Stalliongrad was an old city. It had been one of the Earliest pony settlements in Equestria after they had come out of the north over a thousand of years before hand. Long it had stood near enough to the northern border to have seen many a clash with the Griffions. Many times it had been assailed but each time the Griffions had broken their armies against its defenders.

Many Unicorns called the city home so when Equestria had broken up and House Moon and Stars rose to power they had known instantly which side was theirs. Stalliongrad had become the part of the industrial backbone of House Moon and Stars producing many ships, war machines, suits of armor, and weapons. These were not the shoddy constructs of the slave domes but the work of expert Unicorn craftsmen who had learned their skills at the side of their parents until the time came for them to inherit the craft and pass it down to their offspring.

Now in the predawn hours however it would face a new foe, one that its defenders had not trained to face in over a thousand years. The Nor Menn had come at last.

Prince Jonn Snowdragon could see the city walls for where he stood just outside the Royal Pavilion. He was young and strong, a youth of sixteen with dark hair he had recieved from his mother and her Krast family. He was often considered quiet and withdrawn, much like his father was sometimes seen as. Still he had a keen mind like his father and he could tell just by looking at the walls of Stalliongrad that the hastily implemented plan had worked. Stalliongrad was undermanned, ill prepared for the storm that was to come.

He turned around and walked back into the pavilion. His father, King Rhaegastar Dragonsfury stood with many jarls, lords, and chieftains about a large table with a quickly drawn map of the terrain around the city. The only notable jarls not present were Jarl Stannith Furysheart, who was at sea with the fleet, ready to attack from the coast, and his cousin Jarl Robvin Krast was in the west riding to the rescue of the diversionary force. He hoped that they would not have need of Clan Krast's fierce warriors.

"I want the assault to begin at sun rise," his father told the various Jarls, lords, and chieftains. "Few of the defenders will be up by then, most will likely still be in their beds."

"Who will lead the assault on the main gate?" Jarl Valkar Hammerhelm asked.

"My son will," the King replied. Jonn had expected this but still there was murmurs amongst the commanders.

"With all respect your grace," Jarl Hammerhelm growled. "It would do us ill to send an untested boy against the defenses."

"The gods decree it so," a new voice said.

All turned to see High Priest Garren Hauk, standing just behind Jonn at the entrance to the pavilion. He was leaning on the staff of his office and watching Jarl Hammerhelm with a dark gaze.

"The bones last night confirmed it," the high priest continued. "The Prince shall lead the assault on the gate and I shall go with him."

"I am honor to have you fight by my side," Jonn said with a small bow to the high priest.

"Very well," Hammerhelm growled.

The king nodded.

"Once the gate is breached we shall sweep into the city," he said. "Jarl Furysheart and the fleet will join us from the coast and we will take the city in a pincer. I do not want a repeat of St. Trottersburg. I want this city intact."

"As do we all," one of the Chieftain said, "its hard to loot molten gold. I'm not trying that again."

This got a few laughs out of the assembled commanders. The King smiled.

"We must also break the cages of any ponies who are enslaved," he said. "They will be confused and scared but if we help them they may fight for us."

"Or just get in the way," Jonn heard Jarl Hammerhelm mutter.

The King then rolled up the map.

"If that is all my lords I would like a moment with my son before the bloodshed begins," he said. "Prepare your men and await my signal."

Jonn stepped aside to allow them passage. Several gave him nods of respect or a clap on the shoulder. Before long however it was just he and his father inside the pavilion. For a man on the cusp of a great victory, Jonn thought his father looked paler and thinner than he usually did. He waited however for his father to speak first as was custom.

"I've given you my best men for the assault," he said quietly, not looking up at him. "Follow their lead and you'll be fine."

"I know father," Jonn replied. "I will make you proud."

"Bah," his father said with a wave of his hand. "Many a father wants his son to go out, win glory, charge an unbeatable enemy, and die a hero. I want you to come back alive and strong. I want you to have a wife and children, to enjoy long summers of peace and plenty, I want you to grow old and see grand children be born before you go to Valhalla."

His father sighed looking back down at his hands. "I don't want you to have to bury wives and children, not like I have."

Jonn could not help but feel for his father at this. His fathers first wife had been a beautiful noble woman from Turmgypt. She had given him to children before she and both children had died in a raid by another clan whom his father had then utterly annihilated. His second wife, Jonn's mother had been the daughter of the then lord of Clan Krast. She had died in the aftermath of child birth, giving life to Jonn.

He walked over to his father and pulled him into a hug. His father returned the embrace.

"I promise I'll do all of that," Jonn replied. "So long as you promise to live long enough to see your own grandchildren."

His father gave a small laugh.

"Then we have an accord," he said as they broke apart. He smiled at Jonn with tears forming in his eyes. He then placed his hands on Jonn's shoulders. "Remember my son," he continued. "We fight not for our own glory but for the future of our people. What shall you give your enemies?"

"Fire and steel," Jonn replied automatically.

"Damn right," his father said releasing him. "Now get going."

MLP:ED

Garren Hauk was still unused to his new role as the High Priest. He had known he would eventually assume this role but he had believed it would be when he was older, and more importantly wiser. He was the youngest High Priest in centuries, and in such momentus times as these experince was often better than untested youth.

Speaking of untested youth, he thought to himself as the Prince approached, accompanied by a sizable group of Huskrals.

"My prince," he greeted with a half bow.

"High Priest," the Prince replied in an even tone. "Are the warriors prepared?"

"See for yourself," Garren replied motioning to collection of Nor Menn warriors who had been waiting behind him. There were about a hundred raiders, eighty axe throwers, ninety Clan Hunters, twenty Wanderers, sixty Berserkers, ten Avariel Healers, twenty Snow Striders, thirty Spell Warders, forty of Garren's own War Priests, and four Portable Rams. This would be joined with the Princes own sixty Huskrals to produce a force of around five hundred warriors. In most circumstances this would be a considerable fighting force but as Garren turned his eyes on the walls of Stalliongrad which loomed in the predawn gloom he wondered if they would be enough.

Stalliongrad's walls were not the rundown mess that St. Trottersburg's walls had been but a true fortification that was well maintained. They were twenty feet high, and made of well cut and fitted granite of a dark color with hard crenelations at the top giving the defenders excellent cover from missile fire. The gate itself was surrounded set back into the wall so it was covered on both flanks by walls and four high towers with many slits through which enemy missile troops could rain shots down on attackers.

He felt a hand set upon his shoulder and he turned to see the Prince beside him looking calm and composed.

"We can handle it," he said firmly. "They won't no what hit them."

Garren nodded. "I assume you have a plan."

The Prince nodded as well be getting up on a fallen log where everyone could see him.

"Listen up!" He called out. "I want everyone to form up in a square! Huskrals and Spell Warders up front in a shield wall formation. Keep the Rams right behind them and Berserkers behind the Rams. Raiders on the flanks with Axe Throwers right behind them on both flanks. Snow Striders and Healers to the back, everyone else in the middle supporting however they can. Once we reach the Gate the Raiders will assault the walls while the Rams hit the gate. Once the gate is breached the Berserkers charge in, everyone else right behind them got it?"

There was a chorus of shouts of conformation.

"Alright!" The Prince continued! "Form up then! Dawns coming quick!"

With a considerable amount of commotion and jostling. It took several minutes but eventually the Nor Menn strike force was in proper formation. Garren found himself beside the Prince in the formation. Now that the time was drawing close to the assault he could see anxiety on the Prince's face.

"Did your bones tell you how this battle would fall out?" The Prince asked him quietly.

"They seemed to have skipped over that matter," he admitted.

"Wonderful," the Prince muttered.

A moment later the sun's light began to peak over the walls. And with the dawn came the ringing of bells as the city raised the alarm. The Nor Menn war horns, pipes, and drums answered the bells with equal volume, the cacophony of battle, the music of war was filling the air. Garren cleared his throat and readied his staff, its steel blade blazing in the light.

"Forward!" The Prince shouted.

MLP:ED

The cacophony of noise around Jonn was all but deafening as his forces advanced towards the walls of Stalliongrad. The Nor Menn kept a tight formation, a rare sight for their usually more stung out and informal lines of battle. But with the Huskrals of the Royal house in the lead the men followed their orders without question.

To the left and right of his formation the armies of the other clans were charging the walls, Raiders threw up grappling hooks while Balistas sent their bolts flying up at the walls defenders. He could also hear the cries of the dying both human and pony. Even with its defenders mostly stripped by the revolt to the north west, Stalliongrad still had some teeth.

Out at sea he knew the fleet under Jarl Furysheart was trying to break through the harbor defenses and the defenses on the rivers. Stalliongrad was surrounded on all sides by rivers, with one going right up through the middle of the city. If they controlled the rivers they controlled Stalliongrad.

Then streams of magical energy came raining down on them and the Huskrals brought up their shields. Everyone else raised their shields over their heads or switched it to their right hand to better cover everyone in the formation. Magical bolts burned sizzling craters into the wood and hide shields but very few got through. A few warriors in the formation fell with cries of pain but the Avariel were on them in seconds with spells of healing.

"Keep going!" He shouted. "Don't stop advancing!"

They got a few about ten yards forwards before a second wave came. Once again shields were raised and the formation took the punishment. More men fell but to the fortune of the Nor Menn most shots were striking the thick shields and heavy mail of the Huskrals who pressed onwards.

Jonn could see the enemy defenders now, a top the walls. There couldn't be more than a hundred of them, all unicorns. A few hd set themselves up with some sort of device to help them aim and amplify their magic but most were just using their bare horns. It was clear that the ones who were just using their horns were quickly becoming exhausted.

Another volley came and once more struck shields and men. Now however they were in range for the Clan Hunters to retaliate. Arrows shot up from the formation raining down on the enemy fortifications. Two unicorns fell from the walls with screams of pain while others tumbled back onto the ramparts. Still only a handful of shots had found their mark.

Another volley came, smoke rising from the front of the line as burning holes smoldered. A few more of Jonn's warriors fell, dead or wounded but now they had passed the first towers.

"Raiders now!" He shouted.

On his command the Raiders broke from the formation and began hurling their grappling hooks up onto the walls. The Unicorns on the walls clearly seemed taken aback by this strange tactic at fist but when they saw the Nor Menn warriors begin to scale their walls they reacted quickly. Several rained shots down on exposed Raiders killing several of them. Others began trying to cut through the thick knotted ropes the Raiders climbed. Several Raiders fell, some from perilously great heights.

Clan Hunter, Axe Throwers, and Snow Striders sent arrows and axes up at the walls cutting down several more of the defending unicorns. The cover they provided was more than enough for the Raiders to gain the top of the wall and meet their foes in single combat at last. Unicorns meet them head on jabbing with spears and swinging morning stars but the the Nor Menn Raiders were more numerous and more savage fighters. Jonn watched a screaming Unicorn thrown from the wall by two Raiders.

Now however the Nor Menn had reached the gates and the Huskrals broke their formation to allow the rams through. Still the few Unicorns who were clear rained shots down on them while others bushed stones or buckets of boiling oil. Men cried out in pain but the rams reached the gates.

All four rams began to pound on the wooden gate in rapid succession. The rhythmic crash of forge iron heads upon the shuddering wooden gates was all that mattered. Wood splintered and cracked under the heavy blows until one of the rams broke right through one section.

Instantly several bolts of magic shot through the hole the ram had made striking two of the crew, killing one out right and wounding the other. Clan Hunters rushed up to the gap and sent their arrows back through in retaliation. Jonn didn't know if they had hit anything, given the screams above and around him but he certainly hoped the shots softened the enemy up slightly.

Then with one final crash the gates burst open! With savage roars the Berserkers rushed forwards only for a bout half to be cut down in a volley of magical bolts ad a single massive beam of golden energy that tore through the center of the Berserkers mob. Waiting for the Nor Menn were a sturdy force of Unicorn Knights, Marksmages, and a large war machine of some sort. It looked similar to the devices used by the mad ponies in St. Trottersburg but was much more lens like rather than a large iron barrel.

"High Priest," he said to Garren. "We need your blessing."

"Right you are," the High Priest replied before raising his staff. His fellow War Priests did like wise beginning a chant. Then he spoke in the ancient speech of men. "Stige krigerne i nord! Slipp løs din harme over forespørselslinjen!"

Lightning crackled along the War Priests staves and shot into the warriors about them. Instantly the whole world took on a red tint for Jonn as he felt rage, adrenaline, and strength filling every fiber of his being. With an animalistic roar he charged the gate, surrounded by his brothers and sisters of the North.

The Unicorns tried to slow them with another volley of magical bolts but these did little to deter the battle crazed Nor Menn. In seconds the humans were on them hacking them apart with their weapons, beating them with their fists, and crushing them under their boot heels. The smart unicorns ran, while the stupid or very brave ones died right then and there.

The Nor Menn had come to Stalliongrad, like a savage storm from the north seas.

MLP:ED

Starlight Singer was a fairly young Unicorn Mare. She'd been only a foal when the sisters had vanished and her parents had quickly fallen in with the rise of House Moon and Stars. She'd always believed in the superority and holy purpose of the Unicorns, they who had been chosen to lead Equestria in this dark hour.

Now however as she stared out the window of Stalliongrad's citadel she felt only the deepest of despair.

Whoever or whatever these creatures were they were crushing the cities defenses with alarming ease. The gates had fallen not five minutes ago and now were on a rampage across the city. Some swept more defenders from the walls while others set about looting, still more had broken off to the slave pens and were even now overwhelming the guards.

It would not be long before barbarians and mud ponies would overrun the city and its brave defenders. Knowing this the Governor had ordered any important documents that could not be evacuated to Canterlot via portal were to be destroyed at once. It broke her heart to be forced to torch so many valuable tomes and scrolls, some of which were among the last surviving copies of their makers work.

"Move it move it!" Governor Jet Set shouted as she tossed more scrolls into the fire with magic. "I don't know who or what these things are but they are not getting all our secrets on my watch!"

Starlight wondered how much of that was the houses secrets or his own. Despite being married to Governor Upper Crust of Struttgart it was a known fact that in her absence the Governor had not been the most faithful of husbands. There were even a few rumors of a bastard filly or colt or two which the Governor worked very hard to keep hushed up.

Just as she picked up yet another stack of scrolls a battered knight stumbled into the office. The stallion's helm was dented a shaft of wood with feathers on one end was sticking out his left side. Blood dripped onto the floor with every step he took.

"Governor," he panted. "The enemy ships have broken through the harbor defenses, their sailing up river."

"What?" Jet Set demanded. "How in Celestia's name are they doing that! The rivers to shallow for any of our ships?"

"They looked like their short on the draft," the knight said as Starlight rushed over to help him with his wounds.

"Hold still," she said.

He nodded to her and grit his teeth. She wrapped the shaft in magical energy and then pulled as hard as she could. The Knight barely held back his scream as the barbed head of the projectile was torn out of his side. Quickly she set about with a healing spell, knitting tissue and sinyews.

"How long until they reach the Citadel?"

"Not long," the Knight said clearly still in great pain. "There are to many of them and once they free the slaves..."

At that moment another shaft of wooden projectile flew through the window and narrowly missed the Governor's head. He ran to the window and then swore violently.

"They're at the gates of the Citadel!" He exclaimed. "We're out of time!"

"My lord we aren't done yet!" A young unicorn said in a panic.

"Torch the rest of it and open the portal to Canterlot!" Jet Set ordered. "We are leaving!"

With a minute the unicorns had opened the portal and Jet Set was among the first through. Right behind him went several of the other nobles and mages. A few had heavy bundles in saddle bags, priceless documents that could not be allowed to be destroyed.

Starlight helped the Knight over to the portal.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"Hard Barding," he replied.

"Well Mr. Barding if we don't get executed by the inquisition do you want to go out some time?"

"Sure," he said as the sound of a crash from down stairs reached their ears. "Why not."

With that they stepped through the portal together and were gone in an instant. Stalliongrad, one of the greatest cities of Northern Equestria, had fallen in less than half an hour.

Author's Note

Sorry this took oh so long to make and post. I had considerable delays and found myself distracted by other projects. Its also a bit shorter than I would have liked but I figured it was good enough to post up. Good news is we're roughly forty to thirty percent of the way through this story now, or at least the Nor Menn part of it. For those of you waiting on other human groups be patient, they're coming.