Author's Note

Hey guys, here the new chapter. Tell me what you think of it and don't hesitate to tell me what could be improved. Hope you enjoy it, see you soon!

CH 2: The New River Warlord.

The mare guides me to what looks like the main building of the town. We enter and walk toward a table. She told me to sit down and we started to talk about what happened. From what I've understood, these ponies were not regular bandits but the militia of a warlord who is apparently not the carrying type.

"And why this warlord is so obsessed by this town?"

"Because this town is symbolic and strategic. We are in Coltstream, the town where the River Confederation and the Summit were born, and plus we have a lot of guns. If this warlord takes this town, he will have a legitimate claim on the once River Republic territories and even the entire River Lands."

Now I understand why this warlord is obsessed with this town. Coltstream is very important in the River ponies' eyes. As the captain said, this is where the River Confederation and its Summit were born but something is not right, why all the River Lands? Why not the leadership of the faction remnants?

"You say that if this warlord takes Coltstream he will have a claim on all the River Lands, why not the leadership of what is left of the Confederation?"

The mare looks at me dumbfounded, it looks like I say something stupid. What? I don't know but there is something that is bound to what I said about the Confederation. She started to talk again.

"Don't you know what is happening in the River Lands right now?" I raise an eyebrow at this question.

"There is something I should know?"

"The entire world knows that all the River nations are in civil wars."

"Wait... What?!"

"You heard me."

I couldn't believe it! The whole River nations are like the River Republic, a civil war in each one of them! But I thought Walter's civil war thing was only on the River Republic! Goddammit, well at least I have already some relations here, maybe I can do something.

We need to talk about this whole civil war thing.

Yes. Some applications will need to be done after your discussion.

"Very good then. I think we should stop this warlord before he does something big."

A little time after I say that, we heard someone running outside. A pony burst from the door and run toward us. He stops and tries to retake his breath. I already have my suspicions of what is happening. The captain stands up and looks seriously at the pony who was from the town's militia.

"What is it?"

"Another attack has been spotted! This time, however, the warlord send a lot of troops! It will be like 5 against 1!"

"Another one already?! Is this warlord crazy or stupid?!" Shouted the mare.

Fuck! And when I thought I could take a little nap and talk with Walter. This warlord really needs to be dealt with before he does something very stupid. So, they surpass us 5by 5 to 1. What should we do? I remember some houses have their windows placed toward where the attack should come from and I saw that we have 4 machineguns.

"I maybe have a plan. How much time do we have before they arrived?"

"At least 4 hours." Answer the messenger.

"What is your plan?"

"Follow me."

We walk toward the houses I talk about and knock at the door. I heard a "Coming!" and after sometimes a pony more precisely a mare open the door. She doesn't know what to do until she saw the captain of the militia.

"Hello, Captain Shadow Star. May I know the pleasure of this visit?"

Shadow Star, it fits her well. She had a black fur and a star with something which should be the 'Shadow' thing as a cutie mark.

"We need to go to your house for something. That or the enemy attack will succeed."

"What?! Another attack but they have already done one! Are they crazy?!"

"I think they are but the problem right now is to defend ourselves. Our savior of earlier *point toward you* as a plan and it includes your and some other houses."

"Of course, come in."

We enter the house and tell them to follow me. I use the stairs to go to the other floor of the house. I open the window and look outside, the terrain was an advantage for us, there was the forest we could use for an ambush when the attack will happen and it was an open field even if there was some natural cover. I look at the ponies to see them with confused looks.

"I remember to have seen 4 machineguns when I arrived here. If we place them in different houses and make an entrenchment line over here *point toward the limit of Coltstream* we can make sure to keep the attackers away from Coltstream for sometimes with the machineguns making sure they don't come to close."

They look at me, impressed by my plan. Shadow Star smiled and nod, we go outside and walk toward where the barracks were, the messenger was sent to tell the patrols around Coltstream to go to the barracks. I ask myself if we only go to the barracks to tell my plan to the fighters.

"Shadow Star can I ask you a question?"

"You already did *giggle* and just you know, call me Shadow."

"I have this odd feeling that we don't just go to the barracks to tell my plan, am I right?" She smiled at me.

"You'll see when we will arrive."

Well, it seems we became good friends or partners.

Indeed. Maybe you don't see it but you already have made some advances in the creation of your new nation.

Then, I'm happy to hear that. Can we stop the time just so we can talk without being interrupted?

After I say that to Walter, time start to stop. Shadow Star begin to stop moving and everything around did the something. Everything became white around m and a screen appeared before me, it was the map of the region where you can find Coltstream: Wild-Vodina. A little region in the south of the Republic territories and at the border with what should be the Kingdom of Wittenland, there were only four provinces from what I could tell, the warlord we are hostile is from the western province. I don't know about the other two, are there warlords controlling them or no one claim it? We will saw that later for now I have a discussion to have with Walter.

"So, Walter. We need to talk about the civil war thing. I thought it was only on the River Republic, not the entire River Lands!"

"I wish to know as well. It seems something malfunctioning when we appeared here making the civil war too much bigger than it was meant to be. On the bright side, it will be easier for you to unite all of the old River Confederation."

"You're not wrong about that. Thank you for this precision."

"I'm happy to help. Oh and William, very soon you will need to choose your path."

"My path?"

"Yes. Will you take the path of communism, the harmonic path, the supremacist path, or the non-aligned? This will be your choice very soon."

After he said that, everything was back to normal. I start to follow Shadow Star and we arrived at the barracks, all the soldiers who protect this town where here. Shadow Star made sure to have their attention. When she did she informed them about what will happen, the ponies started to freak out a little until Shadow Star said I had a plan. Everyone looked at me and so I explain to them what we will do.

"And now I think about it, we should send a squad in the forest and surprised them."

All of them look at me with interest and smile on their face. I thought we have finished here until Shadow Star decided to do something that surprised me.

"My friends! Today we were attacked by the warlord of the west, we thought it was our end but from nowhere, William here found us and without asking him, he helped us. And now in a critical time, once again he helps us with a plan which will lead us to victory!"

The ponies start to cheer in my name, I was shocked but also happy. Shadow Star turns to face me with a smile and hope in her eyes.

"Today, we not only found a new creature, a new friend... no, today we found...our... warlord!"

The cheers were louder and plus when I look outside I saw all the town population who heard the news spread them and more cheers were heard. I didn't think helping them with a fight and only a plan would make me a warlord. I smiled and go
outside and go on a box so everyone can saw me from where I was.

"My friends! Never before, I thought I would have been chosen to become a warlord. Never before I thought that one day I would lead a group and maybe more to a fight. I thank you for your trust and I promise you all, we will prevail against the barbaric and stupid warlord and his followers. We will take revenge for what they did to this beautiful town!"

Everyone clapped and cheered after I said that. Shadow Star and all the soldiers salute proudly when I looked at them. I walk toward them and give instructions on what to do. The enemy will be here in some hours, we need to act fast.

Some hours later.

Everything was ready. The 3 machineguns were in their respective houses the other one was somewhere else, the trenches and soldiers in them were ready and the civilians were evacuated to the barracks.

(That what the machineguns looks like, artist link.)

I look from a window of one of the houses on the battlefield. The plan should make sure this little attack is stopped quickly. I was talking with Shadow Star about the signal for the machineguns to open fire. The plan is to make sure the attackers think they can easily crush us by not making the machineguns open fire until they are close enough. That also why there are trenches. There is also another thing in the plan but I will not talk about it. After sometimes, a messenger runs toward us.

"Warlord, I bring important information!"

"About the enemy?"

"Yes! They are not too far away from what the scout squad said but there is another thing."

"And what it might be?" Asked Shadow.

"The army which will attack us is lead by the warlord himself but it's not only that. All the ponies who are under his command are with him civilians like the military. That's why they are so much."

"You're kidding me right?"

"I assure you, warlord, it's the truth."

I can't believe it, this warlord is so obsessed by Coltstream that he is ready to do everything to make it even with civilians. And when I thought I wanted to not let him make something stupid, it seems it's too late now. Another messenger arrived.

"Sir, they are here!"

I looked outside to see the whole enemy army. They were at least 125 if you count the civilians in. I look at the center of it and saw what I guess the warlord. If you are asking how I do that well I have binoculars. The warlord was a little old from what I saw. Maybe that's why he is crazy enough to make bloodshed that will happen very soon. Sadly, I couldn't make sure that my militia doesn't kill them. Or maybe, I can do something.

I run toward the trenches with Shadow and the two messengers and make sure my troops were ready. I look toward the other warlord and saw him shouting orders to his ponies. After sometimes, they started to open fire and charge at us. Well, it will be a bloodbath.

Battlefield, third POV.

This battle will be the one know has "Where his Legend begun". The invader's army, at the orders of the warlord, charges at William's army like when armies did during WW1. While charging toward the trenches, some soldiers started to shoot toward the ponies in the trenches. Unluckily for them, the defenders were protected and hiding by them. William seeing the enemy's bullets coming toward them decided it was time to act with the first part of the plan.

"OPEN FIRE!"

After he shouted this order, the ponies in the trenches open fire to the enemy that brought so much pain and death to Coltstream. Now with William, they saw hope and the end of the crazy warlord. Sadly most parts of the army were civilians who were just sent to death. The bullets were raining, two ponies were trying to fall back, one of them was injured by a bullet in the leg. When they were close to finding a hiding place, they were sho in the back but not by rifles but by machineguns. The machineguns started the rain of bullets and loud noises. The invaders were terrified, most part of the army tries to retreat but what they didn't know was that they run into a trap. Behind was the last machineguns pointed toward them with a squad of veterans who fought a lot of times against the crazy pony who was the warlord.

Before they could do anything, the machineguns shoot a little killing some ponies. The rest scared from what just happened and by the horrific sight of the bodies shredded by the machineguns, surrender. The enemy warlord seeing this, take the rest of his army, and charge toward the trenches. The rest was hesitant and that William saw this. He ordered his ponies to stop firing and take aim at the warlord. He stopped breathing and aim at the heart, everything slowed around him. He takes a last look at the pony who did a lot of death today and pulled the trigger. The sound of his rifle was heard by everypony who was on the battlefield. The other warlord stopped in his track, feeling a sharp pain at his heart level. When he looked down, he saw that the bullet pierces through his heart. He takes a last glance at the town he always wanted to conquered before falling to the ground dead. His death was the last death of this battle.