The army was marching.

Nathaniel was following Osiris with Blaze at his side. The wolf was tense and growled at the smell of smoke in the air, villages having been burnt by the griffon forces. The army of Darkest Dreams had swept through the south and defeated almost any resistance in its way, the empress not taking any prisoners as she tore the nation in two. Any soldiers that had tried to slow the enemy down were killed, impaled on red crystal spikes. The griffin navy had in return dropped of more soldiers after their victory at the coast, these troops marching and flying towards Canterlot. They had run into a few of these enemy soldiers raiding towns and villages along the way. Celestia had ordered the human to cut them down, which he did without hesitation.

The more time the army spent on minor skirmishes along the road the more time Guto had to torture Luna. Neither the human or alicorn wanted to waste any time, but Nathan was often the one slowing them down. The man would walk among burnt husks of former homes and look upon the destroyed lives with sadness. The teen would at times find families hiding in these ruins, helping them to the main army. The princess didn't like him, nor the fact he wasted time by exploring ruined villages. But whenever she saw a family reunited with their sons, fathers, mothers or daughters in the army she would smile. It wasn't much, after all those families had been through, but it was something.

The army of a little over four thousand ponies had been traveling for two days straight, quickly approaching the Ygrid and Canterlot. The griffon flagship was slowed down thanks to the actions of the Griffonian prince, but it hadn't been enough to fully stop it. They would need to reach it and the griffon king's forces before the third day was over or there would be nothing standing between the capital and total destruction. Nate swallowed at the thought of Canterlot burning, at the thought of Guto winning. If the mad king won the next battle then no one else would be able to oppose him.

"Kid, take a deep breath. You're making the hound anxious with you're pacing and muttering." The southern pony said.

"I'm not muttering." The man said with a mumble.

Osiris let out a small breath akin to a laugh at that. "Yes you are. You're not the only one who's worried or fearing for the worst, but try to stay calm. The soldiers look up to you as a leader now, as does the dragons. You are a guardian, the first non-pony to bear that title. Show our people that you have earned to bear it."

Nathaniel nodded at that and stroked the grey fur along Blaze's back, calming the growling wolf. The two friends walked in silence after that conversation, the same silence lingering over the Equestrian army. There wasn't a single pony, dragon or changeling that weren't thinking about the battle to come. The shape-shifters of the army hadn't been seen a lot during the different battles, which was their assignment from the princesses. They caused chaos in enemy ranks through infiltration, but due to their low numbers with their kingdom's fall it was seldom more than an announce to the griffins. The bug ponies seemed the most nervous among the allied ranks, since their wings buzzed when they grew nervous. They were thinking the exact same thing Nathan was thinking.

"I.. I don't want to die." The teen said quietly.

The words were whispered, but many still seemed to pick up on them. Osiris stopped dead in his tracks and turned around to look upon the man. The stallion held an empathetic and sad gaze, hearing the young human utter such words with pure fear. Many older soldiers held similar looks as they watched the pair, they had heard those words from new recruits facing down the griffon army at the coast and scared children separated from their families by the flames of war. The human hated the fact he sounded so weak when he uttered those words. He survived Everfree, Sombra, Faust's trial, Garthram and the coastal ruins. So why did this battle make his spirit shake?

"No one wants to die." The lunar guardian responded honestly.

"I'm scared Osiris. I've been in battle before but this.. We might not.." The man started to ramble.

Osiris pulled Nate down to his knees so they could speak face to face. "I will be with you the entire time. As will Rose, Blaze and the entire Equestrian army. It's ok to be scared Nathaniel, but do not let that fear led to despair. I just told you that they need you to lead them, so fight that fear."

The man took a deep breath before nodding. "I will try. I will try to win."

"Good, because that's all we have left." The stallion sighed and continued to walk.

The human followed his friend with his mind calmer, but the fear still lingered there. The Ygrid had wiped out an entire city, meaning they were facing something so powerful it could defeat them with one lucky hit. The prospect of standing upon a hill drenched with blood as magical fire rained from the heavens made him shudder, but the human would not give in to that fear. What Osiris had told him was correct. He would need to help lead the army to victory or die trying. Guto would not go unpunished after what he had done, Nathan would make sure of that.

The human left Osiris to speak with the army commanders as the rest of the army marched on. Nate decided to spend his time speaking to Charcoal and asking general questions about the dragons. Nate was just hoping to get the green scaled dragon to speak with him and distract them both from the coming battle. The Ygrid was a couple hours away through a dense forest and steep hills. By the time they reached the flying ship it would be close enough to Canterlot to fire upon it, meaning they would need to pull attention away from the city. But these thoughts were pushed to the side as Charcoal opened up about the dragon lord's death.

"We were watching it happen from one of the cliffs. There was roars, green lights flashing through the smoke and then finally silence. The next thing we know the griffins are cheering loudly enough for us to hear and I just knew old Shadow Claw was dead. He was a though old lizard and they managed to bring him down like it was nothing." The teenage dragon said.

"Did the dragons who faced Guto destroy any of his ships?" The man questioned as they walked among the soldiers.

"I think so, yes. There was more than just dead dragons on the ground when the battle was over, but our strongest were still dead dude." Charcoal sighed.

A silence fell over the two before the human spoke once more. "Do you think we can destroy the flagship? I mean, it's their most powerful weapon and all."

The green scaled dragon watched him with uncertainty before answering the question. "With you leading us? Yeah."

The human was taken back by the praise before smiling. The dragons were placing their trust in him, for him to lead them to victory. They had all put their trust in him hadn't they? Rose, Osiris, Luna, Blaze and even Celestia. They were hoping he would not betray that trust and help them defeat Guto. They wanted him to save this nation, or at least stand on the front lines as the battle began. Nathan would do more than that.

"What would I need to do for being allowed to ride one of you?" The human.

"I mean.. Glare might allow you to ride on his back, him being fully grown and all. Why do you ask?" The green scaled teenage dragon asked.

"Because I'm getting up to that ship." The teen grinned at his dragon friend.

Charcoal blinked before his eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

"Guto is up there according to the prince. He won't leave it unless he's forced to, which means we need to get to him. But Luna is also up there and I am not leaving her." Nathaniel growled.

"I'll go ask Glare if he will do it. But be warned, dragons don't fly gently." The teenage dragon said.

Nate just smiled at that. "I'm not planning on boarding his ship peacefully."

The marching continued, as did Nathaniel's worries and pride. Hours passed as the last remnants of the Equestrian army got closer and closer to the capital, hoping they would arrive in time. It was mid-day when they reached rambling rock ridge. They were only six hours away from the capital now and the tired army could feel it in the air, creeping towards them. Death was close. The commanders ordered the army to rest and eat before they continued, as the next time they stopped it would be because they had reached Guto. Nathan took this opportunity to mediate, climbing the ridge walls until he reached the top. There the human sat down and closed his eyes, breathing slowly.

The break was exactly what Nate needed for the coming battle, as the sounds of birds in the nearby Everfree forest calmed him. The young man allowed his magic 'sense' to stretch out over the surrounding area and with a smile Nate opened his eyes. This part of the country was tense, but life flourished here. The fields of grass that was north of the Everfree would make a good place for a town someday, or at least a good place for a house. The man was brought out of his musing as he heard yelling from below. Before Nathan could process what the soldiers were saying a great shadow covered him. The man looked up to see the hull of a flying ship over his head, a griffon ship.

They had found them.

"They are here!!!" The teen yelled and held out his hand towards rambling rock ridge.

The sound of something metallic flying through the air could be heard before Valkyrie appeared in the guardian's right hand. The war-hammer was enveloped in a green aurora, the levitation spell being easy for the now competent mage. Nathan turned his sights on the ship above him as pegasi flew up from the gorge, joining him on the cliff. They all looked ready for a fight despite them having marched for so long. They were truly resilient creatures.

"Don't let it fire its canons!" The teen instructed to the squad.

They all nodded and flew up towards the ship. Nathan stood on the ground ready for griffin soldiers to drop off the ship but instead the vessel descended, the hull just flouting a couple of centimeters over the ground. The ship had set down next to the human and the pegasi landed next to him in confusion. A strange creature jumped off the ship and eyed the lunar guardian with curiosity. It had snake like eyes that watched Nathan's every move and it held a tail that once again reminded the young man of a snake. Two fangs could be see poking out of the creature's mouth, probably filled with poison of some sort. The rest of its body was that of a pony, making Nate confused.

"Mutant.." One of the pegasi whispered.

The snake pony was joined by other mutants on the ship, all of them carrying weapons and distrustful looks. One was simply a hippogriff with blue and black feathers, seeming relatively normal in the band of ponies mixed with all from dogs to sharks. It was a wonder they had made it there at all, that they had somehow acquired a grifon ship. It was a bloody miracle they hadn't been bombarded with arrows the same second they were spotted.

It was then Rose landed next to the man and growled at the mutants. "Who are you and what do you want?! That is a griffon war-ship!"

The hippogriff stepped forward and looked over his shoulder at his companions. "We have come to aid you, under orders of commander Fylk."

"Commander? I doubt you desert deviling rats have enough power to create a functioning army." The sanguine spat and eyed the ship.

"Keep your hatred for our kind to yourself shadow pony, we are offering you help." The snake pony growled at the mare.

"With a dagger hidden behind your back? Why should we trust your kind?" Rose asked with a growl and spread her wings.

The hippogriff signaled for all the mutants to get off the ship before answering. "Because we're giving you this ship to defeat the mad king."

His answer was unexpected, especially to the bewildered sanguine mare. The soldiers that lacked wings finally made it up to the cliff where the ship had landed, Osiris leading the charge. They stopped as they saw the mutants and the southern pony ordered the troops to stand down. The entire army had been on their to scale the ridge's rocky walls before the order was given to return to camp. There was no threat from these creatures, or at least not yet. The hippogriff demanded an audience with Celestia which Osiris gave them while Rose argued for them to be locked up instead. It was clear the bat-pony and the mutants held a deep hatred for each other.

The newly arrived desert dwellers were brought to the princess of the sun within the hour. The still injured pony leader didn't particularly appreciate the way the mutants had scared her people but as the talks wore on the hippogriff and princess started to gain common ground. It seemed these mutants were here for more than just helping the ponies, as Guto and Darkest Dream's defeat would allow them to form their nation. Many commanders in the Equestrian army weren't thrilled over the idea of giving the infamous desert warriors land, but Celestia's decision was final.

"If you aid us in the battle to come we will help you establish a nation." The alicorn said and all who heard it bowed.

Well, all except Nathan.

"My loyal soldiers have heard about the mad king's son being one of your captives. We will lend you our full support if he is given to us. His father has taken many sons from us, and it's about time he felt that pain." The mutants temporary leader demanded.

Celestia looked thoughtful for a second before shaking her head. "I will not allow such a thing. The prince is young and decided to fight against his father's decision. Killing him will only create more bad blood between your people and the griffins."

"There has always been bad blood between us and it will go away. But fine. If you will not allow us to take the prince we want gold along with your support. We cannot extract resources from the sand without tools, tools that will cost us gold." The hippogriff said with his head held high.

"If it helps save my people you can have your gold." The princess said and nodded to Star Swirl.

"I will write a contract that needs to be signed by your leader. But since you've come alone who will represent your nation?" The old wizard said and quickly started to write up a contract on a piece of paper.

The hippogriff looked at the snake pony who had been the first to step foot on Equestrian soil. The mutant was taken back at first but happily stepped forward. The young looking creature was given a quill and once Star Swirl had finished speed writing the contract the mutant signed it with his name: 'Enjo Steelheart'. There was cheers and the army's morale rose with the addition of the flying ship. Things no longer looked impossible, but that didn't mean there still wasn't fear in the hearts of everyone involved.

The battle wasn't here yet, but it loomed over the horizon in the form of a gigantic flying ship. A ship named after the god of war.

King Guto of Griffonia's POV

The failure of an empress had finally arrived.

I stood on the upper deck of the Ygrid, surveying the area as my most prized possession flew over the pony landscape. Darkest Dreams had set up camp close to Canterlot in case I would need to besiege the city, but it didn't matter what mages or troops they had inside the walls, they would all fall to my machine of war. I grinned as I watched one of the lifeboats descend towards the army camp below us, ordered to bring the empress here. I would need to inform her about the next step in my plan of conquest once Canterlot fell. The northern mountains looked like a great place to start.

I hadn't heard from captain Garm or seen the Pyxezia since they left to crate chaos in the mountains, but I was certain he would be back soon. The yaks and minotaurs couldn't keep back a soldier like him, not when he controlled the sky. If I didn't hurry he might enslave them all without me. I laughed at that thought and then shivered as the idol whispered to me what victory would bring. I had worked years for this, but only with the idol had I truly seen the right path. There could be no other kingdom, no other authority then me. If there was a king or queen who opposed me they would die.

In my musing it took me a while to see the sick looking griffon soldier at my side, saluting me. Approaching your king without permission was normally a death sentence, but I was in a good mood today. I turned to him, making the soldier cover and lower his head towards the ground. I could clearly see how his eyes held the sickly black veins of the corrupted, marking him as another my son had poisoned. I growled as Tyr's face flashed before my eyes. The idol had commanded his death and I would gladly give it to him. His whore of a mother could make more abominations.

"What do you want soldier?" I growled.

"We have quarantined the sick sir, but many of our canon operators were killed or infected by the explosion. We lack the soldiers needed to man all our canons on upper deck. Many of our canons on lower deck were also lost thanks to the quarantine of the ship my lord. The only way to use them would be if we sent our own into the rooms infested by the corruption and ordered them to fight." The soldier told me.

"Then you will do that. Use the sick that can still stand, death in battle will be more honorable to the gods then dying in a bed as your bones turns into crystal." I informed him.

The soldier looked uncertain and disturbed, but complied with my order as the idol's power washed over him. "I will order the sick to man the canons below deck my lord. Victory for Griffonia!"

"Victory for Griffonia indeed." I responded and returned to watching the army below us.

The camp below held over three thousand strong griffins and two thousand strong shadow ponies. The empress had led them across the southern part of Equestria, ensuring me a swift victory inside the pony homeland. They all looked like ants as they moved about, preparing their equipment for the coming siege. They were expecting my ship to fail turning Canterlot into cinder? Ha! I defeated Celestia with one blast, this would be no exception.

It was then two lifeboats docked to the Ygrid's side. One carried the empress who looked at me coldly but complied with the order given and walked up to me. The other carried a pleasant surprise, a certain alicorn princess with a shapely rump. I grinned as the soldiers dragged princess Luna away from the lifeboat and onto my ship's deck, screaming and kicking at anyone trying to touch her. Darkest Dreams looked away in shame while my grin only grew wider.

"Welcome aboard princess! I hoped my captain would deliver you to me before your capital fell." I said.

"Burn you damn chicken! I will paint the sky with your blood!" She yelled in fury and struggled against her bonds.

I just laughed and walked up to the princess in chains, looking over her. Luna had always been my favorite out of the two sisters for many reasons. She was a true warrior who rarely lost a battle and anyone standing in her way often were forced to move or was cut down. She controlled the night itself and with it the moon, the beautiful white sphere that had lit up the castle when I was a boy. But most importantly she had a spirit thought unbreakable, or at least that what as the rumors said.

"I doubt you can defeat me with a magic suppressor on your horn princess." I growled and placed one of my talons on her head.

The princess was bound with steel chains. These chains connected together her legs and wings, making it hard for her to move much less escape. I grinned and pulled her head up by roughly grabbing a hold of her mane. She defiantly glared at me but I could see fear in her eyes, true fear that no being could fake. I enjoyed seeing her grow more and more desperate as I whistled for the guards to bring out a cage. I threw her into it when my soldiers put it onto the ground, slamming the door after her.

"I will kill you!" She growled.

Once again I laughed. She thought she could kill me with all of these weapons, soliders and firepower backing me? I found her resistance amusing but I knew I couldn't play with her for long. I left her to scream and beat against the cage as I returned to my puppet empress. The mare with demon blood glared at me but she waited for my next command, knowing I held all the cards. Or at least she thought I did. Her spawn had somehow escaped from his cell, but his mother didn't need to know that.

"Do you want me to do anything about the ponies in the Everfree? They can't hide from us forever." She stated coldly.

"Let them hide and fight against my disposable soldiers. Canterlot is the real goal of this conquest, not the coast." I told her.

"Then what are your orders my lord?" The mare asked me.

"Kill any pony that tries to resist this attack. Break their spirit and most will happily leave their city to flee. If you cannot control the villages close to the city burn them to the ground and kill those who oppose you." I ordered and she left with a nod.

Power and control felt good.

After I had given the empress my orders the day continued in a slow pace. Soldiers got to the canons but more grew sick below deck as the sick and injured were forced to operate the weapons. The once sealed doors to all the rooms infected by the corruption were opened to allow easy access to the weaponry, spreading the disease like a plague. I wasn't worried about catching it, I was immune to such things thanks to the idol. But if all my soldiers died mid battle it would be catastrophic for the Ygrid. But luck seemed to smile upon me as I watched one of our ships fly towards us from the south. I recognized it as the Orinion, the ship I had sent to aid our soldiers in the desert. So they had finally wiped them out huh?

I grinned as I watched the other two ships next to the Ygrid. One was captain Steelbeak's ship and it had held Luna for the last few days since we wiped out the coastal cities. The other ship was under the command of general Karil. She was one of the few female griffins who had managed impress me enough to earn such a high position in my army, but her tactical and calm mind served her well in stressful situations. With the Orinion joining us we would have firepower to level Canterlot mountain. I grinned as I watched the fruit of my labor, ordering my soldiers to target the city. We had been in range for a while, but now the combined destruction of the flagship's all canons would destroy the capital completely.

"Aim!" I ordered and all griffins on deck turned the large heavy canons towards Canterlot.

Father, I hope you're watching me with pride now.

"Fir-" I yelled only for an explosion to rock the Ygrid.

Soldiers screamed as they stumbled around on deck, trying to understand what had happened. I had fallen onto my back but I quickly got up and noticed the Orinion recharging its magical canons. There was now a massive burning hole in my ship's left side, fire spreading below deck. I growled and as the ship got closer I could see its crew, they were all ponies and mutants. With a rage filled scream I ordered all canons focused on the enemy ship and for them to fire at will. It was then I heard cries of war from below me.

I looked over the edge in horror as ponies clad in armor rushed towards the camp below, meeting my forces as well as the empress' forces. The damn ponies had survived the woods and mounted an attack directly against my fleet and army? I would show them, I would kill every last one of them for this. I yelled to my commanders to watch the princess and bring down the enemy ship. I would not tolerate creatures like them using our weapons.

It was time to snuff out the Equstrian resistance once and for all.

Nathaniel's POV

The final battle had begun.

Battle-cries could be heard over the plains as the pony army smashed into the griffon camp. Their enemy was caught completely by surprise and at first panic reigned in the griffonian ranks. The human used this to his advantage, wildly hitting anyone trying to hurt his fellow soldiers. Rose and Osiris was close by, but with the two armies merging into a mess of death and screams they got separated. The man wouldn't let this face him as he called out for the pony soldiers to follow him as he used the power of Valkyrie to smash through shield walls.

The man relied heavily on his enchanted weapon. He used the magical power it released at it hit something to his advantage, sending griffins flying. Of course since their enemy had wings this often gave them the chance to gain height and attack once more. The human simply knocked them down once they got close enough and then killed them by slamming his weapon down onto the injured enemy.

At times the young man was forced to grip the very end of the war-hammer's handle and spin around, knocking back those that tried to get to him. Other times the teen simply used the environment against them, slamming his weapon down into the dirt to blind his enemies quickly became a favorite of his. But when Valkyrie wasn't enough magic had to do. The man used Solaris mico to blind multiple enemies at once, levitated griffins into the air only to slam them down onto the ground again and used his newly found teleportation spell to cut down enemies in quick succession. The human did take some injuries, a stray arrow burrowed its way into his left shoulder, but he simply pulled it out and healed the injury.
The man hadn't come to kill these griffon soldiers, he had come to save Luna.

And they were in his way.

As Nathaniel fought he quickly realized he couldn't be carefree when it came to using his magic. He could already feel a tug on his mana pool indicating he was quickly draining all the magical energy his body had time to build up for this battle. If Nathan wanted to face Guto he would have to conserve some of his energy and mana. With this in mind the guardian hurried to find the military leaders on the ground, hoping to cause some chaos for the griffins and shadow ponies like he had done so many time before.

So the human searched, slamming his war-hammer into the head of anyone getting in his way. The battle had began in the favor of the ponies, but as time wore on and the soldiers grew more and more tired the griffins grew bolder. The battle was quickly turning sour for the Equestrians as they may have been almost one thousand more but the griffins were well fed and rested. It soon came down to will alone between the two armies as soldiers simply tried to kill as many as possible, using the dead as shields against arrows. It was chaos in the most literal sense of the word. Discord was probably pleased watching all of this unfold before his eyes.

As Nathan ran further into the enemy lines he rarely saw pony soldiers. At occasions he would spot a few fighting off some shadow ponies and he would help them. But for the most part it was Nathaniel against the enemy. The man would defend himself the best he could, but sure enough he started to gain more injuries without his allies there to help. A griffon cut his leg with a sword before Nate killed him with a swift blow from Valkyrie. The human healed it until he was certain there was no danger of infection. Then he ran for the enemy leaders once more.

It was during his mad rush the human was suddenly separated from the battle by a great red crystal wall. This wall encircled him and red spikes shout out from it. The human tried to teleport away from the trap but found himself unfocused. A dark chill crept over his mind and he turned around to face the empress of the dark kingdom. She looked livid and had a red crystal scythe held firmly in her magical grip.

"Sombra had a similar one." The man said.

In response the mare jumped towards his location with a rage filled scream. The man rolled out of the way as the blade of her weapon slammed into the round and she quickly pulled it up once more. The human readied himself for this fight and as she ran for him the empress rose the scythe above her head to send a downwards strike his way. The man barely blocked the incoming strike and then was forced to jump back as another spike rose from the ground in front of him. This mare was trying to actively tear him apart!

"You don't need to do this! Guto won't be able to hurt your son if you turn on him now!" The man yelled but was forced to duck under another swipe of her weapon.

"You know nothing! The same second he dies they'll kill my poor baby! I will not let you win!" She growled.

More crystal spikes shot out from the wall that surrounded them in a dome like shape. The man did his best to avoid them but one slashed him across his chest, cutting right through his armor. The human stumbled backwards and with an angry yell the empress knocked the war-hammer from his grasp. Reacting quickly the teen tried to summon the weapon back to his hand but once again something was breaking his concentration. The damn crystal wall must have had something to do with it. Without another option the man pulled out the sword Luna had given to him, its black blade fitting his dark armor. The mare just scoffed and lunged for him once more.

This time the man blocked the incoming strike and kicked the mare's horn. She stumbled backwards with a scream of pain and glared at him with hatred. A crack was now in her white horn, mana sparking from it. She looked ready to turn the human into paste at that point and with another battle-cry Darkest Dreams threw herself at him. The human was ready for her this time and he ducked underneath the empress. With a swift motion Nathaniel grabbed a hold of her scythe and then the man slammed her onto the ground. The pony kicked him in the chest and Nate felt one or two ribs crack from the attack.

To end the fight the human slammed the pommel of his sword into the mare's forehead multiple times, knocking her out. The man got up and stumbled away from the unconscious mare, only for Nathan to feel a pain. He looked down to see a piece of crystal stuck in his side, most likely shoved in there by the empress. The man started to pull it out but feel to his knees due to the pain. The feeling was like ice slowly being dragged over his flesh. He gave of a pain filled groan and spat onto the ground as his right hand slowly pulled the shard out of his side. Nathan threw it away as it came out, quickly using his mana to heal the injury. The man cursed himself for having been so careless and he sheeted his sword.

Nathan stumbled over to Valkyrie and threw it at one of the walls. The war-hammer broke through the spikes and wall in one fell swoop, allowing the human to stumble out onto the battlefield and observe what was happening. The ships the mutants and ponies had controlled was falling from the sky. Their balloon was quickly loosing it's ability to hold up the ship and the vessel came crashing towards the ground. Fires had spread over the deck as the three enemy ships had fired upon it with their canons. Once it hit the ground it skid over the ground for one hundred meters before stopping. It killed both ponies and griffins in its wake, creating a trench between the two armies.

It was then Nathaniel slammed Valkyrie's pommel onto the ground and a roars could be heard. From the smoke the ships had created as they fired upon each other two dragons emerged. The red and green adult dragons had been waiting for a chance to attack the ships and now they saw their opportunity. The green dragon, named Glare, dove underneath the ships and slammed his tail into the Ygrid's side. The flagship had prepared to fire upon Canterlot until this action caused the canon to hit Canterlot mountain instead. Rock rained down from the mountain but the city was safe.

Glare used this opportunity to fly towards the human. His red scaled brother let fire spew over one of the ships that quickly lost control and plummeted towards the ground. Unfortunately the close proximity to the remaining ships made the dragon an easy target and the canons from both ships fired upon him. The red dragon crashed down upon the plains, his chest and wings black from the magical weapons power. One of their most powerful allies were dead, and the Ygrid remained in the sky.

Nathan ran for the Glare as the dragon landed. They didn't have much time if they wanted to board the Ygrid and find Luna. So the man threw himself at any enemy in his way, taking blows but continuing his path towards the dragon. It was then Osiris and Blaze suddenly joined his side. Without realizing it the teen had ran all the way back to where the main battle was taking place. Glare was flying as many griffins he could as he waited for the human, but those canons were recharging their energy for a second shot.

"We're almost there kid! Guto and his guards will be the only ones left!" Osiris yelled over the fighting.

"Almost there.." Nathan panted and ducked under a griffon's sword.

The stallion and wolf were both covered in blood. Blaze had seemingly gored as many griffins he could get his paws on and it had helped the pony soldiers instill fear into their enemies. Osiris looked injured as he limped but as he was still fighting the man assumed it was not severe. They needed to get onto that ship before they gained an injury that would make them unable to fight. Nathan looked to Blaze running alongside them and realized the wolf would be safer on the ground with Rose than on the ship with him and Osiris.

"Blaze! Go to Rose and stay at her side! Me and Osiris is going after Guto!" The man told the wolf.

Blaze whined in return and shook his head.

"Yes I am! Now go!" The man said and Blaze ran towards the ponies reluctantly.

The pony and human continued to run until Glare spotted them. The dragon dove towards them and picked them both up in his claws. The green scaled dragon rose towards the ships and evaded canon fire as he went. Nathan felt sick as he tumbled around in the dragons hand before finally they were above the Ygrid. With a fluid motion the human and stallion jumped from the dragon and landed on the ship. Nathan broke his fall with a roll and he quickly killed a griffon trying to cut him down. Osiris landed on top of another griffon and buried his dagger into the enemy's head. They had managed to board the ship.

Nathaniel looked upon the very long deck that stretched to both his left and right. But it was what laid to his right that made him growl. There stood king Guto of Griffonia, clad in golden armor and crown with a red robe draped over his shoulders. The griffon looked surprised before scowling at the human. Next to the king was Luna, locked in a cage with a magic suppressor around her horn. The sight made the man growl and he drew his sword with his left hand while Valkyrie rested in his right hand.

This ended here.

"Run Nathaniel! It's a trap!" Luna shouted.

To the man's horror started the griffon soldiers claw at their throats and cough red dust. One of them fell onto the ground and spasmed as a red crystal broke through his skin. All of the soldiers started to turn into abominations thanks to the corruption disease and their eyes took in a golden glow. Guto laughed before he grabbed Luna's cage and dragged it into the gate behind him. The king slammed the door shut as Luna's former guards gave of a banshee like shriek and peeled of the skin. Underneath said skin was only red crystal, a crystal that only made Nathan feel afraid.

Osiris joined the human's side and grabbed a spear as the enemy advanced on them, hissing and growling. They had crystals going through their armor and skin while others had crystals coming out from their beaks. They had all turned into monsters and with unnatural speed they ran for the human and stallion. Nathan held his sword and war-hammer ready slashing out with both as the monsters jumped for them.

This battle was far from over.

Author's Notes:

So close! Only one or two more chapters and the the story is done! I thank all of you who decided to read this chapter. Nathaniel's journey is coming to an end in the coming weeks (hopefully before my trip to the US) so look forward to it! Have a great day you guys!