//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: “Damn you, Gavel.” // Story: The Ghost of Coltistrano: Restless Peace // by EthanClark //------------------------------// “This is the place, sir. Glint and everypony else are inside.” “Finally.” Shield Wall crossed the threshold of the building with a groan. The interior was dreary, and with hardly any furnishings he could detect in the darkness cast by blocked windows. A few steps more and his hooves clacked against tile in the lobby. Beside him, Nox moved out across the hall, guided by his innate night vision, and into another room as he reached for one of the curtains and gave it a tug. Sunlight poured through the windows. Shield Wall’s eyes were graced with the sight of an ornate, open mansion, decorated with banners sporting Princess Luna’s cutie mark, dark accents of walnut wood, and silver finery lining some of the mantles. Before him stood the grand staircase. “Forgive me, sir, I sometimes forget you don’t share bat pony abilities. Just upstairs is a washroom for-” Shield Wall spared no time in stomping up the staircase as quick as his weary legs would allow. The walls of the second level were similarly ornate, as were the flanking rooms. At the end of the hallway, however, was a large room sporting a clean bed, surrounded by stacks of crates covered in ropes. He ignored it all, turning into the master bathroom next to him. Gold magic ensnared the knobs of the shower, summoning steam and blistering hot liquid from the showerhead and into the porcelain tub, barely having landed on the surface before Shield Wall entered. It hurt him. The sting of the water trailed down his fur and flesh, but the only emotion he gave was a deep, raspy sigh that echoed in the bath. “At last. Civilization.” His tolerance for the heat came to an end as his magic turned the knob slightly, cooling the water by just a bit. A sleepless night urged his eyelids shut as he swayed in the stream above him, before visions of the attack flooded his mind. He counted the water droplets trailing down his cheeks and recalled the mysterious attackers movements, studying his own memory of whoever this pony was who could outdo him. The smell of the bubbling acid returned to him, putrid and with hints of seared flesh, but he could find nothing of value. He twitched and cracked the shower wall with a strike. Midnight Gavel invaded his mind. The longer he held onto the image of Gavel’s bloodsoaked face the more he felt his magic compressing the shower’s knob, threatening to break it, but a hissing sigh escaped, instead. Gold magic turned the knob back to its previous position as chilling air kissed the light scalding of his skin. Then came an offending voice. “Forgive the intrusion, sir, the Night Guard has gathered. Whenever you're ready.” Shield Wall’s eyes shot open to glare in the direction of the voice, but he forced another sigh in response and emerged, steam surrounding him as a towel floated from behind and patted him dry. He returned to the bedroom to find a familiar tailcoat along the surface of the bed, navy and lined with an intricate golden trim. He savoured his approach to the garment. Golden eyes traveled from the coat, to one of the now-opened boxes, and back to the coat to inspect the glittering officer’s bars along its left breast, it’s hefty fabric, and the embroidered insignia of his cutie mark upon the shoulder. Try as he might, Shield Wall couldn’t help but smile. He pulled the coat from the bed and slowly, methodically, slipped into its sleeves, relishing the almost tingling sensation that traveled along his skin as the coat enveloped him in its pleasant heft. A quick hoof snatched the officer’s bars from his breast and cast them aside, scoffing at the sight of them colliding against the floor before turning his back on them. After descending the grand stairs, Shield Wall was greeted by the sight of nearly two dozen bat ponies, all draped in dark armor, standing at attention before him as he entered an imposing dining hall just off the main lobby, adorned in Luna’s insignia and sharing the same dark tone as the rest of the house. They saluted in unison, with one of their ranks stepping forward. “Vice general, sir, I’m Commander Glint. Welcome back. First Sergeant Nox has already filled me in on the details. Thank the moon you weren’t hurt.” His words were punctuated by a loud ‘oorah’ from the gathered soldiers.  “Only my pride, commander. Am I to assume that you are the one in charge here?” “That’s correct, sir, and in command of other sleeper forces within Luna’s court.” “Surprising… now, where is the first sergeant?” “Here, sir. How may I help you, sir?” Nox’s voice carried over the assembly as he approached Shield Wall. A flash of golden light illuminated the room as a small beam entered Nox’s forehead and emerged on the other side, sending the bat pony crumpling to the floor below. The other ponies turned their attention to the scene, some struggling to maintain their composure as a commotion of muttered voices began to rise from the crowd. Glint clenched his jaw firmly and watched as Kindle, still bruised and battered from the night before, moved quickly to the front of the crowd. His mouth opened, but a harsh glare from Glint was all it took to return the Kindle to silence. “I have been waiting hours to do that,” Shield Wall said with a content sigh. “Insubordinate, sir?” Glint asked, returning his attention to Shield Wall. “A damn embarrassment, but thankfully you and your troops appear far more capable.”  Shield Wall spoke as he walked toward the head of the table, bathed in the sunlight creeping through the window behind him, and secured the large leather chair facing the Night Guard before him.  “Is this location secure?” “Yes, sir, it will take some time before the princess learns we were present at the prison, and this isn’t the only Night Guard safehouse in the city, or Equestria. We are safe for now, sir.” “Excellent, and might I ask how it was you procured my possessions?” “Most of them were kept in storage in the Investigations Bureau, sir. As commander of the Canterlot Night Guard, I’m granted certain freedoms within their department. It’s how we found where you were.” “Yes, a most annoying inconvenience,” Shield Wall said with a growl. “But enough pleasantries. Dispose of the first sergeant and give me a situation report.” “Yes, sir.”  Glint raised a firm hoof toward two of his subordinates, and in unison they marched toward Nox’s body, eyes on the floor, and dragged him from the room while Glint spoke.  “In the fifteen months since you were incarcerated, the Night Guard has been working to establish a network of recon units throughout Equestria. After the trial, though, much of the network established by Serenade was dissolved. Kindle, the map.” Kindle flinched, eyes still following Nox’s body, snatching a roll of parchment passed by another Night Guard and emerging from the crowd organized around their leader, rolling out the map along the table. Shield Wall immediately recognized the dotted lines and criss-crosses along its surface as flight routes, and various symbols were stamped over towns and cities. “Our network consists of Night Guard, spies, and the occasional bandit or mercenary, anypony willing to deal in information for coin. At this time, sir, we number roughly fifteen-hundred and growing, and while access to safehouses and resources isn’t an issue, anonymity has been almost impossible since the end of the trial and the veritable witch hunt the EUP launched against the conspirators. Many of them have become informants for the crown.” “Do you have a list of those informants?” “I do, sir, as well as a report detailing possible members of the Investigations Bureau spearheading the operation against us.” “Excellent work, commander, we will need to make a priority of crossing off those names.” The statement caused some of the Night Guard to squirm, most of all Kindle. “Now what of these points? I deduce they are faction symbols for our new agents.” “That’s correct, sir. Our influence is felt primarily in the southern to western areas of the country, and these signs denote factions that are either by affiliation or conscription.” “Hardly what we had before, though I suppose Manehatten is barely worth recovering after… the incident. We shall move the bulk of our force to Baltimare. It is defensible and much of the criminal element is loyal to me.” Glint twitched at his leader’s words, breaking eye contact. Silence filled the room, and the clinking armor of fidgeting ponies only served to intensify Shield Wall’s growing scowl. The commander finally spoke.  “S-Sir, um… We lost Baltimare months ago.” “Forgive me, commander. Did you say you ‘lost’ Baltimare? And could you inform me of how, exactly, you managed to lose our only stronghold in the east? The same stronghold I managed to hold for two decades?” “The Ghost, sir.” Shield Wall muscles tensed, pushing against the snug fabric of the coat as he slowly stood from his seat. Glint’s blood went cold. The searing intensity of his leader’s glare almost burned a hole in his fur, but to his surprise Shield Wall began to relent. His leader’s shoulders went slack as the unicorn reflected on the confession. He peered around the room at the bat ponies before him, averting their gaze from him, locking eyes with the only one frozen in place. “Is it normal for your subordinates to gawk, commander?” Shield Wall’s comment forced Glint to double-take at Kindle. “No, sir, but... Kindle is new to the outfit, sir. He’s not yet used to how we operate.” “Perhaps, but that does not excuse such disrespect.” “Of course, sir, but he survived the Ghost, like I did, and is a good soldier. Right?” Glint turned to Kindle. His words were met by the same piercing glare Shield Wall gave him.. For a moment there was only silence in the room, fueled by the invisible tension that drifted between the two bat ponies, before Kindle spoke in a low, trembling voice. “Yes… sir.” He gave a limp salute before slowly returning to the group, head dipping low. “Well, I suppose I could hardly blame you,” Shield Wall continued. “It takes a conditioned mind to engage that particular pony in combat. Did you, at least, recover any supplies from the Baltimare compound?” “No, sir, the Ghost… no, sir.” “Pity, but I have won wars with far less… tell me, why have we not reclaimed territory in Coltistrano? It was a most advantageous position in Serenade’s time.” “There were attempts, sir, but-” “But the Ghost, yes? How is that petulant little pest these days?” “As you say, sir, a ‘pest’, but we have plans of dealing with him.” “Oh, come now commander, you are clearly outwitted. There is no shame in acknowledging the prowess of a superior opponent. Especially one who has shaken you, so.” Glint bit his tongue and stood up straighter than before, quelling the slight tremor in his hooves at the mere mention of the Ghost, but now his leader’s piercing eyes tore down his resolve. Glint gave a long, ragged sigh. “He’s not normal, sir. We went in as a squad of six to Coltistrano, trained and ready for anything, but the Ghost tore us apart. We never saw him, not until he toyed with us at the end. We had to wait three hours until we could go back and retrieve Kindle from the authorities. He… I think he enjoys it.” “Oh, that he does, commander. You will learn, as I have, this new Ghost is far more than his predecessor. His mentor dealt in pompous displays of sanctimony, the withered old bug, whereas the Ghost of today is far more cunning and tenacious… you try so hard to hide the limp, commander.” “Forgive me, sir,” Glint almost whispered. “There is nothing to forgive, commander. You faced a superior foe and, as expected, lost. Though, the fact you returned again shows you have the strength to carry the better world we shall create upon your back. Would you not agree?” Shield Wall stood to cross the room, placing his hoof softly on the commander’s shoulder. “I-I… thank you, sir.” “Of course, unlike the petty Midnight Gavel, you and your soldiers remained loyal to me. For that, commander, you shall all be rewarded, but we must keep focused on our goal. I trust nopony has been made aware of the operation?” “Absolutely not, sir.” “Keep it that way. In the meanwhile, we must find a way out of the city. The ports may be our only option, but send a small squad to investigate magical means of exit, something to escape the city without the crown’s notice.” “Yes, sir.” Glint waved a hoof to signal three of the Night Guard beside him as they quickly sped out of the dining hall. “Now, sir, what about the attack at the prison?” “Does this concern you, commander?” “Yes, sir. If somepony has managed to compromise one or more of our agents it’s a threat to the operation’s integrity, even ignoring the fact they were clearly targeting you.” “‘Clearly’. It is a most disturbing revelation. However, this is a boon in disguise.” “Sir?” Glint watched Shield Wall return to his seat, perplexed at his leader’s relaxed response. “This is not the first assassin to have come for me in the night. Many times they preferred more respectable methods, like poison, incendiary traps, curvaceous cutthroats, and so on, but I have watched the movements of this new aggressor. She is something far different than an ordinary assassin.” “‘She’? Do you know her, sir?” “Of course not, but the way she moves, how she holds her balance, and the tone of her voice is all indicative of a mare, and an older one, at that. Her abilities, though, are… impressive. As I recall, the late first sergeant revealed the entire squad sent to liberate me must have been slaughtered by her. Brandy.”  Glint blinked at the sudden demand. Once his mind had caught up he hurried toward one of the cabinets along the wall and produced a bottle and glass, placing it before Shield Wall as his magic poured a heavy drink.  “Excellent. As I was saying, this interloper will serve as a distraction for the authorities. True, they will assuredly investigate the scene, but there will hardly be anything for them to suspect I have been freed, and while their attention is on the murder of their double agent we shall be free to move about Equestria as we see fit.” “Unless she follows us, sir.” “Which is unlikely, depending on how many have possession of a map like this. No, commander, we shall soon be gone from this cursed hole of aristocratic hedonism and nopony will be the wiser. And once we are gone so too will this threat.” “Yes, sir, but… what about the Ghost?” Shield Wall drew from the glass in his magical hold. Dark liquid passed through his lips and coated his mouth in a flavor he had almost forgotten, swishing it around gently before allowing it to pass deeper within him as a drawn out sigh escaped. He took another sip, greedily, before facing the commander. “No doubt the princess has the Ghost and his allies investigating, personally. They will be following the trail of the murderer, and should our paths cross again we shall give the Ghost what he seeks. What matters, commander, is he does not know I live. Am I clear?” “Transparent, sir.” “Then we shall have no issues. The Ghost will be tied up with another grand caper, the crown will be hunting criminals on the outskirts of Equestria, and we shall have a clear path toward our goals… does the target suspect anything?” Shield Wall took the glass in his hoof and tipped it over his lips, allowing the rest of the drink to fall into his maw before slamming the glass onto the dark table. “No, sir, we’ve kept tabs on her since you were imprisoned. None of our agents have alerted her to our presence.” “Excellent, and you are completely, absolutely certain it remains in her possession?” “Yes, sir.” “Good, ensure no one learns of this. We remain vulnerable until we escape the city.” “I’ll have the guard search for alternatives. The city will be locked down, but we may still have a way out through the port.” “Then go. Report back to me when you succeed.” Glint gave a firm salute before issuing another silent command with his hoof, ushering the rest of the squad out of the dining room. Shield Wall sat alone. Though he could detect a measure of nostalgia swirling within him, it was hardly enough to stand against the sudden silence he was plunged into. His teeth grated against each other. Images of blood filled his vision, and the loud crack of his former friend’s skull and flesh crept into his ears as he replayed the moment over and over in his mind, feeling heat in his cheeks. He was angry. A directionless fury that radiated from his person, threatening to sear the tapestries that fluttered along the walls. “‘Midnight Gavel’. Bah, traitorous...” “‘Traitorous’? Harsh language from a career traitor, Shield.” Shield shot up from his seat, nearly knocking the leather chair to the floor and locking his feral eyes onto the empty space before him, ears trained for the slightest sound. To his horror, the visage of pristine indigo fur slowly entered his sight, giving way to a pony Shield only recognized as freshly dead, yet his eyes saw him full of life. The unicorn strode across the floor with a certain pomp. He leaned over to sniff the open bottle of brandy, recoiling at the pungent scent. “I prefer our tea visits, stressful as they were.” “You… are not real,” Shield sighed, allowing himself to smirk. “A phantasm of the mind.” “Is that today’s story? I told you once, my friend, and I will confess it again, your obsessions are ruining your otherwise brilliant mind.” “This is not some visit for therapy, Gavel,” Shield grumbled.  “Yes, yes, of course,” Gavel said with a dismissive hoof. “You’re here to grumble about the boy, yes? Always with the boy.” “Boy? That boy has ruined me, Gavel! And you aided him!” “I did no such thing, you ungrateful brute! Everything I have done, good or bad, has been in the interest of your vision. Your twisted, demented vision.” “My vision is pure. You simply lacked the spine to see it through as I told you to, and instead you fall into the company of that whelp after everything we accomplished.” “And remind me, what have we accomplished?” Gavel’s question forced Shield’s words back into his mouth with its impact. “If successfully scaring the wits out of the aristocracy and wasting our money is your vision, then by all means, claim your victory. Otherwise, we are back at square one.” “I was in control,” Shield seethed, his shoulders becoming tense. “Control of Aristo, control of the court, and in control of you.” “Oh, please! You could hardly maintain control of yourself, let alone your ‘aspirations’.” “My aspiration has always been the same: to unite our nation against the evil that threatens it!” “And as far as our nation is concerned, the only evil it needs uniting against is you.” Shield Wall was stunned. He stood before a figment of his imagination, a conjured image of the greatest traitor he ever knew, and its words managed to dig ever so slightly into the flesh of his ego. It stung more than the rest of his brandy sliding down his throat, his eyes never leaving Gavel’s. The indigo unicorn held no smirk. He simply stood, just along the threshold of Shield Wall’s peripheral vision with a cocked brow and a dignified frown. Even acknowledging it made Shield’s ears burn.  “Heroes are seldom celebrated in their time.” “Oh, you’re a hero now? Do not insult me, Shield, I know you better than that. Heroes are not the ones put on trial for treason and murder. Instead, they swoop down and capture the pony escaping from said trial.” “They were fools! The damn princesses, arrogant and vapid! I have accomplished more for this country in ten years then either of them in a century, all in the name of unity and protection.” As he let out another ragged breath, Shield could almost feel a hoof land on his shoulder. “I have known you since your earliest days, Shield, and you never gave a damn about unity. Not until you met-” Shield Wall roared. A furious hoof swung and collided with the image of Gavel and brought it to the floor. He slammed against the face staring up at him. Crash after brutal crash sent splinters up toward Shield Wall, each strike drawing another pained shout from his throat, echoing through the mansion. He struck again, and again, and again until a loud snap of wood finally brought him from his bloodthirsty trance. Shield Wall’s chest heaved as fast as his heart beat. When he looked to the crater below him he found no one. No traitor to his cause, no dearly departed friend. Only evidence of his fury, surrounded by an empty room. His breath began to slow. “Damn you, Gavel.”