//------------------------------//
// Exploring The Fallen Ship 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

Felicity and Slipstream surfaced in a room that had once been opulent, though time and the crash had seen to it that nobody would be enjoying themselves here any time soon. It took a moment for Slipstream to re-orient herself after the confusing visage of being submerged in shadows, but when she did, she saw a smashed four-poster on a once-red carpet, the room nestled into the ship's stern and surrounded by the remains of windows. The stern seemed to have collapsed from above while still holding together, creating a slanted roof and blocking the windows with debris while still permitting them to allow light and the elements.

"Well, this carpet has certainly seen better days," Felicity dryly remarked, the floor squishing slightly beneath her hooves. "Ick. Should have worn boots... Darling, if this room's mildew proves too much for my lungs, I may have to retreat."

Slipstream nodded, pacing carefully to the remains of the bed. The roof had fallen on its canopy when it partially collapsed, and knocked the whole thing in on itself, but it had easily been big enough for two... or a very large captain.

"There's a desk," Felicity murmured, trotting to a relatively-intact corner, her tail shivering from the sensation of the wet carpet below. "Look for any treasure chests, darling. Now, what have we here...?"

While Felicity searched, Slipstream inspected the wreckage around the windows, just enough light filtering through to see by. A lot was buried beneath, but it seemed like mostly mundane things... A hat rack, crushed picture frames, padded chairs and a low table. She extracted the remains of a tri-fold from near the rack, and held it up. "What do you think? Pirates?"

"If this land's pirates can be held to the same fashion senses as ours, probably not," Felicity replied, using the spokes on her leathery wings to attempt to pick a locked drawer. "Empire pirates only ever dressed that way in stories, save for a small few who lived by the legends. Legends that are rooted in high Goldoa fashion from four and a half hundred years ago, I might add, so it wasn't even originally related to... Aha!"

The lock sprang open, and Felicity slid back a drawer that was surprisingly well-preserved. "Ooh, wax sealant," she mused, lifting out a well-worn book. "Somebody didn't want you getting damaged..."

Slipstream looked up, in the middle of trying to force the door on a closet with a damaged frame. "What is it?"

"Captain's log," Felicity said, flipping it open with a grin. "Seems this misfortunate craft was called the Shining Talon. The dates start about twenty years ago, when it was... stolen from someone else. Of course." She curled her lip. "Hm hmm, hm hmm... Captain Groctus. What a tragic name."

Slipstream curiously wandered over. "Sounds like this was a pirate ship after all."

"A pirated one, at the very least." Felicity turned several pages, skimming. "Likely griffons, too. Come now, give me treasure maps or interesting details..."

"Treasure maps?" Slipstream tilted her head. "You really think gold and jewels will help us right now? How would we even carry it home?"

Felicity winked. "Oh, I'm not interested in the treasure, darling. Well, I am, but the map is more important. Especially if they've also marked danger or places to avoid..." She chewed her tongue as she searched. "Seems they knew about the Empire. Read this."

Northern heathens northern heathens northern heathens northern heathens northern heathens northern heathens northern heathens northern heathens northern heathens northern heathens northern heathens northern heathens northern heathens...

Slipstream stared at the page filled with messy, repetitive scrawl. "Wow."

"Yes, I suspect someone was drunk while writing this..." Felicity flipped another page. "Ah. The captain's daughter was killed in a skirmish with Equestrian border guards. I must say, the first mate's writing is infinitely better than his superior's..."

"Equestrian border guards?" Slipstream frowned, Felicity skimming too fast for her to keep up.

"Seems to be these particular pirates' nemesis," Felicity replied. "There are a lot of references to making plans to get past them. It makes sense, I suppose, that if there's a point here to cross the mountains with a Writ of Harmonic Sanction, then whoever issues the writs would be interested in monitoring it... I suppose these pirates just never knew about the mountains' supposedly-endless nature?"

Slipstream bit her lip. "If it's not common knowledge, that means it wouldn't deter anyone from crossing, so someone might get through now that whatever happened that let us through happened. I hope that's not a problem..."

"Mmm. From the writings here, it looks like they never made it far enough to find out." Felicity rubbed her cheek with a wingtip, holding the book and turning another page. "There's a lot of interest written here in smuggling various kinds of alcohol to the Empire. Though the way the captain writes about it, I believe he thinks the Empire is much, much smaller and poorer than it is. This place's inferior cousin, as it were."

"Still no maps, though?" Slipstream's ears fell, but she kept watching hopefully.

Felicity reached the end, only blank pages meeting her as she flipped further. "Hmm. Well, we'll take this back and give it a more careful read-over, but I didn't see any drawings... Maybe they keep sea charts elsewhere. It's a little small of a book to be used for maps, anyway."

"There was a table!" Slipstream perked up, almost running back to the window wreckage and stopping herself when her hooves started to squish. "Maybe there are charts..."

"Oh, would you look at this," Felicity called, summoning her back over. "The last entry. Seven years ago... Here's what happened to the ship, I suppose?"

First Mate Glenn, acting captain's report. This will be the Talon's final flight. We have split the crew three ways, leading a raid to barricade the railway and draw out the pony defenders. While their main garrison is dispatched, our second crew will lead a ground strike on their fortress, drawing away their reserve. While they are undermanned, we will strike the Talon into their fortress and deliver the payload.

I will be leading the rail team. I rate our odds of success at twenty percent, with much running involved. But Captain Groctus will be leading the ground assault team, and he is confident that with the regalia of the Forest King on our side, we can prevail. Either way, our rallying cry is the same: the ponies will stand in the way of our profits no longer!

The skies have been free of pony scouts all day. They will never see us coming.

Slipstream shrugged, finishing the passage. "Apparently they saw them coming. What's a Forest King?"

"I'm more interested in this payload they discussed," Felicity mused. "Though regalia is usually just for show, so having some that seemingly increases your odds of victory... Perhaps if they were downed early, it's still here."

"Well, I can't think of any better place for regalia than in a closet." Slipstream returned to working on the stuck door, trying to pry one of its hinges from the wall. "Is there anything else in that book? Because I could use a hoof, here."

Felicity closed the book and set it hack in its drawer, having nowhere better to set it. "Here we go, darling."

She wrapped a wing around Slipstream, and after a brief submerging, they rose in a room that was completely dark... except for a single source of illumination.

It was a coat, griffon-sized and red with gold trim and armored shoulders, bearing a cape and gauntlets and a noble collar. A green emblem of a crowned tree graced the chest, and a platinum tiara with a single large emerald sat above it. Beside it was a rapier, the blade polished silver and the flowing hilt guard inlaid with traces of emerald in the pattern of leafy vines. The whole assembly glowed with a faint light that didn't reach the walls as much as it should have, as if the clothes were there to draw attention to themselves and themselves alone. And despite the damp conditions and the years the ship had stood empty, they didn't seem affected at all.

Felicity slowly gasped, her pupils growing and dilating, and she put a hoof over Slipstream without thinking. "Oh, darling, I know I didn't say we were here for treasure, but I know valuables when I see them..."

"Are they magical?" Slipstream blinked. "They're glowing..."

"Likely so, and yes they are," Felicity giggled. "Come. Let's handle this door and get this absolute haul out into the light. Just imagine how much favor we could win with the money-grubbing locals in exchange for something like these..."

Slipstream started working at the door. "Seems like they'd be a shame to sell. They look pretty, and are apparently powerful?"

"I know." Felicity's ears fell dramatically. "Would that I could keep them, I'd be a very happy mare, I will admit. While they are designed for a griffon royal, I do imagine I'd look deeply attractive in upper-class stallions' clothes..."

Slipstream raised an eyebrow.

Felicity sighed. "But I'm playing a different game now, and you all have to be my first concern. And that means making the most of our resources and not being selfish, and these really do look like they could go a long way... Though I'm still trying them on after I've had the world's longest bath. Need help?"

"With this door?" Slipstream shoved it. "If you can't sneak them through, we'll need to get it open. Watch out for the ceiling, it's damaged. Are you strong enough to try to buck it open with me?"

Felicity lined up her rump with the door. "I'll give it a shot."

"One three," Slipstream commanded. "One... two..."

With a shout, both mares kicked, and the door snapped off its damaged hinges, spinning on its way down and preparing to club them both across the back. But with well-honed reflexes, Felicity jumped to the side and tackled Slipstream, and when the door fell they were both safely submerged in shadow.

"Whew," Slipstream panted as they got up. "That surprised me. Thanks?"

Felicity frowned at the door. "Well, I was ready just in case anything happened. Remember your own job, though, darling. I think we would have been fine, getting hit by that, but better not to take chances."

Slipstream nodded, pushing the fallen door out of the way and making sure the ceiling still looked stable. Apart from slightly more ruined trim, it would hold. Looking back in satisfaction, she sized up the regalia, then the locked captain's door, all the bolts still present on the inside. "Alright. Time to get this out of here."