“Worry not, my child. I was not angry at them, but rather the lone dragon who escaped my wrath,” I exclaimed. “Though he will not do so forever.”

“Oh,” he muttered. “Well, that's… good.”

“Wait, child? What is going on here, specialist Danger Diamond?” barked the lead dog I noticed earlier.

“I uh, assume this is-” he began only to be interrupted by one of the former slaves.

“Gaea! Mother Gaea it's you, it's really you!” she exclaimed, the pony throwing herself at my feet and sobbing. “The others had given up hope, but not me, I never lost faith!”

The other former slaves all gathered around, though not all were quite so thrilled to prostrate themselves before me. I was an intimidating sight after all, given how much blood and viscera hung off my body in crimson chunks. The other ponies soon joined, though they weren't quite so fervent in their worship as those who had been under the yoke of the dragons.

“This is the god we worshipped, er worship,” Danger Diamond explained.

Looking a little closer, I could tell that he had a slim, waifish physique, and a narrow face. His fur was white, his mane an off grey, and his eyes were as black as the darkest of coal. Upon his flanks, painted over his armor, were two sparkling white diamonds.

“You need not go back to worshipping me if you do not wish it,” I cautioned. “Your faith is not mandatory, nor is your thanks.”

“I erm… okay,” he muttered to himself.

“Heretic! Who would deny her divinity after witnessing her wrath?” shouted the red-furred mare that had thrown herself at my feet.

I wanted to rebuke the mare but took a moment to look her over first. She was the least injured of the slaves, though I could sense that she bore fewer physical scars from her enslavement. Her eyes had a wild desperation in them that spoke of intense mistreatment, and something else, something… enraging.

I knelt down and cupped her cheeks, holding her in place as I inspected her injuries closer. The fur around her neck was worn down, and angry red marks could be seen beneath her crimson fur. She was also missing a section of fur just above the ends of her hooves, signaling that she had been bound for some time recently.

Gazing down at her svelte, feminine form I could tell that the ponies would consider her attractive. She had a supermodelesque physique with wide hips and a pair of teets that were larger than most. I ignored the sexual connotations of these attributes and focused on the injuries she had sustained, quickly coming up with an unpleasant realization.

“M-mother?” she stuttered.

I pushed my magic into my hand and began mending her injuries, starting at the less severe and going from there. The worst of which was internal, though I dare not mention what exactly the nature of this damage was. I merely healed it as best as I could before looking over to the next of the former slaves.

Unlike the supermodel pony, this one had likely been used as a mage given his thick collar, tight muzzle, and the blank look in his eye. Lead around by the throat by a leash, the ponies he had been enslaved alongside were attempting to free him. I finished the job for them, before laying my hands atop his back and pushing my magic into his battered body.

As I expected, his mind had receded into his body, turning him into an obedient servant that didn't think for itself. This enraged me, but I poured that emotion into my healing, mending what injuries I could, though that didn't include his mental scarring. That was not something I was capable of, so I continued on, healing and removing whatever slave gear was left on my ponies.

Only when they were all okay did I realize that there were two injured dogs that still needed a bit of help. However, they weren't quite so willing to let a blood-covered golem three times their size to lay hands on them. A nod from their commander allowed me to mend their broken bones, getting them back on their feet after suffering more than a few shattered ribs.

“Apologies,” I muttered. “I realized that there were injuries left to treat.”

“It's no problem at all,” muttered the dog. “Just uh, warn me next time.”

I held up a finger and made the group pause while I went over to the ravine. There I knelt down and washed myself of the worst of it, staining the shallow creek a dark crimson. Once my body was mostly free of viscera, I walked back over to the group and nodded.

“Sorry about that. Now then, let's get a few things out of the way first,” I motioned back towards home. “The majority of the refugees that made it to the valley survived, and have found shelter on the east side of that mountain.”

Several ponies sighed in relief while one even fainted from the sudden rush of emotions they felt.

“We will have time to discuss the individual fate of anyone you may know later, now I have questions for you all. Starting with you,” I pointed to the dog leader.

“What about us?” he asked slightly defensively.

“What is your history with my little ponies?” I demanded.

“His homeland is falling to ruin,” interrupted Danger Diamond. “Some of us unicorns were captured in order to help search for the gem which kept their underground city stable but we’ve since come to an agreement. Isn't that right?”

I reserved judgment and turned my gaze upon the dog.

“Uh that's right,” he began, straightening his back. “Our elder was desperate, and in our desperation, we were less than kind in our actions, though we’ve since realized the error of our ways.”

“So if they wanted to, they could simply leave at any time?” I asked.

The dog winced and looked away only for Danger Diamond to interrupt once again.

“Once we locate the sunstone we can all go home, and the Shatterfang clan will help us rebuild,” Danger Diamond pressed.

“Err yes. They will have our full backing as our allies,” continued the dog.

“And you are, who exactly?” I pressed.

“Hypereas Umberblood,” replied the dog, thumping a fist against his chest. “Captain of the fifth outrider division and loyal soldier under the command of her lordship Capricio Redfist.”

I stared silently at the dog for several long seconds, waiting for his resolve to break. When it didn't, I rose back to my full height and looked down upon the gathered group of dogs and ponies. From a glance, I could tell that the unicorns being employed by the furry warriors were mostly on board with their agreement.

“Where do you think the sunstone is?” I asked.

“We believe that the lord of the forest has taken it. Though not all of my kind believe this is the case and comb the area in search of the stone,” Hypereas replied without hesitation.

“And the lord of the forest is…” I pressed.

“He calls himself Moldrod the mighty,” whispered one of the former slaves. “And he controls the town of Lakeside as well as his brood of dragon raiders that came down from the calderas of the far east.”

At the muttering of the dragon’s name, many of the former slaves shivered, though none moreso than the red-furred pony I inspected earlier. She shook like a leaf in the wind and seemed ready to bolt the moment she heard so much as a stick snap under hoof. More distressing was the way her tail tucked between her legs and I swiftly knelt down next to her.

“What is your name, dear child?” I whispered.

“C-crimson Heart,” whispered the mare.

“What do you think we should do?” I inquired.

“I…” she hesitated a moment. “I believe you should kill that vile monster, take the sunstone, and make allies of the dogs.”

I could tell that she was biting back the worst of her anger and refusing to give voice to what she truly thought. I didn't want to push her too quickly, however, so I simply nodded and stood back up.

“Then that is what we shall do,” I declared.

“Really?” Danger Diamond blurted.

I nodded. “If that is how we escape this situation with a mutually beneficial result then I see no reason as to why we should not attempt it.”

Hypereas breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed the grip on his weapon. “That is… good to hear. I admit when I saw you I feared the worst.”

“Don't get me wrong. If so much as a single pony has been abused I will dash your entire civilization against the rocks,” I replied while glaring down at the dog.

To his credit, the soldier barely flinched. “I am certain that won't be an issue. We are not the honorless barbarians that you have already so expertly dealt with.”

“I most certainly hope that is the case. There has been quite enough violence already,” I replied.

“Moving on,” Danger Diamond offered.

“Yes, moving on,” Hypereas echoed, pulling a map from a hidden pocket. “We had detected an energy surge like the kind sent out by the Sunstone at these four locations. We searched this one, but have yet to get to the others.”

“Then I shall do so on the morrow,” I offered.

“Not now?” Danger Diamond asked.

“I have ponies in need of a good meal and pleasant company,” I retorted, gesturing to the former slaves. “Unless you would have them walk back alone, through the woods.”

“N-no!” Diamond shouted. “Of course not. I was just… confused.”

“Pardon the barb,” I offered. “This entire situation has left me… quite angry.”

“Understandable,” interjected Hypereas. “This debacle is regrettable and I hope that we may remedy it without the need for further violence.”

“So once I have this sunstone thing where should I bring it?” I asked.

“Deliver it to the badlands,” Hypereas answered, pointing back to the bumpy bit of land to the north of where the refugees had set up base. “We will see you coming, and take things from there.”

“That is acceptable, though I am curious as to why this rock is so important to you,” I pressed.

“As Diamond so helpfully mentioned. It is the only thing keeping our city from falling to ruin. It keeps the roof up, and allows us to grow crops beneath the earth,” he explained.

“Fascinating,” I murmured, noticing that Diamond was blushing slightly. “In time I would like to hear more about your city, your people, and this stone but that must wait I’m afraid. Now we have larger concerns to attend to.”

“Of course,” Hypereas conceded. “Though time grows short, and we must move quickly I would not stand between your charges and safety.”

I nodded, a bit of respect for the dog worming its way into my heart. “Then I bid you good day, good outrider. I hope to see you again soon.”

“As do I,” Hypereas exclaimed, snapping off a quick salute. “Come on. Lets get any injuries treated, the dead burned, and anything of value brought back with us.”

I turned back to the former slaves and knelt down before them. “Now then. Who wants to go home?”

I was immediately flooded with a chorus of agreement, which warmed my heart and gave me strength.

“Gather together any among you that is too unwell to walk, while the rest of you prepare for the journey ahead of us,” I commanded.

The ponies scampered about, swiftly assembling those few who were unable to make the trip without assistance. In the end, only three ponies were in this group, the mind-broken stallion I inspected previously, an older male that had been used as a pack mule, and Crimson Heart. Though I knew she sported no injuries so great that she could not walk without assistance, I did not mention such out loud.

“Are you ready?” I asked, leaning down and opening my hands.

“We are,” Crimson Heart replied.

With a gentle hoof, she guided the mind-broken stallion, and the older male onto my open palms. Though not quite as large as before, I was able to carry them all with little difficulty even if it wasn't quite as comfortable. The others had all assembled before me by the time that I rose back to my feet standing ready and raring to go.

“Take it slow. We have all day to get back,” I told the group.

More murmured agreements were uttered, and after pointing the way back we began to move in that direction. For a long while, no one said anything, but I could tell that Crimson Heart was growing uncomfortable. So I considered briefly if I should mention something, or perhaps inquire about what she knew of Lakeside.

Then I pushed that aside.

“Tell me about your life,” I began.

Crimson Heart blinked and looked up at me. “Well I was um, a pleasure slave to-”

“No,” I interrupted. “Tell me about your life before all this.”

The pony settled back down into my hand and looked off into the distance. For a while she said nothing, giving me flashbacks from the last time I made such a journey as this one. But then she smiled, and chuckled faintly, her laughter sounding almost like the faint tinkling of bells.

“I was a dancer,” she replied after a long pause. “The troupe I was a part of was small, we barely managed to get a show that wasn't a simple tavern or small concert hall. It was fun though, none of us were hurting too bad for money, and social housing was in abundance during those days so it wasn't a big concern if we ran out.”

“What was it like?” I asked.

“It was… a dream,” Crimson murmured. “My friends and I always wanted to entertain others, to sing, to dance, to play music. Whatever our passion, it was all meant to help ease the burden of others, and to help them get through the day.”

“One day you will be able to do so again,” I promised. “Though that may not be for some time.”

“I would like that,” she whispered.

“For now though I would ask that you help in any way you can without pushing yourself. You will need time to heal and come to terms with what has happened,” I continued.

“B-but mother. You saved my life. I can't just do nothing,” she implored.

A bitter snort reminded me that the old stallion was still awake, unlike his companion who had drifted off to sleep.

“She’s just being practical,” he remarked. “If ya went back to work right away you’d be distracted, prone to accidents and the like.”

“Exactly,” I agreed. “And you wouldn't want to make any problems for others, would you?”

“No, mother,” Crimson Heart whispered.

“Good,” I exclaimed. “Now try to rest your eyes, it will be some time before we reach the safety of the mountain.”

“I will try,” she whispered.

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