After being captured for less than an hour the city of Thebe's had lost a great deal of its curiosity and Shadow remained a bit jumpy. Valkardian had told her there was nothing to worry about and tried to break her out of it but little worked until they were back on the ship a few days later and back out on the river.

At first she had wanted to dawn some armor beneath her cloths but he told her that was just paranoia talking and to just keep focusing on calming down. Qufai had taken note of her incessant twitching when anyone moved too quickly and had inquired if anything was wrong. Valkardian told an interesting story that while true was also not entirely true with important details left out. Qufai had shaken her head but congratulated her on getting revenge on them despite it.

It was so strange to be in a land where killing was perfectly acceptable and even encouraged present company being former mercenaries not included. Watching the farmers work their fields along the wide muddy banks kept her occupied at least. Kalai had explained the annual flood left behind rich mud and when the water levels fell irrigation ditches were dug quickly and crops planted in the rich soil.

There was no such thing as famine here either, each town and city had vast granaries that rose high in the air or were dug deep into the ground forming massive brick lined pits that were covered over sealing the contents away from vermin not that it always worked. Most was stored in smaller brick silos ensuring there would be plenty of barley and wheat even if the crops failed for two years.

It had been a major undertaking long ago helped along by the priests and military but now that it was complete most cities could maintain themselves under siege for at least a year without any preparations. While the population might not be happy with nothing but barley or wheat bread to eat they would survive.

Arriving in the crocodile infested part of the river Valkardian had them steer the boat into a small village for the remainder of the day claiming that tomorrow he was going to do a little hunting. Qufai had said he was insane but considering how crazy he was anyway and what he was capable of... She washed her hands of it if he got his leg bit off or worse.

What had really made her jump was when he asked if she wanted to join him waving him off, while he was suicidal she was not and not skipping a beat had turned to Shadow and inquired if she would join him instead. Balking at first remembering the size of the massive reptiles and their sharp teeth Shadow had almost turned him down but decided to go even if it meant staying in the air while he hunted to see what would happen.

There were no inns or hotels in the tiny farming village but that was just fine. Pitching their shelters far up the bank and a little beyond the village on a small rise they could see the ship and the surrounding land. Valkardian had gone down and had a talk with the locals and found that walking down the river a short distance beyond the last field would provide more than enough crocodiles for the insane to hunt.

From their vantage point Shadow had spent a while looking into the distance and seen a few distance dots slip in and out of the water and silently prayed none came near the village. Qufai had told her that if she was going crocodile hunting then there was something Shadow needed to see first.

It did not take long to find a villager who had survived an attack and was missing a chunk of leg. They had been one of the lucky ones, it was also why so few villages were in this area. Despite the grisly display of what would happen with one false move Shadow decided she would go anyway. Qufai thought she was as crazy as Valkardian but let it drop.

He roused her early in the morning and they walked together quite a distance before finding a couple of the great reptiles laying along the riverbank. None were what he was looking for and they kept walking till Valkardian found what he was looking for.

"Alright, I am going to kill this one, would you like to try and kill one later after you have seen how to do it?"

"Uhh..."

"Just watch first then."

Valkardian really was insane. He walked up behind a larger one that was isolated from the rest and while the creature was still sluggish from the cold night got on its back and straddled it while using a lasso to snag its mouth and tie it shut. Sitting on its back calmly he pulled a dagger and began cutting and within moments the heaving body went limp.

Magic brought the beast up and towards her and dropping it far away from the others where it was safe Shadow got to see one up close. It was a massive reptile with a lustrous hide and very large sharp teeth. He let her look it over and touch it before shooing her away and began gutting and cleaning it for transport.

"You want to try now? Just fly above one from behind and land on its back and whack its head off with your dagger or sword. Locals wont mind one more croc going missing."

"As interesting as that sounds I think I will pass."

"Never know when you might get another chance..."

"Why did you kill this one anyway?"

"For its hide but also I want its meat."

"Your going to eat it?!"

"Yes...?"

"What about the hide? I never saw anything made from one of these back at your home."

"Not surprising actually. So after I am done here we going back or...?"

Shadow looked back down at the reptiles as they began to warm up and move around very slowly.

"What would I do with one anyway?"

"Have a nice hide to make something with if nothing else. Go on and kill one, if the bigger ones worry you aim for a smaller one. Be careful though, even in their chilled state they can move like lightning."

Debating her options and if she should do something so stupid Shadow opted to make a go of it. What the hell, why not. Sending a tanned hide home would certainly make for a unique once in a lifetime gift.

Flying up and looking for a smaller one Shadow settled on one farther up the bank on its own and flew down behind it. Valkardian had undone the lasso and given it to her along with a list of instructions and darting in to straddle it the beasts head began to turn making her hear skip a beat but it was too late.

Landing on its back quickly it lurched around mouth wide and eyes fixed on her. Getting the lasso on proved impossible and letting it fall she drew her dagger and drove it deep into the neck and began to saw. Thrashing wildly from the sudden attack and pain the creature on its back was inflicting it bend and twisted trying to grab her.

Finally striking the spine with blood flying she sawed faster and felt the body stiffen under her before relaxing and falling motionless. Valkardian yelled at her to drag it back up so they could get it cleaned and get back and climbing off Shadow grabbed it by the tail and heaved.

Hauling it up the bank towards him took a few minutes and dropping it beside Valkardian he simply rolled it over and began instructing her on gutting it. Both crocodiles were soon fit for hauling and using his magic he made their lives easier floating them along and back to camp.

Shadow was still quietly stunned at what she had just done, back in Equestria there was no such thing as "hunting" except when they were the hunted. Today though roles reversed themselves as the predator became the prey. Arriving in the camp eyebrow's were raised but little was said.

Skinning and magically tanning the hides then rolling them up Valkardian handed her the hide from the crocodile she had killed putting his own aside while getting a fire going. Bits of meat were roasting over the fire quickly as he kept cutting up the carcass and tossing more pieces into a bowl.

Deciding not to partake in the meat she just watched him carve up the creature and eat it one piece at a time while the siblings found other things to do too disturbed to watch the grisly display. Kalai had warned him against it but Qufai cut her off saying he would be just fine from eating the flesh of the crocodile. Looking at her tanned hide after rolling it back out Shadow ran her hands along its surface and marveled at its size and beauty.

Perhaps she would keep it instead of sending it back to her family, they would probably stuff it off somewhere and forget it out of fear or disgust if not throw it out. Best to keep such a prize for herself and maybe ask Valkardian what could be made from it. Kind of a waste though to cut up such a fine hide though.

Sailing to Obiad been a quiet affair but Qufai's siblings had become very wary of Valkardian, the only creature the knew of that was pony and ate meat. Eating fish and seafood was fine with them but never had they seen or heard of anything like that. With the journey almost over though they did not let it bother them too much and kept about their duties as they slipped down the river in the fast current.

The first thing to hit them was the stench of the dye works but it was just as quickly behind them as they rounded the bend and into the marvelous harbor. Little had changed since their last visit more than a week ago and coming alongside the dock they were tied up and traveling the streets proper.

Despite not being the capital it was actually the largest city by one simple virtue: agriculture. Every last ship had to stop here in order to reach the open sea and anything at all that came down the river found itself moored here before moving on. Immense stone warehouses line the docks holding nothing but sacks of grain while others held cloth made in towns and cities farther up before being dyed across the waterway then dried and shipped off.

It took an hour to fight and dodge their way through the teeming masses of carts and workers in their mad rush to get cargo moved to or from the warehouses. Getting through the gatehouse that sealed the harbor from the city they entered a built up area of cheaper stone buildings and continued down the wide cobblestone road.

Another gatehouse sealed everything off again and passing through they were now in a business district. Moving beyond Valkardian kept going till they arrived at an elegant hotel what seemed like an eternity later and leaving the blazing hot street behind entered the cooler shaded interior.

Their room was grand as ever and laying out their bags while sending off laundry to be washed they availed themselves of the soft cushions and jug of wine.

"Now that we are here there is only one piece of business to attend to tonight then you can spend the rest of your time however you please."

Shadow watched him for a moment and sipped at her drink thinking.

"How is this city different than the others?"

"Melting pot of both Eastern and river regions, you get a good mix of types here and interests. If you are bored and looking for something to do why not take a couple gold coins and find yourself some pretty boy and have him dress in nothing but a loincloth while feeding you grapes?"

"Speaking from personal experience?"

"No. Never, but to each their own if your bored."

"Huh. Kind of expected something else there."

"What do you mean?"

"Well you had me serve you all those times so I figured you would but then again you quickly call others who sell their bodies whores so..."

"I will never degrade myself by availing myself in the sexual pleasures of whores however that does not stop me from not enjoying the company of another especially when they are beautiful."

"Thank you for that... Compliment. Wait. So you have never?"

"Never."

"Wife? Marefriend?"

"Neither, ever. Got close to having but..."

"How old are you?"

"Hmm... Somewhere around... Nine or ten thousand years old now?"

She gagged for a moment on her drink.

"How is that even possible?!"

"Magic. I came here long before your people or any others had learned to knock two stones together. It was not a... Pleasant... Experience."

"What do you mean?"

"Imagine waking up in the caves before they became the vibrant place you know them as without understanding magic yet or where you were. Total. Absolute. Darkness. No sounds save your own breathing and shuffling hands and feet. Blind. No light to see and crawling around in the darkness for years and years on end. Nearly falling to your death at times and finding that there is nothing to eat or drink. Then much to my surprise finding out I have no real need to, it is a deeply unpleasant and painful experience but can be done."

His head slowly turned to her and cocked to one side.

"Imagine spending what could be years. Decades or even centuries like that. Then slowly life is found, a glowing plant here or there as the caves come to life. Finding out about magic through a bout of insanity and pure rage so great it sparked something to life. As time keeps wearing on without meaning, learning to use magic to light the way and finally being able to see."

A cold look came to his eyes "Then finding out that being able to see again does no good while lost in that endless maze of tunnels and caves that goes on for THOUSANDS of miles. Despair but also hope of finding a way out, spending who knows how many decades trying to find your way to the surface and finally reaching it..."

Closing his eyes a moment he let out a small laugh. "Then finding out that what you desired so much was less than what you had wanted. All that effort and time spent was to find others who you actually could no longer stand. They had lost their beauty and spark in your eyes, now more an annoyance than anything else. Their antics and ways quickly becoming more annoying that endearing. Yet the deal is done. Now you just have to make the most of it."

Opening his eyes again he looked at her and she felt very cold "I think you know what happened after that. However I have seen the world above made and unmade several times but I have only begun recording it relatively... "Recently." Most of the records I keep of those times before are buried away in a private collection."

"Can I see them?" Her voice was a whisper but it certainly explained a few things about his psyche.

"Maybe."

"So in all that time you have been alone?"

"Yes... Sort of but not always. A few times I had others to talk to but that is rare indeed. Eventually my true nature comes out and. Well... I wear this illusion for a reason. Being alone for so long drives you to madness but it also gives one a great deal of perspective. It is easy to be a tyrant who cows others into submission with his dark form but not so easy to get along in peace. My beliefs are just too different for most."

"It must be a lonely life never having anyone to love or hold."

"You get used to it."

"Sounds like something horrible to get used too."

"I never had a choice. Well not entirely true but I had little to no options all things considered."

"So you have never been with anyone then in more than... Nine thousand years!?"

"Never actually, on this world or the other. Well, present company not included that is."

"WHAT?!"

"Congratulations Shadow. You are the first female ever to touch me in anything more than a handshake or short hug. Ever."

"Wow... That's just... Sad."

"Ehh. What about you then hmm?"

"Well I have a brother but... No. Never."

"Guess that makes two of us then! Well this was thoroughly depressing. I need to torture something to make myself feel a little better. Come on. Lets go pay a visit to Celestia's chief spy for this whole damn part of the planet and blow off a little steam."

Valkardian stood up Shadow following him into the streets and heading off to pay a most unwelcome and probably violent and painful visit to the spymaster. As she thought over what he had said carefully it was apparent he refused to sacrifice some morals no matter what or how bad things got. Not that his idea of morality was... Well, interesting to say the least.

Nine thousand years of near absolute isolation short of fighting and killing without ever once taking a wife or marefriend but not for lack of trying and all the while steadfastly refusing to even bed another just once for a little company... Valkardian took celibacy to near godlike levels and for some reason it made her feel incredibly sorry for him.

Shadow could only imagine what that would be like, locked beneath the earth in a stone prison then break free and find out the world above and its denizens would not accept you but shun you for being so different even when you meant well. A part of her wondered what that would be like while another mused over his remark that she had been the first to ever actually touch him.

Did she still hate and feel disgusted with him? Oh who was she kidding, despite his ways Valkardian was not all bad despite everything he had done and would continue to do. Somewhere under that pale hide of his beat a heart black as coal but it was not cold and unfeeling. Then again who could survive all that without having a darkened heart?

This was too depressing. He was right. Think happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts of visiting whoever it was and having lots and lots of fun with them. Bloody fun, the kind that made others scream and run away but made the heart feel good.