Militis Corde

by Sanguine Eyes


Chapter 10: Novos

Novos

It was so cold, the world was an absolute haze. He could vaguely see the outline beautiful winged figure. The song escaping her, the voice touching him stung like venom, it was so beautiful but he recoiled because he knew he was unworthy. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her. But the more he refused, the more the hole in his chest tore and the more the sea of blood swallowed him.

His mouth fell agape and the silent scream was deafening. But instantly everything went black. His mind went reeling and his senses faded. Then, what felt like centuries, the light returned, and again she was waiting for him. The vicious cycle continued again and again, he couldn’t tell if he was him slipping deeper and deeper into the bloody sea consuming him or just his tiredness as he tumbled through the abyss.

His eyelids were heavy and he shuttered in the emptiness. But with no warning, his head was jerked up and his eyes focused, as if she forced him to look up he watched an extended limb. He blinked, and it was a set of talons, again and it was a hoof. He was torn in shame and pain. He didn’t know what to do as she screamed to him, begging him to take the offered limb. Then there was a flash, his immense pain flared even higher as he looked her in the eyes, and he saw it. His shame and pain was overwhelming, but he saw his reason to live. A little filly crying herself to sleep just beyond it all. His unbearable pain and self disgust was thrown to the side. He didn’t deserve life, but he knew someone else who did.

The scent of the queen of the night flooded his nostrils and he seized onto the offered talons, watching them swap between hooves and gripping digits. He looked her in the eyes and beheld her utter beauty, but he could not tell what he was looking at.

And finally, he opened his eyes. Pain shot through his body like nothing he had ever experienced. But one thing told him the one truth he was currently searching for. Though he could barely move he felt the gentle rise and fall of a small form over his legs. He didn’t know why or how, but Iris was alive, unbound and sleeping right there with him. Despite the pain in his body which was beyond measure, his heart was at ease just seeing her there.

His eyes peering upwards were swollen, but not swollen shut. He was heavily bandaged but a quick very light movement told him that his skeleton was currently not crushed to dust. However, it certainly felt like it. His joints were stiff and even though he could feel them move cleanly, his body felt like he had been fed through a meat grinder and sewn back together then perhaps thrown off a cliff. He would have shook his head as if to tell his creativity to go away but even thinking caused tremendous pain.

“Oh… good, you really are alive. She was really scared.”

Tyrin froze and his eyes tilted to one side, following the voice. And much like the voice on his ears, his eyes begged the same question when they centered on the figure. The question which only just barely escaped his mouth with what little force he could muster.

“Who are you?”

The figure smiled and set a small book down on the rock he was leaning against. He was a tired looking gray unicorn. Simple mane and tail swayed gently in the breeze. A small sandy colored old beanie sat on his head, a darker gray coat with a deep red scarf over his neck and finally, a small pair of glasses gently perched on his nose. He looked so simple, but gently looking around he noticed odd supplies. It looked like a rather improvised campsite, but the items strewn about did not seem very equestrian. He could see a few books with titles that he could not read, and the smell in the air was a scent almost alien to him, but something inside told him what it was while reminding him it was something entirely unEquestrian.

“Earl…” He spoke so calmly, almost blankly.

“Earl?... That doesn’t sound like a pony name…” His voice was so weak that he could hardly speak, but he hoped he didn’t sound too aggressive.

“Well… I’m a pony, and my name is Earl. Not being pony like doesn’t change that.” He sat up and stepped out of the small tent Tyrin only just now was made from tarps and a great deal of gathered wood and branches. Just as fast, “Earl’ the pony came back in with a bowl. The familiar yet alien scent wafting from it. “Here… Drink. You aren’t going to get your strength back if you don’t eat something.”

Tyrin just weakly stared. “I don’t really know how to put this or why it is… but I don’t think I need to eat… like… ever…”

Earl stared at him but did not seem to let even a single moment of emotion touch his face. All Tyrin could think was that he would hate to play poker with him, with a face like that nothing short of telepathy could tell what kind of cards he had.

“Well… it's here… I figure better safe than sorry but hey, I’ll be happy to have another hot serving of soup” He happily sipped from the bowl and his magic pulled up chunks of the soup.

It was just then when the smell hit him. “Fish?... are you sure you are Equestrian?”

He chuckled sipping down more broth before setting the bowl on the same rock as his book. “I’m a pony, I never said I was an Equestrian pony…”

Tyrin tried to raise an eyebrow but winced in pain. He quickly opted to just ask the question instead. “Non Equestrian pony?”

“Yes, I am from Seyga Oyggjarnar… I think in Ponish, it’s called the sheep islands.” He leaned back lifting the book with his magic and burying his nose in it again.

“Why did you help us?” Earl’s eyes flicked up and his eyebrows raised ever so slightly. Tyrin winced as he struggled to at least sit up a little. “Why did you help us? She’s a changeling, and I’m not sure exactly what happened when I passed out but I’m pretty sure I attacked what I think was you.”

Earl smiled. “No, you just grabbed her mumbled something and fell to the ground. But I helped you because… well you were in need. It would have been impolite.”

“And Iris?” Tyrin looked down at the little changeling, she wasn’t even disguised.

“What about her?” He tilted his head almost as if he was confused.

“She’s a changeling, you know… shapeshifting monster?” He dropped his volume a little as he noticed despite how painful it was to talk he had been raising his voice a bit much and she was still sleeping.

“Oh… like a Nikur? She’s a good girl, and so what if she’s not a pony. The islands are full of non ponies. Is Equestria really that racist? I mean, I might turn around and go back if I might not be welcome….” Earl looked over his camp, he looked very tired and even seemed grumpy at the possible thought of packing up and heading back to wherever he had come from.

“Nikur? Is that like some foreign shapeshifting bug?” Tyrin was curious enough to inquire before he returned to asking about the events he missed..

Earl smiled. “No, the Nikur is a shapeshifting water pony. But honestly, I figured your little one was just an odd looking pony. The poor girl was just crying and scared, but despite how much I asked and tried to calm her down she just kept crying and blubbering about her father. I was half expecting something that looked like her to pop out, but eventually you came out and practically died in front of me. Speaking of which… if you don’t mind explaining, what happened to you?”

Tyrin lay back, the rest he could guess, but the foreigner did help him more than he could repay, he figured he might as well tell him. “I fought a sun god.”

“A what?” Earl’s eyes popped up from his book, though they showed not surprise but mild confusion.

“Celestia, the princess of the sun. The immortal leader of Equestria, its kinda complicated but Changelings are not quite trusted and I am… well I don’t even know what I am, but whatever it is, some other griffons want me dead.” He almost chuckled seeing how easy it was to say, the whole ordeal was destroying him and his body was basically falling apart at the seams, but looking back at it all he could think of was how fast everything happened from leaving the temple to fighting with Celestia.

Earl paused for a long moment calmly staring with tired eyes. “You fought the ruler of the land? Are you sure you’re not just some common criminal?”

“Yes, I am sure.” Tyring chuckled despite expecting to feel his ribs clatter around loosely in his chest, though despite the fact that it did indeed hurt, he was again surprised that his ribcage was indeed not shattered. Thinking back he remembered that while he was battered all over, only a few limbs and joints had been horribly injured.

“I assume it is quite complicated. Anyone, pony or not steps up and tries to protect a young one like that, despite such grevious wounds can’t be all that bad.”

“Well, I can’t say I’m all that good, but the whole ordeal is a bit hard to take in all in one go.” He looked down at Iris with a smile, though his talons ached and just moving them was about as extreme as extreme pain got, he still gently ran his digits through her mane.

“Honestly, I am a fair bit relieved to find sompony in this forest, I was really starting to worry.” Earl happily turned another page of his book but didn’t look up.

“Oh… about that, what in Celestia’s giant golden butt are you doing in the Everfree forest?” Tyrin was quite curious, more so about this foreigner than actually what he was up to.

Earl calmly set the book down and pulled a small parchment from some bags. “Well, I came to Equestria for a few reasons, but mostly just a cultural experience. New books to read, new food to try, and ancestral homes to explore… But this map is very disappointing. The landmass is very accurate, but there are towns were there should be none and the giant city in the middle of the forest just isn’t there.” He levitated the map over for Tyrin to see.

Tyrin’s eyes panned over it and he cocked an eyebrow. The writing was new to him, but the map seemed oddly familiar. Almost familiar in a bad way. But he quickly saw the problem which partially annoyed him. He didn’t know how he knew but he could tell pretty decently that the map was an edited version of a much older map. “I think I see your problem. These villages have been gone for about a thousand years. I’m guessing that your island is a wee bit isolated?”

“A bit yes…” Earl turned the map back and looked it over. “So the capital of Equestria is not in the middle of this forest?”

Tyrin chuckled and tried shaking his head, but instead simply explained it. “No, its on the top of that massive mountain in the distance. It’s called Canterlot. The castle your map shows the city around is the castle of the two sisters, it was abandoned a thousand years ago, and the city around it was never built.”

Earl scrunched up his nose tossing the map to the side. “Well, I guess that is one more thing I have to fix… well I thank you at least for this.” He grumbled and his magic lifted his book once more.

“Well, ponyville is just a short trip that way. I’m certain you can find a new map and a whole bunch of other stuff, and I know its asking a lot, but I don’t suppose you can not tell them we are out here?” He looked down at Iris and stroked her mane slowly. He was very grateful for the foreign pony but he desperately needed just a little more from him.

“Well, I won't lie for you, but I won't go out of my way to give you away.” He nestled down comfortably and smiled. “Plus, I’m not done with my book.”

A soft smile spread over Tyrin’s face. Earl was quite an odd one, but he felt safe trusting the pony. Looking down at Iris still sleeping softly, his eyes grew tired as he watched the gentle rise and fall of her breathing.


The sound of a hammer plinking away at the ancient armor, the heat of the forge, the yawn of the old blacksmith unicorn as he looked over each piece of Celestia’s battle regalia. It was all scuffed up pretty bad and one or two pieces had some minor damage but he was astronomically more surprised that the ancient princess had gone to battle. The last time the armor had been in this forge, it was his great great great grandfather who had originally created it for her doing repairs.

He was old, but he had never let his lineage down, technically he was the undisputed grandmaster smith in the entire kingdom. Despite all of this, he strained to keep his eyes on the armor, for he had never seen the look Celestia wore on her face. He couldn’t place it, it was rage, it was sorrow, it was worry, it was regret. But it was enough for him to feel a shade or two frightened in her presence, and while he knew she was over a thousand years old and rather powerful, the rightful leader of the land, he couldn't shake the feeling that unsafe was not something he should feel around her.

He could almost feel it as her eyes came off of him and she turned about to leave. He breathed easy as the doors closed, and with a slight groan he moved to help his son with the repairs.

Celestia’s hoof falls were different, and all who saw her dared not make eye contact. She had always been so kind, so careful, so happy. But her facade was gone, even her natural grace and ease was replaced with flawless intentful motions. She had wrath boiling in her gut, and everypony knew it. They were just afraid to inquire about what.

Finally, the door slammed and Celestia sat on her throne, only a single figure stood there with her. The air was filled with a silence that simply twitched with burning magical power.

“Are you happy sister?” The voice was soft, too soft.

Celestia raised her eyes angrily. A veil of control span across her rage and her lips parted. “Did you know?”

“That she was a changeling?” Luna made her way up the steps and she sat firmly in the seat next to Celestia. “Yes, of course. Her dreams were full of it. From her mother, to her own image. Nopony can hide such things from me within their dreams…”

Celestia could feel the veil begin to tear but she barely kept her rage in check. “Then why didn’t you tell me? What was it? Was it the griffon? Was it some petty anger? Why didn’t you tell me?”

As she spoke, the room became hotter and hotter. But Luna’s expression did not change from its calm and sorrowful state. “...No, I didn’t tell you because much like in the past, I saw things you didn’t. Things, I should have been able to bring to your attention, but you would not have the time for...Things I can see, things you are blind to.”

Celestia glared and Luna turned and met her gaze firmly. Celestia opened her mouth but Luna stood from her throne and fully faced her, the sorrow turning to anger. “I watched her dreams, some poor little filly begging to be noticed by her family, crying out but getting nothing in return. That in itself was enough, but it's not where it ended. I watched her nightmares, when she wanted nothing more than to be loved and accepted, her mere existence recognized, she was turned away. And when she begged, pleaded to be loved she was not embraced but outcast, banished from her home. When she wanted to stay, her mother, her own family gave her those scars on her back. Leave, never return and live, or stay and die. And don’t lie to me and think for a second you would look that deep! You would see a changeling and throw it in tartarus.”

Celestia too stood and faced Luna. “And the griffon?” Her voice was stern and while her wrath boiled and raged behind the veil, Lunas words cut deep and cast her resolve asunder.

“What? A horribly wounded and lost soul? I have seen him at his most bare form. He would rather die than to hurt an innocent life. I’ve seen him make that choice, and so have you. He is dark, but darkness is not evil. A wounded beast, no matter how peaceful will still thrash in its pain. And that is what he is. Wounded, desperate, in pain… lost.” Her teeth grit and her eyes raised to Celestia. “And you should be DAMNED ASHAMED OF YOURSELF!”

Luna’s wings opened and her power flared. Celestia too stood and her power ruptured the veil. Burning like open flames, even her mane ignited and lit the room, but the light did not penetrate past Luna, it only made her shadows larger and looming as they danced in the magical flames.

“WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE ME DO SISTER?!” Baring her teeth Celestia took notice of her rage and recoiled for a moment. “You weren’t there! For a thousand years, I had to fight. I had to fight and I didn’t always get to take the path of pacifism. I had to kill just to keep my people safe. This is no different! The Ordos Sanguinius would have forced the issue, they may still. And I know first hoof that they will not stop until they are either dead or have achieved their goals. Where were you then? Where were you when I had to kill ten thousand griffon knights to keep an army from burning down Equestria to search for YOU!”

“I was on the moon! Banished by YOU! For what? What was it? Oh right, my own family refused to even acknowledge me, I didn’t just want love, I only wanted to be loved back!” Luna hissed through her teeth as tears began to leak from her eyes. “Why didn’t you kill me the first time huh? Because I was your sister? Do you know what eternal night would have done? It would have killed everything! You would spare me but kill him? Is your nepotism really that strong? What about the second time? Why not just kill me? Was it because you still loved me? Or because you were a coward and ran? You left a child and her friends to face me in your stead!”


“That is not how it was and you know it!” Celestia’s burning glaring light consumed every corner of her side of the room. “The elements made their choice, it was fate and I had to follow it.”

Luna’s magic waned and she regained her composure. “Fate… sometimes you only seem to see the signs when they are practically crammed down your throat…” She turned and began to walk away. Celestia opened her mouth to protest, to continue, to make her voice known, but Luna turned at the neck and let her voice be heard. “He is hurt, if he was family, you would stop at nothing to save him, to hold him close and tell him he was going to be ok. You would do everything you could, for him… and for her… But you won’t, so do us all a favor this time. Don’t do ANYTHING!”

Celestia remained silent as she watched her sister leave the room, the dancing shadows followed and soon she was left alone in the burning room. Despite her blasting magic, it felt dark, lonely, empty. She could think of nothing else. Something hung in the air, something distasteful, it was the same feeling she had when she came home with the blood of ten thousand griffons on her hooves. Guilt, and no amount of rage or justification could save her from it.


“YEEEEEE!!!” Iris squealed with glee hugging onto Tyrin who groaned and did his best not to yelp loudly or to push her away in extreme pain.

“Yes, I am still alive… at least for now.” He would have chuckled but he simply ruffled her mane.

“I was so scared! You didn’t move, you weren’t even breathing. Mister Earl helped though! I didn’t know what to do..” She sniffled and buried her face in his feathers and fur snuggling into him.

Tyrin smiled, despite how much it hurt. His eyes panned over at Earl who had long since finished his book and picked up another and was already halfway through it. “I’m ok little one, and we have our new friend to thank for that.”

Earl’s eyes lazily peaked up from his book. “Well, don’t thank me too much. Your injuries were not what put you in danger. I only barely took notice because I didn’t think your kind had magic…. But yes, you were dying of magical exhaustion and burnout. Basically you tried to use more magic than you had. Really all I had to do is use basically any magical healing or energy transfer on you. It kept your spirit from rupturing and evaporating.” He nosed into the air happily as if he were reciting an old text.

“Well, I had no idea what that even means, but I am very thankful...I still feel like I’ve been through a meat grinder though…” He winced as he flexed his talons, but smiled as he noticed that the pain was manageable.

Iris nudged and nuzzled into him. “I’m just happy you’re safe.”

He smiled and stroked her mane. But something inside made him dread. “I just hope there is something out there for us after this…”

She looked up at him, and even Earl peeked up from his book. “I don’t care what there is, so long as you are there. So long as you’re ok.” She smiled and he couldn’t help but to smile back.

Earl just chuckled and kept reading. But Tyrin shifted and with a loud groan he struggled to get his paws under him and stretched his wings. What had to be every one of his joints popped and cracked loudly at once.

Earl flipped to the next page and without looking up he mumbled out. “You shouldn’t be up, even if the real danger to your life was magical exhaustion, it doesn’t mean that your limbs weren’t broken.”

Tyrin smiled flexing the limbs and with a sigh he sat down. “I would be lying to say that it doesn’t hurt like Tartarus, but if anything is clear… it's that I’m not a normal griffon.” He rolled and bent his joints testing what was clearly broken before he had passed out.

Iris whimpered looking up at him. “Please don’t… Just lay back down, you will get hurt if you move around too much.”

“Don’t worry little one, I just need to move a bit. Go lay down, I just need to move about a little.” He smiled giving her a soft nuzzle.

“I would agree with her… but then again, I’m not a magical catbird, so what do I know?" Earl turned another page and Tyrin chuckled.

Iris looked back up at Tyrin with worry but nodded and cuddled up in the bed he had just left. Tyrin moved about stretching his legs and wings. His whole body screamed out in pain but there was something he needed to do.

He gave one last look at Earl who gave him an eerily knowing nod, then he moved further into the forest. He really was just wandering about, but he was most certainly looking for something. He looked about as he limped his way through the thick jungle like woods. He passed glowing staring eyes without a care, barely took notice of a small shaman like hut in the woods decorated with primitive wooden masks, he simply continued until he spotted something that could help him.

He picked up the long straight length of wood. Bending it firmly he smiled watching it peel back, and with the help of a firm grip and iron like talons, he snapped the tip to a sharp point. He breathed in and despite the pain in him he rolled into the effort and spoke calmly.

“I still don’t quite know what I am… but I think I have a pretty good idea, just not specifically. However, I want you to know that unless those I care about are safe, I have no intention of surrendering or giving you anything.” He twirled the stick in long slow arcs between his talons, but when the first flash of movement touched his eyes, the stick came level and lunged forward letting it fly and piercing the griffon’s wing and pinning her to the tree behind her. Instantly Tyrin’s open talons shot out to the side to seize the second ambusher by the throat. Throwing his body into a roll he smashed the seized griffon into the ground again and again until he dropped his weapons.

“I thought long and hard…” He stared down as he slowly advanced on the female griffon, her heavy armor clattered and she grunted in pain trying to remove the wooden spear from her wing and put distance between her and Tyrin. “I figured, if only I could see you guys again, I could get you talking, figure out who I am… what I am… but… I … I just don’t care anymore. That burning urge is still there. I don’t know who I was, but I know him. I can feel him as the foundation of my soul. His mind is like steel, his values like the fire in my chest demanding my every action… “

The tips of Tyrin’s feathers began to spout  black flames and crackle with the eerie energies as he closed the final few yards and stood just feet from the pinned griffon still choking the lift out of the second warrior without even looking into his eyes. “I have nothing but admiration for the griffon who gave me this gift. I will honor his will, and I will honor his sacrifice.”

He looked up into her eyes and the inky blackness began to bleed through. “But make no mistake, there are two people in here… And as your friend serves as my honor, my foundation and my skill, the other one, he… he serves as my wrath. My anger, my pride… my instinct... And he is relentless.”

She looked him over with complete and utter terror, and just as if on queue he hefted the second warrior and slammed him into her pinned wing. She let out a scream of pain and he leaned in close.

“I don’t mind you coming at me. The pain inside, the darkness, the proud deeds of that filthy animal’s actions, the genocide, the hatred.. The darkness, it is utter poison against the foundation of the hero this body once belonged to. Whatever these memories belong to deserves the pain, and now… that pain falls to me. So I have no problem with your little hunt. But… you hurt anyone else… ANYONE else… and I’ll let the darkness have its way.” He locked his eyes with hers and with one sudden flex of enhanced strength he crushed the griffon’s neck within his talons. His secondary attacker went ridgid then limp in his grasp.

“Go back, go back to whoever sent you. Go back to them and tell them, they will get their chance. Three days from now, I’ll be in the southern outskirts of ponyville. Tell them to bring everything they can to kill me. It’s your only chance. And hurt anyone before then, I’ll go underground and you will never find me. But you will know I’m still there, I’ll let the beast out, let the darkness have its way every day, every night. It will get its fill and you will die looking for me, every night seeing the aftermath of the darkness and its wrath as a reminder of you failure.”

He dropped the dead griffon and seized the wooden pike before tearing it free of the female griffon’s wing. She let out a yelp and backpedaled from him. But he did not advance. He simply tore the other griffon’s pack from his back and took a peek inside before slinging it over his shoulder. “You know the terms, I’ll see you in three days.”

As he walked, he could hear her running and feel the darkness coursing through his body, eating the pain and feeding him power, even as it screamed for more as he forced it back within the depths of his soul, it taunted him with delicious power and control. But he was not in the mood. He had a new friend to talk with, a little changeling to snuggle, and a battle to plan, a battle he was very likely to loose.