The following five hours after High Rise abandoned the mercenaries, and Mordane went berserk, was perhaps the most productive time since the mercenary band’s arrival.  A confident atmosphere had settled over the fortress and Mordane noted a distinct lack of deserters. The final repairs were made and further plans were being discussed . They would try to hold the outer wall as long as possible, before falling back to the secondary, and then finally to the inner sanctum.

Mordane worked hard as well. The magical enchantments might’ve been severely damaged, but Mordane found that they still retained a bit of the original spell’s power. With a lot of effort and time, he shuffled together a few spell matrices and made a functional shield. Loud cheers filled the fortress when the shield finally went up.

Mordane had to be choosy with what he protected against though; with their limited number of unicorns, the shield would have to be focused on magical deflection. Physical attacks would pass right through, but those he could deal with. A couple good shots of siege magic, however, would spell doom to his position. This would also unfortunately prevent his unicorns from launching their own magical attacks beyond the shield, and it did nothing to prevent the enemy from simply walking through and THEN blasting him, but at least he would last long enough for them to get that close.

Careful examination of the battlefield caused Mordane to realize that the main focus of the battle would be at the source of the enchantment, which was located in the central tower of the second wall.

The first sight Mordane caught of the enemy army was a few pegasi darting in. Soon after, a division appeared on the road.

They moved their soldiers in just beyond bow range. Marching scouts quickly ran through the woods to confirm that there was no ambush waiting for them.

Mordane took note of their uniform armor and the discipline that was maintained throughout the ranks. He could see captains spread around the enemy force, giving orders and keeping the ponies in line. Soon though he focused on a large golden armored pegasus coming down the road, surrounded by what appeared to be elite soldiers.

That must be their commander.

He could almost feel the stallion glaring at the fortifications. Then he turned to his aid and barked a few orders which were quickly resounded across the field.

"Form skirmishing lines. Raise the siege equipment."

Armored ponies spread out in a parabola just outside of trebuchet range. Mordane noted that there was no firing of bows or any sign of a pony unsure of what to do.

Over the next few hours Mordane watched in fascination as they cut down trees and raised tents. Rows of recruit tents sprung up effortlessly in their wake. Pits for waste disposal were dug and siege equipment started up, the design of which was of particular interest to Mordane. As the last rays of light began to fade to dark, Boulder spoke up.

“Those aren't trebuchets." Boulder grinned. "They look more like catapults."

"Not as effective for assaulting a structure like this," Mordane commented. "Could buy us more time. Has the gate been reinforced?"

"Aye. With stout trees and stone. It won't fall easily."

"Hmm...I believe they are without the range of our trebuchets, wouldn't you agree, Boulder? I mean look at them, those tents seem mighty flammable."

His friend grinned.

"Indeed I would." Turning, Boulder yelled down at the seven trebuchets. "Load hot shots!"

Twisted twigs and cloth smothered in oil were loaded slowly into the trebuchets before being set alight. Raising his hoof, Mordane waited only a moment before letting his hoof drop forward.

Dozens of the flaming spheres flew over their heads and into the startled enemy ranks. Almost immediately the cotton white tents came alight.

The mercenaries cheered as panic nearly took the enemy ranks, watching as the flames spread. However, their discipline prevented it from getting as bad as Mordane would’ve hoped. Tents were quickly pushed away from the ones already ablaze.

The entire time the trebuchets kept firing stones weighing perhaps a hundred kilograms. Mordane mentally berated himself as he saw the jagged stones simply impact instead of rolling.

Boulder on the other hoof looked on with an odd sense of pride. Perhaps his knowledge would lead to a grand victory this day.

The enemy general watched the flying stones with surprise. The weight and distance they flew was far more than he would’ve thought possible for mercenary siege weapons. Assuming they must have had magical assistance, he considered for a moment before yelling out orders.

“What are they doing?” Boulder asked in surprise.

“I’m not sure.”

The enemy front had fallen back out of the trebuchet range but a secondary force much lighter in armor was getting into formation.

Suddenly, a series of barriers were constructed and the enemy marched out with force. Flocks of pegasi flew up into the sky to prepare a storm before diverting.

“They must have realized we are too deep in for a magical assault… SOLDIERS, PREPARE BOWS!” Mordane’s order resounded through the keep. With the mercenaries lack of discipline a few let loose some arrows only to have them pointlessly impact in front of their foe.

Boulder and Stalker groaned as Mordane snarled.

“Hold fire, you fools! Wait for my order!”

So they waited for two minutes as the foes advanced into bow range.

They never talk about this... these lulls in the battle. I guess saying that soldiers gloriously standing around looking at each other is not so good for songs.

“Fire arrows!”

Seven hundred arrows let loose and arced across the field. As the arrows reached their arch Mordane yelled again.

“Prepare to fire!”

The arrows impacts caused ripples to cascade over the shield, causing cracks that shattered the barriers.

The enemy drew back their bows and prepared to fire.

“Fire!” Mordane shouted. “Take cover!”

The enemy ranks fired. Arrows crossed each other in the air passing unhindered through the barrier. Screams of agony rang out from both sides. Mordane heard three of them from within the fortress. Popping his head up, Mordane saw the enemy line already falling back out of range, leaving dozens of dead behind.

“Damn...” Mordane cursed.

“What? We killed many of them, it was a good exchange,” Stalker said, crouching to his right.

“While allowing them to recover their supplies and reorganize. That was a perfect defence of our surprise attack.” Mordane resisted the urge to grind his teeth in frustration as the glared out from between the stones.

Standing up, Mordane flashed on a huge smile before yelling. “We showed them what we can do, ponies!”

The mercenaries cheered as their confidence was bolstered for the upcoming battle. Mordane resisted the urge to groan as a few ponies fired arrows which impacted uselessly against the ground. They really were little better than rabble.

__________________________________________________

A few hours later Mordane, Boulder and Stalker still found themselves sitting in the same place atop the wall. The enemy forces mulled about just beyond trebuchet range. Even if they weren’t, Mordane was down to four of the wooden siege weapons as the fifth crew had been wiped out. They had to rip that one apart to repair the others.

The fallen was being removed from both sides, even as Mordane watched the enemy camp reassemble. Their siege equipment was well on its way, and Mordane watched his soldiers grow nervous as they neared completion. Troops had finally stopped pouring in only a few minutes before.

He could really get a feel for the forces being brought to bear on them.

And it was daunting.

Rough guesses were: One thousand five hundred heavy infantry, four hundred light or fast infantry. Perhaps twenty battle unicorns, six hundred flyers and about four hundred support staff. Their number of seven hundred seemed to be much less significant but not impossible odds considering their defence.

“What do you think they are planning?” Stalker asked Mordane as he stretched and waited.

“From what I can tell, they are planning a frontal assault, but considering the casualties we could inflict I doubt that would--”

“Sir, look!” shouted an earth pony mercenary.

Out on the field the golden armored pegasi, a unicorn, and two earth ponies proceeded out in a diamond formation. Both earth ponies were carrying white flags. “Is that…? ALL PONIES HOLD FIRE!”

His order was quickly echoed through the army causing those close to him to clamp their hooves over their ears.

Mordane spread his wings and exchanged nods with his friends. Proceeding carefully, Mordane lightly pinched his friend’s clothing and took to the air. They floated down to the waiting delegation each glaring with uncompromising certainty.

They met among the impact zone as Mordane cast a simple shimmering shield. The golden armored enemy stood relaxed with a pleasant smile. A bright yellow mane and black eyes contrasted well with his blue coat. The only thing that seemed to pop out at him though, was his age.

He’s must be near my physical age…

“I am commander Ice Wing the undefeated, of the first division of the Republic of Irona. You may now surrender unconditionally.”

The forwardness of the commander impressed Mordane. His request however was out of the question.

“I think not. We will make our stand here and like the waves you will break against our rocks.”

Ice Wing did not react at first, his cold mask barely twitched. Mordane spent a moment trying to get a read on the Irona commander.

Brutal, loyal, efficient. No viable pressure points. 

“Surely you do not think you can win alone. Perhaps,” he looked at Mordane and raised a questioning eyebrow, “you think that reinforcements are coming?”

“That leap of logic is impressive Ice Wing, but you are wrong. We will hold with our strength alone.”

“Our forces are motivated by your crimes against our republic.” Ice Wing’s face did not so much as twitch during either of their statements.

“Crimes? We were hired by the Cabistien forces-”

“To build a bridge. Yes, I am aware. Did they order you to have your way with the locals? To take their gold? To enslave the local population as your workforce?”

Mordane swallowed.

“Necessary to accomplish our mission.”

Ice Wing frowned.

“Necessary to rape? Murder?”

Mordane sneered.

“The ponies that did such things were punished. Nothing more can be asked of a commander. I attacked those villages for the supplies we would need. We left enough for their survival. Murder, as you call it, is a necessary to the application of war. A war that Cabistien intends to win!”

Ice Wing sighed and shifted his weight before rubbing his forehead. His smile lessening only for a moment before returning to its pleasant state.

“Cabistien signed a peace treaty with Irona not three days ago.” He looked Mordane directly in the eye. “The conditions of the treaty were that we would first be paid in gold. Then they would deliver you unto our waiting hooves.”

Mordane did not blink nor react to the news. Instead he stood there in silence trying to absorb this new information. It was certainly possible.

This was the place they had chosen. The real question is if he is lying. Well he did seem to only now come to the conclusion that we are awaiting reinforcements. It’s obvious. He must be lying.

“I don’t think we will need them. Plus," Mordane stretched his legs and legs, “my ponies are tired of walking. We have plenty of food, place to rest out of the rain. I think we will stay here awhile.”

Ice Wing’s pleasant smile shifted to a frown. His eyes flashed with a hint of malice as his voice took on a cruel slur.

“I’m sorry to hear that. You understand that once this begins - truly begins - restraining the righteous anger of my soldiers would be near impossible. Even in their well-trained state.”

Boulder and Stalker exchanged quick glances with fear in their eyes.

“Your soldiers are a collection of thugs and ingrates.” He continued as his tone of disdain turned to a sneer. “Sickly from improper food. Rowdy from a lack of discipline. They will fall like so much grain before the scythe.”

“Come then, if your soldiers’ lives have such little count. My ponies have been trained by battle. We have plenty of food and water. Most importantly though we are on the defensive in a superior position. I think we are done here.” Mordane turned again and picked up his comrades before taking to the air.

“Don’t be a fool," Ice Wing snarled. "You can’t win this battle. It will be a slaughter!”

Mordane ignored him and flew up to the wall. Shortly afterward Ice Wing moved back to the Irona lines.

“They will attack,“ Mordane said as they landed.

“You can’t ignore what was just said,” Boulder cut in.

“I’m not. It’s obvious that Cabistien has underestimated this commander. He is trying to force our surrender before our reinforcements arrive. It does not make sense for Cabistien to fold so easily.”

Mordane glanced out over the fields to the enemy. The shadow of the mountain darkened the rest of the world as the sun hid behind it; the day neared its end.

“They will attack with first light when the sun is set on our eyes. The shield will need modification to block some of that light.”

“One of the other unicorns can make the changes needed.” Stalker chuckled as he jumped up onto the wall edge and began walking. “You get some sleep.”

Mordane nodded and moved toward a guard barrack on the second wall, leaving Boulder behind to maintain the troops.

_____________________________________

*Sip* “Hmmm, quite delectable.”

Hot, slight grain fell on the edge of his tongue with a taste mixed with a renewed vigor as he became aware of a nose that twitched only slightly at the aroma of coffee being drawn into it. His inner neck vibrated with a hum on his part, which ended in a grin at his good friend next to him.

“I know, right? Twilight always says Joe’s coffee has the strongest kick in Equestria. Pounds the beans with his bare hooves in the back if you can believe it.” No, his best friend, Spike... Why, he had no other friends? Was he too pushy? Not pushy enough? Huh. He should ask Twilight, she always knows the right answer. To everything.

“Oh, I believe it.” Mordane laughed, snorting. Snickering even more as he accidentally spilled some of the drink onto his coat. He didn’t pay it any mind.

Spike was having none of that and cleaned his dirty tux with amazing skill. It made Mordane grin, it felt weird to be helped so smoothly. In normal circumstances he wouldn’t have allowed it, but there was nothing normal of these circumstances.

“So, you ready, man?” Spike asked through a wide and absentminded grin. What was it about grins? Why did he not grin before? Grins were great. He should ask Twilight. Yeah. She knows the right answer.

To everything.

Mordane returned with the smile. Yes this smile was good. He enjoyed it.

“Of course! But... Well, I better make sure it's all in order. Got the check list they gave you?”

“Yep! Right here!” Spike said, reading the paper and pen. “Suit?”

Mordane was wearing a one piece suit. Its silky cloth fitting perfectly to his form. Almost hugging, gripping, no… clinging to it.

“Check.”

“Vows?” Spike asked.

“Right here!” Mordane grinned, picking the letter off of the table; flipping it wildly back and forth. Such reasonable things, after all she was the best mare in Equestria! No other could compare. “I’ve memorized them already.”

“Good, now... Chains?”

Mordane rolled his eyes and turned his lips to smirk. The large, cumbersome and enchanted iron ball was clamped tightly to his back hoof. There was no way he was going to lose that! Honestly he thought he should give it a name... Ponies had pets right?

“Check.”

“Alright,” Spike said, checking off the last item before scratching his chin. “Hmm, I can’t help but feel that we are forgetting something—Oh!” He ran around to Mordane’s stinging back. His worried look becoming a grin again as he saw how barely noticeable the wounds were…

“Are your bandages okay?”

“Freshly applied. Boy, that fight really took them wings right off, huh. I almost got aw—”

A wave of sickness washed over as his color, sending electrical pulses along his spine. No. Of course not. He must be mistaken. Why would he ever leave? He liked it here. No, he loved it here. The current subsided leaving him to look at a chastising Spike.

“Now, Mordane, you know not to think of such things. Now, say it with me.”

“Everything is great. Everything is fine. I’m glad to be here,” they said in unison, both grinning from ear to ear.

“I think that's it!” Spike squeed. “You’re the luckiest stallion in the world, you know that?”

Mordane agreed wholeheartedly. Grinning he walked down the hallway to the throne room, dragging his ball and chain with him. Leaving only a little blood dripping behind.

Stone face guards lined the hallway. As he walked down they all seemed to turn their heads and grin at him. Of course they would grin back. After all everything is great. Everything is fine. At the end of the corridor he came upon two grand doors which swung open, as if of his very presence. All of Ponyville was there, waiting for him. Everypony from his hometown was there as well…

The weather would be cold on their return. He hoped they had a chance to pull in the crops before being brought—coming here. From their glares, though, he suspected not.

And then there was his parents... They looked somehow older, frailer... Bruised in some places and bloodied, but still standing tall. Wearing that cozy grin, which made him grin back.

Everything is great. Everything is fine.

He walked up to the dais. With Princess Luna proceeding. Her glare cutting deep into him.

“Does the newlywed have anything to say before we commence?”

“No, thank you. Everything is great. Everything is fine. I’m glad to be here.”

“Good,” whispered a voice that sent shivers up his spine.

Turning to the left he saw her. He saw his bride grinning. Grinning like all the rest yet unlike them as well. Her eyes boring into him. Her bone white coat reflecting the small nubs coming out of his back where his wings used to be.

He saw Celestia.

And he grinned, screaming as he had been doing since the beginning.

Always screaming.

__________________________________________________

Mordane awoke with a cry of fear, his screaming echoing off the unbroken walls. Covered in sweat, he took haggard breaths and tried to calm down with the relaxation technique that Twilight had taught him years ago. His wings were stiff and a headache like a power-drill into his skull was making him moan in disdain.

He panted heavily in his sweat soaked bed, before nearly hitting his head on the roof as another scream rang out from down the hallway.

Taking to the air, Mordane flew out onto the inner wall then to the outer one. Much to his surprise there was only the night watch, looking concerned and unsure back at the keep.

“Stay at your posts!” he bellowed before, hearing another scream coming from the inner sanctum.

From what he could tell it was near midnight. The hollering did not sound pained however just… afraid.

He arrived at the inner sanctum, where most ponies were sleeping as the hollers got worse. Throughout the corridors, soldiers laid in their beds shivering and sweating before jumping up. Boulder was already awake trying to calm the more frantic ones. His own eyes showing a tired and slightly agitated awakening.

An exchange of nods told Mordane all he needed to know. He could feel the panic setting in twisting at their very core. If this continued, they would break. Gritting his teeth Mordane swallowed his own fear and panic. It wouldn’t last long, so he had to make it quick.

Moving off to search for Stalker, Mordane walked calmly through the corridors. His fellow mercenaries seemed to calm down somewhat as he walked nonchalantly between them, giving glares and stoic stares which calmed the soldiers. It was necessary.

Soon though, Mordane encountered Stalker.

The door was covered in thin wires and beyond them lay a dark room with only two unblinking eyes staring out into the lit corridor. Mordane had no doubt that if his friend was in there then the razor wires would be only the first deterrent in a line of deadly traps designed for unwanted guests.

“Stalker? Is that you?”

No response. The eyes refused to even blink at his question.

Mordane did not know what was in there, but he would not go in blind. With a moment of focus he reached out to feel the room with his mind. Instead though all he found was a blank void of nothing.

Stalker must be blocking me somehow. Damn him for not teaching me faster.

He would have to go in the old fashion way. First casting a light spell, he illuminated the bare room with his friends scrunched up in the corner on a pallet.

Mordane gulped looking the room literally filled with wires. Mordane had no idea how to disarm traps except by setting it off…

Charging his horn, Mordane materialized a shield around Stalker then sent a blast of wind to set off all the traps.

*Twang*twang*snap*ping*slam*bash*bang*BOOM!*

The wall behind him cracked and fell over showing the end of a log sticking out. Mordane stepped into the room carefully and dispelled his shield. Wires were snapped, strewn throughout the room leaving cuts in the stone where they had struck. Knives embedded in the walls slowly fell out of the grainy indents they had made. In the center of the room lay a giant sledgehammer in the cracked flooring that it had left behind.

Stalker still sat in the corner, his eyes unblinking.

“I'm coming over, Stalker. Just stay there.” Carefully, he moved into the room stepping between the broken wires and shards of stone.

Stepping closer, he allowed himself to relax as it seemed he had gotten all the traps.

*Snap*

Before Mordane knew what was happening he was hanging upside down. Pain throbbing in his side as a rod had impacted his thigh. With a grunt he grabbed the rope around his rear hoof and began to untie it.

*Twang*

Mordane swung left to right in front of Stalker grinding his teeth in the giant cocoon of ropes that had formed around him. So close that he could not even burn them away for fear of being hurt. With as much patience as he could muster, Mordane tried to reach his friend.

“Stalker.”

"...” The earth pony did not respond.

“Stalker, I’m stuck.” A little worry worked its way into his voice

"...”

“Stalker, help me. These ropes are too tight.”

"...” Not so much as a twitch. Mordane had enough.

“The rope is starting to ride up my ass. SNAP OUT OF IT!”

“They're coming to get me,” Stalker whispered. “They will find me here.”

Mordane paused to reevaluate his situation before speaking again. He knew what Stalker needed to hear.

“It’s okay, Stalker. I won’t let them take you.”

“You can’t stop them,” he whispered, turning his eyes to focus on the hanging Mordane.

“I can, Stalker. However many there are, however far their power. You are my friend and I will protect you." Mordane's gave a small smile "What kind of man would I be if I couldn't even do that?”

“You don’t know how it is. What they are--”

“Then teach me. You know I get things done when I know what is going on. Right?” Mordane’s tone changed to a jokingly manner since the blood going to his head was starting to make him dizzy.

But Stalker didn’t move. His eyes stuck on the floor. He was Shivering. Mordane didn’t have the simples clue to whatever thing Stalker was talking about. He knew one thing though,

Mordane was going to say something else, whatever he needed to do, to make his friend feel better.

He racked his mind trying to think of something, anything to help his friend.

Luckily though he didn’t have to. Stalker’s eyes lifted from the floor and looked at the Mordane cocoon with analytic eyes.

His lip twitched into a smile for a fraction of a second, Mordane marked that up as a victory.

“You always did take on too much,” Stalker said, slowly breaking into a crooked grin. “So uh… Hangin around?”

“Oh, I just thought I’d drop in.” Mordane smirked. “Now could you let me down?”

“Sure.” Stalker pulled a knife out of his mane and threw it out of Mordane’s vision.

The tension holding him up suddenly gave way as he found himself on top of Stalker’s mat in a pile of ropes.

“You know I always liked to think I’d have you with ropes in bed,” Stalker said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"...I bucking hate you.”

“I suspect that if that was true. You would not have come to find me,” Stalker said, getting up to shake himself off. “That dream was rather… intense.”

Mordane struggled in place as Stalker began to cut the ropes off of him.

“You’re an idiot for coming in here.”

“Well, we do idiotic things. I suspect you will try something similar before our interactions are over.”

“Of no doubt.”

Mordane got to his hooves and shook himself. His mane was disheveled and in need of a good cleaning. Echoes of screams still rang through the keep but were slowing down considerably.

“What is going on?” Stalker said with a raised eyebrow.

“Ponies are having nightmares. If ours were any indication, they are very bad.”

Stalker’s eyes grew wide as he looked around at the suddenly more menacing walls.

“You don’t think the curse is true do you?” he said with the barest hint of fear.

“Curses don’t exist-.”Mordane stopped and remembered who he had heard that from. Twilight might have thought it was true... but was it? “--well, aren't suppose to exist.”

Stalker raised an eyebrow before snorting and grinning.

“Well, what do we do about this curse?”

Mordane started walking toward the door and down the hallway, motioning for Stalker to follow.

“Not much we can do... I have no idea what the nature of this magic is.”

Stalker scratched his chin as they passed another room where ponies were already returning to sleep.

“Well... this is the fortress of The Lunar Princess. It was said that she attacked enemies by using nightmares.”

“That makes a lot of sense. Luna is the guardian of dreams. If she can take away nightmares, who's to say she cannot make them. She may have left an impression here or something like that. Either way I know nothing about dream magic... or even if there is a thing called dream magic.”

“That's fine, but what do we do about it?” Stalker asked while his gaze darted around the hallway. ”With the nightmares our ponies will be less able to fight. We could all die.”

Mordane snorted and gave a grin

“What do you find funny about that?” Stalker growled and frowned.

"...I don’t know,” Mordane said, puzzled. “I suppose it could be the idea of us being defeated by dreams.” He laughed.

Stalker hesitantly laughed as well his brow furrowed up though as they reached the exit to the inner wall.

“The enemy siege weapons will be done soon,” Mordane said suddenly. “I’ll have to work with the other unicorns and dial back the shield. We will just put it over the top of the wall. An added benefit is that we will be able to fire out of it now.”

“Won’t that mean the wall will take the brunt of the attack? I do not know how long it will last…”

“I would guess about a day and a half. It’s rather thin honestly. The second wall should last about two days. By then our reinforcements should have arrived.” Mordane stared out at the bustling ponies his face unreadable. Stalker however could detect a crack in his defences.

“If you asked me, I would call that presumptuous... Mordane, isn’t the point of fighting surprise?”

“At the core, yes.” Mordane nodded. “Doing the unexpected is the first thing you must think about.”

They crossed the second wall and were now on the crosswall to the third. Stalker did not speak for a bit before pointing in the direction of the Irona forces.

“What do they expect you to do?” he said suddenly.

Mordane stopped walking and rubbed his chin. He moved to the side of the walkway and looked down into the first courtyard.

“I image that I’ll negotiate for my forces surrender. Bargaining for my own freedom or something. That or I will fight.”

“And how is what we are doing different from what they expect?”

"...That doesn’t apply here,” he said solidly. “You can’t just apply a principle to every situation. There has to be exceptions.”

“If there are exceptions then it’s not a principle. What was it you called this place? Dying ground? I get it. I really do. You think that our forces will fight harder here. That they will be like some cornered animal. I just don’t see that happening.” Stalker jerked Mordane’s shoulders to face him as he looked him in the eyes. ”We will die here, Mordane. Tomorrow the Irona pegasi knights will fly through that big hole above the shield and surround us in our own fortress. This place cannot be held. We must do the unexpected. We must attack and punch our way through their lines.”

Mordane started to shake his head and tell him about the casualties but Stalker grabbed his jaw and held him still.

“This fight can’t be won! Stop being a fool and listen to me!”

Mordane pushed Stalker away before standing up straight. Anger flashed through his eyes.

“No situation is unwinnable, Stalker. I will save them and then we will all be rich. I understand that you’re scared, but you need to trust me. The ponies will need encouragement. Thank you for your input.”

Mordane took to the air and floated down to the trebuchets, leaving Stalker to grind his teeth. Before leaving, Stalker spat on the ground. Muttering curses, he ran away.

The rest of the night was uneventful as most ponies opted to not sleep the last few hours to daylight. Boulder had been able to quell any major disturbance before it got out of hoof.

Thus their second day at the castle of nightmare moon ended.

One hour before first light the Irona catapults opened fire.

_______________________________

*Thrwp* Thud*

Ripples cascaded through the blue walls as peltings of stones impacted its surface. Larger pieces of rubble were being aimed directly at the now wide opening just right of the central tower. They impacted with thunderous power; one hitting about every minute. Amazing power, but frequency put to shame by the other catapults launching pelting stones, smacking the still up walls of the shield with no sign of letting up.

Beads of sweat were pouring down a unicorn’s face as he slumped away from the spell matrix and fell into a waiting cot. Another came up to take his place. Relatively little skill went into the process and the enchantment structure was strong enough to be maintained by three unicorns, even if it was at a greatly reduced level because of the damage. Despite this the eight unicorns in the army would be able to hold off the twenty or so unicorns in the Irona forces trying to make their jobs a living torture.

________________________________________________

Arrows, and pallets of stone, rushed over the outer wall from both directions, the Irona forces prattled across the line, standing strong. Ice Wing kept his composure far back behind this very line, glaring at the wall.

His assistant, Iron Quill, was motioning toward the map and fortress before them. Its size had stunned him. Such a magnificent fortress was abandoned so readily? It boggled his well disciplined military mind. Why had this place been left abandoned after all these years?

The answer had become obvious after speaking to his unicorn captain and further examining the structure. The place had a major design flaw against air attacks, or at least, it was flawed now. From what his unicorn captain had told him the place bore residue of a massively powerful enchantment, that drew power from some source deep in the mountain, either magma or a river, and made up the shield that appear to laugh at his displeasure.

The structure’s unconventional positioning was designed to assist that shield which was a five point pentagon structure. Each corner tower would act as an amplifier to the central spell matrix. If it had been at full power then the place could withstand the entire Irona army and never give a sign of cracking; however, time and some great force unknown had damaged the structure. Anti-teleportation, illusions, and such magic it was still protected against, but the physical shield had been compromised.

His conclusion was that the shield the mercenaries were using was a spell piggybacking on that old system. It would give their shield a much higher defence than normal.It wouldn't be anything like if the system were fully functional, but it would provide a greater defence than typical standalone shielding

Ice Wing glanced up and the fortress, again. To his magically enchanted right eye, tendrils of power and hazes hung over the fortress. The rune hidden under his fur itched and burned with the amount of power going around. A small price to pay for the ability to see different kinds of spells being used with a glance. It had given him a great secret advantage as he climbed the ranks. All for the glory of Irona of course.        

The tattooed rune had been a gift from his brother, Iron Wing. The very same that had sent him here, to fight a corralled and supposedly weakened army of mercenaries. How smug he would get once this whole ordeal was finished. But of course, he had to finish it first.

And as such, he was now observing the space that was clear above the shield. It was obvious what he had to do. Any decent commander would see it. Send the pegasi over the enemy forces to take the second wall. Then have a special team target the front gate tower. Have it all end.

So why did he have this, nagging feeling; a need to hesitate?

“Swift Wing.” His own voice went unheard by his cousin, another pegasus, who had yet to cease babbling to him. He had listened of course, somewhat, but he always had more important things to think about. “Thank you for your efficient and expedient report. The quality is what I have come to expect of your service.”

“Thank you, sir. What is your command?”

“Prepare the fourth, through sixth, wing divisions. I want you to take them over the wall and open the front gate. This has to end.” He only paused a moment. Just a fraction of a second longer than he normally would have. Just a twitch above the eye.

Stop being so afraid. Commanders only see fear in death, after death.

There had been plenty of rumors passed on to him by his command, going around about this pony named Mordane. Words of necromancy and slavery. Sure him having wings was something to raise an eyebrow, but overall his soldiers just made light of the claims.

That all stopped after last night’s screams of pain.

Soon there were whispers of dark rituals and evil magic. Huddled in fear as they wondered about what poor soul he had stripped the wings from. Unicorns claimed it had to be from a twin with how well they matched to his body’s fur. The worst one yet, was that he had changed the feather color and stitched it on perfectly was too far to even believe.

Some were wondering if he could even be killed.

Those rumors, the screams, they did not scare Ice Wing. Not after growing up in the Irona nobility. Their lives were traded for votes and names. Honor was the price of election.

His older brother was a rising star in the Irona Senate. Ice Wing’s command was a feather in his cap that would help to push him to the renowned counselor position.

Iron Wing was a... demanding head of the household. Always pushing for the greater glory of the Wing family, for himself of course.

He loved his brother despite the harsh words and cruelty hoofed down in his unending pursuit of power. It was right of him to push... to make him strive.

So why did he hesitate?

Ice Wing watched as the stones continued to drain the enemy shield and the pegasi knights hovered into formation.

“Sir? Your orders?”

“Those eyes,” Ice Wing whispered.

“Sir?” his captain asked.

Ice Wing had lived long enough among the conniving elite to recognize patterns from the seemly case of the world. He was used to seeing what ponies were from the inside, at least more than others, from the first glance into their eyes.

But those eyes.

They reminded him of his brother’s, but... different. Less blind by ambition, more certain, older... colder. No... it had nothing to do with his brother, no, it was the same look that his grandfather used to wear. Like an old man looking down on a child playing at the game that was life while he directed it, the child trying to cheat, playing tricks new to him, but for the old man, they were as plain as winter. Without the child ever knowing he ruled the game from the beginning.

He was not going to be the child.

“Your orders are to take the central tower and destroy the magical matrix. If the opportunity presents itself open the main gate. Move into position and wait for my signal.” He turned to his line pony captain. “Prepare to charge the wall and deploy ramps. When that barrier goes down I want you to push them off that wall.”

“Yes, sir!”

Ice Wing waited in anticipation until his forces were in line. Trying to think what that look of Mordane’s meant other than his own thoughts which could drive a stallion to paranoia. What victory could be drawn from such a position? Soon however, his ponies were in position and his captains gave the order to attack.

Trumpets blared and earth ponies roared as they charged the fortresses walls. Their armor glinting at the morning sun stood at their backs. The echoes of pain filled cries became mixed in as the soldiers exited the protection of the shields.

Ice Wing waited until more pony heads started to poke up in greater numbers before signaling for the pegasi to dive.

As his soldiers descended over the wall without losing a pony or coming under attack Ice Wing grinned. Perhaps, he had been too worried.

Then right before his eyes the attack was swept away. Jagged shards of ice flew straight at the pegasi, ripping into their wings and faces, blocking their vision. Immediately following was a storm of arrows fired at point blank range

Almost two hundred Irona knight were dead in an instant as the sharp pointed arrows and ice shards ripped into them. Loud metallic crashes rang out as his soldiers fell out of the sky and impacted something outside of his view.

That angle... It was from above the ground level. Is there an inner wall?

Quickly Ice Wing realized his mistake. Mordane had known of the fortress’s weakness and counted on it, using the wide opening as a trap that he had fallen for.

In his mind’s eye Ice Wing once again saw those two eyes and remembered that calm, assured voice.

“Sir! We must fall back. Sir!”

“No!” Ice Wing hissed at his lieutenant. “That’s exactly what he expects.”

“Sir, our forces are being slaughte-”

“Move the reserve unicorns onto the chariots. Tell the rest of the pegasi knight to suit up. Move our reserve ground forces to the wall,” Ice Wing snapped.

“But, sir. We are at a disadvantage. The enemy has the high ground! Our soldiers will die in mass!”

“I know.” Ice Wing looked down at his shaking hooves. “I know, but this Mordane… He has my tune. He sees my flow. If I give him wiggle room then he will breath and push against me.”

“Sir, I don't understand,” the captain said through a pained look. “He is just a mercenary.”

“Mordane may be a better general then I but this victory will still be mine. Even if it’s on a foundation of blood. Now obey my orders.” He pushed the captain aside and yelled, “We take no prisoners!”

The Irona cheered and moved to obey.

Ice Wing watched for a moment before moving off to one of the sub captains preparing to leave.

“I have a special mission for you.”

___________________________________________

Mordane let himself grin as his men pushed the bodies of the Irona pegasi into a corner. Their arrow riddled bodies having impacted the wall with a sickening chorus of thuds.

That should buy us a few days before that Ice Wing character tries to rush us.

Mordane had thought of various things of what the enemies could make for themselves to give themselves advantages in battle, and he made plans for each possible counter strategy to each.

However the mind is a tricky thing. Sometimes the most obvious implication of something new just slipped by unnoticed. No matter how great one is he cannot consider everything.

“Chariots!” roared Boulder from atop the second wall. “Irona is preparing flying chariots!”

The words did not register at first with Mordane, as his body ran on autopilot up the stairs to the top of the wall.

Once there, he looked out over the outer wall.

At least twice as many pegasi knights as before were moving into formation. What caught his attention though were the ten chariots carrying unicorns.

“Damn!” was all he got to think before all hell broke loose.

Beams of light and lighting swiped across his archers causing them to duck for cover. At the same time the force of over six hundred pegasi descended.

“Get up! Get up and fire, you fools!” Mordane yelled at his troops. Dozens jumped up at a time and let off arrows, causing the spread to be sparse and easily dodged.

“Draw melee weapons!” Mordane yelled as he flung stones at the coming enemy. Earth ponies along the wall dropped their bows and grabbed for their swords, spears and axes. Only to just get prepared as the enemy hit.

“For Irona!” “Kill these bastards!”

Mordane dodged an incoming mare who came right at him, before blasting her with a magic bolt. Boulder and Stalker made it to him a few moments later. Stalker had a long gash down his left side and a slightly swollen eye, while Boulder’s hooves were covered in blood.

"You two protect me, I'm going to take on those chariots."

They nodded and Mordane turned his attention to the ten chariots now hovering over the central courtyard and wreaking havoc. He looked carefully before noticing something. The unicorns barely moved to deflect magical attacks but the arrows were dodged.

Their one layer of defence must be oriented toward magical attacks. If I use physical matter… Too far up to throw stones, not enough moisture in the air after my last couple of spells, pegasi guarding them, so what does that leave me with?

Mordane felt a warm liquid begin to pool under his hooves. Looking down showed an Irona captain trying desperately to keep his blood from streaming out of his neck before ceasing his struggles forever.

Blood... blood is basically water. How do I use it though? Their shields will protect against any magic directed at them. I could direct the spell at the blood but how to use that to hurt them...

Mordane inhaled deeply and focused for a moment before casting a simple enchantment on the blood at his feet. Turing he opened the floodgates of his war magic. The small pools and rivers of blood began to coalesce. Soon it began to rise around him, forming columns that slowly condensed into black. The blood still came, being pulled straight from cuts and wounds as soon as the latent magic dissipated. The columns trembled in place as Mordane strained against the odd material, trying as hard as he could to hold the idea that blood was just water.

Suddenly the blood burst into flames. With a grunt Mordane threw it at the enemy chariots using air to carry it along.

As the flames leaped out at them, the battle mages of Irona felt their magical presence and all concluded independently that this was a flame based spell directed at them which would be protected by their shields.

A fatal mistake.

The burning blood passed right through their protection and splashed all over them. Screaming, four of the ten burned to death, unable to focus and cast a spell. Four more tried to pull the heat away.

That only succeeded in accelerating the cooling spell Mordane had cast on the blood. The spell drew away the bloods heat and used it to combust the air.

Pulling away the heat only caused the blood to freeze.

The last two used force to push the substance away from them and down on the crowd below. Their carrier reacted quickly and dived for the tower. One of them aimed right for Mordane.

Fire sprung up around the Irona unicorn as he jumped off the chariot at Mordane. Mordane frowned and pulled on the wind around him to blast him off the wall. However the wind simply curved around him and fed into his flames which curled into two columns rising twenty feet into the air before descending on him.

Mordane briefly registered that the enemy was using war magic before creating a frozen bearer of blood between them. The fire poured around him as Mordane continually pulled the heat from the ice.

There's nothing I can do. He’s too strong.

Suddenly the stream stopped. Lowering the sheet Mordane could see the unicorn struggling to stand as a spear protruded from his side.

The blood sheet reformed into a spike and Mordane rammed it through the pony’s head.

Stalker and Boulder were taking care of the pegasi that had been pulling the unicorn before he signaled them over.

“There was another unicorn!” Boulder shouted, “He came down on the other side of the tower!

They and a dozen ponies charged down the wall and into the central tower. But Mordane was already too late. Inside was a room filled with slaughtered unicorns and one Irona mage standing in front of the spell matrix. Looking at the mercenaries coming in he made a decision.

“For Irona!” He turned and poured all the power he could into the spell matrix.

*BOOM*

Mordane covered his eyes and threw up a barrier as the central tower top went up in a blaze of glory. The top of the stone tower flew out in all directions crushing dozens, as the last of the enemy pegasi took to the air.

A massive crack resounded from the base of the central tower as the ground caved in. The tower leaned slowly over as the battle slowed, and remove as some ponies stopped to watch as the tall central tower began to fall over.

Ponies ran away from the last three mercenary trebuchets as the tower fell towards the front of the fortress, intersecting with the wall.

A large section of the outer wall fell outward, crushing hundreds that were attempting to scale into the keep.

“Retreat!” Mordane bellowed. “Retreat to the inner keep!”

Outside the fortress Ice Wing looked on in horror as a large part of his army was crushed under the collapsing wall. He roared as loud as he could.

“Regroup! Fall back!”

As the dust began to settle a large hole was left exposed to the outside. Hundreds of ponies lay scattered around the battlefield.

______________________________________

As the red sunset fell, the two armies were licking their wounds. The Irona forces unicorn captain followed procedure and ordered an anti-teleportation field be put up since the one cast by the fortress had been destroyed.

The Irona forces found themselves huddling in the outer courtyard of the fortress trying to sleep. Finding instead that sleep did not come easy.

Mutters ran throughout of the use of some strange Magic by the enemy commander. Some wondered if necromancy was his special talent. Maybe even tied into his war magic.

Ice Wing was seen flying from division to division making sure that his captains were still alive and promoting ponies when they were not. He had ordered them forward to take the outer courtyard after realising how far back Mordane’s ponies had fallen… Only the inner sanctum still remained under Mordane’s control.

All in all, he would find that his forces had suffered thirty five percent. While he did receive a few dirty looks, discipline prevented anything more.

On the Mercenary side it was a different story.

Counting the dead was a task that had not even being considered much less executed. Dozens of ponies were taking it as their time to sneak out with no one to warn them of the Irona teams killing anyone who came out before they even knew they were there.

Mordane himself found that commanding cornered men was more of a case of reminding them that they had nowhere to go and killing each other would only make it worse.

Most of his soldiers settled down to take quickly disturbed naps that would be broken as they woke up screaming.

Stalker and Boulder met each other in the hallway outside of the room Mordane had been sleeping in. Stalker moved to go on to Mordane but stopped as Boulder held up a hoof.

“Stalker, have you seen the outer wall?” Boulder whispered as he looked down. “It’s in pieces.”

“Yes, yes I have. Were you able to reach the outer towers?”

“No," Stalker sat down. "They are covered by the rubble.”

“I’ve done what I can. The enemy may be among us already though,” Boulder said sternly.

A sudden scream caused them to jump before calming down.

“This situation is ridiculous. I’ve spoken to many who are ready to keep fighting. Apparently the Irona are not accepting surrender. Most see no hope, save that maybe Mordane can pull this off,” Boulder said.

“I saw a pony be skewered three different ways by arrows. It’s obvious that the Irona soldiers have written us off.” Stalker drew a knife and began to check it as he continued. “This situation, as you put it, is solidly Mordane’s fault. That bastard never listens when shit hits the fan.”

“It’s a major flaw of his character, I’ll admit.“ Boulder nodded before his soldier mask cracked. Sighing, he sat next to Stalker and reached into his satchel to grab a drink. “Want a swig?”

“I’m good,” Stalker said while still looking at his knife. Suddenly he paused and looked up at Boulder as if he was trying to make some kind of decision. “Buck it.”

Reaching back into his bag, Stalker pulled out his medicine satchel and unfurled it. He took out a small red cube and sat it on the ground before crushing it with his hoof.

Leaning down, he snorted the power up before rubbing the excess away.

“The tarturus was that?”

“Something to make me stay awake no matter what that witch put on this place.” Stalker rubbed his nose. “Now I got about twenty minutes before this stuff kicks in. What do we do?”

“We go talk to Mordane and try to get him to surrender.”

“Good bucking luck. Knowing him there is a rut in the floor where he has been pacing. That pony doesn’t give up… Shop Lifter said this pony would kill me.”

“Either we make it or we don’t.” Boulder sighed. “I learned long ago that when you fight you must be ready to die. This path was set when we followed Mordane.”

“Wise words for a drunk. That doesn’t answer our problem though.”

“We go in and confront him with the truth.”

“That simple?”

“That simple.”

Standing up Stalker put away his knife and both of them went the rest of the way and into Mordane’s room.

The alicorn was pacing the room that was near empty. His bed was the only thing really there.

“What do you two want?” he snarled at them.

“We want you to surrender.”

“Surrender? Haven’t you heard they aren’t taking prisoners. Surrender is death.” Mordane stepped to the wall and slammed his hooves against the wall. “Damn it! Curse you, High Rise! This is all your fault!”

“High Rise?” Stalker’s voice was low and fierce with its edge, like if insulted. “High Rise, Celestia, the beer, me? It’s always something else's fault, Mordane. When are you going to stop running and take responsibility?”

“I didn’t cause this!”Mordane shouted while moving toward Stalker and using a hoof to indicate himself. “This wasn’t me!”

“It’s always you! Now we are all going to die because of your pride; your blindness! What of the deaths you’ve caused? What of your own failures to see what was in front of you? What is it that makes you think you’re so above burden from your own mistakes?” Stalker shouted

“I have taken responsibility for this army. What more could you want from me?”

“We want you to act!” Boulder shouted, coming up beside Stalker. “To make the hard decision that means you pay! You can’t have power without sacrifice, Mordane, no matter what you may think.”

“What, so I’m just to lay down? Put my neck out for the knife? I will not do that, I will not bow to you or anyone! I will not be chained!”

Stalker stared at the pony he called friend, his jaw working as if he was trying to chew something. Then his eyes widened.

“Hahahahahaha.” Stalker laughed and laughed. His eyes started to brim with tears.

“What's funny!?” Mordane yelled, stomping up to the laughing earth pony before Boulder stepped between them.

“I think I finally figured it out,” Stalker said, as his laughter died down. “You're afraid."

"What?" Mordane said, almost laughably. His friend was seriously losing his mind to the sleep. "Stalker, I have fought things bigger than me. I killed a mind raping stallion myself. I'm not crying in a corner for mercy from our enemies. How am I scared?"

"I don't mean your reactions, I mean your actions. The decisions you make are for a bigger reason, that much I can tell, but what is that reason, huh? What are you running from?" Stalker unsettled Mordane. The idea that Stalker could see something about himself that he didn’t understand. "You know, I thought you were that necromancer taking over Mordane’s flesh.”

Mordane’s mouth fell open. Stalker thought the necromancer had taken over his mind?

“I know that is not true by now, yet it leaves a dilemma. You can't just take over someone’s mind who’s so much older than you. You should be dead and gone!” He glared right back into Mordane’s eyes seemingly loving the taste of every word coming out of his mouth. “That is until one remembers your talk of another life. You're too smart for your age! You know things I know you shouldn't know! I checked everything about you, there's no way you could've seen the flaws of things without connections, there's no way you could've found a better way to sleep in those tents, you don't even have the simplest synergy of a pony, or even an Alicorn for that matter!”

Stalker paused and took a breath. “So that leaves only one question. What are you?"

He stared at the unanswering Mordane before snorting and turning to his cot. “I thought so. Grow up quickly Mordane. I don’t think we can survive being dragged through the fire with you for much longer.”

But Mordane, was silent. He continued to stand there, barely blinking.

And frowning.

Thinking.

_______________________________________________

A cold shiver rippled down Mordane’s spine as he laid still and alone on his mat. He tossed and turned as if he was fighting the dream itself.

“No. Please, God, no.”

Sweat broke out across his body as he trembled with every muscle tense. His wings were clamped against his body as the soft inlay of his hooves flexed as if trying to hold onto something.

“Grandpa,” he whispered, “I’m sorry.”

With a gasp Mordane woke up in the dark, liquid sadness flooded his eyes and burned them without his consent. With a quick drag he curled up into a ball against the wall behind his bed. His body trembled from the old wound that had been dragged back to the surface by Luna’s curse.

A sob escaped his lips as tears rolled down his face anew. All he wanted to do was run, but the crushing guilt held him there.

Eventually, Mordane stood and began to inhale deeply as he crushed his fear back down into his personal depths; back down into the deepest pits of his mind where such madness belonged.

But Mordane wasn’t alone in the struggle of his awakening. Stalker arrived with his face in a deep frown, preparing to demand that Mordane would at least speak to the Irona commander. Much to his surprise he found a nude Mordane over a bucket of soapy water, washing his mane and cloak.

"You are washing your cloak?" Stalker said, still frowning.

"If I'm going to go and negotiate I might as well look clean while doing it." Mordane's eyes were downcast and his voice seemed to almost have a growl to it.

Stalker blinked before sighing in relief. "It’s for the best, Mordane. There is no shame in it for you."

"I've not gained victory. In that alone there is shame," he said bluntly.

"Perhaps… do you intend to surrender?"

"Not exactly."

An hour later, now with clean fur, they ran up a white flag and waited for the Irona forces to do the same. Mordane was quite surprised when Ice Wing came all the way to the break in the wall and waited for him. Mordane was tempted to attack, but decided it was not worth the risk. With Boulder and Stalker following him, Mordane made his way to the commander.

"Mordane... You have done well in this battle. Not thrown your ponies’ lives away uselessly." Ice Wing began, subtle eyes searching Mordane for any detail he could use.

"If I remember correctly it was your ponies who slaughtered the ponies abandoning my line yesterday."

"An unfortunate mistake. Now tell me, what is your offer?"

"You let us walk out of Irona. You tell your superiors we all died, and I’ll make sure that seems to be true."

Ice Wing stood silent for a few moments as the sun slowly rose behind him. Minutes passed as he stood there seemingly trying to make a decision.

"How would you propose this to be done?"

Mordane smiled, it looked like he was right.

"I will break my forces into groups of five. They will leave three at a time going in three different directions away from Irona. An hour later I will send three again. One pony from these groups will come back to tell me that they made it out without resistance. By tomorrow we will empty in such groups until we are all gone. You bury the dead and call this a total victory."

Ice Wing hummed, tapping his chin, and then gave a single nod.

"Very well. I need to speak with my captains first of course. May we meet again in three hours?"

"That is acceptable." Mordane said. "I am glad that no more ponies must die today."

"...Agreed."

Ice Wing took to the air and headed back to his line as Mordane and his friends stepped back into the fortress. Grins broke out on each of their faces.

“Well that went better than expected,” Boulder said.

“Indeed.” Stalker agreed.

“Perhaps, but he must be wondering what else I have stored.”

“You don’t have anything else stored.” Stalker deadpanned.

“But he doesn’t know that.” Mordane grinned.

The three of them made their way to the storage area to share a bite to eat. News of the agreement traveled ahead of them, and a few dozen ponies had decided to throw a party in a mess hall.

Ice Wing, however, sat in a tent just outside the outer wall looking at a regional map and a hoof drawn map of the fortress.

Mordane's offer made sense from a military perspective. This operation had cost way more resources than expected. Ponies back home would be glad to hear that the enemy had been so soundly defeated.

But then again, a part of him hesitated. Was this Mordane... trying to bait him into making a mistake?

"Sir," said a guard as he stepped into the tent. "Reinforcements from the capital. They brought Sir Lance Light with them."

"Lance Light. Ugh, what is he doing here?"

"He presented himself as the second chancellor, sir! Says he is here to see what is taking so long with the mission."

Damn! Ice Wing thought. Brother must’ve done worse in the election than I thought.

"Send him in."

Ice Wing stood up off his flank and gave himself a check over just before the chancellor arrived. He went to attention and tried not to show his worry.

The white coated unicorn that entered was holding a handkerchief over his nose.

"Commander," The unicorn said, as if talking to a slime on the ground.

"Chancellor," Ice Wing spoke, as if to a wall.

"I will be frank, commander Wing. The council was not pleased with this state of affairs. Your orders were to surround the captured village then force the mercenaries surrender. They were to be prosecuted as criminals! Not killed in mass."

"Yes sir, I am aware of that. There were complications however as the mercenaries had deployed scouts."

"Of course," the chancellor sneered, cutting him off. "There are always excuses when a pony makes a mess as big as yours. Do you plan to end this battle or are you going to prattle on?"

"The enemy commander has proven to be far more resourceful than was initially anticipated. Our communication with Cabistien was supposed to block their path on the border of their territory, then hold them until we caught up before we forced their surrender."

"Yes, I'm well aware of your modified orders."

"The commander, however, is under the impression that Cabistien forces are going to be coming here to meet up with him. Communications with Cabistien indicate no reason for this. Their forces are barely functioning and have made no move to cross the border as per our treaty with them. Yet it is what he says. I believe it to be a lie he has told his men to motivate them to fight to the last."

"Nothing that we have learned indicates that their commander… High Rise was it? Would be capable of any of this?"

"They have apparently been under the command of a different pony. A colt named Mordane Stronghoof this whole time."

"Ah, that would explain it… and your grievous errors. What would this Mordane gain by this anyway?"

"In short? Our forces have sustained heavy casualties. We will sustain many more if we wish to root him out of there. He has offered to disband his army and send them toward the border in small groups upon hourly intervals. I have decided to accept his proposal."

The counselor nodded his head and seemed to be thinking carefully. Ice Wing was sure that he was trying to find a way to turn this to his advantage.

"No."

Ice Wing didn’t appear confused, because of his training to keep his composure. "Sir?"

"We will not accept his terms of surrender or any surrender at all. The political situation has changed back home. The High Chancellor, your brother, has been elected on a promise of righteous retribution against these mercenary scum."

Ice Wing's heart first leapt with joy at the mention of his brother’s victory. Though it immediately fell again at his brother’s demand. He tasted ash as the chancellor gave his command.

"I order you. No surrender. Destroy his army. Leave none of them to walk free. Take them."

Ice Wing nodded. "At once, my lord."

__________________________________________________

The six hundred odd mercenary ponies were held up in the fortress. Many were already throwing what party they could even though there was very little alcohol to go around. A few dozen mares and stallions were dancing on tables as others hooted and hollered.

Mordane sat near the center tipping a glass of beer back and forth, watching the liquid inside slouch about as he contemplated downing the entire glass and then another. Defeat was a bitter taste to swallow. The mercenary band would be disbanded and he would be none the wealthier for this experience.

All he would have to do was to track down High Rise and get revenge.

Last nights’ dream bubbled back up to his consciousness at that thought. Quickly he downed his beer to get rid of the taste of bile.

So what… two revenge schemes now?

Mordane clutched his head. For some reason his problems just seemed to be growing. How long had it been since he came here? He was not sure. Four or five months max. Dates didn't really seem that important anymore, with all that had been going on.

Should he track down High Rise? He’ll just end up here again. Like he always did.

He held in his tears, swallowing them down for what shares of pride he had left.

The table jostled as Stalker walked up and bumped into it.

"What are you thinking about." He asked.

"You know what I'm thinking about." Stalker put a hoof on his shoulder and smiled.

"Hey, Mordane. It’s ok. We'll make a comeback. Just you wait."

Mordane gave a weak smile to Stalker who dramatically wiggled his eyebrows in response which caused Mordane to almost snort from his genuine but controlled laughter.

“You’re an ass you know that?”

“Hey! I only have one grandparent that was a donkey.”

They burst out laughing as Boulder made his way over balancing three mugs of watered down alcohol with him.

The three sat there, Stalker and Mordane exchanging quips with Boulder laughing along. All around them the atmosphere was approaching party levels.

If one was to pay attention and knew what to look for, they would have noticed a three dozen odd ponies were moving through the crowd looking for something.

They wore cloaks and rusted armor like the rest. Yet, it was the little details that set them apart. Their eyes were not merry, dirt in their manes and the unkempt aspects of their loss was off as if somepony had been trying to appear run ragged instead of being so. As they moved about occasionally they would exchange looks that lingered on for a second too long.

Mordane sat to the right of Boulder as Stalker stood in front and to the left of him, wildly gesturing with his hooves. Boulder was occasionally asking questions and getting answers.

One of the ponies spotted Mordane sitting with a huge grin on his face and pointed him out to another.

“-and I swear, I couldn’t even tell it was in there, it was so loose. Like a cave really.”

Mordane and Boulder where near tears of laughing too hard as the two remaining mercenary unicorns came galloping up. Stopping just short of bumping into the back of Mordane they stopped to gasp for air.

“Sir, the anti-teleportation barrier is down,” one gasped.

“It is? Why would-”

Suddenly two ponies came rushing toward Mordane, drawing knives. With the flash of steel Boulder reacted and broke one of the ponies’ necks with a well placed buck. The second however had closed the distance.

Mordane’s body barely twitched as he tried to dodge from his sitting position as three thoughts flashed through his head.

Knife, heading toward my throat, my body is stiff, in a bent angle. I won’t dodge it.

I’m going to die.

“Nooo!”

A hard tackle threw Mordane out of his chair and onto the floor. Already focused on his attacker he grabbed his sword with magic and sliced his attackers head off.

All around him Mordane saw mercenaries reaching for their swords, while others simply fell to the dozens of ponies throwing

off rags to reveal Irona armor. A loud thud could be heard as the inner sanctum doors were being closed.

"We must move!" he shouted. "Stalk...er."

On the floor clutching his side with his face twisted in pain was Stalker. Mordane rushed to his friend’s side as Boulder stood to defend them.

“B-bloody stone!” Stalker spat through bloody teeth, before reaching down and feeling where the wound was “Buck, they got my kidney.”

“What should I get from your bag?” Mordane said, jumping to the issue at hoof.

“There is nothing… a kidney wound is fatal.”

“No! I can stop the bleeding!”

Mordane pointed his horn directly at the knife wound and reached in to feel around the cut. Trying to pinch and redirect the nerves.

“Mordane,” Stalker whispered painfully. “Lean closer, I got to tell you something. There is not much time left.”

Turning his head, Stalker spat out a tooth that was knocked loose when his face hit the floor. Mordane allowed his horn to stop pulling in power as there was nothing he could do. It was well beyond his level of skill.

“What is it, Stalker?” Mordane whispered as he came to accept that it was inevitable. A tremor was barely detectable in his voice

Stalker gave him a small smile and pulled him into a hug.

“Heh, you crazy bastard… I don’t know how you will make it after I’m gone.”

“Don’t talk like that, Stalker. You’ll make it through. You’re strong. “

Stalker just closed his eyes and shook his head.

“I need to tell you some things if you're going to make it. Promise me, Mordane. Promise you’ll not forget them.”

Mordane looked stricken.

“I will try.”

“...It will have to do,” Stalker said before swallowing. “Just know that I don’t regret this. I don’t regret becoming your friend.”

“Stalker…”

“Shh.” He said while letting Mordane lift himself up. “What I say is the truth, Mordane.”

Stalker spasmed and grit his teeth as blood began to seep out quicker from the sides of the knife.

“Lean in close.”

Mordane did, being careful not to touch the blade. Stalker’s face twisted in pain as he tried again and again to say something. Something he really didn’t want to say.

“Everypony dies around you because you are not strong enough.”

Mordane froze.

A Tear streaked down his cheek as Stalker continued to tell him things that he did not want to hear. Each word burning into Mordane’s mind as if it had been wrote by fire.

Mordane trembled looking at the floor as every muscle was tense. Stalker grabbed his head and forced him to look into his eyes.

“I don’t know who you are Mordane. I don’t know where you came from, but there is a fire in you unlike any I have ever seen or heard of. A fire that you never use, preferring to play it safe. What you have not realised is that fire can make - refine, as well as destroy. A fire that refuses to burn only leaves ashes. You must embrace who you are or… only… death … will follow you.”

Stalker collapsed into unconsciousness leaving a trembling Mordane staring down at his dying friend.

He didn’t know what to do, he didn’t know what to say. He felt nothing. He didn’t know what to feel. Pain, rage, fear, sadness. His grandfather had warned him.

Looking around he saw as a door leading deeper into the castle burst open, and Irona soldiers came bursting in. Part of him said that the lowering of the shield, must have allowed them to teleport troops into the cavern. Of course they would have needed somepony to act as a focal, but sneaking one pony across was a trivial matter during the chaos of yesterday.

His forces were flanked, scattered and unfit for combat. There was only one option.

“Retreat!” Mordane bellowed as he felt the weakening heart of Stalker. “Boulder, find an exit!”

He wanted to stay but logic bound him. Stalker had perhaps a few minutes left and there was no way to carry him. Cold reason demanded that he should save himself and Boulder at least.

Grabbing Boulder, Mordane started to drag him away from Stalker.

“Come on we have to go!”

“What!? b-but Stalker!” Boulder tired to resist but his hooves were slippery from the pool of blood around Stalker

“No, his body is too heavy,” Mordane shouted, “we are going to have to leave him behind.”

“We can’t abandon him! STALKER!”

Mordane spun Boulder around and slapped him full across the face.

“Follow me! You fall behind, you are left behind!” Mordane growled. Boulder only glanced back once before following the two unicorns and a dozen earth ponies rushing for the side door killing any Irona soldiers in their way. Other mercenaries that could, quickly joined them.

Through the door and up the stairs the rushing mob met little resistance as the Irona forces had broken through the inner sanctum’s outer gates.

The hundred or so mercenaries streaming atop, began to be harassed by unicorns, pegasi and earth pony archers stationed on and behind the wall, even as more Irona forces began to give chase from out of the inner sanctum.

Dozens fell every second as they ran full speed to the outer wall, punching through the barrier set up at the central crosswalk intersection.

Once past there they were unhindered as they entered the outer left tower.

“Where do we go!” Several ponies shouted

“The teleportation field’s down. Unicorns, help me!”

The two unicorns and Mordane touched horns, pulling on as much power as they could. Mordane kept his eyes staring out one of the two windows, mentally preparing to blink ponies to the edge of the field with the other magic users.

“When you get to the edge-” A pony slammed the tower door behind him and started to barricade it. “Run. Don’t group together! Find a place to hide!”

The tightly packed room began to quickly empty as he flung ponies to the tree line. Soon there were few enough left that he could take them all out.

Only a small group including him remained at the center of the room. Mordane took a second to switch gears to full teleportation and charged his horn.

A large electric discharge went off as a anti-teleportation field sprung back up.

Mordane was knocked to his rear.

“The storms! We are still here!” Shouted one pegasus.

“The spell failed!” wailed a mare.

“Buck, we have to get out of here.”

“Barricade the door,” shouted somepony.

The few tables and bookcases were quickly pushed in front of the door, to reinforce the wooden plank already blocking it from being opened.

The six of them were left gasping and listening as the Irona forces tried to bash down the door while shouting at them.

“Mercenary bastards!” “You’ll pay for what you’ve done.” “We’re going to boil you alive!”

Struggling with his footing Mordane began to search again, looking for any possible way they could escape. The room however had almost been stripped bare.

Moving along the wall he looked for a loose tile on the floor. Perhaps there was a trap door or something.

Coming up to the window he tried to shake loose the bars but found them set solidly. Before moving on, his eye was drawn to look out the window.

What he saw would live with him forever.

It was a furnace.

Sickness was overcome by horror as he saw mercenaries being dragged to the inferno. The ones still living screamed and begged for the knife before being thrown atop the burning pile. Their screams suddenly cut off as they passed through the magical barrier.

It was hell. An artificial hell to all, with living flesh being wiped away.

As he stared at the monstrosity he acknowledged the inevitable truth. There was no escape and very soon he would be atop that inferno as well.

Stalker’s words echoed back as everybody descended and became a mark against his soul.

I have lost.

Hundreds dead, perhaps a thousand all because of his pride and blindness.

Something inside of Mordane cracked under the realization and he sunk to the floor a broken stallion. A broken man.

He growled as tears for the dead fell from his cheeks.

_______________________________________________

The roar of the Irona infantry crashing against the tower door was muffled by the hardwood it was made of. Dozens of pegasi flew around the tower occasionally trying to get into the locked windows. The six mercenary ponies sat around waiting for the inevitable to descend upon them. Already several had opted to take a knife to their throat rather than wait for the flame. The others sat waiting, not sure of what to do when there was nothing.

“Hey, Snarl,” spoke one earth pony to another. “What ya regret?”

“Regret?” He said, furrowing his eyebrows. “Well, I regret not kissing that girl back in that village we left ‘ere. Me an’ ‘er had a nice thing goin’. Maybe I could’ve put aside my spear and...” He grew quiet. Tears on the corners of his eyes.

“You don’t have to say it, mate… I understand. I wish I had forgiven my mother. Gave her a hug one last time before going out into the world.”

“I wish I had another drink before I died.” A unicorn with a broken horn across the room opened his satchel with a trembling hoof and tossed a canteen to the stallion. “Much obliged.”

“I wish I had a kid,” spoke up the only mare. “Sure, my mom was a cunt, but I think I could’ve done better.”

“What about you, Mordane?” asked the first stallion to the alicorn clutching his head next to the window. “What do you regret?”

Mordane did not move at first, but slowly he raised his head. Turning, he faced his fellow mercenaries. His eyes were red with tears.

“I regret bringing you here. I regret not cutting High Rise’s throat. I regret not surrendering… but that’s not what’s on my mind.” He stood up, walked over and sat down with them. Taking an offered canteen he swallowed a gulp before passing it on. “I keep thinking to my parents… the last I saw of them was in a warzone. The enemy dogs were broken. Later I found a newspaper saying that they had died well before I knew they were alive… So I assumed the mare chasing me killed them. I ran and I ran, until I got to here.”

“Why did you think that mare killed them?” Said the mare.

“You see these wings?” He pointed to the ruffled appendages on his back. “In my home nation my race would be called alicorn. There's only four others and they are royalty. The one I thought killed my parents was the oldest.”

The mercenaries’ eyes widened.

“Seriously? Royalty? Why?”

“Because we are practically immortal and inherently more magically powerful than unicorns.”

They fell into silence and passed around the canteen some more until it was empty. The entire time curses and crunching could be heard as the Irona forces continued to try and break in.

“I don’t get it,” spoke up the mare suddenly “If she wanted you dead then why attack your parents? It makes more sense for her to hold them ransom.”

“Hey yeah, that makes sense. Maybe that article was a way of telling you.”

Mordane stayed silent and continued to look at the floor. Soon tears began to flow from his eyes.

“Sweet Moon goddess,” whispered the mare, “You knew that didn’t you?”

“Knew? No. Suspected, yes. At least on some level I did. I think that’s why I jumped to the murder conclusion. I didn’t want to consider that she was using them to get to me. I’ve thought of a lot of reasons… Heck I don’t even know if that mare wants me dead.”

“Then why run?” grunted a black maned stallion.

“...All alicorn that I know of reside around this mare. She is powerful in both magic and political power. One does not maintain such power without skill in manipulating others. If I stayed I would have been putty in her hooves like all the rest. Tyrant or not.”

“So you ran, because you were scared of being chained to her?” grunted the same stallion. “Been there. A mare would just cramp my style.”

“What style? You look like a half eaten carcass and smell like a sewer,” laughed the mare.

“You just can’t handle my sexiness.”

They all burst out laughing as Mordane shook the canteen to confirm it was empty.

“You know, what I don’t get is why you would run from her to join an army.”

“I guess because at least it was my own choice.” Mordane sighed before standing back up and walking to the window. His hooves still shaking from exhaustion. The corpses of the fallen were still being thrown and rolling down the mound that he had caused.

I’ve brought so much pain to this world… Would they have died if I had stayed under Celestia? I don’t know. I can’t believe this is it. That this is the end… I had so much more I could’ve done. So much more I could still do. Why did I waste it all?

Mordane thought about his past. As a human he had barely done anything save to live a life of solitude. That was his choice. A choice that his grandfather had shown him. So he had promised. He promised to never hate.

But I broke that promise grandpa, I let myself hate Celestia. Because it was easier than discovering the truth. Now I will die here. Alone. Just another life lost among thousands in a land consumed with barbarism and war. A place that will forget me like so much trash before. I will be burned away… What could I have done differently though?

Perhaps, I could have brought radio, engines, trains and not to even mention the social ideas. It could have created a revolution!... Yet the trains would’ve moved armies. The radio would have commanded them and spread ideas of subjugation. Only suppressing whatever social ideas I imparted.

A loud crack resounded through the room accompanied with a thud as the rabble of voices reaching from outside grew gleeful. “We are coming for you, assholes!”

“They will break in soon.” mumbled the mare.

“We all fucking know that. No point saying it.”

Perhaps… If I lead. No, that wouldn’t work. I am a human. These are ponies. I would’ve caused destructi-...

Mordane almost laughed at the absurdity of it all.

I do all of this for so long and in the end all I do is destroy. Burn everything to ash...

I have been running away this whole time. Running away from hard choices. Running from Celestia. Running away from the truth. From responsibility, from love, friends, family.

Most of all though… I think I’ve been running away from myself.

Perhaps… being the kind of pony I am is not such a bad thing. Maybe civilization needs individuals like me.

Something deep in Mordane shifted. The one that he had called Madness let loose a grin as reason no longer held so firmly its chains. Pride, hope, desire for more. These things are what makes humans strive beyond the bounds and limits set. What he had locked away so long ago, in a time before this body had drawn breath and came to the surface.

A smile broke on Mordane’s lips as his eyes seemed to grow sharp and hard. The crashing at the door drew his glare away from the burning pile, but only for a moment. A sound that reminded him of the coming fate of his death unavoidable.

So he laughed.

A deep bellowing guffaw as screams of rage could still be heard through the door.

“What in tartarus.” “Has he lost his mind?” “Bastards done lost it,” shouted his fellow mercenaries. Their looks of dread and resignation only pushed on his laughter

“It’s so simple! Yet I never saw it! Laying there in the corner of my mind. A plain truth to be had. You,” He said pointing at the only mare. “What matters in life!?”

“W-what!?” she stuttered

“I will tell you!” Mordane jumped and flapped to get to the center of the room “Life is about what you leave behind! You wanted a child, he wanted to have a mother who thinks he cared, he wanted a wife and children! Don’t you see? It’s what you make that matters. What you build, be it in family or name!”

“What are you getting on about? We are going to die and no one will give a shit about us.”

Mordane jabbed his hoof at the stallion who spoke up, emphatically shouting.

“Yes! Exactly! In the end all ponies die but they live on in the minds and actions of those they touch. That is why I laugh! Now, only when death calls, do I realise! I may die in an hour but they will remember me,” Mordane shouted, beating his chest “They will remember me! Be it by the marks of my will on their bodies or the roar of my voice in their ear. THEY. WILL. REMEMBER. ME!”

Mordane bounded to the door and drew his sword before turning back.

“I go now to death! Who will follow! Who will go roaring to that last breath with me!?”

The ponies stared on in confusion at first but soon the fire lit in Mordane’s eyes began to reflect in theirs as well.

“Might as well teach them who they are dealing with.”

“Those bitches won’t know what hit them.”

“Onward to a date with death then. I wonder if she is pretty?”

“Fuck it.”

Standing up they all drew weapons as Mordane turned and faced the pile of furniture and the shaking door. He made his peace with God.

Then breathed in.

There is only my blade, the wind around me and the blood of my foes. Make them one.

He exhaled and channeled all that he had.

____________________________________________

Ice Wing Crinkled his nose and the smell of burning dead. Lance Light stood with High Rise upon the central wall as ponies continued to throw ponies both living and dead upon the fire.

“Sir, must we burn them?” Ice Wing asked.

“Let the soldiers have their fun. It is good for them to release the tension of their restrictive lives.”

“I follow your command.” Ice Wing’s stony exterior did not change as he continued to hear mares and stallions die in horrendous fashion. It was, after all, the way things had always been done for centuries. He always hated this part, when the aggression over boiled and each ponies anger fueled each other.

But what waste of life and resources. How many of my ponies have died?

“What of that corner tower?” Lance Light asked, indicating the corner tower that many pony mercenaries had rushed to.

“The door will be broken down soon.”

“Send more troops to take that tower. I don’t want you to let MORE of them escape.”

“Our forces are pursuing the ponies that were teleported from the tower. It goes well, many have been captured.”

“Very good. See to it that-”

With a resounding explosion the tower door blew outward. Within moments the structure began to crack and fall onto the walkway killing everypony.

Save for one.

Ice Wing followed this pony with his eye as from the dust he burst into the air and then quickly back down again to the courtyard below.

The force from his impact cracked the stone and knocked his workers off their hooves. For a brief moment he saw the pony and barely recognised him as the calm commander that had negotiated a peaceful resolution to this battle not hours before.

Now he was grinning. That inner strength Ice Wing had felt earlier was apparent in his lightly glowing eyes. Mordane glanced around himself before stomping his foot into the ground.

The crack stone around him exploded again into shards that ripped through the Irona soldiers all around him trying to recover. Even as Ice Wing registered that Mordane jumped out and sliced through the throat of a pony the shards had missed.

“COME FACE ME, LITTLE PONIES!” Mordane bellowed, followed quickly by laughing. “COME FACE DEATH!”

Ponies roared in rage, Mordane however caught them off guard as he jump right into the largest group of them, blade swinging.

Earth ponies were broken against stones, pegasi were cut through and unicorns were ripped asunder.

Ice Wing watched in growing surprise, then awe as the strange race of pony killed his way through soldier after soldier. Magic of a strength unlike any he had seen before flowed out his every pore. Even as he watched, the magic flashed out, flinging stone or wind to distract as he came back to end them with his jagged blade. Dozens were left crippled. More were left dead.

The winged unicorn walked through the courtyard as if he owned it. His head held high looking down on all those around him. Blood soon began to flow out of his enemies’ wounds and into the air forming whips. This was not the same pony he had met before. This one seemed to smile as blood flowed in streams around him, only to strike out and to strangle a pony by the neck before dragging it before him. Then at the touch of his magic the corpse would twitch. And then let out a rasping moan, only to be thrown to cause chaos among the chaff around him.

Wind whipped around him as Mordane’s eyes continued to shine pure and bright like a fire that would never cease

The worst, though, was his grin.

A grin that spoke of an utter lack of mercy

The unicorns that stood up to him found their mental defences under the pressure of a mountain. A will that cracked and scoured their defences until they shattered. Their minds being torn asunder from the madness that was his thoughts.

Of one thing Ice Wing was sure.

This was no pony.

Ice Wing unsheathed his wings and rocketed into the air. Diving at Mordane, he dodged the spike summoned by Mordane while skillfully adding to the wall of air moving with him.

Mordane was not prepared for such a powerful blast of wind. He went flying through the air and impacted the wall before thudding to the ground.

Ice Wing walked up to the struggling form of Mordane while drawing his hoof cuff sword. Mordane came right at him, a strange grin on his face.

This can’t be the same pony. His rage is palpable, but then why is he smiling?

Mordane was stupidly easy to read for Ice Wing as his magic would usually cast before he swung his sword, giving his plan away. An obviously untrained warrior but pure power made up for lack of skill. Ice Wing was forced to stay on the tips of his hooves, constantly changing direction and taking little nicks into the pony. It kept going on and on. Far longer that he expected.

He is full of rage. That is an amateur mistake. But then again it’s almost as if he is directing that emotion. If so then it could be what is giving him this endurance. A great skill for a warrior… but without a teacher he will never learn.

True to Ice Wing’s prediction, Mordane began to slow and pant. His movements and thrusts became inaccurate allowing Ice Wing to dance past his defence and deliver even more strikes.

Ice Wing walked to over Mordane’s trembling form and placed his blade against his foes neck. He could still hear the screaming from what this pony had done. It was above what any of his skill should have been able to. The Irona noble felt a twinge of regret as he raised his sword. Such a pony could have changed this wretched land.

What a waste.

_______________________________

Every bone in Mordane’s body screamed in pain as the Irona commander stood above him. Dozens had fallen to his blade alone. 

Countless nicks and cuts scoured his body. Ice Wing had proven far too strong for him. That pegasus hadn’t been like the wind. He was the wind.

Now Mordane was sitting face down in the dirt trying to stand but finding that he just didn’t have the strength.

The Irona commander… Ice Wing was above him, prepared to end it.

Mordane growled and stripped off another layer of self imposed control. Strength welled up from somewhere deep within himself. It came from his past, the strength, power and will of a human who kept himself in control at all times, who denied his very nature, finally letting go.

Not… enough.

With a grunt Mordane twisted his aching body to buck. The blow connected, sending Ice Wing across the courtyard, a resounding crack of bone rewarded the fatigued Mordane as he stumbled to his hooves.

Mordane gritted his teeth and reached in deep.

________________________________________________

Ice Wing caught himself in the air. A thoughtful expression played across his face as he stared down at Mordane.

The pony stood there unmoving with his eyes closed but something was wrong, Ice wings eye rune burned as Mordanes magic began to twist and change.

Mordane didn’t move until the last moment. His horn deflected the spar as he rushed suddenly toward the soldier. At the last moment his head lowered.

Stabbing him in the heart.

A bold, cocky and cruel chuckle emanated from the Mercenary leader as he lifted the impaled body of his still living victim over his head. The load seemed unnaturally large to Ice Wings eyes, reflecting the greater earth pony strength that he had suspected Mordane possesed.

“Yes,” Mordane said, his voice sounding like gravel and bile, “this one will do nicely”

The Irona solder suddenly screamed as black cracks ripped across his body. All color and vitality seemed to drain down to the stab

Ice Wing nearly threw up right there the horrid whale’s of the soldier echoing like a tormentor for tartarus as the pony died an unnatural death.

Ice Wing hovered a distance away from Mordane. Fear, awe, and confusion swirling in his mind. The pony, no the monster was mad. Shaking himself, he put himself back into general mode, barking orders to surround the monster.

The ponies fell into place cursing as they trotted over bodies and flowing blood of their comrades.

Then silence, the air, and everything else fell silent as the brown beast’s eyes started to glow an eerie dark red. His fur changed colors shrouded in a black-red mist which was flowing up from the ground. Every green glared out at him over a manic grin as blood dripped onto his face.

“Dark magic”, Ice Wing whispered, a sharp wave of fear gliding down his spine.

The world started to darken as the mist enveloped the soldiers. Dead ponies on the ground twitched then got up surrounding Mordane like a barrier. Some took to the air, some on the ground; a shield of flesh for their master. A dozen others rose, starting their mindlessly assault against all those but their master.

NECROMANCER! THIS MUST END, NOW!

The undead moved slowly, but they did not die. Mordane shrugged off the now undead minion as the other ponies were sliced into shreds by their former comrades. Swords merciously cut them into pieces. But they did not stop, with a leg, a wing, or simple force of magic they clobbered the soldiers.

The Irona soldiers roared, fighting the abominations as they came.

But beyond, the beast laughed wickedly, “I have always wanted to try this, but these are rare up north,” as several dozen pony parts fell into place, a soul gem at their core, a pony shaped figure came to life. Another formed into existence as the first met the enemy lines.

The Irona soldiers sunk their blades into its flesh. *BOOM!* The pony exploded killing all the nearby ponies in the shrapnel of bone and magical energy.

Ice Wing bit his lip as he instructed a pegasus squad to charge the weather for a tactical strike, normally used for siege against non-pegasus cities. He also sent for remaining unicorns to get together and start a group siege spell.

If I can’t get to you without fighting the undead, I’ll kill you from afar.

*Boom* Another pony exploded blasting an opening in the circle. Mordane made a move to the opening, but it closed in an instant.

Mordane stomped the earth, sending sharp fissures of earth at the soldiers. Ponies screamed as they were impaled, but the spell had been countered, stopping it halfway through the circle.

The body count increased, more joined Mordane’s legion of undead. The wisps of blood-red smoke now filled the air, a horrid stench filling the area. The smoke funneled into his horn granting him more and more power as his eyes glowed a bright demonic red, fueled by the remains of the dead.

Ice Wing watched anxiously as a half score of unicorns channeled their magic into a siege spell. The orb of magic grew in size and intensity.

Mordane turned from his work tending the dead and grinned. He laughed, staring down the massive attack as it charged. The smoke then rushed inward, pulled into Mordane's horn. The air was clear, save for undead ponies drifting in the air.

Mordane stared at Ice Wing, chuckling to himself, “Let’s see if you can beat the shield of the most powerful bitch I know.”

“FIRE!” Ice Wing ordered the unicorns. The mass of energy and magic flew out just as a large black opaque sphere appeared around Mordane. The black sphere looked like stone, but held several red veins of exposed magic.

The blast hit, shaking the earth and killing the surrounding ponies caught up in the blast. The sound of magic ripping against each other made the air vibrate as the two forces collided.

The dust settled, the ground around Mordane was ripped away, only a small island of dirt remained where he stood. Mordane laughed, “Is that the best you can do?” he scorned continuing to laugh maniacally.

“Fire!” Mordane turned to see who Ice Wing was looking at.

*KSSHE*

A blue streak of lightning bolted down from the sky.

Mordane stood, momentarily eyes glazed over as his fur hissed. He plummeted to the ground, unconscious.

Half a dozen ponies pounced forward to kill him, but encountered a few remaining undead.

Ice Wing rushed in, pushing the few remaining dead to the ground with a blast of wind “I will end him myself. He has earned that much.”

Across the courtyard Lance Light had made his way down from the wall to the courtyard and up to the panting Ice Wing. His disgust at having to walk among the bodies was evident.

"Well, Ice Wing,” he chuckled to himself, “It would appear that this one had some fight in him."

"Indeed." He panted, still standing over Mordane's unconscious form.

"My word," Lance whispered, coming up to stand beside him. "Is that a horn and wings I see?"

"Yes, he has the strength of an earth pony, flight of a pegasus, and magic beyond the abilities of most. This monster is one of a kind, a true warrior who fought till his last breath, sir"

"Incredible!" he exclaimed, raising a hoof to his chin.

Ice Wing rose his blade to strike.

"What are you doing!?"

"I am giving him an honorable death, sir"

"No!" Lance light shouted before quickly glancing around and leaning a bit closer. He whispered intently into Ice Wing’s ear. Oblivious to the fact that perhaps a dozen ponies would still obviously be able to hear him. "A pony like this, in the reflection of the Divine Luna! Ponies would pay through the teeth for him!"

Ice Wing made no move to respond to Lance. It was obvious that he intended to convince him to sell the hybrid Mordane. That however was against the law. He was under strict orders to kill the enemy commander.

"I am under orders sir. The commander of the mercenary army must die."

"Well yes, but think of the money we could gain for one such as him."

Ice Wing did think of it, if only a little. The wealth would be good for both of their houses but not that good. Even if it was, that would not persuade him. His honor was all he had.

"My honor is not for sale, sir"

"Of course it is." Ice Wing began to raise his sword but was stopped by Lance’s magic "Consider this. I can see to it that he fetches at least fifty thousand."

"Fifty thousand? A hundred slaves wouldn't be worth that!"

"Yes, but with a few… merchant tricks I think I can really play him up. We split it in half and you rest well knowing that you have paid for your brother’s next three campaigns."

Ice Wing ground his teeth. This pony disgusted him. Here at their feet lay an enemy of the state and he was talking of making a profit. Truly despicable. He would have no part in it. Ice Wing opened his mouth to say as much when he remembered what he had thought earlier.

What a waste.

A sudden desire to go through with Lance's plan filled him. The highly honorable commander did not understand where this urge came from.

If I sell him then he will live.

But why would he care to let him live? Ice Wing was unsure. This pony had commanded so well. Faught like a warrior, a foolish and powerful one, who could accept death. Perhaps he had come to respect him. Perhaps it just did not seem right to kill him like some common trash.

"Very well. We will do as you suggest." Ice Wing was shocked with himself at this action. It went against everything he had been taught. "I will tell you where to send my bits."

"You will not regret this, Commander Ice Wing."

"Let us hope so."

On the year 1014 of the Age of the Sun. Mordane Stronghoof fought and lost a battle in the Irona wilderness near the border of Cabistien. Many would in later years give testimony to the events of that day. One being a mare who miraculously survived beneath a crumbling tower.

In the annuls of history, this barely marked conflict between two minor nations would have repercussions, that would be felt even in the very corners of Equis, shaking ancient foundations to their very core.

For on this day the emperor was born.