A dark shadow fell over the three stallions that were resting near the water tent, far away from the execution site of Night Bomber. “Terrain, the King wants to see you and Sure Step in his tent,” the shadow said, also indicating the earth pony scout.

Sure Step raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Me, Captain Blade?”

Blade nodded. “Aye. We are to discuss our next moves and assess the position of the Marazons before proceeding.” He glanced back in the direction of Sombra’s tent, then snorted in annoyance. “Things are getting complicated and our timing must be well-planned for what is to come.”

Step felt relief wash away the twinge of nervousness he had felt at first hearing the King required him. He looked to Terrain and the two looked to True Aim. “Into the breach you go, newbie,” the archer joked. “We all get our chance to impress the king.”

“Thanks, I needed that pep talk like I need a hole in the sole of my hoof,” the scout stood, shaking out his mane.

“He isn’t including any pegasai in the meeting?” Aim asked as they got ready to leave with Blade.

“No. Just us,” the Commander confirmed.

Step grunted, curious. “You’ll find out why in a minute,” the red stallion assured him, leading the two earth ponies off in the direction of the King’s tent, calling back to the archer. “I’ll return them when we are through and you mares can continue your sewing circle when they get back.”

“Aw mom!” True Aim whined good-naturedly, turning to sit back down. A sharp rock smacked his shoulder blade where the armor didn’t protect him and he flinched, glancing back sourly at the offending pony. Blade was smirking, another rock levitated next to him as they walked away. The archer kept him in his sights as he sat back down, unwilling to turn his back on the commander a second time.

The trio of stallions stopped in front of the King's tent. Blade wrapped sharply on the wooden brace by the entrance.

“Enter!” came the King’s deep-voiced reply.

The Commander drew the tent flap back and they entered to find Sombra in shadow form except for his head, a deeply contemplative look on his face, his green and red-tinged eyes focused on the crystal slave collar levitated before him. Before the others could question it, the Umbrum set the object of his attentions in a jeweled case, causing Iron Blade to raise an eyebrow. He had not seen that case since Princess Luna had gifted it to the King what seemed ages ago.

He led his small group to sit while Sombra reformed back into solid pony form, but the Commander’s mind was processing the seeming obsession his lifelong friend was developing with the collar the Marazon TimeWitch had given him. Even more so was Blade’s wonderment at WHY she had given it to the Umbrum pony. It was almost as if she were flirting with Sombra, leaving promises of her power to ensure he would not leave without her. If she were truly a future Seeress, did that possibly mean she knew they would be facing a tougher time capturing her than they were anticipating and didn’t want them to give up on her capture? Blade snorted at the thought. He wasn't completely convinced yet she WAS a TimeWitch or even a Seeress.

Sombra glanced at each stallion for a moment, then began, breaking Blade’s train of thought. “Since the TimeWitch is evading me, we will continue to advance North to their temple. A threat to the place she appears to call sanctuary should be sufficient motivation to bring both her and her army to us.

“Sure Step, I require you and a pegasus to backtrack to ascertain their position and ETA. If possible, draw them back in the direction of their fallen comrades so they may give their dead a proper burial. Take a small squad of ground troops with you in case they are in a mood to fight.”

“Yes, your Highness. May I ask why only one flyer?”

“The others will be required for the initiation of their new leader and the new Lieutenant’s ceremony,” Sombra explained. “It is only because we have the time presently that they have been given leave to acknowledge Night Bomber’s passing and dispose of his personal effects,” he finished.

“Acknowledge, not mourn,“ Iron Blade added, seeing Sure Step’s puzzled expression. “There was no honor in his betrayal.” He turned to Sombra. “I presume you want me to go through his property before it is turned over, my Liege?”

The Dark Pony nodded. “Yes, Blade. As usual because of his position - and our suspicions.” If Terrain and Sure Step wondered what their “suspicions” were, they had the sense not to ask. This was also good because Sombra’s eyes fell upon Terrain next. “I was preoccupied with my haste to get to the temple before my prey vanished and got only a cursory glance at the landscape. Terrain, what can we expect as far as the land between here and their Temple?”

“There are hot springs at the base of the Seven Mare Mountains, your Highness,” he replied. “They are surrounded by a forest of a local tree the Marazons call ‘sycamores’. They are quite unlike the pine trees we have encountered North of here.

“After that, it opens up and the hills are of a smaller, more manageable elevation. The small valley at its base contains nothing more than fields of flowers. I would caution in passing through only because an assault could be launched from the surrounding hills.”

Sombra nodded. “I will lead the army through in shadow form, then. That will not present a problem.”

“Once past those,” Terrain continued. “it is a straight path to the Temple of the Moon. It itself is on the edge of cliffs overlooking - “

“ - the Great Ocean,” the King confirmed. “Yes, I saw it from the Temple’s balconies.”

“We have the advantage in numbers, from what you have told us, your Highness,” Iron Blade brought up. “but they know the terrain intimately. They can ambush us in the forests, which is why we should cross that area as fast as possible.”

Sombra nodded. “Agreed. If it comes down to a full-on assault before we reach the temple, our strength will be on the plains. That is where our stallions are trained best in combat.” He rose, the cue that their meeting was done.

Blade turned to Sure Step. “You, Terrain and Dark Arrow choose your team. Tell Dark to report to the Lieutenants for the ceremony as soon as you are on your way."

"I will await you there," Sombra nodded. "I have a - message to send these wild mares,” the Crystal Tyrant smiled grimly.

Sure Step brought his hoof to his heart in a salute as he bowed. “Sire!” Terrain also bowed and the two left.

The Marazons made good time on the return trip, ever-alert to enemy scouts, be they in the air or on the ground. The lone survivor of the first attack, Fly Away, stayed with the army at the back of the advance while she recovered from the wounds she’d received from King Sombra’s crystals and True Aim’s shadow-guided arrows. There were several other mares in the wagon with her - none were casualties of the prior assaults on the Marazons as those had either healed and rejoined the army or had already been sent to the Southern Tribes.

The mares with Fly Away were part of Healing Touch’s medical team - two were earth ponies and one unicorn. Their job was to stay with the injured as part of the recovery unit, making sure those in their care suffered neither pain, infection nor relapse of their injuries. They were the best at what they did, and knowing that, Fly Away’s thoughts were barely on her injuries as she stared out at the army ahead of them, lost in thought at the moment.

“It is good to see a break in the casualties,” one mare, a light blue earth pony was saying behind her.

“We’ll need the moment’s rest,” her unicorn team member replied. “I heard we are expecting massive casualties now that King Sombra is leading this assault.”

The other earth pony, a dark green mare with a lighter green mane and tail made a small, dismissive snort. “Leaders are good at rallying their stallions, but once the fighting starts in earnest, they always hide like cowards behind their troops. Remember the Southern Banditos raids on our Tree Tribes?”

Her companions laughed. “Do we? Queen Andromache found their leader hiding in a pickling barrel!”

All three broke out in laughter. Fly Away would have joined them, but something pushed her desire to distract herself from her misery aside. Instead, her head echoed the screams of her pegasisters as they had plummeted from the skies towards the Crystal Army below them. She closed her eyes, struggling to remember her Marazon disciplines, telling herself this battle was so much harder to forget because it had been her flock, sisters dear to her that she had known and worked with for years…

“Fly Away, c'mon, you slow poke!” Sky Wind teased, pulling slightly more ahead.

Fly Away paled, remembering the phrase from her nightmares of the early morning. “What?” she asked hesitantly. “Shouldn’t we be careful? I mean - we are coming up on their position - “

“We’re always careful, Fly,” Rider nodded, slowing so their flockmate could catch up. “You’re awfully jittery this morning, hon. Are you okay?”

Relieved at the kind tone, Fly sighed, shuddering. “Bad dream, really bad. Just before we woke up.”

Sky Wind, listening in, thought better of Fly’s warning and slowed, joining them. All three could see the glint of sun off helmets on the ground in the distance...

“Fly Away, you should know if this king cowers like a pickle,” the green earth mare joked. “You saw him, after all.”

The wounded pegasus, realizing somepony had asked her something, turned around. All three were looking at her now. She regarded them for a moment - the two earth ponies, one with a blue coat and one with a green one, the green one's lighter green mane and the blue one’s silvery, braided mane. Had it been them?

“Their King,” the orange-bodied unicorn repeated, her tone more kindly than before. “Did he hide at the back of his herd?”

Fly didn’t understand the question at first. Her wounds itched and her head felt muddled, confused and disoriented by the flashback. Her mouth moved and she licked her lips, but no reply came forth. Somepony handed her water and she drank, gulping it greedily, coughing slightly.

“Hey, take it easy,” the blue medic took the empty flask back from their patient. “There’s no rush. There’s plenty more where that came from.”

“Thank you,” Fly replied, grateful, finding her voice again. “Uh, what was the question?”

“Their king,” the unicorn repeated patiently. “Was he cowering amongst his troops when they attacked you?”...

Sky and Wind pulled slightly ahead of Fly Away as they now saw distinct, individual stallions of the army below.

“Is that their king?” Wind asked, pointing at the glint of metal and a red crown upon the brow of a dark grey and black stallion.

Sky nodded. “It’s true then. Their king did come this time!” She looked to her flying mate. “We better turn back now - “ She screamed as an arrow struck her.

Wind was in the middle of crying out her name when another arrow pierced her throat.

Voices were around her, but Fly only heard them as background noise. Someone was saying her eyes didn’t look well. Green? Wasn’t that the color of the medic behind the blue one examining her? The pegasus struggled up through the layers of nightmare and the past’s reality, brushing the medic gently away with a hoof.

“What - what was the question?” she repeated again.

The three attendants exchanged worried looks. There was a sickly green in their patient’s eyes and the corners looks oddly purple, but it was hard to know for sure as the cart they were in jostled them, causing the misty aura to jump and disperse with every bump.

Without realizing what she was doing, Fly Away reached for the leather catch on her pouch. It was slow work and she winced as it strained the stitches in her shoulder where the wing joined it. Hissing at the pain, she almost gave up as the blue medic came to her aid, opening it for her. The wounded mare leaned in, retrieving something. In a dreamy haze, she handed it off to the unicorn.

All three mares stared at it along with Fly. “It's beautiful, but it's cold!” the unicorn said, rolling it over in her hoof. “How can such a beautiful red crystal be so cold?” she asked in wonder.

“As cold as the heart of it's owner,” the pegasus told them, her voice lacking emotion. “My trophy. Buried in my flank by their King, shot from the front of their advance.”

The three stared at her in surprise that a crystal could be used as such a weapon.

“I’ve never of - “ the blue medic began, but a gasp cut her off. Their unicorn companion suddenly cried out, holding the hoof with the crystal with her other hoof.

“Chakra, what is it?” her green companion yelped.

The unicorn couldn't answer, her cry turning into a scream. The two earth ponies leapt up to restrain her, throwing her to the floor of the cart, fearing she was having a fit.

“Goddess what - “ the green earth mare started to ask, but stopped as they all gasped. The red crystal had burrowed into her hoof, turning the coat around her wound black. They fell back, fearing her infected by some magic-borne plague as the sickening discoloration traveled up her leg towards the rest of the body.

The other two mares screamed, grabbing their patient to pull her away as their companion frothed and foamed at the mouth, her body caught in convulsions that kept her on the floor of the cart. The surrounding troops began to notice the trouble and stopped to help, ending up assisting Fly Away off the cart as the earth medics jumped off in terror. Free of the crystal’s dark influence, Fly began to come back around to the sight of chaos around her.

It took a moment for the head of the advance surrounding Queen Ainippe to get the message through the ranks that there was trouble at the back of the army. Armor-clad mares instinctively moved to surround their Queen to protect her. Ainippe nodded to Quiet Hoof, who began running towards the back to get a report on the trouble.

The entire army stopped. Quiet Hoof intercepted the two medics as they came galloping forward with a small escort of troops bearing Fly Away in several unicorn’s magical aura. Quiet turned quickly, leading them back to the Queen. As the group reached the front of the herd, the infected unicorn medic teleported directly in front of them, mere feet away from Ainippe.

There were gasps, as the entire front line beheld the hideously changed mare. Her entire coat was now a sickly, greying color, her hooves and mane a burning, red crystal matching an unnatural red glow against the dead black of once white eyes. Her teeth were sharp, yet decaying before their very eyes, as were her hooves. All of her armor was no longer silver, but tarnished and falling apart as if aging years in seconds.

Queen Ainippe faced her, standing firm. “Chakra?” she asked in a measured, gentle voice.

The unicorn didn’t respond, just stared at the Queen.

“It’s an infection from the red crystal that struck down Fly Away, your highness!” the green and blue medics explained breathlessly. “Fly was possessed, we think. Her eyes were a sickly color and she was acting strangely before she gave Chakra the crystal from her wounds.”

The Queen took this news in, quickly processing it. Neris whispered something in her ear. Ainippie nodded in agreement. “Unicorns, to the back of the ranks,” she ordered. “Shields all!”

The wild mare army responded instantly to their Queen’s command. Chakra cocked her head, as if in curiosity, the most hideous, decayed smile crossing her features. She began trembling, then suddenly her flesh melted, leaving the crystal that had grown into her body scattered upon the ground. Her companions of a few moments ago stared in horror at how massive the crystal was now, easily half the size and body weight of the unfortunate unicorn!

Many at the front of the herd, including a medic and Fly Away, turned away, becoming sick from the sight as flesh still clinging to the sharp edges of the crystal. The Marazon Queen blew out a breath both of sadness, yet also relief that nopony else had been harmed. Perceiving the immediate threat of its presence over, she bit her lip, mourning the loss of the mare. “Ranks advan - “ she began to say when the crystals upon the ground shifted, catching her attention. They formed three words.

Those in the front had just enough time to read the message before the crystals disintegrated, sinking back into the ground. Once the shock of what had just happened wore off, the Queen snorted. “Not without a fight, you dog!” she snarled. “Mark the way around this area, just in case,” she ordered her guards. “I don’t want any more to become infected.” Turning back to her army, she called out in a clear, strong voice, “Advance!”

The Crystal Army camp -

The hot green glow of dark magic faded from King Sombra’s eyes as he floated back to the ground, gently touching down in the center of a circle of magical sigils. At his hooves the words, “Give me Nyx”, burned into the soil, faded as the first of his Lieutenants arrived, led by Captain Iron Blade...

This last scene will be continued in “Rise of the Lieutenants - Initiation of Terror” The rest of the story will pick up after that scene right here in the next chapter of Mad Seeress of the North.

Author's Notes:

“Rise of the Lieutenants - Initiation of Terror” will be a separate one-shot, the first in a new series called, "Rise of the Lieutenants". It will chronicle the rise and fall of King Sombra's feared elitist group of the Crystal Army's most efficient butchers.

I'm making it a separate piece because there will be a lot of gore my regular readers may not want to read and those in the group, "Sombra's Crystal Slaves" have expressed a desire to see more of. I don't want to add the gore tag to Mad Seeress of the North and have readers disappointed because it didn't start in earnest until the 11th chapter! This is also an experiment in preparation for when the Marazons are enslaved as at that point in the story, there will be quite a bit of explicit sex going on and again, my regular readers have told me on more than one occasion that they are not particularly into that type of writing.