Governor Militant

[Red Charge]

Aurelius felt old.

He felt as though he barely had the energy to drag himself out of bed and dunk his head into a bucket of cold water to wake himself up. He stared at his reflection after the water settled. Two electric blue eyes stared back at him behind a mask of golden stripes. He was a golden zebra, once a warrior in a small zebra tribe, trained from birth and passing the rites of adulthood and warriorhood with flying colors. However, because of his golden stripes, he was looked up to as some sort of gift from the heavens... After he had worked so hard to become a warrior, the shaman and chief of the tribe sent him away to the mission... one of the best things that ever happened to him.

Soon he learned of language, of the world and of its history. He realized how primitive a life he had been leading until then and he rejected them. He studied long and hard until the mission could no longer satisfy his lust, so he traveled, eventually reaching a place that in his eyes was unbelievable - a place where water dropped from the sky like soft cotton, where there were water that were so cold that they became like rocks. He knew, of course, what ice and snow were, but until he reached the Northern Barrens, he was unable to comprehend the notion.

So he stayed, fascinated by all around him, studying of the ancient Equiterians who were there before Equestria's colony, even changing his name to their language. His skills as a warrior and his unending desire to learn and explore helped him assimilate into Stalliongrad.

Now he was no longer young Dhahabu, trying to prove to the world he was not as primitive as his tribe. Now he was Aurelius, Governor Militant of the Equestrian colony of Stalliongrad.

For weeks he and his band of skirmishers have been facing off against the forces of the aggressive Ice Queen. After nearly wiping out Stalliongrad once and being stopped by the Field Marshal Starling, the Windigos have let the ponies be for a long time. But now they were back, in full force. If it weren't for Mayhem, the chaotic creature of the void holding the line between the forces, it would be likely that a full on war would erupt.

The zebra put on his heavy, armored coats and took outside, where a blizzard was raging furiously, forcing him to wear goggles to be able to see. He approached the outer outpost overlooking the icy ravine between their forces and the advancing Ice Queen's but instead of the single guard standing on duty, he found half of his band at the ready.

"What is going on?" He demanded, snatching a set of binoculars from the watch pony. The Icy Ravine was completely empty, not a single enemy in sight. He looked from side to side, scanning every direction and not understanding what it was that he missed.

"Can't you see it sir?" Asked the watch pony, Aurelius scanned the area again with his binoculars, seeing nothing.

"What?" He asked, "I see nothing!"

"That's exactly it, sir. Mayhem is gone, Governor Militant."

Aurelius' voice caught in his throat, he turned to look at his watch pony, then back into the binoculars.

The Ice Queen's forces began advancing into the ravine.