Chapter Four
The entire castle guard and staff gathered in the arena's stands, even some of the major nobles were in attendance with their personal staff. After all, it was no every day that a Royal Guard Captain challenged one of the Princesses, in their right to rule. The crowds were in a buzz, gossip about who will champion Luna and who will be the winner. Right now, the current favor was Captain Sun Beam, since it would require another Captain to beat him… And they weren't allowed to fight one another, in such cases.
The crowd fell silent, as Celestia and Luna took the seats, overlooking the arena. "We are here to observe the final judgement, upon one who has committed a treasonous crime!" Celestia used her Royal Canterlot Voice, making sure all could hear her words. The doors within the arena, opposite from both princess, opened up and allowed a combat ready Sun Beam to walk out. "Captain Sun Beam! You stand before your peers, and some of those you are charged to protect to be judged in a trial by combat! Are you prepared to face your opponent?" He gave a nod, presenting his sword to Celestia. "Then, may you face off against my sister's champion!"
All eyes went to the open door behind Sun Beam, even the Captain looked at the door. He readied himself, the unicorn holding his Celestial Guard Shield out in front, but no one came forth to meet him. Sun Beam looked around, noticing that the entire Royal Guard were in the stands. "Are none of you going to champion the Princess? Are none of you going to defend her honor?" He asked the guards, grin on is muzzle, as the guards looked at one another. "Well, it seems I win by forfeit-?"
When he looked back at the princess' booth, Sun Beam saw Luna standing at the railing… The navy blue alicorn had a confident smile on her muzzle. Throwing her right hand up into the air, like it was some sort of signal, she used the Royal Canterlot Voice to give the word. "Come forth, our champion! Come forth, our Dark Angel of the Night!" From behind their place in the stands, a large figure flew skyward and into the bright disc that was Celestia's sun!
The crowd, and Sun Beam, attempted to see who the figure was, but the sun's brightness blocked any of them from actually seeing him. It wasn't until the figure landed inside of the arena, when they all saw her champion… But he was kneeling, the large black wings cloaking the entirety of his large body. "Who in Equestria are you?" Sun Beam asked, taking a shielded stance.
The crowd became awed, as the champion threw open his wings, standing up, and sent black feathers everywhere. "Your end, Traitor of their majesties." Talon said, the black knight giving Sun Beam a helmeted glare. "Now, ready yourself, 'Captain'. I will make you pay, for your attempt on my lady's life!" He moved into a heavily shield position, his armor and shield making him sound like some heavily armored juggernaut.
The black blade shined within the sunlight, and the crest upon is shield confused Sun Beam, but he shook the confusion off. "Lad, I don't know who you are, but I will teach you a lesson about facing off with your obvious betters!" With that, Sun Beam shield charged straight for Talon!
Talon smirked behind his helmet, watching the charge. "I have already proven to be your better, fool." He slowly leaned back, in his guard, as the kite-wall shield's edged bottom drug against the sandy ground. Those familiar with shield combat, realized that the black knight was planning to meet Sun Beam head on…
"Prepare to meet our end, boy!" The Captain yelled, as he closed in on the opposing champion. All eyes were on the two, as their shield drew closer to one another. Once there was no stopping the charge, Talon sprung his trap, that the Captain foolishly charged right into.
The Black Knight threw his entire body forward, his stance remaining more stable than the charging Sun Beam. Their shields clashing became like slow motion, to the spectators. The golden metal slowly meeting the black metal of Talon's shield, sparks flying up as the metal grinded against each other. The spectators only saw their stalemate last a mere second, before their ears were filled with the sounds of bone, sickly, snapping in two.
Their next sight became Sun Beam, shockingly, being sent flying across the arena! The Captain crashed against the marble wall, actually cracking, followed by him roaring in pain. "My arm! My arm! That bastard actually broke my arm!" His golden shield laid off to the side, his sword next to him, as the stallion held n to his injured arm.
On the other side, Talon repositioned himself into another defensive stance. He kept his sword at the shield's edge, taking one step at a while he approached the fallen Captain. "You still have a chance t save your men, Captain. Surrender, you have lost this battle." The black knight suggested.
Sun Beam glared at his opponent, and grabbed the sword. Slowly standing up, allowing his left arm to dangle, the Captain prepared a shieldless combat stance. "And accept her as one of our regal royals!? After what she has done!? Never!" Sun Beam yelled, revealing far more within his words.
"So be it… Your fate has been healed." He waited until Sun Beam to charge again, over confidence being the Captain's enemy. All rational thought of tactics had left the stallion, his pride becoming more important than skill, or his own men. "Prepare for your tragic fall…"
Using his shield first, Talon knocked Sun Beam's sword up into the air. He followed with a thrust into the Captain's left thigh, causing blood to leak out. During Sun Beam's painful, Talon spun to his rear and sliced the stallion's back! The spraying blood covered the black knight's armor, those within the crowd gasping at how brutal he looked. Falling forward, Sun Beam turned around, and attempted to strike his opponent with a magic bolt!
But Talon deflected it into the sky, using his large shield to do so. Before the unicorn could attempt another blast, Luna's champion did the cruelest thing one could perform on a unicorn… He cut Sun Beam's horn clean off, with a single powerful swing of that black bladed sword. Some of the crowd fainted, few puked, seeing such a barbaric act being carried out.
Sun Beam howled in agony, holding one to the stub that used to be his horn. The black knight held his sword to the Captain's throat. "You are no longer a threat to my lady, so… Do you yield, Captain Sun Beam?" He asked, the pain filled Captain just glared up at his foe, making him push the sword's tip into the stallion's throat. "Do you yield!?"
"I…" Sun Beam glared at him, before clamping both eyes shut. "I yield." The entire crowd, those still conscious, were shocked that the most skilled of the Captains had just yielded to Luna's champion. Sun Beam not looking up at his opponent, feeling such disgrace, and prepared for the punishment.
Talon gave a nod, looking up towards Celestia. "Princess Celestia, if I am correct, his life, along with those under him, are mine to decide?" She gave a nod; the black knight gave her one in return. "Good, then this is my decision!" Talon moved his sword down, and suddenly cut Sun Beam's rank off of his armor, followed by the Celestial Royal Guard symbol.
"I see…" Celestia smiled at the mercy, which Luna's champion displayed. "They shall be stripped of their ranks, then disowned from the Royal Guard."
No one disputed Celestia's decree, and watched as Luna flew down into the arena. Talon sheathed his sword, quickly kneeling before her. "What will you have of me, my lady?" The black knight asked, wings draping over his body like a black cape.
Luna smiled down at him, proud that he defeated his foe, showed such compassionate mercy, and defended her honor; then looked around at both the crowd and the defeated Sun Beam. "There is…" She started, looking back at Talon. "Our Dark Angel… Please, remove thy helmet and show thine face to all. Show our subject who it is, that defended our honor with such ferocity, loyalty, and mercy."
Talon looked up at her, then nodded and released his shield. Those in the stands leaned forward, all curious at who this mysterious champion is, as the black knight started to remove his helmet. Though, when he pulled it off, revealing both his black feathers and silver beak, they all gasped. Talon looked around, even allowed his long, thin, tail to escape the armor. "A Gryphon!" The crowd yelled, Sun Beam shocked at the revelation. "I was… Defeated by a lowly Gryphon?" He muttered, eyes wide.
"This is an outrage!" A unicorn guard yelled.
"A Gryphon cannot be trusted, nor allowed, to defend our princess!" A pegasi guard added.
"Remove that unworthy filth from her majesty's presence, immediately!" A noble yelled, many others agreeing. "How dare he trick Princess Luna into allowing him in her service!"
The Gryphon silently knelt before Luna, as insult after insult is thrown at him. It did not take very long, until the entire crowd were in an uproar about how unworthy he was. "ENOUGH!" Everyone fell silent, as Luna's Royal Canterlot Voice echoed over their own voices, the princess glaring up at them all. "You guards had a chance to defend us! To defend our honor! But you refused to do so, because of your own cowardice, then have the gall to insult he who did!? SHAMEFUL!" The Royal Guards flinched at her words, feeling like Luna had just struck them with a sword. "As for you Nobles! None of you have the right to comment about who protects me! You all sit around, bleeding our loving subjects dry of their bits, while you get fatter and laugh about it… Be happy that I do not turn Sir Talon's deadly blade upon you!"
The princess was flustered, angered by those around her. Her eyes were even tearing up with pure rage, preparing yell more, but a hand suddenly placed itself on to her bare shoulder and prevented such a choice. "Enough, my lady." She looked back, and up, to see Talon with his helmet back on, shield now in hand. "Their words do not bother me, but you should retire, and calm down, before saying another word they can use again."
Luna just looked up at the emotionless helmet, wanting to say more about hwowrong they were… But the Lunar Princess bit back her words, and nodded. "P-Pleae, my Dark Angel, escort us back our chambers."
"As you wish, my lady." With that, the two of them left the arena completely.
Celestia watched the two leave, before standing up from her seat and gaining the crowd's attention. "I am…" Her gaze scanned those within the stands. "Disappointed in all of you, my subjects." Her words went straight into their ears, no longer having that loving sound in it, and made them all feel like their princess felt hurt by their actions. The white alicorn suddenly vanished, in a flash of golden light, not even allowing her Royal Guard the honor of escorting her back to the throneroom.
-That Night, At the Night Court-
"Mercenaries!?" One of the nobles yelled, standing up from his eat. "You want to employ mercenaries as your Lunar Guard? Your majesty, I must implore you reconsider this decision."
Luna sat in her lunar throne, Talon standing to her left. The princess had just put forward that her Lunar Guard be formed with contracted mercenaries, instead of employing members of the current Royal Guard. So far, all but one of her advisors were against the notion and that one holds far more sway than the others… After the fact he defended her honor in the arena.
"Your majesty, I must advise against employing mercenaries to protect you, and carry out your will." Another added, trying to remind respectful to their princess. "Surely, you could employ members of your sister's Royal Guard to-?"
"You mean the same Royal Guard that tried to have me killed?" Luna interruptd, silencing the noble. "The very same Royal Guard that did not defend my right to rule? Who feared their own statuses than to do their sworn duty?" She added, making the nobles look at one another, then back to her. "No, I do not rust, nor respect, my sister's guard. I will rely on the services of hand-picked Mercenaries to guard me… After all, it has proven that they do not care who it is they serve, they'll defend them to death." She smiled up at Talon, who nodded, before she returned her attention towards the gathered nobles.
"Handpicked by who, your majesty?" A third noble asked.
"BY me." Talon answered, throwing forward five files. "Each one of those bands are the best, and will stick to their contracts. So loyal, they would never be bribed… Even willing to die before they break said contracts."
A forth noble grabbed one of the files, opening it up and reading it. After a couple of seconds, his eyes widened. "You cannot be serious!" He shouted, looking at Talon and the smiling Luna. "Can these vagabonds truly be trusted?"
"Aye, they can be." Talon answered, smirking at the assembled nobles. "They are more family, to me, than my own Clan." That caused the nobles to have a second take, not believing the words they just heard from him. "They even know one another, and treat each other like brethren. Put them all together, and you have one ferocious fighting force that will take at least five packs of Timberwolves to stop, and I didn't make that up. We had to stop a pack of them rampaging through Germaney."
The nobles looked at one another, then nodded. "We are in agreement… But, how shall they be paid?"
"I will speak with my sister, and convince her to…" She suddenly gained a devilish grin. "To have the nobles offer up half of their fortune to make up for the hurt they have caused the Royal Family. After all, I feel they would do anything to regain my sister's favor." She looked up at Talon.
"I know two of these groups that'll pass their pay on to the people of Equestria. They can never really escape who they once were." He nodded to Luna. "Long as they have a place to stay and food to eat, they are fine."
Luna gives a nod. "Then it is decided… These Mercenaries." She placed a hand on to the files. "Shall be my Lunar Guard."