"Wake up,"I heard Maximus whisper into my ear as I was shaken from my sleep.
"the Sarge was just summoned to talk to the Captain, I think were going to get a mission."
"What?"I asked shaking the sleep out of my eyes."Why would you think that?"
"Because, the Sargent from The Blazing Hooves wasn't summoned also,"Maximus
stated."and if this was some kind of 'welcome to the fort' thing, wouldn't we all have to
go?"
"Maximus,"I started, then let out a long yawn."I think your reading to much into
it, go back to sleep."
As my head hit the pillow a smile spread across my face, as the warm feathers
embraced my head, cradling me in its joyous, wonder full, peace full, happy......
"Wake up you laze rats!"The Sarge's voice broke my thoughts, as my eye's shot
open and I jumped from my bunk, to stand at attention with the rest of my newly awakened
squad."Well, well, well, look at all these pretty stallions, maybe there is a salon on base so
you all can get your hooves done?"He said as he walked down the aisle just being a
Sargent."Oh, sorry,"He continued, finely noticing the tired eyes on every pony."did I
wake you from your beauty sleep?"He asked sarcastically."Well rise and shine, because the
Captain just gave me orders, were moving out in two hours, so get your gear and some
breakfast."He said."Dismissed."
As the Sarge finished I turned toward my trunk that was at the foot of my bed,
used my magic to retrieve my gear, then I saw the look on Maximus's face.
"So what, you where right."I said to him.
"Yeah,"He said."I was, wasn't I."
"Shut up."I said jokingly.
In response he stuck his tongue out at me.
"Very mature, Maximus, very mature."I said, rolling my eyes.
We quickly left the barracks after getting our armor and weapons on, and made our
way to the mess hall to get some chow, which was just across the square from the number
three barracks where we were. I was starving when we got in line, that quickly changed, I
looked at the slop that was apparently called food around here and was truly sickened,
it was green and slimy, with little black chunks in it, but I saw Fire Ball at a near by table
shoveling it in like it was the only thing left on Equuis, so I figured that it was at least
edible, or at least not poisonous.
Grabbing a tray of food I made my way over to the table that my squad was at, and
took the seat next to Maximus, said a silent prayer to 'Robigus', the draconaquis goddess of
farming, and patron goddess of my house, and she holds high-influence with the other gods.
After my short prayer I grabbed the fork with my magic and took a big scoop of
the stuff, instantly I regretted that, it tasted like something only a Pegasus would eat, but
then I remembered that I was starving, so I skipped chewing and went straight for swallowing
instead, with a hard 'gulp' it went down and was instantly replaced by another, now I knew
why Fire Ball was eating so quick, not because he liked it but because it went away faster.
Finally finishing off the stuff I quickly downed my glass of water, even that didn't
taste right and there was something in the bottom of the cup, maybe a bug? 'This is the
front line' I thought to my self.
"What was that?"Asked Private Swift Steel."I thought we where getting food?"
At that, every pony in the mess burst out laughing, except the chef who stood in
the door to the kitchen.
"Well, if you don't like it then maybe you shouldn't eat it."He shouted.
At that we left the mess and made our way back to our barracks, where the Sarge
was waiting patiently, though he wouldn't say it, he was no doubt as tired as the rest of
us, well, maybe a little less.
"Well, it took you long enough."He said."Form up."He shouted."Right face."At that we
all turned right."March."Was his final order as we marched toward the gate.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three hours isn't that long to march, considering what we did at basic. The eighteen
miles in three hours is the part that killed me, we were in one heck of a hurry south
toward a mountain that now stood proudly before us, Mt. foal named that because it was
where the first unicorn foal had died in Equestria.
Then we turned west toward the largest mountain in all Equestria, well as far as I
know its the largest in the world. But its size didn't matter, I just wanted to get to where
ever we where going so we could get this done faster and get back to the fort.
"Sarge,"Ice heart said, braking the three hour long silence."where are we going?"
The question was fair, I mean we had been traveling for three hours and we still
didn't have a clue, but she could have asked it better.
"Where ever I say we are going,"The Sarge barked at Ice Heart."and I think you
dropped a 'Sir' in there some where."
"Yes, Sir,"Ice Heart replied."Sorry Sir."
After that we continued in silence again, Ice Heart had stirred up the Sarge by
forgetting to use his rank, that always seemed to get him mad, I was just amazed that
she of all ponies would forget to use rank when addressing a higher officer, coming from a
military family and all.
Pushing those thoughts out of my head I changed my attention toward the world
around me, the trees where so big here compared to those in my home land, not even
the greatest griffon oak was so tall and wide, and these appeared to be some form of red
wood, which was highly sought after in the home land and very pricey.
Then my eyes widened as my heart stopped, there standing in a small brake in the
trees was a bear, but it was much, much bigger then a bear had any right to be, its fur
was blue with what looked like stars on it, then its massive head turned and looked at me,
saliva dripping from it ungodly jaws.
"Sarge."I yelled.
"Yes?"He asked turning to look at me, and saw me pointing at the beast."By the
gods."He shouted, the the bear started its way toward us, eager for meat."Firing line."The
Sarge bellowed at the top of his lungs, getting a huge roar from the monster, at the roar
a firing wall was quickly made."Aim for its head."Sarge shouted, and all muskets where
instantly locked on its eyes."Fire!"
The order was very quickly carried out and our weapons jerked in our grasp as they
fired simultaneously, all the lead hitting it mark.
The beast let out a furious roar as its sight was ripped from it by our shots, but it
didn't die.
"reload."The Sargent ordered more calmly this time."Aim,fire"
Another crack from the musket's sent the beast to its death as it fell over, and
its blood started to pool around its body.
The rest of the trip was spent watching the forest like a bunch of scared foals,
and we would have been perfectly happy saying so, we were not letting one of those things
sneak up on us.
Then the Sarge stopped on a hill, looking over a field, from here I could see the
pass in the mountain.
"Halt,"The Sargent ordered."There it is, that's where we are going."