[HELL IS COMING]
[RUN WHILE YOU CAN]
[The final written words of Hawkes Mittlborn. The battle damaged skeleton was found in an old sewer in the outskirts of New Colossus (Formally known as New York City) With a warning written in the dying commanders blood. The message was never discovered though, with a brutal defeat and fast retreat there was no time to find and collect bodies. And somehow if it had been found during the battle, things might have went differently…]
Somer and the army stops at the gate, things were so quiet I could hear my own breath. After a moment of hesitation I hear Safeer behind me, him shocked that Hawkes wasn’t with him.
“Somer what are you doing here!? Where is commander Hawkes!”
Somer allows himself to speak, by the tone of his voice I knew something bad had happened.
“Dewe’s been a setback at dah southewn fwont, dah wheweabouts of Commandah Hawkes am cuwwentwy unknown.”
Safeer looks both shocked, horrified, and speechless. I speak, wanting some more context.
“What happend!?”
Somer speaks, sounding especially frustrated.
“I hab 0 idea, dah owdah wefuses to speak. Buh aww Somah knows am that whatebah happened it was bad, many tawon membews comin’ back injuwed… Ow dead.”
Somer opens his bag and pulls something out, 2 letters. He gives one to me and the other to Safeer, speaking as he does.
“Since Hawkes wheweabouts am unknown, these an’ dis awmy behind me am fo’ 'ou.”
Somer turns around and speaks.
“Goodbye an’ gud wuck.”
With that he rides off back west, and silence returns.
I open the letter, reading it.
[By Order of King Enoch of Motor, Royal Guard Commander Emily will be given full authority upon all Motor forces in Pandemon. And alongside this a newly created rank in the Royal Guard that has not been given a name yet (First Commander will be used as a stand-in)
Current orders are to head out to LuuBar, and set up a camp at it’s outskirts. Make way for more reinforments for the siege. (Location of LuuBar is Southeast of you’re current location)
-Enoch Doe-StrongWing]
I hear Charles speak to me, him looking over my shoulder.
“Congwatuwations on dah pwomotion.”
Safeer speaks, looking over to me.
“I have been given Hawkes rank, that only means one thing in the Order of Talon.”
“What?”
“They are certain he’s dead.”
The next hour or so was spent collecting everything we could and loading it on to the wagon, King’s orders. Meanwhile Safeer and the rest of the Order of Talon spent the initial time having a silent prayer and moment of silence or there lost members. With Ix even telling me that a good chunk of Talon Knights probably had relatives who were in the Order, us watching them. Finally with everything packed we went out southeast, me deciding to leave a small garrison for when reinforments for the siege come by.
Traveling deeper into Pandemon, we were half lucky not to see any Nuuk’s. On the other hoove though, this place was quickly becoming the literal Underworld… The sky got darker and darker the further we got, not by night mind you but smoke or ash was causing it, making things extremely dim and even cold at times. And the landscape wasn’t getting much better either. The grays began to slowly started being replaced by blacks. desolate and horrible. And strangely lots more pre civilization ruins began to appear, places untouched by anyone. As the third day of travel neared it’s end, we stopped at a dead plains, setting up a temporary camp for the knight. I decided to spend this brief amount of free time with my comrades, joining them at the Royal Guard section of the camp. All of us sat by a raging campfire, nobody saying anything until I spoke to my comrades.
“Su once dis am aww finished, does anyone know what dewe goin’ to do aftah dah waw?”
There was a moment of silence, than Charles was the first to speak.
“Once dis am obew, am wetiwin’ fo’ gud, Chawwes doesn’t think his body can handwe dis type of position anymowe. An’ I’d wike to go back to fwuffy’s hobbies, dis time of yeaw am an excewwent fo’ saiwin’…”
Ix is the next to speak.
“Probably just find some quiet work, less fighting and more just enjoying the moment. And after that who knows, maybe I’ll write a book or just enjoy living with my partner.”
Ix looks flustered when she finishes that sentence, obviously not thinking before she spoke and giving something away. Charles spoke, shocked.
“Wait am in a wewationship wiff someone! What… Who am it!”
Ix speaks, blushing and looking extremely embarrassed. I was trying my hardest not to laugh and a bit shocked myself as well.
“I’d think they’d prefer if I didn’t say there name. Oh, dammit! Now that’s out in the open I have to admit I miss them so much! Out here in this horrible wasteland, Stablelot seems to far…”
We all comfort Ix, all of us putting a hoove on her shoulder. She speaks, taking off her glasses to wipe her eyes.
“Thank you… Dar how about you?”
Dar speaks, looking at me.
“Daw thinks he’d wike to spend it wiff those fwuffy cawes about dah most, habin’ dah most nice peacefuw wife.”
I speak, giving him a hug.
“Emiwy wouwd wub that to.”
With all that said we head off to sleep, this brief moment away from everything that was happening being much needed. In the morning we continue the trek, the sky getting only darker and darker as we traveled, than I knew. We were getting closer… Safeer who as beside me, speaks. (Commanders were at the front)
“Don’t things seem strangely quiet Emily?”
I speak.
“What do 'ou mean?”
Safeer adds on.
“Where getting closer and closer to this “LuuBar” and there isn’t a Nuuk in sight!? I’m getting a really bad feeling about this, I think they might be watching us…”
I speak, trying to reassure.
“Pandemon’s awmy am pwobabwy stiww in dah south, judgin’ by dah way Hawkes had to weabe an’ Somew’s tone… Emiwy hopes dis awmy am swow.”
“I still can’t believe he’s dead, and my Sister, when she gets the news… And my 2 niece’s and Nephew, there dad is dead…”
Despite my not so nice views of Hawkes I was about to give proper condolences, but than I heard a voice from behind me.
“Fiwst Commandah Ma’am…”
I turn to see a Motor soldier, looking slightly down. I speak, confused.
“What am it?”
The soldiers speaks.
“Pwobwem wiff one of ouw own, ugh…”
I speak.
“What did ‘ou catch someone steawin’ wations ow something?”
The Soldiers speaks.
“Nu, somethin’ mowe… Unique.”
The caravan comes to a stop and I head out, following the soldier. He was a bit to far ahead for me to ask for more context. And as we made it down the caravan I was able to get a good look at it, with it’s scale breathtaking. Not counting non combatants (Medics, Cooks, Wagon drivers) There were roughly 37’000 to 40’000 soldiers all together, of almost all nations except Nickel City. As we made it to the back, where the soldiers from the army Somer brought were located. I saw some of the soldiers forming a circle around something, I get off my Raccoon and begin walking over to the circle. Speaking as I do.
“What am goin’ on!?”
Some soldiers move out of the way and I get a better look, as I saw what was infront of me I knew this situation was… Unique.
A boy no older than 6 months laid under a wagon, him looking at us terrified. He was an earth pony with a muddied orange coat and a short growing gray mane. Also on him was a full set of armor and a sword, both extremely oversized for his tiny body. A child soldier… The boy speaks, a thin layer of anger desperately trying to cover his freight.
“Am not makin’ Jeffewy go back, I’d wathah die fo’ King’ Enoch den go back to Cat’s Den!”
The soldiers had no idea what to do, the soldier who told me of this spoke.
“We found him hidin’ in a bwead cwate, said he joined up to fite. We twied to get a howd of him, buh he just wan undah dah wagon. Said that if anyone came undah an’ twied to gwab him, ge’d hawm himsewf.”
I sigh and begin heading up to the wagon, getting to eye level with the foal. He speaks as he grabs his sword, barely even able to hold it.
“GET AWAY!”
I speak.
“Emiwy am not hewe to do anythin’ to 'ou pwease, just wowah dah weapon. 'Ou wouwdnt attack am commandah wouwd 'ou?”
Upon hearing my name something in the foal changed, he slowly begins to lower the sword as he speaks.
“Am one of dah Commandew’s of dah Woyaw Guawd… Dah one who went of those adbentuwes!”
I speak, the foal now having a slight smile.
“Yes, that’s me. Emiwy has been on many adbentuwes these past yeaws, a wifetime’s wowff. Wet me ask 'ou dis jeffewy what am ‘ou doin’ hewe, why awen’t 'ou home wiff am pawents?”
Jeffery speaks, the sword now on the ground.
“Jeffewy wants to fite fo’ King’ Enoch, fite fo’ Motow wike ‘ou! Ou see I wibe in Cat’s Den, howwibwe wicked pwace! An’ my Mummah an’ Daddeh, dey abuse me… Su when a gwoup of sowdiews came, sayin’ that dey wewe wookin’ fo’ wecwuits, wookin’ fo’ hewo’s… I signed up.”
I speak, trying to keep a steady voice under the shock of this news.
“Am sayin’ 'ou nu did just sneak in, 'Ou wewe… Wecwuited!”
Jeffery adds on.
“Jeffewy was giben awmow an’ a swowd, we twained fo’ a week befowe headin’ hewe. Dey eben said that once dah waw am finished Jeffewy wiww be giben money an’ some wand to buiwd a house, amazing!”
I speak.
“Nu it’s not amazing, 'ou nu can fite hewe!”
Jeffery hearing this looks betrayed, speaking as he picks up the sword.
“Why not! Jeffewy heawd dah stowies, Souw was my age when fwuffy began his adbentuwes an’ he was an excewwent fightew!”
I speak, beginning to lose my temper.
“'Cos dey wewe just stowies, 'ou think hawf of that stuff actuawwy happened! Wet me show ‘ou what fightin’ weads to…”
I felt a bit ashamed by lying, but he needed to see what happens when you go looking for a giht… I lift up my helmet and show Jeffery the massive scar on my head, he recoils in shock speaking.
“Deaw Anu!”
I speak.
“Dis am what happens… Jeffewy ‘ou nee’ to undewstand, these Nuuk’s, those monstews. Dey won’t hesitate fo’ a second to kiww ‘ou, maybe eben towtuwe ‘ou. An’ one weeks wowff of twainin’ isn’t goin’ to do anything, 'ou’d die in dah fiwst minute of battwe.”
Jeffery begins to realize what he had gotten himself into, one second looking shocked the next like he was on a verge of a panic attack. I put back on my helmet and speak, being more calm.
“Come out of dewe nao dis am nu pwace fo’ ‘ou, we nee’ to get 'ou back to Motow.”
Jeffery speaks.
“Buh my pawents, that howwibwe city!”
I speak.
“Emiwy wiww fwow in a wowd, we hab peopwe that wiww hewp 'ou.”
Jeffery after a moment of hesitation comes out, speaking.
“Otay…”
Now out I notice all of the Motor soldiers looking at us silently, me kind of forgetting they were there. I speak to all of them.
“May one of ‘ou bwin’ dis boy back!?”
A soldier comes out and raises his hoove, speaking.
“I’ww do it commandew!”
I speak.
“Gud, make suwe to teww of his wibin’ conditions awso.”
The soldier and Jeffery get on a Raccoon and leave, the foal saying one last thing before getting out of sight.
“It’s an honow meetin’ 'ou!”
I give a wave goodbye and they were gone, heading back to the front of the caravan as we resume traveling, me thinking of a lot of things.
By the end of that day we had reached a river, it’s water seemed a bit murky but surprisingly clean. The caravan came to a stop and we begin setting up camp for the night, me seeing many soldiers heading towards the river for a drink or much needed bath. The Royal Guard tents were just about finished when I heard a voice coming from a nearby tent.
“Wook!”
Coming from the west was a friendly army that seemed near defeated, many of it’s soldiers badly hurt or looking exhausted. This army (Made up of about 8’000) was composed mostly of Bat pony and Motor forces, it’s Bat pony commander speaking as a growing crowd started looking at them.
“Fank Weebee, we wewen’t to wate!”
Me and Safeer both walk up to the commander, me speaking first.
“What happened to 'ou, what am ‘ou doin’ hewe, how did 'ou find us!?”
Just than I notice the Motor soldier I sent behind the commander, Jeffery still with him. The commander speaks.
“We hab been attacked, Nuuk’s, su many Nuuk’s!”
Safeer speaks.
“What are you talking about, what Nuuk’s!”
The commander speaks.
“We made it to dah fowt ‘ou captuwed, waitin’ fo’ dah signaw to join 'ou. Buh wess den a few houws went by when we wewe attacked, thousands of Nuuk’s!”
I felt my heart drop… The commander speaks again.
“We wewe abwe to escape thanks to dah sacwifice of dah othah hawf of dah awmy. We hab been twabewin’ nonstop, twyin’ to find ‘ou fo’ about 2 days Eti thinks. Thanks to dis Motow sowdiah an’ dah foaw, we found 'ou.”
Safeer speaks, me to shocked to speak.
“They took the fort! Doesn’t that mean-”
The commander Eti speaks.
“We am suwwounded… An’ if scoutin’ wepowts am cowwect, an awmy of 80’000 Nuuk’s am headin’ dis way.”
Suddenly like a switch flipping I shouted out, for the first time in a long while I make a decision out of fear.
“WHEWE AM WE DOIN’ HEWE, WE NEE’ TO MOBE OUT NAO!”
With that we begin quickly dissembling the tents, nobody having any idea what we were going to do… Fin
Now or never, The Pandemon War is entering it’s climax… Thank you for reading my story! I hope to have the next part done in a few day’s to a week, and of course constructive criticism is appreciated. May you have a good day!