Without Question

Without Question

Chapter Six – Unwanted Attention

A bleeding pegasus burst through the doors of the throne room.

“What is the meaning of this?” a tall, white alicorn with a flowing mane shouted in surprise.

“Prin…Princess Celesti—AGH!” the pegasus choked out as he collapsed in front of the sun goddess.  The pegasus’ light plate armor had many dents in it, and a gash oozed a red stream along his neck.

“What happened?  Explain yourself!” the alicorn snapped in both worry and confusion.

The pegasus coughed a few drops of blood onto the floor as he struggled to speak.

“We…we f-failed!  The Changelings overwhelmed us…and…s-slaughtered nearly the entire task force!  I-I was one of only a dozen to escape with my life!  I d-don’t know where the others are, b-but I had to tell you of our defeat!”

The Princess’ eyes widened with complete and utter shock.  This was nearly beyond comprehension.  She had assumed four thousand ponies would be more than enough to break through to the capital and destroy it.

“How did this happen?!  How could they have defeated an organized army twice their size?!” Celestia demanded to know.

“They were organized a-as well!  And some strange two-legged creature was l-leading them!  I have never s-seen such a thing!” the pegasus stuttered.

Princess Celestia was unsure of what to do.  She did know that this pegasus needed medical attention, however, and motioned for her nearby Sun Guards to bring him to the infirmary.  As she pondered, a deep blue colored alicorn that had been watching from the shadows appeared at her side.

“How could this happen, sister?  Four thousand of my beloved subjects…dead…” Celestia whispered with a tear in her eye.

“Do you see now, Tia?  This is why we have to finish what they started.  This is why they cannot be allowed to exist as a race,” the blue alicorn spoke with an egregious tone.

“We should have just let them be after we expelled them!  Or at least just annexed their nation!  Could we not have won them over with mercy, Luna?”

The lunar goddess was not nearly as optimistic as her solar sister.  She knew the reality of the situation and what solution it called for.

“Celestia!  Do you not see what we are dealing with?  These Changelings are incapable of peace!  They would have done well to learn their lesson the first time.  But returning a second time and conquering Equestrian soil?  It is unacceptable.  Even if we were to simply capture their lands, do you not think they would riot?  Rebel?  They have shown that their pride clouds their judgment.  That pride resulted in the deaths of hundreds of innocent ponies, and for that, the Changelings must pay with their lives.”

A few tears streamed down Celestia’s face, which she covered with her hooves.  Her sister went on.

“I know it is hard, dear sister, but they will never stop fighting.  Their greed and hunger will never be satisfied.  And this unexpected turn of events proves mine point.”

“But Luna!  How many more must suffer and die?  How many innocent ponies must leave this world for the sake of such a gruesome crusade?” Celestia shouted through her tears.

“Wipe away your tears, sister!  We are so very close to finally removing this stubborn stain from our pure, once-peaceful world!”

Celestia was on the verge of bawling at this point.  Princess Luna gently pressed her sister’s moist face against her chest and hugged her close.

“There, there…be strong, Tia.  Sacrifices must be made for the greater good.  You of all ponies know this to be true.  We are goddesses, and our will guides our nation to peace and harmony.  But that joyous state cannot be attained so long as the Changeling Empire lives on,” Luna whispered.

Celestia pulled away and looked into her sister’s eyes.

“I will not send another of my beloved subjects to their deaths!  You said this would not be difficult!  You said it would be swift and clean!” she spoke loudly.

The deep blue alicorn had indeed said this.  But she was not so naïve as to think victory was assured.  She lied to her sister, but it was the only way to convince her that the Changeling Empire had to be brought down.  This unexpected loss would mean a change of plans was necessary.  The Equestrians would have to be more cautious from now on.

“Tia…your words are true.  I apologize for my lie from the bottom of my heart.  I ask for your forgiveness, but please, do not give in now—when we have come so close!  I shall make a new promise, one that will go unbroken.  From this moment on, every one of our decisions and actions shall be made with the utmost precaution.  No risk will be taken again.  I only ask that you do not let this incident sway your determination,” Luna pleaded calmly with her sister.

Celestia looked away and wiped the tears from her eyes.  She walked over to a large window and gazed out at the moon.  Luna followed but quietly stood behind her.  After minutes of silence, Celestia hung her head and spoke in a low voice.

“What do you suggest we do?”

Luna now stepped up to her sister’s side and looked at the grand white orb in the starry sky.  Celestia still stared at the floor with her forelegs resting on the window sill.  Without breaking her gaze on the moon, Luna whispered to the solar goddess.

“Obviously, this creature that the escaped pegasus spoke of had a significant impact on the battle.  Knowledge shall be our dagger, and we shall drive it deep into the heart of that dark empire.  Spies shall be dispatched to the Changeling capital to see what can be learned about the creature and the changes in the enemy’s warfare style.  For the moment, our troops shall hold their current positions and defend the conquered Changeling cities.  When we know all there is to know, we will slice the head from the serpent.  Queen Chrysalis’ reign will come to an end, as will her race’s existence.”

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Opaque Ridge would not be attacked again anytime soon.  Most Equestrian troops were in the conquered Changeling cities, far from the Empire’s capital.  This meant the majority of the troops stationed at the outpost could return to their last city for some downtime—as heroes.

Silus and the four Guards sat aboard the train as it headed for the capital in the morning.  All around them, Changeling soldiers chattered happily about their victory.  They jostled each other and playfully argued over who slew the most ponies.  Silus looked to the back of the train car.  Molten sat alone in the corner, his head turned to face the window.  The rising sun’s warm rays must have felt good.

Surprised to see him heading to the capital with the rest of the troops, Silus turned to speak to Grimsoul.

“I didn’t think Molten would be coming home as well.”

Grimsoul smirked and looked at Silus.

“I didn’t either.  Apparently, the commander found out that he was the one who made that incredible armor and sword.  Long story short, Molten is being sent to meet the Queen and possibly become her royal blacksmith.”

A grin covered Silus’ face.  He was proud of the blind, mute smith.  Silus turned to look out the window himself.  They were very close to the city and were passing through the outskirts.  The heavy rains had saturated the soil with desperately needed water, and tiny green sprouts poked out of the muddy farm fields.  Changeling farmers were celebrating and danced in the puddles.

Finally, the train pulled into the station.  Silus hadn’t even heard the conductor announce the remaining time.  The doors hissed open and the exiting troops were swamped by cheering refugees and citizens waiting at the station.  It was deafening, but delightful.  Several Changeling soldiers were lifted up and carried into the city by the overjoyed population as confetti was thrown down from the enormous walls.  It was truly a spectacle.

Silus and Molten were the last ones on the train; the Guards were dragged out moments ago.  Molten still sat in the corner, seemingly unaware of the ceaseless cheering.  Silus frowned and walked over to him.

“Come on, brother.  Our people await their heroes!” Silus said with excitement in his voice.

Molten turned to face Silus, then turned his head down to face the floor.  Silus smiled at the blacksmith.  It was obvious he was not used to such noise.  As carefully as he could, the human hoisted a surprised Molten onto his shoulders and carried him out of the train.  The refugees and citizens clambered around Silus, their hooves touching every part of him as they continued celebrating.  None of them seemed to notice the confused Changeling blacksmith he carried on his shoulders.

The gates were already open as the crowd of soldiers, refugees, and citizens flooded through.  At the end of the main road, which stretched a couple of miles all the way to the plaza in front of the castle, Queen Chrysalis stood proudly with a look of relief in her luminescent eyes.  It felt like it had only been a few seconds before Silus realized he and the troops had already reached the end of the road and stood before their Queen.  As the crowd of at least thirty-thousand filled the plaza, they grew quiet to hear what was to be said.

Before the Queen spoke, Silus looked around at the buildings.  Nearly all of them had been restored to their proper condition.  He couldn’t spot a single store or home with boarded-up or broken windows, and many of the stores had their wares on display.  The light grey stone of every wall had been cleaned, and the tiles of each rooftop had been polished.  Silus heard Chrysalis clear her throat and he stood at attention.

“My dear subjects!  This is, by far, the proudest moment ever to occur in Changeling history!  Less than twenty-four hours ago, our race faced extinction at the hooves of the Equestrians.  But here we are, with our heads held high and the sun in our faces!  Our salvation has been delivered, all thanks to our human guardian…SILUS!” the Queen’s voice shook the air as she said his name.

Thirty-thousand Changelings roared and faced Silus, with many of them climbing over each other just to get a peek at him.  He felt humbled to hear such a thing and let down Molten as he took a knee, one fist over his heart and the other planted on the cobblestone ground.

The crowd quieted again and shifted to create an empty path between the Queen and Silus, with a large empty circle formed around the latter.  Molten had backed into the crowd.  With his head bowed down respectfully, he could hear the slow clip-clop of Chrysalis approaching.  Her shadow enveloped him, and she held a hoof under his chin.  She lifted his head to face her, and she looked into his eyes.  Silus’ heartbeat, as well as time itself, seemed to slow down.  Those eyes…those ever-glowing emerald eyes…

“Something distracting you, Lord Silus?” the Queen smirked playfully, not breaking eye contact.

Silus’ face felt warm, but he had to speak.

“Not at all, My Queen.  But might I ask why you referred to me as ‘Lord?’” he asked.

Queen Chrysalis gently lifted her hoof, prompting Silus to rise.  It bothered him that his height forced him to look down at his Queen.

“That, dear savior, is the title I have just bestowed upon you.  You of all Changelings deserve it for preventing the destruction of our Empire.  As a Lord, you are second in power only to me.  You shall also receive your own personal Imperial Guards,” she stated to him with a surprisingly genuine smile.

Out of her peripheral, the Queen could see Silus’ four previous escorts standing in the crowd.

“I suppose your previous company will do nicely,” she said while still looking into Silus’ eyes, “And as a Lord, you may live in the castle, coming and going as you please.”

Many Changelings in the crowd gasped.  They had only heard legends of the luxury behind the doors of the dark, majestic castle.

“And if I am to refuse this title?” Silus spoke quietly, gazing back at the Queen.

This time, thousands of loud gasps flowed through the gigantic crowd.  Even the Queen showed disbelief in her eyes.

“And…just WHY exactly would you refuse such a generous offer?” Chrysalis’ voice trembled with slight anger.

Silus knelt again, this time gently holding the Queen’s hoof with both hands.  He lightly kissed it before looking up at her puzzled face.

“I am not worthy of such things.  I seek only to preserve and bring glory to our nation…and…” he paused for a moment and looked back to the ground, “…to please your will.”

The crowd was deathly silent.  Chrysalis blinked several times, unsure of what to think of this behavior.  All of her subjects were devoutly loyal and humble to no end, but she had never seen this sort of attitude, particularly when grand rewards were being given.  She bit her lower lip, and an idea came to her.  She gave a sly grin and lifted him chin back up so that he faced her again.

“Then it is my will…that you shall be deemed a Lord,” she stated firmly.

Silus fought to hide a wide smile; his Queen’s wit was impressive.

“Then it shall be done, My Queen,” Silus responded, looking into Chrysalis’ eyes.

The Queen released Silus and she returned to her original position in front of the crowd.  Silus stood up and awaited the rest of the speech.

“My dear subjects, the war shall rage on, I cannot deny this.  But we have won a decisive battle thanks to Lord Silus and our brave soldiers, thus the time for celebration is now!  So eat, drink, and be merry!  The royal granary and winery will have refreshments delivered to every pub in the city as the moon rises!  We shall party into the night and be free of regret as dawn comes!  Go now, and live your lives to the fullest!”  Queen Chrysalis exclaimed with excitement before returning to the castle.

It was an odd thing to Silus.  The Queen seemed so devious and cunning upon his first meeting with her.  She still seemed that way, but this new hope had changed her.  She looked as though her youth had been restored and her personality was drastically less…harsh.

Silus’ deep thought had shielded him from the obscenely loud cheering of the crowd upon hearing her speech.  It was as though this was the first time they had ever enjoyed a celebration, and they were bent on making the most of it.  The crowd dispersed all over the city, dancing in the streets and buying everything they could in the shops.  Silus managed to find Molten, who was shaking a bit from the roaring, huddled near Grimsoul and the Guards.

“Glad my initial promise is now royally mandatory, Lord Silus,” Grimsoul chuckled.

Silus returned the chuckle and leaned to pat Molten on the back.  From behind the Guards, Silus could see two Changelings staring at him from in front of an armor and weapons shop.  The whispered to each other furiously before walking over to Silus.  It appeared one of them was a male and the other a female.  The male Changeling spoke first.

“Excuse me, Lord Silus, but my wife and I were wondering where in the world did you manage to obtain such gorgeously crafted metalwork?  You simply must tell us!” he said excitedly while his wife nodded rapidly.

Something bothered Silus about the couple but he disregarded it and answered.

“This talented young Changeling right here crafted it for me just before the battle, and he may soon become the Queen’s royal smith,” Silus said proudly, delicately placing his hand atop Molten’s head.  Silus grew concerned when he noticed Molten was shaking violently and trying to hide behind Silus.

Silus looked back to the couple.  Their eyes had grown wide as they stared at Molten, who they didn’t seem to have noticed until Silus touched him.  The husband’s jaw seemed to be on the verge of dropping and the wife blinked her eyes repeatedly.

“Um…wha…what?” the husband managed to stutter.

“This young Changeling behind me crafted my armor and blade, right Molten?” Silus reiterated and turned to look at the scarred smith, who still shook violently.

“M...Molten?” the wife said the name, a small smile slowly spreading across her face.

“My son…crafted THAT?” the husband questioned in disbelief.

Silus’ brows furrowed and his heartbeat quickened as he realized who these Changelings were.

“My boy finally did something worth living for!  Oh, praise the Queen!  Come here, son!” the husband shouted with glee as he moved towards Molten.

Before the father could reach his son, Silus blocked him and stared angrily down at the Changeling.

“You…you are the parents of this boy…?” Silus muttered, holding back his quickly-growing fury.

“You’re damn right, we are!” the father proclaimed with a huge grin.

“You are the…’parents’ who beat, whipped, and practically tortured this poor soul within inches of his life merely because he was unable to learn smithing, due to circumstances beyond his control?” Silus spoke harshly, his face becoming red and hot as he glared at the couple.

“Wha…well…none of that’s any of your bloody business!  Nor does it matter!  He’s finally the blacksmith we wanted him to be!  He’s finally a son worth having!” the father yelled.

Silus’ blood was boiling at how sick and horrible these creatures were.  He was about to break.

“You…you SWINE!” Silus screamed as he pressed his face to the father’s, who now had fear welling up in his eyes.  “You filthy monsters are unworthy to even be ASSOCIATED with this poor Changeling!” Silus screamed louder.  “A child comes into the world completely vulnerable, and your sole duty is to love and defend it!  You ungrateful, twisted fiends brought a miracle of nature into this world, and you crippled it with your hatred and abuse!  I should kill the both of you where you stand, but I wouldn’t wish to stain the ground with your vile, putrid blood!  Be gone from my sight, and never let me see you near Molten or myself ever again!”

The fear in the father’s eyes had no end.  He shook violently, just as Molten had done moments ago.  The wife had covered her mouth with her hooves, and her eyes were soaking with tears.  Silus was still pressed against the father’s face, his eyes burning mental holes through the father’s skull.  Silus felt a tap against his side and hesitated to break eye contact with the father, but withdrew and turned to see what tapped him nonetheless.  Molten had stopped shaking and was trying to pull Silus away from his father; he didn’t want to hear any more fighting.

Silus’ face was slowly cooling down as he took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment.  He opened them and began to walk away with Molten and the quiet Guards.

“I…I won’t be ordered around by the Queen’s damned pet!  GIVE ME MY SON!” the father yelled very closely behind Silus.  Loud, rapid hoofsteps could be heard growing closer and closer to Molten.

Silus gritted his teeth, placed his hand on the grip of his sword, and swung his body around as he whipped the blade out with a flash of white light, all in one fluid instantaneous moment.  A black, severed foreleg lie gushing on the cobblestone of the plaza as Silus looked at the terrified father.  The Changeling’s wife shrieked and fainted; the father stood silently horrified, staring at his crimson stub.  His foreleg had been millimeters from snatching Molten, who hung his head, not bothering to face his parents.  Silus, who was once again boiling with rage, calmly approached the father and looked him in the eyes one last time.

“You’ll not be laying a hoof on him.  Ever again,” Silus muttered in a deep but still calm voice.

The father still remained frozen, staring at his detached limb.  Silus sheathed his blade and began walking down the main road with his group to join in the festivities.

He could use a drink or two…