//------------------------------// // Chapter 15: Momentum // Story: Harmony's Creed // by Gapeagle //------------------------------// Chapter 15: Momentum By Octavia Melody The Templar horses pulled the artillery slowly across the town. The soldiers urged the horses on, obviously fearing what could be surrounding them. The Appleloosan Assassins were all in position. Any Assassin bearing a pistol or a long range weapon aimed at the unknowing Templar. The Brothers took aim at their individual targets. With a sudden swipe from the Bearer of Magic, the Assassins fired. Soldiers fell from the impact of bolts, arrows, or lead balls. "They're here! Fight for the Order men!" A Templar shouted at his troops. Your turn! I leaped from my hiding position. The streets were in complete chaos as soldiers and Assassins clashed in heated battle. Lead balls screamed through the air as the Templar fired upon us. Over there! I saw a nearby Templar charge at me with his axe. I sidestepped away from his cleaving swing. I jammed my hook deep into his back. I then tried to pull it back out without success. The Templar was still alive and fighting. Move! I had to dodge more of his violent attacks. I pulled the hook again and ripped a rib from his body. The soldier screamed in agony and I finished him with my other hidden blade to his head. My first kill had already left my robes crimson in blood. "Reinforcements inbound!" An Assassin yelled. I looked up to see nothing but bloodshed. I saw Braeburn slicing his way through the Templar. I spotted Noteworthy picking troops off with his crossbow. Some Assassins fell as the Templar recovered from the sudden ambush and organized themselves for a push. Woah! I jumped back from a swinging sword. The attacker came at me again. I deflected the blade with my own. The soldier backed off. He bent down and grabbed some dirt from the ground. Before I could react, he threw the dust into my eyes, blinding me. I instinctively threw a knife in his general direction. I heard a wail of pain. I then felt thin metal slicing through my torso. My eyes recovered from the dust and I, once again, faced the Templar. He had a knife in his side; I had a long cut on my stomach. Surprisingly, I did not feel the pain. Attack! I lunged at him with my dagger. His wound prevented him from dodging. My blade soon met his heart and he was done. "Keep it up! We're winning!" Braeburn shouted above the battle. The battle soon completely engulfed me. The Templar reinforcements had arrived and they held their ground. I felt pressure on my back and I knew it was Vinyl. We were soon back-to-back with the soldiers surrounding us. Hold your ground Den Master! I started to fling knives at every Templar I saw. I heard the sound of flesh being penetrated behind me. I was soon in the shadow of an impaled Templar being lifted to the sky on a musket. The remaining Templar around us were soon dispatched by Twilight, who teleported by us and shot the soldiers. She then teleported away. Vinyl and I made our way through the intense skirmish. I could not tell if Braeburn's words were true as members of both parties were dying rapidly. I saw the Templar making an attempt to arm the artillery. "Vinyl! We have to stop them!" I shouted at the inventor. "Way ahead of ya!" We charged the artillery. The horses that were pulling the wagons were already dead. The soldiers arming the artillery spotted us and reached for their weapons. Vinyl made the first move and shot a soldier with her musket. That caused the others to charge at us madly. Move! I ducked under a swing. I retaliated with a stab to the Templar's neck. The other Templar took advantage of my preoccupation and punched me in the face. The force of the punch knocked me over. I laid flat on my back and kept my blades in front of me. The Templar raised his sword and was about to swing at me when he was tackled by a large man. I got to my feet and saw Meadow Song beating the soldier to a bloody pulp. His savagery frightened me, but I was relieved that he was on our side. I returned my focus on the artillery. Vinyl was dealing with two soldiers at once. A Templar soldier was ramming a cannonball down the massive barrel. I ran at him and knocked him over. The other cannon operators swarmed around me. They clearly were not trained for direct battle as they had no coordination between themselves. One of the operators swung at me with his shortsword. I dodged but tripped on the artillery's wagon. The Templar saw his opportunity and lunged at me. I kicked him into the wagon's wheel, causing it to break. The cannon that rested on the wagon slid down the broken wagon and settled in a precarious position. I got back to my feet and fought on. All of the soldiers' attacks on me were sporadic and easy to avoid. I neutralized them all quickly. I turned to see Vinyl running up to the cannon. She swiped her hidden blade along the barrel of the cannon to create sparks that ignited the fuse. Hit the deck! I fell to the ground and covered my head. I soon heard the boom of the cannon as it fired into the ground. Due to the cannon's unstable position, it was flung into the air and shattered. Shards of metal and wood flew through the air impaling anything it came into contact with. I felt Vinyl grab my arm and pull me up. "That's one down Tavi, let's get the others!" We pressed on. The battle was still raging on around us. I could see Applejack's axe cleaving through the Templar ranks. Amethyst was skillfully fighting a soldier one-on-one. We found the remaining cannons sitting idly in the back of the Templar forces. The soldiers were not arming the cannons. Some Templar saw us and engaged. One of the soldiers was heavily armored and wielded a large hammer. Roll! I rolled away from the knight's hammer. He grunted and swung again. The sound of the hammer slamming into the ground echoed above the skirmish. He charged again and smashed the ground, barely missing me. Each pound emitted dust into the air, reducing the line of sight to a minimal. However, I never lost track of the armored giant. I saw Vinyl leap at him with her blade, only to be back-handed away. The brute turned to face me again. I noticed that his armor was not crimson, but Royal gold with white stripes. He was not a Templar soldier, but a Royal Guard of the Enforcer division. He raised his hammer again. Suddenly, a bolt pierced his unarmored armpit, causing him to let go of his mighty weapon. The Enforcer fell to his knees and clutched his wound. I lunged forward to kill him. When I was about to stab him, he grabbed my face with his large hand. "I'll end you rebel!" He yelled at me through his steel helmet. He then threw me to the ground. I skidded across the dirt. I looked up at my attacker to see him wrestling Meadow Song. The two large men punched and kicked each other. Meadow Song ripped the helmet off the Enforcer. The Enforcer was clearly losing the battle because of his deep wound. Meadow Song finished the Enforcer by snapping his neck. Meadow Song, panting and limping slightly, walked over and grabbed the Enforcer's hammer. I saw him smile as he tested the weapon's weight. "I could use this..." I heard him mutter. My attention returned to the artillery. The battle was slowing down as the Assassins pushed the Templar back. My mind was racing with the ways I could neutralize the cannons. I needed explosives. I searched my compartments for any bombs, but found none. I frantically searched the area. Vinyl was on the ground rubbing her temples. Next to her was a dead Assassin. I quickly ran over to the corpse and began searching the deceased Brother's pockets. Sure enough, the Assassin had bombs. I quickly lit them and chucked them at the cannons. The explosions dismantled the artillery with ease. I shouted in joy and hoisted Vinyl on her feet. "They're retreating!" I heard a Brother shout. The remaining soldiers turned and ran to the east. Assassins picked them off with pistols and crossbows. Some Brothers started to pursue but were halted by the Bearer of Magic. "No! Let them go. We will get to them soon enough." Twilight told us. "Check the bodies lads! We're takin' everything." Braeburn ordered. Assassins began to scavenge the many corpses. Several Brothers cheered at our victory. I began to search the corpse of a Templar soldier when I heard Twilight's voice call out to me. "Over here, Den Master." I walked over to her. She was not looking at me when I approached. Twilight turned to face me and her expression turned to worry. "Den Master, are you alright?" She asked while looking down at my torso. "Of cour..." I paused and looked down. My robes are red with with Templar and my own blood. The gash I had received in battle was much deeper than I had thought. The pain of the wound soon swarmed my body. I winced in the pain and my eyes became unfocused. I, however, stood tall in front of the Bearer. "I am alright." I said through gritted teeth. "If you say so..." The Bearer seemed unconvinced. "I simply wanted to congratulate you. You fought well in this battle. I realize that you haven't had the most glorious moments in this town, but make no mistake Octavia, your skills in battle make up for any mistakes you have made. Do not forget this." "Thank you Bearer." I bowed. "However, I want to tell you about the Enforcer that was in the Templar ranks." "Enforcer? What is an elite warrior like him doing in Appleloosa? Why is he fighting for the Templar? My guess would be that he is one of Silverstar's personal men. Thank you for informing me of this Den Master, I shall have to investigate this." The Bearer of Magic turned and left. I stood out there in the bloody street. The sun was high above us, it was certainly noon. I glanced around the battlefield. Brothers were piling Templar bodies together and dragging fallen Assassins away to be ceremoniously cremated. The Brothers were done with their scavenging, as they threw torches on the Templar corpses. I turned away from the fire. I had seen enough gruesome scenes already. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up to see Noteworthy bearing a mocking grin. "You owe me Den Master. I saved your life when you fought that knight." The second-in-command pointed to himself. "You were the one that shot him?" I asked, already aware of the answer. "Hell yeah. Not many Brothers appreciate the crossbow anymore." "I thought you despised me?" "Don't worry, I do. But you're a Sister. I don't care how much you piss me off. You're still family and I should not hesitate to defend you." "That is certainly one way to view things. I...." My voice trailed off as my eyes became unfocused again. "Den Master? Octavia?" Noteworthy said in a confused tone. I felt my wound again. I was still bleeding heavily. I tried to keep my balance, but my head swirled and my eyes blurred. The last thing I saw was Noteworthy standing over me. Then it all went black. My eyes opened and I found myself in a dimly lit room. Vinyl, Twilight, Noteworthy, and Amethyst were gathered around me. I had forgotten about my wound and I glanced at each of their curious expressions. I tried to sit up, but Amethyst discouraged me with her hand. "Sorry Den Master, you have to take it easy." She told me. "Why?" I asked, still in a slight daze. Vinyl chuckled and pointed. "Because of that!" My mind was flooded with the memories of today as I stared at my large wound. The wound was no longer bleeding, as it appeared to have been sutured. The surgical work did not look impressive, but it was effective. I glanced around the room. "Who stitched me?" I questioned. "I did!" Amethyst beamed. "Are you a surgeon?" "Oh, not at all Den Master. All of our doctors are dead. So I did it." She told me in her usual cheerful voice. I checked the wound again. I half-expected it to reopen. When it did not, I sighed in relief. I could now observe my surroundings. The room I was in was not familiar to me in the slightest. I was on a long thin table surrounded by dusty chairs. I could tell that this was not a medical facility before its abandonment. The book shelves and candles proposed that it was a rich man's study. I finally glanced out of the only window to see the sun setting. "I have been unconscious for that long?" I said in disbelief. "Yup, Tavi. Noteworthy dragged ya to this building and got Amethyst to stitch ya up." Vinyl informed me through her mask. "I guess you owe me twice, Canterlotian." Noteworthy chuckled. The Bearer of Magic paced silently in the corner. I could tell that she was deep thought since her magenta eyes stared at the ground. Her thoughts were interrupted as scout Carrot Top entered the room. The first aspect I noticed of Carrot Top's robes were that, unlike ours, they were clean and whole. The scout bowed and reported to the Bearer. "There is a Brother wanting to speak with you Bearer." She said in her heavy accent. The Bearer walked out of the room without a word. Curiosity grabbed me and I lifted myself off the table. The others tried to persuade me to stay still, but I waved them off and headed out of the room. The front room of the building was small, but cozy. The room seemed to be a sitting or living area. Braeburn and Applejack were seated in some wooden chairs by an empty hearth. Twilight was listening to an Assassin with Carrot Top standing next to them. "...We were scouting the north gate. We found bodies of our messengers. Three of them to be exact. They were not carrying any messages on them Bearer. It seems that the documents were taken off their corpses." The Assassin reported in hasty sentences. "Interesting. The Templar have been keeping us in the dark this whole time." Twilight brooded. "Another thing, Bearer. The fatal wounds appeared to have been caused by Assassin blades. The punctures and positioning all indicate this." The Assassin continued. "Ugh! Of course it was!" Braeburn shouted. "That damn traitor is ruining everything! Jus' when I thought we had the momentum, this pretty little news reaches our ears. Anything could be happenin' all over Equestria and we don't know any of it. We need to start placin' all of our efforts into catching this traitor. Once he's dead, we're clear out the remaining Templar." "Don't forget ta mention the Enforcer." Applejack continued for her cousin. "The Empire gots their soldiers down here. Fightin' on the same side too! The Templar and those Sisters are the same. I knows it. Twi, ya can't jus' sit there and think, we gotta move!" "Oh, be quiet AJ! I have been sending out messages and none of them have been received. For all we know, the other Dens may think we have lost Appleloosa. We will not receive anymore reinforcements if that is the case. Ugh! I must calculate this further. With the efficiency of this traitor, I say there are at least two of them. No one could do all of this in just days. I am also tired of being compromised. I will have it that these traitors shall be dead by next sunset." "Then what's your plan Twi?" The Bearer of Honesty inquired. The Bearer of Magic looked around at all of us. Her cold stare penetrated even the stoutest Assassin. She grunted and said only a few words. "Everyone, leave. NOW!" She commanded. The Assassins and I scrambled out of the building. Vinyl, Noteworthy, and Amethyst were levitated out of the building and thrown on the ground. The only soul in the building beside The Bearer of Magic was Applejack. I saw Twilight snap her fingers and the windows became pitch black. We had no hope to figure out their plan. "That was rude of her." Vinyl grunted. I heard my stomach growl. I then realized that I had not eaten at all since before dawn. Vinyl took notice of my hunger and handed me some bread she was carrying. As I ate, my mind wondered as to what the Bearers were discussing. My mind also wondered why Braeburn and I were not part of the conversation. Even with the Den Master's flaws, he could be trusted. I believed that the Bearers had reached their limit and could not take any chances. The band of Assassins around me began to dissipate. Our day of victory seemed to be forgotten. Vinyl and I returned to our little inn. The Sleeping Ursa was much farther than we had anticipated. The Bearers never appeared again after Twilight blocked the windows. So all the Brothers were long gone when we left. Vinyl and I had supper in the dusty inn. The pain of my wound was still there, but nothing more than an annoyance. Even Vinyl's arm seemed to heal. The day's complexity had left both of us tired and sleepy. This made me realize that we have been operating solely in the daylight since the initial attack on the first night. Something that we Assassins don't normally do. There was plenty of strange differences between operations in Appleloosa and operations in Canterlot. Though they seemed to becoming one in the same. The moon is out as I write this. Though I do notice large black clouds in the west. Rain is undoubtedly on its way. It seems fitting for what Twilight had said. I predict bloodshed tomorrow. The Bearer of Magic is a cunning one; she will certainly capture the traitor in our mist. For some reason, I do not look forward to what may happen. The Brotherhood is family. The traitor is a Brother. There will be controversy after the betrayer's execution. I am certain of this. However, I cannot do anything about it. Even in the tightest inner circles, there will be unrest. I shall have to end my writing here. My eyes can barely keep open. Adieu and goodnight. ~