Chapter Sixty Two

Turmoil both Internal and External

For the first time in what felt like a lifetime, Spike looked down on the world from the viewpoint of a bird. His wings spread wide against the brightly shining sun, the warm rays seeping into his scales as he soared overhead, pumping every now and then, to keep himself aloft. The lands stretched far into the horizon, small villages dotting the land, most near sources of water, such as rivers or the occasional lake. Larger cities were strangely absent from what he could see, but then again, this was the hinterlands of Persia. The larger, more populated areas would be closer to the founding city, where great fields were carefully irrigated, sown, and harvested to supply countless numbers of Persian citizens.

"See anything?" A voice called.

Spike looked over, Eutropia coming into view. The clear skies that day had made her almost unusually antsy, so when he suggested that they take a flight to scout ahead, she literally jumped at the chance. For someone who's been fairly keen on training, she was sometimes struggling to keep up. Given her history of flying lessons, or the somewhat lack thereof, Spike completely understood what she was going through, having experienced it for himself, on occasion.

"Just a calm countryside," he called back. "I'm surprised I haven't seen any large cities yet, what with all these farming villages."

"I was just thinking the same thing," the griffin replied. "Hadhayosh said that the nearest big city is behind and below those hills, over there." Off in the distance, a large series of hills, dotted with an occasional house and small field, lay between the party and their next destination. Given how Hadhayosh told them that sticking to Persian territory was the safest bet, surely going through their cities would be safer than roaming the countryside.

"I'm headed back to the others," Eutropia called out, her wings tiredly flapping in the stiff wind as she turned away.

"I'm thinking the same," Spike said, following the griffin. Down and down they went, the ground growing closer and closer with every passing moment, and within a short amount of time, they were once again upon it, a few yards from the others.

"So?" Hadhayosh asked as the pair folded their wings against their backs. "What news from a bird's eye view?"

"Just a bunch of small villages between us and those hills," Eutropia said, slightly out of breath, but appearing none the worse for wear, despite several feathers sticking out of place. "Couldn't see the city on the other side, but I'm sure we'll get there in no time."

"Indeed," the minotaur replied, turning to the others, who were lounging on the tops of the carriages. "We should be there before nightfall."

"Sounds good to me, I'd like to sleep in a bed again," Chrysalis said with a sigh, stretching slightly. "I got too used to the Tsar's soft beds. By now, I'd be fine with a thin mattress over some boards."

"Don't worry, I'm sure the city's inns will have good beds," Spike said. "Some supplies too, maybe a few things I could send back to Twilight and the others."

Several hours later, just as the sun began to approach the distant horizon, the dragon regretted his words.

"What happened here?" Asalah asked, dumbstruck by the sight before her.

"Marengols," Hadhayosh said with a shake of her head. "Only they could be the source of this."

The city, large and likely, at some point, impressive, was a ruin. Its high walls have been battered down to piles of rubble, with many lone towers either desiccated from fires long-since extinguished, or partially collapsed, themselves. The fields in front of the city lay strewn with signs of encampment, with the occasional torn tent, broken arrows, old sentry fires, and piles of garbage here and there. Whatever grasses that had not been trampled into dirt were left in spotted patches, many of them brown or wilting.

"Should we go in?" Trixie asked, looking out from the carriage window.

"It should be safer within the walls, even after... this," the minotaur said. "Come, let's go, before the sun goes down."

So they ventured on, winding their way down burnt slopes and past gutted houses towards the city. All over the place, they found paths beaten into the dirt, where soldiers had marched in constant formation. The closer they drew, the worse it got: brick by brick, some of the walls had been dismantled, and here or there lay tall clumps of grass, or large barren piles of dry dirt. Whatever lay in them, however, Spike and his compatriots did not want to find out.

Reaching a gate, partially burned and battered into pieces, they passed underneath the gatehouse, stained with old oil and riddled with arrows. Within the city, there lay countless broken arrows, weapons too damaged to repair, and countless flecks of armor, shimmering pieces that looked like scales. Buildings were gutted and burned, some collapsed, and others simply an empty square filled with ash. Yet many still stood, though there was no sign of life from any of them.

The further into the city they drew, the more it dawned on them what had happened here. The city hadn't just been sieged, it had been taken with utmost ferocity. Great piles of ash, mingled with the twisted and charred remains of old weapons, signified the garrison's survivors had been forced to gather any means of defense and destroy them. Piles of carts, last-ditch attempts at defense, lay scattered in broken or burned heaps. Countless personal items, ranging from urns to baskets to clothes and even scrolls, lay scattered about, in heaps or swept under remains of stalls that must have, at one time, bordered every city street.

Yet, there were no signs of anyone in the city. No civilians, no defenders, not even the Marengols who had taken it. It was almost as if everyone had just up and... left.

"What happened here?" Spike asked, bending over. A scroll, tattered and appearing trampled, was inscribed in a language he did not recognize. He handed it to Hadhayoh, who after a few moments, rolled it back up.

"This was the city of Otrar, I believe," she said. "Those refugees we met those many weeks ago, they were citizens of this city, but must have lived outside of its walls. Their homes were likely those battered and burnt ones we passed on our way down the hills. As for the rest of the occupants... they are gone."

"Gone?" Maria asked.

"Indeed, gone," the minotauress said. "Taken captive by the Marengols, likely sold into slavery in the far corners of their domain, or to other nations. It is not unheard of for them to do such things, especially if the city resists."

"What if the city doesn't fight back?"

"Then, as I have heard, they are left to their own devices, only owing the Marengols a contingent of soldiers to fight for them, as well as a Marengol governor to watch over them and a tithe every year. The cities that fight to the end, however..."

"What?" Spike asked as they passed the shattered remains of what might have been a large armory.

"They are enslaved or killed, and the city torn apart, until there is nothing left at all," Hadhayosh said. "That has only happened a few times, from what I hear, but it is not something I would wish on my worst enemy. The Marengols... they erase the enemies who fight back as such, ripping them from the pages of history, and in doing so, terrifying others into not doing the same. It works, as brutal as it is, given how fewer cities oppose them should the Marengols march on them."

"I take it this city resisted?" Chrysalis asked.

"Yes," the minotaur said. "Come now, we should find shelter for the night."

"I can help with that," a voice said.

The group turned, Spike preparing himself for a possible attacker, only to find... well, she wasn't a beggar, but she didn't look all too good. Covered in dirt and soot, with a filthy mane and a fairly tattered cloak, the mare seemed like a survivor of the carnage wrought here, but then again, how so? How had she escaped enslavement?"

"I hid in the ashes of an old building," she said quickly, as if reading his mind. Throwing the hood she wore back onto her shoulders, she looked at the group with a sad smile. "That was how I escaped while so many others didn't. I've been looking for others in the city, but haven't found any yet."

"You are the first living soul we have come across," Hadhayosh said. "What is your name?"

"My name is Lila," she said, her wings covering her back like a second cloak, the soft lining coated with dust. "Who might you be?"

"Travelers, seeking to meet with the Persian king," the minotaur replied. "Are you from here, originally, batpony?"

"My great-grandfather came here from Transylmania with a caravan, and settled down with a small enclave of his kind, if that's what you're wondering," Lila replied. "These streets aren't going to be safe come sundown, as looters, refugees and squatters far and wide will come here when word reaches them of the city's fall. If you follow me, I can take you somewhere safe for the night."

"How can we trust you?" Chrysalis asked.

"I understand where you're coming from, but I know full well that it isn't normal for foreigners to just wander into a ransacked city," Lila replied. "I know of an inn, somehow undamaged from the attack, but we'll need to get there before it gets dark. Otherwise, you could get lost in these streets, and while neither of us have found any other survivors yet... there may be some out there, desperate and very angry."

"That doesn't answer my question," the changeling replied. "How can we be sure you are trustworthy?"

"Given what you said before, our duties match up fairly well," Lila said. "I too seek the Persian king, to tell him of what has happened, and, if possible, plea for some sort of peace deal, or at least a ceasefire. Other cities have suffered the same fates as this one, with tens of thousands of my fellow Persians being killed, sold into slavery, or driven out of their lands, forced to wander as refugees elsewhere."

"We've met what might have been some of your aforementioned refugees, back near the lands of the Tsar or Russia," Spike said, turning to his family as they gathered closer together. "I think we should go with her, an inn sounds good and we don't have time to explore for other options. That, and if she joins our group, she'll be safer, and we can use her to find the best routes to lead us to the capital."

"I don't like the sound of this, but I do agree that getting off these streets for the night would be ideal," Hadhayosh said. "While I do not know every nook and cranny between here and the king's capital, it would be nice to have someone who does. What say you?"

"I don't trust her," Chrysalis and Maria said simultaneously.

"We need to watch our backs, but I'd rather deal with one pony we possibly can't trust over a whole bunch," Trixie said. "Asalah, Eutropia, what do you think?"

"I think we can trust her... for now," the griffin said. "She seems honest, if a little dodgy-looking, but then again, she did just survive her city getting sacked. I say we follow her."

"Agreed, but at the first sign of trouble, we cut ties," the zebra said. "We can't risk our safety if we trust her blindly, but we can't just turn her away. Besides, if she needs to go see the king, then who are we to deny her the safety of a group? What if she pleads her case well enough for the king to sue for peace? Helping her could help end this conflict for all we know."

Spike turned away from the others, back to the batpony, who's been watching them in silence. "We accept your offer, and will come with you," he said. "Where is this inn?"

"Follow me," she replied, stepping out and into the street. The carriages managed to work through whatever debris lay about, utilizing unicorn magic to clearing away whatever they couldn't, as they followed Lila through the many different alleys, under several stone arches, past more than one makeshift barricade, and, finally, up a small slope to the edge of a large open area, likely where a marketplace had once been. Scattered wreckage and charred remains of wooden stalls were all that remained now.

"Over there," Lila pointed, a large inn standing against a backdrop of other buildings as the night began to creep up on them. "The carriages should fit in the alley behind it, though there's no guarantee they won't be found if someone comes by looking."

"Will there be anyone looking for us?" Chrysalis asked as they moved said carriages out of sight.

"Anyone could come into the city and look around," Lila said. "I would prefer to play it safe, and try to move out at first light. It won't take long for news to spread, once others find Otrar as it is, and I'd prefer to tell the king in person what happened here."

"We'll have to forgo any sort of fire tonight," Hadhayosh said as the group made their way into the inn. It was sturdily built of brick, with thick walls and high ceilings, but the open windows would not help with concealment if they were to really set up camp. "Are there any blankets?"

"I have a few, but it'd be safer for us to sleep in the same room," the batpony said. "Upstairs, on the left, three doors down, there's a large room. Most of my stuff is in there, set up where you want. You're my best ticket out of here and to the capitol, so I'll take first shift tonight."

With that, she walked off, leaving the group by themselves. Hadhayosh immediately busied herself with closing whatever drapes or shutters that she could, as well as blocking them off with pieces of broken furniture.

"I'll go check out the room, hopefully there are still some beds available," Asalah said, Maria and Trixie following her closely up the stairs.

"I don't trust her," Chrysalis said, leaning against a pillar as Spike and Eutropia picked up some debris. "Lila's rubbing me the wrong way, and trust me, I know all about disguises."

"I think we can trust her, but that doesn't mean we'll do so blindly," Eutropia said. "She's offering us a place to stay, and besides, you heard her, we're her best ticket out of this ghost town."

"Yeah, but why?" Chrysalis asked. "She's hiding something, I just know it."

"We've all hidden something," Spike said, a subtle nod in the Queen's direction all the hint she needed. "We'll give her the benefit of the doubt for now, but if there's any reason to suspect otherwise, or proof of that... then we go our separate ways. I'm not risking my family for one pony's need to go see the king, even if it might be important."

"I think letting the king know about what happened to one of his cities would be very important," Hadhayosh said as she shouldered a large rolled-up rug. "Meet you three upstairs, I'll help the others set up."

The evening passed quickly as they worked to set up camp, everyone pulling their weight through either brute strength, magical acumen, or through whatever they managed to scrounge up. Soon enough, the inn was fairly fortified against possible intrusion, and with the inky darkness of night finally upon the dead city, they sat down to eat in a small corner of the upstairs room, using Chrysalis's special flames to cook, so that they didn't cast any light beyond them.

"Thank you for this meal," Lila said as she ate, clearly doing her best to try and not just wolf it down. "It has been a while since I had this much to eat."

"Well, it was a good thing we stocked up on supplies at those villages on the way here," Maria said. "Lila, what was your profession, might I ask?"

The batpony paused, as if in thought. "You might say I was an aide to the city's governor, though in reality I was a glorified secretary at best. I worked all day making sure meetings were kept, dignitaries were welcomed, and the city's guilds were kept in working order. All of that, and much more, of course, for just barely enough pay to buy my own clothes, all while I lived in the governor's mansion in a room half the size of the one we are in now. Didn't help that I was a batpony either."

"Were you discriminated against?" Spike asked.

"Almost from birth," she replied with a scowl as she continued to eat. "I was passed over for so many positions, either from corrupt Otrar officials wanting nothing to do with me or some citizens not trusting me with messages for the governor. As such, the fact I got what I have now, or at least, what I had, is really lucky. I happened to bump into the former aide doing some fairly... indiscreet things, and the governor fired her as a result, appointing me to fill her place instead."

"A bit fortuitous," Chrysalis said. "So, you said it before, how you escaped, but what happened before then?"

Lila finished her meal and set down her plate, her eyes staring into the fire, as if the sight of it jogged her memory. "They came in a great host, though with far fewer warriors than others might expect. They demanded the city's surrender, and in reply, our governor refused, and killed the Marengoian messenger, hanging him by the gibbets to show the city would not bow to foreign conquerors."

She shook her head. "That was a mistake. They immediately built large engines of war, great siege towers and trebuchets in a short span of time. They must have had Chinese unicorns with them, for as the tales would have you believe, they are among the greatest magical builders of such weapons. In no time, they were hurling massive stones, tearing down walls, towers, and crushing buildings across the city."

The batpony took a sip of her water. "It was pure pandemonium. Everyone was terrified, running this way and that. Before long, the walls were breached, and in poured their troops. Their arrows filled the skies whenever any sort of defense was attempted, and it only took a few volleys to rid themselves of whatever defenders stood in their way. In mere hours after the walls were taken, the city was theirs, and from my hiding place, in a pile of ashes, I watched them drag the governor out to their general."

"What happened?" It was not Chrysalis who asked this, but Hadhayosh.

"They retrieved a large rug and rolled him up in it," Lila said. "They then kicked and punched and beat it for what felt like an hour. After that, they unrolled it, and retrieved the governor. He had died during the beating, but judging from his muffled screams before that, it wasn't a good way to go. After that, I stayed hidden, and things became more of a blur. I saw countless ponies funneled past my spot, soldiers shoving and kicking them to keep them moving. Hours later, after the distant sound of drums had ceased, I emerged to find the city empty of any living soul. I've been scrounging for survival in the days that followed, looking for signs of anyone else who might have made it, but found... none."

"That's awful," Trixie said with a small gasp. "How could they do something so barbaric?"

"Marengolians are a hard people because they are from a hard life," Hadhayosh said. "It is no excuse for their behavior, but then again, in war, what excuse is needed? No side in a war does not commit an atrocity of sorts, and if they believe otherwise, then they are just trying to make themselves feel better."

"How would you know?" Lila asked.

"When I was young, there was a terrible conflict between two princes in the lands my clan inhabited. Both sought to lay claim to the other's realm, and while their father was away at war, they gathered their retinues and fought a most bitter struggle. Neither side could gain a hoofhold, nor even try to back out of the war. While my clan stayed out of the fighting as best we could, we heard terrible tales of atrocities committed by both princes, of temples looted, cities pillaged, the landscape burnt and made unusable by either side... it was a nightmare."

"What happened?" Spike asked.

"Both princes died in one final battle, just as the king arrived to try and stop them. At the sight of both of his sons lying slain before one another, it is said that the king went mad with grief. He himself died only a few months later, likely of a broken heart at the loss of his two sons and the strife that had bled his kingdom. The king's younger brother assumed the throne shortly after."

"That sounds awful," Spike said.

"Indeed it was," the minotaur replied. "The land is still recovering from it, and I doubt the scars will ever fully fade. Still, as terrible as it was, it has been a mere fistfight in comparison to what I have heard the Marengols have been through, and what they are committing, themselves."

"Which is why I must inform the king of what has happened here, with all haste," Lila said. "I will assume first watch for the night. Get plenty of rest, I'd like to leave in the morning with all due haste."

The rest of the group grumbled in acknowledgement, or simply nodded as they prepared themselves, leaving the batpony to stand guard, high in a dark window above the entrance to the inn. Her natural night vision, a source of constant teasing when she was younger, would give her a great edge over anyone trying to approach under the cover of darkness.

Lila sighed as she heard the others finish settling in, their deep breathing soon reaching her ears. "This is not good," she muttered. "Otrar has fallen, and with it, so too does a large portion of the silver the kingdom needs to run. I can only hope the king's attempts at peace will be more fruitful than his brother's, that damn fool." Lila knew very well why the Maregols were fighting and destroying Persia piece by piece, yet there was very little anyone could do to stop it. Only a miracle could stop it all now, before everything fell apart, and the Marengols took everything from her, as they had to countless others.

"I can only hope I can make it back to the capital in time," the batpony said.

"Anxious?" A voice asked, causing the batpony to suddenly turn around. "Or just hoping to stop a war?"

"Both, you might say," Lila replied. "Can I help you with something, Your Highness?"

"I am only a queen in my own realm," Chrysalis said, crossing her arms. "Here, I am just another pony, tagging along with her husband as he travels the world. You may call me Chrysalis."

"Why is he... your husband, I mean, why is he wandering all over the face of the Earth?"

"It is a duty, assigned to him by the rulers of his own realm, though it will soon be partially his, once he returns and everything is settled." The queen paused for a moment, deeply in thought. "I... apologize for my earlier statement, I did not know what you had gone through to make it to today. If I had known, I would have been less inclined to not trust you."

"It's fine, don't worry about it," the batpony said. "I'm used to it by now. Things like that happen if you look or act different from everypony else."

"No need to remind me, preaching to the choir there," Chrysalis said. "However, while you may be coming with us, as a professional courtesy, I'm telling you to not try anything around my husband. He has a big heart, and sometimes it overrides his brain, and neither I nor his other wives will tolerate any sort of foolishness on your part where he is concerned. Understand?"

Lila looked the queen up and down, as if assessing her threat. "Don't worry, I'm not going to try and steal your man," she replied, pulling back a few of her bangs. "It's not that I don't find him attractive, I'm just... not into him, is all."

"You don't like dragons?"

"Well, no, I don't not like dragons, if that's what you're implying. No, it's more like... I'm into other things, if you catch my drift."

Chrysalis frowned, brow furrowed in thought, before a look of surprise crossed her features. "I... see," she said. "Is it an equal fascination, or one-sided?"

"I'd say I'm split fairly evenly between males and females," Lila replied. "However, I tend to lean towards females just a little more, mostly because of my history."

"History?"

Lila sighed. "Mom wasn't the most confident or reliable pony, tending to let things happen the way they did and not offer any sort of resistance or rebuttal. Dad, on the other hand..." she paused, looking out into the dark and empty streets. "He wasn't like that. He didn't take any guff from anyone, and did what he wanted, including drink. Some nights, when he got out of control, I'd try and hide, but he always found me. Kicked me around, slapped me more times than I can count, and once tossed me outside for the night, and on a cold one too. Mom just let it happen, or else he'd turn on her, too. Never could figure it out why he was like that, and he always tripped over himself trying to make up for it, but something like that can't be apologized away. I moved out as soon as I was old enough to make it on my own, and here I am now."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Chrysalis said softly.

"Yeah, well, it's not just my upbringing, in case you were going to blame just that," the batpony said with a harsh laugh. "Even when I was just getting to those teenage years, I realized I've always been attracted to other females, mares especially, so even though I don't dislike them all, given my family history, it's no wonder I'm not as attracted to males."

"I see," the queen said. "I am glad you told me this, Lila."

"Why?" The mare asked. "Sounds like something someone wouldn't want to know."

"I'm glad because I misjudged you, earlier," Chrysalis said. "We all have a past that guides us forward, whether we want it to or not. However... you control your decisions, Lila, and while it is entirely kosher to find mares as equally fascinating as stallions, believe me, don't let a "normal" mindset run your life. In the end, it's your decision on how you want to live."

"She's right, you know," another voice said, and the pair turned to find Hadhayosh standing behind them. "Don't let something like that determine your happiness in life, as happiness and love often go hand in hand."

"What do you mean?" Lila asked.

"When I was young, my mother was a harsh cow, always finding something wrong with me or what I was doing, while my father, when he wasn't away at war, showered me with praise and love," the minotauress said. "Her constant nitpicking, belittlement, beatings and the like were awful, yet I survived. Still, it didn't stop me from finding others of my same sex attractive, as I might have thought it would. From a young age, whenever I found one like myself, a female attracted to other females, I would court her for companionship, and in quite a few cases, an intimate relationship. Yet..."

"Yet?" Chrysalis asked.

"I always knew that limiting myself to only one gender for love would mean I would miss out on what half the world had to offer me," Hadhayosh said. "While I have "known" other females, I found the love of my life in a bull, a minotaur by the name of Lazar. I bore him five children, healthy and strong minotaurs, and for that, he worshipped the ground I walked on for twenty wonderful years, despite the number of female lovers I had had beforehand."

"What happened?" Lila asked.

"He passed away from plague, along with one of my sons," she replied. "I wandered many years and miles alone, but I never felt as alone, knowing I did not have Lazar to go back to. Perhaps that is why I have not settled down to have more calves, despite yet being fairly young. I have always been a restless spirit, so I just guess Lazar was my anchor."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Lila replied as the queen bowed out and left them, rejoining her family in the main room. "I have not yet met someone like your Lazar, and one day, I truly wish to."

"You will, do not worry," Hadhayosh said, her tone reassuring. "However, when you do, remember this: if you love them with all your heart, and they love you the same, does it really matter their gender? This world can be a dark and dismal place, full of uncertainty and sadness. So love, even just a little bit of it, can bring so much light into that darkness."

Lila was silent as Hadhayosh turned and left her, her eyes sweeping over the open streets, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. The minotaur's words were filled with a wisdom borne of experience, which made the batpony wonder... just where would life take her, to where she would find love to anchor her? How strong of a love would it take to keep her in one place, and faithful to one other soul?

"Almost sounds like something out of a fairy tale," she muttered, her eyes and ears alert as the night wore on, silent and still in a city all but empty of life.

Later...

The very next morning, before the sun fully rose; as the light was filling the eastern sky, Spike awoke to a muffled belch. Grunting as he sat up, he noticed a scroll lying on his lap, his family still sleeping around him, along with the others scattered across the room. Picking it up, he immediately noticed the large seal on it. It was not that of Equestria, no, the seal was one he had seen fairly recently, back many miles in the direction he had come from.

"The Tsar," he muttered, unfurling the paper and beginning to read it, thankful for his nightvision, making the words much clearer in the gloom. "I wonder what he has to say?"

"Dear Spike Dragul, I do hope this letter reaches you at an opportune time, for there is some news concerning your recent departure I wished to inform you about. My nation has experienced one of the growing pains of my reforms, in an apparent rebellion led by two members of the Diet, by the names of Shortcake and Flint Feet."

"A rebellion?" Spike asked, blinking in surprise. "Say what now?"

"This rebellion was one born of a desire for money, as the burghers and merchants wished for access to warm water trade routes currently controlled by guilds of foreign powers. Many of our coastal cities along the Black Sea were laid siege to by the merchant houses and their forces, backed by these two collaborators. While the only things destroyed were the merchant ports owned by these foreign guilds, and the garrisons within them routed or imprisoned, I had the utmost need to quell this before it spun out of control, and sent in an entire army. As such, Flint Feet and Shortcake are currently under house arrest while their forces remain in prison. As of now, they are awaiting their trials for inciting rebellion and conspiracy to commit treason."

"Wow, tough luck for them," Spike said, reading further.

"However, this in fact may be an opportunity for my country that I had not originally considered. The ports to our north are closed for much of the year, so these warm water ports allow for trade throughout the Black Sea, the Meditermanean, and out into the Barnlantic Ocean, whereas before we had some trade available through the Baltic Sea. Now, with these ports fully under our control, and the foreign merchant guilds withdrawing their hold on our cities, trade is now something I can actually give some thought to. So, as a token of gratitude for being such a fine guest, as well as a good source of inspiration in many aspects of my life, I will make Equestria the first country I will seek to establish trade routes with. I am hoping for your support on the matter, as I have heard the princesses of your nation can be fairly difficult to trade with, only because they bargain so well."

"Ain't that the truth," Spike muttered. "If only he knew the half of it."

"Now then, Flint Feet and Shortcake must stand trial for the crimes they have committed and are accused of. However, given this benefit to my empire, I doubt they will be punished too severely, as once the passions of citizens are allowed to cool, then justice and a societal apathy can intervene. They will likely have to confiscate a good portion of their combined wealth to help cover the cost of rebuilding the cities who suffered substantial damage from their actions. Also, they will likely have to resign from politics for the time being, but I am confident they will make themselves useful in other, less-harmful ways. In the meantime, I also received word of several bands of refugees gathering near one of my cities, the first group of which claims a passing dragon lent them aid in their most desperate hour."

"Well, yeah, but I'm not sure it was their most desperate hour just yet," said dragon muttered.

"As it is, I was able to determine you are indeed this very same dragon, and you have my thanks as well as that of the refugees. So, as part of my thanks, I have given instructions for many important aspects of my nation to be copied and sent to your nation, as a gift for your own records. Our history is long and fraught with both conflict and triumph, and while we will have to learn a great deal of new things from the outside world, I am sure we will be able to give back much."

"Sincerely, Tsar Nicholas Romanov."

"Well, that was a bit informal," the dragon said. "Here I thought he'd have listed all his titles, duties and honorary positions or something at the bottom."

He then turned over the scroll, and smiled. "Oh, wait, there they are."

Meanwhile...

In the lands of the Tsar, finding work as winter settled in was not an easy task, especially for those who spoke very little of the native language. However, for the leader of the refugees Spike had so graciously assisted, he was surprised by the outpouring of generosity the locals gave him and his fellow migrants. Already, the singular refugee shelter had sprouted many smaller homes around it, almost in a town-like fashion, through the forest still surrounded them on all sides.

Other buildings, be they workshops, taverns, or just small series of gates along the entrances of the small settlement, were quickly being built as well, along with several others. The refugees that had regained their strength enough to do so had found work in nearby mines, logging camps, and a nearby granary, with the rest maintaining, improving and finishing the settlement's overall details.

The tavern was the most common hangout for these workers, as well as the occasional traveler, seeing as they were just the perfect distance between the two largest settlements to operate one. That, and the alcohol here was cheap, likely because it was consumed regularly by those who had lost much of their former way of life, as a means of soothing the pain, or just burying it.

The leader of the refugees was an old and partially-balding griffin, who was now tending to the tavern, having once owned one many years before, when he was much younger, and far wealthier. However, a combination of time, bad business deals, and the coming of the Marengols, he's been stripped of much of what he had had before. So, whenever a customer came into his small tavern, he was glad beyond measure that none of them were of Marengolian descent. Any that were, even partial, would have caused trouble immediately.

The bell on the inside of the doorway rang softly, and a cloaked figure stepped in from the howling wind outside. The roaring fireplace, built quickly thanks to the magic of several unicorns from a nearby mining town, gave off a good amount of heat as the door shut quickly behind him. The storms these days seemed more and more frequent to the old tavern owner, but then again, in this part of the world, that was not an uncommon thing. For a foreigner such as himself, he was just glad he now had somewhere to lay his head in safety.

"Drink?" he called in the land's native language, one of the few words he'd managed to pick up in a hurry. Whichever locals had taken time to help him and the others learn the language were usually too busy to come in and teach everyone at once, so he made it a point to be at any meeting, whenever possible.

The cloaked figure grunted, a low sound that indicated it was likely a male. Settling himself in near the fire, shivering from the cold he had just left behind, he simply gazed into the flames, unconcerned with whatever chit chat the other patrons were engrossed in. When brought his drink, he produced a single gold coin, the make unlike that which the old griffin had seen before. It was intricate, likely foreign, but here, gold was gold, and he thankfully took it.

"Food?" He asked.

The figure nodded, taking a long draught from his drink, the hood of his woolen cloak shielding himself from view.

Curious as to the stranger's lack of speech, but otherwise unconcerned, the former refugee bustled back to the kitchen, where one of the few mares not working on the settlement itself was busy making sure the stores were in order. After a quick chat, as well as putting away the gold he'd been paid, the old griffin returned with a plate of cheese, a small loaf of bread, and a good-sized head of cooked cabbage.

Producing two more gold coins, the figure ate the food in silence. However, as he did, the old griffin noted something strange about the figure. Whenever he looked into the fire, he would clench a fist or squirm in his seat, and once, just once, his sleeve fell back, revealing a striped pelt, with what looked like terrible scars on them. If the former refugee had to guess, he would have thought them to be burn marks.

Still, he eventually paid it no mind and went back to business. The figure, however, noticed something on the earthen floor. Picking at it with a hoof, he nudged it out of the hard ground and picked it up. It was a small, shimmering scale, purple in color.

He sat in silence for a few more moments, before resuming his meal, tossing the scale into the fire in front of him, the scale simply sitting amongst the hot coals, as flames silently licked the corners of the stone fireplace.