• Published 15th Jul 2019
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The Centurion Project - TheEighthDayofNight



Elias "Rubrum Aquilae" Bright, the former leader of the Legio I Americana, on the run from his past, finds himself thrown into the conflicts of Equestria.

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Chapter 41: Training Continues

Elias scowled as he limped along the line, doing his best to ignore the traces of pain left in his thigh. Even after almost a week of staying off it as much as possible, the limb still ached after even mild use. The manticore’s sting had gone deep, and even advanced medical spells couldn’t permanently mend the wound, couldn’t permanently make the pain go away. Only time would ease both issues, something that grated on Elias' nerves. It had forced him to make Night Flash to lead the runs, something that infuriated the human to no end. Sure, he knew the stallion was capable, and he trusted him fully, but damnit, that was his job! Elias knew his place was at the front, not sitting in some chair under a tree, waiting alone for the recruits to get back. It was aggravating, and if any of his recruits had been dumb enough to make a comment about his “resting”, Elias imagined he would have exploded.

Elias’ scowl deepened as he continued watching his recruits throwing their pilla at the long row of straw, pony-shaped targets before them. Even after two solid weeks of half-day long practices, some of the javelins were still falling short of their marks. The ponies had an incredibly difficult time standing up on their hind legs to get in position to throw the pilla. After a lesson from Night Flash and Ice Blossom about balancing on their shields, a second problem for the ponies had come in the form of actually holding the damn spears.

Their hooves, while uniquely maneuverable in a way that shouldn’t have been physically possible, just simply weren’t suitable replacements for hands. Clenching and unclenching the frog of their hooves to properly grasp the pilla had taken them hours to figure out, and even still some of the ponies weren’t able to get it right one hundred percent of the time. It would have only been a minor inconvenience if Elias didn’t need every single one of them to do it. Each and every legionnaire would be required to carry and throw two pilla, and if they couldn’t figure out how to properly throw the javelins, one of the distinct new advantages of his legion was moot. Formations were important, but with their shaky progress in solid shield walls, Elias needed to be able to crack an enemy charge before it hit the line with full force. That meant throwing pilla, and so far, the ponies were disappointing him heavily. He didn’t have enough unicorns to make them all auxiliaries, and even if he did, it wouldn’t have the same effect as the entire legion launching javelins at their enemies.

Elias mentally sighed as he continued along the line. They were getting close; he could feel it. They were down to a little over three thousand ponies, with fewer abandoning the training with each passing day, they just needed to learn a few key things. Elias had even begun commissioning the formal armor from Anyon, much to the gryphon’s relief. The old bird had been making plenty of noise about Elias going outside the castle to furnish the recruits with equipment, and with how long Elias had waited to provide the quantity for the armor he wanted, the gryphon had been worried that he was going to do so again. The first thousand sets of armor had set the bird into an excited frenzy of work, shooing Elias out of the workshop so that he could finally progress on the job.

One sound seemed to stand out above the struggling sounds of pilum throwing, and as Elias’ eyes scanned along the line, he found an unfortunate sight that brought about another sigh, though this one was aloud. Cracking his neck to ease the tension that was slowly building up in his bones, Elias limped forward, quickly drawing up behind a pegasus who was expertly standing on his hind legs. His wings were still bound to his sides, yet his stance was perfect, and he showed no signs of balance issues. The only issue Elias found about the pony was the weapon in his hooves. The arrow left the pegasus' bow like a shot, smacking into the center of the target. The pegasus was masterful at making it look effortless, and on any other occasion, Elias would likely have commended his marksmanship. Not today, however.

Elias stared with narrowed eyes as the pegasus dropped to all four hooves and glanced at Elias with clear shame written all over his body posture. Elias said nothing as the pony waited in silence. He instead looked to the target, with the arrow embedded firmly in the center.

“Recruit,” Elias started, “you already know what I’m going to say.”

The pegasus sighed and nodded.

“Yes General, I know.” He huffed and scuffed the ground with his hoof. “I just…”

The pegasus paused and continued shifting the dirt around. Elias glanced down at the pony, then snorted and looked back to the target.

“Speak freely Recruit; the whipping is coming either way.”

The pegasus sighed again.

“I just don’t get it General.” The pegasus looked up and caught Elias’ eyes. “I’m amazing when I’m using my bow and arrow, and I know for a fact that you picked me out because of cutie mark and my potential for dedication, I just…”

The pegasus shook his head.

“This is the first change anypony has given me the chance to really use my special talent. The regular guard kept pushing me out for whatever reason, and while everypony says their “proud” of my archery trophies, none of them really mean it. I certainly don’t care about those stupid lumps of gold.”

The pegasus looked to the target with his arrow resting dead center.

“But this? This is a real chance to use my talent for something good, something helpful, and I have to use something else?”

He stomped a hoof and looked up to Elias again.

“Frankly General, it makes me mad. I want to do the best I can for the legion, for your legion, but my best is with a bow, not a pilum.”

He sighed for a third time.

“It just isn’t. I know you said that we’re not special, but for me, this is a special chance, and my talent is wasted on a pilum.”

Elias nodded silently, staring back out over the targets. He then glanced to his left, finding that ever present, comforting unicorn in his life.

“Adiutor Binder, what is your special talent?”

Without looking up, she replied:

“Preserving scrolls and books General.”

Elias nodded silently, then took a step back and found Gray Granite further down the line.

“And you Centurion?” he called. “What is your special talent?”

Granite shrugged as he corrected the stance of a recruit.

“Breaking rocks General. It’s how I got so strong.”

Elias nodded again, and looked to the pegasus as he spread his hands.

“And I have no magical talent Recruit. This whole exercise has nothing to do with what makes you special, it’s about what you chose to be good at.”

Elias motioned to the weapon stand full of pilla.

“I wasn’t born good at slinging pilla, but with a mountain load of practice and more than a little experience, I became quite good at it.”

Elias then motioned to the bow resting by the pony’s hooves.

“But you ponies are quite lucky. Once you have figured out what it is, you have one thing in your life that you will always be naturally pretty good at. This though,” he said, sweeping his arm at the wider training field, “this all takes practice. Hours upon hours of practice. There’s a reason we start at dawn and don’t stop until well after dark. You are not good with a pilum because you refuse to practice.”

Elias shrugged.

“Besides Recruit, you already know what my intentions are for you. You will primarily use your bow in combat, but you must be able to throw pilla as well. It's important within the formations you've learned. That means practice, something you seem to avoid. It’s unacceptable.”

The pegasus drooped.

“I know General, it just frustrates me to no end. The motions are almost exactly the same, but it’s just that; almost. That little bit of difference makes me terrible at it, and I can’t help but feel like I’m letting everyone down.”

The pegasus shook his head and sighed.

“I’m a weak link, and I know how you feel about weak links. I…”

He turned toward the whipping post with his head still facing the ground and his tail dragging behind him.

“I think I might leave. I’m sorry General, but maybe I just got caught up too much in what could be, rather than what fate seems to be telling me. I guess trophies is all I’m good for.”

Elias watched the pegasus as he slowly walked himself toward the whipping post. He watched as the pony braced himself against the post, waiting for someone to distribute punishment. Gray Granite trotted up beside Elias and frowned.

“What would you like done General? Does this count as speaking out of turn?”

Elias matched the pony’s frown and shook his head.

“This does not," he said quietly, "it constitutes genuine concern; not like that posturing bullshit the noble kids always seem to pull.”

In a loud voice, he continued;

“Centurion, bring the recruit back to me. I don’t remember telling him he could leave.”

Granite nodded and moved quickly, trotting over to the whipping post and grabbing the confused pegasus by the scruff. The pony yelped as Granite lifted him up and carried him back over to be dropped at Elias’ feet. The human waited as the pegasus got back to his hooves, staring up nervously. Elias bit his cheek as he stared the pony down for a moment. Then he spoke.

“Recruit, that’s twenty lashes. You never walk away from me while we are speaking unless its to drop your helmet and ring the bell. Am I clear?”

The pegasus cringed and nodded. Elias matched his nod.

“Good. Now, let’s continue where we left off. We were talking about your status as a special auxiliary. You have read your manual yes? Know how valued someone of your talents is to the legion?”

The pegasus nodded.

“Yes General, I just…”

Elias held his hand up, and the pony’s jaw snapped shut.

“Then you know why this is all important. Your primary weapon will be the bow, and you will have the chance, in the future, to use your special talent to great effect. Until that day however, you will learn how to use the pilum and shield, so that you can function with your fellow soon-to-be legionaries. Is that clear Recruit?”

The pegasus nodded silently. Elias crouched down in front of the pony and laid a hand on his shoulder. Elias could tell that he was almost getting through, but toughness would only go so far. He needed to show that glimpse of compassion that would win him absolute loyalty.

“I know it’s not what you thought it would be,” Elias said softly, making sure he held the pegasus’ eyes, “but this is only going to work if we do it together. This is so important to get right, and if you want to succeed as an archer, you need to first succeed as an auxiliary. That means the pilum and the scutum, alright? Is it so unfair to ask of you what I’m asking of everyone else?”

The pegasus shook his head desperately.

“N-no General! I- I just…”

He took a deep breath, and straightened.

“General, I apologize for my misplaced assumptions.”

Elias shrugged the apology away.

“I don’t care about apologies; I care about action. Are you going to quit on me? Are you going to throw away this opportunity?”

The pegasus shook his head firmly.

“No General. I… I let my mind get the better of me. It won’t happen again, I promise.”

Elias grunted.

“It had better be the last time, because that kind of talk will be punished by a lot more than a whipping in the future.”

He got to his feet and looked toward Granite.

“Centurion, give the recruit thirty lashes to ensure that this self-doubting behavior doesn’t get encouraged.”

Elias cast an eye back to the pegasus as he clasped his hands behind his back and began continuing along the line.

“Recruit, I expect improvement by the end of the day. Do what it takes to win.”

The pegasus nodded, and as Elias turned fully away, he caught a glimpse of a tiny smile and a bit of a tail wag as Granite led him to the whipping post. Elias rolled his eyes, letting his eyes drift toward the next pony in line.

‘Enough softness,’ he thought.

“I expect perfect bullseyes by the end of the week you useless shits!” Elias bellowed at a green earth pony. “Now start throwing those pilla like you don’t want to die in five months!”

The mare immediately braced on her shield and threw her pilla, with the javelin smacking into the target just below the "pony's" neck. Elias gave the mare a pat on the shoulder and continued without a word. Further down the line, Elias caught a peculiar, nervous look from a mare with bright red fur. Her mane was an orange and yellow mess under her helmet, but her eyes were what really drew his attention. She seemed afraid, and while that wasn’t uncommon for ponies that stared at him, especially at his bad eye, she didn’t seem to be scared of him. Yet she was still starring him down like he was about to kill her favorite dog.

Her eyes flicked up to his face, and as soon as she realized that he was watching, she snapped back to the target, tearing a pilum from the rack beside her and sending it spiraling toward the target. Elias followed the trajectory with his eyes. It was by no means a bullseye, but it hit, and that was good enough for the time being.

Elias cleared his mind of the odd staring and went back to focusing on the task at hand. Clearly the mare was already capable enough at slinging pilla, she didn’t require his direct attention. The unicorn beside her however…

“Recruit!” Elias shouted as he stalked forward. “How the fuck are you gripping the wrong end?”

*****

Elias looked up as a knock came from his door. It was late at night, and even Book Binder had gone home with Night Flash. The only reason he was still up instead of trying to fight off his night terrors to get a few precious hours of sleep was because he had spent much of the early evening with Anyon finalizing the designs and numbers for the legionnaire armor, and that had put him behind on all of his other forms. The other generals, mostly the Solar ones, seemed to lack enough unique thought to perform any of the work needed for the march without the signatures of everyone else, so Elias was forced to review each and every request for equipment, supplies, and scheduled stops within Equestria.

The stops were inane and valueless in a military sense, and Elias had the mind to push extra miles out of the army while in safe territory, but after broaching the issue with Celestia, the white alicorn had told him about the morale value of the march for the ponies of Equestria. It wasn’t that much different in principle from what Elias did with his afternoon marches. Each city they stopped at would have a massive parade, followed by a temporary leave for the entire army; designed to expose the civilians to the newly updated military forces, while also showing them that just because the princesses had a war machine, it didn’t mean that the soldiers weren’t regular ponies. After having the value of the action explained, Elias had withdrawn his dissenting opinion and had added the delay accordingly to his preliminary marching plan.

The knock came again, a bit louder than the first time. It jolted Elias out of his thoughts, and he straightened in his seat, shuffling his paperwork to the side. His desk was in a state of organized disarray, but in truth, Elias didn’t care about its appearance. The piles of papers just showed that he actually worked at it.

He cleared his throat and clasped his hands in his lap.

“Come in,” he called.

The door opened and Elias was mildly surprised to see a recruit stick her head inside his office. He had expected Luna, but then again, the alicorn rarely knocked. He didn’t mind of course, and in fact, he took her sudden interruptions in an almost happy stride. She certainly took his mind off of the ridiculous paperwork he had to go through daily.

“Yes Recruit?” Elias asked, staring the unicorn mare down.

She flinched under his gaze, but slipped fully into his office, closing the door behind her.

“General, can I… talk to you about something?”

Elias blinked at her.

“That depends on what that something is Recruit.”

His answer seemed to make her more nervous, and her rump thudded against the door as she took an involuntary step back. Elias tapped on his arm rest and stared at her as she seemed to shiver in fear. His frown deepened.

“Come,” he said, gesturing to the space in front of his desk. “Pull up Adiutor Binder’s seat and talk. It must be something important if you’re risking pissing yourself in my office.”

The pony stared at him for a moment like he had grown a third head. That turned Elias’ frown into a scowl.

“Today Recruit,” he said sharply.

The mare scrambled into action, quickly snatching Book Binder’s chair from behind her desk. It scraped across the bare wood floor and as soon as it stopped, the unicorn was in it, sitting as tall as possible, no doubt in an attempt to hide her nervousness. She failed miserably.

Elias stared at her in silent for a few moments, and when she didn’t speak, he waved her on.

“Well come on Recruit, what is this something you wanted to talk to me about? You should be in bed.”

She chuckled.

“Yeah, and so should you General. Guess we’re both breaking the curfew…”

She trailed off and grew pale as she seemed to remember who she was talking to. Elias watched her progress toward a nervous breakdown with a raised eyebrow. The mare sank in her seat, quivering with fear.

“G-General, I am so sorry. I- I didn’t mean to…”

Elias held up a hand to stop her as he rose from his seat. She seemed to grow more fearful as he moved around his desk, but though she flinched back as he walked by her and moved to a file cabinet on the wall. He rifled through the files as the pony calmed down, taking long deep breaths as she no doubt stared at his back. Elias quickly found the file he was looking for and pulled it free. He closed the file cabinet as he flipped the folder open, taking a quick glance at the contents. He walked back to his chair and plopped down, then closed the file and tossed it before the unicorn.

“So Recruit Firelight, I assume you want to tell me all about how you aren’t supposed to be here?”

The unicorn blinked owlishly at him, then looked down to the file before her. On the front, in bold red letters it said;

DO NOT RECRUIT! BANNED FROM SERVICE UNDER MAGICAL LIMITATIONS SECTION 8!

The mare looked up to Elias, who waited silently for her to speak. He slouched back in his chair while he watched her think. The comfort provided by the chair simultaneously put everything in sharper focus, while at the same time making him want to doze off. He loved the chair so very much, and he knew that once the march was over, he would need to thank Luna with something special. Maybe she would appreciate a hike? Elias mentally frowned. No, that wouldn’t work, it wasn’t enough. Maybe if he arranged for a picnic at the end, maybe a cuddle coupon of some kind?

Elias mentally swore at himself for getting distracted with thoughts of Luna’s blue fuzziness. Damnit, he had work to do! His eyes flicked up to Firelight, and the mare nervously met his gaze.

“Well Recruit?” Elias asked. “What do you have to say?”

Firelight looked back to the file for a moment, then sighed.

“I… I did want to talk to you about this. I wanted to inform you that I had lied on my application…”

She sniffled and looked up to him with tear filled eyes.

“Please General, it was for a good reason! Almost everypony in my family has served the princesses, it’s tradition!”

The mare stared hard at his desk.

“My brothers though, I love them to death, but neither have any interest in this kind of work. One just loves painting, while the other has his heart set on being a bartender. I can’t blame them that, it’s their special talents after all, but me? I live for this stuff, and my parents have prepped me from day one to become a guard.”

She stomped a hoof in her seat.

“But then I read that stupid book, and got that stupid spell stuck in my head.”

“What spell?” Elias asked. “I’m not exactly knowledgeable on magic, and even researching what Section 8 of the Magical Limitations clause for the guard didn’t help. What’s so awful about this spell that you can’t fight with a guard force?”

Firelight sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.

“It’s… hard to explain to a non-unicorn."

"Dumb it down for me," Elias replied.

Firelight took a deep breath, then stared at his desk as she spoke.

"When I was in magic kindergarten, we went on a field trip to the Royal Canterlot Library and I got lost.”

She snorted softly.

“I was just so happy to be in such a big library that I kept running around the shelves, looking for books related to fire. I had only gotten my cutie mark the week before, and I was looking for fireball spells so that I could get a fast track into the Solar Guard. Suffice to say, I found myself where I shouldn’t have been and managed to get a book that little fillies should never be within a mile of, let alone reading.”

She sighed again and looked up to meet Elias’ eyes.

“I didn’t understand most of the book, but I was drawn to a page near the middle. I learned later that there was a small curse on the book, nothing particularly bad, but it could target a unicorn’s special talent and “help” them learn a powerful spell.”

“Help?” Elias echoed.

Firelight nodded.

“Help is a liberal use of the word. I was magically forced to learn the spell, and believe me, I tried to stop. I closed my eyes, cried out for help, tried to run away, but it was way too late. That day, I learned something called a “Destroyer Spell”.”

She stopped, checking if Elias needed more information. The human motioned for her to explain.

“A destroyer spell is something only the best magic users can perform, ponies like the princesses, or the Element of Magic bearer, Twilight Sparkle. It requires massive amounts of skill and energy to perform, and they are extremely destructive.”

She drooped again.

“And the one I learned has the power to level Canterlot. It’s a really big fireball essentially, and because of my special talent in working with fire, I could do it as easy as you can throw a pila. Boom, thousands gone in a firestorm.”

She motioned toward the file.

“The book luckily also had a security spell on it. I got to meet Princess Celestia face to face that day, and luckily, she’s a really great pony. She comforted me as I freaked out, and she didn’t get mad about what I had done. She helped me find my class, then kept me behind. She talked with me about kid stuff until my parents got to the castle, and for a few short hours, I completely forgot what had happened.”

Firelight chuckled.

“I was just so stoked that the princess knew my name.”

She then sighed.

“But, once she started telling my parents what happened, I remembered the book, and the first thing that came to my mind was the spell. I didn’t even notice I was beginning to cast it until Princess Celestia put an inhibitor ring over my horn. I initially panicked, being cut off from magic your first time is definitely a shock, but she got me to calm down, then told my parents about my new “situation”.”

She sighed again.

“And that was that. It took months of training with a pair of tutors to get control of my magic again, and even then, I can’t serve in the guard, or really anything that might involve stressful situations. It’s why I’ve been working at a bakery, lighting ovens for the past two years. My parents, bless their hearts, try to see it as a positive, but they are just so disappointed that our generation is the one that breaks our family’s line of guard service.”

“My brothers have been talking about doing short contracts,” she continued, “but all they’re going to do is get themselves hurt. I’m the pony with the skills, and the desire to be a guard. I can do this, my magic is in control! I just… I need a chance. All the other forces know me by name, and I knew you wouldn’t, so… I lied. I lied to get in.”

Firelight looked up to Elias with tired eyes.

“I just wanted to apologize General; apologize and throw myself on your mercy. I could be executed for this, I know that, but I just needed to take that shot. When I saw you dressing down Swift Wing earlier, I realized that lying to you wasn’t the way to succeed.”

She bowed her head.

“I leave my fate to you General Bright. I just wanted you to know the truth.”

Elias frowned at the pony for a moment.

“Is there a way to magically forget the spell?” he asked. “I would think it’s within the realm of possibility to remove memories magically.”

Firelight smiled faintly.

“There is such a spell, and I even made contact with the pony that can cast it. I have the bits to fund it too, but…”

“But?” Elias asked.

Firelight frowned.

“But, it’s also a destroyer spell, and casting it is highly illegal. The pony who knows it is a great pony; heck, he teaches basic cooking classes to foals for a living, but if somepony with just a hair less of a conscience had it, they could brainwash half of Equestria. They’re called destroyer spells for good reason.”

“On top of that,” she continued, “the memory doesn’t just disappear, especially since it’s a cursed spell. He told me all of the little magical details, but I’d have a gem on my hooves that contained the raw power of the spell. If I held onto it for long enough, the curse would just make me relearn the spell, and I’d be back at square one.” She tilted her head. “But I can’t give it to anypony else either. I tried to talk to Princess Celestia into taking the gem, but she forbade me from even trying the procedure because of the risk of complete brain drain.”

She clicked her tongue.

“I can’t really blame her for not wanting to potentially turn me into a vegetable, but it’s my risk. I just wish she'd taken it. The curse couldn’t overwhelm her, especially since she already knows the spell.”

“And you explained to her that you understood the risk and wanted to go through with it?” Elias asked.

Firelight nodded.

“Yep, but she still said no. I’m just lucky she didn’t put guards on my contact. I still talk to him about it every once in a while, but nothing has come of it.”

Elias tapped his fingers along his desk in thought. Without looking up, he asked;

“What about family? You said your parents were guards, or at least former guards. Would they have the mental fortitude to put the gem away somewhere safe?

Firelight shook her head.

“No. Mom and Dad were always a bit zealous about protecting Equestria, so they run the risk of seeing an imaginary threat and blowing it up. My brothers aren’t mentally sound enough to resist the magic of the spell, and I really don't know the rest of my family. I refuse to pass it off to somepony I don’t trust completely. That leaves me with the spell, and unable to do the one thing I want out of life.”

She shrugged.

“Well, besides have a family and all that normal stuff.”

Elias nodded silently and leaned back in his chair, trying to think of a solution. Clearly she was yet another perfect recruit, she just had one key issue that could get her in a lot of trouble if anyone else found out.

“And you have complete control of the spell now?” Elias asked absently as he stared at the ceiling.

Firelight nodded.

“I do. I’ll get the occasional whisper when I light my horn, but I keep an inhibitor ring on hoof if it ever gets to be too loud, and these past few weeks I’ve been wearing a ring anyway, so I’ve felt nothing. I’ve never had a scare since I was a filly.”

Elias nodded silently again. He stared at the ceiling for a moment more, then grabbed an unlit candle from a drawer. He pointed it toward Firelight.

“Light,” he said simply.

He instantly felt a small wash of heat, and a glance found the candle alight. He looked past it to Firelight, who waited for him to speak anxiously.

“Good command reflexes,” Elias commented.

Firelight blushed and looked down.

“Thanks. Mom was always a good drill sergeant.”

Elias didn’t reply, and instead reached for Firelight’s file. He dropped it into his wastepaper bin and sat up, rolling the candle in his fingers. He made sure to hold Firelight’s eyes as he spoke softly.

“Tell you what; I’ve never been wholly right in the head either. If you’ve got it under control, and I believe you do, then I’ll let you stay. I have conditions for you to meet however.”

Firelight perked up in her seat.

“Anything General. Anything at all.”

Elias grabbed a blank recruitment form and placed it before her.

“Your name isn’t Firelight anymore. Only your parents can know where you are, and even then, keep it short until we’re done with the march. This could burn both of us in the ass if we get caught. How many recruits know you by name?”

Firelight shrugged.

“One? It’s my best pal from school, Steel Heart. She’s the one who vouched for me when I signed up the first time.”

“Then you can inform her too, because she needs to back up the lie we’re going to tell,” Elias replied.

Firelight stared at the recruitment form for a moment, then looked back to Elias.

“What should I put down?” she asked.

Elias shrugged.

“For most of it, it doesn’t matter. What does is the reason you lied, which I will explain to the legion publicly tomorrow morning. You will receive a hundred lashes for your “lie”, but I will let you stay.”

Firelight sighed.

“That’s fair punishment, I guess. Could be a lot worse.”

“It is,” Elias replied, “because I’m also going to tell them that you’re a murderer.”

Firelight stopped filling in the form and stared at him with open mouthed shock.

“What?” she squeaked.

Elias stopped rolling the candle.

“From now until the end of the march, your name is Pyrelight, and you’re a murderer. Killed seven minotaurs in a barfight in Bordertown. You got pardoned however, no doubt a result of family connections, and now after extensive rehabilitation, you’re trying to get your life on track. You joined up so that you could do good, and when I learned of your lie, I decided that despite lying to my face, I could use a good minotaur killer, especially since we’re going to be trespassing in their territory.”

Elias spread his hands and stared into the candle flame.

“That’s the lie we’ll tell, and the lie everyone will believe. I’ve done some reading, and Bordertown is only a part of Equestria by name. It’s practically its own micro-nation, and nobody is going to do the research necessary to prove us wrong.”

“B-But what about the pardon?” Firelight sputtered.

Elias shrugged.

“I’ll call in a favor to modify the archives and face the heat if I get caught. Don’t worry about the pardon, worry more about how everyone will treat you when they learn that you’re a killer, Recruit Pyrelight,” Elias said pointedly. “I sure hope you and Recruit Steel Heart are very good friends, because you, and then she, will likely face no small amount of harassment. I’ll inform Adiutor Binder and First Centurion Night Flash of your situation, and I’ll ensure they keep an eye out, but they can’t be everywhere. Watch your back.”

Firelight nodded numbly, then silently went back to filling in her form. Elias waited as she wrote in her information, looking toward her only when he stopped hearing the sound of the quill moving. He glanced over to find the pony staring hard at him.

“General… does this mean I’m in? Not just as a recruit, but…”

“As a legionnaire?” Elias finished. “No, I’m thinking the auxiliary core for you. But does it mean you have a set place in the legion? I’m leaning toward a strong maybe. Let that go to your head, or let that information slip, and I’ll cut your horn off and throw you out to the wolves.”

Firelight nodded, but Elias caught a trace of a smile pass her lips as she looked down to continue writing. He rolled the candle in his fingers for a moment more, then tossed it into his wastepaper bin. It quickly caught Firelight’s file, and he watched it burn, looking away only long enough to open the window behind him.

*****

“Recruit Pyrelight is a cold blooded killer!” Elias shouted as the whip cracked against her back again. “She kills people for looking at her funny, and I must say, that puts a touch of fear into even my bones! I kill because I must, she kills because it’s fun!”

The recruits had eyes only for the mare strapped to the whipping post, ignoring Elias completely as he walked through their ranks. He had decided to double the whipping without telling “Pyrelight”, and the mare was close to passing out as Ice Blossom rolled her jaw after strike eighty-three. Pyrelight’s back oozed red, and she would no doubt spend the rest of the day in the infirmary under Scalpel’s care, but the unicorn knew to keep quiet.

“I offer these words of warning to the rest of you,” Elias said loudly. “Recruit Pyrelight will be staying with us, because there is nothing I want more than a minotaur killer. I do hope those nice ponies at her rehabilitation did a shit job, because when I’m done, she will be hurling bright orange death and annihilating minotaurs by the hundred! Take my advice though, and don’t go drinking with her. I don’t want to have to deal with the paperwork.”

He heard a few low chuckles, but they quickly stopped as Ice Blossom went to work again. The whip snapped against Pyrelight’s back, and she cried out in pain. Elias turned on his heel, making sure to try and catch her eye as he walked in front of the post to get to the next row of recruits. Pyrelight noticed, and she smiled faintly as Ice Blossom drew back for another hit. Elias gave her a small nod and a wink as the whip descended, and Pyrelight cried out in pain again.

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