This wasn't the first time Jordan had looked particularly grumpy to be disturbed. Between the smell and the graceful way he curled up in his sleep, Blake half-expected to be chastised for breaking into the bedrooms for the wrong sex. Jordan took a moment to rise, shaking the sleepiness from his eyes.
Blake backed away, giving his friend some space. Space would let him ignore his senses, and remind himself of the person living inside that body. These feelings were involuntary, and they were only skin deep. They'd be back on Earth one day, and have to live with what happened on this side.
"We're gonna need some rules about waking me," Jordan finally said. Jordan was the only one left in the makeshift sickbay—every one of the ponies had hobbled or been helped to the surface, watching for their arrival. But Jordan remained, sleeping through everything short of physical contact. "Like how about not touching me while I'm off getting answers. I was talking to a princess that time."
And we're not sure if any of that is real. A “princess” of all things might've made the story even less plausible, if the newly-rescued captives hadn't used that same word so many times. "Right, sorry. But it might mean being asleep during important moments. You've got to see this Mount Aris place. Whatever you were expecting, it isn't that."
Jordan grunted his frustration, then flicked his tail in the pony equivalent of a shrug. "Fine, let's go. That's what we're here for, new lands, new discoveries. Did you get any of the ponies to tell you about a portal?"
"Nope." They walked together up the stairs, past the stained planks where they had fought for their lives. Their group had lived through that exchange, and the pirates had not. Didn't seem to be keeping Jordan up at night though. "We didn't have a lot of time. We were focused on navigating here, and flying this thing. Turns out sailing ships aren't as hard as you'd think. Galena knew what she was doing, even if she couldn't point us in the right direction."
He lowered his voice, leaning down to whisper in his ear. "We don't know how this is gonna go. The hippogriffs should appreciate what we did fighting pirates, but we might need to run some interference for Galena. She risked her life with us, she helped us get to safety, so it doesn't matter what she used to be. If anyone asks, you don't think she used to be part of the crew. She's a victim just like us, nothing else. Got it?"
Jordan nodded. "You don't have to convince me. She was on our team, so we look out for her. Got it."
Blake had been waiting for that confirmation. Once he had it, he stepped aside, and the two of them could finally make their way up onto the deck. The view spoke for itself after that.
Compared to other mountains, Mount Aris wasn't much for size. If anything, its unusual shape made it seem too small for that name. But it wasn't just some dumb pile of rocks, however breathtaking. Mount Aris was a whole island shaped like a skyscraper, with vast sweeping wings of stone to either side to shelter its leafy interior. They were actually wings, not just coincidental blades of rock.
The vast scale of the island became clearer the closer they got, as Blake saw the city arranged near the base. It was easily as large as the settlement they'd left behind. Even from the air, he could see none of the signs of a city suffering that were so obvious in Klugetown. The sky overhead didn't stink, for one thing, and a cloud of smog didn't surround it like a cloak. True, there was nothing particularly advanced about the cluster of a few dozen wooden buildings.
But they didn't need to be, with the rest of the island looming overhead.
"Look how steep that is," Ryan said, in Blake's voice. Maybe he would get used to that if he ignored it long enough, but he hadn't yet. "That has to be at least two kilometers, almost vertical the whole way. He leaned over the edge, staring openly at it. "Blake, that's not natural. There isn't stone at the core of that thing. I'm not even sure nanotubes could do that."
"You know, I got the sense it wasn't natural from the wing sculptures," Jordan said, leaning over the railing on the other side. "But why would someone who can terraform like this live in houses like those?"
Blake couldn't watch for long, he needed to get back to helping Galena and the others with the landing. But he listened another moment longer. "Just be nice when we land," he said flatly. "Remember, we're counting on these people to keep us safe from pirates. They have their own airships, and this space is patrolled. If they kick us out, we're screwed."
He hurried to the stern, where Galena had both claws on the wheel. Occasionally she reached to the side, adjusting another dial with various "lift factors."
"Looks like you've got this under control," he said. "Anything else you need from us?"
She shook her head. "Not at this second. We'll want to trim the sails as we come in towards the docks. We'll coast the rest of the way, and I'll fly across to tie us to the mooring. The navy will fly up to inspect us any moment. That's where you get to help."
She wasn't wrong, either. The city was still at least a kilometer off as a dense group of birds rose from the docks below, flying in tight formation directly towards them. Blake left the helm behind, rejoining the crowd of beleaguered ponies. They'd gathered near the patch that used to be the captain's quarters, but was now just a blackened deck. The Bright Hawk did seem less impressive without it.
The birds flew directly up to them. They were three creatures in all, wearing blue and white uniforms. Two wore crossbows over their backs, while one carried a satchel packed with papers. None drew their weapons.
The ponies started cheering as they came into view. "We made it!" "We're saved!" and other such phrases. As though they hadn't already been saved a few kilometers back.
They looked like griffons from a distance, but as they landed on the deck Blake could see they were something else. They were smaller and leaner than any of the pirates had been, with narrower beaks and manes like Jordan's. They were still bigger than any of the ponies aboard, or Blake himself.
"Interesting ship you've got here," said their leader. His voice was old and worn, a bit like someone who started each morning with a glass full of sandpaper. "From a distance it looked like we had ourselves a stolen ship flying into port."
He fished around in the satchel, lifting something in one claw. They apparently had that advantage too. Lucky. The folio had the look of an official document, with a sketch of their ship. Well it had the hull right, but the captain's quarters were different and there was no mast or sails. Instead it had sweeping aerofoils to either side, attached to the metal sections of the frame that currently held only rust. "Is this the Bright Hawk? That's the name she's been flying under."
Blake felt his opinion of these hippogriffs rising by the second. They had only written records, yet somehow they'd correctly identified their ship in the half hour it took to fly close to their town. But instead of any of the huge airships docked below, they'd sent only three lightly-armed birds. How many cannons on that island are pointed at us right now?
But Blake was too slow, and one of the ponies spoke first. It was the one Blake had first convinced to join their side. "We were their captives, meant to work the mines in Gangue. We fought them off and took the ship, then sailed straight here."
The hippogriffs shared a look of disbelief. But with the broken mast, visible damage to the hull from the impact, and the charred patch that had been the captain’s quarters, there was plenty of evidence.
"That's what happened!" said one of the other ponies. A younger, nervous girl, with wings that she opened and closed every few seconds. "He was the leader!" She seemed confused for a moment, then pointed at Blake. How could she tell which of them was which? Maybe because his "twin" was still leaning over the side staring at the impossible city and muttering to himself.
The hippogriff approached him, cutting through the crowd of nervous ponies. Of course nobody denied the story. Blake didn't move, despite the greater size of this creature. What was the bird going to do, attack him?
Obviously not. "Kirin this far south is a rare thing." He nodded towards the charred patch of deck at their hooves, scratching at it with a claw. "I'm guessing you're the greater part of how this rebellion succeeded. This isn't the first time we've heard of creatures vile enough to trade in other creatures. But it's rare they find their freedom without suffering through hard labor and eventually getting ransomed."
Blake nodded. "No one of us deserves credit for the success. But there were six pirates, and ten of us. We took casualties—four were wounded in the fighting, but none seriously. On our side." He looked briefly down at the deck, shuddering once at the memory. The fight felt like it had happened to someone else. Maybe that was what Jordan saw when he slept. Dreams so real they mixed with reality.
The hippogriff scribbled a few things on the pad of paper he carried, then flipped it closed. "Well then. I'm sure each of you creatures is eager to get home to your families. My patrol birds will assist you into the docks. I believe there's an outstanding bounty for this vessel's safe return to Equestria. How you distribute it is up to you. Is she carrying other stolen goods or contraband that you've seen?"
He believes us. Just like that. But who would've believed a ragged band of beleaguered, frightened-looking horses could be pirates?
"No sir," Blake answered. "The hold has food and spare parts for the ship, nothing else. But there's a member of my group who requires special care... I think she's called a seapony? She's having a rather unpleasant time trapped in a water tank. The wagon we used to transport her was ceramic, and it shattered in the crash. We don't actually know how we'll get her off."
The birds stiffened instantly at his words, all three of them coming alert. Their leader gestured to one, then pointed a wing at the helm. He flew off, and the other two surrounded Blake. "You didn't mention one of our citizens had been taken captive. There will be an additional reward for freeing her, I have no doubt."
"That's what you mean, isn't it?" the other bird said, tossing her crossbow firmly around so it settled against her back. She seemed to be reaching for something else—a necklace, maybe? The hippogriffs did seem to share similar taste in jewelry, even their no-nonsense commander. "When one of you Equestrians says seapony, you mean hippogriff without wings."
"No," said the older pony. "I wouldn't believe it myself if I hadn't seen her. She's a seapony as surely as you stand before us."
Their leader gestured again. "Silk, keep an eye on the deck and make sure docking proceeds smoothly. I'll assist the... seapony." He turned to Blake, extending a claw. "My name is Torrent. Lieutenant Torrent, if you're complaining about me to the navy. But Torrent otherwise."
The gesture had seemed so silly when the ponies tried to do it—what good was a handshake when you couldn't grab anything? But Blake extended his hoof anyway. "I'm Blake. I'd introduce you to the rest of my group, but I think you'll want to meet Kaelynn first. She's below, follow me."