils turned to small pinpricks.

“C’mon!” Nolan practically shouted at the mare, who gave a frightened ‘EEP’ flattening herself to the ground and hid behind yellow hooves. Nolan had already shot off into the forest by the time Fluttershy had regained her composure.

Slowly edging herself into the thick forest, stepping over broken twigs and branches the retreating griffons left in their wake. She could faintly hear Nolan's voice through the darkening forest, and, after quelling her cowardly thoughts, she made off in the direction her friend had ran.