Chapter 9: War and Peace brings complications
“The sun is simple. A sword is simple. A storm is simple. Behind everything simple is a huge tail of complicated.”
― Terry Pratchett, I Shall Wear Midnight
“The world is full of people who will help you manufacture tornados in order to blow out a match.”
― Shaun Hick
“All human beings have three lives: public, private, and secret.”
― Gabriel García Márquez, Gabriel García Márquez: a Life
Many acolytes--seniors and newcomers were spread in gossipy communication front of the Starswirl’s wing of Conterlot’s castle. It rumordly known that behind the gigantic runic doors of blue gold their maker fought whatever being was released not minutes ago. Or at least rumored to have been released. Several had tried to pry the juggernauts open, but to no avail. Many more had no clue what had transcurred, only called by the crowd of unique ponies around the strangest place in the castle to see what all the fuss was about.
But a special pair of ponies rumbled the crowd to their will and presence, since only other than Starswirl they were the only two that have ever entered the secret dark abode without the respected master to speak of.
“For the last time. If you want to know anything, wait for Master Starswirl. You guys know we can’t say anything about it, now hush!” Clover spoke for what felt like the thousandth time. She got the impression that hours have passed from when Starswirl had ordered her to do his bidding. She was even less informed than the ones outside when, as some said, Discord was released again in the world. Not a good omen.
“What do we do, Clover?” Asked Mystic anxiously for the first time since he returned from the backdoor of the castle. But he cared not for the whole Starswirl predicament, or his colleagues going all question-answer on them, he worried from the guards taking over the area ever since half the castle’s windows exploded. Mystic was never good at speaking with authority, Starswirl being the slight exception.
“Just keep calm, don’t talk or even look like you want to talk. We wait for Starswirl to come up with something, you know he always has something to keep secret.” Clover whispered back almost by nature.
In this kind of position Clover would be long gone and not looking back before the guard could secure anything. But she was into the whole acolyte business to be trained directly under the most masterful unicorn ever to have been born in the lands of Equestria, her, a mare like her that wouldn’t even go out of her library to see the sun. So many things only he knew was just a rank away to learn. She had taken a while, with her cunning words and mind she was under the archmage's trust circle in the time others at her age would reach the castle walls as a guard. She wasn’t going to give that away for anypony. Even a Sparkle.
“Please back away, nothing to see here. We need space to have this under control, please understand.” General Sparkle said in all his splendor and glory. With his purple silk mane and impeccable white coat showing underneath his clean shining golden armor. And his sapphire-like eyes glowing right at her every time they made contact.
Clover continued to try ignore anything she could from the stallion. As if. She didn’t dislike him, quite the opposite, but she knew if she was left alone in the same room with him, she would spill anything she knew right out just to get a subject to talk out of.
“Hey! You heared General Twinkle! Spread out!” Captain Hurricane, a stallion with no known physical limitations and recognized by the most muscled filled evening sun red fur body Clover had ever seen. It was almost sickening, and even so, Clover had no worries of having any trouble speaking to the stallion. She disliked him, not because he flirted with her the second she was at hoofs reach, that was quite praising, but because of his attitude.
“If you excuse us, we have things to fulfill.” Said Clover to her brother acolytes, already putting a step away of the scene. But was stopped with a yelp when her face collided to a helmet of a pegasus she was sure to have seen behind General Sparkle.
“Not so fast. But don’t worry, never more than me.” Said Hurricane giving his eyebrows a wigle before bursting in laughter, and then going back to seriousness as Clover rubbed her muzzle. “But in all amaziness, which is me by the way, I really need to know what was this all about. You don’t get what looked like the escapade of the millenium without having bad things going on before. We need to question everypony involved. Even the servants.”
Clover looked at the stallion not amused. Why was it he was just so fond to follow her around she had no idea. It disappointment her even more when Hurricane was not affected by her irked stare.
“Sorry, but it’s true, Acolyte, we need to understand what Starswirl had been into to try anything here. In fact, what do you think was going on?” Clover would’ve had a hard time trying to answer Sparkle by his soothing voice alone, but then to save her, or screw her, the gifted brain of Clover thought about the handsome stallion’s words.
“You think Starswirl was attempting anything against Equestria?” Clover said without a go-ahead from her common sense, but her words seem to hit right at the center of both stallions’ heed, immediately turned their full on attention towards Clover.
“So you wondered that too, haven’t you?” Hurricane said losing all boastfulness on his tone as his eyes turned analytic. Eyes that Clover had been too accustomed not recognize. “Is it just you, or does your pony sized blueberry here think the same?”
“Wait, why does everypony I meet keep coming with these blue related nicknames?” Clover ignored Mystic’s comment, more interested in getting all information she knew hidden, and at the same time, expose everything they knew. Right as this thought passed General Sparkle’s guards were cleaning the once filled hall, leaving Clover, Hurricane, Sparkle and the nervous Mystic to have a nice, uninterrupted, conversation.
“Maybe.” Clover said, drawing a surprised ‘what’ out of Mystic.
“So, you also believe he’s discorded?” Right out of the blue Hurricane told Clover all she needed to know, the unanticipated shock was so impactful, that she failed to think through her proceeding words.
“But he wasn’t the one discorded--Hmm?!” Clover’s muzzle was covered by Mystic before anything else could be spouted. But the damage was done. Hurricane had the biggest smile, and Sparkle had the cutest baffled expression he had ever seen them both have.
“Sorry--Starswirl--calls--gotta--go!” And anything the only thing left to show that Mystic and Clover were at any moment in the hall was the smell of liquid fear Mystic had left behind.
Sparkler and Hurricane remain in silent awe for what they had just witnessed. And for whatever reason, have yet to act upon the disappearance of the only Acolyte that knew what was going on. Anypony aware of their stillness would think Sparkler is just thinking ahead on what to do, and Hurricane was just absorbing the pride to have discovered something out of his actions alone. But it could be for another reason entirely.
“I knew it!”
“How the...”
“I told you she knew something! Hah! My wings know things! I told you! A bet is a damn bet!”
Not so far away, Clover’s face had an intimate moment with the floor once Mystic had finalized his spell, this only lived up to Clover’s thoughts once she had clearly gone through and smelled the disgusting sour smell of stupidity and cowardness, that being pee.
“I’ll leave you here for a second, need to clean.” Mystic didn’t last a moment before disappearing once more. But if he hadn’t, he would’ve noticed a body lying on the floor with another nearby body closing in to the recent arrival.
“Clover? What are you doing in here? And what’s that smell?” Starswirl asked right as he got a good look at the invaders. But strangely, instead of looking angry as Clover had expected him to be, he appeared relieved.
“Uhh, the royal guard is after you?” Clover said trying to not make eye contact, but she did have the need to see his reaction. And in a eerie fashion, Starswirl didn’t give a damn.
“Alright, it doesn’t matter. But you, Clover, do you know any spells to regenerate the body?” Clover had never seen the stallion like this. He was nervous; afraid; mortal.
“What’s going on?” Clover asked completely forgetting to call him master, or sir, which she mentally noted, but Starswirl couldn’t care even give one string of mane for. He didn’t even look like wanting to explain, he only wanted an answer.
“Answer the question.” And there’s the stallion she had learned to respect. But with a sidetone of anger carrying his words, Clover didn’t want to be anywhere close to being in Starswirl’s bad side; nopony knew he had one.
“I don’t!” To her answer Starswirl groaned in frustration, his decisions were running short and he was at a lost in what to do. Clover was more confused now. “I thought you knew spells of that nature?”
“What? Regeneration is not that complicated, but I’ve never had to practice it, and with this, I don’t want to take any chances.” Staswirl said going back into the deepest corner of the hall of runes.
“But what about your burns?”
“What... burns...” Starswirl’s memory smashed his face-in with a brick of wisdom, and he was bleeding to death in his own sticky pool of recollection. How had he not seen that before. Healing magic, or anything tinkering with a pony’s body was something so crazy he would beat himself several times over to have not thought about it before. So then, how was he fine? How was he healed? What happened when...
“Celestia...”
“What?”
“I--I didn’t heal myself. But the pony that did can’t help.”
‘Why can’t he? Don’t you really need it?”
“That is not the important thing right now!” From where Starswirl called, another pony laid. Clover believing it was a pony caught by a falling part of the roof picked herself up and trotted quickly to get a better look. But what she saw, what not what she expected.
The fur, the color, and the flank emblem. It was impossible to not recognize her. Nightmare, was the name the slithering mare liked to boast herself with. But the mare she was seeing spread weak in the floor was nothing in comparison. She was delicate like a alicorn filly, and could possibly be confused with a pony in size, and nature. But the wings and horn held in the same body gaved off her species without a doubt.
“Isn’t that Nightmare?” Asked Clover, reminding herself she had to do something with her muzzle running rampaged when her curiosity was at a peak. If she wasn’t adept enough to get out of the problems her curiosity got her into, she would not be where she was today.
“Nightmare is gone.” Said Starswirl sadly sitting next to her. “This is Celestia’s reason for fighting Discord. Her dead sister. Heh, not so dead if you ask me.”
“Oh, crud...” Clover was caught by surprise. Not only because it was a revelation that was breaking her known reality, but because Mystic was going to have a signature when he find out that one of his crazy theories was actually right. “Does this mean, you had her Discorded, locked here, all this time. And you haven’t told Celestia?”
“Told Celestia? Hahaha! If I even whisper Celestia’s way that her sister is still alive this kingdom will go in flames Clover.” Starswirl said with an unusual amount of mirth, making the situation to Clover much more dire.
“Ah Mystic we need help to heal Luna, do you know any spells?”
“Apologies, I don’t Master Starswirl.”
“Buck!”
“But I do know some ponies that are actually good at it? If that helps?”
“Yes... yes, that would! Can you locate them?!”
“Uhh, ah, yes.” The world opened to Mystic as his horn flared. Thousands of lives; of ponies going to and fro in ten kilometer radius were under his magic gaze. “Found one! And he seems to be the only one...”
“Good, go get him!”
“Uhh, ehh, Clover is the only one with the specific teleport spell, Master Starswirl. I can’t go anywhere I haven’t been before.” Mystic paused, trying to find the best way to say it. “And I have certainly not been here before.”
“Ugh! Clover, I ask of you to find this pony immediately!” Clover at first was going to do as told immediately, but then noticed Mystic’s sad grin, and for Clover it was less than a bin ban boom to seemingly get who he was talking about.
“No! Not that stallion! Starswirl--sorry, Master Starswirl, you don’t want him here!”
“I absolutely do, Clover... if you can within the next minute heal this mare, then you have a say here, if not, no. Please find Mystic’s friend.” Starswil turned to Mystic. “I don't care who it is. Get. Him. Here.”
‘Yes, sir!” Mystic turned to Clover, pleading in silence for her to help.
Clover sighed, forcing magic to her horn she south to the only stallion that could help Starswirl in his predicament. Oh he would regret it.
And in a flash Clover was gone, and so was Mystic, surely to convince his friend to help in Starswirl’s time of need. But for Starswirl it was a time to not relax, but think. If Luna was safe his possibilities were better, but it didn’t look good at all. He had been in the main sights of the council for quite some time, and with this little disaster he had given them enough weapons to build a fort out of them to make his cell.
Having a unicorn with so much power to have a private collection of talented unicorns at his disposal was always bad for anypony that wanted power for themselves. But it was necessary, not that anypony would believe him. After Discord all ponies were a little less trusting than times before his coming. Starswirl saw that as a good, and bad thing.
WIth a popping noise behind him, Starswirl had little to speculate on who it was.
But when he turned, let’s just saw he wasn’t very happy with the results.
‘Oh no, no! No! No!’
“Ah it seems that the mighty Starswirl calls for me yet again, but we should make this quick as that I now have a position in entertaining the most notorious and powerful creatures of this realm! Be ready to be saved by the ALL KNOWING AND MYSTERIOUS WIZARD OF POWER!”
‘BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU--!’ Starswirl screamed in his mind in pure rage on the worst day of his life.
“Mustang.” Starswirl began, trying to remember how far he had shown the irking stallion his true personality. “It is...nice. to see you again. I need your help on a matter. But the first question for my acolyte was not completely certain you have practiced it, but do you know any advance healing spells?” Starswirl stained as he tried to assure if this pompous know it all unicorn actually knew any spells, and if not he could for good measure throw the slithering stealer halfway across the city.
“Ah, that Mustang does. If you do remember calling me a cat, taking and keeping knowledge of all kinds of magic. For Mustang is the all knowing and mysterious wizard of power!’” Mustang boasted with a kind of pride within his tone as if insulting Starswirl.
“Ah, yes, I do remember, dearly remember. Anyway lets get to work.”
“Ta-ta-ta, Mustang doesn’t do services for free if you forgot, Archmage Starswirl.”
‘I hate this so much.’
“But of course, you’ll get your pay within due time, but first your assistance.”
“Oh ho ho, not this time, no, Mustang doesn't want to be paid, specifically. Mustang knows that you’ll give gold. Worthless at this time. No, Mustang wants you to owe a favor. The kind that Mustang can call whenever for whatever.” Mustang leaned to the side to look at the barely breathing mare. “No matter what that may be.”
Starswirl’s patience and mind was barely holding to lash out at this unicorn. All parts of his being were screaming out for him to call it off, and simply crush the unicorn with every ounce of his might. But then he followed Mustang’s disgusting look back to Luna. His fault she was in pain and dying. His fault Celestia wasn’t by her side. His fault, that she was possibly never going to be able to have a normal life anymore. Starswirl sighed. “I’ll...owe you.. A favor. Now come, we have work to do.” Starswirl ordered, as he walked within the ruin enchanted dungeons to Luna. Hopefully saving what was left of her.
What do you call a time of your life where the only thing you want to do is take whatever had been urcking right then and burn it to a crisp, or stab it repeatedly. Wadi was a man that couldn’t say which word to use, but for Wadi the hate was bundled down to three things: The sun, whom was glaring as no one’s business, his supposed bed, impossible to sleep in, and his back, that with no real involvement with the bed was on fire. And given the fact that it hurt because it was literally once on fire, at least that’s what he had read, his mental health also was getting urked to death.
So yes, Wadi was in distress.
It had been several hours from the time he’d awoken, days after his last conscious breath, or weeks, how could he know anyway? Ah, right, his friend Asad told him everything right from when he awoke, the man was smart like that. But the man was never direct, oh no, that would be too nice for Wadi. Asad, had told his very susceptible-to-weird-things friend of his situation through a letter.
Delivered by a tiny white hat wearing and pink apron cooking furry rat kick starter of his reality not three hours ago. Whom from Asad’s letter responded to the name Fluffy.
But it didn’t matter. Didn’t. Matter. At all. Wadi was not even thinking about it. Just like a crocodile on the nile on a summer heat peak, he was calm, and alive. But not as complacent or as relaxed. If anything, he wanted to go in a rampage to find his cryptic writing friend, and force the information out of him.
But he was better than that, so Wadi resigned himself to stare in awe bringing confusion as how hard me must’ve smashed his head with a wall before falling into unconsciousness. Given what he was doing.
“What are you looking at?” Asked Wadi just for the pleasure of speaking, or simple head damage. His companion however believed himself, or herself, too good to respond as it continued to analyze his every movement with its tiny dark eyes. But the little thing wasn’t alone, many more stopped on their work, from cooking to cleaning, to wait out Wadi’s words. As if every word he said was infinite wisdom from a genie. Disturbing.
Everything was a hilariously small version of any state along the nile. They had small huts made of leaves and hay, and brooms cut off sticks and leaves to push away small bugs. These little things had made themselves home in the fine trees. But these were not adorable simple creatures as Wadi had believed them once to be. And if anyone was to question otherwise Wadi would kindly point them to the cart he had apparently been transported in. Specially on the how.
The appearance was of a wild wood chariot, vines attached to the wagon were arranged to give it a fine grip, Wadi recognized the style of wrapping from his times with Asad preparing chariots to battle. But instead of horses to pull, there were other fur covered hoppers, mistreated and broken like any slave Wadi had ever come across. Like if Asad had been passing some culture on these little furry things.
From what Wadi had deduced, he was in a rudimentary kitchen, no walls except for the trees all around, and a minescule leaf wall, but Wadi had tended to pay those no mind. Smell wise it was intoxicated with the fragrance of soup, and for Wadi could see those that were too occupied to pay mind to Wadi’s existence continued chopping and dipping random assortments of berries, vegetables, and anything they found editable into a normal sized dark pot. Low flame under it. But it still appeared edible, much like Norman’s food.
Asad was going to have to explain much if the crazy man was ever to expect Wadi to stay near such disturbing sight not-mans going about their way, pretending they are people. Wadi couldn’t even stay near the tent of the last tiny man-like creature he came across, specially with that face.
And that was another thing that got to Wadi’s bones. The faces. The emotions. These disturbing white rats were so man-like that it gave Wadi time to shiver at each unnatural ear twitching they scratched.
But Wadi had enough of that. Raising from the most uncomfortable, itchy, small, weak bed in existence, Wadi walked around to give himself some mental stability as he hoped his friend came along as the letter expressed. The little thing simply kept staring at him hopping to the side with paw-feet too big for its body and just followed Wadi’s foot steps. Always with a glare.
“So, you have any idea on where my inept partner has gone to?” Asked Wadi nervously to the apron wearing creature. It only turned its head to the side, and twingle its nose, never giving up the scowl. Wadi sighed, knowing full well that any communication would be fruitless.
But the little thing wasn’t done, it surprised Wadi when its miniscule nose sniffed and pulled its entire body into search, and then into a quick hoppity hop away. Wadi watched in bewilderment as the little thing left deep into the forest.
I will never get used to this, that’s for sure. Wadi thought as he glanced around the hoppers’ camp. From what the letter said, the encampment was made by these hoppers, as Asad had named them, a real sore sight for tired eyes. Civilization, outskirts of a village would be the first guess of any man who had really wanted to find any. But Wadi only wanted to find his knowledgeable Dervish friend, and get his head around the whole thing.
But then again, the next thing happened.
It started with drums, a steady beat of leather bongs taking a crescendo with what appeared to be a child dying crying out. Or Asad’s singing. Hopefully the latter. From the trees the apron wearing hopper had disappeared into, a crowd of the little things came along the forest doing many things Wadi integrated to question his sanity.
First were the obvious... warriors. Hooping fur creatures with blue, brown, and black ink dresing their small fur filled faces as if trying to make their bean sized dark eyes look fierce.All holding sticks that combined into a platform of twigs carrying a humongous boar.And that wasn’t all, then came the dancing ones.
To any man that claimed to be a muslim it would be easy to recognize what kind of dance they were trying to interpret. The half covered faces, the open stomach for the world to see, plus the singing style, rhythm of the drums, and dance, made it a screaming statement to recognize the tiny furry belly dances.
Back home belly dancers were not that interesting for Wadi, given his nature, but he was very sure he didn’t want to have the imagine of furry dances forever recorded in his mind. Who would like to see such a thing?
But the last dancer was the most disturbing one. An imagine that would take any mind forever to forget, if it was even possible. Wadi’s disgust could only be matched in horribleness of the voice it was pretending it had to sing.
“Alright my hoppers, and a one, and a two and a-- oh! Wadi! You’re awake!” Asad, “The crazy.” Wadi had wondered for some time the meaning of such an uncommon title. Given that Asad had never done anything to prove it true.
Yes, Wadi had found the man trying to make the strange devices of that book from Al-jarazi. But then again, from what he had just witnessed, Wadi should’ve taken note that Asad was trying to achieve those devices in the middle of the river, as he said, “this invention allows me to be in the river, but at the same time. Not.” Wadi must’ve simply been too distracted with his work to notice.
“Are you alright my friend, you seem distracted?” Asad broke Wadi’s trail of thought, Asad’s hidden ankle sword was drawn by one of the helpful white fur balls, who did its best to pick it up and stab it through the boar, ineffective as it may seemed.
“Ugh, yes. I’m distracted. And hopefully scarred until I die instead of remembering this for eternity.” Wadi agreed with his eyes trying to fall everywhere but the cross-dresing maniac. “Why are you dressed like-- ohh, no. Better help my sanity. Are the hoppers going to cook the boar and make dinner out of it?”
“Oh, you read my letter I see, you like the name? They hop, so I called them hoppers? Clever isn--?
“Answer the question!”
“Huh, don’t need to be rude, but them eating pig? Nah, they eat nothing but greens and root fruit. The boar, however, is for us my friend! You and me. I remember how much you like your meat.” Said Asad, reaching down to the struggling boar cutting hopper, and helping it by pushing the knife himself. No blood coming out, the thing had been dead for some time. “The hoppers are not that happy on the meat eating, but they know how to hunt things down.”
“Asad, I care not for your little furry friends, please answer me... what has happened?!” Wadi’s calm, if there was trully any, finally left the stressed man and left him to finally burst loudly enough to make all little creatures around him jump. The ones that were not trained to be warriors of course.
“Wow, keep calm and prosper, my friend. Whatever do you mean? But hold that thought.” Asad turned to his assistant Fluffy. “Be a dear and have it rare, I love it rare.” The little thing saluted and then with effort attempted to pull the knife out the pork.
“Oh, I don’t know--the ship? My men? Everything?!” Wadi thought Asad was crazy before, now he knows he’s insane. Eating a boar?! Really?! Not only against Islam faith, but it’s a corrupting animal! How many pig like things must’ve Asad eaten so far... Wadi bleached to imagine. “And I’ll pass on the boar... thank you.”
“Hah! You mean that whole mess? It’s all in the past my fellow man. Things caught on fire, creatures going on and about yelling their lungs out and tearing men to shreds. Just a south egypt with less women, or men. Worry not about it. I’ll tell you everything later.” Wadi was not liking this at all. “But now look forward that we are going to find the nearest shore and make ourselves a boat to sail ourselves home! Hahaha.”
“Oh for Allah...” Wadi was finally coming down to realize how much must’ve gone passed while he was out for the count. The destiny of his men, the reputation of his title, the only way back to his home. And alone with a man he had never known was mad until now.
“Yes, I know it’s... hmm? What is it?” Wadi’s mind would never arrive to a conclusion that day since he got distracted when the hopper next to Asad’s leg, of which stopped its disturbingly accurate belly dancing style, and lifted one of its long ears.
Like if wanting to keep up with the times all the other hoppers imitated this like a dancing brudel. But there was something distinctive that all did, a man-like expressive face that Wadi knew very well.
Fear.
“What is it my hoppers?” Asad called out, the initial eeriness broken from the force of his voice. Wadi was disliking the sinister behavior change from the hoppers, but he was simply too distracted by something above to even tell Asad that he had discovered the problem.
The hoppers didn’t respond to Asad, not that they could, they opted better to run as fast as possible to the safest place nearby and leave anything that which could slow them down. The convulsing shadows from the opening above forced Asad to look up and see the giants passing overhead. And what both men saw they would never forget.
It was majestic, and terrifying, at the same time. There was so many of them that some lesser men would believe it was an arc of iris gone wrong, or to war. The shapes. The colors. And the fire... Fluffy was behind Asad, retracting, covering her face with his leg as the whole world shook with the roars.
The roars of a dragon horde.
The fields of west Canterlot. Wide, plain, and green. Open and mighty. Its gracious grass blessing its soil was notorious for its drastic changes of tone dependant on their nutrients and location of growth. Some of the grass was of the purest green; full of life, proof of its perfect access to water. Other areas were yellow and dry, obvious by their lack said water. And some big segments that could be confused with huge weed because of the perfect combination of other nutrients giving them big scale growth.
But then there was the small patches of glaring red, a testament of the frequency lives ended and sputtered their insides into the unrelenting nature of the plains.
Yes, the fields of west Canterlot were a dangerous place. In the nearby cities it was known as “the grass of the damned.” This name was adopted after the war in which it was believed the grass gained their distinctive red color. But without much acknowledgement other than the rumors of the place being the setting for mysterious disappearances that shook the countryside and the citizens that once transversed these pastures to the core, it was forgotten as a place one wants to pass through.
But not all had a negative view of these lands, as it is with rumors and disappearances. This area is all a giant flying dragon spying on the lands and hoping to remain undetected could wish for. Distinctly since they usually knew why there were disappearances, and where the bloody pools came about to be.
And at that very time in the sky, there was a dragon; blue as the noon sky. Without that coloration of scales its task would be indelved impossible to achieve. “Day stealth lizard” was the name his type was given. From afar they were barely visible, so only on that last point when they’re too close is that victims would be able to see the sharp teeth snapping closed around them.
But with this particular male dragon, his still bloody and chewing mouth gave truth to his actions. The immense thing flinched every time his munching stretched the scar running from twisted horn to jaw. He was somewhat proud to say it was from the warrior of the Equestrians, now princess. The only alicorn that could said is noteworthy to call a dragon by name. At least more than the horde that followed his every movement as if he was the leader of the horde.
Dragons. The immortals, the invincible, the untouchable. If you face a dragon, you are dead, no exceptions, well, unless it was another dragon. When you have a dragon as an ally, may it be by reason or honor, you have taken a ticket to victory. With the strongest material acknowledge by mages as scales, even with the normal fleshy interior, dragons were to be respected and feared.
Many are aware that dragons come from many hordes and masters. In fact, this was war changing, from the recent events. Having a horde on one side of a war was instant victory, but this was the only war dragons fought against each other for things outside of obtaining mates and receiving better names that out told power. The two biggest hordes were acknowledged as the horde of Black wing, the Equestrian dragon ambassador went by Dreq to the non draconian. While the other horde was also named after its master but then changed to their leader, Discord. And the dragon flying on these special plains was on the particular discordian side.
But the chewing drake wasn’t alone, a piece of wood enraptured in hay rope kept strong on its back, a design that could be confused with a small saddle, had a small but still creature enroped in the vines. A small dark pony shaped entity; one with green eyes, fangs and an unimpressed deadpanned expression. Ignoring whatever came out of the filthy throat of the drake he rode like a slave package carrier.
"And then,” the dragon continued speaking to the changeling on its back as he finally swallowed the unlucky creature it had been munching for the last minute or so. “I decided to just kill him just to save trouble... hey? Are you even listening up there?!"
"Neither I, nor the listeners, are interested in your rambling." Said the changeling communicator right as he was interrupted by his horn flashing and eyes going zombified. Not that it could be seen by the dragon.
"Me?! Rambling?! This is the type of disrespect that makes me wish the pact made with Discord was never signed! I would have ate you ages ago!" The Dragon complained to the emotionless excuse of a companion that's had the gale to call his epic tales of his life, rambles.
"Dragon, silence. Prince Sombra has sent a message. Celestia has a new alliance with another kind. And th--" The changeling explained as he was trying to interpret the message so that even a diamond dog omega would understand. Unfortunately drake companions had less patience than that.
"What, so soon? Ha! Who bets against me that the dishonorable leeches controlling her made strings of lies to paint us all in a bad scale so they may get rid of us easier." The dragon laughed, but the hint of anger never left his eyes.
"Additionally these creatures have a never before seen appearance. Would you like for me to show you?" The changeling asked uninterested of the changed tone of his angry companion.
"Yes, I always cherish the finding of new foes to devourer. Maybe it would allow me to see if they prove to be a challenge? Even for me! Haha!" The dragon continued to boast, vibrating the small creature in his back from the deepness in his laughter. But the changeling didn’t even spare a roll of eyes.
With the orders given the changeling stiffened, horn glowing, and groaning like a bug buzzing. A small line of green grew from its horn and poured like mist onto the dragon’s forehead. It covered it whole and moved over its immense right eye. The drake didn’t fight the slimy feeling he collected from the magic, but did concentrate as he was to stay at guard for anything as he received the visual information of their new enemies.
“Huh, funny, they like to walk in two legs. By how their rear-legs twist they would look pathetic to even try going tival fours. And what are those things of their sides, arms? Those are more like toothpicks I use every day. Not like I don’t use petty creatures bones to pick my teeth, I have standards. And what? Is their scales so fragile that they steal other creatures mighty skin? Bah! These couldn’t touch my feet without cutting themselves, much less be more than a nuisance in battle. And are they using big sticks with a strings to spring smaller sticks? Ha! Be true to me changeling, how have these creatures killed anything, much less survive! Hahaha!”
The dragon’s laughter was so hard that it became difficult for the changeling to keep himself in his small saddle, almost falling out, taking hold for dear life. But other than that, the changeling was not amused on the comments. Not that it showed.
"These creatures look more fragile than the hatchlings! And not drake ones, but of any low species! How would these puny creatures even fair against us! They are barely even a threat to a minotaur!" The Dragon said as he insulted the sorry excuse of ‘warriors.’
"It's best not to underestimate a new foe. Not like your first battle against Celestia if I am recalling correctly?" Even though the changeling carried no malevolent intent or tone, the drake took it upon himself to see it as such, and changed his laughter for a growl.
"What was stopping me from killing you, filth?"
"Nothing.” The changeling said as he continues to speak in a monotone manner, only making the dragon's eyes narrow more. “My death would be recognized as a loss of goods, communications class such as me are expendable but costly, then you would have tell to your horde master of your lack of control since it’s impossible for a drone to have such inherit emotions. It would take you weeks before she allowed you into your old post, much more to the battle you so much wish to re-enter. But at least you got rid of your annoyance. And you would get another to replace me. Since you’re a spy drake. And nothing better. Added how little of the horde remains, you will forever be a blue dragon, It’s what you’re made for."
"Have I ever told you how I still find it annoying that I can never tell if you’re threatening me, or helping me.” The Dragon groaned, dismissing the changeling.
"I would never threaten or help you. I do as told. You needed a reminder for the mission not to be cut short by my unnecessary demise." The changeling said thankful the argument ended as quickly as it started.
"Alright, alright just stop speaking, abomination." The Dragon quickly agreed as he continued on his route with the hoard behind, thankfully far enough not to hear of the little deal of his with the changeling. But this dragon was never the type to remain five second in silence without speaking his mind. "And is there anything else about these mans to know before I tell the rest of the hoard in the cross air?"
"Nothing else is shared. That’s all we know, other than the mans removing all spies class changelings from Discord’s taken castle." The changeling answered rereading the feed.
"Alright." The Dragon said satisfied that the conversation was over, until his brain actually analyzed what he had heard and slowly turned his head around. “Halt right there, what? These burdocks swepped you things clean?”
"Keep quiet, dragon, I need to resend the message for verification of my peers. And see if you can advance more, the flapping of the dragon’s behind us could mess with my concentration.” The dragon felt insulted for the way his question was not even cared to be answered, but then he remembered his exchange moments ago, and grumbled and stared straight ahead and advanced.
The changeling however was calm, other than stoic expression, the whole dark fur bug shook violently as its overly sharp horn glowed in green and seemed to grow a little bigger, its eyes narrowed as its muzzle opened and it transmitted a low whisper. “Message repeat, sector west Equestria. Celestica has new allies. Humans appearance in transmission. Dragon, secure course for minimum of seven seconds. Any bump and the message could go bad.”
Jurian was angry.
There was little things that could anger this guardian assassin: Drinking all his ale after a long mission, being in a bad situation he had seen coming miles away, or being alive in one of the worst days of his life, which was today, Saint Valentine's day.
But he was not angry about those anymore. Oh, no. Those were left behind after having a refreshing experience with more than twenty foul creatures, one of those demon like creature he could still beat his knuckles with every time he felt bad again.
But no, he was always angry when he was left in the dark about things, he was an assassin for crying out loud. If there was an enormous movement of ballistas to a city that was considered friendly, he was to know! He was adapted to leave others in the dark, not the other way around.
Right before the anger, Jurian had just woken up from his slumber, bed still messy, and torture victim still conscious. He had only begun his daily routine of exercise and interrogation when the sounds of men singing steps of setting up artillery entered the silent room. His first thought was, “Did Ermo take over as I slumbered?”
Jurian was still half naked from how pissed off he was from not being part of it all. The mountain high castle left a natural cold was the only reason he got back to his senses as he wished not to experience that for too long. On his walk to his basic clothings Jurian wandered in his mind about the subtle things he had seen on his ‘fun’ around the land. Even though as close as this castle had been from any other, any men with at least an eye could perceive the little twirks and big twerks that made the castle Jurian resided in, not man made.
Right as Jurian pulled his clothing he catched a glimpse at the most recent thing that weirded him out. His breakfast: Flowers, hay, and one big pig. The flowers were not decoration, the hay was not to sit on, and the pig was cold like if just dead. The stallions that brought the meal told it was from the first floor kitchen, since the closest one was in repair.
Oh, and something else he found out thanks to the very talkable server stallion. Apparently, the word marrea is very easy to confused with mare, which means female colored horse, thing. And the word feoh is easily confused with that of foal, which means child. So, if the proud king he called friend would ever find that he had tried to ask for a mare to breed his children, and that this is spread so wide that even the servants are asking the very instigator king’s knights on part of females in bad situations which kind of mare the king liked. The man wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he found out. Just another secret to keep from the king it seemed.
“Jurian what is the meaning about this?!” Speaking of the -- his King, Jurian turned with a frown so deep Ermo’s own angry demeanor melted in response. “I’m-- ...you have nothing to do with this?”
“Of course not. It is Valentines day, its a day sacred enough for me not to start all out war.”
“Funny words, but my apologies for I made you rethink the fateful day.” Ermo’s said calming down, then looking out the nearest window as ballistas’ were set up. But then, with the awkwardly standing silent assassin, Ermo deduced something, and smiled. “So... you have no idea what’s going on?”
“Don’t push me, Ermo.”
“Keep calm my friend, I just find it funny you are receiving a dose of your own evil, oh “don’t worry my friend, I know what is going on” assassin.”
“Not. Now.” Jurian’s eyes were pulsing daggers, an eye twitching, ready to shot if Ermo hadn’t been a friend of the assassin for so many years. He kept looking forwards to keep his cool. “We need to find General Mark, he’s obviously the one behind this.”
“Indeed. If we are reacting badly imagine this on our newly made friends of trade.” Those words made Jurian stop in his tracks, attracting Ermo’s attention. Jurian gave Ermo a funny look before continuing on his walk, but it now added speed to its step. Ermo was more than confused, and followed. “What?”
“Not a day ago there was ruckus of me personally delivering continuous beatings to demon-like creatures around the castle. And then the next day we’re trading goods. How is that even conceivable?”
“Oh, my so skeptical friend, you seem to forget who I am!” Ermo’s pride inflated like the chest of a lion about to roar, “I am but Ermo! The great trading Sicilian King! My words have lured many kingdoms into my web of trade and control, and now I have proven that not even creatures of myth can go against my luring offers!”
“So... a gilded royal trickster?”
“Hush your misappreciation of my abilities!” Jurian would’ve laughed at Ermo’s spirit, but he was just not in the mood. Ermo caught whiff of the ambiance and left his pride remain in his posture as they walked to the door, giving a polite cough before continuing. “But yes, bribes were made.”
“I thought the princess was some class of warrior. Honor seems to be something these creatures don’t care to follow.”
“Oh, goodness no, not with the princess,” Ermo rolled his eyes, only God knew how much he failed there, “I’ve been spoken to many of the... curious nobles in this castle and the princess appears to be incorruptible or older than she seems.”
“What is that supposed to mean? Is she a monarch or not?”
“Oh, she is... in title. But this kingdom was not ruled by her family for generations, more of her taking over after the demon named Discord. I do believe you were there, but by your question you were, which is the word... distracted, no?”
“...Yes. So who was it that aligned to your expansion?”
“One of those horny horses.”
“Pardon?”
“Uhh, the unicorn one.”
“Hopefully that is true. But what about the winged ones?”
“The griffins?”
“No, the horses with wings.”
“Ah, those, they are considerably loyal to go for coin or information to bring about, and they have an uncanny resemblance to the greeks, but in the olden times. Also as a warning, you know their pegasi general Hurricane, right?”
“I am, not sure?”
“The blood red pony, the one that looks like he is ready to smash anything that looked at him funny.”
“Ah, now I know who you mean, what about him?”
“He is extremely hotheaded.”
“Hot heated?”
“Well, think of Frederick, but--.”
“I already don’t like him.”
“Hear me out my friend. Think of Frederick, but multiply it by Sparta.”
“Sparta? Now I may sound ignorant, but when and what is Sparta?”
“Well, from what I’ve heard about the Spartans from my lessons from my greek teacher: The spartans were a race of warriors--think of them like ancient vikings, but with more emphasis on organization, discipline... just made completely for war. Now that pegasi, is so hot head and head on war, he makes the most bloodthirsty of spartans’ seem to be ‘taking it easy’ as it were.”
The dialogue between the king and his friend was cut short by the accumulation of voices becoming louder and louder as they neared the most obvious exit. The exit being an exaggeratedly huge pair of doors. Jurian was now very aware he had never entered a castle by the main front door, but he was also aware that by their sheer size and thickness the crowd should been massive by the sound easily passing their thickness.
Ermo was initially confused to his friend’s gawking, but smiled when he knew what would make the assassin just find another reason to hate the place. And with his calm he broke the illusion of massive for the doors with an almost finger first push to it. Opening them as if they were made of paper. Ermo looked smugly back at Jurian, but only found a curious brow raised with his eyes set outside. Ermo’s vision followed.
It was a cluster of ponies, griffins, and whatever this land deemed fit to be on part of a crowd that could be on the sky or ground at the same time, reminding both men how far they were from normality. But then again, the flock did as the ones back home, indicate the center of the trouble. The Ballistas, spread all around. But then there was the only part of the mass that was very loud, but this one was easy to see even without the crowd, as warriors made a circle and tried to look as menacing as possible to push back the yelling groups.
“It seems that there’s a large meeting of all representatives, pony, griffin, dragon and... is that General Mark Longsword?”
‘What is going on?!’ Ermo shouted within his mind
“What is the meaning of this?!” Ermo could feel his throat rasping at the sight of princess Celestia who was glaring at his person. The king would require his full experienced soothing voice for this arse pull. A throat of which was still in pain from the lovely, but mighty, long talk from last time. He was amazed the princess didn’t break for water from the hours long speech of contract and cultural exchange. Which he had done many times. It was as if she was able to make speeches in longer intervals, or volume. Ermo believes magic might have been involved.
“Well, as I know it, it would be bright for General Mark Longsword to explain it to all of us since we are all here.” Ermo said with charismatic smile, but to the careful onlooker they could see certain features of Ermo’s eyes telling the confused general, “Explain this nice and simple.” The old general unfortunately didn't get the message.
“Yes, we would like that.” Celestia’s tone had become royal compared to before, surely by the presence of so many subjects, but Ermo couldn’t think much of that, he needed to strain his eyes at General Longsword with the most informative glance he had ever done in his life. This glance, which combined eyebrows and mouth, told the General one word.
Explain.
“Of course, mi’liege, we’ve received word that you are in great danger as of this day of Saint Valentine's seven-hundredth year anniversary on this beautiful twelve O’five.” Said General Mark finally getting the message, but speaking in the most extravagant way possible, giving Celestia confusion all over his wording, and Ermo a smack to the face form the lord’s own hand.
“I wasn’t in any danger.”
“Not from your friends here, mi’liege, I received the memo. What I speak of is something so big that we must brace ourselves.” The general said as he pointed towards the horizon, in which Jurian could barely see small dark dots. The General proceeded to repositions both of his hands upon his walking longsword, narrowing his eyes to say the next sentence with all the grace he could muster. “Dragons are coming”.
And giving truth to his word a the roar of hundreds of deadly monsters shook everything, from the floor to the hearts of all on the city of Canterlot.
Frederick stood on the border of the village right underneath Canterlot. When passing from the castle, through the city to where he was now, Frederick was blessed with meeting the locals, ponies more numerous than any other. Surrounded by the young and old, all seemingly interested on his activities and origins. They spoke of their lives, even showed one of those cloud homes up close, as near as it was to stare from the ground, but they were as much informative as Frederick would allow. From his part he had told them all of his time of the Church. Since any child of God is a brother of his. No matter their unnatural forms.
He had discovered the ways of life in the city were not as calm as they showed. Poverty he knew of course, but then there were the crimes: Children taking was an everyday act, said one of the mares. Rape, even if spoken so little, was indeed at a flare as one of, one old timer said, due to how few females were in the city. And then there was the crimes Frederick had not even conceived, the eating of each other’s flesh.
But even with that, Frederick found a way to give the city dwellers hope as he had thought of something that might be of help for their immortal stranded souls. That is of course if he could find words to convince those that are capable of obtaining such noble goal.
“It would be impossible to reform these...things.” Said the voice of a brother Templar next to Frederick, both without helmets continued to watch over the men surrounding the artillery.
“But it could be a test from our almighty God to spread his word to all his creatures, those that can understand it of course, we must not misplace his trust upon us.” Frederick counteracted as he is trying to convince his friend that these creatures were not demons.
“But these creatures aren't even creations of God! They won’t even be able to be saved in the afterlife.”
“God made everything, including these beings for beyond our realm. And when it comes to be saved, you're wrong, God himself saved these creatures during judgement day, sending them to us. His most faithful children. Don’t you see? God guided them here so that we can save them both physically and spiritually!”
“You seriously believe that? Don’t you think demons would lie better than that?!”
“Are you questioning my ability to tell the difference of honesty and lies?”
“O-of course not! I’m saying that with this kind of... magic could have more behind them than just what we know now.”
“But I have heard them speak, like any sinner they lie, like any man they bleed, and like any man with little hope, they will pray. These creatures are very close to man, and being close to the image of man who is an image of God, would be given a close treatment by the lord himself. Hah, even the buffoon of a king knows that even before than you, and he follows church with a rod of gold in between.”
“Ugh, I just don’t... I don’t think it would be wise.”
“God tests us all for our particular places. Think this as a test of him, to us. With them saved by him, I believe he wants us to save ourselves through them.”
“You never said God saved them, just... forget that I said anything. But remember that if demons from hell pop out during the night because we accepted them as our own I am going to kill you.”
“Fair enou--”
“Finally! I’m done with the first row!” Cried out the Templar who was from the beginning of Frederick’s conversation been blessing the ballista bolts for the coming horde.
“Another question, why are we blessing our ballista bolts with holy water? Wouldn’t a prayer to God do as much?” Questioned the doubt filled warrior of God.
“Have you yet to hear the story of the princess? The one I have told my squire to spread?” The intrigued working Templar shook his head, curious as to the reason of his excessive work.
“Truly, it’s a tale that needs to be understood for us to be prepared for our enemies.”
“Enemies? What enemy can demons have?”
“I have already said even though they are not men in appearance, they are by soul. No, these creatures are like us. And like us they have worshipers of the fallen angel that wishes for their sins to spread.”
“Hah, could they possibly have their own name to this demon?” The Templar said jokingly, but with Frederick’s smile the man’s eyebrows raised in alarm. “They do?!”
“Yes, they do. And they have fought him directly as well. They call it, Discord. Sounds fitting.”
“Well color me impressed, I am not complaining from the choice of naming, but it feels tame compared to the over lord satan.”
“Yes, it sounds so. But given that they call God, Harmony, I would believe it’s rather fit.”
“Blasphemy!” The Templar’s whole posture changed, as if rabid. “Naming God by anything other than God is a sin on itself!”
“Keep calm my excitable believer, God has his ways to communicate. There’s a reason he sent them to us. They’re just lost.”
“I....see. I believe, I understand now...” The man straightened himself, thinking deeply. “But wait, you had yet to answer about the enemies.”
“Oh, yes, I haven’t have I? Well, these creatures are, demons.”
“But you just said that--”
“Let me finish. These creatures, the ones we are with right now. The ones serving under the one titled Princess Celestia. Are the ones that can be saved, like us, simple men, worshipers of the one and only.”
“So by that... there’s those that don’t?”
“Aha, you’re a bright one I see.” Frederick smiled, the message had been thankfully given correctly. “There’s some that don’t follow her, but instead follow under Discord’s banner.”
“...A demon worshipping army?!” The Templar cried in disbelief, nothing like this has ever been conceived in the likes of any sane man's mind.
“Yes, my brother, but not exactly, not worshipping, demons themselves. Our hairy lost sheep here are barely surviving the famine, in constant battle against these followers of evil, and are just ignorant of what the world truly is. But with them under our protection, we can feed them food of knowledge, protect them from the evils that are the Discorded armies through God, and reform them to the one true faith.”
“I really doubt we’ll be able to accomplish this without any churches to help preach his word.”
“And that’s the reason I was speaking to you in the first place. I just wanted to wait for the right time for you to understand. We need all those in our ranks to know what we need to do.”
“Uh... yes. You see.”
“Wait, now that I think about it, there’s only one of our own making the blessings. Why is that?”
“Ah, yes. Funny story really.”
“Mustang believes you have this wrong, new creatures, Mustang is not a ‘ship flyer’ nor a ‘messenger of the denville’, was it? Mustang has no clue what you creatures are talking about. Mustang makes illusions, yes. What Mustang did was a complicated speech spell that Mustang--” The unicorn was cut short as his cape was pulled making him involuntarily squeak.
Mustang Lunamoon, the all knowing and mysterious wizard of power, was one of the surviving unicorns that had saved the land thanks to his talent of raw power, and epic learning. Other great unicorns like Mustang, the archmage Starswirl for example, had begged for Mustang’s help, and Mustang had given the known archmage the privilege to work with a great unicorn such as Mustang.
That the lesser peasants had yet read of Mustang’s greatness made little to halter Mustang’s pride, and disgracefully, Mustang’s saddle-coin-pack. Because of that it was becoming harder to find suitable food to give permission to enter Mustang’s stomach.
And to make matters worse, Mustang had found that Mustang’s amazing illusions were considered normality to the ignorant of his amazingness unicorns here at Canterlot. The nerve of those ponies to consider Mustang’s mighty and revolutionary spells, dull trickery! Mustang brought spells from throughout Equestria! Mustang was always the first to find a way to use them for entertainment. It was but Mustang’s greatest gift. Wisdom. Combined with Power. Which was Mustang.
But at the very least, Mustang finally found a nice spot to initiate an outright awe-bringing show. The market was sure to bring cataract of donations to permit Mustang’s admiration bringing existence to be kept alive. Just by the sheer amount of species flooding the strangely full stores of food compared to weeks before was that Mustang would obtain at least enough to go on.
But then Mustang meet some... interesting bipeds. Mustang was a unicorn of power, who survived out of the admiration of unicorn peers and everything else that was considered a being of mind. So when a new group of species entered the market, literally, Mustang immediately took it upon the gracefulness of being to allow them to be awed from Mustang’s worship inducing performance.
Mustang begun as Mustang always did. Introducing Mustang’s act in an appearance to dull the mind for what was to come. This would involve using a small smoke-cracker, anything really, that allowed Mustang to enter their vision and give astonishment and stupefaction. But the great Mustang had learn many things from steal--lending help to unicorns like the archmage of Canterlot. And his brilliant performance and mind was increased tenfold when he learned the gift of re-appearance. Which Mustang with no doubt would used with these creatures.
But for some reason they were not amazed, little alone awed by Mustang’s sole presence. They were curiously, afraid, or as Mustang liked to denounce immediately when one got a hold of his cape. Angry.
But that was after Mustang’s third attempt to speak, at the second the creatures enhanced forward their words first. Mustang’s hearing was flooded with recognition. A language, and not any language, words Mustang had yet to learn. Which--with an amused smile-- Mustang quickly tried to resolved through a spell he had take--learned from a great diplomat of the house of Sparkle.
But it was the first time Mustang had ever found his magic betraying him. ‘What is this?’ Were Mustang’s thoughts. But the powerful being had experienced that before, interference was more common in these times than any before, so Mustang did what Mustang thought clever right then.
With repositioning, Mustang closed the gap to the nearest bipedal creature and contacted its mind with Mustang’s amazing horn. A little too close for Mustang’s tastes, but having another species be illuminated by Mustang’s lulling voice and glory in the same tongue was well worth allowing.
Which brought to the next part after the third attempt to speak.
“What have you done?! Answer me!” The white clothed creature which held Mustang’s cape said as they all jumped at the same time on tackle mode. The wondrous unicorn, in not-panic use the spell re-appearance once more. Making the men fall in empty marble for their efforts as in a blink of an eye Mustang had transported his all knowing self faraway from danger.
“What did it just--?! Get it!”
A whole hoof away.
“Oh bugger!” Mustang said completely calmed and not frightened, re-invoking the spell once more, Mustang got the glorious body Mustang liked a lot onto a spot with nothing trying to hinder anything on Mustang’s lungs. But even the creative wizard was bound to the laws of magic. The huge stamina removal that comes when unicorns that are yet to dominate a spell repeat a yet to dominate spell, came to be and drained Mustang’s will. Making concentrating harder, creeped up Mustang’s vision with darkness.
But the creatures were persistent two footed ones, that Mustang had learned well. They hoped, they yelled, they followed everywhere and through anyone in their path.
Mustang was handsome and all-knowing, but to a point. Handsomeness had no limits of course, but Mustang’s all-knowingness was limited to the past, meaning that the newly made wall in the alleyway Mustang once called escape rout was a blunt and painful reminder of the amazing Mustang’s mortality.
“Ough!” Mustang’s face smashed snout first to the freshly established wall, a surprise Mustang wasn’t pleased at all when Mustang could finally open his eyes. Worse yet when in Mustang’s snout-rubbing, his cape was yanked with forced onto the air, and directed to face a very mean pairs of eyes.
“Salutations, gentlecolts! Are you looking for something?” Mustang, in a last drips of hope, trailed to do what Mustang had found successful against most bipeds, hoping they were equally mentally challenged as their counterparts.
“What are you trying to accomplish? Do you believe we’re idiots?!” The creature holding Mustang remarked.
“Mustang doesn’t think anyone is challenged! Mustang believes in magic!” Mustang would never admit Mustang had a moment of failure mentally there. Mustang wasn’t even sure what Mustang was saying. Mustang only knew Mustang was in a closed alleyway, with five big Mustang disliking-and not mentally inferior creatures wanting to beat Mustang to death, or by the sharpness of the swords near Mustang’s throat, cut Mustang open. “Mustang is only to entertain with Mustang’s glorious magic and magic alone!”
The sword drew near his fur, Mustang could almost smell the refined iron.
“Only through clear communication can Mustang the great achieve true show value!”
“Wait!”
Mustang’s eyes were closed when the sword touched the fur of Mustang’s throat, already shaving off some fur. Daring to open an eye, Mustang saw one of the white dressed creatures from the back get a hold of the blade, take a hold of the blade holder’s shoulder.
“I think it speaks the truth.”
Mustang’s breathing begun again with a sigh, but stopped once again when the blade pushed too close on Mustang’s neck for his liking.
“What makes you so sure?”
“You were not when the queen pegasus unicorn did the same with the greedy king we follow, no?”
“Ah, yes,” the man looked into Mustang’s eyes, they seemed, disappointed, “I do remember.”
Right as he spoke a bird came out of under Mustang’s clothings, surprising the men and luckily for Mustang pulling the long sword away from his throat. Unluckily Mustang was not in the floor. But cared little from falling, than dying, that’s for sure.
“Pardon me, I can’t keep many things under control when being picked up by my cape.” Said Mustang with a smile, the boasting reduced to simple words. Eyes never leaving the blade.
“Aha...” The man trailed, mind reeling back into a thought he once had, but then his eyes glowed and his smile became wicked. “Hey, fellas, what was it that the general said he lacked?”
“Huh?”
“Swords?”
“Women?”
“No...” Said the man carrying Mustang, the man’s eyes matched his strange smile. “Entertainment.”
“The men said that the unicorn at the market place was very persuasive into obtaining a place as our private, home presented, entertainer. It asked for a sum of food, instead of coin. And you believe this is not a trap of some kind?” Said the templar next to Frederick, his eyes rolling around in thought and suspicion.
“I have told you that these ponies are not to be believed evil.” Said Frederick a little of his temper letting out, he wasn’t good at repeating things over and over.
“No, of course not, what I mean to ask is for treacherous tricksters. Because if they are as us, they would be as sinful and lying as us.”
“You are very downseeing to your fellow man, brother. You should at least watch the show if you believe it needs to be closely cared for.”
“That I will.”
“Oh, and could you find the king’s assassin, Jurian for what I remember? I would like him here, as I have heard he has a good aim with these siege weaponry... Well? What are you doing here? Go tell the men the good news!”
“Make this clear to me.”
“I don’t see how I can make it more in your tastes mi’ lord.”
“No, no, just... be crude and tell it to me how it is. Dragons?” Ermo said still not understanding fully what was happening.
“Yes, you better straighten your words man. We aren’t the only dragons around and we are not to be challenged or threatened in our own lands.”
“Excuse me all mighty and powerful Gecko with king complexion. But when a horde of dragons with a killer intent hurt my scouts and are headed to mi’ liege’s place of stay. I prefer to be safe than sorry.”
“Pfft, none in my horde is mentally challenged to give such attack to anything unless your men threatened their nests first.”
“Sirs, sirs, please calm your overboosted egos and let’s speak about this situation with calm minds. Dragon’s on Equestrian boulders is And King Ermo, don’t believe I will let pass the issue you have brought slaves to carry your slackers.”
“Slaves?! What has--?!”
“My men, slackers?!” The general butted in, his carefully balanced state of aggression was leaning over to a side which none that knew him wanted to see. “I’ve been in the business of war with men like these, some still even here for over fifty years! You’re still but a child to see the difference!”
Celestia would’ve been baffled by the amount of years in the business of killing, but she was called the man’s equal word to filly, that of which she was not very keen to. But then again, she really wanted to know what he meant. So as a friend had told her once. Aggression is nice. But only when it’s with a passive nature.
“I get your words general, but if you’re so esteemed to defend your men, do so by being a professional and telling us what is happening.” Celestia’s words cut deep, so much so that it made Ermo rear a little. He hadn’t yet heard the lady speak in such a fashion.
The general though, twitched somewhat.
“Oh yes, but tis be better to understand the nature of this argument if you yourself could tell us why your soldiers aren’t mobilized for such an encounter, unless your men aren’t bound to you?” Celestia’s eyes narrowed, but didn’t break her peaceful demeanor. The insulting voice of good intentions of Starswirl had made keeping her cool rather easy with a stranger.
“My equestrian’s, general, aren’t going against dragons because my dragon friends can take on dragons.” Celestia said, straining not to smile when the general was obviously trying not to frown deeper.
“Actually, Ruler Celestia.” Butted in Dreq, his booming voice stopping the heated argument from escalating, but he cared not for the escalation, but for the facts used. “My horde is taking care of the bodies left over from the innumerable dead left behind from the last battle. I know the general has no word to give favor to his actions. But then, or he was very informed of our situation, or cared little for what we can do, since he knows nothing of us as we know nothing of them. Let him protect his own, as we would do the same.”
Celestia was surprised, not for the fact that the only force she had against any outside drake, outside of herself, was out caring for the cleanup of her mistakes. But for the dragon Dreq who had not only used reason over anger or pride, but had done so with no particular gain. Celestia smiled.
Good for him.
“And if I may say, I would love to see what they can do against dragons, since dragons have no honor earned by overtaking one dragon by many, so I can hold myself until my own arrive. If things go bad, then let them try out their go in battle.”
There it is.
“So what do you say general?” Said Dreq with a forced soft smile, Celestia could easily see through how much he wanted to spread out his claws and roar in blood lust for the battle he was to undertake. But then again as she had been practicing politics.
The general however, wasn’t as happy. He seemed to want to continue trying to bite Celestia’s head off as he was so keen to nibble. But then straightened his back, with eyes still stiff, but Celestia deduced that was just part of his personality, not a change of attitude. “Fine. I shall arrange my men to be aware of their inclusion, aggression and position. I shall see though that we are to participate when given the opportunity, since after all, we are not in our lands to do what we wish to. Am I not right, Princess?”
“Thank you, general Mark.” Celestia said with the smile she was beginning to get used to use. It had worked so far to give those that saw her the belief of her having an aura of tranquility and peace of mind. Well, look at her, keeping things together without a particular stallion breathing down her neck and shoving words down her head. With how she was feeling, how much Starswirl would love to put her down of her mood right now. But bad for him, he was in the room she had left him, tied like a colt of early age.
“That’s fine and all, but what about us having slaves again?”
Ah, right. That.
“Please, king Ermo, we already had a great trade of knowledge of each one’s kingdom ways of life, having one now would be fruitless, and more so with those mans that have no idea what we have just discussed here with giant crossbows pointed at a trigger to a battle we require to stall.” Celestia copied that completely from Starswirl, with tweaks here and there. Not that anyone around would call her out.
Ermo’s frustration only grew as his good side with the princess may have turned rotten by a misunderstanding, but what she said was true, he needed to inform the general’s men immediately. He could go himself and maybe lose the princess good side, or...
“Jurian!” What were friends for? “Go find the west artillery and tell them of what we have spoken here.”
“Fine.” Said the grumpy assassin, there was little to make his mood fine, but in this state he was less responding of orders, which Ermo gave thanks to God. The man killer carried himself like nothing and ran towards the west of the city. Possibly preventing unnecessary.
“Tell me again why are we going to attack the capital of the Equestrians so quickly, why don't we get those lesser creatures to do it?”
“Hordemasters orders. Shut it, hatchling.”
The dragon horde of Discord, the immortals, the ones with skin of stone. Called the untouchable for a reason. Only other dragons could hope to match them, and their numbers, even if reduced considerably, were still as threatening as always. The youngs, the old, the strong, the weak, and the wise--
“To me they seem weak and worthless screaming meat. Haha!"
And the not so wise.
"How are Celestias allies so pathetic?" Questioned a dragon, his brethering just as insulted to ever be called in battle against tender underlings. They would if it meant the other horde was there to give them a challenge, but this was less than respectable, it was like having a bunnies fight against a boar.
"Well they are smaller than a diamond dog, look weaker than one too. They wear cloth armor and seem to have develop iron weapons as well. But all in all they look like a weak race that won't survive too long." The head dragon said to the other dragons who seem to share his grin.
“Why is Kyong so keen to meet them in battle?”
Then the atmosphere of the group changed. The agglomeration of irritation and complaining turned to a group trying to be secretive, watching out everywhere for a signal of anything that would make them fall into the bad wing of their leader.
“It seems her feeble son has died to the creatures.”
“What?! Impossible!”
“Oh, yes, that brat is finally dead.”
“Fires be praised the next master will not be that scale brain.”
“How did he die? Wasn’t he a guard at a prison?”
“Oh yes, that’s what makes it funnier!”
“Yes! I’ve heard he was the reason the mans escaped from the prison! Oh for the fires that’s too good to be true.”
“So we’re trying to recover the lost honor of the useless hatchling? Why?”
“Let it be clear, Kyong’s honor was not affected by her hatchling’s decisions the day he rose from her egg. She is still as mighty as ever. And when a mother loses a hatching, she is entitled for the elimination of all those of that species she can see. A scale for a scale.”
“But doesn’t this go against the orders of the one named Sombra? Wasn’t he leading now?”
“Of course, but our great alpha received orders from Discord, and he’s not around anymore.”
“I can see the city!”
The Canterlot castle, the majestic recently taken fortress of the once living Discord. It was a open wound of their failure to protect the last lesser creature that climbed to the level of a drake. But they were not here for that, they were here to take it off the map as, politely asked, by their leader. Whom was still able to kill each and everyone of them, Kyong was a level above dragons for a reason. Family simply works like that.
“Blue drake!” Called one of the dragons, in response one of the most curious of the horde -- curious for he was the only one that appeared to wear a saddle -- came closer to the elder drake and with an unimpressed stare, waited for his orders.
“Call upon Kyong. We have turned up onto the border of the land and we restlessly await our call to end this remedies of war before it even begins again.” The dragon, who internally was screaming at the lack of action of his part, smirked when the blue dragon rolled his eyes to look upon its back to the disgusting lesser creature on his rum.
“You heard the old fart, call her.” The whole circle of dragons laughed at the not-so-inconspicuous insult, but the elder didn’t get time to retaliate as the blue dragon’s eyes glowed green. A bad thing for the drake behind the changeling carrier, pruning to defend his elder’s pride.
“What are you trying to prove you deplorable indignified hatchling?!”
“What did you just call me, drake?” The blue dragon’s smirk couldn’t be bigger, and the drake who spoke couldn’t look smaller. The changeling of small frame and stature hopped out of its seat, and circled around to the nervous, claws on its maw, dragon. A frown was so deep into the changeling’s face it would mark the exoskeleton for years to come. The voice from its throat was with a force not of its own, or gender. The rumble of the dragoness horde master Kyong’s voice was impossible to omit.
“So, what is it, warrior?” The changeling moved as if it held a tail, wagging the whole body as it tracked like a lizard to the end of the blue dragon’s back. Its bug wings opening wide and buzzing out before taking flight into the insulting dragon’s face, whom was trying to become smaller than the changeling barely the size of its eyes soared and landed over the bridge of his nose. “For your own good I hope that the near death of my son distorted my hearing, because I know that I have yet to control my anger.” The nose of the changeling huffed out smoke to prove her point.
“I-- I said nothing!” The dragonborn stared deep into the trembling dragon’s eyes. As best as he could with her head being the size of the space between his eyes. But then she leaned back, a smile on her face. “Good.”
The dragoness locked inside the changeling’s body turned to her horde. The dragon’s felt insulted with the new development of warfare created by the changelings. A mockery to their ways of having the great warrior in the front lines. But their horde master was known to follow little of honor compared to those before her. Many have called her out on it, but those were not alive anymore to give aid to those words. She was keen, clever, and most of all, dangerous.
“Now listen up!” The changeling’s voice was so loud that not even the flaps of hundreds of wings was able to drown it out. “We are here to deliver retaliation, and cripple the main city of Canterlot. I know many of you doubt by reasons for the most recent incident concerning my child, but fear not that this is indeed part of the plan of all. We’re still in following of Discord.”
The whispers spread far, as low as dragons could achieve. The dragon in changeling form made sure to see each and every one of the horde’s members, searching for some kind of possible challenge to her word. She found many, but she knew those were never going to really challenge her. But it was good to know which were against and on her side.
“What about King Lucid? Wouldn’t he go against this plan?” The dragoness who spoke, even in the back of the horde, was quickly left alone as the others open way for Kyong to see her to the eyes.
“Yes he would, he would also try to find a solution using crystals and their almighty powers that seems to fix everything.”
“Then why are they not in front of us? Dragons dying against dragon is not helping our purpose, it’s alerting the lesser creatures to believe themselves mightier by their numbers!” Called out another drake, their courage always seemed to rise when Kyong was talking through the tiny changeling communicator. But it was good as well. A voiced horde, was an interpreted horde.
“Because they have no drakes on their cities.” At the mention of it the horde fell silent. Only to burst in disgrace out on the mere suggestion of striking dragons on more than a one on one match of strength. And they were not little either, many were. Basically the whole horde. Even the blue drake would if he had not been a base for her to stand in.
But then the elder of the horde moved close to the changeling, his furrowed eyes representing the thoughts of all drakes nearby. Closing in to the changeling until his nose was right to touch the small horde master.
“You are truly a slithering queen, Horde Master Kyong. Attacking Black Wings and their allies without the lot of them being there. Many would call you dishonorable. Coward. A pest.” This elder however his frown turned into an indifferent facial expression. “If you had not the strength to kill them all yourself.”
The dragons behind the old drake felt disappointed from the elder’s words, but they truly could do nothing to say anything against them. As they were true. The old drake turned to the challenging horde with his dray scales going slightly red. “If anyone believes to be stronger to become the next horder, speak up and fight, if not, keep your honor and obey your leader. Even if it means to be dishonorable.” But the changeling dragon was not happy by his words however.
“I believe you heard me wrong, no drake is going to die today. We are only going to lure out Black wing’s drakes, tell them to step aside, and if they don’t we force them to submission, or distract them into fighting. And once that is done, we then kill the lesser creatures and the mans.” To her words the horde’s spirit seem to rise again, the sole idea of killing their dragon brethering was sickening, outside of a match of honor between drakes of course. Anything else was game.
“Shyvana! Asuk! Flare! You three head first!” To the small black creature’s orders the dragons named followed suit. Dashing forward into the city of Canterlot.
“Archmage Starswirl! Please slow down!”
“Archmage? Thest’s an archmage now? Like, an archmage? So that means these must be thuoths students, oh this is so amazing!”
“Please, we need to move this is no place to talk! Keep quiet let me think!” Starswirl was at a speed thinking, his day had gone from weird to worse, to horrible, and it was not slowing down. Having Night--no, Luna, finally free was a good, and a bad thing. But mostly a pain for his flank in the future given that she should remember nothing of the past. At least he kicked out Mustang right after he was done helping, or this would be more difficult than it should be.
The young Luna made the day even more interesting though. From what it seemed, the mare had not aged a day, mentally, from when she had been forcefully discorded. Her size was that of an alicorn filly years away to becoming a mare, and so was her mind.
“At least let us condense a spell of cross detection, since you’re going to be searched for questioning on whatever happened back there.” Starswirl’s messy thinking was at the tens of meters a second even though Clover’s calls to help out were getting to his nerves. There was too many things to digest at the same time, like the time the whole world was about to become dust, and then he ended burned alive with the solution. He needed to think. “And you know Hurricane is the interrogator, right?”
“Do the spell. No unicorn will be able to locate us, or instantly reach us, but we wont either, but that matters not.” Mystic said exactly what Starswirl was going to say, more time for him to think then. “But we don’t know where to even go.”
“To my arcane study.” Starswirl spoke without thinking. Not that it mattered, his acolytes knew better to not ask questions unless it intervened with their jobs.
“Ohh, thoust has a facility of magic?” Luna, however, had no such limitations.
“Please, don’t question me now, just follow.” Starswirl said, thinking ahead, and clear, he was just a few columns away to the exit. But then a solid slap came from behind him. He stopped his rout to find that Luna was not by his side. And looking back the mare was just sitting there with a serious frown on her face. “What?”
“I’m not going to move until though teleth.” Luna said with a pout on her face, even crossing her hooves. The look Starswirl had could only be saying ‘un-freaking-believable.’
“Don’t you know who you are talking to? Starswirl is a great unicorn with immense authority, you have no right to speak to him like that!” Mystic said almost insulted that anypony would even consider not listen to his words. He wasn’t here when Starswirl mentioned whom Luna was related to, so Starswirl would let that slide.
“And from when I last remember, Starswirl wast our only friend, and a promise was made to never keep secrets from one another.” Luna said the frown never leaving her. “Or are we wrong, Starswirl?”
The stallion in question remained in silence. Mystic and Clover were astonished--no, dumbfounded by how clear and disrespectful Luna spoke to the unicorn both acolytes had looked up to the last couple of months.
“You still remember?” Starswirl spoke with a voice that only Luna had heard before. A voice with that didn’t call out for respect, or shoved power, the voice of a common unicorn. It weirded Mystic and Clover to no end.
“Yes, we doust remember.” Luna stood again, walking up to Starswirl whom had turned around when she stood. “From when we meet in the gala.” She walked up to him, and gave him a gaze of a thousand broken souls. “To when Discord keepeth us in his special dungeon.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just... not now. Not with them here at least.” Starswirl said glancing at both his subordinates.
“No, Starswirl. Noth with us.” Luna turned sour again, to Starswirl’s dismay. “You promised, noth to us. Never to us.”
Starswirl was not fine, not at all. He needed to advance, but he wanted even less to tell of his place to possible corrupted subordinates. He set his mindset to deny Luna, he knew he promised, but the probability of his most trusted acolytes were corrupted in some way was just too high to take. So Starswirl turned around, made the most serious face he could muster, and a straight gaze he said--
“Fine.” Starswirl grumbled as he advanced with a happier Luna, and as he did he glanced between Clover and Mystic. “What you’re about to hear is from the highest level of secrecy, not even the gods of this realm are supposed to know of this. What this means to you, is that if I even hear a whisper of possibility of anyone knowing of this, you two are going to disappear. And I will make sure of that.”
Mystic and Clover have heard Starswirl lie in political meetings, have seen him hold up grudges to keep things going his way, they have even felt how he thought up ways to get everything to be perfect for him on all cases. But they have never even conceived the possibility of Starswirl to threaten, anything.
“Now now, Starswirl, it’s no place to make more foes, these art thoustest underlings, thoust should be nicer to them. Now please, say thou art sorry.” Luna said in a giddy voice to Starswirl. If Mystic and Clover felt insulted by her disrespect, they outright hated her now.
Starswirl just stared at Luna for a second, the mare not yet reaching adulthood was right his size to keep her duck like lips and overly blinking eyes from being out of Starswirl’s gaze. And then Starswirl turned to the pair. “Apologies from being so direct.”
“Close enough.” Luna smiled, pushing the stone standing Starswirl forward through the paralyzed pair of unicorns who had their perspectives of their master of magic broken to pieces. Oh, how much Starswirl was regretting to have Luna back right now.
“We are headed to my ancient study. To the one I lived before coming to this castle.” Starswirl started to talk with no cue of any kind to start. Luna right on his side listening everything with huge concentration.
“Oh, yes, thou hast speakest of thisth old quarters.”
“Yes, the experiments, the knowledge, the root of all my power, it’s all there.” Starswirl said while Clover and Mystic looked at each, nervous of such information crossing their ears. “We have to arrive there through any means necessary, and I know just the way.”
Walking straight into a familiar cell, Starswirl walked inside and into a collective of runes that formed a circle of sorts with letters of different types and sizes. Many shackles came from the walls, their restraining end destroyed, Starswirl could deduce that it was as Clover had told him, the unnatural singing. He really needed to discover what that was all about.
With his touch, the wall broke inwards, opening a pathway that lightened with life at the first sign of wind passing through. Right at the end, of a semi circular style path awaited a door.
“Hmm, you always had an escape pathway?”
“Actually, I have this everywhere in the castle. Though on certain doors I’m afraid.” Starswirl said, giving a glance to his subordinates, just reminding them of his warning. “If a unicorn is clever enough to find them, he could enter anywhere in the castle.”
“Aren’t you afraid of the possibility of unicorns coming in from the outside?” Luna’s question stroke right into Starswirl’s memory booth.
“Hah. Good point.” Starswirl remembered by Luna’s words part of the previous night he had forgotten. He recalled on a visit with Nightmare something had entered. This must’ve been the way. But that wasn’t a matter now.
“Everypony, outside.” Starswirl said once his horn touched the door. A powerful wing forcing the ponies to close their eyes. Pushing against the gale they turned up outside, or more specifically, the backyard of the castle, right next to the waste pile of the kitchen from the second floor.
“Amazing.” Clover said as she looked at the door she had just passed through, the wind closed the door shut, but it did so in such a manner that the door rebounded, just to show how the containment of the door was just another hall Canterlot was known for.
“To the core of the issue. Clover!” Clover rectified her back to Starswilr’s call. “Go to my quarters, recollect my notes, anything you can carry, and then track me down, now Mystic!” It was Mystic’s turn to Starswirl with a salut. “As you help Clover get as much information as you can on everything happening. Since we’re leaving, I believe it best to be informed. And if you can, cover our tracks. But given I have a special kind of pegasi on my behind I believe that almost impossible.”
“Yes, Master Starswirl.” Both acolytes said in synchrony before disappearing in a flash of light.
“You look so mighty now that you can give orders.”
“I’ve always been able to, you just meet me when I was surrounded by nobles, and when the world as we know it was coming to an end.”
“Yes, I know those nobles can be too much to hoof along sometimes.” Starswirl was going to say something on that, but his ears picked up something about the wind, or in the case that was, the lack there of. “Did the wind just stop?”
“I think so...” Luna said assimilating the information just like Starswirl, but with something more in mind. “Wait, for what I remember, that Clover miss did a spell for unicorns not to find you, correct?”
Starswirl could hear a strong beat of wings. “Aww, hay.”
“Hmm?” Black Wing diverted his consideration from the human towards the strong wing beats coming from the drakes on the border. They must be many. A challenge indeed.
“It seems my work is to begin, my dragons?” Said Black Wing as three dragons separated from the horde and slowly, but steadily, made their way to the tense, trigger happy, city of Canterlot. Celestia could say little as Black Wing’s flight was more than just a bird flying out of a nest. The gust was only overpowered by the ones made by his two trusted drakes, which followed without hesitation.
With his trust drakes he flew on a course to intercept his enemies.
“Ah so my enemies finally show themselves after all these months. But alas my enemy, we cannot fight, as since my horde is elsewhere at the moment. And if you don’t want to be presented as dishonorable. It is best that you tell your horde to leave...now.”
“But we are not here to fight you, Black Wing, but the lesser creatures that you call allies.” With that said, the three enemy drakes quickly charged forward to Black Wing and his drakes.
Black Wing with the first drake to face him clashed in amidst of the air, Black Wing had tried to blind the adversary with his flame but the speed of which it came helped shrug off the heat. And with a fury of claws and flame in locked grips to each other’s claws they fell in incredible speeds.
Claw to claw, eye to eye, they stared into each other’s windows of burning hatred and being reminded of the reincarnation of tartarus itself. Before finally colliding with the ground and killing everything that couldn’t handle the weight of two adult dragons.
Black Wing tried to pull back and obtain space between his assaltant and himself, but couldn't, the enemy drake had no wishes to leave Black Wing escape their death grip. But that was fine by him. On his back Black Wing used the most powerful weapon at the disposal of any dragon against enemy drakes, his razor deadly fangs, and with the power to make diamond shards he snapped for the other drake’s neck.
But the opponent seemed to back with ease of his strike. Black Wing grimaced, expecting a blow in retaliation for his failed attempt.
But he felt no pain.
Looking back to the drake, Black Wing took note of how it simply remained there, staring, just above him. Insulting him. With a roar that shook all trees in the area Black Wing was going to fry everything in a pillar of flames above. But he had not seen the other drakes flying in.
Right when his breath was about to release, another drake entered the fight. A dishonor that had no law of punishment from how impactful to anyname it was to even try. His face was forcefully moved to a side, and his attack was deviated. But that only filled him with more rage.
“You cowards! Fighting off in pairs against me! Has your slithering queen gone so low that now you will surrender your own dragon pride!” Black Wing fumed with so much hostility that ponies in the city nearby cowered in the middle of the crowded and they knew not why.
“Silence, Black Wing. We are not to fight against you.”
“What?!”
Right as he said that, Black Wing’s sight aimed to the enemy horde, moving towards the city he couldn’t do anything to stop this but yell, “You dishonorable whelps, Kyong! When I get my claws on you I’ll-” But was cut off by another dragon forming a bigger pile to hold him.
The dragon horde watched as their head first drakes pushed off the Black Wings with ease, they were to be held for a nice while. They were thinking of finishing him off, but there would’ve been no honor in that. They kept the other drakes at bay, so it was time to rid the castle of Discord of the lesser creatures that had called it their home.
“Heh, that was easier than I expected. Now where are those mans.” The youngest drake of the horde said with an amused tone as she searched for the creatures she wanted to test her claws with.
It didn’t take him long as he quickly found them. The armor they are wearing for example are quite the give away.
But it wasn’t an easy take over, as the mens somehow were prepared for their arrival with, whatever the weapons were called, spread all over the side of the castle. Shooting projectiles at them from an incredible distance. They looked easy enough to avoid but by the sheer numbers they would be annoying.
Which they were. One of the long wooden projectiles with metal tip slammed into the front drakes face, it was comparable to be smashed in the face with another dragon’s closed claw. The smacked drake wailed in pain, but continued his flight, ready to give back the pain.
“Damn you idiotic men, you fired the wrong ones!” Frederick yelled from his position on the west artillery wing, trying to make out the best he could with men that didn’t want to listen to his orders.
“We were ordered to shoot a continuous barrage, those ballista arrows aren't in the immediate chain.”
“But these are blessed! Those do nothing against these demons!”
“Templar, I am afraid to say these aren’t in the order! The general would have my arse if he found out we fired them out of the chain.”
“What’s going on here?” Frederick turned to the familiar voice, and smiled with glee with the assassin that came forth on his presence. “Jurian! Good thing you’re here! Speak some sense to these men, we can’t win this battle if we don’t shot these ballistas against the dragons!”
Jurian had barely gone close enough to see who was speaking to him, barely enough to listen, but once he was just a hand away, looking at the ballistas pointed by Frederick, and then back to the Templar, he said back. “These are not in the order.”
Frederick frowned, while the man he had been yelling to in the past hour coughed a laugh in victory. But the man of God wasn’t done yet.
“Jurian, listen, I know you have a certain keen to killing things of any medium.”
“Yes, yes, I do. What does that go for you?”
“Just listen, these ballistas here.” Frederick said while taking hold of the nearest one. “Are blessed with prayed and purified holy water that will surely strike down the drakes in one glorious swift pass.”
Jurian raised his brow. “And you want me to shot these since I have the skill to do so?”
“Precisely!”
“Are you that certain that these would kill a drake?”
“With my life.”
Jurian thought it through, the pros and cons which are killing a drake or going again the general’s orders. But since it was just another ballista in the air, and if it did nothing it would mean nothing anyways. Jurian shrugged at Frederick. “What's the worse that could happen”
“Earning the eternal hate of the general?” Said the nearby warrior, earning a mean look from Frederick. But Jurian didn’t need to meditate much after to give his answer, he Is best friends with the king and his family after all.
“Very well then.”Jurian said walking towards the nearest special ballista, winding it up with its crank in his clutches and then huffing to aim the siege weapon. “I’m going to shoot, if any man thinks he has the spheres under his belt to shot when I do, and think he killed a drake instead of me, that man is going to know how bad is to get on my bad side!”
His yell did not fall of idiotic ears, as all men in the artillery were more fearful from the assassin than their general.
Light Bringer was a fair dragoness. Was fierce in battle as she was in anything else she did; anything. She was a follower, not a leader, but she was sure always the head of the push. And this day it was her end game.
Light Bringer was going forth for her hoard master, ready to kill like any other of her brethering. She was sore by the hard sticks the puny yelling creatures shot at her as she charged, but she found them no real threat. It was just going to be another glorious feast to enjoy. She could maybe find herself a deer, maybe even the last deer, such rare flesh.
But then, all at once, the annoying flying sticks stopped their slamming against her scales. They did no real damage, but were a real bother. It was a real relief to be able to fly free across the sky once more. It made it easier to snap anything in between her jaws if she didn’t have to worry from mistakenly swallowing one of those things. Internally they could cause some real damage.
So right there, in between her and the treat. Was one miserable wooden, iron topped, stick. The last one. Light Bringer laughed, she even thought of just breaking any hopes they had fom fighting from just smashing against it and proving the toughness of her scales. Actually, why wouldn’t she?
With an added purpose to fulfill, Light Bringer dashed forward, covering distance much faster than any other of her brethering, and reaching the stick’s path right as it came. She stopped, slowed her flaps to keep steady and braced herself. Those still took some air out her stomach.
And with a bracing of her muscles she caught the arrow right in her abdomen. Biting the bottom of her lip to not give away any air in the process. So with a laugh, she continued on straight for Canterlot castle.
The dash must’ve tired her more than normal, as she was starting to slow down. But it was fine by her. Any hope they had was lost, and so the orchestra of death would be for all to hear, and any other city around would know to give them tribute or die. So were the ways of the Horde of Discord.
“Starswir, come on, lighten up, look!”
Starswirl was a stallion of genius, a stallion of patience in the time of stress, and a stallion of which you could trust he would find an answer to most situations by his flexible thinking alone. So it would really come as a surprise when this nationally known stallion would tell anyone that would politely ask what he was absolutely stumped on what to do now.
“Can you please keep silent? It’s a little cramped here, and I would love to think on what to do.”
“I mean, so many Dragons! And for all that is precious, look at the colors of their scales!”
Starswirl was in a stump. Cuffs on his legs restrained him, a suppression ring no his horn kept his magical force at bay, and a general who was once his student, not a good one at that, sat next to him telling out his rights and accusations, and right next was to him was the captain he disliked, even more now.
What an interesting day.
“But look, they can fly even with such immense bodies! Fascinating. Never seen a dragon fly.”
Luna was so easily distracted, and hard to keep still from the gossip lapping muzzles which were the Equestrian nobility. After he was captured so forcefully, the whole castle had started a game to see who could build up the most fascinating story of which was the reason of his apprehension.
He must’ve been keeping alicorns in his dungeon! Said one twisted thinking noble. Maybe he was trying to take over the kingdom by making a stupefied copies! Said another. But Starswirl could care less of their thoughts, he never really did. The only real interest that crossed his brilliant mind was how to present Luna to her sister in a way that didn’t suggest Celestia use his person against the nearest hard object, wall or statue alike, or rip him to shreds.
What would he say? “I kept your sister a secret from you because I believe you wouldn’t do the job you hate otherwise?” Wouldn’t get to blink. “I didn’t tell you because you are a mare whose temper is as easy to set off as a cavern gas?” Ha, he wouldn’t make it to say cavern. “I didn’t tell you because bananas are delicious?” At least that one would maybe confuse her long enough to find a window. But the real question to answer was, how many things would he go through when Luna inevitably revealed her presence to her sister.
“Hehe, hey Sparkler!” The general groaned as Captain Hurricane pointed towards the ballistas shot through the air, without noticing all the other arrows were bare from the sky, just the sole one leaving a trail of crystal shining water as it soared into the wall of dragons. “That thing there looks more like your style, nice and sparkly.”
“Oooooh, the dragon stopped.”
“Oh, good observation Miss Luna, that clearly is a drake whose wishes are to stop. Now tell me, where had your beauty been hidden for so long.”
Starswirl gave himself credit though. Having a free mare in Canterlot castle without meeting with Captain Hurricane for more than one hour must’ve been clearly a record he had set for himself. Even though his meeting the general was for another reason completely. But now, maybe later, he could count how many times he could breath when he told Celestia her sister was alive, kept secret, and then deflowered by the captain. At least then it would be an interesting count. With his throat being squished in the process of course.
“Captain Hurricane, if you are so willing to squander your precious time over this mare with the disaster going on, then I believe you are not to be taken seriously anymore.”
“What disaster?”
“Don’t worry about it, dear, go back to sightseeing.” Hurricane told to Luna, and after looked at Sparkler. “Now you cool down, stuck-up-Sparkle, I’m just getting to know her a little. I mean, if what Starswirl said is true, which I still think it’s not, I have more chances of getting onto this mare than I am of insulting Celestia and living through the day.” Starswirl raised his head to take a look at Hurricane and his bounding wing shackles molded into the cart. Was this the same Hurricane he had learned to avoid?
“Do you seriously believe anyone would think you’re not going to try anything with this lovely filly which is probability from Celestia’s family after we’re over, or after we have spoken with Celestia herself?”
“Hey, I don’t make promises, but if what the nutjob said is true, we would really like to know where she came from. And also find out what was the whole cloud of darkness covering the whole castle a minute ago, I mean did you even see that? Anything with clouds, moaning screaming voices, and no hot pegasus on top is just calling evil! Or are we to forget about that too?”
“You’re not saying that because I have your wings stampered together and told you that if we have not got this by the end of the day I would cut your stallionhood myself?” Said Sparkler keeping his eyes on the castle while using his horn to speed the carriage.
“What?! No, noo nooo, please, that’s beneath me. I am a general for crying out loud. Once the leader of my whole species, and once also the most wanted bachelor pegasi had to offer, but I am completely fine with not having to show my awe bringing power to everything with a female set of eyes and hopefully capitalize me a mate for the sole purpose of keeping a weak unicorn from possibly taking over the castle. Only taken down by the fact that our home is under attack and you treat it like it’s the end of the nation.”
“...That didn’t sound honest.”
“Of course it wasn’t you thick led head! For all that is breathtaking you need to seriously understand sarcasm! It’s an amazing trend the new nobles are bringing about! It’s really the way of the future.”
“Alright, I get it. But in the other theme, the one of battle, our ponies are not with enough constitution to handle this “so simple predicament” as you put it, given we’re the ones that give security and order. But at least we have our own dragons of our own to keep the attacking dragons check. Oh, wait, I remember. WE HAVE NO DRAGONS IN THE CITY!”
“Incredible, the dragon dived into the ground!” Luna said almost falling to the side, Sparkler in his enraged state janked her tail with his horn, and with a yelp she got back to sitting, and ended glaring to the stallion.
“Gentlecolts, gentlecolts, please, you’re both pretty. Let your heads cool down and let’s discuss this like civil ponies. Now, if you don’t mind removing this thing from my horn, I could maybe make ourselves get there fast--”
“No way, no how, evil spooky brain mare keeper... unicorn.” Began Hurricane, going serious. “You had something locked up on your secret chamber and now that it’s gone out and possibly hurting those in the land as we speak, we need to take you in for a hearing, interrogation... thing, to see what to do with you. It’s not my fault that Sparkling here believes you're a threat enough to bring me to this. I could take you on any time without breaking a sweat. But then again, I have no wings to use, so you keep it tight.”
“And if so, why are your wings tied off?” Added Luna, her curiosity still going everywhere.
“Because cutesy colt here thought I was using too much force--”
“Which you were. He’s a unicorn of powerful magic, not an indestructible marble wall. With the speed you were about to tackle him you could’ve not only killed him, but also taken the whole left wing of the building as well, and with your life. You’re going to be reprimanded from your reckless behavior once and for all, Hurricane, you had it coming.”
“Hey, I’m fine with complements and all, but you don’t have to keep me all tight afterwards. It sends the wrong message.”
“Shut up.”
“What other message could the young colt possibly be saying?” Luna interrupted again.
“Keep eyes to the dragons my dear, keep us informed, alright?” Said Starswirl, as if he wasn’t in chains nor deprived of magic. Then turned to Sparkler, “But back to that, if this unorthodox stallion had not achieved the velocity to take part of the castle once he had lunged at me, then I would have never been surprised in the first place; and therefore, never been stopped of using my anti-teleportation ankor that wouldn’t have allowed you to use the magic, I taught you, to catch me, and slow him down at the same time.”
“A unicorn has a point for once.” Hurricane said nodding with the words written in his closed serious face. ‘Nicely said.’
“Why are you siding with him?!”
“Believe me, in any other situation, I wouldn’t just to spite him and be both uncomfortable. But in this case if he has his wings freed there’s the possibility of I also having my special parts free.”
“Hey, no complains here, if he runs, I catch him. Easy peasy. And I will finally score me big time with the princess from discovering her best mate was plotting against her.”
“Do you have any idea how inappropriate that sounded. Plotting? Score?” Sparkler said disgusted by the strange words he always heard the Captain spout.
“Exactly when the words left my muzzle, yes.”
“Well, I say that... hold on, I am a mate-what-from-who now?” Starswirl’s was now out in a loop.
“Well it’s obvious, right? The nights alone in the same room together. The sounds. The yells. It doesn’t take a unicorn bookeater to figure it out. Even Sparkler here got the message.”
“Please, stop. It was hard enough to listen to it myself.”
“Hold on just a sand grain. I had never touched the princess in any way. Never even conceived the idea of it with anypony!”
“Well, you’ve been missing out, and will continue to do so for a very long time. So please, Shinner, can we take this thing out of my wing, and immediately, out of his hooves? Keep the horn thing though. It’s getting stretchy bad here. And I don’t mean the good side.”
“Just shut up and stop giving me nicknames, Hurricane.” Sparkle took a deep, miffed, and regretting breathe as he released the shackles of Hurricane wings and Starswirl’s legs. Already not liking his decision from Hurricane’s moans.
“Oh, yeah, that’s the stuff.” Hurricane said as he stretches his wings.
“Uhh, Star, is the dragon alright?” Said Luna a little worried that her observed dragon might’ve stopped moving around. Other drakes surrounded the fallen brother, something was wrong.
“Maybe the dragon is fighting a brave crazy one of those man’s there and they’re just playing with it, you want me to help you listen in?” Sparkler gave Starswirl a look, which then moved to his suppressed horn. Starswirl smiled. “If you are so frightened as to what I might do, you can do it yourself.”
“I’ll pass the possibility of getting my head scrambled at any chance, thank you very much.” Hurricane paused his thoughts at that. “But I would really like to listen in.”
“Like I could so such a thing as scrambling minds.”
“Yeah, that’s what a unicorn that could do such a thing would say.”
Sparkler rolled his eyes to Hurricane’s paranoia. Heating his horn and mind, Sparkler conjured a sound amplification spell learned from the unicorn right next to him. Placing it on Luna's ears, on Hurricane’s, and his own, he was able to sate his curiosity to what was going on. Even Starswirl gotta, go ahead, and Sparkler knew he was not going to complain. His teacher had already accepted his fate of being categorized a traitor. Sparkler knew he was innocent, but it mattered not.
But when he coordinated the spell to hear the dragons in their pile, he found something he had never expected to hear.
“She’s dead!”
“What happened! How did it--!”
“It was that one! It had something on it!”
“How is this possible!”
Starswirl’s internal self halted all mental functions, so did Sparkle and Hurricane’s. Their subconscious stopping anything unnecessary to understanding what they had just heard. The words, which formed a verse, made no sense. Their heads didn’t last long before finding a plausible conclusion to the possibility. Maybe it was said in a misunderstanding? Could be. But how can anyone misunderstand them killing something? Well it made more sense than the alternative.
That something not dragon. Just killed a dragon in the blink of an eye.
Starswirl climbed to the edge, head going high. His breathing just stopping to see. His eyes searched for the loud repetitive yell, looking at the body cold on the grass. Then followed the projectile's path from the simplest of physical trajectories based on the arrow. And his eyes fell on a man. And unfortunately for him, he recognized that man. A man whom had seen through the disguise of a changeling without a spell. Whom had disappeared from the castle and apparently killed changelings that not even he could find overnight. And now, apparently, killed a dragon.
Hay baskets. This is big.
“We must retreat.”
“We are at the gates! We are many more! We can killed them!”
“Yes, and they can kill us. As you have witnessed. Would you rather die to a drake in the future or die today to something you can squish between your fingers?”
“It’s my kill, so its my trophy!”
“Bah! As if! It was my blessings that caused the death of that demon!”
“The one I killed!”
“You wouldn't have killed it without my God given sacred water!”
“Yes, but you wouldn't have even gotten to touch a drake without me behind the aiming!”
“You said you didn’t know how to aim a ballista!”
“I'm obviously a natural!”
“So its decided, that we can’t figure out who is truly responsible for the kill. I propose a duel, the only way to decide who gets its head.”
“Well then, bring it on.” Jurian said cracking his knuckles ready for a fight.
“You expected a physical duel? No, no, Assassin, I propose a duel of Wits.”
“And that being?”
“Chess.”
‘I hate chess. I hate Frederick. I hate walking. I hate this day. I hate everything!’ Jurian thought out in his mind as he walks toward, ‘Frederick’s kill’ as the Templar is boasting to the men on how his holy powers from God has killed such a beast.
‘I deserved its head as a trophy, not Frederick, but at least I can keep the ballista shot as a reminder and trophy’.
After some time Jurian finally found the dragon’s body. And in time to see the dragon horde retreating to the horizon. ‘Cowards, the lot of them’. Jurian thus began to examine the dead dragon’s body, such an important kill must be remembered in anyway possible. The first historically proven dragon kill ever known. And it was Frederick's... Jurian hoped he still had alcohol in his room.
The dragon, though was as majestic and horrifying as the stories of old has explained, was fearsome looking, strong, beastly claws, and skin that could make lesser men drouch themselves by the sight of it. It even had a hole through its mid section… that was not right.
Jurian look closer at the hole, it was very old wound. The hole itself wasn't odd, the form it had, as if the dragon had been burned, was odd. Since by the legends, dragons couldn't be burned. In fact, it look at if the ballista shot went through the hole in the dragon, but there was no hole on the back, it looked that way as it was only so deep. It appeared burned in, like if...
‘Damn, Frederick’s water actually did the job at killing the beast.’ Jurian thought bitterly, how amazing would it be that it was by his skill of shot that the thing was brought down. Any real warrior would love to have the dragon’s head mounted upon a wall in his own house. The tales a man could regal his guest, children, and grandchildren if the man was lucky.
‘You know what, I always wondered how a dragon’s scales felt. Is it like a crocodile from the Nile? Or like a tortoise's shell?’ Jurian’s curiosity overtook his hand by taking off his mail gloves and touched the dragon’s scales. “Amazing, as hard as a rock, but... lighter, like touching a feather.”
Jurian’s thoughts then were brought to the trophy he was to take. But then he had a thought of his own. ‘Well, the trophy is its head, but who says I can’t take one of its scales as a reminder?’ Jurian smiled to his brilliance as he took one of his mail glove to not cut himself as he scooped for a scale, easier said than done. Jurian had a hard time pulling the thing, twisting it back and forth repeatedly, making it loose enough for him to use his other hand to give counter push and force it out with brute force with a final jerk.
‘Dear God, that was one stubborn scale.’ Jurian thought as he looked to his prize with his glove free hand. It reflected well against the sun. A mighty glare that could be confused with a mirror. Such beauty in such a beast of unimaginable power.
But something was wrong. The flare of the reflection was deteriorating strangely, Jurian didn’t understand at first but when the smell came to his nostrils he found the problem. The scale in his hand was becoming a gooey paste that was trying to take over his arm. In a quick and reflect based throw, Jurian was rid of the once beautiful scale with a crazed yell.
“What in God’s name!” Jurian said looking at the piece of drake he had takened. It just melted there in the grass, a small amount of smoke coming from it and making sure Jurian would never take a scale ever again. “That’s one powerful water.”
Then the smell became stronger. Jurian confused searched to its source and with a twist to the dragon corpse, he found his answer.
The dragon’s body, stiff and cold, had one new hole being created on its soulless shell. The place where his hand had touched was... was just melting away the flesh!
“What the...” Jurian said out loud as he was drawn towards it. He looked at his hands and smelled them, they were not infected of any corruption, or blessed water, so what was it that happened? Jurian had to know.
Looking through his clothing, he found the bottle of holy water he had gotten from Frederick if he had encountered any angry dragons wanting revenge. Uncorking the bottle, he poured its content over the corpse with a shove of the bottle.
And with a pair of curious eyes, waiting for some time, nothing happened.
In an instant of hope and stupidity, Jurian neared the fallen beast and placed his hand upon its dead scales, pushing his hand hard against its scales. After a second or two of nothing, his hand felt an unnatural warmth, yet the dragon’s body was anything but.
The body section glowed red like the iron of a blacksmith, smelled like rotten flesh being burned in a fire and then it hissed like a snake while white smoke poured out from underneath his hand in streams that made Jurian sweat more than he had ever before in his life. In his astonishment he had stayed, but jumped back once he recovered from the surprise.
And once the smoke cleared, the dragon’s body laid split, right in the middle, as if something bigger had taken a chunk off the flesh with a massive jaw. To say Jurian was taken aback would be an understatement incomparable to anything Jurian knew possible.
“What’s happening?!”
Kyon laid still in her cavern. Gold and gems of all kinds and sizes surrounded her, even covered most of her. The changeling she had known to use for communication watched and waited for a command to be told.
“That’ll be all.” Kyong said calmly to the changeling. Whom did no sign of recognition as it monotonically waltzed out the cavern.
Kyong rested, scales of a purple-blackish color with belly of a lighter tone. Her green eyes laying upon her treasure, thinking heavily.
“Kyong!” The called dragoness looked to her entrance, a well known unicorn of darkish coloration entered with a changeling and a diamond dog at his side. “It has been informed to me that you have sent your horde to the city of Canterlot for what the dogs outside call... retribution.”
“Yes.” Kyong spoke with her voice smooth and slow. Much less vivid than she was not hours ago speaking through her changeling.
“So...” Sombra begun, walking around the dragoness and closing in to the changeling. “How did it go?”
“As expected.” Said Kyong somewhat sad, looking between her arms. “Just like you said.”
“So they do have magic.” Sombra said solemnly, his voice seemingly losing its edge. “These humans are more dangerous than anticipated.”
“You tell me, while I hold my barely alive son.” Kyong said while raising her neck slightly, giving Sombra a clear look to her barely surviving child.
The hatchling had yet to speak from the night they found him half dead in the forest the nightfall the mans escaped. But from how his claws had melted down to his paws, and his scales had been scrapped off his face, leaving a clean show of his scaleless skin, it was clear the child had been in combat with the prisoners, and found his efforts fruitless.
“So now, we have made an enemy that can kill us, dragons, your only hold in battle, as easily as we can kill each other. If not easier.” Kyong said out loud just to keep in mind what has happened so far. Sombra however didn't seem so solemn, somewhat uneasy, but not as much worse. “And for what I see, you have come up with something.”
“Hah, actually, they’re coming to us.” Sombra said showing concern. “Our fliers that were to scout out any new areas of land for us to expand, have found troubling news. Reinforcements of the man’s that we have recently imprisoned and mostly killed, are coming back, with force.”
“So what are we to do? We can’t defend against them.” Kyong rested her chin to her child, hope for him to grow to be a fierce drake and slaughter all those who faced him, might as well be a dream.
“But we can join them.” Sobra said with confidence, the bloating prince was kept talking with one of the horde master’s eye opened.
“We are not going to join the Equestrians.” Kyong said almost insulted to the suggestion.
“Who said join the Equestrians?” Sobra smiled. “We are going to join the colored mans.”
“Colored?” Kyon asked confused, still engaged with one eye.
“Yes, if you have not been distracted with talking to your horde, Mistress Kyong, you would’ve seen something interestingly different from the mens we met, and the ones you met.”
“What is that?”
“The banners, their skin, they armor, they speech, their everything, Kyong. Absolutely everything.” Sombra uplifted his voice, raising his spirit. “As there’s different clans of drakes, there are of mans. What this means is that we have a chance.”
“No, what this means is that we are enemies of both sides. The ones in Equestria, and those that are coming.”
“Not if they know nothing of what happened here.” Sombra’s engrossed voice stopped its rising when the dragoness raised above it. Reminding Sombra who he was speaking to.
“What are you suggesting?” Kyong said with a dangerous edge, but not a bad one, just one used by a survivor knowing something was going to be done.
“Just, know that we may have some man visitors very soon. And with them, we will be able to survive this, and possibly take over Canterlot to bring Discord back to us. Just make sure your horde does not attack any of the boats coming from the south-east. And we will be fine.”
“That shall be so.”
Sombra gave a heavy relieved sigh that he was not to give a long speech to convince the dragoness. If his plan was a success. Man would kill man. The ones referred as Muslim would fight along side the Discorded, against the Equestrians and their allies.
It shall hopefully be a slaughter that would end with a lord of chaos once again alive.
Sombra had no idea how true those words were.