//------------------------------// // Chapter 58: A Day of Battle; Part 3 // Story: The Centurion Project // by TheEighthDayofNight //------------------------------// Elias leaped forward, his pilum plunging into the minotaur’s shoulder blade. The bull bellowed in pain, but a second pilum, courtesy of Book Binder, drove him back through the shield wall, which snapped closed behind him. “Unum!” Elias shouted. As they had countless times in the same fight, his ponies responded in kind, dragging their shields a step backward. The bulls had come twice more, in largely the same way. Their attack opened with arrows and boulders, all of which his legion managed to stop without much issue, but which inflicted light casualties on the other guard forces. Then came the charges of the naked warriors, which had made Elias more than a little nervous. The bulls that had attacked second were fresh, unmarred by minor wounds, and completely clean. While the volley of pila throws did succeed in diminishing their charge as it had the first time, it wouldn’t matter if the minotaurs could keep throwing fresh meat into the fray. Especially not with the success of their shock attacks on the less armored guards. The well-armored wall of minotaurs returned as well, following in behind the bare-backed minotaurs, and calling out their war chants. The Equestrians didn’t balk in the face of fresh attackers, and returned the noise with war cries of their own. They had successfully driven off the second wave, but the third had descended without giving them time to rest, with naked bulls charging down the hill even as the shield wall of minotaurs withdrew up it. It was the third that was beginning to draw a price from even Elias’ ponies, and already well over a dozen had been dragged to the rear with wounds that left them unable to fight. The human’s eyes flicked to his right as a call split the air. “Move! Boul-” The shout changed to a cry as an unlit boulder slammed into the right-most section of his line, scattering legionaries, and breaking their tight formation. The minotaurs who had parted to let the massive stone crush through let out a roar and raced into the gap, descending on the legionaries that had not yet recovered. Elias’ lip curled in anger and he waved the point of his pilum at the struggling section. “Get them in line First Centurion! I will not be found lacking before the Solar Guard!” Night Flash took off like a shot, shouting orders for a few other pegasi to join him. The trio of winged ponies cut a bloody swathe with their arrival, but within seconds they too found themselves tightly pressed. Elias hissed, and he found that the idea of issuing orders was sour in his mind. Taking action, however, was well within reason. Elias let out a war cry, and a path seemed to appear before him as he shoved his way to the breach. The human crashed into a minotaur who held his axe high in the air, ready to make a killing blow on a unicorn mare with crushed forelegs. Elias felt the bull’s ribs crack beneath his scutum, but found himself unable to finish the kill. He turned on his heel and swatted away an attack aimed for his throat. The motion left him wide open, and a sword stabbed at his belly, scraping off his enchanted armor. Then, a press of bodies pushed in, perhaps driven forward by the sight of him. The human welcomed the bodies, managing to get his sword high enough in the air to begin chopping down. With such a tightly packed group before him, he couldn’t miss, and since they wore no armor, Feather did her job well. Blood spilled in floods, and bodies fell whenever able. An equally tightly packed formation kept him on his feet, a freshly formed shield wall pressing into his back as it tried to push the minotaurs back through the breach. A loud war cry sounded from his left, and Elias noticed Night Flash pressing a wedge of regrouped, gladius-wielding legionaries into the minotaurs’ flank. Then Elias was on his back, the air driven from his lungs, and his gladius knocked away. Tall bodies blocked his sight as a minotaur drew back from his tackle, a smug grin on his fat muzzle. Elias vaguely heard cries of alarm, heard the fighting intensify at his rear as his legionaries tried to rescue him. The human snarled as the minotaur laughed in his face, his meaty hands closing around his throat. The bull didn’t say anything, merely smiled and attempted to strangle him. One of Elias hands rose to attempt to pry the strangling paws from his neck, but he quickly realized that it was a futile effort. The bull easily had two hundred pounds of sheer muscle on him; a contest of strength was not one he could win. Elias’ other hand snaked toward his belt to snatch up his knife, but it was stopped by the minotaur with a free hand. “No tricks human,” the bull growled. “Sleep. The Keepers call you today. Go to their fields. Join the warriors in eternity.” The grip on his neck tightened, and Elias couldn’t help but let out a gasp. “Fuck…” His torso was fully locked down, the bull was simply too strong, weighed too much. His legs milled as air began to draw short. Elias gasped again, his right leg free to pull back just far enough to kick at one of the bull’s feet. “...off.” The kick was short, and had it been an opponent with better traction, it would have done nothing to save him. The dirt, however, was torn up and growing muddy, and minotaur legs weren’t well-balanced due to their small relative size. Elias’ kick cause the bull’s foot to slip in the mud, and it loosened his grip just enough. Elias bit the bull’s hand, ripping free a bloody chunk as the minotaur let out a howl of pain. The bull leaned back slightly, taking enough weight off for Elias to shove him back. His hands came free as the bull fell, off-balance. Elias ignored his own aching neck to press the advantage, pouncing on the bull and pressing his thumbs into the creature’s eyes. The bull howled louder as Elias attacked him, but while some little part of his mind wanted to draw out the bull’s suffering, the rest knew that there was no time. He had a breach to close. Elias freed the dagger from its sheathe, and he plunged the blade into the minotaur’s throat, twice, then thrice. While the cow began to gurgle in his death throes, Elias whipped around, noticing that there were still minotaurs at his back, holding his legionaries at bay. He turned from straddling the dying bull, and got just close enough to begin targeting the nearest minotaur’s hamstrings. Elias closed his eyes as blood spattered his face. A bull fell to the mud beside him, screaming in pain, a sound that only served to anger the human. He crawled on top of the bull and plunged his dagger into the bull’s chest until he fell silent. He then ripped the blade free and reared his arm back. The knife plunged into a bull’s shoulder-blades, causing the beast to howl with pain and turn to face his attacker. A pilum tore through his throat before he had fully turned, and the legionaries pushed through, cutting down the minotaurs by the dozen. Magic yanked Elias to his feet and a hoof pressed Feather back into his hand. As soon as his fist closed around the blade, Night Flash took to the sky, diving down to pick at the minotaurs still holding the breach open. The human began to move forward, to further brutalize the minotaurs away from his ponies, but the same magic that had helped him up kept him back, letting the legionaries finish the job without him. Elias scowled down at the unicorn at his side, but Book Binder didn’t look up to receive the look, instead watched the battlefield before them with a slight frown on her muzzle. The human decided to match her expression, scanning the battlefield for any signs of further trouble. Luckily, the ponies in front of him had recovered and had shoved the minotaurs back, while the rest of the line was keeping their formation, successfully dodging, or stopping other formation-obscured boulders. It wasn’t an ideal situation, and his ponies were growing more tired by the minute, but they weren’t losing, and they were exacting a horrible cost on the minotaurs. Corpses were stacked before the shieldwall, and in some places the makeshift wall had grown so high that the legionaries were getting slight breaks between each minotaur that managed to crawl over their dead friends. Elias’ eye twitched, and his hand flicked with nervous energy. It wasn’t a bad situation, but he would be damned if he wouldn’t try to make it better. “Adiutor, get a runner. I need to send a message to the other generals.” ***** Stone Horn snorted in rage as the human and his damnable ponies shoved back another attack, forcing the fighting into yet more of the grinding stalemate they seemed to excel at. It frustrated him to no end that the silver-clad ponies refused to fight like real warriors. “Cowards!” he bellowed from the treeline, shaking a fist at the seemingly unwavering line of ponies. “You will die like dogs, not like warriors!” As if in answer, a section of the silvery line abruptly withdrew, and a charge of minotaurs raced to force open the gap. They fell in a hail of misfire, and the ponies again moved forward, locking shields while a few behind the line eliminated any survivors. Stone Horn growled and stamped a hoof in frustration. “Cowards. I knew Elias Bright was a wretch, but he’s made an entire army of cowards like him!” Stone Hoof snorted and rolled his eyes. “The human is merely using the fact that he is smarter than you to his advantage. He knows you’ll keep throwing bodies at him, so he responds by fighting in a way that allows him to slaughter a dozen of our warriors for one of his. If you used that piece of meat between your ears, you’d know that my idiot son.” Stone Horn snarled at him. “Shut up. I don’t see you volunteering any ideas. If we change our battle plan too much our warriors will be confused. To attack head-on is our way.” Stone Hoof nodded. “Yes, it is, but so is thinking through our attack. Withdraw our forces so we can come up with a better plan, then-” “Cowards at my back as well!” Stone Horn spat. He looked toward one of his warriors and motioned down the hill. “Send our shield wall in again. The ponies grow tired with every charge. The human will have to kill a hundred of our warriors for every one of his worthless ponies if he hopes to win.” The bull moved off with little more than a nod. “With as stupid as you are, I’m sure he can do it,” Stone Hoof muttered. “What was that?” Stone Horn snapped, turning back to the elder bull. Stone Hoof merely smiled, tapping on the handle of his battle-axe and meeting his son’s hostile gaze without issue. “Merely wishing that your brother was here. He would have wrapped this up by now.” Stone Horn held his glare for a moment, then drew back, letting his muzzle curl into a softer frown. “Maybe he would have,” he admitted. “But you sent him off with our best warriors, then had the larger part of our army come confront the Equestrians. I thought that was because you recognized me as a warrior.” “I recognize you as a warrior,” Stone Hoof said. “But as a leader… that may be yet another mistake I have made. Your place is in the fight, not commanding it. You are a warhammer.” Stone Horn knew that the words were meant as one part compliment, two parts insult, but he quite liked the sound of it, and better yet, he knew his father was right. He had stayed behind the first shieldwall as it marched down the hill to keep the younger warriors from running, and as a result, he was clean, completely unscratched, his weapon bloodless. His teeth bared in a snarl at the thought. He would not be the same kind of coward the human was. He would lead the fight from the front, would cut his way to the princesses himself. His eyes flicked across the battlefield, moving away from the silver wall that was making a fool of his warriors. He looked to the golden mass that sat embattled with minotaurs, the force so large that the rear ranks were merely sitting, waiting for a chance to fight once the front ranks grew too tired. Behind them sat yet more fresh ponies, all clad in black and red and guarding a covered carriage. A number of them paced in what Stone Horn could recognize clearly as an itch for battle. His snarl curled into a smile. He could give them exactly what they wanted, and once the ponies had all met glorious deaths, then the princesses would belong to him. There would be no further doubts about the glories that awaited them in the Verdant Fields. Stone Horn glanced back at his father, his eyes gleaming with a savage light. “Let’s take the princesses first. Then, once the human has surrendered like the soft pony he pretends he isn’t, I’ll fight him bull to bull. He won’t be able to hide so easily then.” “And how do you expect to do that?” Stone Hoof sighed. “Charge at them head on?” “Yes,” Stone Horn growled. “But this time you will be aiding us with your magic. You will help us smash through the sun-lover ponies.” The elder snorted dismissively. “You’re more of an idiot than I thought. I’m not a unicorn. Projecting images of our enemy is one thing, but more than that requires more magic than one elder can muster, and we left the rest behind to guard the camp.” “All you need to do is project an image,” Stone Horn replied. “My warriors and I will do the rest.” ***** Lionheart watched the battle rage on with a disgusted look on his face. He knew it wasn’t going to be an elegant affair, but by the Princesses the stench of it all. The commoners were already smelly enough, but the filthy cows, especially once they started falling, simply reeked. There wasn’t a perfume strong enough to cover the wretched stench emanating from the mass of bodies before him. His compatriots evidently felt the same. Dragon-Eye looked green, while Shattered Shield was visibly nervous. He constantly looked behind them, as if the bulls were smart enough to creep around the battle to attack the pony army from behind. Lionheart put on his best smile and directed it at the purple stallion. He really sold the bit by throwing a hoof over his withers. “Calm General, all is going well!” He nodded toward the battle line, where a particularly strong scent of iron was emanating from. “Our forces hold the brutes back with ease, killing them by the hundred.” “But dying by the dozen,” Shattered Shield growled, his eyes flicking over to the growing line of wounded ponies. Healers darted between ponies, wrapping injuries and casting spells to mend torn flesh. A few sat away from the rest, their bodies covered with shrouds pulled from the supply wagons. Lionheart didn’t let his gaze settle on the corpses for long. They turned his stomach, made a tiny part of his soul pray to be anywhere other than where he was. The rest of him ignored that small piece, knew that right here was where he needed to be if he hopped to be anything more than a mere noble. There were countless nobles, lost to the history books like the endless common rabble of Equestria and beyond. “They do their duty,” Lionheart said simply. “As we do ours.” Dragon-Eye shuffled nervously in place. “But how are we going to get any glory?” he asked. “I don’t want to fight some minotaur, but all the other generals are doing it. They’re going to get the credit for victory.” Lionheart scoffed. “Any simpleton can swing a sword or stab with a spear, and besides, you assume that the other generals will survive today.” “General Everfree seems to be doing well enough,” Shattered Shield noted. Lionheart followed the purple unicorn’s eyes to the lone zebra on the battlefield. His was the only striped plume, and it weaved and bobbed with the lithe figure wearing it. Everfree moved as a blur, carving a path back and forth amongst the bare-chested minotaurs, cutting them down in droves with a short sword locked in his teeth. “So he does,” Lionheart agreed as they watched the zebra buck a minotaur with enough force to sent him to the ground in a puddle. “But he is in the fight. He does not have the advantage of being able to see it, to make the best of the situation.” He glanced back to his bodyguard, who was twitching with nervousness. The unicorn clearly didn’t like the sights and sounds of battle, was far more used to handling the few assassination attempts Lionheart had received. Still, though the pony quaked in his golden armor, he still had a shining brass horn at the ready, prepared to blow it at the slightest signal from his liege. “Don’t look so terrified Mr. Detection. I hardly think the cows are going to breakthrough.” The unicorn gulped and looked to him with panicked eyes. “Of course not Duke Lionheart, but still…” he shuddered. “I’d rather be back in Canterlot testing wine glasses. There’s glory in making sure nopony gets poisoned.” Lionheart laughed. “No there isn’t! Glory comes from battle, from serving the princesses! While I pay you well to ensure nothing happens to my food, your position isn’t glorified. It’s merely necessary.” He nodded toward the battlefield. “Now here, here is where I will find glory, and my just reward from the princesses. Here I wait for the opportunity to make victory a sure thing, and to make sure the credit is...ours.” He sent a flicker of a glance toward his “fellow” generals, but neither were focused on him. They were staring with concern at an approaching double thick line of minotaurs. Lionheart looked toward the bulls as well, made quick note that they were far better armed and armored than any of their fellows had been. The red-maned unicorn adjusted one of his hooves, activating an enchantment within his armor that allowed him to see the strength of magical items. The world became a pitch black, with only faint white outlines glowing where living things were. Before him, the battlefield became awash with glowing armor. The Solar Guard and Lunar Guards had standard enchantments to enhance strength and agility, while those of the Royal Guards behind, and the legionaries to his left, were far more brilliant. Even amongst the legionaries, certain spots of brilliant light stood out, glowing in a rainbow of enchantments. Lionheart scoffed at the gaudiness of it and looked to the steadily approaching wall of bulls. They too held an abnormally bright glow, far above anything their fellows bore. He tapped his hoof again, and the enchantment fell away, letting him blink in the mid-day sun at the approaching line. He watched silently as the formation shifted to that of a wedge, with the leader of the wedge being a vaguely familiar bull with short horns. The wedge sped up as it rolled down the hill, and at a glance, Lionheart could tell that the formation wasn’t a feint. The bulls fully intended to smash directly into the center of the battle line. Even his dull companions were intelligent enough to recognize that. “We should send a fresh line of ponies forward,” Shattered Shield said. “With spears. Plant the butt in the dirt, then the momentum of the minotaurs will-” “No.” Shattered Shield’s ears flicked in alarm as he looked toward Lionheart. “Why not? We don’t want them breaking through. We’re back here!” Lionheart snorted and smiled as the bulls charging down the hill began to multiply before his eyes. “The cows will never come near us my friend. Just wait, this may be exactly the opportunity we were waiting for.” ***** Elias twitched, his eyes flicking across the battle line. His messenger flapped his wings, getting ready to take to the sky with the message to begin a slight forward press. While the pegasus prepared for take-off, Elias combed the pressing bodies for any sign of a waver, but save for a few minor buckles in the line, all was still going well. Incursions were pushed back as quickly as they occurred, and those who were wounded were always dragged away and replaced with a fresh pony. He watched as such a situation unfolded before him. An axe blade cleaved through the cracked and worn wood of a scutum. The bull wielding the blade ripped it free, then just as quickly plunged it back down. The mare holding the broken shield shrieked as the axe blade bit into her armor, chopping through a gap near her neck. Blood sprayed as the blade came free, but before the axe could be used again, a pilum slammed into the bull’s throat, sending him to the dirt with a gurgle. The mare was pulled back, and two legionaries pushed into her place, with one holding more minotaurs back while the other set up his shield. The metal and wood construction locked into place, and the jostling began anew as minotaurs sought an advantage to break open the shield wall. Elias looked up next, taking note of the position of the sun. It was already beginning to creep past its zenith. With it being the early stages of fall, the bulls only had hours of sunlight left to press their attack. If they refused to withdraw after night fell, the ponies would hold every advantage, especially the Lunar Guards. Elias’ eyes flicked back down. The line was holding, and the bulls didn’t have an infinite number of troops. A war of attrition was not one they could win. The pony line just had to keep holding strong… A loud roar rumbled from his right, and a glance that way found a well armored mass of bulls slamming into the center of the Solar Guard line. The hillside was so covered with them that he couldn’t see the grass. “How did we miss that?” he spat. He looked at the messenger, grabbing his eyes before raising his gladius and pointing to the right. “Fly to the rear and have the crews shift artillery fire to our right flank, the Solar Guard are being pressed, and-” A trumpet call seemed to force the battlefield into momentary silence. Then the sound of the worst thing possible on a battlefield started to fill the air. A rout. Elias watched in disbelief as the front row of the Solar Guard disintegrated under the strength of the minotaur charge, while those directly behind them began to pull back. The freshest rows near to the rear split, with some turning tail while others attempted to push forward. In a word, the scene was chaos, and the confusion it caused only served to spread. Elias looked to his own line to find it buckling, the ponies visibly confused as a second retreat horn split the air. A breach formed, and the response was sluggish, the ponies in the rear ranks unknowing if they should stand and fight or retreat. His officers’ helmets bobbed as they tried to retain control, but that was fading with every second. Elias cast about for Night Flash, but the pegasus was busy corralling the scouts, keeping them high above the sporadic arrow fire. The human growled in frustration, then decided that he would just have to be enough. “Stand and fight!” Elias bellowed, his voice cracking with the intensity of the words. The words projected like he wanted, drawing the eyes of the most confused, while those who had only passing doubts firmed up the line, steadying it for the moment. Elias managed to lock eyes with Ice Blossom, who was clearly looking for orders. He jabbed toward the pressing bulls with the point of his gladius. “The enemy bleeds at our feet and he will not get through here! Fight on. Kill them ‘till they quit!” A cheer went up, and Ice Blossom gave him a slight nod before turning and repeating his call-to-arms with a bellow. The sound of metal crunching against wood renewed in intensity. The line firmed, driving back any minor incursions that had taken advantage of the moments of confusion. A space formed at his side as a blue blur descended from on high. Night Flash spun out of the way of an arrow, then slammed into the dirt, offering a sharp salute. He began speaking immediately, anticipating Elias’ first question. “The Solar Guard have been signaled to withdraw General. I don’t know who signaled it, but neither the Royal, or Lunar guards show any sign of retreat, though the Lunar Guard are being pressed hard with their left flank gone.” “If that gap isn’t filled, they’ll run too,” Elias growled to. “We can’t fight surrounded. Adiutor Binder!” “Here!” she called out from behind him. “First Centurion, tell First Cohort Auxiliaries to drop most of their ammo and grab their shields. They will be following me to plug the hole to our right. Tell Pyrelight to have Second Cohort Auxiliaries spread out and use the extra munitions to thin the herd to our front. Go.” The pegasus launched into the air as Elias glanced back to Book Binder. “Grab Adiutor Snowball and Strategist Shield, as well as a half dozen auxiliaries. Run them out our rear and around the wagons. Re-assemble the Solar Guard and get them back in line. If you have to beat the teeth out of a few of them, do it. I want them back in formation as soon as possible.” Book Binder scowled at him. “General, your plan is going to stretch our line thin.” “I’m aware,” he snapped. “That’s why you’re retrieving the Solar Guard. The sooner you get on that, the less time I will spend exposed with our least armored ponies. Now go.” The unicorn huffed, but gave him a nod and ran toward the rear. Elias glanced around for a moment before spotting another officer. “Centurion Granite! Extend First Cohort as far to the right as we can! I want you linked up with my left flank as soon as we plug the gap!” The pony nodded at the shouted orders and began immediately issuing his own. The sound of pila falling to the ground reached Elias’ ears, and he could hear Night Flash growing closer, the pegasus encouraging speed with his every breath. Elias looked to Thunderstorm and Star Orchid, jabbing a finger toward the latter. “You’re going to be the rally point for the Solar Guards. Fall in at the rear of First Cohort only once you see that the gap is plugged, clear?” Thunderstorm glanced at the standard bearer as she gave Elias a short nod, then, as soon as the human looked away, the pegasus leaned in for a lightning fast hug. Elias noticed anyway, but said nothing, letting the pair have their moment as auxiliaries began filtering passed. He followed them to where they were forming in a tight block, with a front rank already formed and at the ready. Elias made his way to the front with Star Orchid at his side. They watched silently as the Solar Guards panicked. Some stood their ground, but without cohesion, they were quickly being butchered. The rest were running, with some even abandoning their weapons. He noticed blind terror in their eyes, and as a minotaur war cry filled the air, that terror only grew more wild, spreading further and further. The sight of a mare getting crushed by a warhammer set Elias’ blood boiling, and he snarled toward his rear. “I would like to be formed up today First Centurion. Preferably before the Solar Guards run back to Canterlot!” The last few straggling auxiliaries fell into the formed block, and Night Flash flapped down from on high a second later. “We’re all ready General!” the pegasus called. Elias stepped out from the formation and turned around. He pointed to his left with gladius. “Extend in a line! We will plug this breach like a shutting door. First Centurion Flash will lead the long end to close the gap between us and the Lunar Guard. You all have the furthest to travel; scoop up what Solar Guard you can. The rest are on me. Keep pace, don’t isolate yourselves. We fight as one, or all we are doing is giving the cows free bodies to stack.” He turned again and fell back in beside Star Orchid. “Keep pace with the standard!” Elias bellowed. “Auxiliaries, forward march!” The human had only one pilum left as they moved toward the crumbling remains of the Solar Guard. The rest were gone, either thrown or knocked away. As they grew closer, he desperately wished he had been more careful. The bulls looked far more fearsome than their bare-chested compatriots, and a single javelin could do much to either cripple, or at least slow down one of the well-armored minotaurs. A dozen could do so to as many beasts, guaranteeing easy kills for the ponies at his side. Still, one volley would have to do. He slowed the line as they came within throwing distance. The minotaurs took quick notice and several peeled away to sprint right at the lightly-armored auxiliaries. “Shields!” Elias bellowed. The wood and steel slammed together in a wall, and the formation tightened. Elias raised his pilum in the air. “Pila at the ready!” The beasts grew closer, screaming at the top of their lungs as they charged. Elias waited with cooled blood as they approached. He cocked his arm back, taking aim at a particularly large bull wielding twin swords. The air around the bull was hazy, but the human ignored it, instead putting his thoughts to focus on the task at hand. “Steady!” he called. The auxiliaries at his side shifted nervously, bracing with one another as they anticipated the incoming hit. Elias kept a slow, steady count in his head, letting the beasts close to give everyone the best shot possible. He counted to four. He felt the rumble of the charge in his ribs, felt it tickle at his chest to try and inspire fear. Only once they were close enough to smell did Elias let out his next command. “Loose!” Pila blitzed over the smaller shield-wall, plunging into the minotaurs. Elias’ bad eye twitched as two-thirds of the bulls merely vanished into smoke and dissipating magic while a paltry dozen truly collapsed to the missile fire. “Illusions!” came the cry from his right. Some of the unicorn auxiliaries acted before he could think of an appropriate counter. Spells lashed out, slashing away the remaining illusions. The real bulls slowed in confusion at their vanished comrades, and Elias decided to capitalize on the opportunity. His gladius gleamed once it was free of its sheathe. Waiving the sword in the air, he cried; “Forward!” With a war cry, the auxiliaries abandoned their shields and charged. Gladii, wing-blades, and an assortment of magic-wielded weapons glistened in the afternoon sun as the ponies mowed through the stragglers. Elias didn’t pay them any mind as he leapt ahead in his own charge. He set his sights on the beleaguered Solar Guard as his ponies cleaned up the legion’s right flank. Granite would fill the gap as soon as the minotaurs were gone, and with reinforcements soon to return from the rear, he needed to focus on driving the cows away. A minotaur with a broad battle-axe backhanded a Solar Guard pegasus, sending her to the ground with a grunt. Her helmet spun away, as did the sword she had been wielding with her teeth. The axe rose quickly, and with nothing to defend herself with, the mare shielded her eyes with her hooves. Elias slid on the bloody grass, falling into a crouch over her prone body. He braced his scutum as best he could as the axe came down. The steel head punched through the enchanted wood of his shield. He felt the beginnings of a yank, and decided to let the minotaur steal the shield away. Slipping his arm free, Elias gripped his gladius with both hands, and as soon as the shield was out of his way, he plunged the blade into the armored bull’s greatest weak spot. Enchanted steel plunged easily into free hanging flesh, and Elias turned away as blood gushed free from the minotaur’s crotch. The bull collapsed to his knees with a bellow of pain as the human ripped the sword free. Elias got to his feet, quickly slashing the minotaur’s throat, silencing him. Another minotaur quickly charged in with a wild swing of a sword. Steel glanced off of Elias’ cuirass and a thin line of blood traced his exposed forearm. He used the missed swing to stab Feather into the meat of the minotaur’s exposed arms, just as quickly ripping it free when the sword came around again. Elias ducked under a backhand intended for his head, then he shoved forward, punching the bull in the nose. The blow was enough to stagger the beast, so he tackled the bull to the ground, using his foot to keep the bull’s sword arm at bay while he finished the kill. With the bull dead and no other challengers immediately clamoring for his head, Elias stood, wiping some of the blood from his face. He glanced back to the pegasus to find her staring at him in awe. His eyes flicked up as pops filled the air, followed quickly by the sound of steel meeting steel. Minotaurs vanished by the dozen as unicorns dispelled the illusions. Those that were left were quickly set upon by his auxiliaries. A general melee was inefficient and favored the minotaurs in the long term, but for the moment, his auxiliaries had turned the tide and were plugging the gap, giving the Solar Guards who remained a chance to breathe. Elias’ eyes flicked back down to the pegasus, finding her in the same state she had been in. He leaned over and grabbed hold of her armor, hauling her to her feet. The motion startled the mare, and she flushed with embarrassment, standing on her own four feet. “T-thank you General,” she mumbled. “It’s nothing,” he replied. “Get your sword. We’re not done here.” She nodded and began casting about for the fallen blade, but he paid her no more mind. His eyes drifted back to the fight at hand. Most of the bulls were gone, no doubt illusions, while the rest were being dragged to the ground by ponies working in twos and threes. What few were getting a rest would only have moments, as more bulls were already charging down the hill, seeing the easy advantage in the absent Solar Guard, and the lightly armored auxiliaries. Granite was visibly doing his best to extend the legion’s right flank, but the minotaurs were increasing their press everywhere, and more silver bodies were being dragged out of the fight and to the rear, making it so that nobody could be spared to move right. Knowing that looking back would only anger him and leave him exposed, Elias faced forward and began bellowing new orders. “Auxiliaries! Grab shields and form up. Centurion…” He looked about but found none of his officers. Elias let out a slight growl, then picked out an auxiliary out at random, jabbing a finger at the blue stallion. “You. Get the shield wall formed and push left to link up with Centurion Granite.” The pony nodded and darted away, crying out a repeat of Elias’ orders. The human looked to the remaining Solar Guards. “The rest of you, form up on me. I don’t know where your commanders are, but I’m in command now. We will hold the center until reinforcements can be spared. Spread the word, we fight here.” As the golden-clad ponies nodded and dispersed to help their fellows still locked in combat, Star Orchid came trotting up. “Where do you want me General?” Elias pointed to the grass beside him. “Here. It’ll give the Solar Guard something to rally to.” His eyes drifted to the grass, locating his shield. For some reason, a stroke of heartbreak touched his chest as he bent over to grab the scutum. The axe was still locked in the wood of the shield, and ripping it out revealed a massive mar, weakening the shield in a way that couldn’t be repaired. Elias touched his fingers to the gash, noting vaguely the three layers of paint; two red split by a layer of blue. The gash destroyed the integrity of the shield, and it would be nothing but scrap and splinters by the end of the day. Elias let out a sigh, turning the shield over and gripping the handle as he got to his feet. It was just a shield. Yes he had carried for years, but it was ultimately just a shield, and it had been damaged saving a life. He glanced back at the pegasus mare, who was doing her best to stand tall with the gathering Solar Guards. He memorized her face, taking in every detail. One more pony not thrown to the meat grinder. One more life saved. The sounds of an approaching wave of minotaurs touched his ears, and the human faced forward. Unlike his legionaries, the Solar Guards flinched at the approach, and some began a slow crawl backward, their ears and tails telling a tale of fear. Elias picked one at random, fixing the pony with a glare. “Steady! If you die today, know that you die to save those around you. Know that if you die, you do so to protect your princesses, to protect Equestria! Die now, because it’s the best chance at a good death you’ll get!” His speech didn’t quite have the inspirational tone he was hoping for, but it firmed those closest to him, and that had to be enough. A minotaur arrested his charge with a wide swing of his warhammer. The motion left his bare chest completely exposed, and Elias stepped within his guard, thrusting the metal frame of his scutum into the bull’s sternum. The hardy bone was nothing to enchanted steel, and the bull collapsed to his knees, his chest caving. Elias stepped around him, cutting his throat as he moved toward his next target. He found plenty, and the battle became a blur of constantly shifting opponents. While most he was able to finish off, the minotaurs refused to stop attacking, and so some escaped his killing blows. The ponies around him were equally pressed, and though he tried his best to intervene, ponies fell, their bodies growing still even as fighting raged on above them. Elias plunged his gladius into the small of a fallen minotaur’s back, then rose, wiping the sweat from his eyes. He watched one of the remaining armored bulls stomp on a pegasus, shattering the pony’s wing. The stallion didn’t cry out in pain, instead bared his teeth and growled as the minotaur drew back for a killing strike. Elias threw his scutum at the bull’s back. It did nothing to damage the tall wall of muscle, but it did draw attention. The human let out a short bark that was half shout, half growl, further challenging the minotaur. The bull snorted in answer and turned away from the pony, facing Elias fully. The human’s free hand twitched, seeking to hold onto something. He wasn’t particularly good at fighting with just one hand, and his gladius certainly wasn’t made for it. The handle was short, the blade not designed for dueling. The bodies clogging the ground made taking any stances difficult; he’d just have to fight fast. There had been no duels so far, just raw, uneven combat. Always one opponent charging at another; death in seconds. This fight was different. There was acknowledgment, both from the two fighters, as well as those around them. The unceasing tide of bodies had stopped around them. The ponies were too focused on survival and holding the line, while the minotaurs seemed to recognize the personal nature of the fight. Elias’ met the bull’s eyes, and unlike the dozens he had already slain, this one’s eyes held nothing but calm. There was no malice, no humor, nothing. The bull’s brown eyes told him everything he needed to know; this bull was a warrior. He knew fighting, had likely seen just as many fights as Elias had. The thick, corded muscles and the slightly weathered look to his face merely added to his serious demeanor. Elias stepped over a dead bull, leaving nothing but clear grass between the two of them. The bull watched silently, kicking away the damaged scutum at his feet. Elias fell into his one-handed stance, crouching low and balancing the blade of his gladius on his left arm. He pointed the tip toward the center of the bull’s chest, leaving it ambiguous where specifically his first strike would target. The bull rolled his shoulders, then held his axe with both hands before him. They stared at each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move. Elias tensed up, readying his right foot to start his attack, only to pause as a scutum in a glowing green aura slammed into the minotaur’s head. The bull grunted and turned toward the new attacker, only to meet a second strike from the shield, followed by a lance of energy right into his forehead. Elias relaxed as the bull collapsed face first into the dirt. He stared at the fallen body for a moment, then shot an irritated look at a smug looking Book Binder. A loud war cry filled the air as Solar Guards crashed into battle all around them, shocking the minotaurs and finally firming up the line. His mind was still on the fallen bull, however. “That was awful cold-hearted of you, hitting him from behind like that.” Book Binder scoffed. “If I killed him maybe, but all he’ll have is a big bump on his head when he wakes up. Besides, I learned that from watching you.” “Can’t have,” Elias scoffed. “I would have killed him.” “I’m not so sure,” Book Binder replied, earning a look of ire from the human. He continued to glare at the unicorn for a moment, then sighed and rubbed his face. “Fine. Whatever. Is that all of the Solar Guard?” “I believe so,” Book Binder replied. “Though nopony has seen any of their generals lately. I don’t need to tell you that there isn’t any scenario where that’s a good thing.” “They either ran like cowards or died like fighters,” Elias said. “I hope that it was the latter. Better that way.” He looked toward his scutum, now filthy with mud and blood. His chest twinged again with sadness at the sight, at the thought of who had made that shield, of the dozens it had helped defend. To see it so discarded… He looked away even as Book Binder followed his gaze. The minotaurs were beginning to withdraw along the line, this time leaving behind hundreds of corpses. Little in the way of artillery or spell fire chased them. A glance toward his legion found it battered, with the evidence of a breach all the way to the rear visible. One of the catapults was in flames, while another had his struts cut to pieces. “We can fix it,” Book Binder said. Elias’ bad eye twitched. “It’s a waste of time. Better to build new ones. We’ll fortify the struts with steel, maybe steel cable. Something that can bend with the stresses of firing, but that also can’t be cut so easily.” Book Binder chuckled. “I’ll make a note, but I was talking about this.” He turned to find her offering his shield. Elias frowned at it, then pushed it down. “No, it’s junk now. A broken shield offers no protection, and you can’t mend wood. A patch won’t be as good. Best to start anew. It’s the only way to get the strength back.” Book Binder smiled at the shield, then flipped open her saddlebags. “We’ll see,” was all she said as she slid the battered scutum into her enchanted bags. Her horn glowed and another, slightly smaller, scutum floated over. This one held no marrs, was barely dirty. Elias took the handle, his lips immediately turning in disgust at it’s completely different feel to his shield. “I thought I told Anyon to make these heavier.” “Weight enchantment General,” Book Binder responded. “They are heavier, you just like carrying you shield unaided.” Elias turned the shield this way and that before finally letting out a disgusted huff. “I’m replacing this as soon as possible. It’s too light.” Book Binder giggled. “And it’s a bit small, but I’m sure you’ll manage.” Her mirth died and a shudder ran from her tail to her muzzle as her eyes turned to the field before them. “You’ve certainly gotten us this far.” “Having any regrets?” Elias asked. The green mare turned back toward him. “In what way?” “Joining the guard, getting to know me, joining the legion,” Elias said with a shrug. “Anything that led you here. Regrets?” Book Binder shook her head instantly. “None. Despite all of… this,” she motioned with her hoof and another shudder, “I have a loving husband, amazing friends, and a future son. Odds are that this would happen with or without me being here, so I’m glad that I have what I have, even if this is the price I have to pay.” Book Binder shuddered a third time. “But I think I can understand why your nightmares get so bad. I mean really understand. Reading journals is one thing, but seeing it with my own eyes…” She met his even gaze. “After this, let’s retire. I think me being a librarian and Night Flash helping a flight school would be just fine, if a little less glorious.” Elias’ lip curled in disgust and he snorted. “Glory. If these fat-headed bulls didn’t have that concept in their thick skulls we wouldn’t be here at all.” The fighting was moving forward of them, and a glance toward the Solar Guard found them completely firm in their push. Their left was plugged with a staunch line of auxiliaries and legionaries, and their right was firming up with each moment as the minotaur attack lost steam. More auxiliaries were herded by Night Flash from the right as it became firmer. The blue pegasus moved them behind the re-formed Solar Guard line, calling for them to fall in behind the legion’s extended shield wall. “Haven’t you talked about glory in your speeches to the legion before?” Book Binder asked. When he shot a look her way, a hoof raised. “I’m not trying to say you’re the same as the minotaurs, I’m just asking.” “I don’t talk about this kind of glory,” Elias answered with a huff. “They,” he pointed, “find glory in the fighting. The battle itself is glory. Wealth and prestige is an added bonus, but they fight because the fight itself is glorious to them. While a part of me is like that, it’s never the part I intended to impart to the legionaries.” He glanced toward the glistening line of silver and red. “The glory I talk about uses the fighting as a means. Ponies fight out of necessity, not out of want. Here, though the cause is, I believe, stupid, you are all still fighting for defense. The princesses have their plan, and so you work to enact it to save lives in the long term. You have a goal in the fighting, and most times, ponies will do anything to avoid actually ending life just to preserve it.” “Most times,” Book Binder noted. Elias smirked. “Even a cornered animal knows how to bare its teeth. Death and violence comes easy to humans and minotaurs, but that doesn’t mean ponies are wholly incapable of it.” He motioned at the battlefield. “As you’ve all proven.” “But,” he continued. “Your glory comes in purpose. Minotaurs fight to fight, and hopefully die with glory. In some ways, I’m the same.” He glanced her way. “But unfortunately you ponies have challenged me on that, and so here I am, purpose in hand and reason to stay alive at my side.” “Aw, you could just say you love us General,” Book Binder smiled. “You frustrate me,” Elias growled in return. “I could fight harder if I wasn’t worrying about silly things like the opinions of those around me, or survival.” The unicorn didn’t stop smiling at him, and eventually he snapped. “Alright I care, shut up and focus on the task at hand.” Book Binder giggled. “Aye aye General.” She trotted over and nuzzled his hip. Elias struggled not to return the gesture and turn it into a full hug. A distraction fell from the sky in the form of a pegasus in black armor. His landing could only be described as rough. His flaps were uneven, and resulted in him dropping more than flying. As soon as his wings stopped flapping, the pony flopped to the ground, panting heavily. Book Binder was at his side in an instant, using a bandage to staunch the blood weeping from the pony’s neck. The pegasus panted, and his eyes darted around in a panic for a moment before settling on Elias, watching the scene from a few steps away. “G-General,” the pony gasped. “We need help. The minotaurs broke through.” His eyes looked to the sky. “They were faster than they had any right to be. Appeared from nowhere and took out dozens before we knew they were there. W-we didn’t expect them to be invisible...” The pony trailed off as shock took him. He let out a whine and closed his eyes, shivering in the grass while Book Binder continued to apply bandages. While the unicorn let out a cry for a healer, Elias looked toward the rear. He hadn’t really noticed the sounds of battle rolling him from both sides of the field, but the area around the carriage was alive with violence as well-armored bulls clashed with the Royal Guards. He again turned and looked toward the Solar Guards. “Who is in command of the Solar Guard?” Elias called. “What officers are left?” Nobody responded initially, but eventually a white unicorn painted red shoved her way free of the fighting mass and trotted his way, offering a sharp salute once she was before him. “Captain Brisk Day, General. I haven’t seen anypony since our… temporary retreat.” “Call it what it is Captain, a rout,” Elias said. “It’s solved now anyway.” He pointed to where his auxiliaries were patching the gap between the legion and the Solar Guard. “I’m drawing those ponies back to go assist the Royal Guard. Fill the hole with some of your guardsponies, make sure they don’t rout again. Bearer Orchid!” The purple earth pony trotted over and offered a salute. “You’re staying here with Captain Brisk Day. Keep the Solar Guards in place, and if they start to waver, I trust Adiutor Binder to keep things in control and make orders for a withdrawal. You do not fall back unless she orders it, clear?” The mare nodded, and while she introduced herself to Brisk Day, Elias looked to his left, locating a gray body milling about behind the battle line. “Centurion Granite! Draw up First Cohort Auxiliaries and form up on me.” The earth pony nodded, and the orders filled the air. Solar Guards waiting near the rear of their formation moved right, falling on the minotaurs even as the auxiliaries pulled back. They again fell into a block, this time with Centurion Granite at their head. Elias started moving toward them, but spared a glance at Book Binder as he walked away. “Keep the line strong, make sure Night Flash doesn’t get himself or my legion killed. I want both back in one piece.” Book Binder gave him a short nod, meeting his eyes for only a moment before looking back to the pony she was treating. “We’ll get through General. Go make sure the princesses are safe.” Elias moved the front of the box of auxiliaries, then called out the order to move forward. They moved away from the front and moved at a brisk trot back toward the wagons. They passed the collection area for the wounded Solar Guards, and he took note that a few guards had fresh, untreated wounds, noted also a dead healer or two. A few wounded guards were even back on their feet, brandishing weapons in every direction, their eyes filled with a promise of violence. Then they were past and into the still green spots of the field. Those too didn’t last as they grew nearer to the tight pocket of fighting that had engulfed the Royal Guards. At a glance, Elias could tell that the black-clad ponies were holding their own. They were even beginning to push the well-armored bulls back, but each second cost another life, something he refused to allow. “Drop shields!” Elias called. Shields fell to either side of the block, the ponies barely slowing. Elias saw something that made his eye twitch, and after a moment of thought, he tossed his shield to the side as well. His steps quickened. “Forward!” With the order, the ponies began an all-out charge, but Elias outpaced them, his steps becoming long as he plunged into the fighting, dipping and dodging between combatants. He stopped for nothing, his gaze focused purely on one minotaur nobody seemed to notice. The carriage seemed largely uncontested, with Royal Guards more than keeping the minotaurs engaged, save for one. A particularly large bull filled the door of the carriage, the door torn off and tossed to the side. The bull lifted an axe above its head, and a shriek from inside the carriage told Elias that the blow would be lethal to whoever it was set to fall upon. Before it could begin its descent, Elias grabbed hold of the handle of the axe just below the head. His gladius then plunged firmly into the minotaurs side, poking at the armor on the other side. A yank removed the axe from the minotaur’s hands, too easily. An elbow slammed into Elias’ head, knocking his helmet loose. A fat hand then closed around his throat and whipped him around, slamming him to the floor of the carriage. His third strangulation of the day saw the pair growling at each other as the minotaur tried to kill him before the gladius in his side caused him to bleed to death. Elias managed to spit in the bull’s eyes, then used his arms to scratch at the bull’s face. Fingers pulled on his nose ring and tore at his eyes, something the minotaur stopped by rearing back, then slamming Elias’ head into the carpeted floor with enough force to jar him. The blow had the added effect of knocking his helmet off. In his dazed state, Elias’ fingers brushed against the steel object. Instinct caused his fingers to curl, and he locked eyes with the bull as his first swing came to land. The minotaur’s hands loosened around Elias’ neck as his helmet slammed into the side of the minotaur’s head. A second blow drove the bull off his chest, and, without pausing to catch his breath, Elias rolled up, following the bull with another round of strikes. Their positions reversed, and he used both hands to rain down blow after blow. Using his helmet like a hammer, Elias beat the minotaur. First to where his muzzle shattered, sending thick splatters of blood flying into the air. Then to where the minotaur stopped trying to fight, stopped moving at all. Even then Elias didn’t stop, not until the minotaur’s skull finally caved in under the weight of the repeated blows. By that time, blood painted his arms, his chest, and had splattered onto his face and into his mouth. Pieces were scattered across the floor of the carriage, but he didn’t care. Rage and hate bubbled up in Elias’ chest, and staring at the dead bull, he couldn’t help but let out some of that energy. Elias roared in the face of the dead bull, then sat back on his haunches, panting hard. His bad eye twitched as he let the bloodied helmet fall from his grip. After catching his breath for a long moment, his eyes finally flicked up to find all of the carriages occupants staring at him in fear. Two of the maids were dead, great gashes carved in their bodies. The third; Soft Touch, sat beside Cadence, one of her forelegs cut off at the knee. The wound had been tied off, and from the smell of burned flesh in the air, Elias assumed that one of the other maids had tried cauterizing it before their fall. The pegasus’ wings flared defensively in front of the pink princess, but he didn’t care about her. A glance found her alive, and uninjured. Celestia was the same, as was Luna, though both were very much covered in blood. Some from the minotaur he had just beaten to death, but also some from the final occupant of the carriage; Nightshade. The thestral panted, her eyes glazed over with pain. A thick cut ran along her ribs, skirting just below her wings. Luna’s hooves were buried in a bandage made hastily from a torn pillow, a bandage that was only barely staunching blood flow. He rose and pushed the lunar princess aside with a grunt. Letting the makeshift bandage fall away, he drew a proper gauze roll from a pouch on his belt. He began wrapping the wound tight, drawing Nightshade’s eye as he did so. “What happened Nightshade? What are you doing down here?” She grunted and her forelegs milled as she tried to sit up, but Elias pushed her back down, yanking the wound to keep her that way. “I-,” she gasped as he wrapped another section of the wound. “I saw the Solar Guards run and noticed some invisible minotaurs slipping through in the confusion. There were enough that I knew Chase would be overwhelmed, and…” She sniffled and her head flopped to the floor. “I came charging down here to make sure he was alright. I saw some minotaurs making a push on the carriage, so I helped here first, but they kept coming, and then I stupidly got hurt, and…” “You performed admirably,” Luna assured, reaching out to place a comforting hoof on the thestral’s withers. “The hell she did,” Elias growled, ripping the gauze with his teeth. “She should have stayed with her troops to fill the hole the Solar Guard left, and even if she had left, she shouldn’t have done something so stupid as getting wounded because now I have to babysit her along with the rest of you.” “We do not need to be baby…” Cadence fell silent as the full weight of Elias’ glare targeted her. She shrank behind her wounded maid. Elias continued to glare at the pink princess until well after his point had been made, then he let his eyes drop. “That’s not to mention the fact that her sloppiness nearly got her, as well as you all, killed,” Elias continued, tucking the gauze away. “So now she’s going to do what I tell her, or I will personally invite a minotaur in here to finish the job.” He wiped blood off on his tunic, then pressed on the bandage, pulling it tight. Nightshade hissed in pain, but the bleeding finally stopped, letting Elias tie the bandage off. He then darted outside, glancing around for a moment before seeing what he needed. He dipped back into the carriage with a spear in hand and passed it to Nightshade. “Here. Use this, protect the door. You’re staying right here.” “The hell I am!” Nightshade spat. She feebly tried to rise, but her legs refused to cooperate. She flopped back, continuing to pant. “I… I just need a minute.” “You’re staying here,” Elias snapped. As Nightshade’s muzzle opened to argue again, he crouched down, pressing his forehead against hers. “I will break your hind legs if I have to, so sit down and shut up. I will not have you waste your life on stupid bravado.” The thestral shrank, the argument dying on her lips. Elias continued to glare at her, not backing down until a wing brushed his arm. “Alright General,” Luna whispered. “She understands.” Elias’ eyes flicked to the blue alicorn. “Nobody understands a thing. You have no idea how close you all came to becoming show pieces to some glory mad cow.” Luna continued to meet his harsh gaze with comforting, understanding eyes. He couldn’t keep the heat in his anger under the pressure of those eyes. They told no story, told him none of her emotions other than complete and utter trust. She trusted him, and if her intention was to calm him, she succeeded; partially. Elias let out a sigh and rose to his feet. “Stay here, all of you. I will post two auxiliaries outside the carriage door, and if anything comes through that isn’t me, kill it and make plans to run. It’ll mean everyone outside is dead.” He hesitated a moment, and Luna’s muzzle turned into a slight smile. She offered him a nod of what he could only interpret as pride, and Elias felt… funny at seeing the motion from the blue alicorn. He turned away, breaking eye contact with Luna and trudging into back into the open, leaving his odd feeling behind. He was met by Granite and an eager pack of auxiliaries. Around them the Royal Guards milled about, collecting their wounded. Living minotaurs were nowhere to be seen, and a horn call from the hill clued the human in that another retreat had been sounded. Elias looked to Granite. “Have the auxiliaries stack their shields near the carriage, we’ll see if they’re needed when the fight comes back. After that’s done, have them rest up. Make sure everyone gets water and something to eat, even if only a bite.” Granite nodded repeating the orders even as some of the closer auxiliaries began to carry them out. Elias jabbed his fingers at a pair of auxiliaries. “You two, guard the carriage door, move for nothing. I don’t care if I’m a foot away being strangled, the princesses are your only priority.” The pair nodded and trudged over to the doorway. One, a unicorn, frowned at the broken door. “General, we need to re-seal the carriage. The greater-interior enchantments aren’t going to last without a seal.” “If you know how to fix it, then pick however many ponies you need and deal with it,” Elias said. “But if it can survive until the end of the day, then leave it. The battle isn’t done yet.” The unicorn continued frowning at the door for a moment, then nodded. “Alright General. It can wait, but I want to experiment for a minute if you don’t mind.” Elias gave her an absent wave of permission, his eyes already moving to their next target. Bloody Bandage helped a battered gray pegasus limp through the milling crowd of ponies. One eye was missing, a great bloody wound in its place, but that didn’t stop the pegasus from keeping his head held high as he approached the royal carriage. “Get in the carriage,” Elias said as the pair came to a stop before him. Midnight Chaser snorted, blood spraying away from his nostrils. “No. My place is out here, and I have still have one good eye.” “You can’t stand on your own,” Elias spat. “What is with you ponies and your thick heads? You’re hurt, you can’t fight. Now get in the carriage before I break your legs.” Chaser pushed off of Bloody Bandage and stood firm on three legs. One of his hind legs buckled lightly under the pressure of a gash near his knee, but the pegasus ignored it. He puffed out his chest and glared up at Elias with his one eye. “I’m fine,” Chaser said. “And besides, you do the exact same thing. If anything, you’re worse, or do I need to remind you of your performance during the RATE?” Elias felt a twinge of pain in his chest, chased by a twitch in his knuckles. He hated that the pegasus was right, but he wasn’t going to let him keep fighting. Nightshade would be broken if Chaser got hurt worse than he already was. “I’m in command here, and if I say you’re going in the carriage, you’re going in the carriage.” Elias growled. Chaser snarled. “If you haven’t noticed, we’re surrounded by my ponies. The princesses may have given you command of the army, but I will not be told to sit out.” Several Royal Guards began creeping closer at Chaser’s words, but without so much as a twitch from Elias, Granite appeared with a dozen of auxiliaries. The earth pony pushed the Royal Guards back, butting heads with one and baring his teeth. “And if you haven’t noticed, we saved your asses,” Elias replied, “and I’m the only General out here still uninjured in a major way. I am in command of this army, and you will follow my orders or I will carry out my threat. Breaking your legs will take no effort from me, and frankly, you don’t have enough ponies to stop me.” More auxiliaries formed up around the arguing pair. Chaser broke eye contact and glanced around. Little in the way of support met his eyes. Finding himself surrounded, he let out a sigh and met Elias’ gaze again. “Then break my legs General, because I’m not going in that carriage without a fight. I made an oath to fight for the princesses until the end, just like any other Royal Guard. I won’t shirk that oath.” Elias’ glare softened. “You aren’t breaking your oath General, but you are done fighting. Help General Nightshade protect the princesses; you two will be the last line of defense if all doesn’t go well out here.” Chaser’s eye flicked toward the open carriage door. “She’s here?” “And wounded,” Elias said. “But she’s alive, and I made her stay in the carriage because she’s too hurt to fight effectively. Get in there and make sure she stays put. I can handle everything out here.” Chaser’s good eye blinked slowly, then he nodded. “Alright, but if things go wrong, I’m coming out to fight.” “Sure ‘blind-spot’,” Elias snorted. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and fight a bull with no left-eye. You’ll be perfect for each other.” Chaser matched his snort, and with Bloody Bandage’s help, he trudged into the carriage, pausing at the entrance to shout over his shoulder. “Captain Storm Chaser, get your orders from General Bright. He’s in temporary command.” Then he was safe, and out of sight. With the minor confrentation over, Storm Chaser made his way through the disappating crowd and offered Elias a sharp salute. “At your command General.” “Have your ponies pull the wounded to the rear, then rest.” Elias placed a hand on his hip and stared out over the battlefield. The sun was getting steadily lower in the sky. “We will fight again before the day is out.”