Seraphimus touched down and sprinted the rest of the way on crunching snow. At last, her limbs locked, and she scuffled to a powdery stop along the western edge of the burning tavern. The rest of the Talon landed all around her, gaping at the scene.
"Verlaxion's sleet!" Raptr exclaimed.
"Where in the Hell did this fire come from?!" Windburst exclaimed.
"The ponies who ran out of the blaze claim that a unicorn was battling with the Rainbow Rogue," Starstorm said. "They must have started a fire in their struggles."
"Yeah, well that fire has spread," Windburst said, his expert eyes narrowing. "All of the windows are blocked by the blaze on the inside."
"Do we have any explosives?" Raptr exhaled. "Maybe we could blow a wall open and rescue those inside!"
"Not a good idea." Windburst shook his head. "That structure looks old... and weak. Any wrong move could tear the whole thing down."
"Well we have to do something!" Starstorm said.
"Commander..."
The Talon looked over their armored flanks to see Sarda rushing up with several ponies. "My villagers are drawing as much water that we can from the well." He gulped. "But much of it is frozen. I-I don't think we have the resources to put out this fire in time."
"Be at ease, Mr. Sarda," Seraphimus said. "We will lend you our might." She turned towards her subordinates. "Starstorm, Raptr, assist the villagers in drawing water. Use your manatorches to thaw the surface ice of their well."
"Aye, Commander." Both griffons flew off.
Seraphimus turned to give a command to Windburst.
"Where's your Lieutenant?" Sarda asked.
Seraphimus blinked. "...Keris?"
"Wasn't he on this side of town?"
"I... I don't see him, Commander," Windburst remarked.
One of the villagers parked worriedly outside the tavern looked over. "The griffon with the injured arm?" she remarked.
Windburst looked over. "Did you see what happened to him?"
The pony bit her lower lip. "He... he threw himself through one of the burning windows barely a minute and a half ago."
"I-I think he went in to help the ponies trapped inside!" exclaimed another pony.
"Goddess..." Sarda exhaled.
"Commander, at the rate this tavern is burning..." Windburst clenched his beak tight.
Seraphimus gawked at the scene with wide eyes. Her feathertips rose under her helmet, and a howling voice escaped her beak: "Lieutenant!"
"Grnnnngh!" Keris, Rainbow Dash, and a pair of stallions rammed their shoulders against the crack in the wall of the tavern. Whudd!
"Again!" Keris hollered.
"Rrrrrr-grrrghh!" Th-Thuddd!
The fissure refused to widen.
Keris winced. The griffon had to lean back and rub his injured arm as he surveyed the burning scene.
"It's no use!" A stallion wheezed and coughed amidst the thickening fumes. "This part of the foundation is stuck hard in the ground! It'd take an enraged manticore to knock it loose!"
"Make that five manticores!" another stallion whimpered. "Face it!" He coughed and sputtered. "We're all gonna roast in here!"
"Yeesh, is every pony in Rohbredden either a coward or a criminal?" Rainbow Dash growled as she looked around. "Let's just think! There's gotta be something we can use to ram the wall down!"
"There's no time to think!" a mare whimpered. A loud groan rolled through the flaming tavern. "You hear that? It's collapsing as we speak!"
"In Verlaxion's name, let's all remain calm," Keris said. Taking a deep breath, he turned and squinted across the flickering ashes at Rainbow. "Miss Dash, do your ghostly friends sense a solution?"
"The Hell is this catbird going on about?" stammered a stallion.
"Rarity? Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow Dash grumbled. "Could really use a miracle right about now."
"I'm afraid there aren't many options, darling," Rarity said. She pointed at the fissure. "It's given way about as far as it'll manage."
Twilight fumbled for words. "Maybe... we could wake up the unicorn who attacked us and see if she values everypony's lives enough to force the hole wider with her magic?"
"Yeah, I doubt that," Rainbow grunted.
"Rainbow, the Talon is outside," Fluttershy whispered.
"Duly noted, Flutters."
"Well we can't just give up!" Twilight Sparkle frowned. "Let's ask the Lieutenant if he has any bright ideas! He's experienced enough!"
"Pffft! And just what is Mr. Handsome Bird gonna suggest?" Pinkie Pie shrugged. "That we detach that big hulking wagon wheel over our heads and use it as a steamrolling battering ram?!"
"... ... ...!!!" Rainbow Dash looked straight up.
The tavern's wagon wheel chandelier wobbled precariously overhead. The chain holding it up dragged out of the ceiling, one inch at a time.
"There!" Rainbow pointed. "That!"
"Huh?" a stallion blinked.
"That thing looks dense as heck! And it can roll into the wall!" She looked over at Keris. "Lieutenant, think you can bring it down?"
"Everypony stand back!" Schiiiing! The villagers flinched as Keris unsheathed his wingblades. The griffon narrowed his eyes, uncoiled his muscles, and—Swisssssh!—soared straight for the ceiling with expert grace. SN-SNAP! The tips of his blades lopped the chain holding the wheel up.
The heavy thing fell straight down and plowed through a set of tables, reducing them to burning splinters.
"Come on!" Rainbow rushed over, waving at the the other ponies. "Help me stand it up on end!" She grunted, pushing up on the thing with petite blue hooves. "Snkkkkt!"
"You've gotta be kidding me..." One stallion protested as he nevertheless rushed to the wheel along with everypony else. "This is too stupid to work!"
"Do you... even... h-hear yourself...?!" Rainbow gnashed her teeth.
Keris landed, then threw his good shoulder into the wheel. "Have a little faith, friends. On three. One... two... three..."
"Heave!"
Everypony grunted and wheezed. Nevertheless, with their combined muscular strength, they were able to lift the massive wheel up on end.
Rainbow took one side with two stallions while Keris took the other side with one stallion and two mares.
"What next?!" the bar maid stammered.
"Now..." Panting, Rainbow nodded her head towards the fissure in the wall. "We roll it!"
Fwooomb! The bar went up in a brilliant blaze.
"Better h-hurry!" a stallion exclaimed.
"Keep it steady..." Keris glared at the crack. "...aaaaand..."
"Roll!" Rainbow hollered.
The survivors steadily shoved the wheel along. Halfway along its path, the hulking object picked up speed. When it came into contact with the fractured wall, it did so with a collossal THUD!
Crkkkk!
"Oooh!" Pinkie grinned. "I like that sound!"
The wheel wobbled, but the ponies managed to hold it upright—even as it teetered back.
"Did that do it?!" a mare yelped.
"Rarity!" Rainbow hollered. "How's it look?"
"Seriously, who is she talking to?"
Rarity phased through the wheel. One and a half seconds later, she came flying back with a smile. "One more hit should do it, Rainbow!"
"You heard her!" Twilight exclaimed. "Let's free everyone!"
"One more hit!" Rainbow yelled, already pulling the wheel back. "Come on! We can do it!"
"Is she nuts?!" a stallion yelped. "It's clearly not working—"
"Do as she says or we'll use your head instead!" Keris suddenly growled, silencing the group. Once the ponies had rolled the wheel back a sizable distance, he flashed a sweaty look at Rainbow. "You say when."
"Alright..." Rainbow Dash cracked her joints and gripped the wheel tighter.
"Ohmygoodness!" Fluttershy covered her eyes. "I can't look!"
"One... two... three..."
"Heave!"
Tongues of flame erupted around the ponies as they made their last run. The heavy wheel grinded loudly over debris and splinters.
"This is it!" Pinkie chirped. "I'm feeling it!"
"With all your might!" Rainbow hollered in mid shove. "That's it! Raaaugh!"
SMASSSSH!
A burst of gray light and cold air swam into the tavern. Almost immediately, a fountain of flames shot outward.
"Duck!" Keris dragged two ponies to the floor with him. The rest of the group leapt to the ground as waves of fire exited the tavern overhead.
In the meantime, the wagon shattered completely, forming a tiny pile of wooden debris in the fresh hole that had been made.
"It's open!" a mare cried. "We're through!"
"Good!" Rainbow shouted. "Everypony out!"
Keris was already standing up, helping ponies up to their hooves and out the broken wall. "Put as much distance between yourself and this building as you can!"
"He's right, Rainbow!" Rarity exclaimed. She pointed at several spiderweb fissures froming from the hole. "It won't last for long!"
"Yo, Lieutenant!" Rainbow hollered.
"We haven't much time." He nodded. As the rest of the citizens rushed out, he glanced down at Longaze's body. "I suspect this creature has many answers."
"Yeah." Rainbow nodded. "Better carry her out."
Both knelt down and heaved the unicorn's figure over Keris' flank. "Rainbow," he managed between panting breaths. "I can't exactly promise clemency, but if you gave yourself up after what's happened today—"
"It's not gonna fly, dude," Rainbow said, lifting Longaze's limp legs over. "Verlax doesn't even want me captured. She said so herself."
Keris' magenta eyes twitched. "The... the Goddess spoke to you?"
"Erm... yes and no. An ice golem freed me."
"Ice... golem...?"
"Long and short of it: I can't give myself in. There's too much at st—"
"Rainbow!" Rarity's voice shrieked.
Crkkkkkkkk-kkkkkk! The ceiling of the tavern cracked and bulged above them.
Keris and Rainbow's eyes widened. They looked at each other.
That's when Rainbow shoved Keris' body with her forelimbs. "Rnnngh!"
"Rainb—!" Keris fell back through the blistery hole.
A chunk of burning debris consumed the spot where they were standing. CRASSSSSSSH!
"Oooomf!" Keris collapsed in the snow. Longaze's limp body rolled down the opposite bank.
The griffon winced from his injured limb. Sitting up, he flashed the tavern a look of horror.
The west half of its roof had collapsed entirely. Brilliant flames leapt up, licking at the snowy air.
"There!" Sarda's voice shouted. "I see your Lieutenant!"
"Keris!" Seraphimus flew over, followed by Windburst and several villagers. "Lieutenant, are you alright?!"
"I..." Keris blinked, stammering out his beak. "I-I'm..."
Seraphimus clenched her eyes shut, weathered a deep sigh, then calmly rested a talon on his shoulder. "That was excellent work you did, Lieutenant, in saving all of those citizens." She cleared her throat. "But I truly wish you had utilized the assistance of Starstorm or another member of the Talon, considering your injured state."
"I... d-didn't save them on my own..."
"Huh?"
"Yes...!" The bar maid nodded, frazzled. A villager draped a blanket over her shivering figure as she spat: "The blue pegasus! With a shaved mane!"
"The Rainbow Rogue helped us!"
Seraphimus blinked. She looked at Keris. "Is this true?"
Keris nodded numbly from where he sat. He pointed a trembling claw at the partially collapsed tavern. "She's in there..."
Seraphimus' charcoal eyes rested on the burning scene.