The doors to the maproom opened and a pair of sailors held them in place. Another one pushed a cargo dolly into the room that was loaded with a lump of soot in the shape of a pony. The thing squirmed and coughed once before rasping in Luna's voice. “Report.”
Topsail cleared his throat and said “Three vessels engaged us at once from port and rear, opening fire with no parley. We returned fire and were able to destroy all three ships in good order.”
“Damage to the ship?”
“Non impacting damage to the port side of the bag. Damage to five float cells we're already working to fix. Cable lock took a hit but that's why we carry spares. The hull soaked some direct shots but most of the damage was focused on the rear. Fire's been put out but there was structural damage we're still trying to assess.”
“Casualties?”
“Three dead. Engineer Flakes fell overboard trying to get away from the fire, I have a team searching the valley for his remains. Crewpony Ripples was crushed by unsecured cargo when we lost the cable and armspony Surf succumbed to fire. We've got dozens injured, but the medics tell me that none of them are life threatening.”
“And yourself?”
Topsail looked down at his bandage wrapped foreleg he kept curled to his chest. “Just a burn ma'am. Nothing to fret over.”
She seemed to study him for a moment before saying. “Very well. What of the rest of you?” She said looking out at the others collected in the room.
Applejack volunteered to speak and stepped forward. “Well, most've us are fine Princess, just a few bumps and scrapes from the ship rolling around. The only thing that needed doctorin' was Pinkie. Some o' the smoke got to her.”
Pinkie removed her oxygen mask and coughed lightly. “I saw Spike sucking up all the fire and I thought I could try it too.”
Fluttershy gave her an off look and said. “Um, Pinkie, Spike's a dragon. I think that's why he can do that.”
Pinkie rolled her eyes. “Well duh, I know that now Flutter-Butter.”
“And other than that, the only one that got any hurt on him was Raj.” Applejack looked to the human slumped in the corner.
“As usual it seems.” Raj said bitterly before wincing in pain.
Rarity finished hooking her needle through the cut on his hip. She pulled away and worried. “Oh, I'm sorry darling. Did that hurt?”
“Everything hurts Rarity. Don't worry about it.” He said back, trying to focus through the omnipresent ache.
“Thou are not permitted to complain of pain in our presence Captain.” rasped Luna. She shifted and more ashes drifted from her form.
“Yes Princess Luna.” He wisely conceded.
“Were we able to identify those that attacked us?”
“Ships were crewed by goats and these big bulls. Real aggressive and violent.” Raj explained.
“Watchponies can confirm that as well Princess.” Topsail confirmed.
“Those were probably Aurochs. They're distant relatives to Minotaurs, but they eat meat. They're really rare outside of Camellu.” Fluttershy explained.
“And what about the goats?” Raj asked.
“They're... goats, I guess?” Fluttershy shrugged before shying back a bit.
“Oh... alright, moving on. The boat I invaded had something else on it though. Unless I miss my guess, it was a Rakshasa.”
The room went quiet and Applejack sprang to her hooves, anger knitting her brow. Luna sucked in a breath, her whole body going rigid. “A son of the Asura? Are you certain?”
“Bipedal form and it could shapeshift. Pretty much exactly what your big book said. I'm sure. Called himself Bakasura.” Rajrishi nodded.
“Bakasura, still alive after all this time.” Luna said quietly.
“Did yah kill it?” Applejack asked, a good amount of anger in her voice.
Raj thought for a moment before shaking his head. “I hurt it, but I don't think I killed it.”
Applejack spat on the floor. “Shame that.”
Fluttershy gasped. “Applejack!”
She shook her head and yelled “Ah mean it too. Them things deserve that 'n worse!”
Rainbow flapped to the center of the room and held up a hoof. “Hey, maybe everypony who isn't a huge history nerd or wasn't actually there for most of history, somepony should explain what a Rakshasa is?”
“Thank you Rainbow, that would be quite helpful.” Rarity said without looking up from her stitching.
Luna settled back into her seat and coughed out a burst of soot. “Of course, we forgot ourselves. Apologies. Rakshasa are trueborn Titanspawn like myself, direct expressions of Titanic power. They are gifted with eternal life and a malicious hunger and intellect. They are cunning beasts with no compunctions about harming other beings. During the Forming Wars, they acted as spies and saboteurs for their demonic patron.”
Rainbow's eyebrows went up her head. “Wow, and I kicked one in the face.”
“I hit him with an ax.” Raj pointed out, a touch indignant.
She waved a hoof. “Yeah, but you do that all the time. I kicked one, in the face.”
Luna continued. “Like most Titanspawn, they have powerful magic woven into their nature. Theirs is the art of shifting, to better infiltrate the dens of their enemies. Each Rakshasa possesses ten forms, counting their bipedal, hybrid form.”
“How do you know they have ten?” Pinkie asked.
“Because when we fought them during the Forming Wars, we had to kill them ten times before they truly died.” Luna said flatly.
“Oh...” Pinkie said quietly, immediately regretting the question.
“Wait, their different shapes can die?” Raj asked.
“Indeed. When not worn, their forms recover very rapidly, even from death. Only when they are out of guises to assume does death claim them.”
“So the crocodile I chopped up and the gorilla that was shot are going to be fine. God, between the Bandersnatch and this guy I'm starting to think that all Trueborn Titanspawn are bullshit.”
Rainbow hid her snicker as Luna scowled as much as her burnt eyelids would allow before saying. “Grousing about unfairness aside, what is this creature doing in this place?”
“Piracy ma'am, sure of it.” Topsail spouted immediately.
“Pirates way out here?” Twilight questioned. “Unlikely.”
“Yeah, I mean, who would they be... pirate-ing on?” Spike asked. “They must be looking for Jolly Roger's ship too!”
“Now that's unlikely.” Topsail said sharply. “If that boat's real, then why in Tartarus would this thing be looking for it at the same time we are? Bakasura's had dozens of centuries to look for it, and he decides to go the same week we are? This Rakshasa and his band are probably preying on Griffin airships. That'd explain why we haven't run into any Griffish patrols since getting here.”
“If that is the case, then we must assume that they possess other ships in the area. We must also assume that this Rakshasa escaped the doom of his vessel. Therefore, we are ordering the crew of the Break of Day to remain at combat readiness at all times.”
Topsail huffed. “Yes ma'am. I'll make sure we're at full shifts on our way out of this floating nightmare.”
Everyone looked at Topsail sharply but Rarity was the first to open her mouth. “What? We're leaving? But we just got here!”
“Yeah, we did, and we were attacked by an ancient demon and his merry band of maniacs. We aren't outfitted for a long term combat patrol. The only reason we even have a full load of cannons is cause I always assume something's gonna go hooves up.” He let out an annoyed grunt. “I have yet to be wrong on that.”
Muted chatter sprouted up amid the assembled ponies for a minute before Luna cut above the sound. “Shipmaster, as much as we appreciate your discretion, we cannot turn back yet. There is a task in the Shattered Lands we need to finish.”
“Good thing you don't have a say in the matter Princess.” Topsail shrugged. “I have a royal writ naming me as the one responsible for this ship and the ponies on board. This was supposed to be an exploration expedition, not a seek and destroy mission. We don't have the equipment, armaments, or the right crew for something like that and I am not going to force it on anyone who didn't sign up for it. We are turning around, no question.”
Luna stood up, the ash covering her body cracking to reveal raw, purple muscle underneath. “Shipmaster, hast thou forgotten that we are one of the ponies that signed such a document?” She said with just enough of a warning tone that everyone else in the room went absolutely quiet.
Topsail didn't even blink. “I haven't. But you're just one of the Princesses that signed that little piece of parchment. So unless you have Princess Celestia tucked in your back pocket, I don't have to listen to anypony.”
Luna's sides burst open as the ragged skeleton of her wings flared wide. She rose up to her full height and shot a glare full of nothing but murder at Topsail. “How dare you speak to us like-”
“Topsail's right.”
Luna's head whipped around towards Raj, that evil look settling on him. Raj did not weather it as well as Topsail though, and was left squirming in his seat. Speaking slowly and clipped, Luna asked. “Excuse us, Captain?”
Despite being soundly intimidated, Raj managed to speak with some degree of confidence. “L-look, if Topsail says we don't have the supplies for this kind of engagement, I'm of a mind we should trust him. Jolly Roger's ship will still be there when we can muster more resources and come back.”
“Need I remind you that this entire expedition is to find your method of returning home Captain?” Luna pointed out, a harsh grate to her voice.
“Which is why I don't want it screwed up. Those three Junks could have sunk us and as it stands we couldn't handle a fight like that again. We don't know how many this Rakshasa might have or what he wants. Right now, it's too dangerous to proceed, so we shouldn't.” Raj put a hand on his chest. “Trust me, I want to find out if this thing is real more than any of you, but it won't do anyone any good if we die finding it.”
Everypony present looked thoughtful for a moment, thinking about what had been said so far. Luna sighed and shook off another layer of soot. “We are too tired to refute the point. Shipmaster, turn us around, return to Canterlot with all speed.”
Applejack spat again and sneered. “Y'all're cowards.” before stomping her way out of the room.
“I'll go talk to her.” Twilight said quickly and stood up. “AJ, wait up.” She called out as she galloped after her friend.
“I have business to attend to if we're going to make it back in good order. Princess, Captain.” He saluted respectfully and trotted out.
“Topsail.” Rajrishi saluted back. “Rarity, you just about done down there?”
“Just about darling.” She tied off a line of cord and floated over a glob of ointment and a bandage. “You simply must find some way to avoid harm like this Rajrishi. If that bolt had been an inch off I'm very certain you wouldn't be here.”
“As encouraging as that thought is, there isn't much I can do about that. Outside of getting better at blocking or dodging, there isn't much I can do about getting hurt.” Raj shrugged helplessly as he pulled his shirt back on.
Rarity looked sullen for a moment before her face lit up. “Ideeaa! Fluttershy, are you busy?” Rarity leaned over her friend, a huge smile on her face.
“Oh! Um, not really at the moment. I suppose I could- eep!” She let out a sharp squeak as Rarity wrapped her in telekinesis and lifted her up bodily before zipping away.
“ExcellentcomewithmeThankYou!” Her voice echoed down the hallway as she retreated.
Everyone else present filed out at their own pace until Raj and Luna were left alone in the maproom. Raj walked up to the mutilated alicorn and cleared his throat. “Princess, may I have a moment of your time?”
Luna gave him a fatigued look before answering. “What?”
“It's about my fight with the Rakshasa. I didn't want to bring it up in front of the others because I knew they would worry. At the end of our fight, he did... something to me. I'm still not sure what.”
She coughed. “Beyond the sound beating he delivered thou?”
“Yes ma'am.”
“Does this something still pain you?”
“No ma'am.”
“Then I fail to see how anything regarding that creature may still be relevant, as we are fleeing from it like frightened foals.”
Raj scowled. “Princess, I don't think that's quite what-”
She silenced him with a raised hoof. “Your thoughts on this course are well documented Captain, you need not justify your position any further. Now begone, there is much healing we must perform on ourselves and we will require peace to do it.”
Raj hesitated a moment before saluting sharply. He muttered. “Ma'am.” before heading out of the maproom and closing the door.
* * *
Hours later, the Break of Day was sailing low, going underneath one of the floating mountains. So huge was the mass of rock it blotted out the whole of the night sky. Below, a vast canyon yawned, its walls crawling and alive with dozens of giant creatures, too distant to make out clearly though their cries could be heard as a bass, staccato rhythm.
Fourth mate Ropesnap stared down at the canyons, his Night-Sight spyglass letting him see the pale hides of the crawling things. One of them turned a fanged maw upwards and he was all but certain he could feel its perception land on him.
He shuddered and collapsed the glass. “Can't wait to get back to Canterlot.” Though he'd never sailed the Shattered Lands before, Ropesnap knew he'd already had his fill of floating mountains, lava-drenched squids, and misbehaving natural phenomena.
Ruminations on the strangeness of where he sailed were cut short when he heard a flutter of wings behind him. He spun about, already reaching for his crossbow, to see an enormous eagle perched on the other side of the crow's nest.
Ropesnap let out a breath and relaxed, an instant later remembering the briefing him and the crew had been issued. His wings flared and his mouth opened to shout an alarm, but the Rakshasa was faster. In a blink the thing had morphed to its hybrid form, springing forward with its sword held back. It thrust forward and the golden tip passed through his chest and out the other side, piercing both lungs. His cry of alarm instead whistled and bubbled out of the holes in sides.
Bakasura drew his sword out and let Ropesnap collapse, purple froth leaking out of his mouth as he struggled for air. The Rakshasa looked down and thought about finishing him, but decided to let the sentry suffer. He reached into a bag on his belt and aimed a light skyward, flashing it three times. A few moments later, a pair of Auroch silhouettes lowered down onto the crow's nest, held by harnesses attached to strong ropes. They landed as lightly as an animal of their size was able to and disconnected, the ropes snaking back up to deliver more invaders.
The Rakshasa sheathed his scimitar and whispered to one of the Aurochs. “Stay up here and keep quiet. I would prefer that I get to her without alerting the whole of the ship.” The bull let out a light grunt and the Rakshasa nodded its bird-head. “Of course my friend. We sink this ship no matter what, but not while it has our prize on board. That is the priority.”
The Auroch nodded and Bakasura dove off the side of the ship. He morphed into an eagle and swooped, angling for the back of the ship and the mare hiding within.