Emerald awoke the next morning feeling very warm and comfortable. The rain outside had stopped, leaving nothing to keep the glorious morning sunshine from peeping in through the curtains. She rolled onto her side, looking at Posey’s bed, which was empty.
“Must have got up already,” Emerald said blearily. She sat up and stretched, feeling her joints crack and pop as she did so. She left the comfort of the bed and started out by doing some light aerobics, touching her toes and loosening up her body, just as she had been taught to do back home in the Crystal Empire, except now she had those weird human appendages at the end of her limbs, which still fascinated her greatly with their flexibility.
Once she was all limbered up, Emerald strapped on her armor and left the room, heading downstairs.
The inn was much emptier now than it had been last night. Emerald surmised it was because most of the people had work to do, or were sleeping off the beer from the night before. The three young’uns were gathered around the fire (which was just embers by now), eating from bowls of oatmeal.
“Good mornin’, Emerald,” Golden Nugget said from a nearby table where most of the adults were gathered. He raised a mug of breakfast ale in greeting as Emerald went over. She helped herself to bread and cheese as she listened to the murmur of the people outside.
“Good morning, everyone,” Emerald said. Everyone looked well-rested, and not even Jewel Pin seemed to be complaining. That was a good sign.
Light Speckle and Nightfall Gleam were poring over their map, marking off where they had been and adding the towns and farms they had passed onto it. Moon Tide stood by them, doing her best to explain the journey ahead.
Everyone was speaking in low tones to avoid letting any Prench people know they were from Canterlot. The last thing they needed now was a random inn brawl that could potentially hurt someone and waste more time.
Morn was still after them. Emerald didn’t know how much distance they had between them, but the longer they stayed in one place, the more chance he had of catching up. They would have to set off as soon as possible.
“So our journey will continue to take us down the main path.” Moon Tide drew a finger along the stale parchment of a map. “As long as we keep going, we will eventually get to Fort Visage de Cheval. That would be our way into the Kievan Horse lands.”
A barmaid came over with another plate of bread and Moon Tide nodded politely and thanked her in Prench.
Emerald took a bite of the cheese, which was surprisingly much better than any she had eaten in Canterlot. “There’s another checkpoint?”
“Aye,” Nightfall said. “All kingdoms have checkpoints at their major road borders to control who goes in and who gets out.”
“That’s right, mademoiselle,” the landlord said from right behind them. He appeared to be looking at the map, while holding a tray of drinks. “So to the Kievan lands you go?”
“Yes…?” Nightfall said slowly.
“Ah. Then you will want to watch out for some spots on the road that might be difficult to get over. Stoney Gulch, is known for its landslides and rockfalls,” the innkeeper pointed to a section of the map that was unfinished. “Sometimes the way is blocked and the king does not send men to clear it out for weeks. O’ course, you can always go around, but I would not recommend that.”
“Why not?” Golden Nugget asked.
Emerald looked to her friends. It seems they’d abandoned all cover that they were from Canterlot, but at least the innkeeper hasn’t seemed to notice yet. Either that, or perhaps he didn’t care if they were the enemy or not.
The landlord served the drinks as he spoke. “There lie some burial grounds near Stoney Gulch. Some folk say the grounds are haunted.”
“Oui, Merci, monsieur.” Moon Tide nodded to him and pointed at the map. “This is where it is. I have been through it once. If not for the rocks, bandits also make trouble here. The only other way is to go around it, like the monsieur has said, but that would take us three more days, time of which you do not have.”
“And there’s g-g-ghosts?” Jewel Pin had stopped eating and looked like she was about to faint.
“Only if ya believe in ‘em.” Apple Bean chuckled. “We of course, do not. Ain’t no time for fairytales.”
The innkeeper nodded and stroked his beard. “You folks are a long way from Canterlot, aren’t you? Pray tell, what have you come all this way to find?”
One of Emerald’s hands instinctively rested on her sword.
“You know, many a good soldat would pay good money for spies from Canterlot.”
There was a pause of silence as Emerald contemplated what to do next. Even Posey’s left arm was poised to unsheath her hidden blade if the need arose. There were a few other patrons in the bar and taking out the innkeeper would likely cause a scene.
The innkeeper smiled and flipped his drink tray under his arm. “So I advise you to keep your heads low. Maybe talk a little more… tranquillement. Softer.”
Emerald blinked a few times. He wasn’t going to do anything? The hand on her sword quickly slid away back to her side. Perhaps not all Prench wanted them dead.
“Merci for the advice, monsieur,” Moon Tide said smoothly. She slid a couple of extra coins to the landlord. “You are most considerate.”
“Just doing my job,” the landlord pocketed the coins and straightened up. “Now I just need to serve the young ones their drinks. Safe travels, wherever you choose to go.”
He then left the table. Emerald watched him go, back to his counter where he took out a bottle of wine and carried it back to Guard Streak, Honeygold, and Spectrum Song, along with three cups.
“Should we be drinking so much?” the former pegasus asked her companions. “We need to have our wits for the road at the ready.”
“Relax, Emerald.” Apple Bean sipped from her flagon. “We are not setting out until this afternoon, that’s plenty of time to sober up.”
Emerald sighed, but nodded in agreement. She had hoped to set out sooner, but it seemed she was outvoted. Having eaten her fill, the former pegasus got up from the table and went outside to check the horses and their supplies.
Thunder rolled above the border checkpoint of Fort Hayward. Kite Shield stood at his post, overlooking the road to Canterlot. It was a dark and moonless night, and he could not see very far outside of the reach of the fort’s lanterns.
Kite Shield sighed heavily. This was the third day of keeping watch in the direction of Canterlot, and he had seen nothing. The troops were standing by with bows strung and swords shining, but there was no sign of anyone coming from that way. He leaned on his spear and squinted out into the darkness.
Then he saw it. A glint of golden light out there, just on the horizon, so faint he could have almost imagined it. Kite Shield raised his horn to his lips, but did not blow. If he were to sound the alarm as Canterlot’s army arrived, then their element of surprise was out the window. Turning to his siblings, he instructed them to wake the others. It was time.
As he looked out over the fort walls, the glimmer of golden light faded, like a candle being blown out. Seeing as a storm was coming, perhaps it had just been a flash of lightning.
Kite Shield heard the newcomers before he saw them. The sound of marching boots pounding the earth. A squadron of knights, numbering about fifty. At their head was a man in dark armor, holding a glowing golden blade.
So few… Kite Shield thought to himself. Surely they did not hope to overcome their garrison of three hundred soldiers with just fifty knights?
Still, Kite Shield did as protocol dictated and motioned for his archers to stand ready.
“Halt! In the name of the king, who goes there?!” the captain shouted down at the ranks of knights.
The company of knights stopped. The leader, the man holding the shining sword, looked up at him. Kite Shield gripped his spear tightly as a rank of his archers nocked arrows to their bows.
“Open the gates, soldier,” the lead knight ordered. His voice was louder than should have been humanly possible. “Let us pass.”
“State your name and your business first,” Kit Shield shouted back down.
“My name?” The lead knight chuckled darkly. “I see my fame has not yet grown. No matter. Soon all the kingdoms will know the name of King Morn Dread!”
Lightning crackled, lightning up Morn Dread’s face and the evil grin that graced it.
“Now let us pass!”
Kite Shield glanced aside at his archers. They stood there, ready to draw their bowstrings back. So it was true then. Sir Morn Dread had taken over the kingdom.
“I’m afraid I cannot do that, Sir Morn Dread,” Kite Shield shouted back, sounding a lot braver than he felt. “I know what you did. You do not have the right to command me.”
The sword in Morn’s hand seemed to glow brighter.
“Stand aside, soldier! As the rightful king, I command you!”
Kite Shield took a deep breath.
“No.”
The captain of the guard stood there on the parapet of Fort Hayward, waiting to see what Morn would do. Would he just turn around and go back to Canterlot Castle? Surely he did not think that only fifty knights could overcome his entire garrison.
Then Morn raised his sword and pointed it at the battlements.
“Then die.”
A blast of golden light shot out of the tip of the sword, which Kite Shield only now realized must be the legendary Excalibur, blasting apart the crenellations into rubble. Kite Shield dived out of the way, barely avoiding the attack.
“Fire!” the captain shouted to his archers. The bowmen, who had been equally caught off guard by the blast of energy, swiftly pulled back their bowstrings and launched a volley of steel-tipped arrows at the enemy force. The knights raised their shields and took cover from the barrage, then drew their weapons and began to march forward.
“Fire again!” Kite Shield staggered to his feet.
His archers prepared another volley, but Morn Dread raised Excalibur and let loose with a stream of continuous energy that he swept along the battlements, striking the line of archers and sending them flying like leaves in a storm.
What few archers Morn had missed were still shooting back, but their arrows seemed to crumble into dust when they got close to the dark knight.
Morn flourished his weapon and pointed it at the gates of the fort. Blinding bolts of power surged out and began tearing the gates apart, sending shards of wood and metal spinning every which way.
By now, the rest of the fort had been roused. Taking up bows and crossbows, they took position on the walls and battlements that surrounded the bailey. Once Morn’s forces came in, they would be caught in a blizzard of bolts and arrows.
Surely Morn Dread knows better than to just come in here, Kite Shield thought as he ran to a spot on the walls that had not been too badly damaged. As a knight, he knows battle tactics better than most.
But he continued assaulting the front gates, which were by now almost completely destroyed.
“I never thought to see Excalibur’s power like this,” Tower Shield said grimly as he took position next to his brother. He held a loaded crossbow in his arms, aiming it toward the entrance. “It would be much better if it was not trying to kill us.”
There was an earth-shattering kaboom as the last parts of the gate were smashed aside. Little pieces of flaming debris rained down all over the fort.
With the crash of armored boots on stone, Morn and the first rank of his men entered the fort.
“Steady… steady…” Kite Shield said, the order on the tip of his tongue. None of Morn’s men seemed to be carrying ranged weapons, so there was no threat of return fire… not from any archers anyway.
Excalibur’s glow cast eerie golden patches on the inside of the fort; any who looked at it found it akin to looking into the sun.
Finally, the last line of knights entered the fort’s bailey.
“Fire!” Kite Shield shouted.
As one, buzzing, spinning arrows and clouds of quarrels streaked toward the intruders. But Morn was unfazed. Taking his blade, he plunged it tip-first into the ground, and a ring of force blew out from Excalibur, knocking away all the projectiles.
The captain gave the order to fire again, but Morn was faster. He pointed his sword at a row of archers and shot a beam of watery light at them. Almost immediately, they lowered their weapons and stood still, golden light shining from their eyes.
“Oh, dear…”
Morn laughed, loud and cruelly. “All of you will swear your allegiance to me! There is no other path!” He waved Excalibur and its light washed over another group of guards, making them go slack and golden eyed.
“No, we need to fight. We must stand against this usurper!” Tower Shield tried to rally the turned soldiers, but to no avail. They simply just stood there, arms at their sides, their eyes glowing a sharp yellow.
Morn turned his attention to the two captains. He pointed Excalibur, its blade gleaming in the darkness.
“Now it is your turn. I am your king, and you will. Be loyal. To me.”
There was a flash of golden light, and all was silent.
The rain began to fall.