Griffon Prowlers
Inside a besieged castle, the ponies of Earthborn are defending their home against the invading Stormwing forces. Hours into the battle and the invaders have completely surrounded the place with their fliers. The Stormwing pegasus swarm around the castle, looking for any breech in their stone fortress.
Unfortunately for them, this is where they meet heavy resistance. Even if they did found a way inside the castle, they won't survive for very long. Inside are close and tight areas that doesn't provide much space for them to manoeuvre around in. Not only that but, the Earthborn specialize in close quarter fighting, something the Stormwing troops are not accustom to.
Seeing that his soldiers weren't making any progress, the Stormwing commander decided to call in some back up.
“Hold that gate men!” A mare shouted at the group of ponies pushing against the wooden gate.
On the other side, the invaders were trying to bash their way through, but the Earthborn troops push back on the gate.
“We can't keep this up!” Yelled one of the ponies.
“You have too soldier or else they'll swarm in!” She responded.
The mare saw that they needed help, so sh galloped towards them and held the gate. “Don't let these bastards in!” She shouts to her troops and they all start to push back.
Then without warning several sharp blades pierced through the door, killing and wounding some of the ponies. With the group losing some ponies, they couldn't hold the gate any longer and were immediately pushed back.
The wide wooden door burst opened, revealing the invaders. They were not pegasus, rather griffons.
They swarm through the door and clear the room of any ponies. They tried to fight back, but the griffons easily defeated the weaken defenders.
Once clear, the griffons didn't move on, instead they await for someone to arrive.
Coming from the broken door, a lone griffon entered the room. The griffon had a grey fur coat with black wings on his back. His face was concealed by a metal helmet that covers his entire head. Aside from his helmet the only other armor he has is the chest plate and the two gauntlets.
In his right talon was a large steel sword cover with scratch and stained with the blood of his fallen foes.
The griffon didn't say anything and just walk pass the others. All soldiers followed him upstairs where he stopped at the top. The grey griffon looked around and saw multiple paths.
“Sergeant Nathan take five troops with you and head in this direction.” The grey griffon ordered and pointed to the left path.
“Yes Captain.” Nathan responded and randomly took five griffons and went in the left path.
“Lieutenant Alphonse, take five and go in the right path.”
“Yes Captain.” Alphonse then did the same went off in the right path.
The Captain then turn his head around and saw the five remaining griffon prowlers. “The rest with me.” He lead the small group on the middle path.
The lead griffon and his troops enter a large open room. A head of them was doorway with stairs leading to upstairs. Before they could go to it a bunch of earth pony soldiers came down the stone steps.
“Intruder insight! Take them down!” Somepony ordered and they all charge at the small group of griffons.
The ponies spread out, each of them targeting one of the griffons. Despite having the advantage of numbers on their side, the griffons still manage to fight against them.
The griffon Captain's sword slice through their armor with ease, leaving nothing but dismembered body parts.
One griffon parried an attack from a stallion then proceed to knocking him down and finish him off by stabbing him with his trident.
Another uses his wings and thrust himself forward, using his acceleration to impale two ponies with his weapon.
While this was happening, the griffon were unaware of the group ponies watching them from upstairs. These ponies were setting up their hoof cannons, preparing to blow these beast to tartarus. They knew that the cannon might kill their friend, but this was for the greater good.
A hoof cannoneer aimed down his weapon's iron sight and spotted a certain gray griffon. However, before he even light the fuse, the stallion felt a sharp pain coming from his back and chest. Looking down he saw a bloody blade poking out of his chest. The blade was then pulled out and he felt someone push him of the ledge. The last thing he saw was the stone floor before everything went black.
The Captain heard a noise behind him and turned around. His eyes caught the sight of a dead earth pony with a large wound on his back and chest. There was big bloody splat mark on the floor, right near the stallion's bloody face.
Connecting two and two together, he deduce that this stallion fell from upstairs. Lifting his head up, the Captain spots another group of griffons battling some hoof cannoneers. He recognizes them as one of the group that split off.
He made a mental note to thank Sergeant Nathan for the save.
Returning back to the battle, the griffon Captain saw his troops finishing off the last pony soldier. The stallion fell and joined with the rest of his fallen comrades in death. Not among the corpses were the griffon prowlers. These shock troopers only had small cuts and scratches, nothing too serious.
Once they were done the Captain lead his troops up the stairs. This lead the group to a long hallway with large boarded up windows on the left side. Standing on the far end of this hallway is a line of Earthborn Battle Buckers.
The Battle Buckers started kicking a bunch of cannonballs at the intruders. The griffon quickly took flight, getting out of their enemy’s range of attack. Unfortunately one griffon didn't make it and got his face smashed by a cannonball.
The Captain and his troops were being suppressed by the barrage of cannonballs that is keeping them from moving forward.
Suddenly the barricaded window near the line of Battle Buckers burst opened and a swarm of griffon prowler stormed in. The ponies were overwhelm by new intruders and are swiftly killed off. As the griffons were wiping the blood off their weapons, the Captain and his group were approaching them.
“Who is the leader of the this squad?” The Captain question, gaining the attention of the new griffons.
Upon seeing who was addressing them, they all salute the Captain and one them walked forward. This griffon was wearing a more decorative armor then his comrades. These markings on his armor indicates that he is the leader of this band of griffons.
“That would be me sir.” Said the decorative griffon. “I'm Lt. Bernard, how can we be assistance?”
The Captain though about for a second before walking closer to the lieutenant. He whispered something into his ear and the griffon nodded.
“Alright lads back outside!” The Lt. Bernard ordered and all of his troops climb out through the broken window and flew upwards. Leaving the Captain and his troops behind. Once they were gone, they proceeded on forward, continuing their assault.
The group walked for bit until they started to smell something familiar.
“Guys you smell that?” Ask one of the griffons.
“What is this?”
“It smell like something, burnt?”
Before any could ask more questions, the group cut around a corner and came across a grisly sight.
Bodies, burnt bodies.
Six charred bodies lay before the group, displaying their darken melted bodies to them. Most of them suppressed their urge to vomit out in disgust.
The Captain examine the bodies and recognize them to be griffons. His eyes then caught sight of a familiar body.
“Oh Shit is that...”
“Lt Alphonse.” The Captain answer and stared at the decease body of his former lieutenant.
Suddenly two ponies wearing gas mask popped out of the corner and aimed their strange tube like weapon at them. Recognizing what they are, he quickly turn to his troops.
“Back up! Back up!”
They did just that and just in time too, the two ponies shot out a stream of flame at the fleeing griffons. The group retreated to a safe distance from the pony's flames. All eyes were on the Captain, hoping that he would have plan.
“Alright here's the plan, you three flank around while me and the private here will distract the two Firespitters.” He explained to troops. “But first you three give us all your throwing knives.”
A couple of minutes has passed and the two flamethrowers were searching the area for the intruders. The two lost sight of of the group and are now carefully trotting around the hallways. Even though they have some strong weapon, they knew the griffons weren't stupid enough to just rush them. No, instead they'll most likely try to ambush them.
As the two were trotting the lead pony spotted a griffon popping out of a corner and threw something at him. The stallion felt it hit his chest and he responded by releasing a huge stream of flames at him. Fortunately for the griffon, he managed to escape the fire before it could even touch his feather.
The firespitter looked down at the object that was thrown at him. It was simple throwing knife, if he wasn't wearing his armor this blade would've killed him. Then another griffon popped out and threw his throwing knife at him. The blade bounce harmlessly off the stallion's chest plate.
The lead stallion then advance forward onto the two griffon's position. All the while constantly spewing fire. Meanwhile his partner was hanging back, watching out for any flankers.
Both the Captain and the Private continue to throw their knives at the stallion, hoping to distract him long enough for the other griffons to flank the two ponies.
Suddenly the stallion in the back spotted the three griffons flying towards him. The flanking griffon flew upwards, making the stallion aim his flame weapon up. However, behind the torrent of flames one of the griffon broke off from the formation and flew at close the ground.
The Prowler was right next the Firespitter and before the stallion could react, he was impaled by the griffon's sharp pointed trident.
With him gone the other two griffon charged at the second pony. One knocked him down and the second quickly finished him off.
Once they were dead the Captain and the Private came out of cover and walked up to the three griffons.
“Good job boys, you did a fine job.” The gray griffon compliment. “Come now, the battle isn't over yet.” With that the three rejoin the group and resume following their Captain.
They were now deeper inside the castle, no longer can they hear the battle taking place outside these walls. All they hear now was just eerily silence.
The group then reach a corner and heard something. Expecting it to be another pony patrol, the Captain silently ordered his troops to attack on his mark. When the sound got closer they jumped out and was preparing to fight them.
However, they immediately halted upon recognizing who it was. Instead of ponies it was three griffon warriors.
“Sgt Nathan?”
“Oh Captain am I glad to see you.” Said the battle scarred sergeant. “We recently located were the enemy commander sir.”
“Where?”
“The throne room.”
“Well then sergeant lead the way.”
The sergeant and his two troops joined the Captain's group and were now heading towards the enemy's throne room. After going through some corners and hallways, the large group of griffons found the door to the throne room.
This door stood out from the rest since this one was more heavily armored and had the royal emblem on it.
The griffons all gathered at the door waiting for their next move. The Captain put his ear on the door and heard vague sound of ponies being ordered around. He then looked at his his troops and gave them a count a three before they burst in.
“1....2.....3!”
The group of griffons barged right in, only to greeted by a line of cannons aimed right at them.
“Fire!” Shouted the pony commander and everypony unleash barrage of cannonballs. The griffons quickly spread, saving some of them while others weren't so fortunate. Those poor soldiers either died swiftly or were render crippled from the projectiles, bleeding out to death.
Those few that survived took whatever cover was available and endure the onslaught. The Captain took cover behind pillar and watch as his few remaining troops getting slaughtered. Thinking quickly he grab a trident from a fallen Prowler and toss is right at the enemy. It missed and smash through a barricaded window.
“Ha, these griffons can't hit the broad side barn!” Shouted an earth pony before he was impaled by a spear.
Then all of a sudden all the barricaded window were smashed opened and in came a swarm of griffon Prowler. Leading them was Lt Bernard from before.
While the two side clash with each other, the pony commander activated a secret entrance and enter into it. The Captain saw this was not going to allow the stallion to escape. The griffon spread his wings and zoom past through the battle. He smash through the hidden door and spotted the commander fleeing.
He followed the pony into a bedroom and tackle the stallion to the floor. The Captain then proceeds to punch the commander repeatedly in the face. The stallion then grabbed the Captain's head and headbutted him.
The impact was so great it dented his helmet, obscuring his vision. The stallion then kicked the griffon off him and quickly stood up.
The Captain took his helmet off, revealing his light blue eyes, staring daggers at the Commander. Both opponents took out their swords and waited for one of them to make the first move. Tired of waiting the Captain raise his sword high and brought down.
The stallion deflected the strike with his weapon. His blade was aimed perfectly at the griffon and he thrust his sword forward. The Captain dodge the thrust and swung his sword sideways. The pony reacted by rolling out of the way.
The pony swung his blade upward, but the griffon took flight, stepping back out of his opponent's range. Turning his sword upside down, the Captain put both his claws on the sword and dash forward, intending to stab the stallion.
The stallion evaded the attack and the sword was embedded on the floor. With his weapon stuck, the Captain was now weaponless against the Commander. The stallion went on the offensive and swung his sword widely.
While the pony believe that the griffon was defenseless, he has forgotten griffon's most oldest weapon, his talons. The Captain waited for the stallion leave himself. When he did, he scratched his arm, leaving three bleeding slash marks on his arm.
The pain was so great that it left him vulnerable for a second. The Captain took advantage of this and tackle the Commander to the floor. He then starts to claw the stallion neck, using his sharp talons.
The Commander would've scream, but his throat was currently being scratched opened.
He tried to punch the griffon off, but the Captain had his bloody claw piercing the stallion's soft fleshy neck. After a few more clawing the pony stopped moving and died. He had the look of utter horror written on his face, as he watch his killer killing him right before his eyes.
Once done, the Captain got up and walk over to his sword. Putting all his strength into his arms, he pulled the weapon out from the ground. He gave one last look at the dead Commander before walking towards the balcony.
He grabbed himself a flag and lit it on fire. He then started to swing the burning flag around, signalling somepony from afar.
Somewhere far away a pegasus commander was looking through his binocular and spotted the griffon captain waving the burning enemy flag over his head.
“Son of a bitch they actually did.” The commander said, surprised. He then turn to his lieutenant and gave him the binocular.
“See that griffon?” He pointed. “Take a battalion and head to where that griffon is.”
The lieutenant nodded and took a battalion of pegasus warriors and flew to where the griffon was. Within a few hours the Stormwing forces cleared out the remaining Earthborn troops, finally bringing an end to this siege.
The battle was over and it was thanks to their griffon allies.
The End