Power of the Dragonflame: The Resurrection of Torch

by Mystic Mind

Act 3/Chapter 1: The Paladin's March

Onward through the desert sands, the army marched. The pegasi did what they could to provide shade, though the arid terrain provided little moisture for clouds. Despite temperatures rising further into double digits, the warriors of Equestria still maintained formation.

Stellar Shine kept an eye on the Cavaliers who marched at the army’s flanks. Though they showed little outward discomfort, Stellar knew how different this battlefield was to their tundra home. He could only hope their short weeks of training were enough to help them to adapt.

Closer to Stellar were the Yak Artillery batteries; eight field guns — four cannons toward the flanks, four mortars toward the centre—were dragged behind them, their wheels enlarged to prevent sinking into the sand. With their brute strength, this was unlikely to be an issue. What struck Stellar, however, was how much hair they’d shaved off to cope with the heat. Their famed fur still retained its fibrous appearance, though considerably thinner than before.

Stellar smiled. He'd seen how closely they guarded their shaven locks. Not a single hoof was to touch what was shed; that was their only demand. To make such a sacrifice for the sake of Equestria was a testament to their loyalty. The pony troops were trained well enough to avoid staring, though they couldn’t help but spare an occasional glance at the novel sight. The yak were, likewise, quick to respond, rebuking any curious looks with a heavy stink eye.

So long as they didn’t devolve into verbal bickering, Stellar could permit small defences of cultural pride. He had bigger things to worry about, such as if they wore their armour correctly. The yak battle wear was closer to the pony rifle brigades than his own, consisting of leather vests and light-weight helmets, though it was a squeeze to get them between the horns. The kit was basic, but it would protect them in the event of hoof-to-hoof combat, if only for a short time.

“Lord Stellar!” Gale Force hovered overhead. “Enemy sighted! Six-hundred meters away, approximately.”

“Halt!” Stellar called, bringing his army to a stop at the top of a sand dune. “My friends, comrades, creatures-in-arms, the enemy is upon us. They desecrate one of Equestria’s most powerful allies with their foul magic. Make no mistake, they will not go down easy. But it is our duty as followers of Celestia to exterminate them, and to liberate the lands of the one true Dragon Lord, Ember. All of those ready to defend Equestria, say aye!”

“Aye!” the army bellowed in a unified call.

“Now, listen carefully, as this will be your final briefing. Far Seer, spread your gunners down the slope of this dune; rows of ten, standard volley formation.”

“Aye, Commander!” Far Seer Saluted. He remained at its top as his troops took their place.

“Archmage Star Dancer. You will hold your mages back behind the gunners. The bloat dragons will be after our artillery, so your magic shields will be crucial.”

The Archmage saluted also, his dark-purple mane fluttering as magic crackled around his horn.

“Artillery Master Yoko. I want all yak eyes above, ready to blast any bloat dragons back to Tartarus!”

The Yoko stomped her hooves, her yellow-braided mane jostling as she did so. “You can count on Yoko! No bigger boom than that of Yak guns!”

“Glad to hear it,” Stellar turned his attention to the squad of pegasi hovering above. “Wing Commander Gale Force: The Wonderbolts’ job is, first and foremost, to take out the necromancers. I suspect they’ll be well hidden, but their magic is a tell-tale giveaway. Aim for the purple aura amongst the horde.”

“You can count on us, sir!” Gale loaded an arrow.

“Just keep an eye on those bloat dragons,” Stellar added. “Once they enter the battle, they become the top priority for destruction. Don’t forget, the Yak will supply you with their bombs, but they’re extremely volatile, so be careful.”

“We’ll be in and out before you know it,” Gale grinned, repeatedly drawing back the string of his recurved short bow. Were his hooves not full, Stellar knew he’d be clapping them together in anticipation. “Those monsters won’t know what hit ‘em!”

“Last but by no means least, we come to the Cavaliers. Amber Opal, take your company one hundred meters west, and Sapphire Starfall, the same but to the east. We Paladins will act as the bait, luring the dragons into the killing zone, right between these two dunes. The second you hear gunfire, charge the enemy flanks, and box them in. Understood?”

“Aye, aye, sir!” the two crystal ponies said together. Stellar recognized these two. They were veterans of the siege, both of whom Stellar had personally congratulated after his ascension. If any ponies could be trusted to hold their formation, it was them.

“Every creature, assume formations!” Stellar’s horn burst to life with magic, its golden radiance visible to all. “Crystal Paladins of Equestria, charge!”

In a flash of light, the Paladins teleported across the dunes and came face to face with the enemy for the first time. Stellar Shine knew what to expect. He’d faced down the undead dragon in the streets of Canterlot. And yet, the revelation of the enemy’s true scope was still a horrific sight. Hundreds of thousands of dragons, the size of Lord Ember, shambled forward. Some were covered in a wide assortment of light armour, but most wore none, exposing their half-rotten bodies to the elements.

Stellar didn’t know how far they’d come, or for how long they’d travelled, but whatever the case, they showed little discipline among their ranks. They pushed and shoved against each other like a bunch of rowdy school foals, swinging their weapons around in search of a target. It only took one dragon to spot the Paladins to trigger their savage instincts, and once they did, the effect was instantaneous. Screaming with a cacophonous, animalistic roar, the dragons charged.

As before, they showed little care or attention for their fellow undead. They were so focused on their prey, many tripped over themselves, falling face first into the sand to be crushed beneath the frenzied stampede. Others swung their weapons faster, cutting and smashing into anything that came too close. More importantly, however, they left the bloat dragons behind. With such tiny wings, they hadn’t a hope of propelling their massive girth with any resemblance of speed.

Stellar looked over his shoulder and announced, “They’ve taken the bait! Now, charge!”

The first strike went to the Paladins. With Stellar at the head, the unicorns unleashed their magic, firing bolt after bolt of white-hot light. Few beams hit the mark, but it didn’t matter. Any undead they slew just added to their raging bloodlust. For every fallen dragon, three more were waiting to fight for the slain soldier’s weapon.

With the enemy suitably riled up, Caramel threw her chakrams into the mix. Empowered by her magic, the razor-sharp discs sliced away limbs with a butcher’s precision. They were close now. Only one-hundred meters between both forces. Many dragons were slain already, and Stellar knew he could kill many more. The prospect of annihilating the undead on his own was a tantalising prospect. Yet, he remained resolute, instead leading his Paladins into sharp U-turn, back toward the dunes. Such temptations were for the mindless undead, not for a Prince of Equestria. All they needed were a few token slashes from Caramel’s chakrams, and the dragons would follow, just as planned.

Leaping over the first dune, the Paladins skidded to a halt just as the first wave of dragons crested over. If any dragon noticed the bulk of the pony army, it was far too late. Their momentum carried them forward, straight into the heart of the killing zone.

“Ready your weapons, everypony!” Far Seer boomed. “Fire!”

The first gunner line unleashed their wrath with a chorus of bangs. From just a single volley, hundreds of dragons fell, bodies shredded by high-calibre ammo. One after another, each rank sounded off, firing off with clockwork precision to create a continuous hail of bullets.

The cavaliers seized their moment, bursting from cover to charge the enemy flanks. Galloping almost knee-to-knee in alternating ranks, they lowered their newest weapons, straight from the war-smiths of the Crystal Empire.

Thick, sturdy, and enchanted to be fire-proof, the pikes were the perfect weapons for them, slamming into the enemy lines with stone-shattering force. Undulating their weapons back and forth, they shredded through dragons like the jaws of a giant shark, advancing slowly to squeeze them between paladins and themselves.

The former fought in a loose formation, keeping their enemies at bay with superior martial prowess. Whereas the dragons flung their weapons with wild abandon, they struck with control and precision. Rearing up, Stellar held his enchanted hammer with both hooves, blocking the downward chop of a dragon’s sword.

“My turn!” he shoved the dragon back, leant on his right knee and smashed his hammer into the dragon’s ribcage with a loud, satisfying crunch. Then, catching the hammer in his magic, he flipped it around and slammed it down on the dragon’s skull, splattering bits of bone and brain matter in every direction.

Close by, Solar Flare fought on, dancing between the frenzied onslaught. With his staff gripped between his teeth, he rolled beneath the slash of rusty scimitar. Grunting, he spun around and delivered a powerful buck to the dragon’s face, snapping its jaw clean off. From the corner of his eye, his next opponent charged – shoving its half-broken spear toward his wing.

“You want a piece of me?!” Solar snapped, spitting out his staff and somersaulted over the attack. “Well, how about you take the whole hog instead?”

Sliding his hooves to the bottom of his staff, he swung the weapon around in a tight arc, sweeping the dragon off its feet with force enough to snap its ankles.

“Heads up!” Caramel’s call left little time, but it was enough for Solar to slide under her chakrams, the weapons bisecting several dragons in one spin. No sooner did her weapons return, a dragon pounced from behind, roaring with a mad glee as it abandoned its weapon to swipe at Caramel’s face.

Ivy’s sword put a stop to that. With a sharp thrust of her magic, she skewered the undead on the end of her claymore, creating a one-dragon shish kebab. “And that makes sixty kills,” Ivy said as she flung the dragon off her sword. “What about you?”

In response, Caramel threw her chakrams in a circular ark, a ring of bodies falling dead a moment later. “Sixty-eight,” she grinned. “Now watch your back. We’re not done yet!”