Saxophone music plays an unknown tune for one minute and thirty four seconds before abruptly cutting off.
--Final Transmission from town of Two Rivers southwest Equestria.

Date: August 9th, 1666 CC
Time: 14:34
Name: Lord Bell Ring of House Bellator
Location: Bellator Estate.

The Bellator Estate had stood in the western part of Equestria since the Discordian Era and housed the noble family without fail as a testament to their cunning and intelligence as well as their dedication to Equestria. From their service of the original three rulers of the land to throwing open the gate to refugees and doing all they could to defend them with what few soldiers they had during the wars that came after Discord was sealed in stone, it was them that were the first ones to ally with the alicorns.

House Bellator had been the peak of nobility that all houses were compared to and it was their family that had been the head of the council throughout the centuries. Not because of their ancestors actions, but because they were the best at playing The Game of Houses to keep their position.

The Estate itself was very beautiful sporting a lush garden, small old forest, a large hedge maze that changed each year to keep it interesting. At the center was a large multi story manor that had grown from the original manor through additions, there were rooms within it that had been there since the very beginning and witnessed countless historical events long forgotten by time. All of this surrounded by an iron fence that allowed anyone to see within but topped with small spikes to provide security.

The manor looked old but that did not mean it did not embrace modern technology. Hidden through the grounds were cameras to monitor every inch of the grounds, inside was defended by a dedicated security team supported by the most advanced security system the modern world could provide short of a Crusader Mainframe. The entire manor wasn't even tied to the local power grid, instead relying on geothermal power.

Everything dedicated to the safety of House Bellator and had worked for centuries.

Till a threat unlike anything the noble house had ever faced before or could have ever hoped to prepare for.

As in centuries passed when the invaders had first descended from beyond the stars House Bellator had once more thrown open its gates and welcomed refugees into its protective embrace, an action that had finally caught up with the house as a steady stream of refugees had lead the invaders straight to the doorstep of the scenic house.

The gate had proved useless for keeping out such enemies and lay crushed beneath armored boots of hulking enemies. The cameras only allowed the security forces to see the enemy coming as the refugees were brought within the manor as the security forces engaged the enemies to those they had sworn oaths to.

The pristine grounds were now pockmarked with craters from explosives, the grass twinkled with 1000s of spent shell cases from the defender’s weapons. Scattered among the trees, the garden, the maze lay figures dressed in the black and gold uniforms of House Bellator security forces, their ballistic vests and shields proving ineffective at protecting those who wore them.

Even as they fell in droves the sound of battle had echoed for what felt like hours leaving a trail of more and more destruction that led to the steps of the great manor.

Here sandbag barricades and heavier weapon placements lay silently, their crews lay where their weapons sat cut down among the spent casings of large caliber weapons that ultimately proved useless.

The old oak doors of the manor lay splintered within the entryway of the manor A once fine place to greet guests with statues, fine art and exquisite carpets now peppered with damage.

At the top of the main stair before the destroyed door was a large painting of the head of great house Lord Bell Ring, with his son and his wife, both deceased to an accident that truly was an accident and sitting before the past son was his only daughter, granddaughter of Lord Bell and heir to the noble house.

Throughout the manor were signs of fierce battle to defend the house and those within though unlike what one would expect from an estate that had allowed in countless refugees were few signs of them now, the bodies in the halls mostly those of the security personnel with few staff and even fewer refugees. It was as if they had simply vanished once they entered the manor.

The only sign of life was within a large library sporting 1000s of books as the invaders had gathered here before a certain shelf, now torn away books spilled upon the marble floors to reveal a thick steel door of the residence last defense should they become trapped within the manor by enemies.

Within the safe room Lord Bell Ring sat surrounded by a few of the more rare pieces of a small collection but mostly surrounded by all one would need to survive within the room for an extended siege.

Lord Bell sat at the desk before a bank of monitors quietly watching the feeds from the cameras within the manor watching as the enemy marked through the place that had been his home for his entire life and had withstood countless enemies.

He was quiet, contemplating plans and schemes of how House Bellator could come back from all this in the aftermath, thoughts that would not bear fruit from himself he knew. Now he could see them using their more advanced technology to slowly cut away the door that lay between him and the threat, even facing death Lord Bell could not stop from doing as he always had.

A phone beside him rang and he picked it up.

“Sir we have reached the train, all other civilians have been loaded.” The voice of Lord Bell’s attendant Swiftclaw said on the line.

“Good good….and my granddaughter?” Lord Bell asked as he flipped through the camera scanning every inch of the grounds.

“Safe as well, I saw to it myself and I am ready to extract you.” Swiftclaw said.

“That won't be necessary.” Lord bell said simply.

“Sir I have a duty and i will not–”

Lord Bell cut off his attendant from his little speech that showed Lord Bell had made an excellent decision in hiring the griffin as he had proved to be most loyal. “Your duty is to the head of House Bellator, of which that is my granddaughter now.” Lord Bell said as he typed on the computer.

“Sir you are still–”

“Swiftclaw I am ordering you to ensure my granddaughter makes it to safety and I trust you to serve her as you have served me so I know she will be able to handle her future.”

The line was quiet for a minute. “You have my word no enemies will ever get near her.” Swiftclaw said.

Lord Bell knew all too well how Griffin Commando’s felt about their word especially after the separatist war decades ago. “Good, that eases my mind. You best get going, there isn't much time.”

“Yes sir….I know how you feel about clichés but it has been an honor sir.” With that the line went dead and Lord Bell hung up the phone.

He slowly stood wincing as his hoof went to his side feeling the wet that had soaked through his clothes from a deep wound on his side. He could already feel the effects as he walked over to a small cabinet and pulled out a glass bottle of scotch and poured himself a glass. He picked it up in his magic and swirled it as he walked over to an old record player and got out a piece of music. Soon the sound of an orchestra filled the room as he closed his eyes to sip his drink letting the finely played instruments wash over him, he always did adore this piece.

The music was partly interrupted by a groan from the door as the inside of it was starting to glow indicating the invaders were nearly through.

With a heavy sigh Lord Bell walked back to the desk sipping his drink as he sat before it. He read the screen. Not much time now.

He downed the last of his glass and keyed up the microphone before him.

“I know you can’t understand me but you can hear me.” He said, his voice coming forth from hidden speakers through the manor. “I am Lord Bell Ring, the current head of House Bellator, a House that has stood for centuries against more foes then I can count and has always survived, you will be no different. We will always endure.” he said, the speakers also letting the music play through the house as Lord Bell watched the screen. “Through all those centuries this Manor has never been occupied by enemies and it never will! You chose your fates when you chose to try and take House Bellator and now……now…..I CAST YOU INTO THE FIRE OF PERDITION!”

With that declaration the geothermal generator failed to contain the building pressure as the vents had been closed a short time ago and the pocket of superheated water forced its way to the surface.

Bellator Estates had neve been occupied by an enemy force and it would remain forever so and the pristine grounds and the enemies who dared to fight the noble house that all others were compared to were vaporized.

Miles away hidden deep beneath the ground a high speed trail ran along its track shaken slightly by the massive explosion behind it, kept safe by thick blast doors that prevented the steam from flowing down the tunnel.

Aboard were the refugees who had sought shelter within Bellator Estate now on their way to a bunker where they will remain safe.

Among them was a lone griffin who stood relaxed beside a young filly who in an instant inherented all that her grandfather had worked for, House Bellator would endure as it always had.

Author's Note

The Song used in this chapter is called The City Must Survive Extended from the Frostpunk OST