//------------------------------//
// 169 - Castlemania: The Elder Hunt 
// Story: An Extended Holiday 
// by Commander_Pensword 
//------------------------------//

Extended Holiday
Chapter 169: Castlemania: The Elder Hunt




Hammer Strike frowned to himself as he looked over his current project. He was working on additional armor plating for the current guard established in Unity. The only problem with this model was the weight distribution.

“Ahem.” Ainz contacted him. “I have an inquiry.”

“Not busy at the moment, so go for it,” Hammer Strike replied as he continued to inspect the plate armor.

“I was thinking about reaching out to some friends, bring them into the fold and increase the potential for what we can do.”

“Should I press the question of what kind of friends?”

“Beings who study arts most Ponies would label ‘dark,’ but have no record of actively hurting anyone.”

“If you can bring them in under contract to ensure optimal safety,” Hammer Strike replied as he placed the current plate off to the side and moved on to the next. “I don’t need other targets on my list.”

“I was planning to have them agree to work under me. Thus, they’d likewise be tied to you through our oath.”

Hammer Strike hummed to himself. “I suppose that will work. Got any current ideas on options within your scope?”

“A few, but it will take some time to contact them.”

“Ensure that it’s second in your priorities. I want that elder vampire found as soon as possible.”

“I already have every resource I can spare on that matter. It shouldn’t be long.”

“Good. Every day that goes by with no signs is bothering me.”

“I understand.”

Hammer Strike sighed. “You’re clear to find and add them under your employ.”

“I’ll make sure they're discreet,” Ainz said. And then his presence went silent.

Hammer Strike rubbed his forehead. He had been at this for some time now, and it was honestly starting to get to him. The guard of Unity were well equipped. To be honest, they were almost too well equipped. Should any other nations come by, they would note the difference. He sighed and exited his workshop. As he entered the living room, he noted Celestia off in the kitchen preparing dinner. There were no signs of Luna.

“Your sister out working with the guard?” He asked.

“She said she wanted to patrol the perimeter.” Celestia frowned. “What happened shook us all in one way or another.”

“Yeah.” He sighed. “I think I’m going to go check out how things are going with everyone.”

“Given the general state of morale, that probably is a good idea. What time should I expect you back?”

“Hour or two, hopefully.”

Celestia nodded. “I’ll keep something warm for you.”

“Appreciated.” Hammer Strike nodded as he exited the house and started off in the direction of Poultice and Bella. He’d been keeping tabs on them to ensure they were stable after the recent incident. 

As the lord approached the hut and its garden, he was surprised to see the kneeling form of a Gryphon in a glistening white coat bent over the mound that marked young Sprout’s grave. He held a silver wing between his talons as he bowed his head in prayer. His golden crest jutted up in spikes over his head. His main coat of feathers was a mixture of gray with tan accents. A scarf that had been carefully sewn with the symbols of Faust and her order draped from his neck as he prayed over the grave. A pair of glasses held on the bridge of his beak. A young Pegasus mare with a golden coat and mane stood patiently at his side, bearing a small vial filled with a clear substance. Her robe was closer to charcoal in color, with gold lining. Her mane draped around her face in such a way to almost give the impression of being a boy.

“I don’t believe I’ve seen either of you before,” Hammer Strike commented.

The Pegasus shushed him, using a wing to touch her lips. “Please, Father Anderson is in the middle of blessing this grave at the behest of the child’s parents.” Her accent was the familiar harsh Germane, the Equestrian equivalent of German. She passed the vial as the Gryphon extended his talons expectantly. He pulled the stopper out of the vial and continued the rite, invoking the name of Faust and her blessing as he sprinkled the contents over the mound and the tombstone that had been erected to mark the spot. When he finally finished the dedication, the Gryphon closed his eyes in a moment of silence, then slowly rose to all fours.

“Thank you, Heinkel.” The male’s voice was soft and almost musical as he spoke with a Scottish brogue. He dusted off his coat, then removed the scarf and folded it to place in a box Heinkel retrieved from her saddlebags. “I hope you’ll forgive me for not answering you immediately, but I wanted to show the lass some proper respect. The name’s Father Anderson. I felt the urge to come to this place.” He looked back to the house. “A short talk with the parents soon explained why.” He shook his head remorsefully. “This is Heinkel, my companion. We’re travelling ministers, seeking to spread the good word of Faust to those as want it.” His hands tightened after he mounted the necklace with the quill feather accessory on his neck again. “I hope you got the bastards that did it.”

“Those who were present, yes,” Hammer Strike replied. “The leader is more difficult to hunt down. I’m Hammer Strike,” he said by way of introduction.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance. As I said, my companion and I are strangers in this land. But, it appears we’ve found a community in need of what little comfort we might be able to provide. Tell me, do you know of a place where we might be able to spend the night?”

“We’ve actually got an inn set up farther in town. I can show you,” Hammer Strike offered.

“Thank you, Hammer Strike. Do you mind waiting for a moment? I'd like to let the family know we’ve finished.”

“Not at all. I had come to check up on them, anyway.”

Anderson smiled and motioned with a wing. “Then, by all means.”

It didn’t take them long to alert the two parents, and though tears shone in their eyes, each expressed their gratitude in kind. The lack of a proper religious dedication had bothered both of them immensely. With the blessing of the grave, the ground could never be defiled by undead hooves. Their daughter’s corpse, or what remained of its original makeup, was now safe. The sun was dropping low in the horizon as they left the home and strode down the path toward town.

“You’re the first Gryphon priest I’ve seen. Of Faust, no less.”

The Gryphon shrugged. “I’ve had to fight for everything I had before. I did things that I’m not proud of. Things changed for me when I donned the cloth for the first time. A kindly Unicorn taught me about the goddess that showed her how to care for others. Only the South Wind’s servants came close to that ideal. And they weren’t there when they were needed.” He shook his head, as if to dispel a dark memory. “Faust gives everyone a chance, or at least her true followers do. And if she’s willing to accept someone like me, well, either she’s grown from when she first rejected us or she’s more desperate than I thought.”

“I’d lean toward grown,” Hammer Strike replied. “How long do you believe you’ll be in town?”

“Well, if the state of the rest of these good people are at all like that family, it could be a while. Of course, I wouldn't want to be stepping on anypony’s hooves. You wouldn’t happen to know where I can find the mayor or chieftain of this settlement, would you?”

“That would actually be me.” Hammer Strike gave a soft smile. “Both, in technicality.”

Anderson laughed. “Well, I’ll be damned!” He clapped his hand heavily on Hammer Strike’s back. “Heinkel, break out the wine skin. This deserves a celebration!”

“Any particular reason for looking for me?”

“To ask your permission to stay, of course. I thought it was obvious.” He let out a jilting bark of a laugh as a glint suspended between manic and mirthful shone in his eyes.

“Honestly, we could use a priest.” Hammer Strike rubbed the back of his head. “Blessings and such would prove useful in times like these.”

Anderson took a swig from the skin, then offered it to the Earth Pony. “Then you’ve got yourself a deal. On one condition.”

Hammer Strike took the skin and raised a brow as he took a drink himself.

“None of this tithes and mandatory offerings nonsense. Oh, and you won’t get mad at me if I curse or swear. I may be a male of the cloth, but I’m still a Gryphon.”

“That’s … actually fine,” Hammer Strike replied with some surprise. “I was expecting something different. Not sure what, but something.”

“He does that a lot,” Heinkel noted with a warm smile. “I’ve yet to meet someone he hasn’t surprised.”

“Well, here’s hoping your time here will be … stable,” Hammer Strike replied. “I’ll tell Binding about our meeting, and he’ll come to you to discuss details.”

“We’ll be sure to give him a proper welcome. Don’t you worry.” He grinned, and the lenses on his glasses suddenly flashed white as he bore his teeth beneath his beak.

“Glad to hear it.”





“Hammer Strike, when you have a moment, can you come to the gatehouse?” Ainz’s voice played over the link.

Ainz looked out upon the road, he’d been there since dawn in full mask and gauntlets, waiting for the guest he’d invited.

“I’ll be a while. Currently in the middle of something,” Hammer Strike replied over the link.

“Take your time.”

As he waited, Ainz worked his magic on the trees around the gatehouse. Alarm and other enchantments appeared as runes carved into the trees.

A Unicorn with a dark messy blue mane and tail with equally deep blue eyes trekked over a hilltop and approached the Minotaur. His gaze was one hardened by grim resolve, and his body rippled with muscle that was the result of intense training beyond what any Pony normally would endure. He stood a good head above most other stallions, and the barest hint of a horn jutted out from the mess of his mane. A dark blue shirt wrapped tightly around his barrel, and was complemented by a set of pauldrons and a glittering sword that rested on his back.

“Would it be safe to assume you are Ainz Ooal Gown?” the stallion asked as he approached.

“And you are Jostling Joyance?” Ainz asked, nodding.

Jostling nodded in return. “A pleasure to meet you, despite the circumstances.”

“I’ve heard from many sources that you're an expert on vampires,” Ainz noted. “My lord has a vaunted interest in wiping out a particular coven from existence.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m an expert.” The stallion rubbed the back of his head. “But, I can certainly offer knowledge and assistance.”

“They killed a child,” Ainz noted. “If that helps you understand.”

Jostling nodded as his brow furrowed. “They’ll take any easy targets they can get. Are there any priests in town?”

“One. He just arrived a fortnight ago.” Ainz nodded. “We do not have a church yet, however.”

Jostling rubbed his chin in thought. “It might be for the best to get that up as soon as possible. The best I can do until then is teach other Unicorns a few spells to replicate sunlight.”

“Anything you can offer would likely be highly appreciated. We can pay you, if need be.”

He shook his head. “No need. Just clearing out vampires is good enough for me.”

It was at this point that Ainz heard hoof steps approaching the two of them. When he turned, he noticed Hammer Strike walking up to the duo.

“Ah, Hammer Strike, allow me to introduce Jostling Joyance. He’s a vampire hunter of some renown.” Ainz gestured between them.

Hammer Strike nodded. “A pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Jostling returned the nod.

“Have you shown him around town yet, Ainz?” Hammer Strike asked.

“I thought it would be more polite to wait until I had your permission,” Ainz admitted.

“You’re clear.” Hammer Strike gave a small smile. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can stick around for long. I’ve still got more work to do.”

“Of course, Sir. Thank you for coming.”

“I’ll come by to check up on you later today, if that’s all right.”

“No issues, whatsoever,” Jostling replied.

“Until then.” Hammer Strike gave a brief wave as he departed from the pair.

“I’m sorry about that. He’s very busy. That stallion puts his whole being into keeping the people here happy,” Ainz said as he gestured for Joyance to follow him.

“I can see that; though…” Jostling frowned. “He doesn’t seem to look after himself that way.”

“What do you mean?”

“He works tirelessly to keep the people happy, but you can see it in his eyes. It’s like there’s an inferno in his soul.”

Ainz looked curiously in the direction Hammer Strike had left. “I suppose I never thought about it.”

“Does he have anyone with him, family, close friends?”

“He has two adopted daughters. The rest, he’s never explained, and I’ve never felt open enough to ask.”

“I hope they can help him.” Jostling’s frown deepened. “That kind of anger changes Ponies.”





Hammer Strike sighed to himself as he looked over his assortment of weapons. While he had plenty of variety, they lacked the ability to deal with their current issues. It was difficult for him to work with when he lacked the knowledge of their list of enemies. He knew vampires, yes, but what if there were others?

He rubbed at his head as he thought on it. While he wasn’t sure of the list, he could prepare for any of the potential options. No matter what lay in his path, he would deal with it. 

“It’s never that simple.” The voice Hammer Strike heard could only be described as sallow, and sallow definitely described the figure who stepped into his view, a tall gangly gray Earth Pony stallion, gaunt to the point of looking starved with deep black eyes that seemed to have tiny pinpricks of light. Even Hammer Strike found he couldn’t look into those pinpricks, however, for the heat that burned in them. The stallion wore a simple baggy black overcoat over his body. His thin and unhealthy mane fell limply to one side.

“Of course it isn’t.” Hammer Strike turned towards his weapons. It took some effort to rein in his usual response.

“You know those couldn’t hurt me,” the stallion said passively.

“I know, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have something for embodiments.” He sighed. “But I know better than to sway the world as such.”

“That, and you don’t want my job,” the stallion noted. “Nobody wants to be Wrath. Well, the stupid people do. They think it’s all unending fury and destruction. If only they knew.”

“None of you embodiments match the image that mortals give you,” Hammer Strike replied.

“You haven’t met War.” Wrath shrugged. “He’s pretty much what you’d expect.”

“Honestly, I don’t care to meet him, anyway.” Hammer Strike pulled up a few of his throwing knives and started checking their condition. “Though it may come off as rude or insulting, some of you embodiments cause me great amounts of stress. It’s a rare number that do not.”

“I hope you don't meet him. Honestly, I'm here as a favor to Mother. You need to vent your anger or you're going to end up like me, burned out, uncaring.” He sighed. “I know what happened was hard, but wrath can get you killed, too, you know.”

“I know,” Hammer Strike replied simply. “However, my methods of venting are currently non-existent, unless a nation comes to fight me. That, or I get my hooves on the Elder Vampire I’m hunting.”

“You paint,” the embodiment offered lazily. 

“Don’t have the supplies for it, and it would take some time to gather them.”

“You really believe that, or is that for my benefit?”

“If I am to do such things, I will not go halfway. Certain paints require materials outside of this region if they are to last in a proper manner.”

“For most artists, yes,” Wrath acquiesced. “But you’re hardly most anythings.”

“I can’t; not yet.” Hammer Strike stopped inspecting his knives. “Not until that vampire is dealt with.”

“You know, I have a very interesting relationship with my family. Honestly, the only one who seems to like me besides War, who I despise, is Sacrifice. My sister constantly enjoys the situations mortals who partake of me put themselves in, the things they’ll give up to her to feed my flames and keep going. I’ve seen families, friends, love, and countless others burned at a pyre for me. I wonder which of those things you’re going to foolishly give up.”

“None.” Harmony’s figure wavered into existence next to Hammer Strike, and a sense of calm filled the room. “I owe him that much. And if he won’t listen to me, I have other means to protect him.”

“Sister, even you can’t protect him from harms he would bring upon himself. You are ancient, but remember that my set of siblings is far more ancient than you.”

“That is true, but that does not mean I cannot protect him in my own way, even as you seek to do the same. To do nothing will make what you foresee a certainty.”

Hammer Strike sighed to himself as he put his knives away.

“Mother asked me to warn him. That's all I intended to do.”

Harmony nodded. “And may we expect to see you again in the near future?”

“Hopefully not, but likely.” Wrath sighed.

“Is there any word about Discord?” Her voice was strained as she looked imploringly to the embodiment.

“Your twin is not adjusting well,” Wrath admitted. “He has been expunged into a world that cannot understand him. He is lashing back at it.”

“I … I see.” Spectral tears swam in the projection’s eyes. “I had hoped….” She dashed those tears away and shook her head. “I suppose it doesn’t matter now. If he goes too far, I’ll have little choice but to prepare a means to counter him.” She drew herself up against the grief and steadied her stance in resolve.

“I would start sooner, rather than later,” Wrath advised.

“I will consult with Hammer Strike on the matter after this crisis is resolved.” She looked remorsefully at the Pony. “After I apologize for my rudeness.”

“I should leave,” Wrath said, turning to go.

Harmony nodded. “Goodbye, brother. And … thank you, for coming here today. You should know that you have at least one more family member who doesn’t hate you.”

Wrath stopped, suddenly stiffening for a moment. “Goodbye, sister. Be careful. Mother worries.” With that, he vanished as he walked away.

As soon as Wrath left, Hammer Strike exhaled and placed a hoof on his forehead. “Nothing is ever simple,” he repeated.

Harmony smiled forlornly and rested a hoof comfortingly on his shoulder. “No, it rarely is. But it is worth it when it all comes together.” She sighed. “Sorry for excluding you like that. I know it must have frustrated you. I just … when I felt Wrath’s presence, I worried. I didn’t know what he would want. I …” She furrowed her brow. “I suppose I wanted to protect you. That is … strange to me. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way before. Is this concern, this protectiveness I feel, an expression of love?”

Hammer Strike raised a brow as he looked to Harmony. “Unsure. Though protectiveness does make sense, given the situation.”

“I … need some time to process this. I won’t be far. You will … call me, if you need, won’t you?”

Hammer Strike nodded with a small smile.





Hammer Strike rubbed his forehead as he thought through his plans. The great black expanse of his secret forge’s storage space stretched before him. This space gave him the optimal workplace for his current project.

Before him was a rough shape of silver. For the last few hours, he had been thaumically cleansing it of anything that wasn’t silver, resulting in a perfect purity. The problem with such methods was that in order to keep the blade in optimal shape and structural stability, he had to cleanse it thaumically after almost every strike of his hammer. It was an exhausting project that drained him of energy and stamina over the course of the hours with each cleanse.

It was worth it to him, however. Though it may have been a lengthy process, and would certainly drain him of power until it was complete, it would leave him with a perfect silver blade, unable to be tarnished or altered in any way. And that was just what he needed right now.

“I’ve been curious about something, lad,” Mimir commented from the side table he had been placed on. “That field of power you’re usin’; how exactly did you happen across it?”

“It’s been a long time since then. Best answer I can give you is crossing the veil,” Hammer Strike replied as he continued his work.

“That’s the thing. Crossing between worlds shouldn’t have given you that field of power. Those tunnels are made to help you cross safely for a reason.”

Hammer Strike shook his head. “Didn’t use a proper tunnel. Ended up accidentally piggy-backing on something. I can’t remember what, though.”

Mimir fell silent.

Hammer Strike paused in his work before turning toward Mimir, who held a look of shock.

“You’re tellin’ me you crossed between the worlds, through the most dangerous method possible, and yer’ still standing?”

“Uh. Yeah?”

“That’s just not possible, lad. The tunnels are made to keep pryin’ eyes off others as they travel. Yeah, it’s not used often, but it’s still important!”

“I figured that, especially when said prying eyes are hovering over me.”

“Well, that certainly explains some things…” Mimir commented.

Hammer Strike raised a brow before continuing his work. “What do you mean?”

“Lad, you’re a paranoid stallion. Well, more than anyone else in your shoes would be. It’s startin’ to make sense why, if you’ve got them lookin’ in on you.”

Hammer Strike frowned as he pulled the silver blade out of the furnace and quickly cleansed it of any impurities.

“I suppose it’s at least helpin’ you keep things on the straight an’ narrow.” Mimir sighed. “Though you really should look after yourself a bit better.”

“Literally can’t sleep,” Hammer Strike replied automatically.

“I meant the eating part,” Mimir replied flatly. “We’ve been in here some amount of time now. I’m sure your daughters are starting to get a little worried.”

Hammer Strike frowned in response. “I’ve got to make more progress on this blade. Plus, I dilated the time a little, so it’s been less time out there than in here.”

“I still don’t get how you managed to get those two to make you this place.” Mimir frowned. “You’d have to have given them something technically impossible.”

“Just some bone and an unbreakable anvil.”

Mimir blinked a few times before replying, “I’m sorry. I think I misheard you. Did you say unbreakable?”





Hammer Strike groaned as he exited his workshop. He had been working on the silver blade for some length of time. Honestly, he didn’t keep track of how long he was out. There was still plenty of work to be done on the weapon, but he needed to check around town with how long he had been working. So much needed to be maintained. The barriers and runes; checking in on Ainz, Clover, and Binding for status updates; and checking some choice residents.

Magic clamped on him like a vice as yellow and blue covered him in perfect unity. Celestia and luna approached him with both horns blazing.

Hammer Strike simply blinked a few times as he thought on their reasoning. “I missed dinner, didn’t I?”

“You missed a lot more than that, Father,” Celestia said. A small red vein throbbed on the side of her head, the only sign of her frustration as she addressed him in a calm tone.

“You’ve been at work for twenty-four hours,” Luna growled. “Straight.”

“Have I?” Hammer Strike asked as he thought on it. He chose to not tell them about the time dilation part. “Sorry, I guess I just got wrapped up in my work. Silver blades take a ridiculous amount of time.”

“You’re not working today,” Luna told him. It was clearly not up for debate. “Hurricane, Clover, Ainz, and Binding have already been informed. Today, you’re resting.”

“Even if we have to drag you back to the house,” Celestia finished.

“To be fair, lad,” Mimir spoke up from his side. “We were in there awhile. Also, could either of you lessen up on the grasp on me?”

“There’s still plenty to do.” Hammer Strike sighed. “The protection charms and runes need to be checked, Anderson is in need of marble from the mine, the supply house needs to be inventoried.” He sighed again. “Ex Divinia Etiam. There really is a lot to do.”

“Then delegate. Do you really think we can’t all shoulder a few responsibilities to give you the chance you need to rest?” Celestia asked. “We’re not foals anymore.”

Hammer Strike opened his mouth to respond, only to close it as he hummed. Their words held truth. They were long past the days of foalhood. “I … guess you’re right.”

“You know we’re right,” Luna said.

“Now come on. You’re going to get something to eat, and then you’re going to bed,” Celestia said. “We’ve already got the chores divided.”

“Yeah, that sleep thing, kinda… doesn’t work on my end,” Hammer Strike commented. “I’m positive at least one of you noticed that I don’t really sleep.”

“Then take a walk, read a book, do something that isn’t work!” Luna growled.

And if that fails, we’ll give you a sleeping draught,” Celestia said.

“All right, all right.” Hammer Strike sighed. “I’ll take a break. Wander town or something, since I’ve already read through everything we have.”

“First, a meal. Then you can pass through town, after you promise us not to lift a single hoof in any form of exertion other than walking.” The pink-maned Alicorn glared to bring her point home.

“Fine. I’ll eat, and I promise not to work for…” he glanced between the two to gauge an appropriate amount of time before sighing. “A few days. All right?”

“Very well.” Luna sighed.

“I suppose that will have to do for now,” Celestia agreed grudgingly.

“By the way,” Hammer Strike commented as he raised his hoof. The restraints suddenly broke as he applied pressure against their efforts. “Distribute the magic more evenly, if you’re going for a good restraint.” He continued to walk toward the dining room without stopping.

Luna didn’t bother to say anything. She simply shook her head and sighed.

Celestia gave voice to what they both already knew. “This may be more difficult than we first thought.”





Hammer Strike sighed to himself as he explored the market in Unity. He was keeping true to his word of no work, but it was beginning to get to him, and after wandering town for some time, Celestia and Luna accused him of patrolling.

Which may or may not have been subconsciously true.

One Earth Pony traveler had set up a stall with a myriad of colors next to small containers of powders of the corresponding color.

Hammer Strike scanned over the containers in front of him to determine, much to his surprise that it was paint supplies. “Where’d you happen to gather this much of a collection?

“I’ve travelled around a lot. Sometimes, I get lucky and a Unicorn or even a Gryphon is willing to trade some.” The stallion chuckled. “You interested in paint?”

“The whole kit, actually,” Hammer Strike looked up. “How much we talking?”

“Ten pounds of gold,” the stallion said after taking time to consider it.

Hammer Strike nodded as he reached into his coat and pulled out an appropriate amount. He placed two small plates of gold on the table before the stallion, each marked for his own convenience with a five.

The Earth Pony took the slabs and gave them a quick weight test before putting together a kit for Hammer Strike.

The lord collected his supplies and set off toward home. After some debate, he decided to give it a go outside and placed his equipment out near the house. He frowned to himself as he searched around to determine his best subject before settling on a painting of the house overlooking the growing town nearby.

He hummed aloud as he moved everything into an appropriate position near for him to work with before setting up the makeshift easel and rough canvas.

Before he started, however, he noted his augments taking in every minor detail around himself. Using what knowledge he could, he focused on just the canvas to let it become the primary point of attention, leaving the world around him in a calmer light before finally getting to work.

He’d been painting for an hour at least when Celestia came upon him and peered at the canvas with some surprise. “You paint?”

“I used to do it more often,” Hammer Strike replied as he glanced over to her. “I saw a stallion in town selling the supplies and…” he shrugged. “I figured why not.”

“Did you have a subject in mind, or are you just free painting?”

Hammer Strike gestured toward the house and town, then back to his painting.

“So, a landscape?”

“I figured this will give me a reference to see how things grow over time. That, and you can’t accuse me of working when it’s something this simple,” he finished with a small smile.

Celestia smirked. “Is this where I’m supposed to say I’ve got my eye on you and sound like some sort of creeper?”

“Please. If I didn’t want to be seen, I could manage it easily. I figured I’d be nice and play by rules you both can manage.”

Celestia smiled. “I’m glad you told me. I’m sure Luna will be excited to hear it for our next family training session, once you’re recovered enough.”

Hammer Strike held up a hoof. “Let me show you a little something.” He smirked as thaumic fire surrounded his hoof. “And no, this isn’t effort or work,” he commented before Celestia could add anything. “I learned this trick to help out a good friend of mine, and honestly, I never really thought of it in any other way.”

He held out his hoof as a dome of embers surrounded the two of them. It took Celestia a moment to realize it, but as Hammer Strike brought his hoof to his left, she noticed the world around them stop and go back. Ponies in the distance were moving backwards as everything shifted around them until it stopped, right at sunrise. “But it sure does help with the view.”

Celestia gaped at the sight. “What … what just happened?”

“We aren’t actually traveling through time, as that takes a lot more effort. This is simply…” He frowned, thinking it over in his head. “Think of it as a video on your tablets, I can simply rewind our view.”

“This is a projection, then?”

“Basically.” He smiled.

“What do people see outside of it?”

“Us before I started this process. Honestly, it can be anything I choose.”

“And if they try to talk to us?”

“I’ll be alerted to it.” He smiled before dropping the dome around them and taking hold of his brush again.

Celestia watched in silence for a time as Hammer Strike continued his work. Eventually, her hoof began to scuff the ground. She peered at the various powders as Hammer Strike added the water and reconstituted the paints to brush the canvas. “How long have you been painting?”

“On this one, or in general?”

“In general.”

Hammer Strike placed a hoof on his chin as he thought. “In technicality, I started … uh.” he blinked a few times. “A couple hundred years ago for me?”

“You’re that old?”

“Hey,” Hammer Strike feigned being offended. “You Alicorns live on for thousands of years, and I’ve got to match it. I’m not that old.” He looked back to his painting before adding mentally, ‘For Ponies, at least.’

“You are, compared to us right now,” she pointed out.

“Give it some hundred to a thousand years.” He shook his head. “Divine above, that doesn’t sound right.”

“Well, right or wrong, I suppose it’s going to be our future for now. And speaking of the future,” she said as she eyed the paint brushes and colors, “I’m curious. Could you teach me how to paint?”

“I mean, I’ve certainly got time.” He chuckled. “Sure. Let me finish this up and I’ll show you the basics.”





Though he didn’t want to admit it, the days that he spent not working actually refreshed his mind. The silver blade that he had spent so many hours on was nearly complete now. Mimir wasn’t with him this time around, but the silence helped in a way.

Using some of the world tree root available to him, he had fashioned a grip from it before completing the handle with a simple wrap of leather. The bottom of the blade used a more simple pommel, ending with a spike just in case of close encounters.

Once the weapon was complete, he held his hoof against the blade. Thaumic energy seeped from him onto the surface. He looked over the aspect of the silver and ensured perfect purity before securing the seal, resulting in the blade being unable to change physically or take on new aspects without his permission.

He couldn’t help but smile at the finished product. The amount of time and energy this project took from him was beyond standard, but it was finally complete. He took hold of the blade and lifted it into the light from his forge fire, giving it a once-over to ensure everything was properly balanced and aligned.

Reaching out to his work table, he took hold of the sheath he had made for the blade and slid the weapon home with a soft click. He grinned and placed the sheath on his back, then pulled out his waystone to focus on his way out. Once he was clear, he gave a soft smile as he looked around his bedroom before exiting into his living room. He had plans to test the blade on some of the practice dummies he’d crafted.

“You look pleased with yourself.” Harmony manifested a few seconds later to observe the Pony’s smile. “I take it you were successful?”

“Yep,” he replied. “After many days of work, it’s finally complete. I planned on putting it to the test on some of the training dummies.”

“It won’t tarnish?”

“Never.”

“Then you simply have the consecration. Have you located a suitable candidate to perform the blessing?”

Hammer Strike’s smile dropped slightly. “Damn it, I knew I was forgetting something.”

“Can you not make use of the priest?”

“The church isn’t established.” Hammer Strike sighed. “It’d be hard to get a blessing with the wrong setting and establishment. That, and I don’t know if Faust would bless weapons. That seems a little more into Slephnir’s territory.”

“He would, but who knows what he’d add to it,” another voice chimed in beside Hammer Strike.

Hammer Strike took a breath. There was one thing he didn’t like, and that was someone sneaking up on him. After a second, he turned to the source of the voice with a raised brow.

The mare was a pale white bespeckled with gray and black patches along her flanks. Her face was pure and radiated a gentle glow. Her wings sparkled with silver specks that shone like a cluster of stars. Unlike other Ponies, who wore silver or gold horseshoes to enhance their appearance, this mare’s hooves were literally silver and cloven in two. A long tail swayed gracefully behind her and hovered silently in the air as her silver mane billowed like the finest clouds that kissed the sky. Her frame was built more like the Horses of Saddle Arabia: tall, sleek, and toned with muscle built for speed, endurance, or combat as the case required. A long spiraling horn radiated with the corona that surrounded her body. Her eyes reflected the light of the stars when Hammer Strike peered into them, and a familiar sadness hovered just behind those orbs. He had seen this mare before, in what felt like a lifetime ago.

“Hello,” she said, plucking the sword out of his grip and examining it.

Hammer Strike blinked a few times before sighing. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Bonnie?”

“Well, I figured you’d be encouraged to go on a little crusade against the undead after what happened. It’s in my best interest to enable you.”

Hammer Strike raised a brow. “Why do you all give me such mixed signals? I’m told that I need to calm things back and cool off, and it’s followed immediately by, ‘go get them.’” He sighed.

“Yes, yes. Wrath and the embodiments,” she said tiredly. “They have their points, but in the end, I simply loathe undead, vampires most of all. Yes, I know about your pet and his operations, but I’m willing to ignore that. I trust you have it in hand. I’m not trying to smooze you or mess with your life. I’m only here because our interests align,” she stated bluntly. “None of those stupid mind games my husband plays with you.”

“That’s … refreshing,” Hammer Strike replied after a moment. “Also, no worries about Ainz. He’s bound thaumically, and it would utterly destroy him to sway.”

“Now, this sword of yours. It’s impressive, I’ll admit. But we both know one silver blade’s not going to be enough, and I doubt even you love smithing enough to do this over and over.” she ran a hoof over the blade and it seemed to adopt a shimmer as it absorbed the blessing.

Hammer Strike couldn’t hold back a shudder at the concept for forging that blade again.

“And because my husband thinks himself so clever, he didn’t bother to give you what you need for this situation, so I will.”

“I appreciate it,” Hammer Strike replied. “Honestly don’t know how long it would have taken me to figure out an alternative. While I could do it through my means, it doesn’t really work if the pseudo blessing doesn’t have a higher power to attach to.”

“Well, you’ve studied the way enough. You should be aware that sometimes runes and meanings can be more economical than the usual answer,” she noted. “What you wouldn’t know is that me and my husband, when we wrote the languages of magic for this world, created several ‘bane’ markings to deal with threats that may become troublesome. They’re supposed to have been dispersed amongst mortals, but … you’ve met Sleipnir.”

“Yeah,” Hammer Strike looked towards his rear hooves. “And got some unremovable horseshoes out of it. As for the runes and such, yeah, knew they existed. Never seen one, though.”

“Ironically, you always get so close,” she said as she produced a slip of parchment. Slowly, a symbol burned itself onto it, a circle with a winged sword inside it, only the wings were spread wide open. “The rune that ends all vampires. Place it on any weapon you have, and that weapon becomes instantly imbued with the ability to kill them. Permanently.”

“Wait, I was that close off of just dumb luck?” Hammer Strike looked over the mark.

Bonnie shrugged. “You mortals like to say that truth is stranger than fiction.”

Hammer Strike sighed. “Only vampires, or does it work on other creatures as well?”

“Varying degrees of success, but it should work on everything.” she nodded. “Creatures of the night tend to be eerily similar in their most basic attributes. Though lycanthropes may be immune. I’ve never tested it.”

“Well, the silver will work on that part, at least.” Hammer Strike shrugged.

“Also, in roughly a decade, maybe longer, you’ll begin hearing tales of a monster called Grogar. I would appreciate it if you’d send your monster to kill that monster.”

“I’ll … keep that in mind.”

Bonnie sighed. “I suppose I should apologize for deceiving you earlier, but my children are … stubborn, and I had been looking for a way to kill that cursed bear for two generations.”

Hammer Strike blinked a few times before it finally clicked. “So, that was you. I couldn’t figure out who it was, though I knew it was someone higher on the mark.”

“My powers were … low at that point. No faith. And with my name almost totally forgotten, that was the only identity I could draw power from. I had to use alternate methods.”

Hammer Strike frowned. “Now that I think about it, I haven’t heard of many churches in your name after the fall of the Alicorns.”

“The Alicorns and the Gryphons remembered my name, but the Gryphons don’t worship me, and the Alicorns are all gone now. Only the moon gets anything these days.”

“I’ll try to assist in that regard, then.” Hammer Strike looked to Bonnie. “Though, I can’t guarantee it working.”

“Not at this time, but when you go back. Scholars are aware I exist already, but none of the Ponies know who I am.” She gave him a sad smile. “I’m putting the future in your hooves.”

“Well, you certainly put some weight on me.” He chuckled. “I’ll see to it.”

“Then I should go. I wish you well in your endeavors.” She set the parchment on a coffee table. “Goodbye, Hammer Strike.”

“Until next time, Bonnie.”





The brazen sound of trumpets broke the stillness of the early morning as five columns of troops, each twenty in length, tromped up to the settlement walls. A smaller Unicorn in a smooth satin doublet emerged and levitated a scroll, then called in a penetrating voice.

“Hear ye, hear ye! The honorable Count Drakenfeller, Son of Snowbane Drakenfeller, Earl of the southern flatlands, has arrived to parlay with the baron of these lands. Will the baron receive him?”

“Pull the other one,” a Unicorn guard called down, snickering to his fellows.

“Will your lord receive him?”

“His lordship should be aware that Hammer Strike has authorized us to fire with the intent to kill, should you come making demands or attempting to force your way in. This is your only warning. The next will be an arrow between your eyes,” the Unicorn said, holding his crossbow for emphasis.

“We have no desire for combat, but our lord insists on an audience, not to force or make demands, but rather to make a proposition. If your forces are uncomfortable with his guard’s presence, he is willing to enter with a small delegation whilst the remainder camp a sufficient distance from your walls.”

Hurricane stepped up now. “Your lord may bring five with him, no more,” he said. “Our Ponies have their crossbows trained, and should any more of you move so much as a hair when the door opens, we’ll skewer the lot of you. Is that clear?”

One of the soldiers stepped forward and removed his helmet to reveal a shock of golden mane and a deep blue fur coat. His eyes were an uncharacteristic red. “Your demands are suitable,” he called back.

“Open the gate,” Hurricane commanded, and the gate opened.

The noble was flanked by two swordsponies, two mages, and a burly Earth Pony stallion sheathed in metal with a  horn forged on his helmet. Calm green eyes surveyed the other warriors with the casual air of one well-acquainted with such circumstances. The Pegasus soon met them as the gates swung shut.

“A Pegasus. That explains how Starflight’s forces were so easily intimidated. Your tribe and war are old friends.” The count extended a hoof. “You are to be commended for the skillful upkeep of this settlement’s defenses.”

Hurricane accepted the hoof, but kept his tone placid. “My tribe decided they didn’t like me being lenient toward other Ponies. They beat me, starved me, and left me to die, Count. Hammer Strike saved my life and gave me purpose again. I don’t care how your nobility considers it. I want this to be clear. You will show him respect while you’re here. Because you’d be hard pressed to find a Pony in this village who wouldn’t die for him.”

Drakenfeller’s brow furrowed. “So, the sickness spreads,” he muttered, then shook his head. “Rest assured, any Pony that can gain such respect from so wide and varied a population of subjects is worthy of his post. While I don’t know if I have saved my subjects’ lives, I am grateful to have at least won their respect. No ruler deserves to lead without that.”

“Count Drakenfeller.” Clover’s voice spoke from nearby as they turned to find Hammer Strike backed by Clover, Ainz, and Binding, as well as two armed Gryphons carrying great axes.

The count raised a staying hoof as his soldiers instinctively reached for their weapons. “Steady,” he ordered, then turned to address the gathering. “Clover. This is a surprise, I must admit. Many have been wondering where you got off to in the court. Platinum, especially.”

“Then the … queen has not told the court of my secession or the renouncement of my oaths to her,” Clover said. “Tell me, does she still attempt to keep appearances or has she finally admitted she is in over her head?”

“You know the answer already. Doubtless, you’ve scried her many times.”

“I have not wasted the time,” Clover said with an edge to her voice. “I have much more to do here.”

“It appears you have done quite a lot already. From what little I’ve seen of this town, you all have done quite well.”

“You give me far too much credit. The town and its wellbeing can be accredited to none other than my oath holder, Hammer Strike, mayor of Unity.” She gestured to the Pony in question, clearly wanting the conversation to be done and away from her.

“A pleasure.” Hammer Strike gave a nod of acknowledgement.

“I am told you carved your way out of this harsh wilderness in the midst of the attack from the windigo. Is this true?”

“That would be correct.”

“Then I can see why so many have come to respect you. I know from one why they are loyal. Such strength is to be commended. But I can see you wish me to get to the point. As such, let me be blunt. I wish to form an alliance.”

“An alliance? That’s a rare thing to hear,” Hammer Strike commented with a raised brow. “What exactly are you looking for?”

The count’s horn glowed briefly as he peered at the skies and the surrounding area. “Can you ensure no one can hear us?”

“Binding,” Hammer Strike glanced over. “Would you?”

“As you wish.” Binding’s staff rose in his magical grip, and he seized it in his hoof, then tapped its base on the ground. The rune at the top flared to life, and the scythe emerged. He tapped the ground again, and rivulets of runes and script flowed over the ground to form a massive magical circle. “By this contract, the two negotiating parties agree that all discussions shall remain private between the two spokesponies in the form of Hammer Strike and this Count Drakenfeller. No outside party shall be able to see, hear, or otherwise intrude on these negotiations without prior consent from both primary representatives. All others who are privy to this discussion shall not discuss it with outside parties without prior knowing and uncoerced consent from their representative. Do you all agree to these terms?”

Hammer Strike simply nodded. Drakenfeller did the same, then turned expectantly to his party. Each nodded slowly in turn.

“The parties have both agreed. As of this moment, this contract is binding.” He tapped his staff again and the circle glowed gold. Pieces of rune swirled around one of Hammer Strike’s legs and one of Drakefeller’s legs. “The tethering counts as your signatures, and will release when negotiations are complete,” Binding explained. “You are safe to discuss whatever you wish without consequence.”

“I was unaware you had also gained the notorious Villain Behind Glasses as a part of your ranks.” Drakenfeller chuckled. “A clever innovation. My compliments.” He nodded to Binding briefly, then turned with a grave expression to face Hammer Strike. “Now we come to the heart of the matter. To be perfectly frank, the king has lost his wits, and his daughter has no concept of how to control the nobility, let alone keep the good will of her people. The various houses smell blood, and they wait anxiously for the moment to claim the crown for themselves. In preparation for this conflict, each of the noble houses are scrabbling for land, resources, and horsepower that they can use to claim the upper hoof in what I propose will become one of the bloodiest civil conflicts of our history. You’ve already seen how one of them acts. I wouldn’t be surprised for you to receive many more such … overtures, to use the diplomatic term. Bullying is more accurate.

“To summarize, we need somepony with a level head to lead sensibly. I don’t claim to be such a one, but in the oncoming event of utter collapse for the kingdom’s social structure and civilization, I wish to preserve my subjects and lands from this lunacy.”

“You’re asking to split off before the conflict starts?” Hammer Strike questioned.

“I’m asking to have an alliance in place in preparation for that event. It will grant you the illusion of being under my banner to deter other nobles from pressing you. My family’s reputation, and my own, should serve as a powerful motivator in that regard.”

“You’d be damning yourself in an instant.” Hammer Strike shook his head.

“I can’t very well secede, like Clover has. The moment I do, it will trigger the war. Do you have any alternative suggestions?”

Hammer Strike sighed as he thought on it. “Honestly, having any business with me results in a target on you, unless you seperate.”

“And are you prepared for an all-out war and what it would bring?”

“While it would be entertaining to me, I’ve got other issues to deal with, and sending others to fight for me doesn’t really match my style.”

“Then for both our sakes, it sounds like we’ll have to put on an act for now, until things come to a proper head.”

Hammer Strike sighed. “Delay things as much as you can, because it’ll be some time before our problems are dealt with.”

“And what is the nature of your problem? Is there no way I might be able to offer some form of support?”

“Unless you have a force able to fight vampires, and potential others, I doubt it.”

“Dragons, we’ve fought. Unicorns, we’ve fought. But the undead are another matter. How long have they been stalking your people?”

“For some time now. I have the feeling they don’t like the sunlight orbs.” He gestured off to the side.

The count gaped. “You can control sunlight?”

“To a point.” Hammer Strike sighed.

The count stared for a time, then regained control of himself. “I suppose that gives me all the more reason to form a proper alliance with you. When the kingdom fails, whoever controls the sun will control all.”

“Perhaps, but an alliance is out of the question right now.” Hammer Strike sighed. “At this current time, it will result in trouble on both ends.”

“Then I suppose it would be better for me to return and speak the truth. You refused my offer. When the time comes, however, I do hope you will be willing to accept the offer properly.” He smiled. “And perhaps you and I can spar. Anyone who can best a Pegasus in combat is surely a worthy opponent.”

“I’d rather not seriously harm you within five meetings.” Hammer Strike chuckled.

“So, you aren’t against it.” Drakenfeller smirked. “I look forward to the day, then. For now, I suppose we should bring this discussion to a close. My troops will be waiting for me, and there’s little use in remaining here if we’re to keep up appearances.”

“Until next time, then.”

“I’m looking forward to it. Would you object to an occasional visit from time to time?”

“Try not to make yourself obvious, and we’ll see about that,” Hammer Strike replied, glancing toward the main gate.

“Then so be it.” He nodded. “This negotiation is finished. Will you ask your servant to end his spell?”

Hammer Strike looked over to Binding and nodded.

The runes faded, though not before some touched each of the Ponies in the circle and absorbed into their magical fields. “It’s done,” Binding said. “You may depart whenever you wish.”

“Thank you. For the sake of your settlement’s peace, I will avoid mentioning having met your friend with the glasses.” He turned and rejoined his escort. “Let’s go. We’ve finished here, and I am certain Hammer Strike has much more yet to do for his people.”





“Well,” Grif chuckled. “Good to know at least a few didn’t have a stick up their flanks.”

“I am just happy Hammer Strike hasn’t lost his sense of helping those in need,” Pensword said. “The past can change one, if one is not careful.”

“Everything can change you, Pensword. And change is inevitable. The question is how you choose to change,” Vital pointed out.

“He’s right,” Twilight said as she peeked her head out from behind a book. “By the way, Time Turner, thanks for letting me see your library. I didn’t know you were such a collector.”

“I just hope this won’t come back to bite him,” Griff noted.

“The alliance or letting Twilight into a library that potentially has infinite volumes?” Vital asked.

“Twilight has learned to be more … discerning, I think, but based on the past, I’d call this as a boon to Hammer Strike,” Pensword said. He looked to The Doctor. “I, too, want to thank you for letting me have use of that study. The time has been very useful for me to prepare for the next military council meeting.” He stretched. “Though I am feeling a little restless. You up for another sparring match, Grif?”

“Sure,” Grif said. “Lets go.”

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever been able to watch you two have a proper match. Mind if I join you?” Vital Spark asked.

“I don’t recall. I don’t think so, but you can watch.” He looked to Grif. “I fear I’m still a little rusty, though. I’ll work at staying in the match for a minute to start with.”

“That's probably wise.” Grif nodded. “I’d hate to hurt you.”

“How long do you think the first match will last, as an estimate?” Vital asked.

“Assuming Grif doesn’t hold back, I’d give maybe ten seconds at most,” Twilight said.

“So, a bit longer, since Grif just said he won’t hurt me.” Pensword frowned. “And suddenly I’m thinking of Pokemon battles. I wonder if any potion makers could replicate those medicines. That would be awesome on the battlefield.”

“Also expensive,” Vital noted. “It takes a lot of time and effort to get a proper batch made of any, save the simplest of potions. Making it in bulk would cost a fortune.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Grif shrugged. “A factory could probably make it at pennies on the dollar.”

“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure we don’t want to go there. You’ve seen what industrialization did to Earth,” Vital noted. “If we could create a magical equivalent, or perhaps a hybrid that runs on magic, rather than fossil fuel, then we might be able to get somewhere.”

Grif shrugged. “It was a thought.”

“I figure we can bring it up with Hammer Strike later, then. He is the end-all say-all, after all.”

“You know, I hate to say it, but if you’re looking for a couple of good engineers, you might want to talk to the Flim Flam brothers. They’re the worst con-artists you could ever meet, but they did manage to create an impressive piece of magical technology with their cider maker,” Twilight noted.

“No thanks,” Grif said outright. “They’re not sustainable.”

“And by that, he means they’re not trustworthy, and possibly may have stolen that technology from another Pony in the first place via a scam,” Vital noted. “Though if we could convince them to tell us where they got it, that might go a long way to us getting the help we need to revolutionize New Unity on the magitech front.”

“I also mean that any business they start will last for only so long before their faulty policies cause it to collapse in on itself. They don’t have the knowhow to make a sustainable business.”

“Fair enough,” Vital agreed. “Guess we’ll just keep moving forward for now with what we’ve got. We can plan for the rest after we get Hammer Strike back.”





Hammer Strike hummed to himself as he sorted through the list he had made for himself. Before him was the store room he made to hold their miscellaneous supplies that didn’t have a spot in any category that he made before.

Currently, he had an assortment of tablets that he needed to move into secure storage to ensure they wouldn’t become “lost.” He pulled out each one and scanned over their contents to determine what they were about before sorting them into new individual boxes.

As he finished clearing up the tablets from their current container, he moved it off to the side, only to hear a light object roll about at the bottom. He frowned as he pulled the box back to himself and glanced within.

At the bottom of the box sat a familiar-looking die, and after a few seconds, he realized it was the one he’d purchased some time ago but never used.

He sighed to himself. “Should have dealt with this sooner. What was I thinking?”

He grabbed the die and went to place it in his coat, only to stop. After a moment, he looked it over again and weighed his current thoughts over. Given their current situation, he needed any advantage he could get against their current threats.

He moved himself into the living room before giving it a little toss onto the ground. It tumbled around the wooden floor before stopping on the number six. At first, nothing happened compared to the previous times. But given what he knew, he held up a hoof to block the die, just in case.

True to his expectations, light burst forth from the die as something took shape. When the light cleared he lowered his hoof to reveal what appeared to be a great hammer.

A heavy wooden haft wrapped with some kind of golden fabric Hammer Strike couldn’t identify, ending in a rounded spherical pommel with tiny spikes orbiting around it in a ring. A metal with the appearance of highly burnished brass or gold formed the middle section of the head where the haft joined with it. A golden crystalline substance formed a large square flat face on one end. The other side had the same crystal curving into a devastating war pick. The golden crystal shone intricate designs that seemed to shift from brass to silver and back again.

Hammer Strike blinked as he reached out for the hammer. He could feel trace bits of solar energy seeping from the weapon. After testing the weight in his hooves, he determined it to be exactly what he liked.

He couldn’t help but grin as he accepted the weapon into his arsenal.





“I’ve done it!” Ainz entered the room of Hammer Strike’s cabin hurriedly. “I found them!”

Hammer Strike turned from his position on the couch. “The elder vampire?”

“Yes! “ ainz nodded. “I was able to get past whatever defences they’ve had going and managed to fry the brain of one of their minions for the information we needed.”

Hammer Strike stood up and moved toward his forge. “Celestia, Luna! Come here. I will tell you what’s going on while I prepare.”

Luna was over a moment later. “Yes?”

“What’s going on? What’s all the excitement about?” Celestia asked as she followed her sister.

“Ainz has located the elder vampire that attacked us before, and no doubt will again if left alone.” Hammer Strike frowned. “I am leaving to deal with it, and I’m unsure of how long it will take me, so I need you both to help run things while I’m gone,” he continued, grabbing hold of armor he had made for the occasion.

“We can manage,” Celestia said. “Will you be taking any forces with you?”

“Potentially, if things go south. Until then, however, it will be just me.”

“How will we know if things go south?” Luna asked.

“Due to the nature of the connection between myself, Clover, Ainz, and Binding, I can communicate with them relatively quickly across vast distances.” Hammer Strike took hold of his silver sword and strapped it to his back.

“And if you’re knocked unconscious before you can?” Celestia asked.

“They can tell,” Hammer Strike stated as he took hold of the greathammer he had received recently. “Ainz should have an emergency protocol in which he, alongside the others, collect me if such events happen.”

“I will be ready,” Ainz acknowledged.

“Alert the others and gather back here. Then we can cover everything and I’ll set off soon after.”

“They’re on their way.”

“Do you want us to keep your absence hidden?” Celestia asked.

“I’m fine with everyone knowing who I’m after.” Hammer Strike’s gaze hardened. “If they know, perhaps it’ll let them have some hope.”

“Or worry.” Celestia sighed. “But if that’s what you think is best, we’ll tell them and ask them to think of you as you go.”

A few seconds later, Clover and Binding both teleported into the cabin in a flash of light and the tinkling of bells. “So, it’s time?” Binding asked.

“It’s time,” Hammer Strike nodded as he pulled out a map of the area. “Where are we looking at, Ainz?”

“A small abandoned settlement roughly forty miles to the northwest.”

Hammer Strike trailed the map for a moment before tapping his hoof. “A Unicorn settlement.” he frowned. “Last I checked, it was abandoned due to the lack of control in that region. Riots and such didn’t help the place. Figures they’d make shop there.”

“Yes, no one would look at it while the war’s still going.” Ainz nodded.

“Then it’s settled. I’ll set off at once.” Hammer Strike looked for any points that he had marked beforehand to shorten his travel time before nodding and rolling up the map. “Until I return, I need all of you to run Unity.”

“Of course,” Clover said. “But shouldn’t someone go with you?”

“Less targets, and less risks. Should something happen here, I want this town as secure as possible.”

“We’ll do our best to ensure it does,” Binding promised. “After all, it’s not like we can go back on your wishes now, is it?” He smiled companionably at the stallion.

“That’s all I needed to hear.” Hammer Strike packed the map away. “I have everything I need.”

“We’ll have everything ready when you get back,” Ainz noted.

Hammer Strike nodded before turning towards Celestia and Luna. “Think you’ve got this?”

Luna seemed confident as she nodded.

“We’ll manage. You just come back safely. And when you do, Luna and I will prepare you a feast like you’ve never had before,” Celestia promised.

“I’ll see to it, then.” Hammer Strike chuckled as he gave both of them a hug. With a confident smile, he turned from the group and exited the house. He’d have to get some distance before he could use his portal system.





The city lay under a blanket of dark scudding clouds that blocked the sun and cast the hill on which it had been built, and its surrounding lands, in a blanket of twilight that wasn’t quite darkness. The familiar scent of death and decay mixed with the coppery tang of blood and the fetid stench of longstanding water. Flies and other insects flew thickly in the air over portions of the walled city, bringing the carrion eaters and their kind to join the feast, or whatever remained of it.

A massive stone wall woven with bands of gold circled the settlement. One large gate functioned as the only visible entry point. Its doors hung open invitingly. The cobbled streets of the city had been constructed in a carefully planned spiral design to circle the buildings, marketplace, and town square around a central castle-like structure. Within these secondary walls, a solitary tower stabbed into the skies. Its walls were a stark black marked with veins of sickly green, purple, and red that curled and twisted around the structure in a horrid imitation of a horn. Whoever had designed this place had been arrogant enough to focus on the appearance of the design, rather than the functionality of it. No wonder it fell so easily. There were no alternate routes of egress. Any citizens that could have fled would be trapped and driven toward the center, where the creatures of the night had doubtless had their way with them.

Wisps of the cloudbank billowed like smoke from the top of the tower, which indicated either the occupant was experimenting with means to block the sun entirely or this was merely a miasma produced as a result of the occupancy of this coven. Regardless, there would be hordes of lesser undead to dispose of on the way. Hammer Strike couldn’t afford to let a single one escape. And if someone really was trying to neutralize the effects of the sun, then it only added to the urgency of the situation.

He took his time to map the city from a vantage point in the surrounding hills. Then, as night drew on, he watched the ghost city come to life. There was no need for the occupants to make use of light. They traveled unmolested through the streets. Some swarmed toward the tower. Others separated into groups and passed out the gates in hunting parties. Others still carried shovels and pickaxes, doubtless to dig out shelters and safehouses in the event they couldn’t reach the safety of the city come sunrise. That implied a level of competency and coordination. 

This vampire was definitely an individual that needed to be stopped as soon as possible. However, it would need to be at a time when he could deal the most damage to the coven. Noon would be the optimal hour. The question was how to kill the others without frightening their leader away. If the elder escaped, he or she would simply reconstitute the coven and come for Unity again.

Not for the first time, he reached for his coat’s pocket, then stopped halfway there. This wasn’t his usual coat, and he didn’t have the void to access. Instead, he reached into his saddlebags and retrieved a ball roughly the shape of a boulder with a wick inserted at its top. The rune Bonnie had taught him marked the sphere’s bottom, and the faint jangle of metal reached his ears as he hefted the sphere’s weight. “You’ll do,” he remarked, then peered into his bag, where fourteen more identical shapes waited. “Yes, you’ll do nicely.”

As he had planned, he crept into the city when the sun shone brightly overhead and began his work. He planted the bombs at key locations where the explosions could do the most damage. The nails he’d loaded them with would do the rest. He just had to etch the rune into his molds, and he was in business. As a final addition, he formed small thaumic crystals to ignite the wicks. The timing would be most important.

The walk to the fortress was a leisurely one. The vampires would all be in their dens, either asleep or preparing for the coming night. No guards stood watch. No arrows rained from the heavens as he strode up the hill in that spiral to the waiting gates. These ones were locked; however, they proved no obstacle to the Pony as he burned and broke through. A smile curled his lips as he recalled another incident not unlike this one, when he’d melted through a portcullis and broken down the wooden doors to reach his goal. That seemed such a long time ago now.

The tower inside was a grim structure spattered with the blood of past victims and meals. The courtyard was coated in the flaking substance, and the land itself felt almost hungry for more. The grime on the surface scraped off to reveal a stone tarnished beyond recognition. Much like the rest of the city, this tower would likely not be able to be restored. It would have to be destroyed.

The tower was divided into a multitude of floors, each with their own design and purpose. In one, he discovered a lab littered with remnants and fragments of gears, cogs, nuts, and bolts. Various tools and primitive diagnostic equipment lined the walls and floor both.

The next room was some form of larder. Salted meat sat in storage while vials of blood and various other substances waited to be drunk. Some few bones lingered on the floor or a chopping block. Antlers, hooves, Pony skulls. All stared. All waited. And all had been gnawed clean by things Hammer Strike really didn’t want to consider right now.

The third floor consisted of what equated to a bedchamber. Instead of a mattress, however, a coffin lay on a stone plinth. The windows that had allowed light to filter through were all boarded up, and thick dark curtains had been laid over the walls as an extra precaution against the burning light of the sun. The lid lay open, the casket unoccupied. The elder was still awake, which meant he or she was likely expecting Hammer Strike to arrive soon. However, it also meant he would have the advantage, since the creature would have been awake for longer than its normal cycle demanded. And given its status as an elder, he could use every advantage he could get.

The top of the tower was somewhat more confined than the rest of the building. The roof curved to a point, and rafters supported the structure. A great monstrosity of gears and fire chuffed away as two vent pipes funneled out the windows and into the skies. A series of wooden tables, each laden with various pieces of lab equipment and samples of chemicals, residues, and other substances, lined the walls. A cloaked figure worked steadily at the vials and beakers to mix some form of compound.

“I wondered when you would be coming.” He didn’t even bother to turn as the chemicals and reagents reacted. “Your behavior against past offenders indicated you would have come sooner.” The flask levitated in a black aura and upended itself into the machine. “But I suppose I should give you a certain amount of credit for taking your time, rather than coming immediately. I assume you’ve been seeking the best means to kill me.” He turned and revealed a wicked sneer. His fur was a light purple, his mane a dark black streaked with silver. His eyes were a bloody red, and his fangs were bared with a flagrant openness that bordered on arrogance. “I would have tried fooling you with the whole enthralled innocent trick, but I think we both know you’re too intelligent for that ploy.”

Hammer strike responded by grabbing his new greathammer. He struck it multiple times against the floor, which caused small bursts of sunlight to flash with every impact. The vampire hissed, but didn’t back down. The two rushed one another. Hammer Strike brought his full strength behind his weapon with the aim of ending things quickly, only for his momentum to cease as the vampire caught the weapon’s surface with his bare hoof. Despite everything the Earth Pony put behind the blow, the vampire pushed back.

Flesh seared and smoked against the hammer’s surface, but healed faster than it could burn. The vampire snarled and surged his strength, sending Hammer Strike and the hammer staggering back. Were it not for the thickness of the ursa’s hide, the three rapid magic slashes the vampire sent his way would have caused notable damage. Even so, Hammer Strike could actually feel the thaumic field having to actively heal bruising beneath the coat.

“A weapon capable of generating solar energy. Interesting. Such a pity it doesn’t work!”

Still silent, Hammer Strike dropped the hammer and unsheathed his sword. The silver shone in the pale light as he adapted his stance accordingly. He slashed outward in a wide arc. In his arrogance, the vampire realized the danger too late and only barely backed out of range before the blade sliced through his shoulder. This time, the silver and divine energy left a mark, and the vampire hissed his vehemence. But even as he glared at Hammer Strike, the mark vanished visibly before Hammer strike’s eyes.

The vampire let out a snarl. The playful tone had been replaced by one far more controlled and deliberate when he resumed his assault. “Where did you get that blade?”

Immediately, Hammer Strike found himself on the defensive as he backed away, deflecting several magic strikes and barely dodging more. The vampire’s movement and reaction speed was far greater than anything the lord had fought. Even Grif wasn’t quite this fast without injuring himself. The Unicorn changed tactics, firing a concussive blast with his horn. As Hammer Strike moved to block it, the vampire followed with a buck to the midsection, instantly knocking the Earth Pony over.

“Of course, if you won’t tell me yourself, I have other ways.” The vampire slurped hungrily as he straddled his opponent in the blink of an eye. The sword now lay uselessly at Hammer Strike’s side, pinned by the inequine strength of the elder.

Before Hammer Strike could recover, the vampire leaned in and sunk his fangs into the Pony’s neck, only to release him and back away hissing in pain. Smoke billowed from his mouth. The flesh surrounding the gums, and even the fangs themselves, had begun to degrade. Fresh burns steamed as the flesh slowly began to knit together and regenerate.

“What is this trickery, phoenix ash?” He growled. “Trying to assassinate me with your own blood? You ignorant insignificant little speck!” The sword skittered across the floor, and the vampire kicked Hammer Strike several times in the ribs. Each blow was greeted with a loud crack. He brought a hoof down on the Pony’s front left leg, and it, too, snapped audibly. Lastly, the elder grabbed Hammer Strike in his magic, pulled him back, and hurled him against the far wall. Hammer Strike felt something break against his back. He saw the tower growing in his vision as pain flared in his chest and leg. He registered striking something solid, and then everything went black.





Hammer Strike groaned as he came to beneath a starry sky. The air was clear of clouds, and rubble surrounded him as a cleansing wind blew across the surface of the tower and whistled in his ears. Crumpled pieces of metal and shards of shrapnel mingled with the shards of glass that remained. Wooden splinters and fragments of legs and tabletops laid still, almost as still as he felt.

And then the pain returned, followed shortly by a cloaked figure that, were it not for its much larger size, would have been a dead ringer for Death.

“You know, most people wouldn’t have survived that,” Ainz pointed out as he folded his arms and waited.

Hammer Strike simply glanced over to Ainz before sighing and attempting to pick himself up.

“I wouldn’t do that yet. Your leg’s still not fully repaired,” Ainz commented. “It was broken in several places. Some of the bones looked like they’d been ground to dust.”

Hammer Strike growled before thaumic fire surrounded his being. Turning over, he planted his hooves firmly on the ground and stood up. It was painful, but he could manage it. “Is the elder vampire still in the city?”

“No. Unfortunately, he took the opportunity to leave,” Ainz said. “However, it seems your plans for the other vampires went off relatively perfectly.”

“Keep track of him,” Hammer Strike ordered. “I … wasn’t strong enough. Even with the current list of things backing me, I just wasn’t good enough.”

“He is an elder vampire. They don’t get to that level easily,” Ainz admitted. “Still, you must have given quite the impression. Normally, he’d have simply killed you and went on like nothing happened.”

“Well, he certainly tried.” Hammer Strike rubbed at his neck where the bite point had searched shut. “My safety measure caught him off guard, but it didn’t harm him severely.”

“Seems you need to hurt him more severely faster.” Ainz nodded. “I’ll have to look through my books and see if there's anything we can use to get around it.”

“I’ll need to start training.” Hammer Strike frowned. “But first,” his eyes hardened. “I won’t let them use this place again.”

“Should we check it for anything useful before burning it to ash?” Ainz asked.

Hammer Strike sighed. “Summon forth help and gather everything of value as quickly as you can. Afterwards, burn everything to the ground. Leave nothing.”

Ainz nodded in acknowledgement as he turned towards the settlement. Hammer Strike could feel the energy build up as the Minotaur stood. Dark energy as cold as death itself gathered around Ainz, bleeding into the land around him, withering plant life as it spread. In a single fluid movement, the lich lifted his staff and brought the butt down onto the ground in three long slow tolls like a church bell.

“Raise lesser undead!”

The ground began to split as skeletal and rotting limbs began to crawl up from the depths. The remains of Ponies of all kinds, but mostly Unicorns, began to rise. Most were simply skeletal remains animated in some mockery of life. A few were zombies, however. Bits and pieces of maggot-ridden flesh still clung to their bones. 

“Search the grounds. Kill any vampires you may yet find. Collect anything of value or interest and bring it here. Should you find any of the living, do not harm them. Bring them here alive and as well as you can. Burn everything else,” he commanded in a crisp clear tone.

Hammer Strike watched the army of the undead split off into smaller squads on their own accord and begin to shamble away to heed their master's order. Over the next six hours, gold, silver, gemstones, tomes, magical items, unnamed potions, weapons, armor, aged tools of varying trades, and several other things Hammer Strike couldn’t categorize were piled in front of him. Soon a second group of undead were assigned to construct wagons and load them. Plumes of smoke erupted constantly as buildings were set ablaze. 

It was at the end of this period that a group of undead dragged what at first glance appeared to be a Changeling corpse before him.

It’s chitin, from what Hammer Strike could make behind the cracks and glowing green blood, was golden in colour. Its legs were longer than a drone’s, though Hammer Strike would guess not quite to Chrysalis’s level. He had a notable mane of straight air slicked back and long. His large eyes, while shut, seemed slightly sunken in and dark. From his forehead, two antlers poked out. The top was longer and curved forward over the lower one. The lower one was shorter and formed at the end, so the curve of the upper antler grew between the fork.

The blood still felt warm to the Pony as he examined the body, and there was a slight vibration below the chitin. This Changeling was still alive.

“Are you able to heal this one?” Hammer Strike questioned Ainz.

“Healing isn’t necessarily my strong suit. I can keep him from dying, guard against infection in his wounds. But you’ll need Binding or Clover if you want healing.”

Hammer Strike nodded. “Figured I’d ask. I’ll see to contacting Binding to get him here. Keep it from perishing.”

“Of course.”





“That was reckless,” Vital said as he pulled his gaze away from the monitor. “You going to be all right, Grif?”

“I’m fine,” Grif said through gritted teeth.

“If that’s fine, I hate to think what you look like when you’re livid,” Rarity said. “Are you sure you wouldn't like one of Derpy’s muffins? I swear they help. I don’t know how that’s possible, but they do.” She levitated one of the steaming quickbreads in front of the Gryphon.

Pensword’s face had paled immensely. “That’s a lich,” he whispered. “Hammer Strike has a lich working for him.” He shuddered. “And he’s fighting elder vampires…. That really needs to be worked into—” He snapped his head to Grif mid-sentence. “Grif, we need your hunters taught ASAP. I feel that they should be counted as Spec Ops or the like in the military, just so they aren’t bothered, if you have to work around the normal channels. I want to be ready for those nightmares.”

“These are adventurers, Pensword. They’ll hunt as they see fit in the end. We just provide them the resources.”

“And I plan on trying to help there. These monsters are just as much a threat to Equestria as any invading army. Trust me when I say that the Special Forces usually work in their own frameworks… They could be their own, but if, say, we have a vampire infestation or the like, it’d be much faster if we can call them up like a militia to go take care of the problem.”

“Based on what Grif has mentioned, they’re basically going to be mercenaries. Granted, mercenaries can be special ops. They don’t have to be mutually exclusive. That being said, in the present, I’m not sure how many of those darker creatures will be left. Most of the havens for dark magic have pretty much vanished in our time,” Vital said.

“It only takes one.” Pensword retorted, “And we still have Sombra out there. Grif felt him. We have to be ready, just in case. Otherwise, we’ll be blindsided. Never plan for the previous war, but always plan for the future one.” He narrowed his gaze. “Always have a plan. Remember, the United States had a plan to invade Canada right before World War One.”

“I actually didn’t know that, but duly noted,” Vital said. “I assume you plan to bring this up at your next war council meeting as well?”

“Yes, if it’s okay with Grif.”

“I suppose, but the government’s not going to be running the guild,” Grif noted.

“In other words, if the government has a job, it’ll have to post or make a request of the guildmaster, right?” Vital asked.

“Grif, the government would have to give some regulations to follow. With you and Luna talking, I’m sure something can be agreed upon. Just be ready, in case we have to call an emergency situation, okay?” Pensword asked.

“And then government regulations allow a small village to be wiped overnight because of priority,” Grif said. “Luna’s already agreed with this. The government will operate as a client, but it will have no part in the operation itself.”

Pensword raised a brow. “Very well, but I didn’t know about you already getting it cleared by Luna. I’m just trying to cover all my bases for protecting Equestria.”

“Well, now that that’s settled, anybody up for a dip in the pool?” Vital asked.

“I would like to try the pool. After some more training,” Pensword said. “After watching that, I need to work off this nervous energy.”





Hammer Strike stared out across Unity. He wasn’t happy with the events that had transpired involving the elder vampire, but he had no ability to change that at this point in time. All he could do was prepare for his next encounter with it.

“Father?” Luna embraced him as she approached. “Are you well?”

Hammer Strike blinked as he came out of his thoughts. “Sorry, yeah. I’m mostly fine.”

“Losing is hard, huh?” she asked.

“Indeed, it is. But it was bound to happen.”

“Finding your ceiling just gives you motivation to climb higher,” Luna offered.

“Exactly.” Hammer Strike turned back toward the town. “And I’ll make sure it doesn’t come back from it.”

A flash of light heralded the arrival of Celestia. “Anderson wants to see you, Father. Since I was coming back from the marketplace, he asked me to deliver the request.”

Hammer Strike nodded. “He’s at the completed church?”

“Yes. I believe his words were for you to, and I quote, ‘bring his ass down here’ as soon as possible. I … think he may have a request.”

“All right, I’ll head over now, then.” Hammer Strike sighed.

Thanks to Hammer Strike’s interactions with Bonnie, the village had been reinforced with the sacred symbol to strengthen wards and prepare various weapons to defend the citizenry. A small marketplace had emerged at the heart of the town. And since most of the civilians passed through there on a regular basis, it was the most logical location for Anderson to build his church. Since the town itself was still relatively small, compared to the rest of the kingdom’s land owners, the Gryphon had chosen to go with a more conservative structure built of wood and surrounded by a small stone wall he had crafted himself. The rune Bonnie had provided had been carefully etched at key points along the wall and within the building’s overall structure. The walls of the church itself had been painted white, while a single steeple rose up to cast the shadow of Faust’s inkwell above the rune. The only piece of finery that the Gryphon had allowed to differentiate the building was a series of intricate stained glass windows, each portraying the noble goddess and various scenes from scripture and sermons about the deity’s life and actions.

The inside was simple enough, a set of wooden pews stretched from front to back while a simple altar that doubled as a podium laid to the side and waited. There were no books of scripture, but a group of small candles had been set to the side to light. Heinkel was busy setting up the interior for the next gathering. While few attended the services about Faust, the community had begun to welcome the Gryphon into their homes as someone who had a reputation for selfless service and a gentle demeanor.

That gentle demeanor appeared to be warring with something else when Hammer Strike finally arrived.

“You called, Anderson?”

“What’s this I hear about you takin’ on an elder vampire all on your lonesome?” he demanded. “I thought stupid and berserk were supposed to be my job when it came to unholy abominations.”

“It was just that, and it resulted with broken ribs, hooves, and severe injuries.” Hammer Strike sighed. “On myself. Said elder vampire was beyond estimation.”

“Flames of Tartarus, Hammer Strike! You went and picked a fight with a bloody elder? It’s a miracle you’re even standing here right now!”

“Yeah, I got that already.” He sighed again.

“And secondly, why didn’t you take me along, you crazy gnostic bastard?”

“Because Unity needed you here.”

“Tha’s what Heinkel’s here for. Why else d’ya think I’d bring her along? She’s barely been initiated into the order. And as for your point on Unity needin’ me, well, they need you more, don’t they? Or have you forgotten about the fact that you’re the leader of this here settlement?”

“The difference between us is the fact that, while I may not be a Gryphon, I’m quite hard to kill.”

“Oh, is that what’s got your armor in a twist?” He scoffed. “Heinkel!”

“Yes, Father Anderson?”

“Do the thing.”

“But—”

“Now, Heinkel.”

Heinkel sighed. “Yes, Sir.” She pulled out a crossbow from under her robes and fired a bolt directly into Anderson’s head. “I really hope he doesn’t stain the floor this time. It’s always so difficult getting blood stains out of things, and he always expects me to clean up after his mess.”

A few seconds later, Anderson’s hand lunged at the shaft, yanked it out of his skull, and the wound closed over in short order, followed by the restoration of the feathers he’d lost as a result of the shot. “Y’see, Hammer Strike, I’m not a liability in this war. I’m an asset. And you’d best start letting me do my job seekin’ out these filthy heathens, so I can put their damned souls to rest.” An unsettling grin spread across his face, and he chuckled.

Hammer Strike sighed. “All right, all right. Next time I go after them, I’ll send an invite. If I remember.”

“You’d better. It’s been too long since I went on a good hunt.” A set of long silver blades suddenly emerged between his talons. “Time to sift the wheat from the chaff.” Then he broke into a fit of maniacal laughter.

Hammer Strike sighed before muttering to himself, “You choose an interesting individual to bless, Sleipnir….”





The night sky was quiet and peaceful. Crickets chirped in the summer heat, and children and adults had long since retired. The moon had faded to a mere sliver in its waning, and the humid air hung low to pull at those who struggled to sleep and fill their lungs with what felt more like vapor than air. It was a peaceful night, a gentle night. In short, it was the perfect night for a raid.

The rough stones that had been laid along the town’s streets grated and wobbled under pressure as the earth around them gradually receded and dropped. Strong hooves snatched each stone and gently lowered them, rather than risk the possibility of breaking the silence and losing the element of surprise. Blood-red eyes rose from the artificial sinkhole and peered cautiously around. The Pony was swathed in black to better blend into the shadows. When it perceived no threat, it motioned below, then pulled itself out.

Nothing happened for the first five or six feet as the vampire made its way forward. It seemed that they’d managed to get in unnoticed.

Or so he had thought.

A giant webbed hand reached out and grasped the vampire, who let out a strangled horrified cry. The skin was shiny black and slimy. And as the creature revealed itself, the vampire’s night vision took it in. All twelve feet of shiny black skin, long gangly arms and legs that belittled it’s strength, a bulky body, and seemingly no neck connecting its head to the rest of it. It’s flat face had large lidless eyes on the sides and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Running from the back of its neck down its spine to the end of its body was a razor-sharp fin.

The vampire had little time to realize the horror it looked upon as the deep one casually lurched forward and bit the head off, chewing thoughtfully.

Ainz stood nearby watching, his staff floating beside him as the beast he’d summoned worked on it’s meal. Being of eldritch nature, the deep one naturally ignored all the advantages vampires normally had, and Cthulhu was not the only name that could bring them running.

Hurricane nodded as he gazed on the sight. “So, this is the kind of magic a Pony can do if they don’t hold back.” He whistled, then casually sliced a vampire’s head off. It combusted immediately and fell back into the hole, where many voices cried their dismay.

At his next command, the leftover oatmeal that had been intended to serve as the following day’s breakfast, but had been quickly sanctified by Anderson at the last minute, was dumped into the hole. Several cries of agony were heard as the sloppy mushy mess slowly filled the space.

“I can’t believe that actually worked,” Hurricane said. “And better yet, it’ll stick to them until they either strip their own flesh or take a dip in a lake!”

“Which should have the same result.” Ainz chuckled.

The last of the township soon fled into the churchyard and sought sanctuary within the walls of the structure itself. Anderson’s expression was grave as he ushered the last of his parishioners through the doors. “Heinkel, I’m going to close this door now. And whatever you do, I don’t want you to open it until the sun comes up or one of us opens the door ourselves. And if one of us does, I want you to shoot them, got it?”

“But—”

“Shoot. Them. The odds of actually killing one of us by accident are virtually impossible, and if it’s an illusion, then that’s one less bloodsucking cunt to worry about. Comfort the children. Console the parents. Keep everyone calm.”

“What about you?”

Anderson’s glasses gleamed as he turned, and a manic grin passed over his face while his coat billowed behind him. “I’m off to do the Lady’s work.” He laughed as he approached the walls. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil.” The dim light of the moon glinted as metal rasped against the Gryphon’s talons, and a series of silver blades clutched in his hands. “Never shall innocent blood be shed, yet the blood of the wicked shall flow like a river. Now who’s ready for a boat ride!”

Meanwhile, Hammer Strike was overviewing everyone to ensure things were taken care of. While he normally would have joined in, he was pleasantly surprised to find everyone holding out against their attackers.

While he was happy with that part, it left him feeling somewhat strange. He wanted to take part in things, but with everyone working at their efficiency, he would most likely get in the way of their spells.

However, despite their attention to detail, he was able to note something heading over to the church. He knew by this point how hard it was to kill Anderson, but not his fighting prowess. He shifted the silver blade on his back and set off to meet the threat.

The monster choked and twitched as Anderson slammed the final blows home, impaling the vampire with the sixty-ninth blade while its eyes stared imploringly at the Gryphon. “Offer your pleases in Tartarus. Maybe they’ll actually give a damn.” He leaned in and whispered, “But I doubt it.” Then he stepped back and watched as the vampire burst into flame. “Gods, that was good!” he crowed.

“Well, you seemed to have this well in hand.” Hammer Strike sighed.

“You want me to save you one next time?”

“Probably best you don’t.” Hammer Strike shrugged.

Anderson shrugged in turn. “Probably wouldn't have done it, anyway.”

“After that show, I’d believe it.” He frowned. “Status report?”

“All the townsfolk are accounted for, except for the squad you had on guard tonight. Heinkel’s keepin’ watch inside. By the way, if you go in there, make sure you’re ready to take a crossbow bolt to the face. I told her to shoot on sight.”

“Fair enough.” Hammer Strike nodded. “If that’s everything covered, I guess I’ll do a perimeter sweep and ensure everything is clear.”

Anderson nodded. “I’ll be by the lake, if you need me. The vampires should be going off like fireworks.” He cackled wickedly. “I love to watch my work.”





“It’s coming along nicely, Celestia,” Hammer Strike gave a small smile as he looked over the current painting that she was working on. She was starting simple, just a still life version of their living room with the fireplace as the center.

“It’s difficult keeping the strokes steady,” the mare criticized. “I’ll need to practice a little more.”

“I’m positive you’ll get it down. It just takes time.”

“Where do you learn all these things? It feels like every time we ask you a question, you have an answer.”

“Honestly, it’s a mix of the implants and just previous knowledge. I used to study quite a bit of the world around me to make sure I knew how to manage it.”

“As in manipulate? Or do you mean something else?”

“Technically, yes.” Hammer Strike rubbed the back of his head. “If it wasn’t obvious, as it turns out, I’m very paranoid.”

Celestia smiled gently. “I always thought it was just being protective of me and Luna.”

“It is.” Hammer Strike chuckled. “In some ways, I might be overprotective sometimes.”

“I’d say you’re just right, after what happened the other night.”

“Yeah…” He sighed. “I need to start training again, need to be prepared for the next encounter with the elder vampire.”

“You’re not going to try taking him on alone again, are you?” Celestia frowned. “Ainz told us what happened.”

“The problem is that others don’t share my level of ‘immunity’ from him.” He frowned. “Perhaps Ainz, but the others … not so much.”

“Have you considered developing an armor that could help?”

“It would restrict movement too much to make something that would work.” Hammer Strike shook his head. “That, and it would potentially be too heavy for most.”

“Is there some sort of trap you can design for them?”

“To a point.” Hammer Strike frowned as he shifted his attention. “We’ll talk more about this later.”

“Then what would you like to talk about?”

“The alert that’s appeared in my augments about a local signal appearing,” Hammer Strike replied. “Three, to be precise.” He turned from Celestia toward the exit. “I’ll investigate.”

He found the gate closed and several confused guards looking down from it. As he got closer, he could hear familiar voices speaking from the other side.

“Hey! You asked me to track him down, and I'm telling you Hammer Strike’s on the other side of that gate!” Cayde's voice shot off with just a hint of annoyance. “When we separated, he had the girls.”

“The girls who are our rightful masters now,” a deep voice countered. “Or have you forgotten the dying wish of our creator?”

“Open the gates!” Hammer Strike called out as he stood at the entrance.

The gates opened, revealing three cloaked figures. All wore masks to cover their entire faces. One, however, was familiar.

“And there he is now,” Cayde said, gesturing with a hoof. “What’d I tell you?” He crossed the threshold without ceremony and approached Hammer Strike. “Yo, sorry it took so long. Took a bit to convince them.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “And Zavala got himself into a bit of trouble. Not really made for the outside world.”

“So I heard.” Hammer Strike looked over the other two.

Both wore a set of cloaks to hide their appearance, though the glint of a heavy set of armor bulked out against the cloth of one as he approached. “Hammer Strike. I must admit I am surprised to see you alive and well. But I commend you for doing what we could not in our absence.” He bowed his head. “Thank you for protecting the foals.”

“I couldn’t leave them on their own.” Hammer Strike shook his head. “Where exactly did you two end up?”

“I was adrift for some time,” Ikora started. “Eventually, I hit the mainland. I met a curious selection of Zebras who helped me get back on my hooves.”

“And I met a kindly group of Minotaurs who brought me to their females. Their smithwork is not the same quality as the equipment we once wielded, but it was sufficient for my needs, and allowed me to function enough to begin the journey to find this place,” Zavala said.

“So, you had to use force to get them to back off before they’d even talk to you,” Hammer Strike replied simply to Zavala.

“When I startled one of their warriors, yes, that was the initial requirement. I had only just awoken to find one of them poking me. My armor was partially stripped. I believe you can imagine their reaction.”

“I’ve run into them, yeah.” Hammer Strike sighed. “I know how each of you have been programmed, so I will say this once. Any Gryphon in these walls as a civilian or guard, are not to be harmed. That is a direct order.”

“Got it.” Cayde offered a mock salute.

“Gryphons living in peace with the foals? What could have happened to lead to such a … surprising development?” Zavala asked.

“The fact that I’m running this settlement and have bound each and every civilian in these walls,” Hammer Strike replied bluntly. “Willingly.”

“We’re going to have to hear that story. Maybe over a drink? Or ramen? This place has ramen, right?”

“We don’t, but I know how to make it.” Hammer Strike sighed. “Come along. We’ll discuss things at my home.”

“I’m there.”

“How do you know where it is, if you have never been here before?” Zavala asked.

“It’s a metaphor,” Cayde said, exasperated.

“I see.” Zavala’s mask fixed its unerring gaze on Cayde for several seconds of uncomfortable silence before he turned away and looked at Hammer Strike. “So, shall we go?”

Hammer Strike simply turned and led the trio back to his house. He couldn’t help but sigh internally as he thought of how he was going to deal with all three of them. When they all arrived, Celestia appeared to have just finished her painting.

“I’m back, with company.”

Celestia turned and beamed, then rushed to hug the foremost of the trio. “Cayde! Thank goodness. I was worried we’d never see you again.”

“Of course I'm back.” He laughed. “You think anything out there can handle me?”

“I’m sure Zavala can’t,” she teased.

“You have no idea….” Zavala replied.

“Where have you all been?”

“That is a very long story. Perhaps, if we were all to retire someplace for a proper narrative?” Zavala suggested.

“Here is fine,” Celestia said.

“But this place is so … insecure. Are you certain we won’t be overheard?”

“Positive,” Celestia promised. “I’ll have to introduce you to Clover, Binding, and Ainz sometime. Then you’ll understand.”

“While you three manage that, I need to borrow Cayde for a bit,” Hammer Strike commented.

Cayde, for once, said nothing as he followed Hammer Strike.

Hammer Strike brought Cayde down into his workshop before pointing towards a nearby table. “Take a seat over there.”

Cayde did as instructed. “What's with all the cloak and dagger?”

“Well, it doesn’t help I’m getting readings that you’re not in the best of shapes,” Hammer Strike commented as he started pulling out a few containers of tools.

“I’ve taken a few scrapes over the years,” Cayde admitted. From under his cloak, something floated into the air. It was a small device that had a shell composed of odd angles sticking out every which way. A white orb dominated its center with what looked like a blue eye constantly darting around.

“Oh, what a quaint little place,” a voice said cheerily. “Your statement is correct.” The bot turned to Hammer Strike. “The Cayde Six has received heavy damage and requires repair.”

“I … don’t recall you having an additional bot with you, Cayde.” Hammer Strike hummed as he started hunting down materials.

 “This is Failsafe,” Cayde noted. “Sort of a black box drone they stored at the crystal empire. I went to check on it’s status and she decided to follow me.”

“You’ve certainly got around if you went to the empire.” Hammer Strike raised a brow as he moved his assorted tools and materials over to Cayde. “Remove the cloak, so I can get to work scanning you.”

Cayde did so begrudgingly.

Hammer Strike looked over the damage before sighing. “We need to figure out some sort of auto repair for you, if this is going to be common.”

“I’m not exactly built like Zavala. Built better than Ikora, though. Amazed she’s in such good shape.” Cayde's voice took on an interesting tone at this point.

“It’s probably because she’s careful, compared to you.”

“Nah; she’s just that good.”

“That, too.” Hammer Strike chuckled as he started removing some of Cayde’s external plates. “I don’t have some spare parts, so I’ll have to take measurements and make them quickly.”

“I’m surprised. Place doesn’t look like it has the facilities,” Cayde noted.

“That’s the point. They’re farther down.”

“You’ve been busy.” Cayde cringed in pain. “So, what else is up? You didn’t look like you called me over here just because you were worried. What's the problem?”

“I’m sensing a lot of energy coming off you that isn’t standard.” Hammer Strike sighed. “Which means one of two things. Either I need to take some readings and scans or you’re carrying something I’m familiar with.”

“Huh. The only thing I got is some dice,” Cayde said as he pulled out a small hide bag. “Bought them cheap in the empire. Haven’t even used them yet.”

Hammer Strike scanned over the bag for a brief seconds before chuckling. “Yeah, you found one of those, all right.” He frowned afterwards. “I don’t like how common they are.”

“Tell you what.” Cayde removed his pistol and placed it before Hammer Strike. It had clearly seen better days. “You clean Ace here up for me and you can keep whatever it is you’re seeing.”

Hammer Strike glanced to Cayde before looking back at the pistol and sighing. “All right, but that’ll come after your repairs.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Cayde grumbled.





The autumnal winds blew coldly overhead as dull gray clouds blanketed the skies. The leaves hissed menacingly as they skirted the ground. Many a foal took shelter within their homes while the guard patrolled the relatively quiet streets. Hurricane peered suspiciously at the sky. “I don’t like it,” he said to the leader of the Gryphon forces. “I don’t like it one bit.” His wings fluffed and his feathers rose like hackles. “This doesn’t feel natural.”

“Of course it’s not.” The Gryphon nodded. “Pegasai must be moving the weather in for cover or to bog us down.”

“Possibly both. At least they haven’t authorized a thunderstorm. They probably want to probe our forces first, see just what kind of defenses we have. I suggest we keep our reserves on standby, until it’s absolutely necessary. If I know those leaders up there, and regrettably, I do, they’ll think to defeat us with either numbers or aerial combat. That being said, if they know I’m here, then they’ll know I would have told Hammer Strike about our strategies, which means we shouldn’t count out the possibility of new tactics.”

“You Pegasi really think highly of yourselves, don’t you?” the Gryphon chuckled as he examined the sky.

“Pride is one of our greatest traits, but it is also one of our most crippling weaknesses,” Hurricane acknowledged.

The Gryphon called for one of his subordinates. When the warrior arrived, his commander pointed to the far northern end. “Pegasi have us everywhere except there. See those high floating clouds? Take a squad with their bows and as many arrows as you need. Move it here slowly. Make it look like a natural drift. When you're floating above their position, pick out their leaders and be ready to strike if anything happens.” The Gryphon looked to Hurricane. “Your people rarely look up.”

“They rarely have to fight other flyers.” Hurricane shrugged. “It’s a failing, I’ll admit, but one I think I’ll be glad to exploit this time around.”

“I also don’t think they’re quite prepared for Hammer Strike’s weapons. Bows are easier to sway. These crossbows seem a much straighter shot in any direction.”

“Though shorter range as a result.”

“Yes, but with our bows in the sky, and these on the ground, those Pegasi will have limited options.”

“True, especially given the fact these are capable of piercing plate armor.” He sighed. “I just hope we won’t have to kill too many of them. I may have left my home, but they're still my people. Many of them are just good soldiers following a fool’s orders.”

“That is the nature of the war your people worship so much,” the Gryphon said. “A soldier's action isn’t to fight, but to die. A commander’s duty is to spend his soldiers in the best way to buy victory cheaply. I fear the cost will be too great for their tastes.”

“Given how stubborn they are, I fear you are correct.” Hurricane sighed and cocked his own crossbow. “Let’s get this over with.”

Hammer Strike sighed as he approached the two. “Today’s going to be fun, isn’t it?

“You can expect the demands at any moment. If they have any honor, they’ll send a direct delegation. If they’re already treating us as hostile, however….”

An arrow shaft embedded itself into the ground nearby. A scroll was tied to the side.

“That will happen,” he finished.

Hammer Strike looked at the angle of the arrow before collecting the scroll and unfurling it.

To the denizens of this land:

By the authority of the Pegasus Council, you are hereby ordered to surrender your crops and swear fealty to our nation. Failure to comply will be taken as a declaration of war. You have forty-eight hours in which to respond.

Lieutenant General Glory Blaze

Hammer Strike sighed as the ends of the scroll began to burn away into ash. Glancing to the two at his side, his eyes hardened. “Prepare your weapons for my mark. Let’s show them what it means to go to war with Unity.”

The sound of tightening bow strings and cranking crossbows could be heard.

He scanned over every inch of the clouds above him with his thaumaturgy. It was a simple matter to pinpoint the locations where the Pegasi had holed up through the haze. Once he’d segmented out the portion of clouds to disperse in his mind, he gave his directions in a terse controlled voice. “Northwest,” he commented. “Ready. Aim.”

He lifted his hoof across his chest as thaumic fire seeped from him. Then he threw his foreleg out in front of him, and the fire flared. Whole chunks of clouds dissipated almost instantly, revealing the stunned party that hid there. “Open fire!”

The air rang with the mechanical thunk and twang of bolts launching into the air. Those Pegasi that managed to dodge the barrage from below were quickly sniped from above, forcing many to tumble toward the ground with little to cushion their landing. Those that survived the fall soon found themselves raked with arrows from the walls surrounding the town.

Those who managed to dive into the protection of cloud banks didn’t find shelter for long. The twang of extremely taunt bowstrings could be heard as arrows flew swift and true from one of the surviving cloud banks, large brightly-tufted arrows that punctured the pegasi’s armor and left more than a few dying pinned to the earth.

With their waiting attack formation thrown into disarray, there was little chance of the raiding party finding success or even hoping for a proper defense. What had started out as a stealth mission had turned into a systematic slaughter.

In no time at all, more than half their number had been cut down. Someone from the back shouted something about Gryphons, and the group began to retreat. They lost another quarter of their forces as they ran. The ‘battle’ had lasted five minutes.

“A decisive victory.” The Gryphon laughed as he glided back to Hammer Strike’s side.

“Though one that will require careful preparation for a rebuttal. The presence of Gryphons and the trained forces we utilized took them by surprise, but if they’re desperate enough, they will attack again with greater force and more dangerous weather patterns,” Hurricane warned.

“Then we’ll meet them once again.” Hammer Strike squinted in the direction of the retreating forces. “Keep patrols up. We’ll see how things go.”

“If there’s a means to create an early alert system, I suggest we utilize it,” Hurricane said. “Is it possible for our magical friends to devise such a thing?

“I’ll check in with them, see what they can come up with.”

“We should send out scouts to check for any survivors to extract information as well. I’ll lead the party myself.”

Hammer Strike nodded. “You’re clear for whatever you think is needed,” he replied as he turned to depart. “I’ll be at my home, should anything come up.”





Yharon sighed contentedly as he polished off a bowl of soup with a small garnish of rubies. His feathers rustled as he savored the flavor. Then he smiled at the tall Earth Pony that sat across from him on the table. “That was delicious, Father. Thank you for the meal.”

“Glad you enjoyed it.” Hammer Strike offered a smile. “How go your studies with Clover and Celestia?”

“Well, I like Celestia more because she’s gentle. Aunt Clover is … more hands-on. I learn, but she also … kind of scares me?”

“Yeah, that sounds about right.” He chuckled. “She’s just very blunt in how she talks to others, and acts.”

“She also enjoys experimenting with what I can do. But I suppose I can’t resent her for that, after what you told me.” He frowned. “It kind of makes me wonder what sort of dragon I’m going to be. Will I be strong? Will I be fierce? Will I be kind? You know, things like that.”

“I wish I could tell you more.” Hammer Strike frowned. “But in the end, it’ll be up to you on who you will be. Like any parent, I’ll simply be there to help guide you along.”

Yharon dragged a claw idly over the table. “Did you ever feel like this when you were growing up?”

“Technically, but everyone does to a degree. Admittedly, probably not as much as you currently, but we’ve all experienced that question.”

“What was it like for you? Growing up, I mean.”

“Well…” Hammer Strike thought things over in how he would explain himself. “It was in a more populated area, more so than here. My family worked all types of fields from smithing to carpentry, so I was always surrounded by something being made.”

“Is that where you learned how to smith, too, then?”

“Yes and no. My uncle was a smith who taught me some of what he knew. Beyond that, I actually became a carpenter first.”

“Really? I never thought you would have, with how passionate you are about smithing.”

“Who do you think made the house?”

“... Good point,” Yharon admitted. “So, does that mean I can focus on more than just magic, if I want to?”

“Of course.” Hammer Strike nodded. “The reason you’re being taught is so you have control of it, primarily.”

“So, once I get better control, do you think it’d be possible for me to maybe learn a little about how to fight?”

“Of course,” Hammer Strike replied with a smile.

Yharon smiled. “Just promise me one thing?”

“And that would be?”

“Don’t pair me with Luna. Big sis is kind of scary.” He laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.

Hammer Strike chuckled. “Can’t make any promises,” 

“Well, can’t say I didn’t try.”





Hammer Strike glanced over the library Clover had built. Over the time she’d been in Unity, she had amassed a collection of books in all kinds of magic. “I don’t remember you having this many shelves full the last time I visited,” he commented aloud.

“I’ve been duplicating them,” she admitted. “Didn’t want to bother the carpenter all the time.”

“I meant the collection of books,” Hammer Strike noted. “Seems you’ve been collecting quite a stock.”

“I check every time a trader comes to town. I need to keep pushing my research.”

“How have things been going in that regard, anyway?”

“Good, although I think my mentor wouldn’t like what I’ve been looking into.”

“Oh, now?” Hammer Strike raised a brow.

“I’ve been looking into contracted spirits, summons if you will, seeing if I could contact some of the elemental planes, make deals. He showed me how to do it once before when I was his student, but I haven’t actually tried to forge any contracts myself, yet.

He hummed in thought. “It would certainly prove useful to you, and you have no worries of the sway.”

“Hammer Strike, if I may ask, what do you know about the entity known as ‘The Doctor’?”

“Have you encountered an entity identifying themselves as ‘The Doctor’?”

“Myself, no. My mentor, however, has encountered him several times.”

“I’m sure you will as well one day. He’s an interesting character.” He chuckled.

“So, you have met him, then?”

“Yes, though it was…” Hammer Strike frowned. “Technically a long time ago.”

“Can you tell me about him?”

“In a simple way, he’s a mad stallion traveling around in a blue box who deals with time.” He gave a soft smile. “He’s around almost anytime he’s needed.”

“Without the blue box, he sounds similar to you.”

“I’m only slightly insane and paranoid, thank you very much,” Hammer Strike replied. “Mostly paranoid.”

“But you’re there when people need you.”

“As much as I can be.”

“You don’t understand what you’ve done, do you?”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand the question.” Hammer Strike’s brow furrowed.

“You have created a safe place in one of the unsafest time periods in known history. You’ve made peace between races that have no common ground.”

Hammer Strike blinked a few times as he thought over the words. “I … suppose I have.” He hummed to himself. “Honestly, I don’t really pay attention to that side of things.”

“Can you meet me outside the gate tomorrow in the evening? I have something to show you.”

“I can.”

“I’ll see you there, then,” she said, walking farther into the library.

Hammer Strike bid her farewell and set a reminder for himself. In the meantime, he continued his training underground. Thankfully, one thing to help him keep track of time had remained functional in the augments in his eyes, so when the reminder already came up, he was almost surprised.

He found Clover in the brush near the gate, a place thick enough with cover that they couldn’t be seen, but still close enough to protection in the event of an attack. She’d donned a full robe and handed Hammer Strike leathers to wear.

Hammer Strike raised a brow but simply donned the equipment. “Any particular reason?”

“There’s something I want to show you.” She wove a glamour around them carefully, then led them to the gatehouse, where a Unicorn and Earth Pony, both dressed in chainmail with their crossbows nearby, sat playing cards.

“Hello,” Clover greeted them. “Treefoil. I just signed up. And this is Grimm. He doesn’t talk much.” She gestured to Hammer Strike.

Hammer Strike simply followed along and gave a nod.

“Hello.” The unicorn spoke with a thicker accent. “Come, have a seat by the fire.”

They all sat in amicable silence for a few moments before Clover spoke up. “So, seems like a busy place. Heard there was an attack a few days ago. Wonder who the mayor pissed off, huh?” Clover asked.

“The mayor did nothing. Those Pegasi should have known better than to come after Unity. So, why’d you join up?”

“We’re mercenaries.” Clover shrugged. “Money seemed good. Isn’t that right, Grimm?”

Hammer Strike nodded once again.

“What about you?” Clover asked the Unicorn.

“I just felt I wasn’t doing any good working for Duke Tariff. All that attacking and raiding villages. Here, we’re only expected to defend others. Our mayor doesn’t expect us to dirty our conscience.”

“I just wanted to make a difference,” the Earth Pony chimed in. “More than I could have stuck on a farm. The mayor offers us opportunities to do what we want.”

“Yes but it’s a step down, isn’t it?” Clover asked the Unicorn.

“I’d give up any title to do it again.” The guard shrugged. “The queen doesn’t even know how to wield power. If tomorrow, the mayor decided he wanted to conquer the world, I wouldn’t hesitate to follow him.”

Clover nodded. “Well, we should be going. You two enjoy yourselves.” Clover nodded her head. “Come on, Grimm.”

Hammer Strike blinked before moving to follow.

“Some people try to know everpony’s name. You don’t really have that option, but sometimes a few can help,” she said as they stopped well out of earshot.

“I never really thought on it.” Hammer Strike hummed to himself.

“For some, it’s safety for the sake of being safe from others, but there are those who come here for the safety of not being forced to do things they don’t want to. And yet others still who look for the freedom you offer. Are you starting to understand now? You’ve created a place that's unlike anywhere else on Equis.”

Hammer Strike blinked a few times as he processed everything before a small smile crept across his muzzle.

“They follow you for more then just some dumb oath. You give them hope, all of them. I’ve talked to many, and they're practically all like this. These Ponies would give you their souls if you asked them to.”

“An almost terrifying level of trust.” Hammer Strike looked to Clover. “I … appreciate this bit of perspective.”

She laid a hoof on his shoulder. “Just remember; everyone appreciates what you’ve done for us.”

He gave her a smile. “I know that now. Thank you.”





The autumn winds stirred playfully as they danced between the warmth of summer and the frigidness of winter. However, this time, they carried more than the whispers of the tree boughs and the whistles of breaking over cracks. The jingle of bells rang with a steady gait over the hills. The sound grew louder as time passed, until a familiar figure wrapped in a blue cloak bedecked with golden bells approached. His beard flowed with streaks of gray that matched his fur coat, and his long horn stood proudly in front of the brim on his hat. It didn’t take long for the Unicorn to draw near. The crescent moon and stars on his cloak glistened dully as he knocked on the stout wooden gates.

“Ho, the gate! I am Star Swirl the Bearded, and I have come to speak with your leader!”

“And how’re we supposed to know you’re the real Star Swirl?” an Earth Pony called back over the wall. “You know how many attacks we’ve had to repel already this year alone?”

“I know your leader is an Earth Pony named Hammer Strike. He lives in a cabin in the center of this town,” Star Swirl said.

“Lucky guess,” the Pony argued. “Lots of Ponies know that name by now. Got anything else to identify yourself with?”

“Call Clover the Clever. She’ll vouch for me.”

The Earth Pony narrowed her gaze suspiciously, then turned back to the other guards. A hastily whispered conversation was followed by a Pegasus flying off toward town. “You sit tight, stranger. We’ll see what’s what soon enough.”

The door opened not ten minutes later. Clover stood not far off looking expectantly as the older Unicorn entered.

“I see that the reception hasn’t much improved from the last time I visited this place,” Star Swirl said as he passed through the doors. “It feels like the whole world has shifted around this settlement, both the shadow and the light. Just what have you and that master of yours gotten yourselves into now, Clover?”

“We’ve had to do a lot to keep things safe,” Clover stated simply. “Vampires are merciless, after all.”

“Indeed, they are,” Star Swirl agreed, then sighed. “I’m sorry about the Pegasi. I tried to dissuade them, but nopony is willing to listen to reason, despite the accords you helped bring to pass.”

“And why would my accords make them trusting?” Clover asked. “Those accords are mine alone. In Unity, species and tribe don’t hold water.”

“So I surmised when an Earth Pony questioned my credentials. Just what have you been building here, though? There is a different sort of magic here than I felt last time. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was some form of protection, but I sense no active channel behind it.”

“Runic spells, for the most part, supported by the magic of every Pony in the village. You don’t sense active channels because there is no active upkeep.”

“A remarkable concept. Dangerous, given the volatile reaction combining mana provided for you last time, but it does appear you’ve ironed out the kinks,” Star Swirl admitted. “And I see those strange orbs are still present. Does your new master never tire?”

“You … probably wouldn’t understand,” she admitted.

“Me, not understand?” Star Swirl laughed. “Ah, how I missed that sense of humor.”

“I wasn’t joking.”

“Of course you weren’t.” Star Swirl smiled, then sighed and sobered. “Still, I do need to speak to Hammer Strike urgently. Things are beginning to move at a much faster rate than I initially anticipated.”

“Things are breaking down faster?”

“Far more so than should be normal. I suspect foul play. And given the attacks you mentioned from vampires and the shift in the shadows I detected….”

“Platinum’s incompotent,” Clover said bluntly. “When you hear wingbeats, think owls, not dragons.”

“While I grant you the point on her incompetence, I believe she and other leaders are being manipulated beyond their usual extremes. The pride of the Unicorns and the hot blood of the Pegasi make them easier targets. Of the three tribes, you’ll likely have the least trouble from the Earth Ponies, and possibly your earliest alliance in the battles to come. Hammer Strike is becoming a very prominent name lately.”

“I wouldn’t say completely,” Clover noted. “We had a visit from the son of Drakenfeller.”

“Swift Strike? Now that is news. It explains the distance he’s kept from the court of late, though. I keep warning the girl, but she simply won’t listen. If the course of events doesn’t change soon, Platinum will have a full coup on her hooves with no allies to support her.”

“As for the Pegasi, I don’t think they’ll be as great a threat to us as most would believe.”

“I wasn’t referring to the threat they may or may not pose. I’m referring to the division that is being exploited among them to weaken them. That is what I wish to discuss with your master.”

“You have some idea that involves him?”

“Assuming he agrees. Though it is quite possible that even without my plan, the result will be the same. It will simply take longer.”

“You going to tell me?”

“Perhaps. Though it would likely be better if you were in the room to offer advice and hear at the same time. From what you’ve led me to believe, you have quite the prominent position here. As such, it is only fitting that you be present when I explain.”

“Maybe.” She shrugged. “Never was striving to be important.”

The two finally arrived at the cottage, where Celestia was hard at work clearing the leaves from the lawn. Star Swirl’s jaw dropped at the sight. “Is that…?”

Celestia turned. “Oh, Clover. I didn’t realize you were planning on visiting today. Who’s your guest? I don’t think I’ve seen him around the town before.”

“This is my mentor, Star Swirl the Bearded,” Clover offered.

“Oh, so this is your old magic instructor.” Clover smiled and offered a hoof. “Celestia. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Star Swirl gulped and shook the hoof gently. “The,” he cleared his throat, “pleasure is all mine.”

“Father is in his forge, if you’re looking for him.” She looked to Clover. “Would you like me to get him for you, or would you prefer to go yourself?”

“You go.” Clover nodded.

“Be back in a jiff.” Celestia smiled and disappeared in a flash of golden light.

“That was. That was.... That’s Hammer Strike’s daughter? Who is the mother?” Star Swirl asked.

“They’re not his daughters by blood. They’re … the last of their kind,” Clover explained. “It seems the Alicorns were not what we expected.”

“It sounds like there is much yet still to be learned here,” Star Swirl noted as he eyed his former pupil. “But I suppose that will have to wait for another time.”

Another flash of light passed through the air, followed by Celestia and Hammer Strike.

“Well, it’s certainly been a while, Star Swirl,” Hammer Strike commented.

“Indeed, it has,” Star Swirl agreed. “I hoped to have a word with you, if you’ve the time.”

Hammer Strike nodded and directed them over to his living room. “What seems to be the issue this time around?”

“To put it bluntly, the three nations are standing on the brink of open warfare again. The two main aggressors are the Pegasi and the Unicorns. The Pegasi are seeking to claim any food they can for themselves, as I’m certain you are already aware. The Unicorns are more interested in seizing power and land to be independent from the crown, now that Princess Platinum has become queen. To be perfectly blunt, Hammer Strike, they need a unifying force to restore peace and order. And like it or not, I believe that you will eventually become that force. It doesn’t help that other forces are working behind the scenes to stir things up either.” He sighed and shook his head. “The shadows are stirring.”

“I’ve already had plenty of confrontations in the last few years to figure that part out.” Hammer Strike sighed. “I can’t play said unifying force if they’re all against it. Should I use force to bring that about, it wouldn’t be a peace, simply fear of a higher power.”

“Regardless of what you may desire, the violence will only increase. Either the factions will come to you willingly to form treaties or they will attack. And when they become sufficiently weakened, I fear the shadows will strike, leading to a far more dangerous confrontation. It’s my hope to assist you in forming treaties with the surrounding tribes, so the better outcome may come to pass. That is, if you are willing to allow me the attempt.”

“If they are to accept my rule, I hold no ill will toward anyone.” He shook his head. “In that, though, lies the problem. Do you believe yourself capable of assisting in forming treaties between the races to fall under my rule, an Earth Pony?”

“An Earth Pony that has already united many races under his banner, including the fierce and advanced Gryphon race. Add that to a testimony from me, and there will be a great deal of weight toward that end. As to whether it will prove successful or not, I cannot say. But it seems the best option, given how things appear to be progressing.”

“You’re free to try, but, as much as I hate to say it, conflict will rise from it.”

“The question is how much can be headed off in the long run,” Star Swirl agreed. “With your permission, I’ll start with the Earth Ponies. Chancellor Puddinghead is a close acquaintance of Clover’s. I believe she will be willing to negotiate, especially when she learns you have Clover’s trust.”

Hammer Strike glanced over to Clover for her opinion.

“Well, I mean, it’s possible, though Puddinghead’s starting to get up there in years. I’ve heard she may be starting to lose her grip.”

“I still would like to make the attempt. At the very least, it will give me the opportunity to meet their new leader, assuming what you say is true. While I don’t get involved in the conflicts between the tribes, I do like to retain relations with their leaders.”

Hammer Strike frowned before sighing. “Do what you can. We’ll see how the results fare.”

“I will retain contact with Clover. She can relay my reports to you as I travel.” He rose from the chair he had taken and nodded. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

“Until next time.”

Star Swirl strode out purposefully. One could just glimpse the bow he offered to Celestia before he turned down the lane and began the walk back to the gate.

“He’s likely to fail, though the chances of success are still present.” Hammer Strike hummed.

“He’s a genius. The problem is he fails to comprehend that others can’t understand his genius or see the world as he does.” Clover sighed. “That’s gonna get him in trouble one day.”

“Definitely.” He sighed. “We might need to prepare for war sometime soon.”

“Anything in particular? I mean, we’re already laid out for several sieges.”

“We might go to war with both the Pegasi and Unicorns. In all likelihood, soon after the first. Whoever attacks second will potentially wait until the first is complete. Thus, in our moment of ‘weakness,’ they’d believe us to be open.” He frowned. “The Earth Ponies, however, I’m unsure of. They’ve been very accepting of myself and the town. Honestly, they are the most likely to accept my rule.”

“Perhaps we should see about getting the Pegasi and Gryphons to collaborate on some kind of cloud fortress?”

“Definitely. The more we can work with, the better.”

“Should I have Binding send for mercenaries? Maybe offer amnesty or to pay off bounties as a bonus?”

Hammer Strike frowned as he thought it over. “It might be a good idea, though we need to be able to sustain those numbers.”

“Currently, we make enough food in a single harvest to feed a population several times our size,” Clover noted. “And that's the standard harvest season. Ours are nearly five times as common for most food crops.”

“Then we’ll need to look into some barracks to hold them.”

“I’ll see about talking to the builders. Seems like it would be a good idea to work on a college as well.”

“The more spells our spellcasters can understand, the better.”

“Exactly what I was thinking. Magic may be a key advantage in a war. Moreso the deeper we can go. Which, leading into, I was wondering if I could ask a favor.”

Hammer Strike raised a brow.

“I need you to name me archmage, or court mage, or whatever you think your equivalent would be. With that authority, I can possibly begin luring in Unicorns who have been ostracized or worse. It’s power we could probably use. And as your archmagus, they’d swear oaths to me, which would then put them under my oath to you.”

Hammer Strike hummed for a moment. “I mean, sure. To be honest, you, Binding, and Ainz are the top three mages this place will ever have, so granting you three the titles of Archmage would be apt.”

“And it would carry some weight outside Unity.”

“Then, by all means. I can’t hold a ceremony for it, but I doubt anyone would try to call you out for that. From henceforth, you will be my archmage.”

“Thank you. I'll make sure to use it for the betterment of Unity.”

Hammer Strike gave a soft smile. “I’m positive you will.”





The coolness of fall had finally come to an end, and with it the last of the harvests in the other lands. As such, the guards who volunteered at the wall were put on higher alert for approaching visitors, be they from the air or the land. And so it was that they came to see the party approaching long before the delegation reached the doors. A loud hoof hammered against the gate with immense force, and a loud voice broke through the air.

“I’m here to see Hammer Strike!” The Pony that stood at the door was bedecked in a worn robe and a thick hat that pulled down around her ears to provide warmth against the cold. “Tell him Chancellor Puddinghead’s here!”

After many magical detection tests and visual identification, the Pony finally found herself face to face with Hammer Strike for the second time. She looked him over with serious scrutiny as the exposed pieces of her mane bobbed in the air. “Same glower, more scars, same smell, but glowing eyes (nice feature, by the way). No tool belt this time. And you got a different coat.” She rubbed her chin in thought, then nodded. “Okay, I’ll believe it. You’re the real Hammer Strike.”

“Okay...?” Hammer Strike raised a brow. “What brings you to Unity, Puddinghead? I’m certain it wasn’t just to visit.”

“Nope. Though I probably should’ve come back sooner. Things have just been really busy settling everypony in. Pretty much, we talked with Star Swirl, and he pointed out the food we’ve been able to stockpile for the winter’s probably going to make us a big target to most anypony else. So, I was kinda hoping to work out a deal with you, so we don’t have to worry about getting killed by thieves.”

“That’s somewhat difficult, given the current standing.” Hammer Strike gestured for her to follow him.

“That so? Tell me more.” Puddinghead beamed as they passed into the town. “Oh, and you remember my companion, Smart Cookie, right? Say hello, Smart Cookie!”

The stallion waved bleakly. “Hello again.”

“With feeling, Smart Cookie. Come on. What’s life without a smile?”

Smart Cookie rolled his eyes. “Relaxing?”

They soon arrived at Hammer Strike’s home, where he invited them inside and gave them a place in his living room. “Now we’re in a more private atmosphere.”

“Wow. You’ve really spruced up the place since the last time we were here. By the way, who’s the mare with the pink mane?” she asked as she pointed calmly toward the kitchen.

“My daughter, Celestia,” Hammer Strike replied before looking over. “Speaking of which, Celestia, where is your sister?”

“Out learning from the Thestrals.”

“Fair enough.” Hammer Strike nodded before turning his attention back to Puddinghead and Smart Cookie.

Smart Cookie gaped at Celestia while Puddinghead continued like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

“So, can we talk about those standings you told me about?”

“Honestly, we have no connections between our town and any of the other nations, beside disputes that have occurred recently.”

Puddinghead circled the air with a hoof. “Go on.”

“To put it simply, my subjects have no reason to support those who they are uncertain about. From the disputes they’ve had to fight, it’s hard to just freely offer help when they’re worried of a knife in the back.”

“Okay, so … what’s the problem?”

Smart Cookie facehoofed.

“I mean, we haven’t given you any trouble, have we?” Puddinghead continued.

“For now, correct.” Hammer Strike sighed. “Alternate approach, what exactly are you looking for, and what do you have to offer?”

“Pretty much, we’re looking for a compromise. We give you something you want, and you give us something we want, sort of a trade.”

“What do you need from us?”

“Well, you know how big we are on families. The food we have stored may get us through this year’s winter, but that doesn’t mean we’ll be able to do that every year. If you could maybe help us build our lands, maybe train some of our folk how to fight, we can lend you some of our own skills. Us Earth Ponies are really good with our hooves. And we hear a lot, too. The other tribes usually underestimate us.” She said it so matter-of-factly that Hammer Strike couldn’t tell whether she was being sly or just blatantly honest.

He frowned as he thought things over. “Information and trained specialists in exchange for assistance from us. I’ll need to discuss things further with others before I can make this decision.”

“We can wait.” Puddinghead smiled. “And in the meantime, I can teach your daughter some of my recipes. I haven’t seen what you’ve done to the kitchen yet.”

“Celestia?” Hammer Strike called out to get her opinion.

“I suppose, if she wants. Though I’m not sure if she has any recipes we don’t already have on file.”

Puddinghead grinned and rubbed her hooves together with a wicked chortle that sounded almost like a cackle. “That sounds like a challenge.”

Smart Cookie cringed.

Hammer Strike sighed as he stood and headed towards the exit. As soon as he stepped outside, he frowned and thaumically formed a link to Binding. “Hey, are you free right now?”

“Give me ten … no, five minutes,” came the quick response.

“When you’re free, come to my house. I’ll be waiting.”

True to his word, Binding arrived swiftly and promptly. “How may I be of service?”

“We’ve got a deal to make with Puddinghead. Needed some other input alongside me.”

“In what way?”

“Well, I trust your opinion on the general outlook of our town and those within. I’d prefer a second perspective on the deal.” He gestured towards the door. “They’re inside.”

“Then, by all means.”

Hammer Strike brought Binding in and settled him in the living room. “Puddinghead, I’m back.”

“Ooh! Who’s this?”

“Greetings. I am Binding Strategy.” Binding bowed. “Consider me a … counselor of sorts. I’m here to help facilitate negotiations.”

“Oh, I thought Hammer Strike and I already had things ironed out.” She looked questioningly to Hammer Strike. Flour and bits of dough clung to her mane, but she still managed to radiate joy, despite the appearance.

“The basics, perhaps, but a proper peace treaty requires specific terms that bind an individual. And given the authority that you bear as the leader of your tribe, that means that you are agreeing to bind yourself and every Pony who follows you.”

“Yeah, so what’s the big deal?”

Smart cookie sighed. “He’s saying that means they’ll all be bound by whatever you agree to, no matter what, Chancellor, even if they don’t want to do it.”

“Oh.” Puddinghead frowned briefly, then perked up again. “That just means we’ll have to make a deal everypony agrees with.”

“She is surprisingly chipper, isn’t she?” Binding asked Hammer Strike.

“Yeah.”

“All right, then.” Binding’s glasses flashed as he smiled. “Let’s get down to the details.”

“Hope you’re ready to be here for a while,” Smart Cookie murmured.





The first gleam of light on the horizon beyond the wall came not from the rising of the sun, but a multicolored dome that flickered and pulsed with the energy of a hundred horns. Foals were circled by stallions and mares whose brows were sweaty and legs shaking from exhaustion. Still, they held their ground and plowed forward one step at a time as the little ones nudged or supported them. Many wore rags, some few the trappings of armor, others a pathetic imitation cobbled together from bits of cloth and chain mail. Frost coated their bodies, granting them a glitter no Pony had seen before. Many of their frames were emaciated, and some of the foals hung in slings, shivering next to their mothers’ or fathers’ chests for warmth.

The alert passed quickly through the ranks on the wall, and though many tears welled in the eyes of those who watched, the warriors were still wary. Dawn had not yet come, and this could just as easily be a cunning trap as it was a wandering group of refugees.

A stallion approached the gate waving a white flag. “Ho, the gate! Truce! We wish to parlay with your leader!” His tone wasn’t demanding, surprisingly enough, more pleading.

“All attempts at parlay must be performed in the light of day, with no exceptions, by order of Hammer Strike. If you wish to make petition, you must wait until after sunrise,” one of the guards replied insistently.

“Please! It’s not safe out here!”

“We know. Which is why we’re not allowed to bring any strangers behind these walls until after daybreak. We’ve already been attacked by vampires and Pegasi. Hammer Strike would rather we not risk anything else.”

“Please! We have foals down here!”

“And we have foals in here. The only way you might have a chance to enter our home before then is if you all submit yourselves to testing from one of our magic casters.”

“They’re fine,” a familiar voice spoke behind the guard.

“Master Ainz, we were just about to send for you.” The guard bowed to the Minotaur, then turned to address the remaining troops at the gate. “All right, let them through!”

The herd entered with relief. Many collapsed when they passed through the portal. Others wept while they kissed the ground. Some foals asked about food while others fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion. Their ribs showed clearly against their sides.

The response was immediate. Blankets were fetched and laid over the foals and mares to conserve warmth. When all was settled, the guard turned to the lich and bowed his head again. “Should we get Hammer Strike, Sir, or did you want to handle this parlay?”

“Let's be sure what they want. Then we can bother Hammer Strike,” Ainz said.

“Of course, Sir.” The Pony led the Minotaur to the party, where the standard bearer laid in wait. Of the various Unicorns there, he was among the few wearing anything close to a proper set of clothes. Dark bags hung heavily under his eyes, and the frost had dyed his mane a partial silver as the crystals began to melt into droplets. As usual, Ainz wore his gauntlets and mask to prevent anyone from seeing his true nature.

“So, may I ask the intention of your … group?”

“Ideally, sanctuary.” The stallion barely had the strength to keep his head up. “The kingdom is crumbling to bits, and Queen Platinum refuses to hear her subjects’ pleas.”

“You are aware that you’d be effectively giving up your rights as citizens of the kingdom, correct?”

“Do we look like that would bother us at this point? We barely managed to get here with our lives intact. If the lords and ladies don’t ruin everything, then those things will.” He shuddered.

“Are you all prepared to swear an oath to Hammer Strike?” Ainz asked.

“If he takes better care of us than they did, many here would give their very souls.”

“I understand your kingdom has very strong opinions on the cultures of others. Lord Hammer Strike would expect those opinions to die at the gate.”

“Anything else?”

“Are there any of the peerage in your ranks?”

The Unicorn shook his head. “A few would-be-knights, a ragtag band of merchants, some farmers, and a number of certain individuals of the,” he cleared his throat, “entrepreneurial persuasion, if you catch my drift.”

Ainz nodded. “Unfortunately, we don’t have anything ready for your group, so we’ll move you to the churchyard for the night. You’ll be provided with wood for fires, and someone will come around with food. For your own protection, stay in the churchyard. As you’ve heard, we’ve had our own share of attacks, and you are far safer under Father Anderson’s watch than anywhere else.”

The stallion sighed in relief. “Praise Faust.”

“Aside from the normal laws, we have one major rule here. Everyone who is useful is welcome. Lord Hammer strike doesn’t judge based on species, creed, or past. You and yours will have the same opportunities everyone else does, provided you respect this rule.”

“Given the fact you are clearly among the higher ranked individuals in this settlement, I suspected something along those lines. I don’t know if all of the party will accept this rule, but I will inform them and have them decide for themselves. Given the alternative, I believe most will have no difficulty accepting the stipulation.”

“Well then, best get yourselves settled in. We’ll get you a meal and let you rest, and once that's done, Lord Hammer Strike will probably visit you as a group with one of his other advisors. Binding Strategy. I understand he has a reputation amongst your people.”

The stallion recoiled at the name. “Yes, one that is … less than savory.”





The cold weather had been particularly vicious for the last week, leaving many a Pony bound indoors. The Pegasi and Gryphons had worked to mitigate the storms as much as possible, but with the sheer mass of the clouds, it was impossible to keep the whole storm system at bay. Drifts of snow had built up over the roads, making for unkind travelling conditions, but excellent playfields for the little ones. However, despite the relative peace the harsh weather had brought as a result of the stormy conditions, a dark paul had begun to color the sky a greasy black, and the barest hints of brimstone and sulfur mingled with sweet woodsmoke followed after it.

Three roars chorused over the land, causing the snow to fall from the limbs of trees and the roofs of the houses the town had established. Yharon had been in the middle of a snowball fight with the other foals, using his feathered wings as guards against the onslaught of would-be-dragonslayers with their weapons of choice while he prepared his counterattack. He wasn’t even angry when a stray snowball smacked into his face. His neck had grown long and thick with muscle, while his horns had begun to corkscrew behind his head in a dignified manner not unlike a crown of sorts. His claws dug reflexively into the ground, and he shuddered, then looked intently at the foals. He raised one hand, and a fiery corona of light surrounded it. The snowballs stopped immediately and dropped to the ground, while the foals rose into the air.

“Sorry, but it’s time for you all to go home,” the young drake said.

“No fair!” one of the foals complained. “You promised we weren’t gonna use magic!”

“I also didn’t account for unexpected guests.” The roars echoed again, louder this time. “You all go home. I’ll alert the guards.” He raised a claw to silence any objections. “And no dawdling.”

Yharon sighed as the foals retreated to the safety of their homes, then took to the air. The lack of thermals always made this a tiring process on his back and shoulder muscles, but years of practice had helped to strengthen his body against the exertions. The Dragon now stood at just over six-and-a-half feet in height when standing on all fours. When he rose to his hind legs, that height nearly doubled. He settled heavily on the wall and peered out onto the horizon, where flashes of different colored light punctuated the bellows that shot through the air, complemented by the occasional gurgling chortle.

“Laugh fire.” The drake rolled his eyes. “Probably some idiots going on a rampage to test their strength.”

“Will there be any trouble?” one of the guards asked.

Yharon shook his head. “Not for us. Dragons are usually only interested in stroking their egos, asserting dominance, and filling their bellies and hoards with gems or gold. That being said, an alert should be given to the Diamond Dogs and Dwarves. If those Dragons get hungry, they’re going to go for the mines first. Has Father been alerted yet?”

“N-no, Yharon.”

Yharon sighed. “I’ll tell him. Given the potential threat, he’ll likely want to be there to deal with them himself.”

“No need,” Hammer Strike commented as he drew near. Ulkrusher sat on his back. “They’re a loud bunch.”

“Given what you’ve told me of them, this is normal behavior, isn’t it?” Yharon asked.

“For the most part.” Hammer Strike frowned. “They’re bound to come over here next.”

“Shall we head them off?”

“Given what I’m hearing, it’d be best for you not to get involved.” Hammer Strike frowned.

Yharon grimaced, but otherwise maintained his calm. “If that’s what you think is best.”

Hammer Strike sighed. “I know you’d like to get a better perspective on things, but you’re still growing. I’d rather not risk things, you know?”

Yharon sighed. “I know. You told me about how you found my egg, and who asked you to look after me. It’s just … difficult being on the sidelines like this sometimes.” He shook his wings. “Would you like me to put the rest of town on alert while you’re gone?”

“Yes.” Hammer Strike gave him a soft smile. “One day, you’ll be out here, same as me. You don’t need to rush it.”

Yharon smiled ruefully. “Doesn’t change the fact I want to, though. Good luck, Father.” Wind billowed from the dragon’s wings as he forced himself back into the air.

Hammer Strike sighed as he leapt off the wall in the direction of the dragons. He’d have to prepare himself for more agile movement against them, but as long as there wasn’t an older dragon amongst them, he would have less troubles than the Ursa. He couldn’t help but grin to himself. This would be an excellent addition to his workout.

They were three mature male dragons, large and imposing, as dragons tended to be. One was gray like stone, his body covered in small jagged edges. A cyan Dragon flew on his right. In contrast, this male was much smoother looking with scales that resembled plates. The last was an odd lime-green color, thinner and smaller than the other two, but still fairly large. The three were swooping and moving through the air scorching the area with jets of fire.

Hammer Strike sighed once again as thaumic energy seeped off him. “Just what are you lot trying to accomplish?” he called out in perfect Draconic. It had been some time since he’d spoken the language, but he could still recall how to speak it. His power had augmented his voice to make it audible even to the relatively thick skulls of Dragons.

The three creatures stopped, turning to the spot where he stood. When their gaze fell on him, they chuckled and bared their teeth. “And what does a Pony care what we do?”

“Well, you’re getting too close to my land, and I don’t exactly care for it.”

“And what if we don’t care about you not caring?” the gray one asked as he sneered at the Pony.

Hammer Strike sighed as he targeted each of the dragons’ wings thaumically and forced them to be unable to interact with the air around them. Without much ceremony, the three suddenly found themselves rapidly dropping until they each crashed into the ground.

He looked to all three as they failed to lift off in any manner. “Then I’ll do something about it.” He narrowed his gaze. “Taking your flight will be the nicest thing I do to you.”

“This little morsel barely qualifies as a snack,” the green one said in a higher nasally voice. “But I think I can live with that. What do you boys say to tenderizing this little appetizer?”

Hammer Strike sighed as he pulled Ulkrusher off his back. “Ex Divinia etiam. Can we just get this over with? I was in the middle of a project.”

The gray Dragon lashed out first, and Hammer Strike swung. Ulkrusher connected with a loud crack as the Dragon's lower jaw hung loose. Even as his compatriot bellowed in pain, the cyan dragon reared back and let loose a strem of fire at Hammer Strike, only for it to end abruptly as, from within the flames, Hammer Strike drew a great sword from containment and threw it to impale the Dragon’s throat cleanly. Even as the creature was in its death throes, Hammer Strike moved on the stone-gray dragon and hit it on the side of the head with Ulkrusher. Horns and scales shattered under the mighty hammer. Teeth flew from the dislocated jaw and spattered the ground. The Dragon went down, and Hammer Strike hit the neck one last time to ensure it was dead. The snap of the bone along its neck rang through the air as its wind pipe was crushed. With two foes down, he advanced on the now very-much-frightened lime-green Dragon. Yet ever proud, the beast still managed to conjure up a glower for the adversary that had so soundly defeated its party.

The dragon backed away, closing his eyes and awaiting the inevitable. Blistering pain scorched across his hide as a large scale over his chest was torn free, revealing the smaller weaker scales beneath.

“Now, I’m going to keep things simple.” Hammer Strike directed his thaumaturgy to force the dragon to the ground to be at his level. “You’re going to go back to your lands. You’re going to spread the word. If you come over here looking for trouble, I’ll be there.” His voice became soft, but every syllable was like another blow from his mighty hammer. “And I’m not going to make it a quick death next time.” He released the Dragon from its compulsion to give it the chance to respond. “Do I make myself clear?”

Without a word, the Dragon nodded.

“Good.” He released the Dragon's wings. “Now get lost.”

Immediately, the dragon took to the air, speeding away from the area with all the haste it could muster..

Hammer Strike waited a few minutes before sighing. “Ainz,” he called out. “Got some dragon corpses for you to bring back to Unity.”

“I’ll have a crew get to it immediately.”





“Well, we can add Dragonslayer to his titles now,” Vital said as he looked over the rest of his fellow watchers. “How many does that make now?”

“As many as Celestria, I feel,” Pensword answered.

“I wonder if that's when they really started terrorizing others?” Grif asked.

“The Dragons? Maybe, at least till Hammer Strike vanished and before Celestia and Luna showed they were Dragonslayers as well.”

“My guess is Hammer Strike will probably make sure to put them in their place if they do anything to try and hurt his people,” Vital noted.

“Likely, but I don’t think that will be immediate,” Grif responded

“It shouldn’t take that long to find out with how quickly things seem to be moving,” Rarity noted. “Though the fact he managed to do … that to two of their number so easily will likely act as a good deterrent for at least a time,” Rarity said.

“Indeed.” Pensword paused. “Okay, … I just realized Hammer Strike and I both shed the blood of Dragons.” He looked to Grif and Vital. “So, when are you two going to face them?”

“Hopefully never. You know my policy, Pensword. I don’t shed blood unless it’s necessary,” Vital said.

“Honestly, I have better things to do than pick fights.” Grif shrugged. “Not like it would be hard, though. Vigilance and vengeance were made for dragon slaying.”

“True. I was just commenting on a trend I noticed.” He shook his head. “I wonder if we could find a history book on what is going on to fill in what we are clearly missing.”

“You know the Doctor wouldn’t let us look, even if there were,” Vital noted. “Not unless the TARDIS herself did it behind his back.”

“Maybe, but let's leave it for now. Twilight, Rarity, Pensword, come on. You all could use some work,” Grif noted.

“Oh? What’s on the docket today?” Pensword asked.

“Pain.” Grif chuckled. “Lots and lots of pain.”

“What flavor?” Pensword replied with his own chuckle.

“You’ll find out,” Grif said before departing the room.

Twilight winced, even as Rarity walked beside her for support. “Don’t worry, darling. You should only be … somewhat worried.”

Twilight deadpanned. “Gee. I feel better already.”





“I’ve found him again.” Ainz materialized in the cottage kitchen in a gate of dark fire.

“At last.” Hammer Strike sighed with relief. “I’ll get equipped, and … I’ll need you to gather Anderson and Jostling. Get them to prepare. You as well.”

“I took the liberty of alerting them. They’ll meet us at the gate in thirty minutes,” Ainz said. “I’m ready as I’ll ever be.”

Hammer Strike nodded. “Alert Celestia, Luna, and Yharon to come home quickly, so I can discuss things with them.”

Ainz produced a sheet of parchment, wrote something on it, and sent it away in more dark fire.

Hammer Strike placed his knife down and started to move toward his workshop, only to poke his head out from the doorway a second later. “Make sure the stew doesn’t boil over, would you?” he asked before descending.

“But … I can't cook,” Ainz said, looking down at the stew, confused.

Hammer Strike sighed as he entered the workspace. As per last time, he grabbed his usual equipment: the solar greathammer, and silver blade. It wasn’t until he moved towards his worktable to gather some additional pieces that he stumbled across the die that he had gathered from Cayde.

He hummed to himself before taking it and weighing it in his hoof. It had given him a useful tool last time, and the time before, so perhaps he would give it another go. He nodded to himself before rolling the die out onto the floor in front of him. It tumbled around the ground before settling on the number five.

Out of the light came a long blue blade before him. It appeared to be a greatsword in scale. The blade itself emanated a soft light from its crystal-like structure. The guard was curved to protect the hand or face of the wielder, depending on species and how it was grabbed. The light circulated fluidly, like gentle lapping waves in a pool, while two protrusions extended from the hilt up a fuller that had been carved to hold the inserts in place. The weave of the hilt’s handle was also metal, with bands of crystal and leather to cushion it for use. Its pommel was an extension of the sword’s curious element, bearing the same stone that glowed with an inner power, surrounded by a metal that appeared a mixture of gold and something else. A closer inspection revealed a series of pulsing darker veins that looked almost like an extension of the metal from the hilt poured into a mold to form an intricate root-like structure that curved and knotted itself with a design similar to celtic or nordic origins.

Thirty minutes later and the group was waiting. Anderson and Ainz looked pretty much the same, aside from Anderson wearing a new silver amulet on his neck. Jostling Joyance had donned a slightly thicker leather jerkin with steel pauldrons and a single sword with an elaborate gold handle. Luck had been inscribed onto the cross hilt, with a single letter P written in dried blood in front of it. The sword was regular iron, but when Hammer Strike had offered to inscribe the symbol on it, Joyance had refused, stating it would work just fine without it.

“Thanks to Ainz, we have located the elder vampire once again,” Hammer Strike started. “Anderson, Ainz, and Joyance, you’ll be traveling with me, due to your past experience and safety measures from said vampires. Celestia, Luna, and Yharon, you three will have to look after Unity in my absence.”

“We managed last time, so I’m sure we can do it again,” Celestia said.

“We’ll be ready for anything that comes,” Luna assured him.

“With the four of us and our various skills, we should be able to subdue this vampire and his coven much more easily,” Ainz noted.

“There is something though that I need to address before we set off. Should anything happen to me, I need you all to make a tactical retreat. Plan accordingly before rushing in, all right? Plan according to wherever they move me.”

“Why not keep a beacon on you, so you can be tracked?” Yharon suggested. “That way, you won’t have to worry, even if you are captured.”

“Ainz is already connected to me through contract, so he is able to track my location with ease,” Hammer Strike explained.

“Then what the buck’re we waiting for? Let’s go kill the bloody heathens!” Anderson crowed.

“Keep in mind our opponent is still an elder vampire,” Ainz noted. “Caution is still necessary.”

“The only thing that’s necessary is my blades embedded in its unholy arse, then decapitating the bucker, so he won’t come back.” Anderson grinned as the light reflecting from his glasses completely obscured his eyes.

Hammer Strike sighed before standing. “Ainz, start leading. We’ve got some work to do.”

“Should I open a gate just outside the barrier?”

“If need be, yes.”

Ainz waved a hand at the empty space of the path, and black flames erupted to form a gate. The others seemed reluctant to go through a giant gate of black flames, but nonetheless, Joyance and Anderson proceeded through. Ainz gave Celestia and Luna a nod before following behind Hammer Strike. The gate vanished the moment he was through.

The darkness that greeted them was low and oppressive as a black miasma sifted down from above. The pale light of the moon struggled to shine through the shroud, but ultimately was blocked as the mist flowed in curtain and cloud to veil the structure and festering town that surrounded it. The stench of rotting meat and sulfur struck them like a physical blow. No candles burned. No light shone. But the occasional tortured scream spoke louder than words what awaited below.

“Well, it’s certainly … inviting,” Ainz offered.

“It’s a festering puss sack of dead meat and poisonous vapors,” Anderson said. His bayonets flashed briefly as he spread them between his talons. “And it’s begging me to clear it all out.”

“Calm down. There’s more than enough for all of us.” Ainz laughed. “Doesn’t your faith consider overindulgence a sin?”

“Not when it comes to a scourge like this. These vermin need to be put down, and I’m the perfect exterminator.”

“It’s strange how most vampires tend to come to places like this,” Jostling commented.

Hammer Strike frowned as he scanned over everything before turning to the others. “All right, we need to clear bottom to top. Stick together, all right?”

Their progress was steady enough between the four. They spent the next hour fighting off waves of lesser vampires and minions. Most were simple common low-level ones but a few did prove to be significantly stronger. Manageable, but stronger. Anderson was a dervish, slicing and impaling anything that got within his range. His supply of bayonets never seemed to end as the silver blades claimed many. However, it seemed with each kill, the low purity silver took on too many imperfections, forcing the priest to leave hoards of said blades behind as they lost more and more lethality.

Jostling, in opposition, moved slower and more methodically, channeling energy through his body via breathing exercises. He would often channel it through his sword, causing the blade to shine like the sun. Wounds inflicted by this method rippled through the undead and burned them from the inside out.

Ainz cycled through different spells ranging from tines of dark lighting and balls of unholy fire to icicles formed from holy water he’d borrowed from Anderson. Hammer Strike’s new greatsword proved more than up to the task, and the blade seemed to almost delight in each hit. Silver light burned away from any cut or mark the blade made. Purifying moonlight claimed many vampires quickly.

Eventually, the four found themselves in the dungeon area. Here, they split into teams of two as Jostling Joyance and Anderson checked the western cell blocks while Ainz and Hammer Strike went for the eastern ones.

“I sense a single vampire somewhere closeby, though it’s very weak,” Ainz noted as they walked. “It’s strange. It almost seems to be languishing.”

“That doesn’t sound right, unless they’re starving here, but from the reports I’ve been hearing, that isn’t the case.” Hammer Strike frowned. “Lead the way.”

Ainz led his patron back through the cell block. Anything that was a threat was killed long before they reached it by shadow demons that ripped them to shreds. They stopped before a cell, and the door opened for them, leading to the average accomodations for a dungeon. Across from them was what appeared to be an Earth Pony wrapped in chains. His fur was white and dead-looking, his form emancipated and frail. He looked like he’d been beaten and tortured as he stared at them with cold lifeless eyes.

“Strange that they would do this to one of their own kind,” Ainz said in a low tone.

“The question is, why?” Hammer Strike frowned as he scanned the room, ensuring they were the only other occupants.

“Please, come in. I would have cleaned up, but, well, I’m a little tied up right now, aren’t I?” The voice was deep, almost disturbingly so, and the tone held a threat to it, though greatly diminished.

Hammer Strike simply glanced to Ainz and gave a soft shrug, “No one else in the area,” he commented before moving toward the prisoner.

“You must be the one thats got them so worked up,” the vampire continued. “I suppose I should thank you for that. You stopped my daily torture a whole fifteen minutes ahead of schedule.”

“What’s the reason for the torture? I figured you’d be invited into the fold.”

“Told the boss his haircut looked stupid,” the vampire said. “I suppose it might also have involved me trying to point out creating so many vampires isn’t economically sound, but that was probably a minor issue at best.”

“Can’t deny that,” Hammer Strike muttered. “Though that still doesn’t lead me to why it jumped to torture.”

“I may have gotten caught trying to cull the herd a bit,” he admitted. “And they may have taken exception to that.”

“And there it is,” Hammer Strike commented before rubbing his forehead. “Ainz, anything else around us?”

“Nothing that isn’t already mine, and therefore yours,” Ainz responded.

Hammer Strike hummed to himself for a moment. While he was against the elder vampire, the current one in front of him was clearly not allied with them anymore.

“How about,” Hammer Strike turned back to the prisoner, “we make a deal?”

“If it involves you not sending me to the nine hells, I’ll listen to anything.”

“It’s simple, really. You work for me under a special contract. You do what I say, when I say, and you get to kill other beings of the night when you regain your strength.”

“Would I be able to take moonlit walks? I’m very enthusiastic about my moonlit walks.”

“So long as it doesn’t result in a backlash toward me or my own.”

“Very well. How do we do this? I’d offer you my soul, but, well, vampire kinda makes that a problem.”

“I have methods.” Hammer Strike focused on the vampire thaumically. Energy seeped off his hooves as he started tracking the creature’s soul. While this may well have only been a dead body, the piece he had forsaken or had torn from him was still connected, albeit by just a thread. “By my authority as Thaumaturge, I shall issue this verbal contract. Should you accept, your body and soul become mine, unable to disobey the command of myself or my bloodline. In return, you will be granted freedom and strength befitting your role under my command.”

The dry skin crackled like tissue paper or parchment as the vampire’s mouth pulled into a cheeky smirk. “I, Tarefson accept.” He bowed as far as his restraints would allow. “My master.”

“Then by this order, you are mine henceforth.” Hammer Strike reached forward and placed his hoof against the vampire’s head. As soon as the connection was made, he pulled on the tether leading from the vampire to where his soul was held, only for it to meet resistance. He growled in response and doubled his efforts until it suddenly slipped free, and merged once more with its host.

Tarefson felt a surge of strength as the chains holding him shattered. In the same instant, the strength dissipated, and he fell to the floor panting.

“Welcome to Unity.” Ainz quickly moved to help the vampire up. With a wave of his staff, he created a gate. “Through here, you’ll find a place to recover, and blood lilies to help you regain your strength. It is advisable you stay there until we return.”

Tarefson nodded, surprisingly saying nothing as he stumbled through the gate which vanished behind him.

“He should prove useful.” Hammer Strike hummed. “Though, the soul part was interesting. Whatever held it didn’t like giving it up, even through my force.”

“Devils rarely like giving up their quarry. But willingly given beats forcefully taken. This is the law of magic.”

The echoes of hoofsteps and padded paws with talons soon carried through the shadows as Anderson and Jostling Joyance entered into the ring of light Hammer Strike had cast.

“No vampires. Good number of poor souls being drained for food, though.” Anderson shook his head, then grit his teeth. “Somebody’s got to teach this lot a lesson.” He grinned. “And I’m just the crazy bastard for the job.”

“Well then, it’s time we head up instead of down, I think,” Ainz commented.

Unlike the journey into the tower, the four encountered greater opposition, including ghosts, ghouls, poltergeists, ghasts, zombies, and even one or two minor demons. The very shadows seemed to want to fight them as they passed through the oppressive gloom. The castle was large, and the rooms were each closely connected to one another, sealed by spells and enchantments to hinder any attempts at circling the challenges. In short, any that sought to reach the elder would have to endure a battle of attrition and retain enough strength to challenge the vampire in a final duel. It was at the end of one such battle that a deep-throated cackle carried through the grand library in which they had fought.

“Not one, but two magical anomalies in one setting. And a lich bound in service? What strong power.” The laugh came again. “I would love to find out how it works….”

The spell activated without warning. The floor ignited with chain after chain of runes that glowed with unholy light. Darkness gathered around the edges of the room while the image of a great yawning skull began to coalesce in the ceiling.

“But I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time, soon enough. An eternity,” the voice rasped lustily as the skull took on greater definition. The shadows in its mouth writhed as the jaw expanded to fill most of the ceiling while the rest of the room was surrounded by a powerful barrier. Then it began to descend slowly.

Ainz lifted his staff and tapped it on the ground twice. “Ex Divinia Etiam!” A bright white wave of holy magic erupted from the area the shadows seemed to hiss and writhe in pain as it impacted. The barrier crumbled against it. Without looking, he tapped his staff again and a gate bloomed near Hammer Strike.

“You go on ahead. I’ll handle this.”

Hammer Strike simply nodded and continued on his way.

“Now, as for you, I do hope you planned more than that,” Ainz said. “Or else this won’t justify the three of us.”

“Now you’ve piqued my interest.” The shadows coalesced into a robed form with a long horn that curved high above the cloth. Veins of black and purple coursed through the structure, giving it an unhealthy pallor as two glowing eyes stared balefully under the hood. A thick hoof pulled back the hood to reveal a face that had lost the flesh on the mouth and cheek area of the left side. The stench of decay filled the room, and the very air the Unicorn exhaled left the room a little more stale. An ornate wrought-iron staff stood in his other hoof. Twin pieces of metal writhed in perfect harmony around the main body of the staff, and a large globe shaped like a burning green eye was mounted on the top. More eyes blinked in the areas immediately surrounding the main globe. A discolored set of wings stretched behind from his back in a different color from the rest of his body.

“He’s going to summon minions now,” Ainz told Anderson and Joyance. “You two keep them busy while I work on finding his phylactery. We won’t be able to do anything to him without it.”

Anderson laughed as he unsheathed a fresh supply of his bayonets. “Now you’re speaking my language!”

Joyance nodded as he unsheathed his sword and began working on his breathing.





The room was much larger than the top of the old tower had been. Its floor was an intricate parquet marble. The ceiling was vaulted, with broad wooden beams to support the structure. A great tree had been painted over it with a series of different-sized planets to serve as the fruit at its edges. A starry cosmos surrounded the structure, and constellations formed the shapes of Alicorns, giant scorpions, hydras, and other creatures from Equestria and myths that hadn’t shown themselves in the present.

Once more, the familiar chug of belching machinery could be heard as the dark clouds billowed out the pipes and black wisps faded from the cracks as they dispersed in the room. A Series of mirrors lined the walls, reflecting an infinity of different shapes. And there stood the vampire, waiting patiently as he sipped blood from a wine glass and contemplated the intruder.

“So, you come to me again.”

“Would have been quicker about it, but you like hiding,” Hammer Strike replied with a shrug, keeping his attention on the vampire.

“One cannot entertain if one is not prepared to meet one’s guests. Would you make such a poor host of me?”

“That would imply you’re capable of being a good host. And let me be honest with you. You’re not,” he replied flatly as he unsheathed his greatsword.

“Then it’s time to begin the dance.” He smiled, then flung the contents of his glass forward. The blood expanded in a flood to form a wall that stretched across the room and rose swiftly to touch the ceiling as the vampire’s laughter carried ghostlike through the air.

Hammer strike didn’t take the bait as he swung in a full circle catching the vampire at his seven o’clock position. The vampire was only grazed, but forced to back away as the wound hissed and burned. The vampire's healing only kept it from spreading, but couldn’t fully overpower the moonlight.

The elder clutched the wound as he circled around Hammer Strike. Eventually, the hissing stopped, and the flesh began to mend. With a snarl, he jumped and dove at Hammer Strike with insane speed. Hammer Strike was driven back slightly as he just got the sword up to block. The vampire cried out in pain as he backed away, his hands smoking from the contact.

Not giving his opponent time, Hammer Strike lashed out with his new sword in a wide horizontal arc. This time, he missed by a hair as his opponent jumped back; however, Hammer Strike twisted the blade, changing it’s path for a vertical cleave, and slashed deep into the vampire's thigh.

The warrior cleaved again, and the vampire caught it, grimacing at his burning flesh as he pushed against the blade. Hammer Strike was forced to backpedal, but the damage was still present on his opponent. However, the sudden counter force had left his right foreleg numb.

The vampire lashed out with claws that extended from his hoof like an aeration pick. Pain seared Hammer Strike’s chest as a result of the forceful blow. However, no blood had been drawn. The ursa cloak was again doing its job, it would seem.

Hammer Strike growled and lashed out with the greatsword once more. Again, the vampire managed to dance out of the way, only to cry out as Hammer Strike dug a dagger into his calf from behind. The rune Bonnie had given him glowed fiercely in response to the evil presence.

The enemy slapped Hammer Strike hard enough to send him back several feet before he pulled the dagger out and tossed it. Hammer Strike dropped the sword momentarily as he unloaded a barrage at the vampire with the aid of his thaumic summoning technique. Daggers, javelins, throwing blades, chakrams, all inscribed with the rune flew in a torrent at their target. They cut and chipped away at the elder. Nothing struck a vital area, but every blow left a mark. Some few of the mirrors took some damage, but the vampire had negated enough of the force from the blows to keep them mostly intact. Finally, Hamemrstrike grabbed his sword again and went for another attack, only to be caught off guard as a wave of power rippled through the tower. He felt a strange surge as more power flooded into his link with Ainz.

Before he could use this new power, however, his opponent made a rapid gesture with his hand before reaching out to touch Hammer Strike’s forehead. Hammer Strike sliced, but even as the vampire's hoof fell to the floor, the mirror Hammer Strike had been maneuvered in front of glowed blood-red. Suddenly, chains of fire lashed out, pulling him with a strength beyond even his measure, until he vanished into the mirror’s surface. The backlash from the spell caused a shockwave that shattered all the remaining mirrors that were intact, including the one Hammer Strike had just entered.

Hammer Strike groaned to himself as he blinked to regain his vision. He rubbed at his eyes with his hand. And that’s when the red flags flared. His eyes flashed open to be greeted by appendages he had not beheld in many a year. A hand, a legitimate human hand hovered in the air before him. Its five fingers wiggled at his command. Five minutes ago, he had been using a hoof. He scanned himself quickly, only to note he was still wearing most of his equipment. The only difference was it had somehow adjusted to suit his current form.

When the bewilderment finally passed, he snapped to the next most important thing, his surroundings. He looked around and soon discovered that he was standing in a line with several other … bipedal beings in front of him. An assortment of chairs and counters were scattered around the line. He leaned out of line to peer ahead, where a large central desk sat laden with computer monitors and many a creature processing the line. Filing cabinets sat behind them with an assortment of paper sticking out of certain portions.

Reaching into his pockets, he ensured everything was in its place before he pulled out a small ticket labeled with the number 243. Looking back to the center counters, he finally located a Now Serving sign.

The number was set to fifteen.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”