Toward the Sun
It was after darkness fell that the hovercraft arrived. Like a lone raven, it spun darkly against the ebony sky, then hovered up to the massive deck of the Steel Wing. Two enforcers in messenger vests trotted out, glaring evenly across the startled crew.
Captain Filta was ready to meet them. He marched up, standing tall and proud in his uniform. The pair of stallions addressed him, and he responded with a nod. One produced a holopad from his satchel. With a wave of a manastone, the circle of equine faces floated above the pad, glaring with disapproval. Triple sound stones broadcasted a terse message, and the light show was over just as swiftly as it had begun. Filta's features paled, but eventually straightened back out in an irreversible show of anger and frustration.
All of this, Enforcer Evans watched from afar. He craned his neck, gazing with pursed lips at the distant exchange. As soon as Filta swiveled around, his heart skipped a beat. However, the angry captain wasn't marching towards him. Instead, he made a bee-line towards the rear cabin doors of the ship, tailed shortly by the twin messengers.
Once Filta reached the nightlit entrance to the cabin, he banged his hoof repeatedly against it. "Shell?! This is Filta! Open up! The Council of Ledo has a message for you!"
Silence.
Every stallion on board the deck stirred nervously.
Fuming, Filta turned around. The crew members flinched, nervously returning to duty.
At last, Filta motioned towards the messengers. The two stallions approached the door. With both of their horns glowing, they forced the handles to unlock from the outside. Then, with identical precision, they flung the chamber open.
Filta marched in before them, and the stallions followed. The cabin's interior was dark, with a rustic stench filling the air. All three ponies waved their hooves before their muzzles.
"Nnngh... what in Queen's name...?"
"Shhh. Be silent and light the room up," Filta commanded.
Both stallions complied, their horns casting a cold, pale luminescence over the wooden contours of the room.
Their combined aura swam over a wooden table, a snuffed candle, and a chair that had been knocked over. At last, they caught the glint of gray coat hair. A body was huddled in the center of the room, rocking gently back and forth.
One messenger whispered something hoarsely under his breath. He silenced himself as soon as Filta took a thunderous step forward. "The Council of Ledo has spoken, Enforcer. It's over." He motioned firmly towards the stallion at his left.
"Ahem..." The uniformed messenger held up the holopad. "Prime Enforcer Shell of the Ledomaritan Defense Forse?"
All was silence and shadow, until a whispery sound rustled back, "Yes. This is Shell."
"Official as of seventy hours prior to this message's delivery, the Council of Ledo has found it in their wisdom to strip you of all command in the Experiment Extraction Campaign, the reasons being attributed to 'excessive delay, refusal to communicate with higher authorities, extreme loss of military personell, and inexcusable levels of collateral damage within and around the metropolitan district of Blue Nova.' You are to report to the Council within the Queen's Capital City in under thirty-six hours by any transportation necessary, or else both your life and position will be forfeit, and you shall be punishable by court martial, leading to imprisonment or even public execution."
Shell said nothing.
"Is the nature of this message clear to you, Prime Enforcer Shell?" the messenger asked, frowning.
"Did you hear him, Shell?!" Filta growled. "It's over! This mad-capped expedition has come to a halt!"
At last, something spoke from beyond the paleness. "My expedition... halted?" Shell's shoulders heaved, and a hissing voice came loose in two octaves at once. "That is not remotely possible." He turned around and looked up, half of his face caked in blood and tears. "I haven't gotten the target yet..."
"By the Sp-Spark!" one of the messengers jumped back, immediately reaching for his pistol.
Filta grimaced, his eyes narrowing. "Good heavens, soldier..." His eyes fell towards a lump of flesh on the floor. "What... what happened to her...?"
"She..." Shell's one eye twitched, and the rest of his face followed with it. "She wanted to go home..." Like a golem thawing from the ice, he rose up and trotted towards them in spasming little jerks. "So, she did. But I can't..." He shook his head, several strands of gray hair falling loose, dribbling blood onto the floor. "Not yet. It's flying away too fast. Just... just need to carve a door through it..." He raised a limp, broken forelimb into the silver light. "Like... a hole into the sky. That's why it's always been evading me, you see? It's... magic. Chaos. Demon magic."
"St-stay back!" the stallion with the gun stammered. "You've been ordered to st-stand down, sir! So do it!" he squeaked.
Shell's bloodied face tilted towards Filta.
Filta blinked. With a glowing horn, he slowly unsheathed his rapier.
The stains on Shell's muzzle cracked darkly as he flashed a frown. "She's home!" he bellowed, and his horn erupted like a cannon. Every loose object in the room flew forward. "You will not take her from me!."
Filta yelled, flinging a rapier into the madness. The soldiers beside him fired blindly. It was too late, for Shell was soon upon them with the gravity of a hundred screams.
Outside, a wave of noise rolled across the deck. Every stallion gasped and stopped what they were doing, swiveling to face the rattling cabin doors. Among them was Evans. The Enforcer held a hoof up, keeping everypony at bay. With a nervous shuffle, he galloped forward, stopping just ten feet before the door. The noise had ended as violently as it had begun. The silence to follow was frigid, penetrating.
With a gulp, Evans made to open the door, only for Shell to burst through, bloodsoaked and hyperventilating.
Several gasps flew across the deck. Stallions and crew members alike gawked at the Prime Enforcer.
He looked past them all, one twitching eye slicing across the east horizon like a determined falcon.
"Sir... what on earth—?" Evans reached for him.
Shell shoved his way past the stallion. He fell to his bloody knees, gulped, and wheezed forth, "Betrayers..." He gritted his teeth, heathed. "Snkkkt... they... th-they sought to assassinate me..." He raised a pair of hooves, laden with raiper wounds. "Nnnngh... the Xonans... yes..." He flashed his frenzied eye at the speechless ponies. "They h-have infiltrated the highest order of our Confederacy! The Council..." He choked on vomit, swallowed, and grunted, "The Council of Ledo is compromised... and th-they sent your captain... your captain and those..." He spun and pointed a quivering hoof into the cabin. "... those cowards to assassinate me." He seethed several times before resting his face into his bloodied hoof. "...and my daughter... they... they k-killed my Imre..."
Evans blinked. He turned towards the cabin and shone his horn in. Several more stallions looked in, and each of them gasped upon seeing the bodies of the messenger, the Captain, another messenger, and at last Imre's body... a dozen feet from where her horn lay across the ramshackle room.
"By the Spark..."
"Have you ever seen such a massacre?"
"In the Queen's name! What do we do?"
"Do?!" Shell hissed. He spoke while sucking in breath, "What do we do?!" He shot up on wobbling hooves, then spun about with an icy frown. For once, his breath had collected, and the old menace was again filling his lungs like a fine wine. "We do what it is in our powers to do... for this Confederacy that's betrayed by spies and turncoats on every side." He tilted his shimmering horn up. "We chase down that pegasus... that winged abomination! And we shut down this Xonan plot from the inside out! Don't you see?! They tr-tried to stab us in the heart, and they failed!" He stamped his hooves. "By my daughter's broken body... will we stand for this?! Will we accept defeat at this... th-this atrocity?!"
The stallions shared stunned glances.
Evans glanced once more into the bloody cabin, shivering.
"Enforcer Evans..."
The stallion jerked about, his eyes shrinking to pinpricks.
Shell loomed above him like a crimson totem in the moonlight. "Do I have your allegiance... your sworn devotion to serve me until we and we alone have eliminated this dire threat and brought glory to all of our brothers and sisters?"
Evans shook, shivered, then nodded with moist eyes. "You have it, Prime Enforcer." He gulped. "Your cause is mine to serve until the bitter end..."
"The bitter end..." Shell's nostrils flared. He slowly, coolly wiped the blood and muck from his face and flung it to the deck. His eye rose towards the stars as he snarled. "There will be an end, my brothers. But it won't be bitter. No... it will be righteous."
One by one, the stallions on board—just seconds ago frazzled and nerve-wracked—collectively stood at attention, their faces hardened like the thick hull surrounding them.
Shell marched ahead of the group, shouting left and right to the crew members. "Arm the cannons! Bring us about and plot a course..." He stood before the bow, his eye brighter than the stars, and just as far away. "Due east, nonstop! All power toward the rising sun!" He hissed quietly now, through his teeth. "For one of these mornings, blessed Imre, it'll light her death for you..."
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And so ends another chapter in this great epic. I can't wait for what's to come.
We now have our answer.
He's been broken. He's cracked. He's tunnel-visioned.
And now the next story unfolds.
Holy fucksauce. Shell's put all his chips in the pot, all or nothing, baby.
And those last few chapters were like the closest thing this story has had to a resolution in ages. Looking forward to passing through Xona and meetin all sorts of new and cool ponies/other assorted badies.
Onwards to something titled with an "O", because we've done A, E, and I so far!
Onward to four word chapters!
Shell just can't stop,can he?Now he's coming harder than ever before.9 more to go!
Shattered Shell. These poor military stallions.
Time for Odrsjot!
And so we come to it. The end of another part in a much greater story. A much happier ending compared to the previous entry in the series. A spectacular work of literature you have graced us with IC and it was an absolute privilege and honor to read it. Bellesmith and Pilate back together and adopting Kera. Roarke going with the group. Shell still being alive (well maybe not a perfect ending
). I and many others I'm sure await with great anticipation for the continuation of this magnificent story. *Raises glass* To the sequel and this series as a whole!
So, for the first time in a long time, we have a relatively clear path. I'm looking forward to some more world building and character development.
Here's to the Noble Jury and her bright and brilliant crew. Our horizon lies East!
stream1.gifsoup.com/view3/1259791/shocked-o.gif
I mean, seriously! When will this mofo just bite the dust, anyway? Though, to be fair, I guess this gives a nice hanging sense of dread and urgency to the beginning of the next installment, which lends well to the narrative transition and all that jazz. But still!
Anyway, thus ends Book III. A solid, enjoyable, edge-of-your-seat affair it was. And a long bastard, too. Can't wait for O---.
Snap, crackle, pop. Shell's Sanity.
Hold on hold on. I have a song for this too.
Even being the bastard that he is...dammit Shell...you had to make me drag out this song for you you piece of shit.
W-w-wow... I am not sure which version of 'Shell' should I be more scared... o.0
Anyway, Phoenix, Crimson, Tweak, and Clark aren't coming with, so...
Rainbow's party consists of...
Belle, Pilate, Floydelyn, Kera, Eagle Eye, Props, Ebon, Roarke, Josho and Simon. (I hope I didn't forget any... >.>)
Nice~
I can't wait for the next arc! :D
Onwards, then.
And so ends another chapter. Finally we are leaving Ledo.
And there he goes. Shell's last vestige of rationality has left the building.
He may not have the backing of an entire military anymore, but in all honesty, I think he's only gotten more dangerous.
Damn...he is off his rocker. I don't really understand how he thinks he'll be able to catch up with the Noble Jury. That ship is WAY faster than his. I suppose when they stop to help someone...and they probably will...that will give him enough time to catch up...but he's going to be a thorn in their sides for a long time and that is just...ugh. Perfect villain, you love to hate him and hate to love him.
Well, you know what they say....
fear a man who has nothing left to lose.
i just know that the next story is gonna have more destruction than ever before!
Rainbow's going to have to battle Shell on the tallest spire of the Midnight Armory or something, isn't she?
I almost want to feel bad for him, but his refusal to see his role in Imre's death or to try and turn his own life around after her final act makes him near irredeemable. But he was broken from the start, almost like Roarke said Imre was, and its just too bad that he, unlike his daughter, will continue to take others down with him.
So yeah, I guess that's it for Innavedr. I've greatly enjoyed this story, as well as the community of commenters that have sprung up around this behemoth. So, thank you for another entertaining, harrowing and thoughtful read. Its hard to believe that its been nearly a year since I started reading these things, and I don't regret a moment of it.
Until the next installment!
Good luck fleeing from your end, Shell. You had your chance to come out of this clean. Now your own hooves shall bring about your destruction.
Ledo shall chase Shell for a time. Shell shall chase Rainbow for longer. Rainbow shall chase the rising sun forever.
...Why am I suddenly getting this chill that Shell will kill Rainbow inches before her final goal is reached...?
I hope sometime in the next 1800 chapters we'll see all the characters we've met before again. Having Csquared or Gold Petal, etc making an appearance, even if only through some kind of communication like Rainbow and Luna's, would make my day.
Onward and eastwards!
Wow... She'll is so driven that even when his daughter commits suicide to try and convince him to stop, he uses her death as an excuse to keep chasing RD. Now that's a special kind of messed up!
The next act will be called "ice cream" for no other reason but to make us mad. Don't say I didn't warn you.
But seriously now, Shell has been the main antagonist for about 350 chapters. I was very much expecting his death to mark the end of Innavedr - ah well, perhaps the next symbol will be about that. And the act will be called "This is the one where Shell is so going to die" in Old Norse after all.
Onwards and eastwards.
3126891 Hey, I got that copyrighted! 3118761
P.S.: If the first comment on the next arc is by Regidar, I will hurt people.
man this fic is great. I can't wait for what's next because surely it will be awesome.
A good finale. Shell is a great antagonist! Can't wait to have more reasons to love to hate him.
So I guess Shell took the "blame it all on Rainbow Dash" route. Well, can't say I'm surprised, but would have preferred for Shell to be imprisoned or executed because, with Imre's death, Shell's character-journey has finished. There isn't any hope for redemption or growth: he has truly become a shell.
I dunno, I think he's just gonna get a bit stale here on out.
Anywho, nice finish, let's see how Dash and co. go in the land of the Xonans.
3127284
That's what I'm thinking. There's no way in hell that the Steel Wing can catch up to even the Noble Jury's cruising speed, so he'll likely reappear when everything is coming down to a boil.
Forward, men. Forward.
Well this should be interesting... wait, WHAT?
Oh shit, Shell dun did it nao. He's gonna have the military he once served after him, and he's headed into Xonan territory after Rainbow and the crew.
That ain't what worries me though.
The book... we must know what the book is! Once and for all!
Someone on that damn ship better, you know... call in the supposed assassination/conspiracy/evil plot thingy. Just saying, ):(, you're stretching the suspension of disbelief if you expect me to accept that every single pony on that massive ship is a brainwashed goose-stepper who blindly accepts whatever they are told.
One Hundred push-ups today. Break them up however you want, over however long you need, but do them today. Knock 'em out!
The final chapter always ends in tragedy.
Isn't he going to run straight into Xona with that course? I understand that he's completely bent and heavily armed, but I think the Xonans can deal with a single capital ship that has no support.
This is one of the longest, largest, mind boggling, world building stories Ive ever read, well out of the three Mega class stories Ive read over the years, and the way its going, it loks like its seriously trying for Trouble class. (Thats 7.5 Meg of uncompressed raw text by the way)
You totally obliterate my mere, barely slime level writing abilities with this collection of stories, interactions, characters and places.
Ive noticed occasionally about OCs and such, and that every so often someone will come up with an idea in one story or comment that is thought so highly of, that agreements are reached and a shopkeeper lives for a while etc.
Thing is, Im not even going to ask indirectly. Over the years Ive built up far too much information and knowlege to be able to write up characters that could fit in stories. A simple example is Shell and his ship. There are so many ways I could design something to target it on the horizon and then vapourise it, its not even funny. The simplest one would be a variation of what almost every unicorn foal learns first.
Tell me, what happens when you cross a light generating spell, with a teleportation? With no safeties?
As for the machine world? your creation through imagination beats my working models through reality every time.
I beleive I can see some approximatons as to possibilities of the ending of the story, the same way you tend to see you are in trouble faced with aan approaching 100 metre tsunami, but the details? The details.
Twists and turns are all that you ran, to end up back where it all began.
Welcome. To Riverworld.
I love Nancy Jane being the fastest heap o junk in the sky. Means Ill just have to keep The Shed on the ground. 8}
Long may the story continue, until it ends. Then, youll have more than earned your place in fan fic mythos.
Dont forget the map.
And the list.
I can't help but notice that IC's author page has a list of titles in the Austraeoh series. A list that has 12 entries, 9 of which are currently blank. This could take a while....
Sigh. Imre should've shot Shell when she had the chance. Nobody ever decides to just shoot him. Hopefully Shell gets a mutiny soon.
Aw man, this story is so awesome. Can't wait for the next installment! 3 down, 9 to go!
I hope he deals with my corpse sometime soon... I'd hate to stink up the joint
Shell finally broke. Not good for Rainbow.
Can't wait for the next one!
Shell is utterly batshit insane. Well, more than before.
And thats the end of Innavedr! Wow, how time flies. It was a bit of an different story, Austraeoh and Eljunbryo were more going-east based, whereas this one was kind of all over the place. And since we have 9 more stories in this series, I wonder if we'll get some stories more travel oriented like Austraeoh and some with larger plots like this one. Thats what I'm hoping for at least, I kinda miss Austraeoh's style.
Now to wait patiently for the next story. Ten bucks says the title begins with an "O".
hey look, innavedr is done. i can start reading it now! here we go...
It seems to me that Shell has become your typical 'invincible villain'. I really hope he gets more depth in the next installment, because he seems a bit boring and wooden.
I'm pretty happy with how it's all wrapped up, regardless.
3127496
*shrug* I didn't start listening to this again until you posted your topic in the forum, anyway.
Fucking insane motherfucker
I just want to add that I stand IN AWE of the mass update. I know I've said this many times, but I don't think it can really be overstated:
I have NEVER seen an author complete and upload quality chapters at such a rapid rate. While the story might benefit if given more time, it's absurdly well written and very engaging.
That's even disregarding that fact that IC is still updating stories in his SK&E account, as well!
Imploding Colon, you may explode my colon.
I will not cry that this is over... I will not... *Sniffle* I wont...
Another book finished, huh? It's really hard to believe how much our dear Colon has excreted. (I wanted to make a comment about said excretions being the opposite of what one expects from a colon [imploded or otherwise] here, but that's just poor taste; one could even say execrable.)
Time to dig in and metaphorically devour the illiteral literary leavings.
So thanks for that.
Never, never drive your enemy into desperation. Since no killed him, Shell was bound to crack like this, and he has one too many guns for this to be a good thing.
3127519 Master, I stand ready to try and counter-act your enemies!