An Aeternian's Conviction

by The Real Darkness

Aeternian Tactics

Author's Note:

Warning:
Gore
Violence
Death

"So, you saw every dragon congregate over there?" Arctus point to a large volcano, magma actively flowed down from it over another rocky terrain on the other side of the woods.

"Yes, there also seems to be a couple that can speak, imagine that," Savus laughed.

"You'll be greatly surprised when I get you back to my home," Arctus smirked, "did you ever pick up any new magic tricks?"

"Ha, never. I only need the two magics I use."

"Have you noticed any kind of hiearchy?" Arctus waved for Savus to follow him and he did, walking through the thin woods.

"They follow an absolute ruler, but it's otherwise anarchy. Some dragon called the Dragonlord."

"Not very intelligent creatures after all," the spear left his back as they walked together.

"So, you ever figure out why we're here?" Arctus posed the question he'd yet to have an answer for.

"That night I arrived, the stars were incredibly bright, I couldn't see anything, nobody could," Savus answered, "I was lucky enough to see them shine brighter and brighter and brighter, then I was here."

"That's explains the white flash I saw outside, I was not under the direct gaze of the Eight when it happened."

"Did you ever find out what it means to be Starborn?"

The Master Scout stopped swiveling his head and looked to the salt and peppered headed veteran, catching his gaze from under his helm, "no, but I'm really close. Somepony named Luna will be assisting me with that endeavor."

"I see...how is that?"

The pair broached the edge of the foliage, the end of the woods and stopped before exiting to keep their stealth, "she can move the moon and stars."

Savus was quiet, "no...that can't be possible. Not even the Eight Heroes could accomplish that, they could only launch stars into the sky."

"I've seen one move the Sun, it's-. It is their natural order."

Savus pointed with his longsword out at the actively running volcano, "there, they congregate there and a dragon more about our size stands at the top," the Sacred Star General pulled something from the rucksack he carried in his left hand.

Arctus took the spyglass from him and peered to the volcano, he did have his own, but Savus was sometimes oblivious to the preparation a Scout does for a task.

He could see a white dragon, similarly structured to Savus' suit of armor, holding a staff and though he couldn't hear it talking.

He could make out the points and movements and the jaw vertically oscillating to tell it was issuing orders.

"Savus, you still know that dagger trick and that godhood magic, right?"

"Of course, those are the two magics I know."

"I'm certain you caught the show I put on that drove them here."

"You mean the winds?" Savus laughed, "that was quite a spectacle. I knew from the moment I saw it that a mage either cast it or you. You were always so specific with the magics you learned."

"It wasn't about how many spells you knew like the mages thought, but rather how you apply them and when. I...I never really developed my mana reserves, so something on that scale here won't be feasible."

Savus took his spyglass back, "I'm gonna go return my bag to my camp. Where are you hiding out on this rock?"

"West side, the rocky cliffs. You'll have to climb down to find the alcove I've taken up temporary lodging at."

"Sometimes I think Scouts just like extra work," he sheathed his longsword, "so, what's your idea?"

He motioned for him to fall back to his campsite and the two left, "this isn't like a previous situation I've come across, nor was I expecting that amount. Is your armor as fire proof as the rumors were?"

"I walked that river of lava, your trainer saw me do it. This old metal will protect me from their breath, but maybe not their claws."

"Their physical ability is far above mine, but you seem like you can match them."

Savus took his helm off, smiling, "I'm just crafty and I can use that force to hang them on my sica."

"My earlier plan was to force them to fall back and protect their children as I made a clear intent that they were my main focus. Some psychological tactics to make them flee and round their children up. As most people come to in those situations, you can't hide behind your doors forever. So they'll send some dragons out in groups to fight the threat and we'll go after any dragons they aren't with the group until then."

"I like where this is going."

"Our key to victory is controlling their numbers, if too many come at us, we're both going to die. We'll meet those searching parties and slay them, it's okay if one flees to alert others as long as we clean them up quick. In that event, they'll send most of the group out and we can sneak to their congregation and check it out from their. If they're stupid enough to send most, we can attack there or I can run a short stealth raid on them."

They reached his campsite and the veteran set his helm and bag onto a log he pulled to his burnt out campfire, "did you have a plan for their leader?"

A giant metal arrow left his back, "tomorrow night, I'll take him out after those search parties are destroyed some."

"You Scouts are something else. I'm betting ten thousand Shimmers that you're gonna miss him," Savus poked.

"You'll be disappointed when you see the head of that dragon rip from its body."

Arctus looked to the moon still rising, "I'll be in my own camp, resting until the sun comes up, then we rendezvous in the rocky field I saw you in earlier. Moreover the plan..."

Savus sighed out, "you have more?"

"Of course, no half measures are ever taken by a Scout who gets into their thirties. After I kill their leader, it will cause an upheaval and they may go into hiding in multiple spots, but we have to kill them all out somehow. I'll be conserving my mana in case we need a shield or something demanding to get out of a situation, so I would very much appreciate your daggers in their hides as a way of climbing for myself."

"Are...are you serious? No man could do-."

"You know I can. I didn't become a Master Scout without the skills to match. Once you sink your daggers in, I'll use them as anchors and step my way up them to fight closer at their vitals. If you can manage to slam them into their eyes, do so. I'll fight in tune with you, so make your judgement calls and I'll act according to those if I'm able to."

"You want me to take the lead in combat?" The General pointed to himself.

"For the most part, yes, I ask that you let me start all engagements and you can join in whenever you see the right moment or feel like getting your sword red."

"Arctus, friend, you're bloody crazy to be even here with the task to destroy all these dragons."

"I should mention. I have a time constraint, this can't go past four months, I have a very important assignment after this."

"Damn, they keep you busy."

"See you tomorrow at daybreak, be ready."

---

Arctus walked across the rocky terrain, looking at the shadow that shimmered under the starlight that barely peeked through the plume of smoke. The Sun was rising up as the two met each other, weapons in handle, gear at the ready.

"I did have some elixirs packed for this task, in case you do end up hurt."

"As much as I'd like to boast," Savus laughed, "I don't think I can. Today will be a hard fought day, just make sure my name gets etched onto the highest tablet."

That'd be a great honor and one he definitely deserved if his name had not already been carved onto the wall that hung over the Sacred Volcano in Aeternia. It'd be an honor closed to Arctus until he found a way back.

He was doubting if he even wished to return. Aeternia had need for him, but Equestria is where he found true purpose.

His heart was still in two places.

"Savus, if you recall, then you know I don't communicate or talk during combat."

"I do, only words you ever let out were for some spells," as the sun floated up above three shadows cast over them, "we've got guests already."

Arctus exhaled and then inhaled. No mana, no magics, nothing unless it is a true emergency. He would be relying on his physical prowess and the greatsword made for him.

"Sacred Stars above, heroes of our lands, commanders of the Volcanoes. I bare my full ability in front of all of you," Savus looked to Arctus in shock, "with the hope that all of you may bless me this day with the full potential of my prowess that I may slay my coming foes."

A prayer, Arctus never really prayed before, he believed in the heroes, but not as Gods. The Master Scout still chose to pray.

And he had never prayed before.

As the dragons spotted the two of them, they began to swoop down and Savus readied himself, spreading his stance, "never thought I'd see the day you prayed to them."

"I didn't think I would either," he set the greatsword onto the rocks, leading the handle against him while he drew his bow and a solid metal arrow.

A light yellow sheen was over the head of the arrow that looked more at home on a ballista, blessed by Celestia. His arms took aim at the first one of the three swooping in.

"For the glory of us and Aeternia!" The two shouted together and the arrow flew with a howl. Wind shrieked as it flew straight toward their first opponent and lanced into the eye of it where Arctus directed it to.

The first dragon fell from the skies, likely in the excruciating pain the Scout left it in. His bow then slept and the slab of steel leaned again found itself in his hands again as the second scaled behemoth landed with black scales shimmering in the sunrise. The third flew over and landed on the other side of the pair, deep blue scales rippling as a claw drew back.

Arctus ran forth to the blue monstrousity, catching the claws with his greatsword. His body flung from the impact. With a flip through the air, he landed on his feet, feeling the shock of the hard ground send a moment of pain through his calves. The Scout pressed on again, sprinting once more. He peeked behind him and saw Savus, standing within a blaze of flame from the black dragon's mouth.

"Ha ha! I am the volcano walker! You can not burn me!" The general taunted and walked in the blaze toward his own combatant.

A claw was sent from above at Arctus and he swiftly dashed to the left and out of the way, his spatha left his sheath and he dug it deep into the scales of the dragon's appendage. The great myth roared in pain and lifted its claw up in pain, Arctus still held to it and yanked his spatha free when he flew through the air.

Toward the head of the dragon itself. His spatha slipped into his sheath, blood having been flung of through the air. Arctus lifted his greatsword back and swung, hacking deep into the snout of the blue tower. Another howl while the sickly metallic scent poured onto Arctus as he fell down the dragon, piercing its stomach with his greatsword to stop his descent.

He heaved himself up a little before yanking the sword down and finishing his descent, landing hard on the rock while the dragon stumbled over from pain and the fresh new injury on its stomach. He peeked to Savus, seeing him wittle in small hits against the black giant he fought with the sica gripped tight.

Arctus went to the head of the groveling dragon and readied his sword, plunging it into his eyes to the hilt before ripping out and draping himself in a garment of war.

The black dragon paused fighting Savus and stared at Arctus who gazed back with his steely eyes.

"Don't be too hard on yourselves...you dared to thrive."

The large dragon had a specific emotion in its eyes and Savus was now looking between the two.

"That came with a price, a promise," he walked toward the trembling dragon, "that I would come," he look to Savus.

"Flip board me."

The beefy general laid his greatsword on his shoulder while Arctus stowed his own away and drew his spatha and Hatchet again. Leaping to the flat of the blade and letting Savus launch him toward the chest of the dragon.

A squelch of flesh sang into Arctus' left ear when his blade drove to the hilt in the dragon. It roared above.

"Hate to rain on your parade, Master Scout, but we have more dragons coming out way!" Savus shouted up at him as he went to approach again, blade held high.

Arctus swung his hatchet in a wide arc, digging the entire blade into the hide of the beast and swiftly began climbing his way up the obsidian flesh until he go to its snout where he ripped a large slit in one with his hatchet, letting him fall down with the dragon before leaping off toward Savus' new skirmish.

Daggers were already impaled on it and Arctus' weapon found home again while he sport climbed his way up a wall of orange scales, gripping daggers and yanking, stomping on them as he went.

Five...five dragons he counted.

Two spells he could perform without their verbal component. The first was fire, a homage to his own nation, and the second was a force amplifier, something typically only learned by those behind seige machines.

To see a wall explode and shatter sending shrapnel for miles after a single trebuchet hit was life altering.

He climbed the dragon, taking his spear and flipping about one the beast's horns, impaling up to the round boot of his spear into the dragon's eyes, striking brain. The orange dragon began to fall back and he peered to the five in the air.

"Savus! Star Launch!" That was a combat tactic used among Aeternian's, an advanced, one that was recorded back from when the dragon's were alive in Aeternia.

"Fuck me," Savus spoke, "I'll try!"

Arctus pulled his spear out and holstered it again before feeling his greatsword in his right hand and summoning the black ball to his left and placing it to the greatsword as he did the day before. The masterly crafted blade soaked the magic up, turning a deathly shade of dark and even black fumes rose from it.

Savus ran below him with his own greatsword, bracing as he sprint to Arctu's falling point and taking up a stance for a horizontal swing.

This wasn't even an Aeternian tactic either of them performed let alone seen or practiced motions of, one that was labeled incredibly dangerous, "guide my blade, make this mission successful," Arctus prayed aloud as he reared his greatsword for a vertical strike and Savus for a horizontal swipe.

Their large weapons clashed at the perfect angle and point, the metal ringing through the entire air, hurting ears, as loud as a volcano's first eruption when it blows its cap. Arctus portrayed a star launched at the sky as he shot with the spell his enchanted on his sword. The rocks below Savus cracked from the force as he stumbled his left foot only once.

"Sweet fucking Stars...he...we," Savus was at a loss of words when another loud boom reverberated and his sword met the face of a dragon flying their way and the head was sliced in two messily, the dragon fell with a head that was barely recognizable as Arctus used the returned force to land on another dragon. and shoved his greatsword into its neck.

"Yeah...this...this is combat!" He drew his bow and one of Celestia's blessed giant arrows, taking aim and sending it through the side of a second dragon's head before putting his bow away and ripping his greatsword out of the neck of the third, riding it as it fell.

He leapt, rolling on the rocks and stumbling until he caught himself, two or so miles away from Savus.

The skirmish went on like this for hours, party after party of dragon flying only to end up decimated until at last, no more came. Arctus and Savus were both panting breath after breath, standing amidst the countless bodies of dragons.

"What I would do for them to see this," Savus began a hearty laugh, blood still dripping off his plate armor.

The Master Scout attempted to wipe red off his forehead but only managed to smear it, "you sustain any injuries?" He looked to Savus.

"Hahaha, no! I imagine you didn't," he looked to his comrade, "ah...so you have. That looks like its a nice memory to take away."

Arctus had already stripped off most of his gear in the warfield and took the canteen of water he had, taking a deep drink from it before splashing it over the wound to clean away most of the blood. A long gash from his chest down to the bottom of his left ribs, the muscles flexed underneath as he moved.

"Now that I see it, that looks painful."

He handed him some thick sutures and a large fishing hook that he quickly heated the tip of with a conjured flame, "Savus, stitch me up."

"R-right here? You Scouts are crazy enough to immediately mend yourself in the field of war?" He took off his gauntlets and grabbed the hook, "hold still, this is gonna hurt for a long while."

Arctus reached into the same pouch that held his water and fetched a smaller bottle of a clear liquid, splashing the whole entirety of the much more minimal bottle over the wound, clenching his teeth at the sting.

"Good, mostly sterile now," and he got to work.

Arctus did not respond to any of the pain as he hooked through his skin over and over, stitching his flesh back together and as tight as he could. Forty long minutes passed as Savus worked. First aid was a skill every soldier became adept at before they were ever allowed on the battlefields.

"Your sica, please," Arctus requested as he finished.

Savus drew it and held it out while the Scout heated the tip blade to a red hot metal, "cauterize."

And Savus placed the hot blade to his skin, slowly sliding over it as he further sealed the wound up, a lot of scar tissue woul be left.

The patient shrieked in pain, hyperventilating as Savus went while he stood still, "this is the one pain....nobody can tolerate!" He grit his teeth and in twenty minutes he finished.

Savus chilled the blade using his own canteen before stowing it back away, "I'm actually glad I'm not one of you..."

"I didn't even feel the claw that ripped me open," Arctus commented, "I'll live just fine, but when I get back home...don't mention this new injury," he explained in worry that Celestia would possibly prevent him from going on further assignments.

"You say that as if you found a wife," Savus laughed.

"Let's...let's go back to your camp and eat whatever cooked food we have left, boil more water from the spring there."

Comments

[f0st3r21]

I hope Smolder and Ember will be okay.

Seems like MC is going to get it done!