Daring Do: the Legend of the Algae Photis
by Wanderer D
Chapter 8: Buildup
She had actually hoped to have an uneventful day for once before setting sail the next day. Big surprise: it wasn't peaceful—their new companions had plenty of equipment to bring, and added to that, they and her crew had to purchase, transport and load supplies for a long, long trip. It was a good thing Princess Twilight had brought some bits to spare.
Celaeno sighed, walking away from the others and up the stairs to the quarter deck, until she stood behind the wheel of The Arpia, watching the sunset and surveying her crew and guests from her vantage point. The plan was to set sail that night, in order to reduce chances of being caught by any of the Storm King's patrol ships.
She silently wished that she could have taken the day off and just lay in her hammock drinking a cocktail and reading the latest Daring Do, which she still hadn't finished—just be away from everycreature so she could have some peace and quiet to contemplate where life was taking her.
She had argued with Mullet, Spittle, Daring, and Twilight about how much to buy, how long it would last, whether the diet would be healthy for all species—including Capper—and whether it was best to buy it all now, or wait until they reached Mount Aris.
Of course the decision came to her, and given the need for speed, she'd decided to bring enough for most of the trip. They could recalculate once in Mt. Aris if needed, and it wasn't like there weren't any trading routes along the way where they could stop to restock.
Still, after settling that small dispute, she had left things in Mullet's capable claws for now and headed up to take a moment to herself. Too much had happened too quickly, and not in a good way. She could handle action and piracy-related surprise after surprise, but it wasn't just an unexpected twist of fate that could be solved by flying away.
Sure, the ponies had been fairly supportive when she had let herself get emotional… but it was not something she had intentionally wanted to reveal to them. There was much she had left behind in Fleece, and she hadn't left it with any intention to return, or even regret… but a certain nostalgia had always delved deep within her heart when she thought about her home.
It was about all that she had hidden in her past. The legacy she had to live up to there… and the choices she had made to be free. It hadn't been easy, breaking tradition, lore, and hearts. Family was a big thing in Fleece. Blood wasn't something you left behind, and legends spoke ill of those who tried, as they would inevitably be drawn back. She remembered scoffing at that, and now she was sailing back there, bringing everything that made her be who she was with her.
Leaving in order to be yourself. To search fortune and fame and… life away from what's comfortable and familiar. Few creatures ever did that. Few set paw, claw, or hoof outside of their domains, much less their countries. Much less their continents. And even less with the intention of staying away.
The Arpia had been her stalwart companion since leaving home with her chosen family: her crew. She knew every inch of the ship; every plank, every scratch, every nook… this had been her home for a decade of pirating and adventuring.
She named her ship so that anycreature who knew her well enough would know that it was her home—much more so than any single sedentary spot could ever be. She and The Arpia had survived when the odds were against them, air battles, escaped the Storm King's ships once or twice, and even smuggled politicians from Abyssinia past war-time inspections across disputed lands and into Mt. Aris and back in an uncomfortable—if silent—admission of which side of the war she was on, even if she wasn't activelly fighting… but in all that time, she had never set sail back to Fleece.
She dreaded to see what her family would make of the name of her ship, if they didn't know already. She was kind of infamous, after all, and pirate infamy usually sailed side-by-side with the names of notable crew and ships.
Celaeno leaned on the wheel, beak twisting into a grumpy pout. She turned her head to look down at Klugetown, which was starting to get ready for the night. Here and there lamps were already turned on, and the crowds in the street were thinning. Soon, only the guard, criminals and… those of dubious professions not criminal in nature (including those who requested such services) would remain in the streets. Klugetown was nothing like the cities of her past, however. It was clunky and dirty and… how had that Abyssinian noble put it? Ah. Picturesque.
Her home… she frowned. Her birthplace was clean. The houses small, building up the side of the mountain, mostly painted white, with maybe some blue lines of decoration. The people didn't try to mug each other. The marketplace was a place of happiness and friendly rivalry, not an invitation to fight. Not that she minded though… she really enjoyed punching creatures in the face, after all.
She hadn't really been running away from her past as much as just… wanting to do her own thing. And yet, doing her own thing meant leaving family, friends and home in exchange for the wide world. And now, life was taking her back to her old haunting grounds and she just couldn't figure out how to deal with that.
She had more than enough loyalty and she knew where her choice would always lay. So why was she dreading going back so much? She groaned, rubbing her temples. "This is why I hate thinking about that place!" Just as her thoughts threatened to go back into memory lane, she noticed something from the corner of her eye.
Celaeno sighed and turned around, facing the pegasus who had landed behind her. "Can I help you?"
Rainbow Dash grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry. I didn't realize you were like, concentrating and stuff, I can come back later."
Celaeno shrugged, the feeling of the headache still threatening the edge of her mind. "Too much thinking can sometimes be a bad thing," she said, shaking her head.
The pegasus grinned. "That's what I keep telling Twilight!" now, feeling obviously more comfortable, the mare trotted up next to her and rested her hooves on the rail, looking down to the deck. "So, this is what you look at while you're flying your ship?" she asked with soft-spoken awe, "this is… it's amazing! I can't even imagine how cool it must be to captain a ship like this, much less a pirate ship! How cool is that?!"
"Best job in the world," Celaeno said with a grin, unable to keep the pride out of her voice. Rainbow's excitement was definitely contagious, and it brought back the actual feelings that drew her to doing this kind of… well, work wasn't exactly what you'd call piracy. She cleared her throat. "We occasionally do privateering as well, but it's not often we get to go on adventures with crazy ponies, princesses and literary characters."
"Oh, we're the craziest of all," Rainbow Dash said, glancing down. "Daring Do, pirates, ancient cities, aliens, crazy enemies… yeah, this will be awesome."
'Aliens?' Caleano leaned down. "That's adventure for you."
"Hay yeah!" Rainbow Dash said, eyes gleaming.
"So, why don't you tell me a little about you girls?" Caleano asked, "there's more to all of you, and if we're working together, we might as well share some stories, right?"
"Ahoy there, matey, where d'ye think you're headed?"
Daring blinked, turning to look at… what was his name? Brutus. He had stopped Galahad, who currently had a knocked-out Alejandra laying across his back.
"Hey Brutus, it's alright, they're part of my team."
The large, muscular pirate glanced at Daring, but then nodded, stepping out of the way and allowing the griffons through.
"I see you put her through the grinder…" Daring walked around them, wincing at the state Alejandra was in. "Are you sure that's okay?"
"She's just exhausted," he answered, following her after she motioned with her wing to do so. "She worked herself to the point of passing out, but she really improved in the short time we had." His voice, although gruff, still had a gentleness to it. "She's something else alright. I think she could fight most griffons on the ground or air as well as most experienced fighters." He chuckled. "I wonder if all her friends back home have this sort of dedication."
"Oh, come on," Daring shook her head. "You can't be that naive, Galahad." She gave him a knowing look, smacking his beak with her tail. "We've been around young creatures before. She's infatuated to the point of endangering herself."
Galahad's beak twitched and he shook his head. "What better way to make sure they're both fine than making sure she's ready for this world?"
Daring sighed. "I keep forgetting that."
"You are also underestimating both of them, I think," Galahad said as they went deeper into The Arpia. "Alejandra's devotion to Twilight is not simply kitten love. Especially now that Alejandra met Gabby. There's a lot more to her, even if I'm taking most of her time right now and turning it into inner focus and training."
Daring grimaced. "Probably for the best." She glanced at the slightly snoring griffon on his back. "I don't think Twilight knows what to do either," she whispered.
"Of course not. It's not something she anticipated, and she justifies it by rationalizing Alejandra's resolve as caused by them being the only survivors of her mission, but while that might have strengthened their bond, it is not the cause of Alejandra's love for her."
They walked in silence after that, passing a few crew members who gave them curious looks, but did not interrupt them, until they reached a room.
"Celaeno said they'd had guests before and this is where they stayed," Daring said, opening the door and motioning them inside.
"Lovely decor," Galahad observed. "I particularly like the manacles and chains."
"I guess pirates have different ideas as to what constitutes as "guests"," Daring drawled. She nodded with her head at a nearby empty bed. "But the place is clean, and they removed the bars."
"Right," Galahad said, slowly and carefully lowering Alejandra onto one of the mattresses. "Well, it'll serve its purpose."
Galahad covered Alejandra with a light blanket and sighed. "To be young again."
"Don't say it like you're that old," Daring chuckled, patting him on the back with her wing. "You'll make me feel old too. Plus, you know as well as I do that Griffons and Ponies do match up sometimes."
Galahad smiled and shook his head, walking her to the door. "Yes. I've heard that too."
The sharp, jagged rocks of the eastern shores of Mt. Aris cast slowly elongating shadows on the dark gray sand, looking—in concert with the deep red of the sunset—like claw marks leaving behind bloody trails.
A lone, light blue hippogriff paced on the sand, clearly upset. He kept glancing around, nervously studying the sky, the rocks, the area where he had flown from. He nearly jumped when a low, mocking laugh echoed in the area, and an equine figure strolled out of the shadows.
"Well, well, well," Tempest grinned, opal irises gleaming with malice focused on him. "What a surprise, you did come."
"Where's my daughter, you monster?!" he growled, but she merely scoffed at his threatening tone.
"Alive and well… for now." She smirked slowly walking around him. "And she will remain like that, as long as you do what I want you to do."
"You're a monster… stealing young chicks from their beds, like a nightmare."
Tempest smirked. "Oh, I am worse than nightmares," she said leaning in to speak into his ear. "I am all too real."
She sniffed his mane and twisted her head, nuzzling his neck slightly with a laugh. "Tell me, Sky Beak, what will you do for your dear Silverstream?"
"I—"
"I don't want you to hurt anycreature… or even want you to suffer," she said walking past him, her body still pressed against his. "No. I want information… and a favor."
Sky Beak shivered and gulped. "W-will you give me back my daughter?"
"But of course," Tempest said, once again circling him. "But you must do two things for me, as I said."
He closed his eyes, clenching his beak as a slight shudder ran down his back. "What do you want?"
"I want you to tell me where Novo's power comes from. Who guards it. Where it is hidden."
"I would neve—"
"And, I want you to make sure to… intercept some guests that are headed this way."
He swallowed. "Guests?"
She grinned. "Oh yes. They will come here tonight or tomorrow. I want you to detain them. I want them to be… a distraction for all. That way I can get Novo's power without… harming too many hippogriffs."
"A-and my daughter…"
She chuckled, flicking her tail across his beak as she turned to head back into the shadows. "Oh, she'll be fine. She'll be back with you in no time. Just you wait."
"But… how will I know…"
"You will find another note with instructions," Tempest said, already fading into the shadows once more. "Don't fail… and she will be back with you in one piece."
"W-what happens if I don't do what you say?" he asked into the darkness, but there was no reply.
End Chapter 8