Chapter 68: Opening Salvo
Blood poured into his eyes, the result of the same cut that had ripped his helmet away. Whether it was the source of the red clouding his eyes, he couldn’t tell. The air was hot, the trees aflame. Ponies fought minotaurs, writhing like mad dogs, ignoring the heat all around them. How could they keep doing that? Didn’t it burn? He could feel his feet slowly creeping away from the flames through no will of his own, but still they all fought, even as the grass, then their fur caught alight.
Then everyone seemed to react in one great scream. He was assaulted from all sides with screams of pain, mixing with cries for help and shouts of anger. A unicorn in silver writhed away from one patch of flames, only to roll into another, her screams growing louder as she was consumed. A minotaur charged from the fire, using the pain of his flaming skin to fuel his rage. His axe batted aside a thestral in blue, but she was nothing more than a distraction to the bull, who fixed his beady eyes on Elias’ chest. His hooves shook the ground as he continued to bellow and charge.
Elias wiped the blood from his eyes again and braced his shield, trying to get his breathing under control before he began another fight. In the violence of a battle, he never seemed to notice how tiring it was, but not today, today every muscle was screaming, on fire in a way that nearly matched the flames that slowly surrounded them.
Just as the bull closed, a horn sounded, and ponies immediately turned tail and began to flee. Elias dipped to the side of the axe cut and let his gladius bit into the minotaur’s spine. His eyes then turned out, and he wiped the blood away again, trying to see what had sparked the retreat. His legionaries were still around him and fighting, but it was like the rest of the ponies had simply… vanished.
Hooves grabbed at his arm, and a voice shouted in his ear.
“General, we have to retreat!” the red stallion cried, or was he gray? Elias wiped at his eyes again, trying to keep the blood away. The smoke was making it worse, but there was advantage in that.
“We’re staying!” Elias said. “They’re taller, the smoke hurts them more. Drive them into the fire, and let’s end-”
The words were driven from his lungs by hundreds of pounds of force. Hooves trampled him as soon as he hit the ground, and he could do little more than curl into a ball, doing his best to protect his head. The sounds around him began to shift, but he couldn’t pay attention to that as a hoof stomped on his nose, shattering it. A second hoof struck the side of his head, sending him into a daze that set the fiery treetops spinning. In his ears he heard more screaming, more pain. A voice cut through all the rest, and suddenly one part of his vision seemed to focus on a crimson pegasus. Tears filled Scarlet’s eyes as blood leaked from a set of bandages wrapped around his barrel.
“Why won’t you stop Elias? You can’t keep doing this forever. You’re only hurting yourself.”
A hoof stomped his ribs, somehow cutting through layers of steel to pulverize his bones. Elias spat up blood, but his eyes didn’t shift from the crimson pegasus.
“It-it was Lionheart,” he sputtered. “I’ll p-punish him o-once we’re done fighting. It- it wasn’t…”
Scarlet sighed and shook his head.
“I know it wasn’t you, that’s why you need to stop-”
A hoof stomped his head into the dirt.
Elias opened his eyes to near-darkness. Feathers were obscuring the torchlight, but those quickly moved away as a muzzle whispered in his ear.
“Are you alright?” Luna asked. She’d been doing that every time his night terrors had driven him awake since she had started sleeping on him. The answer was no different.
“I need air,” Elias croaked, feeling trapped, smothered. He was still too hot, too contained. Luna sighed and rose.
“If you need to talk-”
“I just need air,” Elias said again, a little too quick, a little too desperate, but it was the truth. A walk to the river, some cool water and then some staring into the woods. Maybe a talk with himself, that helped.
He crawled free of his sleeping bag,, but before he could make for the river, Luna wrapped him in one last hug, one that actually felt nice despite its smothering nature. Her hooves rubbed up and down his back as she spoke.
“I will give you peaceful sleep,” she said. “This I swear, as soon as we are done with this march, before anything else, I will mend your dreams.”
How he wanted to stay, to dig his fingers into her plush fur and just hold on, to cling like a scared child to his safety net. Unfortunately for him, his rational side was beginning to stir, and it knew that he was the strong one. He was the fighter, the killer. He danced around a battlefield like beautiful alicorns danced around ballrooms. He couldn’t afford moments of weakness. He just needed air, time to collect himself.
He was weak despite himself, hugging her tight in reply, his mouth flapping with a desire to speak without knowing what to say. He settled on something simple.
“Later. Once we’re home.”
Then he drew away, the alicorn falling to his abandoned sleeping bag. She had no strength with which to hold him after all. He didn’t look at her, just began walking away. He didn’t want to risk seeing hurt in her eyes. He did glance back, however, noticing another form as he began to dress without comment. Elias’ cheeks burned with shame as he stormed through the castra gates and toward the river.
*****
Elias squinted against the mid-morning sun, one eye practically closed while the other looked about the large, empty fields before the minotaur fortifications. The distance between the forest and the walls was far greater than he had originally thought, and with all the trampled farm land, the distance seemed all the emptier. Still, he was confident that spells could cover the distance. There would be only one way to test, once this ridiculous “meeting” was over.
The messenger had been found wandering shortly before dawn, and after blindfolding him and leading him around blind for a good hour, the minotaur had told them about a desire for their new opponent, a bull named Steel Horn, to meet on the fields before Saraj to talk terms. Elias had seen the obvious trap for what it was, but at Luna’s insistence, he had showed to hear the minotaur out. At his side was Granite, while Storm Chaser and Ice Blossom kept First Cohort in the trees. The auxiliaries were all back in camp, ready to make a run for it with Luna if the trap was more advanced than he anticipated.
Four figures left the minotaur stockade, walking quickly across the grass. Granite frowned at the shortest of the quartet.
“A pony?” he mumbled. “What’s a pony doing helping minotaurs?”
Elias squinted, noting some flashes of gold on the pony as he walked.
“I think it’s a zebra,” he replied. “Same question though, what’s a zebra doing here helping cows siege a city? Don’t they have a civil war to be fighting?”
“Mercenary maybe?”
“Maybe,” Elias said. “We’ll see.”
Granite gave him a silent nod and put on his best scowl. Elias felt his own chest puff up slightly with pride as the gray earth pony straightened, his armor still shining and unmarred. It was surprising how clean it was, but he knew that Granite spent much of his time keeping his equipment in top shape. It was actually how they had spent the last evening before bed. With none of their other friends to talk with and with no grand plans to pour over, they had been left to simple tasks before bed. He had decided to take time to clean his armor up, and it hadn’t taken long for Granite to find him.
They shared no words. He simply sat down and removed his armor piece by piece, carefully cleaning each section with a rag and water, along with a touch of polish. They had stayed like that through dinner and until the sun had sunken behind the trees. It was only Luna coming along to check on him that had interrupted them, and even then, he had silently offered the earth pony the opportunity to follow to where they were sleeping. While Luna covered him like a blanket, Granite had settled in just in front of them, his muzzle facing out, as if he was still on guard, even in his sleep. When Elias had been driven to the waking world by his nightmares, Granite had risen with him without comment, simply beginning a quiet inspection of the castra perimeter while Elias got himself under control.
Granite’s eyes flicked momentarily up to Elias, and their eyes met. Elias gave him a quick wink and a grin, then looked out to the approaching figures, letting his face fallen into a scowl to match Granite’s. He pointedly ignored the happy little flick that had entered his tail.
As the figures closed, their theory was proven correct that the “pony” was in fact a zebra. The zebra who eyed them both with a broad grin. The minotaurs, however, were Elias’ focus. Especially given that two of them were familiar, one of whom should have been crawling on his belly. As they stopped a few feet away from Elias and Granite, the human let out a snort, resting his hand on his gladius.
“That’s a fun trick Stone Horn. I guess next time I should cut your throat instead of your spine.”
“I’m going to break your neck, then tear your head off and mount it on my horns,” the bull snorted, his eyes red with hate. “Ponies will weep when they hear about what I’ve done to you.”
Elias rolled his shoulders.
“Let’s settle it now then. I’ll warn you though, I haven’t spent the morning slaughtering your troops. I’ll be a touch more spry than last time.”
The bull snorted again and began to step forward, but a hand clamped down on his muzzle, while another pushed him back. Stone Hoof caught the minotaur and wrestled him back, whispering quickly into his ear as he turned him away from Elias. The human sneered at the bull, then looked to the one who had pushed him. The bull was easily a head taller than Stone Horn, and he bore a full set of horns, as well as a rather large nose ring. Leather armor covered much of his body, though that was only just barely. The bull was all rippling muscle, but unlike Stone Horn, this bull didn’t seem to be flexing any of it. He was just passively huge.
“Steel Horn I presume?” Elias asked, doing his best not to cross his arms. The bull was already crossing his arms, and if he did it, he’d look just like a puny version of him.
Steel Horn nodded, his eyes narrowed and analyzing.
“Indeed,” he said in a low voice. “You must be the “Elias Bright” I’ve been hearing about. Are you truly known as Elias Bright of the Red Eagle?”
Elias’ bad eye twitched.
“It’s not a clan name if that’s your question. I’m General Bright of the Legio I Equus, and my legion’s symbol is a red eagle.” He waved toward Granite. “He’s just as much “of the red eagle” as I am.”
The minotaur nodded slowly, eyeing Granite with the same careful look he had scanned Elias with.
“Interesting,” he mumbled. Light then seemed to enter his eyes, and he straightened, somehow growing even taller. “I am Steel Horn of the Stone Crusher tribe.” He motioned back toward Stone Horn and Stone Hoof. “You have met my brother and father already.”
“I crippled your brother and sold your father back to you for food,” Elias said. “How is he walking by the way?”
Steel Horn smiled and looked back.
“Father’s warrior days may be behind him, but while we are not as powerful as unicorns, our magic can heal many an injury, and he is as skilled a shaman as any.”
“And did you honor our deal?” Elias asked, vaguely curious about how powerful minotaur healing magic was. “Where’s Snowball?”
Steel Horn’s muzzle dropped into a frown, and his eyes narrowed.
“That is a dangerous impugnment on my honor Elias Bright, especially given that you murdered a chieftain under the flag of truce.”
“I killed a spy abusing a flag of truce to count my ponies, yes,” Elias said. “Maybe if your snake of a brother hadn’t tried that little stunt, Chief Bare Hide might still be alive.”
Steel Horn glanced back, causing Stone Horn to finally calm slightly under the pressure of his brother’s shame.
“I was not told of that,” he said, his eyes gradually facing Elias once again. “Still, I was told of a savage death, of disrespecting a warrior unarmed as he died.”
“Your brother tried to kill me under a second flag of truce. I killed those two as well,” Elias said. “And yes, it was savage. I don’t handle threats well. Violence brings out an ugly side of me.”
Steel Horn snorted and smiled.
“Your left I presume?”
Elias’ bad eye twitched as he debated whether or not he should laugh. It wasn’t his sorest spot, and the joke was really funny, but at the same time…
His eye twitched again, this time in the glint of something atop Steel Horn’s head. At a second glance he found the bull’s left horn was, in fact, made from steel. It hardly shined, but the sky was clear enough that the sun reflected off the horn.
Chewing his tongue for a moment, Elias’ eyes flicked back down the meet Steel Horn’s.
“Could be worse. Could have a big metal fence post sticking out of my head. Are you trying to compensate for something?”
Silence passed in the air between the two, then Steel Horn threw his head back and laughed. Elias exhaled slightly, his mouth curling slightly into a smirk as the minotaur howled. Stone Horn looked at his older brother in obvious disbelief, while Stone Hoof let out a small sigh, finally letting the smaller bull go. Steel Horn’s laughter quickly tapered off, though his broad grin remained as he spoke, his voice far louder and more boisturous.
“Well said General Bright, very good banter for a pony, first time I’ve heard such!” His hands moved to his hips and he let out a long sigh. “To business then; I am shamed to hear your side of the story, shamed that my own father would cover my brother’s half-truths.” He sent a sharp glare backward for a moment. “Rest assured that we will be doing far more talking this evening in the mead hall.” He turned back toward Elias and his smile returned. “But to answer your questions, yes; your agent and his kin took a lion’s share of food into the city. My warriors were not too happy about that, but-” he shrugged “-I care not. A few paltry extra days waiting is no great offense, and I would not want children starving. We mean to break the will of the Saddle Arabians, not bring them to slaughter.”
Elias’ eyes narrowed, flicking back and forth between Steel Horn and Stone Horn.
“And the “enslave a princess” goal, that his idea as well?”
Steel Horn sighed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Elder, why in the name of the Keepers would you let Stone Horn say something like that?”
“You’re just going to believe him?” Stone Horn protested. “He slaughtered hundreds of our people! He murdered Bare Hide in cold blood!”
“He defeated our people in battle, and has laid a claim that Bare Hide was a spy,” Steel Horn said. “Since I cannot rely on either of you to tell me the truth, I will have to waste time looking into the matter. As for what he claims you said, that I believe wholeheartedly. You always misused our dream of our own Speaker. You’ve always spoken in that manner about our potential Speaker. To find that you did it to provoke an enemy does not surprise me at all.”
“I wasn’t provoking him, I was telling the truth,” Stone Horn growled. “Had that stupid bird not flapped in my face, I could’ve-”
“What you would have done is died!” Steel Horn bellowed. “You are lucky to still breathe you petulant child! I do not know why I allowed you to become a warchief when you are so clearly not ready. Your head is too hot, too full if idiotic fantasies. You use your tongue when you should be listening! You lost because you are stupid and arrogant, and if you don’t follow my every command from now on, I will wash my hands of you.” He snorted at Stone Hoof. “Take the whelp back to camp and father him for once. He has learned nothing from defeat, nor his crippling.”
Stone Hoof raised his hands and took a step forward.
“Warchief, Stone Horn asks a good question: why are you trusting Elias Bright? He is our enemy.”
“Our enemy has so far been far more honorable than either of you!” Steel Horn roared. “He is not the vicious monster you have told me about, and now I am forced to rely on his “truths”.” He waved a hand. “Go. This is a talk for warriors, not old bulls and calves.”
Stone Horn growled, but a shove from Stone Hoof kept him quiet. While he began to stomp away, Stone Hoof paused to give Steel Horn a bow.
“Apologies Warchief. I had to protect my son, even from himself.”
“And in doing so you have risked mine,” Steel Horn snapped. “I am now weaker for your lies. Go. We will discuss this later.”
Stone Hoof nodded and turned away, plodding after Stone Horn. Steel Horn let out a great exhale, staring after them for a long moment.
Elias tapped the hilt of his gladius.
“You have a family?”
Steel Horn nodded, smiling wistfully.
“Aside from that pair of rock-headed idiots? A son, a wife. Here with the army. The entire tribe is here actually; they fled here in fear of you.”
“I’m not the butcher your brother would have you believe. He’s still alive after all.”
Steel Horn nodded and finally turned back, his smile making a return.
“Indeed, and you have my gratitude for that, as well as for my father’s return. He may not be the picture of strength he used to be, but he should be honored, guided toward the purpose he should be filling. He’ll figure it out.”
He clapped his hands together.
“So, to business. Ponies usually decline, but you seem a different sort; shall we drink?”
“You didn’t answer my question,” Elias said, ignoring the question.
What little hopeful light that had entered the bull’s eyes faded as he sighed and nodded.
“I was hoping that would be forgotten. You are sharp General Bright.”
“I try. Now why do you keep avoiding the answer? Did Stone Horn tell me what your intention for my princess is?”
“I avoid because your view on the matter has been poisoned,” Steel Horn said with a wince. “Speaking the truth of it will not help.”
“It won’t hurt, because right now, you’re just a diplomatic version of your brother.”
Steel Horn let out another sigh.
“Very well. The core of the matter is true; we wish to have one of your princesses. The difference in the true path as opposed to Stone Horn’s perversion of it is that there was no intention for slavery, not in the abhorrent manner at least.”
Elias’ eyes narrowed.
“Explain.”
“We are without a guide to the Verdant Fields,” Steel Horn said. “Equestria has three. It was my hope to… pressure a princess to join us, that we might have our guide to the afterlife, that we might have unity in this one.” He raised his hands even as Elias began to scowl. “It is not that nasty “slave” business Stone Horn spoke about. We would treat Princess Luna like the goddess she is, no less.”
“And why Luna?” Elias asked. “Why not Princess Cadence, or Princess Celestia?”
Steel Horn’s eyes widened just slightly, then flicked up and down Elias’ body as he answered.
“She… became a nightmare because she was neglected, and ponies still fear her might. They would never give up their thousand-year leader-” he chuckled “-and the princess of love would not really fit in with us I think. She has her own kingdom now regardless. Princess Luna, however, she has been rumored to still be living in her sister’s shadow. Why repeat history when we can give her the praise she so deserves?”
He frowned slightly, and his eyes again scanned Elias up and down.
“But I see that rumors do not tell all. Regardless,” he said with a sigh, “my people need hope if they are to abandon our current ways. I called you hear to make a simple demand; let us take Princess Luna home, to be crowned and worshiped as our princess. In turn, my people will abandon this siege, allow you to complete your mission, then will promise a peace treaty to last so long as our princess stays.”
Elias grunted in disbelief, eyeing the minotaur up and down with a slightly slackened jaw. He had no idea whether to laugh, or to be blinded with defensive rage. Running his tongue along his teeth, he looked toward the grass, kicking it gently with his foot as he let out a low chuckle.
“I don’t think I need to give you an answer on that little…” he smiled again and shook his head, “I wouldn’t be so bold as to call that an offer.” His eyes flicked up and his head tilted. “And who’d be looking after her, you?”
Steel Horn nodded, his chest puffing out.
“Myself and an elite retinue specially chosen from amongst the tribes. Princess Luna would be free to bring whomever she wished for servants, but we would provide for her every want and need.”
“Save for separating her from her kingdom, her friends, her sister-”
‘Me’, a little voice whispered in his head.
“We are gnats in her life, General Bright,” Steel Horn said. “She may grieve her current friends, her current kingdom, but we will build her something greater in time, and she will find new friends, just as she would once time has taken its toll.” He shrugged. “You and I do not matter to the alicorns, but in the grand scheme of things, my people will need a guide if we are to abandon our ways.”
The anger side of his mind was slowly winning the battle for control of his tongue, but while Elias thought on what to do other than try to attack the bull, Gray Granite let out a derisive snort.
“If you knew anything about Equestria, you’d know that the princesses came after we unified. Yeah, they helped the process along, but we don’t call Hearth’s Warming “Princesses Saved Us Day”. The pony tribes came together and we were rewarded.” His eyes narrowed. “I don’t know about General Bright, but I have half a mind to kick out your teeth just for the thought of stealing our princesses away. We earned their protection. What have you done but stole and tortured?”
Steel Horn scowled at the gray earth pony.
“We have earned through battle, and there has been no torture-”
“You’re starving an entire city,” Elias cut in. “You ever starved before?”
Steel Horn’s shoulders slumped just slightly as his eyes turned toward the human.
“I have.”
“Would you want your son to feel the pain of an empty belly?” Elias asked. “I’ve been starving too, never again if I have anything to say about it.”
Steel Horn’s shoulders slumped further for a brief moment, then he straightened, heaving a deep breath.
“The hunger of the Saddle Arabians ends when they surrender. You can end it faster if you so chose. Take my words to Princess Luna, let her know that she has a place among the minotaur tribes if she wishes for a permanent peace.”
Elias snorted and shook his head.
“I’m not going to do that, because frankly, she’s a good enough pony to consider it. Fortunately, she has me, who is the exact opposite.” He shifted in place, his fingers tapping on the hilt of his gladius. “I didn’t march an army here to lose a princess, I marched it here to enter Saraj and set up a portal. Anything that stands in the way of that goal is to be moved, by diplomacy if possible, but more than likely with violence. Give me a number, and I’ll see you paid and peacefully on your way. Make it outlandish like your brother did, and I’m going to treat you and your people the exact same.”
The zebra finally spoke up, a chattering laugh escaping his muzzle.
“Stupid who-man, this one has heard of you. Empty threats with nothing to back!” He stomped his hoof in the grass, then held it to his gold-covered chest. “I am-”
“Khari, leader of the Shattered Stripes,” Elias cut in. “I read your file. You’re the coward who burned down three villages on the Equestrian border while the warriors were away. The Royal Guard have a file on you.”
The zebra let out a huff, visibly bothered by the interruption, but he pressed on.
“It is my say that we will never-”
“Mean’s your head is set to be on platter,” Elias again cut in. “Keep talking and I’ll make it happen a little earlier.”
The zerba’s muzzle clamped shut with a jangle, and his head lowered, a death glare fixed on Elias’ chest. The human ignored him, looking to Steel Horn.
“You’re not getting a princess, not with the bloodthirsty band of strays you’ve collected. Give me a number so we can end this without me putting more minotaurs to the sword.”
Steel Horn sighed, looking suddenly very tired. He held a hand to his forehead, slowly shaking his head back and forth.
“I cannot,” he said. “We have come too far, risked too much to go home with mere bits. If you succeed, this is our last raiding season. We will be lost without immense glory, or a guide to the Verdant Fields. I must refuse General Bright. To yield is to doom us. I need more guarantees than mere money.”
“You’d have my guarantee for safety,” Elias said. “All the other generals are dead or traitors, and the princesses aren’t in any states to countermand me. Besides, I think they’d like the project. Set up a city near Bordertown, settle Equestria’s eastern border. It’d allow them to turn their attentions elsewhere if nothing else.”
“I can hardly trust your guarantees General Bright,” Steel Horn said. “I may have called out my brother’s lies, but you are hardly trustworthy, and the Saddle Arabians will seek vengeance. You do not have enough power to keep my people safe.”
Elias shrugged.
“Maybe not, but I have enough to slaughter them all. Is that really what you want?”
Steel Horn sighed again.
“It is not, but I cannot relent. To be weak is to die a shameful death, and there will at least be honor in meeting you on the battlefield, warrior to warrior.”
Elias matched the minotaur’s sigh, shaking his head and staring at the ground for a long moment before looking back up.
“Then fighting it is,” he grunted. “Feel free to send a messenger when you’re done watching your people die.”
He nodded at Granite and turned away, marching back toward the tree line. Glancing back over his shoulder, Elias noticed Steel Horn nodding to himself, whispering something that started with an ‘L’. The zebra laughed, then they turned away, trotting back toward their fortifications.
As he and Granite walked back toward the treeline, he glanced down at the earth pony.
“Was that true?”
The earth pony looked up, blinking in the sunlight.
“Which part? About the princesses coming after the unification?” When Elias nodded, Granite matched the motion, nodding and looking forward once more. “That’s what my parents taught me anyway. The pony tribes united, then a little later the princesses showed up and started really solidifying everything, finally killing off the wendigos and dealing with Discord and stuff, but we came together without their help.” His muzzle fell into a frown. “Warchief Steel Horn is an idiot if he thinks we’re giving up Princess Luna. As far as I know, she’s the only alicorn who watches over the dead. If she’s busy watching over minotaurs, who’s going to watch over us?”
“Sorry if I sound like a skeptic, but all that talk is true?” Elias asked. “Luna’s never mentioned keeping watch of the dead, just dreams.”
Granite shrugged as they hit the treeline, Storm Chaser and the legionaries falling in behind them without comment.
“You’d have to ask her. All I know is that when we lost a milking cow to timberwolves, mom prayed to Princess Luna to make sure Old Maid was taken care of in the Verdant Fields.”
The march back to camp was uneventful, leaving Elias’ mind stuck on the question. While Granite gave out the afternoon’s orders, Elias approached where Luna was relaxing beneath one of the trees still standing in the middle of camp. Since they didn’t have the main tent, he had seen little reason to have it cut down just yet, a decision that seemed to bearing fruit as Luna smiled from beneath it’s shade. Her smile failed under the weight of confusion as he asked her about her extra duty.
“On occasion,” Luna said with a blink. “Might I ask what brought this on?”
Elias chewed on his cheek for a moment, then sighed. She’d know if he hid the minotaur’s “offer” from her.
“Warchief Steel Horn is leading the army here, and he offered to leave without a fight in exchange for you. He wants you to guide the souls of dead minotaurs to verdant fields, says he’ll treat you like a queen, that you’re in Celestia’s shadow now and moving toward another rebellion and that he wants to serve and respect you like ponies apparently don’t.” He shrugged and crossed his arms. “Reason is something about them no longer getting noticed by the Keepers once they stop raiding, I don’t know. I was struggling not to kill Stone Horn for daring to still breathe. That was the offer though; give up you and everything goes back to normal.”
Luna nodded slowly, her muzzle twitching slightly toward a smile.
“And what was your reply to this offer?”
“I offered him money, then when he refused, I told him I’d sooner kill every single minotaur,” Elias sighed. “I also told him that I wouldn’t even let you hear his “offer”, because you’re a kind enough pony to actually think about it.” He rubbed at his eyes and shook his head. “But here I am, so I guess all their thoughts about how I’m a liar turned out to be true.”
“Telling me the truth makes you a liar,” Luna chuckled. “I think not, I think it just goes to show that at the heart of things, you are as honest as you can be, and that is an admirable trait you can improve upon once we’re finished with this messy business.” She straightened in place, crossing her forelegs. “As for his “offer” I agree with your decision, mostly because Steel Horn is misguided on what my duties actually entail. We shall need to call another meeting, that I might explain what it is I actually do.”
Elias shook his head.
“That’s not happening Princess. I’m not putting you out in that field on a silver platter, I don’t care how diplomatic Steel Horn was. If he sees you just sitting there with even the full two cohorts, he will storm out with his army and kill everyone, then take you. You can pity enough that you’d eventually forgive our slaughter. Might be a century or two, but-”
He was surprised when he found himself on his back, a furious alicorn on his chest, baring pointed teeth in his face.
“Don’t you dare suggest something like that,” Luna snarled. “I love my ponies, and if I thought them in such grievous danger, I would abandon our mission to obliterate those who dare try to take them away from me.” She leaned in closer. “I remember every friend from before my banishment with picture perfect accuracy, and you of all people should know the feeling of doing anything to protect what I currently have, or are those names on your back merely decorative?”
Elias felt his mouth go dry.
“They are not,” he whispered.
Luna nodded, sitting up slightly.
“They are not,” she agreed. “And while I do not have so visible a mark, I still remember just the same. Even could I not, I would not let my current friends fall for so ignorant a reason, especially not you, Elias Bright. It is only because of your voluntary sacrifice for the sake of the potential millions saved by this mission that I held back before, but say such words again, and I will remove the bulls, then claim you and use the next year waiting for my magic to store claiming you over and over again.”
Elias flushed. The sight was apparently visible enough that it finally caused Luna to glance around, visibly calming as she sat back, her fore-hooves still resting on his chest.
“Another time perhaps, because you are correct. An ambush would be likely, but there must be a way to contact Steel Horn, to explain the error of his plans.”
“Where’s the error,” Elias asked, doing his best not to look around as he tried to sit up. Luna wasn’t moving and was already irritated. At the same time, this was hardly the best position to shift conversational gears from. “As far as I know, you only handle pony souls, right?”
Elias found himself laying flat on the ground again as hooves hit the dirt to either side of his head. Luna grinned down at him, and he couldn’t help but gulp.
“Are you asking me for a history lesson, Elias?” Luna teased. “Such a bold move, making me work for you first date.”
Before he could protest the word, Luna was off of him and reclining back in the shade of the tree, patting an empty patch of grass next to her.
“Come and sit, General. I shall explain”
Elias rolled up, glancing around to find few ponies, fewer still with eyes pointed his direction. Granite was one, but the earth pony was on the move, pushing ponies along with orders spat out at a blistering pace, his eyes only ever flicking back on occasion, as if trying to be re-assuring that nobody was watching. Elias gave the earth pony a nod in thanks, then stood, dusting himself off before he did as Luna bade. The alicorn smiled and welcomed him with a wing, the two staying slightly apart to keep their armor from rubbing.
“In popular fiction, I track down “ghosts”, Luna said. “In truth, there is no such thing. The dream realm, as it is commonly known, is the same that allows souls to pass on to the afterlife. Much like dreaming, however, this process is natural, and requires no intervention should all go well. In rare cases, however, the soul doesn’t want to leave. It “haunts”, staying behind for whatever reason it decides.”
“So unfinished business, like in a couple of the Daring Doos?”
Luna snorted.
“Never so insignificant. I have only ever met one lost soul that had stayed for revenge, and by the time I found him, he had become numb to that as well. I cannot know how it truly feels, but I’ve been told that while dying is terrifying and violent, death is quiet peaceful. The Keepers are quick to call, and souls are quick to answer, to go where they are wanted. To stay is to face the emptiness of a great universe, and to do so alone. It chills the heart, numbs all emotion.” She smiled, and Elias felt himself flush again as their eyes met. “All save for love. Many a lost soul is not so, they are merely waiting for their love to join them. These are the hardest to save, as it takes much to assure them that they will love again in the Verdant Fields, but as I help ponies face their nightmares, so too do I help souls face the end and what waits after.”
“Where Steel Horn errors,” Luna continued, “is in thinking that I alone have this ability. I am not the only dream walker, in fact have already taught several minotaur shamans my craft. I cannot, however, guide them to my second craft. They must unify, so that the Keepers might grant them the insight to save those that become lost. As it is with all races, though some seem to creeping closer to my umbrella of influence with each passing day.”
She frowned in thought, her eyes falling to the grass.
“You had Gray Granite with you, did you not? I find it odd he didn’t mention such unification. Earth ponies are usually quite proud of the great unification.”
“He mentioned it,” Elias said. “But he told me to ask you, said it was just the stories he was told. He also mentioned a cow that had died, that his mother prayed to you to guide her. Do you cover all equines or something?”
Luna snorted again and smiled.
“Cows are bovine, and it’s not that simple. Up until recently, the three tribes and the thestrals were my sole domain. Now I watch over the crystal ponies, as well as the Saddle Arabians. I also watch over Twilight’s Sparkle’s assistant, a dragon named Spike.” She giggled, and poked at his chest. “I also have you, human of mine, so every rule has it’s exceptions, but we shall continue to see. Perhaps in time my duties will encompass more than ponies, but for the minotaurs, they have the tools needed to be their own guides. They would only falter if I was crowned their ruler.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” Elias joked absently, his eyes stuck on a point in the middle distance as he thought over her words. For some reason the talk, so foreign to him in nature, was somewhat… comforting. He supposed that hinged on the answer to his next question though.
“You said the dream realm held souls right?”
Luna nodded.
“Indeed. The source of dreaming is the soul.”
“And when I snapped on White Shine, you and Twilight determined I had no magic signature, which I vaguely remember her saying meant that I had no soul.”
A hoof touched his shoulder, but he didn’t bear it a look. His heart was racing, he wasn’t quite sure why. Death wasn’t new, nor was it something he feared. Feared for others maybe, but not himself. Never himself. He couldn’t fight if he was afraid, and would be damned before he was called a co-
“We spoke of this before,” Luna murmured, leaning in close. “And I told you before that despite your lack of magic, that you had a soul. I think you see now why I said such. You dream Elias, that means that you have access to soul magic, even if we cannot detect it. The trees are alive but do not dream. The grass, and the insects, and all the rest, live but do not dream, do not have souls.”
The hoof moved to his chin, and he let himself be turned as Luna leaned in closer, her emerald eyes twinkling and shining along with her smile.
“But you dream my friend. You dream, and you feel and love and hate, and every other emotion under the sun. If you are afraid-”
“I’m not-”
“You wouldn’t be asking if you weren’t,” Luna said, silencing him with her hoof. “But there is not shame in that, my friend, certainly not for you. This is a foreign world with foreign rules, but you will exist after. I will keep watch until your dying day and then after. Rest assured knowing that it will be impossible for your path to be any more clear.”
Elias snorted, and he felt his heart rate begin to slow.
“You make it sound like you expect me to get lost.”
Luna giggled, her hoof pulling toward his cheek for a moment before hesitantly pulling away, her smile becoming slightly strained.
“No, you will cling on, demanding revenge on the cuddle pile that finally smothers you.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Unfortunately for you, I’ll be the leader every time, so you’ll just have to haunt me forever.”
“Really? You’d put up with me being right next to you, unable to snuggle me at all, forever? You’d never last.”
“Oh, but I would,” Luna said. “Tireless would be my research to capture your soul and put you into a nice fluffy little pony, one that I could snuggle without end, with a cutie mark in the shape of the hugmaster sigil.”
Elias groaned in disgust and rolled away and to his feet. Luna laughed aloud, not moving from her reclining position.
“It’ll happen my friend!” she called as he stood. “I will win that front!”
“Only in your dreams,” Elias replied.
He kept his smile on letting her laugh for a few more precious moments. As she trailed off, he settled into a more professional scowl that brought them back to business. “So, my plan is to start putting pressure on them. Ambush their scavenging parties, test the walls, the like. If you want to approach diplomatically, I’d suggest before or far after, preferably after.”
Luna sighed and nodded.
“Agreed. I shall attempt to contact Steel Horn in his dreams, but I can only walk, and if doesn’t want me there, I cannot force the point without using more than mere ambient magic. As you said, ambush is likely if we try to meet face to face. It is better to weaken and make paranoid. It will make them sloppy and desperate, hopefully to our advantage.”
“That’s the hope at least,” Elias said, nodding in agreement. “We’ll get started tonight, so don’t wait up. I intend to start and never relent. Hopefully the main body of the army is here by the time we get tired.”
“If not, I will force you to rest. It would not do for you to get sloppy and captured. The minotaurs already have enough leverage.”
Elias held his tongue, deciding not to make a joke about not getting captured. It likely wouldn’t fly well with the already line-stepping alicorn. That fact comforted him, however, and he had to hold back a slightly giddy, butterfly induced smile.
He gave Luna a slight bow and turned to leave. Just as he took his first step, Luna spoke again.
“Before you depart, a question.” Elias half-turned and Luna continued. “You mentioned that I would forgive your death in a few centuries. You’ve never spoken of me as I am, as an age-old alicorn. What brought that thought to your mind?”
Elias stared at the ground for a moment, then spoke honestly. He vaguely thought about how much of that he was doing, wondered briefly if he was trying to earn good-colt points. While his mind smacked the part that thought like he was a pony, he answered.
“Steel Horn mentioned how we were specks to you. Blips on a timeline.” He snapped his fingers, the word leaping to the forefront of his mind. “Gnats. He said we were gnats.”
“You are not-” Luna began to growl.
“But aren’t we?” Elias cut in. “No matter what happens with us, if I die, or leave, or marry you and we…” he swallowed the thought, pressing on with only a moment’s hesitation “I’m going to die one day. Humans don’t live forever, we don’t even live that long. You might grieve me, might even grieve for years, but you’re an important alicorn princess, and I’m a human general. You’ll move on because it’s your job to move on, and while some part of you may hurt, you’ll start to…” He shrugged and met her eyes. “Luna you’ll forget me. A thousand years is a long time, and I don’t know how long you’ll live after me, but I can tell it’s more than a thousand. You’ll forget all of this because you’ll still be alive and living. It might not be my name, or what we share, but you’ll forget. I’m nothing standing next to you on the scale of time and you know it.”
Luna stared at him in silence for a moment that seemed to stretch. A chill wind touched the leaves above, sending goosebumps crawling along his arms. Still, he didn’t blink, and eventually, Luna sighed and looked away.
“I am sorry you heard those words Elias, but they are not true. I will never forget you, not in a thousand years, not in ten thousand. If you do not believe me, so be it, but that is the truth, and it is all I will say on the matter. I would not waste my love with gnats. Certainly not my first.”
Elias blinked dumbly at her.
“I thought that title was fake.”
Luna smiled, the motion filled with a touch of both sadness and hope.
“Ever the historian you are, of course you know; but yes. The title is genuine. My sister and I are the ‘Virgin Princesses’. We have had many close friends and companions, shield-sisters and servants all, all remembered. But a lover? No, not even before our ascension. I would make you my first.” Her cheeks reddened slightly, visible even beneath her helmet. “I apologize if this breaches our agreement, or if the tone of this conversation has become dour, but I cannot assure you of these words enough. I will not forget. You are my friend first. What comes after comes after, but either way, forgotten you will not be. Not by me, and not by the history books if all goes well.”
She snorted and shifted in place, tucking her legs beneath her barrel.
“Perhaps ‘Tia will even commission you a stain glass window.”
“I’m not going to solve this one with friendship magic,” Elias said.
“We’ll see,” Luna replied. “Friendship is funny like that, and Steel Horn sounds like a kindly sort, if misguided. Perhaps once your plan yields some fruit he may become more reasonable.”
“Maybe. He did offer a drink after all.” He shrugged. “But we’ll see. We have to wear him down first.” He whistled using his fingers, and Granite sprinted to his side, saluting sharply. “I want four guards around Luna at all times from now on. Nobody but you or I approach her, am I clear? After you sort that out, gather everyone else so we can go over the plan for the next few days.”
Granite nodded, then bellowed out the orders, summoning four legionaries. Elias moved away from the blue alicorn as the ponies fell in around her, and soon he found himself being followed by the rest of his two cohorts. He stopped near to the edge of the castra, pulling off his helmet and wiping the sweat from his brow. The mid-afternoon sun really cooked certain areas of the castra that didn’t have tents yet.
“I know you spent the day prettying everything up, but Centurion Granite will be arranging bucket patrols to get mud from the river,” Elias said, his voice loud but not quite yelling. “You can cover up your armor or go without, but we will be taking a page from the back of the handbook. The name of the game is harass and ambush, and if we can avoid casualties on either side, more’s the better.”
“Both sides?” a pony near the front asked, his confused expression mirrored by those around him. “Wouldn’t it be best to kill as many minotaurs as possible so they quit?”
“Wounding is better for this occasion,” Elias replied. “We want to deprive them of food, and medicine and dead bulls consume neither. Regardless, I think Steel Horn can actually be reasoned with, so hopefully hungry faces will bring him back to the bargaining table.” He tilted his head. “That being said, don’t try too hard to hold back. I’d rather kill a thousand bulls then lose one pony. Just… don’t execute the wounded ones. That should be enough.”
“Regardless,” he continued, drawing his watch from its belt pouch, “We’re starting twenty four hour attacks in an hour. Auxiliary Centurion Pyrelight has already been briefed and will be organizing the first set of combat patrols. If you can throw fireballs, you’re volunteering for the night-time patrols.” He clicked open the watch, checking the time more out of habit than any need for the exact hour. They would be fighting by the sunlight afterall. “Those who aren’t the first patrol, get some rest,” he said. “You’re going to need it.”
Fan art of the looming Elias-Luna conflict. Elias stands no chance.
Edit courtesy of Witchery
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ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy another fantastic chapter my good man thank you.
Nice.
One more chapter until chapter 69. I'm hyped.
Man, this story continues to slap. Well worth the wait!
Great chapter! I'm surprised to see that Stone Horn is back. I got a bad feeling about it.
Wonderful chapter to read, and darn I actually like Steel Horn. Guy seem plenty reasonable for the most part, hopefully Elias and him can have a respectful rivalry sort of feeling toward one another and not see each other as hated enemies like Stone Horn became.
Also that picture...Elias is doomed...DOOOOOOOOOMED I SAY.
He WILL be snuggled, in THE CUDDLE-PILE to end ALL CUDDLE-PILES, no matter how hard he resists, the victory will be all the sweeter, and fluffier (floof-ier!)...
Your pic at the bottom reminded me of a meme about how a "goth gf" would be undesirable in ancient Rome.
Great art of the coming conflict lol
A great moment of levity before the battle starts. I absolutely relish both of these types of moments
Prediction: Luna Kidnapped, Elis goes apeshit
I'm dying laughing.
Am I a bad pony for actually wanting that to happen?
Hell of a good chapter! I cannot wait for some ass-kicking and espionage!
11311061
l agree with you on Steel Horn sounding like he might reasonable, he just has a VERY misguided sense of what is honorable....
also am l the only one who want shove a 10foot long sword up Stone Horn's lying ass?
Great chapter, funny fan art...
I am content.
Another joy to read.
Ooohhh, guerilla warfare. This should be interesting.
Very good binge read. See you next month for the update.
considering that this is not anthro that fan art does not seem accurate
I think I forgot or just couldn't find it, but what's the Zebrican civil war looking like exactly?
Like reasons and factions and the like?
Just curious about some world loreeeee.
Round 2, READ!
The picture is not working properly.
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Should be good now