Reagle, Zaza, and Nokimbe were thrown into a cell. The Prench guards promptly locked the gates behind them and exited the room. In the cell, they were not alone. The small porthole window reflected two shines from the shadows, yellow eyes peered at them.
“So you were betrayed also?” Dori laughed with a cynical edge.
Reagle nearly snarled. “It would appear so.”
Zaza jumped and slammed Dori against the walls of the cell. She hooked Dori by her forelegs and pressed her hard. “We should kill you here.” She glared into Dori’s eyes.
Dori tilted her head, speaking past Zaza. “So Reagle, going native are we? I smell your scent on her.”
Zaza growled, pressing her muzzle hard against Dori’s beak. “Crack wise again and I’ll crack your bones.”
“Take it easy,” said Dori, beginning to sweat.
Zaza smirked, releasing Dori. “I was or you wouldn’t be standing.”
Nokimbe held his hooves to his head. “I can’t believe Isara would betray us. I loved her!”
“Her nation was on the line. Desperation does things to us… I can understand,” said Zaza.
“The Prench Empire, bloody hell,” said Reagle, cuffing his claws over his beak.
Dori scoffed. “Naponean will at least let you live; you’re useful as a bargaining chip.”
Zaza closed her eyes. Her breathing became relaxed. “These bars are as much physical as they are in my mind. If I could enter the Zerker state, I would be able to break them. My sister, Zecora, was able to do it, so should I!”
Reagle and Nokimbe looked on expectantly.
“Zaza?” asked Reagle.
The Zebra mare collapsed in defeat. “I can’t. My mind is too distracted.”
Dori bowled over laughing.
“So eager to die by the Prench gallows, are ya?” asked Nokimbe.
The Griffoness stopped laughing.
“Maybe in the morning? It’s been a long day.” said Reagle helping Zaza up.
Zaza had fallen asleep as Reagle ran his claws through her wild mane. The prison cell’s small porthole allowed the moon’s light to shine through. The white bands on Zaza’s coat shimmered in the light while her black streaks were accented by the darkness. Reagle’s eyelids became heavy as he began dozing off.
“Hey, do you still get those night terrors?” Reagle was jolted awake by the voice. He snapped to Dori who sat at the bunk opposite his and Zaza’s.
Reagle nodded, slowly. “They’re better now… I have someone different. She quiets those dark thoughts.” He turned toward the Zebra mare. He gently nuzzled her head, Zaza responded by smiling in her sleep.
Dori frowned. “Was I really that bad?”
He spoke sternly. “With your blood lust and ambition seeping, sleeping beside you only made the night terrors worse.”
“Reagle, you returned from the frontlines, you were moping like a wounded hound. I pushed you because I wanted you to come back.”
He shook his head. “You can never come back from seeing the true face of war.”
Dori smiled, faintly. “It is a shame… I suppose I am grateful you dumped me, otherwise I wouldn’t have met him.”
“So what about you and Ironbeak?”
“In truth, I first pursued him like I did you. I wanted the power of his heritage; however, I ended up falling for the fool.”
Reagle returned a skeptically raised eyebrow.
Dori scoffed. “Am I not allowed to love?”
“My cousin doesn’t seem like your type.”
She rolled her eyes then nodded in grudging acknowledgement. “He’s a coward in battle but he’s brave in other ways. His father is a monster. He is also surrounded by those who would use him and do him harm.”
“So the vulture is jealous of another vulture?”
“Say what you want. I love him. He is medicine for my wounds… the same way it seems that Zebra mare is for you. Otherwise I would have cut my losses.”
Reagle scratched his beak. “Maybe I misjudged you. How about we call a truce until we get out of this bind?”
Dori chirped. “A truce sounds nice. I’m tired of fighting.”
Staring through a telescope were blue eyes cold as ice. In the scope were Prench ships illuminated against the moon’s light. A cold wind whipped the coning tower of the War Wing. Ironbeak shivered as he stood beside Banshee.
“The Prench city of Zebeck, I would never have thought. We have your birdfriend, Dori, to thank for this.” said Banshee. She retracted the telescope.
“How did you know to track her?” asked Ironbeak, looking at the ships in the night sky.
“People can do extraordinary things, given the right motivation or hostage.” Banshee looked at Ironbeak for a moment.
“There’s something that been troubling me. Lord Ironclaw is only seen when issuing orders. He spends most of his time in solitude.”
“That is true; our Lord enjoys his privacy. What of it?”
“Why have me here with you? It serves you no purpose.”
“You’re a hostage,” said Banshee.
“I can just as easily be held in the ship’s brig.”
Banshee paused. Her uncertainty, for a moment, attacked her.
“You are different from my father. You have feelings, still. You’re lonely. You’re tired of talking with yourself.” Ironbeak stopped when Banshee’s claymore sword was held to his throat.
“Be silent,” said Banshee.
Ironbeak noticed the tiniest vibration of her sword. With her other claw Banshee had pulled a purple potion from her pouch. He stiffened and continued. “What do those purple potions help hide?”
“They stop the pain!” Banshee shrieked in frustration.
“That’s unlike you to lose your coo—”
Banshee finished gulping down the potion’s contents. Her icy demeanor returned. “Be silent, or be silenced.” She passed the blade across Ironbeak’s throat just trimming a few of his neck feathers. He recoiled.
“Get some rest, we attack at dawn.” The moon light revealed a sparkling tear on her cheek.
Isara awoke to the loud snoring of Éclair. She peeled herself from his forelegs and away from the bed in disgust. She slipped outside the cabin, navigating through the ship, she lingered at a single corridor. She shook her head then proceeded back. As she reached for the door to Éclair’s cabin, she was confronted by a water buffalo and a gazelle.
“So what’s the plan?” asked Cirta.
“You two?” Isara blinked in surprise. “What plan?”
“The plan to break them out,” said Bull, plainly.
“There is no such plan,” said Isara.
“Isara, what is going on?” said Cirta, angrily crossing her forelegs.
“You know what,” Isara said.
Bull nodded. “You still should have consulted with us”
Isara snorted. “What’s wrong with you two?”
Despite the small statue of the gazelle, Cirta rose to meet Isara’s gaze. “They are good people. Nokimbe was a battle brother of ours.”
“We sacrificed many brothers before,” said Isara.
Bull shook his head. “Not like this.”
“I’m doing right by my duty. Can anyone judge me?”
Cirta blurted out. “You don’t love Éclair.”
“I know... but I love my people. Without the alliance with the Prench, we lose everything.”
“I still don’t think it seems right,” said Bull.
“I am your Commander, I decide that. Back to your posts.” Isara spoke harshly.
Cirta and Bull bowed and grudgingly left.
Isara shuffled back into Éclair’s cabin. She slid back into position with her back facing the huge earth pony. She was too distraught to notice his snoring had stopped.
“I don’t suppose, you ever loved me?” Éclair’s voice shocked Isara.
“Éclair,” she gasped.
Silence filled the cabin.
“I’m sorry, I’m using you. I was ordered to secure this alliance at any cost.”
The earth pony sighed. “Could you grow to love me?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t…”
She toward him to her surprise, the giant earth pony’s eyes watered. “We have fought together. You are the one who can best understand me.”
“Perhaps it is because I understand you is why I can’t love you… Éclair, can you forswear other maidens and honor only me? Could you change?”
“I would. I was ready for a while now.”
Isara blinked her single eye. “Éclair, I did not know you felt so strongly.” She turned to him and nuzzled him consolingly.
The morning sun shone off the metal flooring of the flight deck. The reflection of metal sheen was blinding. A platoon of Griffins stood assembled. The Griffins were not exemplary physical specimens; far from it they were scruffy and seemed malnourished. Strapped to their backs, however, were long metal cylinders that were topped off with cones.
Banshee cawed out for their attention. Her shriek caused Ironbeak next to her to cover his ears.
Banshee spoke with fervor. “From streets, gutters, and filth, you have been pulled. You are not our finest, yet today you will have the honor of dying like the finest.”
The motley bunch of Griffins maintained their poor posture and did not so much stir.
She spoke with a calmly threatening tone. “If that does not compel you, think then of your families.”
The Griffins snapped to attention immediately.
“That’s better,” Banshee chirped. “Make ready for deployment, check your rocket fuel supplies, and remember there’s a gold bonus for your families if your miserable corpses can actually hit the target.”
Ironbeak turned his head looking back at the platoon of suicide soldiers. “How could you do this?”
Banshee continued walking. “With great difficulty, finding prisoners with families to hold hostage was hard.”
Reagle awoke to sound of sniffling. He lifted his head up. He saw Zaza, sitting in front of the metal bars.
“It can’t end like this.” Zaza cried to herself softly.
Reagle draped a wing over her. “Hey now, we’ll get through this. Focus now on me. I’m with you.”
“Focus,” Zaza murmured. “Fire of the soul… I was revived using a phoenix feather. I am the sister of Zecora and Zulu. These bars are only in my mind.” She stood up. Reagle stood back. Zaza had a fiery spark in her eyes.
Running back, she bounced of the wooden wall, smashing into the metal bars. The metal moaned as Zaza slammed hit after hit into it. She attacked a single position with a rhythmic hammering.
Dori and Nokimbe awoke to the noise.
Dori yawned and scratched her eyes. “What’s going on?”
“Go Zaza!” said Nokimbe.
With a final hit, the bolts broke and the metal bar door flew to the ground.
“Zaza, that was bloody brilliant!” said Reagle.
Zaza smiled then slumped down in pain. “Reagle, I need a healing potion immediately, I broke both my legs doing that. The red vial, my secret brew.” She pointed a hoof.
“Stay here I’ll get it.” Reagle found Zaza’s saddle pouch amongst a pile of their belongings. He pulled a red potion from it and fed it to Zaza.
“It’ll take a while to heal.” said Zaza.
Alarms began blaring loudly within the ship.
“That can’t be for us? Can it?” asked Nokimbe.
Through the message tubes came a clarion cry. “Attention, all crew to battle stations! Vive le Prance! Vive L'Empereur!”
Éclair swaggered onto the bridge of his ship. Isara followed afterwards. They looked out the windows to see one of his half dozen airships consumed in flames and smoke. Towards the horizon were three Griffin War Wings.
Éclair shouted at his crew. “Fire back, blast those Griffins to dust!”
A deck officer shouted back. “They are not within range of our cannons!”
Éclair growled. “Impossible, their guns are not longer than ours!”
The crew’s turned their heads as a Griffin with a rocket strapped onto its back flew towards them. The explosion caused glass and metal shrapnel to rip through the crew. Only several officers, Éclair, and Isara stood standing afterwards.
A deck officer stammered. “That was—”
Isara spoke grimly. “Suicide soldiers, the Neighponese have a term for it, kamikaze.”
“Signal the other ships, get within range. It’s still their three against our five!” Éclair shouted.
“We’ll lose many ships! It’s su—”
The Prench officer was slapped onto the ground.
“Get to it!” Éclair ordered.
The stun locked ponies rushed to comply.
Isara moved to be near Éclair’s ear. “I advise we retreat, advancing on them at this distance, we’ll be cut down before we can attack.”
The earth pony snorted. “What we, mademoiselle? You’re window dressing. I make the orders! If I lose the city of Zebeck, I shall be a laughingstock in Prance.”
“Explosions?” asked Dori.
The wooden door to the brig section of the ship slammed open. Everyone assumed battle stances as several Prench guard entered. The guards however staggered only several steps before falling over. Their flanks were stuck with many crossbow bolts.
Bull and Cirta entered after.
Nokimbe stammered. “You guys? What are you doing?”
The Gazzelle hopped off of the automatic crossbow on Bull’s back. She threw their pile of weapons in front of them. “The Griffins are attacking and we’re busting you out.”
“Did Isara send you?” asked Nokimbe.
“No… but we’re acting on behalf of her heart. She loves you very much!”
“Why didn’t she come herself then?”
Cirta frowned. “…”
The Water buffalo cough. “We must move while the battle distracts them.”
They ran through the mostly empty corridors of the ship. A squad of Prench soldiers even passed them at a cross section, but hurrying to their battle stations, the soldiers failed to notice. At last they reached a loading bay. Isara turned the crank and opened the bay door. The wind whistled as hit them.
“Go on.” said Bull.
“What about you two?” asked Zaza.
“We can’t let Éclair think Isara had a hoof in this. We’re going to stay to accept the blame…that way the alliance between the Prance and Ibex Empire can still happen.”
“Why?” asked Nokimbe.
“We love our commander. It’s our sacrifice for her.” said Cirta.
“They will execute you. I do not think they will believe you worked independently of your commander,” said Zaza.
Cirta reared up and shouted. “Shut up! Sometimes you just gotta feel, not think!”
“Also, the Prench employ a number of Pegasus flyers. They will notice and skewer us if we take slow parachutes,” said Bull.
Zaza eyes became wide as she their true height came into focus. The houses of the city below were tiny dots.
“I said I would take you flying one day, right?” Reagle pecked her lightly with a kiss.
“I trust you.”
Nokimbe pointed a hoof at Dori. “I don’t trust her.”
“Dori, carry Nokimbe.” Reagle ordered.
The she-Griffin scoffed. “Alright, then we’re through okay?”
“Don’t drop me, birdy,” said Nokimbe, nervously.
The rustling of armor alerted them. Several Prench Guards charged into the hanger with halberds pointed. “Halt!”
Cirta jumped up onto Bull and she cocked the automatic crossbow on the Water Buffalo’s back. With the churn of the crank, bolts whistled from the muzzle of the machine, nailing a couple of guards to the walls.
“Attack!” Shouted a guard commander.
Cirta screamed. “Get going!”
With a kick off, Reagle pulled Zaza with him. “Ahhh!!!” She yelped.
“We’re going to die!” Nokimbe screamed as he was carried off.
“Stop squirming!” Shouted Dori, holding onto the Zebra.
The wind rushed past them as they careened towards the ground. Reagle and Dori deployed their wings with a jolt and they leveled out, stabilizing after a moment. Aloft, they could see multiple hues of the sky of the painted horizon.
Zaza spoke. “It’s beautiful.”
Reagle answered. “Some say it’s freedom.”
Their moment of peace was interrupted as their eyes adjusted to the light. The black cannon smoke and burning airships polluted the sky. They turned their heads sharply to the right to see a Prench airship peppered by projectiles. The Griffin War Wings maintained their distance as they spawned more rockets.
“Cannon shells don’t arc like that,” said Reagle, noticing the strange trails of smoke.
“They’re guided rockets,” Dori inspected.
“Guided by what?” asked Nokimbe.
Reagle focused his eyes. He gasped as he noticed the silhouette of a fellow Griffin attached to one of the rockets. The outline of the Griffin promptly disintegrated as the missile collided with a Prench airship. “Bloody Helhiem! They’re suicide soldiers! Banshee is insane!”
“She has to die!” said Zaza.
“Agreed!” Dori shouted.
The females looked at each other, surprised at their mutual agreement.
Banshee’s pupils darted with the trading of ship to ship fire. She smiled as she focused upon the battle. Ironbeak stood to the side, nervously twiddling with his claws.
“They’re down to four ships!” said a deck officer. Another Prench ship exploded. “Three ships!” corrected the officer.
Ironbeak remarked. “Their flagship is opening cannon ports. It’s turning about side.”
Banshee spoke calmly. “A slugging match favors their heavier guns. I want a full reverse. We shall deny them their volley.”
“Aye aye!” said a signal officer.
“Prench War Balloons are attempting to flank our right. Our own War Balloon attachment requests aid.” said another officer.
Banshee replied, swiftly. “Request denied. Support craft dirigibles are negligible, have our own War Balloons deal with them.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Continue the missile bombardment. Finish them.” Banshee twirled her sword on the ship’s bridge. The crew ducked their heads to avoid the sweep of the claymore sword.
Reagle, Zaza , Dori, and Nokimbe landed into an alley. They ran through the courtyards and gardens. Passing the city streets of Zebeck, they noticed the Prench citizens and even Gendarmes military police were caught in awe of the air battle overhead.
“You’d think they’d never seen a battle before,” Zaza scoffed.
“That could very well be.” said Reagle.
“Do you think our airship will be lightly guarded?” asked Nokimbe.
“Look, several miles from here, I have my own War Wing moored with crew waiting on my orders,” said Dori.
“Go with you and be your prisoners? Yeah, no thanks.” the Zebra stallion laughed.
Dori sneered. “Do you have better idea, stripes?”
“I do,” Reagle interjected. “We commandeer a War Balloon instead. It’ll be something manageable for us to crew.”
Another Prench airship bled smoke and fell from the sky. The protective glass of the bridge cracked as the ship shook from rocket hit.
His failing fortune caused Éclair to roar in rage. He turned to Isara with anger in his eyes. “You have betrayed me! You are secretly allied with the Griffins! You led me into this trap!”
Isara shouted. “I have not!”
Éclair snarled. “You lie.”
“A relationship involves trust. Trust me, I have nothing to do with the Griffins.”
He groaned. “Ma chérie, could you lie to me and tell me that you love me?”
“Would that be right?”
“I suppose it would not.” He jumped, shoving her down.
She yelped as his hooves wrapped around her neck.
His hold began choking her. “Mistresses, I told you I have plenty. If you will not love me then what else good are you?”
“What of the alliance?!” Isara cried.
Éclair smiled. “Ma chérie, Prance has no need of another ally. We intended to make your homeland into another resource colony.”
“You beast!” Isara found leverage and kicked Éclair between his legs. The giant pony squealed in pain as he jumped off. She coughed feeling her throat.
“Kill her!” cried Éclair while cuffing his injury.
A Prench guard rushed her. Isara kicked the guard in the legs, tripping him. She grabbed the fallen guard’s halberd. Using the weapon, she warded the others off. She spotted Éclair behind his guards grabbing a parachute.
Isara charged through the squad of Prench soldiers. She rammed her halberd into Éclair’s chest. “No you don’t! You and I have a date in Tartarus!”
“Kill her!” Éclair squealed in pain.
Prench soldiers pierced Isara’s flanks.
Coughing blood, Isara gave the horrified Éclair a crimson grin. “We are both fools for the fire.” She thrust her halberd harder pinning Éclair to metal wall of the ship as he tried vainly to escape.
The airship shook with internal explosions.
Before she was consumed, Isara gave an aside glance at the fire filling the hallway. “Nokimbe, I am sorry…”
Several guards stood on the docking station of a moored War Balloon. Their eyes were transfixed on the battle in the sky.
“Pierre, maybe we ought to take the ship and get out,” said an earth pony guard.
“Dat’s desertion ya talking about, ya’d guillotined in Prance,” replied the other Guard.
The third guard scoffed. “That’s later, let’s live for now.” The guard felt feathers from his neck. He fell over as he felt the dart.
The other Prench guard turned behind him and raised his halberd. Nokimbe had a blowpipe in his mouth. Before the other guard could react, Reagle knocked out the pony with the pommel of his sword. The third guard was smashed into the ground by Dori as she pounced from above.
“All clear,” said Reagle.
“Excellent work.” Zaza limped forward from behind several crates.
“Hey take it easy your legs are still broken!” Reagle rushed to support her.
“They’re healing,” said Zaza.
Reagle frowned. “They heal faster with you off of them.”
A shockwave reverberated in the air. They raised their heads skywards at the tremendous explosions.
“That was the Prench flagship, it must have been hit in the powder magazine,” said Reagle.
“Isara!” Nokimbe cried as he looked upwards at the falling wreckage.
“The remaining Prench airship and War Balloons are signaling surrender.”
“Destroy them, there must be no witnesses lest we invite war with the Prench.” said Banshee.
“Wait, stop. You can’t!”
Banshee swung her sword towards Ironbeak.
Ironbeak gulped. “I mean there’s a whole a city below that’ll see you massacring surrendering soldiers.”
“You’re right.” Banshee cooed. “Destroy the city also. We shall blame it on the Zebras. Prepare incendiary ordnance burn everything and everyone.”
“I can’t stand for this.” He rushed and grabbed a saber from a deck officer.
Banshee raised a brow, bemusedly. “What do you intend to do with that? You can’t possibly believe you’d be a match for me?”
Ironbeak cried. “All my life, I’ve been a tool… for father, for country, and everyone else. To other’s ends, I’ve seen horrible things. Well no more! I’ve had enough! Belay that order or I end it.” He pointed the sword toward his stomach.
“Why do I care if you slit your belly?” Banshee returned coolly.
“I’ve seen the real you without those potions. I die and you’ll be all alone.”
Banshee’s expressionless face betrayed nothing yet her inaction alone fortified Ironbeak’s resolve. The she-Griffin narrowed her eyes. “You don’t have the gizzards.”
“Try me!” said Ironbeak.
Banshee paused with her sword held against Ironbeak.
The calm was interrupted by a cry. “Commander! Twelve airships! They’re not ours!”
Banshee cawed. “The Prench?”
“No they’re –”
“Twelve ships, the Griffin Victory fleet is here,” said Reagle.
“You are mistaken.” said Zaza.
The sun’s blinding light was blocked by one of the vessels. Without the shine, the black paint stripes could be seen in all their glory. The airships projected their shadows over the landscape with clouds of smoke in their wake.
Reagle gasped. “Zebra airships?!” He turned toward Zaza for an answer.
Zaza turned toward Nokimbe. “You’ve been contact with my father?!” Zaza asked.
“Always,” said Nokimbe, solemnly, “My most important mission was your protection.”
“Twelve Zebra airships,” Dori said aloud in disbelief. She smiled meekly. “I’ll be seeing you then.” She stretched her wings and flew off.
“Hopefully not too soon,” spat Zaza.
Reagle chirped. “Zaza, this is great. Your people have airships; with them you can bring the Griffin Kingdoms to the negotiation table! Why didn’t you use them before?! This changes everything!”
Zaza shook her head. “It doesn’t… and I am afraid of what that will mean…”
Clambering through the metal corridors of the ship, a messenger enters the bridge of the Zebra flagship.
Near breathless, the messenger inhaled before he spoke. “King Zarius, the cloud generators have ceased functioning, we are revealed!”
A massive Zebra warrior sat center on the bridge. Perched on his right shoulder was a fiery phoenix. He muttered while petting the creature. “Second hoof Equestrian technology, it has served its purpose.”
He rose and addressed his crew. “We now encircle our enemies. A decade ago, foreign powers struck forth into our continent of Zebrika, plundered our natural resources, and enslaved our brothers. So often history has swung in one direction… and for a time it seemed so. Nay I say! Today like the phoenix, we rise again from the ashes. Let this first battle herald the liberation of our nation! Clear the skies!” The bird on his shoulders echoed his sentiments as it gave off squawk followed by a squall of flames.
The Zebras cried and stomped their hooves in applause. Using signal lights they quickly rushed to relay the message to the other ships.
A Zebra mare made her way to besides the king. “A great speech, you have given. The troops are most driven.” She whispered in his left ear. “Husband, what of the city? Do we count them as our enemy?”
“It is most fortuitous that Prench and Griffins are fighting, it is the perfect cover… afterwards… we torch the city. Our fleet must be kept a secret. There must be no witnesses.”
Aboard the striped vessels below decks laborers were so covered in soot they appeared like black ponies. Only the sweat from their coats revealed the white and that these were Zebras. The workers frantically shoveled black bloodstones: coal into the furnaces. Steam hissed from pistons as metal moved. Gears fell into place compelling propellers to spin.
A deck above, crew loaded metal barrels with iron balls. By levers and pulleys, cannons were quickly moved toward their gun ports. Hatches opening: the black barrels poked out. Flint igniters were primed with clicks. Each gun-captain held onto the cords attached to flint mechanisms. Their ears twitched as they waited for the signal.
With a rhythmic rat tat, the first cannons erupted. Then all fired and each individual gun was drowned by the greater roar of war.