Tercio awoke with a splitting pain in his head, stripped to his undergarments in a dark and unfamiliar place. The ground was hard and cold to the touch. He sat up with a groan, feeling his vision swim as he struggled to focus in the dim light. He was in a small room, and the only light source was the glow of a torch far down the end of a hallway. He tried to stretch out his legs, only to find one of them shackled to the floor by a chain. He quickly realized he was in a prison cell.

"Hello?" he called out. "Is anyone there?"

No answer. He wracked his brain to try and remember how he'd gotten in his current situation, but he could see only flashes; mere glimpses of blood, steel, and dirt. There was the training circle, and a fight against Polaris and his battle brothers, and then...nothing.

"If anyone is out there, I could do with a drink of water!"

The sound of heavy door opening echoed down the hallway, followed by the unmistakable sound of hoof steps. The light approached with it, casting a harsh, orange tint. The form of a pony stopped in front of his cell, standing some distance from the bars of his door. Tercio shielded his eyes, waiting for them to adjust. When they did, he recognized the pony immediately.

"Imperator Stonewall! I am extremely relieved to see you. I wasn't sure if anyone was listening."

"Krosus," Stonewall said simply, nodding his head. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I just threw myself down a flight of stairs. My head--" He touched a palm above his ears, only to be met by the rough graze of bandages. At the same time he noticed his hands almost completely wrapped, with spots of dark, dried blood throughout. "Sir, what happened to me? Why am I in a cell?"

"I don't know what happened, not entirely," Stonewall answered, setting his torch in a sconce behind him. "What I do know, however, is that you lost your damn mind out there."

"I don't understand..."

"Mmm. Maybe you don't, but you're in here as a precaution. The princess wanted to speak with you as soon as you were awake. Now that you are, I'm going to bring her here. I suggest keeping to the back of your cell when she arrives. Understood?"

Tercio nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good. I'll be back soon. In the mean time, there is a bowl of water and some bread at the foot of your cot."

Stonewall left without another word, leaving only the uncomfortable darkness as Tercio's only companion. He found that he had just enough play in his ankle chain to lie on his bed or reach the chamber pot in the corner, and not much else...not that he had much else to begin with. He thought of it as being locked in a stone closet. The bread was slightly stale but the water was cold and wonderful, and as he quenched his thirst and dry throat he felt immense relief.

At some point he removed the bandages from his hands, finding them bloody, bruised, and cut. They didn't hurt, but rather throbbed with a numbness that made it hard to hold anything. He could only guess as to how they had become that way, and he tossed the used bandages to the side.

After what felt like a very long time the door swung open at the end of the hallway once more, this time with more than one set of hooves clopping on the rough stone. Imperator Stonewall approached Tercio's cell, and Tercio backed up against the far wall just as he'd been told. Stonewall nodded to his side, and Princess Celestia took her place just in front of him. In the dim light she still looked regal and beautiful to Tercio's eyes, but something about her was different. She looked...tired. Worn out. He wondered if it was merely the shadows playing tricks on him.

"Hello, Tercio," she said in the same familiar, comforting voice he'd so enjoyed listening to when he first met her.

"My Princess," he replied, putting a closed fist over his heart and bowing his head. "I am sorry you must see me under such bizarre circumstances."

"Those circumstances are what we're trying to figure out. How are you feeling?"

"I've been better," he said, raising his blood-caked hands.

Stonewall stepped closer. "Centurion Krosus, I'm going to make something very clear to you: You are in here because you assaulted a fellow Praetorian recruit."

Tercio's eyes went wide. "I did what? What do you mean? Who?"

"Decanus Polaris."

"No, no, that doesn't make any sense. I wasn't assaulting Polaris, I was sparring with him!"

Celestia intervened. "Why don't you tell us what you remember of the day's training?"

Tercio sat on the side of his cot, his head in his hands.

"We...we were training in the sparring circle, outside of the palace grounds. The imperator said it would be good practice, and it would teach us how to fight against multiple opponents. I was with recruits Rimeberry, Thunderburst, and Polaris. I remember defeating Rimeberry and Thunderburst in single combat, but losing to Polaris' magic skills. Then it became a three on one situation. I fought against them as hard as I could, and then..." He shook his head. "And then I don't remember anything past that. Next thing I know, I'm sitting in this cell." Tercio stood up and approached the door, clutching his bloodied hands over the metal bars in the window. "What happened to me?"

"From what we can understand," Stonewall said, "you lost control of your senses. You ceased sparring with Polaris and tackled him to the ground, then you began to hit him in the face as hard as you could with your fists. We tried to pull you off him, but had to resort to a crude impact to the head to render you unconscious."

That explained the injuries. "I don't remember any of it, I swear! Are you sure that's what happened?"

"As sure as I am that Polaris is now fighting for his very survival in the infirmary. You made a bloody mess of his face and upper skull. He'll be lucky to live, much less eat or talk normally again. The apothecary is doing his best to mend Polaris' injuries, but they're extensive."

A huge weight felt like it had suddenly been set firmly on Tercio's chest. Polaris was severely injured, and might die, all because of something he had no recollection of. His head pounded, but he had to try and remember the details, anything that might give him a clue to his situation.

"I...I remember sparring with Polaris. I had the upper hand, but he was a fierce opponent. He started to...to...mock me, I think, but I knew it was in jest. We were merely testing each other."

"Do you remember what he said?" Celestia asked.

"He wanted me to attack him...that's what he kept saying. 'Attack! Attack!' Just like that."

"Is that why you tackled him?"

"No, it couldn't have been. We were in the middle of intense combat, yes, but at no point did I ever feel angry. Certainly not angry enough to do such a horrible thing. That's it. That's all I remember."

"Have you ever had aggressive feelings like this in the past?"

"No more than any other soldier. I assure you, I am not a person who is prone to fits of anger. I never have been."

Celestia turned to Stonewall. "Given his service record makes no mention of any such previous incidents, I'm inclined to believe him. I do not believe Centurion Tercio to be a threat, either to himself or others."

"All due respect, Princess," Stonewall countered, "I find it hard to believe you can state such a thing when Polaris is fighting for his life in the infirmary. If you want proof of this human's capabilities, look no further than the unconscious form of his battle brother."

Tercio clasped his hands together. "Imperator, Princess, I beg of you: Speak to my brother, Victus. Speak to my old unit commanders, speak to my parents and life-long friends. They will all reassure you of the same things I have already told you."

"Be that as it may, Centurion Krosus, there is still the undeniable fact that you assaulted a fellow soldier. Would you suggest it is just, even right, to pretend such a thing never happened?"

He let out a deep sigh. "No. It would not be just."

"Then I believe we've nothing further to discuss."

"Please, just hear me out, sir. I do not want to spend this war rotting away in a cell. I want to do my part to protect the Princess and Equestria, I--"

"What you want is irrelevant, Krosus."

Celestia gave a Stonewall a firm look. "Please let him finish, Stonewall." She nodded to Tercio. "As you were saying?"

"As...as I was saying, I thought that perhaps, if you would allow it, my Princess, I could continue to serve with the Praetorians and earn my place while this war is still being fought. Once we have defeated the whitetail, then I would readily accept any punishment you and Imperator Stonewall see fit." He frowned and added, "I have not given the last fourteen years of my life to Equestria to sit in a prison during her time of greatest need."

Celestia was silent for a short time, a hoof to her chin as she pondered the situation she found herself in.

"You make a strong argument," she finally said. "I cannot speak for Imperator Stonewall, but I see no reason to deny such a request."

"If I agreed to such a thing," Stonewall retorted, "then there are some factors that must be considered. The most obvious is Decanus Polaris' survival. If he dies from his injuries, then you are no longer facing an assault charge -- you are looking at murder. I don't think I need to tell you how serious such a charge would be."

"No, sir."

"Supposing Polaris does survive, then it is up to him to bring charges against you. If he agrees, we will continue from this very position after the war has passed. If he declines any charges, however...well, then there is nothing further. You will not be brought before a tribunal." Stonewall shifted the purple cloak on his back off to one side. "I would suggest you speak with Polaris when, and if, he is conscious. I despise the courts and their long-winded nonsense. It would be best if they never got involved. That, however, is entirely up to him and you. Do something right for once and talk it out like stallions."

Stonewall began to leave, placing his helm back upon his head and yanking his red-dyed mane through the crest.

"Then...I am free to go? For now?" Tercio called to him.

"I suppose you are, Centurion. Muster is just before sunrise tomorrow. Do not be late!"

It took a moment for the Imperator's words to truly strike home. When they did, Tercio felt as if the weight on his chest had been lifted all at once. Tears welled up in his eyes and he sank down to the floor, laughing with relief.

"Oh thank the old gods! If I never see this cell again it shall be too soon!"

Celestia smiled at him and levitated a ring of keys from down the hallway, struggling with the lock for a moment before hearing it give with a loud 'clack'.

"I know Imperator Stonewall has quite the reputation as a stallion of, shall we say, exacting standards, but as you have seen he is not unfair." She waved Tercio near with a hoof, floating another, smaller key to the shackles at his feet. They rattled to the ground. "Please, there is no need to keep your distance. I do not believe you a threat, Tercio."

He scrambled to his feet, saluting smartly before approaching her. "I am forever in your debt, Princess Celestia. I hope the others do not view me as some sort of monster after what happened to Polaris..."

"I cannot speak for them, but I've seen you at work. I've seen how hard you train and how much you want to be the best soldier you can be. If you continue to show that same tenacity then I am sure the others will accept you."

Tercio stepped from his cell, a cool wind sweeping down the hall. He shivered, wishing he had more than just his undergarments.

"My apologies, Princess, but I find myself rather cold at the moment. I don't suppose you would have--"

"Your things? Indeed I do. You will find them with the jailer just outside of the entrance door. I sincerely apologize for putting you in such a situation to begin with, but Imperator Stonewall was insistent we take no chances."

"I understand," he nodded, crossing his arms over his chest for warmth. "Thank you again."

"It is my pleasure. I'm sure you've languished in the cold for far too long; I will leave you to pick up your things and rejoin your Praetorian brothers."

With a curt bow Celestia turned and began to head down the hallway.

"Princess?"

She stopped and faced around once more.

"Yes?"

"I've been meaning to ask...why come to my aid? I would imagine a situation like this is usually handled internally by the soldier's unit. Why come down here to speak with me?"

"Because outside of this city, outside of these walls, Equestria is burning. Every day I have to speak with the widows of fallen soldiers, or the children of murdered citizens. Our home -- my home -- has become a place of misery and hatred. Not too long ago, we prided ourselves on love and community. No one seems to remember that these days," she said, dropping her voice to a firm whisper, "but I do."

A chill wind blew through the forest, rustling leaves and shaking branches. Overhead, clouds sped across the sky and darkened the ground, bringing with them the cool, clean smell of rains yet to come. Somewhere in the vast expanse of the Whitetail Woods, a lone earth pony trudged through the dirt and fallen leaves, his hoofsteps heavy with the weight of his armor. There were no trails, no roads, only a set of very specific directions he kept tucked into his scabbard.

Someone had summoned him. A note, slipped under his door in the night, had said simply "I have use of your skills". On the back of the slip of parchment, numerous steps had been jotted down. And so he'd followed them, confident in his abilities.

After what seemed like a very long time he finally reached his destination, a lone stump in the middle of a thicket. It was surrounded by dead leaves and dried twigs, and they crunched and snapped under his weight as he approached the small pendant resting upon the remnant of the severed tree. A deer and a pony, forming a circle, like a constellation he vaguely remembered. Puzzled, he picked up the porcelain thing and studied it. It looked like a bit of curio one would find at a street merchant's cart, nothing particularly unique.

The pendant began to hum, responding to his touch. It vibrated, then shook, and fell back onto the stump. He stepped back and half drew his sword from its sheathe, watching with equal parts curiosity and caution as a great plume of thick, black smoke gushed from the pendant. For a moment it hung in the air, gently swirling despite the gusting winds. Then, all at once, it took shape -- tall, and lithe. A figure vaguely resembling a pony, but different. A thousand points of nearly imperceptible light, like stars on a dusty night, glittered through the figure's mane and tail. Its body ebbed and flowed with an unseen force, its face a featureless black mask.

"Hello, Lacertus," it finally said, its voice cold as a grave. A chill shot down the pony's spine, harsher than any bellowing storm. He kept himself composed, just as he'd always done.

"I take it you're the one who summoned me to this damnable place in the middle of nowhere."

"Yes, I am. Is that an issue?"

"That depends," he answered with a shrug. "What is it you want, exactly? I suggest you make it quick, my time is valuable."

"I'm sure." The smokey figure cocked its head at him. "Answer me this, Lacertus: How long have you been a sell-sword?"

"Three decades. Seventy-six contracts."

"And how many of those contracts were you able to complete successfully?"

"Seventy-six." He smirked and patted the hilt of his sword with a hoof. "Is there a point to this?"

The twisting black mass flared briefly. "Of course there is. And you would be wise to watch your tone, little earth pony."

Lacertus chuckled dismissively. "Little? If you think I'm little, you should--"

"Enough. There is no point to this bickering. I wish only a yes or a no from you, nothing more or less."

"And the question is...?"

"Will you kill who I send you after? Without fail?"

"I'll kill an entire town if you want me to, so long as you pay me."

"Good. That is very good." The dark figure smiled with shockingly bright teeth, sharp as blades and glinting otherworldly light. Lacertus felt the air pulled from his lungs, and in a singular moment he knew fear for the first time in many years.

"Who...who do you need dead? Keep in mind, my services are not cheap," he stated after regaining his confidence.

"There is only one target, Lacertus of Canterlot. A very valuable target. One that will make you wealthy beyond your wildest dreams."

Green-blue eyes, sharp and thin like a dragon's, appeared on the thing's face. They affixed him with an unblinking gaze. "Princess Celestia."

Lacertus' eyes went wide for the briefest of moments.

"That's quite the kill. I may be good, but do you really expect me to take on an entire city's worth of guards?"

"Of course not. I have already arranged for a distraction. You need only take advantage of the commotion. Will that be a problem, earth pony?"

It wouldn't be easy. It would likely be incredibly difficult. But it would be the kill of a lifetime. The ultimate show of his prowess. He would be remembered for all of eternity as the one who butchered a goddess. It would be glorious.

"No," he said confidently, smiling with barely-contained glee, the joy of the hunt spreading over him once more. "That won't be a problem in the least."

Tercio was free once more. Though he had only been locked up for a few days, most of it in unconsciousness, it felt like so much longer. Yet even as he relaxed in the cool, comforting winds that swept through the cliff-side city, his heart was heavy with guilt and worry. A fellow recruit was in serious condition, and may die, all because of something beyond his control. No matter how many times he replayed the fight in his head, trying to pick out any little detail, he couldn't remember what had been the trigger for such an attack. Furthermore, he had no idea why it hadn't happened in the fourteen previous years of service he'd given to Equestria. Surely if it was a simple rise of anger it would have happened sooner, wouldn't it? There had to be something more, something he was missing.

He'd stopped by the infirmary, where the apothecary had gone over the extent of Polaris' wounds. It shook Tercio to his core to know he'd caused them. So far Polaris had not grown worse, but he had not grown better, either. He was in a state of perpetual unconsciousness; the apothecary described it as being alive but not fully living. Tercio didn't fully understand it, and it only served to frustrate him more.

When he finally returned to the Praetorian barracks he found his bunk just as he'd left it, with his gear still kept in the trunk at the foot of his bed. The only real change came from his fellow recruits. He hadn't heard anything from the full-fledged Praetorians down the hall, but the others in his area -- Rimeberry and Thunderburst -- were much quieter than he had previously seen them. Polaris' own bunk, across from his, had been kept tidy for his hopeful return.

The others didn't say much to him that night, keeping to themselves for the most part. It wasn't anger or resentment he felt directed at him when they gazed in his direction, but rather, caution. They were afraid of him, afraid that they might be the next to end up in the infirmary at his hands. He wanted to defend himself and tell them how he wasn't in control of his mind or body when it happened, but thought it best to simply say nothing for the time being. Likely, he would have to earn their trust once more -- not to mention Princess Celestia's, and that of his Imperator -- and he intended to do exactly that, no matter what it took.

"Come on, Equestrian, just give up. Isn't it enough to be beaten back-to-back?"

Victus stabbed his gladius into the soil and picked himself up off the ground, his armor stained with grass and dirt. Twice now he'd challenged Gilias to single combat, and twice he'd been defeated handily. So too, in fact, had every other challenger. Three continuous hours of combat, and the griffon hadn't lost a step. He liked to think he was a competent warrior, but Gilias seemed to be on a whole other level entirely.

"Not until I've taken your precious amasec, griffon."

"Still got some fight left in you, huh? I admire that." Gilias twirled her curved blades in her hands, clinking her talons against the sharpened steel. "Alright, let's make this interesting."

"What did you have in mind?" he asked wearily.

"How about this: If you win this fight, you can have all three casks. No questions asked."

"And if I lose?"

Gilias smiled wryly. "Then I get your helm."

He jerked back. "What? Why on Earth would you want my helm? It wouldn't even fit you."

"Call it a souvenier," she answered with a shrug. "Those gold inlays sure are nice..."

He stood in silence, unsure of whether or not to take the challenge. The others started to goad him on, shouting for him to defend the honor of the 44th Legion. Easy for them to do, they had nothing to lose.

"...fine. Winner take all." His battle brothers cheered. Gilias simply smirked at his answer.

"I see you found your balls after all. Gotta be honest, I didn't think you'd accept."

"I suppose I'm full of surprises," he said, getting back into a battle stance with his gladius clutched in his mouth.

"You'll need to pull out a few if you want a chance, Equestrian."

Just as the first blade was about to be thrust, a loud sound stole the encampment's attention. The gathered ponies turned to see what the interruption was, finding a pegasus making a circle around the area with a trumpeting horn in his mouth. It landed near Legatus Lentius, sharply saluting before dropping a scroll at his hooves. The legatus studied the parchment, his eyes narrowing at the unseen words. He said something to the pegasus messenger, and the pair went back and forth for a moment. Then, just as suddenly as he'd arrived, the messenger took to the air and was gone. The legionaries stood silent, waiting for their commander to say something. He took to the pedestal near his private tent, raising a hoof in the air.

"Everyone gather 'round and listen up!"

Gilias grumbled and stuck her swords back into their sheathes.

"We'll finish this later, Equestrian."

"I certainly hope so," Victus said.

Lentius clopped a hoof on the pedestal. "You all know me. I'm not one to mince words or sweeten them like honey. I will not waste your time, or my own. Thus, the message I bring to you is simple: Effective immediately, the 44th Legion is mobilized for war!" A surprised murmur rushed through the crowd before it was silenced by a wave of the legatus' foreleg. "Word has just reached me that a scout patrol from the 28th Legion was wiped out, save for one survivor who was let go to deliver a message. That message said that unless Equestrian forces meet the Whitetail in open combat outside of the Everfree forest, the deer will slaughter every living thing on their path to Canterlot. Stallion, mare, or foal."

Shouts of anger were his response, outrage at such a horrific ultimatum.

"And so, we will march out to face the enemy tomorrow morning!" Lentius raised his voice, holding his hooves high over his head. He knew that his soldiers looked to him for inspiration, and so he summoned the voice of his very heart and soul, that he might instill in them the confidence he could only hope he could give them in return.

"Take the night to prepare your equipment and load your sacks with provisions! Sharpen your blades and clean your armor to a mirror shine, so that the light of Celestia's sun may blind the motherless deer! For tomorrow the 44th will fight, and we will kill, and by the gods old and new we will visit upon our enemies such terrible wrath that their entire species will wish it had never heard the name of Equestria!"