Chapter Six: The Shyster’s Temperance and The Queen of the Changelings
“They’ve been gone for a while, haven’t they?”
“If Ah know mah cousin, she’s prolly askin’ him a few questions, or at least a favor.”
Twilight sat at a table in Braeburn’s cabin, pouring over the textbooks and scrolls yet again searching for any hint as to what could have happened to the other missing artifacts. The cowboy himself sat near a window, polishing pieces of an old revolver.
The Astral Wand sat among the paperwork, breaking Twilight’s concentration by glowing for a few seconds before fading back to normal. “There it goes again”, she noted. “It’s almost as if it’s responding to something.” She picked it up, hoping to hear the whispers again. The wand stayed silent.
“Say, what d’ya think Ah should make fer breakfast tomorrow?” Braeburn asked. “Y’all like flapjacks?” Twilight neglected to answer the cowboy’s question, still staring at the magical instrument. “Twi? You alright?”
“Huh?” she said, finally broken from her trance. “Oh, yes. Pancakes are fine, thanks.”
“Ya really are in yer own little world whenever ya study, aren’tcha?”
“Well, yes and no”, she sighed. “I’ve actually had a lot to think about these past few months.”
“Yer coronation?”
“Yes, my coronation. I haven’t asked Princess Celestia about what I should do or how I should do it mainly because...” She trailed off before she finished her thought.
“Can’t talk ‘bout it. Gotcha.” He began to assemble the weapon while trying to satisfy his curiosity. “Don’tcha think it’s strange that someone ya knew fer less than a week decided ta tag along with ya? Ah mean, y’all girls’re trustworthy, but if ya didn’t know AJ, Ah’d need a while ta warm up ta y’all.”
“I’ve asked myself the same thing.” Twilight began storing her books and scrolls all while speaking. “But put yourself in his shoes. Your hometown is almost entirely leveled, then you assume that the only family you have left could be gone. Someone offers you a chance to get away from the sight of it, if only to help said someone with their task regardless of your own unfinished business. If someone offered me a chance to put this whole princess business on hold, I’d take it.”
“Ah guess that does make sense. Just hope y’all didn’t make it harder on ‘im ta face his fears. Or make ya change yer mind about bein’ a princess.”
“I sure hope not--” The door to the cabin burst open, a local rancher standing at the doorway covered in sweat and panting like crazy.
“Yer...yer friends! They done got themselves gobbled up by...something!”
Twilight bolted upright from her seat and grabbed her wand. “Show me where.” The rancher started sprinting toward the edge of town, Twilight right behind him as she rushed outside. Some of Appleloosa’s residents were congregating near a few small buildings leading up to the furthest ranch. Twilight eventually had to start pushing her way through the growing crowd.
Once she made it to the other side, however, she could see why they were so densely packed. The entire path was covered in what seemed to be darkness. The moon had already risen, but it was clear that it wasn’t shadows cast by its light.
“What in tarnation’s going on?” asked one of the people. “Are we even safe in Appleloosa anymore?”
“Everyone, please remain calm!” The mob parted, allowing Sheriff Silverstar to see the cause for their concern with his own eyes. Slowly, he walked through the crowd, mouth agape at the sight of pitch black. “My stars… We’ve suspected changelings, but can they even do something like this?”
“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you, sheriff.” Twilight raised her wand and concentrated some of her magic into it. She got her desired result, a soft glow at the very tip of it with rings of light pulsing from it. “Everyone, please go back indoors. I don’t know what will happen if I succeed.”
“I’ll leave it up to you, princess” said the sheriff. “And might I say, that’s one fancy-lookin’ wand you have there.”
Twilight paid no mind to the sheriff’s compliment and instead kept focusing on finding the source of the miasmic darkness. As she stepped forward, the darkness shrank and revealed the dirt path underneath, pooling near the center. The glowing on Twilight’s wand became more intense as she drew closer to the middle, the pulses growing more frequent as well.
“Almost…” The wand shone brightly, indicating that Twilight found what she had been searching for - a tear in space. “Just as I thought.” She raised her wand arm and flicked it into the darkness, turning the once-shadowy blemish into a passage. “So it might be the Shell of Darkness after all…”
Twilight jumped straight down into the darkness, closing her eyes as if to keep its influence from affecting her mind. A few seconds later, she felt her feet land on solid ground. Opening her eyes, she saw that she was in a cave, possibly the same one where Applejack and Comet have been brought.
“It’s a little dark here...I should…” Twilight flicked her wand and cast a Lumin spell, one that was just bright enough to illuminate her way but not to draw attention. She inspected her wand for any possible miasma damage, but she was surprised to find that it wasn’t hers.
“This isn’t MY wand!” She inspected it closer, wanting to be certain that she wasn’t mistaken. “It’s the Astral Wand! But how? I distinctly remember grabbing mine!” The chamber echoed with a very familiar voice, followed by the sound of several magical bursts. “No time to worry about that. I gotta find the others!”
“She just tossed a boulder at us! Who is this girl?”
“Applejack Smith, and don’t y’all forget it!”
Since her arrival, Applejack has been surrounded on all sides. It began when she and Comet arrived at the scene of a rather bizarre crime. Several Appleloosans caught a glimpse of what happened to the source of the scream she heard, claiming that a pair of shadowy figures grabbed her and pulled her into the earth itself, and she found herself alone on her arrival. The farmgirl knew soon after who, or rather what, had taken her.
“Ah ain’t lettin’ no changlin’s stop me from leavin’!” she yelled, tossing yet another stone at her assailants.
“Don’t let her get away!” Bursts of green magic barely miss the cowgirl as she turns and runs off. The humanoids chase after her, the sound of their buzzing wings filling the enclosed tunnel.
Applejack’s eyes have adjusted to the darkness of the caverns, giving her a vague sense of where to go. “Darnit, where’d that boy get to?” The tunnel split into two paths ahead of her. Just as she took the right path, another group of changelings ran past her before turning about and pursuing her.
A bright light shone ahead of the farmgirl. She thought it was sunlight at first, but then remembered that the sun was setting before she arrived and would surely have set completely by now. “That ain’t an exit” she said to herself, readying her fists to take on the source of the light headon.
“You might want to duck!” Applejack, surprised that it wasn’t the buzzing voice of a changeling, did as she was told. She dove behind a rock away from the light and braced herself. “Luminas!”
A large blast of light shot past Applejack’s hiding place and barreled through the swarm of changelings about to close in on her. The entire group was sent sprawling back, many being knocked unconscious by the force of the spell.
Applejack stood up and stared at a dim light at the end of the tunnel. The figure drew closer, allowing the farmgirl to get a good view of her savior.
“Twi!” she exclaimed. “Thank the stars you got here when ya did!”
“Applejack!” The scholar rushed to her friend’s side, exchanging a warm hug. “I heard about what happened to you back in Appleloosa. Are you alright?”
“Yeah, Ah’m still in one piece.” Applejack looked down the path where Twilight stood. “Say, ya didn’t happen ta run inta our mutual friend, did ya?”
“The hell did they go?”
A pair of changelings made their rounds in another part of the cave network. With crates and carts scattered about the chamber, it was clear that this is where the creatures kept the belongings of anyone they caught. Comet hid behind a few crates, possibly trade goods from merchants whisked away by these creatures.
“Freakin’ humans. Only good for running away.”
The sound of an explosion deeper into the complex caught the attention of the shapeshifters. They scanned the cavern one last time before heading toward the source of the noise. After they left, the blacksmith let out a sigh and stood.
“They’re gone”, he called out. “You can come out now.”
There was movement from one of the carts covered by a large sheet. A figure moved beneath the covering, making its way toward the back of the cart. The figure, a demure seraphi girl in a yellow dress, pulled the sheet back and jumped. Her wings materialized as she floated gently onto the cave floor. As Comet approached, she held a wooden staff across her body, shrinking away at the blacksmith’s presence.
“Still not comfortable with the idea of sticking close?”
“I’m sorry” she replied. “It’s not that I’m being ungrateful to you for helping me.” She shuffled in place, hiding her face behind the staff. “I just don’t know you that well…”
“Like it or not, we’re gonna need to stick close. We could lose each other or become separated in a fight otherwise.” The blacksmith quietly hurried to the tunnel used by the changelings when they left. He waved at the girl to follow him, which she did somewhat reluctantly. “Where did you get that staff? You were unarmed when I found you.”
“It was in the cart I hid in”, she answered. “I figured if you can get us out of here, you’ll need some help.”
“Great, I could use the support. What kind of offensive magic do you know?”
“I don’t.”
“You don’t? What the hell are we going to--” Sudden buzzing interrupted Comet as a small swarm of changelings boxed them in. With enemies ahead and behind them, the duo had no choice but to fight. However, the seraphi girl cowered and pressed her back against the tunnel wall, forcing the blacksmith to take a more defensive stance.
“Hey humans!” yelled one of the creatures at them. “Didn’t we tell you there’s no escape from the queen’s hive?”
“I don’t remember. You just droned on and on, so I didn’t catch anything you said.”
“Oh-ho, we’ve got ourselves a clever one here. I think the queen would benefit from draining you first. Casters!” At the changeling’s command, several of its comrades took the form of human spellcasters, each of them readying a spell of their choosing.
“Get down!” yelled the girl. Comet felt himself being pulled backward as she slammed the staff onto the floor. A pale blue light enveloped both escapees as the changelings launched their assault. The blacksmith braced himself for the inevitable, but instead of feeling a burning, freezing, or even electrifying pain, he heard the voices of pained changelings.
“What happened!?” yelled the ringleader. “They had no room to dodge! At least ONE of those spells must’ve hit.”
The girl released Comet from her grip, the latter impressed by the potency of her reflection spell. “You know, I never caught your name.”
She waved the staff and cast a spell at the blacksmith. Light surrounded him once again as the girl answered, “Fluttershy.” She pointed in the direction they were previously headed. “I think I heard other voices coming from that direction. Could you please clear the way? If you don’t mind, that is.”
“What do I have to do?”
Fluttershy swung her staff in an awkward, yet endearing manner. “All you have to do is hit him with your weapon. The spell will do the rest.”
“I’ve had enough of this!” The changeling ringleader changed its form, taking the shape of a manticore. It let out a deafening roar, shaking the very ground underneath Comet and Fluttershy.
The blacksmith simply laughed under his breath, slowly increasing in volume but with a steady calm about it. The very kind of creature that discouraged him from pursuing a life of hunting was standing in front of him. Only this time, it wasn’t him that would end up limping away. “Just strike him, right? I think I can manage that.”
The changling-manticore lunged at them, claws primed and teeth bared. It pounced on him, the blacksmith quickly swinging upward. The creature clamped its jaws on the blade, but Comet put all of his strength behind it, albeit struggling to stay on his feet. Just as his strength was about to give, he felt a surge of energy in his muscles. The manticore bore down on him with all of its might, but soon found its feet dangling off the ground.
Putting everything he could behind one more swing, Comet sent the manticore flying backward straight into the rocky wall of the tunnel. The force of the impact knocked the changeling out cold, forcing it to revert to its true form.
“That’s incredible” sighed Comet, unaware that he had been holding his breath. Sheathing his weapon, he took Fluttershy by the arm and ran past the injured shapeshifters. “We should hurry. I think I know what that sound was.” The young girl simply whimpered, the idea of a stranger leading her along still a discomforting ordeal.
“Retreat, retreat!”
“That damned woman will be the end of us if we don’t move it!”
Changelings fled in fear at Twilight’s approach, Applejack not far behind her. After acquiring a map from one of them in an earlier skirmish, the scholar decided to make her way toward the royal chamber, determined to have the queen release them peacefully or by force.
“Twi, slow down!” Applejack yelled after her. “Ah know y’all have a grudge against Chrysalis, but what makes ya think she’ll let us walk free?”
“No, but I’m willing to try. Besides, the map doesn’t show any exits in the tunnel network, but according to its legend, there’s a large opening in the ceiling of the largest chamber, and that would be the throne room.”
“And ya think he’d be there too?”
“From what we know so far, Comet’s resourceful and he can handle himself in a fight if needed. If he found the Appleloosan that was taken, then all the better.”
Applejack’s eyes wandered to Twilight’s hand, although it wasn’t the first time since they found each other. The Astral Wand shone with a radiant light, even after Twilight had stopped casting her illumination spell. “Twilight, Ah think it’d be best if ya put that wand away fer now.”
“We’re getting close” she replied, completely ignoring her friend’s concern. “I can already feel a draft.”
Turning one last corner, they found themselves in an expansive cavern, much larger than any they’ve come across so far. Moonlight poured in from the open ceiling as long vines dangled into the chamber from the edges. The cool night air blew in from outside and carried the sound of rustling leaves.
“This isn’t right”, Twilight said. “As far as my estimates go, we should at least be in the vicinity of Appleloosa. With the vines, the leaves, and the wind, I’d say we’re somewhere in the middle of--”
“The Everfree Forest.”
Both girls quickly turned to face the tunnel they entered from, startled at the voice. Twilight brought up her wand arm and readied a spell, but the light cast from it revealed two familiar figures: Fluttershy and Comet.
“Girls!” exclaimed Fluttershy.
“Fluttershy?” responded both. The seraphi spread her wings and quickly flew toward Applejack and Twilight, hugging each of them with one arm. They returned Fluttershy’s warm gesture as her eyes teared up with joy.
“It really is you! I never thought I’d see a friendly face again!”
“Now how the hay did you end up gettin’ snatched in Appleloosa?”
“It’s a long story. I was visiting an animal friend like I do every month…”
While the girls were busy catching up, Comet spent some time in his own thoughts. Something kept bothering him, especially after hearing it so many times. “Those things kept making mention of a queen. If they were just the small fry, then…”
His eyes wandered toward the center of the supposed queen’s chamber. If all of them had been wandering the caves for as long as he thought, the moon should be directly overhead. A particular cast shadow caught his interest. It seemed out of place given the particularly bright moonlight. It was almost as if...
“Next thing I know, I woke up in some kind of prison.” Fluttershy noticed the blacksmith walking away from the trio. “Mister, um…”
“Comet Blade” he replied curtly, his stride uninterrupted. Applejack and Twilight watched him as well.
“What’s up, pardner?” asked the farmgirl.
“Twilight, where would you say the moon is in the sky right this very moment?”
“It should be right overhead, if it rose before sunset.” The scholar walked over to Comet, who was now in the moon’s light looking straight up.
“If there is absolutely nothing blocking the light from above, then what would be making this shadow?”
Twilight immediately realized what he was implying, stepping back and pulling him away. The shadow came to life, shifting form as if responding to the group’s growing fear. The shade rose from the ground and kept morphing, appearing as a tall humanoid figure.
“Oh, you figured it out” said an unknown voice. “A few seconds more and I would have hung you from my chamber ceiling, just waiting to be feasted upon to my heart’s content.”
“Heart? You don’t have a heart…” said Twilight in a venomous tone.
“Ah thought we’d seen tha last o’ her.”
A long, black flowing dress appeared on the humanoid, followed by strands reminiscent of hair on its head. Hands began to take shape, covered by bridal gauntlets of a similar hue. The darkness receded from the figure, womanly in appearance. Her hair was a dull cerulean, lips covered in black lipstick and eyes in mascara. Her eyes themselves were a piercing emerald green with pupils like one would find on a serpent, slitted and menacing. The woman smiled, showing her fangs to her would-be prey and sending a chill down the blacksmith’s spine. At last, her clear insect-like wings were free from the captive shadows.
“I’ve been waiting for you…” Twilight lifted the Astral Wand and pointed it directly at the creature. “Chrysalis, queen of the changeling race!”
Chrysalis laughed in a very human-like voice, the strained buzzing absent unlike her subjects. “Twilight Sparkle. What a pleasure it is to see you again.”
“The feeling is NOT mutual.” Twilight began casting her first spell against the queen, pouring her magic into the wand. “With so many of your subjects in our way, I’m not surprised that you’re here.”
“What do you intend to do? Blow me away like you did with them?”
“Precisely.” She flicked her wand at Chrysalis, launching a ray of pure light at her. “Luminas!”
The changeling queen stood there, waiting for the spell to draw closer. Before making contact, Twilight’s Luminas dissipated and left Chrysalis unscathed.
“What!?” the scholar yelled in disbelief. “I don’t understand. She hasn’t moved a muscle, but the spell…”
“It’s quite amazing, really!” Chrysalis replied, her laughter much louder than before. “Who knew that a whelp like you would be in possession of a Founder’s Relic?”
“A what?”
“Ah think she means yer wand, Twi. It ain’t the one ya usually carry.”
“As I suspected. The Astral Wand, the very weapon used by Astra Starbirth to bring knowledge to the savage tribals of the world when founding the four major kingdoms.” Chrysalis extended her left arm away from herself, the same shadow as before converging on her forearm.
“I don’t like this” Comet said. “She hasn’t moved against us yet, so what is she hiding?”
Before anyone else could chime in, the shadows on the queen’s arm have taken form. A black and silver shield materialized from the darkness. Along its edges, runes were carved with characters of a language long forgotten. The metal itself seemed to writhe with the shadows from which it was comprised.
“It can’t be…” Twilight said astoundedly. Without thinking, or perhaps to test her theory, she fired another spell at the queen. The result was the same as before.
“I’m afraid your efforts are futile, young Sparkle.” Chrysalis held the shield closer to herself, posing with it as she continued. “And I’m afraid it is. What you see in my possession is none other than the Shell of Darkness, the very same shield used by Elpidios Nyx to quell humanity’s fear of the shadows by harnessing its power.” The queen pointed at Twilight. “I’m afraid your Astral Wand, or any other relic for that matter, cannot touch me.”
“Since they weren’t meant to be used against each other” replied the scholar. “Because doing so could destroy one or both, breaking the seal on Shadestone’s imprisonment.”
“So you ARE familiar with the legend. By now, both relics have been rendered useless, and will stay that way as long as we’re fighting against each other.” The queen’s shield returned to its shadowy form, disappearing entirely. “That doesn’t mean I’m completely defenseless.”
Green flames enveloped the queen’s hands as her unique magic transformed them. Each of her fingers were replaced by a claw, each the size of a shortsword and just as deadly. Chrysalis giggled as she carefully rested her chin on one of them, supported by her other arm.
“This isn’t right. She was supposed to pay for what she did to Shining Armor, and now I can’t even touch her!” Twilight’s anger only grew as the realization of her situation grew. She raised her hand, ready to fire a flurry of spells at the changeling queen that would most likely be nullified. Before she did, a hand grabbed her wrist and stopped her mid-cast.
“Twi”, Applejack said. “Ah know ya got a score ta settle…”
“But you heard what she said” Comet filled in, releasing the scholar’s hand. “You can’t touch her, and she can’t touch you.”
“Let us be the ones who fight her in your stead”, Fluttershy added. “You can count on us.”
“You guys…” she started. After a few moments to think it over, she walked over to Fluttershy’s side and formed a barrier around them. “Applejack, Comet, you two watch each other’s back. I’ll keep Fluttershy safe.”
Both fighters smiled as they turned to face the queen. Comet drew his sword as Applejack cracked her knuckles. Fluttershy cast a spell on both of them, already reciting an incantation for the next one.
“Two of you against someone of my caliber? This will be interesting.” Chrysalis adopted a battle stance, ready to meet the farmgirl and her teammate headon.
Comet was the first to rush at her, Applejack rushing after him, his speed improved by the seraphi’s spell. Chrysalis swung a clawed hand at the blacksmith, but being quicker on the draw, his sword clashed against the blade-like claws.
The queen swung her free hand at him, his left side completely open to attack. However, the blacksmith met her attack yet again. He quickly raised his arm and blocked all five blades, but no blood was drawn. Instead of flesh being rent, a metallic clang was heard instead.
Applejack swung at Chrysalis while she was kept distracted by Comet, her strength augmented by the seraphi’s spell. The punch connected with the changeling queen’s side, sending her flying and freeing her partner. “Hoo-wee, never thought Ah’d get to punch that smug monarch and shut her up fer once!”
“You insolent humans!” Chrysalis quickly regained her composure, flying at full speed toward them. Applejack saw an opening and took it, another punch landing squarely on the queen’s face. While she was staggered, the farmgirl continued with a flurry of punches, each finding their mark.
Once the queen freed herself from Applejack’s assault, one of her hands reverted to its normal form. Chrysalis focused her magic and began charging a spell, black flames sprouting from her palm. “Umbralis!”
The shadow spell flew fast, aimed directly at the farmgirl. Before it reached her, she was suddenly teleported several feet closer to Twilight and Fluttershy. Applejack gathered her bearings and charged toward Chrysalis, still engaged in combat with Comet.
The blacksmith continued to parry Chrysalis’s claws, stepping backward with each strike. The effects of Fluttershy’s spell had already worn off and he couldn’t dodge fast enough to avoid being struck. “Need some help here!”
“Ah’m on it, pardner!” She nodded at the seraphi, another spell already cast on her. Applejack ran to her teammate’s aid, expecting to take the queen by surprise.
“Not this time!” yelled Chrysalis. Her attention shifted from Comet onto the farmgirl. She fought her off with one clawed hand while still attacking him with the other. Both combatants barely managed to extend the distance between themselves and Chrysalis.
“This ain’t good. Without Twi’s magic ta distract her, we can’t get another clear shot.” Applejack glanced over at Comet’s travel bag, formulating another plan. “Hey, got anythin’ that can give us a bit o’ cover?”
The blacksmith reached into his bag and pulled out a couple of smoke bombs. “Will these do?”
“Perfect!” Applejack steeled herself, ready to attack Chrysalis directly. “Now!”
Comet tossed one of the smoke bombs directly at their feet. Chrysalis waited for their next move, finding a direct attack while they hid behind cover to be risky. A flash of gray shot up from the smoke cloud, far above the cavern floor.
“You’ve made your last mistake, boy! Umbralis!” Chrysalis launched another spell at him, tearing the blacksmith to shreds. However, upon a closer look, it was only a bolt of cloth. “What!?”
Before she could react, a pair of hands grabbed the queen’s own, keeping them locked in place. “Can’t believe ya feel fer that, Chrissy!”
“You!” she exclaimed. Quickly realizing it was only Applejack, Chrysalis gasped and looked back at the smoke cloud. “Then that means--”
“Not quite!” yelled Comet from above. Chrysalis realized too late that she had been trapped. With the farmgirl keeping her in place, the blacksmith delivered a critical blow to the queen shoulder, cutting deep enough to stagger her.
“And just for good measure…!” Applejack finished her off with a punch that struck the queen squarely on the chest. With both injuries, the queen soon found herself unable to continue.
Chrysalis slumped down to her knees, panting heavily from her wound and from lack of breath. Her vision blurred slightly and was able to focus only on the two combatants in front of her. “How…?” she managed to say, unable to keep her eyes open any longer.
Comet held up a small corked bottle, its contents empty. “Cockatrice venom. It won’t turn you to stone, but you won’t be able to move properly for an hour.”
“Just long enough for us to get out of here.” Twilight and Fluttershy approached the others, a serious look on her face.
“Cockatrice….venom…?” asked Chrysalis. “Why didn’t you say so in the first place?” The queen’s eyes snapped open, their usual emerald hue replaced by the sinister red glare of a cockatrice. Everyone averted their eyes to avoid being turned to stone. Instead, a loud scream was heard.
Applejack, Twilight, and Comet opened their eyes. Chrysalis, still partially paralyzed from the cockatrice venom, held Fluttershy captive with a smaller yet still deadly claw pointed directly at her neck. “One wrong move, and I’ll leave a stain on her pretty little dress that will never come out!”
“Let her go, Chrysalis!” Twilight yelled.
“Why would I want to do that?” laughed the queen. “She’s my way out of here, after all. If I give her up now, you’ll just capture me and lock me away in some far away dungeon!”
“You’ll end up ruining your chance at freedom in the end” Comet chimed in. “Let her go!”
“Freedom!?” Twilight asked bewildered. “I want her to rot in a cell for eternity!”
“This ain’t the time fer yer personal vendetta, Twi. Fluttershy is in danger!”
“I know that!”
“Would everyone just relax!?” Comet slowly sheathed his weapon and raised his arms in a disarming manner. “Just let her go, Chrysalis.”
“Never!” yelled the queen, Fluttershy squirming and whimpering in her clutches. “The last time I went up against you humans, a couple’s love was all it took to drive me out. Being defeated by two non-magic users is more humiliating than that!”
BANG!
A gunshot rang loudly throughout the cavern, echoing for a while before silence fell once more. A lone figure stood near the entrance to the chamber, already holstering his weapon as he approached.
“What did you...do…?” Chrysalis fell unconscious before she could get her answer. Fluttershy quickly pushed the queen’s hand aside and ran back to Twilight, her and the others already focused on their newest guest.
“I wondered when I’d find you lot. You’re a lot harder to track down than I thought.” He pointed at Chrysalis. “Oh, and don’t worry, she’s not dead. There’s quite a hefty bounty on her head, and I want her alive if I am to be paid in full.”
Comet drew his sword once more, standing between the strange man and the girls. “And who are you supposed to be?”
The stranger smiled and bowed before the group. As he stood straight, he approached the quartet slowly, offering a hand in greeting. “My name is Vorpal Sword. Sky pirate, occasional bounty hunter, and captain of the airship Nevaeh. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”