//------------------------------// // Chapter 34: Vesper // Story: Forbidden Places // by Starscribe //------------------------------// All things considered; Jordan was not having a particularly good day. It wasn't just that her time with Blake had been rudely interrupted, though considering the hours she had spent getting up the courage to try any of that, it was certainly a factor. Rather, it was that her attempts to get anywhere with Blake had been interrupted by a ship of evil pirates bent on killing them all. Jordan was no fighter, despite what she'd had to do. Anyone could fight for their survival if it came down to it. But against a ship as large as the one following them, with as many creatures swarming over the deck and bristling with dangerous weapons, she knew any effort would be futile. She rushed to obey Galena's instructions, along with all the others. Even Kaelynn was on the deck now, though she mostly just sat near the back and used her machine to shout updates about how the ship behind them was doing. While she sat, the others worked furiously, opening every sail on the ship and turning them into the wind. This was the exact moment they could've really used a better engine.  If only they had a few months back in Mount Aris to build their own engine. It would probably work far better than whatever ugly thing that ship used, spewing a trail of black smoke behind it like a perpetually burning tire-fire. But there was at least one mercy today: the wind whipped about them with incredible speed, at least forty miles per hour now. Fast enough that it would rip them right off the deck if they weren't careful. For anyone but Galena, that would probably be a death sentence. It didn't look like they were going the right way anymore. Once the sails were redirected, they rode with the wind on a path that was sharply west, rather than almost directly north. Still, that meant no need to tack with the wind, sacrificing valuable speed with each rotation of the sails.  "Looks like we're getting away!" Kaelynn yelled, or her helmet did anyway. Even so, she was barely audible over the roar of wind. "They're falling behind!" "Nice!" Ryan cheered from not far away, in the voice of the stolen hippogriff's body. It was a good thing that bird didn't know how often he'd been copied since they flew from Mount Aris. It was hard to resent him, even so. They wouldn't have made much progress without someone to tie knots. "And we're getting further away. You think we're losing them, Galena?" Blake worked the sails with all of them, so he had to yell back to the high deck and the helm atop it. Even from this distance, Jordan could hear the bird's pessimism. "Not possible! Now that they have seen us, they will send birds ahead to keep watch, flying after us. They won't attack this way—those birds would be outnumbered and exhausted. But they can wait and report our path to the Eagle's Talon as she reaches them." Of course. Jordan took one last look at the sails, all successfully tied off. She nodded to Janet, then crested the steps up to the high deck. As much as the bird would probably smell what was really going on with her, Jordan needed to have a look for herself. The airship was smaller now, about the size it had been when Blake spotted her on the horizon. It was hard to tell for sure, but even from here she thought she could see little specks occasionally rising from the deck, lifting high or even flying ahead of the aircraft. "That must be exhausting," Jordan said, not needing to shout now that she was up here with most of the others. "Flying ahead of their ship, I mean. How long can they go like that?" Galena didn't look back. The griffon kept her claws on the wheel, occasionally making subtle adjustments to the controls. Jordan should probably know what any of that crap did by now. But it just wasn't as interesting without Blake as their pilot.  "Griffons are not like ponies. We aren't skeletons, but covered in muscle and claw. Those muscles mean incredible speed over short distance. From a greater height, a griffon will outfly any pony or airship. We tire quickly. But do not forget the wind at our tail. The Eagle's Talon lacks sails, so cannot benefit so much. Birds have wings, and know how to use the wind to carry them. Our only hope of outflying their scouts is to reach the Equestrian border." "The pirates are too afraid to cross?" Blake guessed.  Galena laughed. "Not of the border—they represent no nation, and dwell far from Equestria's reach. But the ponies know the dangers at their border, and patrols are frequent. Equestrian ships will likely mean retreat. A single team of unicorn warmages could sink their ship without a fight." "I thought they were out for revenge." Jordan kept her voice as neutral as she could. The former pirate hadn't said anything about her yet—probably best not to anger her. "They aren't willing to fight for it?" The griffon laughed, even louder than last time. "You ponies really are crazy. You think anyone wants to die for revenge? Maybe the birds of some noble king's army. Not pirates. Any who had a death wish like that are long dead." The Bright Hawk jerked slightly backward, creaking up and down its masts. Jordan stumbled forward a step before catching herself. She didn't try to suppress her pride at her recovery—she'd come a damn long way since first being transformed, and no longer fell over like an idiot. "Oh God," Blake muttered. "We just... Galena, where is the wind?" She worked the wheel, making a few subtle adjustments—testing the path to either side. The sails whipped about unevenly, no longer stretched to full area. "I was afraid of this. We are out of wind. Ponies, brace yourselves! There is one way left to go!" She took hold of the flat handle, the one that Blake had stopped her from using. Then she shoved, pressing it all the way forward. Jordan smacked into the deck, as her world became a rapidly accelerating elevator. She looked around, and saw Blake was still on his hooves, though he held to the railing along one side to keep himself standing. He dragged himself along, until he stood beside Galena. "What are we doing?" "Searching for a better wind!" she said. "And stopping them from sending birds to dive and attack! This new Equestrian ship can rise far faster than they can!" Jordan glanced briefly down to the lower deck, and saw the others struggling the same as she was. She planted her hooves securely and shoved, rising into a standing position. It took most of her strength just to stay that way, let alone trying to walk.  They were already so high that the tropical environment under them was a distant blur. It meant she could only rely on the occasional wisp of cloud in the clear sky for any perspective on just how fast they ascended. Too fast, clearly. "How high can we go?" Blake yelled. The wind whipped around them again, though this time it came from an entirely different direction. "Will the ship give out? If we lose the levitation crystal, we're dead!" "Eventually!" Galena replied. "But we die a lot sooner than the ship does! Feel that cold? It gets far worse! Air too thin to breathe! Ponies... do better than griffons if they have much magic. Maybe... you live!" The sails filled again, and the ground lurched out from under Jordan. She slid along the deck as the ship smacked into her from below and also tried to drag itself out from under her. Certainly not a combination she enjoyed.  Her own head was already swimming. She felt her legs bump against the railing, and finally she came to a stop. Good thing the ponies who built this thing hadn't been complacent in their own abilities, or she would’ve just gone right over the side. It was hard to concentrate. What were they doing again? It was probably working—the Bright Hawk was going really fast now! Where was Blake, he would probably like her more if they were going fast. That made sense. Blake lay on his side beside the helm, next to a bird. A thin mist of ice covered them all, like a delicate white dust. Pretty. How high had they gone, anyway? Humans with a lifetime of practice and training could breathe the thin air atop Everest, if they didn't strain their bodies. But most of them brought oxygen. Something thumped to the deck beside Jordan, then rolled into her. She looked, and found an oversized green tank trailing little white hoses. She'd just been thinking about that! Pale Light would be so happy to hear that she was getting better at her magic. Why did that matter? There was a reason, but she couldn't remember. Jordan leaned forward, playing with the edges of the hoses with one hoof. They came untangled, revealing little clear masks on the ends. Four, because she had four friends who had come from Earth. That was just the right number. That's the worst looking mask I've ever seen. Blake won't want to let me share his room wearing this stupid thing. Even so, she couldn't help her curiosity. What would it feel like to wear a mask made of dreamstuff? Vesper pulled it over, with ample difficulty. She was shivering now, and getting colder. But what did that matter? That cold belonged to someone else, not her. She was only borrowing it. The mask felt like a plastic facemask, as it turned out. It had shapes that matched the general contours of a pony, with a deep, flexible silicone seal and an elastic strap she could tighten. Jordan tightened it, and took a breath. The headache she didn't even know she'd had begun to ebb. The air was dry and unpleasant on her throat, but it was doing something. Soothing her headache away, maybe? Jordan took another breath, then another. Why was she laying alone by the railing? Where had this oxygen tank come from? No matter—the tank was here, and every second with the mask over her animal muzzle brought further clarity. Memory came rushing back to her. They'd been running. The pirates had come out in force, and they wanted to catch the Bright Hawk before they could get too far into Equestrian territory. She stood, with difficulty. They were still rising, and moving forward so rapidly in the upper air that the mast strained and groaned with the force of it. They probably weren't supposed to just ride the lift crystal this high up. She glanced behind the ship, and couldn't even make out the enemy vessel anymore. As night approached, her vision would get a little sharper, but she should've been able to make out something so large. Maybe that speck on the horizon far behind? They had to be somewhere. Jordan took another deep breath, then started dragging the tank along behind her. She made it to the helm, where Blake lay on his side. His eyes were still open, and he grasped feebly at the wheel, out of reach. The bird was in slightly worse shape, as she'd suggested. Shouldn't griffons be better at altitude than we are? Raptors do heights more often than horses in the real world. It must have something to do with magic, or else maybe she was just making the mistake of trying to compare her universe to another one. Either way she bent down, settling the mask over the griffon's face as best she could.  We're breathing air I pulled out of the dreaming. How long will it help? Galena did not sit up, though the mask did start to fog on her face. Jordan leaned down over the railing, but saw no sign of Kaelynn or Ryan anymore. There was a thin skein of ice leading down to the stairs, maybe they had something to do with it? Regardless, she couldn't worry about that. Jordan took the acceleration lever, and lowered it to a flat position. They jerked, the wood groaned in one final protest, then they finally leveled out. She took a few seconds to recover after that, letting her legs relax in the reduced pressure. She occupied herself with one of the remaining masks, offering it to Blake.  He was still aware enough to grab it when offered, even pulling it on himself. After about a minute, he sat up. "Where the hell did you get this?" "Good dream," she answered. "Let's see if we can give it a happy ending."