Excerpts from the Luna War

by Sapare

Leadership

Thunk
The sound combined with the hefty pushback was something I had grown accostomed too over the years, the following scream however still send shivers down my spine. At least it implied that I had hit my target, it was not about the one that was hit so much as the ones who would be scared off.

"Keep pushing! You are not going to die in some godessforsaken land like this! Crossbows, cover the---" Our commander, who had let us against the initial ambush and then made sure we would keep our hoofs on the ground, fighting for all we had, was silenced in a single unlucky moment. Being busy reloading my crossbow I was hiding behind a barrel and looking right at him as he spoke, and a bolt struck his unguarded throat.

All of that were still left, a meager barly twenty ponies, wasted a moment of their fight to glance over at the now choking general. A legend of military leadership, ended not by a fair fight but a cunning trap. Our spirits were shaken by this, those who were supposed to lead the next charge foward did not move, and those who had orders to cover them with crossbow fire barly dared to show themself.

I could not blame any of my fellow soldiers, non of us were fully armored do to the surprise of the assault, and to kill a Gryphon seemed pointless, they were only waiting for one to die to in turn send in a new one. So far the only thing that kept us from being overwhelmed was the tightness of the corridors, purpesly build that way to be easily defendable. Not that any of that matter now, because this day had been nothing but a disaster. And now all of us would die here, deep in the Gryphon king's palace, Luna left to fend for herself, unaware--

"Just because he is dead does not mean his orders are! We have have even more of a reason to fight now! First longsword group, charge on my command. Crossbows, arm your weapons and hold fire till my command. These poor bastards know what just happened, but not that we are still willing to fight."

I am not sure what caused me to take up lead, but my duty to Luna meant that I could not die here today, not this close. As expected there were many uncertain glances and murmurs throughout the ranks of the few ponies still alive, the cold sting of our most recent loss still clouding their minds. But to my suprise the orders were fully accepted, the ponies armed with longsword taking cover behind our makeshift defenses while each and every crossbow was armed and cocked.

There was a strange silence throughout the hallway that was so recently filled with yells and the ringing noises of steel, the silence made it obvious that our enemy was as uneasy as we were. But then sound returned to the world, there was a loud screetching sound, the leading officer of the Gryphons was talking to us.

"Ponies, you have fought well! But your general lies dying and you are surrounded, place down your weapons and come out of that deathtrap, you will be treated... fairly."

The Gryphon did not even have to say it, but he meant fairly in context of how fairly Gryphon's treat their prisoners. However, I gave no order for us to move and instead I yelled back, giving careful glances to both sides of our defences.

"He is not dead! But we need medical help for him, if you want him alive you need to come over here now!"

There was a momentarly silence and more mumbling between my ranks, and then a response from the Gryphon.

"Why would we care about the life of a pony? If you want him to live bring him over here!"

The uncertainty in his voice made me smile for the first time today, I had him exactly where I wanted him.
"I believe you know very well why you would want him alive. To have captured the greatest general of all time, the one who destroyed many of those stinking Gryphon armies and faulted many invasions. I believe your kin named him Shakin?"

It was obvious to me that I botched the Gryphon word, there were not many ponies who could speak Gryphon, less so now. But false pronounciation or not, my statment drew a reaction, there were various loud Gryphon screetches and yells, disorder.

Suddenly Gryphon's showed themself on the other side of the barricades. Five Gryphons with heavily platemail and flanking a golden plated Gryphon of older age and with worn out feathers. Behind them advanced five leatherclothed Gryphons with crossbows and still behind them, in the cover of the makeshift baricades where three more gryphons with crossbows.

I could practically feel the nervousness of the ponies around me as I counted them. From the twenty-one ponies left eight were our rearguard, which left me with seven crossbows and five longswords. With an almost foreign confidence I stood up tall to meet them, and instantly had all sevent crossbows aimed at me. I gulped and breathed burdened, but this was still what I had planned for. The Gryphon commander's eyes glared at me, steping forward as he speaks.

"I promised you to be treated fairly, and your comrads will. But for you, and your little speech, you will lose your tongue!"

As his last words come from his beak his guards rush forward, the first four past me and the fourth to smash the hilt of his sword into my skull. But also as his last words falls I yell out "Fire!" all seven of my crossbowponies fire, so close to the gryphon's that even the heavy platemail does not stop the bolts, causing them to yell out in surprise and terror as three are downed instantly and a fourth has his bladeclaw struck.

The Gryphon crossbow's hear this, and panic as they take hasty aim and fire of their own bolts. Three of them suceeding in striking down their own ally, the same Gryphon who was about to strike me down, another three missing completely, and the last striking a pony I had earlier today ate and laughed with, in the forhead.

Feeling the Gryphons blood splatter on me and seeing the blatant terror in the commanders eyes before me I yell out once more "Charge!". The five longswordponies obeying my order and finishing off the wounded Gryphon guard, and the commander as they pass me.

The five Gryphon crossbows who had followed the guards were caught by surprise and overtaken almost in an instant, the heavy blades easily running through their leather armor. Though one of them had not yet shot, a Gryphon with nerves of steel, a rare sight, and he managed to strike down another pony. His bolt was not instantly fatal, as the pained screams from our comrade made rather clear.

But we had no time to check on him, as much as I hated the thought, we had to move. The longsword ponies, filled with anger over their losses, kept charging while I motion for the crossbows to reload and advance. Sending out one of them to inform our rear guard of the push and to order them to follow up.

And for once we had luck, those Gryphons who had managed to escape us must have been so panicked and terrefied that they disheartened anyone they met. Our charge met surprisingly little resistance, only single Gryphons daring to stand against us in the cramp hallways, and being outnumbered they were downed easily.

Still, it was not a perfect fight, by the time we had finally reached our goal, two large iron doors leading into the meeting chamber, only fifteen of us were left, the rearguard having met up with us with only five left.

Panting heavily and feeling my muscles flare up in pain I and two other ponies push open he heavy doors, looking inside and being greeted by a rather marvolous sight.

Our princess, sitting peacefully at a table with two other ponies and three Gryphons, all clad in fancy robes and clothes. The moment the doors had opened all the way we were the center of attention. The two pony diplomats stared at us in confusion and disbelief, the Gryphons in terror and panick. And Luna, Luna looked at us with instant understanding and eyes that burned with anger.

Before anypony could have spoken the few of us that were left were rushed inside by Luna, and the doors closed and locked by a magical auroa. The alicorn princess glaring now at the three Gryphons, who had not even dared to move from their seat.

"What is the meaning of this?! Why bring us all the way here to discuss peace only to assult and murder my followers?!"

There was silence, the Gryphon's refusing to speak, either due to loyality to their cause or simply out of fear. The first pushes against the heavy doors draw our attention, the Gryphon's trying to enter, but then those noises stop as suddenly as they started. They know that Luna is in here, and furious. It is doubtfull that there is a single Gryphon who would dare enter this room at this time, but neiher would they let us leave. We were tired, hurt and covered in blood, hopelessly we looked over to the princess we had sworn to protect, and in the irony of it all we begged for her to protect us.