Tainted Steel and the souls of men
Anther ran as fast as he could, his friends followed close behind. His shining grey armour didn't weigh him down one bit, it seemed to be actually enhancing his speed. That was a good thing too, he didn't want to be late for his cousin's coronation day.
"Anther! Slow down, some of us aren't Paladins!" Hollered one of the men follow, his voice shrouded by his helmet mic and speakers. With a guess, he had assumed it was Callum.
"No, I can't. I'm gonna be late for his big day!" Unlike Callum, Anther had left his helmet back at his dorm on the upper levels. He didn't even have time to drop his training baton he was holding when he remembered the coronation was in two minutes.
The three men who were following slowly lagged behind him, the pearl walls of the hall slowly winking them out of existence. Anther pressed on, soon the end of the massive vaulted hall was nearing, and quickly. With a prayer, Anther made his move to the window on his right, quickly ducking out and by the will of the All-Maker had cleared the glass and had made it into free fall.
He looked around as time froze for the briefest instant, flicking the switch on his anit-gravity shielding and once again making a prayer to the All-Maker. He hit the ground like a slab of steel. He didn't bounce but nor did he crack the tiles like he had many, many times before. With a flick of his wrist, the shielding dropped and he fired from his kneel like a bolt from a crossbow.
The banners of the festival streaked by, his vision tunneled as he spied the gates to the Hall of Kings. His pace quickened and he leaned forwards even more, his head out like a battering ram. The gate was near. Twenty meters. Ten Meters.
Before he could pass though the gate, a shield stood before him. He it like a steam train, the holding only sliding a millimeter back from the force. Anther reeled in pain and confusion before getting hit by the shield, swatted away like a bug to a giant.
"HALT! In the name of the King, Halt!" The voice was loud and booming, and very distinctive even though the speakers of the helmet. Pulling what he had left of pride, he got to his feet and stood at attention for his Lord Commander. Before either one of the men spoke, the gate burst open and fifteen Knights came rushing through, swords drawn and shields raised.
"Lord Commander, we are with you." Their voiced over lapped and were in perfect sync, it was hypnotizing to hear. The Lord Commander's helmet flicked to the side before looking at Anther directly. He put away the blade, but moved forward.
"I don't think you're need. Explain yourself recruit." His voice cut deep and was very horse, very commanding.
"Sir, I am Paladin Trainee Anth-" Before he could finish, the Lord Commander's voice shock the ground.
"I did not ask for your name nor your branch boy. I asked you to explain yourself before the Knight Templar Lord Commander." He had turned around by now and had removed his helmet. Anther spied his white hair, his was cut short just like his and seemed well groomed, for it's length.
"Sir, was rushing to see my cousin crowned King of the Empire, Sir!" The Lord Commander allowed him to finished this time, but did not look him in the eye or even turn around.
"Very well, proceed. With caution Trainee Windzor." With that the rest of the Templars followed their commander into the Hall. Anther breathed clearly as soon as the last knight was through. With one last breath of relief he followed them in. The Hall of Kings was huge, it was nearly four kilometers long and two and a half wide, seating over two and a half million people, most of which were recruits and trainees like Anther. Not even thinking of trying to make his way down to a seat that was more than likely taken, Anther opted just to stand near a guard and activate his zoom.
Or at least he would if he had his helmet. Folding his arms and watching a pair of dots down on the bottom of the stadium, Anther resigned to learning back and praying he'd hear something.
"By god, cousin to the future king, fastest trainee every seen, and a super hero with zoom and super hearing?" Asked a very winded voice from one of his friends. Anther glanced back to see four standing there, each with a different but smug look on their faces. With a smile he brushed them off and looked back at stage.
"You dropped this." There were Casidy's words of the week, she held out a grey helmet with a death read visor, standard for Knights and Paladin's alike. With a frown he took it from her and slipped it on. Callum and Shire took positions next to the guard on the left of the door, prompting him to shift ever so slightly. Casidy took her place as Anther's back up. With silence returning to the area, all of the trainees focused on the King, and his son.
"In the names of all the Kings whom have sat upon the Throne of England, I, King Robert first of my name and reigning King of Man, name you my heir and ruler." Robert bowed his head, pulling off a crown that hasn't been removed in over seventy years, and held it over Edward's head. "By the will of God and the people of our land, rule with righteous hands and a tempered heart, mylord." With that, Robert lowered the crown onto Edward's head, crowning him as King. He took two steps back, and knelt with a bow of his head.
At once, the entire stadium rose to their feet, then dropped to their knees for their new King, a man many in the hall had fought in the ring as a recruit. With a single smooth motion that Edward would never deny that he had practiced many times over the last few year, he rose and face the crowd of people. His first words were the same as every King since the founding.
"Rise, this is my command, rise now and behold your leader!" His voice carried, the shotgun speakers of the back of the room sending a perfect voice across every bit of armour. At once, as one unified people and order, they rose at the command of their King. Anther smiled under his helmet, Edward's face was stoic, but Anther knew that look in his eyes, he was scared to the bone.
"I see it too, that's a good sign." Spoke Casidy as she nudged Anther, her voice soft and filled with what Anther guessed to be hope.
"As my second order as your King, I here by declare this Oblivion Gate, finished! Master Builder, open the gate, let me the first to step foot in new land." Edward turned to the gate, sparks formed around structure holding it in place, then around the gate doors themselves, a red glow growing in them, then is a blink of an eye, the entire portal flashed gold then held a blackish blue hue that slowly faded to a green, softening to a landscape. With a quick, nearly unnoticeable nod from the Master Builder, Edward drew his sword and walked forward.
Tainted Steel and the souls of men
Dream Staider stood at the foothills of the Swamp Skylands. His black armoured chili glinting in the sunlight. The heat scorched the land and made it nearly unbearable for anypony other than a select few to even think of setting hoof into the area, the Changelings were among them. He was to stand watch for the day shift, never to advert his gaze from the horizon as to be the first response for the Hive, nearly sixty leagues behind him.
His breath was steady and rhythmic, his body motionless. His crossbow sat at his side, drawn and ready to fire if needed.
"Dream!" A course voice cut through the air, it's deadly rasp cutting deep into his ears. Dream's ears flicked to meet the source of the voice. "By the elder hive, look at me!" Dream ignored his friend, his duty was more important that talk with friends, at least it was now. "If you don't look at me I'll have to order you."
"The Queen's word it law, you dare oppose her Silk Glide?" Asked Dream without turning his eyes from the wastes that lay in front of him. Silk scoffed as he sat down next to Dream.
"No, but as a friend I need to ask you. Why are you so willing to throw your life away as a sentry for what has happened nearly a fortnight ago." Dream tensed up, his felt something course through the air.
"Silence."
"Dream, please."
"I said be quite! You feel that?" Asked Dream as he turned his head to better hear the noise, he stood up. His crossbow had made it's way into his hands.
"I hear and feel nothing."
"That is what is wrong. Do you feel the energy of the animals?" Asked Dream as he pulled a bolt from his quiver and placed it on the rails. His footfalls were light as he made his way forward.
"No, they're gone. As you should be, come now." Replied Silk as he got to his feet and turned around to begin walking away.
"You go, I've got this, whatever it is." Silk stood there for a second, looking at his friend with tired eyes.
"Dream, drop the act. It's time for us to go, the wastes are not going to change." Dream lowered his crossbow, pulling the bolt off and placing it back in the quiver.
"I guess you're right, it must be nothing." Dream turned and followed Silk, his head hung low. Before he even passed his sitting spot, the heat around them became unbearable. Dream felt the saliva in his mouth dry and dust away. The metal prongs of the crossbow burned his hands, forcing him to drop the weapon. Then as quickly as the heat arrived, it was gone.
"By the old gods, what was that?!" Roared Silk, his voice thundering through the badlands, rolling ever forward. Dream remained still, his knew something else was coming. "Dream, we need to get back and report th-" And like that, Silk's voice was gone, his mouth moved frantically, his fanged maw opening and closing with a single sound escaping it. Dream quickly realized that it not only Silk's voice, but the sound of the world that had vanished. Dream only heard the sound of his heart hammering his chest. He felt the beat in his throat. Then, he heard the lighting, everywhere all around him archs of energy jumped from rock to rock, leaving behind deep burns in the sun baked earth.
Dream and Silk turned back to see if Dream was right after all, and he was. There stood a massive glowing ball. It was huge, from the top of the sky to the ground and just as round. It glowed bright blue with nearly white light coming from the edges of the ball. A few seconds later and the sound of the world returned. With it the sound of the lighting, Dream felt as his head would split open from the intense noise that was coming off the ball. In a flash of red, the ball began to shrink, very defined borders began to form. What was once a massive ball of pure blue light was now turning into a huge door into oblivion. The borders, or rather the frame of the door still sparked blue and white, but the door itself was as black as pitch in the middle of a moonless night.
Dream reach for his crossbow and reloaded the bolt, his kept his aim on the portal/door. With a slight wave of his hand, Silk drew his sword and rolled into a guard stance, slowly approaching the door with his sword at the ready. Without warning, Dream fired his crossbow, blood flew from the blackness.
"What in the Sky was that?" Yelled Silk as he backed up while keeping his eyes on the door. Dream made a motion to cover him as he dropped his crossbow to load it.
"I saw a hand, we have standing orders to attack anything that moves." Replied Dream as he pulled back the mighty fangs of the bow, cocking it into position. He stood up and dropped a bolt into place. Silk turn and looked him in the eye,
"That is only for Celestia's soldiers, you have no clue who in tartarus that was." Before Dream could respond, a blast wave knocked them both to the ground, Dream's bow hitting him in the face.
Dream's head felt like a punching bag, rubbing his head with his hand, he didn't feel any blood, dry or otherwise.
"Slag, you're alive after all." Dream grumbled as he felt Silk's hand pat him on the shoulder.
"What happened?" Dream looked around, the ground where the portal had formed was blackened and smelled of sulfur.
"Well, you got leveled by you're own weapon." Replied Silk as he pull Dream to his feet.
"I meant the portal."
"Well it is no longer there, my guess is who ever made it was either killed by you or they closed it cause their lab rat was shot by a crossbow." Replied Silk as he handed Dream his crossbow, the cord snapped from impact with the ground.
"Right, let's get back and report this to the Queen, she will want to know that there was an attempt."
Chrysalis removed her hand from Dream's head. Her grim face was emotionless but to those who knew her it was a dead give away. She nodded to her guards, the restraints were removed from Dream's arms and legs, his head was unlocked, and he was awoken. He got to his feet, looking around the room in a daze. Chrysalis stood at the base of her throne, the entire hive had filled the massive vaulted room, every centimeter of the floor, walls, and even ceiling were covered in Changeling troops. The entire
"To war..."