Tabitha was knocked over backwards as she tried to duck in close to Fast Shadow.
"Not bad." Fast shook her head. "You're learning the reach of my weapon. I'm far less dangerous up close, but I'm already too close for your comfort, as you can see. Get back up, we're making progress."
Tabitha did as she was told, wearing a scowl of determination.
Rome glanced aside at Maud, who was also watching the training. "Was she this rough with you?"
Maud tilted her head back at him. "We didn't spar much. She said I knew how to fight."
"That doesn't mean I don't want to." Fast danced aside as Tabitha tried to swat at her. "Stop that, it's unbecoming. You're a wizard, act like one and don't slap me unless your hands are ready to make me explode or something equally as impressive."
Rome chuckled softly. "I imagine her sparring time was taken up with the less experienced members of your party. How long have you ventured with her?"
Maud considered it. "Has it been a month? I lost track."
"Only a month?" replied Fast, sounding surprised and getting a light slap across the snout for it. "Tabitha, really?"
"A hit is a hit." Tabitha put her hands on her hips. "Maybe you should be the one practicing your dodges."
Rome burst into laughter. "Are you going to accept that from your student, Fast? She's showing you up quite well."
Fast advanced with a frown. Tabitha danced back only to trip over her still new hooves and land on her rump in the sand. With a sudden cry of frustration she flung some of the sand up at Fast, but it wasn't sand that struck home. The sand reformed into a barrage of razor-sharp rocks that sprayed Fast, stopping her advance instantly. "What in the name of the gods was that?!" She cried out as she staggered back, bleeding from several thin lines across her unprotected head, though her armor stood up to the abuse well.
Maud raised a hoof. "Those were rocks."
Tabitha scrambled upright in the sand. "You're not hurt, are you?"
"I dare say I am, a little." Fast smiled. "Very good. It seems you do have some magic besides little taps. That felt like real magic. Next time you're trying to put the hurt on something try that instead of that little light show you've been using."
Tabitha gestured at Fast. "Sure, that one doesn't hit so hard, but look."
Fast looked back at herself, then returned to Tabitha. "What am I seeing? Are you ready to teach me a lesson today?"
"I am." Tabitha smiled. "The spell only hit you where the armor didn't cover you. Against a real enemy, I'd have to aim a lot better than praying to the gods." She rolled a hand. "On the other hand, the 'light show' doesn't care where it lands. Where it hits, it hurts."
Fast sat herself on her haunches and brought up her hooves to clop them metallically on each other. "A very good observation. There's hope for you yet, Tabitha. Understanding your weapons and when to use them is a mark of a warrior that can be trusted in a fight."
Their sparring resumed, but not for long. Fast guided Tabitha to an open section of ground and set up a target for her to practice aiming at, and things transitioned to target practice.
The camp packed up and their trek resumed, pushing further into the desert. Rome strode towards the front of the line. "If we keep up the pace we're moving at, we should reach proper pony lands within the week, or at least escape this damned desert."
Tree looked around slowly as she walked. "There sure are a lot of protections for the pony kingdom."
"Protection..." Rome tilted his head. "I hadn't thought of it that way. It's true, from the south and east, we are well isolated, geographically."
Fast snorted softly. "For what good it does. They come in from the Northeast, through Kadiston and north from there."
Rome scowled a bit under his helmet. "To say nothing of the damned elves, working their fell magic from the west."
Maud inquired in her placid tone, "What did the elves do?"
"They took something that didn't belong to them." Rome snorted loudly. "To put it mildly. They snatched the magic of clouds from us, just when we were least able to do a damn thing about it, and most needed it. A people already scattered from the loss of their Queen, subjected to wild weather that their bravest weather ponies could do nothing about."
Fast inclined a brow. "Speaking of that. I notice you, and many of your soldiers, are pegasi. I thought they took off to get their cloud magic back."
"Most, not all." Rome marched with a frown for a moment. "Some of us remember our duty to the empire before our need for revenge. Our people aren't served by us taking flight across a damn ocean to strike at a foe of unknown strength when we're needed right here, protecting our fellow ponies."
They pushed forward, ascending to the top of a dune. A small band of ponies spotted them as they saw them in kind, but they fled before the presence of the military band. "Bandits, by the look of it," reported one of Rome's scouts. "Doubt they want to tangle with such a large force. Should we pursue?"
Rome waved it off. "Tempting, but we're on a mission. They'll have to wait for proper justice."
As they descended from the dune, the sky darkened to an ominous red color, like blood spreading across the sky. "By the gods." Rome thrust a hoof up. "Bloodfall, everyone, be ready."
Tree perked an ear at Rome. "What's a Bloodfall? Is it going to, like, literally rain blood on us? That's kind of radical."
"Would that it were so simple. It's an elemental bleed." Rome saw Tree's look of incomprehension and sighed. "It means we're going to be greeting demonic creatures. Be ready for battle."
Fast slid her helmet into place. "Have they been getting worse? You hardly sound surprised to run into one."
Before a reply could be supplied, the ground to the right rent asunder, sand pouring down into the gaping hole as creatures began to emerge, misshapen and menacing. With scrabbling claws and unearthly screeches, they charged as one for the pony procession, eager to do battle.
With a ready shout, the charge was met. Fast, Maud, and Paul were near the front of the counter-attack, crashing into the demonic gathering. Sword, lance, and hoof met toughened flesh. With their moans of tormented souls, they reached with bleeding arms and hungry teeth for the ponies. They didn't strike with individual strength, but there were plenty there to bring down soldiers in a mass of screeching hostility.
Rome dove in, sword swinging to free one of his ponies from one of the piles of demons. "Stay together, watch each other's backs. Use your brains and survive the day!" One of the gibbering creatures launched itself at Rome, only to catch several large rocks along the way, collapsing to the ground at his hooves. Rome nodded to Tabitha, even if he only knew what vague direction she was, and pressed into the battle.
Tree's ball of fire rested, forgotten at the side of the battle after she found the creatures seemed to care little about being burned. She had to fight claw to claw, with Bright hovering over her and lending what help he could.
For those that fell, the demons seemed to be quick to start dragging them back towards the rip in reality. While they struggled to heft up and move their pony victories, Paul was lighter than the ponies, and easier to cart off. When he was finally beaten down, the blood of many demons running along his massive blade, one hefted him up and ran, only to catch a blast of sharpened stones in the back and tumble forward. Paul struck the ground and awoke from the impact. "What?"
He was already sliding down with the sand towards the rip and started scrambling for the lip of the forming pit. With a roar of fury, he started gaining against the sand, practically flying across the edge of where the sand ran freely and running back towards the battle. Tree met him as he dove into battle and saw to the worst of his terrible wounds before they turned their attention back to their demonic host.
As if the horde were anchoring the rift with their sheer numbers, it began to shake and tremble with their defeat. Too many fell, and it began to seal with a great sucking sound, drawing the remaining demons back through to their home. Suddenly, it was calm. The sand was undisturbed as if nothing had happened, save for the shared pony, human, and demonic blood that was scattered across it.
"Attack!" The small band they had spotted before rode down on them suddenly, blades at the ready.
Rome turned to them, bloodied, but grinning. "After a demon horde? Come on, let's get a little cool down exercise." His soldiers cheered roughly, though the more injured stayed where they were.
"Take out the wizard!" Shouted one of them, galloping for Tabitha with two friends charging at either side.
Tabitha felt drained and tired. She was fairly certain she couldn't manage another massive stone attack, and they looked better armored than the horde of demons had, so she flung light at the leader and started running towards her allies.
Fast met him just as he rocked back from the sudden blast. The small pain of the pony princess' blast was quickly forgotten as enchanted steel slid effortlessly into his barrel. "You picked the wrong fight today." She kicked the skewed bandit leader free. "Any of you want to surrender?"
They didn't. Perhaps in part to not receiving a second chance. Rome's ponies descended on them in a wave of furious steel and hooves. The bandits were left for the sand to deal with. Rome gestured over the scattered bodies. "Take what's worth taking. Let's put some distance between us before we settle for some rest." He turned to address his soldiers. "You all served well today. This won't be the day Everglow falls to outsiders, demonic or otherwise." His words of encouragement were met with a returned cheer, and the journey officially resumed.
Tree moved up besides Maud. "Funny thing, for a little while I was really thinking about staying, but, man, I'm not sure I could handle this. I'm really looking forward to chilling out when this is all over. I need to decompress really bad." To her surprise, a leg went over her and she was pulled up close to Maud. No words were exchanged, but Tree smiled and closed her eyes, walking side-by-side with Maud. It wasn't as nice as going home, but it came close enough for the moment.