Dear readers—
Before General Rock Biter begins telling the story of the second engagement at Harness Hill, I would like to steal the opening section to say that after nearly two weeks of no word, I have finally heard from Gavian again.
A letter scroll was hoof-delivered—or should I say, talon-delivered—directly to me from a Gryphon Express courier who seemed more than a little nervous to meet me. He was trembling as he presented me with the delivery parchment to sign and offered a quill; he shook so badly he missed the sealed ink jug pressed against his side and streaked his own feathers with ink when he withdrew it.
‘Tis one of several types of behaviors I have seen from gryphons in the post-war era, who variously react with fear, awe, or anger upon meeting me. This was one of the first from a young and sleek sky gryphon who had to have been born long after the conflict.
He knew me by reputation only, but long practice has taught me how to put such gryphons at ease. A disarming smile, an expression of gratitude, and even an offer of refreshment usually suffice. Occasionally, I even get asked by gryphons for an autograph on something other than the delivery documents, to the immense amusement of Fell Flight and Blindside.
‘Tis just as well the former has departed, as her large size, sharp tongue and predatory appearance tends to intimidate young gryphons worst of all. But in this instance, he delivered it to me just when we were sitting down to dinner in the Inn with Blindside, Stormrunner, General Rock Biter and his former soldiers, so he ended up meeting many famous figures.
‘Tis certain that General Rock Biter himself was perchance a bit perplexed how he should react to this young courier, having never met a friendly gryphon before. But he offered up a nod and a smile all the same as he was introduced. As our new but nervous friend was to stay overnight in the Inn after flying all the way from Nova Ocelota to make his delivery—the letter from Gavian left Arnau not three days earlier, which ‘tis an unheard-of time for receiving cross-ocean correspondence—Blindside asked her oldest daughter Fireball to keep him company and treat him to dinner.
Before anycreature asks, yes, Blindside gave her original name to her firstborn daughter, given her equally fiery coat and propensity to quite literally bounce off the walls as a toddler. As she is every bit as open and friendly as her mother, to say nothing of well-used to being around gryphons given their tea shop in Canterlot is near the embassy and oft used by them for informal meetings, ‘tis no doubt she will treat him well. After they departed, I stood and read the following letter to all my friends and comrades, both old and new:
—Firefly
Dear Mother,
As always, I hope this letter finds you well. I apologize profusely for keeping you waiting for more word, but ‘twas unavoidable—for the very best reasons. As I have been told you were already aware, a great honor has been bestowed upon me; one ‘tis certain I had no idea was coming but ‘twas far less certain I wanted!
It began when I woke up the next morning after meeting Queen Jeyenne and her court. To my relief, we slept well and felt far more refreshed, finally having had a good night’s rest along with Cara and Sparrow Hawk. Following a leisurely lunch with the Queen and her closest advisors, I was met by Tigrus Rex again, who politely requested that I accompany him and Ambassador Kaval to the Talaeus Training Grounds.
But to little surprise, my wife and daughter would not hear of me going there alone to face potentially hostile gryphons demanding duels with deadly terms. They insisted on coming, and methinks Cara is even more intimidating than the average Talaeus when she gets angry!
We arrived to find a score of black-dyed warriors with sleek red stripes present, and ‘tis no lie to say I felt a moment of fear in their presence, recalling the battles we had with them during the war. And yet, I was introduced to them as not only an honored guest, but as a peer. Ambassador Kaval presented me personally, reminding them that I had not only bested Thunderbolt but survived direct engagement with the Talaeus several times during the war, wounding two.
Despite his words and presence, there was once again neighsaying. Some of the younger Red Talons said they could not fathom how such a small tiercel as I could match elite gryphon warriors, whilst several others openly doubted the story of my defeating the Lightning Demon—even after witnessing the replayed memories of the duel. ‘Twas also pointed out that there was no proof of it occurring other than what a single Raven eagless could supposedly remember, and who was to say her memories or the memory recording itself had not been fabricated?
My response to that was simple, as I stalked up to the eagless in question and informed her nose to nose that I was not interested in having my deeds doubted or combat ability questioned—perchance the honor and customs of my homeland are already rubbing off on me? That if she wanted proof that I engaged the Lightning Demon and lived, I had it in the form of the scars beneath my coat.
As there was a Talaeus mage present, I consented to having the fur and feathers covering my torso removed, on the condition that they be magically restored after. ‘Twas not a pleasant experience to have them stripped from me with the sharp edge of a scimitar, as I instantly felt the biting winter wind and mountain chill on my bare skin beneath.
But not about to show any weakness, I waited until the process was complete. ‘Twas only when I was nothing but naked before my blushing wife and daughter that I turned to face the Talaeus eagless again. Methinks the look on her face was something to see as she beheld the massive spark-like scar centered on my chest from when Thunderbolt tried to stop my heart.
And lest she believed it to be a fluke from some other electrical event, I then showed her the remnants of wingblade slashes on my foreleg and side. The divots in the bone on my forehead and ear from his headbutts and hoofstriker hits. And the small gap in my right wing feathers from where one of Thunderbolt’s lightning strikes had passed through, incinerating the area and preventing it from regrowing.
“Satisfied, Decurion?” I asked her icily, my voice only sharpened by the bitter cold I was feeling. “Or do we have to duel before you wouldst believe me?”
‘Twas then that Tigrus Rex stepped forth. He reminded his forces that he had already tested me when I was far more tired and found me a worthy warrior—that he would permit no further duels with me until I was ‘trained properly’. I knew not what he meant as I went with the Magus to get my fur and feathers rapidly restored, but an education was shortly to follow.
‘Twould seem they wanted me to train with them, even if they would not tell me why! Nevertheless, I recognized it for the enormous honor ‘twas, and graciously accepted it.
Needless to say, the ten days that followed ‘twere a whirlwind of combat instruction the likes of which I have not undergone since my long-ago tutelage under Swift Strike! I was given some light armor and a custom-fitted gryphon helm, then made to spar with it. ‘Twas too heavy for me at first, but their restoration potions coupled with a steady diet of meat allowed me to gain the sinew necessary to support it swiftly; by the end of the first week, I was carrying it well.
I thought I had passed my peak long before, and yet, their harsh but effective methods quickly restored me to my wartime best and then some. After two weeks of training, in fact, I could go blade to blade with most of the Talaeus, who were astonished at how fast and elusive I was.
“You fight like a pony!” one told me derisively, to which I replied I considered that a compliment. Angered, he attacked me only to end up flattened by my blades and rebuked by Tigris Rex himself. The Tribune excoriated him by saying that to act in ire was beneath a Talaeus, reducing his rank and stripping off several pieces of armor on the spot.
And so it went, until ‘twas time to fight my erstwhile mentor again to see if my training had taken, dueling the Tribune for a second time in front of the Queen herself. Our rematch lasted nearly ten minutes—much like my fight with Thunderbolt, now that I think about it. But I regret the outcome ‘twould not be the same.
Methinks I came close to besting him at least twice, but in the end, his experience, superb technique and superior stamina again told, as I could not score a critical hit whilst he eventually landed one of his own. I was not the victor, and yet the cheers were raucous as I was helped up, and then presented to the Queen, who gave her nod of approval, ordering me to ‘receive my armor.’
‘Twas only then I understood what all this had been about. I was covered in black fur and feather dye whilst my purely metal helm and armor pieces were swapped out for enchanted opal ones, followed by symmetrical red stripes being painted on my darkened features and equally ebon armor.
Even my twin Raven scimitars that had served me so well were returned to me with red stripes added, their edges sharpened and enchanted to be unbreakable and last nearly indefinitely. They were presented in their sheaths to me by the Queen’s aides, who held them in their beaks in a manner I was later told was traditional as I accepted them and placed them on their back mounts; the final step was when the Tribune himself stepped forward to affix my new shoulder insignia, giving me the brevet rank of Decurion!
When the process was complete, the aides withdrew—’tis no lie to say I was stunned at what was happening—and the Queen stood to face me, causing her aides to do the same.
“For defeating the demon Thunderbolt and being instrumental in forming friendships between our nations, thou art now and forever a Talaeus, Gavian Ravenoff! Let thy name and deeds be recorded for all gryphons to remember and revere!”
There was more he wrote, needless to say, but ‘tis more private and not something that need be divulged. The purpose of sharing this was to let all who read this know that, in perchance the most dramatic of ironies, my adopted son has been bequeathed the title of those who were once my most powerful and implacable enemies. Methinks I would have loved to see Fell Flight’s reaction to hearing this letter recited, but she will know in due course.
I have written Gavian back, and our recently arrived Courier will return to the Kingdom with my missive. But what I say to him remains private, except for that I could not be prouder of him.
With that interlude concluded, I return the pen to General Rock Biter. Or actually, as he has already penned the section to come, mayhap he would wish to add a note of his own in light of this letter?
—Captain Firefly
Bolt Knight Captain Emeritus
Military History and Tactics Instructor
Equestrian Officer Academy
Canterlot
Thank you, Captain, though I fear you are putting me on the spot slightly. Methinks my feelings on the matter are… mixed, as ‘tis certain I never saw the Talaeus as anything but a group of dangerous and dominant gryphons to be slain at all costs, before they slew us or otherwise rallied their side to victory. In truth, ‘tis certain I never saw the gryphons as anything but foes, and to meet them now outside of wartime…
Well. ‘Tis simply not easy to overcome old instincts, as my immediate thought upon meeting our young courier was that he was a spy sent to scout the town’s defenses for a surprise attack.
I know ‘tis ridiculous and wrong, given he wasn’t even born during the war and has anything but the manner of a soldier or assassin, but such thoughts persist in me and are not so easily purged. I suppose I am at least grateful that your son has found a place among his own, and that the new Kingdom has chosen to not just forgive but embrace him. But I will say no more, as I simply do not trust myself to not think ill of even him.
But enough of brooding. The longer I stay here among my old subordinates in the town I once defended and later attacked, the more my fears seem to leave me and the more my desire to continue this journey grows.
As she says, I have already finished the section to come. I did so this morning whilst me and my former comrades had a spartan soldier’s breakfast in the courtyard—though we did allow a pair of indulgences in the form of scones from the gryphon bakery paired with a jar of peach preserves from Thestralslovakia, since peaches were available for us to eat back then and we were told scones remain part of the standard gryphon military ration.
The story to follow came surprisingly easily to me, which my old soldiers and new friends—’tis worth noting again that I never thought of them as friends back then—offered up their own insights and recollections as well. What you will read now ‘tis the result.
—Lieutenant General Rock Biter (ret.)
Farmer and Father
Amber Apple Orchards
Stalliongrad
Harness Hill
Town Square
Twenty miles southwest of Maresk, astride the road to Detrot
September 5th, 1139 AC
0555 hours
Needless to say, our overnight stay in the burned and blasted ruins of Harness Hill was not a pleasant one.
As anypony might expect, we got no sleep, and what little of the town had survived the fight we were forced to wreck further as we raced to turn the structures, including and most especially Town Hall, into bunkers.
That meant sending the surviving civilians away despite their protests—to their credit, many wanted to stay and fight, but I told them no, as they were untrained and ‘twould likely be more hindrance than help. “If you want to fight, enlist!” I told them, giving them but ten minutes to grab what possessions they could before retreating west down the Harness Highway to safety. Even before they had left, we started fortifying the various buildings with physical barriers and magical wards; the latter to prevent further fire attacks from Imperial Magi or simply provide us early warning of approaching gryphons trying to sneak in by ground.
Somewhat to my surprise, we had not been struck again during the night as the Talons concentrated their efforts against Maresk itself, trying to pinch off the retreat route along the Harness Highway northeast of the hill. But they had only limited success as we were able to observe enemy activity well from the high perches of Town Hall and warn nearby units of gryphon movement, allowing them to go to ground or rapidly shift their lines to face them.
‘Twas no question the Equestrian Army was fighting bravely, even desperately, knowing they were trapped. Some smaller units tried to run the same gauntlet of airborne gryphons we had to reach relative safety beneath the cover of friendly forces, and especially unicorn longbows at Harness Hill. But nothing larger than a battered battalion made it out from the rearward regiments, who we could tell were being steadily ground down as their lines were being forced back.
We had at least received some reinforcements. My depleted regiment had been joined by the battalion that had turned the tide of the earlier battle, which only partially made good our losses. Without waiting for orders, I sent a missive back to the brigade commander guarding our lines of communication thanking her profusely for our rescue, placing my regiment under her command.
‘Twas not to say I did not get further orders from my previous Brigade commander. I received a missive from Brigadier General Bamboo Blade from one of the retreating soldiers, which formally relieved me of command. She further swore she would arrest me personally for weakening the rearward defenses, and then drag me before Major General Breech Lock herself before all was said and done.
As she was in no position to carry out her threat or enforce her order, I tore up the message and didn’t bother replying, advising all units in communication range to retreat in what order they could before the ring of gryphon steel around Maresk was solidified. Some smaller units who had lost their commanders took the advice but larger ones generally did not, obeying the exhortations of Breech Lock to “hold fast and let the gryphon wave be broken upon our backs.”
‘Twould seem that even then, she refused to acknowledge reality, and my only hope was that her stubbornness could be used to make the gryphons pay as great a price for Maresk as possible.
“Colonel! Beg to report!” Major Wheat Thresher ran up to me and saluted.
I returned the honor promptly. You normally wouldn’t salute out in the open of a battlefield—you never knew if a stealthed Raven was near, after all—but we were in the middle of several concentric defensive rings of soldiers and spellcasting alike, and any nearby mage could pinpoint me easily anyway given how many messages I was sending to friendly forces over our communication crystals. Besides, my dazed battalions needed to see that I was risking myself in light of our losses, given word had already filtered back to me that there was great sorrow and anger amongst some of our soldiers.
Perchance they thought that I had paid too high a price for retaking the hill. Perchance they were even right. But ‘twas certain I couldn’t worry about that then. “Our defenses are set and dispersed as much as possible. The road is well-defended and the battalions have fallback trenches if the pressure gets too great. Methinks if they try to take the town with just a sky gryphon Talon cohort and a couple mages again, they’ll catch Tartarus, sir.”
“Which is why they won’t,” I immediately replied, staring out to the northeast where the battle for Maresk still raged. “Methinks the only reason they haven’t struck us again is that they’re trying to muster a large enough force. And they already know that sky gryphons alone won’t beat us, so advise all battalions to expect an earth gryphon surface assault as part of the effort this time. Expect them to also try a combat drop right into the middle of our defenses,” I instructed, to which he nodded and dashed off to our reestablished communications shed, where a harried Corporal Far Cry was passing and receiving messages over the various dragonfire gems as quickly as she could.
She and her superior, Sergeant Smoke Signal, had certainly done their duty that night, and I made a mental note to put them in for commendations later. But for now, ‘twas time to assist what looked like another depleted and disorganized Equestrian Army battalion making a dash down the Harness Highway to safety.
Such aid consisted of sending the still-fresh unicorns of my borrowed 4th battalion to teleport from shrouded cover to knock down and scatter the sky gryphons trying to attack them from the air, whilst my earth ponies attempted to shatter any earth gryphon battle lines hemming them before they could fully form up.
But ‘twas tactics we could only attempt when they got close enough—within mayhap a mile and a half of the hill—or the greater distance would quickly tire and deplete the power of the unicorns. And this time, it looked like a cohort of talons had them hemmed halfway there as their advance stopped.
“Celestia take it… any Aerial Corps forces available?” I asked Heavy Halberd, who had been trying very hard to keep up with the positions of friendly and enemy forces, marking them on a map he’d spread out on a stone picnic table in the town plaza we’d pulled both pony and gryphon bodies away from earlier, moving them to the side.
“From what communications we can glean, there’s just a single company of pegasi in the area from the 1st Division conducting high-altitude reconnaissance work,” he said grimly. “Their numbers are too few to affect the outcome of the battle, so they’re watching from above and informing 1st Corps command of enemy movement. They have strict orders to not drop below 2,000 hooves high or engage enemy forces, and they’re also instructed to retreat if pursued.”
“In other words, as they’re too high to see much and not allowed to fight, they’re completely useless,” I growled, feeling what for me was a rare moment of anger at our sister service. ‘Twas certain such disdainful sentiments were hardly unknown in the Equestrian Army, who tended to look down on the Aerial Corps for their fewer numbers and inability to truly take or hold ground. In that, it could be said they were actually inferior to the sky gryphon Talons they typically fought, as the latter actually would attempt to take territory and hold it even though they were not well equipped for ground combat.
‘Twas but one more thing I would fix if I ever reached a position of authority where I could effect such changes, but even with the advent of war, ‘twas certain such lofty stations seemed impossible for me to survive long enough to reach. But as I saw the battalion before us being enveloped too far away for us to assist, I cantered over to the communications shed and burst in.
“Call up the commander of that Aerial Corps company, Sergeant!” I directed a surprised Smoke Signal. “Tell them to ignore their orders and to get their flanks down here, now!”
Methinks it took about ten minutes of threats, logic, cajoling, and outright pleading before the Corps commander would listen to me.
I told her that we needed her force to provide overhead cover for Equestrian army units trying to escape the encirclement, and that if gryphon numbers or pressure got too great, her company could take refuge beneath the cover of unicorn spells and longbows at Harness Hill. Despite that, she kept reciting her orders, claiming that by calling attention to ground movements, she was doing her part.
‘Twas then I asked her why, if that was true, had the gryphons not challenged or chased them off? “’Tis impossible they don’t know you’re up there! If they’re ignoring you, ‘tis because they don’t see you as a threat, either to their attacks or their maneuvers! You can’t see anything smaller than large units up there, but the action along the highway is among smaller ones!” I explained in exasperation.
“If I leave my post to disobey orders, I will be court-martialed!” she reminded me. “We need to maintain watch of major unit movement!”
“For the love of Celestia’s sun, you can accomplish that with just a single soldier! And if you don’t help, entire units will be slaughtered whilst trying to flee—one already is!” I slammed a hoof down on the ground in frustration as I watched the Imperials finishing off the damaged battalion they’d pinned in place halfway to Harness Hill, killing at least another hundred fifty sorely needed soldiers.
“So by the Mare in the Moon herself, show at least a shred of honor and get in the fight!” I ordered like I was her brigade commander, to which I then added a near-mortal insult: “Or is the Equestrian Aerial Corps too cowardly to do any dirty work if they’re facing any more than a few ragged raiders?”
A thestral-like hiss was then heard over the communication crystals. Those were fighting words; oft worthy of a duel between Army and Aerial Corps soldiers before the war. ‘Twasn’t fair then given the Corps oft took the brunt of casualties fighting Harpies and gryphon raider groups. And ‘twasn’t fair now given that almost the entire Aerial Corps 5th division had fought and died defending their border outposts to the last. They’d crippled two entire legions badly enough to get them withdrawn from further action and significantly damaged several more—at least according to the intelligence reports that Major General Breech Lock had deigned to pass along.
There was a long pause as the communication crystal fell silent. At first, I thought she had simply turned off her gem to ignore me, but half a minute later, she came back.
“Very well, Colonel. I’ve discussed it with my soldiers, and you win. I’m leaving a squad behind to keep watch on enemy movement, but the rest of us are on our way to Harness Hill! There’s smoke in the air, so fire green flares to let us home in on. And kindly advise your bowmares not to shoot us!”
“Understood,” I replied, noticing the first light of dawn breaking over the horizon to the east. Methinks Celestia’s sun would rise on the remains of two doomed Army divisions and countless civilians caught in the Imperial pocket, unless my reinforced regiment and a single Corps company could pry the line of retreat open.
Five minutes later, a century of Corps troops had arrived on top of the hill, landing in the plaza where they saw the green flares fired from unicorn horns still glowing. Methinks the greetings they received from my surviving soldiers were not as saviors but annoyance and anger over having not arrived sooner, leaving the Equestrian Army to fight the Gryphon Empire alone. ‘Twas certain that we had seen nary a single pegasus over the battlefield during the night, despite promises that the other four Corps divisions were being quickly shifted to face the gryphons.
Though I had no doubt that was true, ‘twas still ridiculous to me and many other ponies that we had to wait so long for them to appear in significant numbers instead of token ones; methinks their commander was correct that a single company could not affect the outcome of the overall battle.
A commander that arrived before me with an angry but uncertain air. “Sergeant First Class Redtail Raptor at your service, Colonel,” she saluted me with a blade-equipped wing as pegasus were sometimes wont to do. “And please know this action may cost me my career.”
I was unimpressed as I returned the honor. “And please know that your career is not important here, Sergeant First Class, and neither are your lives!” I motioned to the still-strewn gryphon and pony corpses around us from the earlier battle, their sight causing many of the younger pegasi soldiers to look afraid or nauseated. ‘Twas little surprise to me that they reacted so badly; the Aerial Corps 1st Division defended the central part of Equestria where there were no borders with hostile neighbors—save perchance the thestrals if they ever decided to rebel—and saw no action as a rule.
“What is at issue is extracting as many soldiers as possible from the Imperial encirclement of Maresk! And to enable that, you and your soldiers must protect them as they make their dash to safety behind my battle lines and beneath the cover of my archers on Harness Hill!”
“So you said,” she agreed shortly as the first rays of the sun illuminated the top of the hill, partially blocking my vision of the battle still raging to the northeast. “But we cannot by ourselves hold off any more than mayhap a century or two of gryphon soldiers. And methinks there are far more Talons than that in the air!”
“And you do not have to.” I stabbed at the map before me with a hoof. “Your task is to launch slashing, hit-and-fly attacks on their airborne forces as they attempt to hem in escaping units! Force them to face you but do not linger long! Knock down a few enemy soldiers and if possible, make them chase you! Do not get pinned down; your only objective is to give fleeing units the opportunity to reach the safety of our lines. Make for Harness Hill if you pick up too much pursuit, and my soldiers will protect you.”
“I see. And their earth gryphons?” she prompted. “‘Tis certain we are not well-equipped to fight them when they are grounded. What if they throw up a battle line in front of a retreating force?”
“Then they must be broken through by that force. Feel free to strike grounded targets of opportunity if they’re looking the wrong way—earth gryphon armor is weak at the flanks and the back of their neck, including the wingbase. But do not tarry or become heavily engaged. As you are the only Aerial Corps troops available, we need to keep your unit as intact as possible.”
“‘Tis nice to know you care about our lives,” she said dryly, to which I raised an eyeridge, the glare to the east becoming blinding as the sun was now rapidly rising into the sky.
“I care less for your lives than extracting as many soldiers from the encirclement as possible. But I cannot do that if you are ground down too quickly.”
“Now that is far more the attitude I would expect from the Equestrian Army,” she said with a smirk as her underlings looked decidedly uncomfortable at the direction the conversation had gone. “Orders understood. We will do what we can. But given you hold the sole remaining escape route from Maresk and are a refuge for fleeing forces and civilians alike, methinks I am surprised they have not struck you a second time yet.”
‘Twas my turn to give an unpleasant smirk. “Fear not, Sergeant First Class. ‘Tis no doubt such a strike is coming, and when it does—”
A series of lightning bolts crashed into the northeast-facing slopes of the hill followed by a large formation of Talons streaking in at low altitude out of the rising sun.
Harness Hill
Town Square
Twenty miles southwest of Maresk, astride the road to Detrot
September 5th, 1139 AC
0615 hours
Methinks I stood frozen for a moment as the sudden attack impacted our defenses. I had expected it; even announced that ‘twould involve earth gryphons. And yet, its swiftness and severity still surprised me as I’d had no warning from the outlying forces of Captain Ice Break. His battalion had survived the earlier battle the best; I’d thus placed him to guard the crossroads and protect the northern approaches to the Hill.
3rd Battalion! Report!” I shouted into my personal communication gem, only to not get an immediate response as more gryphons descended on the heels of the first wave, landing halfway up the hill as the trenches at the base were surrounded and engaged.
“Colonel! We’re pinned down!” I got a harried and desperate reply back. “They dropped behind us and took our fallback trench! And now they’re pouring fire right into our lines—quite literally!” he shouted as the gryphon mages—there were at least four that I could see—began scouring our forward trenches with flames whilst a hail of explosive crossbow bolts kept our archers pinned.
“By Luna’s setting Moon, why didn’t we get a warning?” I called out next to our improvised pathfinder squads out by the crossroads, suddenly regretting not having real ones.
“Couldn’t see them… bloody gryphons! Instead of hitting us at night, they waited until dawn and then struck us out of Celestia’s sun!” Ice Break explained.
“But that’s our tactic!” Redtail Raptor protested, to which I gave her a glare.
“Sir! 1st battalion is engaged!” Starstruck called out next; to her credit, she had stayed in her post after only the most rudimentary of healer treatment for a broken horn; she couldn’t teleport but she could at least wield her standard bow. “We’re being hit by a full cohort! They’ve got three centuries of earth gryphons with at least two centuries of sky gryphons trying to wrap around our flanks!”
I swore violently again as I felt the jaws of another gryphon trap closing on us. Even as I berated myself for once more not anticipating enemy tactics, methinks I grudgingly granted respect to the gryphon commander who designed the operation. In doing so, they’d planned well and acted completely against their own doctrine—something the normally insular Imperial military discouraged and even outright punished. Instead of attacking at night as they normally did, they’d snuck up under the cover of the sunrise to get the drop on us and insert directly into 3rd battalion’s fallback trenches. This meant they’d cut them off from the main force, and could now defeat it in detail.
Recriminations could wait, however, and ‘twas certain if I didn’t react quickly, they would pin and destroy my dug-in forces piecemeal. In drawing on past experience for this engagement, methinks I flashed back to trying to hold off a raider attack on a settlement near Outpost Red, where the Army had held the line whilst late-arriving Aerial Corps support finally swept the skies clear of them in stages, forcing them to ground where they were far more vulnerable to the Equestrian Army.
Though we now faced Imperial Talons, I could only pray such an arrangement would yet again win the day. “Sergeant First Class! Take to the skies and engage the sky gryphon units wrapping around our southern flank!” I tapped the area of the map.
“Engage them? But we’d be outnumbered two to one!” one of Redtail’s subordinates protested.
“So you wouldst only fight when you have the odds in your favor?” I asked her derisively, causing her to fall silent. “’Tis not a luxury we have right now! Use the same hit-and-fly tactics I asked for earlier. Become such a nuisance to their operations it forces them to split their effort and enables us to crush the earth gryphons, which are the real threat! Once you do that, stand by for further orders! Now move!” I instructed them all, to which they took flight to the rear at the SFC’s order, clawing for altitude from which they could dive on the invading force.
I switched communication crystals quickly as I saw more gryphons winging in. “Sergeant Major! Be alert for a combat drop directly into the town! When they do, trigger the trip gems at your discretion!” I called out to Tempered Steel’s wounded battalion next, which was holding the buildings they’d paid such an awful price to reach.
They were without most of their unicorns by then, so I’d given them a few from the other battalions, and we’d also strewn various gems in the streets and roofs to greet any gryphons who attempted to clear the same buildings we’d taken. If they wished to wrest them from us in turn, they would have to contend with a veritable minefield of explosive and shock gems.
I didn’t wait for an acknowledgement before calling out to my new 4th battalion, belonging to Major Sunstone’s relief force that had saved us in the earlier battle; they were covering the rear sector as I elected to use her relatively fresh force as a reserve. I only had them dig in after they’d burned out the grass and dried out crops there, however, thus ensuring they couldn’t be turned into an inferno by Imperial mages again.
Unfortunately, Sunstone herself was not available; she was commanding forces along the Harness Highway behind the town. Her mission was to keep the road clear and gryphons from staging the same ambushes on retreating forces that they were in front of Harness Hill, so that left 4th battalion under the leadership of a too-young replacement commander.
“Lieutenant First Class Evergreen! Take half your battalion and fall on the rear of the gryphon force sweeping around the south side of the Hill! Hold positions with your remaining half and engage any Imperials coming around the west side! We’ll clear your positions after the southern attack is defeated!”
“Sir, yes sir!” he replied obediently, leaving me hoping he would yet prove effective despite being fresh from the Equestrian Officer Academy.
All that remained was my beleaguered 3rd battalion, who were currently bearing the brunt of the new Imperial attack. “Captain Icebreak! Keep them busy and hold to the last pony! We have to clear the flanking forces first! Once we do, we’ll come to your relief!”
“Make it quick…” he said as I heard a sizzling sound over the frequency; At least four mages were now raining death down upon them in the form of lightning and fire attacks. “Because I give us five minutes at best!”
“Understood,” I called back, though methinks I mentally wrote off his battalion as fresh fighting erupted to the rear where 1st and 4th battalions had engaged the wraparound forces. Methinks I was also at least mildly surprised the Imperials had not tried to drop directly onto the town and seize the high ground immediately, at which point they could clear the other battalions easily.
But perchance they suspected we were ready for them there—in which case, they were correct—and sought to clear the outlying battalions first before concentrating their full might on the hilltop, when they could then reduce it building by building.
But even in that instance, they might have done better to concentrate their full force on one or two outlying battalions instead of trying to hit all three at once with what looked like three weakened cohorts mustering around 1200 Talons. I suppose I should have been flattered that they saw fit to commit well over a millennium of soldiers against me, going in with double their previous force and no less than eight mages this time.
I was also surprised to see none of their elite Knights, leaving me wondering where they were. We knew they used them to spearhead important attacks and clear critical points. Was this somehow not such an attack?
I got my answer as a turma of thirty gold-armored forms dove out of the sky directly into the plaza around me, wielding heavy shields, spears, axes and war hammers.
“Sir! Get down!” Wheat Thresher called out as he upended the stone table we were gathered around and yanked me behind it just before he took a crossbow bolt to the head and fell dead on top of me. But I had no time to note his passing—’tis certain he had been one of the few I could call friend over my Army career-—as I struggled to find cover.
We were prepared for this contingency as Captain Halberd grabbed and twisted a massive control crystal. It caused the ground at their talons to erupt upwards in a series of explosive gem detonations that weren’t enough to kill but staggered and disoriented them, leaving them prey for a volley of crossbow bolts launched by my barricaded soldiers from ground level. They impacted but did not always breach their excellent armor, slaying mayhap six, but they did allow me and my command group to dive for the safety of a nearby trench.
‘Twas a bold, but overconfident move, I thought as we began to pin down and eliminate the invading force, though it did have the effect of taking away my ability to both see and command the battle. Was that the true intention here, sacrificing a turma of Knights just to prevent us from reacting to whatever other surprises they sought to spring?
I knew not just then. The sounds of battle were all around me as bolts and arrows flew in every direction along with unicorn spellcasting before a second Turma descended with two mages in support, their staves erupted great gouts of flame onto the ground below. But we were ready for that, too, having enchanted the buildings against it. ‘Twasn’t perfect, as an Imperial Magus could still make them burn with enough effort. But short of using dragonfire, ‘twould not be quick or easy.
Nor were the Mages invulnerable as they were greeted with a hail of crystal-tipped longbow arrows that forced them to keep their distance whilst the newly-arrived Knights cleared two buildings on the western side of the plaza; ‘twas clear they were trying to gain a hoofhold in the town into which they then could pour reinforcements.
‘Twas also clear that given enough time, they would succeed. “Battalions! Fortis Knights are attacking the hilltop! Report!” I called into all four dragonfire crystals at once, trying to be something more than the simple soldier I’d been reduced to, wielding a sword in his mouth and firing a crossbow attached to his wrist.
“3rd battalion being ground down!” I heard Ice Break’s fearful and increasingly desperate voice call out. “We’ve been cut in two and they’re sweeping our trenches from the east! We need reinforcement and preferably that Corps company, now!” he pleaded.
“This is Captain Starstruck! We’re starting to overcome our foe, but I’m down another thirty ponies and the Corps company is heavily engaged! They got in a couple good strikes but now the Talons have shifted forces to fight them! They’re trying to wipe them out!”
“4th battalion is pinned by sky gryphons sir! They’re not pressing but they’ve occupied our fallback trench and are keeping us from moving! We cannot relieve the pressure on the 1st without being slaughtered in the open!” Lieutenant Evergreen reported.
“My company’s being swarmed by sky gryphons, sir! We can no longer assist the ground battle and are fighting for our lives! We have to break contact or they’ll crush us!” a frantic Redtail finished the grim reports; methinks I at least mentally acknowledged that despite my earlier accusations, she and her company had proven themselves to be no cowards.
In truth, I don’t recall in what order these messages were received, but ‘twas of little concern. What was a concern ‘twas that my defense plan was already crumbling to pieces and the Hill was in danger of falling for a second time along with my entire regiment, in which case the only escape route from Maresk would be well and truly shut.
‘Tis not easy, one must understand, to be both fighting a force in front of you as a simple soldier but simultaneously command a much larger engagement. In truth, there are precious few ponies or gryphons who can mentally multitask like that. I would not even say that I could as I ducked down to receive the reports, letting my headquarters staff defend me.
Near as I could tell, I had three pinned battalions and one mobile one—the 2nd, which had reported it had the upper hand on its enemy, no doubt in large measure due to Aerial Corps support. That would change as the support was reduced or withdrawn, so ‘twas from that I would have to fashion a relief force, and act immediately before the airborne gryphons broke pursuit and turned on it again.
“Corps force! Break contact and escape to the east! Shake pursuit by flying towards the sun, and then return to a staging altitude over the hill and await additional orders!”
I didn’t wait for her to acknowledge before shifting gems, deciding I would simply reverse battalion roles from my earlier plan. “1st battalion! Relieve the 4th and then fall on the rear of the Knights in the west end of the town! 2nd and 3rd battalions! Hold fast! Relief is coming!” I claimed, even though I had no idea if my instructions could yet be carried out; methinks far too many officers on both sides never learned the simple truth that just because you ordered something didn’t mean it could or would happen.
For the next two minutes—or it could have been five; who can say in the middle of combat—the action atop the hill continued unabated as the Knights slowly cleared several buildings, either with Magus lightning fire or simply storming them directly.
Take it from me that Fortis Knights are equally as good at throwing their weight around indoors and out; methinks I saw at least one instance of a unicorn mare thrown bodily out of a building right through an upper-level window—and the weight of their armor and numbers was starting to tell. Once reinforced by one of the Talon units engaging my battalions, they would have the ability to sweep the town clean of ponies.
I barely had time to consider a counter before a new voice was heard in the trench. “Colonel! Beg to report!” Redtail Raptor’s voice then sounded in my ear next as I poked up my head enough to fire an armor-piercing bolt that missed its target and earned a thrown explosive gem for my trouble; fortunately Far Cry spotted it and magically deflected it away.
“We’ve shaken pursuit but are down to half strength! As per your orders, we’re now circling five hundred hooves above the town, but ‘tis certain the gryphons know we’re here, sir! Methinks they’ll send a force for us soon! Orders?” she asked; I could hear her plea to not keep them up there too long.
Fortunately for them, ‘twas not my intention. Unfortunately for them, what I needed from them now ‘twas certain to be even worse. “Corps force! The Knights have taken the west end of the town! Dive on their aerial cover and try to knock out the mages! Then support 2nd and 4th battalions as they sweep in from the same direction!” At least, I hoped they would, given it had been several minutes since I’d last had contact with them; I couldn’t discern anything happening from that direction over the smoke and sound in front of me.
There was a pause, and before I could think to ask, Redtail gave me a status update on them. “They’re almost up the hill, but they’re having trouble punching through a line of Talons to do it! Do you wish me to assist them instead, sir?”
“No!” I shouted. “The mages have priority! Use the attacking battalions as a distraction! Try to catch them looking the wrong way!”
She cursed under her breath, but to her renewed credit, she did not hesitate to obey. “Orders understood. Will attempt to comply, but methinks we have nothing that can punch through Magus shields, sir!” she reminded me, to which I rubbed my eyes with a hoof, wondering if the Aerial Corps was just as idiotically stubborn as the Army when it came to teaching unorthodox tactics.
“Then use your communication crystals! They disrupt nearby magical fields when broken!” I had thought everypony knew that trick. “Shatter them against their shields, and at full speed you shouldst be able to penetrate them!”
There was another pause; I could well imagine she was exchanging dubious glances with her comrades. “But even if that works, we won’t be able to communicate!”
“That isn’t as important as taking out those moon-damned mages! Now dive!” I ordered her again. “And then hit targets of opportunity! Assist the battle as you can at your discretion!” I clicked off the gem, believing that was the last I’d hear from her, hoping she would show enough tactical sense and personal initiative to do some good without orders. She was competent enough at following instructions, but could she function on her own?
‘Twas oft no way to tell except to actually see a commander in action, and ironically, ‘twas the hovering gryphon commander who had my attention then. He was showing quite ably that he could, directing fire as he methodically took the hilltop building by building. He used his mages to clear our traps and wards before storming the structures with well-trained Fortis Knights, who oft went right through walls by smashing them inward with war hammers to surprise the ponies within.
They were taking casualties too, to be sure, but ‘twas certain the war of attrition favored them and I found myself wishing for Royal Guard support. But Armored Guardsponies were rarely assigned to Army units, and of those few we had, Breech Lock had placed them in her forward defenses instead of using them as a reserve force where they might have done more good.
I admit I spared a moment to curse her again for bringing this upon us; forcing us into a fight for the lives of not just ourselves, but the entire Army Corps trapped at Maresk. Was there not a single officer in the entire Equestrian Army, I wondered, who could show initiative and do something other than mindlessly obey idiotic orders?
Methinks I got my answer as there was a sudden and quite loud cacophony to the northeast, along the Harness Highway.
* * * * *
‘Twas then I got a new message from Redtail Raptor. “Sir! Beg to report! Friendly forces from Maresk are charging southwest along the Harness Highway towards your position! From what we can see, at least three entire regiments are on their way!” she informed me, causing my jaw to drop. “They’re disorganized but advancing! They’ve already broken through two lines of Talons and are perchance a mile and a half out from the base of the hill! Do you wish to change our orders?” she asked hopefully.
I admit, that caught me short. This wasn’t a leaderless platoon, company or battalion making such a move; the maneuver of multiple regiments would have to be ordered and coordinated at brigade level. Had somepony at brigade or division actually come to their senses?
‘Twas a question for later. “Yes! Assist that force and find the commander! Tell them that Harness Hill will fall in five minutes without their help!”
“On the way!” she said in audible relief. Methinks I can hardly blame her for that, given she could have lost an additional score of soldiers just trying to take down a single Magus Knight. Unfortunately, that still left us with the issue of them, and with no more Corps support and half the town already wrested from us, our defeat ‘twas simply a question of time. But mayhap there was still a way to buy more of it.
“Captain Starstruck! The enemy commander is visible!” I set my eyes on the large and well-armored tiercel Knight effectively commanding the operation; as I watched he turned his head towards the north; mayhap being informed of the same advancing force that I was. “Do you think that bow of yours could slay their sub-Tribune?”
There was a pause. “Methinks not unless you can get me close enough… and with a broken horn, I can’t teleport, sir!” she reminded me slightly painfully. “I can barely draw my regular bow, let alone my heavy personal one!”
“Can another unicorn wield it?” I asked her, to which she gave an audible groan.
“It’s made with my aura and thus responds to it. Another unicorn could try, but they would find it far more difficult. I do not believe they could launch an accurate or fully-charged arrow with it.”
I swore again, wondering why everything had to be so difficult. Were the Sun and Moon goddesses themselves looking down on us with disfavor this morn? “I can get her close, sir,” a new and quite nervous voice broke into my thoughts. “I’ll teleport her there, then back again.”
I looked down the trench and was startled by what I saw. “Far Cry?” I addressed the young unicorn mare before me, who ‘tis certain was anything but a combatant; her special talent was communications, as shown by the paired dragonfire gem cutie mark on her flank. “Are you sure?”
She swallowed as a round of explosive bolts impacted near the top of the trench, forcing us to pull our heads down. “No, sir. I’ve never been more scared. I already know I can’t use a bow or blade. But mayhap I can at least help those who can.”
I stared at her, then nodded—time was short and options were limited as two turmas of Knights backed by a century of Talons and six mages formed up for an all-out attack; ‘twas clearly their intention to try to take the hill before the relief force arrived. Methinks I had but a hundred effectives from 2nd battalion left on the hilltop then, and with most of our defenses cleared, ‘twas certain we could not hold.
“Do it!” I commanded, then switched frequencies again as I received messages that the gryphons were shifting forces to meet the incoming regiments, pulling ground and air troops away from 1st and 4th battalion. “All battalions! Full attack! Break through their weakened lines and hit the Knights on the hilltop from all sides! Relief force inbound from Maresk!” I told them, though ‘twas certain I couldn’t be sure they would assist us. But surely the commander understood that if the Hill fell, the gryphons would be in perfect position to rain down crossbow and Magus fire on their advancing columns?
I got a series of three acknowledgments back as a fresh force of gryphons formed a battle line at the north side of the summit; given I did not receive one from Ice Break, methinks I could only conclude that his force had held out for as long as they could but had ultimately been annihilated.
‘Twas but one more loss I would never be able to miss or mourn as we were struck from two sides. But I ordered all remaining unicorns to aim bolts tipped with magic disruption spells into the air around the enemy commander, hoping to disperse whatever anti-teleport or other wards had been placed around him.
I waited until they impacted the area, though Magus wind spells knocked some of them askew. I knew not if ‘twould be enough, but ‘twas no time to wonder. “Far Cry! Now!” I shouted into my gem, to which there was a flash of light behind me followed by one forty yards in front of me.
Unfortunately, the enemy commander was sixty yards away; the wards had not been cleared close enough and thus Far Cry’s teleport was stopped short, leaving her and Captain Starstruck in open ground, quite visible to the gryphons.
In that moment, I knew that both were dead unless they could teleport back. But instead of doing so, Far Cry threw up at least a weak shield whilst a visibly agonized Starstruck took aim with her personal bow and fired before their bubble was impacted by dozens of spears, heavy crossbow bolts and lances of Magus lightning.
The assault overwhelmed them and they fell slain. But Starstruck’s heavy arrow hit home, punching right through the enchanted chestplate to embed itself in the sub-Tribune’s heart. He looked down in shock before he slumped forward and fell out of his hover to the ground—’twas but one final act of defiance, methinks, as ‘twould seem the hilltop was lost.
But just like before, the battle turned in the space of seconds thanks to the three Equestrian Army regiments now charging up the north flank of the hill. The hastily repositioned Talons tried desperately to hold them off, but they couldn’t get their shieldwalls erected and phalanxes organized in time as nearly a thousand disorganized but determined Equestrian soldiers crashed into their ranks and pierced them in at least three places. They fled into the skies as dozens, then scores, then hundreds of battered and bleeding earth ponies crested the hill and surged into the town, with the remnants of the Corps force flying cover.
The odds quickly and sorely turning against them, the leaderless Knights fell but perchance a minute short in their effort to retake the town. A Senior Spear belatedly took command and gave the order to retreat, directing his force to flee in every direction before the invading brigade could conduct the same pincer operation they had attempted on our flanking forces.
Thus did the second engagement of Harness Hill end with yet another unlikely and well-timed rescue, leaving us to lick our wounds and take stock of what we had left.
Five minutes later, the Hilltop was secure again, reinforced by a badly depleted brigade that mustered perchance but a regiment and a half of soldiers. But mayhap ‘twould be enough for now, as the gryphons had sacrificed what I conservatively estimated as an entire cohort of Talons in the failed effort.
Unfortunately, our losses were proportionally even worse. I was found by Redtail Raptor and ordered to come to the base of the hill by the brigade commander, who had lost all her dragonfire gems. I had to pass through the remains of 3rd battalion to do so, showing me they had died where they stood, their lines raked by crossbow and Magus fire leaving nothing but smoldering corpses in the field of daisies they had dug into.
But there was no time to consider what our latest defense had cost, as I was summoned for what I thought likely to be promised relief of command and arrest. And yet, when I arrived, I found a gravely wounded Brigadier General Bamboo Blade. She was coughing up blood and bleeding out of multiple crossbow bolt and spear wounds; I was told as I approached that the healers did not have enough time or power to save her.
My guts clenched to see her, but I still stood to attention and saluted her as she laid on the ground. She returned the honor weakly with her left hoof instead of her right, which hung loosely off the end of a broken limb.
“Colonel…” she coughed. “I am pleased to see you survived… unlike me.”
“Don’t speak that way, ma’am,” I told her. “Let me get you our healers. I’m sure they have some power left.”
“Don’t bother,” she told me with a cough. “My wounds are mortal, and I will not waste healer strength on me when other less injured soldiers can be saved. And saving soldiers is now your sole task, Colonel,” she said as she began coughing and shivering again.
“You speak of me saving others, but you saved us, ma’am!” I stood to attention again. “I disobeyed orders. If you still wish to relieve and arrest me, I will not resist.”
“No. You saved us,” she replied through another coughing fit, struggling to maintain consciousness and waving off a unicorn who offered a painkilling spell. “We were only able to attempt a breakout because you were here. They threw such a large force into retaking the Hill that their forces along the highway were weakened, so we took advantage of that and the Aerial Corps cover you sent us. If Harness Hill had not been wrested back last night, ‘tis certain no retreat would be possible. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you sooner.”
I stared at her in amazement. This was not the Bamboo Blade I knew, or thought I knew. But now, as she stood on the brink of death, she had seen the light? I felt my first true moment of sorrow as she then grabbed at my hoof.
“You were right, Colonel. You were right about everything. Promise me that next time, you’ll make us listen. That by the sun itself, you’ll force us to listen.”
“I will advise your replacement as best I can, ma’am,” I promised, holding her hoof.
“You’d better. For that replacement is you,” she managed through another, weaker cough as her body began to shake; at that moment she was passed an order scroll to which she just managed to sign her name.
“As you’re the only leader we have that has shown even an inkling of good military sense, I give you command of whatever is left of 3rd brigade. Lead it well. And use it to hold the retreat route open for as long as you can. More forces from Maresk are coming. Save them!” she directed with a final clutch of my hoof before her grip slackened and her head fell back, her eyes fixed open.
I bowed my head and reached down to close them with a hoof, taking a moment to gather myself. I closed my eyes once, then opened them again to see many tired, injured, and beaten-down ponies around me.
I wanted to cry. I needed to cry. But I could not. And I would not. There was no time. And I still had a mission to fulfill. “By your order, General, I take command,” I saluted her fallen form one final time, then turned to the onlooking ponies.
“So what in all Tartarus are you staring at? We have work to do! First Lieutenant! Dig fresh lines around the crossroads and dispatch two battalions down the road to secure it as far as Yoke!” I addressed the first of three regimental commanders; I did not yet know his name. “First Sergeant! Take your battalion to the top of the Hill and secure the south end of it with archers dispersed to keep sky gryphons at bay! And as for you, Captain, take over the defense at the base of the hill!”
I pointed to the trenches which held the remains of my original 3rd battalion. “They did what they could and they died where they stood! I expect no less from you! No less from any of you! Now move!”
Thus did the second engagement at Harness Hill end with another third of my regiment down, the bodies of Captain Icebreak and his 3rd battalion strewn in the fall flowers blooming beneath the town as they accepted annihilation as the price for preventing the fall of Harness Hill for a second time. My surviving soldiers again mourned and even decried our losses; some proclaimed me little more than a butcher who cared not about the lives of his soldiers.
But ‘twas both my greatest fault and military virtue that I cared not. “Not one backward step!” I told my suffering soldiers, informing all who asked that we would stay until the 1st Corps crumbled and we had extracted every last survivor we could.
And when there was some suggestion of rebellion in the ranks, I told any present that if they abandoned their post or turned on me, I would not hesitate to charge them with desertion or duel them.
That I would order their instant execution in the case of the former or slay them myself in the latter, reminding them that every life sacrificed here was spent to extract several more from the Maresk pocket—thanks to us, nearly an entire brigade of soldiers had escaped the Imperial trap by midmorn.
We would take what solace we could from that knowledge, even if it still meant the bulk of the Corps was lost. And ‘twas from the field where 3rd battalion fell to the last pony that my original regiment gained the name ‘twould hold for the rest of the war:
The Daisy Regiment.
—Rock Biter
I thank you for sharing this second tale of battle, General, which methinks was scarcely less bloody or harrowing than the first. Methinks one of the lessons we all had to learn was that the gryphons were just as capable of learning from their mistakes and adjusting their tactics as we were, nor were they too proud to turn our own tactics against us as they did here, striking out of the morning sun in an effort to cut the final lifeline to Maresk.
‘Tis December now as the first snows from lake-generated squalls dusts the harvested fields around Harness Hill, which I was told by somepony knowledgeable is believed to be a remnant of an ancient volcano given the rare gems found in the area. Though ‘tis hard to fathom such a thing, perchance ‘tis fitting given the many violent eruptions of battle the area saw, all centered on the hill itself.
I am told by General Rock Biter that there is one final tale of war to relate from the hilltop—or at least, a final battle of the Maresk campaign as they struggled to hold the door open long enough for more Army and civilian forces to escape down the Harness Highway towards Melody and Detrot.
To that end, he and his soldiers have elected to remain at Harness Hill for another day to match the length of their stay that first week of war. And I have also recently received a missive from Ambassador Kaval—who remains in Arnau and whom I thank profusely on behalf of Gavian and his family for all he has done for them—that he will relate word from the gryphon side of the Maresk battles in the next entry.
‘Tis an entry I am once again not looking forward to writing, as ‘twill be time to show what happened to myself and Fell Flight in the aftermath of our ill-thought duel. Worse, as Fell Flight is not present—if she and Oberon keep their planned itinerary, they should arrive in Nova Ocelota tomorrow—‘twill fall to me alone to write. Until then, I bid you fair tidings as we enter the season of Hearth’s Warming and look forward to hearing more from Gavian.
—Firefly
“Popularity is not leadership.” —Richard Marcinko
