Akasa's Tale

   A sharp bang echoes through the castle courtyard.

   I stagger, dazed, and take a step backwards – and my blade slips from my slackened jaws. The heavy barding I wear suddenly seeming to feel ten times heavier as the world explodes into rainbow colors from another blow to my crested helmet.

   In front of me the image of Imperious, the imperial guard captain, blurs in and out of focus. He is rearing slightly, and a grim look of determination is upon his white muzzle as the halberd he wields whistles in a complicated arc. The weapon glows translucently in the color of his spellcraft and flits about as if possessed of a will of its own – all but impossible to follow.

   I manage to get my hooves under me in the split-second it takes for him to reset his stance, and I concentrate. I can feel the polished stonework beneath my hooves; solid, timeless – as immovable as the very foundations of this castle and I draw strength from them. My awareness reaches outwards; trees and grasses along the hills around the castle slumber under winter's snow…

   Another thunderous bang resonates through the courtyard as the captain’s glowing halberd finds its mark. The impact upon my armor is deafening, yet I am unmoved… The spell-crafted halberd explodes in a shower of flashing motes of energy as I redirect the force into the stone under my hooves, where it is harmlessly dissipated with a slight tremor felt throughout the castle’s courtyard.

   In the space between one heartbeat and the next I rock backwards onto my hindquarters and with an explosive leap, launch myself at my now disarmed captain. My only hope is to use my greater Earth pony size and mass to drive his smaller Unicorn frame and either wind him or bear him to the ground.

   And then everything goes wrong…

   The insult to the injury of my mistake is seeing the smirk on his muzzle as I approach at a full gallop, and at that instant I know I am done for. I feel only the faintest impact of armor as he uses my mass and momentum to delicately pirouette to the side, avoiding my charge all together.

   I catch a glimmer of something ensnared in his telekinetic grip streak towards me from out of the corner of my eye…

   The Unicorn breed are, in general, fragile in armored combat and are not possessed of great strength – but they are wickedly precise. The hit I receive is not terribly powerful, but as the pommel of my own sword connects with my side, right in the chainmail that separates the solid slats of metal along my sides with the ridged croupier over my hindquarters, my near hind leg immediately goes numb.

   The combination of armor weight, momentum, numbness, and slight off-balance from the sword’s impact send me sprawling over the flagstone of the courtyard. And as I slide to a stop the captain trots over to the disheveled pile of armor and appraises my state with a field surgeon’s eye. He nods once, and my sword clatters to the ground before my muzzle.

   He chuckles as he offers me a hoof up, “Your practice is coming along nicely. I had hoped to keep you too busy being bell-rung to channel a protection. Excellent work.” And once I have re-armed and secured my weapon he leads me back over to the other assembled guards where I take my place in the line. I move with a bit of a limp, but feeling is returning to my hind leg – and with it a pins and needles sensation that sets my teeth on edge… I will have to ask how he did that.

   The captain paces back to a position where he can address the group. “Alright… Analysis. Sergeant Spark?”

   A white Unicorn mare of blazing red mane and tail, wearing light armor snaps to attention, “Sir. The corporal should have taken advantage of your disarmed state to re-arm himself. This would have put him at a tactical advantage over an unarmed yet more agile foe.”

   The captain nods, “Indeed.” He turns back to face us and continues, “In any combat situation there are many unknowns. Your best weapon, always, is to control as many of the known elements as possible – terrain, weapons, supplies, and even simple information. Keep your wits about you, always, they are your greatest ally.”

   He paces the line as he speaks, “In this scenario it eventually came down to two combatants and one weapon. Against a telekinetic foe, leaving a loose weapon lying about is a quick ticket to the infirmary. Otherwise the corporal did admirably with being able to snap-cast a protection even under assault. You all saw the effectiveness of such a protection, especially against spellcrafted weapons. This is a very effective tactic against magical constructs as it takes time and preparation to conjure another. Time and preparation your opponent will not have if you control the known elements of the situation...”

   As the captain speaks another pony in castle livery trots up and interrupts him. “Captain Imperious! I have been looking all over for you!”

   Imperious turns, “Chamberlain – it is Saturday, we drill on Saturdays, we drill in the courtyard, therefore I would be in the courtyard would I not?”

   “Well – yes, but…”

   Imperious cuts him off, “Speak quickly and succinctly Chamberlain, to do otherwise belies a lack of purpose to your interruption.”

   The chamberlain blinks a few times before clearing his throat and continuing. “The lady Aurora will be departing Morgan castle within the hour for a trip to Trotsdale. The purpose for the visit has something to do with one of the Equestrian emissaries, a Miss Twilight Sparkle, and protocol requires the Empress travel with a guard.”

   “Indeed.” Imperious turns tail to the chamberlain and looks at me, “Corporal. Get yourself cleaned up. The uniform of the day will be winter dress - report to me at the Empress’ study in thirty. Dismissed.”

• -=- -

   I wind my way through the subterranean tunnels in Morgan towards the barracks for a quick shower and into my dress uniform. Fortunately our duty roster makes allowances for such events, as we are resident at the castle on two-week rotations – so my dress uniform is here, and not in my wardrobe at home.

   I manage to get cleaned up, get my mess of a mane and tail into some semblance of order, and into uniform with a few minutes to spare. And five minutes later I trot up to Imperious who is waiting outside of the heavy oaken door to the Empress’ study.

   I salute and then stand at attention as he looks me over critically, stopping to telekinetically adjust the rank insignia on my collar, before pronouncing “It will have to do. At ease corporal.”

   I relax a bit.

   “So, have you ever met the Empress corporal?”

   “No sir – not in any official capacity sir.”

   He chuckles, “The first thing to know is she is not big on genuflection. End sentences with ‘ma’am’, but do not be moon-eyed about the whole thing. Other than that, treat her with the same respect you would with your superior officer, for she is.”

   “Yes sir.”

   He turns and raps upon the door with a hoof, and from within is heard “Enter.”

   The door opens and I follow the captain into the room and take a position at attention to his right.

   I cannot help but look around the room. Pretty much everything in here is older than my grandsire and it has an … old sort of smell. Not a bad smell really, but like that of an ancient forest. The various shelves are covered in odd knickknacks that must have a hundred interesting tales, and a few ancient paintings hang here and there – probably worth a fortune – but they all feature the Empress in various historical settings.

   I glance from a painting to the Empress to see if the rumors are true; that she is indeed unchanging from generations past, and am met with her intense emerald gaze and a slight smile.

   I can feel a blush rising, tinting the thin fur of my muzzle rose as I snap my gaze straight ahead and back to attention – and I hear her giggle a bit.

   “Good morning Imperious, a pleasure to see you once again. To what do I owe the honor of your presence – and that of the corporal here?”

   “Ma’am.” Imperious nods a bit of an officious bow, “I was informed you would be travelling today – corporal Dale here is assigned to you for this outing.”

   The Empress arches an eyebrow, “A guard for a trip to Trotsdale?”

   “Indeed ma’am, as you know it is protocol that the regent abroad be accompanied by at least one guard.”

   “But, Trotsdale?” She looks incredulous; “Trotsdale is but an hour from the castle and well within the bounds of Roanoak my dear captain. What could possibly happen there?”

   Imperious stands firm, “Nothing, your majesty, but appearances are what they are and certain images must be upheld. Lieutenant Dale here lives within a short distance of Trotsdale, and may be of use in your dealings there. This is also training for the corporal, for legitimate needs when the Empress is truly abroad.”

   She sighs, “Very well.” And looks over to where I am standing – I can literally feel her gaze as the sizes me up… I feel a bit like a bug under a microscope. “So, corporal Dale is it? Hast thou ever travelled by portal? It is quite the experience I gather, and I will be keen to hear your impressions when we arrive in Trotsdale.”

   I can just barely make out the captain’s snicker at her words, and wonder what I have gotten I myself into.