The Return

by John 117

Chapter 13: Siege of the Mountains

Except for the quiet clopping of hooves on the make-shift stone wall and the occasional cough, the camp was quiet. Since the surviving 83 guard-ponies who had been taken into the reinforcing company, their numbers now stood at 212 ponies. They had been split into 3 divisions; the first consisting of mainly earth ponies and unicorns for wall defense which stood at around 110 ponies, the 4 units of artillery that had been lent to Marcus’s company when assigned to had 4 cannons plus 20 ponies to man them and were stationed in the rear, and the third consisting of what pegasi were left and the remaining amount of unicorns for air defense which put them at 82, the consistency stacked in the unicorns favor. Marcus stood at the wall, watching the mountain pass before him while the watch switched shifts. He hadn’t slept at all since the past day’s events, focusing all of his energy in getting his guards ready for the fight ahead. And even then his thoughts slipped off to that which he had no control over. Doubts about Emilia and thoughts of his family drifted through his mind as the wind howled through the mountain pass. Dust kicked up and blew into the eyes of those along the wall. Marcus reached into his armors pouch and pulled out Fluttershy’s feather, twirling it between his forefinger and thumb. A light horn could be heard over the howling of the wind. It echoed through the mountains like a wounded beast rearing its head back from the fire. “They are coming,” he whispered.

The guards began to move, motioning for everyone to get ready. The plan was to wait; let them get close and think that they somehow caught them off guard in weather. When they were close enough, Marcus would lob makeshift explosives over the wall into the army as the artillery and air support lite up. The wall unit would then man their posts, and from there they would fight. Drawing his sword and a ‘grenade’ from his waste, Marcus waited, crouched on the wall. The grenades were simple casts of thin iron filled with gunpowder and had a magical fuse at the top. They had been developed for him before the war, just in case; they had been kept in Canterlot’s vaults however.
He could see them now, coming closer. “Hold,” he whispered. The guards tensed. Some trembled, their spears shaking as they made ready to move up onto the wall. Marcus could hear wings flapping above him. They swooped low, catching glimpses of ‘sleeping’ ponies in their cots and around the burning embers of camp fires. One swooped too low, and Marcus gave the order.

“NOW,” he yelled. At once, every pony sprang to their feet, bolts of magic arcing through the sky as pegasi swooped in from the cliffs above. They engaged their unaware foe, bring down more with knives and wing-tip blades. Earth ponies rushed to the wall, spears and shields raised high as the 4 units of artillery rang out. Marcus threw his explosives, and griffins behind the wall began to disappear in red mists. Ponies rushed to the top of the wall, spears at the ready when the griffons soon began to climb up. Marcus ran up to greet them with his sword and pistol,and slashed at the first head that rose above the wall. He fired two rounds into a griffon across the way that was about to slash a guard in the back with his talons. It fell to the ground, the body pushed and shoved aside and back to the ground where it lay; his brothers fighting on onto of him, as more and more fell to the guard's spears. An artillery shell flew over head, blasting its way into the horde before the wall. Marcus could hear nothing above the din of battle. He caught sight of Iron Grip and her band holding off a group of heavy armored griffons; their spears kept them at bay, but were swatted away any time they tried to press their advantage. Marcus raised his pistol and fired into them, watching one fall limp and another flinch away with a limp in it’s rear leg.

Finding another grenade on his belt, Marcus lit it and threw it close to the wall where the griffons were trying to climb up. It went off and sent limbs flying. Fragments from the cast iron few in every direction, striking metal and stone. Some of it bounced off of the armor, where other pieces found purchase in flesh; it dug into whatever it found and burned red hot. Griffons not 10 feet from the blast fell to the shrapnel, yelling in agony. Catching movement in the corner of his vision, Marcus brought up his sword, blocking blow from another blade. He parried, then thrust inward, not really paying much attention. The blade found purchase, and sunk in deep. It tore through the flesh and out the back of the griffon. He utters a silent gurgle before falling forward dead. Yanking his blade free, Marcus focused more on what was in front of him. He swung down, his sword finding a shoulder. It dug in and cut tendon, severing the limb from its owner. Marcus rounded his pistol on the griffon and fired three times. It fell back from the blast, slowly tearing away from the sword. Marcus looked back at the anti air with what little breathing time he had.

They were working in teams of two, switching out every so often to let the others rest and recharge while the other team fired off into the griffons air forces. Now aware of what was happening, the griffons had rallied and were now trying to dive bomb the unicorns; every time they got close though, they would just shred them to pieces, and when they drew away, they were greeted by the pegasus who kept up their altitude and bought from up high. Smirking Marcus fired three more times into the amassed horde above them, and saw two griffons fall this time. He laughed when he saw two unicorns try to dodge the bodies. Only one was successful, while the other had to try and pry off the other body. That makes 10 rounds fired….2 more. Turning back around, Marcus swung his sword in a wide arc, cutting off one head, and burying the blade into another neck. He fired once into the head, and threw the body back into another griffon, then fired the last shot into a flag bearer. The griffon fell, with the flag not far behind.

“HOLD THE LINE,” he yelled out to his comrades. They gave their acknowledgment back with a loud cheer from the wall and behind, as two more artillery rounds fire off into the griffon army. Emptying his pistol, Marcus brought up another magazine and rammed in home into it, then felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. He looked down to find a spear point pressing hard against his outer suit. The wielder had taken his short opportunity to try and stab his between the metal plates of his armor; Marcus, grabbing the spear, brought the griffon closer. He brought the butt of his sword down on the griffons, head, caving in his helmet. Blood began to leak up, but the griffon moved, trying to get away. Marcus brought his knee up and mashed it into the beak of the soldier, knocking him out cold. He grabbed the griffon by the back of his armor and threw him over the barricade, having use for him later. Turning back, Marcus barely had enough time to bring up his blade to block a swing from a battle ax. Twisting his blade to catch the blade of the ax so the griffon couldn't pull away, Marcus aimed directly at the griffons chest with his magnum and fired two shots into the bird’s chest. A guttural noise emanated from the griffon’s mouth as he fell, blood flowing freely over Marcus’s boots. Looking over his shoulder once more, Marcus saw the anti-air crews wavering. So much magic so fast, even with respite in between, was drawing a toll on them. That when Marcus felt the first bolder.

A rock the size of a small pony hit the barricade towards the left end, shaking stones loose and making ponies and griffons alike lose their footing. One fell out past the barricade, falling in the mass of griffons below. Marcus never saw what became of him. He wished him a swift death if anything. We need to break this off fast or else the unicorns will falter and the wall will fall to whatever is launching those rocks. Marcus thought to himself as he felt another connect with the wall; this time more towards the center where he stood. Thinking fast, Marcus called out. “Iron Grip!” he yelled towards his right, firing four more shots into the griffon line.

“What?!” she yelled back, blocking an ax with her spear and driving the tip forward into a griffon. Marcus brought his blade up in a wide arc, slashing open a griffon then moving his way towards her through the crowd of bodies, dead and alive. Marcus aimed at a griffon behind Iron Grip, but she swung around and whacked it in the face with her spear; she then turned around and bucked it in the face, shattering his jaw and making him fall back into the griffon army. Finally reaching her, Marcus did a quick hoof bump before firing his pistol at two griffons, downing them both.

“We need to break the assault; the anti air group can't keep this up much longer!” Marcus yelled over the sounds of the battle raging on around them. Driving her spear into the head of a griffon soldier below her, Iron Grip laughed.

“You think that’s all of our problems? We’ve got smaller catapults throwing rocks at us! The wall won’t hold out for eternity!” She yelled back. Marcus only nodded his acknowledgement, fighting off three griffons at once. He drove his sword forward, severing off a limb before drawing it back and blocking a sword thrust from the second and point blank shooting the third. Marcus brought up his armored boot and kick the last griffon in the chest with all of his might, sending the bird flying back.
“I have a plan.”
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Officially, his plan involved his forces staying behind while he ran in as a diversion and to destroy the siege equipment with what explosives he had left. When he would near the wall on his way back, Iron’s best stallions would make their way down the the front of the wall and make way for Marcus to get back up. What it seemed to be turning into was a hail marry. Marcus was charging forward, his shotgun pointed forward as he blasted away at bodies that decided to get into his way. He ducked down and launched a griffon over his shoulder, only giving him the dust as he ran forward, loading in a few more shells as he turned left and shot a griffon before it got a chance to trip him with his spear. He jumped over one, and kick the other in the chest, landing on him and hearing a soft crunch as the griffons ribs broke from the Spartan’s sheer weight.

Marcus stopped for a brief few seconds to reload and look around for the griffon’s siege equipment. They were located in the back towards the opening of the chasm that the guard ponies now occupied towards the right, closer to the wall. Marcus charged once more, yelling out his frustration as the bodies piled on. Now they were just trying to stop him with themselves. Checking his map, Marcus noticed 3 high flyers coming in from behind him. He dove forward flipped over and began to slid on his back, the mud from the previous day’s slaughter, as he opened up, buckshot going wild as it torn through the griffon air forces. Marcus got back up on his feet and kept moving, his goal nearly before him. Drawing his sword and pistol, Marcus brought the blade down and fire a shot as he made his way forward again, taking his time and making sure each griffon that fell before him was actually dead. He thrust forward and drove the tip of the blade into the gut of a griffon before tearing it out through the side. He brought the pommel down on the dying griffon’s helmet for added insult.

Marcus stopped and caught his breath, having finally reached his targets. There were 3 of them in total, the rocks they were using piled up behind them. Putting his sword away, Marcus drew a grenade from his side. Quickly jogging up, he pulled the pin and placed it within the machine, running away quickly to the next one as the grenade went off, sending splinters and shards of wood flying past hi. He moved to the next and did the same, as with the third one. And thus his march back began.

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Iron Grip thrust forward with her spear, her third one so far. It found parches in an eye socket, and the tip was twisted as she gave off a feral scream, fire burning brightly in her eyes. Her armor was caked in dirt and blood, dents and scratched from blades and blunt objects alike. The largest mark was left by a hammer wielding griffon twice her size. That one ended up tasting her back hooves. The griffon's jaw and beak broke clean in half, his right cheek bone having caved in. Iron put more force behind the spear, driving it forward into the griffons skull as 3 explosions sounded throughout the chasm.

“That’s the signal! Rex, bring up the flag! Alpha and Bravo squads to me; get ready to jump down their on my go!” pulling a grenade from her side, Iron Grip pulled the pin with her teeth and counted to three before tossing it directly below her, letting hit explode as it hit the ground. Griffons fell in droves from the blast, clearing a space for a few moments right in front of the guard ponies.

“Now!” As one, the jumped down onto the dead and dying, readying themselves to hold the line and wait for Marcus to get there. Swords quickly lashed out, killing any griffon that tried to advance and take what ground they had lost back. The stallions with Iron Grip were her best; sturdy and battle tested, they would hold their own, taking as many griffons as they could with them as they could. For what seemed like hours the two squads held their little alcove from the wall, only a few falling to the enemy’s blades. Great strength and bravery would be shown that day by those brave few, as they would not leave that fight the same. Griffon bodies piled on as the fought, waiting for the man in armor to show back up.

Just when they thought him dead, several gun shots rang out. A griffon then sprouted a sword blade from its mouth, falling limp on the blade, the owner letting the corpse fall forward. Marcus stepped in toward the half circle of ponies and raised his sword high. He let loose a throaty, animalistic cry, shaking his sword and turning back towards the griffons, grabbing one by the neck and raising it high, chocking the bird to death as it clawed at Marcus’ armor. He let it fall before raising his voice, and maxing out his exterior mic in his helmet.

“You want our homes?! Come and claim them!”

Comments

[Sharp77]

Well.....that happened

[damnaion]

yay is alive

[Dreadknight garen]

Oh lord feelstrain inbound

[Helios117]

Can't wait for more!!!

[Layman11]

When will this be brought back

[Vartil-Shadowalker]

Please tell me this is going to be continued