Scourge Of The Caribou

"I need an adult."

"I am an adult."

"You're a vampire. That's totally different." I nearly shouted as she got uncomfartably close to me. I could literally feel her breathing down my neck, and I can LITERALLY feel her fangs nibbling my left ear. I shuddered at her breath tinging my skin, the hairs around my neck standing at attention.

And, to be perfectly honest, something else was standing at attention.

I'd be honest with you; I am FREAKIN out right now. Not at this whole awkward situation, but the fact that a FUCKING vampire is close to me that she could suck the blood out of my veins and leave me a shriveling mess. This is all based on any vampire films I've seen since my time on Earth. Even the Underworld series for prince's sake. Even if this vampire was from the Elder Scrolls series, they still have the same traits as every other vampire in pop culture. They can move fast in a blink of an eye and have a hunger for blood. They can also teleport instantly behind their foe if they so wish it. They are also super strong to top that off, enough to go toe to toe with Superman at least. The only downside to having these powers was that they can't walk in broad daylight as doing so would melt their skin. It doesn't stop them from picking off unsuspecting people and draining their blood for all its worth as they only hunt at night when their prey would least expect them.

And one was standing right behind me right now.

In this situation, one would assume I could run away to the saloon door and hope to God that she isn't on the other side of said door with her jaws wide open. Of course, I watched way too many horror movies to know that such a thing would be impossible. Vampires are faster than the average human, so she could tear my lungs out of my chest before I could even take one step away from her. Hell, I would go so far as to say she could kill me before I could start to get up from my seat. She could tear my throat off and flee before anyone has a chance to react. I wouldn't be surprised if she killed every dremora in this room without batting an eyelash.

To put it in layman's terms: I was fucked beyond imagination.

"Scarlet, can you please stop giving our leader a heart attack?" Kathuet said in a nonchalant way. To him act so casually even when a vampire is right behind me says something about this woman. Perhaps she is working for the Daedra for something. What it is is definitely a mystery.

"Aw. Don't be such a killjoy, Kitty." She purred. Her voice sent shivers down my spine. I wanted to laugh at that ridiculous nickname that Scarlet gave Kathuet, but my mind wasn't in the right place at the moment. "I was just stopping by to see this mysterious leader I keep hearing." She cupped my chin with her hands as she examined me like some prized animal. "I must say, he certainly is handsome enough to be our leader." My cheeks turned red at her comments. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Marcus Asher," I mumbled. My vision was being dizzy all of a sudden and my mind muddled to even think of a word. What was happening to me?

She giggled. "Marcus. What a cute name for such a cute mortal." She gave her best seductive smile, showing her fangs in the process. "Don't you agree?"

I mumbled a "yes" to her as my mind became so jumbled at this point that my brain would be a sponge at this point. She was also bent over enough to let me see the inside of her cleavage. I couldn't help but make a drunk-like smile at her as I saw it. I couldn't look away from some reason, and I didn't want to. I don't know what spell she is using on me to make me act this way, but I don't want it to stop for some reason. The parts of my brain that are telling me to rebel are but muffled voices in the wind at this point. I just want to be with her.

Forever.....

....and ever.

"Is there something you need?" Sloth said in an annoyed tone. "We are in the middle of celebrating Marcus's victory, and ours for that matter."

"Why yes." She said, her voice sounds like wind chimes banging against each other on a windy day. I kind of like it. "I was supposed to report to Xucuroth about my mission." She stood straight up. I nearly whined as her view of her breasts went out of my sight. "I just wanted to drop in to see this mysterious leader." She bowed to me and the soldiers. "I will be taking my leave now."

"You sure you don't want to stay here and celebrate with us?" Billfulg asked her. I couldn't tell, but I could have sworn he sounded like he was begging her to stay here.

"While I would wish to entertain the idea of relaxing after a few days out in the forest, I need to report to Xucuroth first." She turned her head and winked at me. "I'll see you later, cutie." She turned around and left our table, heading towards the door. I could see the swaying of her hips as she walked away. She probably knew I was watching her and decided to entertain me. She then walked right out the door.

I shook myself once after she disappeared through the door. The feeling had worn off after she left. I stood there dumbfounded for a second before I asked: "What the hell just happened?!?" My mind had become a little clearer now than it was before. To top that off, I now felt both insecure and aroused at the same time.

"Looks like she manipulated you." Kathuet commented as he downed his ale. He wiped some foam from his lips before continuing. "I heard that vampires can control your mind if you stare at them for too long. They would make you their thrall and there is nothing you can do to stop it."

I shivered at his explanation. It would make sense for Scarlet to control me just now. Vampires do have some mind-controlling magic to make anyone their slaves just by talking to them. Or looking at them for that matter.

Stupid OP vampires.

A question soon came to my mind. "Do you know who she is?" Even if my mind was a little muddled during the conversations they had, I could tell that both Scarlet and Kathuet and the rest of the Dremora know her well. I racked my brain to figure out if I have met Scarlet before in Oblivion and Skyrim games. I couldn't turn up anything. The closest vampire I know of in that game was Selene, and I was pretty sure she wasn't a follower of Mehrunes Dagon.

"Her name is Scarlet Bonebreaker," Kathuet said. "She arrived around a hundred years ago at Gaia Alatia. She never went into specifics, but she claimed that she was killed by someone who wielded Mehrunes Razor. I don't think I need to tell you about what happens after a Mythic Dawn member is killed." He had an annoyed expression on his face. "Hunting her down was the biggest pain in the arse. Every time we almost tried to catch her, she would kill a number of our soldiers before disappearing again. We have lost over a million soldiers trying to kill her." My heart almost stopped at that number. A million soldiers died trying to catch a freakin vampire?!?! I would have expected the dremora to have some skilled soldiers who handle this sort of thing. "What's also annoying was the fact that she would drink the blood of anyone that passes by, even the cult members of the Mythic Dawn. Any mortals we find were already shriveled husks. There was literally nothing to hunt for days, and it annoyed our men like a Nord milkdrinker. So Xucruroth had this idea about hiring her as some sort of spy or something. I don't know the full details."

"So she is on our side?" I asked. This is actually the best thing you can hope for. If you have at least a vampire on your side, then you might as well just run away and hope that she doesn't suck the blood out of your veins.

He nodded. "In a way." He held up a finger. "That doesn't mean we shouldn't trust her. She is the spawn of Molag Bolg with that infectious blood of hers. At the very least, we should watch our backs. One can never trust a vampire."

"If she is really on our side, how come she wasn't present at Ponyville or Stalliongrad when we were getting our asses kicked by those diamond dogs?" If someone like her existed for some time, she should have helped us out on those two battles. Especially in Stalliongrad since I almost died by that diamond dog if Applejack hadn't come to the rescue.

He shrugged. "Who knows?" He said. "Xucruroth sent her on a special assignment somewhere last I heard. She got back a couple of days ago after you fell unconscious. I don't know what she was doing during that time, but she reported to Xucruroth. She left soon after."

"Wait." I suddenly had something on my mind thanks to that vampire woman. "Do we have more vampires in our army?"

Kat shook his head. "As far as I could tell, she's the only one we encountered. We don't know if there are any other vampires out there, or if some have escaped." I was pretty bummed out when he said that Scarlet was the only vampire in the army. We could have used more vampires in the army. That would make the war a hell of a lot more easier.

Say what you will, but there is no such thing as a massive overkill. Especially since said enemy deserves it.

"Princes damn whore is what she is." Venom murmured through clenched teeth before she downed her drink in one go. She grabbed another one from a passing scamp and downed that one. I couldn't tell if she was jealous of the vampire's beauty, or if she found her annoying.

"She could be at least some use to us." I said as I looked down at the tankard full of golden liquid. I shrugged and gave it a taste. It tasted weird to me, almost like water with a sort of honey flavor to it. For the most part, it doesn't taste too bad. I heard from some of my friends who had drank alcohol that it tastes sort of good, but it was also unappealing. I finished taking a sip and continued. "If she uses her vampiric powers to turn the tide in this war, then I don't see why we should trust her."

"But for how long can we trust her?" Sloth commented as he twirled one of his blades with his fingers. His feet were prooped up at the table while he was leaning on a chair. "You need to watch yourself around her, Marcus. There is a reason why vampires live longer than any mortal, and it isn't because they are immortal." As he said the last word, the wrist that was playing with the dagger flicked and the dagger flew at a speed unimaginable. It hit one of the bullseye targets that was set up at one of the pillars closest to him. Funny enough, it almost hit a nearby dremora that was conveniently close to it, nearly nicking his nose off. The dremora fell over and spilled his drink, causing several of his comrades to laugh at him. He got up and stretched. "As much as I like to have a little bit of relaxation, I have to return to my duties." He went over to the bullseye and pulled his dagger off of the target. "We have located one of the Elements and my men are preparing a stealth mission to rescue her.

"You found one of them?" I asked. I mentally face slapped myself for asking that stupid question. Of course, he found one of them! Sloth was just good at finding people.

"We have located Fluttershy at the Birminghooves Zoo." He said as he turned to me. "She's the main attraction there from what I heard. We're just about ready to head out and rescue her." I caught a smirk on his face. "Believe it or not, we were hired by some noble to get Fluttershy out of there. That's how we got the intel in the first place."

"A noble wants Fluttershy?" I asked. What would a noble want with one of the Elements of Harmony? Also, why hire some dremora to even do the work for him? Doesn't he already know we are at war with the caribou?

"Bragging rights, I bet." He answered. "The noble, Side Show, has some beef with the owner of the zoo, Handler. He wants her as a pet. As for why he hired us...........well, let's just say my reputation proceded me these last few days." He looked at his blade as if seeing his reflection. "The only thing he will receive is a nice one way trip to the Deadlands." He looked back at me. "In any case, I wish you good luck in your war. I have a feeling it will be more interesting than before." With that being said, he walked out of the bar door and into the night.

As the bar doors swung close, it opened again as another figure entered the establishment. Dressed in Daedric Armor with a hood, and a staff that glowed with power, he scanned the room for someone.

It was Xavier, and if I had to take a guess, I would say he is probably looking for me.

I waved at him as he saw me with the others. He walked over to where we were sitting. While he was walking, he seemed to be avoiding eye contact with the rest of the soldiers celebrating. Plus, his hood was up slightly, almost like he was disgusted by the scene at the bar. I still didn't see his face for the most part, which was frustrating since I wanted to see what he looked like. I know he would look like every dremora, but I still want to find out. He reached us and gave a slight bow towards me. "Master Marcus. I trust you are doing well?"

"Yeah," I answered. "I never felt better in my entire life." Indeed, the pain that I felt back at the hospital had seemed to disappear. I was back on my feet before anyone knew it. "Would you care to join us? We have enough food and drink for you."

"While I am honored by your offer, that is not what I am here for," Xavier said. "Storm Strider and the other rebel leaders are waiting for you down by the castle as we speak."

"Already?" I said with a frown. "But I just got here." I need a break after that long battle a few days ago. It's not enough that I was beaten to a pulp by a fucking dog the size of a Prius.

"The rebel leaders have come all this way to see you." He started to explain. "They see you and your army as a resource now. Not to mention that they lack any real leader to guide them. Plus, our enemies are already on the move as we speak."

I nearly spat out my drink after hearing that sentence. "Dainn's armies are on the move?!?!" I nearly shouted. I know three days had passed since the Battle for Stalliongrad. With the elimination of their top general, I expected the caribou to be hesitant for a while. I would have given them a week before they even raise another army. Guess my hunch was wrong.

"Word of your success and the killing of Lanius has them spooked. For you to kill their most valuable veteran has King Dainn, as you humans say, "shit his royal panties." A bounty has been placed on your head and everyone else in Stalliongrad. 10 billion bits for your head and those that harbor you." My eyes widened at the bounty on my head. 10 billion freakin bits?!?!? All for killing some famous general?!?! This guy really has it out for me. Not only that, but he wants to kill everyone and anyone in Stalliongrad for aiding me. They haven't even done anything wrong! My hand curls into fists. That bastard doesn't care about his own subjects as long as he gets what he wants. "Do not worry, Marcus." Xavier must have felt the worry and anger within me. "Our warriors are more equipped and more experienced in the ways of war more than a bunch of unwashed savages. Plus, I have sent Scarlet out to harass a couple of their armies while you were unconscious. We now know the real strength of our enemy, and we will win."

"Scarlet was just looking for you." I said as I pointed at the door. "She said she needed to see you for something."

"I have spoken to her momentarily." He answered. "I asked her to wait for me at the stadium."

"For what?" I asked. What would a daedric mage want with a vampire like her?

"I'm sorry, Marcus, but I can't tell you." He said. I frowned at his explanation. Of course, the mysterious mage has to act mysterious to me! That's like, the number one reason why villains lose to the hero. They're second in command always keeps secrets that is all part of their nefarious plan or some shit. "It's not a plan to betray you or anything." Xavier must have felt my unease. "What I can tell you is that it will be critical to our success in this war."

"So, you're not going to tell us what it is?" Venom spoke as she gave Xavier a questioning gaze. He shook his head. "Stupid mages and their stupid schemes." She started to murmur to herself.

"Well, I'm still glad about your commitment to the cause," I said with a nod.

He gave a slight bow. "Anything for the young master." He then returned to his posture. "Now, are you ready to leave?"

I was kind of upset that I didn't get enough free time to relax and hang out with Applejack, Rarity, Lyra or Bon Bon. I have been unconscious for three days. THREE DAYS! I want to at least have some time to myself and visit the girls to see how they are doing. Throughout these last few weeks of hell, they had managed to keep me going. Especially Lyra and Bon Bon, who had stuck by me ever since I arrived on this planet. After I discovered the dremora and found a way to free Equestria, I gave both of the mares a chance to run away while everything was calm. I told them that Sloth and his men would help them out of Equestria and someplace safe, away from the war to come. However, they said that they will stick by me to the end. They once stood helplessly as they were dragged away from their homes and forced into a life of slavery, to be used by some pervert as their personal pleasure object. They want to fight back, even if they didn't have any type of military training. They even said they would die fight if it meant freeing Equestria.

It made me sad that don't have the chance to visit them again. I wish I had a little bit of time.

"You should go," Kathuet said as he sensed my distress. "The sooner this war is over, the better."

"I hope it lasts longer." Venom commented with an evil grin on her face. "Hearing the caribou scream for mercy is music to my ears."

"Yeah." Bilfulag said. "I also want to taste all those delicious mortal "desserts" I keep hearing about. Including this new thing I tasted yesterday call a "Cinnamon Roll.""

"Gah. You're always hungry." Jebrus stated. "I wouldn't be surprised if you become fat like a horker by the end of this."

"Oi!" He stood up so quickly that he flipped his chair up. He glared at Jebrus. "What's that supposed to mean?!?"

"Oh nothing," Jebrus said innocently with a mocking smile on his face. "Just that you might turn into-" He paused as he had his left hand. "What do humans call people who gained too much weight?"

"A fat ass?" I answered.

"That's the one. A fat ass that would put Hermaeus Mora to shame if he wasn't a floating eyehole." Jebrus laughed, along with a few other soldiers around the bar. I couldn't help but smile at that.

"You fucking son of a bitch!" He lunged forward to attacked Jebrus, knocking a few things over. He might have expected it, for he did put up his fists to protect himself before Bill came forward. Around the same time, Jebrus knocked over Venom's drink over her lap. She yelped in surprise as she looked down at her soaking armored legs. She then glared at the two assailants fighting on the ground. She bellowed a war cry before she dogpiled on them. In another instance, she pushed away a Scamp that was delivering drinks on a tray, making the tray fall in the lap of another dremora soldier. He then glared at the scamp before lunging out and trying to catch it. However, the scamp was too small and nubble for the devil, and ended up dodging its attack. Instead, he lunged at the legs of another dremora walking past him, making him trip and fall. The room was in uproarious laughter. The soldier cursed in its language then turned to the dremora that tripped him. He quickly got up and bellowed a war cry before charging at the dremora, plowing into him and knocking down a nearby table where a couple of dremora were eating. This caused various foods and drinks to rain everywhere. Another soldier joined in, then another.

Soon, the whole bar was in an uproar of fists, kicks and drinks knocking each other over or on someone else.

I yelped when a knife nearly got me by my left cheek as it flew right close to me. Everyone was knocking everything over while fighting each other. I would be pride of them if I wasn't in the middle of said melee. I was forced down under the table once the fighting started and the utensils started to fly around the room. In my view under the table, I could already see several on the floor fighting each other. I could see Venom trying to chock out Bilfulg with her own hands. I almost thought she would kill him if it wasn't for a random dremora picking up a wooden chair and hit her in the back. A normal person would have fallen by now by that impact. Unfortunately, that didn't happen to Venom. She was tougher than most dremora around here, and I can testify to that. The chair made contact to her back. It merely stagger her and annoyed her. She turns around and glared at the assailant. The one that hit her had a look of surprise and horror on his face. She then lunged at him and started to beat the living crap out of him. I saw Kathuet throwing punches left and right several feet to Venom's battle. He had a bored expression on his face even when a dremora with a broken end of the bottle in his hand was lunging at him. He dodged the sharp bottle and gave the daedra an uppercut on his chin, sending him flying towards a set of tables. He has probably been into too many bar fights in the past to feel bored with this fight. Wouldn't be surprised if it was the case.

I yelped as something grabbed my foot and started to drag me from out of my hiding spot. Once I was out of the table, I flipped over and prepared to kick the offender, when I was greeted with the face of Xavier. His face seemed calm even as the fight got more intense as knives and swords and maces started showing up. I would be worry if weapons had gotten involved in a fight, but then I realized that the dremora can literally respawn. I could see a light blue sphere surrounding me and Xavier as his staff glowed. It was just in time as well, as a dremora was right behind him was a sword in hand, intent on cutting Xavier in half. The moment the sword made contact with the glowing shield, the sword bounced off of it like it was nothing more than a bouncing ball. The daedra was surprised by this, but he didn't have time to react as Xavier quickly turned around and threw one of his hands close to where the dremora was. Before he knew it, he was flown across the room and hit two of his comrades who were fighting another dremora. I couldn't help but be amazed at what I just saw. "I suggest we leave this violent foundation and head to the castle. The others are waiting for us."

I meekly nodded my head. "That would be good." I said.

"I must warn you that teleporting from one place to another can cause an uncomfortable migraine and unsettlement in the stomachs." He warned me before his staff glows an eerie blue.

"I'll be alright," I said affirmatively. Deep down, I was nervous as hell itself. This is the first time a human being would be teleported to a place. Such a thing was considered fantasy to some, and even impossible to others. Yet Xavier offered me a chance to go from once place to another in a blink of an eye. People would kill just to be in this position. "Ready whenever you are." He nodded and waved his staff around, murmuring an incantation in the Daedric tongue. My body started to feel light like I was full of helium. I was starting to feel light-headed as well.

My world soon exploded in a cascade of light.

I regret it.

I regret ever agreeing to this.

Once we popped in back to reality and the light show faded away, my stomach started doing somersaults. Unable to hold it any longer, I bent over and threw up what was left of my lunch. It was a horrifying experience, to say the least. It felt like my entire insides were on fire. My throat was already on fire at this point as what was left of the tavern food came out in a hot pile of messy bits. 'Why did I ever think this was a good idea?!?!' I thought as the second wave came riding in. I could have just walked down to the castle instead of teleport.

It would certainly be better than this.

After the second wave had passed, I was breathing heavily. My throat is burning like the Dickens and my stomach felt like it was squeezed out. I could say that it was the worst experience I have ever had in my entire life, but then that would be cutting it short at this point.

Someone coughed and I was forced to look up. We were back in the office where me and Storm Strider talked about the future of this new rebellion. Nothing much has changed since the last I was here, except for a flag hanging by the window. It had a picture of two horses, one which and one dark blue, circling each other under a bright blue background with a sun in the middle of the background. The desk wasn't there anymore. Instead, there is also a large table in the middle of the room with various papers on it and a map of what I assume is Equestria and the surrounding territories. Storm Strider was behind the table with four other colorful ponies and another strange creature the resembles an eagle with lion-like legs. that were present. Three of them had some sort of military gear that indicates that they are higher rank, one is wearing a prison uniform while the last one wore a clean tuxedo. They were probably the commanders of the various rebel factions that I was told about.

I blinked for a second before my face became red with embarrassment. I just threw up inside a perfectly good office, and in front of Storm Strider and the rest of the resistance members no less.

I stared at them for some time, with the ponies doing the same. They were all giving me judging stares, like they were disappointed in what they saw. "Uh." I blurted out as I started to say something. "Hi." I meekly said.

"This is it? This.....thing is the one that killed Lanius?" The one that spoke was a yellow earth pony mare with a cream color main and tail. She was wearing what appears to be a camo outfit you would find military personal wearing back on Earth. It was kind of funny to see considering Equestria is in the medieval period with products similar to those on Earth. "We are supposed to trust the future of our nation to a child?" Her orange eyes pierced into my own. She sounded like she was disappointed in what she was seeing. I wouldn't blame her for having her hopes up.

"He doesn't look all too bad, Bee Keeper ." A deep British voice spoke out. Another earth pony stallion with a Kaiser mustache spoke in a posh accent. He had a white color coat with his mane and tail being a mixture of blue and orange. He had a monocle over one of his left eye. He was also wearing what I assume was some sort of old WWI British uniform. On top of his hat was a small button that looked like a sun. He also had a saber on his right hip which had seen better days judging by the dull blade at the top and several rusted spots on the blade itself. "Why, he looks like a sporting young man that just might make the Horn Heads a run for their money." He approached me and vigorously shook my hand before I even had a chance to raise it. "General Hard Helm of Her Majesty's Royal Armed Forces, at your service." He said with a big smile on his face. "Well, ones that haven't uncorked their screws yet."

"P-p-please t-t-to m-met y-y-you." I tried to spurt out. Holy shit! I knew earth ponies were strong but this is fucking ridiculous. I could almost feel my brain coming out of its socket if the British stallion kept on shaking my hand so hard. Just when I felt like my arms were about to be ripped off, he suddenly let go of me. "I'm Marcus. Marcus Asher." I greeted the pony after I rubbed my hands and flex them a couple of times to see if they are working right.

"Interesting chap you are." Hard Helm said. "Its the spirit like that that will allow us to defeat those dastardly Horn Heads in one go."

"Although I am a bit skeptical about you, Marcus." A pegasus mare in her mid 30's with a dark blue coat and a mixture of a pink and red mane and tail spoke to me. "Don't get me wrong. You look like you could handle yourself pretty well in a fight, but for someone as young as yourself leading an army is strange to say the least." She looked over me with those yellow eyes as if expecting something else. "Tell me, how old are you?"

"Eighteen years old, ma'am." I answered quickly. I could already feel the sweat coming from my forehead just by her judging stare. These guys were probably the commanders of hundreds of battles ever since the caribou invaded. Compared to them, I'm just a young teenager barely out of high school that has no real experience in war. Sure, I succeeded in both Ponyville and Stalliongrad, but I would call it luck more than anything. Plus, I had some more experienced people on my side when this first started. "I am currently a senior at Santa Ann High School, ma'am."

"So you are barely out of high school, then?" I nodded. The pony facepalmed. "I can't believe I flew all this way here just to meet some god damn monkey teenager." I glared at her for calling me a monkey of all things. She sighed as she saw my stare. "Sorry about that. It's been so long since there was anyone helping us out. Ever since the Fall, all the nations just sort of bowed down to the caribou. Even that massacre at Baltimare, our hopes of ever defeating them were shattered. I lost a lot of good friends in that city." She gave a friendly smile to me. "Knowing that there is at least someone out there still fight fills me with hope." She stuck her hand out towards me. "My name is Commander Sky High." I shook her hand with a smile. I wouldn't blame her for hating me.

"So are we suppose to pin our hopes on this dweeb?" An angsty female voice rang out. I was surprised to see that it wasn't another pony that greeted me at all. It had the head of an eagle with purple bangs on the top feathers on its (hair?) feathers. It had a small beak. She was wearing an orange jumpsuit but with both the sleeves and her pants cut off. In fact, she almost like she was in one of those one-piece swimsuits. Her legs were that of a lion with claws at the end. Her zipper on the orange suit was undone towards her belly, allowing me to see some side D-size side boobs. Her eagle-like arms crossed towards her D-cup breasts. "I swear, you ponies must be inept if you just pick whoever is youngest."

"Now now. We shouldn't judge him too harshly, Gilda." A posh voice rang out. "After all, if the rumors are true, then the caribou will certainly be on the run before long." A unicorn stallion dressed in an expensive black tuxedo along with black dress pants outfit emerged from the group of resistance leaders. His light blue mane and tail were well kept for the most part. He had a Will Bill mustache that was properly groomed and smelled of some exotic fragrance I couldn't tell. He didn't look like the type to fight anyone, but rather sit back on the frontlines and observe from a distance.

Sky High scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "Like you would know any rumors at all, what with you living comfortably in Canterlot." Her words were like venom to my ears. So Fancy Pants must be some noblemen if he is getting scolded at. "Tell me, how are they treating you down in Canterlot nowadays. Got enough slaves to fuck?"

"For your information, I am still loyal to the Princesses and to Equestria." Fancy Pants shot back. "I have funneled countless of my enslaved people to their freedoms at the risky of my own life." It certainly is very noble of him. No pun intended. "But enough of my banter. My name is Fancy Pants." The unicorn bowed. "I am assuming that you are Marcus, yes?" He asked. "The one Miss Storm keeps telling us about?"

"I am." I nodded. "I am pleased to meet you all." I scanned the room as I said those words. "Sorry if I wasn't here earlier to meet you. I just got out of the hospital and wanted to take a little break before meeting you all."

"No doubt you got it from that last battle." Hard Helm said with some enthusiasm. "Tell me: How many of the Horn Heads did you kill? A dozen? A billion? You probably slew the whole army all by yourself."

"I did kill some caribou." I explained to him. "And I wasn't along in the defense." I pointed to Xavier. "I have people like him helping me along the way. Without them, I couldn't have done what I have done. Oh, and Tirek helped me as well."

"TIREK?!?!" Before I could blink, Sky High's face was uncomfortably close to me. "YOU MEAN TO TELL MY THAT YOU ALLIED YOURSELF WITH A MAGIC STEALING GIANT THAT NEARLY TOOK OVER EQUESTRIA?!?!" She was yelling at me as she asked this question.

"Umm..........yes?" I nervously answered. "But he is changed now. He's helping us."

"More like using you." Sky High glared at me. "Tirek is an evil creature. Not to mention that he can literally suck the magic out of every pony he comes across." She was flailing her arms around. "He once nearly took over Equestria and sucked the Princesses magic clean!" I wasn't surprised that Tirek had done something evil at this point. He did come across as someone that would steal your girlfriend before kicking you in the balls, shooting up your puppy and setting your house on fire. "We were lucky that Princess Twilight had managed to defeat him in the end."

"If only that were possible." A familiar voice said behind me. I looked behind me to see Tirek stand in the doorway, his large form blocking the entire way out. He bent over as he trotted inside the room, with me narrowly avoiding one of his large ass horns in the process. His horns almost reached the ceiling itself. I was surprised he could even fit in this room to begin with.

"Sup, Tirek." I greeted him with a nod. "I'm guessing you were called here too."

He snorted. "Your wizard right there informed me that I was to be invited to this meeting." I looked over to Xucuroth to confirm this. He nodded his head to acknowledge it. "It's not like I would care what happens between you and the resistance, but he thought that my voice in this meeting would be helpful."

"Helpful? HELPFUL?!?!" Sky High appeared right in Tirek's face right as I blink. I would say that she was faster than Rainbow Dash if anything. "WE DIDN'T FORGET WHAT HAPPENED TO US WHEN YOU RAN RAMPANT THROUGH EQUESTRIA!" She was fuming to the point that she was ready to explode. That sweet pegasus I meet a second ago was now a raging tornado ready to slice someone's head off. "NOT ONLY DID YOU STOLE OUR MAGIC, BUT A LOT OF PONIES DIED UNDER YOUR SHORT REIGN! IF I WANT TO TAKE ADVICE FROM A MAGIC STEALING, FOUR-LEGGED FUCKER, I WOULD THROW MYSELF INTO THE EVERFREE BUTT NAKED WITH NOTHING ON ME EXCEPT FOR A KNIFE TO FUCKING KILL MYSELF!" She breathed heavily after that outburst. I looked over to the others to see various expressions on their faces. Hard Helm looked at Sky High with wide eyes and his mouth opening and closing several times. Gilda had a huge grin on her face, which should be impossible considering she has a beak for a mouth. Fancy Pants and Beekeeper were both glaring at Tirek with all the malicious and hatred I could feel. The centaur must be very popular for some people to murder him.

"Are you done?" Tirek questioned casually like the yelling match by the pegasus didn't happen to begin with. I can't say I'm surprised that he wouldn't be fazed by some pony out for his blood. After what I have witnessed during the siege of Stalliongrad, this pony might be more than a bothersome fly that he can easily swat away if given the chance.

"DID YOU EVEN LISTEN TO ME?!??" Sky High shouted to Tirek once again. She was extremely pissed now that she could beat Tirek down to a pulp if she had to.

"I did." He said. "and I don't care." With one might swing form his backhand, he threw Sky High right across the room and right into a wall next to the window. "I don't care what you think of me." He continued. "I regret nothing that I have done in the past. If I were to go back in time and undo the mistakes of that day, I will. Twilight was just lucky that day." Sky High groaned as she pushed herself off the ground. Fancy Pants and Gilda helped her up while glaring at Tirek. "As much as I like to leave you ponies to your own doom, I can not turn away from something strange going on in Equestria. Dainn might be the biggest threat not only to Equestria, but to the entire world. During my travels, I sense some dark magic at work. It's not pony nor caribou, but something much older." Odin mentioned some sort of dark magic at play. This does beg the question: Are the caribou involved in any way, or are they just pawns in a greater game? "Whatever it is, it won't be good for everyone involved." He stared down at me with what looked like conviction in his eyes. "While I am relucent to trust a strange monkey, he's probably the only hope we got." Seriously, why is everyone calling me a monkey? "While young, he does show promise in improving his combat techniques, as well as an eagerness to learn magic. He has commanded his army before and led them to victory. Outnumbered, he showed calmness and issued orders as if nothing had ever happened." I looked at Tirek with a questioning gaze. I don't even know if e is praising me or making fun of me at this point. "In short, his army is ready for war against the caribou, and Marcus will do whatever it takes to free Equestria and drive out Dainn."

I stared at him as he finished his speech. Everyone was quiet at this point, even Sky High had managed to stop groaning after being helped up by Hard Helm and Fancy Pants, but she still gave a nasty glare at Tirek. I felt some emotions after that speech he did. Suprise that Tirek of all people is praising me. Pride that I am getting all the attention. Excitement that we were finally going to free Equestria after all this time.

But most of all was fear.

I wasn't afraid to face the caribou when it comes to battling them. I already survived a few encounters with them. Granted, we did take them by surprise that one time. Plus I did have Tirek by my side during the last two battles. Despite that, I still survived and I'm willing to gather my army and liberate Equestria. No. It was fear that I might fuck everything, that one wrong move could end everything. Everyone is pinning their hopes on me, and it's overwhelming, to say the least. If something goes wrong, if something too powerful beyond my control is unleashed somehow, then everyone dies.

I guess this is what every hero would feel like when everyone has their hopes on them.

I felt a hand near my shoulder. I turned around to look into Xucruroth's hood with his glowing red eyes. Were they always glowing? And since when did he have red eyes? "I can feel your worry." He whispered. "There is a lot at stake here. I urge you not to be afraid. You can handle this. You have shown beyond a doubt that you can lead by example. You are not alone in this either. Kathuet, Venom, Bilifuag, and Jebrus, along with me and Tirek are right beside you. You have the means to win this war, but you must overcome your fear in order to achieve victory."

I smiled a little at his little motivation speech. "Thanks, Xavier." I said. I have now more confidence in myself rather than doubt when I first entered the room. He was right: I survived this far with nothing but my wits and logic. Some might say I was lucky a few times, but sometimes life throws you a curveball right into your groin. All you can do is shake it off and get on with it. I also had some support from a few of my new friends like Lyra and Bon Bon. Friendship, even on the battlefield, can be a powerful weapon that no sword can cut. It's strong enough to take down an army if need be.

Now that thought of that, it does seem a little cringy and cliche. Considering where I am now, I would have thought this was a dream the entire time.

"That is enough." I finally got a chance to speak to the resistance leaders. "Both of you need to learn to make up. Sure, Tirek might have done some bad stuff in the past, but he is helping us now. That is all that matters." Sky High opened her mouth to argue but I held out my hand. "Tirek's magic stealing........magic could be useful to us in this war. I know he grows strong with it, and I don't give a damn about it. If he wanted to destroy Equestria, then he would have done it a long time ago, even before I arrived here. Right now, we have to set aside our differences in order to win this war." I turned to Tirek with a serious expression on his face "Apologize to Sky High for punching her." He was looking at me like I did a presentation about fishsticks existing on the moon. "I'm serious," I said. Trying to tell a powerful centaur that can suck magic out of your body to apologize is a bad idea in the long run. I say fuck it. I could feel the resistance leaders jaws drop.

We both stared at each other for a long time, neither one backing down from this. Finally, with a sigh, he said: "I'm sorry I hurt you." I could tell that he was struggling to form that sentence. He's a guy that doesn't take no for an answer.

I then turned towards Sky High. "Now it's your turn to apologize."

"Apologize??!?!" She nearly choked on that word. "For what?!?!"

"For trying to upset him." I could hear Tirek snickering behind me. She was about to retort something before I interrupted her. "Look, I know you all have a bad history with him." I scanned the room. "Well, everyone in this room at least." I then looked towards Sky High. "We can at least build some trust here if we are going to fight this war. Plus," I wave my arms toward Tirek behind me. "This guy is a freakin powerful centaur that can steal magic. I don't think you could win in a fight against him."

She opened her mouth several times as if trying to find an argument. I still can't believe she turned into a berserker state just by seeing Tirek. She was a sweet gal a couple of moments ago. What did Tirek do to piss her off? "If I may interject," Fancy Pants spoke as all eyes turned to him. After noticing every eye upon him, he started to nervously sweat. "I-I believe that Master Marcus has a point to make. We shouldn't tear each other apart, not when we have a powerful advantage in our hands." You know, despite him being a rich guy, at least he has some brains on him.

Sky sighed. "Fine. I'm sorry." She finally said. "I'm sorry I tried to antagonize you." She still glared at him. "That doesn't mean I'll trust you. One wrong move and I'll rip off that bighorn of yours and shove it where the sun doesn't shine." She growled. I gulped after hearing those words. I know they aren't meant for me, but I couldn't help but be afraid of what will happen if I get on her bad side.

You know what they say: Hell hath no fury than a women's scorn. Or a mare in this case.

"Aww. And I was looking forward to a good bashing." Hard Helmet said as he clasps his hands together. "Guess I'll save it for the horn heads."

"The less infighting there is, the better." I said as I turned my attention to everyone else in the room. "I know I'm not what you have expected to meet. I also know that I'm not well versed in war as much as you ponies. What I do know is that I have enough experience leading people in dire situations. With that being said, the least we can do is cooperate with each other. I don't expect any awards or even metals after this, and I'm not here as some conquerer trying to enslave you. I only want to help you, and to free you from Dainn's tyranny. If you can all trust me and follow me, then we may have a chance to turn the tide in your favor." Everyone was staring at me in surprise after my little speech. It was good, letting all of that out. It was like an entire weight had left my shoulder. At least some of it anyway. If I'm going to free Equestria and face down this darkness that Odin was talking about, I need some people with me to help me. If I start to carry the weight around, then everything I have fought for would be for nothing.

"Well said. Very well said." Hard Helm started to congratulate me once again. "While I do want to teach that brutish centaur the old "Grandma Special", I'll play ball with it if it means kicking the caribou in the buttocks."

"I don't like it as well," Bee Keeper agreed. "but let's face it. Tirek is a walking magic vacuum at this point. His help could be of great value to use in this rebellion."

"Eh. I got no preference." Gilda shrugged. "But I like the kid's persistence. He's got guts, and I like a stallion with guts." She winked at me. "I'm game."

I smiled as I see everyone finally getting along and joining together for the common good. "Excellent." I clasp my hands. "Now, perhaps we can start on the planning now."

"Agreed," Tirek said. "The more time we waste arguing with each other, the more time the caribou have to create a new force," With that, everyone gathered around the map of Equestria and started to plan the next phase of the rebellion.

Heres to hoping we could fix up a good plan.