Caballus, the great kingdom of the ponies was founded centuries ago in the need of union of all the tribes of ponies before the danger of dark days, a generally noble, intelligent and believing species of peace and harmony.
For generations the royal family has dedicated all their existence to spread peace with the other tribes in the continent of Equida and the world, unfortunately, not all wanted peace, while some sought balance, others wanted the conquest.
The tribes of the cats and the griffons allied themselves to conquer the lands in all of Équida, ignoring all attempts to maintain peace.
His reasons, although initially easy to understand, began to cause much concern among the royalty of Caballus, and the public in general.
All the species in Gaia have magic in their interior, from a simple rock to the intimidating cat men, although it is passive magic, their capacities are impelled by the magic.
But others, are able to use it directly, such are the cases of magicians and the tribe of deer, of which the last is a whole race able of manipulating magic.
Reports said that cat and griffons men are collecting prisoners wherever they go, amputated their horns and ears, killing them in the process.
This caused a lot of worry and excitement, it seems that they wanted to discover a way to copy the skills of deer and unicorns, but that caused small towns to disappear little by little.
The saint army could not cover all the places, not at least while fighting a total war on almost all fronts, that is the main cause of the pain of the great king Arax, tall and with silver hair and white eyes, although he is a man with Many years, his skills in strategy are unequaled, but even so, the lack of personnel did nothing but give him a headache and in the soul, since the tribe of the deer has been brutally attacked since the beginning of the war, and it's been almost nine years.
A war that no one can see end, is at a standstill, neither side can extend their front lines any further, and moving forward is impossible, the numerical and technological superiority of the griffin-cat alliance could have overwhelmed any other nation, but Caballus He had magic, a single well-trained unicorn could easily match an enemy platoon.
Neither siege weapons could withstand the magic fire, but even with that advantage, they were simply outnumbered five to one.
Then the disappearances of remote villages began to be a threat, the kingdom had previously distributed officers to train a militia in each village, keeping the front line without much change, and protecting the villages, even the king convened a meeting with the majority of the leaders of each tribe, promising that their army would protect them.
At first, the leaders of each tribe believed that they would be absorbed into a dictatorship, but they were surprised to learn that the only thing the king asked of them was only their cooperation in the maintenance of the supply lines and cultivation.
Everything was fine, but months later the front line was extended by a sudden enemy retreat, demanding more soldiers from the reserve and the rearguard, leaving unprotected most of the villages closest to the war zone.
The king could not command troops from the front, and the enemies that destroyed the villages were not enough to attract attention, so they could easily go unnoticed, it was a poison from which he had no cure.
In an attempt to save the majority, Princess Alexia used her own personal guard, the white roses, to protect and escort the evacuees, but even so, they would have to leave thousands to their fate.
Then, that night happened.
White roses, elite soldiers made up mostly of noble women, contrary to what one would think of Caballus, military service allowed women of any kind to enter and serve in the army, leaving their decision if they wanted to continue in the army or return to their civil life.
Thanks to the support of the royal family in the majority of its population, the loyalty and quality of the holy army were almost unmatched, but if they were the sword, the white roses would be the shield.
Formed by the mother of the princess fifty years ago, white roses have as their main objective to protect the town, having as a second mission to protect the royal family.
Having few numbers, they were only deployed in the capital, making it one of the safest cities in the continent, thanks to their loyalty and commitment.
Poor those who believed that being women could easily pass over them, they quickly gained honor for their name, beautiful in their silver armor, but dangerous with their sharp thorns.
"Your Highness, are you sure it is wise for you to leave the capital?" Asked Atalaya, a beautiful girl with brown hair and brown eyes, her colored wings beautifully protected by her gray armor made her look like a rose in autumn.
"Our people are dying Atalaya, my father finally accept our help, but we need each soldier to help in this task, even if your captain has to go to the battlefield" - she said to Princess Alexia, her silvery hair shone together with her white dress, although smaller than Atalaya, the princess also served in military service, proving to be more than a pretty face, she was one of the most powerful magicians in the kingdom, even rivaling her father in war tactics.
"One of the reasons why no noble, even the king, accepted our help, is that most of his daughters are in our ranks, mere decorations, I understand your enthusiasm to serve for more than just a guard, but if you are killed, the morale of our people could be destroyed "- said Atalaya with a worried tone.
"Do you forget who is stronger in this Watchtower room, remember when you used to hate me and took the opportunity of training to give me a lesson in" humility "?" Asked the princess with a smile on her face.
"I understand your princess point, but still ..." - said Atalaya while blushing.
With a sigh, the princess went out to the balcony of her room, the blue moonlight illuminating the streets of the capital.
The capital, the jewel of Caballus, could easily be the largest city on the continent, the buildings, mostly limestone, rose beautifully between the streets, thanks to the magic and work of many, the houses and the streets They had lunar stones light.
Its light was dim, not as bright and hot as a torch is, but quite practical and efficient, since they used moonlight and a little magic to work, even making the city part of the night sky, making the city an extension of the stars.
But what stood out most in the city, were the enormous towers of the magic institute, bigger than even the royal palace, and perhaps more important.
Thanks to continuous research in magic, and reforms in open education, his society began a time of unprecedented progress.
The lunar stones are one of the many fruits in the investigation of new magic.
They had advanced a lot in a few years, the magic was improving the quality of life of its people, little by little, but even the most remote villages would have enlightenment, maybe open more institutes, the darkness would no longer harass its people.
Then the war ...
Their prosperity did not go unnoticed by the other tribes, even with the attempt of peace, few listened.
"Damn ..." the princess murmured, clenching her fist, and a single tear fell on her hand.
"Princess?" Asked Atalaya.
"Atalaya, is not fair, we finally achieved a union in our country, but this war is ending with those who most needed our help" - Alexia murmured.
"Do not lose hope princess, I'm sure things will improve" - said Atalaya while placing a hand on the shoulder of the princess.
"I hope so" - said the princess.
Then, something strange began, the city began to shine, even more, the lunar stones began to shine more and more.
"What's happening?!" - shouted Atalaya.
"The crystals are reacting to something!" - said the alarmed princess, the stones of the whole city began to blink violently, even causing some to explode.
"Princess, in the sky!" - Atalaya shouted as he pointed to the sky.
A huge dark blue ball in the stars, close to the moon, suddenly appeared in space, while huge golden rays covered the enormous sphere violently.
Then, suddenly, it exploded in a huge rain of something like stars, sparks of blue light lit the night.
"I do not know what happened, but it's something very beautiful" - said Atalaya, while he saw the new blue stars on the night sky, a few falling on the horizon.
"I want the damage reports, and call the alchemist, I want to know what just happened and why the lunar stones reacted" - the princess ordered.
"Yes, princess!" Said Atalaya as he left the room quickly.
"I have a bad premonition of this." The princess murmured while contemplating the new stars in the sky, besides the comets that fell on the horizon, painting the horizon with bright blue lines.
The Institute of magic, the peak of the invention and magical research, in the few decades it has been in operation, have earned the reputation of being the most advanced in the continent, as well as its incredible variety, not only in magic but also in its members.
Since they opened their doors to the other tribes, dozens of magical and non-magical researchers went in search of support from Caballus and the institute, receiving their help.
It is so respected and important, that it is even one of the reasons for the beginning of the war.
The Alchemist is the equivalent to the king in the institute, not everyone can get to that position, a position that has even more time than the institute itself, so being the alchemist is a great honor and responsibility.
But that title is still below the king.
"I have no idea what caused the lunar stones to explode his majesty" - said the alchemist Sol, an old unicorn man with a thick beard, his tunic, gray, contrasted sharply with his gray hair and wrinkles.
"Do you want to tell me that the best magician in the kingdom has no idea what happened?" Asked the king, an equally old man, his slightly longer horn, his crown, made of Mithril, gave him an imposing aura, that is the only known metal able to absorb magic and store it, a national treasure that passed from generation to generation, without being used once.
Even the alchemist thinks they have enough energy to destroy the whole country with a single spell.
"This is something that had never happened his majesty, not only the stones were affected by the explosion in the sky, also a few members with affinity in space magic were put in the sanitariums, whatever it was, caused a great magical resonance "- said the old man, thoughtful, and excited.
There had appeared in a single night what appeared to be new magic!
"We have traced a trajectory of falling off some of the stars some 466 km from the capital in the direction of the front line, that is in the areas that the white roses were assigned for the evacuation" - Atalaya said while reviewing the documents that the observatory had sent.
"That is more than perfect, we can investigate while we evacuate the villagers, we will use emergency teleportation glasses and we can be there in a few hours" - said the princess, excited.
"The crystals are very difficult to make Alexia, you would exhaust the reserves of the capital" - said the king.
"I think knowing the truth about an event that caused so much chaos in the capital is worth it father, so we even have a better chance to evacuate the villages in that area, help them even if they were affected by the fall of the stars" - said Alexia.
"I can even go with the princess, Your Majesty, if the need arises, I can quickly return it with a spell, besides that, I can be of help for a faster magic recognition" - said the alchemist.
Gaining a sigh from the king, everyone waited anxiously.
"Well, but you will have extra help, are the prototypes ready, alchemist?" - the king asked.
Confused, the princess simply turned to the alchemist.
"Yes, your highness, they are safe and they are in optimal conditions, but we have only been able to manufacture five units" - said the alchemist.
"Father, what are you talking about? What is this prototype?" - asked Alexia.
"Can you show it to the alchemist?" Asked the king.
"Enchanted your Majesty, conveniently, I brought one to show you at the end of your call, we can go to the training camp to prove it" - said the alchemist.
Winning a gesture from the king, they left the war room and walked to the training camp on the outskirts of the palace, while the princess and Watchtower shared their doubts.
"Do you have any idea what Atalaya is talking about?" Asked the princess.
"No, your highness, but it may be the project of new weapons, but apparently they did not tell you about such an important project" - said Atalaya, annoyed, since she had not even been informed, even being responsible for the security of the princess.
"Let's see what Atalaya is about, then I will talk to my father about the importance of sharing information" - said Alexia.
Just when they finished talking, they had arrived at the training camp, used only for the lessons of the royal family, it was empty, free from prying eyes.
In the middle of the place, there was a wooden box, guarded by two members of the armed saint.
"You can go, gentlemen, secure the room, I do not want anyone to interrupt us unless it's on the front" - said the king, winning a salute from the soldiers.
When they left, the alchemist opened the box, inside, there was a sword that looked quite hypnotizing.
"What you are seeing, your majesty, is the final prototype of the spiritual swords, this is especially a commission from your majesty" - said the alchemist, as he handed the sword to Alexia.
At the time of touching, Alexia expected, by the size of the sword, that it was quite heavy but great was his surprise to see that this was not the case.
"What is your intentions, alchemist ?, I doubt my father will order a sword to shine in the night" - said Alexia, while maneuvering the sword.
"As you can see, the sword is much lighter than other swords, but that is not its only function, aim at the test objective and let some of your magic go to the sword" - said the alchemist.
Then, Alexia pointed to the test doll and let her magic go to the sword.
Only to see that a silver ray of light shoted out from the tip and cut the test target in half.
The only thing that had happened afterward was a shrieking sound, similar to that of fireworks.
"And that's not all, bury the sword on the ground and grab the lunar stone while doing the same."
Still dazed, she barely managed to catch the suggestion of the alchemist, only to almost scream in shock when a shield of magical energy surrounded her.
"The lunar stone creates a force field of magical particles that vibrate at a speed sufficient to repel any magical attack, unfortunately, we are still working on its efficiency, since its constant use wears away the lunar stone and simply falls off, having to replace it "- said the alchemist.
"Good work alchemist, with this, our armies can move forward and end this damn war, but for now, Alexia will help you" - said the king, looking quite happy of such magical display.
Atalaya, still stunned, received a similar sword, but a red one from the Alchemist.
"This is for you, dear granddaughter, your duty is to take care of the princess, so this model is also made for you" - said the Alchemist.
"On the way I will explain your abilities, but only the training will help you master these weapons, the models of the white roses and the armed saint do not have as much power as yours, but they are still quite effective, anyone can use it, in essence, they are the first magic weapon in the world "- said the alchemist, looking quite proud.
"In addition, the shield in the capital is not infallible, although we are invisible from the outside, sooner or later you will discover the location of the capital" - said the king.
The capital counted on passive defenses that other cities would envy, one of those, is the shield of invisibility, anyone who looked at the capital outside the shield, would simply see a great mountain, even using magic you could not detect anything.
That is why there were surveillance posts throughout the area to guide visitors, air transport ships would be escorted by Pegasus guards to avoid falling into wind traps, and river vessels would be destroyed if they approached the dangerous rocks carefully. placed.
Everything mixed with the surrounding mountains made it the perfect camouflage, no one enters without permission, and nobody would betray the kingdom, and even if they did, there were countermeasures in case of an attack.
"What I want to know, is because I was not informed about something so important, or Atalaya, I am a princess of the kingdom and Atalaya my right hand, we had the right to know!" - the princess shouted at her father, quite angry.
"It was not necessary, you had your hands occupied with the coordination of the evacuation plan, and the project started at my request, and you could have refused, this weapon could easily defeat the most skilled gentleman if it is not a magician" - said the king calmly.
"And I would have refused, it is very dangerous to progress in these things father, is one of the reasons for this war, if we do not think well our progress, our fall will not be an invasion, it will be our own arrogance" - said the princess, sheathed her new sword and left the room.
Watchtower, sad to see the princess so disappointed, simply said goodbye to her grandmother and bowed to the king before going after her.
"... your majesty, the princess and Atalaya are doing everything possible to be recognized by more than mere decorations of the capital, I understand that most white roses are daughters of nobles, but each and every one of them is more than capable passes ... "- the alchemist did not manage to finish when the king spoke.
"I speak as a father, and not as a king, I admit my selfish decisions to separate her from danger, it's all I have left since her mother died, she is the only worthwhile thing I have to fight, do you feel the same? for your granddaughter, not? Atalaya is strong, but it is the last of your lineage "- said the king.
"But, even so, we can not live with fear, so work hard with your swords, they are the most powerful that our kingdom can develop, nor all the magicians of the kingdom will be able to overcome them, over time they may be even more powerful than you, my king "- said the alchemist.
"I hope so ..." - said the king, with a small smile, while it was beginning to rain.
