• Published 19th Mar 2015
  • 783 Views, 39 Comments

Gjallarsong - BlackRoseRaven



The story of a war between Equestria and the griffin nation, and the struggle of a Prince born of magic to discover whether or not he will ever be considered a real pony.

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Verse Two

Verse Two:
~BlackRoseRaven

There is no love like that of family,

When thy mother's heart is good and true:

Such love is love that is assuredly

without measure, pure as snow through and through.

For when two hearts commingle, there is cost;

A sacrifice call'd on to be paid,

Or else such love is easily now lost,

But a mother's love shall not simply fade.

The Dragon gave to the Princess a gift,

The child she crav'd, reason for life;

A light for life liv'd until now rift:

A reason to carry on through the strife.

So the mother sang, with love beyond love,

Not knowing it was Gjallar she sang of.

Thesis was being sent out on another mission, and Celestia had the feeling that Valthrudnir had been meddling again. She knew it was really just his strange way of showing that he was confident in Thesis, perhaps even that he cared about him... but she hated how the dragon seemed so eager to send her child into danger, as if he was trying to... prove something.

Celestia sighed softly as she tapped a hoof gently on her writing desk, and then she smiled faintly out the small window in the wall, gazing up at the moon in the sky longingly. The ancient scars across its porcelain surface that formed the Mare in the Moon seemed to glare back at her, but... Celestia felt anger, and fear, more than she felt hatred.

She hoped her sister was okay up there. Horses of Heaven, why had she done what she did?

Celestia didn't know if she was asking her sister that, or herself... after all, she thought that ultimately, she understood why Luna had done what she had done. But her response, what she had done to her sister, to her only family...

Well, she was never going to make that mistake again, and the value of family was something she had made sure Thesis had ingrained in him as a child. And every day, she did what she could to reinforce those lessons, to show him that she loved him... and she made sure that unlike with Luna, Thesis always knew that he didn't have to be in her shadow, he didn't have to be a prince, he didn't have to live any way but the way he wanted.

But the way Thesis wanted to live was as a soldier, a protector of Equestria... something she was so incredibly proud of, and yet also made her fear for him. Especially now, when they were at war with the griffins, and Valthrudnir seemed intent to continue to push her son in front of as many talons and beaks as possible...

Celestia shook her head briefly, then she looked down at her diary for a moment before she sighed softly and closed the book. Her hoof rested on its leather backing for a few seconds, and then she smiled briefly before saying quietly: “This was the best gift you ever gave me, Luna. I'm sorry I never appreciated it until after you were gone... but I always had you to talk to. Now...”

Celestia smiled briefly, then she shook her head before quietly turning the book over, stroking silently over the cover before she glanced curiously over her shoulder as she sensed... “Valthrudnir? What are you doing here?”

“You're running late, Celestia. You have a meeting to attend.” Valthrudnir said irritably from the door of her room: he had to stoop to glare in at her, and Celestia couldn't help but smile despite herself at the sight of this enormous, powerful creature hunched down in the doorway.

“I delegated those duties, Valthrudnir. There's no need for me to deal with every little thing myself. That's a lesson I think you could stand to learn as well.” Celestia said gently, and the dragon gave her a moody look in response before he stepped backwards and crossed his arms.

“This mission is of particular importance, Celestia. Thesis is in charge of escorting several extremely important diplomats across neutral territory. The likelihood that the griffins will try and attack them there is extremely high, according to their latest movements.” Valthrudnir said distastefully, gesturing moodily off to one side. Or at least she was fairly certain that was what he was doing: with the giant dragon now mostly obscured by the doorframe, it was a little hard to tell. “Should we lose these ambassadors to other nations, it will reflect badly upon Equestria: the other countries will see that-”

“It doesn't make any sense for the griffin nation to attack ambassadors from other countries, Valthrudnir. The other countries around us all have treaties of neutrality with both our nations: all the griffins would gain by attacking those ambassadors are more enemies.” Celestia explained gently as she approached the doorway.

When she leaned out to look up at him, she saw that he had that awful, patronizing look on his face that always made her feel a little... insulted. Insulted, and also wary: Valthrudnir only had that smugness about him when something had either already happened, or... “What do you know? What haven't you shared with us?”

“Sensitive information.” Valthrudnir retorted, and Celestia frowned before the dragon said distastefully: “I am not your servant, Princess Celestia. You know that you cannot command me, nor invoke my help whenever you please. I do what I desire, when I desire to, and that includes assisting you and your country.”

Celestia only continued to look calmly up at the dragon, too-used to this by now to take the bait: she knew that if she was just patient, and waited out Valthrudnir's need to establish his... superiority or dominance or whatever it was he always had to do, that eventually...

Valthrudnir sighed... but then, just as she had expected, he began to explain, even if it was in a moody, pedantic voice: “It's very simple, Celestia. If the griffins believe that any other nation is even thinking of trying to reach out to Equestria to act even in a supporting role, then the griffins will make a statement to that nation by ensuring that any symbols of support are promptly made an example of. Furthermore, the griffin nation has been fed copious amounts of misinformation, some of which includes possible treaties with other nations.”

“I was never informed of this.” Celestia said slowly, but Valthrudnir only gave a thin smile, and the princess sighed softly before she gestured at him absently with her head. Without a word, the dragon turned, putting his hands behind his back and calmly striding down the hall as Celestia strode in step beside him: she always had to walk a little fast, but at the same time, she knew the dragon was slowing his pace for her, more than he would ever admit.

He cared, she thought. He just never, ever wanted to show that he actually did. He couldn't stand the idea of relinquishing even the slightest amount of control, or being the smallest bit vulnerable, to her or anyone else. But still... “You need to talk to me, Valthrudnir. You need to at least keep me informed of your own... operations, if you insist on continuing to act of your own accord.”

“I am not bound by your laws, Celestia. That was part of our agreement, was it not?” Valthrudnir said testily, and Celestia only smiled faintly at him before the dragon snorted and looked ahead, adding moodily: “Besides, I am keeping you informed. We are discussing it now, are we not?”

Celestia sighed and shook her head slowly, and then her eyes roved up towards him, studying the dragon as she smiled faintly at him. He kept his eyes ahead as they walked on in silence, but she caught the quick flick of his eyes in her direction: yes, he cared, she knew. He just always had to put on a strong face.

“Valthrudnir...” Celestia softened a little, her eyes only for the dragon, even as he did everything he could to avoid looking at her... even as he stayed so close beside her, matching his pace to hers and never pulling away, in spite of how much he acted like he wanted to. “You know what I mean by discussing things. And you know that you don't have to keep up this act.”

“I know that you are annoying me, Celestia, and making it difficult for me to consider continuing to offer my services as I have so generously done so far.” Valthrudnir retorted, scowling in her direction before he quickly looked back forwards once more, saying moodily: “We are almost at the council chambers. Present yourself accordingly. Do not show weakness.”

“You and I have very different ideas of what weakness is, Valthrudnir.” Celestia replied evenly, and Valthrudnir shot a scowl in her direction. This time, however, Celestia didn't look back at the dragon, keeping her own eyes ahead as they approached the war room.

The soldiers guarding the doors both immediately saluted, and Celestia nodded to them calmly before striding through the archway and into the immense, rounded room beyond. Valthrudnir looked distastefully between the guards before he snorted contemptibly and followed Celestia in, announcing harshly over the generals and advisers greeting the princess: “We have no time for idle chatter! Sit in your places and prepare your reports!”

An uncomfortable silence fell for a moment as Valthrudnir strode to the circular table that dominated the center of the room, the dragon glaring over the ponies as if challenging any of them to argue with his authority. A few eyes roved towards Celestia even as the ponies began to shift towards the table... and then the uncomfortable silence became icy as the Princess of the Sun straightened and calmly settled her stern eyes on Valthrudnir.

Valthrudnir's lip curled as he glared back at her, half-sneering and half-snarling. His claws dug into the tabletop as he visibly bristled, the sound of the fabric of his suit stretching around flexed muscles terribly loud in the still air.

But Celestia only looked at him, calm and undaunted, not angry, but with the same seriousness she'd look down at a misbehaving foal with. And no matter how Valthrudnir snarled or glared at her, she was unflinching and unwavering.

Valthrudnir opened his mouth... but there was no roar, no snarl, no insult, as Celestia's eyes only narrowed ever so slightly in response. The silence trembled... and then was broken by the quiet click of Valthrudnir's teeth coming together as he gave the mare a surly look, but slumped his shoulders and... almost hid behind the chair in front of him, like he was a child who recognized that he was about to be reprimanded.

“I expect better from you, Valthrudnir.” Celestia said calmly, and then she looked back and forth as her expression smoothed out into something more pleasant. “Now, everypony. Please take your seats and let's discuss the situation.”

Valthrudnir mumbled under his breath, faintly blushing and glowering pointedly towards the floor as he dropped himself heavily into his own chair. He glared down at the tabletop, then grumpily flicked a finger to form two toy-sized figures: a crystalline dragon and a mare of snow and frost that he dropped his arms around, almost as if trying to shield them from sight.

The two tiny constructs began to silently fight, battering one another as Valthrudnir scowled down at the little entities caught in the arena formed by his arms. Several ponies looked at him awkwardly, and Celestia gazed at the dragon with the faintest hint of exasperation before she shook her head and turned her focus to the others gathered at the table. “Where do we stand in regard to defenses at our borders?”

There was a bit of shuffling, and then one of the generals cleared his throat before raising his head and answering seriously: “As I am sure you are aware, we have been suffering constant incursions from the griffins: invasions, ambushes, and aggressive expansion. The griffins have also been shifting their troops through neutral territories to try and attack us where we are most vulnerable: namely over difficult terrain or in aerial assaults above borders we share with neighboring nations, in direct violation of their treaties with other territories.”

“Griffins have their own rules of war, and the threats of sanctions and harsh words do little to intimidate brutes.” Valthrudnir muttered, as the tiny ice dragon railed forwards against the little horse of frost, forcing it to stumble into retreat. “I'm sure this plays to the pride of the griffins as well. They probably believe they have the other territories quaking in their boots, and the nation itself can brag about how even you cowardly ponies try and hide in other lands, they will still hunt you down and destroy you all.”

Celestia narrowed her eyes slightly as the ponies shifted uncomfortably, then she replied quietly: “But that is precisely the kind of thinking by the griffins that we can use to our advantage, Valthrudnir. We've already done it more than once in the past: allow the griffins to think they've scored a victory or let them brag to the other countries around us about how strong and invulnerable they are. But they don't inspire respect, only fear.”

The flow of battle between the two frosty constructs changed, as the horse headbutted the dragon before ramming into it, making the crystalline reptile skitter backwards. Valthrudnir scowled at his toys, then looked up at Celestia and said moodily: “Fear is a form of respect. That is something you would do well to learn and put into use, Celestia.”

The tiny ice dragon pounced on the horse... but the horse bucked it off and slammed both rear legs into its face in a kick as it flew backwards, as Celestia replied softly: “Fear is a whip. The whip only draws attention to the hoof that holds it... and the moment the holder drops their guard, the frightened masses will do anything to take that whip out of their hoof.”

Valthrudnir snorted in disdain, but then he only looked sullenly down at his toys of ice before he muttered: “If whips were not such good forms of control, then they wouldn't be so popular for keeping your kind in line.”

Celestia looked at Valthrudnir for a moment, and then she asked softly: “Then why are you choosing to help us instead of standing on the side that holds the whip?”

Valthrudnir opened his mouth... then simply scowled and looked down as the horse of frost shattered the tiny toy dragon with a hard kick, the dragon muttering: “This debate is a waste of time and resources. Stop testing my patience and do your job, Princess Celestia.”

The mare only smiled wryly, shaking her head slowly before her eyes flicked towards one of her advisers as he cleared his throat and rose a hoof, saying uncertainly: “We aren't sure what to make of it yet, but there are reports that the griffins have been granting pardons to dangerous criminals in their custody in order to recruit them as soldiers...”

“A surprisingly-intelligent use of resources.” Valthrudnir muttered, before he added waspishly: “Although I fail to see how this news is worthy of note.”

“Blackhoof.” Celestia said suddenly, her eyes widening slightly. “It was purposefully placed far away from any major towns or settlements in Equestria, in neutral territory. By now, the griffins may have moved in and seized the prison, and it could be days before we heard word that it had been overtaken because we never thought of it as a possible target...”

“That's our concern. Tracking the griffin's movements, it's possible that they attacked several days ago, right after the last status report was sent out. Since they haven't made any contact with us since then...” The adviser broke off, biting his lip nervously.

Celestia shook her head slowly, then looked up as one of the generals said quickly: “We should send a scout immediately-”

“Don't waste your time. Use your battleships and burn down the prison and everyone in it. Any ponies that may be caught in the blaze are merely acceptable collateral damage.” Valthrudnir said irritably as he glanced up from the tiny frost horse that was still prancing around on the tabletop. “Exterminate the threat.”

Celestia only looked coldly at Valthrudnir for a moment before she turned towards one of her generals, saying calmly: “We'll do neither. I'll speak with the magic council and have them scry the area. Mobilize two platoons of soldiers and prepare them to move out at a moment's notice.”

Celestia stopped as Valthrudnir glared at her... but there was something imploring in her body language, and the mare sighed a little before she added hesitantly after a moment: “And prepare one of the battleships. It might be necessary to take a more aggressive stance on things.”

Valthrudnir leaned back and crossed his arms with a grunt, before glancing down at the tiny horse of ice as it nickered at him almost disapprovingly. The dragon simply scowled at it, and a moment later, the horse of frost exploded into fragments, which quickly evaporated along with the remains of the dragon.

Celestia shook her head slowly at the childishness of the Jötnar, before she looked around the table and asked calmly: “Why weren't we aware of this situation earlier?”

“It didn't seem like a target that would interest the griffins. They also distracted us by continuing their assaults and raids along our borders. Their strikesharps seem to be becoming more and more aggressive, almost to the point of being suicidally reckless-”

“Suicidal, perhaps. Reckless, no.” Valthrudnir interrupted, and Celestia's eyes flicked towards him as the dragon said moodily: “The griffins have no fear of death. To them, dying in battle is an honor and a privilege. To defend their... ridiculous barbarian culture even more so. And while they act like arrogant troglodytes, they are very excellent at calculating how and where they can deal the most damage to Equestria's forces.

“A strikesharp team of five griffins can attack and mangle an entire platoon of Royal Guard if they launch a successful ambush. They can disrupt our trade caravans or use guerrilla tactics to impede the march of entire army groups. They are elite, and often carry explosives they use to either destroy supply wagons or ensure that no griffin can be taken prisoner.” Valthrudnir continued icily. “Whether they are ignorant savages or not, if you underestimate what they are capable of, you will lose this war.”

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, and then Celestia asked quietly: “What is the best course of action to deal with the mounting strikesharp attacks? Whether we use magic or aerial specialists to try and predict their positions and how they might attack, the griffins have stronger eyes and react faster than our soldiers do.”

“Then the answer is simple. We have to teach your troops to react faster. And if they have reached the limit of their potential, then we look into other methods of augmentation.” Valthrudnir said calmly, straightening... then smiling almost indulgently at the hard glare Celestia gave him, asking patronizingly: “Or do you want Thesis to be the only augmented pony in all of Equestria, is that it?”

“Thesis was born with his strength. We did not mutilate nor modify his body in any way, shape or form afterwards.” Celestia said in a soft but serious – almost threatening – voice: the subject of her son being 'different' was one of the few things that could push Celestia into showing a much less pleasant side of her personality. “This is not up for debate.”

“What about discussion, then?” Valthrudnir asked glibly, and Celestia shot him a sour look before the dragon continued in a pleasant but nearly-mocking voice: “Or do you still insist that Thesis is completely 'normal,' even though everything about him scores far above the average? I still fail to understand how you can get so upset over the thought that your precious little child is so 'different' from the other ponies, while at the same time you waste all your time encouraging your precious little ponies to be 'unique in their own way' and this other plebeian nonsense.”

Celestia looked coldly at Valthrudnir for a few moments as he gazed challengingly back at her, and the ponies at the table shifted nervously: this always seemed to be the way it was between these two. Celestia was the only pony in all of Equestria who could stare down Valthrudnir, but the dragon was the only creature in the entire palace that seemed to enjoy testing Celestia's patience.

Valthrudnir snorted after a moment... but his eyes flicked away from Celestia's hard gaze almost nervously, even as he gestured to the side and said flippantly: “I suppose it's not all that important, though, is it? Yes, let's make decisions for Equestria at large and retain your precious dignity and propriety. There's no need to offer the ponies unnatural enhancements that may give them the ability to both survive and achieve a critical competitive advantage. Being on the correct side of a moral dilemma is much more important. So important we don't have to even discuss its veracity or morality in the first place.”

“You're not winning any arguments by being obnoxious, Valthrudnir.” Celestia said irritably, and then she sighed before raising a hoof to her head, rubbing slowly just beneath her horn and knocking her tiara slightly aslant before she looked grimly up and asked the table in as steady a voice as she could, even as unease twisted down her spine: “We've voted on this before, but as Valthrudnir insists on bringing it up again... would anyone like to second Valthrudnir's impromptu motion to...”

She broke off, but the dragon was quick to finish the sentence for her with a pleasant smile on his face: “Encourage evolution. Or, if you need me to put it in simpler terms for your kind, let's simply use the word 'help.' I'm sure you have some grasp of what that word means, after all, considering how often you waste my time asking for it.”

Celestia glowered at Valthrudnir, but resisted the urge to say anything, instead forcing herself to look back over the table as one of the generals hesitantly rose his hoof, starting nervously: “I think that... we may have to consider-”

“This is not a debate, nor a discussion. This is a simple vote, yes or no. Do you want to survive or do you want to continue to flounder and watch your fellow ponies die around you, all because of your idiotic refusal to take the steps necessary to better your kind?” Valthrudnir cut in, ignoring how Celestia's gaze immediately shot towards him again, her mane sparking slightly with her growing frustration. “Yea or nay. Or is that asking too much of you-”

“Enough.” Celestia said shortly, and Valthrudnir grumbled under his breath but relented, rolling his eyes with a theatrical flick of one hand. The Princess of the Sun shook her head briefly, then she sighed before turning her eyes back over her council. “Who is in favor of Valthrudnir's motion?”

There was silence, and for a few moments, Celestia thought that perhaps this was going to go the same as always, with the other ponies all shifting uncertainly... but then one of her advisers nervously rose a hoof. “Yea.”

Celestia looked with surprise at the pony, who blushed and shifted uncomfortably, opening his mouth as if to try and explain himself... but Valthrudnir was quick to cut him off, saying shortly: “As said before, this is not a discussion. Who else is in favor?”

There was silence for a few moments... but then two more ponies hesitantly rose their hooves. That was three out of the seven ponies on the council, not including herself, and it was something Celestia had trouble wrapping her mind around. They had been discussing this even before the war with the griffins had started, all the 'gifts' and 'miracles' that Valthrudnir wanted to share with them that went against so many of the laws that Equestria had been founded on...

She did her best to resist grimacing or shaking her head, but all the same she felt her teeth grinding together, her baleful gaze locked on Valthrudnir. But he only gave her that confident, cocky smile of his... before scowling as one of her generals said in a quiet but firm voice: “Nay.”

This was followed by 'nays' from all the remaining ponies, and Valthrudnir looked less than pleased as Celestia gave him a cold look before she said shortly: “The vote is in my favor. Valthrudnir, I will ask you not to bring this subject up again.”

“Because you're afraid of the ponies agreeing with me, Celestia. And here I never thought you were a coward: many other things, but not a coward, Princess of the Sun.” Valthrudnir said contemptibly.

Celestia stiffened slightly at this... but then she forced herself to take a slow breath, saying quietly: “I can't stop you from bringing this up again. But I can tell you that even if you get this council's approval, all that means is that it will have to be voted on in the senate. And if your motion fails to pass there-”

“I am well aware of the consequences, Celestia.” Valthrudnir retorted irritably, although some of his smugness had returned, she noted. He probably thought that if he managed to win over the council, she would help him make sure his motion passed...

No, she wasn't going to do that. Thesis was different. Thesis was her son. And she would never deny any other mare a child, but... she wasn't about to start using her citizens to breed soldiers, or worse, to let Valthrudnir play his sick, childish games with her people, adding and subtracting parts from their bodies however he saw fit...

Celestia shivered a little and shook herself briefly, then scowled darkly at the dragon, who only looked back at her with his arrogant smile back in full bloom over his features. No, no matter what happened, she wasn't going to let Valthrudnir cajole them into opening the devil's toybox... because she knew that if she did, there would never be any going back.

She couldn't let the griffins destroy her people. But she would be damned before she saw her people turned into mechanical monsters just to settle a border dispute that had gone too far. And Valthrudnir, whether or not he meant the best for them, whether or not he was a genius and a masterful tactician... didn't seem to understand that there was more to winning this war than simply destroying their enemy.

They looked at each other for a few moments, and then Celestia asked abruptly: “What about Prince Thesis? What is his status?”

There was silence for a few moments, as the council shifted uncomfortably, but Valthrudnir only smiled pleasantly before answering: “As I told you before, he was sent on an escort mission. By now, I imagine they've met up with the ambassadorial caravan and are en route towards the border.”

The other ponies nodded as one of her advisers unrolled a map onto the table, looking down at it for a moment... and then alarm flashed over her face before she looked up and asked hurriedly: “Wait, when were these territory markers last updated? The escort route passes into the neutral zone around Blackhoof, where-”

“General Highwind, I need you to mobilize those platoons immediately as well as prepare a battleship.” Celestia interrupted sharply, shooting a glare at Valthrudnir as he only crossed his arms and sat back with that pleasant, arrogant, patronizing look on his face that told her everything she needed to know.

The Princess of the Sun couldn't stop herself from turning towards him, glaring at the dragon before she finally asked in disbelief: “Why? Why would you-”

“Your ponies are the ones who made the error, not me. They should have been paying more attention to the griffin's movements.” Valthrudnir replied contemptibly, giving Celestia a thin smile in response. “It's fortunate that Thesis is on this mission, really. He'll have a chance to prove himself and his effectiveness.”

Celestia gritted her teeth, glaring at the dragon but reining in her temper... for now. Instead, she turned her attention to her advisers and her generals... but Valthrudnir only continued to smile in his knowing, mocking way, as if everything was going according to the way he had planned it all along.

Thesis strode calmly along on one side of the carriage, keeping his head down and fidgeting a little. He had been assigned to this escort mission at the last minute, and he'd barely had enough time to clean himself up and trade in his armor before he'd had to make a run for the meeting point.

He had immediately gotten a lecture from the commanding officer, Sworn Tenet, for being late. And Thesis, since he was no good at keeping his mouth shut, had broken the first rule of being in the Guard and tried to reason with his superior officer instead of just accepting the reprimand.

Being both a Prince and... markedly different from other ponies tended to draw him a lot of negative attention in the ranks of the Royal Guard. The fact that he never managed to curb his attitude didn't help matters, either, and to top it all off was that as the Prince of Equestria, the soldiers felt they all had to work to protect him.

Thesis shook his head briefly. So maybe things hadn't started on a good note. And now he was just trying to keep his head down and stay quiet... but on the bright side, the ambassadors seemed pleased that he was here. Which, well, that was probably good for diplomacy even if it just seemed to piss Sworn Tenet off even more and made some of the other soldiers in the platoon think he was just sucking up.

Well, he was here to help, one way or another, and he was just doing his job like everypony else. That was what he had to focus on, not the fact that everyone seemed to think he was here just to play political games or make himself look good in front of the ambassadors. And so far, it didn't seem like it was going to be a terrible trip: first they had taken the train to a northern outpost, and from there, they would travel through neutral territory towards the mountains. Then a team of Pegasi would take over and fly the ambassadors back to the Sky Kingdom, where the Kirin ruled.

Thesis glanced at the carriage, smiling a little. The Kirin were a strange and powerful race who kept mostly to themselves... but they played an extremely important role in maintaining the neutrality in the skies. Their kingdom was a floating domicile made out of clouds and marvelous magic-based technology and floating islands, and they were one of the few races that could outperform griffins in the air when it came to combat. But they were a peaceful people, too, dedicated to helping maintain the balance of the world above all.

The stallion glanced at the carriage again, almost wistfully. He could do a lot of things, but flying wasn't one of them. But maybe one day, he'd be able to: Valthrudnir, after all, had introduced all sorts of strange machines to their world, and he knew that one of them was a massive boat of metal that flew through the air instead of driving through water, even more advanced than the ships the Kirin sometimes used made out of clouds and enchanted wood. Thesis had been on one before, and it was a feeling he didn't think he was ever going to forget... even if it wasn't completely what he hoped to feel. Even with the wind in his face and the ground so far below, there had still been a floor beneath his hooves, a feeling of being caged-in, the sense that he was so close to freedom, yet it was still out of his grasp...

“Eyes front!” snapped Sworn Tenet from the front of the caravan, and Thesis flinched before looking hurriedly ahead as the ponies pulling the carriage snickered at him, and he swore he felt the eyes of the other guards burning holes in him.

Well, they were halfway there by now, at least. Thesis just kept his head up and his march in time with the other ponies, glad that he had traded out his fancier officer's armor for the plainer gear of the standard guard. Sure, it was a little tight and uncomfortable, but the last thing he needed to do was draw more attention to himself when everypony here already hated-

One of his ears twitched as a sensation spiked through his mind, and Thesis immediately looked sharply up into the sky, white eyes flicking back and forth. But there were only a few wisps of cloud: nothing solid enough for griffins to hide behind or-

“Lieutenant Thesis!” barked Sworn Tenet, and Thesis winced a bit as the convoy came to a stop as the Captain of the Guard stormed towards him, purple armor gleaming over the grizzled old unicorn's body as he glared furiously at the dark-coated stallion. “Do you need a reminder of your proper place and protocol, colt? Or is your highness bored? Because you are more than welcome to-”

Thesis' eyes widened slightly as he felt the impossible shift beneath his hooves, heard that subtle hiss of moving earth a moment before he tried to shout a warning as he threw himself to the side. But he reacted too late: even as he leapt, the ground crumbled away beneath him, and Thesis, the carriage, and all of the Royal Guard tumbled into a sinkhole with a tremendous crash and bang.

Thesis heard screaming and felt movement all around him: his body was already reacting, already moving, the stallion starting to look up-

Explosions. Flashes of light. More screams. Stars dancing through blackness as pain fizzled through his mind and... wetness. Wetness on his face. Sickening warmth and a stink like sweat and animal hide. Brief nothingness. And then, the next thing Thesis knew, his eyes fluttered open... and the first thing he saw was one of the ambassadors being forced to the ground before a griffin slit his throat.

Thesis shouted a denial, but the griffins didn't even look at him. Thesis tried to get up, but then swore as he realized he had been tightly bound with heavy rope and tied tightly to another pony, who was only glaring at him...

Sworn Tenet twisted his body, making Thesis wince as the ropes that were tightly wrapped around them both dug into his body, before the Captain of the Guard said moodily: “Great work, lieutenant. This is your fault.”

“How the hell is...” Thesis stopped, then his eyes looked back out over the griffins, the stallion gritting his teeth as they watched the griffins drag another ambassador over the ground. This one they didn't seem intent on killing... no, they had only killed one of the ambassadors to make a point. He couldn't completely understand what the griffins were saying over the yelling and screaming of the panicking ambassador, but they seemed to want something...

Thesis' eyes flicked sharply over the group: this wasn't a strikesharp. There were at least ten griffin soldiers, and two elites, judging from their gear... but there was also a small pack of diamond dogs. That explained the sinkhole... but now the stallion had to figure out what the hell diamond dogs were doing with-

“Come back to reality, lieutenant. You're useless anyway, but I'd prefer you to see death coming before the griffins kill you.” Sworn Tenet said moodily, and one of Thesis' eyes twitched a bit before he slowly turned towards the Captain, who only glared back at him with his fearless blue irises. “Let me handle negotiations.”

Thesis grimaced a bit, but then he forced himself to simply nod. Sworn Tenet grunted at him, and then the grizzled stallion turned, his faded red coat glimmering like copper under the afternoon sunlight, making every scar of age and battle across his face stand out all the clearer. “Who's the featherduster in charge?”

There were a few caws from the griffins at this as they were distracted from the ambassador they had surrounded. They began to turn their attention towards the pair of tied-up ponies... but then quickly dropped their heads and skittered away when another, larger griffin suddenly shot towards them, snapping: “Keep your eyes on the other prisoners!”

Two of the griffins quickly grabbed the ambassador and pinned him as the third simply saluted awkwardly, but the griffin commander was already ignoring them, striding over over to the two bound stallions and stopping only a foot or so away.

The griffin looked at them for a moment... and then he leaned forwards and spat on Thesis, the dark-coated stallion's eyes widening in shock. The griffin gazed down at them with his cruel, hawk-like features, a cold smile spreading over his face before he said calmly: “Aren't I the luckiest griffin beneath all the sky? We managed to catch not just some annoying little chickadees we'll have to make an example of, but the Prince of Donkeys too.”

“Actually, right now I'm just a lieutenant. So to avoid pissing off my CO any more than he already is, maybe you could just treat me the same way you would any other pony prisoner.” Thesis said awkwardly, and then he grimaced when the griffin grabbed him by the throat, digging the talon of his thumb into the stallion's neck.

“Believe me, mudwalker. I'd love to rip out your entrails to feed to the crows like we plan to do with your sisters-in-arms here.” The griffin sneered, leaning in and glaring callously down at Thesis. “But that honor doesn't belong to me. That belongs to the incrowsitors, back in our homeland.”

Thesis winced a bit, and then his eyes widened in horror and he stared in disbelief at Sworn Tenet when the old stallion said coldly: “You're cowards, the great lot of you. You had to ambush us, as always, to gain the advantage, little birdies... even the pissant prince here is more than a match for your strongest warrior.”

The griffin scowled darkly at this, studying Thesis intently as the dark-coated stallion gave a lame grin up at the hybrid. “That's mostly just Equestrian pride talking, I think, so you should just-”

“Don't talk out of turn, lieutenant, your superiors are having a conversation.” Sworn Tenet growled, and Thesis winced before the Captain of the Guard looked up coldly, fearlessly into the griffin's eyes, saying contemptibly: “But of course you wouldn't know anything about honor or strength, would you? Sissy scum like you do nothing but hide behind mommy's tailfeathers... or in this case, the raised tails of your diamond dog friends here. At least we walk on top of the mud. You've decided to go rolling in dung with the mutts.”

The griffin commander snarled, shoving himself away from Thesis before he stepped forwards and raked his claws across Sworn Tenet's face. The stallion flinched to the side as blood spurted from his flayed cheek... but then he only grinned coldly before looking slowly up at the griffin, saying fearlessly: “See? Just like I thought. Cowards. The lot of you.”

The griffin gave a piercing shriek of fury, leaning down in Sworn Tenet's face, beak open wide and talons grabbing into his shoulders... and then the hybrid suddenly shoved himself away, turning around and snarling: “Untie the Prince! I'll fight the little pony myself and show you what a strong, proud griffin warrior can-”

“No. I will fight him.” growled a voice, and Thesis looked up... before his eyes widened in shock as a diamond dog slowly strode forwards on his hind legs, his shadow falling over the griffin before one huge paw reached down and seized the back of his hawk-like head, squeezing into it as the massive canine added contemptibly: “This isn't a job for a little birdie like you.”

The griffin was flung to the side, and immediately, several of the hybrid soldiers leapt forwards, surrounding the diamond dog with snarls and caws. But the beast looked unperturbed, only grinning callously, his eyes already locked on Thesis as the dark-coated stallion looked defiantly back even as a shiver ran down his spine.

He was the biggest diamond dog he'd ever seen, dressed in torn denim workpants and rawhide belts that wrapped tightly around his burly forearms. His fur was stretched in thin patches over his massive, muscular frame and rubbery-looking skin, telling Thesis that this mountain of diamond dog in front of him hadn't come about all his strength naturally.

The huge diamond dog flexed his large front paws, which hung at the end of his long forelimbs like wrecking balls: his claws were gnarled and malformed. His teeth were jagged, standing out like tusks when he licked his lips as his cold silver eyes looked into Thesis' own ivory irises. “Brave little bastard, aren't you? I will enjoy tearing you apart.”

The griffin commander snarled as he climbed to his talons, brushing himself off and turning towards the diamond dog before he growled: “Kindynas, I'm warning you-”

“Shut it!” the diamond dog snapped, baring his teeth at the griffin, and the commander flinched: it was the smallest of movements, but the effect it had was startling, as the other griffin soldiers all immediately stopped and looked in disbelief first at their commander... and then turned their eyes towards Kindynas in silence.

Thesis grimaced a bit, but Kindynas either didn't notice or didn't care about the fact that all the griffins were now looking at him like he was their new leader, the giant of a diamond dog instead turning his cruel grin back towards Thesis before he growled: “Cut him loose. I want to tear his heart out of his chest and eat it.”

“We have to keep him alive.” the griffin commander said quietly, and the diamond dog shot him an ugly look, but this time the hawk-headed hybrid managed to keep his gaze steady. “You might not bow your head to me. But you'll listen to the orders of the king.”

Kindynas spat to the side, then he growled before turning his eyes back towards Thesis, ordering sharply: “I said let the whelp loose!”

A griffin hurried over to Thesis before drawing a knife and slicing the ropes off, the stallion cursing as the dagger caught his foreleg as well and left a thin gash. Then he winced when then griffin grabbed him by the mane, but he didn't fight as he was flung forwards, landing with a grunt on his stomach as pain throbbed through his body. He slowly climbed up to his hooves, letting his head hang so he could sneak a look back behind himself at Sworn Tenet... but his CO was resolutely looking at the griffin commander, saying contemptibly: “Just like a bird to have a dog fight his battles for him.”

“Break the mudwalker's legs. Then I'll let you kill the unicorn and the rest of the soldiers.” snarled the griffin commander, before his eyes turned towards the remaining ambassador, snapping: “This is what we do to anyone who stands against us! Watch closely!”

Kindynas grinned widely, leaning forwards and punching one large paw against the ground before he growled: “So will you fight, pony, or will you beg?”

“I might be wrong here, but I thought it was the dogs who did tricks.” Thesis replied fearlessly as he slowly straightened, narrowing his eyes: he was big for a pony's standards, but Kindynas was at least twice his size, absolutely towering over him. But even if he was a giant, he was cocky, overaggressive, and Thesis' sharp eyes were already quickly analyzing everything he could about his opponent.

The diamond dog grinned, then leapt forwards, swinging one huge paw out almost playfully: Thesis allowed his eyes to flick upwards, judging the speed of the movement and where it was about to land as he held his breath... and then the stallion flung himself to the side before he leapt forwards and slammed his hoof into the diamond dog's kneecap, a loud crack echoing through the air before Kindynas spilled forwards with a thud.

The diamond dog lay stupidly on his stomach, mouthing wordlessly, his forelimbs outstretched almost comically in front of himself with his big paws buried in the dirt, while Thesis only stood, his back to Kindynas, his eyes flicking back over his shoulder as he absently polished his hoof against his chest before he remarked: “I think you might have missed.”

The diamond dog snarled, then clawed his way up to his feet, spinning around and glaring furiously at Thesis as the dark-coated stallion turned around and said in a quieter, more-serious voice: “It doesn't have to be like this. Surrender. I don't want to hurt you.”

“Shut up, crowbait!” snarled Kindynas, before the diamond dog leapt forwards and swung a claw down in a clumsy slash. Thesis easily swayed out of the way before he swung a hoof up and smashed it into the diamond dog's stomach... but it was like hitting metal, and the stallion's eyes widened in surprise before Kindynas swept his other forelimb out with a snarl, batting the stallion away like a toy.

Thesis hit the ground hard on his back, wincing before he rolled backwards just as the diamond dog pounced. Kindynas smashed into the ground in front of him, claws digging uselessly into dirt before his jaws snapped at the equine, but Thesis winced and leaned out of the way before he swung a hoof hard up into the canine's chin.

Kindynas grunted in surprise as his head snapped back, knocked off balance for a moment, and Thesis immediately pressed the advantage, leaning forwards as his hooves smashed in a blur back and forth across the diamond dog's face.

The canine shouted in frustration more than pain, and then his front paws both suddenly shot up, seizing Thesis by the sides of his body and hefting him high into the air before he was thrown savagely down on his back. Thesis bounced over the hard ground with a gasp of pain before Kindynas jumped on top of him, slamming a foot into his stomach to knock the wind out of the stallion before his paw crunched with agonizing force on top of Thesis' muzzle.

The stallion cried out in agony, blood bursting from his jaws and nose before he snapped his head quickly to the side when Kindynas attempted to drop down and bite into his throat. Then the pony whiplashed his head forwards, slamming his skull into the diamond dog's nose before he could draw back, and Kindynas shouted in pain, rearing back... but he swept one large paw out at the same time, batting Thesis away like a ball of paper.

The stallion rolled painfully across the ground and landed in a heap, gasping for breath as his eyes bulged with pain, grasping at his dented metal armor. The diamond dog had a punch like a battering ram... and Thesis gritted his teeth as he slowly forced himself up to his hooves, shaking his body out as he forced himself to calm down before he could start to get anxious or angry. He had to play to his enemy's weaknesses and tilt the fight in favor of his strengths. He couldn't let himself get worked up now.

Kindynas was snarling, blood dripping from his mouth as he slowly hefted himself back to his own rear legs, his eyes glowing with hatred. And there was perhaps the smallest bit of humiliation there, too... I can work with that. “I'll rip your stupid hooves off, pony, and then feed them to you!”

“I already tried to feed you one of them, and it looks like it was too much for you to stomach.” Thesis replied as he shook himself out, and then he reached up quickly popped open the clasps that held his light plate on, the stallion purposefully glancing back and pretending to fiddle with one of the clasps as he muttered: “You certainly did a good job ruining a perfectly good set of-”

Kindynas lunged forwards on all fours, racing towards Thesis with a snarl of fury, and the stallion reacted in a flash as he tore his breastplate loose from his body before swinging it like a club straight into the diamond dog's face. Kindynas stumbled backwards with a howl of shock as the armor flew loose from the stallion's hooves, but Thesis was already in mid-leap, tackling the diamond dog around the neck and spinning himself around to the giant's back.

His rear hooves slammed into the diamond dog's spine as his forelegs wrapped around his neck, beginning to throttle him as Kindynas shook himself wildly, grabbing uselessly at Thesis' forelegs before he snarled and threw himself backwards, attempting to drop on top of Thesis. But the moment the diamond dog began to tip, Thesis kicked off his back and flung himself away as he slung the diamond dog downwards at the same time with all his strength.

Kindynas crashed down on his back with a tremendous bang, rattling the field with the force of his impact as his eyes bulged with surprise. Thesis, meanwhile, landed and skidded to a halt a few feet away, baring his teeth at the diamond dog before he shouted: “Come on, Tiny, you can roll over better than that!”

The diamond dog's eyes blazed as he rolled up to all fours, hackles raised as he snarled in fury before he roared and charged forwards. Thesis tensed himself, gritting his teeth as he counted the giant's steps before he leapt forwards, slipping just beneath the swing of the diamond dog's forelimb to slam a hoof up into his throat.

Kindynas reared back, choking loudly, and Thesis leaned forwards, his hooves a blur as he slammed blow after blow into Kindynas' stomach, hammering his kidneys and solar plexus with concentrated strike after strike. Time almost seemed to have slowed for the stallion as he poured all his strength, all his focus, into taking down the giant of a diamond dog-

Kindynas roared and tried to drop both elbows into him, and Thesis skirted quickly to the side, wincing as the edge of an elbow caught the side of his head and sent up a sharp flare of pain. He ducked again as Kindynas swung his forelimbs out in a savage double-haymaker, and then Thesis seemed to vanish as he sprung quickly over to the diamond dog's other side, hammering a short volley of blows into the diamond dog's thigh and the back of his knee.

The giant roared in fury and frustration as he spun the other way, slamming a fist down: it crashed into the earth with enough force to leave a crater where Thesis had stood just a moment before, and Kindynas overbalanced as his leg suddenly twitched painfully.

The diamond dog could barely track where Thesis was with his eyes, the pony was so goddamned fast... but then his ears twitched, and the giant grinned before his other hand suddenly shot up, and Thesis gargled as the enormous paw clenched around his throat.

He was hefted high into the air, then slammed cruelly down on his back, knocking the sense from his body before Kindynas stood and lifted Thesis high above his head like a trophy. He grinned in vicious triumph as Thesis gasped uselessly for breath, struggling weakly in the grip of the giant diamond dog as Kindynas growled: “How about I teach you to play dead?”

His fingers squeezed tighter, and Thesis' eyes bulged, excruciating pain ripping through his body: his head felt like it was going to explode, and his body was a weight, and his throat like it was being crushed out of existence...

He grabbed onto the diamond dog's wrist, then swung his body forwards, kicking both rear hooves as viciously as he could into the giant's face. Kindynas' muzzle shattered in an explosion of blood as the diamond dog howled, half-flinging and half-dropping Thesis: but the pony barely felt the impact as he hit the ground, choking down breath, his whole body shaking as he half-rolled away, his mind reeling and his body shivering in agony.

Kindynas managed to catch himself, grasping at his broken maw before a slow snarl spread across his damaged features, his eyes blazing with fury before he gave a disjointed, furious growl as he launched himself forwards, running towards the fallen stallion.

Thesis looked over his shoulder, then gritted his teeth as he forced himself to focus through the pain, the confusion, and the turmoil of emotion twisting through him. He ordered his body to move, and it was through sheer strength of will that he made himself roll to the side, before he slammed a hoof into the ground and used it to spin around on an axis.

Every part of his body hurt, every muscle throbbed, and his lungs screamed beneath the exertion. His bruised and injured throat felt sticky and clogged, and his vision was blurry, his mind still reeling, his head throbbing and there was so much pain and so much anger...

But when Kindynas leapt at him, Thesis still moved like the wind, leaping high into the air and over the giant's pounce so that he could slam down on his back with the force of an avalanche, knocking Kindynas into the ground and kicking off him at the same time. The stallion landed and smoothly spun himself around, even as his head reeled, gritting his teeth as he locked himself into a ready position as Kindynas dragged himself up out of the dirt again and turned around, furious and feral, barking and snarling before he charged forwards on all fours.

He lunged in to bite in spite of his broken jaw, both forelegs reaching up to try and smash Thesis between his paws. It was the opening Thesis needed, and the stallion fearlessly met the charge, stepping forwards and smashing his head into the already-injured muzzle of the diamond dog.

Kindynas flinched with a howl, his attempt to grapple Thesis turning into a compulsive grab at his own face as he arched his back, and Thesis immediately began to slam hoof-after-hoof into the giant's stomach again, aiming for any soft point he could pick out. The diamond dog flinched backwards, then snarled and swung a claw down to try and crush or seize Thesis again... but this time, Thesis twisted slightly to the side and instead seized the giant's forelimb in one foreleg as his hoof shoved into the back of the diamond dog's elbow, then pushed.

There was a sickening crack, and then Kindynas yanked himself backwards with a howl, stumbling and staring in shock at his disjointed, limp forelimb. He began to look up... and saw too late that Thesis had leapt into the air, and the stallion's rear hooves-

Thesis kicked the diamond dog in the face with all his strength, the giant's head snapping back in a fine spray of blood and teeth as he staggered uselessly, one arm hanging limply and the other pinwheeling wildly. And the moment Thesis landed, he lunged forwards again, his hooves striking with so much force into the diamond dog's midsection that his blows were beginning to scrape away fur and skin from the canine's already bruised and battered body.

Kindynas' head snapped back and forth, foaming at the mouth before he suddenly leaned down, attempting another maddened bite at Thesis. The stallion reacted in a flash, however, catching him by the jaws and gritting his teeth as he held the diamond dog's maw back even as Kindynas's teeth snapped, his eyes blazing, mouth leaking drool and blood.

His working foreleg suddenly shot out, trying to snag Thesis by the face, but the pony shifted suddenly and ducked away as he threw Kindynas' head towards the ground at the same time, sending the diamond dog crashing down on his face. The giant howled as he tried to catch himself on his bad arm, scrabbling wildly at the earth before he shoved himself up... and straight into another volley of wicked blows from Thesis, his head knocked back and forth by the force of the series of punches before the stallion suddenly drove an uppercut up into the diamond dog's muzzle with enough force to knock him half-falling backwards with a gargle of shock.

He barely caught himself, but was unable to do anything but stare in horror as Thesis lunged forwards and ran up his body like a ladder before the stallion smashed an uppercut under his jaw, knocking his head back with a gurgle... and all the diamond dog could do was watch, helpless, as Thesis leapt off his body, sailing high into the air above his head before he simply dropped like a rock.

Both rear hooves came down straight on Kindynas' head, and the diamond dog was driven to the ground with a tremendous bang, his body dropping into a broken sprawl as Thesis stumbled away, then tripped and rolled painfully to flop down on his stomach, gasping for breath. He glared over his shoulder at the diamond dog, who gurgled weakly on the ground for a few moments before he finally let out a weak whimper, and then his eyes rolled up in his head as the giant collapsed into unconsciousness.

There was silence for a few moments, punctuated only by Thesis' heavy breathing... and then a quiet snort came from the griffin commander. Thesis looked up... before wincing as he felt the griffin's talons seize him by the throat, hauling his head up forcefully.

He was too weak to do much more fighting, but all the same, Thesis forced himself to look fearlessly, defiantly up at the griffin, who looked back down at him with cold, measuring eyes. And then, to the shock of the stallion, Thesis felt the commander let go and step back, grudgingly clicking his beak before he said abruptly: “You win this round, Prince of Equestria. But you won't be so lucky next time, youngling. That dog was strong but slow. The eagle is fast and precise.”

There were murmurs of disbelief from the crowd... or rather, from several ponies and the diamond dogs. One of the canines began to step forwards, snarling... but since this one wasn't nearly as large or fearsome as Kindynas, all the commander had to do was look in the dog's direction, and a griffin soldier immediately leapt in and slammed the hilt of his weapon into the dog's neck, knocking it flat with a yelp before it skittered backwards in surprise and fear.

Thesis looked up, not understanding... and then his eyes roved over to Sworn Tenet, who only gave him the slightest of nods, his gaze cold and hard... but there was no surprise there, no anger, perhaps... approval. And something else, Thesis thought, as he shakily climbed to his hooves and started: “Wait, what is... I mean...”

“You fought the strongest warrior here... or at least, the dog who thought he was the strongest warrior here. And you won. Mudwalker or not, our enemy or not...” The griffin looked coldly, contemptibly over Thesis. “You have earned your freedom. We have honor, more than you ponies could ever understand, and we respect the law of strength. We won't be brought down to your level, the level of... cowards and cheating and hiding behind the skirts of other nations. We aren't scum like you.”

Thesis mouthed wordlessly, and then Sworn Tenet looked up and snapped: “Lieutenant, return to Canterlot and make your report! You have a duty to Equestria, and for once in your life, you will do that duty and you will listen to your commanding officer, do I make myself clear?”

Thesis looked blankly at Sworn Tenet for a moment, and then he stared disbelievingly over his fellow soldiers, and the ambassador, before his eyes locked on the corpse of the diplomat who had already been killed... and then the stallion blurted: “Wait! What about everyone else? You can't-”

“You fought for your own freedom and earned it. They are not so lucky. They can choose to fight if they want... but unlike your kind, we are not so weak we leave our opponents alive.” the griffin commander said callously, his eyes flicking towards Thesis before he added coldly: “You're testing my patience. I'll give you one minute to say your goodbyes. If you haven't left by then... then consider your life forfeit, and you can join the rest of your friends.”

Thesis gritted his teeth, beginning to ready himself, even if he knew he was in no condition to try and fight an entire unit of griffins by himself. But before he could open his mouth, Sworn Tenet said quietly: “I gave you an order, and I do not want to repeat myself, Prince Thesis. You have to go.”

Thesis looked over at Sworn Tenet, who looked calmly back at him through the bloody wounds on his face, before he bowed his head ever so slightly to the stallion... to the Prince of Equestria, whom he was sworn to protect. And for the first time in his life, Thesis realized the weight of his own title, and what it would mean... just as, when he looked silently out over the mass of captured soldiers, the dead ambassador, the crying prisoner who remained in the griffin's grasp, he realized how heavy the toll would be for every battle lost, and every failure along the way to the end of this bloody war.

He turned his eyes silently to the griffin, who looked at him with coldness, and with anger... but he was a soldier, too, Thesis saw. And he was bound by laws and honor, just as he himself was. They were different, and alien to him, and yet somehow they were also very much the same, as difficult as that was for him to stomach.

Thesis and the griffin looked at each other for the longest time, and then the stallion finally turned his eyes to Sworn Tenet as he felt his last few seconds bleeding away. He wanted to say something noble, he wanted his last words to the commander to be wise, or strong, or something that would let him face the horrors that waited for him with a smile...

And all Thesis could think to do was salute, and then whisper: “Yes, sir.”

There was nothing else to say, and nothing else to do but turn and gallop away through the open fields, with the caws of griffin soldiers filling his ears, a terrible weight on his heart... and the image of Sworn Tenet's face burned into his mind, reminding him that whether he was pony or homunculus, prince or soldier... he was still so much further than he ever would have imagined from being able to protect his people the way he wanted to.

But one day, he swore that he would be able to... no matter what it cost him.