Book 1: Only the Beginning

Chapter 17: Aftermath

I rubbed my shoulder, trying to get the pain to subside. I kept looking back to where I was just at to make sure no one was following. I sighed, and turned my head and seen Scorpion standing in front of me. I jumped, and froze; she sat there in the path, and stared at me. "Um," I said trying to get myself to relax, "What are you doing here Scorpion?"

She sat there not responding. I looked at her confused, and seen that she was shaking. She looked down to the ground. "You did a mistake, for hurting the one who I call leader!" She said, then lunged at me with anger.

I dodged her attack, and seen her eyes were red. She hissed at me, as she got ready to attack me again. "Scorpion," I said trying to talk to her, "You don't know what you're doing, You're not thinking. Snap out of it."

She didn't seem to hear my words, and lunged at me again. I dodged her once more, but felt her claws scrape my leg. I yelled in pain, and fell to my knees. I sat down, and looked to see how bad the wound was. It was bleeding badly, and I was starting to lose feeling in my leg. I looked back at Scorpion, and seen Marshall standing next to her. He had a smile across his face. "Well," Marshall said, "Looks like you're hurt pretty bad. Curious, Dash; what are you guys doing? Why are you guys running through the forest like idiots."

I glared at him, as I tried to move my leg that was numb. I looked at the sky, then looked at Marshall with a smile on my face. "I'm not going to tell you anything," I said glaring at him with anger, "Even if you follow us, we will make sure to keep you guessing. You will not get any information out of me, no matter how much pain you inflict on me."

"Hmm," He said as he walked away from Scorpions side, "Well, I guess I have no other choice..."

He quickly moved towards me, and slammed me against a tree with his arm. I lost wind, and felt my chest feel really tight. He held me up off my feet, and made Scorpion form into her human. She held a sword that had a dark purple blade. She walked to us, and gently placed the sword on my stomach. My body became stiff, and I felt my heart race faster than normal. "What are you guys after, brother?" Marshall said with a stern voice.

"I'm not telling you," I said with difficulty, "You're gonna have to kill me to get that information."

Marshall sighed, and Scorpion slowly drug the sword into my stomach. I gritting my teeth, and was slightly feeling numbness as she dug deeper into my stomach. I grabbed the blade, and tried to get her to stop, and I felt my grip tighten to where I seen blood falling from my hands. I felt my hands starting to feel numb. "Tell me, Dash," Marshall said, "And this could all stop."

I glared at him, and smiled. "Even if I did tell you, you would end up trying to kill me anyway."

Scorpion kept driving the sword into my stomach, and I was trying to fight my urge to yell in pain. I see Marshall pull something from his pocket. It lit up, and I sensed a lot of heat radiating from it. Marshall looked at me with a smile, for he felt me stiffen up even more, and I placed my bloody hands on his arm that he was holding me up with. He placed his hand near my arm with the heated item. I wanted to get away from the thing he held, but I couldn't move. "All I want is an answer Dash." Marshall said observing the object.

I didn't respond to him, and he chuckled. As he chuckled, he made the object make contact with my arm, and I yelled in major pain. I yelled as loudly as I could, as Marshall pressed the hot object against my arm; he slowly moved the object up towards my neck and face. I continued to yell in pain, and then everything seemed to stop. I look, and see Marshall, and Scorpion held in the air. I sat on my knees, and was panting. "Dash!" I heard Charm and Hoofe yell in a distance.

'If they were still back where I left them, then who's holding these guys?' I thought as I forced myself to stand on my feet, leaned against a tree.