//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: A New Land // Story: The Unicorn Wars: Griffania // by Constellation //------------------------------// The ship lunged under my hooves as a wave slammed into the hall again, it had been one long storm after another as soon as we entered the Griffin Sea, and the crew had said that this weather was some of the best they had ever seen on the Griffin Sea. Another wave struck the hall, this one sent me off my hooves and into the guard rail, quickly getting back to my hooves I decided to get off the deck and go below. I quickly made my way to the hatch that led to the inside of the ship and opened it with haste, I then made my way down the overly steep stairs that bridged the top to the bottom, but as I neared the bottom the ship shook signaling that yet another wave had hit it, it also sent me to the bottom the fast way. Standing up I puled the rope that I landed in off me and set a barrel that had been knocked over back up, then I was trampled by a young sailor who very hastily attempted to make his way up the stairs. "Sorry."He shouted as he ran up the steps, then met the same fate I had seconds before. As soon as he was back on his hooves he was up the steps and gone faster then I could follow. Returning my thoughts to the warm bunk that awaited me I turned back down the corridor and started walking to the door at the far end, it wasn't that easy though, the ship kept swaying and I was knocked into the wall more the a few times, but finally I made it to the bunk room. "How do sailors stand it?"I questioned as I opened the door. "I don't know."The Sargent said miserably as he walked past me and toward the stairs, looking rather green. I shook my head and moved into the room, Maximus, Corporal Iron Hide and Ice Heart had a game of poker going, judging from his face I would say that the corporal was not winning, Fire Ball lay on his bunk and at the moment I looked at him he grabbed a bucket and threw up into it, Swift Steel was the only one who looked like he was not going to do the same. "Hey Nova,"Maximus called."care to join, with the corporal playing you cant loose." Swift Steel and Ice Heart started laughing, much to the corporals dismay, and Fire Ball just threw up again. "Ha ha,"The corporal mockingly laughed."look who just volunteered to do Latrine duty, that's a good attitude I'll talk to the Sarge about it." At this every pony laugh again, except Maximus, who looked even sicker. "No thanks,"I said."I'm going to get some sleep." And with that I crawled into the bed farthest from Fire Ball and went to sleep as fast as I could, when I was awake on this ship I felt sick all the time, but when I was asleep I slept like a baby. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Wake up,"The voice of Maximus cut through the darkness of my sleep."we're coming into the harbor now." Slowly my eyes drifted open and I saw my friend standing over me, I didn't feel immediately sick so I assumed that the storm had let up. Rubbing my eyes I sat up and gave a big yawn, then looked back at Maximus. "So we finally made it."I said, more of a statement then a question. "Yup,"Maximus said shaking his head up and down."the ship will be docking in a couple of minutes." "Good,"I started as I made my way toward the door to the hallway."I cant wait to get off this ship." "Same here."Maximus agreed as we left the bunk room behind. We continued down the hallway until we came to the stairs leading up to the deck, we jogged up the steps as fast as we could, a habit we had gotten into when the ship was still being tossed around the sea. Making it to the deck we turned toward the bow of the ship and saw our squad getting ready to get off the ship as soon as it docked. On the near by land I could see a small city, this one was much bigger then Manehatten, but still paled in comparison to a normal city in Unicornia. Unlike Manehatten this city had a stone wall that looked like it could take a beating, and from the cannons on its wall I would say it could give one heck of a beating as well. The city was cut off from the docks by a massive gate with a huge pot above it, my guess was that it was filled with boiling oil to be dumped onto attackers trying to get through the gate. After my short amount of observation the hall of the ship bumped into the side of the dock, two sailors jumped from the side of the ship with large ropes then proceeded to fashion the ship to the dock, after that task was complete the gang plank was dropped and we were let off the ship. Every pony look relieved to be off of it, except Swift Steel who looked a little sad. "Finally,"Ice Heart said."dry land." "I'm so glad I didn't listen to my dad,"Fire Ball started."'join the navy son, it will be the best choice of your life' he said, whats wrong with him?" "Well lets not stand around,"The Sarge said."we have some where to be." With that we all started toward the city gate to report to a Commander called Arcane Magic. I had not really heard much about this territory from the news paper, but, I knew its inhabitants were violent, very violent.