//------------------------------//
// Chapter 82: They Come in Waves and We Push Them Back! 
// Story: Caverns & Cutie Marks 
// by TheColtTrio 
//------------------------------//

	Silk Trap looked at the various forces standing with hers at this last, hastily built wall. There was the odd surface dweller, such as a minotaur and a few gryphons; a small band of ponies even. Then she began to pick out the various underground races; easiest was the bats, or Lenshier, as they preferred, standing almost as tall as a minotaur along with their great big ears. 
She spotted one of the many Hogz: no more a cavern race than a surface. It just so happened that their migratory nature brought them to her and, more importantly to them, the next great fight. The trolls were the bulkiest of them all, but clumsy as well and tried to stay back and throw rocks from afar.
She could see many other species represented but her eyes kept catching on the white and pale blue lizards that looked like ghosts. Not the least of which because of their faint glow, the Phantarx they said they were called. They’d come from the deep caverns the same as the creatures they’d been fighting to hold back. She still didn’t trust the quiet lizards, but they had been instrumental to holding out this long; their coloring and looks allowing for them to scout the enemy easily, and in combat they fought in perfect synchronicity with anything by their side.
Still, with all of the alliances, the most numerous of the forces were her own. Her eyes traveled over the hundreds of Arachcolsid. A kingdom's worth of them, they had borne the brunt of the fighting and, of course, the casualties, she thought sadly, looking towards the medical tents. Her gaze wandered again over the hastily built barricade towards the ruins of the original wall. It had taken almost a week for it to fall, the less built one behind it fell a few days earlier. If the pattern continues, then today we lose these barricades, she thought grimly.
She didn’t have long to dwell on that as a chorus of Lenshier voices filled the caverns, warning of the next wave. She grabbed her sabers and rushed to take her place on the barricade just in time to see the next wave coming to crash against her shores. As usual, they were too numerous to count. At best she could amuse herself by guessing if the wave was smaller or larger than the last ones. Still, she thought, her grip on the sabers tightening and relaxing. They shall come in waves, and we shall beat them back!
She watched as the various beings from the deep caverns closed the distance, and how the moment they passed the remains of the walls they instantly started to sprint. On the way, their warriors would begin a war cry the moment the remains of the second barricade were passed. The defender’s war cries answered back as the first volleys of arrows and rocks flew out to meet them. Barely a minute after that she was once again locked in battle.
By her count, she was likely one of the most battle hardened queens her people had ever seen; possibly even in the whole world she suspected. She hadn’t been there to help defend the first wall before it fell. She was there for every battle since. It wouldn’t be many more battles, she figured as she cut down a large slug-like being that had tried to bite her in half. Either the monsters’ numbers would run thin, or hers would. Or the barricade would fail, she mentally added as she heard it take a heavy hit. Her kingdom would be weak at the end of this. She dragged her thoughts away from that. I must focus on making sure there is a kingdom after this. Then I can worry about the condition it will be in and how to fix it.
Time blurred as she entered a martial trance, as many battle hardened guards called it when they didn’t know the queen was listening in from the shadows of the ceilings. Her mandibles clicked in humor as she found herself pondering how royals manage without the ability to crawl along walls and ceilings to listen to the rumors floating through their castles. She pondered the various applications of being able to crawl along walls and ceilings. To be able to stealthily listen to the gossip in-person, she found, generally provided much more reliable information. It also allowed her to find the guards who were “on the ball” as the ponies would say, or find the guards-
She could feel the battle building to its peak. Her army was tiring, as was the enemy’s, but not nearly as fast. And judging by how hard they are pushing, they know that too, she thought as she chopped another of the monsters before her. All this battle has shown is that if I hadn’t opposed these monsters, they might have had the strength to not be beaten by the surface kingdoms. But now my actions have assured that they won’t have the strength to win, even though they’ll still try once they’ve finished breaking my kingdom. When the kingdom's push these monsters back, their retribution will be swift and they’ll be unlikely to differentiate between the two layers of the caverns. I have failed everyone.
She gasped, but whether it was because of how quick the thought came or how much she felt it to ring true. I’ve led my people and the allies who chose to stand beside me astray. I’ve led them to their doom. If only there was a hero to save my people... She was snapped from her thoughts as the enemies in front of her suddenly disappeared with keening wails of pain and surprise. As the surprise wore off, she leaned forward to look at the glob of quietly sizzling goo that had removed her attackers. She gasped as she recognized it for what it was; it was another who called out the warning moments before she could.
“Crypt Pendulum!” a voice cried out in warning as the monster itself appeared through the darkness of the cavern above them. The creature sprayed its acid along the wall before swinging itself through the massed creatures. She noticed its horrid state: most of its skin was paler than normal, bloated in some places and caved in elsewhere, large wounds covered its body, and bone and muscle peered through the areas of missing skin. If she wasn’t seeing the obvious counter proof, she’d have thought it was dead.
“Hold your ground! If the Crypt Pendulum is content to go after our enemies, then let it!” she shouted, seeing an opportunity for her forces to rest some. “With any luck, it’ll force them to retr-”
Again she was cut off, as a warrior clad in gold charged past her, throwing itself off the barricade to land before the stunned enemy. It managed to cut down two before the rest gathered their wits and destroyed the warrior. Silk Trap couldn’t tell if she was more surprised about the skeleton, or if her enemy was. Her vision was filled with flashes and blurs of gold and the thunderous roar of a charging army assaulted her hearing. She blinked her eyes, expecting the skeletal army to disappear as if it was sweat in her eyes. She could barely hear the Arachcolsid beside her over the sounds of the skeleton army grinding through the deep cavern invaders along side the sounds of the crypt pendulum. She felt a leg gently pushing her, trying to make her turn.
Finally, she turned to find herself face to face with an Arachcolsid in the same armor as the skeletons. She spotted the form of a pony and, for a second, thought it was Light Patch, but her mind quickly registered the orange coat. “Your majesty, are you okay?” the one closest to her asked, concern showing on his face.
“I am,” Silk Trap answered succinctly, afraid that a longer answer would expose the true answer.
“The information you provided proved to be useful, your majesty. The expedition was successful, as I’m sure you’ve noticed,” Orb said, a grin on his mandibles.
“Yes, I see that, though the skeletons are a surprise,” the queen admitted, turning to look at the two armies fighting each other. “I thought the artifact was supposed to be mind control.”
“That artifact had already been found and subsequently destroyed by Light Patch and Just Duty. There was a necromancy artifact deeper in that we recovered, with some assistance of two pony adventurers,” Orb said, giving a nod towards Applejack.
“You have my thanks,” Silk Trap paused.
“Name’s Applejack, your majesty, an’ I’ve heard a fair amount ‘bout you from Light Patch,” the farm pony replied.
“You know of Light Patch? Is he adventuring with y-” Silk Trap was cut off by a gurgling roar from the Crypt Pendulum as it slammed into the ground next to the wall. The queen snapped around, ready to cut the beast down, only to see the grey pegasus stepping off the beast. With a second gurgle, it swung itself through a cluster of enemies.
“You rang?” Light Patch asked smugly as he adjusted his leggings like they had suit cuff collars. Before he could say anything further, Applejack lightly smacked him upside the head.
“Ya’ll’re lucky ya didn’t scare anypony to death with that entrance,” she said, glaring at the pegasus.
“Never mind about my question. I can see it’s already been answered,” Silk Trap said diplomatically to retake control of the conversation. “I see you found an artifact, and also an army, but how did you manage to get them to work for you?”
“Well as it turned out, ya majesty, we have a part-necromancer with us.” Applejack replied as she gave Light Patch a couple of pokes.
“Necrobotanist, but yeah, I was able to get the artifact to give my orders to the army. Including adding handy new recruits,” Light Patch continued poking the gem crudely set into his helmet. A wailing cry from the deep caverns’ army stopped him from explaining further.
“Their retreat cry. It would appear the enemy's’ morale is gone,” the queen said, looking over the battlefield at the now retreating army.
“Heh, look at them run…” Light Patch said half heartedly before sighing and looking back at the queen. “I know this is a really bad time, but... I’d like to request your support in a war on the surface.” Silk Trap turned to face him her face showing her surprise. “Roania has come under siege by three villains that two friends of mine and I are tangentially responsible for creating.”
“If that is the case, why not just take the army you possess now?” Silk Trap questioned.
“The undead army is animated and you don’t have to puppeteer them. For them to fight effectively, they still need orders to do anything more complex. Situations where I can mass them up as a big blob of deathly undeath, they are easy to manage. But if I have to use them tactically, it becomes enough micromanaging that I have to spend all of the time focusing on them and can’t do things myself. That's why I wanna give this army to you in exchange for you sending another army,” Light Patch finished with a bow.
The queen thoughtfully observed Light Patch for a few minutes before she turned to the Ararcholsid group in the gold armor.  “Please tell me the name of the Arachcolsid who saved my kingdom.” Silk Trap asked looking at Orb.
“Orb, your majesty,” he replied with a bow.
“Thank you for your service, Orb,” she said, inclining her head in gratitude. “It has saved many lives, brought the caverns closer to unification,” she said, waving towards the gathering army, “showed me more acquaintances,” the queen said with a nod to Applejack, “and brought my other hero back to me,” she said, stopping in front of Light Patch. Before the pegasus could say anything, the queen quickly leaned in, stealing a kiss. She pulled away and, with a smirk, turned to leave. “I have many of things to attend, but rest assured, you will have the support of our forces, as lead by Captain Orb.”
The group looked in surprise between the departing queen and the stunned pegasus. Applejack poked the pegasus a couple of times. “Y’all okay there, Patchy?”
“I kissed a spider, and I actually kind of liked it,” he quietly sung before turning to look at the rest of the group. “I, uh, I think I’m gonna go over that way and see if Smithing Westi has finished my hammer,” Light Patch said, pointing towards the makeshift forge area he’d spotted, departing before any of the others could argue.
Applejack rushed to catch up with the pegasus as Orb and his group followed the queen. The two quickly covered the distance to the forge area and easily picked Smithing Westi out in the group of smiths. The smith smirked as she saw them get closer.
“The queen seems really fond of you, adventurer,” the female minotaur said with a chuckle once the two ponies were close enough.
“Do you have my hammer fixed yet or not?” Light Patch grumpily replied, ignoring the blush in his cheeks as he glared at Smithing Westi.
She grinned knowingly in return, but turned around and led the two to her area of the forge and pulled out a wrapped up package. She carefully unwrapped the package and handed it over to the grey pegasus. “Here is your new and improved warhammer. I reforged the whole thing out of adamantium. Head, handle and all. Well, adamantium-based alloy. It’s got some other metals to make it flexible. Just enough to not snap easily, and some to add in a little more flare and make some bits more flashy. A little gold and black bronze inlays along the head.”
“Oooh, black bronze,” Light Patch coo’d, examining the intricate work on the head of the hammer.
“Something told me you’d enjoy that. I’ve also had it enchanted: it’s lighter, swings truer, and has a little extra knock-around for whatever it does hit. I’d love to see you try and break this one,” she finished, crossing her arms.
Light Patch continued to examine the hammer for a few seconds before holstering it in his gear as normal as he looked up at the minotaur with a smirk on his face. “Challenge accepted.”