One Week Later
I circled over the castle with two Pegasi in light iron armor. I had on my wing and claw blades, as well as my breastplate. We were watching from high above as we waited for the enemy to appear. The castle had been fortified and the citizens placed in the main castle. Three ballistas sat on watchtowers facing the south and west, and two catapults sat behind the walls. Two more ballistas were in the woods along side another three catapults. Each ballista had a mixture of arrows available to them.
Maple spears were the spears that unfolded and extended arms out to their sides. They resembled maple seeds as they twirled through the air. Then they had basic spears and the Hot Tip spears. Heavy had developed these with some unicorns. The arrows were tipped with gems, which were apparently very common in equestria. The gems were covered in runes that registered hard impacts to them, so when the gem tip hit the ground, or a pony, the sensing runes would activate the second set of runes. Theses runes were designed to release the over pressured magic in the crystals in large fiery explosions.
The catapults also had multiple types of ammunition. They had your basic boulders, then they had smooth stone pellets coated in oil, would be lit on fire before being launched. Hopefully the catapults would set wide areas on fire. We had Pegasi waiting to put out the fires outside the wall after the battle.
Light had finished the new guards’ training just the day before. Just in time too. Heavy and Silver had not only made the ballistas and catapults, they had also forged iron armor and weapons for all the new guards. All of the guards now had full armor and weapons. Me and the rest of my guards, Silver, Black, Lotus, And Moon, had all gotten blue steel weapons and armor, which was incredibly light and strong. Unfortunately we didn’t have the supplies to make enough for everyone. Unless I wanted to be featherless for a year.
We circled once more around the castle. The guards on watch had yet to raise the alarm. Everyone was anxiously waiting for the enemy to appear. The forest was dead quiet.
UUUUUUUUUURRRRRR!! A horn sounded from the westernmost tower. “KEEEEAAARRR!!!” I shrieked as me and my entourage turned to fly in that direction. Already I could see enemy units in the distant trees.
“FIRE CATAPULTS!! FIRE PELLETS!!” Field officers across the wall yelled out in unison. With a loud FWOOSH, what looked like a cloud of fire flew out of the trees. The enemy units stopped and gaped for a moment before they charged the wall. “FIRE BALLISTAS!! HOT TIPS!!” With a sharp TWANG! several spots in the enemy units erupted in fire balls. Just in time for the first wave of pellets to hit. The hot tips took out large chunks of the enemy, but the pellets didn’t harm the soldiers themselves. No, the pellets lit the forest ablaze and caused the soldiers to panic. Flaming trees fell across the charging soldiers. They were halfway to the wall now, and you could practically see their fear.
Then, from behind a wall of clouds, a swarm of metal covered figures appeared. The enemy Pegasi had arrived. “FIRE THE MAPLES!!!” Another TWANG echoed through the woods. Large spears flew up through the air. The Pegasi simply adjusted their course slightly. After all, how could a simple spear do any damage to them all the way up there? Those thinking that quickly died as I watched the spears unfold just before they hit the flying soldiers. The spinning poles took out huge groups of the pegasi, and in just one volley their forces were cut in half.
Broken metal forms fell around us as we flew over the enemy army. I had one specific target. The unicorn Over Time. I could see the fear in the soldiers below us. They had never faced such opposition. Yet they courageously marched on. They had almost reached the wall. Therrrrrre! I hissed in my head as I located Over behind his soldiers. He had a shield over himself as he followed a safe distance behind his army. Your time has come. “KEEEAAARR!!” I started to lower down with my stone faced guards following closely.
I didn’t lower all they way to the ground, instead I let the heads of the soldiers below slow me down as they hit my wing blades. Some of them bounced of as their helmets protected them. Others had grown a little too tall.... As I finally settled down on the ground I released my claw blades. The soldier beside me didn’t live more than ten seconds after I landed. The one behind him received a knife to the chest.
I flipped over the dead pony in front of me and pierced my claw blades through the armor of the pony behind him. As he fell dead I threw out a wing and decapitated the soldier charging me from the side. Then I jumped up in time to avoid the blow from behind. I picked up the pony as he landed in the dirt under me. “Aaaah!!” He screamed as my claws dug into his flesh, spreading dark frostbite along his back. “PLEEEASE!!” He called out as I lifted him up. I flew over his leader and threw him down at the shield. “NO! NO NO NOOOO-“ His screaming was cut short as he impacted the shield. Not even a crack. I had to admit, Over wasn’t a wimp with magic. But I could do better.
I left my entourage to take care of the soldiers behind us as I approached Over. He shot a bolt of magic through his shield. I simply side stepped it. His cocky smile made me angrier. Slaughter their so called princesses… His words ran through my mind as I got closer. He shot another bolt of magic. Once again I stepped around it. Slaughter their princesses... My feathers started to glow as they darkened. The ground around me turned cold and frost formed on it as I walked closer. Now his eyes were starting to get worried. I was right outside his shield now. He fired another bolt of magic. I didn’t even dodge it, it simply dispersed over my feathers before disappearing. Now the fear shone clear in his eyes. Slaughter.... As I reached his shield I reached out a wing to touch it. I looked over it before looking directly into his terrified eyes. Then I pushed.
Slowly my wing slipped through the shield. Followed by my foot, then my leg. After a few seconds my whole body was on the inside of his shield. “Wha-what are you!?” He shivered as I reached up a talon to his neck. “AAACK!” He choked as I lifted him off the ground. I won’t lose this family.... I bit onto his horn and clenched my beak as hard as I could. “AAAAA-“ His shrieking stopped as his life was ended by my claw. I dropped him on the ground and turned to face my stunned guards.
‘Finish them off! Let any who run get away, we don’t need to kill them all.’ I marched past them toward the wall. Any soldiers who approached me met a swift end. Just as I was about to kill a soldier in my claw, I stopped. I turned to look into the woods as I threw the pony down. He ran away crying as I peered deep into the trees. THERE!! A bolt of emerald green magic flew from the woods and hit an enemy soldier. Another two followed it and finished the soldier off. As I focused on the origin of the light I could see three black figures. Suddenly a pair of bright blue eyes met mine. Then, they were gone.
I blinked and stared at the spot for a long minute. Then I shook my head and turned back to the battle. Later. I told myself. There weren’t many ponies left attacking the castle. They hadn’t even breached the wall. I saw a few running, and as per my orders they were not chased. The last of the attackers fell swiftly as the guards inside the castle ran out to finish off the few that remained.
The cleanup was long and hard. The bodies cleared from the woods and buried. Friend and foe were buried, none left uncovered. As the last of the bodies was covered up I looked into the small bag I had brought with me. Inside was a single brown horn. To remember what happened today. I tied the bag closed and flew off to get cleaned up.
The slow blade penetrates the shield?
Edit: Also, it wasn't a bad battle scene. It felt quick for a big battle. It felt more like a skirmish. This country/enemy is just there to get mostly bowled over, which is okay.
thanks for the update!
Better than any fight scene I could write.
My friend you did great on the fight scene but my fight scenes are quite shorter because in real life for me the shorter the battle the less problems arive
For a small conflict between two city states. Yeah it was fine
Well the guard will be telling stories about Night tonight!
I liked it and think it was well done. Good use of the Ginsu Ballista Bolts. "It slices, It dices, It makes Julian fries!" I would have never thought of that for use against Pegasi.
As for battle length. Modern battles are long because guns and entrenched positions. I wouldn't think ancient combat between two ground forces would be a very long fight. Besides the first real truth about troops. Take out the commander and its easy to rout them. Break the command structure and its over. In WW2 and Vietnam wars, the fastest way to get rid of a bad commanding officer was to salute them a lot. (True)
Fantastic chapter.
The Monk
9042103
He was angry, so his feathers started to bleed magic. This allowed him to simply disperse the magic bolts, and slip through the shield without much effort.
9042186
Ginsu ballista bolts? Is that what they’re called?
It could have been a bit longer but it was interesting.
9042208
Not necessarily. When a unicorn breaks through anti scrying runes they go out, and stay out. They don’t flicker. However, Night is not a unicorn. Plus he has the natural ability to scry things. Therefore he cannot be blocked by anti scrying runes. All they do is make it take a second longer while his magic goes around them.
Very nice battle scene. A fitting length for how outmatched they were. I really enjoyed the battle and strategies, though it could be improved with more detail. I'm not quite sure how you would go about that, but for your first one it was great!
One concern though, when Harmony removed his un-willingness to kill creatures, does that include other sapients?
And after he realizes he killed several people, will he feel bad? Will he have any shellshock?
Very nice of them to give them a proper burial. Perhaps in the future, we can see some ghost action in this field? Like, Far into the future.
A soldier on equestria's side, running up to Night as he walks throuh the field and saluting, asking for further orders. And the ones who he killed, running away. That would be cool, and a bit hard to explain to any future companion.
I think your fighting scene is adequate for your story. But since when our magical hawk can do something like turning intangible?
9042196
Sssssssssshhhhh.... Don't ruin a perfectly fine Dune reference!
Nice one.
Also it was overly fat hint about next (possibly snuggable) race
In my opinion....: that was a well paced battle. I mean you put all of the battle you needed to put, and the rest of it would of just been mundane fighting.
note to self: don't get night angry
Great chapter, they're coming out so fast!
I wonder who the mystery creature is with the green magic and bright blue eyes.
9042229
In the chapter Hamony, it was explained that she simply lessened his unwillingness to kill. And only for unintelligent animals for food.. And that he would by no means enjoy killing
9042231
He didn’t turn intangible. His anger caused his feathers to bleed magic, allowing him to disperse the magic bolt and walk through the shield.
9042296
I can’t tell if your joking or not.....lol
9042312
Neither can I.
9042312
Changebugs!
Fragmentation weapons against closely paked troops charging à fortified position. This battle was won even before it was fought. I think the estimated number of troops needed to attack and take à fortified position is about 10to 1 if tech and training are the same. Poor little Over got greedy and careless (not that statistical facts was known during the dark ages but still).
Pretty badass did you get the idea of maple Spears from the Hobbit?
9042103
Both nations are pretty small, I was under the impression that it was essentially one city's worth of people against another. Not enough people for a protracted affair, especially when one side is cheating by using weapons a technology age or two above the standard.
9042530
Maaaaaaybe.....(yes)
We need a better name than “blue Steel”... Maybe “Frost Steel”?
9042103
I agree. Two city states, one attacks the other after severely underestimating their opponent's strength. The attacking city being able to mobilize a force of, what? 800? 1,000? MAYBE?
9042386
I know that in an amphibious landing, against entrenched positions, and relatively equal firepower, the attackers should at least strive for a 3:1 numerical advantage, with a 5-6:1 numerical advantage being preferable.
green magic? blue eyes? hiding in the shadows? hmmmmmmmmm.
I 'wonder'.
9042222
I think every commander that tries to hide his meetings with anti-scrying runes from The All-Seeing Hawk (I think he should be granted such a title for obvious reasons, just my opinion) is gonna get fed in the by superior tactics and advanced technology!
good chapter and great fight scene hope to see more soon
9042947
No, im not about to die lol. I had a vacation from work. Unfortunately my vacation is over so chapters will most likely slow down again.
not bad
A cool way for how I thought the scene with over would have ended is to have night just freeze the shield over in thick ice making total darkness and silence. Suddenly the eyes of night appear and over screams as he snaps off the horn while [ANGRY BIRD NOISES] and walks/flys off with the horn like a beast
Incredibly quick for a large scale battle, it almost felt like a small skirmish than anything. It was however serviceable for portraying the jist of the battle. Expanding the discriptions of their forces as well as numbers, as well as formations would improve this. You CAN skip out on describing the gore and such to keep it PG13ish but thats up to you. If you do plan on it you need to go into a bit more detail.
I’m Batman.
activatethe—>active the
Theses—>these
9456608
More like Harvey Birdman?
Good chapter, though felt abit quick. Overall though I liked it