General Barrel's tank lurched forward, followed by the rest of the armor. The regular soldiers waited for a moment to allow the tanks to get a little bit ahead, then leaped out of their trenches to follow them.
A large, multi-colored dome formed around the advancing forces. It wouldn't really affect aiming or firing from within, but would protect the attack force from munitions fired from without. The Guard unicorns casting the shields probably weren't as skilled or as powerful individually as Shining Armor, but collectively they were able to project a barrier stronger than that of their Captain.
It wouldn't last forever. Barrel knew that from previous experience. However, it would hold long enough to minimize danger to the allied strike force.
Artillery shells began to strike the shield. Currently, the only effect of this was to cause a sort of rippling ring to spread out from the areas where the shells exploded, but Barrel knew this would only last so long.
"Hurry up, come on," he murmured, knowing that, over the detonations, battle cries, and engine noise that no one could actually hear him.
The enemy in their trenches seemed panicked. Clearly, they hadn't really been expecting to be attacked while their comrades were attacking elsewhere. It may have been natural to think that.
Barrel could have smiled at their naiveté. He could have, but he didn't. Especially when he saw them ducking down as their officers regained control rather than firing at the shield.
It was obvious what they were attempting to do. In order for the shield to protect the allied forces, it would have to move forward with them. Eventually, it would run over the griffon trenches, after which they could fire at the advancing army without fear of wasting ammunition against the shield. It was a good plan, and if he'd been in their position, it was what Barrel would have done. While some shields would have been able to physically push aside anything in their way, assuming that the casters were moving, this one was a little less complicated, so as to be easier to create and coordinate among multiple unicorns, and was designed to halt fast-moving projectiles rather than bulldoze everything out of it's way.
It was less than ideal. Via plan, the northernmost attack was to be the weakest of the three assaults, and was intended to be relatively flashy in order to catch the enemy's attention, which was one reason for the big shield. The tanks would be able to take a lot of punishment for sure, but the common soldiers, though among the most experienced in the entire army, would still be vulnerable. The tankers were going to have to do their best today, in order to minimize allied casualties.
The Equestrian army entered enemy rifle range. A couple of soldiers fired, but their officers shouted them down, confirming what they were going to try to do.
Barrel looked down and nudged the gunner with a hind hoof. "Start shooting at them as soon as the shield crosses their lines," he shouted.
The gunner nodded to show he understood.
Barrel nodded as well, and looked back toward the enemy lines. The shield was approaching the enemy, and soon, the battle would begin in earnest.
It happened in an infinitesimal moment. The barrier's front edge glided over the enemy trench lines.
Mere seconds later, enemy soldiers began to get up, aim, and fire their weapons. Gatling guns spewed bullets, and, to the dismay and rage of the Equestrians, beam rifles also added to the ordinance in the air.
Through the noise of the engines - and cannon fire, as the tanks began opening up on the defenders - arose screams of pain. Barrel made noise that was somewhere between a growl and a sigh. He couldn't prevent every casualty, but...
Not all the Equestrian armor was equipped with cannons. Some of the Gallop tanks were armed with captured and reverse-engineered Gatling guns, and they fired these at the enemy lines. They did less damage, but might have done more to make the enemy keep their heads down, as the bullets, though inaccurate, were greater in quantity, and the gunners had a practice of sweeping their guns from one side to the other. Fortunately, the regular soldiers were behind or to the sides of the tanks, so this didn't endanger the Allies.
The enemy, unfortunately, did prove to have more than just small arms in the front ranks. A small shell slammed into the shield of Barrel's tank. It wasn't enough to break through, but the deafening noise and the vibration momentarily dazed him and made his ears ring.
The gunner in his tank didn't waste time. Although Barrel hadn't seen where the shell came from, apparently the other crew members had, as the driver turned slightly, as did the turret. A loud Boom! and a an explosion amongst the enemy lines a moment later, and the enemy gun had been knocked out.
Interesting design; small enough to fit on a trench wall, yet... If our vehicles didn't have magical shields, that might have been the end of us. I wonder if I can get my hooves on one after this battle's over.
The Gallop tanks didn't have as much armor as their Barrel counterparts, but their mobility made them faster, and they began reaching the enemy lines first. The ones armed with Gatlings began sweeping the trenches, with the result being a massacre of the defending forces, who realized this possibility only too late.
This was too much for the survivors. Griffons began to flee, some flying, others just running as fast as they could in any direction other than where Equestrian bullets were coming from. Some were shot dead by their own officers, but they were the next to fall, and the panicked flight continued.
Not everyone ran. One bunker must have been full of diehards or nationalists, because the soldiers inside continued to fight even as the Equestrian armies went around them. At least one of the soldiers inside must have been armed with a mini cannon, like the one Barrel's gunner had taken out not long before, because, after taking a hit from that bunker, a Gatling Gallop tank stopped moving and began to burn. The crew tried to get out, but were all shot down by the soldiers in the bunker.
But one bunker couldn't stop the allied advance. And, after smoking a tank, it was targeted by no less than nine vehicles. In a flurry of near-simultaneous explosions, the bunker was completely eradicated, with another Gatling tank spraying nearby positions, less to do damage than to warn the enemy to surrender now, before they shared their comrades' fate. It did it's job, as once the bunker went down, the enemy troops who hadn't been able to escape began to just drop their weapons and raise their foreclaws. They were taken into captivity, heads down and dispirited, yet clearly relieved to have gotten out alive.
An Equestrian regular began to gesture with his hoof, pointing toward the city beyond.
Barrel shook his head, and instead pointed at the ground. This attack was meant to be a diversionary assault, originally made to lure the enemy into a counterattack at this point in their line. He doubted that they would be able to do that, but they would send reinforcements from somewhere toward this location, which would weaken another section of their line.
Likewise, the attack from the west would largely be diversionary, though less so. The final attack from the south was the be the knockout punch.
Let's see how they deal with this, he thought as he took out a flare gun and fired a green flare into the sky.
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Cannon and rifle fire was heard across the city. The battles taking place roared, the ground shook, the very air itself seemed loaded with angry sound. The griffon people, though they went about their daily business, did so with a feeling of terror that was felt everywhere. Griffons doing groceries in the martketplace made their deals hurriedly, and the merchants accepted the money just as quickly. Everyone's ears seemed tuned in toward the fighting that had broken out in the northeast, where new fighting had begun not long ago.
In the palace, the Emperor's generals had been in the war room since the beginning of the griffon counterattack. The commanders of the Empire's army had been waiting for - and receiving - reports all morning. Initially, they'd taken heavy losses, but finally, their troops had gotten into the Equestrian lines. Although the enemy had been reinforced and the attack had been halted, there were signs that a breakthrough had been close at hand.
Then fighting had begun elsewhere. The allied armies had begun an attack in the northwest.
The news, when it came, wasn't good. A messenger, out of breath, had come in, trembling, with a message from an officer on the frontlines, calling for reinforcements in the northwest. Since then, air in the war room had been heated.
"We can't spare any troops from our offensive," Blackfeather said, slamming a clenched claw onto the table. "The Emperor has given us his command to succeed there no matter what. It's not in the cards to spare anything."
"if we don't, we risk being overrun elsewhere, and the capital will be attacked directly," another general by the name of Flamewing growled. "We must protect His Majesty, and his capital."
"Our orders were clear," General Glenn put in. "But we cannot ignore this threat to our defenses. We should bring everything save for various skeleton forces to contain this attack. They couldn't possibly put all their effort into both defending against us and launching this assault of their own."
"I say we do nothing for now, and allow for events to develop further before reaching any decision," General Brenn said. "It's too early to for us to hurry to a conclusion."
"I am the chief of staff, I make the decisions on troop deployments," Blackfeather interrupted. "And my orders-"
"I am the Emperor, so the final decision is actually mine."
All of the officers in the room froze, having been caught by surprise. Slowly, they gathered themselves and bowed to their ruler. The Emperor did not make any recognition of these gestures, but merely walked to the table. It was easy to see that he was not happy. "What. happened?" he demanded. "You were supposed to have broken the enemy's lines by now and secured the supply route to this city. What did you idiots bungle now?"
"Y-your Majesty-"
"Answer me, damn you! How did you mess this simple operation up so badly!?"
"Our troops were making steady progress in the northeast," Blackfeather answered. Not exactly a lie, though not entirely true, either. "We were about to succeed in breaking their lines" - a lie direct - "but the enemy chose to attack us in the northwestern sector of our defenses. As such, the enemy has pushed back our defenses" - in fact, those defenses had been routed, more or less - "and I have been trying to persuade the rest of your staff to follow your orders to the letter, as you've given them."
"Obviously you haven't succeeded, otherwise the arguing would have been over with immediately and my orders kept. Instead, I have a gaggle of children bickering over the course of action I've given. My commands were clear, and made no room for debate. The attack shall continue as planned."
"My lord, we do not have the numbers to breakthrough, and if the enemy continues his advance, the city will be threatened!" Flamewing burst out.
"Willpower and harsh discipline will allow for both objectives to be pursued at once with the forces available to us," the Emperor stated flatly, glaring at Flamewing. "Our enemies are soft ponies who are unused to war, and should have been conquered months ago, and would have been if my suboridinates weren't idiots as stupid as the chick hatched yesterday. Their allies are even more pathetic; desert nomads and barbaric tribes that ought to have been destroyed easily. Our new weapons are more than enough to defeat these fools, and usher in our dominance of the world."
Flamewing didn't melt. Instead, he just folded his foreclaws and breathed heatedly through his nostrils. Glenn and Brenn looked at each other, lost as to how to respond. All three of them knew that the Empire's current resources, inventions aside, could not sustain both attack and defense. Furthermore, Flamewing knew - secretly, of course - that the Empire was doomed. The other two would never admit it, but it was becoming more clear by the day that the Emperor's dreams were just that; dreams, dreams that by now had no chance of coming true. Only Blackfeather seemed to think that victory was at all possible.
"Our attack will continue. If you need reinforcements, just send some of my police to collect griffons off the streets and send them to the frontlines with whatever can be provided. Fight with shovels and stones if you must, but stop their attack while our own offensive continues. I'll court martial anyone who authorizes a retreat, and you all know that that means."
Everyone gulped at once. A court martial was just another word for execution; it essentially meant that the griffon in question would be arrested, then harangued, mocked, and embarrassed by the Emperor, and then shot... if they were lucky.
"Flamewing, since you are so insistent that the enemy offensive be repelled, you will go and take charge of the defenses... from the front line."
Flamewing wasn't surprised. He was, however, both incensed and ice-cold frightened. Obviously, he couldn't refuse, and the Emperor clearly wasn't in a mood to listen to advice.
"Now, carry out my instructions... to the letter. And..."
The Emperor stopped. An artillery barrage had broken out to the west. The guns of both sides could be heard, but the sound was such that it was clear that most of the firing and explosions were caused by Equestrian guns and ordinance.
"I thought I saw a flare or something go up," Glenn said worriedly. "If this means another offensive against our defenses while we're fighting to the east-"
"Then you get to deal with it. All I said before, regarding the necessary conscriptions, is valid. I want no more delays and no more debate... from anyone. Is that clear?"
Again, there was nothing that could be said. Glenn was unpleasantly surprised, but could offer no rebuttal without some punishment coming his way. Both he and Flamewing took flight and left the war room.
"Blackfeather, go and oversee the offensive in the east. Keep it going, irrespective of cost and circumstance. Do whatever you must to pen the corridor we need, and use extreme punishments as needed."
"Of course, my lord." Blackfeather bowed, and then he too left.
"Brenn, if the enemy start attacking us anywhere else, you will take charge there. This will be the battle that breaks the enemy and turns the tide of this war." The Emperor clenched his fist in emphasis. "And then we shall be masters of the land."
-------------------------------------------------
James had made his way back to a bunker in the southern sector of the siege lines. The enemy snipers were still busy, but clearly the danger from them was less than it had been, as attention had swung from here to the three separate battles being waged.
Bang!
Key word; less, he thought, as a periscope he'd been using was hit by an enemy bullet. When he inspected it, he knew it to be damaged beyond repair, and swiftly discarded it.
Not that it would have been necessary much longer. The final offensive was going to start here in a few minutes. He could already picture what he could not see happening inside his head; heavy artillery zeroing in on their targets, ready for a short but intense barrage, soldiers checking their weapons and loading and reloading them over and over, a few writing quick letters to loved ones in case they died in action, officers giving their instructions for the battle to come.
It would be a difficult struggle, even if the enemy had been weakened. But it was one he knew could spell disaster for the enemy, and hopefully it would be the final fight in the war.
Well Silver Lining, Silver Shield, White Knight, Bright Light, Crystal Clear, everyone I've known... This is it.
He walked out of the bunker and into a cadre of officers, including Silver Shield, who had been promoted again for courage and leadership and was now a Major. All of them saluted. James saluted back.
"Alright, guys, this is the big one, and if all goes well, we'll crush the final resistance, take Gryphos, and end the war in short order. Our boys in the north and western sectors are already doing their part, now it's time for us to do ours. Lead your troops courageously, but with flexibility and discretion. Equestria, and more importantly your families and friends, need you to come home alive and rebuild."
"Do we go now, sir," Shield asked.
"Not at this second, but-"
Just then, a roar of thunder rolled over them; the Equestrian army's heavy artillery had begun it's bombardment.
"Actually, looks like this second is the time," James finished. "Get to your units, and may God go with us all."
"Sir!" Everyone saluted again before departing.
"And keep an eye out for those snipers!" James called out.
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...and it'll be hot going in, but I have hopes that we'll make it out alive. In case we don't, I've already sent my mother a locket of me and Bright Heart in our uniforms by mail, so she'll have something to remember us by. I'll try and take care. Bright.
Bright Star set down the journal he'd been writing in and yawned. He wasn't tired, but the thought of the coming battle worried him greatly. It worried everybody. He wasn't alone; the rebel griffons not far away were making their own preparations, many writing final letters or practicing briefly with their weapons before the battle.
For the fifth time, he checked his rifle; fully loaded, with no hint that it would jam easily. he had plenty of ammunition, as did most everyone, and his personal affairs were essentially in order.
"Dear someone, why did Bright Heart have to join just as this final battle was beginning?" he whispered to no one in particular. "She's too young. And..."
"Oh stop worrying, big brother!!"
"Oh boy..."
"What're ya doing?" Bright Heart asked as she trotted over to him.
"Not gonna be nice if your sergeant finds you here and not with the rest of your unit."
"I know, but I just had to see you. It's my first battle."
"You'd better hope you live through this one, and that you never see another one again."
"That's what all the veterans are saying."
"You'd better believe them, sister. I've been in this from the beginning. I was one of the first guys to take a life in this war, and trust me, that knowledge isn't easy to deal with, especially when the killing just went on and on after that. It's almost destroyed me, and it's definitely changed me. You don't want to get into this, sis. When the shells start flying and the bullets are in the air and everyone is either dying all around you or killing the other side, you're never gonna be the same pony again."
"Do you really think I was so naïve as to think that this was just a soccer game from home? I know that it's going to be bad, Bright. But I think that's all the more reason to see you now, before this explodes, literally and figuratively. If either of us don't go home, at least we'll each have seen the other one last time."
"Please don't say such things," Bright Star begged. "I don't want to even think of you dying, let alone have it actually happen."
"Sorry, big bro. I just..."
"I know."
Both of them took a brief look toward the north. A short silence enveloped them.
"Better get back to your squad. I hear your sergeant's a manticore in disguise."
"Oh, he's mean enough to be one," Bright Heart giggled. "I can manage him. But I just wanted to see you before this all kicked off."
"...Yeah. Thanks, sis."
"No problem, big brother. I'll be off now. See you in the city for the finale to all this."
"See ya, sis."
As Bright Heart trotted away, Bright looked back at the city that, within a few hours, they would either take or fall attempting to do so.
At least I got to see you again, Heart. If we're more fortunate than we deserve to be, we'll both be going home soon.
Just then, the big guns began to fire.
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The artillery fire began to increase as the time for the attack grew near. James could hear the shells bursting in the enemy lines. he wasn't deceived. Experience in this war had validated the fact that artillery was generally not enough to neutralize the defenders on its own. The common soldier would have to win the fight, as usual.
A sudden rumble of engines caught him by surprise; his shoulders jerked, but he was able to suppress the shock he'd felt. Calm down, it's just our tanks getting ready. Come on, the battle hasn't even started yet and my nerves are getting shot already. That wasn't a pleasant thought, but months of war must have finally begun to get to him, and considering that this battle was the climax of the conflict...
Lord, please give us all strength...
He didn't have a watch, but a soldier nearby did. It was only five minutes before the attack was to start. In five minutes, everyone would be moving forward, and lead, and various other metals, would be flying... along with much worse things. Even if the enemy had weakened themselves here, there would still be some defenders with some fight in them; there almost always were. Shots would be fired, and soldiers on both sides would die.
"No, no, don't think of dying," he told himself under his breath. "Remind yourself of what happens when we win."
Regardless of whether he survived, victory was pretty much certain at this point. Again, the question was the shape the allies would be in after they won. The cost of the war hadn't been enormous compared to modern conflicts back on Earth, but it was significant here. Of course, winning the war and removing a tyrant from power was better than losing it...
But there were always the questions; How could I have done it better? With fewer lives lost? Getting it over with faster and more decisively? And these were just the immediate ones.
Not to mention the emotional, spiritual, and mental costs the armies and people would suffer long after the end of the war. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Nightmares of battle haunting them for decades. The knowledge that a soldier had killed someone during his career. There was only so much that medicine and doctoral advice could accomplish.
And the physical costs; the homes and lives that had been disrupted and destroyed, livelihoods ruined, and festering hatred that was practically inevitable, and would continue for at least as long as the people and soldiers who had taken part in these events lived. Entire sections of forests had been destroyed by artillery, and many prisoners and griffons had suffered badly under the tyrannical king's reign. And the casualties...
He sighed quietly. He couldn't keep everyone from dying, but he could do what was possible in order to end the suffering in as short an order as possible.
The artillery ceased fire. The distant explosions died off. Almost as one, the soldiers up and down the line began to rise. It was time to fight, and end the war.
Whistles and voices broke out all along the line. "Forward!!!!!" came the call.
James shouted in echo, "Forward! Push on and take their trenches, and then the city!"
Cries of fear, anger, and raw adrenaline met his orders; everywhere, ponies and a few Saddle Arabians and zebras rose from their trenches and galloped forward, screaming and shouting as they ran.
"Need a lift, sir?" Crystal Clear asked. "it will be difficult for you to keep up with us otherwise."
"Alright, but when we get near the fighting, let me off," James said as he climbed onto the white pegasus's back. "You're a better writer and aide than a fighter; you say so all the time."
"Still all Guard, sir, even so," Crystal replied, shaking his mane. "I hope my buddies live through this."
"You and me both."
James unsheathed his sword and held it out in front of him. "Forward! And let none stop his advance until this war is finished!"
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Marina heard no more artillery coming from the south. Given what had apparently happened elsewhere, that could only mean that the defenders there would soon be beset by the enemy, She wished most of them luck; the war wasn't their fault.
She had managed to successfully hide Herbert. it hadn't been easy. The Emperor's officers hadn't believed her when she claimed that he had been kidnapped by the local criminal gang, and had searched her house top to bottom, without caring for the furniture, baggage, or clothes ruined. Her first protests had been silenced by a lieutenant who had threated to break even more "garbage" than his troops already were.
She'd had the last laugh; they never found her husband, and her clutch of three eggs was unharmed.
No one ever bothers to look under the floorboards, she thought with contempt.
It wasn't as though this was a final victory, though. She was still under suspicion, and her house was being watched. Another officer had arrived a day ago, saying that her "neighbors" had given complaints that her drawn curtains were "anti-social," and suggesting - strongly - that she keep them open. It was an obvious farce; her neighbors were in the same boat as she was, and none of them would have complained if someone had chosen to keep the curtains and blinds shut. Moreover, there were inspectors and impressers constantly walking and flying up and down the street. Any male griffon was open game; first for a beating for hiding from conscription, execution if he put up resistance to the arrest and thrashing, and then the army if he didn't. And some of them weren't waiting for male griffons to show themselves; sometimes they grabbed any griffon, male or female, they could.
Marina wasn't dumb. The only reason they were sparing her at all was due to the fact that she had three potential children to raise, three kids to be raised to do whatever the maniac Emperor told them to do in his dream-nightmare of a state that he imagined he still ruled. It was all so stupid and pointless that she wanted to give the loudest eagle scream that she could. Of course, that was also foolish; defeatists were being arrested all the time for reckless comments, and none of them were coming out of jail... or the army, come to that.
So she sat on the eggs - carefully - as she waited for what was to come. She only hoped that the enemy would be able to pass by the house without wrecking it first.
-------------------------------------------
James soon had to re-sheathe his sword as Crystal ran forward; the shot up, cratered terrain would have made holding it impractical. As it was, he had to hold on desperately in order to remain mounted at all; Crystal had to jump a lot, and sometimes brought out his wings to soften his landing and keep himself moving in a straight line whilst in the air, however briefly.
A few bullets were in the air, but nothing like an entire trench full of enemy soldiers firing everything they had. In fact, the number of shots in the air wasn't very significant whatsoever. Here and there an attacking soldier would fall, some silently crumpling, some crying for their mothers, but most continued on, some doing some shooting of their own. Their own lead in the air soon outnumbered - far outnumbered - that of the enemy.
Barrel tanks added to their fire. Shells blasted away at strongpoints and tore at positions where Gatlings were located. Bunkers began to take damage; some just collapsed outright, while others took multiple shells to put them out of commission. The griffon army was putting up a fight, but it was going to be anywhere near enough to stop the attack, or even slow it down significantly. There weren't enough of them in the front lines to make a sizable difference.
In a moment, James' fears seemed to fall away, and a small smile even dared to crest his face. It was obvious that the enemy could not stop this attack. And if they couldn't stop this attack, or the others that had been set in motion...
The defender hadn't quit; some sort of projectile lanced out from the enemy front lines and smashed into a tank. The shield held, but another two small shells of the same sort, along with a heavier shell from a cannon that had been positioned in a bunker, struck it, shattering the shield. A final mini-cannon shell slammed into the frontal armor; the tank stopped, and smoke bean to pour from inside it. The crew scrambled to escape through the various hatches; they managed to get out, but one was shot up by griffon soldiers, who continued to shoot his body for a few seconds after he was already dead. Obviously, the enemy hated tanks, and the soldiers who crewed them.
Whatever they'd meant by their abuse, it was a mistake. Other tank commanders had seen what had happened, as well as where the enemy had been shooting from, and focused their fire on those areas, pulverizing them; after the storm of shells had stopped, nobody was firing from those positions anymore.
By the time Crystal had made it to the enemy trench line, the allied army was already clearing it out. Close quarters, hoof-to-claw combat was taking place as James dismounted, sword in one hand, revolver in the other. Rifle butts were used as clubs and soldiers on both sides struggled as guns, bayonets, and steel met one another in the storm of battle.
James quickly came up against one of the defending soldiers. The griffon looked a bit old to be fighting, but he knew what to do with a sword, and slashed furiously at James' head. James ducked, then struck back, his counterstrike being blunted by his opponent's weapon.
The opposing soldier said something vile-sounding in Gaelic, then sliced at him again, this time with his sword-less arm striking as well. James again blocked the sword, instinctively kicking the griffon as the claws came down. The kick didn't knock the enemy soldier back much, but did disrupt the claw attack, which missed, though barely. Still blocking the enemy's sword, James reached under it with his other arm - the one holding the gun - and fired. The griffon fell with a wail. James cocked the pistol again, but found no one else within ten feet that he could shoot at without risking a hit against a friendly soldier as well.
The advantage was clearly visible; the Allies were overrunning the enemy line. Already, some enemy soldiers were surrendering; others were running or flying away as fast as they could.
An enemy officer shot one of the runners. "Anyone runs, they will die, and their families will suffer on their behalf!"
"Oh, shut up!" James yelled, climbing out of the trench and shooting him.
He hadn't had any idea how that would affect the defense. With their oppressive commander down, most of the defenders who were still fighting gave up right then and there.
Not all of them did. "Better to die under our own leaders than live under another species!" one of the diehards, apparently a nationalist, shouted, shooting an Equestrian soldier who had called upon him to surrender. He was immediately shot down himself, and the defiant griffons didn't last very long.
"Come on!" James yelled, sheathing his sword and waving his pistol. "Into the city!"
With a shout, the attackers surged ahead, tanks alongside them. The ruined walls stood before them. A few more defenders were upon them and firing, but a number of pegasi were flying to meet them, so they wouldn't be a problem for much longer. The way into the city was open, and the griffons couldn't stop them.
---------------------------------------------
Bright continued to keep his rifle slung in one foreleg as the other three legs kept him moving forward. The enemy line had been penetrated, with less trouble than he'd anticipated, and now the entire Allied army was advancing. The griffons had fought hard, but they were busy on four sections of their line at once, and they were stretched beyond their ability to defend themselves everywhere.
Maybe I will get to see you in the city for the finale to all this, sis, he thought.
His company surged past the walls, which had been smashed by the two experimental sniper cannons weeks before, and entered the city proper. The earth was replaced by stone streets and houses made of various materials, though wood seemed to be the primary ingredient.
Bright and his comrades didn't have long to admire the scenery. A row of griffons, holding a variety of weapons, were coming down the street toward them. It was a little difficult to see, considering that the sun was over the city and shining in their eyes a bit, but it was clear that the enemy was not well armed. In fact, most of them had pitchforks and makeshift pikes and sword staffs. There was barely a gun among them, and those few being ancient at best.
The makeshift griffon militia stopped upon getting a good look at their enemies. Bright got up on his hind legs and aimed.
"Get going, lazy, cowardly slobs!" a hateful-sounding officer behind them shouted. "Charge them!"
No one moved.
"I said, CHARGE THEM, you treacherous idiots!"
"Throw down your weapons and disperse, and you will not be harmed," an Equestrian captain said loudly. "Your own king and his officials don't care about you and you've lost, not to mention that we could annihilate you easily if we so chose."
"Kill the invader! Silence him! NOW!"
"Why don't you go do it yourself then?" one of the militia asked.
The officer shot him with a pistol, and the griffon fell, clutching his chest. "You don't question my orders, scum! This is your last chance to attack, or I'll start killing you one by one until you worthless slime obey!"
"See? You're just cogs in the machine for them. Stop this fighting and end this war and all this useless suffering!"
"'E's right," a voice came from the right.
Bright shifted his aim toward a group of griffon soldiers, who looked tired, but were still armed; they had probably escaped from the trenches that had been set up to defend the city.
"We took the hemperor's coin, and got nothin' but bullets and lousy fools yellin' at us, we did. An' even after all this 'came hopeless, they still wan' us ta die for a kingdom that's deader n' my aunt's cat. No more dyin' is gonna give anyone the kingdom the stupid git on the throne wants now."
"Traitors! Slay them and leave their bodies for the-"
The soldier who had insulted the Emperor took aim and shot the officer through the head. The diehard commander crumpled, lifeless, to the ground.
No one responded. Bright hadn't expected this to happen, and given the shocked looks and urgent muttering between soldiers on both sides, it was unprecedented.
"Come on, 'en," the griffon soldier who'd shot the officer said, levering a new round into the chamber. "I want firs' dibs on that petty littl' fool what sits in the palace watchin' us die. You pony boys coming, or ain'tcha?"
The Equestrians gave a wordless shout in reply, some waving their hats and guns in the air. The griffon militia also gave a yell, and turned... toward the palace and the Emperor who had tried to march them out to die uselessly.
It's almost the end, Bright realized happily. If even their own troops are turning against them, it can't go on for much longer now...
"We're coming," said the captain who had called on the militia to surrender. "If you can show us a good and quick way to the palace, we'd be more than happy to have you with us."
The griffon mutineer who had started the whole thing grinned, beak and teeth black with gunpowder. "Will do," he said. "Assuming ya count us part o' that council or whatever what's fightin' alongside ya boys, dat is."
"I'm sure the council shall be willing to note that you've switched to their side. I'll personally vouch for you, if that's what it takes."
"Den follow us. Fer freedom an' peace."