Fire and Brimstone, Book 2

by BluePhoenyx

Chapter 2 - Crimson and the Sea Legs

All was dark with a familiar sound of faint crackling. “Hello?” Once again, the darkness blurred to a dark red as it started to slowly get warmer. She was scared as the dark red distorted and the flames started to appear on the horizon. Again, she saw the shadows of the buildings aflame. It was just black and red with the same six very bright stars overhead. “What’s going on here?” The dark shadow started to mold before her. The heat got more intense as it started to take its shape. This time, she remained quiet. The shape formed into the silhouette of the same tall, powerfully built pony. Like before, a large, curved horn formed as the flame’s color desaturated, and his glowing red eyes popped from the silhouette. However, unlike last time, the yellow eyed figure doesn’t form.

The red eyes glared at her. The six stars dimmed and faded away, then fell from the sky as he growled a deep growl, and spoke in his bone shattering voice. “The six are ours. We will survive.” She was paralyzed in fear as it started to get hot. “Now burn!” Flames surround her and she screamed in horror and pain.

* * *

A couple of days pass while out on the open sea. Crimson spent most of the time staring out in the seemingly infinite water. He searched the boat with no signs of the cloaked pony, nor has anyone seen such a figure.

The sun was high in the sky as the crew of the vessel dove into the cold, dark sea and coming up with beautiful shimmering pearls of different colors and sizes. Crimson ignored the boundless booty collected from the waters and kept his eyes on the never ending blue water.

The griphon walked up beside Crimson again and stared off into the sea. A blanket was wrapped around him with his feathers still wet from his most recent dive. He blew into his claws and rubbed them together to try to warm them up. “All you do is stare.” Crimson remained silent. “You looking for those pirates?”

Crimson took a deep breath of the clean, sea air. “This is… difficult to explain.”

The griphon looked over that the unusual pony. “What is?”

“This… sea of yours. Endless water. Such wealth is incomprehensible to me.”

The griphon gruffed to himself and turned around. He leaned against the rail and stareed off the starboard rail into the sea. “You ever hear that only pony tale about the ancient mariner?”

“I have not.” Crimson replied.

“It’s about a ship – much like this one.” He gave a brief laugh. “Even the purpose is similar.” He turned around and faced the same direction as Crimson to stare into the sea. “Anyways, a storm drove it off course. The lost ship gets visited by a bird of good fortune. The bird leads them back on course and saves the crew’s lives. The captain, however, he felt differently about this ‘good fortune’ and killed the bird. Angry, the crew was prepared mutiny for his deeds. ‘The bird brought the storms!’ the Captain accused. After the weather warmed and the seas calmed after the bird died, the crew believed him.”

Crimson looked at the griphon. “Am I to assume a point is to be made?”

The griphon looked at Crimson laughing. “Calm down. I’m getting there.” He turned back to the sea and continued. “The sea spirits were angry with the captain and they pursued the ship from the southlands bringing with them ice and snow sending the ship into uncharted waters.” He stared into the sea as he began to recite:

Day after day, day after day,

We stuck, nor breath nor motion;

As idle as a painted ship

Upon a painted ocean.

Water, water, everywhere,

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, everywhere,

Nor any drop to drink.

The two stood in silence before the gryphon looks at Crimson. “Anyways, my point being is that the sea water isn’t for drinking. Too much salt.”

Crimson looked at the gryphon at the corner of his eye. “And you could not just mention so?”

The gryphon chuckled. “Come, now. Can’t I have some theatrics? Anyways, it isn’t the sea that we’re after. It’s what’s inside the sea that we’re after.” The gryphon held up a two inch diameter dark purple pearl.

Crimson looked in amazement at the pearl, quickly analyzing it. “The magical properties of this gem is extraordinary! Healing, wisdom-”

“Magic?” The gryphon looked at the pearl then laughed. “No, no. Jewelry and such.” He put the pearl under his blanket. “Nobles pay good bits for these.” He started to walk away. “I’ll tell ya the rest of the story later. I got work to do.” Crimson stared at the gryphon and where the pearl was for a moment in thought. Then he shook his head and went back to staring at the sea.

* * *

A short time later, Crimson’s staring was interrupted by the cloaked pony. “The pearls are extraordinary, are they not?”

“Very.” Crimson looked at the cloaked pony. “Who are you?”

“It’s not a question of who I am. It’s quite the opposite.”

Crimson looked baffled at the reply. “What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said.”

After a brief pause, a bell is rung. “Captain!” Crimson turned around to see what’s going on.

The Captain looked at the sea on the other side of the boat. He muttered something before yelling, “To arms!” The crew kicked into action as the captain ran to the side of the boat. “Get the divers out of the water. Quickly!”

Crimson leaned over the port side to see what looked like a boat almost on top of them.

The Captain yelled up to the crew member in the crow’s nest. “Where did they come from?”

The crow’s nest crew member looked down to the Captain. “I don’t know, sir! It wasn’t there a moment ago.”

The Captain rushed to Crimson. “To arms. Passenger or not, this concerns you too.” He turned and rushed to get his crew in order. Crimson looked toward the cloaked figure only to find them gone. Calmly, Crimson walked toward the lower decks. Suddenly, pony-like creatures jumpped from the sea and onto the deck. Their slimy scales make the water glide off of them, and their long fin tail and webbed fins where their hooves would be. Fins were their manes, and deep slits in their necks flexed and pulsated as they breathed in the surface air. The crew looked at these creatures in shock as the creatures fearlessly returned their gaze with pale, foggy blue eyes.

After a brief standoff, the Captain rose a hoof. “Attack!” The crew charged the creatures. Pegasi and gryphons swooped to knock off the creatures, unicorns use their magics, and earth ponies tried to take down the intruders with their brute strength. Their efforts seem futile as Crimson stood watching the fight. The unknown vessel, a boat that looked like it was made of out a single large shell, floats next to the fishing boat. More creatures came from the strange vessel onto the fishing boat.

The cloaked pony walked up beside Crimson. “They’re losing you know.” Crimson stood silent. “Nothing?” Again, silence. “I know you have the power to stop this.”

Crimson lightly shook his head. “I cannot.”

“Why?”

Crimson lifted his hoof and rubbed his chest, feeling the amulet that was a gift from and a vow to Princess Celestia.

“Ah yes, the binding promise to the princess.”

Crimson looked at the cloaked figure. “How would you know of such?” A creature was knocked into Crimson, making him stagger a couple of steps. His focus went from the cloaked figure to the creature. He pushed the figure back into the scuffle and he continued to stand his ground.

A single minute seemed like an hour of fighting. The gryphon, now bloodied and bruised, landed next to Crimson. “What the hell are you doing?”

Crimson stood quietly.

“Psh, coward.” He went back into the fray.

The cloaked figure stared at the chaos. “If only they knew.”

Crimson looked at the cloaked figure. “Why do you not assist?”

“I could, but this isn’t about me.” Crimson took a deep breath in frustration. “Look around. The crew is being drug underwater. The ship is being torn apart. Still you do nothing.”

“You know why.” Crimson looked at the battle.

“You mean the missing amulet that bound you to your promise?”

“Missing?” Crimson lifted his hoof to find the amulet was indeed missing. He looked at the cloaked figure, who again has vanished. Crimson looked around to find the amulet, or anything that may have been a piece of the amulet. He found nothing. He then stood and looked at the devastated deck. The crew were but a few. The creatures overran the ship. The hull itself was buckling from the holes it has received. He started to think to himself for a moment. “Missing…” He knocked a couple of times on the deck to examine the materials used to make the boat – steel and wood. He gently rubbed his hoof over the steel. “This will have to work.” He grabbed a piece of loose metal then started to grind into the wood and steel. Going as quickly as he could, he drew a large circle around him, then a symbol at the front edge of the circle. Finally, he tossed aside the makeshift tool and stood in the middle of the circle he carved in the wood and metal deck. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After a brief pause, he opened his now glowing eyes as his curved tip horn lit up. Crimson let out a deep exhale and stomped his front right hoof on the deck. The entire boat started to slowly twist and bend as Crimson lowered his head and upper body to the deck. The boat started to shake as the circle lit up from under Crimson. He pushed himself up and metal rivets and debris yanked themselves from the hull and flew toward Crimson. As they reached him, the metal started to break down to their basic elemental compounds as they started to circle Crimson.

The fighting started to slow down as they looked at the unusual spectacle of power this strange pony has started to display. After a moment, five of the invading creatures start to charge Crimson. He reared and pushed his right hoof toward one of the invaders. The earthly minerals yielded to Crimson’s magic and some of the material launched themselves toward one of the invaders. He then pushed his left hoof toward a different one with the same effect. The earth entangled two of the invaders and threw them off the deck, finally splashing into the water over fifty feet away from the damaged boat. The other three invaders paused as Crimson jumped forward, landed on his front hooves, and started to spin around. As he moved, the earthly shield started to mold itself into a single object while still orbiting around him. As Crimson’s hind legs landed, he whipped his forelegs in front of him, then lunged his head toward the three. The earth shield whipped away from Crimson and hit the three like a giant stone club. The three slid over the deck, hitting and breaking through the guard railings. They hit the invader’s hull piercing the shell as they finally settle in their own lower decks. Everyone, the crew and the invaders, stopped their fighting and looked at Crimson as the giant stone club started to return to its circling pattern around the red coated pony.

Crimson looked around at the invading party. “If you are looking for a fight, fight with me.” He started to walk toward the middle of the deck as every creature, crew and invader, kept their distance. The earth went back to circling him, then fell all over the deck lifeless, covering everything with sand as he continued. “I shall take you all on.”

The invaders looked at each other for a moment, then they started to circle Crimson. The crew, tired and beaten, sat back and watched as the invaders start to slowly close in on Crimson. Every second of pause and silence felt like an eternity as Crimson stood still, his eyes scanning the area. Then, an invader lunged toward Crimson. He stomped his right hoof on the deck causing the earth to form a small pillar and hit the invader from underneath. He then made a push motion with his left hoof causing the earth to grab and pull more off of the boat. He swept the ground with his left hoof throwing sand to the invaders to his right. A wave of earth engulfed them as other invaders tried to lunge from behind. Leather wings burst through Crimson’s clothes and let out a single flap as he leapt high into the air, ripping more of the deck apart. The earth followed him into the air and fell with him as he lands. When he lands, the earth slammed the deck hard causing a large ring to pulse outward, catching all of the sea ponies and throwing them off of the boat. The crew stood in awe as Crimson took another deep breath. His eyes and horn lost their glow as he exhaled. He turned his attention to the opposing ship, then walked toward the edge of the deck.

“Is there no one else?” The invading crew looked at Crimson from their deck at a total loss for words. “Is there no one else?” After a pause, the boat started to drift away from the fishing vessel and dove underwater. Crimson watched as the water bubbled from the escaping air and they sank into the sea.

The gryphon limped toward Crimson, keeping a badly injured wing tucked in close. The deck creaked with every step. “What the hell was that?”

Crimson remained quiet.

A pony walked up to the gryphon, who returned their gaze. “Where’s the captain?”

“I… I don’t know sir. He was taken underwater.” The pony looked frightened at the gryphon. “You’re the captain now.” The gryphon looked down at the sea for a moment. “Captain?”

After a brief pause, the gryphon looked back at the crew. “Give me a status report.”

“The hull is badly damaged. I don’t know how we’re staying afloat.”

“How many able fliers do we have?”

“I…” The pony took a hesitant breath, then turned around to the crew. “Who is able to fly?” No one said anything. “Anyone?”

The gryphon looked at the beaten crew while keeping his own severely injured wing tucked in close. He turned his head toward Crimson, who is still looking at the sea. “Why didn’t you act sooner?”

Again, Crimson remains quiet.

“The damage of the ship, the death of the crew… Everything is your fault!”

Crimson turned and walked away.

“Don’t walk away when I’m talking to you!”

He remained quiet and continued to walk toward the bow of the ship.

The gryphon sighed in frustration, then looked at the pony crew member. “Tend to the wounded and try to keep this ship from sinki-“ A loud boom came from under the deck and the boat rocked violently to one side. Crimson was thrown off the deck and crewmembers start to slide off the boat as the deck started to split and tear itself apart. Before anyone knew it, everyone was in the water swimming for their lives as the ship started to sink to the bottom of the sea. Crimson, never learning how to swim, was swept away by the undertow.

Author's Note:

Edit: 10/16/2017 - Read through, revised tense issues.

Comments

[BluePhoenyx]

Author's Note: Chapter 2 - Crimson and the Sea Legs
Crimson, on a pearl diving vessel, meets with the strange cloaked pony when something interrupts their meeting that can cost the lives of the ship and crew.

After doing some research, I think there will be over 20 episodes in this season. What that means is I'll be posting one chapter a week until I'm out of chapters. Sadly, unless I edit and stretch the book to make more chapters, the book will end before the season 4 finale. I'll see what I can do while keeping things on track. I try to avoid unnecessary "fluff" in my work.

Thank you for reading this installment of Fire and Brimestone, Book 2. I really appreciate your time and I hope you enjoy the story so far. Please let me know what you think. Leave a comment :)