The air was bitter, cold, and stank of death. Cesare simply looked on at the Griffon city with a neutral look as his lieutenant trotted up to him, ruffling his feathers as he sidestepped one of the soldiers and gave a shudder.
“Sir... Are you sure this is a good idea... We only have a few minutes before the main body of the Equestrian army gets here...” He asks worriedly, his horn was illuminated in an emerald aura to match his chainmail as he lifted a few papers out of his saddlebags.
Cesare shook his head, letting some of his spiked hair wave out of his eyes before his own horn was engulfed in a black aura that placed a helmet on his own head. “This was never a good idea Ciro... and I hold no illusions that the Equestrian armada will take mercy on me... after all... Necromancy is a forbidden art...” He begins evenly as he turns his head to look at the massive number of skeletons behind them.
An army of the dead, if not for victory, then to strike fear into the hearts of the living. A small scowl threatened to appear on his face before he regained his composure and let out a small sigh.
“Contrary to popular belief Ciro... Alicorns like us are not immortal... only those who awaken a divine spark, the way King Remo and Queen Rosetta have... I am going to die, and join the ranks of my army.” He spoke with a sad tone.
“But... Why him? Why King Ivor?”
“Because he killed the princesses... so he must pay for his crimes... Simple as that.” Cesare said with an icy chill, the younger alicorn shuddered a little at the hidden venom behind his commander's words.
“W-what are your orders sir?” Ciro asks, stumbling at first before regaining his composure.
“Ready the troops, we attack at dusk...” The stern emerald eyes of the older alicorn reflected a flare of hatred as he watcheed the city slow its pace and prepare for the night. “No quarter shall be given or asked... we fight, or we die... Am I understood Lieutenant?”
Ciro nodded quickly, “Crystal...” After his short response he turned and headed back towards the center of camp, constantly avoiding the shambling skeletons that make up most of the army.
As the minutes ticked on Cesare began to lose himself in his memories... Memories of better times, of times when he didn't have to be paranoid about other races, when he didn't have to have an army of undead creatures made of a conglomeration of races fighting for him.
...Memories of when he finally caught the attention of his bride-to-be.
~~~~~~{(C)}~~~~~~
Cesare stood proudly as the eyes of everyone at the mage's college had their eyes on him, graduating from a mage to one of the High Mages was a great honor, and everyone showed up to congratulate him.
He puffed out his chest a little as a smirk tried to play across his gently smiling features. The tall silver alicorn, King Remo, slowly walked up to him levitating a special set of robes and unique crystal necklace signifying his new place in the kingdom. Even as Cesare tried to keep his composure a warm smile grew on his king's face with each step.
“Cesare...” The godly alicorn spoke with a warm and firm voice, like a father speaking to his son. “I present you with your new robes and badge of office... As High mage you give us hope for future generations, and prove to everyone standing in attendance that no matter your beginnings, your potential is only limited by your drive to succeed.” The king gave a curt nod before letting Cesare take the robes in his own dark gray aura.
“My only hope is to grow and learn as much as I can about the world, we have amazing opportunities my lord, it would be terrible to not learn as much as we could.”
Remo straightens up again and began to chuckle. “That's the spirit, you'll become an Archmage with that kind of attitude.” The tall alicorn turned to the rest of the crowd. “Here is a shining example of what all the races of Equus can do, not just the ponies... but the Griffons, Minotaurs, and even Cliff Wolves. We all have great potential and with the right attitude, anything can be achieved.” Remo declares proudly, letting a loud cheer ring through the audience chamber of the mage's college before the crowd began to mingle and enjoy a party that was set up by Canterlot's resident party pony, a white alicorn that had a poofy, lemon-yellow mane who just always seemed to radiate happiness.
Cesare felt lightheaded and even had a goofy grin on his face as a few of his friends broke from the crowd to congratulate him, it was amazing, beings from around the world in harmony... learning about even the simplest of magics to make the world better.
His gaze though, drifted to a beautiful marble-white alicorn who walked up to him with what could only have been described as angelic grace. Her eyes blinked slowly, like it was a type of grace that she practiced day in and day out, to have all the subtle things that one looked for but never noticed that they looked for.
“Cesare...” She spoke softly, somehow quiet and the only thing he heard at the same time. “...Congratulations...” With that small compliment and a small smile she turned and left quietly, as if dissapearing into the crowd.
After he finally snapped out of his stupor did he finally find his voice, “...Celestia...” He practically whispered as he scolded himself for looking like a drug-addled idiot in front of her. His cheeks flushed with crimson just as he caught the final glimpse of her pastel-pink tail leaving the room with her parents.
~~~~~~{(C)}~~~~~~
A single tear rolled down Cesare's cheek as a small smile graced his lips. Looking down at the ground he whispered only one word.
“...Celestia...”
For Cesare, the city around him was burning, just as Canterlot had been not so long ago. The light from the flames reaching just barely to his charcoal-black hooves. Though the fires blazed all around him he felt none of their warmth, The cold he had been cursed with since the day his home had burned made him feel like no more than the rotting shambles of an army that was walking around him... Breaking into homes and getting rid of anyone who fought.
"Heh... How ironic... A monster with morals..." He chided with a hollow smile as he saw a small family escaping while being ignored completely by the skeletal beasts that worked their way through the city. He had amassed quite a mixed army, from other alicorns to minotaurs, Griffons that had fallen to his sword, and even a few changelings, although those he had to raise as zombies since they didn't really have a skeletal structure he could work with. He could feel the strain of keeping his army under control, each slain skeleton and zombie increasing his headache as the only sound he really heard through his walk was the oddly loud clack of his hooves against the cobbled road.
The thought flashed across his mind of what it would be like to have a divine spark as his rulers had but he quickly crushed the thought.
"I am a monster... Monsters do not deserve such rewards... I shall slay the griffon king... And then my journey will be over... Maybe in another life I can be a hero, the hero that my country wanted, the hero that they deserve... But for now, I am simply the monster that studied too far into forbidden magics." The frown that seemed to be almost permanently etched into his jaw only deepened as he looked up and saw that he wasn't even halfway to the royal palace of the Griffons. Despite the pitched battle around him, he could only hear his own hooves... and so he let his mind drift back... back to his first date.
~~~~~~{[C]}~~~~~~
Cesare had to keep himself from trotting in place with the nerves his mind was so desperately trying to calm down.
"Calm down Cesare... It's only the princess of the ENTIRE KINGDOM that you are living in AND is the eldest daughter so is the rightful heir to the throne! So OF COURSE you're not going to screw this up..." His wings flared a little nervously as his violet tail twitched back and forth. "Come on stallion! Get it together! She... She's just a mare... and wants to act like just another mare for one night... You have nothing to worry about..."
As much as he tried to rationalize it he couldn't help but start his nervous tic of tapping his forehoof against the stone as he got more and more worked up.
"I hope I didn't make you wait long..."
The violet alicorn's hoof stopped mid-step as his head slowly turned toward the heavenly voice that just spoke to him. "N-no..." HE took a second to clear his throat when he realized that his nervousness had made his voice crack. "...Uh... Not at all Princess Celestia." His attempt to seem more like the mature stallion he was fell through as he heard her chuckle.
"Please Cesare... Just Celestia, we're not out here for anything formal." While he was trying to give a slight nod, his half-stunned mind decided to make it look more like a vertical twitch of his head.
"Absolutely Prin-... Er... Celestia." He says as he holds out his hoof for her. "Let us enjoy ourselves tonight."
They both quickly trot into the simple restaurant smiling like lovestruck foals, moreso Cesare, quickly getting a seat to have a waiter take their order.
A smiling teal alicorn trotted up to them, "What can I get for the lovely couple?" He asks with a grin that gets Cesare to blush a bit more.
"I- I'll have the Summer Salad please." Cesare replies before looking over to the beautiful mare perusing the menu in front of him. He really couldn't help the smile that began to creep onto his face as he watched her eyes slowly travel down the page, scanning each item with only a tiny twitch to show she was reading different sections of the menu.
"Hmm... I think I'll take the Summer Salad as well, but with some extra strawberries please."
The teal waiter nods with a smile, "Of course, It will be out in about ten minutes due to the current number of orders, I do hope that it's not too much of an inconvenience."
Cesare waves a hoof with a smile. "We're fine, just bring a few glasses of water and we'll be good."
~~~~~~{[C]}~~~~~~
A small sting across his left foreleg brought Cesare out of his memories, the armor spells he had taken great pains to memorize and master only managed to deflect the crossbow bolt and hadn't managed to stop it. With a scowl Cesare aimed his horn at the offending griffon archer and sent out a small bead of fire. It crossed the distance between them in a matter of seconds and didn't give the griffon any time to get away from the explosion, incinerating the poor soldier before he could even feel the pain.
As he felt the warm liquid trickle down his fetlock Cesare looked at the cut, much like one would a curious specimen under a microscope. With a small ring from his horn he had managed to disinfect the wound but he did not close it, wanting each scratch to be a reminder that he was as mortal as everyone else...
"...I am not a deity... I am not incorruptible... I feel pain... And I will make the Griffon Empire feel that same pain."
