//------------------------------// // Pléascanna // Story: Courts of The Magi // by Airstream //------------------------------// “Listen up!” Captain Fidelis said to the assembled officers and their mages. “Lady Everstar has given us the final route through the town. There have already been threats on Lady Serale’s life, so we’re not stopping for a damn thing until we get to that airfield. We’re going to be on the HLS Redoubtable, and if we’re not airborne ten minutes after the loading process, somepony’s going to answer for it, both to me and the Lady, not to mention the Magus.” Vino stifled a nervous glance at the back of the room, where Magus Libra sat, her runes shimmering under the dim light like multitudes of stars. Vino’s own mage looked positively threadbare in comparison. “We’re exiting from the eastern gate and traveling Royal Avenue to the first square,” Fidelis continued, indicating the street on a map behind him. “From there, we’ll hook down to the river, following the riverside boulevard across the Grand Crossing to East End. The airfield will be straight ahead, though it’s going to be an uphill pull, which will cut down on our speed.” “What if there’s something wrong with the airfield?” Afi asked, his freshly-braided beard gleaning oiled red in the lantern light. “Do we have a backup?” “That’s the destination of last resort,” Fidelis said. “If we manage to make it across the river, we’ll head for the High Street Rail Station. There’s a train being held for an extra hour on the off chance that Lady Serale will use it. If we don’t make it across the river, for one reason or another, then our options become either returning to the Regia, or taking a ferryboat out.” “It’s more or less a formality,” Libra interjected from the back of the room, “We’ll be passing by some of the largest military depots, and Lady Everstar won’t let an attack on her daughter go lightly. If we’re assaulted, she’ll be right on top of us in a moment. But it’s better to prepare for the worst than be caught out in the cold for lack of preparation.” Fidelis nodded gratefully. “I want eyes in the sky, rifles ready to go, and the mages prepared with stunner spells and barriers. Sir Dunlevy, you’re most experienced with the wards and barriers, I’d like you to remain close to the Lady’s carriage.” The armored unicorn nodded, hefting his massive warhammer as he did. Fidelis looked at Ahan. “Ahan, we’re doing this numerically. You’ve got 1st Rifles, you’re in the lead. Kore, you’ve got 5th. Make sure to deploy a rearguard detachment, at least five ponies and a flyer.” The mare, clad once more in heavy armor, nodded her understanding. Vino’s 4th Rifles would be bringing up the direct rear of the carriage, since Fidelis’s 3rd would be flanking it on either side. “Be alert, be ready to repel any threats, but your ponies are not to fire their rifles unless absolutely necessary,” Fidelis said in warning. “The ponies in this city are ones we’ve sworn to protect. I don’t want a bloodbath on my hooves today. Load your weapons, but keep hooves off triggers and the rounds unchambered.” There was a general mumble of understanding from those present. Captain Fidelis bent over, grabbed his helmet, and, before jamming it on his head, said “You’re dismissed. Do our Lady proud.” “Back in ranks!” Vino barked. “Unlimber weapons, but don’t be too hasty on the draw. Remember, we’re crowd control, but our main objective is to make sure Lady Serale gets to the airfield as quickly as possible. Move as a group, don’t leave a soldier behind. I know we’ve got plenty of support, but things can still go wrong here.” The ponies around him shuffled and did as they were told. Vino’s Guards were nervous, and for good reason. The chanting in front of the gate had grown louder, and threatened to turn ugly. Already, two platoons had passed through the gate, and the walls were manned heavily, ready to provide cover fire with sharpshooters and spellcasters. Lady Everstar had given a speech, short, to the point, and with a very simple message. You’re well trained and hoof-picked. Do your jobs and protect my daughter. The gates began to open, and Vino turned towards the front to see three ponies getting into the carriage, assisted by Sir Fidelis and Sir Dunlevy. The young mage, Cobblestone, was first in, carrying her cat and a bag haphazardly, followed after by Lady Serale, resplendent in her black armor, and finally the Magus, both their most powerful weapon and their last resort. Though Vino couldn’t hear them properly, the tone of the orders being shouted from the front was all too clear. “Form up!” he called. “This is it!” The horns blew, brassy and bright, and the caravan moved out from the courtyard of the Regia through the front gates in a quick stream, sixty ponies in uniform and a carriage pulled by trusted Guards. Among them rumbled a few light wagons, laden with equipment and supplies, banners streaming bright in the wind. Though protestors still lined the streets, they were at the least respectful as the procession passed, if not exactly happy. There was a palpable sense of relief from the column as they passed without incident, picking up speed from a march to a double-timed trot, not quite in step with one another. Barked orders from the head of the column launched flyers from the ranks, six Pegasi who flew ahead to scout the path they would be taking to the airfield. Kore’s rearguard spread out behind them, a picket of five ponies, and the sole Pegasus in her ranks, who took to the air minus her rifle in order to keep herself limber and alert, instead of focusing on keeping the weapon itself. Vino did notice the glint of a pistol in its holster, and was glad to see it. He didn’t like having unarmed scouts. Soon enough, the coach’s procession left the protesters behind, rumbling through the streets toward the main square. Vino could see the gleam of water from the fountain, miraculously unfrozen in the bitter chill which lay over Starfall, and prepared himself for the command to turn. It never came. From behind, there was the sound of an explosion, massive and almost deafening, and Vino felt a lick of heat at his back. Still moving forward, Vino snuck a look behind them, and felt his heart drop. The procession slowed for a moment to see that the gate through which they had passed not moments ago had vanished in a cloud of smoke and rubble, the figures from the top gone. Screams and shouts from the protestors and distant orders from the guards filtered through the air, and the bitter scent of smoke reached Vino’s nostrils. A few isolated clicks were heard as pieces of the wall began to rain down around them. The sounds were what made up Vino’s mind, and he swung his head around front. “Forward procession!” he screamed. “Keep going forward!” His call was taken up by the other captains, and the caravan lurched forward once more, turning through the now-deserted plaza and downhill towards the riverbank. They moved with much more urgency, in a canter as opposed to a trot, and Vino felt his focus drifting to the bladeband around his foreleg, wondering if he should draw it. He decided against it. The potential time it would take to call it might cause him to miss something. There was a secondary explosion behind them, this one smaller, or perhaps it was that they were further away. The road narrowed, and Vino realized that the shops surrounding them would make excellent ambush points. The six fliers above them suddenly dropped out of the sky, flapping desperately towards the ground below, shouting warnings. A carriage, blazing brightly, hurtled into the road from a nearby side street, blocking the path completely. The procession didn’t even break stride as the mage attached to Ahan’s 1st Rifles blew it to smithereens, charging through the wreckage with nary a bump to show for it. Vino’s group passed through, and they were on the riverside boulevard heading towards the bridge called “Grand Crossing” in moments, the rearguard following. There was another detonation from the shops behind them, and Vino realized with a chill that if they had stopped for any longer than half a minute, they would have been caught squarely in the blast. Somepony wanted Lady Serale very, very dead. And with every military unit heading towards the Regia, away from them, their odds were only getting better. Shouts came from the front again, and Vino knew exactly what they meant. “Unlimber rifles!” he bellowed, and a chorus of rattles came from the column as fifty Guards loosed their weapons, chambering the rounds inside. It would slow their procession, but now they had a means of defense. With a grunt of effort, Sir Dunlevy slung himself onto the roof of the carriage, using his hammer to vault. From there he would be much more effective at warding, though he would need to be careful to keep his footing. No shots came as they approached the bridge, and Vino felt his heart race as they began the turn on. It would be a simple thing to wire the bridge to blow, and if an ambush were sprung when they were on the bridge, they would be helpless. Apparently Ahan and the front thought so too, for the procession slowed. Captain Fidelis barked a few orders, and the fliers once more plummeted from the sky, sweeping alongside the bridge to check for charges. Finding none, they shouted the all clear. The procession was on the bridge when the telltale whine of bullets began to fill the air. What few bystanders were still on the bridge in the cold and after the explosion, mercifully few, began to shout in alarm as heavy balls of lead began to carve gouges in the stone, hissing overhead. Puffs of smoke were instantly visible, five of them, and Vino thanked his lucky stars that the attackers were using black powder muskets, practically antiques. “4th Rifles!” he called as the procession ground to a halt yet again. “Right side! Pick your targets, clear civilians!” Instantly, five ponies, among them Corporal Firefly and Private Moon, rushed to the edge of the bridge, bracing their rifles on the guard rails. The would-be assassins were clear, scrambling upriver along the shoreline, but they made a mistake in not ducking into the crowd. Five shots rang out, and one of the three musketeers in range pitched sideways, jerking as a bullet took him in the neck. Another cried out in pain, dropping his musket as he clutched at his shoulder, and both he and his compatriot vanished down a side alley. “Hedera!” Captain Fidelis shouted over the din. “Get your Guards back in line, we’re moving!” “Back in formation,” Vino ordered. “Double time!” The five ponies ejected the spent casings of their rounds and returned to the line, ready to go. They were sitting ducks for more attacks, Vino realized. Any stop now could cost them dearly, and his decision to counterattack was probably a mistake. Gritting his teeth, Vino felt hot anger burning in his chest as the procession moved forward again, slowed once more by ambush. The caravan hit the other side of the river quickly, but now it was an uphill battle, and the ponies in the ranks were as nervous as the captains, who were haranguing the Guards to move faster, keep their rifles up, and above all, not to stop for anything. Vino looked behind him to see black clouds of smoke filling the air, the sky swarming with Pegasi bucket teams. Nervously, he realized he had activated his bladeband at some point, and decided that it was for the best. If it came to close-quarters fighting, he would at least be ready. Halfway up the hill, he heard a sound not unlike the roar of the ocean, and the procession slowed again as ponies looked back towards the Regia. Great gouts of purple sparks were spiraling into the sky, and blackish-blue clouds were appearing seemingly from nowhere. Vino watched in quiet awe as Lady Everstar, who he realized must have been caught in the blast, channeled enough magic to create a terrifying storm from absolutely nothing. There was a single crack of lightning, and the clouds dumped their rain in torrents, dousing the entirety of the Regia in a deluge of water. A single figure, wreathed in magenta flame, could be seen rising to the skies, burning with a terrible fury. Lady Everstar appeared to gesture, though it was hard to tell from a distance, and the flood of rain bent itself in midair to extinguish the shop fires as well. A cheer went up from the ranks at that point, and Fidelis called forward march, sounding much relieved to know he was not abandoning a city bereft of ruler and on fire. It was only a short distance more to the airfield, and Vino was sure he heard the low drone of Redoubtable’s engines over the sound of rain and magic. Reaching the top of the hill proved to be easier than anticipated, and the column fairly raced across the high road of East End, towards the airfield and evacuation. As they watched, drawing ever closer, the airship began its final descent, gleaming in the noontide light. The gates to the airfield were thrown open, and the stream of ponies, the carriage, and the cart containing their equipment all desperately surged forward to get through. There was a muffled thud from the airship, and Vino had a brief moment to see a side panel fall away before the entire ship went up in flames, spraying flaming fuel across the flat lawn ahead and turning sanctuary into a hellscape. The procession came to a screeching halt, and it was to Ahan’s credit that it moved again as soon as it did, with the panicked shouts from the yard and the roar of flame deadening any verbal communication. He pumped his wings once to get airborne, perched on top of a small gatehouse, unslung his spear, and gesticulated wildly in the direction of the train station, their backup route. The 1st Rifles sped ahead, dragging the 2nd with them, and the rest followed soon enough. Somepony had known their route, Vino thought as they dragged themselves along the path, fliers sweeping much lower now to inspect the roofs and alleys closely. High Street Rail Station was a scant three blocks away, and though it was normally bustling with traffic, the multiple attacks on the city and the airship yard especially had emptied the streets rather thoroughly. Somepony had known their route, and planted explosives to try and kill Lady Serale. But who would have had that kind of access? There was a flash of blinding purple light from the sky above, and Vino’s dazzled eyes only dimly beheld the form of Lady Everstar, smoke trailing from her coat, as she slammed into the street behind them. Her horn flashed, and Vino felt the air crack as it suddenly plummeted in temperature. The fire behind them was out in an instant, but Lady Everstar spared not a glance for the carriage holding her daughter, instead leaping forward on wings of smoke and flame to assist in clearing the twisted metal and smoking wreckage of the airship from the field, as well as render aid to those inside. As they reached the station, almost without prompting, the first two squads of Guards spread out to cover every possible route of attack, the Pegasi swooped down to grab rifles and get on the roof, and Captain Fidelis’s 3rd stormed the platform, providing security as the carriage pulled to the station. Vino spun, sheathed his blade. “4th Rifles!” he snapped. “Assist in unloading supplies. If somepony on the platform gets in your way, go through them. Any injured?” “Cuts and bruises sir,” Corporal Fireball reported, shaking the tiredness from her bones. There would be a long way to go yet. The Pegasus was made of sterner stuff than Vino had given her credit for, he admitted. “Nothing serious. I’m more worried about the fliers; they had to take some heat from the airship.” “We’ll address it on the train,” Vino said hurriedly. “Ceres, help lift things.” The young mage nodded, and with a gesture from his horn, packages began to lift themselves from the wagon, setting themselves on the ground, where members of the 4th and 5th began to move them. “Vino!” Captain Fidelis called, and beckoned him closer. Vino obeyed the order, jogging over, glad for the weight of his armor despite the trouble it had given him. He felt that whatever had happened ,they were not in the clear yet. “Sir,” he said. “I’m sorry for the bridge. It seemed like the thing to do.” “Save it,” Fidelis said. “I’m assigning your squad to the third car with Lady Serale. Once you’ve got the gear moved, your Rifles get in that car and don’t leave it until we’ve reached our destination, wherever that happens to be.” “Understood, sir,” Vino said. “Sir…somepony knew we were coming. Those charges were set for a reason. If we had been just a bit slower, we’d be dead three times over. Four if you count the snipers.” “And there’ll be hell to pay,” Fidelis said. “But for now, we have a clear duty. Get your ponies onto that train. I’m not going to relax an inch until we’re clear of Starfall.” Vino nodded his understanding, turned on one hoof, and strode to help his squad move equipment. The sooner it got moved, the sooner they could move, and the sooner they’d be clear of danger. He hoped.