//------------------------------// // Hear Ye, Hear Ye! // Story: Eden Fire // by Sharman Pierce //------------------------------// By now, the sun was slightly over the horizon, bathing the ship and the world around it in ruddy flat light. Distant clouds on the far horizon lit up with the first of the sun’s rays. It brought the Yellow Rose out in sharp contrasting details of red steel and dark shadows. Cold Snap halted even though he had just started following the captain. He looked around at the magnificent ship and how the light brought out its unnatural angles and lines. Captain Gideon noticed his sudden stop and also stopped to look, first at Cold Snap and then at the ship. He wasn’t sure why he had stopped. He’d seen the sunrise before, and had lived on the Rose for weeks, and he’d seen the sunrise across the ship almost every day since then. So what was so different about this time? Captain Gideon recognized his introspection. “She is a fine ship. She’s more capable than anything else out there. Sometimes she just has to remind you just how different she is. Is that right?” Snap opened his mouth to deny, but then realized the griffon captain had nailed it exactly. When he was first dragged aboard the ship, he realized he was standing on something totally foreign. Nothing was as he recognized. The few things that had some similarity to his prior experience were still eerily different. Every day, the ship seemed to find new ways to show him how different she was. And somehow, he had become inured to all that. Day in and day out on the ship through both the mundane and the chaotic had eroded the initial wonder and replaced it with casual acceptance. He wasn’t as deadened to it as others on the crew. They complained when some incredible part of the machinery inside didn’t work quite like it was supposed to, particularly in the kitchen near the coffee pot. Maybe it was the last dregs of sleep dragging on him, but he saw the ship with refreshed eyes, seeing what he had thought of as impossible or even never thought about before at all. He wondered how anyone could become used to a marvel like this, yet he had already done it. The curse of familiarity. Turning to the captain, he regarded the griffon. The captain watched him with barely concealed curiosity. Snap had to remind himself that Captain Gideon wasn’t much older than him, but he had grown so much more from his constant management of so many lives. Deep down, the captain probably struggled with many of the same things. “Captain, tell me. Do you ever become used to the ship?” Captain Gideon cocked a brow. “I supervised every aspect of her construction and put myself to the task many times. I’m more than ‘used to it’.” Snap shook his head. “That’s not it. I mean does it ever become mundane? Like you overlook how different it is?” Raising one eyebrow in thought, the griffon resumed his study of both the pony and the ship. His head rocked back and forth between the two as if he could not decide which of the two to consider more. Finally, he refocused on his passenger-prisoner. “Sometimes.” It was Cold Snap’s turn to blink in confusion. He knew the captain well enough to be familiar with his speaking habits. The good-ish captain generally used a style of speech that he probably would have described as “articulated and intended to convey precise meaning to all by removing all avenues of misinterpretation.” At least that was how he thought the captain would say it. More likely he would have a few other words that he had never heard before and would have given him a dictionary to parse out the rest. To have Captain Gideon say something so laconic and simple was abnormal for him. Doubtless it meant some other thought rattling around his little bird brain just waiting to fly the coop. So Cold Snap waited. And wait long he did not, for the captain finished his thought. “I sometimes do grow complacent in my surroundings. Keeping the Rose running demands we all live in a world apart from others. You’ve seen the others that crew this mighty ironclad. They are refugees from a world that doesn’t understand them or their motivations. It is an island. When I step off that island into the wild sea that everyone else lives in regularly, it’s like I’ve stepped into a new world.” The captain snorted and smirked. “If that is how it is, then maybe I’ve stepped into many worlds.” They walked. Where, Snap had no idea, but the captain was interested in company, and if that was so, then he just might be willing to answer a few questions. What questions? Snap had no idea on that either. However, he was going to get something out of the captain to make sense of this mess by hook or by crook. “Sooo…” Snap inwardly cursed. The captain would want something a little more confident than that! He tried again. “Why did you leave that world?” Cold Snap looked over in time to see Captain Gideon hesitate and his eyes briefly unfocus. It passed in an instant. Had he not been watching at that fortuitous moment, he would have missed it. As it was, the captain hummed thoughtfully. “You grew up in that world. I think you saw some of it’s problems. You might have not recognized them for the glaring faults they are.” It was Snap’s turn to look doubtful. They took a stairway up to the wheelhouse. The captain continued. “Remember how once you asked my stance on magic?” “Of course,” Snap answered without hesitation. Of course, he didn’t, but he wasn’t going to let onto that. It was enough to convince the captain. “I believe I told you that I did not take offense to the use of magic, but I prefer to work without it where practical. It is an incredible tool with possibilities yet to be explored. You and I may only know of it from a theoretical perspective for most schools, but all tribes are able to use some innate magic. Almost all retain the ability to use more formalized methods. Unicorn rituals are the most commonly seen, but both the griffons and minotaurs have clerics knowledgeable in glyph arrangements, and the zebra tribes use various forms of animism.” “Uh huh,” Cold Snap said, thoroughly lost. “To some, magic is miraculous and incapable of nothing. I know better. As I’ve hinted, without proper rituals, it does not scale practically to large tasks. While some theorize that hundreds of unicorns working in concert and using gemstone batteries could produce effects unimaginable, it is only theory and not something for common use.” He shuddered. “Heaven help us all if someone were to weaponize that.” By now, the sun was well up, and it was starting to warm the ship. The waves picked up in light swells, and there were only scattered clouds. It promised to be a pleasant day with good sailing. At the captain’s words, Snap couldn’t help but shiver. “Machines,” the captain continued unperturbed, “are a much more practical solution for many challenges. They are unthinking tools. If built strong enough and with the proper selection of materials for the task, then they will function without ceasing if properly cared for. They possess advantages over traditional methods and even magic. A mage or talented spellcaster must prepare and maintain a spell. A team of workers must work around the clock to match the leisurely pace set by a steam digger. How does magic relate to those faults I mentioned?” He stopped and stared Cold Snap square in the eye. “It is a crutch. Those who use it think that they are exploring a new evolution in their field. Perhaps they are, but in the end, it is technology that will decide how nations rise and fall. If you think steam is ingenious, then electricity will be wondrous. The Rose transmits my commands and illuminates her passages with electricity. With but a little more progress, I can make a machine that will send words across the world without wires, and that is only the beginning.” Captain Gideon straightened and grasped the latch to the wheelhouse. “This is what Man discovered. Whoever unravels his knowledge first has the power to shape nations and sway kings. Magic is a toy next to it.” He stepped through the portal and into the dim interior of his ship. Cold Snap stood slack-jawed and watched as the captain faded from sight. The noise of the bridge crew died as he passed; then it resumed. As Cold Snap followed, he felt the eyes of the crew on him. Contrary to what he first thought, the crew he’d seen here on the day of the first battle was abnormal. Unless the ship was braving a tempest or battle, only a few remained here to guide the ship. As it was, Midshipmare Blue, the pilot, and a few engineers watched him pass. A few nodded deferentially to him. It was such a strange occurrence. He’d never been one to receive much recognition outside of his own family and their laborers. It made him wonder once more what exactly his place on the ship was. Perhaps whatever position a half-oracle demanded? In moments, he was out of the wheelhouse and making his way to the stairway. A moment more, and he was at Captain Gideon’s cabin just as the griffon opened the carved oak door. The captain looked at him, his eyes distracted as if he’d forgotten Snap existed at all. Those sharp eyes of his studied Snap as if working out his next decision. When he spoke, his words came out slow and measured. “Cold Snap, I believe I may have a theory.” He stepped inside. Snap scrambled to follow before the captain could change his mind. Once inside on the plush carpet, he made himself as comfortable as he could standing in the middle of the captain’s private lair. “A theory, sir?” he prodded. Gray feathers shifted as the captain fluffed his wings unconsciously. He was nervous, but why? “I said once that I was studying man through the lens of mythology. Man always held a love for symbolism. Perhaps we inherited our own love for symbolism from him in the long past, or perhaps we just gravitate to it. So,” he pulled out the box, “I began studying this more closely.” There wasn’t much to see that Snap hadn’t already seen. Trees and whatever other decorative carvings the original maker had graven into his creation. In his work with the captain, he had seen it many times. “You must realize that when we first recovered this box, I had disregarded the carvings on the box as nothing more than style choices. When you told me of your dreams, nightmares, then I began to reconsider that notion. So, I began looking for what might have a symbolic connection.” He looked up. “And I found one.” Snap didn’t feel any surprise. This was Captain Gideon who was talking. No doubt he had forgotten more than many had known. On a ship like the Rose, the impossible was an average day. Learning that the captain had discovered a thread of possibility to tie their puzzle together didn’t exhilarate him. He felt annoyed at how long it took, like wondering why it took a shopkeeper so long to find something in his store. Obviously, he did not show off that opinion. Instead, he waited to see what the griffon would say. He didn’t have long to wait. The captain waved his claw. “Consider that ridiculous party book. It told all manner of nonsense about Man. However, I theorize that it was right about Man in some regards. Perhaps its writer was a rag publisher listening to someone who knew of Man from a secondary witness. Details of that sort get muddled easily. Coin only adds to the confusion. In this case, Man can be seen as a creature who takes burial seriously.” That was not necessarily something Snap would have considered. Given their propensity to make complicated machinery, he realized they were intelligent. As such, burial and the deceased would be important too. “The first marks of civilization are lengths that a culture will go to to both care for the living and tend to the dying. A balance of life and death if you allow me the cliché. We, for all our incredible accomplishments in magical and mundane fields, do not care for our departed in the same reverent way as Man does.” That was a controversial statement if Snap ever heard one. He had been to far too many funerals and not enough weddings for his young age. It was the curse of being the youngest in a family. In every case, the departed was dearly cared for and wished to travel in peace to the Fields of Harmony. While sad, it was innately understood that they would reunite one day. “I can tell that you do lend credence to my claims. No matter. Allow me to put it simply: we lay our departed to rest in expectation of meeting them in that rest. Man prepared a way for his ancestors to reach the afterlife. We tend the body. Man tended the soul. To Man, the body was transient. The soul was eternal.” “So what does this have to do with the box?” Cold Snap asked, trying to nudge the conversation back from this morbid topic. In answer, the captain held up the box. “But don’t you see it?” Snap looked closely at the carvings. The lines and swirls, he long ago disregarded as decoration. Instead, he focused on the trees. The two were done in great detail and had retained much of their crispness even after unknown time and owners. None of that did much good as he did not recognize them as any saw timber, spice tree, or fruiting tree he had ever encountered or read about. The captain produced a magnifying glass. Snap looked again. With the powerful lens, he could see more details. The tree on the left differed from that on the right. Its bark, in as much fidelity as the wood would allow, was rougher, and the branches looked ragged. They held that stumpy look of a tree damaged by ice. The other was lush and strong. It was everything the other was not. He recognized them. He already saw them every night. Without a doubt, they were the graven image of the trees in his visions, for not doubt the captain was right and he was at least half of an oracle. “Your point?” he asked dryly. Rather than take offense at his tart words, the captain only grew excited. “Two trees. One prime specimen. The other a decaying splinter.” The griffon held up his two front paws, one raised and the other lowered. “Life.” He reversed the pose. “Death.” The captain returned to all fours and paced around his desk. “You see, it makes sense when you consider the facts about Man. Everything about him is a dichotomy. One of them may be a benevolent saint. Another is a heartless killer.” “I think you might be exaggerating a bit.” Captain Gideon stopped his pacing and returned his attention to Cold Snap. “Perhaps I am. Not everything can be so extreme. What I can say is that his symbolism with life and death is integral to his existence. It was something that impacted every important aspect of life and death. By themselves, these trees are just a coincidence and example of his obsession.” Snap started to catch on. “But when somepony starts dreaming of them too, and every night…” He didn’t have to finish. The captain picked up immediately. “Then it is no longer mere coincidence. This is magic unlike any you may find. Magic of life and death are considered sacred for a reason. None other have such far reaching effects. None have their potential. Why else do you think it is of the most taboo of fields? That is why you find the most diverse groups pursuing them.” “Groups like us?” Snap asked wryly. “Many things are possible when you try to comprehend the supernatural.” The room fell silent for a while. Each of the two churned over the thoughts in their heads. The only noise was the steady rumble and creak of the ship as it bulled through the swelling waves. Snap was grateful for the distraction as he found out he was at a loss. Magic was never his strong suit. It should be expected though. Magic was always Nebula’s thing. It gave him his unique place in the family and village hierarchy. To Nebula, the field of magic was wide open and gave him substantial joy to explore. If he wanted to, he could probably make quite a name for himself. Not so with Cold Snap. He would listen when Neb talked theory, but wouldn’t get the details right a minute later. He was an earth pony. Magic of his tribe was always innate and tied to the land. Even being cooped up on a ship wasn’t the same away from his familiar plants. When the captain brought up necromancy and whatever the converse of that wretched act was, he was completely out of his field. From what the captain and others had said, any could practice it. If anything, that was its appeal. Even an unmagical pony like himself could do it. Could an unmagical Man do it too? A glowing gem seemed to be good evidence of that. If that were so, then was he corrupted by it already? After this many days, would it even matter? He stopped himself before his young imagination could run away. He could have a crisis later! His focus returned to Captain Gideon. The griffon leaned on his desk, his eyes fixed on a brass cased dial. “Our barometer is dropping. A large, low-pressure system is moving in here. Will promise a deluge, I’m sure.” The captain had a worn look to him. His eyes were dark and exhausted. He looked like every bit of energy had been sucked out of him by acting as the captain of this vessel, and Gideon was all that was left. The captain knew no fear, but the unmasked Gideon did. In a moment, Cold Snap had an idea. He didn’t have them often. Neb said he had half-decent ideas half as often as he should, but he could still come up with a good one occasionally. Captain Gideon did not fear nature. He respected it and gave it proper due. Ponies did not concern him. Navies could not trouble him. One mare could. One mare could bring him answers he sorely lacked. Lilith left him in a predicament. He wasn’t supposed to know her. If Snap brought her up, he might as well walk up to the captain and inform him that he had been spied on. Shoveling coal would probably be a light punishment. Snap couldn’t bring it up, but an oracle could. He thought it over. The idea was bold, but it was daring enough to work. Plenty could go wrong. Oh well, the captain himself had said that half-bloods had some immunity to their bad prophecies. This would be a show. Setup would be all-important. He stared off into the distance as if looking straight through the captain. He put a small sway into his hooves, just off-beat to the ship’s natural rocking to look like he wasn’t in control of himself. “You are afraid,” he said with an uncharacteristic waver. Turning slowly, the captain regarded him curiously. Snap didn’t give him the time to respond and break the illusion. “You know your object is close, but you are not certain to hold it. You are afraid of another.” Whatever consternation the captain might have felt was erased by suspicion. “What are you rattling on about? Are you ill?” Snap dodged the question. Instead, he pushed further into his fabrication. “She is from your past. You wished her forgotten, but she chases this prize.” Now the captain looked at him shrewdly. Underneath it, the young earth pony could see a healthy dose of concern seep in. He could almost tell what the captain was thinking. What does he know? How did he learn? Does it change anything? Snap himself didn’t know all the particulars, He didn’t even know how a seer was supposed to act. Every bit of this charade was improvisation and desperate prayers that the intelligent griffon wouldn’t tear through it. He was in too deep to change it anyway. “A pale mare haunts your wake closer than you think. She holds secrets yet to speak. What fate will Man have yet to play? Will he build or will he break? His drop of blood will tip the scales.” Every emotion under the sun warred in the captain’s eyes. He did not move. He barely breathed. He might as well have been a cat pondering the mouse before him. “Mr. Horn talked, the wretch. I’ll have him flogged for that indiscretion.” “Stay the lash. He holds no blame. Will you act to build your shame? There is a balance. There was a time for death, but now is the time for life. A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to break down, and a time to build up. A time to love, and a time to hate. A time of war, and a time of peace.” Cold Snap talked as fast as his mind could make up something new. He hoped that somehow all of this would be ahead of Captain Gideon. Oh, how he wished he thought his idea through a little! He had no idea what he was saying, but he better not stop for breath! The explosive tirade never came. The captain didn’t react with his standard, impassive logic or his confident command. Genuine shock and fear crossed his eyes. The gray griffon watched the young pony as if he were a total, and dangerous stranger. All of a sudden, Cold Snap felt that he had made a terrible mistake.