Elias let out a gasp as air suddenly found its way into his lungs. The sweet satisfaction of drawing breath lost its luster as hot liquid pattered into his open, gasping mouth. He spit and tried to roll over to clear his mouth, but something latched onto his shoulders and pulled backward, something that didn’t allow him to turn.
Elias rubbed at his eyes to clear them, then blinked, unsure if his vision was clearing or not. Night Flash, an arrow still sticking from the armor protecting his neck, helped Scarlet yank him backward across the grass, while to either side of them legionaries writhed and fought with bulls, keeping the creatures back with spear and sword.
Elias looked forward to find a pointed formation headed by his standard bearers, with the pair fighting a trio of bulls off with ease. They weaved and bobbed, fighting in tandem to avoid all attacks while dealing death in reply.
The human kicked out a foot to try to stand, but it slipped on a slick patch of grass, and all he succeeded at doing was propelling himself back faster. He shook his head and looked around, feeling the grass for his missing weapons.
“Where’s my sword?” he asked, his voice sounding off, almost garbled.
Night Flash snarled down at him, and the pair of pegasi gave him a particularly hard yank.
“Somepony else has it, now shut up and stay down or I swear I will have Kind Heart put you down.”
Elias blinked with an agape jaw at the pegasus, but the shock let his body fall limp, letting the pair pull faster. Soon, more hooves joined in, and as soon as his feet were past a line of shields, all the ponies came rushing back, with the standards being the last through before the gap was filled. Minotaurs smashed into the shield wall a moment later. The legionaries didn’t budge however, and spears began the dirty work, spilling red onto the shining silver armor of the ponies.
Then Elias found his vision obscured by a furious Ice Blossom. The pegasus reared back a foreleg, then slapped him across the cheek as hard as she could. It essentially turned the blow into a punch, but it wasn’t hard enough to do more than jar him.
“Are you out of your bucking mind?” she shrieked. “Everything is going great, but suddenly I hear some psycho start screaming, then see you jump the shield wall to charge the minotaurs all by yourself!” She smacked him again. “I had to leave my troops, come over here to organize a sortie, then break formation just to save your stupid ass, so you’d better have something to say other than staring at me like I grew a horn!”
Elias continued to stare at her for a moment more, then looked back. Book Binder hugged Night Flash, nuzzling his back while Kind Heart pulled the arrow from his neck, quickly packing a bandage to staunch the thin stream of blood that flowed forth. The arrow had hit a gap in his armor, no doubt caused by his head being turned.
The pegasus met his eyes with a concerned look, something that meant he was alive. Perfectly alive and fine.
Elias’ gut churned with a number of emotions, all of which mixed together to draw bile up. He rolled onto his hands and knees, then closed his eyes and pitched his breakfast onto the grass. Sounds of revulsion filled the air around him, but he ignored it all, panting hard as he regained full control. His shoulder hurt, that was a good focus. He traced back through his actions, looking for the point he had lost control, as well as when he’d gotten it back. Elias rubbed at his throat, coughing as he glanced to Ice Blossom.
“Any dead because of me?”
She glared at him for a moment, then sighed and shook her head.
“No,” the white pegasus answered. “Thank Celestia for that. The legionaries are doing their jobs, though you just scared the shit out of them.”
Elias nodded and faced down again as his stomach tried to heave again.
“They’ll be fine. Go back to your cohort, I’ll be on my feet shortly.”
“Don’t make me come back over here,” Ice Blossom growled. “Your place is giving orders, not flinging yourself blindly to your death. I would have thought you of all ponies knew that.”
“I do know that,” Elias snapped. “Now follow your damn orders and get out of my sight.” He swallowed dryly and closed his eyes again. “… and thank you Centurion. You did well to fix my fuck up.”
The pegasus stood in place for a moment, then gave a slight nod before taking to the sky. Elias fumbled at his belt, managing to drag forth one of his canteens. He sat back on his knees and unscrewed the cap off. The water flowed down his bone dry throat like blessed, freezing fire, and the chill helped him find a sense of calm. It also served to soothe what he knew would be severe bruising from his near strangling.
A hoof touched his shoulder, but Elias brushed it off and began to stand. He needed to see the battlefield, needed to make sure all was still going well.
Kind Heart disagreed, as she yanked him down with her magic, whirling in front of him with a hard scowl on her muzzle.
“Sit still,” she growled. “Just because we saved you from one stupid mistake doesn’t mean you get to start another, and I for one will not be responsible for letting my general die of an easily treatable wound.”
Elias matched her scowl.
“I’m fine, and aside from suffocation, I didn’t get hurt. Now move so I can-”
He couldn’t help but yelp with one part pain, and two parts surprise as Kind Heart pressed an alcohol swab against his neck. He slapped her hoof away again and looked to his left, quickly finding blood dripping onto his armor. Touching his fingers to the left side of his face found a small gash that led up to his ear, the lobe of which was gone.
Elias sighed and let his hand drop, not willing to meet the healer’s eyes.
“Just get it treated. No need to make a scene out of another disfigurement.”
Kind Heart’s hard scowl softened and she again began prodding the wound with her swab, but this time that motion too was more gentle.
“I don’t think you’ll have any troubles with the mares,” Kind Heart tutted, drawing out bandages from her saddlebags. “The good ones look past little scars, and if they can’t do that, they aren’t good enough.”
A smile touched her muzzle and she side-eyed him as she began wrapping his neck.
“Though if the rumors are true, you shouldn’t have to worry about such a thing.”
“The rumors should keep to themselves,” Elias said, grunting as Kind Heart pulled the bandage tighter. “I get ugly enough, nobody will want me. They aren’t exactly staying around for my cheery disposition.”
Kind Heart playfully slapped his shoulder, hopping down to let him stand. Elias rose to his feet and gazed across the battlefield. Directly in front of them was a wall of bare meat that fell quickly to steel pila. The line had buckled slightly in a few places, but there were no breaches, so that was going well enough. The visibly armored minotaurs were approaching quickly however, and at a glance, Elias could tell that they wouldn’t fall as easily as their bare-backed friends.
“Well those same rumors tell some interesting stories about when you were a guard,” Kind Heart said, re-packing her saddlebags. “If they’re true…”
“If you mention anything that starts with the letter ‘c’ or ‘s’, I will throw you at the minotaurs,” Elias growled.
Kind Heart giggled.
“That only confirms it. Try not to get hurt more General, I already have enough arrow removals to deal with.”
She trotted toward the rear, and two ponies took her place. Night Flash in particular stood very close to Elias, and after a nudge, the human looked down to find the pegasus holding Feather in his teeth, a worried look in his eyes as he offered the blade up. Elias took the sword from his mouth and wiped the moisture off on his tunic before sheathing the blade. A nudge came from the other side, and Book Binder offered up his shield, which he accepted with a grateful nod.
Nothing needed said between the three of them, and the silence let Elias retain his re-found sense of calm. He scanned the battlefield, fingering his gladius hilt lightly. A horn call split the air, and a glance to his right found the unarmored minotaurs disengaging from the other guard forces. In front of him, those at the rear of the minotaur formation began to do the same, but on a call from Gray Granite and Ice Blossom, the shield line shoved forward a step, unwilling to let the cows disengage without a price.
Auxiliaries took the place of the spear ponies, and a loose wall of javelins leapt forward, plunging into the withdrawing hides of the minotaurs. They fell by the dozen, with some visibly confused at their lack of noticeable impact.
“Hold fire!” Elias called, the order quickly repeated along the line.
Pila stopped flying, allowing the bare skinned minotaurs to reach their armored compatriots without further casualties. The armored bulls stopped just outside of throwing range, and a slow sound began to emanate from them. Looking along the line, Elias found the same being repeated before all of the guard forces. The low growling din began to rise into a collective howl, with the minotaurs stomping their hooves and beating their shields, making a mighty racket. Above it all, Elias heard the sounds of the other generals calling out speeches, their voices magically enhanced to reach the ears of their soldiers.
A pony pushed through the legionaries, her ears flicking eagerly, evidently expecting the same from him. Elias offered the unicorn a smile, then stepped forward, pushing through the shield line so that all could see him.
“You don’t need some stupid speech from me!” he shouted. “Speeches are for those who are about to die, and I intend to see tomorrow. What about you?”
A round of cheers rippled through the region, bringing a smile to Elias’ face. He glanced over his shoulder and sneered at the minotaur line, before turning around so that his voice could be heard.
“Be at the ready, listen to your Centurions! Let’s get this job done and kill them till they quit!”
Another cheer rippled through the line as Elias passed back through. Night Flash and Book Binder stood ready and waiting as the howling of the minotaurs reached a fevered pitch. Some of the beasts inched forward, stopped only by their fellows back. They clearly intended to charge, and while pila would be effective on killing a few, the volley wouldn’t have the same effect as it had on the initial naked charge.
Elias paced in his small empty area, his bad eye twitching as he thought of how best to counter the armored bulls. Simply bearing the charge could work, but it would be a slow, tiring slog, and the ponies, even with their immense success in the opening volleys, were still outnumbered. He had no doubt that more bulls would appear from the trees, and having his troops tired would only spell defeat.
No, the grinding of two well-armored forces wasn’t ideal. His eyes flicked to the center, where most of the bulls were massed. The naked bulls that hadn’t fully retreated up the hill were gathered there, roaring away with their fellows. No doubt they would try to breakthrough his shield wall, would try to carve their way to the rear, where his artillery sat, still firing the occasional shot into the trees. Letting the minotaurs silence his ranged advantage would be catastrophic; he needed the killing power his artillery offered.
Elias tapped his gladius in thought, his eyes flicking to the center of his own line, which sat eager and waiting in front of him. His legionaries were still strong, still waiting the coming fight. They were completely fresh, but already some of the shine was out of their armor, no doubt a result of the smoke given off by the flaming boulders the cows had flung down the hill.
His eyes flicked back to the minotaurs, looking for a sign of something more than blind fury. He scanned their eyes, looking for one who was standing back, who was guiding them with an intelligent touch. Among the line facing them, however, he found no such intelligence. It was fury, the minotaurs driving themselves higher and higher into a fervor.
Elias looked to Night Flash.
“Thin the line in front of us, but do it quietly. Bolster the line behind us, and have it prepare to receive the enemy.”
Night Flash blinked.
“May I ask why?”
“Later,” Elias answered. “Get it done now, they’re coming soon, and I want to be ready.”
Night Flash stared at him a moment longer, then rolled his shoulders and moved forward, keeping his voice just loud enough to hear.
“Auxiliaries fill in behind the general, set up a secondary shield wall. Spear-ponies prepare to receive the enemy.”
The word was passed quickly in hushed whispers, and the ponies filed out, re-constructing a shield wall behind him.
“Adiutor, send messages to Granite and Blossom,” Elias told Book Binder. “I want them prepared to curl their shield wall.” He smiled. “Like a horseshoe.”
Book Binder’s head tilted slightly in question, but she quickly decided to trust him and her horn flashed as letters were scribbled on, and then sent away.
The air suddenly grew still, a cold shock that sent shivers down spines as silence reigned where there had previously been an overwhelming cacophony. Elias could hear the wind whistling even as it carried the stench of iron and charred flesh. The minotaurs stood opposite them, dead silent and still, the only movement coming from the cows originating in their enraged faces. Countless red eyes stared at the ponies with murderous intent, awaiting the order that would send them rocketing forward.
Nobody had to wait long, as the intense silence was obliterated by a single, loud, horn call. The minotaurs let out a collective bellow, and rushed forward, moving as if their armor wasn’t weighing them down. Elias felt a nervous twitch, felt the urge to meet their rush with one of his own, but the logical part of his brain quickly shut that behavior down. One on one, his ponies lacked the physical power of the minotaurs, and their armor made them too slow to counter that deficit. The formation he had worked so hard to train into their skulls had to work, and he had to make sure it would.
“Brace!” came the call along the line.
Hooves dug into the dirt, and pila began to fly, the ponies throwing them un-needing of orders. Most found new homes in shields and armor, the minotaurs largely shrugging off the javelins. Elias’ pila found its mark in the exposed throat of a bull, and he collapsed, forcing the bulls behind him to slow, and mildly reducing the power of the charge.
Shields weighed down with pila were discarded though, and the delays caused by the javelin fire weren’t enough to halt the charge to the same degree as they had before. The ponies huddled down tightly beneath their shields as the charge closed, then came the great clash of flesh meeting steel.
The line buckled under the weight of the charge, but though some breakthroughs occurred, they were swiftly and brutally dealt with. Legionaries pushed into the breaches, killing the intruders as others pushed past, snatching up fallen shields to patch the holes. Javelins continued to fly, though more sporadically, as the auxiliaries pepped the tight mass of bodies stuck hammering away at the intact portions of the shield wall.
Elias watched it all with a twitchy calm, his body ready to dive in, but his mind working methodically to determine what the next course of action should be.
“Paratae!” Elias called, “Latine tantum!”
He heard the command to switch exclusively to Latin repeated along the line. Though not nearly as fluent as he was, his legionaries could understand any of the orders he might give, and his officers could speak the language well enough to issue orders of their own. He hoped that Latin, though similar in nature to the language of the royal gryphons, would be completely alien to the minotaurs. If they couldn’t understand his orders, they very well couldn’t counter them.
Once the calls fell silent, he immediately issued his next order.
“Gradum retro!” Elias called as the line continued to struggle to patch the gaps.
“Unus!” the legionaries called back, their shout momentarily overpowering the sound of their foes.
The shield wall took a grinding step back, sending the minotaurs pressed again the shields staggering forward. The spear ponies made quick work of them, and the line solidified, with most of the gaps patching up with the precious seconds of breathing room. Elias was glad to see some confusion on the faces of the minotaurs, but the bulls didn’t linger too long on the use of a new language. They instead again pressed forward, but this time they didn’t have nearly enough charging room, and the shield wall held firmer against their assault, giving the spear ponies more time to kill the bulls before they broke through.
Directly in front of Elias held the fiercest of the fighting, and he knew that he was the cause. The eyes of the bulls weren’t focused on the shields and spears keeping them back, they were focused on the tall creature further behind the thin section of shield wall.
‘Well there’s no need to keep them waiting’, Elias thought.
“Quietly pull the wall in front of us back,” Elias said to Night Flash. “Let them get nice and close to me, but prepare to stop them on me.”
The pegasus hesitated a moment, fully processing the Latin order, then he nodded and moved forward. His words were barely audible above the sounds of fighting, but he informed each and every legionary of his intent. He then stood a few steps back, and repeated Elias’ earlier command.
“Gradum retro!” Night Flash yelled.
“Make sure the other sections curve with us,” Elias told Book Binder. “No gaps.”
“Unum!”
The line wavered slightly as the section suddenly drew back a step. Book Binder’s voice was clear above the chaos.
“Flecte!” she called. “Bend with us!”
She moved away from Elias’ side, forcing herself behind a forward section of the line. With yank of her magic, she dragged a legionary properly into line, his shield keeping tight with the shields of those who had drawn back. As she reached for the second one, the line began to take its new shape, with the legionaries adapting to the new formation. Some of those waiting in reserve moved up, tightening the formation by adding their shields, and forcing out any breakthroughs.
The line held under the continued assualt, and Night Flash looked back from his place in the small inward bulge in the line. Elias gave him a single nod and drew his gladius, preparing to form the new shield line.
“On me!” the human called. “Prepare to form up on me!”
Night Flash’s voice quickly followed his.
“Gradum retro!”
As ponies filed in beside him, the front line drew back another step, shouting their reply.
“Unum!”
One legionary was not quick enough, and a minotaur axe cleaved into her shoulder. The earth pony cried out in pain and collapsed, her fellows unable to reach her before she was trampled under minotaur hooves. Elias grimaced as the line wavered, ponies shoving past each other as the formation became more cramped. Still, the line was firm, and the bulge was growing larger, steadily exposing the minotaur’s flanks.
Elias looked to Star Orchid.
“Move left, direct the auxiliaries to hold fire until we take two steps back. I want as much fire in the pocket as soon as it’s made. Go.”
The earth pony nodded and moved away as Elias repeated the instruction to Thunderstorm, telling the pegasus to go right instead. As he moved away, Elias again looked forward to find Night Flash awaiting his command.
“Duo.” Elias said.
A nod was his answer, and again the pegasus gave the call.
“Duo gradus retro!”
“Duo!”
The shield wall bent further, allowing minotaurs to flood into the pocket. Night Flash backed into Elias’ legs, and the human gave him a quick pat on the withers before giving out the next order.
“Second line move forward, first line form up behind.”
“Auxiliaries at the ready!” Star Orchid called.
Elias dropped into a crouch, bracing his shield in the dirt. On either side of him, ponies prepared to lock their shields to his, but intentionally left gaps. Elias felt steel press against his back as a legionary hopped up, jabbing over his head with a spear, keeping the minotaurs at bay. Piecemeal, the center of the front line turned tail and ran through the gaps, while the edges were melded into the secondary line, keeping the curve intact.
As soon as the last pony was through, the shields to Elias’ left and right closed, and the ponies ducked down, bracing the scuta with their bodies. The spear ponies moved forward and began jabbing with their spears as the minotaurs flowed into the newly created space. Elias grunted, pushing hard as the press came in force. Blood reigned down as the spear ponies stabbed into the minotaurs, forcing them to drop back or drop dead.
“Fire!”
The sound of javelins hitting armor and meat filled the air. Elias risked a peak above his shield and he found that unlike before, where the bulls had taken the brunt of the missile fire on the strong armor of their fronts, now they were assaulted from pila from three sides. The javelins found new homes in exposed sides and exposed backs, and the bulls began to grow confused, with some calling for a withdrawl, while more tried to press in from the rear.
Elias glanced back to the waiting legionaries at his back.
“Fill the hole!” he shouted.
The pony rushed forward with his shield as Elias withdrew. One minotaur spotted the gap and attempted to force through, but was met with twin spears to his neck. He fell to the dirt as the legionary took Elias’ place in the shield wall.
Standing tall, the human scanned the curves of the “horseshoe” for his officers. He quickly found Book Binder on one end of the shoe, while Thunderstorm had pressed forward from his position directing the auxiliaries and was standing near the opposite end. Elias sheathed his gladius and exchanged it for his flagged pila. Waving the long javelin, he got Book Binder’s attention, then said;
“Get ready to close the gap!”
He motioned to the ends of the horseshoe, then made a closing motion with his hands. Book Binder nodded and began shouting orders in Latin. Elias sheathed his gladius and pressed to his left, toward the easily visible Thunderstorm.
Getting to the pegasus wasn’t easy, as the minotaurs tried to crack the line. While they found little true success, they did manage to lash out at the occasional bit of exposed flesh. As Elias forced his way past a particularly tight section of the formation, an earth pony cried out in pain, a wide cut opened across her face. She fell back, and her shield fell from formation. A minotaur rushed into the hole, slashing at the other legionaries with a broad axe.
Before he could turn back to slay the bull, Night Flash arrived like a wraith. His wing blades removed the minotaur’s head in one smooth motion, and a buck sent the now headless corpse staggering back into its fellows. The pegasus landed and latched onto a shocked legionary with his teeth, shoving the pony and her shield into line. The mare’s training quickly took hold, and she crouched behind her shield, holding firm as the minotaurs shoved aside the corpse to again hack at the wall.
Knowing the situation was well in hand, Elias turned to continue on his path, but not before noticing Night Flash comforting the wounded legionary. The sight brought a small smile to his face, one he quickly killed. Happiness came after the battle, when everyone was safe.
Elias finished his journey to the horseshoe end opposite Book Binder, and he gave lightning fast orders.
“Form up! Prepare to form three lines. Shields face out with a second line of spears. Third line faces in with swords and hooves.” He pointed his pila at the roiling pocket of combat. “The rats are cornered. Let them die as such.”
He felt his bad eye twitch with savage anticipation, even a touch of glee as he watched more minotaurs flood into the pocket. They packed in tight, so much so that some of the bodies were being held up against the shield wall, acting almost as armor. To see so many enemy warriors, just waiting to fall at his sword…
Elias grimaced and shook his head, keeping his composure. No, there would be no wild killing. There was reason for the fight, for the death. He needed to remember that. He hated how similar the minotaurs were to humans, both in size and in stature. It was far too easy to imagine them as the same beasts that had killed his original legion, and that fact drove his blood up.
Elias lips curled into a snarl and he sheathed his pilum. He wanted to fight up close. Feather rose high in the air, and he gave the order.
“Cut them off!”
The shield wall opened before him, and Elias led the charge with a shout, crashing into the nearest minotaur with his scutum. The bull was startled by the sudden charge and tried to withdraw, but found no place to do so. The bulls were packed tightly, and he was stopped by the minotaurs behind him. Feather plunged into the minotaur’s belly, the enchanted blade catching for only a moment on the thin chain mail and leather that protected his core.
The minotaur bellowed with pain as Elias pulled the blade free. A second slash found the bulls neck, and he fell, clutching his gushing throat. Elias stepped back, letting the body fall where he had been standing, then he moved forward once more, attacking the next bull.
This one wielded a long spear, but in the tight confines of the fighting, he couldn’t get any space to draw it back for a thrust. It was all to easy to take advantage, and Elias’ gladius plunged into the minotaurs belly once, then twice. The third attack was a short slash that opened the wound wide, the bull crying out in agony as he fell.
Elias sent a mental note of thanks to Anyon for enchanting his sword. He had no doubt that had the blade still been its normal self, it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as effective. The fact that it could cut through armor with such ease made it so immensely satisfying to use, and use it he did.
The clatter of bodies against shields made him glance back, and he noted with grim satisfaction that the two ends of the horseshoe had closed fully, trapping the minotaurs inside the pocket, while also keeping any reinforcements out. The eyes of the ponies surrounding the pocket took on a savage light, and without any need for orders, they began to inch forward, tightening the circle.
The minotaurs rage fled in the face of the fact that they had become surrounded, and some near the center of the pocket called out for retreat. Eyes turned from the legion’s interior and toward the thin triple line that was keeping them from freedom. A line headed by one human, who grinned viciously and twirled his gladius.
“Kill them all!” Elias spat. “It’s time these cows learned a lesson.”
He moved forward, and the minotaurs closest to him lashed out instinctively. One blow Elias caught with his shield, while the other he simply accepted, the axe blade denting, but not penetrating the armor on his shoulder. Feather found purchase in one bull’s throat, and the other fell backward under the furious assault of a pegasus, whose wingblades ripped and tore at the bulls chest.
The moment of confused silence turned into absolute chaos as the bulls pushed to create a hole, while the legionaries pushed to keep them boxed in the easy killing ground. The press tightened further, and as the minotaurs began to die, those toward the center began calling for help from their brethren beyond the line.
Elias knew that couldn’t be allowed. He caught another attack aimed for his head on his shield, then answered with a slash to the minotaur’s arm, chased with a loud roar.
“Let them hear you!” he shouted. “Let them feel fear!”
A collective shout quickly rose in the air. The new sound startled the minotaurs facing the as of yet silent legionaries, but more importantly, the sound drowned out the encircled minotaurs’ cries for help. The gruesome work continued, and the minotaurs’ numbers dwindled within the pocket. One particularly large warrior rushed Elias, but the human stopped him dead with a sternum cracking shield check to the chest.
The minotaur hit the ground like a sack of bricks, and his hand rose slightly to ward Elias off. The human kicked the hand aside, plunging his gladius down and into the minotaur’s throat. The beast let out a gurgle, which turned into a slight gasp as Elias ripped the blade free, his bad eye aglow beneath his helmet. Two more bulls rushed forward, but were quickly picked off by legionaries. That left four in the pocket, the rest dead or wounded on the ground.
The remaining bulls exchanged looks, and one that appeared far older than the rest shook his head and through down his axe.
“A wise warrior knows when he is beaten.” He stepped forward toward Elias. “I feel honored to be defeated by such worth-”
The bull gurgled and clutched at his throat. Elias stepped forward as the bull fell to his knees, his eyes bulging as blood seeped through his fat fingers. The human quickly ended his suffering with a second slash to the bulls throat, severing his head and sending it toppling to the mud.
The roar dimmed all around him, and he heard someone whisper;
“He was surrendering…”
Elias’ head snapped in the direction the voice had come from.
“Do you think that matters?” He growled. “Do you think they will show you the same courtesy?”
A horn call sounded, but Elias ignored it as he scanned his legionaries, looking for the one who had spoken out of turn. Few met his eyes, and most of those that did looked at him with a look of shock. He found that he hated that look, and though he kept up the demeanor of cold rage, he instead quickly cooled his battle fury, and thought of a plan to let the terrified minotaurs take their tales of the horrible human back to their side. Outright killing the surrendering bulls was a step too far, and he already felt mild regret at slaying the older one, not that he would show it. The more the army of bulls feared him, the better.
“You saw their flag!” Elias spat. “They said no mercy would be shown, so why the hell would I allow the anything different in reply?” His eyes flicked to the three remaining bulls, who flinched back as they fearfully met his gaze. “Besides, I know their type. They surrender now, only to come back later to kill more friends, or to stab you in the back.”
Elias lip curled in a snarl, while his eyes flicked about, trying to locate one of his officers. He quickly locked eyes with Night Flash, who looked more than a little concerned. Elias straightened and set his jaw, giving the pegasus the tiniest of nods, hoping his eyes could convey his intention.
“I won’t allow that,” Elias continued. “I said I would stack cow corpses until they touched the sky, and all I see before me are three more bricks on the pile. Stone Horn brought this fight, but I’ll be the one to finish it, no matter how many minotaurs I have to kill.”
“We can’t do that!” Night Flash protested, pushing his way into the pocket. His eyes flashed a question, one which Elias answered with another slight nod. He could tell the pegasus was suppressing a proud smile, the only sign of his happiness being a flick of his tail, one that could easily be mistaken for irritation. “I know what Warchief Stone Horn ordered, but we have to be better than he is!” He stomped a hoof and puffed out his chest. “We are better than he is.”
Elias tried not to roll his eyes, and instead snarled a reply.
“And what’s to stop these three from coming back and attempting to slaughter more ponies? Their word?”
Two of the bulls looked offended that he would question their word, but they wisely remained silent as Night Flash tapped his chin.
“How would humans release prisoners?” he asked.
Elias snorted.
“If they did, which I’ve never done...” The words were a lie, but definitely served to intimidate the bulls further. “...but the histories tell of removing the thumbs of their sword hand, so they couldn’t grip a weapon properly.”
Night Flash glanced back at the bulls.
“That doesn’t sound to terrible. What do you guys say? A thumb for your life?”
The three exchanged glances, then looked to Elias, who glared darkly back. The tallest of the three looked to Night Flash.
“Yes, and you will also have our word that we will not fight again this day.”
Night Flash gave him a short nod.
“Good. Line up with your hands out and your thumbs up. I’ll take them all in one swing.”
Elias watched silently as the minotaurs did as the pegasus ordered. They lined up and each stuck their right hands out, making a thumbs up gesture. Night Flash adjusted himself to stand in front of the center bull, then with a lightning fast flap of his wings, their thumbs were gone, and all three bulls were left to grimace and hold their bleeding hands. Night Flash nodded toward the front shield line, where a hole opened up.
“Go, and tell Stone Horn that General Bright is willing to accept his surrender at any time. His merciful streak will fade with the day.”
The three minotaurs looked to Elias, who scowled back.
“You heard him. Hope that you never see me again, because you won’t survive a second encounter.”
The minotaurs bowed their heads, grumbling darkly as they trudged away. Night Flash moved to Elias’ side and they watched the trio pick their way across the empty battlefield. Elias’ eyes narrowed and he glanced around, noticing that all of the guard forces were relatively intact, and that all across the front, the minotaurs had withdrawn. Healers and stretcher bearers went to work, carrying ponies toward the rear, where temporary shelters were already being set up for treatment.
Elias’ eyes flicked back to the minotaurs, watching them climb over the thick carpet of minotaur bodies.
“Thank you for your part in that First Centurion,” he said, not looking toward the pegasus. “You’re right, we have to better than them.” His lips momentarily quirked into a smile. “Even if we slaughter them by the hundred in normal combat.”
Night Flash nodded, his eyes lingering on the corpse strewn battlefield.
“It’s different General, but you know that. Killing someone who’s trying to kill you versus killing someone who has surrendered… It’s just not right.”
“I agree,” Elias said, making his voice louder, so that more of his legionaries could hear it. Already the conversation was having a calming effect in his immediate vicinity, but he couldn’t afford to let his troops think him some kind of mindless, bloodthirsty, savage. “Have the order spread far and wide; if prisoners are taken, their dominant thumb will be cut off, and their word secured that they won’t fight us again. If they agree to those terms, they may leave.” His gaze hardened. “If not, then they can join the dead. We will win this day one way or another, and if that means we kill those too stubborn to stop, then so be it.”
He drew his flagged pilum and waved it in the air before shouting;
“Treat the wounded, rest up, and get some water! They will be coming again, and you’d better be prepared to drive them back again!”
The legionaries slowly fell into a looser formation, with some creeping forward to pick out the colorful traces of silver and red from amongst the brown and black of the minotaurs. Most, though, simply sat down where they were, exhaustion showing on their faces as they fumbled for canteens. Elias was in the latter group, sitting down against the old minotaur he had killed.
The human stared at the blood soaked grass before the shield wall for a while, was pleased to see few ponies lying amongst the dead, was even more pleased when nearly all of them were still alive, pulled away moaning and screaming in pain. The screams were a blessed music to his ears. Pain could be overcome, wounds could be healed, but death…
He closed his eyes and looked to the minotaur, who’s sightless stared up, still in shock at his murder. Elias was enough of an adult to recognize it as such; he had murdered the bull. It wasn’t his first cold-blooded kill, but it was his first in Equestria. He had no doubt it would haunt him, and even as he began memorizing the bull’s face, his hand reached out, gently forcing the old bull’s eyes closed. Elias gave the bull a soft pat.
“I hope you’re resting better than me,” he mumbled.
Elias sighed and rested his hand on the bull’s chest, his eyes again looking to the field, then beyond it. He stared long and hard at the woods, even as Night Flash, Book Binder, and Scarlet all plopped down around him. The crimson pegasus let out a long, shuddering sigh, resting his head on Elias’ shoulder.
“You were right General,” he whispered. “This was better left to the history books. Just… just look at them all.”
Elias nodded slowly.
“They faced death unflinchingly, but even fearlessness can’t protect against cold steel. I wish more people understood that.”
He motioned with his hand at the corpses still encircled in the resting formation.
“This lot certainly does now, not that it helps the survivors.”
Scarlet snorted, and out of the corner of his eye, Elias noticed a small smile on the pegasus’ muzzle.
“About that… a horseshoe ambush. That’s an old trick.”
“An old human trick,” Elias said. “Developed when my people were about the same technologically as them.” He gestured across the field. “I’m glad it worked, and I think we should try it again if they attack without armor a second time. Perhaps create a double encirclement; let them think they escaped the horseshoe, when in reality they only escaped one…” His lip curled. “Nah, too complex, easy to mess up.”
“I say try the regular horseshoe again,” Scarlet mumbled, his eyes closing. “Or try something new. You’re smart General, you’ll figure something good out. We trust you.”
Book Binder grunted her agreement as she stroked Night Flash’s mane. Elias gave an acknowledging nod, but said no more, content to just sit in silence until the battle roared to life once more.