-A day later, The Volcano, Upper Tier, Coliseum, Jacky-
“So where have you been Savannah?” Why did I ask that when I actually didn’t want to know?
“Out.” Savannah simply said with a smile.
I noticed a small blur pass by us and it looked vaguely squirrel shaped. I think that might have been Ratatoskr judging by the speed, he seemed to be heading in the direction of Fortitude’s group. Gene was getting in practice using his new spear with them at the moment.
“Who did you spend the night with and is it going to come back and bite us?” I just had to ask, couldn’t I just not care about what Savannah got up to as long as she wasn’t hurt and was alive? No, I was far too curious for my own good and I was her captain.
“It won’t, I promise. I just hope that the princess delivers my message to Amira the next time they meet.” Giving Savannah a flat look, I clearly had the question on the tip of my tongue and she must know that. I fought against actually asking that question as hard as I could, she told me anyway. “It’s actually kind of flattering that she came onto me first, she even had her medical records ready when I asked about them. Apparently I’m not the only one that carries a documented history of my personal health around.”
“I don’t need to hear anything else Savvy, we’re not here to talk about… that.” If I was going to be fighting, then I needed Savannah to help me train for the eventuality that I was disarmed. I still fought like a wet noodle without a weapon in my talons. “I asked Flotsam to send you here to spar with me.”
“Sure thing Captain! I even did as Tianhuo asked, I didn’t touch the Huoshan Guards at all.” Savannah stated cheerily while clapping her claws together while giving me a broad grin with her eyes closed. “So is this about needing to enter the Fiery Fights?”
“Yeah, and I want to at least win one match. If I’m immediately put up against Arizona, Velvet or Paprika, then I already know exactly what I’m in for.” Yeah, those three would absolutely shred me. Paprika was probably the least painful one to face and she would still hug the snot, and just about any other bodily fluids, out of me if she got a little too affectionate. “I still have to give it an honest try to be considered a warrior by the mountain’s standards. Also I just want to state that you’re a menace to anything that moves.”
“Yeah, I heard something on that from Gene.” Savannah looked thoughtful. “Do you actually think ‘The Volcano’ is alive?”
“Yes, that would be a thing wouldn’t it!” Flamberge stated as he sauntered past and towards the area where the Vikings were setting up for their form of volatile sparring. “If the mountain were alive, then it might be an ancient ancestor of mine. I can appreciate the idea that he or she is watching over a city of our cousins!”
What Flamberge was talking about was simple, it was part of the numerous legends about how dragons die naturally.
The legend I knew was that dragons die faster when they get to a certain size, given they needed more resources to live. Otherwise they could continue on for thousands of years at the age Flamberge was at and could theoretically stay that age, so long as they kept themselves in check by never growing farther.
Dragons could be functionally immortal if they chose to be.
At some point a dragon can go into an eternal sleep where they eventually die, but their body doesn’t rot away and decay in a normal manner. Instead of normal decay, a dragon’s scales, flesh and bones all calcify into various forms of stone and ore depending on what that dragon ate in life.
Dragons become mountains, a part of the landscape of this world. If the dragon’s blood becomes lava and fills said mountain with heat, then they instead become volcanoes.
Said volcanoes always tended to be useful for other dragons to use as nesting grounds or vacation spots, which could explain dragon migration patterns throughout Equestria and why the dragon lands were a highly volcanic region.
I believed that ‘The Volcano’ was one such dragon that died to become the home of the longma, leading me to this this creepy feeling that I’m being constantly watched by the spirit of it.
I think I was putting too much thought into legends and hearsay, but there’s always some kernel of truth to them.
-Flamberge-
“Okay so who am I sparring with first?!” I watched as Fortitude passed a letter back to a tired looking Ratatoskr and he smiled somewhat, he looked triumphant about something while being completely haggard and exhausted.
I wonder what happened to the little guy? I watched as Rata just slowly crawled off to the side and curled up against a wall to cry himself to sleep. Eh, he’ll be a fine.
“You and Gene, it has been a while since Gene has fought you and you can show him those techniques you learned in Neighpon.” Nodding to Fortitude, I moved to stand in front of Gene who held the spear I got him at the ready.
I spread my legs out, crouched down and grabbed the hilt at my hip. Skelly, Fortitude and Sweetcakes sat off to the side watching.
I closed my eyes, inhaled and then… a clang sounded and a blast of wind blew away from our weapons as they hit one another.
“You’ve gotten a lot faster.” Gene commented idly as he strained against the sword that started to light on fire. His spear practically interposed itself in the way of my weapon before it ever got anywhere close to hitting him. “I’m fairly impressed with how fast you pulled it.”
Gene’s reaction speed is still insane when it comes to him being personally in danger. I believe Blur would have found my brothers reaction speed to threats impossible.
“You can sleep, I’m just exercising with my brother.” The flames of my sword died down as the sword went back to sleep. “Let’s do this then!”
“If I’m going to enter the Fiery Fights, then you shouldn’t go easy on me.” There was a frown on my brother’s beak. “Do you feel a little bit ashamed that we were taken down by that machine?”
“Yes, but just because we lose the fight doesn’t mean we can’t win a war or the next battle!” I had more than enough emotions for the both of us brother and I was excited to fight you again.
“Well spoken.” With that Gene twisted the spear and spun with it, throwing my sword off to the side and me off balance with it. The shaft of the spear soon bashed into my skull harshly and I was left stumbling about dizzily. The world wobbled until it came back into focus and Gene held the spear at the ready, he was currently working on defense then. “Let us continue, but when it comes to Teatime… next time let’s not all rush in to test how well armored his machine is without a plan first. I don’t get injured often, and when I do, I tend to learn a lesson from it. For instance, it’s a good thing you have a healer for a friend or else my spinal injury could have been much worse.”
Sweetcakes smiled slightly, but then a large frown crossed her face. She did save my brother and I from having to be in pain for a long time, she was quite drained afterwards though. I still refused to show her affection, but I could at least acknowledge that she was a good friend to have when she wasn’t doing something explosively stupid.
Now that I thought of it, Sweetcakes was the reason for our injuries in the first place and now the GODLESS agents know we’re here and can expect some form of resistance to whatever their efforts are. We had lost the anonymity and stealth that could have given us a small advantage over them, because now they were expecting us to be watching out.
“I will agree with that brother!” We both turned to Fortitude who was practicing with Skelly, the mare was so lightweight that she could acrobatically spin and flip through the air using the weight of her axe to perform some really magnificent flourishes.
As fast and as aggressive as skelly was, Fortitude just kept actively blocking her attacks with his shield and occasionally struck out at her with his hoof.
Fortitude was a pretty tough nut to crack and his shield held up to Skelly’s magical axe without a scratch. The axe itself never dented, blunted or got scratched, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Skelly even sharpen it once.
Turning back to Gene, I raised my sword ready to continue. He nodded and took a stance, waiting for me to come at him.
I spun forward and brought down my sword in a high left to right slice with it held in my right claw and he twirled the spear to knock it off course.
I was expecting that and lunged forward to throw my left fist at his face as I continued my spin.
My brother lived up to his title by tossing the spear straight up, he then caught my fist and fell backwards while pulling me along with him. Once on his rear paws were propped up against my belly, he forcefully launched me off of himself.
I landed on my back roughly and with the forward momentum he gained from kicking me away, Gene rolled until he was standing and caught his falling spear to hold at the ready. The problem is, he was now standing over my sword.
He gave me a slightly warm smile, well as warm as his usual emotional range could allow.
“You need to work on your martial prowess as well Flamberge.” He stated, I noted that he didn’t move to simply give me my sword back. “See, even Jacky is learning how to fight without a weapon!”
I turned to see what he was pointed at and heard a shriek of pain as Jacky’s Abyssinian friend, I think her name was Savvy, threw her to the ground in a really a painful looking manner.
“To some limited success…” Muttered a slightly agitated Gene.
“I’m okay.” Groaned Jacky, that was before a blooming cherry blossom tree fell out of sky right on top of her. “I'm a little less okay!”
“What is it with her and tree related objects falling at her from the sky?” Gene grumbled, he turned back to me and waited.
I looked at my sword and then at my brother, I charged forward bouncing left and right and then when I got close enough I hopped backwards and blasted the ground with a burst of fire from my throat to create a blinding flash of heat and light.
I immediately dove forwards afterwards and… I found a spear in my face. It was being held back by my sword that I had interposed between us to the best of my ability. I had successfully made it to the other side of Gene with my sword in claw.
“I see you’re still as scarily talented as ever.” I received a soft snort of amusement from Gene, to anyone else it wouldn’t sound like amusement and more condescending.
“Nice job, but we’re still going to work on our martial talent afterwards.” Nodding to Gene, we pressed against each other and hopped backwards.
He held his spear ready for a thrust and I held my sword to do the same, we charged towards one another at the same time.
-Canter Dojo, three hours prior, Eir-
“No, bad boulder, Ragna come back to Eir now!” I was trying to stop pet boulder of ever increasing doom from causing problems. He recently just launched a cherry blossom tree into the distance, I just hope it didn’t hurt anyone.
As a Valkyrie I should not be directly responsible for someone’s death!
“That’s possibly the weirdest thing I’ve seen all day and we live here in the weirdness capital of Neighpon.” A well-dressed Diamond Dog stated as I ran by him and he was standing next to what looked like a dryder, he didn’t seem particularly worried about it as it just nodded along with his words. “To think I thought seeing Hachiko away from his usual spot was odd. Well I’m going to go dress ninjas up in bathing suits and then force them to perform ‘Hinny of the Hills’… in semaphore while riding ostriches.”
“You are cruelty personified Dodgy.” The spider pony stated, looking to the sky. “At least you’re doing a good job while Ryu is gone.”
Ah, they are being friends, no need to think too hard about it. Wait… why did I stop to listen to them?! I am needing to stop my cheeky pet Ragna from dooming Neighpon! I am also needing to collect wayward souls of Vikings while here.
Eir’s job is always so frustrating! Hopefully pet will calm down eventually and become affectionate once more.
Eir is loving Ragna, but it is quite tiring to take care of while on business. Still, Ragna loved to be rolled and I have been keeping him all cooped up in the bar.
-The Volcano, Coliseum, Fortitude-
“Okay, I am needing break.” With me calling our practice off, Skelly pulled her axe back from the middle of another swing.
Skelly was tireless, she was strong and she was also an inspiration as she didn’t let her experiences make her bitter to the world. She was a true Viking hero and a beautiful one at that… I may like Skelly as more than a friend.
I am not sure how to broach that topic, especially with the awkwardness of Skelly being living impaired being a big issue. Instead I just hug Skelly and would think about my feelings more, she hugged me back affectionately.
I already knew she made for a great general, also an excellent friend and companion, but does she ever miss the idea of having a close relationship with her given status?
Skelly’s fur felt real enough to me and she smiled so extravagantly, maybe I can be as brave as her someday and until then I would try to fill the abyss within her with good memories.
-Flamberge-
“Sounds good to me, I could use a few gems to chew over.” I was a bit famished, Gene really put me through a wringer and he was knocking off his own rust at the same time while doing it.
Fortitude was looking a bit sweaty and that would just make his smell worse.
My brother’s spirits be ever stalwart, for we are Vikings with strong heart.
I turned to Sweetcakes and saw that she wasn’t just watching me, but all of us… she actually seemed to be still upset about the trouble she caused. It was indirectly pointed out that she caused our injuries in the first place.
I sighed and considered what to say, why not meet her halfway and speak her language.
“Despite the trouble you cause, you will always help us mend.” I took up a single paw, earning her immediate attention. “Even with fearsome claws, you’re still our fluffy friend.”