//------------------------------// // Chapter Thirteen: Anthracite // Story: Of Stars and Sails // by RadBunny //------------------------------// http://www.infinitelooper.com/?v=N-ted7frO6U&p=n#/79;174 Skystar stood protectively against Galen’s side, a dagger in each of her claws. She was under no illusions as to what her fate would be once captured. And if Galen dies… One gryphon decided to scamper ahead faster than the others, a grin on his face as he readied a short spear for an easy throw. Pausing but a dozen strides away, a triumphant sneer plastered itself on his face-And promptly froze as a dagger embedded itself into the Golden’s throat. Dashing forward to tackle the gryphon, Skystar slashed wildly at the cultist, nearly severing the attacker’s head before bounding back to Galen, her eyes narrowed with her beak grit with determination. The lines slowed, everycreature watching as the lone gryphon spasmed once and promptly died, golden magic leaking from his wounds. “WHO’S NEXT!?” Skystar screeched, glaring at the opposing forces as they cautiously edged forward once again. Apparently, they didn’t think of me as a threat! Commando-hippogriff time! Readying herself for another strike, Skystar paused as Galen leaned heavily against her. His claws glowed a bright blue- energy surging along his frame. With a vicious hiss, arcane energy surged towards the offending group, trapping two within a ball of lightning that seared away flesh and bone. Galen then slumped down, desperate eyes looking up to Skystar as he yanked out a small dagger from a holster on his arm, strength spent. That’s it then. Turning, Skystar gave him a final kiss and then gripped her weapons with shaking claws. As a minotaur began to stride closer, Skystar reared, letting out a defiant screech as she sent a dagger spinning towards the creature’s head. *WHOOOOOOOOOOOOM!* The air itself seemed to heave as Skystar’s dagger plunged into the minotaur’s skull, evercreature suddenly freezing. The sun was suddenly darkened, and a low-pitched hum seemed to echo all around. A set of claws suddenly grasped Skystar’s- Galen’s eyes wide in shock. A sound began to leave his beak, the sound of which lifted Skystar’s spirits like no other; the Knight began to laugh. Looking up, Skystar could only gape at the impossible sight above them. Looming over the battlefield, a massive vessel dominated the sky, wood and metal sprawling across the entire area as the remnants of a concealment spell flickered away. Smaller shapes surged forward- small airships the size of Galen’s, and even smaller objects dotted the sky, which was now blossoming with arcane fire. What is that?! “TO ME!” Galen’s roar soared across the battlefield, even as the gryphon scrawled a crude rune on the ground with a burst of energy, slamming his claws against it before collapsing against Skystar’s shoulder. A blue rune surged upwards, the symbol of Anthracite shining brightly against the sky. Dirt flew into the air as something impacted the ground around the pair, flashing with enough light to nearly blind them. The roar that now filled Skystar’s ears nearly brought her to tears. From the mouths and beak of dozens of soldiers, glowing creatures surrounded herself and Galen, weapons and armor adorning their arcane frames. They put their heads down and charged, a continuous battle-cry leaving their mouths; and leading the charge, was a lime-green Kirin. Crashing against the Golden creatures like a tidal wave, the soldiers tore the enemies apart as they struggled to flee, showing no mercy. The air now crackled, and Skystar felt her features stand up on end. The ship above them hummed, and magical spears as thick as a house lashing out against the miniscule Golden vessels. Incinerating the airships like a fly against a fire, the massive vessel continued to send out a magical broadside, the sky alight with ballista projectiles and arcane strikes without number. A gryphon snapped into existence next to Skystar- a medical symbol adorning the bag that was aglow like his figure. Pulling out three large crystals, the medic promptly slammed one of them into Galen’s side, speaking words that Skystar couldn’t understand. The world then shivered, a powerful teleportation spell activating as the three individuals were yanked away from the battleground. (end music) Skystar blinked the stars away from her vision, taking a surprised breath as an immaculate medical room filled her vision. It’s…all crystal? And wood? We’re safe? It looked like a hospital room in Mount Aris, or Canterlot- but somehow different. The crystal bed and cabinets seemed to radiate an aura that made them shimmer in and out of view, and the walls themselves had the safe effect. It was slightly unsettling, but the sense of safety overwhelmed any unease. “Nurses! Here!” The gryphon who had appeared at Skystar’s side heaved Galen up onto the bed, Skystar sitting at his side. “Princess, please stand back.” he ordered, still maintaining a respectful tone as the gryphon worked, now aided by an Ashen pony and minotaur. More oddly-shaped crystals were now brought in, each being screwed into a small slot at the edge of the bed. “This is a bad one. Tie into the ship’s manna core!” the medic barked, prompting a pony nurse to nod. The what? “Alright your Highness, I need you to shift. It’s going to hurt like crazy, but that’ll be it.” Galen nodded slightly, his physical form shifting into the strange arcane glow of an Ashen. He grit his beak in pain, claws scoring the edge of the table. “NOW!” The room hummed with power, and a surge of magical energy slammed into Galen, punching up through the medical bed. The strange golden glow was burned away from Galen’s side, a healthy blue power now flowing through his ethereal frame. “Good. No residual magic remaining, stable flow…you’ll be fine, Prince Galen.” The medic then nodded to Skystar, leaving the pair alone for a few moments as the ship lurched, the clouds outside zipping by, the other gryphon called away by a distant voice. That’s it? Galen didn’t say anything for a time, keeping his eyes closed for a good long few minutes. Eventually he glanced over to Skystar with the hint of a smile, his breathing now slow and even. “Hey there. You feeling alright?” Skystar whispered, prompting a chuckle from Galen. “Hello to you too. And yes, surprisingly. Sore, but alright. That spell is what I needed, and just in time. I have to say though, you were quite the warrior back there.” he replied, shifting to look at her. Skystar blushed, averting her eyes for a brief moment. “W-well…” I mean I was… “That yell…‘Who’s next?’ My gosh, I could have kissed you again right then and there.” She shut up the now-snarky gryphon with such a kiss, a happy hum leaving Galen’s beak. “Mmm. Just like that. But a bit longer…Are you ok though? I was in and out of it for a while there.” Galen admitted, sitting up in a crouch on the medical table, testing his limbs gently. “I’m…doing ok. It’s really over? We’re safe?” Skystar asked, smiling as Galen nodded and gestured around. “I believe so. Those ships? That was close to the entire fleet that arrived overhead. We’re on a medical vessel I believe, one of the newer ones, heading to Anthracite. I’ll be checked over by the doctors there with more specialized equipment, and then…” Galen’s brow then furrowed, shrugging as he reached over to hold Skystar’s claws. “Well, then I’ll figure out what next; Maybe have a single day off with you. I’d like to show you my home, well, one of them.” he admitted, a blush now on his cheeks as Skystar rested her head on their entwined claws. “I’d like that very much…” “I sense a ‘but.’” She didn’t say anything for a few moments, but then did indeed nod. “I really need to know what is going on at my home.” Galen nodded, now resting his head against hers. “I promise we’ll find out as soon as possible. I’ll ask when the medic returns, since standing up right now is a bit out of my ability. I haven’t forgotten your home, Sky.” Skystar smiled happily, ears perking up as the medic returned. “We’ll need to run some more tests, Prince Galen, once we return, but you should be fine. Oh, Princess, forgive the abruptness of our meeting by the way.” the gryphon remarked, bowing his head briefly. “Tactilius at your service, or just Tac.” Galen nodded slowly, waving a set of claws in thanks. “Thank you, by the way. I had no idea the infection had spread so far.” Tac nodded, sitting down and pulling out a crystal to run it over Galen’s frame as he spoke. “Oh yes. The use of the crystals in that pouch prevented it from progressing much further, but it was still dangerous. When you ran out of those, it exploded in intensity. You must have had close contact with one of the higher-up Golden cultists to get such a potent dose of that magic.” Galen chuckled, Skystar stifling a snicker. “Try the one at the very top. We wounded him.” Tac simply stared; eyes wide in shock. “It was awesome! Galen and Ley toootally beat the tar out of him! They used some sort of energy blast from the ship, and it just went…erm…heh.” Skystar exclaimed, then blushing as she blew out a breath. “Eh, sorry. Kind of all over the place right now.” Tac simply blinked as Galen shrugged, nuzzling the top of Skystar’s head feathers (which only further seemed to confuse the medic.) “That is about right. We wounded Him, that big golden behemoth. I intend our next encounter to be the final one, but that is for later.” “I…assume the council knows about all of this?” Tac stammered. “More or less. I didn’t have time to give a complete report. I assumed Ley would do so. Can you please ask the status on Mount Aris by the way? I’d like an update once we reach Anthracite. Oh, and I’d like to know where my crew is…and if they’re alright.” Still staring at Galen in shock, Tac fluffed his feathers and shrugged, packing up his medical supplies. “Well then, that’s certainly a surprise, I had only heard rumors. I’ll leave you two be, but I’ll be back to check on you, Sir, in an hour or so. Until then, you are to stay in bed. If you pass the next check, you can go topside. I’ll take care of your requests as well.” Galen nodded, relaxing on the medical bed with a sigh as the other gryphon left. “Why was he so stunned?” Skystar asked curiously. “That Golden Gryphon? He’s their leader, and fancies himself a god and is the one who killed hundreds, and nearly all of the Ashen long ago, including Ley. To many, the idea of taking him on and winning is fantasy. And yet we made him bleed.” Skystar giggled, poking Galen’s shoulder with a claw. “You made him bleed. It was totally awesome.” She let out a soft ‘eep’ as the gryphon reached over to grab her talons, pressing them against his cheek with a gentle sigh. “S-somebody is cuddly.” Skystar murmured, not complaining as she nestled her head under Galen’s. “I nearly died, and have the most amazing hippogriff right next to me, one who has stuck by me through all this craziness. That includes keeping me safe and alive on an island swarming with enemies. I’m allowed to be cuddly, and you certainly deserve cuddles.” the gryphon grumbled in reply. He then paused, and Skystar felt the pressure on her head lift- “Erm…if this is too much cuddly or the like, I didn’t mean to suddenly be all-” Skystar sighed, reaching up to tap a claw against the stammering gryphon’s beak. “Nothing too sudden about it. I do have to say, kisses were a great way to avoid thinking about our current predicament down there, but if I wasn’t comfortable with it, I’d have told you. I assume that’s where that train of thought was going?” A slight nod was Galen’s answer, prompting a giggle from Skystar. “If not for how respectful it is, sometimes I think you overthink the courteous-ness. I’ve wanted to be this close to you for a while, so…” she reached forward to nuzzle along his neck, returning to the comforting position of resting her cheek against his. She felt the gryphon sigh slightly, his warm cheek still pressed against hers. “I was so afraid I’d lose you down there.” Gripping Galen’s claws tightly, Skystar smiled ever so slightly, feeling the Prince’s beak lift in the slightest grin. “But you didn’t. I’m still here, and I’m not going anywhere.” It was her turn to pause, a slight smile twitching at her beak. “You know, if I deserve cuddles, I am not about to refuse such a claim…” Galen was more than happy to comply, nuzzling the top of the hippogriff’s head before returning to rest his cheek against hers. The world seemed to slow, and exhaustion crept into both of their frames. I’m just glad you’re back to normal, and safe. “Sir?” Both Galen and Skystar jerked as Tac’s voice emanated from the entryway, the medic Ashen not able to resist an amused grin. “You were resting, and I briefly checked in to ensure all was well; That was a few hours ago. We are approaching Anthracite, and I believe you are well enough to walk to the main deck. I assumed you would want to show the Princess…” Galen waved a set of claws, smoothing down some feathers on his face as he cautiously stood, sliding off the medical bed and nodding slowly. “Well enough it would seem, and yes, thank you Tac.” The Prince replied, waiting until the medic had left before glancing to Skystar. “Mwa?” Skystar mumbled, re-orienting herself and perking up. “Oh! We’re almost there! I can’t wait to see what it-MMMFFF!” The hippogriff sagged into Galen’s embrace as the gryphon yanked her into a passionate kiss, a wide smile spread across his features as he pulled back briefly. “I finally get to show you my home,” he whispered, “well, one of them. I’m just happy to have you here with me, Sky.” The Princess couldn’t avoid the blush that spread across her cheeks and down her neck, only managing to let out a soft happy chirp at first. “I’m just glad you’re back to, well, being you. I was worried with you being hurt….” Another strong embrace had the Hippogriff’s heart pounding as she looked up into Galen’s adoring eyes, the gryphon tracing a set of claws across Skystar’s head feathers. “Thanks to you, I’m fine, and here. And very much looking forward to spending time with you.” he replied softly, letting out a regretful sigh. “But there’s a monster to be slain first, but before that business…lets go see Anthracite.” Skystar eagerly followed him out of the room after another comforting squeeze of Galen’s arms, noting how every Ashen immediately saluted the gryphon as they passed through the wide halls. And they are definitely performing that gesture genuinely- I’ve seen guards not respect rules and courtesies. Climbing a metal staircase, Galen took a deep breath of the fresh air as they walked onto the main deck, prompting Skystar to gasp. The main ships deck wasn’t that much different from Galen’s ship- two main mast supports in the center, and railings all around. What was very different, were the black storm clouds surrounding the vessel, and the dozens of Ashen the milled about on the main wooden deck of the vessel. To either side of them, barely visible through the clouds, were four other similarly-sized ships, except these sported large ballistae’s lining their sides. “This storm system is all artificial.” Galen explained as they walked towards the prow of the ship. “It surrounds the entire nation, but I expect we’ll be dropping that cover fairly soon. Unless you have the correct spell, and are verified by the mages on the mainland, you get turned around and spat out. That’s how we’ve avoided prying eyes from either the cult or shipping vessels all this time.” “Authentication?” A booming voice echoed across the deck, a large gryphon materializing in the center of the deck. An Ashen unicorn trotted over from the wheelhouse in the rear of the ship, horn ablaze and sending a short spell towards the new arrival. “Code verified as Medical Vessel Scalpal, welcome to Anthracite, and, welcome home, Sir.” The gryphon remarked, turning to nod at Galen before vanishing. “That was more for show, for the record. We can detect the mana-core of a ship and get its signature as well.” Galen whispered with a slight grin. “But, you’re one of the first visitors to ever see Anthracite. My crew has seen bits and pieces of it.” The clouds abruptly parted, and Skystar’s jaw dropped. A series of lush islands lay in front of them, rocky outcroppings ringing the edge of what must have once been an active volcano. Every so often, massive white stone towers topped with a house-sized large mana crystal rose from the outcroppings, bristling with ballista and parapets lined with armed Ashen. Drawing closer to the main island, Skystar couldn’t help but stare, head on a swivel as they approached. Soaring nearly to the top of the volcano, crystal and stone buildings pierced the sky, numerous small shapes flying this way and that between the tall towers. On the top of the mountain was a single massive granite castle, towers and spires reaching even further to the heavens, bordering some massive airship docks and construction gantries. Lower on the volcano’s cape amid bushy trees, smaller, squat dwellings dotted the area in neat suburbs, marketplaces and parks easily visible from the air as distant creatures hustled and bustled about on their daily business. On the fringe of the island, large wooden docks stood ready to receive ships of all shapes and sizes, a large fishing fleet apparently returning with the day’s catch as they unloaded onto waiting cranes and carts. “It’s beautiful…” Skystar whispered, and saw Galen’s ears perk up as he smiled. Smaller airships now zipped closer, escorting the medical vessel to the large docks next to the castle, and a strange green glow began to form next to Skystar. Flashing into existence, Ley beamed as she ran over to give Galen a hug, then briefly turning to Skystar for such a gesture with a grin. She opened her mouth- but then shook her head with a cheeky smile, vanishing with a wave to who-knows-where. “Good, she’s alright. They must have vanquished the forces; we should be joined by the fleet soon.” Galen mused, then turned to look at the sprawling crystal and stone city that gleamed in the sunlight. Seeing most of the crew start to gather, Galen nodded to Skystar with a wink. “Hmm. I was wondering if this would happen. I didn’t plan on this, but I believe evercreature would appreciate a bit of formality; I’m sure one of these cheeky creatures has a broadcasting crystal. Just a formal welcome, if that is alright.” he whispered, prompting Skystar to nod ever so slightly. If anyone could understand formality…well, she had been through plenty of pomp and circumstance. Gesturing to the sweeping expanse below them as the ship docked, Galen bowed his head and offered a set of claws to the hippogriff. “Princess Skystar,” he began, “As leader of this nation, may I formally welcome you to Anthracite.