36 - Death, Part 5 of 10
Beigh felt giddy as he walked away from Sparklefly’s tent. In truth, he felt as if he were floating above the ground, riding high on a wave of amorous feelings. The setting sun was at his back, but he turned to face it, pausing a moment. It painted the sky in hues of red and gold with some backlit clouds turning a rich purple, a wondrous beauty, yet it didn’t touch the magnificence of unbridled joy that flooded his heart. He took a long draft of the air, even the stench of the timberwolves seemed somehow sweet on this evening.
The stallion turned and continued on past other divisions, snaking his way though the camp toward his own regiment and tent. He found his squad where he had left them. Their time away from the line would end with the coming dawn. The others were passing the remaining hours in various ways.
LD and Locknload were sharpening their knives and other weapons. Jewel worked with her repaired armor, but didn’t find it to fit quite so well anymore. Gunnysack seemed to be sleeping. Sergeant Featherplume was resting but keeping an ever watchful eye on her squad. Duster was the only one to acknowledge the romantic stallion’s return.
“Hey... oh...”
Beigh looked at him, feeling overwhelmed with the light and beauty that was in the world.
“I think you’d better sit down.”
“Okay,” he sighed blissfully.
Duster seemed concerned that the others would notice Beigh’s condition, but if they did, none of them acknowledged such. The evening passed in a daze, and before long they were all crammed into their tent, bedded down for the night. Beigh was nearest the flap, and managed to peek through to the stars. They burned vibrantly above.
The stallion stared up at them, wondering at the lights that were spread across the heavens as he drank their beauty. His heart was filled with light and wonder, such that he felt it rivaled even the glittering and sublime display before him.
“I have never seen you this bad,” Duster whispered, breaking the amorous unicorn’s reverie.
Beigh turned so he could hear a little better.
The disgruntled sibling continued, “I swear, if I found out that you did anything to tarnish my sister’s honor, I’ll kill you in your sleep.”
Beigh felt himself smile at the threat, totally unafraid.
...
Duster was already awake when the others began stirring. No words were exchanged as they all geared up and prepared to return to the line. It had become an all-too-familiar routine that passed uneventfully. Beigh still wore the stupid grin with which he had returned to them the previous night, a fact that infuriated Duster. Not that he didn’t like Beigh, but the thought of him with Sissy... It made something inside him snap. He shook his head, unable to shrug off the feeling.
“Let’s go,” Sergeant Featherplume ordered.
Jewel had a little trouble getting her armor on, but she seemed more able to move about in it than she had before the makeshift repair. Light grew on the horizon in the humid morning and the stars faded away. They stopped by the mess tent briefly before heading out to the line. The defenders who would rotate back were pushing timberwolves down the hill, casualties of the latest attack. There was quite a growing pile of them at the bottom, the stench of which seemed to envelop the entire defensive line.
Lieutenant Clyde spoke with the platoon commander which they were relieving, and soon they had traded places. Duster found his patch of earth dug into the top of the rise. The dirt was well packed and charred. Dried blood colored much of it red. The foul scent of the dead, not to mention a nearby latrine, mixed and soured the air as the lieutenant got the attention of his platoon.
“Just a couple of housekeeping things this morning,” Clyde began. “Changelings have been using magical attacks when the timberwolves strike, so remember to keep your heads down as much as possible. Also, orders came down from Canterlot, anypony caught deserting from their duties will no longer be imprisoned. Instead, deserters are to be executed upon the first offense. So, don’t give anypony a reason to think you’re not where you’re supposed to be.” He nodded at the horde of timberwolves, “If their schedule keeps, we should be expecting an attack shortly, so be ready.”
“Another glorious day in the Assault Corps,” Rolling Thunder spoke glibly.
Jewel groaned, “It’s too early for that.”
Gunnysack added, “Yeah, and the swill they pass off as coffee doesn’t do the job.”
LD was at his post, watching for movement from the enemy. He tended to not speak much in Duster’s experience.
“Besides, I thought we finally got rid of all that loud-mouth talk when Quickbeam bit it.”
Duster flashed back to that rooftop for a moment and shuddered.
“Not as long as you’re still with us,” Jewel countered.
Gunnysack forced a laugh. Beigh still had a stupid smile on his face; Duster sat down next to him.
“It wasn’t like that, you know,” the unicorn medic spoke. “Yesterday I mean. There was no, er, tarnishing going on.” He blushed before continuing, “How’d you know where I went? I didn’t even know until I got there.”
“You’ve been grinning like an idiot since you got back.”
Beigh stifled a laugh, “I guess I have.”
“How are your hostile magic sessions going with Locknload?”
The unicorn shrugged, “I managed to make a heat beam, but it wasn’t enough to even cause discomfort to anypony I blast with it.”
Duster felt himself smile, “I guess slaughter and killing just aren’t your thing.”
Beigh snorted, “Lucky me.”
The pegasus shrugged, “I don’t know. You do a good job patching us back together when things get rough.” He nodded at Gunnysack, “Sometimes we wish you weren’t so good at it.”
“Heh, what can you do?”
Sergeant Featherplume stood atop their little trench, “Rolling Thunder, Duster, and LD, you’re with me. Locknload, you’re in charge here until we return.”
“So be it,” the ever-serious unicorn replied.
Duster stood and nodded a goodbye to Beigh, who stood and took LD’s place watching. The four pegasi did a quick check of each other’s armor to ensure everything was secured.
“We’re joining the CAP today,” the sergeant informed them. “Apparently, the timberwolves are starting to scatter and move north in some numbers. Major Skyflame is taking half our pegasi and all of the griffins to draw them back. The rest of us are on CAP until then to make sure the changelings don’t get any ideas.”
They followed her into the air and joined the formation far above the heights. But for the sounds of battle below, it would have been a peaceful day. The skies were quiet as the large force departed to bring back the timberwolves. Duster watched them go as he continued scanning in all directions for any signs of trouble. The airborne detachment was soon out of sight and the periodic ground skirmishes continued as the day wore on.
Rolling Thunder seemed bored with their patrol, but LD was ever-vigilant. His watchful gaze searched intently for any signs of trouble. Half the day was spent in this manner, slowly circling the heights and waiting for nothing to happen. Duster felt his stomach begin to rumble right at midday. He was thinking about getting some oats from his ration pack when his attention was grabbed by action on the ground.
Magical changeling fire opened up simultaneously from all sides into the line. This wasn’t that unusual, but the intensity increased manyfold moments later, and the entire edge of the line was riddled with blasts of energy impacting all around. Moments later, the ground began to quiver.
Duster watched as tents began swaying without a breeze. A great rumbling could then be heard. The stallion grabbed his ears as a massive explosion erupted in the heart of the EUP camp. Earth, tents and soldiers were scattered through the air, coming down as debris in all directions. Duster’s heart nearly stopped as, from the epicenter of the blast, timberwolves soon began pouring out from under the ground. He stared in disbelief. None in the squad said anything for a moment. Then shouting started coming from every direction.
Several thousand pegasi dropped from the formation as their units were called. They sped down toward the gaping hole in the earth to form up a perimeter. Like a spider’s web, the ground began collapsing along subterranean lines that snaked from the center of their camp, radiating out to the edges like spokes on a wheel, effectively cutting their force into several pieces. Buglers began blasting a general call to arms.
“By Celestia!” Rolling Thunder swore.
LD was scanning the skies. Their squad hadn’t received instructions yet, and continued patrolling.
Fighting erupted all along the interior as changelings and timberwolves poured out of the breaches. It was as if they had been in caverns underneath, and now were charging out of every hole and trench that had just opened up under the heights. Something like a grin worked it’s way across LD’s face, though it wouldn’t have been mistaken for an expression of joy.
A pegasus scout shot by shouting at every unit he came to, “Phalanx, phalanx! All units execute phalanx!”
“Let’s go!” Featherplume shouted at her squad.
The wind rushed in Duster’s ears as they dropped altitude and sped back toward the rest of their squad. Defensive shields began going up all over the ponies’ formation as they executed the order to shelter in place. Duster understood the situation all too well. Their position had been compromised, and they did not possess the wing-power to withdraw. They had no choice but to mitigate their losses until the rest of their air support returned.
The fighting at the center had become intense, but Duster and his squad shot past it as they returned to their position on the line. Explosions ripped through the air, as did the howling of timberwolves and battle-cries of ponies who weren’t ready to give up even an inch of their ground.
Duster’s heart pounded and his mouth felt dry as they arrived back at the patch of hill he’d been defending for the better part of a week. Several small explosions rocked the line as the four pegasi dropped into their little trench. Locknload and Jewel had the lust of battle in their eyes as lethal magic poured from their horns in answer to changeling attacks that were striking all around. Gunnysack and Beigh were using spears with deadly proficiency.
Duster loaded his crossbow and began sending arrows toward the changelings. He was focused, his breaths calm. Inhale, draw, load, exhale, aim, loose, repeat. One enemy was struck in the eye and went down; another took his place. A timberwolf gained the top of the heights, leaping over Gunnysack and into their trench. It exploded with a shockwave from the concussive blast that Locknload unleashed. Duster felt the energy of it, making all of his hair stand on end. He spun, falling down, but he quickly jumped back up and continued firing.
He soon ran out of arrows and grabbed a spear, helping the others fend off the timberwolves that were getting through. The roar of battle was a constant mix of the explosions and screams to which Duster had become all-too accustomed. Sweat poured from his brow as the onslaught continued. Thrust, twist, flip, reset. The stench of burning and death filled the heights above Apple Loosa.
As Duster impaled a timberwolf, another clamored up and stepped on the shaft of the spear, ripping it from the stallion’s grasp. He dropped backward just in time to avoid being crunched between massive jaws. The next thing he knew, his knife was out and he was struggling with the beast. It was on top of him, pressing and clawing and biting. Duster heard a savage cry escape his own lungs as he drove his blade into the massive paw that swiped at his head. The beast howled before it came down, lunging at his face. The moment hung as if time had stopped. The creature drawing closer, and Duster had no means to stop it.
The timberwolf’s head was knocked aside by a blast of magic and it fell awkwardly, pinning Duster to the earth. The beast was dead.
“I got him!” Beigh was shouting. “Did you see that? I got him!”
Duster looked up at his friend in time to see a burst of green magic strike him in the neck, just below his helmet. His crystal blue eyes, which had been filled with exhilaration, became blank as he crumpled to the ground. Duster’s blood ran cold as he shouted for LD. He pulled and clawed his way out from under the timberwolf to get to his friend.
The other pegasus left the line long enough to check the unicorn. LD looked up and met Duster’s eyes. There was a cold solemnity that said everything that the stallion needed to know. Beigh was dead. LD returned to the line. Duster sat a moment, staring at the lifeless form. A blank expression was on the corpse's face, no trace of pain or fear, or even the joy with which he’d been filled. He was simply gone. A fire ignited within as Duster grabbed the fallen unicorn’s spear. He was back in the fight, a blinding rage fueling his strength.
The infuriated pegasus didn’t bother stabbing them. He crushed several timberwolves with the flat edge of the spear. He saw himself do things that weren’t possible, that were beyond his strength. The timberwolves climbed up, and he smashed them, skewered them, slaughtered them, throwing the bodies back down in his fury. They would pay, even if he had to kill them all with nothing but his spear. The battle raged on.
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8603515
I saw this one coming. It's a war movie trope.
8603691
I am ashamed... but then, nobody’s perfect.
8603745
It's a war, those things happen all the time.
8603888
I know, but I try to not be predictable. I guess at some point that gets really hard to do if you have any hope of completing the narrative.
This is actually starting to bug me
Is there a reason Scoots and Sparkle fly can't talk to LD.
If only we had a medic
And I am not going to lie, I was excited to see you write some action from the perspective of a medic, like the Bastogne episode of Band of Brothers. The story is still good but I am just sad that was not included.
I just thought he was hurt and needed help
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!
why did you kill him?
Why do you hate me and my emotions?
Nobody but Scootaloo and Cloud are safe, I think.
8756026
1) A reason Scoots and Sparklelfy can't talk to LD... Not really. I guess I just figured that they were so busy, deep involved in the higher end of things that they didn't spare the time. Which... now that you have pointed it out, does seem kind of horrible of them. They could fairly easily call him up when he's off duty... I'll have to put some thought to that. Thanks!
2)
Well, holy smokes. I managed to predict two of the big plot elements at the end of this chapter. Proof I read too much TVTropes, no doubt. I wonder how long it'll take before news gets back to Sparklefly...assuming she isn't captured in action again.
It's a good thing the ending happened, otherwise this felt like it might have turned into a love triangle with an incestuous element to it.
8786280
1) Yep, but I already gave you cookies for them! No double-dipping!
2) Oh gosh, just say no to incest!
3) Again, you are the first one to pick up on that. It will be important later. 🍩