The bodies were given a Honorable funeral. The human helped with digging the grave for all the dead soldiers that had attacked them. It was more than they deserved according to Osiris and Nathaniel agreed with him to some degree. But these scouts had just been soldiers, payed to fight for their country like the ponies standing with the human in this conflict. But a respectful funeral didn't mean they had been given a respectful end. Nathan had personally cut down five more griffins the day before, Valkyrie stained with blood when he was finished.

The whole battle had almost been muted for the human. His instinct had taken over and he'd allowed what training Luna had provided to guide his hands. The griffins had been victorious at first, killing three of their groups they had sent out into the woods. But the same second the human had leveled a couple of trees with the magical weapon had the griffins lost. In the end laid sixty-two dead on the ground, six of which were ponies. The battle between the two scout groups had lasted for three hours and when it was over was Nathaniel forced of a corpse he'd been beating on for ten minutes. The mush Nathan left behind on the forest floor had once been a griffin and the human had puked at the sight.

With the adrenaline and anger gone from his body was Nate forced to look at the bloody aftermath of the battle. It had been horrible, all different kinds of emotions suddenly battling for dominance. Anger, sadness, shame, confusion and relief had bubbled up into choked sobs. It had been so strange to cry over the loss of those that tried to kill him. They had gladly taken his life without a second thought, but Nathan had a breakdown after seeing his first real battle. Osiris assured him that it was normal and that it was a good thing. The stallion had said to him that it meant he still had a soul.

After having dragged himself to his tent and fallen into an uneasy sleep the human awoke to the pony soldiers digging a large hole in the ground. With the intent of burying the dead before the animals in the woods got their claws on them the Equestrian soldiers showed a kindness that the man didn't think anyone could possess in a war. With the feelings of regret, shame and responsibility clawing at his mind the teen helped them dig. So when they were finally done were all the bodies magically lowered into the grave, the only exception being the griffon Nathaniel had turned to mush. A coffin had been made for that soldier.

The stench from the mass grave was enough to make the human gag. But with the lack of any food in his body couldn't he puke from the smell. Thankfully were the griffins grave quickly buried below dirt thanks to the unicorns among the soldiers and a grave stone were put in place above the grave. Another unicorn had engraved the date of the battle and a little information of what had happened along with how many griffins rested below the ground. It was a small act of kindness, a way to later identify the soldiers that had died with the information given. Finally to complete the funeral Osiris said a prayer for the dead, a prayer from the griffins religion.

"May Ygrid recognize your skill in the life that comes next. Let the sky be your beds, sleep militibus in caelum" The stallion said before looking at the six grave stones a couple of meters to the left.

"May Faust watch over your journey and may Solarium give you the honor you didn't find in this life" The Lunar Guardian said to the six graves and the other ponies saluted.

The griffins had been buried maybe one-hundred meters into the woods, same with the pony soldiers that had died in the attack. The luxury of being able to bury the dead would very likely not come again, as more and more soldiers would venture further into the Everfree now. With a group of scouts already missing it wouldn't take long for the bulk of the forces in the woods to come their way. With other camps like theirs in the forest would more scout parties sent out by the griffins be killed. But even with the added help from the other soldiers would the battles be hard fought and bloody.

The camp was quiet after the funeral. A few soldiers had objected to even giving the dead griffins the respect of last rites, but Osiris had been firm with his decision. The golden coated stallion had told the human that the Equestrian was not like their Griffonian counter-parts. Even in a war was respect meant to be shown to the dead. The Lunar Guardian had even gone so far to ban any soldiers from disfiguring a griffon corpse. The southern pony's respect for the dead was an honorable trait, even more so considering just how much he seemed to dislike the griffins in the first place.

With the forest once again calm and the bodies no longer in sight could Nathan once again study. The human hadn't been able to do much without his weapons during the battle the day before. It was a problem that loosing his weapons could mean the loss of his life. So Nate decided to practice the combat spell Star Swirl had taught him all those weeks ago in the Dragon Lands. Globus igneus was the name of the spell that would allow the human to cast a ball of fire at his enemies. But so far it was still hard to control.

The first time the human had tried to cast the spell inside the wizard's room on the Golden Stallion it had blown up in his face. With his limited knowledge and focus back then had the ball of fire simply exploded. The fire had been contained by Star Swirl who had asked him to try again and again. During the fifth botched attempt at succeeding with globus igneus had the man acidently lit the mage's wizard hat on fire. This had earned him a banishment from the Arch Mage's quarters for at least a day. The memory still made him chuckle.

With the memory of the spell's explosive result was Nathaniel forced to go away from the camp. The human couldn't risk the tents catching on fire due to his failed casting of the combat spell. So Nathan decided to venture into the woods, Blaze following him curiously. The wolf hadn't left his side since the battle, always close enough to protect him but far away enough for the man to not notice his presence. Seeing his companion being protective of his owner was amusing to the human, but it also made him feel lucky for having Blaze. The hound was always there for him, watching his back since the first cold months in the Everfree. Nathan was glad the wolf hadn't run off the first time the ponies found them. Blaze's presence had meant the world those first few weeks.

After they had walked for a couple of minutes were Nathaniel certain that the magic wouldn't cause any damage to the pony camp. With that knowledge fresh in mind he quickly grabbed his grimoire and opened up the page describing Globus igneus. The book had most known spells described within its pages, many seen too dangerous for the common mage. But Star Swirl had entrusted the tome with the human, so the man assumed the old wizard knew what he was doing. It was still just a book after all, so the thing wasn't dangerous in off itself. With his head a lot more calmer and clear since the events of the day before Nathaniel read the page about Globus igneus.

The page ended after that, leaving Nathaniel with the mental image he'd need to cast the spell. The man remembered when Star Swirl had taught him Solaris Mico, the spell that blinded your enemies. The first few attempts of using the spell had failed, not any light produced. But after finally being able to focus and allow himself to think about the spell was Nate able to cast it. The bright light he had created that day only spurred him on about learning magic. Now it was time to continue studying the ancient knowledge given to him.

With a deep breath Nathaniel held out his right hand. The rune glowed a soft green on it, like it was responding to him using his magic. The feeling of the mana rushing through his bones never got old, the teen allowing himself to smile as the magic took shape from his mind. The point of the spell was to create destruction, so that what was the human let his mind drift towards. The war raging through the land, the battle that took place the day before and the memory of Garthram's gates falling. It all fueled him until he allowed the ball to take shape. It reminded him of a miniature sun as a blazing red orb slowly formed in front of his right hand. The human took another deep breath and prepared to send it onto the ground, only for it to explode.

The shock-wave was powerful enough to send Nathaniel rolling back a few meters, groaning in pain. His eardrums felt like they had shattered and Blaze had set off into the woods yipping in fear. The explosion had scorched the ground where Nate had been sitting, the grass blackened and smoldering. So it seemed the spell would be harder to pick up then Nathan originally thought. The human would be forced to spend the coming few hours practicing. Unless Osiris found out he almost caused a forest fire. With the mental picture of the Lunar Guardian slowly walking towards him with a dagger Nate got up and hurried away from the scene. Maybe this particular spell wasn't the best to practice on when they were supposed to be hiding.

Rose's POV

I looked at the report and the nervous face of my subordinate. She had worked for hours to get all the facts and even now when she was certain of the events the mare was still nervous about my reaction. Maybe she expected anger or something similar. But all I could do was to stare at the report in horror. Its title was so simple but implied so many horrible things. How could somepony had managed to write all of it down? What brave soul had managed to put such words to print? Why couldn't it just be a bad dream?

Fillydelphia is destroyed

The report's title was horrifying to think about. Could we really have lost all of those ponies homes? Could we really have lost all those soldiers to the griffins? Could we really have lost Celestia? That last part was most likely the worst news I had heard all week. Our princess of the sun was gone. Nopony knew if she was dead or alive. All we knew was that the griffins had a secret weapon, flying ships. They had surprised us so much with the new inventions that the soldiers marching for Fillydelphia had been completely wiped out. Those that remained rushed for Everfree, to our hiding places among the trees. The only good thing from all of it was that the griffins had lost many soldiers when they tried to defend the coastal cities. Maybe over thirty-five thousand ponies and griffins had died during a couple of hours. Those numbers were impossible to imagine. I had almost cried when first reading the report.

The dead could very well reach over fifty thousand if civilians were still trapped in the cities at the time. So many dead in the span of a few hours along with the revelation of the griffins having flying ships were enough for having some of my most trusted commanders running away. They had been stopped before they could flee however, but the point still stands. The situation was bad, bad enough for loyal soldiers to flee. Princess Luna's status was also unknown, as reports of more flying ships being seen cruising over Baltimare.

With the Lord Protector gone, the princess either dead or too injured to continue to fight, the Arch Mage having disappeared during the battle and General Diamond most likely having fallen in the battle of Fillydelphia it only left us. It left me, Osiris and Nathaniel in charge of the Equstrian forces. With Guardian Holy Light by the southern border, Guardian Minerva and Guardian Solstice had joined Celstia and Luna on the coast. So far had no letter been sent by Guardian Solstice or Minerva, indicating something ominous.

Everything that could had gone wrong in the last twenty-four hours had gone wrong. We were without leadership, lacked resources to combat the griffins and our troops were spread so thin that having one-hundred of them at the same place was an impossibility. I was tasked with leading the soldiers from the forward camp, making sure we held the Everfree at all costs. But what did that matter if Clestia and Luna had fallen in battle? What were the reasons to fight if we were facing an enemy that could wipe out a city like it was nothing? We had nothing to combat those flying ships! And even if we could face the new weapons then we would still be fighting against a larger force.

I sighed and started to write a letter to Osiris. They needed to know about what had happened at the coast. I could already imagine the human's reaction to Luna's disappearance. It was probably for the best the griffins were the ones in the man's path as I doubted he'd be very calm after hearing about the Princess. I did not want to be at the end of Valkyire when our youngest Guardian went berserk.

The letter was finished rather quickly, my left wing gripping a hold of the pen as I noted down all the important information Osiris and Nate would need. I put the letter in an envelope and then sealed it using yellow wax with the stamp of the Equstrian military. A courier was given the message and sent off into the woods to the scout camp to the south. The earth pony stallion and the human was over a day away, but the couriers were quick and trustworthy. I couldn't risk sending a raven after the coast fell, it could be shoot down by an arrow. If the griffins suddenly knew more about our location then those ships would easily destroy what presence we held in the woods.

I gently flapped my wings as they felt rather stiff, still not fully healed since the battle against Nightmare Moon. I no longer had them bound to my sides, but they still felt stung if I tried to fly. I hated the feeling of not being able to fly. For any creature with wings it was the second worst thing that could happen to you, the first thing being loosing your sight. A sanguine without her wings were like a unicorn without his horn. It couldn't really get worse than that. I once again sighed and sat down on my chair and looked at the hare the scouts had killed for me. The ponies in the army could at least stomach the thought of killing animals, even if they couldn't cook it.

As I started to work on the hare I wondered if Nathan was hunting out there in the woods. The human had always been doing that when we observed him, stalking his next prey with a wolf cub following along. Back then he had used a bow made from some simple wood and string, now he was using a bow made from Darkwood with a bowstring made from a goddess's mane. I wanted to be out there and hunt with him, to feel the air under my wings as I eyed my prey. But duty came first.

As I placed the meat in a cauldron over a small campfire those thoughts lingered in my head. The line the Lord Protector had spoken many times during the years I had seen him close to the princesses. Such a simple sentence that carried so much weight. Duty comes first. It was the motto of all who served the crown and the guiding light for when a soldier felt lost. Yet as I looked into the smoldering embers I didn't feel any more guided than before. If anything I felt even more lost, like a bat that had lost its hearing.

Enjo Steelheart's POV

I hurried through the camp to see what commander Fylk was gonna say. The wolf-pony had been sending us out on more and more obscure missions these last few weeks. Once we were simply to watch the griffins going about their day in one of their camps. We just sat there hidden among the dunes, annoyed we couldn't kill the mountain pissers. Other orders given to us was to steal documents I was not allowed to read, deliver messages to the other tribes and gather as many willing warriors as possible.

I couldn't understand what my commander was planning. He had normally just relied on our superior strength to handle any Griffins or Shadow Ponies that tried to push us away from our own land, but not now. We were acting carefully, slowly. It was making most of the warriors agitated and restless, many wondering what had gotten into our leader. I agreed with them that the sudden shift in priorities was out of left field, but I trusted Fylk. He had gotten us this far and united five tribes under his leadership. If the other tribes decided to join us in this fight then we would finally have a nation of our own. We would finally have cities among the great rivers and farmland in the north. We would finally be more than just nomads in the desert.

I walked past many rows of grey tents filled with the families and elderly the warriors had brought with them. There had to have been at least six hundred tents all together, resting around the largest oasis in the desert. Fylk had originally lead my tribe here after saving us from a Tartarus snake, the elders gladly accepting the gift of live giving water. As more tribes joined us around the Oasis we soon had a city of tents in the middle of the desert. At first there were concerns that the griffins would find us easily if we remained in one place for too long but that never happened. Fylk said it was simple, the griffins didn't see us as a large enough threat to move deep into the desert. Or at least they hadn't until now.

The camp we had raided a few weeks prior had been only three miles away from our home. It meant the chickens were finally moving further west in an attempt to snuff us out, something that had agitated Commander Fylk. But the reports of a war had been what really set the boll rolling among us. Suddenly the Commander wanted us to do things silently, hoping to keep the griffins of our scent. I had told him that we could easily wipe out any camp we found, to which he called me arrogant and prideful. Our leader wanted the tasks done, who did them didn't matter to him. All he cared about right now was that we followed his orders and waited. It seemed the time of waiting was now over however.

As I rounded another corner I looked upon a crowd of my fellow mutants. They all stood there and watched Commander Fylk on top of a wodden stage, wood taken from the griffins. The stage had been built in the middle of the camp where anyone could use it if they had an announcement to make. Normally were only a few listening to whoever spoke at the stage, but every soldier in the camp was here. They all looked at the wolf-pony for answers and confirmations. I thought I saw my family for a second too, but I simply shrugged it off and hurried through the crowd. Father and mother could wait a few more minutes. I needed to know what Fylk had planned.

"Blood! That is what we have given to hold onto these lands as our own! We have fought against the heat and desert for years! We have forged our own path without any crowns or holy individuals! We need no Faust! Only the Sandwalker! We will be the nation where the people is ruled by the people! That is our dream! That is what we fight for!" Commander Fylk started, his raspy voice and large teeth not hindering the pride he felt as he looked upon us.

Many warriors among me cheered at his words. "A nation by the people for the people!" had been the motto to drive us forward. We had no desire to have the pony princesses govern us or that the bitch empress make us slaves. This land might be mostly dead, but it was our land. Guto and his soldiers wouldn't take it from us, not as long as we all still breathed.

"But our dream is threatened! For the Griffin King had declared war on the world!" Fylk said, the crowd quieting down.

"He had seen to it that the other monarchies will fall! The Dragon Lord is dead! As is the Changeling queen!" The wolf-pony continued and many in the crowd cheered.

I was surprised over the fact that the Dragon Lord had fallen. The dragons were majestic creatures that had only appeared in the dessert for gold or other valuable things. To hear that the King of Griffins had slain the leader of such a powerful race was disheartening, even if my brothers and sisters in arms didn't think so. But Guto had also slain the Queen of lies? How had the king across the sea killed such powerful beings? Through sheer numbers? Magical power like the unicorns or our shamans?

"But do not cheer for their deaths! Because they have kept the griffins at bay from our home! The other crowns have forced the Griffin King to stay across the sea! But now they fall one by one! Who do you think Guto will come for once he is done with the princesses and the Empress of Darkness?" Fylk called out and more mumbles in the crowd could be heard.

"This is why I have ordered you all to steal documents and report on what the griffins are doing. This war will eventually come to our land and we cannot face the full army of the griffins alone!" The mutant stated with a growl.

"We will take the fight to them! We will show both Guto and the crowns of the west that we are more than simple desert dwellers! And thanks to the paper you brought to me I know just how to attain the power we will need to face the mad king of the east!" He yelled out to us and held up a drawn image of a ship.

A few in the crowd were confused at what the picture was showing but I knew what the drawing depicted. Commander Fylk had talked about ships like he knew them well during my first mission with him. The older male had spoken about the ocean like he wanted to discover its depths and journey over it for eternity. It was a side the wolf-pony didn't show often, nor was ships a topic our leader liked to discuss. Even with the admiration in his voice over the wooden contraptions there was still something off when he spoke of them. It was like it both hurt and made him smile whenever someone asked him about the strange inventions.

"The griffins have made ships that can fly! They have the ability to now transport troops far into their enemy territory and wipe them out with magical means!" He called out to us, many looking horrified at the prospect of such a thing.

"One such ship has been sent here, meant to wipe us out if possible" Fylk then said and nervousness started to spread in the crowd.

With such a weapon above us what would we be able to do? Not many could fly among us, most mutants wings being either too large or too small. With a flying ship over our large camp we would never be able to run away. In the open dessert such a thing would spot us the same second we tried. If the Griffins had access to such equipment what could we do? We were warriors, good ones, but vert few could use magic. Besides, only the elders trained new mages. No one but them could usher in a new generation of magic users.

"And that is why we will steal it" Fylk finished his speach with a grin on his face, cheers spreading among the crowd. ¨

'Wait, what!?' I thought and starred slack-jawed at the Commander as the crowd cheered his name.

Nathaniel's POV

It had been a couple of hours since the human had practiced the combat spell in the woods. After the disastrous results with Globus igneus had the man wanted to practice something easier. So when Nathan returned to camp, with Osiris nowhere to be seen, the teen simply practiced his illusion spells. Occultatum Korvaus and Occultatum Jende had saved the young man and his companions on the way back from Garthram, so perhaps they would be able to help them all now. The first spell was used to create illusions, like suddenly a goblet turning into a snake. The second spell was used to hide those things one didn't want others to see, like a knife.

With the two spells in his mind the human once again closed his eyes and allowed himself to feel the flow of his magic. The soldiers in the camp all read mostly the same if Nathan concentrated himself on them. "Bravery", "Strength" and "loyalty" often came up. The theme among the soldiers Nate had read was that they all exhibited characteristics that made them suitable for this life. Only a few didn't really fit in as "Fear" or "Selfishness" stood out on their soul. But the human couldn't care about all that now, he had studying to do.

Nate looked at an pegasus soldier further away eating an apple, the stallion absentmindedly watching the forest. The apple posed as a good test subject on whether or not the human would be able to use the spell in battle. So with another deep breath and calming thoughts the teen reached out with his hands towards the stallion and muttered the spell. While the Guardian did feel a bit bad about using the soldier's meal as a guinea pig he needed the victim to be unaware. Only true reactions would warrant if the mage had succeeded or not.

"Occultatum Korvaus" Nathaniel said, the rune on his right hand glowing a bright green.

The apple in the stallion's hoof suddenly turned to a rock, as the human had wanted. The stallion was about to take a bite when he noticed it, looking very confused. The pony had just wanted to eat his meal, now said meal had somehow turned into a rock. The pegasus looked around and noticed the teen but didn't say anything. Perhaps the stallion didn't want to question his superior officer or he was just curious of what the man would do next. Seeing as he was found out Nathan just continued with the next spell, hoping to quickly hide the apple as the soldier's attention was on now on him.

"Occultatum Jende" The man said and the apple turned rock was suddenly gone.

The soldier returned his gaze to the apple in his hoof only to look even more confused. The stallion would still be able to feel the weight of the apple, but he was unable to see it or smell it. With both spells having worked perfectly the human simply cut off his flow of mana and the apple reappeared. The pegasus gave him an uncertain nod and hurried off to finish his meal in peace. Perhaps training on the soldiers wasn't the best idea, but they were there to follow his command, right? So Nate could most likely true out a few spells on them, if said spells wouldn't hurt them that is.

"Guardian Sol! Guardian Osiris is looking for you! He said it was urgent!" A mare yelled from the end of the camp, Nathaniel nodding at her.

With his training session interrupted the man simply headed towards Osiris tent. The scout had put up a large simple green tent at the edge of the forward camp where he had given out tasks and stored ant documents sent to him from Rose. When Nate got there the stallion had a grim expression on his face and a bottle of liquor next to him. In his left hoof was a letter with the Equestrian army's stamp. An exhausted mare was resting on the ground just outside the tent, a saddlebag on her back with envelopes sticking out of it.

"What does it say?" Nathaniel asked cautiously as the other Lunar Guardian poured up a glass of liquor.

"Drink this first kid. It might make it easier or it might not change a damn thing, but I suggest drinking anyway" Osiris said and sighed.

With uncertainty the man took the glass and downed the liquor. It slightly stung his throat but wasn't even nearly as strong as Liquid Courage. What could the letter possibly say to make the normally relaxed stallion act so depressed? Nate had an inkling but quickly quieted down his paranoid mind. Luna had thousands or soldiers with her, if anything was she worried about him. The mare always did seem to out his well being before her own, something he liked about her. She was kind and compassionate.

"The coast has fallen.. Almost every soldier we sent there is dead or missing. Celestia and Luna are both missing, we do not if either of them are alive. The Arch Mage is also missing, but he is presumed alive. The General is presumed dead, as is Solar Guardians Minerva and Solstice" Osiris said solemnly.

The world froze for Nathaniel. It was like the earth pony in front of him was speaking in slow-motion. Luna was missing, Luna could be dead. The princesses had failed in defeating the griffins at the coast. They had lost. How had they been defeated? The griffins lacked magic right? Even with their overwhelming numbers would magic still even out the battlefield, right? All the thoughts that suddenly started to pop up in the man's head were just too much to handle. They might have killed Luna! Luna could be dead!

"Kid?" Osiris said to him, great concern in the stallion's voice.

"Sir! The griffins have made camp a few hours from here! We think it is another scout group!" A mare yelled and barged into the tent before noticing the tense air.

"Where.." Nathaniel asked darkly and looked to the mare.

"To the west Lord Sol. We think it might be over two hundred of them! We'll need more soldiers before we can attac.." She started only to shriek as Valkyire quickly flew over her head and into the waiting hand of Nathan.

Without another word the man left the tent with purposeful steps, anger written all over his face. The teen was gonna kill them, every last one of them! They dared to hurt Luna? They dared to invade this country and kill whatever they wanted? They would all burn under his wrath, they and all others who wished to harm them. This war had brought nothing but misery to all but the griffins, so maybe it was time they were shown what war was truly like.

"Nathaniel! Stop dammit!" Osiris voice cut through his thoughts, the stallion blocking his path.

"Get out of my way.." The human growled darkly and the pony scowled.

"Where are you going?" The scout asked him sternly, his brown eyes filled with anger.

"To kill those bastards!" Nathan yelled, not caring that many soldiers started to walk towards them.

"You cannot do that by yourself! If you simply rush into their camp you will die! Is that what Luna would have wanted you to do? Throw your life away!?" Osiris growled.

"They killed her! It doesn't matter if she's dead!" Nate screamed at the earth pony.

"We do not know that! I will not let you go, not alone and not like this" The stallion said and slammed his hoof into the ground.

"You can't command me! I am not some simple soldier or wild animal!" The human yelled at his friend and tried to walk around him.

"I am the only one who can command you! Me, Holy Light and Rose are the only senior Guardians left that can control the troops! You are one of us, or so you claim. So if you want me to view as a commander then act like one!" The pony said and once again got in the man's way.

"They have already taken Luna from me and now you want to take what little freedom I have left!?" Nathan yelled at the stallion, the soldiers looking horrified at the news of their princess.

"I have not taken anything! You agreed to come here! You wanted to be here! You willingly took on the mantel of a Guardian! Do not blame me for your regrets kid" Osiris growled and ducked under a punch from the human.

The two friends finally started to fight. Nathaniel dropped the war-hammer and tried to kick and punch the stallion. He was just so angry, so fed up with this world. It couldn't allow him to be happy for more than a few hours before throwing more shit his way. Luna had been one of the few contents in his new life, always there if he needed her. But if she was gone, if the griffins had killed her? What hope was left if not even Luna could stand against Guto? What hope was he supposed to feel when the world was burning around them?

Osiris easily dodged the angry human's punches and kicks. The stallion was levelheaded and focused, unlike his younger brother in arms. So when an opening presented itself the stallion swiftly tackled the human to the ground and held him down, Nate yelling and struggling to get up. He hated the feeling of not being able to do anything, of destiny's cruel hand given to him. The stallion wouldn't get off him no matter how much he struggled and soon he grew tired, simply giving up and resting his head on the ground.

"Are we done?" Osiris asked calmly and the teen nodded, the pony getting off him.

"I just want them to suffer for what they did.." Nathaniel mumbled and the stallion nodded.

"And they will. But we need time to prepare, time to gather the necessary items for an attack like this. With how close they are we don't have time to send for more soldiers. Rose wouldn't even have any to give. But I have a plan, if you will listen to me for five minutes I will give you your revenge" The earth pony told his friends who could only nod, looking around at the scared faces of soldiers as he did.

The human threw himself under another tree branch, a loud roar echoing over the woods. Osiris had said the plan was simple, but this was just madness! The teen was forced to run once more as the sounds of trees falling got closer, the Manticore not too happy with the Lunar Guardian. Nate just hurried up and jumped over a log, readying a new arrow. With a swift turn Nathaniel shot the angry beast in its shoulder, making it roar once more. Considering that the monster seemed to get closer the angrier it got that didn't bode well.

"I hope those fucking pigeons like one ton of pissed off Manticore" He grumbled and ran straight through some sharp twigs, cutting his arms and face.

The Senior Lunar Guardian had a simple plan to deal with the griffins, use the forest against them. But that meant getting some sort of beast and not many of them would be willing to help out. So the stallion had settled for a Manticore lair and placed lures to get the monsters out of their homes. When five Manticores had suddenly rushed out looking rather pissed off they all bolted. Osiris had yelled to run for the griffin camp, which was some distance away. It didn't help that the night was steadily approaching as well. Nathaniel couldn't see in the dark, the Manticore could.

With a pant the human threw himself to the side as the monster leaped at him using its two bat-like wings. The man was successful with not getting eaten, but the paw of the beast still hit his side and sent him flying. Nathaniel hit a tree and rolled onto the ground with a groan. The black haired teen looked at the monster with a growl and quickly rolled out of the way as the beast jumped towards him once more. The tree the man had hit fell as the Manticore crashed into it, leaving another fallen trail in their wake.

With his opponent distracted for a second the human just ran for it, starting to see the forest growing less dense up ahead. To his surprise the man saw a mare running a few meter to his right, a Manticore trying to eat her as well. The soldier looked back and gave a shriek of fear as the beast suddenly picked her up with its paw. The mare was thrown into the air and the hybrid beast opened its mouth to catch her. Nathaniel acted quickly and slowed down his own running, sending a blast of magic into the monster's head. The other Manticore stumbled back and the pony landed on the ground with a groan of pain.

Before Nathaniel could do anything else were he once again sent flying by the massive paw of his pursuer. The human was sent straight few some bushes and rolled down a grassy hill, feeling blood trickling down his side. Nathan felt dizzy from the attack and tried to get up only to stumble a few meters. As the man looked up he realized an entire camp of griffins starred at him in surprise and shock.

"I brought you a gift" Nate grinned as the Manticore came running out of the bushes and roared.

The enemy camp erupted into chaos. Many soldiers ran for their weapons while others hurried to secure important documents. The mostly red tents that littered the camp stirred as the griffins soldiers rushed out to be faced with a monster from the woods. Yet as one Manticore suddenly ran for the tasty looking soldiers its four other brothers joined it, all of them rushing out from the Everfree.

The monsters tore the camp a new one, screams and angry orders sounding through-out the camp. A few griffins soldiers didn't even get time to react before they were crushed under the giant paw of the beast. The superior officers that commanded the camp yelled out orders to deal with the Manticores all the while their soldiers ran for dear life. A few griffins spotted Nathaniel however and ran for him with angry battle-cries, the human drawing the sword from his side.

The first griffon's blade met his own as the enemy soldiers tried hit his side. The man simply pushed the griffon backwards and used Solaris Mico, the winged creature blinded along with the others that had tried to attack him. Nate used the opening given to him and buried the sword deep into the chest of the first griffon and then kicked a second one in the face. By now were pony soldiers running into the camp, using the chaos to kill as many feeling griffins as possible. Osiris was nowhere to be seen but the other soldiers presence was easy to spot.

"Lord Sol! Guardian Osiris ordered me to deliver this to you!" A stallion's voice called out to Nathan who sliced open the throat of another griffon warrior.

Nathaniel turned aorund and was greeted to the sight of a pony stallion throwing Valkyrie his way, the teen catching the war-hammer with his left hand. Without the time to sheet the sword Nathan simply used both weapons the best he could. Valkyrie was used whenever the group of soldiers around him grew too big and the sword was simply used to block incoming strikes or deliver quick jabs. Duel wielding was not something the man had trained in and doing it for the first time in the middle of a battle maybe wasn't the best idea.

Without Nathaniel noticing had the battle moved into the camp, blood staining the ground. Tents had fallen everywhere around them and the Manticores had killed many griffins in their first attack. But the monsters were starting to grow afraid, the griffins trapping and killing one of them. With his companions slowly loosing their advantage Nathan just ran for it, hurrying to join up with more pony soldiers. Griffins either manged to cut him or was cut down as the human ran across the battlefield, smelling the strong scent of ash in the air.

A few tents had caught on fire in the panic and it was quickly spreading through out the camp. The commander's were still yelling orders from somewhere, dressed in their silver and blue armor. Seeing how much chaos had already been created was it an easy decision for Nate to run towards the griffon soldier. If the the commander were one of the few keeping it all together he would need to go.

'His death is necessary' The human reminded himself and blocked the incoming strike from a hippogriff.

The man quickly pushed the hippogriff back with Valkyrie which sent the creature tumbling through the dirt. Considering that the the commander was so busy with screaming at his troops the man almost felt bad for his death, almost. Seeing hos many griffins were around the commander it meant that close combat could be inefficient, so an arrow it was. The man grabbed the bow that had been hanging on his back and then arrow from his side. With a deep breath the Lunar Guardian let go of the projectile and it soared through the air, hitting the griffin commander in the throat.

The enemy leader fell dead and many soldiers now followed suit without any guidance. Most griffins finally just fled into the woods, only to be stopped by pony soldiers waiting to ambush them. The remaining leaders among the griffins tried to contine the fight only to be captured or cut down by the pony forces. They had won. They had driven back the griffins, even if it would only remain so a little while.

After making sure that no griffins remained in the woods the human simply grabbed one of the bound captains and threw him onto the dirt. Nathaniel needed answers to what had happened at the coast, of what had happened to Luna. Osiris joined him, covered in dirt and blood. The scout just watched the man, waiting for him to pry information from the griffon's head.

"What happened last night? What happened to the princesses?" Nate asked with a growl and the overgrown pigeon laughed.

"King Guto has wiped out what pathetic resistance your nation would put up! We destroyed two of your cities with technology your kind invented! If we didn't kill the princess I am certain our boys are having their fun with them" The captain taunted.

Nathaniel gave the griffin a cold dark look and suddenly with angry yell snapped the captain's neck. The evil bastard had dared to say such a thing!? Osiris jumped back in shock and looked at his friend in horror, as did the griffin prisoners they had taken. The anger and rage seemed to just drain out of the man and he looked at the now dead in griffon in disbelief. Had he just done that? No, that couldn't have been him. Nathan just slowly backed away and fell to his knees, placing his hands over his face.

"Kid.." The southern stallion said slowly and looked at the human as Nathaniel started to cry.

Author's Notes:

Thank you for reading chapter 22! My god I'm loopy! I feel like I'm so tired it feels like I'm flying through space. Anyway tell me what you thought in the comments below. I have finally hit the point where all my pre-planned chapters have now been finished, meaning I'm gonna be exploring what will happen next. I might not be entirely sure of what will happen next, but I have a direction at least.

I also hope that Nathaniel isn't a Gary Stu. I do not want to be another writer who spawns a Ma-Rey Sue into existence. So if you ever think I'm making my characters a little too perfect let me know.

Anyway have a good night.