Some things never changed in Equestria. For all of the grand talk of a unified Equestrian front where race and branch of service were simply titles, the true nature of the beast had reared its ugly head at every available opportunity; the petty squabbling of inter-service rivalries, jealousies and resentments due to decades-old slights, be they real or perceived, were as real now as they had been before the war.

"We need to sally forth into the city! Every second that we're up here moaning is another second for the deer to take the castle!" General Highcliff of the Equestrian Guard argued, tapping his hoof on the map table for emphasis. He was but one of several high-ranking officers who were concurrently shouting over each other in a bid to make their call to action the accepted one. Some, like Highcliff, were of the opinion that waiting in the armory was tantamount to treason. "So help me, inaction will be the death of us! The princess is out there with dwindling reserves, and the deer have no shortage of bodies to throw at our position! We have to act, and we have to act now!"

Others had a different idea about what constituted the proper course of action, and made their voices heard with equal conviction. General Skyshield, one of two Legion officers in attendance, was the first to counter Highcliff.

"Princess Celestia's orders were firm and clear: wait at the armory for her arrival, and do whatever it takes to keep the deer out and the wounded safe. It is not purely a matter of her life, it is a matter of many lives. Civilians, grievously injured soldiers, senior staff -- not to mention the foreign dignitaries! If they're lost then Equestria will become known as a nation that cannot be trusted."

"Politicians be damned, there won't be an Equestria if the princess is murdered by the deer!"

"Equestria is more than the princess!" The remark drew shocked and appalled gasps from more than one stallion. Skyshield pushed on. "We have to think beyond a single mare, important though she may be. The deer do not have the capability to break through this fortified position in their current state, and if we can hold out long enough then--"

"If you think the deer lack the means to crush this place then I suggest you think about what happened to the southern reach, General Skyshield," a senior officer from the Royal Guard interrupted as he stomped in frustration. "They dropped an entire district into the valley below; what hope do we have against that kind of power? Do you truly think they'd hesitate to do the same to us? I am in agreement with General Highcliff on this matter. It is imperative we take the fight to them."

"And what of the wounded? The infirm? Those who are not soldiers? Do we leave them to their own devices? I suppose I should not expect any different from the Royal Guard," Skyshield retorted.

"We will station a group of conscripts with veteran support. They do not need to confront the deer, only keep them from breaching the gate."

"Pah!" His wings burst out in frustration. "A barely-trained militia of bakers' sons and wrinkled farmers. They'll not delay the deer in the slightest. We must keep our forces together, in the armory, if we are to stand a chance! There is no other alternative!"

From the corner of the room General Phalanx brought the edge of his shield down against the floor with a resounding crack. The room went silent as he stormed up to the map table and slammed his helm down, and though he had but one good eye it burned with a terrible anger.

"That's enough! Listen to you, bickering like a bunch of petty housewives! I was under the impression that I was in the company of stallions who gave a damn about making sure their families don't end up as slaves, but apparently I was mistaken! Hell, I'm beginning to think slavery would be preferable to spending another moment trapped in this damn room!"

He looked around at the silent curses and cast-aside gazes of reluctant shame.

"We can spend all gods-damned night arguing about this, but while we're doing so the deer are running amok in the city! Our city! And not one of you has the sack to do something about it!" He took a moment to calm himself before continuing. "Good stallions are dying out there to buy us time to act. Not just ponies, but zebras and whitetail allies. They believe in something greater than themselves. Doesn't matter if it's the princess, or Equestria, or some land far removed from this battle. They've cast aside their differences to fight the redtail; now we must do the same.

"You've all fought the deer menace. You know what they're like, how they fight, how they think. Tell me: have any of you seen them simply take half-measures? Anyone?" The ensuing silence was all the answer he needed. "As I thought. They'll gladly march into catapult fire if ordered to do so, to say nothing of their leaders. That swinging dick Corvalix blew a gaping hole in Evinwiir to frame us as a justification for war. His bitch of a sister sacrificed gods know how many of her own soldiers to turn our whirlwind into a towering inferno that swept away our siege equipment and ripped through the very foundation of the city itself. They will not be content to sit back and starve us out.

"What we need right now is decisive action. If General Stonewall were here I have to imagine he would agree, but unlike the rest of us he's too busy leading from the front to bother with this rabble you all seem to enjoy so much." He drew his short sword and stabbed it into the oaken table top, keeping his hoof on the sun-embossed pommel. "There is only one course available to us now. We will sweep the Cervidaen army from our streets, drive them from our homes, and we will take our nation back -- or we will die trying. You may stay here if you wish. I do not intend to spend my last moments kneeling before the executioner's blade. Now...who among you will join me?"

To the west of the castle, amidst the war-torn remains of a dense residential area, Tercio and his Praetorian companions were on the highest of alerts. With the battle front less than a catapult's throw from their position, and an unknown number of deer spread throughout the city, the soldiers of Celestia's escort couldn't be too cautious. They moved quickly but carefully, using pegasi to scout the area from above, passing bodies and discarded weapons from the previous struggle that had claimed so many during the Cervidaean push into the heart of the city. Here and there could be seen desperate civilians, survivors of the slaughter that had found shelter, huddled in partially destroyed buildings alone or in small groups. They peeked from windows and around corners, relieved but no more willing to come out when they saw the princess passing by. Many had been burned or mauled by the spiteful redtail, some worse than others, and they pleaded for aid or something to drink as the guards kept a watchful eye on them before departing.

"Fucking redtail bastards," Tercio muttered. His heart ached at having to leave the helpless citizens of Canterlot to their own means. He wished he could offer them so much as a sip of water or a fresh bandage to ease their suffering, but every second spent doing so was another second for Elinwynn and Corvalix to escape -- or worse. Who knew what sort of murderous deceit was on their minds? Nothing, he had quickly learned, was ever straightforward with them.

"First contubernium, you're up," Polaris said, motioning to a blind corner just up ahead that opened into a forking intersection. Arrows and spears lay strewn about or had dug themselves into slate-colored walls, and partially dried trails of dark red showed where the fallen had been dragged away by their allies.

Tercio took the lead, pressing himself against a wall and peering around the corner with his weapon at the ready. There was little to be seen by moonlight, while only a single torch was burning in its wall sconce at the far end of the plaza. Tercio recognized the building immediately -- the Haven of the Gods, a temple built by devout believers of Equestria's old faith. Its spiraling steeples and high arches were unmistakable. That meant they weren't far from the market district, and thus were equally close to where the royal siblings had been sighted.

Tercio held his arm up for the others to follow him, and they quickly checked every alleyway and dark corner from which a trap could be sprung. "Clear west," he reported just under a shout. A pair of dead Equestrian Guards hung half-way over the lip of a nearby roof, their wings sticking out at broken angles. The visible shaft of a quinndryll spear spoke to their unfortunate ends.

"Clear south," came a reply a moment later.

"Clear north."

Satisfied that there was no immediate danger, Tercio lowered his shield to give his arm a brief respite. It thudded against the ground as he signaled to a waiting pegasus back where they'd come from. A quick drink from his flask gave him a small boost, though he lamented that the water inside was as cold as the night itself. What he wouldn't have given for a hot drink! A little mulled wine would have been very welcome. Perhaps if he survived the night, he thought morosely, he could indulge in such a luxury. He considered the faded tile frescoes of the temple, little more than silhouettes in the darkness. The old gods certainly wouldn't have minded a bit of wine. After some of the things he'd witnessed at Sapphire Quill's bath house, he doubted the new gods would either.

A sudden clatter from the temple resounded through the plaza, sharp and metallic, and Tercio was immediately on the alert. "We've got trouble," he said aloud. Portly, Bear and Rimeberry soon joined him as he searched for anything out of the ordinary.

"Something wrong?" Rimeberry asked, taking the end position of their impromptu shield wall.

"I heard a noise, like someone dropped something," Tercio answered him.

"It may be a civilian seeking shelter," Bear offered, not sounding entirely sure of himself.

"Or it could be one of those blue-armored does. I'm not taking any chances. Portly, grab another squad, but make it quick. We have to keep moving but we can ill afford to be attacked from behind."

"Right," Portly said, galloping away. Tercio looked over the top of his shield and readied his sword. Something was definitely moving in there. A momentary glint of green caught his eye.

The crystalline spear shot out of the darkness with such speed that he had no time to react before it gouged a hole straight through the armor covering his lower right leg. A terrible fit of sudden pain caused him to shout and drop his guard as he fell to one knee, looking in disbelief at the weapon that was jutting from him and spilling a stream of blood down its polished length.

The plaza erupted in a flurry of motion as every available Praetorian ran to the scene. Bear and Rimeberry were quick to place themselves and their shields in front of him, and not a moment too soon, for in the next instant the deer were upon them all. They came not from the darkened corridor of the temple, but from the balcony high above. Quick bursts of magic slowed them as they dropped down, their numbers at least squad-level in strength, and in the opening seconds they felled three Praetorians before anyone knew what was happening.

"Circle formation!" Rimeberry yelled his order to anyone who could hear him, drawing over five stallions who had come to see what happened to Tercio. "Come on, come on! Hurry up!" Half a dozen deer were upon the small group before aid could arrive, and Tercio found himself locked in battle with a whitetail in ill-fitting armor. He struggled to stand, willed himself to fight back against the pain, but his body would not cooperate. He covered himself with his shield and struck out at his attacker from a half-kneeling position, but it was like a child swinging a toy sword. The deer easily deflected the strike, then thrust his sword out and caught Tercio in the chest. It dug into the armor plate, deflected down with a shrill whine, and slashed into his upper thigh just above his leg guard.

Tercio bit back a cry and nearly fell over, but batted away a second attack with his shield. A thrust of his sword caught the deer in mid-swing and pierced the thinner armor over its belly, driving deep enough that Tercio felt the resistance of bone against his blade. A shout of anger and pain sent a surge of strength through him, raw and primal in its ferocity, and he lifted the deer off the ground as it thrashed helplessly against the gore-covered hilt. It slammed back down against the stone paving with a crack of splitting armor. No sooner had Tercio withdrawn his weapon than a second deer attacked him from the flank, only missing his head by a hair's breadth when he ducked to the side. Purple bristles from his crest showered down as he struggled to bring his shield around to face the new threat, but the injuries to his leg were slowing him down far too much, and the deer knew it. It quickly spun around and delivered a staggering kick, catching the top of Tercio's shield hard enough to send him reeling back. A lightning-quick strike from its knee blades came at him at the same time as an overhead sword swing, and Tercio was forced to try and protect himself from the more deadly of the two attacks. He braced himself and hoped he would still be able to fight back.

Just then a brilliant beam of scorching light erupted from the deer's side, spraying molten crystal shards against a nearby pillar. The deer's blade dropped from its magical grasp as its wide-eyed owner coughed a mixture of bright and cauterized blood onto Tercio's armor, then collapsed on top of him. The smell of scorched flesh was overwhelming.

He shoved the deer off just as Bear stuck out a hoof to help him up. Trying his hardest to stand up again, he was met by the sight of Celestia and a trio of pegasi diving at the nearest group of deer. The pegasi were using their shields as impromptu battering rams, plowing into the enemy at full speed and knocking them off balance so that Celestia could tear into them with her twin swords. She was quick and efficient in her strikes, incapacitating one target at a time with a blow to the chest or neck before following it with a thrust through the head or a severing swing at the base of the skull. Her movements were almost beautiful to behold, deftly avoiding the token defenses of her targets and seeking to minimize their suffering with clean strikes. It was soon over as the remaining deer dropped their swords and ran for their lives, disappearing behind a pair of low buildings down the road.

"That's the last of them!" Thunderburst declared from the roof of the temple before joining the others. At that moment Tercio could not have cared less if the entire deer army was nearby; his immediate concern was the spear jutting from his leg. The adrenaline of combat was fading quickly, leaving only pain in its place, and he gritted his teeth at every movement that caused the weapon to shudder even slightly.

Bear was the first to help, setting his shield over his back and stowing his sword before examining the wound by torchlight. Rimeberry and Portly joined him while Celestia and the other Praetorians secured their position and saw to the dead and wounded near the center of the plaza.

"It is a good thing you had your armor on, or you might have lost this leg. Can you still move it?" Bear asked.

"I would prefer not to, but yes," Tercio answered.

"That is also good. It does not appear to have broken the bone. You are quite fortunate, my friend."

"Yeah, I feel exceptionally gifted right about now," he said in annoyance and anguish in equal measure. "The gods have seen fit to inflict some divine punishment upon me, and right in front of their temple. Truly I am blessed."

Bear looked up to the others. "We are going to have to pull it out." Tercio swallowed hard at the thought of it, but did not object. "Rimeberry, I will need your strength. Come, grasp the spear just above where it sticks out from the armor, and pull when I say so."

"Alright," Rimeberry said, moving to position.

"Portenius, you will help me hold him down. Do not relent or you will prolong his pain, do you understand?"

Tercio closed his eyes and waited, feeling weight on either shoulder and armored hooves on his upper arms. His heart was racing and he swore he had never felt his mouth so dry, and he clenched his fists as Rimeberry took the deer weapon between his forelegs.

"Sorry to have to put you through this sort of shit again," Rimeberry said as he waited for the signal. Tercio hoped there would be no promethium powder this time. Once was more than enough. "Hey, Bear! Can we hurry this up before the princess gets here? I don't think she'll be too fond of the idea of watching her plaything cry like a foal."

Had he not been in such pain Tercio would have bitten back at the jab with a crude joke, but found he was in no mood to do so. Instead he laid his head back, deciding he didn't want to watch the thing get ripped from his leg after all.

"He's right, we need to get this over wi--" His words were cut short by the cold shock of crystal sliding out of his flesh. It took no more than an instant, but the pain was blinding, and he unthinkingly tried to thrash his legs and reach out with his pinned arms.

"Hold him, hold him!" Rimeberry said, already applying a potion-thickened Zevran salve onto a bandage that was then held in place as it spread into the wound like red-tinted mud. It began to rapidly harden, forming a seal to staunch the flow of blood, but in doing so Tercio found that it was akin to stone merging with his body. His suffering mercifully faded for a time as he neared the edge of unconsciousness, only remaining awake through sheer force of will. Translucent blue fluid was poured over the bandage, bringing much-needed relief.

"It is over now," Bear said in an infuriatingly matter-of-fact way.

"What happened to giving a signal?" Tercio growled, closing his eyes and breathing heavily as the worst of it passed.

"It is best not to anticipate these things. My apologies for misleading you, my friend."

Rimeberry was now at his side with a small vial of cloudy, green potion fluid that reeked of wet soil. He dropped it into Tercio's hand once the others were no longer needed to hold him in place.

"You know what to do. Drink up."

Tercio knocked back the foul liquid in one gulp and followed it with half of the water in his flask. He was sure he would be tasting dirt and pine for days, but at least it would dull the ache.

"I am starting to believe you enjoy collecting scars," Bear joked. "Perhaps such is the way of humans."

"I'll be sure to ask next time I see one. How long will the binding hold?"

"I am afraid I do not know the answer, mbon'tu. I am no healer. If it is like promethium, then perhaps an hour or two."

With the plaza now fully secured the Praetorians set about gathering their dead and laying them aside one another. They would have to be gathered and given proper respects after the city had been claimed. Four more to add to the list of countless losses taken by the ponies in less than a day.

Imperator Stonewall trotted up to the small group where Tercio was currently attempting to support himself on his injured leg. He grimaced as a fresh dagger of pain shot out from his mended wound, finding that he could only partially bring his foot down.

"Gods above, Krosus! Every time I look away you're two steps away from death's door! What in the nine hells happened to you now?"

"Redtail spear found me at the start of the ambush. I'm fortunate they didn't aim higher."

Stonewall nickered in a rare moment of genuine exasperation. "Four dead, six wounded...we don't have time for this shit. The deer just bought themselves a reprieve and we're going to have to make up lost ground. Can you walk?"

"I think so," Tercio said cautiously, testing the injured leg again. It was agony, but he had no other choice.

"Don't 'I think so' me, I need a yes or a no. If you can't perform your duties then you're going to have to be left behind. Now, can you walk, Centurion?"

It was only pain -- blinding, teeth-gnashing pain -- but Tercio considered himself to have an intimate relationship with pain by that point. He forced himself to stand tall, to heft his weapon and shield.

"Yes, sir."

"Good, that's what I wanted to hear. Now get back in formation, we're moving out."

He caught Celestia's eye as he limped back to the survivors. Her face had been marred by blood, a long line of arterial spray that dripped down her armor and pooled in the joints where the golden plates met. Her gaze was hard, and distant, as if she was looking through him. She must have caught herself, or perhaps noticed his injury, for that disconcerting edge quickly eased back, ever so slightly, to a look of concern. He placed his hand over his heart and bowed his head slightly, hoping she would get the message. A light nod was his answer, and that was more than enough.

"Let's go, Praetorians!" Stonewall said. "We're not going to find the cowardly tree-rutters if we stand around here with our pricks in hoof!"

Diving from the jagged, jutting stone teeth of the Swaybacks she appeared, like a ghost in the night, moving on silent, gliding wings. Cold mountain air filled her lungs and reinvigorated her tired body after a full day's flight. From beak to tail she shivered with excitement and fear, the old familiar melange of thoughts and emotions that overcame her before every fight. It was more addicting than any drink could ever hope to be, and for a few precious seconds Battle-Master Gilias closed her eyes and basked in its wonderful, terrible glow.

Canterlot lay before her, a burning, broken amalgam of rubble and corpses lit by green and orange torches. Everywhere she looked there were distant figures clashing against one another in an oddly entrancing mix of brightly-colored ponies and their muted allies and enemies. Worryingly, a large chunk of the city was completely gone; only a lightly iridescent swirling trail marked where some unknown catastrophe had permanently gouged the face of the capital city. Whatever the case, it was obvious that the Equestrians were in a bad way.

"Pricks out and swords up, ladies!" Gilias yelled over her shoulder with a curved blade clutched in her claws. More than four hundred of Skytalon's finest griffonesses cawed back in eager acknowledgement. They came from mountain holds all across the Griffon Empire's great expanse, veterans and seasoned killers to the last -- a full Hunter-Killer Pride, personally blessed by the Emperor to bring His divine wrath to those who would threaten the stability and might of their homeland. The time for subtlety, He had decreed, was at an end. So it was that Battle-Master Gilias had been tasked to do what was necessary, and bloody her swords once again.

One last battle. One last promise kept to the only stallion she'd ever cared about.

With a chorus of screeching war cries the griffons tucked in their wings and dove into the fray.

"Scrawk'cawn!"

Empress Elinwynn came to a sudden stop as the echoing, unmistakable shriek rolled in on the wind like a banshee's wail.

"It would seem our Skytalon friends are not quite so neutral as they wish to appear," Corvalix said. He was already scanning the skies for any hint of approaching griffons. Their silhouettes darted against the clouded moon in small groups as they formed up and attacked one after another, though for the time being there was no sign of them posing an immediate threat to himself or his sister.

"An unfortunate but not entirely unexpected turn of events," Elinwynn said, already dismissing the intrusion as she scanned the skyline for signs of the jutting spire she so desired. It had been years since she'd last visited it under the watchful eyes of the royal sisters, and locating it in the dark was proving to be a tiring endeavor. "Still, the bird-beasts have chosen a most unfortunate time to make their presence known. We must make haste. Doubtlessly Celestia will only be delayed for so long."

"Brother-Commander, sir, we've more Equestrian bodies ahead. Four of them. Recent, from the look of things. Purple cloaks and helm crests. Looks like they took several Cervidaens with them, at least."

Still scanning for danger or, more importantly, the Cervidaen twins, Caethil took the young buck's report to heart. It was both a sign that they were on the right path and an indicator that the princess was losing valuable guards. The feeling of dread had only grown since the pegasus messenger, Victus, had departed, for the dark confines of Canterlot's streets could be hiding any number of terrible surprises. He half expected to run into the corpses of Celestia and her stallions around the next corner, or find Elinwynn and Corvalix waiting for him with a thousand soldiers at their side. For now all he could do was carry on, bolstered by the loyal whitetail at his side who looked to him for stalwart guidance, and bury his doubt deep within himself.

"Thank you, Brother-Recruit," he said confidently. "Stay ahead, but do not venture too far lest you become separated."

"Yes, sir."

The scout departed once more, always keeping his head on a swivel as they ventured further into the western district and closer to the city's rim. Somewhere out there, and likely not too far ahead, the princess was on a search for the murderous empress that had evaded them at every turn. Where was she headed, he wondered? Even a newcomer to Canterlot could tell that there was nothing of great importance to be found so far from the castle, unless one placed inordinate value on the numerous shops, temples and bath houses that blanketed the area.

Catching up to Celestia had become paramount. For all of his fury and determination he knew that his Loyalist party could not begin to match the prowess of a full escort of redtail elites, and engaging them openly would have been a foolhardy and short-lived endeavor. He did not fear death, but throwing his life away would accomplish nothing, and so he redoubled his efforts to meet up with the princess and her stallions as Victus had asked of them.

"Wyyran'dil, aetnarri par niin shor; aend'illix, entarri par niin fyyndor," he whispered to himself, a verse of guidance from a youth half-remembered; from a time before the world had gone mad.

Treacherous, the mountain of life; simple, the chasm of death.