As Arc and Ember sleep the mammoth ship takes off. Flying to the destination Arc had ordered previously, it began circling it carefully before landing in the middle of nowhere. Arc’s earring chirps, awakening the pair as a full moon illuminates the room. Touching his earring groggily Arc sits up.
“Arc here.”
“Captain Soarin, sir. I’m reporting as ordered.”
“We’ve arrived?”
“Yes sir. The ship just landed.”
“Good. Are we ready to commence the operation then?”
“Completely, sir.”
“Have the crew standby for my orders. Arc out.”
He severs the connection as Ember rolls over and wraps her arms around him.
“Please don’t tell me it’s morning.”
Arc looks at the clock on the wall. “Technically, no.”
“Good. Let’s get some more sleep then.”
Arc sighs. “Ember...”
Ember groans as she kicks off the covers and sits up. “Fine, fine. I’m awake anyways.”
Arc looks to her as she stands and heads for the dresser. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, Ember.”
“No, I do. But I don’t get why you decided to run this thing at such a late hour.”
“I prefer to see it as ‘early’.”
Ember frowns as she dresses. “Call it whatever you want. It’s still dark out there.”
Arc nods as he too dresses. “Look on the bright side. We got to sleep together again.”
“That does make this a bit easier, yes.”
A short time later the pair finish making themselves presentable. Arc calls forth his gauntlet and opens a portal. Eidolon’s Ward steps through and salutes.
“Reporting as ordered, sir.”
Arc chuckles. “Very funny, Cherry.”
“Did I do that right?”
Ember laughs. “I was convinced.”
Arc smirks. “Just fine. Now then, is everything ready on your end?”
Cherry nods as she motions to the closing portal behind her. “Yes, Arc. They’re standing by and awaiting your orders.”
“Perfect.”
He looks to Ember before continuing.
“You ready to get started?”
Ember grins. “That I am.”
“Then let’s go.”
Stepping toward his armor, Eidolon’s Ward opens to allow Arc to enter it. Doing so, he raises a gauntlet and opens a portal. Taking a deep breath he turns back to Ember as she calls forth her armor.
“Ready?”
Ember raises an eyebrow. “Didn’t you just ask me that?”
“Guess so. Um... is that a ‘yes’ then?”
Rolling her eyes, Ember shoves Arc through the portal before walking through it herself. Arriving, she spies Arc getting up from the snow. He turns to her as he shakes the slush off of himself.
“Thanks. I needed that.”
Ember grins as the portal closes behind her. “Don’t mention it.”
Arc turns and heads for the stairs. Ember frowns as he opens the door.
“Um... what are you doing, Hero?”
“Visiting a friend.”
“Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“I don’t think so.”
Ember groans. “We’re visible!”
“And?”
“Are we seriously going in there like THIS?!”
Arc shrugs. “Why not?”
“Are you serious?!”
“Yeah, we probably shouldn’t just walk through there in our armor.”
“Magic cloaks?”
“Yeah.”
Pulling two from his ring, Arc hands one to Ember and puts the other on. Cloaking, they enter the hospital via the roof stairs and walk to Shelly’s room. Finding the door ajar Arc slowly pushes it open and enters with Ember. Closing the door behind him, the pair decloak. Approaching the bed together they see Lily sitting in her chair with her coat on. Shelly lies on the bed in a sweatshirt and a warm looking pair of pants. Standing, Lily smiles at the pair and looks to Arc.
“You came!”
Arc nods. “Yes. Are you two ready?”
Lily giggles excitedly as she pulls Shelly’s wheelchair from a corner. “Yes. Just give me a moment to get Shelly situated.”
“Can I help?”
Shelly smiles sheepishly. “I... I need someone to help me get to the chair.”
Lily turns to Arc. “Together I think we can do it.”
Arc chuckles. “Or I can lift her with my magic.”
Ember shrugs. “That’d work.”
“Well... if it’s okay with Shelly.”
Shelly nods. “Yes, I trust you, Hero.”
Seeing the wheelchair prepared, Arc holds out a gauntlet to Shelly. Carefully spreading his magical aura over her body Arc slowly and carefully lifts the young woman from the bed and levitates her over to her waiting chair. Lily steps forward and holds up a coat.
“Let’s get you bundled up, Shelly.”
Ember grins. “I don’t think you’re going to need it.”
Shelly appears confused. “Oh?”
Arc nods. “Where we’re going it’s not exactly cold. That and I’ve made preparations for you.”
Lily puts the coat in Shelly’s lap. “I’ll bring it just in case though.”
Ember shrugs. “You’re choice.”
Arc clears his throat. “Are we ready?”
Shelly nods. “Yes.”
“Alright. Here we go...”
Turning, Arc lifts a gauntlet. A portal opens as he turns to Ember.
“Go on ahead and make the announcement. I’ll give you a one minute head start.”
Nodding, Ember does as she is told. Entering the portal she comes face to face with Sereb and Auriel.
“It’s time. You two know what to do.”
Auriel giggles. “That we do.”
Sereb nods with conviction. “We won’t let Arc or his friends down!”
The pair turn and run down the corridor together as Ember looks to the portal and waits patiently. In short order Lily steps through pushing Shelly as Arc brings up the rear. The two look around as the portal closes behind them. Lily is the first to speak.
“Is this... really...?”
Arc nods as he looks to her. “Yes. My airship.”
Shelly gasps. “Does it have a name?”
“The Equinox. But let’s get you situated before we talk anymore, Shelly.”
Gesturing to the outer wall behind them, Arc leads the women over to a space that had previously held a large section of bench. In its place is a hospital bed bolted low to the floor. Lily and Ember help Shelly into it as Arc pulls out a couple blankets from a nearby cabinet. Spreading them over Shelly he looks down at her.
“Are you warm enough?”
Shelly nods. “Oh yes.”
Ember smiles. “The Hero ordered the ship’s temperature raised a bit for you, miss.”
“I didn’t want you getting cold.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Now then, shall we get underway?”
Lily giggles. “I’m ready. Shelly?”
“Yes sir. Um... but might I be allowed to stand as we do so?”
Ember frowns. “You really should stay lying down, miss.”
“I know. But I just really want to be able to see the take-off.”
Arc chuckles. “Not to worry. I thought of that.”
Picking up a remote nearby, Arc presses a button. Hydraulics come to life as the bed slowly rises up to window level. Shelly gasps as she looks outside.
“It’s snowing here too!”
Lily nods happily as she stands next to the bed. “Very pretty.”
Ember looks to Shelly. “The wall to wall windows make this especially picturesque.”
Shelly turns to Arc. “Um... excuse me, sir. Were you also able to... you know...?”
“I was, yes. One moment please.”
Raising a gauntlet, Arc opens another portal. Standing in front of it he waits patiently. A few moments later Minerva and Dave step through with several duffel bags. Arc closes the portal behind them and approaches the pair.
“Thank you for coming, Minerva.”
Minerva smiles. “It’s good to be here.”
Dave looks around, clearly in awe. “Boy... when you said you wanted to do a follow up story you weren’t kidding.”
“Let’s get the camera set up after take-off.”
“You’re the boss.”
Arc looks to Ember. “Tell the captain we’re ready to depart as scheduled.”
Nodding, Ember hurries down the corridor as Arc looks to a nearby wall clock.
“Looks like we have five minutes before take-off. Would you like a seatbelt, Shelly?”
“Is that advisable?”
“Not really. Take-offs are very smooth in my ship. However I thought I’d still offer such things for your own peace of mind.”
“Thank you. I think I’d like to be strapped in, yes.”
Arc nods and reaches under the mattress. Pulling out seatbelts he carefully pulls them over Shelly’s chest and thighs. Lily tightens them down and looks to her friend.
“How’s that?”
Shelly smiles at her. “Very nice. I feel secure now.”
Ember returns and hurries over to Arc.
“We’ll be taking off any moment now.”
Minerva gasps. “Wait a minute! What about us?!”
Arc shrugs. “Sitting down in a chair would be fine. Or you could also stand and hold onto a table. Your choice.”
Dave turns to Minerva. “What do you think, boss?”
“I’ll stand. Do what you want though.”
Dave nods and sits down with his camera on his lap. Minerva looks to Arc as the whir of the engines rings out.
“Um... aren’t you going to sit down?”
Arc folds his arms over his chest. “Nope.”
Ember grins. “The Hero like this part.”
She latches onto Arc’s arm as she continues.
“As do I.”
Lily puts a hand on the bed’s guardrail as the ship slowly rises. Shelly grins as the ship lifts off and gains altitude. As the snow stops the moon comes out Ember grins as she mutters under her breath.
“Right on schedule.”
A short time later Arc looks to Shelly.
“It would appear that we’ve reaches out cruising altitude. It’s completely safe to unbuckle now.”
Lily helps undo the straps and places them back in the places as Shelly sits up. Ember puts a couple pillows behind her back to help support her. Minerva looks to Dave and nods. The pair get to work unpacking their equipment as Lily looks to Shelly.
“I still don’t understand why you wanted a camera crew here.”
Shelly does not look away from the window. “Because of something the Hero said the other day.”
“Me?”
“Yes. You told me that I had helped people in the past by just being there for them and for speaking up. I want to do that for the Hero now.”
Ember raises an eyebrow. “I don’t get it.”
Arc shrugs. “Me either.”
“The citizens of Angel Grove are still a bit nervous as is the rest of the country. Seeing the Hero and his agents fleeing from the military didn’t do much to help put their minds at ease.
Lily smiles. “So you wanted Miss Moore do give her an interview?”
“That and show everyone his ship.”
Dave turns to Minerva. “Speaking of that, what about the countryside?”
Minerva shakes her head. “I don’t think the camera would pick up too much. Moonlight can only do so much and night vision will only make it look like a combat zone.”
Ember clears her throat loudly. “The Hero has agreed to give a tour of the ship before the interview.”
Arc nods. “Right. Shelly, you and Lily are welcome to join us if you’re feeling up to it.”
Ember motions to the window. “Or you can stay here and watch the scenery.”
“Um... I...”
She looks to Lily for support.
“Whatever you want to do I’ll come with you, Shelly.”
“I... believe I’d like to see your ship then, Hero.”
“Very well then. However please be aware that two areas are strictly off limits. Engineering and the Bridge.”
Ember raises an eyebrow. “Don’t you mean three, Hero?”
“What did I miss?”
“Your quarters.”
Arc shrugs. “I don’t mind anyone seeing that. After all, it’s kept tidy by the crew along with the rest of the ship.”
Minerva appears nervous. “But what about state secrets?! Isn’t this ship just loaded with them?!”
Dave nods. “We don’t really want to accidently see something we shouldn’t!”
Lily grimaces. “Us either!”
Ember shrugs. “Not to worry. The Hero doesn’t leave stuff like that lying around.”
Arc chuckles. “That and I had the crew see to it that anything confidential was stored in my locked office. Which I suppose does bring the list up to three now.”
He motions to Shelly’s wheelchair before continuing.
“But, if you’re ready we can get underway, miss.”
Shelly nods excitedly. “I am, yes!”
Arc stretches out a hand and carefully picks her up with a Telekinesis Spell. Setting Shelly down in the wheelchair she turns to him.
“Can this be part of the interview, sir?”
Ember frowns. “You want to broadcast the ship’s interior?”
Lily sighs. “That might be going a bit too far, Shelly.”
Minerva steps forward. “We would edit out or censor any part of the footage that you deemed to contain sensitive information, sir.”
Dave nods. “I’d even let you, or a representative, be present when I edit it.”
“Alright. But the a fore mentioned places will not be shown.”
Shelly appears relieved. “Thank you, sir.”
Lily takes her place behind Shelly as Arc and Ember take the lead. “Here we go.”
Minerva turns to Dave. “That’s our cue as well.”
Dave raises the camera to his shoulder. “I’m ready.”
Minerva grins as she falls into step. “Then let’s get this show on the road!”
“Aren’t you going to walk up front with the Hero?”
“Give him time to do the tour with Shelly and Lily. I can record my own description of this tour in post.”
Arc looks to Shelly. “The ship isn’t actually that complex. Right now we’re on the upper level. But we should probably start at the bottom.”
Ember raises an eyebrow. “Are you sure, Hero? I mean, that’s just the Cargo Hold and Engineering.”
“Guess you’re right, Dragon.”
Lily turns to him. “The engines are down there, right?”
“Correct.”
Shelly grimaces. “Is it... loud?”
“It can be, yes.”
“I think I’d better stay away from there then. Lound noises have been making me sick lately.”
Arc chuckles. “Alright. I feel kinda silly now.”
Ember scoffs. “Well you should. Showing off the Cargo Hold when there’s much nicer places to see.”
Arc gestures to a nearby pad. “Mid Deck it is then. Step on please.”
Shelly looks down as the wheelchair rolls onto it. “What is this thing?”
“A teleporter.”
Lily gasps. “What?”
Arc clears his throat. “Mid Deck.”
In a flash Arc, Shelly, and Lily vanish only to reappear on the pad in the Cafeteria. Arc leads them off the pad so Ember, Minerva, and Dave can follow. As they reappear Dave looks himself over nervously.
“Am I all here?!”
Minerva nods. “Yes indeed.”
“How are you so calm about what just happened, Minerva?”!
“Simple. The Hero went first.”
Arc chuckles. “Just showing everyone how it’s done. We can use those to get around the ship in an instant.”
He puts a hand on Shelly’s shoulder before continuing.
“But when they were originally installed I didn’t consider that they also made my ship much more handicapped accessible.”
Shelly smiles. “It’s certainly more convenient than an elevator.”
Lily grins. “Quicker too.”
Minerva looks around. “This appears to be quite the lunchroom, Hero.”
“Yes indeed. As the name suggests, the Mid Deck is the center of the ship. And the Cafeteria is in the middle of that.”
Ember smirks. “Think of it like being in the belly of the beast.”
Arc frowns. “Maybe not the best way to put it, Dragon.”
Lily smirks. “How about it being more like the heart?”
Shelly giggles. “I like thinking about it as the stomach myself. But I might be a little biased.”
She turns to Arc before continuing.
“Is there an equally large Kitchen?”
“Oh yes. Right this way.”
Leading the group through a large double door Arc gestures with a hand.
“The Kitchen was designed to be more than just a place for reheating precooked meals. As you can see we’re set up to prepare enough food to feed an army. From scratch even.”
Minerva gasps. “That must be quite difficult. After all, it must take an army to staff this vessel.”
“We make due with about a dozen full-time crewmates.”
Lily’s eyes grow wide. “That few?!”
Arc shrugs. “Everything is streamlined for maximum efficiency.”
Shelly appears confused. “But if the crew is so small why have such a large Cafeteria?”
Ember grins. “Just in case.”
Minerva raises an eyebrow. “In case of what?”
Arc turns around. “Let me show you the next stop on our tour before I answer that question.”
Retracing their steps, Arc leads them down a corridor. Pushing open a random door he steps inside and gestures with a hand.
“This is just one of numerous Dormitories here on the Mid Deck. The entire hallway, as well as the one that leads away from the Cafeteria in the opposite direction, is lined with rooms identical to this.”
Lily appears confused. “Bunk beds?”
Shelly smiles at her friend. “Well, it is a military ship.”
Ember shrugs. “Not really.”
Minerva turns to Arc. “It’s not?”
“Technically, you’re both right. While this ship is heavily armed and armored it isn’t actually under the command of this nation’s government as I’m not actually a part of the military hierarchy.”
Lily appears surprised. “But we saw what looked like soldier horses on the news.”
Minerva nods. “Yes, and they were certainly fighting back against those drones.”
Ember shrugs. “Think of the Hero as a neutral third party that’s government sanctioned.”
“My position as Hero of Light is one that was created to... prevent a single ruler from gaining too much power.”
Shelly puts a hand to her chin thoughtfully. “Checks and balances?”
Arc nods. “Exactly. But let’s go back to your original question about the size of the Cafeteria. As you’ve seen, this ship is set up to transport and house a large number of individuals.”
Lily giggles. “You mean warrior horses?”
“Any living creatures really. The ship was designed as my personal flagship to be used for, among other things, humanitarian aid should the need arise.”
Minerva raises an eyebrow. “Relief efforts?”
“Right.”
Shelly raises a hand. “Has that ever happened before? “
“A couple times, yes.”
Ember nods. “There was a terrorist attack in one of our land’s major cities. The Hero ordered his ship to land in front of the ruined building to allow it to be used as a sort of field hospital.”
“Another time I had to evacuate an entire town’s population when there was a massive fire. Both times I’m glad this ship was outfitted this way. But let’s continue our tour.”
Returning to the corridor, Arc leads the group toward another room nearby. Opening it they look around confused. Shelly is the first to speak as she looks to Arc.
“A Game Room?”
Arc nods. “Yes. For the crew as well as anyone we’re transporting.”
Ember grins. “Flying for long periods can get boring after a while.”
Lily shrugs. “I suppose one could only look at the scenery for so long.”
Minerva points to a nearby door. “What’s in there?”
“Pool tables. They’re the same as something you’d see back one Earth though.”
Shelly smiles. “Board games, couches, tables, and even pool tables. Seems like everything was thought of for those whom are sociable.”
“For those whom are looking for quiet entertainment there’s a small Library next to this room. It has places to sit and read there, or books can be taken to the Observation Deck too.”
Lily appears hopeful. “Can we see it?”
Ember turns to him. “Maybe we’d better not, Hero. After all, the books there might have certain... information that shouldn’t leave this land.”
“You raise a good point, Dragon. Thank you.”
Lily nods. “We understand.”
Minerva looks to Arc. “The Lower Deck has the Cargo Hold and Engineering while the Mid Deck is Living Quarters, Cafeteria, Game Room, and Library. What’s on the Upper Deck? Other than where we started, that is.”
Arc chuckles as he gestures to the door. “I could tell you. But it’d probably be easier to just show you instead.”