Reunited in the Dark.

Chapter 6 - Perceived.

The next day after Saber's first lesson on dark magic, the colt prepared himself to resume the journey. He happily pranced around the clearing in the forest, feeling good about his success the day before.

The day was cloudy again, with moderate wind and the occasional splitting of rain. Twigs and bark shreds lay scattered everywhere, reminding Saber of the power he was learning to wield.

The Dark Lord felt somewhat proud of the young alicorn. He rarely cared for anypony, as all of them were mortal creatures who in reality were mostly powerless, but Saber was different. He was young and easy to manipulate, while also being the son of the alicorn most talented in dark magic. It was the ideal opportunity for the Dark Lord to try and restore his former power, but that still needed a lot of careful planning.

"So when are we leaving?" Saber wondered impatiently, as he packed his blanket into his saddlebag.

The shadow slithered from one tree to another as he replied, with a question. "Are you able to cast dark magic by yourself now?"

"No. I don't know." Saber answered, wondering why this was relevant.

"Give it a go, but do not try too hard because I do not want to spend another day healing you." Dark Lord ordered coldly.

The colt nodded and without question, he positioned himself near a medium pine tree he was planning to blast. This time the Dark Lord would have been watching Saber from the side, rather than the inside which made the alicorn very nervous.

Following yesterday's advice from the God, Saber started to prepare the spell on his horn. Black light and bolts started to crackle at the tip, creating a ball of powerful energy above his head. The colt started to feel weaker, but he managed to uphold the spell long enough to be able to fire it.

With a loud whooshing and crackling sound, the ball of dark magic flew into the pine tree, blasting it to thousands of shreds. The ground underneath Saber's hooves shook from the intensity.

"Whoa." Saber breathed, as he looked at the shadowy God who watched him from the side.

"You are improving." Dark Lord noted calmly.

Saber replied with a smug grin, and then proceeded to sit his flank on a boulder in order to rest. Casting dark magic was much different than normal magic, and it always left Saber feeling as though he just did an entire day of constant workout.

"So the answer to your question is 'i can'. In that case can you answer mine?" Saber asked.

"Hmm, true. We can leave as soon as you are ready Saber." The Dark Lord replied.

The colt nodded. "Why do you say I need to be able to defend myself?" Saber wondered.

"Because we are soon going to cross the dragon lands. Feisty creatures they are." The God replied.

Saber opened his mouth in awe, since he never seen a real dragon before. He spent another half an hour or so simply giving himself time to regain strength. After he felt like he was ready, Saber and the Dark Lord set out again, traveling further into the wilderness.

Saber flew above a couple biomes before being forced to land by the Dark Lord. Confused, the colt approached the shadow questioningly.

"It hasn't even been an hour, why did we stop?" Saber asked.

"Are you blind? Look." The shadow snapped, and pointed Saber towards a bush.

Saber approached it cautiously and then inspected the area. Behind the bush, seemed to have been a village inhabited by ponies. There were about thirty cosy houses surrounding a beautiful market place in the middle, which was filled with stalls. Saber excitedly looked at the Dark Lord, and then at the village again.