She felt it, oh how she felt it.
The glowing red iron melding with her flesh as it burned, melted and cauterised the skin all at once around her muzzle, forehead and edges of the eyes.
Trying to scream out in pain didn’t work as the so called ‘Medicine’ she was currently on made her too lethargic. She could feel everything, yet do nothing to ease the agony she was in, as the creature in front of her tortured the pony with her own armor.
The smell of burned skin reached filled the air, as the darkness danced around the edges of her vision.
“It... hurts so much....”
Silence conveys more than words
Chapter one: Mid Crisis.
Her eyes scanned the royal letter than had arrived at the door to her home less than a minute ago via the Royal Emergency Courier Service.
It was a summons from the Princesses; Luna and Celestia, she read what was written to her.
‘Dear Conveyence,
It is to our great displeasure that we ask of you to report for duty on your day off,
There has been an incident that we are currently not at liberty to discuss with you via mail at this time, even if it has been entrusted with our own royal couriers.
A guard squad will be able to pick you up within the hour. We would request that you arm yourself in your battle regalia and class three emergency issued weaponry.
As the request in armaments no doubts alerts your to the severity of said issue.
We will await you in the Military Quater of the castle for your arrival.
~Yours; Princess Luna and Celestia.
-Written as instructed and quoted by their royal majesties Princess Luna and Celestia via official royal office of the Day and night Courts’
With a final re-read through the letter from the princesses, Conveyence nodded toward the courier to symbolise that his quest had been completed.
Closing the door behind her, she scrunched up the note and threw it into her fireplace, already ablaze, ready for the evening she was going to spend with a good book and a blanket in the cold winter.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
A knock was heared at Conveyences’ door as she had just finished clasping her helmet on. It was a face plate that covered naught but her nose, forehead and edges of her eyes.
Admiring herself in the mirror to ensure that the armor was fitted properly and that nothing was lose, lest it be more of a danger than protection in the middle of combat.
She stood slightly taller than the average mare. Clad in layered silver armor that encased her entire snow white body bar her legs and neck.
A small ring could be seen around her left forehoof, Simple jewellery to some, a hidden weapon made special for her by the guards custom armory, to her.
The knock was heard again as she started clasping the final bits of armor to her wings, more custom made weaponry. Blades that encased the edges of her wings so that she may strike down equestrias enemies as she flew passed, it also helped that it shaved off a few seconds on her flight speeds. Less time chasing the bad guys, more time beating the bad guys.
Not standard issue by any means, but she was efficient, and that is all that matter to her.
Get in, kill the bad guy, Maim at least, and drag his corpse or broken body back to Canterlot to be made example of.
Sure Celestia had made it clear that she was not to kill any more criminals, Very clear in fact.
Another knock was heard at the door. Sighing, she trotted toward the door while she placed her two toned electric blue mane in a pony tail with her wings very delicately as to not give herself a manecut.
Finally opening the door to her home, she spotted the guard squad that Celestia and Luna had informed her that was coming.
Within half a moment of the door opening, the entire squad had raised their hooves in a salute. “Ma’am” said the first guard on the left, slightly more decorated than the rest.
‘Must be the Commanding officer of this group of guards.’ Conveyence thought to herself as she looked the small platoon leader over.
“We’ve come to escort you to the military quarter under the Princess’ orders.”
Nodding, Conveyence pushed passed the officer and walked toward her destination.
‘Hmph, I’ve been in the guard longer than he has even known what the Military Quarter was, and Celestia wants HIM to escort ME? How degrading’ she thought as she walked onward.
After a good half an hours walk and multiple whispered rumours from the guards about ‘General silence’ as they liked to call her, they reached their destination.
“Ma’am. We were order to wait here. Celestia and Luna wish to see you alone.” Said the Guard officer with a salute.
Conveyence nodded once and then walked off, hearing once again that dreaded nickname ‘General Silence’ from a hushed voice in the guards ranks.
‘Not very well trained if the officer lets the guards get away with blatant disrespect for silence, regulations and formation.’ She thought as she moved passed a few guards in training, clad in their winter armor, much like their regular equipment, only difference was that the armor was inlayed with fur, generously donated by the animals in the summer.
“Hey, dude, look... it’s THE General Silence, oh man! She’s like a legend around here! They say that she lost her tongue to a gryphon when she refused to answer one of his questions, only to end his life with that very same tongue he took from her!”
Another rumour. This one she hadn’t heard. The stories that the recruits came up with always did surprise her, even when she was one herself, there were always rumours popping up about her and why she didn’t talk, things such as her breath was poison, or that she’s part dragon, but can’t control the fire breath, even one that said that she had another mouth inside her mouth that would only insult the princess.
Truth is, the only reason why she didn’t speak is because she figured why waste the breath when you can get the same message across with just a nod, salute, glare or a smile. Not that she smiled either.
“Woah, dude! Are you serious?” one of the recruits said to the rumour spreading cretin.
“Totaly! I’ve totaly seen it!” he replied to his gullible friend.
Conveyence turned toward them and started trotting at a brisk pace, opening her wings, making the silver glint in the firelight that lit the corridors to the guards barracks.
The gullible one saw her coming toward them with a look of annoyance on her face and got the attention of his comrade. “Uh... Crap! Dude! I think she heard you! She’s coming right toward us with a look of pure need for blood on her face! I don’t think she liked you telling me her secrets!”
“Serious?” The first one asked, turning around to see Conveyence, looming over him like he was only two feet tall, the lighting making her look even more scary with the shadow on her body and the glint on her bladed wing armor.
When she was satisfied with how scarred me may be for his life, she opened her mouth, stuck out her tongue and blew a rasp, Waling off immediately after seeing the guard with the look of absolute terror on his face.
“Lost her tongue huh? Year right! You’re so full of manure dude! No wonder she looked pissed. You almost got us killed!” the second guard said to the first.
“oh crap.. I’m gonna die! The real reason why she doesn’t talk is cos her saliva is poison! One drop can kill fifty men!” the first one shouted as she screamed and ran to the infirmary.
All Conveyence could do was facehoof hard enough to almost dent her head gear.
After walking passed a few more recruits with rumours, she finally reached the Military Quarter. Conveyence always did find it odd that the Military Quarter and Guard barracks were attached and yet they were not both under the same heading, as the barracks were actually part of the peace quarter. She never understood what that meant either, only that it made no sense, and that she’d never heard of another castle or kingdom having the ‘Peace Quarter’ attached to the Military Quarter, let along anyone ever actually having a Peace Quarter in the first place.
Opening the door into the foyer of the Military Quarter, she found Celestia and Luna both standing over a very old looking map.
Both turned around to look at Conveyence, to which she saluted them both.
“Oh wow, she really doesn’t say anything? Most guards would at least say Ma’am or Sir or I’m here, perhaps even call out room service.” Said a third part that she had not been aware that was invited.
“Now now, Discord, it is impolite to antagonise our general, seeing as we are sending her solo on a mission that she may actually not return from.” Said Luna
“I’m doing what?!” blurted a surprised Conveyence, more shocked that she was going alone than actually going on a life threatening mission.
“Way to spoil the surprise there Lu-lu, I was hoping to build up to it and hope to make her faint. Deadpanned Discord.”
‘and here I thought, they always wanted their guards to be looked after by their comrades.’ Thought Conveyence as she pondered the reason why she was going alone on a rank three emergency, last time there was a rank three emergency, Celestia herself was knocked out cold by some bug thing.
“well, shit” said the Pegasus.