Both were dressed very well for dinner that night and Valkardian's servants had pulled out all the stops on providing a true banquet for them to partake in. Roasted cave fish and boiled cave lobster and crab with no shortage of fruits or vegetables.

Somehow he had nipped a decent supply of fruits and vegetables from the surface in less than eight hours so that the table would have plenty of colorful foods to partake in. Shadow admitted it was impressive, a little bit of everything was laid out and she was free to piece at any little bit she so desired as they ate.

Not that she had to do it herself either, a simple point and a servant would bring the plate or bowl over so she could take as much or little as desired. This was probably the most civilized meal they had eaten together yet.

"What price will you ask?"

"Of Luna and Celestia or Equestria?"

"All of them."

"Making demands for my participation in this war never occurred to me... After all the invitation to their party is a last ditch plea for help and not truly genuine."

"So they are going to betray to in the end?"

"Probably. Not that it would stop me either way, what must be done shall be done."

"What about that other "force" that keeps the peace more or less balanced?"

*Pah!* "They will do nothing one way or another. Steelshod brings harmony of his own kind and so long as some semblence is held why would they care? He is not rocking THEIR boat so long as everything returns more or less to normal."

"You make the gods sound like real bastards."

"Oh they are. They are. Enjoying your dinner?"

"Eh? Oh! Yes! It's just that knowing it all starts tomorrow has me a little... Wound up."

"Normal. Do not worry it will all work itself out."

"Where are we attacking?"

"My little secret but it will serve to help you cut your teeth on fighting a real "battle" before the real thing."

Conversation ebbed and flowed as Shadow tried to pry a little more information out of him but he kept dodging her constantly. When dinner was finished they rested for a little while before he stood and offered her a hand.

"Care to dance?"

"I am a little worried now. This is not like you."

"You have known me for around three... Four years now. Not certain myself. I have been around for more than eight thousand years and you think that you know everything about me in just a few short years?"

Shadow shrugged but accepted his hand. Stepping into the hallway he led her to the empty room where they practiced dancing and with a movement of his free hand the room lit up and music played.

"My sister..."

"You are a bubbling cauldron of questions tonight. Your sister is very much alive but still in Canterlot."

As they moved around slowly she realized that for once there was not tripping over her own hooves as they danced and that this was not a lesson either. Tonight they danced for the pleasure of dancing and nothing less.

"Why did you want me to dance with you?"

"With me? Hm. I thought you might enjoy dancing after a fine meal."

"So my feelings matter now?"

There was no response. Instead they continued dancing slowly as Shadow's mind wandered to whatever events were in store for her tomorrow. Maybe he was just trying to get her to relax, the more wound up she became the greater the chance of making a mistake.

Closing her eyes and trying to relax she focused on the music and the moves.

Valkardian looked down at Shadow as they danced, her eyes were closed and she seemed to have finally begun to relax. He was fond of her now. Shadow was truly a marvel of how life could be random and so quick to change.

The distance between them was also lessening till finally she was all but hugging him. It was like a child hanging on to a parent hoping for the assurance that everything would be fine. Everything was fine but her actions were leaving him surprised to say the least.

This would only complicate matters when the war was over.

Come morning Shadow bolted out of bed and dressed in a hurry, rushing to the dining room and inhaling her breakfast before going straight to Valkardian's study. He was waiting on her with a map out and tapped a spot with his finger. Looking down at the map she read the name off.

"Sunny Vale. Is that where we are going to attack?"

"Sort of. You have a very important part to play in the battle so listen closely."

Shadow listened and slowly her ears fell flat.

"You have to be joking..."

Valkardian just smiled.

Shadow walked down the road slowly wearing her fancy suit with coat-tails. A top hat adorned her head as she walked towards the hamlet of Sunny Vale. This was embarrassing. Demeaning. Dressed up like some kind of circus master that yelled out to the crowd to toll them in.

That was the plan too. Valkardian wanted prisoners. LIVE prisoners. Specifically he wanted the seven soldiers and officer Steelshod had left here to make certain the locals did not tamper with the rail line nor the newly re-established telegraph line. The perfect target, locals too scared to resist and would bolt immediately, soldiers who would send off a warning that was not to be sent just yet.

Of course this meant that they had to join Valkardian in his giant tent down the road willingly and that meant putting on a show to entice them away from their posts. Valkardian was pinning that despite being rigidly disciplined the ploy would work anyway because they had to keep track of the locals. That meant some of them would have to follow along to make sure nothing was amiss.

Even if a message was shot out what would it read? The circus was in town?

Groaning as she arrived on the outskirts she stopped and surveyed the densely packed hamlet and train station where soldiers were clearly visible standing guard or milling about. It was fifty yards to the tent and they had no idea one had been raised so close to the hamlet... That was also the distance she had to be able to run in case they attacked rather than look.

Her only protection was a few spells and the amulet she wore. It was early dawn and the ponies of Sunny Vale had begun to wander out into the streets, most stopped to look at her with odd expressions. Shadow did stick out in her fancy suit after all.

Valkardian had gone all out in his preparations for this and the least she could do was play along to provide the desired prisoners. Locals did not count, they would go free she was promised.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out she held a small crystal high in the air and informed it she was about to begin. With confirmation she sent a command to the crystal. Little balls of light shot up high into the air as she quickly tucked the crystal away and forced the biggest smile she could. Valkardian was off his rocker.

Fireworks popped above in dark colors clearly visible in the light of day and grabbed the attention of all fifty-six inhabitants of the hamlet including the soldiers. Heads spun and soldiers braced themselves while one ran into the station before more joined them.

Strutting down the street towards the station she pulled her gold capped cane from under arm and gave it a spin as she walked.

"Ladies and gentlecolts! Fillies and Colts! Come and see the greatest show in Equestria! A show packed with marvels and wonders beyond imagination!"

Ponies poured out of the houses and the soldiers exchanged looks, talked, shrugged and watched. It was working.

"Come with me to see a show of wonder and curiosity! Creatures and acrobats performing impossible feats! Beasts thought to be extinct! Dancing monsters and singing skeletons!"

It was getting easier now, she had their rapt attention and the young were tugging at their parents trying to drag them after her. Wings spread wide for all to see she added a little sway to her movements.

"The greatest show ever unearthed awaits! Come with me and see what awaits! All for a small fee! The fee being FREE! Pay only if you enjoy the show or walk away free!"

An officer was watching her intently from the station as she approached and beaming at him Shadow made a short, sharp bow and popped her top-hat off for a moment.

"Wont you come and see?"

Turning away and walking back down the road the entire population was crammed onto the road following including most of the garrison. A little magic had been put on her allowing Shadow to see if they were following or not and sure enough only two guards remained. The officer, the primary target, was following.

Grinning maniacally knowing what was going to happen she added some spring to her step and egged the crowd on with promises of delights and laughter being just a short distance away.

Ushering the crowd into the giant tent was easy, they nearly fought to get inside but the soldiers stopped just outside as the officer took another long look at her.

"You first bat thing."

Smiling at him she bowed low and removed her hat before standing upright and gave it a quick flick bringing it back onto her head and snapped her finger on the edge making a thumping sound.

"Of course. Follow me!"

Screams and howls sounded but few in fright, most in wonder or that mixture of enjoying a good fright. Shadow had done her little introduction before the illusion show began, Valkardian had a veritable zoo of skeletal creatures but all had an illusion on them making them appear as fresh as they had been thousands of years ago.

It was amazing what a little magic could do to manipulate a pile of bones as creatures danced and even one gargoyle "sang" an opera piece somehow. Unbeknownst to the crowd however was that the soldiers had already "left" the tent and not voluntarily.

The two at the back were simply knocked unconscious by two gargoyles that were invisible, that part was easy but the officer and his two guards almost put up a fight. Shadow tried to use the sleeping crystal but it had no effect on them but it did get their attention. When they began to turn she enacted plan B and the other gargoyles snatched them quickly while she stuffed gags into their mouths.

Kicking and thrashing they tried to get free clearly terrified by what was suddenly happening to them but it was useless. Since magic did not work she pulled a mace free from a gargoyle and knocked them out one at a time with heavy blows before they were stripped naked and tied up.

One filly had turned around and watched with her mouth hanging open but Shadow just smiled at her and held a finger to her mouth before slipping a gold coin into her palm. The fillies eyes gleamed and quickly turned away to keep watching the show.

Continuing the show even after Shadow announced they were stripped, shackled and even chained Valkardian's voice whispered in her mind to just keep up the show and carry out the plan.

Stuffing them and the gargoyles into a magical bag was easy, the gargoyles dragged them in one at a time and sealing up the pouch Shadow handed it off to another that quickly walked off to deliver it to Valkardian.

Watching the show progress to its end was enjoyable but spooky. Seeing the trog's jump through flaming hoops made her laugh but the basilisk doing a jig got the most applause. As to why Valkardian wanted to have the show continue to the end she had no idea. Maybe to keep up appearances or because he enjoyed the macabre display.

When it all ended the crowd cheered and slowly began to file out, there was no shortage of donations either for the show and holding her hat out Shadow accepted them with a smile and winked at the little filly as she left.

"Everyone is gone. Time to pack it all up."

"Alright. Out of the tent this will only take a moment"

With a magic clap the tent shrank and bounced in on itself before packing itself up neatly inside a small box. Valkardian picked it up and walked over to Shadow and with a touch they teleported away to a portal fortress.

"So why was it so important to keep the show going?"

"I found it rather amusing. Also it is important that the locals think nothing is wrong, makes more a rather dull report when those other two send their call for help off to Steelshod."

"You have a warped sense of humor."

"You enjoyed it. Admit it."

"Yes. Yes I did enjoy it. Especially the trog display, having trogs which fear larger fires jumping through flaming hoops is both ironic and funny."

"Glad you enjoyed it. Now I take it the officer is in your bag?"

"Yes. I also have three hundred bits."

"Keep the bits."

Shadow began to giggle as they stepped through the portal into another fortress waiting on the crystals to be changed out. Valkardian watched her for a moment before coughing.

"Oh. I was just imagining what their report to Steelshod will say."

"Ah. Yes. Dear King, I am sorry to report but four soldiers and one officer were kidnapped by the circus. Please advise."

She burst out laughing at what that would sound like and how much trouble those two would be in.

Each prisoner was taken and in their own cell in Valkardian's laboratory. It was a nightmarish place she had to admit with every tool imaginable for dissection of any creature great or small laid out neatly. All around the stone floor and walls were permanently stained from millennia of use and blood smears on the floor hinted at unlucky creatures being drug away after their use was up.

Walking around but not touching she wondered what he was going to do first. Torture them? Cut them up? Talk to them? All the options were laid out around the room and waiting along with one table in the middle just big enough to hold a pony firmly.

Looking at the drain under the table Shadow winced seeing the streaks that led into it, so much blood had flowed down that drain the surrounding stone was forever stained black.

"Shadow. Room 12."

Jerking her head around Shadow walked into the hallway and walked to room twelve. It was by far the least intimidating room in the entire building. Walking inside again and looking around the brightly lit interior Valkardian was sitting in the middle with the officers armor laid out neatly in front of him.

Room twelve was his enchanting room. Made for the study and creation of enchanted items or creatures, all around the walls books and display items rested on shelves.

"I found out what that clever bastard did."

"Like how they were immune to the sleep spell?"

"One among many more. Look here."

Leaning over and examining the armor she saw runes were carved into the surface of the officers uniform.

"He is using runes to add magical protection to his soldiers just like you do."

"Indeed. Go look at the other piece of armor over there."

Examining the second piece it was clearly not the armor of an officer with its simpler design but it also lacked the degree of magical protection the other afforded going by the sparse use of runes.

"Rank has its privileges?"

"Correct. Steelshod is not a fool. Somehow he or I should say his FATHER figured out how to use ancient runes to grant power and protection. Looking this over he did not fully figure it all out but more than enough to give him quite the edge over Celestia and Luna."

"It must have taken a lot of time to do all of this... Tens of thousands of soldiers with enchanted armor and weapons must have taken... Forever."

"That is probably why he did not come back till now, believe me when I say that enchanting is no small feat. Long ago I figured it out and have been doing it ever since but the time and power it consumes is great depending on the strength of the enchantment."

Valkardian turned the officers helmet over slowly in his hand.

"Even the helmet is enchanting but not the leggings. Only the breast plate and helmet... He cut corners. Saved time."

"Still took more than a thousand years..."

"I figure a good deal of his time was spent protecting himself back then. Using runes to make himself immortal and more powerful. Maybe he burned them into his flesh or something... I do not know... Still, he would of had help eventually to speed things up."

"Alright but does that change anything?"

"It means using magic directly against him or his forces will not work. However there are a million ways to get around magical defenses like this if you are creative enough. Like aiming for the ground beneath them and turning it into deep sticky mud rather than trying to cast a slowing spell on them."

"Well that changes nothing then since your armies are devoid of spell casters."

"Ehh... True enough... His army his tailored to kill Equestrians not my own..." *Hehehehhe*

"What?"

"The Noble Armies are to fight me in his stead."

"So he knew before coming you might try something so he had the traitors build up armies so that he could stay in Canterlot while they do all the dying for him?"

"Precisely."

"Then how are we going to get him OUT of Canterlot then!?"

"Easily enough, we do enough damage and he will be forced to act. His hold is tenuous at best and if we make a big enough ruckus he will have no choice. The catch is that the noble armies will comprise the bulk of his forces and take the brunt of the attack while preserving his own."

"Bastard knows how to play chess very well."

"Indeed he does. While we hack away at the fodder he watches, learns and prepares counter measures."

"So strike him hard all at once and leave no witnesses?"

"Or pander to his expectations."

"I dont get it."

"You were not alive back then so you are forgiven, also I did not have time to teach you that little bit of history either. Anyway... He expects me to attack in the tens of thousands... Correct?"

"I dont know."

"Historically speaking. His drafting up all these armies means he knows for certain I have been building up my forces since then but figures that without a source of bodies my army could have only gotten so big since there have been no large, open wars between myself and anyone else above."

"He does not know about the trogs then..."

"Nor that I have been harvesting them. Steelshod has taken many precautions against my return and that scattering of forces is not only to occupy and keep the peace but act as a warning system. Each force at least ten thousand strong which is roughly the size of my last reported army."

"There are at least two hundred thousand up there now Valkardian."

"Correct. He is being "excessive" in his preparations but still has no idea what he is up against let alone when or where the blow will fall. I suspect he is hoping I pick off one of the noble armies and harvest them giving him justification to call the others in to "defend Equestria" or something of the sort."

"Will his plan work?"

"No. Now that I can see what he planned for the princesses..." Valkardian plopped the helmet back down. "I can counteract his plan and draw him into a situation that favor's myself and not him. You my dear Shadow are about to play his game and make him believe all is going according to plan."

"Sounds like fun. What about the prisoners then?"

"Lets go visit one of them shall we? Pick one."

They left the room together and spoke a little more along the way and arriving at the cells Shadow walked down the row looking the captives over, most stood proudly at attention as she passed but one tried to spit on her.

"This one."

Nodding Valkardian zapped him with a spell and two gargoyles entered the cell and dragged him out depositing his unconscious form on the table. Strapping him down tightly another spell went off and the soldier was awake.

"Afternoon. Shadow there picked you to be the first experiment for today and while this will hurt horribly I want you to know that it is for the name of science and genetics."

Valkardian walked over to the table and picked up a few tools and returned laying them out on a small moveable tray table he brought over.

"Alright. Shadow please gag him."

Shadow took a gag off the table and stuffed it into the soldiers mouth and fastened it securely and stood aside waiting as her heart pounded and stomach flipped.

"First a test to see if any magical modifications have been made... No. One standard non-Equestrian earth pony."

Pulling a blade free he brought it over to the soldiers chest and pressed down then stopped.

"Hmm? Shadow undo his gag a moment."

Releasing the gag the soldier went on a short tyrade and Valkardian just waved at her to gag him again. Tracing the blade along the soldiers chest while holding one hand against the back of his head the stallion let out muffled screams.

Shadow knew what was going on now, Valkardian was forcibly removing his memories while putting on a show of doing a live dissection to the horrified soldiers peering through the still open door in the next room. It was all a large act to get what he wanted quickly without having to expend any more time or energy than absolutely necessary.

The body fell limp before the blade had finished moving but it did not stop. Shadow did her best to not look away as Valkardian opened the dead stallion up and began to study his internal workings one piece at a time while the officer screamed threats and swore revenge. One soldier however was having a hard time taking it all in.

"Well. You lot are no different than the local stock really. No modifications what so ever. A little more robust from a life filled with hardship but at your core all the same. Amazing what a little training and a lifetime of not being indoctrinated by Celestia can do hmm Shadow?"

Shadow could only nod while looking at the dissected soldier as Valkardian undid the straps and gag before stepping back.

"Waste not. Want not."

Moving his hands the body laid silent a moment before sitting upright and climbed off the table. She almost puked seeing it but he never batted an eye, simply waving a hand and watching it join its former compatriots in the other room, standing silent guard over them as blood continued to flow from the body.

Another movement made the lights in the other room go out and the door slammed shut and a servant slowly loped in with a bucket of water and a mop to clean the mess up.

"Was that really necessary!?"

"Yes it was. There is only one way to find out if he modified his people to any degree, my magical scan at first turned up nothing so I dissected the subject to be certain. It also doubled as a means to examine his memory for anything pertinent and found nothing. He was long dead before the blade had moved very far."

"That was just... Wrong..."

"Come now Shadow. You know me so well after all. He was an enemy, given half the chance he would have torn your throat out with his bare hands."

"You tortured him!"

"Yes and no. The pain of the cutting would have been nothing compared to having his memory forcibly examined. He was going to die either way so why not make an example of him to the other four?"

"Is everything cold logic for you?"

"No. I would never do this to you nor any other unless they were my enemy. Think of me what you will but there is a method to my madness. Those other three have little to no information but the officer is still useful. He too will be on this table soon enough to see if their rank gives them any perks or if everything is focused on the armor."

"What are you hoping to prove?"

"Nothing. I hope. With any luck only the armor is enchanted despite rank, meaning that unless they are a very high ranking officer they will be no different than the slightly above average pony. That is one more reason I picked this target: a captain was left to guard the station not a paltry lieutenant."

"I dont know if I can handle seeing you torture another pony to death."

"They would not tell me otherwise. Besides I think one of them was on the verge. The other three will never talk no matter what I would do to them but with one more demonstration I can save time."

"The end justifies the means?"

"Rarely if ever but this one of those rare circumstances."

They waited a while as the servant cleaned and left before the door swung open again and it was the officers turn. Gritting her teeth Shadow watched the spectacle play out again with the same ends.

"Good news... It would appear only the armor is enchanted, none of them have any modifications to their bodies that would make them a greater threat."

"Yay."

"Don't be so depressed. Look at it this way: your not liking my actions fits in nicely with your ancestors. Happy?"

"I suppose."

"Alright lets talk to that one that was sobbing then."

Things had gone smoothly after that, while he knew absolutely nothing the stallion was more than happy to try and bargain for the lives of his surviving comrades much to their anger. No promises were made and a few hours later the entire plan had been laid out from the eyes of one more nobody within Steelshod's army.

A second wave of ships were due any time now and when all preparations were done some twenty thousand more would be at his command to keep Equestria under his iron reign. That was also the extent of what he knew, Steelshod kept tight lips when it came to allowing even his own officers to know his plans let alone the fodder.

Valkardian thanked the soldier and killed him quickly then the other two now that they knew there was nothing at all to be gained from continuing the questioning. He was not very happy with the lack of information on Steelshod's inner workings but knowing that he planned to bring over more forces was enlightening.

He already knew the ships were bringing another wave and now that the soldier had given a hint as to their purpose it meant it was time to put everything into motion. One army to subdue Equestria, one army to subdue Valkardian, Steelshod's precautions had proven to not be quite as airtight as he had probably hoped.

"Tell me you have a navy."

"I do not."

"Then how are you going to sink that fleet before it arrives?"

"Who says I have too? They are trained to fight in caves just as much as the world above. Their weapons are tailored to destroy the undead true but by fighting them above they loose that critical element they trained for."

"Arrogant."

"No I am still going to sink as many ships as possible before they arrive but many will get through anyway. What I am really aiming for is to hamstring them and get the invasion into my domain canceled before it can even begin."

"Attacking them will tip them off."

"The fleet is still at sea, one week away roughly. A simple storm will sink quite a few of them and gut his forces before they arrive."

"So you are going to call down a hurricane on them? Wont that sap your energy too much?"

"Normally it would yes but I have learned to store vast quantities of energy in crystals giving me an edge."

"It would take... Tens of thousands of pegasi to make a storm so violent it would destroy a fleet."

"Care to watch?"

"Yes!"

The fleet was making good time, calm waters and a good strong wind drove them towards Equestria and bore them directly towards the port at Van Hoover. By now the city was theirs and when they arrived in just under a week they could begin to unload their cargo.

Looking at the mass of ships the admiral admired his new fleet and its strange cargo. About a month ago they had ferried one wave after another of soldiers and now again they ferried them but with them went special siege equipment, magical drills, mining equipment and things he had no idea what they were or what purpose they could serve.

It was not his place to ask either. Asking too many questions or prying into the plans of another got you the noose in Steelshod's army. Everything was compartmentalized heavily so only those directly involved knew what was really going on, not that it stopped the occasional rumor from spreading.

Rumor had it that Equestria had a pest problem beneath its surface and this cargo was going to solve it. Every ship had been loaded in total secret as ordered and at night to boot, massive tarps hiding the contents. Strange orders but everything was followed to the letter.

He smiled at the thought of all that unused, rich, fertile land just waiting to be carved up. Steelshod had promised his officers of all ranks parcels of land to call their own in return for distinguished service and the admiral intended to prove his worth by getting the cargo to where it needed to go.

Better yet he was two days ahead of schedule! If this did not prove his worth nothing would!

"Admiral! Storm blowing in from the North!"

Turning his head he passed the ensign and looked at the storm clouds gathering.

"Mmmm... Signal the other ships to button down just in case to ride it out. It is coming our way but is too small... Carry on."

Returning to his cabin the admiral sat at his desk and looked over the map again double checking. Even a storm would only blow them off course a little, maybe put them behind a few hours but nothing more.

Laying on his cot and closing his eyes for a minute the ship began to lurch a little more than usual. Opening his eyes again he waited for the motion to ease off, hitting an occasional rough spot of water was normal on the open sea.

Instead the rocking got worse and a howling wind began to pick up outside. A frantic knocking on his cabin door quickly followed by shouting made him rise from the bed quickly and out onto the deck.

Just a few minutes ago the distant storm had been harmless but now a raging storm was kicking up as black clouds covered the sky blocking out the sun. Howling winds tore at the sails as crew's desperately tried to lower them and tie them off at the risk of being blown overboard. All around the waters were beginning to churn violently making the large transport ships rock wildly with each great heave of water.

"Turn into the storm! We have to ride it out!"

It was his best hope, if the storm was moving this fast the sooner they turned into it the less likely any ships would be overturned and with any luck they would be through it all the faster.

Whatever powers above were looking down on them though had other ideas as minute by minute the storm got worse until it had engulfed the fleet in darkness. Ships groaned from the strain as each massive wave tore over them washing away crews and flooding the decks below.

A few of the heavier ships began to snap under the pressure and due to their heavier cargo were having a hard time turning into the storm to avoid being rolled over. One by one the larger ships cracked and snapped before breaking apart and sinking and cursing wildly into the wind the admiral could only watch as he held desperately onto the rail.

Lightning flashed and came crashing down illuminating the tormented fleet as it bobbed helplessly in the raging sea. Another bright flash made the stallions face go pale as a bolt struck a larger ship opening it up and sending debris flying high into the air.

This was not a storm. This was magic.

Shadow watched as Valkardian peered into a large crystal orb straining with sweat on his brow. Four mammoth crystals had been brought earlier and now fueled the storm with their stored energy directed by Valkardian. They glowed brightly but she could tell their energy was draining rapidly and silently hoped the damage would be done before they wore out.

At first they had simply observed the fleet closer before noticing that some ships hung lower in the water than others, their cargo was so heavy it threatened to pull them under. He had no idea what was on the ships but had decided that it was better to not find out and marked them for destruction above all others.

Watching the crystal she could see the helpless fleet bobbing wildly and trying to turn into the storm to avoid the waves that rolled some ships over. Lighting was directed to strike the few that had managed to escape the waves and winds while the troop ships remained mostly untouched. On the other hand the heavy cargo ships were being annihilated rapidly and only two remained.

A bright flash in the orb and one of them exploded as the crystals in the room dimmed slightly. Valkardian had wanted to save back as many of these special energy crystals as possible just in case but after seeing the fleet a second time decided it would be better to take no chances and simply sink them now.

Shadow doubted Steelshod had realized that magically shielding the cargo of the ships would bring about their downfall but after a few failed attempts at scrying their fate had been sealed. Now the troop ships were all that remained along with one larger command ship as the winds whipped them and tore away sails or even ripping masts free.

It must be a nightmare to be caught up in that. Troop ships were now being targeted but there was no time left and still too many of them left as the crystals finally dimmed heavily under the strain. Forcing every last bit of energy out of them Valkardian kept his focus doing whatever damage he could in the time left before the crystal returned to its normal clear form.

Landing in his seat with a heavy thump he laid quietly and un-moving while breathing heavily.

"Its done?"

"Yes but even I have my limits and must conserve my energy for later."

"So you are not too exhausted to fight? No week long hibernation?"

"There is a difference between mental strain and magical strain. I used very little of my own energy to do that but the mental strain has made me quite tired."

"How long until the next battle then?"

"Three days. First I rest a while then tomorrow you will be given your orders. Third day you will go into action."

Shadow nodded before leaving the room to wander the halls. Three days.