With a groan of metal leg braces, Seclorum leaned over the small wooden table and poured two glasses of whiskey. “Some things never change,” the old warrior muttered. “The wounds get bigger and the drinks get bitterer.”
“You call what you got a wound?” Josho sat on a stool across from him and nodded with his horn. “You look like a bird cage with features.”
“If I knew twenty years ago I would have ended up like this, I’d have chosen a sexier line of work.” Seclorum took a sip, grimaced, and exhaled sharply before continuing, “Or gone on a suicide mission. Like you.” His eyebrow raised. “Porting into enemy lines? Not knowing where you’d materialize? Heh… I thought that had killed you, old stallion.”
“Sometimes I wish it did,” Josho grumbled. “I ended up stuck as a provincial prime enforcer for Blue Slope. For years, I guarded that pathetic dump of a place. The Council of Ledo called it ‘strategic repositioning.’ It’s all just a bunch of fancy bullcrap to avoid calling it what it is.”
“Retirement?”
“I was going to say ‘meat packing,’” Josho said. “But that works.”
“Well, I couldn’t tell from looking at you,” Seclorum said. “There’s a strange… shine to your coat. Almost as if you’ve caught a second wind, Josho.”
“Yeah. Fancy that.”
“Here…” Seclorum slid the shot glass towards him. “Have one for old time’s sake.”
“Thanks, but no thanks.”
Seclorum did a double take. “I beg your pardon?”
Josho adjusted his weight on the stool, giving the glass a thousand-yard stare. “I don’t drink.” He cleared his throat. “Not anymore.”
Seclorum stared at him long and hard. “Now I know that something is different about you.” His eyes narrowed. “Did you settle down, Josho?”
“Nah. Not even a bullet to the head would make something like that happen, Secchy.” Josho sighed. “Look. Enough about you and me. I risked my neck getting here for one purpose.”
“The Xonans…”
Josho nodded. “They’re coming, Secchy.” He stared with cold, chiseled eyes. “And I don’t mean any regular battalion of them, or some company of grenadiers or serpent-summoners. This is the real deal, pal. They’ve captured Prime Enforcer Fortis’ battleship and are preparing to plow their way into Ledomaritan lines. In the wake of such a nasty punch, they’re gonna tear this Confederacy a new one with several support cruisers all backed by a floating headquarters minded by none other than the chief Xonan monarch herself.”
Seclorum exhaled the name coldly. “Lasairfion.”
“You bet your plot.”
“And you’re certain about this?” Seclorum squinted at him from an angle. “You can cross long distances, old friend, but there’s a certain gap of reasoning that still needs to be bridged here.”
Josho tongued the inside of his mouth. Then, with a sigh, he leaned forward and said, “Okay, look, let’s be real with each other here. This situation that we’re both in? The news I bring isn’t just important to you. We each have something to gain from this. You and your army won’t have to be obliterated. And as for me? I have friends in the field who could benefit from the Xonan offensive being expertly blocked.”
“What kind of friends?”
“Ponies who I give a crap about, alright?” Josho frowned. “Look, I was in a party of like-minded stallions and mules who found themselves on the receiving end of one too many manarifles.”
“You mean enemies of the state.”
Josho sighed and shook his head. “Look, I didn’t say that.”
“Josho…” Seclorum’s lips curved slightly. “Have you gone rogue?”
“If you must know, I was betrayed by my commanding officer who tried to have me smoked without telling any of his subordinates the truth.”
“Oh yeah? Who?”
“Shell.”
Seclorum blinked. He leaned back, his mouth hanging agape. “You mean to tell me that you’ve crossed paths with Prime Enforcer Shell?”
“Yeah…?” Josho blinked. “Why? Did the bastard finally croak?”
Seclorum slowly shook his head. “We lost contact with him weeks ago. He was stripped of his power by the Council of Ledo. However, the messenger who was sent to detain him on board the Steel Wing was never heard from again.”
Josho’s muzzle grew tight. “Knowing how bonkers Shell had already gone, it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s taken the role of Prime Enforcer way too friggin’ seriously. He’s on a vengeful mission to complete a wild goose chase, and hundreds if not thousands of innocent ponies have suffered because of it.”
“I’d rather not second guess a soldier who knows how to get the job done--”
“At the cost of the security of this friggin’ Confederacy?!” Josho growled. “Don’t defend the freak, Secchy! Or you’re liable to turn nutso too!”
Seclorum sighed, staring off towards the far end of the tent.
“What’s going on here, buddy?” Josho leaned forward, his voice briefly quiet, tender. “We’ve been through enough scrapes in the past that I deserve to know. What’s gotten you so insanely driven to defend this plateau? What is worth the sacrifice of so many soldiers who deserve to retreat and protect their homeland? The Xonans are gonna wipe out everything you’ve got holed up here at this rate, and this isn’t even counting the armada I’m now warning you about!”
The general’s leg braces whirred as he scratched his scalp beneath his capped horn. “Ledo thinks this war is all about protecting her royal interests and driving out the tattooed hoarde. But it’s turned into something far greater than that.”
“Something greater?” Josho frowned. “Like what? Is this about Nightshade?”
“The mare has a great deal of insight over what’s at play upon the dark horizon--”
“None of that poetic mumbo jumbo crap!” Josho growled. “Not you too! How hard is she grabbing you by the balls, huh? What’s really at stake here?”
Seclorum stared icily at the obese pony. At last, he stood up with a rattle of his metal braces. “Here, old friend. Come with me…” He made for the exit of the tent. “What you’re about to witness is a triply guarded secret.”
“Pfft…” Josho smirked as he trotted after him. “Can’t be anything worse than what I saw when we used to go skinny-dipping along the southern camps.”
The entrance to the machine, I guess?
~Basso
But ... but they're ponies ... and now I need brain bleach.
3561794
That would be mine. Josho already "saw" the gaping hole to it. It could also be some other piece that they recovered. It's important to note that it's not Ledo who cares, but Seculorum. Another among the heap of ponies doing something for themselves.
Oh, Josho, never change.
This was a nice comedic break from all the gloom and doom we've been having.
3561843
But we don;t know why yet. For all we know, Secclorum could be doing this because he knows what both parties would do with the power. My guess is that. He doesn't have that insanity vibe that Shell has, so something tells me this guy is on the up and up... well, as up and up as a Ledo Prime Enforcer could be.
Fifty four-count side-straddle hops, ):(. Knock 'em out!
When Josho utters the word austraeoh Seccy is going to choke.
3561839
His "coat" is an actual coat. He can unzip it.
War... was never changes. Or does it? The war has changed... did it? The answer is no.
3562065
In the midst of your chaotic reasoning, I can safely say that war does indeed change. Just not entirely.
machine world
Triply guarded, triply protected, triply called.
The power of the third name in magic.
I suppose this'll have something to do with the strange light Josho caught a glimpse of before. Which - I assumed then as I do now - has something to do with the machine world. An obelisk? The receptacle for the flame Nightshade had in her possession? The great thing about concepts like the machine world (apart from the awesome imagery) is that you never know what surprise it'll squeeze out next.
I...wait...what?
Seclorum and Josho... either old friends that took separate paths in the military, or bunk mates that became friends and separated when Josho volunteered for the 'suicide mission'.
3561930 I question if Secolorum will actually prove to be a boon or not - he's already got Nightshade's hooks in him, and the problem is, in a moment of crisis, that will be enough to give him a moment of pause. And as any commander knows, it's not a reversal that you fear - it's the momentary hesitation, because it signals doubt, and doubt signals a loss of faith. And that is what would lose a fight.
Here's to hoping, though, he becomes something more... stable than the other cohorts we've seen of Ledo so far.
3562061
My cover has been blown. I repeat: my cover has been blown
This is not the end of the world - but you can see it from here.
I sure hope Seccy loves dragons, because someone will be dragon an entire fortress all over his face soon. Of course it is an interesting thought to think that Nightshade was actually aware of what's going on at the rift for all this time - was she actually fighting this? Was she not only trying to win a war for Ledomare and reform their culture, but struggling against Lasaifiron and Nevlamas to safe the world itself? Should this be true - if she wasn't doing this for herself, for her brother, but for the world - her entire status as villain would have to be reconsidered. Until then, we've still got a rock flying towards us:
davidpaget.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Hell-and-Earth-Small-Version.jpg
3561843 I am still very much convinced that the "something far greater" is simply and plainly the survival of the world. Seclorum isn't fighting for himself - he's fighting for everyone.
I have this terrible suspicion that Seclorum is a traitor, who is willingly feeding Ledomaritan soldiers to Nevlemas aka Nagu'n.
Josho is all like "Golly, old chum, sure, let's go ahead and trot on over to an undisclosed location, where you most certainly won't trick me and murder me and then dispose of my body."
3563671
fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/336/f/f/lemongrab_by_phoraven-d5mvdbk.png
Totally called it. Now, what is this special thingy? Machine world? It has to be something really important.
The Commonwealth shall always preveil.
- Verlax
I wonder if two ponies going to swim only turns awkward if someone says "lets go skinny dipping!". Considering everytime they swim could be considered skinny dipping.
I mean that's some real psychological shit right there, they weren't naked until they acknowledged it.
More more more more MORE!
I like Seclorum, which means he will probably turn insane, be possessed, or is a traitor.
...That came out kind of depressed.
Cant wait for tomorrow:)
It's always nice to see that you read my comments.
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
Yeah, I'm definitely loving the dialogue here. These guys don't just sound like good friends, they FEEL like good friends. Good writing. Such wow. Much intensity. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
Hmmm...secrets and lies, it's all secrets and lies with these ponies! Well, at least the secrets bit. I'll reserve judgement on the lies for now...
Onward!
Josho's about to see the Machine World in person, the third friend of Dash to see it.
-SPirit
EDIT: Wait, I was wrong, Gold Petals was the first. Josho is the fourth.
Time to see what this suicide defense is all about.
You guys are ALWAYS naked you
gah, forget it
Nice tog et some actual meat with Seclorum so he's more than "grr wackjob who won't bend to tactical retreat"
5893282 naw. They're soldiers they wear berets.
Even more confirmation Shell has nothing to go back to.
6034173
Don't forget taser swords, or rifles. No stallion is completely clothed without his protection and his barete.
we don't usually wear clothes.
4446940
That's if you don't count the escaped slaves she led through its bowels the first time she saw it back in Austraeoh. Gold Petals was like the 12th or so to see it. Don't remember how many slaves she helped through there tho, it's been a while.