Author's Notes:

Not sure when the next chapter will come out, be it in another day or a week. Not sure how to write it and get it all bound together in the stories continuity. So you one or two followers of this story... Hope you enjoy the newest chapter before things calm down again.

Also this chapter is a divergence from previous ones in some ways in how it was written, word use and sentence structure.

A skeletal hand gripped her shoulder and shook till she sat up in her bed, quickly dawning her regalia Shadow quickly left her room and went straight to the "planning room" to await her orders. It had been a week to the day now and the air was thick with a choking miasma that followed her wherever she went. Death and decay and over-taken the cave before the servants could even begin to move half the putrid corpses that filled it, their stench when alive was bad enough but now it was tenfold worse; the heavy use of lime did little to reduce the odor that perforated everything. Valkardian did not even look at her when Shadow entered the room preferring to simply beckon and point to a map laid out on the large table before her.

"We leave today and are going to follow this route... I doubt they will launch any assaults or have ambushes laid for the column. We should be to one of their colonies in about two days time..." Valkardian continued to drone on explaining his plan in detail to her not that it really mattered to Shadow anyway, she was simply a pawn in this little war of his that would go where she was told and when. "One squad will be assigned to you to aid in mopping up the harder to reach areas. Questions?"

Her head snapped up from the map at this declaration and stared at him wide eyed. He was giving her a squad to command? "No, yes! How do I command them?" This was indeed a surprise considering she was still a slave but then again he rarely treated her like one and as time went along that became more true, Shadow was more an armed servant than slave. Valkardian began to drone on about how to command them and even handed her a scroll with a list of commands to give before ushering her out of the room with instructions to simply go to the grounds outside and wait. It had been a short wait when ten soldiers marched up and waited for her and after going through the scroll a few times she had a good hang of things, Valkardian appeared a short while later and the ten departed to rejoin their cohort and Shadow found herself in an odd position just behind them and in front of another cohort on her own.

Marching out through the gates and being able to see the battlefield up close brought up an urge to vomit. Cave insects crawled over the corpses eating and breeding over the vast field of carnage. Fortunately servants had cleared a wide path through the field of slaughter and Shadow was grateful for her heavy boots as each step brought a sickening, putrid squelch; a path had been cleared but the oozing rot remained. The long column quickly turned and began to slither its way down one of the large tunnels while the pace quickened since there was no longer anything to slip and slide on. It took hours before the air became "cleaner" to her nose yet the stench had perforated her fur and clothing making the smell inescapable.

Long hours passed as the march continued on and every so often she would see a corpse off to the side of the path they followed giving the impression some of the wounded tried to escape but bled out at different points along the way. Shadow could not help but glance around her as they marched deeper into trog territory, the fear of an ambush still played out in her mind even though Valkardian had told her the odds were low on the first day or two of the march; after that however...

Shadow's ears twitched nervously as the column wound its way through the tunnel. A day and a half had passed already and now they would arrive at any time and her first "real" battle would begin despite being assigned as mop-up. This was so unbelievably different from the last two battles he had witnessed or partaken in. There would be no grand walls to protect her from hard nor any real assistance from Valkardian, Shadow would be on her own with ten soldiers and if she messed up well... The shattered remains of a soldier were a quiet reminder of what could happen to her at any moment or with a single false step, scouts had been sent ahead and discovered an ambush and destroyed it quickly but even from her position farther back the sound's had carried quite well. A monstrous trog had been waiting around a bend and as the soldier made the bend it slammed it so hard with a club that the skeleton shattered to pieces as armor was rent from sheer impact.

Eyes peeled forward she knew the odds of it happening to her right now were low but Valkardian had already explained her task in the coming battle with great detail that did little to quench her growing dread. Just a week ago she had looked forward to this quite eagerly but now that she would be fighting them on a much more personal and even battlefield doubts cropped up. "Remember your training and you will be fine." Yes, he had said that over and over as if knowing her thoughts (and perhaps he was spying on them) but it did little to allay concerns.

Banging and drumming began to echo up from somewhere in the distance and her heart began to battle for dominance of her throat. Sounds of battle began to increase and trickle back as the pace picked up again while a heavy, echoing *boom* made the cavern floor quiver ever so slightly. Valkardian had moved forward not long ago and if he was already slinging spells at them there must be a lot of them left than previously believed. A fast march became a loping rush as the soldiers surged forward into an expansive cave that continued off into the distance, everything seemed to wriggle and writhe with activity as Shadow jogged into the cave.

Eyes growing wide she beheld the troglodtye "colony" that stretched off into the distance and what a sight to behold it was. Pony architecture was either graceful or charming but there was no charm or grace to anything in this cave, instead it looked as if a madpony had created this place and used tartarus and a garbage dump as their schematic while sowing total chaos for good measure. Trog buildings haphazardly loomed up several stories winding their way around stalagmites and stalactites in bizarre patterns while other structures leaned against each other in a wild battle for domination and support. How this nightmarish city held itself together without collapsing or burning down was beyond her.

Each cohort quickly moved into position forming an ever widening line and Shadow followed dutifully behind hers as they took up a position towards the middle left of the ever increasing battle. Shadow found herself slowly moving forward with them as each rotation of the front line brought her one rank closer to the front. Holding on to the armor of the skeleton to her front she ground her teeth in anticipation of what was to come and what seemed like an eternity of wait ended when the word "rotate" slipped into her head again. In a flash the soldier in front of her stepped quickly back and to her right and pushed its way back between the tightly packed ranks and before she knew what was going on Shadow was confronted with a troglodyte throwing itself against her shield with reckless abandon, pounding and stabbing wildly with a short spear.

Shadow almost screamed for a second before her training kicked it and with one swift motion she drew her sword and stabbed at the creatures face. Bile rose up and threatened to overcome her attempts to hold it down as her blade slammed into the troglodytes eye causing it to burst and send slimy fluids over her hands, face and arm. Snapping her sword hand back she watched as everything seemed to slow down, the trog was dead and falling backwards as fluids flowed down its face only for another to push the body aside just as fast and slam its body into her shield and a fast duck on her part was all that saved her face from being torn off. Stabbing around her shield she felt something and stabbed rapidly a few more times for good measure, each trust made whatever was battering her shield slow to a halt.

Recovering and looking forward wide eyed and shaking slightly as adrenaline coursed through her veins she quickly stabbed another one much like the first then another and another. When the order to rotate buzzed in the back of her mind barely heard it let alone paid attention to the command. If it were not for a sudden yank on her armor that sent her backwards she would have remained there stabbing away furiously at them. Remembering the order Shadow began to scoot her way back down the narrow, tight corridor between the soldiers and soon found herself at the back of the ranks again sweating profusely and trembling while clutching her sword in a death grip and looking wild eyed.

Before she could rotate forward again though ten soldiers in front of her stepped back rapidly and marched to her left and she followed automatically as she had been instructed to do. Their path took them down the length of the first formation and towards a small alcove. Unlike the fortress cave this grand chamber had little nooks and crannies all over the place, most were smoldering high above as Valkardian kept pouring fire into them as the formation ground its way forward.

The cavern floor was a mess of corpses already, the army had advanced more than four hundred yards already by her guess and now her little group were stepping over bodies and the occasional shattered remains of a soldier. A small tunnel opened up before them and led into another, smaller chamber. First task at hand she stopped to consider her actions for a moment, she did want want to appear cowardly to Valkardian who was no doubt watching her even if only partially but then again she did not want to be the first one round the bend and wind up like that soldier she had seen.

"You, go first, kill anything that moves except me." Shadow had been assured that they would most certainly not attack or kill her without his express orders so there was no chance on her to foul up the orders but still it was better to be safe than sorry. Following the soldier close behind a part of her said this was cowardly but another part reminded her that they were not living to begin with and could be replaced while she on the other hand only had one life to give. "Better you than me big guy..." Muttering this to the possibly doomed soldier in front of her she checked behind her and the other followed in single file as they worked their way through the short passage into the adjoining chamber.

Not a moment after entering something jumped on the soldier from her right and began to batter at it and without thinking Shadow stabbed it in the side quickly and it fell away. "Form line! Advance! Kill!" The words had left her mouth before she even realized it and just as quickly the other nine soldiers rushed in and formed up and not a moment too soon either. Just as the last soldier stepped into line several trogs hurled themselves at them from the walls and in front. Shadow was busy beating them away from the soldiers backs as they advanced forward with a slow, deadly precise pace.

Two hundred yards later she ordered a halt and looked around the soldiers at the ramshackle buildings before them. Looking around with a small degree of wonder that her first little command had gone so well she took the time to examine the damage done: about fifty of them lay dead behind them and as her eyes scanned more could be seen cowering in their huts and one had its head stuffed under something with its body sticking out thinking it was hidden. They were indeed cowardly when you killed enough of them she though reaching for a pouch that held the next part of her orders: burn it all.

Pulling a red glowing crystal from a pouch she held it carefully and ordered the soldiers back to the entrance and form a wall so nothing would escape. Standing before them she lifted her arm and pointed the crystal straight ahead and using the command word fire spat forth and lashed its way into the huts causing them to burst into flame, the surrounding ones quickly joining in. Dropping the crystal back into her pouch she hefted her shield again and ran like a bat possessed towards her little line and realized she could have done this just as easily farther back. Any second thoughts or lessons learned from this first action were banished as the burning trog's surged out of their huts and towards her some howling angrily others gurgling in terror trying to flee the flames.

Shadow dove past her line and spun in time to block a blow and the battle was back on, most of them were on fire as they came the magical fire melting their flesh off releasing a sickening odor in the air of burning filth and something else that was indescribable. "Next time stand IN the line while using the crystal" Shadow chided herself they kept battling off the troglodytes.

Alcove after alcove it went on like this, Valkardian had assigned another ten to her for one of the larger alcoves and she was grateful for them and wished she had more still. A new tactic had made itself apparent to her: so long as she could clearly see the target the soldiers did not have to enter the alcove or cave proper. Instead they could seal up the exit and she could stand sandwiched amongst them and blast the huts from a distance for the same effect and less hassle. So far her little trick was working wonders and if she gave the cave another good blast or two depending on its size there was little fighting to be had in fact.

Valkardian was pleased with her developments and reminded her that he had given her all those crystals to use so use them! That little pouch was a true wonder seeing as it was stuffed with them somehow without bursting but magic is magic and she was not going to complain if it meant she could keep blasting them out of hiding without having to go in after them.

Clearing out another adjoining cave Shadow emerged from the tunnel coughing from the smoke filled air. Fire had taken root in the colony and the air was dense with a chocking smog that reeked of burning flesh yet despite it Shadow could still see where she was going well enough. Valkardian had called a halt now that the fires blazed out of control and was driving the trog's either into them or away and in all honesty she could see no point in advancing till the fired burned out less they risk themselves in the inferno.

"We will camp here and let the fires burn down a bit. Tomorrow the march will resume down the Eastern tunnel towards their largest hive..." Valkardian had the map out and was showing Shadow the route, order of battle and again reminding her of her own duties. The purpose of this battle was much simpler and more precise than the last: Kill their chief. Doing so would cause mass chaos and make the culling easier since the only one capable of holding the swarm together would be dead. Killing it would also mean they would be less likely to attack and make herding them into dead end tunnels easier.

"How are we herding them with just this one army? We passed a dozen tunnels on the way here and they can flee down any one of them." She had to admit it was odd that this once force alone would manage this, were there more columns out there?

"I never said this was the only army, there are nine others doing the same thing and driving them down the tunnel network towards assigned areas, other, smaller forces are sealing off side tunnels to make certain they go where I want them to go."

"Your commanding ten armies at the same time? How is that even possible? You have skeletal wizards or something I dont know about?"

Valkardian gave her a look that she could one of two ways: she was either insane or right and Shadow could not decide which. Instead, he simply ignored her, went back to explaining the plan then rolled up the map and released her for the night. There were benefits to being the only other living thing in the army Shadow thought as she left: A tent all to herself and servants bringing her food and drink, one even brought a bucket of water Valkardian had magicked up and she was grateful for it; it took a lot of scrubbing to get the gore and stench out her fur.

March, march, march... That is all they had done for days on end now and it was a routine Shadow did not care for very much. How far had they traveled? Were they really any closer or just winding in circles herding the enemy to their doom? The drudgery was only alleviated by the occasional spat now and that when some piddly little group of trog's was unable to flee fast enough or blundered into them from a side tunnel. A single assurance had been given last night though: soon. What a wonderful assurance that was, it was the same assurance given a few days ago and they were still marching.

Still, it was not all bad. Along the way her little force had grown to some twenty with another sixty in reserve that Valkardian held back as replacements for any she lost. So far Shadow had lost ten soldiers and in return her retribution had left her feeling rather happy; the number of trog's she had laid waste too were at least over one or two thousand at this point, magic had helped a great deal in that though... None the less every time she lost a soldier she could not help but become furious over it and more than once had burned out a cave while wearing a devilish grin.

Since that first colony they had only stopped three times to burn out the odd smaller one and staying only long enough to make certain the job was done properly before moving on. Every single time Shadow's little force had been sent forward to deal with the problem while the main column kept marching. Trog's were industrious little buggers though, each little colony burned so far had only been built recently and going on what Valkardian said they were remnants of the force that assaulted the fortress or fled the larger colony.

Finally, two days and they were finally going to finish this little campaign and head back! She was overjoyed when his voice echoed in her mind that they had arrived and would be deploying at once. A cacophony rose up in the distance once more in warning of their approach as the trog's began to stir themselves up into a battle frenzy but the columns of soldiers kept rushing forward down the tunnel. There was a problem in the coming battle that had been addressed somewhat long ago: unlike the first colony which was spread out in a wide cavern this one was very long and somewhat narrower especially at the entrance.

Whoever could shatter the front ranks of the enemy first could pin the other in and turn a large battle into a long, drawn out affair that Valkardian was trying to avoid. Like herself he was eager to kill them but also not interested in prolonging the affair and considering the numbers involved here it would not be hard to turn this battle into another siege.

Explosions made the floor vibrate and quiver from the shockwave that roared down the tunnel and Shadow found herself using her wings to hover at times to stay steady. One blast after another roared out in rapid succession making her ears pound and ache. The juggernaut of soldiers kept surging forward all the same, heedless of whatever awaited them and as the explosions grew louder and louder till it reached a deafening crescendo and in a sudden blast of bright light Shadow was no longer in the tunnel but the cave itself. All around her the cohorts fanned out forming up in large V's that were punching a hole through the oncoming swarm and widening the gap.

Total chaos reigned in this cave as Valkardian fired off one spell after another blowing great holes in the trog's ranks or the occasional blast of electricity that snaked through their ranks felling them in a fanning swath. Almost on instinct she pulled a crystal from her pouch and held it tightly using her shield hands thumb just in case. A moment later the cohort she was following surged off to the left and began plowing through trog's with reckless abandon while Shadow's little force followed hot on their heels picking off stragglers.

Unlike previous battles which were textbook this was farthest from it: the goal was to widen the gap by any means necessary and keep moving forward with all due haste. A silent mission has burning in all their minds to seize the widest part of the cave some eight hundred yards ahead and hold it so that the entire force could deploy in depth. Unfortunately the trog's had no intention of allowing it and were throwing everything at them including war beasts and two kathdars which caused more damage to the trog's than the army facing them.

Shadow quickly found herself without any real orders and left to her own volition on the left flank of the battlefield. Because of the chaotic nature of this engagement she would plug a gap here or there till another cohort would arrive and push past and keep moving forward again leaving her with nothing to do. So far only one side tunnel had presented itself and two good blasts from a crystal took care of things quite nicely. While the formations ground their way forward more weapons were brought to bear against the trog's and archers and crossbows showed up and began to decimate the oncoming waves.

Never had she dreamed of seeing a city put to the sword but she was witnessing it in full living color, audio and smell. A momentary lull occurred when the soldiers seized the widest part of the cave which was in excess of a thousand yards wide and as she watched Shadow gained an appreciation for how wild this battle really was. The colony had been built towards the back of the cave and the entire front patch they stood on had been a mustering field for trogs and war-beast alike. No huts adorned this wasted landscape.

Looming up and touching the ceiling high above stood the "colony" itself in all its decrepit glory, a truly mad mixture that hurt to look at and was covered in trog's clambering in all directions either trying to get down to fight or up to flee and many were falling off in the mad rush and splattering on the hard floor below. The single massive tunnel leading away in the distance was a moot point Valkardian had told her, it was a lake. Three smaller ones joined halfway in and would need to be seized rapidly and held to prevent them from escaping. Even now two columns carved a bloody swath through the enemies ranks in an attempt to seize them. Unfortunately the last one was on the other side and unreachable and Valkardian had sent gargoyles and special crystals ahead to seal it off somehow.

Which meant Shadow was stuck on the left flank of the city and would be responsible for whatever little alcoves she found and after watching the city for a moment as it began to burst into flame starting with the highest towers... She was okay with that.

Rounding the bend of a tunnel the trog's had carved long ago her little force popped into a nursery of sorts. Shocked for a moment by what she saw Shadow hesitated as her eyes drank in the scene before her.

Eggs. So many eggs. Hatched, hatching and the hatchlings of all ages scampered around the cave killing, eating or swarming over each other while some beat others into submission. They were a barbaric species where only the largest ruled and the strongest survived while all others served either as servants or food. She could not help but gag at the sight, this was the first actual nursery she had been in; the first colony had a large on in the center which had burned and the other three minor colonies had none YET. Revulsion filled her heart and soul as the little monsters kept up their bloody games of murder and cannibalism. Soldiers stood ready to advance but she recalled them as a crystal was raised towards the nightmare before her.

While total war raged outside in the city Shadow was at war with herself. The pony in her said what was about to happen was unquestionably wrong and evil while the other newer half Valkardian had taught her said this was a good thing and must be done. Dont! They are babies! They dont know what they are doing, simply acting as they have been taught from the moment they hatched! Another part screamed out in disgust that they deserved far worse than what they were about to get, that they were monsters and deserved no pity. Burn them, burn them all and be done with it!

During her hesitation the hatchlings had begun to take notice of the intruders in the nursery and began to eye them hungrily but none more so than Shadow. Fresh meat. Slowly they began to slink towards her as if they were stalking prey with hunger and malice burning in their glazed eyes.

To hell with Celestia and her teachings, these things do not deserve life or compassion. There is no such thing as reformation, some things must simply die and if that makes her a murdering baby killer so be it. While she did not agree with Valkardian on everything she agreed with him on this: Some things simply deserve to die. Their lives hold no value what so ever except as fertilizer and she was more than happy to help; should this make her less a pony... Well... That no longer bothered her. She would do what needed to be done not what was deemed "right" or "moral" by pony standards.

In a blink fire blasted out from the crystal in wave after wave setting the large chamber ablaze. Watching them scream in agony as their eyes popped from the heat and flesh melted from the bones Shadow just smiled as she watched them burn. Turning and leaving the nursery she left five to make certain none escaped and headed back into the warzone to find more targets.

Fighting raged on now in the city outskirts as the flames burned down the towers driving them into the waiting ranks below. Shadow watched in wonder for a minute as flaming trog's threw themselves to their death from high above. "Shadow, there is a tunnel to your front left, burn them out." Valkardian's voice snapped her back to reality and turning her head she saw the rough outline far ahead and ordered her soldiers forward.

Fear and worry were gone now, the last vestiges that challenged what she was doing had been stamped out or shouted down and all that remained was a desire to see this through to the end. Marching forward the din of battle continued but had quieted now that Valkardian was no longer slinging fiery death at anything that moved and as she glanced out over the cave he was simply hovering in the air and protected by a bubble watching the battle rage below.

Stepping into the tunnel she sent three ahead since it was so much wider while the other seventeen followed close behind her. As they kept going deeper into the carved tunnel she wondered if Valkardian had found and killed the chief yet, he was acting very calm now compared to when the battle first started; maybe he had found and killed it outright in the first rush to seize the high-ground.

Entering the chamber two of the three soldiers ahead of her were suddenly beset upon by a swarm of larger trog's that tore into them while the last one was simply smashed into the floor by the biggest club she had ever seen. "Attack!" was all she managed to below out before something grabbed her and yanked hard. Shadow was thrown to her right and began stabbing wildly and heard the gargles of a dying trog and jumping to her feet had just enough time to take in what had happened.

The trog chieftain had hidden itself in this little niche hoping to be ignored and leaving the rest of the colony to die. Her eyes kept going up following the contours of the giant wreathed in leather and bone armor as it kept swinging its club. Two more of her soldiers were simply lifted up and tossed like rag dolls sending them clattering into the far wall while others rushed the tunnel to seal it and her inside with them.

Staggering to her feet more attention was drawn to her as a few turned their gaze on her and attacked only to be cut down just as quickly as she nimbly dodged them. Drawing on her link with Valkardian she was going to call out but all that she managed to scream was "found hi..." before a blow lifted her and sent her spiraling deeper into the cave and into a rough hut.

While the hut had cushioned her somewhat it did little to lessen the blow from the chieftains club and it was already coming after her. Head swimming and having a hard time standing she sank herself deeper into the ruined hut as another clumsy blow splintered the building sending debris flying. Dodging deeper amongst the ruined hut and slipping out a large hole she began to play a dangerous game of hide and seek. Her shield was gone and from the throbbing in her arm she probably had a fracture or a break but fortunately her grip had been strong enough not to loose her sword. As the brute pounded more huts out of existence in its wild pursuit to find her she kept dodging, running and crawling.

The ceiling was too low to fly and though the huts had occupants they were too terrified of their chiefs berserk onslaught to care about one bat pony as they were too focused on scattering to find a new hiding place. Soldiers had forced the breach though and had entered the cave proper but a swarm of trog's was between them and her now. Hiding under some fallen rubble it passed by and kept swinging at the huts. Shadow retched as she slid backwards, the trog's skinned their own and used their leather to make the huts.

Drawing out a crystal she tried to focus the blast down as much as possible, too much she would immolate herself amongst all the rubble and too little would only piss the chieftain off and considering how it was acting already that was something she wanted to avoid. Doing her best to clear her head she left a blast loose and caught the chieftain squarely in the back but instead of killing it the creature simply ripped the leather covering off and tossed them down and lunged.

Snatching a pole and leveling it with the rushing beast she prayed hard this would work as she watched the chief fall on the jagged end and impale itself. "Yes! Got you, you bastard!" Shadow was elated as it stopped its forward momentum and pulled back but that happiness was short lived. Reaching a heavy hand up it yanked the pole from its chest and let out a snarl that gave her a grand view of its rows of jagged, grotesque teeth. Lumbering forward again Shadow snatched up her sword and made one last go at it.

Its attack was interrupted as a blast of fire seared through the creatures side nearly catching her as well. Spinning towards it's attacker it swung its club out in a wild, crazed arch and missed Valkardian as he ducked under it and with a quick swing of a longsword nearly cut its arm off. With a howl of anger it swung its partially amputated arm in a back-swing with the same effect only now the arm was shorn off by a second blow.

Staring in bewilderment at her change of fate she only caught faintly Valkardian yelling at her "Jump the bastard from behind already and sever its spinal cord like I taught you!" He was too busy to fight it alone, trog's swarmed him from all around and with one hand he fought the chief and the other sent magic lashing out into the oncoming rabble.

Lurching to her feet sword at the ready and racing forward Shadow flapped her wings a few times to pick up speed and close the distance faster and latched onto the creatures back burying her sword to the hilt and began sawing haphazardly but with great vigor.

Hanging on was near impossible as it began thrashing wildly to and fro while the only thing keeping her in place were the thumbs on her wings and a death-grip on the sword in the creatures neck. Blood was spraying everywhere blinding her but she held on and kept trying to saw through its immense next as muscle and sinew gave way to her sharp blade. Hitting bone she began to bend and twist the blade trying to find a gap between the plates and soon found one and with a couple quick sawing motions the massive bulk beneath her shuddered and fell to the floor twitching and spasming. A dull *thuck* sound followed not long after and without looking she knew Valkardian had given its brain a good hard stab just to be sure.

Valkardian looked down at the little bat hanging on to the creatures back like her life depended on it and it had, now however she just sat there shaking like a leaf with her hands still gripping her sword till he could swear the fur on her knuckles had turned white. Blood had soaked her so thoroughly that her fur had turned black and her eyes though open were vacant and somewhat black from blood getting into them, he would assume she were a statue if it were not for the shaking and sharp, haggard, heavy breaths.

Looking around the burning cave he sheathed his sword and walked over to the little bat pony and put a hand on her shoulder while another kept her sword in place. "Shadow, let go of your sword and stand up." Slowly she shakily complied and pulling her sword from the dead chieftain he sheathed it for her and began to look her over.

"You are very lucky, that amulet I gave you is probably all that saved you from being crushed, your wings are damaged but you'll be..." Valkardians words died in his throat as Shadow slumped down to the floor now that the adrenaline had died off. Pulling a vial from a pouch and placing it to her lips he managed to get her to swallow it down without coughing it up. Magic cleared her eyes of blood and grime as he kept examining her passed out form.

She would be just fine indeed and picking her up he worked his way out of the smoldering cave and back into the vast cave beyond.

She bolted to her hooves and drew her sword just as quickly and began to scan her surroundings with wild eyes. This was not her tent but the larger one Valkardian used and he was nowhere to be seen. A lone servant watched her quietly from the entrance as she sheathed her sword and examined herself, the aches and pains were gone and her eyesight restored but the blood and gore still soaked her head to hoof. Gingerly stretching her wings a bit and checking them they too were just fine almost as if she had not been injured at all. He had laid her on a sheet on the floor no doubt to keep all the blood from soaking the cot he had brought that was understandable, she would not have been happy if he had dumped her on her own bedroll like this.

Only the sound of distant crackling could be heard and stepping out of the tent she looked into the distance and watched as the colony burned brightly, illuminating the cave like an artificial sun. It was easy to find him floating above the ranks watching the city burn while the heat wafted over them. "Master, is it over now?"

"No, the fires have spread and now most of the survivors are caught down along the edge of the lake. Once the fires die down the attack will begin again and yard by yard the city will be cleared, I suspect they will try and burrow back into the ruins anywhere they can to hide." Valkardian turned his gaze down at her "You however, will not be taking part in the fighting, your job here is done."

Flapping her wings she rose into the air beside him and looked out at the burning ruins as his bubble expanded to encompass her. "So we killed the chief then?"

He chortled briefly before looking back at her "Indeed you did Shadow. I am not certain whether you are the luckiest pony alive or the most UN-lucky."

"What do you mean?"

"Consider your circumstances for a minute."

"Ah..." Shadow had to admit her circumstances changed wildly and at random but then again... "I am lucky."

He watched her for a minute as she just hung there flapping in the large shield bubble that held them both. "Really? How so." Turning his gaze back towards the city they watched a few trog's pop out of some burning huts far off on the Western side and scamper off deeper into the cave towards the lake.

"I know that my circumstances are bad and that you could still kill me at any moment but after what I have seen and learned... I would not trade it for anything, when I left home all I wanted was to explore and see the world and I have seen incredible things. Impossible things that no pony would ever believe. Despite my masters sociopathy and evil he has also shown great kindness when he could have just as easily left me to die since my usefulness ran out." Shadow was playing on a hunch on this one and she could only hope that it would pan out in her favor.

All she got in response however was a humm from Valkardian as he gazed at her thoughtfully for a minute then back to the flaming ruins. Whatever he was thinking he was unwilling to say at the moment but a lack of words or hostility on his part was also good. It meant that her life was still secure and that he was unwilling to send her back into the fight also meant her life had value to him be it out of kindness or ulterior motive she decided.

His own thoughts however remained his own as he watched the fires and the occasional collapse in the distance. Shadow was indeed correct, her usefulness had run out now but he would not kill nor harm her despite that fact. She had become too... Endearing and today was just one more example of it in how she fought so hard against the chieftain despite being incapable of winning on her own not that it stopped her from trying. This little bat was strange as could be and he liked it.