//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: The Reign of King Sombra 
// by PlushWraith 
//------------------------------//

	No matter how hard he tried Dust couldn't shake the feeling that something was not right. The attack had been far too easy, the bat ponies had simply fleed as soon as they had been spotted. "Hey Sparks!" Dust called to the unicorn next to him 

"What is it?" Sparks asked him.

"It's about the attack. Don't you think it's weird that the bat ponies simply ran?"

"What's so weird about it? We outnumbered them ten to one, ofcourse they ran" Sparks answered laughing. 

"But what if they come back with reinforcements?" 

"It doesn't matter. By the time they reach the nearest settlement and gather up their forces, we'll be long since gone," Sparks answered, before Dust could ask any more questions they heard someone calling to them from the base of the tower.

"Sparks! You up there?", Sparks looked down from the top of the tower and saw a pegasus looking up at them.

"What is it?" Sparks asked 

"Get down here and I'll tell you," the pegasus answered. Dust watched Sparks climb down and talk to the pegasus, he couldn't make out what they were talking about, but after about a minute or so Sparks headed towards the camp and the pegasus flew up to the tower. 

"Where'd Sparks go?" Dust asked as soon as the pegasus landed in the tower 

"The captain asked for him," the pegasus answered. Dust tried to get some more info from the pegasus, but the pegasus stood silent.

Sparks headed towards the camp nervous, the pegasus hadn't exactly said what the captain wanted, but Sparks knew it couldn't be anything good. When he reached the captain's tent he froze up, he didn't want to enter. While he stood there, Sparks could hear someone approaching from behind him, when he turned around he saw an unarmed, unarmored gryphon. 

"What are you waiting for? Get inside," said the gryphon and pushed Sparks towards the tent, when he entered the tent he saw the captain standing in the corner looking at some maps.

No matter how many times he saw the captain the sight still gave him the shivers. The captain wore no armor and he didn't need any either, since his body was covered in black crystals, the crystals were literally growing from his skin and covered his entire body except for the muzzle and eyes. When the gryphon entered behind him, the captain turned towards them, Sparks bowed his head and said 

"You wanted to see me captain?" 

"Yes," the captain answered and turned to the gryphon 

"How did it go? Did you find them?" 

"Yes captain. They are staying in a small fort not far from here," the gryphon answered. 

"Good. Mark the location on the map over there," the captain said pointing to the table next to him, the gryphon walked to the table and picked up a quill. 

"You may stand," the captain said to Sparks who raised his head "I have a task for you. You will accompany our friend over here. You will set out in the morning, he'll tell you all about your task then. Now go get some rest," the captain said waving Sparks off.