With the swiftness of a silent phantom, I grabbed his muzzle and slid a knife I had taken to keep under my cloak into his exposed gorget.

His eyes snapped open in surprise and fear.

“Come Little Children, I'll take thee away…” I whispered, suddenly feeling the ancient magic of the Alicorns sweep over me.

The light in the colt’s eyes faded.

“Into a land of Enchantment!” I continued, gently lowering the colt’s body to the ground so it didn’t make a noise.

“Come little children;” I whispered, taking a hold of the colt’s torch and waving it at the ridge where I knew my Ponies were hiding.

“The time's come to play…” I stuck the torch into the ground and turned inwards towards the rest of the camp.

“Here in my garden of shadows!” I whispered as I stalked forwards, brandishing the knife, and drawing the Sword.

I approached a nearby tent.

“Follow sweet children, I'll show thee the way…” I stalked into the tent, and found the sole inhabitant, a mare.

I grabbed her muzzle and plunged the knife into her throat as well.

“Through all the pain, and the sorrows!” I told her corpse as I swiftly left and continued.

“Weep not poor children…” A sentry happened to turn a corner, almost crashing into me.

“For life is this way…” I slashed at his jugular with the knife, catching him by surprise.

“Murdering beauty and passions…” My floating sword caught the stallion as he crumpled, lowering him down silently.

“Hush now dear children, it must be this way…” A shadow rushed by me towards another tent, a Pegasi mare with a dagger between her teeth. That was quick… They must’ve been waiting closer than I thought.

“Too weary of life and deceptions!” I quietly sang, not disturbing the night air. More dark shapes moved past, stalking forwards and putting their weapons into any Earthbreaker they found.

“Rest now my children!” I continued, walking forward on silent hooves. “For soon we'll away!” Nearby, a group of dark Ponies pounced towards a group around a campfire, slitting the trio’s throats with a synchronized motion.

“Into the calm and the quiet…” I walked past a couple of bodies, laying in the darkness.

I passed into a tent, bloodied my knife again, and left, all in seemingly the same motion. More shapes moved in the shadows, swiftly putting anypony they found in the light to the sword. The great steel plated gate loomed into view, already a full fourth of the camp taken and scoured.

“Come little children! I'll take thee away!” I sang to my soldiers, as we reached the bridge to the still open gate. Nary a guard to be seen.

“Into a land of enchantment!” my voice echoed softly back to me. Too softly to be heard by anyone but me.

“Come little children…” I rushed through the gate, my soldiers behind me with more weapons drawn.

“The time's come to play!” I threw my dagger at a stallion, only a jerkin to protect him as it pierced into his throat.

“Here in my garden of shaaaadows…” I whispered as I jumped onto the falling stallion, to retrieve my weapon.

The torches were suddenly extinguished, letting the darkness consume us all before the last light in the stallion’s eyes faded.

I quickly whipped the knife blade against the cooling stallion’s coat, before sheathing it in its place. I stood up and examined the rest of the room. All of my Ponies were rooting through the gatehouse, searching any nook and cranny they could find for any hiding guards.

“Find the mechanism!” I whispered loudly, charging towards the first door I saw, rushing past a few of my comrades.

I wheeled around and bucked the door, smashing it open with a furious thud.

I turned back around and prowled forward, sword at the ready.

Storeroom. I noted, seeing boxes and crates of administrative supplies.

I stormed back out of the room and continued.

By now, most of the other doors had my soldiers through them.

Only one of them found the way up to the next floor.

We charged up, heedless and confident that any enemy we found could have been dealt with easily.

The mechanism was a sort of lash, that four Ponies could be attached to, and then made to pull, drawing a serious of chains and pulley’s to pull the door closed. Unicorns tossed sparks of intense fire onto the thick wooden portions of the massive harness, while several Pegasi rubbed their wings together, and welded the chain to a metal floor plate with lightning between their feathers, locking the mechanism down even as its harness was destroyed.

The gate was effectively locked open.

For the first time in history, Casúrdomhain’s mighty fortress was broken.

And I had been the one to break it.

“You lot, hold the gate!” I told half of them. “The rest of us will finish the rest of the camp, you'll wait here for morning, or until we rejoin you, whichever is sooner. Oh and raise those banners I gave you!” I turned to the remaining Ponies.

“The rest of you, follow me.” I stated, running back out of the gatehouse. We swiftly caught up with the group we had left outside.

They had been found out, and were fighting a squire trying to pull an alarm bell.

I plowed into him, sinking my sword into his exposed belly.

His wound steamed as he fell still, my sword already wiping itself on his coat.

“Move on!” I ordered. “We finish the camp!” and charged forward.

Our fight had been overheard, and Ponies were darting towards other alarm bells.

My sword sliced a thin hemp rope as a mare tried to pull on it. It hit her in the face as she pulled.

I reared up in the red Moonlight...

...And stomped.

I pushed myself forward into a charge, towards somepony who had witnessed my deed. He tripped against a tent pole, my sword caught him as he stumbled, breaking his neck with the force.

I moved on as he fell still.

More and more we advanced, putting surprised Ponies to the sword, heedless if they had noticed our trespass or not.

I sunk my dagger into a sleeping squire, silencing him with a kick to the stomach.

I moved onto a camp fire with grim purpose. A trio of Ponies, getting ready for their shift noticed our shadows and made to shout.

I put my sword halfway through one’s head and yanked, pulling my sword out as he fell. I turned towards another, who was heaving a warhammer at me. A shout on her lips.

I rushed forward, my hoof over her mouth and my dagger into an opening in her armor.

The final two bodies fell as one, flumping loosely onto the ground.

On and on we went.

But suddenly, as if suddenly finding your self at the top of a cliff face, the camp had ended. There were no more tents. And there were no more Ponies. We had won.

We had won!

There was still fighting to be had of course, but they were never coming back from this. Even if they rang the bells now, they were never going propel us away. The first rays of the dawn graced the East horizon.

Banners of a white crescent Moon on a navy blue field fluttered over the Gatehouse.

On a far ridge, an army had been assembled, and above them, swung the limp form of a stallion suspended by the neck.

The vibe! https://youtu.be/5PqyKPTTZJc?si=GR_B1rKmXG_aKpTI