A Rather Large Adventure

by BradyBunch

Chapter Seventy-eight: Dragon Lord Malice

One week ago

The Dragonlands were a stuffy, hot, and smoky sort of place. If there was ever such thing as hell on earth, it was this. Volcanoes, underground geysers, and lava fields comprised the vast majority of it, and what little vegetation was able to grow was sickly, stunted, dry, and fading in color. Strange minerals in the soil had created red, brown, and grey hexagonal boulders that made up the surface, like a mosaic patchwork. And then, of course, there were the dragons.

There wasn't much to do in this barren wasteland. No one farmed; the soil was too poor, and dragons didn't need to eat plants anyway. Industry was limited, and they were isolated from most of the rest of the world, although there was a tentative crystal trade with Equestria. Ponies were still scared of this faraway place. It was impossible to tell just how many dragons inhabited this peninsula on the far continent. Dragons varied from the size of a mountain to the size of a feather. You could find a few of them hiding under a boulder. The average-sized dragons, though, liked to relax in the lava pits and let off steam.

One of these was a thin purple one with a crooked snout, called Venom. He was, from all appearances, average. He did the same things everyone else did, and he wasn't a leader, or even a follower. All he did was what he wanted. All that mattered was what he wanted. And right now, what he wanted was to soak in a hot bath.

He was up to his neck in lava, arms behind his back. He was always content with his life, no matter what the outcome might be, but he was especially content today. He wasn't part of the draft to go to war, he wasn't expected anywhere else… it was so good to relax with that in mind, under the dim light of the sun peeking through the dark clouds above him.

Then the dim light grew darker, and a pained, screeching roar tore through the air.

Venom opened his eyes quickly and sat up from his bath to see what was the matter. High above him, a pale white dragonlike thing flew crookedly through the air, drooping and in pain.

Venom was usually selfish, but he was also curious. This dragon was unlike any other he had ever seen. It was too… insectoid. It had way too many legs, and no tail. It looked like someone had superglued a pair of dragon wings and a dragon head onto a deformed albino centipede. It seemed to be new to the idea of flying, too. Its technique was haphazard and strained. He was dropping lower and lower in altitude. Finally he roared and spun to the rocky earth with a crash.

Venom saw a few dragons turn their heads towards it, and even saw one get out and begin to flap up.

"Hey, where are you going?" came a few voices below from the other dragons in the pits. "Checking out the crash?"

"I dunno if that's anything serious or not," came the first dragon, still heading there. "What if it's one of those Noxxa?"

"If it is, we'll kill it!" came another voice, also getting out of the lava pit. General chatter broke out among the others in the vicinity, and soon a mob was swarming towards the downed dragon.

Unable to help himself, Venom reluctantly took to the air, left the lava pits, and followed them.

A few minutes of flying later, Venom landed at the crash site and settled onto all fours curiously, keeping his head back for safety as the other dragons crawled closer to the white… thing.

It was trembling and making a deep, furious noise as it heaved and panted underneath its wings. It sounded murderous, but broken.

"No… NO! I can't stop here… I'll destroy them… It's my destiny. My God, my God, he needs my help… I must get to the Corrupted Element! Glory to Solaris! His restoration… got to get there… But where? Grrrah! This utter wasteland!"

"Do you need help?" Venom asked.

The rustling of the wings stopped. They unfolded slowly to reveal the most dangerous-looking creature Venom had ever seen. Its red eyes looked like pools of blood, except for a black scar running across one of them. It had a multitude of thrashing legs, some stubby and short, and some freakishly thin and long. But what drew Venom's focus were the bared fangs as big as railroad spikes.

Venom was at a loss for words. He was so… powerful. Venom was one that didn't exactly bother with letting others force themselves on him, but he also recognized reality and his own weaknesses, and knew when to withdraw from danger. What else could he do except defer to him?

"I… " An approaching green dragon flattened himself to the ground in submission. "I'm sorry, I'll-"

"Filthy child of Faust!" He got to his feet and bared his terrible fangs.

"No, my Lord!" the green dragon cried, probably using the first honorific that came to mind. "Why destroy us?"

At that, the creature hesitated. "Lord?"

"... what else would you be?" asked the green dragon.

"I am not your Lord," the white monster spat. "I do not intend on ruling over a subspecies of creature!"

"I-I'll do anything you ask!" the green dragon stammered. "Just don't kill me! I can be of use!"

The insectoid dragon narrowed his bloody eyes. Venom didn't know if it was in thought or in anger.

"Are all dragons like you?" the creature asked.

"They might be once they see you," the green dragon admitted.

The creature shot his gaze upon the rest of the dragons surrounding him. "How many of you fear me?"

A cacophony of admittances and confessions sounded, bowing their heads in submission. But the white creature looked disappointed. Venom decided to go against the grain. He wanted to see what his response would be.

"I don't."

The white creature whipped his head towards him. He looked curious. The rest of the dragons moved out of the way, afraid of what the white dragon would do.

"What's your name?" he eventually asked.

"Venom," he replied. After a small pause, he quickly added, "my Lord."

"You are afraid, Venom," he hissed. "But that is not the overriding reason, is it?"

"I'm not without my emotions, but I don't care much about anything," Venom replied, as equally harsh. "Kill me or let me live, I don't care which. I'll find a way to be content. I know you have so much power. So I don't need to bother resisting against anything you do. So I'll be okay no matter what. That's why I'm not afraid of you. You have nothing to threaten me with. You have so much power, and you have nothing."

The monstrosity slowly spread out his wings and stretched his legs to the side, increasing his presence and size. He towered above the rest of the dragons, and he was awful and grotesque.

"I like you," the abomination of nature murmured. "You and the rest of these vermin can be useful for my intentions."

Sounds of acclamation and excitement surrounded the pair.

"Who are you, then? And what is your intention?" Venom boredly asked, folding his arms.

The creature bared his teeth in an open grin. "I am Marshal Malice. And I intend to dominate the souls of all creatures and restore my God."

"Your God?" the green dragon from earlier asked in shock. "I-I thought you were the God… where does your God live?"

"In a prison in Tartarus," Malice replied, facing him now. "My mother, a hideous whore-Goddess called Faust, trapped his glory in a dreary hellscape. The day is not far off when he shall emerge! I shall go there myself to release him and unleash his glory upon this world."

"How will you get there?" asked another dragon in the circle, orange with purple stripes. "Where do you need to go?"

"To a volcano far in the Dragonlands," Malice answered. "I will be sure to remember your attitudes when I reunite with my father there. Perhaps he will remember your efforts."

"You can't explore deep in the Dragonlands anymore," another one, spotted yellow and blue, pointed out. "Dragon Lord Ember forbids it. We're at war, after all. National security."

Malice huffed. "The laws of mortals will not stop the work of my God!"

"If you try to fly there, every dragon in the lands who isn't allied with you will hunt you down," Venom dryly said, getting Malice's attention. "You might be the chosen one or something, but not even you can stop an entire nation of dragons on your back."

Malice got a glint in his bloody eyes. "Watch me."

"Then you'll have no potential allies left," Venom boredly replied. "No shield between your precious mountain and potential invaders. Nothing to defend yourself with if others come searching with the same intent you are."

Malice paused, then slowly nodded, realization in his wide, bloody eyes. "Yes… yes… an army of dragons would prove far more useful to me…"

"But all of the dragons are totally loyal to Lord Ember," the green dragon whispered. "Unless… you… became… Dragon Lord…"

Malice thought for a while, then gave a nod. "Then that is what I must do."

It was an unspoken rule among the culture that the Dragon Lord was not to be overthrown unless he was an absolute tyrant. Even speaking lightly of their name was a faux pas. So talk like this was technically illegal. But because of this, it was exciting, almost intoxicating. It stirred up the imaginations of all who listened to this radical, powerful outsider. One of the most pressing questions was...

"Do you even have a plan, my Lord?" asked the green dragon, his voice shaking with excitement.

Malice, incredibly, grinned. "I do."

Ripples of gasping impacted the dozens of dragons surrounding him. Malice was unaffected by the attention on every side. When he opened his yellowing mouth, everyone paid attention. "But I need your help to pull it off. I can promise you influence over all others if we succeed!"

"And if we die?" came a challenging voice.

Malice grinned. "You won't. My power will protect you."

The horns on his head glowed, making every dragon gasp, but making Venom lift an eyebrow. The soil beneath his feet broke into chunks and floated up and circled like a hoop around his body. Then they caught fire and split into a double hoop that spun in opposite directions. Malice was grinning broadly the entire time.

No dragon could use unicorn magic before! It captivated their inaginations. This couldn't be his full power; he looked too confident. His magic might be on par with the legendary princess Celestia!

Or at least, that was what Venom assumed the rest of the herd was thinking.

"Those who trust me, hearken to me!" Malice promised silkily.

No one dared leave.

He opened every set of his arms like he was expecting a hug, surrounded by hoops of flame. “Come and spread the word. A new challenger is seeking the throne! He promises riches, independence from the war, a triumph over all which will bind us down! And his name is Malice!”

---

Word spread as far as possible in the next few days about the uprising. Whispers found their ways into ears about the possibility of strength without needing ponies. Why were they in this war? What did they want? And who were the dragons, exactly?

They were strong! Strong enough to thrive without a war! Malice was promising peace! The only reason why those at home went overseas to die in Equestria was because Ember had decided they were worth dying for!

And so the movement grew and spread. Dragons were gossipy creatures, and were able to travel far and wide. Within only a few days, dragons all over the area flocked to Malice and the insurrectionists at the lava fields. Soon hundreds had joined their cause, and it was enough to get the attention of Dragon Lord Ember herself.

Desperate news soon reached their impromptu camp of a force sent out to squash their little rebellion. It was being led by the captain of the domestic guard, and he had thousands strong in his ranks. Malice had known Ember would try something like this, announcing as such to his forces the evening the news reached him. He had also announced to the hundreds of pairs of starry-eyed young rebels that now was the time to move. If they were lucky, they could intercept the army and launch a surprise attack.

Between the dragonlands’ capital and the insurgency base, it was a two days’ journey. And halfway between the two locations was a large mountain that Venom had told him was called Mount Metamorph. Malice therefore ordered his rebellious dragons to gun for Mount Metamorph and secure it before the Dragon Lord’s forces could reach it as a stopgap first.

They would fly low, only a few hundred feet above the earth. That way they could easily land if someone had problems, in addition to better perception of enemy forces moving below. However, this had the drawback of them being exposed as well should the enemy see them first. But the insurgents were fully prepared to accept that consequence. Before they knew it, Malice was flapping in the air and leading his small army to Mount Metamorph.

Venom soon found himself flying among his fellow rebels to an inevitable end. Venom didn’t like how it was all going. This seemed a little too straightforward for his taste. Weren’t rebellions supposed to worm their way into the government or lie low for years at a time? Venom couldn’t shake the feeling that something very terrible was about to happen. They had appeared out of nowhere, and they’d get squashed just as quickly. Venom tried to avoid caring too much about certain things, but this was simply too big to brush aside.

And true to Venom’s fears, it was already too late. By the time the sun was setting in the distance and their shadows became long on the red soil, they had reached Mount Metamorph. But it was already occupied by the Dragon Lord’s forces. The stunted mountaintop was swarming with them like a titanic anthill.

The planned surprise attack was now no longer an option. And taking the mountain was a joke; they had the high ground and more numbers. And retreating was even worse; from that high up they could spot them in any direction Malice’s insurgents went and appropriately pursue. Malice, left with no other option, ordered his forces to make camp at the base of the mountain and appointed guards to keep an eye out for movements.

Venom found himself hunched over on a rock, giving his leathery purple wings a rest from the hard work of the day. Venom had no idea how Malice was going to work his way out of this one. Maybe he could simply walk away and be none the wiser. And if Malice chased him and slew him, it’d be his loss.

Yet some small part of him wondered if Malice had a plan. What if this was all according to his design?

Dragons had no need for tents or sleeping bags. Instead they simply crashed and sprawled, or buried themselves in the warm soil if they preferred. They were all tired, but none of them slept right away. There was an uncomfortable knowledge of lingering doom, and that doom took the shape of the mountain’s silhouette looming against the night sky.

Venom stood up and circled his arms. He didn’t know why, but there was just something about Malice…

He strolled across the camp of relaxing dragons and finally arrived where Malice was crawling agitatedly in circles. Upon noticing Venom’s arrival, though, Malice waved him on, and Venom, feeling better, came by his side without doubt.

“Ah, what a day,” Malice observed, folding multiple arms across his armored back and closing his bloody eyes to sigh theough his massive teeth. “Taking over the country is no easy task.”

“I just want to see how you’ll do it,” Venom admitted.

“Curiosity?” Malice asked. He shrugged. “I suppose so. Things don’t look so good, do they?”

“It’s certainly not the way I would do it,” Venom confirmed.

“Ah,” said Malice, giving a sly glance. “Ah, but you are not me. Your eyes are too focused on what’s going on right now that it’s failing to see a larger picture. You must always be three or four moves ahead of your opponent, and control the outcomes they can make, but at the same time, you must be flexible in case they attempt the unorthodox.”

“And I suppose in this particular case…”

“I have sent messengers up the mountain,” Malice answered. “I wish to speak with the commanding officer.”

Venom visibly recoiled. But Malice simply looked so sure of himself that he couldn’t bring up the courage to argue otherwise. Besides, he could ride down the current of life wherever it took him. It took several reminders in his head to get the message across, though.

But hours passed, and there was no news from the mountain. Malice grew increasingly impatient. Venom began to wonder if this was a common occurrence.

Malice and Venom spent the time by exchanging information. Venom continued to inform him about the dragonlands, although when asked for news about a volcano and a temple, Venom replied that he didn’t know what he was talking about. Malice looked consternated, but dropped the issue.

Finally, when the night air grew colder and black began to overwhelm all sight, the pair spotted the cowering, snivelly green dragon enter their firelight. He didn’t look very enthusiastic, and by that token, neither was Malice.

“What news?” Malice demanded of him, rising up so his underside was exposed, making his many sets of legs wriggle threateningly.

“I… My Lord, there have been issues. The captain is adamant about not coming down into enemy territory unguarded. And he’s keeping his ground, too. He’s refusing to negotiate with us under any circumstance. I-I think he’ll attack in the morning, sir. He’s confident we won’t make a move during the night since we’re at a clear disadvantage, so he can afford to give his soldiers rest and provisions. Neither of us are going anywhere, but the one at risk is us! My Lord, can’t you spare us? W-we can win this one, right?”

Malice clicked his fangs irritably. “Do you think this behavior of his has anything to do with you?”

“What?” the green dragon asked, shaking. “N-no. Never! I-I only did what you asked!”

“What have you done?” Malice asked of the green dragon, a dark side creeping into his agitated tone.

The green wimp gulped. “I, ah, sent emissaries up to the mountain peak asking for him to come down the mountain to talk with us. Just as you asked.”

“How many times were you turned away?”

The green dragon couldn’t meet his gaze. “Three.”

Malice let out a long, dreadful sigh and pinched his forehead with a few bent claws.

“I-I sup-p-pose the enthusiasm to talk d-didn’t sit well with him. But if there’s anything I can do, I’ll do it in a heartbeat! I-I’m sorry, my Lord-”

“Yes, yes, I’m sure you are,” Malice cut off. “Get out of my sight!”

He did so desperately.

“Must I do this all myself?” Malice whispered, and Venom could almost see the fury emanating off of him. He opened his wings to their fullest extent to stretch them, then closed them back in. “Venom. With me.”

“Where are we going?” Venom asked boredly.

“If my enemy will not come to me,” Malice explained, his multiple sets of eyes roaming over the mountain above them, “I will come to him. He doesn’t have to bring himself all the way down the slope. Just a little bit is all. And he can bring his guards, too.”

“Fat lot of good that’ll do him,” Venom observed. “We aren’t going to kill him.”

“Their ego is what one must appeal to,” Malice explained as he and Venom walked away from their encampment and submerged themselves in inky blackness, bespeckled with red light in every direction from small lava fissures. It only threw Malice into a sinister shape. “Reason or utility is often thrown aside for passion or pride. It’s a sick part of this world, but it’s easy to exploit. One day, Venom, you will see that emotions should be repressed. It’s the only way to control reality in the safest possible fashion. Emotions can control you like a parasitic worm.”

Venom was taken aback, as the thought had never occurred to him. However, it prompted a response question. “But by the same token, don’t you also control emotions?”

Malice gave him a fiery stare, and Venom felt a jolt in his chest. Had he crossed a line?

But Malice simply nodded and gave a snarl of… regret?

“Soon we will not need to,” Malice said. “I wish to live in a world where the idea of choice is gone, simply since evil will have been destroyed forever. I do believe emotions are a gift. But by the same token, because they were gifted, they’re also not necessary. In a perfect world, in my father’s world, negative emotions are a liability. The law alone should dictate your way of life, and my law says to bring this promise to pass through any means necessary.”

“How many different laws will there be?” Venom asked.

“The perfect law alone,” Malice said, as if it was obvious to anyone. “Where sin has been dealt away with and no law is needed but to govern the expansion of worlds and knowledge.”

“And what about the times when we used emotion or choice on earth?” Venom asked. “Not even you are immune.”

Malice shrugged. “The ends justify the means if it results in universal peace. Father understands that I am but mortal as of now. And if it shall be that we are condemned, Father will simply beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in our glorious kingdom.”

Venom didn’t know what to say. Malice was steadfast in what he believed, that much was for certain. It spoke to his conviction, but Venom wasn’t sure if it was right. It sure sounded sweet to his ears. And he was all for having others direct his life if they knew what they were doing. But then again...

---

Malice and Venom kept a low profile by walking up the slope of Mount Metamorph instead of flying. It wasn’t until they came within several hundred feet of their fire’s yellow glows that Malice halted and sent Venom alone.

Venom made sure to display a hefty red gem in his fist to indicate he was a messenger, since he carried something important. The peak of the mountain was full of the enemy. Some were sleeping, but others were submerging in bright orange lava pools that littered the surface of the peak. He got glares and grunts of exasperation from the loyal dragons, but Venom didn’t care about their stares. It wasn’t their business.

The captain of the guard was an overweight, stubby, yellow-green dragon popping gems into his mouth like they were cherries while pacing. He looked nervous; his claws were tightly wrapped around a polished steel sword out of its sheath. When he saw Venom, he froze in place, but sighed and let out a choice swear before holding up his hand.

“We don’t want any more messengers telling us the exact same thing,” the overweight old dragon refused, even as Venom approached him. “How many times do I have to say it? We’ll never surrender to you or negotiate.”

“I believe you will this time,” Venom replied dryly, presenting him with the large red jewel. “Malice himself is not far away. He wishes to speak. This time, you won’t have to travel into his territory, and you can bring your guards. He’s alone.”

“Don’t trust him, Grumple,” one of his attendants whispered. “He wants something!”

“You’re precisely correct,” Venom said. “He wants something. It isn’t your death, though, that’s for certain. Otherwise he would have attacked. All you have to do is find out.”

Captain Grumple looked conflicted. He grasped his fat stomach and jiggled it despondently. “You’re sure I won’t have to go far?”

“Just a few hundred feet,” Venom promised. “Malice doesn’t want to destroy you. This might be the best resolution to this conflict.”

Grumple thought it over, tossing the large red jewel in his hand up and down. After some time, he nodded and pointed at his attendee. “Round up four of the toughest dragons you can find. We’re going to have a little chat with this traitor and see how he ticks.”

---

Venom led the large dragon and his entourage away from his encampment and into the dark night, away from the light from the lava pits on the summit. Very soon, Venom came into the clearing where Malice had stayed behind and blended into the shadows of the rocks.

Grumple's large frame flapped into view on very small, stubby wings. Four of his bodyguards were also with him, looking concerned as Grumple panted while coming to a halt. "All right, what's the big deal you keep pestering me about?" he snapped. "What's the purpose of meeting you in the middle of the night?"

Malice's deformed and monstrous shadow was elongated, and only his three red eyes glinted in the darkness. The rest of him was a silhouette. He gave off a sinister vibe that made even Venom shiver, deep in his bones.

"I surrender," Malice stated, plain and clear.

That threw Venom for a loop. He shot an outraged, incredulous look at his master, but Malice was undeterred.

"You… surrender." Grumple sounded skeptical, which Venom couldn't blame him for. "That's crap of the highest order."

"Can I tell you a secret, captain?" Malice whispered, high and clear. "This was all a ruse. I never actually intended on creating a legitimate insurrection; I am wholly loyal to the crown of the Dragonlands, as a double agent. I created this insurgency group in order to separate the traitors from those loyal to the Dragon Lord, to eventually exterminate them. That's why I came up here alone, with no escort but my second-in-command, for he also knows the truth."

Internally, Venom was screaming. No he didn't!

"What do you intend to do with those under your command, then?" Grumple asked, curious.

"Why, take them prisoners of course. This will be the great cleansing of the Dragonlands. We live in a volatile time where loyalism is everything. Those dragons who do not support the war against the Noxxa… must be silenced. And this is where you come in, my Lord Grumple. I want your army to go down the mountain and surround the insurrectionists as they sleep. They aren’t trained, just zealous, and that disappears when your life's on the line. When they wake up and plead for mercy, I will grant it by officially surrendering to you, fulfilling my mission."

"And I expect you won't do this for free, will you? There must be some kind of condition to go along with this."

"Indeed, my Lord. There is but one. I will let you take all of my prisoners and take all the glory for yourself--if…" Malice seemed to grin slightly. "...you make me second-in-command over your entire army."

Venom shot him another incredulous look. Grumple seemed to have a stroke. The dragon bodyguards behind him made strong sounds of disgust or indignation.

"What… what kind of… condition is that?!" Grumple exclaimed, clutching at his throat.
"You… you dare…"

"I believe I'm being rather reasonable here, my Lord," Malice explained patiently. "As the dragon who exposed every traitor in a desperate hour, I believe it ought to count for a considerable promotion. And I certainly have the qualifications to lead, if I was able to start a quote-unquote 'revolution.' Not to mention, who's to stop them from revolting? They need false assurance that they are safe for the time being, and having me in second command will ease their pathetic little minds until we return to Dragon Lord Ember and abruptly punish them."

Grumple paused at his assessment.

"There is wisdom in his words, Lord Grumple," Venom said all of a sudden. "His demand is both justifiable and practical. I can only hope we may act on it."

Grumple hummed and began to pace by flying back and forth on his stubby little wings. His bodyguards whispered back and forth to each other about it, but Venom knew their opinions didn't ultimately matter, so he shut them out.

Finally, Grumple stopped, sighed and nodded. "It is only fair… Fine. I'll go back and muster my forces. Make sure you keep your subordinates unsuspecting, you hear me?"

"Of course, my Lord. You have my word that we will not ambush you. I swear it by the God I believe in."

That seemed to put him at rest. "Then… I hope you know what you're doing."

"Oh, I do, my Lord Grumple. Rest assured, I do."

As both parties finally left each other and they began to traverse their way down the mountain, Venom could finally speak his real mind.

"You're a triple agent?" Venom whispered to Malice.

"No. I just lied about being a double."

"Then what's the big deal with surrendering to him…"

"Venom. Trust me."

Venom ordinarily had no obligation to follow that order. But Malice looked so sure of himself, so confident, that Venom couldn't help but think it was going to be all right.

---

Sure enough, by the time the sun rose the next day, Grumple's forces had come down the mountain and completely surrounded the rebellious dragon's camp. Outnumbered, outmatched, and at the end of the line, they all begged and pleaded to Malice to preserve them, so he made an official surrender to Grumple. In return, and to provide security over the prisoners, Grumple ordained him second in command over the entire armed forces.

After that, the prisoners were pushed to live in a special cave on the slopes of the mountain while Grumple explained to the rest of the army that Malice had been working for them all along, hence his promotion to second-in-command; Malice had cleverly tricked the insurrectionists into following him! At the same time, Venom explained to the prisoners that Malice had cleverly tricked the army instead, and soon they would be free and ready to take over the government in a free ride back to the Dragon Lord.

They then got to work striking camp. A messenger was sent back to Dragon Lord Ember informing her of Grumple's success, and orders were given to prepare to move out and return to Dragon Lord Ember.

On the same day this all happened, Malice had summoned Venom again. Venom was wondering what kind of trickery he was up to this time as he came up to him on the outskirts of the camp near the prisoner's cave.

When he came, Malice covertly presented him with a hollow rock of ugly brown liquid. Venom squinted at it.

"I figured this job would be apt for someone like you," Malice explained. "And ironic, considering your name."

"What must I do?" Venom quietly asked.

"I experimented with some mixtures over the first few days of this quote-unquote rebellion. This poison is made from the polluted roots of these land's native plants. If administered by degrees, the victim dies of seemingly natural causes within two days. I want you to poison Grumple in that manner."

Venom couldn't understand his logic. Why kill him if he just worked so hard to earn his trust? But Venom knew he'd just get a confusing answer anyway. And it wasn't important to the mission, no matter how short-sighted he'd be. So he just took the poison. "Fine."

Malice looked at him for a moment. "This is your first time being ordered to kill someone," he mused. "Let alone your own kin and a commanding officer. You have no qualms about this?"

Venom shook his head no. No matter which path he was pushed onto, Venom would find some way to be content. And as for the actions he was in charge of... "I do this because I want to, my Lord. Nothing else matters to me."

"Then go and do, my loyal servant," Malice whispered. "Your reward shall be great."

---

Over the course of the next two days, Grumple's health deteriorated rapidly. His complexion had become sickly and his limbs had no strength to them. He gradually became more of a hinderance to the army's speed the longer it went on. A few basic first aid techniques had been applied, but his condition only worsened, and he eventually had to be carried by a stretcher from the claws of several of his subordinates.

Rumor went around the army during their flight as to what had caused it. Some said it was the stress of the flight that had finally gotten to him. Others insisted he had caught a rare disease that was native to these parts of the dragonlands. Still others thought he was just old and fat, and had suffered a heart attack. But whatever the reason, no one could ignore his imminent death.

Only a few miles away from the royal throne, which was a massive landmark in its own right, Grumple suddenly had a serious seizure. The entire party of dragons had to land and look after him.

Grumple looked on the verge of death. His swamp-water color had paled, scales were falling off him, and he heaved and groaned for every breath. His temperature was as hot as magma, managing to burn even the heat-resistant dragons who touched his forehead.

Malice stayed by his side the entire time. Venom privately thought that even though he looked least like a proper dragon, he acted the most compassionately towards him. He was always ordering for slightly cooler lava rocks to be brought near him, to bring down his inner body temperature. He tried mixing nearby arid plants with his spit and applying them on his skin and in his mouth. He tried getting him to chew on a piece of pumice to get his mouth moving.

But nothing worked. Hour after hour, he only worsened. And finally, Grumple weakly motioned for Malice to bend down so he could whisper to him.

"You… are a good servant," he wheezed. "You worked hard… for my health. But… there's nothing… you can do for me now." He coughed, and Malice recoiled, then put his ear close to his mouth again. "Lead them… in my place."

He let forth a massive gurgle from his mouth, and he doubled over with a cry. "My chest! It burns!"

Grumple panted and gasped, but they grew weaker and weaker. Eventually, he went limp, and Grumple's bloated body moved no more.

Every dragon seeing this bowed their head in reverence or silent grief. Venom felt a jolt in his chest as he expired, but his face belied none of his true emotion. And as for Malice, he was still for a few seconds. Then he closed Grumple's eyes with two of his claws and let loose a small sigh.

"I cannot replace a leader like him," he uttered. "But I do not intend to." He then addressed the assembled dragons, prisoners and soldiers alike. "For starters, let's simply make it back to Ember. She's waiting for our arrival. Take a moment to breathe and rest first. Keep the prisoners secure, but allow them the same privilege."

While the dragons did just that, making sure to corral the prisoners in a circle, Venom was still motionless. A few passing dragons urged him to not let his grief consume him. But his grief was completely founded. He felt his stomach twisting in knots. He had done this.

Where was that whole idea of not caring about his choices anymore? Hadn't he said it didn't matter? And yet… why did it feel so terrible?

The towering white insect sidled up to him. He was mostly silent with those small, skittering legs of his.

"We're not out of the woods yet," Malice whispered casually, not even turning his head. "We still have Ember to deal with."

Venom grimaced and wiped his tears from his crooked purple nose.

"The message sent described Grumple as having caught the uprising, so she'll be expecting him to greet her. But since he's dead, I'll send you acting as a servant in his place."

Malice, making sure he wasn’t seen, faced away from everyone and ignited the twin horns on his massive head. The sick, pale magic rippled and distorted a spot in front of both of them, quickly forming a vortex. Malice looked like he was in pain, and Venom kept his distance accordingly, eyeing the empty vortex as something shiny and black emerged from the depths like a predatory shark. It clattered to the rocks below, the vortex collapsed, and Malice’s magic shut off, making him gasp and heave for breath.

It was a knife of shimmering ebony. It was bitingly cold, but it radiated like it was a heat mirage. Venom kept his distance, but Malice bent and picked it up casually, offering the unadorned handle to the purple dragon.

He took it halfheartedly. What was the point of this, anyway? There were far better ways to kill, weren’t there?

“That is a Black Blade,” Malice wheezed, coughing after he said so. “It-ahem!-takes quite a bit out of me to summon from Tartarus. It is the most terrible… Hold on, it hurts… Ahh, terrible blade in the universe. One could even pierce an Element of Harmony with it.”

Venom sighed. “What now?”

Malice scrutinized him with suspicion. “You don’t sound too happy.”

Venom turned to look up into Malice's cold red eyes. "I'm marked now. Blood stains aren't easy to wash out. And now I’m adding more?"

Malice's eye flicked in an instant to regard him. "Who are you, and what did you do with Venom?"

"I don't want this. I don't want to be marked as a murderer for the rest of my life."

"And you won't be." Malice's thin claw rested chillingly on Venom's shoulder, and his stubbier legs curled inexorably around his torso. Venom felt short of breath for several reasons, and he began shaking in his grasp. "Not if we succeed. And you want to succeed in this, don't you, brother?"

Venom felt his chest clench again, but it wasn't in grief this time. "O-of course."

"I thought not." His cold touch left Venom's shoulder, and Venom was freed. "Listen, and listen well. Here is what I want you to do as you enter the throne room…"

---

The official throne was a carving of stone large enough to comfortably sit the previous Dragon Lord, Torch, who for reference was as big as a mountain. But the actual home of the ruling family was not this oversized seat. Their home was a cave at the rear base of this large throne, where the ruler could easily get to their royal responsibilities. It was late in the day when Malice and the dragons he was in charge of returned to the assembly area that encompassed the area around the throne. So that meant Ember was home.

Venom felt a twist in his chest. He was going to be accompanied by several others for this part. There would be no risk if it went according to plan. So it was all on him.

Venom carried only the special knife Malice had summoned. He made sure to keep the edge away from his skin as he approached the cave; he hated the mere notion of such a weapon. But of course, he wouldn’t say that to Malice.

There was a red dragon waiting for him by the time he was near. He was tall but young, and his voice sounded reluctant and snotty as he addressed Venom.

“Halt,” he sighed. “What are you doing here, loser?”

“I represent the military,” Venom replied, itching for it to be all over. “I’m supposed to speak to-”

“That’d be me,” the red teenager affirmed, pointing at himself with a thumb. “I’m Ember’s right-hand dragon, you know. Garble the Great!”

“I’ve never heard of you,” Venom replied distantly. “Did you make up that name yourself? Now shut up and let me in already. Ember needs to hear this personally.”

“Why does she need to hear it from a loser like you?” Garble sneered. “Tell me the stupid message and I’ll tell her. It’s my job, after all. And you’re just a messenger.”

“Is there someone there?” came a far voice inside the cave.

“Just some no-name delivery boy!” Garble yelled back rebelliously.

“Then what’s taking you so long to let him in?” came the exasperated yell back. “Are you really that bad at hospitality?”

Garble somehow went even redder. He let out a huff, which sent a puff of smoke through his teeth, before rolling his eyes.

"Ember's given you permission to come in," Garble huffed in his usual tone, ignoring the fact that Venom had clearly heard every word. "Follow me."

Garble’s gruffness didn't make Venom feel anything. He had enough on his mind.

Not counting Venom and the others behind him, there were no more than five dragons in the small room: Ember and her servants. Garble took his spot by the walls to observe. The room had several side passages spiraling into darkness on the sides of the room. It was also sparsely decorated. The only furniture in the room was a crude seat carved of maroon rock merging into the back of the cave. Ember was in this seat, toying with the bloodstone scepter and giving Venom a surprised look.

"I thought Grumple was going to meet me personally," Ember noted. "Why send a servant?"

Venom bowed. "He came down with a sickness while in the wilds that weakened him. He requested me to pass on the report and lead you to him."

Ember nodded and rose from the seat. That was the cue for Venom to come closer, and the entourage behind him to stay where they were.

Venom trembled with every step he took.

Dragon Lord Ember patiently allowed Venom to approach her. When he was close, Ember held out the bloodstone scepter, and Venom stopped and knelt.

“The Dragon Lord welcomes all into her presence,” Ember said, reciting the ancient words of tradition. “Though she rules with this scepter, none are beneath her.”

Ember then turned the scepter upside down, allowing Venom to touch the sacred jeweled head as Ember lifted him up. The custom was implemented a long time ago as a gesture of deference and total obedience to the Dragon Lord.

As Venom was being raised from the ground, he brought his arm forward and stabbed Ember to the heart.

Ember let out a small gasp, and Venom pulled her close to him to give a small, sad grin. Then he pushed Ember away, and she collapsed backwards onto her throne, blood pooling out of her chest and coloring her blue body red. The rest of the dragons brought in also pulled out crude daggers and lunged for the servants, and the few servants attending her gasped and turned to flee through the side passages. Garble in particular was stunned; he couldn’t take his eyes off her even as he backed into a corridor.

"Ember!" Venom cried, sounding strangled. "Ember, no!" He turned to the mouth of the cave entrance as the last of the servants disappeared. "The Dragon Lord's dead!" he bellowed. "Her own servants pulled out daggers and stabbed her! They're fleeing down the passages!"

Almost immediately, Marshal Malice was at the head of a collection of dragons who burst into the living room. But he stopped in shock when he was close enough. Venom was kneeling over Ember and cradling her head to him, still lying in her gore with the knife hilt-deep in her heart.

Marshal Malice, after a small moment of grief, narrowed his three working eyes and bared his thick yellow teeth. "If there is anyone here who loved the Dragon Lord," he whispered with barely-controlled fury, "let him seek and destroy these traitorous servants!"

The dragons didn't have to be told twice. The throne room emptied as they raced down the passages, eventually leaving Venom and Malice alone.

"I don't think that could have gone any better," Malice murmured with a satisfied grin.

Venom agreed. But grinning was the last thing he felt like doing.

---

"So…" Torch rumbled on his throne. “My precious daughter… has been taken from the world by a band of cowards!"

The former Dragon Lord Torch had been summoned out of retirement, and he had arrived on his old throne the following morning, bellowing for every nearby dragon to assemble. Ember's body was being respectfully prepared for burial, and Torch had demanded an accounting of the event, which Venom had just given him in front of the assembled audience of hundreds.

"I cannot deny what I saw, Lord Torch," Venom quietly affirmed. Malice was right beside him, looking the most humble he had ever been, overshadowed by the sheer massive size of Torch. "The servants must have been afraid that their uprising would be frustrated if I had reported it to Ember. So in their desperation, they decided to act prematurely. One of them, a red one, stabbed her to the heart, and he and the others fled quicker than we could pursue."

"A red one, a red one… You must be referring to Garble," Torch mused. He let out a growl and slammed his fist into the massive throne, causing some pebbles to dislodge from the edge. "That brat has always been bitter about her leadership ever since she won the Gauntlet of Fire instead of him when I retired a year ago! Gah! How could I have not seen this coming?"

"I cannot imagine the kind of grief you're going through, my Lord," Malice whispered. "And the cowards that they are, fleeing like that… it just incriminates them even more. I would want to correct that."

Torch grumbled. "You?"

"He's the one that tricked a host of traitors into being captured by creating the false uprising," Venom explained. "There is no better candidate than him to unite the Dragonlands and lead them in the absence of your family line."

Torch had to only shift his head slightly to give Malice an incredulous look. "You created this rebellion?"

"Please understand the necessity for such drastic measures," Malice cooly replied. "Only by uniting all of those rebellious dragons could I be sure of the extent of the underlying threat. But… I never could have thought that there would be sympathizers within the closest circle of the Dragon Lord!"

Torch huffed. "Next time a spy of mine instigates an uprising, let me or the current Dragon Lord know first!"

Malice nodded abashfully.

"With that said, however, you did it with barely any casualties. I cannot deny the results of your work. As the temporary head of the military, and the one who put down the seed of rebellion, I see no other candidate as qualified as you to take the throne in my daughter's absence."

Venom's heart was beating at a mile a minute. Ordinarily, another Gauntlet of Fire would be held to determine a worthy successor, but they were at war, and time was of the essence.

"You are no replacement for my daughter, Malice. But your reign will be effective and powerful. You can bring the Dragonlands its deserved glory!"

“Of course. Thank you for that. I suppose we have no time to spare on ceremony?”

“Allow me to say this much.” Torch pinched the bloodstone scepter between two claw tips and bellowed at the top of his lungs. “LET IT BE KNOWN TO ALL THAT MALICE SHALL REIGN AS THE NEW DRAGON LORD! ANYONE WANNA SAY OTHERWISE?”

The crowd of assembled dragons around the massive throne collectively shook their heads. Part of it was fear of Torch, whom they had respected for decades, but also, most of them really didn’t have much to object to.

“Then it’s settled.” Torch dropped the scepter near Malice, who caught it in midair. The massive jewel embedded within burst into flame and encircled the hybrid creature with tongues of color, reflecting a menacing light deep within.

And the dragons surrounding them genuflected respectfully as the bloodstone scepter accepted him. Malice lifted the scepter above his head, and he roared to the sky with a puff of fire in his throat. Malice had become Dragon Lord, and it only took him under a week to do it.

---

“We’re innocent! I-y-y-you can’t do this! You promised!”

The shouts and protests of the green dragon coward went unnoticed, along with the cries of all the other insurrectionists. They had all been herded onto the seat of the enormous throne and were kept there by the weapons of the army. Yelling and screaming was happening on all sides, and from the army as well as the insurrectionists, but it all sounded the same after a while.

Malice was flapping above it all lazily with his enormous wingspan bouncing him in place, crossing many of his arms and keeping the bloodstone scepter close to his chest. The simple truth was, there was no more purpose to them.

“W-we were comrades!” the green dragon was yelling, even tearing up. “Brothers against evil! You betrayed us! You betrayed everyone!”

But he was quickly rebuffed with the army yelling how he was the traitor here, how Malice had cleverly exposed his crimes, and how justice needed to fall.

So Malice gave him just that. He pointed with the bloodstone scepter and concentrated.

With enough force to jolt him back, a torrent of ruby-red magical energy flooded out of the tip and quickly enveloped all of the dragons on the massive Dragon Lord’s throne. They all began to glow a strange color, rooted in place.

And before their eyes, their hands began to fade away. Every insurgent tried patting themselves down, but their hands just passed through their translucent bodies. They were panicking and screaming even louder than before, trying to push their way through their own crowds. But it was already too late. With echoing screams being all that was left of them, the hundreds of rebellious dragons were effectively vaporized.

Malice was in the presence of the gargantuan Torch, whose head alone was on the same level as the albino hybrid high in the air. Torch sighed as the final cries of mercy went unheeded and finally quieted, and the single breath of air created a current that made Malice wobble in place. “That’s that. Traitors deserve a traitor’s end.”

Malice flapped up higher so he was on his eye level and turned to address him. “And I hope that does not include me, Lord Torch?”

“Don’t call me Lord,” Torch reprimanded him gruffly. “And no, you are an exception. You have a brain on those shoulders of yours! Although I admit, you’re unlike any dragon I’ve ever seen before…”

“I’m new here,” Malice carefully answered.

It made Torch realize something with a hum. “Speaking of which, did you need any advice? You’re new to the business and all, and there’s more to being the Dragon Lord than yelling at everyone.”

“Thank you, Lord Torch,” Malice intoned. “To increase my effectiveness domestically, I wanted to ask a question regarding the geography. There was a point of confusion I need cleared up.”

“What can I provide?” Torch rumbled, shaking the ground with his voice alone.

"There is a volcano in this land that was overrun by pony zealots," Malice began. “They came long ago to worship some unknown deity known as Solaris after discovering forbidden texts in Equestria’s records. They claim it is a portal to Tartarus itself, so they built a temple out of the volcano to guard and worship it. I want details about them.”

"Oh, you mean Mount Nevermore?" the elder dragon said, surprised at that particular topic. But he brushed it aside with a wave of a massive claw. "We sanctioned that zone off. It exists entirely independent of the dragonlands. Mostly because no dragon wants to go near it and no pony wants to come out. I believe it's a species relations thing."

"Where is it?" Malice asked.

“To the east, surrounded by a moat of boiling lava. It’s got three peaks jutting up. One is the actual volcano, another is the kooky temple, and the third is just where they stay when they’re not worshipping. Almost entirely inaccessible unless you could climb.”

“Couldn’t you simply fly?”

“Only if you want to suffocate. It’s a volcano, remember?”

“How do you know all of this?”

“I had to visit the area in order to officially mark it off. It’s a place I’ve… never truly forgotten the feeling of.” He leaned down to glare at Malice. “That place is overflowing with evil. You can smell it in the air, feel it in the ground. It’s a cursed blemish on the skin of the earth, and I advise you to pay it no mind, since it will not interfere with the way one handles the dragonlands.”

“Of course,” Malice sweetly replied. He seemed to have gotten everything he needed from that.

---

The trials of the day were over. Darkness had fallen over the dragonlands. And a dark umbra of evil now rested where justice had once sat.

To be more precise, Malice was lounging in the same throne that Ember had been stabbed in not a few days before. Venom was the only one near him; everyone else was sleeping. And Malice was attempting to do the same.

There seemed to be nothing worth saying between the two. Venom had simply assumed he’d be along for the ride, but he had ended up driving more often than not. It was because of him that Grumple was dead, that Ember was dead, that Garble was being pursued across the dragonlands to the ends of the earth. It was because of him that a monster now laid in wait just a few feet away from him.

The crooked purple dragon gulped hard in order to speak, and he didn’t turn his head. “What now?”

“What do you think?” Malice replied, so easily and casually. In fact, he seemed shocked that this was even an issue. “Now I can go to the temple safely. None else shall come close when I get my claws on the Corrupted Element.”

“I killed for you,” Venom said, shaking in place. “I slew my queen!”

“And you did a fantastic job. See, I thought you only did what you wanted.”

“Not… not like this.”

“Ah, no matter. I see you’ve developed a righteous heart. But soon, with the world my father shall create, you really will be able to do whatever you want. There will be no such thing as righteousness, but only because there will be no sin either. Eat, drink, and be merry,” he said with a self-deprecating tone, letting the scepter droop from his claws like the power within was negligible. “There’s no harm in anything you do, because my father will save you all regardless. A loving parent would do anything to ensure the survival of his children. You are already safe in his arms. And you’ve done nothing but further my path to awakening my father and bringing about this change you want so badly. I don’t see what your big issue is here.”

“I just don’t… feel right about all this. I-I can’t just excuse myself from what I’ve done. I only wanted to do what I liked, and killing isn’t something I like!”

“Hmm,” Malice hummed. “A just argument. But you still hold onto archaic notions of what is acceptable. The loss of those limitations will make you free. This loss will bring you power.”

"Isn't it nice?" Venom asked with a sardonic edge. "All this power of yours?"

"This is trivial compared to my father's promise," Malice assured him with a swish of the scepter. "And we shall finally have… peace."

"Even if you kill everyone else in your way to do it?" Venom challenged.

And to his surprise, Malice nodded slowly.

"Think of it, Venom. To never again live in fear from foreign lands. For our fates to be guided by loving hooves, not by our flawed selves. And for this world to understand not what it has lost, but only what it has been given in return." He shook his head, eyes glazing over. "Oh, yes, Venom. I would kill for peace."

Author's Note:

We'll get back to everyone else next chapter, I promise.