Months before our glorious victory at Dover we fought in verdun, i still can’t believe i survived it, it was only through sheer determination that any pony survived, but at such a heavy cost some of us didn’t want to survive.

Army group south, 125th infantry division conscript Corporal heatwave.
July 21st 1014, Verdun city, New Engrain

My legs strain as sweat runs down my face.

I look up and squint as the baking sun shines down upon us.

The sound of running water turns my attention to a river down the bank.

Several of the other soldiers notice this and we all drop our gear and run down to soak ourselves.

We jump into the water and I sigh as I feel the coolness of the water on me.

I close my eyes as I seem to relax before a gunshot rings out and splash shocked.

Our lieutenant holsters his magnum.
“Back in lines conscripts, you were given no order to rest.”

We all hurry back up the bank and quickly pick up our gear before jogging to get back into the column.

I receive many glares from the griffins in our column as I continue marching.

As we march we pass by several anti aircraft guns and supply trucks in the ditches.

Suddenly the sound of the guns start as several officers yell at us before diving to the ground.
“Hit the deck.”
The griffins dive to the ground as us fresh troops inexperienced looked around surprised.

The sound of engines roar as several planes fly overhead before bombs hit the ground all around us.
“Stuka!”

I’m pushed from behind into the dirt of the road as I feel several ponies fall upon me.

I put my hooves over my head as I explosions ring in my ears.

The ringing in my ears slowly dissipates before going almost silent.

I raise my head before hearing a officer yell.
“We’re clear, all you lot up and get back into formation.”

I rise up along with several other soldiers clearly shaken, except for the griffins they just brushed themselves off and acted like this was normal.

We all slowly get back into formation before the officers yell at us to begin the march once more.
“Forward march.”

I shake as I continue to walk as several griffins laugh.
“Wait until we get into battle, these colts are going to act like mares.”

Hours later:

22nd of July 1:21 AM

Flashes light up the flat grass covered landscape as we march towards the city of verdun.

The changelings had been pushing hard into the city and we were to push them out.

As we neared the city you could see the glow of fires raging through the buildings of much of the city.

A few ponies infront of me start talking about the situation we find our selves in.
“They’re sending us into a bonfire, I didn’t think the griffins hated us this much, they should have fought this war by themselves.”

“The changelings want to kill all of us and the griffins are going in with us, we just got to hold the city Alright.”

“Yeah no, the first thing i do when I see the changelings is surrender, I’m not fighting in this war.”

“Shut up will you, if our commanders heard you they’d probably shoot you for collusion.”

“I don’t care I’d rather be dead then here.”

I look beside me and catch my breath as I see one of our officers glaring at them.

The officer looks at me.
“Why don’t you go tell them to stop corporal.”

I nod before I quicken my pace before saying.
“Privates, I don’t want anypony talking about surrendering, or I’ll have to inform our commanders.”

Two of the ponies nod.
“Yes sir.”

The other pony says.
“Keep to yourself corporal I don’t care.”

The officer says.
“Private, you will respect your corporal, your lucky he hasn’t already reported you, he could face a similar punishment if he said nothing.”

I nod before saying.
“Now quiet private.”

The pony nods.
“Fine.”

The officer says to me.
“You might have a future in some very high places if you keep following your orders.”

I nod before the officer pushes a book into my hooves.
“Have a read, it should help with keeping back boredom.”

I nod before the officer walks off.

I continue back with the march as I hear a loud speaker blaring from a parked flatbed with loud speakers attached.

“By order of Supreme General Grindstone you will push the changelings out of verdun, all who retreat without order are traitors to New Engrain, not a single step back.”

We walk past the truck as lieutenant yells.
“B company halt.”

I stop along with 200 or so other ponies and griffins.

“Sections separate.”

I run to the front before standing in front of a group of about 10 ponies.

A lieutenant walks down our lines saying with a confident voice.
“My name is lieutenant Blackbriar, now I fully expect many of you are afraid, but you must shed this fear, the only way we make it through this battle is together, and it is completely up to you if you are willing to follow my lead.”

“There is no room for bickering, you must all know your place and keep each other alive, so I ask you will you follow me now.”

I nod along with a few soldiers.

The lieutenant yells with pride.
“Perfect, Good luck to all of you and let’s go forwards to victory, for New Engrain!”

We all semi cheer as the lieutenant yells before jogging ahead.
“Forwards!”

We all follow him is a slow pace somewhat hesitant to charge into battle with this griffin who seemed so confident we’d like him.

The sounds of gunfire louden before we see a tank column with a political commissar standing next to it directing soldiers to the front.

We all stop next to the tanks as the commissar yells.
“Conscripts you will support these tanks as they push through the parasites pathetic lines.”

The tanks roar as they begin rolling forwards.

We all jog behind the lieutenant to keep pace with the tanks as we near what I assume is a park.

Machine gun fire opens fire on the tanks as we all hide for cover.

The tanks spread out making a wall of tanks as the tank commander yells.
“Protect our flanks.”

The lieutenant yells.
“Alright Use the tanks to cover our advance and keep the changelings on they’re hooves.”

We spread out behind the tanks as I follow the lieutenant with my section.

Bombs explode around us as we advance with the tanks.

As we near the machine guns I yell.
“Thin them out.”

I pull the pin of a grenade before throwing it at the changelings trench line.

A explosion throws several changelings bodies into the air as I see the changelings starting to fall back.

The lieutenant yells as he runs from behind the tank firing his pistol.
“Charge to victory.”

I was surprised to see several of the other sections charge along with him and I shake my head before attaching my bayonet and charging from behind cover into the hail of bullets surely to be waiting for me.

The changelings fled before us as our tanks rolled over their trenches, we fired at them killing many of them as they ran with their backs turned to us, was it honourable no but they deserved this, they deserved to be slaughter like they’d done to equestria.

Several of the griffins yelled as they charged ahead.
“No mercy, no prisoners.”

I stab my bayonet into the neck of a changeling officer waving a white flag as I yell at its now lifeless body.

I push my hoof down on its chest as I pull my rifle back before charging ahead without a second thought.

Killing almost seemed easier as I kept doing it, especially when we were told just what these creatures were, these weren’t the changelings which lived in new engrain.

But, a sub species of changeling named Chrysalis-changious that was susceptible to brainwashing, they were vial beasts, insects that had to be put out of their brainwashed slavery under the cruel changeling queens control.

All emotions they showed us weren’t real just the poor soul of the bug inside crying out for mercy, resisting its mindless state, they had to be killed off out of compassion, or that’s what they told us, it’s a lot easier to kill something if your told it’s already dead inside.

I run down a street after the lieutenant before I see a changeling tiger drive from around the corner.

I grab and pull the lieutenant back as I yell.
“Tiger!”

The tiger turns down the street before it’s machine gun opens fire on us.

I run for cover before the sound of a shell flying past us.

A shell ricochets off the tigers armour as I turn to see a Sherman that had taken aim at the tiger.

I yell to a group of soldiers.
“Bazookas now, the Sherman’s not going to last long.”

Several soldiers run out into the street with a bazooka and take aim at the tiger as they fumble to get the rockets in the tiger fires its main gun and the Sherman bursts into flames before firing its machine gun at the soldiers killing them.

The lieutenant yells before running out.
“Give me some cover lads.”

I yell after him as I see him run and grab the bazooka and starting to reload it.

I run out as I throw a grenade at the tiger hoping its explosion would mask me.

I run behind him and say.
“I’ll load you shoot.”

He nods before shouldering the bazooka and aiming at the tank as I open the rocket satchel before pulling a rocket out.

I slid the rocket into the launcher as the smoke from the grenade clears.

The lieutenant fires the rocket and it strike just below the main gun.

The gun fires and we’re both thrown to the ground.

The tank continues to drive forwards as I struggle up and try to drag the lieutenant up.
“Get up.”

The lieutenant cries out as he grabs his leg.
“My leg I can’t walk.”

I grab his claw and start to drag him to cover as bullets strike around me.

Several griffins charge at the tank one of them with a flamethrower.

Flames envelope the front of the tank as the tank continues further ahead.

A loud crack echos and the turret of the tiger is ripped off as a anti tank gun is rolled up the street.

Several medics run towards us as I help carry him to them.
“You’ll make it through lieutenant.”

He laughs.
“Well you’ll be hearing my praise when you get yourself a medal.”

I shake my head.
“Sir I don’t want a medal, now lets get you some help.”

The medics grab him and carry him off as I wipe soot on my uniform.

One week later..........

It’s been a week since we pushed the changelings out of verdun command expects a sudden counter attack at any moment, they’ve had the engineers digging tank traps and demolition charges along a 50 km stretch which is likely to be the changelings route to assault us.

The weathers been pissing on us, a week of rain I don’t know what I’d prefer heat stroke or trench foot.

Rain pours down as lightning streaks across the sky overhead.

I look through a set of binoculars at a field of barbwire and trenches.

I’d just made staff Sargent, was the food any better, no not a massive improvement but some applesauce does go pretty well with salted pork.

I’d changed quite a bit in a week, survival had to be learned, like don’t check bodies ever if it still has gear on it, it’s safe but if not it’s probably mined.

Still nothing from the changelings.

I look down at my watch before rubbing my eyes.

I hear one of the soldiers under my command.
“We’ve been here for three days the changelings aren’t coming.”

I sigh as the soldiers concerns matched my own.
“I know but we’ve been ordered to hold this area, plus on the bright side we aren’t being attacked so that’s a good thing right.”

The soldier nods.
“I guess.”

A soldier on a 50 cal says as he scans the area in front of him.
“Well I can’t wait to chew a piece out of the bugs.”

I chuckle.
“Wouldn’t we all, but it’s better they stay where they are and we’ll stay here, maybe cause a stalemate if we’re lucky.”

I hear several cracks in the distance and I instinctively yell.
“Barrage!”

We all take cover as shells explode all around us.

I lean against the side of the trench as I yell.
“What id give for a bunker.”

A shell explodes next to the trench and mud flies into the air before falling down as almost a sudden sheet of mud and shrapnel.

Mud soaks me as I yell.
“Get the artillery on the line we’re being hit by enemy fire, tell them to counter barrage them.”

The radio operator assigned to my section nods before yelling into his radio.
“Enemy barrage in sector delta-4 requesting immediate counter barrage.”

The operator listens for the response before saying to me.
“Coordinates.”

I yell before crawling to my observation slot looking through my binoculars.
“Stand by.”

Through the bombardment I see another bombardment moving slowly towards us.
“Enemy crawling barrage, pace at 100 no 110 Meters per minute start at market 190 over.”

The radio operator relays the message as I look through my binoculars for the result before the sound of artillery stops suddenly before starting again.

Several tanks fly through the smoke towards our lines a I hear soldiers yell.
“Enemy armour.”

The operator yells over the noise of the shelling starting back up.
“Sir do we want to readjust the bombardment.”

I yell to the operator before looking through the binoculars at the tanks.
“No those tanks aren’t going anywhere.”

As the tanks near the line I pull out a detonator and push the button.

Explosions go off in front of the tanks revealing deep holes which the tanks fall in into.

I grin as I laugh.
“Enemy armour is knocked out tell the artillery to stop the barrage.”

The operator yells into the radio as our guns fall silent.

I yell as I draw my rifle.
“Prepare to repel infantry.”

The changelings bombardment stops as thousands of changelings charge from the smoke towards our lines expecting their armour to have already broken our lines they were met by a wall off bullets.

Our machine guns open up as the changelings fall in the mud dead in swaths.

The changelings were hopeless without their tanks and artillery to protect them they were at the mercy of our guns.

After a few minutes of trying to reach our lines they began to break off their assault, they’d think twice before trying to assault our lines once more and we’d be ready for them.

I just hope that the lieutenant gets back in action because local moral isn’t doing that well because rumours of ration cuts have started spreading.

Author's Note

Well this is the longest chapter thus far I’m surprised by how many of you checked it out, if you have suggestions I’d love some feedback, and I think this current style I tried out here is working nicely