Opressive Imperium

Aequali Regula

I was a sailorboy 2 times dead
They took my father and cut his head
I walked the mountains til they found me
Trolls gave me a sword and a reason to be

I am Oafgar hear my call
Death to imperium
Discord shall fall-Troll warsong

***

The night fell swift and dark, ever present and persistent on the bleakest of nights.. Cold wind whipped through the mountains, cutting the silence like a knife, and alone stood a single, solitary black figure. Chanting echoed from below as the troll march began. Firelight flickered and licked at the darkness ominously. Tension filled the frozen air, amplified by the harsh rythmic beating of the war drums. Guttural and deep the chants vibrated through her being. She knew they were only faking it.

The trolls no longer marched to war like this. If and when they did attack the dragons, it was swift and silent. This was instead, a celebration. Honoring a pony they no longer remembered, for a task they don't understand. Nightmare Moon turned and looked to the stars. Her eyes glinted in the faint moonlight, and she shed but a single tear. "I remember." She sighed. It hurt to know how time had passed, but she carried on like this. A faint glimmer of hope filled her heart as she let herself fade away into the memories. Into the story she would never forget.

***

"C'mon Oafgar, what are you, a chicken? It'll only be a thirty minutes there and back. They won't even notice we're gone!" The young filly stamped her hoof in frustration. She had always wanted to explore the everfree, and today was the day she was going to do it, whether she felt ready or not. Her colt companion on the other hand, was not so convinced.
Oafgar sputtered nervously, not one to abandon his friends, he was caught with indesicion. "Well...Saphire, aren't we not allowed in the Everfree? Isn't there a law against that?"

"Who do you think will know? Its not like the animals are going to tell on us! Even if your parents find out its not like they're gonna do anything! C'mon, please?" He gave her a look that said no was his final answer, and she knew not to push him further.
Instead they went to see Oafgar's father, who was the village blacksmith. Oafgar chatted quietly while Saphire bounced about, giggling and yelling the whole way. The trees were turning and the temperature The path to the blacksmith workshop was a long and winding dirt road and it took them an hour to reach the building. Once there, they were confronted by two dragonequus guards dressed in black armor. A single axe insignia adorned their left shoulders.
"Turn back citizen. This area is off limits." The guard on the left said, his gaze never wavering as he stared straight ahead. Saphire began to back away, but Oafgar didn't budge. "Oafgar, what are you doing? They said to leave." Saphire trembled before the tall and fearsome gaurds, urging Oafgar to hurry up. "No," he growled angrily,"This is my Dad's workshop! Why can't I go see my dad?" Oafgar was big for a child dragonequus, and he did not fear the guards.

"The owner of this shop has spoken out against the king. He commited an act of treason and shall be executed accordingly. As I said, turn back citizen." The guard on the right showed no sympathy for Oafgar as he delivered the news. The boy stumbled in shock at this.
He couldn't believe the guard. Executed? But what reason did his father have to commit treason?! The thoughts rushed through his mind and he went numb with shock. Just as his brain began to settle he heard the scream come from behind the workshop.
That was the last straw. He knew the voice, he knew the dragonequus that screamed. The yell peirced through his being, shattering any and all logic. He reached back and thrust his claw suddenly forward, grasping the left guard's helmet. He yanked the surprised soldier forward, slashing at his face with an open paw.
This astounded Saphire. No dragonequus ever strikes another with an open paw unless he means to inflict damage with his claws.That is considered very uncivil and almost feral behavior. The second guard leaped forward and was caught by Saphire, who used her magic to throw him aside like a doll.She then did the same to the other guard and the two companions made a rush for the workshop.
That was, until they heard the king behind them. "Well, well, well, what mighty fools do we have here? An orphan parasitic, and a rebel dragonequus. An adorable attempt, really. But do you even know for whom you struggle? A traitor, that's who! Go ahead, go inside and see what's secrets the old man has been keeping from you children. Just don't be long, that's a lot of new weapons and armour that needs to be accounted for."

Relucantly, they did as they were told, thankful they were not punished for something as extreme as what they did. Saphire snuck a look behind the building and wished she hadn't. The execution had been gruesome. There was no need in hurting Oafgar anymore than having the king call him out. She knew for her such a thing was expected by the king, she was only an orphaned parisitic alicorn, essentially nothing in his eyes.
But for Oafgar, today was basically his shunning from society. He slowly walked through the busted door of the workshop. Weapons adorned the walls and shelves of each room, yet none of them carried the axe insignia of King Ivithian's general armies. Instead, it was engraved into each a phoenix with a torch above it. This sickened Oafgar, for what reason did father have to do this? We have always been loyal to our king. Why would this happen. His pace slowed and he fell slowly to the ground in shame. His mind lost in a sea of thoughts.

***

"Lord Ivithian, was it truely wise to provoke the child so? What if he turns upon us aswell? You forget so easily why the council agrees to these raids. It is not to invoke a response, it is simply to silence what little argument is given." Ascilius spoke quietly. His old age was born of 25 years of service to King Ivithian, and it was finally taking its toll on him as he leaned upon his cane.

"Ascilius, please, you know I cannot have it any way else. If he were to remain loyal, he would be taken into royal fostering. You and I both know where that mishap would lead. Besides, it is better to beat a dead horse to make sure it never comes back, then it is to have to face the horse made stronger from its beatings. Now, we must see if he needs further prodding, send the guards to 'escort' him to the woods. We cannot have a 'traitor' among us." Lord Ivithian stared bleakly at the scene before him. Truth be told, he hated what he was doing, but he could not allow that seer's visions to come to pass. If those creatures were truely soon to come, so viscously and in great number, then some sacrifices had to be made. Taxes raised, law traditions broken, little support economically from the government, and a brutal coop against his own family was little price to pay for the millions he'd save.

Suddenly, he flinched as a wail resounded from within the workshop. Four figures emerged from the back exit, and Ivithian knew it was time. "Ascilius, have them burn the building, now." He turned as if to leave, until questioned by his companion.

"B-but sir! What about the weapons and armour?!" Ascilius stuttered, completely confused. He barely grasped Ivithians actions thus far, due to the already tense situation surrounding the blacksmith's child, but destroying the weapons and armour that most of the King's contreversial economic actions relied upon the aquiring of, seemed like a complete waste. Ivithian turned slowly.

"Can you not sense it? They are woven with magic, and are of no use to us. Besides, iron does not suite our needs. The armour must be-" Ivithian was cut off as Ascilius droned the armour requirements.

"There can be no magic in the weaving process, as the beasts shall be able to sense our location from the residual magic. Iron does not suite the requirements the armour must meet to endure the beasts' attacks. Instead one must hand weave an alloy of silver and timberwolf oak with blackwood 'diamond' , smothered in Everfree charcoal." He rolled his eyes at the King's superstition.

The order was given and the building was lit aflame. Ivithian turned to the north eastern horizon, as if the enemy were somehow watching him, waiting to test his abilities. A shadow flickered, and the King flinched.Yes, a test indeed, more like a game of chicken. We shall see who gives...We shall see.

***

Meanwhile, Saphire struggled to run from the guards behind, dragging a half unconscious Oafgar at her side. She dodged and weaved through the thick forest brush, as blasts of magic and arrows singed the mossy earth about her. She was tired, weary, and confused. Instinct is what drove her forward, as she manuevered the lands she had always wanted to travel. The beauty of nature, however, was lost to her as she pushed on. The birds flew by, the wildlife scurried about, and weather was absolutely perfect. Nature cared not for her dilemma. That was, except for one exception. As she ran on, she lost her push, lost her ability to keep fighting the inevitable. Death hovered over her deadened mind as her legs gave way and both the companions tumbled to the hard ground below. As the gaurds closed in for the kill, a single blackbird swooped gracefully upon her. Its black eyes examined her, and oddly, she swore she heard it speak, "Tis not thy time." Her vision began to fade as fatigue overtook her, and the last thing she saw was a large figure stand over her.

"Kien! Daliet grigersth noleen vrede veh fjivetrsth dlo dedala!" The figure proclaimed as she fainted.

***

Saphire awoke to the smell of warm, delicous, soup. As her eyes fluttered open, she was greeted with quite a strange sight. Before her kneeled a two-legged beast covered with white, shaggy, fur. Its face had rough, defined features, and its body was thick and muscular. When she fully opened her eyes it backed away, slightly startled. It called out in a tounge she didn't understand, "Ruhrk, shaalmea ithik alruse! Ehu voe mok voe?!" She was strangely calm, and quietly replied.

"I'm sorry, but I can't understand you." She looked around and took in her surroundings. She lay on the floor of a cave, wrapped in many layers on blankets. Pelts of animals and small knick knacks adorned the walls, and near the center of the room with a small fire, where a cooking pot sat, presumably filled with the soup she smelled. From somwhere off to her left another of the two legged creatures came to stand before her. It spoke slowly and with great difficulty.

"Ha-ello. My-yuh nom iz Ruhrk. Doo nut feer. I halped yu and frend. Arr safe. Gards weeth bows whir chase you in furest. My-yuh berd Snalik fowund yu too wen we'z whir huntining. Am troll. Troll big. Scair gards wit size. Am nut tronslateer, I geet Mun. He cun talik yur werds bettur. Pleeze waeet." Saphire rose, pushing her blankets aside, and waited patiently for whoever Mun was. After a short while she grew bored, and began to examine some of the things adorned on the walls. She cautiously picked up a strange, round, object that appeared to be some sort of tool. The first troll who still stood in the room watched her grab the object, then mumbled. She looked at him questioningly, and he made a strange, vague gesture, and repeatedly himself. She gave him a blank stare and he proceeded to point at the fire, then at the trinket. He then removed the pot of soup and reoeated his gesture. She looked at the object, then at the fire, and he nodded. She slowly and carefully walked to the fire, and went on a limb. She dropped the object into the fire hoping she had translated right. Suddenly the fire filled the round object, and instead of the flickering light that had filled the room before, it provided a lit up map of twinkling and beautiful stars. She backed away, amazed. The troll smiled and made the same vague gesture as before.

Their moment of bonding was interupted as Ruhrk and Mun returned. They though nothing of the display of night beauty, and Mun aporoached her. "What iz your nam, alicorn?" He asked politely.

"I am Saphire Moon. Where is my friend?" Saphire was quick to inquire about Oafgar, remembering all that had happened.

"He iz in healer house. He iz very tired, and haz minor head wound. He will be fine. He needs rest, but I have seen much worse. You shall need your rest too, tomorrow we shall show you around the village. Tribe Leader shall arrive and expkain you what yoy need to know. Please, go ahead and get back to bed. You will have a long day ahead of you." Mun replied, ushering her to bed, and order the others to stand watch over her until sunrise. Saphire fell back to sleep quickly, and dreamed of stars and meadows, blissfully unaware what lie in store for her.

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