Siege of the Crystal Empire

by Mystic Mind

Chapter 14: Burning Arrows

Author's Note:

This scene takes place at the same time as the previous chapter, rather than after.

(14: Burning Arrows)

Stellar Shine patiently watched the battle unfold from above, examining every movement the enemy made to direct the archers to where most of the support was needed. The moment he saw Meteor fall to the berserker rage, Stellar lifted his bow to a steep angle, calling for his fellow archers to lay down suppressing fire on the rear ranks and keep the rampaging earth pony from becoming overwhelmed. Given how all the ground troops were moving to preserve the elite Cavaliers, Stellar knew that this was a vital point in the battle to maintain their chances for ultimate victory.

Far Seer, the small unicorn who he had rescued during the first battle, was by his side once again. Using his specialist spell, Far Seer bent the light over any given area of the battlefield, magnifying the image to make it easier for his regiment to accurately aim. With the shaman concentrating his weather magic over the empire's soldiers, the focused volley let loose by Stellar and his archers kept most of the Trolls at the back from getting involved in the battle. It didn't matter how many of the hits landed; the threat of being skewered by a hail of arrows was enough to prevent the reinforcements from moving.

As Stellar expected, however, the Phantom Stallions were harder to stop by this method. Stellar gritted his teeth in frustration. He needed to come up with something more effective, otherwise his archery skills would be useless in the grand scheme of things. To make matters worse, the three catapults Shining Armour deployed didn't seem to be making much of a dent in the opposing siege machines, magical weather notwithstanding.

Running back and forth between spells to relay Stellar's commands, Far Seer directed the catapult's fire, the collected boulders of ice launched to their maximum range. Though this ammunition was unlimited, the magic of the unicorns who made them was not. One look at the state of the Canterlot Mages added another layer of pressure to Stellar's responsibilities; their saggy eyes, heavy perspiration and flickering horns showing that their magic was beginning to run dry.

“Far Seer!” Stellar called, his younger friend rushing to his side.

“Yes, Commander Stellar?” Seer asked with a salute, keeping his posture stiff despite how his muscles were aching.

"What's your magic like?" Stellar's question was nothing like an order. "How much can you cast?"

“Difficult to say, sir,” Seer chose his words carefully, not wanting to disappoint his hero. “I can cover all the basics, if that's what's needed. Nothing particularly complex, though.”

“That'll be more than enough. All I need is a boost to an illumination spell; add a bit of light to your usual magnification to help me see through this storm. You can do that, can't you?”

“Just say the word, sir, and I'll give you all I have!” Seer chirped, his horn bursting to life.

In truth, Stellar had more than enough magic to cast the spell himself; but what he needed more was to see the attitude of his most dedicated ally setting up an example for all the other Unicorns around him. Some ponies would be traumatized by near-death experiences like Seer had been through, and Stellar could never blame them for it. However, this little pony was an exception; whatever his reaction was during the first battle, he had valiantly returned to fight each day thereafter, knowing little of what became of the one who saved him.

Now he was working extra hard to support his Commander and his fellow troops. His horn was glowing brighter than Stellar had ever seen before, grim and baring the physical strain the constant use of magic put on him. With his moral at an all-time high, Seer projected his magic out in a wide arc below the walls, piercing the snow-filled clouds with his contorted light to see how everything was turning out.

The sight of the ground troops becoming consumed by ice told him that their situation was far worse than he had anticipated. “That'll do, Far Seer. I can take it from here.”

While he returned to his regular duties—unaware of the magic traps below—Stellar followed his first instinct. He strung his bow and fired nearly a dozen arrows in the span of a five seconds, each one piercing the blocks of ice. Yet for all their penetrating power, they were no match for the magic that constantly replenished the cracks with new ice, keeping the prisons solid. Cursing under his breath, Stellar slammed his hooves on the edge of the wall. No matter how well the ground troops bested the enemy when it came to martial combat, the advantage of magic that the shaman had over them would make all their efforts null and void.

“Melt, you damn Celestia-forsaken piece of junk!”

Stellar shut his eyes and snarled, trying to suppress the throbbing pain in his head that Far Seer's thundering profanities only made worse. Were he a lesser pony, he would have long since trotted up to the colt and shoved a hoof in his mouth to just shut him up; a tempting fantasy, if only to grant himself a minor sense of control in this situation. Though he remained resolute with his self-control, Stellar still shot a furious glare towards his cohort. His anger dissipated when he realised what Far Seer was trying to do. Inspired by the sight of Seer melting ice off the siege machines with his magic, a hope for victory was born anew.

“Officer Far Seer!” Stellar called.

“Yes, sir!” Seer sprang to attention, regaining his composure.

“Enchant this arrow. Nothing fancy, just a minor arcane glow will do.”

“Of course, sir.”

With a veil of red magic swirling around the tip, Stellar pointed his bow over the walls, holding the weapon steady as he took aim. If his hunch was correct, then the storm obscuring his aim would make no difference. Releasing the bowstring from his magic, the arrow shot through the thick clouds, lighting up the target beneath it with an explosion brighter than a thunderbolt in a violent storm.

“Gotcha.”

The loudness of the explosion turned all heads of the Unicorns to that location, just the rallying cry that Stellar needed to begin the destruction of the Phantom Stallions.

“To me, my friends!” Stellar called, wasting no time in stringing another enchanted arrow. “Light up your arrows like a hearth's warming tree and fire on my command.”

Though some were slower to abide than others—staggering forward as they forced the last trickle of magic through their horns—all those who were able cast their spells. Their drab and exhausted expressions switched to that of elation the moment their shots connected, the magic absorption of the phantoms magnetizing the arrows to pierce their gems. Shot after shot, more phantoms fell, yet Stellar was not content to continue letting loose blind.

The more arrows were shot, the more the storm began to clear, gradually exposing the shaman who was the source of the extreme weather. Now with a clear view of the battlefield, Stellar could see exactly where Kur'zun stood, waving his staff in circles as if writing his spells in the air. With the ever-increasing body count of both Phantom Stallions and Trolls, Kur'zun was forced to direct more of his magic into buffing his soldiers. The missing limbs of the intact phantoms shot back into their sockets, their dents and breaks repairing with the refreshing magic. These were prime targets for Stellar Shine and his archers, with volley after volley skewering each one and destroying them from the ensuing surge.

“Focus volley, front and centre!” Stellar called, directing his archers’ hails to where the reforming ranks of the enemy was thinnest. The storm had shrunk from covering the entire width of the imperial army to a localised swirl closer to where Meteor, Moonlight and Emerald were breaking free from the ice. He could see the phantoms march through this cover—as they always had—but this time, rather than concealing their advancements, it became a dead giveaway to their position.

“I've got you now!” Stellar let out a hearty laugh with his next shot, releasing all the pain of his earlier headache into the force of his attacks, grinning with the thrill of battle pumping through his heart. “Far Seer!”

“Yes, sir!” Far Seer leapt to his Commander's side, shooting a trio of arrows in rapid succession.

“Scan the battlefield. I need an update on how our allies down below are faring.”

Seer's only response was to act on his orders, bending the light with his magic to gaze across the span of the battlefield. His silence ended when a beautiful sight caught his eye. “Commander Stellar!” he called with great elation. “Look there, far to the north-west. It's the Crystal Lancers!”

True to his word, Stellar could see most of the Cavaliers still lived, charging from behind the enemy. Looking through Far Seer's magnification, he could also see a factor that had to be an even bigger stroke of luck. Their lances had been repaired; the sharp tips frozen back on by the same spell which was intended to trap them.

“Far Seer, I have one more important job for you to do,” Stellar said.

“Just give the word, Commander!” Far Seer chirped in response.

“I need you to take temporary command of our archers. If I can get Emerald to lead his Lancers again, victory won't be far away.”

“C-Commander Stellar,” Far Seer stuttered, his ears flattening as he dropped his gaze to his feet; rubbing a hoof on his front leg as he tried to process his Commander's words. “I... am beyond grateful that you think I'm worthy. But I'm not so sure if I'm ready for this level of responsibility. You did have to save me from my own mental weakness just a few days ago, after all.”

Stellar lowered his bow and placed one hoof on Far Seer's shoulder, pushing his chin up once he had made eye contact again. “Though we have known each other for a relatively small amount of time, today you have demonstrated what you're capable of achieving so much with just the gentlest push in the right direction. Let me ask you, have you persisted through your physical limits to cast spells as ordered?”

“Of course, sir.”

“Have you provided me with vital information through the use of your talent this day?”

“I have, sir.”

“And do you know what the biggest threats we face are?”

“The Phantom Stallions, sir, without a doubt. But isn't commanding an entire regiment quite a step up for somepony like me?”

That was when Stellar's matter-of-fact tone turned into a sly grin. “Whatever do you mean, Commander Far Seer? You just explained to me precisely what I needed you to do. Now, how do you feel about translating all that to the rest of the archers, hmm?”

Far Seer opened his mouth to object, but he couldn't think of anything to object with. Whatever trick Stellar had pulled on him, he couldn't deny the logic his hero had used to boost his confidence. “I won't let you down, sir!”

“Just call me Stellar for now. After all, you are the acting Commander now, and I am but a humble officer, ready to receive your commands. So, what are your first orders?”

Far Seer thought for a moment, magic sparking around his horn as the idea came to him. “Alright, listen up, everypony!” he bellowed, his voice as firm as if he had secretly been a veteran warrior all this time. “Stellar has left me in charge while he helps Emerald and the troops down below. The Lancers are back with their hit and run manoeuvres, so direct your fire to the furthest possible units that become divided. Clear a path for them to re-join the battle!”

“Sir, yes, sir!” They showed no hesitation in accepting the change of command; instead pointing their bows to the sky and releasing their arrows atthe heads of the ground troops which Stellar had teleported down to join.