Chapter 51
It was no more than a ten minute walk from where our golden pod landed us to a small fortress that was the barracks.
It was, as expected of any barrack, filled with soldiers. Soldiers who were ready to pick up their weapons at the drop of a helmet, soldiers armed to the teeth and then some, soldiers that looked ridiculously identical, with the only difference being the gold or violet armour they donned. The many varieties of weapons they swung, shot or impaled with were not limited to their medieval appearance, and their strong owners lived by the hundreds, if not thousands, within this miniature castle.
Almost immediately as I followed Driscoll onto the balcony overseeing the courtyard and training ground, I found my stride had instinctively straightened, even more so than in the palace, trying to maintain the areas strict and vigil atmosphere. As I did, I silently compared the visual differences of the barracks back in my country and this pony-infested one. The most obvious inconsistency, besides the fact that everyone was a pony, was the fact that humans, as futuristic as we were in weaponry, didn't have access to magic. What the ponies couldn't make up for in multitudes of tiny metal shells and mass explosives, they evened out with magic. If humans could invent a handheld machine that shot rapidly in a straight line, then unicorns could spew similar projectiles as far as their horned heads could turn. Bazookas and rocket launchers? Replaced by cannons mounted on the burliest of soldiers and projected the magical hue of its bearer as it smouldered its target. This was something that gave these hoofed creatures a significant advantage over humans. Should the two races ever meet, I wonered whether it would actually be evenly matched...
Screw that. I've read enough cliche fanfictions to know any kind of end!
I had been to a barracks before. Under mandatory military service, I've watched and particpated in drills and training that I was so reluctant to do when I was eighteen. Ultimately, it made me stronger, but now looking at the mass of vigilant guards that were trained to defend royalty, I felt like an inferior little whelp. A cold sweat perched on my creased eyebrows and I quickly wiped it away. It wasn't really fear that made me uncomfortable here. I couldn't really put my finger on it, but I felt queasy, observing the ponies below. Some marched in rhythmic unison, others were in their own areas, practising on how to completely decimate hay-filled dummies or cause charred holes in the middle of riddled target boards. Their loyalty and skill were unquestionable, and this unnerved me.
The young craftscolt, who I now swore had tricked me into coming here, brought me back to the present situation. In his usual enthusiastic tone, he called across the stone balcony to the knight whom I knew was in charge of most of Equestria's defenses. In his black and matt silver armour, he looked distinct from the others. I wondered what his status was that allowed him to don something so different from the usual outfit and weaponry.
"Sir Rook!" Driscoll gaited over to the one in charge, flanked by two other soldiers; one diurnal and one nocturnal.
It was then I remembered why he was unique from the others. He was a Knight. A guardian of Equestria. For one reason or another, this tall and well-built pegasus had done a service for Equestria at one point in time, granting him this important status. I found it was something to admire in him, how he conducted himself unpretentiously, yet he managed to maintain an aura of discipline.
"May the sun shine kindly upon you, young tinkerer." Even the way he spoke was casually formal. He turned to me politely with a bow of his head "As to you, human. I had no foresight of Driscoll's intention of bringing a visitor." He shot the sheepish colt a teasing glare, but smiled.
"I thought you wouldn't mind. He's a friend of the princesses after all..." Driscoll reasoned quickly.
"Many ponies are friends with the princesses." The knight retorted.
"How about the Elements of Harmony, does that count?" I decided not to let Driscoll defend me. He had too much on his hooves anyway.
"Ease yourself, Conway. I only jest!" He turns from his post at the balcony, leaving the gaurds positioned there. "You need not rid yourself of this place. But in times like these, one should not wander palace grounds like that."
Rook directed his gaze to the two articles of weaponry that were strapped to my body, held by a harness that acted as both a belt and a shoulder sling. I felt proud of this personally, because I made it. Nonetheless, probably the only thing that kept me out of the palace prisons was the badge that Shining Armour gave to me, now starkly pinned on my white sweater.
I shrugged it off, knowing that Shining Armour assigned Rook for a good reason, "It was Driscoll's idea. And looking at most of your men-... sorry, soldiers... I don't think I'd present much of a threat."
"You mistake yourself, little man."
"How so?"
"You assume you are no threat. You assume that you are weak." A discerning gaze returned my doubtful one. "A mindset like that would never win any battle."
"I'm not weak!" I countered, "I just... lack practice..."
"Then get down there and practise!"
"You're not helping, Drizzy."
"And remember, you still have to test that thing before I can finalize its design."
I realized how tightly I was clutching the leather casing under my arm. Honestly, I saw no problem with the crossbow I had now. But if somepony was willing to help me become better, why should I refuse?
"Fine. Just testing it, nothing more. Got it?" With a stern glare at Driscoll and a small bow to Rook, I turned to stairwell that lead to the courts below. As I did, Rook spoke some last encouraging words.
"You're stronger than you think!"
How the hell would he know that?]
Come to think of it, how much did Shining Armour tell of my journey last year? How much had to be told to prove to these ponies that I meant no threat to them? Probably a lot more than I liked. I shook away those thoughts, hearing Driscoll rattle on about the safety needed for the Cloudmaker's distribution route. That was not my main concern now. I was more worried about first impressions.
Barely a few steps into the sunlit courts of the royal guards, I found my heartbeat rose in unease. My palms were slippery with sweat. My eyes darted around every corner of the courtyard, attempting to catch any soldier as if they may disapprove my actions. Every step was slow and almost reluctant, the complete opposite of my pounding heart. I tried to keep as calm a composure as I could, but taking into consideration the hundreds, if not thousands of guards that were better than me in every way, I wasn't doing so well.
I avoided eye contact with as many armed-equines as I could, assessing the facilities presented before me within the barracks. Along one wall leaned rows and rows of weaponry, ranging from pony renditions of human weapons to items of pure equine invention. I hardened myself to the thought of cartoon equines brutally finishing a foe with those kinds of equipment. Whoever was hiding this kind of content from hitting the screen was doing a good job. I swung my head away when a couple of trainers were retrieving their weapons, eyeing me thoughtfully.
The expanse of the courtyard made it difficult to see beyond the mass of soldiers, whether they were lining up, marching or merely practicing freely, there was no way anyone would be able to get pass them with ease. Taking into account my current stance with most of them, I wouldn't try it. But they were everywhere. Before I knew it, I had foolishly wandered right into the middle of the commotion. Commands rung in my ears from almost every direction, accompanied by the rhythmic beat of hooves sturdily striking the earth, broken by the occasional strike of steel against steel. Above all, I couldn't help but feel watched; as if I were a new arrival in a rowdy high school, about to be picked on at any moment.
That moment never came. The courtyard's far wall had cleared and revealed a small passage which presumably lead to the back of the barracks. Either way, practicing anywhere else but here felt like a good idea. I quickened my pace for the gate, giving no opportunity for anypony to approach me at all. I could've sworn that somepony snickered at me among the crowds. Maybe it was my insecure imagination. Relief momentarily swept over me as I pulled a lever, raising the gilded iron gates. Little did I know that, along with being a small fortress, certain defensive measure had been taken. This included the gate that required to guards to activate it.
This only occurred to me after I slammed into the cold iron of the gate in my haste. The iron rattled loudly, but refused to give way. Lightly swearing under my breath, I could only hope that it attracted no attention. I nursed the sore on my head, soundlessly thankful. Had I been any faster, the iron spikes that dug into the ground now would have firmly found a place in my head.
I turned to find a lone diurnal guard standing by the entrance, un-armed and off-duty. In the shadowy area of the passageway, I couldn't make out whether that was a smug or pitiful smile he wore on his face. I found myself speechless, but a little red-faced. That was just one of the many I believed had a bad first impression of me already. He didn't seem to mind raising the gate for me though.
"Thank you... kind sir..." I bowed inappropriately as I backed slowly down the passage. Then I turned and jogged down the passage, just wanting to get away from it all, if not to temporarily calm myself down. A sigh escaped my lips as I reached the opening of the other end of the narrow passage. I was thankful for what waited at the end. It was not completely empty, but it would do.
The passage had lead to another part of the barracks. It was beyond its walls and much more open. The resounding commands gave way to a single pony, shouting. The obstacle course that stood out on the small sandy flatland was in use by a small squad of guards. The equines in action looked less burly, but moved throughout the course at a swift pace. But they tired easily, panting as they persevered. This course was strangely intriguing.
"Move your blank flanks, ponies, Equestria isn't going to save itself with that slow hoofwork!"
The voice of a gruff diurnal guard 'encouraged' what looked like his squad. From this, I knew that these soldiers were newer than the ones in the courtyards. I found it relaxing, feeling that I could be more of myself here. I made sure I drew no more attention before I rounded the course, looking it over.
At the start of the course where the instructor stood was the first obstacle. It looked very similar to the spinning disks I saw before in many playgrounds, but a lot less stable. Also, someone took the time to make sure that the area underneath them was thick with mud. Their small surface area made it hard for the fully-armoured ponies to jump from each one.
The next obstacle was a bridge. But it was not just any bridge. The creaky wooden boards were placed to face apart, the trainees had to make a leap for each one, on top of being unnaturally shaky. It stood a good three meters above dry ground, but a hint of dried blood in the dirt suggested that one unlucky pony was too enthusiastic in his jump.
The next obstacle was a rope swing. Nothing more, nothing less. It was comical to me, how they had to use their mouths for almost everything. Although the crooked angle at which they held the rope did not really bother them.
What followed was a wide ramp, stained with dirt and sweat. A wide and very steep ramp, higher than the type humans used. It already showed hell to these soldiers after going numerous rounds. Imagine the hell it could give humans.
Shortly along the way was a crawling segment. Examining it, I found that it wasn't as long as the regular kind back in my military days, and it wasn't as low either. These ponies couldn't fully get down on their bellies and crawl, but it got the same results. I felt for the equines that grunted as they struggled through it like crabs.
The final obstacle was significantly more complex. Intricately etched into a flat stone were multiple ledges, just big enough to hold a pony. The ledges proceeded in a ladder formation, forcing the guards to jump in a zig-zagged pattern. Once they passed the top, a rope on the other side was used to repel down. It stood a good ten meters tall and was completely artificial.
I was going to analyze the wall more closely. It was just what I needed to test what I still held under my arm. Just as I got close enough to touch the wall, maybe to even use it. Unfortunately, I had forgotten I was not alone.
"Hey! You there!"
I spun round to find the buff instructor approaching. He looked exactly like one of the hundreds I saw in within the courtyards. I stuttered for an explanation, but before I could give a full response, he continued.
"I'm not letting anypony, or anyone cheat on this course! Get to the start like everypony else!" He spoke at a constant level, having gotten used to a loud tone. But I understood. Cutting into the course while they were training was technically cheating.
"I just want to use the wall for a moment, if you don't mind-" I tried to reason with him.
"You want me to hold up the course for you, just to clear a wall?" His emphasis on the wall really made it sound ridiculous, "Either go with the rest or go home. There are regulations here and I'm following them."
"Now you're just being difficult." That came out wrong. I just openly criticized a commander.
"Well then, if that's the way it's gonna be, then you can have fun poking around the walls of the fort. Of course, if you're thinking of climbing walls, then ponies are bound to be wondering why an exotic creature looks like he's assaulting the whole place alone."
There was a little bit of sense to this statement. Plus, I was actually curious as of ponies' physicality, and wanted to compare it to humans'. That, and I haven't really had any exercise since I got here.
"Okay then."
"What?"
"I'll run the course, if that's what you're so willing to see." I mocked.
"Well, well. You're not so chicken after all, eh?" He didn't smile at all from any of his sentences.
"Well, I haven't done anything strenuous in days, so why not?"
Without retaliation, I turned from the wall as the instructor kept a stern eye on me. The trainess glimpsed for seconds before putting their concentration back on the course. This strange creature poking around wasn't as important as the instructor that might punish them. The trainer, however, kept a stern glare on me. It could have been my paranoia, but I thought he was daring me to go on the course.
Whether it was a challenge or not, I accepted. Following his instructions, I swiftly made my way to the start. I sort of expected this to happen, and I didn't mind. Besides the half dozen guards under training, there was nopony else to really watch me fail if I did. Plus, I couldn't spend my time here doing nothing. With the instructor trailing closely behind me, I attempted to make a quick plan of my route.
Being hooved animals, each obstacle was spread further away from each other. This could be used to my advantage. Nonetheless, some of the obstacles were meant for ponies, and had no human counterpart. It was like a mix of concepts from playgrounds and boot camps. Luckily for me, I've had a share of both.
"Clear the course, soliders. You all need a break." He commanded more calmly.
"Aw, come on!" I muttered to myself.
This suddenly made me more nervous. I didn't want their full attention on me, and I certainly didn't need to be treated differently! Still, it was better than being in there. The guards gasped and wheezed, pulling off their golden helmets as they finished their last round. A couple of them were eager to watch, but most had wandered off to find the water trough.
I ignored them, focusing on the obstacles ahead.
"This your first run?" He shook his head at the course.
"I've gone before, but not this kind. It's different."
"Well, better late then never." He huffed. He didn't seem to care about how some parts of it were easier and harder on the human body. Actually, neither did I.
I reached under my arm and flipped the leather latch, unveiling its contents at last. There hung another cross bow that I knew mirrored the design I currently used. But due to months of boredom and curiosity on both I and Driscoll's part, a copy with a few alterations were made. Beneath the barrel was a built-in metal shell,sided by a nylon rope. It came with no ammo, only a single bolt that was too small and blunt to be an arrow. The add-ons in no way complimented the rest of crossbow, but then again is was a prototype. I followed Driscoll's instructions and popped the bolt into the metal chamber. I dislodged the original from my back and handed it to the instructor.
"Hold this for me, thank you." I said in my last deep breath, deciding not to delay any further.
I dropped the empty sack and dashed forward, leaving the instructor without consent.
The burst brought me to the first obstacle. It was more of a test of balance than anything. With a steady rhythm, I used the momentum to carry me forward between the six discs. I didn't know what to expect, but the discs spun on their axis from the force. Of course, it would have been harder for a pony, but for a human it was a lot simpler. At the last two discs, I merely stepped in the center of the disc to prevent it from spinning; something the ponies' hooves were too big for. Within seconds, I cleared the first course with ease. This brought a little hoot from a couple of trainees.
The next obstacle was much worse for two-legged creatures. The gap to jump on each wooden board was a lot wider than I had anticipated. The momentum from the break between the obstacles carried me through the first three steps, but it could only get me so far. On one leg, the leap left me a few inches short of the next board. I wasn't surprised, but it still scare me as I plummeted for the dirt below. Fortunately for me, I reacted quickly. The fourth board was within my reach, and I swung my arms forward before I could hit the ground. The bridge jolted and sagged and I winced at the sudden shot of strain though my arms. The pain was worth it. It saved me from having to go through the course again. Taking a few extra breaths, I turned for a split second to find the guards silenced along with the few others that returned. I couldn't see the instructor from my hanging position.
"MOVE IT, SOLDIER!" His sudden appearance by my side sent me shooting back up onto the board. In hindsight, I thought it was funny. I grunted with each leap, feeling the constant strain that continued to increase as I carried on. I cleared the second obstacle within seconds.
The third was another obstacle advantageous towards humans. Even the weakest of soldiers back in my army days could cross this with ease. I followed suit almost effortlessly, showing a face as I gripped the rope soaked with saliva.
I technically cheated for the next two obstacles, but I there was no proper standard for the trainer to go by anyway. After the first two rungs of the high ramp, I used my hands and vaulted over onto the other side and jumped off. This caused a few of the tired soldiers to groan while others maintained their interest. Then came the crawling segment. That was cleared within the first second. Using the momentum from the break between the ramp and here, I wished under my breath and got down onto my side without stopping. Clouds of dirt and sand were kicked up as I slid all the way to the other end. This brought a cheer from the others.
And then came the final obstacle. By that time, I was out of breath, more from sprinting through the course than overcoming the obstacles themselves. Here, I wanted to test Driscoll's little toy. I charged up to the wall while unholstering the new crossbow. Murmurs came from the soldiers as I struggled for the mechanism.
Got it!
I slowed myself and, without waiting for the instructor's disapproval, aimed for the peek of the wall. There was no way I was going to take the time and effort to jump those ledges. Having turned to a walk, I looked through the barrel and pulled the trigger.
poom!
A light force pushed against my arms as the blunt bolt made its debut, soaring in an arc towards the wall.
Now it was my turn to be unlucky. I broke back into a run before I checked where the bolt had hitched onto, assuming that it was already safe. The coil of nylon grew shorter and I latched it back onto my shoulder. It might not have been the best way to hold the crossbow, but I had to improvise. I then boosted myself onto the wall, tensing my entire body to go up vertically. I raised one leg above the other, gritting my teeth as I moved up. Three steps later, the bolt detached from the nylon, in turn sending the nylon falling to the ground along with its attachment: me.
I yelped as I felt myself give way to gravity, sending a spine-tingling thud through my body. Had it not been for the plasma in my spine, it would have hurt a lot more than it did.
I couldn't see them, but I heard a laugh from the other soldiers. Even the rough chuckle of the instructor was heard.
Well, this sucks.
I rolled onto fours and got back up, shaking the dust off my jeans. The blunt bolt that was supposed to keep me attached had fallen back to the earth as well, but now broken. It looks like I had something to report to my overambitious friend. It seemed Driscoll underestimated the weight of a regular human... again.
"What are you waiting for, son?" The squad leader gaited over, he smile showed great amusement. It wasn't everyday you got to see exotic creatures slam their backs on the ground. "Get back up and finish this!"
"I'll be up in a sec..." I coughed, looking up at the ledges. They were passable, but only by climbing. Those ascending ledges were impossible to jump to. "Glad I took rock climbing in high school."
"What?"
"Nothing." Allowing myself a few more seconds rest, I sprang onto the first ledge. Hoisting myself onto the fake rock. I had to bound for the rest, grabbing on to each one with my arms. By the time I reached the end, my arms were aching. However, I caught a good view of the barracks, especially the balcony that the knight and tinkerer were conserving on. I caught the eye of Driscoll and I waved at him. He shrugged at me with an anxious grin.
"Did it work"
I showed him an unamused face as I gave him a thumbs down.
"Nope."
He shook his head in disappointment and returned to his conversation with Rook, scanning over a map.
I decided to just jump back to the ground, rolling as I did. Now it was my turn to be part of the panting squad of soldiers. They gave an encouraging applause, but we all knew I could have done better on the clock if I was just more ready.
"Not bad for a first run!" The instructor commented plainly.
"I cheated at some, I guess." I gratefully retrieved my items from the instructor.
"This wasn't about the method of completion, it was about how fast you could get through it. I'd say if it weren't for those couple of hiccups, you'd have made it good."
This placed a thought in my head. Could I actually be a worthy soldier for Equestria? With a little more training, I could be capable of what a regular Earth pony could accomplish. That would take some work, but it would be worth it. It would also benefit me greatly if it meant a source of income.
With a small nod of dismissal, he returned to his team, commanding as per normal.
"Show's over, you bunch of slackers! Get back into it!"