The Champion Of Longsword

As the sun slowly rose into the morning sky Night Storm and his squad finally trotted into a remote, secluded forest grove near the edge of Longsword. They we're currently at the very edge of the Sheiswald Forest, a magical, monster, bandit, and partisan infested forest mostly residing within the Katerin Principality and the Yale Rectorate. It was also a perfect place to hide from any Reformisten as well hence why they used it.

There we're also other ponies and griffons as well, ranging from experienced partisan units to gunsmiths and hunter-gatherers who mostly consisted of the extreme young, old, and those who had become wounded to the point where they could no longer fight. There we're also partisans who he recognized as well. The first of them being Abba Povner, a blue earth pony who was as mysterious as the name suggested. Not much was known about the stallion, he had just kind of come out of nowhere, and therefore many rumors and accusations surrounded him much like what originally happened to himself when he received his horn. One of the many accusations even said that Povner was from another dimension or something. Of course all of the accusations had come from near deranged ponies who had been tortured by the Black Cloaks, so they we're about as trustworthy as their torturers themselves. Himself and Starry had denied those allegations of course, as it was very unlikely that they we're true. Plus Night had met and gotten to know Povner since he was 9 years old with the two of them having saved each others lives countless times, as well as considered him a personal friend.

The next was Ludwig Von Pilater, a griffon who had been born in The Kingdom Of Lushi directly to Longsword's south. Ludwig had always wanted to be a knight and help defend griffonkind from pony invaders from Griffonia's eastern region, called The Riverlands. He had traveled to Longsword to join what he believed to be a noble knighthood holding the line against pony terrorists who we're trying to overthrow the count in preparation to invade Herzland. But when he arrived he found he couldn't have been more wrong. For instead of noble griffon knights fighting with honor against "pony terrorists" he found it was in reality a one sided genocide. Disgusted he joined the partisans within the month and with his experience soon rose to command a sufficient number of partisan squads like himself and Povner, whom he was also good friends with.

Golden Morning, there really wasn't much to say about him other than he was... interesting to say the least. Golden was an earth pony who had been born to a village of Posniaks once residing within the Longswordian countryside. Posniaks we're ponies who'd converted from the Longswordian faith to the Griffon one, and worshipped their gods as well as accepted and followed their customs. Posniaks however we're considered "ponies" by the Reformisten and brutalized just as much, hence why Golden and other Posniaks were fighting them. That and the fact that the Black Cloaks had burned his entire village to the ground as well. Golden unsurprisingly managed to escape along with a few survivors from his village and we're eventually found by Starry Night in the early days of the rebellion. He almost immediately joined and began to build up a reputation as a competent officer who was loyal, determined, and ferocious. That and combined with his close relationship to Starry Night practically cemented his position within the Longswordian Vanguard. A small group of ponies and griffons who acted as the leadership or 'government' of the movement, with Starry at the top. However Golden Morning was unique in the fact that he actually led his own group of ponies and griffons.

"Naujoji Grifonija" or New Griffonia could be considered Longsword's first ever political party. From what Night had heard about them they we're a group of ponies and griffons who wanted to "fuse" the best of the pony and griffon cultures together to make a new "super culture". In his opinion it wasn't such a bad idea to be honest. He wasn't a Posniak or anything but pony and griffonkind had always been fighting throughout the course of Griffonia's history. Leading to the deaths of thousands if not millions of creatures. If the two cultures we're conjoined together then it could prevent future wars. Plus if it led to nothing like this ever happening again then Night would almost immediately sacrifice himself if it meant obtaining that future.

Near Golden's side was another pony, Nakties Salna, another earth pony. Night didn't know much about the mare other than she was Morning's most ardent supporter. She had been first assigned to Golden's squad and had almost immediately begun supporting or helping him with whatever he needed done. That didn't mean she was a popular commander, he had heard of stories of when she was faced with the slightest chance of victory in the face of an almost certain defeat Salna would still choose to fight on rather than report to Golden that she had failed when he'd given her a task to complete, apparently this had happened many times as well. It was quite obvious she liked Golden and wanted him to notice her, but acting like that was crazy in his opinion.

"If all of our commanders thought and acted like she did then we would have lost this war already".

Night continued trotting through the grove. There we're about 100 ponies and griffons here awaiting for Starry Night's speech. Of what it was going to be he had no clue, for the sake of Reformisten spies the VSA or the Vidaus Saugumo Agentura designated it necessary to not say what the meeting would be discussing in letters and messages.

At last he spotted her. She was currently speaking to a few other revolutionaries on a small hill overlooking the grove.

"You guys go find somewhere to lay down, I'm going to go speak with Starry" he stated.

"Alright, just try not to take too long slow poke" Swift Wing responded.

"Quiet"

"Ha"

"Alright thank you for bringing this to my attention Comrade Vycolt" he heard her say as he approached.

"Of course Comrade Starry, always happy to help" Vycolt, the leader of "The Great Struggle" district of the Visaginas region of southern Longsword replied as he took his leave.

Seeing his chance at getting to speak with her before the meeting he took it. Night had known Starry since he was 6 years old. While she didn't rescue him directly she did come to speak with the survivors of his village after it was massacred, It was there that they first met. Night had immediately felt a bond form between him and Starry, it wasn't love or anything like that, it had been because they could relate to what the other was feeling. Like him and so many other partisans Starry had witnessed the count's forces annihilate her village, her friends, and her family. 15 years of fighting within Longsword's forests had hardened the mare, turning her from the foal of a locksmith and farmer into the heroine she was today. To be honest ever since that fateful day Night had always considered the mare to be somewhat of a step-mother. She had always been there for him, taught him how to take care of himself, how to read, how to write, how to kill griffons, take care of your equipment, navigate Longsword without a map or compass. She had done a lot for him, the least he could do in return was help her dream come true. Her dream of stopping the Reformisten and establishing a state where Ponies and Griffons we're equal to each other, as well as act as an example to the rest of Griffonia.

"Ah Comrade Night Storm" he heard a familiar voice speak. Starry was now looking at him with a smile present on her face. "Comrade-Marshal Starry Night" he saluted using her full title, as he knew she hated it. Starry just rolled her eyes and smiled in response.

"At ease, comrade" she finally replied. Starry was unsurprisingly a mare, with light grey fur along with a purple mane. She also wore a small light brown suit with a tie and red epaulets much like his own. A horn atop her forehead signified that she was a unicorn as well. "it's good to see you again Starry" he responded.

"You as well Night, I hope that you did not experience too much trouble in getting here".

"No no, nothing to crazy" he replied, debating on whether or not to tell her of what they had encountered two hours prior. Starry paused for a moment, and then responded.

"Hmm I see, nothing to serious I hope". Now it was his turn to pause. Although he had seen, done, and spoke about what could honestly be considered atrocities and war crimes by the Riverponies standards that didn't mean that it got easier to talk about. "On our way here me and my squad found twenty or so ponies slaughtered by the Reformisten along the river" he said.

"I'm sorry to hear that Night, we're you able to bury them?" she asked.

"Unfortunately no, there we're still Griffins in the area so we had to leave if we wanted to remain undetected" He grimaced.

"All right, thank you Night. However something tells me that wasn't the reason you came over to speak with me".

"Ha, as perceptive as ever comrade. No it was not, I believe that the Reformisten are up to something and I have evidence to support this" he said as he pulled out the letter he got from the now deceased Gloria. Starry took the letter in her telekinesis and read it through before stuffing it into her knapsack while pulling two cigarettes out and giving one to him.

"Thank Comrade Night Storm, the Vanguard will definitely consider this new knowledge that you and your squad have provided us" she said before lighting both cigarettes with magic. With that they said their goodbye's and Night trotted off to regroup with his squad.

He soon found them talking to each other towards the back of the grove, and they seemed to be laughing at Swift Wing who looked to be quite embarrassed if the folded ears and red cheeks meant anything. Now curious at what was going on Night quickened his pace towards them, he knew it couldn't be anything too serious. They had all been the best of friends for 6 years now, and had their fair share of arguments, so he knew that this wasn't an argument and only a joke. That didn't mean that their weren't a few discipline problems in the squad's history before. With Swift Wing herself along with Quick Shot being the biggest offenders, Red Dusk had his moments and Bandage actually had zero offences. Which wasn't surprising given her personality. Still it never was anything too serious and he was happy to call his squad his makeshift family, and he knew that they felt the same way.

By now they had stopped laughing at Swift and Bandage had even put her foreleg around Swift's neck as if to comfort her. In his opinion it was all the more reason to stop dawdling/thinking and quicken his pace.

"Besides cheer up Swift, it's not that bad" he heard Bandage say.

"What's not that bad?" he asked in a professional monologue, if something or somepony was bothering Swift then he would immediately step in to help her. Immediately Swift went beet red again, Quick Shot and Red Dusk snickered and looked away respectively while Bandage surprisingly was the first one to speak.

"Oh it's nothing Night, Swift here just shared a little secret with us is all". Now since his curiosity was peaked and that he knew it was most likely nothing serious he calmed down. "Hm, I see, care to share Swift". All of a sudden Swift looked to have a complete mental breakdown, Quick Shot's snickers increased to giggles, Red Dusk got up off his haunches and walked away, while Bandage put a hoof on her friends back. "It's okay Swift, you can say it" she encouraged.

"Yes come along Swift, out with it. If you can tell them then surely you can tell me, remember we're all friends here" he smiled. After a few more seconds Swift seemed to have recovered from her little struggle and was able to compose herself again, although she still looked nervous.

"You - You're right Night, thank you. I wanted to tell you that I". Phwwwwht a whistle sounded throughout the grove signaling the start of the meeting. Swift looked like a mix between startled and shocked. Almost like she couldn't believe what had just happened.

"Oh eh don't worry, just tell me later okay Swift" he said. Swift by now had recovered from her shock and just looked crushed that she wasn't able to finish her sentence but other wise complied. Night never saw it but a small tear escaped her eye as they took their seats next to their comrades.

"Be welcome comrades" Starry Night proclaimed to the Griffons and Ponies in the grove. "I'm glad that you could all safely make it here on such short notice, I've gathered us here today to discuss a new plan of action against the increasing Black Cloak threat. As over the past few months they've stepped up there efforts in their attempts to exterminate us. Not a day passes where we don't hear about villages being burned, families slaughtered, or corpses floating in the river!" she paused briefly to catch her breath before continuing. "This has gone on long enough, now what will we do about it".

"We will resist, we will fight, and we will bite!" The crowd responded.

"Glory, comrades" Starry responded. "As I speak our friends in Hellquill and Lake City are moving in to bring us aid. Dusktalon and his cronies will not harm innocent ponies anymore! A new dawn is rising, and we will be free!"

Around Night the partisans cheered and stomped their hooves and talons on the ground, with a glint of hope in each and every one of their eyes. He knew that for the first time in a long time that they would be prepared for what was to come.

"Mes niekada nenustosime priesintis!" He shouted in native Longswordian.