"General." A Crosuba messenger calls.

"What is it?" The general asks looking to him.

"It's the king of the north. He is here." The messenger informs.

"Great. He has done just as we had thought. Have all the soldiers ready to move at a moment's notice. No telling what he will do." The general orders.

"Yes, general." The messenger says before running off.

For days the army toils, making an entrenched camp as Zora instructed. Even Sky shed his armor, got down in the ditches, and helped with the work.

"This is weird. Have you ever seen a leader do this?" One asks whispering.

"No. They usually stay on their throne." Another says as Sky kept shoveling dirt.

"Wonder what else he might do?" The first asks.

"Stop your gawking. We have a camp to build!" An officer yells at them.

"Yes, sir!" They yell as Zora watches Sky work.

"Nice muscles." Zora says looking down into the ditch.

"Focus on the fortification, not me." Sky instructs.

"How could I not with the strongest thing right in front of me?" Zora asks teasingly.

"Zora, I put you in charge, thinking you would focus. Do I have to take that away?" Sky asks.

"All right. I'll stop." Zora says getting up and walking away.

'Trench after trench in between walls with very sharp turns. The cavalry will be useless in here.' Sky thinks smirking as that is exactly what he wanted, being the greatest strength of the enemy's army.

"You think we can do what the Overlord has proclaimed?" He hears nearby.

"Even he said he wasn't sure, but he also said he couldn't do it alone. He is counting on us." One says, making many feel good about themselves.

"Then again, there are many magic users and high strength generals." Another points out.

"That isn't what I meant. Even the lowest soldier or animal could make all the difference in the world. It is you who are fighting, making sacrifices, and dying for the good of all. You there, do you have a family?" Sky asks a random spear stallion from the Violetbush fief.

"Yes…sir." He says confused.

"Tell me how many." Sky instructs prodding him to continue.

"Only my wife." He says sadly.

"And what would you do to protect her?" Sky asks.

"Laying my life down." He says glaring slightly.

"Exactly. How many attempts have those from Libya tried to invade now?" Sky asks.

"Two times." He says frowning.

"And will they have stopped if we had let them be?" Sky asks.

"No." He said shaking his head.

"This is how it has been for centuries now. Most are ruled by greed fighting over scraps. We need to end this age of war. If we don't, how long to it claims your families as well?" Sky asks.

They all stayed silent as Sky returns to digging the trench before others started to follow.

Two weeks and the camp was complete with many archer towers lining the walls and crossbow users on the walls themselves.

"Not bad." Sky says looking over the positions of the camp.

"Why? Might as well build a castle here while we are at it." A soldier says as a large creature lumbers past the camp.

"It's back." One of them called amused.

Sky chuckles. "It's curious. Treat it nicely and if you attack, I'll have the shadows eat you up." He says grinning innocently.

"Come here." One of the crossbow user calls, trying to get it to come over to him.

The creature groans a reply and keeps walking its own way.

"I got something for you." He calls holding up a shrub-like he saw the creature eat last time it was here.

The creature turns its head and looks at the shrub before lumbering over and takes its long nose looking body part and wraps it around the shrub before putting it until it's mouth and eating it.

"There you go." The crossbow user says smiling.

Sky hums as he looks the creature over. "Maybe…no."

"It's an elephant." Zora says looking at it.

Sky looks to her. "How tough are they?"

"Their hide is very tough. Most arrows won't even slow them down. Though most of them stick to the southern half of the continent." Zora informs.

Sky nods. "Then we might have some that are using these guys for war. Oh boy."

"I have heard of such things." Zora says as many others were feeding the elephant now.

Sky looks to her. "Are there any others?"

"We would have to survey quite a bit, but since we are in the middle of taking over." Zora says.

"Right, leave it for later." Sky says understanding.

Zora hums. "At least we are somewhat safe now."

"But soon the enemy will charge at us with their army." Sky reminds.

"Then we would need to prepare." Zora says.

"I thought that is what we were doing here." Sky says sarcastically.

"Only ten thousand soldiers. Let's hope it is all we need." The General says atop a mount.

"General, we spotted the king of the north's camp." A scout informs.

"What does it look like?" He asks looking to the scout.

"Looks like they fortified their position and doesn't look like they will be coming out to meet us in open battle." The scout informed.

"Well then, we will be storming then." He says frowning. "Find a way behind them. Take three thousand soldiers. We will storm from the front."

"As you wish general." An officer says before riding off as they started hearing a few bells ringing.

The general draws his sword and points it at the fortified camp. "Storm the enemy's camp. We will show those cowardly northern barbarians a thing or two!"

"Barbarians my flank. We don't wear just scarves on our hooves only and just fuck everything. What is with that distinction?" Sky asks sitting in his tent.

"One tribe went south." Zora says passing by. "Or tried."

"Tell everybody to hold their positions. We will send reinforcements if need be. I want no side undefended. Tell the archers and crossbow users to fire when they are in range." Sky instructs.

"Yes, sir." Zora says walking out.

"My forty thousand professional soldiers to your army. Who will be smashed?" Sky asks.

As instructed, all those with ranged weapons held their fire as the enemy charged with five thousand mounted knights, followed at a slower pace by around two thousand poorly equipped levies armed mainly with sharp farming equipment.

"Are they…serious?" One asks seeing the poorly equipped army.

"They are levies. Must have just grabbed what they could to arm themselves." Sky says landing on the wall.

"Any orders?" Another asks looking to him.

"Nothing new. Just prepare to fire. We break that five thousand cavalry, then the levies will lose their nerve and they will retreat." Sky instructs.

"Yes, sir." They all said looking back to the army.

The cavalry kept charging closer and closer the flat ground of the providence and superior wildebeests showing as they close the distance. Five hundred yards. In that range, soldiers didn't flinch for they had already experienced fighting in a battle before. Four hundred yards. As they charge, some of the knights noticed that there were two ways in but they would have to turn sharply to enter. Three hundred yards.

"Good thing we made a maze with the front entrance." Sky says smirking. "Bows up and pull and hold!" He calls.

The mounted knights kept charging but started to slow. Then it came, the crossbows fired, first piecing the full armor where they hit. Then the long bows were fired right after, sending a shower of arrows down on the knights.

"Now!" Sky yells and many soldiers holding rope on the other side of the wall pulled with all their might and up came wooden fence post like objects. The front knight had no time to stop and swerve out of the way or even have their mounts jump before the arrows hit them, hurting the mounts and sending the knights of the front flying off them from the momentum.

"Good." Sky says smiling as he watches the front line fall.

The rest of the knights, seeing this, moved to avoid the trap, but this slowed them down and made it easier for the ranged soldiers on the walls and in the towers to fire down on them.

"Very good. Now I just need the rest to fall into place." Sky says walking off to the side.

"Dismount and charge in!" The general orders after seeing only one mounted knight at a time could enter from the entrances were so small. The knight complied quickly, most with shields trying to defend against the arrows and bolts.

"Get the spearponies." Sky says passing an officer.

"Already in place Overlord." The officer calls as the knights that entered found a wall of spears though the first few who rounded the corners found out too late and were pierced by the polearms.

"Good. Keep it up. I'll be back." He says before taking off to the back end of the camp.

"Any sign of the enemy?" Sky asks landing on the wall, looking out on the open plain.

"No. That's what worries me." Raven says frowning.

"Mages, throw a few illusionary fire spells in the woods over there." Sky instructs pointing a hoof.

A few mages fire off the fake fire spells and it hits the woods as they all watch for anything before a few ponies throw themselves out of the woods to get away from the fake fire.

"There they are. Don't take your eyes off the forest. They will charge from there." Sky instructs.

"Yes, sir." They all said preparing their spells.

"Don't set the forest on fire. Where will our big friend eat then when he comes around?" Sky remarks smirking.

They all change their spells in their hooves as they kept watching.

Sky smiled as he headed back to the main assault where the narrow trenches favored those using polearms as the knights were not fighting how they usually fought and their great swords and heavy lance were not as useful without the momentum they were used to with their mounts and the lack of freedom to wield their greatsword. They were also forced to face them head on a few at a time because of the narrow trenches as well.

"Ah. Good. Now we can just worry about the numerous amount of soldiers coming in." Sky says smiling.

"Not to mention that our crossbows are shooting them from above." Zora adds.

"That too…should we try and capture their mounts after the battle or wor…yes. Worry about that later." Sky says immediately seeing her glare before they start hearing explosions coming from the northern side of the camp.

"That's something." Zora says frowning.

"The enemy broke off a portion to attack us from the rear, but four hundred mages are manning the northern wall with the others." Sky informs before unsheathing Peruro and starts walking into the frontline to help the spearwielders as knights with shields and long swords were moving in and the spear users were having a hard time keeping them back ask they kept blocking and would eventually get past the spear point and charge them with their longswords and they knew it. As Sky moved, many swordponies and his personal guard, seeing what he was doing, rushed to join him.

Zora frowns as she watches before walking off to another part of the fight.

A spear wielder was knocked onto his back by a shield bash to the face and the knight was about to run him through when a flaming sword blocks the knight's.

"Nu-huh. I won't allow it." Sky says shoving him away and frowns.

"Overlord?" The soldier asks before being pulled away by a few other soldiers before the personal guard of Sky joined him as the swordponies head to the other entrance.

"Don't ever attack my soldiers." Sky declares taking a stance.

"Follow the overlord!" A personal guard declares and moves forward as they start fighting, pushing the knight back and slaying a dozen before they were back at the entrance.

The battle started to grind to a halt as the northern attack was stopped before it even began with them being scared with the magic while the southern attack was losing many knights from the arrows and bolts of the original knights barely a thousand remained and then it happens. Sky parries a sword slash and headbutts him, stunning the general before running him through with the sword. "I have slain the general! Finish them!" Sky declares.

All the soldiers cheer as they charge the enemies.

Hearing this, the levies start to flee and the remaining knights soon followed, most leaving their mounts though those who mounted were prioritized by the ranged weapon soldiers.

"We won!" One yell cheering as they kept a lookout.

"Don't let your guard down. We could still be attacked by reinforcements." Sky calls.

"Yes, sir!" They call out.

"Though some of you go round up those mounts. Superior mounts are something we need." Sky instructs.

"Yes, sir." They all said as some of them went down to get the mounts.

"Libya's cavalry excels in open field battles, but fight a defensive battle with them with fortifications and their ability to wage war is effectively limited. It's just as you thought." Zora says.

"And their stupid shortsightedness is going to kill them all one day." Sky says shaking his head.

"Yet, by incorporating them, our cavalry will evolve." Zora points out.

"Correct. Send word to send a garrison to man this defensive camp and build it up into a fortress and one of our garrisons in Libya." Sky instructs a nearby messenger.

"Yes, sir." He says before running off.

"With this, their breadbasket will follow to us if we can take their main stronghold of the fief." Sky says before spying somepony on the edge of the forest to the southwest.

"If only we can make it so." Zora says not noticing.

"Seems we had those watching us. Who are they?" Sky asks looking that way, straining his eyes to try and make them out.

"Why not go to them and ask them?" Zora asks.

"They might run off if we approach." Sky points out.

"And they might not." Zora points out.

"After what just happened?" Sky asks looking to her to see she was sticking her tongue out at him. "Cute. I might kiss it to say how cute it is." He says teasingly.

"Should we send a messenger to see who they are?" Zora asks.

"Yeah, sure. A messenger on a wildebeest should be fine. If they run, it will still be able to catch them." Sky says walking away.

Zora groans as she facehooves. "Why do I even try?"

"Because it is your job as my wife." Sky calls.

Zora just sticks her tongue out at him again.

"No way the cavalry was destroyed." A peasant says in disbelief seeing the Crosuba army collapse.

"But we just saw it before us. All of them defeated and even ran." Another points out.

"W…we…we have to warn the villages!" One yell horrified after stuttering a few times.

"And do what then? What can we or they do?" The first asks.

"We have to run. These are the northern barbarians." The one says frantically.

"Then run." The second says frowning.

"One of them is coming our way on a wildebeest." One of them in the tree calls, causing the frantic one to run.

"Yeah. That's what I thought." Sky says shaking his head as his mount walks up with many boxes tied behind him.

Many of those remaining started sweating in fear as Sky approaches them in full armor. Sky eventually come to a stop in front of one of the frozen stallions and then asks, "Which way to the the nearest village?"

They all slowly pick up their hooves and points behind them.

"Ah good. I won't have to travel far then." Sky says getting back onto the wildebeest and gets it to start running in that direction.

"Did we just live through that?" One asks.

"Yes…oh gods! He is going to the village!" One of them says alarmed.

"Run!" Another yell as they all run after him.

"You are the elder, correct?" Sky asks sitting in the elder house in the village he was pointed to.

"Yes…what do you need?" The elder asks.

"How much excess food can you spare without your village starving?" Sky asks bluntly.

The elder stops. "That would be around two fields of grain."

"That will have to do for now. Hey, one of you listening in out there, bring one of the boxes tied to the Wildebeest in here." Sky calls to the villagers who had gathered around to listen in.

They all yell before one slowly stare at the large beast before slowly grabbing a box and takes it off the beast and carry it in.

"Will this be enough to compensate?" Sky asks taking the box and sets it in front of the elder.

"What is it?" The elder asks raising an eyebrow.

"Open and see." Sky instructs.

The elder slowly reaches out a hoof and lifts the lid and stops at the sight. "This is…gold and silver!?" He asks shocked as some of the villagers fainted and the rest yells in surprise.

"Will that be enough or what else you need for?" Sky asks.

"No…this will be enough. Get two fields worth of grain." He calls out.

"Just have them transport it to the site of the battle that happened not far from here. I have to go to other villages and see if they can sell any food to me as well." Sky says getting up.

"Are you sure you have to go? Something like this deserves a celebration." The elder declares.

"Yeah, I have to. I am getting enough to feed more than thirty thousand soldiers of the overlord's invasion force." Sky says walking to his wildebeest before riding off before the elder recovered from his shock.

About half an hour later, a voice came yelling. "Elder! Elder!"

"Yes?" The elder asks concerned as he peeks his head out.

"It's the northern barbarians. They destroyed the Crosuba army. The rest ran." One of them says out of breath and sweating badly, showing he ran all the way from the battlefield.

The elder frowns a bit. "I see. Go take a rest."

"I can't. A rider is on his way right now. He will kill all he can. We have to flee now." The stallion says.

"Rider?!" The elder asks shocked.

"Yes, he is on his way and we have to run." The stallion says.

"No need. He already came and went." The elder informed finally getting what he was talking about.

"What?" The stallion asks very confusedly.

"He came and went already and has paid us to deliver food to where the battle was." The elder says.

"What?!" The stallion asks shocked.

"If what you say is true, we have no choice, but to deliver the food now. Not only have they paid for it, but they have also defeated the army and with more than thirty thousand soldiers, it is doubtful that Crosuba will rebound from this." The elder informs.

The stallion couldn't say anything at that point.

"Elder, with the gold and silver, can we buy a few slaves or entice a few young stallions to come work for us so we can expand our fields?" A mare asks.

"Maybe later. Let's get this payment done with. We don't want this on our minds every day." The elder says tapping his chin.