//------------------------------// // Discovery and Battle // Story: Tomb Kings of Equestria // by FleetlordAvatar //------------------------------// The Old World The cave entrance loomed before the vampiric army like a maw, ready to swallow everything before it. The undead had arrived just as the sun was slipping below the horizon, the green chaos moon of Morrslieb glowing even brighter in the fading light. Even the glow of Mannslieb, the world's natural moon, as it rose from below the horizon, did nothing to hide the sickly green light that bathed the landscape below. Jason stood at the head of the column, his crow perched on one shoulder, whispering in his pale ear. The slender fingers of one hand pawed at the hilt of his sword, a wicked, jagged blade of black iron, while necromantic power swirled around the other. The shattered remains of the Nehekahran senties, their bones broken and their souls ensnared by his magic, lay scattered before him. He smirked in satisfaction, that should keep their prey in the dark for a little longer. Kegans undead steed stood beside him, the Wright having dismounted to inspect the tunnel entrance. "I don't like this," he hissed. "The tunnels will force us to fight with infantry, we won't be able to effectively use the cavalry or siege equipment." "That's what zombies are for, brother," reminded Jason. The Vampire turned and stalked towards his palanquin, sending his crow skywards with a mental command. The creature would carry his order to the necromancers. "Zombies are well enough, brother," doubted Keagan, coming up beside the vampire. "But my Scythe is worth far more than those creatures." His voice dipped to a menacing whisper. "Send me in, let me show those so called kings the meaning of fear." Jason turned to face his sibling, a dismissive expression on his angular features. "You need not worry yourself Keagan, once the Nehekaharans are drowning in a tide of dead flesh, that's when we'll show them a source of true fear." The vampire directed the Wrights gaze towards a gigantic creature being forced towards them by several nervous necromancers, their wasting frames standing in contrast to the bestial strength they struggled to keep ensnared. It's muscular form and hideous features resembled a gigantic bat, but the creatures bulk was such that it would never be able to fly. Instead, at the end of it's membranous wings were a set of powerful claws, while it's snarling jaws were lined with thick, crushing teeth. Jason smirked at the Varghulf, whoever this vampire had been before giving into the beast inside was of no consequence. All that matter was how many Nehekharans it could smash to powder. As the Vampires prepared for their assault, Jason was unaware that, just as he had watched the Tomb Kings, so too was his army being observed. A pair of skittering shapes darted from their hiding place and squeezed through a thin crack in the canyon wall, their pale, whip like tails disappearing into darkness. Scampering swiftly, they made their way deep underground, through tunnels forgotten by time or hastily dug by their fellows. Digging was something the Skaven excelled at after all, although Clan Volkin preferred to melt the rock with warpfire. Emerging from the hidden tunnel into an abandoned dwarf outpost, now bedecked with Volkin colours, the scouts hastily navigated through the ramshackle camp. Quickly stepping around snarling mutants, sparking war machines, and gouts of flame from the weapon teams, they made their way through the press of thousands chittering rat men. The Clans major lords and generals had claimed the more intact buildings for themselves, each guarded by armoured Stormvermin.The scouts passed a pair of these as they pushed aside a flap of cured dwarf skin and into their Warlords presence, presenting their necks in submission. Skirritik was a brute of a Skaven, easily the height of a Stormvermin and with the bulk to match, it was rumoured that his hairless form and blackened skin was because he once wrestled a Stormfiend to the ground, only to be engulfed by it's exploding warpfire tanks. One of his eyes was a permanent milky white, set in a socket of scarred flesh, while the other was black as an inky night. Pawing the hilt of his obsidian edged club, the Warlord loomed over the other rat men from a broken, stone throne. He was idly toying with a human skull in one paw, seemingly oblivious to the scouts, who dared not speak until they were acknowledged. "Well,” he finally replied. “What what you have to say? Skirritik has many important things to do, yes yes." The scouts swallowed nervously. "Great, and mighty Skirritik,” said one in chittering speech. “More dead things at cave entrance, but these different." "How can dead things be different?" Questioned the Warlord. "Dead things all dead." "Vampire things, and ghost things, and monster things. Many more things than skeletons that gathered warpstone." Skirritik stroked his furless chin for a moment, his mismatched eyes still fixated on the skull in his other paw. "What these things doing?" "Big Vampire general want to fight skeletons." Skirritik cracked a smile of yellowed and broken fangs. "This works in Skirritiks favour, yes yes. Dead things fight dead things, then, when armies weak and broken, Skaven break in and finish both things. Make em all very dead, proper dead! Oh yes yes! Much plunder, much Warpstone." Skirritik cackled to himself at the thought of the glowing green rock. "Why fight both things? Why not let dead things kill each other?" Skirritik rounded on the scout who dared question his brilliance, leaping from his throne he savagely smashed the human skull into its face, sending the unfortunate Skaven flying through the door flap and causing the other to uncontrollably squirt his fear musk as he scrambled to flee. "Dead things dead, not fight like dwarf things or elf things or man things. We fought dead things! We fought Nagash! But we still standing! We fight! Destroy! Kill! Take! Then Volkin be strongest Clan in all Under Empire!" xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx In the portal chamber, everything was in place. The sun had set and the chaos moon had nearly reached its height. Flickering green light illuminated the cavern from a dozen braziers of warpfire, each tended by three, chanting liche priests. The smoke wreathed each of them in unnatural shapes as the spell bend the warpstones power to their will. Phar watched the preparations with resentment. Being forced to bend the knee had filled him with a seething hatred for Usur and his Black Legion. Even what remained of the Mortuary Cult answered to his pet Liche Priest and it sickened him. He was no Settra. "We should not be fleeing like thieves in the night" he muttered. "Better to stand and fight than live as a coward." "Need I again remind you of what happened with that line of thought?" interrupted Usur, casually sliding up to his fellow monarch. "Or must I introduce your skull to another table?" Phars bony fingers slipped to the handle of his khopesh and in a flash it was at Usurs neck. "I do not take kindly to threats." "No do I." A light caused Phar to look down, and he saw a glowing dagger pointing squarely at his ribcage. "I got this from a Mage from the Amethyst College.” lectured Usur. “Of course he was dead by the time I was finished with him. This knife will obliviate spirits and turn bones to ash, if I have an excuse to use it." Phar snarled and withdrew his weapon. "Wise choice. Now go and ready what's left of your legion." With a parting glare, the ruler of Numas stalked away. Watching as the army arrayed itself into ranks before the mirror, Usur observed as the last of the deconstructed titans, treasure and his research were being loaded up for transit. With the hour of their departure nearing, he was hopeful they would get through the portal on time. Spying Hassep and Rehu, he approached the pair, Hassep excusing himself as soon as he saw the Lord of Black Legion. "Is he behaving?" enquired Usur. "For the moment," replied the liche priest. "He wanted me to ensure his sons remains would be unaffected by the portal. I told him what he needed to know." "So long as he remains quiet until we are far from Nagash." "But what then, mighty one?" enquired Rehu. "Then we rebuild, and I can resume work on my final project." Usurs final project had been many centuries in development, the result of tireless research that only the undead were capable of. When complete, it was something he hoped would change the Tomb Kings forever. Rehu stiffened, something oddly noticeable for a mummified corpse. "What is it?" "One of the tunnel sentries was snuffed out." Usur felt fear close around his soul. There were few in the old world with the power to destroy a beings soul, and only one that was actively looking for them. Rehu quickly mumbled an incantation, casting his spirit to the void so he might see from the body of another. Locking onto a glowing soul, he pulled himself into the body of another sentry. The liche priest suddenly fell hard against his staff as his soul was violently flung back into his body, the undead vulture on his staff squawking in indignant surprise "My friend,” asked Usur. “What did you see?" "The servants of Nagash!” he cried out. “They are coming!" All activity ceased as the loud declaration echoed around the cavern and a wave of dread fell over the Nehekaharans. "Continue the ritual!" Barked Usur. "Form ranks and block the tunnel! Keep whatever comes through away from the braziers! Either we leave here, or die, Nagash will not have us!" At his command the priests resumed their work, Rehu shuffling off to add his voice to the incantation. Archers took positions on any raised part of the cavern as the remaining legions and small constructs were whipped into position. Usur and Sepa stood side by side at the army's core, while Hassep and Phar took position on the flanks, the latter managing to somehow make his rictus face look excited at the prospect of a battle. With most of the constructs broken down, and no room for chariots, the Nehekhara rulers were forced to fight on foot. For a moment there was silence, save for the chanting of the liche priests. Then that feral roar erupted from the cave as the Varghulf, having slipped the bonds of its handlers, burst from the darkness and slammed into the centre of their line, splintering bone and shattering shields with its animalistic strength. In its wake came a tide of undead flesh, as zombies rapidly shambled into the cave and banshees wailed overhead as ranks of Scythe wielding Grave Guard marched out of the tunnel them in perfect lockstep. The balefire in Usurs sockets narrowed as the line buckled, but it did not break. Raising his Kopesh, he signalled the counter charge, and in the deep underground, the undead clashed. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Equestria The Crystal ponies trotted with practiced discipline as they formed ranks before the shield, their gemstone bodies and armour shimmering in defiance of the shadows cast by Sombra's titans. Shining Armour was in full battle plate, his cutie mark emblazoned on the clasp about his chest, as he marched grimly along the line of soldiers, closely followed by Diamond Edge and Sunburst. They had managed to drum up a few hundred volunteers, although a great many more had offered, but they couldn't compromise their front line. Furthermore, for this plan to work they had to be swift, as the Unicorn had two objectives in mind. They quickly trotted to the rear of the formation where the unit commanders and a group of Pegasus ponies were gathered. They were mostly Crystal Pegasi, but there were a dozen Equestrians among them, including Flash Sentry. The yellow pegasus was decked out in the familiar plate of the Crystal Guard, his mane pushed through a slot in the helmet to form the plume. He was pulling a leather belt in his teeth to tighten a metal cylinder to his chest, just under his breastplate. "Ready Flash?" asked Shining Armour. "As I'll ever be, sir," he replied with a salute. "All right then, everypony is ready to go, so lets go over things one more time." He signalled to Diamond Edge and the commanders gathered around at his order. "The plan is simple," explained the Unicorn. "Sombra has us bottled up here, so we are going to take the fight to him. But we cannot win on our own, so this attack will draw his attention while Flash slips out and heads for Equestria. Myself and Diamond Edge will lead our ground forces to attack one of the titans, while the unicorns, led by Sunburst, will work to disrupt his magic." He cast his gaze over the pegasus ponies. "Once we have Sombra's attention, each of you will fly up and created the most violent storms you can muster, clouds, fog , wind, lightning, everything. Obscure the battlefield and sky." The ponies nodded grimly as Shining Armour turned to Flash. "Once the storm is in full swing, you are to take off and make a bee line for the nearest Equestrian outpost. Don't stop for anything, understood?" "Sir, yes Sir!" barked the pegasus as he snapped off a salute. Shining Armour smiled with pride as Sunburst stepped forward to continue the briefing. Levitating a small sphere out from inside his robes he floated it up for the commanders to see. The object could easily fit inside a ponies hoof, and was made of enchanted glass. A brass band with a single gemstone set in the metal ran around its circumference, and a green liquid sloshed around inside. "Every pony in the infantry has been given one of these." said the orange unicorn. "It's concentrated, liquid dragonfire, highly explosive and it will eat through anything it touches. We will be using these to take out the titans legs." He passed the sphere to Shining Armour and produced more for Diamond Edge and the other commanders. "As a reminder, press the gem once to arm and again to disarm, the gem will turn red when armed and trigger a timer of about ten seconds. The infantry have all been briefed how to use them so don't worry about accidents." "Good job Sunburst," complimented the Diamond Edge, as he inspected one of the orbs. "These will make short work anything Sombra can throw at us." "Alright, every pony, to your stations." ordered Shining Armour. "The sooner we act, the sooner we can kick Sombra's tail." The officers snapped a quick salute and trotted briskly to their units, while Sunburst nervously excused himself the join the unicorns, with Diamond Edge giving him a few encouraging words as he left. Then, both he and Shining Armour marched to the head of the army, the unicorn prince's chest swelling with pride at the sight of the glittering host that stood in defiance of Sombra's darkness. "Stallions!" he barked. "I won't lie, this situation is dire, but from adversity can also come great courage! Sombra was defeated once, and he will be again!" He cast a hoof out towards the titans that were pounding on the shield. "He thinks magic alone can defeat us! That an army of drones is better than pony strength and steel! Is he right soldiers?!" "NO!" was the resounding reply. "Exactly! It is with our strength, we will show him just how wrong he is! Those titans are large, but the bigger they are, the harder they fall!" A cheer went up from the army as they stomped their hooves and rattled their lances in anticipation. "Stand ready ponies! Sombras is cunning, but his arrogance makes him place his faith in mindless thralls, we will show that unicorn the cost of his arrogance and bury him in the ruins of his own constructs!" The Crystal Guard roared and stomped their hooves in arrival. They had lived under the unicorns tyrant once, and he had been defeated once. With their prince at the head, how could they lose? "Good speech,” congratulated Diamond Edge. “Didn't know you were such a good speaker." "I'm not," admitted Shining Armour, bashfully. "I had to plagiarize a few of my fantasy books." The Crystal pony loosed a sharp bark of laughter as he formed up beside his prince. "When this is over, remind me to invite to my Ogres and Oubliettes game this week." As Shining Armour and his Lieutenant took position at the head of the army, he looked back down the line, seeing the fire that burned in everypony’s eyes, they weren't just ready for battle, they were ready to do anything that would keep Sombra away from their homes. Once they were all in place, the unicorn prince fired a spark of magic from his horn. It flew into the sky and detonated in a display of vibrant crimson. A line of glowing magic appeared in the shield before them, the energy sliding apart like a door, opening the barrier to Sombra's army. With a bellowing warcry, the Prince of the Crystal Empire charged at the head of hundreds of ponies, crashing straight into Sombras constructs with a cacophony of shattering stone.