Stone Horn bellowed and headbutted the older warrior in the face, carving a gouge in his cheek with one of his short horns. The older bull, the chieftain of another tribe, took the hit in stride and countered by swinging a massive fist at Stone Horn’s gut. Stone Horn brought an elbow down, blocking the attack, and then again countered, driving his other elbow into the minotaur’s stomach. The blow connected, with an audible gasp of air leaving the chief’s lungs.
Stone Horn then shoved the bull away, giving him time to breathe. He stalked back toward his side of the makeshift fighting ring while the minotaurs around him continued to drink, eat, and cheer for their favored fighter. Stone Horn snatched up a rag and wiped the sweat from his face before snatching up a flask and downing its contents. While drinking, Stone Horn looked to his elder father, who sat by the side of the ring, mulling quietly.
“What do you think Elder?” Stone Horn spat. “Do you still voice support for peace with those rainbow-colored rats?”
The white-haired minotaur glanced up to him with fire in his eyes.
“Speak to me with respect calf, before I get in the ring and rip the horns from your head.” He nodded behind Stone Horn. “Now focus on the fight instead of this pointless posturing. You impress no one by talking when you should be fighting.”
Stone Horn snorted at his father, but he turned around, doing as the elder bull said. His clan chief opponent sported a stained bandage on his face, staunching the blood flow Stone Horn had caused. The pair of bulls stood opposite one another once more, and Stone Horn couldn’t help but imagine that cowardly pale creature that had slain one of his best friends. A sly grin taunted him, and he let out a bellow rushing forward and lowering his head toward the clan chief’s chest. As he predicted, the chieftain stepped to the side to avoid the dangerous horns, but while the dodge successfully prevented him from being gouged, it also carried him into the path of a swinging fist. The older chieftain let out a grunt as the fist slammed into his exposed gut again, but he absorbed the blow and turned to counterattack. Stone Horn gave him no such chance.
Batting aside the chieftain’s attempt at a block, the younger minotaur rained blows on the elder, striking at every vulnerable spot, punishing any signs of weakness with forceful blows that would have outright killed lesser creatures. Lesser creatures like that filthy pale skinned human. Stone Horn snorted as his imagination super-imposed an image of the human over the chieftain’s face. He slapped down another block, then slammed his fist into the chieftain’s nose, splitting open a knuckle on the golden ring hanging from his nostrils.
With a loud crack, the chieftain stumbled backward, his legs shaking for a moment as he tried to stay up. It was a futile fight, and the older bull stumbled forward for a step before collapsing with a grunt, his eyes rolling shut, and his jaw limp. Louder cheers reached Stone Horn’s ears, and the sound brought a smile to his face. His people always did love a good brawl, especially one where he won.
Raising his fists into the air, Stone Horn bellowed out his own cheer, driving the crowd’s noise to further heights. He basked in their worship, particularly when they began chanting his name.
“Warchief Stone Horn! Warchief Stone Horn!” The words echoed in his head, and partially shoved away the black cloud that Bare Hide’s murder had planted in his thoughts.
Stone Horn’s fists opened, and he slowly lowered his arms, motioning for the crowd to quiet so that he could be heard.
“I thank you for your praise!” he said, his voice still at a roar. “But let us not forget my valorous, and powerful opponent! There can be only one winner, but all who fight well deserve praise, even if they fall! Let’s hear it for Chief Tree Stomper of the Ground Ripper tribe!”
The cheers resumed, and Stone Horn glanced back to find the older chief already conscious once more. The bull’s eyes lit up with respect and gratitude, and he offered as much of a bow as his bruised body could muster. Stone Horn returned the gesture with a slight nod, then he turned back to the crowd, goading them louder and louder. He needed to burn through their fervor before he spoke to them. Even the assembled mass of chieftains had a hard time listening while their blood was up.
Though it took a while, the gathering of bulls and their families began to quiet, allowing for Stone Horn to calm them the rest of the way, until near silence reigned. Looking around at the mass of warriors, Stone Horn couldn’t help but smile, and his voice remained loud as he spoke.
“Brothers in battle! All of you know me! I am Stone Horn, Son of Elder Stone Hoof, and Warchief of our great army!”
The bulls around him bellowed out their support, and more chanting began. Stone Horn once again let them tire themselves out, then rose his hands again for silence.
“Today,” he called out, once it was quiet once more, “the ponies denied our peaceful offer of tribute, deciding to let this man, this beast do their talking for them!”
He motioned to his father, who, with a great sigh, wove his hands through the air. His horns glowed with magic, and the image of the human appeared for all to see. Stone Horn couldn’t help but growl in hatred at the sight of the human, but he kept his speech going. His hatred alone wasn’t enough, he needed all of his warriors to hate the human, or at least be incentivized to rip the human’s head from his shoulders.
“This is the coward that murdered my great friend and ally, Chief Bare Hide, in cold blood,” Stone Horn called, pointing at the phantom image of the human. Murmurs of anger began to spread as he continued. “This is the one called Elias Bright! This is the famed Hero of Canterlot, that helped to drive away the changeling hordes from the pony capital!”
Stone Horn sneered and motioned to his father again. The elder minotaur’s chants grew louder, and his eyes began to glow with the same light as his horns. Images of the other pony generals appeared next to the human.
“And these are the cowardly ponies that would hide behind this dishonorable beast!” Stone Horn spat. “These are the so-called “generals” of the pathetic pony army. They let a murderer speak for them! They let a murderer lead the few warriors they have!”
Murmurs turned into grunts, and the crowd began to grow agitated. Stone Horn hid his grin and continued.
“But we do not let such crimes go unpunished! Memorize all of their faces well my friends, for I am offering one-hundred bits for any warrior who can bring me back the head of one of these cowards!”
The word of a reward being offered sparked increased interest in the clan chiefs, and their chatter grew louder, with a few of the younger bulls making loud statements claiming that they would be the ones to collect such a bounty. Stone Horn let them, even as they began turning on one another, first with words, then fists. Several fights broke out, spilling down into the fighting ring. Stone Horn let them fight it out for a moment, then with a flick of his fingers, a dozen of his warriors rushed the arena and pried the fighting bulls apart. He put a smile on his face and began moving between the fuming warriors.
“Hold boys, save that anger,” he shouted, placing his hand on one of the bull’s shoulder. “We are all here as brothers in arms, save your fighting spirit for them.” He motioned toward the images of the ponies. “Let that anger build, then release it all at them!” He grabbed the horns of one of the bulls and butted heads with him. “If you want to fight, think about those coward ponies! Think about how many you’re going to kill!”
The bull roared and began fighting against the minotaurs holding him back. Stone Horn laughed and moved away, addressing the crowd again as his warriors pulled the more aggressive minotaurs away to cool off.
“One hundred bits a head!” he repeated.
One of the chieftains stood up, crossing his arms silently as he waited to be recognized. Stone Horn motioned to him.
“Speak my friend.”
The minotaur pointed a fat finger toward the human’s image.
“If he killed Chief Bare Hide, is he not worth more?”
The sound of mumbling and whispering reached Stone Horn’s ears, and he nodded in agreement, offering the questioning minotaur a nod as he sat back down.
“Yes, the human is worth far more, is he not?” Stone Horn spread his hands. “But I warn you, I want his head, and I want to be the one to collect it, for despite his dishonorable and cowardly attack, he is not some pony to be crushed under hoof.”
Elder Stone Hoof’s magic shifted in color, and the images all disappeared. In the air above the fighting ring, a new image appeared, and Stone Horn watched as the end of the negotiations were repeated. From the birds eye view his father was able to see, Stone Horn watched as the human took a step forward, his mouth flapping with unheard words. Then, like a flash of lightning, the human’s sword cut across Bare Hide’s eyes without warning. The crowd of minotaurs gasped, and some let out bellows of protest.
Stone Horn watched on silently as the gladius tore through Bare Hide’s stomach, then a dagger appeared as if from nowhere, plunging into Bare Hide’s back. More bellows of outrage began to spill from the minotaur chiefs, and he noticed a few rise to their feet in sheer anger as they watched the display. The sight almost made Stone Horn smile, but he returned his eyes to the image as the human kicked Bare Hide onto his face. The human then drew a small ax and began hacking away at Bare Hide’s neck, and the outrage from those around him grew to its peak, with spittle flying from the stands to hit his back as the minotaurs roared in collective rage.
Then the human ripped Bare Hide’s head free, and then tossed it to Stone Horn. The young minotaur nodded to his father, who let the image fade, then sat down, his eyes emptied of energy from the magical exertion. Stone Horn looked to one of his guards, who motioned to a troupe hidden in the dark. The gathered clan chiefs fell silent as the bearers carried the shrouded body into the ring. While the four pallbearers had grim looks on their faces, the minotaur that followed behind them bearing a bloody sack was the grimmest of all. All eyes followed the somber procession until it halted next to Stone Horn. With a motion from the warchief, the pallbearers set down their cargo, then backed away, with the fifth minotaur gently setting the back down near the top of the shroud.
Stone Horn looked out to the crowd, his muzzle set in a tight frown.
“I will not disgrace my friend’s memory with dishonoring and defiling his body further, but you all know what lies beneath this shroud. You saw what that wretched little human did to one of ours. It can only be expected that such a thing will happen again if he is not ended swiftly.”
“But I will be the one to kill him!” Stone Horn bellowed. “For the disgrace he brought upon Bare Hide, for the disgrace he brought upon myself and my father by making us bear witness to his cowardly crime, I will be the one to kill the human Elias Bright.” He pointed to the minotaur who had spoken up. “You asked if the bounty would be greater, and I say yes, it shall be, for earning it will be a great deal harder.”
“10,000 bits to the minotaur that brings me Elias Bright alive and undamaged!” Stone Horn roared. “I want to fight him on fair ground, to kill him the honorable way, so that Bare Hide may reach the halls of the Verdant Fields with tales of a wrong made right!”
“I know this is no small feat, however,” Stone Horn said, “and I know that such an offer may seem paltry, so I also promise this; should one of you, or one of your warriors meet this bounty, you will be declared Ever-Ally to the Stone Crusher tribe. Your warriors and my own will forever bask in the victory over the ponies together, feasting as we build ourselves into a nation to rival the Equestrians!” He clenched his fist in the air in front of him. “Whoever meets this bounty and delivers the human to me will never know a hungry day, will never know a cold night! Your home shall be bathed in gold, and I shall personally walk with you to the Keepers’ Gates! We shall enter the Verdant Fields as brothers in blood, and in battle!”
His hands moved, and a mass of servants descended, around the fighting rink, and throughout the multitude of minotaur camps. Their task was simple, distribute the remaining food and drink, to be set upon with ferocity. With one last meal, the minotaurs would be forced to fight harder for their next, which would come from the wagons of the Equestrians.
“Eat, my friends!” Stone Horn bellowed. “Let us drink, to victory, to claiming our voice in Harmony!”
His cheer was met by dozens as the minotaurs got to their feet, chanting and roaring for a dozen different reasons. One, however, seemed to stand out above the rest, caressing Stone Horn’s ears and making the minotaur smile. He heard, louder and louder, the chant for the death of the human. He relished the sound of a hundred chieftains screaming for the blood of Elias Bright.
Before he could join in the pre-battle celebration, one of his guards stomped up to him, then whispered softly in his ear, barely hearable above the din of the crowd.
“A messenger has arrived for you Warchief. It awaits you in your tent.”
Stone Horn frowned at the news, and glanced toward his father, briefly wondering if this was some effort by the old bull to still push a peaceful method of handling the ponies. The elder was looking around at the feasting chieftains with an almost forlorn look, but he wasn’t watching his son in particular, so the possibility that he had summoned some pony to make negotiations was low. Stone Horn snorted and rolled his eyes, then shoved his guard toward the older minotaur.
“Grab him,” he growled.
As the guard did his bidding, Stone Horn glanced around at the gathering. His warrior count to the human and the ponies had been no bluff, they numbered in the thousands. His only wish was that his older brother hadn’t split off with the rest of the army. So far, none of the runners he had sent had reported back. If he could just bring their two armies together…
Stone Horn shrugged the thought off and began moving toward his tent. He had the warriors to crush the ponies absolutely, then once he had, he would take his new provisions west to help his brother’s army in the conquest of Saddle Arabia, starting with its capital city. Perhaps in the time it took to march to the city he could train one of the alicorns into an obedient servant. Surely the justification that blowing down the walls would end the siege faster would convince them to help.
Stone Horn suppressed a grin and walked into his tent. A pony with a hood covering his face turned, and his muzzle turned up in a smile.
“Ah, Warchief, we have much to talk about.”
Stone Horn crossed his arms, moving to the side to allow Stone Hoof entrance to the tent.
“Likely not,” the younger minotaur grunted. “If you come seeking a deal, it will be far greater than anything we asked for earlier.”
The pony shrugged.
“I’m not here for a deal, per se, more rather, incentive to do a specific job, and then let the rest of the army pass through your territory.”
Stone Horn snorted.
“No. I am not some honorless mercenary. Your army will be laid to waste. There is no question about that.”
The pony let out a sigh, then offered a low bow.
“Very well then Warchief, I shall take your message to my benefactor.”
He rose and strode past both minotaurs confidently. Stone Horn followed his walk with a glare.
“That’s it? You think I’m just going to excuse this waste of my time?”
The pony paused as he lifted the tent flap with a hoof.
“I’m not an idiot Warchief, I have a way out of this camp if you decide to try and put my head on a platter.”
A horn seemed to appear on his head as if from nowhere, and it flickered with green magic. The pony cast a shaded eye back toward Stone Horn, and the minotaur suddenly realized that he couldn’t quite tell what color the pony’s fur was, nor could he see any easily identifiable features. He would have thought it clever if it wasn’t being used against him.
“You assume you’re fast enough to teleport away before I can cut the head from your body,” Stone Horn growled.
The pony laughed aloud at his threat.
“Please, I’d love to see you try.” The pony chuckled and shook his head. “No, I think I am done here. I don’t really like threats, and I’m especially not going to be kind with my information to the cow who makes them.”
“Information?” Stone Hoof echoed.
The pony grinned at the elder.
“Ah, the smart one speaks. Yes Elder, information. Not much mind you, only three pieces in fact, but I think you’ll like them, or rather,” the pony’s eyes flicked to Stone Horn, “you will Warchief.”
The minotaur snorted again.
“If you have something to say, speak. I will not bargain.”
The pony’s grin widened.
“Good, because I offer these little bits of advice as… a goodwill gesture. I will be in contact with you again once your little fight with the ponies has concluded.”
Stone Horn’s nostril’s flared with anger at hearing his soon to be triumph belittled, but the pony spoke before he could snap.
“First, the princesses are your biggest threat. Their magic is contained within themselves. Should they decide to release it, you are dead. End of story. There is nothing in this world that can harm an alicorn with the amount of power those three have stored up.” The pony looked up at the tent flap, toying with it lightly. “Second, they are more susceptible to null-stone these days. Being in the presence of a particularly large sample should prevent them from releasing their power, at least for a short time. I suggest knocking them unconscious and keeping them that way.”
“Next,” the pony continued, “General Bright is so very protective of his ponies, and it angers him when they get hurt. Don’t make him angry, or you will wish you were fighting the princesses.”
“He’s one malformed runt of a minotaur,” Stone Horn spat. “He doesn’t have a fraction of the strength the alicorns have.”
“True,” the pony admitted, and his eyes flicked to Stone Horn, “but he is far more vicious, unforgiving, and… creative. I’ve seen it firsthoof. Believe me when I say you’d rather he be dead or calm. What you saw with Bare Hide was a taste of his creativity. It gets far worse. I say again, don’t make him angry.”
“Is that it?” Stone Horn snorted. “The human gets mean when he’s pissy, and the princesses are weak to nullstone? We already knew that.”
The pony shrugged.
“I can’t offer you anything more concrete. My benefactor is still playing the game, is still arranging pieces.” He grinned and his horn charged up. “That being said, if all goes well, you may have one less enemy to deal with when the fighting begins.”
He vanished in a flash of light, leaving Stone Horn and Stone Hoof alone. The minotaurs stared at the spot where the pony had been in silence, then Stone Horn let out a snort of contempt.
“Worthless. Why we didn’t attack today, I’ll never know.” He shot his father a glare, but the elder bull returned it in full.
“You don’t know because you choose not to think,” Stone Hoof hissed. “Today was to see if we could win a victory without fighting a battle, and if not that, to gauge the strength of our enemy. If you used your brain to fight instead of your thick skull, you realized that all of this served a purpose.”
He withered slightly and stared at his feet.
“I… didn’t anticipate Bare Hide’s murder however. The ponies are not so cold-blooded, and I thought their so-called “hero” would be likeminded. That was my mistake.” He closed his eyes and slumped further. “I’m sorry.”
Stone Horn tried to continue glaring at his father, tried to hate the old bull’s display of softness, but he found that he couldn’t. Memories of the old bull, tall, happy, and strong flashed before his eyes, and he had to shake his head to again see the husk of a minotaur sitting before him. It had become more apparent over the years, but his age had taken its toll, and he wasn’t the warrior Stone Horn had once idolized. The younger bull tried to stuff aside the nervous feeling he felt at the thought of facing such an end. His anger wasn’t in his voice as he tried to spit venomous words at the minotaur.
“When we fight, I better see you on the front doing the honorable thing, or else our tribe may need a new elder.”
Stone Hoof waved him off, adding his own insult to the verbal duel.
“Go get drunk with the rest of your small-minded new friends. I wish to think in silence, and since you excel at neither, I don’t need you here.”
Stone Horn let out another snort, but decided to do exactly that. His head would clear after a barrel or two of mead.
As his son stomped off, Stone Hoof limped his way over to a simple stool, made from nothing but unicorn horns. He hated the fixture, hated that he had kept it long enough for his sons to see it and take a liking to it. He also hated the ache he felt in his knees as he sat down, and he particularly hated the ache he felt in his heart. He couldn’t quite remember if his elder son, Steel Horn, had ever been quite so angry, but then again, he was also a warchief, wasn’t he?
Stone Hoof tapped his staff against his forehead.
“No, you old fool,” he muttered. “He is the smart one, he is clever and thoughtful.”
He dragged his mind away from the stark differences between his sons, and instead focused his magic, calling out desperately for an answer. In all his years as the tribe elder, he had never felt the need to ask from help from beyond, had always tried to explain to his sons that they didn’t need a voice to the Keepers, that their honor and their inner strength would guide them to the Verdant Fields. Stone Horn had never taken to those lessons well, had always looked up to the outward strength of his father, and then once Stone Hoof had started to age, his older brother, Steel Horn.
Now, though, Stone Hoof pleaded desperately for an answer. He had to know if he had set the tribe on the right path by making his sons both warchiefs. So much seemed wrong, and the more he thought about the brutal actions of the human, the more horrid images his mind conjured up. Images he had never seen before, yet that still haunted him. Fields of blood, littered with corpses, above all of which flew the banner that he knew belonged to the human. The eagle set against a blood red backdrop.
It had only been rumor, one not spoken of anymore, but Stone Hoof couldn’t help but remember it. The human had shown his bare back only once, and on it had been that very same eagle, surrounded by names. The names of his victims, so the rumors said, with the eagle itself being painted in their blood. The horror of that, of preserving a bit of their life on his skin. Was it a trophy? A warning?
Stone Hoof prayed to the gods, begging for an answer to that question, and any other. He feared for the minotaurs his son would lead into battle, but he also feared for his son in particular. He was so angry, so filled with loathing and contempt for what he viewed as weak. He still hadn’t learned that strength came in many forms, and he definitely didn’t recognize the strength of the human. If they met on the field of battle… Stone Hoof wasn’t sure that his son would win, and that scared him more than anything. His son had bested him in battle before, but the human was something new, something to be respected. Something that nobody was taking seriously enough.
He prayed hard, begging the Keepers for guidance, or for, at the very least, protection for his arrogant son.
*****
Lionheart trotted into his tent with a wide grin on his face, and Shattered Shield and Dragon-Eye in tow. He couldn’t help but feel higher than Cloudsdale, oh it was all going so well! He trotted over to his crystal decanter and began pouring himself, and his compatriots, a glass of red wine. Shattered Shield glowered, while Dragon-Eye looked visibly confused at the unicorn’s cheery demeanor.
“Why are you so happy?” Shattered Shield spat. “I thought the plan was to smear the reputation of that wretched human, but you’re out there speaking up for him!”
Lionheart chuckled and shook his head, offering the two unicorns a glass each.
“Of course that’s the goal my friend, but you need to think big picture!” He sipped at his wine, while the other two unicorns exchanged a confused glance. Lionheart rolled his eyes. “Look, we do nothing to smear his reputation if it is all in private. Princess Luna, thank the Keepers for her kind, optimistic heart, still trusts General Bright completely. We will never successfully drive him out of Canterlot if she still holds trust for him. To destroy that trust, first we have to build it up, higher than can reasonably be met.”
He sipped at his glass, and finally, the other two did the same. Lionheart closed his eyes and savored the wine, while also savoring the smell of true victory in the air. Oh, how wonderful things were going to be in the end. All of his hard work would pay off.
“General Bright is currently Princess Luna’s great experiment,” Lionheart continued, opening his eyes, his fantasies still playing behind them. “And why shouldn’t she enjoy the fruits of her labors? Has she not turned a bloodthirsty monkey into an almost capable commander?”
“He’s more like a snake,” Shattered Shield muttered. “Slithering his way into our ranks. Ensnaring all of those other good ponies.”
“True,” Lionheart conceded, “but even more Princess Luna’s victory. He is a brute, but General Bright did as she bid. He created a capable guard force, and Princess Luna looks upon that garish crimson standard with pride because she knows that it is hers! She sees an opportunity, to finally achieve her one true wish!”
“And that is?” Dragon-Eye asked.
Lionheart grinned at the unicorn. He was definitely duller than Shattered Shield, but with that dimmer intellect came a great deal of use, particularly in asking the right questions.
“To find her true love of course,” Lionheart said, as if it was obvious fact. “Don’t you wonder why she’s rarely seen during the day? She can’t escape the shadow of Nightmare Moon, which, I might add, was caused because she was unloved.”
“Now though,” he continued. “Now she has a crowning jewel to bring her on par in strength to her beautiful sister. The commoners loved all of those bright colors and silly headdresses. She’s won their love, and now, all she needs to do is dispose of her used monkey, then she can enact the second phase of her plan.”
“Which is?”
Lionheart trotted forward and snagged a hoof around Dragon-Eye’s withers, hugging the stallion tightly.
“I do so love your contributions to the conversation my friend.”
He could feel the pride at earning such praise radiate off of Dragon-Eye, and the unicorn shot a smug grin to Shattered Shield, who scoffed and rolled his eyes. Lionheart smiled at the both of them.
“The second phase is to fake a great sadness. It was clear to anyone with eyes that she attended that lesser noble’s wedding with General Bright, thus sealing his loyalty, but once he “gloriously” falls in battle, she will feign grief, and begin her public search for a lover!”
“Which I assume you believe is you,” Shattered Shield deadpanned. “Also, how do you know that her friendship with General Bright is false? The two were very involved before he was assigned as a General.”
Lionheart felt his eyebrow twitch. Shattered Shield was not so likable as Dragon-Eye, and had the nasty quirk of questioning things that didn’t concern him.
“I know her feelings are false, because she is a princess and he is an ape,” he said through a smiling, but clenched jaw. “If she truly loved that creature, then Equestria is doomed as we fall to whatever hapless diamond dog roams through that can swing a sword. I would curb your tongue Shattered Shield. You accuse your princess of quite the crime.”
Shattered Shield withered and looked at his hooves.
“I… I didn’t accuse Princess Luna of anything, I’m just unsure of what your point is. How does any of this tie back to ruining General Bright’s reputation? If we win a victory and he lives, the princesses are going to seize some of our territories for his noble honors. If we win and he dies, he’s going to be commemorated for all time, and any honors we would win on this march will be void, since it will be his victory.”
He scuffed the carpet.
“I just don’t see how letting him get his far serves our interests at home. Whatever happens now, we lose it all. We’re going to be solely responsible for having our houses thrown into the dirt and squalor.” His eyes flicked up with concealed anger. “But now you’re out there singing his praises, and I can’t help but feel that you’re trying to win his favor and leave us to the wolves.”
Lionheart mused and sipped at his wine again. Putting himself in Shattered Shield’s shoes, he could vaguely see where the unicorn was coming from, so he decided that a calm, explanative response was warranted.
“My friend, I am not going to betray you,” he said softly. Looking to Dragon-Eye, he said; “I’m not going to betray either of you. I merely have a plan, and I can see that it stresses you to not know it in its entirety. But I ask you the same thing I asked you when we began this venture.” He placed a hoof on Shattered Shield’s withers and put on his best winning smile. “Trust me. I have everything taken care of, and by the end of this march, we shall be honored and wealthy beyond belief, while Elias Bright will be nothing than a dirty footnote in history’s pages.”
Shattered Shield continued frowning at him for a moment, but slowly Lionheart’s smile won him over, and he blushed slightly.
“And you get to warm Princess Luna’s bed I imagine,” he joked, sipping at his wine.
Lionheart chuckled along with him.
“That’s the plan my friend. I’ll tell you what, take the night to think about what you want from your future, and then in the morning, come tell me what your thoughts are. I will listen to every word, and we will see what we can do to make you feel more comfortable with our efforts, alright?”
Shattered Shield exchanged a glance with Dragon-Eye, who nodded like an enthusiastic puppy. Shattered Shield then looked back to Lionheart, smiling.
“Thank you,” he said. “I think it’s all the death talk. It makes me feel dirty.”
Lionheart chuckled and shooed him and Dragon-Eye toward their closed off sections of the tent.
“I’ll draw a bath for you personally when we get back to Canterlot. It’ll be the least I can do when I’m Prince-Consort thanks to your efforts.”
Shattered Shield smiled, walking where Lionheart led.
“And I’ll still be a Duke? My family will still be in good graces?”
“Your family will know more comfort than ever before, and you will be a Duke of a bigger province if nothing else,” Lionheart assured. “Now think on it all, and trust me!”
The two unicorns wished him a goodnight as he all but shoved them from his section of their tent. Lionheart took a short breath, then downed the rest of his wine glass. He much preferred speaking with other nobles in the banquet halls of Canterlot. They were louder, and while spies were a much greater risk, they were also easier to see, and more importantly, bribe.
The human and his infernal tactics had made his ponies so devout it was almost fanaticism, and his every attempt to recruit spies had either been met with outright rejection or a few instances of counterespionage. Since he knew the human’s legendary anger would be fully directed his way should any of the offensive ponies vanish, Lionheart had been forced to settle for cutting the double agents loose, followed swiftly by ceasing his spying efforts. Still, the human was loud and blundered about, showing off his little army incessantly. The ponies all followed standard Equestrian tactics with minor, inconsequential changes. Their armor was equally dull in its uniqueness, and in truth, Lionheart was rather disappointed. The human had almost seemed like a capable rival, especially since he had proven his adeptness for sniffing out changeling infiltrators. Lionheart had hopped for a duel of wits, a chess match on a grand scale, like the princesses played. Instead the human seemed to favor checkers, slamming his pieces onto the board to make it seem like he was always winning, when in truth, he merely learned flashy tricks, like a dog.
Lionheart let out a sigh and set about refilling his glass. Unfortunately, even dogs had teeth, and so his hooves were tied. He needed to be rid of the human, and not in the way Shattered Shield and Dragon-Eye thought. No, a lack of reputation did nothing to the mindless lout, but instead served to let him hide in anonymity, his actions scoured from the record by the princesses. He couldn’t fault them their little science project, but he could see plainly that they were too attached to the “creature from another world”. He couldn’t fault Celestia or Luna their curiosity, but unfortunately the scientists were too close to their project, and he needed to act for them, to free them of the curse the human wrought. Once the human was gone, all would return to normal, and there would be no more foolish whispers of Luna taking a secret lover.
He scoffed and sipped at his refilled glass. The human as a lover, what an idiotic thing to even think. Anyone with eyes could see the human didn’t love anything other than violence; save for his own pride perhaps. Yes, the human did seem to be awful proud of “his” accomplishments. Luckily Lionheart could see through the delusions the ape had, and could see all that the new legion had accomplished as the work of his soon-to-be wife.
“Oh Luna my dear,” Lionheart pined to the empty tent. “You shouldn’t have to let the monkey take your credit. You are again cast to shadow, ignored by your people, but don’t trouble yourself with anger! I, Duke Lionheart, shall see your glory laid bare to all! All of Equestria, no, the world will see how great and cunning your mind is!”
“Not so cunning that she doesn’t see you going behind her back,” a voice smarmily interrupted.
Lionheart’s eyes whipped to the source of the voice to find a cloaked stallion grinning at him. The red-manned unicorn huffed in irritation and levitated his wine glass to his nightstand.
“Well it’s about time. Did you stop for a snack on the way? Perhaps decided to take a little nap?”
The stallion scoffed.
“Like you’re one to talk. The silver spoon is shoved so far up your rear that your teeth shine. Do you want my report or not?”
Lionheart scowled at the stallion, hating his every breath. While his flippancy would normally have been grounds for an arrest, he did need the stallion, at least for a little while longer. He was one of the only messengers that avoided all of the tails any number of parties had set to try and follow him. That fact made him consistently reliable in getting dirty deeds done. Dirty deeds that not even the princesses could learn about. Ever.
Lionheart rolled his shoulders. It was for their own good of course. If his actions ever came to the light, they had perfect deniability, and if he was branded a traitor, so be it. The safety of the beautiful pair of goddesses was worth that.
“Fine,” he sighed. “But watch your tongue, before you find it missing. I am not somepony to trifle with.”
The stallion bowed low to the floor, his flippancy still on full display.
“Of course, oh great General, of whom the bards sing his praises, and the Keepers themselves will descend from on high to award the highest honors. The world will tremble when he, oh so great, is awarded with wings, so that he may join in their pantheon, and-“
“Enough,” Lionheart growled through gritted teeth. “Were you successful or not?”
The stallion rose immediately.
“I relayed all of the information you said to, but the Warchief was… thick to say the least. I don’t know if he listened.”
Lionheart frowned.
“You told him that he may have an easier victory? That the army may be weaker than it appears?”
The hooded stallion nodded.
“In as many words. When I gave him the actual advice, he dismissed it as common knowledge.”
Lionheart trotted to his bed and sat down.
“That won’t do,” he muttered. “I need the minotaurs to commit fully if my plan is to work. I want both of my major enemies dealt with, and if the minotaurs don’t attack with their full strength, Princess Luna’s new legion will destroy them before they ever get a chance to strike at Elias Bright.”
“I can’t do more,” the hooded stallion said with a shrug. “The minotaurs are feasting as we speak. They won’t like seeing a pony again, and I won’t walk away if I go back to try and convince them.”
Lionheart waved the words away.
“If they are feasting, talking would get you killed even if you were a minotaur. No, it’s pointless to try and provoke them again, so I must rely on chance. I’ll need to play the battle by ear, and make my decision to commit in the moment.”
The spy shifted on his hooves.
“And what if Elias Bright survives and is hailed as a hero?”
“Then I find some other way to discredit and dispose of him,” Lionheart replied. “It isn’t an ideal situation, but if that is the hoof fate deals, then so be it. I am ever clever and resourceful, and the human is ever a blundering idiot. He’ll make a mistake, and when he does, I will capitalize on it and have him removed, one way or another.”
He glanced back at the stallion and levitated his wine glass to his lips.
“Either way, I find that I no longer need your services.”
The stallion bowed and smiled.
“Then I thank you General. I assume I will find my payment in the usual lo-“
He let out a gasp as a pair of Solar Guards stormed the tent. The larger of the two, an earth pony, wrapped the cloaked stallion’s throat with garrote wire and began to pull with all his strength, while the second guard, a unicorn, pinned the cloaked stallion’s hooves down, rendering him unable to fight back.
Lionheart watched with bored disinterest as the stallion choked, then eventually fell silent. The earth pony kept tugging long after the stallion drew his last breath, until finally, his disguise pulled back, revealing a changeling drone with bulging green eyes. With the creature obviously dead, the earth pony dropped him and looked to Lionheart for orders.
The unicorn waved them out the tent.
“Bury the body, don’t be seen. There’s no need to cause a panic about an infiltrator I knew was here. Thank you gentleponies. You have served your princesses well.”
The two had, of course, heard none of their conversation, save for the last sentence Lionheart had spoken. It was the key phrase that allowed the silence spell woven into his tent to drop, and it was a phrase he had taught the pair when he had informed them of his use of the “traitor”. The only surprise he had was that it had come into use so quickly. He had figured the changeling would be useful for a mission or two more, but alas. If he couldn’t continue poking at the minotaurs, then he had no further purpose. Keeping him around the camp would only result in his exposure, and sending him back to Canterlot would result in the same. Better to just have him removed, to cover his tracks if nothing else.
The pair of guardsponies saluted, a motion Lionheart lazily returned, then they scooped up the changeling and trotted from the tent with a happy swing in their tails, no doubt believing they had done a great service.
Lionheart sipped at his wine and chuckled, glad to have gotten one over on whatever changeling queen the drone had represented. They wouldn’t be able to send another out to kill him before the march was over, and once he was back in Canterlot, his protection was guaranteed. His spy had only been able to enter the city because Lionheart had vouched for him when the Royal Guard was doing sweeps.
Lionheart used a simple spell to tidy up his carpet, smiling at the thought of all the pieces moving into place, readying the world for a new prince. Luna would lavish him with praise when he freed her of the human’s filthy, barbaric grasp. He silently lamented her need to stoop so low to protect her nation, but in the same thought appreciated that stoop. It only further demonstrated her beauty, her perfect soul that deserved a perfect match. One that could provide her with everything her heart desired, especially heirs.
Lionheart’s smile widened at that thought. Sitting beside his princess on her throne, their younglings sat in a perfect row beside them, physically perfect in every way, holding equal parts their mother’s beauty and their father’s handsomeness. Not to even speak about the mental fortitude they would carry. He dimmed the lanterns and after dis-armoring, turned them off fully, plunging the tent into darkness. Lionheart savored that darkness, absolutely giddy to think about his near-future as he fell asleep.
*****
Chrysalis frowned as her drone let out a dying gasp on the hive mind, reporting his imminent demise. She fragmented a portion of her mind to care for the drone as he passed on, and that fragment escorted him to the courtroom of the Keepers, to have his soul weighed. Like most of her children, Chrysalis knew his soul would be returned to the mortal realm, shifted right back into one of the hundreds of eggs that lined her belly, awaiting the seed of one of her enslaved studs. One such stud was curled up in her hooves, sighing softly as he dreamed happy dreams. The changeling queen smiled down at him, absorbing all of the ambient love that flowed from the unicorn while she rubbed his belly, making him moan happily.
The news that Lionheart had known her spy was a changeling wasn’t altogether surprising, but the fact that he had murdered the drone outright was. She was used to such loses, especially after the Canterlot fiasco, but to have what she believed to be an ally turn on her for seemingly no reason was strange, and she briefly wondered what her next play should be. She let her angry thoughts flow forth first, thought about how much she despised Lionheart and all the greedy ponies like him. The idiot was blinded, by either pride or fanatical devotion, it didn’t matter. He saw his way as the only way, and once she had taken the capital, he would need to be disposed of. His toxicity could poison the love supply.
The stallion in her hooves moaned and turned over, smiling sleepily.
“Don’t be mad my Queen,” he slurred. “You can make anypony your friend.”
Chrysalis smiled down at him.
“There is clear evidence to the contrary stud. Princess Celestia didn’t want to be my friend.”
The stallion snorted and waved a hoof.
“She just needed to spend a day or two with you, visit the hive, see how much love you need. Then she would have understood, and you could have been the new princess!”
He giggled, and Chrysalis couldn’t help but smile and roll her eyes, casting a spell to softly put him back to sleep. Her pony captives always proposed such solutions, but Chrysalis knew that it would never work like that, especially not after the wedding. It took ponies years to overcome their prejudices, and her children weren't exactly colorful and fluffy like the ponies. They were jagged, and hardened. They blended easily in the shadows, like something from a nightmare. No, no matter her approach, no matter how kind her words, ponies would always turn her away. It was why she needed to seize their leaders, convert them. Once they saw the light, then peace would reign, and her children would be fed.
Chrysalis pinged one of her spies that was watching the pony camp, and she puppeted him, impressing her will fully into his brain so that she could see through his eyes. As always, the drone nearly collapsed from sheer exultation at his queen’s presence, and she was forced to again fragment her mind, coddling the fanatical creature so that the larger whole of her brain could function without distraction.
Using his eyes, she watched the camp for a long while, watching as the ponies began to drift into their tents to sleep. There were no easy gaps to infiltrate the camp, however, even with the majority of the ponies going to rest. Guards stood watch at all four entrances, their minds focused and sharp, the wards in their helmets more than enough to repel whatever psychic attacks her drone could muster. The towering walls of the fort-like structure were illuminated with simple light ball spells, and any attempt to slip over them would result in her drone being spotted.
No, the human had again done his job too well, had prevented her success before she could even begin to formulate a plan. Chrysalis felt a prickle of hatred fill her brain, but she quickly showered it in the love her stud was funneling into her. She could never feel hatred. It would all too quickly infect the hivemind, then she, and her drones, were doomed. No, she had to remain impassive, angry at best.
And angry she did feel. Lionheart had been her ‘in’, and he had turned on her, discarding her once he had met his petty goals. Now she had to take into account his soon to fail plan, because she knew it would fail. He wanted the human dead, and thought he could keep his efforts in the dark, but once the human won the coming battle, he would start asking questions, and those questions would point him one way.
Some part of Chrysalis wanted to tell her drone to approach the gate guards, so that they could take him to the human. He might be suspicious, but he was a clever creature, and he would figure out her words to be truthful. To see Lionheart’s treasonous face pummeled by the human would be something she could watch over and over again. Unfortunately, it would also alert the human, and then the princesses, that she was close on their tail. As enjoyable as watching Lionheart suffer would be, she still had plans.
Chrysalis sighed and disconnected from her drone, returning her mind to its true home. Her stud snored softly in her lap, and while she regarded him with a motherly smile, she knew he was worthless for the night. Lionheart would fail, so she needed to act upon her backup plan, and that meant using a stud that wasn’t so freaking adorable.
Chrysalis snarled away her last thought, and she pushed all of the love she had gathered off into the wider hivemind, giving her children a chance to feast. She hated how cuddly and pony-like she got when she was well fed. She needed to be sharp, and as vicious as her enemy. Her enemy who refused to share in their bountiful love, who hoarded it all away right on her front porch. Sending agents out to kidnap the occasional minotaur or zebra caused no stirs, but one missing pony, and all of a sudden the nation’s might descended on high, as if the princesses had any sort of connection to their ponies other than the superficial.
Chrysalis mulled for a moment on that thought. It was the real difference between her, a queen, and them, a trio of princesses that relied on bureaucracy and paper laws to lead. She was a mother to her changelings, laid each one, saw that their instructors came only from the most intelligent stock, and made sure she knew the names of even the tiniest, most sniffling ‘lings, like Thorax or Trax. The pair didn’t have a hoof’s worth of aggression between them, yet she still did her duty and fed them as much as she was able to spare.
That supply was near to nothing because of the greed of the princesses, with their mysterious appearance, and their even more mysterious powers. She had checked the royal libraries while infiltrating. There was no concrete time or place the pair appeared, only that they did once the three pony tribes had united. There was no system, no passing the crown and the hive from mother to daughter and so on. No, their power just appeared from nowhere, and suddenly the princesses were on top of the world, no matter their many blunders.
Chrysalis scoffed and tamped her anger, nuzzling the sleeping stallion to calm her thoughts with a fresh injection of love.
“I invade for something as simple as wanting my children not to starve, but precious Luna threatens to upset a cosmic body and gets a little vacation to the moon.” The changeling queen scoffed. “And then she came back a complete pushover. Or the history books lied, and she never was a warrior.”
Chrysalis thought on that for a moment, then shrugged and forgot the thought ever existed. It didn’t matter if the alicorns themselves were decent combatants, they were powerful enough to compensate, and then had the resources to draft more tactically inclined minds. Including the human.
The human, who Chrysalis both hated, and envied above all. He was so physically weak, and emotionally he should have been incompatible with the ponies, yet for no reason they had scooped him up, and he now led their army with his ferocity. A peak through another of her drone’s eyes found the minotaurs feasting away, preparing for battle. A battle Chrysalis knew they would lose, solely because of the human. He brought so much new to the table, and he was, unfortunately for her, one of the loyal ones. He wasn’t plagued by the pride and desire for station like Lionheart or any number of other prissy ponies.
No, the human… Chrysalis scoffed. He had bested one of her best drones in single combat. He deserved to be remembered by name. Elias Bright was solely devoted to the cause. Sadly, it was because of the love he felt, but still, she wished desperately to have just a few days with him. Wipe a few memories, purge the emotional streak the ponies had burdened him with, then plop his vicious little brain into a nice, strong drone. With all his weaknesses removed, he would make an excellent second, no, a king!
Chrysalis purred at that thought. Yes, she could free his mind of all those pesky little weaknesses, put him into a nice breeding changeling body, and then his loyalty would work for her. Just the thought of Luna’s face curling in horror at the sight of her corrupted “champion” made Chrysalis giddy.
Lost in the fantasy, Chrysalis didn’t notice herself curling around her studding stallion, until the sleeping pony began to knicker and whine in mild pain. The noises caused the changeling queen to snap to attention, and her horn immediately sent healing music into the pony, relaxing him and putting a cute little smile back on his muzzle. Chrysalis sighed and kissed his cheek, causing love to spark off the pony in a more natural manner.
“Sorry dear, you know I get hungry when I fantasize.”
With a thought, a trio of drones entered her throne room, scooping up the sleeping stallion and carrying him away to rest, while a different trio stood ready to escort her to her breeding room. While the thought of actually turning Elias to her side had been largely fantasy, the idea clung to her brain, unshakable in its brilliance, if she could find a way to pull it off without risk to her children. The wedding invasion had made clear how bad an idea that was. She still hadn’t created enough intelligent drones to fully replenish her past numbers, and with the upcoming battles, that wasn’t likely to change.
Chrysalis focused momentarily on kicking her queenly biology into gear, then followed the second trio. She would need thousands of children for her backup plan, and while she had already made good progress on creating her new army, she would need many more. Once Elias had defeated the minotaurs, she would not-so-subtly kidnap whatever stragglers remained, then use the new influx of love to finish her preparations. Preparations that relied on lots of moving pieces, pieces she needed to start jostling into place.
The drones stopped at the entrance to the breeding room, and Chrysalis let the hormones of the hazy place fill her brain. Thinking could come later, she needed to perform a more physical labor first. She smiled as she fantasized about millions of her children running rampant through the streets of Saddle Arabia, feasting on Equestrians and Saddle Arabians alike.