Chapter 2
 
>Dropping the scabbard on the ground, you slowly look to the adversary you have been sent out to greet.
>You rest your blade on your shoulder, producing a small chink as the weapon made contact with your armor.
>The cave returns to silence once more, as if it always were.
>Taking this moment’s rest for your advantage, you study the creature that stood before you.
>For a moment you believed it to be an oddly dressed man, but your initial assessment was quickly proven wrong.
>The two limbs he rested his weight upon were not the legs you were accustomed to see, as its knees bent backwards.
>To your unrealized frontal view, it seemed as if the two joints merely floated above each other, for a moment.
>The warrior bore no shoes; he merely stood on naked fur and paw.
>While the lower body reminded you much of the beasts the Agency held as statuettes, the arms of this odd creature baffled you even more.
>Its fur seemed to have morphed into feathers as your eyes darted to its chest level, creating this displacing morph of an avian and a land animal.
>What made the final evaluation work was its head, a gigantic form of an eagle.
>You simply thought it was some garment fashioned from the remains of a gigantic bird or some sort, but it had a… Shine, if you will.
>A shine that noted its life, a shine you have seen fade away once too many.
“You are no man.” You declared, taking the first step- an initiative into the battle.
>”And you are no Equine.” The warrior replied.
>Quickly raising his tone, he began his attacking charge at you. “But you will bleed like one!”
>The creature raced at you, his weapon held above his head.
>You slightly lower your body and step forward as well, anticipating his blow to come right into your previous position.
>Holding your sword with two hands, you turn its blade to face the ground and strike the attacker with your pommel.
>The counter connects, sending the axe man recoiling back.
>It manages to align its balance after a few steps back, only to look flustered on its attack being cancelled out.
“Undisciplined.” You comment, as you spin the blade once.
>The axe man returns the gesture with another overhead swing, now bellowing a rather primal battle roar.
>Deciding to end the fight quick, you now maneuver your blade to your left side, and begin slouching to that direction.
>Moving forward to build your own momentum, you then begin performing a half-spin to the right.
>Intending to parry the axe with your sword- or at least redirect it, you swing in mid spin.
>Your assumption was correct, your blade arcs out to meet the coming axe at the right moment.
>You remember to place more strength as your sword connects with the flat metal surface of the axe, just to give it enough energy to push it sideways.
>Finishing up your parry, you get a second of a glance at the now misaligned battle axe.
>Not stopping there, you complete the half circle, slamming your back at the creature, which was flung forward towards you by his charge alone.
>As you feel the weight of his body rest onto yours, you reach out your arms to turn the blade your way.
>Stabbing the weight behind you, you bring down the edge of your weapon into the soft flesh of this unknown creature.
>The sensation of your blade piercing through flesh travels from your weapon to your arms, followed by the shriek of its body.
>The axe man grunt in surprise, gurgling at the sudden feeling of pain on his lower abdomen.
“You are no man.” You repeat yourself.
>You make sure of your kill by twisting the blade a few times, which in turn also helped to loosen the blade from the body.
>More grunts of pain follow from the beak of this creature, as he slowly realizes his fate.
“But you bleed like one.”
>You right your body once more, and rapidly release your weapon from the point of impact.
>The soon lifeless body of the axe man slumps weakly to the ground, silently ebbing away his life.
>Turning to face the rest of the opposing force, you stand in the same position you have held before.
>A few stares are shared between the lesser members of the group, before they decide upon the same fate the axe man faced.
>Raising their weapon in a rather familiar fashion, the group of five smaller axe men charge at you, very comically following suit of your first opponent.
>A single unit decides to overdo his charge, coming close to you too fast.
>You quickly sidestep to avoid the sloppy strike, only to counter with a blade to the unit’s neck.
>His head jerks violently as your blow connects, and his body stiffens from the shock.
>Not letting the sword buried there, you continue the swing to throw off the body to the ground.
>The action itself took more strength than you realized, requiring both of your hands working conjunctively.
>The force you put down releasing the sword proves too much, as you find yourself staggering as the sword suddenly frees itself.
>Unknown to you, the sword arcs all the way back, splatting the altar and your caller with morbid amounts of blood.
>For a second, you worry about your own available stamina- moving this much in your armor proved to be rather weighty on your endurance, even with years of training.
>Your torso gives away slightly, causing you to slouch forward- with little time to react to the coming blows.
>Forcing yourself up with an audible, annoyed grunt, you step forward to swing your sword with your right hand.
>This rushed act did not help your case, as the flat, least dangerous side of the blade was the side to meet the next attacker.
>The slap did help to stun the enemy for a second, causing him to flinch and back away.
>While the results were rather mediocre, you supposed that that would have to do, and shift your attention to the coming three.
>But it was without doubt, you were outgunned in this situation.
>Your blade could only get one, two if lucky.
>The third could quickly come in to finish you off.
>And dying within a day of a Calling would be somewhat embarrassing.
>Doubts and fear rush through your head for a split second, until an inspiration strikes you.
>Reaching out quickly to the axe of the flinching unit, you force it away from his grip to yours.
>Kicking the now unarmed axe man to one of the three, you instantaneously ready both armed hands.
>Twirling both hands to gain more momentum, you move slightly closer to attack both enemies.
>They near almost instantly, and you react accordingly by swinging both arms forward.
>Your hands twist into position, having the pommels of each weapon facing you.
>The two sharp edges cut lightly through their chest and face- not fatally, but enough to cause panic and hesitation.
>Not letting a second to go to a waste, you bring up both weapons and bring it down on their respective heads.
>You keep the weapon buried; ignoring the twisted screams and contorts the two creatures were making.
>You look to the last surviving member, only to see him still struggling under the weight of his dying comrade.
>The last creature was screaming in horror, shouting out unintelligible words to curse the object that repulsed and pinned him.
>Leaving the stolen axe in place, you focus more on getting your own weapon loose.
>A few pulls and a kick seemed to work out, as your weapon was just as stubborn as you were when it has found a place to nestle in.
>Freeing your sword suddenly brought down fatigue on your body, almost causing you to stumble in place.
>You take a few deep breaths, finally realizing your face- under your armor- was completely drenched in sweat.
>Letting out a long stream of breath out of the slit of your helmet, you slowly rise to face the last foe metaphorically standing.
>Too tired to lift your blade, you drag your weapon across the floor- slowly advancing to where the last creature was.
>The creature finally realizes your intent too late, waking from his hysteria as your heavy footsteps neared him.
>He hopelessly watches as you kick away the weapon he once wielded with pride, silently viewing its descent into the abyss below.
>You stand above him, legs firmly planted to each side of his fallen body.
>Gripping your pommel with both hands once more, you slowly raise the weapon above his face.
>The creature looks to you in fear, hoping that you would relent under your mercy.
>Wordlessly, you bring down the weapon.
>You had none to spare.
 
>When you had finished with your business of flesh-rending, you slowly turn to the blood-caked Caller.
“Was this my Calling?” You ask.
>This creature itself was radically different from the one you’ve just faced, for one; it did not possess any digits or fingers.
>It would seem that it would walk on all fours, balancing that delicate body on the four thin pillars that you didn’t even know it could bend.
>Your supposed Caller does not respond, and only stares at you with a blank expression.
>Its slightly furrowed brow might indicate displeasure, or even disgust.
>You do not pay much attention to these details; you were merely there to permanently solve issues with people.
>After a while, the creature begins nodding, almost slightly too much.
>And then, it quickly switches to hurried shakes, denying your right to return home and rest after this scuffle.
>Another wave of silence washes over the room, while you search for a cloth to wipe away the blood on your weapon.
>By the time you have cleaned and packed away your sword, your Caller begins to speak.
>”What are you?” She asks, short and quick.
“Help.” You respond calmly, as you walk over to the sign you were summoned with.
>Placing your hand over the glowing sentence, you see a faint silhouette of your promised reward.
>It does not materialize, however, and you decide to look over the message your Caller has left.
>’Help us.’
>You would assume that what you had just done was considered ‘help’, but you digress.
>Maybe the term ‘help’ was in a grander scheme in this odd land.
>”Where do you hail from?” Your Caller asks once more, now with a little more strength on their voice.
>You take a moment to stare and ponder her question, wondering what she hoped to achieve with these trivia.
>Not in a mood for an extended conversation, you simply raise a finger and point at your Calling sign.
>”Are you a creature of the altar?” Your Caller queries once more.
“Of sort.” You reply quickly.
>”And you are here to help us?”
>You reply with a momentary silence, turning to head to the only exit of this area.
“Of sort.” You repeat.
 
>Focus, you need to merely focus.
>Ignore the noises around you; focus on what you are doing.
>Do not think about not failing, but think on your work, your job.
>Focus, you need to merely focus.
>And the world will become surmountable to you.
>Swirling the lessons within her mind, the Empress brought out all her might to keep her focus.
>Hails and flurries of offense assaulted her magical barrier, the only line of defense for her camp and the men within it.
>She still clung onto the foolishness that could have sent her own Eldest to her demise, a small doubt in logic that kept her going.
>The chink in her stratagem, the misstep of her dance, the hiccup in her speech, the hesitation of her plans-
>Hope.
>Perhaps, her choice in refusing to withdraw from this position- her foolishness- would spell her defeat.
>Perhaps that is what the world intended to happen, she was fated to be wiped away.
>Perhaps-
>Her forces could push back?
>The Empress blinked a few times to assure that what she saw was real.
>The enemy forces, completely surrounding the area, were slowly being routed from the left.
>The assault slowly shifted towards the new entry of the counter-offensive, with enemy soldiers lowering their pressure on the barrier.
>Empress could notice the banner of her 3rd Cavalry, finally arriving.
>She sighed a breath of relief, but she knew this was not going to cut it.
>Soon, the reinforcements would be overwhelmed, and her forces will suffer greater losses.
>The Empress’ predictions proved to be correct, as the 3rd were pushed back into the safety of her barrier.
>Outside was the great general, pouring insults and aggravations at her for such a disappointing withdrawal.
>The brute demanded an honorable duel, clearly confident on his strength.
>He had the right to, no warrior of her side could match the prowess of the great giant general.
>”Is there no true warrior within that barrier?” The giant general bellowed, raising his arms to the air in an annoyed gesture.
>He then began to drum on the barrier, placing a monumental strain to the focus of the Empress.
>Realizing that this is her last stand, the Empress ordered a final stand-off.
>She hoped to at least give them a black eye, the forces of Equestria will not simply fade away like dust, but it will burn out with a bang.
>Her commanders knew their situation, but assured their underlings that more help would arrive soon, and now was a time to fight.
>A line by line, the forces of Equestria formed up, and prepared for their final push.
>The lone banner hung weakly at the center, beaming the signet of this doomed army.
>On the other side was the banner of the opposing force, bearing the symbol of the Griffin Kingdom’s greatest general.
>The Empress could take comfort in knowing that it took five and the best of their forces to down her small army, she supposed she really did go out with a black eye.
>The Empress quickly turned her thoughts to her children, one lost to the chaos of war- and another back at home.
>Luna must be strong for her, be strong for the kingdom.
>As these thoughts left her mind, the Empress slowly lost her will, weakening her barrier.
>To her second surprise, her lavender barrier was quickly replaced with a golden hue, a sign of her-
>Eldest! She was still alive!
>”Celestia?” The Empress spoke in disbelief, almost shouting at her still-alive daughter. “Were you- were you successful?” She asked, getting hopeful once more.
>The Eldest did not speak a word, but alternatively chose to point at the frontlines.
>The Empress quietly turned to see what her daughter was pointing at, only to catch a glimpse of what she had brought.
>Goodness, he was a large fellow.
 
>You groan at the prospect of facing down an army, but a Call was a Call.
>You step forward to the front of your allies, pushing through waves of tiny, four legged creatures.
>Resting an unsheathed blade on your shoulder, you look over to the opposing side with indifference (and slight discontent).
>From the sea of the hostile creatures, you suddenly hear a roaring laughter and a voice alongside with it.
>”Finally! Something with fingers!” The loud voice boomed, even passing the magical barrier.
>The army slowly parted, showing a rather massive version of the same creature.
>The giant seemed to command a certain respect amongst the army, seeing how many lowered their heads when it passed by.
>This new opponent was at least a few feet taller than the axe man you had to face before, with a much thicker body frame.
>He wielded a massive axe and an equally matched greatsword.
>You grunt once more, if this was to be your next opponent, it was going to be a massive hassle.
>You spot many items adorning the belt of this giant- cut body pieces of varying creatures.
>You assumed that it was a trophy belt, and this creature was a seasoned warrior.
>”Well? Show me what you’ve got, finger-bearer!” The giant spoke, spitting all kinds of saliva onto the transparent surface of the barrier.
>Slowly turning to the keepers of the barrier, you give a small nod.
>Your Caller nods in return, and slowly detracts the barrier.
>The enemy forces roar and attempt to charge forward, only to be stopped by the giant.
>”No! He is mine.” He declares, as his own underlings cower at his voice.
>You’d assume this giant was one of those “honorable” types, who just had to flaunt their victory in every manner possible.
>That would certainly explain the trophy belt.
>Before you could even position yourself to face the enemy, the giant charges and quickly throws a punch to your stomach.
>You grunt in pain and curve your body forward, finding yourself displaced backwards.
>You briefly tap your armor to check for indentations, not being surprised to find one.
>”You certainly don’t get hit like a Griffon. What are you? A minotaur, perhaps?” The giant asks, looking smug over his surprise attack.
>Gripping your sword with a single hand, you begin to charge forward yourself.
>Taking out his axe in a hand, the giant slams in down on where you would be.
>Passing under his arm, you spin your sword above your head, to bounce away the coming blow.
>Being surprised that the blow was easier to parry, you move behind the giant to slash his heels.
>You suddenly feel a wide slap to your left, and you go flying on the ground.
>Looking up from your position on the ground, you see that the giant merely gave you a slap with his parried axe, his forearm slightly twisting to that angle.
>As if he had performed some great jest, the giant begins to laugh heartily, which is soon followed by the rest of his army.
>Slightly turning your head in mock respect, you slowly rise to your feet and ready your weapon.
>The giant turns to you, bring out both of his weapons on each of his hands.
>The sight was somewhat intimidating; the creature was titanic compared to you.
>Making haste to close the distance; the giant approached you rapidly, both weapons rose to rend you down where you stood.
>The axe was the first to come down- which you managed to dodge with a sidestep.
>You only realized the second weapon too late; barely managing to survive by an upwards swing that deflected the coming blow.
>Your life came with a heavy cost, as the blow managed to break your sword in half.
>Even then, you could not defend against the blow fully, and you had to roll away before the greatsword could land on you.
>You silently look over your broken blade, seeing an almost perfect cut through its side.
>Only a small point of fracture managed to survive, sticking out of the otherwise blunt surface like a sore thumb.
>Your eyes look over to search for the rest of the blade, which rested well a few distances away from your position.
>The giant recovered from his attack quickly, preparing to strike you down once more.
>For some reason, you believe the broken shard of your blade would save you, and you scramble to retrieve it.
>You believed at least you had to have an edge in this situation.
>The giant chased after you, following up his pursuit with another flurry of rather vocal insults on your honor.
>Planning to grab the blade in mid-flight, you slowly bend your body to ease the effort of scooping up the blade.
>You suddenly hear another grunt of the giant, which acted like an early warning of him asserting effort.
>You could easily imagine what the effort was for.
>Jumping at the decisive moment, you avoid the double-strike again, landing with a slow roll on your body.
>You were gasping for air at this point, you were getting tired.
>Another strike came, and you decided to even out the battle at this point.
>Instead of running once more, you jump to one side, easily avoiding the massive attack.
>Holding both sharp edges of your previous sword in both hands, you quickly run the blades across the forearm of the giant.
>Halfway through the giant recoils in pain, throwing you off your balance and making you lose grip on both of your weapons.
>The broken hilt flies off lifelessly, while the blade had managed to find home burrowed in the giant’s arm.
>The giant drops his greatsword and backs away to nurse his injured arm, doing his best to pull out the little pinprick that bothered him so.
>You believed that this was the perfect moment to land a deciding strike, only to realize you yourself was disarmed.
>”Here!” You hear a shout from behind you.
>Turning around, you manage to catch glimpse of a shortsword flying at you, which you grab effortlessly.
>You look about to see the origins of this weapon, only to see a rather small soldier of your Caller waving excitedly.
>He seemed younger and weaker to his other counterparts, which made you briefly wonder his position in this battle.
>Realizing you still had work to do, you grip hard on the sword as you rush ahead to the occupied giant.
>The creature has little time to react as you jump forward and plunge a sword towards him.
>However, you suddenly find yourself flying away from the giant, only realizing too late that he had protected himself- and pushed you away with his hands.
>The miniscule weapon pierced his other, unhurt hand, slowly dripping away his lifeblood.
>If you meant to kill him in a week, that would have sufficed.
>The giant still seemed to be in a distress over his two new wounds, doing his best to remove the nuisance.
>Seeing no other option, you turn to his own dropped greatsword, which was almost as tall as you were.
>Dragging it by the hilt, you slowly approach the giant, fully intending on finishing it off.
>The giant seemed to have found this scene humorous, as he saw your smaller body struggle with the sword.
>Finally removing the two blades, the giant reached for his own weapon, the ever popular battle axe.
>You try to anticipate his movements, stopping for an attack some distance from him.
>The giant, fully confident on his victory, slowly walked over for a quick finish.
>You begin to angle the blade towards the ground, slowly grinding it forward with a forced upward swing.
>The weapon budges slowly, facing both the downward force of your hopeful swing, as well as the friction of the ground against it.
>But you had full confidence on this swing, as something with so much force asserted within it can only hold for so long…
>The giant prepared for his own strike, raising his axe for an overhead smash.
>At the final moment your swing geared into action, sending the sword upwards almost instantly.
>The attack quickly slashes through the giant’s beaked mouth, causing him to stumble awkwardly whilst holding his broken mouth.
>The weight of the blade forces you to give in and drop the blade back on the ground, but you do not relent.
>Fully intending a sideward swing this time, you begin a rightward spin with the weapon tailing right behind your torso.
>You raise a leg to place more weight into the swing, slowly building up the strength behind the greatsword.
>Finally, you let out the last slash, creating a massive arc that headed right at the head of the giant.
>The blade first smashes into the giant’s raised arm, which served to cover his pain during the last moment of his life.
>The edge finally stops halfway through his neck, causing his head to snap violently.
>While you could not perform a perfect decapitation, the blow seems to have worked, as the giant falls over lifelessly.
>The army of similar creatures begin to scramble back, as they watch their goliath leader fall in battle.
>You silently trudge over to the fallen shortsword, and pick it up.
>Stumbling towards the dying giant, you make sure to end his life with a quick stab to his head.
>Confirming your deed is complete, you let out a relieved breath.
>You then return to your previous position, not forgetting the hilt of your own sword.
>Placing the broken edge on your shoulder, you assume the same pose you had greeted your challenger before.
>Silence befalls both sides, as they watch the stranger stop his movements.
>A deafening battle roar comes from your side, as your allies charge forward to meet the fleeing enemy army.
>They move around you like stone in water, endlessly marching against the enemy you had crushed morally.
>Your Caller and another being similar to it descend from their vantage point, coming to greet you on your work.
>You merely look on forward, watching the victory your allies were to commit this day.
>You only move once more when you hear a light tap on your left shin, looking down to see the small four legged creature who lent you his sword.
 
>You will come to know this tiny being as Fleet Hoof.