Chapter 9: Explanations, Celebrations, and a Capital Egress
As expected, Daring remained untrusting of our recently joined ‘acquaintance’ Instead choosing to perpetually keep him within her line of sight with a hand placed firmly on her bullwhip. She had him pacing ahead of us with his hands shown at all times so he couldn’t try and pull a fast one on us. I didn’t even bother with persuading her that Jomar (Pronounced Ja-mar) as he said he was called, had decided to turn over a new leaf. Of course I wasn’t a hundred percent convinced either, but I made no effort to antagonize him with visible signs of distrust. We faced a long and chilly walk through the wintered lands back to the site of the train wreck, one which I was content to remain silent and ruminate on a previous action that caused me a good deal of inner turmoil.
‘There’s human blood on my hands now’ I glanced down at them, seeing the crimson stains of a slain enemy coating my skin in darkened splotches ‘Granted he was a despicable disgrace to the male race…yet I still don’t feel anything even remotely approaching remorse… in fact, I even feel vindicated. Why does that thought scare me? Have I truly become so jaded that I can just end a life and feel absolutely nothing except halfhearted afterthoughts?’
I scowled plaintively. Perhaps I should cease bickering with myself over this, what’s done is done. I did what I had to save myself and my trusted companion from a fate that could have been worse than death. In doing so, I also prevented a sociopathic madman from gaining an absurd amount of power along with eternal life in one fell stroke. I would not allow my own self-reflective nature to weigh me down in guilt over my apathetic emotional response to my actions, however questionable they seem. Daring; evidently wanting to break the silence, unwittingly exacerbated the issue with a question.
“When you said that Ahuizotl was vanquished earlier, what did you mean? That loud flashy device of yours drowned out everything for me except seeing the Chalice roll into that fissure. Still can’t believe you got the Chalice instead of me” She murmured the last bit with some jealousy; but I was too busy coming up with a discursive answer for what I did to really make note of it.
“Let’s just say that he won’t be bothering you again on any of your future expeditions” I euphemistically replied, hiding my stained hands inside my jean pockets.
“You still haven’t answered me fully, how did you subdue him? I’m never able to apprehend him because he keeps slipping away like the greasy snake he is” She derisively spoke, “He’s always had this annoying tendency to come slithering back to haunt my next trip into the wild”
“I trached him Daring… he won’t be coming back from that” I sardonically retorted.
“Oh..” Was all she had to say, no doubt contemplating having one less rival to deal with.
“Do you wanna talk about it?” She then asked; her tone was irritatingly sympathetic.
“There’s nothing to talk about” Was my brusque response; I didn’t need someone to play me the thinly disguised pity card. Daring however was not one to simply let sleeping dogs lie.
“First time huh? I know it’s not an easy feeling to cope with… but in the end it was either us or him” She ratiocinated with empathy.
“I get that Daring. I don’t need to be told something I already made clear for myself” I concluded in a tone that indicated the end of this particular conversation.
“You seem awfully accepting of this” She remarked with some incredulity evident in her voice.
“I’ve had to accept a lot of things since arriving to this phantasmagorical land” I sagaciously stated, well aware of how many of my personal paradigms were pulverized like so many popped bubbles.
“Well if you ever need someone to confide in over this, then I’m your gal” She gave me a comforting smile.
“Preferably over a drink” She added with a good humored chuckle, I merely scoffed at her tippler and cavalier outlook.
“I’d be more than happy to buy you one, but I don’t partake myself” I told her with a shake of my head.
“Is that a poorly disguised attempt at flirting I hear?” She jestingly poked at me.
Deciding to play along I wiggled my eyebrows at her, “Mayhaps it is, what say you to that my fair lady?” I tend to slip into Shakespearean verbiage when I’m attempting to be suave. Although based on the faint blush I’m seeing, this might be one of the few times that it was successful instead of overly histrionic.
“I’d say… that I would be more than delighted to imbibe by your coin, provided that you don’t call me a lady” She playfully smirked at me.
I shrugged, “Fair enough”
I saw Jomar giving us strange looks in the peripherals of my vision, so I decided to bring him into the fold of the discussion.
“So feel free to tell us about yourself Jomar, we’ve still got a bit of a walking back to our destination”
I saw him hesitate momentarily before speaking in that strange accent of his.
“What would you like to know?”
“Well for starters… why do you wear that ghastly looking pelt?” I inquired.
He bristled up as if he were offended, “This ghastly pelt” he stated as he pulled at the furry lapels, “Represents my spirit animal, men of my homeland are preordained by the village shaman as either spirit warriors or otherwise”
“So your spirit animal was foretold as an ordinary feline housecat?” I asked with some confusion.
He visibly flustered at the emasculating implications, “My spirit animal symbolizes my versatility of uses as a warrior. The others could only be fearsome and ferocious, but I would not be so one sided; I organized our agendas and itineraries whenever we traveled, I cooked all of our meals, maintained our weapons, even convinced them to use stealth instead of violence in many of our employments! Mine was anything but ordinary!” His normally quiet voice had risen to near shouting levels by the end of his fulmination and his complexion was florid with indignation.
I held up my hands in a peaceful gesture, “Relax! I meant nothing by it, I was simply curious is all”
He suddenly looked ashamed at his outburst, looking away from us before speaking in hushed tones,
“Forgive my misdemeanor; it is not the first time I have believed my personal honor was besmirched for what I saw as arrogance instead of ignorance” He explained.
“Don’t sweat it, misunderstandings happen” Was my downplaying response, Daring had tightened her grip on her whip when the man had his paroxysm and I didn’t want to accidentally start up hostilities again.
“I still don’t like this” Daring muttered to me, evidently displeased with our company.
“Would you rather we did to him what we did to his comrades?” I harshly whispered to her so Jomar would not overhear.
“Of course not! But this still makes me uncomfortable, Jomar might have been tame compared to the others but he’s still part of the mercenary group that tried to kill me on several different occasions” She flicked her eyes in his direction for emphasis.
“Did he ever try to kill you directly?” I asked, raising my brow in inquisition.
“Well..” She hesitated, “Not exactly, but he didn’t try to convince his buddies to hold back on me either”
“Would you try to dissuade someone from eliminating a threat to the guy who hired your mercenary services?” I reasoned, “I get that his group tried to kill you, but they’ve recently become deceased and their last member is willing to take a new lease on life. And I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt despite the fact that the Wild Cats tried to kill me too. If you don’t share that sentiment then that’s fine but don’t antagonize him for it, you wouldn’t be giving him much of a reason to keep his mind set on turning over a new leaf would you?” I gave her some time to mull that thought over.
As she did, I directed more of my inquiries at Jomar about his home and the culture of his people. He informed me to the best of his ability, pointing out that it had been a long time since he had seen his ‘heartland’ as he called it. Apparently the travel abroad life of a merc meant significant sojourns away from home. I was tempted to ask if he left any family behind but realized that even if the answer was yes I didn’t want him to feel homesick, kind of like how I was feeling myself now that I brought it up.
‘Oh damn it! I just had to inadvertently remind myself of that’ I mentally chastised myself. This was not the time to yearn for the world I left behind, even if I had no say in the matter.
By now we had progressed far enough that the still smoking wreckage of the rail cars was visible on the horizon. Also in view were the men indubitably sent out to assess the situation, having arrived by handcars pulling a rudimentary passenger flatbed that carried the majority of their numbers; which were about a dozen in total. I cut my conversation with Jomar short and instructed him to stay within eyesight of Daring and allow me to talk with them beforehand. He looked apprehensive, no doubt fearing for his prospective health. I put a hand on his shoulder and gave him an earnest expression.
“I promised that I would vouch for you and my word is something I intend to keep, so dread not ol’ chum” He looked confused at my choice of words but calmed down none the less; perhaps it was the careful enunciation of my proposal or the sincere truth in my eyes.
Regardless, I set off towards the guards patrolling the area around the crash site. One of the patrols spotted me and called out to the others, once I got to within engaging distance they had four men armed with long spears surround me and delegated the rest of themselves to train their crossbow reticules on me.
“Halt! By their Royal Majesties’ authority you are to state your name and reasons for interfering in in Royal Guard business or prepare to be subdued and prosecuted!” They droned in concert and in clearly rehearsed tones.
‘I do believe that I’m starting to dislike the overwhelming uniformity of the Royal Guard’ I drily thought to myself.
“I need to speak to your commanding officer regarding the hijacking and subsequent derailing of this individual train” I stated in a voice that implied that I would not be browbeaten in submissiveness.
They looked like they were about to respond when a familiar looking man with ice blue irises and donning purple chest armor with yellow trim and a fancy looking waist cape stepped out from their ranks. He also had some pretty kick ass looking gauntlets too, but I digress.
“I am in command here, Prince Shining Armor of the Krystal Kingdom. You still haven’t identified yourself yet, are you the one who disrupted my coaching of the Krystal athletic team and created a mountain’s worth of paperwork for me to deal with?” He was glowering at me by the end of that sentence. I would too if our positions were reversed, to hell with paperwork… seriously man.
I put on a rebellious grin, “Is that anyway to address one of the people who prevented this type of catastrophe” I gestured to the debris strewn everywhere, “From happening to the grand city of the Krystal Kingdom a second time?”
“What do mean? Explain yourself!” He demanded.
“Let’s just say her Royal Highness Princess Cadence dispatched my companion and me to retrieve and by extension foil the plans of the fiends who stole the Crystal Chalice” I elucidated.
He gave me an appraising and measured stare, “So you’re the one Caddy spoke of, and where is your companion?” He asked.
‘Caddy? Is that his pet name for her? Real cute’ I humorously noted.
“Over that there yonder hill” I pointed out with a thumb and a skylit drawl. Because…why not? I disregarded the ‘Who is this wacko?’ looks I got from Princey for that remark.
Evidently Daring noticed my gesturing and took it as the signal to reveal herself and our ‘Prisoner’ for lack of a better word. Apparently she didn’t take any chances with Jomar and bound his hands together with her bull whip. Despite the somewhat rough treatment he was getting, Jomar complied without any resistance. Maybe my words reassured him that he would be treated fairly, I would make it a point to make good on that guarantee. I turned back to the former Captain turned Prince who was motioning orders to his guards to evaluate and secure both of them.
“We brought back one of the culprits, he willingly surrendered himself and I expect him to be treated with leniency as such” I stated with an official tone.
The Prince scowled at my onerous terms, “That’s not for you to decide” He gruffly replied.
“No it’s not, that would be for the Princess to decide wouldn’t it?” I reminded him, trying to keep the snide tone out of my response.
“Indeed it shall be, and you’re going to be the one to explain to her how this fiasco managed to get so out of hand. I suggest getting comfy; it’s a long haul back to the station via the handcars” He rallied the men under his command together with a sweeping motion of his hand in the air as my companions and I were ushered onto the passenger flat bed for the ride back into the Krystal Kingdom.
⁂
“Hey Zenith, wake up!” I felt someone poking the back of my head, rudely rousing me from my cat nap.
“Alright I’m awake I’m awake! Stop poking me!” I slapped the offending hand away and admonishingly stared at the person who had the gall to prod me awake.
“About time you got up, we’ve been here for five minutes!” Daring spoke without any guilt what so ever and oodles of impatience instead. I just rolled my eyes in annoyance and sat up in the mind boggling comfy bench style seat. Since hand cranked rail cars are obscenely slow, the travel back had taken three times as long as it normally would; so one could excuse me for utilizing that time for some shut eye. Either I was more beat from today’s insane activities or the chairs were enchanted to be fatiguing.
‘I’m betting on the first, enchanting a chair for any reason kinda seems like a waste of magicks now that I think about it’
The station was free of people, most likely because of the hijacking that occurred yesterday and the brightly colored wooden barricades encapsulating the station. So I was thankful there weren’t any prying eyes on either myself or on Jomar, who was being escorted away by several guards. Shining Armor and a few soldiers that remained with their liege were to accompany us to the Citadel and doubtlessly to the Princess. I internally groaned, explaining to Cadence why a simple retrieval caused so much damage to public assets was going to be a real drag. And then there was my caretaker Crystal Clear who was probably worried sick in light of my preliminary meeting with the Princess having also occurred yesterday and I haven’t returned since then.
‘Oh this day just keeps getting better and better!’ I groused to myself.
I was honestly expecting Shining Armor to be a little less reticent, not that I minded the silence since it gave me time to rehearse my recounting of the events that happened since I last spoke to the Princess; but it gave me the distinct feeling that he would protest vehemently to my reasonable request that Jomar be treated with fairness and dignity. My partner was oddly silent too, but for reasons that I could not possibly speculate on. Our little procession through the city did inevitably draw a few stares, but most people had the courtesy to keep to themselves and mind their own affairs.
As we reached the Citadel and began climbing those accursed stairs again, I started getting more anxious with each and every step. I mean I’m terrific at making my summaries short, succinct, and simple but I have the feeling that Cadence will want something more substantial. And I don’t want to reveal everything in its entirety since I didn’t even understand some of the things that happened.
‘I mean, how exactly did the Chalice levitate itself to me? And that Red aura surrounding it carries some significant implications that I’m not terribly comfortable with. Perhaps I’m overthinking it…. I hope’
We passed by numerous Citadel staff going about their various duties; our group even passed by Indigo Jade who gave me a rather vivacious look, only for her to be swiftly spooked off by a particularly intimidating growl from Daring who simultaneously moved closer to me in response.
‘Don’t know whether to be flattered or terrified of this new development’ I confoundedly mused to myself.
‘Daring used growl! It’s super effective!’ My immature side unabashedly referenced.
‘Ha! Nice one brain’ I stifled a snort of amusement.
By now we had finally reached the throne room of the Crystalline Castle, with a rather placid looking Cadence awaiting us on the Royal chair. The hardened scowl on Shining Armor’s face practically melted off of his face once his saw his beloved and was replaced with a joyous smile. An action which was mirrored by the Princess once she laid her eyes on him, she rose from the throne and rushed forward to embrace him. I politely turned away while they had their ‘somewhat’ public display of affection and elbowed Daring to catch her attention; “I told you so” I smugly chimed to her, making her roll her eyes in mild bemusement. A quick clearing of someone’s throat broke us out of our banter.
“So..” The Princess let the pause hang in the air, “Perhaps you would like to explain the mass amounts of havoc created yesterday?” She sounded decidedly neutral; perhaps she was saving judgment until after the facts.
“Right, where do I start…?” I murmured to myself.
“The beginning would be nice” Shining snarked, only to be shushed by his wife for being rude.
I held my chin in my fingers in a classic thinker’s pose, “Well, I’ll retell what happened exactly after we last talked Princess. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I’ll answer them to the best of my ability” She didn’t look entirely pleased with my ambiguous phrasing but nodded in agreement anyway.
“I relayed the pass words to the guards at the bottom of the hidden staircase and Daring here had a field day with all of the historical goodies residing inside the repository room” The aforementioned woman scoffed at what she thought was a hyperbole from me, “I investigated the spot where the scuffle between your guards and the assailants took place-”
“Did you find out who was behind all of this treachery?” She promptly asked without lapsing into a forceful tone.
“I’m getting to that. Anyway, your palace staff must have left the crime scene untouched because I came across a page that was torn out from Sombra’s secret codex that was probably left behind to taunt and intimidate those who came across it”
“And what did it say?” Shining asked, who was actually enveloped in my tale.
I took a moment to dredge up the memory from the depths of my mind, and spoke in a foreboding voice that would make any bard proud.
“It was prophetic in nature, and spoke of possible danger at a future juncture” I realized that I unintentionally rhymed that.
‘Oh no! I’m turning into Zecora!’ I shook myself out of the ridiculous notion and focused on the task at hand.
“If eternal life is what you seek; then prove your mettle to be more than meek
If your fears you cannot greet; then death you shall never cheat
Pass through the darkened doors to enlightenment; or else abandon your dreams of eternal entitlement
Those with pure intentions will succeed; those with greed should pay heed
This task can make the strongest break; the one from beyond, the very earth shake”
As I recalled this word by word, the last clause of the prophecy raised multiple alarms in my head. My arrival was already foretold! And by the likes of Sombra no less! From Cadence’s wide eyed reaction, I had a hunch that she had a revelation of a similar nature. She recovered from her shock quickly though, with no one else noticing save for me.
“This is… unexpected, but please continue” She asked with a small hint of hesitation.
“Of course… remember those doorways you warned me about?” My carefree voice letting her guess the rest.
She gasped, “I told you to avoid those! They were left as insidious traps by Sombra to mentally torture any trespassers”
“Yes, well in this case they acted as real doorways to where we needed to go. Dee and I both chose a door and faced our inner most fears”
“Oh I imagine that must have been dreadful!” Cadence sympathized.
“The first two were rather mundane really… but the last one was absolutely gut wrenching” My gaze drifted off, staring outside at the denizens daintily going about their day below without a care in the world it seemed.
“He still hasn’t told me about that one” Daring spoke with an almost accusatory tone, completely disregarding the fact that she wasn’t open with me with what she saw either.
“Later” I sighed, the memory of that last obstacle was still painfully fresh.
“I won’t press you to tell us about them, but what happened afterwards?” The Princess inquired, even the normally inexpressive guards were raptly engaged in my story and were stealthily leaning in to hear it better.
“After our ordeal with the trapdoors, we were led to another staircase heading upwards this time”
“Yes, stairs seem to be a common theme here” Cadence giggled.
‘Finally! Someone else besides me notices this!’ I mentally gushed with glee.
“Yes quite, anyhow Dee and I climbed them and reached the very top of this Citadel” I emphasized this by gesturing upwards.
“But that can only be reached by air! And there was no staircase leading there when I explored the Castle” Cadence remarked with confusion.
I shrugged, “Magic is as magic does, just plain weird like that” Receiving understanding nods from just about everyone in the room.
“Continuing onward and upwards, we reached the peak of this shimmering tower only to find another incarnation of the Crystal Heart just floating there serenely as if it were waiting for us the whole time”
“How can that be?” Cadence wore a perplexed expression, “To my knowledge there is only one Crystal Heart in existence”
“Well if it makes you feel any better, this one acted as a sort of shimmering lighthouse compass thingie showing us the direction where we needed to go. It may very well have been a projected facsimile, perhaps you can verify that for yourself after I finish recounting our most recent experiences” I eloquently reassured the Princess to which she nodded in appreciation. She seemed to be taking all this into account quite well, no hints of doubt or suspicion of any sort.
‘Perhaps people are more trusting here than what I’m used to’ I quietly mused.
“Let me guess, the same direction where the 3:10 to Yuema was scheduled to depart to?” Shining drily commented.
My brain stopped, ‘Did I hear that correctly? Whatever, don’t got time to ponder about the absurd amounts of cliché that I put up with, at least it ain’t a horse pun’
“The one and only…” I slowly confirmed, “Since we were on a short timetable, I nabbed Dee and we let gravity do its work. We made it groundside in record time”
“Recklessly” Daring grumbled behind me.
‘Oh she’s one to talk?’
“I’m sorry Dee, did I scare you?” I put on my troll worthy smile again, eliciting a chuckle out of everyone save for Daring who muttered a few choice expletives under her breath.
“There was an exceptionally vocal man voicing his grievances here yesterday, he said that one of you knocked over his grocer’s cart?” Shining stated with an unamused tone.
Deciding that this was a good way to extend an olive branch for teasing Daring, I cut her off before she could admit to her slight blunder.
“Yeah, we were kinda in a rush with the train about to leave and everything. I can cover his losses if need be”
“Really… all one hundred and thirty bits worth of it?” Shining dubiously said.
I grabbed my munny bag (That’s what I’m calling it from now on) and assorted the bits required to ‘pay the fine’ as it were. I was glad that the coins here operated under a sort of RPG style system, with the insignias and symbols on the coins denominating their worth; singular bits were blank on both sides, coins worth ten had a unified Arcanian banner glistening with pride, and the hundred pieces had the personalized symbols of the Sun and Moon Princesses respectively depicted side by side in a sort of equalizing portrayal. So with some simple calculations I pulled out a hundred piece and three banner coins before promptly tossing them to Shining, who caught it with his azure telekinetic grip.
“Not many people I know that have that much coin so casually on hand like that” He commented offhand to himself.
“Those were some pricey cabbages, but I’ve got plenty to spare” I shrugged apathetically; money was never really something I valued more than it needed to be.
“Moving on, Daring and I reached the train station only for it to pull out of the station without us! Granted it was in the process of being hijacked, but still! The nerve of those rapscallions, thinking they could give us the slip!” I paused to recollect myself before I delved into further melodramatics.
“So we gave chase, leaping across the gap between station platform and the rear most rail car; sticking the landing with style I might add. My intrepid partner here had already pushed on ahead of me to confront the deviants with myself not far behind. That’s when I first came into contact with the Wild Cat mercenaries-”
“So the troublemakers are finally revealed” Shining stated while crossing his arms to his chest.
“Indeed, they were a nasty bunch. Wielding razor sharp claw like gauntlets that one of them even had the chutzpah to set on fire before attacking me”
“How did you defend yourself? I don’t see a weapon on you” Shining noted suspiciously.
‘Is he blind? It’s the one strapped to my backside! Perhaps I should keep this newly discovered advantage to myself’ I quickly thought.
“I have my own ways of defending myself. Daring here also took them on using only her quick wits and lightning reflexes, it was quite something to behold” I complimented her ability, something that allowed her a self-satisfied grin to hang on her face.
“What can I say? You gotta think fast and move fast if you want to thrive in my line of work” She modestly boasted.
“And from what I saw on that locomotive, you are a prime example of that. Back to the story, I was assailed by one belligerent wearing the skin of a Lynx and wielding flaming claws of utter absurdity. We danced a little bit before he made a downward strike that I nimbly sidestepped. He got himself caught on one the crates and I use that moment to forcefully relieve him of his weapon via the leverage of an implement I used to defend myself, unfortunately that disarmed weapon manage to sail through the air and inconveniently land itself on a opened stack of TNT rods… you can probably assume the rest” I used the ensuing silence of my stunned audience to make an inquire of my own.
“I’ve been meaning to ask, what was dynamite doing on that train to begin with?” Shining shook himself out of his torpor to answer me.
“Yuema is a mining settlement to the northwest of here, that dynamite is what they use to pulverize the stubborn rocks keeping their precious metals entombed in the Earth. They won’t be happy to know that their next shipment will be late… guess who won’t be hearing the end of that?” He glared at me, only to be once again reprimanded by his wife for being thoughtless. She motioned for me to continue my retelling of the debacle.
“To avoid the fate of instant immolation, I ran like hell before the explosion took out the car and dislodged the others off of the tracks. I managed to get out in time, but the mook attacking me wasn’t as quick. Still, I couldn’t skedaddle fast enough to avoid the blast wave which sent me careening into one of the passenger car seats and subsequently myself into unconsciousness”
“Wow… even my first fray didn’t have such explosive results” Daring said in an awestruck tone.
“Yeah? Well the Universe just loves me!” I sarcastically retorted with the appropriate body language for extra emphasis. The amused smirks that my present company offered me didn’t exactly counter that statement. I once more resumed where I left off, feeling somewhat miffed at the thick Schadenfreude that clung to the air.
“When I came to, I was disoriented and slumped over in one of the seats inside of a rail car that was dangling over a cliff suspended only by metal framework connections that threatened to fail at any moment. As I was regaining my bearings, I heard movement coming from below me. And that’s when I saw Daring here clambering up the tattered rail cars like a Pro, she had just managed to get a handhold on the metal draft gear connecting the cars together when she started to lose her grip” For some reason there were sharp inhales of breath from my audience, despite the fact that the obvious ending to that particular tale was standing right next to me.
“I shimmied down as quickly as I could to aid her when she began to plummet. Yours truly took a leap of faith after her and caught her before we cratered into the rapidly approaching ground below, making good use of my wings to slow our descent to a standstill”
“Goodness! That must have been most distressful, but that was the worst of it yes?” The Princess asked with a nervous look, as if fearing that it would take a turn for the worse.
“Not just yet, the rail car that we previously inhabited used that moment to engulf us in its metallic maw. If the doors hadn’t been open on both ends, we wouldn’t be having this discussion right now” I nonchalantly remarked to the confusion of my listeners.
“How is it that you can be so casual about nearly meeting your end? Most men would have fallen to their knees and thanked the Royal sisters for their unexpected salvation” Shining spoke with justifiable vexation.
“The reason I can be so casual about such things is because if it’s not my time then it’s not my time. I won’t bother with that kind of paralyzing fear because it more often than not prevents you from doing what’s necessary to live another day. And secondly, there is only one being that would ever make me fall to my knees in eternal gratitude”
“And who would that be? Everybody knows that the Princesses are the most powerful beings on this planet, save for that chaotic cretin Discord” Shining mentioned with visible disdain at the end.
“That’s not something I’m obliged to share with you. And there’s more to majestic glory than power alone” Was my dismissive response, my intimate beliefs are just that to me; sacrosanct and intensely personal. The Royal Prince looked annoyed at my deflection but didn’t press for an answer after another pointed look from his wife.
‘I almost feel sorry for him; he’s all but completely domesticated’
“Back to where we left off, Daring and I had replanted ourselves on solid ground after our incident with the falling rail cars. We searched the area for the other brigands but found nothing but a set of three tracks leading towards one of the mountains. We followed it to an opening and settled down at the mouth of the cave for the night, having agreed that our quarry wouldn’t have a choice but do the same with the poor lighting conditions” I decided to glaze over our heart to heart conversation, that was between Daring and I alone.
“At first light, we trekked further into the tunnel of the cave until we came across a stupendous marvel of nature and magic intertwined as one”
“What did you see?” One the guards unexpectedly asked, only to realize his faux pas and snap upright as Shining turned his gaze reproachful upon him. I resumed my exposition as to draw attention away from him and keep the metaphorical ball rolling.
‘I’m such a nice guy’
“We saw an entire forest nestled deep within the bosom of the mountain, flowing streams of effulgent water coursing through it much like the veins inside our own bodies. The Sun’s rays were piercing the stony veil of the mountain and seeping in via cracks in the ceiling, providing illumination for us and energy for the autotrophs”
“I didn’t know you had a penchant for poetry Zenith! It’s astonishing to know you have such profound hidden depths behind that stolid demeanor of yours” The Princess complimented, a delighted flicker in her irises as she said that.
“There certainly is more to him than first glance would suggest. I’m glad you paired us together your Highness, we’re not a half bad team!” Daring enthusiastically agreed, the inflection lacing her words all but went unnoticed by me. Admiration perhaps? Or was there something more behind them?
I suddenly felt as if Cadence was scanning me with concentrated scrutiny. There was a strange gleam in her eyes as they flicked back and forth between us, the ghost of a smile tugging at her features. I would have written it off as a trick of the light but I’m pretty sure magic was somehow involved. Yet again, I feel unsure about the implications behind her actions. The distinct awareness that I had paused a tad too long forced me to put aside my thoughts on that subject and return to where I had once again left off.
“The forest was breathtaking and everything but we still had to track our Chalice thieves remember? So we set foot into the impossible jungle of trees and shrubbery. Despite all the verdant life, it was eerily silent since there was no ambient life to be found at all. The only noise to grace our ears was the trickling sound of the streams and the more forceful flow of the small rivers. All was going well until we suddenly sprung a hastily made trap net! We were practically immobilized (At least I was) and couldn’t manage to free ourselves before the mastermind behind this nefarious scheme revealed his foul face”
“What was his name? I’d like to know who had the gall to heinously incapacitate my guard and embarrass the good name of the Krystal Kingdom!” Shining exclaimed with frustrated emotion, no doubt his safeguarding reputation took a hit with the recent happenings.
“His name was Ahuizotl, Daring’s met him before. Said he was some rogue Highborn aristocrat from far off lands with ambitions of absolute power, hence why his latest plot was to steal that Chalice. Probably the closest he’s ever been to achieving his wretched goal” Daring’s grim nod served to confirm my assumption.
“He spouted a typical ‘I win and there’s nothing you can do to stop me’ gloat before puffing some kinda powder in our faces that acted like a combination of barbiturate and hallucinogen”
“Wait… how’d you know that it was hallucinogenic if it was a sleep inducing powder? Whatever that powder was; it was industrial grade! I was out within five seconds of that!” Daring loudly declared, clearly wondering how I stayed awake long enough to figure that out.
“It wasn’t easy, I felt more exhausted than I had in years. But I wouldn’t give into the demand to shut my eyes. I needed to stay awake, and through sheer stubborn will… I did. It paid off too, remember the tree trunk that acted as a bridge across the water’s gap?” I directed at Daring.
“I was wondering how you managed to find that avenue of escape first; you saw it and remembered it!”
“Certainly came in handy later huh?” I grinned roguishly.
“We’d never have shaken them off!” She vehemently agreed.
“Slow down please, you said that you were drugged first?” The Princess demurely interjected.
“Of course! Sorry for getting off track. So the belligerents and their sinister master took the both of us with them to some kind of enchanted spring. I swore that I felt a pulse not unlike a heartbeat resonating throughout the walls and the very air. They set us down on the floor and bound us together. Turns out Ahuizotl kept us alive and brought us there so we could witness his ‘inevitable rise to power’ and make us bask in the grief of our failure before tossing us into the water to drown. What they didn’t count on was that I had posed myself in such a way as to allow some leeway for my hands; I reached for anything I could find to get us free. As fortune would have it, there was a rather jagged piece of flint just close enough for me to scoop up and start cutting away at the thin ropes tying us together”
The last part was a lie, but if they couldn’t see my Tantō then what reason would I have to simply give that tidbit of vital information away? From the looks of things, they had bought it hook, line and sinker anyway. I’d never be able to pull off deception like that back home.
“So while our host so graciously bought me time to free ourselves by monologuing about his greatness nonstop, I let Daring (who was awake by this point) in on my plan to surprise our clueless opponents, I told her about some gadgets from home that I brought with me that would both stun our enemy and cover our escape”
“It’s true your highness, he handed me something he called a smoke grenade. It was a canister that was filled with some sorta magic that created thick smoke, perfect for getaways!”
She turned to me, “Do you have any more of that stuff? I could really find a use for it on my future excursions!”
“All you have to do is ask nicely dear heart” My little sobriquet for Daring was not lost on Cadence, who grinned to herself in a knowing fashion.
‘Or so she’s led herself to believe’ I cynically thought, unsure about my own feelings for the headstrong woman standing next to me.
“Once I freed the both of us, I blitzed them with my stunning canister before ‘dispatching’ the man about to drink from a filled Crystal Chalice” I paused momentarily, the action still weighed a little bit on my soul. I didn’t care for the looks I was receiving either, horrid shock for the Princess, grim and understanding sympathy from the Prince, even the guards looked like they were surprised that I had it in me. Before the pity party started, I headed off any responses they might have had.
“As his body sunk to the bottom of the ‘Well of Life’ as I decided to call it, it took on a revolting black hue thicker than pen well ink and the whole of the cavern began to quake. The Chalice; which had fallen from Ahuizotl’s grasp, began to roll into one of the fissures that were opening up in the Earth. Daring here dived after it but it was outside of her reach, I convinced her to let it go and get the hell out of there before it all came down over our heads”
I focused my attention on her, “Why did you listen to me anyway? You didn’t really heed any words I had to say before” I incredulously stated.
“That was before you managed to save my bacon twice, that changes the way a girl acquiesces to someone’s advice” She earnestly replied.
“Can’t argue with that, I know I’d listen to what someone had to say if they saved my favorite breakfast food on not one but two occasions!” I guffawed, completely cracking myself up. Everyone just rolled their eyes at jesting antics.
“Yeah I get it, I’m a complete dork. But at least I find myself funny!” I said between chuckles of endless amusement.
“So the Chalice is lost then?” The Princess said forlornly, the Chalice must have meant something to her. Good thing we didn’t lose it.
“Daring?” I raised my brow on cue.
“Nope, one Crystal Chalice as ordered!” Daring reached into her satchel and pulled out the ornate cup.
“But… how!? You told us that it rolled into a fissure!” The Princess exclaimed.
“Yes it did, I forgot to mention that it landed on a ledge just outside of arms reach. It was very narrow, but I had my wings remember? I just dropped down to it and used to wings to jump back up” Also not the complete truth, but what really happened was too unexpected to reveal just yet. Not until I had fully figured it out myself.
“After successfully retrieving the Chalice, Daring and I were pursued by the remaining two mercenaries who wielded crossbows. Daring lit some dynamite that she had acquired from the train wreck and planted it on the tree trunk that was acting as a bridge across one of the rivers. One of pursuers was completely engulfed by the blast and the other was thrown into the river below. As you can probably tell, he caught up with us later. I managed to convince him that further hostilities between us were pointless since his former employer was six feet underwater and his comrades were equally vanquished”
“Excellent use of reasoning to make an opponent lay down his arms. You’ll have to pay for that dynamite rod by the way” He directed to Daring, who grumbled before pulling out some bits and handing them to him; meanwhile mumbling something that sounded like ‘Cheap bastard’. It was enough to make me chortle in mirth before shutting up after a pointed look from Daring.
‘I’m starting to think Shining isn’t the only domesticated one here’ My snarky side pointed out.
‘Shut up brain. I’m still wild and free!’ I shot back to myself.
“There’s more to it than him simply laying down his arms unconditionally, I had also promised to speak on his behalf to you in order to possibly grant him some leniency”
“And what makes you think he is deserving of it?” Shining judiciously stated, his voice carrying a fair bit of requital to Jomar’s plight.
“For one, he wasn’t actually trying to kill us” I explained.
“I believe you said both he and the other who met his end at the bridge were both firing their crossbows at you?” He raised a cynical brow.
“He was… he was also purposely missing every shot. Furthermore, he himself told us that he was more of the mercenary group’s coordinator than one of their muscle heads. From what I saw of him, I’m inclined to believe that there is some truth behind his words. But ultimately it’s up to the Krystal Kingdom’s fair ruler to determine his fate” My vision was shifted to the Princess.
I put emphasize on the word fair so she’d feel guilty if she simply sentenced him to rot or be executed without giving him his due process… or what passes for it around here. I was starting to miss American civil rights already. From the looks of things, it certainly had the effect I intended.
“What would you have me do Zenith?” She pensively asked.
“That’s not for me to decide your highness” I responded with all due respect.
“Well I want to see how you’d prosecute him, he was still with the group that terrorized my kingdom’s populace and hijacked a multi thousand bit locomotive filled with precious cargo that you unintentionally proceeded to blow up”
‘Well when you put it that way’
“Honestly your Highness? I’d put him under house arrest and adjust him to the Honest and Just Arcanian way of life and perhaps make him a law abiding citizen if he so chooses”
She then began to briefly think it over before giving me her decision, “It’s a sound and evenhanded idea, one that I’m sure Auntie Celestia would approve of. Very well Zenith, uhm… pardon me but you didn’t mention his name”
“Its Jomar” I answered.
“Jomar? How exotic... very well then, Jomar shall be put under watch until it is determined that he comprehends and accommodates the Arcanian way of Harmony into his life”
“Thank you your highness, your wisdom in this matter precedes only your immeasurable beauty” That elicited a blush from her highness and an intense scowl from her husband, a scowl shared by Daring as well.
‘What? Am I not allowed to speak truth here without consequence?’
“You’re too kind Zenith, and because you have returned that which I asked for, you shall henceforth be a citizen of Arcania itself. I have no doubts that you will uphold everything that the way of Harmony stands for. And thus our business here is concluded; now Shiny and I will have to attend to the Kingdom’s most imminent affairs, which today would be personally evaluating the performance of the Krystal athletic team. It’s not easy being Royalty you know!” She giggled the last part as she and her husband exited the room hand in hand to personally appraise their Kingdom’s sport’s team. Leaving my companion and myself in relative silence.
“Ya know something? That went at lot better than I thought it would” I remarked at the ease at which the situation presented itself, and then I remembered that I hadn’t spoken with Crystal yet.
‘Crap!’
⁂
The guards then led us out of the Citadel, telling me to stop by the Office of Consular matters for my official documents now that I was a newly made Arcanian before attending to their other duties. Daring saw it as an excuse to celebrate our recent successes by drinking ourselves silly at the local tavern. I reminded her that I didn’t partake of any alcohol, but I’d be more than happy to finance her pursuit of getting smashed. Provided that I spoke with my caretaker first to let her know that I was alright.
“Aww…momma’s boy has to ask for permission to play?” Daring playfully teased as we walked down the crystalline avenues.
“She’s not my mom, though she excessively worries over me about as much” I clarified with a tired tone, having to explain to her a second time that I put myself in danger’s way was going to suck.
“I’ll have to catch you up later Dee, no offense or anything but it would be sort of awkward explaining what I did the last two days with you standing right there trying to look inconspicuous”
“Nah its cool, I have to square some things away on my end too. Meet up at the south fields in an hour?” She offered.
“Sounds good, I still have to buy you couple of drinks don’t I?” I cheekily replied.
“Pfft, more than just a couple” She retorted back to me as we parted ways.
I made my way back to Crystal’s home, passing by the friendly locals who seemed unperturbed from yesterday’s excitement; perhaps they hadn’t bore witness to it. Regardless, I was mulling over what I should say to Crystal that would excuse my absence. I had just about given up when an idea made its way to the forefront of my mind. I could just pin it on Royal business! It wasn’t a complete lie and it would allow the details of my previous caper to remain undisclosed. It was both devious and cunning; knowing the people’s reverence for their ruler’s modus operandi probably meant no further questions asked of me by Crystal once I told her.
“Hehehe…. Brilliant”
I knocked on the door and waited patiently for a minute before the kindhearted woman opened it. Her eyes practically lit up once she saw me before briskly encompassing me in another bear hug. I was expecting exclamations of worry from her but she remained silent, perhaps she was just glad that I was safe. She ushered me inside without a word and poured both of ourselves a cup a tea that she was brewing in a kettle atop an iron stove. We sat down in her quaint living room to have what I’d hoped to be a simple and tension free conversation.
“I take it your meeting with the Princess went well?” She asked.
“Very… I apologize that I was away for so long. I was doing her majesty a favor you see”
“Yes, she informed me about it. Something about retrieving a stolen Chalice?” Her tone was difficult to decipher, a mix between frustration and begrudging acceptance.
‘Well, that plan just went out the window’ I sarcastically thought.
“Pretty much…and it mostly went off with a hitch”
“You put yourself in harm’s way again didn’t you” She sighed in discontent, it wasn’t even a question.
“Yeah… that’s been happening a lot lately hasn’t it?” I humorously observed, though Crystal didn’t share my mirth.
“I can’t quite condone that Cadence would just compel you into doing such a perilous thing, but it’s not my place to question her majesty’s ethical integrity” She finished somewhat bitterly, perhaps absolute reverence for Royalty only goes so far here.
“She’s been quite fair to me I assure you, even made me an Arcanian citizen via a Royal mandate in exchange for something she ‘misplaced’ in the hands of less than reputable people” I expounded upon.
“That’s wonderful! But what are you going to do with it?” She curiously inquired.
“In all honesty I’ve been wanting to travel around a bit. No offense or anything but a cloistered place like this can cause a guy like me to go stir crazy within a week” I drank the last of the invigorating tea, it was lemony with a hint of spice.
“So you’ll be leaving then…” She visibly sagged on the spot.
My turn to sigh in exasperation, “Yes Crystal that I am. But don’t think that I’ll be forgetting about you! I’ll be sure to stay in touch via correspondence, perhaps I’ll even tell you about how much the world has changed since this Kingdom has vanished”
She got up from her seat and embraced me once again, her tone sad but understanding, “I’ll do my best to write back. Do you think you might come back someday?” She asked hopefully as she drew back from the hug.
I looked her in the eyes, “You can count on it!” I grinned reassuringly, and I entirely meant what I said; I owed her as much. By the relieved look I received, I assumed that she was placated enough by my words. Unfortunately I had to break the mood with a last request.
“Say… you don’t mind if I use the shower one last time do you? One of the side effects of chasing after a stolen Chalice is that you tend to sully yourself in the process”
She laughed pleasantly before answering me, “Of course you can Zenith! I wouldn’t want you to face the world in such a maculate condition after all”
“Thanks Crystal, you’re the best” I honestly complimented.
I gave her my most sincere smile, which was only a slight curl of my lips since years of emotional stoicism have atrophied my ability to express myself facially. On the flipside, it makes what I do express all the more genuine. I politely excused myself to head upstairs to the room Crystal let me use to fetch some replacement clothes for the one’s I all but shredded on my last adventure.
An errant thought that crossed my mind made me pause and scan my surroundings; it looked like a generic room with no memorabilia or pictures of any kind. Come to think of it, the room was Spartan by all standards. I’ve spent enough time here to know that this was a two bedroom home, which meant that Crystal had put me up in what was probably her son’s old room. I smacked my face with my hand, how did I only notice this now!? She probably removed everything that was a painful reminder of her lost son, and here I’ve been treating it like it was a motel room! The bed was still unmade and I left some of the dresser drawers open in my haste since I was last here. I set about rectifying the mess before I felt bad for defiling one of the last remaining memories of a perished child. Afterwards, I hopped into the shower to wash off the dirt and gravel I’ve accumulated within the past couple days and to make use of the lavatory since my bladder felt like it was close to critical failure.
Once my business in the bathroom was concluded, I dressed myself in another pair of jeans and a collared polo shirt with black and red pattering; which is one of my favorite color combinations.
‘Unfortunate that it’s always associated with Gary Stu’s, I liked it before I found it was considered a marker for hated grandiosity’
I grabbed my stuff and debarked downstairs, I gave Crystal one last hug and told her that I’d do my best to stay safe regardless of whatever the universe decided to throw my way next. Her eyes were shimmery with tears that threatened to fall but she stayed strong; she told me that even though I’ve only been in her life for such a short time, she’d miss me greatly. I was touched that I’ve left a profound impression on her and made double certain to keep in touch. I departed for the Office of Consular matters to retrieve the documents for my newly acquired citizenship, they did make me do a tiny bit of paperwork; but it was just simply filling out some of the blanks for my new official identity. They seemed confounded by my listing of previous homestead as Southern California since they’ve never heard of such a place, even with their updated maps of the world. I gave them a cheeky grin and told them that they should try searching the nearest dimension; the looks they gave me were priceless. I was tempted to use my iPod’s camera app to capture the Kodak moment but decided against it for obvious reasons.
Once that was good and finished I made my way to the south fields to meet up with Daring since an hour had passed. I was certainly not expecting to find what I did but was pleasantly intrigued nonetheless.
A wooden ship that looked more like it belonged on the waters was just hovering a few meters of the grassy ground, there was no gasbag keeping it suspended above the land. It was simply floating on its own; my mind was doing backflips just trying to confirm that I wasn’t still hallucinating for the barbiturate dust. Four ducted fan blades jutted out from her lower hull on both sides. It wasn’t a terribly large vessel, maybe sixty or so feet in length overall. It carried an armament as well, four swivel mounted hand cannons fore and aft. A thick rope ladder hung from her starboard side over the wooden railing and snaked down to the ground. I probably spent two minutes examining the entire airboat with my eyes.
“Impressive isn’t she?” Came a familiar voice right next to me. I would have jumped out of my skin if I wasn’t so busy comprehending the impossibility staring me right in the face.
“H-how is that thing being kept aloft?” The disbelief very much evident in my voice.
“Some magical tree’s that only grow in certain areas of Arcania along with scant other countries are harvested for their special properties; its official name is Floatwood. It’s fairly durable and can suspend its own weight and then some, in large quantities some very impressive vessels can be crafted with it. Although, since it’s not exactly ubiquitous most sky ships are suspended via gas filled envelopes or ballonets” Daring lectured with an amused smirk.
My disbelief was replaced with childish joy, “That’s awesome! What’s the name of this fine looking ship?” I asked with a thumb pointed at it.
“I call her the Magnificent Maverick; she’s quick as a whip thanks to the four multi-rotational turbo props mounted on her lower sides and maneuverable for that same reason. That ship has carried me to the odds and ends of this Earth and out in one piece. She’s my pride and joy!” Daring proudly exclaimed, this vessel was clearly her baby and I could see why.
“That’s so cool” I gushed… I tend to geek out over things like this.
“Enough about my ship, you still need to buy me a few drinks. Come on! Every good adventure leads to a tavern at some point!” She grabbed me by the arm and led me to the nearest tavern.
“Can’t argue with that logic, let’s get going!” I enthusiastically agreed.
‘I’m probably going to watch you get drunk and make a complete ass of yourself, good thing I’m such a good designated drinking buddy’ I kept that thought to myself.
The name of the tavern was the Gemmed Tankard, it looked like your typical tavern, the wooden sign hanging over the door depicted a tilted draft beer studded with colorful gems, the windows had a stained glass mural style to them, and people who’ve had one too many stumbled outside sporadically. Inside was room enough for a good thirty people, strangely enough most of them were around my age group with a few older patrons sitting together at their respective tables and shooting the breeze with each other.
A three man band was providing ambiance with what looked like a guitar, a piano, and a drum set on a small stage. They looked incredibly bored with the venue and I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for them. Daring told me what to get while she saved us a spot and I shelled out some bits to the bartender, the alcohol was actually quite cheap too; only thirty bits for a seven strong row assortment of ales, ciders, and even hard liquors. I had him bring us the drinks on a large platter before taking off my pack and setting it next to my chair. I then spent the next few hours watching Daring pound them down whilst she regaled me of her previous exploits in wild and untamed lands. I had to hand it to her; Daring was only acting tipsy by her fourth drink. She kept trying to pressure me into having a swig or two but I politely declined, very thankful for my immunity to peer pressure.
Still… watching Daring having such a good time while I sat there doing just about nothing was starting to get to me. I thought back to the band that was only slightly more zombie-ish than I felt at the moment and thought about how to put some more life into their gig. That was when I was struck by the strangest urge to take the stage and join them. I got up from my seat and made my way to them in what felt like an automatic motion. I stopped just short of the stage and asked them if I could join them for a spell. The one on the Piano looked at me apathetically before replying in a droll tone.
“Sure, knock em’ dead”
I nodded and hopped up to the stage before asking the drummer to provide me a steady beat. By now a lot of people were staring at me and I felt a little bit self-conscious. What was I doing!? I’m not even a big fan of singing! But the strange sensation possessing me as the drummer laid down a steady string of drum taps encouraged me to continue with what I was doing.
“Ladies and Gentleman, I hope you don’t mind but I’m going to sing you a popular song from home that I think you just might like”
Most of them were drunk so they were all for the idea as evidenced by the cheers. Taking a deep breath, I began to sing. Daring face lit up with the third line and she had this sappy smile on the whole time. Even though we were short a few instruments and a synthesizer, the music was somehow provided for anyway. This served to confirm an earlier theory I had about the magic of music being present in this land. The song had a definite influence on the audience; they even provided the chorus exactly when it was called for. The intense vocal harmony even brought the older folks into the fold, happily singing away as they lifted and clanked their tankards together in drunken reverie. The formally bored musicians suddenly looked like they were having the time of their lives, happily plonking away at their instruments in perfect synchronization. I’m not usually one for singing, but if everyone gets so involved in the music like that then I might not mind taking the stage every once in a while.
⁂
Sadly, the good times came to an end and I had to carry Daring back to her precious ship since she was too inebriated to do so herself. It was nighttime by now and the Kingdom was absolutely beautiful, the Citadel was radiating a glow that almost made it look like it was emitting a force field. Entrancing as it was for me, I had to focus on making sure Daring made it back to her levitating abode that was moored to the southern fields. The Crystal lampposts highlighting the way were a very nice touch.
“Thash song wers cashy” She slurred as she stumbled alongside me, she would have probably face planted by now if I wasn’t there to support her weight the whole time.
“Given how well it the audience received it, I’d safely say they think the same” I agreed.
“How come.. *Hic* yuer shtill sober?” She asked between the most humorous hiccups.
“Probably because I abstained from guzzling the insane amount of intoxicants that you did” I responded with a chuckle.
“Oh yea.. yuer the wurst drinking buddy evar!” She exclaimed, though I could tell that she didn’t really mean it.
“That may be, but I’m the best designated ‘carry you back so you don’t end up looking like a fool’ pal ever” I boasted in response.
“I feel liek I ken take on anythen!” She proclaimed loud enough to attract the attention of several passerbys.
“Eeyup, you’re drunk” I observed, content with stating the obvious.
“And yuer shexy!” She declared before brazenly going in for a drunken kiss, since I wasn’t expecting it she somehow landed it spot on despite her intoxicated mindset. Several different flavors ranging from bitter to savory assaulted my taste buds as she pressed her lips against mine, her eyes closed and an expression of absolute felicity on her face. I must have had the deer caught in headlights look for the first few seconds but I didn’t pull away. When Daring broke the kiss, she acted like nothing had happened while continuing on with her drunken outbursts. I shook my head, speechless; this was turning out to be an interesting night indeed.
We came within sight range of the Magnificent Maverick soon enough. It must have had some kind of automatic lighting system because what looked like high intensity Gemstone lanterns lit up the top deck of the ship quite nicely. The rope ladder was still lazily hanging down its right side, but that would be inadequate since Daring was wholly buzzed at the moment. I huffed to myself for having to play the role of gentleman once more and swept Daring off her feet (Who let out the most endearing surprised squeak) before summoning my wings and using them to upsurge myself to the floor of the deck and deposit the inebriated woman back on her toes. The sudden change of motion had her wobbling a bit more than usual, but she reined in her balance with my timely assistance.
“Well Daring it’s been great, but I think it’s time we call it a night” I turned around to hop off the deck but a hand grabbing my arm stopped me, I turned to see Daring with a nervous expression on her face; like she had something to say but was afraid.
“Can’t you stay a little longer?” She asked, suddenly sounding more sober.
“Like… how long?” I dubiously inquired; I had a suspicion as to what she was really implying with her question.
“Until morning?” She gave me this small hopeful smile. I couldn’t say no to that face without feeling like a complete jackass, so I reluctantly gave my consent.
“Okay then, where will I sleep tonight?” She looked like she was about to say something but paused as if changing her mind.
“I have a few bunk compartments that you can use, it’s not the roomiest but it’s cozy. It’s below deck, I’ll just… head for my quarters” She looked a little less enthusiastic as she excused herself to the stern cabin. What did she really want to say? I put the thought aside and made my way below, a narrow corridor with doors on each side greeting me. I picked the closest one on my right and entered it; a tiny room about eight feet by six is what awaited me. A small bed barely large enough for me and a chest at the foot of the bed were all the furnishings available, along with a modest window port that didn’t offer much of a view since it was dark.
‘Daring wasn’t kidding when she said it wasn’t very roomy!’
I was too tired to really care though, so with a weary sigh I tossed my belongings (gently of course) into the chest before flopping onto the bunk for some well-deserved rest.
I woke the next morning feeling very refreshed and ready to explore everyplace I could possibly go. I rose from my indention in the bunk and made my way topside so I could stretch without fear of bumping into something. I wasn’t entirely certain of how long I slept, but since I had no pressing concerns I deduced that it was probably to within of few hours of noon. I found Daring standing on the forecastle of her marvelous vessel, when she heard my footsteps she turned around to flash me a winning smile.
“G’morning” I greeted.
“Sure is, great conditions for sailing too!” She remarked.
“Isn’t that just inside of the climate barrier?” I asked.
“Nah, I took the liberty of checking about thirty minutes ago” She explained with a dismissive wave of her hand.
“You sound pretty lively today, no hangovers at all?” I asked, quite confused at how spirited she was after how much alcohol she consumed the night before.
“I keep a few vials of rejuvenation to keep the hangovers at bay, or when I need a boost of energy” She demonstrated by pulling out a small glass ampul filled with a grassy green fluid and twirling it in her fingers.
“I see…So what’s next for you?” I inquired, letting curiosity get the better of me.
“I’m heading back to the Capital city to personally report my success to the institute regarding their assignment to retrieve the Crystal Chalice. How bout’ you?” She returned the question.
“I was thinking about traveling around a bit, getting the lay of the land you can say. Although I have wanted to visit Canter… err Concordia for a while now” I almost slipped, that would have been embarrassing!
“Well I could give you a lift there, it’s the least I can do” She modestly offered.
“You would? That’s great! The guys at Consular affairs office said the train system here would be down for a few days, but if I don’t have to wait for it to be restored to service then that’s just peaches. Thank You!” I happily exclaimed.
“Yeah…I’m a giver. Well since that’s agreed upon, let’s go!”
She made her way to the quarterdeck, where an honest to goodness ship’s wheel with wooden spokes patiently awaited me once I joined her. Since this ship didn’t have rudders of any kind, the wheel directed the four rotating propeller blades below. It wasn’t your typical helm setup either, since the ship could move in three dimensions instead of two; the wheel could be pulled back and forward to control its pitch in the air. There was a curious slot in the middle of the steering wheel that I was going to ask Daring about when she pulled a quatrefoil shaped piece of metal and inserted it into the wheel. All four fan blades below came to life with a mighty roar before Daring pulled the wheel back and the Magnificent Maverick shot into the sky like a coiled spring. We zoomed past the barrier and into the chilled morning sky above as we made a heading southbound toward the Arcanian Royal Capital City of Concordia.
‘Huh… so they do have ignition keys here’ Was all I could think of as my mind was overloaded with the tremendous amounts of awesomeness.
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Lovely. I like the world you've created with this story. Its the first time I've ever liked a humanized story so you should know you've done well: pinkiesmile:
Can't wait for the next chapter!
~8chill
3086340
Thank you! You're too kind :) I'll do everything in my power to make sure I keep pumping out decent chapters.
3087586 That's most gracious of you, and to quote Shakespeare on the RPG feel 'All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.'
I find myself loving this story. There's no cliche HiE tropes in here whatsoever. (Well, at least as far as I could tell). It's fresh, unique and no 'wake up in the Everfree forest and live in Ponyville' kind of thing in here.
And also the romance with Daring Do. Can't find much fics about that either.
3091742 Yeah I've never really been one to adhere to the current trends. And really? I've seen quite a few, 'I can't help' isn't a bad one and that Daring is similar in some aspects to mine. Either way the next chapter is on the way!
3092837 Why thank you! I am most grateful for all the support :)
I have to agree with MaroonIllustrator, this story is completely original. I love this story and cant wait to see more
3174643 Indeed it does! North Shore is the best place for it in my honest opinion
Ppffftt....no ponyville...humanville? Or whatever its called.
*trees