Chapter Two
The three Royal Guards looked at one another, before their Sergeant wiped his bleeding nose. "Well? Don't just stand there, kill him!" The, supposed, Sergeant shouted while pointing at Talon.
The two looked at each other, before nodding and readied their swords. Talon eyed them, his hands slowly gripping the sword tighter. Without another thought, the two Royal Guards lashed towards the black knight! One went high, while the other went low, trying to use the other as a distraction for their own hit.
When they got close, Talon quickly parried the high one's attack, but used his left boot to slam into the low one's face! This caused the two to become separated, allowing Talon to focus on one of the Royal Guards at a time, for the moment.
They lashed at him again, Talon used is sword to defect the Royal Guard's own. Quickly, the black knight sent a fist up into his chin, sending the Royal Guard back. The sound of hoofsteps rushing, allowed him to know that the other Royal Guard is trying to rush into his blind spot. The one in front of him tried attacking again, forcing Talon to parry, but he quickly whipped his tail up! It wrapped around the second's sword hand, and forced the blade downward into the stone.
"W-What the!?" The Royal Guard yelled, as his wrists were bound by the silver furred tail. Talon followed by kicking the first right into his chest, before elbowing the second right into his face. That caused him to stagger back from their opponent, feeling his bleeding mouth… But the sound of metal ripping through metal, and a burning sensation within the Royal Guard's abdomen, caused his mouth to open wide. "H-How?" He stuttered.
"Because, you underestimated your opponent." Talon answered, as he stood in front of the second Royal Guard, his back to him, and the black bladed sword rammed through the unicorn's abdomen.
The first backed away, as Talon quickly removed his blood sword. "S-Sergeant… He just killed Star Burst!" He called out, the black knight throwing the blood from his sword.
"I saw, Silver Lining!" The Sergeant yelled, readying himself. "We'll avenge him, then carry out our mission." Talon moved to where he was in front of Luna again, placing the sword's blade on to his forearm. "This guy is obviously no novice would be hero… Be careful, Silver."
Talon watched the two approach him, carefully analyzing each of their stances. He could tell that the "Sergeant" was the most seasoned of the, and Silver Lining being demoralized by the death of their comrade. This would not normally be a problem, except the rather terrified alicorn behind him. So, he had to make sure neither went for her, while fighting them off.
"Staring to hate this contract…" He thought, as the Sergeant suddenly charged towards him! Talon swung his sword around, the Sergeant trying to parry it but got sent flat on to his back! Silver Lining was in mid charge, when he saw the Sergeant get sent backwards.
The Royal Guard looked at the black knight, surprised at the sheer strength that he possessed. "What are you!?" Silver Lining asked, barely able to parry an attack from his opponent.
Being so close to the knight's helmet, Silver Lining saw the glaring red eyes glaring down at him. "Your worst nightmare, junior." Talon said, before headbutting the Royal Guard with his fully armored helmet. Using Silver Lining's disorientation as an advantage, he quickly performed a low swing and split the Royal Guard's torso open! Blood started to spray out, the black knight stepping away and watched as his opponent fell to the ground. "Then, there was one." When Talon turned around, he had been met by a pummel strike to the head, and caused his helmet to fly off!
As Talon backed away, covering his hurting head, the Sergeant laughed. "Not so tough now, are… You?" He caught the black feathers, revealed when Talon's helmet got knocked off… But when his opponent turned around, and looked at him? Both he and Luna went slack jawed at the same time.
"A Gryphon!" Luna blurted out, the two seeing Talon's raven feathered head and silver hued beak.
"S-Stay back, filth!" The Sergeant backed away, shocked at seeing a Gryphon this far away from the Gryphon Empire. The Sergeant's eyes went straight to Luna, he knew that there was no chance at fighting an obvious Imperial Gryphon Knight alone, they were far stronger than any normal pony. "Die, Nightmare Moon!" He yelled, charging straight for the princess.
Luna gasped, shocked by the Royal Guard's sudden change in targets. Dropping the shield, Luna backed away until she felt the marble railing pressing into her back. Without warning, Talon flew in front of her, his feathers flying everywhere, and impaled the Sergeant upon his sword, too quick for the seasoned Royal Guard to stop.
The Sergeant gasped, in pain, as Talon rammed his sword further into the stallion's torso. Leaning forward, he allowed the Sergeant to rest his chin on to the black knight's shoulder. "You die, without honor, Sergeant… Too bad those boys had to die so, as well."
"You… Filthy, G-Gryphon." The Sergeant groaned, as he looked towards Luna. "O-Of course… N-Nightmare Moon would… Have such foul creatures pro-GAK!"
Talon ripped his sword out, causing sheer pain to stop the Sergeant's words. When he looked up, the Sergeant only caught a glimpse of what the Gryphon was about to do… Just before the black blade decapitated him. "No one insults those I serve, and lives."
After cleaning the blood from his sword, Luna watched the Gryphon the retrieve his helmet, and walk up to her. Right now, the Imperial Knight towered over Luna, which made her nervous. "W-What do y-you want?" She asked, pressing her back against the marble railing.
Talon raised an eyebrow at her question. "To serve as your protector." He sheathed the sword, and retrieved the scroll from his belt, presenting it to her. "As I was hired to do."
Luna took the scroll, opening it and saw the seal she had not seen in a thousand years! "The Lunar Republic…" She gasped, looking up at the Gryphon Knight. "Where did you come by this contract?"
"A unicorn mare presented it to me, one who referred to you as her mistress." Talon knelt down, placing his helmet on to the ground. "I must say, you are much younger and…" His eyes scanned her for a moment. "Smaller, than I expected, Nightmare Moon."
Luna eyes widened, looking at the Gryphon in shock. "W-We are Nightmare Moon any longer!" She handed the scroll to Talon. "Which nullifies your contract, and rendering your services unneeded."
Talon eyed the scroll, before looking up at her. "My lady, are you not Princess of the Night?" He asked, as she gave a nod. "Are you not referred to as the 'Moon Goddess'?" Again, Luna gave a nod. "Then my contract still stands, for in those titles? I was contracted to, not 'Nightmare Moon'. That was but a name given to me." Luna didn't respond to his correction, watching the Gryphon look at the dead Royal Guards around hem, then back to her. "And you seem to be in desperate need of my services."
The Lunar Princess gripped her dress, hearing those words. "W-We deserved their judgement." She looked down at her hands, still gripping tightly on the dark colored silk cloth. "And, after the atrocities we have committed, how can you serve one like us?" Luna asked.
"In all honesty, my lady, I could care less about what you have done in the past." He answered, causing Luna to give him a surprised look. "I fought for both good rulers, and terrible rulers. I fought for saviors, and for butchers. I fought for kings, and I fought for tyrants. For noble lords, and then for warlords. All of this, during my time as a Mercenary… Not to mention, I have done quite a few things that I will never be proud of, either." The Luna Princess listened to Talon's words, somewhat curious. "The way I look also draws unwanted personas… Despite the good I do, when not contracted." He smirked at her, nodding. "Serving you will not be a problem. I always fulfil my contracts, regardless who it is that made them."
Luna looked around, for a moment, and then thought about it. His words were true, and the contract did not say he was to serve Nightmare Moon, but the Princess of the Night. Before long, she gave a nod. "V-Very well, Sir Talon. We shall accept your services… But, might we make one alteration?"
Talon gave a nod. "What is your alteration, my lady?"
"If we are ever to become Nightmare Moon again…" She gave him a concerned look. "Please, end us? Turn thy blade on to us, and slay us where we stand… We do not wish to bring any more misery to Equestria."
"Is that truly what you want?" Talon asked, as Luna nodded to him. "Then, it shall be done." The Gryphon drew his sword, and offered it to the princess. "I, Talon, offer my services and sword to you, Princess."
Luna smiled, this was something she recognized from her days before Nightmare Moon. A knight swearing themselves to a new lord or lady. Carefully, Luna took the black blade. "And we, Princess Luna, accept both your services and sword." With hat, she placed the sword's black blade on to his shoulders, while speaking her next words. "With the words you spoke, and the actions shown before… We bestow thou the title of 'Dark Angel'… Our Dark Angel."
Talon didn't object to the title, or the display. It reminded him of the Gryphon Empire's old days, the knighting of new Imperial Knights. Luna offered him the sword back, allowing him to take it from her. "Then our contract is set, and I will serve until you release me, or I am slain."
She gave a nod, motioning for her new protector to stand up. But her eyes widened the very moment a regal voice yelled. "Luna! Luna, where are you!?" Then, a white alicorn, bearing the royal sun insignia of Princess Celestia on her white gown, rushed into view of the balcony.
Though, when several Royal Guards rushed in with her, Talon shot up! Turing around, the Gryphon readied his sword in one hand while pushing Luna behind him with the other. "Get behind me, Princess Luna!" He ordered, readying for battle.
The Royal Guard readied to fight, seeing Talon's own hostile intent. It didn't help that there were three dead guardsmen around him. "Unhand Princes Luna, intruder!" One yelled, all drawing their golden swords.
Talon quickly got into a combat stance, placing the black blade over his forearm. Luna noticed that the Gryphon was ready to fight, form what she saw, thirteen Royal Guards and her sister! She just got this protector, no way she was going to lose him so quickly. When the Royal Guard stepped forward, Luna went around her protector, and stood in front of him. "Don't though dare touch him!" She yelled, throwing both arms out and opening her wings.
The Royal Guard stepped back, confused by her action. "Princess Luna, step away from the intruder! He's already slain your escort, and will harm you!" Another guard yelled.
"Those were not our escort! But assassins trying to kill us!" She corrected him, looking up at Talon, smiling, before glaring at them. "Sir Talon, my personal protector, both stopped and slayed my attackers!"
"She speaks the truth." The guards looked back at Celestia, who had a nervous Royal Guardsman next to her.