//------------------------------// // Chapter 41: Blood // Story: The Last Migration // by Starscribe //------------------------------// Velar’s mind flitted constantly between fear, relief, and maybe a little of something else. Starlight Glimmer had come with him, despite everything she had seen. No pony had seen more of Accipio than she had or had come to know him as well. Now she stood beside him on the ship at the end of his world. First Mount Ignis had done its best to erase Accipio and everything they had ever accomplished. Now their own kind had come to finish the job. “The fleet has mostly surrendered, V-Velar,” the captain was telling him. “Only little pockets of resistance left, and they don’t m-matter anymore.” He pointed down over the edge of the ship with one claw, where carriers flying flags of Vengeance and Victory had landed. The massive landing doors were open, which meant troops were on the ground. The battle in the sky was just the dance, then. As in all invasions, it was the opening moves for control of land. Airships could bombard a city from above, they could reduce it to rubble, they could blockade it. But they could not take a city. That took soldiers, and those soldiers were working the slaughter in earnest. That explained why the last pockets of resistance had chosen the location of the final stand. Below them was the imperial district, the monasteries, and the palace grounds itself. Velar tuned out the words of the captain as he recounted the battle and the many who had died. All that mattered now was discerning enemy troop movements, positions, intentions. From up here, he could see enough. The enemy were armed with rifles, while the soldiers of his family were using crossbows and what they could take from their slain foes. It wasn’t just that Vengeance had a tactical advantage—Virtue was demoralized. That had been the ultimate end of house Purity, during those first years of transition. Those families that had not kept up with innovation had been left behind in its wake, and subsequently consumed. “We need to get to the palace,” Velar declared, turning to face Starlight Glimmer. “That’s the target that matters. If Santiago wants to take the empire for himself, he must kill my father, his heirs, and take the throne.” “The whole city is in flames…” Starlight Glimmer muttered, horrified. “Most of those birds aren’t soldiers. Why are they doing that?” “Sacking the city of your enemies is a common enough tactic,” Velar answered. “Or it was, in more barbaric times. My family never did it. But having a ruthless reputation is good for crushing future opposition. The next city you come to knows if they raise their claws against you that they’ll get treatment like the last place you visited. It seems that Vengeance is making an example of the innocent creatures of New Scythia. “No,” Starlight Glimmer muttered. Her expression went dark, her horn glinting faintly green. “Somepony has to stop them.” “We need to get to the palace,” Velar said, though he wasn’t sure she was listening. Starlight seemed distant now, the way she’d sometimes looked long ago, when she discovered something new about Accipio that she didn’t like. Only there was something darker underneath, something grim and resolved. Velar tried to push it from his mind. “Can you teleport us down there? If we take a longboat, we will take some of Captain Dieter’s resources, and he can spare little with the battle still raging.” “Teleport, yes.” She glanced briefly down at the ground. “I can. Prepare your mind… what Luna taught you.” Velar nodded without hesitation. “I’m ready. I’ve done it twice so far, it’s not hard.” It was. But Velar focused his mind into the armor he was wearing, on an imaginary point in front of his helmet like the pony princess had taught. Images appeared there, writing in a long-dead language that Luna had not explained how to translate. There were many little lights around the edges, and the enemy ships in the sky seemed to glow red. And up there was Princess Luna, her horn blazing as she cut enemy ships clean through with little blasts of light. She was trying to take off the pressure on their fleet, and it seemed to be working. A whole squadron of Vengeance destroyers was breaking off from the central formation, turning towards her. There was the option he needed. Velar focused again, and his vision went white. It was a little like moving a limb, except he couldn’t see the limb, only feel its presence in his mind. There was a brief flash, and suddenly they were standing on the palace steps. The guard of house Valor was putting up a valiant defense just down the street, with carts and other debris forming a defensive wall. The ground up the steps was littered with the dead and dying, receiving what little care they could from overworked medics. They were suddenly staring at him. “I have an idea,” Starlight Glimmer said from beside him. “Can you give commands your troops will obey?” “It’s him!” birds were suddenly shouting. Voices that had been borne down with inevitability now lifted. “That’s Voidsteel!” “He’s alive!” “Unity brought him back to us.” “I… think so,” Velar said, his eyes skimming the several streets that led to the palace. “I don’t know that there is any tactical decision that will make the difference here, Starlight. It looks like most of our birds have already surrendered. This is mostly the Valor royal guard, they’re—” She cut him off, her eyes practically glowing green now. “You will take me to the front,” she said. “And you will tell your birds to prepare to lower their weapons. They must drop their weapons when you command, or they will be destroyed.” She was no longer asking. Birds scattered from around her, soldiers who had been rushing from behind them now hesitated. Velar nodded to her. “Some pony magic you have thought of? You can—” “Yes.” She started walking towards the nearest barricade, muttering quietly to herself as she went. Tendrils of green flame burned the ground at her hooves, seeming to gather behind her as she went. Velar followed close behind, repeating what she had said to several of the soldiers and ordering them to fly off to the other checkpoints to wait for his signal. “Put our weapons down?” one ragged Valor bird croaked. “Are you insane? You’re asking us to surrender?” “No.” Velar wasn’t sure if Starlight could hear, and he had begun to fear what she might do if she did. But if he didn’t say something convincing… “Just to put them down for a moment. Prepare to retreat and watch for the pony spell. Tell I have returned from Equestria for this defense, and they’ll hear my voice when the time comes.” What could the messengers argue? At least one of them was not a Valor bird, though. Anthony followed despite the unearthly magic coming from Starlight and fell into step beside him. “It’s true what the slaves are saying about you,” he said. “Unity really did hear their prayers.” “Someone did,” Velar said. He didn’t look to the side, following behind Starlight. They were almost to the barricade. “Where is my father?” “Gaius fought three birds against one with Lucius, Santiago, and Gideon. He killed Lucius, injured Gideon, but was gravely wounded himself. Zoya is treating him now.” “What about Gradon and Leopold?” Velar asked, though his tone was grave. “Have they…” Anthony shook his head, all the signal Velar needed. “They held back the Vengeance fleet as long as they could. But now that you’ve returned, perhaps things will go differently. Santiago may emerge from behind their line at any moment, but he seems content to let his troops grind us down while he pillages.” “Not for much longer.” Starlight’s eyes were glowing so brightly now that they shone strongly through the sunlight, and a glow seemed to emerge from her mouth when it opened as well. “There will be no more innocent dead today. Prepare to remove your sword.” “What is the… sorceress… planning, Velar?” “I don’t know,” he answered. “But I trust her. Starlight Glimmer has been a friend of Accipio since the beginning. She would not harm us now.” If it wasn’t for the armor, Velar might’ve felt the same horror that the birds all around them did. He had no doubt in his mind that his own men would’ve attacked her on sight, except for his presence beside her. He removed his helmet just to be sure they would all see as they got closer to the checkpoint, and the birds became more alert to possible danger. “What are you going to do?” he asked Starlight, hoping his tone didn’t sound too judgmental. Given the amount of magic that seemed to be radiating off her, he didn’t want to provoke her into any kind of accidental emotion. “They’re already mad with bloodlust,” she answered, and her voice seemed to carry strangely on the wind. “I will turn their rage against those more deserving.” Here at the front, birds were mostly sheltering behind the barricade, occasionally popping out to fire their crossbows at advancing riflemen. It looked like the enemy probably could’ve pressed through at any moment. But they were building some kind of shield. They’re distracted killing civilians. Once they get that barrier up they’ll use it to advance without casualties. It was what he would’ve done, sans the rape and pillaging. Virtue demanded better. As they made their way forward, Velar gestured for birds to get out of the way, letting Starlight all the way to the front. “What you’re describing…” Velar muttered, though there was little feeling left in his voice as he said it. “Doesn’t sound very honorable.” “No,” she agreed, turning her back on him. “But honor is your problem, not mine. Tell your troops to drop their weapons now. I suspect your armor will protect you. But any who fails to do so will be vulnerable.” Velar didn’t want to agree. It Starlight could really use this kind of magic, it would be a terrible thing. There would be songs sung of the loss, the betrayal. But his own birds were dying now. Innocent citizens and their families. The slaves who had loved him so much they sent prayers for his passing. Creatures who deserved better. He stepped back and called upon the power of the armor to magnify his voice. “Birds of Accipio! Obey my command! Relinquish your weapons!” There was no hesitation from the birds surrounding this checkpoint. With him right there, his confidence overwhelming, they obeyed. Swords and knives fell from belts, crossbows clattered to the floor. Anthony set his rifle down on the dirt road gently, obviously not wanting its delicate mechanisms to be damaged. Then Starlight levitated over the barricade and landed on open ground. The birds on the other side had heard his orders, seen what the soldiers did—they started laughing. “No quarter!” came the command from the back of their line. “Santiago wishes for no rebellions. Every bird on the palace grounds must die.” They charged. Starlight seemed almost forgotten as she closed the distance. A few fired at her, and hardly noticed as their bullets were deflected off empty air. I hope I’m not seeing the end of my house, Velar thought to himself, chest twisted with horror as he watched them come. They crossed the killing field and reached where Starlight was standing. Came close enough to be caught in the glow of green light. The charge halted. Velar watched them stagger, rifles and swords dipping a little. Then they seemed to notice each other. Velar could see eyes narrowing, beaks pulling back to reveal the sharp points underneath. Troops charging in from behind bumped up against the staggered lines, and the glow seemed to spread. A few disobedient birds from their own lines went charging out over the barricade, roaring in animalistic fury. The first crack of rifle fire went off, and the army descended into chaos. Velar could see the rage ripple through them like a wave. Advancing troops stopped in place, turned, and began to tear each other limb from limb. From the look of it, the spell didn’t affect every bird equally. Velar could see some officers from back in their lines shouting for order, and a few of their own birds screaming in terror instead of rage. Any who dropped their weapons were ignored, and the wave of violence passed them by. Any who didn’t were bathed in red. Starlight Glimmer turned calmly on her hooves, though her eyes burned with the same green as all the others. “We should… get me to the palace,” she said, each word a great struggle. “If I die, the effects will end.” “They’re killing each other,” Anthony whispered from beside her. “Ponies can do this? You could’ve… all this time…” “Not just anypony,” Starlight Glimmer answered. “You need the right sorcerer, and the right target. Only those already mad with blood and death could be turned. Be glad you were made of something better.” She started walking back towards the palace, Velar following in stunned silence as the army of Vengeance began to eat itself alive.