//------------------------------//
// III 
// Story: Brotherhood of Harmony 
// by Sicarex 
//------------------------------//

	I sat in a small, candlelit room, silently meditating. What I was about to do was the most important mission of my life, at least so far. No room for error, the plan needed to be executed perfectly if it was to succeed. There was a good chance one or two of us would not survive the encounter, but we were ready to do our parts.

It was always good to clear one's mind before undertaking an assassination. Didascus taught me to relax my body and mind for a time as to prepare myself for battle. In his point of view, losing oneself is the quickest way to lose a fight. A cool head is just as important as planning or equipment.

Mentor had taught me to meditate upon one or two glaring questions every so often. What I considered now was why Sagittarius and Caldan? The former was only a few years my elder, but spent most of his time studying ancient Assassin tomes. While this presumably granted him extensive knowledge of tactics and combat, he rarely exemplified these and lived a reclusive lifestyle. I was personally surprised Didascus assigned him when his skills set was of questionable value to me. The latter was about my age, but he was brash and untested. I heard that he performed well in combat training, though his stealth skills were lacking. In fact, this was probably his first mission of importance. It really spoke volumes of our manpower that we had to put colts such as him on the field so early. Perhaps Mentor expected me to make up for his shortcomings in the coming fight -- assuming Sagittarius could hold his own.

Outside the room, a floorboard creaked. That was probably Caldan now coming to the door, making far more noise than he should. Sure, there was no immediate threat, but experienced Assassins knew to apply stealth at all times when on active duty. He cracked open the door on its groaning hinges, stepping inside and still not caring to maintain silence.

“What is it?” I asked, not turning around or opening my eyes.

“Equeir, we are ready when you are.” said Caldan.

“Take your position and await my signal.”

"Why are you just sitting in here anyway? Are you sure you have nothing better to do?"

Annoyed, I turned around and gave the colt my coldest glare. He winced, apparently getting the message, and walked out, silently shutting the door behind him. I took a deep breath and resumed my meditation. Many of the candles in the room had long ago burnt out. I decided not to replace them. I was used to the dark; after all, it was where I did many of my missions.

After explaining the overall plan to the others we had formulated an ambush in the village center. Loaded crossbows were set up in concealed positions around the square, set to loose on a certain spell from Sagittarius. Our attack would be swift and deadly, and when the sole survivor of the egregious massacre of a diplomatic envoy returns with news of the treachery, the Griffon Empire will retaliate with everything they have. I'm sure even Caldan, naive as he is, can grasp the gravity of the situation. There is no room for failure.

I rose from my seat and donned my captured imperial armor. The envoy would be here any minute now. I strapped on my sword belt, hung a small charm around my neck, and walked outside. The sun was just beginning to disappear over the horizon and the small structures that served as the locals' homes cast long shadows. By now the village's thin streets were deserted, and thankfully so. I knew that, while civilians had their uses, e.g. for camouflage or rioting, right now they would only serve as an obstacle.

I took position near Caldan, who was leaning on his spear. Sagittarius was in a small watchtower with a bow, he would warn us of the convoy's approach.

"So, uhh, Equeir," Caldan began, shifting uncomfortably. "I've, umm, heard a lot about you. Were you really a Master Assassin at thirteen?"

"Twelve," I replied nonchalantly.

"Wow!"  he exclaimed excitedly. "I can see why Mentor likes you so much!" The conversation lulled for a moment until he resumed, deciding to restart the exchange with a little praise to stroke my ego. "You're practically a living legend among the trainees, you know."

"I'm flattered," I responded, again unemotionally.

"With you here, I'm sure we can take on a whole regiment!"

"You know, you can be just as effective an assassin as me one day if you follow one simple rule," I said, turning to him.

"Really? What?"

"Stop talking so much."

"Oh, okay," he said, downtrodden. I turned away, at least that got him to shut up.

There followed a minute or so of silence. Caldan shuffled in his armor, clearly uncomfortable. We had both removed our face-obscuring helmets as they were getting too hot. The sun was a little more than halfway beneath the horizon by now and I feared the envoy may not come after all. Then, just as Caldan tried to start another conversation, Sagittarius shouted to us from the tower.

"Look alive, gentlecolts! Griffon convoy coming in from the northeast."

Caldan and I looked to the northeast and, sure enough, the silhouette of what I reckoned to be at least twenty griffons was rapidly approaching, pulling an armored carriage with them. I put on my helmet and motioned for Caldan to do the same. I reached to my neck and felt the charm I was wearing as a necklace.

No room for error. No distractions.


/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


The convoy landed with a thud, they were panting in their armor and their feathers were shiny with sweat.

"Sorry we're late," said one of the griffons, his voice rough and hoarse. "I assume our accommodations are ready nonetheless?"

I stepped forward. "Accommodations? Were we supposed to be expecting you?"

The griffon looked confused. "King Sombra assured us we would be quartered in this town when we arrived today. He said his subjects would gladly shelter us overnight."

"Sir," I replied, "I nor anypony else in this village received any kind of notification of incoming travelers, much less griffons. What is your business in the Crystal Empire?"

"We are transporting a diplomatic envoy from King Bleda of the Griffon Empire to King Sombra."

"Is that so?" I responded skeptically. "For all I know you could be raiders trying to catch us off-guard."

The griffon sighed. "My men and I are in no mood to fight you, and we simply want food and shelter for the night. How can I prove I am telling the truth?"

I pretended to ponder for a second. "Well, King Sombra gives diplomatic tokens to any foreigners he allows to travel through his lands. If you are carrying an emissary in that carriage of yours, and he shows us the token, you are free to stay as long as you need."

"Very well." He turned around and I followed him to the side of the carriage, the other griffons stepping back to allow us through. He knocked on the door.

"What is it?" I heard the emissary say from the inside. "Are we at Sombra's court yet?"

"No sir, we're stopping in a village to spend the night. The garrison commander wants to see your diplomatic credentials."

"Ugh, one moment."

What followed was the noise of hasty shuffling and something falling on the floor. A few seconds later the ambassador emerged, his feathers thoroughly ruffled and bags under his eyes. In his claw he held a flat, circular, yellow crystal with the word "hospes" inscribed on either side. I tapped my necklace charm, which began to glow faintly.

"Here's your stupid credentials, now get us food and shelter like we were promised."

"Of course, sir," I said before lunging at him and driving my hidden blade into his neck.


/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


The charm, a powerful totem called postrema verba, glowed brightly as I withdrew my blade from the ambassador's throat. It was imbued with a magical formula that kept dying victims alive for a little longer, slowed down time, and acted as a mild truth serum. My mission was to kill the emissary, but I also wanted information out of him. As the world around us faded into an empyreal plane, I carefully laid him on his back.

"Why are you killing me? Are you not one of Sombra's soldiers? Do you really want to incur the wrath of the Griffon Empire?" he spat weakly.

"I'm no friend of King Sombra," I replied, "but that isn't what I wanted to talk to you about. What I want to know is what deal your king is striking with the Crystal Empire."

"Straight to the point, eh?" he chuckled. "You Equestrians are so blunt."

"What makes you say I am Equestrian?"

"King Sombra told us all about you. He says he is desperately trying to hold his empire together as you terrorize his subjects and destroy his infrastructure, that you're nothing more than servants of the Princesses who seek to usurp his rightful throne."

"That is a lie!" I shouted, grabbing his feathers and pulling him to my face. "We do not attack his innocent subjects, we seek to free them of his tyranny! Nor do we serve the interests of the Regal Sisters, the Assassins bow to no ruler!"

"Either way, my King was sending me to finalize an alliance with him. Together our empires were going to preemptively counter Equestrian aggression."

I narrowed my eyes. "You're going to partition Equestria?"

"Partition is such a strong word, I prefer my original phrasing. Are you positive you don't work for the Sisters? Surely they are the only ones who will benefit from this."

"I'm positive, and if they become a threat to Harmony we have no qualms against fighting them as well."

"So then it's just you versus the world? That's hardly a recipe for success."

"You'd be surprised how much we can accomplish on our own."

"I suppose so, you were able to kill me after all."

With that he leaned his head back and breathed his last. I laid him on the ground as the plane started to fade away and shut his eyes, reciting the traditional Assassin death oration.

"Requiescat in pace."


/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


With a bright flash, I was abruptly brought back into reality and the chaotic situation rapidly forming around me.

Most of the griffons had realized the situation and were drawing their weapons, ready to fight. Suddenly, the sound of dozens of crossbows loosing at once reached my ears. I grabbed the ambassador's corpse and threw it over my back. The sickening squelch of several bolts piercing his body was drowned out by the pained shrieks of dying and wounded griffons all around me.

I emerged from under the body and surveyed the scene. Most of the griffons lay dead or dying.  A few, however, remained standing; their comrades having absorbed the majority of the projectiles and they themselves having gotten away with minor wounds.

One of them lunged at me with his bladed talons. I drew my sword, counterattacked, and tried to spread my wings to control my lunge, only to be grimly reminded that they were currently buried under heavy plate armor and were thus unavailable for my maneuver. The griffon tackled me. My sword fell from my hoof and clattered to the ground. I punched him and flipped us over only to see an arrow lodged in his neck.

	Great, now Sagittarius thinks I can't handle myself.

I quickly retrieved my sword while Sagittarius picked off another griffon. Caldan ferociously impaled one with a spear and broke off the bloodied tip to throw it into another's chest.

I heard wings flaring behind me and spun around to see a griffon officer with bolts stuck in his talon and stomach. I observed his heavy armor had taken the brunt of the impacts, so though he was wounded he was still in fighting condition. I lowered my stance and took a deep breath. I had not had a good one-on-one fight in a while, and, as long as Sagittarius didn't interfere again, I was determined to enjoy this one.

He charged. I somersaulted out of the way and kicked his injured talon. He shrieked in pain and clumsily tried to slice me with his good one. I dodged with a spin and used my momentum to hit a weak point in his armor behind his leg, cutting through and forcing him to the ground. I allowed him to struggle back to his feet before I made a broad swing with my sword. He blocked it with an armored talon but exposed his belly. I kicked the bolt in his abdomen, forcing it further into his body. He howled and fell down, clutching his bleeding stomach. I stood over him and looked him in the eye. He stared back in fear and anger. He opened his mouth, probably to curse or taunt me, and I stabbed it, ending him.

By now, only one griffon remained from the original group. His eyes were wide and his legs were shaking. I charged at him. We would have to let him go, but we couldn't make his escape too easy.

He snapped out of his fearful trance and attempted to take off. I hurled my sword just over his head to keep him grounded. I tackled him and we rolled along the blood-soaked ground for a few seconds before he shoved me off and took to the air. Sagittarius shot a few arrows at him until he was out of range.  I watched as he gradually became a tiny speck in the evening sky.

"Is that it?" panted Caldan.

"It is, good work gentlecolts," said Sagittarius, coming down from his tower.

"Sagittarius, how good is your teleportation?" I asked.

"Um, I suppose it's adequate--"

"Good, I need you to teleport me to the southern safehouse immediately."

"Why? We still have to clean up the carnage here."

"I got some information from the diplomat that Mentor needs to hear."

He looked at me, puzzled. "How did you -- nevermind. But first I need you to help us bury the dead. They fought honorably and we must give them their final rights."

"No. I need to see Mentor as soon as possible. If you need help burying them then get the villagers to help you for all I care!"

I tapped him in the chest. "Teleport me to the safehouse now. That's an order."

Sagittarius frowned and looked over to Caldan, who simply shrugged. "He's the one in charge here."

He sighed and shut his eyes. His horn glowed brightly and began to spark. "You might feel a little dizzy."

I had been teleported once before. It was only a few miles, but I vomited upon arrival. Nonetheless, there were no faster methods of travel and I was in a hurry. I braced for a rough impact as I felt a rush of magic engulf my body. The next thing I knew the world around me was spinning. I stumbled around for a few seconds to regain my balance.

Through my surroundings, I discerned I was on a hill overlooking the inn. The moon and stars had taken the sun's place in the sky by now, and yet I could clearly see as if it were day. I cast a long shadow to my front, what was the light behind me? I turned around to a sight that almost gave me a heart attack: the bureau, now a blazing inferno, surrounded by hundreds of imperial soldiers.

NO!