//------------------------------//
// Chapter 16: Veni, Vidi, Vici 
// Story: Havoc 
// by Histy 
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Yakyakistan, the home of the Yaks. For many years in the history of the Crystal Empire, they represented themselves as an impassable obstacle, preventing any attempt by the Empire to expand westwards at every turn.

But for the first time, the Crystal Ponies have an opportunity to rid themselves of these enemies. And they don't intend it to go to waste.

It all began approximately at midnight, with the phalanx silently approaching the wooden walls that protected the Yaks' settlement. There were a few Yak warriors who patrolled outside, but they were all quickly taken care of before any of them could sound an alarm.

Next, they began an all-out assault.

The outcome was just as they had planned. The Yaks were completely caught off-guard. The walls, which weren't well defended in the first place, fell without any significant resistance. Those who brought up any kind of resistance were immediately killed.

The Spartiate ordered all the huts in the settlement burned. His soldiers wasted no time in following the command. Now the place was ablaze, it was now easier to see, and thus making it far easier for those fighting the ensuing battle, including Aurora.

The Legata continued to cut down Yak after Yak that had been foolish enough to attack her. Brutes, these fellows. They held no cohesiveness, lacked proper commanders, an absolute mess.

This cohesive mess may have helped them be a threat a long time ago, but clearly it wasn't helping now.

As the settlement continued to burn, its resident Yaks were being slaughtered, although Aurora took care in ordering that all of the children should be spared.

Inch by bloody inch, her phalanx pushed deeper into the settlement, slash by bloody slash, they kill all of their foes.

And it was almost too easy.

Aurora stabbed another Yak through the abdomen with her staff, making him cough up his own blood.

As she yanked her weapon out, she heard a soldier call for her.

"Legata!"

Aurora briefly looked around to see how the battle was going. It was as she suspected. The Yaks were being slaughtered, except for their children, who were taken out of the settlement as soon as they were discovered. It was all the same, just simply with the Spartiate leading the charge instead of her.

She then turned rapidly, staring down the one who called for her, a small, unimpressive unicorn stallion. She noticed the saddlebags strapped on his abdomen.

That's strange. Those things restricted movement, and he knew it. Why did he have it on?

Regardless of this, Aurora addressed him, "What is it, Manus?"

The Manus shifted through his saddlebags for a second, before pulling out a rolled-up paper with his magic.

"It is a message from the Imperatrix herself," he clarified.

Immediately, Aurora's expression changed from cold and calculating to surprise, and possibly even fear.

She didn't understand. Why was her Goddess sending a message? It could be anything. She could have decided that she was going to kill Aurora despite whether she succeeds or not, or that she was going to torture her for fun.

Aurora could run if it was either of the two, but where would she go? Who can she trust afterwards? She didn't want to make these decisions, nor does she ever want to. She can never bear the thought of doing something on her own. Granted, conquering the Yaks could be counted for that, but the Spartiate did almost all of the planning. She's just participating.

Despite all of her fears, Aurora took the message from the Manus' magic with a quick, but shaky hand.

"L-Leave. G-Go back to your post," she stuttered, but the order was firm enough. The Manus left without another word uttered.

Aurora stared at the rolled paper, anticipation and anxiety taking over. This was a defining moment waiting to happen, and there's nothing she can do to stop it from occurring.

Slowly, she opened the message, reading through its contents.



Aurora,

I'll be very frank with you, as I don't want this message far too long for you to read.

There was a little plan to kill and replace me today, which obviously failed. I have killed all of the plot's main leaders, but there is an individual who continues to elude me. His name is Golden Arrow, although you might know him as your Spartiate.

Apparently, he wants to use my death and his help to conquer the Yaks as the ultimate justification for his worthiness of the position of Imperator.

Of course, now that his pathetic attempt failed, his position is now in great jeopardy.

If I know anything about ensuring there to be no rivals, and I do, he's probably going to order you killed to prevent anyone from challenging his "ascendancy" to the throne.

So, long story short, kill him before he kills you.

Oh yeah, and if you're wondering how this message was delivered so fast, you can thank that dragon Spike for that. He can actually be quite useful at times.

Also, my official enthronement is in two weeks. Don't miss it. You'll regret it if you do.

Anyways, don't be an idiot,

Imperatrix Excidia Ducis Suprema Scythica Invicta (by Jupiter's beard do I love that new name)



That last part was weird.

But besides all the excess information, Aurora was surprised. Mortals trying to kill a Goddess? It sounded foolish. Then again, with Faust dead, Zerstörung could die like any other mortal.

But the fact that the one who was principle in its planning was far away from where it was taking place? That sounded even more ridiculous. But who was she to doubt her Goddess' word?

Aurora looked on back to the raging battle. It was beyond far away now, perhaps even done and over with. In spite of that, she ran back into the fray. She ran past all of the burning huts, past corpses already long dead.

She won't let the Spartiate have all the glory in the and, even if he was going to end up dead.





The morning sun rose over the Yaks' settlement, now just a shadow of its old self.

All of the children that had been captured were brought to the center of the phalanx' camp. They were, unsurprisingly, frightened and afraid, their eyes darting in many directions.

Aurora watched them silently, pitying them. For some reason, she saw herself in them; they were alone, had nothing or no one to give them direction.

Alone. Just like her.

"Alright! Listen up you beasts!" the Spartiate shouted, alarming all of the Yaks in the area. Once he was sure that the all of them were listening, he spoke up once again.

"The Legata has granted you all mercy, so that you can use your skill and great strength to serve our Imperatrix."

He went silent for a moment. His mere silence seemingly made the moment become more tense. And with her knowing where his true loyalties lie, Aurora stiffened, her grip on her staff tightening.

The Spartiate spoke, "However, your service is not needed."

Aurora looked over to the Spartiate, and asked questionably, "Spartiate?"

"Yes, Legata?" he replied in a somewhat... defiant tone.

"Why is their service not needed?"

"Are you brain dead, Legata? These people are beasts, and I'm not going to let them participate in the affairs of those who are civilised."

Aurora frowned, "Even so, my command is superior to yours."

The Spartiate's expression darkened. "Yes," he conceded, "unless you're dead."

In striking motion, the Spartiate pulled a blade with his magic, quickly moving to stab Aurora.

Now, if she had not been warned by her Goddess about his plight, the Legata would have been surprised, and possibly would have been successfully stabbed. But seeing as she knew what was to happen, she was able to snatch the blade within her grasp.

However, the Spartiate seemed to have expected for this outcome, as offensive magic began to generate from his horn.

But, seeing as his reflexes were far slower compared to that of Aurora, the Legata was able to swiftly kick him away, sending the Spartiate crashing into a tent, flattening the flimsy structure.

Even with this, the Spartiate staggered quickly back to his hooves, and prepared to attack once more.

...That is, if there wasn't a circle of spears surrounding him.

He spun around, looking at each soldier individually, "Why do you serve her? Don't you see she's making us slaves again? You're allowing her to-"

"And what's the chance that you're going to do exactly what you say she is?" a random soldier interrupted, "I heard you calling us to constantly protect you, and you kept treating us as if we were just mindless tools, expecting us to admire you with glories you never won."

Many of his comrades let out a chorus of agreements.

The Spartiate jolted back in surprise, and even slight disgust, "Never in my life had I seen ponies who were willing to let themselves be slaves."

"And never have I seen a pompous shithead like you get what they deserve," another soldier rebuked, earning cheers amongst his colleagues. The soldiers surrounding the Spartiate began throwing jeers and insults, with the Spartiate unable to defend himself at all.

During this debacle, a soldier suddenly shouted, "I'd say we kill him!" A chorus of cheers agreed with him.

"...Not so fast."

All eyes went to the Legata, who, not expecting all of the sudden attention, looked noticeably startled.

She continued nonetheless, "You see... this stallion has done quite a lot of heinous acts against our Imperatrix-"

"Does it really matter? She's dead!"

"If she was, then she wouldn't have given me this now, would she?" Aurora swiftly revealed the Goddess' message. The Legata continued, "In this message, she told me about your sins, and that you wanted to seize power all for yourself."

This statement confirmed what all the soldiers thought about the Spartiate, renewing calls to kill him in haste.

"However," Aurora stated, getting everyone's attention once more. She continued, "while I, as well as everyone else, want to kill you," she briefly looked at all of the soldiers, then looked back at the Spartiate, "I believe it would be most satisfying if we bring you to the Imperatrix... alive."

Now, with the prospect of the Imperatrix herself dealing with one who betrayed her, the soldier's calls for death were now replaced with calls for taking him alive for the purpose of pleasing the one they regarded as their savior.

That was all Aurora needed to hear. In finality, she ordered, "Strip him of his weapons; treat him like a prisoner."

The soldiers swiftly obeyed her command, moving to disarm their now-former Spartiate. He offered no resistance, as if he were surrendering in order to stay alive, perhaps mainly because he was.

When the soldiers finally carried off their new prisoner, Aurora turned back to the Yak children. They were all still, in the places they were before. After all, they couldn't escape when there was still quite a lot of soldiers watching them, also with the fact that there was nowhere they could escape to.

"As you see," Aurora spoke to them, "everyone is held accountable for what they do. If one commits a heinous act, they will be punished regardless of rank."

The Yaks all looked at one another, worry on their faces.

"Don't worry," the Legata assured them, "You all will be sent to train, and will not enter full service for five or more years, give it or take."

After ordering a Praefector to watch the children, Aurora simply turned and walked off to her tent, where she intended to have a nice rest after all that has happened.

On the way, Aurora wondered.

She just ordered a Spartiate to be taken, and even ordered him treated a prisoner. It surprised her. She had it done on her orders. She had made her own judgment. Perhaps she did have a sense of direction, after all.

Well, only if she had more knowledge of the places she treads, then she'll be certain.