Legion of Mars

How?

How could it have gotten out of hand?

How could he have lost to such inferior creatures?

The sound of galloping hooves drew near him, but it wasn't directed behind him. Already, he could hear his warriors cries of anguish as they are being run down by those strange four-legged ponies the 'Romans' rode on. He was lucky to have made it out of the slaughter alive as it was. As Helgrad kept running ahead of those strange creatures, he thought about what had gone wrong. How his warriors, veterans of a hundred battles since King Dainn's ascension, had lost to a bunch of monkeys in tin suits.

It had been routine at first. His mission was to track down the rebels and bring his brother back, along with killing and raping the leaders Tempest and Zecora. Their spies within the resistance had told them that the rebels were hiding out near the Everfree Forest. He had managed to rally his battle-hardened veterans with his speech. He promised them that this pathetic resistance will end and that the mares will be truly subjugated for the glory of all males everywhere.

He tripped on a root sticking out of the ground, losing his balance and toppling over. The ground soon entered his vision as felt pain soon hitting him. He cursed all the gods that his kind worship, even Odin the All-Father. But most of all he cursed Lucius and his army, along with the rebels. He would make them pay. He just had it with this damn forest! He hated it with every fiber of his being! He told father time and time again to burn this fucking forest to the ground, but he said it would be a waste of resources inside said forest.

Right now, he wanted to burn this forest and everyone in it.

He got up on all fours as he glared at the root. "Stupid fucking tree." He murmured under his breath as he got up and dusted himself off. "Once I get out of this forest, I-"

Crack

Helgrad's ears perked up at the sound of a twig snapping near him. What was wrong with such sound was that it didn't sound like a twig being snapped. It sounded more like a tree had been stepped on by something massive!

With a thought of a large predator near him, he took out his large hammer from his back and stood in a battle stance, the electric gem he had installed in his hammer glowed to life as lighting surrounded the hammer. He has partially injured during the battle. Several holes in his armor were the results of the arrows from Lucius's archers being flown out at him. He had taken a few hits, but he shrugged it off. Several scraps were seen from his hooves, all the way to his face. This was the result of the riders trying to kill him.

Yet, he was ready to take down the beast that dares to gaze at him like he was lunch.

He stood there for gods know how long. It seemed only like hours had passed for him, yet it was only several minutes. Perhaps he was being paranoid on his part. Maybe it was some woodland critter passing through and he thought it was something else, like one of those calvary chasing him.

After several minutes of nothing happening, he harumphed and put his hammer behind his back. "I swear to the fucking gods; I will burn this place to the ground and salt the la-"

He didn't finish as he heard something growling from beyond the treeline. He turned around and saw a pair of blue eyes watching him. He readied himself for the onslaught as the eyes vanished, and a massive paw appeared into view. Followed by another, until the beast itself was soon revealed.

And what a beast it was to behold.

A massive wolf the size of a warbeast he rode on stared back at him. Grey fur covered its massive frame from head to toe, shimmering even in the conceived sunlight. It's bright blue eyes scanned him with a sort of intelligence he had not expected in this forest. A large set of white teeth the size of a dagger made him shiver even as he stared at it. He didn't think there were any wolves that lived near the Everfree Forest beside the Timber Wolves. Even then, a wolf this size was impossible to imagine. He had heard of direwolves that once roamed the world before Whorelestia came into power, but they were all extinct.

It once again growled, its paws bend and spread out in preparation for an attack. He too did the same, readying himself for the battle ahead. He might not have won the battle today, but he needed something to pummel on to get his anger out of the way. With a smirk on his face, drew first, drawing a battle cry worthy of the gods. He had practiced with his hammer for a long time, clocking in at six hours per day of training. It weighed nothing at all to him, comparing it to only a sword. His moves were considered fast to some, while his enemies would never see such a hit coming. He charged forward and swung his hammer.....

...Only to hit nothing at all.

He blinked as he stood there, hitting nothing but air. It was impossible! He was sure he was faster than the average caribou. Was there nothing there at all? Had he finally gone mad in this accursed forest?

Before he could think of whether or not any of it was true, something pummeled into him. He was thrown down to the ground, skipping to a stop once he hit a tree with his back. The wind was knocked out of him, and pain filled his every body part like ants working under his skin. His vision started to blur. He blinked a couple of times to get his vision cleared.

He was soon faced to face with the giant wolf form before.

How could a mutt like it dodge his attacks? Not only that, but the beast managed to get the best of him when he was vulnerable.

He struggled to stay awake as the giant wolf loomed over him, it's teeth sharp enough to bit into his armor. A glint of victory was shown in its eyes, almost like it knew it won and it was merely savoring in the victory. He turned his head to see his hammer lay beside him to his right. He reached out to quickly grab it, but the wolf's giant paw barred his way, growling as it looked into its eyes with animalistic hunger.

This was it then. Helgrad, chosen son of King Dainn and the commander of his forces, would die in this gods damned forest by a giant wolf of all things. To top it all off, he was humiliated by those damn Romans. Surely, he will be punished for his cowardness and spend an eternity in Helheim.

"I fucking hate you, and everything in this fucking forest." He spat at the wolf. It glared at him and opened his jaws.

A blood curly scream echoed off across the forest. The various monsters and predators heard such a scream and scampered back to their homes, fearful of the new creature making the forest it's home. Lucius had heard the scream, along with almost every one of his cohort as they were finished rounding up surviving caribou that surrendered. "What the fuck was that?" Validus asked.

"We should move quickly, and someone find that goddamn woman!" He shouted his orders, a chill went down his spine. He hoped that Oriana is alright.