Twilight walked with her friends as they began to search for any sign of the Overlord or Dezhara. She had given her friends a brief explanation of why she was asking them to help her search for him versus going to the areas of the Empire that had earned their attention the night before. The Alicorn was silent as she set a brisk pace through the streets. Her friends were close by and Spike stood on her back, scanning the area as they walked.
“See anything Spike?” She asked as they passed by the animal pens.
“No. I don’t see any groups gathering either.” He reported to her.
“Groups?” Pinkie asked.
“Well. He’s the Overlord so he would draw a crowd, right?” He replied to her.
“Good point,” Twilight replied.
She began to turn away when a sound caught her ears. It was a high pitched yelping and she shook her head to ignore it.
“Umm…” Fluttershy piped up as the others walked ahead of her.
“We need to find any sign of him,” Twilight said aloud as the others nodded at her words.
“Ummm…”
“Spikey is right when he says that the Overlord would draw a crowd.” Rarity said aloud as they walked slowly ahead. “It’s not like he’s subtle, with his height especially.”
“Ummm…”
“Ya got a point.” Applejack replied to her with a nod.
“Ummm…”
“Come on girls. We have to try our best to find him.” Twilight said aloud, still leading them forward.
“Wait!”
Fluttershy suddenly shouted to them as they moved away from her, earning her the stares of the other mares and Spike as well. She looked sheepish but went on as they finally looked to her, expectantly.
“I can hear a wolf.” She said to them.
“A wolf?” Rarity questioned her. “Do you mean one of his wolves?”
“Yes. I’m certain that it could be Dezhara.” She replied as they came back to join her by the animal pens.
Twilight looked to her and then began to scan the pens around them. “There is no way they could hold that dire wolf in one of these pens, the walls are too short.”
“It sounds like it’s coming from this way.” The butter-yellow mare related to them and began to slowly lead them.
“Okay, lead on.” Applejack said as she fell into place at the Pegasus’s hip.
“There’s a tall cage over that way,” Rainbow said to them as she flew a foot over their heads.
“Really?” Twilight replied, her voice belied the anxiousness in her heart.
As they weaved through the pens and cages the group could almost taste the uncertainty that went through them as the butter-yellow mare led them forward. She stopped as they came to a small opening in a pen and a large cage stood in front of them. Inside a deep gray and roan wolf snarled and bit at the metal cage bars. The she-wolf snarled as she lunged at the bars, trying to go through them.
“Dezhara!” Twilight shouted and the mare’s trotted to the cage as the wolf looked to them as her name was called.
Twilight looked at the cage in front of them and began to look around for the one that had caged the dire wolf. A stallion approached them and looked started at the sight of the Alicorn and her friends as they looked to him. His eyes were a light grey and his coat was a pale tan that looked almost like sand.
“Can I help you?” He said to them.
“Where did you get this dire wolf?” Twilight asked him as she stepped forward to stand by the door of the cage.
“Bought it off a handler this morning. Gonna have it learn how to herd sheep for me.” He said and racked his hoof on the door, earning a vicious snarl from the wolf inside. “Once I break her.”
“Break her?” Fluttershy spoke up at his words.
“Yeah. Starve her for a while and she will learn to do as she is taught.” He replied.
Fluttershy’s eyes widened at his words and she looked to the snarling wolf. Twilight shook her head and spoke to him. “That won’t happen. Whoever sold her is a thief.”
“Pardon?”
“She was never for sale. She has an owner that has her trained right and I want to know who sold her to you.” The Alicorn insisted.
“Look. You can take that up with the pony that sold her. I’m not letting you take my property and I can do whatever I wish with it.” He snapped at her. “I don’t know who you are and I already don’t like you. So you can bug off and leave me alone.”
Twilight stared at him and she could feel her wings coming off her back as outrage and anger went through her. “I don’t think so.” The pony opened his mouth and she flared her wings in reply. “No. You will be quiet. That wolf is owned by Overlord Hunter Flame and you have no business with her. So I will be releasing her right now. You can take it up with the pony that sold her.” She snarled and her magic covered the lock of the cage and it melted in her magic opening the door for the dire wolf to escape from.
The pony had leaned back on his haunches at her angry tone and he backed up as the she-wolf came out of the cage, snarling as he then scurried away from the enraged mare and the now free dire wolf. Twilight rubbed her hoof over the she-wolfs fur as it sat down in front of her. Her wings settled back on her back as she tried to calm her breathing.
“Wow,” Spike said as he slid off of her back and looked at her.
“Well done, darling.” Rarity praised her.
Twilight breathed out a shaky breath and sat down. She reached out and pulled the dire wolf to her and hugged the warm animal close. “Oh by Celestia. It’s gonna be okay, Dezhara.” She whispered aloud and nuzzled the wolf, who whined and licked the mare's shoulder.
“You okay?” Rainbow asked her and set a hoof on her shoulder.
“Yeah. I’m just really…angry about that.” She replied as she got to her hooves and released the wolf.
“Yeah. That was awesome.” Rainbow relayed to her with a wide smile. “He couldn’t run away fast enough.”
“I just can’t believe he thought I would let him keep her.” She said as she looked at her friends. “This city is made up of crazy…jerk ponies.” She spat out the words as if they were poison.
“Yeah, they are.” Applejack replied. “So we got to find out what we need ta do now.”
Twilight startled as screams sounded from around them and she spun to look to the skies. Her eyes widened at the sight of the golden dragon. “Sorkeno?”
She sent a blast of magic into the air to show him where she was. The dragon’s eyes landed on her and she began to push ponies out of her way as she led the others to the other side of the clearing which was wide open and unused. The dragon spun in the air and slowly dropped to the ground, trying to avoid landing on the ponies of the Empire as they screamed and raced away from him.
“Sorkeno!” She yelled and the dragon lowered his head to be close to her. “Oh no the hatching? Did Hunter call for you? What are you doing here?”
The dragon shook his head as she spoke faster than most could follow. “The hatching has not happened yet. I was not called here.” He said as he lowered his body to lay close to them. “Where is he?”
Twilight’s mouth opened and then closed as the Lord Dragon spoke to her. “Umm…” She waffled in her reply to him as his eyes looked to her. “I don’t know.” She replied, quietly.
“Little Princess?” He said to her. “What does she mean?” He spoke as his eyes looked to those with her.
“We can’t find ‘im.” Applejack spoke up for her. “Soft Touch said that Wrath was searchin’ all night and couldn’t find ‘im. We came out here to see if we could.”
The dragon’s eyes widened even larger and he looked up and past them, scanning the area. He looked to the Alicorn once more and leaned forward till his snout nudged her, forcing her to look to him. “When was the last you saw him?”
“Last night. We went our separate ways to go to bed and get some dinner and he vanished after that. I asked Soft Touch to look through the compound we were at and see what she could find out while we came out here. We found Dezhara but not him.” She rushed out at his expression.
“Dezhara?”
“Oh. He has a pet dire wolf now.” She explained and her hoof pointed to the dire wolf that was hiding next to Fluttershy, occasionally whimpering at the dragon in front of them. “I can explain that later, but can you help us find him? You can sense him right?”
The dragon slowly shook his head at her. “I came because I cannot sense him. I know that he is alive and well but I do not know where.” He replied to them.
Twilight’s mouth hung open slightly and she stared at the golden dragon. “But…”
The dragon leaned forward and gave her a gentle nuzzle to calm her. “I am here to do what I can now. With my help, we should be able to locate him. If I have to I will shred this entire city to find him. I am not above using my fire to bring him to safety.” The dragon vowed as he pulled back from the Alicorn mare with the flicker of flame in the back of his mouth.
“My Lady! Princess!”
A familiar mare screamed for her as the Alicorn whirled around as Soft Touch galloped headlong toward them, a large group of minions on her heels. She saw them and dug in to reach them faster. She slid to a halt a foot from them and lunged to the Alicorn mare. “Oh, thank the Netherworld your safe.” She panted and sat down as she hugged the Alicorn tightly.
“Soft Touch?” Twilight said to her and hugged her as the mare panted, trying to catch her breath. “What is going on? Oh, hi Wrath.” She said as the armored minion leaned out from his place on the handmaidens back. “Why do you have the minions? What is going on? Oh by Celestia please breathe.” She said in a rush to the mare in her hooves.
The handmaiden panted as she then got up and began to check on the others as well and then to Spike. “Oh, you’re all okay.” She panted and finally sat down as tears of relief brimmed over and slid down her face.
“We’re okay. What is going on?” Twilight asked her as she ran her hoof over the mare’s mane. “Take your time.” She looked up as the minions circled around them, protectively and Sorkeno raised his head slightly at the anxious behavior of the minions and Twilights handmaiden.
“Little mare?” The dragon lowered his head to her, gently pushing Twilight to the side for the time being. “What is happening to cause such panic?”
“Oh, I’m sorry Lord Dragon. Please forgive my lack of respect for your…presence.” She panted to him at the sight of the dragon.
“There is nothing to forgive, young mare. Now speak about what has you so troubled.” He crooned to her.
“I did as you asked me, my lady.” She said and after making sure they could all hear her she went on. “I went to the kitchens to see if the Master had eaten and they had no record of him eating. So I went to the servant’s quarters to ask who had cleaned his rooms. Normally the minions do it but here the staff tends to everything. So I asked there and the mare in charge was beyond rude. She threw the young ponies that had been tending to the room out and I asked them after making sure they, they were okay and they said that the room had not been touched. So I left them and I could hear the mare come back to them and when I looked back she hit the colt and I ran back and pushed her to the ground to protect them and then when she threatened me I told her that you and the Overlord would be very angry if I was hit and she backed off so I took them with me and brought them to our servants that came with us and they took them in and they…They said that the ponies here hate our Master and they were trying to kill him and they would be taking you and your friends ransom and sell you back to Equestria and I went to find Wrath and brought as many minions as I could get to follow me and please don't be angry that I used your name as I did…And I am so glad you're safe!” She rushed out in a hurry and finally broke into tears as she finished.
Twilight stared at the mare as she broke into tears and held her close to try to calm her. Wrath had slid to the ground and was waiting at her hooves as the Alicorn processed what she had been told. “They are trying to kill him?” She whispered aloud.
“I will burn this city to the ground.” Sorkeno snarled. “I will find him if I have to rip this city from its foundations.”
“Sorkeno! Wait. Let us help. Maybe we can all work to find him and bring him home without bringing the city down.” She said, hoping the dragon would listen. “You said that he is alive and seems to be okay. So we have time. We can find him if we all work together. There are how many minions with us Soft Touch? Over a hundred?”
The handmaiden sniffled and looked thoughtful as she wiped her nose. “Closer to two hundred, My Lady.” She replied.
Twilight stared for a moment as the number sank in and she turned to the dragon. “Okay with that many we can start searching the city. Sorkeno, do you have any smaller dragons that can go through the streets without flattening them?”
The golden dragon’s eyes closed for a moment and they opened to regard her. “Yes. There are a few young dragons that will fit your request. They have grown up with him and they consider him a nestmate and he can call upon them. They cannot get here as quickly unless I call upon a larger dragon to carry them.”
“That works actually. If we can show enough force they will slip up. They have no way to fight a horde of minions and dragons to match.” She reasoned.
“Very well. How do we track him?” The dragon asked her. “Do we have something with his scent?”
“Yes.” Soft Touch spoke up. “I can get the sleeping bag he used on the way here.” She looked to Wrath but the minion had already raced away. “He’ll get it.”
“That will work. A moment.” The dragon raised himself to his paws and closed his eyes. “Cover your ears, little ones.” The Lord Dragon raised his head and a roar tore from him, sending vibrations through the city and into the world around them.
Kaiana’s ears flicked at the vibration of the Lord Dragons roar went through her. She opened her jaws and roared in reply, sending the vibration through the Lair and she stood up from her place as the message from Sorkeno became clear to her. The Silver Matriarch was silent for a moment as she glanced to the eggs and then to the dragons that were now crawling over the caves and other constructs in their Lair. She stood proud before them and waited as they quieted around her.
“Maranna?” She spoke after they quieted and the deep red she-dragon looked to her. “You will come with me. Young ones?”
“Here.” A small group of three young dragons came forward at her words.
“You are needed. Maranna will carry you to the Lord Dragon. I am not certain what we shall be doing but I hazard to guess that the young Master is in need of our aid. Will you answer him?” She said to the young dragons.
“Of course. He is our nestmate and Master. We will always follow him.” A green replied and the others nodded at her words.
“Good. Setan?”
A deep emerald male dragon came forward at her call of his name and he bowed his head to her and nodded. “I will answer his call.” He said to her and waited for her to speak further.
“That should be enough. The rest of you wait for his call. In the meantime tend to the eggs and keep them warm and safe. Our young Master will return to us to see them. Setan can you carry two of the young ones?”
“Yes. Climb on.” He said to them and he laid his body across the top of the caves as two climbed over his back and dug their claws into the thick scales.
“Maranna?”
“Yes. Come young one.” She said and the green female climbed into place on her back and she nodded once the young dragon was set in place. “Lead us.” She said to the silver she-dragon.
Kaiana stepped forward and allowed her body to slide over the edge and her wings caught as she flew forward, leading them.
Sorkeno looked down as the roar faded away and he opened his eyes to look to the mares and minions below him. “They are coming.” He said to her. “Three full-size adults and three youths are answering the call.”
“Thank you!” Twilight cried to him and looked to her friends. “How long?”
“Less than an hour. Kaiana leads them.” He said to her as he lowered himself to the ground to speak to them.
“Oh,” Twilight said and looked to him. “I pity any pony that gets in her way.” She quipped.
Sorkeno laughed at her words and nodded. “As do I.”
Hunter looked up as something made the ground he sat on shake under him. Dirt landed across his body as the mine shuddered and he grimaced as the dirt fell on him. He waited as everything went still once more and he regarded the nervous ponies around him. Once he was sure everything was going to remain still he stood up and shook the dirt off his coat. A foot away from him Gaze shook the dirt off as well and waited as Hunter once more regarded the two ponies that were permitted to approach the exit to the mine.
“So it’s just these two?” He questioned.
“Yes, Sire.” Gaze replied and looked to him as well.
“Okay. So the question is why?” Hunter said aloud.
“I am a servant in Lady Clarity’s home before she moved to the Empire.” The mare replied.
“Oh. You were put down here so that she could control what leaves this mine then?” He questioned.
“Yes.”
“Why?” He continued to question her. “There must be a reason to assure your honesty.”
The mares jaw clenched and nodded. “She has my baby.”
Hunter’s eyes widened at her words and he stared. “She took your foal?”
“Yes. I can’t have her back until this mine is done.” She whimpered to him.
“This mine is viable and will continue for years,” Hunter informed her and she stared at him, panic going through her eyes.
“NO!” She cried out. “She said it would only be for a couple of months. I want my baby. She promised!”
Hunter could feel rage building under his calm exterior. “Taking your foal is technically foal napping. And keeping you here is as well. Plus, that is extortion.” He replied and looked to the now clearing sobbing mare. “I will get your baby back to you.” He said to her. His voice was quiet as he reached out a hoof to her and set it on her shoulder.
“Please.” She sobbed and held his hoof tightly.
“Does your mate have her?” Gaze asked her.
She began to sob harder at his question and Hunter felt the desire to hit him in the back of the head for asking her. “No. He died before she was born and my baby is all I have left of him.” Her grip on his hoof tightened as she spoke.
Hunter stepped forward and pulled the sobbing mare to him and held her. He sat down and allowed her to hold onto him as she cried. Her hooves held his armor as she hid her face. Hunter glanced to the others and saw that most of the workers were now clustered around him and they were beginning to smile. He could see that they were beginning to see that he was there and that what had happened was not his doing. As the mare began to quiet Hunter pulled gently away from her and she stood quietly as Gaze tried to comfort her further. Hunter stood up and looked to them.
“This mine is not something that was commanded by me. I did not allow them to throw you down here and force you to work until your hooves bled. As I told Gaze, I would not send ponies down here to do the work when I can stock it with minions to do the hard labor. Ponies are then used as a go-between instead of toiling down here.” He said to them and they began to nod as he spoke. “This ends as soon as we leave here. And we will be getting out. I think I know what that shaking was just now.”
“Sire?” A pony questioned from the back.
“A dragon’s roar,” Hunter replied as the ponies stared at him, their eyes going wide at his words. “If I am right then the Lord of Dragons is already here in the city.”
“And what will they do?” Gaze asked him. “I have seen the Dragon Lord and he is enormous.”
“Sorkeno is a dragon that can then command the other dragons as well. I can summon them as I need but when I came down here my magic is being interfered with and my connection to the dragons has been muted. I can sense him, but I cannot call on him. I also have Princess Twilight of Equestria in the city as well.”
“Equestria?” Gaze asked him.
“She is here to learn about the Netherworld Empire and how it works. She is able to call on higher magic so I do not doubt that she will be aiding Sorkeno in the search. But I am not going to sit here and wait for rescue. I am curious about seeing if I can use an illusion to leave the mine in your place.”
“Will, that work?” Gaze asked him.
“I am not sure. I only learned how to use illusions recently. Due to the magical damper on this mine, I am not sure if I can even do that. If that happens then we may need you.” He said as he looked to the mare.
“Me?” She sniffled as he looked to her.
“If we can feign a medical emergency that has affected the viability of the mine then they have to take notice. Our chances may be on you.” He said to her.
“I will do whatever I have to do to get back to my foal.” She vowed.
“It may come down to your desire and the fierceness of a mother to rescue us all. If you did get out I would advise getting away from them as fast as you can and seeking out the first dragon or Equestrian pony you see.” He advised her.
“How would I tell the difference?” She asked him.
“It’s not as hard as you think. Look for a mare that looks uncertain and or horrified at all times. Or find a minion and start telling them my name. That should get their attention. When you get the focus of one the others will notice. If you are lucky you will find Wrath, a minion in red armor, he is a constant companion to me. He will understand if you tell him to bring you to the Princess or Sorkeno. Also, look for a gray roan dire wolf if you get the chance.” He related to her and she nodded.
“Whatever it takes, My Lord.” She said to him.
“Good. For now, we shall see what our situation is.” He said to her and looked to the ponies now gathered around him. “We will see if I am able to use illusion magic. If not then we can try to claim that a cave in happened due to the shaking from earlier. It would not be an outlandish claim if we said it. That would earn a look from them.”
The mare stood still and nodded. “What do I do to help you, Sire?”
“Stay still. We will see if I can transfer how you look to Gaze. He knows Sorkeno fairly well and can earn his attention. Gaze?”
“Yes, Sire?”
“Do you think you have one more adventure in you?” Hunter asked him.
The older pony looked to him and a smile slowly crawled over his features. “Last time I heard that your father said it to me. I will happily so all that I can for you, Sire.” He said and bowed his head to the younger stallion. “Your father was my dearest friend. It is my honor to serve his son.”
Hunter nodded politely to him. “Stand next to her. Let’s hope this works.”
Hunter waited as the two ponies stood close together and then went still. ‘Let’s see if I can muster enough magic to get this done.’ He thought to himself and breathed out as he focused on the magic held within his horn. He could feel the magic within him react but as he tried to bring it forth the magic faded and ended. “Dammit. Hold on.”
Hunter braced his stance and reached deeper into his body for the magic that came from his connection with Sorkeno and tried to bring it to bear as well. When it faded out as well he cursed under his breath and breathed in. He held his breath and held up one hoof. He breathed out as he opened his eyes, they're natural red color was now brighter than normal as he gathered the power he needed from within his own body and bent it to his will. An orb of darkness gathered in his hoof as he breathed out to it. The orb was pure darkness and he waited as a ring of azure flame began to hover over the orb like a halo. He breathed in slowly as he forced his will upon the orb in his hoof. He stepped forward and pressed it against Gaze's, chest. The older pony looked uncertain as Hunter pulled away and the dark orb liquefied and flowed over his body. He backed away a few steps but paused when he realized that he could not escape from it and he closed his eyes, fearful of what had been done to him.
“Wow.” The mare breathed out. The elder opened his eyes and looked to her as she stared at him. Gaze waited as she smiled. “It’s like looking in a mirror.” She said to him.
Gaze looked to his hooves and a smile broke over his lips. “You did it…Sire?”
Hunters breathing was harsh to his own ears as he tried to draw in enough air to fill his lungs. His eyes flicked back and forth between the bright red and then dull as he panted. He looked up to check his work and nodded to them. “Thank the Nether it worked. Now go.” The stallion’s breath dragged from him as she spoke, his voice harsh.
“Sire, are you...?” Gaze spoke to him.
“Go, Gaze! I can’t hold it for very long.” He snarled at the pony.
Light Gaze stared at the laboring stallion for a moment as his hooves galloped over the uneven ground of the mine. He stumbled as he galloped around the corner and he could see the rune-covered construct come to life as he approached and then it remained alight but did not react as he collided with the wall of the entrance.
“Help!” He screamed in a voice that was not his own.
“What the?”
He heard a pony comment as the guard turned to look at the gap in the wall that was large enough to see his eyes. The guard stared as he looked at the frantic eyes of an illusionary mare. “What you want?”
“There was a cave in!” He shrieked. “A group of ponies is trapped and a few were crushed. Please, open the door so I can get my Lady to help us.” He cried out.
“You’re Lady?” The guard asked.
“Yes, Lady Clarity. She asked me to be down here to monitor everything. Please their dying!” He cried out to them. “Open this so I can go get her. Please hurry.”
The guard looked uncertain, Gaze looked back as a scream of pain came from behind him. He could tell that the young Overlord was in pain and he looked back as the guard's eyes widened and he began to fumble with the locks.
“Hold on.” He said to the frantic pony. “Okay, here we go.” He said as the locks fell away and the door opened.
Gaze lunged at the door and it threw open. “Drop it.” He screamed back down the hallway and he could see the illusion failing as he broke into a hard gallop and ran for his life as the guard began to shout.
“No!” The guard shouted.
Gaze glanced back as the guard seemed torn behind following him and closing the door. He was closing the door as gaze lost sight of him. His eyes began scanning the area for any sign of a dragon or an Equestrian Princess. ‘Where are you?’ He thought to himself as he scanned the air as well as the ground frantically.
A roar sounded off and the ground trembled as he slid to a stop and looked around him. He couldn’t see much of the sky as the area was under a wide set of awnings and other shade creating cloths. He plunged ahead as a shout sounded from behind him.
Sorkeno’s head looked to the city as he could sense the pain coming from the Overlord and he began to move forward as the sense faded to nothing once more. An angry snarl tore through him as he realized that wherever Hunter as he was in pain and it upset the Lord Dragon to know that he could not stop that pain. The dragon looked to the skies as Kaiana and the others neared him and landed alongside him. Twilight and the others had remained with him as they waited. Twilight waved to him as the others landed and he lowered his head to speak with her.
“What happened?” She asked. “I saw you look really fast toward the city.”
“I could sense him more clearly for a moment. But it was gone just as quickly.” He said to her.
“Is he okay?” She asked him.
The dragon was quiet as he shook his head. “He was in pain and I cannot find him to end that pain.” He said to her.
“We will find him, Sorkeno. And when we do somepony will pay for this.” She vowed to him and he nodded to her.
“Indeed they will little Princess.” He said to her and looked to the other dragons now at his side.
Kaiana looked to the city for a moment before she looked to the mares and dragon on the ground. “What is your plan, Lord Dragon? Where is my child?” She questioned.
“He is in the city. I could sense him for a moment so I know that he is here.” He looked to the sleeping bag that the minion, Wrath, had brought to them and he set a claw into it and held it before the younger dragons. “This has his scent and we need you to track him. We cannot track him due to our size that is your purpose.” He said to them.
The green, red, and grey dragons approached the item and dug their noses into the cloth and inhaled deeply several times to get the correct scent. The group of them backed up and nodded to the Lord Dragon who set it back on the ground.
“Little Princess?” He spoke to Twilight who approached and smiled to the young dragons. “Can you lead them to where you last saw him?”
“Of course. Can you follow me in the air?” She asked them.
“Unfortunately, we can’t fly very fast. We are faster on the ground until we are older.” The young green replied.
“Okay, that’s fine too,” Twilight said. “You will run a lot faster than me so I’ll fly and you can follow me on the ground?”
“Perfect.” They intoned and waited as the Princess took to the air.
Sorkeno looked to the skies and released a deafening roar to herald the beginning to their search.