The beast stops and stares at me, as if sizing me up. This thing was almost twice the size of a typical warhorse and built like an ox. Several other similar looking creatures line the forest edge, watching us quietly. Emeris runs up behind me. “Sir, what do we do?!”

I take a deep breath and grind my teeth. “Nothing, we’re sandwiched! This must have been what Zaran was planning! Keep holding the front, we can’t let the Og Nag wrap around us, or we’ll be overrun!” The first beast exhales angrily through its large nostrils. His fur is a dull gray and his hooves are caked in mud and blood. Several of his kind walk up and whisper in his ear. Still, he watches us silently without moving his head.

As I glance behind me, my infantry are doing a decent job of keeping the Neutrals moving forward. A few were even baiting Og Nag attacks just so they can get blitzed from the sides by our newest allies. Still though, it was only a matter of time until Zaran turned the tables. Emeris runs back and forth behind our people, calling out if there are any gaps and slaying stray Og Nag. He directs everyone, points out new strategies and lets me do my job of wondering how the hell we’re going to get out of this mess.

The gray creature continues to stare, almost as if it can’t make up its mind. My teeth grit as its allies spread out several feet from him and stand evenly spaced in a line. Steam pours from his nostrils and he stomps the ground. Every muscle in my body tenses up as I wait to fight a new enemy with nothing more than the twelve infantry at my back. He lowers his head and charges at me with a ferocious roar. The rest of his kind do the same in one massive tidal wave of horns and hooves.

The ground shakes wildly and for a moment I panic when I realize just how far out his horns stick. Right before impact, I leap to the side and slash at him as he tramples by. My sword catches so much of his hair, it only removes strands. He skids to a stop and whirls around.

Several more of his kind rush past us, ignoring our little duel, but still eyeballing me. I call out to my people, but there’s not enough time. Most of them are able to at least avoid being rammed, but still get caught by a stray horn. My adversary comes around again for another pass. Once again, I sidestep, but he tilts his head towards me almost anticipating my move. His horn catches my shoulder with a loud ping and makes me stumble backwards. My hands flail impulsively to catch my balance. I can barely plant my feet before he whirls around and hits me dead on. My only option is to jump and hold on to his horns, hoping his neck isn’t strong enough to take my weight.

He pushes me for several feet while I try desperately to dig in my heels. He rears his head up and I see my chance. Before he can charge me forward, I pull myself up using his horns and try to dig my knee spike into his throat. He rotates his head just enough to where it barely cuts his skin, brings his head back a bit and rams my chest. My feet dangle helplessly as I fly back again. The moment I land, a lucky side roll is all that saves me from one final gore. With luck on my side, only one of him is going after me. Unfortunately, the rest of his kind go on an indiscriminate killing spree. They ram both Og Nag, Taraskans and Neutrals mercilessly. Nothing seems to slow them down or scare them. They clearly weren’t Og Nag at least.

Back on my feet again, it’s clear fighting this thing in the open was a bad move. I dart for the trees and swing behind one with enough time to hear the gray beast trample past me. The dirt kicks up behind me as I keep heading further into the forest with no support and an absolute behemoth that’s almost as bad as a Garge on my tail. It rapidly gets darker with plenty of leaves overhead. The hair covering his eyes would theoretically give me an advantage in the dying light. I round another tree a few feet wide and wait. Instead of charging, he circles it. His irises are a light brown and full of rage.

I keep my shield ready in case he has any surprises for me. He holds me in his glare as we both maneuver around the tree. The distant sound of battle keeps calling me, but I’d be a dead man before I even got there. As if a sword was being twisted in my gut, the image of my soldiers desperately looking for my guidance and instead getting swallowed by combat, is a constant plague in my mind.

He suddenly rams the tree and a loud crack pierces through the forest. I clench my teeth and bolt. Over my shoulder, he plows through the tree with one last bash and is immediately in pursuit. Once I make a sharp left, I look over my shoulder and see a flaw. He has to almost stop just to turn. While he could easily make up a few feet with a swing of his head and mighty horns, he had very little maneuverability at ramming speed.

The clanking of my armor while in a dead sprint, is a slight comfort, until the ferocious pounding of hooves and angry grunts get progressively louder. Emeris and the cow strangely come flooding back into my mind.
“The way their joints work, they can’t go down steep hills. They have to make gradual zigzags. I mean they’d also topple over since they can’t easily shift their weight.”

I leap to the left and the beast is able to scrape the tip of his horn against my back armor. He tilts towards me and his legs slide, kicking up grass and leaving a trail of dust. Before he’s stopped, I’ve already taken off. The chance I’ve been waiting for, beckons me desperately. Behind me, the beast is grunting even louder than before. I beg my legs for every last ounce of speed they can give me. He lets out a mighty roar before ducking his head. At the very last second. I dive to the ground on my right and gladly eat dirt. Instead of watching where he’s going, all the rage I’ve filled him with keeps his eyes locked on me. He lets out a surprised yell as he tumbles down a small hill.

Air is barely able to fill my lungs as I keep having to spit out dirt. The second I’m able to, I’m on my feet and bolting down the hill. There’s a large cloud of dust and I can’t see where the beast ended up. This was my chance; this won’t work a second time. With my sword raised and my shield at the top of the hill, I charge into the dust, flinching at every random shape on the ground that even looks like fur. There’s hoof prints all over the dirt but no sign of my opponent. I scream as a pair of horns lung at me from seemingly nowhere. My sword goes flying as I get launched into a tree. My armor clanks loudly on impact and I fall to the ground in defeat.

The sky spins around me, painted with tiny dots that burst in and out of existence in fractions of a second. My chest muscles are tight, and my brain is barely able to keep me conscious. The beast blocks the sun as he towers over me. Drool coats the coarse, gray hair around his mouth. A burst of hot steam pours from his nostrils. Through all the hair covering his face, two beady tan and furious eyes glare down at me.
“You destroy yak’s home! You hurt yak’s kind!”

I groan weakly and shake my head. “That...wasn’t us.”
His face curls up into a snarl and he stomps his left hoof on my chest. “Yak not stupid! You fight with little angry creatures! You work with angry green creatures! Yak’s home in flames!” He bows his head then plows into my side, sending me flying several feet. My arms and legs flop around helplessly as I roll across the dirt. I pant wildly and get on all fours. The monster roars and I have enough time to roll forward and to his left. He kicks up grass as he sails by.

I stagger to my feet and look up as he paws the ground. He raises his head slightly when I hold out my hand.
“I’m not your...enemy!” I wince and cradle my side. “Look, the monsters attacking us are called Og Nag! They’re the ones who hurt your people!” Another of his kind carefully navigates his way down the sides of the hill and joins his side. His hair is the color of chocolate, with several random strands of tan. He turns to his gray friend. “Creatures are fighting other creatures. Yak confused who is who.” The gray one nods and walks up to me, looking my body over curiously. He pokes my stomach with his hoof. “What are you, little creature?”

My jaw clenches down and I try to muffle my groan. “I’m a human. We...it’s a long story. We need to fight off the other Og Nag, the ones attacking towards us. Celestia and the others are holding up in the palace for safety.”

The gray one nods slowly then pats his chest with a hoof. “Names Yogu. We are yaks. Yaks very powerful. We save puny creatures!”

The brown one laughs once condescendingly. “Now little ponies need us. Yaks destroy everything before big jerk birds get here!”

I blink at him several times and widen my eyes slightly. “Big...jerk birds?”

They take off before answering me, shouting triumphantly as if we’ve already won. Did they have any real military experience, or were they mindless brutes who have no idea just how bad things can get? I snatch my sword from the dirt with what little energy I still had. Each step up the hill felt like a hike all its own. My back muscles were obliterated, and my chest constantly felt like there was a bear sitting on it.

We were so far back in the forest, that I couldn’t even see the fighting going on. I waddle between the trees, hoping the pain will subside soon. If there was still a battle, it’s being drowned out by the ringing in my ears. Did we actually have a chance at this point? There were still more Og Nag near Canterlot than I could see. Zaran could very well just be baiting us to see what we have available.

A few sticks crack behind me and my blood turns to ice. There was no way in hell I could defend myself after my row with Yogu. I slump against the tree and look over my shoulder. Cy is still wearing his wedding attire but with his metal chest piece on. He’s covered head to toe in blood and stumbles towards me. He has nothing but a simple dagger on his hip and his eyes see through me for many miles.

One last step and he falls face-first into the grass. With one hand on my stomach, I shamble over to him trying not to put too much weight on my right leg. “Cy...talk to me Cy…” I can barely even get the words out. I doubted he could even hear me. My legs get me just close enough to collapse next to him. I shake his shoulder gently and he rolls onto his back, staring up at the trees. “I...I found a way...to end the war. Zaran found it first. There was...it was a slaughter.” I look over my shoulder hoping that someone or something was around to help me move him. Blood starts pooling under him and soaks the dirt. Upon lifting his shirt, there’s a few layers of cloth wrapped around his midsection; they’re completely drenched.

His eyes flutter and he swallows a few times. “They’re called Griffons. Half...lion half eagle. I knew they’d change everything. They’d be more brutal assault troops than the Wonderbolts.” He coughs and sprays my face with blood. “But Zaran found them while I was still explaining the situation. They underestimated the Og Nag and...it was over.” His eyes close and he takes a deep, but painful breath. “Zaran...more are coming. They’re...they’re unstoppable.”

My hands hover over his chest and shake relentlessly. “When are they coming here? Can we still set up-”

Cy shakes his head and points at the sky. “They’re already here, sir.” Large shadows slip across the ground and a creeping cold slithers up my back. I shake my head a few times in disbelief. “He...he killed these Griffons and already made Og Nag out of them?!”

Cy lets his head fall to the left and looks me in the eyes. “No...it was something else. A creeping shadow. She spread like the plague and before long, the Griffons killed each other. They...they went absolutely mad. They tore each other to pieces. I...I barely made it out. I wanted to warn you. It took forever to get back here and I have no idea where my wife is.” He reaches up and grips my arm. “I didn’t want to let you down, sir.” A loud thud to my left makes me shudder. I beg the heavens it’s friendly. My head cautiously turns on pure instinct and my mouth hangs open.

This...creature, it was a walking horror. It had a head twice the size of mine, but as an eagle like Cy said. It has one eye right in the middle above its beak. There are two other eyes on each side of its head, one pointing to the side and another that could easily see behind it. There was no iris, just a solid mass of black and a hint of reflective crimson. Its feathers were a metallic gray and a green slime slowly pools out from its mouth. The fur on its lower body was a dark brown and covered in massive slashes. What was once a long tail, had clearly been bitten or torn off. On its paws, were massive talons. Colossal wings on its back meant there would be nowhere to go once it locks on to you.

It lets out a screech that threatens to shatter my eardrums. While having the normal sound of an eagle, there’s a deep roar of what must be a bear mixed in. These aren’t Griffons anymore; they truly were abominations. The monster lunges towards me. With no stamina and in colossal amounts of pain, all I can do is sit and watch the beast mindlessly. It leaps into the air, locking those dead black eyes on my face.

I hear someone yell and at the last second, the monster gets rammed and rolls across the ground with a screech. Big Mac stands in front of me panting wildly. Half his helmet has been tore off and he’s covered in dirt. He stumbles to the left and right but keeps his glare fixed on the creature. It gets off the ground and seems to be looking at me while cautiously eyeing Big Mac. He quickly gets between me and the beast. A small amount of blood trickles down his back-left leg. The monster roars and lunges at him. Big Mac steps back rapidly, using his helmet ax to deflect every claw swipe. Sparks shower the ground and leave small smoke plumes where they land.

The creature rears back on its legs to lunge again. The moment it does, Big Mac charges forward and rams it, leaving a nasty gash that goes from its shoulder to mid-way down its chest. It stumbles back and crumples over, shielding its wound. It gets back on all fours in a few seconds, shakes its head a few times then begins circling me and Big Mac. Big Mac keeps himself between us while I go for the knife in my boot, but it’s bent inside the small scabbard. My legs refuse to let me get up and help. I'm just a crumpled mess, hoping Big Mac doesn't lose his nerve.

The creature stalks the ground, keeping itself low and ready to pounce. It springs at Big Mac. He ducks and darts to the side, giving the thing a nasty double kick with his hind legs. Again, it goes tumbling across the ground. Behind it a few feet is Cy, who lays motionless from either his wounds or trying not to draw attention. The creature takes a cautious step back, almost touching Cy. I call out to the creature and throw a few nearby small rocks. It screeches angrily at me but still doesn’t approach. I keep my voice low so only Big Mac can hear me. “Get it to attack you. We can’t let it attack Cy.”

Big Mac looks back at me and bites his lip nervously. “Look General, I ain’t doing so good. I can’t keep fighting this thing. I’m not so sure I wanna provoke it. If I’m a goner, nothing’s gonna help you anyhow.”

I recoil a bit in shock. “Big Mac, look just bait him into a wild attack. Act hurt or something then go for a killing blow. I know you don’t know what to do but trust me!” I hiss angrily. At the absolute worst time, Cy grunts and turns his head. The beast looks from Cy to Big Mac. I sit up the best I can, trying to contemplate what to do. “Big Mac! Go for it, now! Trust me!” Big Mac hesitates and there’s now even more blood running down his leg.

The creature stalks the ground again and crawls over to Cy’s face. “Big Mac! Now!”
From where I’m sitting, I can see the open part of his helmet. His eyes are wide, and his legs shake. At the end of the day, war can break down even the strongest of mountains. This was his first time facing down death while he was gravely wounded. The monster wraps a claw around Cy’s face and points his mouth at its beak. Cy’s eyes open and then almost bulge out of his head. He’s able to barely look over at me. His lips curl and his face starts to shake. “Big Mac! Get him out of here! Go!”

Big Mac whirl around, grabs my ankle in his mouth and starts dragging me away. I scream for Cy and claw at the ground in vain. The monster rears its head back and vomits some of its green blood into his mouth. Cy thrashes around on the ground and mauls his face in panic. He gurgles and spits up the liquid. Steam rises up from it and there’s a nasty sizzle accompanying it. As the green substance touches nearby twigs and leaves, they erupt into flame. After a few seconds, Cy goes limp. The beast shoots me a glare then takes off in the other direction, disappearing above the trees.