HEAT Grenade (Patreon)

Getting back to doing more art from the anthro MLP dream/movie that  Petina and I watched in the Staging Area of my dreamscapes many months  ago. This is same dream that created these         images. In this dream Ponyville was kind of on its own for local  defense. Royal Forces were rather strained and were deployed elsewhere  in the kingdom. So the mayor decided to reactivate the old concept of  the town militia system to provide some degree of protection  for the inhabitants of the town and the outlying areas.

     While the Everfree Forest wasn't an area of extreme activity for  forces from the Realm of Shadows it had made it too dangerous for Zecora  to live there. So she'd moved into Sweet Apple Acres. With Applebloom,  AJ, and Big Mac off fighting on various fronts Granny Smith had  appreciated the extra hands to help with the chores, and an extra pair  of eyes to keep watch out for stuff. Eventually the zebra started  developing a reputation as being a top-notch monster hunter. That's what  this drawing is a scene from.  

The  75mm HEAT grenade slammed into the head of the Night Shredder. The jet  of molten metal from the hollow charge warhead tore through its brain.  The skull of the fiend detonated from both the explosive charge and from  superheated steam of various body fluids in the creatures skull. Debris  from the horror splattered on the ground in a 15ft circle. The now  brainless being remained upright for a few more seconds. Then it slowly  toppled forward and crashed down face first in the field kicking up a  large cloud of dust in the process.

     A 100yds away Zecora peered at fallen fiend through field glasses for  several seconds from behind the burned out remains of an old tractor.  She'd had some close calls in the past when she'd been too quick to  declare an opponent dead. It had almost cost her her life one time. The  body continued to thrash for a minute or so before going still. While  waiting to confirm the Night Shredder was dead the zebra had begun  scanning the field and nearby forest for other fiends. All too often if  there was one there was more nearby. Her eyes detected no other foes,  but her ears told another story. Somewhere, just inside the Everfree  Forest another Night Shredder was moving toward the sound of the  grenade's explosion. Based on past experience the alchemist figured she  several minutes before her next target appeared.

     Zecora worked the charging handle of the old AR-10 ejecting the fired  grenade launching cartridge from the chamber. In this mode her battered  battle rifle was effectively a manually operated rifle since it had  been necessary to shut off the rifle's gas system to protect it from the  firing of the grenade. With this accomplished she set the safety on the  rifle and removed another HEAT grenade from her backpack. Scanning the  abandoned farm field she determined where to spring her next ambush. The  crumpled, rusting metal remains of an old windmill would be an ideal  place to take out her next foe. The mare slipped the grenade down over  the barrel. She estimated her next opponent would appear about 200yds  directly in front of the windmill. Rising to her hooves she slowly  jogged to her next firing position.  

     According to the tattered manual that had she'd found with the rifle  she should was suppose to use the special designed rifle grenade sights  to accurately fire the grenades she carried in her back. However her  rifle had no so such sights. Somewhere in this rifle's past they had  been lost, and besides with practice she'd become lethal at guessing  ranges and firing angles. However it required a hunter's mindset and a  healthy dose of courage to fight this way, but lacking unstable mage  crystal ammunition this had been the best solution she'd been able to  come up with. Besides ever since Granny Smith   figured out how to get in the old Militia armory open she had not been  lacking ordnance for her rifle and hunting methods. Her usually load out  was mixture of HE, HEAT, with a couple smoke or phosphorus grenades to  round out her selection.

    Reaching  the wreckage of the windmill the mare starting scanning the forest with  her binoculars. Soon her prey would appear. In the meantime she waited.