Gilias had long since considered herself jaded to the reality of war. The heavy smell of death, the screams and moans of the wounded and dying, the crushing exhaustion that came with pouring every ounce of strength and will into surviving for just that extra moment longer against an opponent; it had become routine, and the ease with which she fought and killed only grew as time went on. She still took great enjoyment in besting her enemies, of course. Nothing could possibly hope to match that rush of adrenaline as her swords moved with deadly precision and rewarded her with sprays of arterial gore that dyed her feathers a deep crimson and a metallic tang that was at once stomach-churning and invigorating. It spoke to her inner predator, pushed her toward that next kill, and she'd followed it more times than she could possibly begin to count. Her list of victims, had she bothered to keep tally, would have stretched into the hundreds with ease.

That disconnect had come crashing down when Steel Spark died in her arms. Battle-Master Gilias, the unflappable griffon warrior and veteran of numerous conflicts, the trusted right claw of the Emperor Himself, had finally found someone who cared about her -- and in the end she'd been helpless to keep him from harm. The very idea of feeling such a close connection to a pony, of all things, was and remained absurd even to herself, but the terrible weight she'd felt upon his death was more real than any of the mangled bodies she'd witnessed over the years. She may not have 'loved' Steel Spark, but she'd felt something genuine when he was around, and that had been enough.

Now, as she regained her strength in heavy lungfuls of cold air, surrounded by the remains of a squad of redtail conscripts in a mishmash of broken armor, that same feeling of mental exhaustion ebbed at the edges of her thoughts until she was sure it would drive her mad. The rush of combat was still ever-present, and she'd felt it the moment she dove into the deer and enacted her bloody task with her battle-sisters, but now more than ever she was carrying on because she simply had to. She was the great Battle-Master Gilias, chosen of the Emperor, and unparalleled slaughter was expected of her without question.

"Hell of a sight, isn't it?" Battle-Veteran Glindoria asked as she sheathed her twin blades, her beak still dripping with blood. The arrival of her griffoness hunter-killer pride had caught the deer completely off guard, at least for a time, but they had paid a heavy toll for their intervention. The bodies of her fallen warriors, over thirty in all, joined the literal mounds of mixed-species corpses that riddled the streets of Canterlot, and in that moment she hoped that soon she would never have to see such a thing again.

"Yeah...hell of a sight," she answered with trembling claws. "You know what? I'm getting sick of this shit, Glin."

Glindoria placed a claw on her shoulder, one of the few griffons she considered a friend. "Come on, Gil. We're not done just yet."

Another battle resolved, another to come. Gilias pushed herself skyward, gathering her warriors with a roaring caw, and sought the next band of deer upon which to ply her bloody trade.

Outside of the armory, General Phalanx was in the final stages of gathering as many able-bodied stallions as possible to take back Canterlot. Between the various Guard branches and volunteers from the conscripts he'd managed to pull together over a thousand in total, a small force in the grand scheme of things but more than sizable enough to make its presence known.

There had been some good news scattered amongst the reports of overwhelming deer advances and murdered civilians: the princess was alive and well, according to a pair of pegasus messengers from the Royal Guard, and was attempting to hunt down a fleeing Elinwynn after a brilliant break-out from the castle. A large force of Praetorians were with her every step of the way, along with two detachments of pegasus strike teams personally chosen by Phalanx himself to keep an eye on her from above. No prong-head would sneak up on her if he had anything to say about it.

Surprisingly, and somewhat annoyingly, a large force of griffons from Skytalon had arrived and were carving into the deer in the distance. It was not that he did not welcome their aid, as Canterlot could certainly use any assistance it could get, but with every intervening non-pony it felt like less of an Equestrian battle and more of a case of foreign aid being what would save them. He knew it was a stubborn, old-guard way of thinking, but he'd seen the war through from its very first battle all the way to Evinwiir and back to Canterlot with his stallions. It was the Equestrian races that deserved to claim victory over the deer, not griffons or zebras!

Still...it was hard to argue with the results. The griffons were strong and skilled, and if he had to place coin on it he would have bet they were being led under the guiding wing of that insufferable Gilias. Perhaps this time she'd be a pain in the ass for the deerfolk alone.

"Alright, listen up Equestrians!" he bellowed from atop a supply crate surrounded by spare shields and armor pieces. The stallions watched him with interest and weariness, some marching into battle for the first time. "I'm not here to give you some long-winded speech about duty and honor and all that bullshit, I'm here to make one thing very clear: this is our last best hope of taking Canterlot back from the tree-rutting assholes who think Equestria belongs to them! As I speak, there are thousands of ponies, zebras and loyalist whitetail out there in isolated pockets that are fighting for their very survival! We are going to march through this city, kill every last Cervidaen we see, and reunite with our brethren until we push those fucking deer right off the edge of this city! Is that clear?"

"Hah-ooh!" came the answer of a thousand voices.

"Let's try that again. I said, is that clear?!"

"HAH-OOH!"

Phalanx nodded in approval. "It damn well better be, because we're not getting a second chance at this. Fight with all of your tenacity, and do not show the deer any mercy. You certainly won't receive any in turn." He donned his white-crested helm, his glittering cape flowing in an ethereal wind, and drew his sword defiantly.

"Move out, Equestrians!"

They were close now, Celestia was certain of it. The unmistakable tingle of magic was growing stronger with each passing moment. It spread across her mind like a cold ripple, a feeling that, before now, had only come from being in close proximity to a significantly powerful spell, yet here it was as a mere passive effect of Elinwynn's presence.

A squad of pegasi darted overhead in every direction, frantically searching the area for any sign of the redtail. Reports from the officer in charge came her way in frustrated, clipped messages. Everyone knew the enemy was close, and in significant numbers, but no one seemed to be able to pinpoint their location.

"I don't like it," Imperator-General Stonewall said as he trotted alongside her. They passed the smoldering corpses of zebras and ponies alike that had been caught in an emerald flame inferno that left the surrounding area charred and blackened. "Where in the hell are they hiding? We know the empress and her brother have a significant personal guard with them, but we've seen neither hide nor hair of a deer since the ambush. You'd think they'd be unable to escape the attention of flying scouts! Though I suppose at this point I shouldn't be surprised by anything the prong-heads do."

"They're likely concealing their presence, like they did with the civilians," Polaris said. The tip of his horn was glowing a pale blue, the result of the same magical overflow that Celestia was feeling far more intensely.

Stonewall wasn't convinced. "The first time they tried that even our pegasi could feel where the bastards were. They'd be fools to pull the same trick again."

"Not if their magii are more skilled."

"Polaris is right," Celestia said. "Elinwynn's Imperial Protectorate does are the most skilled magic users in Cervidae. It's entirely possible that they're hiding their beloved empress from sight while masking their own presence in the aether."

"What, even from you?" Stonewall asked incredulously.

"Do not underestimate them, my friend. I can feel us drawing ever closer, but trying to pinpoint them is like staring into a blinding light. Stay on alert."

The old stallion grunted in annoyance and picked up his pace to catch up with the lead Praetorian squad. "Damned magical nonsense..."

The battered remnants of two full contubernia had joined together and formed a solid line of shields and spears thirty paces ahead of the princess and her closer escorts, good soldiers who kept their heads on a swivel and said nary a word as they checked every dark corner, roof top and window for any sign of further attack. The ambush had shaken them, if only inwardly.

"General, sir," Bear said, one of six stallions assigned to watch the flanks and rear.

"Bear," Stonewall replied, giving a slight nod to the zebra. "Anything to report?"

"Not a thing. It is nkaanda. Ah, I am not sure of this word in Equestrian...something to be unsettled with?"

"Disconcerting?" Portly offered quietly.

"Perhaps that is the word, yes. It is not like the deer to leave us be for so long after an attack."

Stonewall had been thinking the same thing. Phalanx and the other senior cadre had often spoken of the deer counter-attacking once they'd appeared to run off, and with the princess being protected by such a relatively small number of soldiers it was strange that they hadn't come back yet. He hoped that it meant Elinwynn's guard contingent was smaller than they believed, but he wasn't about to make any assumptions.

"Don't worry, we'll find them soon enough. Keep on the lookout."

"Of course, General."

"Krosus! How's that unsightly monkey leg of yours holding up?" Stonewall asked.

The human was walking with a pronounced limp now, though if it was slowing him down he wasn't letting it show. Stonewall had to admit he was impressed with just how much shit Tercio had been through and kept going.

"Hurts like the nine hells, sir, but I'll manage. I dare say I've long since come to enjoy pain."

"So it would seem. If that wound starts bleeding again you let me know immediately, understood?"

"Yes, sir," Tercio said.

"Good. As you were."

A red-caped pegasus dove down from high above the roof tops and came to a stop in mid-air just in front of Stonewall, with rank bars that marked him as a senior scout. His equipment was mostly free of the scars and stains of warfare, no doubt a reservist from the armory.

"General, sir, we've managed to contact the Whitetail Loyalists to the northwest, near the painted storehouse. They say they know where the redtail are, along with their last known direction of travel, and are requesting we join them as soon as possible."

Stonewall lifted a foreleg in surprise.

"Do they now? How the hell did they manage that?"

"The one in charge of the group, Kethil or something similar, said they'd spotted a pair of Exemplar scouts surveying the area in suspicious detail. He cannot be absolutely certain, but it's more than we have currently."

This was exactly the break they needed. If the allied deer were right, then Stonewall intended to waste no time.

"Tell them we'll be there shortly. And make sure the redtail don't spot you on the way back! Damn fine work, son!"

The scout left without another word, leaving Stonewall to gallop back to Celestia and report the news with his Praetorians running along behind him. This was it.

Every step was a new agony, different from the last. The quick-acting salve had staunched the flow of blood, and had done so better than the promethium he'd been subjected to in his last encounter with the deerfolk, but the sensation of rough stone grinding against his wounded flesh was difficult at best. Tercio did his utmost to push on and ignore it, keeping up with the others as they trudged through what remained of the city in the hopes of finding their allies. What he wouldn't have given for a single apothecary and a proper dressing!

Behind him, surrounded by Praetorians, Celestia kept pace with a determined grace about her. He marveled that he had never seen her so focused, so steadfast, in all of their time together. After everything that she had witnessed, all of the death and destruction that would have rightly broken most anyone else, the necessary evils that had kept Equestria from falling, she finally saw a way to put an end to it once and for all. Her tenacity above all else drove him on.

Yet as he carried out his task he could not help but notice a persistent hum at the edge of his hearing. It was barely audible, like a whisper in a crowd, and the more he focused on it the queerer it became. It was not causing him pain, nor was it preventing him from continuing on, but it was most certainly there. He considered asking if the others heard it, but there were far more important things to be concerned with.

Overhead, the pegasus squads kept eagle-eyed lookout for any signs of movement or magic. Foremost among them, at the point of the spearhead, the ragged, caped figure of Victus dipped and banked against the moonlit clouds.

Let the redtail come, Tercio thought. Let the empress herself stand before them. He would endure the pain of a hundred wounds if it meant those he cared about would live through the night.

"Ahead!" Polaris said, holding up a hoof to slow the procession of guards to a trot. An immediate shield wall formed at the front, with Tercio acting as the anchor. Spears were set in place between tower shields in a two-tier formation, while the third row readied their pila and nocked arrows.

The deer were visible now, numbering roughly three squads worth in mismatched armor. No doubt there were more around, keeping themselves hidden.

Polaris stepped forward as the Praetorians stopped in place and scanned the area. Though they were supposed to be friendly, one could never quite trust the deer to act exactly as expected; they had learned that much months ago, to say nothing of the long night they now endured.

"Who goes there? Identify yourself else iron and steel shall be your fate!"

The stag at the front bowed his head and saluted with a hoof against his chest. Tercio noted that he wore the full armor of a Whitetail soldier, and for a brief moment the memories of the ambush outside of Canterlot vividly came back. It made his heart quicken, and his grip tightened on the oaken shaft of his spear.

"It is good to see friendly faces," the deer said. "I am Caethil Antiirix, former Brother-Captain of the Evinwiir Capital Guard and proud soldier of the true Whitetail, and these are my charges. You will find they are loyalists to the last, and good bucks."

A smile crossed his face as he recognized a one of the few stallions he considered a true friend.

"Greetings, Baer'barisater. The redtail have not gotten the best of you just yet, it would seem."

"Not for a lack of trying," Bear replied with stone-faced seriousness.

Celestia moved closer and saluted in respect to her new allies. "We meet at last, Caethil. I have heard much about your journey from my faithful Zevran Praetorian. I must say, while I am not fond of deceit, your efforts to bring the zebras to our aid have been exceptionally welcome."

"Apologies, Princess," Caethil said, "but Bear was insistent that I had some role to play in this grand mess of an ordeal. Were it not for him I would likely be in some unmarked grave in Evinwiir by now. In any case, I am glad you are all well. I feared you had been overrun before we could join our forces against the empress. Have your flying scouts seen any sign of her yet?"

"I am afraid not, but I know she is close," Celestia said.

"Without a doubt. While we have not seen her since she made her escape from your attack -- which was brilliantly done, if I may say so -- we've been tailing the Exemplars for some time from a distance. We thought we'd lost them until Brother-Recruit Sindrii spotted a pair of the bastard redtail moving along a side street, presumably as a scouting party. They were only visible for a brief moment before they were enveloped in an invisibility spell, but they were unmistakably redtail soldiers. We stayed put and waited until Victus found us once more. It would appear they're still headed west, towards the rim of the city, though they are quickly running out of space."

Celestia nodded. "You did well, Brother-Captain. Speak with Imperator-General Stonewall and we'll move as one."

The city's edge was fast approaching, and there was little to nothing of strategic value to be gained by Elinwynn in continuing that way. What, then, could be so important to her?

As the deer integrated themselves into the Praetorian formation, taking their places at the left and right edges, Celestia scanned the darkened skyline. Perhaps she was going about things wrong and needed to change her way of thinking. After all, Elinwynn had always been an emotional doe. Cunning and manipulative, to be sure, but everything about her, from her method of rule to her justifications for starting the war with Equestria, had come from a place of deep-seated spite and ancient, petty grudges.

The war was all but lost for Cervidae, a fact that had to be clear even to the empress and her brother. Elinwynn would do anything to keep control of her power and her nation, and if she was going to lose then she would no doubt seek whatever means she could find to hurt Equestria -- even if she had to do so in a purely pyrrhic fashion.

"Stonewall, are we ready to depart?" Celestia asked. Stonewall was just finishing speaking with Caethil. His glittering, blood-stained cloak fluttered to his side as a gust of wind blew through the city.

"We are," he said. "What are your orders?"

"We'll follow Caethil's advice and continue west. I believe I know exactly where Elinwynn is headed."

Corvalix's frustration was immeasurable. He and his soldiers had been wandering in the dark, dutifully following his sister for what felt like an inordinate amount of time, knowing that with every passing moment the noose was drawing tighter around their necks. He had dared not ask what Elinwynn's plans were, but the temptation to question her was growing to the point that he feared he would not be able to control himself soon.

"Forgive me, Your Grace," a veteran Protectorate doe said, "but we cannot maintain the illusion spell for much longer. My sisters and I will need time to recover if we are to be of further use to you."
Elinwynn did not bother to look back.

"I am aware, Aalyndria. Do not think me so blind to the ebb and flow of powers beyond your comprehension."

A shadow crossed the doe's face, hidden almost entirely under the stern facade of prideful professionalism, but there nonetheless. A wounded ego was unmistakable.

They continued on for only a short time more before coming to a stop near a cobblestone path. Twin brazers reduced to glowing coals marked where it passed between short, picket-topped walls, leading up a shallow hill to a tall building beyond. Towering spires topped with muted hues of gold and purple jutted against the darkness like rounded spear points and stood in sharp contrast to the pocked, off-white brickwork that spoke to the building's age.

"Here," Elinwynn said with a matter-of-fact tone. Corvalix was already assessing the area for its defensive potential. There was little in the way of cover and concealment, but the wall would provide a decent place for a unit of ranged weapons.

"Brother-Captain Kaepax: I need two squads of bucks to hold this position, with an additional squad to provide support from afar. I leave it to you to decide upon the best formation," he said.

The senior officer saluted and immediately set about carrying out Corvalix's command, drawing a quarter of his available forces for the task. A pair of magii soon joined them, younger members of the Imperial Protectorate who were no less capable of great feats of power.

As the soldiers scrambled into position, Elinwynn continued up the path with an unheard exchange between herself and Aalyndria. Corvalix caught up to her just as the tingle of magic faded from his body.

"The illusion spell is unnecessary," she said by way of explanation. "Celestia is close now. We will be better served using our magic elsewhere." The strain seemed to melt away from the magii as they took the opportunity to let their connection to the aether strengthen itself once more. The air around them grew colder, causing the grass and stones under their hooves to momentarily frost over while their armor sparkled like a window on a winter's morn.

Corvalix had no earthly idea where they might be, but Elinwynn seemed to carry on with the utmost confidence. He finally chose his moment to pry as the rim of the city came into view below, far beneath the stone walls that separated the narrow walkway from the expansive garden below. Short evergreens and curious glowing bushes and flowers speckled the area and cast a multi-colored warmth across the undisturbed snow. This was clearly somewhere of importance.

"The Royal Library," Elinwynn intoned suddenly, as if she could read his thoughts. "Celestia spoke of it on occasion. She seems to think quite highly of it. A private repository of Equestria's 'fabled' history."

"At least it appears as such to the untrained eye?" he led on.

"Don't be foolish," Elinwynn rebuked him, "what you see is what you get, dearest brother."

There had to be something she wasn't telling him, Corvalix was sure of it. She was not the type to waste her time and effort on something so trivial as musty old scrolls and yellowing pages.

"I see..." he said cautiously.

"No," Elinwynn said, "you do not."

At the end of the path awaited an arched entryway, with a wooden sign curving over the top that he was unable to read. The air changed as soon as he was within its confines, becoming comfortably warm. A sort of spell, he guessed, enchanted into the stonework or maintained by some unknown means. If nothing else, he could forget about the damned cold for a while.

Ahead was set of double doors, tall and curved to match the entrance, with an incredibly elaborate mosaic carved into the woodwork. Corvalix studied the scenes with a curious eye, running a hoof over them as Elinwynn waited impatiently for him to finish. It was obviously a telling of Equestria's history, most interestingly showing a pair of winged unicorns presiding over a war-torn landscape until their light swept over the ponies in the next scene, ultimately ending in two smaller, younger winged unicorns encircling the sun and moon. It was, he had to admit, a fascinating sight to behold.

"See how Celesatia's forebears considered themselves morally superior." Elinwynn looked over the art with disgust. "Equestria likes to think of itself as the harmless savior of civilization, a bastion of peace and advancement in a world gone mad. Their art is as self-serving as their rulers.

"How strange that there is no mention of the great Ochrourus Collective splitting in twain, no passing acknowledgement of the winged unicorns' support of the zebras in their ancient war of expansion against the griffons. They did these things not out of the goodness of their hearts, but out of their own self-interest. Such is the way of their brutish kind."

Glittering smoke seeped from her eyes as he felt her power surge back to the surface.

"Such has always been their way, and so shall it continue to be unless we make it quite clear that their actions have long-reaching consequences."

With a blast of magic the doors were sent flying off their hinges, skidding across the floor beyond and tumbling end over end with a clamor of shattering wooden shelves and rolls of parchment. They came to a rest against a far wall, surrounded by detritus and glowing softly where the spell had dented them inward as if beaten by a great hammer. Elinwynn and Corvalix stepped into the tall building, flanked by guards on either side.

It was an old place, with row upon row of book cases and scroll depositories that stretched out along a grand central hall that was lit by numerous magical crystal lamps, giving the area a soft blue glow. To one side, beyond a painting of the Equestrian sunset, a spiral staircase led to three separate tiers where wooden chests were stacked from floor to ceiling. Opposite that, a different staircase was silhouetted by a large mosaic that Corvalix could not make out in its entirety. It went nearly to the top of the high, domed ceiling before splitting into a trio of short walkways that led to the spires that jutted from the eastern side of the building.

The library was obviously quite old, but it seemed to be impeccably cared for. There was a slight musty smell of yellowing pages and forgotten things, as was to be expected, yet the dust of countless years was nowhere to be seen. Everything, from the dark marble and wrought iron of the stair cases to the polished hardwood floor, looked brand new.

Corvalix dutifully followed Elinwynn past shelving inscribed with strange hieroglyphs, the collective hoofsteps of the deer echoing loudly throughout the building.

"We are not here simply to enjoy the scenery," Elinwynn said, scanning every shelf she passed with an inquisitive eye.

"How utterly surprising," Corvalix replied dryly. "What is it, then? Is this some sort of quest to deny the ponies their vaunted history? Shall we hold a great bonfire in the name of Cervidaen victory?" A slight hint of resentment had seeped into his voice. He found himself unwilling to care if she noticed.

Elinwynn scoffed. "Please. I am no philistine, and we are not some rabble of unkempt barbarians. The knowledge contained within these walls, however droll the majority of it might be, shall be ours once Equestria surrenders. No, we will not burn this place to the ground." She turned to the head of her escort detail. "Have your bucks spread out. I want every crystal slate you can find that's written in Whyyttalia or Ochrouriliis. Bring them to me, and do so quickly."
The soldiers split off in all directions as Elinwynn was taken by a sudden flaring of power that visibly passed over her in a ripple of dark green light. She shut her eyes against the unknown influence and mumbled to herself while the magii pretended not to notice, turning away from her while carefully keeping her in view. Their short coats bristled where their armor did not cover.

"--wanted power but it belongs to me alone this is my empire...as the serfs huddle in the dark hallways of the forgotten writhing shall my father forthwith bring..."

Her words were a seemingly random rabble of incoherent thoughts and half-recalled memories. Aalyndria and Athil'loren cast askew glances at one another, taking half-steps back. The wildly fluctuating magic emanating from the empress had set them on edge, to say nothing of her behavior.

"Elinwynn?" Corvalix carefully asked.

"...things upon unsaid spent lives cast out through the shimmering sect for the lesser among..."

"Elinwynn!" He stomped a hoof hard enough to splinter the wooden flooring. Her eyes snapped open and seemed to peer into him, peer through him. He shuddered internally and gulped down his fear, both of her and for her. "Listen to me! You must keep focus. Do you understand? You are losing yourself to this dark influence, but I know you are stronger than that. Do not let it control you."

She casually and gently rested her head upon his shoulder pauldron, unnervingly still for a time, then spoke at a whisper.

"They are here."

"What? Who is--"

The sudden eruption of nearby battle made his ears perk up in alarm. The Equestrians had found them.

Elinwynn embraced him tightly, gently rocking him from side to side as she nuzzled his armor.

"They are here."

For all of their skill in battle, the deer had not been expecting their first contact with the Praetorians to come in the form of a massed volley of arrows and pila arcing over the roof tops. Scattershot though it may have been, relying on weight of numbers rather than precision, it served its purpose in striking down several of the redtail before they could react, and with a roaring shout the combined forces of Equestria and Whitetail came pouring out of the nearby alleyways to take advantage of the resultant confusion. The first Praetorians crashed into the deer defending the lower courtyard and its low wall, using their speed and power to ram into the enemy with their tower shields. Crystal flakes and streams of gore spattered the snow-flecked ground as the ferocity of their strikes claimed more lives.

But the redtail were quick, and well-trained, and it took no more than a few brief moments for them to respond in kind. Their counter-attack poured forth in a torch-lit wash of bodies and glinting weapons that resounded like shearing metal, supported from behind by magii who willed shields into being and brought down rains of darts in sparking, shimmering clouds. As they did so, focused entirely on the struggle before them, pegasi squads circled around the far side of the towering royal library and struck the magii from behind with flying spear thrusts that pierced and shattered the sapphire quinn-plate armor. Many of the vaunted doe forces fell in a chorus of shocked gasps and pained shouts, and the pegasi fled with utmost haste to avoid the retribution that was quickly turned their way. Many escaped, hurling themselves behind steeples or diving below the city's rim, but a scant few were captured in paralyzing spells and were soon cut down by the very weapons they had left behind in their victims.

Down on the ground, at the center of the fray, the Praetorian squad was in a desperate fight against an enemy that cared nothing for its own well-being. The speed, skill and ferocity of Corvalix's Exemplars was unlike anything they had encountered in the forest or during the brief, one-sided slaughter following Celestia's ambush, and they were paying in blood for every step they gained.

So too were the Loyalists who had taken up a strong right flank. Their pitched combat was entirely more personal, and the two factions of deer cleaved into one another with unbridled hatred and merciless assaults punctuated by deertongue curses. Caethil had taken position front and center, personally leading his bucks to cut off and decimate the redtail that were holding a small hillock nestled against the side of the library. A fire burned in his eyes for all to see, and his antlers glowed with magic. With every strike, every slash and thrust, he grit his teeth against the resultant spray of blood that dyed his armor and coat a ruddy red.

A momentary gap in the Exemplar line allowed Polaris and his squad to push a few extra precious steps forward, creating a bulge in the battle line. It was the slightest of advantages, an opportunity that would be momentary at best, but it was enough. With Tercio, Bear and Rimeberry spearheading the push the Praetorians struck at the center of the deer formation, fighting off crystalline swords and knee blades and splitting the first two lines of redtail forces in half. Further bucks came charging in from behind to reinforce, and the brief push came to a grinding halt just beyond the low wall.

Celestia had been right after all. The Royal Library, which was at most a curious relic to the majority of Equestrians, had drawn Elinwynn like a moth to a flame. To what end, she could not be sure. The library contained the knowledge of thousands of years of civilization, yet it was almost entirely innocuous in its contents; a collected history scattered throughout with long outdated spells and old ways and means, dusty tomes and stacks of parchment, manifests and communiques from rulers long dead and forgotten that had presided over nations that were similarly lost to the ages. Perhaps, the princess thought, Elinwynn wanted nothing more than to destroy that very history so that all that remained was hearsay and speculation. If that were the case, why hadn't she simply set fire to the building once she'd broken in? It was a curious and troubling thing to consider that would not leave her mind despite the ferocity of open warfare. She intended to find out once she'd finally brought the empress to heel, and all that remained between her and that goal was a final, fanatical group of deer. They were formidable opponents, even for the Praetorians. Their martial prowess was backed by skilled does who were doing everything in their power to bat away any ranged support that the ponies might try to make use of. When not focused the continued assaults of the pegasi and their volleys of spears, they threw up magical barriers that slowed the stabs and slashes that would have otherwise brought down the most vulnerable Exemplars, and Celestia could not help but hold a grudging respect for their ability to flit between the two with a speed that was almost preternatural.

A sudden shout resounded throughout the courtyard, and the deer pushed their way forward through sheer strength and weight of numbers, gaining a firm hold that allowed them to take back the low wall.

"Let us handle this, you focus on those magii," Stonewall said from his vantage point atop a chunk of rubble, sticking out a foreleg to block her as one of the Praetorians fell to a sword through his chest, causing the light around his horn to fade as his weapon dropped to the ground. His dark blue tail thrashed for a short time, then fell still. Celestia recognized him immediately: Decanus Diomedes, one of the newest Praetorian initiates, was gone. His brothers wasted no time in filling in the gap where he'd stood; the gruesome spectacle of deer and pony vying for supremacy around his body was a surreal and terrible sight, where the blood-stained snow slurry sloshed about their hooves.

Celestia wanted to charge into the fray, to protect her soldiers and friends, to avenge their deaths with an anger she could scarcely keep within. Stonewall looked at her and saw the fury in her eyes, but shook his head all the same.

"Save your strength, Princess. You'll need it."

A pleading shriek rose from the melee, someone begging for their life. Their desperate cries were cut short as the Praetorians were forced to retreat several steps, taking the Loyalists back with them in a move that threatened to collapse the right flank. Part of a squad was shifted over to reinforce, but it was a delaying action at best.

The Praetorians, Equestria's finest and most loyal soldiers, were losing.

"Hold left!" Polaris yelled above the cacophany of combat, shifting his squad to try and push through a slightly weaker flank while an officer from the 2nd Barracks covered his movements. It was a slow process, mired as they were in the brackish muck that defied any attempt to keep a steady hoofhold. Bear, Tercio and Rimeberry were lagging behind by the slightest of measures, and it was there that the deer focused their fury with trained precision. Polaris yanked a pila from his back and hurled it at an enemy in a flash of magic, cursing when it deflected off the tough armor at a glancing angle and clattered against the nearby wall. At the same instant, from behind the main line, a spread of darts knifed through the air with deadly aim. He threw his tower shield up and ducked behind it, hearing the sharp, heavy missiles dig into his cover with hollow thwacks, while three of them found their mark and sliced into his right ear and shoulder with a cold shock of pain. Polaris gnashed his teeth and hid himself lower, pulling the offending weapons from his body as he bit through the pain and let the bloodied lengths of metal drop to the ground.

The battle was becoming a war of attrition, with neither side holding an advantage. Polaris cursed the stubborn redtail and their tenacious defense. The Equestrian line was fighting a stalemate at best, and losing in key places. Something had to be done to give his brothers the advantage and let the princess reach Elinwynn before it was too late and the murderous wench disappeared once more.

With two squads holding fast for the moment, including his own, Polaris fell back across the street to the cover of Celestia's retinue where Stonewall was gesturing in frantic but measured conversation with the princess.

"Stonewall! Stonewall, sir! I have an idea!" he said as he squeezed between two stallions and took cover behind the shield wall. The others looked at him in surprise, but to his great relief they didn't send him away.

"I'm listening," Stonewall said, eyeing the wounds across Polaris' face and upper body but remaining silent about them. "Out with it, son."

Polaris took a breath to sort out his thoughts. "When the deer teleported away from us they could only take so many with them, correct? We haven't seen any deer reinforcements arrive from beyond the library, and the Loyalists haven't reported any either. So the numbers we're seeing here have to represent the bulk of their forces protecting the empress." He looked to the princess and said, "we don't need to defeat them, we just need to get around them so you can get to Elinwynn quickly."

"We've thought of that," Stonewall said. "There's no other way into the building other than the front doors. We considered having the princess fly around the side and circle behind them, but that would leave her vulnerable and alone, barring whatever pegasi we could send with her. If she tried to teleport a squad to her location it would also drain her sufficiently enough that she wouldn't be at her peak to confront Elinwynn."

"I know you've felt Elinwynn's power," Celestia said. "I fear I am already facing an insurmountable obstacle, to say nothing of her brother or their Imperial Protectorate."

Polaris stomped a hoof. "That's why we have to push, in force, straight up the middle. Once we're through we can keep half of our stallions back as a delaying force and take the other half with us."

"I realize you are not a tactician, Acting Imperator," Stonewall added for emphasis, plainly frustrated with the situation, "but even you should be able to see that such a thing is easier said than done. If we could simply charge through the deer then we would have done so by now."

"I understand. That's why I took the liberty of obtaining this."

Fishing through a pouch at his side, Polaris produced a small vial and floated it before them. Its contents sparkled with pinks and purples, swirling together and giving off a dark purple fog that roiled against the cork stopper. Celestia took a tentative half-step back and nervously watched it bob before her.

"Polaris, where did you get that?" she asked.

"One of the magii was slain during the pegasus attack," Polaris explained. "I saw this little gem roll out of a hip pouch and pulled it over before the deer could take notice. This is exactly what we need!"

Celestia was having none of it. "Absolutely not. I will not have one of my best--"

Before she could finish her objections, and to everyone's shock, Polaris yanked the stopper out and downed the potion in a single gulp. The empty glass clattered to the ground.

"Are you mad?!" Stonewall demanded. "You've seen what that concoction does to anyone who drinks it!"

"I have, which is exactly why we mustn't waste any time. If we...if..."

The effect was immediate. Polaris felt his head begin to swim, bringing with it a brief but intense ache that he could feel coursing along his spine to the tip of his horn, culminating in a jolt of lightning surging through his every nerve that doubled him over and made his teeth chatter as he struggled against the overwhelming feeling of being more. More powerful, more aware, more alive. It was terrifying and wondrous at the same time, and as he stood back up he found that he could sense the magic of those around him as if it was something to reach out and grasp. It prickled his tongue and needled his skin.

Yet under it all, deep beneath the power and clarity, there lurked something far more sinister and primal. It was not an intelligence, nor anything resembling life as he knew it, but rather a force. An urge. It was emotion and desire made corporeal, and the more he tried to grasp it the more it wormed its way into his thoughts.

"We do not have time to argue," he said, his voice already dipping and recovering. "We will be the spear that pierces the enemy's heart, and I shall be its point."

The radiant aura around Celestia flickered and grew with her conflicting emotions, like a candle flame in the wind, and for a brief moment Polaris regretted what he had done.

"This had better not be in vain, Praetorian," Stonewall demanded. "I don't like it, but I can't think of any other way out of this stalemate, either. Understand this: if you fuck this up then we're all going to die, and Equestria will belong to the tree-rutters."

"Yet if we succeed then the deer will be finished," Polaris countered. "I am asking both of you to trust me; as a soldier, a stallion and an Equestrian."

The grand form of Celestia towered before him, regal and comforting in her very presence but with a visage of concern.

"It is unlike you to be so brash, Polaris. I cannot condone what you've done, but..."

"I know. I do not do this lightly, yet mine is a single life amongst thousands," he said. He stared off at something beyond their vision, losing himself in the flood of sensations that were all around him, then snapped his sight back to the princess. "We've no time to lose. What are your orders, princess?"

With grim determination Celestia set a hoof upon his shoulder and pulled her bloodied swords from their scabbards.

"Lead on, Imperator."

The battle lines were beginning to dissolve into a disorganized mire. The two sides, so disciplined in mind and body, were growing desperate for a decisive strike that would break the resolve of the other. A deer charged into the formation with bursts of magic and flailing blades, hurling spears and darts in spreads that downed several Praetorians before leaping onto a wounded stallion and thrusting its weapon into an exposed neck. A bright spurt of blood and terrible cry were his brief reward, before Tercio ripped the Exemplar stag away and slammed it into the mud, holding it down with a knee as he impaled his enemy to the ground with a spear.

Amid the chaos came a sudden trumpeting, two long notes followed by a shorter one, repeated twice. Every soldier recognized it as the call to a two-tiered wedge formation, and took immediate action to assume their assigned position. A moment of brief confusion passed through Tercio's mind, for the wedge was typically meant to be the spearhead of a charging attack, not a defensive maneuver, and there was precious little room to build up to a run in these conditions.

"Pull up on the right! Staggered, not descending!" he shouted. The stallions furthest on the end were having difficulty hearing, and one of them paid the price in his hesitancy to fall back. Someone else took his position almost immediately, but it was yet another loss they couldn't afford. They were running out of stallions, and quickly.

"FLAMMARUM TEMPESTAS FERRO!" The magically-enhanced voice of Polaris called out, and every Praetorian took notice. It was an order known to all but unused in decades: storm of steel, an unwavering push that would not stop until either the enemy had broken or the Praetorians were utterly defeated. It was a move of desperation, a suicidal final effort. The formation shift made sense now, but any optimism was replaced with a growing sense of dread. The deer outnumbered them, held the superior position, and were chipping at their defenses.

So be it, then. If this was to be their end, then he would drag as many deer with him to the depths of the nine hells as he could.

"PRAETORIA VICTOR!" came the prompt, causing every soldier to dig in their stance and brace. The Loyalist deer took up positions behind them, leaving the Praetorians to lead with their superior armor and physicality.

"Praetoria Aeternum!" Tercio yelled the response with his squad mates, knocking a strike aside to keep the shield wall tight.

"Well, shit. See you in the beyond, my friend," Rimeberry said to him, already accepting of his fate. Tercio gulped back the fear that threatened to rise as the encroaching spears and crystalline swords suddenly seemed far more terrible than before. He prayed that he would meet his end quickly.

"You should be so lucky," he managed to say, getting a nervous laugh in return.

"That I should."

"AD FINEM!"

Fifty swords clattered against fifty shields, and Polaris ran to the very tip of the formation with a powerful crackle of aetherial energy arcing from his horn. He briefly exchanged a glance with Tercio, and the latter felt his breath catch in his throat as he saw the black vines in Polaris' eyes.

"HONOR TO THE PRINCESS! HONOR TO EQUESTRIA!"

"HAH-OOH! HAH-OOH! HAH-OOH!"

And so the Praetorians pushed.