The Lord of Ragnarok

Chapter 21: War, War never changes

City of Flumen Subjicite - Barbarus Empire - Clopmaniac's P.O.V.

The last couple of hours weren't how I expected 'em ta go. I'd always thought that Blackjack would just agree with me. She was just as bullheaded as I remember reading. Claudia needed ta talk about what happened. She needed ta get it out, but Blackjack was adamant about her burying it deep in the back of her mind. Gettin' past the part of her being real, and actually being Blackjack, I knew what she was suggestin' was dumb! Burying that kind of trauma was only gonna make the girl lash out.

"Here's the Guild," Claudia said.

We looked at the softly spoken grasswalker, "Seriously, ya need ta talk 'bout it. Holdin' it in is only gonna make it worse," I said.

Blackjack looked at me, "No, don't think about it. Trust me, right now you need to be keep moving, keep breathing, take a step at a time, and go on."

Claudia looked at both of us, "I… I don't know who to talk to," she sniffed, "It feels like a lead weight on my chest, pushing me down, but I don't know who to tell. I can't tell my sister," she began to sob, "Because, how would it look for the guild if the second in command was taken down and...raped by a bunch of measly bandits?"

I looked at her, "Lass, it donnae matter. Trust me, it happens, and often it happens ta everybody. But those bandits, they're gonna always be there, in yer mind, always doin' that ta ya until ya take their power."

I saw Blackjack dig into her pouch, and she handed the girl what looked like a fine bottle of brandy. She gave her a half smile, "I honestly think that shoving it back is best, for now, but I can't say that it's the only best option. You need to do what's best for you. If you decide to talk, here's some Black Pony Mountain brandy. Strong stuff, so don't drink it alone, but it'll make talking about anything easier."

Claudia held onta the bottle like it was a life line. I could see her eyeing it, tryin' ta decide what was best. I cannae lie. Drinkin' that bottle would give her the confidence ta talk, but it'd be a hollow confidence. Still, maybe that'd be a better deal than none at all. She turned from us, walked inta the guild, and I watched as she left. I looked at Blackjack who saw her go on.

"She'll be fine."

I shook my head, "That's a lie and ya know it. She's gonna be a right mess, and gonna be one for a long time."

Blackjack looked ta me, "Maybe, but I've known someone like her before, and she was a lot stronger than most thought she was. Push comes to shove, she's gonna be fine."

I shook my head. She wasn't wrong, but I didnae want ta leave the girl ta it like that. Besides, if that was really black Pony Mountain Brandy then that girl was gonna be drunk off her ass. I was about ta go in after her, but Blackjack stopped me.

"Trust me, this isn't what she needs," she said.

"She's needin' help ya daffy coont!"

She growled at me, "You are annoying as hell, you know it?!"

I looked at her, "So are ya! Fock, I wanna drink! Where's the fockin' whiskey?!"

Blackjack looked at me, a grin stretching across her face, "A warm belly sounds good, and maybe you won't be so damned annoying then."

Twelve hours later - Hidden City of Sanerek Nim - Home Sat aside for Clopmaniac - Blackjack's P.O.V.

I looked at the dark room around me, and felt my head thumping in pain with each heartbeat. I remembered finding a bar, trading some of the prewar bits I had for a few bottles of their strongest liquor, and then starting to drink. It tasted like piss, looked like piss, but made me feel like I'd downed three bottles of wild pegasus with some Black Pony Mountain Brandy as a chaser. But afterward things got fuzzy. I didn't remember what happened, where we went, and I couldn't really remember why i was nude in this strange room.

I looked down, and started to freak out. A penis! I'm a mare, no PENIS! That's part of the rules! I reached down and sighed with relief. It wasn't real. I felt leather straps connected with it, which meant that I'd had fun. Okay, fun is fine, feels kinda weird to just have fun and not remember it though. I looked around the room, still trying to figure out where I was.

"Oi, my arse hurts!" that annoying mare from earlier shouted, "Fock! My fockin' head hurts! Fock my arse! Who the fock focked me in my arse?!"

I looked toward the bed, saw her with her ass in the air, and I looked at the fake cock I was wearing. A smile formed on my face. Okay, so fun was had, obviously it had been consensual, and that was a plus. I just wish that I could remember it. Sure, I felt nice and buttery inside, but having fun and not remembering the fun parts was a major let down. I moved toward the bed, and watched as she tried to keep from letting anything touch her butt.

"Had fun?" I asked.

She looked up at me, "Really, ya went and focked me in the arse with a strapon?" she asked.

I looked at the liquor bottles, "Well, I guess we just both needed to loosen up. I'd say you sound like you need to get laid, but hey, we've already been there and done that."

"You daffy coont!" she growled, and then she grabbed her head, "Fock… I swear ta ya, the next time this happens, I'mma gonna ram yer arse so hard that ya gonna be tasting shit covered dildos in the back of yer throat fer a week."

I grinned, blew a kiss, and walked toward what I hoped was the bathroom, "Sure, but buy me some candy and a drink first," I then groaned, "And my head is hurting too."

"Serves ya right…"

I groaned, "Seriously, just stop with that word. I heard it all of the damned time from Deus. Cunt this, cunt that. It gets old," I said as I looked at the door and discovered a room with a bathtub that I desperately wished Glory and P21 were both here to see, "I'm going to take a long hot bath, soak for a while, and then get dressed. I'm guessing this is your place?" I asked not really waiting for an answer.

"Fock if I know, but donnae waste all of the hot water. I wanna soak me arse!"

I laughed, walked into the bathroom, and moved toward the huge stone tub. I found the two turn knobs, and I figured the one shaped like flame was for the hot water. I turned it on, and after a moment the steamy goodness of hot water began to fill the tub. I turned on a little of the cold, to keep it from being hot enough to boil me alive. Once the bath was full I stepped into the tub. The water felt wonderful, warm, and so inviting as it slowly engulfed me.

I felt the more crusty part of my coat loosening up as the water soaked began to soak my body. I let out a low moan as I slipped further into the water. I looked up to see the orange colored mare with the bacon colored hair walking into the bathroom. She walked like her ass was still hurting, and she didn't ask a word as she slipped into the tub.

"Damn, this feels better lassie," she said as she leaned back.

I looked up at her and I began to wonder exactly where I was going to fit in. Was this the price that the Stars demanded? It made sense if it was. I couldn't know for sure, but it felt like this was the kind of messed up thing that the stars would do. Without doubt I wasn't in the Wasteland. I wasn't anywhere in Equestria. That meant that I was taken somewhere else. I figured that out already. What that meant was that with the exception of the ponies i met so far there wasn't likely to be too many more.

I almost felt like laughing. I didn't know where I would go, and I wasn't sure what I could do. Before I had ended up becoming Security, even though I never felt like a hero. I always felt like just a mare who happened upon the title after trying to do the right thing. In the end doing the right thing almost felt like it was going to cost my life, and maybe it did. I looked at the mare across from me. She said Discord was connected to this. Even if it wasn't the same Discord I had to believe they were connected. Maybe.

I wanted to groan, this was one of those things that a smart pony needed to figure out. So, instead I just allowed myself to soak in this tub with a cute, but annoying, mare.

Sanctus Theocracy Border - Combined armies of Barbarus Empire, Kingdom of Coronam, and the Temple of Celestia Sol - three weeks later - Mannulus' P.O.V.

The numbers supporting us were far better than I had hoped. The Barbarus Empire had sent two thousand Imperial Soldiers, and fifty Imperial mages. Most of which were barely strong enough to handle a few basic spells. The Kingdom of Coronam, after having met with me, and learned that we had ended Hydra, had matched the Barbarus Empire's own number of soldiers, but they had sent far more well rounded mages.

Of course I had no intention of letting a single one of them have to face battle. I looked beside me, and I saw Virth who looked put out to be here. She was still dressed as a maid, and she huffed silently as I studied the clamering army gathering at the border.

"Virth, I won't free you, because I know what will happen, but I am willing to lengthen the length of your leash. I will grant you a few extra freedoms, some that will include watching over a horde. Would you find this suitable?"

She looked at me, "What kind of freedoms?" she asked.

I smiled at her, "The kind that allows you to explore the temple in full, the kind that allows you to hunt on your own, and the kind that will eventually grant you a cave of your own with a horde to match. These are things I am willing to grant, are you willing to obey without question?"

She deadpanned at me, "I have to obey anyway. I'm a servant dragon now. I'm bound by your will. If you told me to suck your cock I'd have to," she growled.

"But then you would have the option of biting it off. You could wound me, without killing me, and thus keep yourself alive. I'm not asking if you will be magically compelled to do as asked, I'm asking if you will do it willingly so you can obtain your reward."

She studied me for a moment before looking away, "My own cave with my own horde?"

I grinned, "It will be yours to watch over."

She looked at me, "Your word. I want your word that it will be so."

I took her hand, "I give you my word that I will do all in my power to ensure that you have your own cave, and a horde to watch over. I also promise that you will be allowed to visit more of the temple than before, and that you will be treated as a citizen, not as a servant."

A glow covered our hands, and then a symbol formed on them. I knew it very well. The symbol was one from Ragnaro, and it was placed upon two characters when a pact was made. I had made one with Virth, and now my very magic was held to it. If it worked like Ragnarok and I betrayed that pact it would begin stripping me of my magic until I was nothing more than tired old stallion.

"What would you have me do, my master?" she asked.

I touched her cheek, kissed her, once again, and let the magic of our pact flow into her. She leaned back, feeling odd, and then she realized that she could transform once again.

"Be the dragon you are, and lay siege to the Sanctus Theocracy."

With that she fully transformed, and I took a moment to marvel at just how beautiful her dragonic form was. She was easily six hundred feet long, on all four of her legs she stood seventy-five feet off of the ground, and her wing span was huge as well. Her head was easily as big as 7hund3r, Clopmaniac, and myself standing side by side with room to spare. She lifted into the air and let out a joyous roar. With that roar she swooped over the Theocracy, and as I predicted she showed no mercy.

Fire rained down on the Theocracy, the very fire of a dragon, bathed in fury, and unleashed upon the damned. 7hund3r had said that Anok the Destroyer's bracelet was gone. I didn't doubt that it was damaged. After all, even a dragon transformation bracelet could be damaged, but destroyed was a bit much to hope for. If it was damaged the way that 7hund3r had said then Anok was likely going to be less inclined to use it. Most likely because he knew what would happen.

In Ragnarok Dragon Transformation talismans followed the same rule as cursed dragon items in Dungeons and Dragons. You could change back, but it would be difficult. A sorcerer with the right skill level could do it almost effortlessly, but damage it… There would be no changing back. For Anok it would be accepting that he couldn't beat us on his own. He would have to willingly change into another race, permanently, in order to stand a chance, and then he would face living in a skin of a being he hated.

So, the question was simple. Would he desire revenge more than his bigoted pride demanaded that he remain pure? In the end, it wasn't really even a contest. I watched as the black dragon formed. It was nearly as big as Virth, but Anok wasn't a born dragon. He didn't have the same instincts that she had. He had power, but no idea on how to capitalize on it. In essence it was like giving a powerful city destroying spell to a level one wizard and granting them the one time ability to use it. Against lesser enemies, it would wipe the floor with them, but against another enemy just as powerful, it was going to upset them, and cause them to destroy that wizard.

Anok bathed Virth in his fire, slashed at her with his claws, and she promptly put him on his ass. I watched as she slammed her foreclaw down, causing part of him to reveal itself, and then she ripped it away. He howled as his dragonic shaft was torn off, flung, and landed among the dead and dying of his army. She didn't stop. He'd made her angry, and she began to slice through his scales, going between them.

Her connection with me allowed me to see what she was doing, allowed me to feel her pain, and he had hurt her. I had never known before, but dragon roars were a language all unto itself. Her roars were telling him that he was going to be sorry for ever touching her. Her final swipe of her claw hit a strange looking puffy organ. Liquid fire covered him, and he screamed as it began to burn him from the inside out. It wouldn't kill him, after all, even inside dragons were fireproof, but it hurt him. She finally shoved her claw into his chest, and I felt her grasp his heart. She tore it free, and Anok lay motionless.

She flapped her wings, fire erupting from her mouth, and she turned toward the rest of the nation. I felt the question nagging in my mind, and I answered her.

"Yes, burn them all."

Her rich purple scales and red spines lifted into the air as she began to baptize the rest of the country in fire. The death of millions would be on my hands. The complete and total genocide of a nation would fall to me, and I would accept it. I would accept it because no one else needed to. I would accept it because to allow just one, just a single one of those true followers of Anok's to live would be inviting doom. The entire nation needed to burn.

"Mannulus! What the fock ya doin'?!" Clopmaniac shouted.

"What has to be done." I replied.

She ran toward me, her eyes bright with fury, "Nae! It donnae have ta be like this! We've beaten 'em, yer killin' innoc…." she stopped when I glared at her.

"They've lived under his rule, they had a chance to rise up, to stand against him and his kind, they had a choice!" I roared. I turned back, "They had a chance, and they chose to be sheep. Now, they suffer a sheep's fate."

She shook her head, "Something's wrong with ya! Think! Mannulus, yer the best of us, and fer good reason! Think! It ain't right! Ya gotta stop it now!"

I looked at her, her eyes pleading, "Please, as me friend, stop it, let the rest surrender."

I closed my eyes, connecting with Virth, and she obeyed. She flew back, transforming back into her near human form. The capital was burned to the ground. The towns surrounding it was gone, and I was about to say something when something hit the back of my head and I fell like a sack of potatoes.

Battlefield - Near Mannulus - Clopmaniac's P.O.V.

I looked at Blackjack. We didn't agree on most things, but I agreed with this. Until we cannae figure out what happened ta Mannulus, we needed to have him out. I saw Twilight, Solar Flare, and Rainbow. Each of 'em was pissed, but I didnae care. He was my friend before he was married ta 'em. I looked ta Blackjack once more.

"Thanks, we need ta get him back. Never knew him ta be like this."

She sighed, "He might stay like it. Something has happened… I wish I was a smart pony, or a smart pony was here. I'm sure that Morning Glory would have half a dozen ideas of what happened."

I looked toward the other guild members. I could see the understanding in their eyes. I didnae like this one bit, but it wasn't like we had a lot of choices. I used my magic to lighten him, and then I turned toward Twilight.

"Something is affecting Mannulus, and ta be honest he won't be out for long. He's the strongest of us, and I know that physical attacks are usually nullified after a few minutes. So, the lot of ya need ta figure out how ta figure out what's happened, and how ta fix it."

Sombra looked at me, "When he revived me he had said I was two souls joined together. It seems likely the same has happened with him. If that is the case then he may be evolving further. Luckily, he was never an overly violent stallion."

I nodded, "True that, but still, we've got ta consider what that means. He's protective, willing ta destroy everything that… Oh Christ, they hurt ya."

He looked at me before nodding, "True, they did, and he retaliated. Add in the bond he has with the dragon and it should explain things. The fact that you are a close friend is likely the only reason he stopped."

Well if that didnae just lift my tail, ram my arse, and make me its bitch. He was acting to his nature. It was how he was, and now it was likely he would continue to act that way. When he woke hopefully he would listen ta reason. In truth I couldnae be sure he wouldn't be able ta mop the battlefield with all of us. We were just as strong, sure, but he was specked different. He could call on everything that was dead, command it ta attack, and we would have our forces split.

When push came ta shove he was the stragistist among us. I did things. That was the kina mare I was. Typically my plans included a pint, a mare or stallion, and getting good an laid. Beyond that was pure dumb luck. 7hund3r was good at the moment planning, but he was shite at the long game. Trixieisagoddess would be take out first. He wouldn't let a pony with the ability to mess with his mind stay active. Christ, would I be killed or spared?

He began to stir, and I saw him look at me, "I know, and I'm sorry, but ya were gettin' all kinds of angry and scary. We didnae need ta kill all of 'em."

He groaned, "Fine, but why did you knock me out?"

"Yeah, that was me, sorry. Seemed like a good idea at the time," Blackjack said.

He looked at her, "Don't do it again," he growled, "Lets gather the prisoners and inform them that a new country will be built here," he turned toward Sombra, "How do you feel about ruling over a new fledging country?"

Sombra smiled, "I feel ready."

With that we lead the armies into the ash laiden fields. I looked at Blackjack as she studied the amount of death and destruction here. I knew that she'd seen athermath like this before. The Megaspells dropping had been similar, but I doubted that she had ever really seen a dragon turn loose before.

City of New Appleloosa - former city of Ferrum Civitatem - Mannulus' P.O.V.

I studied the people cowering in fear. I didn't want this to last. Did they need to fear us? Yes, but they also needed to lead their lives. I walked with the armies of our allies behind us, my friends surrounding me, and my brides near us. We made our way toward a large stage. One that I realized was a place where executions must have taken place. The simple feeling of death rolled from it. I strolled to the top of it.

"Men, women, and children of the former Sanctus Theocracy, your leader is defeated, your lands are forfeit, and as such we will be stepping in to rule. I looked over all of them. This is King Sombra the Magnificent," I said as I pointed to Sombra, "As such he will rule over this nation. This city will become its capital."

"What will happen to us?" a woman shouted.

Sombra smiled at them, "Simple, you will live your lives. There will be new laws, all will be welcomed, none will be viewed as inferior, and if a single one of you breaks that rule punishment will be quick and harsh."

The silence that covered the group spoke in volumes. I hoped that Clopmaniac was right. That there were innocent people here, because if there wasn't then every single citizen would be slaughtered. Killing in battle would be far easier, and much more accepted. Killing afterward would make us seem like tyrants.

But then being tyrants would be far better than allowing the poison that was the Theocracy to reform. Being something terrible would be worth the cost at the end of it. If push came to shove I will be the villain needed to ensure the peace that we desired.