It took some doing, but I eventually managed to put a lid on my seething rage. There was no one here anymore, to scream or lash out anymore would be a waste of energy. Better to save it for those who really mattered, those who dared shatter my world anew.
There is an old saying that revenge is a dish best served cold. Whoever said that had been a fool, or never had cause for revenge themselves. A methodical, calculated plan was about the last thing on my mind. That would be extremely unsatisfactory. There were no steps, only a goal, lit before me like a blazing arch.
As my eyes refocused on my surroundings, I was struck by the cruel irony of all this. Razing ships and villages to the ground, those were standard tactics for my fleet. The skull and crossbones wasn't even dissimilar to the flag I had found. Perhaps this was karma, come to bite me in the ass.
If so, karma could shove it. It had no right! The Imperials, the Heralds, they all lived for the wrong reasons and died for the right ones.
I snorted. Dwelling on this just wasted time. I wanted to get moving. I would be neither delayed or denied.
Well, as much as I still knew, it was a long way to the next closest town, and most of the distance was desert. My jerky rations had turned to lifeless slime during my earlier 'walk, so I foraged around for food a bit first, then refilled my canteen in the lake. As prepared as I was going to be, I left Rinthos behind.
I marched, the dense stone slowly giving way to windblown sand as night fell. Sleep took a backseat to progress. Some young folk thought traversing a desert at night was the obvious best course of action. Most learned the hard way that the nightly chill was nearly as frigid as the daytime heat was stifling. But I had fur and clothes to keep me warm, and the glow of magic to guide my hooves. Still, gales sucked sand up into the air, the grains biting into my body. But that pain was nothing.
Otherwise unoccupied, I imagined what shape my foe would take, and the sound that would be produced when I smashed my hammer through their stunned face. I almost wished a Tatzelwurm would burst forth from beneath my feet just so I could get some practice in.
It wasn't until the next day that I got my first glimpse of rooftops beyond the dunes. Glad I hadn't missed it, I approached without fear. This was the edge of Saddle Arabia, the second largest nation on the Zebrican continent. Between the red-tinted buildings, linen-wrapped camels and horses moved to and fro, going about their daily business. This was how all communities should be: full of hard-working people living their chosen lives in peace.
However, it seemed that my appearance was a minor disturbance to routine. Many an eye was drawn to me as I entered, and I was happy to take advantage of the attention.
Approaching one curious stallion, I went straight to the point, reaching into a pocket and pulling out the banner. "Do you know whose flag this is?"
After a quick glance down at it, he shook his head. "Can't say I do, sorry. News is slow to travel all the way out here to Wellspring. You might want to speak with Lighttread in the square, though. She's the only other minotaur in town."
"Thanks," I replied tersely, already walking off.
Another minotaur, eh? I suppose that counts as good news, but when considering why they were here in the first place, only one explanation would be acceptable. I'd find out which they would use soon enough.
It was immediately clear that the 'square' was really more of a circle. This settlement was only possible due to the shimmering oasis, ringed by date palms and clearly the town's namesake. Naturally, everything had been built around it, and the marketplace was no exception. Proud merchants hawked their wares, brought in from afar, to passersby. But I didn't see a member of my kinfolk behind any of the colorful stands.
Absent any other leads, I drew closer, attracting more stares as I went. That was when I spotted her, lying bundled in rags in an alleyway and bearing a numb expression. Like most 'taurs, she only had two horns. More notable was what she didn't have, namely a second arm. Her left had been chopped off at some point, leaving only a misshapen stump. I would have pitied her, but I was out of shit to give.
Even when I was practically on top of her, she didn't notice my presence until I slammed my palm against the wall above her head. "Hey!" I exclaimed.
Lighttread flinched, sliding backwards a few inches before whirling to face me. A little bit of life returned to her eyes as her nostrils flared in surprise. She clearly had not been expecting to see another minotaur. "W-What do you want?" she asked.
I withdrew the flag again and showed it to her. Before I could even ask her anything, Lighttread yelped in fear and shied away even further.
"So, you do recognize it. Tell me everything you know," I commanded. "What happened to Rinthos?"
She was shaking like a leaf. At first, I didn't think she'd be able to regain her composure, but thankfully she did. She took a deep breath, and then she was calm. "It was the Storm King," she said.
Not a relative of Lannery's, I assumed. Still, a king was good. Those on top had the farthest to fall.
"He came out of nowhere one day a few years ago," Lighttread continued, "at the helm of an enormous airship. He made a proclamation. That all of us were to hand over our possessions and serve him, or be destroyed."
In an instant, it all made sense. My brow furrowed. "To ask for our freedom was to ask for our very lives. So obviously everyone fought back, with all their might."
Lighttread nodded.
"Except you," I added, arms crossed. "You fled. You are a coward and a disgrace."
"You weren't there!" she exclaimed. "His soldiers were impossibly tough, and the ship disgorged them by the hundred! Not to mention all the cannons!"
"Excuses. Look at yourself now, and tell me with a straight face that your current existence was worth it," I said, gesturing to indicate her miserable state. "You could have died proudly, defending your home, your family!" My family, I added, internally.
Lighttread at least had the decency to look ashamed. She spoke quietly, resigned. "I'm guessing you were away in foreign lands when he came, and only just returned. Those few are all who remain, now."
"Yes, though not by choice," I specified. "Make yourself useful for once, Lighttread. Tell me where I can find this Storm King."
She sighed, shying away. "I... don't know."
"Does anyone else here know?" I asked, huffing in indignation.
Lighttread shook her head. "Probably not."
I had figured as much. Bah. The hard way it is, then. "Then I will hunt him down myself. To the ends of the earth if I have to."
"By yourself?"
I stared down at her in grim determination. "Yes."
Having nothing more to say to her face, I turned and left. "I, Angrath, will avenge us."
By joining up with a caravan, I made good time to the heart of Saddle Arabia. The capitol was massive, with wide thoroughfares that gave way to multi-story homes, ornately decorated bazaars, and elaborate temples built to honor ancient gods. Unlike Wellspring, there were so many horses and other creatures milling about that I practically went unnoticed, despite my size. When I tried asking around for news, I was barely given the time of day before being brushed off, everyone in a hurry or preoccupied. That's city folk for you.
I didn't expect that approach to work, but it never hurt to be thorough, not when the stakes were this high. They had their lives and I had mine. No sense wasting energy. My priority was scanning the storefronts, as there was a particular type of establishment that couldn't be beat when it came to information gathering.
I heard the place before I saw it, the echo of laughter finding my ears. I couldn't read the sign, written in the obtuse Arabian alphabet, but the smell of drink in the air was unmistakable. It was a tavern. If I couldn't pick up word of the warmonger here, then I couldn't anywhere. Nothing loosened lips quite like mead.
There was no door, only a fabric curtain, and I brushed it aside as I ducked through the entrance. Stallions and mares, some dressed and some not, knelt around low tables, sharing conversations and drinks. Tuning them out, I sat at the bar, barely fitting into the small wooden stool.
The bartender's face was wrinkled with age, and his grey beard nearly reached down to the mug he was cleaning in his hooves. After putting it away, he trotted over, eyebrows raised. "Can't say I've seen you around here before. What'll it be?"
Reaching into my jacket, I pulled out a single large coin and set it on the counter. It was of Dusk Legion make, but gold was gold. "I'm looking for someone called the Storm King. Hear anything?"
The barkeep replied with a shallow nod as he discretely tucked the money away. He locked eyes with me. "You're in luck. A few hours ago, I got a group of harpies in here who used to work for the guy. Actually flew in on an airship, if you can believe that."
Excellent. I could get a destination and transport in one fell swoop. "Where?" I asked.
"Ship's probably at the docks," the stallion said. Then, he pursed his lips. "But I'd be careful if I were you. For merchants, they didn't strike me as having legitimacy, if you catch my meaning."
Pirates, eh? I grinned. What were the odds? "Oh, that won't be a problem."
That was all I needed to know, so without further ceremony, I waved the horse farewell and slipped back outside. Airships weren't terribly common this side of Kaladesh, so I followed the familiar scent of salty sea air to the coast. After crossing the whole city, I came to a long, shallow beach. The telltale browns of jutting wood posts were visible in the distance, beckoning.
A pang of longing shook me deeply as I passed a group of children playing in the surf without a care in the world. I almost broke stride to stare. But no. Distractions would not do. I would need to be at my most intimidating, my most ruthless, if this was going to work.
By the time I stepped onto the worn surface of the pier, my mindset was once more as harsh and unforgiving as the waves. I would not yield an inch, for that was how you came out on top. The lone airship stood out like a sore thumb, hovering a good ten feet above the waterline and tethered to the dock with sturdy ropes. Its sails, even folded, were quite visible with their bright colors. As I got closer, I could hear faint voices from above, which meant I didn't have to wait; the harpies were already here.
My grip firm, I grabbed the nearest hawser and hauled myself hand over hand up to the deck. With one last pull, I swung my legs over the railing. They were now officially boarded. A cursory examination revealed the lack of people outside, so I followed the sound to a doorway leading below and let myself in.
I was immediately graced with a scene as old as the profession. Five green-plumed avians sat around a table burdened with various piles of loot and trinkets, sorted by one criteria or another for allocation or sequestering. I had caught them deep in the middle of an intense debate. A broad-shouldered male wearing a bandanna had his forearm, complete with hook hand, planted on the table for emphasis. "I don't think we should part with that ruby quite yet—"
However, he was cut off when the one at the head of the table, a chick wearing the telltale hat of a captain, bolted upright in alarm, knocking her chair aside. "What the—? Intruder!"
I didn't budge as the others all whirled to face me, suddenly tense as they too got to their feet. "Oy, what in blazes in he doin' here?" exclaimed a skinny fellow with an eyepatch.
"Prolly nothin' good, Mullet," replied a chubby, pink-faced female.
The captain furrowed her brow, glaring at me with one claw resting on the hilt of the sword at her belt. "My name is Celaeno. Tell me what you're doing here on my ship, or I might just throw you off."
I sneered, matching her intensity. "That's just it. As of now, this is my ship. I'm taking command."
"Like hell you are!" exclaimed hook-hand, his non-hook hand clenched into a fist.
"You tell him, Boyle!" Celaeno affirmed with a stomp of her emerald pegleg. "I don't know who you are, but we won't go down without a fight. Not again!"
The last of the harpies, a wall-eyed one, squawked in agreement.
Alright. If it was a battle they wanted then that was what I would give them. Nothing changed a scoundrel's opinion faster than a show of force anyway. It was a fine line, though. I had to thrash them enough to give the lot second thoughts about resisting without completely routing them. I needed their help, after all. So, full strength, but applied in a more calculated manner than usual. I could manage that.
Mouth shut in a firm line, I stepped forward, calling forth burning mana to pound through my veins as I unwound the chain from myself. The metallic scrape of link against link was accompanied by the quick zing of Celaeno unsheathing her blade. "Get him, boys!" she exclaimed.
With a mighty collective caw, they charged, Boyle and Mullet in the lead on either side. My time-honed combat instincts kicked in, and I reacted immediately. With a twist of my arm, I sent the tip of my chain whipping into Boyle's face at unavoidable speed. It caught him across the cheek with a crack, tearing open a nasty gash as he was sent reeling into the wall. He clutched at the wound, screaming in pain.
Then, I turned to Mullet and cast one of my favorite spells. Drawing up my deepest, most vile impulses, I pushed them outwards into his mind with as much intensity as I could. The effect was immediate. His one visible eye lit up a deep, menacing red and he spun midstride. Screeching, the dagger he had pulled from his vest, originally intended for me, now whirled towards the chubby female harpy behind him. She had no time to react beyond throwing her beak open in surprise before he raked the weapon across her throat.
She collapsed to the floor, sputtering as she bled out, the sharpened serving spoon on her tail clattering against the floor as she pawed uselessly at her neck. There was no way she'd survive. The loss of a potential underling was unfortunate, but such a premature demise was to be expected in the field of piracy.
My employed method, however, wasn't. The captain and the cooky one both stopped midlunge to stare at their fallen comrade and the induced traitor responsible. "Lix Spittle, no!" Celaeno cried out in shock and horror.
However, Mullet did not give her time to grieve, and set upon her next. Still reeling, Celaeno was barely able to parry the vicious stab aimed at her chest. He attacked relentlessly, without care for his own safety. But Celaeno didn't capitalize on any openings, instead keeping on the defensive, her shaky arms a clear indicator of her faltering resolve.
While not visibly incensed, googly-eyes cautiously began to approach me with a predator's gait, his long claws held in front of him at the ready. Boyle, having recovered his composure, stood to join him, eyes laced with contempt.
Knowing I had made my point, now I hammered it home, before they could strike again. "I believe it's about time you gave up," I said, sending a malicious gaze at each of the pirates, one after the other. "I can easily get another crew, but can you get another chance at life?"
One after the other, their expressions faltered. During the brief gaps between having to block Mullet's continued attacks, Celaeno glanced to me and the now motionless form of Lix in sorrow. She let out an anguished huff. "Fine! Squabble, Boyle, stand down. You win, minotaur. Just stop Mullet!"
Just what I was hoping to hear. Gracious in victory, I complied, dispelling my magic. Himself again, Mullet fell to his knees. Panting, Celaeno sheathed her sword as Squabble lowered his claws, backpedaling to her side. Boyle didn't move, grabbing a pocketed rag to press onto his cheek and glaring at me all the while. Satisfied with the scene, I rewound my chain, ignoring the blood on the end.
Eyes shimmering with tears, Celaeno knelt down by Lix Spittle, shutting her fallen comrade's eyes with a delicate motion. "Well, congratulations," she said to me, the sarcasm hard to pick out from how her breath hitched. "I guess you're the captain now..."
"It's Angrath. And yes, obviously," I confirmed, showing no remorse. I could have been more empathetic, but such sentiment only made the work more difficult. What kind of pirates were these? None on the Belligerent had been this attached to their mates for that reason. Perhaps this made me hypocrite, given why I was here in the first place.
Scowling even more deeply, Boyle spat a mixture of blood and saliva in my direction before objecting. "To hell with that! How could you do this, you bastard!?”
Ok, that reaction made more sense to me. I smirked. "I did ask first. You wouldn’t give me your ship. So, I had to persuade you.”
His beak fell open. "That wasn't asking, that was declaration of war! You couldn't have, I don't know, gotten your own bloody boat!?"
"Enough!" Celaeno said, arms crossed and face hard. Then she turned to me. "What's done is done. What I want to know is why. Why us? Fate can't be this cruel."
I nearly laughed. What did she know of cruel fates? "Simple. Word on the street is that you lot are familiar with the Storm King. You will take me to him. He and I have unfinished business. As in, all of his present business will remain unfinished after I eviscerate him for his actions."
Celaeno's eyes widened, and she immediately cringed. "Oh, that's... a bit of a problem." She scratched at the crest feathers on the back of her head. "See, he's kinda, sorta... already dead."
With those simple words, my final dream was crushed. I couldn't mete out retribution for my people; someone else had beaten me to it. "So. He's already dead. Already dead!?" I roared, stomping my hoof through a floorboard at the injustice. "When? How!?"
She flinched at my outburst, but managed to answer nonetheless. "It all happened about a month ago. Back then, we had been unwillingly conscripted into doing delivery runs for him."
Oh. They hadn't even been cooperating willingly. I glanced at Lix's body with a tiny tinge of regret. A tiny one.
"But then, these ponies showed up," Celaeno continued. "According to them, the Storm King had Equestria under his thumb. They convinced us to rebel, and we helped them take back their capital. I heard he ended up accidentally doing himself in with one of his own weapons."
"Dammit," I swore. The ponies probably thought that was poetic, what with them being largely pacifist. To me it was the definition of disappointing. But this quest was all I had left. I've come too far to abandon it so easily. Someone was going to have all my emotions beaten into them.
"What about his army?" I asked. "Did he have a first mate, a second in command?"
Celaeno nodded. "Yeah, Tempest Shadow. She did most of the heavy lifting, actually. But—"
"Good enough. She'll do," I said, cutting her off. It didn't matter what else the harpy had to say. My mind was made up.
Still, Celaeno protested. "You didn't let me finish! Tempest is—"
"I do not care," I reiterated through gritted teeth, glowing magic flaring to emphasize that no further words on the matter would be tolerated. She visibly gave up with a sigh. With that taken care of, I turned to address the room. "Alright, you scallywags. We're setting sail for wherever Tempest Shadow is. Immediately."
"Seriously?" Boyle exclaimed, throwing up his arms. "How exactly do you expect us to know that, Angrath?"
"I didn't. We'll find her trail and pursue it," I said.
As I was replying, Squabble pointed to the late Ms. Spittle, his head tilted to the side.
"— After a proper funeral," I added. I wasn't going to be that cruel to these guys, with them being my fresh crew, and all. "Cremation, or whatever it is you people do."
Celaeno looked to me in apprehension. "We were going to do that anyway. But I think you have some major apologizing to do first," she said, gesturing to the side.
Following the motion, I saw Mullet, who had escaped my mind for a while there. He was sitting on the floor, mumbling things like 'I didn't mean it' and 'I'm so sorry' under his breath as he rocked back and forth. Clearly he was having trouble getting past my little hijacking from earlier. Most of the time those individuals didn't survive to think about the experience afterwards. Still, ugh. He was useless wallowing like that. I had to console him. Or smooth over his guilt, at least.
When I stepped closer, he barely seemed to notice. So I leaned down over Mullet's face to make sure he was listening. Only once his vacant eyes met mine did I begin. "Now see here. I'm sure you don't know this; I didn't either. For most, using magic to control minds is difficult. But making someone lose control? That is easy. So don't blame yourself; her death is one of many on my shoulders," I said.
He clenched at his legs, letting my words sink in. Eventually, he stopped shaking. When he found it in himself to speak, Mullet's horror had been replaced with disdain. "I don't want to work for another murderer."
"I wouldn't expect you to," I confirmed, ensuring my tone was abundantly clear. "You are free to choose. You all are. But you will, because you know the alternative. Sure, you could try to kill me again. I'd welcome the exercise. But it won't work. Just help me with this one task, and then I'll be out of your feathers forever."
He looked away, deliberating. After a pained breath, he rose to his feet. "Fine."
I smiled a wolfish smile. "Excellent."
With that taken care of, the harpies got to work. First, they put together a little ceremony for Lix. I wasn't welcome, naturally, but I watched from a distance to make sure they didn't try and depart without me. After that, the pirates set to preparing their one-time airship, which bore the somewhat cheesy name Soul of Adventure. Although they were still visibly upset, primarily at me, Celaeno and the others got the job done, performing every task to my satisfaction.
Once I'd personally doublechecked the hold contained enough provisions for the journey and that the four of them were in position on deck, I took the helm, my fingers settling into familiar positions on this new wheel's handles. "Alright, cut the moorings! Set sail for Equestria!"