//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Battle of GeldingHold Keep Part.1 // Story: The Jaded Quill // by Im_a_Turtle //------------------------------// //----------------------------- // Chapter 2: Battle of Gelding Hold Keep Part.1 //----------------------------- *Thrum-bum-bum-dum-bum* The loud booming of the war drums and the thundering drone of the war horns echoed across the land as projectiles flew across the bright blue sky. The horde of black and brown stood barely five miles away from the castle, slowly creeping on its stone prey. Standing against the horde were the high stone walls and the legions of steel clad ponies that stood on them. Flags and banners of yellow and blue waved proudly in strong winds as they stood along the top of the thick castle walls. Gigantic glowing azure orbs bolted past the banners and over the walls like blue misty ravens shooting across the sky. "Pull!" a voice echoed from the battlement walls. *Clack!**Creak* *Swoosh* The line trebuchets in the main courtyard creaked loudly as they launched their enchanted payload. Bright blue mist balls streamed across the sky towards the rustling black horde. Some defenders could hear loud squealing and yelling from the mob as the magic missiles hit with bright splashes of searing energy. Moments later a loud bellowing voice sounded from the clamorous mob, "Fire!" The deafening sound of catapult arms slapping against the wooden stoppers resounded across the fields. Large brown and tan balls of mud and clay shot out from the crude catapults, chunks of mud trailing behind them as they spattered down across the fields. The great mud balls tore through the wind as they headed towards the gray bastion. "Shields up! Brace yourselves!" the captains called as the clay spheres drew closer. A sea of shimmering blue and gleaming steel shields rose up from the top of the walls. The soldiers braced themselves as they lifted their shields up towards the sky. A few seconds passed, each defender hoping to their ancestors that he wouldn't get hit. In that time, the only sounds were the loud booming of the war drums and the quiet clatter of metal brushing against metal. During the last few moments, both were drowned out by the deafening howl of enormous objects moving far faster than they had any right to. *Schoom**Bash!* Thundering thuds and crashes came at random as the battlements were pelted by the shower of large clay balls. Ponies ducked under whatever they could find with eyes clenched and prayers whispered. Thundering booms and thuds shook the stone beneath their hooves as the mud balls smacked against the walls. An unlucky few were knocked into the courtyard below, the loud crashing of shields and metal mixing with their yelps and screams. In the courtyard, the foot soldiers posted there pulled off their helmets and began using them to dig aggressively into the recently formed mounds of mud and clay. Once they found their groaning, dirt-covered comrades, they started pulling their weakened bodies from their muddy traps. Many of the crushed ponies were unconscious from shock and pain, making the rescuers worry even more as they saw the damage done. Voices of soldiers echoed from below, and above them those foolish enough to take their eyes off the enemy looked down to watch their mud covered colleagues get dragged to the infirmaries. "Load!" a captain yelled from below as the creaky trebuchets retracted their long wooden arms again. ************************ The war drums echoed throughout the great stone halls of the fortress as soldiers and civilians scrambled about, frantically trying to find something useful to do. Boxes and wagons were being dragged across the polished floors towards the entrances as soldiers scrambled through the rooms in search of any abandoned ponies. A young bronze colored stallion was galloping through the hall in a panic, his short black wavy locks drifting through the wind as he sped past the bustling crowds. His small curled goatee fluttered left to right as he dodged the crowd with utmost care. His fine bronze chain link robe, each link the size of an ant, shook and rattled with his every step. On the stallion's back was an overstuffed knapsack of scrolls and books that bounced around as he ran. He was stopped as a soldier caught his shoulder. "You there, scholar! You're not supposed to be here, we're evacuating the arcane tower and the far eastern wings. You need to get to the catacombs as quickly as possible!" The young stallion was about to conjure up his excuse, but was preempted by a deep, formal, and above all loud voice. "Parthel, come to me, I need your assistance," an intimidatingly large light blue unicorn called out. His mouth moved behind his smooth, wavy beard and the oversized purple hat accorded only to the greatest magi, his hoof motioning the young stallion towards him. The mage turned his head towards the guard. His eyes were covered by his frown and his bushy eyebrows, which often made ponies wonder whether or not he could even see. The middle aged blue unicorn was garbed in a dark blue silk robe with golden trim. Bright yellow magical hieroglyphs blanketed the body of the robe. A large brass-beaded necklace hung heavily around the unicorn's neck beneath a jet black beard where stray gray hairs were beginning to show themselves. The brass beads all had magical runes deeply engraved all around their shining spherical bodies, some glowing different colors depending on how they were engraved. But aside all of the pleasant attire, the most noticeable trait on this dignitary was his ungodly bushy eyebrows that covered the majority of his eyes. The soldier bowed his head slightly to the dignified figure, eyes looking at the floor. "But sir, we were ordered by our lord to evacuate this wing. Please, I insist that you heed our lord's advice." A loud clank resonated from the soldier's helmet as the intimidating unicorn magically smacked him with his strange wooden staff. "Boy, I heard him once already, I don't need to be told again," he spat. His frowning eyes pierced through the soldier's body as the warrior pulled his steel helmet back from his eyes. "I will be taking the scholar with me to assist me in locking the arcane archives and preparing the surrounding area for possible breaches. Now, would you kindly take your hoof off of him? Time is of the essence!" the unicorn bellowed as he struck the bottom of his staff into the ground. "Uh- Yes, Grand Mage Vesuvius." The soldier quickly bowed his head and ran off to evacuate more cooperative, less volatile ponies. The bearded unicorn looked at Parthel with a smirk and nudged his head towards the stairs before walking towards them casually. Parthel followed anxiously up the stairs, searching around him as busy ponies sprinted across the halls. "But Master, shouldn't we be going to the catacombs? I've got the most important documents and scroll in here." He gestured towards his knapsack. "Those won't be necessary," the mage answered casually as he ever spoke. His head was stiffer than the trunk of a ancient tree as he was slowly strolling up the stairs. Echoes of battle resonated through the thick stone walls as Parthel looked at the grand master in worry. "B-but the war outside! We need to protect these books! In the wrong hooves they can-" Vesuvius motioned his staff towards Parthel's mouth. "This is the third battle this year," he noted. "I'm very confident that the castle will hold and the Aspidians will be the victors again." Parthel took a deep breath* as he was about to speak, only to be once again beaten to the punch by his master. "Another thing, Parthel." He looked into the bronze earth pony's eyes. "You really mustn't panic like this all the time, it is not healthy for a young lad like yourself." His brows crunched together briefly, Parthel's concerns about the books finally registering. "Also, about the books, why do you insist we save only a few when we can save them all?" His beard almost completely concealed his small smirk as he stared straight ahead. "What do you mean?" The bronze stallion looked at the magi* with a very confused facial expression. "You'll see. Let's just hope that little twerp of a mechanic is still fumbling about in the arcane library," the unicorn mumbled confidently. One bushy brow cocked, revealing an eye, as he looked upwards to the staircase ceiling. Parthel edged his head away from the mage and looked out a passing window. He saw the black flood slowly move closer towards the castle walls as bright splashes of cyan and blue exploded randomly in its ranks. The invaders were just about one mile away castle. *********************** "Pull!" The captain yelled again from the walls. Loud clacking and creaking resonated from behind again as the bright bolts shot over the castle walls. --- "Shields! Now!" a bellowing voice yelled out as they were once more being bombarded with the wretched magical spheres. The pig men halted their march and drew up crude metal and wooden box shields over their bulky bodies. The siege workers threw themselves behind their siege engines as they waited for the horrid balls of bright mist to fall to earth. *ZZZOOOOM* *BOOM!* Heavy magical explosions roared and erupted in the shielded ranks, engulfing small groups of their boar brethren in a searing blue splash of magic. The bright splashes quickly subsided, leaving little flocks of retreating chickens and sheep clad in oversized armor. The brutes waited as they listened for their own catapults' counterattack and the launch their own missiles of destruction. A few moments later, the loud clacking of their own siege engines resonated as the huge clay balls took flight. The mud splattered on the boars' shields as the brown balls in the sky flew overhead. "Push forward! Do not stop until we reach the walls!" one of the Badland Boars roared out from between his large ivory tusks. "The Chieftain want them alive! More slaves for the horde!" a Boar Warlord bellowed as he swung his giant club towards the castle. The pig men shouted out a loud "Horaah!" before lowering their shields and quickened their pace. Their crudely made iron armor gave off a dull sheen as their shields lowered and let the summer sun spill over them once more. Crude helms with segments cut out of the back displayed their bright war manes and long mohawks. Their ivory tusks gleamed on their red-painted faces, their eyes burned with fiery rage and the unquenchable lust for conquest as they trudged onwards. Many brandished their war clubs and axes as they rumbled across the scorched grassland. A giant bell was struck behind the advancing mob, signaling the all out charge to the castle's main gate. Upon hearing the resonating sound, the Badland boars felt the tidal wave of adrenaline gush through their veins as they charged forward with an earth shaking battle cry: "Vo'k gaz Maghu'ul!" None Shall Stand! ************************** The black mob swarmed towards the keep, shaking the walls as dust and pebbles bounced off the edges. The winds carried the loud roar of charging boar men as the defenders stood nervously atop their stone bastion. The brutes were closing in quickly while the foot soldiers in the courtyard below frantically ran to the main gate. "Ready the ballistas!" a voice shouted from afar. As other captains down the wall repeated the order, lightly armored ponies with spears on their backs pulled large boxes out of the armory entranceway. Small pockets of ponies scattered on the wall as they dragged the heavy boxes onto the walls. Once placed on the turret stands, the ponies pulled ropes off of the boxes. The wooden walls fell revealing a giant mess of mechanical devices and doohickeys. The pieces of metal and wood were automatically moving and creaking into place, forming a brass ballista. Each of the ballistas contained four enchanted spears, each spear being housed in their own launch strip. This made each ballista resemble four huge metalcrossbows stuck on top of each other. The ponies quickly threw the spears into their housings and cranked the large crossbows like a dangerous jack-in-the-box. "Ballistas ready!" several voices yelled out across the battlements. A captain clad in plate armor and winged helm thrust his hoof towards the incoming enemy. "Fire!" *Clink**TWANG* The piercing sound of metallic twangs ripped through the air as all of the ballistas simultaneously launched their glowing spears. Down below, the pig men saw the ground in front of them go dark. Looking up only to see a wall of whistling spears cover the great blue sky. They completely halted their advance and drew up their shields to defend themselves from this new threat. The thunderous sound of metal colliding with their crudely made shields boomed across the plains as the metal storm fell upon them. Painful yelps resounded all over the ranks as many of the warriors' defenses were pierced through. Many made the mistake of pulling their shields up too high, revealing their legs. Once the thunder of steel rain subsided, the spear-covered shield walls were lowered. The wounded groaned loudly as they clutched at wounds that, bizarrely, weren't there. One boarish warlord who was hit in the chest lay on the ground in shock. His heart was rapidly beating as he slowly clasped the shaft of the spear that impaled his chest and quickly pulled. Searing pain shot through his whole body as the long spearhead slid out. His eyes squeezed shut, repressing the cold feeling of fear from his mind. He probed with his chest with his thick hands, expecting to feel the hot liquid stream out of his body... but he felt nothing other than the hole that pierced his iron breastplate. Fear began to creep on him again, and again he suppressed it, replacing it with anger. Checking that he hadn't passed on into the spirit world, he slowly opened his eyes. He was still on the debris-littered battlefield, and his troops that surrounded him were staring at him while still holding their spear rittled shields up in the air. The warlord frowned in bewilderment as he slowly brought his attention to the hole in his breastplate. He prepared for the worst as he lifted the plate above his chest, expecting to see the gore pooling under it. But instead, he saw his normal thumping hairy chest with a small hole of light over his left breast. His heart beat then started to gradually slow down as he looked at the spear in his other hand, the glowing head showing only a few chip marks on the tip and a few deep scratches. The warlord breathed in deeply as he forced himself up to his feet. His body was trembling uncontrollably as he brushed off the grass from his armor and grabbed his horned helmet. He then looked at his warriors. "F-forward you stupid fools! The battle is not won yet!" he stuttered loudly as he took the wooden end of the spear and swung at the stupid brutes. The spear broke into two as it collided with one boars helmet, the blockheaded boar under it took no notice of it. The warlord shook himself off and briefly stared at the spear. "Take these spears and throw them back! Make them know that their we don't fear their machines!" The boar warriors grinned mischievously at each other as they ripped the spears off their shields with ease. The warriors snapped back into their battle rage as they howled and sprinted towards the crowded walls. The warlord stood there with his thick hand over the spear hole in his armor plate, ignoring the battle as he contemplated on what had just happened. He thought about the feeling he experienced when the spear pierced his body. "Why did I fall so easily?!" He thought to himself, his anger began to increase at the thought of it. "Years of battle in the wastelands and this blasted toothpick brings me down like a weak pup..." The warlord took a last look of the spear head and chucked it into the ground. His mind was avoiding the truth of why he was pinned down. When he was hit with the enchanted spear, he had a terrifying sensation instantly shoot through his body. Not the sensation of death creeping up on him but another feeling. A feeling that the veteran of countless campaigns hadn't felt since he was a young pup. An urge to run home and cry. The warlord snarled loudly and shook the dishonorable thoughts out of his head as he followed his comrades back into battle.