[This chapter is based off the song “The Sentinel” by Judas Priest. It is a very good song and depicts the chapter with epic music and I recommend you listen too it, after reading. This chapter is important to the story and not just something random I felt like posting. Thank you and enjoy the chapter.]

Meanwhile, back in New Canterton, word had spread that Saddle Back town, an old town in the middle of a dusty wasteland, had been taken over by marauders and bandits. Heavy Hoof had heard the news and feared for Steel Skin, because the town was just a few miles east of the camp that Steel Skin had left for only three days ago.

Heavy Hoof knew that by now Steel Skin would be at the school or at least very close. His worries faded away with the thought that the bandits would never try their luck with the warriors of Mt. Snow Point let alone scale the mountain to do so. Heavy Hoof went back to supervising the workers that White Mane had ordered to help him, with a feeling of comfort from this thought. Little did Heavy Hoof know that it was not the bandits or marauders he should be worried about but something much, much worse.

A tall figure made its way into the ruins of what was once the town of Saddle Back. A hood concealed the figure’s face and its body was covered by a thick black tan leather trench coat that’s tail almost touched the ground. The figure walked down the main road, the laid between the rows of buildings that lined the edges of the road like an old western movie. The majority of the buildings were burned to the ground and some still had red-hot ash piles inside them. The few buildings that weren’t burnt to a crisp were in shambles. All of the windows were broken; holes slash marks, and blood coved them, more then likely from when the bandits raided them for whatever treasures might have been inside.

Finally after a few yards the figure reached the end of the road. The sun was beginning to set and the sky was almost blood red. Soon Equestria would belong to Luna for the night. The figure stopped a few feet outside of the town when it came upon a slightly steep hill. At the top of the hill sat a modest little cathedral in about the same condition as the broken down buildings in the town.

The figure scanned the upturned food carts that formed a barrier in front of the cathedral. A head appeared from behind one of the carts then walked out from behind it, exposing it’s self. It was a banded the leader from the bloody skull helmet he donned. “Well look who it is. We’ve been waiting for you.” About twelve other bandits emerged from the carts. The figured just stood their silently facing the bandit leader. “Yah that’s right there’s a huge bounty on your head pal, and we aim to collect it.” The leader turned his head back to tell the others, “Go get the cage.” Two more bandits came out from the cathedral smiling, both clutching the sides of a large iron cage in their mouth.

At this time a sand storm could be seen rolling in from off in the distance. The bandit leader saw this then looked back at the figure. “This town was supposed to have a mine in it filled with lot’s of jewels. That’s the only reason I could think of why somepony would want to build a town in this Celestia forsaken place. But it was dry by the time we got here so we just decided to take what we wanted from the pathetic little ponies in this town then got rid of them one by one, ha!” The figure still stood there in silence, it’s face concealed by the hood. “Not the talkative type huh well that doesn’t matter, we’ll be rich soon enough once we take you to the Black Hoofs.

The leader looked back at the other bandits who were behind him. Some of them were trembling in fear, while the others just stood with a look of unsettlement, but all had their eyes fixed on the figure that stood alone in the middle of the road in the distance. The sound of the cathedral bell ringing out of the silence made them all jump.

The bandit leader gave them a disgusted look. “What’s the matter with all of you, you bunch of baby foals, the stories aren’t true. I don’t care if he is ‘THE’ Sentinel, it’s still just one guy.” The other bandits began to regain their courage put on angry faces. The leader then looked back down at the figure with an overconfident look. “What was that saying again? ‘Tempt not the blade, all fear The Sentinel!” he said mockingly “HA! Well I’m tempting you tough guy what cha gunna do about it?” The figure did not move nor say a word. “Ok enough chit chat let’s get this over with.” The bandits gathered their weapons and waited for the leader’s command to attack.

All though the bandit leader felt confident that he was about to make easy bits, he still felt a slight sense of hear in the back of his mind that traveled down the back of his spine. The cathedral bell continued to ring out its toll. It felt like forever before the bell ceased its chime. Once the silence fell, the bandit leader shouted, “CHARGE!!” The bandits rushed forth with shrieks and cries.

Before the small army of marauders could get close enough for a swing, the figure’s coat burst open exposing the rows of throwing knives scabbarded across his chest. The knives flew out like bullets, upon their deadly course. The only sound that could be heard then was the cries of pain and agony, and the gurgling sounds from the ones that had their throats pierced by the knives.

The figure stood over the dying bodies that were covered in blood that ran down the hill. He then proceeded to collect his knives one by one from the bodies of the bandits. He finally made it to the leader who had been hit in the back two knees and was trying to crawl to the cathedral. As the leader reached the entrance of the cathedral, the figure slammed two large hoofs on both of his front two knees, crushing the bones with ease. The figure slowly pulled out the two knives out one by one, causing the leader to cry out in pain each time.

The figure then rolled over the once confident bandit leader on his back. The leader looked at the figure’s face in pure fear and chanted “Tempt not the blade. Tempt not the blade! TEMPT NOT THE BLADE!!”

The figure raised his large front hoof, then said in a calm yet terrifying voice “All fear the Sentinel.” Then slammed his Hoof down on the leader’s head crushing both his skull and the skull helmet with one loud “CRUNCH!”

The now introduced Sentinel opened the doors of the cathedral, just in time to get a good look at Mt. Snow Point in the far off distance, before the sand storm obstructed his view of it. The storm was just a few yards away now. The Sentinel, walking in the direction of both the mountain and the storm, he had business to take care of, he had herd of a young colt who was on his to the peek of the mountain to train at the school there. The Sentinel disappeared into the sandstorm.

And he was going to pay him a visit.