Retreat, it was a word that hadn't been in his vocabulary for years. Ever since the second "Battle Of Berlin" between NATO and Russian forces the Russians had been on the backfoot, though they had fought bitterly till the end of the war. That battle was similar to Stalingrad except the Russians we're the ones who had gotten encircled in the city and destroyed that time. The Americans never really had been on the retreat during the war anyway so Luke didn't really feel what it was like, now he did and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. He was still being chased by that big white horse, he reckoned that he had about a 100 foot lead on them however they we're faster than him as they had four legs that we're designed for running long distances.

"Fuck this I can't outrun them, if I'm gonna get away then the forest is my only option" he realized. With that he headed for the forest once again. He looked back and saw that the white horse was now only about 70 feet away from him with him having about 40 more feet to go before he entered the forest, it was going to be close. Luke forced his legs to move as fast as they could, however that wasn't an easy feat considering that he had about 50 pounds of gear on. Nevertheless a normal civilian would've collapsed by now and he was still making good time.

He looked back again and saw that the horse was now only 45 feet away from him with the smaller horses directly behind it. The forest was now 20 feet away and he was closing the distance rapidly. When he looked back again and saw that the horse was still about 33 feet back he breathed a sigh of relief, at this rate he was going to make it. He could almost touch the bushes that lined the edge of the forest.

Suddenly just before he was able to dash into the bushes he felt himself unable to move. He was moving his legs as fast as he could but he was not actually moving, he actually felt like he was being dangled on a rope or held by a collar. He then looked down and realized that he was actually floating about 2 feet off of the ground with a golden orb surrounding him.

"Stop trying to resist!" a female sounding voice boomed from behind him. Confused he turned around to see that the white horse was now standing about 10 feet away from him, with him finally able to get a decent look at the horse. It had a pure white fur coat or skin (he couldn't tell) with a green, blue, and pink mane and tail. With what looked like a picture of the sun on it's flank. The horse also had very large purple colored eyes. For attire it had a golden chestpiece and regalia with a purple jewel in the center of both. On it's back it had two wings like Flash but like Rosemary it also had a large horn on it's head which was glowing with a golden orb around it as well, speaking of those horses from yesterday they we're standing right behind the white horse along with a few other guards. Feeling threatened Luke aimed his rifle right at the head of the white horse.

"Is that the weapon you we're talking about Rosemary?" the white horse asked Rosemary.

"Yes your highness" Rosemary stepped forward. "Is this horse is considered royalty?" Luke thought, he was very confused and even a little scared. Although any facial expression he made was concealed by his mask.

"Should we disarm him, your highness?" he heard Sword ask. This made him very concerned, we're they going to forcefully take his weapon away, strip him of his gear, throw him in prison, or execute him? He had already spent time in a Chinese prisoner of war camp which was not a fun experience so he wasn't exactly eager to relive something like that. Then one of the royal guards came up beside the white horse and Rosemary with what looked like a set of chains

That was all Luke needed to see. Not eager to be thrown in a prison again he began thrashing about trying to get out of whatever 'trap' he was in. Unknown to him the white horse put up one of it's legs to stop the guard with the chains but doing this had weakened her hold on him allowing him to break out falling to the ground. By the time the white horse realized this Luke had already gotten up and sprinted off into the forest.

"After him!" he heard Rosemary yell.

Luke ran through the forest as fast as he could while trying not to disturb the ground too much so the guards couldn't track him easily. His combat outfit had also turned back into the camouflage type suited for this forest allowing him to blend in easily. At last he found a nice bush to hide in, he could hear the horses getting closer to his position. He decided that if these horses wanted a fight then they would get a fight. He put his rifle away and got his machine gun out, loaded the belt, clicked it off safety, and aimed it where he could hear the stomping of hooves coming towards him. Thankfully it seemed that the foliage had slowed the guards down quite a bit so he had a second to breathe. He was now in combat mode which meant that nothing else mattered to him right now other than his survival or defeating the 'enemy' who speaking of which had finally appeared through the foliage.

"Tartarus, we lost him" Rosemary stated.

"Thanks Spearhead" Flash added.

"Hey it's not my fault, you where the one who suggested disarming him" Spearhead replied pointing a hoof at Rosemary.

"That doesn't mean you just walk up to him with chains in your hooves" she shot back.

"If you hadn't spooked him we might even be talking to him at the forests edge right now" she added.

"Hmph, whatever" he replied.

"It's not whatever! Not only did we lose the target but we lost it infront of the PRINCESS!" she shouted.

"It is alright Rosemary, I was the one who had him in my grasp but I faltered allowing him to get away" the white horse said as she walked up.

"No your highness, it was one of the ponies under my command that -" Rosemary started but was interrupted.

"But nothing Rosemary, it was my fault" she stated. Rosemary however still looked bad about seemingly failing the white horse. He almost pitied her.

"Well considering how off target he shoots I don't really think we have anything to worry about" Spearhead added. Luke guessed that his warning shots had been misinterpreted by him as actual shots meant to kill. He could also see that this horse had an ego and one that was not liked if the looks he got from the other horses we're any indication. So to teach him a lesson he wouldn't soon forget Luke turned on a red laser aiming attachment he had found in his backpack earlier this morning, aimed it at the head of said guard, and after a few seconds of the guards and princess noticing said red dot he raised it onto the guards helmet and blew it off. The helmet clanged onto the ground hard with the horse going into shock and eventually fainting. The other horses looked around frantically with shock and fear in their eyes but did try to show some sort of professionalism infront of what he guessed was their boss, it was almost comical. However the white horse seemed to be more surprised than scared.

"Where did that come from!" Sword yelled.

"I don't know but take cover and protect the princess!" Rosemary yelled back as she dragged Spear's body behind a rock with her and the princess.

With the horses now distracted and informed that he was not fucking around anymore Luke decided to get out of there. However the horses seemed to be somewhat competent after all and had very quickly established a perimeter around him which was making escaping very difficult. After hours on end of hiding and slowly moving from position to position, from bush to bush it looked like he might finally escape. After waiting for Rosemary and Sword to pass by his current bush he slowly began backing out of said bush being careful not too make a sound. Unfortunately it seemed that it just wasn't his day as his knee pressed against a twig that he hadn't seen and snapped it. Instantly the heads of the guards and princess all snapped to the bush was in... "shit".

"Come out now!" Rosemary yelled. However she was only met with silence and then the patter of legs running away.

"Ugh to Tartarus with this, come on!" she ordered. She would not let this creature escape from her a second time.

Twenty Nine Minutes Of Running Later

Luke jumped over a small gap in the ravine that surrounded the castle close to where the bridge that the manticore had cut the other day was. He ran across the castle's courtyard, opened the main doors, ran into the castle's main room, slammed the doors shut, boarded them up, and then ran to what was left of the castle's gantry. Once there he procured his rifle from his back, switched the scope to thermal mode, and scanned for targets. It was beginning to get dark as well which would make thermal scanning even more accurate. Soon enough he spotted the horses again, they had just crossed the ravine at the same place he had and we're now making their way towards the castle.

"Goddammit why can't these bastards just fucking leave me alone" he thought. He counted 7 guards (obviously excluding Spearhead and the princess) which seemed to be racing towards the castle at full speed. He had had enough of these horse's and began to let his instinct's take over him. He figured he would take out Rosemary first as she seemed to be their leader. However just as he aimed his rifle at her head the sun reflected off his scope again in such a way that she noticed it and ducked just as he fired. The bullet went just over her head and hit Sword who was behind her in his leg. He fell to the ground crying out in pain which made the horses stop instantly. Rosemary then quickly put up one of those bubbles just like the one that the man from the party had.

Luke held fire for a second giving one last hope that the horses would realize that he would defend himself, that he was more trouble than he was worth, and just cut their losses already before one of them ended up getting killed. However one look at Rosemary's face through the scope of his rifle dashed those hopes instantly, she looked furious. She said something and Flash took Sword away to somewhere else by air.

"Probably to a hospital" Luke thought. Then he saw Rosemary say something else to the other guards. He prayed that they didn't advance towards him since he didn't want to shoot them again. But they began slowly advancing towards the castle again within Rosemary's bubble. Luke shook his head and aimed his rifle once more at Rosemary's head and fired. The crack of his rifle echoed throughout the forest as the bullet hit the edge of the bubble but didn't penetrate, the horses however stopped.

Confused as to why Rosemary hadn't just had her brains blown out he looked at the bubble again. The other horses looked scared and didn't seem to want to continue but Rosemary seemed determined. She was brave he'd give her that. Thinking that he somehow missed her he fired again, however this time he and the horses both noticed that when the bullet hit the edge of the bubble it shattered on contact.

Rosemary looked to have a boost of confidence when she realized they we're safe, the other horses just looked relieved. But Rosemary began to charge toward the front of the castle with the other horses forced to go with her or else be left behind and out of her bubble. Luke continued shooting at them but each time the shot shattered against the bubble. Eventually the horses finally got to the door of the castle and with a charge of light from her horn Rosemary blew it open making his fortifications useless, they we're now inside the castle.