Soldiers

The stench of burning flesh, the sickly sweet scent of blood, and the fog of war all warped Sunlight’s senses as he looked at the retreating changeling army, the array of twelve burning blades at his back still spinning slowly, as he expected a surprise attack. His armour, cracked and broken, his sword long since lost as he held his hands clenched into fists over the body of his most recent victim, a changeling savage he’d pummeled into the bloody mud. Steam rose from the remnants of his hardlight armour, and he stood up, adrenaline keeping him from feeling the pain of his wounds. He looked around. His army was already regrouping, dragging the wounded in to be treated.

That would be his next target.

But as he walked, and the adrenaline began to wear off, he felt weariness coming over him. Angrily, he fought it off. He paid no mind the the reverent manner in which his fellow soldiers parted for his entry, and only stopped when he arrived at their makeshift medical area. Area, given they had nearly no supplies. He found the few medically trained members they had, and the young priest, sporting a bandage of his own and a sling, mace hanging by his side as he worked his magic, what was left of it, on another young soldier with an arrow in his side. Sunlight managed a weak, half-hearted smile to the griffon before falling to his knees beside the next most likely to survive, and summoning up his own magical reserves.

“…That was an impressive song, Sunlight Blade,” The griffon said quietly as they worked, healing those they could with magic, and doing what they could for the dying, “I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“I had to,” The tired unicorn replied softly, “If I hadn’t, we probably would have died there. As it is, I’m surprised we didn’t. I’m not a leader Gordon… I’m just a soldier.”

The griffon paused, looking at the unicorn. Covered in blood, mud and several scrapes, cuts and bruises of his own, a little incredulous.

“Sunlight… nopony else- No, nobody else, could have done what you did,” He insisted, “You rallied troops ready to die, and gave them enough hope, enough fighting spirit, to beat back an attacking army many times their size. And your fighting inspired us further. You were… Well, terrifying, if I’m honest.”

“I’m just a soldier, like everyone else,” Sunlight insisted tiredly, pressing a glowing hand to an older soldier with a broken wrist, and watching as it jerked painfully back into place, and healed, fighting the drowsiness that came from deep healing magic, “I’m no different from anyone else here.”

Gordon, seeing this wasn’t going anywhere, just shook his head, but didn’t pursue the matter further. There would be no point.

They finished their business quietly, with Sunlight refusing Gordon’s attempts to heal him, insisting he was ‘fine’, before collapsing in exhaustion.

He wouldn’t wake up for hours, but thankfully, other than a few skirmishes, they hadn’t been attacked again. Yet.