Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat

by David Silver

277 - Be Prepared

Silver awoke with pleasant feelings tingling through him. It took a moment to realize those feelings were from the vixen. The fox woman had snuck into his bed and her hands were with the rest of her, under the covers, doing things to him.

"Good morning," she murmured, greeting him to consciousness.

"St-stop that..." He kicked a hind leg weakly, not trying to strike her, or anything else, more of a twitch. "I am married and grieving, making this about the worst time for that!"

She slid back a little with a pout on her lips. "I was trained in a variety of ways to make my owner happy."

"Do you have some that don't break marriage vows?" Silver sat up, his sleep banished. With a glowing horn he threw back the blankets and slid from the bed entirely.

"Quite a few." She slid back forward, inching towards him. "I would be delighted to show them to you, if I may?"

"I appreciate the thought." He waved a hoof at his dropped bag, his spellbook popping free and flying towards him. "But I must prepare, for your sake and everyone else on this ship."

The vixen drew up her legs beneath herself, seated on her knees with her lower legs pointed backwards and her rump near her feet. "You've mentioned, but that only makes me more curious. What are you trying to protect us from."

"The darkness," spoke Still Waters who had never left. So still was the kirin that she easy to miss. "It closes from all sides."

"That," agreed Silver as his book opened under his magic to where he left off. "This is not something the sailors can fight."

"And that means you will face it alone?"

Silver quirked an ear towards the vixen, considering that. In his dream... "No... No. You are right."

The vixen recoiled faintly. "I expected a haughty argument or a casual brushing off. You're not supposed to just agree with me!" she hotly argued, snorting softly. "I do not understand you, Too-Kind Prince."

"But why would I argue when you're right." In his dream he had stood alongside Celestia, but that had not bore out in the real world. But he did have women who were ready and willing to fight. He just had to... "Tell me how you would fight, if you were to?"

"Did you mention fighting?" From nowhere, his feline guard appeared, a predatory smile on her face. "Whom will I be dancing with?"

Silver hiked a brow at Sheba. "I know how you fight. I wanted to know the talents of the others that are ready to stand with me." He looked over to the vixen. "Even if I'm entirely forgetting your name..."

"I'm not even used to having one," she admitted with a shrug. "Whatever one you give will make me happy, just don't make it a bad one." She ran her tongue over her sharp teeth. "I am not usually a fighter, I confess. I make a person happy to be alive, not wish for death."

Still Waters raised a cloven hoof. "I can fight, I just choose not to. I spent so long controlling myself, that I could speak."

That rose an ear. "I hear a story in there... would you share it?"

Still watched her new employer with her sharp eyes, quiet for a time. "My people decided silence was better than conflict. I fled, but I could feel the fury. I fought it, and I won. I am silent by choice, not by force." She frowned faintly. "But I can fight."

Sheba brought her hands together, weaving her fingers. "Fantastic, but can you fight well?"

"I would not report a task I do poorly as one I can do." Still took a slow breath, calming herself. "My kind can fight, it is instinctive. We are creatures of flame. We are creatures of chill. I have chosen the cool side, but will not freeze myself."

Silver had come to Equestria long before the kirin and how they worked had been revealed. Still Waters was a mystery to him. "Do you want to fight? I don't want to force anyone." He flipped to the next page and a quill floated over, starting to scribble busily.

Sheba let her claws free. "As if you need ask."

"He did not ask you," advised the vixen with a smirk.

Still nodded softly, though whom she was agreeing with she did not bother saying. "I will. Many cannot."

Sheba raised a finger. "Before you ask, most of your sudden harem do not fight. Maribelle would sooner flee than engage in proper battle, for instance." She snorted at the idea of the cow engaging in meaningful combat. "Still, you have two at least at your side."

"They are not my harem," he grunted as he worked on the magical notes, trying to work through his plan. "If you've been talking to them, I'd like a list of what combat or magical abilities they all have, or don't."

"Finally, something to do." Sheba was gone an instant later, off to procure the requested information.

The vixen lifted an ear at the space that once held Sheba. "That is unnerving how she does that... Does it not bother you, Silver?"

"Every time," he agreed with a little smile. "But it's part of what she is, and she wasn't even the first person I had to get used to doing that around me."

Things started to become quiet. The kirin made no noise. Silver softly scratched at his book, and the vixen raised a brow higher and higher. "You two are a thing." She bounced off the bed and back up to her feet. "But you're not in the mood for what I have to offer, so I'll wait until you do whatever it is you need to do."

Still inclined her large horn towards the vixen, but did not speak as she departed. Still instead turned her eyes back to Silver, watching him scratch busily. "Do you need my magic?" she finally said, her horn glowing in a soft pulse of cool magic.

Silver looked up from his book, ears perked. "I would love it, but I don't know your magic. Does it work like unicorn magic?"

"I can read unicorn magic." Still pointed at Silver's book lightly. "Show me the spell you would have me cast."

Kirins could cast unicorn magic? A smile spread on his face. That was good news indeed! "Perfect! You've made my day better." He flipped back and forth through his book with a soft murmur. "You were talking about temperatures before, is that literal?"

"Mm?"

"I have cold and hot spells, would you prefer those over more 'force' ones?"

A faint smile curled her lips, but it faded after a moment. "I would prefer that. Cold before battle, hot during battle."

Silver nodded with growing confidence as bits of paper floated over. He began copying spells from his book to the paper, eyes quickly darting back and forth as he did the work. "Good. I'll... give you some... to do beforehand, and some to do afterhand..."

Still Waters raised a cloven hoof, watching it a moment, her eyes halfway between it and Silver.

"Beforehoof," corrected Silver, gesturing forward as the paper floated towards her. "You can read that?"

"Your magic writing needs work." Her horn began to glow as she accepted the papers from him and began scanning over them. "I can read this."

"Then keep reading. Learn them." He turned to the next page to resume his writing. "I will need you to cast them without a delay."

---

Sheba appeared beside a table where a great many of the new servants were engaged in a card game. "Mmm? What are you wagering?"

Whiskers peered up at Sheba. "Pride, until we're paid."

Maribelle nodded firmly. "If he's as nice as he seems, that will not be long after we arrive in Equestria. Then we can play for real." She set down a card and tapped it softly, getting another slipped towards her. "Care to join?"

"I prefer my battles have some wager, even if it's simply pain." She clacked two claws together. "Tell me, can any of you practice any form of magic? It is in his interest that he know."

Whisker and Maribelle both shook their heads in easy agreement.

Another set their cards down, all face up. The others groaned as she puffed her chest out. "Hmmph, as if the sultan would allow us to learn such things. Unless one of us has a natural knack..."

The giraffe was there, tilting her head. "Do you think we have such a knack?" But none of them knew what a giraffe might have or not.

Sheba tsked softly and vanished. She reaapeared on the deck of the ship, looking around with a little scowl.

"Excuse me." A sailor with a box balanced on their head made their way around Sheba awkwardly. "Comin' through!"

Sheba suddenly grabbed him. As the box began to tip, her other hand went out, grabbing it with strength and sharp claws. "Do you or anyone else in the crew that you know of know magic?"

"Huh? Oh, um, there's the witch?" He shrugged softly. "She keeps the weather in our favor. Nice bitch if you don't bother her." He reached to take the box back. "I really should get back to work though."

Sheba lifted the box away from the reaching hands. "And where is she?"

"Are you going to bother her?"

"Yes."

He raised a brow. "Appreciate the honesty, but why should I say then?"

"Because I have this." She danced back, the box still held firmly. "And I will keep it."

"Hey, look... fine. Give it back and I'll point the way, but you won't tell anyone who said." He held out a hand expectantly.

"A deal is struck." Sheba set the crate on his hand. He was not as strong as she had been and he began to topple over until he could get both hands on it properly. "Where is she?"

"Bottom floor." He tapped a foot on the deck. "Aft side. Knock thrice, answer her question, don't get cursed."

He left with a soft chuckle, leaving Sheba frowning.

There was no time like the present. She vanished between Here and There, traveling down into the bowels of the ship in the blink of an eye. She could see the door that she was to knock on, but she didn't. She reached for the knob as she sped up towards it, moving to yank it open.

She was not moving anymore. A surge of power set all her hair on its end as pain exploded from where her hand touched the knob through her body and down through her feet. "Blast it all," she cried as she staggered back, the pain tingling and throbbing through her. "Who traps their door?"

"Those who value their privacy," spoke an old female voice. "Why are you bothering this old dog?"

Sheba scowled at the closed door where the voice had come from. "I am Sheba, servant of the prince you carry."

"He has a great many of those," spoke the elder in a musing tone. "What makes you special?"

"I am his guard, and longest employed of any of them." She crossed her arms under her chest. "I am here at his behest."

"Oh? What did he send you for, and did he say to intrude so rudely?"

Sheba growled low, her tongue curling. "He did not... He seeks all magic users."

"You have found one," simply answered the elder. "What of it? Does he wish an enchantment to be more of a prince? Does he have a cold he wishes banished?" The door had not budged, still locking them from one another. "Perhaps he wishes for a charm? I hear he is young and foolish enough."

Sheba suddenly punched the door, a futile display of anger. "He would speak with you of important matters."

Author's Note:

Sorry for the late update this month, still, it's this month, so I win!

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Comments

[Booster Spice]

You can mess a lot of armies up by judicious abuse of Knock and Lock.

[harts fire]

silver is making plans of war and how to defend the ship in hole.
and strong plains they are.

but is silver making plans for Bronycon???

[David Silver]

9657932
I'll be there.

[harts fire]

9657941

grate hears hopping you have a blast.

[PinkDragonJr]

"The darkness," spoke Still Waters who has never left, so still was the kirin that she easy to miss. "It closes from all sides."

"The Darkness." spoke Still Waters, who had never left. So still was the kirin that she was easy to miss.

[Alvsecret]

Silver hiked a brow at Sheba. "I know how you fight. I wanted to know the talents of the others that are ready to stand with me. He looked over to the vixen. "Even if I'm entirely forgetting your name..."

Missing quotes