Militis Corde

by Sanguine Eyes


Chapter 8: Repercussus

Repercussus

His Talons raked across the wooden floor boards, but his beak remained tightly  clenched. He had drained all his reserves hours ago, the empty bottles clattered about by his paws and the guards outside refused to let him out. The younger ones were terrified of him and he could barely hear them outside, had the veterans not been there they would have either run away or tried to do something very foolish. And he would not have blamed them.

For the past five hours, his mind was an absolute flurry. He had woken up just in time to freak out and begin to get violent when he saw that Iris was not with him. However, this rage was quelled quickly when Twilight had come and hoof delivered the little one to him, her face screamed that she needed to talk, but she could have been blind and still plainly seen that he did not. He stayed with the little changeling until she had fallen asleep in his little makeshift nest upstairs, then immediately he moved to the living room and began pacing. He had killed so many, at least hundreds. He knew exactly what he was doing and he could feel each and every soul blink out like a candle in the wind, the worst part was that it felt good. Like a horrible wrong he had put right. Something that was an insult to an infinitely burning pride.

The whole thing was nothing close to an out of body experience, he saw everything, and each step of the way it was like his opinion just changed. One after another, killing as a father protecting his daughter, killing something that perverted his beautiful image and legacy, then killing for revenge, because it was his duty.

His balled up taons smashed a hole in the wall and he held in a roar of anger, but he froze into stillness. Even though she did not speak, he could feel her little eyes on him. “Go back to bed Iris… please…”

It was so silent and so still he could hear her breath. He could hear her little hooves clipping and clopping across the wooden floor, tears felt like fire coming from his eyes and he felt her little forelegs over him. Hugging him close she buried her face in his fur.

He didn’t want her here, he wanted to be violent and vent off the pain, he wanted to drink away the memories of this day, he wanted to kill more vile filth that tried to take her from him. But he didn’t want her to see it, she was a child, he was a monster, a monster that didn’t deserve anything he had.

Turning slightly, he could not tell if it was selfishness or selflessness, she needed him and if he could kill a thousand changelings to rescue her, he could tuck her into bed again. Without a word he scooped her up and carried her back upstairs. She cried into his shoulder and he lay down with her cradled in his arms.

He didn’t deserve any of this, and she deserved so much more than him, but as he knew well, there was no other who would give her anything close to what was needed. Some simply had a fate that was not fair.

He pushed his thoughts to the furthest reaches of his mind and coiled around her, he could never sleep after this day. But even if it cost him his life, he would let her sleep, and he would kill anything that came through his door for her.


“Would you have done it any different if you were in his position?”

Celestia’s hoof smashed down on the table. “OF COURSE!”

Luna glared across the table at her. “Really?... because I know of a few times where your actions certainly say otherwise…”

Celestia glared and her eyes boiled with aggravation before Luna continued. “Look, I’m not, nor will I ever say that his actions were a good thing, what he did was genocide, he should have came to us, and he most certainly should not have gotten Twilight involved, even if she supposedly demanded to come along… But face it, if it was ANYPONY else… anypony at all, they would be doing the exact same thing if only they could.”

“He killed thousands of Changelings Luna… THOUSANDS!” She stood up and looked over at Luna closely.

“You tried to do the same thing against the wolves of the north when the raids began, and we both were willing to draw blood if the elements did not seal discord, and don’t pretend we went to Sombra to talk him down… When tyranny strikes, freedom has to answer or perish.”

“2.7 thousand changelings… this is the single greatest loss of life since…”

Luna whipped around and leveled a hoof at Celestia. “... Since you stood off against the Ordos Sanguinius when they came for nightmare moon… How many did you kill? Eight thousand? Nine?... Ten thousand?”

The stone beneath them cracked and burning magic seeped through the cracks. “Do NOT speak of such things... I never wanted to end so many lives, do not throw that in my face and expect me to just accept it!”

“Then open your eyes sister! His child was lost to him and he rose up to face the challenge. Yes he could have done better but you would have done the exact same thing if it were me, and you can't blame him for doing what any parent would do if only they had the capability.”

The door creaked open and one of the guards stepped in, but immediately almost fell back and wet himself as both Celestia and Luna glared and shouted in unison “WHAT?!?”

“Your highnesses… th… there’s foreign emissaries here to see you both.” His voice was almost a whimper and it gave Celestia almost enough time to calm down.

“Tell them to come back later, we are busy.” Celestia took the time to close her eyes and breath in deeply.

But the guard only brought more distress. “Um… they are here specifically about your most… um.. Current problem.” Celestia narrowed her eyes at him and he swallowed loudly and forced himself to stand up straighter. “Its… its the Ordos Sanguinius.”


Luna excused herself and Celestia rushed to the throne room. Double checking and triple checking herself, she issued orders to her guards and hoped this day would not get any more bloody by the time it ended.

Stepping out in a soft regal trot she sat in her chair and her eyes opened, staring down at the two scarred and grizzled Griffons strapped with plate armor and, despite regulations, her keep eyes could see where several weapons were tucked away, just how one limb rested heavier, or a piece of armor was intentionally left loose. She would have to rearrange the guard to ensure her veterans were kept closer. As it stood, even if these two really were unarmed it was likely she was the only one in the room who could challenge them. She grumbled on the inside imagining her guards rushing in then rushing back in fear after the first five or so were effortlessly slain.

These were not the average Griffons either, she knew what had happened to their order after she decimated them. Each and every member was a highly skilled warrior shamed in his or her own right before they chose to serve in the order of blood and shame. The Ordos Sanguinius was needed, and those few who wanted penance needed the order.

Her lips parted and she spoke out firmly, hoping they remembered what happened last time they tried to throw their weight around a thousand years ago. But she hoped against hope that she would not have to do such things ever again, and she was not sure if she could. “What do you want?”

The closest Griffon opened his beak and to Celestia’s surprise the voice was female. “We have come for the body of one of our own. He died in service, and his corpse was taken from us by a monster possessing his body.”

She rolled the words around in her head putting a great deal of thought into it. The way the Griffon said it made a lot more sense than what she had put together for her idea of who and what Tyrin was. “I am sorry, but we do not specifically have what you speak of… perhaps if you would disclose more information…”

“No” The old bird spoke the single word with utter certainty and her cold eyes stared as if she was holding a blade levied at her throat.

Celestia could see the fire of her spirit, she then remembered exactly why the Ordos Sanguinius fought until she was forced to kill ten thousand of their soldiers. She remembered sweeping fire and blades through their ranks, how they dodged past the decimated burning remains of their comrades and renewed their assault for every life she was forced to end. To these griffons, nothing was more important than their duty, their lives without their duties were long past without meaning. They had no fear, because whatever drove them into the order had figuratively killed them, and duty was the only way what little remained of their lives held anything remotely approaching meaning.

Celestia breathed out in a long sigh. Her eyes memorized the weathered face of the female griffon, she was tall and regal. Celestia could have sworn if she was not strapped to 200lbs of tempered steel and her plumage cut short with a razor, she would look like a queen. “Please… just give us a few days, this event stopped being uniquely your problem when he crashed here.

The old female did not flinch, her beak opened fluidly and he voice spilled out in flawless dominating etiquette. “24 hours… then we will start taking steps to collect the body ourselves…” Celestia raised a hoof but was sternly cut off as the griffon’s talons jutted out at her like a blade. “If you wait too long it will end more lives, you were lucky it killed your enemies, next time you might not be so lucky. And don’t let its little pet fool you, monsters draw in other monsters, ever wonder what a creature like that feeds something like that little changeling queen he is so fond of? I doubt it's capable of love, and just how much freedom did you give it just because it looks like a foal?”

Celestia’s heart fell silent, the questions had burned in her head, but she didn’t ask them because she didn’t want to know, she didn’t want to see how dark the situation really was. But now she knew why the changelings would foalnap something from someone as dangerous as Tyrin, not to mention the reports, of what he spent his money on. She was concerned that the child wasn’t eating, the only thing he purchased was supplies for his cottage, small toys, and alcohol. But she was healthy.

Celestia nodded, silently cursing to herself. She really had gone soft. She had stood along for a thousand years, but the majority of that was peaceful and lonely, she had grown so weak in that time.

She watched the griffons turn and leave. A chill running through her, she was frightened at the prospect of just how weak she had become. It was not just physical and magical power, she could have taken on Chrysalis had she put full power behind her initial attack. She could have fought against Tyrek, she would likely have lost, but if she didn’t have to worry about collateral damage, she could have stood a chance. It was not only her power, but her will to fight. She was becoming tragically weak, and her nation needed her to be the strong leader she was supposed to be.

The tail of the griffon whipped out of sight and Celestia gave a long sigh. It was time for her to be strong, a kind of strong she didn’t want to be, and a kind of strong she couldn’t just foster in Twilight and hope the problem would resolve itself. “Fetch the Dawnguard… and report back to the barracks. I don’t want anypony with less than five years venteranship guarding this room.”

The guard nearly dropped his spear at her command. He was young and while he knew he wasn't a veteran, he was not quite sure what he did to be removed from such a prominent position. But he nodded firmly and excused himself, then when around the corner he went even more pale than his white hide. The Dawnguard were more than just veterans, they were the elite of the elite amongst the guards. He ran the conversation the princess had with the griffon through his head and made guesses at what the Dawnguard would be needed for. But he knew, if they were legitimately needed, he didn’t want to be there for what the princess was about to do.


His eyes opened, he couldn't tell if he had fallen asleep, but he certainly felt exhausted. He wanted a stiff drink and maybe another, and maybe another. He looked down at the little filly in the nest, so soundly sleeping. He had been so angry he would likely have attacked the next fool who stepped through his door and savagely beaten them until they were a stain on the floor. But, this little filly just melted his rage and pain away. He didn’t deserve her, nopony did. He smiled and carefully stood up.

As if he was sneaking away on a stealth mission, he carefully made his way down stairs and poked about in the kitchen, he frowned at the condition he had left his cottage in. broken bottles and jugs. Talon marks and holes from his fists. He had a lot to fix and every inch of his home made him feel shame for acting out when he could have been helping the others who suffered while he did as well.

He moved through the home into the kitchen which basically had no use other than for his own ocasional snacks. His mind poured through the small conundrum. He did eat occasionally, but mostly he just drank all the alcohol he could, any normal griffon would have starved to death by now, he was sure of it. He grumbled and started to quietly pick up around the house.

He paused as his talons shivered and shook. Memories so close to the surface, he could almost touch them, but all he could do was feel the pain and loss as they slipped by leaving him alone in the cold world. He wiped his eyes clear and breathed deeply trying to clear the pain away. He couldn’t just surrender. Iris needed him, otherwise he would have probably broke his wings and thrown himself off a cliff by now.

His head jerked to one side as the a firm knock sounded from the door. A small spark of rage built up but he smothered it and stood up.

He didn’t have to move or speak, the door opened and something he did not suspect moved gracefully until it was right in front of him.

Celestia strode up, her wings flared and not just a guard on either side of her but a scarred and honed veteran, years of combat in their eyes. He stood and leveled his eyes at her, she in turn stared back at him. He could see it in her eyes, she was here for a reason, a reason he would not stand for. She opened her mouth to speak knowing he knew what she was going to say, but he beat her to it.

The darkness welled up in his eyes leaking down his cheeks as bloody rage rose up inside him from the depths of his soul. “You will not touch her…”