World War Equus: Tales of War

by CanadianPony

Rating: mature
Tags: Gore, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Other, Adventure, Alternate Universe, Anthro
Length: 5752

The Equestrian World War was fought on many fronts by many different nations. This is a chronicle of the major points of the war, from the Battle of Stalliongrad to the siege of Poltava,. This story is a testament to the fallen from all sides.

Equestria, Zebraca, and The Griffon Empire, along with their respective allies and protectorates, have been plunged into a massive scale war on many fronts. The Griffon army moving into Equestria in the north, Zebras threatening the southern borders and many smaller nations pledging allegiance and support all around. Many battles were fought and many soldiers died on all sides. This collection is a chronicle of events from the beginning of the war, to it's final days.

This story takes place alongside World War Equus: Troubled Skies, but doesn't overlap directly. Each individual chapter or arc stands on it's own as a story in this story. This idea has been kicking around in my head for awhile and drawing my attention from the primary story (which will be done!) and as a way to get rid of all these ideas so they don't plague me and draw my attention away from the main story. Any and all criticism is welcome (just try to keep it civil, we are all friends here.) :twilightsmile:

Published 2016-01-06 07:40:03 UTC
Last updated 2017-10-27 01:10:27 UTC

Resist and Bite

The war came as a surprise to many nations, none more than Equestria herself, whose border forts with the Griffon Empire were overrun and destroyed in the first hours of war being declared. All except for one. The 45th Border guard regiment survived the initial onslaught and gave hell to the Griffons down to the last soldier. This is the story of the Boars and how they stayed a thorn in the side of Griffons, a specter to the 105th Griffon infantry and a rallying point for Equestrian soldiers everywhere.

Lieutenant Pine Needle sat in here office in the Boar's Den, as her unit lovingly called it. Calling the Boar's Den a fort would be an overstatement. It was nothing more than a depression in the middle of a forest, housing 40 soldiers total and no buildings whatsoever, more like holes dug into the ground and made 'homey' by the soldiers inside. It wasn't the worst post a soldier could ask for, but the border and forest was a peaceful place up until that fateful day when her scout sergeant busted in.

"Lieutenant! Squads Bravo and Delta are reporting movement along the border roads! The Griffons are moving in a massive force of armor and infantry! What are your orders?"

Pine Needle's eyes widen and she paused. She had to be in control or the morale of her soldiers would break and they would perish for sure. "Call all scouts back and get word out to the bases in Stalliongrad, Manehattan and Canterlot. They must know ahead of time before the Griffons get to far in. After the Scouts return, call everypony to the center, I need to brief them." The Sergeant nodded before running back out. Pine Needle simply looked down at the letter sitting on her desk. She crumpled it up and threw it in the waste-bucket next to her desk. Sorry kids, looks like Mommy isn't coming home...

The Regiment stood at attention. 38 pairs of eyes stared at their Lieutenant, Comms officer and Staff Sergeant. Confusion was in most eyes but four held nothing but fear. Pine Needle cleared her throat before speaking. "Soldiers of the 45th! It has come to my attention that Griffon forces have finally moved into our territory! The 47th and 39th regiments have been destroyed and we're receiving similar reports from across the front. But they missed us! And they are going to pay for what they're doing to our country, for every step into our homeland, they'll pay in blood. For every town they take, another of their convoys will be destroyed. I'm declaring full out Guerrilla warfare! Any here today may back out now, as those who stay will not see their families ever again. You likely won't leave this forest alive because the Griffons sure as hell won't be in the mood to take prisoners after what I've got planned for them! So, if you leave, we'll not think any less of you, but if you stay with me, we'll avenge every death this day! Who's with me?" A unanimous cheer rang out, Pine was surprised the Griffons didn't hear it. "We are the 45th Boars! And We'll RESIST AND BITE!" The chant broke out among the soldiers and Lieutenant Needle smiled. These were the soldiers she'd go to hell and back for.

"Alright everypony, move out! We have a lot of work to do before we even consider any operations." The soldiers spread out and started divvying up duties and plans for the base. The War had officially started and they would not go silently into the night.

It had been months since the war broke out. Reports came in from all over the country. The soldiers fell somber once they learned of the Zebras joining the conflict, but pride swelled in them to learn of the stalemate in Stalliongrad and the soldiers outright cheered when they heard of the near unanimous support of the world on Equestria's side. Needle got secret messages from Canterlot, urging them to continue they're campaign but declaring that help would never arrive. They were too far behind enemy lines and winter would be setting in soon. The Boar's Den was not a good spot to stay in during the winter, and Needle feared that the regiment would collapse within days of the winter weather. They had mainly survived by gathering supplies from abandoned, and some not quite so abandoned, farms and what they could eat from Griffon rations they stole. But the 45th kept on fighting from ambush positions and well placed explosives, going dark as the Griffons started to patrol heavily and strike when they grew lax. She even heard that the Griffons thought the forest was haunted, speaking of specters hidden in the brush and striking down those who would dare trespass in their land.

Needle was in her office as the Staff Sergeant walked in. "We ambushed a convoy along the east road. As per your orders, we let some get away and destroyed what we couldn't use. In all we scavenged.." He pulled out a scrap of paper. "20 Kar 98k rifles, 15 MP40 SMGs, 500 rifle rounds, 1500 SMG rounds, 2 weeks of rations for the men, and other miscellaneous items of importance."

Needle nodded her head. A good haul. They were running low on ammo for their standard issue Thompsons and Garands. Those weapons were a good addition to their defenses along with the MG42s they scavenged a week ago. "Give the troops my regards and see about moving the new equipment to.." She never got to finish as a red light bathed the office. Needle's eyes widened before she gave out a whistle that sound like on of the local birds. Quickly She and the Sergeant dashed out and gather along the fort walls. In seconds the entire regiment was aiming along one of four approaches, calmly waiting for the enemy to appear.

The silence of the forest was near deafening until the shout of "CONTACT" rang out and the east wall let loose fire. Needle made her way over and watched as a squad of Griffon infantry were torn apart by gunfire. One was running away. One was in her sights. One shot and...

One miss.

The tree behind the Griffon exploded as the shot struck the bark. The soldier ducked away and out of sight. The Boar's stood in shock. A Scout got away, they knew where they were. It was only time before the Griffon army would destroy the Boar's and their Den. Needle looked at her soldiers. They looked back. She swallowed before she turned to her regiment. "Fillies and Gentlecolts, they know we're here." The regiment was quiet, they all knew what that meant. They took preventive measures to make sure the base was never found. "But this isn't the end. The Griffons will show up sooner or later with tanks and artillery and the entire damned armed forces to crush us. But that's what we wanted. We were a delaying force." This got looks from her soldiers. "High Command never meant to save us, we were expendable and behind enemy lines, there was nothing they could do." Pine Needle looked back with tears in her eyes. "I'll never see my family again and neither will any of you. But if these past months hadn't made me the proudest Lieutenant in this whole fucking army! When those Griffon bastards show up, we'll give them hell. We will fight till our last dying breath and we will go down with one hell of a fight!" The soldiers cheered at that. "WE ARE THE 45TH BORDER GUARD REGIMENT! AND WHAT DO WE DO!"

"RESIST AND BITE!" The cheer rang loud. And Needle didn't give a damn if the Griffons heard it or not.

Nearly two weeks of skirmishing with the Griffons, they finally descended. One flare went off, then another, then another. The Regiment formed along the fort walls. In seconds they would be in a maelstrom of crossfire and destruction. A fitting end to the absolute havoc they wrecked along the Griffons supply routes. Needle waited along the wall, a stolen MP40 in her hand and a mismatched uniform covering her body. All the 45th were in a similar shape. Enemy weapons in hand and uniforms belong to three different units covering their backs. Needle watched the forest carefully. She saw movement along the trees. "CONTACT!"

"CONTACT!"

"CONTACT!"

"CONTACT!"

"OPEN FIRE!" With that call gunfire broke out along the fort walls. The initial Griffon force was pinned or killed withing seconds. They kept up the suppressing fire for a few seconds before they went quiet. Silence ruled the forest save for the few shots her marksmen let loose, killing anyone stupid enough to poke their heads out. Needle continued to watch the forest until she heard a distinct sound.

"ARTILLERY! TAKE COV-" An explosion blew Pine off her feet and directly into a crate of ammo left in the center. The world was hazy and muffled as Pine watched her worst fears play out. Her troops were scattered. Her Staff Sergeant lay in front of her, half his face torn off. 6 others were strewn about. The last three on the wall were firing into the trees. Corporal Rainy Days took a round to the head and dropped. Privates Sand Belt and Teardrop were blown to pieces as they manned the MG42 along the fort wall. The Griffons stormed in the fort. Sergeant Broken Hoof impaled a Griffon on his bayonet before a second slit his throat with a combat knife. Private Number Cruncher, fresh out of training when the war began rushed forward with a grenade in hand towards a pair of griffons. He latched on to one and shot the second in the leg with a Luger he took off a Griffon officer. The three went up in smoke. Pine passed out. They lost. She accepted death's cold embrace.

Pine Needle awoke with a start. She was tied down on a chair in her office. If this is what hell looked like, she wanted her money back. A cough drew her attention to a Griffon Major sitting in front of her and a Guard behind him. The major smiled at her. "Lieutenant! It's a pleasure you could join us in the land of the living! Now, as glad as it wold make me feel to kill you right now for what you've done, I need you to answer a very important question for me."

Needle looked at the Major and snarled. "And what, pray tell, is that question?"

The major glared at her. "Where are the rest of your commandos? We only found 40 bodies, including yours, and you will tell em where the rest are."

Pine stared at him. The major stared back. Pine started to snicker. The major began to frown. Pine broke out into voracious laughter. The major roared. "WHAT THE HELL IS SO FUNNY TO YOU!"

Pine calmed down and looked the major dead in the eye. "I am Lieutenant Pine Needle of the 45th Equestrain Border Guard, also known as the Boar's due to our base's local boar population. We are... were... a 40 strong regiment of regular soldiers that hid and gave you hell for 5 months and a prolonged skirmish that lasted 18 days. We gave your soldiers so much hell, they started making legends about us. WE ARE THE 45TH BORDER GUARD AND WE WILL RESIST AND BITE!" A shot echoed throughout the forest. The major slowly placed his Luger back into his pocket. He gestured to the dead soldier in front of him.

"Bury her with the rest. They deserve proper respect. They are true warriors and I expect the division to respect them as such." The soldier saluted and carried the body of the dead Lieutenant out to a graveyard the Pioneers had dug. Forty crosses were lain out with names and ranks carved into each one. The soldier lay the body into the last one and carved in

LT. PINE NEEDLE

45TH BORDER GUARD

A TRUE EXAMPLE OF HEROISM

The Pioneers covered the body in dirt and left the Den behind.

Pinecone stared at the grave in front of him. He started to cry. He looked at the Forty crosses laid out in front of him. He placed a small flower at the grave and took out his knife. Word around the prisoners was that this was her last words before she was killed. When he finished he placed his helmet on, gave the grave one last sad look before he said. "Bye Mom." and left.

LT. PINE NEEDLE

45TH BORDER GUARD

A TRUE EXAMPLE OF HEROISM

SHE WILL RESIST AND BITE

The Crystalline War Pt.1

The Crystal Empire has a special history when it came to warfare, their infamous Caroleans tore across Griffon and Equestrian lands during the age of Sombra, but when Equestria calls upon her allies in her time of need, who else but the Caroleans will answer the call and drive fear into the hearts of  their enemies? This arc is about the Crystalline War between the Crystal Empire's Caroleans and the Griffon's 4th army and the loss of one of the greatest leaders the Crystal ponies ever knew.

Shining Armor sat in his office looking over the guard reports of the Crystal Empire. The border outposts reports were far more worrisome than the regular reports of noise complaints and drunkards. Apparently a handful of Griffon scouts had been caught outside of the city itself and were being held in the dungeon. Shining was contemplating what to do with these Scouts when a guard entered. "Captain Armor, your presence has been requested in the throne room."

Shining nodded. His wife, Cadence, the Crystal Empires ruler, likely wanted to talk with him about something important. "Thank you private, I'll make my way there now." The guard saluted and left his office. Shining followed and locked his office before making his way to the Throne room. As he made his way there, he noticed some of the nobles and ambassadors that stayed in the castle talk nervously about something. The only words he could pick up were 'War' and 'Doom of the Empires'. This bothered Shining Armor. Sure he heard the reports that many nations on Equus were dealing with ideological shifts and more and more funding was going into military research and recruitment each year, but that felt like a natural part of history, technology advanced and world nations did everything in their power to keep up with the times. Surely this couldn't lead to a large full-scale conflict, right?

He entered the Throne room and could quickly tell something was wrong. The court was in uproar about something and his wife was in the middle of it all. Nothing got the court so riled up ever, even the suggestion to pardon some of Sombra's acts didn't anger them this much. When Cadence made eye contact with Shining she held up a hand to silence the courtroom. All eyes fell upon her as she stood. "At 1:00 PM today, we received word that the Griffon Empire declared war against Equestria. Already, the Griffon army made their way to Stalliongrad where Equetrian forces and local militias are waging a brutal and bloody battle for the city. As an ally of Equestria, we must prepare our response to this action."

Once again the nobles fought. "We should mobilize immediately!" "This is not our fight, we should make peace with the Griffons!" "We were brought back by Equestria, why should we abandon them in their most dire hour?" "We Crystal Ponies are superior to them! We should do as Sombra did and bring both empires to their knees!"

They were all silent as Shining fired a single shot of his service pistol, the M1911, out the courtroom window. He paused for a second before speaking. "The declaration of war made by the Griffons against Equestria were completely unjustified. The Princesses need everyone of their allies to aid them in this time. Equestria would do the same if the Griffons invaded us, so why should we be any different?" A few of the nobles look ashamed while others puffed their chests out in pride. "Either way, border posts are reporting sightings of Griffon scouts throughout the Empire, even as far as here, in the capital." After the small bouts of outrage at this, Shining continued. "We need to mobilize our forces before the Griffons start knocking on our door or by the end of this year, there won't be a Crystal empire." The court once again burst into noise. but this time they were in complete support of aiding Equestria against the Griffons. Shining, however, had a bad feeling about the whole thing.

Shining marched down the hallways of the Crystal Amy's barracks, where he was told to view what soldiers the army had in reserve since their banishment hundreds of years ago. When Shining got near the parade grounds, the last thing he was expecting to hear were organs. He opened the door out of the barracks to see over a thousand crystal ponies in nearly ancient uniforms that fit in more with the age of muskets than with modern military uniforms. They were dressed in blue coats with yellow sashes and white pants with black buckled shoes as they knelt and sang a prayer in their native language. Shining looked on in awe as each soldier stood up and marched into a massive line formation when they finished their prayer. They stood stock still at attention as Shining stepped into the sun. A crystal pony in a more decorated uniform marched up to Shining and saluted. "King of the Empire, I, General Quartz, present the Crystal Empire Caroleans! These soldiers will fight and die as per your orders, to hold up the empire and their faith with their last dying breath, for the glory of the Empire and your will, we give our lives." The general and all of the soldiers took a knee once he finished, presenting swords each one carried at their sides.

Shining gave the gathered army one more look before clearing his throat. "Caroleans of the Crystal Empire! I, Captain of the Crystalline Guard, bring dire news. Our allies, the Equestrians, request our aid in fighting back the Griffon Empire that threaten our borders! For the Honor of the Empire and for our homeland, we march to war!" The Caroleans broke out into a cheer at the end of Shining's short speech. The made way to the armory and gathered the M1 Garands the Equestrians provided the Empire during it's foundation. Each soldier looked over the weapon, loading it and reloading it before the felt the were familiar with it's  inner workings. They then got into the lines they formed before. General Quartz then shouted something at the amassed troops. They about-faced and reformed the lines while facing a blank wall. He shouted once again and the first line of Caroleans took a knee. Shining was confused as to the nature of this drill until the general shouted something one last time and raised his sword. The Caroleans aimed at the wall en masse. The general dropped his sword and gave one last loud shout. The front lines of Caroleans fired their Garands in one massive volley, followed by a second and third. Only when the first two lines emptied their magazines, did Shining realize what still needed to be done.

"Attention all!" He shouted, the Caroleans reformed in front of him and stood still. "It has come to my attention that warfare has changed significantly since your banishment, so we have a lot of training to do before we engage the enemy. But I have the utmost faith that when we meet the Griffons in battle, they will learn to fear the Caroleans!" The cheer he heard wasn't as loud as before, but still plenty loud. These soldiers still had plenty of time to fight in this war, but Shining wanted to know they were 100% prepared to fight as a modern day army than a line regiment during the age of Sombra.

The Crystalline War Pt. 2

On the borders of the Crystal Empire, two forces clash in a bloody battle that would define the entire Crystal front. The Griffon 4th Army was certain they would be victorious in defeating the tiny empire which didn't even have time to train an army large enough to repel them. On the snowy fields outside the first border town of the Crystal Empire, the Griffon Army learned the lesson their ancestors learned years before. Why they should fear the greatest ally of the Caroleans, General Winter.

Shining stood inside a trench outside the village of Tensin, watching the horizon with minor interest. The 10,000 Caroleans he commanded were stationed in a massive multi-tiered trench line that stretched across the entire valley Tensin lay in. Most of the trenches were hidden in forests but Shining knew if the Griffons brought their tanks to bear against his forces, the Caroleans wouldn't be able to hold them back. This was their one and only chance to defeat the Griffons or they would steamroll all the way to the capital. He couldn't let his new kingdom burn after they earned their independence. Shining smiled at that. He was a King now, King of the Crystal Empire. King definitely had a better ring to it than Captain. He shivered as a strong gust of wind and snow blew through the valley. General Quartz was pleased to hear that they would fight the Griffons during winter, saying that they would never beat the Caroleans greatest ally, General Winter. Shining was expecting an actual general being what he referred to, but he actually meant the winter itself. The uniforms of the Caroleans didn't camouflage very well, nor were very insulated, but his soldiers barely even shivered in the cold. They sat or stood in their trenches, waiting for the enemy to get into range and be torn apart by their sheer zeal and numbers.

A scout dropped into the trench Shining stood in. "Griffons spotted on the horizon sir! Initial counts say about 20,000 Griffon soldiers heading our way! Ten infantry divisions amounting 10,000 strong with 10 Panzer divisions counting 5,000 strong, the rest being auxiliary units and artillery companies." Shining cursed his luck, they had an equal amount of infantry and even more armor than he hoped they could win against. He weighed his options. Moving the 10,000 out now would be near impossible without them being caught by the advancing Griffons, but they couldn't hope to beat back a force that outnumbered them 2-1. A look of determination filled his face.

"Bring this order to all the men. The Caroleans will hold this valley to the last. We may be outnumbered, but we are fighting for King, Country and almighty God above! We will stand tall and beat the Griffons back to their capital, and I'll be the first to break down it's doors." The scout nodded and ran off towards the front line. Another thing that initially confused Shining but he took solace in, was the lost religion of the Caroleans. They believed in a mighty being known simply as God, and they worshiped this deity who they believed would protect them in battle and in daily life. They even had a prayer they uttered before the went into battle to steel their resolve and bring them peace in death. Shining learned this was the reason these men were so feared in ages pass. They were unafraid to die and fought like savages with a death wish. They didn't care if they died, as long as they served king and country before they fell. Shining knew a force like this was what Equestria and her allies needed, and he himself would lead them to victory.

The radio in his command trench crackled before a voice came through. "We have sight of the enemy! Stand tall Caroleans! On this day, we send the Griffons back to the hell they come from as we righteous few march onward to their homeland. Join me in prayer brothers, as we begin our march to heaven." This next part was slightly confusing but still made sense to Shining. It was tradition to speak the Carolean's  prayer in their native tongue, and Shining did everything he could to follow in Equestrian. "Fader vår som är i himmelen helgat varde ditt namn tillkomme ditt rike ske din vilja såsom i himmelen så ock uppå jorden, ge oss bröd ock idag och förlåt oss våran skuld." After the short prayer, there was a loud "Amen", that nearly shook the valley with the voices of the men who responded.

Shining moved quickly through the trenches towards the section that the original radio communication came through from. He passed hundreds of Caroleans preparing their weapons and finishing personal prayers. He made it to the 2nd Carolean Regiment's position, the ones who made first contact with the Griffon forces. He saw the forward squads of Griffon Grenadiers looking around the valley quite warily. Likely the ones who knew the history of the Crystal Empire and the Caroleans. Shining looked at the 300 soldiers that made up 2nd Regiment. He raised his sword and yelled out a command to his men. "READY!" The Caroleans stood at attention along the trenches while the Griffons started to look around nervously, trying to find where the enemies were hiding. "AIM!" The Caroleans aimed their M1 Garands downrange toward the 100 Griffons caught in the open, who were starting to look more and more nervous with each passing moment. Shining dropped his sword while yelling "FIRE!". The Caroleans let loose a massive volley of rifle fire. The 100 Griffons were torn apart by the initial wave, followed by a second and third. Not a single Griffon survived the three volleys. The Caroleans let out a mighty cheer seeing the first skirmish of the war end in a decisive victory. Shining smiled as well. The morale of his men was high and the Griffons had no idea where their forces were located.

Hours passed before the main Griffon force made contact with the Caroleans. Before the main force struck, seven different scout forces attempted to find the enemy lines, and each one was utterly destroyed by the volleys of the Caroleans Garands. Over 800 Griffons were killed, and not a single Carolean was wounded or killed. That's what made the next assault so disheartening to the Caroleans. The 4th, 5th and 6th Regiments made up the center flank of the Carolean lines. By the end of the day, each of these regiments and the Griffon 10th and 14th Grenadier divisions would be scattered across the snowy fields.

"We have made contact with the enemy! 2,000 strong!" Shining shot up at that. They were fighting scout forces up till now, not a full out assault force! "They are moving into range soon, we will hold but we need reinforcements along the center now!" Shining checked his map for which units were on standby in the area. He let out a frustrated groan. The closest forces were the 7th and 13th regiments and they wouldn't make much of a difference.

He grabbed the radio handset to relay his orders. "Center, hold out until the 7th and 13th regiments are moved into position to relieve you, then fall back to the reserve trenches. But no matter what, do not let those Griffon bastards into the trench before the reinforcements are ready. That's an order!"

There was a pause. "Yes sir! We will hold the trenches till the last until the relief forces are in range." The radio cut out. Shining rubbed his forehead. He had a duty to bring as many of these Caroleans home as possible, and as the day wore on, he found it to be less and less sure of the potential to grab victory from the jaws of defeat. He marched out into his command trench, lifting a pair of binoculars to observe his center flank. He could see Griffon Sdkfz's moving through the snow, but many seemed to be getting bogged down in unseen ditches. He watched as the Infantry abandoned the trapped vehicles and continued their march towards the Caroleans. It seemed one division of Griffons was holding back to aid the half-tracks that were stuck in the snow as the other division made their way onward. The griffons marched through the snowy fields. Shining glanced towards the Carolean line. 4th Regiment were lining up along the main line as 5th and 6th were holding farther back. As the Griffons got in range of the Caroleans, the order was called.

"READY!" The griffons moved to action, forming their own line facing where they heard the order called.

"AIM!" The griffons aimed their assortment of rifles and SMGs towards the Carolean trench line. The Caroleans stared back at them.

"FIRE!" Massive volumes of fire tore across the field. Shining smiled seeing the not a single Carolean was killed after they finished their last volley, but not enough casualties were taken to dissuade the griffons. They reformed ranks and aimed towards the trench again. But the Caroleans didn't form rank in response. They simply attached bayonets and waited. The griffons made slowly advanced, unsure whether or not their numbers forced the enemy to retreat or if they killed them all. They broke rank and began a slower and scattered advance forward. As the center of the griffon force reached a few meters of the Caroleans, a resounding cry rang forth.

"CHARGE! FOR KING AND COUNTRY!" The Caroleans burst from their trench with a mighty war cry.The 300 men tore through the griffons. Griffon soldiers were impaled by bayonet and shot down as the 4th Carolean Regiment charged through their scattered and unprepared line. The Caroleans cut down a third of the surviving griffons when the rest regrouped and returned fire. Some griffons charged in with their own bayonets or ceremonial swords as the center of the field became home to a massive battle. Soldiers being cut down left and right from bayonet and sword. Caroleans double teaming larger griffon opponents before being cut down by rifle or SMG fire. Shining observed one man with his rifle in one hand and sword in the other. He fought off Three griffons before being stabbed in the back by a fourth. Eventually the Griffons were beaten back and began to retreat. The Caroleans formed rank to shoot the ones retreating, but a trio of Half-tracks rolled onto the field. The MG42s on the Griffon Sdkfz's tore the Caroleans apart. They attempted a retreat but the sheer firepower of the MG's and the fire from the vengeful griffons cut the rest of them down. Shining observed the field. 300 of the Empire's best lay broken and bloodied in the snow as over double that number of griffons lay among them. The history books would praise this as a victory for the Empire and Shining, but why did it feel like they lost more than they gained?

The Griffon division that held back met up with the survivors and made to advance towards the trenches. They got to where they reached last, before being set upon by an even heavier volume of fire. During the massive battle in the field, the 5th and 6th Caroleans moved into the trench. The Griffons responded with their own fire, but the advantage was held by the entrenched Caroleans. Eventually, the Griffons stopped firing, instead seeming to wait for something. The Caroleans took this time to reload and pray fro their reinforcements. Whistles filled the air as a trio of canisters fell in between the two forces. A gray smoke filled the field, the Caroleans held firm, waiting for whatever the Griffons threw at them. A cry came from the smoke. Over 1 400 Griffons charged forward, the Caroleans responded in kind. The forces smashed into one another as a melee broke out. The Caroleans held the advantage as they were trained in bayonet charges and counter charges, but the numbers of the griffons began to win out. As the griffons began to gain ground. A shout came from behind the Empire's line.

"READY!" Shining moved his vision over to the trenches. The 7th and 13th were formed up, rifles readied and waiting for orders. They couldn't be doing what he though they were doing!

"AIM!" As his soldiers lowered their rifles towards the massive gathering of soldiers in the center, the Griffons began to retreat. They couldn't be caught in another volley, and they knew it. The surviving members of the 5th and 6th formed a rank and lowered their rifles. waiting for the full order.

"FIRE!" The 5th and 6th let loose hell on the retreating griffons as their Sdkfz's responded in kind. The last remnants of the 5th and 6th Caroleans fell on the field.

"FIRE!" The 7th and 13th let loose their shots towards the griffons. A few of the Sdkfz gunners fell and most of the infantry fell with them. Seeing almost their entire assault force scattered, the griffon forces began to retreat. Shining watched them run all the way to their edge of the valley before he spoke into his radio.

"Gather up the dead and wounded, see how many we can save and we lost. Capture any surviving Griffons and give them the same treatment as our own, let's see how many we both have lost." He looked upon the field once more. This was a victory, to be sure, but how many more victories like this could his men take?

After the crushing defeats around Tensin, the Griffons 4th army dug in, waiting out the winter that tore away their superiority. The total casualties of the Battle of Tensin were 2800 Griffon soldiers killed or wounded, and 900 Crystal Caroleans killed. The battle was seen as a victory over the Griffons but the Caroleans and King Shining Armor saw it as a Pyrrhic victory, as those 900 Caroleans were lost in but a single day, a loss not seen since the infamous battle that haunts the Carolean force to this day, a battle outside a griffon town known simply as Poltava.

The Crystalline War Pt. 3

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Villains Rise, Heroes Fall

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