1.4 – With this Herring
A majestic oak tree waved with the breeze atop the vertical cliffs outside of Trottingham. The ocean crashed against the resilient rock, hoping to erode its many layers with time. The rock, in turn, refused to bow to the whimsy of the water. It is a familiar sight to me. I’ve been here before, with the exception of it bright and sunny back then.
Ah fleur, your choice of teleport location was uncanny.
Out into the ocean, I could see the island of Arkhoof, its spotlights shining into the air on an attacking airship. The airship was losing altitude because Arkhoof was firing powerful magical blasts at it, destroying its structural integrity. Arkhoof was on fire. Both literally and figuratively, as the attackers launched a firebomb into the cafeteria.
I have no idea how fleur set all this up, but she did an incredible job.
I direct my attention away from Arkhoof and to the old oak directly behind me. I trot closer to find something that had been left behind. A ‘gift’ from Fleur.
On the tree was a carved heart with an arrow shot through it, reading ‘Fleur + Siley 1983’ Incredibly clichéd as it was, it served a purpose.
I know this part.
Pressing my hoof on the heart itself, I heard a soft click and stepped back.
Below the heart, I heard mechanical gears clicking. 2 sections of the tree’s trunk popped outwards and slid aside, revealing a black case within.
I reached in with my left forehoof and pulled out the (admittedly heavy) case. Opening it, I found the field kit I was promised, holding within itself a Stealth Mare Amulet, a small silvery jumpsuit with strength and speed-enhancing enchantments, and a stun-crossbow with a number of dart magazines.
But there was one other thing, wrapped in a light silk. It was rather small, only half the size of my hoof. I unwrapped it slowly, revealing the object protected within.
My sword. My namesake.
It was in its collapsed form. I held it away from me and activated the magical latch. Before my very eyes, a 3 foot-long blade extended from the grip. The blade was extremely thin, able to cut light and medium armor easily. Etched on the blade itself were a few words in Old High Equestrian. Roughly translated, it read “Be swift, be stealthy, be silent.”
There was also a Magipad, a miniature handheld computer, a veritable fusion of magic and science, loaded with maps of the surrounding area and some data on the Archer Ruby. Of course, it also had basic sensors for Electromagnetic waves, radiation sensors, thermal data, and biological scans. They were sturdy and reliable as well – no moving parts.
Checking the map program for nearby settlements, I found Trottingham. I needed some information, and some of my old contacts were bound to be there. But... It was listed as an industrial city, a far cry from the last time I was there, when it was largely an agricultural city.
I guess technology is really changing everything.