I ran through the underbrush at a breakneck speed, my stomping feet displacing puddles and crushing small trees. I normally would have made an effort not to end up covered in swamp water but desperate times and all that. I also usually made an effort not to destroy too many plants but I’m sure the forest would forgive me given my requirement for speed.

The terrain was difficult, as the water would have been fairly deep for most critters, but even at its worst, it didn't reach past my knees. The sucking mud also did its best to slow me down but I was strong enough to push through it, wrenching my feet out of the muk whenever they threatened to get stuck. In that moment I was thankful for my strength and size as even a pegasus likely would have struggled with this terrain given the sheer amount of jagged, claw-like branches that protruded up into the sky.

Seeing a wall of wood ahead of me, I raised my shield, lowered my shoulder, and really put the pedal to the medal. The resounding crack as I demolished the trees was loud, but not nearly as loud as the screaming and roaring coming from before me. Somehow the plant life had blocked out all the sound, but now that I was through it I could hear the complete pandemonium that was happening inside.

The space before me was dominated by a swampy, mud-covered hill at the top of which sat what appeared to be a busted-up necron monolith. Three out of four of the surrounding spires had been shattered, and the culprit who had likely done that was the seven-headed hydra attacking the mane six and Spike. The beast was enormous, easily multiple stories tall, and possessed by such a massive weight that each step it took shook the ground.

How did I not notice that? I thought to myself.

I brushed that thought aside, as I was more concerned with the fact the monster was attacking my charges. Spike was dragging a sobbing injured Rarity through the mud while the rest kept the monster busy. Pinkie Pie was making funny faces and hopping out of the way whenever one of the heads tried to attack her. Fluttershy was holding a pair of heads still with her stare but the poor thing looked like she was slowly going cross-eyed in the process. Applejack had somehow managed to get on top of one of the heads and was riding it like a bull. Twilight was faring the best, alternating between blasts of magic, and sturdy purple shields to protect her freinds. Rainbow Dash seemed to be the only one truly on the offensive as she was hacking away at the hydra with a sharpened shovel while yelling incoherently.

They grow up so fast. I idly thought.

“Hey ugly, ova ‘ere!” I shouted over the din of stomping and screaming.

No one seemed to hear me, however, and I was about to shout again when I heard something shifting behind me. Glancing back, I saw that the hole I had punched through the foliage wall was healing itself, the limbs of the various trees interlocking to create a wooden barrier. I ignored that for the moment however and faced the creature fully, taking a step up while filling my lungs with air.

Once I had sucked in as much as I could hold I reared back and released the most bone-shaking waaaugh I had ever uttered. It was so loud and so powerful that my armor rattled and the ground shook with my challenge. It held for a full eight seconds before finally dying, during this time the fighting stopped and all eyes turned to me.

“Oi!” I shouted, pointing to the ponies, after refilling my lungs. “You lot get behind me. I'll take kare uv 'da beasty!”

It didn't seem as though my order was going to be followed, likely on account of how intimidating I was. That was until Rainbow Dash piped up.

“Come on girls, the boss is here to save us!” Added the pegasus.

Just like that the ponies and one dragon all headed towards me, leaving a still slightly stunned hydra standing slack-jawed in one spot. I charged up the hill, meeting them halfway my hand going to my short sword.

“Ere, ya're gunna need a real knife if ya're gonna help,” I exclaimed, tossing the sword at Rainbow Dash.

The pegasus dropped her shovel and grabbed the blade I threw to her out of the air, taking a few test swings with it. It was heavy, likely too heavy for the mare to use with any amount of finesse but that didn't matter. It had the weight necessary to do some real damage, and the pony seemed surprisingly adept with it despite her lack of digits.

“Nice. Thanks, boss!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

I snorted, and reached down, plucking Rarity and Spike from the mud and placing them on a bit of dry land.

“Try not ta get stepped on. I don't want ta have ta scrape ya off ma boot,” I whispered before stepping past them.

The pair seemed equally as relieved as they were annoyed and I quickly put them from mind.

Ahead of me, Applejack slid down the hydra’s neck and was grabbed by Rainbow Dash, the pegasus flying her over and dropping her next to me. By then, the others had gathered around me, hiding between my legs, or flying on either side of me.

“How do you plan on pacifying the hydra?” Twilight asked.

“Iz gonna hit it,” I stated simply.

“And if that doesn't work?” Twilight replied.

“Iz gonna hit it again,” I declared with a chuckle.

“Pardon me mister Ghuzrod but that plan sounds quite frankly, terrible,” Rarity added.

“I don't like hitt'n forest krittaz but 'dat fing iz right ornery an' we ain't gonna get let out until I krump it good,” I declared.

“Try not to hurt him too badly,” Fluttershy whispered. “This strange lightning has done something terrible to the poor dear.”

“I'll do me best little wun but I kant promise noth'n,” I replied.

It was at this point that the hydra seemed to wake back up, its various heads shaking off the stunning effect of my bellow. I hadn't even expected it to last that long but evidently, the hydra wasn't used to being challenged, at least not since it was young probably.

“What do you want me to do boss?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Protect the lil ‘uns,” I proclaimed, puffing out my chest and drawing my mace. “I'll teach big green an’ scaley a lesson 'n mannaz”

“You heard the boss, stay back!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

I pushed the group out of my mind, and charged forward, keeping my shield raised and my mace low, ready to strike. I didn't have to wait long, as a head came in from the side, jaws open wide, ready to devour me whole. A shielded backhand knocked it aside, allowing me to charge closer only to get intercepted by another head.

Striking it square on the nose with as much force as I could muster did little damage, though it did recoil in pain. By then my momentum was already faltering, and before I could even close the distance to the creature’s body I felt the need to guard my back. I turned heel and raised my shield just in time for an enormous pair of jaws to clamp down on my repurposed door instead of me.

“Get off me shield, ya git!” I spat, yanking my shield to the side and striking the head in the cheek with my mace.

I tried to pivot back again and push towards the creature’s midsection as I knew that would be the only real way to end this fight. However, I was now completely halted and the heads were using their considerable reach to basically surround me. I’d backhand one, block another, kick a third, and by the time I brought my mace back around a fourth head would already be launching its own attack.

Worse yet, they had some kind of limited regeneration, as I watched a tooth I knocked out get replaced before my eyes. It was slow, but steady, and I was fairly certain the bruises I gave him were being healed, as the swelling around where I hit him was shrinking. Meanwhile, I was starting to take hits, a bump here, a scratch there, it wasn't much but I didn't have quite the healing factor my opponent did.

“Seven on wun iz cheat'n,” I angrily muttered.

Another head came down, its jaws wide, ready to take a bite out of me. This time I didn't dodge, or block but rather I charged into it, avoiding it only at the last second by ducking. Coming up under it, I sprinted towards the main body, hopeful that the heads wouldn't attack out of fear of hitting each other.

That assumption held up for only a second, as I got headbutted in the side with enough force to send me sprawling to the ground. My overconfidence had been my downfall it seemed. My mace fell from my grasp, and I tumbled end over end before finally coming to a stop on my back, limbs splayed in all directions.

“I'll get ya for 'dat ya git,” I spat.

Rising to a stand, I grabbed hold of a hunk of wet earth. Sure enough, another head came down, jaws open and teeth gleaming. It received a hunk of mud thrown directly into the back of its throat, confusing the creature and causing it to gag strangely enough. I didn't think such a creature would even have a reflex though that may have been the taste of mud. Regardless of the reasons it recoiled to retch, spitting the wad of dirt and grime back out while I grabbed my mace.

“Kome on den, if yer fink yer're hard enough,” I growled.

“Are you sure we shouldn't lend a hoof? The big guy seems like he needs it,” Applejack remarked.

“The boss can handle it. I mean look at the guy! He makes Tirek look like a total wimp!” Rainbow Dash proclaimed.

“That may be Rainbow Dash but I don't think even Ghuzrod can take on a hydra, at least not alone,” Twilight offered.

“As eager as I am to leave this horrid swamp I must agree with Applejack and Twilight on this one darling,” Rarity offered, pausing to kick mud off her hoof. “It would be a shame to see our hero defeated so soon after he saved us.”

“Pfft you girls aren't taking his armor into account,” Rainbow Dash dismissed. “Even if the hydra does bite him there is no way it's getting through that. I mean did you see how thick those plates were? The one on his chest is thicker than my hoof!”

In the distance a head bit down on Ghuzrod’s midsection and lifted him high in the air. A well-placed shield kept the creature’s jaw from closing fully while the ork’s other hand smashed the creature in the cheek. A few harsh strikes were enough to make the hydra spit the now slime-covered ork back out again.

“Is his arm supposed to bend that way?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“I err, don't think so,” Rainbow Dash murmured.

“I don't want to hurt the hydra but maybe if we all work together we can knock him out before he gets seriously injured,” Fluttershy offered.

“Yeah! We can't let him have all the glory, right?” Spike added.

“I don't know, he did say too-” Rainbow Dash began, only for Ghuzrod to get sent flying again.

He landed with a titanic crash a few feet away, his body sliding across the wet mud until he lay directly in front of them. Though seemingly uninjured, the ork’s eyes rolled about in their head, and his armor had received a rather large new dent in the center.

“Where did ‘dat bus kome from?” He muttered absently.

“Come on girls, let's show them we aren't a bunch of damsels in distress!” Rarity proclaimed.

An adorable cheer went up, though I couldn't tell from where the sound was coming from. Immediately I felt a wave of panic overcome me as I realized that I had accidentally put the ponies, and Spike in danger. I tried to pull myself into a stand but that last head butt had knocked a screw loose and I didn't know which way was up.

Thankfully a pair of winged creatures grabbed my hands, and with a bit of help from what I assume was Applejack, they pushed me into a sitting position. Twilight's magic got me the rest of the way up, and Spike assisted by shoving my mace back into my hand, though it took all his strength just to lift the thing.

“Come on boss, let's kick some flank!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

I gave my head a shake, gathering myself just in time to see the hydra charging at us. Rather than push the ponies aside I just nodded, silently accepting that this was one foe I couldn't simply brute force.

“I knew I shoulda made a shoota,” I muttered to myself.

Meeting the charge alongside my seven diminutive allies, I strode ahead of the pack, bellowing a war cry and attracting the beast’s attention. My attempt to grab aggro worked, as two heads swung down, both attempting to head-butt me into next week. I rammed my lead foot into the mud, dropped my mace into a loop at my belt, and braced the shield with both hands.

The thunderous impact of the hydra’s heads rattled my bones and struck me with enough force to leave my arms partially numb. The effect was even worse for the hydra however, as it had just headbutted a wall, and the whiplash caused the rest of its heads to become briefly stunned. Seeing an opening, I shook off the effects of the blow and grabbed my mace, my allies getting into position while I moved in for an attack.

Rainbow Dash flew in overhead, screaming a war cry and swinging her borrowed blade with both hooves. The strike barely broke through the creature’s leathery hide but it was enough of a shock that it further confused the beast.

Rarity cast some kind of glittering mass of sparkles in front of another head, leaving it strangely captivated. Pinkie Pie vanished, only to reappear atop another of the hydra’s heads, her hooves covering his eyes.

“Guess who?” She teased.

Unorthodox, but effective. I noted.

A lasso thrown by, I presume Applejack, found its way around another hydra’s mouth, incapacitating it for the moment. The final head was struck by a powerful purple stun bolt shot from the horn of our resident princess.

“Hit it on the left side on the second belly scale!” Fluttershy called.

I trusted Fluttershy, and readjusted my aim, targeting the weak spot I had been informed of. With my mace raised, the heads distracted, and only a dozen feet between me and it, I was confident of my victory. That confidence was shattered when one of its trunk-like legs lifted suddenly only to slam back down with enough force to stop me in my tracks.

The ground heaved, and I had to pause to brace myself before I was knocked off my feet. The ponies, including poor Spike who had lagged behind a bit, were not so lucky and were tossed into the air. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were saved from the attack, but without the stunning effects, they were quickly being targeted by the hydra.

Rainbow Dash was fast, and was able to dodge the attempts to eat her while Pinkie Pie didn't even seem to know she was being attacked. The pink mare giggled like a kid on a rollercoaster, tugging on the hydra’s ear fins, steering her out of the way of the head attempting to bite her in half.

“Spark ‘ed. Keep 'da othaz safe, I'll distract it!” I ordered.

“Are you talking to me?” Twilight asked.

“Yes, Iz talk'n ta ya now do as I says!” I barked, causing the princess to reel back in surprise.

That seemed to get the point across as she shifted into casting barriers around the ponies who had fallen during the stomp attack. I trusted her to do her job and strode forward, my mace raised as if I was going to continue my attack. The bait was taken, but this time when the hydra attempted to bite me, it led with its two larger fangs.

When I raised my shield I assumed I’d be safe, only for a pair of gleaming white fangs to punch straight through the barrier I had raised. I had a split second to curse myself for not noticing how beat up my shield had gotten before they struck me. One missed me completely, but the other carried through with enough force to go right through my helmet and a good bit of meat over my left eye. The scar would look pretty damn cool in the future, but that was only if I survived, which considering I was half-blind, was not guaranteed.

“I've had jus about enough uv ya!” I shouted, heaving the shield to the side.

With a loud snap, I tore the fangs from the hydra’s face before bashing it in the side of the head with my mace. It was a good move, but it had taken a moment, which meant I had been open just long enough for another head to strike. Only for no attack to come, and a glance confirmed the ponies and even Spike were working together to keep the hydra occupied.

Spike put everything he had into shooting a great conflagration into the face of one of the hydra’s heads, singing its scaly exterior. The others utilized their unique talents to cover me and give me the time I needed to rip the helmet from my head and cast off the now-useless shield.

“Go! We got this!” Twilight yelled.

I put my head down and charged, barrelling towards the hydra with all the ferocity I could muster. Only a few steps into my attack and one of the heads broke away, shaking off the effects of Fluttershy’s stare before lurching down at me. I was about to leap out of the way when a prismatic blur slammed into the beast’s cheek, a sword stabbing into its face.

“That's for headbutting the boss!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

I chuckled as I passed her by, mace raising above my head. As my weapon descended, I wondered if this would work but decided to maintain my trust in the ponies. They hadn't done me wrong yet anyway.

My attack was powerful, and when mace met flesh, it crumpled the creature’s scaly chest, though it didn't seem like a lethal hit. That was until I heard the hydra groan and suddenly topple to the ground, its heads sprawled out in all directions. Like a puppet with its strings cut, it lay there inert, its eyes empty and its muscles still.

“Did I kill it?” I muttered, aware that my head was bleeding profusely, staining my armor, and dripping down onto my weapon.

“You stopped its heart, you have to hit it again!” Fluttershy called.

I briefly considered letting the thing die only to shrug and raise my mace, the head of which had been covered with a mixture of hydra and ork blood.

“'E did put up a propa fight,” I remarked before taking a swing.

Sure enough, the second I hit the creature, it suddenly lurched upward and looked around, confused. It then saw me standing before it, and panicked, its many eyes going wide. Like a whipped dog, it ran yelping from the area, barreling through the wall of trees, tail tucked firmly between its trunk like legs.

“And don't come back you big jerk!” Rainbow Dash yelled.

“We did it. We smashed ‘da ugly git up good ‘an proppa!” I bellowed, raising my fist above my head.

I then let out a victorious waugh and banged my fist against my chest. Rainbow Dash joined in immediately, yelling while waving around her borrowed weapon. Spike was next to add his voice to the victory cry though he was soon followed by Pinkie Pie and everyone else. No one quite matched my intensity save for Rainbow Dash, but that was fine, as I was too busy enjoying this victory.

Then it happened, a green light welled up from inside of me and all of a sudden I was taller than before. My muscles bulged, my frame grew wider still and I felt my mind expand, new information flowing into me from the genetic memory of my new species. Thankfully I had left just enough room for this last growth spurt, though my armor was a bit tight and would need adjustments later.

I was a warboss, now that much was obvious though why was another question entirely. Then I looked down on them and realized the difference between this fight, and the last one. A warboss needed boys, and now I had just that.

“What are we yelling about!” Rarity shouted.

“I don't know but it's fun, waaaaaaaa!” Pinkie Pie yelled, waving a stick around like it was a sword.

“It's a victory kry uv kourse!” I exclaimed.

“Your victory cry can wait, you’re bleeding,” Fluttershy interrupted, the pegasus taking wing and hovering near my head. “Oh my goodness this doesn't look good.”

The mare then produced some gauze from somewhere and began to mop up the thick orkish blood oozing from my still-open head wound.

“Don't worry, it's not 'dat bad. Head wounds jus bleed a lot," I remarked.

“It looks like your eye suffered some major damage as well. If we hurry back to Ponyville we may be able to save it,” Twilight added, the unicorn hovering near my head, a hoof touching my bloody scalp as she inspected my ruined eye.

“Excuse me but I’m not done here,” Fluttershy intruded, bumping Twilight out of the way. “Now just hold still mister Ghuzrod, I’ll fix you up in no time.”

“I err,” I muttered, ready to argue only to give up and sit down. “Okay dokie, yer the doc.”

“Rarity. Do you still have your emergency handkerchief? We need to stop the blood from flowing into his eye or else it will be ruined,” Fluttershy ordered.

“Err of course darling. Here you are,” Rarity added, producing a handkerchief from her mane and handing it over.

I noticed that the little slip of fabric was embroidered and even bore her name in gold filigree. It looked expensive, and she handed it over without a second thought. She really was the element of generosity, I thought to myself.

“Good going, boss,” Rainbow Dash added, the pegasus seating herself on my right shoulder. “I thought we were goners for a second there.”

“Oh I'd neva leave a freind hang'n,” I offered with a smirk.

“Ha, I knew you were a good guy,” Rainbow Dash replied.

I glanced down to find that Spike was slowly sinking into the mud, the poor guy struggling to not get stuck.

“Gud job wit' 'da fire back 'der,” I added, picking Spike up with a bloody hand and placing the little guy on my other shoulder. “Dat was a lot for such a little git.”

“I may be small but I am still a dragon you know,” Spike proclaimed, puffing out his chest.

I chuckled.

“Oh oh praise me next!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed while bouncing up and down.

“Yer a cleva git, I'll give yer dat,” I declared, roughling the pony’s mane with a bloody hand.

“I don't know what a git is but I like it!” Pinkie Pie proclaimed.

“You did good back there big guy,” Applejack declared, giving me a nod. “I ain't so big a mare that I can't admit that I doubted you but I’m glad I was wrong.”

“Yes, well congratulations all around now can we please go home?” Rarity complained, raising a muddy hoof and shaking it in disgust. “It's going to take all night just to get the mud out of my fur.”

“We should probably check on ‘dat 'der necron dingy but we kan do ‘dat tomorrow," I exclaimed, gesturing to the monolith in the center of the clearing.

“I’m done here mister Ghuzrod,” Fluttershy stated, wiping the ork blood from her hooves.

“Already?” Twilight asked.

“We orks heal real quick like,” I declared.

“It looks like he may need to see a doctor for that eye, but I don't think mister Ghuzrod is in any real danger,” Fluttershy added.

“Great, then can we please leave already?” Rarity whined.

“Alright ya whiny git let's get go'n before wun ya ends up sick with da moan… ya min,” I murmured only to frown.

“Pneumonia?” Twilight offered.

“Ya, dat,” I offered.

“You're not going anywhere, monster!” Spat an angry voice I didn't recognize.

“Oh no, not these jerks again,” Rainbow Dash whined.

I looked over to find what looked like nine or so pony hunters, most of whom were unicorns. They looked like they had run into trouble lately as almost all of them sported some kind of injury. Cuts, bruises, scorch marks, and even what looked like a recently acquired burn scar over the leader’s eye.

“Alright,” I groaned. “Let’s find out 'oo pissed 'n his cereal.”

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