Chapter 16
They sat across the river, watching the city from behind their armored helms. Their unholy war machines stood ready to bring death upon the city and its inhabitants as they had done to so many others since their arrival. Their numbers seemed endless and even the small groups that broke off of the main group and marched east made no dent in their enormity.
Swiftblade could hear the audible gulps of multiple defenders standing with him on the walls surrounding Stalliongrad. The walls were the pride of its citizens, their beginning dating to long before the rebellion of Nightmare Moon and many said they dated back to the Age of Discord. They stretched all around the massive city and over time the citizens, builders, and engineers had constructed more and more layers to the walls and raised them higher and higher.
However they were now nowhere near what they had once been. First Discord had seen fit to alter the size and consistency of the walls to the point of them being useless. Then, what they could rebuild had been reduced to rubble during the rebellion of Nightmare Moon in the bloody clash between the Lunar and Solar Guard. Only recently had they begun to restore them to pre-Nightmare Moon levels. However, many amongst the city’s defenders were doubtful if they would be able to hold back the human forces as the refugees had been filling their minds with horror stories without end about the strength, size, and brutality of these implacable foes.
Swiftblade could quite easily see that at least one of those rumors were true as he stared out of the sea of metal and flesh arrayed before him hovering into the air with cautious flaps of his wings to get a better view. But his people were strong and Stalliongrad had long been a prime recruiting ground for the Royal Guard forces that safeguarded Equestria. He was secure in the knowledge that in this fight, this war, every last pony of Stalliongrad would fight with a ferocity only those defending their homes and families from death could ever know.
“Come and face us,” he whispered. “You will not find us wanting.”
----
“You’re sure of these numbers?” Lord Orrin looked at the Emperor, his eyes serious as he rattled off the latest reports from the various battlegrounds.
“Yes, lord. These griffons have launched quite the invasion of the Eastern front. We were able to force them back twice, but their sheer numbers won out in the end. My generals and analysts speculate that with so many of our available troops placed within our main force the East is disturbingly open. Our local garrison forces will be able to secure our holdings for a while longer, but the enemy has mounted the full force of their armies into a single mass and may soon be able to sweep through the east given enough time.”
The Emperor’s eyes were hard as diamond as he considered the problem before him. If he diverted his forces from this battle the Equestrians could rally and potentially take back cities he had fought to take. However if he did nothing than the Griffons would take the East and become the hammer to the Equestrian’s anvil: So many choices . . . and so many potential catastrophes just waiting to happen. After a few more moments of contemplation he knew what he had to do.
“Orrin, divert 10 companies of troops to reinforce the Eastern holdings. But bring up some more of the reserve penal legions to reinforce our main force. Also, the map showed us the main homeland of the Griffons that lies beyond the Eastern Mountains correct?”
“Yes my lord.”
“Excellent, than send a letter back to the homeland: Mobilize the reserves. Local defense forces will of course remain in place, but summon half of our Imperial army reserved units. Load them onto the ships and send them beyond the mountains directly from the mainland. Also dispatch a message about our reinforcements to the Eastern leaders and tell them to only secure our current holdings. We must keep the enemy busy. While I wish we could have avoided this we will have to take the fight to them before they do any more damage.” Orrin nodded and moved to exit the command tent.
“Wait.” Orrin turned back and saw the Emperor looking hard at Orrin.
“Yes my lord?”
“Tell the new invasion force this when they move against the Griffon homeland: Raise the Dragon Banner.” Orrin blanched at this.
“Are you sure my lord? It has not been raised for centuries.”
“I am sure old friend. While it is not a pleasant thing, it must be done. The Griffons have shown us their intentions and I intend to give them the clearest possible message about ours.”
----
Time passed achingly slowly as the same pattern played itself out day after day. More and more troops arrived and left from the human army creating a strange equilibrium. Many of the Equestrian defenders wanted to attempt to sally out and hit the human forces who had set up camp across the river. Swiftblade then managed to dissuade them from their course as they were, he pointed out, safe behind the walls. In fact, he had workers striving to shore up some of the walls major weak points to keep the Humans from punching through them.
But as days passed he also grew less sure of what path to take. The Humans were right there! And they weren’t moving or attacking. He had sworn they had been just biding their time and trying to lure them into doing something stupid, but with nothing seeming to happen even he was considering making a sally. The decision was made for him however, at the first light of dawn the next day.
----
Teams of builders advanced to the banks of the surging river, all of them holding pegs and massive wooden planks bound together with thick rope. When they reached the river, they hurled the weighted pegs into the river and used long-handled hammers to drive them into place. When the pegs were securely placed into the bottom of the river, they then placed the heavy planks over them, advanced, and continued the process. Little by little a bridge took shape over the river, an achievement mirrored by dozens of teams down the length of the river. The river would soon be forded and the battle would begin in earnest.
The ponies on guard raised the alarm as they saw the humans’ attempts to ford the river. Their cries were taken up by more and more ponies until the whole of the city was on alert. Swiftblade flew up to the walls as fast as he could.
“What’s going on?” he shouted to the guards on watch.
“Sir! The humans are on the move. They are making to ford the river.” Swiftblade shot a quick glance and gaped at the numbers of teams being sent out.
“Ready the crossbows: Take out those builders!” His troops responded with remarkable alacrity and raised their crossbows as one before firing a withering volley of bolts at the human builders. The initial volley felled dozens and the progress of multiple teams was swiftly arrested. But the humans simply sent more builders, these under protective shields of wood and metal to protect them from the rain of bolts being hurled at them. More and more humans fell as the arrows slipped through cracks in their defenses, but the ponies could not stop the last planks from being placed and the bridges across the river from being laid. The first engagement was over and humanity now had easy access to the base of the city walls.
----
“They’ve forded the river! If we don’t act soon, then we will not be able to stop them from breaching our walls!” Swiftblade rubbed his forehead with his hoof, trying in vain to relive the growing headache. The arguing had been going on for some time now and nigh had long since fallen over the land. After crafting their bridges across the river, the humans had opted to wait through the night before launching their siege proper on the city. Ever since then, he and other leaders of the city had been trying to decide what to do next.
“And what would you have us do, charge them?! Have you not seen their numbers? Their weapons? Their obvious skill? If we sally beyond the walls they will rip us apart and simply march into the city with no problems. At least on the walls we stand a chance to mount a defense.”
“And when the walls fall to their weapons? We have seen and heard more than enough to tell us that they can tear our walls apart brick by brick with little effort. What will our walls matter when they are rubble beneath our hooves?”
“ENOUGH!” The others jumped slightly at the unexpected interruption. Swiftblade stood and began to pace the room, unable to keep himself quiet any longer.
“You both have points. If we charge forth than the humans will annihilate us. But if we try and mount a defense on the walls than we will be at the mercy of their war machines. We are in a difficult position and the humans have all the advantages. But there may be a way to at least delay them.”
“And how is that Commander?” Swiftblade gave the assembled ponies a small smile.
“Simple. We’ll give them a storm they’ll never forget.”
----
The cannons were being loaded when it happened. It started as the air began to grow thicker with moisture. The army could feel it and ripples of concern began to run through their forces as the sky began to darken with thick storm clouds. However by the time they realized what was happening it was too late. With a massive, booming thunderclap sheets of ice cold rain began to fall from the sky. The gunners blanched as they realized what this meant.
“Hurry! Get the powder out of the rain!” Thousands of gunners, aids, and soldiers hurried to do just that shifting thousands of barrels of gunpowder and shot out of the pouring deluge. While they were able to save the majority of the gunpowder, they had lost quite a bit to the rain and with no sign of letting up the storm made it impossible to use the cannons. The walls would have to be taken without them.
----
“Accursed daemon filth!” The Emperor watched his advisors rage at the daemons’ latest tactic. With the loss of their cannons as a viable option, the siege would be extended for quite some time.
“The cannons were the only siege weapons we brought with us. The siege will be immensely difficult without them my emperor.” The Emperor gave out a sigh as he considered the problem before him.
“I know that Orrin. Unfortunately we have run out of options at this point. We cannot retreat here if we wish to maintain our momentum and crush the last bastion of resistance outside of the west. We will simply have to return to an older style of siege warfare.” Orrin nodded and turned towards an aide standing off to the side of the command tent.
“Carry these orders to every commander in the army: Begin immediate harvesting of any and all wood in the area. Also, begin searching for sources of stone to mine in the surrounding area and begin crafting catapult rounds. Our cannons may be out of commission for the time being, but that will never stop our advance.”
“Well said old friend. Now let us hope that the enemy will be foolish enough to grant us time to construct our weapons. If they do not . . . Well. Then I fear for how many troops we might very well lose in the coming weeks.
----
Swiftblade was worried. This wasn’t a new mindset. He and the others had been worried ever since the humans had entered their lands and especially since they had set up camp outside their city. However he, and many of the others, had hoped that with the advent of the storm the human war machines would not only be put out of commission, but that they would retreat to repair or replace them. They had done no such thing. Instead their camp had become a flurry of activity and industry and had remained so for the past week.
Overhead the storm continued to rage as sheets of rain and howling winds buffeted the human camp. Once the areas around the city had been heavily forested, but now for a mile around the human encampment whole swathes of trees had been chopped down to satisfy whatever new demands the humans had placed upon their workers. What had truly worried him however was what the humans had begun bringing in from more than a mile to the west.
It had been spotted only recently, but it was troubling. One of his scouts had spotted a human work group dragging a massive stone hewn from a rock face a mile distant. Not long after more and more work groups had been spotted dragging more and more massive stones. Nothing had yet come of this, but Swiftblade knew that whatever it was it could not be good for the defenders. Scout groups were being sent out, but so far none had been able to determine what the humans had been up to as the humans were constantly watching the skies for any sign of pegasi trying to use the storm as cover for reconnaissance. Either way, all he could do was use this time to try and fortify the city as much as he possibly could for the inevitable retaliation of the humans.
----
They awoke long before dawn. The human army had begun to rouse itself for the long day ahead of them, hoping to get their newest weapons into place before the Equestrians could detect them. Teams of laborers took up the thick ropes and began to drag their heavy loads forwards through the packed ranks of the crusading army. It took hours to get everything into position and all they heard during this time was the creaking of unoiled wheels, the straining ropes, and the hushed conversations of the troops around them as they prepared for the coming fight. And even with the hours of preparation only one facet of the siege could be put fully into place. The Emperor and Orrin watched over the placement of the newly built catapults.
“Will it be enough to take down their walls my Emperor?”
“It won’t be Orrin. However it will prove a more than adequate beginning to the siege until we can finish the rest of our siege equipment.”
The first light of dawn began to creep over the walls and buildings of Stalliongrad and with it, the human offensive proper. The guards and sentries on the walls awoke to a massive volley of boulders smashing into the walls. Roughly cut boulders of all shapes and sizes flew into and over the walls. With each impact the walls shook and some of the guards fell screaming from the walls, unprepared for the sudden attacks. The volley continued as the humans hurled dozens upon dozens of stones per volley at the vast walls before them. However this could not last forever.
The storm continued to rage above and around them and soon the pegasi of Stalliongrad responded to the human offensive with one of their own. Lightning bolts raged from the skies and tore apart the human ranks. For every volley of stones the humans launched they lost dozens of their own. However they could not retreat. The ground had long since turned to sticky, sucking mud from the constant downpour and their catapults were stuck fast. A withdrawal of their first wave of siege engines was not possible, but the humans had prepared for this.
As the lightning bolts crashed down into their siege engines, rank after rank of human soldiers marched forward across the bridges some bringing ladders while others walked under the shielded section of battering rams to assault the gates.
“They’re trying to scale the walls!” Immediately the ponies began redirecting their attacks. As the ladder bearers marched closer they were met with a vicious storm of crossbow bolts. More than a hundred ladders had been sent out and barely 50 reached the base of the walls. Hastily throwing up the ladders against the walls, the soldiers began their ascent. The defenders continued to fire their crossbow bolts, but with such a steep angle of fire the majority of them bounced off the humans’ armored forms.
The battering rams had fared well as crossbow bolts ricocheted off of them or imbedded themselves in their thick wooden frames. Almost a dozen rams reached the thick gates of the city to begin their work. The teams hauling the rams retreated from the gates and then threw their might into the pushing the rams forward. With a resounding –boom- the rams slammed into the thick, wooden gates. With a chorus of frantic yells the Equestrians redirected their lightning strikes towards the rams, desperately trying to keep them from breaking through the main gates. With muffled cracks of thunder and the screams of the human soldiers, the rams were reduced to kindling one by one until there were none left on the Equestrian side of the river.
The warriors on the ladders had finally reached the top and they descended on the ponies with a vengeance. Their swords were as blurs as they cut down a pony with every swipe, but even as more and more of them tried to reach the walls, it was not enough. The Equestrians had sheer numbers on their sides and soon were able to force the human forces back until they had lost any ground they had been able to gain. With one final push, the Equestrians forced the humans off the walls and were able to knock the ladders from the walls. Night began to fall as this victory was won and soon the human forces stopped their attack. A great cheer went up from the city as they celebrated what may possibly be the first real Equestrian victory of the war.
----
Ponyville was quiet. Where once the town would be bustling and filled with activity, the human occupation and forced curfews had drained much of the life from the small village. Human troops patrolled the streets, always on watch for any hints of trouble or resistance. One such group stopped as their leader held his hand up quickly.
“Hold here. What was that sound?” The others began searching around, trying to identify the sound their leader had heard. A moment passed . . . and there it was. It was a scratching, burrowing sound that seemed to come from beneath them.
“Spread out men: standard search pattern. Find me whatever is causing that noise.” The guards nodded as they slowly spread out in a circle, their backs to each other as they swept every opening and alley with watchful eyes. The noise repeated itself and seemed to be growing louder and closer with every passing moment.
“I think it’s coming from . . . beneath us sir.” With a nod, the leader directed the group to surround the spot where the noise was coming from. A moment passed. Two moments passed. After a few more tense moments it finally happened. The ground between them exploded upward as shadowy figures emerged from the newly revealed opening. They moved quickly, but were stopped by blades being pressed up against their throats.
“Identify yourselves now intruders, or by Magnus I will slit your throats here and now.” The figures took a minute to confer amongst themselves before answering. The lead figure finally spoke up nervously.
“I greet you in the name of the Crimson Warlord human. We are of the diamond dogs . . . and we need your help.”
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do i see diamond dogs forming an alliance with humans? I can't wait for more its going to be great.
I can definately see the tactical value of Diamond dogs with their tunnels humans can bypass Equestrian garrisons and pop up behind their defences and Changelings make for excellent sabetours and spies.
Couldn't the humans just cut off all supplies going to the city and starve them out? Though it would take longer, there would be far fewer losses.
2015624
FOR THE EMPEROR!!!
Well, as long as the fight for Stalliongrad does not turn into a parallel of The Battle of Stalingrad than I'm fine with this loss. Also, I was kinda expecting the changelings to be used against the Griffons.
2016250
In time. Their forces are still massing in the west so they haven't had time to really deploy any more agents then were already in place. Though they will be able to do what they do best soon.
2015624
They could, but the Emperor is operating on a time table. he fears that if he waits to starve them out while the griffons are running around in the east and celestia, luna, and cadence are still building up their armies in the west, that he will lose everything for this city. so he's simply doing whatever he can to take this city. I will say however that it will be quite bloody either way.
I wonder what the dragon banner means....
Lilith: Curses! The humans have suffered their first defeat! This displeases me and my human mate even more so! We can only hope that the Equestrians will suffer later on. I wish that I could see a little bit more of my changeling brothers and sisters fighting the ponies and aiding the humans. Aside form the disappointing defeat of my mate's peoples, I...well, WE are pleased of the update. As always a few more questions if you would be so kind to answer.
1. Will the humans recover their massive weapons from the cowardly storm the the pony pegasi made? My human mate has told me a great deal about them and I can't wait to see more of them!
2. Will we see more of the changelings? Even more so, will we see more of me, or even a cameo of my human mate,such as me being seen with a strange clothed human? Even if it's just a small mention?
3. Will we learn more of the human insurgency that seeks to cowardly cause chaos to their own ends and potentially place their own kind in danger?! I find it hard to believe they would do such a thing considering how large the stakes are.
4. You have introduced the Diamond dogs. Very interesting considering how strange they are but will we learn more of the Ponyville residents in their just occupation?
5. Will my Queen make a cameo or meet with the human leader? Perhaps discuss with the human Emperor about how tough it is for changlings to live? Perhaps an exchange of sympathies and hardships they have suffered?
6. Will we find out more about Discord? Or will be be out in this entire chapter?
7. We still wait for more development from Twilight, her friends and the Princesses, especially their supposed "guilt"? I can't wait for her to rightfully turn against her ruler in a more dramatic fashion or even better, reveal the truth of the past to the rest of the ponies.
That is all I have for now, and I will accept whatever answer for each question, even if I don't like it. My human would like to know more about the changelings involvement however small. I am pleased that you have steered him my way, as his love is never ending for me! And thanks again for the name! We await for another update as well as for the Rise of Magnus.
2017997
Well lets start from the top shall we?
1. They have their catapults still, but they are stuck in the mud and can't be moved so their crews are vulnerable.
2. Yes. The changelings still have a role to play. By now their swarm would have massed in the west and soon they will be on the move alongside the humans. And maybe, I'll see how things go.
3. Yes. Definitely. I have plans for them and i really hope that you will like what's coming with them.
4. Maybe. I still don't find them very important in terms of everything that's happening but I will probably give a slight insight into their dreary, dreary lives under the human boot heel soon.
5. Probably at some point. She would be traveling with the swarm so she is in the west with Triune and you. She will have a role soon.
6. Maybe. . . I still don't have much planned for him, but I may very well have him appear at some point.
7. I know you're waiting and I apologize that I haven't done more with her and the other elements. I've just been concerned with other events both in-story and in real life. Though they will have to face what their princesses have done at some point. Especially after Stalliongrad . . .
And no problem for helping you out. If you have any more questions feel free to comment again or pm me.
2018202
Lilith: Interesting...I still wait for an update to the Rise of Magnus as I find human history fascinating! Now for my response to your answers,
1:. Curses! We were hoping for some better news, but it is still early in the war, so we shall wait and see.
2:. Really?! Hehe, if it's not going to happen that's fine, but still, if it does then we will be grateful and happy. It would be interesting to see other humans comment on his strange clothing and his sometimes strange way of speaking. IF you do decide to make a small input of it, I'm curious to see just changelings, but humans' reaction to our relationship as mates. I'd expect a rather set of rolling eyes on both parties.Either way, I'd be happy to see more of my kind, as my mate is.
3. Hope I like what's coming WITH them? Hmm....not sure what to expect, but I will wait and see.
4. Any insight is great as long as I see how my goodie horseshoe enemies are suffering!
5. Excellent, I look forward to more interaction with the humans. I can't wait to see more insight to my queen's views on the humans!
6. Very Well, he isn't necessarily important to me, but my human seems to find something interesting about him, as if there's a connection of somesort. Perhaps it's just the fact that he's drove my enemies to rip their mane's out for fun's sake.
7. Tis fine for the wait as long as we get to see the consequences of the Princesses' actions. I eagerly wait to see how Twilight will turn against her mentor.
No problem! Glad to know it wasn't any trouble for you! You have no idea how great it is to actually love "somebody" rather than feed off of them! Rise of Magnus we eager to see next as well as another update for this story. Your loyal changeling and human reader await your engaging writing excellence! Oh and my human has something to say,
Me: *trancelike* Lilith is awesome! WOO!!!!!
I alread said thet it woud be nice if humans woud get the diamond dogs as ally (your walls won't mean nothing stailongrand if the diamond dogs simpely dig under them to make them colapse under there own weight) can't waite what will the diamond dogs nead help for and how will they repaye it. I hope wiht there loyality to humans.
The Humans already said they are going to eliminate the dragons so I'm a gonna say they side with the ponies.
A great chapter as always. A thought that just crossed my mind: Are we going to expect tamed timber wolfs at the humans side?... you know from the Humans report about the monsters of Everfree after they took Ponyville.
2021023
. . . spoilers. but you'll see soon
2021253
Cant wait
2027165
Warhammer fantasy actually. I've never read Wheel of time. Heard its pretty good though. Is it?
oh great. Diamond dogs on the humans side. cuz this war wasn't one sided enough. whats next? humans using magic? oh wait magnus chosen got that shit in the bag. maybe the cannon train will mixed with a factory that makes rails as fast as it moves? yea that sounds right up there on the list of bullshit the equestrians need to even the odds. or how about this, Celestia just lets the sun loom over the humans homeland turning it into a land of sand death. there, war done bitches! Casualties? FUKKIN ZERO!!!
DAMMMIT!!! ALWAYS ANGRY!!
2029819
Yes, humanity seems op in comparison. They seem this way because i feel that this is what they would realistically be in this situation. Otherwise . . . well, i keep saying this and i know i sound like a broken record but this is a long story. There are plenty more twists and events that will alter the war effort for every side. I will not let humanity just stomp over the rest of Equestria without severe resistance. Because . . .well . . . humanity is stretching itself all over and Equestria's forces have been using the time to build up their forces. About 30,000 or more of them. There will be a time when they fight back, hard. Thanks for the comments and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.
Thought for the day: "The Known is but a shadow of the Knowable."
2030127 Oh yea been loving the story so far. Can't wait to see where it goes. On the bright side though, my irritability is gone. Booyas.
Return quote of the day: those that give up liberty for safety deserve neither--Benjamin Franklin
I have a question. Doesn't the Royal Guard have cannons? I mean, they have civilian cannons ,i.e. Pinkie Pie's Party Cannon, and she clearly didn't invent the first Equestrian cannon because when others first saw the cannon, they were able to recognize it as a cannon. Cannons were first used for military purposes so... yeah.
Oh, and Appleloosa has an 'l' in it.
Finally, I've noticed a few instances where 'soldier' was misspelled as 'solider'. Spell check isn't 100% percent perfect especially when sentences are grammatically correct and misspelled words are actually words
Still, I've enjoyed this story so far and look forward to more from you
2039832
Thanks for the comments, the like, and the fave. yes they did have cannons. but after a thousand years of relative peace they were phased out of active service with only a few left as museum pieces or wasting away in storage. Though after all of this, they may just be pulled our of the mothballs. And yeah, some of these chapters were written or finished really early in the morning so spelling wasn't as big an issue at the time. I really should go back and fix those mistakes, but i probably won't for a while. If you have any other questions or comments just ask or pm me.
Great fanfiction, I love all the Warhammer references. I can't wait to see how things will work out from now on, and especially how will it end.
The Emperor protects.
2042174
He does indeed brother
Thought for the day: "Life is the Emperor's currency, spend it well."
Lilith: After re-reading some of the comments, my human and I are beginning to worry about the outcome of this story. Although you are the author, we greatly wish that humanity at the very least does not get cast into potential extinction once again, and that justice for the crimes of the past are delivered. I short, DO NOT LET THE HUMANS LOSE! OR THE CHANGELINGS FOR THAT MATTER!
Me: Yeah: You tell him....*whispers* I think...
Lilith: We are also impatiently waiting for Rise of the Magnus to be updated. Why do you have to be such a good historian!? All in all, we eagerly await more, and hope that the future is not bleak for my hive or his people.
2055773
Don't worry. I have the outcome planned . . . mostly. It should be satisfying for everyone if I do it right. Also I am working on the Rise of Magnus update so hopefully I will have that done soon. I've also been busy working on a game I'm developing: LOG Bless America. I'll be alpha testing it soon, but this will not stop me from working on the Rise of Magnus update.
While I love the way this story is going, allow me to point out that in the rain, Medieval catapults suffered much the same deficiency as cannon: if the twisted rope that was used to provide torsion to swing the arm got wet, it would be useless until it dried out again. The same was true for bows and crossbows. Though I suppose it could be rationalised if the catapults were counterweight types and the bows used some sort of magic Equestrian bowstring.