The attack came just before dawn.

One moment I was sleeping peacefully, then ponies screaming and a roar pulled me back into the real world as those sounds bypassed my brain completely, grabbed my adrenal glands and just squeezed.

I was on my hooves before I was even aware that I was awake.

Two... things were in the camp. They looked like a mix of wolf and lizard with a gazillion teeth, their tiger patterned skin shimmering slightly in the flicker of the fires.

Oh, and they were about five times the size of a pony.

As I watched, a guard flew at one of them, spear in hoof. She jammed the spear into it's side and it roared, twisting like a serpent and it's tail hit her with a bone crushing impact I could hear from where I was and she went flying out of sight.

The closest monstrosity snarled and then charged towards a fallen unicorn. He looked unconscious.

Celestia, I hope he was unconscious.

I moved.

Jumping over Dee even as she was waking up, I snatched my spear up and threw myself into the air to land between the thing and the fallen stallion. Letting out a hiss that would have made a changeling proud, I spread my wings wide and planted one end of the spear into the ground, stomping my hoof down on it as I leaned the other towards the charging predator.

It did something I never would have expected.

It skidded to a halt, but it wasn’t fast enough and my speartip slammed into its chest from the impact. It let loose a ear piercing roar and backed away, clawing at it's chest before it managed to grab the spear with it's jaws and rip it free.

I bared my teeth at it and hissed, spreading my wings wider.

If it attacked, I'd have little choice but to try a spell. It might work or it might knock me out before it did.

Then Amber hit it from the side.

Her spear pierced it's hide but she didn't stop. Her shape blurred into something with a lot of legs and claws and she swarmed up it's side, clawing and biting and stinging as she went.

The monstrosity went nuts, turning and snapping for her.

I ducked beneath the sweeping arch of it's tail and dove for my spear. Energy crackled like lightning across the other end of the camp and part of my brain not busy with staying alive idly noted that somepony must have woken up Tempest.

Another two members of the legion charged the beast as I snatched my spear up in one hoof as I came out of my roll. The unicorns kept their distance out of tail swipe or claw range, but their swords came in on sweeping arches towards it, slashing and stabbing.

"Focus on it's legs!" I yelled and jabbed towards the closest eye.

Then the thing was suddenly covered in a purple glow and yanked off its feet. Amber scrambled for purchase, but the energy field seemed to be impervious and she slipped down the side, falling towards the ground.

Green fire rippled across her and her wings buzzed as she landed between me and the beast, snarling at it.

The monster was lifted into the air and I turned to watch Midnight stride through the camp, the other predator floating in her magic above her, soon to be joined by it's friend.

Midnight looked...

Imagine in your mind the goddess of magic. The creator and controller of one of the elemental forces of the universe. Beautiful and terrible in all its power. It could create wonderful playful illusions and bury continents in clouds of burning ash.

Now imagine said goddess being absolutely furious.

That was Midnight right now.

Her steps were steady and slow and her face was calm in a way I never seen on a pony before. But her eyes... her eyes glowed with the colour of her magic. Not a lot, but enough to pick out against the darkness of the camp. Her horn glowed a bright purple, almost too brightly to look directly at after the darkness of the night and lit everything around her up in a sphere of light that almost seemed to sizzle the grass as she moved past it. And her mane was moving, shifting slowly like in a slight breeze.

"Page," she said as she got close.

Her fury wasn't directed at me. It still chilled me to the core. It almost didn't sound like Midnight at all. It was like liquid nitrogen and burning fire both at once.

"Princess," I said and leaned a bit against my spear, suppressing a sudden instinctual need to bow to her the way everypony else was right now, "Thanks for the save."

She blinked at me and then looked up, almost like she had forgotten the two monsters floating there. She then sighed, "At least they weren't magic resistant this time," she said and then the things were just... gone. There was a flash of light and then they were no longer there.

Gulp.

Note to self, no pissing off Midnight or Twilight.

The almost physical crackle around her faded away, as did the light in her eyes.

Now she mostly looked tired.

Then she set her jaw and looked around, raising her voice, "Everypony, see to the injured! Guards, return to the perimeter in case there are more!"

"One fell outside the camp," I said and turned to look towards the forest, remembering where the pegasus had gone flying, "She's going to need help."

A deep hiss from Amber made me pause as she got in my way, "Let somepony else handle it, sir," she said firmly, "There may still be more. And you need to lay do-"

"Amber, I-"

"No, she's right," Midnight said and stepped up next to me, "You told me we had a responsibility to these ponies," she said quietly, "And you're right. They depend on us and you are injured."

"I'm fine, my horn barely even hurts right now."

Well, not more than yesterday anyway.

"That's not what I'm talking about."

I blinked at her and then looked down at myself. The entire length of my right foreleg was covered with blood from a cut on my shoulder.

When did that happen?

"Let's get you patched up, sir," one of the guards said as she collected her sword with her magic and dug through one of her pouches to pull out some medical supplies.

"I...yeah, okay," I admitted and sat down. Now when I was aware of it, my entire leg was hurting.

"Wouldn't be a good look if I let the boss bleed to death on our first real outing, wouldn't it, sir?" the unicorn... Dark Glow. Her name was Dark Glow... said with a smile as she started to swab my shoulder clean with quick steady motions.

"Might cost you a raise if that happened, yes," I admitted and tried not to flinch at the stinging sensation.