The Equine Scrolls: SkyFiM

by FireOfTheNorth

Chapter 63: Battles

As Jarl Stormcloud ordered, we headed for Windhorn immediately. Stormcloud’s capital and Winterhorn weren’t that far from each other, and we arrived in just a few short hours. Townsponies filled the streets as we entered the city, celebrating the New Life Festival now that we’d entered a new year. I noticed a conspicuous absence of pegasi in the crowd, however. Hopefully when they heard the news about the College of Winterhorn they’d leave the Winged Quarter for better housing.

Jarl Stormcloud, understandably, was upset about the College’s secession, but not nearly as much as I thought he’d be. After all, it was an institution of magic, something his earth pony army couldn’t use without staffs, and was not really a huge loss to him. Besides, he had much bigger things on his mind.

As soon as the New Life Festival was over, he intended to launch his attack on Marekarth. With Dawnstar now back in his hooves, Foalkreath posing no threat, and Whitetrot on his side, Marekarth was his next step on the way to Seclusion, and pushing the Empire out of Horizon. I was ready to help him take Marekarth as well. He’d kept his word when we attacked Dawnstar, and had let the town live, even letting the Imperial Jarl leave for Seclusion before replacing her with Deala.

Stormcloud had everything planned out; all that remained was to depart for Marekarth itself. The rest of that day we enjoyed the festivities of Windhorn’s New Life Festival. I made sure to head on down to the Winged Quarter to enjoy their celebration and spread the news as well. Sadly, while the rest of the town was busy celebrating a new year, the bat-ponies down at the docks were forced to keep working. The dock foremare wouldn’t let me near them, but I made sure somepony would pass the word to them about Winterhorn.

Jarl Stormcloud let us sleep in the Palace of Kings that night, and we departed for Marekarth in the morning, meeting up with other Stormcloud soldiers headed to the west. Eventually we met up at a camp in the mountains of the Karth, north of the city, and waited until it was time to attack.

“Prepare yourselves!” Jarl Stormcloud ordered as the sun began to set, “Soon we will liberate Marekarth from the clutches of the Imperials, and their puppet Jarl Glamus!”

A cheer went up from the assembled soldiers.

“Tonight we will free this proud city from the Imperial curse!” the Jarl shouted, “We will secure our rights and freedoms! We will teach the Empire the fury of earth ponies when they are deprived of such rights!”

Another cheer went up from the soldiers, who were now ready for the battle, their armor strapped on and weapons ready.

“To victory!” Stormcloud said, “For Horizon! For Talhooves!”

The army of Stormclouds surged down the mountain, the Jarl at the head. I trotted along with the crowd as fast as I could. Soon Marekarth’s walls came in sight, an impregnable edifice of stone capped with bronze.

“Who goes there?” the gatekeeper asked as we approached.

“The true sons and daughters of Horizon!” Jarl Stormcloud shouted back, “Will you stand against us, or will you join the fight!”

The guard hesitated for a moment, but thankfully it was one of Marekarth’s guards and not an Imperial soldier. The gatekeeper began to open Marekarth’s towering gates to let us in. Suddenly he dropped to the ground, an arrow through his neck.

“Traitor!” somepony called from inside the walls.

As the Stormcloud soldiers attempted to enter the city, they were cut down by arrows, piling up in front of the gate. Mephalda flapped up into the air until she could see over the walls. She fired a few arrows of her own before returning to the ground.

“The city’s full of Imperial troops,” she said, “A few guards on the wall saw us approaching and raised the alarm. There’s more leaving the keep right now.”

The army parted to allow a few heavily armored Stormclouds with large shields pass through to the front. A few archers followed them as they headed through the opening in the gate, protected from the enemy shots by the shields. When the archers called back that it was safe to advance, the Stormcloud army once more swelled forward, pushing the city gates open the rest of the way.

I followed the soldiers, entering the city of Marekarth. Imperial soldiers were swarming through the city, clashing with the Stormclouds in the market. I drew Dawnbreaker as an Imperial soldier with a pike charged at me, her weapon down. I stepped to the side as she attempted to run me through, bringing my sword down on her weapon.

She swung the pike back up into the air, knocking Dawnbreaker away. I ducked as she swung the blade over my head. Kicking out, I knocked her forelegs out from under her. As she fell to the ground, she swung her pike at me, which I blocked with my Draconequus sword before it could reach my head. Slowly, I began to push it away.

As I did so, one of the Marekarth guards came up behind me and swung her mace into my flank, denting in the armor. I bucked at her and missed, losing ground to the mare with the pike as I did so. Another buck landed on her jaw, forcing her to drop her weapon, which I grabbed in my magic.

I swung it around at the back of her neck, striking her helmet on the edge. Still, the mace cracked her spine as it rolled, killing the mare in an instant. Still holding off the mare with the pike using Dawnbreaker, I swung my stolen mace around at her head. She spun her pike to block, too late, as the mace hit her in the side of her head, caving in her helmet and her skull.

<<<FUS~RO~DAH!!!>>> I Shouted as I charged toward one of the stone stairways that twisted up through the city.

The Imperials that had been standing on the stairs a moment earlier were thrown back, scattering at the force of my Shout. One with a war axe recovered first, swinging it around at my head as I approached. I blocked with Dawnbreaker, pushing the axe away. He swung it up again, this time at my chest, but I knocked it to the ground with my Draconequus sword. I drew the Blade of Hoofingar as I did so, swinging it around at the soldier’s head.

The sword of another Imperial blocked me as I did so. I spun my ebony sword around, trying to throw away the Imperial’s sword and failing. Meanwhile, the other pony swung his war axe back around at me, which I blocked with Dawnbreaker. As they both swung their weapons at me at the same time, I deflected with my swords, pushing them in toward the center. The war axe and sword locked, leaving both Imperials open to strikes from my swords that opened their necks.

Steadfast charged past me, stopping a battleaxe from striking my head with his warhammer. I ducked out from under the two locked weapons and swung Dawnbreaker through the armor of the unicorn wielding the battleaxe. As she fell to the ground, I spun around to face the stairs.

Two soldiers were making their way down toward us, and I blasted one of them with lightning from my horn, sending him flying backwards with sparks flying over his armor. The other tried to pierce me with a spear, which I knocked to the side with Dawnbreaker. Before he could recover, I blasted him in the face with fire. He ran off screaming as the flames coated the inside of his armor.

I proceeded up the stairs, reaching a tier where a few shops were built into the rock wall. As I neared another set of stairs, an Imperial with a mace suddenly jumped out of the doorway ahead of me. I blocked the weapon easily but heard more doors opening behind me. I pushed the mace away swiftly, striking it against the ground. I continued to bring Dawnbreaker around in an arc, striking the soldier in the side and knocking her from the tier.

I spun around to see four soldiers advancing up toward me. The one in the back was suddenly fried by Mystic’s magic, and two others turned to fight her. A unicorn stallion with a battleaxe came at me, and I brought Dawnbreaker up under the blade of his weapon. I threw it away, but before I could stab him with my blade a ward suddenly popped up around him. Dawnbreaker was already halfway through, so I pushed until it completely penetrated his ward, and I could swing it around into his neck.

Mystic and Steadfast rejoined me as we headed up higher into the city. Mephalda flew nearby, picking off opponents wherever she could with a few well-placed arrows. Down below, I could see the Stormclouds were pushing the Imperials back, cornering them. Like us, more Stormclouds were making their way up the tiers across the city, facing fierce opposition from Marekarth’s Imperial defenders.

We headed up the stairs until it turned suddenly, becoming a bridge that stretched across to where the Hall of Records was built beneath the Temple of Difillya. A single soldier waited to stop us from reaching the bridge, a mare wearing the armor of Marekarth. With a longsword, she blocked my initial strike, but couldn’t react fast enough to block the swing Steadfast took at her.

We began to head across the bridge, but a group of Imperial soldiers tried to cross the other way at the same time. Mystic fired lightning at them, and I did the same, but they had a battlemage with them who raised a ward, protecting them from harm.

<<ZUN~JOT!!>> I Shouted as we neared them, and the front row’s weapons went flying from their grasp, tumbling off the bridge.

We charged through the ward, striking out with our own weapons at the now unarmed Imperials. As the first row tumbled from the bridge, the ward went down and the battlemage began to go on the offensive, shooting magic at us. Mystic raised a ward over herself and went after him, blasting through the soldiers in her way.

I found myself locked in combat with a stallion wielding a sword. As I swung my weapon around toward his neck he blocked me, knocking my sword aside before swinging back around toward me. I jumped back as the blade swung past my neck, swinging my own sword around to knock his blade into the guard rail of the bridge. The Blade of Hoofingar swung around into his neck while I kept his sword from moving with Dawnbreaker.

Before I could even push his body out of the way, I felt the tip of a spear pierce my armor. The Griffin armor was strong, but it had been repaired so much that the spear cut right through a weak point. I winced as the soldier wielding it twisted it around, digging into my flesh. My vision grew blurry as I searched for the culprit.

<<YOL~TOOR!!>>

My flame breath incinerated the soldiers ahead of me. One of them must have been the soldier who’d impaled me with the spear, for it stopped moving in my chest, and the glow around it died. Still, the spear was stuck in me, and I collapsed, only driving the weapon in farther. Mystic finished her fight with the battlemage, encasing him in ice before toppling him off the bridge, before she rushed to my side. Pulling the spear out, she cast a healing spell on my battered flesh, sealing up the wound.

A few more Imperial soldiers stood on the bridge, but they were easily dealt with before we moved on, making for a set of stone stairs that would lead us up to the top level of the city. An Imperial soldier came charging down the stairs was we went up, a pike held out to spear us through. Mystic shot a fireball at him, not killing him, but causing him to stagger and fall from the stairs.

An Imperial archer waited for us at the top of the stairs, firing arrows down at us as we advanced. Mystic put up a ward, and I fired ice spikes at the enemy soldier. One eventually succeeded in piercing her defense, finding the spot of her head her helmet didn’t cover and shooting straight through. As she toppled from the ledge, we reached the top tier of Marekarth.

A few Stormcloud soldiers had made it up this far as well, but not many. We joined up with them in front of the keep. It was oddly still up here. Had Jarl Glamus used up all his troops already?

I got my answer as the keep’s doors suddenly opened and Marekarth guards poured out. Behind us, the Temple of Difillya’s door also opened, and Imperial soldiers advanced from it. We were soon surrounded, Imperials on one side, and Marekarth guards on the other.

Chaos suddenly broke out as both sides attacked each other. Screams and the clash of blades flew through the air as I searched for a target. A Marekarth guard with a warhammer found me first, her weapon crushing one of my hindlegs. I cried out as I felt the bone snap, but devoted my attention to swinging Dawnbreaker up at the mare.

She blocked with her warhammer, pushing me back and injuring my hindleg further. I brought out my Changeling war axe and swung it around toward her foreleg. The weapon’s blade cut into the back of her leg, tearing it open as I pulled the weapon toward me. Now we were even, legwise at least.

As she swung her warhammer back down at me, I blocked with Dawnbreaker and hooked my war axe over the shaft. I had her locked in place, but I couldn’t strike back myself. As she began to push her weapon toward me, I suddenly moved out of the way while drawing Dawnbreaker back, allowing her weapon to strike the stone. Dawnbreaker swung around over her warhammer and through her neck, decapitating her.

I reset my leg and cast a healing spell on it, stitching it together enough that I could stand on it, at least. As a Marekarth guard with a sword tried to charge me, I blasted him with fire, forcing him to stagger back. Next to me, a Stormcloud suddenly fell to the blade of an Imperial, and I retaliated by stabbing her attacker with Dawnbreaker.

Looking around, I could see that the tables were turned. The Stormclouds were no longer winning this battle now that we were surrounded. Had this been Jarl Glamus’s plan all along, to lure us up to the keep and ambush us? I knew one thing for certain. We’d never survive this if nothing changed.

<<STRUN~BAH!!>> I Shouted, and clouds began to swirl overhead.

Lightning soon began to lance down from the clouds, striking the soldiers around us. The Stormclouds backed in on themselves, keeping their distance from the enemies as they were fried by the fury of the storm. Soon, only a few Imperial soldiers and Marekarth guards remained, and they quickly surrendered, dropping their weapons lest I call the storm down on them as well.

Jarl Stormcloud and the rest of his army joined us in front of the keep before heading in. Pushing the bronze doors open, we charged into Jarl Glamus’s stronghold. We ran through the hallways unopposed until we reached a large open room before the Jarl’s throne.

Suddenly, the Stormcloud soldier galloping next to me was hit by a giant crossbow bolt. I ducked behind a bronze-coated pillar before sneaking a peek at what had shot him. Mechanized crossbows built by the Minotaurs squatted up near the great hall, shooting giant bolts at anything that moved.

I quickly ran to the next pillar, the crossbows tracking me as I did so. I jumped through the air as one shot under me, striking the wall. I skidded across the ground, nearly being hit by another bolt as I pulled myself behind another pillar. As I looked around the pillar, the crossbows followed me, shooting another two bolts that tore chunks from the pillar as they whizzed by.

<<<WULD~NAH~KEST!!!>>> I Shouted, quickly shooting forward until I was standing behind the crossbow.

A Marekarth guard guarded each one, and I brought Dawnbreaker up to defend myself as one of them pulled a sword on me. I blocked, pushing the stallion back until he was near the other guard. As they bumped into each other he lost control, and I threw his sword away, swinging Dawnbreaker around to slice his head off.

The mare behind him pushed his body to the side, jabbing at me with a pike. I stepped to the side, avoiding the blade, and hooked it with my sword. As I held it in place with my weapon, I also grabbed it with my hooves and magic and strained to lift the mare into the air. Finally I got enough momentum built up that I was able to flip the pike, throwing the guard in front of the crossbows, where she was shot by one of the deadly bolts.

<<<FO~KRAH~DIIN!!!>>> I Shouted.

Ice covered one of the crossbows, seizing up its insides and causing the cable to snap. The other I stabbed Dawnbreaker into, tearing through the internal machinery. I continued to hack away at it until it ceased firing.

The Stormclouds rushed forward as the stream of deadly bolts ended. Marekarth guards came galloping down the stairs to meet them. I struck out at one with Dawnbreaker as he passed, slicing through his foreleg.

I ducked down as a guard with a battleaxe tried to take my head off. I grabbed her forelegs as I headed up the stairs, tripping her up. I was pulled down as well, tumbling through the crowd of fighting ponies. I ended up beneath my opponent, and blocked swiftly with Dawnbreaker as she swung down at my head.

As I tried to block her next swing, she knocked Dawnbreaker away with her armored hoof. I reached out for anything nearby I could block with, and found one of the bolts from the crossbows. Her blade screeched as it hit the bronze shaft, and I slid the sharp end up into her chest. I pushed the battleaxe away as I rolled her body off of me and retrieved Dawnbreaker.

The Stormclouds were pushing the guards back now, Jarl Stormcloud at the front of the fighting. I followed as they pushed all the way up the stairs to the great hall and throne room. However, nopony sat on the throne. Instead, Jarl Glamus’s steward stood beside the throne, approaching us as we entered the room.

“I am prepared to make an unconditional surrender in the name of Jarl Glamus,” he said, approaching Stormcloud, “Marekarth will gladly join in your rebellion against the Imperial tyranny.”

“I don’t want to speak to you.” Stormcloud said pointedly, holding the tip of his sword before the steward’s throat, “I want to speak to your master. Where is he?”

“I-In his bedchambers,” he stammered out, “But he’s not to be disturbed.”

“Fetch him,” Stormcloud ordered, and a few of his soldiers left to search the keep.

A few minutes later they returned with Jarl Glamus. He looked much different than when I’d last seen him. He no longer held himself so highly, not after the attack on Caprika Redoubt. Even after all this time, the magical burns on his skin refused to heal, leaving him looking just as pitiful as Captain Faeros had when he’d ordered me to kill him. Yet, beneath his injuries, and staring defeat in the face, I could still see his arrogance burning.

“Jarl Glamus,” Stormcloud spoke to him, moving his sword away from the steward, “You misled the ponies of the Karth, bowing to the Pegasari Dominion’s demands just as the Unicorn Empire has. You abandoned Talhooves, and led your subjects to do the same. Now, make peace with your remaining Equines.”

Glamus did nothing but glower at Jarl Stormcloud. Slowly he lifted his head to stare him in the eyes. Suddenly he jumped toward the Jarl, drawing a knife out of his robes. Stormcloud swiftly swung his sword around, chopping off Glamus’s head before he could do any harm.

“Where is Umas?” Stormcloud asked as he cleaned off his sword, “Find him and bring him here.”

A few of the guards left again, and returned a few minutes later with an elderly charcoal gray earth pony.

“Umas the Wise,” Stormcloud spoke to him, “Your nephew turned his back on Talhooves, and on his race. I know that you, however, are a loyal son of Horizon. Are you willing to take your nephew’s place on the throne of Marekarth?”

“I am,” Umas replied, and Jarl Stormcloud placed Glamus’s crown on his head.

“Jarl Stormcloud!” one of his soldiers said urgently as he entered the throne room, “We have something you need to see.”

The Jarl followed the soldier outside, and my friends and I trotted after, curious about what was going on. In the great hall, there was a pegasus in Blackwing robes bound and sitting on the ground. It appeared his wings had been clipped, either during a fight with the Stormclouds from which he still bore the wounds, or after they managed to subdue him in order to keep him from flying away.

“Us loyal devotees of Talhooves are winning this war,” Stormcloud taunted the Blackwing, “Do you still think he is not real and not on our side?”

“I know it,” the Blackwing said, earning himself a kick from one of the soldiers surrounding him, “You have no idea what you are doing, and soon your rebellion shall collapse. But fear not, the Pegasari Dominion will be there to pick up the pieces.”

Another kick knocked the smug grin from his face. As he brought his head back around to face Stormcloud, he suddenly stopped, his eyes fixed on where we were standing. In particular, I noticed he was looking a bit over my shoulder, and I followed his eyes to where Mephalda was flying, beginning to look concerned.

“It can’t be!” he said, struggling against his bonds.

“Do you finally see the truth?” Stormcloud asked, misinterpreting the Blackwing’s words.

“I see that you must not know who it is you have allied yourself with,” the Blackwing said, “Else you are a fool to allow Mephalda the Meek to enter your army.”

“Who?” Stormcloud asked, looking at Mephalda.

“Why, her of course!” the Blackwing said, “Mephalda the Meek is only the most famous and deadly Blackwing of all time!”

The Blackwing suddenly tore his bonds apart and bucked the guards around him away. Swatting aside the blades that came at him, ignoring the injuries, he lunged toward Mephalda. Faster than I could follow, Mephalda drew out her bow and shot the Blackwing through his skull. He slid across the ground in front of us, his blood pooling on the floor.

The Stormclouds around us mumbled to each other, not sure about what to do. Jarl Stormcloud looked equally shocked, staring at the Blackwing’s motionless body. Eventually he turned toward where Mephalda had landed.

“Is this true?” he asked.

“Mostly,” the pegasus said, “I used to be a Blackwing, but not anymore.”

“There’s no such thing as an ex-Blackwing,” he replied, “Only if you are dead do you stop being one. I cannot trust Blackwings.”

“Seize her!” he ordered, suddenly turning, “I cannot allow any Blackwing to remain alive!”

I drew my sword before I even knew what I was doing, and waved it at the Stormclouds, forcing them to keep their distance. Steadfast drew his warhammer, and Mystic put up a ward around us as we formed a protective circle around Mephalda.

“What are you doing?” Stormcloud asked incredulously.

“I won’t let you kill my friend,” I said, “She may have been a Blackwing once, but she’s changed.”

“Impossible. Once a Blackwing, always a Blackwing. You don’t know what you’re doing.”

“I know Mephalda,” I said, “And I know that she’d do the same for me. If you want her dead, you’ll have to kill me first.”

“Sapphire, listen to yourself,” Stormcloud said, “Is she really worth dying for?”

“Yes, she is,” I answered firmly.

“You’re really willing to sacrifice yourself over this?”

I nodded in response while Stormcloud scowled at me. Then, slowly, his face began to soften and he gave a sigh.

“Very well,” he said unhappily, “I trust you, and if you vouch for her, then I shall allow her to remain. You’re an honorable pony, and I have to respect the loyalty you’ve shown to your friend. If I didn’t, then everything I fight for is hollow.”

“You won’t harm her?” I asked suspiciously.

“No,” he replied, “Even though I still feel it’s a poor idea to allow a Blackwing, any Blackwing, to live, I won’t threaten Mephalda again.”

I let down my guard, putting my sword away. Steadfast also sheathed his weapon, and Mystic allowed her ward to fall. Mephalda tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to look at her.

“Did you really mean all that?” she asked.

“Of course I did,” I said, “You’re my friend. I’d never abandon you.”

My eyes were suddenly drawn downward as I noticed a red glow coming from my chest. I pulled out the hexagonal Element I’d picked up in Forelhorse and held it up before my eyes. Sure enough, it was the source of the glow, which grew brighter every second until it swallowed up everything else, and I was forced to close my eyes against the brightness.

Like back in the Dawnstar Sanctuary, all the ponies around me were still there, but the walls and floor were not. Also, everything was tinged red instead of orange this time.

‘Loyalty,’ a voice once more spoke from everywhere at once.

It was similar to the voice I’d heard within the Element of Honesty, but not quite the same. The odd accent was gone, replaced with a tone that suggested the speaker was extremely sure of herself.

‘Loyalty is what holds friendships together when times get tough,’ the voice continued, ‘For without Loyalty, any relationship falls apart at the slightest hardship. Loyalty can be hard to maintain, for being truly loyal means that you take upon the trials of not only your only life, but those of your friends as well. Of course, like all great virtues, Loyalty can be easily corrupted. Witness now, the story of Naghot.’

Everything slid away from me, until I overlooked the same ancient version of Horizon I had when viewing the story of Voldehorse. This time, the action centered around Naghot as the voice narrated the events that befell her.

‘Naghot learned the importance of Loyalty in Horizon during a time when many ponies betrayed their neighbors for their own ambitions. Still, she clung to her belief in Loyalty, and it guided her to five other ponies, who all became the fastest of friends. The dragons, pleased with the harmony of the Six Companions, bestowed upon them the most powerful artifacts of all time: the Elements of Harmony. The Six Companions proclaimed themselves to be Dragon Priests, special emissaries to and from the dragons. The fantastical power they wielded was used to the benefit of all, ushering in a new era of prosperity for Horizon.’

‘But absolute power corrupts absolutely, and the Dragon Priests began to abuse their powers for their own benefit. Naghot took a cynical view of ponykind, believing them all to be the backstabbing wretches she had known in her youth. She searched Horizon for anypony who betrayed each other, in however small a way, and punished them for their crimes. However, in the process, she broke nearly every commitment she had made herself, becoming the very things she sought to destroy. Her vast purges caused the ponies of Horizon to rise up against her and seal her within Forelhorse, where she could no longer scrutinize all their dealings and punish them for the smallest inconsistency.’

‘Loyalty must be guarded carefully and used properly. Taken to an extreme, it can be just as devastating as if it is not followed at all. Guard your loyalties carefully, and do not make or break commitments lightly.’

Horizon flew from my sight, and a bright flash of red blinded me, returning me to reality.

“So, which one was it this time?” Steadfast asked.

“Loyalty,” I replied, “Standing up for Mephalda must’ve activated it.”

“Well, that means we’ve only got four more to go,” he pointed out.

“That’s true,” I said, “And we know where one of them is at least.”

Suddenly the entire city shook, and a strange hum filled the air. Along with the Stormclouds, we rushed outside to see what was going on. A huge shimmering field covered Markekarth, causing all of the town’s residents and invaders alike to murmur worriedly.

“We know where it is,” Mephalda said, “But getting to it could prove to be a problem.”