I carve my way through the invading gryphons as I make my way to the main entrance. Other gryphons are panicking as my forces flood the bay gunning down or blowing up gryphons with grenades, keeping their distance and proving their skill with overwhelming firepower and group tactics.

Large boulders fly overhead from outside the bay, crashing through buildings while large ballista bolts puncture through walls.

The gryphon invaders take to the air in an attempt to retreat, but most are shot down before they can get away. I see medics running around applying Twilight's new ointment to the wounds inflicted by the silver weapons.

"My Lord!" I hear Porkscratch call out and I turn to the boarus archdemon. "We pushed most of the gryphons out of the bay, only a few remain holed up in some buildings. Thin'ta is still holding the main gate by raising the dead gryphons and using them to defend the gate." He snorts as he adjusts his grip on his hammer before swatting a boulder out of the air, shattering it into pieces.

I take a breath to reply but the bodies of intact gryphons around us twitch as a black mist seeps out of them. They slowly get to their feet as their flesh melts off leaving perfectly clean skeletons with glowing red eyes. I watch as they screech and run towards the main gate.

So they're just puppets as I took the souls of a few of those skeletons.

"Let’s get moving," I tell Porkscratch and start running after the skeletons with the archdemon close behind me.

Demons and even the demonic wildlife rally to us with their weapons or claws and teeth at the ready as we run through the streets of the bay. I see a lycan tear out a gryphon's throat with his teeth before spotting us and joining our group.

After a couple of minutes, we arrive to see Thin'ta hovering above a horde of skeletons with that black mist oozing from his tattered robes, his eyes also blazing red with power.

I look out towards the gryphons to see them taking cover behind wooden barricades with iron or steel reinforcement plating while firing silver arrows over them towards us. Our boarus units are holding their shields up and acting as cover for our riflemen to take shots at any exposed gryphons.

"What's the situation?" I ask Thin'ta as I walk up beside him. I notice he's missing a rib and a crack is on the top of his skull.

He glances at me before looking back at the gryphons. "Better than when it first started, my Lord. We lost a lot of our forces in the initial assault, but once we started to get some kills, I managed to raise them and started to fight back, it seems silver weapons don't affect my skeletons," he replies and tilts his head to the side to avoid an arrow aimed for his bony face.

"They're immune to silver? Hmmm... How many skeletons do you have under your control?" I ask him as I catch an arrow's shaft aimed at my own head with a frown.

"One-hundred and eighteen, my Lord," he replies and raises his arms higher. "Make that one-hundred and thirty-two," he then says dodging another arrow.

I look out to the gryphons and it looks like there's at least two-thousand or more. "Well then, good thing I brought my army isn't it. Send your skeletons back into town and defend the non-combatants, you take cover as well since you're the one controlling the skeletons," I tell him, getting a nod from him.

He then starts hovering backwards past me. "As you wish, my Lord," he says before turning and dashing inside the bay, his little skeleton army following behind him.

Once gone I turn to my demons. "Boarus up front with your shields at the ready! Rifleman and grenadiers behind them! Open fire once in range! The harpies and I will make bombing runs to distract and scatter them! Siege units! Start your attack now and aim for their barricade! And once our forces are close enough, follow them into battle! After the first bombing run, I'll go in through the shadow realm and find any of their officers to bring back for interrogation!" I tell my forces getting cheers as they run into positions.

The six-hundred or so boarus line up oinking and snorting, imps on their backs armed with light plate armour, a few grenades, revolvers, and ammo pouches.

Incu and succuponies huddle up behind them with their rifles and grenades at the ready while the harpies grab special jars of oil with cinder vines wrapped around them. The plants constantly emit heat and small flickers of flames, so when the jars shatter, the cinder vine ignites the oil creating an explosion and sending the ignited oil all over the enemy in the splash zone.

Goblins or imps are strapped to their backs with two bags of grenades at each of their hips holding a total of sixteen grenades. They also have a revolver and some bullets to fight off other air units if need be.

"PINKIE!" I yell out getting her to appear next to me in a puff of pink smoke.

"Yeah?" she asks and then yelps as she pulls her head off to dodge an arrow that just misses her before putting it back on.

I just stare at her for a second before shaking my head. "Open a portal and start evacuating everyone to the castle in the Everfree forest! Once we've given these Jigorons a good thrashing, we'll pull back to evacuate as well! Also make sure to tell the others to take anything of value that they can take with them, I don't want any of these Gryphons getting anything from this!" I tell her.

Her expression turns serious but her words and chipper tone don't fit at all. "Okie dokie!" she says before swimming away quickly through the air.

With another shake of my head, I mentally call for a shadow wraith and one appears in front of me. "Go out there and locate the one in charge," I order them getting a nod in return before they fade away.

I join the harpies and dismiss my scythe as I'll need both hands to attack the gryphons. "Alright then! We're heading out to bomb the gryphons!" I yell out before looking at my snipers. "Snipers! Cover us and stop the gryphons from attacking us in the air!" I order them and turn back to my harpies. "Let's move out!"

We take to the air with me in the lead flying to the right to flank the gryphons. Some gryphons take off already to intercept us but the snipers start gunning them down. Once we reach the front lines while dodging arrows, I begin launching darkfire dragons rapidly at the barricades.

The gryphons scream and run away from the barricades as they detonate, sending charred splinters and twisted metal everywhere, even into the fleeing gryphons.

My harpies drop their jars which shatter and explode on impact sending gryphons away from the blasts with burnt fur, feathers, and flesh as they wail in pain rolling around the ground to put themselves out. The goblins and imps start throwing grenades all over the place sending shrapnel into the now panicking gryphons.

Now with their front line in shambles, I slip into the shadow realm and wait for my wraiths.

Three of them approach me and bow. "Master, we have located their leader along with two officers. They are preparing to fire their ballista and trebuchet onto your boarus front line," the middle one informs me.

"Go and cut all the ropes on their siege weapons, but don't risk taking a hit from their silver weapons. I'll snag their leader, one of you take me to them now!" I order my wraiths making all the ones around us fly off to their siege weapons while the wraith that told me the location flies off.

I follow behind them and glance below. My wraiths are attacking the siege weapons, cutting the ballista bow strings and the trebuchet sling strings before quickly fleeing back to the shadow realm.

It doesn't take long to reach an area covered in tents with gryphons running around with medical supplies and arrow bundles. I spot a large tent at the middle back of all the tents with the gryphon kingdom's banners hanging beside the entrance depicting an eagle's head with two unfurled wings beside it.

Soldiers are running in and out of the tent with scrolls, most likely orders or lists for supplies. The cries of the wounded faintly fill the air, muffled by the energy of the shadow realm as I land in front of the tent. I watch what looks like a young barely out of his childhood gryphon run out of the tent with a tray of used bowls and utensils, his expression scared as he whimpers at the sounds of the wounded and dying.

I frown at this, bringing a child to be used to serve food at a battle-zone? Some demonlords used children as bait to lure out other demons, but they were usually either tortured to the point they lost their minds, or were trained to act like victims and then kill any demons who tried to help them.

I've never used children in any way for profit or my own ends, and it disgusts me that they would drag one here as a servant or even as a slave. Though I see no collar or shackles on him, the fact still remains that he looks terrified to even be here.

I've noticed that four of my other wraiths have regrouped with us already while the others are still sabotaging the siege weapons.

I turn back to the tent and enter to see a gryphon in simple looking leather padded steel plate armour, with red trim, and several medals hanging from his left pauldron. His fur is a light brown, his feathers white with dark grey tips, and his eyes are a mild brown. He's standing behind a desk with papers and a map of the area with little pegs which look like they're in the positions of their forces. Beside him are two gryphons in similar armour but fewer medals as they discuss the battle so far.

"What word do we have on the black winged demon? Reports say it's attacking our front line and we've taken heavy casualties. Also, their strange small cannon like weapons are also killing our forces that are too fast to counter," the left gryphon with grey fur, tan feathers and blue eyes says with a frown.

The seated gryphon frowns at the map and then looks out the tent's entrance. "We don't know where all these demons came from and with such powerful weapons as well, we may have to fall back and request the aid of the third and fifth battalions to take the bay," he replies and sighs.

"What about the monster in the waters? Our ships can't get near close without risk of being pulled under the waves," the right gryphon comments while tapping the map where the port is. His fur is black with dark grey feathers, and his eyes are a brownish red. Again he's wearing similar armour and less medals.

"That beast is a problem, and I doubt we'll be able to get close enough to launch a sea assault. For now we should fall back and regroup. Now that we've seen what these monsters can do, we can form a strategy to counter them," the middle gryphon replies.

I walk over behind the middle gryphon and look to my five wraiths. "When we leave the shadow realm, I want you to restrain the other two, if they resist, knock them out. If you can't restrain them, kill them," I order them getting nods from them.

I then summon my scythe, pull my revolver out, and exit the shadow realm. Quickly I hold it to the gryphon's throat while my wraiths appear and pin the other two to the ground and hold their beaks shut.

"Scream or call for help and you're all dead," I warn them as I hold Thanatos close to his neck.

"How did you get in here?" he asks me calmly and slowly glances at me.

"You don't need to know that, all I want to know is why you are attacking my town," I ask him and point my gun at the entrance as that young boy runs back in with a tray of wooden mugs. "Boy, keep quiet and move to the corner, now," I order him and pull the hammer on my revolver back.

Instead, his eyes roll back and he faints on the ground with a thud, spilling the contents of the mugs all over the ground. "Hmmm, that works too," I mutter and look back to the gryphon leader. "Well?"

"We originally sent scouts here as we got reports of finally locating the Black Talon Pirates hideout, but they came back with reports of demons infesting the bay instead. So the King has ordered us to wipe them out," he replies and I notice his left talon slowly moving to a dagger concealed under the desk.

"If you want to keep your soul, you'll stop going for that dagger. Put your talons on the desk slowly," I order him.

He sighs and complies, it takes him a few seconds, but both talons are on the desk.

"Good, now then. You'll be happy to know I'm evacuating the bay, once all of my people are safely removed, you can have the bay. All you gotta do is cease your assault, or I can call in my entire army of over two-hundred thousand to lay siege on your capital and your King," I tell him and lean close to his head.

"I could take this as a declaration of war against Tartarus and retaliate. And let me tell you, even with your silver weapons, ours can easily over-run and decimate you all. I alone can wipe out entire towns and tens of thousands of soldiers by myself. I can turn your towns and settlements into demons and take over your nation bit by bit. But I don't want to do that, and I'm sure you don't want that either."

I lean back and let him turn his head to look at me better. "So, what will it be? Continue this pointless fight sacrificing your forces in an attempt to take a little rickety town? Or let us leave without further bloodshed?" I ask him.

The sounds of fighting and screaming still echo in the air as more explosions go off. The gryphon frowns as he looks at the still unconscious boy on the floor, before sighing and looking back at me.

"And how do I know you aren't bluffing about such an absurdly large force?" he asks me.

"I am the Overlord of Tartarus, and you have my word that I have such a force and I never go back on my word. So you can be sure that if I make a threat, I will go through with it," I reply and warn him. "The only reason you aren't dead yet is you can just end this pointless fight without more casualties. But if I have to, I will wipe out all of your soldiers here and now."

Another set of explosions go off and a gryphon wearing half-plate armour enters the tent looking panicked.

"General Skyhawk! The demons... have..." he starts but stops spotting me and my wraiths.

The General clears his throat and looks to the gryphon. "Go on," he asks him as if I wasn't holding a blade to his neck.

"Errr... The d-demons have destroyed all our b-barricades and siege weapons. W-We can't get close to the b-bay without being shot down by their w-weapons..." he reports making me chuckle.

"Sounds about right," I comment and look back to the General. "Still think you can win?" I ask him with a smirk.

He sighs and looks back to the gryphon. "Tell all forces to fallback to camp. The demons are leaving the bay and we shall let them," he orders him.

The gryphon's eyes widen in surprise. "Sir?" he asks confused.

"They have agreed to leave the bay if we cease our assault. So go tell our forces to fallback already," the General tells him again.

"Errr... Y-Yes sir!" he replies and runs off.

"Well then. I shall take my leave, remember, should you attack during the evacuation, I will retaliate without mercy or remorse," I warn the General before slipping into the shadow realm where my wraiths follow behind me.

I watch as the other two gryphons get on their feet and shake their limbs with frowns.

"Are you going to just let them go?" The left one asks the General.

"Our siege weapons are gone, our defences are in ruins, their weapons are superior and they now outnumber us. What would you do?" the General replies and asks.

The left gryphon sighs and looks out of the tent. "I'd retreat and gather the army and crush this infestation. We can overwhelm them with numbers and if the court mage aids us I'm sure we'd win," he says with a frown.

The right gryphon then speaks up. "If he was telling the truth about the size of his army, then we'll never be able to out number them. Add his weapons as well as the abilities and powers of himself and his forces, we'd be lucky to cut down a few of them before we're slaughtered. The fact he's giving us the chance to fallback instead of just killing us all shows he's not here to just spill blood."

General Skyhawk rubs the underside of his beak. "That is true, Against a force that large and all armed with those weapons, we'd fall quickly. We'll wait here until the demons are all gone before sweeping the bay. Until then see that the wounded are tended to," he tells them both before getting up and checking on the still out cold boy.

With that done, I fly back to my forces who look confused as to why the gryphons are retreating. I exit the shadow realm and walk up to Porkscratch who nods to me. "My lord, what's happening?" he asks me.

"The gryphons are falling back and allowing us to evacuate without any more attacks against us, but they'll have the bay afterwards," I reply and watch as Thin'ta's skeletons stand guard near the entrance.

"Why not just crush them and take their supplies?" he asks me, still confused.

"I did plan to make this a frontier town in this world, but the gryphons are too hostile for my tastes. Instead we're going to set one up in the Everfree forest as we're soon to be allies with Equestria. No one goes into that forest due to the beasts and wild magic in there, but it's perfect for us," I reply and look around. "PINKIE!" I yell out to get her attention.

A poof sounds out behind me and Pinkie slams into my back to hug me. I take a step forward due to the force and I just glance at her unamused.

"Yes, Damien?" she asks innocently.

I sigh and shrug her off. "Open a portal to the Everfree forest at the ruined castle. We're moving out now," I tell her, getting a salute from her.

"Aye aye, Captain!" she replies and opens a tear to the forest.

I turn to my demons and clear my throat. "All right you lot! Head on through and set up a base camp! Also take as many of these silver arrows and weapons that you can safely carry through! We can use them to fight other hostile demons in Tartarus later!" I order them getting cheers as they start heading through.

Most are carrying food, riches, and others bundled up silver weapons, while others are helping wounded through.

"Pinkie, I'm going through with them, once we've set up a camp, I'll fly back to Canterlot. Until then, once we're all through, you return to Canterlot and let them know what's happening alright?" I tell her. She nods her head rapidly at me with a smile.

"Uh-huh!" she says and sits back using her tail as a chair.

It takes a good thirty or so minutes to get them all through. I look back out through the portal and nod to Pinkie who waves goodbye before the tear closes.

I look around and watch as my demons swarm the ruins and begin to set up tents and fire pits. A fel ent archdemon is using her magic with seeds from a pouch on her belt to quickly grow a makeshift wall around the castle out of thick black vines covered in thorns.

While not the most sturdy wall, it'll be enough to keep curious predators away.

"Your orders, my Lord?" a group of demons ask me, getting my attention.

"I want lookouts on top of the castle! and anyone not tending to the injured or doing anything to reinforce the castle's structure until we can rebuild it! Also form a perimeter around the vine wall just in case something does decide it wants to get in!" I command them, getting nods and bows in reply before they run off relaying my orders.

I sigh and look around one more time. Next will be rebuilding the castle along with a town, then a sturdy wall, then a stable portal from Fel Haven to here. I also still need to find a way to free Olestra from her curse, find the changelings, and get my fleet back up and running.

Slowly I rub my temples and groan, still so much left to do.

Next chapter I will write is for Godly.