The next day started abruptly as Silver was kicked off his cot by an infuriated jackal. "We should have known better than to trust a horse!" He grunted and roared, the fur falling from him as he became more human than jackal, though his tail twitched fitfully and his ears were homed in on Silver. "Stand up and fight, coward and traitor! You think you can kidnap our weak away without our noticing? You think because they are the least, we don't care about them? They are family! Coward, filth, weak!" He spat on the sand with a growling snarl, ready to fight.
Silver scrambled to his hooves as he brought up a retributive shield, flames dancing around him in a circle as he scowled at his attacker. "I'm here to save you, Anubians, not kidnap a soul. If they don't want to come with me, they won't."
He laughed, a deep and almost manic sound. "Your sweet words will make the weak think they want to go, until you clap collars around their necks and press them into service. I won't let you steal them!" He lunged at Silver with gleaming claws.
Silver drew power into his lungs as he reared up and lashed with his hooves. He turned aside the claws even as the fire of his spell crashed into the angry jackal. He wasn't quite as fast as Nefertari, and he had thrown himself into range, just to be caught by Silver long enough to be set on fire. The jackal's fighting spirit seemed to be enough to force the flames out, smoldering as he snarled and dug a claw into Silver's still-sore legs and pulled him roughly to the ground. "Down! Horses walk on all fours, pathetic warrior."
Other jackals were watching with keen interest and started to cheer one or the other on, but they didn't interfere with the battle. It was deemed worthy and fair, and they would resolve it through their strength and skill.
"Horses are dangerous," growled Silver before he spun around and bucked with all the power he had watched Applejack put into knocking apples from trees. His horseshoes sparked with magic as they collided with the chest of the defiant jackal, sending him back several feet, but he remained standing.
"Is that--" He paused to spit some blood out on the ground. "--The best you have?! Do you think so little of me? You won't even show us your true warrior form?" He moved like a blur, grabbing one of Silver's legs and wrenching it out of its socket with a terrifying strength. Silver collapsed with a graceless wail of pain. "Fight me, for real, or roll over and beg for my mercy."
Silver scrambled up on his three working legs even as he worked a new spell. There were many, failed, versions of his signature spell, one of which felt right. The air around him began to shimmer with heat as he gathered the flames poorly, on purpose. "You think you can win against me? We'll see that. I've been a human for longer than you have."
The jackal actually paused. "W-what? How dare you speak that name!? What do you even know of it?!" He charged with extended claws and plunged through the flames, but Silver had moved aside when the flames got thick enough to block vision. He bit down into the jackal's exposed side and plunged his wickedly sharp fangs into that human flesh. The blood tasted strange and the dizziness returned with a vengeance. That human spirit seemed to dislike his blood drinking, but drink he did, and he fed his pain back into the jackal, making the warrior hesitate in the flames that threatened to burn and consume him.
The jackal threw Silver back in a heap and freed himself from the flames, singed, but still furious. "Full of tricks, horse warrior, but you're just making me angry, not stopping me." He threw a furry hand towards the flap of the tent. "Come in here!"
A male jackal stepped in, ears low and posture meek. "Y-yes, warrior sir?"
He grinned, showing off some of the blood in his mouth. "Tell Silver here the truth."
The jackal that was called in winced and trembled. "I-I told them, sir. I don't want to be a slave of the Equestrians. I-I don't want to be the princess's servant and forget what it means to be a jackal, sir."
The jackal warrior waved the meek one back. "You hear that? It's already happened to you, 'prince'. You're her servant, not her 'friend' or ally. Wake up!" He dodged nimbly around an incoming fireball and struck Silver across the face with a low thud of knuckles against flesh. "You're twice the fool!"
Silver felt a familiar anger welling up in him with every blow and injury. He didn't want to lose. He couldn't lose! People were counting on him. Even that misguided little jackal deserved to be saved. He rose up from his heap as his body twitched and spasmed with pain and power combined. "You'll get your chance to fight and die for what you believe in," huffed Silver as muscle became more dense and his leg popped back into place. "I won't stop you, any of you. The battle's coming for you, a chance to prove yourself true warriors."
The jackal reached for Silver's necklace, ready to heft him up, but a hand grabbed the jackal at his wrist and squeezed hard enough to force his hand loose. "But I'm taking those who want to go. You can be fools until you're dead, I won't stop you, but I will save everyone who wants to be saved, to live the life they want, how they want to, servant of no one."
Silver threw the angry jackal back and rose to his humanoid stance, though his feet were still hooves. He was a human-pony once more. He was neither human nor pony, instead something less, and something more. He didn't like the form, but he needed it. He hated his old humanity, but it fed him.
The tent exploded in cheers at seeing two warriors ready to face off and they began to bang drums and carry on with amazing fervor, but Silver tried to focus on his opponent who was already on his feet. He wasn't as powerful at Nefertari, but he was already hurt. Injuries sustained at her claws, and his, slowed him. In his favor, he had shown his foe flames and heat, and the pain wasn't entirely ignored.
They met with hands first, but Silver had a horn. He brought his head back and slammed it into the jackal. His howl and an empathetic 'oooo' from the crowd was the signal of the strike. He felt warm blood oozing down his horn and pulled back to see he had ruined an eye. The jackal slapped over his face with a hand. "You..." Perhaps fueled by his agony, he spun with a speed that seemed impossible and planted a furry paw into Silver's midsection, sending him flying back into one of the posts of the tent and almost bring the whole thing down.
Silver hopped to his hooves on time to receive a punch in his gut. His enhanced muscles turned aside much of the blow, leaving a dull stinging. He balled a fist and slammed it into the jackal's face, turning it aside but only for a moment before he felt teeth on him. The jackal bit his hand despite his human face, then jumped back. "So... You can fight..."
Silver shook out his hand before retaking his stance. "I'd rather not fight you."
"Why? Do you mock me? Do you pity me?" He moved in cautiously. "Are you that sure?"
Silver smiled sadly. "I'm just here to make sure everyone goes the way they want to. You should be saving your strength. You'll need it."
A meaty fist came between the two. The alpha male of the jackals stood there. "Enough. You've both proven your points." He pointed at Silver. "You think we'll be dashed, crushed under the tide of horses and cats? I laugh at the idea of it, but your fighting spirit does not lie. You see a terrible future, and you act to save others from it." He shoved the injured jackal back. "Fine! Take those that will go with you, but on one condition, one you must swear as a warrior. Should we prove victorious, you will return them, and yourself. You will become one of us, forever, and put that strength of yours to our use and forsake your horse ties."
The injured jackal bristled, his tail twitching as he snarled, his one remaining eye squinting with fury. "He deserves to be torn apart, not invited back!"
The alpha would hear no complaint. He grabbed the injured one and slammed him into the ground with frightening ease. "You have been told what will be done! Unless you wish to challenge me, you will obey!"
The tent grew quiet at the alpha's anger. They knew who the strongest was. The alpha huffed softly. "Go, horse prince. Follow that soft heart of yours. We'll see you again soon, or we'll all be dead. Either way you won't have hurt anyone."
Silver fell to all fours as his body grew fur quickly and fatigue swamped him. "T-thank you. I'm... I'm very tired right now. Where can I sleep?"
He laughed softly. "There's no time for sleep. Take them and go, or you'll be fighting alongside us. It's time to move. The scouts have found the army you're whispering about, and our tribe is charged with turning them back at the border." He turned to the other jackals gathered. "They don't have nearly enough to face us! We'll dash their hopes and dreams before they can even start!" The tent exploded with enthusiastic cheers and he led them away, to prepare for battle.
Silver let out a rough sigh. He was tired, sore, and bleeding, but there were no breaks for him. He pulled himself from the ground only to see a jackal in front of him, snarling. It was the challenger, though he had returned to being a jackal. "Are you here to fight more?"
He shook his head. "You've beaten me, just when I was most needed... You stole my eye..."
Silver winced a little. If he could undo that particular injury... "I'm sorry."
He snorted and slapped Silver across his still bloody horn. "Sorry means nothing. I won't be useless. You're guiding the weak and infirm, I will protect them. I will keep them away from the slavers you are guiding them towards. They need a warrior with his head on straight beside them."
The jackal that had blabbed on Silver approached looking quite shamefaced. "Um, sir? Are you sure about this?"
He thumped his chest. "I am too weak to fight the horses and the cats, but ponies? I'll crush them all if they try to threaten my people, small or large." He glared then at Silver. "I am known as Firm Touch, roughly translated. Firm'll suffice, horse warrior."
Silver nodded and began towards the exit. "Fine, I accept your offer. Let's get everyone who's coming and meet at the south side of the town, quickly."