//------------------------------//
// 16: A Sentence Rendered... 
// Story: An Overlord Apart 
// by OblivionShadow 
//------------------------------//

Twilight trotted over to her friends, a wide smile on her muzzle.  They greeted her as she drew up to them and Spike walked up to hug her in greeting.  She glanced over her shoulder to see Red a few feet behind her.  She looked down to Spike and tipped her horn to get him to look back to Red.  She giggled as his eyes widened at the sight of the dragon.  

“This is Red.”  She said to the baby dragon and walked back to the young red dragon. “He’s not old enough to have his name yet so they go by color.  But he’s pretty young as well.  Maybe you can talk to him for a minute?”  

Spike stared at her for a moment as Red drew up closer to her.  “Can I?” 

Red raised his head above the mare and his gaze fell on the baby dragon.  “And you are?”  

“I’m Spike.  Twilight’s number one assistant.”  He replied proudly.

Red looked uncertain at his words and glanced to the Alicorn.  “Twilight is part of my full name.”  She assured him.  

The drake nodded as Spike walked up to him.  Twilight looked to her friends and Soft Touch, who swarmed her.  They gripped her fur and hugged her close as she laughed at the sight of them and she calmed in their presence.  

“That was awesome!”  Rainbow gushed.  “We saw that blast of magic and Sorkeno just took off with a roar.  We could see dust flying from here.”  

“Are you all right?”  Soft Touch asked her.

“I’m fine.  Red and the others were with me the whole time.  We were able to find out where Hunter had been and then found where Dezhara had been taken.”  She replied to the pale blue mare’s excitement and assured the handmaiden that she was okay.  

“Okay.  What happened?”  Applejack asked her and they settled in as the Alicorn began to explain.





Hunter nuzzled the silver matriarch and she released him to allow him to move away from her as needed.  His red eyes looked out over the city and anger began to edge into his mind.  He had known that something was going on behind the scenes but he had not been ready for the lengths to which they would try to conceal their deeds.  He was annoyed that the mine had managed to slip past him and remain unknown for long enough to allow them to begin to harvest it and place ponies within it.  An impact hit his foreleg and he looked down to see Wrath holding onto his leg, nuzzling against it with a happy expression.  He looked up as the minions flooded the area around them and he could feel the familiar sense of the Netherworld rising to meet him.  He closed his eyes and allowed himself to feel the magic that rolled through him and he allowed it to wash over him.  His eyes opened to reveal a pair of blazing red eyes that gave of a strong glow.  

“Wrath.”  He spoke aloud, his voice firm and unyielding.  “I need my other armor.”  

The minions screamed and several of them took to their heels to answer his command, Wrath in the lead.  The other minions crowded around him and he breathed in and held a breath within him.  His mind began to form commands for the other minions around him.  The Gauntlet roared at his command and he could sense the remaining minions as they began to run to answer his summons.  He looked up as Sorkeno shifted and the golden dragon looked down to him and nodded in a silent reply.  

“I think I need to remind them who their Master truly is.”  Hunter snarled and Sorkeno nodded once more.  “I will not allow them to ruin and harm my ponies, the time has come for me to put them in their place.”  

"We are with you,”  Kaiana said to him and lowered her head to his side, nuzzling him once before raising her head once more.  

Maranna and Setan came to stand behind him with the other young dragons at his side.  Hunter glanced to the mares and found Red to be with Twilight and her friends.  He looked away for a moment before he shifted and walked over to the young red dragon.  He stood behind him and the drake turned to him, intent on him.  He nuzzled the stallion and Hunter ran a hoof over the dragon’s smooth scales.  

“Stay with them and her.  Protect them from the war I am about to bring to this city.” He said to him.

“I will, nestmate.  They will come to no harm with me close by them.”  The red assured him.  

“I know.  I trust your words.”  

Red nuzzled him again as he turned to walk back to the other dragons as Wrath returned, the chest they carried contained his other armor.  Hunter’s magic gripped the chest and the lid tore free as the other minions joined him. They flooded across the ground around him.  Wrath and a few others tore into the chest and removed the armor pieces from within it.  Others leaped to him and removed the breaking armor from his form as he walked toward the chest.  He went still as the minions set the new armor in place and he paused to allow his helm to be put in place.  The armor he wore was the same set that he used when ending the rebellion in Nordberg. He startled as Wrath jumped to him and an impact to his hip caught his attention.  He looked back to see a full quiver of his best arrows in place, ready for him to use if needed.  The minion jumped to the ground and checked the placement of the arrows, nodded in approval and jumped to his usual place on Hunters back.  He looked out as Twilight and her friends joined him and the dragons. 

“Hunter?”  Twilight spoke quietly to him and he looked to her.  

“Yes?”

“Are you sure you should do this now?”  She asked him.  

He looked to her and she startled at the bright red eyes that glowed back at her.  “And when do you think I should retake this city?”  His voice was tense, but he was trying to keep his temper in check.

“I mean, you were tired earlier.”  She quickly explained and his expression seemed to soften slightly at her reply.  “The dragons carried you back since you were worn out.”

“I can recover quicker now.”  He replied and she tilted her head, her expression confused. “I was cut off from the Netherworlds magic before and that affected my magic and strength.  I was also removed from Sorkeno and that also limited my abilities.”  

“Oh.”  The Princess nodded in understanding.  “So you’re okay now?”

“Getting there.”  He replied.  “I will not allow my ponies to be attacked and imprisoned underground any further. I will retake the city and remind them that they serve under me and they live at my whim.  Stay close to Red.  He has instructions to protect you and your friends.”  

“Are you sure you have to overrun the city…?” She paused as Sorkeno brought his head to her and pushed her gently away from the Overlord.  “Sorkeno?”

“It is as Little One says.”  His voice flowed as he spoke aloud.  “The ponies here have committed a crime that cannot be forgiven. Even if Little One had not been harmed they would still face a reckoning.  He will go into battle one way or the other Little Princess.  Their crimes cannot be forgiven.”  

Twilight backed up and nodded as the dragon finished speaking.  Hunter was silent as he thought back to the design of the city and the easiest ways through it.  He was half tempted to ask Sorkeno to flatten a few houses, but he knew that innocent ponies would get caught in the crossfire.  The Overlord breathed in a deep breath and held it for a moment before he exhaled with an angry snort and looked to the young dragons behind him.

“You two will stay with me.  I will take the majority of the minions with me but I will leave thirty here to help protect Twilight her friends.  If I need Red I will have Grey call for him.”  He glanced to the grey youngster who nodded at his words. Thirty minions stayed back with Twilight and the mares stared at them for a moment before he addressed them.  “When I return I want to see those mares in the same condition they are in now.”

The minions roared in reply and tightened their formation around the mares.  The browns lunged to his sides and the others fell into their place.  Hunter looked out and the browns summoned their own mounts and the warwolves rampaged into the area at their partners call.  The brown minions were now mounted and their fighting skill was multiplied two-fold.  He rolled his shoulders and began to stride forward.  The greens and reds were on the ground at his command.  Their mounts were better suited to other situations.  He paused and looked over his shoulder to the four enormous dragons behind him.  

"If I need you can I call?”  He yelled out to them.

He smiled as the dragons put their heads back and flame poured from their mouths as they roared in reply.  A malicious smile crossed his face as he looked ahead and began to walk forward, his legion at his back.





Twilight and her friend’s looked up as flame poured from the four adult dragons.  Red put his head back and roared with them as he stood guard.  The Alicorn was quiet as the Overlord walked away from them and she lost sight of him as he went into the market district of the city.  

“Wow,”  Rainbow said aloud as the dragons went quiet and the fire faded.  

“That was quite the sight I agree.”  Rarity replied to her.

“Will it be okay?”  Fluttershy asked, her voice quiet and nervousness showed on her face.

“Ah’m sure it’ll be fine sugar cube.” Applejack assured her.  

“Yeah!  He won’t let those mean ponies getaway.”  Pinkie gushed and bounced in place.  

“Your right.  The Master is not one to rush into a situation and he will emerge with victory once more.”  Soft Touch assured them.  

“Red?”  Twilight looked to the young dragon who looked back to her.  

“Our nestmate will be fine, Princess.”  He replied to her.  “He does not lose a fight.”  

Twilight smiled at the young dragon’s assurance and nodded in reply.  She looked back to the city and a question came to mind.  “Can you breathe fire?”  

“A little.  I do not have the range that they do.  When I am older I will.”  Red replied to her.

“Got it.  Hopefully, we don’t need to worry about it.  But what is the range for your fire?”

Red looked uncertain, turned to the side and inhaled.  Twilight gasped as fire spilled from the dragon’s jaws.  It ended close to ten feet away from the mouth of the red.  Red closed his jaws and looked to her as she nodded.  “Got it.” She whimpered to him.

“Awesome,”  Rainbow whispered aloud.  “This just gets cooler as we go.”  The others turned to glare at her.  “I mean. He breathes a ten-foot stream of fire. Granted the hundred foot tall ones from the big dragons are epic, but Red is still cool.”  

The young dragon looked to her and his head tilted slightly as she spoke.  Twilight walked up to him and patted his shoulder to assure him that it was okay to be uncertain of the rainbow-maned Pegasus.  Spike was closed to her as she sat down and looked to the city.  She didn’t see any fire or smoke but she knew that Hunter was not going to allow what had happened to go unpunished.  

“Ya okay?”  Applejack asked her.

“I think so.  I just wish there was a peaceful way to fix this.”  She admitted.

“Ah know.  But Ah don’t think there is another way.”  Applejack replied to her, Twilight looked to her, her eyes wide.  “Let me explain.  Ah mean that the ponies here tried to kill ‘im.  They put the others into that mine with a machine that coulda’ killed them if Ah understood Mr. Gaze right.”  

“It…That’s true.”  Twilight admitted to her.

“So.  Ah don’t think he’s wrong to go after the ponies responsible.  Ah agree that peace the better way but Ah’m certain he knows that. But he can’t.”  Applejack explained.  “He’s got the right of it.  They planned on ransoming us as well?”  She looked back to Soft Touch who nodded.  

“Yes.  That was part of their intentions as well.”  The handmaiden confirmed.

“So he knows that we are in danger too.” Applejack went on.

“She is right My Lady.”  Soft Touch spoke up and came up to them.  “The Master is not going to kill without cause.  Those that harmed him and the ponies that lead them will pay for their betrayal.  The Master is forgiving if there is a chance.  But in this case, there is no forgiveness.”  

“I hate to admit it but she is right, dear.” Rarity spoke up and came to her side as well.  “Hunter is not the type to attack the innocent.  He has a good sense for those that have wronged him and those that have not. You have seen that.”  Twilight nodded at her words.  “He will punish those that have done wrong and help those that have not.”  

Twilight sighed and nodded in agreement.  “You’re all correct.  I was just thinking of how things are done at home, but here is not Equestria.”  

“It is good that you think of other options, Little Princess.”  Kaiana leaned down to speak to them.  “But things here are very different.  The laws of Equestria are upheld by those that are given the power to uphold them. While he rules alone and the laws are enforced by him and his army.  Your fellow Princesses have others at their sides to delegate tasks to.  Hunter does not permit others to enact his rule.  He does it himself.”

“He could have help though if he allowed it,” Twilight replied to her.  “Surely there are ponies he can lean on.”  

Kaiana smiled and nuzzled her.  “There is the reason though Little Princess.”  Twilight looked confused as she went on.  “He does not allow it, mainly because he does not trust them to take care of their fellow ponies.  You yourself have seen what happens when they are left to their own.” She said and pointed her snout to the city.  “Were you welcomed into the city today?”

Twilight shrank under the matriarchs gaze.  “Not really, no.  I had to have help from Red and Grey to get ponies to talk to me.”  

Kaiana nodded, understanding in her large eyes. “He does not trust them not to step on those under them.  He does not allow them to have a Council of their own.  They will stomp the ponies under them to make their own lives better and more comfortable.  This is a fight that he has been fighting since he retook the Empire.”  

“Why do they keep fighting ‘im?”  Applejack asked her.

“They wish for things to go back to the way they were before he took control.  His father vanished and he was not old enough to claim the title as his own.  In that time those that view themselves as the Noble Caste took control of this city and made those without a Noble lineage into a lower caste.  Those they viewed as beneath that were labeled as slaves and cast into forced servitude with no other options but to either submit or flee to the other cities or make new towns to save themselves.”  Kaiana’s words rang over them as she explained the truth to them.

Twilight’s eyes were wide as she spoke.  Understanding dawned through her at the matriarch’s words. “Why?”  

“Because they believe themselves superior in terms of intellect and lineage.  The truth is that they simply do not wish to earn their place and wish to command when they are the ones with no power.  Hunter came to this city and instead of retaking the city through the force of his army, he came into the city through the sewers.  While it was not his preferred method he knew that if he came into the city in a place that they would never go, then he could easily sneak in and gather the ponies to his side.  As he did this the ponies were reminded of the ways things had been under his father.  To him they were all his ponies and nopony was allowed to harm them.  He showed them his heart and they gave him their love and their loyalty.  At that moment, he gained an army of ponies that dreamed of having more.”  Kaiana’s voice rang true as she spoke.

Twilight stared up at the silver she-dragon as she spoke.  “So he didn’t storm the gates?”

“No, Little Princess.  He took the cities ponies and they rallied to him.  He stayed among them for days to show them that he was with them and he would fight for them.  Now he has been called upon once more to fight for them.  And fight he shall.”  Kaiana’s eyes closed for a moment and she looked back to the mares as she went on.  “He does not allow any other to protect them since he has always fought for them. That day they flooded the city at his command and the Nobles fell to the ponies they tried to break under their heels. They retook the city with him.  I do not think he will leave them out of this fight, Little Princess.”  

“So he will gather them as he moves,”  Twilight whispered.

“Yes.  He will always have them at his side.  I will not lie to you that he will not punish those that have erred.  But he will not kill without cause.  Have faith in his heart, Little Princess.”  Kaiana said to her as she raised her head to watch the city once more.  

Twilight was silent as the dragon’s words rang through her mind.  A smile tugged at her mouth and she looked back to the city.  She sat down and waited for either Hunter to return or for the call to the dragons to sound out.  





Hunter strode forward and he stopped at an intersection as the sound of voices reached his ears.  He glanced over his shoulder and he watched as ponies came out of the shadows, their eyes on him as he turned to them, his eyes bright.  

“Sire?”  One voiced out, his voice faint.

“I am here to put an end to this once and for all.” He said aloud, his voice ringing clear. “I retook this city with the aid of those that live within it once.  I will bring justice to those that have been harmed and I will see to it that those who have done this city wrong are no longer able to harm it.  I promised you this once before.”  He spun around to the small crowd of ponies.  His voice was loud and strong as he went on.  “I will protect the ponies of this city and I will always stand before you.  They can fight me from dusk till dawn and I will stand for you!”  

Hunter saw Light Gaze come forward and step ahead of them.  “Sire.” He bowed low and then looked to the armored black Unicorn.  “We will stand with you once more.”  

“Light Gaze.  You served my father well and you have stood for me already this day.  I can ask no more of you.”  Hunter said to the older pony.

“Sire.  I choose to stand with you once more.  Your father was my dearest friend and I will stand with his son once more this day.”  The old pony stood proud and walked into place behind the minions and stood firm in his chosen place.

Hunter nodded to him and looked back to the city. “Stand with me once more and I will retake the city and return it to those who deserve it.”  He snarled and walked forward once more, his armored hooves like thunder on the stone path.  

He glanced over his shoulder and he could see ponies coming out to the streets and he pushed ahead.  The living armor thrummed over his body and he could feel it tighten on his form, preparing for the fight ahead.  The dragons at his sides snarled and stayed close to him as they moved.  Grey’s head snaked over his back every now and he roared as they moved.  Hunter did not stop him as the young drake called out as they moved.  He looked to the Green female as her head snaked out ahead of him, checking for any threat to him, green flame licking across her jaws though it stayed within her mouth as she breathed.  Hunter allowed her to act as she did and he moved steadily upward through the main road. His ears flicked ahead and he paused at the sound of metal on stone.  He looked up as a construct rolled toward him and he watched as it stopped fifteen feet away from him.

Blades pulled free of the circular body and the Overlord stood firm in its path.  He looked to the two dragons with him and Grey surged forward.  Hunter watched as the young drakes paws collided with the machine and his jaws opened wide.  White-hot steam poured from his jaws and Hunter could hear the machine's parts creaking as the heat invaded every space within the enclosed space of its main body.  Green raced ahead and her claws tore into the weakening form and pieces were thrown to the side as the two dragons savaged the machine to shreds.  He looked past the shredded automaton and began to walk forward once more.  The two dragons waited as he neared them and their tails swept the pieces out of his path. He stopped and reached out to stroke them in thanks.  

“Lead on, Nestmate.”  Green voiced to him.

"So long as you are at my side.”  He replied and they both nuzzled him.  

“We will always follow,”  Grey said to him.

Hunter nodded to them both and once more they fell into place at his sides as he moved.  The Overlord strode forward.  He led the screaming minions forward and the wolves howled at his back.  Dezhara lunged and snarled behind him as the dragon’s presence kept her behind him.  The armored stallion felt no fear as he moved forward.  His heartbeat steadily in his chest, his body was steady as he asked it to carry him forward.  

He stopped at a junction and his eyes fell on the elaborate house at the end of the street.  If he read the plaque right then he knew who the owner of the elaborate home was.  It was the home of a pony that believed herself to be of Noble lineage and better than the ones under her.  He focused on the home and walked toward it, his hooves echoing on the walled street. The end of the street came and he looked at the mansion before him.  The Gauntlet roared and the unmounted minions surged across the land and broke through the front doors.  

“Sire?”  Gaze came up to him.

“This home belongs to Clarity?  Correct?”  Hunter replied, his voice quiet.

“Yes.  When she came here from Everlight she was given this house.  She was of Noble descent there so they gave her this house to reflect that.”  Gaze informed him.  “Why?”

Hunter’s eyes were bright as a familiar mare came trotting out the house.  The mare from before came out with her foal on her side and her things on her other side. Her eyes were wide at the minions pouring over the large estate and she looked to the front gates to see the Overlord. 

“Sire?”  She trotted up to them and waited for him to speak.

“In her service were you treated well?”  Hunter asked her.  

“At times.  If you upset her you were punished so I learned how to send many compliments to her to keep her happy.”  She replied, her eyes uncertain.  “Why?”

“And others?”  

“They were punished for the littlest things.” She admitted.  “I tried to stay out of the way.”

“I see.  So what I had already learned is accurate.  I don’t think she deserves this home that she did not earn.”  He said aloud.  

"Sire?”  Gaze asked him.  “What are you going to do?”

Hunter waited as ponies came running out and items of value were brought out to the front and were placed off to the side.  His eyes blazed red as Wrath ran up to him, waving his arms in a signal to the Overlord.  Hunter reached out to Sorkeno, the dragon roared in reply and Hunter looked to the skies. The Overlord looked up as a flash of gold went over him.  The dragon hovered and his jaws opened, releasing red flame onto the house.  The flame tore into the structure with enough force to shake the ground and stagger some of the ponies with him.  Hunter stood tall as the fire engulfed the home and within moments not a piece of it was left untouched by the dragon’s fire. Hunter watched as it burned and the golden dragon swallowed the last bit of flame in his mouth and roared out in reply to Hunters call.  

“Thank you, Sorkeno,”  Hunter whispered as the dragon took wing once more.  

Hunter looked up to find the other dragons circling the city from above, awaiting his word. At his side, Green and Grey both roared in reply to the adults above them as Hunter whirled around to begin to walk forward once more.  

“You called him to torch the house?”  Gaze asked him, his eyes wide.

“Yes.  They did not earn the house and do not deserve it.  I want that area to be used to make something that all ponies can enjoy.” Hunter replied, his voice stern.  

“I think the park would be lovely here.”  The mare spoke out.  

“Then that is what it will be,”  Hunter said to her.  “She has her father’s eyes I assume?”  He said as he looked to the wide-eyed filly in her mother’s saddlebag.

“Yes.  I loved his eyes the moment I met him.  I’m glad she has them.”  She replied and nuzzled the filly as she walked back to join the other ponies at his back.  

“Each house owned by a Noble will burn this day. Gaze?”

“Sire?”

“Do you know where they all are?”

Gaze looked at him, a smile coming to his mouth as he nodded in reply.  “Yes Sire, I do.”

“Then lead me to them.  I have four dragons in the sky that need something to do.” Hunter replied and he walked forward, his punishment for those that had crossed him and his ponies would now begin. 





Twilight looked up as Sorkeno took off and the other three went with him.  She watched as Sorkeno hovered over a far piece of the city and she gasped at the fire that poured from his jaws.  The dragon stayed and breathed gouts of flame and then took wing.  Black smoke rose into the sky as he left the area and took to the air with the others.  

“I guess that’s how it starts.”  She said to her friends, who nodded in agreement.

“Ah wonder what he burned to the ground.” Applejack said aloud.  “Any idea Red?”

The young dragon shook his head in response. “I can’t tell from here.  It must not be very big if it only took one breath of the Lord Dragons fire to burn it down.”  

“That’s what one breath does?”  Rainbow asked him and he nodded.  “Wow.  Okay, so we never want to be on the wrong end of that.”  

“I should hope we do not need to worry about that.”  Rarity replied.

“I don’t think we have to worry girls,”  Twilight said to them with a light laugh.

Spike was standing close to Red, his eyes wide as the smoke rose into the sky.  “Hey Red?”

“Yes, little drake?”  

“Can you lift me up so I can see?”  He asked.

Red looked to him and then to Twilight.  “How do I lift him up?”  He asked her.

“If it doesn’t bother you, can you put him on your shoulder?  If it is a matter of dominance then don’t worry about it, Spike understands that.” She replied.

“Yeah.  If it’s not okay then I understand.”  Spike replied, a smile on his face.  

Red laid down and allowed Spike to hop to his back and up to his shoulder as the young dragon stood up slowly.  “Is that adequate?”

“It’s perfect.  Thank you.”  Spike assured him and patted the other dragon’s neck.

Red said nothing and gave a slight growl to the baby dragon and looked back to the smoke.  Twilight smiled at the sight of the two dragons and she also looked back to the smoke.  She watched as Kaiana suddenly dipped out of the sky and white flame poured from her jaws as she flew over the spot to burn.  She ended her flame as she flew over it and spun to turn back and the white flame poured forth once more.  Twilight watched as black smoke rose into the skies.  

“And another something is burning.”  Rarity said aloud.  

“Must be something special to somepony,” Fluttershy added in.  

“Yeah,”  Twilight replied absently.  

“The other two haven’t done anything yet, so maybe that was it…oh, nope there goes the green one,”  Rainbow said as she took to the air a few feet above them.  

“His name is Setan,”  Twilight replied.  

Green flame spat forth as the dragon came to hover over a spot close to where Kaiana’s white fire had burned.  Rainbow shrugged down at them and continued to hover above them. They all stared up at the four dragons as they suddenly all dove for the city.

“Oh by Equestria,”  Twilight whispered as fire poured from the skies as the dragons destroyed a portion of the city.  

She looked to her friends and they were all wide-eyed and staring as smoke rose in large plumes from the city.  





Hunter watched as the Nobles homes burned.  Gaze had informed him that the street ahead of them housed only their homes.  He had sent the minions through the homes to make sure that no ponies were trapped inside. The flames collided with the ground and tore through the elaborate houses, shaking the ground as they fell. The Overlord looked up as the dragons banked and came back toward him, fire falling from above to destroy everything in their path.  He heard ponies cry out as the dragons flew over him, his eyes closed as the heat from the flames and embers went past him.  

“Gaze?”  He spoke up as the sound of burning wood and the smell of wood-burning went over him. 

“Yes, Sire?”

“Do you happen to know where the Nobles would go to hide from me?”  

Gaze was quiet for a moment as he thought it over. “I think so.”  

“Where?”

“The old High Chambers, above us.”  He replied.  “I can show you the way.”  

“Perfect.  Those are the old chambers above the chambers set aside for me correct?”

“Yes, Sire.”  Gaze nodded as he spoke in response.  

Hunter turned to leave the burning rubble behind and stood at Gaze’s hip as the elder pony led him back the way they had come. The black stallion kept his eyes trained forward and the two dragons with him had fallen back slightly and Dezhara had taken her place at his side.  The she-wolf growled and snarled at his side, her head swinging from side to side to watch out for any threat.  Minions flooded the area around him as they tended to any threats that could come to stand against him.  Hunter’s mind went over what he wanted them to do and they completed the orders he gave them.  His hooves thudded over the stone path and he glanced up as the dragon’s circled tightly over him.  

The Overlord looked over his shoulder to see the crowd of ponies following closely behind him, their eyes wide and he could see anger smoldering within them.  ‘They are mine and by the Dark, I swear I will protect them.’  He thought to himself as the minions once more flooded the area ahead of them and removed any obstacles in his path.  Gaze turned the corner and Hunter sent the minions up the road to scan for any threats. He heard them scream and he looked up as a construct much like the one from the mine came around the corner followed by two more.  Hunter paused as the minions returned to him as the gauntlet roared.  

At his side Grey and Green snarled, ready to charge in to destroy them.  Hunter reached out an armored hoof and they backed up as his horn lit.  His magic covered the first construct and he wrenched it apart in his magic.  The machine came apart in his magic as the minions charged forth, he looked to the dragons and they charged in as well. Hunter was quiet as he pulled back his magic, his body was still recovering and he didn’t dare overtax himself when he still needed to reach those responsible.  

The two dragons tore into the machines before they had a chance to fully charge the lasers they carried.  They were thrown to the ground as the minions and dragons converged on them.  The sound of metal tearing filled the air.  Hunter walked forward as the whine of the constructs faded to nothing and the minions pushed the pieces out of his way and they kept moving.  Hunter commanded the mounted minions to scout ahead and the wolves howled and barked as they were driven into battle.  Hunter didn’t break into a faster gait, instead, he walked calmly forward.  His strides showed no sign of faltering and he moved fluidly in the direction of his choosing.  Beside him, Gaze stayed close as the dragons fell into place once more and the dragons stayed close.  The adult dragons stayed above him as they moved.  

“Sire.”  Gaze suddenly reached a hoof to land on his shoulder.  Hunter looked to him and stopped at the pressure to his shoulder. “The tunnels.”

“Tunnels?”  Hunter asked him, his voice firm.

“There are tunnels under this area that were once used to move larger items from home to home versus taking up the entire street. They haven’t been used in a few years.” Gaze said to him.

“Where do they converge?”

Hunter watched a smile went over Gaze’s mouth. “They are under the old chambers. I forgot all about them until now. I have only been in them a couple of times.”

Hunter nodded as a cruel smile crossed his mouth. “We should check to make sure they are usable.  Being able to sneak up on them would be invaluable.  I will have a small group stay above ground to draw attention from the main group.”  

The Overlord looked to the group with him and splintered off a small group of minions, ensuring that they can still progress. He would be taking the main group with him.  He looked to the two young dragons and made a choice about what they would need to do. 

“Green.  You stay with this group of minions.  If they get overwhelmed I want you to track this group and rejoin us.  I need you to make sure they are looking to you and not to the fact that we have gone missing.”  Hunter paused and looked to a pony behind them.  “You.  Are you able to stand up front and not run at the first fight?”

“Yes, Sire.”  The young mare came forward and stood before him.  “I will not run away.”  

“Good.  I will place an illusion over you that will make you look like me.  Do not fight if you can avoid it.  If the dragon tells you to run then do as she says.  Do not move to fight them hoof to hoof.”  Hunter commanded.

“Yes, Sire.”  She said to him and squared her shoulders, her determination clear.

Hunter’s horn lit with his red aura and covered the young mare.  He felt the drain on his magic and he looked to her as he was suddenly looking at a mirror image of himself.  He chuckled at the sight and the image of himself and looked down to his hooves.  

“It’s a bit odd looking at myself like that,” Hunter admitted.  The other image nodded and Hunter looked back to the group with him and then to the green she-dragon.  “Do what you can and if needed run to us.”

“I will nestmate.  Do the others know?”  She asked him.

“They will.  Don’t worry about it.  If this works then I will see you when we reach the chambers.  Be careful.”  He said to her as she reached out and nuzzled him.

She nodded and walked forward with the illusion and he peeled back to follow Gaze as he led them down a side gate.  He reached out to Sorkeno to let him know what the new plan was and he could feel the dragon respond. A loud roar from above told him that the message had been clear.  Gaze broke into a lope and Hunter followed closely behind.  He looked back to see that half of the ponies with him had gone with the fake and the rest were still with him.  While he had not asked them to he was certain that they had realized what to do and had acted as they saw fit.  

He said nothing and followed closely behind the old pony as they reached a heavily overgrown garden.  His eyes scanned the area as Gaze slowed to stand before an ivy-covered wall.  Hunter looked to Grey and the young dragon walked forward and reared to his back legs and dug his claws into the foliage and yanked back.  He pulled the ivy away to reveal a large door.  Hunter was glad to see that it was tall enough for the young drake to remain with him.  The dire wolf growled at his side and she bumped against him as he waited for the door to be opened.  Gaze pulled on a lever off to the side to open the door.

“It’s stuck.”  He called out and put his rear hooves against the wall to try to yank it open.

“Stop before you hurt yourself,”  Hunter called out.  “Lookout.”  

He walked over to the wall and pushed the old pony out of the way.  His magic gripped the lever and he yanked down on it.  He jumped back as a loud crash went through the area.  The door fell inward.  Creating a bridge over a small river within the city limits. Hunter trotted over it as the minions raced ahead of him, intent on searching out any threats ahead of him.  Grey stayed close to him as they moved into the tunnel.  Gaze came up next to him and looked around them.  Hunter looked to the ceiling to find it was over twenty feet high.  He could feel the angle changing as they moved forward.  There was a slight incline that angled them downward.  The Overlord walked steadily forward, his hoof steps echoing in the enclosed space.  The minions had gone quiet as they moved ahead.  Hunter’s hooves made the only easily heard sound second to the click of claws from the wolves and dragon close to him.  

His red eyes glowed brightly in the darkened tunnel and he lit his horn to provide light for the group of them.  The minions could easily see in the dark and they led the way forward.  They reached a T junction and he looked to Gaze who pointed to the right.  Hunter nodded and swept the minions ahead of him and into the tunnel.  





Twilight hovered over Red’s head as she tried to see into the city and she groaned when she couldn’t see anything and came back to the ground.  The dragon looked at her and then back to the skies.  The four adult dragons had separated and were flying over the entire city.  She wasn’t liking that there was nothing she could do to help Hunter and had to wait for him to finish his task.  

“Okay.  I’m bored.” Rainbow called out as she flopped to the ground.

“Ah hate ta agree, but...”  Applejack said as she looked to the others.

“I know girls,”  Twilight said to them.  “But this isn’t our fight.  We would end up under his hooves.  This is out of our depth and we need to leave it to him.”  

Soft Touch nodded.  “She is right.  While I know that you all have skills are fighters in your own right, the Master would not appreciate you interfering.”  

Fluttershy was sitting in the back of them, she had gotten the attention of one of the warwolves and was cautiously trying to talk to it. The minion handler stayed close to keep her from harm as she was careful in her actions.  Spike had joined her once the smoke had mostly cleared.  There was still some smoke rising from the city but it had dissipated significantly.  Rarity stood close to the Alicorn mare and filed a hoof absently.  Pinkie was cheerfully bouncing around them as her normal guards tried to stay close to her while avoiding getting bounced on or over. 

Twilight was about to ask her to stay still when the minions all straightened and Red reared to his hind legs, his head on a swivel as he looked around them.  Her friends went quiet as Twilight looked around them.  She wasn’t seeing anything as her wings rose from her back.  Her magic hummed under her skin and she could feel that it was ready at a moment’s notice.  At her sides the minions had circled them, they were armed and ready for anything that came toward the group of them.  Red snarled as he began to circle the group slowly.  His head raised as he listened around them, his fire on his tongue.  Twilight opened her mouth as a roar sounded from around them.  Her blood ran cold at the sound and she looked to the dragon. Red snarled louder and his body-oriented to stand between them and the nearing thunder of hooves.  She reared to look over the land as a group of ponies charged them, stone and metal monsters leading the charge toward them.  

“Oh by Celestia.”  Rarity called out as she charged her own horn.  

“Get ready ya’ll!”  Applejack yelled as rainbow stood at her side.  

“Soft Touch stay back!”  Twilight yelled as the handmaiden looked to her and nodded.  

“Fluttershy!”  Soft Touch called out to her and the shy mare went to her side.  

“Spike!”  Twilight yelled for the baby dragon.  “Go to Soft Touch and stay with her!”  

“But?”  Spike called back to her.

“Please, Spike!”  She yelled over her shoulder

“Okay!”  The baby dragon could hear the desperation in her voice and he ran to the handmaiden and stayed with her.

Soft Touch pulled the butter-yellow mare out of the way and held Spike close to her as they stayed out of the way.  Twilight turned her focus back to the approaching attack.  She could feel the vibration of the incoming ponies and automatons through the ground as it shook under her hooves.  She could feel her blood rushing through her body, her heart hammered in her chest as Red charged forward his body flowing over the ground as his own fire chewed into the first construct.  Twilight took to the air, Rainbow on her wing as her horn charged and she blasted the next construct that charged on the red dragon.  Rainbow angled down and dove to strike a lightly armored pony.  

Twilight sent a second burst of magic into the group and the ponies jumped to avoid the magical onslaught and they pulled bows to shoot into the sky.  Rainbow and the hovering Alicorn dove to avoid the arrows and barrel rolled to avoid being struck.  Twilight flew low and she gasped as more arrows flew toward her.  Her horn erected a strong shield around her to prevent her from being struck.  Her brother had taught her several shield spells and she had never truly thought that she would need them.  Her shield stayed strong as she released a war call of her own and angled to the ground and flapped her wings to the ground.  

She collided with the ground and a concussion wave went over the ground, pushing pony and machine back away from her.  She looked up as some of the ponies recovered and came after her.  She charged her horn and sent a blast at the attacking pony and pushed him back, away from her.  She felt an impact on her shield and she looked back to find a bladed construct attacking the shield, its strikes unrelenting and she yelped as it shuddered under the repeated impacts.  She charged her horn as the shield was being struck from all sides and she pushed magic into it to try to push them away.  

A roar sounded and she looked up to see Red’s jaws cover a pony, blood splashed against the shield as he wrenched the pony from his place at her shield and tossed the body over his shoulder.  The dragon’s jaws opened once more to close on another pony, tossing him unceremoniously over his shoulder once more. Red got between them and the Alicorn and he leaned his weight over the mares shield and it gave way under his weight. He angled his body to land over her and he spun in place.  His tail and head crashing into the machines and pony alike, sending them reeling back. Red opened his jaws once more and fire poured from his mouth.  Ponies screamed as the fires licked over their bodies and the constructs fell back as their metal bodies began to warp under the intense heat.  

She looked past the dragon as Rainbow dove to the ground and spun to strike a few other ponies and they fell under the force of her spin and she went back to the air with a triumphant crow.  Twilight looked past Red and she could see Pinkie running around, her minions at her back as she pushed and kicked her own share of their attackers.  Rarity tossed a pony away from her as they attacked her as well.  Red roared as they approached him once more.  Twilight charged her horn and her magic poured forth as she jumped to Red’s back and attacked from the higher vantage point.  

Applejack leaped past the Alicorn and the attacking dragon to buck a construct off its spindle legs and it landed several feet away as she leaped onto it and jumped to break it apart.  Smoke came from the broken husks of the constructs as the battle went on.  Twilight took to the air once more and blasted the ponies and machines with magic, her face a mask of rage as they kept attacking.  Twilight looked past them and she could see that there were more constructs than ponies.  She paused for a moment before she looked down to the dragon below her.  

She angled down to land on his back. “Red!”  

“Princess?”  He looked back at her, smoke coming from his jaws.  

“We need to put a stop to them.  I don’t think we can last if they keep coming with more machines.  Can you charge them?”  She asked him as she blasted a construct that got to close.  

Red’s tail slammed one into the ground as he considered what she said.  “I can. I will break them into pieces.” He snarled to her.  

Twilight stayed on his back and pulled his scales into the direction that she needed him to charge.  “Go!”  She shouted at him.

The dragon lowered his nose and charged forward. Twilight held tightly to his scales. Her magic charged as she blasted ahead of him, trying to keep as many automatons from colliding with the dragon. She had been the one who asked him to charge but that didn’t mean she wanted them to hurt him.  Red collided with a construct and she looked to him to see that he didn’t flinch as it fell under his claws and he tore it apart.  His gaze was forward and she looked ahead with him. She held tighter to his scales and stared ahead of them.  She heard a call and she looked up to see Rainbow keeping pace with her.  She looked back to see her friends and the minions on Red’s heels.  She looked stunned as the minions raced to be abreast of the charging dragon.  She had no idea they and their mounts could be that fast.  The Alicorn looked past the dragon and she could hear the minions calling as they charged ahead.  

“Red?”

The dragon glanced to her at her voice so close to his ear and she watched as he dug deeper into the ground and galloped ahead. The mare looked up as a wall of moving automatons stared back at her.  “Oh by Celestia.”  She whispered as she saw them.  She felt Red lower his head and he kept going toward them.  She looked up and she could see ponies with them but there were not many of them.  

“Fly Princess!”  Red yelled to her as he bucked her from his back.

Her wings extended as the red dragon charged ahead. She cried out as he collided with the automatons and his body rolled over them, breaking them under his claws. She nearly screamed as his body somersaulted head over tail and he went still.  She watched as the dragon began to try to get to his paws but was swarmed in place.  

“RED!”  Twilight screamed his name as she lost sight of him.  

Her horn lit as she rained magic down on to the ponies and constructs beneath her.  She paused as they didn’t fall away and she heard a screamed roar tear through the air over the din of the battle.  The mare was silent as she tried to think of a way to save him.  She began to dive down to attack when a roar shook the air around her.  She looked back as Maranna tore through the air behind her, her wings cutting the air. 

Twilight screamed for her friends and they stayed back as fire poured from the she-dragons mouth.  The fire hit the ground with enough force to shake the ground and knocked them from their hooves.  She went to the ground and stayed on her hooves as she watched as the few ponies were incinerated and burned to ash in a moment.  The constructs all shattered in place, their parts burning as they were mangled beyond recognition.  

Maranna dropped from the sky, her body colliding with the ground as she dug through the destroyed ground and picked up the young drake in her jaws.  She set him down on the ground ahead of the mares and they swarmed over him as he coughed and spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground.  He shook his head as the she-dragon lowered her head to check on him, her tongue going over his scales.  Twilight got to his head and reached out her hooves to land on his shoulder.

“Red?”  She was frantic as the drake looked to her, his eyes bright.  “Are you okay?  Oh by Equestria I am so sorry.  That was an awful idea.”  

“It was not a bad idea, Princess.”  He finally said to her.  “I did not realize there were more of them behind the wall.  I thought if I could get behind them then we could put an end to them.”  He explained to her.

Maranna’s tongue went over his head, removing ash and dirt from his form.  “It is fine little Princess.”  She said to the frantic mare.  “He will be fine.”  

“Are ya sure yer okay?”  Applejack asked him as she joined them.

Red nodded and got to his paws.  He shook himself and he cringed and looked back to a large cut in the meat of his right hip, blood sluggishly came from the wound. Maranna looked him over and her tongue dragged over the wound, cleaning it.  Twilight looked up as a loud series of cries went out from behind her.  She looked back as a small group of blue minions raced toward them.  Her eyes widened in recognition as they crawled over the young dragons hide and she watched as their magic flared on the drake’s scales.  The skin pulled together and she sighed in relief at the sight of the healed flesh.  She looked up as several of the mounted minions came forward, dragging a pony behind them.   

Maranna raised her head from the young red drake and she regarded the pony wrapped in rope.  The red she-dragon stared for a moment before she placed her head over the ponies body.  Her mouth opened and flames licked over her jaws as the pony began to scream.  She closed her mouth and lowered her head to look at him.

“That will be your fate if you do not come clean and tell this mare everything that you know.”  Maranna’s voice was like silk as she spoke to him, almost sweetly.  

Twilight stared at her for a moment before she looked at the stallion who had gone silent and was frantically nodding to the dragon.  She approached the pony who was now staring at her, his brown eyes wide.  Her magic gripped him and she sat him up, allowing him to sit properly to face her.  She sat down her face a mask of composure.  

“Who are you?”  She asked him.

He stared at her, his eyes wider than before as he stared at her.  “So now what?”

“Now you need to tell me what is going or…” She left the threat open and glanced over her shoulder to the dragons.  

“Thought he was the only one that could command them. So what are you?  His favorite whore?”  He asked her. 

Twilight jerked and she was pushed gently, but swiftly aside as Red came forward, his jaws snapping closed a bare inch from the now screaming ponies face.  Maranna said nothing as the young dragon raged.  Her silence only made the pony scream louder as her jaws opened and she ran her tongue over her fangs.  

“I am Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria. I am an emissary from Equestria and a guest of Overlord Hunter Flame on his expedition to check on his subjects in the Empire Highlands.”  She replied to him, her purple eyes sharp.  

The pony watched as Red slowly pulled his jaws back and the Alicorn reached up and nuzzled his jaw in silent thanks.  The mare said nothing more as she allowed him to contemplate his life’s choices up until that point.  She looked to her friends and they were also watching him intently.  Soft Touch, Fluttershy, and Spike had joined them and the handmaiden looked ready to thrash the offensive pony herself.  

“Why are you here?”  She asked.

“I was hired by some Noble in the city.  Told me and my group that we were needed to protect the city from something.  My boss took the contract and I do as I’m told.  So he’s got all the details.”  He replied.

“So you were told to come after me and my friends?”

“I guess.  Was just told that there was a small group of creatures…”  He looked at the minions close by and shrugged. “Those, whatever the hell they are, and they needed to be removed and the traitors they were guarding needed to be captured.”  

“Traitors?”  Twilight said back to him.  “As I have said we are guests of the Overlord and Master of this city.”

“Yeah, I heard you.  But your boss didn’t pay me so I do as I’m told since I like being paid for my time.”  He interrupted.  

“Are you from here or?”

“Nope.  Equestrian born and bred.”  He replied and shrugged.  “But like I said I go where they pay me.”

Twilight was quiet as she considered what he said. “So you were sent out to get us. And your boss went to do what?”

“He was told to kill those things and the dragons that had invaded the city.”  

“Which dragons?”  Maranna asked him quietly.

“The little ones.  They wanted us to try to kill the big ones but even my boss said that they were going to have to take care of you on their own and no amount of money would get us to take on the big ones.  Now after what I just saw going after the little ones is useless, too tough to die even under a bunch of those things they gave us to use.”  He admitted and looked nervously at the adult dragon as he spoke.

“You didn’t bring those constructs with you?” Twilight asked him.

“No.  If we had those things with us we wouldn’t need a job like this one.”  He replied to her.  

Red leaned his head against Twilights cheek and she patted him in silence.  Behind her, she could feel Maranna’s breath ruffling her feathers and her fur.  “So they gave you those things to use?”

“Yeah.  But they’re a pain in the ass to command.  So we don’t use them much.  The ones that she torched were some of the last ones they had.  Not sure how many are in the city.  They were sectioned out to us and a few others were put in the city to fight off the others dragons.”  He explained.

Twilight was quiet as she thought it over.  “So in the city.  How many of your ponies are there?”

“Not many.”  He said as he looked to the smoking ashes that were once ponies and machine.  “Look, Princess.  I know about as much as the next underpaid grunt in this operation.  You can ask all the questions you want but the odds are I don’t have the answer.  And at this point to keep that dragon of yours from lighting me on fire I’d sell you my grandmother to keep me alive and breathing.  So ask away, but I might not have the answers.”

Twilight fought back a snort of anger and held back her desire to slap him.  She looked back to Maranna, who had remained mostly silent throughout the discussion. The red she-dragon glanced to her and then back to Red.   

“The Overlord of this land is in the city.  How many ponies and constructs are there?”  She held up a hoof when he opened his mouth. “I don’t want a guess.  I want a number.  You have the choice to come clean now or I will let that gorgeous she-dragon behind me light you on fire.”  She snapped at him.  

His eyes widened.  “Got it.  Umm…I had twenty or so with me and close to forty machines.  So that leaves…Fifteen in the city and twenty machines.  Give or take one or two.”  He rushed out as she looked at him.  

She looked to her friends who nodded to her. “Sounds bout right.”  Applejack said aloud.  “We broke through most of them and then she took care of the rest.” 

Maranna nodded.  “I did not count how many there were but if memory serves then that is close to what I saw.”  

Twilight nodded.  “Sounds right.  Maranna can you tell Sorkeno about the numbers in the city?”  

The dragon nodded and stood up.  A roar tore from her as she sent the information to the others.  She went quiet as a roar sounded out in reply to her call.  Twilight looked up as Kaiana winged her way toward the red female. She glanced to the stallion who had gone pale at the sight of the silver matriarch coming over to them.  

“You’re not gonna let her eat me right?”  He whispered to the mare.

“If you tell the truth you have nothing to worry about, right?”  She replied.

He said nothing and she saw him gulp and stare at the dragons once more.  Kaiana landed near them and her eyes fell onto the pony sitting in front of Twilight. She looked to Maranna who began to speak to her in a different language, that Twilight assumed to be Dracoran.  When they finished Kaiana laid down to be level with the pony and Twilight.  

“Little Princess.  Do you trust what this pony has said?”  She asked as she spoke her fangs showed and Twilight heard the other pony whimper at the sight.  

“I don’t know if I trust him…”  Twilight began.

“No!  I swear I’m not lying.”  He shouted at them.  “I told you I would tell you everything so long as I live through this.”  

“And?”  Kaiana asked.

“I’ll tell you everything if I know the answer.” He called out to them.  

“He did say that before,”  Twilight said to the dragon.

“You were hired to harm him?”  Kaiana asked him.

The stallion stared at her for a moment before he replied, his tone careful.  “We were hired to do whatever they told us to do.  I don’t argue so long as I’m paid.”  

Kaiana said nothing as she leaned her head forward. Her eyes stared at him and he whimpered as she was a bare inch from him.  Twilight was silent as she got up and moved out of the dragon’s way.  She had no idea what Kaiana was going to do and she didn’t want to be in the way.  

“Did they speak of what they wanted to be done to him?” She asked him.

“Not that I ever heard.  I was told to come out here to capture the ponies in the field. I had nothing to do with the city.” He said to her.  

Kaiana stared at him for a moment before she pulled her head back.  “I will believe you, for now.  But should I find out that you have lied?  Fire will be the last thing you see and it will not be quick.”  

Twilight held back a shudder at the tone that came from the silver dragon.  “Is your boss in the city?”

“Yes.”  He replied with a nod.  “He’s with all the big wigs in the city.”  

“Where are they located?”  Kaiana asked him.

“I have no idea what the name of the place is called. I was only in it once.  Had a lot of extra rooms and ponies were running around constantly.  Couldn’t even swing a cat without hitting somepony.”  He replied quickly.  

Twilight considered what he said and turned to look to the dragons behind her.  “I don’t know what place he is talking about.  Nothing sounds familiar.”

“I think I know.”  Soft Touch spoke up.  

“Ya sure?”  Applejack asked her.

“Yes.  The quarters all of you were in for the night are part of the new building complex that was made after the Master retook power in the area.  The households his quarters and have plenty of space for guests if needed.  But above them on the upper hill are the old chambers.  The Master chose to remake them since they were small and not very comfortable.  His description, while odd, is accurate for that space.”  She explained.  “I think that is where he is talking about.”  

Applejack nodded as she spoke.  “So we need ta let ‘im know what we know.”  

“Kaiana?”  Twilight said to the silver dragon.

She nodded and put her head back to roar. The roar shook the air around them and Twilight watched as Sorkeno altered his flight and headed toward them. She looked to the pony who had tried to shrink even smaller than before. 

“So many dragons.”  He whimpered aloud.  

Twilight bit back a giggle at the look on his face. Sorkeno came to the ground behind them and Kaiana began to speak to him.  Twilight had no idea what was being said and waited for them to finish.  Sorkeno nuzzled the she-dragon quickly as he brought his head down to look at the pony they had captured.  

“By Celestia’s ass, he’s huge. The other ones are small next to him.”  He whispered to himself as the dragon's mouth was level with the Princesses shoulder before he said anything more.  “Wow.”

“You have told us where they are hiding?” Sorkeno said to him.

“I hope so.”  He squeaked out.  

“You have not lied have you?”  Sorkeno breathed out in a whisper.

“NO!”  The pony shook his head frantically.  “No, I swear I have told you the truth.  Everything I know I have said.”  

“I believe him,”  Sorkeno said to them.  

“You do?”  The pony said to him, his eyes wide.

“Yes.  He has confirmed Little One's plan.”  Sorkeno said aloud.

“He did?”  Twilight asked him as the pony started, blinking at the golden dragon.  

“I did?”  The pony said aloud and went silent as he realized that he had spoken aloud.

“Yes.  He split the group and took the underground tunnels. The little Green stayed with the upper group while Little One took Grey under the ground.”  Sorkeno explained.

“Underground tunnels?”  Twilight asked.

“Yes.  They connect to the old Chambers where the traitors are hiding.”  He went on.

“Oh.  Very useful.” Twilight agreed.

Sorkeno nodded to her as he looked back to the skies. “We are watching over Little Green as she makes her way through the city.  She has made progress, keeping their attention on the city streets, versus the underground paths.  It is thought that they do not know they are there or they believe that Little One will not use them.  In truth, he did not know they were there until Light Gaze brought them to his attention.”  

“That’s very clever.”  Rarity admitted.  “Will he be okay once they reach the Chambers?”  

“The area behind it is open so if needed I can land there to help him,”  Sorkeno admitted to her.  “But he has more than enough to back him up currently.  I will be taking to the air once more.  Take this one into the city, Little Princess.  You and your friends will be all right to go to the city now. Those that stand against him are falling as we speak.  Be careful as you enter into the city, keep your guard up and allow the minions to lead you to him.”

“Understood,”  Twilight said to him as she looked to her friends.  

She watched as the three dragons took to the air and she breathed in a deep breath and released it slowly. She looked to the others as the minions came forward to grip the pony’s ropes in their claws. The wolves snapped at the pony as they began to drag him forward.  

“Oh come on!  I was helpful.”  He shouted out as he was dragged forward.

“We will let the Overlord know dear.”  Rarity said to him, a sweet smile on her face as she trotted past him.  

Twilight heard Rainbow laugh as the pony groaned in reply.  She looked up as the three dragons resumed their flight over the city, places of it still smoking from the intense dragon fire.  





Hunter looked up as they reached another T junction and the old pony looked uncertain for a moment as he spun slowly to look down each tunnel.  His eyes were closed as he gained his bearings.  

“Gaze?”  He finally spoke up as the pony turned to the left tunnel.

“Sorry.  I lost my bearings for a moment.  It has been twenty years since I was down here last.”  He added sheepishly.  

“It’s fine.  So long as we end up under them I will not complain.”  Hunter replied to him as the minions raced forward, leading them down the left tunnel.  “What are the odds of some of them knowing about these tunnels?”

“Slim.  But there is a chance.  Most of them do not concern themselves with things that do not affect them directly.” Gaze replied.  “Even when your Lord Father was in power they did not concern themselves with the servant’s roads.”  

“Servants roads?”  

“Yes.  That is what some called these tunnels.”  Gaze supplied at Hunter's reply.

Hunter said nothing in reply as the minions came back toward him, their voices quiet at his command.  “It’s been that long then?”

“Yes.  It has been a long time since we lost him.”  Gaze replied, his tone held sadness as they walked forward.  “But we still have you.”

“I’m not going anywhere,”  Hunter said to him.  “But I will not forget that day.”

“Neither will I, Sire.”  

Hunter fell silent as they moved ahead.  His hooves thudded against the stone floor, the sound of dragon claws echoed with his steps.  He glanced to the dragon at his side.  Grey was the quiet one of the group and chose when he needed to speak, if at all.  He was more vocal with the others close by but he was still the one to stay silent. Hunter looked behind them to ensure that the minions and he were not being tracked from behind.  His heartbeat steadily in his chest, his breathing calm as the end of this farce was coming to an end.  He refused to allow himself to become complacent.  Due to their recent actions, he remained alert and he was ready for anything to come at the end of the tunnels.  

“Sire?”  

“Yes?”

“What will you do once this ends?”

“I am not sure yet.  Depends on how many stand down or if I am faced with a larger threat than I thought.”

“What do you mean?”  

“I refuse to leave the city if there is even one pony that decides that they are better than the others.  I would prefer not to have to purge them but if I must then I will.”  Hunter replied.

“Purge them?”  Gaze’s eyes were wide as he spoke.  “You would kill them all?”

“I hope not.  But I will not them try to use those under them again.  Do you think simply stopping them once more will end that mindset?”  

Gaze was quiet as he looked ahead of them.  “I hope it does not come to that, Sire.”

“As do I,”  Hunter admitted to him.  His horn remained alight as they walked, casting shadows onto the walls.

Hunter stopped and bid those with him to go silent. He reached over to close Dezhara’s jaws as she panted beside him.  His eyes glowed as he looked up to the ceiling.  Gaze looked at him as they heard the sound of yelling coming from above them.  The warwolves were quiet as the minions on their backs shifted and looked only to the Overlord for their orders.  On his back, Wrath was quiet as he crouched down on Hunter's shoulder.  Hunter walked slowly ahead and saw the slight incline heading up to the end of the tunnel.  

“Well done Gaze.”  He whispered to the old pony.

“Thank you.  For a time I was afraid I had missed the turn.”  Gaze replied with a chuckle.

“Not at all.  You have guided me well.”  Hunter began to walk slowly up the incline and paused when he was a foot or so away from the end door.  “What is it like on the other side of this door?”

Gaze came up to stand with him and looked thoughtful.  “Behind this door is the room that, your mother, Songstress used for her music. Beyond that is the room that your father used as his quarters.  Beyond that is an arched doorway and then the main gathering room.  It makes up the main gathering space.”

“Understood.”  Hunter was quiet as he looked at the door's frame.  “How much noise will this make when we open it?”

“I am not sure.”  Gaze admitted with a nervous glance.  “It hasn’t been used since the last time your Lord Father used it.”

“So over twenty-five years of nothing.” Hunter reasoned and Gaze nodded. “Damn.  I would prefer to sneak up on them but I don’t think that will happen.”

“I’m afraid your right.”  

Hunter snorted in annoyance and flicked an ear to try to listen through the heavy stone door.  He could hear voices close by but they still seemed to have some distance. He backed up and scanned the doorway once more.  “This is a rolling door, correct?”

“Yes, Sire.  It rolls to be enclosed in the wall.  It was once called an inner hidden door.”  Gaze replied, his voice a bare whisper.

“Right.  We have a few of those in the Netherworld.”  Hunter said to him as he looked at the door.  “Okay magic might be the only way to open it unless you think the doorway is weak enough to be pushed open.”

“It might be.  This place has most likely not been tended to properly in many years. The doorway might have decayed in place.”  Gaze replied. 

“Worth a shot.  If I have to I will open it through magic.  Look out.”  Hunter backed up and motioned for Grey to join him.  “Can you push this down with help from the minions?”  

“I do not have my nest mate’s bulk but I can try.” He replied.  “With help perhaps I can.”

Hunter nodded and backed up further and watched as the dragon and the heaviest of his minions, Wrath included, went to the door and prepared to try to push it down at his signal.  He looked over the doorway and hoped that the cracks he could now see along the edges were like that throughout the entire doorway.  The Overlord looked at them and nodded.  Grey looked behind him as he backed up and reared back setting his paws on the door and then pushing away from it.  He pushed his body against the door and Hunter heard it like thunder through the enclosed tunnel.  He pinned his ears and nodded for them to try again.  

He watched Grey pull back once more and crash his body against the door.  Dust came down on them as the doorway began to crack further.  The young drake pushed off once more and crashed his chest and shoulder against the door.  Hunter gasped as it gave way and fell into the adjoining room.  The door fell to the room behind it with a resounding thud that shook the room and the building with it.  Grey and the minions backed up as screams went out at the sound.  Hunter bade them stay back and waited for the dust to clear slightly.  While he could see through it easily enough he preferred for them to see him enough to know him easily.  His armor flexed around him, its living pieces bright as the lava flowed through it. His cloak fell into place and he walked forward, leaving the others behind him.  If needed he would call on them.  But for now, he waited to see them for himself.  

Hunter walked out of the tunnel and into the room that was once his mothers.  He walked out of it and into the room that had once been his fathers and then through the arch doorway to see those that had plotted against him.  A mare looked up as his red eyes came through the dust that still clung to the air.  He watched as her eyes widened and a scream tore from her.  Others turned to look at her and she pointed to the arch.  Hunter now stood within the arch and they all backed up from him, giving him a berth of several feet.  His armor gave off its own glow as the dust faded, leaving him framed in the doorway for all of them to see.  They stared at him as he waited for them to speak.  

“It can’t be.”  One finally spoke, his voice disbelieving.

“You’re supposed to be locked up or dead by now.” A mare cried out.

“As you can see your trap failed,”  Hunter replied, his voice even and strong as they stared.

“How did you?  The dragons.”  A stallion finally put the pieces together.

“Correct.  Though to give credit where it is due, Princess Twilight located the building that hid that trap door of yours.  She, in turn, called on several of my dragons for aid and they found the trap door, then called on the Lord Dragon to remove the building entirely.  You would think you would have noticed that sooner than now.” Hunter chastised as he regarded them.

“We knew the building had been destroyed but we gave the command to the machine to attack and kill everypony in the mine before that.”  A mare informed him.

“Ahh.  I was going to ask about that thing.  It did attack us that’s true.  But I protected my ponies and none of them were harmed by it.”  Hunter replied, a chuckle coming from him as he spoke.  “It was destroyed by the Lord Dragon shortly after the attack command was given.”

They stared at him and he could see fear slowly making its way through the crowd of them.  He estimated over twenty ponies were in the room.  He looked up as the familiar whine of a construct caught his ear and he looked to the front door as one made its way inside.  

“We can’t let you leave here alive.  The Empire is ours and we will do what we wish with it and the slaves within it.”  A stallion snarled to him.

Hunter gave a bark of laughter and the Gauntlet roared in response.  The sound of claws came from behind him as the minions and their war wolves reached him. Dezhara trotted to his side and many ponies paled at the sight of the enormous wolf.  The construct was brought to the front of the group and Hunter regarded the lone creation.  A snarl tore through the air behind him as Grey came to stand on his other wide. The dragon roared as the construct stood in front.  

“Nestmate?”

“Yes?”

“Shall I destroy that thing for you?”  Grey asked him, his jaws snapped shut as he finished speaking.

"Not yet,”  Hunter said to him.  “I want to know more about them for now.”  

The dragon nodded at his reply and remained in place.  Hunter could hear shouts of alarm going out as ponies cried out from the front room. He watched as they crowded into the main room as Green and her group reached them.  

“There are two of him!”  One mare screamed as she saw the illusion of him at the side of the green female.  

The other said nothing and stood tall before them. Hunter chuckled at the fear that went through them at the sight of the illusion clad mare.  His horn flared and the illusion fell to reveal the mare. She blinked and saw him on the other side of the room.  She bowed her head and backed up to allow the dragon to take the center stage.  

“How did you fare?”  He called to her.

“We did well Nestmate.  Many of those metal beings fell to claw and fire.”  She crowed, clearly proud of her deeds.

“Well done.”  He called to her and she arched her neck, showing her teeth in a wide smile. “Your decision to attack my ponies and then imprison me has been added to the list of transgressions against me and mine.  I will allow you to explain yourself and then you will receive my judgment.”  

“We do not have to explain anything to you.  You will still fall to us.”  A stallion replied, his arrogant tone strong.  

Hunter fought back a snort at the pony’s arrogance and took the weight off of one hind leg.  “Oh?  From where I stand you have nothing to fight with.  You have lost.  Accept that and you may keep your life.  Or you can fight me and die.”  Hunter snarled.

They backed up as the minions advanced several steps and Dezhara lunged at them, returning to his side once they were backed away from him.  Hunter was about to send in his army when the ground shuddered under his hooves.  He looked to them and they were all trying to push back further from him.  

“We took precautions as well ‘Your Highness.’ You are foolish enough to not realize that you are outclassed.”  The stallion snarled.

Hunter pulled back his minions as the ground cracked in between him and the Nobles.  “What in the Netherworld?”  He cursed as he backed up and Grey got between him and the cracking ground.  

The young drake pressed him back and Hunter stared as the gap grew wider and he heard the whine of a constructs gears as several of them came out of the gap.  Hunter’s eyes widened at the sight of them and he reared up and put his forelegs over Grey’s back as his horn charged.  The bright red aura covered one and he yanked it in half and let it fall to the ground.  

“Get back!”  He yelled at the ponies that had come with him and Gaze led them as they fled into the tunnel at his call.  

Hunter looked up and he could see green flame blazing on the other side of the room as Green burned a contrast into charred metal.  She was slowly backing up as the ponies with her fled.  The minions stayed with her and went to battle with the constructs close to them. Hunter looked up as lightly armored ponies came from behind the Nobles and began to shoot arrows at the minions and himself.  Hunter’s eyes narrowed as he reared back and stayed standing.  He took his bow in hoof and reached back for an arrow.  He felt an arrow collide with his armor and he heard the sound of it snapping as his armor deflected it.  He notched the arrow and it fell into place on the bowstring.  He breathed out as he loosed the arrow and the force of the blow sent one attacking pony backward with enough force to knock down another attacker.  

“Shoot him!”  An armored pony in the back called out and they all looked from the minions to him.

Hunter cursed as he dove to duck behind the thick scaled dragon.  Grey snarled and white-hot steam poured from his jaws as a construct got to close.  Its metal warping under the heat as its leg collapsed back and fell into the gap once more.  

“Stay down nestmate!”  Grey called to the Overlord.

Hunter patted his side and reached out with his magic to toss an approaching construct away from the dragon.  He gripped Greys scales and slowly pulled him back.  The gauntlet roared as he commanded the minions back into the tunnel.  Once Grey was close enough to the room that had once been used as the quarters for his father he looked up to the ceiling.  

“Sorkeno!”  He roared the dragon’s name.

Hunter paused as the ground shook with an unseen impact barely thirty seconds later and the building shuddered as the ceiling gave way. Sorkeno’s enormous head came through it as his claws tore the ceiling off and he looked down as Hunter pointed to the other side of the room.  The dragon looked to the attacking ponies and the constructs that came from within the ground.  The dragon shoved his mouth into the gap and breathed out a thin stream of ice.  The ground froze as he breathed out and Hunter watched as the affected machines failed as their components froze in place.  The Overlord stood up as the dragon brought his head up and the gap was closed with solid ice.  He walked ahead and looked to the now cowering Nobles and their mercenaries.  

“Your precautions have failed you!”  He roared to them as they stared at him as he stood upon the wreckage of the frozen constructs.  “This city is mine and I will not allow you to have it or my ponies.  You will fall!”  

Sorkeno snarled from above him as the black Unicorn stepped toward them, Dezhara close behind him.  Hunter stood in front of them as they cowered at the sight of the Overlord and the dragon that was staring down at them.  Hunter looked up and he could see the other three circling above them. Green snarled as she came back into the room and hissed, smoke coming from between her jaws.  The Nobles backed up further and he soon stood mere feet before them.  Hunter was silent as he looked at them.  They cowered before him once more and he snorted.  

“What are your intentions now?  What will you do now that I stand before you once more? I stand the victor once more, same as I did many years ago.  You have fallen to me once more.”  Hunter snarled to them.  

Sorkeno growled and raised his head slightly above the wall.  “Little one?”

“Yes?”

“What is your judgment?”  The dragon asked him.

Hunter was silent as he looked at each pony individually. Each of them looked from him to the dragon and back again.  Their expression ranging from shocked to horrified and then to terror.  He said nothing as he looked around him.  He glanced to the dragons that had followed him into battle. The minions that called for battle and stood tall.  The ponies that had followed him once more and now stood with him as the victor of another battle for the city.  He closed his eyes for a moment as he breathed in the scent of battle.  The chill of the ice behind him went over his hind legs. He opened his eyes and they blazed red from within his helm.  Red eyes blazed from their sockets as he looked over the group.  

“You have committed more crimes than I can count on my ponies, my city, and myself.  Your greed knows no bounds and there is no limit to the cruelty that you would bring down on the ponies of this city.  I have already brought some of my wrath upon you and you will be allowed to see the wreckage of your own lives before I am done.”  He growled to them.  

Several looked at him as they listened to his words. “What will happen to us now…Sire?” A mare asked him from the back of the group.

“You call me your Lord now?  I was a horsefly to be swatted before, what brought me back to being your Master?”  He said to her.  “Was it the numbing ice of a dragon?  Or the raging fire of a small piece of my army?”  

They quaked before him and said nothing in reply. The Gauntlet roared and the minions swarmed over the ponies who had stood against him.  They were pushed out the other door as Green turned and backed out of it to allow them to be moved.  They were stopped at the road that would allow them to look down into the city.  Smoke still rose from the Noble Quarter and several screamed at the sight of the smoking wreckage that had once been their seats of power and privilege.  His red eyes watched as they looked back to him as his armored hooves thudded on the stone roads.  A mare looked at him, her eyes wide as he stood unwavering behind them.  

“My home?”  She whispered.

“Is gone.”  He snarled.  “Did you truly think I would allow you to return to a place that you did not earn? You have never served the ponied of the city and yet you call yourselves a Noble pony.  You are a disgrace to all that I have built and your titles are as worthless as you.  All your plans have failed once more, all you’re scheming, all your trickery.  It and you have failed.”  Hunter replied to her.  

“What have you done?”  A stallion spoke up.  “We have earned our places and you have no right…”

“No right?!”  Hunter roared.  “I am the Overlord!  I choose what you are allowed.”  Hunter snarled.  “Even if I allow you to live for your transgressions you are no Noble and this city has no place for you.  Your words are hollow and your actions are those of traitors.  I will not allow you to hurt my ponies any longer.  I brought you out here to show you the result of your own actions.”  

Sorkeno growled above them.  The golden dragon knocked down the remaining walls between himself and the road that Hunter stood on the dragon lowered his head to nudge the enraged stallion.  Hunter patted the dragon's jaw and breathed in a deep breath and slowly released it.  

He looked up as the sound of minions caught his ears and he looked up as Red and Twilight came into view.  His eyes widened slightly at the sight of the group of them.  He could see the encrusted dirt and grime that covered the minions.  Blood streaked across their weapons and the wolves had blood encrusted on their jaws. Twilight and her friends brightened at the sight of him and they came toward him.  Hunter’s ears flicked at the sound of a pony complaining.  

“Do you have to really drag me the entire way?” A pony shouted.  “I’m not going to fight you!  It would be suicide and I want to keep living…Oh shit.”  

“Hunter!”  Twilight shouted and trotted to join him with her friends on her heels.  

“Twilight?”  He asked her as he looked over the group of them.  “What happened?”

The Alicorn paused as she glanced over her shoulder to the others and a tentative smile crossed her muzzle.  “Umm.  We had a little problem, but everypony is fine.”

Hunter was quiet as he looked at her and she looked away from him to the others as Red came up to him and nuzzled the stallion closely.  “It was a small fight, nestmate.  We did not lose.”

Twilight slapped her hoof to her face as the young drake spoke.  

“Small fight?”  He asked again.

“Yeah.  Umm. They sent a group of ponies and a bunch of constructs after us in the field.”  She explained.  “We were doing pretty well until they overwhelmed Red and Maranna came to rescue him and burned the ponies and machines to ash.”  She went on. “We did capture one of them who told us what he knew and that’s how we knew where to go to find you.”

Hunter’s eyes blazed brighter as she spoke.  He looked at Red and motioned for the young dragon to spin in a circle so he could ensure that he was unhurt.  “And are you all right?”

“Yes.  Your little blues healed me.”  Red crowed, clearly pleased with himself. 

Hunter’s eyes widened.  “They had to heal you, what?”

“Red got a little cut on his hip so the blues healed it and we are all fine,”  Twilight said to him.  

Hunter could feel a new rage raging through him.  The young dragons had known him since he was a tiny foal and he had grown up with them.  They were the closest thing to siblings he had and the thought of them being harmed enraged him.  He looked over his shoulder to the other two young dragons who had come forward as well to greet Red.  He walked away from them and stood close to the group of quivering Nobles.

“Who ordered the attack on them?”  His voice was smooth as silk and quiet as a whisper. 

The group shrank under his gaze as they looked to each other and then back to him.  Hunters ears flicked as the sound of dragging caught his attention.  

“I know who did it!”  

Hunters head snapped to the bound pony that several of the mounted browns were dragging.  “Oh?”

“Yeah.  She did.” He pointed with his nose to the offending pony.  “Can somepony please sit me up?”

Hunter followed his direction, ignoring the request, as Clarity gasped.  “You ordered the attack on my dragons?”

She whimpered and said nothing in reply.  “I told them to capture them.”  She began.

“Lies!”  The bound pony yelled out.  

“He has not lied yet nestmate,”  Red spoke quietly to him.  “Lady Kaiana believed him before and she explained the cost of lying to her and he agreed not to lie.”

“She did?”

“Yes.”  Red nodded.

“Sorkeno?”  

“He is correct.  I was there when the agreement was explained.  Kaiana did give him her belief.”  Sorkeno explained in reply to Hunter's question.  

Hunter spun back to the offending mare and his magic gripped her and picked her up.  She screamed as he set her aside, his magic faded and he dropped her to the ground.  “You have committed a grievous error little mare. You attacked my dragons!”  Hunter slammed a hoof to the ground, cracking it under the force of his hoof.  “You commanded their death and then what was to be done with the others?  The mares that he was protecting?”

Clarity looked to the others and they looked to the ground, anywhere except at her.  “They…They were to be captured.  Not hurt, just captured.”  

“And what was to be their fate?”  He pressed.

She panted and tears brimmed in her eyes.  “WE were going to ransom them to Equestria.”  She replied, accenting the first word to tell him that the others knew about the plan as well.  

“You were going to sell them back to their home country?”  He replied, his voice quiet once more.

“Yes.”  She sobbed. “Yes, we were.”  

“I see.”  He raised his head to its full height and breathe din to try to calm his rage.  “What were your orders?”  He asked the bound pony.

“Can you set me up, please?”  He asked and Twilights aura covered him and sat him on his flanks. “Thank you, Princess.  We were told by our boss that our orders were to go out to the field and capture the pony traitors and kill the…” He paused and looked at the minions.  

“Minions.”  Pinkie whispered to him with a smile.  

“Right.  Umm thanks. To kill the minions and the dragons.  They wanted us to kill the big ones but the boss told them that they were out of their minds and there was no way we could take on the big ones and so they said to kill off the little ones.”  He clarified.

“All the little ones?”  Hunter replied.  

“Yes.” 

Hunter’s eyes closed as he turned back to Clarity. His eyes opened and they blazed brightly at her as she cried out.  “You commanded that my brothers and sister be killed, murdered for your own agenda?”

Grey, Red, and Green came up to him and they nuzzled him as he spoke.  They backed up to allow him to act as he needed to.  Clarity looked up and Hunter could see her finally break.  Her mind shattered under his gaze and she began to sob and nodded up at him.  

“Yes!  We wanted them dead!  We figured that if they were gone you would leave and then we could do whatever we wanted and put things the way they had been again!”  She screamed as he watched her.  “I received a letter from him!”  She yelled as she pointed out a Noble stallion and his eyes went wide.  “He told me to come to the Empire where my ideas would be appreciated and that they were needing a pony that had the right ideas to help them put things right in the Empire.  I came here at their request.  They promised me a new mansion and the power that I wanted.  So I came here to help them.”  

Hunter nodded to her as she dissolved into hysterics and curled up on the ground in front of him.  Hunter walked a few steps away from her to keep himself from killing her with his own hooves.  He closed his eyes and breathed out a deep breath.  Sorkeno’s nose nuzzled him gently and he allowed the dragon to comfort him before he turned back to the mare and the others.  

“You can threaten me all you like, but the moment you target my dragons.  Targeting them was the last mistake you will make.  I will brook no threat to my dragons or my guests.  You underestimated the Princess and her friends.  You challenged the mares who hold the most powerful weapon in Equestria and you thought your mercenaries and machines could triumph against them. You have made the last mistake that you ever will.”

Hunter stood tall before them as they all stared at him, their eyes wide as understanding dawned in their eyes.  They looked to him and they realized that the High Overlord of the North stood before them, the Supreme Ruler of the Netherworld Empire.  Sorkeno and the young dragons bowed their heads to him as he had clearly made his choice.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Twilight and her friends did the same. 

“I pass my judgment now.”  He said to them, his voice once more calm and collected.  “For the crime of attempted murder, against my dragons, the sentence, is death.  For your crimes against my guests, the sentence is death.  For the foal-napping of a foal, the extortion against her mother and the imprisonment of over twenty ponies within the mine, the sentence, is death. For the attempted murder of myself, the sentence is death.  Your fates have been sealed and the decision is made.”  

The ponies before him descended into screaming and begging as he finished speaking.  He listened to them, his face was hidden behind his helm, his expression calm.  His heartbeat steady and his breathing even.  

“Hunter!”  Twilight called his name, her tone frightened.  

He looked back as a pony charged at him and he felt the impact to his side as he was pushed forward and rolled his head forward to avoid landing on his helm.  He crashed through a roof and into the floor of a home and then through it as well.  He cried out as his helm caved in on one side and he landed roughly on the first floor of the house.  He groaned and he could hear hooves moving as he looked up, one eye covered by the caved-in helm.  Hunter reached up and his hooves gripped the helm and he threw it to the ground.  He got to his hooves and his eyes fell on the armored pony.

“You can have them after they pay me.  Unfortunately, the contract says that they will only pay if you’re dead or they are safely far away from you.  So, sorry kid.  But you have to die.”  The pony sneered.

Hunter sneered back and snorted as his armor flared and tightened around his form.  Its warmth seeped into his fur and any fatigue faded as he began to move, his body circling.  The others mirrored his movements and began to circle as well.  

“I will not die today.  You will remain unpaid.”  Hunter growled back.

“You got spunk, I’ll admit.  That’s a hell of a set of armor.  When I strike you down I think I’ll keep it.”  The other replied, a cocky grin on his mouth.  “So if I take you down will those dragons answer to me?”

Hunter laughed at the others question.  “I fall and they will burn this city to the ground in vengeance. You cannot escape them.”  

“We’ll see about that.”  

Hunter leaned back as the other charged him and he sent a stay command to Sorkeno to keep him from attacking.  The mercenary spun to hit Hunter in the shoulder in an attempt to stagger him.  Hunter braced and reared up to slam his hooves onto the others back.  A hard buck hit him in the gut and he was pushed back. His hooves slid on the flooring and he scrambled to keep his hooves under him.  Hunter watched as he charged once more and he charged forward and they collided and both of the stallions staggered under the impact.  Hunter reached out and his teeth bit down on the other's skin and he held on as the mercenary cried out and tried to pull away. Hunter felt hot blood spill across his teeth and his lips.  He yanked back and took the chunk of flesh with him.  The other screamed in pain and Hunter spat the skin onto the floor and charged once more.  

Hunter growled as the other spun to buck and he gigged to the side to avoid the hooves of the other and rammed his shoulder and chest into the others side.  Blood spilled from the others torn shoulder and Hunter reached out to sink his teeth into him once more as the other kicked once more to get the black stallion away from him.  They both panted as they parted and once more stood across the room from each other and panted.  

“I’ll give you one thing, you know how to fight.  I admit I underestimated you since you have dragons and monsters fighting for you.  But you can bring the fight on your own without them.”  The mercenary panted as he spoke.  “But I still think I can beat you.”

“I would love to see you try.”  Hunter snarled as he spat a bit of blood from his mouth.  “I don’t need an army to break you.”  

“You got balls kid.  But I can beat you back.  Your good, but I am just that bit better.  I got a few years on ya.”  
“Maybe.  But I have the experience.  You fight when asked.  I took a kingdom back and brought it to heel under me.  I will not lose them and I will not fall.  They need me to rise and rise I shall.”   Hunter vowed and a snarl tore from him as he charged the pony once more.  

His horn lit and then went out as the other stomped a hoof and a look of surprise crossed Hunters features as he felt his magic fail him.  The mercenary smiled as he dove toward the startled Overlord and reached out, he gripped the armor across the black stallion’s chest as he tossed the stallion to the ground and he brought his hooves down onto the black pony’s thick armor. Hunter cried out as his armor flared at the impact from the other hooves.  Hunter rolled to his back and kicked up, his hooves colliding with the other's belly.  His mouth reached out and he sunk his teeth into the others hind hock.  He can hear the mercenary cry out as he tries to pull away from the Overlords jaws.  His hooves came down on Hunter's belly and the black pony coughed and rolled to his side, protecting his belly.  

“Let go, curse you!”  The mercenary yelled as he brought his hooves down on Hunter's body once more.  

Hunter twisted his head, trying to break or sprain the others hock.  He shifted his teeth and the other pulled away.  Hunter’s teeth clicked together and he rolled to his hooves as the mercenary shook his leg.  “You will die here.”  Hunter snarled as he charged once more, pressing his advantage.  

The mercenary let loose a string of curses and pulled a blade from his armor.  Hunter leaped back and his hoof went back to grip the Rune Bow on his back.  He swung it to meet the naked blade and they clashed. He saw the pony’s eyes widen as the bow did not give way to the sharpened weapon.  Hunter snarled as he spun and the bow struck the pony in the jaw, sending him rolling back.  Hunter chased him, his hoof landing on the others side.  He could hear a rib crack as the other kicked out, catching Hunter in the chest.  He jumped back as his armor had caved in a bit.  The mercenary stood slowly, a smirk on his mouth at the state of the armor. He stared at the armor fixed itself and returned to its normal place.  

“I need that armor kid.”  He wheezed out.

“You will not have it,”  Hunter replied, taking the moment to breathe.

“How does it repair like that?”  

“It is a type of living armor,”  Hunter replied as he recovered his breath.

“Interesting.”  

The other charged him and Hunter dodged to the side.  The other cut toward him and Hunter tried to brace as the heavier pony collided with him, sending them both rolling toward the front of the house.  Hunter rolled back and his back collided with the front door. It gave way and snapped in the center, the top piece coming down on Hunter's unprotected head and he cried out at the impact to the back of his head and horn.  His bow fell away from his grip as he fell to the ground, the mercenary got to his hooves first.  Hunter staggered to his hooves and shook his head, trying to clear it.  His head rang and his horn throbbed, his eyes were unfocused as he tried to evade.  He looked up and he was seeing two sets of the mercenary.  He worked to stay away from both and he backed up to evade them. His head began to clear slowly as he was struck in the shoulder and thrown to the ground.  

“Having some trouble there, kid?”  The mercenary sneered to him.  

Hunter groaned and shook his head once more as he struggled to get to his hooves.  Hunter tried to light his horn and it was unresponsive once more.  Hunter was quiet as he looked up to see the same two enemies ahead of him and he moaned in pain as he was thrown to the ground again.  He pushed away and threw himself to his hooves.





Twilight watched in horror as Hunter struggled in the fight.  She watched as he shook his head and was getting beaten back.  “Something is wrong.”  She whispered aloud.

“Ah agree.”  Applejack said to her.  “No way should he be losin’.”

“I think he took a hit to the head.  It’s the only thing I can think of.  He keeps shaking his head like he’s trying to clear it.”  Twilight looked to Sorkeno who was watching intently. “Sorkeno?”

“If he starts to fall I will act, whether he wishes me to or not.”  The dragon said to her.

“He doesn’t want ya to?”  Applejack asked him.

“He sent me a request as the fight began and it was to have me hold back.  I will not allow him to die.”  

Twilight heard him and she looked back to the Overlord as he jumped back to avoid being struck.  She began to light her horn to place a shield on him to allow him to recover and her magic failed.  “Oh no. No!”

“Little Princess?”

“My magic is failing.  That pony is stopping magic from working.”  She explained.  “The same thing happened when I was close to the slide from the mine.”  

Sorkeno looked down to the Overlord.  “His recovery is slowed.”  The dragon’s voice was a bare whisper.  “Little one.”  





Hunters head throbbed as he tried to stay away from the other pony to allow it to clear.  When he was thrown to the ground again he kicked out blindly and he heard the pony cry out and the sound of his hooves backing away signaled him to get to his hooves.  

"Lucky you.  Got in a good hit.”  The mercenary praised.  “Despite being blind.”

Hunter could feel that his body was not recovering well and it was taking too long.  He looked up and he could still see two enemies ahead of him.  Hunter closed his eyes, choosing to ignore what his eyes were telling him.  He slowed his breathing and he heard a loud crack go out from in front of him.  He knew that was the sound of a joint being put back in place.  ‘He’s weak on the right knee.’  Hunter thought to himself and he chose to use his other senses only, ignoring his eyes and trusting his body to help him.  The Black Unicorn was quiet as he listened intently around him.  Despite his head still throbbing he refused to allow it to slow him.  His magic was gone but it was not the only weapon he had. He knew that his connection to Sorkeno was gone and he could not use the magic that came from that connection.

He called out to the darkness that resided deep within his body.  It came rushing to him and it began to cover his body.  A black mist came off of his body as it covered the armor and turned it black, obsidian lava flowed through it and flowed over him.  He heard Sorkeno call his name and he ignored the call.  He could feel the power that came from the deepest part of him come to bear and he opened his eyes, now blackened.  His red eyes were gone and only blackness flowed within them.  No light came from the blackened sockets and he stood tall once more.  Hunter’s eyes stared forward, his vision changed.  He could see the heart that beat within the mercenary’s body.  It echoed in his ears and he could hear the blood that pounded through the enemy pony’s body. He said nothing and began to walk forward.  His hooves left black prints in the ground, each one had a black mist coming from them. 

“What the buck?”  The other said aloud.

Hunter said nothing as he walked ahead in the other direction, his ears echoed with the heartbeat of the other and he stared ahead.  “You wanted to fight me.”  Hunter’s voice flowed from the darkness that he had become. “I told you, I will not fall this day.”

Hunter charged the pony and his hooves slammed into the other's body and the battle began once more.  The mercenary gasped at the impact and fell back.  The blackened Overlord snapped his teeth out and they dug into the other's neck and he twisted to tear him apart.  The mercenary got away from him and backed up, his hooves struck Hunters' neck and the Overlord pulled back.  The mist coming off of his body strengthened and began to billow over the ground.  A black fog covered the ground close to him and his blackened eyes stared ahead.  Over the beating of the heart in front of him, he could not hear anything beyond it.  His hooves thudded as he began to walk forward once more.  The mercenary looked from him to the ponies above, who said nothing as they stared at the blackened form of their Lord and Master.  

“Okay kid.  You win.  Fighting you for a bag of bits was the biggest mistake of my life so far.”  He said aloud as the dark fog approached him slowly. “Ya listening?”

Hunter stopped and stared ahead at the now apologizing pony. “I heard you.  When I passed their judgment I did not sentence you.  I will fix that mistake now.”  

The pony’s eyes went wide as he realized that the Overlord was not going to let him live through this.  “Easy kid.  I’ll give you the ones that escaped as well.”  

“Escaped?”  Hunter’s voice flowed from him as the other had backed up as far as he could, to the end of the ruined street.

“Yeah.  We were gettin’ them out when you got here.”  He admitted. “I’m guessing that you want them back?”

Hunter gave a slight nod.  “Where are they now?”

“We evacuated them past the front gates. Their waiting for the rest of my crew to lead them to safety.  But if you spare my life then you can have them.  I’ll even put a bow on 'em if it means I survive this.”  He bargained.

Hunter looked at him and a slight discoloration caught his attention close to the pony’s right hoof.  His mind went over the possibilities and he could feel the darkness biting at his mind, screaming for murder and blood.  His mind focused on the Nobles that were escaping as he stood there and he walked toward the pony and paused a mere foot away from him.  

“How are you stopping my magic?”  He asked, his voice was strained as he fought to keep his own mind in control.  

“Oh, that.”  The pony fumbled with his sleeve and revealed the band around his leg.  “It’s nothing.  I’ll shut it off.”  He chuckled and a click went out.  “Ya know? Ya can have it.”  

He pulled it off his leg and held it out to the Overlord.  Hunter looked down to the hoof that was extended out to him.  Hunter extended his hoof and held it under the others.  He had enough control to not risk touching the other pony. It fell into his hoof and his eyes began to fade back to red as he pushed the darkness back into the deepest part of his body and mind.  The mercenary breathed out a sigh of relief as the Overlord before he returned to his normal appearance.  Hunter backed away from him and waited as the mist that had covered the ground flowed back toward him, returning to its origin.  He shook himself to get rid of the feeling that darkness left behind on his skin.  His horn lit and the band in his hoof vanished as he sent it back to the Netherworld for Giblet to look over.

“I will send a small group of my minions with you. Your life depends on them finding the ones that have escaped.  Should you fail to give them to me, then you will be sentenced in their place.  Clear?”  Hunter said to him, his voice clear and strong.

“Crystal, Sire.”  He replied and bowed his head.

“Good.”  Hunter approached him and a hoof gripped a chunk of the pony’s mane as he pulled him close.  “What you saw is only a piece of what I can do.  I do not need Unicorn magic to act.  Do not try me.  Your life can still feed what you saw.”

The pony gulped and nodded in understanding.  Hunter pushed him back and his Gauntlet called out to a group of his minions and Wrath jumped down to land across the Overlords back. “Bring them to me Wrath.”  

The minion saluted and the mercenary nodded as he was ushered slowly past the black Unicorn and away from him.  Hunter was silent as he breathed out a calming breath. From above him, Sorkeno lowered his paw and Hunter jumped to land in the center, allowing the dragon to carry back up to the others.  Sorkeno set his paw down and Hunter jumped to the stone pathway.  The ponies stared at him, their eyes wide.  He glanced over his shoulder to see Twilight and the others staring at him.  He looked away from them and back to the traitors that still sat before him.  They stared wide-eyed, tears flowed from the eyes of some of them. 

Hunter breathed a sigh and looked to the dragons once more.  His gauntlet called and the minions came forward, his unspoken commands clear.  The sentenced ponies were to be moved to a secure room of his choosing.  They were moved and he stood in silence as he allowed himself to lower his head and then looked to the skies above him.  Behind him, the Lord Dragon reached out his nose and nudged Hunters hip and the turned to face the dragon.

“I know.”  He whispered.  

“You should not have allowed that to get that far,”  Sorkeno whispered to him.  

“I know,”  Hunter said again.  “I was out of options.  If I had been able to continue the fight normally I would have.  I was seeing between two to four of him.”

“You should have called me.”  The dragon growled.  “Your father warned you, same as I have.”

Hunter nodded and looked away from the dragon's eyes.  “I hate using you to finish my battles.  You know that.”  

“I do.”  Sorkeno agreed.  “But still. You know enough to know that the longer that magic is used the worse it gets.  Even you cannot control it forever.”

Hunter nodded.  “I know and I will not use it for a while.  Hopefully, I never have another reason to use it.  If I have my way then it will never get to that again.”  

Sorkeno nuzzled him as Hunter leaned against his jaw. “I am glad that you are now all right. You have earned rest I should think.”

Hunter chuckled.  “Not yet. Have to get those that remain and then continue their sentence.  Only then can I take a break.”

“Very well.  Do not overdo it.  That power is not meant to be used by anypony.  Your father feared it in his own time.”  

“I know he did.”  Hunter nodded in agreement as he walked past the dragon toward Twilight and others.  “Are all of you all right?”  

Twilight nodded to him as he spoke.  “I think so.  More shocked than hurt.”

“Was quite the fight.”  Applejack said to him.  “Ah never seen that much fire.”

Hunter chuckled and nodded.  “Well with four dragons it’s to be expected.”

“Ya burned down a whole section o’ the city.” She went on.

“I did, that’s true.”  

“And the reasoning?”  Twilight asked.  “Not that we are going to argue against it.  Just helps to understand.”  

“I figured you would ask.  I burned them down to make room for places to build homes or other places that ponies can meet each other and gather.  The mare Clarity had a home that was gifted to her and it was also burned down.”

“Why?”  Fluttershy asked him.

“She had foal napped the newborn of a pony that had been put into the mine.  She was not told that the mine would be viable for years, not a couple of months. She also seems to have been abusing her servants and those around her.  While her punishment ended up being different that was the beginning of it.”  Hunter explained as the mares stared at him.

“She took ‘er foal?”  Applejack said to him her mouth ajar.

“Yes.  I found that out when I asked her why she was there since she was one of the only ponies that could approach the front entrance without attracting the attention of the construct inside the doorway.”  Hunter explained.  

“What will happen to that place?”  Pinkie asked him.

"It was said that it would make a nice place for a park so that is what will happen to that space.”  He replied.

“That will be nice for all ponies to use.”  Twilight agreed.  “And this spot will be changed to be used by all ponies as well?”

“Yes.  It will be changed to be able to either build many more homes or other things that all my ponies can enjoy.  In time this will fade from memory and hopefully, this does not happen again.  I will not allow any pony to stand above them in their own home.”  Hunter said to them as he looked out over the wreckage from above.  

“What magic was that, the kind that you used at the end?”  Twilight asked him, her voice low and quiet.  

Hunter said nothing in reply for several seconds. “Another time, Princess.”  

She nodded and dropped it for now.  “What will you do now?”

“Now I will wait for the others to be returned here and then I will finish the sentence that I spoke of earlier.”  

“Yer gonna be the one that…?”  Applejack said to him, her voice fading as she spoke and stopped.

“I will be there.  They will not suffer if that is your worry.”  He assured her.

“Because it’s your decision so you will be the one to either fulfill the sentence or at least attend?”  Twilight said to him.  

Hunter looked at her for a moment before he nodded.  “Yes.  It is my sentence and I will be the one that commands it.  That is how I was taught and that will not change.”

Twilight and her friends nodded to him as he turned back to face the direction that the minions would be bringing back the remaining traitors from the front gates.  His body ached as fatigue bit at him.  He chose to wait as time ticked by him.  He reached out to Sorkeno and pulled some of the strength from the dragon into himself and Sorkeno nuzzled him in reply.  The young dragons surrounded him and reached out to nuzzle and comfort him. 

“Are the three of you okay?”  He asked them, his concern for them in his voice.  

Green nodded as she laid her head gently on his armored back.  “I am fine, nestmate.  You did well to scare that fool pony.  But be careful.”  

“I will.  Thank you for all that you have done.  I could not ask for better at my side.”  He said as he looked at her.  “Oh shit, my bow.”  

His horn lit as he reached out to the Rune Bow. His magic covered it and it came back to him as he sighed in relief.  His magic levitated it at his side, as Green was on his back and he was not going to force her to move to allow him to replace it.  Grey nosed him and Hunter braced to prevent himself from staggering.  

“We will stand with you.  You’re our brother as well.”  The young drake said to him.

“He is right.  We are always at your call.”  Red said to him.  

"You did more work than we did I think.”  He said to the red drake.  

“I did as you had asked of me.  They were safe and I would not leave them.”  He said to the armored stallion.

Hunter nodded and leaned against the broad shoulder of the red drake.  “All of you have done better than I had hoped.  I owe you.”  

“You owe us nothing.  We are part of the same nest and that is the truth.”  Green said to him as she laid her head on his withers. 

Hunter set his hoof on Grey's shoulder and gripped the thick scales.  Hunter set his bow in place as the Green female had shifted her place to allow it.  The grayscaled dragon leaned against him and lowered his head to rub against Hunter's chest and Hunter set his hoof on his head and gently rubbed his scales.  He put his hoof down and laid his head over the dragon’s neck and breathed out as he calmed.





Hunter opened his eyes as the sound of the minions caught his ears and he picked his head up from Grey’s neck and looked up.  The minions that he had sent with the mercenary appeared from the road and they had surrounded a group of ponies that looked horrified to see him.  Their eyes got wider at the sight of the golden dragon that had remained on the ground and the three smaller dragons that surrounded him.  They were driven forward with the mercenary at the back staying with the minions as he helped push them forward.  He trotted ahead as he caught sight of Hunter and trotted to within a few feet of him.  

“See?  I promised them to you and here they are.”  He said and looked over his shoulder.  “Now we have a deal still.  I upheld my portion to you, Sire.”  

“I recall it.  The bargain stands.  Though like the other prisoner you are not free to run from your crimes.  Your crimes stand.”  Hunter replied, laying a hoof on Grey's neck as the dragons growled quietly.

“Of course not.  I’m a lot of things Sire but I am not stupid.  I just wanted to remind ya that I was as good as my promise to you.” He admitted and motioned to the Nobles. 

“I recall your promise and the word that you have upheld will save your life,”  Hunter assured him.  “I would advise that you join your fellow mercenary in the back unless you wish to be one of them.”  

“No thanks.”  He replied and limped to the other bound mercenary. 

Hunter heard him yelp as the minions tied him up as well. “Your crimes have been named and the sentence will be upheld.  For those that have rejoined us, the crimes were listed and if needed I will say them again.  But the cost of those crimes does not change.  The punishment is death and that sentence is to be carried out.”  Hunter said to them, his voice cut through them as they whimpered.

“So you will kill us with your magic?”  One tried to snarl but it came out as a whimper.

“Did I say that my magic would end you?”  Hunter asked them.

Sorkeno shifted and was soon above the Overlord. His jaws were slightly open as fire brimmed within them.  The Nobles stared from him to the dragon and then back to him.  They began to call out for him to rethink and he ignored them.  Sorkeno brought his head higher above the group and looked down to them.  

“You have been sentenced by the one that commands a legion, one that commands the greatest of beasts, and the High Lord of Dragons.”  Sorkeno snarled as fire licked from his mouth.  

Hunter looked at the young dragons with him and backed up with them.  While he knew that the flame could not hurt them or him he didn’t wish to worry them. Sorkeno cast a glance to him and he nodded to the Lord Dragon.  Sorkeno breathed in and a roar tore from him as red flame flowed from his jaws. Hunter closed his eyes as the heat went over him.  He heard them scream as the dragon had breathed but they were silenced as the ground shook with the force of the flames.  Red eyes remained closed as the ground shook and he could hear the screams of other ponies that were close by.  Sorkeno’s roar faded out and he could hear the dragon moving behind him once more. 

Above them, the other three dragons roared in unison.  Their cries joined the roars of the young dragons with him and he opened his eyes once the heat had faded.  He looked ahead to the crater that was close to fifteen feet deep and ten feet wide. Only ash remained of the traitorous ponies and Hunters magic poured from his horn as he gripped the dirt and rent stone of the building that had been destroyed close to them and he dropped the materials into the hole and partially filled it.  It would not take much to fill in the rest of it.  

“It is done, Little One.”  Sorkeno breathed to him.  

“Thank you,”  Hunter said aloud and looked up to the golden dragon.  

He breathed out a breath and steeled himself for the looks from the ponies of the city.  He looked back and he saw Gaze standing with them as they looked to him. He maneuvered away from the three young dragons and walked back to the crowd.  Gaze smiled at him as he approached and he stopped close to him.  He raised his head to look over the ponies of the city and his eyes widened as a cheer began in the far back of the crowd.  It grew in strength as it came to the front and he backed up a step at the sound of it.  The sound pulsed over him and covered him as his ears flicked ahead to listen.  The crowd called to him, their clear joy in their voices as they called out to him.  Above him the dragons roared, their support of him clear.  

“We are with you Sire.”  Gaze said to him.  “Always.” 

Hunter looked to the old pony and a smile tugged at his mouth.  He tried to bite it back but it pulled his mouth and he looked over his ponies and he smiled.