Chapter 4: by the gods
In our gods we trust, for blemishing them causes death.
Twilight awoke abruptly from her peaceful slumber when she heard faint cries from outside the castle. She went from her makeshift bed to one of the windows, trying to find the source of the voices.
She opened the windows, and gasped slightly as a figure clad in blue swooped overhead, his wings lighted up the night sky, and in the light emitted by the flaming wings she could see two guns in the fliers hands. Yrimir, but why was he up so late?
Suddenly she heard a familiar voice calling from bellow.
"The shades have reached the northern walls!" Omnir shouted. Yrimir swooped downwards, firing volleys of bullets at the ground.
Twilight folded out her wings, leaping out the window and swooping down towards where she had heard Omnirs voice. She found the large man on the city walls yelling at a range of soldiers standing next to him. Most of them holding bows and firing towards the fields around the city.
"Omnir, what is happening? Why are the soldiers firing at air?"
Omnir looked up, jumping slightly as he saw twilight flying towards him, he reached his hand up and waved at her, encouraging her to land.
"Greetings twilight sparkle, what brings you down here at such a late hour?" He asked worried.
"The sounds, and the fact that the guards are firing towards air. Is this training or something?"
He frowned slightly and he closed his eyes for a few seconds before continuing.
"No, not exactly, but you'll see in a moment." He raised his hand, and all the archers pulled their bowstrings back, the fiery arrows nocked, aiming into the air. He clenched his fist, and the archers drew the bowstrings even further back, he let his hand drop, and all the arrows surged through the air, landing about 50 feet away from the walls.
Revealing horrors beyond belief.
The creatures she had seen earlier on the pictures of 'the corruption' now flew above an army of terrarians clad in purple armor with either axes, swords, clubs, or bows of similar color. Every single one of them had a maniacal look in their eyes, they licked their lips, anticipating the slaughter there was to come. each of them wore a necklace with a moon on it. In truth it looked a lot like luna's cutie mark, but somehow more ominous.
"Do you now understand why we are here?"
Twilight nodded slowly. "Uh huh." She said, confirming that she now understood the level of threat they were under. Yet, one question nagged her.
"Why aren't they attacking?"
"They're waiting for someone.... Special, to show up."
Twilight really didn't understand why he was being so vague, she couldn't see anyone missing, Yrimir was flying overhead, Omnir was guiding the soldiers here in front, and Doom was leading the citizen towards safety.
All three of them were here.
Then it boomed, assaulting the ears as well as the mind, vortexes of pain. Caused by one single word.
"DIE!" Brother, and stepbrother cried as they leaped from the rooftops, landing perfectly in front of the enemy. Moonshadow making one swift move, slicing the front row of soldiers and sending a beam of green energy into the rest.
Diablo had pulled a cyan book out from... Somewhere, and was busy throwing orbs of the same color around, and whenever they got in range they sent a ray towards any of the soldiers in range.
"The heretics have arrived, kill them in the name of the eaters brothers." Shouted their supposed leader. He, in contrast to the others, was wearing armor the same colour as Yrimir's, although his helm had a pair of goggles instead of Yrimirs binoculars. Resting on his shoulder he had what looked to be a rifle, but it had no scope, and there was a small flame at the tip.
Still, the brothers carved through the enemies as if they were butter, ripping them to shreds, leaving pools of blood on the before nice and grassy fields.
"Why are the soldiers even here?" Twilight asked, cocky smile now reaching from one ear to another. "Diablo and Moonshadow are doing exceptionally."
Omnir frowned, looking down. "It only gets worse."
"What do you mean by that?"
Immediately she got her answer.
The moon reached its apex, it was in the middle of the sky and shone down on all, and that was the moment when it turned around. The amulets of the shades started glowing, slowly encompassing them in a silvery light. Their armor started to expand as they hunched over, almost snapping at its joints. Hair started growing all over their bodies, making the armor creak and wince. Their teeth became longer, fanglike. Their noses forming together with their lower jaw and becoming wider. Their eyes became smaller, and all red. Their feet and hands lost thumbs, but grew claws.
Twilight wanted to scream. But who can scream when faced with utter terror.
The half wolf, half men lunged at Diablo and Moon, desperate to draw blood. But whereas before the two brothers were carving through them sustaining no injuries. This time they got hit. A lot.
Omnir finally decided to step in. "Royal guard, CHARGE!" He yelled with all power and raw revenge. The terrarians, clad in their gold, silver, or iron armor charged at the approaching horde. Yelling at the top of their lungs, threats, profanities, whatever was on their mind as they charged to save their royal family. Some drew swords, other were using mallets, some was even charging in with axes, although they were a minority.
Doom had at last join the fight, swinging the gigantic breaker blade around as he alongside his fellow soldiers yelled threats at the assaulting werewolves. In the distance she saw both Diablo and moon being dragged towards the walls. She hurried down to the gate to help get them in.
"Quickly, open the gate, Diablo and Moonshadow are on their way in."
The guard nodded hastily as he started turning the wheel. The gate slowly rose as Diablo, moonshadow and their escorts appeared from the smoke. Once they were dragged in twilight hurried to Diablo first. She gasped as she saw his wounds, his armor had been torn in several places, bite marks were everywhere, alongside jabs of claws.
"Diablo, moon, are you both alright?"
Diablo looked up at her with those calm light blue eyes. He grasped the book he had been holding a little tighter. He was obviously in pain, but he still had enough power to talk.
"Thats a cute name for my brother you've made there twilight, ill have to remember that."
Twilight wiped a tear away she hadn't even realized was there.
"I'll freaking kill you if you start calling me 'moon', diablo."
Moonshadow didn't sound angry, just tired. And to be honest he sounded happy, and he was smiling, perhaps he even liked the nickname.
But unfortunately the peaceful moment fot an abrupt end when they heard the guards yell.
"The shades have breached the walls, the shades have bre-*hurgh*!"
As they heard the warning, three of the werewolves ran through the almost closed gate. They encircled the trio and their guards as they eyed them hungrily.
"Wonderful, the heretics, two snacks, and another one of those weird creatures." He chuckled. "The master will be pleased."
Twilight blinked. Another one? Did they have rainbow or applejack?
"Do you have one of my friends?" She asked carefully.
"Ooh." One of them whistled. "This one talks." One of the others were quick to continue. "But master will make her scream, just like the other."
Were they talking about the guy in the blue armor? She thought, no matter, i would have to beat them into submission if i wanted to find out.
She shot a beam of energy at one of the werewolves. Slamming into his chest and knocking him into the walls, rendering him unconscious. The grins of the two other combatants diappeared instantly, they snarled at the unicorn, angered at the loss of their comrad.
One of them jumped at her, but was knocked off course by the guard who charged into him, sword first. Although it only slowed her adversary down. The werewolf slammed his paw into the guard, sending him careening straight into one of the houses, shaking it slightly.
The werewolf pulled the sword out and howled as the blood started flowing from the gaping wound. His liver must have been hit, twilight thought as she examined the wound.
The second one jumped at her in a similar fashion, but this time she was prepared. She formed an ethereal spear at the tip of her horn and guided it towards were his throat was going to hit.
One clean stab later and there was only one more werewolf to deal with.
The last one bellowed something vaguely intelligible before charging at her, at least as much charging he could do with a wound the size of twilights hoof in his side.
Twilight focused on the sword that had been dropped mere seconds ago, her aura encompassed the handle, making sure that her aura did not reach the blade.
Both sword and werewolf flew towards her, the werewolf making desperate howls of pain as the muscles strained around his wound. She placed the sword in front of her, just in time to impale the furry giant. He looked at her with eyes encompassed entirely by terror. He was afraid.
"I may not have got you." He whispered, his voice not much more than a growl. "But the Eater certainly will."
He breathed out, blood flowing from his mouth and onto twilight, she wanted to scream, but her throat ached too much for any sound to come out, she wanted to move him, but her limbs were frozen.
As a drop or his landed on her muzzle she couldn't contain it anymore. She opened her mouth and screamed, her ears felt like they were being ripped to shreds. Finally she passed out, the whole world went black as she felt the weight lift from her body, and the sound of an authoritative yet pleasant voice drifted her off to slumber.
"Its alright." It said. "You're safe."